"As you know,the Academy has a strict policy when it came to our students. We –as heads but also as your professors or people– don't tolerate any kind of injury. One of the most important rules of this school is that everyone is safe"
The deputy headmistress declared,watching attently everyone on them.

Heeseung could feel the skin of his neck tingle from her intense gaze.

This woman was trully intense and really dangerous.

"But this is a crisis situation. The heir to the throne of the Empire got kidnapped and the media is acting on it already. We can't have this information spread more than it already has,if their majesties found about this...."
And heavy silence fell on them,after the words of the man.

It didn't take him long to figure out what he was referring to.

War.

He had meet the emperor and the empress multiple time since he was little. Being the second son of the Prime Minister had his privilege,and one of them was that his family had knew their sovereigns for ages and has a close relationship with them.

Riki's parents were passionate about the Empire,really wanting the best for their people. But they were also fierce and intense,especially when it came to their son needs or protection.

Ever since he had meet the prince,he was always accompanied by a guard or two,even when they were safe in the castle,and one of them was always Key.

Outside was even worst. Riki didn't make many public appearances (his parents were actually happy about it) but when he did...oh boy,he had at least 15 guards with him.

Heeseung always wondered how the prince could be kidnapped so many times a week with so many people watching over him. It was truly a mistery how he managed that.

"So,what do we do? We try to stop the media? And then what? How do we find him?"
Jay asked.

"First we need to keep the media away from the Academy and you guys. This mean that you can go out of the Academy ground's. You will be prohibited from leaving the barrier until the whole situation is over."
The Deputy Headmistress said,and voices were raised in protest.

"How can we do something if we can't go out?"

"This isn't right! We want to help,you can't cage us!"

"If you don't give us permission to do anything,then why in the first place you told us all of this?"

"What the–"
"Jay!"

Heeseung found himself agreeing with them.

How do they think they are to tell me to stay away from Riki? I knew him for almost all of my life! I won't let him suffer when I can help.

"Boys,boys,I don't think you understand. We never said that you can't help."
Know Jiyoung declared and Heeseung looked at him like he had lost it.

Because what does that even mean? They had just said that they can't go out. They basically told them they can't help.

Fortunately for him,Jungwon cleared his mind.

"That's actually pretty clever. You basically said that we can help you,but we can't get caught. While the pubblic will know that the Academy is keeping us here,in reality we'll going on a rescue mission"

All eyes at the table turned to the white-haired vampire. At that moment Heeseung could observe the resemblance he had to his father.

He had only met him a couple of times,but he was a highly respected vampire in the vampire court. The Chief of the Army was very compassionate and intelligent,a master in the art of the sword,and very confident in his ability.

Jungwon trully is his father's son.

"Smart one. You may be my favorite of the new students so far"
The woman said,smiling at him.

Jungwon's cheeks turned a light red for the unexpected compliment.

He is truly adorable.

"Does someone have something that belong to the prince? We can use a search spell to track him down."
The headmaster asked.

A spell? Vampire don't use magic in that way....

Heeseung's eyes narrowed.

Now that I think about it,we don't know what his power is...I mean Know Boah-ssi is definitely a shapeshifter after the Phoenix stunt,but I have no idea about him...

Vampires had powers at their disposal,they were changes present in their DNA since birth. They grew up with them and learn to controll them. Magic wasn't unknown to them,but until now no vampire had ever been recorded using it or having it in his blood (literally). They usually used it through artifacts or magic stones.

Something didn't add up here,but for the sake of his friend,he decided to let it go. For now.

"Something of Ni-ki....anything is okay?"
Jake asked,thinking about the various things he had brought with him.

"It needs to be something the prince is fond of. Only something that can  invoke a strong emotion or memory."

Mhm....something Ni-ki is fond of....

The prince had a thousand interests,but there were three that he loved since he was a child: photography,dance and painting. He was so obsessed with them that wherever he went he would bring at least something to practice one of the three,if not all of three.

"Jake,do you remember if he told you did he bring his camera?"

"No,I don't....fuck.What about the skecthbooks? Or the palettes with paints? Or the Canvas?"

"I don't think so...."

Damn it.

The raven-head gripped his wrist and bit his lip,feeling his nerves growing.

If they hadn't something that could track Ni-ki down...fuck. He doesn't even want to think about it. A knot of nerves formed in him.

"What are you two talking about?"
Sunoo asked,raising his face from where it had been fixed on the table until now.

"Ni-ki always had an interest for photography,painting and dancing. He usually take some of this thing with him when he's away from home.."
Jake explained,and Heeseung nodded.

"Oh,who knew that the little prince was an artist"

"It's not really something public,few people know about it."
Heeseung explained,and Jake nodded.

"Still...."

"Wait! While we were arranging our bags,I saw a book,it was a rectangular one. I didn't think much of it but now that you mentioned it,it looked like a sketchbook."
Sunoo said and,finally,he could feel the knot of nerve in his throat melt.

"Alright. Sunoo-ssi,get me that sketchbook. Once the search spell is done,we are going to procide with caution. We need to block the media,and save the prince without causing major damage."
The headmaster declared.

