Baekhyun felt it the moment Joonmyun vanished, an empty space in his mind next to the two blank spots. It was a widening crack in their chain, with three missing.

 

His phone had been buzzing with phone calls all over the world, all in different timezones, his brothers calling out frantically in an attempt to locate their leader.

 

Yixing 's voice was trembling as he repeated everything that Joonmyun had said.

 

"France. They're in France. He went... went to look for them." He was almost sobbing, tripping and stumbling over his words.

 

"I'll  find him." Baekhyun murmured, trying to soothe the distraught healer as he yanked on a jacket, the door slamming shut behind him as he bolted out of his apartment.

 

 ~

They searched until the sky was blanketed in stars, but Marseilles was silent, keeping its secrets. Jongin had portaled them in, splitting up from Joonmyun’s hotel.

 

Baekhyun was convinced that he must have run through every street and back road in the city, desperately calling with their shared bond.

 

But there was no answer.

 

It was as if Joonmyun had simply vanished into thin air.

 

Jongin had returned to the site where Joonmyun ended his call with Yixing but only the faintest energy trace remained, and even that was fading rapidly by the time he arrived.

 

“There’s nothing. Nothing left,” he sounded so defeated on the phone that Baekhyun was crudely reminded of just how young Jongin was. How young all of them were to have the weight of the world upon their shoulders.

 

“Go back to the hotel, Jongin. I’ll search a little longer and then join you,” he tried to keep the fear from leeching into his voice, “we’ll find him somehow.”

 

He was not sure if Jongin would listen but the younger merely sighed and ended the call.

 

Baekhyun continued to wander the back streets, a soft white glow emitting from his hands where the streetlights could not reach. He could not help but feel a little claustrophobic, with the high walls rising all around him.

 

Reaching out through their shared connection brought back nothing and he was just about ready to give up when footsteps on the corner of the alley caught his attention.

 

Baekhyun froze.

 

It was already late. The streets had been silent for hours.

 

Slowly he backed away, down the lane he came from, until he was concealed behind an intersection. Fear bled into his bloodstream when the lamp above him flickered and went out, a red glow slowly building from where he had heard the footsteps.

 

It was headed straight for him.

 

Turning, he clenched his fingers into fists, weaving the light around him as quickly as he could. The invisibility could only help him so much. Youngmin had his ways of seeing through his illusions.

 

Before the red light could break the corner, he bolted, blood roaring in his ears. His heart pounded wildly as he ran, trying to keep his footsteps as light as possible. The lamps flickered and went dark as he passed, his powers leeching as much as light as he could to conceal himself.

 

The night wind had been cold before, but now, his blood was hot, terror running rampant through him as he avoided the darkest streets, using the light from streetlamps to keep up his illusion.

 

Whoever was following him did not even bother to mask their intent.

 

Heavy footfalls sounded behind him even as he sped through tiny alleys, turning sharp corners in a desperate attempt to shake off his stalker.

 

A flick of his hand sent an illusioned version of him out into plain sight, but the hunter did not seem fooled.

 

His breath was coming out in short sharp pants, his lungs burning from exertion. Baekhyun stumbled, his blood chilling when he realised that he had arrived at a dead end.

 

Tall iron bars rose high above him, shutting out his escape route. He turned back, dread coiling up in the pit of his stomach at the darkened street.

 

The red glow was getting closer.

 

Baekhyun gripped the bars, willing himself to keep calm even as cold sweat broke out across his brow. He was shivering under his leather jacket, even after all the running.

 

“Where are you, illusionist?”

 

It was a hoarse, raspy voice, evil coating its every word.

 

He was sure it was a man, even though the figure was draped in a hooded cloak, strolling towards him with some sort of device clutched in his fingers. The device was the source of the red glow, glimmering with cruel intent.

 

Baekhyun backed up against the iron gates, the metal digging into his back as he struggled to keep his composure.

 

“I can see you,” the voice crooned, the hooded figure looking straight at him.

 

Baekhyun shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut.

 

He knew what was coming.

 

PATHCODE

 

Jongin did not listen to Baekhyun.

 

He could not accept the fact that Joonmyun was just gone.

 

He returned to the spot where he had last felt his energy signature, expanding every ounce of his power into the shadows.

 

The shadows spoke to him. They often saw things that people did not. They were the entities from which he drew his powers.

 

Which was how he found Joonmyun, collapsed onto the ground with darkened veins crawling up his neck almost seven miles away from the empty pool.

 

“Hyung, hyung!” Jongin fell onto his knees beside him, cradling him close. Joonmyun’s skin was as cold as ice, his lips almost completely bloodless.

 

“Hyung!” He shook him gently, a river of relief rushing through him, though quickly replaced by horror when he saw the shape he was in.

 

Joonmyun was curled in on himself, the sleeve on one arm torn off. There was a spiderweb of black veins crawling up and down his left arm, extending from the crook of his elbow. The corner of his lips were stained red and Jongin could see blood on his teeth.

