~~Present Time~~

 

"How can you guys be so calm with this? Jinhwan has been kidnapped and we don't even know who did it!?" Hanbin landed his fist on the building wall where they were hiding, anger infused in his eyes glaring at everything and everyone.

"But getting so worked up will not help us either hyung." Donghyuk answered.

“We need to get to him!” Hanbin complained, hardly controlling anything at this point. “Donghyuk, why don’t you use that mind thing you do?? Can’t you find Jinan?!”

Donghyuk looked at him with a glare, he was already doing his best but at best he could only search a radius of 10km around him. He gritted his teeth and suppressed the irritation that was boiling inside of him.

“And you Bobby! How can you be so quiet and still after claiming you love Jinhwan huh!? Are you all talk?" Hanbin lashed which didnt sit well with Bobby.

“Will you shut the up?! All of us are trying our best to look for Jinhwan! How about you shut your pretty little mouth and just sit back like the prince you are.” Bobby said, glaring at Hanbin with his hair slowly getting lighter. The dark blue strands that sat on top of his hair now turned a lighter color of blue, signaling his anger slowly rising up. 

“Why don’t you try something with your fire?! Among all of us you’re the most useless one right now with that destructive power of yours! At least we’re all trying to look for him while you’re just there mouthing off like an idiot. I guess fire ain’t so powerful after all.” Bobby gnarled at Hanbin. Covering Donghyuk who was trying to concentrate and look for Jinhwan.

“Calm down you guys, we won’t get anywhere if we don’t work together.” Yunhyeong said, wary of Chanwoo’s mood and making sure to check up on him every now and then.

Chanwoo flinched when he noticed Hanbin’s hair turning bright red. He’s concealing them with his darkness but with disruption from Hanbin’s fire it won’t even take a minute before they’re all discovered.

Sparks started showing up at Hanbin’s fingertips and the bright red color slowly spreading through his black hair. Just as his anger started reaching its limits, he remembered what Jinhwan told him.

"Red is such a beautiful color don't you think? Passion. Bravery. It brings life excitement. So don't use it to hurt. Specials are much more than a being, a commodity to kill. You’re better than that. I can't wait to see your fiery glow." Jinhwan said with a bright smile on his face. He never once was afraid of Hanbin. Even with his fire engulfing everything around him, Jinhwan was the only one who didn’t look at him with those kind of eyes.

Hanbin landed a punch on the wall before turning his back on everyone.

‘I’ll save you Jinan’

