NOT PROOFREAD

Hyunjin gasped for air when he felt a sharp pain stabbing his stomach. He automatically threw the blanket, that had covered him, off himself, looking at his abdomen with quick breaths. There was nothing, no blood and the pain dulled to the point he could barely feel it. He was just staring at his with cloths covered stomach. The siren laid a shaky hand onto the spot had hurt just a moment prior, but not even the touch reactivated the sharp pain that had ripped him out of his sleep.

"Hyung? Everything alright?", a tired voice attracted the siren's attention, letting the tall male take in his surroundings more. He was in the room that Changbin, Minho, Felix and Jisung shared at the NCT headquarter. Everything was still dark, indicating that it was either late, or very early in the morning. Currently he was sitting in Changbin's upper bunk bed, the top of his head not far from the ceiling.

The young male let a breath escape him in order to calm his racing heart and looked into the direction of the voice that had called for him. He already knew that it was Jeongin who he had probably woken up with his sudden awakening.

"Sorry, Innie. I didn't mean to wake you", the siren apologized, searching for Jeongin in the pitch black room. He couldn't see the other, but heard the younger male hum in acknowledgment to his previous statement, followed by the sound of a bed screeching. A view quiet seconds past before his bunk bed moving a little bit when Jeongin made his way up the ladder. As a kitsune, Jeongin's eye sight was better than Hyunjin's in the dark, which the siren always envied.

"I wasn't really asleep anyway", the kitsune simply stated when he plopped down next to Hyunjin on the bed only to let out a little surprised yelp in the same second. It got a little chuckle out of the siren despite not seeing what had happened to the other. It was an almost automatic reaction.

"What the hell? Why is there an ancient book? Wait ... Isn't that the book of vampires?", Jeongin asked in mild confusion. The little chuckle died in Hyunjin's throat when he was reminded of the ancient artifact that Changbin had given him for safekeeping. Almost instinctively, Hyunjin reached his hand to the side where he thought the book and Jeongin to be. He quickly grabbed the old book when his fingers brushed the leather cover, pulling it out from under Jeongin and clutching to his chest.

Changbin trusted him with keeping this book save and he was already doing a miserable job. He held the book tighter to his chest while the memory of Changbin giving it to him flooded his mind. It hadn't been long after Seungmin had left to go home to sleep before the rescue mission that Changbin had pulled out the ancient book. Hyunjin had seen how conflicted the vampire had been for a moment before he had held the artifact out to the siren with a certain determination in his eyes. He had asked Hyunjin to keep the book of vampires save at all costs because it could be key to winning the war against the hunters.

Hyunjin still couldn't believe that Changbin had trusted him with such an important task, but he had sworn to himself to do his best the second he had taken the book out of Changbin's grip. He only faintly remember him and Changbin returning to this room, but he knew that he had fallen asleep with Changbin beside him and the book clutched to his chest.

"Changbin-hyung gave me the task of keeping it save while he's on the rescue mission", Hyunjin explained to his younger cousin, looking to the spot where he could faintly see the outlines of Jeongin. The kitsune didn't answer for a moment, but Hyunjin could feel the other's gaze on him and once again envied the other's ability to see better in the dark than him.
"Then maybe don't keep it in Changbin-hyung's bed and try to hide it from view", Jeongin nonchalantly commented and the shuffling sound beside Hyunjin told the siren that his cousin had settled down now. At first, Hyunjin wanted to scoff at his cousin and repeat how he had to guard it at all times, but then he realized that what the younger said did make a bit of sense. Only a bit.

The siren let a sigh escape him and flopped down into the mattress, staring up at the ceiling in the darkness. Jeongin's warmth beside him was comforting, but not enough to lull him back into dreamland. The sharp pain in his abdomen, that had awake him, was still somehow there but it had dulled to the point where it was easy to ignore.

With the book of vampires still resting on his chest, he laid a hand back onto the dully aching spot. He pressed down gently, but nothing happened. The pain didn't increase and he couldn't feel any kind of wound. It was almost as if the pain he had felt wasn't his own.

"Hey, hyung?", Jeongin spoke up again, pulling Hyunjin out of his thoughts. The siren hummed to show that he was listening and that Jeongin should continue. "Did you wake up because you felt like super overwhelmed with emotions, only for those emotions to disappear the second you were awake?", the kitsune asked, his voice a bit quieter and softer than usual.

