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Chapter Text

“Shit...” Another blow is aimed towards her stomach and she is unable to do anything to prevent it from coming. The fist makes contact with her, causing her to cough roughly. An elbow slams down on her back and she hits the floor hard. 

Siyeon groans, feeling like all of her bones were shattered upon impact. Her opponent slowly rolls her over onto her back to face the ceiling. The face of her professor hovers over her as well. Both faces are contorted in concern for the fallen girl. 

“You okay, Lee Siyeon?” her professor asks. Siyeon manages a nod from her position and sits up with some difficulty. 

“Okay class, what did you learn from that fight?” 

One of the (obnoxious, in Siyeon’s humble opinion) boys raises his hand, “How easy it is to beat up rank one trash?” His group of friends laugh at his comment, but the professor is unamused by their lack of focus. Siyeon clenches her jaw as she stands up, wobbly from the fight. Her opponent, a rank four student, grabs her arm to steady her. 

“No. If Lee Siyeon were a demon, you would have already been killed, Park Jaewon. For underestimating your opponent.” the boy in question simply smirks. 

“I doubt I’d die from a weakling like her.” He sneered. Siyeon raises her middle finger to flip him off before dragging her battered body to the infirmary. Handong, the chinese transfer student that just beat her up in front of the class, followed alongside her. 

Siyeon watches the blonde girl from her perpherical, curious. Handong rarely spoke much in and out of class. She also didn't talk much to other students, let alone be seen with a group of friends. 

“Is there something on my face?” Handong asks, breaking the awkward silence as they walk towards the infirmary. Her chinese accent made her korean sound a little strange but it was still understandable. 

Siyeon shakes her head, “Just...you don't have to walk me. I know where to go.”

“Oh, I thought that it would be bad manners to let you go on your own. It’s not good sportsmanship.” the chinese girl explained calmly. At least she wasn’t doing it out of pity or to torment the other, much to Siyeon’s relief. It seems that in the few months she’s transferred here, the chinese girl was unaffected by the hierarchy that went on here. Siyeon was glad, because if that meant one less person to bother her while she studied here, the better. 

They open the door to the infirmary, stopping their brief conversation there. As usual, Jiu, one of the highest ranked students here, was seated at the nurse’s table. Her pale blonde hair shone in the sun, with her round glasses slipping slightly off her face. 

“Ah? Siyeon? Here again?” Jiu’s doctor coat flowed as she pulled the curtain aside to reveal an empty bed for Siyeon. 

Siyeon snorted through her nose as she sat down on the bed. The black-haired girl winced as she pulled up her sleeve and pant leg. Jiu’s hands quickly got to work with practiced ease. It was obvious to Handong, who was watching the whole exchange silently, that Siyeon got injured in their live combat class often. 

The ranking system of HF Academy was definitely strange to her. But who was she to pass up the chance to study at one of the greatest Hero academies in the world? Even if this academy reinforced this strange hierarchy, Handong needed to be here. She wondered if these two girls felt the same way, seeing as how they are different compared to most people she’d met here. 

“Ow ow ow! Be more gentle, will you?!” Siyeon whines as Jiu applied more disinfectant to a scrape in her hand. Jiu shushes the younger girl and tells her to tolerate the pain a little more. “If you’re going to be a hero, shouldn't you work on your pain tolerance a little? What if you stubbed your toe on a rock and you cry like a baby in front of a demon?”

“...Sounds like you’re talking from experience, Dr. Jiu.” Siyeon says mischievously. Jiu rolls her eyes in exasperation. “We both know I’m talking about a certain windy dumbass. We were both there to see it happen. Thankfully, it was a low level demon so some firearms from yours truly took care of the problem.” 

“Also, I’m not a full-fledged doctor yet.” Jiu reaches up to flick Siyeon’s forehead. “Ow, this is patient abuse. I’m going to report you to your supervisor.” the two girls narrow their eyes at each other, with Handong standing awkwardly in the middle. She isn’t sure if they are joking or now, seeing how serious they are glaring at each other. 

Like telepathy, they both turn to her at once. “So, are you injured anywhere?” Jiu asks with a smile. Handong almost gets whiplash from how fast Jiu’s mood changed.

Siyeon sports an easy smile as she props her legs up on the bed. “Nah, she totally kicked my ass in combat training. Could barely land a hit-” A huge gust of wind knocks the large window open, scattering papers and curtains. A tall girl with wavy black hair comes flying through the window, landing on the ground in front of Jiu. The moment the girl’s body hits the ground, the wind immediately stops. 

“What the f-”

Now, Handong’s impression of Jiu was that she was kind. Doctors or people in the medical field in general tend to give off nice impressions. Heck, the pale blonde hair and the resting smiley face were all good signs. But as she watches Jiu place her foot on top the the girl’s head, she wonders if she somehow entered an alternate universe. 

The girl squirms under Jiu’s foot, “Ack! that’s my head you’re stepping on you hag!” Jiu give the most sarcastic smile she can muster, making her look a little scary. 

“Sorry, I thought you were an annoying little bug that flew into the infirmary-oh wait, you are.” Without any mercy, Jiu gives the girl a little kick in the stomach. “Anyways, get up, you’re making the floors dirty.”

The girl does as she is told, but not without a lot of whining and kicking, making the doctor-in-training even more annoyed. The girl climbs on the bed that Siyeon is sitting on and plops her head on Siyeon’s lap. 

“Singnie, that meanie doctor was stepping on my head and treating me like a nuisanceeeeeee.” Siyeon laughs and pats the girl on the head as if she were a dog. “What did you do this time Yooh?”

“Nothing.” was Yoohyeon’s immediate reply. That definitely meant that she did something. Siyeon and Jiu give the girl unimpressed looks when she tried to pout and look as innocent as possible. “Okay fine. I was minding my own business-”

“Doubtful.” Jiu interjected.

“ANYWAYS! I was minding my own business when those girls from last week showed up. So I yeeted myself out of there before things got ugly. Oh! Gahyeonie was there too but I left her behind...oops.”

Jiu sat down on her office chair, sighing before turning to Yoohyeon with narrowed eyes. “And you chose to hide in the infirmary...why? Especially knowing that I’m here too?”

Yoohyeon kicks out her long legs with a happy smile on her face. “Well, I saw Siyeon through the window so...yeah. Besides, not everything revolves around you, princess.” The youngest sneers. Sensing the tension building, Siyeon slams her hand over Yoohyeon’s mouth and drags them both outside. 

“We really need to leave now, my uh, table cloth needs to be watered! Bye Jiu!”

As the door slammed behind the two remaining occupants, Dong looks to Jiu with a confused expression. 

“Are all Koreans as strange as those two?”

Jiu looks heavenward, “No, just those two idiots.”

--

After finding Gahyeon in the middle of a glitter explosion in the creative arts classroom and dropping Yoohyeon off at her dorm room, Siyeon all but collapses on her bed. Those two troublemakers will literally be the death of her. I mean, who goes and teleports a store’s worth of glitter into the school to see if Yoohyeon is capable of “making it rain glitter”? Lee. Freaking. Gahyeon. That’s who. And for a five dollar bet, no less.

It’s a wonder that the school hadn’t expelled those two for abusing their powers. Well, it was mostly harmless, if they don't count that one time where Siyeon broke her hand…

Siyeon rubs at her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. She’s going to have to find out which stores had their glitter stolen and repay the amount. It was hard work being the pranksters’ babysitter. But she loved her friends to bits and wouldn’t trade them for anything. 

(Even if she did joke about trading them in for half a cup of brown sugar bubble tea all the time.)

Her thoughts were broken by the room door opening. A short girl with wine red hair comes in, glancing at Siyeon’s tired form on the bed. “Rough day?”

“Yeah, got my ass kicked by the chinese transfer student in front of the class. You?” Siyeon watches the other girl fidget in front of the door. The girl sighs and approaches Siyeon, holding out both of her hands.

“The kitchen is closed today so I...”  the redhead trails off but Siyeon understands her perfectly. She grips the girl’s outstretched hands in hers and pulls her into a tight hug. Instantly, she can see the relief on her face.

“Everything’s alright now, Bora. Want to talk about it?” Siyeon asks, kindly. She rubs her thumbs in circles around the older’s palms. Bora takes a deep breath and shakes her head. Instead, she closes her hands around Siyeon’s larger ones. 

“I’m sorry that you have to be stuck with me like this...” Bora apologizes, feeling guilty. If it wasn’t because of her weakness, Siyeon would not have to be forcibly roomed with her like this. It was a strange arrangement, but it worked out for her more than it did for Siyeon.

She felt bad that only she was benefitting while Siyeon suffered even more. But that is a story for another day. For now, all Bora wanted to do was go to sleep and wake up in the next century. She didn't have anymore upcoming missions so that should be okay.

“Night, Bora. Sleep well.”

“Goodnight Siyeon.”

--

True to her words, Siyeon goes into the city the next day to find out where Gahyeon had stolen all of that glitter. The younger girl insisted on going and paying for it herself but she had class, so Siyeon went instead. 

The black-haired girl doesn’t expect to run into Handong in the arts and crafts store. “Handong!” The chinese girl turns around at the sound of her name. Siyeon jogs up to her and waves. “What are you doing here?”

“Lee Siyeon, right? I was just picking up some paint. And you can call me Dongie. Hearing my full name all the time sounds weird.”

“Then just Siyeon for me too.” Siyeon follows Handong to the cash register to ring up her purchase. The blonde girl raises her eyebrows at Siyeon since she wasn’t purchasing anything. Siyeon proceeds to explain that she was just trying to help out a friend that was causing trouble. Handong tilts her head to the side, wondering for the nth time if all Koreans were as strange as the people that seem to surround Lee Siyeon. 

“Are you one of Lee Gahyeon’s friends?” A deep voice from behind them startles them both. Handong almost uses the paint bottles in her hands to bash that person over the head but holds back in time. Siyeon recognizes the newcomer to be Dami, another rank 5 student at HF Academy. 

Dami was well known among the students for entering the school at rank 5 and immediately being sent out on the field to solve crimes. Human and demon crimes alike. The short brown bob and the usual suit and tie were unmistakable. Dami was practically a celebrity with a huge following in and outside the school. Something about her being cool and suave…but Siyeon wouldn’t know. Being the school’s punching bag is a pretty demanding job.

“Depends on why you’re asking, detective Dami.” Dami might be a rank 5 student, but that doesn’t change the fact that her power is very well known: psychometry. The ability to see the past, present, or future of any object that she touches. A useful ability for a detective like her. But not so useful on the battlefield. Meaning that physical intimidation is not likely to be a problem here. Siyeon also felt at ease knowing that Handong is beside her too, in case things got nasty.

Sensing the black-haired girl’s wariness, Dami raises a palm, signaling her intention of not picking a fight. “I was investigating the disappearance of all the glitter in this store. Seemed to be the work of someone with teleportation powers and Lee Gahyeon happened to be one of the suspects. And then you showed up, Lee Siyeon.” the brunette explains. 

Siyeon sighs and nods in affirmation. “I’m here to pay for it. The kid’s mostly harmless though. Why are you investigating a petty crime like this anyways? Doesn’t seem like something a rank 5 student would do.” 

“...what I do is no one’s business but my own.” her words were sharp but her tone lacked any hostility. She turned her sharp eyes over to Handong, looking her up and down once before addressing her. 

“You are the transfer, Han Dong, correct?” Handong nodded, unsure of how to perceive this new person. 

“...good luck with the rank 5 exam. Should be easy enough for someone like you.” Dami swiftly turns around and heads for the exit without another word. Siyeon and Handong look at each other, confused and slightly miffed by what had just transpired. 

“This Dami person...is she truly a rank 5?”

“Yup. Has been since day 1.” Handong turns to look out towards the exit where Dami walked off. 

“I don’t really like that person.”

Siyeon was surprised. Handong seemed like a pretty quiet and decent person, if her trip to the infirmary was any indicator so to hear her say that she outright dislikes someone was surprising.

“I guess her occupation makes her behave that way? But well, I don’t really know her so can’t judge.”

“...she seems...detached. Is she really a hero?”

The two exit the store and walk towards a water fountain to rest and continue their conversation. “Well, when you attend a prestigious school like HF Academy, you meet all sorts of characters. All of them with different reasons for being wanting to be a hero. Or not, in Dami’s case. You might not like some of these reasons but you will have to just live with it. We’re all supposed to be on the same side, fighting against demons and criminals at the end of the day.”

Silence takes over as Handong tries to process Siyeon’s words. It made sense but Handong’s sense of justice was at war with this logic. Rank 1 students are not treated well by higher ranked students, that much Handong could see in her short time here. But then there were people like Jiu, who obviously wanted to help people.

“By the way, I never welcomed you to the school.” Siyeon reaches her hand out for a handshake. Handong takes it. “Welcome to HF Academy, where the greatest heroes are born and where secrecy runs rampant.”

“What?”

“You see, Dongie, rankings and powers are one thing, but keeping your weaknesses a secret should be your top priority. Students would kill to have that kind of information to use you as a step ladder to rise in rankings.”

Siyeon can see that her words are sinking into the blonde girl’s head. She hates to be the one to break the illusion but that was what HF Academy was really like. It was true, great heroes are made here but at a great cost. 

The older girl jumps off from her perch to face Handong again. With the sunlight reflecting on her back, she smiles “Once again, welcome to HF Academy.”

Chapter Text

Magic circuits are the basis of our powers. Despite the name, magic circuits allow the user to manifest true, world-altering phenomenon, known collectively as powers/abilities. No one knows how we came to have them but many theorize that it was the result of human evolution in the face of a natural disaster known as demons. Demons have been present for centuries; the furthest record humankind has of their existence was from Sun, the First Hero. That was over 100 years ago. 

Magic circuits enable us to have a variety of powers within the population. Some are hereditary. Some are completely randomized. Some have several quirks. Some have none at all. Powerful abilities have manifested in individuals whose lineage has powerful circuits. It has been recommended that those with powerful circuits continue to maintain and produce heroes for future generations. On the other hand, abilities that are far above anyone else’s have appeared in those whose lineage is completely ordinary. Regardless, research has proven that any single human may only have one ability; no individual has been known to possess two complete abilities. This is due to the “capacity” that a circuit can hold. Circuits themselves can vary to a great degree, even humans with no powers will still have a functioning circuit. Once an individual uses up the total capacity of their circuit, they will be unable to use their powers until the circuit is recharged. Luckily, eating and sleeping to recharge the body is sufficient.

The important fact is that not all humans are born equal. However, because demons have rapidly evolved to “eat” our circuits for energy, the human race must train these individuals with powers to protect those who do not have any powers. Hero Academies gather and train powerful students who will rise up to defeat the demons and allow humans to survive and thrive. Rapid advances in settlement frontiers and military technologies are proof of this.

-An excerpt from Origins of Magic, Vol 1, Year 1003 A.S.

Provost Ryu Sera

--

The book was placed back on the dusty shelf. 

“Oh? Done reading already?” The librarian asks.

A smile. “Yes, it was very insightful. Thank you for assisting me.”

Chapter Text

-Yoohyeon’s POV-

Today was yet another boring day of classes so I decided to voluntarily withdraw myself from them. To save me from boredom, of course. The only ones I like are combat and magic circuit training classes. I mean, what good is calculus for a hero anyways? Is counting from 1 to 10 not enough? Plus, Gahyeon texted me that she found some really cool plants by the lake. 

Humming that rock song deja vu under my breath, I was more than happy to be outside in the sunlight. Being indoors for too long made me stir crazy and there wasn’t enough air in there. It sounds weird when I put it like that but that’s the only way I can describe it. But I guess not everyone is attuned to air like I am. 

The lake is within sight and I start to run towards it, only to be stopped by a group of three boys. “Hey! Kim Yoohyeon! Out and about for another prank?” 

...who are these guys again? Oh well. Just smile and wave and hope that they go away. 

Though I guess random people calling me out for this is partly my fault. Gahyeon and I are basically known as troublemakers of the school. Well, it’s not like we intend to harm people, we just want to spice up our school lives a little. Studying and fighting and sweating are not how I plan to spend the next 8 years of my life. After all, when we become heroes, our lives are no longer our own.

Not everyone is as easy going as me though. Oh well, their loss.

--

“Kim Yoohyeon!” I drop my sandwich in shock, holding my hand to my chest. Next to me, Gahyeon nearly drops hers but she’s quick enough to teleport it back into her hand. Dang it, why couldn’t she do that for me?

A tall guy storms down the hallway with the angriest expression. A bunch of students stop what they are doing to stare in our direction. Great. He stops in front of our table and grabs my collar, forcing me to stand up. 

“It was you wasn’t it?!”

“Sorry random dude, I don’t play the ‘guess what it is’ game. Be more specific.” I say with both of my hands raised into the air. Personally, I want to rip his dirty hands off my uniform but...this guy is pretty well known on campus. Kang Jinwoo is a rank 4, moving on to 5 and is a star student. Girls flock him for being handsome, smart, and strong (though I have to question the validity of all 3.) Many are saying that he will be Jiu’s second-in-command due to his strong healing abilities. 

“Don’t play stupid, Kim Yoohyeon. You were the one that placed the water lilies in my locker and now all of my reports are moldy!” His screaming in my face is really getting on my nerves. Gahyeon moves to intervene but I hold my hand up.

“Look, dude, I don’t even know who you are,” I did but I wanted to hurt his pride a little hehe, “and as funny as that would be, I didn't do it. End of story so let me go.” I glare at the end to get my point across. Unfortunately, the commotion attracted a lot of attention, including the principal and the student head of the medical department. 

The principal and Jiu break through the crowd, immediately moving to get Kang Jinwoo’s hands off my clothes. 

“Both of you, my office. Now.” Great. I didn't even get to finish my limited edition grandma sandwich. They hardly sell those in large quantities at the cafeteria. 

--

“...there are witnesses that say you were seen at the lake where water lilies grow, Kim Yoohyeon. And the cameras by the locker were conveniently turned off.” I think back to this morning, where I was skipping classes to meet Gahyeon by the lake. Those guys that saw me…

The principal and Jiu must have taken my silence for admission of guilt because they start listing out possible punishments and apologies that I have to make to Kang Jinwoo. Speaking of him (gross), he was smug as he heard.

“You will start by apologizing to Mr. Kang, Kim.” Jiu’s smooth voice broke through the principal’s droning, which I totally tuned out half way. I turn to look her in the eye, seeing a glint of disappointment among the anger. The way she looked at me stirred something in me. Normally, I would be very vocal about being wrongfully accused, but everything was happening so fast that I didn't have a second to breathe. But now I did. And I wanted to wipe that stupid smirk off that accusing asshole’s face. 

“I won’t apologize. Because it wasn’t me.” I say firmly. My eyes did not waver once from Jiu’s. 

“Wasn’t you? Were you listening? People saw you there and you have a reputation for being...less than appropriate in school. It was obvious to me from the start who it could have been!” Jinwoo interjects. Ugh, hearing his voice is giving me a headache. He talks like those 80’s heroes who spout nothing but justice and saving people. Like a broken record. 

I turn to look at him sharply, “Where is your proof? Have you called in detective Dami to verify if it was really me? She would be able to tell us right away. Yes, I did go to the lake but I did not pick any plants, nor did I go near the medical wing today.”

He sputters a bit before pointing his finger at me, “You could have had your rank 3 friend to teleport it into my locker!”

“And why would I do that? It might’ve made sense if I were your rival in the department but clearly, we have two different powers. It doesn’t make sense for me to sabotage you.” I also wanted to say that Gahyeon would not be physically able to do that but then I would be exposing something about her that I didn't want to.

“You could have done it for someone else! Or for yourself! Maybe you were jealous of me for attaining rank 5-”

“ENOUGH!” Jiu slams her hand on the principal’s desk, making everyone jump. She gives each of us a scary smile that looks like one a murderer would wear and addresses us. “Both of you will await disciplinary action while the board investigates this situation. Until then, both of you are suspended.” I opened my mouth to argue but Jiu’s scary face makes me think twice. I can see in the corner of my eye that Kang tried to do the same.

“Wait, Jiu. Kang has to take his rank 5 examination and the Association has their eye on his progress. It would not look favorable for us if we delay it so he will focus on that for now and be suspended after. Dismissed.”

--

I slam the door of my dorm room and throw my bag on the couch. The anger in me is reaching a boiling point. How is this even fair to me? They’re accusing me without proper evidence and only I get punished?! This isn’t fair. So what if I have a reputation for playing pranks around the school? They should know that I have not and will not hurt anyone in these pranks. And it’s not like I’m going to school to play around forever, this is a hero academy for god’s sake. 

As I am stewing in my anger, I fail to hear the door open behind me. The sound of the door closing gently snaps me out of it. A head of light blonde hair and that familiar round glasses. Jiu. The last person I want to see right now. 

“Hey, I know that you’re angry-”

“Oh yeah? What gave that away, my less than happy expression or the fact that I was wrongfully accused and still got punished?” I say sarcastically. 

She sighs deeply and I start to notice the signs of tiredness on her face. When was the last time she slept? Whatever, I’m too upset to care right now. “Your reputation and previous actions make you an obvious suspect-”

“Oh so you believe him too? Because he’s a star student and I’m nothing but a clown?”

“That’s not what I said-”

“Then what are you saying? That I should apologize for something I didn't do? That I should take the blame for it because it’s convenient?!” The wind whips around us, reflecting my turbulent emotions. Loose papers begin to scatter and frames hanging on the walls fall off. Dishware shatters over by the kitchen.

“Look--a lot of work was destroyed and we are just trying to find out who did it!”

“Well it seems to me that you aren’t trying hard enough!” I yell back.

“Maybe if you’d been taking this hero business more seriously, you wouldn’t be in this position!”

“You think I’m here for fun and games?! I want to be a fucking hero as bad as anyone in this academy! So what if I don’t attend classes regularly and so what if I let loose with my friends every so often! There isn’t anything wrong with trying to relax in this intense environment! I do my missions like I’m supposed to! Why is helping people not enough ?!” My throat hurts from screaming and I can feel the tears building up behind my eyes. I don’t want to cry now. Not in front of the girl that hates me.

Jiu physically recoils as if my statements were a punch in the gut to her. But she regains her composure, “Kim Yoohyeon! Calm down before you break everything in the dorm!” Jiu yells over the harsh winds. She looks mad too but for what? She doesn’t have the right to be mad. A flash of white enters my vision. It vaguely looks like a flower from a distant memory. The thought of it somehow comforts me. I had to calm down. I had to.

I take a deep breath, willing all the bad emotions away. It takes a few more tries before the winds start to die down and all the papers flutter to the ground. If I keep losing control like this, it would just prove my accusers right. I had to calm down and think rationally if I wanted to prove my innocence. 

I turn away from Jiu and enter my room. She doesn’t try to talk to me nor follow me. Good. I need to be left alone and figure out how I am going to prove them wrong. I have time anyways, thanks to the suspension.

--

I go back to the lake with water lilies, hoping to find clues. I know it won’t look good if I’m the one at the site of the “evidence” but everyone is in class right now. So I can only rely on myself. Well, technically I shouldn’t be outside but the guards keeping an eye on me are a little dumb. I control the wind so jumping out of the 5th floor is literally not a big deal for me. I was hoping to get a hold of Dami or someone else with investigative powers but no luck. Rumor has it that they are swamped with a new case. Homicide, they say.

The lake looks the same as it did yesterday, with the exception of some uprooted dirt. Geeze, whoever took the flowers did not give a fuck. Mother Nature should smite them for that disrespect. I use a light gust to gently put the dirt back in place. Wouldn’t want my DNA to be found on the dirt. Speaking of which, a DNA analysis on the flowers should have easily proved my innocence. I didn't touch them and neither did Gahyeon.

But that asshole of a principal didn't want his precious rank 5 Kang Jinwoo to be tarnished. That’s why if I don’t get hard evidence, I’ll never clear my name. Unfortunately, I don't think I’ll find anything here. Moving closer to the banks, I dip my hand in the clear water. It’s cold and my reflection on the surface of the water is distorted by the ripples. It's calming. No one is around and the natural breeze is gentle on my skin. 

I sit there for another 10 minutes, just enjoying the peace, before deciding to move towards the medical department. The lockers were my next best lead. As expected, it’s empty in these halls too. The cameras were removed for inspection. The lockers are a standard blue with a keypad attached to each of them. The keypads are digital so no fingerprints are left behind. I look around the lockers without touching, checking for some sort of trick to it. There aren't even any slotted holes for paper to go through so how the hell was I supposed to get flowers in there without opening it?

Of course, Kang did accuse Gahyeon of teleporting it but I know that it wasn’t her. She’s never stepped foot in here so that was basically impossible. Sigh. I won’t be able to clear my name like this unless we do a forensics test but the principal isn’t going to budge. Chances are, it’ll never happen. Dammit all. This school is so fucking unfair to those below rank 5.

The injustice took root in my heart.

--

-No POV-

Field missions were always full of new experiences. That’s why Siyeon loved them. Learning to kill demons was the ultimate job of a hero. No demon was alike so learning the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent in the heat of battle is thrilling. What Siyeon hated about them was that they had to be done in randomized teams. Most of the time, her classmates would antagonize her and there was no supervision from the professors so it sucked. 

Siyeon was in the middle of giving a powerful blow to a demon’s mask, breaking through it when lightning nearly hit her in the arm. She rolls out of the way in time for it to hit the demon she was fighting. 

“Oops, didn't see you there! Thought you were trash blocking the way!” Park Jaewon yells from across the forest. 

Like fucking hell he didn't see me! And he stole my kill! , Siyeon thinks. “Are you trying to kill me, asshole?!” She shouts back, dodging dark magic being shot her way from another demon. 

“Wouldn’t be a loss to the world!”

The black-haired girl grits her teeth and crushes the head of a demon under her foot. People like Park Jaewon are in it for the money and fame. They could care less if the population was overrun by demons as long as they get to live in a fancy penthouse. That guy’s a rank 4 but he acts like he’s the king of the academy. Apparently, he has a brother, who is a hero with the lightning affinity as well. He’s basically slated to move up in rank. 

Ignoring him, Siyeon spots a rank 2 student having some trouble with a flying demon. Arin, Siyeon remembers her name to be, shoots beams of light from a staff at the bat demon, missing by a mile from how swift it is. It sees an opening to kill the human in front of it and swoops down. But Siyeon is fast enough to knock her out of the way.

“You alright?!”

 Arin squeaks in fear. The bat is still flying about, waiting for its next opportunity. Siyeon follows its movements with her eyes, relaxing her stance to lure it closer to the ground. The four red eyes and gruesome jaw scare the mousy rank 2 into hiding behind a tree. 

She crouches down, holding her head between her hands, “P-p-p-please j-j-ust call the higher r-ranks…t-to kill-kill it!” 

Siyeon stands her ground, “Sorry but you can’t rely on people like them to save us. You have to be strong enough to do it yourself.” Finally, the bat demon sets its sights on Arin’s vulnerable form. Siyeon tenses her muscles, waiting for the right moment. It passes her, going straight for Arin. She screams but then hears a sickening squelch. 

Opening her eyes, she sees Siyeon holding the bat’s body with one arm and the other stabbing a dagger into the head of the demon. The demon goes limp, dissolving into black ash. Arin sees Siyeon grimace. “That felt so gross...” 

Turning to face the rank 2 student, Siyeon gives a kind smile and holds her hand out, “I think that’s the last of ‘em. Let’s get out of here and take a shower. I feel so gross right now.” Arin shakily takes her hand and stands. She was seeing the rank 1 student in a new light. Despite not using any obvious powers, she just saved her life using pure combat skills. It made her want to try to be as strong as Siyeon, even if she was a lower rank.

A frightening roar sounds in the air. Park Jaewon and one of his cronies whose name Siyeon can’t remember (irrelevant), breaks through the tree line, screaming like a bunch of girls. The demon chasing them enters the clearing, revealing itself to be a dragon. It seems to already be an adult, making it very powerful. Even its very presence is choking the magic out of their circuits. 

It stood proudly on all fours, skin a deep black with a white cross on its chest. The eyes were an eerie yellow as it observed who to kill next. 

“Aargh! Run for it!” Siyeon ignored Park Jaewon’s annoying voice and tried to think of a plan. They would need to contact the academy for back-up but who knows how long it will take. How did the academy not know of this huge dragon lurking in these parts? They would’ve never sent beginners like us. Siyeon thought. The dragon didn't give her another second to think and shot dark magic resembling fire directly in their path. 

“ARIN! Call emergency services and the academy!” Siyeon yelled at the top of her lungs as they ran through the forest. The dragon simply plowed through the trees like they were toothpicks in the chase. The rank 1 student looked ahead to see the two boys far ahead of them. She knew that they could not rely on them at this moment. But if she remembers correctly, there is a settlement located not too far away from this forest. If that dragon makes it past these treelines unchallenged, that settlement will be terrorized. She couldn’t let that happen.

“I’m going to divert its attention to buy some time before a hero arrives! Get out of here and keep contacting as much help as possible!” Arin fumbled with her PDA, not daring to slow down unless she wanted to be dragon food. 

“But that’s too dangerous! You’ll be killed!” 

The resolution Arin saw in Siyeon’s eyes surprised her. “I have to! There’s a town up ahead, we can’t let it get that far!” With that, Siyeon stops in her tracks and runs towards the side, throwing her dagger to catch the dragon’s attention. The dagger hardly scratches the surface of the skin and it was just an annoyance to the dragon. But it works and the beast is angry at the human.  

Siyeon dashes around it, searching for a weakness or an opening. Dragon demons are notoriously hard to kill as they typically have strong scales and powerful magic resistance. Her chances might have been better if the dragon was still a baby but the world said nope. It continues to try to kill her, shooting dark flames in wide arcs. Siyeon has to jump, dash, and roll out of the way, all while making sure it doesn’t advance any further from this location. But she’s starting to tire out. She has to make an attempt to kill it or it’ll kill her before any help comes. 

She finds an opportunity when a particularly high shot of dark flames misses her. Running all the way towards the dragon until the underbelly is visible, Siyeon slides under and uses a curved dagger to stab it on the white cross. The dragon lets out a mighty roar and flings her off its underbelly. She rolls a few feet away, scrapes marking her back and arms. The dagger is uselessly ripped out of the cross, only making the dragon angrier than before. 

Oh fuck.

She’s completely unarmed and there’s no trees to act as a shield. “Down, boy...or girl...” Siyeon has no idea how she’s going to get herself out of this one. “I really don’t want to use it here… but I might have to at this rate...”

Just as she is contemplating her next move, a helicopter flies above her. “INFERNO IS DROPPING INTO THE DANGER ZONE. EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.” Siyeon doesn’t need to be told twice, diving out of the way. A person drops out of the plane like an arrow, heading straight for the dragon. All Siyeon sees after is a brilliant flash of purple before everything fades out.

--

Chapter Text

Dami walked down the corridor of the hotel building. Her nose was assaulted by the most horrible smell known to man. No, it wasn’t the dingy hotel smells of smoke and dirty laundry. But rather, it was the smell of decaying flesh. Insects were already flying around in the humid air, making Dami more annoyed by the second. 

“Detective, the body is in here. But be warned, the sight isn’t pretty.” a police officer warns with a frown on his face.

“Homicide is rarely pretty, officer.” Dami doesn’t hesitate to open the door despite the warning, but she wishes she had taken a few more breaths of air when she was outside the hotel. 

True to the officer's words, the sight is disturbing to say the least. The body is so mangled and twisted in ways the human body should never be. It was a woman, that much was obvious. And she was hung from the ceiling fan with her limbs in every direction. The gashes looked like an animal was tearing the woman apart. There also appears to be a strange abrasion on parts of her body. However, a closer inspection is needed to tell for certain. 

“CSI already on it?” Dami questions as she covers her mouth and nose. The officer stepped up to be next to her and nodded. 

“We wanted to leave the body for you to see first before we take it down. CSI already checked everything else though. All of the relevant objects except what is on the victim has been sent back to the academy for your investigation.”

“What about the victim herself?”

“Unknown. The face is too destroyed for a computer program to even analyze. And everything else on her is...torn up.”

Without another word, Dami removes her glove and places her hand on the bed sheets below the ceiling fan. Interestingly, there was no blood dripping from the body and the sheets were devoid of any blood as well. 

Visions flash in the detective’s brain. Red eyes. Bathrobe. Man. Several men. Claws.

Dami withdrew her hand and walked out of the dingy hotel. She took a deep breath when she was far enough from the crime scene. A nearby officer handed her a disinfectant wipe for her hands. 

As she wiped her hand from the dirty bed, Dami addressed everyone in the vicinity, “Most probably a demon attack. But check the CCTV in the area for suspicious men. I will have a more definitive lead when I check her possessions. Have them sent to the academy by the end of today.”

Dami strode over to a luxury sedan waiting for her. The driver opened the door for her and closed it behind her. 

--

The moment Dami stepped into the academy grounds, she was called by the principal. Heaving a sigh, she begins the trek over to the highest tower. She passes by a combat class in session and stops momentarily when she spots a familiar face. Handong is in the middle of disarming another student, with a sort of deadly art form that Dami has never seen before. The chinese girl moves gracefully, as if she were dancing on water and her strikes are fast. Even if Dami has never fought a physical battle in her entire life, she could tell that Handong was at another level.

Their first encounter at the art shop the other day was nothing but a passing thought to Dami but now, Dami was paying more attention. It isn’t until Handong slams her opponent to the ground that Dami remembers she has a place to be. The principal will not be amused if she tells him that she was watching a combat class for 10 minutes. 

Speaking of the principal, he urges the detective into the seat in front of his desk. “Dami, there has been a report of another case like the one you’ve gone to see today. It’s 10 miles out into another rural area.”

Dami does not show any outward emotion to that except the rise of a single eyebrow. “Already? I haven’t even seen all of the evidence for this one.”

“What have you been able to deduce so far?”

“Demon attack. Most likely. Though there are several things that do not add up.” Dami reports, thinking of the strange marks on the woman’s body and the missing blood. The principal sighs and folds his hands on his desk. Dami doesn’t say anything but she knows. The principal is probably being pressured by the government to solve this case asap, considering the fact that Dami attends the academy. The deaths are of unusual circumstances so this falls to her to figure out all the details with her powers. 

“Well I need something to show to the police force, as well as the Association to quell their fears.” the detective nods and stands to leave. Before she does, she turns around, staring at the black folder on the desk. 

“I want to investigate that.” She says, pointing at the folder. The principal follows her finger to the folder and shakes his head. He even goes as far as taking the folder and locking it up into his drawer. 

“No, this case is of low priority. Focus on this one for now.” Dami tilts her head. She can see the gears turning in his head. He knows that she has seen tibits of what that folder is, since she sat on the chair that rank 4 Kim Yoohyeon sat on. He wonders what she saw and if she knows that he does not plan on ever opening the investigation.

Usually, Dami was cool-headed and followed orders well. But today, she decided that she wanted to deviate from the norm. Starting from when she watched Handong until now. “An exchange then. I’ll give you something concrete to tell the higher-ups and you let me investigate that case.”

The principal narrows his eyes at her stubbornness. But he had to accept if he wanted to keep his job. So he pulls the folder back out and hands it to Dami. From the way her eyes flit for a brief moment, he knows that she’d seen it. “Do not tell a soul about what you find except for me, understood detective Dami?” He grits his teeth. 

Dami just smirks a little in a show of defiance and walks out the door with her new toy. 

--

Her office is filled with boxes of new evidence for the case. Everything reeked in the boxes, stinking up her office. Dami was tempted to just leave them there and find out more about her new entertainment. But she knew that this demon attack or whatever it is, has the highest priority right now. So she reluctantly set down the black folder in the far corner of her desk and frowned. 

Peeking inside a box, there were shredded clothes, human nails, teeth, and other belongings of the woman. Dami didn't even want to know why the police force thought it was appropriate for them to send her nails and teeth. So she carefully reached in and made contact with the shredded (what she hoped was) shirt. 

Smoke. Laughter. Rain. Bed. Claws. Money.

As soon as the visions ended, Dami grabbed her notebook and wrote down everything she saw. So far, the claws were the most common element, suggesting a demon was present. She did a quick search on her laptop and found that only yesterday had rained, if you didn't count the Tuesday from two weeks ago. The body was not extremely decomposed. So a time zone can be sufficiently established. She went for the lipstick next, hoping that it would reveal enough so that she wouldn’t have to touch the other things in the box. 

Unfortunately, Dami had no luck with it and was forced to resign to her fate. She sucked in a deep breath (not too deep, there were dead woman possessions in her office), and reached down to touch the tooth.

Tongue. Green bunny pin. Sharp teeth. Shriveled skin. Cloaks with a symbol. Ceiling. Shadows.

Stumbling backwards, Dami slammed herself against her office door, taking short breaths to calm herself down. Her hand shook badly as she wrote everything in her notebook and her mouth went dry. Grabbing a disinfecting wipe and stuffing her notebook into her coat, she stumbled out of the office on two unsteady feet. 

Something about that vision was unsettling her more than any other case she’d seen. It made her sick, made her dread whoever had done this. It was as if she were in that woman’s place… experiencing the strange sensation of, of what exactly?

The principal will have to wait for his report. Dami needed fresh air, away from everything in her office. For now, he can settle with her telling the police about the crime taking place sometime yesterday night. And that the woman was a prostitute with a green bunny pin. Good enough.

--

The academy courtyard was quiet since classes were still in session. The weather was getting colder as well, autumn was transitioning into winter. A gold statue of a tall and presumably handsome man stood proudly in the middle of a fountain in the courtyard. His nameplate says that he is Sun, the greatest hero to have ever lived. But Dami wasn’t interested in that.

She sagged onto the bench right in front of the fountain and opened her notebook again. So far, the visions were not clear enough for her to start drawing solid conclusions. The red eyes and claws suggested demons but the visions were consistent with men as well. The woman was probably a prostitute so seeing men was not surprising. But does that mean humans are involved as well? Then why…

“A penny for your thoughts?” Dami snapped her head up and slammed her notebook shut, placing it back inside her breast pocket. Standing above her was the transfer student, Handong. “It is getting cold out. You probably should not be sitting here.” Students were already milling about. Dami was so deep in her thoughts that she failed to leave before students got out of class. 

Maybe it was because she was shaken up or maybe it was the cold. Whatever it was, it compelled the short-haired girl to invite the other girl out for some coffee.

--

Two steaming mugs and 10 minutes of awkward silence later, Handong and Dami stare at each other face to face. Handong is wondering why Dami invited her here and Dami is wondering why Handong accepted her random invitation. 

Dami pulls out her leather bound notebook again and flips to a clean page. “In return for the coffee, I would like your input on something.” The detective does not wait for a response and begins drawing out the symbol on the cloaks she saw in her vision. It was clearly chinese and even she knew what the character meant. However, what she didn't know was what relevance it held in this case. 

She flipped the notebook around and showed it to Handong, watching for her reaction. “Moon?” Handong said after a beat. The blonde was surprised that Dami initiated the conversation, even if it was abrupt and maybe a little rude.

“Yes but would you happen to know anything more about the symbol? Religions, cults, cultural meanings outside the traditional ones in China?” Dami leaned back in her seat, taking a sip of her bitter espresso. She watched as the blonde carefully considered her questions.

