To learn that they were simply failed versions of the mages I'd come to know was heartbreaking to me, but also confusing. If they had been created hundreds of years ago, why were they still around? When I asked the mages, none of them had an answer, and I figured out who I had to go to in order to find an answer- BAP.

It took me some time to figure out how I'd find the BAP warlocks again. I had found Yongguk merely by accident since he had been banging on the trapdoor underneath the living room. Perhaps it would be simple to just go back down the trapdoor to find him again, but the mages were always around and I didn't want them to be suspicious.

They didn't like BAP, for some reason, and that meant they obviously wouldn't want me to go anywhere near those six, even if they had the answers we all needed. There was no other way to go around the mages, since there were now ten of them who were constantly around the house. Of all ten, three mages had become attached to my side and would refuse to let me out of their sights.

Of course I was talking about Sehun, Tao, and Chanyeol. After the incident involving me locking myself in my room for a day, they refused to let me out of their sight. It was slightly annoying to have them watch my every movement, but I found it more endearing than anything. Sehun and Tao were always the closest to me, and it seemed like Chanyeol himself had let his guard down around me. But like I said, it was also slightly annoying.

When someone knocked on my door and let himself in, I was still in bed with my head in my hands. I had another dream, though I wasn't willing to get into it just yet, so knowing I had company surprised me. 

"Are you alright?" Joonmyun's voice was laced in what sounded like worry and the faintest trace of hesitance.

Looking up at him, I noticed he wasn't alone and that Minseok was right behind him with Yixing in the back. The other two mages shared a glance before Yixing smiled and stepped out of the room.

"I'll gather the others."

Minseok took in a slow breath and shut the door behind him and Joonmyun, crossing over to my bed and taking a seat at the edge of it. After looking over at Joonmyun, he smiled and reahed out for me, slowly running his fingers through the strands of my hair.

"The ten of us were planning to go out for a bit. We know this town is in the middle of nowhere, but we haven't been able to see much of the world around us."

I felt guilty, since I should have seen that coming and made it possible for the lot of them to explore while they had the chance. Sensing my guilt, Joonmyun walked over to the bed as well and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't feel so bad. At least this will give you time to find those warlocks."

I nodded slowly and took in a deep breathe before his words actually clicked in my head, and I looked up at Joonmyun in surprise. How had he known I was going to go to BAP?

"Magical beings have a specific aura around them. You smelled like BAP did when we had returned after finding Baek." Joonmyun explained with a shrug, and then he walked out of the room to find the other mages.

"Good luck." Minseok grinned as he stood as well, but before he left, he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"You too." It only came out as a whisper as I was surprised by the kiss. After being kissed by Baekhyun, a kiss on the forehead was nothing. Well, obviously it wasn't nothing, as it caused my cheeks to burn and my eyes to quickly drop to my hands. Minseok was warm, and his kiss felt like a burst of protection had come over me.

It gave me the determination I needed to go and find BAP for real, and with a nod to myself, I made my way to the living room, and finally to the trapdoor leading to the strange basement.

When I had gotten down there, the light was on, but I couldn't tell if Yongguk had done that or if I had simply left the light on after the last time. It was exactly as it was the last time I had been there, and as I walked over to the bookshelf, I hoped that I didn't climb down here for no reason. Thankfully, the bookshelf moved aside like it did when Yongguk had first led me, and I followed the long and dimly lit hallway.

The walk to the strangely decorated room was a lot shorter than I remembered, and before long, I found myself faced with the mages of BAP, though Yongguk and Himchan were off to one corner like they had been the last time I joined them.

"She's here." Jongup muttered, his head dropping back onto the couch he was laying on. The other four gave each other sly grins and then were jumping on Jongup's defenseless body.

"They're all the same." I shook my head and stepped around the pile of warlocks to get to Yongguk and Himchan, both of whom were looking at me and then gesturing to an empty chair. I took the seat they offered and looked up at them with my arms crossed in suspicion, "You knew I was coming."

Himchan gave me a condescending look before he took a step back and leaned against the wall, "You seemed to forget I see your future."

"Then do you know why I've come back here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at Himchan. I knew they had the answers to all the questions I had about my mages, but whether they'd tell me or not would be another story.

The two warlocks looked at each other and then Yongguk cleared his throat, "We assumed you'd have more questions for us."

They were right and they knew it. I took a deep breath and looked down at my lap as I tried to form a question. There was so much going on in my head that it was hard to put it into words, but I knew they were waiting.

"My mages said that the creatures attacking the towns are failed versions of people like them." I looked up at them to see the twinkle of recognition cross both males' gazes, "Is it true?"

"It's true." Himchan closed his eyes as he spoke, and his voice sounded choked as he answered, "They took anyone with properties similar to the mages you know and infused power from the Tree of Life into them. They had been drunk on power and deserved to have their plans backfire, but those men and women didn't deserve it."

Yongguk crossed the small space separating himself and Himchan and rubbed the other warlock's back, "They had taken Himchan's mortal brother as one of their test subjects. He became one of those creatures the world is fending off."

