Random Rambles: GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING GUYS, SCHOOL, EXO COMEBACK ;A; EVERYTHING!! brb, Exo killing me with Love Me Right OTL Enjoy the chapter! Sorry it took me a while! Also, hello new subbers, thank you for following the story! Hi commenters, stay golden, your feedback means the world to me :3 <3

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I shout out, but the answer is no. 

The broken pieces of my heart shine. 

I’ve fallen and there’s no wait.

In the end, I’m in the same place.

…I’m lost…

There’s no light where I am. I feel my limbs twitching and even when I open my eyes, I see only darkness. I’ve been put in situations like these a million times before and a million times over. You’d think I’d be used to it by now… A handle is switched and I’m attacked by blinding lights, and light is all I see. 

My muddled head and eyes need longer than usual to adapt to the environment, and once I adjusted to the sudden brightness, I find myself lying on the cold hard floor, inside of that strange steampunk laboratory I’ve been in before with the pack. When I looked to the side, I saw the huge hole in the wall, but it was closed off as well. Something was buzzing nearby like a tesla coil, sparks popping and machines whirring. 

I groaned when I gained control over my body, but snapped up when my first concern was the dagger. Where is it?! 

I startled upon hearing muffled groans and shouts in alarm nearby. My eyes widened as I saw the boys and Mr. Tabi and Mr. Kang trapped in a huge glass tank, their necks chained to stone blocks near their chained feet. Their wrists were chained as well, but the chains were just long enough for them to be able to tap on the thick glass. They were shouting and yelling something, but I couldn’t hear. 

“Oh my God! Guys!” I got to my feet, steadying myself before approaching them. They instantly banged the glass, shaking their heads frantically as I approached, almost as though they didn’t want me to get to them. I slowed down and took a step back on time as a fence of green lasers appeared right in front of my nose. I jolted back, curiously leaning forward to inspect it. Why would there be a green laser-fence here?

The men started banging on the glass again to warn me, and I felt helpless when I looked at them. How was I going to get to them? 

“Stay back!” they shouted simultaneously and loud enough for me to hear. I nodded and stepped away from the lasers. 

Luhan, are you guys okay? How can I get to you? I then asked, looking at him. I blinked when there came no response. Luhan? I tried again, making sure he knew that I was staring at him. A faint, wry smile appeared on his face as he gently placed his hand against the glass, as though he wished he could touch me instead. It only took a small shake of his head for me to come to the horrid realization that he couldn’t hear me. Did this mean that none of them could use their powers?

I glanced at the others, subtly trying to motion to D.O. to have him try to cause a little earthquake or something, but he too, shook his head. What did that woman do to them? 

“It’s okay,” I stammered, hoping that they could hear me through the thick glass. “I’ll get you out! Just- wait there!” I yelled, and they seemed to understand. Mr. Tabi even smirked ever so slightly at hearing my comment. “Yeah, I know, stupid- cause where would you go, right?” I said, to which he shrugged and nodded, leaning on the glass. “Okay,” I breathed, looking around while trying to concentrate and stay vigilant. What do I do? 

Wait. I know that getting them out was my priority right now, but there was something else that was, unfortunately, a bit more important. Stupid dagger. Where was that thing? Come to think of it, where was that woman? Why did she put me here, of all places? And Mr. Yok- where was he? I carefully looked around to check for any signs of them being in the same room and lurking from the shadows, before checking the chamber for cameras. Were they watching along? Probably were. I didn’t understand why I was out in the open like this while the others were put in chains in that glass tank. I had to get them out. 

I rushed over to the computers and machinery, jolting each time the tesla coil sparked while thinking how disgustingly cliche this setup was. Of course the bad guys would choose to bring us to some godforsaken basement filled with contraptions that even Jules Verne wouldn’t think up. Was this thing I was examining even a computer? The panel was filled with buttons and levers, but what connected to what? There had to be something that would deactivate those lasers, right? What did they do, anyway? Trigger an alarm? That didn’t make a lot of sense. That woman and Mr. Yok already knew that we were here. Or, was it something that once you walked past it, your magic gets blocked? Did something like that exist? 

