Chapter 10 - Yin's Promise

The helicopter finally landed at their base near the city. Yin opened her eyes from a short nap on Kai’s shoulder and stretched. He removed his arm around her and stretched with her. When they got out of the vehicle, they let their eyes wander the area.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Yong Guk said. “It took us only a month to complete this. Some Argents from the Society helped us build it here.”

“Who?” Kai asked. The leader chuckled. “I’ll leave that up to you to find out.” He patted his shoulder and made his way to the entrance. He had Yin’s broken sword in his hand. He stopped and looked over his shoulder, “Well, are you gonna watch your sword come back to life, kids?”

His nickname for them flew over Yin’s head and she caught up with his footsteps. Kai followed behind. The rest of B.A.P went to work on whatever business they needed.

In his special chamber, Kai and Yin watched him grab a few tools and materials needed. Yong Guk laid out a pair of large sharp tweezers, an oval-shaped knife, a bunsen burner, a mold and many containers of unknown substances. He placed the remaining half of the sword into the holster and made sure that the blade was in the mold. They watched in fascination when it changed shape all by itself to fit the sword’s frame.

He chipped off a tiny shard from the blade and placed it on a small fire-proof plate. He the bunsen burner and adjusted the flame until it turned from orange to blue. He carefully moved the plate with the tweezers a few centimeters over the flame to melt the metal. They waited for about a minute before he removed it. He poured the liquid substance into a narrow stone cup and moved it to the kiln.

While watching him do his wonders, Yin nervously and anxiously reached for Kai’s hand. He let her hold it and intertwine their fingers. He could tell that she was nervous to wield her sword. He squeezed her hand to assure her that everything would be alright.

Yong Guk opened the containers of different chemical substances. He poured each one carefully and with precision into different beakers. One of them had silver powder that shimmered in the dimly lit room; another was a colorless liquid swirling with a smoky shape within; another was white tiny crystals like salt; the last was a deep red liquid that looked like blood.

He removed the stone cup from the kiln and placed it near. He waved Kai and Yin to hold the beakers close by. The teleporter took the liquids and the amnesiac took the powder.

“Metal Core Particles,” he said. Yin gave him the silver substance and he poured it slowly. He gave it back.

“Expansion Elixir.” Kai gave him the colorless liquid and he poured it in quickly. He hastily handed it back and asked for the Quartz Beads. She gave him her second beaker and watched as the fiery substance was starting to fill the cup. Yong Guk sighed in relief.

“One more second delayed and we would have to start over again. Pass the last one, kid.” Kai gave the red liquid. “What is that?”

“Daemen Immunity. Technically, this sword is ready to go but once I add this in,” he paused to pour it. “No Daemen can break it.”

“Not even a Boundless Daemen?” Yin asked.

“Not even a Boundless Daemen.” He repeated with a smirk. Her eyes glowed with gratitude. “How can I repay you?”

“We have to be a part of your war.” He chuckled. Her heart dropped when he said that a war would come. She figured that the enemy wouldn’t go down without a fight if the Argents continue to survive.

“Best if you two stand back a bit. This is where the fun begins.” He rubbed his hands together and cracked his knuckles.

Yong Guk brought the mixture to the mold and carefully poured it at the very edge of the blade. There was a hissing sound when the material touched the cold stencil. They heard the liquid hardening like crackles of ice within minutes and the orange glow of the heat faded away. Kai teleported out of the room, leaving her alone for a little while.

He took the sword hilt and slid it out of the mold and with a handheld mallet in his right hand, he began to forge the blade. The sound of the clashing metal resonated her ears. He inserted it into the kiln and repeated. Yin’s tears were glazing her eyes as she saw her trusted sword being restored by the minute. Yong Guk was almost finished - he was in the last round of forging and then he had to sharpen it. 

Everything became quiet when the noises turned off. The lights flickered on and the sword maker stood in front of her with the finished product in his hands. She couldn’t move, thinking that it was all a dream. Yong Guk frowned and nudged her head. She yelped and held her bruised cranium.

“What was that for‽”

“Are you gonna take it back or not?”

It wasn’t a dream. Her sword was good as new inches away from her hands, aching to grip the hilt. Kai reappeared with the sheath. He must’ve teleported back to the society to pick it up. He took her hand and helped her hold it and she slowly took the hilt. Her eyes marveled at the clean metal and smiled.

