Yunho, where are you?

Ara had tried calling out to him all day, but she went unanswered. She was grateful for Jongho who stood by her the entire time, planning whatever needed to be done like the master tactition he was (and time and time again he had claimed it was merely the product of video games). She stood outside his grandparents' shop in Aurora Square, and from the inside she could hear them arguing; she hoped this wasn't about her. 

By the time she heard the door open with a cheerful ding! as her friend came back, his expression stormy. Ara pursed her lips, "Are they mad at you? You know what, maybe you shouldn't follow me-"

"No it's not about you," Jongho said, waving her away. "Leave it to them to blow everything out of proportion, they're grounding me by the way," they turned into the intersection between Houdini's Palace and the Cauldron, where the bushes were situated. From it, Jongho pulled out the duffel bag he had hid hours ago - inside were his saber and a smaller dagger. "Here," he said, handing the latter to Ara. "You were pretty good back in 5th grade summer camp, I hope you haven't lost your stabbing skills now."

Though whether or not Ara would get the chance to actually stab someone was unclear, the weapon in her hand still felt heavy and unfamiliar. "Tell me again why Rocco thought it was better to lend you his stuff again rather than being here to help us?" she asked.

"He's out of town today, something about catching up with his phouka friend who retired and currently lives in the Alps - and some other things I just didn't listen to anymore. He tells us good luck, and also," he stood up after adjusting the sword strapped behind his back securely. He still looked like the Jongho Ara knew, in plain jeans and the biker jacket she had gifted him on his birthday last year, black hair down and ruffled but there was that silent determination he carried, as if he knew what he was doing. "-he told us not to die while he's gone. Since he doesn't want to come back to any of our funerals."

Seeing that made Ara feel even less optimistic, for someone who was supposed to be the hero, she seemed to be letting other people solve her problems for her. "Great motivation..." she muttered. They zipped past other alleys, following Jongho's lead who certainly knew where he was going - toward a repair shop located in the more secluded area of Aurora Square. A soot covered entrance, where the clanging of metal was prevalent - inside were people hammering away on hot metal over flames. Jongho whistled at one of the men, or ogres if Ara had to guess, who turned around as soon as he tossed a pouch at the latter. The coins inside jangled merrily. and the ogre answered back with a grunt, pointing towards the left side of the workshop where something was hidden under a dirty blanket. 

"So if we didn't have to rescue my brother, was the fact that you own a motorcycle going to be kept from me forever?" she remarked as she swung her legs over the other side, her arms clinging onto Jongho as he fastened on his helmet. "And I'm guessing your gramps don't know either since you stashed it in an ogre den on the other side of the square?"

"It was my dad's," he simply answered before turning behind. "Has she sent in the location yet?"

Ara nodded quietly, "Good," Jongho said. "Remember what we went through in the plan, follow that then we'll be okay."

"Are you sure this will work?" she whispered, and she didn't want him to notice the tremble in her voice - how not certain she was of herself, and not because of him. And without Yunho present there, it made her feel even more alone. "W-what if she notices something's wrong and-"

"Ara, there's no time to think about what-ifs. It's either we take our chances or we don't." If it was his faerie charms manipulating her to get it together, Ara wouldn't have minded. She needed to concentrate. 

She gulped, "You're right, let's rescue my brother."

They took a detour to the outskirts of the city, where the abandoned warehouses were located. Against the dark sky, the silhouette of the deserted buildings on the dirty pavement were still at night, not even loiterers were there which was odd when usually they could be found sleeping near the docks in battered sleeping bags. But today there were none.

"Where are all the junkies? We can't be the only ones here," Ara asked. She scanned the perimeter, and silence was a tad bit too eerie for it to make her feel somewhat assured that no one else would potentially get hurt. 

Jongho was quick on his feet, parking the motorcycle behind the barrels shrouded from view. His watchful eyes were alert as well, the saber now strapped strapped across his back. "She must've glamoured the place so no one would come except for us."

"She can manipulate what people see too?" 

Jongho shrugged, "She's half fey half witch, I won't be surprised if she can. And the items?" he asked Ara.

"Here," subconsciously, she touched the vial dangling on the hollow of with the hand that bore the ring. It felt heavier than ever, a weight that bore her down with each passing minute. They passed each warehouse cautiously, until they stopped at the fourth. "They're in there," she pointed as she whispered. "I can feel like, Hongjoong's here."

It was something inexplicable, like an invisible string drawing her in. She knew her brother was just behind the metal gates, in what condition she didn't dare try to wonder. Quickly, she squeezed Jongho hand. He squeezed it back, a silent gesture of solidarity before they pulled open the gates and walked into the dark warehouse.

Immediately the air inside seemed to get colder, the the gates slammed shut as soon as they were far enough. Ara stiffled a yelp and stood her ground, heart beating out of her chest - and then the fire was lit.