The two heads of the Academy looked at each other,and then at them again.

"Can we trust you with this?"
The boys looked at each other and then nooded again.

"You can count on us"
Jungwon declared for them.

Wait a little bit Ni-ki-ya,we are going to get you out from that place.

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦

Riki hated this place. And he also hated the vampire that were here,expect Ta-ki,he was the only nice one here.

How long will they want to continue like this? It's what? A couple of hours already?

Since his "lovely" chat with Dardan,they had established a routine (could he really call it like that?): Dardan,or one of his subordinate,would come in his cell,ask a couple of question and when he doesn't answer they would smash his head on the concrete and many more bad things.

He could hardly feel his body anymore. Every cell screamed in pain,and he was numb to everything. He maybe had a concussion or two,some broken ribs and (probably) bones,and blood was over his face.

I look like I'm dying. Glad mom and dad will never find out...I hope.

His fingers itched from the want of pulling the shadows and wrap them up around him,in a protective barrier.

In the back of his mind he could feel the darkness raging from their restriction,the pure agony of being useless and unable to help their master.

The prince already knew that once that collar was removed,all of this would turn against him and he would have a terrible headache for days.

My power sure as hell likes to fight against me.

Riki sighed. His back was against the wall farthest from the door,a false sense of safety,and distance from his captors.

He thought back at the conversation he had with the Headmaster on his first day.

"Take a seat,your highness,we need to talk about a very important situation that has plagued this territory for a century."
He said,inviting him to sit down.

Reluctantly,Riki obeyed,accepting his invitation. Key positioned himself behind his seat.

"I apologize for my abruptly,but there's no need for me to introduce myself,do you still remember me?"
Riki had the vague feeling that he wasn't addressing him.

Behind him,Key snorted like he was offended.

Do they know each other?

"How could I forget my ex teacher? At the time,you went my the name of G-dragon. Years have passed,but I could never forget the man who inspired me to get to this point in my life."
His guard declared.

"When the prince he showed me his admission letter I had to check several times to make sure it was really you. When you showed up at the palace before the start of the school year,to ask to speak to the prince,I had my confirmation"

Oh. So they do know each other.

The man in front of them cracked a smile.

"Right in everything as always. You still are the smart boy that I took under my wings years ago."
Key rolled his eyes,but his cheeks flushed at the compliment.

Oohhh,I'm so gonna tease him on this later.

"Anyway,were aren't here to talk about the past. Your highness,do you know the precarious situation this state is in right now?"
Riki shook his head.

The states in the far south and far north of the empire weren't territories that were know much,with the expectation of some city or places –Moonstruck,and the Riverfield Academy themself,being some of them.

"I see...I must warn you then. Ancient forces are at work,we don't know where or when but we can feel them."

Now this doesn't sound good at all.

"The teachers do everything to avoid unpleasant situations and protect the students,and usually our students aren't informed of this because we don't want to scare them or make them worry."
He explained.

"Then why is the prince different? He's also one of your students –a first-year. Why are you saying all of this to him?"
"Key hyung!"

Riki scolded him,hating the accusatory tone. He certainly didn't want to be the reason why his guard argued with an important person in his life.

(He wasn't worth it.

He was already accustomed to being different from the other after all. It didn't matter)

"Don't worry,your highness,I can understand where Key is coming from. He really care about you and is protective,but it's still something that we need to discuss. Hope you can understand me on this,Key-ya."
His guard snorted and looked away.

Oh,this is soo gold.

"Back to the topic. It's true that you are one of our students,and as I said your protection came first for us...and this is exactly why I'm telling you this"

"Mhm? I...I don't understand..."
The purple-head said,completely lost.

Wasn't he safe at the Academy? With some many protection spell and enchantment,and the enforced rules this place was like a fortress. He should be safe here. But the Headmaster himself was saying the opposite.

"You see,Riverfield Academy had a rough background. It wasn't easy to create it and carry it forward for several consecutive centuries. It's legacy is very important and it will continue to be."

The prince knew the history of the Academy: the books of history,literature,architecture and magic that were in the Royal Archive spoke of it. It was truly something formidable.

But just as a rose has a bright color and a sweet scent,it also had its thorns. And Holy Dracula,the Academy had its share of thorns in its history.

"....is this about the cult that a couple of decades ago tried to take control of the empire using the Academy?"
The prince asked, hoping the conversation wasn't going in that direction.

Please say no,please say no,please say no.

"I see that you are well informed,I'm really happy about that. Unfortunately,I have to agree to you."

I hate my life so bad.

"I don't know what they want or what their goal is this time. But I want you to be careful. This is the first year we've hosted a member of the imperial family,and we've seen an increase in their activity lately."
The headmaster explained and Riki nodded.

Anxiety was creeping under his skin. He touched his ring,trying to relieve that feeling,so that his shadows don't go out of control.

"Alright. I understand the gravity of the situation and I'll stay careful."
He declared,receiving a small smile from the other.

"Thank yo–"
"If the prince life is really in danger then why you can't make an excuse that bend your rule and allow me to stay with him?"

For the second time in this conversation,Riki wanted to punch Key in the face for the way he was speaking.

