~*~

We had been running for the gods know how long.

Hendery was still holding my wrist. I pulled my hand back and stopped running.

The guys followed me to stop.

I looked at them, I wanted to say something but nothing came. My breath was caught in my throat. 

I fell down on my bump and hugged my knees. I buried my face and sobbed.

I felt arms around me. I knew it was Jaemin and Renjun. I let them and we were crying together.

"I-I-I have to..." I said between my sobs. "I have to go back." I said quietly to the boys and got up from the ground.

"Juli..." Hendery said as he walked closer to me.

I felt the hem of my sleeve was being pulled down. Renjun pulled my sleeve preventing me to go. He closed his eyes shut and shook his head to the sides.

I looked up to face Hendery who was watching us.

"Let's go, boys." Hendery said.

Both Jaemin and Renjun pulled me pulled me to follow them.

~

We stopped our walk and settled to rest. Hendery made a small campfire to warm us up. 

After a few minutes, Renjun and Jaemin were already heavily asleep on my thighs. I was having a little cramp but I didn't have the heart to move, afraid that I would wake them up. But it seemed like they wouldn't anyway.

I have to keep being the strong one in front of them, for their sake.

I leaned my head back to the tree and sighed quietly. 

Hendery was watching the flickering fire in front of us. He hadn't said a word since we stopped to rest.

A lot of what he said still don't make sense to me at all. Both he and Mai. I really wanted to ask about it, but I feel like I can't stand an argument right now.

Like how Mai knew about him, what is the twelve olympians, what institute, who the hell is Victor...

I studied his face, he seemed like he was in deep thought. He furrowed his eyebrows, staring intensely to the fire. I almost felt sorry for him. I wonder what he was so worried about.

"How are you holding up?" He finally said.

I was surprised of the sudden outburst and looked away from him.

I was so confused of what to answer. Because I don't think I, myself can answer that. I felt numb, I wasn't feeling anything at the moment, and it was good. I was finally calm and I thought I could never silence my mind after all the that just happened but, at the moment I am free of any thoughts and it was soothing.

"Uh... about Mai— I don't even know what to—"

"Here's how things are gonna play out," I cut him, because saying those things were just gonna make me feel worse. "You don't bring up Mai— ever. Matter of fact we can just keep our histories to ourselves. Secondly, don't ever do your firebending in front of anyone but us three," I said, referring to Jaemin, Renjun and I. "They'll either try to kill you or bring you to the Fireflies. And lastly, don't you ever lay a finger on me, ever again. Are we clear?"

Hendery kept watching the fire, like he was only giving half of his attention to my words. But he eventually nodded.

After a few seconds, I narrowed my eyes at him, "is there something wrong?" I asked.

"Everything's fine." He finally said.

"You look like you're contemplating for a world domination." 

I tried, and I couldn't believe it worked.

He snickered and stopped staring intensely to the fire.

"I know you only want me because of what I can do, but it's gone now, I don't have it anymore. Those bastards somehow made it disappear." 

Hendery stayed silent for a few seconds, "that would be impossible." He said. "Only the Avatar can take away bending. I'm assuming he only blocked your chi, either with bloodbending or by exerting pressure on certain points. Either way, it's only temporary." 

I clenched my fists harder and let out a shaky exhale. I felt furious. I thought the only thing that made me suffer would be gone for good.

"What if the one who did it to me was the Avatar?" I said, hoping for the possibility.

"He wasn't—He is not... the Avatar." He said.

"How do you know?"

"Because there's only one Avatar."

"What if he was the one?"

"The Avatar brings balance to the world, the Avatar is the bridge between the human world and the spirit world, the Avatar save people, not abuse his or her power for their own personal agendas. Do you think the person who tortured you sounds anything like that? I think not."

I stayed silent. 

No, that guy doesn't seem to be like that at all.

"Sorry," he suddenly said, "I didn't mean to be rude."

He wasn't at all. I am the one who's been really rude to him.

My eyes naturally landed on him. I was starting to wonder where he was from, how old he was, where did he learn to fight and had an amazing control over the curse.

He had known a lot of things about me yet I didn't know a single thing about him except the one thing that we have in common. Despite all of that, I didn't know why I feel like he could be trusted.

He seems alright, at least for now.

"But everything will be clear once we get to the institute."

I rolled my eyes, "why don't you explain everything right now? Why do you have to take me there? What is that? And why and how did Mai know about it?"

"It's not my place to tell you," Hendery said gravely. "Believe me I really want to." He straightened up his posture and looked at me. "I wish I was the one who could explain everything to you. I know how you feel; not having any clue of what's going on and having this horrible day as if your normal world is turning upside down and everything seems to be against you, trust me, I know. But you have to be patient. Trust me."

Hi voice was so soothing.

I blinked. It was as if he was doing a hypnosis on me with his words and voice, and I was afraid it worked.

My eyes were heavy and I decided to let it go this time. But I didn't want to sleep, not when the boys were sleeping to. 

As much as I wanted to trust Hendery, I couldn't take any risk. I still didn't know what his motives were, and not after everything that has happened.

After a while my eyes betrayed and closed shut.

I fell asleep.

~

After hours of walking and hiking, we still have a 10 minute hike till we reach the top of the mountain where Hendery said the portal was located.

"So dragons are real?" Renjun said, his widened in excitement. He wiped his dripping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Well, that's the theory, but I haven't seen one myself." Hendery chuckled.

Since we started the trip, I could officially say that the boys had bonded with Hendery. He was telling them crazy stories that were hard for me to believe like vampires and werewolves are real, and now dragons. But considering where we were, with what we were living with—my curse, Hendery's ability—I didn't have any reasons to argue against it.

I decided that we should stop near the running water, hydrate ourselves and rest for just a few minutes.

"How come? You're a firebender and you said firebenders learned firebending from the dragons." Jaemin asked as he dropped his backpack to the ground.

Hendery chuckled and seeing him laughing made the corner of my lips turned upwards just a bit.

I immediately looked away from the guys and filled up my bottle with the streaming cold water of the spring water.

"The first firebenders," he corrected. "It's been such a long time since anyone has ever seen a dragon." Hendery said then splashed his face with the ref