CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Could It Be?

“IT’S ALL ABOUT balance, Jungkook,” Jimin stated, adjusting his snapback that he had worn backwards over his jet-black hair before hopping onto his own skateboard.

The boy hesitantly stepped a foot over the board Hoseok lent him, following Jimin’s advice and remembering Namjoon’s words when he taught him earlier how to ride a skateboard. “Like this?” he asked meekly while he peered at the older boy through the fringe spilling over his smooth forehead.

“Yeah, like that,” Jimin beamed at him. “Watch me,” he pushed himself forward with the use of his other leg before balancing both of his feet on top of his skateboard.

“Just take it slow, ‘Kook,” Namjoon’s deep bass voice reminded the boy as he sailed past Jungkook on his own skateboard.

Jungkook tried propelling himself with his foot, the sole of his red sneaker protesting against the rough ground, but he kept on losing his balance on his first few tries.

“Lift you arms on your sides—like this,” Seokjin’s skateboard skidded to a stop beside the struggling boy and demonstrated the way he should extend his arms on either side of him to keep his balance.

Jungkook immediately caught on and took his example. After a few more tries, the boy was able to skate smoothly across the pavement. He had a triumphant handsome grin on his face, wind whipping his reddish-black hair and plastering his green-white plaid shirt against his body. 

Their group had gathered the attention of some teenagers, especially girls, hanging out on the skateboarding place which was originally an abandoned parking lot behind an equally abandoned condominium. It hadn’t been used for almost three years and some group of skateboard enthusiast dared to build ramps and a variety of platforms which one can use to execute moves or simply enjoy skateboarding. The place served as a hang-out for youngsters who had a knack for going all dare-devil while riding a board and gliding against rough pavement.

“Wow,” the tiny wheels of Jimin’s skateboard halted as he stared in awe after Jungkook. “You’re right, Tae, that kid is a fast learner.”

Teahyung who had been standing off to the sides and observing his friends all this while nodded, his skateboard propped against the side of his leg. “Haeyoon told me that he’s quite a genius.”

“Speaking of Haeyoonie,” Jimin mused as he pressed the tip of his worn-out high-top on the edge of his board to raise the other side up towards his waiting hand before tucking it under his arm. “Do you think she’s fine now?”

Taehyung sighed. It was the reason why he was so out of it since they arrived at their usual hang-out spot. He was looking forward on spending the day with his bestfriend but then Yoongi told them what happened the previous day. “I don’t know but I’m hoping for the best.”

“I really wanna see her…” Jimin murmured under his breath, his soft tone laced with obvious longing, but it didn’t slip Taehyung’s keen sense of hearing.

He was about to question Jimin because he had a sudden inkling that there was an underlying meaning on the boy’s words and deep sighs but their attentions were diverted when they heard a loud crash quickly followed by a panicked scream.

“Damn! Jungkook!”

“THIS IS QUITE a surprise, Haeyoonie,” Chanyeol grinned from ear to ear, undeniably happy with the turn of events. 

They had all settled on the comfortable couches and chairs of the shop, around two adjoined tables, while sipping their drinks. Luckily, that day was a not-so-busy day for the café and only a few costumers dotted the place, giving their group more privacy and space, considering their quite large number of members.

The Guardians didn’t expect to see Xiumin—Minseok’s real name—the moment they step inside the coffee shop. It took them so many years to find their other lost brothers and seeing them now almost felt surreal.

“Yeah,” Tao nodded in agreement with his brother. The glimmer in his eyes showed how glad he was, too. “Now, we just had to find the other three and we’re all set.”

“So, I suppose Yoongi already knows about us,” Joonmyeon piped up, bringing up another topic as he glanced at the said boy who was, in return, giving him a look of disbelief. He, as well as his brothers, was rather confused and surprised when they first saw Yoongi sitting beside Haeyoon. But after the girl gave them a look that said ‘I’ll explain later’, they kept mum about it until now.

