Sooyoung fought for her life. She swung and kicked and threw herself against the coming onslaught of bodies, a blazing aura of white surrounding her, simultaneously sharpening her senses and disorienting her mind with the strength of its gleam. Feral screams sounded out from every direction, drowning out the pleading of the other Representations. From somewhere to her left, shotgun blasts boomed like thunder as Thomas struggled to defend his position behind the bar.

Sooyoung kept Yeri close, the blonde’s arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Her weight should have been a hindrance to Sooyoung’s mobility, but it wasn’t. At such an intimate distance, Yeri was able to keep Sooyoung’s stores of energy at their fullest. The power pressed against the very core of Sooyoung’s being, throbbing, pulsing for release. It leaked from her pores like steam. Every punch, every kick, every movement was weighted with that energy, sending out ripples in the air that flung her adversaries away like leaves in a gale.

    Eodum’s zombies attacked with tendrils of black that clung to any solid object they touched. Sooyoung watched as the patrons of the bar were engulfed in it, pulled into its adhesive folds, terrified faces vanishing into pools of bubbling tar. She tried to assist in any way she was able; but she couldn’t be everywhere at once, and defending Yeri was her priority. Some of the Representations she rescued were able to escape to the dance floor, disappearing into the Astral Plane and, hopefully, to safety. Few tried to retaliate, and those that did were struck down quickly. Two exceptions were Moonbyul and Solar, who shot rays of gold and royal blue from their palms, illuminating the darkness even more than Sooyoung’s own aura, tearing into the swarm of zombies.

    In the frenzy, in the heat of battle, Sooyoung barely noticed her surroundings. She adopted a twenty-foot radius of awareness - it was more “circle vision” than tunnel vision - that she reacted to. If an enemy entered that space, it was thrown out or struck down. The wounds were gruesome. Had she not been fighting, Sooyoung would have likely thrown up or fainted long ago. She used her seemingly endless strength with impunity, and each blow was devastating. A skull crushed by her fist, a ribcage torn open by a thrown barstool, a crushed spine under her foot. Ooze spurted from the wounds, replacing organs and blood, painting the tile and carpet.

That was how Sooyoung justified her slaughter. She wasn’t killing students or innocents. She was killing extensions of Eodum, lifeless shells, empty husks with their souls removed and destroyed. She had no idea whether that was true or not. But to think any different, to think that the people she was killing still had even a drop of their former sentience, was too much for her. If she allowed herself to go down that particular lane of thinking, it would consume her soul like Eodum’s slime, and she would be paralyzed, unable to fight any longer.

Yeri let out a small noise, and Sooyoung looked around, pulling her fist back from its connection with an unfortunate woman’s midsection. They’d backed into the bar. Thomas’ shotgun was the only remnant of his presence, laying forlornly on the floor, barrel still smoking slightly.

Sooyoung helped Yeri to scramble behind the bar, then vaulted over after her. Briefly, Sooyoung contemplated picking up the gun, then scrapped the idea as she grabbed a zombie by the shoulders and launched him into two others. Ignoring the gun, she scooped up an armful of glass bottles and began lobbing them into the crowd.

The zombies were insane and one-track minded, but they still reacted to pain. Those that weren’t struck directly were peppered with the shrapnel of shattered glass. They screeched as their eyes, mouths, and throats were run through. Those that remained standing were blasted to bits by alternating beams of yellow and navy; at some point in the madness, Solar and Moonbyul had found positions behind the bar as well.

    “Good to see you!” Moonbyul yelled as she caught two middle-aged men with point-blank strobes of moonlight.

    “Are we the last ones left?” Sooyoung asked as she reloaded on bottles, protected by Solar.

    “Pretty much,” Solar said gravely, “Everyone else either got taken or ran into the Astral Plane.”