He turned sharply towards him to scold him.

"Hyung! Don't talk li–"
"No,your highness. This is about your safety,I won't take any chance when it came to you and you know that"
"But–"

A clap of hands stopped their argument and they both looked at the other person in the room.

"I apologize for disturbing your time,but I'm really sorry,I can't give you what you asked from me this time."
The headmaster declared,an apologetic look with a sad smile on his face.

"Why? If it's really is so dangerous,then why?"
Key asked again.

"It would be suspicious that a royal guard was there. And the other students will either suspect of something,if they are smart enough,or just think that the Academy is doing favoritism towards me,just because I'm a prince"
Riki explained.

It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

(It had already happened multiple time,he won't allow it again)

"The prince is right again. I'm really sorry Key-ya,but you need to understand that it's not only his highness,but also all of the other students"

"...Fine,but this doesn't mean that I like it."

Finally

"Wonderfull! Now that we had our talk I think it's time for us to go. I still need to go to the Chamber of Reception and settle into the dorms"
Riki said,getting up from his chair.

"It was a pleasure to talk with you,Jiyoung-ssi,and thank you for everything you told me. I promise I'll be careful."
The prince took the other's hand and shook it.

"The pleasure is all my,your highness. If you need help,you can always come to me,I'll be glad to guide you."
The man said and he nodded.

"Thank you,you are very kind. I think it's our time to go. Have a nice day!"

"Thank you. Hope our welcome will be of your liking"

"Don't worry,I'm sure it will. Key hyung,let's go. We are late"
Riki said and Key nodded,following his lead.

His guard and the Headmaster shook hands before Riki grabbed Key by the wrist and started running away.

He sprinted like a madman to his destination,noticing a group of people not far away.

Wait–are those Heeseung hyung and Jake hyung? What are they still doing here? Are they....are they waiting for me?

"Your highness wait! You can't run! We talked about this!"

"I'M SORRY THAT I'M LATE!"

Thinking back on the whole conservation made him laugh. If he had known it would end like this he would have prepareted himself.

The door opened and Riki looked at her disinterestedly. Uh...Had his time interval already passed? Weird.

In front of the entrance to this dark prison two figures presented themselves.

(Not his darkness. He really missed his shadows)

One was Dardan,he was grinning like the psychopath he was,while the other....

A tall vampire,with blond hair and a lock that that fell over his face from the right side,and haunted red eyes. He was dressed in a white officer's uniform,with gold trim,short black gloves and low black boots.

Another one? Greeeat.

"Hello little prince! How are you holding up?"
Riki didn't answered to the other's provocation. He stayed silent,watching them.

"Uhm,not fun. I like more when you scream~"
Dardan smiled at him as he spoke in a saccharine voice.

Riki wanted to throw up.

"Boss-"
The other vampire said,and Dardan's expression hardened.

"Yeah yeah,how boring...."
He muttered,waving his hands in his subordinate direction.

"Say,little prince,do you know what happens when shadows meets light?"
Dardan said,approaching him at a stealthy pace.

Light and darkness were two opposing forces –darkness itself was an absence of light,its total annihilation. Where there was light,the source of life and heat,there was also darkness with his cold . They were two sides of the same coin.

In a direct clash,he didn't know which of the two would triumph. But it would be pure pain and agony,worst than what they are doing to him right now,and mostly likely ends up with heavy damages that could last forever.

I could even be crippled in some way if something goes wrong.

In his life Riki never meet someone with his opposite power (his parents would have him lock up for real if they ever meet one,the fear of losing him would cloud their judgments) and he probably never would since those elements are quite rare to have. The prince himself could controll the darkness and cast shadows,but he couldn't be darkness itself.

So...what is that psycho trying to do by saying this?

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Sooo,a little birdie told me that you are a shadows user~"
Dardan chanted happily.

Riki looked at him in horror.

What the fuck? Who even–

"And I wanted to introduce you to my my light user subordinate. His name it's Sol."
Dardan spoke,his face smiling though emotionless. The other vampire looked at him like he was a fucking pray.

"It's a pleasure to meet the prince of our empire"
He said,speaking with a strange light in his eyes.

What the fuck,what the fuck,no,no,no,this couldn't be,please everything but this,please....

"He will help me in this session~. I really hope that this time you will talk"
Dardan said,even though a hard expression appeared on his face.

Riki swallowed his saliva. In the back of his mind he could feel the darkness and the shadows trying to move away from Sol.

This...this isn't going to end good.

"Let's start,shall we?"
Sol declared,taking steps forward and stopping in front of him. His right hand lit up with a white light.

For the rest of the session,Riki screamed so much in pain that he thought he was on the verge of losing his voice.

Please,someone,help me please....

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦

Jake was outside of the office. The headmaster had told them to wait,since he needs maximum concentration to cast the spell.

For this reason their whole group was in the dark hallway of the school,while the heads of the Academy where trying to locate the prince.

I really hope that nothing bad happened to him...

Ni-ki wasn't a stranger to hostage situations (something Jake asked himself why was this kid always kidnapped),but that doesn't mean that he needs to like them.

