For a room previously filled with chatter, music and laughter, the silence that now filled it was deafening. Even the most boisterous people found themselves incapable of speaking, their full attention on the building fight before their very eyes.

Baekhyun had given them strict demands of staying out of the fight, he clearly meant to take Jessica alone and it seemed as though -despite everyone else's opinion- they wouldn't be able to change his mind.

The vampire had made a staple of his bravery the night he arrived at Millennium High, everyone witnessed first-hand the boy's bravery for standing up to Chanyeol and the rest of the Alpha's. Why should they worry about him standing up against Jessica?

The witch may have hidden her surprise well but she certainly hadn't expected to see the vampire standing healthily beside his mate upon her entrance, though she would definitely regret her decision of accepting his offer of a duel when she realises the power he now possesses.

~×~

Chanyeol laid the phone back down on his mother's desk, his eyes scanning across the contents now that he had some time to waste.

The phone call he shared with Suga was brief, a mere request of a favour and the Councilman accepting without any hesitation. They had then exchanged polite pleasantries before the former hung up with the promise of arriving soon, though it was difficult to say how long it would take.

A sheet of paper sat tucked slightly beneath the small plump lamp situated on the left corner of his mother's desk. It was a piece of aged stationary with his mother's previous monarch symbol at the top of it.

Curious Chanyeol lifted the device and slid the paper out from beneath it. It crinkled at his swiftness, curling over his hands from the constant folding the page had endured. His fingers fumbled with the page, unable to find a comfortable position that wouldn't completely fray the piece.

Eventually he decided to lay it bare on the desk below, four pens rested against the corners keeping it centred. The Alpha wolf placed both of his palms against the table, allowing his body to rest against them as his eyes scanned the document.

My Dear Son,

So much loss and suffering has befallen this planet because of our actions, together you and I have brought a dark age upon the very world our ancestors have created.

I understand that you are hurt, I can recognize the fear and I know that you wish to hide behind your army. As a mother I watched you grow into the man you are today and I understand that there are times you wished to have been appreciated - like the day your Father denied you your birthright, or when he declared your brother his heir. I can see how greatly that wounded you.

But you must understand that your obsession with Baekhyun is one-sided, the boy does not bear any emotion for you. I know that throughout their lifetimes you have watched them both from afar, hurting whenever the moment came laying you forward to witness them rekindle their romance. I don't know why the universe hasn't granted you a soulmate but as your Mother I cannot give up hope that maybe one day you too will find a person who loves you just as much as your brother loves his soulmate.

Daehyun I beg that you reconsider your plot to start a war against your brother while holding the delusion that Baekhyun may someday run into your arms, he has made his decision and has chosen to remain by Chanyeol's side. I only wish that you too will see that and realise the years you've lost.

I am your Mother, therefore I am entitled to love and cherish you and there isn't a moment in the day when you don't leave my mind. I worry about your safety and if you're eating your meals, though I know that you're capable of looking after yourself, you have been doing it long enough.

I hope that you take my words into account and perhaps return to us as the Prince you once were.

Your truly,

Eomma.

Chanyeol stepped back from the desk, tears blurring his vision. He sniffed to hold the emotions back, suddenly overwhelmed with the fact that the man he was fighting against was once his brother.

His heart ached.

Here he was protecting his family from someone who shares his blood, someone who breathed the same air as him and lived with him beneath the same roof.

Daehyun was bad but he was his brother.

"I figured you would be in here," A voice announced from the door, Chanyeol raising his head to find his mother smiling sadly back at him. "I see you found my letter."

"I-" he stammered, swiping his thumb against his cheek though there was no tear to clean. "I did."

"Good," Ms. Lee nodded her head, closing the door behind her. "you can see how foolish I was all those years ago."

Chanyeol's forehead crinkled, his brows meeting in the centre of his forehead. "What do you mean, isn't it just worn out?"

"I wrote that letter almost a hundred years ago," Ms. Lee sighed, her arms coming to cross against her chest. "I was pregnant with one of your new lives. I was depressed, the curse had gone on for too long and I was really missing home. I thought that maybe if I wrote to him, Daehyun would be willing to change."