Hyunjin turned his head towards his cousin, a bit of worry overpowering all his thoughts for the moment. Jeongin wasn't the person to show intense emotions very openly, not to mention talk about them. The kitsune would rather hide behind a facade than let other's know that he was really upset. So, Jeongin asking that was concerning for more than one reason.

"No, I woke up because I felt like someone put a knife into my stomach, but Jeongin-", Hyunjin wanted to start explaining that it was normal to feel overwhelmed with emotions right now, but the kitsune interrupted him with a series of 'Nononono's.

"No, hyung. I know what you want to say and that's not it. It felt like a burst of emotions that jumped me, ripped me out of my sleep and then disappeared, leaving only a bit of heart ache. And what do you mean with you woke up because you felt like someone stabbed you?", the kitsune explained and asked all in one breath.

Hyunjin needed a moment to process what his cousin had just said, but when he did, he began to feel a bit of dread dropping down into his stomach. Jeongin and him waking up because of things that felt like didn't belong to them was a total coincidence, right? Or could it be that it was connected to their friends being in some sort of danger? Was it some sort of group instinct that warned them? Or did they somehow just feel what the others were feeling?

Each question seemed scary to Hyunjin because they all implied that something terrible had happened to his friends and he could do basically nothing. He couldn't even be sure if what he had felt was connected to one of his group members.

The siren clutched the book of vampires tighter to his chest while his thoughts raced. His knuckles turned white while his fingers dug into the leathery book cover. He needed answers to those questions. He needed someone to tell him that his friends were fine, that he was panicking for nothing, but who could give him those answers?

A sudden thought crossed his mind. A thought that seemed absolutely logical to a child. He could go to the room right beside this one, wake his mother and ask her. She would surely know how to deal with this and what to do, right?

"Innie. We can ask mom if she knows what all of this means," Hyunjin voiced his thoughts, his grip on the book of vampires loosing a bit. He couldn't see the reaction of his cousin, but he could feel the other shift.

"Alright let's go", the kitsune answered and continued to move to get off the bed. Hyunjin followed quickly, but before he got off the bed he shoved the book of vampires underneath the covers of the bed, praying to the gods that it would be save there for the short time he was gone.

The siren made is way down from the bed relying on muscle memory. The steps of the tall male were secure and well placed making it obvious just how often he had done this in the past. Hyunjin was pretty sure that he had spent more time sleeping in Changbin's bed than the one that was actually assigned to him.

When the black-haired male's feet touched the ground and his hands fell away from the metallic ladder of the bunk bed, his arms was grabbed by his cousin, causing a small surprised noise to erupt from his throat at the sudden contact.

Jeongin seemed to not mind and instead began to drag his cousin forward. Hyunjin stumbled after the younger male before he could match the kitsune's quick pace. Within heartbeats the two boys had left the room, walked a few steps down the hallway and stopped in front of the door, which lead to the room they shared with their legal guardian.

Everything in the headquarter was quiet and dark, nothing seemed to even breath. Hyunjin had no clue why Jeongin had suddenly stopped in front of the door after being in such a hurry just second prior. There was no way to fully comprehend the expression on the blond's face due the dimness of the hallway.

"Maybe we shouldn't ask auntie," Jeongin mumbled, almost to himself. Hyunjin blinked at his cousin in surprise, not fully understanding why the eagerness that the other had shown before had completely vanished.

"Why?" Hyunjin breathed out involuntarily. He could faintly make out that Jeongin turned his head towards him. The siren mentally cursed at his bad eye sight in the dark. He was a creature of the ocean for goodness sake. He could see perfectly fine in the darkness of waters, why not above water too?

"Hyung, what would we do if auntie told us that the things we woke up to, that felt so foreign like it wasn't our own really were from our friends, from our group?", the kitsune asked in a whisper, "What would we do?"

The question hung in the air for a while. Hyunjin felt like there wasn't enough oxygen reaching his lungs, but he pushed the feeling away, balling his hands into fist. Jeongin's question hit a mark, but was remaining in uncertainty better? Sure, they could tell themselves that they had been imagining things but would that be better?

No, it wouldn't because the suspicion that the pain they felt was from people they cared about would loom over their head for as long as they weren't proven otherwise.

"We have to ask, Innie. We have to", Hyunjin said, but he wasn't sure if he had directed the second part at Jeongin or himself. The siren could see his cousin faintly nodding, but he still made no move.

