Chapter 65: The one that is more human

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A/N: atp I'll stop apologizing... my UNI is straight up kicking my ass ;-;

I told yall I'd try not breaking this chapter but I chucked that idea since writing the other part would take me a while leaving yall to starve for even longer....

Wrote 13k+ as compensation tho :D

TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains the following depiction of scenes so tread with caution!!!!
•Blood
•Asphyxiation
•horror themes
•murder
•gore
•mutilation
•massacre
•stabbing
•more gore.
•death

With saying this haha... I hope you enjoy this massive load of train wreck *♡*

Recommended nusic:
• Old money- Lana del Rey
•carmen- Lana del Rey
•Born to die- Lana Del Rey
•Ruin Sentinel -Yuka Kitanura
•Slave Knight Gael- Yuka kitamura

Unedited: don't mind the errors. I'm sleepy

Happy reading♡
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Hoseok steadies himself,  catching the younger male in his arms, still clad in his high-school uniform.

"Careful! Do not rush" the man reprimands, to which the boy mutters a quick apology, bowing his head.

Hoseok exhales and steps aside, letting the boy pass through with other people.

"Do not rush! Everyone keep up the pace but do not push around!" He announces, into the microphone and the Citizens shift to walk in a much restrained, tense manner no different than cattle.

Hoseok frowns and looks up at the dark night sky overhead. He blinks away the droplets of rain that descent on his eyelashes. He exhales, his heart resting heavy with unease, that it's almost suffocating.

He shifts his gaze down to the evacuation procedure and tries not to dwell in the fear in their rigid faces.

There's hasn't been a mass evacuation of this sort in the history of their Nation. Its a first for everyone there is and each one of them is running on an edge of disbelief.

Not 4 hours away from midnight, the coast guard had rang the phone to the Government, right after a special division had and in less then 20 minutes, the Government issued an evacuation order for the north west coast lines and much to everyone's confusion, Seoul too—

Harsh storms and tidal waves, have already reached Incheon, swallowing the vast city whole in its deadly clutches and was now trudging its way forward to Seoul.

An approaching typhoon is what the Government told to its citizens, although it's not what the Sepcial divisions told the Government, Hoseok is sure.

Something happened and fear clutches his heart.

He pulls out his phone and tries the number one more time, hopeful only for it to go straight to the voice-mail.

"Taehyung..." he mutters to himself, clenching his fingers tight around the device.

He heaves a sigh and then swipes it off, dialing in another number.

It rings for five times, before its received.

"Hoseokie!" A voice chimes and Hoseok feels his chest grow light momentarily, one of the many weights being taken off and he sags against his car.

He holds his phone closer to his ear "Ah Minah... are you alright? I couldn't reach out to you. Where are you now? You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine. At the hospital. There's too many patients here and we are trying to evacuate them— oh ah— are you alright?"

Hoseok feels relief sink to his bones, hearing the usual sweet concern in her tone but if he has to be honest to himself, he doesn't feel all that well— nothing has been going well the entire day. He doesn't tell that to her ofcourse, "Yeah yeah I'm alright. I've asked the Department to send a unit to your hospital to give a hand with the evacuation. They should be reaching now any time so as soon as they arrive, you have to leave with them alright? Tell them that you know me and—"

A giggle chimes in and Hoseok stops

"Alright my dear, influential Detective Jung. I'll have your name on my forhead is that alright?" Minah teases and Hoseok huffs a laugh.

"I'm being serious. You'll have to leave alright? Promise me that you will not stay back. Seoul is dangerous right now and I want you out of here—"

"Alright alright oh my God! I have to go now. If my superior finds me hear squealing over the phone she'll have my head—" she chuckles.

"Okay. Okay. Put a text in when you're evacuating alright? And even when you reach the refuge point!" Hoseok says hurriedly, clutching his phone tighter, wishing he could travel through it and hug the woman close to his chest, keeping her away from all the madness.

She guffaws a laugh at that, like sunshine amidst chaos. Amused, she chides "Mm and when we both return to Seoul together, you better marry me."

The words stuns him for a moment. He knows of the amount of love he has for the woman, even more than anything, he'd want to marry her.... but for her to beat him to a proposal.

Hoseok smiles to himself, his eyes lowered.

He then purses his lips, not having the heart to tell her that he won't be leaving Seoul— not without finding Taehyung first. He's aware of the danger that's lurking under the soil, he's witnessed the creatures and barely escaped alive, under the expense of some Divine intervention, to which he still has no explanation to or somebody to confide in.

He thinks of Minah and her toothy grin.

He closes his eyes, visualizing it. To be with her. To marry her. A family of his own.

He thinks about it.

He cannot leave without Taehyung.

He just cannot.

"You can't take it back now that you've said it" he teases instead, despite the storm in his head; he shifts his thoughts and the woman squeals in joy.

"Alright alright. I gotta go now! I'll text you okay?! Bye Hoseokie!!!"

Hoseok stares at his phone when the woman hangs up, an overwhelming sense of worry returning to him wondering if he should have gone over himself to fetch Minah out.

He then shakes the thought away. His people are reaching out to the Hospital.

She'll be fine. She'll be fine.

Hoseok heaves a sigh outloud and shoves his phone into his pockets.

"Hoseok! Hoseok! Hey Detective Jung!!"

The Detective turns to the voice and finds Johnny waving at him from the crowd, a small child sitting on his shoulders above the sea of people.

"Yeah what happened? And who's child is this?" Hoseok questions, looking at the little girl with tear and snot all over her face, a plastic tarpon over her head to shield her from the drizzle.

"Ah– this is Seolhyun and she's lost. She was out with her neighboring elder sis, who took her out for some late night snack but amidst all the sudden chaos they were separated from each other and she can't find her way back home, to where her only living family— her grandmother is."

Hoseok frowns at the information and then looks up at the little girl, worried, "Seolhyun, we'll take you to a shelter first and we'll go fetch you grandmother if you st—"

"NO NO! NOOO I WANT MY GRANDMOTHER!! I WONT LEAVE HER ALONE!! TAKE ME TO HER NOW!" The child bawls outloud, clutching her little fingers into Johnny's damp hair.

"I tried. Trust me. She threatened me that she'd run away on her own to find her grandma if I do not take her to her house, which is in Cheong-gil... And well this is why she's on the shoulder jail." Johnny shrugs, huffing tiredly as the little girl continues thrashing around. Her legs flailing like twigs, her age possibly not any much older than an 11 year old.

"I want you to help me fetch her grandma. She is old and...." Johnny tells him in all seriousness. He leans in and then whispers in a hushed voice "she does not have a great hearing... Seolhyun fears her grandma was left behind as the evacuation was carried out.."

Hoseok chews his lip and thinks about it. He shouldn't be backtracking towards the red zone, not in this situation indefinitely and with a civilian on top of that. But seeing the little girl's determination on finding her grandmother, Hoseok is sure if their eyes were off of her for even a moment, she'd be rushing into the arms of danger herself and that is no different than completely abandoning her.

He sighs and sends a short whistle at the other guard on duty, who turns to look at him at the signal. Hoseok hurls the microphone at the man and with soundless affirmation, the guard takes up Hoseok's job.

"Alright. Listen here Seolhyun, it is possible your grandmother is evacuated already and is safe and sound. But since you're adamant, we'll go over, but when I say we return. We return. These are the conditions okay?"

The girl, surprisingly smart for age nods eagerly.

The two with little Seolhyun huddled on top of Johnny's shoulders, step into the empty sidelines and walk the opposite direction of the rest. They throw them curious glances, but neither pay attention.

They walk over two blocks and meet a resistance- a group of people who are wearily watching a familiar haggard man in clean and pristine black robes, blending into the night, preaching to the amassed.

"—AND IVE SEEN THE DEVIL WITH MY OWN EYES. THE HORROR UNDER ITS SKIN. THE FLAMES OF ITS IRE. TREACHEROUS AND EVIL!" The priest, who Hoseok remembers seeing at his own Parish walks about with his Bible in his hands.

Hoseok feels his breath hitch in his throat. Sure he is preaching from the front of Religion, but to say it out loud so boldly was insanity..... even for a Priest when the Devil exists in the same city as they do. 

"AND HE HAS COME TO DAMN US ALL, PLAGUE THIS CITY WITH HIS FILTHY OFFSPRINGS CRAWLING OUT FROM HELL ITSELF!" As the Priest says this, a couple of delinquents snicker and taunt to which, the Pirest whirls at them with horror in his eyes.

