The Aerie was beginning to feel more like a haunted ghost town: quiet and dreary until a human or dragon flickered by. With the time in the morning, they’d managed to finish moving most of the rest of the important items and crates. Now, some were being allowed to take potential luxuries. The majority of older residents were already staying down below while the younger ones had opted to stay in their homes, hiding or going over what they might be able to take with them, just in case.

            Part of Jinki thought he might have been overcautious in his decision, but Satoru at least supported his stance. ‘It is better to be wrong and nothing happen than to be right and people die.’ He still didn’t know if it was the right choice, but he did feel better about having some of them out of the way of immediate danger. At the least, the older residents and injured dragons were ‘safe,’ whatever that might mean in the near future.

            Yet, as the day wore on, he could not banish the heavy cloud that seemed to settle over him. The weather was fine enough – no storms in the offing – and there was no sign yet of trouble… but he felt unsettled all the same. Slightly offbeat footsteps let him know who was approaching him from behind before they arrived.

            He hid a smile when Satoru’s voice drifted over his shoulder, “Looks like we’re as ready as we’re going to be.”

            “Ah,” Jinki nodded in agreement, turning to face the older Aerie Master with nervousness swirling in his belly. “But will it be enough?” he wondered, biting his bottom lip worriedly.

            Satoru didn’t hide his grimace as he looked over the Aerie and then to the northern horizon. “No one knows what the future holds, Jinki,” he offered, one hand reaching out to rest lightly on the younger man’s shoulder, though his gaze remained trained on the distance. “All we can do is prepare for it and move towards that future as best we can.”

            “I know,” Jinki sighed, shoulders drooping under that very problem. The not knowing was the hardest part of everything. He took a steadying breath and looked up, but realized Satoru’s gaze had not wavered. “What is it?” he asked, turning to squint in the direction his mentor was staring.

            Satoru’s deep breath and slow exhale was not comforting. Neither was his response. “The future,” he murmured dispassionately.

            Jinki clenched his fists and focused again, dread coiling in his chest as he saw them – figures fluttering in the distance. They were too far away to tell who they were, but… dragons were en route. Given what they knew… “I’ll let the others know they need to move below,” he explained simply, voice tight as he tried to convey confidence. “You should go below now too, Satoru,” he added gently, one foot turned to leave but his body facing the older man.

            “Oh no,” Satoru chuckled with dry amusement as he shook his head. “You might be the Aerie Master now, but this is my Aerie, youngling. I’ll see it through, whatever comes.”

            “Satoru…” the younger man trailed off, conflicted.

            “Go. I’ll be here when you’ve finished. Seunghyun has promised to help as long as he can as well,” he promised simply. “I can’t guarantee he’ll stay. Sunny ordered he come back to her after all,” he chuckled, the sound genuine and hopeful.

            “Ah,” Jinki allowed himself to smile. “Good to know,” he murmured with a nod. “Very well. I’ll be off then,” he explained, waving at Satoru once before he jogged away to deliver messages until he could find a runner or two to help him. He didn’t see the sad visage that appeared briefly as Satoru’s well crafted mask slipped.

            By the time he was finished, sending runners to find the remaining residents and having dragons ferry others to keep those below informed, Jinki could better see the approaching figures in the late afternoon light. They were a small collection of dragons, but he thought he could see riders on them. Mixed feelings blossomed as he believed he saw the Stardust Battalion colors as well. But his heart skipped a beat when he thought he also saw an enormous shadow move at the very edge of his sight.

            Satoru hadn’t moved from his original spot, but this time Seunghyun and Heechul had joined him, watching the approaching dragons with stoic expressions. For Jinki’s benefit, the Combat Master glanced at him once and then pointed at the collection. “That has to be Commander Yunho. The silver in the lead should be Hero.”

            “There are so few though,” Heechul commented, not bothering to hide the sadness in his tone.

            Jinki could see it now too. Whereas he’d watched twelve wings depart from the Aerie, far  less than half were returning… And there it was again. He flinched at the flicker of movement in the distance once more.

            “There she is,” Satoru exhaled quietly, his voice carefully neutral.

            “Bigger than I thought she’d be,” Seunghyun commented with a raised brow and an uncertain head tilt.

            “Size isn’t everything,” Heechul quipped, a quirk pulling the corner of his mouth up.

