SEVEN DEADLY SONS I

JUNE 6, 1996

 He looked out of the window, checking if someone was there. When everything was clear, he looked back at the woman who was hiding under the table, shaking in fear. The woman was pregnant, and the baby was going to come out soon.

     Very soon actually.

     “W-we need to go.” He told the woman.

     “My brothers will be waiting for us,” he added, about to grab the woman’s arm to pull her out of the table. But before he could do so, a large black smoke suddenly appeared in front of him. And within the smoke were red eyes that were so vibrant that it seemed like it was glowing.

     He froze in place as he stared at the black smoke.

     “M-My king…please…give me a little more time,” he begged. Then he fell down on his knees, glancing at the woman who continued to hide under the table. Almost praying just so the woman won’t get caught.

     Tears were falling down from the woman’s eyes as she covered her mouth so she wouldn’t make a sound.

      “My king please…please let me-” he was suddenly cut off when a hand-like smoke grabbed his neck. The smoke lifted him off the ground until his feet could no longer touch it. Then a thousand voices spoke, “ traitor ,“ the voices said, sending chills to the woman’s spine.

     He struggled to escape from the smoke’s grasp, but the hand was strangling him too much that blood started coming out of his nose.

     The woman hiding under the table continued to tremble. All she could do was close her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see what was happening in front of her.

     “ Join your pathetic brothers. “ The voices spoke once more. And in a split second, both the smoke and the one being strangled disappear.

     The whole room became quiet.

     The woman slowly opened her eyes only to see them gone. She gulped and touched her belly. “My son, we’re safe. We’re safe here.”

     Her hands continued to tremble. She was about to come out from under the table, but before she could do so, a hand that almost looked like a bone touched her shoulder.

     The woman’s heart dropped. She gulped again and slowly turned her head to see who the owner of the hand was.

     A face with no skin, eyes all black, and blood and saliva oozing out of its mouth welcomed her.

     The woman screamed, but then her water broke, and the demon inside her finally came out.

---

 In a place where dead sinners suffer, there lived Seven Deadly Demons who ruled the seven realms of hell. 

 In a day like any other, the King of Hell suddenly ordered the Seven Rulers to roam the earth and spread temptation to the mortals. Being transformed into human forms, the seven demons lived their lives as what their King has instructed, only to find themselves falling in love with mortals who they swore to corrupt.

 The King immediately knew of the demon's act of treachery, so it was only natural for him to punish them. But the King was too late because a child has been created inside seven unfortunate mortals.

 The King of Hell immediately formed a plan to make use of this unwanted union. He forcefully returned the Seven Rulers back to their realms in hell, and let the half-demons be born to the world in which the King could never rule, because the one who ruled those lands were none other than the King of the Heavens, God.

 God the savior knew about the children that will one day grow and become corruptors of his creations. So as a way to keep the balance, God asked his Seven Archangels to give seven pure mortals children that would become the protectors of his land.

 The seven human-angel children will one day grow strong and seek out for the seven human-demon children. But little did they know, that these seven half-demons would grow into men who completely know nothing of their true identity. So the mission to eliminate them might end up being something the King of Hell, and the God himself, could not expect.

 Follow these seven angels endure seven great temptations, from the 

Seven Deadly Sons . And follow these seven deadly sons in a journey to discover which side they’ll be on, and choose what world they’ll be willing to destroy.

MAY 27, 2014 - JULY 12, 2021

• END -

You may follow me on Instagram to get updates about myself, my books, and the new books that I’ll be publishing: wickedauthor_n

A/N

“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers”

Proverbs 6:16-19

     DEAR READER,

     Hi! 

     Before we start I just want to say something important.

     A lot of you may not know but me, my sister, and two of our friends published this on 2014 in a different site. 

    We discontinued then posted it again in Wattpad in my sister’s account. But then, work happened, universities happened, and our friends separating happened, so we never finished it.

     So to give you a heads up, this story will have THREE BOOKS. This book - BOOK I - is already

finished

. BOOK II is also finished. And BOOK III is currently being updated.

     I don’t know if a lot will read this, but if you are well…thank you so so much for being here! I’m really honored that you’re checking this out!

     We have made this crazy world years ago and I am super excited to share it with my own readers this time (BONERS). I hope you guys enjoy this as much as we enjoyed writing this when we were very young haha

    Don’t worry I change a lot and edited this as much as I could so I hope it won’t disappoint anyone. BUT don’t expect too much either haha

     To the old readers of this book ( if there is still any ) I hope you guys accept our sincere apology for abandoning this book. I promise that I will continue this and finish this for you guys. Because you guys are the reason why I’m doing this again.

     Well, I think I’m stalling too much now so…

     Welcome to SEVEN DEADLY SONS.  And in behalf of the rest of the Dog Crew ( The group of writers that I was in before ), I hope you enjoy this long-ass story.

THE NEW AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK,

N.

PS:

     May the King of Hell be with you, and your spirit.

L U S T

Jang Hyunseung’s POV

( PRONUNCIATION: Hyon-sung)

IT WAS A COLD SUMMER night. My mother met my father at a bar called Angelus et Daemon. Usually when you visit a bar, falling in love wouldn’t be on your agenda, but it seems that the two did just that.

     The two of them enjoyed hours of talking and drinking. And something we call a one-night-stand happened. 

     One-night-stands don’t always end in a good note, but for my parents, it was different. Both of them fell in love that night. And after an incident that was supposed to be forgotten, my father stood by my mother’s side when she got pregnant with me. We were both his greatest treasures.

     Everything was well for a long time, but the happiness they shared didn’t last long. With no explanation, my father left, and I was born in a world not knowing who or what he even looked like.

     My mom never had a grudge. It was as if she understood why he had to leave in the first place. So when I’d ask about him, she would usually satisfy my curiosity by sharing stories of how they met and how they fell in love. But as I grew older, the stories that my mother would tell me didn’t convince me anymore.

     There was a time that I asked her directly about who my father is, but like always, she would answer, “ When the time is right, I’ll tell you who he is .“

     And so I did wait. But I never got my answer up till now.

     I wasn’t a rebellious kid because my mom brought me up as a good child. Well good, while she’s around of course. Because growing up, becoming this ‘good boy’ was almost impossible for me. People kept on staring at me, both girls and boys alike. Sometimes staring wasn’t even enough for them anymore too so some would bravely approach me to get a quick touch. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been harassed now.

     My mom said that the reason why they keep on staring at me could be because of my strong pheromones. But I don’t think a normal person would attract as many people as I could. I think I caught someone having an orgasm by just staring at me too, which made things creepier and harder for me to be friendly.

     Nonetheless, it was an okay childhood. And regardless of what we’ve been through, I love my mom because she sacrificed so much for me. So I have to try my best to pay her back and protect her. No matter what.

“Jang Hyunseung! Wake up! You have classes today!” My mother shouted from outside my room.

     I stayed in bed for a couple more minutes before opening my eyes, only to be welcomed by this insanely bright light that escaped from the curtains of my window. I adjust to the brightness, cursing at the sun while rubbing my eyes in annoyance. When I got up from the bed, I lazily walk towards the bathroom like a zombie and did my business.

     I got ready in a flash and ran downstairs. My mother was placing food on the table. When she saw me, she said, “Good, you’re ready. Here, eat some breakfast before you go.” 

     I sat down on my usual seat and took a piece of toast. While I was munching on it, I suddenly felt something rub on my leg, quickly making me look under the table.

     “Oh, morning Luxuria,” I greeted as I picked up our cat named Luxuria so I could caress her back.

      Luxuria is a sphynx cat that my father gave to my mother before I was born. It’s the only gift that I received from him so I took care of it well. Luxuria’s been here for years so she’s more of a guardian in our house than a pet.

     When mom sat in front of me,  Luxuria quickly jumped off of my lap so she could rest on hers instead.

    “Hyunseung, do you have something to do tonight?” Mom asked while I took a sip of my coffee.

     “I’m free tonight, why?”

     “Well since you’ve forgotten about it, then let me remind you that today is your 18th birthday, and I want us to go to a restaurant and have dinner so we could celebrate it,” mom reminded me.

    Oh yeah, it’s my eighteenth birthday. How is it possible that I forgot about the day when my father left us?

     “Okay.” I simply answered back.

     “Great! Your class ends at six right? Then we’ll leave at seven.” My mom happily stated as she started eating her oatmeal. 

     I stared at her for a second before finishing my toast and coffee. Then I looked at my watch, surprised by the fact that it was already 8:12 AM, and my class starts at 9.

     “Shit! I’m going to be late,” I cursed as I bolted up from my chair and ran to the living room in a hurry.

     “No cursing Hyunseung,” mom scolded as she continued eating breakfast.

     “Sorry,” I answered as I took my bag from the sofa, kissed my mom on the cheek, and left the house.

    I rode my bike and eventually arrived at the campus.

     Holy Angels University – a Catholic all-boys university - is just a few miles away from where I live. Other than being near and convenient, HAU also has a system where all the first-year students must finish the minor subjects first, so on our second year, that’s the time we’ll choose a degree or program, and we’ll only be focusing on the core or major subjects.

     As I cycle my way to the bicycle area, I notice the students staring at me from head to toe that for a second I thought I had dirt on my face. Well, this always happened so I should already be used to it, but the problem is, I never really did.

   When I got down from my bike, a pair of hands held onto my shoulder. I turned around and got ready to push the culprit away from me, but then I saw a familiar face. It was Lee Minhyuk, my best friend who was expectedly eating a large bag of chips.

     I immediately stopped myself and moved away from him. Minhyuk wasn’t even surprised by how defensive I was as he smiled at me and greeted, “Hey JS.”

     By the way, my nickname’s JS ( J ang Hyun- S eung). If you’re having a hard time remembering my name, you can call me that.

     “Hey Minhyuk. Chips for breakfast again?” I asked him as I stared at his greasy fingers in disgust. 

     “You know I can’t live without these bad boys,” he answered, quickly making me dodge the chips that started splattering out of his mouth.

     I sighed as a concerned friend as I locked the chains on my bike. “You know I don’t get it. You eat a lot but you’re so damn fit.” I told him, and Minhyuk just devoured a handful of chips before smiling innocently.

     I sighed again and just walked my way to our building. Minhyuk licked his fingers and ran beside me so he could catch up. While we were walking, Minhyuk’s eyes suddenly widened like he remembered something that he was supposed to tell me earlier, “Oh yeah, another guy approached me today. He’s asking me if you’re free tonight.”

     Honestly I thought he remembered about my birthday, but what he said was something that I expected more than the birthday greeting, “You know Minhyuk, you shouldn’t entertain anyone. Especially when I’m a guy!” I angrily told him, and Minhyuk just shrugged his shoulder.

     “But seriously though, are you free tonight?” He still dared to ask me.

     I massaged my temple and answered him anyway, “No, I have a dinner date with my mother.”

     Minhyuk ate another handful of his chips. He stared at me for a second before finally realizing it himself, “Oh yeah! Today’s your birthday!” He then paused for a second and continued with excitement, “And so is mine!” He cheerfully added.

     Well, I did forget about mine so it’s only natural that I’d forget that we coincidentally share the same birthday too.

    “Well Happy birthday to you too Minhyuk,” I greeted with a small smile, and Minhyuk smiled back, draping his arm around my shoulders as we got inside the busy corridor of our building. 

    While we were walking and avoiding the people around us, we suddenly saw the biggest bully in our year - Kim Sunggyu - walking in our opposite direction. Everyone around him moved away since he was glaring at anyone who got too close. He wasn’t even doing anything but I already felt his jerkiness oozing from all the way to where Minhyuk and I were standing.

     When we were about to walk past him, we avoided him like everyone else, but Kim Sunggyu purposely bumped onto Minhyuk, causing my dear friend to drop the bag of chips that he was holding.

     “Watch where you’re going you glutton.” Sunggyu barked out aggressively. 

     Minhyuk pulled his arm away from my shoulder and stopped walking. He was about to approach Sunggyu, but I quickly stopped him from doing so because the last thing that I want to do on my birthday is to drag my best friend to the clinic.

     Sunggyu glanced at us and smirked. Then he stepped on the chips and went to his good-for-nothing friends who were waiting for him at the end of the hall.

     “You okay?” I asked Minhyuk who was staring at the scattered chips on the floor.

     “Yeah. But someday I’m gonna beat the hell out of that guy, and I’m not letting you stop me.” Minhyuk declared, clenching his fist from anger.

     I held onto his shoulder to calm him down. When he looked back at me, we suddenly heard a low church-like bell ring throughout the campus.

     “Shit, we need to get to our lecture,” Minhyuk stated, and the two of us ran to our first class.

---

“Okay, that’s all for today, class dismissed.” Our professor stated, and all the students stood up from their chairs and got ready to leave.

     I placed my notebook and pen back in my bag before standing up from my seat. Minhyuk on the other hand yawned and rested his head on his desk.

     “So, how are you going to celebrate your birthday?” I asked Minhyuk while I arranged his things for him.

     With his eyes closed, Minhyuk answered me, “Well, my mom told me that I should directly go home after class because she’ll be giving something to me.”

     I zipped Minhyuk’s bag and hit him with it. Minhyuk groaned and lazily got up from his seat, thanking me for arranging his things for him.

     “Well isn’t that good? It has been a while since you and Aunty Lee bonded,” I told him, and the two of us walked out of the already empty room. We headed back to the bicycle area, ready to head home and call it a day.

     “So, see you tomorrow?” Minhyuk asked, watching me unlock the chains on my bike.

     “Yeah, see you tomorrow,” I answered without looking back at him, and Minhyuk patted my back and left.

     I hid the chains inside my bag and turned to look back at Minhyuk who was walking away with his hands inside his pocket. While staring at his back, I smiled and whispered, “ Happy birthday big guy. “

     When Minhyuk was already out of sight, I hopped onto my bike and left in the opposite direction, cycling straight back home. 

     It didn’t take long for me to get back. I got inside, and the first person to welcome me was not even a person, but my cat Luxuria instead. She started rubbing herself on my leg, making me carry her up to cuddle her.

    “Hey there little girl,” I said as I squeezed her against my chest a little, making her shake herself away from me because she never really liked cuddles.

     I closed the door behind me, and mom finally went downstairs to welcome me back. She was all dressed up, looking like a divorced woman who’s about to go on a date with a man who works as a president in a company.

     I gently placed Luxuria on the floor as my mom grabbed something on the sofa before walking back to me again.

     “So are you ready?” She suddenly asked, surprising me.

     “Wait, right now? You’re not even gonna let me change my clothes?” I asked her, but my mother already looked so excited that I knew that she couldn’t wait much longer.

    “Fine, let’s go then,” I said in defeat, quickly making her grab my hand so she could drive me to wherever she plans to take me.

     After a few minutes, we reached the restaurant that she mentioned earlier. I was surprised because it looked very classy and formal; no wonder my mom looked dashing. I could have at least grabbed a coat if I only knew that this was where we’ll be eating.

     “You know mom, we don’t have to celebrate my birthday in a place like this. We’ve always celebrated at a local diner anyway.” I honestly told her, and mom gave me a warm smile and answered back, “Well we could, but today is a special day. I have something important to tell you.” 

    I looked at her with a confused expression, but she ignored me and gave the car key to the valet instead before heading inside. I took a deep breath and followed behind her. The moment we got in, almost everyone looked at my direction, instantly making me feel uncomfortable. 

    “Good Evening ma’am, table for two?” The receptionist asked when she saw us enter.

    “We have a reservation under the name Asmodeus.” My mother suddenly answered, surprising me.

     “ Asmodeus? Who the hell is Asmodeus? “ I thought to myself as the receptionist checked her list. Seconds later she smiled at us and said, “Yes, please come this way.” The receptionist then brought us a private room.

     My mother sat on the chair and I sat on the other chair opposite hers. When the receptionist left, a waiter soon replaced her and took our order. It didn’t take long for the food to arrive, and both of us started eating.

    Mom didn’t talk throughout our dinner. She just smiled at me and continued eating, freaking me out a little because something strange was seriously going on.

    When we were finally finished eating, the waiter cleared our table and placed a bottle of wine for my mother. My mom took a sip from her glass, afterward, her smiling face vanishes and was replaced with a serious expression.

     “You can now ask questions about your father Hyunseung.” My mother suddenly revealed, catching me off guard.

     “W-What? Are you sure?” I asked, surprised that she told me that since she always dodged my questions every time it was related to my father.

    “Yes.” She answered.

     When she gave her answer, thousands of questions immediately formed inside my head. I wanted to ask them one by one, but one question stood out from the rest.

    “Who is my father?” I finally asked, and mom took another sip of her wine before answering me. When she finished her glass, she took a deep breath and looked back at me, “Your father is Asmodeus , the ruler of the realm lust…in hell.” My mother casually answered.

     I looked at her for a couple of seconds, and then started laughing..

     “Nice one mom,” I said in between my uncontrollable laughter, but my mom remained serious.

     My laughter slowly died down as my mom continued to look at me with a dead-serious expression.

     The hair on my skin instantly stood up.

     No fucking way.

     “Y-You’re not lying. You’re seriously telling me…my father’s a demon?!” I practically shouted. Good thing we were in a private room or else people might be weirded out from our conversation because I certainly was.

    “He’s not just a demon. Your father is one of the Seven Deadly Demons of hell,” my mother calmly explained further like all this was normal and I shouldn’t be surprised at all.

    “That’s not the issue here. How did he even-” I paused and looked back at my mother, “Did he tempt you? Was I a mistake?”

    “Don’t be ridiculous. And besides, he didn’t tempt me. I tempted him instead.” She explained, confusing me even more.

    “Mom if this is some kind of joke you can stop now,” I told her, hoping my mother was gonna burst out laughing any minute.

    Mom took a deep breath. I knew it was hard for her too, but it was just impossible for me to comprehend it at the moment, “What I told you about how we met was not a lie Hyunseung. I was the one that tempted your father and he gave in. But he loved us so much that he even stayed with us,” she said, making my mind go all blank.

     “How is that possible? How can you even tempt an actual demon?” I confusingly asked her.

     “Your father changed when he went back to earth, which was why he was able to love. To love me. To love us. But…” my mom then paused.

     “But what?” I quickly asked her.

     Sadness was instantly painted on her face as she explained, “But the King of Hell called him back and he did. He had no choice.”

     “Had no choice? If he loved us, he would stay and be with us,” I said, ignoring the fact about the demons and the King of Hell thing that my mother just mentioned.

     “If he did, the King of Hell will kill us, that’s why he left. He left us for our safety,” she explained further, and I was already so confused and so speechless that the only thing I could do was slump myself in my chair and massage my temple.

     “I didn’t know Demons…had the capability to…l-love,” I honestly told her, making my mom smile and say, “That’s because your father…was never a demon to begin with.”

     My eyes widened from shock on what my mother suddenly revealed, but I couldn’t ask about it any further. All this information about my father being a demon is still not sinking in. So while I was in the midst of breaking down, mom took out a small, old box from her bag and placed it on top of the table.

     “What’s this?” I ask as I look at the box that was in front of me.

     “This is a present from your father. He gave this to me while I was still pregnant with you. He said that I should give this to you when you reach 18,” she explained.

    I scanned the old-looking box, somehow afraid to touch it, “What’s inside?” I asked my mom, but she just shrugged her shoulders as an answer. 

    Without saying anything, I took the box and slowly opened it. Inside was a ring and a letter. The letter read…

Happy 18th Birthday Hyunseung.

From this point your mother had finally told you about me being a demon, and she is right. I am one of the Seven Deadly Demons, and you, my son, is what everyone calls a human-demon child.

I hope that there is no hatred in your heart. I never forgot about you. I have always been protecting you through Luxuria. She has my eyes as I watch you grow.

I know it was hard for you. You experienced such uncomfortable and horrible things because you have some of my powers, but now that you are 18 you will experience even greater harm. 

That’s why I suggest you wear the ring. The ring will help you suppress your pheromones and other unknown abilities. It will also unleash a weapon that will be helpful for you in the near future.

You might be wondering why I am telling you this. The reason is because someone is after you. Our kinds archenemies, the archangels. These archangels are just like you my son, they are human-angel children. But even so, please be careful, because they are here on earth to kill and destroy you. But be warned, you alone can’t kill them.

There are six more like you, they are also sons of the Seven Deadly Demons. The ring will also help you look for them. It will light up when someone like you is near. Unite with them and fight the Archangels. I know I can count on you my son.

Please be strong, and may the King of Hell be with you, and your spirit.

• Asmodeus.

     After reading the letter, I placed it aside and stared at the ring that was still inside the box. I was confused and puzzled. Is there even such a thing as a demon? Well, my father is one so I guess there is.

    And the staring and sexual harassment; it was all because of my father’s powers? A normal person wouldn’t believe in this thing but I trust my mother and I guess I trust my father on this too. I have no other choice but to believe that I’m a demon-child. And when you think about it, it’s kinda like I’m the prince of Lust, which is pretty cool if you ask me.

    “So, do you have any more questions Hyunseung?” My mom suddenly asked, snapping me back to my senses.

     “Guess that’s enough for today.”

---

We got home, and I was completely worn out after everything that happened at the restaurant. Mom never mentioned it again and just told me to rest. So I went to my room and saw Luxuria playing with her yarn. I kneeled and stared at her, “Dad, can you see me?” I asked.

    * Meow *

    “Yup. I knew it you were gonna say that.” I said as I took a deep breath and walk to my desk so I could place the box there.

     I wanted to go to sleep but I suddenly had the urge to open the box again. It was like it was commanding me to do it. 

      I stared at the box for a second before slowly opening it to take out the ring. The ring had a dark blue gem. It had hands surrounding the gem too, so if you look closely it was very demon-like. But as I was staring at the ring, it suddenly lit up, almost making me drop it because of surprise.

     My heart started beating faster. I thought I was going crazy because the ring felt like it was luring me.

    Without any hesitation, I wore the ring. And as I wore it, everything went black, and I didn’t notice that I already fainted.

• END -

To those who might be confused about the demons who I used to represent the Seven Deadly Sins, I used “

The Lanterne of Light’s classification of demons“ as reference.

G L U T T O N

• Lee Minhyuk POV -

( PRONUNCIATION: Min-hyok)

IT WAS A NIGHT like any other. My mom was working overnight at a diner named Heaven’s Hell. It wasn’t that busy because it was already late, and my dad just so happened to be the last customer to enter the diner. It wasn’t anything special, but through that encounter, things blossomed between them.

    My dad took care of mom when she was pregnant with me, but that all changed when he suddenly disappeared. 

    When I was born, my mom was the only family that I know. I wasn’t a nosy child so I didn’t ask about my dad since it might be a sensitive topic for her.

     I grew up to be a chubby child that every kid in the neighbourhood would bully because of some excess fats. It didn’t bother me at first because my mom taught me to just let it go, but when I got older, the insults started to affect me. People kept on bullying me and discriminating against me because of my size, so I did what every insecure person would do…

     I worked my ass off and proved them wrong.

     I worked out day and night until I achieved the body that was immune to the insults that I received when I was chubbier. People started accepting me…

     But have I accepted myself?

 “Thirty-minutes,” I said as I stared at my timer. I’ve been running for thirty-minutes none stop, and I couldn’t feel any better. Of course, that was after doing a hundred pushups and a hundred sit-ups.

     I stretched my legs and tried to catch my breath before drinking from my bottle. After freshening up, I checked my phone and looked at the time. It was already 7:40 AM. So I jogged my way back to our residence, the sweat on my body dripping down on me as I entered the house.

     “Mom, I’m home,” I said, but no one replied, which was peculiar since mom always greeted me back after my morning run.

     I went to the living room, and then to the kitchen, but she still wasn’t there. Her absence was starting to worry me.

     “Mom?!” I shouted, but still, no one answered. So I went upstairs to check if she was in her room. I opened the door but no one was there either.

    “ Where could mom be ?“ I asked myself, trying not to panic. 

      With my heart now beating fast, I went to my room and opened the door…

     “Happy 18th Birthday Minhyuk!” My mom suddenly shouted as she threw confetti above my heads. The moment I saw her, I thought I was gonna get a heart attack.

     “Mom! I thought you were kidnapped!” I honestly said, making her laugh like crazy.

     She brushed away the confetti that got stuck in my hair and hugged me. The gesture finally calmed me down so I hugged her back.

     “To make it up for you, here, I made you your favorite breakfast,” she said as she excitedly presented a tray with a turkey sandwich and a glass of smoothie. 

     “Thanks mom, but you should have just greeted me a happy birthday…downstairs,” I told her, making her laugh again.

     “I know, but it will be a hassle if I’ll carry Gula’s cage ( Gula’s a hamster ).” My mom explained, and I just chuckled in defeat. She’s always so extra.

    “Okay, but I need to take a shower now. I’ll eat downstairs,” I said, and my mom nodded her head, carrying the breakfast she made for me and left the room.

     When she closed the door, I took off my sweaty clothes and took a shower. While on the shower, I started meditating. This added 20 more minutes to my bath routine. After washing up, I got ready and went downstairs to see my mother brewing coffee. I sat on the chair where my food was placed and I started eating.

     “Do you have any plans for tonight son?” My mom asked me while I was eating.

     “No, why?”

     “Well, I took a day off from the restaurant because I want us to eat dinner together. I’ll even be giving you something special,” mom said with an excited smile.

     “You took a day off on your own restaurant?” I asked with my right eyebrow raised, and mom just nodded her head as an answer.

     “Well okay then,” I said with a smile, making her smile even more.

      I then looked at my watch and saw that it was already 8:20 AM. I quickly ate the sandwich with only a few bites, and then I chugged down the smoothie until its very last drop. Mom didn’t even say anything as she watched me devour everything in a flash. She was probably already used to it.

     “I gotta go,” I told her as I took a table napkin and wiped my mouth with it before standing up from my seat. I kissed my mom on the cheek, and then took a bag of chips from the cabinet first, grabbing my bag on the sofa after. I then rushed outside and walked my way to school like I always do.

     As soon as I arrive at the university, a man who I was familiar with approaches me with a nervous smile. If I could remember, he’s a classmate of ours in one of our lecture classes.

     “Lee Minhyuk right?” He asked as he approached me.

     I stared at him from head to toe. He hasn’t said anything but I already knew what was about to say. Because I don’t really attract boys ( but I do attract girls a lot ), but I know someone who does.

     “That’s right,” I answered with a serious expression, making him gulp.

     “You’re friends with Hyunseung, right?” He finally asked, and I couldn’t help but be proud of the fact that I guessed that right.

     “Why?” I asked even though I already knew the reason why he was asking me that.

     “Can you ask him if he’s free tonight?” He asked nervously, making me try my best from not laughing at how ignorant this guy was. Doesn’t he already know that JS is famous for rejecting guys in the harshest way possible?

     “And why would I do that?” I asked back.

     The guy scratched the back of his head, his ears turning red because of embarrassment, “Because I want to ask him out tonight. I kinda…like him,” he blurted out, making me close my eyes to compose myself. Now I’m starting to feel embarrassed for him too. 

    “Okay, I’ll ask him,” I lied, and the boy suddenly smiled thankfully that I ended up feeling guilty. I guess asking JS won’t kill me.

     “Thanks man,” he said before patting my back and leaving.

     When he was out of sight, I sighed and took out the bag of chips that I brought with me. I opened it and ate a handful. It’s almost like my stress reliever.

     Ever since I became friends with Jang Hyunseung, every guy who knows that I’m friends with him would ask for his name or his number. Some weird ones would even ask for his address or even a picture of him. That’s the exact reason why he doesn’t have social media. Of course, as his friend, I try to scare off the perverted ones. People are just so damn attracted to him, which always made me wonder…

     What’s with that guy anyway? Nothing about him is attractive at all! Even his personality is horrible! But I guess that’s from a close friend’s perspective. People don’t really know who he is, so maybe that’s why they think he’s the most desirable man on earth.

     “Speak of the devil,” I said as I arrived at the bicycle area.

     I smirked and sneaked behind him while he was chaining his bike. Without him suspecting anything, I grabbed his shoulders to surprise him, and as I expected, he immediately turns around, getting ready to push me away from me.

     “Hey JS,” I immediately greeted with a smile before eating another handful of chips.

     JS stopped just in time and sighed heavily, “Hey Minhyuk. Chips for breakfast again?” he asked me while glancing at the large bag of chips that I was holding.

     “You know I can’t live without these bad boys,” I answered, and JS sighed again before going back to his neglected bike. He locked the chains and looked back at me with an annoyed expression, “You know I don’t get it. You eat a lot but you’re so damn fit.” He told me.

     Memories of me running miles and performing hours of hardcore exercises suddenly flashed before my eyes. But I pretended like being this fit is just a god-given talent so I smiled and ignored his question.

     JS sighed for the third time and left me while I was still licking my cheesy fingers. I immediately ran to his side to catch up with him. While the two of us were walking in silence, I suddenly remembered my encounter with this guy earlier who has a crush on my dear friend here.

     “Oh yeah, another guy approached me today. He’s asking me if you’re free tonight.” I asked even though I already know what he’s about to answer.

     You owe me one random classmate.

     “You know Minhyuk, you shouldn’t entertain anyone. Especially when I’m a guy!” He angrily told me, and I just shrug my shoulder again even though deep down I still wanted to laugh.

     Well, at least I tried.

     “But seriously though, are you free tonight?” I still asked, but this time it was a question for me and not for that guy earlier. 

     Hyunseung looked annoyed, but he answered me anyway, “No, I have a dinner date with my mom.”

     I furrow my brow and ate some chips. Why is he suddenly having a dinner date with his-

     “Oh yeah! Today’s your birthday!” I said with a shocked expression. Soon after I remembered another fact that I shouldn’t have been able to forget, “And so is mine!” I told him next, and JS looked back at me like I was the dumbest person in the world.

     “Well happy birthday to you too Minhyuk,” he still greeted. I thought it was just that, but then my always serious friend suddenly smiled, causing the hair on my skin to stand because I don’t usually see him smile like that.

    I smiled back and draped my arms around him, which JS didn’t mind. The two of us then headed to our building that was packed with students. I had to pull JS closer to me just so he wouldn’t get caught with the crowd.

     “ Shit it’s Sunggyu, “ I heard someone say, immediately making me look at the area where everyone was looking.

     I looked around the sea of students to look for Kim Sunggyu, but someone suddenly bumped into me so hard that I accidentally let go of my bag of chips. I was about to curse at the person who wasn’t even planning to apologize, but when I turned my head, I was welcomed by none other than Kim Sunggyu himself. Apparently he was the culprit who murdered my chips.

    “Watch where you’re going you glutton,” Sunggyu said with an angry tone, angering me even more because he was acting as if I bumped into him when in fact he bumped into me on purpose.

     I pulled my arm away from JS. I was about to grab him so I could shove his face on the chips that were already on the floor, but my best friend immediately grabbed me by the shoulder to stop me from doing anything further. 

    When Sunggyu saw that I wasn’t going to fight back, he smirked and walked away, stepping on my chips while he did so.

     I stared at the chips on the floor with a sad expression, “ I’m so sorry my dear chips, “ I mumbled to myself.

    “You okay?” JS asked, snapping me back to my senses.

    “Yeah. But someday I’m gonna beat the hell out of that guy, and I’m not letting you stop me.” I declared while clenching on my fist from complete anger. 

---

“So, how are you going to celebrate your birthday?” JS asked when he grabbed the things on my desk so he could put it inside my bag.

     I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. We just ended five lectures today and I’m worn out. Any more information and my brain will explode.

     “Well, my mom told me that I should go home directly after class because she’ll be giving something to me,” I answered.

     I was about to fall asleep when my dear friend suddenly slammed my bag at me. I lazily stood up from my seat and took my bag from his hand before saying, “Thanks Jang Hyunseung. You know I love you right?” I said while rubbing my eyes, but JS  just completely ignored me as he continued, “Well isn’t that good? It has been a while since you and Aunty Lee bonded,” he told me, and the two of us walked out of the room.

    Since both of us had appointments that night, the two of us decided to just head home.

     “So, see you tomorrow?” I asked JS while he was unlocking the chains off his bike.

     “Yeah, see you tomorrow,” he simply answered.

      Without waiting for him anymore, I went the opposite direction from where Hyunseung goes to. But when I passed by the gate, I suddenly saw the guy who asked about JS earlier. He must have been waiting for me because when he saw me, he ran to where I was and asked, “ Did you ask him?“

     I didn’t stop walking and just patted his shoulder to comfort him, “Give up man. He’s not worth it.”

     The guy looked so confused, but I was already walking away from him so he didn’t have the chance to ask me about it further. 

     The campus is a ten-minute walk away from my house, which is super convenient. But other than being close to my house, we’re also near a community park. It’s the perfect place for me to exercise. 

     While I was walking past the park, I stopped when I suddenly saw a guy sleeping on one of the benches. I wanted to ignore him but my conscience was bugging me. It was getting late and I didn’t want to see in the news that a guy got murdered near our park. So I went closer to see who the guy was.

     As I was only a few steps away from him, a tall scary-looking guy suddenly arrived and woke him up. It looked like they were friends so I didn’t bother them anymore and just left.

    When I got home, I directly went to the dining room to see my mother placing plates on the table while wearing an apron.

     “Hey mom.” I greeted.

     “Oh Minhyuk, just in time. I finished preparing our dinner,” she said as she removed her apron.

     I went to the dining table and sat down. The table was filled with food. There were tons of meat and side dishes. My mouth was already watering just by seeing it.

     “This looks delicious. Thank you mom.” I said as I took my chopstick, and mom grabbed a bottle of soju from the fridge and sat opposite to me.

     “Then let’s eat,” she happily said.

     I thanked her for the food again and we started eating. Mom kept on asking me about how my day was and I did the same to her.  After dinner she brought out a cake, and I blew out the candle as if I was a kid again. 

    As usual, I ate the entire cake all by myself while my mom cleared the table. It was crazy how I still wasn’t full even after eating all that. This was my problem ever since I was a kid. I never felt full, so I ate and ate until my body couldn’t cope up. I think mom even brought me to the hospital once because of it. That also became a reason why I started exercising. If I don’t lose the fat from all the food that I eat, I’ll end up getting sick without me knowing.

    “I have a gift for you son.” My mom suddenly told me after clearing the table.

     I thought it was another box of cake, but my mom placed a small old-looking box on the table instead. I examined the box without touching it. Who knows, that box might be cursed.

     “You can open the box after our talk,” she suddenly said with a serious expression.

     I stopped her from saying anything further as I ran to the kitchen cabinet to grab a bag of chips. When I went back, mom sighed upon seeing the chips, but I ignored her and sat back down. I opened the chips and started eating, and then I told her to continue.

     Mom took a deep breath and finally said, “What do you want to know about your father?” 

     The question was so sudden that I almost choked on my chips. Mom grabbed a pitcher of water and poured it in my glass. I drank the water and looked back at her, “Are you serious?”

     “Yes. Now what do you want to know?” She told me.

     “W-Well I don’t know! How about…where the hell is he?” I asked, and mom suddenly grabbed my hand and answered, “In hell.”

     The answer was so random that I couldn’t even laugh. Mom might have seen my confused expression so she explained further, “He’s in hell because…he’s  Beelzebub. “

     “Beelzebub? The anime?” I joked, but my mom didn’t look impressed at all.

     “No son, I mean THE Beelzebub. The

ruler of the realm glutton“, my mom tried to explain again, and this time, I choked on air.

     “Son are you okay?” my mom asked as she poured water on my glass again. I quickly drank the water, making me breathe properly. Then I look at my mother and said, “Mom, are you serious right now? Are you telling me that my father’s a…demon?!” I shouted from complete shock. Repeating it myself sounded even crazier.

     “Yes son, he is one of the Seven Deadly Demons of hell,” she calmly answered.

    I covered my mouth from shock. She’s fucking serious.

     “Mom, maybe you drank too much soju?” I asked her, and mom looked angry now.

     “I am serious Lee Minhyuk. I know it’s hard to believe, but your father really is a powerful demon, and you gotta accept that.” My mom desperately tried to explain, but it was still too crazy for me to comprehend.

     “And gula, he’s a guardian that your father sent to protect us. He’s been watching us through him.” Mom added, and I covered my mouth again before saying, “Even Gula? He’s a demon too?”

    I grabbed a handful of chips to relieve my growing stress. I remembered Gula just staring at me whenever I’m in my room. It’s creepier now since mom said my father uses him to watch over us. 

     I then remembered everything that I do in my room.

     I choked again.

     “Can you please stop eating that!” Mom said with an annoyed expression, now grabbing the chips from my hand so I could stop chocking on them.

     “I know you’re confuse right now.” She said while pouring water on my glass again.

     “Nope, not at all,” I sarcastically answered. But mom ignored my remark and pushed the old box closer to me.

     “Open it. Maybe it can help you understand,” she told me, so I did open it. Inside the box was a ring and a letter. I took the letter out first and closed the box.

Happy 18th Birthday Minhyuk.

 At the time you read this, your mom had already told you about who I really am. You don't have to act stubborn because she's telling you the truth. 

 I am one of the Seven Deadly Demons in hell, which means you're a half-demon child. I am sorry if I left you and your mom alone. I never intended to do that but I had no choice. If I stay with you and your mother, your safety will be questioned.

 I know growing up was hard for you because you always have the urge to eat an insane amount of food portions, which caused you to a lot of problems. 

But now that you have reached 18, you will experience an even greater threat besides this uncontrollable habit of yours.

That is why I suggest you wear the ring. The ring will help you control your habit and suppress your other unknown abilities. And it will also unleash a weapon, a weapon that only you can wield.

You might be wondering why I am telling you this now. The reason is because someone is after you. Our kinds archenemies, the archangels. These archangels are just like you. They are human-angels. They are creations of god, and they are here on earth to kill and destroy you. 

 You alone can't kill them. There are six more like you, they are also sons of the Seven Deadly Demons. The ring will also help you look for them; it will light up when someone like you is near.

 Unite with them and fight the Archangels. 

I know I can count on you. 

Please be strong, and may the King of Hell be with you, and your spirit.

• Beelzebub.

     When I reached the end of the letter, everything my mom told me earlier started sinking in. But it was honestly still so hard to believe.

     “You should go to your room and think about it more,” my mom suggested.

      I nodded and went to my room with the box at hand. Once inside my room, I saw Gula running on his wheel. I approach him and place the box beside his cage.

     “Hey, Beelzebub…dad…demon father,” I tried to say, making me aggressively scratch my head in frustration because of how crazy this all was. Even calling him is hard.

     I sighed and calmed myself down before continuing, “Mom said you could see me through Gula. I know you love us and you never intended to leave us, but I still can’t believe that you’re a demon. It’s hard to believe, but I’ll try to believe it. I’ll try to protect mom from these archangels and I’ll also try to look for the others too.”

    Gula looked at me while he wrinkled his nose, making me chuckle on how stupid I look.

    “I can’t believe I just talked to my pet hamster.”

     I look back at the box and opened it once again, but this time I took the ring out. If you look closely, the ring looks like it’s ready to implant a curse on you since it was shaped like a mouth.

     “If I wear you, will you help me understand?” I asked out loud, and then the ring suddenly lit up. It was almost like it actually answered me.

     “Well I won’t die right?” I asked next. And without any hesitation, I wore the ring. And as I wore it, everything went black, and I slowly fell on the floor.

• END -

G R E E D

• Kim Jun-Myeon’s POV -  

( PRONUNCIATION: Joon-Myon)

MY MOM JUST FINISHED  working at a bank named the Asian Development Bank. And on her way home, someone snatched her bag. She tried to catch the thief, but the man was far gone. But unexpectedly, a stranger caught the thief and gave the bag back to my mother.  And yes, you guessed it, that was my father.

     As sweet of an encounter that can be, my father left us before I was even born. I didn’t care about him ever since. I never asked about him, and I never wanted to know about him either, but my mother insisted that he had no choice but to leave us, and so, this ignorant child believed her.

    I grew up to be a greedy little boy who kept on asking money from his mom and would always have the urge to steal even though we had money. The doctors told me that I have a serious case of Kleptomania. Because of that, my mom was always afraid that maybe someday I’ll be thrown in prison because of my sickness. 

     I promised her that I’ll try my best to control it, so I did.

     Well…at times. 

     “This fucking early?” I complained as I tried to reach out for my phone on the side table beside my bed. It was only 7 in the morning, and it was already ringing like crazy. When I got a hold of it, I looked at the screen and sighed when I saw who the asshole caller was. It was Steve, one of my con-artist friends.

     “What?” I said with a sleepy voice.

     “We hit the jackpot last night!”   He shouted on the other line, making me move my phone away from my ear a little.

     “And why is that?”

     “Some random tourists came to one of our booths. He 

spent half of his money. Like…a lot of his money.“

      My eyes widened as I heard the news. I quickly sat up from my bed and asked further, “How much?”

     “About a thousand bucks.”

     I almost jumped off my bed when I heard about the good news.

     “That’s fucking great! So have you distributed it to the other cons?” I then asked.

     “Yeah we did, and we still have a couple of hundreds for you,” Steve told me, and I couldn’t be even happier. This is the best birthday present so far.

     “So where do you want to meet up?” Steve then asked me.

     I thought about it first before answering, “Anywhere near the university. Be there before 9. I still have classes to attend to.”

     “Roger that,” Steve answered before hanging up.

     I placed my phone back at the side table and got off from my bed. I started dancing to celebrate, but it was immediately interrupted when I heard one of our maids knock on my door. She didn’t have to explain what it was because I already knew what it was about. So I went downstairs with my hair still a mess.

    I went to the patio and saw the table filled with breakfast. I didn’t sit down because I went to the pond first to greet my pet toad, Avaritia .

     “Where’s mom?” I asked my toad who obviously didn’t answer me.

     When I turned around to head back to the patio, I was surprised to see my mother holding out a cake as she greeted, “Happy Birthday Jun-Myeon!”

     I smiled and thanked her for the greeting. She then patted my back and both of us took our seats so we could start eating. As soon as I sliced my pancake, mom asked, “So, what time is your class today?”

     Without looking back at her, I replied, “8:00 AM.”

     Mom didn’t say anything so I glanced at her, only to see her staring down at me with her right eyebrow raised. 

     I chuckled and placed my knife and fork down, “I’m not lying mom. My class today really starts at eight.” I told her again, and this time my mom didn’t try to force me to give her an honest answer.

     “So what time will your classes end then?” She asked next.

     “Around five,” I answered with no hesitation.

    She started tapping her long nails on the table. I was starting to feel nervous as beads of sweat streams down my temple, but she didn’t interrogate me any further than that. Instead, she asked, “Do you have plans tonight?”

     “Actually I’ll be meeting with my friends.” This time, that was an honest answer. 

     “Friends? You mean your con-artist friends?” My mother asked with a serious expression, and I immediately stopped eating.

     There was silence between us. I glanced at her, and mom took a sip of her coffee before saying, “Can you meet them some other time? I want to spend time with you on your birthday.”

     “I can’t. We already planned to meet tonight,” I persistently answered, and my mother suddenly looked sad, and I knew that she knew that if she put on that face then I won’t be able to decline her. She was that important to me.

     “Fine. We can reschedule,” I told her, and my mom smiled victoriously. She then stood up and went to the counter to pour herself another cup of coffee. I looked at my watch and was surprised to see that it was already 7:20. I should go take a shower.

     “Mom, I’ll be taking a shower now,” I told her as I stood up from the chair.

     Mom nodded her head, so I went to my bathroom and took a cold shower. After wearing my clothes for that day, my phone lit up again. It was a text message from my friend, or what my mom calls him, my con-artists friend.

     You might be wondering if I’m still a con-artist myself. Well, the answer is no, I’m not anymore. I mastered my way of fooling people and decided to train others and form a group. That way, I get to sit back while the money poured. My greediness never left me no matter how much money I make. I don’t want to disappoint my mother, so this is the only possible adjustment that I could make for her.

     “I’ll be waiting at the café near your university,”  Steve texted.

     I turned my phone off and went downstairs with my bag already hanging on my shoulder.

     “Mom! I’m leaving!” I shouted without waiting for an answer. 

    I opened the door, and a maid went to me and gave me my car key. I took the key from her palm, and she bowed as I left the house.

     “ I’m on my way.“ I texted Steve back. I got in my car, started the engine, and drove my way to the café. When I got there, I saw Steve sitting on the table at the far end drinking coffee.

     When Steve saw me, he stood up and bowed, “Good morning boss.”

     “Morning. So where’s the cash?” I immediately asked as I sat down in front of him. Steve placed an envelope on top of the table and pushed it towards me. I took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a couple of hundreds and fifties. I placed the envelope inside my bag without saying anything.

     “So what time will I call the guys for tonight’s meeting?” Steve then asked me.

     “About that. We’ll have to reschedule.” I informed him, quickly making my Korean raised American-friend look confused, “Why?” he asked.

     “Because my mom wants to hang out. After all it is my birthday today,” I told him.

     “Of course we know that. That’s why we’re doing a meeting tonight, to celebrate your birthday,” Steve suddenly revealed, making me hide a smile. It made me realize that even though they’re con-artists, they’re still good people.

     “Next time,” I answered with an apologetic look.

     Steve sighed, “It’s not like we can force you to leave your own mother. I’ll tell the guys that our meeting will be rescheduled. But you’ll pay the bill this time.” He told me, and I chuckled and nodded my head in agreement.

     I checked my watch. It was already 8:25 AM. I have to head to the university before the bell rings.

      “Well, I gotta go,” I said as I stood up from my seat.

      Steve stood up from his chair as well and bowed again. Before I exited the café, Steve called out for me, making me turn around to look back at him.

     “Happy Birthday Suho!” Steve shouted, making me chuckle since everyone at the café looked at him, but he didn’t give a damn.

      Suho , which means guardian in Korean. I needed a fake name when I was still working, so some of my friends gave me that. I guess that stuck with me until now.

     “Thank you!” I shouted back before leaving completely.

     I reached the campus at 8:30 with thirty more minutes to spare. I drove my way to the parking lot and saw my friend Kwon Jiyong leaning on what looks like a brand new car. I laughed in amazement and parked beside him.

     When I went out of my car, Jiyong looked at me with his expressionless face, “Happy Birthday Suho,” he greeted as he looked at me coolly.

     “Yeah. Happy birthday to you too Jiyong,” I greeted back.

     It’s funny how we share the exact same birthday. If that’s not destiny I don’t know what is.

     “Where’s Sunggyu?” I asked as I stood beside him.

     “He texted me. He said we should wait for him inside,” Jiyong answered.

     I raised an eyebrow and looked at him confusingly, “Why?” I asked, and Jiyong only shrugged his shoulder as a reply.

     We proceeded to the campus like what Sunggyu instructed. While we were heading to our room, we suddenly heard a familiar voice say, “ Watch where you’re going you glutton. “

     His voice echoed throughout the hall, and the silence of everyone around us assured us that the owner of that voice is none other than our dear friend, Kim Sunggyu. His presence really is strong, but it’s strange since I never got scared or felt intimidated by him even for a bit.

     We stopped walking and saw Sunggyu walking towards us with a satisfied smirk on his face. It looked like he made fun of someone again.

    “Happy Birthday guys,” Sunggyu greeted as soon as he stopped in front of us.

     Yup, the three of us share the same birthday. Isn’t that crazy?!

     The three of us have been friends since we were in middle school. Like any group of friends, our personalities are different. Jiyong’s this arrogant guy who has everything and likes to boast about it. Sunggyu’s been a bully ever since, and his temper is so bad people get scared of him. While I’m this cool and relaxed guy with fucking kleptomania. But even with our differences, the three of us never got into a big fight, and we’ve been solid ever since.

    *****

“Good Morning class,” our professor greeted as soon as he entered the room.

     “Good morning sir,” everyone greeted back. Then he took out a notebook and started checking the attendance like he always does.

     Our professor called us like normal, but when it was Jiyong’s turn, he nervously cleared his throat, and his voice became softer, “Kwon Jiyong?”

     “Here,” Jiyong answered, not even bothering to look back at him while his eyes was glued on his phone.

     I chuckled as the professor nodded his head and checked Jiyong’s name. Jiyong is so rich and powerful that even our professors are afraid of him.

     “By the way, where’s Lee Taeil again?” Our professor suddenly asked, making me surprised by the fact that we have a classmate with that name.

    Well, I don’t know all of my classmates, but I seriously haven’t heard of that name before. Is he always absent?

     “Sir, he’s sick.” A big scary-looking guy sitting on the back suddenly answered.

     Our professor nodded his head and wrote something down on his notebook. I leaned closer to Jiyong and whispered to him, “ Who the fuck is Lee Taeil? “

     “He’s our classmate who’s always asleep at the back. You know, the short guy with the big glasses.” Jiyong explained to me.

     I paused and thought about it. And it honestly took me a couple of seconds to remember his face again.

    “Oh! The nerdy guy!” I answered too loud, making everyone look at me, even the professor.

     “S-Sorry.” I embarrassingly tell everyone who went back to what they were doing.

     The professor shook his head and eventually started the lecture. I looked at my friends and saw them trying their best to hide their laughter. I rolled my eyes and ignored them as I listened to the discussion in silence.

---

“Hey, I better go,” Sunggyu told us while he was looking at his watch.

     Our classes were over, and I found out that the three of us had plans tonight, so we all decided to leave immediately.

     “Sure, see you tomorrow Sunggyu,” I said, and Sunggyu patted my back and went to the bicycle area where he usually parks his motorbike. 

     Jiyong and I on the other hand went to the parking lot. I went to my car and opened the door, then I looked at Jiyong who was just standing outside his car doing nothing.

     “Aren’t you leaving?” I asked him.

     “I’ll stay here for a couple of minutes,” he answered, so I nodded my head and went inside my car. Before starting the engine, Jiyong knocked on my window. I pulled the window down and looked back at him, “Happy Birthday again Suho.” He stated, making me smile.

     “You too Jiyong. Happy Birthday,” I said back.

     Jiyong waved goodbye as I started the engine and drove my way to my house. When I got back home, maids opened the door for me and greeted me, “Good evening sir Jun-Myeon. Miss Kim is at the patio waiting for you.”

     I nodded my head and went to the patio to see my mother feeding Avaritia at the pond. My mom saw me and stood up, “Welcome home son,” she said while brushing the dirt off from her hands.

     We went to the table that was already filled with food. In the middle of the table was a small antique box. 

     “What’s that?” I asked while pointing at the box.

     “That’s your dad’s birthday present,” mom casually answered before taking a seat, surprising me.

     What does she mean by dad’s birthday present? What the hell, did he visit earlier?

     “Can I open it?” I asked, my curiosity itching in my hand as I force myself not to take it then and there.

     “Later. After we eat,” my mom answered, making me take a deep breath so I could ease myself.

     I glanced at the box again. I wanted to open it so badly so I sat down and quickly took my spoon and fork so I could start eating. But I couldn’t eat that much because I kept on staring at the box. Why would dad give me a present? Why only now? And why the fuck is it an old box? He could have just given me money.

     “I’m going to talk about your father so listen carefully.” My mother suddenly told me, making me stop eating in an instant. She didn’t even wait for me to react. Instead, she reached for my hand and held it tightly before answering, “Your father’s name is  Mammon. “

     “Mammon?” I repeated confusingly. 

     I don’t know what race my father is but dad’s name is seriously strange.

     Mom held onto my hand tighter and took a deep breath, “Mammon is the ruler of the realm Greed,” she explained further, confusing me even more.

     “So my grandparents used a demon name to name my father?” I asked, now even more confused about what my mother was trying to explain to me.

     My mom drank another glass of wine and shook her head, “N-No…your father dear…he’s a demon. He’s the ruler of Greed. He wasn’t named after Mammon, because he IS Mammon,” my mom explained again.

     I stared at her with a blank expression. And the longer I stared at her, my mouth started opening from shock and realization. Words couldn’t even explain what I was feeling right now.

     “Mom if he’s a drug dealer just tell me. I won’t judge.” I tell her, and my mom looked back at me seriously. I was starting to get nervous now. My mother wasn’t the type to joke around like this.

     “Alright. I’ll ask one last time, and I really want a serious answer. Who’s my father?” I asked again, but this time I looked back at her seriously too. Whatever she answers this time, I’ll believe her without question.

      “Everything I told about how your father and I met is true, I never lied about that. The only detail that I wasn’t able to give you was that your father was a demon. He left us for our safety, but he continued to look over us through Avaritia. He told me to tell you about his real identity only when you reach eighteen. This is why I’m telling you this now,” she answered me without batting an eye.

     Holy shit.

     She’s really telling the truth.

     “I know you’re confused, but your dad told me you’ll understand it better once you open the box,” she added as she pushed the box closer to me. 

     I was hesitating at first. Nothing was sinking in, and my mind was just completely blank. But if my mom says that I’ll understand this better if I open the box then what will I lose?

     “Okay. I’ll open it,” I answered as I opened the box. Inside the box was a golden ring and an old letter. I took the letter first and read it as thoroughly as I could.

Happy 18th Birthday Joon Myeon.

 Since you're reading this letter, it only means that you are now aware of my true Identity. 

Yes, I am a demon. A demon of greed. This is the reason why 

you are obsessed with earthly things like money and jewels. My greediness has been transferred to you, which caused you great harm when you were young. But be warned, greater harm will soon face you.

 In the box, there is a ring that I want you to wear. The ring will help you control your sin and suppress your other unknown abilities. And at the same time, it will unleash a weapon that is greater than any possession that you have now.

I’m telling you all this because someone is after you. Our kinds archenemies, the archangels. These archangels are just like you, they are human-angels. They are here on earth to kill and destroy you because of what we did. But you alone can’t kill them. 

There are six more like you. They are also sons of the Seven Deadly Demons. The ring will also help you look for them, it will light up when someone like you is near. Unite with them and fight the Archangels. 

I know I can count on you my son. 

Please be strong and may the King of Hell be with you, and your spirit.

• Mammon.

    After reading the letter, I placed it back inside the box and took out the ring. The first thing I did was scan the ring. It was gold, and it had a stack of coins as a design. It looked quite expensive.

     “Do I really have to wear this when I could just sell it?” I honestly told my mom while still looking at the ring.

     “Does the letter say you must?” She asked back, making me pout, and nod my head as a reply.

     “Then you must wear it.” 

     I looked at her with disbelief and showed her the ring, “But look at it! This can be worth so much!” I told her, and mom looked back at me angrily and scolded me.

     “Fine,” I said in defeat as I placed the ring back inside the box. 

     My mom stood up from her seat and went to me so she could hug me from behind.

      “I know you’re still confused about this, but even so, please try to understand it little by little,” my mom told me with a gentle voice. Then she kissed my head and continued, “You should take a rest Jun-Myeon.”

     She lets go of me and went back inside without saying anything else.

     I stood up from the chair and went to my room with the box at hand. When I got inside my room, I went to my desk and placed the box in front of me. Then I opened it once again and took the ring out.

     “I should really sell you, but my mom will be mad at me,” I said with a disappointed sigh.

      And besides, I don’t want my dad - A.K.A my demon dad - to get mad at me. I’m too pussy to fight with a demon.

      “Will all this make sense if I wear the ring?” I asked out loud while I continued staring at the ring. To my surprise, it suddenly lit up, honestly sending chills through my spine.

     “Was that supposed to happen?” I asked myself as I finally decided to just wear the goddamn thing.

     As soon as I slid it in my index finger, my surroundings started turning black, but I was sure that my eyes were still open at that time. What I didn’t know was that I was already asleep, and the scent of money was everywhere. 

• END -

S L O T H

• Lee Taeil’s POV-

( PRONUNCIATION: Te-il)

IT WAS ANOTHER LAZY  afternoon. My mom just finished her yoga classes at a fitness gym called Aerobica. As my mom was walking her way home, she saw my dad sleeping on the park’s bench near our neighbourhood. She tried to wake him up but-

     You know what, I’m tired. I’ll just stop here. Ask my mom if you wanna hear this cringe-ass love story.

     “Taeil, wake up. You have classes today,” I heard someone say while patting my shoulder

     “ Hmmm… “ I mumbled as I slowly opened my eyes to see my mother standing in front of me with a wide smile.

     “Happy 18th Birthday Taeil,” mom greeted this early in the morning before leaning forward so she could kiss my forehead.

     “Thanks.” I lazily answered as I rub my eyes and wore my glasses.

     “Alright. Get ready now so you could eat breakfast,” she stated as she finally went out of my room. I stretched my arms and yawned. But just when I was about to stand up, I lied back down on my bed again. I was moments away from falling asleep when suddenly…

     “LEE TAEIL! YOU BETTER NOT BE SLEEPING AGAIN!” My mom shouted angrily, making me sit back up again. This time, I really went to take a cold bath so I could at least wake my system up a little.

      Afterward I went downstairs and saw my mom making coffee. I went to the table and poured the milk and cereal inside the bowl that was already prepared for me. Usually, I only eat things that are prepared fast and are easy to eat. I get too tired and lazy. Sometimes I even fall asleep on the table.

     I’ve always been a lazy bum. I get too tired and sleepy that my mother got worried. But when she brought me to the hospital, the doctor said I was in perfect condition. There was nothing wrong with me at all.

