Final Chapter - The Offering Circle

Yin, Kai and Chan Yeol hid by a shed at a small port later on at night. The shore overlooked the multiple volcanoes ahead. They were eyeing on a boat where someone was about to set sail with five barrels. There were five in the area.

“How long do we have to wait here? My legs are getting cramped.” Kai hissed.

“Just a little longer. We need to time this right.” Chan Yeol answered for the umpteenth time.

“This is driving me insane,” he growled, earning himself a nudge from Yin. Nighttime in the Vatiti Islands was chilly so they were back to full gear.

"Let's go," Chan Yeol cued the other two, and they snuck themselves over to the boat that was going to go across the ocean to the island. Once they were able to get on the boat, they each went inside a barrel to hide and the four rowmen sailed away. While they were rowdily chatting amongst themselves, Kai groaned to himself saying, "This smells like horse's ," which also earned himself an incoherent comment from Yin.

When they arrived on the other side, the men started to heave the barrels to shore. Yin felt herself getting lifted and heard the man gruff, "This is pretty heavy for cargo."

"Did he just call me heavy?" she exasperated to herself.

"Hey, look at this barrel. It's kinda cute," said another pointing at Kai's barrel. At that point, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Cute?" he burst out of his barrel and quickly knocked out all the rowmen with a single punch to the face each. Chan Yeol climbed out, but not before tossing out a sea bass that was previously inside his shirt.

“Yuck,” he mumbled.

"He called me heavy," she flushed and took out her vendetta on the one who said so with another kick to the face.

"Now let's not get violent just yet. Save it for the bad guys," Chan Yeol waved it off and led them into the forest that surrounded the mountain.

“It’s so quiet here.” Yin pointed out.

“When I was a little squirt, this used to be a paradise for the animals here. But now, it looks like that they exterminated them all so they wouldn’t be disappointed that we’d be killed before we fight them.” Chan Yeol said.

“How cruel.” She mumbled.

“It’s how they are. We’re pretty much used to their gruesome nature by now. It just makes us more motivated to defeat them.” He explained.

“I still can’t believe I was one of them.” Kai sadly reminisced. She held his hand to comfort him. Relieved, he interlaced his fingers with hers. When they came out of the forest at the foot of the volcano, they reviewed the plan.

“We’ll split up so we can use the multiple entrances to our advantage. If anything happens, transfer your life essence into your symbols.” Yin had forgotten that she had earned herself a ring with her feather symbol as an official member of the society; of Faction Twenty Four.

“Yin, take the opening above us. Kai, you take one anywhere in the east. I’ll take one in the west. Our goal is to retrieve Lay and escape back here. If any Daemens pursue us, it will be Yin’s responsibility to keep herself safe. The Rune must be at the Offering Circle without a doubt. She has to do whatever it takes to get there.”

He and Kai were aware of the risks that could happen. Yin only hoped that everyone would escape alive.

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

The three Argents dispersed. Yin looked up and saw a narrow gap, wide enough for her to fit through. She steadied herself while climbing up on the rocky surface. The slope became increasingly steeper with every step she took. She was about to reach for the ledge when her foot accidentally slipped. Before she fell, she held on with all her might. Gritting her teeth, she leapt from her position and grabbed the cliff edge to the entrance. She pulled herself up, drew her sword and discreetly slipped inside.

Kai had a difficult time resisting from teleporting. He knew that if he did, the Daemens would find out here he was. Before he randomly chose a passage, he saw some steam coming out from the lowest level. He felt the rocks shaping the entry and wasn’t surprised when he felt some essence of Daemens. He carefully slid into the entrance while avoiding streams of hot air.

Chan Yeol only had one option to go into. He knew that something or someone might block his way but he came prepared. While walking soundlessly, he felt something watching him from the shadow. He didn’t turn around because if he killed it, then more might come. He’d rather face the source rather than fending off the pawns.

He saw a chamber ahead of him. He cracked his knuckles and drawled, “Figures that I have to draw the enemies out first.” He stopped before taking another step into the open. He picked up a stone from the ground near him and threw it. As soon as it hit the ground, there was an explosion and a Daemen alligator emerged. It roared at Chan Yeol. He sighed and leapt far, landing on its back. He twisted the exposed tail and stepped on the deadliest pressure point, killing it.

More Daemen alligators popped out of the ground, craving for blood. Chan Yeol tossed the tail and continued to counterattack. “At least this will save them from trouble.”

Yin had no encounter with anything. She shuffled in the passage. At one point, she had to crawl through. She saw some light up ahead and got closer, but stopped. If she took one more step out of the exit, she would have fallen into the lava boiling below. Putting a hand to her chest in shock, she shakily exhaled. She heard screeches of Daemens nearby. She was literally meters away from the Offering Circle. She spotted something crimson sparkling at the center of the circle, and she itched to go and retrieve it.