 

~~~[Flashback to 12 years ago]~~~

 

"NO!!! Get away from me! I can kill you! I can burn you! I burned them! Hanbyul-ah!!! Omma!!!!" Hanbin cried. Trying his best to move away from the figure that was walking towards him. Visions of what happened flashed in mind.

“Hanbin!! Hanbin!!” His mother called out before stepping in front of him as his hands were engulfed in flames. Hanbin looked at his eyes before looking back at his mother, confusion filled him and worry ate at him.

“O-omma... Omma!!” Hanbin called out in a panic. “Omma! What’s happening to me?! Omma!!”

Tears fell from his eyes as he saw the fear filling his mother’s eyes. His sister looked at him with crying eyes before saying “Oppa... y-you’re a monster!”

Hanbin pushed himself off on his feet, intending to run away from the figure that was slowly closing in on him.

“I’m a monster! Go away! YOU’LL DIE!!!”

Hanbin screamed, running away. And just as he did, he saw his hands create that same flame from before. His heart hammered in his chest, screaming “No!” repeatedly. His eyes widened when he saw his surroundings were engulfed in fire and everything was already burning.

“No! NO!!” Hanbin begged but the fire grew stronger as strands of his hair turned bright red. He fell on his knees, tears on his eyes and pain in his heart.

‘I did this... I’m a monster.’ Hanbin whispered in his thoughts. Repeatedly blaming himself and calling himself a monster.

He covered his face with his hands, wishing to burn himself with the fire on it but to no avail. He was the only one unhurt with the destructive force of his own element.

"Why are you crying? Are you hurt?" Hanbin looked up in shock, how could someone get near him without burning into ashes? He saw an angel with bright lavender colored eyes, kneeling in front of him with eyes full of worry. He could barely make everything out, he thought he might already be dead at this point and he could finally rest.

“A-am I dead...?” Hanbin whispered with tear stained eyes but the angel in front of him giggled into a smile. The angel’s bright purple hair bounced as he shook his head to answer. “No, you’re not dead.”

“But if I’m not dead... You... Why aren’t you burning?" Hanbin asked, confusion filling him.

“Of course not, silly! How will I get burned? You can never hurt me...” the angel said, smiling at Hanbin. “A-are you an angel then?”

“A-angels? No! I... I... I’m not...” The boy answered, trying to hide the blush that formed on his cheeks. It wasn’t the first time he got called an angel and he couldn’t help but blush about it. He glanced just behind Hanbin before looking away again.

Hanbin furrowed his forehead before realizing that the flames around him had disappeared. He looked around and noticed someone else standing at a distance. “What... what happened?”

"Hmmm. Its kinda hard to explain. Why don't you come with us and I'll ask my dad to explain it to you. What do you say?" the boy said, smiling at Hanbin.

"We?" He asked, remembering the other guy standing away from him.

"Yes! We! Oh! By the way. I'm Jinhwan, a non-power user. And that grumpy guy over there, his name is Bobby. He’s... well... I hope you two get along!” Jinhwan giggled. Hanbin felt his heart pound at his chest when he saw Jinhwan giggling. Something about that just made him feel comfortable.

“M-my... my name’s Hanbin...” Hanbin said, looking down with a blush on his face.

“So... let’s go?” Jinhwan offered, standing up and and offering a hand to Hanbin.

Hanbin reached for his hand, not knowing that it was the start of a new journey in his life.

 

—-

 

The travel was long and Hanbin hasn’t felt this anxious in a while. Seated in between Jinhwan, the boy who he thought was an angel, and Bobby, who he doesn’t know much about yet, he was getting jittery about being confined in a small space. He felt his insides twirling around, afraid he’d ignite another sea of flames. He held his hands tightly together, praying that he doesnt kill the people inside the car.

It might have been the way Hanbin was scrunching his face or the way his hands turned pale while holding it tightly together that Jinhwan felt the need to help. He gently placed his hand on top of Hanbin’s before smiling at the younger. Hanbin felt that same comforting feeling surround him again as if nothing could go wrong. He soon loosened his fingers and took Jinhwan’s hand to intertwine their fingers together. The feeling of Jinhwan’s hand against his felt so comforting that Hanbin could feel the uneasiness starting to disappear.

Just as he was getting comfortable, he felt something cold to his other side. He furrowed his brows before glancing at Bobby but the latter had his hoodie on and he couldn’t really make out what face he had on.