 

He made a pained sound, tugging on Jongin’s heartstrings as he moved to grip at Jongin’s wrist.

 

Joonmyun grunted, his body shuddering violently. Jongin squeezed his hand when he moaned in pain, convulsing in the grass. His eyes were glassy as he coughed and spasmed, his muscles constantly contracting and relaxing.

 

“Yixing... I need-” He cut himself off with a groan, his breathing laboured as he pressed a hand over his chest, shuddering once more.

 

Against his milk white skin, the veins seemed even more horrifying. Jongin tightened his grip when Joonmyun made another sound, a soft whimper of pain.

 

His heart clenched even more.

 

He had never seen his leader like this.

 

“Jongin, please.”

 

Jongin chewed his bottom lips even as he hefted Joonmyun in his arms. He was not sure he could make it to Shanghai where Yixing was without doing major damage to himself, having already exerted most of his energy in his search.

 

Even a single jump from here to Baekhyun’s hotel could knock him unconscious.

 

He brushed a hand over Joonmyun’s sweat damp hair, squeezing his eyes shut.  Joonmyun was convulsing again, coughing and hacking so hard that Jongin could barely hold him.

 

His powers built and built as he clutched Joonmyun close to him and with a poof, they vanished into thin air.

 

PATHCODE

 

Yixing was frantically dialling numbers, desperate to get in contact with Baekhyun.

 

The illusionist’s bond had fizzled out only moments ago, the same way that Joonmyun’s did.

 

He was on the verge of tears when the air pressure in the room dropped rapidly, his ears popping.

 

Jongin appeared in the middle of the room, half falling onto the bed with Joonmyun clutched to his chest.

 

“Hi hyung,” was all Jongin was capable of saying before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed in a dead faint, blood trickling from his nose.

 

Yixing yelped, bolting to his side. He caught Joonmyun before he was dropped onto the floor, swearing under his breath when his knees buckled under the weight.

 

He hefted his leader in his arms, setting him into one bed, silently thanking the lord that he had booked a room with two twin beds in preparation for Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo’s arrival.

 

With the news of Joonmyun going missing, the rest of them had decided that there was safety in numbers and members who had settled things on their side would join him in Shanghai.

 

Jongin was deadweight in his arms as he half dragged, half carried him into the other bed. Pressing a tissue to the younger’s bloody nose, Yixing passed a hand over his body quickly to check his vitals.

 

From what he could see, Joonmyun would need his powers far more than Jongin did. The blackened veins were crawling steadily higher and the man was beginning to convulse, white foam gathering at his lips.

 

“Hyung?” Yixing had just turned away to work on Joonmyun when he heard Jongin stir, grimacing in pain as he tried to push himself into a sitting position.

 

“You stay where you are, Kim Jongin,” he lifted his head to direct a sharp glare at the younger man, his tone warning. His fingers were glowing as he dragged them along the veins in his throat.

 

Joonmyun was shuddering under his fingertips, gasping as his magic burrowed into him, trying to purify the taint in his blood. He was hacking again, speckling blood over Yixing’s hand.

 

Yixing wrinkled his nose, but stayed where he was, with his hand half curled around the mass of black veins over Joonmyun’s throat. He could feel Jongin’s gaze on him even as he obeyed his orders, remaining in his position on the bed.

 

“Will he be okay?” Jongin asked weakly, as the veins began to recede, much slower than Yixing would have liked.

 

The healer nodded distractedly, pushing back Joonmyun’s sweaty hair with his free hand.

 

“Go to sleep, Jongin. Or I’ll put you to sleep,” Yixing murmured, lifting his head to smile as reassuringly as he could. He was not sure Jongin felt at all threatened as the younger man merely pouted, tucking himself under the blankets.

 

He wiped his nose tiredly, cuddling up beneath the covers and Yixing shook his head, mildly amused. He snapped his fingers and Jongin curled up, creased eyebrows relaxing. Soft snores emanated from his mouth and Yixing could turn his attention back to Joonmyun.

 

When the black veins had all but faded completely, and the leader too was fast asleep, his breathing even again, Yixing set the kettle on to boil. He washed the blood from his hand, reaching for Baekhyun’s bond once more.

 

Baek? Baekhyun, where are you? Jongin found Joonmyun. Talk to me please. He prodded desperately. There was radio silence on the other end, not even a hum.

 

He chanced a glance at the clock. It was nearing daybreak in France.

 

Fear pooled in his stomach as he tried again, pushing the connection for any sort of response. The others should have already arrived in Shanghai and on their way to the hotel.

 

They would have noticed Baekhyun’s disappearance too.

 

Yixing swallowed the lump of dread in his throat, reaching to pour himself a cup of tea.

 

Youngmin could not have gotten to Baekhyun, could he? If he had, couldn’t he escape too, if Joonmyun did?

 

He glanced at Joonmyun, who was still fast asleep in the bed, looking completely at peace. What had happened to him in the hours that he had vanished?