“Master, my patrol is growing impatient. They insist on eliminating him now!” A hoarse and devilish voice echoed. There was no response.

“Master!” He repeated. His voice was muffled and Yin saw him tossed below. It thrashed and squealed from the burning sensation and eventually died down, sinking deeper. She gulped at the heat and her neck felt sweaty and clammy.

The screeching stopped. “I don’t take orders from a witless Daemen. It’s such a shame. I had something fun for you to do but I guess you lost your chance,” said a deep thin voice.

“Master Wu Fan...” they mumbled.

“They will come. Give them a few more moments.” He mused. The figure kneeling down with his arms bound weakly raised his head.

“Don’t kill them, Wu Fan. Don’t kill them.” Yin was on the verge of tears when she heard Lay’s dying voice. She clenched the hilt of her sword so hard that blood started to ooze out of her skin.

“I have no intention on eliminating those boys but that woman,” he stopped, “She’s still alive when I was sure she was dead.”

Yin became confused. How did he know? What connection did he have with her? Her heart began to tighten in despair.

“Please, let them go and take me instead.” He begged.

Wu Fan didn’t respond. Yin couldn’t take it anymore. She shattered the walls around her with her fists and charged out of the passage. She slaughtered all the goblins surrounding the Offering Circle with her sword. The Argent and the Boundless Daemen spotted her exterminating the Daemens and caught the gleam of her stained sword.

She stood before them.

“Yin?” He spluttered. “What are you doing here?”

“So that’s her name? Yin?” Wu Fan wondered. He stepped down from the circle, approaching her.

“This is an interesting confrontation. What would a mere girl dare to come here alone, without your two other companions?” She didn’t speak.

“Silent, are you?”

She pointed her sword to prevent him from coming any closer. “Tell me. What are you to me?”

He scoffed. “What am I to you? How remarkable. It seems you have no recollection of me from that time.”

“When?” She demanded.

“Why when I killed you, of course.” He said it so casually. Yin’s body froze at his statement.

“That’s not possible. How can you say that you killed me when I am still alive?”

“That, I will leave it up to you to figure out.” He lifted his hand into the air and the ground started to shake. Rising up from the lake of fire was a large salamander with sharp teeth and ivory razor claws. Its tongue slithered out like a snake and latched onto the Rune of Fire and swallowed it, enhancing its power.

“Yi Xing, your time has finally come to die for your precious comrades who valiantly attempted to save you.” Wu Fan said.

A battle cry ripped from as she started to attack him with her Origin Arm, equipped with the Rune of Earth. They engaged in a heated combat, ignoring the fact that the salamander was in their presences.

Lay was about to close his eyes for the last time until he heard someone breaking through the walls and landing beside him. He touched his shoulder and teleported him to safer grounds.

“You are...?”

“Kai, member of Faction Twenty Four.” He briefly introduced. “We’re here on orders to rescue you... from Lu Han.” He took off his white jacket and placed it on Lay’s shoulders. “I’ll be back, but I think she’ll come to you before me or Chan Yeol.” He gave a cheery salute and teleported back to battle.

Chan Yeol also jumped from his ledge with a pile of dead alligators left behind. He dived and suddenly levitated above the lava. Although it doesn’t affect him, he personally hated the texture. He flew up to the salamander and placed a hand on one of its eyes. He projected a ball of fire, blinding it. He floated backwards and created a lance. He threw it into its other eye and it burst into flames.

Kai appeared beside him.

“Are you sure I have to fight this thing with you?”

“Although I know its weakness, I can’t beat this thing by myself. It’s too much of a hassle.” He lamely complained.

“You sneaky bastard. Alright, what do I have to do?”

“Make it jump. Its weakest point is its stomach. I just have to fire my most powerful technique at it and it’ll be as good as dead.”

“You make it sound so easy. Here goes nothing.”

Kai concentrated his Argentic energy and created more clones of himself.

“Advanced Teleportation Secrets: Illusion Replication,” he said. He’s been developing new techniques for the upcoming war. He didn’t want to be a burden to the faction and he wanted to put it to the test.

Kai’s clones pulled out throwing knives and hurled them at the salamander. 

Meanwhile Yin and Wu Fan continued to clash their swords. “It’s such a shame to let someone so strong become even stronger.”

“Why are you complimenting me?”

“Why do you ask so many questions?” He rhetorically asked.

“Why do you know so much?”