"What changed?" Chanyeol wondered, staring back down at the letter. "Why didn't you send it?"

"Because when I gave birth to you again I realised that your brother is never going to change." Ms. Lee clarified walking towards the table and taking a seat in what was previously her student's chair. Chanyeol's wobbly legs brought him to sit down in the headmistress'. "From a very young age your brother showed signs of what the humans here call a psychopath."

Chanyeol's tongue ran along his lower lip, his sweaty hands coming to rest against the top of the desk.

"A maid found him in the backyard killing one of our planet's rarest creatures, a Starling. Apparently he tortured the poor creature for hours before the maid had even arrived, how the poor thing even got within your brother's reach is beyond me but I saw the scene so I know it to be true."

"Couldn't you have gotten him help?" Chanyeol asked, his voice wet with emotion. "Surely you could have done something."

"We did," Ms Lee deadpanned, looking at her youngest son through narrowed eyes. "Of course we did. He was our son! It would have been foolish if we didn't try and help him, which is why we sent him away to the mountains. There was a tribe there known for healing and as it was within the Air Lands it was easy to convince Sehun's father to keep quiet about the request. When he returned to us we believed that everything was fine, I gave birth to you and for once we were a happy family again."

"What happened then?"

"Baekhyun's mother died." Ms Lee sighed, her eyes closing as if to recall the memory. "We went to pay our respects and Daehyun seemed to have taken notice of him, though when we got home his old habits seemed to show again. We assumed that it was because we had brought him back to a place of death but I knew deep down that Daehyun had never completely got over his tendencies, he merely hid them for the sake of pleasing his Father and I expecting it to be all he needed to do in order to receive the throne."

"Was this the reason you gave it to me?" Chanyeol spoke, his voice lacking volume.

The woman was quiet for a while, not having a clear way to answer her son's question. Obviously the answer was yes but why hadn't they just explained this to him before? Why wait until he found some ancient letter?

"It was one of the many reasons we decided to give you and Baekhyun the throne," Ms Lee declared, sitting straighter in her chair. "I knew what your brother was capable of for years and I never felt comfortable enough to step forward and announce it. You were young, I didn't want you to worry about what was happening behind closed doors and then when you found Baekhyun I realised that there was no way I could tell you. I knew the old you, you would have resisted the poor boy had you known what Daehyun was capable of doing."

"I don't care what you thought," Chanyeol yelled, his fists shaking against the wood. "do you have any idea how relieved I am to know that I'm not the only one in this family who thinks they're crazy?!"

"What do you mean?" His mother questioned, her eyes wide in alarm. "Are you talking about the voices in your head? Oh Chanyeol, you already know that was because you were a hero in your first life."

"Don't try and sugarcoat the reality of my life," Chanyeol spoke through gritted teeth. "you have no idea what I went through before and what I will have to go through again once I get back there-"

"Home." Ms. Lee stressed. "When you get home."

"But it isn't my home," Chanyeol shouted, pulling at the strands of his hair, anger boiling in his stomach. "a home is a place where you're supposed to feel comfortable, safe! I don't want to go back there because I know what waits for me, I know that the darkness I ingested in only going to grow and get worse as the days pass-"

"But you'll get through it," Ms. Lee tried to reassure him, her head tilting up to keep eye contact with her standing son. "we're here to help you get through it."

"And what about Daehyun?" Chanyeol wondered, blinking down at his mother whose jaw dropped at his inquiry. "Who does he have huh? You made it obvious that he never had me, and after a while he didn't have you or Dad either."

"H-he," his mother blinked back tears, her nails digging into the arm-rest on either side of her. "He killed your father, he killed Baekhyun's father. He cursed everyone you love, how can you honestly compare yourself to him?"

"Because we both have a darkness inside us" Chanyeol explained, calmer now that he was moving. The door in sight. "and he's not the only one who has killed people."

The former Queen was left alone in her office, tears streaming down her face as her eyes remained in the space inside the door-frame. The image of Chanyeol leaving is still present in her mind's eye. She let out a sigh of frustration, her head tilting towards the ceiling.

"Sejoon give me strength," She begged, hoping that it would still be loud enough for her soulmate to pick up from the heavens. "please help him understand that his darkness isn't like his brother's."