He stalks to them with quick successive steps, his robes billowing "Mark my words.... this nation is doomed. No light shall reach this soil when you awake tomorrow and that is, only.... if you will. " He grits his teeth at them, gripping his Bible until his knuckles go white. The delinquents are startled enough, to not say anything more. Tense, they remain still.

The priest, looks away and addresses the crowd "Confess your sins and plead for mercy from the Lord, while you still can. The Judgement is upon us... so pray that He watches over as we walk through this tribulation and that He'll spare us, lowly ones when He will descent to purge all evil in—"

Hoseok turns away from the priest and ushers Johnny to follow suit.

Uneasiness hammers inside his chest.

He feels seen, like gutted open and strung out in the light for many to pelt stones at him. The words that the priest spoke, rings in his ears.

Hoseok knows he fears the Almighty. He fears death. It's mortal of him, to fear so but even then, 'to purge all evil' is such a strange thing to say.

To purge? Purge whom?

Hoseok is aware he holds no form of attachment to the embodiment of evil. Even out of necessity and if he should, Hoseok wouldn't resort to call the Devil out of all the people. It's not prejudice, not even religious bias... it's just that Hoseok believes in not wanting to be caught in a mess that he cannot win.

And for Taehyung, who is deeply entangled with the said Evil.... Hoseok fears for his friend's life.

To purge evil is one thing.

To purge everything that stands in the way to defeat the said evil is entirely different, when he is sure, it would be Taehyung standing there.

He has to find Taehyung, Hoseok realizes. His resolution growing stronger.

There is no other path.

Hoseok doesn't know where they've disappeared off to— but it does no good knowing creatures from hell are possibly infiltrating the mortal land.

Hoseok shudders.

He peers down the scarce outskirt of the centered evacuation zone. Despite the emergency evacuation, few people were still hanging about— thugs and commoners alike, few of who were breaking into stores and thieving, racing cars down the fairly empty street whilst the other where partying out in curbs.

Not good...

Hoseok glances back at Johnny, who waits for his command, his hands wrapped around Seolhyun's legs to keep her steady.

She's quiet and her clever eyes glimmer, assessing the situation.

"Its best we take another route. We are not exactly blending with them..." Hoseok mumbles and Johnny agrees.

The two stick to the shadows, and take a detour. With around another corner, Hoseok's his eyes fall on the high cross, dimly illuminated by a flickering light. Without another thought he walks into the grounds and leaves rustle past in its wake.

"What are we doing here?" Johnny asks, looking around curiously at the Church.

Hoseok bites his words and doesn't speak, leaving the two with an instruction to stand by.

Hoseok quickly climbs up the stairs and pushes the door open and it feels futile, stupid too– but his conviction is strong. He knows.

Even as the words that the Devil walked in with ring in his mind, Hoseok doesn't dwell in on them completely and marches straight to the altar.

"Churches don't affect you... sure." He mutters to himself as he pulls out all of the weapons on his person, and places them on the altar. He walks about the table and to a large basin situated on the side, which was shut tight by a lid. He fiddles with it for a bit, before resorting to dig his fingers underneath the gap and pulls at it, hard.

He grits his teeth, the veins on his neck straining and much to his surprise for his meagre strength, the metal lid unhinges flying away into the air and clatters onto the marble, sending the noise ringing down the church.

He grabs the vial of wine, that's reserved for the Eucharist and dumps it onto the floor, proceeding to lower the vial into the basin and then tucking the vial out of sight. He then picks up the basin and walks over to the altar,  dousing its contents all over his weapons. The water, spills down the table and onto the altar, like rivulets that broke free from the marble.

Such an ominous thing to do— but then again, he believes Holy Water will work if churches don't.

If there is darkness. There is light.

If the Devil exists. So does the Almighty.

If not anything, his faith will prevail.

Hoseok believes.

He wears a grim face, when he walks out of the church.

"What were you doing in there?" Johnny asks standing to his feet, face full of concern with Seolhyun seated beside his legs.

Hoseok doesn't reply and pushes his spare gun into Johnny's hands "you've had practice right?"

"Wh-what? I'm techie bro I don't do this shi—" Johnny fumbles around the suspiciously wet weapon.

"You're trained regardless. Are you not?" Hoseok asks curtly.

"Yes but—"

Hoseok takes hold of the weapon and maneuvers it in his quick hands, unlocking the safety he turns to his right to the open ground and steadies his stance "point. Aim. Shoot. Just like this."

He looks over at the taller man and hands him the gun, clicking its safety back off.

"I'll be covering you all the time and you'll be protecting Seolhyun on the way. But if I would want you to use this gun, you'll have to. And if I tell you to run, you'll follow that too.. no questions asked." Hoseok instructs, standing chest to chest with the latter and Johnny, albeit a little lost doesn't argue. He nods in affirmation, to the one who was much more of an expert on field.

Nothing much is said after that, the atmosphere tense as they resume their journey to the heart of the city.

At one point Hoseok feels his nostrils go numb with the amount of rotting stench that begins to emanate as they walk in the direction to their destination.

He stops by, resisting the urge to hurl his stomach "what the hell is that smell..." he mumbles to himself.

"What smell? I can't smell anything here—" Johnny mutters sniffing aggressively and little Seolhyun follows the same, her nostrils flaring.

Hoseok turns to them, with a look of surprise plastered on his face— how can they not–

Even if Johnny had misplaced senses, Selhyun wouldn't probably stay quiet after snelling so horrendous as this.

He pauses.

Nobody other than him saw the creatures and the Divine protector in the tunnels either—

His irises constrict at the thought of it.

"We have to move." Hoseok speaks in a sharp whisper and then with a quick pace, they leave the area, the stench receding for few moments as they walk to a much safer distance, where they could distinctly hear human voices once more.

They crouch beside the wall, peering out at the curious bright flood lamps set up.

"What.... the hell is the military doing here...?" Johnny whispers, lowering Seolhyun from his shoulder and into his arms, her feet wrapped around his torso.

A natural disaster is what they've been told.

There is no reason for Military to gather around a civilian evacuated zone, with high op heavy machinery like that to aid a civilian site that is to be struck by a.... natural disaster.

Hoseok for one knows.... the natural disaster is not much of the Government's concern when the Special Division called in.

"There's no more detour here. We need their assistance." Hoseok says, dreading at the very thought of going over the rotting stench filled street one more time.

He steps up from the hiding spot, putting his gun back in his holster and steps into the light with his hands up, to which many of the armed personnel turn to him with their guns pointed at him.

"Who are you and state your purpose! This is a no entry zone!" A deep and gruff voice calls him out.

"Detective Jung Hoseok of Unit6. Code 34897. Seoul Police Department. I am here with my partner, Officer Suh Johnny and civilian Seo Seolhyun. I request for assistance to Cheong-gil, we suspect the civilians disabled family member has been left behind, sir!"

Under the command of the captain, the personnel lower their guns and watch with shielded hawk eyes, as the man steps close to the trio.

Johnny presses his hand against Seolhyun's head, letting her hide in his chest.

"Detective Jung eh?" The man asks, his identity shielded by the protective helmet and gear. "And is that Seo Seolhyun?"

At her name being called, Seolhyun peeks out from her hiding spot, not all that comfortable with all the flashing bright lights and scary men in full gear.

She doesn't respond but the captain snickers under his helmet and then turns to face Hoseok.

"I don't know if you're doing good work or something foolish— Cheong-gil is entirely deserted. The radio scrambles as we go more towards the radius of the city. It's a no go."

"But this woman she is— old and does not hear well—" Hoseok tries to reason.

"And I must tell you, I cannot risk the lives of my men heading into a red zone blindfolded where no radio or any signal works on such a fruitless endeavor! Cheong-gil is lost!"

Hoseok grits his teeth, taking a step ahead "by all due respect... sir. I only request a vehicle. I'll fetch the civilian myself."

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that." He says, pointing at the barricades where military vehicles were stationed, with machine guns propped up high over the hatch on top of the armored vehicles.

"We've been ordered to kill anything and everything on sight that closes onto that barricade over there. Should I let you go, I'm afraid you will not be returning alive even if you accomplish your mission."

Hoseok closes his eyes in defeat, helpless. The captain pats his shoulder, sighing "you are brave. But it's time for you to go."

Hoseok doesn't open his eyes, not wanting to know what face Seolhyun was making. Was it disappointment? Sadness? Anger?

Hoseok is unsure.

