Seunghyun felt his back immensely throbbing while feeling sharp pains run up and down his back. He struggled to stand up but the pain was so unbearable that it threw him to the ground once again. The prince was huffing, hard. He tried to resist the pain that threatened to take him down in the darkness but all that he was thinking about the whole time was Jiyong.

                Why did Seungri do that? What was his purpose? What is Jiyong going to do? All of these things were coursing through his mind at a million miles per hour, causing him to easily lose focus, threatening him to pass out at any second.

                No, he needs me. Jiyong needs me. He thought, struggling to get up with all of his strength. Immense amounts of blood were pouring down his back, staining all of his clothes.

                I guess I won’t need any of this anymore. He thought to himself, taking off his jacket and white button down, along with his tie. He stripped himself down to be entirely shirtless, exposing his rough fur and large wretched wound. He stumbled while trying to make it out of the building via the hidden exit. He violently stumbled upon the door and pushed it open, falling to the ground again in immense pain.

                Blood was smeared on the door and walls, painting the blank white canvases crimson red. He snarled under his breath, trying to fight down the ever-growing pain that held him down.

                After an excruciating 10 minutes, he was finally out of the hospital after painfully sliding down the numerous flights of stairs, leaving a tell-tale trail of blood behind.

                He ran out to the streets of Seoul, feeling harsh rain beating down his back. He hissed in pain for the millionth time today and ran for shelter, wherever that may be. He honestly didn’t give two damns if someone happened to see him clad in half his birthday suit, fur, horns and all.

                He continued to run along the sidewalk as fast as he could, breathing hoarsely the whole time.

                A car screeched right beside him, its horn madly honking.

                Of course, that startled Seunghyun, causing him to freeze in his tracks.

                “S-SEUNGHYUN!” Daesung cried, rolling down his car window. “WHAT HAPPENED!?” he asked frantically, his eyes tracing Seunghyun’s back wound.

                The prince said not a word, limply draping himself through the passenger car window like a limp rag.

                “C’mon, get into the back seat and let me see that wound.”

                Seunghyun weakly opened the back door and fell into the car, breathing heavily as he tried to gain his breath and consciousness, although his surroundings were beginning to spin around him.

                “S-Stay with me, Seunghyun. You can’t die. Seunghyun. Keep your eyes open.” Daesung said, his voice trying so hard to hide the panic evident in his chest.

                “I’m not going to ing die.” Seunghyun managed to say, finally closing his eyes. “S-Seungri slashed my back with some… sort… of shadow whip.”

                “Y-You’re not making any sense.” Daesung stammered, whispering a healing spell. “S-Seungri?”

                The beast let out a feral growl as he felt a new white hot pain take over his back, tracing his wound. The sound that escaped his lips was not human at all. “H-He…” Seunghyun struggled, “…h-has Jiyong. , what are you d-doing to me?”

                “Y-Your beast DNA is helping you heal quickly.” Daesung lied. “WHAT!? HE HAS JIYONG!?”

                “I-I… couldn’t do anything… I had t-to let him g-go…” the prince said with half lidded eyes, breathing shallowly now as the pain quickly diminished.

                “Y-Yah, don’t pass out on me. Y-You’re better now, don’t pass out. You have to tell me this slowly and calmly! I can’t understand you. I’m hearing that Seungri has Jiyong and slashed your back and you had to let him go? That doesn’t make sense!”

                “That’s… what ing happened…” Seunghyun breathlessly said and slipped into darkness, regardless of Daesung’s screaming.

                “Let’s go, Sangchu.” Taeyang said, beginning to cross the street after sensing no cars in sight. Se7en complied with a bark and followed his owner, running towards the hospital.

                He gripped Se7en’s leash on tightly as he allowed Se7en to lead him through the automatic doors, convincing people that he is blind and really does need an assistance dog with him.

                “D-Do you smell him, Sangchu?”

                Se7en let out a low growl, indicating a ‘yes’ for Taeyang.

                “Well, this is a delight, seeing you two here.” An unfamiliar voice said, causing Taeyang to whip around towards the source of the voice. Se7en’s eyes widened as he saw a man holding Jiyong in what seems to be a rope made of shadows. The boy was struggling in the rope, muffled by a spell that this man had cast on him. That didn’t stop him from attempting to voice his protests and screams.

                What the hell? Who is this man!? Se7en thought to himself, growling lowly, feeling the hairs on his back standing up. How did he get shadow ropes!? The only person known in my world who specializes in shadow ropes and whips is…

                Tablo.

