San ground his teeth together in an attempt to distract himself and stay calm. He was oh so close to snapping...

The car ride back into the mountains was miserable. Absolutely miserable.

Mingi and Yunho had questions upon questions upon questions. About everything.

Why was that car different? What are those lights for? Why were people walking this late at night? Where did they all go? How was there room for everyone? Why, where, what, why, why, why.

"Sannie." Yeosang's gentle voice broke through his thoughts and they made eye contact in the rear view mirror. It was just barely a whisper, meant only for him. Yeosang could see he was struggling.

He gave a short, sharp sigh and nodded in thanks.

"We are almost there." His friend said a little louder. "We are entering the forest we stayed in now."

Mingi's eyes grew wide and he sat up a little straighter. "I can feel it. The magic is much stronger here."

"That's what Woo said." Jongho looked over his shoulder at the merman. "He didn't feel it right away, but there was something about the lake we stayed by and we," he paused and his eyes flicked to Yeosang, "met a unicorn."

Yunho gasped and held a hand over his mouth. "You did? We thought they were all gone."

"Well," San snorted, "We thought you didn't exist either, so there's probably a lot that's managed to stay hidden."

"Yes. You're right. Because we know how to protect what is most precious to us." Mingi's deep voice sent an instant chill down San's spin. He didn't miss the insult woven into the merman's words. It made him clench his hands, nails digging into his own skin.

Before either of them could say anything else, Yeosang slammed his foot on the brakes, making them all jolt forward at the sudden stop. "We're here. This is where they took him."

San shot his friend a glare in the mirror, which only earned him a cocky raise of the older's eyebrow. No words needed to be spoken for San to understand that Yeosang had done it to prevent an argument.

Yunho was the first one to get out of the car. He clasped both hands in front of his chest while he looked around the clearing.

There were no obvious signs from what had happened here a few days ago. Either new visitors or the elements had covered the giant truck tracks and footsteps left behind.

But San could see the change in Mingi the second he stood up. Even the air around them changed.

The wind picked up, bringing with it fallen leaves and blades of grass. They swirled around the clearing, picking up more as they went along.

Mingi held out an arm when the collection of foliage passed by. They brushed over his fingers and arm, gracefully touching his skin, before moving down to swirl around his legs, then drifting lazily deeper into the trees.

Slowly, he closed his eyes and clenched his fist while keeping his arm raised. Yunho stepped up behind him and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Anything?"

San jumped slightly when he felt fingers intertwine with his own. He glanced at Yeosang from the corner of his eye and saw the older leaning forward slightly.

They were all desperate for some kind of news...

Several agonizing, long minutes passed while they waited for Mingi to open his eyes. The air around him seemed to almost vibrate, as if his magic was radiating off him and scanning everything.

A small giggle broke the tension, followed by the soft glow coming from the fairies they had met here. The tiny creatures flitted around, then settled onto both Yunho and Mingi's shoulders and heads, playing with their hair and shirts.

Yunho's mouth opened in awe before a wide, playful smile crossed his face. His eyes darted between all of them, taking each one in with child-like wonder.

And all of it reminded San of his Wooyoung.

They waited.

And waited.

Mingi barely moved. Even his arm didn't shake from where it was still extended in front of him. A few of the fairies had moved to sit on that as well. The natural glowing light they gave of pulsed in time with the merman's magic.

When it got to the point where San felt like he couldn't wait anymore and his legs were going to give out beneath him, Mingi finally opened his eyes.

"I've got him."

.

.

.

.

Sleep didn't come easy to Wooyoung. The sand in the tank was not as fine and soft as he was used to. Although his new friend helped ease things a little.

The octopus stayed attached to his tail as often as she could. It was her way to try and protect him, and his wounds.

She was such a comfort to him.

Especially since he had now ay of tracking how much time passed. There were no windows to the outside world in the room he was kept in and the people who worked for Seonghwa were constantly coming in and out, indicating some worked throughout the night too.

Although he was able to guess when a new day came simply because Seonghwa came storming into the room with the slamming of doors.

Rage radiated off him as he came to a stop in front of where Wooyoung was curled up in the corner of his tank. "What is that?!" He asked, slapping a hand against the glass.

The octopus immediately tightened her grip on Wooyoung's tail, but she also leaned back into his stomach as if she wanted to hide. Wooyoung wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"I asked you a questions." Seonghwa snarled, his eyes getting darker. "I thought you had learned it's best to answer me."

"I gave it to him." Hongjoong said from the doorway. His eyes were scanning the clipboard in his hand and he spoke so bluntly... Was he not scared of Seonghwa's rage?

Wooyoung felt his heart start to race, especially when he noticed dark marks around Hongjoong's neck.

"You what?"

"I gave it to him. I thought it would be good for him to have some company, especially since I'm sure he's normally surrounded by all forms of sea life. I thought maybe it would be better for his recovery."

Seonghwa's shoulders tensed and he was slowly turning a dark red color. He slowly stalked over to where his assistant was still reading the clip board.

"You'll be happy to hear that the product is almost ready." Hongjoong said, making the other pause. "They believe tomorrow you'll be able to test it and see if it's any different than the others. Our lead mixers seem to think so. You also have a meeting today at eleven and two."

