Hyungwon remembers his first Ritual as if it were yesterday. It had only been a month after Minhyuk and he met, and he was seriously reconsidering dating the older if this turned out to be a regular thing. Of course, afterwards, he couldn’t deny how good the elixir had made him feel, as if he could take on the world. He came off the high after only a couple hours, though, and was left feeling empty and useless once more…

He couldn’t help but hurry back as soon as he could to this makeshift cult.

Everyone makes their way to the tent set up just passed the back door of the house. They each take their normal seats, and begin to paint their faces in the markings they’ve been painting on themselves ever since the beginning. Jooheon starts a small fire in the center, and pulls a small vial from his pocket. Shining blue liquid sloshes around inside, drawing the attention of everyone in the tent. They all stare at it hungrily, as if it’s the key to everything they need to fix the world.

Jooheon moves to pour some of the liquid into an ornate bowl, and clasps it with a pair of long tongs.

“Sad and beautiful youth,” Jooheon begins, holding the blue liquid above the open flame, “inside the repeating time where the end can’t be seen, in the space where it’s dangerous and uneasy…”

“We, The Clan, do solemnly swear on our honor, lives and everything that we have, to the X-CLAN, that we will defend ourselves,” Changkyun picks up at his usual spot in the chant. Kihyun turns the younger’s face toward him, gently brushing the paint onto his face once he’s finished speaking with his fingers.

“We, betting on everything that we have, solemnly swear that we will abide by everything said in this oath,” Shownu continues, watching with almost begging eyes as the liquid begins to bubble. “First, filling up our empty hearts. First, finding the right path and going down that path. First, never leaving anyone behind. We become one, protecting the X-CLAN.”

“We swear to give our all to protect the X-CLAN,” Hyungwon murmurs absentmindedly, his lips in anticipation.

“We vow to risk our everything to protect the X-CLAN,” Minhyuk adds in. He tears his gaze away from the elixir for a single moment, shooting a small smile to Hyungwon, and grasps his hand tightly. The touch grounds Hyungwon where he sits, anchoring him to reality as Delphinium smoke begins to fill their small tent.

“We walked together, we fought together, we grew,” Hoseok mutters, his words falling from his mouth in a hurry. His head snaps to the side, and he takes a deep breath of the smoke in through his nose to calm himself, though it only serves to escalate the effects of the flower.

“In front of this new road,” Kihyun declares as always, “we swear on everything we have to protect what is next.”

“We will become one,” Jooheon finishes, “and protect the X-CLAN.”

The bubbling in the bowl escalates, and Jooheon decides it’s heated well enough. He pulls the bowl from the flame, and passes it around wrapped in towels to the others after waiting a moment for it to cool. Hyungwon is the first to drink, the scorching hot liquid a welcome burn in his throat. He then passes it to Minhyuk, who laps up the elixir as if it’s the first thing he’s drunk after a millennia-long excursion in the desert.

Jooheon watches with a small, almost unreadable smile as each of the others have a similar reaction to the elixir. He doesn’t bother drinking the droplets left in the bowl once it gets back to him. Everyone is too far gone, too affected by the Delphinium flooding their senses, to even notice him merely setting the bowl on the ground beside him. The others writhe, leaning this way and that and breathing heavily. Changkyun and Kihyun press their foreheads against one another, leaning closely.

Kihyun grips the back of Changkyun’s neck tightly and closes the distance between them, capturing the younger’s lips in a starving kiss. Jooheon glances away, hoping the two don’t get too carried away like they did last time. That, luckily, no one else remembered. Hoseok leans against Hyunwoo, who’s laughing deliriously, a blush coming to his tan cheeks. Hyungwon and Minhyuk seem the least gone, though, gazing around at the others with interested expressions.

Jooheon notes their intertwined fingers, how the two seem to tighten their grip on each other as soon as one begins to drift away. The grip seems to bring them back to reality, somehow. Jooheon looks over to Kihyun and Changkyun again, noting the difference between the two couples with interest.

Kihyun’s head suddenly whips around to gaze at Jooheon, the light in his eyes almost accusatory. The stare sends a shiver down Jooheon’s spine, though he doesn’t let his discomfort show. The older continues to stare at him until Changkyun recalls his attention by leaving a dark hickey on his boyfriend’s neck.

Jooheon has to hold back a knowing sigh. Despite the older having not voiced any complaints around him recently, he know Kihyun still doesn’t like how long it’s taking to get his prosthetic.

He’s losing his faith, Jooheon notes dully. Knowing him, he’ll start asking questions soon enough… Maybe I should keep him at arm’s length for now, until I can get him what he’s owed.

Jooheon nods to himself, thinking that to be a good idea. He looks up, feeling a pair of eyes on him, and can’t help but squirm at meeting Hyungwon’s gaze.

This one, too, he can’t help but mentally add. I should keep him away, for now. I have a feeling he notices a lot more than he lets on. I can’t have him seeing too much and ruining everything…

At dawn, each of the boys begins to awaken. Kihyun is the first to come to his senses, the sunlight a welcome warmth to his skin. He sits up, looking around at the others. Changkyun murmurs something in his sleep, stirring slightly. Kihyun chuckles affectionately, and shakes the younger’s shoulder to get him to awaken. His eyelids crack open, and he stares blearily up at Kihyun.

There’s a groan a bit further away, and Hoseok bolts up, scratching the back of his head. He pouts as he looks around, as if trying to get his bearings.

Mornings after Rituals are always like this: early, slow-going, and a bit disorienting. It’s almost as if they’re all hungover, but without the headache and nausea.

Kihyun instinctively begins to do a headcount, noting with a creased brow Jooheon’s absence. He tries to remember if the younger had come in with them after the Ritual the previous night, but can’t seem to recall much. It’ll come back to him later, slowly but surely. It always does.

“Hyung,” Changkyun calls with a cracking voice, earning Kihyun’s immediate attention, “I’m hungry. Can we make breakfast now?”

Kihyun can’t help but chuckle at this, leaning down to kiss his boyfriend’s forehead before moving to get up and comply with the request.

A/N: All dialogue during the Ritual are the official oaths MONSTA X gave to us as teasers throughout The Clan series. I changed up some of the wording, and also the order for cohesion's sake.