Chapter 1 - Remembering a Friend

The sand drifting in the subtle winds irritated Baek Hyun’s eyes. He rubbed them with his hand while holding onto the camel’s reigns. Lu Han calmed scanned his surroundings as he took a delicate sip of water. Kai wiped the sweat off his brow with the white scarf and fanned himself.

“This heat is worse than the Vatiti Islands.” He remarked.

The sweat glistened his bare chest as he used his sun hat to cool down. He persisted on taking off his shirt and jacket but he began to gain some sunburns. He wore gray pants that fit snuggly according to his figure and sported light combat boots. His other pieces of clothing were safely tucked on the back of his saddle.

“This is the Samuba Desert after all. It’s the most dry area in Shugo where the sun is always shining, even in the winter.” Baek Hyun mused.

“Alright, alright. I get the drill.” Kai waved it off. He watched Yin’s back, who did not utter a word or move a muscle after setting off from Samuba Town. 

Zhang Yin was in a comatose state for two days after she experienced an excruciating headache. Kai loyally remained at her bedside until she woke up with a slight fever. When he felt her hand twitch, he immediately called for Lay, the healer they rescued, to check her condition. He said that her vitals were normal and had no wounds to treat. He left them alone to talk and the first thing she said was “Oh Se Hun.”

Kai patiently listened to her recollection she recalled and a smile grew on his lips as everything matches according to his own past. She put the pieces of her memories that involved him, including his prison number and his ability to control winds.

He couldn’t help but feel more hope growing in his chest, seeing that she was so close to retrieving all her memories. Once she did, she would also regain her full strength. He was also nervous as to how she will act afterwards. He could hardly tell the difference between Hong Ja Young and Zhang Yin. There were still memories that can greatly affect their relationship.

It took Lu Han and Su Ho many days to catch even one glimpse of the enemy’s plan. They found one breaking news that a series of sandstorms occupied the Samuba desert. 

Su Ho’s sentence was scheduled to clear in two days and D.O was showing vast improvement and nearly completed his reevaluation. Chan Yeol, despite his carefree and lazy character, demanded a week of sleep and Lu Han reluctantly granted his request. 

Yin didn’t have an option because Lu Han had a theory that wherever Daemens would settle, there could be a Rune hidden there too. It was essential that she must collect all twelve of them.

The telepath also needed Kai and Baek Hyun to tag along. Kai recently was taught some close combat techniques from Yin, earning a fair amount of bruises. Baek Hyun, other than his ability, was an expert in long range battle. He surprised her with his skills with the bow.

Yin had a white satin cloak to protect her exposed back from the sun. Her Origin Arm was free from her bandages since Baek Hyun and Lu Han has seen it. She wore a sleeveless black halter top and her left hand was covered by the same satin material as her cloak as gloves. Her baggy pants had slits on each leg so she could move easily. She wore brown slippers that looked similar to ballet flats Ji Eun used to wear.

Baek Hyun wasn’t accustomed to wear clothes that exposed his skin so he fashioned himself a sheer long-sleeved shirt and tight navy pants with sneakers.

Lu Han wore a sleeveless silver patterned top with matching pants with buckles on the calves. He had an unusual habit of wearing shoes that were at least two sizes bigger. He raised his hand.

“Wait!” Lu Han called out. They stopped their camels and looked behind. He pointed up ahead and saw some Daemen scouts patrolling around. There were also tall watch platforms with scouts with bows and arrows.

“Daemen scouts,” Kai identified.

“Leave this to me.” Baek Hyun drew his own bow and stretched a ball of light into the shape of an arrow. He put on special lenses that can zoom in closer.

He aimed and fired. It stuck onto the scout and caused a commotion down below. The others screeched and mounted on wild boars, and spotted them.

“Let’s move!” Lu Han commanded and they got off. Kai was the first to attack. He teleported above one of the boars and kicked them off. He took the reigns and steered it to his control.

Lu Han created a telekinetic force to push three scouts that were running towards him with clubs. Baek Hyun stayed back and managed to shoot one boar, sending two scouts flying and cracking their necks when they landed on the surface.

Yin used her raw strength to tip the other two pillars down and killed the remaining enemies. She also put out the fire they created.

“He’s heavily guarded.” Lu Han said. “Either he is in a weak state or he is not in control of his consciousness.”