    Yeri let out a low whine. She cowered between the three girls, hand clasping the tail of Sooyoung’s shirt, head down as if she were trying to block out the chaos around her. Sooyoung wanted to comfort her, but there was no time. Eodum’s minions came in droves, pushing against the bar, clawing at the air, teeth gnashing, spittle flying. The back door of the Lounge burst open, and zombies began flooding in from the alleyway. They charged across the dance floor, momentarily warped by the field of distortion that surrounded the Astral Plane before breaking back into reality to join the assault on the bar.

    “We can’t hold out here,” Sooyoung said, slamming a woman’s face across the bar and tossing her aside. “There’s too many.”

    “We have to get to the dance floor,” Yeri said from below, almost inaudible over the din of the battle. “Into the Astral Plane.”

    The path from the bar to the dance floor was short, less than a hundred feet, but with the ever-increasing number of bodies jammed between the girls and their destination, it may as well have been a hundred miles.

    “If we’re gonna get through there, we’re gonna need another pair of hands fighting,” Solar said doubtfully.

Sooyoung hated the orange-haired woman’s condescending tone, but she found herself agreeing with Solar’s words. Yeri wasn’t a fighter. But given the circumstances, maybe the blonde would be open to at least trying.

Sooyoung turned to her partner, gazes meeting. Yeri’s eyes were wide with fervid, untamed horror. It dominated her entire body; she shook and trembled, limbs drawn near as she crouched on the floor, little more than a child caught in a nightmare, a hellish dream that she couldn’t wake up from.

Sooyoung returned her attention to defending their crumbling position.

“That’s not an option. We need another plan.”

One of the zombies managed to reach across the bar, Eodum’s slime splashing from its fist and molding to Moonbyul’s hand. She screamed and threatened to topple over, sending a ray of solid moonlight into the ceiling, breaking a hole in the plaster. Dictated by sheer reaction, Sooyoung spun, grabbed the monster by the shoulder, and yanked its arm from its torso. Black slime spurted like a fountain, instantaneously burned to nothing by Sooyoung’s aura.

Sooyoung opened to speak, but she was interrupted by three pairs of hands yanking at her, raking across her skin, ripping at her shirt. With a grunt, she rolled, radiant glow expanding as she flailed her fists upward. None of the blows connected, but the gravity of each movement was strong enough to dispatch her attackers.

Several of the zombies had thrown themselves onto Solar. Sooyoung jumped to help just as Moonbyul let out a cry; she was dangerously close to being dragged over the bar and into the horde. Yeri cowered against the empty racks, wailing and holding herself as Sooyoung rescued Solar and moved toward Moonbyul.

    Even as she dove to grab Moonbyul and pull her to safety, Sooyoung understood that it was too late. The Representation was already halfway across the bar, legs lifted from the floor, entire upper body engulfed in Eodum’s inky slime. Fruitlessly, Sooyoung grabbed Moonbyul by the ankle and tugged hard. It wasn’t enough. The slime was advancing too quickly, pulling her in with completeness. Her head was already no longer visible, and holding on for any longer would just put Sooyoung at risk-

    A blur of gold, and then her fairy was beside her. Yeri took Moonbyul by the other ankle. As she did, Sooyoung’s aura expanded, encapsulating the pair in a shared cloak of energy. Sooyoung nearly gasped at the sensation. It was such a feeling of completeness that she was taken aback. They worked in tandem, each movement calculated and synchronized down to the individual muscle. Sooyoung understood what Yeri other was going to do even as she did it; they pulled Moonbyul free, sent a wave of energy over the violet-haired woman in order to cleanse her of Eodum’s filth, then struck as one, knocking the attacking zombies aside.

    Moonbyul slumped on the ground, gasping for air, face dotted with sweat. Yeri went to heal her, leaving Sooyoung to continue their defense. She fought with her back pressed to Solar’s, Yeri and Moonbyul at their feet. Sooyoung could feel each of Yeri’s emotions, melded into her own. She expected fright to be prevalent above all else, but she was shocked to learn of the object of that fear. Yeri knew that Eodum would merely capture her rather than destroy her; he wouldn’t risk angering Joohyun by killing the woman’s youngest sister. Sooyoung, however, was expendable. That, above all else, terrified Yeri the most.