I walked to the end of the panel when I noticed something glimmering from the corner of my eye. As I looked on the floor I gasped so loudly I nearly fainted. Without a moment’s hesitation, I grabbed the dagger to inspect it. It must’ve fallen from my person when I was brought here, though, what could’ve have possessed them into not taking this from me first? Was this a replica? It didn’t feel that way. That was surprisingly careless of them… Or, was it a trick?

I turned around at the men to tentatively show them the dagger. I saw them yelling and banging against the glass again, one big incoherent mess. I saw Mr. Tabi calm everyone down, saw how he told them what to do. After counting down, all fourteen of them simultaneously yelled; “She left it there on purpose!” 

My eyebrows knitted together. “On purpose?” Why the heck would she leave this here on purpose? This was the thing she wanted more than anything and her boss made it pretty clear that the dagger meant a great deal to him. It was his yoyo-thing! What would possess him to leave his freaking yoyo-thing?! 

After I carefully secured the dagger in the belt behind my jeans, I searched the panel again to see how I could get rid of the laser fence. I looked behind me when Mr. Tabi and Mr. Kang were knocking on the glass. He signaled the boys to help him deliver the message he was trying to yell at me. 

“It’s lasered plasma! You have to handle with care!” the words were carefully pronounced and I nodded. Not that I knew what the heck he was talking about, but okay, be careful. Got it. 

“What even is lasered plasma?” I muttered to myself, starting to randomly press buttons. Again, the knocking of glass resounded through the chamber and I rolled my eyes before turning around. 

“Careful!” they shouted. Mr. Kang looked exceptionally nervous when he pointed at the fence. “Dangerous! Sharp!” they communicated. 

“Sharp?” I mouthed, looking at the lasers again. I nearly grunted out of frustration when my biology teacher gestured towards his glasses and pointed at me. Reading his lips I assumed he told me that I should wear a pair of goggles before examining the lasers. However, I wasn’t a scientist and my main concern now was to get to the guys so I could figure out how to release them. I checked the panel one more time and found a handle that looked like it could deactivate a laser fence. I jumped and let out a short shriek when I saw that it had opened the way to the hole in the wall instead. 

“Convenient, but not what I needed,” I huffed. Hold on. I felt the dagger jabbing my hip as I looked at the entrance to the makeshift forest. Didn’t Mr. Tabi and Mr. Kang say that the dagger was stable enough after absorbing our energy? What if I went to create another Tree right now? Mr. Yok would lose and I can come back for the guys after? 

Too easy, Jae. Way too easy, the conspicuous part of mind argued, while the other part couldn’t wait to get to the other side of that wall. 

“I’ll be right back,” I said to the pack, but this got the men protesting all over again. I was shaking my head and ran towards it, when I heard a distinctive buzzing. I stopped on instinct as more lasers whizzed in front of my face and I yelped when the tip of my shoe was slid off, missing my toes by a hair. 

“Oh my God!” I exclaimed, quickly moving away. My shoe was still smoking, seared by the fence. Great. Well, at least I know what lasered plasma is, sheesh. No wonder they put me out here instead of inside of the tank with the others. I may be unchained, but I wasn’t free. I was trapped like them. 

“My, my, my, still alive I see,” a feminine voice echoed through the chamber, her words following the distinct rhythm of heels clacking on stone floors. “And here I thought I would have a blast laughing at your lifeless corpse, shred to pieces by the plasma.” 

I shivered at hearing her laugh, turning around to face her. Miss Kumiho’s eyes were shining a brilliant green as she approached me, that stupid smirk still plastered on her pale face. She was clad in a black fur coat that revealed her milky shoulders and accentuated her figure. Her leg peeked out from the high split as she walked, strutting around like some super model. 

“You are one sick individual, do you know that?” I told her, and she laughed. Literally threw her head back to shove that swanlike neck in my face and laughed. 