Hyunjin took a small breath and reached past the male slightly in front of him and knocked on the door. They didn't want to just enter the room in the dead of night because despite everything Ms. Hwang was a powerful mixed blood that you didn't want to startle too bad.

A few heartbeats passed in absolute silence before a light when on in the room. Four heartbeats after that and the door was opened.

The light stung in Hyunjin's eyes causing the siren to blink rapidly before he could make out the silhouette of his mother. He felt Jeongin's grip loosen completely and falling from his arm when he faced Ms. Hwang. The woman was wearing a very casual outfit, but no pajama, which Hyunjin guessed was a precaution for a worst case scenario.

"Why are you two still up?", the woman asked, putting her hands on her hips. A person, who didn't know Ms. Hwang, would assume that she was at least a bit annoyed by the nightly visit from her son and nephew; however, Jeongin and Hyunjin could hear the underlying worry in her tone.

Hyunjin would never deny that his mother was a strict parent that was often busy with work, but he also knew that his mother cared a lot about him and Jeongin. He knew that because she would always take a day off work at the boys' birthdays if that was necessary and spend the entire day with Hyunjin and Jeongin. He could see how deeply his mother cared for him and his cousin in the way she would look at them while they goofed around and she thought no one was paying attention. He knew his mother loved him and Jeongin because when everything was crumbling to the ground he could rely on her help and support. And right now he needed her help because he didn't know what else to do.

"We were woken up by something weird," Hyunjin answered with a much more vulnerable voice than he intended to use. His mother frowned lightly before ushering the two into the room, closing the door behind them. The woman made the two teens sit down on one of the lower bunk beds, crouching down in front of them. She looked at them with a barely noticeable motherly worry in her eyes.

"Tell me about it," she said, voice just a tad softer than usual. A tone Hyunjin knew was reserved from him and Jeongin alone. The eyes of the mixed blooded creature switched between the two young males, showing that she wanted to listen and be there for both boys.

"It was pretty weird, auntie," Jeongin admitted quietly while busying himself by playing with the rings on his fingers. He always did that when he was anxious or nervous. "When I woke up I felt panicked and hopeless. It was like I saw someone I cared about badly hurt right in front of me, but the feelings were somehow foreign like they weren't my own, like they were somebody else's emotions," the kitsune explained, still fiddling with his rings.

Ms. Hwang had her full attention on Jeongin for the moment, waiting for him to finish. The kitsune looked at his aunt for a brief moment before his gaze dropped down to his hands again. Hyunjin took this as his cue to speak up.

"I woke up a bit after Jeongin because my abdomen hurt like someone put a knife through it for a short moment before the feeling dulled," the siren began, laying his hand onto the place where he had felt the pain. His mother looked at him with a growing amount of concern in her dark brown orbs. It made the dread in the pit of Hyunjin's stomach grow.

"Do you know what this means, auntie?", Jeongin whispered like he was asking something forbidden. Ms. Hwang ripped her gaze away from her son and looked at her nephew once more. She hesitated for a moment before she sighed.

"I have a suspicion. If it is correct or not you will have to tell me," Ms. Hwang answered, giving the boys a bit of a tight smile. At this point, Hyunjin was convinced that the phantom pain he had felt was somehow connected to his group members and that meant that at least one of them had been hurt.

"Something you never outright told me, but I have noticed is that you both are in a relationship now, right?", Ms. Hwang guessed, looking at the two teens in front of her. That simple question for confirmation let Hyunjin feel like he had run into a brick wall and judging by the looks of it, Jeongin didn't feel any better. Both teens had never told Ms. Hwang about their crushes that later became their boyfriends because it was sort of a recent development.

Still, the fact that apparently Ms. Hwang had known anyway was sort of scary, especially if you considered that not even all of Stray Kids knew that Hyunjin and Changbin were boyfriends. Hyunjin mentally winced when he recalled never officially asking Seungmin to be Changbin and his boyfriend. That thought was quickly followed by a dark wave that washed over Hyunjin's mind, filling his thoughts with the question if his mother was implying that the strange things that had happened to him and Jeongin were related to their relationships.