    And so, Sooyoung fought with every bit of her being. She raged against the inevitable, knowing that this was probably her final stand. Knowing that Yeri could feel not only her hopelessness, but her desire to push on despite her impending doom, to resist death until it drowned her in its disgusting, suffocating mire.

    Seeing the gritty, diamond-armored resolve of their friend, Solar and Moonbyul rallied, doubling their efforts to survive.

    Soon, the four girls were packed into a tight formation behind the bar. Black-coated fingers dragged across their haggard flesh as they denied the fate that wished to swallow them. Pressed by the weight of the apocalypse, calling out battle cries that sounded out over the screeches of their foes, using every means available to her to prolong their dwindling existences.

    As Sooyoung felt both her and her love’s strength slipping, finally reaching their upper limit, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat satisfied with herself. She’d lasted much longer than she had expected to, and in the end, Yeri would be alright. Joohyun would see to that. Maybe her only regret was not praying more; if there was a God and a heaven, she would have liked to go there. With this whole Astral Plane thing, she couldn’t be sure. Either way, she hoped to see her parents, if only briefly. Despite all the stupid things she’d done leading up to this moment, she liked to think they would be proud of her. Sooyoung had stared into the maw of despair, of destruction, of the end of the world, and she hadn’t faltered.

    The entire Galactic Lounge was bathed in white, and the onslaught stopped. Eodum’s zombies screamed, dropping to the floor and convulsing, irises leaking purple smoke. Some remained standing, hands clasping at their temples, teeth gritted as they struggled to resist the shine. Its light filled Sooyoung with vigor, and she straightened, chest heaving, wiping blood from her lips.

    The shining retreated back to the dance floor, revealing two feminine figures, one taller than the other. Vestiges of the Astral Plane vanished behind them as they stepped forward. Dressed in shifts of translucent cloth like a pair of angels descending from the clouds, both were armed with blades of formed light. Networks of Astral energy coursed across their skin and through their hair.

    Eodum’s minions found their senses again, began to stand and creep toward the pair. Those closest to the bar ignored Sooyoung and her haggard companions, identifying the larger threat that had arrived.

    Silently, Seungwan and Joohyun sliced into the crowd.

    Sooyoung was mesmerized. They fought viciously, spinning and twirling like lethal ballerinas. Their individual skill was apparent, but together, they were downright unstoppable. Every attack and guard, every dodge and parry, was done in a way that took into account the position and status of the other. It seemed akin to Sooyoung and Yeri’s previous link, but there was no obvious connection between Seungwan and Joohyun’s auras. In fact, Joohyun and Seungwan fought at a sizable distance from one another, jumping from spot to spot, Astral energy trailing them as they avoided being swarmed.

    A hard smack on the shoulder brought Sooyoung back to her senses.

    “Don’t just stand there,” Moonbyul said, jumping over the bar after Solar, “Let’s go!”

    Sooyoung nodded, grabbed Yeri by the wrist, and joined them.

    Solar and Moonbyul led, clearing a path through the distracted mob of zombies. Yeri and Sooyoung brought up the rear, keeping the zombies who shifted their attention away from the deadly duo from converging on the group.

    Joohyun and Seungwan dropped down in front of them at the same time, coordinated even in the way they landed; crouching, with their swords held out to their sides, impaling the zombies beside them.

    Yeri beamed, ran up to her eldest sister, and enveloped her in a hug. Joohyun smiled, accepted the blonde in her arms, swords dissipating as she returned the embrace.

    “Yerim…” Joohyun said quietly.

    “Hyun,” Yeri said, suddenly unaware of the crowd around them. “I’m so glad to see you. We-”

    The blonde was cut off as the swarm began closing in again. Seungwan, Moonbyul, Sooyoung and Solar leapt into action, forming a tight square around Joohyun and Yeri.

