He hadn't realized he'd been dozing when he was startled awake for some reason. A shutter passed through his chest and he hoped Jongdae wouldn't wake due to the involuntarily convulsion. Something had felt strange. Like when he used his power but much, much stronger. The feeling was entirely gone now, but he was still left with the memory of it. He had to tell someone. There was a whole room of someones waiting out there.

Jongin closed the door quietly behind him and made his way back to the living room where he'd been less than an hour earlier. But it was the kind of hour that seemed like forever when filled as much as this one had. The mood in the room was somber and he felt as though he'd just missed the end of a very important conversation. He didn't ask what it had been about. He had always been taught to not poke his nose into anyone's business. But... wasn't this his business too? After all, they were all in this together.

He was about to open his mouth to speak when Chanyeol and Luhan came rushing up behind him.

"He's gone." Luhan burst out. Less panicked than his statement suggested he should be. If anyone was gone, there should be cause for concern. A head count told Jongin immediately that the 'he' was Zitao.

Of course Toshi flipped. His words were almost incoherent and for a moment, Jongin wondered if any of them were even their own language. Although he caught a bunch about the tree and who was going to open it now? And he couldn't rely on him, as he pointed at Chanyeol, who looked as hurt as he should be.

Then suddenly Jongin was grabbed by the shoulders. "You have to bring them back. Bring them all back. Forget the ing alignment. They aren't safe there." His eyes bored into Jongin's own. It was suddenly easy to see how capable the man was of anything. In a situation where he would be backed against a wall or have no choice but to go to extremes, Kenneth would be able to even commit murder. Like his counterpart, Arthur.

Jongin grasped for something to say but at that moment, Jonathan stepped forward to grip Kenneth's arm tightly. "Let him get Zitao back. And you can start the alignment. If you do so, maybe I ...  we ... can help you."

It was clear he wasn't talking about the group of people in the room. Rather, some other collective. Who, though. Everyone waited for Jonathan's next words. They came like a command to Jongin directly.

"If you can convince them to begin the alignment there too, I have faith that I can affect all the other artificials there as well."

Jongin swallowed nervously at the prospect of the difficult task though he nodded obediently. Jongdae might be annoyed if he woke up before Jongin came back but he'd have to deal. Just as he was teleporting, he heard Chanyeol's voice: "Wait, you're an...."