“Well there are several...groups that use the moon as a symbol for different things. Maybe narrow it down to the type of symbolism that you think is relevant to your case.” This time Dami’s eyes shift towards Handong’s for a split second. She was surprised, but it faded quickly when she thought of her reputation around school. Handong probably heard all about her already. Maybe that was why Handong agreed to this coffee thing, because she thought Dami was working and needed something for her investigation.

The assumption wasn’t wrong but for some reason, the thought made Dami frown. But that was something for another time. “Maybe something related to sacrifice?” the short-haired girl didn't want to outright say murder since this case was still under wraps. 

Handong raises a hand to her chin in deep thought, “I have read a few books on religious cults dating back to the First Hero, Sun’s time. They were known to commune with creatures of the dark. Demons, most likely. And they worshipped the moon as their god. Sacrifice was like a daily ritual to them.” This was more information than Dami was hoping to get in a day but she wasn’t complaining. It definitely helped that Handong’s voice was soothing to the ears and the girl wasn’t the annoying type. Though the chinese girl did seem more pensive after mentioning the cults.

Dami raises her cup to her lips, contemplating. It wasn’t long before her phone started ringing for a call from the academy. As soon as she picks up, a siren sounds off and a loud plane flying overhead could be heard. To her surprise, Handong shoots out of her seat first and runs for the exit. Dami follows, watching the plane’s trajectory and realizes that it’s headed for the academy. 

“Handong! Get in!” Dami’s driver opens the door for them both and steps on the gas pedal as soon as the door closes. They zoom through town, trying to reach the academy fast enough. Dami’s phone rang again but she already knew what this would be about. Right when the academy gates were in sight, Handong shouts for the driver to stop the car.

“What are you doing?!” Handong doesn’t respond and jumps out of the vehicle. Dami, who would never do something crazy, does something crazy and follows the chinese girl out of the car. She tries her best to keep up with the girl weaving through the crowd but her stamina is lacking. Handong is clearly chasing something or someone as they head in the opposite direction of the academy. 

Finally, Handong tackles the person she’s chasing to the ground and locks their arms behind their back. The person struggles before Handong knocks him/her out with a swift strike to the neck. 

Dami catches up, out of breath. “Wha..what are...you doing?! Why are you knocking out random people?!”

Again, Handong doesn’t say a word but flips the person over. On the shirt the man is wearing is the same symbol Dami saw. The moon. And in the bag he was carrying was a ton of dynamite.

Shadows. Men. Shriveled skin.

Chapter Text

-Gahyeon’s POV-

Ooh they’re serving the special grandma sandwiches again today. Lucky me! I line up to get one or ten, remembering that Yoohyeon and Siyeon love these too. Speaking of, the last time Yoohyeon ate one of these, she got suspended. And speaking of again, Kang Jinwoo was in line ahead of me...maybe I should drop a bucket of poop on his head. The principal called me in as well, even though he knew full well that it could not have been me. Still, only Yoohyeon got suspended while Kang Jin-moron walked away scot free. I’m sure that the principal is smart enough to know it wasn’t Yoohyeon. But anything for his precious golden boy right?

Since Yoohyeon told me everything, I’ve been trying to find clues too. But whoever did this was clever enough to not leave a single crumb behind. Obnoxious laughter in front of me starts to get on my nerves. Before I knew it, all the sandwiches were taken by the large party in front of me, led by none other than Kang Moron. He makes eye contact with me, smirking as he grabbed the last sandwich. Well, if he wants to play like that, I guess I have no choice but to do the same. 

I frown exaggeratedly as best as I could, holding in my laughter as I teleport the sandwich in his hand into my usual eating place. He looks around, confused before turning his gaze to me. 

“You took my sandwich!” He shrills. Man, this guy only knows how to accuse without seeing any evidence. I muster up the most innocent look possible as we start to attract attention from other students milling about. 

“What are you talking about? I didn't take anything.” He clenches his jaw, pointing at my backpack.

“Open it and we’ll see.”

“Ah? I think not. You don’t have a search warrant and the last time we saw each other, Yoohyeon got suspended for something she didn't do.” I say confidently. Kang is getting visibly more pissed off.

“You’re just saying that because you were a part of it! You may have fooled the principal but you can’t fool me. If you have nothing to hide, then show me your bag!” I act reluctant to hand the bag over but there is a surprise waiting inside. He swipes it from my hand, zipping it open. His eyes widen and he drops the bag as if it burned him. Some of the contents spilled over. Particularly the pink panties that I teleported into the bag 10 seconds ago.

I gasp indignantly, “Oh my god, did you ask to look into my bag knowing that I carry those?! Pervert!” Students around us begin to whisper, some girls shooting Kang dirty looks. He quickly turns red, probably from anger and embarrassment. Laughter threatened to surface but I had to keep it together, for the sake of my prank. Hehehehehe.

He sputters, “I-I-I am not a pervert!”

“Hm. Sure you aren’t.” I spin around, not wanting to see his ugly face any longer. He shouts at me to come back but I’m already halfway out the door to my sandwich waiting for me. Pranking is so much fun when you’ve got teleportation on your side.

--

The sandwich tastes fantastic. It would have been better had my friends been here with me. Siyeon’s resting in the infirmary and Yoohyeon’s sulking in her dorm room.

(Jiu came knocking on my door at 10pm on a Wednesday. She looked very unamused so I decided to keep my knock-knock jokes to myself.

“Hey, mind if I crash here for the night?”

“Yoohyeon?”

“Yeah, she’s stewing in her anger right now. Not that she’s wrong. I...” Jiu trails off, not finishing her sentence. I had a feeling that I already knew what she was going to say anyways. 

The next day, I almost teleport a battering ram to break down the door but the guard talks me out of it. “KIM YOOHYEON! COME OUT OR WE’LL END OUR FRIENDSHIP HERE!” Threatening her always works. Despite her rebellious streak, Yoohyeon was a softie on the inside; she’ll have to come out now. 

“QUIET LEE GAHYEON! I’M SLEEPING.” She yells back. Eh, if she has the energy to throw a tantrum then she’s alright in my book.

“Okay bye.” I’ll just tell Jiu that I gave it my best effort. )

Hmm. What should I do now that I’ve got nothing else to do? I haven’t thought up any pranks lately. Inspiration is running dry. Maybe I should get around to writing a letter to my family. Haven’t done that in a while. 

--

-Yoohyeon’s POV-

There was too much noise. Sleeping in today is basically impossible at this point.

The medical wing was packed full of people today. Something about another demon extermination mission gone wrong? Stretchers and medical personnel are rushing back and forth between the campus hospital and the EVs. I really shouldn’t be here right now as I would probably get in people’s way. But then I saw Jiu rushing about with a serious expression. 

Her light blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail and her glasses were perched in their usual place. A critically wounded hero was laid down in front of her, bleeding out so much that he probably won't make it to the emergency room. I watched as her hands glow green and the large gash on the man’s stomach closes instantly. Jiu gets up and goes to the next patient, performing the same task. Somewhere to the side, I see that bastard Kang Jinwoo doing the same thing but in a more panicked fashion. 

I was about to leave them to it when I heard a loud sound coming from above me. The ringing intensifies until a commercial plane breaks into the horizon. It was moving fast...and heading towards the academy! 

Suddenly, I can hear the sirens go off and several announcements that were too jumbled up with all the chaos going on around me. But the gist of it was simple: the fucking airplane is currently uncontrollable and will crash into the academy if it is not stopped.  

It wasn’t hard to make the decision that I did. I had to stop that plane no matter what. Because all of these injured people will be killed otherwise. So I called Gahyeon to get up on the roof. She can give me a boost and support me from the back. 

“Gahyeon! Use those platforms from the gym and teleport them as I move up!” I yell into the phone speaker. The plane approaches even closer and the wind is going crazy around us. I don't wait for a response from Gahyeon and begin sprinting towards the plane. 

Upon closer inspection, the plane has some sort of electric current running through it. Several students with lower ranked flight abilities are there but they can’t do much when the plane is so big and the electricity keeps shocking them. Fuck. I guess I have a better chance.

Right on cue, Gahyeon teleports the first platform and I hop on, jumping onto the next without stopping my ascent. I could have used my wings to carry me up, but I have a feeling that this plane will require all of my energy to stop it. The air and the heat coming from the plane send my hair and clothes all over the place. Plus the sirens and voices are making it awfully hard to concentrate. Electricity cackles through the air, nearly hitting me several times. 

Fuck, why can’t we just blow up the stupid plane? I got my answer as soon as I managed to get over the top of the plane. There are no passengers or flight crew members. But there is a load of explosives sitting in there. What is going on?

I send a huge blast of condensed air to the front of the plane, slowing it down a little. But the engines are powerful and the plane is huge, pushing me backwards from my position in the air. This isn’t going to work. My best bet may be to destroy the engines and bring the body of the plane to the ground. The only problem is how to do that and how to do that without hurting the injured people below me. 

Gahyeon must’ve been thinking the same thing (great minds think alike!) because she started teleporting gym mats and other types of padding inside the turbines of the plane. They get caught in the blades, preventing them from rotating further. The plane loses momentum when the engines die down and gravity takes over. I fly under the aircraft, creating a big tornado vortex right underneath the center of the plane. 

I could feel my magic circuits being strained to the max even before transforming but the plane is still falling too fast and too close to the injured. I couldn’t let it fall. Concentrate. I can do this. I have to be able to do this. Bolts of electricity turn their attention to me and try to electrocute me right out of the sky. I dodge them as best as I can without letting go of the tornado I created but some still manage to nick me. 

How are they able to attack me? Have there been demons out there that are capable of electrical powers? Demons should only have dark magic so why ? And how ? 

Using the last of my strength, I visualize a tornado above the aircraft to sandwich it between my winds, controlling the descent. The other students read my intentions and do their best to help me. Finally, the aircraft successfully hits the ground without any major damages. I fly out from under it before it crushes me and use my winds to tear open the side of the plane. The dynamite sit there, exposed.

The injured are assisted away from the rouge plane by the other students and staff. I was about to do the same when a flash of yellow caught the corner of my eye. I deflected it but it knocked me back onto the ground. Crap, the demon or whatever is still inside.

It zooms about in the form of a lightning bolt, trying to strike every vulnerable person it sees. I deflect them with my winds but the strain from earlier is starting to slow me down. I have to somehow stop that bolt from moving, otherwise it would outrun me completely. Taking a deep breath, I feel the winds working beneath my skin, ready to unleash something more powerful. My arms and legs are the first to shift into dark, feathery skin and then the wings sprout from behind my back, tearing two slits into my shirt. 

The bolt dashes for me, trying to stop the transformation but it was all I needed. My new form gives me a greater boost in flight, strength, and speed even if it was not complete. This time, I am the one to chase after the mysterious bolt of lightning. We take several dives, trying to shoot one another out of the sky. 

A blade of air cuts through the bolt but does nothing to slow it down. It leaves burn marks wherever it strikes. Thankfully, no one got hit yet but the exhaustion is killing me. Only the adrenaline is keeping me going. 

“Evacuate!” Someone screams in the background. The bolt hears them and jumps towards the voice. I whip around and see Jiu in its sights. 

No!

It doesn’t even take me a second to jump in front of her, but when I do, there’s a strange sensation on my left arm. It’s...cold? What?

It’s like I’m watching someone else take control of my body when everything goes black. My limbs give out and my vision spirals downwards.

--

Chapter Text

“Siyeon! Wake up! Breakfast is ready!” A loud voice booms throughout the dorm. The smell of bacon and coffee permeates the air, making the person still on the bed rouse from her sleep. She slid her legs off the bed and stood up to stretch. 

After washing up, Siyeon sits down at their small dining table, drooling over the breakfast laid out in front of her. “Thanks for the food, Bora.” The older girl watches Siyeon devour her food like she hadn’t had a meal in ages. It was simultaneously flattering and gross with the way the younger girl was conducting her non-existent table manners. 

“No problem. Have plans for today?” Siyeon lowers her fork to think over her schedule for the day. No classes today and no low level missions assigned to her. No homework either since Siyeon is surprisingly a diligent student (something completely unexpected from her, if Bora was being honest. The girl looks like she would either kill someone or goof off all day). The only thing Siyeon has planned was training so she tells Bora that. 

Bora rolls her shoulders to work out kinks. “Mind if I join you at the gym? And then we hit our usual place after?” The coffee machine beeps, indicating that it’s done. Bora grabs two mugs, one with a cartoon wolf and the other with a small white bird. She applies creamer and sugar and pours the strong coffee into each cup. 

Siyeon nods once Bora turns back around and accepts her cup of coffee. Bora always made it delicious and she knew exactly how Siyeon likes to have her coffee (and eggs. Scrambled, by the way). 

“Sure. Let me finish this and we can head out.”

“Take your time. Don’t choke.” Bora leaves the kitchen to change her clothes into workout clothes. Siyeon scrambles to finish her food as quickly as possible so that Bora doesn’t have to wait long. She knows that the older girl is often anxious after a mission like that, so she needs to let off some steam at the gym. 

(“Siyeon!” The black-haired girl groans, barely able to hear or see anything. The air is scorching hot, making it harder for her to open her eyes. It must’ve been at least over 120 degrees celsius. Her body won’t listen to her, staying numb on the ground. She feels herself being lifted off the ground and placed against a tree trunk, relieving some of the heat she felt from the center of the impact.

A hand comes up to cup her cheek, “Hang in there. The medics will be here soon...” she hears a girl say. Siyeon waits a couple of minutes for the ringing in her ear to stop and for her vision to clear. “...Bora?”

Bora hears her name and looks down, relieved that the younger girl’s eyes are finally open. “You’re okay. The helicopter is landing now. Rest.” Siyeon grips her hands, watching as Bora slows her breathing to a more manageable level. “You were really brave, you know?” She tells Siyeon. Who knows how far that dragon would have gone if it weren’t for her. 

“Yeah. Thanks for saving me, Bora.” Siyeon rasps, feeling the exhaustion take over her again. 

“No, you’re always saving me so I should be the one thanking you.” 

Siyeon wakes up in the hospital wing a few days after, given a clean bill of health from Jiu. She heard from the professor that the two boys and Arin came back safely and that Park Jaewon tried to take the credit. Kim Bora wasn’t having that bullshit and nearly burned all his hair off. The dragon’s body was completely incinerated in the aftermath.)

Thankfully, the gym at the academy is outfitted with special rooms for students with more quirky powers. It also offered them some privacy from invasive eyes of the student body. Siyeon did not need them to know that she got along well with one of the top students and that she was somewhat immune to her flames. The redhead’s fan club would come for her head for touching their ‘Queen Bora’.

The black-haired girl gets up to change her clothes when Bora steps out of her room, making her stop in her tracks. Bora was wearing a sports bra with a thin cardigan and track pants. Her midriff was exposed, giving Siyeon an eyeful of her flat but toned stomach. 

The redhead notices her gaze and decides to tease her. “Like what you see?” Immediately, Siyeon’s face explodes with the color red. The younger girl adverts her eyes to the ceiling and tries to blindly walk to her room, all while sputtering apologies for ogling Bora. Bora, on the other hand, gets a kick out of watching Siyeon get embarrassed and her squeaky laughter fills the dorm room. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t flattered by Siyeon’s staring but she isn’t looking to start anything anytime soon. Hero business comes first and she wouldn't want to sour relations with the one person that does not get burned by her. 

They finally make their way to the gym and luckily, there are hardly any students milling about because of the weekend. Many go out into the city on their days off to enjoy the time off from school. However, upon entering the gym, fellow rank 5 student Kim Jiu is running on the treadmill. The blonde notices the duo and waves them over. She stops the machine and gets off to wipe her sweat with a towel. 

“Training so early in the morning, Doc?” Jiu snorts into her water bottle and throws her dirty towel at Siyeon, hitting her square in the face. 

“Not a doctor yet, Lee Siyeon.” Siyeon grimaces and throws the towel back, only for Jiu to catch it smoothly. 

“Why aren’t you spending the day off outside like the rest?” Bora asks. It wasn’t uncommon for those in the medical track to avoid the gym and any physical combat altogether but Kim Jiu was a special case. Bora first met her in a basic combat class and they quickly became friends regardless of their ranks. Jiu continued with her hand-to-hand combat classes, citing her reason as needing to defend herself should the situation arise. It was a bit of a contradiction considering she had a healing power but in her words, she “wasn’t going to be slaughtered like a pig”. The two rank 5 students no longer shared combat classes since the upper tier classes were more specialized for each power but they still remained in close contact as fellow high ranking students. It also helped that they shared a mutual friend in Siyeon.

“Eh, got to keep in shape considering I spent the last few days studying in a chair. I’ll probably head out after another 10 minutes.” Siyeon and Bora waved goodbye and headed off for a training room. As they passed by the treadmill, Siyeon’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. The timer read 3 hours and 50 minutes. Jiu had been running for nearly 4 hours straight! The girl must have incredible stamina and it made Siyeon think of that muscle hello kitty meme. Kim Jiu definitely didn't seem like the buff type. 

“Say, have you ever fought Jiu in those classes you shared?” Siyeon asks, closing the training room door behind her. 

Bora begins her warm-up stretches on the ground. “Nope but I have seen her kick every single one of her opponents in the butt. The girl never lost in a hand-to-hand fight. Obviously, if there were powers involved then that would be different. Why?”

“Nothing.”

--

The puppies were running all over the place, excited for playtime. Siyeon immediately crouches down to play with a grey one named Wolf. She really shouldn't play favorites but this little one was totally her favorite. Bora watched fondly as the younger girl gets tackled by overexcited pups wanting to play with a human. A tall man in an apron and glasses approaches her with an easy smile. 

“Hey Jun. The dogs look like they’re doing great.” Bora greets. 

“Yup, they’re getting healthier as the days pass. Hopefully, people will adopt them into good homes soon.” Jun hands her a green apron as well and leads her to the back room. There were several cages with dogs either sleeping or sniffing around. They all had some sort of injury, like a nick in the ear or a damaged limb. This room was white and sterile, doubling as a vet room and a storage room. “These guys just came in last week. I hear they were being trafficked but then the detective found where they were being held. Poor things were starved and abused.” He explains. 

“Detective Dami?”

“Yes.” Bora nods in understanding. Dami was an enigma, taking on any case she felt like and dropping the ones she didn't care much about. Sometimes it landed her in the newspaper, like that one time where she dropped a serial murder case because she was “uninterested”. But at least this time, her whimsical nature saved these dogs. 

One of the dogs she passes by snaps at the cage, agitated. It frightened her into dropping the plasters she was holding. “Shit that scared me. Jun! What’s with this one?”

He looks over from the dog he was bottle feeding with apologetic eyes. “Yeah that one was very agitated when it arrived so I had to keep it in the cage before it hurts anyone. I had to put it to sleep to patch up the injuries. Pretty serious ones too.”

Bora peers around the cage, trying to see what Jun was talking about. The black dog, probably a mix of a bulldog and something else, keeps on snapping at her and rattling the cage. It was pretty intimidating with its golden eyes narrowed into an angry snarl. It probably didn’t like the fact that it was caged up. There’s bandages wrapped around its body, some of it soaked in red. From what she could tell, the dog suffered some serious clawing. 

“Looks like a demon got at it.” Bora comments as she slips on some blue medical gloves. 

“Yeah I had the same thought. The detective didn't say much but I’m glad you two decided to stop by today. I don't know how I would have handled this one.”

Bora opens the door leading back out to the front where Siyeon was playing. “Siyeon! I’m gonna help Jun out with the injured dogs. Mind watching the pups for a while? It might get messy in here so I’m going to close the door, okay?” Siyeon looks up from the dog she’s petting and gives a thumbs up. Bora closes the door and braces herself. The dog hasn’t calmed down in the slightest but she didn't want to put it to sleep. That might agitate the dog even more once it wakes up. 

“You might have to. It’s too dangerous.” Jun tells her. He prepares a syringe with the appropriate dose and hands it to her. The redhead reluctantly takes it, eyeing it and then the aggressive dog before sighing in defeat. The dog recognizes that she is approaching with a harmful object so it growls and barks even more. 

“Sorry buddy but I’ve got to do this before you bleed out.” Bora whispers gently before inserting the syringe on the backside of the dog. The cage prevented it from turning around to stop her. The medicine works quickly, the dog’s eyes drooping and closing entirely. Bora unlocks the top of the cage and lifts the dog onto the examination table. Jun assists her with opening the bandages and applying the balm. 

“Christ this looks bad.” The claw marks ripple across the sides and abdomen of the dog. They’re red and angry and Bora thinks it's a miracle that this dog survived. Jun’s stitches were holding the skin together pretty well though. “You know where this dog was being held?”

“No but you could ask the detective. She would know.” Bora nods, wrapping the sleeping dog in a fresh set of bandaids. Hopefully the demon that did this is no longer around or else the people may be in danger. Bora resolved to ask Dami about all of the details later. 

The task was done so she tossed her gloves and left Jun to take care of the rest. Siyeon was laying down, petting a sleepy dog next to her. The other puppies settled down around her, ready for their afternoon nap time. It was so cute that Bora had to snap a photo of Siyeon being surrounded by a group of fluffy puppies. Siyeon herself looked extremely sleepy, adding to the softness of the situation. Bora couldn’t help but grin like a fool. 

“When are you going to tell her you like her?” Bora hears Jun say. She shrugs her shoulders, not taking her eyes off of the younger girl. “You know that she probably likes you back.”

“It’s complicated.” Bora finds herself saying automatically. 

“It really isn’t. You young people just like to complicate your lives. You may be heroes-in-training but you’re also human. Well, except maybe Yoohyeon. Is she considered human?” He mutters that last part, furrowing his brows. Bora finds herself chuckling at her friend’s advice though she finds it ironic that he’s lecturing her when he hasn’t dated in a long time either. 

The redhead moves to the sleepy black-haired girl on the ground and squats, placing a hand on her soft cheek. “Singnie, you can’t sleep here. You’ll hurt your back.” Bora says but thumbs the soft cheek under her fingers, lulling Siyeon to sleep even more.

“I wanna sleep here with the pups forever~” The black-haired girl said with a dopey grin on her face. Bora returns the smile with one of her own and proceeds to pinch the cheek in between her fingers. Siyeon whines at the treatment but sits up anyways. The dogs around her are in deep sleep now so she doesn’t want to disturb them. The two girls quietly wave to Jun and exit the store as swiftly as possible. 

“Where to next-” Siyeon’s question is interrupted by a loud siren coming from the academy. Without missing a beat, Siyeon and Bora run towards the school, noting the huge plane flying dangerously close to the ground. 

--

“Yoohyeon!” Siyeon shouts in the background. Both see the tall girl in her half-transformed state, her left arm caught in the grasp of the enemy. Yoohyeon doesn’t react to Siyeon’s call and begins to tilt over, eyes closing. 

“Shit, Siyeon get her to safety! I’ll handle this!” Purple flames erupt from Bora’s hands and are shot out towards the human-bolt looking thing. She jumps between it and her friends, sending it reeling with a strong axe kick to the head. Oddly, her foot makes contact with something solid despite the way the creature looks. Doesn’t matter, if I can touch it, I can kill it.  

The creature gets up and backs away, knowing that a powerful opponent is challenging it. But Bora is fast, not allowing it to escape at all. They exchange a fury of blows, Bora the one attacking and the creature defending for its life. Every contact it makes with her purple flames causes it to scream out in pain. The inhuman screeching it emits grates on Bora’s ears but she doesn’t let up. 

It creates distance between them by blinding her with a bright light. “Fuck it’s trying to escape!” She shoots a barrage of flames in that general direction, hoping for a hit critical enough to stop it. There’s no screeching nor any sounds of something getting hit. When the light dies down, Bora is disappointed. It got away. Or so she thought. 

“What the fu-” A huge glass dome filled with rubber balls teleports itself over the spot the creature was standing. And surprise, surprise: the creature is captured inside, shooting out crazy amounts of lightning to break out. The dome holds up and Bora has to wonder how it got here. 

The people! Bora is panting from exertion, her arms steaming a bit from her flames. She whips around, taking in all the injured and scared people on the ground. 

She moves to help them but immediately stops in her tracks. Bora knows she can’t. She’ll burn them if she tries to help. The thought makes her sigh in defeat but what can she do? Nothing. Instead, she jogs over to Siyeon and Jiu bent over Yoohyeon’s prone form. Up close, the redhead can see Yoohyeon’s left arm to be in very bad shape. There were blackened veins running across her bird-like forearm, though they have not spread to other parts of her body. In the back of her mind, those darkened veins seemed like something she has seen before. 

“Damn it, Yoohyeon...wake up.” Siyeon mutters worriedly next to her. Jiu was on the other side of her body, applying her healing powers as best as she could. Yoohyeon’s transformation begins to recede, leaving her in her human form with torn clothes. Siyeon moves to shake her prone body to get her to regain consciousness but with no luck. Yoohyeon was out cold and Bora could do nothing but helplessly watch as she and other people suffered. “Jiu, how is she looking?”

Jiu wipes her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. “Her magic circuits are damaged from overuse. It might take all of my remaining energy to heal her but I can do it. Bora, can you call the other medics to take care of the other injured people?” 

“I’m on it.” 

“Siyeon, I think you might need to take Yoohyeon to the dorm room when I’m done. The hospital is going to be too packed. I promise I’ve healed her completely so don't worry about that.”

“What about you?” Exhaustion was clearly showing on the rank 5 student’s face and Siyeon worried that she might topple over sometime soon. It was somewhat established that people with healing related powers tend to tire out after using too much power (as was true of most powers). So it can be said that healing powers inherently had the weakness of overuse, among other quirks. Students looking to rank up can’t use that against them though, since the medical track and the combat track are separated. Siyeon supposes that it was true for Jiu as well even though she has never seen Jiu use her abilities to the max. 

“I need to help out...”

“No way. If you’re too exhausted after this, I’m taking you to the dorm as well.” Siyeon said sternly. Her fierce eyes made eye contact with tired ones, daring the older to say something back. The blonde simply smiles crookedly and gives her thanks for her concern. The healing process takes another 10 minutes of her focus but, by the end of it, Yoohyeon is breathing normally and the black veins are gone. The cuts and bruises were also gone. 

Jiu and Siyeon grab one arm each and carefully carry Yoohyeon back to the dorm, leaving the chaos behind for others to handle.

--

Siyeon spots Bora standing off to the side, keeping her arms to herself. If Siyeon didn't know better, she’d think that the older girl was a lost kid with the way that she was glancing around, uncertain. “Bora!” The fire-user looked relieved to see her. “Come on, let’s go to the dorms. I finally got Jiu to rest in bed but I have to make sure she doesn’t try to escape.” 

With two cups of hot chocolate in hand, Siyeon settles into the couch. Bora hasn’t moved from her spot at the door, not wanting to melt anything in Jiu’s and Yoohyeon’s dorm. The younger’s eyes soften at how small Bora was making herself look. The gap between how Bora behaved during and post battle gave Siyeon whiplash. None of that rank 5 bravado Bora was fond of was in sight at this moment. 

“Come here.” Opening her arms wide, the shorter girl immediately snuggles in, decompressing. “Did you get hurt anywhere?” Siyeon asks gently, rubbing Bora’s back soothingly. She feels Bora’s head shake in the crook of her neck. Nonetheless, she prods around a bit before concluding that Bora was telling the truth. 

“You going to stay the night?”

“Yeah. I asked that girl, Gahyeon, about what happened while you were here. She said that it was mostly Yoohyeon’s efforts that stopped the plane. That’s how she fried her circuits. I want to make sure that she and Jiu are alright.”

“Gahyeon didn't say anything else? That kid’s usually eager to talk my head off.” Siyeon’s ears are already hurting from thinking about Gahyeon.

“Ah and that she was the one to capture that lightning thingy.” And there it was. Gahyeon’s good deed of the day.

“I don't even want to ask how or where she got all those rubber balls or that glass dome.”

“I tried to ask but she ran off right after.”

Siyeon grimaces. “It’s probably for the best that she did. We’ll get a full story filled with unnecessary action sounds soon. The academy’s probably interrogating our new prisoner as we speak.”

“...” Bora was quiet.

“Bora?” Siyeon was met with soft breathing coming from the smaller girl. She chuckled to herself and cuddled Bora closer, falling asleep with the top ace of the academy.

Chapter Text

Demons have terrifying visages. Their gruesome jaws and piercing eyes make me want to put down my bow and never return to the battlefield. They are powerful. They are swift. But they lack intelligence and emotions. All they have is instincts and those instincts tell them to devour us. Last month, we were caught in a stalemate between a horde of demons and us. But they crossed the trench zone, throwing their brethren at us, not caring who died! At some point they broke through our defenses with their madmen tactics. 

Gods, had it not been for my comrades, I may have been killed. Mother, Father, I have discovered something that may very well change our lives forever. In my haste to escape the horde, one demon got a hold of me. It nearly clawed out my entire leg. But in my desperation to live, I used a broken arrowhead and stabbed it just once where the white cross lies. It died, leaving its unholy ashened body behind. Can you believe it?! A single, broken arrowhead, aimed at the right place, was far more effective than 10 catapults combined! By the time you receive this letter, hopefully my theory will be proven correct and the conquest against the demons will be further successful. 

Take care to eat and sleep properly. Tell my siblings that I will return in the fortnight and bear them gifts from my travels. And remember: Demons may have eyes that glow in the dark, claws that rip skin like paper, and cursed magic, but aim for the white cross. It is always present somewhere on their bodies, if not their souls. The Gods will guide you to salvation. 

-Letter to Family, Year 1276 A.S.

Holy Inquisitor Ryu Sera

Chapter Text

“I think I deserve to be there to watch. I was the one who caught it!”

“Lee Gahyeon.” The deep voice of the principal rings through the room. “You will do well to know your place. Your assistance in the capture is greatly appreciated but you are not authorized to be a part of the interrogation.”

Gahyeon wants to argue more but one stern look from the principal and the other high ranking heroes made her shut up. In the room were some of the most respected heroes ever to graduate from the academy. She begrudgingly dragged her feet out the door, slouching all the while. Who cares about decorum when she just caught some crazy thunder demon AND helped stop a rogue plane. Not her. Nope. 

Though this did make her curious: why were there no heroes helping? She was on the roof so it definitely gave her a bird’s eye view of everything and she did not see any of those people in the room just now. Sure, there were plenty of injured heroes returning from a terrible mission but why was it that Yoohyeon (and by extension, her) the only ones to really do anything? If Bora and Siyeon hadn’t arrived in time, Yoohyeon might’ve ended up dead. Gahyeon shuddered at the thought.

She kept walking down the halls until she made it to her dorm room, shutting it behind her and locking it. The right wall was completely empty, a direct contrast to her messy bed on the left. With a bit of concentration, a huge ceiling to floor white board appears on the right wall. Technically, students weren’t allowed to make modifications to their rooms but Gahyeon quickly figured out a way around that. All she needed was to visualize a place to keep the board when it wasn’t in her room. Easy enough for a self-proclaimed genius like her. And in this case, it was her farmhouse back at home, approximately 152 km away.

The board served as her brain-to-paper medium. It’s how she came up with brilliant pranks that never fail to get her in trouble. Opening a black marker, the brunette began writing several bullet points:

• Demon kill mission - bad, failed. Tons of injured people returning
• Rogue plane approaching. Coincidence with ^? Why & how did it approach so closely w/o detection????? Probs within 100 m before visible
• Someone with cloaking powers helping?? Human? Hero?
• Demon (human?) used electricity powers ---> not possible….until now
• Where were heroes/ students? Hardly any1 responded ----> planned attack????

With careful deliberation, Gahyeon grabs the red marker and draws in big letters the word ‘TARGET?’ and circles it three times over. She reads over the words she wrote following the flow of her consciousness but none of it made sense. She would need help with figuring this out. After all, Yoohyeon got hurt and Gahyeon had no explanation as to why. Thankfully Kim Jiu healed her right away so Yoohyeon would live. 

For now, she was going to have to go solo. The site of the plane and the hospital were off limits due to the activity around there so Gahyeon would have no luck in finding clues there. Sitting down on her office chair, she leans back in her seat thinking about which line of investigation should she try to follow first. 

“Something easy to investigate first.” The students returning from the mission were out of the question since they were in the hospital. Plus, a quick search in the mission directory told her that it was an ordinary demon extermination mission. Nothing about it was unusual and yet, the entire team got wiped out. She would definitely have a talk with one of the students about it later. Right now, the only thing she could investigate was where the plane came from. 

It came in the general direction of the eastern city outskirts, where there were miles of forests until the next major city. She could ask Siyeon and Bora about it too since Bora told her that they were off campus when they saw it. With these goals in mind, Gahyeon sets out.

--

-Gahyeon’s POV-

A text message from Siyeon confirmed that she was currently in Yoohyeon’s dorm and that she saw the plane coming from the eastern outskirts as well. Good, seems like I’m on the right track. I head towards the empty classroom in the corner on the first floor, glancing around to make sure no one saw me. The school is on lockdown right now so I’ll have to improvise.

Closing the door behind me, I place my hand on the wall closest to the outside of the school. The wall disappears, or rather, I teleported it to the space next to me and crawled through. This classroom and this area in particular was great for sneaking out of school since it has a blind spot right outside this wall. Of course, no one expects the wall right under the camera outside to suddenly give way, making it the perfect loophole for me. Then I just put the wall back in place. 

I pull one of the acorns from my pocket and toss it away from the fence, the laser vision of the camera following the movement. A quick teleportation trick on the fence and I’m outside. Too easy. 

Been awhile since I’ve gone out to the city, thanks to all the detention I keep getting. But I can’t help it. School is boring and Yoohyeon enables me like no other partner in crime. I wish my parents had just let me decide for myself whether I wanted to attend this hero academy. It sucks. Well, I met Yoohyeon and Siyeon so that’s cool, I guess. But I wanted to be able to walk the city freely like right now instead of sneaking around.

Some hero I am. Speaking of heroes, I spot rank 5 Dami and rank 4 transfer student Handong standing next to an academy police car. Smells like a big scoop. 

“Detective!” Dami glances over to me, deadpanning when she realizes it’s me.

“Lee Gahyeon.” Handong’s eyes shift between us, probably wondering why Dami looks like she wants to be anywhere but here while I’m super smiley. “What brings you here?”

“The academy is on lockdown.” I say simply. Dami’s eyes narrow slightly at my flippant tone. “If you’d like to know why, detective, I’ll tell you...but only if you exchange some info with me.”  Dami stares, completely unimpressed by my bargaining. As quick as she could, she grabs onto my shirt but I came prepared.

“Sorry, but I changed my clothes before coming here. You won’t see anything with your psychometry.”

“...”

“I figured I was going to go to you soon for some info so I took precautions.” I could feel a smirk breaking through my expression at the irritation evident on Dami’s face. Next to her, Handong opens her mouth but Dami steps in front of her, effectively blocking her from my view. Oh? I didn't know that they were close. Interesting. 

Jaw tight, Dami grits, “What do you want to know?” I hold up two of my fingers.

“One, who is in there?” I point to the departing academy police truck, “And two, which way did you see the plane coming from?” I see Dami contemplating on how to give her answers. News outlets and students alike often mention that Dami only discloses what is necessary. Who knows how many world-changing secrets she knows from all the cases she solves but chooses to keep them to herself. It was in times like these where I can see how Dami is a rank 5 student. Her power may not be physically useful but who knows how much dirt she’s got on world leaders. She could very much shape the world to her liking with just a few words. That might be even scarier than demons attacking or heroes turning into villains. 

Finally she answers, “Handong caught a suspicious man when the sirens went off. As for the plane, it came from that way.” 

“Are you sure it was that way?” I ask for confirmation. She nods curtly. “I see. Well, this is the current state of the school.” I tell her the logistics of it but leave out critical information, particularly of Yoohyeon, just she has kept info on that person they just caught. Well, I’m sure that when she gets back to the academy, they will ask her to touch the plane. She’ll know then. 

“By the way,” I lean to the side to get a good look at the chinese student “I’m Lee Gahyeon! I heard that you’ve already met my two best friends, Yoohyeon and Siyeon! It’s nice to meet you Handong!”

“Likewise.” She says softly. A little on the shy side, I see. But she’s a rank 4 and can totally kick my butt so I guess it’s time for me to go. 

“See you around!” I wave as I run in the opposite direction. Once they are out of sight, I slow down and make a turn to an alleyway. This is very interesting information that I just got. According to Bora and myself, the plane came from the east. And yet, Dami just told me the complete opposite. She has no reason to lie to me about that and Handong seemed honest enough. So what is going on here?

Asking more people would be the most logical thing to do. And I know just the person. The marketplace is only 5 minutes from here and when I get there, it’s bustling with activity. Vendors are shouting out their products and prices and I am honestly tempted to eat right now. The smell is making me hungry. But, I’m on a mission so it’ll have to wait. I zigzag through the crowd until I reach a shop on the side street. 

It’s old and musty but many people love it for the delicious tofu it sells. My 3rd best friend lives and works here with her family. She literally has the best superpower I’ve ever seen. Even cooler than Bora’s purple fire and Yoohyeon’s tengu transformation. 

Kim Dahyun can turn herself into tofu at will. 

If that isn’t the coolest power ever then I don’t know what is. Apparently it’s a hereditary power, passed down through 9 generations of her family (I question the validity of this). Of course, I asked if they ever shaved off their skin and sold that tofu to people but she vehemently denied it (I also question this), saying that whatever skin gets damaged in her tofu form transfers to her human form. Her power isn’t that useful so she opted out of hero training and focused on running her family shop.

Despite only being able to turn into tofu, Dahyun has a talent for running her mouth and spotting the most unexpected things from a mile away so I’m sure she has some information that I can use. 

“Yo bro!” She says as soon as I stepped into the store. Ah, good ol’ Dahyun. 

“...Dahyun.” Her longtime, no powers friend Chaeyoung gives her a scathing look. “Please don’t disturb the other customers. And stop saying bro, it ain’t cool anymore.” Dahyun pouts at her friend making me chuckle. Chaeyoung was always the calmer one between the two, controlling Dahyun’s crazy impulses that she got from hanging around me too much. I wonder if that’s why Chaeyoung doesn’t like me much…

Oh well. We go to different schools now. We practically live in different universes at this point. And I came here for hero business. No more fooling around. Hehe.

Puffing out my chest like a hero would, “I am in need of some information, Dahyun. And I’m sure you have it.” Dahyun smirks, eager to play along. We ignore Chaeyoung rolling her eyes in the background. Okay so maybe the teachers were right and I have a hard time being serious.

“Ohohoho what sort of information are you looking for, Hero-in-training Lee Gahyeon?” We were both trying really hard to keep it together. Chaeyoung’s eye rolling intensified in the background. 

“A plane was seen terrorizing the city, yes? Tell me all that you know.”

“Ah yes, it was at 3:59PM when the plane flew overhead...I know that because that’s when I flake off and leave Chaeyoung to do all the work.”

“Hey!”

