Jaejoong didn’t care that his mansion already crumbled into pieces. He had nicer covens than this one although it was his favorite. What mattered to him now was the scene happening in front of his eyes: the purple-winged Taker with his uncontrollable power.

It excites Jaejoong and even enjoyed how his minions struggled to keep Ilhoon down. They were able to place steel chains on his feet and hands prior to binding his body. They can’t explain how Ilhoon untangled the chains covering him but the ones on his hands and feet were still locked. Jaejoong was always ready for anything.

Ilhoon’s wings were violently straining to lift him up but the vampires were holding on to the chains, pulling him down. Nobody can touch Ilhoon directly though, if somebody tries, a windy kind of force will take them away that will either choke them or throw them from a higher ground.

“This is it.” Jaejoong laughed, his eyes focused on Ilhoon, “This is how we can use him. Against… whoever is against us.”

“He really looks dangerous Jaejoong.” It was the always precautious right hand N who gets to observe everything their leader overlooks. “I’m not sure about this.”

“Oh yeah?”Jaejoong snaps, nobody should burst his happy bubble, “We just have to keep him from being angry until we can use him. And don’t you forget we are still stronger than them, those Takers are always the mushy kind.”

Sometimes it’s really pointless to argue with their leader if he’s in a trance-like state. N sighed and dodged quickly when another vampire flew from the other side of the room towards them. He shook his head and called one of their trusted runners.

“Follow Hyunsik.” N ordered, “He is going to lead us to who we want to evade.”

*

Maybe it was Hyunsik’s leader instinct that made him move even though every cell in his body was screaming fear. Things were getting out of hand and he can’t help but worry more for Ilhoon as time ticks by and he already started to feel anger towards Changsub. What’s happening with him to be this hungry? He probably knows the vampires were already on the move.

Hyunsik made sure that the Takers bodies were all comfortable in their make shift beds, securing their syringes to keep their physical body alive. Hyunsik fed them a part of him which drained his energy and he needed to make a couple of trips of hunting criminals, take their souls, and back to the four sleeping man.

His top priority now was how to save his brother, and as he thinks of something – anything – for a plan, he started to set up deviation devices to secure his place while he’s away but Minhyuk’s journal caught his attention –a hasty, red circle was marked on the open page that has a tear on it.

Maybe Minhyuk tried to pull this before Changsub’s assault...Hyunsik lifted it and read on the page. There was nothing new to it, it was the same page Minhyuk made him read to explain what’s happening and what will happen to Changsub. Then he noticed there was a faint trace of pencil just down every inked letter inside the circle. Hyunsik then saw a magnifying glass on his desk and picked it up, surprised at the words underlined by the pencil.

“There are only two ways to stop a black-winged Taker ~~~”…NO WAY. Hyunsik looked at the Takers lined in front of him, lost in a deep slumber…no, no, I can’t do that.

*

Jihoon stopped the car in an empty park. Changsub needed to go out because his wings were being unruly.  They stayed for a while and Jihoon needed to use his own powers to create distraction and push humans away.

Changsub was still spitting incoherent words and Jihoon was only able to understand a few like sorry and Hyunsik. The latter didn’t really know what to do but stand at Changsub’s side. It was obvious that taking two Takers at the same day did harm but Jihoon believes that it was only the green-winged Taker who was playing Changsub’s head. They knew that Changsub can only use the powers of the Takers inside him when he gets the fifth one, so it only means the crazy stunts were not Changsub’s doing.

If only they knew more about the Black Wings. Jihoon thought. It frustrated him that they were only able to find a few reference. They have already checked with every Blue-winged Takers since they were known as the historians, but they’ve been unsuccessful. It could have helped Changsub and just not following the few facts they knew.

Jihoon watched him rock his body slowly on the ground while his wings hugged him. Jihoon remembered that time when Changsub told him to stop calling him master but Jihoon insisted on it, saying that it’ll make him more comfortable. He told Changsub that he owed the leader of the Takers his life and vowed to help him in every way.  Changsub treated him as a friend and Jihoon kept reminding he was there to serve him. Jihoon was just glad that Changsub didn’t master mind-reading.

Changsub then stopped talking, his wings retreating in his back as he stood up. He was back in his cold aura and stared at Jihoon for few minutes before speaking.“We need to go back to Hyunsik.”

“You’re being mental.” Jihoon didn’t mean to blurt out, it’s not his usual choice of words but Changsub’s being, yeah, crazy. “We just got out of there then you want us to go back? We can’t handle him at your state. He’s the hulk of you Takers, I can’t hold him.”

“We need to~” Changsub’s voice was then hoarse, pleading. “We don’t have much time.” He continued and a flash of green was in his eyes.

“Are you, are you really the one talking, Master?”Jihoon stepped closer, wanting to confirm that he really saw those colors. “Changsub?”

“I don’t know.” Changsub blinked a few times, his eyes were just the same deep black and he looked straight at Jihoon’s eyes, “But trust me, now I know what I have to do.”

*

A Taker’s body would only last forty eight hours if their souls were taken from them forcefully. They will then turn into ashes as if they never existed. Keeping their physical bodies hydrated would help slow the process of deteriorating and being fed with willing souls would extend it.

There are only two ways to stop a Black-winged Taker.One is to end the remaining life of the Takers he/she took the souls from. The bond with the physical body should end and the soul within the Black-winged Taker will vanish. ONLY the natural death of the Takers would make the Black-winged Taker keep their souls and powers completely.

Second, if the Black-winged Taker is willing to give the souls back to its rightful owner.

Either way the TAKER will die, his/her own soul long vanished when he/she took the first soul for power.

Hyunsik read the lines over and over again, turning the journal for more hidden notes but there was none. He only knew that Changsub turns dark as days go by and soon he may lost his own will and be controlled only by anger and  he can only be saved if he haven’t yet got half his target. But he cannot turn back now, it’s already late.

Hyunsik sees his old friend’s situation as a curse, if only I was able to talk with him earlier!

Hyunsik gave the situation a careful thought – believing that there is still a way out from the mess. Nobody wants another Chaos and the vampires had gotten personal with him when they took his brother Ilhoon. He still doesn’t know the reason why the vampires took Ilhoon and it’s only a hunch that they are going to use him against Changsub. But it’s not even written on this material how Ilhoon can be useful. Damn it.

But ain’t Changsub being stupid now? He can only take one soul a day. He only not endangers himself but also the other souls within him. Is he that desperate? ” this.”Hyunsik hates the fact that he still cares for his old friend.

It’ll be stupid to go to the vampires alone. What to do? Being all alone now, Hyunsik thinks that the best solution to move forward was to face Changsub. Talk to him, beg him, anything to save Ilhoon first and maybe he can make Changsub realize after.

Hyunsik still has faith with his friend for too many reasons or a single unknown one. It doesn’t matter to him now. He would just hold on to it and hope for the best.

Hyunsik stopped moving when he felt another presence; he tried to make out the stranger’s location in his house. Is it Changsub? No, it can’t be. But Hyunsik stay rooted on his spot, he cannot and would not leave without securing Eunkwang and the other bodies.

It didn’t take long for Hyunsik to know the intruders though. Two figures were then by his office door, a man wearing a black coat and the one he dreaded but needed to see the most.

“Hyunsik.”

“Changsub.”