Chapter 10 - Ja Young's True Goal

D.O huffed as he threw down Il Hoon. His muscle singlet was already drenched in sweat under the open sun. He dusted off his hands as he hollered, “Who’s next?”

The younger boys, who weren’t used to much fighting, fidgeting and avoiding his intimidating gaze.

“C’mon! You guys can’t get stronger if you cower away from me,” he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Guess, I don’t have a choice,” someone from behind the crowd shouted. The boys parted to let a confident Kai come through. “I’m going next.”

“You’ve got guts. You sure? Bedridden or not, I’m not going easy.”

“Don’t be such a blockhead, and I wasn’t bedridden. I was injured. You make it sound like I have some kind of disease.”

The short conversation turned into a silly argument and the spectators kept listening.

“It’s the same thing! The time after you get injured and then healing is called being bedridden, too!”

“No, it’s not!”

“Okay then, what do you call it? Tell me.”

“Well,” Kai paused and muttered in defeat, “I don’t know.”

“See that? I’m clearly better than you when it comes to language. Hit the books again, you doofus!”

“Oh yeah? Nothing goes through your big shiny forehead. It just bounces off!”

There was a sudden stifling of snickers emitting from the Argents watching them squabble and D.O craned his head to glare at them.

“Alright! Laugh it up, rookies! That settles it! Whoever wins is right!” He charged with his fists.

“Bring it on! I prove to you that my language skills are the best!” Before they could clash with their pumping energy, someone, who was wailing, was flung towards them and they collided into a mess. Kai came to his senses when he saw Min Hyuk from Faction Twenty Six on top of both of them. He groaned from dizziness and D.O was bewildered with the dent they created.

“What the hell just happened?” D.O grumbled.

“What the hell, my !” Soo Jung scowled as she stomped towards them. “Don’t you guys have some decency to shut your traps and just practice?”

“We were practicing until you decided to use this poor guy as a javelin!” D.O complained.

“If you guys weren’t arguing like a married couple then you would have seen him coming!” She flared back.

“Hey, well it wasn’t my fault we had to talk it out! Kai twists things and he shouldn’t have any excuse to half- his fighting!”

“Don’t drag me into this, you moron! And both of you are killing me with your weight! Go on a diet at least!”

Soo Jung messed her hair in frustration. “Ah! You guys just can’t shut up!” She grabbed Min Hyuk from the dog pile and dragged him back to their sparring area, leaving Kai and D.O to their arguing.

From afar, Lu Han, Tao, Lay and fellow Faction Twenty watched them and sighed. “They’re like children, fighting over the smallest things.” Tao said.

“It’s amusing. I don’t think we’ve seen them so lively in a long time,” Jong Hyun mused.

“I just hope Soo Jung doesn’t go overboard with her training, especially with Min Hyuk,” Ki Bum worriedly hoped.

“She’ll be alright,” Lu Han assured.

“I agree. I think she moved on, don’t you?” Lay asked, but the telepath didn’t answer.

“What is it?” The healer followed Lu Han’s gaze at a lone Argent on the other side of the vast field. Ja Young hadn’t moved from her spot for the last thirty minutes.

“She’s not motivated enough. The memories must have swayed her somehow.”

“I don’t think so,” Tao intervened. “She’s learned two contrasting styles of fighting. She must be thinking of either using one of them, or finding a way to use both at once.”

“Should we help her?” Jin Ki asked Lu Han but he shook his head. “Let her figure it out. Only she knows best for herself, us, and most importantly her sister.”

Ja Young let her skyrocketing strength flow through her veins, getting familiar with it and gaining control of it. When she lost her memories, she developed some new strength but with her abilities returning, she never felt stronger. She couldn’t accept that it was hers.

Her ability.

Her power. 

Ja Young thought of Hye Young every day very frequently. She wanted to repent a thousand times for not being able to remember her. She couldn’t even think about what was happening to her, or question whether she was alive or not. She was just afraid to assume she was dead.