If he was in his shoes's he would've already burned burned his captors: fire doesn't like to be played with.

But Jake wasn't Ni-ki and Ni-ki wasn't Jake. And certainly an escape so...flashy could been not really optimal. They needs to play safe.

"Guys,I'm sorry to leave you here,especially with this mess to deal with,but my brothers will suspect of my absence. And we don't need to have the other students to know."
Soobin spoke,breaking the heavy silence they had automatically fallen into.

"Don't worry,we understand"
Heeseung said,walking up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"If anything happens,or if you need help,call me. Here is my number. I'll try do to everything in my power to help you out of there"
Their senior took his phone out of his pocket and showed his number.

"Thank you for your consideration,Soobin-ssi. We won't forget it,and if something goes wrong will call you"
Jay said,bowing a 90 degree in sign of respect.

The rest of them followed his example. Soobin was shocked.

"You don't need to–it's ok! It's something everyone would do,really."
He exclamated,bowing to them a 90 degree too.

Jake hid a grimace. Soobin wasn't valuing himself. Not everyone would offer their help in such a critical situation,no one would ever think of putting aside their own safety for that of another. And yet they were doing it. They were about to leave to save a life and return safely.

Suddenly Jake realized how heavy all this was. They didn't know where they would end up,who they would face,and how they would get out. Hell,they hadn't formed a concrete plan yet. And once there,what would happen? What were they supposed to do? Where to go? Where could they find Ni-ki,and ho?  How will they get out without attracting attention?

Millions of doubts assailed him and his palms began to sweat coldly. In his thoughts,he hadn't even realized that their senior was already gone.

Fuck,what are we really doing? Why didn't I realize sooner how risky this was? Will all of us make it out alive?
What if–

"Hey...are you ok?"
"I–what?"
Jake snapped his head,looking around. In a second moment the read-head noticed a ivory white hand on his shoulder.

He then looked at the owner of it,his breath caught when he saw who it was.

Mistery guy? Is he...is he really talking to me?

"Hey? Dude,you ok? I asked if everything was fine. You don't look so...good...?"
The other said,his voice was a muffled by the mask but he could still hear him.

"I–I'm ok...really. Everything's fine,hehe..."
Even though his eyes were covered by sunglasses, Jake could still feel his gaze burning into him.

He doesn't believe me...

"Listen,I know we don't relly know each other. Heck,this is the first time I even talk to you,but I can tell there is something bothering you. You don't have to talk to me,but at least speak to someone about it. It's not a good thing to keep things inside,you know?"
The mistery guy said,and he nodded.

He's wiser than I thought....

"A-alright,I'll do that....thank you."
Jake He thanked him and the other nodded.

"You're welcome. I know this must be scary but....everything will work out,we aren't alone in this and our headmaster and headmistress have our back...like the rest of the others here."
Even though he couldn't see it,he liked to imagine that the other was smiling at him under that mask.

"I hope everything will work out just fine and that we can get back...together..."
The last word weighed on his tongue. Really,only them could get into something like this.

Before the other could reply,a blond head,who had been standing aside until then,made his way between them.

Sunoo-ya....

Jake's heart ached to see him in such a sad condition. His eyes were still red and swollen from crying earlier and he had a disconsolate expression.

Ni-ki will go crazy if he finds out that Sunoo is crying for him...

The redhead had observed how,in the last few days,the two had spent part of their time together. He remembered how their first day the 2 vampires were walking together,in the dorms today morning they were talking with each other,and then before the attack they were also shopping together.

It's not like Ni-ki to spend so much time with a stranger,especially these times....What if he–

The vampire let that thought fall silent. He felt quite strange in theorizing about the love life of the friend he saw growing up

"Hyung...."
"Ah–yes. Sunoo"

Jake watched as the two approached, Sunoo seeking comfort in the other,as they distanced themselves from the group. Then,a flash passed through his head.

They know each other.

It made sense. The mysterious boy had been protective of Sunoo earlier,and while they were being attacked by the mass of people in the city he hadn't left his side for a moment. And Sunoo had called him hyung.

Maybe I can ask Sunoo-ya his identity...

However,he quickly chased away the idea when he saw the blond's state. It was a quite insensitive thought to have right now.

Nevermind,after we got Ni-ki back and he's not sad anymore I will ask for more information.

The office door finally opened.

"You can enter,we got a lead on where the prince is"

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦

Jungwon looked at the map on the table. It was a 1:1000 scale reproduction of the Academy's grounds and surrounding areas. Moonstruck was there too.

"So,this is where we are"
The headmaster pointed out with his fingers. At the indicated point,a very miniature,purple,3D model of Riverfield Academy appeared.

"And this....is where the track spell pointed out to us"
The deputy headmistress pointed out another part of the map,distant completely the opposite of Academy. On it,a blu 3D model of an X materialized.

It's quite the distance...with my speed it would take a couple of minutes,but the others...

Jungwon looked around,watching the focused faces of his others expedition companions. He bit his lip nervously.

Nevermind,my idea was stupid. We need a plan that will help all of us to quickly cross the forest.

