The World Ends With You - Chapter 9
Title: The World Ends With You
Chapter: 9/?
Pairings: ZhouRy (Main), many others
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Character Death, Angst, Apocalyptic Themes
Summary: Sequel to Till Death Do We Part. Zhou Mi had always been a failure of a necromancer. He botched up all his spells, brought back the wrong person, and the few times he had gotten it right, his ex boyfriend had taken it upon himself to send his successes back where they came from. But this didn’t stop him from trying… Until one day, the new boy next door happened to walk in on his ritual… And vanished into thin air. Determined to get Henry back, Zhou Mi set off for Korea, to find the only person he knew would be willing to help; Cho KyuHyun, his ex. But more people start disappearing, and the events set in motion would change all their lives, and the fate of the four worlds, forever.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait~! School's just about over, one week left! I probably won't update again for the rest of the week, but after that I will!
Trailer
Characters and Terms
Character Pictures
Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five || Chapter Six || Chapter Seven || Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
HanKyung wasn’t sure how long they’d been sitting there, both human and demon reluctant to move further into the unknown. SiWon seemed to loosen up a little, once he was sure HanKyung wasn’t about to attack him or anything. He appeared fascinated when HanKyung talked to him about Heaven and Hell, listening with keen attention. He was also surprised to learn of HanKyung’s rather high opinion of Heaven, considering he was a demon.
“I thought a demon would, well… Hate angels and Heaven,” SiWon commented, frowning lightly. HanKyung shrugged. “Most demons do. If HeeChul were here, you’d see how much of a taboo saying the word Heaven is. But JunSu and I, we don’t mind angels really.”
“Because you’re both a different kind of demon,” SiWon said, trying to piece together what HanKyung had told him so far.
“Well, we’re still demons. We consider ourselves nice demons though, and neither JunSu nor I would be able to act so cold-hearted to anyone.”
“So then how did you end up in Hell?” SiWon questioned, frowning. It seemed to him like HanKyung was more angelic than demonic, despite the tribal tattoos along his body and the red eyes. He was missing something important, he felt.
HanKyung’s eyes shadowed over, and SiWon’s own widened. “Oh, I’m sorry! You can ignore that,” He said, frowning inwardly at his lack of tact. Obviously it was a sensitive subject for HanKyung, and he couldn’t blame him. He had died, after all.
“No, it’s okay…” HanKyung murmured. “When I died… I had several things that I hadn’t taken care of in life. I was in Korea with my little sister, and… I was killed in a car accident. I was her only living relative, our parents abandoned us years ago… And she was stranded here because of my death. I couldn’t move on without making sure she was safe, so I followed her around as a ghost… But she was never safe enough for me to feel comfortable leaving her on her own.” His hands clenched slightly in his lap, remembering her panicked expression as she tried desperately to make a living in a foreign country they’d only planned on visiting for a week.
“About seven days into it, I… I don’t know what happened. I started getting mad at the stupidest things… It wasn’t like me at all. I…” HanKyung ran one hand along his face, voice becoming stuck in his throat. “I stopped following her, and wandered around for maybe five days… I have no clue what was happening… HeeChul explained that I had gone from a ghost to a poltergeist, because I’d been on Earth for too long. I… I killed someone.” He choked slightly on his words, the back of his eyes burning as SiWon stared at him. “He wasn’t even doing anything to me… I ran after, once I’d figured out what I was doing. Then I was caught by the angels.” He smiled sadly. “I can’t go to Heaven after killing someone, SiWon ah…”
“But if it wasn’t your fault,” SiWon murmured, feeling a sense of pity for the demon in front of him. “It doesn’t matter,” HanKyung said, shaking his head. “There was still blood on my hands, and there still is.” He never knew what happened to the boy he killed, whether he became a ghost as well, or passed on peacefully. He never would know. Nor would he know what happened to the ghost hunter who had been with the one he’d killed, who’d hesitated for a second too long and lost the chance to save his friend from death.
Head lowered, he didn’t see SiWon shift position until warm arms wrapped around him. Startled, he looked up at the human male, who only tightened his hug on the demon. “It’s not your fault,” SiWon murmured. Somehow, the Christian boys forgiveness lessened the burden he’d carried on his heart since the day he’d passed over. Wrapping his own arms around the taller man, HanKyung finally allowed the tears to fall, as he sent a small prayer to the boy he’d killed long before his time, knowing SiWon was doing the same. What he didn’t know, was SiWon was also praying for him, praying HanKyung would be forgiven one day, and be allowed entrance through Heavens Gates.
The moment of peace was interrupted, a shiver going down HanKyung’s spine. He knew the feeling well… The feeling of being watched. It usually was followed up by other demons attacking him and JunSu, and considering there were no demons here, HanKyung was nervous about who could possibly be watching them.
Disentangling himself from SiWon’s embrace, he pressed a finger lightly to his own lips, signaling to the human to be quiet. SiWon frowned slightly, before shivering as well. HanKyung looked around, trying to see who might be around. There was no one. He couldn’t see anyone.
SiWon gasped. HanKyung turned his head to follow the others line of vision, eyes training on the same spot as the humans. Chills ran through his body, staring in a mixture of fascination and horror as the darkness that had been looming at the edges of their vision started to move, curling up like thick wisps of smoke, creeping towards them.
“What is that?” SiWon whispered, too stunned to move.
HanKyung bit his lower lip with one fang, before standing up quickly, yanking SiWon to his feet. “I have no clue, but I doubt it’s friendly.” They started cautiously backing up, moving away from the approaching shadows. SiWon looked behind them, then came to a dead stop, turning HanKyung around. Looking, HanKyung’s eyes widened as he saw the movement along the ground.