            Both Seunghyun and Satoru snorted and Jinki was left in dumbfounded amazement that anyone could be joking in such a situation. “What do we do now?” he wondered, trapped in a reality he wasn’t truly prepared for.

            “We wait until the riders arrive. They’ll get here before dark and that will likely buy us some time,” Seunghyun commented, eyes narrowed as he tried to measure the distance.

            “You don’t think Tiamat will try to attack at night?” Jinki asked, relief warring with panic.

            “Depends on what she wants to do,” the Combat Master admitted with a shake of his head. “Dragons see better than we do at night, but the conditions are not good for a clean battle.”

            “No. She won’t want to hurt the dragons if she can help it,” Satoru added with a sigh. “They’re her children after all. It’s us that she couldn’t care less about.” His expression flattened and he took another breath. “Ah. There they go,” he murmured, seeing half of the wings they had stationed here take to the air to meet the incoming riders. The other four took up a protective position around the Aerie, circling slowly.

            A black dragon landed nearby and startled Jinki so that he turned to see Jongin on Krystal. Joy jumped off the dragon and bounded over to the collection of Masters, stopping just short. “Most everyone has been evacuated and settled below. There are a few stragglers but as long as some of the other dragons can help before dark, we can finish today,” she promised in a breathy rush, her attention fractured between them and the incoming dragons.

            “Good. Thank you for the information,” Jinki smiled, giving her a reassuring nod and gesturing towards the rider. “We’ll wait for them to land and then decide how to split up the rest of the dragons for assistance,” he promised, giving her a sidelong look before motioning for her to depart.

            “Yes, sir,” she bowed, a quick and hurried gesture, and then stepped back to get on Krystal once more. Jongin helped her up with a steady hand and practiced ease before patting the black dragon and taking flight.

            The Masters shielded their eyes from the dust but then turned their attention to the incoming wings. “Now we wait,” Satoru mused, chewing the inside of his lip thoughtfully.

            The returning dragons finally arrived before the dark of night set in. Even in the dim light, it was easy to see there were more riders than dragons, a fair few riding double on the largest dragons. Commander Yunho directed his riders to land first, staying in the air longest as he circled the rest of the members protectively. His gaze often turned towards the north, visage pale and worried. Only once every other wing mate was settled did Hero land, the great silver dragon simply collapsing to the ground in exhaustion when his clawed feet touched down.

            Despite the gravity of the situation, or maybe because of it, Satoru bade Jinki stay with him, remaining in place while Masters Seunghyun and Heechul hurried to help however they could. Masters Mimi and Hyesung were already there, flitting between the numerous, but far too few, riders and dragons, and all the able bodied hands that were available had poured out of the Aerie already. They were friends and neighbors as much as they were worried and curious residents after all.

            Trembling under Satoru’s firm grip, Jinki was devastated. Each and every one of them that had returned looked hurt in some way. If not physically, then certainly in spirit, which was just as bad. Exhaustion weighed heavy on all of them, laying dragons out against the limits of their strength and making even seasoned riders weep. His chest felt tight and his eyes burned until the grip on his arm turned painful and he flinched, looking at Satoru in surprise.

            “You can feel, Jinki. We are all entitled to that. But be strong for them now. So they can be strong when they come to you,” he whispered, his voice strangely tight.

            Jinki looked over now and he could see it so clearly this time. The mask his former Master wore was a shield for him as much as it was a front for everyone else. He could feel how much Satoru hurt from the tenseness in his body and the way he wouldn’t look at him; the trembling in his fingers on Jinki’s arm and the hard swallow in his throat. “But…” he started to say, voice shaking with unshed tears.

            Satoru looked at him then, mask cracking to offer a sad smile. “The Aerie Master is the heart of the Aerie. If the heart breaks, everything is effected.” He exhaled tiredly and nodded once. “We do break, Jinki. But in solitude. Not here,” he added with a slow nod towards the bodies of dragons and riders.

            When Jinki turned to follow his gaze, he saw Yunho slowly but determinedly walking their way. Everything about his body shouted pain but his face was a mask, much like Satoru’s. Jinki had a feeling that if he were to break down now, Yunho would too and he owed it to him to not allow that to happen. Swallowing hard, he placed his hand over Satoru’s and pulled his shoulders back, shoving his feelings down as far as he could, though the lump in his throat remained despite his best efforts. “Welcome back, Commander Yunho,” he called when the rider came within distance, his voice weak and tight, but loud enough carry.