~×~

Baekhyun moved swiftly against the gymnasium flooring, his careful silver eyes locked on his opponent, her smirking grin making the fire in his gut burn brighter.

Why he had decided to fight Jessica was simple, he knew that he would be able to win.

Despite the devil on his shoulder suggesting otherwise, Baekhyun knew that this fight should be innocent, allowing both opponents to walk away alive. A feat that wouldn't have been accomplished had others joined him in the fight.

Jessica lunged with the first attack, her heels clicking across the flooring. Her hand was raised above her head, a glowing purple mist emitting from her palm.

Baekhyun managed to dodge the hit and use his momentum to deliver a sharp but intense hit to the woman's abdomen, Jessica's lips pulling back to release a frustrated yell.

"Look at what you've done!" She screamed, gesturing to her torn dress. Baekhyun glanced at the material, unsurprised to see that his claws had decided to make an appearance.

"I gave your costume some character, there is nothing wrong with it." Baekhyun deadpanned, shrugging his shoulders as the witch's hands formed fists by her side.

"I suppose you're right," she declared, a smirk developing on her lips. "I mean like this Chanyeol won't have much problem taking the rest of it off later."

At the mention of his soulmate, Baekhyun felt the blood within his veins grow cold. His fangs grew larger in his mouth, the point slipping through the gap to rest on his bottom lip. His nails grew in length and his eyes shimmered silver, he offered the witch a manic grin before pouncing.

His action took Jessica by surprise, her eyes unable to follow Baekhyun's figure as he blended through the shadows exposing nothing but momentarily glimpses of himself to the crowd.

Kyungsoo who stood amongst the rest of the students found it hard to keep his eye on his friend, his gaze rushing around in hopes of spotting him through the shadows but never being able to catch him. This power was unlike anything he had seen before, did his best friend even realise that he was capable of such a thing?

"What is he doing?" Kyungsoo wondered, mostly to himself though it would surprise him had someone answered his rhetorical question.

"He's entering the shadow realm." Jongin explained to his mate, a keen smirk in his gaze.

Kyungsoo watched as Jongin's eyes coursed through the room, the smile never once falling from his lips.

"You can see him?"

"Of course I can," Jongin chuckled, sparing the warlock by his side a glance before quickly turning to find their friend again. "who do you think taught him to do it?"

Kyungsoo's eyes widened, his body twisting within his soulmate's grip. "You did what?!"

"Relax," Jongin chuckled, leaning down to press his puckered lips against Kyungsoo's cheek. "I know the shadow realm well, he's going to be fine."

"How?" Kyungsoo shrieked, voice muffled by the whispering crowd. "How do you know he's going to be okay?"

"The shadow realm is a realm I used to frequent all the time whenever I used my ability, it allowed me to travel to places without being seen. Baekhyun's doing the same thing now, but rather clumsily if I do say so myself."

"How is he capable of that?" Kyungsoo whispered, eyes struggling to catch a glimpse of his best friend. "Baekhyun's power isn't teleportation."

"His power is light," Jongin explained, a smirk creeping back onto his lips as he gazed off into the space ahead of them. "he's capable of bending it so that he ultimately becomes invisible."

When Kyungsoo turned again to gaze at his soulmate, Jongin's lungs released a heavy sigh. The warlock watched stunned as his boyfriend's head landed on his shoulder, a soft press of his lips keeping the questions from leaving Kyungsoo's lips.

"Think of it this way," Jongin's voice was hoarse, drawing goosebumps along his arms. The Alpha held him tighter against his waist, a ghost of a smile dancing against his skin. "In darkness the light will always thrive. "

A flicker in the corner of Kyungsoo's eye had the warlock turn from his soulmate and focus on the figure appearing before his very eyes, materialising from the shadows.

Baekhyun collided his fist against Jessica's abdomen sending the witch backwards a couple paces. Her head bobbing forward from the force of his hit, forcing her hair to curl around her facial expression.

There was no doubt in Kyungsoo's mind that the hit had caused damage, magical folk didn't heal as quickly as their werewolf or vampire counterparts.