“We have to hurry anyway. The faster, the better.” Kai suggested.

Baek Hyun and Yin nodded.

Instead of taking the camels, they mounted on the two wild boars that weren’t dead. Kai and Yin rode on one, Lu Han and Baek Hyun on the other. They halted at steep stairs and dismounted from the boars. Lu Han levitated himself to the top easily. Kai helped Baek Hyun up by teleporting up. Yin equipped the Origin Rune of Teleportation and did the same.

They arrived at the courtyard before entering the Colosseum. Kai felt his stomach churn at the sight from his experience. Yin felt her head ache again as she remembered holding hands with the shaded figure, running through the corridors and bring surrounded by Daemen giants. 

“Yin?” They gathered around her, snapping out of her daze.

“What is it? What did you see?” Lu Han asked.

“I saw a something like that before.” She pointed at the structure. They sighed in sympathy. “You’ll know in time. You’re making progress. That is what’s important for now.” He consoled. Kai put a hand on her shoulder, assuring her that everything would be alright. She softly smiled and they crossed the area to the entrance.

“Let’s split up. I’ll try to make the first move. Follow suit when it happens and when we go into battle, avoid using your Cruxes those who have one.” Baek Hyun suggested and they nodded. “Let’s go.”

The four Argents noiselessly shuffled in the tunnel, searching for an opening. Yin stopped dead in her tracks when she felt a familiar resonance in her Rune embedded in her Origin Arm. She looked at the path she was supposed to follow and the other way where the resonance was leaning towards. 

She remained in the structure’s shadows to catch a glance at the enemy, who was only one man sitting on a chair in the center of the colosseum, frozen and unmoving. Instead of dark-coloured attire, he was clad in pure white, save his bottoms which were patterned with zig-zag lines. She couldn’t see his face but his hands were on his lap, palms down. His feet were together. He wasn’t bound, and it was as if he was waiting patiently for someone.

“Se Hun,” she mouthed, recognizing his face. There was something that puzzled her. Although it was obvious that he is a part of the Daemens, he didn’t have any markings on his face. She began to debate within herself whether he could still be saved. 

It was absolutely quiet, and she was hiding behind the arch behind him. Baek Hyun still hasn’t attacked yet. She tried to ignore the sensation in her Arm but she couldn’t avoid it. She muttered a silent apology in her mind and slipped away to follow the source of power.

Lu Han, however, heard her mind from across the arena and he closed his eyes, thinking. She must have found its call. He concluded that he and the rest have to buy her time to find the Rune and join the battle later. When he saw who was in the open field, he was astonished to see Se Hun there. He didn’t expect someone like him to be there. Although the faction was familiar with news of him and Kai captured by the Daemens over a year ago.

Kai guessed that Se Hun would be the next person to encounter. He had hoped to find him and save him on his own, but he remembered how powerful he may become, thanks to the Daemen’s control. Like Yin, he was wondering why he didn’t have any markings. It was a relief that he wasn’t a Boundless Daemen but he was nervous as to what he can be capable of.

He spotted Baek Hyun across from him with his bow ready to use. They nodded to each other and the latter drew an arrow of light. Before he could fire, a butterfly fluttered into the arena and Se Hun robotically moved his right hand, letting the innocent insect rest on his finger. He moved it in front of his face and stared at it for a few moments before he set it free to his right.

The butterfly landed on Baek Hyun’s bow and suddenly, a gale of violent winds was triggered in front of him. There was a loud explosion, destroying the eerie silence. Kai took the chance to come out of his hiding spot and charge at him head on. Another gale was projected towards him and he teleported to a different angle. He jumped and drew a fist, ready to fire.

Se Hun didn’t move, in fact he didn’t even flinch. He unleashed a flurry of invisible razors that cut Kai in many places. There was no blood because the clone disappeared into smoke and the real Kai charged again from a different entrance. He was pushed back by a barrier of wind, knocking into the wall.

Lu Han tried to manipulate the wind Se Hun created with his telekinesis so that Kai could run through. He imagined a part in the barrier and tearing it apart with his hands. The teleporter dashed and threw his punch.

It landed only a centimeter away. The wind-user finally turned his head with an empty glare and pushed him harder with another gale. Kai screamed as his upper body was beginning to form cuts and scars from the razors.