     “Here you go son.” My mom said as she placed a cup of black coffee beside me. I drank the coffee and looked at her while she sat on the chair in front of me. Then she took a sip from her cup as well.

     “Do you have something to do tonight?” She asked as she placed her own cup down.

     “Do you think I would even have the strength to make a plan?” I lazily answered before eating another spoonful of cereal.

     “No, but there’s no harm in asking Taeil,” mom pointed out, and I just shrugged my shoulder as an answer. After that the room was filled with awkward silence. It happens all the time when my mom and I converse with each other.

     “So…”

     “So Taeil, what do you want for your birthday?” Mom continued to ask, hoping to break that awkwardness between us.

     “I don’t know,” I honestly answered her.

     “Well even though you don’t have a gift in mind, your dad took the liberty to give you one,” she told me, like mentioning about my father out of nowhere is normal.

     “My dad? He’s alive?“I asked, and mom nodded her head as an answer. It’s been a while since she talked about dad so I’m a little surprised. And the ’ surprise ’ that I’m feeling is once again making me feel tired.

     “So where’s the gift?” I then asked.

     “Later at dinner I’ll give it to you.” My mom answered as she stood up from the chair.

     I didn’t have the energy to argue so I just finished my cereal and stood up from my seat as well.

     “I’ll be going now,” I told her as I took my bag from the table in the living room. Before I was completely outside, I turned around and said as loud as I could, “Mom! Don’t forget to feed acedia!”

     “Sure thing honey!” My mom shouted back.

      By the way, Acedia is my pet snail.

     While I was walking my way to school, my vision started becoming blurry. My legs felt like noodles, and I wanted to sleep so bad that if I don’t find a place to rest, I’ll faint and fall asleep on the sidewalk.

     “ Being absent again won’t hurt right? “ I tiredly asked myself while yawning

     I was already at the park a few blocks away from the university so I guess this would be a better place to sleep than anywhere else.

     I sat on the bench and placed my bag beside me. I looked up and stared at the sky as my sleepiness slowly took over. I used my bag as a pillow and lied on the bench. Then I finally closed my eyes and drifted my way to dreamland with no struggle.

     “Hey Taeil! Do you have supernatural powers or something? Because you fucking sleep all the time!”  

     “Leave me alone.”

     “It’s like as soon as you lay down your entire system just stops working. It’s crazy.”

     “Are you even listening to me?”

     “By the way, where’s Jackson?”

     “Don’t know.”

      “Hey Taeil…”

      …

     “I  like-”

     “Lee Taeil!” Someone suddenly shouted just inches away from my ear, making me open my eyes from shock.

     I immediately sat up. My chest felt heavy and I was panting like crazy. I gulped and closed my eyes to relax, “ Not that dream again, “ I told myself as I glanced at the guy who had the nerve to shout at me.

     “Jackson?” I asked from shock, removing my glasses so I could rub my eyes just to make sure I was looking at the right person. “Why are you here? You should be in school,” I told him, and Jackson flicked my forehead and said, “I WAS in school you idiot,” he angrily told me.

     I massaged my aching forehead and confusingly asked, “Was?”

     Jackson sighed as if he had completely given up on me, “Classes are over you lazy bum. Did you seriously sleep here the entire time?” He asked, and I just stretched my arms and yawned again instead of answering him.

     By the way this is Wang Jackson. He’s my very kind, understanding, and somewhat envious friend. He’s also my dear neighbour since I was a kid. He’s bigger than me, or I could just be really small, but people say we don’t match. But I guess our difference is what makes us close.

     “I was worried sick. I looked everywhere for you, and here I find you sleeping at a park near our neighbourhood. Are you fucking crazy?” Jackson asked, and I just scratched the back of my head awkwardly.

     “Sorry, I just got sleepy while walking and went here for a little nap,” I answered, making Jackson look angry again, “Yeah. Your little nap became a long night’s rest.”

     I pouted and looked at him apologetically. But while Jackson was standing in front of me, I suddenly remembered something.

     “Oh yeah, I almost forgot…Happy birthday Jackson. I hope it’s not too late,” I said, and Jackson finally calmed down.

     “You too. Happy Birthday. Now let’s go home,” he said back, making me give out a small smile. 

     I took my bag and stood up from the bench. Then we walked back to our house like what we always do after our classes.

     “What happened in class today?” I asked Jackson while we were walking.

     “Nothing much really. It was hours of lecture, lecture, and oh yeah, more lecture,” Jackson answered with a hint of boredom in his voice.

     “Good thing I just slept at the park instead of in the classroom then,” I told him with a goofy smile so I could at least turn this situation into something positive. But Jackson wasn’t buying it. He glared at me again so I didn’t try to salvage the situation anymore.

     We reached his house first, which was actually just a few meters away from ours.

     “I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” Jackson suddenly said before entering his house.

     I raised my right eyebrow and asked, “Why?”

     “Because if I don’t I might see you sleeping on the sidewalk this time.”

     Well he does have a point.

     “I’ll see you tomorrow okay?” He declared even though I haven’t even agreed to it yet, but I was already too tired to argue with him so I just let him be.

     “Yeah, you too Jackson,” I answered back instead. Jackson went inside his house, and I went to mine, which was like I said, was only a few meters away from his house.

     “Mom I’m home.” I lazily stated, trying my best to look like I came back from studying hard in school and not sleeping all day at a park.

     I went to the kitchen and saw my mom placing plates on the table.

     “Welcome back Taeil,” mom greeted back when she saw me.

     I placed my bag on an empty seat and sat down beside it. Mom didn’t say anything and suddenly placed a small box in the middle of the table, which I presume is the gift from my dad that mom was talking about earlier. Mom then took out a can of beer from the fridge and sat on the chair in front of me. Are we going to talk about something serious that my mom has to prepare alcohol?

     “So how was school?” Mom asked as soon as we started eating. 

     “Uhm…” I hesitated to answer as I took my chopsticks, trying to not look straight at her eyes so she wouldn’t be able to catch me red-handed.

     “Don’t tell me you slept all throughout your class again?!” Mom asked angrily, making me gulp.

     “ Actually I slept at the bench in the park near our neighbourhood, “ I mumbled to myself, but mom wasn’t able to hear it so she asked again, “Taeil, what did you do?”

     There was really no point in lying to her now, “I slept in the park. I’m sorry mom. You know how easily I get sleepy,” I defended, and mom sighed in disappointment.

      “I know that, but you should have at least went back here when you felt sleepy instead of sleeping there,” she said with a worried expression, making me feel guilty.

     I looked down at my food and apologized.

     Mom took a deep breath, “It’s okay. But please refrain from doing that again,” she said to me, and I nodded my head as an honest answer.

    The two of us finally started eating. Since I was asleep the entire day, I couldn’t share anything with her, so mom talked about how her day went instead. And yes, she fed Acedia like what I told her because I always forget about it myself.

     The dinner ended quite fast because like I said earlier, I can get sleepy easily. 

    Mom cleared the table and told me to try to stay awake as much as I can because we have something important to talk about. So I did. With all my might of course.

     I was about to doze off again, but my mom quickly sat back down on her chair, surprising me.

     “So what do you want to know about your father?” My mom suddenly asked, shocking me again. My sleepiness almost left me when she said that.

     “Can I ask who he is first?” I said, and my mom nodded her head. But before answering, she opened the can of beer and took a sip. Then she took a deep breath and finally answered, “Your father is Belphegor , the ruler of the realm Sloth.”

     “…”

     Everything became silent. Mom looked at me confusingly and asked, “Son, did you hear me?”

     “Yes I did,” I answered, still staring at her with a blank expression.

     “Taeil, your father’s a DEMON,” mom said again, almost spelling to word demon for me so I could understand what she’s trying to say.

     I blinked and told her, “I heard you the first time mom.”

     “So, no reaction?” She asked. She looked more shocked than I was.

     “Can’t you see how shocked I am?” I asked back.

     Mom drank from the can again and told me, “Honestly son, no.”

     I tilted my head to the side and looked at her confusingly, “Really? It’s pretty obvious that I’m terrified right now.”

     My mom shook her head and said again, “Nope, I still don’t know what you’re feeling up to this moment.”

     “…”

     “…”

     Here we go again with the awkward silence.

     “So, any more questions?” She finally asked.

     “Nope.”

     My mom looked at me with disbelief and asked again just to make sure, “Are you sure?”

     I slowly nodded my head and answered, “Yup.”

    Mom took a deep breath and awkwardly scratched the back of her head before pushing the small box closer to me, “Then I guess you could just open this.”

     I lazily took the box and opened it like what my mother said. Inside was a letter and a ring. I opened the letter because that’s obviously what I’m supposed to do first.

Happy 18th Birthday Taeil.

 I know you're surprised, but what your mom told you about me is true. I am one of the Seven Deadly Demons that rules hell, and you, my son are a demon by blood, but a human by appearance. 

 I never wanted to leave you two, but I had no choice. But know that I always have my eyes on you. You should be aware by now that I see you through your pet snail's eyes.

 I know it's hard for you to not know who your father is, and it is also hard for me not to be able to be by your side. I know how hard it is for you to grow up especially since you are always feeling tired and sleepy. But now that you have reached 18-

     “Done,” I told my mom as I quickly placed the letter down.

     Mom looked at me seriously and crossed her arms together, “You didn’t finish it didn’t you?” She asked with her right eyebrow raised.

     I sighed and didn’t even try to fight her, “It’s too long,” I said instead.

     Mom doesn’t say anything, but it looked like she wanted to facepalm herself.

     “Look mom, this is kinda exciting for me. Can I just wear the ring and go back to sleep?” I told her, and mom sighed again and asked me another question instead, “What does the letter tell you to do?”

     I obviously didn’t finish the letter so I took the paper again and scanned it.

     “I must look for 6 people who are just like me and kill the people who are after us.” I lazily answered, totally not freaked out by the part where he said angels are out there to kill us.

     My mom nodded her head as an understanding and said, “Then you must do just that.”

     “But it’s too exciting and you know what excitement does to me,” I reminded her, making my mom look at me like I was a hopeless cause.

     “If your father told you to do it then you must obey his orders,” she persistently told me. I let out a heavy sigh and massaged my temple. This is why I hate excitement.

     “I know you’re still confused about this but please believe your father. This is for your own sake,” mom said before standing from her seat.

     “You should rest for now. I know how tired you are. And please bring the box with you,” she said, and I lazily obliged.

     As I arrived at my room, I placed the box on the table beside the container where Acedia is in.

     “Hey dad, can you hear me?” I asked as I tapped on Acedia’s container

     “Do you have any idea how hard it is to believe that you’re a demon? It might not look like it but I really am surprised to the point where I could just faint. But even so, I’ll do what you want. I’ll even try to be enthusiastic about it all.” I declared before sighing heavily again. 

     I took the ring from the box and stared at it, “If I wear this, will shit happen to me?” I asked myself, and surprisingly, the ring lit up like it just answered me. So I took a deep breath and wore the ring. And for the first time in my entire 18 years of existence…

     I felt wide awake.

• END -

W R A T H

• Kim Sunggyu’s POV -

( PRONUNCIATION: Song-gyu)

AT THIS POINT

YOU must be very tired of hearing the same shit all over again, so let me just skip the cheesy stuff and go straight to the point.

     Mom met dad.

     Mom got pregnant.

     Dad left.

     An ill-tempered boy named Kim Sunggyu was born.

     The end.

     “What the hell Ira!” I angrily shouted as my pet dog named Ira , who’s a black Doberman Pinscher,   continued to lick my face. I pushed him away from me and wiped my face with my own blanket before looking at Ira who was sitting beside my bed while wagging his tail excitedly.

     “What do you want demon?” I asked, and Ira barked so loud that it could be heard by the neighbors in another street.

     “Fine. I’ll feed you.” I said as I went out of my bedroom, Ira following right behind me.

     I went downstairs and took out his bowl before filling it up with his favorite dog food. Ira immediately went to his bowl and ignored my entire existence. I glared at how easily my own dog used and neglected me before heading to the kitchen where I saw my mom reading a newspaper.

    The maids who were there bowed to greet me, but I didn’t say anything and just sat down in front of my mother.

     “Here you go sir.” A maid stated as she handed me my morning tea.

     Mom put the newspaper down and looked at me, “Did you feed Ira? I specifically told the maids not to feed him so you’d know your responsibility.”

     “It’s not my job to feed him, pick his shit up, and wash him.” I answered before sipping my tea, and mom looked at me and said back, “Whose dog is it then?”

     “I didn’t ask for a dog.” I fired back, and mom finally didn’t say anything because she could already notice my growing anger.

     “Don’t be so hot-headed this early in the morning Sunggyu. Especially since it’s your birthday.” She told me, and I rolled my eyes because we never really celebrated my birthday. She’d usually just give me money and call it a day.

     “So how much is it this year? Or are you planning to give me a ticket to France?” I asked without looking at my mother. I started eating my pasta and waited for her answer, but what she said immediately made me stop.

     “Do you have plans today?” She asked.

     “What do you mean?”

     Mom folded the newspaper she was holding and placed it aside before telling me, “I reserved a private room at a restaurant in Gangnam. We’ll have dinner and celebrate your birthday there.” 

     I looked at her with furrowed brows, but she doesn’t say anything any further as she started eating too.

     I wasn’t planning to fight with her so I asked, “Fine. What time?”

     “As soon as you finish your classes. Just message me.” She explained, and I nodded my head as a reply.

     The two of us didn’t say anything after that, but I didn’t want to speak either. I didn’t want her to know how happy I was because of something so shallow.

---

I wore my helmet and sat on my motorbike. Then I took my phone from my bag and sent a text to one of my friends, Kwon Jiyong. 

     “ Hey rich boy. Don’t wait for me in the bicycle area anymore. Let’s just meet inside our building.“   I texted him since I was in a pretty good mood today, and I don’t want them teasing me because of that.

     As I was riding my motorbike, I suddenly saw one of my classmates – Lee Taeil – walking his way to the park.

     “What the hell is that guy doing?” I asked as I stopped my bike so I could look at him. 

     Lee Taeil sat on the park’s bench and stared at the sky. Then seconds later he lied down and went to sleep as soon as he did it. A good man would wake him up and let him ride with him so the stranger wouldn’t be late for class.

     But I’m not a good man.

     “Not my problem now,” I said with a grin as I proceeded to head to the campus.

     I reached the university at 7:40 AM. After parking my motorbike at the bicycle area, I went inside our building where everyone continued to avoid me as I walked past them in the hallway.

     I wasn’t even doing or saying anything, but every time I go somewhere, people would just move away and hide in fear. I enjoy it at times, but I’m not gonna lie, it can get a little lonely.

     A lot of other things piss me off, but one thing that I really hate the most are these two specific guys in our year who doesn’t give a shit about me. I can endure people fearing me, but purposely ignoring me is another thing.

      Oh, there they are now.

      Lee Minhyuk was draping his shoulders around Jang Hyunseung like they were on a date in a park. Lee is the guy who acts all tough just because of his size, and Jang is one of the most popular guys on campus who attracts everyone who comes near him.

     The two of them are quite popular, and some would even dare to compare them with me and my friends who are obviously in a very different league than they are.

     When I got close to them, I purposely bumped onto Lee, causing him to let go of his chips. I wasn’t really planning to make him let go of it, but I guess that works too.

     “Watch where you’re going you Glutton,” I said with an angry tone, making the people around us stop to look at us.

     He was about to approach me, and I was so ready to fight him back, but Jang immediately stopped him, so he didn’t do anything further.

     “ What the hell is he? Jang’s bitch? He can’t even retaliate. What a loser. “ I said to myself before walking away from them.

     “ We’ll have our awaited fight next time Lee Minhyuk, “ I continued to tell myself. 

     When I reached the end of the hall, I saw two of my most loyal friends, Jiyong and Suho. The three of us go way back, so those two are equally just as feared as I am. Well, except for Suho who’s actually an ’ everyone’s friend ’ type of guy.

     “Happy Birthday guys,” I said as soon as I stopped in front of them.

     “Same to you,” Jiyong and Suho said in unison.

     Jiyong then pointed back at the hallway and asked, “What’s up with that?”

     I smirked and answered him, “Nothing much. Just accidentally bumped into him.”

     My two friends looked at each other and chuckled.

     “Accidentally? Really now?” Suho asked, and I just shrugged my shoulder and started walking to our designated room.

     The two immediately followed beside me. Suho then placed his hand on my shoulder and said, “You evil, evil demon.”

     I laughed upon the statement and said back, “Come on. I’m not that demonic.”

---

“I’ll email the articles tonight. Make sure you read them.” The professor stated before leaving the room.

     Everyone stood up from their seats and started leaving the room as well. It was our last lecture for the day so I’m pretty sure everyone’s just eager to go home.

      “Class is finally over,” I said while stretching my arms and yawning loudly.

      “So, you guys got any plans tonight?” Suho suddenly asked while we headed out of the room.

      “I do. I’m having dinner with my mother.” I simply answered, and Jiyong and Suho immediately looked at each other before looking back at me. I knew what they were thinking, but they didn’t say anything.

     “Mom said I should just head home because she prepared something,” Jiyong answered next to shift the attention to him.

     “Well it looks like we all have plans,” Suho concluded, and we nodded our heads as an agreement. 

     I took out my phone and messaged my mother to tell her my class was over. She immediately replied and gave me the name of the restaurant where we’ll be having our dinner. 

     “Hey, I better go,” I told them as I looked at my watch.

      “Sure, see you tomorrow Sunggyu,” Suho stated, then I quickly patted his back and went to the bicycle area so I could get my bike and leave.

      When I arrived at the restaurant, I parked my bike and removed my helmet so I could hide it under the seat compartment. I was about to head to the entrance when I suddenly saw Jang Hyunseung with a woman who I can only presume is his mother since he looked like her.

     “Is he celebrating something too?” I asked as I waited for them to head inside. The last thing that I want to happen on my birthday is to meet Jang Hyunseung outside the campus.

     After waiting for a couple of minutes, I finally went in. The receptionist welcomed me and asked if I was alone.

     “No, my mom reserved a table here named-” I paused because I actually didn’t know what name she used. I was about to message her again when someone suddenly tapped on my shoulder. I turned around and saw that it was actually my mother.

     “We have a reservation under the name Satan,” she suddenly blurted out, shocking me.

     “Sorry, can you say that again?” The receptionist asked confusingly.

      “Satan,” my mom casually repeated like Satan is a common name like Joe or Michael. But no, it’s not fucking common at all! Because the name is fucking SATAN! Who name’s their son satan?

     “Ah, I see.” The receptionist said with an awkward chuckle. She was surprised about the name, but she was even more surprised about the fact that the name was actually on the fucking list.

     “Right this way please,” the receptionist stated as she led us to a private room. 

      We sat down like normal and ordered our meal. As soon as the waiter left us, I looked at my mother and asked, “What kind of joke is this? Are you making fun of me? Satan? Really?”

     Mom didn’t say anything, which pissed me off even more. 

     Since I was already in a bad mood, I didn’t utter a single word during our entire dinner. I didn’t know what she was trying to do, but I wasn’t going to play with her games.

    And I thought we were going to celebrate my birthday like a normal mother and son. I guess I had my hopes too high.

     “Are you done? Can I leave?” I asked as soon as the waiter cleared our table.

     Mom still doesn’t answer me. Instead, she took something out from her bag. She placed it on the table and pushed it closer to me. It was a box that looked a hundred years old.

     “Your father gave that to you. He told me to hand it to you when you reach 18,” my mom told me. But rather than feeling surprised, I felt angry.

     “Wow, so he leaves us and expects me to just love him after giving me this crappy-looking present?” I sarcastically asked, and mom took a deep breath and said, “I’ve been terrible to you haven’t I?”

    I calmed down for a second and looked back at her. That question surprised me more than the mention of my father.

     “I know you’re angry with me, and I know I haven’t been the best mother to you. But I am trying my best to give you everything that I could offer. I’m not purposely neglecting you. Your father and I have done everything to protect you. But I’m a goddamn psychologist. I’ve helped so many people yet I can’t help my own son.” My mother suddenly explained, her eyes turning red like she was seconds away from crying.

    I didn’t know what and how to react. I just sat there in silence as I watched her explain herself.

    The two of us didn’t say a word, and my mother finally shed a tear. She immediately took a tissue and used it to wipe her tears away.

    I clenched on my fist and looked back at her as I tried to say, “I…I was never angry. I’m just…something’s wrong with me. I’m always filled with rage. I don’t know what else to express but anger. I wasn’t a good son to you either.” I finally told her, making my mother cry even more.

    “This was our fault.” She said as she tried to calm herself down, “We already knew but we didn’t do anything. We just loved you so much. We became selfish and we didn’t think about what you’d go through.”

    I looked back at my mother confusingly. “What are you talking about?” I asked, and mom grabbed my hand and finally said, “The reason why you’re like that is because…” Mom paused and squeezed on my hand even tighter, “Your father…he’s  Satan , the ruler of the realm Wrath,” she revealed.

     Everything around me stopped for a second. I thought I heard it wrong, but I knew what I heard. 

     I immediately pulled my hands away from her and stood up from my seat, “Just when I thought I could finally open up to you, you give me this crap. I am not playing games with you any more mom.”    

     I thought she was going to remain silent, but mom suddenly slammed her hand on the table and stood up as well, “And so am I! It’s been hard for me to keep this a secret from you. Do you think it was easy for me to come here and tell you all this?”

    The two of us stopped and calmed down. We were panting like we just ran a marathon. 

    I know this is serious, but I only now realized that I got my personality from her too. She’s just better at keeping her cool.

     “You’re actually telling me the truth?” I still asked, scared to hear my mother’s answer.

     Mom took a deep breath and nodded her head, “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. I’ve heard of a lot of crazy things as a psychologist, but this is by far the craziest. I’d lie to you but I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Especially when the king of hell forcefully took him away.”

     “Forcefu…King of Hell? What the fuck?” I continued to ask, everything now getting crazier and crazier by the second.

     “Alright. Let’s go home first. I want you to rest, and then we’ll talk.”

*****   

When I got home, I saw Ira sleeping in the living room. He instantly woke up when I got there, but I guess he understood that I wasn’t in a good mood so he didn’t follow me.

     I immediately went to my room without saying a word. The box that was supposedly from my father was in my hand. Mom told me to bring it with me, and I was too drained to even fight with her.

    I sat on my bed and looked at the box. I wanted to throw it away but something inside me was telling me to open it. So I took a deep breath and did open the box.

     Inside the box was a letter, and a weird-looking ring. I checked the ring first before reading the letter.

Happy 18th Birthday Sunggyu.

I’m assuming you’re mad, which is a reaction that I’ve already expected from the start, but let me try to explain further.

Yes, I am one of the Seven Deadly Demons here in hell. I know you don’t want to believe it, but it’s true. Of course it’s hard to understand it now, but I won’t force you into believing it all right away. All I’m asking is a little understanding from you.

 I know growing up is very hard for you because of your anger issues. You were always sent to the principal's office and even to the Juvenile Detention Center. But now that you have reached 18 you will experience even greater harm besides this temper of yours. That's why I suggest you wear the ring, the ring will help you control your temper and it will also suppress your other unknown abilities. It will also unleash a weapon that will surely be helpful to you in the future.

Someone is after you, our kind’s archenemies; the archangels. These archangels are just like you, they are human-angels. You might be stronger than the others, but you alone can’t kill them.

 There are six more like you. They are also sons of the Seven Deadly Demons. The ring will also help you look for them. It will light up when someone like you is near. Unite with them and fight the Archangels. 

 I know I can count on you. Please be strong and may the King of Hell be with you, and your spirit.

• Satan.

     I placed the letter back inside the box and didn’t say a word. But even after all that, it was still too hard for me to comprehend the situation.

     Next I scanned the ring again. The ring had a red gem that was being held by golden hands. It was actually creepy, but the longer I stared at it, the more fascinated I became. It was almost as if it was luring me into wearing it.

     “So this will help me find the other people who are like me, and at the same time, it will help me control my temper too? But what if the other human-demons live in another country? Is traveling the whole globe required just for me to search for them?” I asked myself, but then the ring suddenly lit up, like it was trying to answer my question.

     “Fine then, I love traveling anyways,” I jokingly said as I positioned the ring at the tip of my finger. Then I wore the ring with no hesitation. I wasn’t really expecting anything, but as soon as I wore it, everything went black, and I ended up fainting.

• END -

E N V Y

• Wang Jackson’s POV -

MY MOTHER WAS A rich, bubbly, beautiful woman who easily got jealous of people who have things that she doesn’t. Her personality wasn’t the best, which was the reason why people didn’t like to be with her.

     Except for my father.

     Father loved her regardless of her jealousy. He spoiled her and made her feel special. He took care of her until she got pregnant with me. Everything would have been perfect, but then my father vanished like a bubble.

     I grew up without knowing my father. At the same time, I grew up to be a jealous and envious little boy like my mom. I have this unconscious habit of staring at people or things with an envious gaze that others think that I’m glaring at them, which is why I end up getting into fights most of the time.

     Gangsters and thugs kept on bugging me because they thought I was trying to pick a fight with them. I was an envious boy, but I never wanted to stand out. 

     Making friends was also very difficult for me, especially when my mom was once a social elite. She wanted me to mingle with people, so I tried to at least make one friend. Thankfully I did find one, but that guy is way too lazy for his own good. 

     Maybe I should consider looking for someone who is a lot more talkative.

     “Jackson, are you awake?” My mom called out from outside my room while aggressively knocking on my door.

     I slowly opened my eyes. My room was pitch black so I had to tap my hands on the side table just so I could find my lamps’ switch. 

     When I got a hold of it, I turned my lamp on and answered, “Yeah. I’m awake.”

     “Can you open the door please?” Mom then asks.

     I raised my right eyebrow in confusion and pulled the curtains, the light from outside making me squint because of how bright it was. I then walked my way towards the door and opened it. As soon as I did, mom grabbed me for a hug and shouted, “Happy 18th Birthday to the most handsome son in the world!”

     I didn’t try to push her away as I asked, “Birthday? Today’s my birthday?” 

     Mom finally lets go of me and sighed, “Isn’t it pretty weird how someone would forget about something like that?” She asked, but I just shrugged my shoulder as an answer.

     “Whatever, let’s just eat breakfast,” she offered.

     I nodded my head and followed her downstairs. Breakfast was already prepared so I sat on my usual seat while mom sat on the chair in front of me. Then she stirred her cup of coffee and said, “Since I half expected that you’ll forget about your birthday, I took the liberty to plan the celebration for you.”

     “What is it this time?” I asked. I always forgot about my birthday, and each time I did, my mother would plan something crazy. Like last year, she literally prepared a flashmob for me at the amusement park that we went to. I was left speechless.

     “Come home early. We’ll eat dinner here.” She answered, surprising me because I thought she’d say something crazier.

     “Don’t tell me you’re bringing a live band here.” I said, and mom just smiled and answered back, “Why? Can’t I just eat dinner with you like normal?”

    I looked back at her with doubt as she continued to look at me with an excited smile. Normal was never part of her dictionary.

     “Well that’s unusual, but okay,” I answered anyway as I started eating.

     After breakfast, I got ready for class within 20 minutes. I then went to my scarlet kingsnake pet,  Invidia and tapped on her glass cage. She got ready to attack, but I stared right back at her, making her calm down.

    “I’ll see you later okay?” I told her, and Invidia hissed as an answer.

     I took my sling bag and went downstairs. Mom was now at our garden watering the orchids. It would have been something normal, but she was wearing a dress and a pair of large diamond earrings that were matched with gardening gloves. It was almost like she was having a spring-themed photoshoot.

    Why is she always so extra like that?

     “Mom, I’m leaving,” I told her with my arms crossed, and mom smiled and wiped the nonexistent sweat on her forehead before saying, “Be careful dear.”

     I rolled my eyes and didn’t say anything anymore as I went outside. 

     My mom woke me up real early that I didn’t even notice the time. I looked at my watch and saw that it was still 7:57 in the morning.

     “ So that’s why no one’s outside yet ,“ I said to myself as I started walking.

     “I should go to Taeil’s house instead,” I then added.

     I was about to go to my dear friend’s house, but then I remembered that he’s a lazy bum and he might still be asleep at this hour.

     Wait, not might, he will definitely still be asleep at this hour. 

     So I decided to just go to the campus instead since I don’t exactly have anything better to do. When I arrived, I walked past the parking lot and saw this breathtaking sportscar. I walked closer to it and stared at its parts.

     “What a beaut,” I said as I continued staring at it.

     “You like my car?” Someone suddenly asked, making me realize that I’ve been staring at it for too long. 

     I turned around and saw one of the most famous people in our year, Kwon Jiyong. This dude is rich beyond exception. I don’t know what his family does but rumors are going on that say they own hotels and mining industries. He’s also got the looks and the brains. He’s the perfect guy to be jealous of, but when I look at him, I don’t get jealous at all, and that says a lot. 

     I get jealous about the smallest things, but with Kwon Jiyong and his friends, all I see is a prideful, greedy, angry bunch. There’s nothing that I want that they have.

     “Wanna touch it?” Kwon Jiyong asked with a prideful smile.

     I stared at him with a blank expression and walked away without saying a word. The last thing I want to happen on my birthday is to fight with his group. No one in this school would dare to help me if that happens. Even Taeil whose already my best friend!

    “ Speaking of Taeil, w

here the hell is that guy? “ I asked myself as I walked towards our building with my hands inside my pocket. 

---

“By the way, where’s Lee Taeil again?” The professor asked, making me flinch.

     I looked at the door and waited for him to miraculously enter the room, but when I knew that the chances of him attending this class were slim, I answered for the professor instead, “Sir, he’s sick.”

     “I seriously should have gone to his house after all,”  I told myself, and the professor started his discussion.

     The rest of the class was rather boring, and Taeil didn’t only attend our first class because he didn’t attend ALL of our classes. If Taeil decided to attend then it would have been bearable. At least my mind would be occupied on making sure he’s awake the entire time.

     “Okay, class dismissed.” The professor from our last lecture stated.

     I lazily took my bag and stood up from my seat. But as I was about to leave the room, I suddenly realized something.

     “Did that idiot fall asleep somewhere?” I asked myself, and then I hurriedly went out of the room and looked around the campus, hoping I wouldn’t find my best friend lying on the ground somewhere.

     I searched for him at the places where he usually goes to when he’s sleepy, but he was nowhere to be found. I was about to look for him at other places too but it was already getting late, and I told my mom that I’d be coming home early.

      “I better go home. Hopefully, Taeil’s just sleeping in his house,” I assured myself as I finally decided to call it a day. But as I was walking home, I walked past the neighborhood park and saw a guy sleeping on one of the benches.

     I haven’t seen who the sleeping guy was, but I already knew that it was someone that I knew.

     “ You fucking idiot, “ I mumbled to myself as I quickly went to where he was. And as expected, it was my friend, Lee Taeil.

     “Taeil,” I called out, but there was no response.

     Damn, he really is sleeping.

     I kneeled in front of him and moved close to his ear before shouting with all my might, “Lee Taeil!”

     Taeil’s eyes shot open and he instantly sat up. I stood up and crossed my arms, and when he turned his head to face me, Taeil looked surprised and said, “Jackson?”

     Taeil removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. When he wore it back, he asked, “Why are you here? You should be in school.”

    I almost laughed at his question. I moved closer to him and flicked his forehead before answering, “I WAS in school, you idiot.”

     Taeil massaged his red forehead and asked, “Was?”

     I looked at him and took a deep breath so I could control myself from slapping him. Haven’t he noticed how late it is already? The sun already set, and he still hasn’t realized anything?

     “Classes are over you lazy bum. Did you seriously sleep here the entire time?” I asked him, and Taeil just stretched his arms and yawned, completely ignoring my question.   

    “I was worried sick. I looked everywhere for you, and here I find you sleeping at a park near our neighborhood. Are you fucking crazy?” I continued to scold him, and Taeil finally looked apologetic.

     He’s impossible.

     “Sorry, I just got sleepy while walking and went here for a little nap,” He answered.

     “Yeah. Your little nap became a long night’s rest.” I angrily told him. Taeil looked like he was about to say something in his defense, but then his eyes widened like he just remembered something.

     “Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Happy birthday Jackson. I hope it’s not too late,” he suddenly told me, and my anger vanished in a snap.

     How can I even get mad at him? 

     “You too. Happy Birthday. Now let’s go home,” I told him, and Taeil smiled and grabbed his bag before standing up from the bench.

     The two of us walked home like we always do. While walking, Taeil asked, “What happened in class today?”

     I recalled everything that I did, but I seriously couldn’t remember anything specific since I mostly dozed off the entire time.

     “Nothing much really. It was hours of lecture, lecture, and oh yea, more lecture.” I answered, and Taeil smiled brightly. Hearing my answer must have made him relieved.

     “Good thing I just slept at the park instead of in the classroom then,” he said with a smile that showed his gums. I almost flicked his forehead again but I tried my best not to.

     “If you’re really sleepy, at least send me a message so I wouldn’t start worrying about you.” I told him, and Taeil suddenly bumped his shoulder with mine and said, “You must like me a lot Jackson.”

     “That’s because you’re the only friend that I got,” I told him with a serious expression, and Taeil smiled even more.

    “When I’m with you, my sleepiness doesn’t occur as much. Maybe I genuinely enjoy my time with you.” He told me, and I chuckled and said back, “I don’t get jealous of you too. Maybe you don’t have anything that I want.”

    Taeil’s smile turned into a frown as he looked back at me with a pout.

     “Why does that sound worse than what I said?” He asked, and all I did was laugh as an answer.

     When we reached our street, we went to my house first since it’s nearer. Before I got inside, I looked back at Taeil and said, “I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”

     Taeil looked at me confusingly and asked, “Why?”

     “Because if I don’t I might see you sleeping on the sidewalk this time,” I told him.

     I didn’t give Taeil the luxury to decline me so I immediately said, “I’ll see you tomorrow okay?”

     “Yeah, you too Jackson.” He answered, and I finally went inside my house. I placed my bag on the sofa, then I went to the dining room and saw the table filled with dozens of dishes.

     “Mom? Are we feeding the neighborhood or what?” I asked, and mom appeared wearing a gown that was matched with a fur coat and silky gloves, almost making me choke on air.

     “I’m sorry but what is happening? Did you invite the president?” I asked her, and mom laughed and approached me before kissing both of my cheeks.

     Like what I said before, my mom was filthy rich. But note the ‘WAS’ in that sentence. Her parents AKA my grandparents, took her inheritance away when she got pregnant with me from an unknown man they didn’t know. Now my mom works as a fashion designer. Of course, she still earns above average, but she never left her lifestyle. Sometimes I wish she could just act normal for once.

     “Silly, today’s a special day.” She told me. Then she removed her coat and took a seat before gesturing at the chair in front of her, “Now sit down. I prepared all this for you.”

     “Mom, this is enough to feed the poor,” I told her while taking a seat, and mom chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m giving some to the neighbors after this. And since it’s your birthday, I donated a few thousand at my favorite charity under your name. You’ve always wanted to do that right?” 

    I looked at my mom and finally smiled. She really is a good person, just a little extra. Maybe that’s why I love her so much.

     “Thanks mom. And thank you for…dressing up for me,” I said while pointing at her gown, and mom’s smile widens.

     “I was going to buy you a suit too but I knew you’d hate that.” She told me, and I looked at her with an “are-you-kidding-me” expression. She’s done a lot of crazier things and making me wear a suit is overkill?

    “So how was school?” She asked as we started eating.

     “Well, Taeil wasn’t at school today,” I told her, and she immediately looked up at me. Every time I talked about Taeil, mom would be super excited. He really liked that guy.

     “Why? Is he not feeling well?” She asked.

      “No, he was sleeping,” I answered, making her go “ Ah “. It was obvious she was already expecting it too.

     “Isn’t that normal for him though?” She then asked.

     I sighed and remembered seeing him sleeping at the park, “Yeah, but this is different. He was sleeping at the park! Someone could have hurt him!” I almost shouted. 

     I saw mom’s reaction and cleared my throat, “Sorry,” I quickly said as I continued eating, making my mother chuckle.

     “Are you two just really friends? Or are you guys something else? It seems like you’re too concerned about him,” mom asked out of nowhere. I immediately looked back at her and blushed like an idiot.

     “Mom! We are not in that kind of relationship!” I defended, making her laugh this time.

     “I know. But it’s just that you look cute when you worry about Taeil. You’re just like your dad,” my mother suddenly stated, and the two of us immediately stopped after realizing what she just said. 

     “Let’s continue eating?” She casually asked so we could change the topic.

     After our pleasant dinner, mom cleared the table, packed the untouched food to be distributed to the neighbours, and went back to me with a small box now at her hand.

     “What is that this time? A music box from the princess of England?” I sarcastically asked, and mom didn’t say anything and just sat down. We were all smiles and laughter earlier, but her serious expression made me confused.

     “Your father told me to give you this,” she suddenly said as she placed the box in front of me.

     “What?” I asked confusingly.

     “Son, listen carefully okay?” She told me, making me nervous because she never acted this seriously before.

     My mom lets out a heavy sigh and revealed, “Your dad is Leviathan , the ruler of the realm envy…in Hell”

     I stared at my mother for a second, then I looked at her seriously and crossed my arms, “Okay, what’s your gimmick this time? Am I being pranked live? What’s going on?”

     “I’m being serious Jackson.” She said with diction, and I almost lost it.

     “Mom this is not funny. What do you mean he’s a ruler of envy? Are you telling me you fell in love with a demon? How is that even possible? How could you fall in love with a demon? How did you two-” I instantly stopped when my mother slapped me right on the left cheek.

    I blinked and looked back at her, “Sorry,” I said, finally calming down.

    “I can’t explain this either. Just open the box and accept the fact that you’re the prince of envy. That’s cooler than anything you could become!” She told me, and I opened my mouth from shock because I couldn’t believe her at all.

    I was still too confused about what was happening, so I just opened the box without thinking. Inside was a letter and a badass ring. Of course, I took out the letter first and read it.

Happy 18th Birthday Jackson.

I’m assuming your mother did something crazy for your birthday. At this point you should just be used to it.

Anyway, I hope your mother explained all this to you well. It’s true, I am a demon, which makes you a powerful half-blood. You hold unimaginable powers, and even though we represent envy, people will envy you instead because of the power that you hold.

You might be wondering why I am telling you this. Well the truth is, someone is after you,

 our kind’s archenemies; the archangels. They want to destroy you, which is why I want you to wear the ring. 

The ring will help you look for the rest of the sons of the deadly sins. It will light up when someone like you is near. Unite with them and fight the Archangels.

Please be strong and may the King of Hell be with you, and your spirit.

• Leviathan.

     After I read the letter, I placed it back inside the box and looked at my mom.

     “This is crazy,” I honestly told her.

     “Do you want to talk to him?” She suddenly asked, surprising me. I didn’t have to ask further because my mom continued, “Invidia…talk to Invidia.” Then she stood up and patted my shoulder, “You should rest for now.”

     I nodded my head and took the box. I kissed my mom on the cheek and went upstairs without saying a word. 

     When I reached my room, I placed the box on my bed and looked at Invidia’s glass container. I took him out of his container and stared straight in his eye.

     He hissed, so I moved closer to him and said, “Mom said to talk to you so…hey. Do you know how unbelievable it is that you’re a demon, and how weird it is that I am just accepting it right now with no question? Maybe it’s just natural instinct? Maybe I’m already used to all these crazy things because of my mom?” I asked, and Invidia hissed again.

     “If this ends up being real then I guess there’s nothing for me to do now.” I finished. Then I placed Invidia back to his container and went to my bed to get the box.

      I opened the box again and took out the ring this time.

     “Prince of Envy? Mom’s right. That does kinda sound cool,” I said while staring at the ring.

     Without thinking much about it, I wore it in my index finger.

     And like the other guys before me…

     Yup, you guessed it…

     I fainted.

• END -

P R I D E

• Kwon Jiyong’s POV -

MY MOM WAS THE manager of the Human Resources Department in a company in Seoul, and my dad was one of the new applicants. Instead of asking about the job, my dad grew an interest in my mother, which eventually led to a romantic route.

     Mom said that my dad would sometimes proudly tell others that I’ll become a great kid. 

     I won’t lie, he wasn’t wrong.

     They thought we were going to be a happy family, but my dad left us and disappeared, so I was born in this dangerous world without knowing who my real father is.

     My father disappeared without any explanation, so I never talked about him because I knew that it would only be a waste of time to talk about a man who doesn’t even want to stay with us.

     I grew up to be a person who’s full of himself. I have everything that I want, and some people just can’t accept that. Others say I have a bad personality and that I should change it, but everyone’s got to have a flaw somehow right? 

    And besides, why would I change who I am? Its fun being a fucking king.

     “ Wake up Jiyong…Wake up Jiyong. “

     I woke up from my alarm, which is actually my pet parrot, Superbia . 

     I stretched my arms and stood up from my bed as my curtains automatically open. Then I went to the bathroom and got ready for class. After that, I went to my walk-in closet and looked for a set of clothes that I haven’t worn yet.

    “I guess this will do,” I said, taking out the clothes that I’ll be wearing for today.

     “ Handsome…handsome, “ Superbia told me, so I went to her cage, opened it, and poured some bird food on her bowl as a sign of thank you for her amazing yet truthful compliment.

     I took my leather briefcase from my desk and went towards my door, but before I could leave, Superbia suddenly said, “ Happy Birthday Jiyong.“

     The greeting was sudden. Mom must have taught her to say that. 

     “Thanks Superbia,” I answered before leaving the room.

     As I went downstairs, I went out of the house and head straight to our clubhouse where we usually eat breakfast since it’s beside the garden and the ambiance is amazing. There I saw my mom with Charles, my step-father.

     “Oh Jiyong, you’re up early,” my mom said as she placed her cup down. She and my step-dad were sitting on the table while maids served us our breakfast. 

     “Happy Birthday,” she then greeted, so I went to her so I could kiss her head as a reply.

     I was about to take a seat, but Charles suddenly stood up and handed me something. “Happy Birthday Jiyong. It’s not much but I hope you like my present.” He said, and I looked at my palm and saw that it was a car key.

     “Are you giving me one of your cars?” I asked confusingly. 

     I already have a car of my own, a white 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe. But Charles has three regular cars and five supercars that he barely uses.

     ( NOTE: This book started in 2014 so anything newer than that will not appear here).

     Charles smiled widely and held onto my shoulder, “Why would I give you a secondhand car when I could just buy you a new one?”

     My eyes quickly widened on what I just heard, “No…fucking…way.”

     Well, meet my step-father,  Charles Smith . My mom met him when I was eight years old. They met at work and things started going well between them. He even asked me if he could marry her, so I said yes because mom was genuinely happy with him, and who am I to refuse? So they got married right after my approval. 

     Charles isn’t the type of stepdad who makes their step son’s life worse than what it already is. It’s the exact opposite actually. He made me and my mom’s life a dream come true, and I could see that he really loves us.

     “So, do you have plans for tonight?” Mom asked while we were eating.

     “Why, are we celebrating my birthday? Are we going to eat at a five-star restaurant, or are we eating at the yacht again like last year?” I asked while slicing my waffle.

     “Well, we are celebrating, but Charles and I decided to eat dinner with you here,” mom answered, surprising me.

     “Just at home? Well, it’s fine by me but why?” I asked since we never ate here whenever we celebrate my birthday.

     “I prepared something special for you,” my mother said with a serious tone, making the whole atmosphere change.

     I looked at the two of them with a curious expression, so Charles cleared his throat and said, “Will that be okay with you?”

     I took a bite of my waffle and nodded my head, “Sure. That’s not a problem.” I honestly told them.

     “Good, you should be here right after your class, okay?”

      “Got it,” I answered. Then I drank my water in one go, took the keys for my new car, and stood up from my chair so I could leave.

     “Mom, Charles, I’ll head out. See you tonight.” I said as I went outside without waiting for their reply.

     I went straight to our underground parking lot to see what the new car was. Our cars were perfectly lined up, but there was one at the far end that had a big bow attached to it.

     I smirked and walked my way to the car. It was a beautiful Lamborghini Huracán, and to top it all off, it was white too. I stepped back a little and looked at my two cars side by side. I couldn’t help but grin at how good the two looked.

    “ This baby could be a great way to show off how rich I am,“  I said to myself as I turned the car on.

     I got in, and the engine roared, sending actual chills down my spine. With a prideful grin on my face, I drove off and went to the university, ready to show off my new toy.

     When I reached the campus, everyone immediately eyed my car. Some even took out their phones and took a picture of it. It was a reaction that satisfied me. I couldn’t ask for anything else.

     I parked my new car at my usual spot and got out. I took my bag and started walking towards the bicycle area when I suddenly received a text from one of my friends, Kim Sunggyu.

     “ Hey rich boy. Don’t wait for me in the bicycle area anymore. Let’s just meet inside our building. “ He texted, making me stop.

     “Then I’ll wait for Suho,” I said to myself because Suho might wait at the bicycle area, and I’m a hundred percent sure that Sunggyu didn’t message him. Suho’s got millions of friends who message him every day, so he doesn’t reply to any of them at all.

     When I walked back to my car, I suddenly saw someone standing right in front of my car. He must have been too amazed by it because he didn’t even notice me standing behind him.

     “You like my car?” I asked proudly.

      The guy turned around, surprising me since he was actually one of my classmates, Wang Jackson. I wasn’t that close to him, but my mother knows his mom. Heard she’s a pretty famous designer.

     I thought Wang was going to say something, but he suddenly glared at me and walked away.

     “ What a weird kid. I don’t really mind if he even takes a picture with it. “ I told myself as I leaned on the car so I could wait for my dear friend, Kim Jun-Myeon.

     While waiting, I took out my phone to play an addictive game called Infinite Stairs. It was enough to entertain me for the time being. Before I could barely beat my own record, an orange McLaren MP4-12C arrived and parked beside me. Only one person in the entire university drives it, and that’s my dear friend Suho.

    I hid my phone away as Suho got out of his car, “Happy Birthday Suho,” I coolly greeted him.

     “Yeah. Happy birthday to you too Jiyong,” he greeted back without even commenting about my new car.

      “Where’s Sunggyu?” Suho asked, standing beside me so we could both look at the students who were just walking in front of us.

     I brushed my hair back with my fingers and answered, “He just texted me. He said we should wait for him inside.”

      “Why?” He asked further, and I shrugged my shoulder as an answer since I too didn’t know the reason behind the message.

     So the two of us decided to head to our class. When we got there, the same scene played out. People were moving aside to make way for us, some were taking their phones out to take a picture - probably to sell them on the internet - and some just continued to stare.

     This is an all-boys university but it doesn’t really bother me since I love the attention. And come on, who wouldn’t stare at me?

     “Watch where you’re going you glutton,” we suddenly heard from across the hall, making everyone stop on their tracks.

     We quickly turned around and saw Sunggyu making a mess in the hallway again, “ Seriously, this early in the morning? “

     With a grin on his face, Sunggyu approached us and greeted, “Happy Birthday guys.” 

     “Same to you,” Suho and I said in unison.

     So these are my friends, Kim Suggyu and Kim Jun-Myeon. The three of us are pretty well-known in our year. I don’t really like to brag, but we’re rich, smart, and handsome. It’s literally a triple-kill.

     “What’s up with that?” I asked as I pointed at the hallway.

     “Nothing much. Just accidentally bumped into him.” Sunggyu casually answered, making Suho and I chuckle because accidents like that never happen with this asshole.  

     “Accidentally? Really now?” Suho asked, and Sunggyu just shrugged his shoulder and started walking towards our lecture room.

      You know the routine. Class attendance, that Lee Taeil guy was still nowhere to be found, lectures, Sunggyu getting pissed off during our lunch break because a guy was staring at him, more lectures, then finally, the most awaited class dismissal.

     I’ve been doing this every single day, and I won’t lie, I’m starting to think that I’m just wasting my life here. I want more, something that would make my already perfect life even better.

     “Class is finally over,” Sunggyu stated as he stretched his arms wide, almost hitting Suho’s face because of it.

     “So, you guys got any plans tonight?” Suho asked as we walked out of the room.

     “I do. I’m having dinner with my mother.” Sunggyu suddenly revealed, shocking us.

     Suho and I looked at each other with disbelief. Sunggyu’s got bad blood with his mom.  She’s this famous psychologist that mostly handles celebrities, but she couldn’t even make time for her own kid. I don’t want to judge her, but I’m just glad she’s trying to make it up for Sunggyu.

     “Mom said I should just head home because she prepared something,” I immediately answered just to change the atmosphere.

     “Well it looks like we all have plans,” Suho concluded, and everyone nodded and agreed. When we got out of our building, Sunggyu looked at his watch and said, “Hey, I better go.”

     “Sure, see you tomorrow Sunggyu,” Suho said back, and Sunggyu left to head to the bicycle area while Suho and I went to the parking lot.

     When we arrived, I leaned on my car and just sat on it while Suho opened his car door. I think I should stay here for a couple more minutes to give my mom more time to prepare what she’s supposed to prepare for me.

     “ Please invite that band that I love. “ I thought as I looked at the sky.

     “Aren’t you leaving?” Suho asked as he looked at me.

     I looked back at him and answered, “I’ll stay here for a couple of minutes.” 

     Suho nodded and went inside his car. Before Suho started his engine, I ran and knocked on his window. Suho pulled it down and looked back at me, then I stated, “Happy Birthday again Suho.”

     Suho smiled and said back, “You too Jiyong. Happy Birthday.”

     I stepped back and waved goodbye as Suho drove off. When he was gone, I leaned on my car and waited for something good to at least happen while I wait.

     We’re an all-boys school so I don’t get to be confessed on by girls. It would be nice to brag about it though. 

     Now that I mentioned it, I remember that guy who’s always with Lee Minhyuk, Jang Hyunseung. He gets confessed by students in different years all the time. I don’t get it though, he’s not that great of a guy anyway. He might be good-looking but he doesn’t have much of an impact. But if I was him I’d change schools. It would ruin his image if girls find out that guys like him better than them.

     “Well I should just go, nothing exciting will happen anyways, and mom is probably finished with the preparations,” I told myself as I got inside my new car and finally went home.

---

“Welcome back Jiyong,” Charles greeted, his eyes still glued on the television when I entered the living room. I walked towards him and sat beside him. Then he finally looked at me and asked, “How was your day?”

     “You know…the usual,” I answered, now looking at the television as well.

     “Don’t worry, after this, nothings going to be usual again,” Charles suddenly revealed, making me look at him confusingly. I was about to ask what he meant by that, but one of the maids interrupted us and told us that dinner was served.

     The two of us stood from the sofa and walked our way towards the dining room. As we reached the dining room, I saw mom sitting at her usual seat, and in the middle of the dishes was a small antique box.

     “What’s that? Another gift from you?” I asked as I looked at Charles.

     “ Don’t tell me it’s another car key, “ I secretly thought to myself, hoping that it was.

     “No Jiyong, that’s a gift…from your real father,” he suddenly answered as he patted my shoulder. My eyes widened from shock. I couldn’t even think of the right words to say. I haven’t heard of my father ever since I was born, and suddenly receiving something from him doesn’t seem right.

    “Aren’t you going to sit down Jiyong?” Mom asked as she and Charles looked at me with a worried expression.

     Obviously I’d be surprised, but I pretended like I didn’t care and just sat down.

     Dinner went well. Charles told us about the company, and mom shared about her experience cooking again since she’s been so busy with work that she hasn’t been able to cook for us. After that, they asked me how my day went, so I told them about it in the most exciting way that I could.

     When the table was already cleared, and the only thing on the table was the box, mom looked at me and took a deep breath.

     “The mention of your father must have surprised you.” Mom suddenly said, and I continued to pretend like I wasn’t a bit interested by it.

     “It’s not a big deal. If he wants to give me a gift after leaving us then I’ll accept it for the sake of accepting it.” I said with a blank expression. I didn’t want to ask about him, I didn’t even want to know about him anymore. But Charles suddenly joined the conversation and said, “Do you want to know who he is?”

     The question surprised me. I wanted to act like I still didn’t care, but something inside me almost forced me to speak up, “If that’s the case then who the hell is my real father?” I finally asked, not expecting much about him. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he’s in jail right now. At least I’d be able to understand why he left.

     My mom sighed like she was anxious about answering me.

     Hey, I didn’t force them to tell me anything. I just wanted to have dinner with them on my birthday. They’re the ones who suddenly mentioned him so I don’t have to feel burdened.

     Charles embraced my mother and squeezed her shoulder to encourage her to speak up.

     After gathering her courage, mom finally looked at me and answered, “Your father is Lucifer , the ruler of the realm pride.”

     I stared at her for a little longer, then I stared at Charles next. The two just kept their serious expression, desperately waiting for my reaction.

     “I get it now,” I told them, making them look at each other confusingly.

     “I’m being pranked right? You invited someone and I’m in a TV show,” I concluded, but the two of them didn’t say a word.

     “Come on, I got you, no need to act dumb. And here I thought we were finally going to talk about my real dad. But nice try though, I appreciate the effort. Where did you guys even hide the cameras? I don’t even see them,” I continued, impressed that they did this so cleanly.

      “J-Jiyong…” my mother suddenly called out, now looking flustered.

     “What? Should I have acted dumb instead?” I asked, now feeling guilty because my mom looked really troubled. They could have prepared this for months and I just ruined it.

     “No son, please listen to me.”

     “But I am already listening,” I seriously said back.

     “N-No…look, your father…what I’m telling you now isn’t some kind of joke. There are no TV shows, or cameras, or anything. What I’m telling you now is the truth. Your father is a Demon named Lucifer,” my mother cleared out, now making me feel nervous and confused.

     “You’re lying,” I quickly fired back. 

     “Haven’t you realized that I’ve been trying to avoid questions about your father? It’s because you weren’t ready to know the truth.” She explained further, but I wasn’t going to believe it.

     “Mom, you know that’s bullshit. There’s no such thing as demons or realms in hell. And there is no way my father is what you claim him to be. I’m fucking 18! Did you really expect me to believe this crap?” I told her, but now I was starting to feel angry.

    “Please calm down Jiyong,” Mom tried to say.

    “Calm down? You throw me this shit and you expect me to calm down?” I answered back, making Charles look at me angrily this time.

    “Watch your words Jiyong. Don’t talk to your mother like that,” Charles suddenly butted in.

    “And you believe this crap Charles?” I asked as I looked at him too, but Charles didn’t even answer.

    “Did someone tell you about me? Did they say that I’m not nice, or that I’m hurting people? Or have I been bad to you guys? Is this a way to make us even? Well if you think I’ll suddenly breakdown just because you throw me this fucking-”

     I was suddenly cut off when my mom stood up from her seat to slap me.

     “W-What the hell did you…”

     “I know it’s hard to understand, and I know I might sound crazy, but won’t you at least sound like your interested in understanding more of it, even for a little? I’m your own mother for god’s sake. Do I look like I have the time to make jokes with you?!” My mother shouted angrily.

     I quickly stood up as well and looked at her back, “You throw me this “ Your father’s a demon “ shit and you expect me to understand it? You expect me to TRY and understand it? I’ve been asking about him ever since I was a fucking kid, and you’d just brush it off. Now that I’m older you tell me he’s a ruler of some realm in hell, like it’s the same as you telling me he’s some guy locked up in prison? Well, it would have been better if you told me he’s locked up in prison. I would have understood THAT. But to this extent?”

     I stopped and took a deep breath to calm myself because I knew that I was inches away from shouting at them now.

     “I get it now. You don’t want me to ask about him anymore. Just tell me honestly mom, you didn’t have to do all this. I’ll never ask about my father again. Happy now?” I honestly tell her.

     Mom doesn’t say anything, but suddenly, a tear fell from her eyes, surprising me.

     “I’m sorry…but there was nothing else that I could have done,” she suddenly told me, making my chest feel heavy because I could clearly see the pain in her eyes when she said those words to me.

     “I know you’re confused now, but if you don’t want to listen to your own mother, then at least listen to me,” Charles suddenly said as he stood up as well. He then takes the box that was placed in the middle of the table and handed it over to me.

    “Like what I said, that’s from your father. Open it and cool yourself down. If you’re feeling better, go ahead and go talk to us again. We’ll answer any question that you throw at us,” Charles calmly explained.

     I didn’t say anything and just held onto the box. Then I nodded my head and went straight to my room.

     When I got there, I threw the box at my bed and quickly went to the bathroom to wash my face just so I could calm down a bit. After that, I went back to my bed and I looked at the box. 

     “Demon my ass. I’m never going to believe that shit unless I see one.” I declared to myself.

     “ Then wait, “ I suddenly heard my parrot - Superbia - say.

     I smirked and looked back at her, “Well, I’ve waited this long…so bring it on.”

• END -

SDS1 01: US

HYUNGSEUNG WOKE UP FROM the licks that he was receiving from his pet cat slash guardian, Luxuria. He opened his eyes, his body aching like crazy since he fainted on the floor. He sat up and looked around, glad he was still in his room.