“Yes and I can’t believe that you’re a Guardian—a sorcerer—all this time,” Yoongi said, shaking his head slowly from side to side which made Joonmyeon smirk. 

“Well, in my defense, I didn’t know it myself until recently,” he explained as he snuck a meaningful gaze at Haeyoon.

“I take it that there was another reason why you gathered us here aside from letting us know that you had found our brother, Xiumin,” Kris butted in, his voice deep and smooth as he subtly prompted an explanation from her. His instinct was telling him that there was more to this meeting than Haeyoon was letting on.

The girl her drying lips before exchanging glances with her brother.

“Is there something wrong, Haeyoon?” Kyungsoo asked from beside her, a worried looked plastered on his face as he took in her troubled expression.

“Well, you are right, guys,” she stated as she roamed her eyes around her companions, observing their reactions. Most of them looked rather clueless as to what she was talking about but Joonmyeon, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun had their eyes widely opened, their faces lit up with realization.

“You mean….” Baekhyun trailed off.

“But how?” Joonmyeon leaned closer towards the table as he gave her an intent look.

“Err, we’re kinda lost here,” Jongin spoke, perfect brows raised in a confused manner. “Mind explaining?”

Haeyoon took a deep breath before saying, “I—we are sorcerers.”

Kris sputtered around his drink. “Excuse me? Did I hear you right?”

She nodded but Yoongi was the one who explained this time. “Yes, we are sorcerers—though I’m still having a hard time digesting that fact. Our dad told us when he, uh, sort of appeared in our house out of nowhere, you know, kinda like a ghost.”

“You see, sunshine, we’re right all along, you’re not an ordinary human,” Baekhyun chimed in, smiling cheekily at Haeyoon as if saying ‘I told you so’.

“He mentioned that it was a projection or something,” Haeyoon supplied, brushing off Baekhyun’s remark with a playful roll of her eyes.

“If your father used projection to contact you, he must be in some far away place,” Kyungsoo said thoughtfully.

The girl frowned. “We don’t know because he didn’t have the chance to explain everything to us saying that he’s running out of time.”

“To be able to use a projection…your father must be a powerful sorcerer,” Luhan uttered solemnly, “A first class one because only those kinds of sorcerer can perform something like that.”

Haeyoon turned at him with creased brows. “He was like there though not entirely physically because he was like a hologram though he can touch things.”

“Normally a sorcerer using projection can’t touch things but with enough power and experience, it is possible but totally draining,” he told her.

“Your father must be a powerful sorcerer then,” Minseok commented. “Perhaps, Luhan was right, he might be a Tertius.”

“A what?” Haeyoon and Yoongi asked in unison.

“Tertius, a top level Lucerian—a first class,” Joonmyeon caught their attention when he started explaining. “In Lucere, sorcerers are divided into three kinds, kinda like a hierarchy. Fyrst are the bottom level Lucerians, they have limited powers—usually sorcery that has something to do with trivial chores—and the servants fall onto this category.

The middle levels are called Sequi. They can use more complex sorcery and the merchants and the likes belong to this category. 

Then the Tertius are the first class Lucerians. This level is composed of powerful sorcerers like the scholars and some influential clans. The members of the council—the King’s advisers—usually come from this level; they can be member of the Oraculum if they passed the qualifications.”

When Joonmyeon mentioned the word ‘Oraculum’, Haeyoon’s memory was piqued. She remembered her father mentioning the same word in a negative context. She was about to ask a question when her brother beat her to it.

“So, you’re basically saying that my father—that we—are actually first class sorcerers?” Yoongi asked and he seemed to be getting used to the idea of them not being humans but sorcerers instead.

Joonmyeon shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Then what is a Gieldan?” Yoongi cocked his head. “My father told me that I’m officially a Gieldan after he did something with my forehead, right Haeyoonie?”

She nodded when her brother turned to her. “Dad removed a…seal that he said he put on him.”