“Standing won’t get you anywhere,” a deep voice boomed behind her. She turned around and saw Yong Guk crossing his arms, giving a disapproving face.

“If you were one of my crew, I would have commanded you to drop down and do the number of push-ups for how many seconds you wasted.” She inwardly groaned.

“I was about to start,” she protested.

“Well you’re not quick enough,” he scolded.

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

“Fighting me isn't something to ask. If you can’t do that, then you won’t stand a chance against that bastard who nearly killed you.” His words were harsh to her ears, the criticism piercing her heart.

She charged towards him but he blocked her flying kick with his arm and grabbed it. “Too slow!” He swung his leg at her feet. She tripped and landed on the ground. In retaliation, she swept her leg at his feet but he jumped away. Standing up, she threw numerous punches, forgetting all her training. He grabbed her wrist and flipped her down to her back, and she groaned in pain.

“Stand up,” he commanded as she struggled while standing up.

“You’re getting really annoying,” she cursed, wiping off a speck of dirt off her cheek.

“You’re angry, aren’t you?” She was caught off guard with his sudden change of tone. Thinking it was a trick, she pushed it away.

“I’m not angry,” she retorted.

“Then why are you forgetting everything you know?” She was silent. “You’re trying to throw away your memories of the past few months because you couldn’t remember your own sister. That’s not helping anyone. That’s helping yourself,” he preached. “I'm ordering you to fight me, Hong Ja Young. I am your enemy and you are trying to defeat me.”

Ja Young stood up and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. She could hear in her mind Tao saying, “Anger is the answer to darkness. It is easy to unleash it and it is your responsibility for the rest of your life to restrain it.”

The lecturing was painful but her parents once taught her that admitting her flaws was the only way of getting stronger. Her mind felt like it was clearing and the clouds disappeared. She opened her eyes and saw Yong Guk making his move on her. He drew a fist and she instinctively blocked it with her wrist. She twisted it away and kicked his side. He caught her leg with his other hand. She punched his chest with her fist and he skidded away a few meters. She went into her battle stance, waiting for Yong Guk.

Yong Guk smirked and took his own stance. They dashed towards each other until they clashed mid-way. They became so engaged in their sparring that other argents near them watched the intense fight. B.A.P also got pumped up from watching their leader fight at his best.

“Wow, I haven’t seen him look so happy,” Zelo mumbled.

“He’s having fun, that’s why,” Him Chan nodded in agreement.

“Even Jong Up can’t beat him,” Young Jae said, earning a nudge from the argent beside him. Dae Hyun just continued to watch them throw punches and kicks, neither of them coming close to collapse. When he first joined the crew, he always watched Yong Guk practice his fighting moves, exercise with heavy weights and indulge in heavy cardio. He admired him but he couldn’t muster the guts to ask him for one-on-one training.

Meanwhile, Seung Ho and Chan Yeol were sparring near the lake. The pyrokinetic insisted on fighting near a place where he would be at a disadvantage. Both Argents were armed with a sword and had wounds from being slashed.

“You’ve improved a lot,” Seung Ho smirked.

“And you didn’t improve at all,” Chan Yeol rolled his eyes.

“Hey! I’m complimenting you but I get knocked down already?” He exasperated while wiping the cut on his forehead with his hand.

“I was being sarcastic but then again, it’s true. You’re not supposed to wipe your cuts on your head. Even a shallow knick can bleed a lot.” Chan Yeol whipped out a small ointment container from his pocket and applied a small amount on the cut on his cheek. “Besides, there’s no point.”

“Wait a second! That’s cheating! You have your own medicine?” Seung Ho barked.

“It’s not cheating. It’s called being smart. You’re supposed to nod in understanding and remember to bring your own next time,” he drawled.

“Whatever. At least you didn’t call me a newbie like last time.”