     Hyunseung looked down on his hand to see the ring still in his index finger. He then looked at Luxuria who was just looking back at him with a curious expression.

     “What? You thought I died?” Hyunseung asked Luxuria who only meowed as an answer.

     ( NOTE: JS and Hyunseung are the same. I’ll use Hyunseung in the book, but the characters will sometimes call him JS.)

     Something inside him felt hot. And when he stood up from the floor, his legs felt weak. He held onto the wall for support, confused by the fact that he feels like he ran a whole marathon.

     Last night was the most confusing night for Hyunseung, and it definitely was a night that he would never forget. Not only did he turn 18, but he also found out that his father was a demon and he was given a mission to find the rest of the human-demon children. 

     It was a hard task, but Hyunseung accepted it wholeheartedly without question.

     “What happened to me?” Hyunseung asked himself as he walked his way to the bathroom with all his effort. The moment he turned on the lights, he instantly fell on the floor from complete shock on what he just saw in the mirror.

     He grabbed onto the sink and stood back up. He stared at his reflection for quite some time, but he still couldn’t believe that something like that happened to him overnight.

     “Why the fuck is my hair red?!” He shouted at the top of his lungs.

     Hyunseung was shocked and angry, but no words could explain how furious he was. You could say that he was close to the ’ Sunggyu type’  of furious, but it wasn’t that extreme yet.

     Hyunseung stared at himself in the mirror and touched his hair. He hated it, not because of the color, but because his hair HAS a color. He never did anything to himself because he already stood out on his own, and Hyunseung doesn’t like attention. But with this flashy red color, attention is definitely something that he’ll get.

     “Luxuria!” Hyunseung quickly shouted as he ran to his pet who was peacefully lying on his bed. He carried her up and looked straight into her eyes, “Why did you turn my hair red?! Is this even necessary?!”

    Meow

    “This is hopeless!” Hyunseung shouted in frustration. He placed his pet down and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower. He tried putting a lot of shampoo and conditioner on his hair but nothing happened because his hair still had a bright color of red.

    Hyunseung got tired of trying to wash it away and just thought of explanations that he’ll give to people who would question him about his new look. Especially to his friend Minhyuk, who fusses over everything.

     “I guess this is better than receiving horns,” Hyunseung said to himself to at least find something positive in this frustrating situation. He massaged his temple and relaxed. He thought that someone else was bound to experience something worse than his own experience…

     “WHAT THE HELL!”

     And he was right.

     “M-Mom! My…My…”

     Minhyuk’s mother quickly rushed to his room to check on his son who was obviously panicking, “What’s going…Minhyuk?! Well you’re…a lot more handsome than I expected you to be,” his mother weirdly said to him, and Minhyuk looked back at her with an are-you-serious-right-now expression.

    “Mom! Do you think something’s different?” He asked, trying not to panic any further than he already was.

     She looked at Minhyuk, examining him from head to toe, then she concluded, “Something’s different with your body structure like you’ve grown a few muscles. The hair is different too, but don’t worry, it suits you quite well.”

     She paused and looked at Minhyuk’s pet hamster, “Do you agree with me, Gula?”

     “Mom! I’m serious!”

     “But you look perfectly normal! Why don’t you just go take a shower and brag about your new look at school? Tell them you went to the parlor yesterday and had your hair done,” his mother casually suggested as she started picking up the scattered books on Minhyuk’s room and neatly placing it back at the shelves.

     “But…”

     “No buts. Now go and take a shower. You still have Saturday classes.”

     And Minhyuk did take a shower and never questioned his sudden transformation again, afraid that his mother would scold him.

     After fixing himself up, he went downstairs and proceeded to the dining room where his mother was already eating her breakfast.

    “Come and sit here Minhyuk, let’s eat breakfast together,” Minhyuk’s mother stated as she patted the chair beside her.

     “Its okay mom, I’m not hungry,” Minhyuk answered while grooming his hair. His mother nodded her head in understanding, but then she paused when she realized what her son just told her. She slowly placed her cup down and asked in disbelief, “You’re…not hungry?”

     Minhyuk quickly stopped fixing his hair on the sudden realization of what he just had told his mother too.  

     He wasn’t hungry. NOT HUNGRY was never once part of Minhyuk’s dictionary.

     “Mom! I’m not hungry!” Minhyuk shouted from complete shock, now looking back at his mother. He went to her and hugged her tightly. Minhyuk knew that it was because of the ring his father had given him. He knew that it was going to change him, but he never thought that it would be to this extent.

     “I need to thank dad if I ever get the chance to meet him,” Minhyuk said with a smile as he looked back at his mother who was smiling with him.

     “I’m so proud of you Minhyuk. So, should I throw all your chips away?”

    Minhyuk lets go of his mother and happily nodded. If it wasn’t for this ring he might have gone crazy if he found out his mother threw all his food away, but he didn’t, and it felt great for him.

     “Then I better go to school and tell JS abo…” Minhyuk quickly stopped in the middle of his sentence. He realized that having a demon father wasn’t normal, and his always serious best friend would flip for sure if he found out that Minhyuk – his closest friend – was a human-demon child.

     “Never mind. I’m heading out mom!” He said instead.

     Minhyuk went out of their house and walked his way to school. As he was walking, he walked past the house of a boy who was also having problems with his transformation, Wang Jackson.

     Jackson was all set for school, but he wasn’t all set at all to face the other students. 

     His hair changed, and somehow he became a little taller than before. How would he explain the reason why he became a few inches taller overnight?! Pills?!

     “Jackson darling, when are you coming out of your room?” His mother asked, now aggressively banging on his door since Jackson hasn’t come out of his room since this morning.

     “Just a second mom!” Jackson replied as he kept on staring at himself in the mirror. He was about to touch his hair when he suddenly remembered the ring. He stared at the ring and stated, “What kind of sorcery is this thing? If I take it off, will I be back to normal again?”

      The room was silent, but his pet Invidia hissed, like she actually answered his question.

    Jackson nodded his head in determination and tried to take the ring off. But when he did, nothing happened, so he wore it back again.

    “So it’s a permanent transformation. Wait, what time is it?” Jackson checked his watch and saw that it was already 7:17. I guess he stared at himself a little too much.

    “Shit, I still need to fetch Taeil!” Jackson shouted as he took his bag.

    “ Thankfully I wouldn’t be worried about him because I bet Taeil would only be too lazy to even realize that I changed, “ Jackson thought to himself as he hurriedly went out of his room, only to see his mother still waiting for him outside.

     “Well, you look different.” His mother commented, but Jackson didn’t have time to talk to her anymore.

    “No time. I still need to fetch Taeil. I’ll see you later okay?” He said, kissing her cheek and heading out. He hurriedly went outside and ran to his friend’s house. Good thing their houses weren’t far from each other.

    Jackson arrived at Taeil’s house and rang the doorbell. He was pressing their doorbell for quite some time now, but no one still answered. Jackson grew impatient. He started knocking at the door even harder, hoping that someone would finally open it up. When he was going to slam on the door for the last time, the door opened.

     “Taei… Mrs. Lee!”

     And it was Taeil’s mother who welcomed him.

     “Oh, good morning Jackson. I’m sorry if it took a while for me to open the door. I was preparing for Taeil’s breakfast,” Taeil’s mom explained, wiping the sweat on her forehead.

     “Taeil’s breakfast? But Taeil only eats cereal,” Jackson asked confusingly.

     Taeil’s mom scratched the nape of her neck. She tried not to look straight at Jackson’s eyes as she answered, “Well, my son is kinda…” As Taeil’s mother was hesitating to answer, the front door opened wider, revealing Jackson’s forever lazy best friend, Lee Taeil.

    “Jackson! You’re here!” Taeil shouted enthusiastically, surprising Jackson.

    “Yeah…I’m here?” Jackson answered with a confused expression, staring at his friend who was just radiating this weird positive vibe.

     “Mom! I’ll eat my breakfast later okay? Jackson and I will be leaving,” Taeil explained as he quickly kissed his mother’s cheek before joining Jackson outside.

     His mother smiled, “Okay then son. Have a nice day today,” she said as she patted Taeil’s head and closed the door. 

     Something felt weird, and Taeil was obviously the reason behind it.

     “Jackson, you’re taller than I expected you to be,” Taeil suddenly stated out of the blue while the two were walking their way to HAU.

     ( NOTE: To those who don’t know, HAU is their school,   Holy Angel’s University )

    ‘Shit, he noticed?!’ Jackson thought as he avoided Taeil’s gaze. He didn’t really expect that his lazy friend would notice something like that, especially when Taeil’s the I-don’t-give-a-shit-about-life type of guy.

    “Hey, Jackson…” Taeil called out, making Jackson flinch.

    “What now Taeil? Are you gonna talk about how my hair changed too?” Jackson asked as he stopped walking. Taeil stopped walking as well and looked at his best friend with a surprised expression,

“Really? I didn’t notice. But now that you mention it, it did change a bit. Huh, that’s strange.” 

    ‘Dang it!’

    Jackson was about to explain himself when he suddenly noticed something about Taeil too.

    “Wait a second. Your hair grew longer,” Jackson pointed out, and Taeil happily messed it up and said, “Yeah, I know! I’m even excited to go to school today!”

    Jackson looked at his friend, dumbfounded.

    “You’re excited? When did you get excited?”

    Taeil smiled from ear to ear and answered, “I don’t know! When I woke up my body felt great! Then the next thing I knew, my hair grew longer and I had the sudden urge to move everywhere!”

    Jackson stared at the person in front of him, squinting his eyes because of what he heard. Something felt weird about what he said. That was the exact same thing that happened to him earlier too. Well not exactly…but you get the point.

    While he was staring at Taeil, Jackson’s eyes widened on the sudden thought that passed through his mind.

    “Taeil…what did your mother tell you yesterday?” Jackson quickly asked.

    “Oh, that?”

    While Jackson waited for his answer, Taeil pretended like he was trying to recall it, when in fact, he remembered everything clearly. When he couldn’t think of an excuse, he looked at Jackson with a grin and said, “That’s a secret!” Then he started jumping around the place, making Jackson feel even more irritated than he already was since this morning. 

     Jackson followed his friend and grabbed his arm tightly.

     “I’m serious Taeil. What did your mother tell you? Did she give you something? A box perhaps?” Jackson asked, trying to squeeze something out from him.

     Taeil was starting to feel nervous. He pushed Jackson away and said,

“Why are you so interested anyway? It’s not even important. And come on, we’ll be late for class.”

     Without waiting for Jackson’s reply, Taeil made a run for it so he could abandon his best friend. But Jackson was quick, he grabbed Taeil’s arm again with no effort, and out of nowhere, he slapped his best friend on the right cheek.

    “Aww! Why did you-”

    Jackson realized what he just did and quickly regretted it, making him sigh.

     “Look, Taeil I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to slap you. I was just really shocked that you’re acting like this. Can you forgive-”

     Taeil suddenly cuts him off and said, “Your hand.”

     Jackson paused and looked at Taeil with furrowed eyebrows, “What about it?” Jackson asked, then he looked at his perfectly normal hand. Was it red because of how hard he slapped Taeil?

     “Your hand…has a ring,” Taeil pointed out, immediately making Jackson hide his hand inside his pocket. 

    “Oh, that? It’s nothing. My mother bought it for me last night for a birthday gift. I didn’t want to wear it, but it will hurt her feelings if I don’t,” Jackson lied, hoping Taeil would believe him.

    “No, that’s not what I mean,” Taeil said as he went closer to Jackson and took his hand from his pocket. He held it tightly and stared at the ring on his finger.

     “Taeil, if you hate it that much then-”

     “It’s glowing,” Taeil quickly pointed out, making Jackson look at him with shock.

     “What? That’s impossible…” Jackson took his hand from Taeil and saw that the ring WAS lighting up. “What could this mean?” Jackson asked himself as he stared at his also confused friend, Taeil. Then Jackson noticed that something was also lighting up on Taeil’s finger, and like what he assumed, it was a ring similar to his.

    “You’re a human-demon child?!” Both shouted in unison.

    “No way…” Taeil said in disbelief, his eyes wide from the sudden revelation.

     The two stared at each other with shock. Was it fate that brought them together? Could it be that the reason why the two felt at ease with each other was because they were destined to be united?

     “Jackson, what’s the name of your father?” Taeil asked, starting to become more excited by his new discovery.

     Jackson hesitated, but he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and answered, “L-Leviathan, ruler of the realm Envy.”

     Everything was now connecting. The reason why Taeil’s friend was acting like how he always does was because he was the prince of jealously. It makes perfect sense now!

    “Let me guess, you’re sloth, aren’t you? And the reason why you’re excited was because of the ring, it suppressed your ability of laziness,” Jackson assumed as he looked at Taeil, and Taeil looked at him impressively and answered, “Yup! Son of Belphegor, at your service. So, did the letter tell you that we needed to find the rest of the seven deadly sons?”

    Jackson didn’t say anything and nodded his head as an answer instead.

    “Then what are we waiting for? We better head to the university and look for the others!” Taeil said excitedly as he started running off again.

    Jackson thought that his friend was too excited about their almost-impossible mission.

    Were they even sure that they’d see the sons there?

---

“JS! Is that you?!” Minhyuk asked when he arrived at the bicycle area where he saw his friend wearing a hoody.

   Hyunseung locked his bike and looked back at Minhyuk with confusion. He stared at Minhyuk from head to toe and asked, “Minhyuk, what happened to your hair?”

    Minhyuk avoided his friend’s stare and answered, “I went to the parlor to get my hair done yesterday. How about you? Why are you covering yourself? Is someone stalking you again?”

    The two started walking to head to their building as Hyunseung answered, “That’s the weird part. No one is looking at me anymore.”

    “Then shouldn’t you be happy? Or did you actually like the attention that the guys were giving you?” Minhyuk asked with a smirk, making Hyunseung glare at his best friend’s comment.

    “Of course not. It’s just weird. But how about you, where are your morning chips?” Hyunseung asked next when he noticed that Minhyuk wasn’t filling his mouth with food like how he usually does in the morning.

     “Oh, I wasn’t hungry,” Minhyuk casually answered, shocking his friend.

     “No way, that’s impossible.”  

     “Well, I guess people could change overnight,” Minhyuk casually stated, and Hyunseung immediately stopped walking because of what he just heard from his best friend. 

     It was strange to hear something like that from Minhyuk. Could it be that…

     “JS…is that…red?!” Minhyuk asked out of nowhere as he pointed at a strand of Hyunseung’s hair that was sticking out of his hoody.

    “You dyed your hair last night?!” Minhyuk shouted, and Hyunseung quickly covered his mouth with his hand and said, “Minhyuk! Could you be quiet just for a second?!”

     Before waiting for Minhyuk’s next move, Hyunseung suddenly shifted his attention to the ring he was wearing. He was going to scold his best friend some more when he noticed that his ring was glowing.

      As Hyunseung was concentrating on the glowing ring, Minhyuk looked at Hyunseung and followed his gaze. He almost shouted when he saw the glowing ring too.

     “No freakin’ way,” Hyunseung stated, letting go of Minhyuk’s mouth.

     “You’re a son of a demon too?!” Minhyuk shouted again, making the students who were surrounding them look at their direction, giving them weird looks.

    “What the hell did he just say?” One of the students asked when he overheard their conversation, but before Minhyuk could answer him, he saw Hyunseung’s reaction and said, “Fuck.” 

     Hyunseung was clenching his fist in anger. Minhyuk gulped and quickly ran away from his best friend because he knew that Hyunseung was going to beat the shit out of him.

    “Minhyuk you idiot!”

    Minhyuk ran with the speed of light, but Hyunseung was able to catch up with him with no worries. He grabbed his arm to stop him, and both of them were panting like crazy.

     “Run away from me again and I’ll kill you,” Hyunseung said while trying to catch his breath.

     “I’m sorry for saying that in front of everyone,” Minhyuk stated, and Hyunseung calmed himself down and replied, “It’s okay. Just be careful next time.”

     Minhyuk was glad that his friend wasn’t mad at him, but he was happier by the fact that he found one of the sins, and it so happened to be his closest friend.

    “So who is…” before Minhyuk could continue, Hyunseung stopped from saying anything further. He moved closer to Minhyuk and said in a soft voice, “ We’ll talk about this later, but right now we need to head back to class. “

     “But your hair, what will you-” Hyunseung ignored his friend’s concern as he grabbed his hand and dragged him to their classroom. As they were running, the two ran past a boy who was just as confused as earlier, Wang Jackson.

     “Well I hope people won’t notice that I became a little taller,” Jackson told his friend Taeil.

     “Whoa Wang, you’ve gotten a little taller,” said one of his classmates who happened to walk past them.

     “Dang it!”

     While the two continued walking, Taeil asked, “So Jackson, what else did your father tell you?”

     “Well, he told me that someone is going to kill us, which is the archangels. And I’ll have greater power or something like that,” Jackson answered, making Taeil realize something himself, “Looks like our fathers said the same thing.”

     When the two arrived at their classroom, they instantly saw a prideful guy named Kwon Jiyong, who was quietly seated at the back. He wasn’t in a good mood, and everyone could sense it. The seats that surrounded him were empty since everyone avoided him, so every other chair was already occupied. 

    Jackson and Taeil looked at each other with worried expressions, but since they didn’t have a choice, they walked at the left side of where Jiyong was seated and took a seat there.

    Jiyong arrived earlier than usual. He was so pissed off about what happened last night that he didn’t even want to stay at home. But thanks to that, he didn’t notice Jackson and Taeil.

     “Where the fuck is my earset?!” Shouted Jiyong as he was searching through his bag, making everyone flinch. While searching for his earset, Jiyong grabbed something small. He took it out of his bag and saw that it was actually a weird looking ring.

    “W-What the fuck is this? I don’t remember having…” Jiyong quickly paused when he remembered the box from yesterday.

    “ No way, was this inside that box? “ He asked himself as he continued to stare at the ring. But as Jiyong was staring at it, Sunggyu and Suho entered the room. He quickly placed the ring inside his pocket to hide it.

    “Mornin’ Jiyong,” Suho greeted as he threw his bag on the floor and sat down.

     “Oh…yeah, good morning,” Jiyong greeted back, pretending to check his phone when he clearly didn’t have anything to check.

     “So Sunggyu, about your skin…it’s paler than yesterday. Are you sick or something?” Suho asked as he pointed at his friend’s face. Sunggyu angrily pushed Suho’s hand away and answered, “I’m not feeling well okay?!”

     “Okay, I get it. You don’t need to get angry,” Suho stated, trying to calm his friend down.

     “Anyway, aren’t you guys going to ask me about my teeth? Look, it’s pointier than usual,” Suho said as he pointed at a tooth like it was something to be proud of. 

     The two pretty much didn’t care and did their own business. Jiyong puts on his earset so he wouldn’t be able to hear Suho’s nonsense anymore, while Sunggyu just continued scanning his phone. Suho pouted from their reaction and just sat down on his seat in silence.

      “Whoa! Lee Taeil went to school today!” Someone suddenly announces, making the three friends look at Taeil and Jackson who were sitting just across them. They didn’t even notice that they were there if no one said anything.

     Suho was more surprised to see Taeil since he doesn’t really remember him. Everyone was looking at their direction, so Taeil had to cover his face while Jackson did the same.

     When the ruckus died down, Sunggyu looked at Jiyong and asked, “So Jiyong, what did your mother tell you last night?”

     Jiyong removed the earset on his left ear. Without looking at Sunggyu, he answered,

“Oh, just some fucked up crap.”

     “Looks like dinner went well,” Suho sarcastically stated while eavesdropping on the two’s conversation since he’s being left out.

     Sunggyu tried to ignore Suho’s comment as he proceeded, “How about you Suho? What happened to you last night?” He asked so Suho could stop sulking.

     Suho finally looked at his friends with an excited smile and answered, “Last night was the weirdest thing that ever happened to me. Mom revealed something to me, and my dad that I haven’t seen since forever suddenly left me this antique box as a present.”

     Sunggyu and Jiyong looked at each other confusingly, then they looked back at Suho.

     “Your father? Didn’t you tell us that he left you?” Sunggyu asked.

     “I know. I was surprised at first but after reading the letter that he gave me, I finally understood his reason,” Suho answered, and Sunggyu finally look shocked.

     “Letter?” Sunggyu asked. He obviously knew that he was also given the same present. 

     Before Suho could elaborate further, their homeroom teacher arrived and started with their attendance. When the lecture was over, the trio stood up from their seats so they could head to the cafeteria and eat their lunch.

    Jackson and Taeil did the same. But now that Taeil was feeling enthusiastic about everything, Taeil was moving and jumping around, annoying the fuck out of Jackson just for the fun of it, which brought him to accidentally hit Sunggyu who was standing just a few inches away from him.

     “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Sunggyu asked angrily as he quickly grabbed Taeil’s wrist.

    Taeil was shocked, and so was his friend Jackson. These three are Holy Angels University’s most popular students, and getting in trouble with them would be the last thing you would want to do in this school. Especially with their leader, who Taeil slapped by accident.

    “Do you think you could get away after hitting my face midget?” Sunggyu said with full rage as he was about to hit Taeil back, but two times the strength this time. But before he could even do it, Sunggyu noticed something on Taeil’s hand. 

     It was a glowing ring. 

     Suho and Jiyong saw the same thing, but Jiyong acted like he wasn’t familiar with it at all.

     “It was an accident, now let him go will you?” Jackson tried to say, but Sunggyu ignored him since he was stuck staring at Taeil’s ring. So Jackson quickly grabbed Taeil’s hand from Sunggyu, and there Sunggyu saw a glowing ring once again, but this time, it was on Jackson’s finger.

     To make sure he saw it right, Sunggyu slowly lowered his head down. He was shocked to see that his ring was also lighting up like Jackson’s and Taeil’s.

     “ This can’t be possible ,“ Sunggyu whispered under his breath, his mind suddenly blank from what he discovered.

     “S-Sunggyu…you know about it too?” Suho asked, unsure whether he was having the same thoughts as his friend Sunggyu. But Sunggyu lifted his hand and showed the ring on his finger, shocking the four of them. Jackson even felt his leg weakened on the sudden realization that not only did Sunggyu have the ring; he was also one of the sons that he was looking for.

     “So all of us have it?!” Suho shouted in shock.

     Then the three – Sunggyu, Taeil, and Jackson – looked at Suho who also had the same glowing ring.

     “The four of us are part of the seven deadly sons!” Suho declared, and the three of them just stared at each other, unsure of what to say after their unexpected discovery.

      “Well that escalated quickly,” Taeil stated as he looked at the people in front of him. At that moment he realized that he has to unite with the same people to defeat the archangels. But how on earth could they do that if the four of them aren’t even that close? And one of them even tried to punch him?!

     “So, now that we found four of us, what do we do next?” Jackson asked, but Suho suddenly went in between in them and pointed out, “Guys, why is the ring still glowing? Shouldn’t it be done by now?” Then the four of them stared at the ring and noticed that it was still glowing like what Suho said. 

     The four men slowly looked at Jiyong who was just scanning his phone like nothing was even happening. They were going to ask him about it but then they saw something glow inside his pocket.

     “You’re a son of a demon too aren’t you Jiyong?!” Sunggyu asked, but Jiyong ignored him and placed his phone back inside his bag instead, making Sunggyu clench his fist, trying his best not to get angry. Well ever since this morning he’s actually been doing a pretty good job with it. If it wasn’t for the ring he would have already exploded

     “Answer me Kwon Jiyong!” He shouted as he looked at his prideful friend.

     “This is stupid,” Jiyong stated as he scratched his head in irritation. Since he wasn’t planning to say anything, Sunggyu grabbed him and took the ring out of his pocket.

     “Hey! Give that back!” Jiyong shouted as he tried to snatch it away from Sunggyu’s hand.

     “I knew it! You’ve been caught red-handed and you still kept quiet about it. Why aren’t you wearing this Jiyong?!” Sunggyu shouted as he looked at Jiyong angrily.

     “Because it’s stupid!” Jiyong said again but with a louder voice this time.

     “You need to wear this idiot!” Shouted Sunggyu as he was showing Jiyong the glowing ring.

     “You believe in this crap Sunggyu? Even you Suho? Are you guys out of your minds? There’s no such thing as demons and human-demon children. It’s just a fucked up reason our mothers made so we could forgive the fathers who left us,” Jiyong suddenly told them, angering not only Sunggyu but the rest of the boys too.

     Jiyong ignored their reaction. He pushed Sunggyu away from him and said, “Fuck this.” Then he ran off.

     “Kwon Ji Yong!” Sunggyu shouted, but Jiyong was already out of their sights.

• END -

SDS1 02: SEVEN SONS

“THAT FUCKING IDIOT! WHAT was he thinking?” Sunggyu angrily asked. Though the ring is helping him suppress his anger, it seems that Sunggyu is just naturally ill-tempered, so there’s nothing that the ring could do about that.

     “What should we do? We need to complete the seven sons before those angels arrive,” Taeil said as the four of them stared at the hallway where Jiyong just escaped from.

     “Don’t worry, our friend is like that ever since we were young. He’s a little prideful so we just need to make him understand the current situation better,” Suho explained, and the three nodded in agreement.

     Then Sunggyu placed Jiyong’s ring inside his pocket and said, “I’ll keep this just in case of emergencies.”

      “So guys, what sons are you?” Suho suddenly asked. Everyone was hesitant because the conversation was strange, but Sunggyu cleared his throat and answered anyway, “Anger.”

     “Ah!” Said the three in unison, making Sunggyu look at them with his right eyebrow raised.

     “What do you mean by ’ Ah ’?” Sunggyu asked them, and everyone quickly turned their heads to avoid his deadly glare.

     “Hey, I’m hungry. Wanna go to the cafeteria together?” Suho quickly diverted. Everyone agreed and left just to avoid Sunggyu’s question.

     “Suho! I was talking to you!” Sunggyu shouted, but the three students ignored him and continued walking away.

     When they arrived at the cafeteria, everyone started staring at the four men walking together. They all had the question, “Why are the big eyed-glasses dude and the big loner hanging out with the most popular students in our year? “ It was a peculiar bunch, and no one expected to see such a combination.

     “So, what do you guys want to eat? My treat,” Suho asked as he looked at the three.

     Jackson and Taeil looked at each other confusingly. Then Jackson looked back at Suho and asked him,  “We just started a proper conversation earlier and now you’re going to treat us lunch?”

     “Well, we’re sons of demons, and we’re typically princes of hell too, so doesn’t that make us brothers? And before I thought that I was alone, but now that I have you guys, I feel like I’ll never be alone again!” Suho babbled with great enthusiasm, not even caring if others heard him or not.

     Jackson and Taeil were quietly staring at Suho when Sunggyu blurted out, “That’s fucking weird Suho.”

     Suho laughed and said back, “I know right? Why the hell am I suddenly saying that?” Then the three started laughing with him.

      “Well I hate to break it to you guys but our rings are glowing again,” Taeil butted in as he noticed their rings lighting up again like before. The four human-demon children looked around them, hoping to see someone’s finger glowing.

     “That’s strange. They’re not wearing any ring, and nothing’s glowing on their fingers,” Suho stated in disappoinment, so Jackson scratched his chin and added, “Could it be that the power of the ring is getting stronger because we already found each other?”

    “Possibly, but where could that son of a demon be?” Sunggyu asked, trying to look closely at the students passing by them. As they continue looking for whoever might just have a glowing ring, two students walked in front of them, making the ring on their hands feel hotter, almost like it burned them.

    “G-Guys, did you feel that?” Taeil asked when he looked back at the three men beside him.

     Sunggyu saw who it was. He froze in his place when he realized that the students who they were looking for were actually Jang Hyunseung and the boy he kept on bullying, Lee Minhyuk.

     “It’s them!” Shouted Suho, and the four of them immediately chased after the two.

     “Wait! Lee Minhyuk!” Shouted Sunggyu as he pushed the students who were blocking his path. Minhyuk wasn’t able to hear him so when Sunggyu got close enough, he grabbed his shoulder, accidentally grabbing it too aggressively.

     Minhyuk stopped walking, and so did Hyunseung.

     Sunggyu caught his breath and said, “Thanks for stopping, I just wanted to-”

     Hyunseung and Minhyuk didn’t wait for Sunggyu to finish his sentence because without any warning, Minhyuk lifted his hand and got ready to punch him. Good thing Jackson was quick. He went in between them and held onto Minhyuk’s hand just seconds before he could punch Sunggyu.

     “You don’t know who you’re going to punch…brother,” Jackson stated with a serious tone.

     “Brother? What the hell are you talking about?” Minhyuk confusingly asked. But as he was trying to pull his hand off Jackson, Minhyuk saw the ring on his finger lit up.

     “You’re-”

     Hyunseung quickly stopped Minhyuk from saying anything further since the students in the cafeteria were already looking at them, “Let’s talk at a place where it’s more private, shall we?” He suggested, and the rest of them looked around the area where they were standing.

     “Great idea.”

     The human-demons nodded their heads and went to the rooftop to talk things through, but all were confused and puzzled when they got there.  Why them? Was the question that they were asking themselves. Why Sunggyu, why Suho, why Taeil, why Minhyuk? Everyone was just confused on the absurd combination.

    The six of them never talked with each other before. They don’t even know what their full names were, so how could they possibly unite with each other with those circumstances?

     “Well, I’m Lee Taeil, nice to meet the two of you,” said Taeil as he was about to shake Hyunseung’s hand, but Hyunseung just ignored him and looked away.

     “It’s useless Taeil. Don’t waste your energy with those two,” Jackson stated as he pulled his friend closer to him instead.

     Jackson, Taeil, Sunggyu, and Suho were standing next to each other, while Minhyuk and Hyunseung were standing in front of them. When no one said a word, Jackson continued, “So, what’s your father ruling? The realm of the assholes?” He bravely asked Hyunseung, and the insult was something that the son of lust did not take lightly.

     “What did you just say?!” Hyunseung shouted from complete anger. Minhyuk grabbed Jackson’s collar for the sake of his best friend, but Hyunseung stopped him from doing anything further since the insult was directed towards him anyways.

     “Look, we’re not here to fight with each other. I know all of us are confused, and we don’t really know each other that much, but let’s try and get along,” Suho suggested.

     “I doubt that ’ getting along ’ is even in Sunggyu’s dictionary,” Minhyuk pointed out. Sunggyu flinched, but he didn’t say nor do anything. He felt like he didn’t have the right to.

      “Minhyuk, let’s just go,” Hyunseung stated as the two of them were about to leave, but Suho tried to stop them again.

     “ Why the fuck is this guy acting so high and mighty? He’s even more irritating than Kwon Jiyong, “ Jackson whispered, but it was loud enough for Suho to hear. So Suho grabbed Hyunseung’s shoulder and pulled him, making him forcefully look at Suho.

     “Jang Hyunseung, you’re lust aren’t you?” Suho asked as he lets go of his shoulder.

     Hyunseung looked at him with his right eyebrow raised and answered, “Yeah, what about it?”

      “Lust is the lowest sin in hell, so don’t think you’re some kind of god. We’re the seven deadly sons and we represent the seven deadly sins. Lust is the lowest, next to Glutton, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and the strongest is Pride, which is Jiyong,” Suho explained, and everyone was surprised that Suho knew such information.

     “K-Kwon Jiyong?” Minhyuk asked with shock.

     “Kwon Ji Yong? Then why isn’t he here?” Hyunseung asked because Jiyong, Suho, and Sunggyu are friends, so he assumed that he’d be with them.

     “Because he’s not like us. He didn’t accept his fate wholeheartedly,” Sunggyu explained to Hyunseung. 

     When everyone was now looking at him, Sunggyu continued, “We were born like this for a reason, and fighting or not understanding each other was not part of those reasons. I know I’ve been an ass to you Minhyuk and I’m sorry. And I know this will sound like an excuse but I’m the son of wrath. Though I don’t want you to forgive me, I want you to try and understand me instead. At least pretend you’re happy about this for the sake of our fathers.”

     The sons looked at each other with surprise. They didn’t know Sunggyu could sound so wise.

     “F-Fine…” Minhyuk stated, making the rest of them look at his direction. “And okay, I forgive you. I guess we’re the only human-demons in the world so we’ll only have each other in the end. Let’s work together well okay?” Minhyuk asked as he reached his hand for a handshake, and Sunggyu shook it with a smile on his face.

     “Wasn’t that so bad?” Taeil asked with a voice like he was talking to a baby, making everyone chuckle.

     “So what now prince of wrath?” Minhyuk asked as he looked at Sunggyu.

     “Now, let’s look for our prideful brother,” Sunggyu simply answered, and the rest of them nodded in agreement. Everyone was going out, but Minhyuk stopped and told them, “But we still have classes.”

     The sons looked back at him with confused expressions while Hyunseung wanted to bitch slap himself because of how Minhyuk was acting. 

     “Then we’ll skip it,” Jackson answered naturally since he always did that before. And his answer shocked Minhyuk like Jackson just revealed the secret to the universe.

     Minhyuk didn’t want to do such a thing. He had his records of being a great student at Holy Angels University. He wasn’t going to change that just for Kwon Jiyong.

     “But we’ll get in trouble!” He whined.

     The rest of the demons continued to look at Minhyuk with confusion, so Sunggyu grabbed his shoulder and said with a smirk, “We’re demons now Minhyuk. We practically invented trouble.”

---

 The six deadly sons did cut classes and started searching for Kwon Ji Yong, but the son of pride was nowhere to be found on the campus, so they decided to search outside. But the same results came out. Jiyong was gone.

     After hours of walking around the city , they arrived at the park near the place where Jackson and Taeil lives and rested their feet since they were already out of ideas on where Jiyong could possibly be hiding.

     “Jiyong’s not answering his phone. He’s not at his house, his step-father’s company, or at the places where we always hang out. Where could that asshole be?!” Sunggyu shouted, now frustrated and tired at the same time.

     “Guys, it’s late. We better go home and just talk to him tomorrow,” Taeil suggested since his body already felt weak. He might have suppressed his lazy habits, but his body was still not used to it yet.

     “Let’s just sit here for a while,” Jackson told him as he assisted his friend to sit on the bench. While everyone was trying to catch their breaths, Hyunseung saw someone he wasn’t quite familiar with.

     “Wait guys, is that Kwon Jiyong?” Hyunseung asked as he pointed at the guy who was sitting under a tree just a few meters away from them.

     Everyone turned their heads, and like what Hyunseung said, it was Kwon Jiyong.

     “Kwon Jiyong that asshole!” Sunggyu shouted in full rage as he barges his way towards his friend. He was about to shout at him, but he stopped when he saw that Jiyong was asleep.

     “Really, this guy is hopeless,” Sunggyu stated with a sigh, now trying to calm down.

     “So this was the guy we were looking for all day?” Hyunseung asked since he wasn’t really familiar with his face. He knew Sunggyu, and he knew he had friends, but he never really saw them upclose until now.

     As the six were staring at the sleeping Jiyong, Jackson suddenly went in front of him and started kicking him.

     “Wake up you lazy bum,” he bravely said.

     “J-Jackson…I don’t think it’s a good idea to kick him like that,” Taeil stated, trying to push his friend away. But since Jackson was stronger, Taeil’s effort was useless.

     “Don’t worry Taeil. I’m the second most dangerous sin in hell,” he answered with a smirk.

     “But he’s the first!” Taeil shouted back, but Jackson continued on kicking him anyway. He was about to kick him once more when Jiyong suddenly held his feet tightly, making Jackson unable to move. He was trying to pull his feet away from Jiyong’s grasp, but Jiyong’s hold was just too strong.

     “Looks like you woke the devil up,” Suho stated as Jiyong slowly opened his eyes and said, “Who do you think you’re kicking at…asshole?” Then Jiyong twisted Jackson’s feet, making him fall and moan in pain.

     “Ah! You son of a…”

     Taeil, Hyunseung and Minhyuk helped Jackson up as Suho and Sunggyu scolded their stubborn friend.

     “Wasn’t that too much Jiyong?” Sunggyu asked as he held Jiyong’s collar tightly and pulled it up, forcing him to stand on his feet.

     “He was kicking me and you just stared at him. What kind of friends are you?” Jiyong angrily asked as he pushed Sunggyu off him and continued, “I’m going home. You weirdoes could hang out with each other. I could find cooler friends than you losers.” 

     “Why won’t you believe in this Jiyong? Is this something you just can’t accept or what?!” Suho now shouted, trying to stop his friend from leaving.

     “Look Suho, I don’t believe in something I haven’t even seen.” Jiyong took his bag and was about to leave the park when out of nowhere, everything stopped. The flying birds stopped flying, the swaying trees stopped swaying. Minhyuk even looked at his watch and found out it also stopped ticking too.

     “Am I dreaming?” Taeil asked in confusion, but everyone was just as clueless.

     As the sons were waiting for something to happen, the sky and the moon turned red and a huge fire appeared in front of them.

     “What’s happening?!” One of them shouted in fear.

     The seven sons were backing away from the large fire in front of them. The fire got bigger and bigger, but underneath it, they saw seven human-like figures. 

     The fire dispersed in an instant, and everyone was surprised to see that the seven figures were actually demons. They looked like humans, but they had horns, bat-like wings, and a long tail. It was something that they only saw in picture books that adults would show to kids so they could scare them.

     The seven sons just looked at them with shock. No words could even come out of their mouths. Some still had doubts about their fathers being demons, but now, all the doubts they once had just completely vanished.

    The seven rulers went closer to where Sunggyu and the others were. Then the demon standing in the middle stated, “I am Lucifer, the ruler of the realm Pride. And you, my son, has been a great successor of my powers.”  His voice sounded like thousands of voices were saying it altogether. It was so loud that it echoed to the farthest that the eyes could see, and their presence was so dark the seven sons felt weak. Not to mention their eyes were piercing red. Everything about them was just intimidating.

     “F-Father?” Jiyong called out. He was unsure if this was all real, so he tried to reach out and hold him, but Lucifer quickly backed away.

     “We cannot be in contact with each other,” Lucifer stated.

     “We have escaped the realms and went on earth just for Lucifer’s prideful son,”  Leviathan ( Jackson’s father ) then explained.

     “Y-You’re real. This can’t be true.” Jiyong was still confused. All this was too overwhelming, not just for him, but for the rest of the sons too. They couldn’t even think of the right words to say.

    “Look, my son, we don’t have much time. Please wear the ring and trust us well. I know that a man’s pride is important, but when you’re in the midst of danger then you are bound to put it down. Your powers are the strongest compared to the six, so using the ring can help you with suppressing it.” Lucifer explained to him. Then Mammon ( Suho’s father ), held onto Lucifer’s shoulder and told him, “My brother, we must go before the King finds out that we left.”

     “Of course.”

     “But before we go, Jiyong…please remind your step-father about our bet,” Lucifer said with a mischievous smirk, shocking Jiyong, “Bet?” He asked.

     “Yes. That if he ever hurts you and your mother, he will sell his soul to us,” Lucifer revealed, and the seven sons suddenly had goosebumps because of what they heard.

     “Oh, Minhyuk,” another demon said as he looked at Minhyuk.

     Minhyuk was uncertain, but he gulped and asked, “Y-yes…f-father B-Beelzebub?”

     “Please tell your mother that I miss her cooking,” he told him, making Minhyuk smile as a reply, trying his best not to cry in front of him.

     Sunggyu on the other hand wasn’t even looking at the demons. For some reason, even with the ring on, he was angry.

     “Sunggyu my son,” Satan called out.

     “What?” Asked Sunggyu without even looking back at him.

     “I have been very proud of you my boy. I apologize if your mother and I couldn’t say that to you well,” Satan suddenly answered, finally making Sunggyu look at him with shock.

     “We have all been very proud,” Asmodeus ( Hyunseung’s father ) stated, and then they were covered in fire again.

     Taeil wanted to say something but he hesitated, but when the fire was getting smaller, he shouted, “Dad! I love you!”

     And just like that, they were gone, and everything started moving again.

     “M-My clock…started to tic again,” Minhyuk stated, still dumbfounded by what happened.

     The seven became quiet. For 18 years, this was their first time to have ever encountered their fathers. And for 18 years, this was the first time that they started crying in front of others.

     Jiyong fell on his knees. He cried louder and said, “It was a sin…to have ever doubted my father!” 

     Sunggyu went in front of Jiyong. He wiped his own tears off first, and then he took the ring out from his pocket and showed it to his friend, “So, are you going to wear this or not?”

    Jiyong stared at the ring at first, but then he took it from Sunggyu’s hand and answered, “I will.” He was about to wear it when Suho suddenly said, “So who’s going to carry him?”

     “What do you-” Before Jiyong could even ask further, he didn’t notice that the ring was already in his finger and that he had already fainted.

     “Yup. Just like what happened to us,” Hyunseung stated.

     “Wait, Sunggyu, I didn’t bring my car because we didn’t fit inside. Jiyong left his car at the university too, and I’m sure the gates are locked at this hour. There’s no cabs or buses here. How on earth are we…” Before Suho could finish his sentence, Jackson went in between them and said, “My house is close from here. Why don’t you just stay there tonight?”

     Everyone looked as each other as Sunggyu asked, “Do you have enough rooms for the seven of us?”

     “No, but my room is big enough for all of us. And I have extra jammies that you could borrow,” Jackson answered.

     Suho looked at Sunggyu and pouted, “Can’t we just go to a hotel or…” But Sunggyu quickly stepped on Suho’s foot and said, “Fine, I’ll call my mother and Jiyong’s as well and tell them that we’re staying here overnight. All of you should do the same.”

     “Yes Sunggyu,” answered the sons in unison. For some reason, they unspokenly agreed to make Sunggyu the leader of the group. It just felt right to choose him amongst all of them.

     “Now help me carry this guy up.”

     So the seven deadly sons went to the residence of their envious brother, Wang Jackson. Little did they know that their fathers were down in hell…talking about them like the fathers that they were supposed to be.

     “My son doesn’t look like me at all!” Asmodeus whined as the other rulers just stared at him with disbelief.

     “That’s because they’re not full fledged demons yet.” Mammon pointed out, making Asmodeus realize it too.

     “Hey Lucifer, your son’s a keeper isn’t he?” Leviathan commented while laughing, making Lucifer throw a ball of fire on his head.

     “Hey!” Leviathan complained while brushing the fire off his hair.

     “You know, I’m really glad that our sons got together this early. After all, the human-angels will be arriving soon,” Satan explained.

     “I heard that god the savior had plans for those children. I doubt that killing them was even part of his plan. Remember, he made 10 stupid commandments, and killing was one of it,” Lucifer explained further.

     “But our sons are demons remember?” Belphagor pointed out, making Leviathan and the rest of the rulers nod in agreement.

     “You do have a point there brother Belphegor,” Lucifer stated.

     While the rulers were talking, a ghoul entered the great hall where they were gathered. They all looked at the ghoul as it announced, “Rulers, the King would like to speak with you. He said it was about a dead murderer in the west.”

     “A dead murderer?” Satan asked with his right eyebrow raised.

     Lucifer stood up from the throne that he was sitting on and stated, “I guess we’ll be talking about how to torture him. Well Rulers, let’s go.”

“There are six more like you. They are also sons of the Seven Deadly Demons. The ring will also help you look for them, it will light up when someone like you is near. Unite with them and fight the Archangels . I know I can count on you my son. Please be strong and may the King of Hell be with you, and your spirit.”

And this is where their story will begin.

• END -

SDS1 03: THE 1ST ENCOUNTER

THE KING OF HELL  asked his Seven Deadly Rulers to wander the lands of the earth and tempt people to sin. In order to do that, the King disguised them as humans so that they could freely roam the earth without god noticing. Little did He know that His decision caused the rulers to fall in love with mortals. 

     Their love bore seven human-demon children, and the rulers hid that from the King. But the King of Hell was clever, He sent ghouls to watch over them, and the ghouls told the King about it. So the King immediately took the Demons back and forced them to never make contact with their children as punishment for what they have done. If not, then their families would be in great danger. 

     As time passed by, the neglected human-demon children grew to be strong, bright, and to top it all off, handsome children. They all have possessed different personalities, but they were destined to unite with each other.

     The first son is Jang Hyunseung (JS), also known as the son of Asmodeus , ruler of the realm LUST . Because of the powers he inherited from his father, JS attracts a lot of attention from men and women alike, but because of his very serious and scary attitude, you wouldn’t even know that he was the Prince of Lust. After all, Lust means wanting to be loved by everyone and wanting to experience the greatest pleasure the world could give you, good or bad.

     The second son is the opposite of JS. Lee Minhyuk , who is the son of Beelzebub, the ruler of the realm GLUTTON . He eats a lot but never gets fat because of his regular morning exercise and regular gym visits. Minhyuk is bubbly in person. You could say that he has a great personality too. He’s also the closest friend JS has, well I guess the only friend JS has. He’s also very forgiving and smiles a lot, but you would never want to see him angry.

     

Kim Joon Myeon (Suho), the third son. His father – Mammon – rules the realm  GREED , and like what you expect from him, Suho is very greedy, regardless of his rich family background. Suho is known to be friendly, but when you get to know him better, he’s actually a very lonely rich boy, so knowing that he had his ‘brothers’, he felt that his lonely days will no doubt change.

     The next son is Lee Taeil

, the son of Belphegor, ruler of the realm  SLOTH.  Taeil isn’t someone you’d like to be alone with, because if he’s not saying anything then he’d probably be asleep. Now thanks to the ring his father gave him, Taeil became the boy that he always wanted to be. He’s no longer the lazy big-eyed glasses Taeil that everyone knows because now he’s the annoying, super hyper, and the guy who moves everywhere Taeil.

     The fifth son is Kim Sunggyu , the frightening and the most hated person in their whole year. The son of Satan, the ruler of the realm of  WRATH.  Like his father, Sunggyu was always hated by everyone. Not because of how he acts, but because of what he is. He’s a jerk, a bastard, and an ass combined. He bullies everyone, even the teachers. But after wearing the ring, his real personality emerged, and everyone’s perspective of him became different. Inside that hard shell, Sunggyu was kind, soft, and somewhat a tough kid who was prepared to lead the rest of the deadly sons. 

     Well, the next one is Leviathan’s son, Wang Jackson , the prince of ENVY . Jackson’s the big guy who is known for being quiet and mysterious. But underneath that quiet boy is a man with a very bad personality. Some would say that he’s even worse than Sunggyu, Suho and Jiyong combined, and the reason why he only hanged out with Taeil wasn’t just because they were neighbors and childhood friends. He hangs out with Taeil because he thought that Taeil would be too lazy to even find out that he has that kind of personality. 

     Last but not the least, Kwon Ji Yong . Son of Lucifer, the ruler of realm PRIDE.  He’s the most stubborn son from the seven sons. And like his friends, Jiyong doesn’t have a pleasing personality. But since he’s handsome, charming, rich, and smart, everyone just couldn’t see how bad this boy is anymore. He also possesses the strongest power compared to the six, so it’s important for him to control his emotions or he might just explode, literally.

     These are the seven sons. They have to face a lot of problems, and they can’t solve it if they’re not together. But they need to understand everyone’s differences first before doing anything, and having a gathering in Jackson’s place is a great way for them to start their bonding… 

    Or maybe not.

     “So guys, what should we do with Jiyong?” Asked Suho as he was eating the snacks Jackson offered to them earlier.

     Jiyong was lying in bed beside the sleeping Taeil. Suho was sitting beside them as Sunggyu and Hyunseung were leaning against Jackson’s bed, while Jackson was sitting at a chair in front of his desk. 

     As the six were talking, Minhyuk went out of the bathroom half-naked with a small towel on hand, “Hey Jackson, is it really okay if you dry-clean all our clothes?” He asked as soon as he faced the rest of the sons.

     “I don’t mind at all.”

     And as cute as it seems, everyone was wearing Jackson’s old Jammies. And if you’re asking, Sunggyu and Suho changed Jiyong’s clothes.

     “I guess this would be a great way for us to talk about each other, right?” Minhyuk suggested as he sat down beside his best friend, Hyunseung.

     “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Suho agreed, and then everyone became quiet as soon as they were about to start their talk . It was awkward for them to start a conversation. They didn’t exactly know each other yesterday, and now they’re in one of the son’s house having a slumber party.

     “How about I start first,” Minhyuk stated, and everyone nodded in agreement, glad someone had the guts to do it before everyone else.

     “Well, I’m Lee Minhyuk, if you’re not familiar with me yet. I kinda have the obsession of eating a lot. But thanks to this ring, everything changed and I feel like I’m a different person. And after finding out that I have you guys, I feel that my college life would be exciting as well. Now, who’s next?” Minhyuk asked, then everyone became quiet again.

     The sons looked at each other, and when no one dared to say anything, Sunggyu cleared his throat, making everyone look at his direction.

     “W-Well…I’m Kim Sunggyu. You might know me as the asshole of Holy Angels University, but I’m actually a very nice guy who cares for his pet dog called Ira,” Sunggyu awkwardly shared, almost making Minhyuk chuckle because he didn’t expect Sunggyu to be that soft.

     “Do you know that Ira means Wrath is Latin?” Hyunseung revealed, surprising Sunggyu. He knew about that fact since he searched about the meaning of Luxuria’s name, which actually meant Lust in Latin too.

     When Hyunseung pointed it out for them, everyone realized that their pets were the Latin word for what sin they represented.

     “Hey Jackson, aren’t you scared that your guardian’s a snake?” Suho asked as everyone looked his way.

     Jackson looked at his pet invidia and answered, “Well, it’s pretty cool since it is a snake. Though I’m not gonna lie, sometimes I’m afraid that it would escape his cage and eat me. Just the thought of being inside his stomach terrifies me,” Jackson answered innocently. Then everyone started to laugh. They didn’t know that Jackson had a cute side too.

     “So, other than snakes, what else are you afraid of baby brother?” Hyunseung asked with a serious face, making everyone burst in laughter once again.

     “What do you mean by

baby brother Jang Hyunseung? We’re just the same age, and our birthdates are the same, remember?“ Jackson angrily asked.

     “But you’re kinda like the baby figure from all the six of us,” Sunggyu admitted.

     “How about Taeil?” Jackson retaliated. He really wasn’t in favor of being treated as the youngest when he knows there are better candidates for that position.

     “Taeil? I don’t think so,” Sunggyu stated with a grin. Then Minhyuk jumped in and said, “How about this. Jackson could be the baby, Sunggyu could be the mother because he kinda feels like the responsible one in our group, Jiyong could be the father, and the rest could be brothers.”

     “What are we, a kpop group?” Jackson asked with an ‘I’m-not-doing-this’  expression.

     “But it’s cute!” 

     “Aren’t we all BROTHERS,” Jackson protested again.

     “You just don’t like being called the baby!” Minhyuk teased as he went in front of Jackson and pinched his cheeks.

     “Hey! Lee Minhyuk! Have you forgotten that this is my house? I could kick you out if I wanted to,” Jackson stated like he was declaring war to his fellow human-demon brother, Minhyuk.

     Minhyuk didn’t back out and answered back, “I don’t mind. I just live on the other street. But if I can’t control myself, I’ll eat you up like a snake.”

     “Oh!” Said everyone in unison as they watched the two backbiting at each other like kids.

    Minhyuk stared at Jackson who slowly stood up from his chair. Everyone was waiting for his attack, but no one expected him to answer something like this, “Before we start anything…how about putting on some clothes?”

     Minhyuk lifted his right eyebrow up and asked, “Why, are you jealous of my frame Wang Jackson?” 

     Jackson doesn’t answer him, but without any warning, he held Minhyuk’s arm tightly. And with a smirk on his face, he said, “Compared to the two of us, shouldn’t you be calling me daddy instead? Isn’t that right, baby boy?”

     Minhyuk got flustered and quickly pushed Jackson away, only making himself fall on Sunggyu’s lap. 

     Jackson sat back down on his chair and started laughing.

     “H-How could you say…s-something like that without batting an eye?!” Minhyuk embarrassingly asked as he immediately stood up from Sunggyu’s lap.

     “Dude, my hair almost stood up for a second there,” Suho added while slapping both of his cheeks so he could return to his senses.

     Everyone started to laugh again when they saw Minhyuk turning red. Jackson stopped laughing and threw Minhyuk his top and said, “It’s going to be cold tonight, wear it.” So Minhyuk quickly wore the top with no question.

     “I guess we had enough for today,” Sunggyu stated as he stood up from the floor and continued, “Jackson’s bed is big so Suho, you sleep beside Taeil and Jiyong. And the four of us will sleep on the floor. Jackson, do you have some extra covers?”

     “Yeah, I do have one. I’ll just get it at my mom’s room,” Jackson answered, then he went out.

     “I am not going to sleep beside that perv,” Minhyuk stated the moment Jackson left the room. Then he took his snacks on the desk and went to Hyunseung.

     While Suho was tucking himself in, he told him, “Wasn’t it you who started it Minhyuk?”

     “Me?! It was JS who started with the baby brother idea,” Minhyuk quickly defended, so Hyunseung fired back, “I wasn’t making a joke, it was you who added the family-tree shit. It clearly made Jackson pissed off.”

     “Well sorry, I didn’t know the guy was so fucking sensitive!” Minhyuk angrily shouted.

     “Can the two of you just shut up?” Suho asked since he was trying to get some sleep. Then Hyunseung faced Suho and said, “Who are you to tell us what to do? We’re just strangers who met each other today so don’t act like you’re our mother.”

     Suho quickly stood up from the bed and went in front of Hyunseung, “We’re not just strangers, we’re brothers Jang Hyunseung.”

     Hyunseung looked straight at Suho’s eyes and shamelessly answered back, “You are not my fucking brother,” then he pushed Suho away from him.

     Suho was shocked that he almost pushed Hyunseung as well, but Sunggyu quickly went in between them and said, “So it’s your turn to argue with each other? We could play around and make each other laugh. We don’t play around to fight with each other in the end, so stop pointing fingers. We might have only met today but come on, we’ll be together for who knows how long so pretend like you like each other, or better yet…LOVE EACH OTHER.”

      After Sunggyu’s speech, the two became quiet. I guess it was a wrong idea to place seven guys with seven different personalities in one room.

     “Is this enough?” Someone suddenly asked, breaking the awkward tension.

     Jackson entered the room with pillows and covers. He didn’t even know what’s been happening inside his own room.

     Sunggyu’s angry expression turned into a smile when he turned his head to Jackson, “That’s enough, thank you.”

     “Well, we better go to sleep. We still have our classes tomorrow,” Jackson reminded them as he placed the covers on the floor. Then the rest lied down on it.

     To make things fair, Sunggyu said that Minhyuk should sleep at the end. Minhyuk could sleep beside him while Hyunseung slept on the other end beside Jackson. To make it easier: Minhyuk, Sunggyu, Jackson, and Hyunseung.

     “Good night…” Jackson stated. And when everyone closed their eyes, he continued, “Brothers.”

     Though they had some petty quarrels, they knew that they’d still be crawling back to each other in the end. I guess if you have this special connection, the worse of enemies would still turn out to be the best of friends.

---

“What happened to my fucking hair!?”

     The next day, the seven sons woke up from the screams of their prideful brother, Kwon Ji Yong.

     “What’s the ruckus all about Jiyong?! Can’t you see it’s still too early to be screaming like that?” Suho angrily stated without even opening his eyes since the light coming from the window was too bright.

     “What’s the ruckus all about?! Then why won’t you take a look and see for yourself?” Jiyong said with a loud voice, and then everyone opened their eyes and looked at Jiyong who was standing in front of Jackson’s mirror.

     “What’s the problem then?” Asked Hyunseung when he sat up from the floor and stretched his arms wide.

     Jiyong looked at Hyunseung like he was blind, so he pointed at his head and shouted, “Do you want me to spell it out for you?! My hair’s fuckin’ pink!”

     While Jiyong was panicking, no one really cared much.

     “What about it? Hyunseung’s hair is red,” Sunggyu explained.

     “But mine is different, it’s pink! A man can’t have girly hair color like pink!” Jiyong suddenly blurted out, offending half of the boys inside the room.

     “What kind of toxic masculinity comment is that?” Minhyuk asked, also still half-asleep.

     Everyone just stared at Jiyong again. Why was he making a big deal about this? And come on, we thought the ring would change him for good!

     “And why was I sleeping with that Taeil guy? What the fuck am I wearing? And where the hell are we?! Are we in a poor man’s house? Why didn’t you bring me back home, or a hotel when I fainted?” Jiyong continued to complain.

     Jackson stood up from the floor and went to where Jiyong was standing, “You’re in my house asshole.” Then he held onto Jiyong’s shoulder and held onto it tightly, “Breakfast is ready. If you don’t mind eating poor food then you’re welcome to join us Mr. Kwon Jiyong. But then again, you twisted my foot yesterday, eating nothing wouldn’t be a problem right?” He asked before letting go, and Jiyong immediately held onto his aching shoulder to massage it.

     When Jackson left the room, the sons instantly looked at Jiyong with angry stares.

     “Nice move rich boy,” Suho stated as he stood up and fixed his hair. Then the rest of them stood up as well and fixed their beds.