"Yeah, we both are," Jeongin spoke up again, ripping Hyunjin out of his spiraling thoughts. The siren's gaze instantly refocus on his mother. A sort flash of pure concern and pity flashed over the woman's face, tightening the knot of dread in Hyunjin's stomach. He was sure of it now. The pain he had felt in his abdomen belonged to Changbin or Seungmin, maybe even both. One or both of them were hurt. They had been stabbed by most likely a hunter and he could do nothing to help them.

"Do you know what soulmates are?," Ms. Hwang asked, looking at the two boys. Jeongin shook his head slowly, but Hyunjin remained unmoving. The young siren was staring into nothingness while hands were clutched into fist. Behind his dark brown eyes was a storm of emotions that were begging to be broken out of their containment.

Ms. Hwang's gaze lingered on her son, having not only seen but also sensed her child's distress. She laid her hand onto Hyunjin's knee successfully ripping the young siren out of his head. The dark brown eyes refocused on her, revealing so much more emotions to her. The more prominent ones begin fear and hopelessness.

"I will make this short. I believe what you have experienced," she started, glancing over to Jeongin who was looking at her with the same type of fear she could see in Hyunjin, "is a milder version of the pain your soulmates are feeling. Those soulmates being your respective boyfriends".

Both Jeongin and Hyunjin froze on the spot. What Ms. Hwang has told them wasn't entirely new to them. They already had their theories before they came in here. The one that Ms. Hwang just presented was one of them and she just put a proper name on it.

The silence from both Jeongin and Hyunjin lead Ms. Hwang to explain the soulmate thing a bit more. "Soulmates are able to feel a proportion of each other's physical and strong emotional pain through a so called soulmate bond. Sirens are even able to see soulmate bonds as a red string connecting people," she said, looking at both of her boys.

The explanation Ms. Hwang had give them seemed to slowly settle into the head of the two teens, but it surely didn't make things better. No, it made things words. They now had the confirmation Jeongin had worried about even wanting. In the end, ignorance would have really been a bliss.

Jeongin stared at his aunt with his mouth slightly opened like he wanted to say something, but no word came out of his mouth. Hyunjin was the one who stood up abruptly and began pacing the room, his fingers digging into his arms.

This couldn't be happening. This was just not possible. Had the rescue mission gone wrong? Did Changbin get caught up in a trap while on the mission? Did the hunters' reach the safe spot where Seungmin should be? Had Seungmin somehow decided to join the other's spontaneously and gotten himself hurt?

A choked cry felt Hyunjin's throat when he thought about the two people he was pretty sure he loved being stabbed. No matter what exactly was going on it was horrible. He wanted nothing more than to be there, to be by their sides, even though he knew better than everyone else that he was useless in combat. The only useful ability on land he had was his siren song and the hunters were probably immune to that, but what if the were not? What if he could help? What if he was of use?

The only answers he got to that question was a mental tug like some sort of instincts was pulling him into a certain direction.

A hand on his shoulder let him halt and swirl around to face his mother. The woman stood beside him. Her hand heavy on his shoulder which was somehow grounding. The eyes of his mother were filled to the brim with concern that for once wasn't hidden or dampened in the slightest. It was almost too much for Hyunjin to bear, but there was another mental tug. An instinct that told him to go somewhere.

The siren didn't know why, but he looked past his mother to Jeongin who was fiddling with the rings on his fingers, staring at the ground before him.

"Auntie, I'm Felix's mate. He once said that finding your mate this young was something super special because some hybrids and werewolves never find their mates. If I remember right, Chan-hyung also once noticed how rare it is to find a soulmate," the kitsune mumbled absentmindedly, not raising his gaze from the spot he was staring at, "So, can we really afford to loose them?".

The words his cousin had mumbled struck a chord with Hyunjin. He remembered his first training session with Mark and how they talked about destined bond. Destined bonds and soulmate bonds were the same thing just with a different name. They were precious and something unique, something that could grow and become stronger over time and apparently something that you only got once if you were lucky.

Truly, it was nothing one could afford to loose.

"We need to get to them," the words slipped out of Hyunjin's mouth before he thought them through. He could feel his mother's gaze on him, but he was focused on his cousin.

Jeongin looked up to Hyunjin. A flash of surprise passing through his eyes before it turned into resolve. He gave the siren a short nod before standing up, showing that he was with his older cousin in that point.