"The path we must take is a direct one,but the forest is full of dangers and it's a long journey."
The woman said,and then looked at the men beside her. He looked back and then nodded.

Their chemistry always got him. It reminded him a lot of the relationship he had with his twin. All it took was a few seconds of looking at each other,and he and Wonyoung were locked in a mute conversation. Most of the time,unfortunately,she was the winner.

Wonyoung...I really miss her. I wonder what she's doing...I hope she's safe at home with dad.

"Since it's an emergency,and we can't wait more time than we already have,I'll teleport you there directly with a portal."
The headmaster spoke and Jungwon raised an eyebrow.

Now,what the hell is his power?

Vampires only have one power,that can then split into 1 or 2 control spheres. Jungwon didn't know if it was true but the prince himself could both cast shadows and control the darkness,but in general he had what was called Umbrakinesis. He himself had only 1 control spheres,his power was supernatural speed and he could only use it in that way

It was not uncommon for them to be able to use the same power in multiple different ways. But the headmaster....he was different.

In the first day he lit up the torches of the room,he had then appeared in the center of the stage,then there is the symbol of the Academy in the sky,he had stopped the levitating objects with a snap of his fingers and teleported them to a table which he made appear,the track spell and now teleportation spell with a portal.

Is he....is he really a vampire? Just...what really is the headmaster Know Jiyoung?

"And after that what?"
Jay beside him asked,pulling him out of his head.

"I don't know what you will find –a building maybe?– but inside it you will need to move with stealth. I'll cast a protection spell on you,but I can't block you from their radar. You need to stay really careful."
The headmaster explained.

"Here,take this. It's an amulet with a teleportation spell,you can use it only one time. Once you find the prince use him to get out of there as fast as possible"
The headmistress handed Heeseung an amulet which he put around his neck.

The ambulet was a green stone –an oval– with a spiral in the center. It looked like an ancient fossil. But at least it wouldn't have drawn much attention and in its simplicity,no one would have thought it had inside a spell.

"Thank you,we will keep it with care"
He told her,bowing.

"You better"

"Me and Boah will stay here and try to intercept communications to prevent any word from getting out. We must stay within the boundaries of the zones dictated by our Academy."
The headmaster explained,closing the map and giving it to him.

"I know it will be scary,but I trust you and your capility. You will get out of there and you will bring the prince to safety,I just know it."
He said,trying to encourage them.

Jungwon tightened his grip on the map and took a deep breath,adjusting his posture into a more upright one and clenching his feet.

Think of it as one of my trainings. Let's see if the knowledge I've learned will be able to help me.

"I'm sorry that neither me or Jiyoung can came with you,but If we did you would be even more noticed,and our presence here is needed to monitor the situation...."
The headmistress said,looking apologetic

"If anything happens,just tap on the amulet twice. It will send a distress signal visible only to us,and we will come to your aid. You aren't alone in this."
The headmaster gave them a little smile.

"Don't worry,Boah-ssi,Jiyoung-ssi,we understand. I hope everything goes well for you and that you will succeed on your mission. We are going to do the same. No one will be abandoned."
Jungwon exclaimed,bowing a 90 degree to them.

"...I can tell you are the son of the head of the imperial army. Never lose that spirit Jungwon,it will take you far."

"....Thank you"
He muttered under his breath,his face warm from the compliment.

The headmaster then moved his fingers in front of him,muttering some words in an ancient language.

Is this Latin? Or Greek? I don't understand...

His body was enveloped in a golden aura and he felt like he was floating for a couple of seconds in a warm ocean.

The ocean...me and Wonyoung always go there when we visit our grandparents in their house...

Jungwon smiled at the thought,feeling more energized than before.

I can do this. I can definitely do this.

The headmaster passed in front of each of them saying the same words and the same aura surrounded them.

Oh. It must be the protection spell he talked about earlier.

He understands in a second moment,watching the process. After a couple of seconds the headmaster he stood in the center of the room, placing his hands in front of them.

"I'm going to create the portal now. It will activate only for 20 seconds,after which the passage will close. Since it is a complicated spell it requires a lot of energy,and the next portal can be opened in at least 3 hours. Be quick!"
He warned them before he started speaking sentences in another language.

Inside the room a strong wind rose,the torches that had previously been lit were now off and a mini vortex was created on the ground in front of them. A portal with a purple area,overlooking a dark forest,appeared before them.

"20 seconds from now on!"
The man shouted and the guys sprinted in its direction.

In a matter of a second,they went from the cozy,warm,office of polished wood to the,cold of a dark forest.

The tall trees gave a sense of disorientation and the wind that moved the thick crowns made him feel a chill in his bones,the solemn silence of the air didn't help. A forest was never silent. A strange sinister area hovered in the air,there was a certain tingling sensation,a sensation of... energy? He didn't know and didn't really wanted to.

Before the portal closed completely behind them,they heard the voices of the Academy's head shouting at them good luck.

5 seconds later,and behind them their path was closed before their eyes.

They were now alone in the enemy territory.

In front of them,a few meters away,a strange,almost abandoned,building awaited them.

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦

Riki he spat the blood from his throat onto the floor.

Fuciking hell,this is too much!

