Edited; Re-uploaded

                One day wasn’t enough time to heal, but that’s all that they were given. A majority of that time, Jongdae spent in his room, seated on a decorative chair in front of the single window on the far wall. From a distance, he may have looked as though he were gazing at the lush grassland scenery across the street, but really, he was lost in a dizzying vortex of thoughts.

                Once again, so much had changed in such a short period of time, and something told him things weren’t quite finished. He could feel something more creeping up behind them, a predator just waiting to pounce. He couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, a constant violation in his once spacious world. It made him jumpy and anxious, but he couldn’t prevent his brain from further analyzing.

                The biggest subject that ran through his head was none other than Joon. He knew he wasn’t alone, and it was quite obvious why. The once jolly man was now forever serious, and even worse, he was actually mean. Not the strict kind of mean, but the rude, arrogant kind.

                There used to always be talk during meals about whether or not Joon had some sort of personality disorder, since he would often be seen as goofy in the halls, yet incredibly serious during training, but now it was just confusing. This was a whole different Joon, and it seemed that even Youngjae didn’t know how to react.

                And how did he know that? All he had to do was listen to the shouts erupting from the floor below.         

                Youngjae and Joon’s voices could be heard from all corners of the house. The conversation wasn’t exactly clear to Jongdae, but he could make out Sungmin’s voice, too. The argument they were having seemed to be pretty heated, and after a while, crashes could even be heard. The harsh sounds had Jongdae jumping to his feet, though his attention was quickly diverted to the dull pricks of pain across his body. Even with his minimal movement and plenty of medicine, the wounds along his arms and legs still ached.

                As Jongdae took a moment to examine the long pink line on his left arm, the door to his room creaked open. It hadn’t been completely shut to begin with, but even that tiny sound was enough to have him jerking his head up, heart pounding for what would turn out to be no reason at all.

                Minseok stood in the doorway, hand still curled around the edge of the wooden opening. His eyes were wide in mirrored surprise, and he seemed hesitant to enter. It had occurred quite a few times within the past day, and Jongdae cleared his throat, straightening his features.

                Despite their initial make-up, they’d returned to an awkward state. Jongdae was hardly mad at Minseok any more—it was difficult to stay angry at anyone for an extended period—but he couldn’t just dive into things either. They both knew things weren’t going to be totally dandy at first, but that also didn’t mean it would stay that way.                                

                Jongdae turned back around to face the window once again, having nothing to say, really. After a few seconds, the soft tap of feet against wood reached his ears, and Minseok reached his side. Their arms brushed slightly, noticed with a surprising amount of sensitivity by Jongdae, who didn’t mind the contact. It was a start compared to the distance they’d kept for so long. They were starting to come together again, and Jongdae found himself exhaling a long breath that he’d been holding.

                “Things are pretty hectic down there.” Minseok commented after another couple of seconds, his words were followed by yet another crash. Even the tiniest pieces of glass could be heard from the uppermost floor as decorations and other items shattered against the home interior. By then, Jongdae could only imagine the state the main floor was in. Poor Youngjae would most likely be the one to clean up, too.

                “Hey… Are you okay, Dae?”

                Jongdae couldn’t stop his immediate reaction of whipping his head around to stare at Minseok. He hadn’t heard the use of his shortened name in a long time, and it just surprised him to hear it again so suddenly. It actually hurt a little, right in the center of his chest.

                Minseok seemed equally surprised at Jongdae’s response, and he took a quick step back. His cheeks flamed a bright red, and he shook his hands before him in a flustered manner. “I-I meant Jongdae! Or-Or Chen, I mean! Forget I said that, I—“

                “No, it’s fine.”

                Jongdae stopped Minseok before he could continue, biting lightly on his bottom lip. He didn’t look Minseok in the eye, but he caught the mixed expression that twisted his features.

                “I don’t really mind…” Jongdae went on softly, feeling the beginning of a blush rush to his own cheeks. “And I’m doing okay. Better than I have in a while.”

                Minseok didn’t say anything right away, as if digesting the fact that Jongdae wasn’t ignoring him or something similar. He recovered a moment later, and then he let out a soft, breathy laugh. “That doesn’t make any sense. After all of this, you claim to feel better?”