They were completely surrounded.
*****
He was dreaming again. It was the same as before, he was sure of it. Wandering through the darkness, hearing others call out to him. He could hear Tablo and EunHyuk, but they weren’t alone this time. Voices he didn’t know called his name, in sweet, almost seductive voices. There was something off with them; metallic, echoing in a way Tablo and EunHyuk’s didn’t. It sent chills through his body, and he tried to walk away from them, but they were always coming closer no matter how much he ran, while the voices he did know, the ones he wanted to find, became fainter and fainter.
There was one voice though, that didn’t fade away. Zhou Mi’s worried shouts came closer and closer, and Henry squinted into the darkness, trying to see where his gege could be. “Zhou Mi ge!” He called.
“Henli! Where are you?”
“I’m in the Void! Help me, gege!” Something cold and dark wrapped around his ankles, pulling. He fell.
“Henli, wake up, wake up!”
Hands shook at him roughly. Eyes snapping open, Henry started up at EunHyuk, the boy hovering over him with a panicked expression. “What’s wrong?” Henry murmured in sleepy, broken Hangul, rubbing his eyes. EunHyuk pulled him into a sitting position, and Henry looked around for Tablo. Tablo was standing beside them, facing away, but what caught Henry’s attention wasn’t the protective stance the older male had taken, but the knife in his hand. He hadn’t known Tablo had one, though sometimes he had wondered at the odd bulge in his jacket pocket.
“We have to go, now,” Tablo ordered, and his usual easygoing tone was nowhere to be found. Henry looked around, getting to his feet as EunHyuk scrambled up beside him. For the first time since he’d woken, the Canadian noticed just how pale his new friend was. “What’s wrong?” He asked cautiously.
“We stayed in one spot for too long,” EunHyuk said, eyes wide as he fished around in one pocket and pulled out a pocketknife.
“He fell asleep, and didn’t wake us up,” Tablo replied, eyes trained on the darkness around them. Henry remembered it had been EunHyuk’s turn to stand guard while Tablo and he slept.“We’d been in this spot for nearly nine hours.”
“Nine hours?” They usually left after only four. They’d been stationary for over double the time they usually took. Henry frowned. “So lets get going?”
“Too late.”
The words sent goosebumps down his spine. “Too late? Why?” They’d never explained to him why they had to keep moving, never stopping for long. “What are you both so afraid of?”
EunHyuk pointed wordlessly. Henry followed his gaze, squinting to see through the darkness. “What?”
For a long moment, he didn’t know what it was he was supposed to be looking for. Then, he realized the darkness he was looking into was not staying still. It was moving, creeping along the ground towards them. Henry stared, then spun around to look at EunHyuk. “What are those?”
“No one we’ve met knows their real names,” Tablo answered, adjusting his grip on his knife. “We call them the Shadows. And if they get on you, it’s game over.”
”Henli!”
Henry whirled around at that voice. “Zhou Mi ge???” He couldn’t be hearing things; he knew Zhou Mi was here! “Gege, where are you?”
“Henry?” Tablo stared at him. “What’s wrong?”
”Henli, watch out!”
“YOUR FEET! MOVE!”
A cold grip around his ankle.
*****
Zhou Mi had been feeling ill right from the moment he and KiBum had found the shadows on the ground. Collecting a sample in a small, plastic bag, they walked in relative silence towards where they were to meet the rest of the group. Just looking at the black substance they’d pulled off of his and KiBum’s hands made his stomach churn. Such things were not meant to exist in their world.
He’d been out of sorts for a long time, actually. He hadn’t slept well, worried about Henry. When he had finally calmed down enough to sleep, his dreams were filled with darkness. A darkness where he could hear others calling Henry’s name, hear himself calling along with them.. But no matter how much he shouted, how much he looked through the darkness for his Mochi neighbor, he couldn’t find him.
When they reached the rendezvous location, YeSung’s house, they were the only ones there. KiBum sat down on the porch, Zhou Mi doing the same. Absently he ran his fingers over the spot of shadow remaining on his fingers, feeling shivers run down his spine at the lack of substance. He closed his eyes for a minute, resting.
”What ARE those?”
Zhou Mi’s head shot up, eyes opening. It couldn’t be. Looking around, he noticed he was no longer on the porch. He was surrounded in darkness. The darkness was moving, but it seemed to ignore him, heading in one direction. Zhou Mi stood up and followed it, hearing voices in the direction he was walking.
”No one we’ve met knows their real names. We call them the Shadows. And if they get on you, it’s game over.”
Three figures, standing up ahead. Zhou Mi’s eyes focused on the one closest to him, and his heart stopped beating for a moment. “Henli!”
Henry span around, eyes searching desperately through the darkness. But although Zhou Mi could see his neighbor perfectly fine, Henry couldn’t see him. ”Zhou Mi ge?” The Canadian called, trying to find the Chinese male. ”Gege, where are you?”
”Henry? What’s wrong?”
Looking at the male who had spoken, Zhou Mi noticed movement at the corner of his eyes. Returning his gaze to Henry, his mouth fell open in alarm as he watched the shadows around Henry’s feet rise, slowly curling around one ankle.
“Henli, watch out!”
“Zhou Mi, Zhou Mi! Wake up!”
Hands shook at him, and Zhou Mi bolted upright, gasping for breath. KiBum stared at him with a worried expression. “Are you alright?” The Entity asked, taking in the sweat-covered forehead and eccentric breathing.
Zhou Mi looked around for Henry, but he was back on the porch, as though nothing had happened. “What happened?” He managed to ask.