            “Aerie Master,” the haggard rider murmured, bowing to both when he got close enough.

            “What’s the situation?” Satoru asked firmly as the silence lengthened between them.

            Jinki mentally cursed his uncertainty but couldn’t deny the strong tone from Satoru seemed to help pull Yunho out of his stupor. The Commander stood up straight and took a breath before speaking in a tired but steady voice, “Talongrace has fallen. Destroyed. Not dominated,” he frowned with a grimace. “Most of the civilians were evacuated and fled to the surrounding countryside, but we took heavy losses.”

            Satoru and Jinki glanced at the group of remaining riders and dragons. “What are the numbers?” the older Master asked, still firm but gentler this time.

            For Jinki, it was both ersely fascinating but heart wrenching to watch the question very nearly break Commander Yunho. His face spasmed as if in pain and ducked his head, one hand rising to grab at his heart almost unconsciously. “We lost forty seven dragons.”

            Neither Satoru nor Jinki could stifle the gasp that escaped their mouths. “Killed?” Jinki squeaked, the word barely making it past his lips.

            Yunho shook his head but then stopped to nod, torn. “Some.” He took a breath and dragged his head back up as if he was drawing strength from somewhere else. Though he looked ready to crumble at a moment’s notice, his voice was stronger when he spoke again. “Some died in battle but the rest… left,” he admitted, the anger Jinki expected not there. Only sadness.

            “What do you mean left?” Satoru asked, head tilting uncertainly.

            “Hero said they left to save their riders,” he explained quietly, head drooping just a bit. “I could not hear her but she said she wouldn’t hurt them, either of them, if the dragons left their riders behind. It’s why we have so many more riders,” he explained, looking back towards the huddled group in the commons.

            There were more people, yes, but by and far they looked lost or shattered. Their bodies seemed mostly unharmed but their faces showed they were faced with a different sort of pain. “Human casualties?” Satoru asked into the relative silence.

            Commander Yunho turned to face them again and nodded once. “Twenty five riders were killed. Another seventeen badly injured. I don’t…” he trailed off as a shadow crossed his face then. “We tried…” he whispered, one hand rising to cover half of his face, fingers crooked as if to claw into his skin but the riding glove wouldn’t let him.

            Jinki flinched when Satoru quietly nudged him and nodded towards the Commander. Panic flooded him. He didn’t know what to say! But Satoru was still looking and Yunho was clearly starting to break and… “You did what you could,” he said as he stepped forward and placed a hand on the taller man’s shoulder, gripping firm.

            Yunho flinched. “It wasn’t enough,” he admitted, shaking his head.

            “You led the rest of your wings home. And you’ve given us a warning of what’s to come,” he promised the Commander, squeezing harder, as much for himself as the other man.

            “I failed them,” he whispered, at a loss.

            At a loss himself, Jinki looked at Satoru with a panicked expression. He was more than relieved when the older Aerie Master nodded once and then stepped close. “Go attend to your riders, Commander Yunho. You have reported well and they need you now,” he assured the other man.

            “Yes, sir,” the Commander mumbled with a quick nod, face staying down as he turned and limped towards the slowly dispersing gathering.

            Mimi was as busy as possible, directing Henry and Himchan to help at every turn. Hyesung was doing the same, though Gain had arrived at some point to help with the injured and tired dragons herself. Andy seemed to be taking his cues from her, following at her heels and heeding her directions. And there he saw N and Krystal carrying slaughtered cattle for the returning dragons. A handful of free runners ferried water from the well to the dragons in buckets, among them Joy, Sanghyuk, and Jimin.

            Amidst their hurried, worried actions, Jinki felt helpless. He was the Aerie Master now but what could he do exactly. “Satoru-” he started to say, turning to face the older man.

            But he was interrupted by a single word. “Tonight.”

            “Huh?” he blinked in confusion.

            “You will free Bahamut tonight. In the late marks before dawn has come,” Satoru explained with a sidelong look.

            “Me?” Jinki flinched, fear and dread assaulting him at once.

            “Yes, you. I cannot. He will know me too clearly from visits when Kevin was here,” he explained, turning away in apparent shame. There seemed to be more he was not saying but Jinki didn’t know how to press just then.

            “But-”

            “No matter his disposition, Tiamat will be too close to ignore,” Satoru went on, almost as if he was talking to himself.

            That did not make Jinki feel any better. “How…?”