“You’re lucky that you amuse me so much, darling,” she mused. “Otherwise-,”

“You’d find all sorts of sick, demented ways to cause me excruciating pain and suffering before taking my life- yeah, yeah, I get it,” I cut in harshly, sick and tired of always letting her have the upper hand. The look of outrage and offense on her face brought me a small jolt of satisfaction. “Look, I’m busy, okay? So how about I ignore you another time?” I added, holding the dagger protectively in one hand while I glanced over the panel, hurriedly trying to figure out which buttons I could press to deactivate the lasers. 

Of course I felt her cold stare of death poking me from all sides, but what else could I do? I can’t fight her! My sarcasm and poor sense of wit were the only things sharp enough to throw at her… I’m gonna die, aren’t I? 

I nearly hugged the dagger when she suddenly managed to get behind me, one hand wrapped around my waist, the other around my neck. Ah, good times…

“You think you’re special, don’t you?” she hissed in my ear, the smell of burning wood penetrating my nostrils. “You think you’re worth something? Only because I didn’t chain you like I did the others?” she taunted, turning us around to face the men in the glass tank, their shouting still muffled. I couldn’t see her face, but I could tell that she was smirking. 

“You, my dear, are nothing,” she whispered, her hot breath trickling against my skin and I shrieked when I felt the tip of her tongue the shell of my ear. “You’re just a toy for me to play with once Mr. Yok gets what he wants.”

“If it’s the dagger he wanted, then why didn’t you take it from me when you had the chance?” I asked, struggling a little in her chokehold. 

“I told you, you’re nothing but a toy. I was allowed to have a little fun,” she replied, her nails digging into my flesh. Suddenly she let go. 

“Also, out of the kindness of Mr. Yok’s heart, he wanted to give you a chance to tell him how it was possible that the dagger renewed its energy,” she said. 

“According to what I heard about your boss, I’d say he already knows everything,” I watched as Miss Kumiho traced her nails over the panel, freezing on the spot when she heard my comment. 

“Don’t you dare underestimate my master,” she warned, her eyes lighting up briefly. “I’m going to ask you nicely again,” she spoke louder, hands hovering the levers. “How did you heal the dagger?” 

I tried stealing glances at the boys, but she kept a close watch on me. “What’s it to you how we did it, anyway? Isn’t the dagger the only thing important to you?” I was stalling to see if I had more time to figure out what to do next. 

“Do you take me for a fool?” her voice echoed in the chamber. 

I shrugged as I looked at her, contemplating whether I should answer the way I wanted to. 

“Say it,” she then provoked. “See what happens.” Unfortunately, that threat was enough to shut me up. 

“Possessing the dagger wasn’t enough to recreate a Tree of Life. It needed to be unlocked, stabilized. You managed that, and you will tell me how,” she ordered. 

“Why? Not smart enough to figure it out yourself? Isn’t Mr. Yok supposed to be some almighty mythical snake, or something? Couldn’t he google the answer?” I was pushing it, per usual, and I became extra aware of it when Miss Kumiho was on my neck in a matter of seconds, tightening her grip when she pulled me towards her. 

The anger was obvious in her eyes, but her face was still smiling. “Don’t you dare try my patience, darling,” she whispered. “You know what happened last time we were this close to one another,” she threatened, as I cringed, feeling myself being lifted slightly as she held on to my neck. 

“I remember,” I grunted, causing her smile to widen. “How’s the head feeling? You took quite a beating then,” I spat out, bracing myself when she tightened the grip around my neck and smacked me right across the face. 

The smack resonated in the chamber, followed by muffled protests coming from within a glass tank. My ears were ringing and I shook my head to focus. Miss Kumiho was smiling at me. 

“Do yourself a favor and tell me how you healed the dagger,” she told me. 

“Why don’t you do yourself a favor,” I grunted. “Go stand on a street corner and make some money instead of promoting this useless violence!” I knew that my big mouth would get me into trouble, so I merely braced myself again when I saw that she was ready to attack. She lifted her hand again, but she turned her head when she heard a deep voice booming inside of the glass tank. 

“Kumiho! What are you doing?! Let her go!” Mr. Tabi shouted and I was surprised myself at how genuinely angry he sounded. But it wasn’t just that, it nearly sounded as though he was warning her? What could he possibly think to assume he had any kind of influence on her, being chained up the way he was? 