     “Okay then brothers, let’s go downstairs and greet Jackson’s mother. And please Jiyong, act like a person for once,” Sunggyu told him, only making Jiyong roll his eyes in annoyance.

     When the sons went downstairs, they found a woman wearing a hot pink tracksuit and yellow dishwashing gloves. To top it all off, she was wearing a diamond necklace matched with earings. If you’re asking, she’s going with the fancy sports-mom look.

     “Oh! You’re all awake! Please sit down and have breakfast,” she excitedly told them when she saw the boys approach her.

     Jackson’s mother is known to be extravagant so Jackson didn’t wake her up when they arrived because she might end up doing something crazy. He only told her about them just this morning, and since she didn’t have time to prepare, she ordered tons of chicken and pizza for breakfast.

     Everyone looked at the table in surprise.

     “This is breakfast?” Jiyong asked, and Suho immediately nudged his side, making him bite his lip because of the pain.

     “Thank you mother,” Hyunseung stated, surprisingly making Jackson’s mother blush.

     ‘The power of the prince of Lust’ Everyone thought to themselves as they sat down on their seats. Then Mrs. Wang placed the dishes on top of the table and sat down on the chair at the middle end.

     “So, this is the first time Jackson brought someone home besides Taeil. Are you all longtime friends?” Jackson’s mother asked while looking at the sons.

     Jackson awkwardly looked at the six. He wasn’t sure what to label them yet since they literally just met yesterday. So calling them ‘friends’ is kind of a huge step for them, “W-well…they’re…we kinda…”

     Everyone saw how Jackson struggled to answer, so Sunggyu backed him up, “We’re sorry that we haven’t formally introduced ourselves, so could you please give us this opportunity?” Sunggyu respectfully asked.

     “Oh, how well mannered. Please, proceed,” Jackson’s mother excitedly stated.

     Without really talking about it, the sons naturally introduced themselves one by one. Sunggyu cleared his throat and started first, “Well, I’m Kim Sunggyu of 1-D, son of Satan.”

     “Lee Minhyuk of 1-C, son of Beelzebub.”

     “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Wang, I’m Kwon Ji Yong, step-son of Charles Smith, an American man who was born in Korea, and the Chairman of C & S Group, the largest stockholders in South Korea. And the real son of Lucifer, ruler of the realm, Pride,” Jiyong proudly introduced.

     Yup, Kwon Ji Yong is still so full of himself.

     “Hi Mrs. Wang, I’m Kim Joon Myeon, also known as Suho of Class 1-D, son of Mammon.”

     “Jang Hyunseung, prince of Lust. Son of Asmodeus.”

     Then Taeil finished off and said, “And if you don’t know yet aunty, I’m the son of Belphegor.”

     “And we’re the Seven Deadly sons’ of Hell!” all surprisingly said in unison.

     “What the hell is this? A kpop group?” Jackson suddenly blurted out.

     Everyone looked at Mrs. Wang and waited for her reaction.

     “So, what do you say mom? Bad influence?” Jackson asked as he looked at his mom who looked really surprised at the sudden turn of events.

     She was silent for a second, but then she jumped off her seat in excitement, “Oh my booty! This is great! With just a day you finally found all of them?! Your father should be really proud of now!”

     “ This she just say Oh my booty? “ Suho asked with a confused look, but Sunggyu stretched his leg and stepped on his feet.

     “We met them yesterday,” Minhyuk added, making Jackson’s mother screech in excitement this time.

     “So, how was your father like son? Was he still handsome like before?” Jackson’s mom asked. You could even see hearts forming in her eyes by how excited she was to hear about Jackson’s father again.

     “My father Leviathan? Well…he still has horns,” Jackson joked, but his mother suddenly blushed, surprising them. 

    “So, what are your next plans?” She then asked.

     “Well we need to look for the archangels who are going to kill us,” Sunggyu explained while biting a slice of pizza.

     “I see, then if you have any problems, you could always come to me and ask for my help. You could also call me mom if you like,” Jackson’s mother cutely told them.

     “Mom!” Jackson whined, but his mother reached out for him and pinched his cheeks, making everyone laugh,“Oh don’t be a baby Jackson. You’ll still be my number one.”

     After talking about a lot of other things, the sons were finished with their food, and they went back to Jackson’s room so they could get ready to leave. To take turns in taking a bath, Sunggyu thought that it would be better to do rock, paper, scissors ( Where he clearly lost ). And after that, they wore the same clothes that they wore yesterday except for Jackson, Taeil, and Minhyuk who had to run back to their homes.

     All of them were now waiting outside Minhyuk’s house where Hyunseung was also in.

     “Minhyuk! Where the hell are you?! We’re going to be late!” Shouted Jackson as he was impatiently waiting for the two.

     “I don’t think it’s nice to scream at someone like that when you clearly know that it’s his territory,” Suho reminded him.

     “He was arguing with me when he was at my house,” Jackson quickly pointed out, so Suho didn’t say anything anymore.

     Sunggyu sighed and looked at Jackson with disbelief, “Are you seriously going to start this again?”

     “Man, can we go to some shop and change our clothes or something?” Jiyong suggested, making everyone look at him with their right eyebrow raised.

    “Come on, I’m the richest guy on campus and I wore the same clothes in two straight days?” He then asked, annoying them again.

     “You want me to strip you right now so you won’t have to wear the same thing twice?” Sunggyu stated with a serious tone, making Jiyong stop talking.

     “Shutting up sounds a lot better now right?”

     While the five were waiting, Taeil looked at his watch and said, “But seriously though, it’s 7: 24 now. We’re really going to be late. Why don’t we just leave them?”

    “We can’t okay,” Sunggyu persisted, and then the two best friends finally went out of the house with Minhyuk’s mother, who was also very excited to see Minhyuk’s supposed ’ brothers ’.

     “Oh my! How handsome!” Said Mrs. Lee as she went out of the house.

     “We’re flattered ma’am, but we really need to go. We promise to introduce ourselves some other time,” Sunggyu explained before bowing in front of her.

    “No worries dear. Minhyuk, treat them nicely okay?” she said, making Minhyuk glared at Jackson and say, “I’ll try my best.”

    When the seven sons finally arrived at HAU, everyone immediately looked at their direction. Some whispered at each other, while some took out their phones to take a picture. All of the sons were famous in their own way. The students in their year knew who they were individually, so the fact that they’re together is even more shocking to them.

    “Look, isn’t that Sunggyu and his gang? Why are they with JS and Minhyuk?”

    “What’s going on?!”

     “Aren’t those two Taeil and Jackson? Why are they hanging out with them?”

     Gossips were heard everywhere, but the sons didn’t really listen to any of them. They knew that their group was weird from the start so they already expected everyone’s reaction. But there was one rumor Kwon Ji Yong didn’t take.

     “Wait a second. Is that Jiyong with the girly hair color?”

     “What the fuck did you say you bastard!?” Jiyong quickly shouted.

     Jiyong was about to run to where the student was when the six sons grabbed him and stopped him from doing anything further.

     “Whoa, slowdown Kwon Jiyong,” Jackson stated as he let’s go of Jiyong’s shirt.

     “But did you hear what that punk just said?!” Jiyong angrily asked back.

     “Yeah, we heard it loud and clear,” Suho calmly answered, then Hyunseung looked around and continued, “I hear and see a lot of things, but ignoring them just feels a lot better than trying to feed your brain with negativity.”

     Everyone looked at Hyunseung confusingly. Then Jiyong raised his right eyebrow and asked, “What?”

     Taeil sighed and massaged his temple, “What Hyunseung is trying to say-”

     Jackson stopped Taeil and seriously looked back at Jiyong, “You’re a king right?”

     Jiyong was surprised at the sudden question, but he awkwardly nodded his head anyway.

     Jackson patted Jiyong’s head like a kid and continued, “Kings don’t listen to anyone,” then he coolly leaves the others.

    “Hey! How could you say something cool like that and leave?!“Taeil shouted as he followed him, making the rest of the brothers laugh.

---

“That’s all for today. Please don’t forget to finish your assignments before Monday. And your projects deadline will be on Wednesday, is that understood?” The professor asked, making everyone answer a lazy and forced, “Yes ma’am.”

     “Then balance your time so you could enjoy your weekend, see you all next week.”

     The students bowed as their professor left the room.

     “Oh JS, what did Sunggyu say earlier? I was too busy with the book that I was reading that I wasn’t able to catch what he said,” Minhyuk asked as he walked towards his best friend.

     “Sunggyu said that we’ll be going to each and everyone’s houses this weekend to formally meet our mothers,” Hyunseung answered while arranging his things.

     “Why do I feel like we’re going to court each other?” Minhyuk asked. 

     Hyunseung stood up from his seat and looked back at his friend, “I don’t know. I guess it’s the right thing to do since we found out that we’re ‘brothers’ . Well, not real brothers but you get what I mean,” Hyunseung answered.

     Minhyuk looked at Hyunseung with a confused expression but he didn’t say anything anymore and just followed Hyunseung out. The two were about to leave the room when three guys suddenly blocked their way. The guy standing in the middle then said, “Hey you two. Why are you hanging out with the famous trio of our year?”

     “Who?” Asked Hyunseung, making the guy who asked become pissed.

     “Why the hell are you losers hanging out with the big guys?” He asked again, surprising Hyunseung and Minhyuk.

     Hyunseung immediately glanced at his friend. The word loser was the word Minhyuk hated the most. If people called him that, he wouldn’t show an ounce of mercy.

     “Losers you say?” Minhyuk stated as he clenched his fist, getting ready to beat the guy up. “Now that we’re standing beside those guys, people think we’re already losers?!” Minhyuk then shouted at him.

     “Minhyuk…” Hyunseung called out as he was trying to stop his friend, but Minhyuk was clearly ignoring him.

     “I will not be called a loser for that reason!” Minhyuk shouted even louder, and without a second thought, he punched the guy in the middle, making him fall. The two students who he was with were helping him up, but the guy who fell pushed them off him and forcefully stood up on his own.

     He wiped the blood on his mouth and angrily shouted, “You dare punch me Lee Minhyuk?!“He then went to Minhyuk and pulled his collar up, lifting him off the ground.

     “Let him go!” Hyunseung begged as he looked at his classmates literally lifting his best friend up. He had an unpleasant attitude, but he wasn’t a fighter. Hyunseung wanted to run for help, but he knew that he had to at least do something. 

     Hyunseung was about to intervene, but before he could even do anything rash, Sunggyu and the rest of the seven deadly sons arrived just in time.

     “What are you doing to our brothers?” Jiyong asked, standing right in front of them.

     “J-Jiyong!” The three shouted in unison.

     The moment they saw him, the guy in the middle instantly lets go of Minhyuk, making Minhyuk fall on the floor. Hyunseung and Taeil went to where he was and quickly helped him up.

     “I asked you a question you dumbass. What the fuck do you think you’re doing to my brother?!” Jiyong now shouted, making all the people in the hallway quiet and curious about what was happening. 

     Just in a split second, they were surrounded by students from every year.

     “I-I was just…asking why…”

     “Why what?”

     The terrified man gulped loudly and continued, “W-Well…It was just weird to see you guys…h-hanging out with them.”

    “What’s weird about cool kids hanging out together? Huh, loser?” Jiyong fired back.

     Everyone could see that the guy was sweating hard as Jiyong just stared at him with his killer glare. When the supposed loser couldn’t answer Jiyong’s question, Sunggyu looked at the students who were surrounding them and shouted, “Listen up!” 

     Everyone’s attention instantly shifted to him.

     “Look, we’re hanging out with these guys from now on and you won’t give a fuck about the reason why. So mind your own business, you hear me?” Sunggyu shouted, then Suho suddenly went in front of the three, grabbed the collar of the guy in the middle, and said, “You don’t know who you guys are trying to mess with. So beat it, got it?” Then he lets go of him.

     The three students in front nodded their heads in terror.

     “Oh, and one more thing,” Jackson stated, making everyone surprised since it was so rare to hear his voice in public. With a smirk on Jackson’s face, he continued, “Touch any of us again and you won’t have any hand to touch us with any more.”

     The students were surprised by the gruesome threat, but the brothers looked back at Jackson like they were proud of him.

     As the people stared at them, their aura started becoming darker. They somehow released some kind of scary pheromones. Taeil even looked scary with his huge glasses that when he turned around, the people standing at the back flinched.

     “Brothers, let’s go,” Sunggyu commanded, and the rest of the sons followed, leaving all the students dumbfounded.

     Well I didn’t want to sound like I’m trying to be quick ( But I am ), the weekends happened to past by fast, and yes, everyone met each and everyone’s mother and dad. And just like how quick I’m narrating this right now, the seven became close just within those two days. 

     On Sunday, the seven sons slept at a hotel that Jiyong’s stepfather rented for the night, so no one else was there but them. Afterward, they stayed at Minhyuk’s place like promised, skipping most of their Monday classes. They even planned to bring their own clothes and personal belongings to everyone’s house so that they won’t have to go back and forth or bring anything when they sleep there.

     “Look, it’s them again.”

     Monday wasn’t that different. Gossip here, gossip there, gossip everywhere! But what could they do, gossip’s the only thing that makes life interesting.

     “So, where will we stay next?” Suho asked as the seven of them were walking down the hallway, Pyramid style.  (Sunggyu in the middle. Second row is Jiyong, Hyunseung and Taeil, last row is Jackson, Suho and Minhyuk) .

     “Sleep in my house next! My mom would go crazy if you sleep there,” Taeil excitedly suggested, so Jiyong asked back, “Then isn’t that a bad thing?”

     Taeil shook his head and answered, “Nah, it would be fun! I promise!”

     “Should we bring our pets? You know, so they could meet each other too.” Hyunseung suggested next.

     “And let Jackson’s pet snake eat my Gula? No way!” Minhyuk quickly answered.

     While the seven were walking, the low church-like bell rang, echoing throughout the long corridors of their building.

     “We better hurry or we’ll be late,” Sunggyu stated. But as the sons were walking, a group suddenly blocked their way. A group of

seven charming and innocent looking boys, who somehow looked like their complete opposites.

     “Move,” Sunggyu commanded as he glared at the seven unfamiliar boys in front of them.

     “Oh, I’m sorry,” said the guy standing in the middle with the white hair, but he just smirked and didn’t move even though he apologized, making Sunggyu feel even more irritated.

     “Didn’t you hear what I just said asshole?” Asked Sunggyu once again, trying to act calm at least. The man in front of him continued to smirk, still not moving an inch from where he was standing.

     “Hey! We’ll be late you dumbass, move or we’ll kick you out of the way!” Sunggyu shouted, now in full rage mode.

     “Let me see you try,” the guy on the middle bravely answered back.

     Sunggyu was about to burst into so much anger again. He clenched his fist and was ready to throw a punch at this guy’s face, but Hyunseung quickly held his shoulder and nodded his head, signaling Sunggyu to just let them pass instead.

    Sunggyu got the idea and sighed, then he looked straight at the guy in front of them and stated, “Fine. Brothers, give these gentlemen their way.” Then, without saying anything, the seven went to the sides, giving the “ innocent “ guys in front of them a path to walk through.

     “Wow, you trained your ’ brothers’ well.” Said the guy in the middle.

     Sunggyu flinched, but he brushed it off and said, “Aren’t you leaving? We gave you your way, what else do you want?”

     The guy didn’t say anything else but glared at Sunggyu, making him pissed off even more.

     “How dare you look at me like that! Do you even know who I am?!” Sunggyu shouted, finally walking towards them so he could grab the guy’s collar. Good thing Jackson rushed to where he was and pushed Sunggyu away from him.

     “Sunggyu, let’s not make a scene here,” Jackson stated when he noticed that the students started to surround them again.

     “Looks like your ’ brother ’ has a bigger brain than you do,” the guy said. It was now obvious that he was purposely making Sunggyu mad.

     “Who do you think you are you asshole?!” Sunggyu angrily shouted, trying to push Jackson away so he could finally kick that guy’s butt, but Jackson was thankfully stronger than him.

     “Wanna know who I am?” The guy asked with a smile that looked evil.

     The guy in the middle went closer to Sunggyu. Only a few more inches and their faces would be touching each other. The guy then smirked and

stated, “I’m Yong Junhyung and I’m the leader of ARCS. “

     Everyone was surprised at what they just heard. Jackson was surprised too that he accidentally lets go of Sunggyu. So when Sunggyu was finally free from Jackson’s grasp, he quickly thought of a comeback that only confused everyone, “T-Then I’m Kim Sunggyu…the leader of a group called DEMONS. “

     “Huh?” The sons confusingly asked in unison.

     ‘Yup…just like a kpop group’ Jackson thought to himself as he watched Sunggyu and Yong Junhyung have a staring contest in the hallway.

     And this is where the battle of the two groups will begin.

• END -

SDS1 03.5: FIRST

EXTRA CHAPTER

NOTE : This was just for fun and is purely for entertainment purposes. You’re actually not required to read it lol And you might get confused but for the seven sons, I’ll be addressing them as sons, demons, or brothers. 

IT WAS A SATURDAY, a day that’s considered to be the best day for almost all humans on earth. The reason is that it’s the beginning of a stressfree weekend. But there’s just one problem…

     The seven sons aren’t entirely humans.

     “Where the hell is Suho?! We need to visit Hyunseung’s mother at ten!” Shouted Sunggyu while he was impatiently waiting for the prince of greed to arrive.

    “Chill out Sunggyu. He’ll get here when he gets here,” Minhyuk calmly stated while he was playing some random game on his phone.

     The six sons were in front of their university, all ready to meet the mothers and father of each and every one of them. It was Sunggyu’s idea, and for some reason, they couldn’t decline him, so everyone decided to drop all their weekend plans and just go with it. 

    “What’s up, deadly sons!” Suho greeted when he finally arrived with a box of pizza at hand. The rest of the brothers stood up from the bench while Sunggyu approached the late demon with an angry expression.

     “You were fucking late because you bought that?!” Sunggyu asked while looking at the boxes that Suho was holding. 

     “Well, yeah. I thought that you guys would be hungry so I decided to buy it so we could eat it at Hyunseung’s place,” Suho innocently answered. Sunggyu wanted to be angry, but he just couldn’t do it after hearing Suho’s reason, so Sunggyu took a deep breath and just brushed the issue away.

     “Then it can’t be helped. Let’s go brothers.” Sunggyu said in defeat. 

     Jackson suggested that they should start from the first son to the last son. Thankfully his house wasn’t included anymore. He doesn’t know what his mother would do next if they visited again.

     “Okay, this is how it goes. We greet our mothers, chat with them for a little, and even if you guys are full, eat everything that they serve us, understand?” Sunggyu asked while they were walking towards Hyunseung’s house.

     “Why did you ask me to wait with you guys again when I could just wait at home?” Hyunseung asked since they were going to his house anyway. They went to their university early in the morning, and Hyunseung could have slept-in than wait with them there.

     “Then how would we know where you live?” Taeil asked, and Hyunseung wanted to slap himself.

     “Jeez, I don’t know? Maybe ask for my address?” Hyunseung sarcastically answered, and the brothers didn’t say anything anymore since Hyunseung obviously had a point.

     “Anyways, here we are,” Hyunseung stated when they arrived at his home shortly after. He gestured his hand at the front door and all of them entered the house. When they got to the living room, they saw biscuits and sodas on top of the table.

     “Whoa, looks like your mom prepared for our visit,” Taeil happily stated. Then Suho pouted and added, “I guess we’ll eat the pizza later.”

     “Yeah, we could eat that at Taeil’s house,” Jiyong suggested as he rudely threw his bag on the sofa and sat down, but Jackson quickly pulled him up when he saw Hyunseung’s mother enter the room.

     “Hello, mother!” Everyone greeted as they bowed in front of Hyunseung’s mother.

     “Oh hello, you must be the sons. Hyunseung talked about you a lot last night. I saw his excitement when he came back, so I decided to prepare something for his sake,” Hyunseung’s mother revealed, making everyone look back at the embarrassed Hyunseung.

     “You shouldn’t have mother, but thank you, we’ll happily eat it,” Sunggyu said with a smile on his face. It was almost impossible to believe that this was the evil bully that made other students’ lives a living nightmare just a few days ago.

     “Well then, please sit down.”

     Everyone sat down as Mrs. Jang offered them to eat the food in front of them. Minhyuk started eating first since he’s been at Hyunseung’s house a couple of times now. No one wanted to eat next. I guess they felt awkward about the situation. So Taeil, as the most confident guy in the room, took one and happily ate the biscuits. Then everyone did the same.

     “So, where are you going after this?” Mrs. Jang asked.

     “We’ll be going to Mrs. Lee ( Minhyuk’s mom ) next,” Suho casually answered while he was eating.

     “Your mothers and I should talk too. It would be fun!” Hyunseung’s mother stated with a hint of excitement in her voice.

     While everyone was talking, Hyunseung’s cat, Luxuria, joined in and went in front of Jiyong.

     “Oh, what a cute cat. Is this Luxuria? The cat that you were talking about yesterday?” Jiyong asked as he started petting her head.

     Hyunseung nodded his head as a reply. Jiyong continued petting her when the cat suddenly peed on his very expensive shoes. Jiyong almost kicked her away, but good thing Minhyuk took Luxuria just in time.

     Everyone laughed as they watched Jiyong wipe the pee off his shoe with the tissues on the table.

     “JS! Your cat just pissed on my shoe!” Jiyong shouted in irritation, not caring that Hyunseung’s mother was there too.

     Hyunseung ignored his reaction and continued eating, “So?” He asked without looking at him.

     “So?! This is an expensive pair of shoes!” Jiyong shouted back.

     Hyunseung didn’t want to do anything, but his mother looked at him, mentally telling him to help the poor guy out. Hyunseung sighed and stood up from the sofa. He took the tissues that Jiyong used and threw it away before getting a rug and throwing it to the prince of pride.

     “What the hell is this?” Jiyong asked, holding the rag with only his two fingers.

     “It’s a rag, you idiot. Clean it up yourself,” Hyunseung answered, then he continued eating.

     Jiyong was about to curse at Hyunseung, but he saw  Hyunseung’s mother smiling at him, so he just smiled back and cleaned it up himself like what Hyunseung asked him to.

     “Just you wait Jang Hyunseung. I trained my parrot to bite anyone I point at. Just you wait.” Jiyong whispered to himself while he continued cleaning his shoe.

     After finishing the food Hyunseung’s mother prepared, the sons thanked Mrs. Jang and proceeded to the other’s residence.

     Everyone visited the rest of the houses as planned, and met with their mothers. Minhyuk’s mother insisted that they stay little longer, but they couldn’t, so Sunggyu told her that they’d be sleeping there tomorrow instead, making Mrs. Lee jump in excitement. 

     The house-to-house visit also made them realize how big Suho and Sunggyu’s houses were. They even did a few tests for Mrs. Kim’s ( Sunggyu’s mother ), research on what teenagers think about when they’re stressed out.

     “ We have reached the Gangnam District. “

     The seven sons were now at their last stop, which was the Kwon’s residence. The sons were exhausted. Their visit with Sunggyu’s mother took longer than expected, so it was already late.

     “We’re here guys,” said Jiyong when they got out of the bus. “My house is only a few walks from here,” he added with a hint of excitement in his voice.

     “A few walks are like…forever!” Taeil complained, already looking like he’d faint on the street like how he was before he wore the ring.

     “Come on. We just arrived and you all looked tired! You’re so unfair”, Jiyong stated as he stared as his sleepy brothers.

     “Sorry, Jiyong. We just didn’t expect that it would be this draining to visit our houses,” Sunggyu explained. 

     Jiyong didn’t even know if Sunggyu’s closing his eyes or not because of how small it was now.

     “Then should you guys go home and rest? We could always come to my house some other time,” Jiyong suggested out of nowhere, surprising the brothers. It was so rare to see Jiyong so concerned about something, or someone, other than himself. Their sleepiness almost left them after hearing him say such words.

     “No, we need to finish this. We’re already here, and it would be rude to back out now,” Hyunseung answered, and everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

     “Fine, and to avoid any more danger because you guys might faint on the streets, I’ll message our driver and ask him to bring the limousine,” Jiyong suddenly blurted out. Everyone’s eyes opened even wider as Jiyong started texting his driver.

     Minhyuk quickly went closer to Jiyong and asked again, “Did you just say…limo?”

10 MINUTES LATER

     “Hell yeah! This is what I’m talking about!”

     After an exhausting day, the seven sons were now partying inside Jiyong’s limousine. I guess just the thought of partying made the six sons’ all excited. And to add it all up - except for Suho and Sunggyu - it was their first time to ride on Jiyong’s limo. Well, it was their first time to ride a limo in general.

     “We’re here,” Jiyong stated, turning off the blaring music that almost made his ears bleed.

     “Uh!” The sons whined, but Jiyong didn’t care and just went out of the limo without waiting for the rest.

     “Okay brothers, let’s go,” Sunggyu commanded and everyone lazily followed behind him.

     As the seven went out, Minhyuk, Hyunseung, Taeil, and Jackson’s mouths opened from complete shock. It was their first time to see a house this big. If they didn’t know beforehand that it was supposed to be a residence, they’d think it’s a museum.

     “This is a house?” Minhyuk asked while following Jiyong inside.

    “Okay, don’t act like it’s your first time to see something like this. Just act normal like earlier. We don’t want Jiyong’s parents to feel uncomfortable.” Sunggyu instructed as he looked at his brothers.

     “Wow! Marble!” Minhyuk stated, ignoring what Sunggyu just told them literally a second ago.

     “Lee Minhyuk! What did I just say!?” Sunggyu angrily said as he followed Minhyuk inside Jiyong’s house. Everyone else followed after.

     When they got there, maids and butlers welcomed them, and standing right in front of them was none other than Jiyong’s beautiful mother and foreign step-father.

     “Oh, you must be the sons. I’m Jiyong’s mother, nice to meet you all,” Jiyong’s mother stated with a smile.

     The sons didn’t say anything and greeted them with a bow instead

     “Shall we eat dinner and have a chat?” Jiyong’s mother politely asked. 

     Sunggyu was about to accept the invitation, but Jiyong immediately went in front of his mother and said, “Mom, they’re exhausted and would like to rest instead. They just wanted to meet you and leave afterward. And besides, we already ate dinner in Sunggyu’s house.”

     “You went all this way just to say hi? That’s sweet of you, but at least give us time to have a talk,” Jiyong’s mother persisted.

    “We would lov-” Jiyong stopped Suho and quickly answered, “Mom, we promise to go back here, but right now they need to rest.”

     Jiyong’s mom was looking sad now, so Charles intervened and suggested, “Then how about I rent the Poseidon Hotel and the seven of you could sleep there. Is the most expensive suite okay with you guys or would you rather prefer to sleep in separate rooms?”

     The six sons looked at Jiyong’s step-father like they heard something crazy. 

     “I’m sorry but did you say rent a room or…”

     “A hotel. It would be better to rest if there’s no one there right? And besides, we’re their major shareholders. They have no right to say no,” Charles continued as he looked at Taeil.

     “But isn’t that too much Mr. Charles Smith?” Taeil continued, and Jiyong patted his back and told him, “Oh please, too much isn’t even in his dictionary. Now come on, the limo’s waiting for us outside.”

    “I think it’s better if we just go home,” Jackson then told everyone, but the sons looked at him with a please-shut-up face, making him flinch.

     “Don’t be silly darling, when Charles decides on something…he never changes his mind,” Jiyong’s mother says with a smile, and all the sons could do was look back at these rich bastards with disbelief.

*****     

 “What the hell happened to you guys? Aren’t you excited?” Jiyong confusingly asked them when they were now driving to the hotel that Charles was talking about.

     “Jiyong, we’re riding a limo, heading to a five-star hotel your father RENTED. We’re thrilled! We could even die tonight if needed,” Minhyuk stated as he took a sip of the expensive wine than was already inside the limo.

     “Don’t be too shocked,” Sunggyu simply stated like he was already used to it, which in fact was true. 

     “Last summer his father rented a resort for the three of us,” Suho added, surprising the sons even more.

     “Wait, this is serious? I thought that was just a joke and we’re just checking-in.” Taeil told them with a shocked expression, and Suho and Sunggyu nodded their heads to confirm it for him.

     “I’m sorry guys. I didn’t expect that Charles would do something like that. If you like, you guys could go home. I’ll just explain everything to him tomorrow.”

     “And miss out this awesome night with you guys?! No way!” Minhyuk shouted in excitement. Then he looked at the driver and shouted again, “Where’s the music?! Let’s party!”

     “YEAH!“The rest of the sons shouted in unison.

     It wasn’t obvious, but Jiyong was smiling as he stared at his goofy brothers. He was somehow glad that he was able to meet all of them after his/their crazy birthday. But just when they were ready to get wasted, the driver turns the music off and stated, “We’re here sir.”

     The sons looked out of the window as the driver parked the limo in front of the hotel. 

    “Well then, let’s go, brothers,” Sunggyu commanded, and they all went out of the limo. When they got out, they saw people inside the hotel leaving while the employees apologized to them. It almost looked like they were being evacuated.

     “No fucking way. It really was serious?!” Taeil asked again, the situation now sinking in.

     “I didn’t know your step-father was this powerful,” Jackson stated, and Jiyong walked beside him and answered, “You don’t even know the half of it.”

     Everyone went inside the hotel. They went to the lobby and witnessed guests trying to convince the employees to let them stay, but the guards were pushing them all out of the hotel.

     “We’re truly sorry but all the guests must leave the hotel immediately,” the employee holding a megaphone continued to announce.

     “Even the president won’t get this much special treatment.” Hyunseung stated, and the other sons started to feel guilty.

     While waiting, a man approached them and bowed respectfully.

     “Oh, good evening. Manager Jongsuk isn’t it?” Jiyong asked as the manager stood up properly.

    “We’re greatly sorry for the inconvenience Mr. Kwon, but your father’s request was just too sudden that-” Jiyong immediately stopped him from saying anything further by only raising a hand, “No need to explain, just bring us to our room.”

     “W-Would you like us to…bring some food in your s-suite?” The manager who started looking nervous asked them.

     Jiyong didn’t answer and looked back at the sons instead, “Want anything guys?” He asked them, and the sons shook their heads as an answer.

     “But I would LOVE to eat some pizza,” Minhyuk suddenly requested.

     “Pizza? Right away sir. We will call our Italian chef to make them for you,” the manager answered, shocking the brothers even more.

    “Italian chef? How fancy,” Minhyuk commented.

    “If that’s all then please follow me.”

     The seven sons ended up at the top floor, which is the 25th floor. The 25th floor occupied the whole suite. It says that only 2 people had slept there because of how expensive it was.

     “This is your suite sir. It includes 5 masters bedroom with bathrooms that has a hot tub and a shower area. A living room, a kitchen, a dining room, a game room, balcony with swimming pool and Jacuzzi, and to top it all off, a great view of Gangnam. Enjoy your stay sirs, and we hope that you could explore the hotel while you stay here,”   then the manager opened the enormous door, revealing the whole room. 

     The sons were all excited that they immediately ran inside, leaving Hyunseung - who wasn’t as excited as them - alone with the manager.

     “If you need anything else please call for our assistance,” the manager told Hyunseung, and Hyunseung looked at the manager and said, “Thank you…Manager Jongsuk, right?”

     The manager didn’t answer, so Hyunseung smiled and patted his shoulder before following his brothers inside. The small gesture suddenly made the manager’s face heat up.

     “W-wait a second…why am I blushing?! He’s a man right?”

     Meanwhile, inside the room, the sons went to the living room area. Some instantly ran to the sofa when they saw it. The tiredness was getting to them that their first instinct was to lie down.

     “So, what do you guys want to do?” Minhyuk asked in excitement while jumping around with Taeil.

     “How about actually sleeping?” Jackson answered as he threw himself on the soft carpet and lied down on the floor.

     “Fine, you guys go to sleep. Jiyong, Taeil and I will have fun!” Minhyuk stated, but Jiyong sat beside Hyunseung on the sofa and answered him, “Nope, I’ll be sleeping too.

    “Why don’t you just sleep Minhyuk?” Sunggyu asked while yawning.

    “What?! Staying in a place like this doesn’t happen all the time! And you’re just going to sleep?!” Minhyuk asked, but the brother were already too tired to debate with him.

     Minhyuk and Taeil looked disappointed, so Jiyong yawned and told them, “Fine. We’ll come back here next time just for the two of you. Happy now?” Jiyong asked in defeat, slowly leaning his head on Hyunseung’s shoulder.

     “Really?!” Minhyuk and Taeil asked in unison, but Jiyong couldn’t answer anymore because he and the rest of his brothers were already fast asleep.

     “What’s the use of staying in a suite if you’re just going to sleep in the living room?” Taeil asked as he looked at his brothers.

    Minhyuk doesn’t say anything smiled at the sleeping sons.

    “Hey Taeil,” Minhyuk called out.

     Taeil adjusts his glasses and looked at Minhyuk with his right eyebrow raised, “What?”

    “Let’s get blankets on the other rooms and cover our brothers,” Minhyuk told him, and Taeil smiled and nodded his head, “Sure.”

---

The next day, the sons woke up and saw the room all trashed and messed up. It was almost like a storm visited them last night.

     “What the fuck did Minhyuk and Taeil do last night?” Sunggyu asked when he woke up. He was about to stand from the sofa, but he stopped when he realized that Hyunseung was hugging him. Sunggyu looked at Hyunseung with a blank expression, then he quickly pushed him away, causing Hyunseung to fall on top of Jackson. The two demons woke up in unison.

     “Seriously?! “ Jackson shouted, pushing Hyunseung once again.

     “Ouch! Why do you keep on pushing me like that?” Hyunseung angrily asked, scratching the back of his head aggressively. But when he stood up from the floor, he didn’t know that Suho was sleeping beside Jackson, so he accidentally steps on him.

     “Ah!” Suho shouted in pain, and all Hyunseung could do was apologize.

     The sons stood up from where they were seated. Sunggyu started picking up the trash on the floor while Jackson approached Jiyong who was still sleeping on the sofa.

     “So, should we wake Jiyong up?” Jackson asked as he started staring at Jiyong who was covering his face with the sofa cushion. But when the cushion fell off him, the sons almost gasped.

    “Shit,” Jackson cursed when he saw Jiyong’s face.

    “I think it’s better if we don’t wake him up, who’s with me?” Suho worriedly asked.

    “What do you mean by that?” Sunggyu asked. He turned around to check what they were talking about, but when he saw Jiyong’s face covered with drawings, he lets go of the trash that he already picked because of complete shock.

    “Who the fuck did that?!” Sunggyu shouted.

    “Hey, don’t look at me! I was asleep even before Jiyong,” Jackson defended, and so did the rest of the sons.

     “Looks like the answers in Jiyong’s face,” Suho realized as he kneeled in front of Jiyong and saw Taeil and Minhyuk’s initials.

     “Where the fuck are those bastards!? Jiyong would flip if he sees this!” Sunggyu angrily shouted, glad Jiyong was a heavy sleeper so he could release his stress without Jiyong waking up from it.

     “Then what do you want us to do?” Hyunseung asked.

     “Clean Jiyong up while I look for Minhyuk and Taeil,” he answered, making Hyunseung look worried, “But wouldn’t Jiyong wake up?”

     “Don’t worry, Jiyong’s a heavy sleeper,” Suho explained.

      Sunggyu was about to leave to look for Taeil and Minhyuk, but Hyunseung quickly called him out, “Hey Sunggyu, please be gentle with Minhyuk,” he told his leader, worried about what Sunggyu might do to his best friend.

     “If I feel like being merciful, then I’ll consider it,” Sunggyu answered with a serious expression before leaving so he could perfom the needed punishment.

     “Jackson, can you get some tissues?” Suho asked, and Jackson went to the kitchen to look for one.

    Sunggyu started to look for the two culprits who partied last night. There were chips and cans of beer everywhere, hinting the furious leader on what those two might have been doing last night.

     “So the two got drunk?” Sunggyu asked himself, following the trails of empty cans and other trashes. While going further, he saw scattered clothes on the hallway this time. And when he walked out of the balcony, he eventually saw underwear.

     “What the…” When Sunggyu lifted his head up, he instantly saw Minhyuk and Taeil sleeping on a large unicorn-shape float in the pool.

     “These fools went skinny dipping?! Suho! Jackson! Hyunseung!” Sunggyu shouted, and the three hurriedly went to where they were.

     “What’s the probl- holy shit,” Hyunseung said in shock when he saw his naked best friend.

    “What the fuck did those two do there? Make out?” Jackson asked, making Sunggyu slap his head. Jackson whined, but he didn’t say anything back to Sunggyu because his anger was already too obvious.

     “Are you done with Jiyong? “ Sunggyu asked while Jackson massaged his throbbing head, “Yeah, we cleaned his face. Good thing it wasn’t a permanent marker or it would have been harder to take off.”

     “What are you planning to do with those two?” Suho then asked.

     “Hyunseung, wake Jiyong up. He’ll handle these two,” Sunggyu instructed.

     “And for the trashed room?” Suho continued.

     “Call for room service,” Sunggyu simply answered, and then the sons did wake their prideful brother up. And yes, he took care of everything.

     “You two should be happy that we’re the only ones here, or else people would have seen you naked in the pool! What would they think if they did? That Kwon Ji Yong, the step-son of Charles Smith, has animals as friends?!” Jiyong angrily scolded since the hotel has two buildings, and the other building is directly facing them.

     “You don’t even know the half of it,”   the brothers thought to themselves as they watch the three.

     “We’re sorry Jiyong!” Taeil apologized as he and Minhyuk, who were now sobered up and fully clothed, kneeled in front of Jiyong, while the rest of the sons’ were just sitting on the sofa, entertaining themselves on what Jiyong was going to do to his immature brothers.

     “We won’t do it again, we promise!” Minhyuk added, but it didn’t work on Jiyong, so Taeil tried once again, “And we just really got super drunk last night. We called for room service and asked for some refreshments. We didn’t know it was a whole case of beer.”

     “But you still drank all of it, that doesn’t make a difference does it?” Jiyong asked them.

     “Then what do you expect us to do with all of that beer?” Minhyuk backfired.

     Jiyong looked at Minhyuk like he was an idiot “Oh I don’t know, don’t drink it!?” Jiyong shouted at them, making Minhyuk and Taeil flinch. 

     “We’re really sorry Jiyong!” Both said in unison as they continued to bow in front of Jiyong. Jiyong started massaging his temple in irritation, “Fine!” He told them, making the two stop bowing.

     “What do you mean by ‘fine’?” Taeil asked as both of them lifted their heads.

     Jiyong took a deep breath and explained, “Fine, I’ll forgive you because boys will be boys. But if this ever happens again we will never come back here, understand?!” Jiyong asked.

     All of them were suddenly shocked on what Jiyong just told them. Was this the Jiyong that everyone knew? He was more mature than they expected.

    “Thank you Jiyong!” Said Minhyuk and Taeil as they stood up and hugged him, but Jiyong only pushed them away.

     “Then let’s go downstairs and eat breakfast. After that we head back here and leave,” Jiyong stated, and this time, everyone followed him instead of Sunggyu.

     After doing all the crazy occurrences that happened last night, the sons arrived back at Minhyuk’s home in the afternoon. They were inside Minhyuk’s room, and do you know what they were doing?

     “What’s the answer at number 8? I just want to check if my equation is right.”

     Yup, they’re doing their homework. 

     The party animal Minhyuk forced his brothers to do all the homework that was due tomorrow. Even though Minhyuk looks like a happy-go-lucky guy, he still holds a good record. Well, all of them were smart and were part of the smartest students in their year, but Minhyuk held his position as number one, next to Hyunseung who was 2nd.

     “Are you all done?” Minhyuk asked when he looked at his brothers.

     “Yes sir,” everyone replied with a lazy tone.

     “That’s great. Now we can talk about our plans for the archangels,” Minhyuk suggested.

     Sunggyu agreed and stood up from the floor, “We should all be prepared on their arrival. We don’t know what those angels would look like, so we should be aware of anyone who looks suspicious.”

     “I bet they’re innocent girls who would attract us with their charms. But when they show their true colors, they’re actually bloodsucking monsters,” Suho exaggerated, making everyone look at him weirdly.

     “Seriously Suho? Bloodsucking monsters?” Sunggyu asked as he looked at his friend who only shrugged his shoulder as an answer.

     “Hey, guys,” Minhyuk suddenly called out, grabbing all the attention of his brothers.

     “What?” Everyone asked in unison.

     The sons looked at Minhyuk and waited for what he was about to say. Then Minhyuk smiled and told them, “I had a lot of fun today.”

     The six became quiet after hearing what their brother just said.

    “I-I…had fun too,” Jiyong suddenly said back, then he gave out a fake cough to break his brothers’ stare.

    “I agree. Moving from one house to another, being psychologically tested by someone, riding a limo, sleeping in a rented five-star hotel, and seeing a friend naked in a swimming pool never happened to me before. I guess this is one of my best weekends ever,” Hyunseung honestly shared. Then Jackson added while playing with Minhyuk’s pet hamster, “I guess that applies to me too.”

     Sunggyu smiled. Then he looked at them with determination and said, “Let’s forget about our bitter past and face the present. Let’s work hard to defeat the archangels, and work even harder to be great brothers to each other. What do you say?” Sunggyu asked as everyone looked at each other and answered in unison, “Let’s work hard seven deadly sons!”

     And this…

     Was their FIRST weekend together.

• END -

SDS1 04: CONFRONTATION

NOTE: DEMONS is the name that others will call the seven sons, while ARCS is the name for Junhyung and the rest of the guys he was with.

THE SEVEN SONS WERE getting ready to meet their enemies, the Archangels, but what they didn’t anticipate was that a group that was their exact opposite would appear in front of them in the same university that they were in.

     “Move,” Sunggyu commanded, but the guys named Junhyung was unbothered as he continued to smirk at the sons’ leader. 

     Sunggyu clenched his fist and was about to remove his ring to show this guy what real anger is, but just in time, a professor arrived and went in between them, “What are you still doing here at the hallway? Go and proceed to your respective rooms!”

     With that said, Junhyung and his friends walked past them without saying a single word.

     “I’m really going to kill those fucking Arcs,” Sunggyu declared as he and his brothers walked the Arcs’ opposite direction.

    Sunggyu, Suho, Jiyong, Jackson, and Taeil went to their classroom while the two, Minhyuk and Hyunseung, went to theirs. Everyone in the room looked at them when they saw the sons enter, but no one said a word, especially after what happened with the three guys who bullied Minhyuk and Hyunseung last week.

     “Good Morning sir,” the five demons greeted.

     “Why are the five of you late?” The professor asked when he stopped discussing just to look at the five latecomers. 

     The sons hesitated to answer, but Suho covered for them and explained, “We saw a professor carrying boxes for his class so we helped him carry them. If you want you could ask the faculty if I’m lying or not.” Suho bluffed, hoping the professor would let them slide.

     The professor raised an eyebrow but gestured the five to just take their seat. Suho smiled victoriously and took a seat with the rest of the sons.

      NOTE: Taeil and Jackson sit beside Sunggyu and the others now.

     While the professor continued his lecture, Sunggyu looked at his brothers and whispered, “ If I see those jerks again, I’ll really kill them. “

     “You already said that earlier,” Taeil stated as he took down notes. The five did the same and started taking down notes as well, but while they were being diligent students, the jerks that Sunggyu was referring to, appeared in their room.

     “No fucking way,” Jiyong stated with a hint of shock in his voice, nudging Sunggyu so he could stop and see what he was witnessing. 

     Sunggyu lifted his head and saw four familiar faces, quickly making him let go of his pen because of shock.

     “Sorry to interrupt sir but we’re the late enrollees. We just got our class schedule earlier so we hope you don’t mind if we still join your class,” the guy with jet-black hair stated with respect, making the professor smile widely, “Oh yes, please come in.”

     The four smiled back and entered the room while the other students stared at them with awe. Something was definitely different about them, and that something pissed Sunggyu and the rest of the sons even more.

     “Sir, ask them to introduce themselves!” One of the guys sitting at the back shouted, and the rest of the class agreed. Some agreed because they genuinely wanted to know who they were, while some of them just agreed so the professor would stop discussing.

     “Well if they want to,” the professor stated, and the four happily nodded. The four members of Arcs went to the middle, then they lined themselves up and bowed.

    “Good morning everyone,” they greeted as they stood up straight.

     Sunggyu picked his pen from the floor and looked at the four closely.

     “I’m Yong Junhyung ( PRONUNCIATION:

Jun-hyong ),“ introduced the man who had a staring contest with Sunggyu in the hallway earlier. The moment he introduced himself, the pen Sunggyu was holding snapped, making Suho nudge him just so he could calm down.

     “Hi everybody, I’m Yook Sungjae  ( PRONUNCIATION:   Soong-je ),” he greeted, and then he smiled sweetly to the crowd, making the other guys’ heart melt. The action only made the sons annoyed.

     “ Hyunseung could do better, “ Suho secretly thought to himself as they continued watching the Arcs.

     “Hi guys, I’m Pyo Jihoon ,” one of them introduced with a low voice.

      “I’m Choi Seunghyun  ( PRONUNCIATION:  Soong-hyon),” another guy introduced, but with a lower voice this time. And just when everyone thought they were finished, Seunghyun looked at Jiyong and smirked, surprisingly making Jiyong flinch.

     “That punk,”  scoffed Jiyong as he was about to stand up to give him a piece of his mind, but Jackson stopped him from doing anything further. So Jiyong clenched his fist and sat back down in his chair without saying a word.

     “Nice to meet you all, now please take your seats,” said the professor as he gestured at the vacant row beside Sunggyu, Suho, Jiyong, Jackson, and Taeil. The five Demons looked at the chairs and smirked. Then the professor continued discussing as the four Arcs went to their seats. 

     Junhyung grinned at Sunggyu, making Sunggyu clench on the pen that he was holding. Sunggyu’s hand was already hurting since he’s been clenching his pen for quite some time now. He was so furious that he could break the pen in two.

    “This will be a very messy day,” Taeil said as he continued writing his notes.

    “You said it,” Jackson added as he listened to the discussion, ignoring Sunggyu and Junhyung who continued the staring contest that they didn’t finish in the hallway.

ON THE OTHER CLASS

     “So what’s the value of X?” Their professor asked, and Minhyuk quickly raised his hand to answer it.

     “Yes, Minhyuk.” 

     “71.95,” Minhyuk confidently answered.

     “Correct,” the professor said back, and Minhyuk just smiled at himself. 

     While the class was having their normal discussions, three unfamiliar faces appeared at the doorframe of their room. The professor halted his discussion. He looked at the three students and asked, “May I help you?”

    “We’re the new enrollees’ sir,” said the guy with red hair.

    “Oh yes, the dean told me about you. Please come in and take a seat. Ask the other students about the lesson so you could keep up,” the professor stated, and the three nodded and went inside like what they were told.

     Hyunseung looked at Minhyuk, and Minhyuk just shrugged his shoulders and watched the three Arcs take their seat right in front of them.

     The three settled down and asked for notes from the boys sitting beside them. 

     “Here. What are your names by the way?” The guy who handed his notes asked.

     Minhyuk and Hyunseung looked at each other and eavesdropped.

     “I’m Mark Tuan Yi-En, “ said the red-haired guy.

     “ Red is a great color for him ,“ Minhyuk whispered, making Hyunseung hit him on the shoulder.

     “What?” Minhyuk whined as he rubbed his sore shoulder, but Hyunseung just ignored him and faced the guys in front of them again.

     “Hi, I’m Zhang Yixing  ( PRONUNCIATION:  i-shing), but you can call me Lay,” the boy beside Mark introduced with a cold and serious expression.

     “Hi, I’m Nam Woohyun  ( PRONUNCIATION: Woo-hyon),” another boy introduced as he throws hearts at the students, making the two demons cringe. While the three Arcs were talking with their seatmates, the student named Mark turns around and looked at Hyunseung and Minhyuk, surprising them.

     “Hi, I’m Mark,” Mark suddenly said to Hyunseung.

     Hyunseung looks back at Mark and stares at him before ignoring him and looking back at the professor. He wasn’t in the mood to start a conversation with this Arc member.

     Mark felt offended, but he still tried conversing with Hyunseung, “I like your hair.” He commented.

     Without looking back at Mark, Hyunseung answered, “And I don’t like yours.”

     Mark furrowed his brows and stared back at Hyunseung, “Why? We have the same color though.”

     “That’s why I hate it,” Hyunseung answered with an annoyed expression. Mark sighed and gave up. He turned around and paid attention to the professor instead.

     “ Hey, JS are you alright ?“ Minhyuk whispered without looking at his friend.

      “ I am, “ Hyunsueng answered with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

     “But you sound annoyed,” Minhyuk pointed out, and Hyunseung faced him with an I-am-fucking-annoyed-right-now  expression before looking back at the professor. Minhyuk sighed and glanced at the Arcs. Then he took a deep breath and looked back at the whiteboard and mumbled to himself, “ This will be a long day .“

---

It was lunch break and the seven sons met up with each other at the cafeteria. Now that they’re a known group in their university, it’s only natural that they’d have a permanent table at the cafeteria that no other student would dare sit on.

     “Hey guys, how was class?” Suho asked Minhyuk and Hyunseung as soon as they arrived at their table with their tray of food.

     The two demons sat down, and Minhyuk looked at Suho and answered his question, “It was okay, but JS was annoyed the entire lecture because the new student kept on bugging him.”

    “New student? You have a new student too?” Taeil asked back.

     “Yeah, they were three actually. If I remember correctly they’re from the group that we encountered earlier.” Minhyuk answered as he drank from his bottle of water.

    “Four of them are in our class too,” Jackson shared, surprising the two.

    “And the longer I look at those jerks, the angrier I become. If it wasn’t for my ring I would have already done something to them,” Sunggyu said as he angrily took a bite from his burger. Taeil was about to say something back but then he saw the jerks that Sunggyu was referring to.

     “Guys, look,” Taeil stated while pointing at the students who were approaching them. When everyone looked at where Taeil was pointing at, the atmosphere automatically changed. Sunggyu quickly stood up, so the six did the same. 

     Eventually, Yong Junhyung and his friends arrived in front of the seven sons, and the cafeteria fell silent. All the students looked at the direction of the sons. They didn’t exactly know what was going on, but the tension between them was uncanny.

    “What do you jerks want?” Jiyong asked as he looked at the guys standing in front of them.

    “Nothing really, just wanted to formally introduce ourselves,” said Seunghyun as he studied Jiyong from head to toe, making Jiyong feel uncomfortable and irritated.

    “And why the hell do you have to do that?” Taeil asked back.

    Junhyung went closer to the brothers and smiled, the same evil smile he gave the brothers earlier. He leaned closer to them and whispered, “ So that you’ll at least know the people who will kill you.“

     The Demons’ eyes widened from surprise. Then the six looked at Sunggyu, but Sunggyu looked just as shocked as they were. They were already expecting it, but somehow, hearing it come from someone’s mouth made it feel more real.

     “I’m Seunghyun,” Seunghyun introduced as he stared at Jiyong again. Jiyong was about to say something but Hyunseung stopped him from doing so.

     “I’m Mark,” Mark simply greeted while looking at Jackson.

     “Woohyun,” Woohyun said next as he smirked at Sunggyu, making Sunggyu clench his fist again.

    “Pyo Jihoon,” Jihoon stated as he eyed Taeil, and just looked back at him with a disgusted expression.

    “I’m Lay,” Lay introduced next, and then he smiled at Suho, but the smile gave out a scary aura that made the people around them flinch.

    “I’m Sungjae,” Sungjae said as he looked at Minhyuk. Minhyuk was surprisingly going to introduce himself back, but Taeil hit him on the back of his head, making Minhyuk pout.

    “And I’m Junhyung,” Junhyung finished, and this time, he looked at Hyunseung and smirked at him. After Junhyung and his friends introduced themselves, the tense atmosphere surrounding them became worse. Some students even found it difficult to breathe.

     Looks like the Demons have their specific counterpart with the Arcs.

     “So aren’t you going to introduce yourselves?” Jihoon asked.

     “And why would we do that?” Taeil replied with a hint of annoyance and anger in his voice. Jihoon was about to give his reply, but Junhyung lifted a hand to stop him. Junhyung smirked and looked at the seven sons once again, “Fine, don’t introduce yourselves. We already know who you guys are anyway,” Junhyung said with a stern voice, shocking the seven.

     ‘How did these jerks already know us?’   Was the question that lingered inside their minds.

     The information was doubtful, not until Seunghyun started talking, “You’re Kwon Jiyong, the rich bastard of Holy Angels University who believes he’s the king of the world.”

    “What did you say punk?!” Jiyong angrily asked as he was about to punch Seunghyun, but Hyunseung once again stopped him from doing so, making Seunghyun smirk.

    “Why are you always stopping me Hyunseung?!” Jiyong shouted as he pushed Hyunseung’s hand away from him.

    “And what happens next you idiot? You get in trouble, not them,” Hyunseung explained to him. Jiyong hesitated but he stopped and unclenched his fist. He knew Hyunseung was right, but he also knew that everything that Seunghyun said was also true.

    “Fine,” Jiyong said in defeat, and then one of the Arcs started talking again.

    “You’re Jackson Wang, the jealous little kid of HAU.”

    Jackson gritted his teeth but didn’t do anything because he remembered what Hyunseung said; reacting will get them into trouble, so he stayed calm and quiet like how he normally does.

    “Kim Sunggyu, the rich big bully of the campus who everyone wished would just leave,” Woohyun stated, and Sunggyu just took a deep breath and looked at Woohyun straight in the eye.

    “Lee Taeil, the lazy bum of Holy Angels University. You’re too lazy you don’t even go to school, which is why most of the people here don’t even know who you are,” Jihoon explained. Taeil was about to say something to defend himself but Minhyuk stopped him.

    “Kim Jun Myeon, the greatest con artist not only in HAU but also in Seoul and Gangnam,” Lay said with an innocent smile on his face, but with the words he just said, people realized that innocence was never in him.

    “Lee Minhyuk, the big guy with big insecurities,” the man named Sungjae stated with a wide smile. 

    Minhyuk clenched his fist but didn’t move from his place.

    “And Jang Hyunseung, but people calls you JS, the slut of HAU. Guys go to you but you pretend to hate it, but deep inside you fucking love the attention, am I right…slut?” Junhyung stated with a smirk, shocking the brothers on his shameless accusations. 

    Hyunseung’s composure broke from just those words. He tried his best to make his brothers calm, but the word SLUT just hits him right indifferently.

     “What did you say asshole?!” Hyunseung shouted as he suddenly emitted an aura that was denser than their surrounding. The six Demons were shocked because they could see the aura, a demon aura, forming around Hyunseung.

    The students watching them were surprised by what they saw too.

    “Sunggyu, this is bad. We have to do something!” Suho shouted, so Sunggyu immediately went beside Hyunseung to hold his shoulder, “Hyunseung, you need to calm down. Remember what you said, reacting to what they say will get us into trouble. We don’t want that to happen now,” Sunggyu reminded him, and Hyunseung finally calmed down. The dark aura around his disappeared and everyone was left speechless.

     Hyunseung took a deep breath and glared at Junhyung.

    “You’re right”, Hyunseung said, making Sunggyu let go of him and smile, glad that nothing else happened.

    “Let’s just go brothers. This is just a waste of time,” Sunggyu stated as he walked pass through the Arcs; the six following behind him. Hyunseung had already calmed

down, but Junhyung shot them his final bullet before the Demons could completely leave.

    “I heard that you had sex with everyone here at HAU,” Junhyung blurted out. Hyunseung was about to react but Jackson stopped him by holding his shoulder.

    “Don’t listen to him,” Jackson immediately told him, and Hyunseung nodded and continued walking with his six brothers.

    “I also heard that you fucked your so-called “ brothers “ too. No wonder they listen to you like you’re their master,” Junhyung added.

    “I’m not listening to you asshole,” Hyunseung stated, and Junhyung just smirked on what Hyunseung told him.

    “Why? Is it true that you’re a whore? You’re a fucking whore aren’t you Jang?!” Junhyung persistently shouted, and Hyunseung finally didn’t let that slide.

    “Shit”, Minhyuk cursed as he watched his best friend run back towards Junhyung like there was no tomorrow. The Demons were about to stop him but Hyunseung was already in front of Junhyung; grabbing his collar and aggressively pulling it closer to him.

     “Sunggyu, we need to stop him,” Taeil said with a worried expression, and Sunggyu nodded and immediately went to Hyunseung again, making the rest follow behind him.

    “Come on Hyunseung, just leave these assholes alone. You clearly know that what they said wasn’t true,” Sunggyu stated, trying to calm his brother down again, but Hyunseung didn’t listen to him anymore, and his dark aura came back, but this time, it became even bigger and darker than before.

    “I dare you to repeat that,” Hyunseung threatened him, and Junhyung smirked and repeated it word per word, “You’re. A. Whore.”

    Whore…

    Whore…

    Whore…

    With that said, Hyunseung’s ring lit up, and the six demons quickly noticed it, shocking them. The word WHORE just literally echoed inside Hyunseung’s head. And finally, Hyunseung punched Junhyung on the stomach so hard that he landed on the table.