“You fell asleep,” KiBum answered. “Then started thrashing around and calling for Henli. Are you sure you’re alright?”
Just a dream. It was just a dream, a figment of his active imagination trying to puzzle out what could be happening to Henry.
But then why did he feel such dead weight in his stomach?
“We’re back!”
Zhou Mi and KiBum looked up, to see KyuHyun and SungMin walking towards them. “Guys, look!” SungMin exclaimed, waving around his black hands. “I can’t actually see it, but Kyunnie says there’s something on my hands…”
“There is,” KiBum confirmed, staring at the shadows covering his friends skin, then motioned to the bag beside himself and Zhou Mi. “We found some too.”
“So did we,” KangIn called, as he and LeeTeuk walked up to them. “This stuff has been sticking to everything it comes in contact with. It’s murder keeping it off of you. And since SungMin can’t see it, it must only be visible to spirits and part-Entities.”
“Do you think YeSung and RyeoWook would have found anything?” Zhou Mi asked, drawing one knee up to his chin. KiBum shook his head. Neither of them is very spiritually in-tune… I doubt they’d notice the shadows.”
KyuHyun had been watching the black substance on SungMin’s hands with an almost thoughtful expression. Suddenly, his eyes widened. “When I first noticed the shadows on your hands… It hadn’t even covered your wrist.” He grabbed SungMin’s arms and showed them to the others.
The darkness had spread nearly to his elbows.
“It’s alive!” Zhou Mi exclaimed in alarm, as everyone scrambled to find something they could use to get it off of SungMin. SungMin shivered at the feeling of goosebumps, resisting the urge to rub his arms. He didn’t want to spread the stuff even more.
Using handkerchiefs and tissues, everyone got to work cleaning SungMin’s arms. The darkness was persistent, refusing to come off easily. And now that they were all paying attention, everyone could see it creeping further up SungMin’s arms even as they tried to get it off.
“It feels weird,” SungMin murmured, watching them. “Like, it doesn’t feel like much, except for a cold breeze maybe. I keep getting goosebumps.”
Finally, they managed to get it off. Dumping the clothes full of shadows into the bad KiBum and Zhou Mi had found, they sat down and started waiting for YeSung and RyeoWook to show up, talking about what the shadows could be and bouncing back and forth ideas.
When an hour had passed from the time they’d agreed to meet, and no YeWook in sight, they began to worry. “Maybe they’re lost?” KiBum suggested, looking at his phone. “It wouldn’t be the first time YeSung couldn’t find his way back home.”
“But RyeoWook’s with him,” SungMin pointed out. “He’s got an amazing sense of direction.”
“I’ll call,” KiBum replied, dialing his best friends number and waiting for YeSung to answer the phone.
When he heard the soft click of the call being answered, KiBum started talking. “YeSung, where are you? You and RyeoWook were supposed to be back here an hour ago.”
”He’s… He’s gone.”
“What?” It wasn’t the words themselves that got KiBum’s attention, YeSung was known for being confusing. It was the fear and despair he heard in his friends voice that sent shivers down his spine. “Who’s gone?”
”RyeoWook!” YeSung exclaimed, suddenly seeming to snap out of a trance. ”He’s gone! He disappeared, right in front of me, I saw him-“ YeSung choked up.
Everyone else stopped talking, alarmed by the look of surprise on KiBum’s face. “RyeoWook…. He was sent to the Void?” He whispered.
His answer was a choked sob from the other end of the line.
*****
Two pairs of arms hooked around his own, pulling just as the darkness that had snuck up on him tugged on his feet. There was a sickening noise like being pulled out of mud, and Henry, EunHyuk and Tablo fell over as the Canadian was released. Henry scrambled off of Tablo as soon as he figured out what had happened, eyes still scanning the darkness for Zhou Mi. The others voice had faded away, the instinct that had told him Zhou Mi was there now told him he was gone.
“Stay between us,” Tablo said breathlessly as he and EunHyuk got back up. The two took up positions on either side of the youngest, brandishing their weapons. “When we tell you to run, run and don’t stop.”
The shadows on Tablo’s side reared up, growing to nearly twice the males height. Henry shrunk back in fear, but Tablo darted forward, knife slashing through the shadow’s middle. It collapsed on itself, quivering before reaching out for him again. EunHyuk fought off the darkness on his side the best he could with a small pocketknife.
Suddenly, Tablo cut a path through the shadows. “NOW!” Tablo pushed Henry through the gap in the shadows, sending EunHyuk right after him. The three young men ran, Tablo overtaking both others quickly so he could take the lead and steer them around pitfalls and hills. Henry ran as fast as he could, heart pounding in his ears.
Something yanked at his feet, and he fell with a shout. EunHyuk and Tablo skidded to a stop as Henry looked down to see the black around his ankle, creeping up his skin as he was dragged backwards. “No!” EunHyuk shouted, eyes wide.
A white feather floated down in front of him, brushing Henry’s cheek.
“Incoming!”
Hnery was suddenly yanked upwards, his stomach lurching as arms closed around his waist. Wings beat hard around him, trying to pull him out of the grasp of the shadows. “Wrap your arms around me, and hold on,” The Japanese-looking male gasped in Korean, before returning his attention to the shadows. The wings were attached to his body, his entire form glowing a pearly white as he struggled to gain height.
There was a bang of a gun, and the pulling at his ankle stopped. Both males suddenly shot up as the winged man gave a powerful flap of his wings, Henry closing his eyes as everything span. “Sorry,” apologized the one who’d saved him, stabilizing himself. Henry slowly opened his eyes, looking down at the ground below.