Of course the woman responded to this, turning her head slowly and dropping me to the floor. Her eyes wandered over her captives and she knelt down beside me, holding my wrists, forcing me to look at them. 

“Look at their faces,” she told me. “Do you see their expressions? That sweet, helpless look of despair? Would you like to see more of that?” The woman grinned widely now, her eyes shimmering almost as brightly as the green lasers. 

“Bite me, lady,” I spewed. 

Miss Kumiho rolled her eyes as though she was bored of me and clacked her tongue. “Are you going to tell me how you stabilized the dagger, or not?” she questioned this time, as though she was giving me an ultimatum. When her eyes wandered to the dagger, I kept it closer pressed against my body so she could hardly see it. I glared at her, but said nothing. My cheek was still stinging from where she had hit me, and I doubted my glaring was intimidating her. 

“Very well,” she her lips before walking back to the panel and pressed a sequence of buttons. After she was done, the buzzing of lasers disappeared, the fences deactivated. Even though I was relieved, part of me didn’t trust this at all. 

“What are you doing?” I asked, getting to my feet. I nearly wanted to make a run for it when I saw that creepy smile of hers actually reaching her eyes a bit. 

“Let’s play a little game,” she started. 

“Hell no. I know what games you play,” I spat out immediately. 

“I’m afraid you’ve no say in the matter, darling. You’ll have no choice but to play,” she interjected. “It’s a very easy game,” she added, deliberately mocking me. 

“Let me guess, do as you say or get killed?” I deadpanned, cringing slightly when she let out a throaty laugh. 

“No. Of course I wish you dead, but not yet. Not now. Besides, that kind of game lacks creativity, there’s no fun in that at all,” when she pouted her ruby lips, the thought of impaling her with the dagger flashed across my mind and it nearly startled me. I wasn’t a violent person at all, but this woman brought out the worst of me. 

“It’s quite simple, little Jae,” the woman continued. “You tell me the secret of that dagger, or something will happen,” she stated vaguely and of course this wasn’t very motivational on her part. 

“And what is that something, pray tell? You’ll hurt me?” 

“What is the secret of replenishing the dagger?” she asked instead, never answering my question. Having found my courage once more, I lifted my chin up in defiance, standing straight. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Even when she came standing in front of me, I wouldn’t relent. Not to her. Never again. 

“Tell me how you did it,” she demanded once more, but I only swallowed and shrugged. 

“Did what? There’s no secret to unlocking anything. I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” I persisted and it wasn’t hard to tell when her patience was going to wear out. 

“Fine. Have it your way, little Jae.” Miss Kumiho turned around, approaching the glass tank. I panicked a little now. 

“Hm,” she mused obnoxiously, staring at the men one by one. “So handsome, so hot-blooded,” she mocked. “How much is that dagger worth to you, Jae?” 

The question chilled my blood and I uneasily shuffled my feet. She wouldn’t…

My silence brought another smile to her lips. “That’s reassuring.” Miss Kumiho walked to the side of the tank while she ran her hand over the glass, laughing upon hearing the boys yell at her. 

“Don’t-,”

“Don’t what?” she interrupted harshly when I opened my mouth to speak. I pursed my lips angrily before stepping forward. 

“Don’t you dare hurt them,” I spoke softly, but steadily. That woman needed to know that she wasn’t the only one that could get angry. She needed to know that I could mean business too. 

“Who, me? Oh, darling, I would never dare hurt anyone!” the tone of sarcasm was so obvious it seemed she purposely wanted to be dramatic about the statement. 

“If anyone happens to get hurt, and I pray they won’t of course, then the only person to blame for such a misfortune, would be you, my dear.” 

That was an obvious threat. Miss Kumiho stood next to the glass tank and it was only now that I noticed a handle there. Her fingers wrapped around the metal bar as she never diverted her gaze from me. 

“It’s okay, Jae!” Kris suddenly shouted loudly. “Don’t worry about us!” 