    “This conversation can probably wait,” Solar said, flinching away from a spurt of black slime.

    Joohyun nodded, released Yeri, reformed her weapons. Sooyoung made a note to ask the sisters how they created those blades.

    As one, the six women charged toward the dance floor. It was shockingly easy going. With Joohyun and Seungwan at the front, very few of the zombies were left for the others to worry about. Sooyoung counted five that she herself had to dispatch, and three of them were already debilitated to the point where they were little more than tripping hazards.

    “Go,” Joohyun said as they reached the dance floor. “Seungwan and I will prevent any of them from following. Wait for us on the other side, we’ll show you where we’re going.”

    Seungwan dropped from seemingly out of nowhere, severing a reaching zombie’s arm, then twisting and beheading it. Joohyun followed up by spearing another through the chest before it could touch Seungwan.

    Sooyoung felt goosebumps run up her arms. She may be a liar and a cheater, but I’ll be damned if she isn’t cool. And now I owe her my life.

    Solar and Moonbyul crossed the threshold first, hands intertwined as the Astral Plane took them. Sooyoung did the same, taking a moment to look over Yeri’s pixie-like face. They exchanged two large, loving smiles. Words weren’t necessary; their combined aura conveyed what needed to be said. Somehow, when everything had seemed lost, they’d been saved.

    Together, they stepped into the Astral Plane. The stars and celestial bodies that came into view looked especially beautiful. Solar and Moonbyul drifted nearby, the ends of their uniquely colored hair splayed out around them. With Seungwan and Joohyun on their side, resisting Eodum seemed almost realistic. Maybe now, working together, they stood a chance against him.

    “Watch out!” someone screamed, and Sooyoung spun just as Yeri’s hand was torn from her own. The blonde let out a cry as she was dragged through space by a liquid, shadowed form.

Sooyoung leapt after her, but the beast was fast, shooting backwards with trails of darkness jetting from its bare feet. The vaguely humanoid monster turned briefly, and the wicked grin that spread across his round face marked him for who he was.

Cade had returned.

A second later, Seungwan and Joohyun were there, engaged by an outpouring of Eodum’s minions. The ravening monsters flailed madly, driven further into madness, disregarding their wounds and pains, throwing themselves at the girls. Sooyoung ignored them, used her aura to propel herself after Cade. 

“Sooyoung! Help me!” Yeri screamed, free arm extended as she tried to wrestle from Cade’s adhesive grip.

Sooyoung kicked harder, straining, her earring glowing with a blinding light that dominated half of her vision. She outstretched her arm to meet her beloved’s. Their fingertips brushed.

Something slammed against Sooyoung’s side, knocking her off course, breaking her away from Yeri. With a grunt of frustration and despair, she righted herself, gathered her aura around her fists to confront her attacker.

It wasn’t one of Eodum’s zombies. Unlike the ungainly drones, the girl who’d attacked Sooyoung floated effortlessly in the Astral Plane, bobbing up and down. None of the muck that was associated with Eodum’s presence stained this girl; she was dressed in a set of flowing black robes that whipped around her in the cosmic wind. Her youthful, sprightly face was set into a scowl, hazel eyes sharp and intelligent as though she were challenging Sooyoung. In her left hand she held a blade similar to those wielded by Seungwan and Joohyun, though hers was made of torn space, a negative light that stood out even against the black backdrop of the Astral Plane.

Sooyoung flexed her hands, then glanced over at Yeri and Cade. They were far away now, barely specks in the distance, as inaccessible as the tiny planets that dotted the Plane. Still, Sooyoung refused to give in. She feinted at the girl, causing her to drop into a defensive stance, then redirected herself and zipped to the left.