“I know a perfect spot where you can test it.” He patted his chest. He led them to the roof of the building where there was a vast space for her to run free. Yin strapped the sheathe to her belt and took her position. She began her sword exhibition Tao taught her. The renewed blade dance under the sky and created a refraction with the sun towards her face. She remembered to clear her mind of all trouble and only focus on her movements.

Kai thought he was hallucinating. He never imagined her executing such an intricate showcase of her weapon. Has she really grown from when she nearly died? The Gods must have blessed her with a second chance to finish what she needed to do. He was grateful for that second chance, too, so that he could deepen their relationship - something that he wished he could have done.

Yin finished the routine with her sword tucked behind her back and standing in a tall posture. She looked at her weapon and felt like she was the happiest woman in the world. Kai saw her smile and his heart skipped a beat. He had never seen her smile so sincerely or so beautifully. Unconsciously, he smiled too.

A while later, the two visitors were about to leave, and B.A.P was seeing them off.

“Come by again, you guys. It gets a little boring here after some time.” Jong Up said.

“We’ll try.” Kai replied.

“Bang Yong Guk, I can’t thank you enough for this.” She bowed, her sword now strapped to her belt.

“Anything for a friend. If you’re Ji Eun’s friend then you are ours, too.” He patted her head.

“We’ll keep you guys posted on what will happen. When it’s time, you’ll be the first to know.” Kai promised. The crew nodded in agreement.

“You kids should go. It’s getting late.”

Kai and Yin looked at each other and held hands. They disappeared a second later. Young Jae crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. “Is it just me or are they in love?”

Him Chan poked him. “What do you know? You don’t have a girl yet.”

“Says the e.” He muttered.

“Yah!” He barked and chased him inside the base. Jong Up scratched his head. “I don’t get it.”

Yong Guk chuckled. “I’m getting married soon and yet I still don’t understand love either.”

Zelo and Dae Hyun both shrugged and wandered off. “Zhang Yin,” he whispered under his breath. Zelo looked at him, "You said something?"

Dae Hyun didn't answer.

Yin sat across from Su Ho. After the incident at the lake, he had been placed under house arrest. He couldn’t leave the room until further notice. It was an awkward atmosphere but Yin remained calm and stern.

“Do you have something to say or are you just going to stay quiet?” He asked.

“I think I understand where you were coming from.” He rolled his eyes.

“You wanted to be powerful. So do many other Argents here.” She continued. “But above all, you don’t want anyone to share it with except for one.”

He became silent. “Kim Min Seok, if I’m right.” He tightened his fists. “Or known as Xiu Min.” He clenched his jaw.

“I may not remember how strong he was, but I know this: I don’t want anyone to feel angry for losing their family.”

“What do you know?” He snarled.

“I know nothing.” She said, “But you don’t need to be distant from the faction in order to seek revenge. It wouldn’t make you any different from a Daemen. I don’t want to be your enemy, and neither anyone in the faction wants to be yours either.”

“Why are you saying this?”

“Because I want to make a promise with you. Please, Kim Joon Myun, let me save your brother.” Su Ho’s eyes widened at her request.

“I care for you too, and I will do it.” She insisted. He looked into her eyes to see if she was lying. Deep down, he was desperate. Would he let her make such an impossible promise?

“Also, if I were that Heroine you despise so much, I would ask the same thing.”

Kai paced in Yin’s room, waiting for her to come back. He tried to convince her that she shouldn’t reason with Su Ho, knowing how stubborn he was. She was gone for a while and he got very nervous. Before turning for the umpteenth time, she finally came back with heavy shoulders. He quickly went up to her.

“What happened?” She peered up at him with a look of regret.

“Kai,” she could only utter from her lips. He sighed in frustration and helped her sit down on the love seat. He rubbed her shoulder slowly while waiting patiently for her to speak.

“I didn’t regret talking to him. It's just whether I said the right words.”

“What do you mean?”

“I promised him that I’d save him - his brother.” She confessed after a pause. Kai didn’t move. “Did I do the right thing telling him that?”

Kai shook his head. “I think that's up to the both of you. You gave him hope and it’s very hard to do, especially for someone who resented a lot of people.” She turned her head towards him. He gave an exasperated look and said, “You really outdone yourself this time. You do realize that this could be impossible.”

“Alone, yes.” She agreed, “But with the faction, it won’t.”

They were silent when they were caught in a staring contest. After a while, Kai broke the contact and went to the window. She noticed he looked troubled. She stood up and slowly approached him.