“Aw, such heroic display! He’s tall, handsome, and courageous,” the woman mocked with obvious disdain in her honeyed voice. To me, she said, “Will you tell me, or not?”

“Lady,” I breathed in annoyance, “take a long walk off a short pier, will you?” 

The silence swelled, the tension grew. I thought the air was filled with static, and I didn’t dare move. I wasn’t even comfortable breathing. 

“Did you forget that I always win the games I play?” Miss Kumiho said before pulling the handle. I jolted when the rushing of water reverberated through the massive chamber through lead pipes. A valve opened then, and a cascade of water was dumped over the guys and two scientists. I gasped in alarm, running towards the tank and hitting the glass. 

“Stop it!” I yelled at the woman who was casually inspecting her nails at the side. She lazily glanced at the men struggling against the waterfall while the tank slowly filled up. I banged my fist angrily against the glass at seeing Sehun gasping for air while water poured mercilessly over him. 

“You’re insane!” I screamed at Miss Kumiho. “You are crazy! Let them go! Stop this!” I cried out, in utter disbelief over how someone could possibly be so cruel. 

“Tell me how you fixed the dagger,” she demanded and I groaned out of frustration. 

“I don’t know!” I shouted, a part of me still not wanting to give in. The woman stopped the water, the men inside coughing and desperately gasping for air. D.O. was barely managing to keep his head above the water. I heaved a sigh of brief relief before looking at her. “Let them go,” I told her, but she only scoffed. She glanced at the men she held captive before looking at me again. Without a word, she pulled the metal bar once again, the water falling mercilessly on them. 

“No!” I screamed, desperately pounding against the glass. “I told you, I don’t know!” I yelled, the panic overwhelming me when D.O., Suho and Chen were having trouble keeping their heads above water. “They’ll drown! Stop it!”

“You wanted to recreate another Tree,” Miss Kumiho spoke, serenity personified. “You know the secrets of the dagger.”

I kicked against the glass as I saw the boys desperately trying to help the shorter ones of the group to stay above the rising water levels. Their chains, however, were holding them back. They struggled when D.O. went under water and I gasped, hitting the glass so hard until my hands went numb. D.O. looked at me, shaking his head as though he told me not to worry about him. 

“Oh my God, D.O….” I muttered, feeling helpless, desperate. The only thing that separated us was glass and I still couldn’t get to him. I couldn’t get to any of them. “Please,” I muttered quietly, refusing to let the stinging tears fall from my eyes. “Release them!” I said in a stronger voice, a voice that she could hear. Miss Kumiho’s expression was cold, distant. I couldn’t read off anything. There wasn’t even a hint of amusement in her eyes. Why the hell was she doing this then?! “I’ll play whatever game you want, just- don’t do this!” I then shouted at her, my voice rising above the rushing of water. I panicked when D.O. was obviously starting to lose consciousness, while Chen and Suho, of all people, were starting to struggle as well. 

“What is the secret of the dagger? You were going to recreate the Tree of Life, weren’t you?” she persisted, coldblooded as ever. 

My hands desperately in my hair, I knew I had to think. What do I do? What do I do?

“Yes!” I shouted out of panic when I noticed D.O. rolling his eyes, body twitching. “Yes! Okay?! I wanted to recreate another Tree before you did!” 

“How?” she pressed. 

“Oh my God- stop the water!” I yelled, seeing the others tilting their heads while the water continued to rise. 

“How?!” Miss Kumiho screamed. 

“I don’t know!” I screamed louder. “I don’t know! Please- Please, stop this!” Forget about pride, forget about the fact that I was begging this woman of all people to spare the lives of my friends. 

“Why do you care so much?” she then asked, but there was no mockery in her tone of voice. She seemed genuinely curious, and in disbelief, as if she truly couldn’t understand why seeing my friends drown in front of me was something I couldn’t handle. 

“Why don’t you care at all?!” I retaliated, gesturing wildly at Mr. Tabi and Mr. Kang. “They’re your colleagues-, or at least, they’re people that you know! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?!” 