The girl seized Sooyoung by the leg and halted her movement. Sooyoung turned, shoved the girl’s blade aside with an aura-bathed hand, then aimed a palm strike at her face. The girl released her, twirled out of reach, took a defensive stance again. Her expression - cold, detached, almost uninterested - remained the same.

Panting, heedless that she was turning her back to her foe, Sooyoung took a chance at checking on Yeri and Cade.

They were gone.

Dull, pulsating anger filled Sooyoung, and the halo around her flared brightly in response. The girl had tried to blindside Sooyoung while she was distracted, but the outburst of Astral energy blinded her, causing her to hesitate.

“Where did they go?” Sooyoung demanded, swatting the blade aside again.

The auburn-haired girl did not respond, instead holding her sword out in front of her, parallel to her body. A challenge.

Just as Sooyoung was about to strike, she noticed two streaks of light shooting toward them. Joohyun and Seungwan had broken from the crowd of Eodum’s minions. The girl paled, boredom dissipating, replaced by a mixture of hatred and fear.

Good. With the two other Representations by her side, Sooyoung could subdue and capture this girl, make her divulge where Cade took Yeri.

The girl looked away from Seungwan and Joohyun, shot Sooyoung an angry glare. Then, she swept her blade out and sent a curve of darkness out around her. Sooyoung dodged it easily, then made to counter.

The girl was gone. Little more than a dot in the distance, a missing chunk of light that shrank even as Sooyoung watched.

Seungwan arrived first, head snapping back and forth as she looked around.

“Where’s Yeri?”

Sooyoung swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in .

“They took her.” she whispered, feeling herself begin to wilt. “She’s gone.”

Joohyun took Sooyoung by the arm, directing her attention to the horde of Eodum’s minions that were starting to fill the Astral Plane. The slime that covered them seemed to be melding, writhing and contorting into a single entity.

“We cannot chase her now. Not with that thing at our backs,” Joohyun said. The woman’s face was a pale mask of despair. Completely unnerved, but her tone remained firm. “Come. I know of a safer place.”

Sooyoung found that she didn’t care. Her resolve was drained from her like blood leaking from a wound. Yeri’s power was still there, just as strong as it had been before, but Sooyoung’s motivation was completely spent. She looked in the direction that Yeri and Cade had gone.

Joohyun gripped her arm tighter, insisting. “Eodum’s minions are congregating. We have to go. Now.”

As if cued by the mention of its master’s name, the faceless mass of limbs and flesh and sludge let out a wet, guttural roar. The sound carried across the Astral Plane, shaking the very fabric of the dimension.

Seungwan, Joohyun, and Sooyoung flinched.

“We’ll get Yeri back,” Seungwan promised. “If we stay here and let that thing get to us, no one will be around to save her.”

Sooyoung started. Seungwan’s words rang true, temporarily breaking Sooyoung from her depressed state. Seungwan was right; hadn't Sooyoung just been reassured by the prospect that Eodum would capture Yeri rather than kill her?

But she didn't know that her innocent little fairy would be in Cade's clutches.

“Where are Solar and Moonbyul?” Sooyoung asked, taking a deep breath, shaking herself.

“They have already gone to safety,” Joohyun said, gesturing hurriedly. “We’re going to join them.”

The monster roared again, its transformation complete, and shot across the non-gravity of the Astral Plane with shocking speed.

Unable to spur even fear within herself, Sooyoung sighed and willed the knot in her chest to unwind just long enough for her to get to safety. With a final glance back at where Yeri had been stolen, Sooyoung allowed Joohyun to drag her away.

*End of Act 2*

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I got a little overzealous with writing these past few days and pumped this chapter out in two sessions. Ah well, I'm just really excited to continue it, especially with the content that's coming up in Act III, which is the final act of the story!

Any guesses as to who the mysterious girl was at the end, why she reacted that way to Joohyun and Seungwan, or where she and Cade took Yeri? Hint: If you've read my previous story, "Demon Days", there's a few hints there (;

Thanks for reading, and remember to upvote and comment if you like the content!