"Absolutely not," Ms. Hwang cut in. Her voice was firm yet not unkind. It was evident in her voice that she understood the situation of the two boys, but was against what they were about to do. The hand on Hyunjin's shoulder grew a bit heavier. The young siren let his gaze wander back to his mother's face, but what he saw made him freeze for a short moment.

In his mother's eyes was not only deep empathy and concern, but also pure fear. She was afraid and that terrified Hyunjin more than he would ever admit. He knew his mother as a strong woman, someone who could overcome every obstacle with pure willpower and wit. Yet, the young siren knew all too well why his mother had every right to be afraid. If Jeongin and him would try to help their friends, they would endanger themselves and his mother would be at risk of loosing the only family she had left.

Besides Jeongin and Hyunjin, Ms. Hwang had no more family. She lost her parents to an illness, her husband left her when she found out she was pregnant and Jeongin's parents died in a car crash. Hell, the whole reason Jeongin grew up with Hyunjin like they were brothers was because Ms. Hwang and Hyunjin were the last bit of family the blond kitsune had left.

"Remember what we were told by Kun before the rescue mission began?," Ms. Hwang questioned looking at her son and nephew. Her voice was calm yet serious enough for Hyunjin's mind to almost instinctively focus only on his mother.

Both Hyunjin and Jeongin remembered the words of the second leader of NCT very clearly. He had told all the creatures, who weren't participating in the mission, to not come after the rescue party no matter what danger they might be in. It was a clear instruction yet Hyunjin wanted nothing more than to go after his friends and soulmate(s).

Ms. Hwang looked at the two teens who haven't uttered a word to answer her question. She exhaled deeply, letting her hand drop from Hyunjin's shoulder only to rub her palms over her face. Hyunjin felt a bang of guilt hit his chest. He knew that his mother only wanted what was best for him and Jeongin, but he couldn't stay put now. Not when he could felt it that either Changbin or Seungmin or both were in danger and probably severely injured. There was no way he could live with himself if he just did nothing now.

"Mum, we have to," Hyunjin whispered, looking at his mother. His eyes were wide with emotions and bit his lip lightly to keep himself together. Ms. Hwang let another deep sigh escape her lips and let her hands drop from her face. Whatever face she had been keeping up had fallen, mild exhaustion was visible on her face in the form of slightly visible, dark rings around her eyes.

"Auntie, we can't abandon them, not when we can literally feel what it is going on," Jeongin spoke up in a hushed tone right beside Hyunjin. The siren quickly glanced at his cousin who had focused his gaze onto their shared guardian. His eyes were honest, no facade trying to hide the emotions in the dark brown orbs while also showing a certain intensity and urgency.

Ms. Hwang's shoulder slumped lightly, another sigh escaping her but this time she also pulled both Hyunjin and Jeongin in her arms, holding onto the two teens. For a moment, Hyunjin wasn't sure how to react, but his instincts did the work for him and he hugged his mother back in an instant.

The young siren couldn't recall when was the last time his mother had hugged him close because Ms. Hwang showed her affection in different ways. She showed how much she cared about someone in her actions, with the way she looked at them and rarely with physical touch.

Ms. Hwang pulled away from the hug first, having her right hand on Hyunjin's shoulder and her left one on Jeongin's. Her eyes held something close to a mix of regret and pride which confused Hyunjin greatly and a quick glance to Jeongin told him that the blond didn't know what to make of this either.

"Is there any chance I will be able to stop you?," she asked, her gaze switching between the two teens. Both young males shook their head.

"I figured as much," Ms. Hwang sighed, squeezing the shoulders' of the two boys before letting her hand drop. "I will help you despite all logic," she added with a mild defeat being detectable in her voice.

Hyunjin choked on a bit on air. It was the last thing he had expected his mother to say, but he couldn't be happier. His mother was a capable magic user and there was no denying that her sort of mixed blood was more powerful than many thought.

"Thanks, auntie," Jeongin spoke up again. Ms. Hwang sighed again and lightly shook her head. It was evident that she didn't believe this was a good idea but she would help them anyway.

Hyunjin let himself smile a bit, knowing that having his mother by his side made him feel safer and more sure of himself. Besides, Ms. Hwang probably knew how to use his and Jeongin's abilities better than anyone else. She raised and taught them the basics, after all.

Ms. Hwang quickly ushered the two to get their most important stuff together and dress in something useful for combat. The two teen quickly changed into the darkest trainings cloths they owned as well as the most practical footwear they currently own.

