A/N: Thanks for subcribing and commenting! Wow! And here it is! The bridge, or in other words, 5.5, or why I couldn't write part 6 yet and I know not when I'll be able to (aish this story is affecting me...) anyway do enjoy :) 

*****

Sometime in the Past...

*****

                Wooyoung sat silently on the stairs leading to the upper levels of the mansion. Fingers splayed across his cheeks, thumbs resting under his chin, he looked over his darklings. They were covered in splotches of magic, which had dyed various parts of their skin and clothing different colours. The entire foyer had been so damaged he did not want to think about how to make Junho fix it. Changmin stood nervously at his side, every so often he would brush his hands against his pant leg. Wiping sweat no doubt...disgusting. What to do? He’d never had this happen before. His stupid darklings were honestly still children.

                “Recount to me again – from the beginning because is it ever so convoluted – why my house is in such disarray?” He asked, and tried to keep his voice cool, collected. He only partially succeeded of course. The four of them paled considerably more than their already vampiric-complexions made them. Junho was the one he watched when he asked. He cowered and covered his face as if embarrassed.

                “Well...first...it started with us trying to break into the South Wing because we kept hearing noises from down there.” Nichkhun began.

                “That only started after we found a really, really old bottle of wine.” Taecyeon inserted but quickly recoiled when his gaze shot to him.

                “A really, really old bottle of wine...” He parroted back. “Did this bottle have a label on it?”

                Taecyeon shrugged and looked at the others.

                Unexpectedly, Chansung smirked a little but then quelled it, or so it seemed. The smile kept on tugging at his lips.

                “Something amusing, my lovely Hwang Chansung?” He asked, more curious than anything.

                “Sorry...I expect us to get in a lot of trouble, but it was so much fun when it was happening...” He admitted and bowed deeply.

                What was he going to do with the lot of them?! Sure, they were beginning to act out, and challenge him more frequently. But it was only because they wanted answers to questions that were at times difficult for him to answer...

                “Why, for the love of Inferna, are you covered in the after effects of magic?” He sighed, beginning to get irritated. He had been gone for two days, TWO! He didn’t expect to come home to...to this!

                “Well...” Nichkhun began and all three of them glanced at Junho, the obvious culprit. “Okay, so it did begin with that strange bottle of wine but then we kind of broke into the wine cellar to see if there was anymore-

                “And there wasn’t, thankfully...” Chansung interrupted.

                “Yes, thankfully... But we broke open more bottles anyway... and then we started hearing strange noises and we followed them to the South Wing entrance.” Nichkhun recounted.

                “Nichkhun...while I’m surprised you were part of this venture – and Chansung, you as well – why did you not alert me?” He asked, exasperated at their idiocy. Taecyeon and Junho gave him dumbfounded looks. Yes, he assumed they were the primary culprits. Even if they weren't on talking terms for whatever reason, they were cunning together and they plotted devilishly when they desired. It was admittedly strange though, that they heard something in the South Wing but he wasn’t going to gift them with that information when they were acting like imbeciles. “Again, why are you covered in magic residue?”

                “Well...um...” Nichkhun’s gaze shifted between Junho and Taecyeon. “You never ever told us that mage’s get crazy when they consume alcohol!” He accused.

                A blush flourished all over Junho’s face and neck, no doubt the rest of his body. He crouched down and groaned in utter embarrassment.

                “Normally alcohol is used as an enhancer for magic when used correctly, and usually they are particular types which cause this, but most often it acts as a depressant, or relaxer. Whatever you were doing obviously enhanced his abilities – now!” They all flinched and cowered back a little. “What the happened to my house?”

                “Well, after we figured out we couldn’t open the door, we kind of just went back to drinking.” Taecyeon said with a nonchalant shrug. It pissed Wooyoung off so much he stormed towards him.    

                “No, Wooyoung please...” Changmin tried but he shrunk back from a glare. None of the others moved to stop him, good.

                Wooyoung reached up and hauled Taecyeon down to eye level. “My dear, blessed Third, while you and Chansung may find this highly amusing, I do not. You went drinking and opened up a bottle of what is called phantasia. It is a very rare and old wine, yes, but it is not meant for social partying. The blood of a High Mage is used in it.” Releasing him he was tempted to physically punish them. Junho was probably already mentally tortured by having whatever occurred publicly recounted in front of him and others, but it would not be enough, he should have known!

                “How were we supposed to know that when you don’t tell us these things – or when you leave us high and dry without saying anything?” Chansung huffed and stared down at him.

                “So your response is to act out and drink yourselves silly, making Junho act a fool, and then appear innocently before me thinking there won’t be consequences?” Chansung’s jaw clenched. Nichkhun rubbed his forehead. Junho collapsed to his knees. Wooyoung couldn't help but laugh disbelievingly. “Why don’t we tap into your memories and see what truly happened?”