Miss Kumiho blinked once before she abruptly pushed the handle back up, stopping the water. She moved swiftly towards me before I had a chance to properly react and practically threw me back against the panel. While I was ready to storm right back at her, I saw her touch the glass with her poisonous nails. She calmly stepped back onto a nearby platform while the glass cracked, like spiderwebs it spread across the thick surface and finally cracked. I was only barely in time to brace myself as the water spilled out of the tank. 

The water washing over me with force, I covered my head, waiting until it was over. The men, still chained, gasped for air like fish out of the water - really Jae? You crack lame jokes at a time like this?! 

“D.O.-hyung!” Kai shouted, tugging at his chains as he tried to move over to D.O.’s unmoving form.

“Guys!” I yelled running towards them, my wet clothes weighing me down. 

“Noona, check D.O.-hyung!” Kai barked at me in a panic as he was still coughing and recovering himself. He angrily pulled at the chains, glaring at a motionless Miss Kumiho. I knelt beside D.O., grabbing his cold hand. 

“D.O.? D.O., can you hear me?” I brushed the hair from his face, my fingers trembling when I felt how cold he was. No…this can’t be… “He’s- he’s not breathing,” I announced, my voice cracking. 

“What? N-no! D.O.!” Suho called, trying to get to his feet. 

“Kyungsoo-yah!” Lay put his feet against the stone block that kept his arms chained and he pulled as hard as he could. “Jae-yah, hurry, he needs air! Do you know CPR?”

“CPR? Oh God,” I swallowed as I forced my mind to focus, laying him on his back and listening to his chest. My blood froze when I didn’t hear a heartbeat. 

“Tilt his chin up a bit, noona!” Chanyeol exclaimed, looking like he was about ready to chew his way through the chains if he had to. 

“Yah! You ! Let us go!” Kai suddenly shouted in rage as he fought hard to rid himself from his bonds. I did as Chanyeol instructed me, ignoring the fact that heels clacked ever so slowly towards us. I pumped D.O.’s chest several times before squeezing his nose shut and placing my lips over his, blowing air into his lungs. 

“Come on, D.O.,” I muttered, feeling Mr. Tabi’s eyes on me. “He’s not breathing!” I repeated, hoping that the biology teacher knew what to do. Mr. Tabi’s expression was one of utter shock and disbelief though. He was staring at D.O., rather than at me, when all of a sudden, he looked sharply at Miss Kumiho. 

“Release us,” he told her. “Do you hear me?! Let us go! What are you thinking?!” he bouldered in outrage, while I continued the CPR on D.O., praying that I wasn’t too late. 

“Keep at it, Jae,” Luhan told me. “Don’t give up.” 

I nodded at his words, putting my all into pressing onto his chest, blowing air into his lungs. I’m not too late. You’re not going anywhere, D.O., no way. This isn’t happening- this isn’t going to happen! 

“Kumiho!” I flinched at hearing Mr. Tabi so angry and apparently that kind of tone was needed for the woman to even glance at him. I didn’t know why Mr. Tabi bothered with her, but I was at an even greater loss when she actually released a strange mist from her fingertips and the chains corroded. I heard metal snapping and breaking, falling onto the ground all around me. Kai was beside D.O. first, followed by Lay and Mr. Tabi. 

“Dee, there’s a medical kit behind the tesla coil, keep it at the ready,” Mr. Tabi instructed as his colleague rushed. “Jae, let me take over,” he then stated, but I didn’t want to leave this to someone else. I was still pressing on his chest, wanting to see him breathe on his own. “Jae,” Mr. Tabi called. I ignored him. 

“Jae-yah,” Lay then said, his hand carefully placed on my shoulder. I breathed out then, still fighting my emotions. I looked at Mr. Tabi. 

“Save him, please,” I urged and the teacher nodded, immediately taking over as Mr. Kang stood ready with the medical kit, just in case. 

“If he dies, Kumiho-,” Mr. Tabi seemed to threaten in between pumping D.O.’s chest. 

“He’ll live,” she mumbled without emotion. The next few minutes were hell. We watched breathlessly as Mr. Tabi did his all to revive D.O., and when he finally gasped, coughing up the water. 