He thought as he adjusted his eyesight for the twentieth time.

They were in his cell,as always during these "sessions",Dardan was standing leaning against the door while laughing at his misery while his torturer was in front of him.

The entire room was now covered in blood,both old and new,on the floor. His blood.

"Again Sol,again! I want to see him scream! He is so pretty like that. Hahaha!"
The ash blonde ordered,laughing like a maniac.

"At your command,Boss."
The other replied with a flat voice.

What a monster...being so stoik when he is literally torturing someone. Fucking asshole!

Sol brought his shining hand closer to his face again,and his body already felt like it was burning again.

He tried to avoid the physical contact,trying to move away,but his bleeding body would not allow it. He was reduced to a rag for their amusement.

The shining palm fell on his face,holding him in an iron,painful grip.

"AHHHHHH!"

The prince screamed in pain.

His body contorted unnaturally,spasming. His muscles tried to free themselves,but the light restraint was too strong. His body begged for mercy as the shadows and darkness,helpless,tried to free themselves in the depths of his mind,to defend him.

A burning sensation spread throughout his body as if it were acid fire,corroding everything it ate. The molecules in his body tried to repel his advance,the darkness and light couldn't mix,but it failed.

And he was burning,burning,burning–

"Hahaha! This is so much fun! Look at how is body is trying to get away in that stupid shape!"

"I fear I pity him more than anything else,boss"

If his body wasn't struggling,Riki would have responded to him by now,but his vocal cords had been damaged when Sol had grabbed and squeezed his throat earlier. He couldn't speak anymore.

"Fair enough,but don't spoil my fun"

"I would never dream of it"

The grip loosened and the hand moved away from his face. The prince tried to swallow as much air as he could. He knew that this grace wouldn't last long.

"Look at him! The prince of this oh so big empire looks so fucking stupid!~"
Dardan exclaimed in a singsong tone as he approached him.

He forcibly took his still burning face in his hands. Riki hissed at the movements,still hurting.

"Are you going to talk now,little prince?"
Dardan's expression hardened and his voice dropped an octave.

Riki shook his head frantically.
The other wasn't so happy about it.

It doesn't metter what they are going to do to me,I can't let them find out about what he want. The Empire is full of young,old,and innocent people that have the right to live their life....they don't deserve what they are trying to do.

The people....they are the essence of an empire –a country. It is thanks to them that my family still exist. My bloodline wasn't never kind to them...always so much blood that couldn't be scattered,so much violence and abuse....they don't deserve to live through it all over again.

Not when mom and dad are doing anything to get some peace and help them. The population has been left alone to die for too many years. It's time to change history.

The bloodbath ends with me.

"And I thought we were convincing enough. All right...Sol...you know what to do..."
The ash-blonde threw his body to the ground,at the feet of his subordinate,who looked at him disinterestedly.

"Are you sure about it,boss? I thought you didn't want him to get too much...damage"
The other said,adjusting his black gloves.

"Just–do as I said! I don't care anymore! He won't talk anyway! The only good thing he does is screaming!"
Dardan complained,theatrically placing a hand on his heart.

"Fine,but don't get angry at me for this..."
Sol muttered,before settling down to his height.

They locked eyes and the other sighed.

"Such a shame that pretty eyes like yours are going to be a waste"
He said,and the prince tried to get away from him.

What–

"I'm sorry for this....maybe."
He raised both hands towards him,placing them on his shoulders to hold him firmly in place.

I don't–

"AHHHHHHH!"
A piercing scream came from the depths of his bloody throat.

A blinding light spread across the entire room,blurring his vision. He closed his eyes,feeling them burning with every cell of his body.

His body screamed with him in pain like never before,he felt his blood boiling inside and his organs shrinking. The metallic taste of blood invaded his senses and he found himself to spit out more of it.

What the hell is he doing to me?! Make it stop! Stop! I can't–

His ears snapped,he could hear anything more than a flat sound,as if the his eardrums had split. Riki was starting to have his doubts about this.

As the weight was lifted from his shoulders, his body fell to the ground, with streams of copious blood flowing from his nose and mouth.

He could not hear the door opening and closing, his executioners speaking or leaving, but was soon left to the darkness (not his,he fucking wished they were though) of his cell.

Finally...they are....gone....the hell is over.

His head felt strangely more lighter than before. He lost consciousness. The blood beneath him was increasing more and more.

He doesn't remember how long he remained in that condition but at some point he heard noises.

"-ki!"

Uhm? What was that? A voice? From who?

"Wake–!"

Again? He was feeling so good right now. He hadn't slept this well in what he thought were years.

"Bl–!"

Let me rest in peace a little more. I deserve it didn't I? Please,I just want to sleep....

"NI-KI! WAKE UP! YOU LOST SO MUCH BLOOD!"

A strong slap,together with the screams of a known voice,brought him back to his senses.

"AH!"
He screamed,not wanting any further physical harm before another session.

They were still in the darkness of the cell, strangely Ta-ki had not brought his lantern with him.

Maybe he didn't want to be recognized. After all,he risks a lot just to come here...

Beside,he didn't mind the dark,he was born in it.