Jessica released a huff, throwing her head backwards, curls falling behind her shoulders at the action. She snarled and bared her nails, her lips muttering curses beneath her breath.

Baekhyun's frame disappeared from his periapical drawing a gasp of surprise from Kyungsoo's lips, the warlock desperately tried to find him even if he knew that it was hopeless. The whole point to Baekhyun's plan was that he wasn't easily noticed, hidden by the cover of darkness Kyungsoo never realised he was capable of doing.

The vampire reappeared just as Jessica threw her magical orb, students jumping out of the way while many of them merely watched the orb explode from their positions around the gymnasium. Baekhyun was wearing a cocky grin, his eyes still shining the beautiful liquid mercury colour Chanyeol adored.

"Are you just going to be throwing orbs at me?" Baekhyun wondered, head tilted to the side.

Kyungsoo wanted to step into the battleground and slap his best friend across his neck, why was Baekhyun asking such a stupid question? Out of the countless films the vampire had forced him to sit through, surely he would have realised by now that when someone calls for more, they receive it.

Jessica groaned in dissatisfaction, her eyes blazing in uncontrolled flames. From the tips of her fingers small sparks erupted, their tone a bright white and shaped almost like small lightning bolts. They bounced off the floor of the gymnasium, many of them dispersing across the ground until Kyungsoo quickly realised what was happening.

"Baekhyun!" He called but it was too late.

The sparks had finally gathered in a wide circle to cage in the fighting duo. From across the battle Kyungsoo could see various students step forward in curiosity, only for the heat to drive them back from intervening.

Jessica's lips curled into a small smile as she allowed her hands to come together against her thighs, eyes sparkling like the magic she had created a few seconds ago. "Impressed?" She wondered, gesturing out to her flaming circle. "Remind you of someone?"

Kyungsoo watched as his best friend's brows furrowed in the centre of his forehead, gears no doubt turning in that crazy brain of his.

"Oh so you know that we have our memories back?" He wondered, chancing a glance around the circle. The growing heat against his back warned him that it was best that he stayed where he was and didn't attempt to escape in that direction. "Along with our powers?"

Jessica seemed stunned for a moment, her lower jaw falling ever so slightly though she was quick enough to mask it with words. "It wasn't that hard to determine," she giggled, nerves twinkling in her voice. "you did just disappear before my very eyes. Care to share just how you did that?"

"It's a party trick," Baekhyun waved the comment off, his gaze finding Jongin and therefore Kyungsoo in the crowd. "a friend of mine taught it to me years ago."

"I'm honoured that you decided to use it on me," Jessica claimed, clearing so that Baekhyun would return his attention to her. She smiled when he did. "how come you have never used it before?"

"And allow Daehyun to see it?" he snickered, shaking his head. "Not a chance."

"Oh?" She gasped, her head tilting, curls slipping over her shoulder. "But surely you know that I could supply that information to him?" She stood taller, eyes glancing over her painted fingernails. "I've done it once before, I could do it again."

"Chanyeol's killed you once before," Baekhyun reminded her, a smile etched into his lips. "he could do that again."

"Well it's a good thing that he's not the one I'm fighting now isn't it?" Jessica hissed, her eyes narrowing.

Kyungsoo did not like where this was going, from where he and Jongin were standing he had the perfect view of Jessica's fingers. Her manicured hands swirling against her hips as she summoned up a spell, one Baekhyun didn't seem to notice.

In a desperate attempt to save his friend Kyungsoo tried to raise his voice but ultimately found himself incapable of doing such a thing, the fingers digging deeper into his waist.

"Relax," Jongin whispered, lips pressed against the shell of his ear. "just watch."

His heart tugged and the nerves died down, his nostrils releasing the tension from within his shoulders. "Alright," he responded, voice soft. "I trust you."

As Jessica continued to try and distract Baekhyun by talking about his soulmate and her ideas for his funeral, Baekhyun was concocting a plot of his own. His ability to hide amongst the shadows was no longer available since the growing flames were making it harder and harder to find a stable piece of darkness, Jongin had never shown him what to do when the shadows moved. Had he learned that ability then perhaps he could use the flames to his advantage.