When Hyunjin was tying the laces of his boots, he remember the ancient artifact that was hidden under the bedding of Changbin's upper bunk bed. The young siren quickly retrieved the ancient book, throwing secrecy out the window for the moment. He would only show it to his family. His family was trustworthy and his mother was probably the only person, who could help him to properly hide it.

"Mum," Hyunjin called out to the woman who had also changed her cloths for something more suitable. Ms. Hwang turned towards her son, seeing him standing near the entrance of the room with a book clutched to his chest.

"Could you create some kind of magical pocket where I can keep this safe?," Hyunjin asked, while stepping closer to his mother and then reaching out the ancient artifact. The woman quietly scanned the book, her eyes trailing over the engravings before she nodded.

Without saying a word, the mixed blood raised her hands over the book and mumbled a quick spell. A mix of bright orange and blue magic began to surround the book, covering it in a sort of blanket. Slowly the book began to shrink and reform until there was only a silver necklace with a book charm on Hyunjin's palm.

"When you tap the charm twice with your right little finger it will return to its original form until then it stays in this form," Ms. Hwang explained, "and don't worry about the chain breaking or the spell disappearing near hunters. It's transformation magic and therefore immune to any sort of cancelling. Th worst that could happen is that turning it back would require another set of transformation spells."

Hyunjin nodded in understand, putting the necklace around his neck and letting it slip underneath his shirt for safekeeping. He made a mental note to himself to appreciate his mother's magical abilities more. She was probably an experienced version of Seungmin in a way.

"Now, Jeongin," Ms. Hwang said, turning to her nephew who was occupying himself with playing with his rings once more. Jeongin looked up when Ms. Hwang said his name and joined his aunt's side almost automatically.

"I need you to focus on the emotions you think belong to your soulmate," Ms. Hwang instructed the young kitsune. Her voice was calm and professional which was in a way calm. For a short moment, Jeongin blinked at his aunt in mild confusion but then hesitantly nodded. The blond closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Okay and now?," the young kitsune asked while his eyes remained close and his stance almost relaxed. Ms. Hwang hummed in acknowledgment, moving to stand behind Jeongin and laying her hands onto the young male's shoulders. Hyunjin didn't know what his mother's plan was, but he trusted her too much to question her.

"Hyunjin join me please and hold onto my arm," the woman requested and Hyunjin followed the instruction, laying his hand onto his mother's arm. "Jeongin I want you to focus on the things you feel through your soulmate bond while thinking about your soulmate. I need you to picture him in your mind crystal clear," Ms. Hwang said. Jeongin gave a short nod and took another deep breath.

"Okay. What now?," the blond kitsune asked in a whisper. Ms. Hwang let another hum of acknowledgment be heard before Hyunjin saw his mother shift right in front of his eyes. Her dark brown eyes switched to brighter colors, one a bright orange that was similar to Jeongin's fox eyes and one a deep blue that Hyunjin knew from his siren form; her pupils became horizontal slits. Behind her nine, black fox tails became visible, but her head stayed clean of any fox ears.

If Hyunjin didn't know that the person right beside him was his mother, he would have been terrified. His mother didn't look scary per say, no, she looked magnificent and breathtaking, but the sheer amount of powerful aura this transformation set loose was overwhelming. His mother was a forces to reckon with.

"Listen to me carefully now, Jeongin. Keep that image you have before your inner eyes right now and just teleport us to him. Only focus on wanting to be by your soulmate's side and nothing else, alright? I will help you with the teleport, alright?," Ms. Hwang instructed, her voice now having a bit of an melodic ting to it.

"Okay," Jeongin breathed out. Hyunjin gripped his mother's arm a bit harder, bracing himself for a teleportation that could in no way be pleasant. The siren could hear his heartbeat while the seconds ticked by menacingly slow. Nothing happened but before Hyunjin could open his mouth to say something his surrounding suddenly blurred and he could feel his mother's arm tensing up while bright orange and blue magic glowed underneath her palms.

Suddenly Hyunjin could see a lot of white and the cold, almost frosty air of an underground tunnel hit him. He blinked to adjust his eyes and was met with a completely white corridor. There was nothing else in sight except the white walls and floor of their current location. There were no other creatures or hunters in sight and most importantly no Felix.