“Shush Chaeyoung, I am imparting important information right now.” Dahyun places her pointer finger on Chaeyoung’s lips, much to the younger girl’s annoyance. “Anyways, I heard the sounds appear approximately 10 seconds before I actually saw it.”

The sound came first? Seems like this will be critical information in finding who did this. I knew I could count on Dahyun’s quirky nature. She notices all the weirdest details. 

Teleporting two lollipops from my secret stash, I hand them to the two girls. “Thanks! Let me know if you remember any other details!” I spin around, excited to see what I can find with all this new information. And who knows, maybe I can rank up with what I discover.

--

I decide to check Dami’s information first, considering she is the only one to contradict what I’ve seen for myself so far. As I’m walking, I start questioning the purpose of such an act. If their goal was to confuse, then they’re doing great so far. Obviously, the goal of making the plane come from opposite directions was to throw off the origin of the site. So then why was Dami and Handong able to see that it came from the west? Why did the rest of us see it coming from the east? As far as I know, Dami’s psychometry doesn’t include seeing things she doesn’t touch or some sort of super vision. And Handong’s powers probably aren’t vision related either. Or are they?

Anyways, back to my original line of thought. Let’s say that the plane did indeed come from the west but shifted trajectory to the east by the time I saw it. A map of the city and a red marker appears in my hands. I draw out a theoretical location based on what Dami told me and pointed it towards the academy, drawing out the shortest path possible and assuming it made the turn to appear from the opposite direction. This can’t be right. According to this....

The plane would have had to do a sharp 90 degree at minimum to turn near the center of the city. From what I can tell, that was a commercial plane, not a fucking fighter jet. Not only that, but the people I spoke to made no mentions of something so obvious like the plane making a turn. 

I study the map a little longer. If I were a plane coming in from the west, where would I be? Or if I were coming in from the east, where would I be? Or did the perpetrator purposely allow Dami, a famous detective, to see the opposite of what everyone else saw to throw her off? If so, where is the true origin point?

My head is starting to hurt so I stop by a rice cake stand to recharge my energy. Absently, I watch some crows eat fallen food off the floors. Their black coats are made shiny due to the sun reflecting off of them. They kind of remind me of Yoohyeon when she transforms but smaller and less human. One crow, smaller than the rest, has a piece of bread between its beak. It leaves the group and flies off, probably back to its nesting place. 

Wait a minute...I think back to the moment the plane arrived. Having photographic memory sure is nice. There were crows flying in the background, but away from the academy. Crows tend to nest in higher places, like trees. Particularly oak trees. The nearest oak tree colony is...

With my brain running a mile a minute, I dash around town, asking people again where they saw the plane coming from. The answers I received made me more confident in my theory. I know where it came from and that I’m going to need all the help I can get.

--

Chapter Text

When Gahyeon opened the door to Yoohyeon’s dorm room, she was not expecting to see Dami, Handong, and Bora there as well. Jiu was seated on the single couch but she looked extremely tired. 

“Um...” Gahyeon tried to break the awkward silence. 

Thankfully, it was Siyeon who threw her a metaphorical bone. “Hey kid.” She does the task of introducing everyone to each other to get it over with. “Yooh’s still sleeping.”

“That’s okay. I have some important information regarding this craziness. Though I am reluctant to share.” Gahyeon said as she eyed Dami. Dami works for the academy so Gahyeon wasn’t about to take her chances. 

“If this is about the glitter incident, you literally have no one to blame but yourself...”

“It isn’t. How about a trade, detective?” Dami narrowed her eyes. The last time she made a deal with Gahyeon (like 4 hours ago), she didn't get anything particularly useful. It wasn’t until she touched the plane did she see what was important. “This one’s a big one. Has to do with where that plane came from.” Gahyeon added, seeing Dami hesitate. 

“Let us hear what she has to say.” Handong said gently from her perch on the couch. Dami gives her a withering look but nodded, knowing that the information is pertinent right now. The others raise their eyebrows, wondering why Dami was listening to the transfer student.

“Great!” Gahyeon claps her hands together and teleports the big whiteboard from her room to the dorm room. All of the bullet points she wrote were still on there. She pinned the map she was carrying to the corner of the board as well. 

“So, I was investigating the origin point of where that plane came from.” She used a red marker to circle around a mountain range. “It’s here.”

Everyone except Dami was confused. They hadn’t seen it coming straight from the south so what was Gahyeon talking about? Gahyeon smirks seeing the neutral expression on the detective’s face. Most likely, Dami had seen something with her psychometry but could not explain it. Until now.

“I asked around town and some people said it came from either the east or the west. Obviously, that doesn’t make any sense. Then I remembered something important. There were crows flying over the plane to get to the nesting place in the mountains.” Gahyeon began sketching out the scene at the academy from her point of view. The sketch, despite being drawn with an expo marker, was disturbingly detailed and artfully done. 

Bora leans over to whisper to Siyeon, “Is she some sort of genius?”

“Yeah, that’s my baby right there.” Siyeon whispered proudly, as if she were her parent. 

Gahyeon leans back to show the whole sketch to the room, “The crow was moving as to avoid the plane, which was in its flight path. I originally thought that maybe it was someone with cloaking powers but the crows proved that it was not, considering they were able to see it and avoid it. Then, after asking a few people, I realized that it is probably the work of a prism-type power. People standing in one location saw the opposite of people standing on the other side. Like a mirror.” Gahyeon drew a dotted line from the mountain to the academy. It was a perfectly straight path.

“The prism allowed the origin of the plane to be mistaken. In addition, a reliable source told me that the plane was heard before it was seen. As far as I know, the academy has two people with cloaking powers. Both are rank 5 and both are known to be able to cloak sounds. I doubt they’d make an amateur mistake of not masking sounds.”

Dami stands up to get a closer look at the map. She was impressed despite not showing it. That trickster could be really smart when she puts her mind to it. Shame that she’s wasting her talents , Dami thought.

“That narrows down the suspects. As far as I know, the mountain has a hangar, which is where the plane came from.” The detective offered her the end of the deal.

Gahyeon flopped herself onto the couch, observing everyone’s expressions at the information overload. Bora and Siyeon were trying to process it while Jiu looked deeply disturbed. Catching onto that, Gahyeon called Jiu.

“Jiu, you know something else about that hangar.” the youngest said, more as a statement rather than a question. Jiu is startled at how sharp Gahyeon is. She opens her mouth, ready to say something. But then there’s a high pitched sound and the window closest to her shatters.

Everyone reacts by ducking their heads but nothing else happens after a while. Jiu opens her eyes to see Handong standing beside her, holding a sniper round inches from her face. It was still smoking, fresh from the chamber of a rifle. Handong is glaring at something past the windows, getting up and spinning the bullet in her fingers around. She settles it on top of her forefinger and places her thumb at the butt of the bullet. With a flick of her thumb, the bullet shoots out at high speed, going back the way it came from. Gahyeon, who is using a pair of binoculars, is amazed and terrified that Handong managed to strike the sniper in the head from such a great distance. 

--

The group moves to Dami’s private dorm room, with Siyeon carrying a sleeping Yoohyeon on her back. Dami pulled some strings to disable the security cameras surrounding her hallway, not  trusting anyone after that sniper incident. She blocks the windows with shutters equipped in her room. Once the coast is clear, she whips around to face Handong, anger taking over her expression. 

“What was that?”

“What was what?” Sensing the rising tension between the two, the others move to the daybed in the living room to put Yoohyeon down.

Dami gritted her teeth at the innocent expression Handong had, “Don’t play stupid, how did you know that bullet was coming?” The short-haired girl was beginning to regret her choice of speaking to Handong in the first place.

“I did not.”

“Then how?”

Without warning, Siyeon swings her fist at the back of Handong’s head. Like a jaguar, Handong turns her body to the side and catches the older girl’s fist in her hand.

Handong lets go of Siyeon’s fist and smiles wryly. That demonstration should have given a heavy hint as it was. “Instincts. I will not go into the details but that’s the gist of it. I am not here to betray anyone, Dami. Also, that was a good shot, Siyeon. Your posture was excellent.” Siyeon beams happily from the compliment.

“...Why did you kill that sniper?”

“He tried to kill Jiu first to shut her up. If we let him live, he would have gotten away before we could reach him. He will not be going anywhere now. We must make contact with him and the hangar to solve whatever this is.” Handong made her expression as open and as honest as possible. She wanted the others to believe her. 

“This could be one big trap set up by her to get us to go to the mountains. Whatever’s there is clearly important to solving this case. But it could also silence us forever.” Dami spats. The only reason why she was confronting Handong here was because Bora was here and she could surely best Handong in a fight with her flames. 

“I’m not-”

“Then give me one good reason why I should believe you!” 

Handong worked her throat, thinking about what she should or should not reveal. Finally, she settled on something. “I...those cults I told you about, I came from...China to chase after those people. I cannot tell you why...but I think those people are involved with this. It cannot be a coincidence that we caught a man with that symbol and the plane attempting to crash into the academy happened at the same time.”

“That isn’t enough.” Dami said bluntly. She was a little more calm now that she has some information from the girl she just started talking to today. She can see that Handong just needed a little push to get more out of her. After that stunt with the sniper, the chinese girl definitely was suspicious. 

Taking a deep breath, Handong tried again, “Alright. Look, my...company and I believe that a cult is responsible for these.” She pulled out a set of photographs out of her pocket. Laying them out on the coffee table for everyone to see, horrified expressions cross their faces. Dami steps closer and touches one of them.

Table. Knife. Fabric. Blood.

The photos contain what seem to be husks of people. Their bodies are blackened and the skin is sucked in, like someone put a vacuum on them and drained all the water out. They were like mummies.

Jiu looked disgusted as she picked one up. “What happened to them?”

“I do not know. No witnesses and no leads. I came here because we had a tip that something similar happened here. And then I happen to run into detective Dami, who showed me the symbol of the very people I am after.” Handong shared eye contact with the detective, hoping that she would believe her. Right now, Dami was her best chance. It was one of the reasons why she chose this school.

“Who are they?” Dami said without looking away. Earlier, when she looked closely at the photos, there were bodily injuries that were similar to that woman’s that she saw in the hotel. She was beginning to believe that it was not a coincidence. 

“Children of the Moon. A cult that worships the moon and the demons.” 

--

After Dami showed the group a classified folder of the hotel murder case and what she saw, they plan their next action. She would have liked to limit who knew this information but Lee Gahyeon had already exposed the most important things to them. Plus, the youngest girl trusts her friends, not Dami.

“Before we get into that, there are two questions we need answered. Jiu, what do you know about that hangar?”

Jiu straightened her back, still tired but alert, “It belongs to the academy. I’ve been there once when some injured people were transported there. But I’m sure students aren’t allowed to be there unless given permission. Lots of guards surround that area.” The academy owning that hangar raised several red flags. Either the academy was in on this attack for some gain or there are traitors among the ranks. 

“Okay. Next question. Why was the plane allowed to be seen?” Gahyeon was met with confused faces. 

“I don't understand, didn’t we already establish that it was some sort of prism power?” Siyeon responds. Gahyeon can be pretty weird and hard to understand at times, even if they knew each other for a long time.

As they spoke, Gahyeon thought of another possibility. “Let’s look at it another way. What are the odds that they actually don’t have a cloaking type power on their side?” 

Dami puts her hand under her chin, seeing where Gahyeon was going with this. That kid should seriously consider being a detective if she’s this good. “What Lee Gahyeon is getting at is this: What if they chose to use a prism type on purpose? The plane was meant to be seen, meant to be stopped. That means there’s a target or targets they wanted to draw out. There was also that strange demon with the lightning powers.” 

Jiu glances over to Yoohyeon’s sleeping form. It frightened her deeply when she saw how the younger girl put herself in front of that plane and then in front of the enemy. She defended her life even though several days before, Jiu hadn’t done the same for her. Yoohyeon had performed like a true hero in the face of danger and Jiu wishes she could take back some of the things she said to her. If only she was awake now. They could gain more insight on that demon she fought. 

As if she knew what Jiu was thinking, Dami spoke up, “Until Kim Yoohyeon recovers and we figure out a way into the hangar, I will go investigate that sniper and the suspect we brought in. Carry on your daily lives but be suspicious of everyone.”

--

Chapter Text

HappyFace Hero Academy Student Profiles:

CODENAME: Angel

DOB: May 17, 1994 A.S.

PLACE OF BIRTH: ???

RANK: 5 

LINEAGE: ???

KNOWN ABILITIES: High level healing; excellent circuit control

KNOWN WEAKNESSES: Fatigue from overuse

--

CODENAME: Inferno

DOB: August 10, 1994 A.S.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Changwon, S.K.

RANK: 5

LINEAGE: Magma (Father), Altin (Mother), Human Brother

KNOWN ABILITIES: Purple fire; temperatures recorded can go up to 1600 celsius, glass probe melted beyond this point; most powerful fire user recorded in history of HF Academy

KNOWN WEAKNESSES: 0 em00000001c000001be100gul00ed1by10000; 0p00ial10000z00s1 00q000001f001c000d000

--

CODENAME: LS (no codename assigned)

DOB: October 1, 1995 A.S.

PLACE OF BIRTH: ???

RANK: 1

LINEAGE: Human Family

KNOWN ABILITIES: Immune to Inferno’s flames; 

KNOWN WEAKNESSES: does not display any other potent powers

--

CODENAME: HD (no codename assigned)

DOB: March 26, 1996 A.S.

PLACE OF BIRTH: China

RANK: 4

LINEAGE: ???

KNOWN ABILITIES: Hand-to-hand expert; superhuman reflexes, may possibly be precognition

KNOWN WEAKNESSES:

--

CODENAME: Tengu

DOB: January 7, 1997 A.S.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Incheon, S.K.

RANK: 4

LINEAGE: Arc (Father), Drizzle (Mother), Canis (Brother), Jumper (Sister)

KNOWN ABILITIES: Controls wind; tengu transformation enhances powers

KNOWN WEAKNESSES: emotional control is lacking; focus in school lacking

--

CODENAME: Detective

DOB: March 7, 1997 A.S.

PLACE OF BIRTH: ???

RANK: 5

LINEAGE: ???

KNOWN ABILITIES: Psychometry; superior intelligence

KNOWN WEAKNESSES: Visions show past, present, future in random order; more data required for mental impact of visions

--

CODENAME: Teleporter

DOB: February 3, 1999 A.S.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Nonsan-nam, S.K.

RANK: 3

LINEAGE: Human Parents

KNOWN ABILITIES: Teleportation of objects; photographic memory enhances ability to use; does not necessarily need to travel to location: image just has to be correct

KNOWN WEAKNESSES: location to and from must be completely accurate in the user’s mind; 

Signed,

Kwon

Chapter Text

The stress of going back to daily life was starting to get to everyone. The academy lifted the lockdown after 3 days, removing evidence that the crash had ever occurred at all. No one spoke about it openly, although there were rumors about the demon but nothing was officially announced. Dami and Gahyeon were often seen together with serious looks on their faces. Siyeon, Handong, and Bora decided to train together after classes (Originally, it was just Siyeon and Handong but Dami insisted that Bora joined as well. Probably to keep an eye on the chinese girl.). Jiu went to class and did her clinic duties as usual but at night, she would stay at Yoohyeon’s bedside. The window that was hit by the bullet was replaced and the entire room was made bulletproof, just in case someone decided to come back to finish the job.

Thankfully, the tallest girl woke up at the end of the week, feeling groggy but overall okay. The others try to visit her/question her but Jiu’s stern warning prevents them from even entering the room. She settles back down on the chair next to the bed, pouring a cup of water for Yoohyeon. Yoohyeon sits up and downs the glass in one gulp and stretches her sore limbs back and forth.

“What’s your name?” Jiu asks without preamble. 

“Eh?”

“What’s your name?”

“...Kim Yoohyeon.” The younger girl answered with her eyebrows raised.

“Age? Occupation?”

“17, Student at Happyface Hero Academy.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

Yoohyeon hesitates, trying to piece together what she could in her head. Jiu stays silent, letting the girl take her time. 

“I helped stop a plane...and there was a strange demon...” Her brows furrow as she tries to make sense of everything. Jiu sees that it is starting to cause some distress so she places the tips of her fingers against the younger’s temple and releases bits of magic into Yoohyeon. Instantly, she calms down, able to think more clearly.

“What happened after I blacked out?” Yoohyeon’s gaze was sharper, more alert now.

Jiu withdrew her hand and Yoohyeon felt a pang of disappointment, not that she showed it outwardly. “Bora arrived and Gahyeon captured the demon. Your circuits were badly damaged and I healed you. The academy went on lockdown but that was lifted 2 days ago.” Jiu summarizes. Yoohyeon looks at Jiu who was clearly lacking sleep. Even with all that makeup, Yoohyeon could tell (she always could).

“When was the last time you slept?” Yoohyeon speaks calmly, not wanting to start another fight with the healer. They were definitely prone to that, especially since the whole decable with Kang Jinwoo. 

(Yoohyeon went out of her way to avoid Jiu whenever she could. Once, Jiu opened the door, making eye contact with her by accident, causing Yoohyeon to drop everything she was doing and escape to her room. That sandwich was sadly wasted.

Jiu tried to extend an olive branch by buying sweets but Yoohyeon refused them all. They were left on the table, untouched. It was so unlike Yoohyeon’s usual food stealing habits that Jiu had to admit that Yoohyeon was really upset this time. 

“Where are you going? It’s past curfew.” Jiu asks the younger girl. Yoohyeon was dressed in all black, ready to jump out the living area window for a nighttime adventure. 

Yoohyeon doesn’t even spare her a glance. “Just leave me alone.”)

If Jiu was surprised, she didn't show it. “I’m fine-”

“You aren’t.” Yoohyeon interrupts. “You always do this.”

“What are you talking about?” Jiu’s starting to get a little irritated at Yoohyeon’s attitude. She didn't take care of her for 5 days straight, only to be berated as soon as she woke up.

“You’re always putting others above yourself. I get that you want to be a doctor but you need to take care of your body in order to help others. What good is it if you collapse?” Yoohyeon scoffs, glaring slightly at Jiu. Being her roommate meant that she knew how little Jiu gave to herself. The older girl spends more time in the clinic or hospital than in her own bed.

Jiu looks down, not knowing how to respond to that. She knew that the black-haired girl was completely right. But this was something that she had to do. It was the reason why she enrolled here in the first place. If she didn't, then her f-

“Jiu...” Yoohyeon’s expression softens, seeing the distress on the blonde’s face. “It’s just me.” Jiu snaps her head up, lips unconsciously lifting up a little on one side after hearing that familiar phrase. It must’ve been ages ago since she’s heard it. 

“It’s just me. You don’t need to act strong around me.” The gentleness in Yoohyeon’s words is what breaks Jiu’s walls down. She takes off her glasses to wipe at her eyes, causing Yoohyeon to panic. 

The wind-user reaches out with her hands, stopping short of actually touching Jiu. “U-um!” The healer giggles, the sound coming out a little wet from her clogged nostrils. 

She wipes her eyes again, lifting her head when she’s cleaned most of the tears away. “I’m okay, really. I...I just thought that I’d never hear that from you ever again...And yes, I’ve been pretty stressed out this week. Things are crazier than what you could imagine, Yooh.” Yoohyeon’s heart skips a beat. Jiu was beautiful even when she was crying and hearing her say her nickname brought an unknown feeling in her. 

“I know. But let’s put that aside for now and rest.” She opens the blanket, gesturing for Jiu to lay down next to her. Jiu blinks rapidly and then blushes, shaking her head. “C’mon, if you don’t rest, then I won’t either. Do you want your patient dying from lack of sleep?” It was an exaggeration of course, but it got Jiu to finally lay down.

The younger tucks the older in after she lays down too. Yoohyeon thought that Jiu might be feeling too awkward to fall asleep but she drifts off rather quickly. She must have been really tired if she was willing to fall asleep next to the person she hated. (Yoohyeon knew that deep down, Jiu never hated her. It was just Yoohyeon’s childishness that was getting the best of her.)

“Hey, Yooh?” Jiu says out of nowhere, startling Yoohyeon a bit. Wasn’t she sleeping? There was that ticklish feeling again in her stomach.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for saving my life.”

“Let’s call it even, you saved me too. Go to sleep, M-Jiu...” Not wanting to seem like a creep, Yoohyeon closes her eyes, hoping that nothing will interrupt the older girl’s much needed rest.

--

“Shit, that’s the 4th one this week...” Dami curses under her breath. Dami continued investigating the murders, now knowing the connection between them and the strange events surrounding the academy. So far, she’s traveled to 4 different cities, all different types of women but all being killed in the exact same way. It was a bit frustrating that all she saw with her powers were more or less the same as the first victim. But at least it was pointing to the same culprits. 

This 4th body was not as mangled as the other 3 so at least the detective could get a closer look at the damage. Grimacing as she shifted an arm with a gloved hand, Dami snaps a few HD photos. “Get this body to the coroner.” She instructs when she’s done. The officiers wrap the body up in a body bag. 

When she is alone in the back of her car, she goes through the pictures she just took. A few lighting edits and a negative copy was all it took for her to be able to see blackened veins on the victim. Just like the ones in Handong’s pictures. She would need to take this back to her room for further analysis. A knock on the window snapped her out of her thoughts. Gahyeon stood there with a tired look on her face. Dami quickly opens the door to let her in. The teleporter just flops onto the seats like a dead fish. 

Dami is a little annoyed that her pristine leather seats were getting dirty but she needed to hear what Gahyeon had to say. “Well?”

“...nothing.” Gahyeon had spent the last few days scouring for information throughout the main city. No new clues showed up even when she used her most extensive information networks. It was a dead end. 

Dami curses under her breath. “...we don’t have much more to work with and that sniper disappeared before we could get to him...” When she went to look for the body, nothing was left behind, not even a trace of blood. A touch to the surrounding trees didn't tell her anything about what had just transpired. She heaves a heavy sigh, holding out the camera for Gahyeon to look.

“Pattern?”

“None.”

“Dammit. I guess we can’t do much more than this...unless we bring it up with the principal...” Gahyeon knew that it was a stupid suggestion, considering the fact that the plane belonged to the academy. There was always a chance that the principal was in on it. 

“That’s actually not a bad idea.” Gahyeon snaps her head up, unbelieving as to what she was hearing. Was Dami out of her mind? Well, it was 4pm already and Gahyeon herself was feeling like her brain died. “If I’m straightforward about it, he may slip up. It’s worth a shot.”

“Shit, I guess you’ve gone crazy.” 

“From hanging around you?” Dami retorts with one fine eyebrow raised. 

“Touche, friend.”

“Not your friend.”

“Not yet.”

Dami returns to the academy garage alone in the middle of the night. She’s lost in thought, not noticing that there were no guards posted in their usual place. A shadow creeps up behind her, attempting to place a cloth over her mouth. 

Luckily, someone intervenes. “Dami!” A hand shoots past her head, punching the assailant away, as the other arm comes around her waist to pull her towards her savior. A flowery scent hits the detective’s nose. Handong. 

Recovering from the initial shock, Dami whirls around to face the kidnapper. A man wearing a gaudy facemask and dark clothes stands a distance away from them, glaring through the eye slits. He raises his hands and Handong is quick to stand in front of Dami’s form. Arrows of light shoot out from his hands, aiming for Dami but the blonde deflects them away with her bare hands. 

The barrage stops, giving Handong a chance to observe the burns left on her hands from the attack. “Dami, get to safety! I will handle him!” The man doesn’t give her another chance to say more, sending out over 20 arrows at once. With Dami hidden by one of the larger cars, Handong is able to dodge several of them without worrying about the younger girl getting harmed. If this wasn’t such a dangerous situation, Dami would have thought that Handong was performing an intricate dance, just as she first saw her in that combat class. 

One of the arrows unexpectedly redirects itself after getting past Handong’s guard, aiming straight for Dami’s heart. Everything happened way too fast for Dami to comprehend. All she knows is that Handong is standing in front of her with the light arrow embedded into her palm, blood dripping at a steady pace. The man shouts from behind the cover of the car. Several academy officials heard the commotion and noticed the missing guards and came to their rescue. 

The arrow disperses once the man is sufficiently tied down and restrained, leaving a gaping wound in Handong’s hand. But instead of reacting to the pain, Handong turns to the shakened Dami, “Are you okay?!”

“I-I’m not the one with a hole in her hand!” The detective takes off her jacket and wraps the wound as quickly as possible to stem the blood flow. They hear the man screaming at his captors at the top of his lungs. 

“GET OFF OF ME YOU FUCKING DOGS! MY MEN WILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!” His voice gets muffled by a blocker, only the sounds of him struggling to get free are left. He makes eye contact with Dami, giving her the most hateful look she has ever seen from another human. It was almost as if she was staring straight at a demon. Noticing the look he was giving the other girl, Handong stands protectively between them, blocking off their eye contact. 

“...Let’s get you to a healer.” The younger girl grabs Handong’s arm and leads her away from the garage.

--

The air in the hospital room was getting too stuffy. With distrusting eyes watching over her all day, it gets tiring. Though she cannot blame them for that. Regardless of the consequences, Handong takes her chance to sneak out of the academy when everyone is asleep. It would have been nice to settle in the library or sit by the campus lake but she didn’t want to get caught so soon. So she decides to go into the city, sitting by the banks of a quiet river. Today is a full moon, Handong notes, feeling more at peace. 

Her peace is short-lived, sensing a person standing a few feet behind her. The lavender scent gives away who it is, making the blonde tense up. 

“You aren’t supposed to be off campus at this time.” The person says.

“I could not sleep. What about you?” Handong doesn’t take her eyes off the moonlight-reflecting river. The person sighs and walks over to stand next to the sitting girl. Handong tears her eyes away from the beautiful sight to stare at Dami’s immaculate suit. 

“May I?” Dami gestures to the empty space and the chinese student nods. Dami loosens up her tie, unbuttoning the collar. It was the first time that Handong has seen the detective look less than the perfect rank 5 pride of the academy. Somehow, it made her feel a little more at ease. 

“So what are you doing out here and how’s the hand? Don’t tell me you were talking to the stars, contemplating your place in the universe.” Her words were a bit blunt but Handong could sense the slight playfulness in them. She understood that Dami’s way of humor is different from most, owing to her occupation.

“It is fully recovered. Thank you for the jacket.” An expert healer and her powerful circuits made quick work of the wound. There weren't even any bandages covering her hand, proving her words to be true. The chinese girl giggles, “And so what if I was? Just feeling a little homesick so I had to get away.”

“Homesick huh...”

“Yeah. My home is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It is really barren compared to Seoul but I love it all the same.” Handong smiles at the thought of her home. “The community is small, hardly even considered a city but everyone is kind to one another and we help each other.”

Dami just looks at the other girl, soaking in the rare expression and the new found information. “Barren? You lived far from the big cities?”

“You could say that, yes. It is mostly white landscapes and not too many daylight hours...looking at the moon reminds me of it.” The blonde was feeling particularly nostalgic after thinking about her family. Don't get her wrong, she’s happy with the friends she managed to make here at the academy and she’s learning a lot from experienced professors. But she has always loved her home and keeps the thought of it in the back of her mind. When she’s done with the academy, there was no doubt that she will go back. “What about you, Dami?”

Handong isn’t looking at her and she knows that the chinese girl isn’t fishing for information. The open expression of contentment as she looked at the river was telling enough. So maybe that’s why Dami decided to open up a little, if not to return on the fact that she saved her life a few hours ago. That doesn’t mean that Handong is completely cleared from suspicion. 

“I don’t have a home.” Dami says simply. The blonde snaps her head in the detective’s direction. “I was taken into this academy when I was young, probably 4 or 5 because of my psychometry. The principal is actually my legal guardian.”

“Where were you before?”

“In an orphanage called Wammy’s House for young geniuses. It’s located in England. But again, I was really young when I was brought here. It’s basically all I’ve ever known.” She feels Handong drill holes into the side of her head. It isn’t anything malicious or even pity, just curiosity. 

“That is why you became a detective? To repay the man who took you in?”

“No, nothing as filial as that. I can’t say that I am thankful to the old man but...it’s more simple than that...I’m just...searching for something.” Dami’s deep voice is filled with an uncertainty that is unfamiliar to Handong. There were several possibilities, like Dami searching for her birth parents. But Handong had an inkling that it wasn’t that.

“Is that why you take on some random cases like Gahyeon’s glitter incident?”

Dami turns her eyes back to the peaceful river, smirking half-heartedly. “Very observant. Have you been following my fanclub?” Handong shoves her shoulder, rolling her eyes in an act of defiance. They stay quiet after that exchange, the only noise being the water flowing and the occasional car driving by.

The chinese girl is the one to break the silence. Her curiosity won out. “Why did you approach me for coffee?” She says, referring to their “first” official meeting. It certainly took her by surprise when Dami offered to get coffee. 

“Would you believe me if I said that I was intrigued by you? Your fighting style is mesmerizing. Almost like you’re dancing.” Handong blushes at the compliment, not expecting that from the stoic detective. 

The short-haired girl continues, “Also, there is something in you that I don’t have. Instincts. That’s why I’m still keeping you around.” That speed and reaction time that Handong displayed literally saved her heart from getting impaled by some crazy fanatic. Attempts on her life weren’t anything new but this one put her on edge. Probably because of all the recent events. Having someone like Handong around wasn’t a bad idea. For all the weird quirks that Handong had, Dami found her to be surprisingly honest when prompted. For now, she will see where all of this goes.

“Instincts...and logic.”

“Right. Not a bad combination, if I do say so myself.”

--

One, two, swing. One, two, kick. One, two, punch. 

That was the routine that Siyeon followed for the past 5 days. In light of recent events, all she could do was train as much as she could. Dami hadn’t gotten back to them about anything yet and it was making Siyeon a bit anxious. That demon creature she saw Bora fighting stayed on the forefront of her mind. 

A fast uppercut entered her guard and knocked her on her back. “Sorry! I thought you would block that.” She heard Handong apologize and lifted her into a sitting position. 

“S’okay, my mind was wandering a bit. My fault.” There was just something about that demon besides the weird electricity power, that felt familiar to her. 

A third voice cuts in, “Let’s take a break. We won’t get anywhere if we aren’t focusing.” Siyeon shoots an apologetic look to Bora, knowing that she was referring to her. Water is handed out and the three sit in silence. 

“Any news from Dami?”

“None.”

“Gahyeon? Yoohyeon?”

“The kid runs off doing who knows what nowadays. And Yoohyeon is still on bed rest on Jiu’s orders.” Siyeon lays down on her back. There was just something off...but she couldn’t put her finger on it. What was it about today, of all days? She goes through the things she did today, starting from waking up, to going to classes, to training now. It was perfectly routine and yet…this was so frustrating.

The black-haired girl sits up, wanting to consult her maybe-friend Handong (Siyeon was unsure about her ever since she saw her catch the bullet. Dami’s suspicion was rubbing off on her). “Dongie, what did we learn in combat class today?”

Handong blinks at her like she grew another head. Well at this point, she might as well have, considering how much she was using her brain today. “Um, learning more on how to identify demon weak points and then we did our usual mock spars. Why? Were you not paying attention?” Handong said that last part so innocently that Bora cracked up. Siyeon tries to stop her from laughing by slamming her hand on her mouth but Bora dodged her. The chinese girl just looks confused. Did she say something funny? She doesn’t think she did.

“Siyeonie...were...were you sleeping...in class? Nerdy Siyeon? I can’t...believe...” The oldest was wheezing with laughter at every word she said. Siyeon just resigned to Bora’s teasing and pouted instead. She was on the verge of figuring something out but the redhead was too busy teasing her to be of any help.

Turning her body away from the still laughing girl, Siyeon finally understands what has been bothering her. “Dongie, was Park Jaewon in class today?” 

“Now that you mention it, no, he wasn’t.” There it was. Class was oddly peaceful since her main tormentor was not there today. 

“Park Jaewon’s powers...electricity.” The moment Siyeon says that, Bora sits up with a serious look on her face. The chinese girl was also silent, understanding dawning on her. All three scramble towards the door, with the goal of searching for the potential missing student. 

--

Chapter Text

Professional jealousy. 

It was a phrase that Jiu hated hearing. Why did they have to be jealous of one another when their ultimate goal was to help people? Why did one’s public success amount to one’s worth? Why were some treated like royalty, while others were treated like yesterday’s garbage?

The answer was obvious: the ranking system. According to the founding heroes, the ranking system was meant to encourage friendly competition while also giving the appropriate training regime based on skill. But as time passed, it devolved into a way to demean others. The system was so rooted in history that none of the higher ups wanted to demolish it. It made her sick.

So yes, professional jealousy, to put it nicely. She saw it in the way the higher ranks would exploit the lower ranks. She saw it in the way the lower ranks were scared of being bullied that they would allow fellow students to be bullied. She saw it in the way some medical students would give her dirty looks every time she achieved something. She saw it in the way that some lower ranked heroes would defect to being villains because they were tired of being second to their peers. She saw it in the way that Yoohyeon was anguished by her false accusations by a higher ranking student.

These hyenas were wearing the skin of humans, waiting and watching, for a chance to destroy. So when her new friendships with lower ranking students became apparent, Jiu did all that she could to ignore them. Any signs of weakness would get to her friends and then to her. Jiu would be damned if she let that happen.

But there were good people too, despite this terrible system. Rank 5 Dami quickly cleared Yoohyeon’s name (in exchange for information on that demon she fought. The real culprit is still at large, unfortunately). Rank 5 Kim Bora cared for Rank 1 Lee Siyeon as more than a friend, even Jiu could see that. Rank 4 Handong saved her life and cares not of the ranking system, befriending whoever she liked. Rank 3 Lee Gahyeon was a troublemaker but when she put her mind to it, she could do anything. Rank 1 Lee Siyeon had the heart and the drive of a true hero, regardless of her rank.

And Rank 4 Kim Yoohyeon was…

“Jiu!” Her musings were cut short by the very person she was thinking about. The taller girl caught up to her just as she was about to enter class. “You forgot your lunchbox on the counter.” She held out a bag decorated with cherry stickers and a cup of coffee. Jiu was in such a rush that she forgot her lunch this morning. The coffee was just Yoohyeon being extra nice today. Things between them started to get better since Yoohyeon woke up and Jiu couldn’t be happier about it. The younger girl sometimes went out of her way to do nice things for her.

Receiving the bag and the coffee, Jiu gave a small smile to the younger girl. “Thank you. Don’t you have class right about now? Don’t think that you can bribe me with coffee.” Yoohyeon was dressed in her uniform and it would have been perfect, had the taller girl not worn the blue hoodie on the inside. Noticing the look the older girl was giving her, Yoohyeon smirked playfully. 

“Yeah I’m going to be late to class but I wanted to give you your lunch, otherwise I won’t get the chance for the rest of the day. Also, I may be attending class like you told me to, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to look the part.” The rank 4 student stuck out her tongue like a child. 

Jiu shoved her shoulder jokingly and told her to get a move on to class. “Thanks again, Yooh.” She reached over to pinch the taller girl on the cheek, just like they used to. Shutting the classroom door behind her, she is met with many curious eyes. Most are just pure curiosity, while some others are poorly veiled distaste, particularly from Kang Jinwoo. He’s finally attained rank 5 but got suspended right after. Unfortunately, his suspension ended rather quickly.

The blonde sat down at her desk and her friend leaned over to whisper to her. “Jiu~ are you and your roommate...y’know...dating?”

“What? No way!” She quickly denied it. 

“Oh? You aren’t? You seem to be getting along pretty well after she saved you.” Seungyeon teased. “Girl, if I wasn’t already in love with someone, I would so date Kim Yoohyeon. I mean look at her: she’s tall, cute, and brings you coffee. You’re even roommates. It literally can’t get better than that.” Jiu swore that Seungyeon can be such a little shit when she wants to be, despite her usual good manners. 

She also tried her best to fight the blush rising on her cheeks. But it was all in vain. Seungyeon was too busy laughing up a storm next to her. Her only saving grace was the professor walking in and starting the class.

She was too busy paying attention to the lecture to notice that someone was drilling holes into the back of her head.

--

Professional jealousy. 

That’s what Jiu believed it all boiled down to. Sure, there were other reasons, other types of jealousy. But they did not make up the largest percentage as to why this was happening. 

The city was ablaze with demons and humans swarming the streets. Oddly (and kind of amazingly), the demons were not attacking the rogues, only focusing on the citizens. It was as if the demons understood that they could benefit from the chaos the rogues were creating to feed on innocent humans. That, or they were being controlled by someone. 

Whatever it was, the principal was prepared for damage control. The Association already sent out their finest heroes to quell the chaos but there were too many. 

“Students! All who are able will deploy at once: Kill the demons and capture dissents!”

Yoohyeon grabbed her arm with a grave expression. “I’ll cover you while you heal the citizens.”

“No...I have to heal the heroes fighting out there...Their injuries are more severe and we can just have other healers help the citizens.” Fear and apprehension, as Yoohyeon came to recognize in Jiu’s expression, made her understand how scary this situation truly was. As students, they went on several missions to exterminate demons but those missions were cleared with the academy before sending students out. The mortality rate is not something the academy wanted on their charts. But this time, everything was out of control and they had to make their own judgements on the field. 

“It’ll be alright, Jiu. We’ve got your back.” Yoohyeon squeezed the blonde’s hand reassuringly. Her friends were all geared up and ready to fight. Dami stayed behind, unable to be of any help but she uses her authority to access all of the cameras around the city. She would do her best to find out who was leading this chaos. And if she was lucky, find the missing link to all the strange events surrounding them. 

--

Bora ran alongside Siyeon and Gahyeon on an empty street. She vaguely pinpointed it to be the street with the dog shelter that she frequented. Thankfully, the shelter is empty as well, meaning that Jun and the dogs were all safe. Cars and storefront banners were on fire, the street luminares blown out and scattered on the ground. 

“It looks like the zombie apocalypse has started.” Gahyeon commented. At least one of them had the mind to be humorous in this situation. They hadn’t run into anyone or anything yet, which was good and bad. Dami informed them that she saw a large, spider-like demon on top of the museum downtown. It wasn’t moving but it was too suspicious to ignore. 

Just then, a beam of light is shot toward Bora. She used her purple flames to burn it out. Siyeon turned around to see where it came from, noticing a figure standing on the roof. A girl with a bunny hoodie, face mask and brown staff looked down at the girls. Siyeon could easily recognize that hunched pose from 10 miles away. 

The girl met her eyes. “Arin! What are you doing up there?!” Arin doesn’t say anything but visibly hesitated. A tall boy comes to stand next to her on the rooftop with a horn in his hands. 

“Oh shit-” Bora moved to shoot fire at him but it was too late, he blew on the horn before it got knocked out of his hands. Demons of all kinds surround them in a frenzy, eyeing them like they were pieces of meat. Gahyeon noticed this Arin girl and the boy run away from the corner of her eye but she can’t afford to chase after them right now. She hoped that Dami spotted them or at least saw the horn that the guy used. 

Bora stood in front of the toughest looking ones, flames flaring at her fingertips. The moment she does, the demons become frenzied, attacking her, and ignoring the lower ranked students. Naturally, Bora’s incredible fire rings around them in a circle, preventing the demons from coming closer. The ones that were brave enough to try got burnt to death instantly. There wasn’t even time to squeal. Gahyeon and Siyeon sweat from the heat but Bora toned it down once she noticed a family of three trapped in a store adjacent to them. 