                “In some ways, yes.” Jongdae admitted, fingers fiddling with the open zipper of the jacket he wore. He looked down at his hands, barely noticing Minseok closing the distance between them from the corner of his eye, and his teeth dug deeper into his bottom lip. “I, uh… Between us… It’s nice. Now, I mean…” Jongdae shook his head, frustrated with his awkward, nonsense explanation. He thought about trying again to make sense without embarrassing himself, but Minseok had heard enough.

                “I know I’ve told you plenty of times how sorry I am. I regret acting so harsh towards you, and I can’t put in words how relieved I am to hear you say that…” Minseok tried a small smile, and Jongdae couldn’t resist one of his own as he turned his full attention to the older teen.

                “I understand.” He said gently, his hand stretching forward to hook a single finger around Minseok’s. It was a small, simple start, but it was enough to give Minseok the silent word of consent that allowed him to completely grasp Jongdae’s hand. It was a casual action that they’d seen the others do plenty of times—holding hands—but it was enough to make Jongdae’s heart pound. It felt different, more special, and he wondered if Luhan felt like this every time he was with Sehun. He had the same thoughts about the others, too.

                However, his time of wondering was cut short when a knock sounded at the open door. Turning their heads in sync, they found D.O standing in the entrance, fist raised. His wide eyes were impassive as he poked in on their moment, and his voice displayed zero judgement on them when he spoke.

                “They want us downstairs. Something that has to do with all of the yelling.”             

                Kyungsoo informed them with instructions in a monotone voice, and the small contact that’d formed between Minseok and Jongdae disappeared. They drew their hands back, and each gave a nod to D.O in acknowledgment. The younger teen dipped his head in return, and then they left the room together.

                The sounds of breaking glass and smashing furniture was no more, and a deep silence had settled as the aftermath. Jongdae prepared to have to dodge around glass and other risky pieces of debris, but the area at the bottom of the stairs was clear. Youngjae was the first that Jongdae saw, and the young teen held a broom in both hands, as expected. He’d swept a path straight to the living room, carving a clean line through the trash that covered parts of the house. The glass tinkled softly against the broom, and Youngjae said nothing as Jongdae passed, though his face showed clear defeat.

                Wanting to apologize, but with nothing to apologize for, Jongdae kept quiet as they headed to the living room. They stuck to the kindly cleared pathway to avoid injury, and then they joined the gathering in the other room. Joon stood off to the side, arms crossed almost as much as his face. The man was clearly fuming, practically radiating heat due to anger, if that was possible. And with the abilities they could clearly possess, it wasn’t too far from it.

                But despite Joon’s scorching temperature, Jongdae was overcome with chills yet again. He turned to Minseok, wondering if that could’ve been the issue. They still shared a room, but he hadn’t had any problems with the elder’s ice powers before. Just by looking at the other, Jongdae saw nothing out of the ordinary. He decided to just push the thoughts away, though they continued to remain as a dull prick in the back of his mind.

                It took another minute or two for the rest of the group to come together, and Joon waited with obvious impatience for everyone to settle among the cluttered room. He only spoke when not a single sound was made.

                “Few of you may know what occurred yesterday afternoon, but worry not, I’ll inform you now.” The man started. “While Chanyeol and Baekhyun were out of the house, a sneaky little ENT decided to make an appearance and follow them. Now, this was in broad daylight, and we just arrived here on top of that. I believe this means that they managed to follow us, which is impossible, or that they have a base nearby.”

                No one said anything when Joon next paused. For Jongdae, it was because of shock. He hadn’t heard anything of the couple’s incident, and there was no time to question it before Joon went on.

                “With this new information, I believe it would be wise to send out a team to scout the town for a possible location of any such base. If we act first, we may be able to catch them with their guard down and gather valuable information on their whereabouts and intentions.”

                “You don’t mean for us to engage in any fighting, do you?” Minseok spoke up, voice dripping with distrust and doubt. Like Sehun, he didn’t seem very fond of shielding his feeling towards others. His expression revealed a glare as clear as day, and Jongdae stared in awe with the fact that he could present himself so confidently in front of such a frightening figure.

                Joon turned to stare Minseok down, and Jongdae shivered at the sight. It almost felt like he was the one being glared at, since he and Minseok stood at each other’s side, but Minseok’s words had been sure to draw the elder man’s attention to himself. Jongdae was half scared the man would strike, and he barely thought before clasping his nearest hand around Minseok’s. It was a silent urge to stop, but also one of self-comfort.