            “You will break the runes around him. If you disconnect the circles, it should be enough,” the former Aerie Master went on, his lips quickly, hands balling into nervous fists.

            “I’m not ready!” he blurted without thought, everything tensing at the admission. It was too much responsibility. What if he did something wrong? What if he failed?!

            Satoru’s head dropped and he took a breath before turning to look at Jinki. Gently, he grabbed the younger man’s face in his cool hands. “No one could be, Jinki,” he assured him, voice soft and soothing. “But you have more reason than most to succeed,” he murmured, pulling them close to rest their foreheads together. “You are the Aerie Master now, but you are mate to a dragonrider, and voluntarily bonded to a dragon. You are enough,” he promised.

            And though his words were meant to be comforting, Jinki thought they sounded desperate for some reason. “Okay,” he whispered after a long pause, the sounds of the Aerie growing louder with each passing heartbeat. He didn’t feel ready or like he’d ever be enough, but there wasn’t much choice left. If Satoru wouldn’t, for whatever reason, there really wasn’t anyone else. Oh, anyone could break the runes, but the concern was more about how Bahamut might react once he woke. Satoru had said he was most afraid of that moment, and though Jinki couldn’t understand why, he knew the other man had reason. Even if it was only because he had been present when Kevin had woke the great dragon himself, but within the confines of the runes.

            “Come,” Satoru urged, his voice slightly reassured. “Our people need us for now, Aerie Master,” he reminded the younger man, breaking apart so they could view the continued flurry of activity around them, even as the light continued to fail.

            “Of course.” The only consolation was that the dragons on watch had reported that the shadow in the distance had quieted. Tiamat was not advancing at this moment and that was cause for some relief.

            The rest of Jinki’s waking marks were spent in helping organize and direct the movement of the returned riders and dragons as well as the last stand plan for any who intended to stay topside. It was obvious that if the Aerie was completely deserted, a search around might very well reveal their hiding spot, so volunteers were asked to stay. Commander Yunho refused to order anyone, though he was the first to say he would remain.

            By the time everything was decided and everyone was moved and they were as prepared as they were going to be, exactly twenty dragons and a handful more people were left in the Aerie itself. Everyone else had been moved below to wait and pray and recover to the best of their abilities. Tired, pensive, and worried, they ate cold meat rolls together in the dining hall, taking quiet solace in the company of each other. When they separated, the riders joined their dragons and the humans gathered in pairs or small groups. No one wanted to be alone this night. The only exception was Jinki and that was largely because he was trying, with very little success, to sleep in Satoru’s bed while the former Aerie Master stayed up to wake him at the appropriate mark.

            Neither knew how long it would take to wake Bahamut, if they could do so at all. It might be a moment and it might be marks. Neither knew how he’d react either, which was another reason for having so few people remaining. Unless he had some magic they didn’t know about, he would be coming right out of the mountain itself…

            Tossing and turning, the only thing more pressing than Jinki’s upcoming task was Taekwoon’s absence. Above all, he wished the rider was here with him now. It would make everything seem more doable, even if neither of them actually had the power to shift the outcome. He hoped his other half was okay. And the dragons. And the rest of the wings with them… He hated that it had come to this, though he didn’t know what he would have done differently to change the current situation.

            It was while he was musing and worrying and very much not sleeping that Satoru stepped in to wake him. Jinki froze when he heard the door open, light spilling into the dark space. “It’s time,” Satoru spoke quietly, shuffling forward to wake Jinki with a gentle shake. He let out the breath he’d been holding and nodded without a word. “I’ll take care of things up here so don’t worry about us,” he smiled, the expression shadowed in the darkness.

            Jinki nodded and swallowed hard. “I can do this,” he stated, for himself as much as for Satoru.

            “I know you can,” Satoru encouraged, caressing the top of his head like a worried father. “Here,” he offered, pressing two hard but long objects into his clammy hands. Blinking down at them, he realized one was a torch and the other a sheathed dagger. “The way is dark and the stone is hard, but these should help.”

            “Thank you,” Jinki whispered by rote, clutching them close as if they were precious gifts. In a sense, they were, no matter how ordinary they appeared. Shakily, he stood up and looked at Satoru in the dark. “Do you think he’ll save us?” he asked again, wishing for a stronger answer than usual.

            “I can only hope,” Satoru disappointed him once again. “Now go. And Heavens watch over you,” he smiled, the expression forced but no less sincere.

