seraphim; vixx

II

THEY were unreliable. Hakyeon could care less and so could Taekwoon, for all he knew. The twins were useless; they had always been useless. They were more infatuated with each other and their "toys" rather than anyone else.

Wonsik thought that at least Sanghyuk would help. Sanghyuk, who regarded the humans with a childlike curiosity, refusing to inflict pain on any of them as the others often enjoyed doing. He and Wonsik had been the closest before the Fall. He was counting on the youngest, but the longer he spent there, the more Wonsik's hope had diminished. He should have known, with the five there was no hope. This would be the first and the last time he appealed to them.

"I know you can hear me, you bastards." And, almost in mockery for his desperate pleading, for the now shattered belief in his brothers, the cold walls echoed only silence back. A silence that only broke from the sound of his choked breathing. It was no use. Even if they did hear him, they would show no sign of it.

Wonsik rose to his feet, the pain from being on his knees for far too long shooting up his legs. He was tired. Tired of being ignored like he was nothing. Like he was a human. He didn't want to admit to himself that that was now what he was.

Slowly moving toward the old wooden doors that he entered and away from the altar where he had knelt, he left the church. The stained-glass eyes of Christ seemingly following him, as if Wonsik was the condemned rather than him.

He chuckled despite his circumstances. He was condemned, in a way. He didn't like Earth, didn't like humans. The ones he encounters were tired, bitter people who wore their trials and tribulations on their faces like masks. Happiness was rare down here and it baffled him to think that his other brother—the seventh—could survive this.

Well, survived it.

He was dead now, wasted away as the years wore on. Wonsik feared that he would end up just like him, that is until he learned of the girl. His brother's daughter conceived 22 years earlier; daughter of both the immortal and mortal. Despite the fact that her father was no longer one of the Eternal Ones, she still had immoral blood in her veins.

It was astonishing to Wonsik that none of his other brothers had discovered her existence before. He was sure Hakyeon—the eldest and more powerful of them all since the first Fall—would somehow have gotten a hold of her already.

Perhaps he did know and was just concealing her existence from the rest of them, waiting until she was the right age to reveal himself to her. It made sense, but knowing Hakyeon, he would've had her killed.

Wonsik didn't know. What he did know is that he would never find her. Not without anyone else's help.

He made his way down the street, the harsh cold biting at his exposed face and hands as he walked. The leather coat he wore provided no resistance against the weather, which seemed worse than it had been before he went into the cathedral. "Damn cold," he muttered under his breath. With a trembling hand—either from premature frostbite or the anger he felt toward his brothers—he reached into his pocket, bringing out the carton of cigarettes and lighter he bought that morning. Wonsik knew that it was a nasty habit—one that made his breath smell of tobacco and his cough worse than it already was—but it warmed him up. At least for the time being.

As he brought the cigarette up to his lips, a familiar voice rang out from behind him, as light as a whisper, but as cold and condescending underneath as the sharp edge of a knife. "You've actually resorted to cigarettes? How mundane."

Wonsik could recognize that voice anywhere, the only one that could seem soft and loud all at once. He turned around to face Taekwoon. "Look who it is," a frown tugged at Wonsik's lips. "Did Hakyeon send you here to kill me?" He tried to mask his fear with anger, but it was no use. His older brother could see right through his facade; that was easy enough now.

Taekwoon chuckled. "Don't flatter yourself, if Hakyeon wanted you dead, it would've happened already." Wonsik visibly relaxed and put his cigarette away. Taekwoon may have wanted him out, but he was right.

If he wanted him to be dead, he'd be dead.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Weren't you just praying for help?"

"I may have been, but I certainly wasn't expecting you of all people."

Taekwoon smirked. "Beggars can't be choosers, can they?"

"And what do you want in return for your 'help'?" Wonsik crossed his arms.

"Why would you think such a thing?" His older brother tilted his head, his thick brows raising and plump lips opening slightly as if surprised. It occurred to Wonsik how different they were. Despite both of them having angular faces, Taekwoon's demeanor was darker in a way he wasn't. He took after Hakyeon in that regard.

"Because I know you."

"Fine, I do want something. But you needn't worry about it right now. You should be focusing on the girl."

"Alright." Wonsik knew whatever Taekwoon desired from him wouldn't be anything simple, but he didn't have time to think about such trivial things. He turned away from his brother to glance up the street. "We should go soon, it's almost dawn and the humans will be out." He smirked. "I know how much you despise their exist—" He turned back around, but his brother was gone. Left without a word.

He sighed. Taekwoon had a habit of leaving without any indication of him doing so. The thought occurred to him that his older brother went back to report to Hakyeon about their little agreement, but he doubted it. For some reason, Taekwoon seemed trustworthy. Time would tell.

Wonsik began walking down the street. He would be back sooner or later and then they would find the girl. He had help and that was all he cared about. Even if it wasn't the help he desired.