But he's sure he does feel anger on her counterpart.

Incheon is lost to storm for all he knows— and Seoul.... whatever is happening in the heart of the city seemed to be beckoning the storm close to its teeth. Countless injured along the way and many lost their lives, to either accidents and stampedes, or the very evil itself....

Hoseok exhales.

"Please sir" a ittle voice croaks out and Hoseok's eyelids fling open.

"If my grandmother will die.. I will have no one left." Seolhyun chokes up into tears, clutching onto Johnny's shirt. "My parents... they've already... already left me... my grandmother is my only family... please help me. Please help me find my grandmother. She's old and she'll be scared... please.. I beg of you."

The captain stares at the child, his thoughts unknown to any other soul.

"I still cannot—"

"You will have to advance into Cheong-gil at one point, wouldn't you?" Hoseok interjects and the captain turns to him. "Take me with you. I promise I won't be a hindrance and will not meddle, focusing solely on evacuating the civilian."

The captain descents into a deep thought and then looks up "still you are not—"

"I will do it with no questions asked. Anything I see is not what I see. My focus is the civilian." Hoseok states, looking straight into the man's face who stares back with equal intensity.

"No questions asked huh?" He scoffs, with pure mockery  "what do you know about it?"

"A homicide at a civilians house was discovered today. They had some funny business with running tunnels underneath their house." Hoseok doesn't explain, but the way the Captain shifts on his feet, he knows he got his point across.

"If you get your tongue loose like that once more I promise you, the higher ups will snipe you down." The man says, laughing but Hoseok does not take the threat lightly.

He knows.

"Alright then, you and your partner can tag along. The child though, stays behind. No negotiations."

"Then we'll leave her in your crew's care until we return." Hoseok replies, formally.

The Captain huffs and walks away, leaving the two under the watch of many.

Johnny furrows his brows looking at his colleague and Hoseok silently stares at him.

There's not much said, there are too many eyes to let their mouths run free. But one thing becomes clear, their eyes speaking— the military too now knows of the obnoxious creepy tunnels running under the city.

Hoseok doesn't clarify anything further, for whatever he's been seeing— he's sure nobody else has seen it. He doesn't know the extent of calm Johnny could preserve, should he tattle his sightings. No mortal would be calm with gaining information of that sort— and the underlying threat of what the Captain said remains fresh in his head.

Hoseok holds his tongue back.

He doesn't like the idea of keeping his colleague and friend in the dark at a dangerous mission like this— he'd not want to be in a spot like this. 

He'd simply have to put his entire worth into protecting the man, to make up for it then, Hoseok thinks. He watches from a little distance as Johnny bids his goodbye to Seolhyun. The little girl is anxious on letting her temporary Guardian go, almost reluctant. But with whispers of promises and giggles, the girl finally lets herself be carried away by another Military personnel.

Johnny keeps watching in the direction she left to, waving at her eagerly until she disappears around the corner. He turns around, his face much remorseful.

It takes few more calls and confirmations in order, for the duo to join along the search and recon team— where in the military's main purpose was to set up a satellite radio as beacon to establish the connection for the rest of the military who are situated outside the perimeter.

Hoseok and Johnny, on the other hand are not given much, except for a protective helmet and some chest gear, considering their purpose is to find and escort away the left behind civilians— granting access to the rather heavy duty machinery was completely out of the question.

In 20 minutes the troops are all assembled and then, they're jogging to their designated armored vehicles. The ground is wet, squelching under their boots. The winds in the skies had picked up, the drizzle turning to a much predicted rainfall.

"You know something about the tunnels... don't you?" Johnny whispers to Hoseok who was covering his flank.

"Unfortunately and on accident." Hoseok mumbles a reply.

"What—"

"No. It's for your own good." Hoseok interrupts, shaking his head "the Government is very serious about this.... I'm afraid we may have just walked our way into classified information, so it's best if we both pretend we didn't see anything at the end of this night."

Hoseok climbs onto the truck in one swift motion and then turns back to look at Johnny with his hand outstretched.

Johnny purses his lips, glancing at his friend and then pulls himself up onto the truck grabbing the man's arm.

"I'm just the techie" Johnny shrugs, nonchalant. "I ain't messing with the Government no matter how delicious this classified information may be..."

Hoseok snorts, chuckling.

The settle into the vehicle and they Rev off, followed by another similar vehicle carrying 15 military personnel or so in each.

The ride is much bumpy in the coarse weather, the armored vehicle's sturdy wheels crushing debris and ploughing through the abandoned cars.

"Hey— you sure it's 25-A at Cheong-gil where the civilian was left behind?"

Johnny nods "yes, I'm sure."

The military personnel hummed to himself in deep thought. "My friend lived in that area... I wonder if he made it out"  The man under the gear sounded young.  Hoseok thinks, the personnel should be even younger than him.

Silence descents once more, and seemingly the other in the truck had the same thought— did their loved ones make it out?

Hoseok closes his eyes, desperately hoping Minah and Taehyung both made it out in time. He cannot bring himself to imagine, either of them being left behind.

To avoid the stationary traffic, they cut through the lane and went over the free way that was primarily blocked off hours ago, rising about the city level. The fly over was a sturdy bridge that over looked the heart of the approaching city.

The clouds rumbled ominously, rain pouring down on the concrete jungle.

They sat in tense silence, for a minute or two before a loud explosion sent them into a state of alarm.

Hoseok's hands dart to hold onto the handles attached above, steadying himself lest he not topple over. The truck too, seemed to skitter to the side momentarily losing balance to drag itself against the sideline barricades of the freeway, a painful screech rising as a result.

The vehicle rolls to a stop and Hoseok looks over to Johnny, making sure he was alright from the impact and only then does he cast his eyes onto the city—

The very same city thag was burning with a ring of fire around it, with multiple explosions that were simultaneously set off.

Few of the military personnel get off the vehicle to stare at the city in sheer disbelief.

Few more loud explosions follow, engulfing corporate buildings, which even rain seemed unable to douse. What happened to the supposed storm that should have been their greatest threat—

Spellbound, the handful of people on the freeway can only watch as chaos ensues beneath them.

Hoseok stares with wide eyes in the direction they had just set off from, infrastructure blazing bright caught into the line of explosions.

There was no mistaking it, even from this distance he could easily recognize the burning architecture and the street it was in— and Hoseok feels his throat run dry, his fingers curling into the palms of his hand.

"What the fuck was that—!?" A panicked voice finally rings out.

"What the hell are we dealing with here?! Is anybody recieving any signal from base?!— hey, re check your comms— are we under attack by terrorists?!!!—"

"Nothing nothing at all! The radio is scrambled as told— we cannot head back now the path to the base is cut off by the fire–"

Hoseok plops down to his seat, desolate. He pulls out his phone with trembling hands.

"Isnt that the state border evacuation— a large number of civilians are there right now—"

Hoseok grips his phone tighter.

Please please please......

"There's an intensive care hospital right there— with that degree of explosion... the amount of victims to it—"

Hoseok feels sick.

He calls at the number anyway, knowing it wouldn't reach to its recipient.

Desperate, he sends away a text.

Please tell me you got out Minah

And it doesn't get sent out on his part, connection severed from the rest of the world.

********

"Hey... we're here." Johnny calls out, worried.

Hoseok faintly registers the voice, snapping out of his thoughts and then looks up at the man, expressionless. He forces out an exhale and gets to his feet, hopping out of the truck.

"We will proceed as planned. Jun, Kei and Red will escort the Detectives to the civilians house and make your way back, without intercepting anything else." The fleet's commander speaks, his voice deep and low— now that their in piece comms were completely useless and three people amongst the personnel give a curt nod. The commander continues, "Everyone watch over each other's back until we set up the satellite radio. If you see anything that is not a civilian, strike them on sight. Dismissed."

The groups split as planned from then on. Hoseok and Johnny walk alongside each other, surrounded by the three military personnel assigned to them— one on the front and two in the back.

"I'm sure she made it out–" Johnny begins.

"Hm?" Hoseok looks at the man, in question.

"Your girl I mean... I'm sure she made it out." Johnny pasues reading, Hoseok's face "our units were sent there right? I know they all managed to evacuate the hospital in time, your girl too."

Hoseok sighs heavily, nodding. Forcing himself to believe.

"I just worry..."

"I understand..." Johnny mumbles "I would be too if I were in your shoes..."

Hoseok swallows a lump in his throat and looks up to the dark sky, where in the rain had finally ceased for the moment.