            Together, they stepped towards the painted wall and Jinki watched as Satoru pressed on two stars etched into the surface. There was a click and the wall pulled back before sliding over, showing a dark passage that led into the depths of the mountain. Jinki had to fight to hold back a whimper. Quietly, he tucked the dagger into his waistband and reached for the flint stones kept just inside the entryway. With practiced ease, he started the torch, illuminating the darkness with a pitiful orange glow.

            “I’m going,” he said around a hard swallow. Satoru didn’t answer but he did smile and wave once when Jinki turned to look at him. Jinki nodded back and then turned to the stairs. Closing his eyes, he gathered his courage. With wide eyes, he started down the stone steps and kept going, even as he heard the door sliding into place behind him.

            It was easy to make up sounds in the gloom, to see dancing shadows as something more sinister in the flickering torch light. The air itself felt eerily still, but also warm, though he knew it should be cooler the further down he got. Of course, this was because of the dragon at the bottom, but it didn’t make him feel any better about the situation. Though he’d been this way once before, this time felt slower than usual. Or maybe the stairs felt longer. Or perhaps it was the simple fact of being alone that stretched time itself…

            Jinki didn’t know, but he was both terrified and relieved when the stairs stopped, the ground evened out, and the great silver dragon appeared in his view. “I’m here, Bahamut,” he whispered, almost holding his breath in case the dragon suddenly opened his eyes at being named aloud. He didn’t but Jinki’s nervousness did not dissipate. On the wall to his left, there was an empty torch sconce and he placed the burning brand there before approaching the runes etched around the dragon.

            He didn’t know what they meant. Couldn’t read them like Taekwoon could - oh how he wished his other half was here. But he did know they were what kept Bahamut bound. Reaching for the dagger, his hands felt cold and clammy, the sheathe ice cold despite the warmth of the room. It was probably just in his head, but he shivered all the same. He removed the shining silver blade from its covering and stared at the surface, seeing his reflection waver slightly in the uneven lighting. He looked tired. And worried.

            Jinki closed his eyes and moved to the first ring of runes. For an absurd moment, he almost felt bad that using the blade on the stone like this would probably ruin it. “So stupid,” he grumbled, forcing his thoughts to focus on his task. As he knelt, he traced his fingers over a single rune and then took a breath before hacking at the marking with the blade. It took him a few tries to break it completely, but when he did, he felt a shift in the air like a breeze washing over him where there was no wind at all. “I suppose that’s normal,” he whispered, glancing around and seeing that Bahamut had not changed yet. Not surprising. There were two more rings after all.

            Methodically, Jinki made his way closer, breaking through the second ring and finally the third, feeling the same sensation of a breeze washing over his skin with each success. Standing up, he laid his eyes on Bahamut’s form once more, watching, waiting. When nothing happened immediately, he took a small step forward and froze. The great dragon stirred, inhaling once and shifting as if coming out of a long sleep. But then, one eye snapped open, the vertical pupil wide and dilated. It darted around briefly before focusing on Jinki with predatory force.

            Bahamut’s pupil narrowed to a mere slit. Come to me, he commanded, the voice so overwhelming and powerful that Jinki couldn’t have resisted if he wanted to.

            The dagger slipped from his numb fingers as Jinki fell into that mesmerizing orb… and found himself in Trance. But far from the roiled gray space he had come to believe it was, this place was calm and bright. It was a stark contrast, all hard planes and austerity. “What…?” he wondered in confused fear.

            That fear grew exponentially when a giant silver dragon simply materialized in front of him, like it had stepped out of the whiteness and just was. Lying down, Bahamut had been large enough, but standing, he towered over Jinki like a terrifying mountain. Sleek features and straight horns graced his head while every part of him was silver and proportioned and perfect in its conformity. Far from begin comforting, it scared Jinki.

            And when Bahamut spoke, his voice felt as if it came from everywhere, pressing down on Jinki like a heavy stone from without and within. “I see Tiamat has been awakened. Why? You will tell me,” he stated, the words a command that Jinki floundered under.

            “I… I…” he stammered, having trouble pulling his thoughts together. He hadn’t expected this. He’d figured Bahamut would simply wake up and speak or act to get free immediately. He was not prepared for something like this.

            The dragon’s eyes narrowed and he tilted his slender head to the side. “You are taking too long.”

