Silent creep within the dark forest located not far from the abandoned factory, chilling air filled up the area, and with the full moon silver light covered by the thick trees, the atmosphere as almost identical as those in horror films.

Then a sudden gust of wind broke the silence. Traces of black smokes begin to appear in the middle of nowhere, and as it getting bigger, all the remaining of Exo members, along with Jimin emerged from the black smokes.

"Is this the place?!"

Kai studied his surrounding, he then become panicked. "No, this is not the area. This is not where I want to teleport to!"

Jimin was about to say something when she, and the rest of the boys realized something creeping stealthily in the darkness. As surrounding trees gently waving as the it slowing passing them.

"It's the cloud of darkness!"

Jimin and the boys realized they were surrounded by the cloud of darkness. Then the cloud stop moving. Jimin turned to Tao who in exchanged nodded to her.

"I could not hold on for much longer. Hurry get out from here. Find Suho and Chanyeol!"
 

"Chanyeol, you...!"

"Hush Suho!" Chanyeol placed his index finger near to his lips. "The world doesn't need to hear your voice"

Suho struggled further, trying to break himself free from the clutch of the shackles. The sound of the shackles ringing echoing throughout the empty forest.

"It's no use Suho. Save your energy"
"What are you planning to do to me? What is this place? What are those?"

"This...."

Chanyeol slowly backing off from Suho, he then raised his two hands, giving the posture like a circus ringleader welcoming audience into the circus tent. Black tinted fire emerged from the skeletons that surrounds them, creating a wall of black fire entrapping them in the middle.

"......where I will gained all the powers you have Suho"

Suho wide opened his eyes. What are you talking about? Chanyeol grinned as he can see confuse and horror expression clearly visible on Suho's face.

"Chanyeol! This is not what you want! This is just not you!!"

"Oh just be quiet!" Chanyeol approached Suho, grabbed him by the throat and pushed him against the tree, pressing his face as close as he could to his.

“Listen, Suho, there is nothing I’d like more than to squeeze the life out of you” Chanyeol paused and gave Suho a nasty look. “I have better plan for you”

“Fight back Chanyeol. You still can, I know you” Suho managed to say as Chanyeol’s grip become tighter. Suho tensed the muscles of his throat against the strong hand attempted to stop him breathing.

Chanyeol let go of his grip and Suho took in a deep breath, trying to hold back his tears.

Suho raised his head and saw Chanyeol placed his right hand at Suho's forehead. "Sleep tight". The ruby at Chanyeol's hand emitted another red light. Suho can feel his life and energy being drained away, just like before.

Suho begin to scream in agony.
 

Jimin and the boys can hear Suho's scream from far.

Jimin is horrified "No!!"

Kris stopped running. "He's not far from us!". He frantically looked around his surrounding, trying to figure out the direction of Suho's scream. "Kai! Can't you try to teleport where Suho is?"

Kai shook his head in frustration. "I did earlier, but it seemed something is preventing me from doing so"

"That way!" Baekhyun suddenly pointed out.

As the boys and Jimin begin to make a move again they suddenly saw something in front of them, only few feet down the path. They then saw a shadow, slowly and meticulously begin to take the form of a large animal.

"The cloud of darkness! We are indeed in the right path!"

Being the one with no offensive ability, Lay felt his feet were rooted on the ground with fear, beads of sweat dripping across his forehead. The animal began to take a form and substance, becoming almost solid in appearance, towering frighteningly above them.

Knowing Lay is unable to defend himself, Kai grabbed Lay and instantly they vanished into thin air.
 

Suho's body dangling emotionlessly on the tree as Chanyeol preparing the ritual. He light up several small shrines surrounding the tree with his fire. The ruby on his hand continue to emit dim reddish light. Chanyeol heard noises from afar and turned his back against Suho.

"So they managed to figure out? Those restless people. It will be too late anyway"

Suddenly Chanyeol felt strong white light radiated behind him. Chanyeol looked over his shoulder and he can see Suho, still unconscious and tied to the tree, Suho body glowing with greenish white light. Suddenly Suho opened his eyes and  the white light instantly become brighter, radiating the whole forest with white light. Chanyeol had to cover his eyes with his arm to protect his eyes.