Wait.

The flames.

Chanyeol's flames.

Chanyeol.

Jessica took Baekhyun's stunned expression as her opportunity to attack, a large purple orb bellowed in his direction, her body following behind it with sharp materialised weapons in hand.

Kyungsoo swore that time had come to a stop as he watched in horror as the giant purple orb multiplied into thousands of tiny specks of terror, their tips razor sharp and would no doubt cut through Baekhyun's body like a knife would to butter. Every drop of blood within the warlock's body ran cold, his eyes widening in horror as the attack grew closer and closer.

And nothing?

Baekhyun remained in his stance, more composed then he had been a few milliseconds before. He stood tall, head straight, eyes trained on the incoming attack with hands by his side.

Was this it?

Was Baekhyun giving in to the terror?

Was he giving in to everything that he had overcome?

Had it gotten too overwhelming, even though he ploughed through without saying anything?

What changed?

The tears Kyungsoo didn't even know his eyes had produced caused his vision to become blurry, dulling the activities happening ahead of him.

This was it, he decided.

This was Baekhyun's demise, and at the hands of Jessica no less.

A sickening feeling settled in his stomach like a stone had been dropped in a lake and was currently dragging him down beneath the waves.

He couldn't do this.

He couldn't watch his best friend die.

The orbs were just there now. Jessica right behind them, arms ready to strike.

Kyungsoo turned away, hiding himself in his soulmate's chest.

That's when he heard it.

A loud banging sound rang throughout the gymnasium, the students all turning to view what had come through their doors.

Kyungsoo felt his throat burn at the thought of Daehyun entering the building, somehow having figured out that Baekhyun was still alive.

And yet the sight before him confused everyone.

There was no saviour standing in the threshold of the emergency exit, nor was there another foe for them to fight against. What lay bare for all to witness was the forest surrounding the entire building of Millennium High, tall dark trees standing proud against the dark night sky.

It wasn't the trees that brought gasps from everyone's lips.

Just above the wailing branches, set in the centre of the beautiful galaxy of stars lay the largest full moon Kyungsoo had ever seen. Its beauty was unlike anything created on Earth, a magnificent creation made from the love one soulmate had for it's pair. A massive amount of energy pulsed, blowing gusts of air into the room alongside a few leaves that took rest on various student's heads. None of them seemed to care once they noticed a pulsing bright white light occurring within the flaming circle.

Jessica, who had been stunned in her attacking position and with thousands of small orb fractals inches away from her face, whimpered loud enough for the entire room to hear. Her body being blown back by the pulse of energy originating from Baekhyun's palms. Her body landed against the flooring of the gymnasium, her eyes sullen and lips dry. Students of all ages swarmed around her body, many feeling slightly disturbed by the lack of light in her eyes.

Baekhyun remained where he originally stood in the unfolding flaming circle, the fire sizzling down to a mere flicker which Kyungsoo was easily able to put out with a quick flick of his wrist. The two best friends instantly embraced, Baekhyun puffing into his neck while Kyungsoo praised the heavens above that his best friend was coming away from battle without a scratch.

"You pulled quite a number on her." Jongin chuckled, appearing beside the embracing duo who broke away at his presence. "I think I stand for everyone when I tell you that you really surprised us today Baek."

"Thanks," the vampire chuckled, hand reaching up to scratch against the back of his neck. "I didn't think I was capable of scaring someone before."

"There are students in this building right now that would happily make you reconsider that thought." Kyungsoo laughed, pulling his best friend back into his arms. He let out a relieved sigh. "You made me worried."

"I know," Baekhyun replied, a thin smile taking place on his lips. "I'm sorry."

Kyungsoo shook his head, taking in the boy's face for a moment. "Doesn't matter now," he admitted. "as long as you're okay."

"Well what's going on in here?" A familiar voice erupted throughout the room, drawing a new kind of frustration to Baekhyun's adrenaline pumping limbs. "Isn't this supposed to be a party?!"

A pulse of light sat in the palm of his hand as he made his way over to the council member, eyes narrowed and breath heaving through his nostrils. The boy's eyes quickly found him through the thinning crowd, many students clearly stepping out of the blast-zone after having taken Baekhyun's facial expression into account.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He spat, sizing Jungkook up and down. The council member visibly gulped, eyes widening in size as he glanced over his shoulder.