                Jongdae caught Minseok’s eye, and he forced his features to do all of the begging. His expression must’ve worked, too, because a second later, Minseok stepped back and drew his attention away from Joon. Jongdae’s hand was squeezed once, and the response was accepted by all. Joon looked as though he wasn’t in the mood, and therefore let the eldest member’s intrusion slide.

                “Back to the matter at hand…” The instructor continued, letting his irritation show plainly in his tone. “I will lead the group out to scout. It’ll do you good as training, and I plan to leave tonight. This needs to be dealt with quickly before anything else happens.”

                “Then I’ll volunteer.” Kris was the next one to speak. The tall teen stepped forward with determination, and Joon only nodded.

                “I wouldn’t have chosen differently. That leaves my selected party of Tao, Kai, Chen, and Luhan.”

                If Jongdae hadn’t been surprised to hear his own name, he would’ve reacted just the same as Sehun did when hearing Luhan’s.

                “Whoa! Luhan!?” The youngest member repeated, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. His face was one of shock, though quickly overtaken by anger. “No. I refuse to let you take Luhan out of this house.”

                “Sehun!” The boy’s older boyfriend hissed. Luhan pulled on Sehun’s arm, who looked just about on the verge of violence, with Luhan trying in an obvious attempt to calm the protective teen down. However, neither Joon nor Sehun was paying him any attention.

                “You are not the leader in this household. You take your orders from me without question.” Joon asserted sternly, an air of power circulating around him. He seemed to grow bigger, and Jongdae resisted the urge to step back a few feet. His grip on Minseok’s hand tightened, and he felt the same pressure in return. Something felt wrong about the look on Joon’s face, and for once, Sehun was also quick to back down.

                Like Youngjae, defeat was written all over the youngest boy’s face when he broke away from the group. Unsurprisingly, Luhan hurried to follow after him. The others stood frozen for a moment longer, unsure whether it was okay to leave and at the same time not wanting to feel Joon’s wrath. Jongdae could even feel himself shaking, and he was incredibly relieved to be dismissed with another reminder from Joon to be ready by night.

                And for some reason, he was completely sure he wouldn’t ever be prepared for what was to come.

                “You’ll be careful, right?”

                “Of course. I don’t exactly want to get captured again, and I have zero plans of dying without you, anyway.”

                “You better, Luhan. I’m taking your word on it.”

                “Sehun, you are such an idiot...”

                Jongdae watched the couple’s last minute conversation from a few feet away, with Minseok shifting uncomfortably at his side. Along with Luhan and Sehun, Kris and Tao were also in the room, though their voices were quieter and their expressions were enough to tell that they were having a less gushy chat. Kai was nowhere to be seen, but it wasn’t hard to guess that he and Kyungsoo were together. That left the rest of the group, who were dispersed among their rooms, having already given their words of luck and safe keeping.

                Now they were standing at the main entrance, as ordered, waiting for Joon. The sun was on the edge of the horizon, and already the sky was incredibly dark. Jongdae glanced out the window near the front door, then Minseok clearing his throat gained his attention.

                “So… Are you all set?” The older teen asked, sounding quite awkward with bringing up the subject of the exploration. Jongdae assumed that he didn’t want to sound as shamelessly sappy as Luhan and Sehun, and he gave a small nod in response to the question.

                “I have me. I guess that’s all I need.” It wasn’t like Jongdae had any belongings to take, anyway. They hadn’t brought anything from the base other than what had been on their bodies, plus the stuff that Sungmin had given them beforehand. And even then, Jongdae had only received a jacket. It was nice, made to easily conduct electricity. He didn’t know how, but he couldn’t argue with Sungmin’s extensive knowledge, so he just went with it. It was warm, too, which would be pretty useful in the usual springtime weather.

                “Oh, I see… That’s good then…” There came another awkward response from Minseok, and then it was quiet again. Luhan and Sehun’s voices turned hushed, and Jongdae didn’t turn to see the cause of Luhan’s high-pitched giggling that arose every few seconds. He just focused his gaze on the window and blocked out anything that wasn’t Minseok.

                However, the older teen didn’t say anything more by the time Kai and Joon arrived. The younger teen was in the clothing Sungmin had provided, as Jongdae was. Joon also wore something differently, though Jongdae didn’t know what effects it had on him. He still hardly dared to look at the instructor, or whatever he was now. It didn’t even matter that much, but he’d prefer to think of a few new outfits rather than how the night could play out.