The wolves sense the family as well, turning tail to aim for easier prey. But Gahyeon was quicker. The white cross on the wolves’ belly swell, bursting outwards with long, silver skewer-like sticks. They were at least 2 feet long and they did the job of killing the wolves instantly. 

“Do I even want to know how you know what the inside of a demon wolf looks like?” Siyeon asked, watching as the silver skewers clatter to the floor after the wolves disintegrated.

“That was the only time demon biology class was useful.” Gahyeon responded. Siyeon pulled out her daggers and slashed her way to the family, trusting Bora and Gahyeon to have her back. 

Once the demons are dead, Siyeon kneeled down next to the little girl and inspected her for injuries. “Think you can make it out of here to Happyface Academy?” The girl and her parents nodded fearfully. They scrambled out of the store and onto the street. The last of the demons are burned alive by purple flames, their screams filling the air. Bora turned around, innervated by the combat. 

“Everyone okay?!” Bora approached the group with Gahyeon following closely behind. The little girl, witnessing the raw strength the Bora possess, is scared away and hid her face in her father’s chest. The redhead immediately stopped in her tracks, feeling insecure. 

Now really isn’t the time for your insecurities, Kim Bora. She thought to herself. Being loved and feared simultaneously was nothing new to her but Siyeon knew what effect it had on the older girl. Being placed at the very top of the metaphorical pedestal was a very lonely thing.

“Gahyeon, get them back safely. I’ll go with Bora to that spider demon. Dami says that it might be the center of this mess.” Gahyeon nodded and activated her power. A red mini cooper appeared in the middle of the street. 

“I don’t even want to know where you stored this.” Siyeon said as she ushered the family inside the car. “Drive safely kid. I’ll see you back at the academy.”

“Not in a body bag, I hope.” The youngest joked grimly. Siyeon just smiled wryly.

“Not in a body bag.” She promised. 

--

A strike to the neck. A strike to the sternum. Two bodies lay motionless on the ground next to Handong. They’re still breathing but they’re out of commission now. She inspected the clothes that they are wearing and as expected, the symbol of the moon is printed somewhere.

She lifted a hand to her ear, taping at an earpiece. “There are two more men at the same block. They have the symbol on them too.” She said into the receiver. 

“...Looks like we know who is responsible for this. Though I did not expect rogues to be a part of them.” Dami replied. Unfortunately, the others were too quick to deploy before she could give them an earpiece so only Handong had direct communication with her. 

Handong jumped onto the next rooftop, observing for any rouge heroes running about. She figured that she could leave the demons to the heroes to take care of while she knocks out the human opponents. Another one entered her sights, this time a small girl. Arin, she recognized from her combat class. Nonetheless, the girl was acting suspiciously so Handong approached her in silence. 

The girl was fumbling with a black flip phone, clearly nervous about someone seeing her. Handong stuck to the shadows, seeing who Arin would call. It might lead to something or someone of importance.

Someone on the other line picks up. Arin spoke frantically into the phone. “A-a cl-classmate saw me! But I-well, J did what you asked. D-de-mons gathered and the-the-mother is on the way.”  

Handong relayed the information that she heard. Once Arin hangs up, Handong moved to knock her out. “Dami, she is too important for us to lose. I will bring her back to the academy immediately.”

“Copy. Gahyeon is already en route. I’ll send her your way and you can hitch a ride.”

Handong spotted the red mini cooper and headed towards it with Arin secured in her grasp.

--

The center of the city is riddled with countless demons roaming the streets. Dead bodies are scattered about, their circuits drained from them. Some did not get an easy death with their limbs torn open. It made Siyeon sick but she had to persevere. 

The spider demon laid its 12 eyes on Bora, screeching the moment it does. At once, the demons go straight for Bora, beckoned by the call of the giant spider. Bora doesn’t let them get close while Siyeon kills off the stragglers. The sheer numbers were going to overwhelm them soon so Bora decided to create a path to the spider. Behind it were huge egg pods with demons inside. If those were to hatch, it would devastate the city. 

The spider demon was guarding them with all 8 of its legs. Any movement by the two humans in the center were followed with its 12 ruby red eyes. But Bora wasn’t a rank 5 for nothing. The more she used her flames, the hotter the temperature became. 

“Siyeon! Protect yourself! I’m going to burn everything down!” Bora shouted from across the battlefield. She hoped that there were no more civilians or heroes in this part of town. If there were, hopefully the flames were enough to drive them away. 

Siyeon turned her attention back to the spider, noticing it stirring. It must’ve sensed the increase in power from one human and screeched again. A huge, boulder-like demon falls from an opened pod, a yellow liquid coating its body. The monster opened its jaws to roar, causing the streets to rumble. For a short moment, everything is silent until the two girls hear a strange sound coming from...everywhere. 

Water from every possible source comes flooding in, headed straight for them. The boulder demon was commanding the water, Siyeon realized after seeing the stream go around the demon and the spider. The black-haired girl goes back to back with the older despite the heat because it was going to save their lives. Bora raised the temperature of her fire, creating a sort of barrier around them where contact from water would boil and evaporate at a fast rate. It was starting to get really hot, even the asphalt was getting scorched. 

Siyeon held on as best as she could, relying on her magic circuits to litigate the damage. “Bora! We need a chance to attack that spider! It’s fueling the other demons somehow!”

“I know! I’m going to create an opening! Do what you need to do and I’ll land the finishing blow!” Siyeon readied her dagger. Bora counted to three and burst out with her flames, completely knocking back the water and the boulder demon. Siyeon doesn’t waste any time and jumped for the spider. It detached one leg from a pod but Siyeon slid right under it, running her curved dagger along the underbelly to cause some damage.

The moment Siyeon made it to the white cross was all Bora needed to kill the beast. The spider stopped moving as if its strings were cut from a puppeteer and Bora’s flames engulfed it in a fiery hellstorm, leaving nothing behind.

Chapter Text

“Our demands are simple: give us equality or perish.” A man wearing all black with a blank black mask spoke to the camera. In the background, the city is severely damaged from the demon attack and the firestorm that Bora unleashed. Just as Dami and Handong suspected, the group known as Children of the Moon took credit for the attack. It seemed that they managed to recruit rogues to their cause. The only mystery was how they were able to command demons to their side. 

An alert came in, taking up the entirety of the screen they were looking at. It was from the principal, addressed only to Dami. 

Electro has been killed.

“Dami-” Handong was cut off by Dami standing up abruptly from her chair. The younger girl stormed out of the room with the angriest expression Handong had ever seen. She turned back around to look at the message again. Who was this person? A quick search on the internet showed that it was a rank 5 hero that graduated from this academy. The fact sheet was nothing special, Handong thought, until she saw a familiar name. 

Younger brother: Park Jaewon. Rank 4 (HF Academy)

“No...” Handong whispered to herself. Was that why Park Jaewon was not at school yesterday? It didn't pass her by that Electro, as the moniker suggested, had something to do with electricity. She feared that the demons were evolving.

--

The large metal doors that she’s so familiar with makes her want to throw up. Depending on what is said here, she may or may not come back out. Steeling her resolve, she pushed the doors open. 

The principal sat in his massive armchair with tons of papers in front of him. “Detective.”

Dami’s eyebrow twitched slightly. “You know why I’m here. All of this is somehow connected and you aren’t telling me.”

He sighed in distress, rubbing at his eyes. He stayed silent for a few more minutes but Dami was patient this time around. She will get her answers, even if it’s the last thing she does. “Let me guess, the Association is hindering you.” 

“...Yes. They don’t want to cause panic so they are keeping it under wraps until they can solve the issue.” He gave in. He knew that Dami already knew more than what she let on. 

“That issue being the murders happening all over the world. People are dying and demons are gaining powers of these dead people. Not only that, but a huge attack on the city just occurred! Of course it’s going to put people in a panic!” In truth, Dami wasn’t sure about the connection between the demons and the victims until that message came earlier. The first woman she investigated had a mirror-type power which could be reasonably used as a prism, reinforcing Gahyeon’s theory. Now this Electro person goes missing as well and the demon that attacked just happened to have electricity powers. It was too much of a coincidence to ignore. She’s sure that Gahyeon will have come to the same conclusion since they have been exchanging ideas since then.

The principal ran his hand through his greying hair. “That demon Lee Gahyeon captured killed itself, turning to ash before we could get the chance to study its powers. Then Electro turns up dead. Estimated time of death coincides closely with the plane demon attacking. The man you brought in was the one to fill the plane with dynamite but I am still trying to find out how the plane deployed without my knowledge. Staff tells me that it just suddenly took off.”

“Where is that man now?”

“Dead. He commited suicide as well.”

“What about the clothes he was wearing?”

“From CM. They already took responsibility for this attack and even had the audacity to demand equality.” So he already knew about the cult but didn't tell her. Dami was not fond of people withholding crucial information from her. Especially from the principal. That man asked her to solve this case but hindered her in the process. It made Dami doubt whether he was truly on their “side” or not. 

Sensing her growing distrust, the principal slid over a file labeled with a top secret stamp. “I know I should not have kept this from you but I was under an oath of silence from the Association. Please Dami, this threat is bigger than we think and I must find a way to stop it before it’s too late.” 

The short-haired girl said nothing but took the file and read it. “The contents here are unknown to everyone but you and I.” Dami’s expression is unreadable. “This was research that I did on my own.”

“You’ve dealt with this cult before?”

“Yes. A long time ago. I thought they were wiped from existence but there were still remnants.”

“How come I’ve never heard of these people until now?” The principal gestured to the file in her hand. 

“They mostly operate in the shadows. A dear friend of mine wrote most of what I know about that group…but she left this world too early as a result…This is more than wanting to do the right thing as heroes, Dami. This is personal for me.” His intense amber eyes don't waver from hers, expressing how serious he is about this. 

“Personal or not, I don’t care. I’m going to get to the bottom of this and I’m going to put together a team that I trust to solve this.” Dami took her leave, not caring about her manners and slammed the door behind her. 

The name of her orphanage showed up in the files she just read and she couldn’t believe that man hid this from her. It was as personal to him as it was to her.

--

Jiu’s hands shook badly as she healed up a hero with half of his body missing. Yoohyeon kept an eye on the older girl, making sure that she doesn’t collapse from exhaustion. Meanwhile, the wind-user set up a wind barrier around the two of them to prevent any unwanted interference. The other medical students were taking care of the civilians. 

It was absolute chaos everywhere Yoohyeon looked. Heroes and villains came crashing through the academy gates, fighting for dominance. She’s sure that some were even fighting former friends and classmates. It was all wrong. And when she saw the hijacked broadcast on the announcement board, it got her blood boiling. This isn’t what equality should look like. This was senseless violence. If they really wanted equality, they wouldn’t have used demons to kill innocent people. These so called villains, as childish as the name sounded, was starting to sound appropriate. 

As the demons and rogues slowly withdrew with the spider dead, Gahyeon drove through the gates not long after in her red mini cooper. The family was ushered inside while Handong got to Dami. 

“Gahyeon, protect Jiu. I’m going to help out.” Her transformation began to take over her body, muscle and feather molding into one. Watching Yoohyeon transform has always been fascinating to the younger girl. She’d only ever seen the black-haired girl finish a full transformation once, probably because holding it took a lot out of the user. But this time, a full transformation was necessary. 

Her arms and legs took on the shape of a bird’s claws, sharp and dangerous. Her wings sprouted out of her shirt spanning even bigger than usual. The two main ones faced upwards while two smaller ones faced downwards. Yoohyeon’s face formed a long beak, covering her nose down to her chin but when it opened, her human mouth was revealed inside (it was sort of like a mask that plague doctors wore. Gahyeon was tempted to make a geeky reference from a Japanese anime she watched but figured now was not appropriate). Perhaps the most unsettling part was the light grey mixed with the brown in her irises, giving her a colder expression. 

A strong flap of her wings send her high up in the sky. Yoohyeon quickly analyzed where a rogue or a demon is about to breach the school grounds and swooped down like a god of death with her sharp claws and deadly winds. 

Jiu stopped what she was doing when she heard Gahyeon’s distressed voice. “YOOHYEON STOP! YOOH!” The medical student followed Gahyeon’s gaze until she saw Yoohyeon’s tengu form standing over a decapitated rogue. His head was cleanly sliced off, the blood splattered in a wide arc around Yoohyeon’s tall form. 

“Dammit Yoohyeon! You aren’t supposed to kill humans!” Yoohyeon ignored Gahyeon’s words and soars up in the sky again. Demons that were growling about back off once they make eye contact with Yoohyeon’s cold grey eyes. The tengu moved to attack another person but something caught her attention at the corner of her eye. Before anyone could blink, Yoohyeon’s arm extended past Jiu’s head, gripping Kang Jinwoo’s neck in her claw. 

Jiu’s stunned gaze meets emotionless grey eyes. Jinwoo’s gurgling sounds behind her snap her out of it. “Yooh please, stop .” She pleaded with a hand on the arm crushing Jinwoo’s air pipe. It was scary seeing the usually happy Yoohyeon behave like she was a robot. It was like she was a completely different person. The black-haired girl stares at the blonde’s begging eyes a little longer before deciding to let go. 

As soon as he hit the ground, Kang Jinwoo breathed in as much air as he could. 

“Are you okay?” Jiu asked, looking at the red marks on his neck. 

“No...” He gasps out. “But I will be.” 

The moment Yoohyeon turned around, wings tensed and ready to take off, he pulled out a black dagger and aimed for her back. Sensing it, Yoohyeon twisted around to catch the dagger in her claw. Kang Jinwoo was on the other end, holding on with his life. 

A strange feeling washes over her and she suddenly felt dizzy. Just like when that demon touched me , she thought. Faintly, she heard her name being shouted but it’s all too muddy to hear anything properly. Her blood leaked from the dagger in her grip and her transformation started to recede, weakening her. Blackened veins crawled up her arm.

But then the feeling disappears when Kang Jinwoo and the dagger are torn away from her. The fuzz muddling her head since her transformation faded when she felt someone pulling her into their arms. Her nose is pressed up against a smooth neck and warm arms are hugging her tightly. Faintly, she recognizes the smell to be the strawberry shampoo that Jiu is fond of using. 

“Ji…..u…..” She heard Jiu shush her. A hand comes up to the back of her head to hold her in place. In the background, there are sounds of conflict. The last that she hears before falling asleep is of Kang Jinwoo laughing like a maniac.

--

“It felt like my circuits were being drained.” Yoohyeon said as she gripped her left hand, feeling it up and down for anything strange. The feeling of her magic forcefully leaving her body was weird and she couldn't move, but after experiencing it twice, she has a better idea of how to break free. “But thanks to Jiu’s healing, it feels normal now.” She was also very confused about what actually happened after she transformed. She vaguely recalled attacking people but it was all like a dark tunnel in her head. Did she really kill someone? 

The others sat across from her, observing her movements. Siyeon recalled seeing those blackened veins that matched with the pictures Dami took from the latest victim. “This definitely reinforces the fact that demons are somehow able to absorb our powers. And I guess it kills the original user in the process.” Gahyeon pulled out all the photographic evidence they’ve gathered so far and placed them side by side. All the bodies were turned into blackened husks, though the first few were mangled. It was as if the first few were test subjects for the demons to try and absorb. It also explained why there was never any blood on the scene; there wasn’t much of a struggle when the life force was literally being sucked out of a person. But along the way, the demons managed to perfect the process without destroying the body.

“They’re becoming more organized.” the detective commented, checking the pattern of attacks that occured around the city. “CM is most likely able to coordinate them. The question is how.”

Bora looked to be in deep thought. The missions she’s been going on are all high level demon exterminations. Those that she fought hadn’t exhibited any strange powers yet but they were still powerful in their own right. It made her realize that these demons were probably already roaming the earth but began to make themselves visible on purpose. Just like that dragon that appeared out of nowhere. As if they are being called for a greater purpose. The thought made her shudder. 

Sensing the redhead’s apprehension, Siyeon wrapped an arm around her, anchoring her to this moment. A crazy thought crossed her mind. “Maybe these demons are not necessarily being controlled.” Bora suggested. The others look at her like she’s crazy. But Bora did feel something strange when she fought that spider. It was her instincts telling her something, she knows it.

“Demons are not known for their intellect, Bora.” Jiu quietly stated. The doctor-in-training looked a lot better after getting a day of rest. “But considering these unusual circumstances, we can’t rule out the possibility. That cult is known for worshipping them, right? Maybe they know how to communicate with them.”

The group is silent, wondering what they should do next. The Association would be keeping tabs on them, especially Dami, if they knew how much the girls know. They had to tread carefully if they didn't want to risk getting arrested before they could uncover this madness. It was times like these where Dami hated the Association. Sometimes, she pondered on whether the Association was more concerned about its prestige or the people and unfortunately, she is leaning towards the first one. Things would be so much easier if they’d just warn everyone outright. 

And then there was Kang Jinwoo’s association with that group. According to Handong, who was the one to knock him away from Yoohyeon, the masked man that made the announcement was the one to help him escape. They disappeared in a flash of black smoke, almost like teleportation. But all teleportation users were well documented with the Hero Association. Unless...

“Wait, Jiu. What was Kang’s research based on?” Dami questioned.

“Biosynthetic compatibility between humans.” Bora grimaced at the complicated name. But the moment the oldest mentioned the name, it hit her. 

“Shit. He’s been working with them all this time. And let me guess, the time the documents went missing was around the same time the demons started improving their stealing ability.” Gahyeon stood to pace the room. She ignored the withering look Siyeon gave her for cursing but she can’t help it. All this time, Kang fucking Jinwoo has been working right under their noses. Even worse, he was awarded rank 5. That black dagger he used looked like something that could be made with the academy’s advanced labs. 

This was not good. Not good at all. 

“Alright, new plan. We go straight for the source. That masked man may be the leader of CM so if we stop him, we stop this madness.” Dami decided. “The principal knows of my intentions to put together a small team for this. I was hoping that you all would agree. We’ve been working together for the past couple of days now and I think we make a decent team.”

“You know where to go.” Gahyeon stated more than questions. Dami nodded.

“It’s better to mobilize as a small team to ward suspicion off. CM might scatter if they see big forces coming after them. So, what do you all say?”

It wasn’t even a question for this ragtag group of hero apprentices. Dami realized that after working with these girls, despite their different backgrounds and secrets, they want nothing more than to be good heroes.

Chapter Text

The ride to Nonsan was painfully long. Bora and Jiu took turns driving on the long road. Unfortunately, a plane was not available to them because the place they were going to was too remote. So they had to use a car. Gahyeon in particular was extremely stressed.

(“Nonsan?”

“Yeah, specifically this small town.” Dami points to some obscured location. It didn't even have a name marker on the map. “...You don’t seem too happy about this.”

“Can’t say I’m too thrilled about going back home.” )

The youngest’s jittery legs and tapping on the window was starting to grate on everyone’s nerves. 

“Bora, would you mind stopping the car?” Handong asks gently. Bora glances in the rearview mirror and aquieses. Once the car is properly parked on the shoulder of the road, Handong opens the door and guides Gahyeon outside. The others follow suit. 

The chinese girl places her hand on her shoulder, concerned. “What is the matter, Gahyeon?” Gahyeon refused to make eye contact with the older girl. It was for such a silly reason and it caused them to stop the car. Now everyone’s eyes were on her. Yoohyeon and Siyeon approach her, asking Handong to step aside. They’ve known her the longest so they had an inkling as to what was bothering her. 

“It’s okay Gahyeon. You should tell them. They will understand.” Siyeon is gentle with her words while Yoohyeon rubs her back in a comforting manner. 

Gahyeon heaves a sigh, glancing over at the other girls. They seemed concerned, minus Dami of course. Still, it made her feel a little less nervous. “It’s really stupid...”

“If it bothers you then it’s not stupid.” Jiu says. 

“Okay...well, here’s the thing. My family expects me to be this super cool hero since I’m an only child. And you know, it’s a small farming town and whatnot so having someone like me come from a place like that is a big deal. So….I may have exaggerated a bit to them in my letters because I didn't want to break their fantasy of me.” The more she spoke, the sillier she felt.

“So you’re asking us to pretend for you?” Dami tilts her head to the side. It was unexpected, coming from Gahyeon. That kid had the bravado of a rank 5 when she was being a smartass.

Gahyeon winces at the word ‘pretend’. “Well you’re all high ranking individuals. I’m not asking you to lie, just let them say what they want and they’ll be happy with that. Plus, we have a job to do so we won’t stay long.” Now that she got it off her chest, she was relieved. 

“We do not have to lie or pretend. You are amazing in your own right and we could not have figured some of this out without you.” Handong directs a kind smile at her. It was always nice to hear compliments and she knows that Handong means it. What she doesn’t see is the way that Handong pinches Dami’s side for being so tactless. Good thing the detective was a pro at poker faces, even if she was being pinched by someone who could probably flip her over with her pinky.

Finally smiling that happy grin as she usually does, Gahyeon skips back to the van, ready to face her town again.

--

“Gahyeonie! Our town hero’s back!” A woman dressed in farmer’s clothes runs towards Gahyeon and engulfs her in a big hug. A big, burly man comes over after hearing the commotion and sees his daughter. 

“Hi Mama, Papa. How are you doing?” Gahyeon’s voice is muffled by her parents’ suffocating hug. The girls stay behind, not wanting to interrupt the family reunion. Even though Gahyeon was apprehensive earlier, she clearly missed her parents, evident by the way she hugged them back with equal fervor. 

“Everythin o’right ‘ere. What ‘bout you? I heard somethin’ happen in the big city!”

“Eh, our Gahyeonie is strong. I’m sure she drove ‘em off, right Hyeon?” Her father let out a loud belly laugh and patted her head. Gahyeon smiled back uncomfortably, unable to respond. 

Feeling a little sorry for the girl, Dami steps up to offer introductions. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I’m Dami, rank 5 detective of the academy.” They both turn over to the detective, accepting her hand enthusiastically. The other girls also introduce themselves, much to the happiness of the parents. It seems that their little girl was making great friends at school. 

“Gahyeon! What rank are you?”

“...Uh I’m still a rank 3-” The teleporter sees her mom’s face fall slightly but is interrupted by Dami.

“She’s going to move up in rank after we solve a case here. She’s my assistant and her help is vital to our team.” If Gahyeon was surprised by the unexpected help from the most unexpected person, she didn't show it. It did the trick, though. Her parents were elated to hear that.

“Ah, that’s our girl! Go on! Don’t let us hinder your hero duties!” 

“Thanks Papa. Maybe if we have time, we can have a meal before I leave again.” They wave the family goodbye, exiting the farm property. Gahyeon finally relaxes, the tension leaving her shoulders. She always wonders why her parents are the only people in the world who can make her simultaneously feel comfort and discomfort. 

As they walk, Bora puts her arm around the younger girl’s shoulders. “They love you.” She comments. “But that’s probably why you feel suffocated right?” Bora took the words, or in this case, thoughts, right out of her head. 

Seeing the surprise coloring her expression, Bora grins. “My family is the same. I’ve always been powerful so they expected a lot from me.”

“You entered the academy as a rank 5 right off the bat, right?” The redhead nods her head. Gahyeon chews on her lip in thought. “I just wished that they would’ve let me choose my own path, you know?” 

And Bora does know, because she’s in the exact same boat. Except that she’s a literal firecracker. The older girl pats the top of Gahyeon’s head with a reassuring smile. “You’re doing great, even if it wasn’t your choice.” Her heart swells when she sees the bright grin on Gahyeon’s face. 

Siyeon, feeling left out, puts her head in between the two and raises her arms over their shoulders. They’re both short so it works out. 

Letting out a joyous grin, “My two best girls bonding over family? How cute~” the wolf-like girl teases. Bora and Gahyeon pretend to punch her but laugh along with the girl. 

Behind them, Yoohyeon sulks. “Hey! I thought I was your favorite, Sing! Last month you told me that I was best girl!” 

Siyeon laughs again and turns around to stick out her tongue. “That was last month, Yooh. This is a new month, a new best girl.” Yoohyeon crinkles her nose and pouts. Her friend already turned around so she didn't see but Jiu and Handong giggle beside her. Dami just looks so done with everyone. 

As they were walking along the forest path to the place marked on Dami’s map, something caught the detective’s eyes. “Hey Gahyeon, was that always there?” Gahyeon stops walking to follow what Dami is pointing at. A black marble pillar was sticking out of the ground. It looked so out of place from the tranquility of the forest. 

“Definitely not.” They approach it slowly in case it reacts and blows up, or something. Runes are glowing on the other side of the pillar. It’s a language that Dami does not recognize and she places her bare hands on it. 

Death. Death. Death.

The detective recoils sharply with a hand against her face. Handong is quick to catch her and lower her to the ground. “...That was not good. All I see is death.” she explains after calming down. 

“Well, that is what it says on the pillar...” Handong’s voice trails off as she looks at the pillar.

“What? You can read that?”

“Yes. It is the ancient language of my people.” Dami glances at the writing again, trying to see the connection between modern chinese and those. They look nothing alike in her opinion, though she isn’t a language expert so she can’t say for sure. 

“Is that all it says?” Handong nods in response. Her brows are knitted together in concentration. 

The blonde stands. “I’ve heard of these before.”

“You have?” Gahyeon says, incredulously.

“Yes. In an ancient legend. There were three of these pillars. Their purpose was to ‘cleanse the world’, though it is not clear on what that really means. Apparently, only the children of the moon could activate these.” It was a legend that she heard a lot about as a child from the elderly of her village. Judging from the looks on the girls’ faces, they’ve never heard of it. 

“...Is it a coincidence that our enemy is named the same way?” Bora circles around the pillar, taking a few pictures for reference. She pauses once she hears growling from behind the bushes. It rustles violently before a group of plant demons shoot their vines out towards her.

The group scatters to get out of the way of the plants. Handong tugs Dami to take cover behind a tree. “Can you defend yourself?” She asks the younger girl. Dami nods and pulls out a handgun. Gahyeon and Jiu joins her hiding place and watches the higher ranks plus Siyeon fight off the vines. 

Two out of five go for Bora despite the intense heat she is giving off. They probably want to absorb her powers the most but she won’t let that happen. She doesn’t use the most intense flames possible for the sake of not burning down the forest. But the vines are thick and regenerate after every skin she burns off. 

The other three are not faring any better. Siyeon executes a masterful whirlwind of slashes with her daggers but the vines regenerate too fast. Handong is agile while dodging a vine, knowing that it is following her movements. She tricks it into knotting itself and rears her fist back to deliver a powerful punch. The vine swells up from the point of contact and explodes at the base, scattering demon blood and plant parts everywhere. Yoohyeon sees her chance and sends a blast of air through an opening in a vine, making it explode as well. Unfortunately for Handong and Yoohyeon, the vines regenerate once more. 

All three vines focusing on the lower ranked students shoot past them to attack Bora. Caught off guard, the vines slip past them and grab onto Bora’s arms and legs. Bora allows her powers to grow in temperature but the vines were coming back together too fast for her to escape their hold. One manages to grip her neck in a chokehold and starts absorbing while holding her body midair. Bora groans in pain and desperately tries to break the hold. Dami and Jiu fire off their guns but the bullets bounce uselessly off. 

No no no no no! 

Seeing her friend in pain, Siyeon rushes to her aid. “Bora!” The vines go wild and block off her attempts. “Shit we need to find the white cross!” The heat was starting to set the forest on fire but Siyeon could care less. Bora was going to die unless they did something about it now. 

Gahyeon did something about it. Amidst the chaotic fight, Gahyeon had been searching for the weak point instead of acting as a support. Well, technically, this was her support. Finally spotting it in a separate location from where the vines seem to be coming from, she captures the image in her mind. The plant seemed to be an ivy plant, except evil and flesh eating but she figured the anatomy was the same. Taking her chance, she visualizes the pitchfork in her father’s tool shed. He always kept it in the same place and sharpens it every morning. That was to her advantage this time. 

Sorry, Papa. But I need your favorite pitchfork right now.

The pitchfork appears, lodged in the white cross. Immediately, the vines cease their actions and fade to dust. Bora drops to the ground, holding her neck in her hands. Some of the grass around her is still on fire but Siyeon doesn’t care. Not when Bora was safe.

“Bora, Bora. Breathe, please.” She kneels down beside her and touches her hands carefully. Bora was shaking badly from the feeling of her power nearly being sucked out of her. “It’s okay now...you’re alright.” Siyeon carefully brings her closer, calming the raging temperature surrounding the redhead. When things are a little calmer, Jiu kneels next to them, bringing up her hand to heal Bora’s neck. The fire-user grips Siyeon’s waist like a lifeline all the while.

Everyone sighs in relief when Bora lifts her face from Siyeon’s neck. Jiu’s healing got rid of the red and black marks around her neck. 

“Thanks.” She croaks weakly. Jiu just smiles and pats her head.

“Anytime buddy.” 

“Dami, come here.” Handong calls the detective over after noticing the pile of ash on the ground still present. “It is probably going to be...unsavory...but could you use your psychometry on this?” 

Dami pulls a disgusted face as she sticks her hand in the ash. It’s the first time she’s ever tried touching demon remains. They usually fade into nothingness or the ashes are swept away by the wind. There’s a first for everything, I guess.

And for the first time, she sees a full memory instead of just flashes of events that an object has been through. In this case, it was a living demon.

The masked man pats the ivy plant demon and shows it a picture of Kim Bora. ‘Go’ he motions to the plant. It dives underground, using a plant network to find the person in the picture. Bora’s form taking photos of the pillar.  

“He’s targeting Bora and other high ranking powers.” Dami says finally. She also noticed that the background of the location had pictures of rank 5 students and heroes pinned to a board. On the table below it were several of those daggers Kang Jinwoo used. The room was too dark for her to see any hints to the location.

“...Then we need to keep moving to find him quickly. Do you have any other leads to work with? I don’t think staying with my family is wise.” Gahyeon bites her nails in worry. It’s a habit that her mom scolded her for very often but she can’t help it. If CM is chasing them via demons, her family is in mortal danger.

“Yeah. Let’s get out of here.” The girls pick themselves up from that crazy fight, exhausted. Siyeon lifts Bora into her arms, worried that the older girl was still not feeling well. 

“Ooh, Princess Bora~Getting a lift from your knight~” Jiu still had the energy to tease her close friend. She knew all about the crush she had on the rank 1 student. It was plainly obvious from the way they looked at each other. 

“Shut the fuck up, Jiu. And it’s Queen Bora to you.” Bora glares at her friend from over Siyeon’s broad shoulders. In the end, they just stick their tongues out at each other like a bunch of 5 year olds. 

Chapter Text

“I never asked but where did you get those locations?” Gahyeon says as she looks over Dami’s shoulder at the map in her hands. Dami gives a slightly annoyed expression at the invasion of her personal space but Gahyeon is oblivious to it.

“From the principal himself. He gave me a file with everything he knows about CM.” Dami pulls out the said folder from her backpack and opens it for everyone to see. They were currently setting up camp at the base of a mountain. They would have to climb it tomorrow when the sun is out to get to their destination. 

The campfire crackles, emitting a pretty purple fire (courtesy of one Kim Bora). The file contains handwritten notes and clippings about the sightings of CM over the years. One headline from an obscured newspaper stated that CM had been wiped out by two heroes named Muse and Kwon. A closer inspection at the grainy black-and-white photograph made it obvious that Kwon was the HF academy principal. Dami figures that the woman next to him was the close friend he was talking about.  

“This map shows previous locations that CM were known to operate from. The one near your hometown has a cluster of sightings so I went for that one first. If you look carefully,” Dami circles 3 big clusters on the map with a red marker. “There’s exactly 3 main areas. I suspect that the next two locations we are going to check out will have the other two pillars.” The other files were diary entries, detailing expeditions and other miscellaneous information about CM. Dami would have to read through them later and sort out the important stuff. 

Handong came back with Siyeon in tow, holding some freshly caught fish from the river nearby. Jiu and Yoohyeon were currently on guard duty for the night so they were perched at a higher vantage point. Bora was resting on her sleeping bag but she wasn’t sleeping. 

“You think they’re trying to use the pillars?” Bora asks, staring up at the night sky. 

“Chances are, yes. The problem is that we don't know what they do when activated and if we do, how to prevent whatever comes out.” Dami replies, passing over the folder for Gahyeon. Handong and Siyeon sheathe their hunting knives and prepare the fish for grilling. Soon, a delicious aroma fills the night air, attracting a doctor-in-training and a tengu from their perch.

“Wow, you guys caught a lot of good fish.” Yoohyeon comments as she watches them grill over the campfire. “I could never.” She thinks back to the times when she was just learning her transformation. Her clumsy claws and jerky wings did nothing to help her catch fish in the river. In the end, her dad did all the fishing while she did the splashing. 

“Nah this is all Dongie. I tried to help but those fish are slippery bastards.” Siyeon nudges her arm in Handong’s direction, much to the chinese girl’s embarrassment. 

“I hunted a lot back home.” Everyone grabbed a piece of fish once it was done grilling. They had to admit, despite the circumstances, this felt like a camping trip that they’ve seen on tv. It was a nice bonding experience, especially for Handong. “This is pretty nice. I have never done this before.”

“What? Camping?” Bora asks with fish between her mouth. Jiu scolds her for talking with her mouth full. Yoohyeon laughs at Bora but then a piece of fish drops out of her mouth, causing Jiu to scold her next. Next to them, Gahyeon laughs her head off at top ace Kim Bora and local idiot Kim Yoohyeon getting reprimanded. Even Dami cracks a small smile.

“No, having friends.” Siyeon spits out the water she just drank, unable to believe her ears. She shoots an apologetic look at Jiu, not wanting to get scolded too. 

“What do you mean? You didn't have any at your previous school?”

Wistfully smiling at the girls, Handong prods the campfire with her used skewer. “Well I had the village elders and the adults but there were -  are no young people besides me in the village. There has not been another since I was born. This academy has given me new experiences, including making friends around my age.”

As Dami listened, she couldn’t help but think that Handong’s hometown was a little odd. From what the blonde has told her, the village is mostly white, mostly winter? And that it was a small hunting village. The language written on the pillar is the ancient language of her village. Now Handong was the only young person in the past decade or two to have been born within the village? It was all very weird but then again, the detective always found Handong to be a little strange. Maybe when this is all over, Dami will take her up on her offer and visit her home. 

But for now, they had to talk business. “Is there anything else you can tell us about the pillars?”

Handong closes her eyes, trying her best to recall if there was anything the elders told her about them. She draws a blank. “Unfortunately, no. But the pillars were told as a part of the legend of a god named Haetem. The library at school didn't have any books on her...” Handong unconsciously pouts because she thought of when she spent nearly 3 hours in the library, scouring for books on Haetem. 

Cute. Dami thinks. Wait, what?

The detective shakes her head to snap her out of her random thoughts. Gahyeon yawns, causing the others to follow the yawning chain. They decide to talk more tomorrow when they’ve gotten a good night’s rest. Yoohyeon and Jiu go back to their post higher up on the hill, ready for a long night.

--

With the fire put out, only the moon provided light in the dark. Yoohyeon and Jiu sat side by side, watching over the sleeping girls. The younger girl noticed that Jiu was starting to shiver a bit from the temperature dropping. They were close to the mountains too, so it was only natural that the air was getting colder. 

“Cold?” The blonde nods, wishing she had Bora’s powers right about now. Frost was even starting to come out of her mouth. Unfortunately, their combat clothes did not include long coats because those would hinder movement. Only when it is time to climb the mountain will they put on big coats. Instead, Yoohyeon allows her two main wings to spread out, wrapping around them both in a black cocoon. 

Jiu instantly felt warmer. Absently, she reaches out to touch the black feathers. “So soft...” Beside her, Yoohyeon blushes from the admiration in Jiu’s eyes. “You know, I’ve always thought that your wings are beautiful.” The shiny black feathers glistened in the moonlight like a black silk curtain. It was mesmerizing to see the fine muscle control Yoohyeon has over them. 

(Jiu watched Yoohyeon transform for the first time in her life. The then shorter girl was so excited to finally realize her superpower.

“Mom! Dad! I did it!” Little Yoohyeon shouted with the happiest face on the planet. Her little bunny teeth are so adorable that Jiu hopes she doesn’t grow out of it. Her happy grin is directed towards the older girl. “I did it!”

Her smile was contagious and Jiu couldn't help but smile back.)

“What are you smiling for?” Present day Yoohyeon asks her. Jiu smiles softly while gazing into the younger girl’s eyes. 

“I just realized that you haven’t really changed much at all.” The cute bunny teeth, clumsy nature, and easy smile were all still there. In spite of this fast changing world, Jiu was comforted by the fact that Yoohyeon was still the Yoohyeon she remembered. Except for her little rebellious streak and her towering height but well, what can she do, right?

Yoohyeon mirrors her expression and shifts to a more comfortable sitting position. “...I...” she hesitates to ask, knowing that it might upset the blonde but it has been grating on her nerves for a long time. “Jiu...why are you using that name?” The black-haired girl thinks back to when she first entered the school. Her roommate was someone she never thought she’d see again. But now, she was using another name and got angry at Yoohyeon for a month when she called her by what she remembered her to be. They got off to a very bad start and Yoohyeon was going through some changes, resulting in their strained relationship. Yoohyeon became known as a troublemaker and Jiu was always the one reprimanding her. Thankfully, things smoothed over as of late. 

Yoohyeon is almost apologetic when she sees Jiu deflate. “My real name...I can’t use it.”

“Why not?”

“I just can’t.” Jiu crosses her arms defensively and turns away from Yoohyeon, breaking free of the warmth the wings provided. Yoohyeon apologizes immediately and grips the older’s forearm.

“It’s okay. You don't have to tell me. Whenever you’re ready. Or actually, you don’t have to tell me, ever. Just...your name is beautiful and I’m happy that you’re here now.” Yoohyeon was sincere, eyes shining brightly in the moonlight. Jiu heaved a sigh and smiled back. Yoohyeon didn't deserve her sudden anger. 

“I’m sorry I got mad. Maybe one day I will tell you, when it’s safe.” Yoohyeon rapidly nods her head, making Jiu giggle at the goofy behavior. The younger girl was like one of those bobble-head toys that Jiu often saw in gift shops. 

The wind picks up, making Jiu shiver again. Yoohyeon draws herself closer, bringing Jiu into a hug, hiding her from the world with her black wings. “Is this okay?” The black-haired girl shifts her hands to her waist as soon as she feels the healer nod. Jiu surprises her by taking one hand and bringing it up to her face, holding it there. 

They both gaze silently into each other’s eyes. It wasn’t the sort of tension that a situation like this would call for but more like two longtime friends reuniting under the night sky. It was calming. “Jiu?” Yoohyeon calls, worried when she sees the older girl close her eyes like she’s in pain.

“Yooh...can you hug me? Just for a little while?” Jiu whispers, leaning her forehead against Yoohyeon. Jiu was suddenly feeling tired of the burden on her shoulders. How was Yoohyeon supposed to refuse the older girl when she was looking at her like that? Not that she would refuse her anyways. 

