Baekhyun was awoken by the first rays of sunlight trickling into his dormitory, gently coaxing him from sleep as they bathed his reposing form in a warm halo of light. Feeling rejuvenated, Baekhyun leapt out of bed and rid himself of his sleepwear, wanting to get dressed as soon as possible. Unfortunately, his zealous movements also had the unwanted side effect of waking the lump over in the next bed.

“Blimey, Baek. What are you doing up so early,” Jongdae grumbled, emerging from under the heap of bedclothes with his hair in disarray, looking every bit like disheveled kitten. Squinting at Baekhyun’s blurry form, the boy’s eyes gradually grew as large as saucers as he stared at the sparkling object on Baekhyun’s chest. The boy gushed. “How pretty! What is it? How come I’ve never seen it before? Can I touch it?” 

“Er, sorry Jongdae. Maybe some other time. Right now, I’ve got an urgent appointment. See you later!”

Having successfully evaded Jongdae for the second time in as many days, Baekhyun heaved a sigh of relief once he entered the Conservatory’s jewel: the vast, labyrinthine library. The calm, stately atmosphere, thrumming with the undertones of ancient, powerful magic, always did wonders to settle his chaotic thoughts. Ignoring the alluring calls of the other books, Baekhyun purposefully strode down the aisles until he reached a familiar bookcase, constructed of a unique dark, polished wood. He scanned its shelves until he finally found what he was looking for: an ancient, leather bound book; the title emblazoned in gold leaf across the cover read Ars Goetia, or in plain speech, The Lesser Key of Solomon. It was a compendium of all the names and titles of the many demons the great mage King Solomon had encountered on travels, if there was any information on Chanyeol to be found at all, it would be in this tome. Baekhyun flipped through the pages expectantly, until he came to a rough sketch bearing the same likeness to his pendant. Glancing at the name next to it, Baekhyun felt his heart plummet into the pits of his stomach. Pheonix, he read in a hushed whisper, the sound echoing throughout the silent sanctuary. Grand Marquis of Hell.

A few hundred miles away, Lu Han awoke feeling similarly refreshed. Briskly donning his day robes, when he opened the door to his assigned quarters he was met with a rather comely serving boy who unceremoniously shoved a note into Lu Han’s hand before continuing on his way, whistling a merry tune. Shaking his head at the youth’s lack of decorum– did the boy not know who he was? - Lu Han scanned the piece of parchment, recognising Suho’s elegant hand. It was an invitation to break fast in the other Archmage’s chambers, and not a moment too soon, if the clawing pangs of his stomach were any indication. Despite the promise of a feast however, Lu Han was under no illusion that this impromptu gathering would be for mere pleasure.

Sure enough, no sooner had he and Yifan – who also seemed to have benefitted from a good night’s rest- sat down to indulge in the lavish spread, Suho descended upon them with a swish of his white robes, hazel eyes gleaming with the thrill of conspiracy.

“My Lords, as I am sure you have guessed, we can no longer discuss things out in the open. No doubt it is strange to see rival Archmages on such good speaking terms; that is why we are currently being watched. But, do not be afraid to voice your thoughts now. I myself have checked every inch of my quarters for Listening spells.”

Despite his reassuring words, Lu Han and Yifan did not pause in their inspection of the well-laden table. Fortunately, Suho seemed to be undeterred by their reticence, as he officiously forged onwards.

“Very well, if no one is willing to take the lead, then allow me to begin. It is painfully obvious that we do not have enough support to launch a full-frontal attack. In any case, it is too early to do so without the necessary intelligence. We know next to nothing about the enemy, having been denied access to any of the affected areas. Therefore, I propose this: we each send out a small, elite team to conduct proper investigations.”

“That - is a good plan, Lord Suho” Lu Han finally intoned, in between mouthfuls of a delicious sweet tart, the first victim of this morning’s conquest. “However, the problem is who to send. The Elders will surely notice if we dispatch but even one of the Specialists. No, we must think smaller, more discreet.”

“I assume you are referring to your young ward. Baekhyun, is it not?” Yifan gave a small knowing smile.

“Indeed he is young, but resourceful and dare I say – gifted - beyond his years