Samhain

chapter twenty five: when chaos reigns

a/n - warning: violence (more than usual)

The church is dark when they enter.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The only discernible noise in the oppressive silence is a soft drip echoing across the marble floors. The sound reverberates throughout the wide-open room, though it's impossible to tell where it's coming from.

Blackness clings to every corner, veiling the intricate interior with complete nothingness. They walk in blindly but cautiously, acutely aware that someone is watching them.

The hairs on his neck stand on end. He thought that, after a while, his eyes would adjust to the dark - especially now that his wolven DNA has given him better night vision. The darkness must be magical. No matter how hard he strains his eyes, he can't see more than five feet in front of him.

Drip. Drip.

He can smell their shared anxiety in the air. He feels San hook his arm around his waist, quietly shuffling so that he's positioned between Wooyoung and whatever danger lies ahead.

Something moves above them.

And someone cries out for help.

"Jongho," Seonghwa says quietly, voice one level above a whisper.

Jongho. The shouting is hardly audible from where they are - he must be in further inside the church. Wooyoung closes his eyes to listen for him again and hears a door rattle somewhere in the chapel.

Jongho's in danger.

And that's enough to fill him with dread. How is Jongho, the most powerful person he knows, in danger? What kind of creature can overpower an angel?

Scuttling noises come from above as if a giant spider were running through the rafters on the ceiling. It's only when they begin to multiply that he realizes it isn't a spider, but dozens of pairs of legs all clattering down the walls and running straight toward them.

"The - it's the shadow creatures," Wooyoung manages to warn them right as the monsters surround them.

At this, Hongjoong moves ahead of the group and growls in warning. The threatening growl from their leader gives Wooyoung chills, and it scares the creatures just long enough to keep them away.

He takes the opportunity to motion toward Wooyoung. "We will hold them back. You need to find Jongho."

Without wasting a second, Hongjoong transforms.

Wooyoung takes off as the sounds of fighting ring out behind him. San follows closely behind Wooyoung in his wolf form, nose to the ground.

"Jongho?" Wooyoung calls out, holding his arms in front of him so he doesn't crash into anything.

He stumbles past rows of pews and nearly trips on the stairs leading up to the altar, but eventually finds his way to the chapel. As soon as he enters the room, he can hear banging coming from one of the closets. San leaps forward and rips the door off of its hinges.

"Finally." Jongho's shoulders slump with relief. His angelic aura cuts through the gloom, radiating light even in magical darkness. He reaches out to pat San on the head. "San. Hello. I've been waiting for you to come, but I must admit, it's been a very long wait."

"You knew we were coming?" Wooyoung asks, eyes adjusting to the brightness emanating from the angel.

"Of course I did."