“Is something wrong?” Jinhwan asked, looking at Hanbin. Hanbin looked back at Jinhwan before furrowing his forehead, ‘brown?’ Hanbin thought as he saw a glimpse of Jinhwan’s eyes. Jinhwan raised his brows, waiting for a reply but Hanbin simply shook his head before looking down at their intertwined hands and without noticing it a smile left his lips.

The moment the car came into a halt, Hanbin noticed that Jinhwan looked even more delighted.

“We’re here!” Jinhwan chirped before opening the door. The moment they went down, Hanbin looked up at the house that was located in the middle of the woods. He was quite skeptic at first but thinking about it thoroughly of course they needed to live in a hidden place away from civilization. Trees surrounded the area and the house had three levels to it. It looked like a mansion from his perspective but there was a lurking feeling at the tip of his stomach that still scared him to enter places that constrict him. He feels like he’ll suffocate sooner or later.

“Let’s go! I cant wait for everyone to meet you!” Jinhwan said, a bright smile filling his face before offering a hand to Hanbin. Hanbin swallowed the lump in his throat before reaching out. The warm hand that held his was something he liked and more than anything he knows he’ll likely treasure from now on.

“We’re home!!” Jinhwan announced the moment he slammed the doors open. Several voices from inside the house greeted him with “welcome back!”

“Oh! You’re back! You’re back!” Chirped another boy jumping towards Jinhwan before giving him a hug. “You’re back hyung! How was your trip? You’re back!”

“I’m back!” Jinhwan giggled before patting the younger’s head. “This is Donghyuk. He’s like you. Someone who’s gifted.”

“Oh, is he the one you had to fetch?” Donghyuk asked and Jinhwan nodded. The young boy had fluffy pink hair with a smile that resembled the sun. His cheery attitude was somehow scaring Hanbin. He wasn’t sure how to approach people like him. He resembled Hanbyul too much that it made him shiver. When Donghyuk was about to give him a welcoming hug, he took a step back and bumped into someone. Hanbin looked back and saw Bobby looking at him. He immediately apologized but the latter just looked away without uttering a word.

Donghyuk looked back at Jinhwan, eyes sad after getting rejected by Hanbin but the other just patted his head before looking at Hanbin.

“Hanbin, let me introduce you to the others.”

The living room was as loud as ever. Kids on the couches playing video games while shrieks and laughter filled the air. Hanbin looked silently while the others were having fun. Makes him remember the times he played with his—

“Oh! You found a new one!” A blonde kid said, immediately standing up to head over and inspect Hanbin.

“Yunhyeong!” The blonde kid said, reaching out his hand to offer a handshake. “What’s your name?”

“H-Hanbin...” Hanbin answered but weary about holding Yunhyeong’s hand. He didn’t want to burn him nor injure anyone in the place.

“Oh, I forgot to mention... The house is surrounded by neutralizing crystals which helps your powers stay in an inactive state. So... you should be safe to hold people’s hands.” Jinhwan said, offering his hand to Hanbin. The latter reached out again, holding Jinhwan’s hand before looking at Yunhyeong’s. He wasn’t sure why but the thought of holding someone else’s hand was so foreign to him that he couldn’t pull himself to hold others aside from Jinhwan.

It wasn’t long before he heard someone click his tongue. Hanbin looked back and saw Bobby looking away, his face was mostly covered by his hoodie so Hanbin wasn’t sure if Bobby was mad or if he’s just normally like that.

“W-well... I guess it’s hard to adjust right away. A-anyway, this is my brother, Chanwoo...” Yunhyeong explained, patting Chanwoo’s shoulders. The child was busy playing with his game console that he didn’t bother to spare Hanbin a glance. Yunhyeong ruffled his jet black hair before smiling back at Hanbin.

“It’s nice to meet you. It’s not everyday we find someone new so... it’s great to have you in the family.” Yunhyeong stated.

“Oh man! Another loss!” Junhoe, the kid with the brown hair, complained before resigning back on the couch and grumbling strange noises. Yunhyeong shook his head while looking at the younger, “That, right there, is Junhoe.”

“They’re all gifted like you Hanbin. I hope you all get along.” Jinhwan said while holding his hand. Hanbin slowly nodded his head at Jinhwan.

Bobby passed and stopped just beside Jinhwan and Donghyuk. He went in front of Jinhwan before grabbing the other’s hand from Hanbin’s and looking at it as if looking for something. He passed his palm over Jinhwan’s before releasing it and heading over beside Junhoe to play a game.

“Bob-hyung’s too much sometimes.” Donghyuk mumbled before tiptoeing to Jinhwan’s ear and whispering, “Bob-hyung coated your hand with a layer of his ice.” Jinhwan sighed, looking back at Bobby. Donghyuk looked back at Hanbin, “Don’t worry about Bob-hyung, he’s nice. Especially when Jinhwan-hyung is here!”