The Guardians exchanged glances.

“As far as I know, only members of the Oraculum are given the right to put on a seal on someone,” Chanyeol muttered and turning to Minseok, he said, “Isn’t that right, Xiumin?”

The latter ran his index finger over his lips as he was deep in thought. “Yes, that’s right,” he answered, looking rather distracted.

“Joonmyeon?” Yoongi gazed expectantly at the boy when his question remained unanswered.

“Gieldan is a clan of sorcerers who specializes in yielding powerful weapons and armors with the use of their spirits,” Joonmyeon told him.

“There are only a few of them left the last time we checked—and that was two decades ago,” Kris added, sipping his espresso.

“But why?” Yoongi inquired with a frown.

“Most of them died in a war,” Joonmyeon replied.

“Wait,” Tao butted in their conversation. “We know one Gieldan, right?”

“Maybe you know who our dad is,” Haeyoon perked up. “He did tell us to find you, guys, and a person named Kim Myungsoo.”

Jongin’s eyes glinted mysteriously as he glanced at the siblings. “Your father told you to search for us and Kim Myungsoo, one of the members of the Oraculum who escaped with us—together with the Prince and Princess.”

The gears in the Guardians’ heads started churning as they all turned their focus on Haeyoon and Yoongi.

Could it be...

Minseok snapped out of his stupor, eyes glimmering with a new resolve. “Haeyoon, may I see a picture of your parents?”

The girl blinked at his sudden request but complied, nonetheless. “Sure.” She was about to fish her phone out of her jean pocket when she felt a sudden searing pain on the side of her skull, like she was whacked with a blunt object. Haeyoon let out a short agonized scream, clutching the side of her head as the burning ache and severe dizziness forced her eyes shut. Her palm came in contact with something warm and wet. She cracked one eye open amidst the intense throbbing of her head and she saw rich crimson liquid painting her fingers.

Her own blood was the last thing she saw while she could hear her brother’s hysterical screaming on the background along with some other voices before she was plunged into pitch-black darkness.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE we are doing this again,” Bambam hissed at Yugyeom who had a newspaper held up in front of his face. “Are you really sure about this?”

They were in a bubble tea shop and were sitting on a table tucked away on a quite secluded area of the shop. Yugyeom’s eyes were never straying away from the guy they had been following since yesterday. It was just three days ago when he was transferred to their school and was placed on the same section as them.

“You want to know the truth?” Yugyeom asked under his breath as he watched the boy sip his bubble tea rather leisurely. “No. But I have this strange feeling about that guy.”

“And that’s why we’re stalking him since the day he transferred?” Bambam whispered in an exasperated tone. He glanced at the new transfer’s direction and noted how his dark coffee colored hair stood in stark contrast against his pale skin. “If you’re so adamant in knowing the guy, why don’t we ask JB and the others for help?”

Yugyeom shook his head behind the paper. “Not until we prove that—,”

“What?” Bambam cut him off impatiently. “That he’s a Tainted One?” he gave his friend a disapproving look. “Come on, Yugyeom, I’m sure he’s not and we’re just wasting our time following his every move.”

“, he’s leaving!” the boy gritted his teeth before grabbing his companion to leave the place as well.

“He’s lost it,” Bambam muttered to himself as he tugged the brim of his cap lower to hide his face.

“He might be a sorcerer for all we know!” the tall boy exclaimed, trying to dodge people milling around the busy street. They were in the market place now and it was a rather crowded place.

“And so?” Bambam shrugged. “Maybe he’s just like us, you know, trying to live life with the humans and away from the chaotic Lucere.”

“Something is telling me he’s more than that,” Yugyeom murmured and it was too soft for his friend to hear.

“What?”

Yugyeom’s eyes grew alarmed when he can’t see their target anymore. “Darn, we lost him!”

“I’m starting to think that he deliberately walked through this place to get us off his back,” the other boy said. “Maybe he knew that we are following him.”