He smirked and pushed her back. “Your memory loss blinds you, Yin. I’ll give you one last clue. Someone you share blood and soul with is slowly being eaten into darkness. Best if you pick up your pace.”

She held her head, anticipating a sharp pain. It never came. She ejected the Rune of Light and equipped the Rune of Teleportation. She tried to outsmart him by rapidly teleporting at different angles. She tried to land at least one hit on his body but he was proven to be too powerful.

Yin became slower and he caught her into a choke. He pinned her to the ground and her knapsack fell open, spilling out only the crystal unicorn right by her fingertips.

“So weak. So disappointing.” She gagged and coughed in his grasp as she tried to reach her fingers for the Crux. He tightened his grip and her sword slipped out of her other hand. Her vision began to have dark spots blocking her sight.

Lay helplessly watched her on the verge of a crushing defeat. He felt something sharp on his shoulder when he saw a pair of small daggers in a hidden pocket. Determined with a new strength, he got on his feet and aimed at Wu Fan. He propelled it and the knife stuck into the Boundless Daemen’s leg, and the other to shatter the crystal, releasing Kirin and repel Wu Fan off Yin. He grunted loudly in pain and accidentally loosened his hand. She rolled out of the way and drew back her most powerful punch at her minimal strength and hurled it right into the side of his face with a sickening crack.

The salamander finally leapt from the lava and attached itself on the ceiling. Kai’s clones faded away and Chan Yeol charged his power. The creature finally let go and attempted a belly flop.

“You’re open!” The fire-user shouted and reached over his left shoulder and pulled out a crimson crystal shaped like a phoenix.

"Ember!" He called out his own Crux and two contrasting phoenixes emerged from the crystal, one fiery red and the other beautifully blue. "Finish it!" They cried out and coated themselves in fire. They flew up and came in contact with the salamander’s stomach. It roared and began to disintegrate into ashes, the Rune of Fire dropping into Kai’s hands before it fell. However, the impact caused the lava to boil and rise in volume.

“This is bad! It triggered a volcano!” Kai shouted.

“And it’s big enough to destroy this island. We have to get out of here!” Chan Yeol said.

Yin staggered when she felt the ground rumble violently again. Wu Fan snarled and bitterly warned, “This is only the beginning. You won’t win so easily.” He transformed into a phantom in a shape of a dragon and fled. She ran to Lay’s side and equipped the Rune of Healing, treating his bare skin. Lay tiredly and fondly caressed her cheek.

“My Yin, you made me proud.”

"Yi Xing," she whispered his name. "Are you alright?"

"I am, now that you're here."

She tearfully smiled but she was caught off guard by the rumbling. She helped him stand up and they gathered in the circle.

“Let’s go!” Kai called her over. With little to no power in her Origin Arm, she brought her hand to her heart and brought out her crystal feather, crushing it in her hands.

"Pegasus!" The winged horse neighed out and stood by Yin side. She mounted her own Crux, while Kai took a ride on the blue phoenix, Huang, and Chan Yeol on the red phoenix, Feng. Kirin had already returned to crystal and back into Lay's mark. He hopped on Pegasus behind Yin as they flew out of the volcano through the peak before the eruption occurred.

Before the lava covered the area, they were gone.

By the shoreline, everyone witnessed the anger of Mt. Maguiti. It erupted and created a fiery ring surrounding it.

While the citizens and tourists were distracted, the faction members landed Chan Yeol’s house. They panted and caught their breath. 

“Is everyone okay?” Chan Yeol asked. They nodded.

Yin had a burst of pain searing in her head. She cried out in frustration, causing Pegasus to return to crystal. She and Lay fell to the ground but Yin fell unconscious after succumbing to the ache. Kai jumped off Huang and gathered her into his arms trying to make her regain her senses.

“Yin! Yin!” Lay crawled to her and felt her forehead. He frowned. “The memory must have been delayed. Wu Fan may have said something to trigger this. We must be patient.”

Kai calmed down and cradled her head to his chest.

In her mind, flashes of the same person sequenced after another. His face was very defined and wounded. He wrote on the dirt his name and emitted strong and earth-shaking hurricanes.

He soundlessly shed tears and held someone close to him.

He levitated above the highway and stirred a windstorm to push all the pods away.

He danced so lucidly in the cabaret with another figure with mysterious eyes to match.

Somewhere deep in darkness, there was an ornate mirror with an identical mirage of Zhang Yin. It was motionless for many months and suddenly, her eye began to twitch just the slightest. The mirror began to crack and the sound echoed in the void. The twitching grew stronger and stronger until her eyes slowly opened without a blink.

Hong Ja Young was resisting her restrainment and Zhang Yin was about to disappear.