Jiu is the first to lean in and kiss her on the lips. It was soft and all she can feel is Jiu. Yoohyeon responds by tightening her hold, not wanting to let go. 

The blonde pulls away after a short while, keeping her eyes closed. “Again, Yooh.”

This time, Yoohyeon kisses her with more fervor, pouring her feelings into the action, hoping that it would be conveyed to the other. And for a short time, the weight on Jiu’s shoulders disappeared into the night.

--

The night passes uneventfully and morning arrives. They put on their winter gear and mountain climbing equipment. Gahyeon grabs a piece of paper and a marker, writing ‘DO NOT TOUCH’ in big letters. She tapes the note to the windshield of their car and sends it off to who knows where with her teleportation. 

“Dongie can lead us up the mountain. I’ll be in the back in case any of you fall.” Yoohyeon says, tightening the rope to her harness. She sees the oldest struggling so she walks over and removes her hands. “Let me see...” Velcro is slid into the proper locks and tightened. 

“Thanks, Yooh.” Jiu runs her fingers over Yoohyeon’s cheek, forgetting that they aren’t alone. Yoohyeon forgets as well and smiles at the action, failing to hide her small happiness.

Bora notices the action immediately and takes her chance. “OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH~ Jiu and Yoohyeon~ What happened last night hmmmm?” she teases with the loudest voice ever. Both targets of the teasing blush under the scrutiny of their friends.

“Is this the legendary enemies to lovers trope?” The youngest questions with the most innocent expression she could muster. Yoohyeon snorts, unable to hold it in. 

Jiu shoves her shoulder to get her to shut up but Bora laughs merrily. “S-shut the f-fuck up, Bora.” Her cute stutter while cursing greatly amused her rank 5 friend.

“Revenge for yesterday.” But Bora was definitely happy for them both. When she heard all about how they were childhood friends, she knew from that moment how fond Jiu really was of Yoohyeon. Of course, it didn't reflect often during their school lives because of the social hierarchy. She can only hope that someday, she could have a chance at a relationship with a certain rank 1 student.

“Alright kids, enough. Time to go.” Dami stops their charades but even she is relieved to have some of the tension in the air dissipate. She has never climbed a mountain before and she knows that it gets dangerous higher up. 

Handong places a comforting hand on Dami’s shoulder in an attempt to reassure her. “Do not worry Dami. I have climbed several mountains since I was a child; We will be fine. Yoohyeon will make an excellent anchor and Bora will keep us warm.” Dami stares at those warm brown eyes, trying to calm her nerves. It works a little but the anticipation was still scary. She nods anyways, wanting to get this over with. The peak of the mountain is their destination.

They move in a single file line with Handong, Bora, Dami, Gahyeon, Siyeon, Jiu, and Yoohyeon standing in order. At first, the path was easy enough to get through. It was just a winding dirt path that led to the top. But then it started to disappear and the mountain was becoming steeper and colder. At some point, Gahyeon teleported a set of climbing tools to help them ascend. 

Handong would guide the girls on where to hook their pickaxes and where to put their feet. Unfortunately, the weather was getting worse and a small snowstorm picked up, sending flakes into the air, obscuring their vision to the top. Every so often, a drift of snow would come tumbling down, forcing them to look down to avoid getting it in their eyes. Bora does her best to create small heat waves but the risk of burning off her equipment was high so there was only so much she could do. 

Dami and Gahyeon start to lose traction, not used to this brutal physical activity on top of the freezing cold. Bora moves to put her arm around Dami’s waist and locks their two harnesses together. “Hang in there. We are almost at the top.” The detective nods weakly and moves as best as she could with Bora’s assistance. Siyeon does the same for Gahyeon, seeing how the younger girl is getting dizzy from the thinning air.

“Dongie! Are we near the top?!” Yoohyeon yells over the snow storm. She hears a yes from the chinese girl. “I’m going to use my wings to bring us to the top! I don’t think Dami and Gahyeon can take much more of this!” The conscious ones lock in their harnesses to each other, ready. Yoohyeon opens all four wings without transforming her arms and legs. 

“Get ready to climb!” The tengu flaps her wings in a powerful motion. She flies in front of Handong, forcing the harness to stretch as far as possible from Jiu. They let go of the climbing tools and simply grab on to the rocks, depending on Yoohyeon’s pulling strength to help them ascend. At some point, Yoohyeon flies horizontally, signalling that she made it to the peak. She grabs onto each person to help them get on solid ground. 

Dami and Gahyeon flop on their backs, wheezing. Siyeon and Bora stand over them, blocking the sun from shining on their faces. “Should’ve gone to the gym with us, Gahyeonie.” Gahyeon frowns and shoos them away. Siyeon laughs a bit and removes the harnesses from everyone. There is no snowstorm at the very peak of the mountain and the sun is shining. There isn’t much to see besides other mountains, much to their disappointment. 

“Maybe we were wrong about the pillars?” Jiu says as she watches her breath turn into frost. 

But well, the floor of the mountain opens up and swallows them whole before they could even react.

--

Chapter Text

Haetem, the God of life and creation, was always a black sheep in the family. She wanted to prove her worth, and so, she created humans. These creatures would have emotions and intelligence. Then she created demons. These creatures would act as a counterbalance to humans. Her goal was to show that vastly different creatures can coexist on one plane. 

In order to observe them, she descended into the world and cloaked herself as one of the creatures. At first, they got along well. Demons and Humans were able to work together to build settlements and thrive. But the humans became greedy for more. They viewed demons as lesser beings, due to their more animalistic nature. Demons began to die in large numbers by the hands of humans.

War broke out. Demons became enraged by the treatment of their species. With their superior magic and abilities, demons soon became drunk in the bloodlust of the humans. With every circuit they consumed, they became more corrupted. The moniker ‘Demons’ came about during this war. 

It was during this time that Sun, the First Hero rose. Sun is widely believed to be a descendant of the Gods, for he was powerful and he managed to stop the war, bringing prosperity to the humans. Demons were deemed unholy and eradication campaigns began.

The Gods were angry with Haetem for causing destruction on the Worldly plane but they did not want to slaughter their child’s creations. And so, they created three pillars to cleanse the world, should another Catastrophe occur. The pillars may only be activated by those who are the Children of the Moon. In addition, the Gods planted a safeguard measure in the Worldly plane, should the pillars be used by other forces.

Haetem, in despair for her creations, wept for 200 days. On the 201th day, she disappeared from the Gods’ plane, never to be seen again.

-Word of Mouth to her grandchildren, Year 1800 A.S.

Elder of the Village, Ryu Sera

Chapter Text

-Jiu’s POV-

The air tastes unusual. That was the only way I could describe it. As I lay there in the dark, something warm and very human touches my face. 

“Hey! Kim Jiu. Now really isn’t the best time to be sleeping.” A deep voice whispers harshly into my ear. I snap awake, aware of the situation we got ourselves into right before I blacked out. There were several people wearing dark robes, surrounding us in a tight circle. Bora, Siyeon, Handong and Yoohyeon were in a defensive stance, watching the strange people with wary gazes. 

Gahyeon helps me sit up and looks fearful at the dark tunnel we’ve landed in. The only exit is the light source coming from behind the group of robed people. Their faces and bodies are completely obscured from view. Our chances of avoiding confrontation are not looking too good. Especially if this is the CM cult. 

An extremely tall robed figure steps out to the front. He/she is even taller than Yoohyeon. But now that I think about it, all these robed people are really tall. Like model height tall. “How did you enter our territory?” A feminine voice. It was muffled but it sounded familiar somehow. 

“We don’t know, we just fell through-” Siyeon’s explanation is cut short by a sword swinging up to her cheekbone. The blade is imbued with some magic, giving it a sharp quality. If Handong were standing closer, she might’ve been able to stop it. But she isn't and I see a thin line of blood seeping from Siyeon’s cheek. Bora growls next to the younger girl, ready for a fight.

“You lie, girl. How can you just ‘fall’ through? That is impossible.” The figure says.

“We’re telling the truth! Maybe your security just sucks!” Bora is positively angry now and the heat begins to radiate off her skin. Seeing the aggression, the other robed figures pull out their magic swords, pointing it at us. A single wrong move could end us here and so please Bora, be quiet. Now is not the time to be defending your crush with fire. 

“Or one of you is carrying the mark of one of us. Who did you kill to get it?” Mark? So that is why the smell is unusual and also familiar...Without waiting for a response, the figure swings her sword at Siyeon’s head.

--

-No POV-

“AVA! WAIT!” The healer jumps in front of the rank 1 student, to the surprise of everyone. The sword stops near her face, leaving a bleeding cut despite not making contact. She holds her hand to the side, stopping Bora from moving. Turning back around to face the robed figure, Jiu pleads with her eyes. “Ava...please.”

The figure withdraws her sword. 

Jiu hesitates, wetting her dry lips with her tongue. She knows that what she is about to reveal will undo her current life but her friends were in danger. She won’t let them die. “It’s me...Minji.” And there it was. The name that she forsaken has come back to haunt her. She can feel Yoohyeon’s eyes drilling holes into the back of her head but she can’t waver now. 

The figure lowers her sword and signals the others to do the same. The girls look around nervously, waiting for some sort of ‘just kidding’ and get attacked. The only good thing is that Jiu… or rather Minji? seemed to know these people. Which means that they aren’t CM. The downside is, they have no idea if these people are friends or foes. Jiu-Minji has never mentioned knowing people that live in this mountain. Or that people lived here at all.

The figure raises her hand and removes her hood. The face underneath is a beautiful older woman with a sort of cold beauty that was similar to Siyeon. Her hair and eyes were a deep purple color. She stares at Jiu’s face for god knows how long. “...Minji, you came back...” she says in a whisper, as if she could not believe her eyes. But it really was Minji in the flesh. The fact that the group was in the territory proved it to her. Only those of the Coven can freely enter their territory with the right words. After all, they are no longer at the mountain. The peak was merely an entrance that teleports them to the dimension that the territory lies in. 

“Ava...it was an accident. We-I didn’t know that the Coven was moved here...So please, let us go back.” This ‘Ava’ person raises her hand to Jiu’s still bleeding cheek and caresses her face with her thumb. Then suddenly, a slap echoes throughout the cave with Jiu’s head whipped to the side. Jiu holds her hand out in time to stop Yoohyeon from doing something rash but that does not stop the younger girl from growling at them.

“Go back? You broke the rules of the Coven and dared to return? Bringing outsiders no less?!” JIu was frightened by the woman’s tone but she had to stand strong. The others surrounding them raised their swords again.

The healer swallows her saliva, suddenly feeling her throat dry up. “I know you’re angry...but please, they have nothing to do with this and it really was an accident. I swear I would have never returned until I....” Shifting eyes. “I didn't even know the entrance to the Coven changed. We were just looking for something.”

The woman raises her head haughtily, “And what were you looking for that made you journey up a mountain?”

“A pillar.” The moment Jiu says that, the woman’s expression shifts to one of surprise. 

“How do you know about that?”

“Something is happening in the outside world. Demons and some rogue heroes are acting up and we think it is related to these pillars as well. So we were trying to investigate.” The woman studies Jiu’s expression for a while before coming to a decision.

“Arrest her and the others.”

Jiu’s face fell but she turned around quickly to speak to her friends. “Listen, don’t do anything rash. This is a part of the way the Coven works. Just trust me. Please.” She can see that Yoohyeon and Bora are ready to protest but a guard has already placed a lock and a muzzle on her hands and face. 

“Your...friends will be sitting in the cells. Nothing will befall them, unless you make it so.” It was the first time the girls have seen Jiu look so meek with her head down. The rank 5 student has always been a sort of model to others with her head held high and her masterful articulation. None of this was making any sense but the blonde asked for their trust and in this situation, fighting their way out may not be the best option.  

Siyeon grabs onto Yoohyeon’s hand, knowing that the younger girl is itching to do something. And she agrees with her. If that were Bora in Jiu’s place, Siyeon would have torn off that muzzle and ripped the locks off like a crazed animal. 

The guards motion the group of girls to move, all while keeping their swords trained on them. They can only watch helplessly as Jiu is taken to another location with that woman.

--

Dami eyes the guards and the surrounding area. At first, she was really skeptical about them not being in the mountain anymore but then she saw a lake and a huge expanse of land with small homes. It was like a piece of paradise. If Dami weren’t so hellbent on logic and science, she might’ve thought that she was hallucinating. Yeah, there was no way they were still inside the mountain. The cell that they were taken to was an outdoor one. A few empty cells were next to the one they were ushered in but they could see the townsfolk and the town itself pretty well. 

The guards and the people were all wearing huge robes that covered just about everything from head to toe. Strangely, their faces were obscured even when they turned at angles where a small amount of skin should be able to be seen. The robes were like a black void with only arms coming out to hold things. But that wasn’t the weirdest part. The townsfolk and even the guards used some sort of dark magic in everything that they did. Water the flowers? Overrated, use magic to make it bloom instantly. Plow the fields? Nah, use magic to unearth it without a hint of physical labor. Lock the cell with a key? No way, use magic to lock it for maximum security. 

Gahyeon’s expression crumbled at that last one, disappointed that she won’t get to show off her lock-picking skills any time soon. “They’re using some sort of circuit magic.” She points out. Luckily, they are put in the same cell so they just sit facing each other. 

“The question is what type are they using? That doesn’t look like the circuit magic that I know.” Siyeon says, observing a robed figure imbue magic into a sword. While the townsfolk were using it for different reasons, she noticed that the magic always came out in a dark purplish color. She supposes that they are all using a strand of the same type of technique or ability. And from what she could gather, this place was very familiar to Jiu.

--

“Explain.” The muzzle was pulled off her face but she refused to look up. The woman sighs and lifts Jiu’s chin herself. “You even went and changed your hair color. All so that we could not find you...” The statement wasn’t said in a scolding manner but rather a forlorn one. It made Jiu finally make eye contact with the woman.

“I’m sorry Ava...”

The woman rubs her temples tiredly. “I’ve had enough time to stew in my anger for the past 9 years you were gone. Now I just want to know why . What could possibly be out there that caused you to leave your home and your people behind?”

Jiu feels tears building up behind her eyes. Her Ava’s expression did not change but she could see the pain swirling in her purple irises. Pain that Jiu herself brought on. She was apologetic that her Ava had to be hurt like this but she did not regret a single thing that she did. 

“Everything.” Jiu replies softly, like it was a secret she never told anyone. “The hunt for us will never stop, Ava. We can hide for a few years but that is not enough. At some point, something will give way and we will be eradicated completely. Or we can find a way to assimilate into the outside world and fight for the rights of our people.”

“That is nothing but foolishness.”

“It is not!” Jiu denies vehemently. It must’ve been the thousandth time they had this argument but Jiu wasn’t going to back down. Especially since she has made progress since she left. “I’m attending one of the best hero academies out there and I’m the leader of the medical division. There is hope for us.”

“You? Medicine? Ha! And did you tell them that you are no healer? Not truly? Tell me, Minji,” Jiu flinches at hearing her real name. “Who knows who you really are?”  

--

Siyeon flicks Yoohyeon on the nose to snap her out of her stupor. She swears that the giant puppy was going to burn a hole into the ground with how hard she was staring at it. “Yoohyeon,” Siyeon says chidingly, “Jiu said to trust her.”

The taller girl pouts, “I know but I’m still worried about her. What if something goes wrong and she needs help?”

Next to her, Bora raises her hand to ruffle her hair. “Jiu’s a tough girl. She kicked everyone’s asses in combat training so I’m sure she’ll be fine. Besides, she has a tengu for a guardian angel.” Yoohyeon perks up a bit at that last part, causing Bora to laugh and ruffle her hair again.

“Already so whipped for her.” Bora quips.

“Hey!”

Dami notices that Handong is ignoring the chaos next to them and is looking out between the cell bars. “What are you looking at?” She says as she side-eyes the chinese girl. Handong doesn’t take her eyes off of the lake in the distance. 

“I think the pillar is there.” Everyone behind them shuts up. The guards turn their robed bodies (is there even anyone under the robe?) towards them the moment they hear that. To Dami, that was as good as admitting that the pillar really is at the lake. 

--

“No one knows but I will tell them eventually. If they choose to kill me then, it will prove you right.”

“Then you know that the chances of that are high.” The woman leans back in her seat with her head held high. She just couldn't comprehend the younger girl’s line of thought. It was all risk and almost no chance of reward.

“But on the chance that my friends - that my colleagues would accept me for who I am...I am willing to risk it all for that sliver of hope. Because that hope will allow our people to finally be free.” Jiu’s eyes held a certain fire that the woman had never seen before. 

(Truthfully, she had. Right before Jiu disappeared from the Coven.)

But just as the girl across from her held on to her beliefs like a lifeline, she too believed in doing what was best for her people. “We are free Minji. Look at our paradise. No more war, no more poverty, no more witch hunts.”

Jiu’s face contorts into something between pain and anger. “This is not freedom. This is isolationism . Do not confuse the two.”

--

At some point, they got so bored of sitting around that they started taking turns in trying to rile up the guards. 

“So do you ever take off the robe?” The guard nearest to their cell doesn’t react. 

“If you don’t, how do you use the bathroom?”

“Do you even shower? The weather here seems hot and you’re probably sweating under there.”

“What about eating? Does the food go into the dark void or do you actually have a body under all that?” 

Bora, Handong and Dami just look amused at the three musketeers’ stupid questions. It’s hard to tell but they think that the guard is starting to crack a little. 

“Okay how about a game? Whoever can make the guard react the fastest is the winner. Losers will have to be the winner’s slave for a month.” Gahyeon proposes. 

“Bet.” Yoohyeon and Siyeon say at the same time. Bora face-palms and mutters a ‘please don’t say bet’ under her breath. The last time Siyeon said ‘bet’, she came back with a broken limb. These dumbasses were going to be the death of her. Gahyeon was pretty smart when she put her mind to it but when she hangs around these two idiots, her last brain cell decides to go on vacation.

“Okay, me first.” Gahyeon scoots over to the bars and slams her hands on it, making the guard flinch and raise his/her sword in response. 

With a smug grin, she turns over to her two older friends. “Heh. Too easy.” Siyeon and Yoohyeon groan, wishing that they knew better than to bet against Gahyeon. The kid was way too good at this and now they were at her beck and call.

Their little game and Gahyeon’s victory celebration was cut short by a familiar pale blonde head. Immediately, Yoohyeon pushes past the others to get closer to the older girl. 

That causes Jiu to smile slightly. “Hey guys. Let’s get out of here.” Behind her, the tall woman she calls Ava watches over them like a hawk. Jiu places her hand on the cell lock and releases the same dark magic to unlock it. She knows that her friends have a lot of questions but it will have to wait until they get out of here. 

They walk out cautiously, just in case. “Are you okay?” Yoohyeon asks, seeing the redness around the healer’s eyes. There were no visible injuries on the older girl but emotionally...

“I will be. Come on.” Jiu leads them to the lake, not stopping at the bank. The water that she steps on doesn’t cause her to sink, much to their surprise. At the center of the lake, a portal opens up after reacting to Jiu’s dark magic. 

“People of the Coven!” The woman shouts. The girls stop in their tracks and Jiu walks back to be closest to the woman standing by the bank. “Remove your hoods and lay down your weapons.” The townspeople do as they are told. When they pull back their hoods, all of the faces are revealed to be women. All with a shade of purple in their hair and eyes. Their swords and farming tools are placed on the ground. 

“Today, you will witness a girl leave her home willingly to the outside world. This girl is perhaps one of the best of us and...my remaining child.” A pause. “But she chooses to walk to her death and so, I ask that all of you engrave her face into your minds and perform the sending ritual for the dead.”

A single tear rolls down her and her Ava’s cheek. 

“Today, Kim Minji is dead.”

--

( “You’re making a mistake, Minji.”

“No, I’m making my choice.” )

Chapter Text

The team ended up by the edge of a long road. It was already nighttime. A quick check on a smartphone indicated that they were in Busan and that it was 2am. 

“The last pillar is here.” Jiu reminded them with a low voice. They, especially Yoohyeon, wanted to ask questions but Jiu looked so down that they didn't have the heart to. Not even I-don’t-care-about-feelings Dami.

Bora decided to take charge. “Let’s go into the city for now and book a few rooms to rest. It’s been a long day.” Gahyeon took in her surroundings and teleported their car to the empty street next to them. Jiu lets Bora take the wheel, too tired to do anything. They were all drained from the crazy day.

--

The next morning, Jiu called them to her room. She looked a lot better today but Yoohyeon knew that she cried herself to sleep. Her room was situated right next to the blonde’s and it broke her heart to hear Jiu sobbing. However, Yoohyeon understood that Jiu needed this time alone. And if she was lucky, Jiu would come to her eventually when she was ready.

For now, the younger girl would have to be as attentive as possible. The others sat on the available space while Jiu sat on a single armchair. 

“To start off, I’m sorry.” Jiu looked at each of them in the eyes to convey her sincerity. “I was going to tell you all eventually-”

“When it was safe.” Yoohyeon finished, echoing what Jiu told her the other night. 

“Yes.” Jiu let out a big sigh. “It isn’t exactly safe but being forced into that situation made me realize that I should start by telling the people I trust about myself. At least before I can even think of telling the whole world.”

“My real ‘identity’ is Kim Minji, the next Ava to the Coven.” Jiu clenched her fists together, suddenly feeling an icy fear take over her body. Bora noticed the action and moved to hold one of her hands. The natural heat from Bora calmed the blonde a little to continue her story.

“Are you guys...are the people of the Coven witches?” It sounded a bit ridiculous when spoken out loud but then again, Gahyeon figured that there were several creatures and humanoids out there, undiscovered.

“We don’t call ourselves witches per say...” Jiu took a shuddering breath to prepare her heart for the next reveal. 

“We are necromancers.”

Silence.

Surprisingly, Dami is the one to break the silence. “I figured.” She said.

“W-what? You figured?” Jiu stuttered, trying to figure out why Dami was so unbothered. This is literally her biggest, life changing secret and all Dami can say is ‘I figured’??? At least the others had the decency to express their shock or give her comforting looks.

The detective hummed, “I read several books about the witch hunts from years back. These hunts targeted people with powers that were deemed unholy or close to demonic powers. There was a really obscured record about a group that was hunted and wiped out completely. They were described with dark magic that could raise the dead. It made me think that this was a possibility when I thought about a flower I saw in the Coven. It was a flower that was thought to be extinct.” 

Now it was Jiu’s turn to be shocked. Well, Dami was the academy’s pride after all. “So, how does your power work? You’ve been healing people this whole time and I’m pretty sure they weren’t dead yet. The Coven and that woman that you spoke to are also of interest.”

Snapping out of it, Jiu continued. “That woman is the current leader of the Coven...and my mother. The Coven was formed to protect people that had powers similar or exactly like necromancy and we have been able to keep the strand of our powers within the Coven. The fear of being hunted or treated as outsiders caused the Coven to hide away in their own pocket dimension. But I think differently. We should be trying to get people to accept us for who we are.” 

Jiu stopped to wet her lips. Her passion for helping her people escape their hermit lifestyle always got her riled up. Hiding away solved nothing. And yes, maybe some people did not want to leave the Coven but surely, there were those who yearned to know more about the outside world. She wanted to give them that choice.

 “As for how our powers work...it’ll be faster to just show you.”

Bora was asked to burn a pot of flowers sitting on the coffee table. The redhead was confused but did as she was told anyway. A pile of ash sat inside the pot. Jiu circled the ash with her hands and released her dark magic into them. For the first time in a long time, Jiu allowed her magic to flow properly throughout her body. Her hair and eyes turned a deep purple. 

The flowers came back to life before their eyes. When she was finished, her hair returned to being pale blonde but her eyes stayed purple. “This form of necromancy relies on the caster’s ability to remember the organism’s past state.”

Something clicked in Bora’s mind. “Is that why you never went out to the hospitals in the city? Because you’ve never seen all of those people in their past state and therefore, you couldn’t ‘heal’ them?” Bora remembered how Jiu would always take shifts in the academy clinic or hospital but never venture out into the city. 

Yoohyeon also thought back to when the city was attacked by demons. At the time, she figured that Jiu was just scared by the situation but the older girl was also probably trying to protect her secret by insisting on healing heroes only. She knew what their ‘past state’ looked like.

“Yes. For the Coven, the past carries a large significance. As long as we know it, we can do many things beyond reviving dead things. We also have excellent magic circuit control that we can use together with our powers. For example, our names are something given at birth or as we call it: the Start. We can use the Start to track down the location of our members every time it is being spoken. That’s why I changed my name. To protect myself from being tracked by the Coven and to protect myself from being hunted. Kim Minji is a known name of the Coven to those who hunt us.”

Siyeon leaned back into her seat, processing the information. Necromancy was an incredibly powerful ability and many would probably kill to have it. Some probably already have. It was a chilling thought. She never knew that her good friend was carrying such a heavy burden on her shoulders and even going as far as completely changing her identity. The saying ‘those who smile the brightest are also the ones hiding something big’ really applied to Jiu. Nonetheless, nothing about her view of the rank 5 healer changed. She was still the kind doctor that patched her up after a rough combat training session.

“You’re still Jiu, regardless of your powers.” Siyeon smiled at her. “Thank you for trusting us enough to tell us.” 

And that was all it took for the waterworks to come bursting out. Unlike yesterday, these were tears of relief.

“Group hug!” Gahyeon launched herself at the eldest, causing the others to pile on as well. Of course, Dami stayed as far as possible. No way was she going to start doing sappy things like hugging-

“Dami, this is a joyous occasion. Come.” Handong gave her a small pout and puppy eyes (though she wasn’t aware she was doing it). Dami sighed and put her hand on top of Jiu’s head, much to the girls’ amusement. This was about as much as she was willing to subject herself to.

--

After that big reveal, the girls split into teams to scour the city for more clues. It would be too weird if a group of hero apprentices from world famous HF Academy are seen walking around together. It could potentially alert their enemies as well. 

Dami and Handong went to find out about the latest murder that happened to occur here in Busan. It may reveal more information about what they were up against. Unfortunately, Handong was unable to see the second pillar but Jiu assured her that the Coven will keep the pillar safe. Dami just didn't want to be stuck with Gahyeon, Yoohyeon, or Siyeon. They’ll drive her crazy. Jiu and Bora were alright in her book but they were better suited for the other tasks.

Bora was well known among the hero circle so she will try to get into contact with the local ones to find out more about suspicious activity. Siyeon tagged along with her in case she had to prevent Bora from burning down the city.

Yoohyeon and Jiu were tasked with finding the third pillar and taking pictures of it. Jiu was still recovering from her emotional outbreak and using her true powers again so a lighter task was best for her. Of course, Yoohyeon wasn’t about to let the older girl out of her sight and no one objected to that.

Gahyeon ran off on her own, stating that she would come into contact with her own channels to find out more about CM.

--

The marketplace near the harbor was super busy today. Busan was far from Seoul so the demon/rogue attack on the academy was something they only heard in the news. Siyeon hoped that she wasn’t jinxing it or anything but now that they knew Bora was a target, she wasn’t willing to let her guard down. 

The tension must’ve shown on her face because the redhead tugged at their joined hands and led them both to a quieter area. 

“Singnie. Stop frowning. We’re going to be alright.” Bora looked into the younger’s eyes intently. “It was scary for me too but we can’t let that slow us down.” Bora said as she recalled the vines constricting her throat. She almost brought a hand up to touch that spot to make sure that it wasn’t real. 

Siyeon sighed and leaned her head against Bora’s, bringing her free hand to wrap around the smaller girl’s waist. “I know that you would have been able to free yourself if you didn't have to worry about us or your surroundings...so please, if you ever feel like your life is in great danger, do what you have to. Save yourself first before thinking about others.”

Bora pulled back and untangled their joined hands to reach up and cup the black-haired girl’s face. “I’ll promise that if you promise me something as well. Using it puts you at risk so I want you to do whatever it takes to avoid that situation.”

Bora sees the hesitation behind Siyeon’s dark eyes. “I can’t promise that I won’t use it . Especially if I know I can save lives with it . But I will promise you that I will do everything I can to live.”

Neither of them really wanted to compromise on those promises but they knew that if it came down to it, they would do as heroes do: Save people no matter what. But for now, they will just have to agree to disagree. 

Leaving a lingering kiss on the smaller girl’s forehead, Siyeon took a step back and held her hand once again. “I saw a spicy rice cake stall at the center of the harbor. Let’s get you some.” 

For a brief moment, Bora felt like a normal girl. Walking along the harbor front with the girl she cared about, sharing delicious street food, and enjoying the ambience made Bora happy. If she didn't have her fire - if she had something weaker, she might’ve been able to have this with Siyeon everyday. The redhead often daydreamed about what living a normal life was like. When she wasn’t busy on a mission, she would take her time to explore the big city to see what ordinary people did.

In many ways, Bora was thankful that Siyeon came into her life because with the younger girl around, she was able to have a taste of that dream - no matter how small. Siyeon, bless her kind soul, tried her best to normalize the older girl’s life as much as possible. Being genuine friends was a good first step and Bora couldn’t be more thankful for Siyeon’s persistence. 

“Hey they’ve got a ton of ice cream choices here!” Siyeon’s excited voice snapped her out of her thoughts. They peer into a giant freezer filled with different flavors of popsicles. “They even have cheese flavor!” Siyeon laughed at the immediate disgust Bora showed. In the end, they both settled with watermelon flavor. 

“We really should be looking for clues.” Bora commented. She contradicted herself though by sitting next to Siyeon at the edge of the harbor, enjoying her cold treat. 

“Eh, I’d rather not cut our date short. We can just say we were patrolling the harbor.” Siyeon was amused by the growing blush on the fire-user’s face. Bora was really cute when she wasn’t acting like a hero. It made Siyeon want to do everything she can for her. 

“Besides, doesn’t this take you back to our first meeting?”

--

(

For whatever reason, Siyeon was really craving a late night snack. Specifically, she wanted a cold one. Okay, she just really wanted ice cream so sue her. It was her third night at the academy and she was feeling homesick already. Having ice cream at night reminded her of the dessert nights she had at home with her family. 

She snuck into the kitchen at 1am despite knowing that she was breaking curfew. And she also heard rumors about a ghost haunting the kitchen at night. She wondered if the upperclassmen that told her were just pulling her leg because she was a freshman. Apparently, the kitchen ghost was dubbed as one of the 7 wonders of HF Academy. Eyewitness (earwitness?) accounts have said that the ghost frequents the freezer section the most around this time and that it made strange smoke appear when it is present. They said that the air around them felt weird and is followed by clicking sounds. When they tried to catch a glimpse of the ghost, it disappeared.

But ghost or no ghost, nothing was going to stop Siyeon when she was on her craving run. Nothing.

When she got into the kitchen, she noticed that one standup freezer in particular had a heavy padlock on it. The padlock itself was undone and there was a weird amount of steam escaping through the cracks of the freezer door. 

“Crap. I just want my ice cream...” Siyeon worriedly chewed on her nails as she eyed the little white freezer next to the weird one. Her prize was right there...next to the freezer-sauna thing. She debated just grabbing her treat and making a run for it but her curious nature won out. 

“Shit I guess I’ll die by the hands of a ghost tonight.” Siyeon muttered to herself, prepared to pull the door open. She uttered a quick prayer under her breath even though she wasn’t religious. 

A small body tumbling out of the freezer was the last thing Siyeon expected to happen. She caught the body in her arms but tumbled down to the ground from the unexpected weight. “AHHHHHHHHHH!” Both her and the body screamed at the same time.

When her throat hurt from screaming, she stopped and looked at the not-ghost on top of her. “Wait, you’re not a ghost?” She questioned.

It was dark in the kitchen but the little light coming from the window allowed the freshman to finally see that it was a girl. A small one at that. 

“Um no? Sorry to disappoint?” The girl said, confused by the situation. In one moment, she was peacefully sleeping in the freezer and the next, a weird girl pulled her out-

“Shit, don’t get close to me!” The freezer-girl scrambled as far back as she could, slamming her back against the freezer door. 

“Why?”

“You’ll...you’ll get burned...” And that was when everything clicked into place for Siyeon. The girl looked scared of hurting her but Siyeon could see the pain behind her eyes. 

Smiling lightly, Siyeon offered her hand out. “I won’t. See? I touched you and nothing happened to me. So don’t worry.” The girl saw that she was telling the truth. But that was impossible.

“I’m Lee Siyeon by the way. I’m a freshman here.” Siyeon introduced herself seeing as how the other girl was still hesitant. 

The girl carefully took Siyeon’s hand in hers. It was warm and the freshman did not flinch away in pain. “I’m Kim Bora...rank 5.” Siyeon’s expression didn’t change from hearing her rank. Somehow, Bora felt relieved. 

It was their start of everything.

Bora would come to know of Siyeon’s true ability.

Siyeon would become Bora’s safety blanket.

And Bora would come to fall for the kind-hearted Siyeon. 

(“So, like, is food stored in there or…?”

“No!”

“So then why is it next to the ice cream freezer?”

“...That’s for the staff...you aren’t supposed to be back here...”

“Oh.”)

)

Chapter Text

“So out of curiosity, how are people in your community born if you’re all women?” Whirl.

“Yoohyeon, please be quiet.” Click.

“It’s a legit question.” Snap.

“We’re necromancers. We have our ways.” Flash.

“Please don’t tell me you raise a dead man to get-”

“Don’t finish that sentence.”

Jiu stands up from her position to stretch her limbs. She sees Yoohyeon taking one last picture of the pillar before shutting off the camera. They took a ferry to a remote island off the coast of Busan to get to the place marked on Dami’s map. Sure enough, the pillar sticks out like a sore thumb among the rocky outcrop. The rocks surrounding it were disturbed by the protrusion of the pillar, indicating that it hasn’t been long since it surfaced. 

“Come on. I don’t think we’ll find anything else here.” Yoohyeon holds out her free hand for Jiu to take. 

As they walk back to the boat, Jiu bites her lip in worry. Yoohyeon notices the action and stops in place. The younger girl leans down to capture Jiu’s lips with her own, effectively stopping the other girl from tearing her lip with her teeth. 

Leaning back to get a good look at the blush coloring Jiu’s face, Yoohyeon smiles. “Your eyes are really pretty.” Jiu’s blush intensifies and Yoohyeon can’t help but think that Jiu is even prettier with her deep purple eyes. She never thought much of demon dark magic or their color so she can only see purple as something aesthetically pleasing. 

“T-thank you.” Jiu buries her face against Yoohyeon’s neck, hugging the girl closer to her. “Yooh?”

“Hm?”

“Could we...could we take this slowly?” Yoohyeon understood what Jiu was referring to. It wasn’t hard to agree to that at all. At this point, Yoohyeon thinks that she would do just about everything that Jiu asks her to.

“Of course. Let’s head back. Siyeon sent me a message saying that the harbor has a pretty good seaside market going on right now.”

Jiu snorts from her position, too comfortable to move. “It’s always about food with you.”

“Hey! You were the one always bringing sweets back into the dorm...Not my fault you always picked delicious things...”

“...Those were for me.”

“W-well!”

“Dork.”

--

The murder was as grizzly as the rest of them. Dami has investigated several homicide cases since her induction into the academy but right now, she can’t stomach much more. Realizing that the detective isn’t feeling well, she interrupts the officer in charge of the scene. 

“Our apologies but I think we have enough information for now. We will contact you if anything further is needed.” Normally, Handong is a stickler for good manners but her companion isn’t looking too good so she quickly ushers them out of the scene. She leads them to a quiet area in the park across the street and forces Dami to sit down on a bench. 

“I will get some water. Do not leave.” Handong runs into the nearest convenience store to buy a bottle of water. She returns and hands the opened bottle to the detective. The chinese girl runs her hand over Dami’s back in a soothing motion. The younger girl looks a little less nauseous with some fresh air and some water in her system.

“Are you feeling better?” Handong says quietly. She hears a small confirmation but the younger girl’s eyes are closing. 

“Ugh something in there really made my stomach turn.” Dami says at last. It was definitely disrespectful to the victim that died but at least that meant that Dami still had her grade A asshole personality intact. That was probably a good sign. 

Feeling sorry for her, Handong gently shifts her so that her head is resting on her lap. 

“Wh-what the hell a-are you d-doing?!” Dami stutters. Handong looks down at her to give her a reassuring smile. 

“You have been working really hard these past few days and your body is not used to the physical assertion. Rest for a short while.” The rank 4 student placed her fingers on the side of Dami’s temples and massaged gently. The detective was frozen in place, just staring at Handong’s smile. Though she doesn’t want to admit it, the blonde’s gentle ministrations are making her feel more relaxed. 

“Did you smell something strange in there too?” Dami's reaction when she doesn’t know what to do with herself is to talk about work. 

“Yes...but I cannot identify what it was. Though I do not believe it came from the deceased.”

“Hmm...” Dami couldn't put her finger on it. It was something she smelled before and it definitely repulsed her. Her body’s reaction was more than enough for her to tell. It was kind of like when a case she is investigating happens to bring her to Lee Gahyeon’s or Kim Yoohyeon’s line of sight. Those two always gave her a headache from their stupidity but Kim Yoohyeon in particular was a troublemaker. That rank 4 was powerful but she was too much like a big dog annoying the hell out of her-

Dami’s eyes open at a sudden realization. “It smelled like a wet dog in there. Or wet fur, to be more general.” Handong comtemplates the statement. She nods her head in agreement. 

“Well this city is around the coast so the smell of water everywhere is plausible. But do Koreans have a lot of pets?”

“Err, not sure. But you didn't see or sense a dog in there right?”

“No. There were no other lifeforms in there except for us and the officier. There were traces of circuit magic. Though it is probably from a demon draining the victim.”

They sit there in silence, just thinking and listening to the bustle of the city. So many pieces of the puzzle were already out there. They just needed a little more to reach the source. But from where? For once, Dami hoped that Gahyeon would pull through. Not that she would tell her of course. She had a reputation to keep.

Shit, all of this stress must really be getting to me if I’m relying on Lee Gahyeon of all people. Dami thinks. 

“I think you’re right. I’m too stressed out to think properly.” Dami stands up and dusts her clothes off. “Let’s go eat something nice and relax for a bit Dongie.” When she doesn’t hear any movement behind her, she turns around to see a hint of shock in Handong’s expression.

“What?”

“You called me Dongie...that was the first time...” Dami didn't even realize she called her by her nickname. Handong, on the other hand, was smiling at how cute the stoic detective is when she’s flustered. “I like it.” That made Dami blush even more. 

“l-Let’s just go eat now!”

--

The world must really be coming to an end, Dami notes, if she is currently standing in front of a trinket stand, trying to pick out something for a certain girl. Even worse is the fact that Kim Yoohyeon has her arm wrapped around her shoulder. 

“I think she’ll like this one.” Yoohyeon comments.

“Get your arm off of me.” 

“Aw c’mon, I thought we became friends~ Friends help each other pick out gifts for their crushes!” Yoohyeon’s enthusiasm was starting to grate on Dami’s nerves but they were in front of the stall owner and she didn't want to cause a scene.

