In aeternum

Chapter 25

San was fine. He had managed to run away from Wooyoung after ducking into every possible turn he could find. He was also gasping for air as he hadn't sprinted that fast in a while. He couldn't even find a second to try to calm Wooyoung down earlier but something made his friend change targets and he didn't know whether to feel grateful or not since another vampire had died. He took a deep breath and continued making his way through the maze before finally finding his way out to the platform again. He blinked and peered out, the entire platform was destroyed and he felt himself freezing up at the sight before him. Wooyoung's arm had torn through Seonghwa's body and his best friend ripped his hand out. San felt as if time had slowed down in that moment as he watched his dad collapse with a gaping hole in his chest.

"Appa...," he heard himself whisper before all his emotions rushed up and he screamed instead. "APPA!!"

A few moments before that had occurred, the trio including Hongjoong had started becoming more worried when Seonghwa was unable to pin Wooyoung down. Even with his swapping abilities and Seonghwa trying to use the cuffs that San was in earlier, Wooyoung was an unstoppable force while Seonghwa had to restrain himself from hurting the younger, which resulted in him getting hurt worse.

"Jongho, let's execute the plan. This can't go on. Even if it's just a distraction, maybe it'll help Seonghwa hyung do something," Yunho said, unable to watch Seonghwa get hurt anymore.

"But..." Jongho clenched his jaw before slowly nodding. "Okay. Okay. Let's do it."

Yunho nodded and turned into a bird. He landed on Jongho's hand and Jongho took a deep breath. He lifted Yunho and aimed towards Yeosang. Jongho threw Yunho with all his might, sending the other flying like a bullet.

"The plan is simple. Yunho distracts Yeosang with Mingi. While that happens, it should make his control over Wooyoung easier to break. And after I get him under control, then comes your part, Hongjoong."

But it was much easier said than done. Seonghwa coughed up some blood he felt building up and wiped it away with his palm as he took deep breaths. He noticed Yunho zipping pass and realised they had started the plan without his signal.

Yunho hit Yeosang but the other felt like a wall of bricks. He spread his wings and started to slash at his face. Yeosang frowned and swatted Yunho aside, his eyes moving towards the right. Mingi took that chance to stab a syringe into his neck from the left and injected it before Yeosang hissed and swung his arm at Mingi who was knocked back.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yeosang growled at the two males who quickly huddled up to each other as Yunho turned back, coughing painfully. "You will both be executed."

"We are invisible!" Mingi quickly yelled as his eyes glowed.

"What?" Yeosang blurted out when both of them disappeared from his sight, temporarily forgetting how Mingi's powers worked since his focus had been purely on Wooyoung recently. Mingi quickly pulled Yunho up and they both ran.

Meanwhile Seonghwa was having a staredown with Wooyoung, he noticed the other seemed dazed for a moment and tried to open their telepathic connection as he dove into Wooyoung's mind. He was shocked to find himself surrounded by thorny vines since the last time he had been in here, it was a sunny beach. He heard a grunt and spun around to find Wooyoung a few feet away from him, trapped in between. He couldn't move or the vines would dig deeper into his skin but he noticed Seonghwa and cried out.

"Appa, help me," he whimpered and Seonghwa wanted to tear through the vines but realised something was really wrong. He didn't have his powers nor did he feel strong. He felt... human. A strange feeling for a pureblood. He had never felt this... weak before. He knew wasn't strong even as a vampire but he's never felt this way. Like everything was capable of hurting him. Physically and mentally.