"All of this and Taehyung... he is off grid too. I— I don't know where he is" Hoseok confesses, his voice low.

Johnny exhales aloud to that,  albeit a little frustrated "... I cannot reach out to Jihyo either. God knows where she has gone"

Hoseok purses his lips, anxious.

He doesn't know how to exactly begin about Jihyo.

He doesn't exactly understand the extent of his sight. He once had a very unclear distinct thought of the persona under Jungkook's skin-and that was a long time ago, during the geomjeongbaem incident when he had walked in to find an eeiry haze surrounding the man who was crouching over his friend's unconscious body. He had brushed that off ofcourse, discomfort arising to even imagine something bizarre as that.

But every fibre within himself had solidified during the night of the ambush on the Reaper's cult, when he had seen the face of Devil in his very flesh and blood.

And it was only then, he would see some things..... differently.

Different, as in how somebody he has known for quite some time, had changed drastically. Downright to how her eyes moved or the sudden interest in a much exaggerated meat-diet or the way a faint haze clutched her frame

Hoseok hasn't said this outloud, unsure on whether he was just losing jg but he wonders if he should have told something about it— only now grasping the weight of what he had just discovered in the tunnels mere 6 hours ago. Hoseok doesn't exactly have a solution to his problem now that the only person who could possibly give him answers was Taehyung—who was nowhere to be found.

Hoseok exhales, visible as a puff of breath in the cool of the night. The ground was wet from the rain, the water sloshing along the curb and heading into the Sewers.

"This is the address, is it not?" One of the military men speaks up, his hands resting on his assault rifle with its barrel turned away to the side, pointing at the dilipated apartment.

Hoseok averts his gaze from the rifle and turns to look at the establishment, a general store on its front and two floors of meagre housing on its top. Johnny steps ahead, with determined look on his face "Yeah... this is the place."

"Alright then. I'll go in with you both, Kei and Red stand guard out here." The man whose code name seemed to be Jun, speaks. The latter agree and situate themselves infront of the apartment whilst Jun walks to the back followed by Hoseok and Johnny.

Jun seems exceptional at his work, breaking in stealthily and walks past the small empty receptionist desk. An eeiry silence descends upon them as they walk up the cramped stairway. Hoseok keeps his eyes peeled out at his surrounding guided by a handy flash light.

The trio carefully step into the aisle of the first floor, way lead by Jun. Hoseok peers down, spotting the two other military personnel where one stood stiff straight, whilst the other swayed a little— seeming to chat in a hushed voice.

Jun momentarily stops at the third apartment, guiding his flash light to it, inspecting the unhinged door that was folded into a half, lying carelessly on the floor.

Hoseok too pauses, his gaze shifting from the assault rifle and then to the seemingly empty apartment. There's a sound of water dripping somewhere inside and the overall state of the house itself seemed to be upturned, from the point where they stood.

Hoseok's focus lingers on the black goo that's strewn on the door and the floor, covering the owner's articles that was inside— which very much didn't seem like rain, rather— like someone.... or something had forced its way in.

"Let's move." Jun speaks monotonously, his weapon steadily fixed at the haphazard apartment.

Hoseok nods in agreement and quietly slips past, followed by Johnny after whom, the military personnel joins keep an eye for their back.

Hoseok, now anxious quietly pulls out his gun from his holster, holding it slightly up pointing to the side. Their footsteps are soft and careful, even much more than before.

There's a crackle in the air, an unseen energy that makes Hoseok's skin rise with goose flesh.

And then comes this horrid stench, that makes him stop immediately.

"What is it?" Jun asks and Hoseok looks at the door, in dread.

"This is the place." He mumbles to himself in daze, eyes skittering off to the room number, knowing this was Seolhyun's home— but the creeping stretch warrants fear within the man's bones.

"Alright." Jun speaks stepping towards the door and Hoseok moves infront of Johnny, shielding him. The military personnel pries the door open with his Swiss knife and pushes his way in, almost stumbling at his feet but he quickly recollects himself.

He stands up straight, his gaze moving up to the unfiltered light in the room.

The three stare at the first sign of electricity running in the city, dazed to the core.

It was nothing insignificant.

The heart of Seoul had gone dark 4 hours ago and soon the surrounding districts followed, catching up to the outer perimeter and the border states.

But much to the their astonishment, a dingy apartment in Cheong-gil still had electricity running— or was it?

Hoseok blinks rapidly, at the warm setting of the house where light poured out like a beacon in the dark.

"Something is not right..." Hoseok whispers to himself.

"Yeah no shit" Johnny mumbles, peeking above the shorter man who was covering for him.

Jun carefully draws his gloved hand to the side, signing them to quietly follow him.

Hoseok shallowly gulps and steps in, eyeing everything on their way in— he looks at the shoe racks with stacked footwear of distinct sizes, one much bigger and the other small enough to fit a kid.

The Detective walks along the short lit aisle to the main sitting area. Neatly arranged floral couch facing the TV and a coffee table in the midle, with an overhead fan that was running without a hitch.

The three set off into 3 different direction within the living room inspecting the odd house. Hoseok looks up at the photoframes pinned to the wall— one which had 4 people photographed in it— the photograph itself a little old. It consisted a man and a woman who were standing beside each other, then an older female seated with an infant in her arms.

Hoseok purses his lips.

That must be Seolhyun and her Grandmother, he muses.

He moves away from the photograph, seeing many more pictures of Seolhyun, where she grew into the little girl she was now.

A continuous clinking sound lifts and Hoseok turns to his left, spotting Johnny curiously tapping at a fish bowl with the tip of his finger. Johnny turns to looks at him and immidiately stops with his inspection, pointing at it instead "Dead fish"

Hoseok doesn't reply, his gaze hardening and Johnny quietly steps away from the fish bowl.

Hoseok looks at Jun who walks out from another room, cradling his weapon in his hands steadily.

"Nothing on this side." He says, walking past the two.

Hoseok narrows his eyes in confusion.

Was she evacuated already?

He follows the military personnel closely, to the only other room of the apartment. There's an unrelenting nervousness running down his veins that was being fueled by adrenaline and so when the door, as agonizingly creaks open Hoseok is left to stare at the woman seated on the bed, her back facing them with the zipper of her dress pulled down, all the way to her waist.

She rocks gently, back and forth— unhearing of their intruding presence.

"Ma'am?" Jun addresses softly, stepping closer to the civilian.

The rocking ceases slowly.

Odd.

Odd all over.

Something clutches Hoseok in his chest and his hands immediately fly out to grab the military personnel, before he could take another step any further.

The man looks at him in question, but Hoseok's fierce eyes are pinned at the only woman in the room.

If any information that was handed to them, was that Mrs Seo unfortunately had poor hearing— and if that truly were the case, there was no way she would have heard Jun.

And by the look of his face alone, something must have clicked in Jun's mind too, for which he then shifts to hostile and points his weapon at the supposed civilian who they were here for to evacuate.

A clacking sound snaps, like that of a jaw setting in place and then the lights go out.

Panic surges in before courage and the three scramble in the dark stepping behind, their flashlights a measly source of vision in this infinite darkness.

Hoseok is hit with a harrowing stench of rot that he had almost forgotten not too while ago. He casts an eye to the bed where the older woman was seated a mere second ago and dread pools in his chest realizing she had disappeared.

"Where'd she go?!" Johnny shouts, the horror of the situation finally dawning upon him.

"Back up now—" Jun instructs nd the two comply almost immediately.

"Hoseok.."

"Johnny.... point.. aim and shoot." Hoseok reminds, adjusting his fingers around the gun in his hands, clasping it more firmly.

A skittering noise run across the tiles and the three turn to it, finding nothing but a bare wall. The same sound returns on the other side and it is much worser, when they are struggling to find nothing in the end. All sorts of noises follow and Hoseok would have believed it is only in his head, if he were not with the other two who were facing the same tribulation as him.

Even the living room that they stood in not too long ago, which looked like the very picture of warmth and happiness was gone— with all of the furniture flung around and the walls bleeding dark matted goo, it seemed like whatever illusion was cast on the place was ripped apart revealing its true nature.

Hoseok forcefully exhales through his nose, trying to block out the nauseating smell. All thoughts evaporated, only fight or flight options blaring loud in his head.

Feeling a harsh tug at his hand, Hoseok turns quickly in the direction only to watch Johnny fall and be dragged away by his feet.

His flashlight rolls across the bleeding ground and begins to flicker, as the man starts to yell in the dark.