Dami uncomfortably tries to wriggle her way out Yoohyeon’s hold. When the taller girl didn't take a hint, Dami resorted to pinching her back as hard as she could. “I do not have a crush on anyone! And we aren’t friends!” Dami whispers harshly. 

“Sure sure and I’m not in love with Jiu.” Yoohyeon replies cheekily. “I get it Dami. Shyness is difficult to overcome. Don’t worry, I consider myself to be super generous so I’ll be your friend!”

“Yay.” Dami says sarcastically. The stall owner just looks amused at the exchange. 

(Dami won’t ever admit it but she respected the way that Yoohyeon was so confident with her feelings.)

“But I really think this one will make her happy.” She holds up a charm with moon crescent designs. It was simple but elegant. Just like the girl Dami was currently thinking of. Handong did say that the moon reminded her of home.

“...I can’t believe I’m going to take your advice, of all people.” The detective pays for the charm and puts it in her pocket. The others minus Gahyeon were wandering around the harbor market. They plan on having dinner together tonight. It was Bora’s idea to have some team bonding and the redhead was not going to take no for an answer. 

They meet up with each other shortly after and walk over to a discreet tent. It was a little cramped with cheap, plastic tables but apparently they serve the best local dishes. By the time the table is filled with delicious food, Gahyeon arrives and plops down tiredly. 

Grabbing a fried shrimp with her chopsticks, she bites into it. “So I found out that CM is going to meet by the pillar on the island tonight.” She drops casually. Dami stills her movements, trying to process the bomb that Gahyeon just dropped out of nowhere. At least the kid pulled through , she thinks. 

There weren’t any patrons that were lucid enough to understand their conversation, judging by their loud laughter and alcohol in their hands. The tent owner also seemed to be occupied at the register. 

“What time?”

“Midnight. Some sacrificial ritual.”

“Could be a trap.”

“Probably is, considering that information wasn’t hard to get.” 

“Guys, let’s just enjoy the food and the company before we throw ourselves headfirst into danger.” Bora’s stern glare stopped them from talking further. The food was going to get cold and Bora wasn’t about to abuse her powers to reheat them.

--

When they got to the treelines hidden by shadows, it was not what they were expecting. A twig snaps and birds fly out of the treeline. A growl and a few panicked voices can be heard from a distance. Yoohyeon reacts instantly, shifting into her full form in the blink of an eye. Her combat clothes already have slits in the back to accommodate her wings. 

The others round the pillar to see a large bear demon and its cubs fighting a group of hunters. These hunters were wearing cowboy themed clothes and held rifles. Hunters are different from heroes in that they don’t possess any powers but they do kill demons. They are known for bounty hunting and have a general distaste for heroes because most don’t come to the countryside to help out. 

Oddly enough, CM members are nowhere to be seen.

The tengu grits her teeth. The demons are surrounded by the hunters, one cub is separated from the mother. A female hunter slams her foot down on the helpless demon and shoots it in the head, enraging the mother. Rifles are raised in response, ready to shoot. 

But Yoohyeon swoops down, kicking up dirt between them, stopping their fight. “What do you think you’re doing?” She grits out quietly. 

The leader of the hunters scoffs and uses his gun to gesture her to move out of the way. “Us? Our job of course. What? Are ya some sort of demon sympathizer?” 

Siyeon pulls at Yoohyeon’s shoulder roughly. Whispering into the taller girl’s ear, “What the fuck are you doing Yoohyeon? Let the hunters do their job.” Yoohyeon doesn’t listen and roughly shrugs the older girl off.

“Yeah kid. Listen to yer pal and let us finish the job.” The hunters raise their rifles again. Yoohyeon raises her arm in retaliation and releases a blade of wind. The hunters are all knocked against tree trucks and rock pillars, going unconscious from the force of the blow before they even hit the surfaces. 

“Kim Yoohyeon!” This was like that attack on the academy all over again. Jiu runs over to the hunters to check their pulse. Luckily, they are all still alive. Handong and Siyeon drop into a defensive stance, while Bora’s flames flicker in between her fingers. Gahyeon glances nervously between her tall friend and the demons. Dami is beginning to regret bringing along a loose cannon. She hesitated on Kim Yoohyeon joining them but ultimately allowed it since the girl was powerful in her own right. 

But Yoohyeon ignores them all, focusing on the bear demon. She crouches down slowly to pick up the cub demon that was shot. It was still alive but surely dying. The mother bear growls, ready to fight but Yoohyeon brings the cub over and lays it down gently in front of the mother. It nudges its nose over the dying baby, mewing softly for its child. 

Perhaps the most shocking part is what they see on Yoohyeon’s face. Her eyes were that eerie grey again. This time, there is more grey than brown. There were no changes in her emotionless expression but a single tear rolls down her face. The baby demon bear starts to turn into ash, like all demons do upon death. 

The pillar begins to glow red, absorbing the ashes. 

“Fuck.” Bora mutters under her breath when she sees rogue heroes and CM followers surround them. Demons walk out of the shadows as well, causing the bear demon next to Yoohyeon to growl. She realizes that they were probably waiting to spring a trap. The first pillar didn't react like that when the plant demon was killed so something must have changed since then.

Yoohyeon flaps her wings once in a powerful motion, causing their enemies to stagger back. Her eyes turn into full grey and her hair goes from black to silver. 

“Yoohyeon-”

“Kill the humans.” The now silver-haired girl commands. All at once, the demons howl into the night air and attack the humans surrounding them.

Chapter Text

It was only until all of the humans besides their group were dead that Yoohyeon’s rampage came to a halt. The girls were trapped inside a wind cyclone all the while. Bora tried to use her fire to break out but Yoohyeon’s winds were stronger than usual and not everyone shared Siyeon’s immunity. 

When the cyclone dissipated, they were horrified. The remaining demons were absorbing the circuits and powers from the corpses, turning them into mummified husks. In the center of the disaster was Yoohyeon herself, looking like death personified. She turned her cold gaze to the girls, just watching. 

But then something unexpected happened (among all the unexpected things that happened so far). Orange fire rained down from the sky and killed all the demons, forcing them to be absorbed by the pillar. The red glow intensified. 

A black figure stood atop the glowing pillar, his face obscured by an all-black mask. It was the same person that made that announcement during the city attack. He clapped his black-gloved hands together in a mocking motion. 

“Well well well. You finally showed yourself. I was beginning to think that you really died.”

Yoohyeon’s expression contorted into anger and she flew up to attack the man. He stopped her outstretched claw from getting at his face with a single hand on her wrist. “You were always the emotional one between us. That’s why you always lose.” He sneered before snapping her wrist bone in half and tossed her away. The tengu tried to counter by sending a wave of sharp wind but he was quick to put up a fire wall. 

She landed back on the ground, cradling her broken wrist in her other hand. “Show your face coward! Whose life did you ruin this time?!” She snarled. 

Although they couldn’t see it, they could tell that the man had a smirk on his face. “I’m the leader. Let’s see...you can call me ‘X’. That’s all you need to know.” Indeed, it was all they needed to know. Bora sprung into action, sending her purple flame in a straight line towards the man standing atop the pillar. 

He disappeared from her line of fire, only to reappear right inside her guard. 

“Ah, ah, ah.” He wagged his finger as if he were chiding her. “It’s not time for your part yet.” A curved dagger came around and nearly sliced his neck open. But in an impossible motion, he bent back 90 degrees and caused the dagger to miss.

Bora met Siyeon’s surprised eyes for a split second before they were both kicked away from the man. Both of them rolled a few feet away and coughed up red from the impact. Dami, Gahyeon, and Jiu pulled out their firearms but it was useless. The masked man melted the guns down without even touching them, forcing the three to duck for cover. They would only get in the way. Gahyeon tried her best to focus on teleporting something in his body but it wasn’t working, judging by the way he did not slow down in the slightest. She also didn’t want to risk dropping something on her friends’ heads. The flow of combat was too fast for her to keep up with. Handong and Yoohyeon(?) team up to take him down. 

Yoohyeon’s smaller wing bone snapped like a twig once it was in his grasp, causing the girl to back away in pain. Handong was quick to fill the void, not wanting to give the man a chance to do more damage. They exchange fast paced blows, not giving an inch to the other. 

Dami observed their movements until she came to a realization. “He’s imitating her style.” Bora managed to recover and entered the fray. She was scared of hitting Handong but she trusted the younger girl enough to believe that she wouldn't hit her. By some miracle, Handong was able to land a roundhouse kick and chipped off a piece of his mask. 

Gahyeon saw her chance and teleported it into her hands before he could notice. Dami reached over and touched it. 

Demons. Humans. War. Pillars. Man. Destruction. HF Academy.

Then something wet and warm splattered on her, breaking her psychometry. She opened her eyes to see one of the most horrifying things she had ever seen. Shakily, she raised her hand to touch the wetness on her cheek and pulled it back to look at it. 

Red.

“I grow tired of this.” She heard X say.

Handong.

A hand dripped with the blonde’s blood withdrew from her body. She collapsed on the ground and tried to stem the blood from leaving her body. Bora, Siyeon, and Yoohyeon are already down on the ground, their blood staining X’s hands as well.

Dami’s nerves numbed, watching but not processing what happened. X chuckled as he leisurely approached the pillar, as if he hadn’t knocked down some of HF’s most gifted hero apprentices. 

He placed his bloodstained hand on the inscription of the pillar and flinched back when it erupted in a bright red light, going all the way up into the sky. 

He didn't expect that to happen , Dami absently noted. Her mind was numbed and there was an incessant ringing in her ears. 

“...I see!” He laughed joyously. “Well, that was enough fun for one night. I’ll let you live a little longer because of that girl. Fighting her was a treat.” He gestured to Handong’s prone form before disappearing in a black smoke. 

--

Gahyeon carefully tucked Jiu in her bed. By now, her hair was completely purple from the full use of her necromancer abilities to save Handong’s life. Bora and Siyeon received some healing too but Jiu was already too exhausted to complete it. They were strong so they could recover on their own. They made it back to the hotel without any incidents minus the fact that they had to pretend they were returning from a drinking night. It was the only way to explain why Handong, Jiu, and Yoohyeon were knocked out and being carried on their backs. The hotel staff looked at them weirdly but let it pass. 

Speaking of Yoohyeon, Gahyeon thought that it was a better idea to tie up the silver-haired girl. For safety reasons, yes. Her tall friend clearly wasn’t herself and Gahyeon didn't see herself taking any sort of risks in the future with her. 

“Need some painkillers Dami?” Gahyeon asked as she shook the pill bottle in front of the detective. Dami was sitting by Handong’s bedside with her head in her hands. Right now, everything was too much for her brain to process. Handong was critically injured and she can’t seem to focus right now. The youngest girl shook the bottle again, finally catching the short-haired girl’s attention. 

“Thanks.” Dami downed two pills in one go with some water. She leaned back into her chair and sighed deeply. 

“I hate to be the one to point out the obvious but, what should we do next?” Siyeon’s voice broke through the heavy atmosphere. 

Gahyeon shuffled to the window to peek through the curtains. The red pillar of light was still there, shooting through the sky. That wasn’t a good sign. “We need answers for that and...”

She turned around to point at the silver head of hair. “That.”

“You know what else we need answers for? How you found out about their little midnight rendezvous.” This time it was Bora who spoke. She watched as Gahyeon plopped herself down on a couch, sighing tiredly as well. 

“I went to a party downtown.” She started. “It was pretty fuc-” The teleporter cut herself off after seeing Siyeon’s withering glare. 

“-Fudging cool. Anyways, I didn't know I’d get anything there but it’s usually a good place to check. Turns out I was right and these two guys were talking in the corner of the bar. They were pretty drunk so they started saying stuff. The meeting was one of them.

The other was the fact that they said that X was going to ‘bring about a revolution’. I assumed that they meant the whole equality thing. Also, I heard them complaining about having to work alongside demons but that they had to follow X’s orders.”

Dami raised her head and covered her eyes with an arm. “Sufficient to say that there are 3 parties involved. Rogues, who want equality, CM, who worship the demons, and the demons themselves. And at the top of the food chain is X.”

The other 3 girls contemplated what Dami said. The 3 parties’ goals were vastly different but not necessarily conflicting. Or were they?

“The rogues and CM make sense. They’re humans and they probably see X as some sort of messiah. But what is the goal of the demons? How is X able to get them under his command?” Bora pointed out. 

“Demons want to absorb powers and the chaos that X created allowed them to feed like crazy.” Gahyeon replied and nodded to herself. “But as we saw earlier, he killed the demons after they absorbed their teammates’ life. And then the demons were sucked into the pillar to give it that glow.”

“In other words, he’s playing all three sides for his own gain. Those pillars are likely the means he needs to further his goals.” The detective finished. She sighed and glanced down at Handong’s sleeping form. “We need to stop him before things go to shit.” 

She switched on the tv and muted the volume to see the late night news still broadcasting demon attacks and protests from around the world. Each country has already mobilized their best heroes to fight back but things were too chaotic at this point to control. 

It was then that Dami realized an important detail that she overlooked earlier. “All 3 pillars from the story Handong told us are located here in South Korea.” It was such an obvious thing and yet she failed to catch that. Dami swore that when this is all over, she’ll need a long vacation or just retire altogether. 

“But why?” She racked her brain for an explanation. Was there something special here? Was it because X was here? Was it because-

“Because it all started here.” A fifth voice interrupted. 

Chapter Text

Dear Kwon,

I am writing to tell you that I am doing well on my journey. There are so many new and exciting things to see! The waters are bluer, the sun is brighter, the skies are so open! If only you were able to join me! The other day, I traveled to this remote town far off from the main city. They mostly do farming there for work and food but gods, their meals were unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. The city could learn a thing or two about preparing a delicious meal. A nice couple invited me to stay in their farm for the night since there isn’t an inn. I met the cutest little girl with mochi cheeks. She seems to have a teleportation ability, judging from the way everything around her keeps moving from place to place. Who knows, maybe she will end up at the academy one day. Her name is Lee Gahyeon, by the way. She has my recommendation for being the squishiest baby I’ve ever met.

Anyways, I went to investigate the site marked on the map. It wasn’t there. I am beginning to think that the legends may be true. The pillars will only come out during a time of great disaster. Which means that a safeguard for them exists somewhere...we must find out more. 

There’s also something I wanted to tell you. Kwon, I know that the system for the academy is ‘necessary’, as you put it, for faster growth of heroes but...is there really no other way? On my travels, I’ve gone to many regular schools. The students there thrive intellectually and are happier without being ranked. On the other hand, hero academies face a greater number of internal violence and bullying. I fear that the ranking system of the past is oppressing the emotional growth of our future heroes. We cannot allow abhorrent behavior to be normalized, otherwise, we may make enemies within ourselves.

When I come back, we will discuss this further. You never did tell me why you insisted so much on ranks. 

Take care until then. See you soon.

-Letter to Kwon, Year 2001 A.S.

Muse Ryu Sera

Chapter Text

All eyes were focused on the tied up Yoohyeon(?). Her cold grey eyes were focused on the television screen but she looked uninterested. She haughtily crossed her legs, unbothered by the fact that her body was bound to a chair. After a few more moments of staring at the television, she rolled her head to the left to look at the eldest girl sleeping. Bora stood up and blocked her line of sight. 

“Relax, Inferno. That necromancer saved my life.” Bora growled even more after hearing her codename. A dainty hand came around to tug on Bora’s forearm. The redhead turned over to see Jiu awake and struggling to sit up. 

“You should be resting.”

“So should you.”

“Sorry, doc. Someone has to keep watch for the night.” Bora gave a wry smile. Once Jiu was settled properly against some pillows, the healer made eye contact with the tengu. 

“You aren’t Yoohyeon.” Jiu said calmly. She watched as the not-Yoohyeon pulled her face up into a self-satisfied smirk. And it made her sick because (her) Yoohyeon would never have that kind of expression on her face. Sure, Yoohyeon smirked when her pranks were successful. And yes, it was in a self-satisfied manner but never malicious. Never. Not like this.

“No, I am not.” The not-Yoohyeon could tell that her presence was making the necromancer upset. After all, this was the body of the girl that she adored. 

“Then who are you and why are you possessing Yoohyeon?” This time, Gahyeon intercepted. Yoohyeon displayed strange symptoms before but Gahyeon had swept it under the rug at the time. She regretted not saying anything sooner and now there might be something evil in her best friend. She was afraid that she would have to put her down if it came to it. 

“I am not possessing Yoohyeon. I have been with her since birth.” Not-Yoohyeon said. “My identity is not of importance but...” The television displayed some late-night news anchors discussing the latest attacks.

“Demons are the ones to blame here. Those weaker heroes must be under their control. I mean how else would you explain the misfortune that the world is currently experiencing? It’s the fault of those wretched demons-” 

“LIES!” Not-Yoohyeon shouted, causing the girls to flinch. Bora and Siyeon stood up, ready to fight back. “You humans all lie! It’s your fault in the first place!”

Surprisingly, it was Dami who stood up and slammed her hands on the crazed girl’s shoulders. Her face was contorted into a snarl. “Listen here you little shit -  if you were listening at all to our conversation, then you know that we are not on their side either! We’re just trying to stop whatever the fuck X is doing!” When she finished her rant, the detective’s shoulders were heaving from exertion. Gahyeon, Bora, Siyeon, and Jiu didn't dare move a muscle. By some miracle, Handong has not woken up from the loud noises. 

Not-Yoohyeon continued to glare at the detective. “I should kill all of you where you stand.” She growled between her clenched teeth. 

Suddenly, there was a loud slapping sound. The silver-haired girl had her head turned to the side from the impact while the purple-haired girl was breathing heavily. 

“You’re not Yoohyeon.” Jiu repeated quietly. “So stop using her face to look at us like that and stop using her voice to say those things.” Jiu could feel her anger rising. How dare this imposter use the likeness of her most important person in such a horrible way. 

“No. I am not her.” The tengu said finally, breaking the intense eye contact they shared. “Out of respect for you, necromancer, I will tell you something. It is my duty to save my suffering species. To that end, I have not killed any of you because that bastard will be drawn to the Coven for the last pillar.” As if to prove her point, she easily broke out of her bindings to stretch her sore limbs.

“I will kill him and avenge them all.”

--

Dami and Jiu volunteered to go out to get some supplies while the others kept an eye on the tengu. 

“Fuck.” Dami muttered under her breath as she eyed the ramen cup selection. Next to her Jiu giggled lightly. 

“Dami, you shouldn’t be picky about ramen flavors. They’re all pretty great.” She teased the younger girl. 

“Wha-I wasn’t-about the ramen!” Dami sputtered. She felt her ears go hot and she shoved a row of ramen cups into her shopping cart in embarrassment. Jiu burst out into a full blown laugh. It was her first time teasing the usual stoic detective; she never knew how much fun it was to do so. Now she saw why Gahyeon was always trying to push Dami’s buttons. 

“I know I know.” She reassured. “Everything’s just going out of control and we’re all stressed out.”

“That’s the biggest understatement of the century.”

“Yeah...but Dami,” Jiu paid for the supplies and carried more than half the bags knowing that Dami was not physically fit. They exit the store and continued the walk back to the hotel. Getting some air after the terrible night they had did Jiu wonders. Though the news media were all over the red light coming from the pillar. 

“You should ask Dongie out. You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.” Dami froze in place causing Jiu to stop as well. 

“W-what?” That was twice in one day where Jiu made her turn an embarrassing shade of red. When the short-haired girl managed to compose herself, she cleared her throat. 

“Are you saying that because of Yoohyeon?” Dami asked cooly, trying to fend off another round of embarrassing thoughts about a certain girl. 

But Jiu knew that Dami was just trying to play it cool. The younger girl was surprisingly easier to read now that they’ve been going on a life-threatening journey for the past few weeks. 

“Yoohyeon would be so happy to hear you call her by her first name.” The older girl teased. Dami sent her a deep scowl that reminded her of a grumpy cat. However, the younger girl could see the pain in Jiu’s eyes at the mention of Yoohyeon. Dami never had any serious attachment to people in her young life so she can’t say that she understood the grief that was weighing Jiu down. But she wanted to try.

(Just as it was Handong’s, it was Dami’s first time having friends at all.)

Jiu just looked so down with her slumped posture despite the teasing grin on her face. “You know what, I think I will tell her. When she wakes up.” If the detective had turned around at that moment, she would’ve seen the surprise color Jiu’s expression.

Dami strode ahead and then spun around when there was enough distance between them. “So Jiu, don’t worry. Yoohyeon will come back to you. We’ll make sure of it.” Dami’s face didn’t change but her eyes shone in resolution. Jiu let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. 

“Yeah.”

--

Gahyeon ran out of the entrance of the hotel looking extremely haggard. “Dami! Jiu! Emergency!” 

“What happened?!” Jiu grabbed the younger girl’s shoulders to steady her. The shopping bags were forgotten on the ground. 

“Not-Yoohyeon took Dongie! She was getting impatient and shit and then - and then she must’ve sensed something because she was suddenly angry! Siyeon is still too injured to move and Bora chased after her but - but Dongie was taken!” Her babbling was difficult to listen to but the two girls got the gist of it. 

Gahyeon led them to the parking lot where Siyeon was hunched over with her arm on her ribs. Their big car was teleported into the space next to them. Jiu helped Siyeon inside before inspecting her injuries. Dami hopped into the driver’s seat with Gahyeon in the passenger seat. 

“I don’t know where Not-Yoohyeon is taking Dongie but we can follow Bora’s heat signature.” She teleported a heat scanner and a black box that Dami vaguely remembered to be a satellite phone. 

Dami began driving following the trail of smoke Bora left behind. It dissipated after 20 minutes of driving, going higher and higher into the skyline. “I guess they took it to the air. If I have to guess, I’d say our bird-brained tengu is probably heading to the pillar in Nonsan.” 

“If they are, we’re better off taking the KTX. We can get there in about two hours-WHOA!” Dami suddenly swerved around the traffic separator dangerously. “Dami what the hell?!”

“Just keep track of Bora. I’m heading to the airport. We can use the academy private helicopter.” Gahyeon nodded even though Dami couldn’t see it and focused on putting the heat scanner and satellite phone together. She’s thankful that no one questioned how she knew where to get these because that was a can of worms that she was not willing to open right now.  

In the backseats, Jiu’s hands glowed purple to expedite the reversing process on Siyeon. Right now, Siyeon was the only capable fighter among them so Jiu had no choice even if she was a little tired. 

“Bora’s going to be fine. She’s strong.” Jiu said after seeing the worried expression on Siyeon’s face.  

They arrived at the airfield in record time. As soon as the girls boarded the helicopter, Dami was given a phone. On the other end was the principal.

“Dami-”

“I know. We’re on our way now. What’s the situation in Nonsan?”

“Not good. Demons and humans are congregating. The Association has already deployed heroes to the site. They’re on orders to exterminate everything.”

“Shit. Some of my team is headed there now. They’ll get caught in the cross-fire.”

“I’m sorry but I do not have direct command over them. But Dami, what of the pillar?”

“...If I make it out of this, I’ll let you know.”

“Dami - !” 

The detective hung up before the principal could utter another word. Right now, her trust was only in her team (minus Not-Yoohyeon, of course). The mask she touched showed HF academy but she wasn’t sure if that was something that already happened or is about to happen. Whatever, she’ll figure out the details after she knows that Handong is safe.

“Gahyeon, when we get there, go to your family and make sure that they are safe.” Dami spoke quickly while gathering parachutes for them to jump. 

“Are you sure?” Gahyeon sounded surprised. She didn't think Dami cared enough to remember that her family was near the pillar. Dami nodded and handed them earpieces. 

“You will jump first and then we will fly out to the pillar to drop off Siyeon and Jiu. I’ll circle back to pick you and your parents up.” She watched them put the earpieces in. “Gahyeon and I will be your eyes in the sky.”

30 minutes later, the girls ready up their parachutes.“Get ready to airdrop.” The pilot brought them as close as possible to the site of ongoing chaos. From the sky, the scene looked like something straight out of hell.

--

“You were always such a fool. Falling for an obvious trap like this and even bringing me the catalyst.” X chuckled deeply from behind his mask. 

Across from him stood Not-Yoohyeon in her full transformation. Handong laid unconscious on the ground next to her. The tengu managed to out-speed the fire-user in the air but the older girl was going to catch up soon. Hopefully, she can settle everything before that happens. 

“You knew?”

“No but the fact that you brought her instead of anyone else is telling enough. You’re getting sloppier.” The man mocked. He had his hands tucked into his coat pocket as if there wasn’t any chaos going on around him. Demons and humans were killing each other left and right.

The temperature around them began to increase significantly, burning some of the grass and trees. Bora arrived and she was beyond angry. 

“I’ll deal with you later.” Bora growled as she walked past the tall girl to face the man in black. Right now, she needed her own kind of revenge for the butt-kicking she got from this man last night.

He giggled under his mask like some schoolgirl. “That’s right, Kim Bora. Don’t hold back and let your flames consume the entire world.”

Chapter Text

“Fucking do something!” Dami yells into the receiver. 

Down below, Handong was struggling to get out of X’s grip. His hand was on her neck, pinning her against the pillar. It was already glowing a faint red but then the addition of Handong’s blood smeared onto it made it glow just like the one in Busan. 

Jiu, Bora, Siyeon, and Not-Yoohyeon were the only ones standing in the middle of the forest. Everyone else either died by the hands of the enemies or retreated to minimize losses. A cerberus demon stands between them and Handong, baring its sharp teeth. 

“Jiu, get back. This’ll be ugly.” Siyeon says as she watches the cerberus eye them like meat. The drool dripping from its open mouth makes her want to throw up from the smell. They hear Handong cry out in pain from behind the hideous beast and that springs them into action. 

Bora, Siyeon, and Not-Yoohyeon attempt to fight as far away as possible to split the cerberus up. Despite having three heads stuck to one body, the cerberus was surprisingly agile and flexible. It dodges with its huge body when it sees winds and flames headed its way. Even when Siyeon manages to stun the rightmost head, the other two strategically shield it before she could land another serious blow. 

--

Meanwhile, Handong is fully struggling by punching and kicking but X’s grip is strong. His mask has no eye holes but Handong can feel his gaze meeting hers. “I never imagined that I would encounter another of my kind. I thought the elders up there were too busy caring only for themselves.” He muses.

She struggled to breath through his grasp. “They sent me to stop you.”

“Or so you think. They sent me a gift instead. Tell me, how much did the elders tell you about me?” He laughs. “Well that was a stupid question. If you knew who I was, you wouldn’t have taken so long to find me.”

“We’ll stop you no matter what...” He laughs again at her futile words. 

“O’ precious child of the moon, you have no idea how many times I’ve heard that line in that past millennium.”

--

The tengu lands her clawed feet on the ground a few feet away from the cerberus. 

I can’t hear his voice...he is suffering…

“Yes. I know.”

Her sharp eyesight assisted her in locating the white cross but it was nowhere to be seen. The beast slowed down considerably in the past few exchanges because of Bora’s and Siyeon relentless attacks. 

“There’s only one thing to do...” She mutters to herself. 

Killing him will hurt you.

Not-Yoohyeon readies her wings and her circuits. “Yes, it will. But ending his suffering is more important.” She releases a burst of wind, drawing the cerberus’s attention to her. The winds coil tightly around her open palm until they form a long sword made of wind. It is mostly invisible air, making it hard for others to gauge the dimensions of her sword.

Without missing a beat, the tengu flies towards the cerberus, cleanly sliding her invisible sword through the center head. It gets caught when she reaches the skull but all she does is narrow her eyes and release a burst of energy from her sword. The head, along with the body, is in two halves. 

“Well fuck. Why didn't you just do that before-'' Bora slams her hand over Siyeon’s mouth before the younger could say another word. Not-Yoohyeon’s side profile was visible to them as she stands in the middle of the carcass. Tears are streaming down her cheeks and her eyes are full of remorse. 

The body of the cerberus disintegrates but this time, something is left behind. 

“Wolfy...and the black dog...” Bora covers her mouth in shock. Those were the dogs from the shelter. “They were turned into demons...fuck.”

The fire-user runs past the dead dogs and the silver-haired girl, full of rage in her entire being. Her sights are locked into the black-clad man. “JUN YOU FUCKER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?!”

She doesn’t care anymore. Not when those innocent dogs were used in such a twisted manner by some sick man. She doesn’t care and so she lets her flames reflect the rage she is feeling. 

Everything can fucking burn down for all I care.

X turns around but doesn’t block the punch fueled with purple flames in time. He stumbles back and clutches his face, mask broken off. The sight of Jun’s face in plain sight makes Bora angerier and all she can think about is killing him. 

Siyeon is stunned at the reveal. Jun was someone they trusted all these years that they’ve frequented the dog shelter. All the rank 1 student could think of was why? Why did it have to be him?

Nonetheless, she grips her daggers harder and approaches the struggling man with Not-Yoohyeon falling into step beside her. Sensing the odds stacked against him, X smirks and disappears in a black smoke, reappearing behind them to draw Handong’s blood.

Somehow, Handong literally disappears from the pillar. Jun only has a second to be surprised before the other three are pressuring him. Winds are cutting at him from every direction, flames are licking at his skin, and two daggers are trying to make their way into his heart. 

He sees the tengu’s and his own skin getting scorched from Bora’s heat but for some reason, the rank 1 student doesn’t even slow down. But it doesn't matter to him. The second pillar is active and he can feel its energy coursing through him. The leader of CM forcefully catches Bora’s fist in his palm, stopping her in her tracks. 

His lips stretch out into a wide grin.

Checkmate.

--

“Dami, I’m going to teleport Dong here so be ready!”

“You can do that?”

Sure enough, the older girl appears in their helicopter in a heap with blood oozing from her arm. The pillar is active unfortunately. But fortunately, Handong is safe and the others down below are fending off this Jun person.

“Dong! You’re okay!” Dami jumps from her seat to grab a towel to stop the bleeding. “Gahyeon, if you could have just done that before-” 

A cough from behind her interrupts her. The youngest is coughing an obscene amount of blood from her mouth, staining everything a dark red. Dami and Handong scramble to lay Gahyeon down to a more comfortable position but she is still coughing too much. 

“Well now you know why I don’t do that...ugh...” Gahyeon jokes grimly through the blood gurgling in her mouth. 

“Hang in there kid. Jiu’s on her way now. Don’t close your eyes.” Dami half-begs as she watches the teleporter’s eyes flutter shut a few times. The helicopter lands on the forest grounds and the heat radiating from Bora’s fire fogs up the cabin a little. The door slides open and Jiu is quick to put her hands on Gahyeon’s heart to administer the necromancer magic. 

“What happened?”

“I-I did something that I wasn’t s-supposed to.”

“I can see that.”

“What’s happening outside?”

“Well...” The helicopter cabin doors slide open again. Deep purple eyes make eye contact with warm brown ones.

--

A blinding light prevents Bora from opening her eyes fully. Crap, where am I? Am I dead after Jun...after…. She groans to herself. Her body feels heavy like when she exercises too much after going on an intense mission. The redhead can feel herself floating on some sort of air but it’s all too confusing to understand. 

A hand that she knows well grabs onto her left hand. Siyeon. Her unique scent surrounds Bora, comforting her. 

“Awaken.” A group of booming voices snap her out of it. There’s nothing but white space all around her, except Siyeon in her black combat clothes. 

“Where are we? What’s going on?” Bora asks. The shorter girl shuffles closer to Siyeon, using her free hand to grip Siyeon’s arm. Something in here unnerved her. 

White forms begin to materialize in front of them. Hundreds, no, thousands of white forms, vaguely shaped as humans, surround them in a wide circle. Bora can feel the younger girl put her hand on top of hers.

“Kim Bora, Lee Siyeon. Do you know why you are here?” Bora glances about, uncertain. There were so many ‘people’ here but the voice that was speaking seemed to come from everywhere. 

Also, where was ‘here’?

Siyeon resolved to look forward so Bora copies her pose and holds her head up high. “This isn’t a part of reality, is it?” Bora asks quietly. There have been some records of heroes with powerful, world altering abilities. Some of these included ‘reality marbles’ or the ability to open up a gate to another dimension. Like the Coven.

“This world is not a reality marble.” The omnipresent voice speaks, freaking Bora out. Were they able to read her mind here? “This is the Godly plane. We exist outside of the Worldly plane, which is where you come from.” For the home of the gods, there sure wasn’t a whole lot of anything. It was just miles and miles of pure whiteness.

“Why are we here?” Siyeon’s tone is low. It isn’t threatening but it is full of tension all the same. 

“You know why, Arbitrator. Kim Bora’s powers and the powers of the pillars may not fall into the hands of destruction.” One of the figures waves a hand, revealing a sleeping Jun floating inside a foggy bubble. “We have stayed his hand for now but he will escape soon.”

“You...you know Siyeon’s ability?” The redhead is seriously starting to get a bad feeling from all of this. Siyeon’s powers were known only to her and the younger girl herself. Not even the academy is fully aware of it. Otherwise, Siyeon would have been sent to her death already. But these creatures claim to be the gods of the world. The very same that are worshipped by billions of people. It would not be a stretch for them to know.

“Of course, child. For we have created her to be the Worldly plane’s Arbitrator. Her duty is to avert disaster. She shall complete her purpose by eliminating the threat.” They command.

All at once, a series of visions pass through both girls’ heads. 

Arbitrator. Pillars. Void.  

Siyeon and Bora stood stock still. Not a single noise comes out of anyone.

“What the fuck?” Bora finds herself saying out loud. The anger, along with the familiar heat was starting to build up inside her. “You’re asking - no, telling Siyeon to give her life to stop this fucker?!”

“It is Lee Siyeon’s purpose for being born. Her life will always amount to this-” The omnipresent voice is interrupted by a small, angry girl.

“Fuck that! If you people are the so-called gods, then why don’t you do it?! Why does Siyeon have to give her life away for-for some crazy bastard?!” At this point, Bora’s chest is heaving from exertion and tears have made their way down her face. It was just so unfair to her. It dawned on the older girl as to what the gods were implying.

How dare they act all high and mighty when they’re not even the ones doing anything about it?! How dare they? Bora’s thoughts were swirling around in her head.

The black-haired girl gathered the distraught girl into her arms. “Bora. Look at me.” Siyeon coaxes gently. Her heart breaks a little to see the rank 5 student shedding tears but she understands. She always did. “We’re heroes, remember? These are the sacrifices we are prepared to make.”

“I know that...” And really, Bora did. But that doesn’t mean that she would willingly allow it to happen so easily. She’d fight until her last breath to prevent making any sacrifice. Especially if that sacrifice was Lee Siyeon. She didn't even get the chance to tell her about her feelings properly...

“It shouldn’t have to be you...this is too cruel. These damn gods will people into existence to do their bidding and then you don't even get a happy ending. It’s not fair.” Bora burrows her way to Siyeon’s chest, seeking comfort from the steady beating of her heart. “You’ve given me everything I’ve never been able to have in life.” She feels like a child again when she grabs the back of Siyeon’s clothes like a lifeline.

“How am I meant to live without you?”

--

“Out of respect for the humanity and heroism that both of you have displayed, we will answer one question before we send you back.”

“...”

“...”

Bora chose to keep her face hidden against Siyeon, not trusting herself to remain composed in front of these gods.

“...Why do you even care what happens to our world anyways?” Bora says tiredly. She barely spoke in a whisper but it echoes in the vast plane loud and clear. 

“We made a mistake.” She lifts her head, looking straight at one of the white figures. If they had human forms, she imagines that this one would’ve been slouching in sadness. 

“Our mistake continues to torment the Worldly plane and a precious family member. We cannot rectify it ourselves as it is a law among us to never influence the Worldly plane again. So all we can do is create someone that can do it for us.” 

“You’re nothing but cowards.” Bora says bitterly. Siyeon tightens her grip on the smaller girl. 

“For what it is worth, Lee Siyeon is perhaps the best Arbitrator to have been reincarnated into this world. We too, are sorry that it has to be her. But she can break the cycle once and for all.” 

Bora didn't think that the gods even understood the emotion called remorse. But perhaps not all is as it seems.

--

Chapter Text

There are powers out there that have been coveted due to the potency they displayed. 

Some willingly join hero academies and become heroes for the protection that is offered. 

Some choose to hide away their powers instead of using it to advance humanity. 

Some are studied in laboratories for their novelty. 

Some are hunted for their close ties to demonic magic. 

Some are so weak that they are ignored.

Some are simply born with nothing.

So now the question is: how are we to advance as humankind?

-Observations, Year 2001 A.S.

Signed, Kwon

Chapter Text

19 days. That’s all they have to plan what they need to do to stop a madman. For a bunch of almighty gods, you would think that they could afford you some more time. But no, 19 days and nothing more.

“I think we need to lay everything on the table before we advance. Whatever life-threatening, life-changing secret you have, now is the time.” Gahyeon says from her position on the king sized bed. When Siyeon and Bora returned from the beyond, Dami instructed the pilot to drop them off at her private office/home. The house was in a quiet but wealthy part of the city. It was perfect to avoid disruptions and for Gahyeon to rest. 

“So, who wants to start?” Dami crosses her legs elegantly on the chair, eyeing Bora, Siyeon, Handong, and Yoohyeon(?).

(“Yoohyeon?”

“Hey...sorry I took so long to come back.” 

Jiu narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Gahyeon was completely passed out behind her and she doesn't know if Handong is combat ready. Not-Yoohyeon was incredibly powerful and could probably kill them all easily. The purple-haired girl was beginning to be tired of surprises. 

“How do we know you’re actually Yoohyeon and not the other thing possessing her?”

Yoohyeon’s head tilted in that way that reminds the older girl of a puppy. That action alone almost convinced her. “When we were kids, I used to climb your window at the crack of dawn because I wanted to practice flying.”

“The thing possessing you said it has been with you since birth. It should know that as well.”

“Okay um...” The silver-haired girl fidgeted with her fingers and glanced around nervously, trying her best to come up with something. Finally, she settled on something.

“I’m a dumbass?”

“What kind of dumbass?”

“A tree-sized dumbass?”

Jiu breathed a sigh of relief. “It really is you.” In the background, the older girl could hear that’s what convinced you? from Dami. But yes, it convinced her because that phrase defined much of their stupid school relationship with each other. Yoohyeon could have chosen another intimate memory to share but that would have made Jiu more suspicious that Not-Yoohyeon was trying to win her trust that way. )

“I guess I can go first.” Everyone pays attention to the silver-haired girl. Yoohyeon takes a deep breath and makes eye contact with each of them.

“The person inside me is Haetem, the god of creation...and also the First.” Bora and Siyeon were the only ones unfazed by the revelation. Though their last cryptic words before they were sent back made more sense now. Haetem was - is the precious family. 

“What do you mean by the ‘First’? First demon?” Dami asks wearily. She was never a believer of gods so to hear that one actually walks alongside her is disconcerting. Especially if it is the god fabled to have created all living creatures.

“Yes. Demons were given that name by someone who has completely rewritten history. They were originally known as Haetemians.” Yoohyeon’s eyes glaze over. Everytime she thinks about the sad story of the demons, her heart hurts. 

“This someone is the First Hero, Sun.” Siyeon interrupts. “I am sort of his descendant.”