    The Arcs were about to help him but Hyunseung strongly pushed them aside and went to Junhyung to grab his collar

again.

    “I AM NOT A WHORE!” Hyunseung shouted, his eye color suddenly becoming bloody red when he punched Junhyung again on his jaw.

    “W-What the…did you guys fucking see that?” Suho asked in disbelief. But the brothers didn’t say anything because they too were shocked by what they just saw.

     The side of Junhyung’s mouth was already bleeding, and his body was aching because Hyunseung just punched him on the gut. But even though he was in that state, he still managed to smirk at Hyunseung and say, “ Gotcha demon. “

      Before Hyunseung could react, the dean was already in the scene.

     “In my office, now!” He shouted.

     Junhyung pushed Hyunseung off him and went to his friends. Without saying anything, the Arcs went to the office with the dean. When they were out of sight, the seven sons went towards Hyunseung who was now back to his normal state.

     “JS, are you okay?” Taeil asked, but Hyunseung didn’t reply because he was still too fazed about what happened.

    “Let’s go to the office,” Sunggyu seriously said instead without looking at their brother who turned into an actual demon right before their eyes.

---

They were in front of the dean’s office, waiting for their turn to be called.

    “What happened to not reacting Hyunseung?” Sunggyu asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

    “I’m sorry Sunggyu, it’s just that I was so pissed off about what he said,” Hyunseung apologetically answered, trying not to look at Sunggyu’s deadly glare.

    “I know that JS. We were all pissed off of what they said about us. But did we react? No, we stayed quiet like what YOU said”, Sunggyu continued, his anger growing and growing by the second.

     “I’m sorry,” Hyunseung apologized again, but this time, his head was down.

    Sunggyu sighed and massaged his temple, “I’m sorry too. I didn’t stop you from punching that jerk. But still, you did what every one of us wanted to do so badly,” Sunggyu said as he patted Hyunseung’s shoulder to comfort him.

    Hyunseung finally looked at Sunggyu and smiled. 

    “But what he said about JS was serious though. Compared to what his friends said to us,” Jackson pointed out.

    “Yeah, it was like he was purposely making Hyunseung mad,” Taeil added.

    “And why did your ring lit up?” Minhyuk asked next.

    “Exactly. Your aura became so dark and deadly too. We could literally see it surround you,” Suho stated, the image still clear in his head.

    “Is that the demonic ability that our dad told us about? But you were wearing the ring. Does that mean things could have been even worse if you weren’t?” Jiyong asked, and Hyunseung instantly remembered what Junhyung said to him when he held his collar.

     “Gotcha demon.”

     But before Hyunseung could tell his brothers about it, the door to the dean’s office opened, and the 7 “ jerks “ went outside. To their surprise, Junhyung was perfectly fine, like he wasn’t punched at all. He looked at the seven sons and smirked, making the seven sons even more pissed off. But before Sunggyu could react, the dean gestured them to go inside.

     Sunggyu glared at the Arcs and went inside; the Demons following behind him.

     “So Junhyung, did the plan work?” Sungjae asked as soon as the Demons were gone.

     “Yup,” Junhyung, the Arcs’ leader, replied with a hint of confidence in his voice.

     “So, are they the ones we’re looking for?” Lay asked.

     “Definitely.”

     “Are we going to do our mission now?” Woohyun then asked.

     “Of course, but we must do it in different places besides here. There are too many witnesses in this school,” Junhyung said, and all of them nodded their heads in understanding.

     “So when are we going to start our mission? Tomorrow?” Mark asked with a hint of excitement in his voice.

    “Not yet,” Seunghyun suddenly answered, making Mark look disappointed.

    “Eh? Why?” he complained.

    “Because we’ll tell our fathers first before proceeding. And besides, we can’t fight them without weapons,” Junhyung answered, and the six widened their eyes in excitement. Just when they were about to celebrate, the school bell rings, signifying that lunch break is over.

    “We should head to class,” Mark stated when they heard the bell. 

     Lay and Woohyun followed Mark and went to their designated classroom, leaving the rest of the Arcs in the hallway.

    “Hey Junhyung, do you think they’re more powerful than us?” Sungjae asked, and Junhyung didn’t answer because he didn’t want to admit that the Demons were surprisingly powerful since he experienced that power from Hyunseung earlier.

     “Don’t worry Sungjae, even though they are powerful we can still fight them. And I assure you, we will kill them,” Seunghyun assured Sungjae, making Sungjae smile and nod his head.

    “We should go,” Junhyung stated as he cleared his throat. 

    Sungjae and Jihoon went ahead of them. Junhyung was about to follow, but Seunghyun grabbed his arm and stopped him. Junhyung quickly pulled his arm away from Seunghyun, “What? We’ll be late for class,” Junhyung stated as he looked at Seunghyun with an irritated expression.

     “This will just take a second,” Seunghyun stated, so Junhyung sighed and listened to what the angel was about to say.

     “Do you think we have a chance of killing them?” Seunghyun asked, annoying Junhyung again, “I think so,” Junhyung answered, but he looked hesitant about it.

    “You can’t just say that Junhyung. We must be sure that we can kill them and not the other way around,” Seunghyun told him, angering Junhyung now.

     “I know, but what do you want me to say? That we’re going to lose to them and die?!” Junhyung said furiously, and Seunghyun didn’t reply, making Junhyung sigh and immediately feel guilty for shouting at him.

    “Look Seunghyun, I think we have a chance, I really do,” Junhyung honestly told him.

    “And why is that?” Seunghyun asked back.

    “They can’t control their powers yet, not like us, and that’s an advantage,” Junhyung stated, but Seunghyun quickly asked again, “What if they can control it?”

    Junhyung confidently shook his head and answered, “I know they can’t. Look at Jang Hyunseung, he didn’t even know that he had that kind of power. All of them looked surprised.”

    “Yeah, if Lay didn’t heal you, you’d definitely pass out,” Seunghyun reminded him.

    “See, and that’s what we have that they don’t. So don’t worry too much, understand?”

     Seunghyun nodded, and the two Arcs went back to their classroom to join the others.

Meanwhile, inside the principal’s office…

     Three of the sons were seated at the chairs in front of the dean’s desk while the rest stood behind them. Before the dean could say anything, Hyunseung immediately started talking, “I’m very sorry Mr. Lee. This was all my fault. I was the one that punched Yong Junhyung earlier.”

    “But it was those jerk’s fault because Junhyung said something to JS that made him punch him,” Sunggyu added. Everyone was waiting for the dean to say something, but then the dean stood up from his seat and looked at the window instead. Suddenly, the atmosphere became different. It was heavy, dark, and deadly, just like when Hyunseung got angry. But for some reason, it was far worse than that.

     The sons were confused about what was going on, but when the dean looked at the seven sons, the brothers got shocked because his eyes changed into a bloody red color.

    “Father?” The seven sons asked in unison, and the dean smirked at them as an answer.

     “Hello Demons, and how are you feeling my son?” The possessed dean asked as he looked at Hyunseung.

     “Father!” Hyunseung excitedly shouted as he hugged the dean who he now realized was being possessed by his father, Asmodeus.

     “It’s really weird seeing you hug our dean like that,” Jackson suddenly blurted out, making everyone laugh. Hyunseung sat back down, and Asmodeus sat on the table in front of the sons.

     “I thought it’s forbidden for you to see us,” Sunggyu asked him.

    “Yes it is, but this one is approved by the King,” Asmodeus revealed, shocking the sons on what he just said.

    “The King? I thought he hated us and wanted us dead,” Sunggyu stated, then Asmodeus looked at him and explained, “Apparently the King has been watching all of you for quite some time now, and have found the seven of you useful to him.”

     The seven looked at each other, not sure of what they’d feel after hearing that.

     “If that’s the case, why are you here?” Jiyong asked.

     “That’s because you have finally met your enemies,” Asmodeus revealed, shocking the sons.

     “Our enemies? You mean those jerks really are the human-angel children?” Hyunseung asked, and Asmodeus nodded his head as an answer.

    “So that’s why from the start they already pissed me off,” Sunggyu added.

    “ And I thought they’d be old and have wings and swords, “ Taeil mumbled to himself, but Jackson was still able to hear it so he nudged his brother to make him shut up.

     “And I saw what happened earlier Hyunseung,” Asmodeus then stated as he looked at his son, “He purposely made you mad and you fell for it.” Hyunseung didn’t look at his father because of how embarrassed he was, “I’m sorry father,” he apologized, but Asmodeus didn’t look mad.

    “It’s okay. You’re the weakest amongst the sons so he knew that you were the easiest to break,” Asmodeus stated, but then he continued, “But you must control your powers. Not only Hyunseung but to all of you,” he stated, and they all nodded in understanding.

    “Are they more powerful than us?” Suho suddenly asked.

    “No,” Asmodeus answered with no hesitation.

    “Then we can kill them easily,” Jiyong proudly said.

    “That’s where you’re mistaken,” Asmodeus corrected, making the sons look at him confusingly. 

    “Why is that?” Taeil asked.

    Asmodeus looked at the sons with a serious expression, “Because they can control their powers while you guys can’t.”

    After hearing the answer, Sunggyu looked at  Asmodeus and quickly asked him, “Then how can we control our powers?”

    Asmodeus looked at the sons and gestured at their hands, “Your rings. Use your mind to control the rings that suppress your powers, and it will follow,” Asmodeus answered, but the seven only felt confused on what he told them.

    “So we just need to use our mind to control our powers. Well, I think that’s easy enough,” Minhyuk stated.

    “Easier said than done,” Hyunseung quickly added.

    “That’s right. But it CAN be done, it’s not impossible,” Asmodeus told them, and the seven sons continued staring at their rings.

     “How?” Suho asked.

    “Practice it while you search for information about the human-angel children,” Asmodeus simply answered like that was the obvious answer to it.

    “Practice?” Jackson shockingly asked, and Asmodeus just nodded his head.

    “How would we know what we need to practice on? After all, we don’t know what power we possess,” Minhyuk reminded him. And just right after his sentence, a fire appeared on Asmodeus’s hand, shocking the sons. With a snap of a finger, the fire vanished and turned into a paper. 

     Asmodeus brushed the ashes away and gave the paper to Sunggyu.

Audible Inundation, Kiss of Death

Life Draining, Soul Absorption

Knowledge Absorption, Psychic Reflection

Luring, Catoptromancy

Fear Amplification, Memory Manipulation

Illusion Casting, Glamouring

Empathy, Cloning

     “What’s this?” Sunggyu asked as he and the brothers looked at what was written on the paper.

     “That is the list of your powers,” Asmodeus answered, shocking everyone.

     “No way,” Jiyong stated as he snatched the paper from Sunggyu’s hand. Then the six looked at the list with him.

     “14 powers, 7 people. So, we have 2 powers each?” Minhyuk asked, and Asmodeus nodded.

     “This is awesome,” Taeil said with a hint of excitement.

     “You can practice that when you look for information,” Asmodeus explained, and the sons nodded in agreement.

     “And one more thing,” Asmodeus snapped his fingers, and their rings suddenly started to lit up. Seconds later it stopped, then Jiyong looked confused and asked, “What was that all about?”

     “When you think about a weapon of your choice, your ring will light up and it will appear in thin air. The weapon you chose will be your permanent weapon so choose wisely,” Asmodeus revealed, making everyone look at each other with even more excitement. This was now really sinking in on them.

     “Cool,” Jiyong said as he was about to try it, but Asmodeus stopped him from doing so.

     “Why?!” Jiyong whined

     “If you do that now it won’t work because you can only summon your weapon when you are in danger. But if you grow stronger, you can summon it any time you like,” Asmodeus explained.

     “So, if I’m being kidnapped, I can use my weapon to defend myself to kill them?” Suho asked, and Asmodeus nodded as an answer.

     “Awesome!” Said the seven sons, making Asmodeus smile, glad his sons liked the present. He then looked at his watch and said, “We stop here.”

    “Huh? Why?” Hyunseung asked, sad that his father has to go.

    “Because your class is already over,” Asmodeus simply answered, making the sons laugh because they thought Asmodeus had a deeper reason.

     “How about Mr. Lee? Once you stop possessing his body, will he remember what happened?” Minhyuk asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

     “Don’t you worry my sons, I’ll erase his memories about what happened today, and so as the rest of the students who were at the cafeteria earlier. Now go back to your class,” Asmodeus explained, and the seven sons stood up and bowed.

     “Thank you father,” the seven sons said. The other Demons left, but Hyunseung stayed inside the office.

     “What’s wrong my son?” Asmodeus asked, and suddenly, Hyunseung ran to him and hugged Asmodeus, “Thank you father, for everything,” Hyunseung stated. Asmodeus smiled and patted his back. Then Hyunseung broke from the hug and immediately went outside the office and went straight to their usual after-school hangout place.

     Hyunseung reached the parking lot and saw his brothers waiting for him there.

     “What took you so long JS?” Jiyong asked.

     “Just talked to my dad,” Hyunseung simply answered.

     “So how are we going to ask or look for information about those angel jerks?” Jackson then asked when all of them were now together.

    “Leave that to me,” Suho said with a proud and confident smile. He’s a con artist, and he knows people from every corner of the city. Obtaining information is almost a skill for him.

     “But how are we going to practice our powers then?” Taeil asked next.

     “Well father Asmodeus gave us a list, and from the looks of it, it’s arranged from the realms on hell,” Sunggyu explained. Then Taeil looked at his watch and suggested something,

“Hey guys, should we go? My mom is excited about you guys staying over tonight so she might have already cooked dinner.”

     Everyone nodded and agreed with the suggestion.

     “Okay brothers, let’s go,” Sunggyu instructed, and the six followed.

     Today was a shocking and exciting day for the seven sons. Their enemies confronted them, they found out about their powers and abilities, and they talked with one of their brother’s father. Tomorrow will be the start of their real journey. A journey filled with pain, suffering, consequences, and for the first sin, lust. 

     But are the seven sons prepared for it all, or are they just thinking that they are?

     Even so, their demon fathers are there to help and guide them. And after all, they even have the King of Hell by their side now.

     At this point, nothing…

     Can stop them.

• END -

SDS1 05: ARCS

“DO YOU THINK WE  have a chance of killing them?” Seunghyun asked, annoying Junhyung again, “I think so,” Junhyung answered, but he looked hesitant about it.

     “You can’t just say that Junhyung. We must be sure that we can kill them and not the other way around,” Seunghyun told him, angering Junhyung now.

     “I know, but what do you want me to say? That we’re going to lose to them and die?!” Junhyung said furiously, and Seunghyun didn’t reply, making Junhyung sigh and immediately feel guilty for shouting at him.

     “Look Seunghyun, I think we have a chance, I really do,” Junhyung honestly told him.

     “And why is that?” Seunghyun asked back.

     “They can’t control their powers yet, not like us, and that’s an advantage,” Junhyung stated, but Seunghyun quickly asked again, “What if they can control it?”

      Junhyung confidently shook his head and answered, “I know they can’t. Look at Jang Hyunseung, he didn’t even know that he had that kind of power. All of them looked surprised.”

     “Yeah, if Lay didn’t heal you, you’d definitely pass out,” Seung reminded him.

     “See, and that’s what we have that they don’t. So don’t worry too much, understand?”

     Seunghyun nodded, and the two Arcs went back to their classroom to join the others. When the two arrived at their rooms, they saw Sungjae and Jihoon standing outside.

     “What are you guys doing here? Shouldn’t you be inside already?” Junhyung asked with a confused expression. Sungjae looked back at their leader looking worried, “Junhyung, our guardian called for us.”

    Upon hearing the news, Junhyung and Seunghyun’s expression became serious.

    “Our guardian? What does he want?” Junhyung immediately asked.

    “I don’t know, but I think it’s serious. He wouldn’t be calling us in a time like this if it wasn’t important, right?” Jihoon asked back.

     “Then what will we say to the professor? We can’t just bail without saying anything?” Seunghyun stated, making the rest realize it themselves.

     “I’ll handle it,” Sungjae suddenly said as the three looked at him with shock. They already knew what Sungjae was thinking about even though he hasn’t said it himself.

    “Our Father told us to not use our powers on humans,” Junhyung told him with a worried tone. He was the leader, so he’d be the one who would get in trouble if their Father finds out about the things that they’re doing on earth.

     “It’s just a onetime thing Junhyung, so don’t worry,” Sungjae reassured him. Then he patted Junhyung’s back and entered the room before Junhyung could even stop him.

     “Good morning sir, sorry I’m late,” Sungjae confidently stated as he walked towards their professor.

    “Oh, where are the others? Are they still at the dean’s office?” The professor asked as he puts the textbook down on the desk to look at Sungjae.

    “Yes sir, but something came up so we need to leave. Will you give us permission?” he asked, looking straight at the professor’s eyes.

     “Do you have a valid excuse?” the professor asked him.

     “No sir, but-”

     “Then I can’t acknowledge that. Now call the others so we could continue with our discussion,” the professor stated, so Sungjae went closer to him and whispered, “ You’re allowing Yook Sungjae, Yong Junhyung, Choi Seunghyun, and Pyo Jihoon   to leave the campus. “ And like a mindless zombie, the teacher repeated, “Yes, I am allowing you all to leave the campus.”

    Without removing his eyes from Sungjae, their professor marked their names as present in the attendance sheet. Sungjae smiled and snapped his fingers, making the professor come back to his senses.

    “Thank you!” Sungjae shouted as he quickly went out of the room, leaving the professor clueless on what just happened.

    “Guys! We’re permitted to leave. Let’s call Lay and the others,” Sungjae excitedly said, running away before Junhyung could scold him. Junhyung sighed as he looked at his troublesome brother, but he didn’t say anything about it and just followed him.

    The four called their brothers and left the campus without wasting any more time. The seven Arcs lived together in a cozy white mansion called the Holy Home. It was conveniently just a few blocks away from their campus.

     “What do you think the reason is for Dongmin to suddenly call for us?” Lay asked in curiosity.

     “I don’t know, but this better be worth it,” Junhyung stated. The seven Arcs reached the holy home, and the moment they entered, they immediately saw their guardian, Park Dong Min , sitting at the sofa while drinking a glass of wine.

    “Good, you’ve arrived just in time,” Dongmin stated as he stood up from the sofa and faced the seven Arcs.

     “Why did you call us?” Jihoon asked as the seven Arcs went to the living room and sat on the sofa.

     “Well your Father wants to talk to you,” Dongmin answered as he drank from his glass of wine once again.

    “Which father?” Mark asked, and Dongmin seriously looked back at Junhyung and answered, “ Father Michael. “

    “My Father?” Junhyung said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

    “What does he want?” Seunghyun asked, worried that the leader of the Archangels were the one who was actually looking for them.

     “Why don’t you ask him yourselves?” Dongmin stated as he went to the big mirror above the fireplace. He pressed the design in the middle of the mirror, and the mirror instantly showed a male’s face with big white wings behind him.

     “Good Afternoon Father Michael,” said the seven Arcs as they stood up and bowed.

     “Good Afternoon to you my sons,” Michael stated, and then the seven Arcs sat back down while Dongmin stayed beside the fireplace, drinking his endless glass of wine.

    “Why did you call for us father? It’s so unlike you,” Woohyun said as he scratched the back of his neck.

     “Yeah. You usually call us when we’re already at home,” Mark added.

     “Dongmin called you this early because I wanted to talk to you about the matters that happened this noon,” Michael revealed, and the seven Arcs looked at each other and immediately knew what he was talking about.

     “You saw it?” Junhyung cautiously asked, and Michael nodded as an answer, making Junhyung gulp.

     “We’re terribly sorry father,” Lay said as he bowed down in front of Michael.

     “It’s just that if we don’t do it that way, we can’t confirm if they really are the human-demon children,” Sungjae added, and then he bowed down again like Lay.

    “We are very sorry Father,” Junhyung repeated and did what the two were doing. Then the rest eventually followed.

     “What well-mannered children,” Dongmin teased, making everyone stand straight back up.

     “Don’t tease us you asshole,” Junhyung angrily said, making Dongmin chuckle and drink from his wine again. While the Arcs looked at Junhyung and Dongmin, their father Michael cleared his throat, quickly making the seven Arcs return their attention to their Father.

    “I apologize,” Junhyung stated, and once again the seven Arcs bowed in front of the strong angel.

    “Enough with the bows, and please sit down,” Michael instructed, and the seven Arcs did what they were told and sat back down on the sofa.

    “Next time you try to get information, don’t curse so much, okay?” Michael said as he massaged his temple, and Dongmin chuckled again, making Junhyung furious once more.

     “What are you laughing at?” Junhyung quickly asked as he glared at their guardian.

    “Nothing, it’s just that if it weren’t for me you’ll be at the hospital by now because of your big ego,” Dongmin explained as he took another sip from his glass.

    “What do you mean?” Lay asked confusingly.

    “Your guardian was the one who called for the dean,” Michael answered, surprising the Arcs.

    “Why the hell would you do that?” Junhyung asked as he went towards Dongmin and grabbed his collar in complete anger. “Do you think we’re weaker compared to them? Do you have any idea that we got in trouble because of you?!” Junhyung continued, not caring that his father was watching him.

    “I just don’t think so, I know so Junhyung,” Dongmin said with a smirk.

    Junhyung was about to punch Dongmin but Seunghyun quickly stopped him. He grabbed Junhyung and pulled him away from their guardian.

    “Junhyung, do you really not care that Father is watching you right now? Is there any decency left in you or was it all taken away when Jang Hyunseung beat the crap out of you earlier?” Seunghyun angrily asked his leader.

    Junhyung looked at the mirror and saw his father watching him intently. Junhyung finally calmed down and went to the sofa, then Dongmin puts his glass down and fixed his clothes.

    “Sorry,” Junhyung said softly because of the embarrassment he felt.

    “You should be thankful to Park Dong Min instead because if he didn’t call the dean you’ll be seriously injured right now to the point that Lay can’t heal you easily,” Michael stated as he looked at Lay. Lay looked down on his lap, and Junhyung just stayed quiet. When Michael saw his son’s reaction, he sighed and continued, “But have you confirmed it? Are they really the seven human-demon children?”

    “Yes Father,” Seunghyun answered.

    “How could you be so sure?” Michael asked him.

    “His eye color changed into bloody red and the aura he emitted was an aura that only a demon can do. And also the ring he was wearing lit up,” Junhyung answered without looking at his father.

     “All of their rings?” Michael asked.

    “Nope, just Jang Hyunseung’s ring.” 

    “The son of Asmodeus, right? They named him Hyunseung?” Michael asked, and Junhyung nodded.

    “Hmm…so the ring they’re wearing suppresses their ability,” Michael analyzed, making the Arcs understand the situation earlier better.

    “But from the way Hyunseung used his power, it looks like he can’t control it yet,” Sungjae stated.

    “Yeah, Junhyung told me himself that they lack control, unlike us,” Seunghyun added.

    “It is like that because you knew about each other since the day you were born in the world. And you trained your powers when you all started walking and talking. Unlike them, they knew about their true self and each other just days ago,” Michael explained, but it was something that they were already aware of.

    “But you shouldn’t be confident about them not controlling their powers,” Dongmin stated.

    “And why is that?” Junhyung asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

    “Asmodeus is talking to them right now at the dean’s office,” Dongmin suddenly revealed, making the seven Arcs shocked. Even Michael was surprised.

     “Park Dong Min, how can you be so sure?” Michael asked, so Dongmin placed his glass on top of the fireplace, and with the wave of his hand, a cloud shaped like a sphere suddenly appeared, and inside the sphere was an image of the seven demons and the dean talking with each other.

    “It’s just them talking,” Woohyun stated, looking at the image confusingly.

    “Look closely,” Dongmin said, and they did. They looked closely at the dean and finally saw his eyes…

     “Bloody red,” Sungjae stated with a hint of shock in his voice. Then Dongmin popped the sphere like a bubble, making it disappear.

    “Asmodeus used the dean’s body to talk to them,” Michael said, and Dongmin nodded as an answer.

    “What do you think they’re talking about?” Jihoon asked.

    “It seems Asmodeus is telling his son’s to control their powers,” Dongmin answered as he took the wine glass from the fireplace and took a sip from it again, “That is why you shouldn’t be confident anymore about you having control over your powers”, he added.

    “That’s why you must kill them as soon as possible, before they become stronger than they already are,” Michael said, and the seven Arcs nodded their head as an understanding.

    “But… how can we do that? The only place that we can meet them is at HAU, and there are many people there,” Mark complained.

     “That is why we gave you powers, for you to use it,” Michael answered a matter a factly, making Mark quiet.

    “I know we told you to lessen the use of your abilities, especially using your powers on humans, but you have no choice because if you don’t use it, you will surely die,” Michael said, and the seven Arcs remained quiet.

     “We, the Archangels, are allowing you, the human-angel children, to use your powers freely,” Michael suddenly stated, shocking the Arcs.

    “Really?! You’re allowing us to use them?” Sungjae asked excitedly, and Michael nodded. 

    The seven Arcs immediately stood up from their chair in happiness. “But,” Michael quickly intervened, quickly stopping them from celebrating.

    “But?” the seven Arcs asked in unison.

    “You can’t use them for personal use. You’ll only be using your powers when you are in danger or when you are fighting with the human-demon children,” Michael explained.

     “Yes Father,” they all answered.

     “Aside from that…” Michael waved his hand, and suddenly the seven Arcs were magically wearing a plain silver ring. “Your weapons,” Michael continued with a smile on his face.

    “No way,” Woohyun asked in disbelief.

    “The weapons will only be summoned when you are in danger. It is also a weapon that will suit your skills,” Michael added.

    “I have to admit, this is really cool,” Seunghyun stated as he admired his ring as well.

    “Indeed it is”, Junhyung agreed.

    “Now remember my sons. The seven human-demon children already know about you as well, so be careful and protect each other. And please refrain from fighting with your guardian. Even though he is like that, he does his job well,” Michael instructed, and the Arcs nodded as an answer.

    “And as for you Park Dong Min, please lessen the teasing. Okay?” Michael asked.

    “I’ll try,” Dongmin stated with a smirk.

    “Now my sons, go to your room and rest. You still have classes tomorrow,” Michael commanded. The seven Arcs bowed and went upstairs, but before Junhyung could follow his brothers, his father stopped him.

    “What is it father?” Junhyung asked.

   Michael looked at his son seriously and told him,  “Please watch over your brothers Junhyung.”

    “I am watching over them,” Junhyung answered. Then he gives a quick bow and followed the others upstairs.

     When the sons were out of sight, Dongmin - the Arcs’ guardian - went to the mirror and said, “I never saw you guys this concern about them before.”

    “We’re always concern about them,” Michael quickly defended.

    “Were you concerned when the Archangels left all of them in my care?” Dongmin quickly asked back, making Michael sigh, “They are half-humans Peter. When they were in training, we were not allowed to show ourselves to them. You clearly know that,” he explained, making Dongmin take a sip from his wineglass again, “In here I am Park Dong Min, so do not address me as Peter.”

     “As you wish.”

     “ I was guarding the gates of heaven, now I’m guarding seven stubborn boys, “ Dongmin whispered to himself, but Michael was still able to hear it, “Try to watch over them when they’re outside the house, and report everything to me,” Michael tells him.

     “Isn’t it the reason why you brought here? To watch over your sons?” Dongmin reminded him, and Michael sighed again, “I know. Just keep a close watch on them, or else they might go to the wrong path.”

     “Did our God tell you the future of those kids?” He asked the angel.

    “No. But I have a feeling that they will disobey us and neglect their mission. They’re still humans,” Michael honestly said. Then he took a deep breath and continued, “I better go.”

    “Okay, see you soon Michael.” 

    “You too Park Dong Min,” Michael said back, and finally, he was gone, and all Dongmin could see was his reflection.

    “ If you only knew Michael, you wouldn’t let your sons risk their lives for nothing,“  Dongmin whispered to himself as he drank his wine in one go and placed the glass at the countertop. Dongmin went outside the holy home and looked at the window to where the seven Arcs were. He chuckled and said, “You boys are just wasting your time,” and with that said, Dongmin vanished from thin air.

    “Where do you think is Dongmin going again?” Asked Sungjae as he was actually looking out of the window.

     “I don’t know, maybe to a bar or something? Even saints become sinners when they’re brought back to the world huh?” Junhyung answered as he lied down on his bed.

     “Now that we have our weapons, do we start our mission tomorrow?” Woohyun asked as he continued admiring his ring.

    “Not yet. We need a plan before we strike because if we don’t have a plan, we can die on our first battle with them,” Seunghyun explained to him and Woohyun stopped looking at his ring.

    “So, what’s the plan then?” Mark asked, and the six Arcs looked at their leader, Junhyung. Junhyung sat down at the edge of his bed and said, “Each of us must have a target.”

    “What do you mean?” Lay asked confusingly.

    “I mean…each one of us will focus on one of them and try to weaken them,” Junhyung further explained.

    “You mean like we have to get them to trust us?” Mark asked next, and Junhyung nodded his head as an answer, surprising the Arcs on the absurd plan.

    “That’s insane!” Woohyun complained, making Junhyung cross his arms. “And why is that insane?” He asked back with his right eyebrow raised.

     “Well, think about it. They already know that we’re their enemies and we’re out here to kill them. So how do you think they can trust us now?” Woohyun explained, looking at his leader like he was crazy.

     “That is why we must think of a way for them to trust us,” Junhyung said, and everyone became quiet.

     “Fine, but Jiyong is mine,” Seunghyun quickly stated. He knew about Jiyong, and he wanted to battle the strongest out of all of them.

     “Then Wang Jackson is mine,” Mark stated excitedly.

     “The arrogant leader is mine,” Woohyun added. Then Jihoon, looking uninterested with what they were talking about, answered, “I’ll take on Lee Taeil.”

     “Then I’ll take Suho,” Lay said with a smile on his face.

     “I’ll handle the glutton,” Sungjae stated confidently.

     “Then it’s settled. I’ll handle Jang Hyunseung,” Junhyung said with a smirk plastered on his face.

  MEANWHILE AT A BAR SOMEWHERE…

   Park Dongmin, previously known as St. Peter, chugged down his drink and chuckled to himself. Ever since he was transferred here on earth, he started having an uncontrollable drinking habit. This was the side effect that God the Creator had mentioned to them before he was given the task to watch over the human-angels.

    “Hey handsome, why are you laughing alone there?” Said the girl at the bar who approached him.

     “Nothing, I just remembered the boys,” Dongmin answered without looking at the girl who was sitting beside him.

    “Boys? Your kids?” She asked him, making Dongmin laugh this time, “No. my boss’s kids.”

    “Oh, I see. Would you like to have another glass then?” asked the girl as she was holding Dongmin’s shoulder gently.

    “Sure,” Dongmin answered, and the girl went to the bartender to order Dongmin another drink.

    “They’re just really wasting their time,” Dongmin said as he looked back at the girl who was talking to the bartender.

    “If they only knew.”

• END -

SDS1 06: GETTING INFORMATION

THE SONS HAVE NOW met their enemies, and at the same time, they had a quick conversation with the ruler of realm Lust, Asmodeus, who gave them the ability to summon their weapons and showed them a list of their powers. Tomorrow will be the start of their journey, but before that, they must tell their mothers about their plan, especially Minhyuk who was all nervous on their way to Taeil’s home.

     “Guys, I can’t do this,” Minhyuk said as he clutched on his phone.

     “Then don’t come with us,” Jiyong stated while he was playing video games with Jackson.

     The seven arrived at Taeil’s house minutes ago, and they told Taeil’s mom about the meeting they had with one of their fathers. She was happy and worried at the same time, but was glad they arrived back safely. 

     They told her about the reason why they’ll be cutting classes tomorrow and she allowed it. After all, it was for their own good. But Sunggyu wasn’t satisfied, so he told his brothers to call their moms about their plan tomorrow, and as a good follower, they did, well except for Minhyuk who kept on walking and looking at his phone.

     “Then let me talk to mom for you,” Hyunseung offered.

     “No. Let me do it,” Minhyuk finally stated.

     “Then why aren’t you actually doing it?!” Sunggyu angrily asked, frustrated that Minhyuk hasn’t done it yet.

     “Just… give me a sec,” Minhyuk struggled to say as everyone looked at him. Minhyuk sighed and nodded his head in determination, “Here I go”, he stated as he finally called his mother. After one ring, his mother immediately answered his call.

     “Hello? Minhyuk?” His mother answered. Everyone encouraged him to speak, so Minhyuk showed them an okay sign, “Yeah mom, it’s me.”

    “Oh hi darling, are you with your brothers?” She asked, and Minhyuk cleared his throat and answered, “Yes mom. They’re with me. We’re staying Taeil’s house today.”

     “I see. So did you already eat?”

     “Y-yeah, we already ate,” Minhyuk nervously answered, making Hyunseung hit his forehead because of frustration.

     “Stop stalling Minhyuk!” the six sons shouted in unison due to impatience.

    “Is everything alright son?” Minhyuk’s mother asked, and Minhyuk took a deep breath and finally told her, “We met the Arcs yesterday, they’re the guys who will kill us, so father Asmodeus talked to us through our dean and gave us weapons and a list of our powers, and then he told us that we have to look for information about them.” Minhyuk explained without pausing, causing him to catch his breath right after.

    “Are you actually asking for permission to cut class tomorrow?” Minhyuk’s mother asked, so Minhyuk gulped and confirmed it, “Yes?”

    “ Well if your father told you about it then go ahead. “ Minhyuk’s mother casually answered, and the sons cheered.

     “Thanks, mom. I’ll call you later okay?” 

     “Okay, love you Minhyuk. And tell your brothers that I love them and they should be careful too.” 

     “Alright, love you too. Bye,” Minhyuk stated as he hanged up and placed his phone on the table.

     “So what did mom say?” Suho asked the moment Minhyuk ended the call.

     Minhyuk walked closer to his brother and answered, “She told me that she loves you and you should be careful too,” Minhyuk stated as he sat down on the floor beside Sunggyu.

    “Not that you idiot,” Sunggyu said as he pushed him. Minhyuk chuckled and adjusted himself, “Okay, okay. I’ll stop stalling.”

     “So, what did she say?” Taeil asked, and the six sons looked at Minhyuk, waiting for their brother is about to say.

     Minhyuk seriously looked at them and answered, “She said no,” shocking his six brothers.

    “What?! She actually said no?!” Jiyong said with shock, but then Minhyuk started laughing, “Nah, I’m just messing with you. Of course, she would say yes,” Minhyuk clarified, almost making Jiyong hit him.

    “You bastard,” Sunggyu stated as he tackled Minhyuk, then the rest of the brothers joined in and started tickling him until Minhyuk was laughing so hard he couldn’t even breathe anymore.

     “O-okay…I give up,” Minhyuk struggled to say as the six sons finally stopped and joined Minhyuk on his nonstop laughter.

     “Now that that’s settled,” Sunggyu finally stated, making the six sons become serious.

     “How are we going to start our information gathering?” Sunggyu continued, and Suho leaned coolly at Jackson, who just pushed him away the moment he did it. So Suho cleared his throat and composed himself again, “I told you Sunggyu, let me handle it. I have a guy that knows everything that’s happening inside and outside of Seoul,” Suho stated as he puts his arms around Sunggyu and gave him the I-can-handle-this look.

     Sunggyu pushed Suho’s arm away and told him, “Fine, but you better make sure that the information of your “guy” will give to us is reliable.“

    “Of course Sunggyu,” Suho confidently stated, and Sunggyu nodded. While the sons were talking about their plans for tomorrow, someone knocked on the door, stopping them mid-conversation.

      “Come in!” Taeil shouted, then the door opened and revealed Taeil’s mom.

     “Are you boys comfortable?” Taeil’s mom asked as she closed the door behind her.

     “Yes mom,” the seven sons replied in unison.

     “That’s good. And here, I brought extra pillows and some blankets,” Taeil’s mom said as she placed it on the bed and went back to the door.

     “You seven should rest because tomorrow will be a busy day for you all,” Taeil’s mom said, and the seven sons nodded as an answer.

     “Okay, good night boys,” she stated as she opened the door.

     “Night mom,” the seven sons said in unison, and Taeil’s mom smiled and went out.

     “Okay guys, you heard what mom said. Time to sleep,” Sunggyu commanded as he stood up and placed the extra pillows on the mattress on the floor.

    Hyunseung, Minhyuk, Suho and Taeil lied down on Taeil’s bed while Sunggyu, Jackson, and Jiyong lied down on the mattress on the floor, which surprised most of them because Jiyong didn’t complain about sleeping on the floor, not even once.

---

The Six sons were at the dining table eating the breakfast Taeil’s mom prepared.

    “ Okay man, see you there, “ Suho said as he hanged up the phone and joined his brothers at the table.

     “So where’s your friend?” Jiyong asked as he took a sip from his cup of coffee.

     “He’s at a café in Myeong-Dong,” Suho answered, sitting beside Jiyong and taking his cup away from his hand so he could take a sip too. Jiyong glared at his brother, but he doesn’t say anything and takes a piece of bread instead.

     “Okay, so how are we going there?” Minhyuk asked, and Suho answered, “My car is at home.”

     “Mine too,” Sunggyu and Jiyong answered at the same time.

     “You can use my car,” Taeil’s mom suddenly offered, making everyone look her way.

     “Is it okay mom? Aren’t you going to use it?” Taeil asked.

     “It’s okay. Today’s my day-off,” Taeil’s mom answered while washing the dishes.

     “But we can’t fit in your car,” Taeil pointed out, so his mother dried her hand on the apron that she was wearing and went to the key rack. She looked back at her son and threw two car keys at him. Taeil almost couldn’t catch them, “Use both of them.” she told him, and the sons looked at her with shock.

     When the seven sons were finished eating breakfast, they all went to the garage to get the cars that Taeil’s mother generously lent to them.

     “I bet mom’s car is just an ordinary one,” Jiyong rudely stated, making the five sons glared at him.

     “What? I’m just saying,” Jiyong defended, but when the garage door opened, everyone was surprised to see three expensive cars. Inside the garage was a white 2014 Lexus CT, a gray Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG Coupe, and a black Lexus SUV. ( I know, those cars were cool when we wrote this book years ago okay? I don’t have time to search for newer versions )

     “You have two Lexus cars?” asked Jiyong in surprise.

     “Yeah, why? You thought I was poor?” Taeil asked with his right eyebrow raised.

     “Yes,” Jiyong bluntly replied, making Hyunseung smack the back of his head.

     “What the fuck?!” Jiyong angrily stated as he glared at Hyunseung while rubbing his head. But Hyunseung pretty much didn’t care and just continued to look at the cars in front of them.

    “But seriously I thought that you’re… you know,” Suho tried to say, and the others understood and nodded, except Jackson because he knew about this too.

     “Well, my mom is currently working at the Lexus branch here at Seoul, and these are actually a promotion gift from the company. While the Mercedes is her personal birthday gift to herself” Taeil proudly answered.

     “Two cars means two promotions,” Hyunseung realized, and Taeil nodded and said, “Yeah, my mom got promoted twice this year.”

     “Whoa, that’s pretty awesome,” Minhyuk honestly commented while admiring the cars.

     “Anyway, Minhyuk, Hyunseung, Jackson, you guys go with Suho. Taeil and I will go with Jiyong,” Sunggyu instructed, and everyone nodded in agreement. Everyone went to their respective cars. Suho drove ahead while Jiyong followed behind him. They arrived at Myeong Dong – one of the shopping district of Seoul – after a few minutes of driving.

     “Let’s go guys,” Suho stated as the Demons went out of their parked cars. When they entered the café, everyone instantly looked their way. Their presence was undoubtedly strong that anyone who would see them would look at them twice.

    “Oh, over here!” Steve – Suho’s friend – shouted when he saw Suho. So Suho waved at him and the sons went to where he was seated.

     “It’s been a while boss,” Steve stated, standing from his seat to bow at Suho. Suho patted his shoulder, then he gestures at the sons and said, “I would like you to meet my brothers.” 

     Steve looks at Jackson and the others with a confused expression before looking back at Suho, “Brothers? I thought you’re an only child,” Steve asked, but Suho just shrugged his shoulders as an asnwer. He didn’t want to explain all the complicated details to him. 

     Steve wanted to ask further, but he knew that he wasn’t going to get anything from Suho.

     “Nice meeting you guys, I’m Steve. And please have a seat,” Steve introduced instead, and everyone took a seat.

     “I ordered something for all of us, is it okay?” Steve asked when everyone got settled down.

     “Yeah, it’s alright, thank you,” Sunggyu politely stated, making Steve smile. 

     “So, did you find something?” Suho then asked, making Steve smile widely, automatically making Suho realize that he actually did find something.

     “So?” The seven sons asked in unison, but a waiter arrived and placed 8 cups of coffee on their table and left. Steve took his cup and casually started drinking his coffee, making the seven Demons look at him with shock; annoyed that he just left them hanging like that.

     “Steve! Goddamn it!” Suho shouted rather loudly, making the people inside the café start staring at them. Steve flinched and quickly mumbled the words,  “Sorry,” and the people went back to their own businesses.

     “Chill out boss,” Steve stated as he placed his cup down.

     “Just tell us the information already,” Hyunseung stated as he was starting to get impatient. He simply looked straight at Steve’s eyes, and this made him blush like crazy. The sons looked at each other and thought, “ He really is the son of lust. “

     Steve cleared his throat and finally continued, “Okay, the guys you told me about just moved here at Seoul last Friday. And if I remember correctly, that was your birthday,” Steve answered as he looked at Suho.

     “Coincidence?” Taeil asked with his right eyebrow raised.

     “It’s obviously planned,” Sunggyu answered, and the rest of the sons agreed.

     “What else?” Minhyuk asked next.

     Steve looked tried to remember the rest, and when he did, he looked back at the demons and said, “They all live in this newly built mansion just a few blocks away from your campus. No one’s with them, like a parent or a guardian.”

     “Well, they’re old enough to live by themselves,” Jackson commented.

     “I know, but they’re financially supported by someone. A close relative maybe?” Steve then added before taking a sip of his drink.

     “Okay, anything else?” Suho asked further.

     “A man visits them from time to time. I’d say he lives there, but my sources told me that he leaves every night,” Steve told them, and the sons looked at each other, almost as if they were mentally communicating.

     “They followed him one last night, and apparently he’s a regular at some bars and clubs here,” Steve added as everyone continued drinking the coffee that Steve bought for them.

     “Could it be like a guardian angel?” Taeil asked as he looked at Sunggyu.

     Sunggyu nodded his head and replied, “I think so.”

     “Anything else?” Suho asked again, and Steve shook his head as an answer, “I don’t have anything else. That’s the only information I got on your short notice,” Steve honestly told him, and Suho looked at his brothers and they all nodded.

     “That was very helpful, thanks man. You never disappoint me,” Suho said as he and his brother stood up from their seats.

     “No problem. Anything for the boss,” Steve answered as he stood up as well. Suho then moved close to him and handed him an envelope.

     “What’s this for?” Steve asked as he looked at the envelope on his hand.

     Suho smiled and patted his friend’s shoulder, “For the trouble…and the coffee.” 

     Steve thanked his boss, bowed at him, and left. When he left, the sons decided to continue their conversation at the park where they first met all of their fathers. They could have just stayed at the café, but no, they decided to talk about this in an open area.

     “So those jerks arrived in Seoul on our birthday. They live near our university, and they all live together. But they have someone who’s watching over them who apparently goes to bars every night,” Hyunseung stated as he summarized all the information that they got from Steve.

     “That’s about it, but it’s not enough. It’s nothing that could really help us,” Sunggyu honestly stated.

     “Yeah, but how can we find more information about those assholes?” Jackson asked, and then Taeil thought of something and quickly looked at their leader, “Sunggyu, did you bring the list of our powers?”

     “Uhm…yeah,” Sunggyu confusingly answered as he took out the paper from his pocket. 

     Taeil took it from Sunggyu and looked at the list. Then he said, “I think it’s better if we practice our skills first, right? What if they suddenly attack us again. I suppose Hyunseung’s incident wouldn’t be the last time, correct?”

     “Taeil has a point,” Sunggyu stated. So being the leader figure that he was, he took back the paper from Taeil’s hand and stated, “We need to look for a place where we could practice. Somewhere bigger or hidden.”

    Jiyong clapped his hands together and quickly stood up from the bench that he was sitting on, “Come on,” Jiyong suddenly stated without looking at his brothers. All of his brothers looked at him confusingly, so he explained, “Have you forgotten? I’m the son of a billionaire. I can build a whole mall for us with one command if I wanted to.”

     Everyone just stared at their prideful brother with shock. 

     Hyunseung even double-checked Jiyong’s finger if he was still wearing the ring, which he actually still was. It looks like Jiyong’s pridefulness is just his true personality so with or without the ring, he’d still be like that.

     Jiyong ignored his brothers’ reaction and continued, “So, what do you guys want? A pub? A clubhouse? An underground layer? A mansion? You name it!”

    “How about our backyard?” Jackson suggested instead.

    “Does it have walls? Can we be hidden there?” Sunggyu asked, and Jackson answered a simple, “Yes.”

     “Then it’s settled. While searching for the right location, we’ll practice at Jackson’s backyard for the meantime,” Sunggyu explained.

     “Sound like a great pl-” Before Taeil could finish his sentence, Jiyong went in front the six deadly sons and said, “Seriously?! You’ll throw away your chances of having a pub, in exchange for a small backyard?”

    “It’s better than having nothing Jiyong. And if good things happen to us, we’ll accept it. But building a pub or a mansion wouldn’t help us at all. It will only waste our time. Don’t waste your parent’s money on things like that,” Sunggyu seriously answered, and the sons couldn’t help but agree.

    Jiyong looked pissed, but he didn’t say anything anymore because he knew he was somehow right about it.

     “Fine. But if good things happen to us, we’ll build ALL of it, got it?” Jiyong commanded as he went back to where he was first seated. He crossed his arm in irritation, so Minhyuk, who was sitting beside him, placed his arm around Jiyong’s shoulder and said, “Of course, anything for our most powerful brother,” then he winked, only making Jiyong push Minhyuk away from him out of disgust.

    “Enough with the games guys, we need to hurry up and practice,” Sunggyu commanded as everyone stood up and went back to Mrs. Lee’s cars.

     When they arrived at the Wang’s residence that’s a few meters away from the park, the seven sons proceeded at the backyard of Jackson’s house. 

     And there it was official. It was time for them to finally learn how to control their unknown abilities

     “So, what do we do? Should we take the rings off or something?” Suho asked as he was staring at his ring.

     Then Hyunseung realized that his brother was right and said, “Suho has a point. Didn’t our fathers say that the reason we have these rings are to suppress our powers? How can we practice if we keep on suppressing it?”

    “Then let’s take it off, simple as that,” Taeil stated as he was lazily sitting on the grass. Then Jackson went in front of them and said, “I’ll hide the rings. I have a cabinet on my room with a lock. It would be safe there while we practice.”

     “Okay then, let’s take our rings off brothers,” Sunggyu instructed and everyone followed. As soon as they removed the ring on their finger, everything suddenly stopped. But the skies weren’t red like before. It just stopped, no added special effects.

     “What’s going on?” Jiyong asked as he looked around the area cautiously.

     While everyone was getting ready to what might appear, something suddenly appeared in thin air. It was something that the Seven Deadly Sons did not expect. Something that they never knew they’ll ever be able to witness.

     “No freakin’ way.”

• END -

SDS1 07: POWER

“NO FREAKIN’ WAY.” THE seven sons felt their legs get weaker as they saw a phoenix appear above them. It was nothing like what they’ve ever seen before. It was a huge bird with fire as wings. It was beautifully dangerous.

     When the phoenix touched the ground, everything started moving again, and the sons immediately took a step away from it.

    “What the hell is that?!” Suho asked with shock.

    The sons watched as phoenix looked like it was transforming into something – a human form to be precise. Then the sons looked closer as the enormous bird finally transformed into a handsome, red-eyed man. He was wearing black leather pants and jacket with nothing underneath, making the tattoo of a phoenix on his chest visible. His nails were as sharp as a beast, and his face was something that could be used to fool others with one look.

    The name of this beautiful creature was

Kharon the Third. (PRONUNCIATION: ka-ron )

    “W-Who are you?” asked Taeil as he was backing away from the creature who just transformed into a human a few seconds ago.

     “I am Kharon the Third. I am the one who drags the souls of the sinners to hell. I assist the sinners in crossing the river of death, and that was supposed to be my only duty as a ferryman, but the Rulers had given me this task to help you all understand the true nature of becoming a demon,” Kharon answered, his voice lower than expected.

     The seven looked confused at first, but after a few seconds, everything was absorbed, and all of them reacted at the same time. Their reaction was something that Kharon did not expect because the sons started looking excited. Some even started jumping for joy.

     “So you’re like our bird teacher?” Minhyuk suddenly asked, making everyone laugh.

     “Pardon me?” Kharon asked back as he quickly looked at Minhyuk’s way.

     “You know, like a BIRD, transforming into a dude so he could teach us,” Minhyuk explained, making Kharon look annoyed.

     “I will not allow a mere mortal like you to call someone like me a…”

     “Bird?” Jackson finished, making his brothers laugh again. But then Kharon snapped. His whole body turned into flames as he shouted, “Enough! You are just students and I am your teacher! You will not disrespect me like I am nothing!”

     The seven sons just stared at their burning mentor with shock.

    “I didn’t know death guardians could be this high tempered,”  Jiyong whispered at Hyunseung, but it seemed like the phoenix still heard it. So Kharon went to where Jiyong was, and with nothing else to say he suddenly strangled him with his burning hands.

     “What the fuck are you doing!?” Sunggyu shouted. Then he ran to where Jiyong was and started pulling him away from Kharon. But Kharon’s flames didn’t allow him to do so. Sunggyu was too scared to touch the flames that he eventually lets go of Jiyong. 

     The sons didn’t know what to do. They watched their brother in agony, but soon they realized that Jiyong wasn’t hurt at all. It was like the flames were just water to him.

    “How the hell are you doing that Jiyong?!” Taeil shouted as he stared at his brother who wasn’t affected by the man’s red flames. After a few more seconds, Jiyong was now caught on fire as well. His whole body was covered in red flames, but he looked like he wasn’t affected by it at all.

     “Sunggyu, what should we do?” Hyunseung asked as he looked at Jiyong with a worried expression.

     While the sons were thinking of a plan, Minhyuk suddenly felt something, like his body was telling him to just ‘grab’ the opportunity and help his burning brother. So he did. He bravely went closer to Kharon and Jiyong.

     “Minhyuk, what the hell are you doing!? Don’t get too close to them!” Jackson shouted, but Minhyuk didn’t even listen. He grabbed the phoenix’s arm, and with just one touch from Minhyuk’s hand, Kharon turned back to normal. He slowly removed his hand on Jiyong’s neck, making them both fall on the ground.

     “Minhyuk…”

     Everyone was shocked by what Minhyuk just did, and so did Minhyuk himself. The words, “How did I do that?” was running around Minhyuk’s head. Was it because of the ring’s absence on his finger?

     “Jiyong, are you all right?” Hyunseung asked as the rest of them ran to where he was and helped him up. Good thing he wasn’t on fire anymore.

    Jiyong shook his head in confusion and said, “I’m okay but..h-how did I …” Before he could finish, their weak mentor forced himself to stand up as he approached the sons, “W-Well done…princes.”

     The Seven sons just looked at Kharon with a confused face, and then Sunggyu ran to him and pulled his collar upward, “What the fuck is wrong with you?! You almost got my brother killed!”

     Kharon slightly pushed him away and calmly replied, “I could try, but that would be impossible. Kwon Jiyong has the strongest powers between all of you here, and I will not be able to kill him with mere flames.”

     “So you really were trying to kill me?!” Jiyong asked in full rage.

     “What you did earlier is called Empathy. It gives you the ability the copy the powers of your opponent. You, Kwon Jiyong, just copied my powers a few seconds ago,” Kharon revealed, then everyone looked at Jiyong with a shocked expression.

     “As for Lee Minhyuk. What you have is called life draining . You don’t actually drain the life of your opponent, but you drain the energy and its powers. It’s only temporary but it takes a while for your opponent to fully recover and gain their powers back. But I’m…”

     Kharon snapped his fingers, teleporting everyone into the middle of an unknown forest. Then everyone looked at Kharon confusingly because he looked like he wasn’t even hurt at all. So Kharon smirked and continued his previous sentence, “Exceptional.”

     “W-Where are we? Where did you bring us?” Suho confusingly asked as he was looking at the unfamiliar surroundings.

     “We’re in a place where time does not exist. No one can find us here. But don’t worry, we won’t take too long. I know that I can teach you faster than any other demons since the seven of you have innate powers that are greater than most demons in hell,” Kharon explained.

     “Then what you did earlier, will you do that to us again?” Sunggyu asked.

     “That was only a test to see if you all have the potential of becoming a demon. But like what Asmodeus and the rest of the rulers had said, all of you are not only human-demons but Princes of Hell. And have you forgotten? I’m a demon too. I know all the rotten attitudes that a human possesses. I won’t burst in anger just because boys insult me and call me a bird,” Kharon replied confidently.

     Everyone thought he was insane, but then again, the whole idea of being a human-demon child is crazy.

     “Whether you like it or not, I will be your teacher. I will teach you the basics of making your weapons appear and show you how to use it like a pro. I will also teach you how to control and use your powers, but making it stronger is not part of your training anymore. Your duty is to figure out how you’re going to make your powers indestructible. So, are you ready?” Kharon asked the seven Demons in front of him.

     The seven looked at each other. They weren’t sure if they have to trust this jerk that almost killed Jiyong ( but not really ), or will they just let him teach them everything he had just explained. But even if he was only making everything up, they had no choice but to agree. They were stuck in the middle of nowhere with a phoenix after all.

    “Deal,” Sunggyu replied.

     Kharon smirked evilly as he stated, “Then let the training begin.”

     With just one snap, fire surrounded them. The sons had to compress together just so they wouldn’t be able to touch the fire. They didn’t expect that they had to do the training right ahead without even doing any warm-ups.

     “Before we start with this training, I want to clarify things with you. To finally become a true demon, you need to pass three levels . For you to know if you’re on the

first level

your eyes will turn red . The second level is when you start emitting a very dark aura , it will suddenly appear like smoke, and the last level, the third level , is your demon state .“ Kharon explained, and the demons couldn’t even pay attention because of the fire in front of them.

     “Once you master all of your demon powers, then you’re going to be able to transform into a demon just like your fathers. And before we start I would like to congratulate Hyunseung for being the first one to move to the second level, while still wearing his ring,” Kharon stated, but Hyunseung didn’t have the time to celebrate. He was too scared about the fire that’s surrounding them.

     “Are you really trying to get us killed?!” Suho shouted. Then all the seven sons went even closer to each other so they wouldn’t get burned.

     “This is your first task demons. You must cross these flames without getting burned. This is the most basic lesson on becoming a demon,” Kharon explained, making everyone shocked.

     “Are you insane!? How the hell do you think we can do such a thing?! Jiyong has his advantage, so does Minhyuk because both of them have the ability to absorb and suck anything!” Sunggyu shouted angrily since he almost got burned with his first encounter with fire earlier.

     “Fire is not a weakness. You are demons for crying out loud! Your Fathers literally lives on fire. You must control fire like it’s the wind. These are one of the strengths of a demon,” Kharon tried to explain, but Sunggyu wasn’t buying it.

     “Piece of cake,” Jiyong said with confidence as he walked pass the flames like a pro.

     “Looks like I’m next,” said Minhyuk as he happily followed Jiyong. And as expected, he wasn’t hurt at all. He was even playing with it.

     “This is so cool!” He excitedly exclaimed.

     “You’re next,” Kharon said as he pointed at Hyunseung, making him flinch. He wasn’t prepared for this at all, but good thing his brother Taeil encouraged him with a pat on the back, so Hyunseung slowly went closer to the fire, but as he went closer, he felt like his perfectly white skin would get burn.

    “I can’t do this!” Hyunseung shouted with a bit of disappointment on his face. Kharon went closer to the terrified son and told him, “Don’t be scared of the fire. Imagine it as the wind. It will touch and kiss your skin, but it will not harm you.”

    Hyunseung nodded his head as a sign that he was ready, even though he didn’t quite understand his mentor’s word of wisdom. He gave out a loud sigh and closed his eyes as he went closer to the red, hot, flames. 

     After a quick second…

     “I did it!” Hyunseung shouted as he opened his eyes back.

     “Well done Hyunseung. Now for you my prince,” Kharon called out as he looked at Sunggyu, signalling him to get ready.

     The remaining sons were now confident as they saw their brothers do the same thing, so all of them made it through the flames like an expert. When the fire was gone, everyone started jumping with joy because they didn’t expect that they could actually walk through fire like that.

     “Good job everyone. As expected, you learned fast. Now we must proceed with your weapons.” As Kharon finished his sentence, everyone started looking even more excited. This was the part that they’ve been waiting for. Demon weapons just sounded really interesting.