"Help me! AGH HELP ME!"

Hoseok jumps in flat to hold onto his friends outstretched arms as he struggles and shrieks for help. A rain of bullets follow simultaneously over Hoseok's head and Johnny stops struggling, going limp for a brief second. His breath labored as he is freed from his unseen captor.

He is quickly pulled up to his feet in a blink of an eye.

"ABORT! ABORT! GET OUT!" Jun yells in command and the three shuffle to the door in panic, stopping dead still at the door seeing their exit blocked by something inhumane— but alive.... moving— growing.

They step back, in stunned silence.

A deep hum spills into the air and three move in an unsaid agreement, pressing their backs to each other to shield their blind points.

Hoseok stares dead ahead, his eyes sharp and focused, glistening faintly in his fear addled state.

Hundred different things zoom past his mind, but something remains distinctly clear— they may not walk out alive unless they have killed whatever creature that is lurking in the dark.

The thought isn't comforting.

All he has is faith.

Strength... was a far out reach and courage was out of topic.

Even if he was a field agent— Hoseok knew he wasn't built to take all of this head on.

If there was anyone then it would have had to be Taehyung— and Taehyung...

Hoseok doesn't want to think about it.

He doesn't know what the supposed Devil, whom his best friend had vouched for to be good, was doing at this very moment of supernatural crisis?

Was it all just a farce?

And so if it was.... what has happened to Taehyung?

Hoseok cannot dare to think the man has died.

No. No... no it can't be.

A loud snarl erupts and Hoseok jumps in his bones, pointing his gun at it. Haunting whispers invades his ears, attempting to confuse him— but Hoseok knows what he sees through his eyes even if their flashlights have begun to flicker.

"There!" He yells, nudging the military personnel and the man fires away, on which the silhouette sags away, disappearing.

More clickering sounds fill in surrounding them in all the directions.

They move closer, firing shots at anything that comes closer to their feet, for it to only erupt into a conscious-less mass of black liquid that seemed to flood in, covering the soles of their shoes and slowly rising.

A moment of silence fills in and anxiety running high, with the constant reminder that the level of the black liquid taht suspiciously looked like tinted blood was elevating steadily upto their calves, they shift uneasily.

Yet when the very same haunting growl emanates above them, they are left unpreapred— even more so Hoseok when he is slammed into the ground, his face immidiately submerged in the black liquid.

He gasps for air and only swallows the liquid, choking on command.

He thrashes around the weight, his legs going heavy under the asphyxiation and for whatever strength he had, he kept his burning eyes open watching in struggle as a clawed hand drew near to his face closing onto his eyes.

He gurgles a shriek, helpless and moves haphazardly, trying to roll on his side, feeling something crush under his weight like a pinch of glass and the liquid around him starts to heat up. The creature that seemed adamant on drowning him, releases him from its clutches and begins to wail out loud.

Hoseok immidiately sits up, coughing out violently and pushes himself back. More splashes join his coughs, accompanied with ear deafening screeches.

"QUICK! SHOOT IT—!" A voice snaps and Hoseok dazedly looks up, spotting Jun on the ground, his hands wrapped around something humanely.... inhuman that struggled in his hold, clawing away at the man's tough padded arm gear.

"SHOOT IT NOW!—" He yells again and Johnny, steadies his arm— despite the nervous trembling and fires his gun.

The creature howls out an agonizing screech of pain when the bullet pierces it in its wide chest and in the moment of its distraction, Jun lifts up his knife and jabs in repeatedly into the creature’s skull until it goes still.

The three breathe, chest heaving.

There is nothing to explain when the creatures face reverts to its owner— or whatever was left of it...

Hoseok crawls his way to the corpse of Seolhyun's grandmother, bloodied and chewed up with multiple lacerations all over body. Two wide gaping holes left behind in her eye sockets and a bloodied pit in her chest, revealing bits of her ribcage.

Hoseok feels numb, more than fearful.

They don't speak as they rest her corpse down on the rapidly drying ground, now that the black liquid had finally receded to its own unknown origins.

Johnny drapes a curtain over the elderly's body, to keep her modesty with his face blanched with terror and grief.  He then walks out solemnly without another word, leaving the door open. The scent of rot slowly dissipating.

Hoseok exhales, turning his gaze down to the floor where he was almost drowned to death. He narrows his eyes at the shards of glass that were left behind from the aftermath.

Without a doubt, his hands go to his pockets, where he could no longer feel the vial of Holy Water he had slipped in at the church. It must have rolled out somewhere mid struggle and he had then pressed against it, releasing its contents.

Hoseok sighs, his shoulders sagging.

He steps out of the house and casts a longing look at the sky overhead.

Perhaps it is faith what you may need in the end.

Hoseok prays the Almighty is watching over all of them.

The descent down the stairs and out to the street is carried out in a much stagnant silence.

"What the hell happened to you three?" One of the military men who were posted to guard outside, questions them, running a curious gaze down their doused states. "And what of the civilian? You were in there for quite a long time."

Hoseok sighs, pushing his wet bangs away from his eyes.

"We were too late." Jun answers monotonous. "The situation is now compromised. We will head back and regroup."

The latter pauses at that— the two exchanging glances with each other.

The man adjust his weapon, rolling his shoulder blades "well... we better hurry then" he pauses looking around "this place isnt exactly paradise, I'll tell you that"

*********

"Johnny.... you doing okay?"

The man exhales, shaking his head and then looks at Hoseok "I dont know how to break this down to Seolhyun... I promised her I'd be bringing her grandma back.."

Hoseok purses his lips and squeezes the latter's shoulder, in reassurance.

"There was nothing we could have done to save her. She was long dead even before we reached there" Hoseok mumbles, eyes lowered.

"The wounds on her...." Johnny hesitates before looking up "—wasn't the Reaper caught?"

Hoseok looks away "I'm afraid the Reaper is not just a person."

Johnny frowns at that "how are you so calm about this?"

Eyes widening, Hoseok looks at the man deliriously and then chuckles faintly "Oh I'm not..." he licks his lips and looks up to the sky "I'm sure I'll be losing my mind before this night ends..."

Johnny snorts at that, a whisper of smile on his lips "that makes the two of us then."

"Alright. The coast is clear now. Let's move." Jun orders, walking up to them from the shadows. The two other military personnel walk over to the man, seeing which Hoseok too stands up, preparing to leave.

"Agh—hss" Johnny hisses, buckling slightly.

Hoseoks grips the man's hand, steadying him "what happened?!"

Johnny shakes his head "I just... hurt my ankle during the fall. I'll be fine."

Hoseok studies him briefly and Johnny didn't budge. Hoseok exhales and releases the man. "You need to tell me if you need a break alright?"

Johnny nods with a tight lipped smile and tends up straight, brushing past him and walking ahead.

Hoseok sighs, closing his eyes and inadvertently turns behind to the deathly silence emanating from the core of the city yet for some unnerving reason he could feel eyes on him.

It hasn't been long but ever since they have set out from Cheong-gil Hoseok had a strange feeling on being followed.

Except for there was no scent of rot...  yet.

He looks away and with hurried steps joins the group.

They walk along the harrowing dark with flashlights guiding their path. The rain had completely ceased and ever since the fires had swallowed the borders of the vast city, there was an uncomfortable humidity and warmth rising into the air.

Hoseok sweat through his shirt, repeatedly wiping away at his forehead.

"How much more longer?" Johnny asks, chest slightly heaving.

"We were supposed to rendezvous with another team here." One of the military men speaks, the guy who Hoseok recognizes to be Red from their precious interactions along the way. He turns to them "They're late."

"Then we'll proceed south east. Scavenge our way back to base. If the fires are extinguished we can cross over." The other man, who's supposedly Kei speaks.

Jun steps forth "Alright but we'll take a detour down 4 blocks east first. We have to make sure those reluctant delinquents have made their escape from this hellhole."

"Right. If they're not hostile again." Red scoffs.

"They won't. Let's go " Jun assures, leading the way.

The walk from henceforth is quick paced, sticking to the shadows that stretch behind their paths. There is no sense of relief.

Hoseok feels his heart hammer in his chest. Discomfort seeping into his skin, unable to shake away the creeping sense of being tailed.

He's vigilant but still nervous, keeping a lookout on the group and their surrounding. It's not easy with his growing anxiety.

A whistle breaks into the air and the distinct human chatter up ahead dies out.

"Oi what are you here back again for?" A voice chimes out and the groups halts, seeing a bunch of people block their path.

