A/N: so I’m gonna put this author’s note right here in hopes that more people will read it (I get the feelings a lot of people skip over my author’s notes at the end and I’d really hate for you guys to miss this one. There are things in it you’ll really wanna hear). First off, I’d like to thank everyone for reading and coming along with me on this……monster of a story haha. Regardless of if you’ve been here since chapter one or you’re coming here now, thank you for reading and supporting this story!!! I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have written this 123 chapter long beast of a story without you guys and gals reading. …..seriously, I’m not just saying that. I would not have given even a year to a story if no one was reading, let alone over 2.

I started this story back in February of 2014 (yes, yes it has been that long) and now here we are. September of 2016. Haha it’s funny to think that this story has been part of my life for so long and…now it’s over. I’m happy ‘cuz it’s done. finally DONE!!! but…..it’s been part of my life for so long and……I’m gonna miss it. ……and I’ll miss you guys, too. But that kind of goes without saying, right? Haha.

Now, for that thing I said you’d really wanna hear.

So, ages ago Nyokopuppet and I started talking about a sequel. I’ll give you all a moment to digest that and celebrate…………..and moment done. So we’ve been talking about it and planning things and as everything stands right this very second: a sequel will be coming!! …….next year. Maybe a little earlier, like in December. Nyokopuppet and I both need to make sure we have time for that  (she has to do and so do I that will keep us from giving 100% attention to anything writing related) and I’d really like a couple of months break from weekly updates on a monster of a story. I need time to recharge my creativity, ya know? But a sequel will be happening and I will post a link to it here when we start posting.

And now for the actual chapter!!!

Sori and Ravi silently stood in the little graveyard that had been made on the school grounds. The actual funeral had ended hours ago, but neither felt like leaving just yet. They didn’t want to leave their fallen friends and face the mess that was going on outside the cemetery just yet.

After Ravi had killed Jihoo, the couple had set off to locate all of their friends. As luck would have it, one of Jihoo’s men had seen him fall to his death. That man had pulled out his radio and told everyone that they had lost and Jihoo was dead. While some had still fought, still tried to win even when their defeat was right there in front of them, most had given up and laid down their weapons. Xiumin, since he was probably in the best condition of anyone, got Jihu back to the ISBIP van that Yuri, Hongbin, and Leo were in and the agent finally managed to radio for help.

After that, it was just a matter of collecting the dead and returning home to Dark Lake.

“It’s getting late,” Ravi finally said, “we should head back to the dorms.” And he noticed that Sori was looking a bit on the cold side.

“In a second,” Sori replied, “I don’t feel right about leaving them yet.”

“OK,” he nodded, easily giving in since he didn’t want to leave either.

“Hey!”

The pair turned to find Jaesun making his way over, still dressed in his funeral cloths but with a fall jacket overtop.

“Hi,” Ravi replied as the couple got to their feet to greet the nymph.

“Why are you still out here?” Jaesun questioned, “well, I get why, it’s just….in those cloths? In case you didn’t notice, it’s cold. Those….don’t look like the most cold weather friendly things in the world.”

“We were just thinking of going in,” Ravi said, moving to rub Sori’s arms in hopes of warming her up. He felt horrible for not insisted that they go in much sooner because Sori’s arm were freezing and Ravi figured that he was probably in a similar situation.

“Thinking and doing are two very different things,” Jaesun shrugged, “Kris asked me to come get you. Minji wants to talk to both of you. He’d have come but……packing.” The dragon just couldn’t stay at the school at the moment. No one blamed him. Especially since so many others had the same idea. There were a lot of kids who hadn’t been part of the battle who were leaving, too.

“Right,” Sori nodded, “tell him you told us and we’ll stop by his dorm to help after we’re done talking to them.”

“Alright,” with that the couple was left alone.

“Let’s go,” Sori said, forcing herself to keep looking ahead. She wanted stay with her dead friends, but…..

“It’s not your fault,” Ravi said, grabbing her hand in hopes that the contact would make her feel better, “you and Kris and Hongbin and Baekhyun…..and Leo…..I can tell you blame yourselves. I mean, we all do. We all feel horrible and are asking why we’re alive while they’re dead, but……but it’s worse with you four.”

“Kris and I are to blame,” Sori said, voice just above a whisper, “we took the leadership role during this whole mess. And now….now we’ve got dead friends, injured friend, and…..and friends who have just…..run off.”

“You aren’t to blame though,” Ravi pressed, obviously trying to pretend that Leo hadn’t run away soon after they had returned to the school. Honestly, it felt like he had lost two brothers instead of one.

“Hmmm,” Sori just hummed in response and Ravi decided to save this talk for later. When the pain wasn’t so fresh and Sori would be more likely to listen.

“What do you think they want to talk about?” Ravi decided to change the topic.

“No idea,” Sori shrugged, “Minji already told us that the school was taking a break, what more is there to say?”