                Thankfully, though, Joon was more calm compared to how he had been earlier that day. Sure, he was nowhere near smiling, but the deadly aura around him was gone. That alone was enough to be thankful for.

                “I’ll assume you are all ready now that you’re here.” The man stated, and when he was met with silence, he nodded once in swift finality. “Then we leave.” 

                Not much was said from the group after that. Joon exited the house without a word, so they were left to follow suit, just as silent. Jongdae looked back once before passing through the door, catching Minseok’s eye when he did so. He saw something in the other’s dark eyes that resembled worry and regret. Minseok looked as though there was something he wanted to say, but Jongdae was no mind reader like Mark, so he could only attempt to read eyes that were too full of emotion to decipher.

                Jongdae spent another second staring at the other male, and then he turned with the door knob in hand. The others had gone out before him, and he turned away from Minseok’s distressed expression to shut the door and head out with the others.

                Joon began to lead the way alongside the front of the house, turning at the first corner to their right so that they were moving into the backyard forest. They crossed the yard and kept a steady pace through the trees, watching the ground to avoid tripping or running into anything. There was hardly any sunlight, and the only human noises were from themselves and the town in the distance. Jongdae could hear each step of his own feet; every leaf crunch and stick snap. It drove him crazy for the first few minutes, until Joon began explaining the action plan.

                The first thing that they were told lifted a big weight from Jongdae’s chest. They weren’t going to split up for this mission, and Jongdae was relieved to hear such comforting information. He was honestly sticking so close to Luhan’s side that the older teen was sure to be annoyed, but he couldn’t help it. His instincts told him that something was up, and he wasn’t going to risk being alone when there were so many possibilities for the night; good and bad.

                Joon went on to map out where they’d hit first. Apparently, he’d gone and done some research on the place, which was unexpected, and several places that the town named as abandoned were seen as decent hideouts in Joon’s opinion. He claimed those were good places to search first, with the most secluded ones being at the top of the list. Other than that, he’d located the slums of the town, which were his next inference. He explained his conclusion with the fact that the enemy didn’t have anything like money on their side, so any place near abandoned was sure to be a likely choice of refuge.

                Jongdae, however, was shaken with chills at the thought of searching through abandoned buildings in the dark. It wasn’t about the haunted feeling that people familiarized them with, but the idea of what impossible things could be lurking inside, waiting specifically for them. Jongdae didn’t care for fake ghosts who scared for fun, but it was different when it was real. To actually be at risk as much as they were was terrifying to think about, and Jongdae regretted not putting up a fight earlier.

                After Joon told them a bit more of how things would go once-slash-if they actually found the enemies, they headed off in the direction of the nearest abandoned building. It had grown even darker outside, probably around nine or ten by then, and there weren’t any people out on the street that they first came into contact with once they left the trees. A single car went by before they broke past the leafy coverage, but not another drove up while they crossed.

                The opposite side of the street was another expanse of forest, though it turned out to be smaller than the one before. It wasn’t long before they passed through this one, but Joon stopped them with an arm out to his side before they could fully reveal themselves from the cover of the trees. Jongdae was confused as to why, until he looked around the other’s large body and saw a building rising up amidst the forest clearing.

                From what could be seen in the dark, the building was some sort of church. It formed an odd shape, coming out to be only a single, high-roofed story. The grass surrounding it was long and unkempt, and the building itself was torn down on one side, a fallen tree lying beside it. More darkness lay beyond the opening in the side of the building, and nothing made a sound nearby. It seemed that no one was there, but that didn’t stop Joon from giving the search signal.

                With as much silence as physically possible, the group shuffled out through the long, yellowed grass. Most of it was packed down from the winter that’d just passed, but even the new shoots were at a longer length than usual. It was obvious that no one cared or planned to use this land for a while, and there was no trouble preventing them from walking up to the destroyed building.

                Jongdae stopped at the beginning of the opening, staring into the pure black before him. The others did the same, other than Joon, who stepped right in among blocks of cement and snapped wood and metal structuring. He seemed perfectly used to entering the demolished church, and he obviously expected them to do the same with the way he didn’t even stop to let them catch up.

