Stephie sent out a mind signal to her aunt. She hoped it worked, at school she wasn’t good with mental messages.

Pai is here. Pai.

Pai. He looked like he came back from the depths of hell. Stephie could still remember what Pai was like back then. But this was different. He was inhuman now. He threw down Mi Kum, but only when she turned immobile. She was unconscious, or dead; the trees were trying to heal her. Mi Cha rushed to Mi Kum’s side, crying. Sang Hee had woken up from her trance of confusion and assessed the situation. She jumped out the nearby window, and set out towards the forest. Pai paid them no mind. His eyes were locked on his cousin’s.

“What do you want here?” Stephie demanded, trying to sound firm. It failed, though, and came out more high-pitched than usual.

“I am here for Di. And the five. Not worthless beings like you,” Pai shot a red bolt of magic out of his imitation of the ring. It took the shape of a dragon, and devastated everything in its path.

Stephie shouted out escut. The magic dragon went through the shield. She somersaulted out of the way. The dragon killed the part of the tree it made contact with, instantly. It was sizzling and oozing white sap.

Stephie charged for Pai, making a grab for the ring. She was chanting a spell that magic, supposedly for medical use. The magic that was streaming out of the ring burned, and was evil. She was deflected back by another bolt. She flew in the air, and made contact with the wall, hard.

“You are no match for me, cousin.” He emphasized the word cousin, though it was not said lovingly. He chuckled, and aimed his ring for one last blow.

“You !” Mi Cha charged. The roots were still wrapped around Mi Kum, but she was not moving. Mi Cha tried what Fei had taught the boys. She squeezed her pinky knuckle. The blood that Kyu Jong mingled with her blood provided her with pure magic. It hit the unknowing target.

It stalled just long enough for Stephie to grab the ring from his hands. It started blackening her hands. “The magic is too evil, I can’t handle it.”

Pai lunged for Mi Cha now. He reached for her neck, Mi Cha batted it away. He overpowered her, though. Mi Cha ducked, and reached for the ring herself. It seemed like she wasn’t affected by the evil magic. Instead, the ring seemed to be growing whiter, more pure. It started glowing.

“What the…”

The door burst open as Di flew in. “Pai!” she yelled. There was a trace of happiness, but also bitterness.

She summoned the roots to seize Pai. Di strode toward Pai. “My son, why are you here?” She suddenly seemed her age, and looked worn.

Since Mi Cha’s attention was on Di, Pai snatched the ring back into his hand. It blackened, and a spiral of magic shot at Di.

The magic hit Di, but it didn’t make her steps falter. “You DARE strike your own MOTHER?” Di was furious now. Di now stood right in front of Pai. The air in the room seemed heavy. She put a hand under Pai’s chin, and lifted it up. It was meant to be a motherly gesture. Pai fired again at her.

“You know, they have put you through hell. It’s time I stopped that. And if it’s a fight they want, I’ll give it to them,” she turned to everybody watching, “Leave, NOW, before you get killed. NEVER come back. Don’t look back, don’t go in the open. NOW.”

Stephie led the way. She was the only one who knew the secret entrances and exits. Kyu Jong carried everybody up in his arms again. Stephie was running at breakneck speed, Kyu Jong close behind. They weaved through trees and thickets. She led them through the forest, and to a crater.

“How is this an exit?” Hyung Joon couldn’t help but ask.

“Jump in.” Stephie told them.

“But it’s…” Hyung Joon managed, before he was pushed down into the crater.

The crater looked solid, but as they came near the end, the world seemed to flip over, and they were falling again out of the crater.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Di’s face morphed into her old face. Pai stared at her.

“This was your doing,” Di had tears in her eyes. “Why aren’t you talking? Did they take your voice as well? They took your heart, made you betray me, and give you a little ring as a reward. Do you feel fulfilled now? Now they want you to kill your mother.”

“It was the only way,” was all Pai said.

“So now Fei’s dead. Killed with the weapon, I presume.” Di grabbed the ring in Pai’s hand, “If you fail to kill me, they’ll kill you as well. I wouldn’t allow that. Son, you’ve suffered enough.”

Di took a step back, and unleashed the ring to its full power. She aimed the ring at Pai. “I’ll put an end to the misery you’ve been living in ever since you betrayed me!”

A black force came out of the ring. Di screamed, “And I will not let them find me, neither,” It swallowed both her and Pai. Eden burst into flames, the living tree wailing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Di and Pai’s file are burnt,” Hyun Joong told them. They were sitting on a snow bank, inside an invisible shield.

A single tear fell down Stephie’s face. Jung Min’s hand hovered over Stephie’s shoulder. He didn’t know if she would accept his comfort or not.

“Di left us a note, though. She said,

The dark one found the weapon.

He used the weapon to kill Fei.

The only way to stop him,

Is to go up to his doorstep,

Use the ring, and beat the hell out of him.

Good luck, you’re trained.

Prophet, you better have found this note.”

“So our hope’s gone. How are we going to find the dark one, steal the weapon from his possession, and use it against him, dying in the process?!” Hyung Joon yelled out in frustration.

“Well, the dark one’s probably thinking we aren’t experienced. We’ll show him!” Kyu Jong flexed.

“How in the world are we supposed to look for him?” Mi Cha asked.

Stephie received a mental message. She opened it, it was from Pai.

Mount Everest.

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This chapter was intended to be intense, but it didn't turn out that way. Ugh, I at writing battle scenes, and also putting some love in stories. But anyways, I'll try to make them more better, and in the mean time, please comment, they are appreciated~!