     “Summoning your weapons is similar to playing with fire. Both are easy to do. Summoning it doesn’t mean you need to shout your weapon out loud, or close your eyes and imagine that it will appear in thin air. Summoning your weapons need focus and concentration. Imagine that you’re holding something and it will just magically appear,” Kharon explained, and the excitement that the sons had earlier turned into confusion.

     “How is that even possible?” Jackson asked.

     “Just imagine that you’re holding something heavy, then whoosh, you’ll find out you’re really holding something heavy,” Kharon explained, confusing them even more.

     “But father said we can only summon our weapons during times of danger,” Hyunseung stated as he remembered what Asmodeus told them.

     “I believe he also explained that if you grow stronger, you will be able to summon it anytime.” Kharon reminded them, and everyone did remember that small detail.

     The sons didn’t know why but they suddenly found themselves smirking when they heard Kharon say that. So the seven did what their mentor explained. Something impossible like making a weapon appear out of nowhere was as hard as crossing a pool of fire without getting burned.

     Taeil was forcing himself that he thought that the veins on his head would pop any minute. But good thing Kharon stopped him just in time.

     “You’re doing it all wrong! Imagine that your weapon is the person that you like. The more you force that person to love you, the more that they would move farther away from you. But if you patiently wait, they will come on their own, do you understand?” Asked Kharon, and everyone nodded and tried their second attempt.

      After a few more minutes of determination, weapons magically appeared on their hands. And as they saw their chosen weapon, they suddenly felt a strong connection with it. They knew that this was the weapon that truly represented them.

  ![](https://img.wattpad.com/d85971554d87ed00dfb35875e4fa0856ded1204e/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f676331454c634a344f725f446a773d3d2d3631383234343539362e313534616332363433643363363536633538303536303638303138382e6a7067)               

      NOTE : To those who are still confused: Lust 

• Hyunseung (JS). Glutton 
• Minhyuk. Greed -  Suho. Sloth 
• Taeil. Wrath 
• Sunggyu. Envy 
• Jackson. Pride 
• Jiyong. Don’t worry, I know it’s hard to remember, but you’ll get the hang of it in the future.

     “Cool! What do you call this?!” Suho asked as he was admiring his weapon.

     Kharon stared at the seven who looked happy with the weapon their fathers had given them. He knew that teaching them would be as easy as dragging a sinful soul to hell.

     “Okay princes, let’s go with the basics,” he said with a smirk, making the sons look at their mentor with determination.

     Kharon trained them like there was no tomorrow. From level zero, the seven sons became level two just in a few hours. And it may seem like it’s not much, but the truth is, even leveling up once in only a few hours is a great achievement.

     “Are you tired?” asked Kharon as he was staring at the seven sons who were panting heavily. 

     What Kharon told them was indeed true. He did teach them the basics of the basics, to the most complex training of a demon-child. From controlling fire to teleporting, these were just some powers that a demon should know and have. But they still had their last training before they could finally be called a son of a demon, and that’s…

     “Your powers,” Kharon revealed.

     “Our powers?” Asked Sunggyu as he looked at Kharon with a puzzled expression.

     “You have two powers remember? Your first powers are the ones that I’ll be able to teach you, while the second one is something that can only be unlocked if you are in your demon state, which is level three,” Kharon explained, but the sons were still confused.

     Kharon sighed and looked at the sons with a serious expression, “Let me explain your powers first…”

     Prince Hyunseung of Lust , you have the power of Audible Inundation , the power to overwhelm someone’s mind with voices. Just by staring at your opponent, voices of pleasure will suddenly be heard through their heads, bringing them to a world of lust and ecstasy. Your demon power is called Kiss of Death. With one kiss, your opponent will burn inside until his soul is completely dead.

     Prince

Minhyuk of Glutton , you possess the power of life draining. This can drain your opponents’ powers and energy. Your demon power on the other hand is called Soul Absorption. Like eating food, you absorb the souls of the dead and obtain all their past energy, powers, and strengths.

     Prince

Suho of Greed , your first power is called Knowledge Absorption. Greed means wanting something more than what you already have, not just in money but also in skills. So this power helps you absorb all the knowledge your opponent has, from his known tricks, skills, and secrets. Your demon power is called Physic Reflection. This gives you the power to take and force back all forms of memory and emotions in order to overflow the mind until your opponent will be as good as dead.

     Prince

Taeil of Sloth , you have Catoptromancy, the ability to see distant people or places through mirrors. Your demon ability is called Luring, The ability to tempt and persuade someone to obey your will and do your bidding. You’re too lazy to accomplish something that’s why you just ask others to do it for you.

     Prince

Sunggyu of Wrath , your powers are as deadly as your sin:  Fear Amplification.  By looking at your opponent in the eye, you can let them see their greatest fears. Your demon power is even scarier than the first one, it is called Memory Manipulation. This gives you the ability to alter or take one’s memory and use it to bring them into never-ending darkness.

     Prince

Jackson of Envy , you possess Illusion Casting. This gives you the ability to create invisible objects that only your opponent sees, making it look like their fighting someone but nothing is actually in front of them. The demon power that you have is called Glamouring. This gives you the ability to change appearance with anyone you think of. It could be someone you know or someone you just saw. You can also transform into monsters and beasts.

     Prince

Jiyong of Pride , as the strongest son, you have the power called Empathy. This gives you the ability to absorb or copy your opponent’s powers, making you indestructible. Your demon power is called Cloning, this gives you the ability to duplicate yourself into tens, hundreds, or thousands, depending on your strength and energy. Your clones will also have the same ability and strength as you do, and they will disappear with one command.

     “Do you understand now my princes?” Kharon asked as he looked at the seven sons with their mouths and eyes all wide open.

     “You mean to say that we have that kind of power?” Hyunseung asked, still a little confused about what their trainer had told them. 

     Was it true? Was it true that with one kiss he could kill someone? 

     “I know you’re all confused, but let’s just proceed with our training so I could simply show you how to use it,” Kharon told them, making everyone whine like a kid. They were too tired that they didn’t even want to move an inch anymore. But Kharon didn’t care. His mission was to teach the sons everything in one day. This was a request from Lucifer, and he had no right to decline it. Lucifer told them that their time was running out. The archangels will only grow stronger if they take too long in knowing all this.

     “We cannot stop now, this is your last lesson,” Kharon encouraged them.

     “But we’ll faint if we don’t stop now, please let us rest,” Sunggyu pleaded because as the leader, he was the representative of his brothers.

     “We can’t,” Kharon answered, but Sunggyu still insisted, “Please! Tomorrow, we promise we’ll be prepared!”

    Kharon started feeling irritated by the attitude that the sons were showing. It seemed like they still haven’t grasped their current situation.

     “We’ll be too late! Every second you sit down and do nothing, those angels will grow stronger and stronger. The moment you face them in battle without knowing how to use your powers, all of you will be killed!” Kharon angrily shouted at them, making everyone flinch.

     When Kharon saw their reactions, he massaged his temple and looked back at them calmly, “Those angels have been training all their lives. They have been tiring themselves for years just so they could kill you. And you who are only going to tire yourselves for a day couldn’t even endure it?”

     Everyone was suddenly quiet, so Jiyong stood in front of them and said, “Kharon is right brothers. We need to learn all this. We can’t just give up now. Look at all the things we accomplished in one day. We can do more than this, right?”

     Everyone was shocked by what their prideful brother had said. Was this even the Jiyong that they knew and loved?

     “So, who’s with me?!” Jiyong then shouted in encouragement, making everyone smile at the sight of Jiyong encouraging them.

     Sunggyu went to Jiyong and patted his back, “You just said the words that I couldn’t even say,” then he looked back at his brothers and shouted back, “Let’s do it demons!”

    Everyone formed a straight line in front of Kharon. All ready to learn their hidden powers from this heartless yet considerate phoenix.

---

Jackson just got home from a whole day of training. Well, he actually teleported, which he still couldn’t believe he could do now.

     It was late at night. Jackson was at his room staring at the box Kharon gave to them earlier. Inside the box contained the seven sons’ rings. Kharon told them to hide it for a while so they could practice on their powers more, but he strictly told him to give it back the next day.

     ( Flashback )

     “Jackson, this is the box that will hide the rings. Only you have the power to open it,” said Kharon as he gave Jackson the small, antique box.

    As he explained the rest to Jackson, Kharon was suddenly turning into fire once again.

    “What the hell. You’re leaving us?!” Suho asked as he and the rest of his brothers were staring at their burning mentor.

    “Don’t worry princes. You’ll see me very soon, but for now, this is goodbye.” 

Then Kharon slowly turned into a phoenix and vanished.

     ( End of Flashback )

     “Hi Invidia, did you miss me?” asked Jackson when he placed the box on his desk and started feeding his snake some raw chicken.

     “Eat well Invidia.” 

     Jackson was about to enter the bathroom, but then he suddenly saw a shadow near his window.

    “What the-”

    The owner of the shadow was so fast that Jackson didn’t catch him. But when Jackson turned around, he instantly saw a man approaching the box where all their rings were contained. Jackson was just as fast thanks to their training earlier. Thank you Kharon!  But his speed was no use because Jackson was too tired to even draw his weapon out.

     “You son of a bitch, what do you think you’re doing?!” Jackson shouted instead.

     The intruder was about to jump off his window with the box at hand, but Jackson was able to pull the man’s feet, making both of them fall on the floor. There he saw the face of the intruder.

     “You?!” Jackson shouted from shock. Before Jackson could say anything else, the guy suddenly looked straight into his eyes, making Jackson paralyzed and unable to move.

    “No way. The moment I have the box, someone tries to steal it?!” he thought to himself as he stared at the man who was just staring at him as well.

     It took about five seconds before the man could remove his eyes on Jackson. But before he could leave with the rings, Invidia was suddenly caught on fire, shocking the man, and Jackson as well. Slowly, the snake was transforming into a human. A naked woman to be exact. 

     It broke the cage and quickly ran to where the culprit was. Invidia grabbed the box from the intruder’s hand and quickly bit his left arm. So the intruder had no other choice but to let go of the box and escape.

     When he was gone, Invidia hissed and took the box on the floor before placing it on the desk. Then she held Jackson’s forehead, giving him the ability to move again.

     “T-thank you…Invidia. I…d-didn’t know…y-you could do that”, Jackson struggled to say, still shocked on what just happened. Invidia moved closer to Jackson, so Jackson shyly looked away since Invidia was naked.

      Hiss

     “L-looks like I still can’t talk to you…b-but…why didn’t you tell me that you could do that?!” Jackson asked as he stood up while avoiding the naked body of his female pet snake.

     Luxuria hissed again as an answer, almost making Jackson hit himself.

    “Of course you couldn’t! I just literally said you couldn’t talk! Jackson Wang you stupid idiot!” Jackson shouted at himself. Then without anything to say, Invidia transformed back into a snake.

     Jackson carefully carried him to the table. He told her that he’ll buy her a new cage tomorrow with his brothers. It was alright to let him loose because he knew that his pet would never do anything bad to him.

    That night Jackson found out that their pets could literarily guard them. And he also found out that one of the jerks, namely Mark Yi-En of the Arcs, was after their rings, and was just as powerful as them.

     Kharon was right…

     Even with all the things that they could do now, they still had a long way to go to finally be called a demon.

• END -

SDS1 08: EPIC BATTLE

THE SEVEN DEADLY SONS  were walking down the hallway in their usual pyramid formation while students avoided them at all cause. Jackson told them about his encounter with Mark last night, and the sudden transformation of his pet snake, Invidia.

     “How the fuck did he even know that you had the ring?!” Sunggyu asked, looking confused and angry about what Jackson just told them about his encounter last night.

     “How would I know?!” Jackson asked back.

     “So, did you hide our rings? Are you sure it’s in a safe place?” Sunggyu asked, making sure their only way of controlling their powers are safely kept.

     “Don’t worry, Invidia has it,” Jackson answered.

     “Well speaking of powers, did you just say Mark had one?” Hyunseung then asked, making everyone look at Jackson with a curious expression.

     “Yes, he paralyzed me with just one look. No one in our group could do that,” Jackson explained, making them look worried and confused again.

     “Are you sure it was him?” His brother Minhyuk asked again to confirm it.

     “Yes! I’m sure! How on earth would I forget that demonic face of his?” Jackson asked, making Taeil chuckle on the irony of what Jackson just said.

     While the sons continued walking, Suho suddenly thought of something. He stopped his brothers from walking any further and told them, “Okay, let’s check. We had our training yesterday with Kharon. After that, we gave you the rings with the ancient box, then when you got home, someone tried to steal it from you. Maybe he knew we did our training, so he used it as an advantage because you’d be dead tired to fight back. But thankfully when you were paralyzed and hopeless, your pet turned into a human and saved you, makes sense?”

     “Yup,” everyone agreed. Then they started walking again.

     “But still, how did he know that Jackson had the ring? Could he have some kind of vision that he could see us or something?” Minhyuk asked.

     “That’s something we need to think about, and we should train more too. Who knows, they could be as strong as us, or even worse, they could be STRONGER than us. Do you understand?” Sunggyu asked, and everyone nodded in agreement.

     As they were walking down the hallway, a nerdy guy was suddenly in front of them, holding a pile of books.

     “Hmm?” Taeil confusingly asked, staring at the boy in front of them who wasn’t even moving. If you ask me he was scared as hell.

    “Oh shit, that dudes fucked,”  whispered by a random student to the one beside him as they were looking at the sons having a staring contest with the freshman student.

      The only thing the freshman could do was gulp as he looked at the one in front of the group, Kwon Jiyong. Jiyong gave out a loud sigh and commanded, “What are you staring at? Move.” Then the guy suddenly dropped all the books he was holding and runs off.

     “Pathetic,” Jiyong stated as he stared at the scattered books on the floor.

     “Jiyong, what the hell did you do? You scared him away!” Hyunseung shouted as he looked at his brother. Then Jiyong answered, “I didn’t do anything! I don’t know okay. For the past few days, everyone seems to be scared of us even though we haven’t done anything.”

     The sons couldn’t disagree because Jiyong was right. Ever since the incident with the Arcs at the cafeteria, everyone started to be scared of them even more. ( Even though their father Asmodeus removed their memory of Hyunseung’s eyes turning red and just randomly emitting black smoke ). Demons  and Arcs  became the two big groups of Holy Angels University. Some even sold merchandise. Though it was rumored that Suho was the mastermind behind it.

     “Okay then, let’s carry the books and bring it to him,” said Sunggyu, but the sons just blankly looked at him like their leader said something crazy.

     “Are you serious? We’ll be late if we…” But before Minhyuk could continue, Sunggyu stopped him. He looked at the students who were looking at them and said, “Hey douchebags, where do we find that boy?”

     Without a second thought, all the students in the hallway answered, “The fourth year, engineering building!”

     The demons were surprised because the dude earlier wasn’t a freshman at all, but a senior. And they realized that if he WAS a freshman, they would have remembered him since the Demons were freshmen students themselves.

     “Thanks. Now carry his books and let’s go,” Sunggyu commanded, then the sons had no choice but to follow him.

     The Seven Deadly Sons went to the engineering building and asked around the area. They saw his name on the books that he dropped in the hallway so they asked the engineering students where he could be.

     When the sons arrived at his room, Hyunseung knocked on the door, making the professor stop his discussion to open the door for them.

     “Yes, how may I help you?” the professor asked. Then he suddenly flinched when he saw Minhyuk, Jackson, and Jiyong’s aura.

     “We’re sorry to interrupt but is…” Hyunseung stopped and looked at the name on the book and continued, “ Yol   here?“

     “Ah, yes…but he went to the restroom just now,” the professor answered.

     “Oh really? Then can we leave this here? These books are his and he kinda dropped it in the hallway,” Hyunseung explained.

    “Okay then, let me have it and I’ll put it on his desk,” the professor stated, then Jiyong and the rest of the sons gave him the books and thanked him.

    “Now that that’s settled, let’s get back to cl-” Minhyuk was cut off once again as Sunggyu stated, “We need to go to the restroom and apologize to him.”

     “What?!” everyone asked in unison.

     “Are you serious right now Sunggyu?” Said Taeil who looked tired.

     “Are you crazy? We already gave the kid his goddamn books, why the fuck do we need to say sorry? It’s not our fault he ran off like a lunatic,” said Jiyong with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

     “Kwon Jiyong!” Sunggyu scolded, making everyone quiet.

     “Just because we’re sons of demons doesn’t mean we need to act like fuckin’ jerks. Yes, we’re demons, but we’re still humans, and that’s something that we should never forget,” Sunggyu reminded them.

     Everyone avoided Sunggyu’s gaze because he was right. Just because they’re sons of demons, doesn’t mean they should act like a heartless person. Before they found out they were demons, they didn’t act badly towards others because they knew that it was the humane thing to do. Just because they know about their demon blood doesn’t give them a free pass.

     The fact that such words were told by the biggest bully himself made it even more impactful. Sunggyu bullied others, but thanks to the ring, he realized his wrongdoings and stopped. He hoped that his brothers would understand where he’s going.

     “You heard him, let’s go,” this time, it was Hyunseung who commanded it, and surprisingly, everyone followed.

     The Seven Sons arrived at the restroom where they suddenly saw the senior lying on the floor.

     “Oh my god!” Taeil shouted from shock.

     “Yol, are you okay?!” asked Suho as he ran to where the unconscious senior was.

     “What the hell Jiyong? Did you scare him too much to the point that he’ll faint?” Jackson stated, making Jiyong grab Jackson’s collar because of anger.

     “Why the fuck are you accusing me with something I didn’t do?!”

     Minhyuk pushed Jiyong away from and Jackson and said, “Are you seriously going to fight right now? The guy fainted for demon’s sake!”

     “He might be sick. Let’s carry him,” Hyunseung stated as he and Suho carried him up.

      The seven sons were about to leave with Yol when a voice was suddenly heard, “Stop right there Demons.”

     The seven stopped and turned around. And there they saw the beautiful but dangerous phoenix, Kharon the Third.

     “Kharon?!” said everyone in shock.

     “What are you doing here?!” Taeil asked, a little happy that he saw their mentor again.

     “I used this child to lure you here. It would be a problem if people see us talking with each other,” Kharon explained.

    “So you chose the male’s restroom in the engineering building?” Suho asked, making Kharon glare at him. When Suho apologized, Kharon gestured his hands, making the door automatically close. He then went to where Yol was and whispered, “Awake my child.”

     Yol’s eyes slowly opened. The sons were shocked because his eyes were red. He then looked at Kharon and answered, “Father…”  The seven sons were shocked. They didn’t know that a demon could do such a thing. This was a power that they HAVE to learn.

     “You did well my son. Now, when I snap my fingers you’ll be back to normal,” Kharon stated as he gently held his cheeks, then in a few seconds, the boy vanished.

     “Where did he…”

     Suho was cut off as Kharon snapped his fingers and said, “Don’t worry, that kid is in front of his classroom now.”

     “That’s not the problem, isn’t it? We need to make things clear here Kharon. Why the fuck are you here in our school?” Sunggyu seriously asked him.

     “I’m the new priest in this school,” Kharon suddenly blurted out.

     The Seven Sons quietly looked at their mentor as he told them those words. Then after a few seconds, they all started laughing.

     “You?! A priest in a catholic school like this!? That’s funny Kharon!” Minhyuk stated as he was still laughing like crazy. Then they looked at Kharon who looked dead serious. Only then did they realize that he was wearing a priest outfit with HAU’s logo.

     “You’re not joking aren’t you?” Minhyuk asked, and Kharon replied with a nod.

     Everyone finally became quiet.

     “Do the Arcs know you’re here?” Sunggyu asked, breaking the awkward silence.

     “I don’t know yet. They might or might not know, but that’s not a reason for us to not be careful about it, do you understand?”

     “Yes sir!” Everyone replied.

     “Now, about the rings. I heard from Invidia that a human-angel tried to steal it from Jackson,” Kharon suddenly revealed.

     “Wait, you can understand Jackson’s pet snake?” Taeil asked, but the seven completely ignored him.

     “Yes, that’s right. It was Mark who almost took the box.” Jackson answered, ignoring Taeil as well.

     Kharon became silent like he was thinking about something really serious. “The angels have powers right? But we don’t know how strong they could be. What if they’re planning something really big? What if they know all our plans?”

    “Through what? Don’t tell me they could hear us from afar,” Minhyuk stated.

    “That’s not impossible. They might even know about what we’re doing right now. Let’s face it, their god will still be a thousand feet above the “ King “, literally and figuratively.” Kharon told them, and the Demons couldn’t agree more.

     “Are you seriously trying to tell us that we don’t have a chance against them?” Suho asked with a worried tone.

     “No, I’m saying that their god might be so powerful that he already knows about what’s gonna happen to us in the end. He created all the life-forms on earth. He created the “King”. It just so happened that the King became selfish and wanted more, so he was brought to hell, now do you understand me?“ Kharon explained.

     “So, we only have two endings; it’s to lose or to win,” Sunggyu pointed out.

     “You’re wrong,” Kharon told them, making everyone look back at him with confused expressions. If it’s not losing or winning, what could their end be?

     To clarify what he said, Kharon looked at the sons one by one, “You only have one ending my princes, and that’s to defeat those bastards,” Kharon stated with determination, making everyone smile in excitement. 

     Kharon was right. If they wanted to win, they needed to be positive about it. They can’t make even the smallest mistake.

     “So, what should we do now?” Taeil asked.

      “We’ll just wait. But first, you need to head back to your rooms before the professor asks where you’ve been. I promise we’ll meet again.” Kharon told them, and the seven sons went back to their rooms like what they were told. Surprisingly, the Arcs weren’t found in both of their classrooms. 

     At first, the sons were wondering why they weren’t present, but then they thought, “Why would we even care?”

---

“Class dismissed.”

     Minhyuk and Hyunseung were left alone in their room. Like how they always do, Minhyuk stayed in his seat while Hyunseung arranged his things. But as he was doing it, Hyunseung suddenly felt something burn in his chest.

     “M-Minhyuk…” Hyunseung stated as he held Minhyuk’s shoulder tightly.

     Minhyuk lifted his head and saw his friend looking pale. “JS, what’s going on? Are you okay?!” Minhyuk asked as he looked at his weak best friend with panic.

     “I-I…feel something hot inside me…”

     “W-What!? Should I bring you to the clinic or…”

     Hyunseung quickly shook his head and weakly answered, “No, I think it’s my powers. I’m not wearing my ring so my powers are burning inside me. I think my body can’t handle it.”

     “Okay then, I’ll tell Jackson to hand us the rings. Hang in their JS, I’ll bring you to our brothers.”

     Minhyuk grabs hold of Hyunseung’s things and carried him on his back, making Hyunseung’s admirers furious. But Hyunseung wasn’t wearing the ring so he was emitting an erotic aura, making everyone lust over him.

     “Guys!”

     The 2 arrived at the parking lot where the other sons were waiting for them. They were supposed to buy a cage for Invidia, but with Hyunseung’s case, I think the cage has to wait.

     “JS! What happened to him?” asked Jiyong as he helped Minhyuk with Hyunseung’s things.

     Minhyuk placed Hyunseung inside Suho’s car and said, “His powers are going wild and his body can’t take it. We need the ring now.”

     “But he was fine earlier right?” Taeil confusingly asked.

     “We don’t know, but we need to give Hyunseung his ring or he might just explode. Minhyuk and Jackson, accompany Hyunseung. Suho, you drive your car, we’ll just catch up,” Sunggyu quickly instructed, making everyone immediately do what they were told.

     Minhyuk, Suho, and Jackson were about to enter the car when seven ’ innocent men ’ suddenly arrived at the scene, stopping the sons.

     “Arcs,” Sunggyu stated as he stared at the seven men in front of them.

     “Demons,” Junhyung answered back.

     Without any warning, Jackson ran to where Mark was and pulled his shirt towards him. The Arcs, and so were the Demons, were shocked at Jackson’s sudden action. It was too sudden that no one could even do anything.

     “What the hell are you doing Jackson?!” Jiyong shouted as he just stared at his furious brother.

     “You were the one who broke into my house. How could you do such a cowardly move like that?!” Jackson angrily shouted at Mark’s face. But Mark only pushed Jackson away from him. Jackson was shocked because he didn’t expect that a small guy like him could lightly push him away like that. He knew instantly that these Arcs were no doubt stronger.

     “What the hell are you talking about asshole?! I didn’t break in anyone’s house”, Mark defended.

     “Are you fucking telling me I’m a liar?!” Jackson angrily shouted, and Seunghyun went in between them and answered back, “You don’t have any proof that he did such a thing demon.”

     “That’s none of your goddamn business Choi,” Jiyong said as he pushed Seunghyun away from Jackson and Mark.

     As the two were fighting, Jackson suddenly saw something on Mark. Something that he could use to backfire on them.

     “You want proof? What about that?” asked Jackson as he pointed at Mark’s arm that had a snake bite.

     The Arcs suddenly looked surprised. They didn’t expect that at all.

     “T-That’s just a…” Before Mark could defend himself, Woohyun stopped him and said, “Arcs, we need to submit our absence slip now.”

     “He’s right, don’t waste your time with these losers,” Sungjae continued.

     Everything would have been fine, but Minhyuk suddenly flinched when he heard the word that he hated so much, “L-Losers?”

     You could call him in any name you like, but not loser, especially not “loser.” The history behind it? Well, when he was bigger, people kept on calling him a loser, that’s why he exercised and became fit. But now that he’s fit, he won’t allow anyone to call him that ‘L’ word again.

     “Watch your mouth you bastard!” Minhyuk shouted as he quickly went to where Sungjae was and strangled him.

     Sungjae was slowly turning pale as Minhyuk continued to strangle him. The Arcs were shocked and confused at the same time, but the Seven Demons, on the other hand, knew about Minhyuk’s power called life draining. The only problem was that they weren’t sure if this was the right time to use it.

     “Sungjae!” the Arcs shouted from shock.

      Lay was about to help his brother, but it was too late because Minhyuk already drained Sungjae’s energy. He lets go of Sungjae, and Sungjae’s lifeless body fell to the ground. Lay and Jihoon quickly went to Sungjae’s side to help him up.

     The Arcs looked at Minhyuk who was emitting the same aura that Hyunseung emitted when they were at the cafeteria. The Arcs felt a little afraid because they found out that they were too late. The demons already found out about their powers.

     “Leave us alone!” Minhyuk commanded, his voice a little lower than before.

     “How dare you do this to our brother?!” Jihoon shouted back, and in an instant, everything stopped, even the falling leaves.

    “What the-”

     The Seven sons were surprised by what Jihoon just did. No one in their group could stop time like that. Highly trained demons such as their fathers and Kharon were the only ones who could do it.

     “If it’s a fight you want…” Junhyung stated as he pointed at Hyunseung who was silently sitting inside Suho’s car. With his eyes filled with anger, he continued, “It’s a fight you’ll get Demons.” 

     Lightning went out of Junhyung’s index fingers, hitting Hyunseung right on the chest.

     “JS!” Taeil shouted.

     If the demons could produce fire, the Arcs could produce lightning like a Greek god called Zeus. And with that act alone, the demons now have a little knowledge of what these angles are capable of.

     “You assholes!” Taeil shouted back as he looked at Hyunseung who was now unconscious inside Suho’s car.

     “Sons, it’s do or die!” Sunggyu told his brothers as his weapon automatically appeared on his hand in an instant. Then in just a split second, the sons of hell and heaven were fighting while Hyunseung and Sungjae were unconscious, not knowing about what was happening to their brothers.

     “You need to kill us first before you could obtain those rings!” Jackson shouted as he was trying to claw Seunghyun away, but Seunghyun was faster than he expected.

     The parking lot was a mess. The sons were fighting like it was their first and last fight with each other. But as time passed by, the angels felt weaker. They didn’t expect the Demons to be that strong just after a day. The Demons’ one-day training paid off because they somehow managed to level their strength with the Arcs - a group of seven half-angels who practically trained their whole lives.

     “Game over,” Sunggyu declared as he was panting heavily. He looked at the worn-out angels in front of him and continued, “This is where it ends.” But when they thought they were about to win the battle, the angels looked at each other and lifted their right hand to the sky, almost like they were reaching for something,  “God the Father! We surrender!”

     The Demons were surprised, but nothing happened after that, so the seven sons couldn’t help but laugh at how pathetic the Arcs looked.

     “God?” Jiyong questioned, and then he continued, “Your god is weak now. There are more sinners than saints. And the more the sinners, the stronger our King will become.”

     Junhyung looks at Jiyong. Then, he smirked and said, “That’s where you’re wrong demon.” The ground started trembling right after his sentence, making the sons confused and scared at the same time.

     “Our God will forever be stronger than your pathetic king,” Junhyung finished, and lighting went down from the sky, directly aimed at the Demons. But just in time, their animal turned human guardians arrived at the scene and embraced them, causing them to get hit by the lightning instead. Though it didn’t protect them completely because the six deadly sons became unconscious. And so did their guardians.

     Through this epic battle, the sons found out that their skills and powers…

     Were still no doubt weaker…

     Compared to their rivals.

• END -

SDS1 09: PLAN B

THE DEADLY SONS, WITH their seven guardians, were all unconscious on the ground, while the holy sons were just staring at them with a satisfied and victorious look.

     “We did it!” Woohyun shouted while jumping up and down, but Junhyung – their leader – didn’t look satisfied at all. In fact, he looked disappointed at how the battle went down. The seven sons might be unconscious now, but that wasn’t because of them, and that shouldn’t be something that the Arcs should celebrate about.

     “Without our Father’s help, we would have been killed in our first fight!” Junhyung shouted, making everyone stop celebrating.

     “Junhyung, it’s not our fault. None of us knew that these demons had already found out about their abilities,” Seunghyun explained, but Junhyung shook his head in disagreement.

     “Junhyung, they were strong but we still defeated them! That’s what matters,” Lay reminded him, but then Junhyung clenched his fist and quickly said back, “I will not feel proud about this mistake, especially after what happened with you, Mark.”

     Mark quickly looked down on his feet so he couldn’t see their leader’s killer glare. Then Junhyung continued, “Jihoon, bring everything back to normal. Lay, you heal Sungjae. Those demons didn’t get any serious injuries because of their guardians so they’d wake up eventually.”

     Lay nodded his head and went to the unconscious Sungjae. He gently placed his hands on Sungjae’s chest so he could heal him. Then Jihoon looked around the motionless area. He was about to snap his fingers to turn back time when Woohyun suddenly pulled his polo, “Stop…”

     “What’s the problem?” Jihoon confusingly asked, so Woohyun pointed at the sky where they saw a phoenix flying towards them. 

     Lay quickly released Sungjae and stood up.

     “Junhyung, we need to go,” Seunghuyn stated as he looked at their leader.

     “Okay, carry Sungjae. We’ll give our absence slip tomorrow. Right now we need to move before that bird gets to us,” Junhyung instructed, and the Arcs quickly ran away from the scene and escaped to their holy home where they saw their forever drunkard guardian, Dongmin.

     “Wow, you all look great!” Dongmin sarcastically stated the moment he saw the Arcs enter the living room.

     Junhyung angrily threw his bag at Dongmin and shouted, “I don’t need your fucki… freakin’ dick attitude right now!”

     Junhyung avoided saying any curse words especially when they’re inside their “ Holy Home “. Their fathers would scold him again for sure, and he doesn’t need any scolding right now.

     “Just because you lost a fight doesn’t mean you could throw your anger at me Yong Junhyung,” Dongmin stated as he stood up and pushed the bag Junhyung threw at him just a few seconds ago.

     “We didn’t lose,” Junhyung pointed out as he was staring at the crucifix hanging on the wall of their living room.

     “But you didn’t win either. So it still makes you a loser,” said Dongmin as he was now standing in front of Junhyung. Junhyung tried his very best not to flinch on what their guardian had said, but he was unsuccessful, and the expression made Dongmin smirk.

     “Now listen, all of you. I’m still your guardian so I still need to correct your wrongdoings. Now go to the mirror and report to your Fathers about what happened today,” Dongmin instructed to them, shocking everyone.

     “No! We can’t!” Lay answered back with a worried expression.

    “Please Dongmin, please don’t let us do this”, Mark pleaded as he was carrying Sungjae on his back.

     “Mark, I already gave you a chance, I won’t give all of you another. Now go upstairs and heal Sungjae. Afterward, you report this to your Fathers,” Dongmin told them once again but with a lower voice this time.

     Jihoon went to Dongmin and practically pleaded at him, “Our Fathers doesn’t have to know.”

    “As our Fathers, it is their right to know Jihoon,” Dongmin quickly answered back.

     Jihoon was about to disagree once again, but Junhyung held his shoulder this time. He looked at Jihoon, then he looked at the rest of the Arcs and stated in defeat, “He’s right. Our Fathers need to know about this mistake. Now let’s go.”

     Junhyung picked his bag up and went upstairs, making the Arcs all shocked. Junhyung never listened to their idiotic guardian, and this was the first time he didn’t even back his brothers up. But Junhyung felt disappointed about what happened today. It only made him realize that their chance of defeating them would be harder to achieve.

     When all the Arcs went upstairs, Dongmin was left alone in the living room. He was a useless guardian and he clearly knew that, but it was still his duty to correct their mistakes, even if he hated it.

---

     “What happened earlier was a huge mistake sons,” said Phanuel. Then everyone answered in unison, “We’re sorry Father.”

     The sons were standing in front of the mirror, talking to Sungjae’s Father, Phanuel . 

     Junhyung, as the leader of the group, was standing right in front of the mirror while his brothers were standing behind him. On the other hand, Sungjae was still unconscious on the sofa.

     “And look at my son, Sungjae. Lay’s healing ability will not be enough. What happened to him was not just simple draining. A demon drained him, and demon powers are just as strong as angel powers. While Sungjae is drained, Beelzebub’s son is still absorbing his energy. Lee Minhyuk will only absorb your power. You’re only healing that demon, not Sungjae, do you understand?” Phanuel explained.

     “Yes Father,” Lay answered in understanding.

     “Now, why are you born on earth my sons?” their father suddenly asked them.

     “To defeat the demons,” everyone answered without any hesitation.

     Phanuel looked at the six Arcs one by one and said, “Then why do you keep on failing? At first the ring. I told you that before you make your plan you must think. We warned you about their guardians but you still insisted. What are you showing?” Phanuel asked, but no one answered, so he had no choice but to answer it himself, “You are showing stubbornness! You think you’re ready, you think you’re strong, but you are not. The demons can act like animals all day long, but that is something you are forbidden to do. You are products of Angels. You are the face, the body, and the soul of God.”

     Everyone kept quiet. They started feeling bad about what they did the other day.

     “And I didn’t just warn you, I told you that your plan will never work. Stealing the rings? Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s house, wife, and possessions. That was stated in the 10 commandments. You are sons of angels. You should be the one who is following it,” Phanuel explained further. But upon hearing the commandments, Junhyung snapped. His head that was looking down on his feet slowly looked straight into Sungjae’s Father, “If you want us to follow those rules then why are you asking us to kill those sons? Thou shall not kill, isn’t that part of those commandments as well?”

     The Holy sons were shocked as they looked at their brother who was effortlessly talking back to an Archangel. But Phanuel was not fazed. He looked back at Junhyung and finally answered, “They are demons, Junhyung.”

    “So killing them is okay, but stealing from them is a crime because they’re demons? But there’s one thing that you might have missed; they are still humans father, have you forgotten?” Junhyung quickly replied.

    “Humans? They are not humans! Demonic blood runs through their veins! Our Father did not make such a creature. They are created by a demon they call king, they are not even close to being a human,” Phanuel defended.

     Junhyung clenched his fist and bravely stated, “But their mothers, aren’t they human? They did not know that their lovers were demons, they did not know that…”

     Junhyung was suddenly cut off as Phanuel shouted, “Silence!”

     Junhyung stopped. His brothers looked confused, and so did he. Why is he even defending those demons all of a sudden?

“You will follow what our Father had ordered. You are here on earth not to make friends, but to defeat the demons that will destroy what God has created for the innocent”, Phanuel stated.

     “ There are no more innocent people on earth Father… “ Junhyung whispered, but it was still loud enough for Phanuel to hear.

     Phanuel looked at Junhyung seriously and told him, “You might be right my son. Because even a son of an angel…can be as demonic as ’ them ’, am I right?” Then his image in the mirror was gone, and their reflection was the only thing that they could see.

     Everyone was silent. But the silence was disrupted when Junhyung suddenly grabbed the vase on the center table and threw it at the wall, startling everyone.

     “Junhyung, stop!” shouted Seunghyun as he tried to calm his brother down.

     Seunghyun was Junhyung’s closest brother. The reason is that they’re the first ones to meet when Mark and the others were still in their mother’s care. Junhyung and Seunghyun were the first ones to experience intense training at a very young age.

    “What else is left Seunghyun?! Everything we do, we end up failing. I’m tired of failing! I’m tired of being scolded all the time!” Junhyung shouted angrily.

     “Do you think you’re the only one who’s tired Junhyung?!” Seunghyun shouted back.

     “I know because I’m the leader. Whenever there’s trouble, I’m always the one who should back you up and fix your mess. So you wouldn’t know how I’d feel because you guys only keep on messing up!” Junhyung replied, and the Arcs couldn’t help but be shocked by their leader’s cruel words.

     “Yong Junhyung! What did you just say?!” Jihoon asked with a threatening voice.

     “Junhyung, we’ve been doing our best,” said Woohyun, but it only made Junhyung even more furious.

     “Best? But that best isn’t doing anything good to us. They’re stronger than us and we know it, our God knows it. What’s the point of…” Before Junhyung could finish his sentence, Seunghyun punched his dear brother on the face, making Junhyung fall to the ground. 

     “Junhyung!” the rest shouted from shock.

     Junhyung’s nose was now bleeding, but he only wiped it off with the back of his hand. Lay was about to run towards Junhyung, but Seunghyun stopped him and commanded, “Don’t you dare cure him. Do you understand me Yixing?”

     Lay slowly nodded his head, then Woohyun held Lay’s shoulder and they continue to watch the two Arcs fight.

     Seunghyun went back to Junhyung. He placed his feet between Junhyung’s body and pulled his collar towards him as he said, “What the hell’s wrong with you? What happened to the old Junhyung that we all know? We lose one fight and you act as if we can never win. Is this what a leader should do? Are you seriously telling me you’re not the son of Father Michael?”

     Junhyung didn’t answer. So Seunghyun pulled him even closer and shouted, “Answer me Junhyung!”

     “No! I am the son of Michael and I am like God!” Junhyung shouted, and everything fell silent once again.

     Seunghyun sighed and hugged his brother tightly. After a few seconds, he stated, “I’m sorry,” and then he stood up and helped Junhyung up. Junhyung looked at his brothers and suddenly bowed, “I’m sorry for being a jerk, and I’m sorry if I failed you once again my brothers.”

     Mark went to where Junhyung was and told him, “No, I should be the one who should be apologizing. I was too excited about our first plan that I forgot about the consequences.”

     “Okay guys, let’s face it, this was all our faults,” said Jihoon, and everyone agreed to that decision.

     When everything was now back to normal, everyone sat on the sofa where Sungjae was. To make things up with their Fathers, Junhyung told them that they should think of a new plan. A plan that will take them a step closer to defeating the deadly sons.

     But the question was…what plan?

     “I know!” Junhyung shouted, quickly making everyone look at him.

     “What is it Junhyung?” Woohyun curiously asked.

     Junhyung was staring at his reflection on the mirror as he stated, “PLAN B, we need to…”

---

On the other hand, the demons were lying in bed. Minhyuk was the first one to wake up. I guess Lay’s healing powers paid off after all.

     “Ah…fuck, my head hurts,” Minhyuk complained while he was touching his aching head. Then he realized he was in a room that he wasn’t familiar with. He was sure this wasn’t any of his brother’s rooms.

     “Where am I?” Minhyuk asked, and then someone answered him, “You’re at my house.”

     “Kharon!?”

     It was Kharon the Third, standing beside the window. He looked back at Minhyuk and slowly went to where he was. He placed a finger on his head, then the throbbing feeling Minhyuk had earlier was now gone.

     “How did you…wait, where’s Gula? He appeared earlier, right? He was in a human form right?!“Minhyuk quickly asked, panic present in his tone.

    “Calm down Minhyuk, your pet hamster is fine,” Kharon assured him, making Minhyuk sigh in relief.

    “Good. I’d die if something bad happens to him”, Minhyuk honestly stated.

     Kharon ignored Minhyuk’s last comment and went to the rest of the unconscious sons, “I think it’s about time your brothers wake up,” Kharon stated as he gave out a soft whistle. One-by-one, the sons slowly opened their eyes. 

     It made Minhyuk realize that Kharon was truly a powerful demon.

     “Where are we?” Sunggyu asked as he sat up from the bed where he saw Taeil lying beside him. Then every one of them sat up as well and looked at their priest slash guardian, Kharon.

     “Like what I said earlier, you’re at my house. And if you’re asking, your guardians are now fine and were sent back to your homes. You should thank them later because you might have died if they didn’t cover you,” Kharon explained.

     “The Arcs, where are they? Did they escape? We can catch up and beat them once and for all,” Hyunseung asked, a little angry about what happened to him earlier since he was practically helpless and Junhyung just HAD to strike him with lightning.

     “Catch them? Do you know how long you’ve been sleeping?” Kharon asked them, and everyone looked at him blankly.

    “You’ve been asleep for 14 hours. I had to absorb the lightning that struck you. And believe me, it hurt me more than you know. If I didn’t do just that then all of you would have been paralyzed,” Kharon explained, then everyone realized their mentor did look tired.

     “It’s already 8 in the morning. Now skedaddle and head back to your homes. Your mothers are worried and you’re already late for class,” Kharon surprisingly told them. They didn’t expect him to care about their mothers AND their class attendance at all.

     “Are you serious right now? We just woke up from…I don’t know, a coma?! And you’re asking us to go to class?!” Jiyong asked, and Kharon crossed his arms and answered him, “School is still important. Imagine how hard your mothers have to work just to send you to such a prestigious university.” 

     The sons looked at Kharon with disbelief. They couldn’t believe he was a demon.

     “Wait, aren’t you going to scold us or something? We practically lost from a fight with the Arcs earlier”, Taeil stated before Jiyong could say anything else to Kharon.

     “Well, I already expected that something like that would happen. And besides, the Arcs didn’t technically win, so you didn’t technically lose either,” Kharon stated with a charming wink, and the sons looked at each other and smiled.

    “Well, you heard our school’s priest. We need to head back to our homes,” Sunggyu instructed as he stood up from the bed.

     “But there wouldn’t be enough time for us if we split up. I think it’s better if we just go to Minhyuk’s house. We have extra clothes there and it’s the nearest house to the university”, Jackson suggested.

     “Yeah, but why don’t we just teleport ourselves?” Jiyong asked with his right eyebrow raised.

     “Definitely not! You need to regain your strengths first, so no using of powers, understand?” Kharon commanded, and everyone agreed since they do feel weaker than normal.

     “And Jackson, you need to hand the rings back to your brothers,” Kharon then added, making Jackson nod as an answer.

     “Okay then, let’s go, brothers,” Sunggyu commanded, and all of them stood up from the beds. But before they could leave the room, Suho looked at Kharon and asked, “Oh yeah Kharon, where are we exactly?”

     “Don’t worry. Minhyuk’s house is just a few blocks away from here,” Kharon explained, shocking them. So Minhyuk ran to the window and saw the street sign outside. Kharon was right; Minhyuk knew this street even with his eyes closed.

     “I know where we are guys, let’s go,” said Minhyuk with confidence. Then the sons thanked Kharon for taking care of them. After bowing in front of their mentor, the seven went out of the house when suddenly…

     “Guys…look,” Hyunseung pointed at Kharon’s supposed house. When they turned around, they saw that the fancy house they were in a few seconds ago was actually an abandoned house that Kharon just used to help hide them while they were asleep.

     “So Kharon lied to us after all,” Suho stated.

     “Where does that guy live though?” Taeil asked, but no one answered him since they didn’t have a clue either. Now the seven sons were walking the streets, all tired from what happened to them yesterday. They couldn’t believe that they were struck by a lightning too. If they were pure humans, they would have died for sure.

     “Guys?” Hyunseung asked while they continued walking.

     “What?” they answered in unison.

     “Is it just me or is everyone staring at us?” Hyunseung confusingly asked them.

     The seven sons stopped walking because they only realized just now that everyone was staring at them. Could it be that Hyunseung’s erotic aura became too strong that even the other members are being affected by it? Or are they just really that handsome?

     “Is it because of my pink hair?” Jiyong suddenly blurted out.

     “Are you seriously bringing this up now Jiyong?” Jackson asked him. But as the seven sons were awkwardly standing in the middle of the streets, a running girl suddenly bumped into the seven’s scary leader, Sunggyu.

     “Whoa, are you okay?” Sunggyu asked as he quickly held the girl’s shoulder before she could fall any further. The girl moved away from him and said, “I’m fine, thank-” she stopped when she lifted her head and saw Sunggyu’s face.

     “Oh my god! It’s bad boy Kim Sunggyu!” the girl shouted.

     “Bad boy Kim Sunggyu?” the demons asked in unison.

     Sunggyu suddenly blushed in embarrassment and said, “Hey! Who you calling bad-” But before Sunggyu could react to what the female student said, two more girls ran to where she was and joined her.

    “Shin Young, why did you run all of a sudden?!” the second girl asked while trying to catch his breath. The girl who was called ‘Shin Young’ slowly raised her hand and pointed at Sunggyu, making the three shriek, and causing the sons to cover their ears because of it.

     “Ah! It’s the famous trio of HAU!” they shouted in unison.

     “The famous trio?” Hyunseung asked, and then Jackson continued, “Of Holy Angels University?”

     Well, it was no doubt that Suho, Sunggyu, and Jiyong were famous. Even before they met their brothers, these three were already in the top chart of the popularity list. But it all changed when the demons arrived because the seven of them were now ALL on the popular list.

     “Suho! I didn’t know you were this handsome up close! Do you know that we’ve been idolizing you ever since you were in High school? That’s why it was really sad when we heard you moved into an all-boy university,” the girl on the middle stated, and all Suho could do was look back at her with a confused expression.

     “By the way, we’re freshmen students at Lindt University. It’s just a few streets away from HAU,” said the girl who bumped on Sunggyu earlier.

     The seven blankly stared at the three enthusiastic students. Then Jiyong broke the silence as he said, “Hey, you know what? We don’t care!” Jiyong was about to leave when one of the girls approached him, “Jiyong! Can you take a selca with me?!”

     “Not a chance kid,” Jiyong replied as he turned around to face her. The six saw her look disappointed, so Hyunseung went to where she was and said, “I’ll take a picture with you,” Hyunseung said, moving his face so close to her that they thought he’d kiss her.

     The girl’s face turned red. Then the three of them realized that the other boys behind Sunggyu and Suho were no doubt just as handsome as their idols.

     “H-Handsome…” Shin Young said while stuttering. Then Taeil happily went to the three of them and said, “Nice to meet the three of you, I’m Taeil and we’re the Demons, along with Sunggyu, Jiyong, and Suho.”

     “So, how about that picture?” Hyunseung asked once again, but the girl was too shocked to even reply.

     While everyone was enjoying the girl’s attention, Jiyong finally shouted, “Enough of this shit!” They all looked at Jiyong who was obviously impatient and pissed off. They were already late for class. They didn’t have to put up with this.

     “Stop fooling around and let’s go before that Kharon-”

     “Before I what?” A low voice suddenly asked.

     Everyone quickly turned around and saw their mentor, Kharon.

     “Kharon!” Minhyuk shouted in surprise.

     “What are you still doing here? Shouldn’t you be at Minhyuk’s house by now?” Kharon asked, irritated that he saw the seven still a few steps away from his fake house.

     Minhyuk practically pushed their leader closer to Kharon. So Sunggyu just gulped and answered, “W-well, we were…”

     “Hi!” One of the girls greeted, surprising Kharon. Kharon – with both of his hands inside his pockets – lowered his head a little so he could be face to face with her. I guess this was a disadvantage for being a little too tall.

     The girl blushed since Kharon just kept on staring at her. Then without any warning, Kharon gently placed one of his hands on her cheeks and whispered close to her ear, “Be gone…my lovely rose.”

     The girl’s eyes turned red, making the seven sons shocked. Then the rest of the girls’ eyes turned red soon after. Without anything to say, they turned around and left the scene without any struggle.

     “What did you just do?!” Suho asked. Then Taeil added, “Wait, don’t tell me that’s what you did to Yol too?!”

     “I just saved you from those fangirls. Aren’t you even going to thank me?” Kharon replied instead. Then Jiyong went to where his brother was and told them, “I don’t think that’s something we should be thankful about.”

     “Here we go again,” Taeil thought to himself, but good thing Kharon didn’t try to answer back.

     “Didn’t I tell you to head home already?” Kharon asked them instead.

     “Like I was trying to say, those girls suddenly talked to us and-”

     While the sons were explaining the situation to their guardian, a man suddenly shouted, “Jang Hyunseung!”

     Everyone turned around. At first, they thought it was more fangirls, but everyone was surprised to see who it was because the person who shouted Hyunseung’s name was the Arcs’ leader, Yong Junhyung.

     The sons looked at Junhyung with shock and anger.

     “How dare you show your face to us!?” Jiyong shouted as he was about to run to where Junhyung was, but Kharon stopped him from doing so. Like what he said, they were still too weak. Even though Junhyung’s alone, they’d still be too weak to fight him.

     “I’m not here to fight,” said Junhyung as he went to where Hyunseung was.

     Sunggyu wanted to push him away from his brother. After all, he struck lightning on him yesterday. But even though Sunggyu was burning inside, and he felt like his weapon would appear any minute, Kharon was trying his best to stop him. So he didn’t make any move and just looked at Junhyung who was standing in front of their ‘lusty brother’.

     “Hey, Hyunseung…” said Junhyung as a bouquet of roses suddenly appeared on his hands. Then he handed it over to Hyunseung and continued, “ Go out with me. “

     “What!?”

     With those four words, the six were suddenly burning in anger.

     Like literally…

EARLIER…

     “I know!” Junhyung shouted, quickly making everyone look at him.

     “What is it Junhyung?” Woohyun curiously asked.

     Junhyung was staring at his reflection on the mirror as he stated, “PLAN B, we need to make them fall in love with us. “

• END -

SDS1 10: CONFUSED

“HEY HYUNSEUNG,” JUNHYUNG CALLED out, then a bouquet of roses appeared on his hand like magic. He handed it over to Hyunseung and casually asked him, “Go out with me.”

     “What!?” 

     The whole world stopped, well not literally, but for Hyunseung, it did. A lot of guys asked him out before, but this was the first time he felt something weird inside him. There was even a moment where he wanted to say yes in front of all his brothers. 

     Was Junhyung hypnotizing him?

     “What’s your answer babe?” Junhyung bravely asked with a smirk on his face, making Hyunseung’s brother’s even more furious. But Jiyong was the most affected. He looked at Junhyung with disgust as he thought to himself,  “The nerve with this guy. Did he really think our Hyunseung would just say yes to you?”  

     “Is it a yes or a no?” Junhyung asked once again.

     Hyunseung smiled sweetly and took the bouquet on Junhyung’s hand, making his brothers’ eyes widen from shock on what Hyunseung just did. So Junhyung happily smiled back and said, “So, is it a yes?”

     Hyunseung didn’t reply. But his happy expression just a few seconds ago quickly changed into a killer glare.

     “I might be the son of lust, but I will not give in with something as stupid as this one,” Hyunseung angrily stated, then the bouquet of roses was caught on fire in an instant while Hyunseung continued to hold onto it. 

     People started looking at them too. I guess they thought they were doing some kind of magic trick.

     “Bastard…” Hyunseung said, the bouquet now turned into ashes. He looked back at Junhyung once more and left without anything else to say. Leaving their brothers to handle Junhyung for him.

     Junhyung just stared at the ashes on the ground. He couldn’t believe that he was dumped on his first try. Even worse, it’s in front of the demons too.

     Well honestly, what did he expect?

     “That’s our JS,” Jiyong stated with a proud smirk on his face. He knew that Hyunseung wasn’t that kind of guy. But if he was, he’d be sure that he wouldn’t say yes to such a jerk like Junhyung. But if Jiyong could control his temper, Sunggyu for sure couldn’t, especially since he wasn’t wearing the ring. So he went to where Junhyung was and pulled his shirt towards him.

     “What’s that all about, huh punk?! You trying to trick us or something?!” Sunggyu angrily asked, but Junhyung didn’t reply, only pissing Sunggyu even more, “Answer me!”

     Sunggyu was about to punch Junhyung but someone suddenly grabbed his arm. This time it wasn’t Kharon who stopped him, it was Nam Woohyun of the Arcs.

     “We’re not here to fight,” Woohyun stated as he slowly lets go of Sunggyu’s hand before heading to Junhyung’s side.

     “Are you okay?” Woohyun asked as he was looking at his sad brother.

     Sunggyu thought that this was all ridiculous, so he angrily looked back at the two Arcs who almost killed them yesterday, “What’s with this shit? Do you think we’ll just let you be?”

     “Father Phanuel…” Woohyun stated, making everyone confused.

     “What about him?” Minhyuk asked, a little familiar of who that angel was.

     Woohyun looked at the deadly brothers and continued, “He asked us to make things right with you.” 

     As Woohyun finished his sentence, everyone was even more confused, even Kharon. Why all of a sudden? Why did their father want to make things right with them? Weren’t they destined to kill each other?

     “Something’s fishy here,” Taeil stated, a little doubtful of what that jerk just said. So Woohyun immediately defended, “It was an order, and we had no right to decline it. We don’t know what they’re up to but we wouldn’t care at all. This was an order given to us by one of the highest ranked angels on heaven.”

     The six sons were starting to believe Woohyun’s lie. They thought that maybe what he was saying was true. After all, these are angels. They’re like the nicest creatures alive. But there was one brother who still didn’t believe it, and that was Suho. Suho was a con-artist. He knew all the tricks and lies a person could do or say, so he knew this was a plan to trick them.

     “Do you expect us to believe that crap?” Suho asked.

     Woohyun sighed and told him, “We know you won’t believe us, and we expected that already. We just wanted to say we’re so…s-so..s-sorry…there I said it.”

    The brothers suddenly felt the hair of their skin stand up. What was that? Why did they suddenly feel like puking when they heard him apologize? Was it because they felt like it wasn’t sincere at all?

     “But don’t get us wrong. We’re still rivals. Our father’s just doesn’t like it when we do a lot of bad things just to defeat you. We’ll end you for sure, but not this way. So in behalf of Mark, we apologize,” Woohyun stated before bowing in front of the brothers.

    “Oh please,” Jackson stated as he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

     Kharon stood there too, trying his best not to laugh on what the Arcs were trying to do.

    “We need to go. Let’s go Junhyung,” Woohyun then said. But before Junhyung and Woohyun could leave, Taeil quickly signaled Suho. Without asking what the signal was about, Suho already knew what Taeil was thinking about, so Suho ran to where Woohyun was and held his shoulder.

     “If what you’re saying is true then…” Suho took the opportunity and quickly stared at Woohyun’s face, but he suddenly felt his head hurting so he immediately stopped and said instead, “Then we forgive you…I guess.”

    Woohyun smiled and nodded his head. Then the two of them left the scene. 

     When the two were out of sight, Sunggyu quickly went to Suho whose head was hurting.

     “So, did you see anything?” Sunggyu asked him.

    Suho was hitting his head as he replied, “I’m sorry but I didn’t absorb any of his knowledge. I’m still too weak to perform anything.”

    Sunggyu sighed and thanked Suho anyway. At least he tried even though he knew that he was still too tired to even do it.

    “Looks like you have another problem to solve my sons. Imagine that this is your first physical mission,” Kharon stated when everyone shifted their attention to him. Then Jackson replied, “We don’t need to solve anything because it’s already obvious that they’re planning something bad. Who in the right mind would attack us and ask one of us to date them the following day?”

     “We don’t know anything yet. What you’re saying could be true and it can also be false. But its Hyunseung’s decision if he wants to get tricked or not. Do you understand me now?” Kharon seriously stated as he looked at the sons.

     “Yes Kharon,” everyone answered.

     “Now get back to class,” Kharon finished, and then vanished before people could even see him.

     “You heard him, let’s go brothers. We’ll talk about this problem some other time,” Sunggyu commanded all of them left and proceeded to Minhyuk’s house except for Hyunseung who already left to head back to his own house instead.

---

The next day, the brothers woke up at Minhyuk’s bedroom. They decided that they wouldn’t go to class yesterday and just talk about the problem at hand. Kharon would obviously be pissed off, but they had no choice. They had to talk about what happened with Junhyung and Hyunseung.

     “Sunggyu! Hurry it up or we’ll be late for sure!” Jiyong shouted as he and the rest of his brothers were waiting outside Minhyuk’s residence.

     “Found it!” said Sunggyu as he showed his brothers his phone.

     All of them walked their way to HAU, hoping that they’ll meet their lustful brother there. They called him several times but he never answered his phone. The rest didn’t do anything else because he might just get even more pissed off. 