Baek Hyun coughed from the dust covering him. He drew a new arrow of light into his bow and fired it. He expected a hit, but it had no effect. It was as if he was covered in an armor of wind. Se Hun aimed a tornado towards him but Baek Hyun ran though the corridor to dodge it. 

Lu Han’s head was starting to hurt a little bit. He couldn’t afford to waste more energy, but he felt as if he was getting tired faster than he used to. Without another alternative, he clutched onto his right forearm and brought out his fuchsia crystal, and broke it in half.

"Psyche!" he called out his own Crux over the wind and a celestic angel clad in silver armor with a white dress appeared in the colisseum.

"Cut us a path!"

Yin avoided all parts of the upper spectator ground that were about to give in under her feet. She followed the resonation while trying not to be seen by Se Hun. It was getting stronger and she ran as fast as her feet could carry her. As she wove through the decaying rows of seats, she distractedly saw Lu Han's Crux take form and ended up accidentally scratching her leg from a sharp edge and tore some of the fabric of her pants. She ripped it off and used it as a bandage over her wound and tied it tight. 

Up ahead on a pedestal at the back of the court, was a spark of green luster. Yin hastened her pace while behind her, the floor began to crumble. She could see down below that her three comrades were barely making a scratch on Se Hun. When she stood in front of the steep steps, she kicked her shoes off and tore off her satin gloves and cloak.

Stepping on the filthy decaying cement, she climbed to the top. Se Hun’s winds hindered her from pressing forwards. Her short hair was scratched against her skin and her eyes were watery and sensitive. Although tempted to rub them from the itchiness the sand created, she pressed onward.

At the last step, she pulled herself to her feet and ran to the source of the green light. It was the Origin Rune of Wind, resting on its stand. Her mechanical arm inherently reached for it, as if the Rune was encouraging it to take it and use it. When she touched it, she felt a surge of warmth flowing into her body. She held it in her palm and a flash of green illuminated the gaps in the arm. She equipped it, soaked in the energy and dove into the arena before she collapsed with the collapsing earth. 

She landed on the ground, light as a feather. She felt his heavy hurricanes and atrocious zephyr but she didn’t feel anything damaging her. She covered her eyes so that she wouldn’t have to blink so much.

“Yin!” Kai called out through the storm. “What took you so long?” She held up her green-lit arm to answer his question.

Lu Han’s theory was correct. Now that she found her eighth Rune, she can fight against the same power. 

“I don’t want to hurt him!” She yelled.

“He is projecting Daemen energy with his Argentic ability! We have to draw that negative power out of his system! He’s not a Boundless Daemen! That explains why he has no markings or a pearl embedded in his chest!” Lu Han explained.

“But how?”

“Think Yin! Only you can save him!” Baek Hyun shouted while trying to shoot another arrow.

When she recalled Lu Han saying, ‘draw out’, she thought of a syringe drawing out the infected substance from an ill body. She was about to take out the Rune of Healing but if she ejected the Rune from her arm, she would become vulnerable to his wind. When she used the white jewel, she remembered how she only had to touch her damaged skin and it would regenerate by itself. 

That was it.

“Lu Han! Can you open a path between me and Se Hun for only two seconds?”

He nodded once and concentrated his mind and his palms forward. Psyche amplified the attack and the flying sand stopped for a brief split second so she could charge in. She placed her Origin hand on Se Hun's chest and changed the flow of the Rune’s power. She altered it so that the borrowed power could be transferred from her palm to his system.

Immediately, the hurricanes and tornadoes calmed down and Se Hun began to twitch. From their contact, a haze of a Daemen shrieked an ear-piercing howl and the four Argents watched it disappear into the sky. They were all out of breath and they gasped for air.

Se Hun’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and closed. He passed out and leaned towards Yin as she caught him in her arms. 

Lu Han held his head and muttered, “Well done. We have earned another member back.” Psyche knelt down on the ground after the fight and transformed back into crystal in his hands.

Baek Hyun landed on his bottom in exhaustion. “Man, I don’t think I’ve ever ran this much in a long time.” He laughed to himself.

Kai stumbled towards them and gave her a side hug in relief. He eyed on her injured leg and gave her a look. “I’m alright. It’s only a scratch.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” He said. She bit her lip and gazed at Se Hun’s unresponsive state. At least she remembered him before this day.