“What? How are you sort of his descendant? And how is he related to all of this?” Gahyeon’s head is beginning to ache and it’s not from the circuit concussion she suffered. 

“It is the job of the Arbitrator to watch over the pillars and act if they are being used incorrectly.” Siyeon sees Handong perk up at the mention of the pillars. The puzzle is finally clicking into place. 

“Arbitrators are the safeguard.” Handong realizes.

“Yes. We are reborn through different people. Sun was created by the gods and so he was the first Arbitrator. Basically our powers act to balance the pillars, which give off enough energy to wipe out everything.” The rank 1 student grabs Bora’s hand in hers. “Hence my supposed immunity to Bora’s flames.”

“To answer your last question, Gahyeon, ever wonder why everything revolves around Sun? Why is he called the First Hero? Why do all the records of demons start from his time? Why do we use A.S. or After Sun when we date things? He is the beginning of everything.” Yoohyeon’s brown eyes shift into the eerie silver, making everyone tense up.

Haetem leans her head back onto the couch she is sitting on. “I lived in the forest mountain with some of my species who were not interested in interacting with humans. But the ones that came to visit often told tales of a man who led his people with compassion and honor. I was intrigued by this human, who in fact, was not a human at all. My ignorance led to the downfall of all Haetemians. He befriended me and then used his Arbitrator abilities to take as much as he could from me.” Haetem remained quiet after, opting to just stare up at the ceiling. 

Finally, Gahyeon breaks the silence. “Are you saying that humans were never supposed to have these powers? That they originally belonged to the Haetemians?”

“You are correct, small one.” Gahyeon scrunches up her nose and crosses her arms at the nickname. The god ignores her and continues. 

“My kind suffered the loss of their lives and their sanity. All because of one mistake that I made. Demons became the villains of the new world and Sun became a hero. His influence continued through time and dictated the course of the world.” 

It was crazy and maybe a little incredible when put into perspective. One man with the power granted to him by the gods altered the course of history. Anything and everything that they know today was shaped by one man’s hands. 

“The gods said that they made a mistake...creating Sun was the mistake, wasn’t it?” Bora sighs. 

“My anger towards my family has become irrelevant. Now, I just want to relieve the suffering of my creations. Sun must be stopped completely. No more reincarnation.” They watch before their very eyes the way that Haetem slumps Yoohyeon’s shoulders. It was the wind-user’s face but somehow, it was like they could see the tired soul of the god. Silver eyes close shut as if she were falling into a dreamless sleep.

--

Dami folds her hands together and brings them up to her face as if she were praying. In front of her is a white board filled with all the information they have up to date. 

“Sun reincarnates as a different person.” Dami writes on the board as she talks to herself. She thinks back to the night at Busan. Haetem made it clear that she has attempted to defeat Sun but has failed every time. 

What of the Arbitrator then? Did they die too quickly to make a difference? Haetem probably doesn’t trust them or doesn’t know who they are quick enough to rely on their help. Does that mean she got lucky this time that her host happens to be best friends with the current Arbitrator?

(“How are you even able to die if you can just absorb all abilities?” Dami figured that in light of recent events, being straightforward was best. They were currently sitting outside in her little garden area, enjoying some morning tea. Dami loved having tea at the crack of dawn. Something about the way the world is completely silent in the morning soothed her. Siyeon just happened to join her while the others were still asleep.

“Absorbing isn’t the right term for my powers. Nullifying is more accurate. I think Sun was the only person ever to use these powers to take instead of nullify.”

“And your limits?”

“My guaranteed death. My circuits are damaged irreversibly, even with Jiu’s necromancy.” Siyeon casually took a sip of her tea. She lifted her left hand and clenched her fist, except that her pinky finger laid limp. “Thankfully, the price has been relatively small so far.”

Dami’s teacup stilled before reaching her lips. “...Then why are you killing yourself by helping Bora and all those other times you fought demons?”

“I’m still trying to be a hero, Dami. I want to help people, Arbitrator or not.” Siyeon smiled serenely as if they weren’t talking about her impending doom. “And Bora...well, you would do anything for the person you care about the most, right Dami?”

Dami’s lips turned up faintly. It was strange to think that a few months ago, the concept of doing something for the sake of someone else was foreign to her. Her sleuthing was something she did for herself. It just so happened that others benefitted as well. But now, she could get behind the sentiment thanks to her friends.

“When you stop the pillars and Sun, you won’t be able to survive. Is that what you are saying?”

Siyeon said nothing but stood up, teacup emptied. She patted the younger girl’s back with a smile on her face as she passed by. “You’re doing great work, detective.” )

The door behind her opens, snapping her out of the memory. “Dami, I think you need a break.” Handong says, observing the younger girl’s slouched posture. The dark circles under her eyes were prominent compared to 3 days ago. 

“Hey Dong. I’m still trying to figure out the plan.” Dami carelessly drops the marker she is holding to rub at her eyes. Handong looks to the board and sees a huge scrawl of all the information they have and how they are linked to one another. It really is messy compared to Dami’s usual organized habits but one thing stands out. The effects of the pillars are not truly known to them. Siyeon is the safeguard against them but Dami wonders if there is another way to get rid of them without the older girl killing herself in the process.

A hand covers hers and tugs down. “Your eyes will get irritated. You need to get some air.” Dami doesn’t protest when Handong pulls her outside by the hand. Instead of taking the car, the blonde opts to walk all the way to the nearest cafe, which is about 2 miles out. 

The detective feels her stamina run low by the time they settle down in their seats. “I should really exercise...” Across from her, Handong giggles behind her hand and offers her a cup of water. 

She has to admit, it was nice to be outside of the house. It is even nicer that the person accompanying her is Handong. Which reminds her, she was supposed to ask the girl out when she woke up but then X/Jun/Sun happened. 

“Dongie. I know this is pretty out of the blue and maybe the timing isn’t the best but...” Dami wets her suddenly dry lips. This is more nerve-racking than she thought. “Go on a date with me?”

The blonde’s staredown nearly makes Dami want to crawl under a rock in embarrassment. But then Handong’s face starts to turn a deep shade of red and Dami’s heart is relieved. Both girls were suddenly bashful at Dami’s straightforwardness. 

(It was a charming quality, according to Handong.)

“No time like the present?” Handong shyly asks. Her tiny smile is so cute that Dami finds herself smiling back and nodding. 

After dinner, they sit on the swings at the playground not far off from the cafe. Dami watches as the older girl sets her gaze on the full moon. It is then that she remembers something important. 

“Dongie, you aren’t from here, are you?” The detective came across an interesting note from Ryu Sera the other day and it made her think of the possibility. Not only that but Haetem kidnapped Handong for a reason. 

They both stare at each other and Dami’s eyes reflect nothing but pure curiosity. And maybe that small grin on her face was a bit reassuring.

“Earth is a very strange place.” The blonde says finally with a smile on her face. There isn’t anything to hide, especially not from Dami. She hears Dami laugh out loud and she thinks that it’s one of the cutest sounds she’s ever heard. 

--

Joyful humming could be heard inside the abandoned warehouse. 

Tear.

Slice.

Clink.

“No please! I beg of you! Please let me go!” Growl.

“Ah-ah no can do.” Clink. “Besides, you’re about to become a part of our new society. You should be proud that you are contributing your worthless life to something greater. It is a shame though. You have eyes similar to hers.”

“Please I’ll give you anything-” Splat. Silence.

“Ah, we’re ready~ Don’t worry, my love. I’m coming for you~” Gleeful laughter.

Chapter Text

“Why didn’t you tell us?” 

“For a similar reason to Jiu. The laws of the Moon dictate that we do not interfere with the other planets. The elders told me that we are more closely related to the gods than any other being on the Worldly plane so we follow similar laws.”

“You said you came here to chase well, Sun basically, because of the murders. If those women in the photos are not your people, then?” Dami taps on her chin in deep thought. “Ah, Sun was one of your people?”

“Yes. I did not know who he was possessing when I first arrived here but the elders ordered me to stop him.” Handong lifts her legs to get the swing to move. 

“...If that is true, why did your blood activate the pillars but not his? Then again, he has been reincarnated several times so maybe his blood got too diluted.” Dami figures that is probably the correct answer because if he was still the same man from a millennium ago, he should have had a stronger fire power. Sun took his powers directly from a god and yet, it seems like Bora can best him in a fire-fist fight when she is in top shape. He also wouldn’t have the need to use all these different groups to achieve his goals. 

“But!” The detective stands up abruptly and faces the other girl. “I promised you a date so no more serious talk.” She holds out a dainty hand to the blonde and musters up what she hopes is a charming smile. 

Handong chuckles and takes her hand, threading their fingers together. She likes that Dami’s hand is tiny compared to hers. 

“There’s a lot to see and do around town. Though I must warn you, I’ve never done any of these things myself so it’ll be a new experience for both of us.”

--

Dami can only watch with her mouth agape as Handong mercilessly destroys her opponent in DDR. The older girl isn’t exactly playing the game the way it is intended to be played but she still manages to hit every single note perfectly. 

Earlier, she was shy about playing but Dami encourages her by making a fool out of herself. But seeing her flash a happy smile as she secures yet another victory makes Dami think that it was worth falling on her face. Her forehead and pride are a bit bruised up but no big deal. 

“Alright kid, no more.” Dami decides that it’s time for her to have Handong’s attention back. She taps the shoulder of the little boy playing against Handong and ignores him when he pouts. 

“But pretty lady is so much fun to play with! C’mon, one more round!” He whines to Handong. She merely giggles and taps his head. 

“Your mother is probably waiting for you and I have a date waiting for me.” Handong steps off the machine and immediately holds Dami’s hand again, much to the embarrassment of the detective. But what can she do? She’s starting to get addicted to the feeling of holding her hand. 

They leave the noisy arcade and into the nighttime streets of Seoul. Even with the ongoing demon activity and attacks all around the world, Seoul citizens try to go about their daily lives as much as possible. The two hero apprentices wonder if this peace will last with the incoming threat of Sun.

“There’s one more place I want to take you to for the night. I frequent this place a lot when I’m craving for some good San Xian noodles.” Dami leads the blonde through the streets until they reach a tiny corner shop with outdoor tables. 

After they get their food and settle in for the night, they talk about random things that people talk about on first dates. It felt nice to both of them to be able to have this small sense of normalcy. Handong was especially taken with all the new foods and drinks she was having at the moment. It tastes nothing like what she has ever tried back at home. 

“Hey Dami?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks for taking me out to do all these activities. I know you probably were not comfortable with doing all of them but you still did.” 

Dami nods, not denying that last part. “Yep, for you. Besides, I have to experience going to the arcade at least once in my young life so that Gahyeon and Yoohyeon get off my back.” Handong laughs at that. Dami might express her distaste for the troublemakers but Handong knows that she appreciates them all equally. She imagines that this is what it is like to have siblings. 

“Still, it was a dream of mine to be able to come to Earth to explore the world and meet all sorts of people.”

“I’m guessing you guys don’t have DDR machines up there?” Dami raises a fine eyebrow.

Handong snorts inelegantly, feeling her inhibitions slip as the night went on. “Definitely not. We also do not have detectives with charming personalities. She says as she bops Dami’s nose. “We simply hunted for sport and for necessity.”

“Speaking of, what is your power exactly?”

“Just instincts. I came to realize that I appear to have a superpower because of the way I was raised and because of my natural biology. To Earthlings, I am faster, stronger, and sharper. But I do not actually have a special power, at least compared to my people.” Handong tucks back a piece of stray hair behind her ear. 

“That...actually makes a lot of sense...I’m envious. Your people don't get caught up in dumb things like war and ranking politics. You’re wild and free...”

Handong turns over to Dami with the biggest grin on her face. “You can be too! The night is still young!” She tugs the younger girl out of her barstool and brings her to their next adventure for the night.

Though she was flustered, Dami let go of her inhibitions to enjoy herself like the teenager that she is. And maybe it was because she was feeling freer than she’s ever been that she decides to do something normal Dami would never. 

“Dongie.” Without warning, she places the little moon trinket she got from Busan in the older girl’s hand. 

“What is this? It is beautiful.”

“When this is all over, I’ll take you out to more places and visit your home one day. Promise.” 

To seal the deal, Dami leans up and kisses the girl she likes softly. The kiss was quick, barely even 5 seconds but it didn’t fail to leave a warm imprint on Handong’s lips. The detective was full of surprises tonight, Handong muses. 

Not one to be outdone, Handong grabs the collar of Dami’s clothes to pull her in for another kiss. “I look forward to it, Dami.”

Later, when they return to the mansion hand in hand and matching blushes, their friends tease the hell out of them. But out of love, of course.

--

Everyone watches as Dami stumbles into the living room with her hoodie and sweatpants, hair still messy from sleeping. She plops down onto an open seat next to Siyeon and puts her glasses on. 

Painfully peeling her tired eyes open, Dami raises her eyebrow at the note they woke her up for. “...What exactly am I looking at?” She holds out the note in front of her while squinting and Gahyeon has to stifle her laughter because Dami reminds her of the Winne the Pooh meme. 

“It is addressed to me but as you can see...it looks...strange?” Jiu says, unsure. The note was just a bunch of magazine cutouts pasted together and was just childish altogether. But the contents were ominous, so to speak. It demanded that Jiu come alone to the ‘place that angels fly’ or CM release hordes of demons into the city.

“Yoohyeon or I guess Haetem and Handong are already out scouting the location.” Jiu continues.

“You know where this is?”

“Yes. There’s only one person who I know calls the academy hangar the ‘place that angels fly’. Kang Jinwoo.”

Dami leans back into the couch, annoyed. Kang Jinwoo didn't really make any sense to her in terms of motive. He was well-known and well-liked among his peers. He attained rank 5. Equality did not fit into his profile and demon worshipping didn’t seem too likely. Either way, he has to be stopped. 

“Why is he calling it that? What’s in there anyways?”

Jiu rolls her head to the side, thinking about how to explain it. “Well, only authorized people can get in there because it houses a special lake. Apparently the waters in there produce a mineral that can’t be found anywhere else on earth. I haven’t actually seen it for myself so I’m not sure if that’s true or not.”

“The daggers might have been made from that material. I’ll contact principal Kwon and ask about the situation.” 

Just as Dami finishes, Yoohyeon and Handong walk into the house. Yoohyeon’s eyes are still grey, much to Jiu’s disappointment. 

“Demons have gathered in large numbers around the mountain. Some humans are fighting with the guards around as well.” She reports. 

“Heroes from the Association?” Bora places a teapot on the coffee table and pours everyone a cup. Haetem nods and takes a sip of tea. 

Gahyeon raises her hand out of the blue, as if she were answering a question in class. “This doesn’t seem like something CM would do. The cultists, I mean. Kang Jinwoo is probably orchestrating this whole thing to get to Jiu for some reason or maybe he knows about her necromancy. But I find it hard to believe that CM has rallied behind him considering Sun is currently out of commission.”

“If I may interrupt, Jiu and I should meet him alone.” Haetem says as she chews on a tea biscuit. “It could be a distraction but it’s obvious that he wants something from Jiu and Yoohyeon both.”

The others open their mouths to protest but Dami agrees with the god. “Haetem is right. On the off chance that Kang is serious, we can’t risk it. But we need to prepare for Sun. I have a plan but I will need to go to the academy to see if it’s feasible. Bora, Siyeon, and Gahyeon can be backup for Jiu but I also have a few places I want you to look into.” She stands up to stretch her body. Taking another look at the childish note, she tilts her head to the side.

“And if we are lucky, Kang Jinwoo will screw up and waste a ton of resources.” With everyone’s tasks tentatively set out, Dami sets out to change her clothes. As she passes by Handong, she stops and turns back around. 

Still sleepy and maybe a little delirious, she leans down to meet Handong’s lips in a small kiss. “G’morning.” Dami mumbles against her lips. 

And the living room erupts into unfathomable chaos, with Gahyeon at the helm.

--

Nighttime comes quickly even though Jiu hopes it wouldn’t. But she can’t get everything she wants. Just like how right now, she’s hiding behind a bush with Haetem next to her instead of Yoohyeon. It’s suffocatingly awkward when Jiu just wants to kiss the girl next to her senseless but it isn’t really her . 

“Focus, necromancer.” Haetem says without looking away from the entrance of the hangar. It was strange to hear Haetem speaking without hatred in her voice. When she first awoke, it was like she was a human-hating machine (not far off from the truth) but now, she was willingly going along with their plans and even helping them. Though Jiu figures it probably has to do with them agreeing to defeat Sun.

Movement from the guards at the entrance draws her attention. The guards glance around suspiciously before departing back inside the building, leaving it totally open to outsiders. 

“They have the guards in on this too?”

“Most likely the real ones have either been killed or bribed.” Haetem sneers. “Either way, it looks like they are openly inviting you inside.” She pushes Jiu to move while she stays hidden in the bushes. 

The necromancer walks slowly and glances around nervously. Her gun and combat knife are secured in her grip. When she reaches the entrance and the lasers don’t turn her into ash, she sighs in relief. It is short-lived because the large metal doors open on their own, revealing a crowd of people armed to the teeth. She notes that they are all carrying the same black dagger. Some are even familiar to her from the academy.

Even worse, Kang Jinwoo is sitting at the very top of a makeshift throne. His face breaks out into a bright smile that Jiu now finds to be nauseating (it was greasy before but now it was downright disgusting). 

“Jiu! You came!”

“What’s going on here?”

“Jiu look around you! We can take over the academy and then the world!” His gleeful laughter rings throughout the hangar. 

“My research developed these daggers and now all I need is a queen to rule with me. 

You were always surrounded by so many bugs buzzing around you, attracted to your dazzling existence. Just as I obtained rank 5 and was about to ask you to join the winning side, fucking Kim Yoohyeon stole all of your attention!

I was supposed to sweep you off your feet! Me! But these fucking bugs keep flying around you and I couldn't do anything to save you until now! Now is the time Jiu! We can rule the world together!”

The purple-haired girl wants to throw up when he extends his hand towards her. He was never working towards equality for these rogues and he definitely was not a cultist. All he wanted was her . Her body erupts in shivers and goosebumps from how horrified she is. He killed all these innocent people and Haetemians, just to get to her.

So she voices her disgust. “You’re a fucking disgrace to humanity.”

She watches as his face crumbles at her rejection. Serves him right. He’s basically a psychopath at this point. 

Jiu feels a presence loom behind her. “Could not have said it better myself.” Haetem. Kang Jinwoo grows angerier at the sight of his supposed problem.

“I told you not to bring anyone! Now you will pay! Release the demons and kill them both!” He screams. Then, in a quieter voice, “If I can’t have you, Jiu, then no one will. I’ll make you squeal like that bitch Arin.”

The rogues pull out their horns and blow into them simultaneously. Jiu tenses up, ready to spring into action but then she realizes that her companion is not even moving a muscle. Instead, Haetem just has a serene smile on her lips. 

The rogues look around in confusion. Why weren’t the demons coming?

“I already instructed the demons to stay away. They listened.” Haetem smirks. But to Kang Jinwoo, Yoohyeon is the one mocking him. 

“Kill them!” He commands. The rogues drop their horns and lift their daggers. But then, their arms and legs are suddenly cuffed with circuit-cutting binds. The only one without a bind is Kang Jinwoo. 

He whips his head from side to side, unable to comprehend what is happening. 

“The little one did her job. I just sent some pictures for her to work with. The Association will be here soon to arrest you fools.”

“What the fuck...this wasn’t supposed to happen! THIS WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! WHERE ARE YOU X?! YOU PROMISED ME I’D GET EVERYTHING I WANTED!” Kang Jinwoo grabs his head in agony as he screams at no one in particular. Jiu just looks at him with pitiful eyes. His was another life that Sun managed to ruin.

Like something snapped in him, Kang Jinwoo picks up a stray dagger and points it at Yoohyeon’s form. “I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!” Haetem smirks and holds up both of her hands. Kang Jinwoo’s dagger falls short of reaching the silver-haired girl, his hands and legs bound as well. 

Her boot-clad legs approach the man’s prone body, glancing down at him like he was an insignificant insect. “Sorry but Yoohyeon didn’t want to give you the satisfaction of having your blood on her hands. I won’t kill you because I know that being stuck in jail where everyone can see your sins and your pathetic self on display will be more tortuous than death.”

“NO-”

“You should have thought twice before killing all those women with features similar to Kim Jiu. Pigs like you are destined to rot.” 

--

Chapter Text

“Dami, you’re out of your mind.”

“On the contrary, I actually think this is brilliant. This is the best possible place to gather man power.” Dami circled the desk the principal was sitting on to stare out the windows. The statue of what she referred to as a fake hero was standing proudly in front of the academy gates. A few months ago, she would not have believed that a person from a millennium ago was responsible for the chaos of the present world. 

Kwon sighed and laid back into his seat. The other girls had never seen their principal behave like this. His eyes were gaut and he was basically a walking zombie. 

“You’ve been preparing the academy heroes for this day no? Isn’t that the whole point of this ranking system?” Dami questioned without remorse. It wasn’t difficult to connect the dots together after she contemplated the notes from the files. The detective made her way back to the couch the others were sitting on and perched herself on the armrest. 

“...Hmph, you were always too sharp for your own good, Dami.” 

“Well, you were the one that raised me.” The principal finally cracked a smile at Dami’s smartass response. 

“Yeah...” He observed the group of girls Dami brought along with her. Each had strengths and weaknesses that covered each other and he could see how his adopted daughter was comfortable with them. It made him happy to see that. “You put together a great team, Dami.”

“They’re my friends.” Dami said without missing a beat. Kwon was surprised by that but he quickly softened up.

“Alright, what’s the plan?”

As soon as those words left his mouth, Gahyeon stood up dramatically and teleported the biggest whiteboard Kwon had ever seen in his life. The board detailed several possibilities and battle formations. Pulling out a pair of fake glasses and putting it on her face, Gahyeon cleared her voice. 

“Sun is obviously aiming for the last pillar to do his crazy shit so, we plan on bringing it here.” Gahyeon used a laser pointer to point out things on the board but she was getting too into her role that the laser just ended up pointing all over the place. Dami didn't hold back and slapped a palm to her face. 

“Gahyeon, focus please.”

“Right.” Gahyeon cleared her throat again and put on a serious look. “We can bring the last pillar here, as long as Jiu can get the Coven to approve of it. We gather all heroes here for a showdown.”

The principal is silent, unimpressed by their supposed master plan. And what exactly is the Coven? “Really? This is your grand plan?” He was expecting something greater like an ambush campaign or something of the sort. 

“Sun will show up here no matter what.” Dami said with confidence. “This academy was founded upon his ideals and his image. Based on what we’ve seen from our encounters so far, he relishes in the dramatics and the symbolism of everything. He will definitely find a way to bring the pillar here even if the Coven is hiding it. And he will be expecting Dongie to be there to stop him.”

Kwon sighed and rubbed his face. “Yes, I agree. But what of the students’ lives-”

“This is what they’ve been training for. In fact, I think this will be a good wake up call for those who think that being a hero is all fame and no bite.” Siyeon said calmly. It irked her a bit that the principal was still on the fence about everything when there was literally a madman about to be unleashed on this world. Based on what Dami told her about the principal, it should be obvious that this was the best course of action. Those without the means to defend themselves would just be slaughtered and nothing would be accomplished. 

“...”

“Why are you hesitating?” Handong stared directly into the principal’s eyes. “Is it because this paradise you built is going to be destroyed? Possibly forever?”

--

“That friend of yours is pretty scary.” Kwon said after he got off the phone with the Association. It seemed like Kang Jinwoo and several of his associates were caught. And it definitely cleared up the missing items from the hanger, namely the plane and the rare metals. 

Dami smirked and crossed her legs. “Girlfriend, actually.” She was alone in Kwon’s office after sending everyone else back to the mansion to rest up.

“Girlfriend? Well well, little Dami has finally grown up.”

“She’s great. Got you to finally admit that you are a coward. If that isn’t girlfriend material, then I don’t know what is.” The detective quipped. Internally, Dami squealed at calling Handong her girlfriend. 

“...She’s right, you know. I spent many years building up this academy in preparation for Sun’s return. But I got too comfortable and when the time has finally arrived, I find myself unable to let go.” Kwon laughed mockingly to himself. “It’s utterly foolish.”

“At least a couple of kids got you to finally open your eyes. Otherwise, it would have been a total disservice to Ryu Sera.”

At the mention of his old friend, his eyes softened in a way that Dami isn’t used to. “Yeah...I’m just sorry now that you kids have to put your lives on the line. Especially Lee Siyeon.” After hearing about their trump card in the form of a rank 1 student, to say that Kwon was shocked was an understatement. He never imagined that the safeguard could be right under his nose. It seemed that his system was severely flawed after all.

“...Ryu Sera never came back to tell you how bullshit this system is, did she?”

“No...she didn't make it.”

“Will you get rid of the ranking system when this is over? Well, with the true origins of these powers being known, we cannot expect to keep them in humanity. They must go back to the Haetemians. I believe that is the right thing to do to restore balance.”

“Dami, do you understand what you are suggesting?” Kwon wasn’t blind to the flaws but it was already too late. If he abolished it too soon, it would cause their society to crumble on its foundation.

“Of course. It will put all humans on equal footing for once. A reset button for humanity, if you will. We are simply returning what isn’t ours.”

“You are suggesting anarchy...”

“No, I am suggesting we all live a normal life. Those without powers are already doing a superb job at living without them. I’m sure we heroes can manage too, especially since there will be no more threats of demons. Maybe I’ll even open a private eye business and hire Gahyeon as my assistant. Dongie can be the accountant. She’s surprisingly good with numbers.”

The principal sat stock-still, absorbing the shocking statements. Deep down, he knew she was right. It had to be done.

“Just focus on keeping the city safe. If you are gone, there will not be a competent commander left on the field.” Dami stood up to leave for the night. “And I won’t let Siyeon die. I’ll definitely find a way to save her.”

--

After all was said and done with Kang Jinwoo and his followers, Jiu and Haetem made their way back to the mansion. Jiu was about to go into the kitchen to maybe bake 10 cakes to de-stress but a hand on her arm stopped her. 

“May I speak to you?” Jiu nodded and Haetem led them to the garden. They settled by the fountain in the middle of the garden. The only source of light was the moonlight reflecting off the flower petals. Despite her cold personality, Jiu found it surprising that Dami enjoyed tending to flowers in her free time. Well, Jiu figured she should really stop judging a book by its cover, considering what she has witnessed in the past few weeks. 

“I know you called me here to talk but, what exactly are you doing? I thought you hated humans and would love nothing but to watch us all burn to the ground. So why do your actions say otherwise?” Jiu rambled. Her head was a mess and she wanted at least one thing to make sense for the day.

Haetem turned her head to the doctor-in-training. The purple eyes met one silver eye and one brown eye. 

“Yoohyeon is the reason why.” Haetem/Yoohyeon leaned back on the bench to stare at the moon. “Normally, when I’ve gained enough strength to take over the host, I control them completely until the day they perish with me. But Yoohyeon is different.”

“The foolish child shed her tears over the destruction of my kind. So I chose not to crush her consciousness away.” Haetem’s lips lifted half-way, amused at the memory of when they first met in their mindspace. “Maybe the fact that she is a tengu allowed her to feel some sort of companionship with my kind.”

Jiu found herself chuckling lightly at hearing the story. “That’s very Yoohyeon-like. She has always felt too much for the suffering of animals and other humans too. Empathy for others is not a weakness though I suppose many at the academy will disagree. She convinced you to help us?”

“Yes. Yoohyeon promised to find a way for my kind to live peacefully after Sun is gone. Killing humans will achieve nothing but more discrimination, she said. And I believe her. Because I’ve been with her for a long time and because...I want to finally rest in peace.” This time, Haetem’s silver gaze met Jiu’s. 

“You’re lucky, you know?” Something in the god’s gaze made Jiu think, wow, even gods can be envious.

“Huh?” 

“If I had fallen in love with someone half as kind as Yoohyeon back then, then maybe none of this would have happened. You’re lucky to have Yoohyeon, just as she is lucky to have someone like you love her with their whole heart.” Jiu barely has time to process those words before Haetem’s eyes closed and her body slouched over.

Yoohyeon woke up a second later, disoriented but fully brown-eyed. “Ow, those conscious changes can be a bit of a woozy experience.” And Jiu bursted into laughter at hearing a very Yoohyeon thing come out of her mouth.

The taller girl smiled gently at the bright laughter. Taking in the surroundings, Yoohyeon came up with an idea. “C’mon, Jiu! Let’s dance!” Without warning, she pulled the older girl on her feet and towards the empty patch of grass.

“Yooh! My slippers!” Jiu stumbled after the excited girl, barefoot. 

“Don't need ‘em!” Yoohyeon tugged Jiu into her arms, swaying them back and forth in time with the flowers swaying with the wind. Even though Jiu’s hair was permanently purple from how much power she has been using lately, Yoohyeon couldn’t help but think about how she looked like an angel. 

The purple-haired girl must’ve known what she was thinking because she placed a finger on Yoohyeon’s lips in a teasing manner. “Don’t even say one of your cheesy lines. I know what you’re doing, Yooh.” Her heart swelled with affection at hearing Yoohyeon’s laughter ringing through the air. 

“And what exactly am I doing?” Yoohyeon said as she leaned her head on Jiu’s palm on her face. 

“Now I know I have met an angel in person.” Jiu recited the lyrics to a song they heard often in their childhood. “You’re recreating the times when your parents would have their date nights and we would crash the romantic dancing outdoors. In the dark under the moonlight.”

Red was creeping up Yoohyeon’s face at being caught in such a straightforward manner. But it was a precious childhood memory so she shouldn’t have been surprised that Jiu remembered it. 

“W-well, I have to step up my romancing somehow!” They both giggled at the silliness of it all. When their laughter died down, Yoohyeon gathered the slightly shorter girl into her arms.

“I will make this right, for all of us. Even if it costs me my life.” She said seriously. 

“Yooh, we will make things alright. For us, for the Haetemians, even for the Coven. If you’re worried about me not accepting Haetem, don’t be because her goal is not so different from what I am trying to do for the Coven. So don’t carry the burden alone.” 

When Yoohyeon thought deeply about it, she wondered if part of Jiu’s convictions were made as a result of her spending her childhood outside of the Coven. Did she crave the freedom from back then? Did she...miss Yoohyeon all this time?

“You’re thinking out loud, Yooh.” Jiu giggled softly at the blush spreading on Yoohyeon’s face. “And for the record, yes, I did think about you a lot. I wondered if we would ever meet again and if you still remembered me.”

“Of course I did! You are my first love!”

“You’re mine too, Yooh.”

Jiu watched as Yoohyeon sighed in relief. The next thing she knew, Yoohyeon’s lips were pressed softly against hers.  The necromancer engraved this memory of Yoohyeon in her mind’s eye because she won’t let the younger girl die no matter what. 

Tomorrow might bring them apart but for tonight, everything was perfect. This time, Jiu brought her mouth close to Yoohyeon’s ear and sang her heart’s murmurings. 

“Darling, you look perfect...tonight.”

--

( ...Why are you crying?

“It’s not fair...what did they do to deserve this? What did you do to deserve this? They’ve been suffering this whole time and no one has questioned it.” Yoohyeon shed genuine tears, even hiccuping from how hard she was sobbing. 

It’s too late for you humans to realize your foolishness, child.

“Even if it is...I want to make it right. No matter how difficult it may be.” Yoohyeon had said through her hiccups. Haetem did not know what to make of this tall girl. But for some reason, she decided to put her trust in her host, whom she had been watching over for years.

...Foolish child .)

Chapter Text

5 days left. 

Bora woke up to the sun barely rising past the horizon. The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was watching the stars with-

“Siyeon?” Deep breathing can be heard next to her. Turning over slowly so that she can lay on her side, Bora soaked in Siyeon’s sharp features. The younger girl was insanely attractive with her wolf-like gaze. But her personality was a total 180 degrees turn from her appearance. Nonetheless, Bora adored her. Lately, Siyeon has taken it upon herself to do more for Bora. From early morning training sessions to late night dinner dates, Bora felt like she was on cloud nine in those moments. 

Last night, Siyeon had taken her out to stargaze and to talk about their day. Stress was ever present in these tense times so venting it out to each other was a good way to stay sane. But the redhead couldn’t help but feel like Siyeon was doing this because of...of the risk she will have to take to stop Sun. It was like she was preparing for the chance that she may never see Bora again. Of course, Bora would be damned if she didn't do her best to reassure Siyeon that they were going to make it out together. 

(She had to believe that. Otherwise, she might go insane.)

“Stop staring you creepo.” Siyeon said out of nowhere. Her words were contradicted by the smile on her face. She still had her eyes closed.

Bora proceeded to place her hand on Siyeon’s cheek and admired the girl’s face. It may sound cheesy but Bora understood those sappy romantic movies where two lovers admired each other after waking up at the crack of dawn. Everything felt peaceful at this moment. 

As she caressed a soft cheek, Siyeon reached up to pinch the back of her hand. “Your hand isn’t as squishy as Jiu’s.” The black-haired girl commented offhandedly. 

Bora scoffed and turned away, pretending to be offended. Deep down, she knew that Siyeon was right. Jiu was a squishy person overall. Bora considered asking Jiu for her skincare secrets. She heard Siyeon giggle behind her before feeling larger arms envelop her in a back hug.

“Jiu’s hand might be softer but you’re definitely the best cuddle buddy.”

“Oh I see how it is Miss Lee Siyeon. You only want me for my body.” Bora joked and received a tickle attack that left her breathless. 

“Siyeon! Stop!” Bora yelled in between breathless laughter. If Siyeon wasn’t fully awake before, she certainly was now. Bora’s squeaky laughter was contagious. 

After the black-haired girl decided to give Bora some time to breathe, she raised her hand to entwine with smaller ones. Her whole body was hovering over Bora’s, black hair curtaining them both in their own little world. 

Siyeon had always wanted Bora to make the first move between them. Not because she was shy (she was definitely past that stage since the redhead had already seen her at her most embarrassing state) but, because she wanted Bora to come to terms with their relationship herself. If the fire-user made the first move, she would see that everything will still be okay.

They both stare at each other for a long time after, neither willing to move from their positions. It isn’t until the sun rose a little higher and the light caused Siyeon’s irises to look like amber gemstones, does Bora feel like her heartbeat is stuck in her throat.

An invisible force pulled at her, gravitating her towards the other. And this time, she didn't resist it. Their lips meet in a slow, soft motion. Neither in a rush to end the physical contact that they’ve both been dreaming about.

Siyeon giggled, breaking the kiss. “What changed?”

“Nothing. I just realized that I’ve been a fool for ignoring it for so long.” Bora replied, breathless. “And maybe the world is about to fucking end so yeah, there’s that too.”

The other girl furrowed her eyebrows and all Bora could think about was how adorable Siyeon was without even trying. “Are you doing this out of impulse or fear?”

Immediately, Bora took her face in her small hands. She understood what Siyeon was referring to and wanted to reassure the younger girl right away. 

“No!” She shouted. The redhead’s emotions were all over the place. She was on top of the world a few minutes ago and now she’s holding back tears. 

“No...” Bora repeated, this time softer. Her glassy eyes made Siyeon regret asking but she wanted her to be honest with herself. 

“Bora, you don’t have to hide yourself with me. There is no shame in crying.” It was a familiar phase that Siyeon told Bora as often as possible because if she did, Bora would learn to believe it. And for some reason, Siyeon found herself crying along with Bora.  

“Did you-did you always know?”

“No. But I guess it has always been in my nature to want to save people. I only understood my true calling when we made it to the Godly plane.”

Bora reached up to wipe the girl’s tears, with Siyeon doing the same for her. “But you know, I want to have my happily ever after too...with you, Bora.”

At that, Bora just cried harder. Maybe it was the way that Siyeon gazed at her with unadulterated affection or maybe it was the way her emotions were all over the place but Bora just couldn't hold it in anymore. She’s been holding back for so long that every longing touch, every eye contact just made everything burst forward.

Hugging the taller girl around her neck and clinging to her like a baby, Bora whispered, “I love you.” It was a quiet declaration. One that was long overdue. They might not have officially dated at all but the love was always there. Neither just said anything out loud until now. 

“I love you too, Bora.” Siyeon choked out. She imagined what it would be like for this moment to come and yet, she was still surprised by the elation she felt from the revelation. 

(Back then, Siyeon thought that her feelings were unrequited. With time, Siyeon knew that she was just being silly. This is proof of that.)

“I love you so please,” A kiss. “Find a way to survive.”

“I will.” Siyeon promised. She promised to try her best so that the person she loves will not be left all alone.

“Until then, will you give me today to spend with you?” The leftover tears in Bora’s eyes did nothing to hide the universe within them. And when Siyeon looked into them, she saw herself at the center of Bora’s universe.

“You can have all of my todays.” Siyeon replied. “Or, as many as I can give.”

--

2 days left.

With all that has been going on in preparation for a last stand, Gahyeon did not have a chance to speak with her parents. They were staying in a hotel in the city and enjoying overall big city life. An evacuation order was issued weeks ago but they refused to leave until they saw their daughter.

Gahyeon felt sorry that it was only now that she was coming to visit her parents. Not to mention, it was in the middle of the night but this was the only free time she had. Nowadays, all she does is plan battle tactics with Dami and the principal. Sometimes, she forgets to eat so one of the older girls has to bring her food and force feed her. 

“Mama? Papa?”

“Hyeon!” Her mom and dad pulled her into their embrace. “Is ever’thing okay? What’s goin’ on?” Her mom questioned after putting Gahyeon at arms length. Her daughter looked exhausted since the last time she saw her. 

“You guys need to evacuate. Something big is going to happen here so get to a safe place.” Gahyeon answered without making eye contact. Her parents’ gaze was still the same as always. Expectant. 

“What’s goin’ to happen, Gahyeon? Whatever it is, I’m sure you can handle it. You’re the greatest hero-”

Gahyeon recoiled harshly, causing her dad to stop speaking. Her body was trembling and her fists were curled up. She looked like she wanted to scream and cry all at once. They’ve never seen her like this before.

“Honey, what’s wrong-” 

“I’m not a great hero like you think I am.” The teleporter didn’t need to raise her voice over her dad’s but they both heard her loud and clear. But what was she saying? Lee Gahyeon from a small farming town in Nonsan was not the best?

“Whatever is goin’ on, I’m sure you can handle it.” Her mom repeated. She approached Gahyeon and carefully held her forearms, rubbing her thumb on the skin. 

“ I can’t .” Gahyeon’s voice cracked and tears began streaming down her face. “W-war might break out after tomorrow and I don’t know if we will be strong enough to stop it.” They were stunned to hear that. Sure, they’ve been keeping up with current world events but those places were so far away from them that they didn't think it would affect them. 

“...Is it that serious?” Her dad’s deep voice rang in the room. 

This time, Gahyeon was able to find the strength to look them both in the eye. “I might not make it out a-alive. Hell, my friends are at the frontlines and they might not make it out alive but,...we have to try.”

She took a deep breath, suddenly tired of all the thoughts that have been swirling in her head since she started at the academy. 