For a moment, Seonghwa looked like he was going to explode. But he straightened up and smoothed out the fancy outfit he had on, then cleared his throat. "Very good. I'll get ready for he first one then. Make sure we collect more data today if he doesn't change."

With one final glance and Wooyoung, Seonghwa marched out of the room.

Hongjoong visibly sagged with relief the second the doors closed. After a few seconds he walked over to the tank and stopped in front of Wooyoung. "Sorry about that. I didn't get the chance to try and talk to him about it before one of the other staff members pounced."

"Why?" Wooyoung asked softly.

"Because," Hongjoong looked down at his feet and sighed, "I remembered how the animals were with you at the aquarium. And I..." He paused. "I... I didn't want you to be alone."

That shocked the merman. He looked down at his new friend, who had turned her head to stare at him too, and opened his mouth to ask again, "Why?"

This time Hongjoong just shook his head. He still hadn't taken his eyes off his feet. "You would be wise to listen to him. Mr. Park is not a forgiving man. If you disobey his wish for you to transform much longer, removing scales and taking blood is going to be the least of your problems."

Fear rose within Wooyoung. He could hear the truth in the human's words and it chilled him to the bone. "Why do you stay?"

Now Hongjoong did look up, a sad look in his dull eyes. "Because now I have no other choice. I'm a prisoner here, just like you."

Before Wooyoung could respond, the human turned and fled from the room. He had a feeling Hongjoong had just shared something about himself that he had never told anyone else. And it broke his heart...

At that moment, Wooyoung vowed that if he ever managed to escape here, he would do everything in his power to take Hongjoong with him.

Especially when he was dragged out of the tank again and taken into the other room to have more scales ripped from his body.

They were taking even more than the aquarium did. And this time Seonghwa wasn't there trying to tell him it would be ok. Wooyoung couldn't decide which way he liked more, but at least his fingers had given him something to focus on, as twisted as that was...

It took several hours for the humans to return him to his tank. By then he was weak from blood loss and being out of the water. His skin almost cracked when they finally picked him up to move him again.

The instant relief he felt when he first slid back into he water was something he'd never be able to describe. It sent pleasant tingles through out his body, as if the water was kissing his skin with bubbles to give him some form of comfort. It once more cradled him, gently setting him down into the sand where his new friend was waiting to surround him with her arms.

Wooyoung curled into them, loving the way she nestled into his neck and rocked her head back and forth. "I'm fine." He whispered, his voice scratchy from all the screaming he had done.

That was a lie, but neither of them acknowledged it.

When the liquid magic was added to the tank a few minutes later, Wooyoung lifted an arm up, reaching for it like his life depended on it.

Which it did.

The octopus left him so she could swim up and swim in circles around the pale, white liquid, collecting it together before using her arms to direct it straight at his tail.

Wooyoung couldn't help but sigh when his body absorbed the magic. All his aches and pains either went away or grew dull, and he finally felt like he could relax just a little.

Then the door to his room burst open and Seonghwa came strutting in, his head held high and a very satisfied look on his face. "Well, my little merman, tonight is a night we celebrate!" He held his arms out wide and turned in a circle.

He looked... different. Wooyoung couldn't quite place it. Maybe it was the fact that the man was smiling with pure joy? Or... he just looked different.

"Why don't you transform and we can celebrate properly, hmm?" The human clasped his hands behind his back and leaned toward the tank. "I know you didn't enjoy today. I could hear your screams all the way in my office." Despite the fact that he was still smiling, the venom was still clear in his silky voice. "If you don't want that happening again, I suggest you listen to me."

Wooyoung didn't know what to do. He didn't trust Seonghwa, but he believed every word he said. If he changed, that would make him vulnerable in some ways, but staying in this form made him vulnerable in others...

He glanced down at the octopus cradled in his arms, hoping she would give him the answer he was looking for.

"Don't worry, I promise no harm will come to your little pet." Seonghwa stood up straight again and held up a hand. "As long as you change." He sneered.

That did it... There was no way Wooyoung would put himself first if it meant the life of the octopus, not after all the comfort she had given him.

She tried to put up a fight the second he moved, clinging to his tail and trying to drag him back down. But Wooyoung shook his head, "Please, it's alright. I'll be ok."

The octopus bristled, clinging to his arms now, as if she wanted to go with him too.

"Please, I can't let him hurt you..." He peeled her arms off one by one. "Please." He watched as she drifted to the sandy bottom, looking up at him with round, pleading eyes. "I'll be back."

Then the claw came. It grabbed him around the waist and lifted him from the tank, only to deposit him with a wet slap at Seonghwa's feet.

The human chuckled darkly. "What a touching moment that was. You're lucky I'm a man of my word. Now change." He snapped.

"I- I need more magic." Wooyoung pushed his upper body off the floor. His arms trembled weakly beneath him as he strained to hold his own weight.

"How much more?" Seonghwa seemed hesitant, which he was right to be. With the right amount of magic Wooyoung could destroy him if he wished...

"I don't know..." The merman answered honestly. "But I can feel that I don't have the strength for something that powerful."