"I come in peace," the man declared, holding the palm of his hands up for Baekhyun to see. "I don't want any fighting. I'm here on business."

"And what business is that then?" Luhan wondered, appearing from the crowd with Sehun, Yixing and Suho beside him. "Don't you remember what happened the last time you came here for business?"

"I um.." the council member could do nothing but nod his head, head constantly turning to the side, his gaze lingering on the door. "Suga tried to-"

"Woah what's going on in here?" An unfamiliar voice sounded from the doorway, a young man Baekhyun had never seen before walked inside. He stopped right beside Jungkook, taking his hand before glancing out into the crowd of Millennium High members. "Tough crowd."

"Relax guys," Chanyeol declared walking into the room with two familiar faces following him from behind. Baekhyun instantly relaxed at the sight of Suga and Namjoon. "they're with me."

The majority of students rolled their eyes and turned back to their conversations, many of which consisted of Baekhyun's interesting developments and abilities.

The vampire relaxed when his Alpha's arms came to rest against his waist, his toes already raising him to help aid him in pressing his lips to Chanyeol's mouth. The Alpha chuckled against the action, squeezing Baekhyun's hips beneath his fingers.

When they pulled away they whispered their welcomes to each other, Chanyeol's eyes quickly scanned his soulmate's frame in hope of finding injuries. A further peck to his neck had him halting his advances, his answer contained in Baekhyun's kiss.

"I see you got my message." Baekhyun smiled a welcoming grin to Suga who greeted him back with a small smile of his own. "I'm glad you came as quickly as you did."

"I wished we had come earlier," Namjoon spoke, voice deeper than Baekhyun had suspected it to be. "At least then we would have gotten to see the fight!" The small group of protectors were surprised to hear the man's voice after it had gone unheard during their last meeting. Kris gently cleared his throat and the spell that had fallen on the group was broken.

"What exactly are you guys doing here?" he wondered.

"I invited them," Baekhyun explained to his group, eyes lingering on Jongin's teddy bear onesie for a little longer than necessary. "I wanted them to come pick up a package so I wouldn't be accused of killing it."

If Jungkook saw the glare Baekhyun threw in his direction, the Councilman didn't say anything, too focused on the man by his side to really care about the conversation happening around him.

"We've had our eyes on her for a while," Namjoon explains while Suga takes curious steps towards the crowd still surrounding the fallen witch. "we could never catch her since she was a bit of a slippery fish if you catch my drift."

Baekhyun sent his soulmate a glance, Chanyeol snickering to himself over Namjoon's dumb dad joke.

"So what exactly did you do to her?" Suga questions, squatting down to get a proper glimpse of the girl.

Jessica blinked up at him, her gaze appearing hollow. Despite being physically scared Suga was incapable of reading her from her gaze.

"I shot her with my power." Baekhyun giggles nervously, stretching his palm out to reveal his ability. The four councilmen stared at the glowing ball of light formed in the centre of Baekhyun's palm, the orb hovering above the skin never once touching it despite the ever so gentle bob it seemed to have.

"Remarkable." The boy holding Jungkook's fascination exclaimed, eyes twinkling as his finger gently traced the outline of Baekhyun's power.

"Well she's clearly stunned, that won't be much of a problem for us when we put her in holding, thanks for the tip off Baekhyun. You've just made our lives so much easier." Namjoon reaches out to him with his hand at the ready.

Baekhyun turns to Chanyeol, the taller male smirking for a moment as he reads his mind before the grip on Baekhyun's waist gets tighter again. The vampire reached out and allowed his hand to slip against the councilman's, allowing him to lead the shake. When they were done Baekhyun happily dove back into Chanyeol's chest which vibrated at his actions.

"We'll let you get back to your party," Jungkook declared, smiling slightly. "thanks for the call Baekhyun."

"You're doing me a favour," Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders, finding the smile on his own lips as genuine as can be. "at least I didn't kill her."

"No," Jungkook agreed, smiling just a small bit more. "You didn't."