“I’m an ordinary hero, Mama, Papa. But right now, I’m just a scared kid.” The bottom of her shirt was tight in her grip and tears were falling freely off her face. She proceeded to tell her parents the entire truth of who she was at the academy. 

Gahyeon knew that it was going to be hard for her parents to hear that she wasn’t who they thought she was. Their image of her will irreversibly be damaged but since her life was going to potentially be shortened, she did not want to die with regrets.  

The next thing she knew, she was crying like a child in the warm embrace of her parents. “Shush, honey. We’re sorry for makin’ you feel that way...we’re sorry.”

After her honest confession, Gahyeon held each of her parents’ hands. “Please take the next flight out tonight. When it’s safe, you can come back.”

“Gahyeon, we can’t leave you behind to fight in this war!” Gahyeon smiled slightly at her dad. 

“You have to. This is what heroes do, Papa. My friends will be fighting alongside me so rest assured, we will win, no matter the cost.” They weren’t sure when it happened, but suddenly, their child had grown up in the blink of an eye. 

“Alright...we’re proud of you, Hyeon. And we love you.”

“I love you both too.”

“...”

“By the way, I’m going on a date with this girl after all of this is over...she’s not a hero but she does turn into tofu so...that’s cool I guess.”

“Oh, yes of course….that sounds a lil’ strange but...introduce us to her when you are ready?”

“Yeah. When this is all over.” Gahyeon echoed, hopeful and less burdened for the future.

--

1 day left.

Despite it being the very last day of temporary peace, Dami found herself more nervous than ever. All of the possible preparations were made at the academy. All of the active heroes from the Association have gathered for this moment, armed to the teeth. And yet, it was like the calm before the storm. Dami figured that this is what storm-watchers must feel like: waiting and anticipating for the disaster to come to them.

Her girlfriend (her heart fluttered every time she thought of Handong as her girlfriend ) constantly being around helped calm her nerves. Tonight, they were enjoying some tranquility on the swinging bench in the garden. Handong held her hand as the swing went back and forth slowly. 

Once again, the moon was full and bright. It felt a little different looking up at the moon, now knowing that aliens actually existed up there. That Handong’s people actually lived up there.

“Say, Dami?”

“Hm?”

“What made you want to help us? I know that you are not interested in being a hero per say...so forgive me if I cannot pinpoint what your motive in all of this is.” Handong worried that she was being too blunt and maybe a tad invasive but Dami was her girlfriend now (wait till the elders hear about this!) and she cared about her. Dami’s powers are not suited for combat so Handong was trying to find a way to convince Dami to get to safety. 

Instead of rebuking, Dami simply laughed out loud. Handong’s frankness was odd but charming in many ways. She leaned her head on the taller girl’s shoulder, feeling Handong put her head on top of hers as well. 

“It’s really stupid when you look at it in the context of everything.” Dami sighed.

“It is not stupid if you care about it.” Handong replied immediately. “This has something to do with Wammy’s House?” She recalled seeing that name inside the files from the principal. 

“Yeah. In the end, there was no lead on that.” The detective turned over so that she was hugging Handong by the waist and buried her face in her shoulder. Dami felt silly for chasing phantoms when the world was about to go to shit. It goes to show that she was still selfish, though she felt that she was improving on that, thanks to her friends. 

“What are you searching for?” Handong asked gently. She pulled back a bit to hold the brunette’s small head in her hand. But she couldn’t help but gasp softly at the affection she saw in Dami’s eyes. It was so different from the first impression of her and Handong could not be more proud of the younger girl. 

“It’s really dumb but...I was just searching for my real name.” Dami scoffed in self-depreciation. When she was younger, the fact that the principal gave her a name when she was barely four never bothered her. But as she grew older, she couldn’t help but wonder what her birth name was. It was curious at first. She didn't care if it brought her to her birth parents, as all she was interested in was knowing her true name. But it slowly grew into silent obsession and dictated what cases she decided to chase.

(Was it a side effect of her powers? Dami doesn’t really know.)

But thankfully, the blonde was an angel sent from the moon. Handong didn't give her strange or judging looks. And Dami couldn't help but feel something stronger for Handong at that alone. “A name is very important, Dami. Heroes or not, everyone has their own reasons, their own dreams that are worth living for. It is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Dami really couldn't help herself and leaned forward to kiss the other girl. How could she not feel the affection swelling in her chest when Handong spoke so earnestly like that? Handong reciprocated the kiss with fervor, trying to convey her feelings as well. 

When they broke apart, Dami chuckled deeply. “Thanks.”

“For?”

“For not laughing, I guess. I don’t particularly hate the name Dami. It just...made me feel nameless, you know? It wasn’t something that was my own. Though, the principal did always have bad naming taste. I mean, what the heck is Happyface Academy? Terrible.” 

Handong giggled at Dami’s diss at her adoptive father. She pulled the shorter girl closer to her. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. 

“How about we give you a new name?!” Handong said excitedly. She was so cute that Dami didn't have the heart to stop her. Not that she was planning to anyways. 

“And what do you propose Dongie?”

“Well, there is a name that I’ve always liked in my language. How about...Yubin? It means ‘noble hunter’.”

“Yubin?” Dami tested the name out on her tongue, liking the sound of it. It somehow suited her more than she thought. Plus, seeing the blooming smile on Handong’s face was totally worth it.

“I love it Dongie.”

“Then I’ll call you Yubin from now on.” Hearing her new name made her happier than she thought it would. 

“Well, then, I guess we’ll have to win and survive tomorrow so that I can keep hearing you call me that.” Yubin teased.

Handong placed a chastise kiss on Yubin’s head. “I guess we have no choice but to save the world then.” She agreed.

--

( “You found something?”

“Not found per say. Ryu Sera gave me a clue. There may be a way though it may as well be suicide.” Dami turned around to face her. “But I want you to try it.” 

“You’re fucking insane.” Siyeon grinned. Dami grinned back.)

Chapter Text

How did it come to this?

Gahyeon thought to herself as she stared up at the starless night sky. When she turned her head to the left, HappyFace Hero Academy was in shambles, with fire and smoke obscuring the prestigious school. When she turned her head to the right, the soulless eyes of many heroes met hers. 

She doesn’t really understand. They knew that the casualties were going to be high so they evacuated all civilians. And yet heroes were dying left and right. 

People that she spoke to the day before were unmoving. People that were so confident in their powers that they were going to save the world were going to be buried six feet under. Or maybe not at all, considering the remains were either mangled or hollowed out to the point of obscurity. Sure, some of them were total pompous asses but they had families and people that were going to mourn for them. It was all too much.

“Ugh...” Gahyeon groaned.

“Don’t move around so much…!” Dami’s deep voice was distressed and all Gahyeon could do was groan in pain. The older girl pressed down hard on the wound on her shoulder. Below her shoulder, her left arm was completely numb, broken when she smashed mercilessly onto a statue. The pain was the only thing keeping her awake at this point. 

“Ugh...Dami, it hurts. Don’t press on it so hard...” Gahyeon whined.

“Stay awake until a medic - Jiu! Over here!” Dami screamed at the top of her lungs to catch Jiu’s attention. The necromancer ran over as fast as she could, avoiding all of the debris from the ongoing battle. 

She got to work immediately, seeing as to how serious Gahyeon looked. Her arm was broken and there was blood seeping on the floor from her head. Jiu suspected a concussion from how delirious Gahyeon was starting to sound. As she healed the youngest girl, Jiu swiped the back of her hand under her sweaty chin. Soot filled her lungs and death permeated in the air. It was hard to breathe.

“Dami, where are the others?”

“Fighting Sun near the pillar. It’s glow is intensifying as the humans and demons die around it.” Dami answered as she looked around her. The unit that she was leading was completely wiped out. 

At this rate, the entire city was going to be painted permanently red. 

And they had to wonder, was this going to be the end?

--

Heroes were dying left and right from demons that were too far gone for Yoohyeon to call off. Handong even saw some high ranks chickening out and leaving the front lines. She would have called them out for being so shameful but she was too busy trying to help the lower ranks that decided to stay.

They weren’t strong individually, but because of their low ranks and harsh school environment, Handong noticed that many formed groups and used their powers as a team. Individually, they were weak but together, they were impenetrable.

Just like hunting in groups back at home. 

The blonde couldn't stop and observe them all forever as she was jumping from place to place to help turn the tide of battle with her powerful instincts. She already slayed a few dragons and cerberus hybrids that were eating up the infantry. Still, too much destruction and death tore through the city like butter. Even she was beginning to slow down from fatigue. 

Unexpectedly, a familiar face showed up on the opposite end of the rooftop she was standing on. 

“Han Dong! What a pleasure to see you here!” 

“Park Jaewon? You joined the cult? Even after they killed your brother?” Handong narrowed her eyes when she saw him holding a black dagger. As far as she was aware, he was not present when the academy issued the daggers to defend against the demons.

He grinned boyishly. “I opened my eyes, Han Dong! My brother must’ve done the same and sacrificed his body for the greater good!”

The rank 4 student was not very amused at what she heard. Park Jaewon was spouting the same nonsense that all the cult members said when interrogated. Unfortunately, they were in the middle of a war and she did not have time to sit down and chat with him about his terrible life choices. Besides, she could tell that the crazed look in his eyes meant that he was beyond convincing with words. 

“The Children of the Moon helped me open my eyes and showed me the right way of living! The wonders! The amazement! Everyday I experience an eye-opening event of a lifetime! My powers have grown as a result! And now...I can kill the corrupted heroes of the academy-”

Handong sliced his chest open in one smooth motion without listening to the rest of his speech. She didn't have time for this and the last thing she saw before jumping away was his shocked expression as blood leaked from his fatal wound. 

When she got far enough, Handong stopped for a small break in a deserted area. 

“...Are all Earthlings that talkative when in combat?” She wondered to herself. If it were back at home, all of the beasts would have fled or killed the hunters for making so much noise in the middle of their territory.

As she looked on at the fire and smoke from the academy, she had to wonder,

When will this end?

--

Even with Bora’s and Siyeon’s help, Yoohyeon still found that Sun was pushing them up against the theoretical wall. After the activation of the third pillar, Sun grew immensely powerful even without absorbing Bora’s powers. 

Still, he wanted them. He laughed when he realized that they were trying to kill him the same way he ‘killed’ Haetem and her kind. “What’s the matter, heroes? Haetem too scared to fight her own battles so she left you to fend for yourselves?” he mocked. 

“Haetem entrusted everything to us. We will stop this ridiculous cycle once and for all.” Yoohyeon growled out, dusting the debris that got on her clothes.

“Haetem was always so foolish. Then and now.” 

“Don’t worry, fraud. We will prove you wrong.” Yoohyeon flew at the speed of sound, sending out wave after wave of wind blades. None hit their mark but Yoohyeon smirked anyways. When Sun looked behind him, all of his soldiers that were watching and waiting for a chance to assassinate were all wiped out. 

Bora raised a column of fire under where he was standing, engulfing him in a fiery hellstorm. She knew that he was going to get out of it easily so she jumped right into her own flames for a one-on-one. As expected, he caught her fist as soon as she entered the ring of fire. However, Bora learned from her mistakes and swung her leg from his weak side and cracked a couple of his ribs. 

He stumbled a few feet back and spat out blood. “You may have been a Moon child in the past but you’re a bonafide human now. That means that you can be killed.”

Sun frowned at the statement. He let go of his injured side and shifted into a fighting stance that was reminiscent of the Shaolin style. “Now you’ve made me angry, child. I will put you in your place, take your powers, and make you watch as I burn your friends down with it.”

Bora said nothing more and moved aggressively. If he was trying to make her angry and lose sight of her goal, then she will not allow that to happen. Sun matched her prowess with his own fire, strengthened from the pillars. Neither side was giving an inch to the other. 

Sun backed up after doing a whirlwind kick that forced Bora to back away. But this time, she was prepared. She quickly opened up a space within her vortex and in came Yoohyeon and Siyeon. 

The tall man got knocked over by a wind blade and received a harsh kick to the back. As soon as they landed hits, they jumped right back out of the fire, circling around for another opportunity to attack.

“Hmph. I thought you would have fought honorably.” Sun sneered after wiping blood from his face. 

“We’ve already played by your rules for over a millennium. I don’t plan on fighting fairly in this rigged game.” Bora increased the heat even more than what she would normally allow, even on high level demon hunts. The pavement and buildings nearby were already beginning to melt from the intensity. 

Sun cracked a smile at the seriousness the other girl displayed. It reminded him of himself when he set whole villages on fire alone. He remembered just sitting there and watching the entire place burn down. It was beautifully devastating. And he wanted to experience that euphoric feeling again. No matter what. 

“Very well. Since you are serious about stopping me, then I will return the favor in kind.” Black smoke gathered around his palms and a long bo staff appeared from the thicket. 

How will this end?

--

The third pillar was almost complete. Now that Handong has had a taste of what it was like to activate a pillar, her senses were more honed towards it. The team planned to have the three best fighters take on Sun, while everyone else prevents the pillar from activating. It was the best possible outcome for them. If the pillar did not provide power to Sun, he could be defeated much more easily (or so they hoped) and no more lives would be sacrificed.

Unfortunately, it looked like their plan was going to fall through, which meant that Yoohyeon and Siyeon should be making their way over right now. Too many crazed Haetemians were flooding the streets and humans were dying left and right. 

Handong flipped over the head of one rogue and twisted his head in an unnatural position. She launched off of his head and onto the next one without even batting an eye, letting the corpse fall to the ground. It was gruesome but her abilities were suited for use against Earthlings since many did not have the reaction time that she and the Haetemians have.

As she finished off the last creature in the vicinity, she saw Dami approaching from the other side. “Yubin! What happened to Gahyeon and Jiu?!”

Dami was sweating profusely but she had a fire in her eyes. “The kid was seriously injured. Jiu is trying to heal her now but she’s running on fumes too. Is the pillar close to activating?”

“Yes. We will have to move into plan B. Yoohyeon and Siyeon are heading this way now. I think Bora is holding back Sun-”

A body flew right in between the two girls and not even Handong was able to react to it. The body crashed onto the pillar, groaning. 

“Siyeon…?” 

Said girl groaned in pain as she attempted to stand. The blonde ran over to assist her with Dami on the other side. “What happened?!”

Siyeon was breathless when she said, “Get out of here. Sun is coming...”

Sure enough, Sun’s tall frame broke the horizon, dragging a bleeding Yoohyeon by a broken wing. The silver-haired girl was already unconscious but still breathing. Bora was nowhere to be seen but judging from the bloody mess that was Sun, the fight between them did not work in their favor. 

Handong attacked Sun on her own, trying to free Yoohyeon and buy some time for Jiu to get here. But this time, Sun was not playing around anymore and he immediately saw through her attacks. Her fist aimed for his throat but he used Yoohyeon as a human shield, forcing her to stop before making contact with her friend’s throat.

He took the opportunity to stab his staff deep into her shoulder, making her cry out in pain. Dami whipped her head to the source of distress and was horrified. But she couldn’t move from stemming Siyeon’s blood and she wasn’t a fighter. All she could do was watch her beloved’s blood leave her body. Handong was able to snap out of the shock in a split second and swung her leg upwards to separate his hand from Yoohyeon’s wing. She leaped backwards with Yoohyeon’s limp body in her arms. 

The bo staff in his right hand was stained completely red, making the brown wood turn a shade deeper. 

Bora’s blood? Yoohyeon’s? Handong’s? Mine? Siyeon could barely think coherently past the pain permeating her entire body. The difference in their strength and battle experience was astounding but everyone wanted her to live, which meant not using her powers. The black-haired girl herself wanted to live so she did her best to follow the plan. But it seemed like that was not going to be possible. She had to close the gap in power. 

Her last thought before closing her eyes and letting her power take over was

I wish it didn't have to end this way.

--

In one moment, Siyeon was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. In the next, Bora was pummeling Sun with her new form. The shorter girl’s entire body was engulfed in her purple flames and she wasn’t listening to any calls of her name.

On the bright side, Jiu made it over after getting Gahyeon stabilized and she was healing everyone as best as she could. On the flip side, Bora was going completely out of control. The redhead didn't even care that she was destroying everything around her nor the fact that her friends were nearly hit by her recklessness. 

“Kim Bora-” Sun was cut off by a powerful shot of fire to his abdomen. Her sudden power up was overwhelming the rhythm of the battle. 

“GRRRAAAAAAA!” Bora’s fire intensified as did her high pitched screeching, forcing everyone to get behind concrete walls for protection. A few humans and Haetemians that could not get away were incinerated instantly. They probably didn't even feel the pain of burning to death from how quickly it happened. Sun protected himself with his flames but he was quickly overwhelmed. 

“If that is how it will be...” He turned tail and headed for the pillar. Siyeon and Handong read his intentions and ran for it as well. They managed to beat him to it, stopping him in his tracks.

“Sorry but I don’t intend to be killed here by the likes of you.” Black smoke filled the area within a 10 feet radius.

“Argh-!” Handong’s shoulder was forcefully slammed into the last pillar, activating it. It glowed a deadly red and Sun smirked as he reached out to it.

“Checkmate!” He yelled. The three pillars simultaneously engaged, draining circuits everywhere. All around the world, people started feeling an intense pain take over their bodies. Sun grinned to himself. His war was still to be had. 

To his surprise, Siyeon’s lips raised in a confident manner. 

What?

Before he could even process what her plan could possibly be, purple fire surrounded him. He was trapped but the pillar’s energy was already flowing into his body. He tried setting himself free with the power flowing through his veins but Bora’s inferno was still stronger. 

“What the hell are you people trying to accomplish?!” Sun screamed in frustration. A hand shot through the flames and past the red glow to grab onto his neck in a vice grip. Siyeon didn't let go even when he was punching at her and Bora fought back.

Now, Sun was desperate to get away from the pillar and the two girls holding him in place. He could feel his circuits straining from absorbing the pillars’ energy and from absorbing Bora’s powers. No matter how much he took, Bora was not getting tired at all. And the current Arbitrator was nullifying the energy he was receiving from the pillar. 

His body felt like it was on fire. Like someone was pulling him from both sides. If this kept up, he would literally explode from how much strain his current body was feeling. After all, no one has been able to have two completely different abilities in one body. It would destroy the mind and then the body.

So that’s your plan. He thought.

Handong sensed that Sun had figured out what they were trying to do so she grabbed Siyeon’s daggers and stabbed it deep into his foot. He flinched and tried to kick her away but he was trapped between two powerful titans. Lee Siyeon and Kim Bora were going to be the death of him if he didn't do something soon.

A large burst of energy from the pillars filled his being for a split second. It was all he needed to slam Siyeon and Bora into the nearest burned building. 

“You mongrels will pay for that!” 

“YOOHYEON!!!” Jiu attempted to stop the taller from moving after being healed but she was a second too late. 

Yoohyeon charged at the speed of light towards Sun and gripped his neck, slamming him against the pillar. “A life for a life, Sun. I’ve carried this unbearable sadness for far too long.” Eerie silver eyes met his amber ones. Cold fingers make contact with his temple. When he looked above him, Siyeon’s dark eyes began to shine. It was all too familiar to him.

“HAETEM! YOU-!” The two ignored the screaming man beneath them and looked at each other. 

Finally, Haetem gave Siyeon a wry smile. “Take care of Yoohyeon.”

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

“You thought you could kill me? The First Hero? Hah!” Dami and Jiu watched in despair as Sun’s distorted body stood up from the bright explosion that just occured. Bora, Siyeon, Handong, and Yoohyeon were completely unconscious on the ground, bleeding profusely. 

--

“No!” Dami dived forward and felt excruciating pain on her back as she defended Bora from getting stabbed by Sun. 

“HAHAHAHAHAHA IT’S USELESS! MY WAR! MY FIGHT! IT’S ALL STILL HERE! YOU FOOLS GAVE ME EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!” 

“Fuck.” Dami muttered under her breath. The detective didn't understand. It was supposed to work. He should not have been able to absorb all of those overwhelming powers at once. Siyeon was supposed to divert his attention so that she could reverse the pillar’s process. The Haetemians were supposed to get their birthright back. 

So why? Why were her teammates struggling to stand? Why was Sun still here?

He picked up Siyeon’s broken dagger and approached them. Jiu dashed in front of the prone girls and pointed her gun at the madman.

“Necromancer, get out of my way.” Sun said calmly. Victory was at his fingertips and nothing could dampen his good mood. It seemed that his divine origins still shone on him.

Jiu gritted her teeth. It might be a useless effort but she had to do something. She wasn't about to sit by and watch her friends get mangled. And she knew that no one, not the gods, not her Coven, will come to save them. They had to defend their broken home themselves.

 “Just fucking die already.” She spat. 

In the moment, it felt like everything was in slow motion. Physically, Jiu knew that not to be true but mentally, it really felt like that. Sun raised his dagger to cut down the last few people in his way. His victorious grin was imprinted on Jiu’s memory from how disgusting it was. She herself raised her gun in anticipation.

But then, pieces of gold pierced through his body. First his torso, then his arms and legs, and then finally, right through his left eye. 

He stood there, bloody and unmoved. His bloodied mouth opened to speak, “My...war...”

After what felt like an eternity, his body flopped onto the ground like a puppet cut from its strings.

“What the hell just happened?”

…

“Siyeon?...........SIYEON!”

Chapter Text

My dear friend, 

I am writing this letter to keep a record of my thoughts. When we first met, it was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I knew you were special the moment I laid eyes on you. You were born a natural leader, probably owing to your out-of-this-world origins. And I wanted nothing more than to be by your side and watch you do great things. 

You did. The village was prosperous under your leadership. We thrived together with the Haetemians. You brought peace and security to our lands. Other lands became jealous of your success. Remember when they came on a state visit? They poisoned your food and tried to start fights. But you know, I was always proud of the way you handled things. You never yelled or got angry. You promoted peace no matter what. Eventually, they came around your benevolent ways.

But then humans from our lands gained the abilities of the Haetemians. We suddenly had an army within a few people. War ravished our lands. And by some miracle, you too, had gained immense fire power. You put an end to the human wars but started killing the Haetemians soon after. 

Even then, I believed in you. The Haetemians, who have lived alongside us for years, were becoming aggressive. I believed that we were doing the right thing, for the future of our people and to end the apparent suffering of the Haetemians. 

I could have never imagined that you were the root of their suffering. 

I regret not questioning everything back then. I regret not stopping you as your friend. I regret letting you go down this war mongering path. I regret not saving the future of us and the Haetemians when I had the chance. I regret putting the lives of these children on the line because we adults can’t get ourselves together.

And so, I say farewell to you, dear friend. Maybe when you are put to rest, may you find your peace.

-From Kwon to Sun 

Undelivered, Year 2020

Chapter Text

“Okay, hear me out. Yoohyeon is literally the biggest baby out of all of us. Physically and emotionally.” Jiu started. 

“Yoohyeon is literally 10 feet tall...how exactly is she a baby physically?” Bora was skeptical.

Bora and Handong sat across from her in Yubin’s private detective office. It was a slow day and the two detectives were out doing some sleuthing. And so it was “middle-aged ladies’ gossip time” as Bora liked to refer to it as even though none of them were even past their twenties. 

Handong calmly set down her cup of tea. “No, no. You are mistaken. Yubin behaves most like a baby when she’s tired.” Jiu gasped as if Handong had just revealed a scandalous secret. It might as well be, since it was about the resident stoic detective. 

The oldest leaned across the coffee table. “...Is she...you know...cute?” Jiu gestured vaguely into the air. Handong just smirked and took another sip of her tea, not giving Jiu a proper reply. She’ll just keep Yubin’s cute sides to herself for now. 

“Now, now, children. I would like to announce that if...if Siyeon were here, she would be crowned babiest baby.” Bora said all of the sudden. Jiu gave her an unimpressed look while Handong just sipped her tea some more. 

“But Siyeon-”

The front door to the office opened before Jiu could say anything more. Yubin trudged in, closing the door behind her. 

“I’m back, Dongie.” She said, tired from the day’s work. When an old lady called her for an emergency, she was not expecting to get a cat out of a tree. But she did anyways because she didn't want to seem like a jerk in such a public place. It would be bad for business. Though the physical work did make the scar on her back ache a little.

As she hung her trench coat on the rack, she noticed two other people in the office. “Ah, Jiu and Bora are here.”

“Yep! Don’t sound too excited to see us! I have a day off from the hospital.”

“And I got half of the day off from the academy.”

Yubin hummed as she sat down next to Handong and wormed her way inside her girlfriend’s comfortable embrace. The younger girl closed her eyes, wanting to take a short nap before her next assignment. She could feel Handong’s lips pressing against her temple, making her relax.

“See. Total baby behavior.” The blonde commented randomly. 

“Okay but have you seen Yooh around the puppies...”

--

“Thank you for your help. Your input was valuable, detective Lee.” Principal Kwon said as he signed a check off to one Lee Gahyeon. “How’s your private eye business coming along?”

“Pretty good. Yubin and I are working our butts off everyday.” Gahyeon never thought that principal Kwon would ever acknowledge her input. She was sure that he saw her as some kid, even when they were planning for the war. Speaking of which…

“How are the students at the academy?”

The old man sighed. “They’re assimilating into society again. Kim Bora being an instructor here helps a lot since she was a highly respected rank 5. If she could move on with her life as a combat instructor without the help of her powers, so could they.”

“Well, we knew that this was going to affect people who have only known how to live with their powers their whole lives. This goes for everyone else in the world as well.” The young detective paused, with a chin on her hand. “But, they’ll get over it.”

Perhaps the most surprising thing that Gahyeon witnessed since the birth of the “new age” was how the lower ranked heroes stepped up. Those people were so used to being in the underfoot of society that they learned how to adapt to normal life rather quickly. They were the first to steel themselves and burn their comrades’ remains at the pyre. She even witnessed a low ranker slapping (literally) some sense into a rank 5 hero who was distraught at not being able to fight anymore. It was a work in progress for everyone but they can do it if they put their minds to it. Humans were resilient like that.

Gahyeon skipped out the door to her next destination, elated to have gotten a hefty sum from the principal.

Crepes, here I come~

A stop at her favorite crepe stand was all she needed to elevate her mood. Gahyeon happily ate her crepe as she walked to the hospital Jiu worked at. The older girl had texted her earlier that they were all gathered at Lee’s Private Eye so she wasn’t working today.

Oh well. Gahyeon still had someone to visit there. After she finished her crepe, of course.

--

“Here for Miss Lee Siyeon, again, detective?” The nurse at the front desk had seen Siyeon’s friends so many times that she began to recognize them. 

“Yup!” Gahyeon signed the visitor form and walked to the room without needing directions. A whole 3 months worth of coming here contributed to that. 

After getting the okay to visit, the detective made her way over to her friend’s room. Siyeon was asleep on the bed when Gahyeon opened the door. A pot of fresh yellow flowers sat on the side table with a pitcher of water. 

Ah, Bora must’ve stopped by earlier today. She thought to herself. The room itself was pretty plain so having flowers really spruced up the place. The curtains were also closed so Gahyeon drew them to allow sunlight into the room.

She sat down at the visitor chair placed at the bedside and held her friend’s cold hand. Suddenly, Gahyeon felt tired from the day’s weight.  If only Siyeon were awake...the older girl has been sleeping for too long…

....

….

….

“Gahyeon?” A groggy voice from the bed. 

“Oops sorry. Did I wake you?” the younger girl swept around the bed to get a glass or water prepared for the bedridden girl. 

“S’okay. My nap time is almost over anyways. Thanks for dropping by on such a short notice.” Siyeon said with a yawn. She reached over to put a pair of thick glasses over her eyes. 

“...And were you doing that thing again where you pretend I am dead to the world? I’ve been awake for at least 2 months now.”

“No? Hehe.” Siyeon narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Gahyeon grinned at her longtime friend. “Hey, Si. Physical therapy treating you well?”

The older girl beamed. “Yeah! Jiu said that I can be discharged by the end of the week! But don’t tell Bora, it’s supposed to be a surprise.”

It was nothing short of a miracle that Siyeon came back to them. At least, according to Jiu, it was a total miracle (Gahyeon was completely knocked out by the end of it). When the battle concluded with Sun’s death, Siyeon’s organs and body functions began to deteriorate at such a fast rate, there was no time to get a professional doctor to her. Jiu’s necromancy was already gone by the time the pillars and whatever Haetem/Siyeon did stopped. 

(Such was the price of being an Arbitrator. It was heavy but Siyeon bore it like a true hero.)

Bora sobbed and held Siyeon close despite her own injuries sustained during battle. Her arms were completely burned from the intensity of her fire. She even attempted to lift the younger girl and get her to a medic. But the redhead was too weak to even move herself to a safer location.

But then, a portal appeared a few feet from where they were and Jiu’s Ava appeared.

(“Ava?” Jiu breathed heavily from exertion. She was attempting to revive Siyeon but to no avail. Her hands were so, so bloody.

“Jiu...” But Jiu turned her back to Ava to continue the task at hand. 

“The battle is over and Sun and the pillars are gone. If you are not here to help, then please, go back and never return.” Hurt flashed through the older woman’s eyes but she approached her daughter.

She kneeled on the ground and got a good look at her child’s friends. They were all in very bad shape, especially the Arbitrator. “Kwon cut a deal with us.” At that, Jiu and Dami whipped their heads over to the woman. 

“In exchange for getting rid of the pillar, we will use our powers to save whoever is still breathing. Your circuits won’t accept the necromancy as it did before but it will be enough to keep you breathing.”

The leader of the Coven commanded her clanswomen to heal their injuries while she focused on the most serious case of all. Lee Siyeon’s body was unable to be saved by necromancy but Ava had another way. Her hands glowed a celestial white.

How was that possible?

“Ava...Thank you.” Jiu gasped out. She could feel the tears threatening to fall at the sight of her close friend’s wounds beginning to close. Siyeon was going to be okay. 

“I may not agree with your choices but...I still care about you. Though, this will be the last time, my child.” Jiu nodded with a knot in her throat. The comfort of a parent was something that could never be replaced, she realized. )

--

Gahyeon wheeled Siyeon out to the hospital garden for some fresh air. 

“Can’t wait to get out of here. I’m so sick of seeing those white walls.” Siyeon stretched her arms in the air, feeling the wind pass through her fingertips. 

“Can’t wait to see you around so that we can annoy you again.” The younger girl dodged a playful punch aimed at her arm. “So, will you be able to walk on your own?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Siyeon didn't sound too sad about that. She was just happy to be alive. “I’ll be confined to a wheelchair and my eyesight will never recover but at least I’m breathing. I can still talk, still hear, and still see with the help of these glasses. Not a bad price to pay, considering I absorbed all of the powers of the world in my body for a short moment.”

“Hm, you didn't nullify it?”

“No. I promised Haetem that I would return the Haetemians’ powers back. So I learned as much as I could from her in the short time we had to pull it off. The Haetemians aren’t going to cause trouble anymore.”

It was true. The Haetemians all around the world entered a state of calmness once their abilities returned to them. As if they understood their creator’s last wishes, they all approached the northern coastlines and swam upwards. A powerful and ancient tortoise Haetemian emerged from the depths of the Antarctic oceans. It was basically its own continent. And since then, no Haetemian was spotted on human lands. As long as no dumbass provoked them, they were no longer going to be a threat.

Gahyeon placed her hand on her chin after she sat down on a bench. “I see...and I’m guessing you used the pillars as a medium?” She used her other hand to push back some hair behind her ear, revealing a small scar on her temple.

“Yup. No point in absorbing if I couldn’t give it all back. Sun’s was the only power that I actually nullified. Anyways, that’s not what I asked you to come here for.” Siyeon lifted her brown notebook that was in her lap. After she woke up from her month long coma, she decided that she needed to do something to keep a record of everything. Bora was the one to encourage her to write a book and even bought her the notebook. 

So now, Siyeon was collecting everyone’s experiences and writing it to be published. In a few years, these events that once again shaped the world will be swept under the rug. But she didn't want that to happen because humans had to learn from their mistakes. Her friends didn't nearly sacrifice everything for it to be repeated later on.

“It was you at the end, wasn’t it? Yubin and Jiu described what happened to Sun when I was already on my way to Arbitrator heaven.” Gahyeon laughed at Siyeon’s lame joke. If the brunette was being honest, everything at the end was a total blur. All she had to offer were her last thoughts but even they were not coherent to her. 

(At the burning academy grounds, Gahyeon took in her surroundings again. The principal managed to tip the battlegrounds in their favor after entering the warzone himself. Even though she was laying out in the open and still in pain, she was relatively guarded. 

Her body wouldn’t listen to her. She could see the three pillars’ lights activating and could feel the drain on her circuits. Her friends were out there, risking their lives and here she was, immobile. 

Dammit. My head hurts.

Her surroundings were starting to blur together again. A piece of gold statue of Sun fell off. At this point, only half of the statue remained. The rest was either scrapped or melted from Bora’s far reaching flames. Or maybe it just melted from the destruction.

Good. That bastard doesn't deserve a statue anyways. If Gahyeon couldn’t move, the least she could do was kill him inside her head. Gahyeon giggled to herself at her ridiculous thoughts. Fuck, I’m really losing it.

Huh, I wonder if he really looked like that back then? )

“Ah!” Gahyeon jumped out of her seat at a sudden epiphany. Siyeon had wide eyes and a hand to her chest from Gahyeon’s crazy movements. “I know what happened! My teleportation powers worked when I imagined him just like how the statue looks.”

“How is that possible though? Sun looked like...Jun.” The older girl tilted her head to the side. 

“Not too sure on the details but maybe...maybe Sun still believed that he was in his former glory. The statue must’ve been his splitting image but how…? The principal?” Gahyeon’s head was beginning to ache. She just unknowingly opened a can of worms. 

Siyeon shook her head and patted the top of the younger’s head. “Nevermind that. You did well to save us at the last second, kiddo.” She grinned when Gahyeon beamed back at her. 

“So about the surprise for Bora...”

--

“Yoohyeon, you idiot...” Yubin sighed for the nth time that day. The detectives’ office was being transformed into a party setting to celebrate Siyeon’s discharge. Siyeon had wanted to surprise her girlfriend(?) so Bora was still working at the academy while the rest of them took the day off to prepare.

Currently, a tall tree by the name Kim Yoohyeon was getting tangled up with the banner decorations. She was the only one tall enough to handle the banner without a chair since Jiu was bringing Siyeon here. But her clumsy nature caused her to trip over nothing and get tangled up. Yubin can only bring a palm to her face from how idiotic her same-aged friend is. 

(She sometimes found it hard to believe that Yoohyeon was one of the key players in ending a millennium-long lie.)

The door opened as Yoohyeon was struggling and failing to untangle herself.

“Baby? What are you doing?” Jiu asked with amusement coloring her voice. She wheeled Siyeon inside and shut the door behind her. Yoohyeon just whined and pouted at her laughing girlfriend. 

“Alright you big pup, let’s get you out of there.” As Jiu pulled apart the banner, Yoohyeon’s shirt pulled up slightly and four identical scars bore the shape of where her wings used to be.

“Wow, Yooh. Is this how non-hero life is treating you?” Siyeon teased from her position on the wheelchair. As soon as Yoohyeon got her greeting kiss from Jiu and untangled her lanky limbs, she launched herself at Siyeon. 

“Singnie! You’re alive!” Yoohyeon giggled as she squished her friend in her arms. They both laugh at Yoohyeon’s ridiculousness. 

“So are you. How’s the pup rearing going?”

“Fantastic! They’re so cute and Jiu and I have decided to adopt two poms!” Yoohyeon excitedly exclaimed. Jiu had to pull at the back of her girlfriend’s collar before she suffocated Siyeon under her. 

“Alright, that’s enough you two. I’ll start getting jealous if you keep that up...” The tallest shot up and hugged her love tightly. 

Yubin sighed again. “Guys please focus on the task at hand. Dongie and Gahyeon are bringing Bora here as we speak. The only surprise she’s going to get at this rate is seeing how idiotic everyone is. Which really isn’t a surprise.” She muttered that last part under her breath but everyone heard anyway. 

They wanted to argue but knew that she was right so they got to work. By the time Handong had texted Yubin, the place was decorated to an acceptable degree. They turned off the lights and anticipated Bora’s arrival.

Handong’s voice could be heard through the door as the girl opened the office with her set of keys. The moment she flickered on the lights, everyone could see the surprise on Bora’s face. Yoohyeon was even recording the moment on her phone. She knew that she might be killed later by a small, angry bird. But that was later. Now is now.

“Hey, Bora. I’m home.” Siyeon gently smiled at the older girl. Bora couldn’t hold back and shed tears as she hugged the love of her life in her arms. Their friends allowed them to have this moment, knowing how long both of them had waited. But then it started to get awkward from how long the two were kissing so Handong did the courteous thing and used a balloon popper to interrupt them.

“I know you two are happy to see each other but...” Yubin smirked mischievously at Handong. The other girl understood where this was going. “Our little Gahyeonie also got her first date with tofu girl.”

Gahyeon felt betrayed by her fellow detective. She promised that she was going to keep it a secret! Now everyone was teasing her…

“Wait what? You haven’t asked her yet?! It’s been 3 months!” Bora exclaimed.

“I’m shy okay?!”

“And...” Yubin continued. “Dongie decided to stay here, on Earth.” She looked far more elated than her friends at the news. Handong wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

“Woo! We have so many things to celebrate!” The instant that Bora lifted a wine bottle from the cooler, they knew that they were going to be in for a long drinking night.

--

Later that night, under the protection of the blankets, two lovers cuddled, happy to be reunited. Bora brought herself closer to Siyeon’s warmth even though there was no space left between them. 

“Any closer and you’re going to melt into me.” Siyeon spoke, teasing the shorter girl. She felt the redhead place a palm where her heart lies. Bora was distraught for days after the war. 

“Shut up and cuddle me.” Bora demanded.

Siyeon was saved but Bora could not forget the feeling of not feeling a heartbeat under her palm. It frightened her to death. 

(Deep, deep, deep down, Bora was more scared about the fact that she was already beginning to come to terms with the fact that Siyeon was dying. Thankfully, that feeling is fading as time goes by.)

Siyeon stayed asleep for a long time. Even when she awoke, Bora felt her heart break at the thought of Siyeon never recovering the use of her body again. They all suffered severe scarring both physically and emotionally but Siyeon had it the worst by far. 

Of course, Siyeon took it like a champ. Even now, she was still reassuring Bora. “I’m just happy to be alive and here, with you.” She had said. So of course, plenty of tears were shed but Bora learned to appreciate what she had. 

“You know, there’s one good thing about you being in a wheelchair.” Bora started randomly. She could feel Siyeon rubbing circles on her back.

“Hm?”

“You’re shorter than me now.” Bora really tried her best to hold in her giggles but bursted out laughing in the end. Siyeon wanted to feel offended for herself but Bora’s happy smile on her face was so cute that Siyeon just ended up admiring her. 

“I love you.” Siyeon couldn’t resist and leaned down to kiss her softly. 

“I love you too. Is it weird to say that I always have?” Bora giggled through the tears. But they weren’t out of sadness. 

“Is it weird to say that I always have, too?” They both laugh at each other. No wonder their friends were so done with the way they were pining after each other. 

But after all that they did for the world, they all deserved a taste of happiness, too.