Seonghwa ran his tongue over his lips in contemplation. Then he walked into he other room, disappearing for a matter of seconds, before returning with a vial filled with pure magic. He held it out to Wooyoung without saying anything.

Wooyoung took it right away and brought it to his lips. The instant it passed down his throat he could feel his body absorbing it much faster than how it had been in the tank. Even the color of his tail brightened up almost immediately.

Once finished, he closed his eyes and just reveled in the feeling of being strong again. If it weren't for the holes in his tail, he had a feeling he's be up to full strength just by drinking the small amount of liquid.

Which scared him a little bit. He still couldn't figure out how Seonghwa managed to harvest pure magic...

"Well? I'm waiting." Seonghwa started to tap his foot.

Wooyoung flinched at the hidden threat, then focused on letting his magic wash over him. It swirled around him, focusing on his tail as it worked to transform them into legs.

All while Seonghwa watched with wide, wonder filled eyes.

When he was done, Wooyoung stood before him wearing the same shorts and t-shirt he always did, but right now it was because he needed the strength from San.

"Fascinating." Seonghwa walked around him, looking him up and down several times. "It doesn't seem possible. I've never been able to control magic like this. How do you do it?"

The question shocked the merman, simply because he wasn't sure how to answer. "I- I don't know. I just... can?"

Somehow the question seemed to satisfy the human. He hummed to himself and circled Wooyoung once more before stopping in front of him. "Come, I have a feast planned." He grabbed Wooyoung's wrist and proceeded to drag him from the room and into the next one, which had a table set up in the center that Hongjoong was already seated at.

He looked nervous, especially when he jumped at the door slamming open. "Oh! Si- Seonghwa, I-"

"Sit." Seonghwa ordered, to both Hongjoong and Wooyoung. He chose a seat at the head of the table, then watched as Wooyoung sat nervously across from Hongjoong.

The two of them exchanged quick, worried glances before staring down at their plates.

Wooyoung hated that his stomach grumbled at the sight. It had been so long since he'd had a decent meal like this.

"Please, help yourself. This is all for you, little Wooyoung." Seonghwa said, his voice changing to a more gentle tone. Which instantly made Wooyoung look up at him in surprise. "You're the guest of honor tonight. Because of you, I've finally achieved my goal."

Hongjoong's head snapped up and he looked at Seonghwa with wide eyes. "You mean-"

"Yes." Seonghwa reached over to take Hongjoong's hand. "We did it."

Wooyoung didn't miss the way Hongjoong's head shook subtly. Or the way sweat started to collect on his forehead.

Seonghwa did though, because he kept talking like nothing was wrong. "After all this time, we have finally succeeded. Your reward is in your glass." He held up his own, extending his other arm out to bring it closer to Hongjoong.

The assistant hesitated, eyeing the glass. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. Then his eyes flicked to Wooyoung.

Pity. Shame. Sorrow. All of it swam in his brown eyes as he lifted his own glass, then tapped it against Seonghwa's with a clink that sounded a lot louder than it should have.

"Cheers." Seonghwa said before downing his own glass.

Wooyoung watched as Hongjoong once more paused, looking into the glass. He brought it to his lips and tilted his head back, but Wooyoung couldn't tell if he actually drank anything. From this angle it looked like maybe he didn't.

Yet again, Seonghwa didn't notice the other's actions. He sighed happily, set his glass down, then sat back in his chair. "How does it feel?"

Hongjoong's jaw trembled just slightly before he answered. "Amazing, thank you."

"You've earned it, love. Enjoy it." Then Seonghwa turned to look at Wooyoung. "And be sure to thank dear little Wooyoung here."

The merman was so incredibly confused by what was going on, he all but missed the shaky way Hongjoong said, "Thank you."

All he could do was stare back at Seonghwa, silently asking him to explain.

"Oh, our poor little merman is lost. Shall we tell him what he's done for us?"

Seonghwa was mocking him. He had started to drag out his words, enunciating everything like it was meant to slice away at Wooyoung's skin.

"You have given us the ultimate gift. One my family has been searching for for thousands of years. And I'm the one who finally accomplished it. Me! I did all of this! I succeeded where they failed!" Seonghwa held his arms wide, his voice now booming around the world. "I did it! I did what they could barely even dream of doing!" Then he leaned forward, a crazed look entering his eyes. "Go on, ask me," he hissed, "ask me what you did for me?"

At first Wooyoung couldn't get the words out. They caught in his throat and came out as a mere whimper. This made Seonghwa's smile widen as he waited, basking in the confusion rolling off the merman.

Then Wooyoung cleared his throat, sinking back into his chair a little. "Wh- What did you do?"

"I have given myself something long sought after by mankind."

Seonghwa paused, clearing enjoying the way Wooyoung clung to his every word now. It was just another one of his twisted games, yet he played it so well. He knew he had won a long time ago, and now there was no way to quit or turn back for Wooyoung.

He was trapped.

And he knew he would be forever once Seonghwa uttered the final word. Just one little word... and everything Wooyoung thought, dared to dream of, hoped for... any chance of him every escaping was now fully gone.

Just one word.

"Immortality."