                “No!” Junho cried out. “I’m sorry! I should have realised that the wine was phantasia. It’s my fault all this happened-

                “Don’t take this out on yourself, Junho. We all filled our cups willingly.” Nichkhun comforted.

                Wooyoung caught Nichkhun’s hand and crouched before his self-pitying mage. “You make it seem like you have a choice.”

                “Wooyoung, don’t be so cruel-

                Wooyoung glanced in both Taecyeon’s and Chansung’s direction. They both backed off.

                “Let this be a lesson to you, of the severity and forbidden rule now that our dear mage cannot drink unless I am present. How there are things in this house which are quite valuable and could have been used as protection, or for more fun adventures if you had just confronted me about your feelings. I know we haven't been able to do that as of late, which I now feel guilty of...” Wooyoung reached forward and pressed his fingers to Junho’s forehead. “You know if I don’t punish you, it will not be fair.”

                Junho relented and let him take the memories. He dared not look into his eyes. As tough as he was being, he truly did not want to be, and if he looked into his mages eyes this would all unravel.

                “You and you alone will fix the damages you have caused, Junho. Dimissed.” His mage rose and began to set to work and turned to the others. “For the three of you, you will sit here and watch. You will not assist. You will not comfort him. You will not do anything.”

                “Wooyoung-

                They started but he silenced them with a wave of his hand. “I do not want to hear it. If you cannot face what you have done I don’t want to hear it. If you want to know things, Chansung I aim this at you, when have you ever thought you lost my trust that you could not ask? This will have repurcussions on your ability to in the future I hope you understand...” The man’s eyes darkened with realisation and he turned back. “When Junho’s task is complete we will reconvene.” He turned up the stairs and motioned for Changmin to follow. “I think you’re getting off lightly gentlemen. You know what I would do to your kin if they were the culprits.”

                “I would rather face physical torture than to...” Taecyeon began.

                Wooyoung turned and faced them once more. “No for a month!” He declared and carried on up the stairs.

                “Wooyoung! That isn’t fair!”

                “Neither is drinking phantasia and having a party just because I haven’t been paying you enough attention. When you stop acting like brats, I will give you the counsel and possible attention that you desire. Happy watching.” He said with a kind smile and exited. As he strode down the hall he vaporised the memories and rubbed his temples, and his expression became tense.

                “You’re not going to watch the memories? What if Junho cast something dangerous?” Changmin wondered.

                “I would have sensed it...” Wooyoung grumbled. “You realise how much torture this is going to be for me as well..?” He whined and faced him. “I haven’t been with any of them for two weeks. Chansung has been a moping mess and I don’t know why. Nichkhun has been immersing himself into his work and completely avoiding the mansion. Taecyeon has been trying to comfort Chansung as he has always done, and giving him all his attention. Junho has been out of the mansion for lengths of time. They want me to give them attention? They avoid me...They fear me still!” He scoffed and punched a hole in the wall. “Did you see how much magic residue they were covered in?!”

                Changmin jumped at his outburst. “I just...can’t believe you don’t want to see what happened.”

                “I would be jealous, Changmin. Even Nichkhun was there...can you believe it?” His old friend shook his head. “I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to hear about it. They were probably having a multi-layer fantasy because of how much wine they drank – and then they mixed it with regular wine! You don’t do that...” He whined and collapsed onto his bed.

                “You shouldn’t tell them not to be brats when you’re acting like one yourself...”

                “Shut up!” He growled and rolled off his bed and headed towards the window.

                “You’re already jealous. You’re all so very funny. You want to be with each other and do things and yet you’re all avoiding one another. You’re stupid that’s what it is...”

                Wooyoung gaped and flung a volley of magic in his direction which he dodged. “You would know wouldn’t you..?”

                “I would, I’m always on the sidelines observing after all. Sometimes it’s quite the funny show watching all of you. Other times you frustrate me to hell and back and I just want to shake the living daylights out of you – wait, deathly nightlights?” Changmin wondered, but rejected his phrase and went on to pick at his nails. Wooyoung couldn't help but stare at him in amusement and gave him a chuckle. “You should have watched the memories. It would have been amusing for me.”

                “Forgive me for not wanting to be a source of amusement. You’re such an !” He snapped, mood changing immediately back to his irritated and bothered self.

                “Ha, aren’t we all?”

                “Go monitor them. I need to vent...”

                Changmin snorted. "Here I will assist you throughout the next month my beloved Wooyoung. They cannot touch you nor have , but that doesn't mean you cannot tease them."

                "That was the plan all along..." He grumbled and hugged himself. "But it would still be torture..."

                "You really have changed, or they have come to mean so much to you, you know what will hurt them by loving them so..." Changmin said and then left.

                Wooyoung rolled his eyes. “Bloody mage...infuriating darklings, honestly, if I didn’t love them so...”