"You all need to evacuate, the city is no longer safe." Jun cuts straight to the point. "If you join us now, we'll be heading to our base. You'll be safe there."

"Safe?" The man guffaws, his face illuminated by oil lamps ignited all down the suspicious narrow street. "You walk on our turf and tell us to join your little adventure, knowing well your unlikeness to my brothers and I.... how funny. Even the Seoul Police Department lets us walk free, what makes you think we'll obey you mere three?"

Gruff laughter joins the man's words all around them. A band of no less than 20- 25 people.

Hoseok frowns at that.

He hasn't had the slightest idea of a gang hiding out in this area.

"We will not arrest you. The city is dangerous, if you will not leave this place you will most likely not make it out alive." Jun replies stiffly, unamused.

"Oh ho ho? Is that so? This Geun Jung Ki has held out his position for 20 years. Anybody who threatens my turf will savor their own blood." The man gestures slicing his own neck and is rewarded with cheers by his own men.

Hoseok resists his urge to pin the man to the ground and show the horrors he had seen with his own eyes.

It's likely the man doesn't even know what he's up against.

False courage is simply foolish. Hoseok knows that very well.

"Say, I heard this is some Government project that went wrong or why would they usher us to leave the city so fast? Or is it the North Koreans hm? Natural disaster my ass, we're not even close to the coast. So tell me... which one is it Dear Sir?" The man snidely remarks, grinning wide.

Unimpressed, Jun replies "that is classified. Your primary objective is to evacuate now."

"Ohhh are you deaf? Didn't I already tell we are not leaving this place out for you—?"

"That is not— Sir, I need you to simply just realize the problem at hand" Red joins, exasperated.

"Just fucking go away and we won't take measures that will put you at disadvant—"

Hoseok watches the exhausting exchange go back and forth with tired eyes.

He almost steps in, but pauses dead still when the rotting scent hits him once more. The hair along his spine stands up in command and he turns to the direction from where they had just come, dread pooling his chest.

"Guys..." He calls out, stepping back.

"GUYS!"  He snaps loud, cutting off the bicker.

"What is it?" A whisper follows who Hoseok registers it to be Jun

Hoseok gulps, without lifting his gaze from the faintly lit street behind them "it's here. It's back."

Just as the words slip past his mouth, a faint humanoid silhouette dances in the mist.

"What?  Who?" Red asks stepping ahead.

Hoseok knows he can't explain it. He cannot risk being strung up in a lab, should he survive the night. Whatever Divine blessing or Demonic curse has descent upon him, is not worth the trouble....

But the people here, are innocent.... atleast against foes like these. Not speaking up, is no different then sentencing them to deaths.

"Straight ahead. It's standing." Hoseok replies in a hushed whisper.

The military personnel, curiously takes another step ahead, watching the alley with cautious vigilance.

"Where, I don—"

A splatter resonates and blood sprays on Hoseok's face. His eyes are bloodshot and unmoving, frozen to the core.

A shunned silence is swallowed by screams and a rain of bullets, amidst which Hoseok is grabbed by the collar and thrown to the side.

"STAY DOWN!" Jun yells, his weapon pointed to the top of the building where he continued to fire away in sheer accuracy and Demon carcasses raining down on the street

"Hoseok! Hoseok! Snap out of it please!" Johnny yells, hurriedly slapping his friend's face in an attempt to force him out of his daze.

Hoseok rapidly blinks away, his vision briefly blinded by Red's blood and the taste of iron invading his mouth.

"We gotta get outta here. Let's go! Hoseok!" Johnny desperately tries, helping him to his feet. Hoseok nods and grabs his gun, supporting the other man.

He throws a look back at where Red stood a minute ago, was now lying limp under a boulder with his blood staining the asphalt.

His eyes then move to the alley, where hoards of grimy creatures collapse over each other under the constant weapon fire, held out by Kei who yelled out profanities from anger and grief.

"Pull back everyone! Let's go! Let's go!" Jun yells when he notices the slump in their opponents attack, their numbers quickly reduced.

The crowd of foolish men who survived scramble in the other direction, in a desperate attempt to run away at the very first notice realizing the predicament they were in.

"Kei! Let's go!" Jun shouts, jogging over to the man who didn't budge, his gloved fingers digging into stone— all bloodied now.

"Kei listen to me!" Jun yells, yanking at the soldier's shoulder who pushes away.

"There's no use! He's dead!" He snaps and the military personnel stops struggling, his shoulders sagging.

Voice reduced to a hush, he speaks "He's gone. Red is gone... We need to go." 

The man quietly stands and then walks away from the corpse.

Hoseok does not know what face he was making under his head gear and mask, but with the way Kei harshly bumps his shoulder with him when he walks past, tells him all he has to know and how they're being blamed for the death of their comrade.

Jun joins and he too, seems resigned, refusing to talk any more with either of the two.

They walk swiftly as they can with their paths shadowed by the ever growing night. Even the delinquent thugs gave their full cooperation, in return for their safety. Their path although, was often blocked by collapsed over bridges and buildings, having to take a detour which ended up consuming much of their energy and time– yet there was nothing they could do, when each time they slowed Hoseok would sense the scent of rot catch up to them.

A cat and mouse chase that never ceased.

Exhaustion hung on their bones.

Mortality was such a frail thing afterall.

The thugs weren't really nimble on their feet unlike the trained field agents and soon they were dragging the tail end of the troop. Seeing how their conditions were dwindling, Jun calls out a break and they immidiately collapse on their feet, catching their breaths.

"We best not hang by for far too long... we're out in the open" Hoseok mumbles to himself, assessing the situation.

"We're just catching our breath here. So cut us some damn slack!" Geung Jungki snaps snidely.

Hoseok narrows his eyes and decides to keep his words to himself. He walks about the trail, checking the safety of their perimeter but is stopped by Kei who blocks his path.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Hoseok looks up "just checking around."

"Checking around? Go sit your ass down civilian."

Hoseok grits his teeth and exhales deeply, turning around.

"We need to keep moving. We're not safe yet."

"Not safe yet?" Geung Jungki joins, the mockery in his tone evident "are you the leader of this team hm? If you say we run, we run. If you say we walk, we walk? Do you think we are your dogs?"

Hoseok understands provocation when he sees it.

He's too level headed to be spurred by any of it, but considering the way things were spinning out— Hoseok was exhausted too. He was worried and tired all the same time.

He keeps thinking about Minah and wonders if she made out. He thinks about Taehyung and dreads even more. The existence of Reaper's designs doesn't help him even in the slightest.

Is he being inconsiderate of the people around him for the people he's desperately trying to reach out to?

Is this even called being inconsiderate?

Hoseok looks at the man, with a spark of hate in his heart.

Its comforting.

"... the obvious question is how is that you're leading us? You are suspicious enough with how you keep detecting these things! What proof do you have that you're not one of them?!"

"Alright that's enough!" Jun cuts in, annoyed enough.

Hoseok closes his eyes that burns under the weight of his eyelids. His fingers clenched into a tight fist.

"Will you keep denying this though? Those things have been following us the whole time and somehow he's the only one who sees them approach???" Another one speaks up, the crowd of few growing uneasy and agitated.

"True!! Those things didn't bother us until the lot of you showed up!!" Another pipes up. "You brought this upon us!!"

"If we didn't show up, you'd have died regardless!" Jun reasons, trying to mediate between the two "would you rather be left behind and have had to deal with those things alone?!"

They chatter in murmurs, eyeing the Detective suspiciously.

"We just ask him to prove he is not one of them. Is that hard?"  Geung JungKi points at Hoseok in accusation

Hoseok stares back blankly, his lips twitching.

"Prove he is— what do you want me to do? Stab him and string him up for your entertainment?!" Jun guffaws, incredulous at the thugs audacity.

And to much of their unionized horror, the crowd agrees to that idea.

"Stab him! Yeah Stab him!"

"Stab him!"

"Kill him!"

Hoseok purses his lips as a horribly, calming thought descents upon him.

Leave them and run.

Leave them.

Run.

Run.

It'd be so easy to run.

To leave them to their deaths.

They deserve it.

Run.

Hoseok feels his throat run dry even more than when cold metal presses to his nape.

He side-eyes to the man behind him.

Hoseok doesn't move, when Kei pushes him ahead.

"Kei! What are you doing?!" Jun shouts in disbelief.