                No.

                It can’t be.

                This man as Tablo’s pawn?

                “Who are you?” Taeyang asked, his eyes blindly searching around. He heard a cry of protest, most likely belonging to Jiyong.

                “Your worst nightmare.”

                “What do you want from us?” Taeyang asked strongly, pulling a growling Sangchu away.

                “Hmm, I don’t want anything with the dog, I just want you. I think you’d make a great addition to our little ‘show’ that’ll be happening, along with all of your friends.”

                “Not interested.” Taeyang said, beginning to walk away, hoping that his guess that Jiyong was right in front of him was wrong.

                “Oh, I’m afraid you have no choice.”

                Taeyang felt a force that immediately pulled him towards the man violently, causing him to land on the floor.

                “NO!!!” Se7en cried out loud, running towards Taeyang with all of his might.

                “No…?” Seungri repeated, narrowing his eyes towards the dog. “A… talking dog…?”

                Oh, ape . Oh, no. No. No. What am I going to do!? I can’t let him know that I talk. Jeez, that spell hasn’t worn off yet…

                Se7en began to look around confusedly, pretending to look for the source of the ‘NO!!!’. He turned back and growled at Seungri, barking madly.

                “Huh, must’ve been my imagination.” Seungri shrugged, lifting an unconscious Taeyang up and wrapping him in more of the shadow ropes.

                “Nice meeting you!” Seungri smiled at the dog, instantly vanishing into thin air.

                This… isn’t good. No. No, it isn’t… Se7en said to himself, beginning to run out through the front hospital doors. He had to find Daesung. That was his only hope. Taeyang and Jiyong were in trouble and he couldn’t do anything about it.

                He had failed his task.

                Not even.

                His task didn’t matter anymore.

                He had failed his friends.

                His best friends.

                Se7en ran out into the pouring rain, instantly soaking his fur as his feet went splish-splash in the Seoul streets. D-Daesung. I can smell him. He’s nearby.

                Se7en ran up to a parked car near the hospital, the scent of strong blood and Daesung growing thicker and thicker.

                DAESUNG! Se7en cried out, making sure to not slip up and use his real voice ever again.

                Se7en…? Daesung’s head popped out of the back door, already drenched with rain and slightly speckled with blood from what smelled like Seunghyun’s.

                T-They… took Taeyang away… Se7en breathed, his legs growing lip. T-They took him away…

                Who did!? Who? Tell me! Daesung demanded, climbing into the driver’s seat as Se7en took the passenger’s side.

                T-There was a man… he wore black and his eyes were of red. He had Jiyong… Jiyong was wrapped in shadow ropes… and those could only be made by Tablo. Is Tablo the cause of all this, Daesung?

                … Daesung thought, slamming his fist on the steering wheel. It IS Tablo’s work.

                Why is he here, Daesung? Why is he here? Se7en asked, his eyes filled with worry.

                I-I don’t know, Dongwook. I don’t know.

                “Hello, appa?” Seungri piped up, calling his father on the phone.

                “Yes, son?” his father answered.

                “I have a favor to ask of you, if that’s not any trouble to you.”

                “Anything for my son!”

                “Can you send some of your men down to the local hospital and check out that floor? Someone has told me that there were immense amounts of blood smeared on those walls. Can you check whose blood it is?”

                “About that, Seungri…” his father began, sighing. “I was already way ahead of you. Someone had already reported it to us and we went ahead and checked it out instantly. We tested it and… the DNA does not match to anyone… it’s not even human blood. Rather… it’s a mixture between… human and wolf blood. It was indeed disturbing to us. We’ve never seen anything like that… human and wolf? That’s what we’ve only seen in movies.”

                “Exactly, Dad.” Seungri said, smug that people have started to finally catch on. “I’ve been on this case for about a month now. He is truly a beast, the owner of this blood. He may have been contaminated with some foreign material, causing him to mutate. But get this: he’s keeping this boy in his house as a slave or something. I even talked to the boy’s father about it to confirm the fact.”

                “WHAT!?”

                “I’m not kidding, father. This so-called ‘beast’ is named Choi Seunghyun. Send out all your men to catch him. He’s a dangerous person and you HAVE to catch him before he harms someone.”

                “Alright, son. I’ll send my best men out to catch him.”

                “Oh, don’t worry, appa… I’ll bring him to you.”