Three people fought back the shadows, the one in the center using a shotgun. The others used various weapons, a small knife like Tablo and a piece of wood. A fourth male stood a safe distance away. EunHyuk and Tablo joined them, fighting until the Shadows were the one to retreat, creeping back along the ground until the darkness was still once more.
Henry was lowered back to the ground gently, the winged man landing beside him. Henry turned to look at him, taking in the pale skin, and cross earrings. “Are you an angel?” He asked quietly. The other male smiled and nodded.
“HyunJoong! Great timing!” Tablo exclaimed, sighing in relief as the four who’d appeared turned to look at them. The one he’d addressed, the man with the shotgun, smiled. “As always.”
Tablo laughed at the reply, looking towards Henry and the angel. “A new addition?” He asked, surprised.
HyunJoong nodded. “YoungSaeng appeared just a few days ago.” The angel waved.
“So Heaven’s being affected too now…” Tablo murmured. EunHyuk looked at him, then back at the new group. His eyes lit on the one who hadn’t fought, carrying another young man on his back. “Who is that? Is he okay?” He asked, frowning.
They all gathered into a circle, the one he’d addressed placing the unconscious male on the ground between them. When they had a good look at his face, EunHyuk gasped.
He had red tattoos running down his skin, delicate swirls along his cheeks and neck. Pointed ears stuck out from underneath black hair, fangs visible through slightly parted lips.
“We rescued him from the Shadows a few hours ago,” HyunJoong explained, kneeling down beside the male. “A demon. So Heaven and Hell…”
First an angel, now a demon? Henry stared at the unconscious demon, noting the slightly chubby cheeks and baby-ish appearance. “He doesn’t look very demon-like…”
Around him the others started introducing themselves. The one who’d been carrying the demon was JungMin, the other two HyungJoon and KyuJong. Apparently they were friends of Tablo.
“So, now will you explain to me just what those were?” Henry asked, once they’d all settled down. HyunJoong had said it was safe to stay here for an hour or so, but after they’d have to start moving again.
“You don’t know?” HyungJoon asked, frowning slightly. Tablo sighed. “No, we haven’t told him yet. We were hoping it would be a while before we ran into the Shadows again.”
“Those are the creatures that live in the Void,” HyunJoong explained, head tilted slightly to one side as he watched the darkness around them. “You can’t kill them, though you can fight them off. They can’t kill you either.”
“If they can’t kill us,” Henry started, frowning as he stumbled over the Korean words. “Then why are you all so afraid of them?”
“Just because they can’t kill you doesn’t mean they can’t harm you,” Tablo answered, eyes shadowed. “They have no physical bodies… Think of them as dark spirits. Their sole mission at this point in time seems to be finding a physical body to inhabit… But to have a body, they need to take one by force.”
“I… Don’t understand.”
“They’ll possess you,” KyuJong, who’d been quiet until now, whispered. “Possess you, rid you of all free will, turn you into their puppet.”
Henry stared at him, the older male looking back with haunted eyes. HyunJoong clasped one hand on KyuJong’s shoulder. “He was sent here along with his brother,” the older male explained. “We managed to rescue him from the Shadows, but we were too late for his brother.” Henry gave KyuJong a look of pity, the other falling silent again and turning his head away.
“They possess you? Really?” Henry murmured, shocked. Tablo nodded. “That’s why it’s dangerous to walk around here alone. Always go in pairs, or large groups. Always have at least one person keeping guard, and never stop moving. It makes it harder for them to catch you.”
Henry felt chills go down his spine. “Thanks,” He said quietly. “For finding me.” It didn’t sound like something he wanted to go through.
“We wouldn’t just leave you there,” Tablo said with a small smile. “That’s a fate no one deserves.”
HyunJoong sighed. “We try and find as many people as we can… Anyone wandering around by themselves here, doesn’t stand a chance.”
*****
“Hello? YeSung hyung? KiBum ah? SungMin hyung?”
RyeoWook looked around him, shivering not in cold but in fear. Was this the Void? It was so… Empty. There was nothing, no one around. He’d nearly fallen down a hill a few minutes ago, barely regaining his balance in time. There was no way of knowing how long he’d been here… It felt like hours, but it couldn’t have been.
He’d tried calling, but cell phone wouldn’t work. It kept short-circuiting, and when it did say it had signal, he would call and hear nothing but an endless dial tone.
Calling his friends names again, RyeoWook stopped walking and looked around him. Had he been going anywhere? It was impossible to tell. He might have just been wandering in circles for all he knew.
”Are you lost?”
RyeoWook blinked, looking around for the owner of the voice. He couldn’t see anyone. “Who’s there?” He called. Goosebumps ran along his skin.
”Does it matter?” That voice… It was sickenly sweet, dripping with honey and venom. RyeoWook wanted to move away from it, but it seemed to be coming from inside his head. “Who ever you are…” He started. “Leave me alone.”
”Why should I?” RyeoWook tried to back up, but his feet were anchored to the ground. He couldn’t move. Chills ran through his body, as his skin went cold gradually from the feet up. “Stop it,” He whispered.
”No.” The voice. It was amused at him. Laughing at him.
“Who are you?” RyeoWook asked, shaking now. He felt numb, so cold and numb. His body wasn’t responding to his mind anymore. He couldn’t move anything, except his mouth to talk.
”Wrong question.”
His vision was starting to go; he knew it even though everything was dark already anyways. “What are you?” He asked faintly.
”Much better.”
RyeoWook slipped into unconsciousness. Just before he passed out completely, he heard the voice answer him, but it was different this time. The voice had changed… He knew this new voice. It took him a moment to figure it out.
The voice was his own.