“Oh! let me get you something to drink. My parents might be busy. I’d like you to have something while waiting. I’ll be right back!” Jinhwan said before turning around and heading off to the kitchen, leaving Hanbin in the capable hands of Yunhyeong.

Hanbin felt vulnerable the moment Jinhwan left. The gazes around him was terrifying and he wasn’t sure if it was really ok for him to stay there. He was a stranger in a house where they treated each other as a family. He felt his insides tremble at the thought that he might harm them too.

“Hey, why don't you take a seat? You don't look so good.” Yunhyeong said, furrowed brows and worried eyes looked over Hanbin. Hanbin tried to even out his breathing, he knows that nothing good comes out of feeling anxious but he couldn't help it.

“What’s wrong with him...?” Hanbin heard another voice asked before noticing a pair of feet walking towards him.

“It’s the surrounding... He’s been out for too long.” Donghyuk said, holding on the hem of Chanwoo’s shirt. Chanwoo, who had finally finished his game, came to greet Hanbin but he noticed how the latter turned pale. Yunhyeong stood by him and for some reason he wondered why the new guy just felt off.

“So this is the new guy?? He doesn’t look much.” Junhoe’s voice suddenly boomed around the room which earned him confused gazes from the others. Hanbin, on the other hand, lowered his head to look down on the ground. The kid looked over from the couch while Bobby played on the game console beside him.

“Didn’t he have the gift of fire? I thought he’d at least be... you know... scary?” Junhoe added. This time Yunhyeong clicked his tongue to tell Junhoe off. The younger just scoffed before looking back at Hanbin.

“He doesn’t feel too powerful. Is he really gifted?” Junhoe asked again, seemingly provoking Hanbin.

Hanbin felt his stomach flipping inside. He was already a nervous wreck and with the continuous words coming from Junhoe he felt his insides forcing him to throw up.

“Stop it Junhoe. The kid’s still new, don’t provoke anything.” Yunhyeong warned, stepping near Junhoe who still didn't stop.

“Well he looks useless to me.” Junhoe said, turning back to the tv and watch the game.

Hanbin panted, memories flashing in his mind. He held his hands together, trying to push away the feeling of fear that was climbing from the bottom of his gut.

 

“Why can’t you be more like your sister! Even at a young age she can already do better than you!” Hanbin’s father shouted as he looked down on the ground with his cheek burning in pain. He gritted his teeth to prepare for impact again. He knew his father, one slap wasn’t enough to ease his anger.

-SLAP-

“You’re too useless! Why did you even have to be born?!”

 

Hanbin shut his eyes, praying that his flames doesn’t engulf the place and harm the people in it. He could barely hear someone talking to him but he was too focused on trying to control his emotions that he didnt even notice Jinhwan coming back into the room.

Jinhwan came back, a tray on his hands and news from his parents.

“Sorry for taking a while, my parents said they’ll just finish something and will be here shortly. I hope they others were nice to you, Hanbin.” Jinhwan said, setting down the tray on the table and looking over his shoulder to see Yunhyeong reprimanding Junhoe yet again. He just chuckled, it was a normal occurrence by now that he didn’t notice that something was completely off.

Jinhwan picked up the cup along with a saucer to hand over to Hanbin when he noticed the latter trembling on his seat.

“Hanbin?”

Jinhwan called out but the moment their eyes met, Hanbin gasped when he saw flames come out of his arms with Jinhwan a step away from him. The moment Jinhwan saw the flames he took a step back but with the sudden movement he mistook his step and fell on the floor along with the saucer and the cup. The hot water spilling on his arm and burning him.

“Jinwhan-hyung!” Donghyuk called out which earned everyone’s attention. The moment Bobby heard Jinhwan’s name he immediately turned and jumped over the couch to get to Jinhwan. He pulled Jinhwan’s arm and immeidately passed his hand over the other’s arm to help with the burn and ice over it.

“Are you alright...?” Bobby asked, worry laced into his voice.

“Y-yeah... yeah, I’m ok. Is Hanbin...?”

Jinhwan asked but Bobby gritted his teeth before turning to Hanbin. The latter looked horrified to see Jinhwan getting burned, blaming himself for what happened. Rage filled Bobby when he thought that Hanbin burned Jinhwan.

Bobby immediately grabbed Hanbin’s shirt and pulled him closer. Gritted teeth and eyes turning into an icy blue.

Hanbin didn't realize it at first but he saw his clothing turn to ice just as Bobby held on to him.

.

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‘Ice..?!