"We were told they were just aliens." I muttered, though my gaze had fixed itself on Himchan. He looked as if he were going to cry, but the rest of his body was quaking in anger, "There's just something I don't get. If you're all saying that they were created around the time my mages got their powers, why are they still around?"

"Because they're still trying." Himchan's voice was bitter and full of vile, and though it cracked, I could feel the years of hatred he contained in his voice, "The military saw those creatures as a way to keep civilians under control."

I was going to ask where they got the humans from in order to create more of them when I realized something. The military was what funded and trained all the warriors in towns across the globe. When a warrior became so skilled that they received high ranking and titles, they would be whisked away to fight on the frontlines and we'd never see them again.

"You mean people like me, who are trained to fight for our planet are the ones that are fighting to destroy it?" I was angry, confused, and I felt like the whole world was betraying me as I saw Yongguk nod his head in somber agreement. I thought of Senior Lee Jinki, then, and I could feel my stomach churning because he was almost at the level where they'd take him away and turn him into what we all feared. Finally, I thought of my ancestors and felt my hands clenched as disgust washed over me, "What about my ancestors? What part did they play in all of this?"

Yongguk didn't seem like he wanted to tell me for a moment, but after Himchan nodded his head subtly, Yongguk sighed and took a step forward, "There were three sisters. Yuna, Yunso, and Yunjee. Yuna was a brilliant scientist and worked closely with the MAMA corporation's project with the Tree of Life. On the other hand, Yunso and Yunjee were born sorceresses and the most powerful during that age. While Yuna formulated the plan and gathered all the prospective males, Yunso weakened them using mental spells and made them so desperate to get away from her that they'd accept the powers and the torture from Yunjee as she infused the power from the tree into them."

"That was back then, right? Who's making them now?" I couldn't believe that there were three of my ancestors involved in turning this world into a mess. Three ancestors that ripped a sibling from Himchan's life, and three ancestors that destroyed my mage's lives.

"Like all magical beings, sorceresses don't die." Yongguk answered, his arms now crossed over his chest in a thoughtful manner, "Yuna died before she could perfect the serum that gave your mages their powers. Her sisters then took control of those twelve lives and turned them into the worst, and finally hid them away when they were no more of use. The sorceress sisters hid away, then, and we believe they started working with the military in order to keep themselves powerful and alive."

"I need to find them." I spoke through gritted teeth, standing up from my seat and already walking to the tunnel I had come from, but Himchan's hand on my arm stopped me.

"You can't. At least not while the mages are still locked in those rings." Himchan sighed then, and seeing my confusion, he let go of my arm, "They have complete control of those mages as long as they're attached to those rings."

With new found determination and the kind of hatred I never expected from myself, I nodded and walked right into the tunnel, "Then it's a good thing I only have two left to find."

I already knew what I had to do in order to free those mages. The spellbook Yongguk and Himchan had once given to me had those instructions written in it, but there was no way for me to continue with it so long as I didn't have all twelve mages. That brought the next question of why that spell was written in the same spellbook used to put those mages in their rings, but that answer would have to wait. When I climbed back into the living room, the mages were still gone, and I grinned when I saw the map placed conveniently on the coffee table.

Sure enough, one of the mages I hadn't found yet was placed at home, my castle. How I missed it before was beyond me, but my eyes trailed over to the mage I knew I'd have to find next. I didn't know of the place personally, and I've never heard of it, but the italics under the picture read the Isle of Death. I had dreamed of it the night before, but before I could recall it, the front door opened and in walked the ten mages.

"You should have come with us!" Chen was laughing and covering his stomach with one hand, "Kai fell into the water."

"Fell? Or was pushed?" Jongin Chen and was going to lunge at the trouble maker, but Kyungsoo pulled him back, finally allowing his gaze to fall on me.

Sehun and Tao were hanging in the back and discussing things while laughing, while Chanyeol and Baekhyun stood just a foot before them. Chanyeol waved at me with an excited grin, but Baekhyun's arms crossed over his chest in what seemed to be disapproval. Yixing, Joonmyun and Minseok were silent as they looked over at me, and I nodded at the eldest mages, since we both knew what had been going on.

Finally, Kyungsoo's stare morphed into what I thought was an amused sneer, "It seems we're not the only ones who went on an adventure."

Curse me for such a slow update. Dear, I don't even know why I stopped my daily updates. I blame myself for being lazy and for the inspiration that has been lost temporarily. I don't know if I'll be doing daily updates for the next couple of days, but rest assured, you'll get your updates!

So, the next mage is officially to be introduced the next chapter. This is the biggest gap in introductions so far and I'm a little surprised at myself for doing it this way. Huh. 

I don't have a question for today, but a request! On the forward there is a banner and it's a link to a review I got done for this story. I'm honored to have gotten a good score, but of course, there are things to improve on. If you would, please read the review and tell me what you do and do not agree with about this story. You don't have to, I just really appreciate you guys and your opinions.

As always, thank you all for reading, subscribing, upvoting, commenting, and supporting this story even though my updates slowed down quite a bit. It's great knowing you guys don't hate me completely yet and I hope to make it up to you with the next few chapters. Please continue reading and supporting this story! Enjoy this chapter and have a brilliant day!