“You’re still a newbie to me, but your reactions are top-class.” He transferred some of his flames into his sword and charged at his sparring partner. Seung Ho gathered some sand from the ground and absorbed the minerals into the cracks of his sword. They both dug their feet into the ground before they resumed their skirmish.

Se Hun fell on his knees and noisily panted. Kyu Hyun from Faction Five closed his eyes and placed his pilot shades back on. The aerokinetic just barely dodged his senior's laser vision with his winds but he fell behind easily. He approached to the younger boy and knelt in front of him.

“Come on, Se Hun,” he encouraged him. Se Hun wearily shook his head, saying that he was too tired to continue. Kyu Hyun gently brought him back on his feet and led him to a nearby fallen log. He sat him down and handed him his towel to wipe his sweat.

“You know, I’ve never seen you try so hard before.” Se Hun shrugged. Kyu Hyun studied him through his shades for a few moments before asking, “Does it have to do with Ja Young?”

Se Hun shook his head.

“But you’re fighting for someone, aren’t you?” He nodded after a while. He thought about the gentleness of Hye Young back at the death camp. When he saw Ja Young with her memories returned, he began to see her twin sister within as if he was hallucinating. He wished that he had the courage to protect Hye Young back then but he remembered being a shrinking violet.

That was when he realized that he was in love with both Ja Young and Hye Young. For the first time in his life, he wished he was able to speak.

“If this person was here, what would you do?” Se Hun lightly thumped his fist to his heart, signifying his loyalty and love.

“You’d tell that person how you feel?” Se Hun nodded.

“Would you do whatever it takes to see that person again?” He thought about possible scenarios that could happen at the battlefield ahead, and prayed that he would be able to rescue her. All second-guesses and fears were replaced with confidence and hope. He nodded again firmly this time. He hopped up and gave a few jumps.

“Okay, now let’s try again. I won’t go easy, so I expect a challenge,” Kyu Hyun warned, his fingers ready to take off his shades.

Su Ho broke free from the ice with his whip and stared down at his brother. He recalled staying by Xiu Min’s bedside, contemplating on what to say when he woke up. He couldn’t muster his honesty because he should be feeling more complete now that he was reunited with him.

He woke up three weeks ago, mumbling his brother’s name in his sleep. Tears were bubbling in Su Ho’s eyes when he heard the nostalgic beckoning voice. It was as if they were children and Xiu Min would always call him “Joon Myun” with the same kind pacifistic tone. Letting go all his pride, he let his tears fall and Xiu Min gathered his younger brother into his trembling arms, weeping with him.

Now on the practice field, Su Ho could feel his shoulders getting lighter and his manipulations more free. With Xiu Min returned to Faction Twenty Four, he felt more complete. The missing piece was not his lack of strength, but the family he deserved to have.

With every icicle and blizzard Xiu Min threw at him, Su Ho countered with whirlpools and scalds. When the other Argents watched, they thought they were seeing a beautiful magical show of water and ice. They couldn’t hear the whispers of the awestruck witnesses because they were so absorbed into their training to help each other get stronger.

Baek Hyun tried his very hardest to avoid every shroud of darkness that was drawn to him. Gi Kwang of Faction Ten stood in the same spot for the past hour while waving his hands to manipulate the clouds. Baek Hyun used a hidden skill of his ability to arm himself with a armor of light so he could protect himself. His lasers only split the shrouds but Gi Kwang was smart enough to regenerate it.

“This is getting a little annoying,” he sighed. “Stop moving so much.”

“I can’t help it. It’s all instinct,” Baek Hyun whined.

“Instinct, this. Instinct, that. Man up! You’re supposed to know how to make darkness disappear,” Gi Kwang rolled his eyes.

“Not when you can fix them over and over again,” he cried out.

“Okay,” he said, “How about these?” He summoned two ghouls from his clouds and they roared at their lonely opponent.

“Great,” Baek Hyun slumped his shoulders and the chase began.