A few feet away from where she stood, was Serafia sitting cross-legged on a chair - and a sly smirk appeared on her face, framed by perfect curls. "Ahh, so you're Hongjoong's dear little sister he has been trying to protect from . Tsk-tsk, what a let down I'd say, and I didn't know you were going to bring friends." Serafia's eyes laid on Jongho, studying him like a snake. Jongho's face remained stoned, standing his ground without flinching. 

"Where's Hongjoong?" Ara forced the words out, even if she felt like there was a force trying to hold her back. "Tell me where my brother is, or I won't give you what you want."

Serafia sighed, "Now that's not entertaining at all, where's the fun in that?" she stood up and waved her hand in the air. "Fine, I don't need to know how you managed to get involved in my business; but if you'd be a darling and do as I say, you and your friend can walk out of here unharmed, it's nothing personal," there was a menacing tone to her voice. 

"Hongjoong, or else we won't do anything you ask," Jongho said. 

"The person you want is in my hands and you dare play coy with me?" Serafia sneered. 

"It's called leverage, it's nothing personal," he replied with the same sentence. "Or else you're not getting anything from us."

Serafia's eyes flashed with anger, clearly not used to a stranger challenging her. She said nothing and snapped her fingers, and from the darkness of the shadows emerged - Hongjoong as he stumbled and fell to the ground, hands bounded with rope. Ara stiffled a gasp, stopping herself from yelling. "Oh Jjoong..." Jongho held her back as she said it. "What did you do to him?!" Her eyes were burning with tears.

"It was nothing really," Serafia careened. "Just a few scratches."

"You ing -" 

"Ah," Serafia held out her hand. "Now now, be a good girl and cooperate and you can have your dearest brother back."

Frantically, Ara looked at Jongho for the next move. Ever so slightly, he nodded for her to proceed and taking careful steps towards the centre of the warehouse, Ara took off the ring and the necklace. Clutching both of them in the palm of her hands, she showed them to Serafia whose expression turned hungry at the sight of it. Caught off guard, Serafia flicked her wrists and Ara yelped. 

Like an invisible cord wrapped around her, she was pulled towards Serafia. "Ara!" she heard Jongho cry out but her head refused to turn. At the corner of her eye she saw her friend pull out his saber, the metal clanging in the wide empty space as he sparred with his attacker. Jongho! She panicked. 

Up close she could see Serafia for how she truly looked. Underneath her beauty, there was something more, less human from the way her gaze was heartless, cold and Ara knew they were not going to get out of this easily - they had fallen into a trap. She took the ring and necklace from Ara and laughed. "Foolish girl, so feeble minded as humans are. And you were daft enough to play games with me? When I can easily slit your throat in a blink of an eye?" 

"I...I gave you what you wanted so just let us go! You tricked us," she struggled to say. She needed to stall. "I thought faeries couldn't tell lies."

Serafia cackled, "So you know more about me than I expected... Tell me, just what led you here? How did you end up in my web?"

There was a surge of anger in Ara, something about this had tipped her off. In response, she spat in the woman's face. For a split second, Serafia looked astonished. "Sorry," Ara said through clenched teeth. "I don't play nice with people who hurt my brother."

There was a splinter of a crack that echoed throughout the place and for a brief moment Serafia lost control. Quickly, she took out the dagger hidden in her sleeve and lashed out, blood trickled from the cut she had made - Serafia screamed. Ara rolled out of the way and scrambled towards Hongjoong, and she could finally see what had happened. 

The rose gold acorn had been split open, crushed under Jongho's boot. 

There was a searing light that lit up the place and grabbing the chance, she reached out and pulled her brother close; he was breathing, but was paler than ever and the blood on his back...Ara bit back from crying. Oh Jjoong, I'm so sorry...

"The girl! Finish her!" Serafia screamed furiously and more figures emerged from the shadows, surrounding Ara and her brother. She recognized them as the same people who had tried to murder Mingi at the park, now armed with guns pointed towards her. But there was something more than fear engulfing her heart as she pulled Hongjoong's body closer to hers. 

No one is taking him from me.

It was as if something had reached out from the depths of her soul, her calling out for help that would never come. The shadows engulfing where she knelt, anyone please save him.

I command you.

The next second when she blinked, the henchmen were getting hurled across the room by an invisible force - at least to them. But to Ara, all she saw were faded figures of grey, groups of them shielding her - bluish skin and bloated bodies, ruined faces and one stared at her straight in the eye, a little boy with foggy pupils clutching his mother's hand. All of them died when the cruise sank.

There was no time left to spare and everything after that happened in a daze: Jongho calling out her name as he reached for her, Hongjoong hoisted onto one of the horses Septimus had brought along with his riders, them charging out of the warehouses gates and into the night sky. 

The legion of ghosts slowly seeping into nothing, back to where they came from.