     Well, who wouldn’t right? Getting hit by lightning by a jerk then suddenly being asked on a date by the exact same person is pretty inhuman if you ask me. So Hyunseung has all the rights of being pissed off.

     “Where the fuck could JS be?” Minhyuk asked, a little concerned about his former best friend now called brother.

     “How about we split up?” Taeil suggested, then he looked at the rest of the sons and continued, “Let’s go to our class first. If JS is still out of sight then message us and let’s just skip our first class and look for him. I know that we should be giving Hyunseung his so-called space , but I think he had all the space that he needed from last night.”

     Ting**Ting

     “It’s the bell, we better go,” Jackson stated.

     “He’s right. Let’s just stick to Taeil’s plan and go,” Sunggyu commanded, and everyone followed.

     On the other hand, Jang Hyunseung was walking down the streets like he didn’t even know the place. He was confused, no doubt, but what he’s more confused about was that he almost said yes yesterday. He clearly knew that this was a plan the Arcs did to trick not only him but the rest of his brothers, but why was he willing to be tricked like that so easily?

     “Ahh!” Hyunseung shouted in frustration as he clenched his fist until his palm was turning red on how hard his nails were pushing it. His powers were showing and he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t even sleep last night because of the same reason. So while Hyunseung was “ trying “ to control his powers without the help of their ring, someone familiar suddenly arrived in front of him.

     “Look who we have here, if it isn’t Jang Hyunseung.” 

     Hyunseung turned around and shouted in surprise, “Trey!”

      NOTE:  Trey will be introduced further in the next chapter.

     “What are you doing here?” Hyunseung quickly asked him.

     “Following you of course.” Trey smiled evilly.

     Hyunseung smirked back and told him, “Right timing because I’m going to explode if I don’t release this.”

     Trey looked confused as Hyunseung slowly lifted his right hand, summoning his deadly weapon. But in a split second, someone covered Hyunseung’s eyes and whispered, “Whoa there demon. We don’t want them to find out about your true identity, right?”

     “Who are you?!” Hyunseung shouted confusingly; a little surprise on the sudden turn of events. But the man was still covering Hyunseung’s eyes, making it unable for Hyunseung to know who he was.

     “You know what hurts the most?” the man asked, but Hyunseung didn’t answer, so he continued, “Is that you fell in love with someone you’re not allowed to have.”

     Hyunseung’s body suddenly stiffened as he asked, “What did you say?”

     With all his might, Hyunseung quickly removed the man’s hand and pushed him away. And to his surprise, Yong Junhyung welcomed him, shocking Hyunseung even more. But Junhyung ignored Hyunseung’s reaction as he looked deeply at Hyunseung’s eyes and said, “Is this part of your powers Jang Hyunseung? If it is then please stop. Because if I end up falling in love with you…we might end up committing a sin that we both cannot repent on.”

• END -

P R O F I L E S

D E M O N S

BIRTH DATE: June 06, 1996

EDUCATION: 1ST YEAR students at Holy Angels University

GUARDIAN: KHARON the Third (The Ferryman)

COMMON DEMON ABILITY: Producing fire & Teleportation

“ Him that soweth discord among brethren .“

JANG HYUNSEUNG “JS”

SIN: Prince of  LUST

FATHER: ASMODEUS Ruler of Realm Lust

GUARDIAN: Sphynx cat  LUXURIA (Female)

POWERS: Audible Inundation: The power to overwhelm someone’s mind with lustful voices.

                       Kiss of Death: (Full Demon Power) The ability to burn someone’s soul by one kiss. 

“A deceitful witness that uttereth lies.”

LEE MINHYUK

SIN: Prince of GLUTTON

FATHER: BEELZEBUB Ruler of Realm Gluttony

GUARDIAN: Hamster  GULA  (Male)

POWERS: Life Draining: The ability to drain and absorb one’s energy and power.

                     Soul Absorption:  (Full Demon Power) The ability to take and absorb one’s soul.

“Feet that are swift to run into mischief.”

KIM JUN-MYEON “SUHO”

SIN: Prince of GREED

FATHER: MAMMON  Ruler of Realm Greed

GUARDIAN: Toad  AVARITIA  (Male)

POWERS: Knowledge Absorption: The ability to absorb all forms of knowledge.

                       Physic Reflection:  (Full Demon Power) The power to take and force back all forms of memory and emotions in order to overflow the mind until the brain is unusable.

“A heart that devices wicked plots.”

LEE TAEIL

SIN: Prince of SLOTH

FATHER: BELPHEGOR  Ruler of Realm Sloth

GUARDIAN: Snail  ACEDIA  (Male)

POWERS: Catrophamancy:  The ability to see distant people or places through mirrors.

                      Luring:  (Full Demon Power) The power to force someone, or a group of people/creatures, to obey one’s bidding.

“Hands that shed innocent blood.”

KIM SUNGGYU (The Leader)

SIN: Prince of WRATH

FATHER: SATAN  Ruler of Realm Wrath

GUARDIAN: Doberman Pinscher IRA  (Male)

POWERS: Fear Amplification: The power to force someone to see their greatest fears.

                      Memory Manipulation:  (Full Demon Power) The ability to alter or take one’s memory, and use it to bring them into never-ending darkness.

“A lying tongue.”

JACKSON WANG

SIN: Prince of ENVY

FATHER: LEVIATHAN  Ruler of Realm Envy

GUARDIAN: Scarlet Kingsnake  INVIDIA  (Female)

POWERS: Illusion Casting: The ability to create illusions or invisible objects, places, or people/creatures.

                       Glamouring:  (Full Demon Power) The power to change one’s appearance to any person or creature.

“A proud look.”

KWON JIYONG

SIN: Prince of PRIDE

FATHER: LUCIFER Ruler of Realm Pride

GUARDIAN: Peacock  SUPERBIA  (Female)

POWERS: Empathy: The ability to copy or absorb one’s power.

                       Cloning:  (Full Demon Power) The power to duplicate tens or hundreds of oneself while retaining the same strength, and ability. But the more they duplicate, the more the concentration will lessen.

A R C S

BIRTH DATE: July 07, 1997

EDUCATION: 1ST YEAR students at Holy Angels University

GUARDIAN: PARK DONGMIN  (St. Peter, the gatekeeper)

COMMON ANGEL ABILITY: Producing Lightning

“Who is like God.”

YONG JUNHYUNG

ROLE: LEADER of the Arcs

VIRTUE:  Holder of CHASTITY

FATHER: MICHAEL Leader of the Archangels

“I am the face of God.”

YOOK SUNGJAE

ROLE: FACE  of the Arcs

VIRTUE: Holder of TEMPERANCE

FATHER: PHANUEL Ruler of Ophanim

“It is God who heals.”

ZHANG YIXING

ROLE: HEALER  of the Arcs

VIRTUE: Holder of CHARITY

FATHER: RAPHAEL Healer of the Archangels

“God is my light.”

PYO JIHOON

ROLE: ADVISER  of the Arcs

VIRTUE: Holder of DILIGENCE

FATHER: URIEL  Instructor of the Archangels

“God is my strength.”

NAM WOOHYUN

ROLE: MESSENGER  of the Arcs

VIRTUE: Holder of PATIENCE

FATHER: GABRIEL  Messenger of God

“God is my friend.”

MARK TUAN YI-EN

ROLE: PEACEMAKER  of the Arcs

VIRTUE: Holder of KINDNESS

FATHER: RAGUEL  Archangel of Justice, Harmony & Vengeance

“Severity of God.”

CHOI SEUNGHYUN

ROLE: REDEEMER  of the Arcs

VIRTUE: Holder of HUMILITY

FATHER: SAMUEL  Archangel of Death

---

SDS1 11: YES OR NO

“I SAID STOP FOLLOWING me!” Hyunseung shouted at Junhyung, but Junhyung only looked at Hyunseung confusingly and asked, “HAU is that way.” 

     “I’m not going to school anymore so if you excuse me Mr. Yong Junhyung, I need to go. Because if you haven’t noticed, I’m weak as hell right now.” Hyunseung was about to leave when Junhyung pulled his arm towards him, “Hey, I just saved your butts from that Trey guy earlier. Can’t you even thank me for that?”

     Hyunseung pushed Junhyung away from him and answered, “Saved me? You made the fucking situation worse! So if you want to brag about what you did earlier, look for your good-for-nothing brothers and tell them about it. I bet they’d praise you for sure.”

     “Come on Hyunseung; don’t be so harsh on me. And besides, what I did earlier was a pretty nice move,” Junhyung confidently bragged.

     “Nice move!?” Hyunseung shouted as he walked away for another attempt, but as expected, Junhyung grabbed his wrist once more. He looked at Hyunseung with pleading eyes like it was telling him to “Stay”.

    Hyunseung sighed and asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice, “What the hell do you want from me Yong Junhyung?”

     “What I want? I want you to say yes, that’s what I want,” Junhyung quickly answered. But Hyunseung pushed Junhyung’s hand off his wrist and said, “If you’re thinking of tricking me then it’s not going to work because I’m not as stupid as you think. So just stop lying to me and leave me alone.”

     “I’m not lying to you!” Junhyung defended.

     “You’re lying, and I know it. Is it information? If you’re looking for information I don’t have any because most of our secrets are with Sunggyu, Jiyoung, and Jackson. If you want you can try asking them, so please just leave.”

     Hyunseung finally walked away, leaving Junhyung standing alone in the middle of the street. But he didn’t want to admit defeat, so Junhyung forcefully pulled Hyunseung’s shoulder so he could turn around and face him. He looked at the demon with a serious face and said, “Do you think I’m that low? If I wanted to look for information then I should have wasted my efforts on them, not you.”

     “Then why me?” Hyunseung desperately asked him, obviously exhausted.

     “Are you stupid or what?” Junhyung paused for a few seconds and continued, “I’m doing all I can for you. I’m breaking the rules for you. I’m trying my best to make you believe that what I’m doing is all true. Can’t you see Jang Hyunseung? I like…” But before Junhyung could finish his sweet message, Hyunseung shoots a very small fire ball inside Junhyung’s mouth, making him moan in pain.

     “Aw! W-what the hell do you think you’re doing right now?!” Junhyung shouted as he was brushing the ashes off of his tongue.

     “If you don’t leave I’ll shoot an even bigger ball inside your mouth, do you understand?!” Hyunseung angrily shouted at him. But Junhyung only smirked and stated, “Then can I pick the kind of ball you’re going to put…if you know what I mean.”

     Hyunseung quickly turns his back at Junhyung. He didn’t want Junhyung to see his flushed face because of what Junhyung just stupidly told him. He’s starting to think that his powers were affecting him as well because of the absence of his ring. Was it natural for him to feel butterfly’s inside his stomach as well? 

     All he knows is that he never felt this kind of sensation before. Maybe it was some kind of side effect.

     “What do you think the reaction of your brothers will be after they read the…”

     “Shut up!”

EARLIER THAT DAY

     “You know what hurts the most?” the man asked, but Hyunseung didn’t answer, so he continued, “Is that you fell in love with someone you’re not allowed to have.”

     Hyunseung’s body suddenly stiffened as he asked, “What did you say?”

     With all his might, Hyunseung quickly removed the man’s hand and pushed him away. And to his surprise, Yong Junhyung welcomed him, shocking Hyunseung even more. But Junhyung ignored Hyunseung’s reaction as he looked deeply at Hyunseung’s eyes and said, “Is this part of your powers Jang Hyunseung? If it is then please stop. Because if I end up falling in love with you…we might end up committing a sin that we both cannot repent on.”

     When Hyunseung heard what Junhyung just disgustedly told him, he instantly had the urge to punch the guy, but he tried his best to push him away instead.

     “What do you think you’re doing?” Hyunseung asked with an angry expression.

     “ I’m saving you, “ Junhyung quickly whispered.

     Hyunseung chuckled and looked at Junhyung, “Are you serious right now? Leave me alone.”

     “Are you walking away from me right now?!” Junhyung shouted at him.

     As the two were bickering at each other, Trey just stood there, staring.

     To avoid wasting time, let me introduce to you Kim Tai, also known as Trey. Trey was the president of the newspaper club. Well, he WAS, after he made a false article about Jang Hyunseung when they were in high school. To tell you the truth, Hyunseung was pretty famous back then ( even now ), so Trey thought of making an article about him to make everyone interested in the schools newspaper for once. But the students didn’t like it even for a bit, so they kicked Trey out of the club.

    “Hey! Kim Tai of Class 3-B!” Junhyung shouted as he finished talking to Hyunseung and looked at Trey’s direction. 

     Junhyung was still holding Hyunseung’s arm, and Hyunseung was too weak to fight back.

     “What?” Trey asked with both of his hands inside his pockets. He wasn’t interested in Junhyung at all, so he thought that he didn’t have to pay attention to him at all.

     “If you don’t leave right now, I’m going to do something really bad to you,” Junhyung stated, making Trey start laughing. He didn’t want to believe in anything this first-year student was telling him.

     “What’s your problem anyway? I didn’t do anything to Hyunseung yet. As a matter of fact, I haven’t even done anything yet. So what’s the fuss all about?” Trey asked with his right eyebrow raised.

     “You might be right, but I know pretty well that you’re planning to do something in the future, am I right, Kim Tai of Class 3-B?” Junhyung asked, making Trey look at him annoyingly.

     Trey slowly puts his hands out of his pockets and clenched his fist in irritation, “Hey asshole, my name is not ’ Kim Tai of Class 3-B ’ it’s Trey.”

     Junhyung just smiled at him evilly and stated, “I’ll call you what I want to call you.”

     Trey finally snapped. He went closer to Junhyung and shouted, “Who do you think you are!?”

     Before Trey could land a blow, Junhyung started speaking, “You were the president of the newspaper club, correct? Then I’m sure you wouldn’t want to see your old club members write about you getting beaten up by a freshman right?” Junhyung asked with a smirk on his face, completely disregarding what Trey just said.

     “Are you mocking me right now?! Who do you think you are, huh punk? Did you research about my life or something?!” Trey angrily shouted at him.

     Junhyung lets go of Hyunseung’s arm and went even closer to Trey until they were only a few inches apart from each other. Now that they were facing one another, Junhyung looked at Trey’s eyes deeply and said, “Who am I? Well, I’m the leader of a famous brotherhood called Arcs. Does it ring a bell…huh, punk?”

     Trey suddenly froze in place. He stared back at Junhyung and moved a step backward when he realized something, “Y-You’re…you’re…Y-Yong…Junhyung?!”

     Junhyung looked directly into his eyes and said, “Gotcha…”

     Trey almost fainted when he realized that the man that he was shouting at was actually the leader of a strong group that was currently being feared at the university.

     “You might not do anything to Hyunseung yet, but I know that you’ll do something to him in the future. So to prevent those happenings, I’m going to warn you ahead of time. If you ever lay a finger on my Hyunseung, your dead as fuck, you hear me?!” Junhyung shouted, making Trey flinch.

     Trey gulped loudly and replied, “Y-Yes…I g-got it…”

     “Wait a second. Did you just fucking said ’ my’ Hyunseung?” Hyunseung suddenly asked, but both men didn’t even bother to look at him.

     Trey didn’t know what to do at that moment. Should he run away or just stay still to avoid any further damage?

     “Let’s do it again. Kim Tai of Class 3-B, If you don’t leave right now, I’m going to do something really bad to you,” Junhyung repeated, but calmer this time.

     Trey quickly nodded his head and answered, “Yes sir!” He was about to leave, but Junhyung suddenly stopped him again. 

     “Ah wait, before you leave I have an idea,” Junhyung suddenly stated. As Trey shifted his attention back to Junhyung, he continued, “Why don’t you go back to your club and start making an article?”

     “Even i-if…I wanted to…I’m not a member of the…” Before he could finish, Trey’s phone suddenly rang. He slowly reached his phone out of his pocket and answered it, “Hello? Yes, this is me…huh? What? Really?! Thank you so much!”

     Hyunseung looked at Trey with shock. Then he looked at Junhyung, but Junhyung didn’t say anything and just continued to smirk. After the call, Trey wanted to show his excitement, but he didn’t want to look even lower in front of the freshmen anymore. So Junhyung looked back at Trey and said, “So, ‘Hyunseung of Demons…finally said yes to the leader of Arcs’ , how does that sound?”

     “What?!” Hyunseung reacted, but no one still bothered to listen to him.

     “I-I’ll make it right away and publish it quickly,” Trey stated before running away in excitement. 

     Hyunseung tried to catch him but it was too late, Trey was already gone.

     “He acted so tough, but in reality the dude was like every other prideful mortal, right?” Junhyung asked as he faced Hyunseung. But as he faced him, Hyunseung quickly went to him and pulled the collar of his shirt towards him.

     “You fucking planned this didn’t you!?” Hyunseung angrily asked him.

     Junhyung didn’t answer but kept on smiling at himself. So Hyunseung pushed Junhyung and said, “You’re fucking hopeless!”

PRESENT TIME

     So apparently, because of Junhyung, Hyunseung seriously didn’t come to his class. He decided to stay at a café that was nearby because he wanted to sort things out with Junhyung. He was thinking of dumb ways on how to actually make him stop chasing after him when it was clearly a plan to trick him and his brothers. 

     He thought of killing him at first, but he knew he was too weak to even do that. He even thought of mastering his demon powers so he could finally kiss the bitch and kill him ( Kiss of Death ). But most of his ideas ( Actually, all of it ), were useless and impossible. For a smart teenager like Hyunseung, he actually ran out of solutions.

     “So, where are we going next?” Junhyung asked with a bright smile on his face.

     Before Hyunseung could execute a plan on how to assassinate Junhyung, he had to make him LEAVE him first.

     “I’m really bored!” Junhyung shouted, making Hyunseung take a deep breath because of frustration.

     Junhyung was sitting in front of Hyunseung while drinking the coffee he ordered just a few minutes ago. He’s been following Hyunseung since earlier and Hyunseung’s been trying his best to brush him off but nothing was working. He wanted to run and just leave Junhyung, but he knew that Junhyung wasn’t just a human, he was an angel too, so he’d find Hyunseung in a matter of seconds if he wanted to.

     “Hyunseung, how come you’re always quiet? Are you usually like that to your brothers? Or are you just like that in front of me?” Junhyung innocently asked.

     “Can you shut up?!” Hyunseung shouted, catching the attention of all the customers inside the café.

     “I was just asking,” Junhyung defended as he took a sip from his coffee again.

     “If you’re that bored then leave and do something less boring!” Hyunseung angrily stated. But Junhyung didn’t look fazed as he leaned closer to Hyunseung and smirked, “But it’s going to be even more boring if you’re not with me,” he suddenly told him, making Hyunseung gulp all of a sudden.

     Junhyung kept on saying these cheesy lines and it’s making JS feel weird.

     “Why can’t you just say yes? One date wouldn’t be that hard right? If you don’t like it then I won’t bother you anymore. To tell you the truth, the reason why I’m doing this is because Father Phanuel got mad at us and told me that I should make it up with you for hitting lightning at you and practically making you unconscious. But as time passed by, I just really want to do it with you,” Junhyung suddenly explained.

     Hyunseung placed his coffee down and seriously looked at Junhyung. He actually looked interested in what Junhyung was telling him now. 

     I guess Junhyung’s plan of grabbing Hyunseung’s attention finally worked.

     “I wanted to experience the life of a normal teenager. You know, like drinking, and partying. Going on a date, and falling in love. And I thought that I could only do it with you”, Junhyung seriously stated, now looking directly at Hyunseung’s eyes.

     “Why are you saying this now Yong Junhyung? To me of all people,” Hyunseung confusingly asked as he looked at Junhyung who was looking back at him seriously.

     “That’s because I’m jealous,” Junhyung suddenly revealed, confusing Hyunseung even more. But instead of asking about it further, he chuckled and said instead, “Jealous? Oh, of being a whore and a slut? Because that’s what you told me in front of everyone at the cafeteria.”

     Junhyung sighed and looked away, almost like he was ashamed for saying that.

     “I’m really sorry about that okay? I was instructed to make you angry so I had no choice,” Junhyung suddenly answered.

     “No choice to embarrass me in front of everyone at school?!” Hyunseung angrily shouted at him.

     Junhyung looked at him apologetically, but instead of answering Hyunseung’s question, he said instead, “I’m jealous of you and your brothers. You experienced normal things, not like us. We were born and raised to become perfect soldiers of God. We were taught of nothing else but to defeat you and kill you for the sake of mankind…”

     Junhyung paused and suddenly looked out of the window, “But mankind’s already full of destruction even without your help. So what’s the point, right? They told us that the seven of you perfectly described the word ’ destruction ’.

You were evil, the baddest of the bad. They told us you were the perfect copies of the King of Hell himself,“ Junhyung explained.

    Junhyung then looked back at Hyunseung and surprisingly placed his warm hands on top of Hyunseung’s hand. 

     Hyunseung didn’t know what to do. For some reason, he suddenly felt sad about Junhyung’s past. He was starting to feel guilty about the thought of killing him, but guilt was something a demon should never have, so it was confusing him even more.

     Junhyung looked at Hyunseung once more and said, “But you’re not what they said you were. I don’t see destruction and evil at all. All I see is that you’re all good people. You didn’t even know you were a demon in the first place.”

    Hyunseung was about to say something but Junhyung quickly cuts him off. He was afraid that the warm momentum that he was trying to make would suddenly disappear if Hyunseung said something now.

     “We didn’t choose this path. Killing each other wasn’t our intention. We were told to because both parties told us it was the right thing to do. But we still have a choice if we’ll do it or not, and that’s what I like about being half-human, we have the freedom to choose,” Junhyung explained. Then he finally lets go of Hyunseung’s hand. 

     Hyunseung wanted to punch himself because he was suddenly starting to miss the warmth of Junhyung’s hands over his.

     “Let’s go,” Junhyung casually stated as he stood up and offered his hands to Hyunseung. 

     Hyunseung wanted to grab it but refused to do so. He stood up on his own, but his legs suddenly felt weak. Thankfully Junhyung caught him just in time before he could hit the ground.

     “H-Hyunseung…are you alright?” he asked him, genuinely worried.

     But Hyunseung didn’t answer. He was finally weaker than before. The absence of the ring has finally kicked in. He needed his ring, but it was still with Jackson’s care. He had no choice but to fight back.

     “Hyunseung, do you want me to bring you to the hospital?” Junhyung asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

     Hyunseung didn’t answer again, but he gathered all of his strength just to say this single word, “ Yes…“ Hyunseung slowly and softly told him.

     “What did you say?” Junhyung asked as he held Hyunseung’s shoulder even tighter.

     Hyunseung gathered his strength once again and said it clearer this time, “ I-I’ll…g-go out…with you. “ But before Junhyung could even react, Hyunseung fainted.

---

The six sons were standing in the middle of the hallway. Taeil was holding a newspaper that was released just a few minutes ago by the newspaper club. 

     The six sons had their eyes and mouth wide open because of the news’ headline.

     “Where the fuck…” Sunggyu stated as he took the newspaper from Taeil’s hand and crumpled it before throwing it to the ground. Then he angrily continued, “Is Jang Hyunseung?!”

• END -

SDS1 12: A DATE TO REMEMBER

HYUNSEUNG WOKE UP AFTER  13 hours of sleep. He was back in his room, feeling a lot better than yesterday. Then he looked at his finger and saw that he was now wearing his ring.

     “Wait, was I dreaming?” Hyunseung asked himself, but someone surprisingly answered, “You fucking think that was a dream?”

     Hyunseung quickly sat up and saw his six brothers standing on the right side of his bed, everyone now wearing their rings as well.

     “What are you guys doing here. No wait…how did I even get here?” Hyunseung confusingly asked. Minhyuk sat down beside Hyunseung and said, “Mom said a handsome man with white hair carried you here and left.”

     Sunggyu then glared at Hyunseung and stated with his arms crossed, “And who the fuck could that be, huh Hyunseung?”

     “Come on Sunggyu, don’t be mad at JS. We don’t know the real story behind that article anyway,” Taeil stated, trying to calm his brother down.

     Jiyong sat at the chair beside Hyunseung’s desk and said, “We were looking for him the whole day yesterday, only to find out he was flirting with a jerk named Yong Junhyung. Isn’t that worth getting mad for Taeil?”

     Suho quickly went in between them and said, “Hey, let’s not argue.”

     “I didn’t flirt with anyone,” Hyunseung quickly defended as he stood up and went in front of the mirror. He looked at himself for a few seconds and suddenly mumbled, “We’re humans. We have the choice to choose the one’s we want to love, and the one’s we want to kill.”

     The sons looked at their brother with shock and confusion. They couldn’t understand why Hyunseung was acting like that all of a sudden.

     “What the hell are you saying?!” Sunggyu asked when he went to Hyunseung and pulled his shoulder so Hyunseung could look back at him. But Hyunseung doesn’t say anything so Sunggyu continued, “Do I need to punch you so you could come back to your senses Jang Hyunseung?! We’re not humans, we’re demons. There’s a difference between the two. We’re Demons now JS and we have to accept that. There’s nothing that we could have done so now we’re here. Don’t let that angel corrupt your brain with things that will make them have the ability to twist you around.”

     Hyunseung ignored what Sunggyu just said and looked at him seriously, “We didn’t even know we were demons in the first place Sunggyu. Killing someone wasn’t really in our future plans. If it weren’t for that letter then we wouldn’t be doing this shit at all.”

     “So what? Did that angel tell that to you too? Don’t you hear how stupid you’re sounding right now Hyunseung?” Sunggyu angrily told him, but Hyunseung fired back and said, “What’s stupid is us being so comfortable about killing someone when we couldn’t even hurt a person a few months ago!”

     Everyone was suddenly shocked on what Hyunseung just said. The words actually pierced right through them that they ended up looking away from him.

     “We didn’t know we were supposed to kill someone, let alone a bunch of angels. But since someone told us we’re demons, we automatically have this mindset that we have to fucking do it!” Hyunseung protested, but Sunggyu wasn’t backing down either, “We might not have known but we were already destined to do so. The demon blood was already in our veins. We’re sons of demons and your brothers are demons, just face it!”

     Hyunseung paused then suddenly glared at their leader, “I am Jang Hyunseung…and for all I know, I don’t have a fucking demon brother like you!” Hyunseung shouted, finally making Sunggyu punch him. 

     Hyunseung fell on the ground, so Taeil and Minhyuk quickly went to where he was and helped him up.

     “Sunggyu! Why did you do that?!” Suho asked as he watched his brothers help Hyunseung up.

     “Sunggyu, wasn’t that too much?” Jackson added, but Sunggyu only glared at them. The six clearly saw the dark aura surrounding Sunggyu, but the truth was, he wasn’t angry at Hyunseung, he was worried; worried that Hyunseung might get hurt with the decisions he’s making.

     “Let go of me,” Hyunseung stated when he pushed Minhyuk and Taeil away from him. He slowly stood up and wiped the blood on the side of his mouth. He was about to leave the room, but Sunggyu grabbed him and punched him for the second time, shocking the brothers even more.

     “Sunggyu! That’s enough!” Suho shouted, and this time, it was him who helped Hyunseung up.

     “Stop it Sunggyu!” Minhyuk shouted at his brother. He tried to drain Sunggyu’s energy too but Sunggyu didn’t budge. He forgot that their powers don’t affect their own brothers. So Sunggyu came running towards Hyunseung and punched him once more before Hyunseung could even stand.

     “I said stop!” Minhyuk shouted again. He couldn’t just watch his best friend get beaten up by a higher ranked brother.

      Jiyong and the rest of the brothers just stared at the two. They couldn’t do anything anymore. They knew that Sunggyu would be unstoppable if he’s furious. Hyunseung on the other hand, was now lying on the floor while Sunggyu was sitting on top of him, pulling Hyunseung’s shirt closer to him.

     “Don’t be fooled because of what that guy said! Don’t ruin all our father’s plans just because of what that guy said. Don’t throw our hard work just because of what that guy said…” Sunggyu suddenly stopped. Then Hyunseung felt something drop on his face.

     Sunggyu was crying… blood.

     Kharon explained this to them before. When a demon cries water, it could be that he’s happy or its tears with no emotions ( AKA fake ). But when a demon cries blood, it means he’s hurt, in pain, or sad…

     “ Sunggyu… “ Jiyong called out with concern, and Sunggyu finally lets go of Hyunseung as he said, “Don’t tell me…that you don’t have brothers…because of what that guy said.” Then Sunggyu stood up. 

     Jackson and Jiyong were about to approach him but Sunggyu quickly went out of the door and left.

     “Hyunseung, are you alright?” Minhyuk asked as he ran to where his ‘beaten-up’ brother was.

     “I’m fine,” he answered without looking at him.

     Hyunseung stood up. A few minutes ago, he was feeling a lot better than before, but now he felt even worse. He wiped the blood on his face once again, then Jiyong went to where Hyunseung was and doesn’t say anything. Instead, he lifted his fist at Hyunseung, but before he could land a punch, Jackson held Jiyong’s fist and pushed it away.

     “Hyunseung had enough beating, don’t you think Kwon Jiyong?” Jackson asked him.

     Jiyong glared at Jackson and pushed him away. Then he went to Hyunseung again and pulled his shirt towards him. Hyunseung was avoiding eye contact with Jiyong but Jiyong continued anyway, “Don’t ever make our leader cry…because of an Arc.” Then he lets go of Hyunseung and followed Sunggyu out.

     “ I’m sorry …“ Hyunseung whispered as he was staring at the ground.

     “It’s okay Hyunseung, you don’t need to apologize. We’re not mad, we’re just…shocked, that’s all,” Suho tried to explain.

     Hyunseung looked at Jackson but Jackson didn’t look back at him. It only made Hyunseung feel bad about himself even more.

     “I’m sorry…” Hyunseung said once more.

     Taeil went to where he was and held his shoulder gently, “You don’t need to-” But before Taeil could finish, Hyunseung cuts him off and continued, “I’m sorry because…I’m still going on that date.”

     “W-What?!” his brothers asked from shock.  

     “Are you out of your mind Hyunseung?” Minhyuk asked, trying his best to act calm.

     “He’s tricking us. He’s tricking YOU. We know that you know that pretty well, and the last person they could fool is you JS,” Minhyuk tried to explain.

     “I know Minhyuk, but I still need to go with him. He told me he won’t hurt me, then I’ll…”

     Minhyuk finally snapped. He took the lamp on Hyunseung’s side table and threw it as far as he could, startling everyone.

     “Minhyuk!” Taeil shouted in surprise.

     “Are you fucking hearing yourself right now Hyunseung?! Sunggyu fucking punched you for a reason! Why, did you think he did it for fun!? He wanted you to snap back to your senses and rethink things through. In the start, I knew you would decline, even when I read the article I knew you would never make such a shitty decision, but now…hearing it from your own mouth…it sickens me,” Minhyuk said angrily, but Hyunseung didn’t say anything and just looked away.

     Jackson dragged Taeil out of the room. It was obvious he didn’t want to hear the two quarrel with each other, and he also knew that Taeil didn’t have to hear them either. So as the two left the scene, Suho looked at Minhyuk, then to Hyunseung, then back to Minhyuk. He gave out a loud sigh and followed Jackson and Taeil out of the room as well.

     “If we’re not brothers…then aren’t we best friends?” Minhyuk asked, but Hyunseung still didn’t answer.

     “I-I don’t want…to see you hurt Hyunseung,” Minhyuk finally told him. Then he took his backpack and was ready to leave, but he looked at Hyunseung for the last time and said, “Go to that date…and you will never see me talk to you again.”

OUTSIDE THE JANG RESIDENCE

     “Sunggyu…”

     Jiyong followed Sunggyu outside. He pulled Sunggyu’s hand but Sunggyu was still too strong, so he pushed it away from him.

     “Sunggyu, I’m talking to you so can you at least look at me,” Jiyong stated, trying to catch up with his brother.

     “What?!” Sunggyu finally asked as he looked at Jiyong. His eyes were red, and a trail of blood that came from his eyes to his chin was visible. Jiyong forcefully pulled Sunggyu closer to him. He held his wrist tightly and took a handkerchief out from his pocket. Then Jiyong started cleaning his brother’s face until all the bloodstains were gone.

    “Hyunseung was just…confused, that’s all,” Jiyong stated as he slowly lets go of Sunggyu and placed his handkerchief back in his pocket. Then he looked back at Sunggyu and continued, “And you’re our leader. If you start crying we’re all gonna start crying too.”

     Sunggyu finally calmed down. He looked at his brother and chuckled, “Then I should have cried some more.”

     “Let’s save that for a funeral,” Jiyong quickly answered, then both of them started laughing. Sunggyu smiled and patted Jiyong’s head like he was a kid, “Thanks…brother.”

     “Hey! The hair, don’t ruin it,” Jiyong stated as he pushed Sunggyu’s hand away and started fixing his hair, making Sunggyu chuckle again. After fixing his hair, Jiyong stared at the window of Hyunseung’s room, “So, about Jang Hyunseung and Yong Junhyung. What are we going to do?”

     Sunggyu’s ring started glowing upon the mention of Junhyung’s name. This time, Sunggyu WAS angry.

     “I’m not letting them fool my brother,” Sunggyu declared. But then he looked at the sky and clenched his fist, “No…I’m not letting them fool a prince.”

---

Hyunseung texted Junhyung and told him to wait for him at the park near his house. Even after the drama earlier, Hyunseung still went to the date with Junhyung. As soon as he arrived at their meeting place, Junhyung instantly saw Hyunseung and ran to where he was.

     “What happened to your face!?” Junhyung asked the moment he approached him. He was about to touch the bruise on Hyunseung’s face, but Hyunseung quickly avoided him.

    “Ah, I’m sorry,” Junhyung awkwardly stated.

     Hyunseung didn’t say anything else, making the whole atmosphere even more awkward.

     “Wait, are you sure it’s okay to go on a date on school days? Isn’t it better to just go during the weekends?” Junhyung then asked just so the two of them wouldn’t just stare at each other in silence.

     Hyunseung started walking away instead of answering the question, quickly making Junhyung follow beside him. When they were walking at the same pace now, Hyunseung finally answered, “It’s okay. I didn’t want to go to school today anyway.” 

     “If you say so, but, where do you want to go? Do you want to go to an amusement park? Or we could watch a movie or…”

     “Let’s eat lunch,” Hyunseung suggested, surprising Junhyung because he wasn’t expecting that he would even suggest anything.

     “Okay, then after that we could…”

     “Go home,” Hyunseung quickly finished.

     This wasn’t the ‘date’ Junhyung had in mind but he nodded his head anyway, “Well, okay then. We could eat then leave afterward. So, where do you want to eat?” Junhyung then asked as he looked at his supposed date.

      Hyunseung doesn’t answer and brought Junhyung to the restaurant where her mother gave him the box that contained the letter and the ring. It was weird to bring him there, but there was no second meaning behind it.

     “Wow, classy,” Junhyung stated as they approached the receptionist who instantly recognized Hyunseung.

     “Oh, Mr. Jang, you’re not with your mother today?” she asked as she was staring at the man beside Hyunseung.

     “No, I’m with my ’ friend ’ today,” Hyunseung answered, emphasizing the word friend.

     “I see. So table for two?” she asked, and Hyunseung nodded. The two of them followed the receptionist to their table. When she showed them their seats and left, Hyunseung and Junhyung sat down as a waitress handed them the menu.

     While Junhyung was looking at the menu, Hyunseung didn’t even wait for him and started taking their order.

     “Okay then, your order will be served after 5 minutes,” then the waitress took the menu from Hyunseung’s hand and left.

     “Wait, don’t tell me you’re going to pay for this?” Junhyung quickly asked. He didn’t want Hyunseung to pay since he was the one who forced Hyunseung to go on the said date in the first place.

     “Who said I was? You’re going to pay for it of course,” Hyunseung stated with a smirk, surprising Junhyung, “If I’m going to pay then you should have made me pick my order at least,” he told Hyunseung.

    Hyunseung smiled evilly and said back, “You wouldn’t understand the menu anyway so just shut up and eat the food I ordered.”

    “Hey, Demon, are you calling me stupid right now?” Junhyung playfully asked. Hyunseung didn’t answer but kept on smiling until he started playing with his fork. 

     They were silent for a few seconds but Junhyung broke the silence again as he said, “Let me just clarify to you that this is a onetime thing. If you don’t want to see me anymore it’s alright, at least I paid my debt. But if you want to hangout again then I’d love to go on another one.”

     Hyungseung continued playing with his fork. Without looking back at Junhyung, he asked, “Your point is?

     “Well, I just want to tell you that I’m not planning on anything to hurt you, or anything at all, so you don’t need to talk about your brothers or where your hideout is or stuff like that because I’m not interested. Like what I said, I want to make you believe that what I’m doing is because of my free will and…”

     Junhyung was cut off when Hyunseung slammed the fork down, “What do you like about me Junhyung?” He asked. Junhyung was taken aback. He didn’t know what to answer on the sudden question. But as Hyunseung continued to stare at him, Junhyung couldn’t help but gulp. He knew that Hyunseung wasn’t doing it intentionally, but the prince of lust was oozing out a pheromone that made Junhyung unknowingly feel hotter.

     Junhyung snapped back to his senses when a waiter bumped into him. He blinked and stared back at Hyunseung. Without thinking, he answered, “ Everything, “ like the words just automatically went out of his mouth without his knowledge.

     Hyunseung almost choked on air, and Junhyung blinked again, now in full control of himself.

      “Hyunseung, are you okay?” Junhyung asked.

      “I-I’m fine…” he quickly answered; trying his best to hide his flustered expression. He cleared his throat and composed himself. When Hyunseung was sitting back straight again, Junhyung cleared his throat and asked, “Well, I want to get to know you more Hyunseung. And I think I can start off by asking about what happened to your face.”

    Hyunseung arranged the fork on the table and still didn’t answer Junhyung’s question. So Junhyung tried again, “Hyunseung, did your brothers somehow…”

     “No…they didn’t,” he quickly answered, making it even more suspicious. But Junhyung didn’t comment about it anymore and said instead, “I see.”

     Junhyung obviously didn’t believe it but he insisted on not asking about it anymore, to not annoy Hyunseung.

     “Then, can you tell me something about yourself?” Junhyung asked instead.

     Hyunseung kept quiet for 3 long seconds before answering him, “Well, I’m the son of Asmodeus and I’m the first deadly son. It might be weird since I’m the prince of Lust too, but I guess that’s something you’ve known even before we did. I have six…”

     Junhyung quickly cut him off and told him, “Hyunseung, you’re right, what you’re telling me are things that I already know. Can you tell me something about YOU instead? Like what your likes are, what you hate, and what you love to do and eat.”

     Hyunseung didn’t want to tell him those things, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt if he did.

     “Well, I like watching movies and hanging out with my brothers. I have a spynx cat that I love so much, and I like…playing baseball.”

     “That’s better, now it’s my turn,” Junhyung stated. He sat up properly like he was in an interview, “Well, I like training. I’ve been friends with Seunghyun, since I was 10 so he’s my closest brother next to Mark and the others. I hate blood the most, I don’t know why though, maybe it’s because when we were kids, I lost a lot of blood because of an accidental training; it traumatized me for years. I thought I was dying! But good thing the angels healed me and I was better. But I do believe that it was my second life”, Junhyung explained, making Hyunseung chuckle.

     “Are you afraid of dying?” Hyunseung asked, shocking Junhyung on the sudden question.

     “Well, not really. When I die I’ll be in the arms of God and at the right side of my Father, Michael. We’ll be soldiers of heaven and that’s the biggest honor a half-angel like me can receive. What I’m afraid of is how I’m going to die. That’s what I’m really scared of,” Junhyung answered. 

     After hearing the angel’s answer, something pierced inside Hyunseung’s chest. Was he feeling guilty again?

     “How about you? What are you afraid of?” Junhyung asked him.

     “Mine’s kinda the opposite. I’m not afraid of how I’m going to die, but I’m afraid of after my death. If you’re a soldier of heaven, then I’d be one of the rulers of hell, and we’d still be killing each other, right?” Hyunseung answered a matter-of-factly.

     Junhyung didn’t say anything back because Hyunseung was right. Why are they killing each other if in the end, they’d still be killing each other, it was nonsense if you think about it.

     “Here’s your order sir,” the waitress stated when she arrived with the food.

     “Would you like anything else?” she asked them after placing their order on the table.

     “We’re alright, thank you,” Hyunseung answered. The waitress bowed and left, and then the two started eating.

     They were quiet the whole time. After their last conversation, Junhyung didn’t know what to talk about anymore since he was seriously dumbfounded by what Hyunseung told him. So after eating, Junhyung offered Hyunseung to walk him home. Hyunseung didn’t have a reason to decline the offer so he agreed.

     “My house is a few blocks away, you can leave me here,” Hyunseung stated.

     “Are you sure?”  Junhyung asked, insisting that he could still walk him all the way to his house.

     “I’m-” Hyunseung suddenly paused mid-sentence. 

     Junhyung looked confused so he turned around to see what Hyunseung was shocked about. But to his surprise, it was the six sons, walking their way home from school.

     “Isn’t that your brothers?” Junhyung asked as the six sons walked closer to where they were standing. 

     When they were now in front of Junhyung, Junhyung immediately backed away and said, “Hey guys, no hard feelings okay? I didn’t do anything to him anyway so you don’t need to hold a-” Junhyung stopped in shock because the six sons completely ignored them and walked away like they didn’t see anyone.

     “What the…did they not see us or-”

     “Junhyung,” Hyunseung called out. Junhyung slowly looked back at Hyunseung and discovered that he was already crying. His eyes widened from shock because he didn’t expect Hyunseung to actually cry in front of him, “H-Hyunseung…a-are you alright?!”

     With a forced smile on Hyunseung’s face, he answered, “Thank you for the lunch,” then he walked away.

    Junhyung wanted to leave, but he ran to where Hyunseung was and hugged him from behind. He leaned his face closer to his ear and whispered, “I’m sorry…Jang Hyunseung.”

     “Huh?”

     Hyunseung slowly faced Junhyung. And without any warning, Junhyung planted a kiss on Hyunseung’s soft pink lips.

     It would have been a romantic scene, but it looked emotional instead because…

     Hyunseung’s tears were purely water.

• END -

SDS1 013: IGNORED

HYUNSEUNG OPENED HIS EYES, only to be welcomed with a familiar ceiling. He was inside his room, lying down on his bed. He didn’t want to remember, but he was unconsciously touching his lips, remembering the time Junhyung kissed him.

     “Stop thinking about him, stop thinking about him,”  were the words Hyunseung kept on telling himself when he realized he was thinking about the Arc’s leader again. While trying his best not to occupy his thoughts with the angel, Hyunseung felt someone touch his arm. He looked at his left and saw his cat, AKA guardian, Luxuria.

     “You want me to snap out of it too don’t you?” He asked her, and Luxuria meowed as an answer.

     “I knew it you’d say that,” Hyunseung stated. He stood up from his bed and cleaned himself up to get ready. Today, he was definitely going to attend his classes. He’s been absent for almost 3 days now, and he’s a first-year college student. It wouldn’t be a good thing if he missed more of the lessons.

     Hyunseung removed all of his thoughts of Junhyung and his brothers for a while and just took a shower. After that, he went downstairs to see his mother preparing their breakfast.

     “Good morning Hyunseung, breakfast?” his mother asked as Hyunseung went to where she was and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

    “Not hungry,” he simply answered. He grabbed his coat from the coat hanger and wore it. He was about to leave the house when his mother suddenly called out for him, “Son, I haven’t heard of your brothers. Are you having bad terms with them?”

     Hyunseung didn’t answer for a moment but nodded afterward.

     “Well, I think you need to talk things through. It will be a big problem if the Arcs use it as an advantage,” his mother honestly told him, making Hyunseung gulp because he wasn’t sure if he should tell her mother the truth or not.

     “It’s not that serious.” He lied.

     “I know you’re a smart boy Hyunseung. And I do hope you talk to your brothers so you could be in better terms with each other,” his mother seriously told him. So Hyunseung nodded his head and answered back, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

     Hyunseung’s mom nodded and placed the plates on the table, “Oh before you leave, I almost forgot to tell you that I’ll be at your grandmother’s house today. I’ll be back tomorrow morning. Will you be okay if I leave you here alone?”

     “I’ll be fine mother, I’m not a kid. And have you forgotten? Luxuria’s with me,” Hyunseung assured her.

     “Alright. But if you want you can invite your brothers so they could stay over. You could talk about your problems then,” Mrs. Jang suggested, and Hyunseung scratched the back of his neck when he heard about it.

     “I’ll think about it. See you mom,” Hyunseung stated, then he quickly opened the door and left. 

     It felt weird when he went outside because this time, Minhyuk or any of his brothers wasn’t there to greet him a good morning anymore.

     “This won’t last forever JS, don’t worry, “ he whispered to himself as he proceeded to the campus. Hyunseung decided that he would walk than use his bike to waste time. After all, it was still 6 in the morning.

     When he arrived at the gate, his heart skipped a beat because Junhyung was waiting for him there. It was still early, so Hyunseung looked confused. Did Junhyung purposely arrive early for him?

     “Junhyung, were you waiting for me?” he asked as he approached the angel, but he already knew the answer to that even if he didn’t ask him.

     “Isn’t it obvious? Well, I knew that you wouldn’t be with your brothers so I thought it would be better if you hang out with me today,” Junhyung suddenly revealed.

     Hyunseung blankly looked at Junhyung and walked away, but Junhyung quickly took his hand and worriedly asked, “Hyunseung, what’s wrong? Are you mad?”

     Hyunseung glared at Junhyung, making Junhyung let go of his hand in an instant.

     “Did I do something wrong? Was it because of the ki…” Before Junhyung could finish, Hyunseung immediately stopped him and said, “Don’t you dare finish that sentence. Nothing happened between us yesterday, you got that?”

     “I don’t think so Hyunseung. You were pretty much crying in my arms yesterday,” Junhyung blurted out.

     Hyunseung turned away from Junhyung. He suddenly remembered their ’ sweet moment ’ again yesterday. He wanted to believe that he was just caught up at the moment so he didn’t know what he was doing.

     “You’re still in bad terms with your brothers, right? Then hang out with us first. I promise you I’ll tame my angels well. How does that sound?” Junhyung practically begged this time.

     “Do you think a lot will appreciate it if people see a member of a Demon hanging out with the Arcs? They’d say I’m a slut for sure,” Hyunseung honestly told him.

     Junhyung felt guilty since he said the exact words to Hyunseung a while back. But he brushed the thought away and told him, “Don’t say that. You’re not a slut, nor a whore, nor anything that resembles lust. You’re Jang Hyunseung, and no one can change that.”

     Hyunseung didn’t answer this time but raised an arm at Junhyung. Junhyung thought he was going to punch him again, but he said instead, “Fine, but please let’s not talk here.”

     “Huh?” Junhyung looked around and realized that everyone was already staring at them. Now people really believed that the two are together thanks to Trey’s article.

     “Oops, sorry. Shall we go?” Junhyung asked, and Hyunseung nodded as an answer. Then the two of them went to the garden where the rest of the Arcs are.

     “So this is where these guys hang out,” Hyunseung thought to himself as they went closer to them.

     “Hey, Junhyu…Jang?!” Mark shouted, surprised to see a Demon standing beside their leader.

     “Guys, you all know who this is so be a gentleman and say hi,” Junhyung instructed with a bright smile.

     The Arcs looked at each other confusingly and didn’t say a thing, so Junhyung cleared his throat. The Arcs looked back at Hyunseung and said with the most uninterested voice that they could make, “Hello.”

     Hyunseung didn’t answer but continued to stare at the Arcs in front of him.

     “What’s this about Junhyung?” Seunghyun asked as he slowly stood up from the bench.

     “Hyunseung is going to hang out with us today,” Junhyung simply answered.

     “What?!” Everyone shouted in unison.

    Seunghyun immediately went to where Junhyung and Hyunseung was and said, “Uhm, can I talk to you for a second?” Without waiting for his answer, Seunghyun pulled Junhyung away from them and dragged him behind a tree.

     “Are you out of your mind right now Junhyung?! Letting him stay with us wasn’t part of our plan!” Seunghyun said with a voice that was loud enough to show Junhyung his anger but not too loud that Hyunseung and the others would be able to hear it.

     “I know, but he wasn’t in good conditions with his brothers and-”

     Seunghyun quickly cut him off and said, “I don’t fucking care! Whether he’s left alone or not is not our concern Junhyung. What if he finds out about our plans. I was impressed with this yesterday, but letting him hang with us is unacceptable.”

     “I know okay. But I promise I’ll keep my mouth shut, so you should too. And I’ll tell our brothers that we should avoid talking about our plan so that Hyunseung could-”

     “Junhyung! Are you hearing yourself right now?!” Seunghyun asked, but then his eyes widened like he realized something, “Wait. Did you do it with him?!” 

     Junhyung looked back at him with disbelief, but then he started laughing, “He doesn’t even allow me to touch him for a few seconds.”

     Seunghyun stared at Junhyung’s eyes, and he knew at that point that Junhyung was lying to him. He crossed his arms and looked back at his leader. Junhyung tried to endure the deadly stare, but he eventually gave up and sighed, “Fine, we kissed…that’s it,” he told him.

     Seunghyun thought that he was prepared to hear it, but when Junhyung said it himself, he just froze.  This was a bad sign, a really really bad sign.

     “You are insane!” Seunghyun shouted. Junhyung couldn’t answer back because he thought he was insane too.

     “Wait a second. Have you fallen in love with this demon Junhyung?!” Seunghyun quickly asked him, and Junhyung’s heart almost exploded from the question.

     “O-of course not!” Junhyung answered, trying his best not to look at Seunghyun’s eyes.

     Seunghyun didn’t believe it, so he grabbed Junhyung’s collar and asked, “Stop lying to me and tell me the truth!”

     The Arcs heard the ruckus, but no one dared do anything because they knew what it was about. Hyunseung on the other hand just pretended like he didn’t notice a thing. He was still in the Arcs’ territory. It would be suicide if he tries to butt in between them.

     Junhyung didn’t answer this time because he didn’t know what to answer anymore. So Seunghyun clenched his fist and punched the trunk of the tree, “Answer me Junhyung!”

     “N-No…I’m doing all this for the Arcs. So you don’t have to worry about me falling in love with a stupid demon,” Junhyung finally answered, but he knew he wasn’t fooling anyone with that answer. I guess Seunghyun was just that foolable because Junhyung did fall for the stupid demon. You could say it was like a taste of Junhyung’s own medicine.

     He didn’t know how or when, but the way Hyunseung looked when he was being neglected made Junhyung sure that he could never hurt this boy. But his brothers and fathers were more important than his selfish feelings. He needed to accomplish his mission and he had to finish their plan. He was just waiting for the outcome of it. And he honestly thought that even with all the tricking, Hyunseung would still crawl back to him even though it was clear that he wouldn’t once Hyunseung finds out about everything.

     “It was part of our plan, don’t worry. The date, the sweet words, and the kiss…you got it?” Junhyung told Seunghyun, but it sounded like he was telling those words to himself instead.

     Seunghyun’s eyes softened as he placed his hands on his brother’s shoulders, “I believe you. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

     Junhyung nervously nodded his head, then the two went back to where the Arcs were. They saw the others talking to Hyunseung. It was obvious that some of them still looked a little scared of him. After their last battle, the Arcs saw how strong these demons were, so they didn’t want to make Hyunseung angry now that they know the truth.

     When Junhyung and Seunghyun were about to approach them, the bell rang just in time.

     “Looks like we need to head back. Lay, Mark, and Woohyun, can you accompany Hyunseung to your room? You’re classmates right?” Junhyung asked them.

     Woohyun glared at his stupid brother and sarcastically answered him, “Oh yeah, sure. We’ll even carry him in our backs if you want.” But then Hyunseung looked at Woohyun, making him flinch and look away from him.

     “Okay then, the rest of you, let’s go,” Junhyung instructed.

     The Arcs looked at each other and just shrugged their shoulders, “Okay, you heard our leader,” Jihoon told his brothers, and the Arcs nodded in forced understanding.

     “Bye Hyunseung, see you later okay?” Junhyung stated before leaving with the rest of the Arcs.

     “Okay then Hyunseung, let’s…” Before Lay could even finish his sentence, Hyunseung ignored him and started walking away.

     “ Demon.. .“ Mark whispered with a glare.

     The three of them just followed Hyunseung to the building. Hyunseung was walking in front while the three were walking behind him. Everyone was staring at them, making conclusions on what they were currently seeing.

     “I hope people don’t think we’re guarding Jang because he’s dating our leader,” Lay stated, but Mark just chuckled and told him, “There’s no point in that because the whole campus already thinks that we are.”

     Woohyun looked at Hyunseung, making sure he wasn’t listening to them. When he saw that he wasn’t, Woohyung went closer to Mark and Lay and whispered, “ What do you think the reason behind Jang’s fight with his brothers ?“

     “ Isn’t it obvious already? It’s because of Junhyung you idiot, “ Mark angrily whispered back.

     “I could hear you assholes,” Hyunseung suddenly stated, surprising them. They didn’t say anything else after and just silently walked behind Hyunseung.

    When they arrived in their room, the whole class became quiet. Hyunseung saw Minhyuk. Minhyuk was a little shocked to see Hyunseung entering the room with those Arcs, but a part of him already knew that it would happen sooner or later.

     The four sat down on their chair. Hyunseung sat beside Minhyuk, but the two didn’t talk. Minhyuk didn’t even look at him. Everyone knew that the reason was because of Hyunseung hooking up with an Arc, but no one knew about its deeper meaning ( Obviously  ).

     “Hey Jang. I know it might sound weird, but I have notes on our lessons when you were absent. Would you like to copy them or something?” asked the guy who sat in front of Hyunseung, better known as Mark.

     Hyunseung didn’t answer. His head was still in the cloud; he didn’t feel comfortable sitting beside Minhyuk who completely ignored him.

     “Jang Hyunseung…” Mark called out, making Hyunseung snap back to his senses.

     “Huh? What?” he asked, making Mark sigh.

     “Notes. Would you like to copy them?” Mark asked again.

     Hyunseung was still half confused but he nodded his head and answered, “Ah, sure. Thank you.”

     “You can return it to me tomorrow.” Mark gave him his notebook. Hyunseung took it from his hand and placed it inside his bag, then he tapped Mark’s shoulder and asked, “Can we switch seats?”

     Mark stopped what he was doing as he slowly turned around to look back at Hyunseung, “Pardon?”

     “Switch seats with me,” this time, Hyunseung sounded like he was commanding Mark to switch seats with him rather than asking him. Mark looked at the guy sitting beside Hyunseung - Minhyuk. It was okay to sit beside Hyunseung, but to sit beside a higher ranked demon was a different story.

     “Wouldn’t our professor get mad if we-” 

     Hyunseung’s eyes looked different again like he was going to kill Mark if he didn’t agree with his request, so Mark gulped and immediately stood up from his seat.

    “S-Sure,” he answered. He took his bag while Hyunseung stood up as well and sat on Mark’s seat. When Mark sat down, Minhyuk slowly looked his way, making Mark gulp. He was already sweating buckets when he looked back at Minhyuk, “H-Hi…” Mark said with a shaky voice, but Minhyuk ignored him and continued reading his textbook.

    Now Hyunseung was sitting beside Lay while Woohyun was sitting beside Lay on the right. Lay didn’t say anything to Hyunseung. He knew that nothing would happen if he fought with him and told him to just go back to his seat. So he just sat down quietly, and it was something Hyunseung secretly appreciated.

     “Okay class, good morning,” their professor stated as soon as he arrived. He placed his things on the desk, and everyone greeted him.

     While assembling his things, the professor saw Hyunseung, “Oh Mr. Jang, you’re here now. Were you sick?”

     “Ah, yeah…” Hyunseung answered while scratching the back of his head.

     “So, where’s your absent slip? You need to give it to me so I could excuse you from the previous quizzes,” the professor informed him. Hyunseung quickly shut his eyes and massaged his temple. He totally forgot about it.

     “Sorry sir, but I don’t have it,” Hyunseung honestly answered.

     “What? Then you understand that this means you will receive zero marks. That’s the policy here,” the professor told him, making Hyunseung curse under his breath. It might not look like it, but Huynseung’s a scholar like Minhyuk. If he gets zero marks, it would greatly affect his grades.

     Hyunseung looked at Minhyuk. He was honestly expecting him to help him, but he didn’t even look at him, so Hyunseung decided to just accept the consequences. The Arcs looked at him, with an annoyed expression, Woohyun said, “Sir, he doesn’t need to give you the slip, right?” He asked him, surprising the professor.

     “What are you talking about Nam? Of course, he needs to give me the-”

     Woohyun cuts him off and repeated his sentence, but slower this time, “ Sir, Jang Hyunseung…is not required to hand you the absence slip to be excused, right? “ And like a mindless zombie, the professor nodded and said, “ You’re right. Mr. Jang, go to my office so I could give you the papers. I don’t want you failing my class. “

     Woohyun snapped his fingers, making the professor look confused.

