Eyes’ Light:

Hayan:

It was a solid day before they moved on from the camp. Hayan sleeping most of the time, only waking up to eat and take the tonic that Professor Haru had brewed for her to help fight off the lingering effects of the snake bite. When she was up to moving about and her head wasn’t as cloudy as the day before the troupe set off through the forest. Hayan flinched away from the rocky chasm when they passed it, memories of being captured still too fresh and humiliating.

No one said anything about Hayan’s failed attempt to runaway, or about how it was somehow also a test that they managed to pass with Jongin’s action. She wanted to say thank you for his rescue, but so much time had passed she felt like she had missed the opportunity, which made her feel worse because Jongin turned out to be such a sweet and caring guy.

Passed the rocky terrain were rolling hills, one of which had a massive mansion sitting on top it, which seemed to be their destination. Professor Haru didn’t pause to knock on the tall, carved wooden doors, the old woman waved a hand and they sprung open like they weighed nothing. There was an eerie creak and a rusty squeak of the hinges to go along with the motion. And what laid beyond the threshold had the group halting in their tracks.

“Time to know if you can save the world,” Haru proclaimed as she turned to face the nine of them. “Good luck.” Then she was gone.

Inside the mansion’s front doors was darkness, but not the normal steady darkness one would first think of. It was shadowy and ‘moving’ like the blackness was alive, breathing. Hayan held her breath as something just beyond what she assumed was a grand staircase sprinted in their direction only to stop in the center of the entrance. It looked to be a person’s shadow, moving on its own, but it had dark gray features that made up a twisted almost demonic face that smirked at them. Hayan’s insides went cold.

“What is that?” Jongdae asked nervously.

“It’s,” Hayan stammered out as her right hand clamped around her sweater hem. “It’s a corrupted soul.”

“Is that as bad as it sounds?” Sehun asked in a rhetorical tone.

“It’s worse,” Kyungsoo said (clearly the only other one who paid any attention in their classes besides Hayan).

“How much worse?” Chanyeol inquired.

“Like it’s one step from being a demon bad,” Hayan stated. Her stomach knotting uncomfortably as she watched the shadowy figure tilt its head to the side as a smirk stretched too wide on its face morphing its head in the action.

“,” Baekhyun breathed out.

“So, anyone got a plan?” Junmyeon asked.

There were muffled grunts and head shaking, then all eyes turned to Hayan and she wished they really hadn’t.

“Hayan?” Minseok asked.

Sighing she lowering her head before tossing it back to stare up at the overhang of the mansion’s front steps. She needed a moment to think, she needed to know how far along the corrupted soul was, she needed to process what the real issue was.

“Can someone throw something at the soul?” she requested as she dropped her head to glance at the smirking creature.

“On it.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth Chanyeol was sending a soft ball sized burst of fire towards the opened doors. And in the moment Hayan realized who had taken on her request she wished she had been more specific on her wording.

“Not Chanyeol!” she grunted turning to flee from the stoop.

The others were quick to follow her, the shadowy soul returning fire, quite literally, with an even bigger fire ball that scorched the green grass with blue and white flames. Having fallen into the yard in her haste to avoid the counter strike, Hayan groaned and tried to push herself up but only fell back down when her left arm didn’t respond to help the right.

“You okay?” Baekhyun asked. He was at her side before she could try to get up again and grabbed her paralyzed arm to help her get to her feet.

“Yeah,” she huffed.

“What was that?” Chanyeol panted as he ran a hand through his red hair.

“Sorry,” Hayan said with a frown. “I should have said it shouldn’t have been you. Fire is a common element for demons to manipulate,” she explained turning to face all the guys.

“Did you at least get what you wanted from that?” Junmyeon huffed dusting off his clothes.

Hayan glanced over her shoulder at the still smoldering lawn and swallowed. “Uh-huh,” she murmured.

“Well,” Jongin prompted impatiently.

“It’s on the verge of being a demon,” she answered.

“Which is bad,” Jongdae said slowly, like he wasn’t sure of what he was saying.

“Very,” Kyungsoo nodded. “It’s almost impossible to stop a demon when it’s already on earth. So once it turns then we’re basically screwed,” he explained.

“But we’re guardians,” Minseok muttered.

“Incomplete guardians, and still in-training,” Hayan commented.

•••

Baekhyun:

The group searched around the mansion for any weaknesses and blind spots of the corrupted soul, but it was quick and always there when they tried to enter. Silently snickering with its gray smile and leering empty sockets. Hayan was seated on the stoop staring into the building that seemed to hold the almost-demon in place for now. It was harboring and nursing its power until it was finally able to break free, like a caterpillar in a cocoon.

Baekhyun had tried to find a way in with the others but every time he got close to the building the shadow-being would eye him and tilt its head before disappearing into the blackness of the mansion. He didn’t like the way it looked at him, or how it would have staring contests with Hayan who sat a little too calmly on the front steps. Part of Baekhyun thought she already had an answer and was just hesitating in telling the rest for some reason. It had been hours since they arrived and Baekhyun didn’t like how long they were taking in setting up a plan.

Huffing out in frustration Baekhyun marched over to Hayan and plopped down on the wooden stoop with her. He stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankle and leaning back on his arms as he watched the shadow-being pace the dark foyer with its arms crossed behind its back.

“Why didn’t you tell us about your arm sooner?” he decided to ask instead of the other questions he had bouncing around in his head.

Hayan shifted in her spot, using her right hand to pull her left arm closer to her body. Baekhyun could see the tension rise in her shoulders, she was no longer calm and relaxed like she had been before his arrival. Why was that? It was always like that. Did she hate him that much?

When she didn’t say anything Baekhyun reached over and tapped her forehead like he usually did when he walked by her in the halls of Elyxion. It had become a habit shortly after they arrived at the school, because there were times Baekhyun got tongue tied and couldn’t form a simple greeting. He didn’t understand it himself until Chanyeol asked him why he never went further than flirting with the girls in the town at the base of the mountain and Hayan’s name tumbled out of his mouth in his lame attempt to explain himself. It was then that Baekhyun realized why he spent so much time staring at the girl during classes, why he couldn't muster the ability to greet her, why his heart pattered a little faster when she rarely spoke. Baekhyun really liked the quiet girl who was bad at magic and had the small timid smile, yet loud voice when she got worked up.

Hayan scrunched up her face at his action, leaning away from his hand that he slowly retrieved and placed back behind him to support his weight. He cocked a brow at her, urging her to answer his question as she glanced over at him.

Her lower lip jutted out slightly in a faint pout that Baekhyun could only describe as cute. “I didn’t want Jongdae to feel bad. He’d think it’s his fault. . . It’s not,” she f