“Your worst nightmare.”
Chapter: 9/?
Pairings: ZhouRy (Main), many others
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Character Death, Angst, Apocalyptic Themes
Summary: Sequel to Till Death Do We Part. Zhou Mi had always been a failure of a necromancer. He botched up all his spells, brought back the wrong person, and the few times he had gotten it right, his ex boyfriend had taken it upon himself to send his successes back where they came from. But this didn’t stop him from trying… Until one day, the new boy next door happened to walk in on his ritual… And vanished into thin air. Determined to get Henry back, Zhou Mi set off for Korea, to find the only person he knew would be willing to help; Cho KyuHyun, his ex. But more people start disappearing, and the events set in motion would change all their lives, and the fate of the four worlds, forever.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait~! School's just about over, one week left! I probably won't update again for the rest of the week, but after that I will!
Trailer
Characters and Terms
Character Pictures
Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five || Chapter Six || Chapter Seven || Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
HanKyung wasn’t sure how long they’d been sitting there, both human and demon reluctant to move further into the unknown. SiWon seemed to loosen up a little, once he was sure HanKyung wasn’t about to attack him or anything. He appeared fascinated when HanKyung talked to him about Heaven and Hell, listening with keen attention. He was also surprised to learn of HanKyung’s rather high opinion of Heaven, considering he was a demon.
“I thought a demon would, well… Hate angels and Heaven,” SiWon commented, frowning lightly. HanKyung shrugged. “Most demons do. If HeeChul were here, you’d see how much of a taboo saying the word Heaven is. But JunSu and I, we don’t mind angels really.”
“Because you’re both a different kind of demon,” SiWon said, trying to piece together what HanKyung had told him so far.
“Well, we’re still demons. We consider ourselves nice demons though, and neither JunSu nor I would be able to act so cold-hearted to anyone.”
“So then how did you end up in Hell?” SiWon questioned, frowning. It seemed to him like HanKyung was more angelic than demonic, despite the tribal tattoos along his body and the red eyes. He was missing something important, he felt.
HanKyung’s eyes shadowed over, and SiWon’s own widened. “Oh, I’m sorry! You can ignore that,” He said, frowning inwardly at his lack of tact. Obviously it was a sensitive subject for HanKyung, and he couldn’t blame him. He had died, after all.
“No, it’s okay…” HanKyung murmured. “When I died… I had several things that I hadn’t taken care of in life. I was in Korea with my little sister, and… I was killed in a car accident. I was her only living relative, our parents abandoned us years ago… And she was stranded here because of my death. I couldn’t move on without making sure she was safe, so I followed her around as a ghost… But she was never safe enough for me to feel comfortable leaving her on her own.” His hands clenched slightly in his lap, remembering her panicked expression as she tried desperately to make a living in a foreign country they’d only planned on visiting for a week.
“About seven days into it, I… I don’t know what happened. I started getting mad at the stupidest things… It wasn’t like me at all. I…” HanKyung ran one hand along his face, voice becoming stuck in his throat. “I stopped following her, and wandered around for maybe five days… I have no clue what was happening… HeeChul explained that I had gone from a ghost to a poltergeist, because I’d been on Earth for too long. I… I killed someone.” He choked slightly on his words, the back of his eyes burning as SiWon stared at him. “He wasn’t even doing anything to me… I ran after, once I’d figured out what I was doing. Then I was caught by the angels.” He smiled sadly. “I can’t go to Heaven after killing someone, SiWon ah…”
“But if it wasn’t your fault,” SiWon murmured, feeling a sense of pity for the demon in front of him. “It doesn’t matter,” HanKyung said, shaking his head. “There was still blood on my hands, and there still is.” He never knew what happened to the boy he killed, whether he became a ghost as well, or passed on peacefully. He never would know. Nor would he know what happened to the ghost hunter who had been with the one he’d killed, who’d hesitated for a second too long and lost the chance to save his friend from death.
Head lowered, he didn’t see SiWon shift position until warm arms wrapped around him. Startled, he looked up at the human male, who only tightened his hug on the demon. “It’s not your fault,” SiWon murmured. Somehow, the Christian boys forgiveness lessened the burden he’d carried on his heart since the day he’d passed over. Wrapping his own arms around the taller man, HanKyung finally allowed the tears to fall, as he sent a small prayer to the boy he’d killed long before his time, knowing SiWon was doing the same. What he didn’t know, was SiWon was also praying for him, praying HanKyung would be forgiven one day, and be allowed entrance through Heavens Gates.
The moment of peace was interrupted, a shiver going down HanKyung’s spine. He knew the feeling well… The feeling of being watched. It usually was followed up by other demons attacking him and JunSu, and considering there were no demons here, HanKyung was nervous about who could possibly be watching them.
Disentangling himself from SiWon’s embrace, he pressed a finger lightly to his own lips, signaling to the human to be quiet. SiWon frowned slightly, before shivering as well. HanKyung looked around, trying to see who might be around. There was no one. He couldn’t see anyone.
SiWon gasped. HanKyung turned his head to follow the others line of vision, eyes training on the same spot as the humans. Chills ran through his body, staring in a mixture of fascination and horror as the darkness that had been looming at the edges of their vision started to move, curling up like thick wisps of smoke, creeping towards them.
“What is that?” SiWon whispered, too stunned to move.
HanKyung bit his lower lip with one fang, before standing up quickly, yanking SiWon to his feet. “I have no clue, but I doubt it’s friendly.” They started cautiously backing up, moving away from the approaching shadows. SiWon looked behind them, then came to a dead stop, turning HanKyung around. Looking, HanKyung’s eyes widened as he saw the movement along the ground.