Training continued for all the argents of the society. Every single member had some improvement on their abilities, some even extending their roots to combine with others. Ja Young grew accustomed to use almost every rune at each sparring session with her fellow faction members. She learned how to use them in her own way with some tips. As the solar eclipse approached by each day, she could feel her Origin Arm’s energy increasing at a whole new level. By this point, she had completely forgotten how it felt to have a biological limb in its place.

When news broke out in the society that Yin and Ja Young were the same people, they were astonished and obliged to treat her with more respect. Despite their manners to honour her, Ja Young politely refused their special treatment and requested them to treat her just as a fellow Argent.

On the last day, the eleven male members of Faction Twenty Four surrounded Ja Young in a circle. She was equipped with a belt, handcrafted by her own hand, that held the eleven Runes within her reach. Factions Twenty, Twenty Eight and Thirty, and B.A.P were welcome to watch her ultimate test, determining whether she was ready. 

“Remember, we’re not going easy,” D.O said.

“We’re going full power, so make sure you don’t die,” Chan Yeol added.

“I’m not expecting anything less,” Ja Young took her stance.

Su Ho approached first with a tidal wave. Ja Young grabbed the Rune of Wind and emitted a tornado to condensate it. When it disappeared, he was right in front of her, ready to land a punch but she caught it with her left hand. She kicked him quickly and palmed him on his chest with her strength to him away. 

Se Hun threw some razors at her from behind but she countered with her own wind to cancel it out. She blew some towards the ground to blind him, but it was a mistake. D.O took the chance to open the ground and summon two hands that once caught her off guard before. She leapt away, drew her sword and stabbed it into the dirt. She transferred some wind to make it explode below, destroying the hands.

Kai teleported behind her with a dagger ready to stab her, but she pulled her sword out of the ground to parry it. He created three more clones to close her in. She switched her Rune of Wind with the Rune of Time to delay the attack. She slashed the clones as they disappeared into dust. Before she could give a finishing blow at Kai, Tao intercepted them with his sword. It clashed with her metal arm. She released the time so that it could return to regular speed. She and Tao became locked into a sword fight but because of his advanced technique, he disarmed her. She switched the Rune of Time to the Rune of Teleportation to disappear away from him.

However, it was another mistake because Xiu Min managed to scratch her arm with an icicle. Switching from the Rune of Teleportation to the Rune of Fire, she thawed the blizzard that was howling towards her. Her flames were quickly absorbed by Chan Yeol who was behind her. She went into a handstand and spun herself to send kicks towards them. Lay ed a punch at her arm, bruising it easily. They engaged in a long fight due to him constantly healing his wounds while moving. She exerted all her strength into one punch and sent him flying across the field.

Chen summoned his electric phantoms again, so she switched to the Rune of Earth to gather the ground water from under her feet and fling them to each one. She created a circle to surround him and lock him into a cement coffin, neutralizing his electric abilities. While catching her breath, Lu Han pushed her backwards with his telepathy. She switched again to the Rune of Telepathy before he bound her with an invisible fist that casted a shadow on the ground. She squeezed her eyes together and conjured razors that severed the bonds, landing on the ground. She drew in a deep breath and smashed the ground to throw Lu Han off guard.

Baek Hyun fired his arrows of light at her, one of them piercing through her shoulder. She cried out in pain as she forcibly pulled it out. Switching to the Rune of Healing, she closed the hole. She ran from side to side, dodging the arrows and finally breaking the bow and into his chest. Finally re-equipping the Rune of Telepathy, she gathered her full mental energy and exerting from her entire body, repelling all the members away to defeat. Exhausted after a long and difficult fight, she collapsed to her knees to catch her breath. She took off the Rune of Telepathy and clumsily replaced it into the belt. The members nodded at each other, satisfied with her effort.

“Wow, that was fun,” D.O mused.

“Fun? For once, I agree,” Kai teased.

Lu Han got up on his feet, dusting off his clothes. “I think we can all confirm that she’s ready for tomorrow.”

