What Lies Beneath ✅

Peal 22

I wheezed as I tried to catch my breath. My lungs contracted hard as my body tried to return to homeostasis. Keonhee held Youngjo as he wailed and tried to run. Seoho cleared his throat and had everyone's attention.

"Dongju, Hwanwoong, Keonhee. We need to protect these two until they can fend for themselves." Seoho said.

"As if we haven't been this entire time." Keonhee spat then glared at me.

"They're ni. Ni are highly sought after by greedy and power hungry creatures and humans alike, and to use an example, like incuel and succel. And they're only the least of your worries. Other ni will seek them out to rid of them so they can be the only revered ones." Seoho explained as he paced around.

My life had gotten a whole lot worse. I looked at Youngjo who looked surprised. Things were changing for him too.

"And now that their other basic has awakened, their magic will have random growth spurts and like Dongju, they'll go on the fritz. So be on guard with that too." Seoho warned.

We nodded then freaked out when sharp icicles shot out from underneath us.

"Shit..." Keonhee hissed as one had just grazed his calf.

More continued to appear until Dongju held my hand. He patted my head and made my heart flutter. I moved his hand away as the others were probably watching. It was embarrassing and would make them assume something that wasn't true. I then felt someone glaring at me. I looked up and saw it was coming from Keonhee.

"Hey, Geonhak, let's chat?" Keonhee said in a cheery voice.

"Okay..." I said then got up from my spot on the floor.

We walked a little ways off so they wouldn't hear us. I looked at him as I was curious as to what he wanted to say to me. Was he going to get on my case for causing unnecessary trouble?

"So, what is it?" I finally asked.

"I'm going to need you to be honest here." Keonhee said as he turned to face me.

"I'll try my best." I replied, feeling a bit skeptical.

"What's the relationship between you and Dongju?" he asked a bit tired.

"Good friends. He has saved me more than once you know." I said without hesitation.

"Is that so? You two have gone off by yourselves a lot. It's pretty suspicious." he said as he tapped his finger against his arm.

"Look, what we do isn't really any of your business. I don't get why you're so concerned about us. Do you...like him by any chance?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"And so what if I do? Are you going to lecture me for it?" he said while glaring.

I couldn't believe we were having such a conversation. I walked away then felt him pull me back.

"You're not suited for Dongju. He's more complex than you realize." said Keonhee before letting me go.

ㅂㅂㅂㅂ

Youngjo walked next to me then nudged me as we made our way to the nearest town.

"So, what's your other basic?" Youngjo asked happily.

"Spacial." I said with a smile.

"Really? You always wanted to be one. Oh! Didn't you say you had a reason?" said Youngjo with a gasp.

"It's silly...Forget it." I said while rubbing the back of my neck.

"I don't care. I really wanna know." he whined with puppy eyes.

"It's just...I heard stories about my grandfather being a spacial and I had grown to admire him from them. I've only met him twice in my life before he..." I said before trailing off.

"I get it." Youngjo said and gave me a small smile. "I kind of wanna share something too..."

I looked at him as he focused his attention on the sky above.

"When you first got your powers, I was afraid. Yours was so cool, literally, and I worried that mine wouldn't be as cool nor useful. And then when they did awaken, I had never felt so devastated. It was like, 'what the fuck do I do with small pearls other than trip people like in cartoons', you know?" he said with a somber look. "I was afraid to learn that I'd possibly end up useless..."

I pulled him closer and shook my head. I never considered how he was feeling about it back then.

"No power is ever truly useless, unless it's like having birds hang around you for no reason." I said, hoping I gave a good example.

"You have a point. And it's thanks to you guys I was able to learn how to make a weapon out of them." said Youngjo with a grin.

I loved seeing him smile. It brightened my mood no matter what mood I was in. I noticed the others had stopped as Seoho had gotten on all fours and was groaning in pain. We hurried to his side and had him lie on his back. Nothing seemed wrong on the outside, so we concluded it was something internal. He quieted down and closed his eyes.

"Did he pass out?" Hwanwoong asked while poking Seoho's body.

Youngjo moved to help Seoho up then had his wrist seized by him. Seoho then floated up in the air while holding Youngjo tightly. Suddenly, white wings sprouted from his back and his eyes opened, revealing emerald colored eyes.

"What just happened...?" Keonhee asked while watching the scene unfold.

Dongju suddenly attacked Seoho without warning.

"Ju, don't! You'll hurt the both of them!" Hwanwoong said as he kept Dongju's arms by his side.

"Let me go, you fool! Youngjo's-" Dongju started then gasped as Seoho had grabbed me as well.

I repeatedly stabbed his arm with an icicle and watched as blood trickled down, but his hold was still firm. It was as if he was numb to pain. I looked at Youngjo who tried reaching up to touch Seoho's neck.

"Really, thank you three for keeping these beautiful treasures safe. It's a shame you'll never see them again." Seoho said in a distorted voice, similar to that of an incuel.

Dongju shook Hwanwoong off then tried to bring Seoho down, only for it to be reflected back at him.

"Don't waste your time on trying to save them..." Seoho said then created black holes beneath us. "As you can see, you've already lost."

Seoho had let go of us and the clear blue sky had progressively gotten smaller until I was completely surrounded in the dark.