They were completely surrounded.
*****
He was dreaming again. It was the same as before, he was sure of it. Wandering through the darkness, hearing others call out to him. He could hear Tablo and EunHyuk, but they weren’t alone this time. Voices he didn’t know called his name, in sweet, almost seductive voices. There was something off with them; metallic, echoing in a way Tablo and EunHyuk’s didn’t. It sent chills through his body, and he tried to walk away from them, but they were always coming closer no matter how much he ran, while the voices he did know, the ones he wanted to find, became fainter and fainter.
There was one voice though, that didn’t fade away. Zhou Mi’s worried shouts came closer and closer, and Henry squinted into the darkness, trying to see where his gege could be. “Zhou Mi ge!” He called.
“Henli! Where are you?”
“I’m in the Void! Help me, gege!” Something cold and dark wrapped around his ankles, pulling. He fell.
“Henli, wake up, wake up!”
Hands shook at him roughly. Eyes snapping open, Henry started up at EunHyuk, the boy hovering over him with a panicked expression. “What’s wrong?” Henry murmured in sleepy, broken Hangul, rubbing his eyes. EunHyuk pulled him into a sitting position, and Henry looked around for Tablo. Tablo was standing beside them, facing away, but what caught Henry’s attention wasn’t the protective stance the older male had taken, but the knife in his hand. He hadn’t known Tablo had one, though sometimes he had wondered at the odd bulge in his jacket pocket.
“We have to go, now,” Tablo ordered, and his usual easygoing tone was nowhere to be found. Henry looked around, getting to his feet as EunHyuk scrambled up beside him. For the first time since he’d woken, the Canadian noticed just how pale his new friend was. “What’s wrong?” He asked cautiously.
“We stayed in one spot for too long,” EunHyuk said, eyes wide as he fished around in one pocket and pulled out a pocketknife.
“He fell asleep, and didn’t wake us up,” Tablo replied, eyes trained on the darkness around them. Henry remembered it had been EunHyuk’s turn to stand guard while Tablo and he slept.“We’d been in this spot for nearly nine hours.”
“Nine hours?” They usually left after only four. They’d been stationary for over double the time they usually took. Henry frowned. “So lets get going?”
“Too late.”
The words sent goosebumps down his spine. “Too late? Why?” They’d never explained to him why they had to keep moving, never stopping for long. “What are you both so afraid of?”
EunHyuk pointed wordlessly. Henry followed his gaze, squinting to see through the darkness. “What?”
For a long moment, he didn’t know what it was he was supposed to be looking for. Then, he realized the darkness he was looking into was not staying still. It was moving, creeping along the ground towards them. Henry stared, then spun around to look at EunHyuk. “What are those?”
“No one we’ve met knows their real names,” Tablo answered, adjusting his grip on his knife. “We call them the Shadows. And if they get on you, it’s game over.”
”Henli!”
Henry whirled around at that voice. “Zhou Mi ge???” He couldn’t be hearing things; he knew Zhou Mi was here! “Gege, where are you?”
“Henry?” Tablo stared at him. “What’s wrong?”
”Henli, watch out!”
“YOUR FEET! MOVE!”
A cold grip around his ankle.
*****
Zhou Mi had been feeling ill right from the moment he and KiBum had found the shadows on the ground. Collecting a sample in a small, plastic bag, they walked in relative silence towards where they were to meet the rest of the group. Just looking at the black substance they’d pulled off of his and KiBum’s hands made his stomach churn. Such things were not meant to exist in their world.
He’d been out of sorts for a long time, actually. He hadn’t slept well, worried about Henry. When he had finally calmed down enough to sleep, his dreams were filled with darkness. A darkness where he could hear others calling Henry’s name, hear himself calling along with them.. But no matter how much he shouted, how much he looked through the darkness for his Mochi neighbor, he couldn’t find him.
When they reached the rendezvous location, YeSung’s house, they were the only ones there. KiBum sat down on the porch, Zhou Mi doing the same. Absently he ran his fingers over the spot of shadow remaining on his fingers, feeling shivers run down his spine at the lack of substance. He closed his eyes for a minute, resting.
”What ARE those?”
Zhou Mi’s head shot up, eyes opening. It couldn’t be. Looking around, he noticed he was no longer on the porch. He was surrounded in darkness. The darkness was moving, but it seemed to ignore him, heading in one direction. Zhou Mi stood up and followed it, hearing voices in the direction he was walking.
”No one we’ve met knows their real names. We call them the Shadows. And if they get on you, it’s game over.”
Three figures, standing up ahead. Zhou Mi’s eyes focused on the one closest to him, and his heart stopped beating for a moment. “Henli!”
Henry span around, eyes searching desperately through the darkness. But although Zhou Mi could see his neighbor perfectly fine, Henry couldn’t see him. ”Zhou Mi ge?” The Canadian called, trying to find the Chinese male. ”Gege, where are you?”
”Henry? What’s wrong?”
Looking at the male who had spoken, Zhou Mi noticed movement at the corner of his eyes. Returning his gaze to Henry, his mouth fell open in alarm as he watched the shadows around Henry’s feet rise, slowly curling around one ankle.
“Henli, watch out!”
“Zhou Mi, Zhou Mi! Wake up!”
Hands shook at him, and Zhou Mi bolted upright, gasping for breath. KiBum stared at him with a worried expression. “Are you alright?” The Entity asked, taking in the sweat-covered forehead and eccentric breathing.
Zhou Mi looked around for Henry, but he was back on the porch, as though nothing had happened. “What happened?” He managed to ask.