"Fuck! Fuck! I thought...I really thought that they–that you–! I'm so fucking sorry!"
The other said,and Riki could understand that he was crying.

The prince decided to hug him tightly,trying to give him some comfort,and with all the effort he could,he spoke.

"I'm ok....see-?...Ok..."
His voice was decidedly hoarse and deeper than usual,and it dragged on with a shrillness.

"Oohh Ni-ki...your voice too....I really wish I could help you,but I'm not trained in first aid or medicine. If only my brothers were here....."
His friend said,growing more and more desperate.

Riki would have liked to do more to comfort him,but it was already tiring to be conscious and he couldn't see him well in the dark. Which was strange,because Riki was skilled in it. He could see better in the dark than during the day most of the times.

"...It's...ok....Can you...turn on..light?"
He asked,wanting to see his face.

The other stilled in his grip and then pulled away from his embrace.

What–

"Ni-ki wh-what are you talking about-? The–the light is on? I have my lantern here with me beside us. See?"
He said,in an aggravated tone of voice.

Riki froze on the spot. He felt the ground a short distance in front of him before finding a source of heat.

But if the lantern is on then why can't I see anything?

A memory of what had happened earlier came back to him.

"Such a shame that pretty eyes like yours are going to be a waste"

HE DIDN'T!

The prince felt his face,his hands were sore and the tips were covered in blood but he didn't care.

Please,please,please,for the love of Dracula,please.....

His heartbeat went crazy,he thought that if his heart would shot out of his rib cage he wouldn't have been surprised.

But the feared confirmation came.

Nishimura Noa Riki,son of the Emperor and Empress,future heir to the throne of the Eclipsa Empire and ruler of the vampire race,had just gone blind.

Riki let out a desperate cry,full of agony,falling in Ta-ki's arms.

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦

Jay he fixed his gaze on Jungwon who was leading them. Since they had exited the portal he had assumed a commanding and confident posture that he hadn't shown before.

It is in times of need that one sees the true colors of people.

In his hand he had a map of the open forest,while he was rambling about entry and exit points to escape as quickly as possible.

A few meters away there was a strange building that they had to reach: it was supposed to be the enemy's base.

Hope they didn't send us to other different maniacs.

"Ok,listen here guys. We certainly can't pass in front of the gate,we have to play it smart and stealthy. Since we have no information about their hiding place,I suggest we analyze the surrounding areas. I'm sure we will be able to find a blind,or less guarded,spot that we can use."
Jungwon said,stopping from walking and turning to face them.

"And since we are a little too much,and we could attract attention,I think it would be good to split up. Me,Sunoo-hyung and Jay will cover the East-North side,while you 3 will do the West-South. Once we're done,we'll meet here to compare notes and find our way in. "
He said dividing them into groups.

He sure is the son of the army chief. He's thinking about everything.

"What about comunication? If something happens we won't be able to help each other like this."
The boy in the mask said,pointing out a major flaw in his system.

Jay watched as Jungwon looked away,most likely he had no solution to this. Jay decided that such an expression didn't belong on his cute face.

"Hee,do your thing."
He spoke,gesturing to Hesseung that was a couple of metre away from him.

"You sure? I don't want you all to be too much overwhelmed."
The boy with the golden eyes said,his lips tightening.

"Don't worry,we should do fine. Beside,this situation needs it...."
Jay said,trying to convince his friend.

"What are you two talking about?"
Sunoo asked,having observed their exchange of words.

At that very moment,Jay realized that they had everyone's attention focused on them.

Ah.

"My power allows me to establish telepathic communications. We would all be connected by a mental link,so that we can stay in touch without any problems."
Hesseung explained.

"But...?"

"....It's kinda overwhelming at first,and I never linked so many person....I usually do only 3 or below. I don't want anything to go wrong in a situation like this."
He said,appearing unsure of himself for the first time.

He was aware how his friend's power worked. Hee,Jake and Jay had used it several times on different occasions. It had been unsettling at first. Getting his subconscious used to the weight of other people's presence had been...strange,and it had taken a while.

But after a while,using it more and more,it became almost normal,natural. Gone were the weight and the strange feeling.

Jay was aware that the only other person,outside of them and his family,that Heeseung had telepathically connected with was the prince.

I wonder how it was for him to adjust to this change. Many would consider it an invasion of privacy...

"So...you can link only 3 people?"
Jungwon asked,looking at him.

"I mean...I never tried more than 3 at times. But since it's a dangerous situation I can try to link all of us. I warn you though,it will take some time to get used to it at first."
Heeseung explained,and the others nodded.

"It's fine. If you think you can do it and you are comfortable with it,we can try,everything else came later."
Sunoo said.

Heeseung smiled at them,before closing his eyes. A familiar warm,tingling sensation invaded his mind,and Jay welcomed its return. It's been a while since they used it...

Are you all connected?

Heeseung's voice echoed in his mind and Jay nodded.

Affirmative.

Yup!

Jay cracked a smile at Jake's cheerful tone. Apparently he had missed it too.

Yeah.

Waa,this is so strange....

It's normal that it feel so weird?