“There you go, you’re alright, kid, you’re alright,” Mr. Tabi patted his back as I felt like my heart was about explode. 

“See? Told you,” Miss Kumiho said so coldly and I glared at her. To my surprise she was staring at Mr. Tabi, how he fussed over D.O.. I couldn’t read her expression, but I saw her eyebrow twitch. “My, my,” she spoke flatly. “What a touching scene.” 

Mr. Tabi froze, as did Mr. Kang. They turned to look at her, and Mr. Tabi, still panting, gave her a dark look. “You went too far,” he said. 

“I believe I haven’t gone far enough, personally,” she spat and didn’t even flinch when Kai jolted towards her without warning. She simply dodged his attack and grabbed him by the throat. “Really? You have a particularly annoying temper, boy,” she told him, throwing him back. When others made attempts to attack, she evaded them and I was sure that she would come for me again. I had the dagger, after all, but we were utterly thrown off when she went after Mr. Tabi instead. In a matter of seconds she overpowered the surprised man, her nails trailing threateningly over his skin as she kept him in a firm headlock. 

“Kumiho! What are you doing?!” Mr. Kang exclaimed in shock. 

“Kumiho-,” Mr. Tabi tried, struggling. 

“Shut up!” she yelled. “I’ve had enough of this!” she spewed, her green eyes glaring at us as her nails literally grew right in front of us. Tiny talons pricked Mr. Tabi’s skin, but didn’t pierce it- yet. “You filthy humans,” she scolded, sneering when she looked at Mr. Kang. “Your bleeding hearts… Disgusting!” 

I swallowed when she turned to me once more. “I’ll take that dagger from you now, darling. I don’t think I have to tell what I’ll do this time if you don’t comply.” A gasp escaped my lips when she pulled Mr. Tabi’s hair so his throat was exposed. 

“You wouldn’t!” Luhan growled. 

“After all this wonderful time we spent together, pretty boy, you still doubt my capabilities?” the woman mused, that catlike grin reappearing again. 

“Don’t do it, Jae,” Mr. Tabi grunted. “Don’t give her the dagger.” 

“Aw! Let’s all put our hands together for the heroic Mr. Tabi, so selflessly willing to sacrifice his own life for a piece of metal,” Miss Kumiho mocked. 

“You know it’s worth more than that,” Mr. Tabi said, his adam’s apple bobbing up and down when he gulped. “Don’t give it to her.” 

“Yes, listen to teacher, little Jae. You can always give me the dagger after I kill him. Your choice.” 

“You’re sick!” I cried out a second time, but this was a woman who was aware of how mental she was, and she relished in it. 

“You can’t give the dagger to her, Jae,” Kris whispered gravely to me, which startled me. 

“I can’t let her kill Mr. Tabi either, Kris!” I replied desperately. 

“Kai, can you get him out?” Suho asked, but Kai didn’t immediately answer. 

“She might slice his neck open before I get to him, hyung,” he muttered reluctantly, the frown engraved on his face by now. 

“Luhan?” the leader then asked, but he shook his head. 

“She’s blocking me. I think that poison magic of hers has the ability to block magic as well, or something. I can’t get into her head,” he explained briefly. 

“Then what the hell do we do?” D.O. asked with a raspy voice. 

“Tick, tock, time is running out. What’ll it be? Give up the dagger, or give up your precious Mr. Tabi? I’m sure he was a mentor to all of you for all these years,” she said with a smirk. 

“You’re cruel, Kumiho,” Mr. Kang remarked with a fallen look in his eyes. 

“You’re finally learning,” she replied with another scowl upon seeing the look of sympathy in Mr. Kang’s eyes. “Don’t look at me like that or I’ll have your neck too! Jae, dagger, now!” she yelled, snapping her head towards me. 

Great. Freaking great! How am I supposed to decide? What do I do now?! It was my wavering in the first place that nearly killed D.O., and now she’s putting me in the same position again?! My heart was crushed when I felt the heavy weight of responsibility and that of guilt, when I whispered, “I-I can’t…” 

“Jae, no,” D.O. protested.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do, but I know I can’t give her the dagger,” I tried to argue, hating myself for it. 

