[Sehun]

“Go get him, tigress.”

I watched his lips part, a barely audible whisper of encouragement slipping out as Jongdae-hyung unwrapped his arms from his companion, and Jieun launched herself at her ex-father in the next instance.

Oh Jaehyun didn’t seem to be shocked by the fact that she attacked him, but her insane speed and strength used in landing a hard punch on his face did send him reeling, his eyes dilating in shock right before he flew backwards.

“Not bad, daughter,” He wiped at his mouth with the back of a hand while he picked himself up. “What a strong newborn you are.” His eyes glinted maniacally and a laugh rang out in the silence of the Room. “But it’s not enough, Jieun. You’re too weak, far too weak to bring me–”

I didn’t even see her move but as Oh Jaehyun spoke, Jieun suddenly appeared in front of him and dealt a uppercut to his chin. The impact threw him up into the air, arms flailing rather foolishly but he recovered moments later and taunted her with beckoning fingers as he hovered in the air. Dammit, Kris-hyung’s ability. He still has it.

A displeased snarl came from Jieun, and she jumped upwards and towards him, fists clenched and face contorted into the epitome of a rage-filled vampire. Beneath them, a short distance away, Jongdae-hyung watched with an extremely concerned expression. I could feel his apprehension, his eyes following her, extreme worry swimming in them as a single thought filled his mind — will Kim Jieun become a true, bloodthirsty Vampire?

Jongdae-hyung continued to fixate his eyes on her, his body tensed and poised to fly up to her should anything unfortunate happen to her, as her fists get nearer to Oh Jaehyun but something nagged at me. The man was far too relaxed, too haughty, too confident.

Something wasn’t right, something was off. But I couldn’t put a word to it.

I would have continued to ponder, but when a shrill shriek of pain broke the quietude of the utterly-destroyed Throne Room and a bellow of Jieun! followed after, I was prompted to cut my thoughts short and notice with rounded eyes as Jongdae-hyung ran and caught his falling companion within his arms.

A mumble of ing air shield rendered my mind blank and an inexplicable tsunami of fury flooded me. Air shield? Air shield!? Nobody uses my ability.

No-ing-body.

I snapped my eyes to him and as if we were telepathically linked (EWW), his eyes met with mine while my narrowed vision took in his smirk. “Unhappy that I’ve used your ability to harm one of your friends, prince?”

“Very.” And I let my eyes drop to his chest where an almost-invisible, extremely thin film of air shimmered. Bingo. I kept my eyes on the shield, focusing intently until a loud pop informed me of its disappearance and a smirk of my own crept onto my face while his dissolved, a displeased growl slipping past his lips. “But now, I’m a little happy.”

Oh Jaehyun’s eyes turned to slits, his upper lip curling and he showed his canines. I could hear a snarl rising up his throat but it transformed to a soft gasp as his eyes blew wide in the next second. He must have finally caught sight of our work.

“Thanks Kyungsoo-hyung.”

“You’re most welcome.” I could hear the haughtiness in his tone, but I knew that Kyungsoo-hyung was anything but pompous. For one, his ability matches with mine perfectly.

“Spears made out of wind and wrapped with thorns?” His voice dripped with malice, but I thought I heard a hint of him being impressed. That thought quickly vanished when he continued, “How very original, children.”

“Why, I didn’t even know that you hadn’t realised that I’ve been setting up wind spears around you, dear uncle.” I answered with thick sarcasm. “But,” My body bent forward into a slight bow while my eyes trained themselves on him. “Thank you very… much!”

And I sent the spears at him, a massive blur of green and brown converging on him and I waited, as the rest of us were too, for the squelch and burst of red.

Alas, no.

He brought up the air shield all around himself just before the spears hit and the protection somehow, some-ing-how managed to repel the weapon and rendered them utterly useless. I would have screamed, bellowed in frustration and exasperation at the failure of my attack but hey, I’m the prince.

And this prince wasn’t going to go down like that without a backup plan.

“Now, Baekhyun-hyung!”

The eyes of Oh Jaehyun blanked, and I knew that the light user had done his job — blinding him. As an wind ability user, I knew how useless (unfortunately) air shields are against non-offensive abilities; abilities such as Baekhyun-hyung’s. (Nobody ever dares to mention my countless losses against that hyung in our spars through our childhood years.)

Everything happened in his seconds-long state of confusion. A large bolt of lightning struck down from the skies, creating minute cracks in the shield; then fire roared and wrapped itself around the shield, it looked as though Jaehyun was swallowed up by Chanyeol-hyung’s impressive ability. The red and orange flames vanished and wisps of frost climbed up from all around, its icy tendrils circling the man and I could see their metaphorical limbs penetrating the cracks created and widened by the fire.

“Now, Sehun?”

I smirked. “Now, Xiumin-hyung.”

And with a clench of his fist, the shield exploded and flakes of snow rained down upon us. It was a beautiful sight, a sight that I haven’t seen in years since the disappearance of my sister. He used to entertain Sera with his gorgeous snowflakes and wisps of ice. Think Elsa, but male.

Thorny vines then rushed towards him from the shattered windows, as they winded around his legs and pulled him to the destroyed flooring. The moment he reached, Kyungsoo-hyung replaced the vines with boulders that clamped themselves around the lower half of his body, rendering his legs useless. A thick film of liquid wrapped itself around the massive boulder and I caught Suho-hyung’s satisfied smile from the corners of my eyes.

“That’s not part of the plan, hyung.”

“You know me,” Suho-hyung quipped, his eyes still trained on the man. “I like to play safe, just in case.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, and instead averted my eyes to him. “What do you have to say for yourself now, Oh Jaehyun?”

His eyes, still blank and unseeing, widened and for a moment, something nagged at me. Something still isn’t right, I’m still feeling worried. But… about what?

He then burst out into a maniacal laughter that caused the hairs on the nape of my neck and my goosebumps to stand, and a shudder to run through me. Even though Baekhyun-hyung had blinded him, and continued to do so, it seemed that he was unfazed by the loss of one of his senses.

“I have nothing to say, my dear nephew.” He stopped laughing instantly. His serious expression scared me, frankly, for his eyes were still blank and his lips had straightened themselves. “But, I do have something to show you.”

And in the next moment, all of our work came undone. He was no longer bounded to the ground by Kyungsoo-hyung’s rocks, wrapped by Suho-hyung’s water. Baekhyun-hyung’s ability had all but vanished from his eyes, and those dark orbs had returned. Superiority glinted in them.

“What do you think, nephew? Isn’t this wonderful?”

“No… It can’t be–"

“How could you have gotten my ability!?”

[Sera]

I intercepted my brother, fear overwhelming my frame as I just witnessed his display of my ability.

He had just nullified my brothers’ abilities.

“Let’s not bother with the details, dear niece.” He waved a hand dismissively in my direction, his face not bothering to turn towards me. “The thing is, that all of you will never be able to defeat me. Not when I have your ability, Sera dear.”

I felt whatever hope I had left in me drain out of me, a broken tap that seemed irreparable no matter how much I do, how much we all do to fix it. Are we doomed to die in his hands, then?

“No.”

A voice that I haven’t seemed to have heard in awhile rang out in the silence that had engulfed the Room in the belated discovery of our inevitable demise. All heads snapped to him immediately. His expression of absolute determination filled my sight; the