“But—,” Yugyeom stopped mid-speech when he caught sight of a mop of dark brown hair. The new transfer’s tall height gave him away, making him standout among the crowd. He smirked as he grabbed Bambam by the arm to steer him to an alley. “I saw him.”

The duo followed the boy when he entered into a store.

“Wait,” Bambam scrunched up his nose when he realized what kind of shop they had entered. “Isn’t this a…lingerie boutique?”

“Huh?” Yugyeom shot his friend a clueless look until one of the female clerks walked up to them with a teasing smile hidden behind her I’m-all-business demeanor.

“May I help you…sirs?” she batted her eyelashes at the two handsome boys. “A gift for your girlfriends or…” she trailed off with an underlying meaning to her words, making the two boys blush ten-shades of red.

“N-n-no!” Bambam stuttered, hands flailing in front of him in vehement denial. “W-we picked the wrong store, s-sorry!”

Yugyeom was too embarrassed to even say anything.

“Come on!” Bambam hissed at his friend before bowing to the lady and dragging themselves out of the shop.

“That bastard!” Yugyeom stomped his feet angrily after running a certain distance. “He tricked us!”

“I told you!” the other boy panted, hands leaning on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. “He knew it!”

Running a hand through his head, Yugyeom looked around, trying to get a glimpse of their target. His eyes scanned the crowd and he wasn’t disappointed when he saw the boy just as he was about to turn on another street.

“There!” he exclaimed before shooting through the mass of bodies. Bambam groaned at his persistent friend before running after him.

“Are you going crazy?!” the black haired boy shouted at his blonde companion as they tore through the streets. “Why are we even following him?”

“Why would he even run away from us in the first place if he’s not doing anything wrong?” Yugyeom shot back.

“If I’m on his place I’ll freak out once I know that there are people stalking me!” Bambam retorted. He was getting frustrated with the way his friend was acting. “I’ll probably run away, too!”

They continued running for several minuets and it’s too late when they realized that they are not in the market place anymore. There are no more people in sight and they ended up in a deserted open area surrounded by the back part of four tall buildings.

“Where are we?” Bambam rasped out once they stopped running. He looked around them and he felt the sudden change in the wind.

“You…” Yugyeom trailed off, his breath coming out in staccato as he eyed the back of the tall boy.

“Why are you following me?” the new transfer asked without facing them.

Silence fell upon them when no one answered. The wind started swirling around the place, blowing and lifting the dirt off the pavement. The stack of old newspapers placed beside the back door of one of the buildings was knocked off, making the tattered weightless pages flutter above the ground.

“Who are you?” the blonde demanded, voice guarded and hard.

“Who are you?” the tall brunette fired the same inquiry back at him, his tone carrying a hint of hostility with it.

The wind around them kept on building as the temperature dropped a few degrees lower. The whips of air began to get aggressive, whisking their hair and clothes in every direction.

“Yugyeom,” Bambam had a grim expression on his face as he took a step closer towards his friend. “I think you’re right.”

The atmosphere was getting more and more tensed as the seconds tick by. Both parties had no intention of letting their guard down, both ready to snap, ready to pounce whenever needed.

“Why are you here?” Yugyeom said through gritted teeth, eyes squinting through the harsh wind lashing all over the place.

“I believe it’s none of your business,” the boy spat back before slowly turning around to pin the duo with a pair of dark brown eyes.

“It would be if you are the one killing all those innocent humans,” he said in an equally bleak voice.

Through the dust-filled air fiercely whirling around them, Bambam’s eyes zeroed in on the new transfer and that’s when he noticed a glowing symbol on his sternum that was revealed through the opened buttons of his shirt. The symbol looked familiar and his eyes widened when he realized what it was. He saw it on one of the books that JB forced them to read when they were still in Lucere.

He was one of them.

“He’s a Guardian, Yugyeom.”