“Next time, we have to do this one-on-one,” Baek Hyun huffed.

“It’s so complicated with this uneven test,” Xiu Min added.

“Put it this way: we’ve all improved on a short span of time for this battle. We should all feel accomplished with ourselves,” Lay said.

Kai teleported to Ja Young’s side, helping her stand up. He kissed her cheek and gave a lopsided grin, “So, I guess you’re stronger than me, now.”

She shrugged and said, “Maybe I should go easy on you next time so that I would let you win.”

“That’s my job. Guys are supposed to let girls win to make them happy.”

“It won’t make me happy,” she raised her eyebrow, slightly offended.

“Alright! Alright! Break up the flirty-flirty eye contact, you two,” D.O interrupted. “You two are gonna drive me crazy! Being single kinda hurts, you know!”

“Maybe you should get yourself a girl before you can complain,” Kai deadpanned, making D.O gape. Lay chuckled at them from afar.

“Perhaps this amuses me because I can barely see Yin anymore.”

“Do you prefer Zhang Yin then?” Lu Han asked. Lay shook his head.

“Hong Ja Young suits her best. It is her real name, after all.”

That night, Ja Young wandered in the forest, exhausted and tired. Soo Jung had hinted about a waterfall at the edge of the secret realm earlier today. Ja Young felt more at ease when they both became mutual friends. There was no reason to hold tension between them anymore.

The skies were an elegant velvet tone with fireflies that illuminated the darkness, a prelude to war. Her sore footsteps and the crickets filled the pleasant tranquility. She was less lonely when she was constantly hearing settle noise.

When she arrived, her sharp facial features melted into a soft smile and her eyes relaxed. It felt as if she was about to venture off into anther world that contrasted her own. She squatted down by the water’s edge and scooped some of it into her hand.

It was an abnormally warm temperature. The heat of the rocks that basked in the hot sun earlier that day transferred into the water like a fresh scent spreading through the atmosphere. Ja Young slowly peeled off every piece of clothing she had covering her and folded them neatly behind one of the smooth boulders. The scars and bruises from battles and dangerous adventures were visible. She took one step into the soothing water that barely covered the top of her feet.

She took another and another.

Ja Young stopped when the water was just below her shoulders, before her mark on her chest completely submerged. The tips of her short hair became wet. The only company for her was the sound of the showering waterfall pattering onto the surface. She was subtly splashed by the drizzling sprays.

She was so absorbed into the ever-flowing cascade that she didn’t notice another person entering the small lake after slipping his clothes off and tossing them beside hers. Her back was facing towards him and her eyes were closed. The sound of the waterfall drowned out his movements in the lake. Kai unclasped the necklace he brought with him before entering the lake and put it back on Ja Young's neck, where it should belong. She felt the teardrop pendant in realization.

"I kept it with me when Xiang Hua and Ying Jie came here. I tried not to give it to you until you were back to normal." Kai carefully enclosed his arms around her from behind, covering her bare chest and waist.

“Don’t look,” she whispered.

He let his head sit on her shoulder, his lips barely grazing her neck. His breathing was as heavy and tired like hers. “I should be scolding you about neglecting to healing your scars.”

He pulled away to trace some of the more vital scars with his wet fingers, feeling the texture of her repairing flesh.

“That’s not what I meant,” Ja Young replied as she turned around and pressed her body against his. She laid her head on his chest, avoiding his captivating gaze. “I meant not to look at me.”

“Yet,” he finished for her. He tilted her chin to look at her. “I’m not going to go further unless you say so.”

"I didn't say you shouldn't,” she breathed before he lowered his head to her collarbone and sensually nibbled on her wet skin. His lips trailed down to the feather tattoo on her chest, making her shiver in the warm water. When he pulled away, Ja Young traced Kai's own tattoo on the center of his chest with her finger. He lifted her chin with his hand then captured her lips while pressing her body against his.