The other 3 voices echoed in his head and Jay smiled. It had been the same for him in the beginning.

Yeah. Give him a couple of others attempts and then his weirdness will disappear.

If you say so...

"Ok,now that we tested that it works we can move. Please be careful guys,we can't loose someone else"
Jungwon said.

"Don't worry Jungwon-ya,everything will go according to the plan,ok? Stay safe you too"
The red-head said,patting his white hair.

Jay fought the urge to take it off.

With final farewells the boys separated and began their search.

Covering an area like that would normally take time,but they just needed to find an unguarded spot they could use. Only one.

The forest covered most of the perimeter,and it was quite camouflaged with dark colors. At first glance it would seem like a normal remnant of an abandoned factory. But they knew better.

Jay looked at the damp ground beneath them.

"It will probably extend underground"
He said out loud.

"Mhm? Why that?"
Jungwon asked,looking at the ground and then back at him.

"The outer layer is a facade,no one would think that there is actually someone there. Their real hiding place should be under it. They are protected from the outside eye without even using any magic."
He explained better,reciving a "mhm" from Jungwon.

"You may be right. I don't feel any energy coming from it."
Sunoo spoke,he was walking behind them,looking carefully at that building.

He seems better than before. Maybe his desire to save the prince is stronger than his feelings of guilt and sadness.

"We should check it out then...but we still need to be careful about it. Maybe it's not really like that and they have a camouflage protection,or something,that doesn't go under our radars"
Jungwon explained.

"Do you want me to warn the others?"
Jay asked,reciving a nodding and a "yes please"

Cute.

Guys,are you with me?

Yeah,what's wrong?

Jake replied to his voice.

I have a theory that may be true.

What is it then?

This time it was Heeseung who spoke.

The building is only to fool the people from the outside. What does it look like at first glance?

....An abandoned and run-down factory?

Exactly. Who would ever think there's something in there?

Mhm...you aren't wrong on that.

Jay smirked at the fact that Jake was proving him right. Ah! Take that!

So,if the outside is only a stand-in,the real deal is....

Heeseung started,and Jay waited for him to finish is thought.

Underground.

A new voice joined the conversation. Silence feel on the mind-link,since they did not expect anyone else to speak through the connection.

I-I mean! It's only logical to think that!

The boy's voice was quite panicked and Jay noticed Sunoo smiling out of the corner of his eye.

Hyung is embarrassed~

Shut up Kim Sunoo!

So mean to me~

Jay exchanged a glance with Jungwon, amazed by their conversation. The other mouthed:"leave them alone,Sunoo seems better." ; he nodded.

A-anyway! You are correct,I can feel their heartbeat,and they are coming from below us.

How did you do–

I just do! It's part of my...power.

Jay pursed his lips in doubt but let it go. His power was supernatural strength,nothing too strange. But some had very unique or peculiar,and more complicated,powers.

Alright,if they really are underground I think it's safe to say that we can't find anything here. Let's regroup in front of the building. We need to enter their real base without causing much commotion.

Jungwon said and their mental conversation ended with a couple of positive answers.

"This is the first time that I saw –heard– that boy speak more than one sentence."
He then said to them,changing route and going towards the building.

"Mhm..I can said that we are feeling the same things..."
Jay spoke,his eyes landing on Sunoo.

"You two know each other?"
He asked,reciving a little nod from the blond.

"Yeah! Hyung is really introverted,so he doesn't really comunicate with the others so much"

Yeah,I can see that.

"But once you get to actually know him,it's really funny to hang out with him! He's a very caring person and very protective too."
He said,smiling a little bit.

"Do you know why he usually wear a set of mask,sunglasses and cap?"

"I can't say anything about it. He needs to come clean on this on his own,sorry."
Sunoo had a sad smile on his face.

He really cares about him.

"And what about his power? Feeling...heartbeat?"
Jungwon asked,confusion present in his tone.

"Oh that! Uhm...I don't really know. Hyung never really told me anything about his power. But I can say that he doesn't really like it...."
Sunoo said,rubbing his right arm.

He's getting uncomfortable,let's stop this.

"Do you guys know that this forest is ancient?"
Jay spoke,changing the subject and pointing to a very tall tree illuminated by the rays of the setting sun.

"No,why? How can you tell?"
Jungwon asked.

"That tree....is old."
He deadpanned said,with a flat expression.

"I....ok?"
Jungwon looked at him like he was crazy,but Sunoo had a smile on his face. It was worth it.

Guys,come quickly we found an opening near the front door.

Heeseung's voice echoed in his mind.

You guys are already there?

Yeah,but the front door was locked,and we we couldn't open it even by forcing it. We were trying to find another place to enter when we found a broken window.

Alright. Stay here and wait for us. We are coming.

Quick as the sun is starting to set,the forest at night is not a pretty sight.

"Guys–"
He said,but found Jungwon and Sunoo already looking at him.

"We heard. Let's hurry up. The prince waited enough."
Jungwon said,starting to run,followed by a very determined Sunoo.

Jay smiled at their atticts,before starting to follow them.

Just a few hours and the prince will be freed,and everything will be back to normal.

Jay was really hoping for that.