                Kris was the first to enter the darkness, completely silent as he drifted up and over the mess of the torn wall. Jongdae envied him when it came to be his turn to clamber over the piles of trash, especially after nearly twisting his ankle. His foot had slipped on a loose piece of cement and had almost been crushed between two blocks of rubble, but thanks to Luhan’s telekinetic help, he was able to escape without much struggle.

                Broken glass crunched under almost every step as the group headed deeper into the building. It ceased the farther they got from the destroyed opening, and eventually there was only the sounds of their breathing. Or maybe that was just Jongdae listening to himself. Either way, he couldn’t even hear their footsteps anymore. The building was eerily quiet, and he half expected something to jump out at them at any given moment. On the other hand, he also knew that there was a good chance of finding absolutely nothing.

                And Jongdae was correct to think that way. After going through every room of the church, they realized that the place was completely empty. The only things that occupied the building were some stray animals that’d formed their homes in closets and cupboards. Nothing that was of any use to them.

                The church was only one of four abandoned buildings, and the group was left with no choice other than to trek through town after Joon to seek out the last three. Jongdae ached all over by the time they’d searched the last of the four buildings, each time coming out with nothing. The night was a complete waste of time so far, and the moon up above showed that it was nearing midnight.

                And though it was so late, Joon made them aware that they weren’t even close to being done. The older male didn’t seem affected by the long hours of searching the town, but the younger group members were falling asleep on their feet. Jongdae wished the electricity of his powers would give him the energy he needed, but he was exhausted of such influence.

                Joon didn’t give them more than a few minutes of rest while he reminded them of the next trip into the suburbs. Now that they’d cleaned out the few warehouses and other abandoned buildings, they were off to search the vacant homes that scattered around the town’s outer limits. So basically, they were about to circle the entire town again. Fun.

                Jongdae heaved a sigh when they were ordered to move again, cursing Joon’s brutal methods. He didn’t understand why they had to do this all in one night, when a whole other group could scout the next night. It wouldn’t be fair, or even make sense, if only half of them received this so-called “experience”. Though it wasn’t exactly like he could argue with the instructor about the subject.

                So Jongdae was left to follow the given orders and head out with the others. Joon continued in the lead, with Kris close behind his left shoulder. The rest of the group scattered behind a bit, each of them trailing their feet with loud scuffs against pavement. Jongdae was tired and bitter about getting chosen, and for once, he didn’t care what noise he made as he expressed that feeling. Of course, he knew Joon would be pissed, but after another hour and a half of looking at the exteriors of only two houses, he was pretty damn sure they were wasting their time. He had every reason to be mad, and he would make sure the others knew.

                Eventually, Jongdae’s crankiness grew a little too annoying. It was expected from anyone who purposely scraped their shoes against the ground for a straight half hour at least, and it was only a matter of time before the first person cracked. In this case, it was their beloved angel, Tao.

                “Chen, please. I love you, but can you stop that already? I’m going mad.”

                It was the first time that any of them had spoken, other than Joon. They’d remained silent the entire night, otherwise, acknowledging each other with only nods and other gestures. And of all the times that they could’ve spoken, Tao opened his mouth then, only to be shushed harshly by Joon. The split-second expression that flashed across the Chinese teen’s face was priceless, but then Jongdae caught the serious expression of the eldest male, and he knew something was up.

                Joon had whipped his head around to glare at them, which was quick to shut them up. In the dark, Jongdae could barely even see the others, but the cheap, flickering lights that dotted the street they walked down was plenty enough to see the rage that seemed to glow within Joon’s eyes. Jongdae curled in his lips to exaggerate his promise of silence, and then Joon directed their attention to a structure a few houses down with a small jerk of his head.      

                The home rose a good two stories into the air, like most of the other houses, but it was bigger and more worn down than the rest. A realtor sign poked up from the ground in the front yard, hanging off of a single hinge. If the house hadn’t been too expensive for those looking to live in the area, then it had obviously been too damaged for someone to even attempt to fix. It was the worst house on the block, an image no one in their right mind would want to live in, yet it was the only house with a light on.

                Minus the dim orange illuminating from the streetlights, there wasn’t a single light shining other than the one in the house Joon had pointed out. That wouldn’t be very surprising, as it was getting late, but there was an unnerving feeling to the homes that lined the street. They looked abandoned, like no one had disturbed the place recently, and the evidence sent chills down Jongdae’s spine.