"Did it wo-," Hyunjin wanted to ask, but before he could finish the question Jeongin pushed past him. The kitsune sprinted down the corridor they were currently in, speeding around a corner with no effort. The siren was confused for a moment before he realized that Jeongin had a far better nose than him.

"He knows where to go now," Ms. Hwang spoke up, lightly laying her hand onto Hyunjin's shoulder. The siren only blinked and their surroundings had changed yet again. The walls and floor were still white but Jeongin was now mere meters before them again.

Hyunjin made a mental note that apparently kitsunes could acquire the ability to teleport not only to places they have visited and to places in their near sight, but also people they had an emotional connection to, or at least knew by their looks. He also noted that his mother possessed that ability.

Jeongin turned at another corner and was once again out of Hyunjin and Ms. Hwang's sight, but this time they heard a faint voice. Hyunjin immediately took after his cousin, closely followed by his mother. Soon enough they turned at the corner Jeongin had disappeared behind and were met with the faces of familiar people.

Hyunjin was honestly not surprised to see that Jeongin had already pulled Felix into a hug. The ginger cat hybrid seemed spooked and relieved at the same time. Minho and a grey wold that was probably Chan stood not far from them looking at bit tense.

Wait, Hyunjin checked again who was here. Minho, Felix and Chan were here. Jisung was in another rescue party and Seungmin was the one who stayed back because of portal stuff, but wait shouldn't Byungho be here? Wasn't he supposed to stay with Chan, Minho and Felix?

"Where is Byungho-hyung?," Hyunjin asked quietly, looking at Minho for answers. The older male avoided the siren's gaze, but it wasn't enough for Hyunjin to not notice the guilt in the cat hybrid's eyes.

"He stayed back to fight off Shiela. She is on Zendala and the hunters' side and caught us off guard," Minho explained. The older cat hybrid clenched his hand into fists which causes Chan to gently bump his nose into Minho's side in an attempt to calm the other.

For a moment, Hyunjin had no clue who Shiela was supposed to be, but it all came to him when he noticed the mild anger radiating off Minho. He was talking about the nurse from Miroh High. The one who had always been so nice to them.

A sudden wave of pain on his left thigh let Hyunjin hiss and automatically touch down to the place where a wound was supposed to be, but there wasn't. Suddenly it hit Hyunjin like a wave crashing against the tides. Changbin was hurt. He didn't know why he was sure it was Changbin, but it was Changbin!

"Guys, do you know where Changbin is?," Hyunjin frantically asked his friends. Felix and Jeongin had let go of each other at some point and only remained hand holding. The ginger cat hybrid looked worried and slowly shook his head. When the siren looked at Minho and Chan they did the same.

"Does anyone of you have a mind link?," Ms. Hwang spoke up, drawing attention to herself for the first time. Felix, Minho and Chan shook their head yet again.

"Byungho-hyung is the one with the mind link," Minho said, looking at Hyunjin very worriedly for a brief moment. Hyunjin felt himself pale. Was there any way they could get to Changbin quickly, or figure out he was even still alive?

The siren's hand wander up to his chest, where the transformed book of vampires was resting against his chest. The last thing Hyunjin wanted was to hold onto the ancient artifact forever. He wanted to return it to Changbin as soon as possible. He wanted the other to be okay.

He felt a light mental tug into a certain direction.

A hand on his shoulder let his eyes snap up to meet the gaze of his mother. Her mismatched eyes were calm and slowly dragged him back to reality. The pain in his thigh had lessened and was now just a very dull ache.

"Hyunjin, you are the only one able to find him right now. Don't think just feel it," his mother advised. Hyunjin nodded and ignored the worried stares he got from his friends for the moment. He mimicked what Jeongin had done before they teleported her and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and just focused on the dull pain he felt while thinking about wanting to be with Changbin.

There was a good possibility that he was approaching this wrongly because unlike Jeongin he couldn't just teleport himself to his soulmate, but soon enough he felt a tug. It was like someone was telling him which way to go, like his instincts just knew.

He opened his eyes, blocked out basically everything around him and just focused on finding Changbin. His legs began to move on their own and soon enough he was running into an direction that just felt right.

Author's Note:
Hi... I know I screwed up. It's been about a month, a bit longer since I last updated. 'Sorry for the wait' doesn't really cut it, huh? I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway <3
Love you, take care of yourself and stay safe! <3
With lots of love,
Akeminii