“I still don’t get that,” Ravi huffed, “why does Dark Lake need to take time off? Why does the whole mess that is Jihoo’s work affecting us here?”

“We know now that Jihoo had people in everything,” Sori explained, “in all the councils, in the ISBIP, and even a few people in the human world. Everything is shut down while people like Jihu, people we know are clean of Jihoo’s influence, look around to find everyone who was working for him.” She paused, “plus, a lot of kids from Dark Lake are dead. Or missing. There’s no way the school can keep running like nothing happened.”

“You’re right,” Ravi sighed, “it just….it . Where are we even going to go?”

“Jihu said something about finding temporary housing for all of us,” Sori told him, but after that……we’ll just have to figure it out.”

“Lito wants you to go home with him, right?” Ravi asked, “Is that something you can do?”

“We’re the heroes that took down Jihoo and his evil empire,” Sori smirked slightly, “I could go live with my parents if I wanted and no one could say .”

“Good,” Ravi smiled slightly, happy to know that his girlfriend could do as she with now. She could go home and be with her biological family now.

“You could come, too,” Sori offered, “you, N, Ken, and Hongbin. You’re all welcome to come with me.”

“I know,” Ravi nodded, letting go of Sori’s hand so that he could pull her into a hug, “thank you.”

The couple finally arrived at Minji’s office to find a few of their friends waiting for them.

“Now that everyone is here,” Minji tried to smile, “I think we should get right to the point of this meeting. When we reopen Dark Lake, I would like for you to come back as staff.”

“Really?” D.O questioned, “I mean, you really want us as teachers?”

“Yes,” Minji nodded, “I mean it.”

“What about those of us who joined ISBIP?” Luhan asked, “We can’t just…..leave. Can we?”

“Jihu has filed paperwork that will end your employment with the agency,” the headmistress smiled, “you’re free to do as you wish.”

“I’ll join,” Sori said, something that surprised no one. After all, she’d always wanted to be a staff member at Dark Lake.

“I’ll join as well,” Ravi spoke up. This came as a surprise to no one as well.

“I’ll have to think about it,” Luhan said after a moment.

“I’ll become a teacher as well,” D.O said and Kai echoed him.

“I’d like to say yes,” Xiumin sighed, “but……I think my place is with the vampire council and trying to build it into something new. Something better.”

“Same here,” Chen nodded, “I’d like to help, but….I think Kai’s better fitted to this job then I am anyway.”

“We’re going to think about it,” Jessica said after a quick discussion with her sister, “but we defiantly want to do something to help the school.”

“I’m not sure what I want to do,” Tao said, “I’ll have to take some time to think, too.”

“That goes double for me,” Hyoyeon said, “things…..I have things to think about.”

“I think I might pass,” N said, “but I’ll take a few days to think before getting back to you.”

“I think I’ll stay with ISBIP,” Suho said, glancing down at his still recovering body, “I might not be able to be an agent out in the field anymore, but…..I don’t want to leave completely.”

“All I ask is that you think about it,” Minji smiled understandingly, “I don’t need an answer right now, so I want all of you to think very hard about this. You might be sure about what you want now, but in a week? A month? A year? Who knows what you’ll have decided to do.”

“You’re right,” Xiumin nodded, “we should all take some time to think.”

“Go back to your dorms,” Minji suggested, “it has……it has been a very long day.”

The group nodded in agreement before they dispersed and headed off to their rooms. Or the rooms that they had decided to spend the night in anyway. Some just…..they couldn’t return to the dorms they once shared with friends who were no longer there.

“You’ve already decided, haven’t you?” Sori asked once she and Ravi had curled up in her bed.

“Yeah,” Ravi nodded, “I’m going to go with you. Whatever you want to do, I’ll be there.”

“Are you sure?” Sori frowned, thinking about what people fallowing her lead had already lead to, “you should do what you want, not what I want.”

“Sori,” Ravi sighed, knowing exactly what his girlfriend was thinking, “I want to be with you. I love you. Nothing is going to change that. If you want to be a teacher here, then I’ll become one as well.” He paused, “and….I kind of like the idea of helping kids learn to control their gifts. I want to help kids the same way this school helped me.”

“Alright,” Sori nodded, “then we’ll be teachers at Dark Lake.”

--

Elsewhere, a young man stood, looking over dozens of supernatural news papers all singing the praises of the Dark Lake students that had stopped Jihoo. The young man glared at the papers before tossing them into his fireplace. He wasn’t going to make his move and attack, not now. Evil as he might be, even he could tell those these children had suffered enough for the moment. But he would start making plans and gathering his army.

The man smirked to himself as he watched the news papers burn, as the flames engulfed a picture of the leaders of the group of students that had been printed on the front page.

“Heal,” he said to the picture, “take time and heal from this. I want you to be able to put up a fight worth remembering when I make my move.”

A/N: and……that’s that. Wow. I can’t believe that it’s really done. wow.