                From what could be seen, trashcans were tipped on their sides at the edge of the street. Cars were plopped, unmoving, in driveways and along curbs, but some had doors wide open and one was still very clearly in a lane. The nearest vehicle to them had a large crack in the windshield, and Jongdae wondered how he could have possibly missed all of this strange disarray. It was all so noticeable now, and the others realized the same thing.

                “Holy …” Kai whispered in pure shock, and Jongdae couldn’t have said it any better. The place was trashed, and it looked like it had been that way for a while. He didn’t even want to think about where the residents were.

                Joon made sure they’d all gotten their proper looks around before he rounded them up in a huddle. Once shoulder to shoulder, heads in, he began to speak in a whisper. “Alright. You can see for yourselves what kind of place we just walked into, so let’s do this. From what we’ve seen, there’s a high chance that this house could contain the people we’re looking for. If anything, they had passed through here and left some vital information behind. For now, let’s go through with the search, and hopefully we can return home tonight with an action plan in mind.” 

                Without another word, or even a moment to ask any questions, Joon turned and jogged light-footed to the side of the house. He turned around the corner of a neighboring fence and was lost from sight for a split second before Jongdae followed with the others at his side. Though it was pitch black outside, the light from the nearest window shed a dull glow over the grass below. They stood against the house, hardly a sound coming from any of them. In the dead of night, even the slightest sounds caught attention. A fact from experience.

                Joon looked at each of them in turn, then he lifted a hand as a sign to stay still. A moment later, he was stretching over to look through the single window on this side, peeking around to try and see past the dirty looking curtain that covered the inside of the glass. Jongdae couldn’t see from his angle, but he found the small twitch of Joon’s lips worrying. Especially so, when the man turned with a small smile, the first that they’d seen in days.

                “The coast is clear. No one seems to be home. They must’ve just left the light on.”

                Joon stepped away from the window and turned to heard around to the back of the house. Jongdae opened his mouth to word the fact that even these beings wouldn’t act so half-assed as to leave a light on but he would’ve just gone ignored if he had spoken. Instead, he followed the male once more in time to find him fiddling with the latch on a cellar, which was located against the backside of the house. He must’ve really done his research if he’d expected to find such an entrance, however, that didn’t actually explain why he seemed to be trying to get inside.

                “Joon! What are you doing!?” Luhan whisper-yelled, mirroring Jongdae’s thoughts. “What happened to no fighting!?”

                A sly smile drifted across Joon’s face when the man turned to look at Luhan. “I never agreed to such terms. Besides, the place is empty.”

                “You don’t know that!” Luhan further defied, hands gesturing sharply at the house beside them. “You only looked in one room!”

                “Well then. If you won’t come in, then stand watch outside with Kai. The rest of you are coming in.” And with that, the cellar door’s lock clicked in Joon’s hand, then dropping to the grass with a heavy clang. Joon heaved open the large wood doors, which creaked with effort. The ground cushioned their fall to the ground, dampening the sound to a dull thump.

                Jongdae looked over Joon’s shoulder into the depths of black that pooled inside the cellar. Only a few steps were visible before the rest of the small staircase faded into darkness, but Joon didn’t hesitate to begin walking down. And, not wanting to upset the male any further, the rest trailed without any verbal questioning.

                The stairs screeched under the weight of the four boys, probably on the verge of collapse. Who even used cellars those days, anyway? The flight was probably rotting from misuse, and again came the question of why they were even sneaking beneath this house. Luhan had made a very clear point when stating that they couldn’t be sure if anyone was home, and now that Jongdae thought about it, Joon’s actions made him all the more apprehensive. 

                And despite Jongdae’s earlier boldness, now he was back to his original consciousness. He didn’t dare oppose Joon, and that in itself was a bad sign. He just should’ve realized it sooner.

                Automatic lights flicked on when they reached the bottom of the steps, with Jongdae nearly tumbling down due to sudden blindness. Before he realized that they were indeed automatic, he was filled with a fear that they were caught. He whipped his head around with incredible speed, flinging up a hand in defense, and barely containing a bolt of power from leaving his fingertips. The room was empty of anyone but them, but he didn’t let his guard down just yet.

                The basement was larger than it looked from the outside, filled with piles of junk and random belongings. A few feet from where they stood at the bottom of the staircase, two towering shelves reached from floor to ceiling and wall to wall, leaving only a few feet between them as a passageway to the second half of the room. The wood shelving was packed with boxes and hanging cloth sheets, other tiny pieces of decorations and forgotten objects thrown in any available space that was left. Jongdae couldn’t even see the other side.