The light eventually vanished, Chanyeol removed his arm and he can see Suho is no longer tied to the tree, but instead he is now standing firmly on the ground, right in front if the old tree where he was tied earlier.

"What?!"

"I've been doing my homework too you know. This ground, where the indeginious people settled, is a sacred ground which enhance anyone power with no bias; let it be your darkness power, or my elemental power"

Chanyeol eventually realized Suho's plan all along; the reason why Suho had easily give himself in earlier without a fight. Everything make sense now. Chanyeol gritted his teeth in rage with Suho's deception. "You....! Why you....!"

Suho nodded. "It's a gamble honestly. I deducted you must had possessed the Lucifer's Blood. And with its influence you will take me here for this sacrificial ritual. The Chanyeol I knew, even his deepest dark attention he may had is simply to kill me out of jealousy (refer to Exo Prelude, Chapter 5: Chanyeol and Chapter 6: Suho)-he wouldn't bother to steal my powers. That's the influence of the Lucifer's Blood, not yours Chanyeol!"

Furious that he had been deceived, Chanyeol hurled a black fireball to Suho. Suho raised his hand and water begin to gathered at the end of Suho palm, then it rushed to the fireball, extinguished it within second.

Chanyeol was stunned. Unlike their previous fight, this time Suho effortlessly repelled Chanyeol's attack.

"Didn't I tell you this ground is sacred? Whatever had been happening to me no longer effecting me as long as I'm on this ground"

Chanyeol slowly backing off as Suho looked more serious. "This is why the indigenous people settled here; with this ground power they know they're safe as they know they will never ran out of magic source. Which is why it is also no surprise later some cults decided to settle here as well"

Suho glared sternly at Chanyeol as he positioned himself in his usual battle stance. "But neither the darkness or the Lucifer's Blood will simply escape into our world after centuries being locked away. Chanyeol! I will make you tell me who behind all these!!"
 

D.O ran with all his might, crashing anything in his path; branches, dry leaves, torn everything he just stomped  as he desperately trying to escape from the beast. From afar D.O again heard the shredding wood as the darkness creature got closer and closer.

D.O turned and remained still as he waited from the creature to get closer to him. His heart thumping hard, and fast, sweats dripping non-stop from his forehead. D.O had lost his strength to run and now all he can do is to confront the creature.

The bushes at the side if the path begin to shudder as their branches were torn from the trunks and thrown into the air. The darkness beast slowly emerged from the forest, its demonic reddish golden eyes stared at it trapped  prey.

D.O clamped his fists as he anxiously waiting the creature to get closer, praying that the creature did not decide to leap on him instead. The creature slowly advancing itself to D.O, he can hear the creature heavy breath. With just few feet away, D.O raised his right leg, and with all his might and remaining strength he stomp on the ground.

Loud cracking sound like an earthquake shook the whole forest, causing all the animals to fled in fear and the birds to fly away from their homes. The creature was thrown back few feet away from D.O, landing on it's back on the hard ground. D.O proceed to punch the ground, causing the earth to raised from the ground with sharp shrapnel moving towards the creature. It proceed to stabbed the creatures on every angles of its body.

The creature made moaned before it slowly stopped moving and eventually slowly dissolved into thin air, leaving no trace of its existence. D.O looked into the sky and he can see Kris, soaring at high speed as he attempt to get rid another darkness creature chasing him from behind.

Then a spear-like ice suddenly penetrated the flying creature chest. Then several more penetrated its body. The creature screeched in pain ad its falling into the ground, dissolving in the process.

Kris halted his flight and look on the ground. Below he can see Xiumin, with several spear-like ice floating behind him, with at his side the darkness creature, laying motionlessly, slowly dissolving with several ice shrapnel embedded into its body.

Xiumin then suddenly felt a strong gushed of wind from his back. Not far from him, Luhan and Baekhun held on tree tightly as Sehun summoned tornado. Three darkness creatures clawed themselves on the ground, preventing them from being thrown away from Sehun's strong wind. Sehun gathered small amount of wind into his palm, creating a medium sized ball of wind. Sehun then thrown it to the creatures' paws, causing one of them to lose its grip on the ground.