“You fell asleep,” KiBum answered. “Then started thrashing around and calling for Henli. Are you sure you’re alright?”
Just a dream. It was just a dream, a figment of his active imagination trying to puzzle out what could be happening to Henry.
But then why did he feel such dead weight in his stomach?
“We’re back!”
Zhou Mi and KiBum looked up, to see KyuHyun and SungMin walking towards them. “Guys, look!” SungMin exclaimed, waving around his black hands. “I can’t actually see it, but Kyunnie says there’s something on my hands…”
“There is,” KiBum confirmed, staring at the shadows covering his friends skin, then motioned to the bag beside himself and Zhou Mi. “We found some too.”
“So did we,” KangIn called, as he and LeeTeuk walked up to them. “This stuff has been sticking to everything it comes in contact with. It’s murder keeping it off of you. And since SungMin can’t see it, it must only be visible to spirits and part-Entities.”
“Do you think YeSung and RyeoWook would have found anything?” Zhou Mi asked, drawing one knee up to his chin. KiBum shook his head. Neither of them is very spiritually in-tune… I doubt they’d notice the shadows.”
KyuHyun had been watching the black substance on SungMin’s hands with an almost thoughtful expression. Suddenly, his eyes widened. “When I first noticed the shadows on your hands… It hadn’t even covered your wrist.” He grabbed SungMin’s arms and showed them to the others.
The darkness had spread nearly to his elbows.
“It’s alive!” Zhou Mi exclaimed in alarm, as everyone scrambled to find something they could use to get it off of SungMin. SungMin shivered at the feeling of goosebumps, resisting the urge to rub his arms. He didn’t want to spread the stuff even more.
Using handkerchiefs and tissues, everyone got to work cleaning SungMin’s arms. The darkness was persistent, refusing to come off easily. And now that they were all paying attention, everyone could see it creeping further up SungMin’s arms even as they tried to get it off.
“It feels weird,” SungMin murmured, watching them. “Like, it doesn’t feel like much, except for a cold breeze maybe. I keep getting goosebumps.”
Finally, they managed to get it off. Dumping the clothes full of shadows into the bad KiBum and Zhou Mi had found, they sat down and started waiting for YeSung and RyeoWook to show up, talking about what the shadows could be and bouncing back and forth ideas.
When an hour had passed from the time they’d agreed to meet, and no YeWook in sight, they began to worry. “Maybe they’re lost?” KiBum suggested, looking at his phone. “It wouldn’t be the first time YeSung couldn’t find his way back home.”
“But RyeoWook’s with him,” SungMin pointed out. “He’s got an amazing sense of direction.”
“I’ll call,” KiBum replied, dialing his best friends number and waiting for YeSung to answer the phone.
When he heard the soft click of the call being answered, KiBum started talking. “YeSung, where are you? You and RyeoWook were supposed to be back here an hour ago.”
”He’s… He’s gone.”
“What?” It wasn’t the words themselves that got KiBum’s attention, YeSung was known for being confusing. It was the fear and despair he heard in his friends voice that sent shivers down his spine. “Who’s gone?”
”RyeoWook!” YeSung exclaimed, suddenly seeming to snap out of a trance. ”He’s gone! He disappeared, right in front of me, I saw him-“ YeSung choked up.
Everyone else stopped talking, alarmed by the look of surprise on KiBum’s face. “RyeoWook…. He was sent to the Void?” He whispered.
His answer was a choked sob from the other end of the line.
*****
Two pairs of arms hooked around his own, pulling just as the darkness that had snuck up on him tugged on his feet. There was a sickening noise like being pulled out of mud, and Henry, EunHyuk and Tablo fell over as the Canadian was released. Henry scrambled off of Tablo as soon as he figured out what had happened, eyes still scanning the darkness for Zhou Mi. The others voice had faded away, the instinct that had told him Zhou Mi was there now told him he was gone.
“Stay between us,” Tablo said breathlessly as he and EunHyuk got back up. The two took up positions on either side of the youngest, brandishing their weapons. “When we tell you to run, run and don’t stop.”
The shadows on Tablo’s side reared up, growing to nearly twice the males height. Henry shrunk back in fear, but Tablo darted forward, knife slashing through the shadow’s middle. It collapsed on itself, quivering before reaching out for him again. EunHyuk fought off the darkness on his side the best he could with a small pocketknife.
Suddenly, Tablo cut a path through the shadows. “NOW!” Tablo pushed Henry through the gap in the shadows, sending EunHyuk right after him. The three young men ran, Tablo overtaking both others quickly so he could take the lead and steer them around pitfalls and hills. Henry ran as fast as he could, heart pounding in his ears.
Something yanked at his feet, and he fell with a shout. EunHyuk and Tablo skidded to a stop as Henry looked down to see the black around his ankle, creeping up his skin as he was dragged backwards. “No!” EunHyuk shouted, eyes wide.
A white feather floated down in front of him, brushing Henry’s cheek.
“Incoming!”
Hnery was suddenly yanked upwards, his stomach lurching as arms closed around his waist. Wings beat hard around him, trying to pull him out of the grasp of the shadows. “Wrap your arms around me, and hold on,” The Japanese-looking male gasped in Korean, before returning his attention to the shadows. The wings were attached to his body, his entire form glowing a pearly white as he struggled to gain height.
There was a bang of a gun, and the pulling at his ankle stopped. Both males suddenly shot up as the winged man gave a powerful flap of his wings, Henry closing his eyes as everything span. “Sorry,” apologized the one who’d saved him, stabilizing himself. Henry slowly opened his eyes, looking down at the ground below.