            Immediately after speaking, the giant form shifted, becoming smaller and changing form until he stood before Jinki as a perfectly proportioned but mountain of a man with silver hair and silver eyes. Taekwoon’s description of the man he’d met here came rushing back to Jinki and he whispered, “Bahamut.”

            “I will see for myself,” Bahamut stated, closing the distance between them almost impossibly fast.

            Jinki gasped and froze up when too strong hands gripped his shoulders, holding him still. He looked up and directly into Bahamut’s dragon eyes in a human body. Tried to pull away when he felt the dragon looking into him, pawing through his memories and sifting through his thoughts with such inhuman ease. “No,” he whimpered, trying to pull away. But he was frozen, caught in a grip that was too strong in a place he did not belong. Trapped. Taekwoon. Help me… he cried, quickly losing the battle to keep the dragon god from seeing everything.

            With a startled gasp and a racing heart, Taekwoon lurched upright and blinked in the dark gloom. “Jinki?” he whispered, trying to remember what had woken him up as he grasped at the words he thought he’d heard. He wasn’t under Jonghyun’s wing so he could see the stars. Dawn was not here yet. Everyone should be sleeping and yet…

            Mate called, Jonghyun added, further supporting what he thought he’d felt. Mate feels it too. Trouble.

            Still weak from his fever and the fight for supremacy with his dragon half, Taekwoon staggered to his feet. No one else had felt it. He could tell. Oh, Jinyoung was looking at him curiously, obviously on watch duty, but none of them felt the shift. Had they? Something’s different, he admitted to his dragon, feeling his dragon half stir in agreement. Bahamut? he wondered, struggling to make sense of things. Couldn’t be. If it was, it was small. Like a tiny ripple in a lake as opposed to the wave that had washed over them previously. If it was Bahamut, then Jinki probably was in danger. Jong. Trance with me, he called, stumbling towards his dragon.

            Jonghyun lowered his head to eye level and they fell into the Trance space together. Different, the copper murmured immediately.

            Taekwoon felt it too. Jonghyun was relatively unchanged from the last time, but looking down at his hands, he could see the ghostly outline of his dragon shape much clearer. And the space itself was lighter… less troubled. By the heavens. Bahamut is awake isn’t he? he wondered aloud and turned to stare at his dragon.

            Think so, Jonghyun agreed, just as mystified.

            Then why don’t I feel happy about this? he asked, filled only with a sense of unease and worry that added to what he’d already felt previously.

            Must go, the copper stated, turning to look towards the vague horizon.

            I know, Taekwoon agreed.

            Now.

            Yes, he murmured, pushing free from Trance so fast he nearly stumbled in his physical form. Looking up at Jinyoung who’d drawn closer to him while he was in Trance, he gasped, “We’ve gotta go. Now.”

            “What?” the other rider blinked in worried confusion.

            “Bahamut’s awake and… Jinki’s in trouble,” he explained quickly, already trying to move as if to fly away.

            “What?!” Jinyoung asked again, even more confounded.

            “Check Trance,” he encouraged, pushing past the rider to approach Insoo.

            “Taekwoon!” the other rider gasped, grabbing his wrist to stop him.

            Stalled, he turned to look at the rider with worried eyes. “Check.” Then he yanked away and hobbled over to Insoo, falling beside the sleeping rider with enough force to wake him up anyway. He flinched when the Wing Leader very nearly attacked him. But then they both froze as a distant cry washed over the camp, the sound weak and obviously far away, but filled with power and rage. It sent a terrible chill down Taekwoon’s spine as he recognized it with a bone chilling certainty. “Tiamat.”

            Insoo looked at him and nodded. “Time to go! Riders!” he shouted, rousing the wing from sleep with a sharp cry. “To the Aerie! Now!” he commanded, hurriedly packing his sleeping gear and using the poor light from the fire to get ready.

            All around him, Taekwoon heard the other riders getting ready as their dragons milled about, agitated. Weakened but refusing to let that slow him down, Taekwoon packed up as fast as the rest, the ghost of Jinki’s words echoing in him. Taekwoon. Help me… It twisted in his gut like a toothed dagger, the sensation reaching up to squeeze his heart mercilessly.

            As they finally got into the air, the barest hint of dawn beginning to appear on the horizon, Taekwoon was filled with nothing but worry. “Hold on, Jinki. I’m coming.”

(a/n: I did not mean to leave this on another cliffhanger, but it was going to get unfortunately long if I didn't. That being the case, I will try to get the next update out as soon as possible! Thank you!)