                However, Joon didn’t seem to share Jongdae’s cautions. The older male strode straight through the small walkway, not even sparing a glance to look around. He looked completely relaxed for someone who was sneaking into another person’s home, while Jongdae’s first instincts were to keep his guard up at all times and scour the whole place.

                Thinking that it was just a gap in experience, and that Joon knew more of situations like this than he did, Jongdae decided that it would be alright to force down that instinct and ease his tensed shoulders. He’d never done this before, and as Joon had been one of their instructors, it was only natural that he followed in the older man’s footsteps.

                And when the lights blinked out, he instantly knew that he’d made a horrible decision.

                Black devoured the room, and not a single moment passed before he heard a loud yelp from Tao, followed by a questioning exclamation from Kris. Something hit Jongdae from behind, hard enough to send him sprawling to the ground, his head cracking against the cement floor. His hands had been pinned to his side before he could use them to catch himself, and he was suddenly overwhelmed with wave upon wave of fear. His thoughts caved in, and he was once again facing a man who could control the shadows. He was surrounded by darkness, and there was no escape this time. Minseok wouldn’t be coming to save him.

                No…

                A voice echoed in Jongdae’s mind, loud and clear.

                Not again…

                It was strong; It couldn’t have been his.

                Get up. Fight.

                But it sounded like his own, and then Jongdae knew to strive. He wouldn’t sit back and do nothing. He wasn’t a goner just because he was alone in the dark. The others were nearby, whether he could see them or not, and he had a power that could light up the dark.

                Power crackled at Jongdae’s fingertips when he sent down energy to fuel the sizzling electricity that was forming at his side. The hands that’d just pinned him were gone, and he opened his eyes as he rose to first his knees, and then his feet. Electricity cracked and popped, crawling across Jongdae’s body and illuminating the room around him. He now understood what Sungmin had told him about his new jacket, for he could feel every single string of light as smooth as silk. His mind was opened.

                Around him, Jongdae saw Kris and Tao on the ground as he had been just moments before, each pinned underneath another body. He didn’t see Joon at first, but then there was movement to his left and he found the person he was looking for. Flicking his fingers once, a small bolt sprang into the air, just enough to power the lightbulb that hung above them. The room was lit properly, and all eyes were immediately on Joon and those who stood around him.

                ENTs. Jongdae knew without even thinking that that’s who they were. Joon had been right to assume this house was the one, but he didn’t need the façade of an assumption to bring them there.

                “Joon! What’s the meaning of this!?” Kris exclaimed, fighting against the enemy who kept him held down. He struggled against the bigger man’s weight, and Tao was doing the same. Without looking back, Jongdae knew that whoever had previously had their hands on him was probably unconscious. Dead, maybe. Jongdae had sent a circuit of power through his opponent’s body with the intent of stunning him, but he couldn’t say he’d feel guilty if he’d ended the man’s life instead. His real attention was more engrossed on Joon.

                The man never answered Kris’ question. His eyes, even from a distance, seemed unfocused. He simply stared into space, and that’s when Jongdae noticed the veiny coils of black that colored Joon’s skin, crawling over his shoulders and on top of his collarbones. The discolored lines on his skin seemed to originate from his back, and Jongdae had seen enough movies to understand what that possibly meant.

                “What kind of sick mind control have you placed on him?” He demanded, sounding surprisingly calm despite the situation. He clenched his fists to keep his energy from needlessly releasing, only then understanding that this explained all of Joon’s unusual behavior. He was poisoned.

                In the end, they never got their answers. Before any of them could utter another word, the floor above them collapsed, the ceiling crashing down as people from above threw themselves through the newly made entrance. One flung himself at Jongdae, but he was done with all of the going on, and he didn’t hesitate to raise a hand and send a large bolt of lightning straight through the thing’s heart.

                Fire exploded across the room, where Kris was struggling to stand under the weight of several enemies. Tao was up and about, and as Jongdae watched, he seemed to flicker from one place to another. For a few split seconds, it would feel like the world was a buffering video, and then Tao would be a few feet away from the last place he was seen. It was probably the first time Jongdae had actually witnessed the younger teen’s abilities, and boy was it strange.