“If you think this is a game, think again,” the woman threatened and started to countdown. “Three…” 

“Jae, reconsider. There has to be something else we can do,” D.O. argued, while the others started to protest as well. Different voices rang in the air, telling me to hand over the dagger, others saying that I absolutely couldn’t. When I caught the look of desperation in Mr. Kang’s eyes, I turned to look at Mr. Tabi. He looked so ready, but I couldn’t do this! He was brave up until she whispered, “one…” and the reality of this woman actually about to commit murder in front of my eyes was too much to bear. 

“No, stop!” I screamed, the silence following so deafening I thought I was going mad. Mr. Tabi had his eyes crushed shut, opening only one when he realized that he was still alive. Angry, helpless, defeated, I repeated the command. “Stop. Let him go,” I told her, ignoring everyone else when they started talking again. I approached her, revealing the dagger. 

“Let Mr. Tabi go and you’ll get the dagger,” I guess my emotions became too much for me to handle. I literally felt nothing at this point. Was I broken? 

Miss Kumiho smirked a smug grin, retracting her claws and roughly pushed Mr. Tabi away from her. The man stumbled forward, Mr. Kang still standing at the side, watching everything unfold in disbelief, while the boys went to help the teacher to his feet. However, before any of them could even get to him, he lifted his hand to stop them. He got up to his feet without help, looking at me. 

“Hand over the dagger,” Miss Kumiho barked, looking far too satisfied in my opinion. I approached her, but I had to pass Mr. Tabi on the way. He grabbed my wrist without a word, stopping me. 

“Mr. Tabi?” I whispered. What was he up to? He looked at me before glancing at the dagger and grabbed the weapon instead. There was a look in his eyes that I found frightening when he turned towards Miss Kumiho, who arched an eyebrow at him. Was he going to kill her instead?

“Seunghyun?” the woman questioned.

“Yes! Get her, Mr. Tabi!” Baekhyun cheered on, followed by the others. I was only feeling anxious. Why did she look so surprised? Surprised, mind you, not frightened. 

“You were really going to kill me, weren’t you? You think you could get away with that?” he asked in a tone that I wasn’t familiar with hearing from him. “You hurt these kids, nearly killed one of them and you think that’s acceptable?”

Mr. Tabi held out the tip of the blade towards Miss Kumiho, who stood unmoving and the evil part of me wanted him to stab her. I pushed away those thoughts, watching what he would do. All of a sudden, he turned towards me again whilst inspecting the dagger. "You know we need them," he mused, but I was sure I must've heard that wrong.

“Mr. Tabi, what are you doing? Attack her!” D.O. said, not caring that everyone could hear him. I stared at the biology teacher, long and hard this time, trying to read him. The smell of lupines wafted through the air and my instinct told me to take a step back as my blood froze in my veins. The man noticed this and he clacked his tongue softly. 

“You should’ve listened to teacher, Jae,” he murmured. “I would’ve been dead then, and things would’ve been less awkward,” he said, face contorted in worry, in regret. 

“D-dead? Awkward? I don’t-,” I stammered, as my heart thumped. No. N-no! It- it can’t be! Don’t tell me… 

Mr. Tabi opened the palm of his hand and a tiny flower appeared in it like magic. A lupine, its fragrance strong and sweet, dizzying. ”Do you remember when we first met, Jae?” he asked me quietly. “I told you that it was extremely difficult to catch a Common Jay,” his deep voice brought no comfort this time. I stepped away from him, watching him through angry, teary eyes as I gasped at seeing the violet glow in his eyes, how his hair slowly turned to a shade of turquoise blue. “I lied,” he said before shrugging. “About a number of things, I suppose.” 

How could he smirk like that, showing off his elongated fangs? I literally felt the blood drain from my body, felt the chill of betrayal descend over me like an avalanche. It wasn’t until the heart-shaped seed of the dagger lit up red in his hands that everything really sunk in. 

Mr. Tabi was one of them.