"He's got some explaining to do. Why of all people apart from us both, is he the most unfazed one here? Why does he know of the tunnels? Why is he here and for all but a mere civilian? And why the attacks have been increased ever since he came along?! It's suspicious when you think about it."

"Kei you're being irrational here. Drop that weapon now!" Jun orders but it falls on deaf ears.

"Speak now." The man growls in anger.

Hoseok exhales, swallowing a lump in his throat "there is nothing that I haven't told you already."

"LIES!" Kei snaps and Jun shouts out the soldier's name, with even more anger.

"You're not thinking straight captain." Kei pauses, eyeing up the man "This man has been fooling us ever since we got here—"

"I have not. If I was one of them why would I try helping you out of this hellhole?!" Hoseok bites back, frustrated. "Have you not counted the amount of close encounters we've had and if it were not for me, you would have all been doomed?!"

"What a brave thing to say as opposed to they're not hunting you of all of us?!" Kei snaps, his tone even more gruff.

"Hunting me? Oh trust me with the amount of noise all of you are making every Demon in this city is probably prowling to this place right now!" Hoseok bares his teeth.

"Kei! Put your weapon down. That's an order." Jun interjects, calm but fierce.

"Not until he ex—"

"What happened to Red is not his fault." Jun breaks the ice, hammering the nail in but somehow it provocates the man even more.

Kei swiftly moves and grabs Hoseok by the collar, pushing the barrel of his gun right against the man's head. "Don't you dare speak about him!"

"Know this... that he died.. he died and you made me leave him... back there. You did it." Kei grits out, pointing his gun at his comrade "My brother is lying cold in that godforsaken place and I only fear when I return I won't even find his corpse!"

"Its all because of you!" He cries out and then pushes his gun into Hoseok's head "and you...!" He pauses, fuming "if you were never adamant about your stupid rescue mission.... my brother would have been alive."

"Kei.... put that gun away."

Hoseok clenches his eyes shut, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Kei don't make me do this! Put your goddamned weapon away soldier!"

Hoseok shakes, thinking of the inevitable end. Everything is too loud in his ears and even so he can hear his own blood roar. Its unsettling and calm at its finest, as he prepares for the deafening shot to go off. For his vision to whiten like it once did, months ago when he was gutted deep into his chest.

Instead he's shoved to the ground, his elbows bruising in the process.

Hoseok looks up at Kei who stares at him with an unreadable expression and then promptly takes off to a little distance.

Hoseok sighs in relief into the wet mud, resting his head momentarily.

"Hey are you alright?" Johnny quips, worried  "I'm sorry I couldn't speak up... I just realized what a big whimp I am"

Hoseok chuckles at that and then raises to rest his back against the wall "leave the field work to me yeah?"

Johnny smiles sadly, albeit a little guilty "Yeah..."

Hoseok looks over at the man "how are you holding up? Your ankle?"

Johnny shuffles quickly "I'm fine. Don't bother."

"This is much more grave than I thought it'd be..." Johnny sighs, looking at the sky overhead. "Monsters and demons... I wish I can forget all of this"

Hoseok hums along, wishing he could say the same.

To forget is to become normal all over again...

But to forget, meant to leave Taehyung alone and nobody for him to confide in.

If losing normalcy is what would help him keep this attachment, then Hoseok would gladly lose it without a complaint.

"Tch ah..." Johnny hisses and Hoseok snaps out of his thoughts.

"What–?"

"Its nothing." Johnny cuts in.

Hoseok stares, worry morphing into confusion when he sees the way his friend's face has sunken. His cheekbones hollowed and his eye bags darker.

They were all pushed into a brink of exhaustion and with sleepless hours, nobody would look fresh out of a magazine, yet something about how only Johnny went through such a drastic change in just a couple of hours was deeply unsettling.

"Johnny..." Hoseok calls out, cautiously "show me your ankle..."

Johnny's eyes widen at that and he instinctively hides away his leg "w-what?"

"Johnny please... show me your ankle. Now." Hoseok orders sternly and the latter covers under the time of his voice.

Nervously, he pulls up the hem of his trouser revealing his sore ankle.

"I.. I just thought it was a wound. I didn't know! I swear I don't know what this is. Please Hoseok... please—"

Hoseok stares at the festered ankle, that now has an ingrown twice its size. It moved on its own volition, trapped under the deeply purple colored bruised skin and dark veins popped up far up above the man's leg, covering the entire limb.

Hoseok doesn't dare to touch but watches the predicament anxiously.

"... please I don't know what this is Hoseok. Please help me..." he whispers, biting back his tears.

"How long have you had it?" Hoseok looks up.

"Ever since I got caught by that thing in Seolhyun's house. It was just a small wound I— I don't think much but then..  it just grew and I... I don't know... am I turning into one of them? Is this why they've been following us? Because I am here?!"

Hoseok gulps down, shaking his head and ignoring the scent of rot emanating from Johnny's leg.

"No... no. You'll be fine. You're not turning into one of them. You'll be alright. I'll get you out of here—"

"Hoseok—"

"Hey what are you— what is that?!" A man shouts overhead, startling the two.

"DEMONS! HE IS A DEMON! DEMONS!!" The man shouts scrambling away, catching the attention of many others.

"No please!—" Hoseok cries out, stepping infront of Johnny. "He's not. He's just hurt and he needs help!"

Lies.

Hoseok knows it.

"DEMONS THEYRE BOTH DEMONS—!" The man continues to yell only for his voice to fall short when something large swoops from the sky above and snatches the man away from the ground.

The chaos descents once more, half aimed at the supposed disguised demons and the latter at the actual demons who had once more returned for their blood.

Hoseok notices the sharp rise of stench in the air, but he is not once let off to warn when one of the many thugs rush at him with an ax in his hand.

Hoseok quickly maneuvers put of the way and sends his palm striking at the man's hand, sending the ax clattering away on the ground whilst simultaneously breaking the man's arm.

"Don't come any closer. Or I will shoot you—" Hoseok grits through his teeth, helping Johnny up on his feet.

The threat is clear and the thugs, who lack firearms refuse to rush ahead.

Their little discourse is however thrashed when more winged creatures swoop to the ground and pick away their victims.

It is a massacre. A one sided, cold blooded massacre.

And even then, with a greater foe present, the mortals huddle together to fight against it.

It is only natural.

The weak unite to fight the strong. It is simply mortal to do so.

Hoseok shoots away at the damned creatures that approach him, their blood staining the ground. He moves faster than before, every bullet shot with precision and deathly accuracy. It was almost as if, he sees his opponent before they see him. He sees them through the rubble. Through the mist. Through in an out.

He sees them and they cannot outsmart him.

Not even the winged Demon— that attempts to snatch him away, is cut through half when he rams his knife into it, tearing its wings and skull.

So much chaos and so much death, even those who pointed their fingers at him in accusation were slipping into his circle of protection, seeing how proficient— even as a supposed Demon, the man was.

They're terrified and mesmerized all the same.

"Kei! You got ammo?!' Jun yells out, putting his last magazine into his assault rifle.

"Nope boss. This is the last of it!" Kei laughs out loud, driven to a state of delirium. "You gotta go. I'll handle this!"

"Kei?!" Jun shouts, pushing back while glancing at his comrade. "What are you— what are you doing?!"

"Go live." Kei turns to him "these Fuckers are going down with me!"

"KEI NO!" There's desperation to his voice, akin to grief and mourning,  but there is nothing he can do when his comrade zooms ahead into the hoard of demons.

Hoseok looks up just in time to watch the soldier dive in head first into the hoard, profanities at the tip of his tongue that could be heard even from their distance and then an explosion follows, loud and bright— bringing down a building along with it.

The impact shakes the ground and they were blown into the air, along with rubble that came full force swinging into them.

Ears ringing, Hoseok blearily open his eyes with his ears ringing. His head pounded in discomfort and he felt something warm trickle down his head.

He coughs as the dust begins to settle, still dazed he scrambles out of the rubble.

Johnny...

Right.

Johnny... where is he...

Hoseok tumbles out and falls face first into concrete. He looks up and is momentarily startled by a cold corpse of one of the thugs, his face bloodied and a good portion of skull missing.

He must have been hit by the explosion and collided with something.

Hoseok looks away from the brain matter and wobbles to his feet.

"Johnny! Augh—" He coughs, his voice hoarse "Johnny where are you?!"

"Johnny ah... Johnny!! Johnny where are you?!" Hoseok calls out, feeling his hope dwindle when no voice responds him.