                All of a sudden, a loud crash reverberated around the basement. Turning, Jongdae saw Kris and Tao now working to throw ENT after ENT into the wood shelving, sending the entire structures to the ground. The wood cracked loudly at the several impacts, and objects of all shapes, sizes, and materials clattered against the cement. Among the jumbled sounds that followed, Jongdae could hear Luhan and Kai’s shouts of confusion. He barely caught sight of them running down the stairs, at least in Luhan’s case, before his vision was blocked by a body jumping out at him.

                The basement was now teeming with life; every step they took simply asking for disaster to happen. There was so much junk, you couldn’t even see the floor, anymore. And with hordes of people trying to tackle you down into such trash, it was difficult to keep your footing. Jongdae had to fry several hands to pry ENTs off of him, and in the few seconds that it had taken him to survey his surroundings, a crowd of ENTs had appeared from the home’s upper levels to join the ambush. They were terribly outnumbered, and it took a majority of Jongdae’s powers to reduce that gap by sending several streams of electricity around the room, branching off his energy to hit multiple targets at once. Bodies thumped all around, particularly those who’d been surrounding his friends.

                Jongdae was in full rage mode. Never had he felt so angry and betrayed, even though he knew now that it wasn’t entirely Joon’s fault. He didn’t even know when the older male had such wicked influence planted in him, but he couldn’t think about that. He’d already completely forgotten about the exhausted condition he’d been in when they arrived, and it was just beginning to hit him again. A wave of dizziness washed into him after his large energy discharge, and he toppled right into someone else’s larger body, unable to support himself for a split-second.

                Spinning around, Jongdae threw up a hand in order to attack, when he realized that the person was none other than Kris. The giant teen was taller than usual, and that’s when Jongdae realized he was hovering in the air. The older male didn’t even give a warning before he grabbed Jongdae and pulled him up into the air with him. It was a fearful feeling to have your feet dangling in empty air, only being able to grasp onto someone else’s man. It was awkward to be forced to cling so close to Kris, but the older teen didn’t seem to care as he put his arm around Jongdae’s waist and lifted them higher.

                Looking around, Jongdae managed to see Kai appearing at Tao’s side across the room. Kai mouthed something quickly, probably a warning that he often used, and then they disappeared. Luhan was picking his way back to the stairs, not having moved very far from them in the first place. His hands were out before him, sending random objects flying towards those who were still resisting. Jongdae caught the older teen’s eye for a small second, and then he and Kris were speeding across the room, their heads nearly touching the ceiling, or what remained of it. Kris narrowly dodged the stairs and swept them up and out of the basement through the cellar entrance. They stumbled to the ground, and then Kai was there to help Jongdae keep his footing. He was thankful for that, and Luhan appeared at the top of the stairs as he turned.

                “We need to go now!” The eldest of them shouted, using his powers to slam the cellar doors shut. Jongdae didn’t think it’d be of any use, but several pounding sounds came from the other side. Either way, the boy was right.

                “But what about Joon?” Jongdae found himself asking, and Kris only shook his head.

                “He fled with the others when the fighting broke out. They could be anywhere by now, but we don’t have the time to worry about him. We have to go back and warn the others; to tell them that they set us up. We need to hurry.”

                And that’s all that needed to be said from their leader before they were fleeing from the backyard. Kai took hold of both Luhan and Tao, and Jongdae felt Kris’ arm around him once more. Thus began their escape back home, with Kris and Kai helping to speed up the process every now and then. They couldn’t last the entire trip, so they had to sprint part of the time, but Jongdae couldn’t blame them for needing a break. His own powers felt completely drained, but at the same time, he felt like there was empty space where they had increased.

                Heart pounding and limbs aching, Jongdae ran as fast as he could to keep up with the longer legs of his friends. His skin tingled, a result of the use of his powers, and the shock of the night was beginning to sink in. Whether from the ambush or all of the running, he could feel his hands beginning to shake. His footsteps became unstable, and he tripped on his own feet plenty of times before the house came into sight. And when he did see the looming building, he was gasping for breath.

                The boys crashed straight through the front door, literally. Luhan waved a hand as if to open it himself, but it didn’t budge, and not even Kai was fast enough to teleport before they were all careening into the wood entryway. They all collapsed to the floor in a giant heap on the other side, worn out from overexertion. The noise they made in the process had everyone running out to see what was going on, some waking from sleep, and horror was plain on Youngjae’s features when the intelligent teen showed his face.

                “Where’s Joon!?”