“Kai, what’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer.

“Was it something I said?”

“No,” he said. “It’s not that. I’m just thinking about something.”

She touched his arm. He looked at her. “If it’s alright, could you tell me?” He continued to look at her. Assuming that he said no, she pulled her hand away.

“I won’t force you if it’s something personal.”

“You deserve to know, Yin. I think I can trust you with this. If I can't open up to you then I wonder how you will trust me.” They both looked out at the view of the society. She figured that he might feel uncomfortable. He took a deep breath and started to speak.

“In a way, I’m kind of like you. I lost my parents to Daemen Beasts when I was a kid. I just turned eight then.” Yin lowered her head in sympathy.

“I didn’t know how to control my abilities so I began to teleport at random, running away from those Daemens. As long as there wasn’t one on my tail, I was safe. I was on the road for about six years, living off as a thief stealing food and money. It wasn’t a happy nor a sad life but it was better than getting killed.

“I was found by Lu Han when I was finally put to prison for stealing only a loaf of bread.”

“What did he say?” She figured that he would have taken him to Lotis then.

“He said I had a unique ability. He asked if I had a home or a family. I told him I had neither.”

There was a long pause. She gazed up at him while he collected his thoughts again.

“I never had the guts or the chance to thank him. You’d never know how many times he saved my sorry .” He chuckled lightly to himself. Her eyes softened and she didn’t look away. “I forgot how compassionate he was. I gave him hell when I joined. He never stopped looking after me, nor did he stop being so patient.

They kept quiet until Kai tried to gather his thoughts again. “Yin, there's also something I want to say,” he paused to choose his words. "That I don't think I want to admit it to anyone else."

She was confused so she asked, “What is it?”

“I feel weak.” She was taken aback.

“Why?”

“My ability isn’t offensive or strong. Every time I teleported, it always reminded me of how much of a coward I used to be.”

Yin wordlessly went behind him and hugged his waist which made him stop talking.

“Kai,” her voice muffled, “I never once thought of you as weak, nor a coward. Please don’t put yourself down in front of me.” He felt something wet on his back and realized that she was crying.

"I never knew you've been holding everything in. I'm sorry." A torrent of guilt drowned him. He should have been more considerate of her reaction, but he was touched by her compassion. After years of bottling his emotions, he started to cry as well.

Yin felt wet droplets landing on her encircling arms and sniffled. She made him turn around and moved his head to her shoulder, letting him cry some more. She patted his back as he held her close and tight. “You’re the bravest man I’ve ever known. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t be here right now, you silly man,” she whispered the last word, making him choke a tearful laugh.

Time went by very slowly for them. They moved themselves back to her love seat and the teleporter finally calmed down. His head was still leaning on her shoulder while they held hands.

“Yin,” he was tempted to call her real name. She responded with a soft hum. 

“Thank you for letting me talk to you.” She tightened her hold. 

“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “But be sure to thank Lu Han too.” She felt him smile.

“I will,” he said.

“Kai?”

“What is it?” She leaned her head against his.

“Do you have a real name?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me?”

He lifted his head off and they faced each other, letting go of their hands. “Only if you promise me something.” She listened for it and their foreheads touched. “Promise me that you won’t put yourself in danger. I don't know what I can do if you disappear.”

Her heart felt like crying again but this time, she stopped herself from doing so. Her breath was still shaky but Kai had his arms around her.

“I promise.” She managed to say. Her hands found her way towards his shoulders and gripped onto them.

“Can you say your name, Kai?”

“Kim Jong In. In your language, Jin Zhong Ren.” He said slowly.

“Your name matches you.” She mouthed, and he caught what she said. They briefly and quietly laughed to each other. They listened to each other breathe, realizing how close they were - emotionally and physically.

He searched her eyes, as if he was mentally projecting something. He caressed her slim cheeks once and started to tilt his head sideways, bone by bone. She mimicked his movements to the opposite way.

When his lips just pressed against hers, the world stopped around them. There was no war, no rivalry amongst the members, and no inner conflict. Nothing mattered to them because they discovered something powerful that ancient magic couldn’t compare: something beyond attraction.

Yin’s arms wove around his neck, subtly pulling him closer. One of his hands moved to the back of her head and the other on the small of her back. Their kiss was light and chaste, but their hearts wanted to continue. They didn’t want to leave their own world yet.