As the creature trying to save itself, the creature frantically trying to grip on the ground again, but instead, it ended up accidentally pulled another two, dragged them along and all  the three creatures instantly got themselves caught in Sehun's tornado.

 Sehun increased the tornado's speed, causing the creature, which was originally made by smokes to shredded into pieces. With the darkness creature is dead, the tornado slowly decrease its speed, then slowly just disappeared.

With the tornado gone, Luhan and Baekhyun slowly let go of the tree and slumped on the ground, exhausted. As they trying. Catch their breath they can hear sizzling sound of electricity nearby. P

Chen removed his hand from the ground. Few feet away the creature lay on the ground, staggered every few seconds as the electricity continue to electrocute it. Chen walked slowly to the creature. He then placed his palm on the creature's chest.

"Bye-bye. I'm gonna missed you" chuckled Chen.

Chen unleashed massive electricity on the creature. The whole area were flashed with ite and blue lightings. Chen stopped the electricity wave. He can see the creature had turned black, with grey smokes emerged from its body, it had roasted like a chicken being roasted in the barbeque.

Chen sighed at the view, "Too bad we could not have you for dinner...with this size we could had save our two months savings!"

"Chen!"

Chen turned. He can see Kris and Xiumin approaching him. "Is that the last one? Had you seen Tao or Jimin?"

"Not Tao since we left him back then. And not Jimin every since the creatures begin to after us"

Kris, Xiumin and Chen heard rustling sound from the bushes nearby.

Another one? How long this thing going to keep going?

However instead of another creature emerged from the bushes, it was Kai and Lay.

"Hyung! I think we found Suho and Chanyeol' location"
"Then teleport us there!"

Kai shook his head. "I don't think I can really do that Kris hyung. I tried. It seems something is preventing me to. But we can walk there! They're not far from us!"

"Then we should really get going! Is everyone here?"

Behind him Luhan, Sehun, Baekhyun and D.O approaching them.

"Where's Tao and Jimin?" Lay voiced his concern.

Kris bit his lips. "The last time Tao trying to halt the cloud of darkness from getting us...Jimin I'm not...We need to get to Suho fast! Otherwise their effort would be wasted!"

Lay wanted to protest but Kai hold his hyung shoulder, shook his head as his hyung turned to have a look. Although feeling concerned to Tao and Jimin, Lay reluctantly agreed with Kris to continue their search for Suho.

Suddenly the boys can see bright light above the trees and a strong shockwave hit them, nearly throwing everyone from the ground.

"What was that?!"

"It could be them! Hurry we don't have much time!!" Ordered Kris as he begin to sprint to the direction of the light. The rest of the boys followed along.
 

“Woaaaah!!!” exclaimed Luhan as he saw the whole area engulfed by fire. Sehun calmly stepped forward, summoning strong wind to extinguish the fire.

“No that won’t work!” Xiumin stepped in as well. He begin to form ice from the ground, and along with Sehun’s strong wind, they managed to extinguished the fire. With the fire gone and the view become vsible, they finally saw it: the fight between Suho and Chanyeol.

Both Suho and Chanyeol floating in the air. Eerie black fire covered Chanyeol’s body, while his eyes had become cat-like iris with bright golden in color while the ruby on his eyes continue to emit brilliant reddish light. Suho, in contrarily to Chanyeol, he had brilliant white light covered his body.

Chanyeol unleashed massive black fire phoenix and charged it towards Suho. Suho snapped his fingers and a wall of water instantly formed in front of Suho, effortlessly repelled the massive phoenix. Suho waved his hand and the wall of water transformed into cylinder like and bolted towards Chanyeol.

Chanyeol swiftly avoided the water force, then to his surprised the water made a turned and begin to chase him like a missile torpedo. Chanyeol created sphere of fire surrounded him. The water missile hit the fire wall with great force. Chanyeol jerked but the fire wall remained intact. The water eventually dissolved into thin air. Suho summon more water, this time it took a monstrous form of sea serpent, surrounding Suho.

“Chanyeol! We can end this fight now! Fight Chanyeol! Get off the Lucifer’s Blood influence in you!!”