Three people fought back the shadows, the one in the center using a shotgun. The others used various weapons, a small knife like Tablo and a piece of wood. A fourth male stood a safe distance away. EunHyuk and Tablo joined them, fighting until the Shadows were the one to retreat, creeping back along the ground until the darkness was still once more.
Henry was lowered back to the ground gently, the winged man landing beside him. Henry turned to look at him, taking in the pale skin, and cross earrings. “Are you an angel?” He asked quietly. The other male smiled and nodded.
“HyunJoong! Great timing!” Tablo exclaimed, sighing in relief as the four who’d appeared turned to look at them. The one he’d addressed, the man with the shotgun, smiled. “As always.”
Tablo laughed at the reply, looking towards Henry and the angel. “A new addition?” He asked, surprised.
HyunJoong nodded. “YoungSaeng appeared just a few days ago.” The angel waved.
“So Heaven’s being affected too now…” Tablo murmured. EunHyuk looked at him, then back at the new group. His eyes lit on the one who hadn’t fought, carrying another young man on his back. “Who is that? Is he okay?” He asked, frowning.
They all gathered into a circle, the one he’d addressed placing the unconscious male on the ground between them. When they had a good look at his face, EunHyuk gasped.
He had red tattoos running down his skin, delicate swirls along his cheeks and neck. Pointed ears stuck out from underneath black hair, fangs visible through slightly parted lips.
“We rescued him from the Shadows a few hours ago,” HyunJoong explained, kneeling down beside the male. “A demon. So Heaven and Hell…”
First an angel, now a demon? Henry stared at the unconscious demon, noting the slightly chubby cheeks and baby-ish appearance. “He doesn’t look very demon-like…”
Around him the others started introducing themselves. The one who’d been carrying the demon was JungMin, the other two HyungJoon and KyuJong. Apparently they were friends of Tablo.
“So, now will you explain to me just what those were?” Henry asked, once they’d all settled down. HyunJoong had said it was safe to stay here for an hour or so, but after they’d have to start moving again.
“You don’t know?” HyungJoon asked, frowning slightly. Tablo sighed. “No, we haven’t told him yet. We were hoping it would be a while before we ran into the Shadows again.”
“Those are the creatures that live in the Void,” HyunJoong explained, head tilted slightly to one side as he watched the darkness around them. “You can’t kill them, though you can fight them off. They can’t kill you either.”
“If they can’t kill us,” Henry started, frowning as he stumbled over the Korean words. “Then why are you all so afraid of them?”
“Just because they can’t kill you doesn’t mean they can’t harm you,” Tablo answered, eyes shadowed. “They have no physical bodies… Think of them as dark spirits. Their sole mission at this point in time seems to be finding a physical body to inhabit… But to have a body, they need to take one by force.”
“I… Don’t understand.”
“They’ll possess you,” KyuJong, who’d been quiet until now, whispered. “Possess you, rid you of all free will, turn you into their puppet.”
Henry stared at him, the older male looking back with haunted eyes. HyunJoong clasped one hand on KyuJong’s shoulder. “He was sent here along with his brother,” the older male explained. “We managed to rescue him from the Shadows, but we were too late for his brother.” Henry gave KyuJong a look of pity, the other falling silent again and turning his head away.
“They possess you? Really?” Henry murmured, shocked. Tablo nodded. “That’s why it’s dangerous to walk around here alone. Always go in pairs, or large groups. Always have at least one person keeping guard, and never stop moving. It makes it harder for them to catch you.”
Henry felt chills go down his spine. “Thanks,” He said quietly. “For finding me.” It didn’t sound like something he wanted to go through.
“We wouldn’t just leave you there,” Tablo said with a small smile. “That’s a fate no one deserves.”
HyunJoong sighed. “We try and find as many people as we can… Anyone wandering around by themselves here, doesn’t stand a chance.”
*****
“Hello? YeSung hyung? KiBum ah? SungMin hyung?”
RyeoWook looked around him, shivering not in cold but in fear. Was this the Void? It was so… Empty. There was nothing, no one around. He’d nearly fallen down a hill a few minutes ago, barely regaining his balance in time. There was no way of knowing how long he’d been here… It felt like hours, but it couldn’t have been.
He’d tried calling, but cell phone wouldn’t work. It kept short-circuiting, and when it did say it had signal, he would call and hear nothing but an endless dial tone.
Calling his friends names again, RyeoWook stopped walking and looked around him. Had he been going anywhere? It was impossible to tell. He might have just been wandering in circles for all he knew.
”Are you lost?”
RyeoWook blinked, looking around for the owner of the voice. He couldn’t see anyone. “Who’s there?” He called. Goosebumps ran along his skin.
”Does it matter?” That voice… It was sickenly sweet, dripping with honey and venom. RyeoWook wanted to move away from it, but it seemed to be coming from inside his head. “Who ever you are…” He started. “Leave me alone.”
”Why should I?” RyeoWook tried to back up, but his feet were anchored to the ground. He couldn’t move. Chills ran through his body, as his skin went cold gradually from the feet up. “Stop it,” He whispered.
”No.” The voice. It was amused at him. Laughing at him.
“Who are you?” RyeoWook asked, shaking now. He felt numb, so cold and numb. His body wasn’t responding to his mind anymore. He couldn’t move anything, except his mouth to talk.
”Wrong question.”
His vision was starting to go; he knew it even though everything was dark already anyways. “What are you?” He asked faintly.
”Much better.”
RyeoWook slipped into unconsciousness. Just before he passed out completely, he heard the voice answer him, but it was different this time. The voice had changed… He knew this new voice. It took him a moment to figure it out.
The voice was his own.
“Your worst nightmare.”