He's surrounded by dead bodies of people he was surrounded by not too many minutes ago. These were living and breathing people....

Hoseok cries out, desperation finally catching onto hin "JOHNNY!!! PLEASE!"

What sort of mockery was this?

A divine intervention where only he survives?

Is he so cursed that everybody he knows is bound to die just like that?

He's crying now. Hoseok can say because his vision is blurring again and it is just that he sees a familiar face trapped by rubble.

He wastes no time and runs to it, stumbling on his feet several time when the concrete slips off under.

"Johnny! Johnny!" Hoseok calls out, pressing his hands into the man's nape and he cries out in delight when he feels a pulse.

"Hey you—! You're alive" A voice calls out and Hoseok feels even more relief, seeing Jun clim his way up the rubble.

"Yeah yeah... my friend.. help me. He's trapped under here. Help me lift this up!"

Jun casts a glance and then momentarily flicks his eyes down to asses a safer route to climb down from the little mound of debris.

Hoseok does not notice it this time, not when it's until too late.

This one's bigger.

He registers when the thing stands next to Jun.

It's arm is large and its clawed fingers even more bigger. He holds up Jun by his head, while the man thrashes violently under its grip, much to his vain.

His last fight.

Hoseok witnesses.

There is no light in the sky.

There is no justice.

Not even when the Demon, with the face of a yak crushes the man's head in its palm like a grape pinched between two fingers.

There is no shred of mercy.

There is no hope.

Blood spills and the struggling goes limp. Like a rag doll, his headless corpse is thrown to the side.

The beast then turns to only other mortal left behind.

Hoseok falls to his knees, his face pale.

He does not have any more fight left within him.

He arms are numb. His legs are sore.

He cannot run no matter how much of a coward he is. He cannot leave Johnny to such a terrible cause.

To live after running from this would be no different than dying.

Hoseok would rather die here than die with guilt.

The rubble slides off, concrete crushing under the weight of its large hooves. Metal clangs, singing death to its victims into the melody of the night of bloodshed.

He looks up at the Demon, who towers over him. It's horns stand curved and sharp at its tips. It exhales, it's breaths no different than harrowing chasms.

The thing looks at him with a human-like expression, it's eyes beady and knowing, but Hoseok knows better than to believe what he sees this one time.

He doesn't close his eyes.

He is not a coward.

He's lived for long enough, his parents are proud of him. His younger sister adores him. He's had good friends. He's been good at his job. He's even found love.

Hoseok wonders...

If Minah really made it out ... would she be upset if he died. She'd be....he thinks; his parents too... they'd mourn for him. His younger sibling would possibly take care of their parents after his death.... it'd be difficult... but he knows his sibling would.

And Taehyung... Taehyung would probably grieve too, losing two of his friends on a single night like that...

It doesn't help with the thought they'd be upset with him.... but it comforts him to hope they would be alive at the least– even if it is to mourn him...

Hoseok gulps, when the Demon raises its hand to its back, to pull out a blood soaked axe. It's edges sharp and blood red, dripping to the floor like slime.

Oh....

So this is how he will die...

Hoseok almost smiles, when he closes his eyes at his last awaiting the final blow.

He's lived. It'll be okay... as long as others make it through.

It'll be okay.

The blade swings with a sharp razor like sound and cuts straight through the flesh, bone and all.

The torso slips and falls to the ground with a thud, separated clean by the waist with blood spurting all over like rain. The lower body too, topples to the ground limply it's Life source severed.

There is no cry of pain or torture. Even bone could not resist the swing of the blade, complying willingly to be sliced through.

A merciful and quick death.

Even for—

Hoseok opens his eyes, chest heaving from where he sat still.

There's a corpse on the floor that is not his.

It's eyes blood shot and unconvincing.

Hoseok looks up in defeat and is greeted by Light.

Sturdy wings of a shade of cream white shield him.

He's dazed and bewildered all the same.

If not for the Demon's corpse on the floor, Hoseok would have believed he had died already.

Or was he dead?

He looks at the Angel who protected him, who stands much taller. The Angel peeks over their shoulder and Hoseok is immediately entranced, his voice dying out.

The Angel had short black hair, whipping upto their shoulder. Their features sharp and radiant, with even more bright eyes.

"T-Thankyou..." Hoseok stutters, with tear glazed eyes and the Angel nods, pushing their shimmering blade back into its scabbard.

The Angel turns to move ahead and Hoseok yelps, even more frightened than when he faced the Demon.

He knows the Divine being before him is not unkind, but then again their cold gaze makes Hoseok shiver underneath.

"My friend... please... I beg you. Something got to him and he's... he's turning..  please help him"

Interest piqued, the Silver Angel averts her eyes to the man under the rubble.

Yinan clenches her teeth, her all seeing eyes noticing the problem immidiately.

This man will not survive. She concludes.

She looks down at the other... rather interesting mortal and the determination in his eyes, when not too long ago she'd seen him give up, sitting on his knees to welcome death.

There was no mistake, the man was prepared to die.

Yinan lowers her gaze.

Mortals never fail to fascinate her even if it's with the most smallest things.

Yinan turns away eying her comrades who hadn't withdrawn their Invisibility yet. She nods at them curtly and two who had followed her lead, descent to the ground lifting their Invisibility.

The mortal scrambles to the side whilst the Silver Angels get to work, lifting up the rubble and rescuing the turning mortal beneath it.

Yinan observes the entire process and eying the nasty work of a Demon infect the mortal throughout; his condition debilitating with every second.

"Where... where are you taking him?" The chattering one asks and Yinan looks down at the rather smaller man.

"To a sanctuary." She speaks finally "no mortal healer can help you with Demoncraft of that sort..."

"O-Oh..." the man pauses "will... will he be alright?"

Yinan knows the mortal is not being doubtful of their healing skills, but then again she cannot help but narrow her eyes down at the man, who cowers under the gaze.

"In time." She replies stiffly before turning away.

"Wait... wait where are you going?" Hoseok runs along, to catch up with the Divine being but his feet are much incompetent to the latter's strides.

"Please... please wait!" Hoseok cries out and that seems to do its job, with how stiffly the Angel ceases at their feet for which Hoseok almost fears it now.

"I just... I'm sorry I" Hoseok fumbles, unable to word out his thoughts "I have another request... please"

The Angel turns to him, solemnly.

"This is... the demons they're taking over.. is that right?" Hoseok asks, unsure of what he wants to know or whether the Angel is paying him attention, but the Divine being does not budge so it gives him a little hope.

"I... my friend... he was in close contact with.... with the Devil... I can't find him I—"

"What?" The Angel cuts in.

"My friend... his name is Kim Taehyung. I need to know if he's safe... " Hoseok looks up and finds something in the Angel's expression that he does not quite like.

A deep scalding dread pools into his stomach.

"He was with him last time I heard from him.... Taehyung he has vouched for that man... but if things are like this today... I... I don't know... please... is he safe? Is my friend safe?"

Yinan doesn't respond.

She doesn't know how to break it to this fragile mortal man.

She lowers her gaze, in contemplation.

She then looks at the man with her cold eyes.

"The perpetrators got to Kim Taehyung first."

At the words, she registers a shocked cry leave the man's throat.

Yinan looks away towards further East, where dawn should be breaking in few more hours. There is time, sure.... but Yinan knows the picture of a sky where the sun doesn't rise.

"And for what is to come... he's just as good as dead." She mumbles to herself, her fingers curling into a dust

The Judgement is upon them all.

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Author's Note:

What's more scarier than a Demon is a naked grandma.

I said what I said.

Introducing fun, good hearted characters and killing them off is so fun. Like sweet Jun I'm sorry you got squashed like that.

I'm not gonna kid you, it's going to get even more messy henceforth for which I'm terribly wondering if I should learn how to upload fics on ao3 just in case cancel culture hits me and my horrible horrible Devil worshipping plot lines....

Whatever Hoseok is OP aight. He survived being gutted and this whole escapade like hahahaha I'd be terrible if something happened to him in the next chapter—

Also, our dear protags will not be appearing for some time.

Cause Ahem The Devil is dead, as told by the #ripme

But you and I will have lots of fun time to make up for it.... and by fun I mean, me typing away gut wrenching shit and you reading that gut wrenching shit.

Mwahahahahaha

_________

Sorry no TBCtalkshow today

:p

I'm exhausted.

________

Thankyou for all the patience and love

Again, pls cut me some slack... Uni is kicking my ass big time so....  ;-;

Take care and stay healthy♡

Love,
J