The fire sphere burst open, revealing Chanyeol with massive black phoenix behind him.

“Pardon me Suho, you were saying?” mocked Chanyeol. Suho instantly send his water serpent to Chanyeol, while Chanyeol counter attacked Suho with his fire phoenix. The two forces collided, causing a massive shockwave.

The boys who had been watching the fight was thrown few feet away. Kris immediately got on his knees and watched the fight becoming more intense. How is this going to end? Both of them appeared to be very strong. But how? Why Suho is so strong right now?

“It’s must be the ground”

Kris looked over his shoulder. He can see D.O getting himself up, and D.O looked at Kris as if he could tell Kris was baffled. “I did further study on this area. This is a sacred ground. Suho…he must had planned to be taken here…”

“Or he was gambling that he will taken here!” growled Kris. “Such a risk taker! What was he’s thinking?!”

Kris can see another waves of attacks about to collide. “Brace yourself!!”

Kris raised his two arms and covered his face as he prepared for an impact.

Nothing happened.

Kris slowly removed his hands. He saw Chanyeol, and the fire balls remained frozen in the air, while Suho still moving.

Could it be?

Kris turned to his left and he deduction was correct; it’s Tao, slowly emerging from the bushes, with Jimin following him from behind.

“Forgive me hyung for taking too long. If not because of Jimin I probably still trapped in the darkness"

Kris got himself up, patting away all the dirt from the knee area of his trousers.

“It’s ok Tao….I’m more glad that you’re still alive. Forgive me for not coming back for you”

“It’s ok hyung, I understand” assured Tao. He gave a look to Jimin and Jimin nodded in agreement.

Suho landed on the ground and joined Kris and the rest, the light on his body slowly becoming dimmer before it completely faded away. Jimin rushed to Suho and hugged him.

Lay approached Suho. "I could not sensed any injuries or pain from you anymore. This ground is indeed a something…” he then looked into the sky, with Chanyeol still frozen in the midair. “Chanyeol is affected by your time freezing Tao, you could had done that earlier”

Tao and Jimin exchanged looks.

“This is something Jimin and I had discussion earlier…You see, unlike the rest of you guys, my power could not really effect on any Exo members. I could if I really put all my focus on it but it will drained my energy. When Chanyeol first time fought Suho, he was too powerful for me to manipulate the time on him, but now….”

“No you could not be serious…”

Tao looked at Luhan and solemnly nodded. “Unfortunately Chanyeol is no longer an Exo, the Chanyeol we known is no longer with us…”

“Then our power will not going to affect Suho!” Sehun stepped forward. The boys are unsure whether they should stop Sehun or not, even Jimin is unsure; her duty is to protect Exo members, but with Chanyeol had been stripped from Exo position, he is no longer under her care.

Sehun stood silently for a moment, staring at Chanyeol frozen in the air. He raised his right hand for a moment, but instantly pulled it down again. He looked over his shoulder towards Jimin and his hyungs. “I can’t do it hyung….I just can’t do it…”

“Of course you couldn’t” Luhan comforted Sehun. “After all he is our Chanyeol”

“What should we do now? D.O, any idea?”

D.O could not answered Chen. Within the journal he had all the information he needed about the Lucifer’s Blood, but nothing about getting rid its possession. D.O begin to felt despair. He then noticed Tao starting to become agitated.

“Hyung! I don’t think I can hold much longer”

The boys exchanging looks to each other, they then turned to Jimin. Jimin felt burden, she wanted to save Chanyeol as well but she is also unsure how. Suddenly the boys begin to felt sensation crept into their body. Jimin could feel it but she can sensed them. Jimin then noticed Suho’s body begin to glow again.

No way!

“Suho stop!!” cried Jimin, but it was too late; all the ten boys’ bodies emitted white light for few seconds before they fade away, and the light covering Suho become brighter. The boys baffled by the sudden sensation they were having now, can feel something missing in them; and soon they realized all their elemental powers were stripped away from them.

“What’s going on??” Kai become panicked.

In that instant the time freezing effect disappeared. Chanyeol was shocked to find Suho no longer in front of him. But Suho did not wait for Chanyeol to find him, he charged himself towards Chanyeol.