     “Huh, what was I talking about again?” The professor asked, then Lay quickly answered, “You were going to discuss sir.”

     “Oh, yes, that’s right. Please turn your books to page 124,” the professor stated as if nothing happened at all.

     Next to Sungjae, Woohyun also possessed the power to manipulate people. Hyunseung looked at Woohyun, but Woohyun ignored him. He didn’t want to make Hyunseung feel that he did it for him because Woohyun only did it because he knew Junhyung would be mad at him if he didn’t. He didn’t like the drama. He wanted things to be done fast so that’s why he did what he did.

     The class proceeded with their lessons, but Minhyuk and Hyunseung still didn’t say a word to each other until classes were over.

     “Okay, you may now take your lunch. Please don’t forget to submit your assignments tomorrow.”

     “Yes sir.” 

     Everyone stood up from their seats. That included Mark, Hyunseung, Lay, and Woohyun. It wasn’t a usual thing for the Arcs to wait for Hyunseung, but since their leader practically forced them to stick with him, they waited for the demon.

     “Jang, are you coming with us?” he asked as he approached him.

     Hyunseung looked at Minhyuk for a while, but Minhyuk just continued with fixing his things. So Hyunseung slowly nodded his head and answered, “S-Sure.”

     The four boys were about to take their leave, but someone suddenly blocked their way. And as expected, it was one of the most popular groups in the university, the Demons.

     “S-Sunggyu…” Hyunseung called out, but Sunggyu completely ignored him, and so did the rest of his deadly brothers.

     “Look who we have here, if it isn’t the demonic Demons,” Lay bravely stated, but he too was completely ignored by the five.

     “Minhyuk! Let go!” Suho called out, and Minhyuk took his bag and went pass Hyunseung and the rest of the members of the Arcs. Before they could leave, someone called out for Hyunseung from outside the room, making the Demons stop walking.

     “Hyunseung!” he shouted again. And it was none other than Junhyung and the other members of the Arc.

     The Demons and the Arcs were now standing in front of Minhyuk and Hyunseung’s room. Everyone was intrigued so they stopped to watch. They were actually expecting them to fight over Hyunseung.

     “Oh Sunggyu, why didn’t you tell me you were going here too? You should have told me so we could have walked together,” Junhyung stated with a smirk on his face.

     “Brothers, let’s go,” Sunggyu said instead as they walked pass Junhyung and his group. But Junhyung suddenly pulled Sunggyu’s shoulder, making Sunggyu forcefully face him.

     “Hey! Kim Sunggyu, aren’t you forgetting someone?” Junhyung angrily shouted at him. Sunggyu looked back at Jiyong and the rest of his brothers, then he said, “I don’t think so.”

     Junhyung clenched his fist then pointed at Hyunseung, “Jang Hyunseung. You’re forgetting him! He’s your brother isn’t he?!”

     Sunggyu emotionlessly looked at Hyunseung and said, “I don’t remember having a brother named Jang Hyunseung. So Yong Junhyung, please stop wasting my time and leave us alone.”

     Hyunseung was shocked, and so was everyone else. Junhyung saw Hyunseung’s sad and embarrassed expression and snapped. He grabbed Sunggyu again before he could leave and punched him.

     “Sunggyu!” Taeil shouted from shock.

     “Junhyung, what the fuck do you think you’re doing!?” Sungjae stated as he was pulling Junhyung away from Sunggyu.

     Sunggyu wanted to fight back but his brothers were stopping him as well.

     “What was that about, huh Yong?!” Jiyong angrily stated as he went in front of Junhyung.

     “Oh, that? That was for making Hyunseung cry,” Junhyung surprisingly stated. Then he glared at Jiyong and continued, “And this is for ignoring him…” Then Junhyung landed a punch on Jiyong next.

     Jiyong didn’t back out and started firing back at Junhyung’s punches. The rest of the Demons and Arcs didn’t know what to do but stare at the two clashing with each other until someone arrived and stopped them in time before they could injure each other even more.

     “Stop that immediately!” He shouted with a very powerful voice.

     It was Kharon the Third, AKA Holy Angels University’s priest.

     “All of you proceed to the cafeteria. Arcs and Demons, stay here,” Kharon commanded as all the students left, leaving the two groups and Kharon behind.

     The Arcs knew Kharon was their new priest, but they knew nothing about him being the Demons’ mentor. And that was a good thing.

     Junhyung and Woohyun might have seen him during the time Junhyung asked Hyunseung out, but since Kharon looked different now with his perfectly waxed hair, old-peopl e reading glasses, and his priest uniform, the two weren’t able to recognize him especially since Kharon looked like a punk when they first saw him.

     “What do you think you’re doing?” Kharon asked them.

     “He started it!” Jiyong shouted as he pointed at Junhyung.

     “Mr. Kwon, this is not the time for us to be pointing fingers. You’re lucky I just finished confessing so I’m in a good mood. Now go to the cafeteria before I decide on bringing all of you to the dean’s office,” Kharon commanded, making everyone flinch. Then Kharon suddenly winked at Jackson and left.

     “Junhyung, let’s just go, okay?” Seunghyun suggested. But before leaving, Junhyung went in front of Sunggyu again and said, “Guess you guys are even worse than I thought.”

     Junhyung didn’t expect it but Sunggyu answered him back, “Look at the mirror first before telling me that Yong Junhyung.”

     Junhyung clenched his fist in anger but he didn’t say anything. He knew deep down that the demons’ leader was right.

     “You can have JS all you want. You could even fuck him for all we care. But don’t you ever tell us we’re worse than you when you clearly know who deserves to be given that title,” Sunggyu seriously told him, making Junhyung break eye contact.

     Then the six left, leaving the Arcs and Hyunseung behind.

     Junhyung went to where Hyunseung was and gently placed his hands on Hyunseung’s cheeks. This time, Hyunseung didn’t cry.

     “Are you alright?” Junhyung sincerely asked him. And for the first time, the Arcs were concerned. They didn’t expect that their plan on beating the Demons would be this hard and painful to watch. They were guilty, and that was something the angels avoided. Because when angels feel guilty, they have no choice but to make things right. But they didn’t have a choice this time because they already started their heartless plan. Some even thought that Hyunseung was using some kind of power so they would pity him, but they knew very well that it was a natural feeling of an angel.

     “I’m hungry, can we go?” Hyunseung casually stated, and everyone nodded as an answer, even Seunghyun.

     “Okay then. And if you want, we can eat our lunch in the garden. Jihoon and Sungjae can buy the food for us,” Junhyung suggested, quickly making Jihoon look at him with shock.

     “What?” Jihoon asked, but Mark stepped on his foot so he was forced to agree.

---

     Lunch ended fast, and so were the afternoon classes. The last bell rang and their classes were over. Junhyung told his Arcs to go home without him, so everyone did what they were told.

     Junhyung was standing at the school’s gate because he was waiting for Hyunseung again. He wanted to walk him home, and that’s just purely out of concern. He wasn’t planning on doing something bad to him after seeing his face earlier. Well, he wasn’t planning on doing something to him, period.

     “Junhyung?” Hyunseung called out when he arrived at the gate.

     Junhyung automatically smiled when he saw him, “Hyunseung! Let’s go!” he happily told him.

     “Huh? Where?” Hyunseung confusingly asked. 

     “I’ll walk you home,” Junhyung then declared.

     Hyunseung was too tired to disagree so he just nodded his head in defeat.

     The two walked home. No one said a word. They were just awkwardly walking like they were complete strangers. So after walking in silence for a couple of minutes, they finally arrived at Hyunseung’s house.

     “We’re here,” Hyunseung stated as he faced Junhyung.

     Junhyung looked at Hyunseung and gently held his cheek again. As Junhyung placed his hand on Hyunseung’s face, Hyunseung suddenly felt hot inside again. He tried his best so Junhyung wouldn’t see his strange reaction, but he failed because he saw Junhyung forcing himself not to laugh.

     After what happened to them yesterday, Junhyung noticed that Hyunseung’s been letting him touch him freely. So Junhyung finally removed his hand from Hyunseung’s cheek, “Looks like no one’s home. Eat dinner okay? Oh, and lock your door so no one can come inside,” Junhyung told him, almost making Hyunseung crack a smile.

     “Understood,” Hyunseung answered. So Junhyung nodded his head and cleared his throat, “Well, goodbye then,” said Junhyung as he turned around to leave. But before he could even take a step, he suddenly felt a gentle tug. 

     Junhyung turned around and saw Hyunseung shyly pulling the hem of his shirt.

     “What is it Hyunseung? Is something wrong?” Junhyung confusingly asked him.

     Hyunseung stared at the floor and slowly lets go of Junhyung’s shirt. He cleared his throat and told him, “J-Junhyung…w-would you…like to come…inside?”

     Junhyung’s eyes widened as he asked from shock, “What did you just say?”

     “My mother, she wouldn’t be home till tomorrow so…” Hyunseung paused and waited for Junhyung to say something. But Junhyung didn’t answer, making Hyunseung feel really embarrassed. So he slowly lifted his head, only to see Junhyung turning red as well.

     “I-Is it okay?” Junhyung asked, making sure Hyunseung wasn’t out of his mind.

     “Well, if you don’t want to then -”

     Hyunseung quickly turned around and grabbed the doorknob. But before he could twist it, he suddenly felt Junhyung’s hand holding his arm. Hyunseung didn’t turn around but he could clearly hear Junhyung’s shaking voice.

     His voice was obviously covered with uncertainty, but at the same time want, lust, and desire.

     “I want to…” Junhyung finally answered.

• END -

SDS1 014: GIVE IN

HYUNSEUNG AND JUNHYUNG ENTERED the house. Junhyung didn’t even wait because he immediately pinned Hyunseung at the front door and kissed him. 

     Hyunseung moaned as he felt Junhyung’s tongue brush against his bottom lip. He opened his mouth a little wider so that Junhyung could slide his tongue inside. He moaned again at the contact of Junhyung’s tongue against his.

     Junhyung pulled away from the kiss and unbuttoned Hyunseung’s polo while licking the side of his neck.

     “Junhyung, what about dinner?” Hyunseung teasingly asked as he leaned his head to the side for Junhyung to have better access to his neck.

     “Dinner can wait because I have something in front of me that I would like to eat up right now,” Junhyung answered with a smirk on his face as he continued devouring Hyunseung’s neck.

     Even though Junhyung is at the brink of making Hyunseung his, he was still unsure if he should do this, especially when all this was only the Arcs’ plan, and fucking Hyunseung was never part of that plan. But the lust oozing out of Hyunseung was fogging up Junhyung’s sense of reason. All he wanted at that moment was him.

     “Hyunseung are you sure about this?” Junhyung asked as he was midway from removing his own polo.

     “Yeah, I’m sure,” was the only thing Hyunseung said, and that was also the only thing Junhyung needed for him to continue this lustful act. He palmed Hyunseung’s clothed member, and the prince of lust naturally closed his eyes and gave in to the pleasure.

     Hyunseung muffled his moan as Junhyung continued palming his erection.

     “You like that?” Junhyung asked as he pulled Hyunseung’s pants down with his boxers, exposing his hard member.

     “ Ahhh~ “ Hyunseung moaned again when his hot member made contact with the cold atmosphere. Junhyung, who was down on his knees, pumped Hyunseung’s hard member with his hand, and that alone made Hyunseung a whimpering mess.

     Hyunseung locked eyes with Junhyung and told him, “Stop fucking teasing.”

     Junhyung only smirked and licked the slit of Hyunseung’s cock, making him moan a little louder than he expected to. The Arcs’s leader loved the reaction, so he sucked the head, making Hyunseung arch his back from the pleasure.

      Junhyung never left his gaze on Hyunseung as he continued pleasuring him. Seeing him moan in pleasure just made him harder – if that’s’ even possible for him right now. He engulfed Hyunseung’s cock whole in one go. He bobbed his head faster and sucked his cock harder, making Hyunseung a moaning mess.  

     Junhyung pulled away and stood up. He kissed Hyunseung deeply, making the other moan once again. He then broke free from the kiss and stared at Hyunseung with lust-filled gaze.

     “Hyunseung, keep your voice down, or do you want the people in your neighbourhood to hear you?” Junhyung asked as he just stared at Hyunseung.

     “Then carry me to my room already,” Hyunseung replied before giving a quick lick on Junhyung’s earlobe. 

     Junhyung just groaned at the contact and carried Hyunseung – bridal-style – to his room, while kissing him. After a few steps, they finally reached Hyunseung’s room. And as Junhyung was about to open the door, Hyunseung suddenly stopped him from doing so.

     “Why? Is your room off-limits or something?” Junhyung asked in confusion.

     “No, it’s just that…Just wait here for a moment.” 

     Hyunseung went down from Junhyung’s arms and opened the door. As he opened the door, Luxuria, his pet cat AKA guardian, stood up to greet her master. But when she saw Junhyung, Luxuria was about to pounce or more likely attack Junhyung. Thankfully Hyunseung was faster so he caught Luxuria on time.

     “Just wait,” Hyunseung said while carrying Luxuria. He went to his mother’s room and placed Luxuria inside and closed the door.

     “Sorry about that,” Hyunseung stated as he walked towards Junhyung.

     “It’s okay,” Junhyung answered, a little scared of Hyunseung’s cat. But the pleasure was stronger than his fear. He grabbed Hyunseung’s waist and pulled him closer to him so he could attach his lips to his once more.

     Hyunseung pushed Junhyung inside his room and closed the door without breaking from the kiss. Junhyung felt the bed hit the back of his knee so he sat down on the edge, making Hyunseung stand in between his stretched legs.

     Junhyung just realized that Hyunseung was already naked, except for the fact that he was still wearing his polo. But nonetheless, he was practically still naked, and he definitely looked hot.

     Hyunseung unbuckled Junhyung’s belt and unzipped his pants, making Junhyung groan this time. He pulled Junhyung’s pants and boxers down to his ankle and started pumping his hard and throbbing cock.

     “Come on Hyunseung, stop teasing already,” Junhyung groaned while he massaged Hyunseung’s head.

     Hyunseung looked at Junhyung and engulfed his cock in one go, tasting the precum and making Junhyung lean his head back because of the pleasure Hyunseung was giving him.

     “You really are the son of lust,” Junhyung told him with a grin as he continued to stare at Hyunseung sucking his cock. Hyunseung just moaned as a response, making Junhyung groan a little louder because of the sudden vibration. Then he pulls out from Junhyung’s cock and continued pumping it instead. 

     Afterward, he went closer to Junhyung and kissed him passionately. Junhyung slid his tongue inside Hyunseung’s mouth again, but when Hyunseung stuck out his own tongue, Junhyung started sucking it, making Hyunseung moan and stop pumping his cock. 

     “I want you so bad Junhyung,” Hyunseung said as he rubbed the tip of his cock on Junhyung’s own.

     Junhyung gulped and bit his lip as he looked at how sexy Hyunseung transformed in front of him. When Junhyung finally had enough of staring at him, he grabbed Hyunseung’s wrist and pulled him to the bed, hovering over him.

     “You really are the son of lust,” Junhyung said for the second time as he kissed Hyunseung again. He spread his legs wide and went between it. Then he stared at Hyunseung’s cock and quickly shifted his attention back to him. 

     As Hyunseung looked back the man in front of him, Junhyung suddenly placed his fingers inside Hyunseung’s hot mouth.

     “Suck,” Junhyung commanded, and Hyunseung obediently obliged. 

     While Hyunseung sucked Junhyung’s fingers, Junhyung leaned closer and sucked one of his nipples. Sometimes nibbling it from time to time. 

     Once Junhyung felt that his fingers were wet enough, he quickly pulled it out of Hyunseung’s mouth and started rubbing Hyunseung’s twitching hole.

     “You ready?” Junhyung asked, but he wasn’t waiting for Hyunseung’s answer because even if he was ready or not, Junhyung wasn’t going to wait. He inserted two of his wet fingers without warning, immediately making Hyunseung moan from the pain since this was his first time to actually shove something inside his asshole.

     “ It hurts “, Hyunseung told him.

     Junhyung kissed Hyunseung sweetly and moved his fingers in and out of Hyunseung. He inserted another finger and ones again, Hyunseung whimpered from the stretch. But all the pain was changed to pleasure as Junhyung hits Hyunseung’s prostate.

     “ Ahhh~ “ Hyunseung quickly moaned while he arched his back.

     Junhyung then removed his fingers, suddenly making Hyunseung whine because of the sudden emptiness of his hole. But Junhyung spits on his hand and pumped on his cock.

     “This will hurt, but not for long,” Junhyung warned him.

     Junhyung positioned himself at Hyunseung’s entrance, and without even waiting for Hyunseung’s go signal, Junhyung thrust his cock deep inside Hyunseung in one go.

     “ Ahhh~ “ Hyunseung loudly moaned, not because of the pleasure, but because of the pain.

      Tears escaped from his eyes and Junhyung saw it. So he kissed the tears away and didn’t move. Even though he would like to thrust his cock in Hyunseung’s tight hole now, he still didn’t want Hyunseung to feel so much pain, like what his brothers did to him this morning.

     Hyunseung moved experimentally while Junhyung looked at him.

     “Move,” Hyunseung finally said, and Junhyung just nodded and pulled out of Hyunseung and thrust himself back in but at a slower pace this time. 

     Hyunseung kept on moaning, which made Junhyung harder. 

     The pain that Hyunseung was feeling earlier finally changed into extreme pleasure, so the pace that Junhyung was going for was not fast enough for Hyunseung anymore.

     “Faster”, Hyunseung immediately commanded, and Junhyung obeyed and thrust faster and harder. 

     Hyunseung moaned and arched his back because of the sudden wave of pleasure that he felt. 

     Junhyung hit his sweet spot dead on, almost making Hyunseung faint. He saw Hyunseung’s reaction so Junhyung smirked and kept on abusing his prostate. He was near his climax because of the expression Hyunseung was showing. It was an expression that showed pure lust and pleasure so it was turning on Junhyung even more until he couldn’t hold it anymore. 

     He grabbed and pumped Hyunseung’s cock at the same pace of his thrust so Hyunseung could cum with him.

     “I’m cumming,” Hyunseung warned. 

     Hyunseung’s hole tightened around Junhyung’s cock, and with one last thrust, Junhyung reached his climax, releasing everything inside Hyunseung, immediately making Hyunseung cum right after.

      Junhyung rode out from his orgasm and breathed heavily. They looked at each other for a little while, and then Junhyung pulled out from him, making Hyunseung silently moan as he felt Junhyung’s cum ooze out of him.

    Once Junhyung regained a little energy, he went to Hyunseung’s bathroom to clean himself up, leaving Hyunseung at his bed.

     Hyunseung was about to fall asleep when he felt something cold touch him. He opened his eyes and surprisingly saw Junhyung cleaning him. 

     Junhyung just smiled at the demon and kissed his forehead before heading back to the bathroom once again. Seconds later, Junhyung lied beside Hyunseung and kissed him one last time.

     “Good night Hyunseung,” Junhyung stated before closing his eyes.

     “ Yeah, good night… “

---

Morning came and Hyunseung woke up all naked in bed. He rubbed his eyes and fixed his hair, but something felt different. He quickly checked his fingers and saw that his ring was not there. Then he noticed that the man from last night was not in the room anymore. 

     Hyunseung was about to panic, but when he heard rushing water from the bathroom, he just relaxed and lied back down.

     “Junhyung,” Hyunseung called out, but to his surprise, there was no reply. He called out once again, but it was the same result. So he stood up, slowly and carefully because of his sore back, and went towards the bathroom.

     He opened the door and was surprised to see that no one was actually there. And the only thing he saw was that the faucet was open. He turned the faucet off and closed the bathroom door. Then he went to the table beside his bed, took his phone, and dialled a number.

     “ Hello? “ The man answered.

    “

Sunggyu,

the plan worked. “

• END -

SDS1 015: WHAT ELSE

“HELLO?” A FAMILIAR VOICE answered on the other side of the phone.

     “Sunggyu, the plan worked,” Hyunseung answered back with a mischievous grin on his face.

     The man on the other line, also known as the Demons’ leader Kim Sunggyu, chuckled and told him, “ Great job. I’ll tell the others about it. Anyways, are you alright? “ He then asked with a concerned voice.

     Hyunseung laughed and glanced at the bed that he and the Arcs’ leader were in just a couple of hours ago, “Just a little sore. I didn’t know he could be that intense and-”

     Sunggyu immediately cut him off the moment he started hearing Hyunseung’s answer, “ Okay, enough with the details, or I might just puke. “

     “Whatever Sunggyu. But seriously, I don’t think I can go to school today. It really fucking hurts,” Hyunseung explained as he held his aching lower back. It was his first time with a boy, and he was on the receiving end, so Hyunseung anticipated the pain. What he didn’t know about was the level of pain that he was going to feel.

     Sunggyu sighed and reminded him, “ Look whose talking. Wasn’t this your idea? You’re the one who suggested to let Junhyung fuck you in the first place. And besides, how can we execute our next plan if you’re not at school? “

     Hyunseung massaged his temple and accepted defeat, “Fine, I’ll go. See you later.” Then Hyunseung hung up. He looked at his left and suddenly saw a note that was attached to the mirror. The note said:

     Jang Hyunseung,

     It’s Over.

     - J

     Hyunseung smirked as he took the note off the mirror. He stared at his reflection for a few seconds, remembering the time they started this crazy plan.

FLASHBACK

   “Are you fucking hearing yourself right now Hyunseung?! Sunggyu fucking punched you for a reason! Why, did you think he did it for fun!? He wanted you to snap back to your senses and rethink things through. In the start, I knew you would decline, even when I read the article I knew you would never make such a shitty decision, but now…hearing it from your own mouth…it sickens me,” Minhyuk said angrily, but Hyunseung didn’t say anything and just looked away.  

     Jackson dragged Taeil out of the room. It was obvious he didn’t want to hear the two quarrel with each other, and he also knew that Taeil didn’t have to hear them either. So as the two left the scene, Suho looked at Minhyuk, then to Hyunseung, then back to Minhyuk. He gave out a loud sigh and followed Jackson and Taeil out of the room as well.

     “If we’re not brothers…then aren’t we best friends?” Minhyuk asked, but Hyunseung still didn’t answer.

     “I-I don’t want…to see you hurt Hyunseung,” Minhyuk finally told him. Then he took his backpack and was ready to leave, but he looked at Hyunseung for the last time and said, “Go to that date…and you will never see me talk to you again.” Then Minhyuk went out of the room and followed his other brothers outside. 

     When Minhyuk arrived outside, he saw the rest of his brother’s talking to each other.

     “Where’s Hyunseung?” Taeil asked with full concern, but Minhyuk didn’t answer, so the five sons looked at him with a worried expression. It was rare to see him and Hyunseung fight like that.

    “So, what now? Are we just going to stand here and wait for Hyunseung to get tricked by…a fucking ARC?!” Suho angrily asked. 

     “Do you think those angels did something to our brother’s head? Maybe they’re controlling him, which is why he’s acting stupid?” Sunggyu assumed, and Jiyong chuckled on his nonsense, “They didn’t do anything to him. Hyunseung’s just plain stupid, period.”

     Minhyuk annoyingly looked at Jiyong and said back, “Hey! He might be stupid but he’s still my best friend!”

     “So you’re admitting he’s stupid?” Jiyong asked with his right eyebrow raised. Minhyuk was about to answer him, but Sunggyu went in between them and said, “He’s not just your best friend. He’s our brother too.”

     Everyone finally shuts their mouth, making Sunggyu sigh loudly. He was tired of the shouting and the drama. He didn’t really want to punch or hurt Hyunseung, it just so happened that he was hurt first because of him, and since he’s wrath, anger was the feeling that he ended up expressing.

    “Let’s just go,” Sunggyu commanded and everyone finally agreed. Talking Hyunseung out of his decision now would only be a waste of time in their part. But Sunggyu was sure that he would never leave Hyunseung’s side. He just needed to wait for Hyunseung to be snapped back to his senses.

     Just when the demons were about to take their leave, they heard someone call out for their leader.

     “Sunggyu!” A familiar voice shouted. The six turned around and saw Hyunseung running towards them. When he was able to catch up, Sunggyu immediately acted cool and said, “What do you want now Jang? Are you going to tell us that-” But before Sunggyu could even finish his sentence, Hyunseung went down on his knees and bowed in front of Sunggyu, surprising the rest of the sons.

     “JS, what are you doing?!” Minhyuk asked, but he was completely ignored since Hyunseung kept on bowing.

     “I’m sorry,” Hyunseung sincerely stated.

     The sons looked at each other and didn’t say anything.

     “I’m really, really sorry,” he repeated.

     Sunggyu stared at the prince of lust and sighed. “Stand up,” he commanded, making Hyunseung oblige. The moment Hyunseung stood up, he instantly hugged Sunggyu and told him, “I never really intended to make you cry. You know very well that I never wanted to hurt my brothers. I was just confused. Anyone who’s being scolded the moment you wake up would talk nonsense too right?” Hyunseung asked.

     Everyone was silent until Sunggyu finally hugged him back. The other brothers smiled at the scene. They pretty much had a hunch that Hyunseung would come back to his senses.

     “I apologize as well JS. I guess we all woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” 

     Hyunseung smiled back at Sunggyu and faced the rest of his brothers who looked very pleased that they were in good terms with each other again.

     “So, about your date with-” Hyunseung suddenly cuts Sunggyu off and said, “I’m still going.”

     “What?!” Everyone asked in unison. 

     Hyunseung looked at them with a serious face and answered, “They want us to fight with each other? Then we’ll give them a fight that they’ll never ever forget.”

PRESENT TIME

     Hyunseung arrived at Holy Angels University, and, as usual, everyone was staring at him. Maybe it’s because of the article Trey released the other day, or maybe it’s because of his “ Bad Terms “ with his brothers. But the truth is, they were staring at him because he wasn’t wearing his ring anymore. Meaning, Hyunseung was oozing with sex appeal.

     “Hey, have you heard about what happened to him and the rest of the Demons?”

     “Yeah, it was really shocking. Does that mean Hyunseung’s not a Demon anymore? Is he a member of the Arcs now?”

     “Who knows.”

     Hyunseung and his brothers were the talk of the whole school. Of course, it didn’t bother Hyunseung because he was used to it, and actually, being the talk of the whole school was exactly what he wanted.

     When the first bell finally rang, everyone started running to their rooms. Hyunseung was about to head back to his classroom when he saw the Arcs walking in his opposite direction, immediately making him smirk. He removed the smirk on his face and cleared his throat as soon as they got closer.

     “Junhyung!” Hyunseung greeted with a smile, and then he gave Junhyung a quick peck on his lips. The Arcs were shocked by the sudden action, especially Junhyung himself. So he quickly pushed Hyunseung off him, “What the hell do you think you’re doing Jang? Didn’t you see my note? It’s over between us. You already gave me everything that your body could offer, so you have no use to me anymore. I didn’t even expect that you’d be that fast. It only proves that you’re a fucking slut,” he said with a disgusted expression.

     Hyunseung coolly chuckled at what Junhyung said like it was some sort of joke. He then showed the Arcs the note that Junhyung attached to his room earlier, “Is this the note you’re talking about?”

     Without any warning, Hyunseung sets the note on fire, causing some of the Arcs to back away. 

     The Arcs stared at the ashes falling from Hyunseung’s hand as the demon continued, “Can you tell Trey to make an article that says we’re over? Well, if we ever really had a relationship to begin with. People keep on talking about us, and it’s starting to get irritating.”

     Junhyung and the rest of the Arcs looked at him with shock. They didn’t even know what to say.

     Hyunseung turned around and was about to leave when he looked back and smirked directly at Junhyung, “Oh, And Yong… I didn’t give anything to you. But I pretty much know that you stole something from me, am I right?”

     Junhyung’s eyes widened from shock, “W-What?”

     Hyunseung chuckled when he saw Junhyung’s expression, but he didn’t say anything and started walking away, “Bye babe!” he shouted, waving his hands as he continued to walk away from them. Then Hyunseung was completely gone, leaving Junhyung and the rest of the Arcs confused on what just happened.

     “Junhyung, are you sure the plan worked?” Seunghyun worriedly asked him.

     “I…don’t know.”

---

The bell finally rang, making everyone stand up and head to the cafeteria to eat lunch. It was a bit awkward for the Arcs earlier during class because they were sitting beside Hyunseung. Well, it was even more awkward and scary for Mark because he was sitting beside Minhyuk.

     “Let’s go guys,” Woohyun stated as he stood up from his seat. Then Lay and Mark followed.

     Hyunseung stood up as well, but before he could even look at Minhyuk, Minhyuk already left the room.

     While Hyunseung was fixing his things, he suddenly felt dizzy. He held on to his desk for support so he wouldn’t collapse. It was obvious that he’d be weak because of the absence of his ring, and to add up Junhyung’s intense fucking… yup, Hyunseung was minutes away from fainting.

     “I knew it this was going to happen sooner or later,”  Hyunseung thought to himself as he was trying to ease the pain on his head. The Arcs saw what was happening to Hyunseung. Mark was about to help him but Woohyun quickly pulled Mark towards him and whispered, “Remember what Seung

hyun

 said. We can’t communicate with Jang anymore.“

     “But…”

     “No more buts…” Then Woohyun pulled Mark out of the room. Before leaving, Lay sneaked back and went to where Hyunseung was, “Hold my hand,” he told him.

     Hyunseung slowly lifted his head and saw Lay reaching out his hand to him. Hyunseung looked confused, but Lay quickly repeated, “I’m not here to hurt you. Just hurry and hold my hand before Woohyun realizes I’m not with them.”

     Hyunseung slowly held Lay’s hand. Then Lay’s hand started glowing ( Good thing the students were gone ). Hyunseung was starting to feel better thanks to Lay’s healing powers. After that, Lay immediately lets go of Hyunseung’s hand, and without anything else to say, he left. 

     The prince of lust was shocked, that’s for sure. The plan was to make Junhyung fall for him, instead of Hyunseung falling for Junhyung, but I guess some of the members of the Arcs fell for their trick as well.

     Now that he’s feeling better, Hyunseung went to the cafeteria and took his lunch. He sat down at the table where he usually eats, and it was the perfect table because the Arcs’ table was just beside it. 

     As Hyunseung was eating, he could already hear the students talking about him, making conclusions that he and Junhyung might have broken up after a two-day relationship. But it didn’t bother Hyunseung at all, what bothered him was Junhyung…

     Because Junhyung kept on stealing glances on him.

     “This is our table,” a voice suddenly said, and then the whole cafeteria became quiet.

     Hyunseung placed his chopsticks down and looked at the guy who spoke – Kwon Jiyong. Then the rest of the Demons stood behind him. 

     “I don’t see your names here, so I don’t think this table is yours,” Hyunseung bravely answered.

     The Arcs and the rest of the students stopped everything that they were doing just to see what was happening to the Demons’ table.

     “We don’t need to put our names there. Ever since before we’ve been sitting there, so skedaddle and leave… slut,” Jiyong told him. Everyone was shocked at what Jiyong just said to his brother. Looks like “ Jiyong the bully “ was coming back to life. But what shocked everyone the most was his other brothers didn’t even react.

     Hyunseung slammed the table and stood up from his seat. He went in front of Jiyong and pulled the collar of his shirt towards him, “What did you just say…Kwon Jiyong?!” he angrily asked him.

     Jiyong smirked and said back, “Oh slut? I think that wasn’t the word. Was it bitch? Whore? I don’t know… lust?”

     “What gives you the right to say those things to me?!” Hyunseung angrily shouted.

     “Well, I have a lot of rights. You made out with Yong Junhyung yesterday and now I’m hearing rumors that you’ve broken up. Why? Was Junhyung too small?” Jiyong asked with a taunting grin.

     Hyunseung finally lets go of Jiyong’s shirt, but then he suddenly slapped him, making everyone gasp from shock. The quiet cafeteria was now full of loud whispers.

     Sunggyu, who was quietly standing behind Jiyong, held his shoulder and nodded.

     “We’re not done yet…Jang,” said Jiyong as he left with the rest of the Demons.

     Hyunseung was now left alone with his head down because of ‘embarrassment’. The students were looking at him with disgust, some were even laughing at him.

     “I’ve had enough of this,” Junhyung stated as he was about to stand up to save Hyunseung, but Seunghyun quickly stopped him from doing so.

     “What do you think you’re doing Junhyung? Don’t tell me you’re going to help him. Just don’t look and eat your lunch,” Seunghyun stated as he started eating again. 

     Junhyung threw his chopsticks on the table and walked away. It was obvious that he didn’t want to see Hyunseung in that state. Mark, Lay, and Woohyun were also concerned and wanted to pull Hyunseung away from there, but they were still too scared of Seunghyun. Even their leader couldn’t say anything against him.

     “Mr. Jang…” Someone suddenly called out, and Hyunseung saw that it was their school’s priest, Kharon.

     “ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him, “ he told him in perfect English. Then Kharon pulled Hyunseung out of the cafeteria.

     “Are you alright Hyunseung?” Kharon immediately asked as he lets go of Hyunseung’s hand.

     “I’m fine. Did you call my brothers?” asked Hyunseung, and Kharon nodded as an answer.   When Hyunseung was about to say something, Kharon suddenly stared at him and said, “Wait, what happened to you? You look different.”

     Hyunseung looked confused for a while then remembered, “Oh yeah, Lay did this healing thing and-”

     Kharon’s eyes widened from shock, “Wait, what? Did you just say an Angel…healed you?”

     Hyunseung looked at Kharon confusingly and answered, “Yeah, why? Is there something wrong about that?”

     Kharon was even more shocked by what he just heard.

     “Hyunseung! You’re a demon! An Angel power mixed with demon blood is not a good combination! You can die!” he immediately explained to him. Hyunseung scratched his head and checked his body, “But I don’t feel anything. I even feel much better than earlier.”

     Now Kharon was even more confused about the sudden situation, “What? That’s strange, you should be paralyzed or…” In the middle of explaining himself, Kharon stopped, and his eyes widened from realization.

     “Or what Kharon?” Hyunseung asked worriedly.

     “What plan…did you actually do Hyunseung?” Kharon seriously asked him before grabbing his by the shoulder.

     Hyunseung gulped and didn’t answer. But Kharon already knew the answer through Hyunseung’s silence.

     “Hyunseung…I think Junhyung didn’t just steal your ring.”

• END -

SDS1 16: IT’S TIME

“HYUNSEUNG…I THINK JUNHYUNG didn’t just steal your ring,” Kharon stated while looking at Hyunseung with a worried expression.

     “W-what do you mean by that?” Hyunseung asked, trying his best not to panic.

     “He took your weakness,” Kharon explained, pulling his hand away from Hyunseung’s shoulder, “Every demon has a weakness. Whether full demons or half-blood demons. One of those weaknesses is having contact with the unnatural powers of an angel. These include the healing powers, being hypnotized, and even teleportation.”

     Hyunseung’s eyes widened from shock, “That’s impossible,” he says, suddenly mad that he didn’t ask about this first.

     “It’s not impossible at all Hyunseung. Because of what you did with him, you two are now connected. This means you’re now immune to angel powers. Well, maybe except for the fact you could still be harmed by lightning as he is to fire, but the common once are unaffected to you anymore,” Kharon explained further.

     Hyunseung’s face lightened up after hearing the pros. If only he knew about this earlier then he wouldn’t have been threatened by their powers in the first place.

     “But…” Kharon added.

     Hyunseung quickly stopped rejoicing when he saw Kharon’s disappointed face.

     “But what?” Hyunseung repeated.

     “Junhyung will be immune by your powers as well”, Kharon finally answered.

NOTE:  This does not include their higher level powers. Ex: kiss of death, illusion, fear amplification, etc. The angels are still affected by those powers.

     Hyunseung’s spirit dropped, “N-no…this can’t be.” Even though he knew that it would only make sense if Junhyung did become immune like him. Kharon moved closer to Hyunseung and held his shoulder tightly, “I’m sorry Hyunseung but what is done is done. But you should be glad that you know this before he could even find out.”

     “Junhyung doesn’t know about this yet?” he asked, and Kharon nodded as an answer.

     “Then what should I do? What should I tell my brothers?” 

     “Execute the plan and don’t change anything. Use your knowledge about this as an advantage. But you better hurry because if Junhyung finds out about this as well your plan will be useless,” Kharon explained.

     Hyunseung looked out at the window on his right. He took out a heavy sigh and said, “Kharon…I think it’s time for everyone to see our inner demons.”

     “What do you mean?” Kharon confusingly asked him.

     Hyunseung looked back at his mentor/guardian and answered, “I’m going to let those Arcs know that when you play with fire…you’re bound to get fucking burned.”

---

That night, Junhyung went to a bar so he could wash away his frustrations with alcohol. He wanted to forget about what happened to Hyunseung earlier since he felt guilty. Why didn’t he even do anything to help him when it was his fault in the first place?

    “We don’t need to put our names there. Ever since before we’ve been sitting there, so skedaddle and leave… slut.”

     “What did you just say…Kwon Jiyong?!”

     “Oh, slut? I think that wasn’t the word. Was it, bitch? Whore? I don’t know… lust?”

     “What gives you the right to say those things to me?”

     “Well, I have a lot of rights. You made out with Yong Junhyung yesterday and now I’m hearing rumors that you’ve broken up. Why? Was Junhyung too small?”

     Junhyung angrily slammed his shot glass down and shouted, “Ah! If it wasn’t for this fucking ring then I wouldn’t be looking like a fool!“He took Hyunseung’s ring out from his pocket and was about to throw it away when someone immediately grabbed his wrist and said, “What do you think you’re doing Yong Junhyung?”

    To his surprise, it was his closest brother, Choi Seunghyun.

     “Let go of me,” said Junhyung as he pulled his hand away from Seunghyun and placed the ring back inside his pocket. He took another shot from his glass and stood up, his vision now getting blurry by how drunk he was.

    “What the fuck is wrong with you Junhyung? Skipping classes then getting drunk all of a sudden? You’re making us look like the ones who lost the battle! Weren’t we the ones who won in the first place?”

     Junhyung looked at Seunghyun and said, “I can’t do this anymore.”

     When Seunghyun heard their leader say those words, he froze in his place. Never in a million years did he expect to hear their leader give up like that so easily after everything they’ve been through.

     “Are you fucking serious? Now that we’ve come this far you’re planning to stop?” he asked him, trying his best to at least stay calm.

     Junhyung clenched on his fist and looked down on the floor before admitting, “I-I think…I like him,” Junhyung finally revealed, shocking Seunghyun even more. 

     “What did you say?” Seunghyun asked him.

     “I like Jang fucking Hyunseung. I can’t stop thinking about him, I can’t stop bothering him and I can’t…stop liking him,” Junhyung answered, but clearer this time.

     Seunghyun finally went to Junhyung and held both of his shoulders tightly, “Junhyung! Are you out of your mind?! We weren’t born to like our enemies! We were born, destined, and molded to kill those fucking demons! What is not clear to you?!” he angrily shouted at him.

     Junhyung pushed Seunghyun away from him and threw the shot glass he was holding earlier, making the people inside the bar look their way.

     “That’s bullshit! Being born, destined, and molded to be murderers is bullshit! Everything is bullshit!” Junhyung shouted. Now he was on an outrange. Everyone inside the bar started looking confused, “what was this guy talking about anyways?” were the questions everyone was asking.

     The bouncers were already glancing at them, so Seunghyun pulled Junhyung closer to him and said, “Junhyung, you’re making a scene.”

     “I don’t give a fuck anymore,” Junhyung stated, pushing Seunghyun away from him again. He glared at the people who were staring at them and walked away from the bar. Seunghyung took a deep breath and followed their leader outside, “Junhyung! Wait!” he shouted.

     “Leave me alone!” Junhyung shouted back. But as he was running away from Seunghyun, he suddenly saw a red-haired boy he was desperate to see; Jang Hyunseung.

     “H-Hyunseung?” Junhyung confusingly asked. Hyunseung walked past him, so Junhyung immediately chased after him. Hyunseung went to an alleyway. When Junhyung was only a few steps away from him, he suddenly saw a silhouette of man pin the prince of lust on the wall.

     “What the-” Before Junhyung could take a step closer, the man started kissing Hyunseung. The prince of lust didn’t even struggle, surprising Junhyung even more. He was ready to approach them when Seunghyun suddenly arrived and pulled Junhyung’s arm towards him.

     “I had enough of your shit Junhyung. We’re going home,” he angrily told him, but Junhyung didn’t look back at him as he continued to stare at Hyunseung kissing a random guy that he couldn’t even recognize.

     “Stop being stubborn. Come on.” Seunghyun insisted, pulling Junhyung’s arm.

     “Let me go! I need to-” Junhyung stopped midsentence when the man kissing Hyunseung directly looked his way. His eyes widened from complete shock when he saw who the man was.

     “J-Jackson?!” Junhyung shouted from shock.

     Seunghyun was finally at his limit as he shouted at Junhyung, “I said let’s go before I call your father!”

     Junhyung finally stopped struggling and weakly followed Seunghyun home. 

     His mind went blank after seeing what happened. Why was Hyunseung kissing Jackson? Was this another trick to make Junhyung look even more of a fool? Or was Junhyung just imagining everything and was slowly going insane?

---

Junhyung ran upstairs the moment he and Seunghyun arrived at the holy home. He went to the lounging area where the Arcs were, “Where’s Mark?!“He asked as soon as his brothers saw him.

     The Arcs looked at their leader with confused expressions. They weren’t able to answer him immediately, so Junhyung looked around and realized that the angel that he was looking for wasn’t there. Without saying anything else, he ran to Mark’s room and saw Mark lying on his bed, sleeping. Junhyung quickly took the covers off him, waking Mark up.

     The rest of the Arcs went to Mark’s room as well to see what the ruckus was about.

     “What the hell are you doing?!” Mark shouted upon waking up.

     “Execute the next plan. Junhyung suddenly stated, shocking not only Mark but also the rest of the Arcs standing behind him.

     “Junhyung, are you fucking drunk right now?” Mark asked while rubbing his eyes, “It’s fucking 9 in the evening, executing the plan now will be-”

     Junhyung didn’t wait for Mark to finish as he grabbed him by the collar and forcefully pulled him out of the bed. Woohyun couldn’t help it, so he ran to the scene and pulled Mark away from their drunk leader.

     “Yong Junhyung! What do you think you’re doing?!” Woohyun angrily shouted at him.

    Junhyung finally lost it, and that was what the Demons wanted. They wanted Junhyung to fall first because he was the leader. They knew that a group without a good leader would eventually fall apart. And once that’s done, they’ll slowly step on the rest of the Arcs until no one is left.

     “Mark Yi-En, if you don’t listen to what I’m saying…I’ll fucking kill you,” Junhyung commanded with such a powerful tone that the Arcs felt the hair on their skin stand. This was their leader, and this was the power that he had over them. But before anyone could even do anything, another equally powerful angel came, Seunghyun. Seunghyun went forward and held Junhyung’s shoulder to stop him once again, but Junhyung quickly pushed him away so hard that he fell on the floor.

     Everyone was shocked, even Seunghyun himself. They didn’t expect that Junhyung would do such a thing to his closest brother. And the fact that it’s because of a demon is even more mind boggling.

     “Junhyung! Our Fathers will all be-”

    Seunghyun stopped Lay from speaking any further as he stood up and looked at Mark.

     “Mark, ready yourself and follow his command. If something fucking happens, we blame our so-called leader.” Then Seunghyun glared at Junhyung and left the room.

     “Seunghyun! Are you serious right now!?” Mark shouted, but no one replied anymore. So Mark had no choice but to follow their screwed up leader. He pushed Junhyung off him and got ready like what he was told. All that the Arcs could do now was look at him with pity.

     After getting ready, Mark lazily walked the streets. How on earth could he do this plan in the middle of the night?

     “Here we are,” he said to himself when he arrived at his expected destination. He walked towards the door and was about to ring the doorbell when suddenly…

     “What do you think you’re doing?” a low voice asked from behind him.

     Mark gulped and slowly turned around. To his surprise, it was the Prince of Envy, Wang Jackson, smoking a cigarette as he continued to stare at the terrified angel.

     “W-Wang!” Mark shouted from shock. He was caught off guard. He didn’t know that Jackson would be awake at this time of night. He had been thinking about the plan since he left the holy home, but now that he’s facing Jackson, everything just flew out of his head.

     The plan was supposed to be simple. Bargain with the prince of envy. Ask for his ring, and they’ll promise to spare him when the time comes and make him the strongest son. They knew his sin, and they thought that his envious nature would be an advantage to them. Apparently…

     “I asked you a question,” Jackson stated with a really low voice. He threw his cigarette on the floor and stepped on it. Then he got closer to Mark.

     “I-I…”

     They were dead wrong if they think they could bargain with such a powerful demon like him. Jackson was the second strongest son, and that’s a fact that they obviously had forgotten.

     “Why? Are you going to steal my ring as well? Was Hyunseung’s not enough?” the demon asked.

     “Shit,”  Mark thought to himself while slowly backing away from Jackson.

     Jackson smirked at the reaction, “Well too bad,” he stated before showing his fingers. Mark’s eyes widened when he saw that the ring wasn’t there anymore.

     “I don’t have it with me right now, and you know why?” Jackson asked once again, now only a few inches away from Mark’s face.

     Mark’s back hits the front door of Jackson’s house. He gulped when he saw Jackson’s growing aura. He has seen Hyunseung and Minhyuk emit the same demonic aura, but it was his first time to see a higher ranked demon emit it, and it made the hair on his skin stand. Jackson truly was a demon to be reckoned with.

     “I need my full power when I torture you,” Jackson finally continued with a smirk.

     Mark’s body completely froze after hearing his words. His heart was beating so loud that you could hear it pound. He was completely trapped, and he had no one to blame but his fucked up leader.

     Jackson held Mark’s cheeks and said, “Looks like you’re screwed up leader moves fast. Shocking right? Well, you don’t need to ask because I’ll answer your questions. Yes, it was us who made Junhyung act that way. We knew that Junhyung was the most angelic and stupid member in your group, that’s why we started to use him first. And don’t worry, I know why you’re here. You’re here because you’re going to propose something to me right? I know I’m a son of Envy, but I’m not that stupid.”

     “T-That can’t be…” Mark stated, his body now trembling. What Jackson just said only means that their previous plan and their future plans would only be rubbish. They underestimated these demons and thought their attitude and sinful nature would help their plans, but apparently, they forgot about the fact that they’re not completely demons either.

    “Guess who we’re going to use next,” said Jackson as he finally lets go of Mark.

     Mark was shaking. Then out of nowhere, a tear fell from his eyes. If Junhyung was the stupidest, then Mark was no doubt the coward, and the Demons knew that through a few observations.

     “W-Why are you telling me…t-this?” Mark bravely asked, hoping that someone would come and help him.

    “I’m telling you this because I want you to be aware of the current situation,” Jackson answered him, and Mark could only gulp as a reply.

     “Now, look at the moon closely,” Jackson stated, and Mark unknowingly glanced at the moon in front of him. When he looked back at Jackson, his heart almost fell when he saw the mischievous grin on his face, “Because that will be the last time you’ll see it,” Jackson continued.

     Mark’s tears kept on coming out, but he didn’t say anything anymore. He closed his eyes and waited for what was in store for him.

     “Let’s have lots of fun, little angel.”

     Mark was about to open his eyes back when someone hits his head with a bat, leaving the angel unconscious, and hopefully not dead. When Mark’s body fell on the ground, a man standing behind him was revealed. Mark was so terrified that he didn’t even notice the door open.

     “Thanks, Taeil,” Jackson stated with a smirk.

     Taeil placed the bat on his shoulder and looked down at Mark, “Don’t mention it. And lucky for us, Mark was so scared that he forgot he had the power to paralyze you.”

     “I know. I was sweating inside because of that,” Jackson honestly answered.

     “Well, I hope Sunggyu’s right with this one. This is very risky. We could actually get arrested if we make a wrong move,” Taeil warned, looking back at his best friend.

     Jackson held Taeil’s shoulder and assured him, “I know, and I too believe that this is very dangerous, especially in my part. But Hyunseung and Sunggyu’s plan hasn’t failed up till now, so let’s just trust them.”

     “So, plan A is to make Junhyung fall in love with our prince of lust and make him go insane. Plan B is to kidnap Mark and make our epic comeback. The Arcs will suspect us first but they wouldn’t have evidence. Then what? What’s the next plan?” Taeil asked, and Jackson shrugged his shoulder and answered, “I don’t know. JS hasn’t told me about plan C yet.”

     “Then what do you want us to do with this guy? Where do you want to hide him? Don’t forget, he’s still an angel. He can summon his god as soon as he comprehends the situation,” Taeil told Jackson just to make sure Jackson had a plan for every little thing that might become a problem in the future.

     Jackson looked at Mark and confidently answered him, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it. I’ll make sure he forgets he even has a god.”

    Taeil was worried deep down because they’ve never done something as evil as this before, but he just smiled back at his brother instead of worrying himself.

     “I think it’s time for the Arcs to find out why we’re called Demons.”

• END -

SDS1 17: PAIN

MARK WOKE UP AFTER being unconscious for hours. He was welcomed with an insanely painful headache, making him clench on his teeth as a coping mechanism. He was inside an empty dark room, and the only source of light was the dim light coming from the lightbulb above him.

     Mark was about to lift his hand when he realized that he wasn’t able to do so. He looked around the room and the situation that he was in finally sinks in. His heart started beating fast and panic started to consume him.

     “Please! Let me out of here!” Mark shouted as he struggled to escape from the chair he was tied up in.

EARLIER TODAY

SATURDAY , 9:40 AM

     Junhyung was sitting on the sofa while watching television, trying his best to occupy his head with anything other than Hyunseung or the demons. 

     “Junhyung!” Seunghyun called out as he entered the living room with the rest of his brothers.

     “What?” Junhyung asked when Seunghyun stood in front of him. Before he could even stand up, Seunghyun punched Junhyung on the face without any warning. He didn’t even wait for their leader to fight back because he immediately grabbed him by the collar and pushed him off the sofa, making him stumble to the floor.

     “What the fuck?!” Junhyung shouted as he wiped the blood on the corner of his mouth.

     “Seunghyun, why would you punch our leader like that?!” Lay asked as he went to Junhyung to heal him.

     “He deserved to be punched. Because of “ our leader, “ Mark hasn’t been home yet since last night,” Seunghyun said as he pointed at Junhyung, who was still sitting on the floor while avoiding the stares of his brothers.

     Seunghyun and the rest of the Arcs looked and waited for Junhyung to answer, but he didn’t, and that made him even more furious.

     “What will we tell father, huh?!” Seunghyun angrily asked. When Junhyung still didn’t answer, he continued, “That our “ leader “ sacrificed his brother for the sake of a fucking demon?!”

     Junhyung continued to stay mute. He looked down on his hand and didn’t say a word.

     “You fucking idiot!”

     Seunghyun was so angry and irritated to the point where he went towards Junhyung and started punching him again. No one even dared to stop him because they were too scared of Seunghyun more than their leader, Junhyung.

     Before things got nastier, their guardian – Dongmin – finally arrived to put a stop to it. Even though Dongmin looked smaller compared to Seunghyun, he was still strong enough to pull Seunghyun away from Junhyung, who was already bleeding pretty badly.

     “What the fuck is happening here?” Dongmin asked as he looked at the Arcs, but no one answered. Dongmin sighed and looked at Lay, making Lay flinched since he was on the floor, kneeling beside Junhyung.

     “Can you heal Junhyung in his room?” Dongmin asked him, and Lay nodded and helped Junhyung stand. Junhyung didn’t struggle anymore as he draped his arm around Lay’s shoulder. Then the two of them left the living room.

    “All of you may leave except for Seunghyun” Dongmin stated as he looked at the others.

     The Arcs didn’t say anything and just nodded and left the room. When they were gone, Dongmin looked back at Seunghyun with his arms crossed, “Care to explain why I saw you beating up Junhyung on the floor?” He asked, and Seunghyun sighed and sat on the sofa. Dongmin did the same and waited for an answer.

     Seunghyun sighed for the second time and finally answered, “It’s about our shitty leader’s decision.”

     Dongmin raised his right eyebrow, “And that is?”

     “Last night he asked Mark to execute his part of the plan, and until now he hasn’t returned home and it’s all Junhyung’s fault,” Seunghyun explained. Dongmin had an expressionless face, making it hard for him to know what he was thinking, “Mark isn’t home yet?” Dongmin simply asked him.

     “Yes,” Seunghyun answered, and their guardian sighed this time.

     Seunghyun was expecting to get scolded by him, but Dongmin said instead, “You better look for your brother before things go wrong.” 

     Seunghyun nodded his head. Then he went upstairs and saw Woohyun and Sungjae at the lounging area with worried expressions on their faces.

     “You two, come with me,” Seunghyun commanded.

      “Why? Where are we going?” Sungjae asked, and Seunghyun clenched his fist and answered, “We’re catching demons.”

PRESENT TIME: 

11:23 AM

     Mark tried to escape, but he failed numerous times since he was inside an unknown room, tightly bounded to a chair. His wrists were red because of how he’s been forcefully pulling his hand, and he was starting to feel hungry too. While he continued to shake his hand off the chains, two figures appeared in front of him, immediately making Mark get cold sweats. 

     One of the unknown figures went closer, and then the other figure followed. As they went towards Mark, the angel’s eyes widened from terror because he saw two of the most powerful members of the Demons.

     “S-Sunggyu…J-Jiyong.” Was the only thing Mark had said, as the two-named men smirked at him.

     “So what are we going to do with him?” Jiyong asked while staring at Mark. They were acting like Mark couldn’t even hear them.

     Sunggyu was about to answer when another man appeared before them. “I’ll handle it,” Jackson stated as he approached his brothers.

     “There’s our Jackson,” Sunggyu stated with a smile. Jackson went forward and gently held Mark’s face, “I think this will be easy.”

     Mark doesn’t say anything and pulled himself away from Jackson, making Jackson smirk.

     “Okay, I trust you on this Jackson,” said Sunggyu as he placed his hand on Jackson’s shoulder. Then Jiyong went in between them and stated, “Just remember, do anything that you gotta do just to get information from him.”

     “Anything?” Jackson asked with his right eyebrow raised.

     “Everything,” Sunggyu corrected, and the three of them smirked at each other while looking at Mark. 

     Mark flinched when he saw the sons’ reaction. The best thing to do for now is to keep quiet, especially when those three are with him.

     “We better go. We have other plans to attend to,” Sunggyu stated, and then the two demons walked out of the room. When they were already near the exit, Jiyong looked over his shoulder and said, “Have fun breaking our little angel Jackson,” and they left.

     Mark gulped as he looked back at Jackson, “What did he mean by…break?” Mark asked as fear crept on his skin. 

     Jackson moved closer until his face was only inches away from the angel, “You’ll have to wait and see.”

EARLIER AT 10:12 AM

     Seunghyun, Woohyun and Sungjae, went to Gangnam to search for their lost brother. Or rather, to search for the demons who they suspect has their brother.

     “Are you sure Mark’s here?” Sungjae asked Seunghyun while looking around to see if he could catch a glimpse of his missing brother.

     “Honestly, no,” Seunghyun answered with no hesitation, surprising the two.

     “Then why the fuck are we here?” Woohyun confusingly asked.

     “It’s because this is where we’ll have a bigger chance of seeing the Demons. Remember our intell? This is where three of the Demons’ live. We’re bound to see them soon,” Seunghyun answered him.

     “And why are we looking for them? Weren’t we looking for Mark?” Sungjae suddenly asked, quickly making Woohyun and Seunghyun look at their brother who was apparently very slow.

     “Jeez, I don’t know Sungjae, maybe because they know where our brother is? Or maybe because they’re the ones who fucking took him?!” Woohyun said with a sarcastic tone, and Sungjae just laughed it off while scratching the back of his head.

     The three Arcs looked around the area. And after an hour of helpless searching, the angels started losing hope. Not until Sungjae was able to spot a pink-headed man just across the street from where they were walking.

     “There!” Sungjae shouted as he pointed at Jiyong and Sunggyu. Seunghyun didn’t waste time and ran towards them; Woohyun and Sungjae right behind him.

     “Hey! Kim Sunggyu!” Seunghyun shouted, stopping right in front of the two demons.

     Sunggyu looked at the men in front of him and raised an eyebrow, “What do you want?” Sunggyu asked with a hint of irritation in his voice.

     “Where’s our brother?” Woohyun quickly asked him, making Sunggyu and Jiyong look at each other.

     “Your who?” Jiyong then asked with a confused expression.

     Seunghyun looked at the two with an angry expression. He was worried and tired, seeing those two act all innocent wasn’t helping him. He walked closer to Jiyong until they were only a few inches away from each other, “Where the fuck are you hiding my brother!” He shouted at him. The idea of what these demons could have already done to his brother angered him even more.

     “We don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jiyong insisted as he pushed Seunghyun off him. Then Sunggyu went in front of Seunghyun and continued, “Why do you think we even have your brother in the first place?”

     “Because he went-” Seunghyun immediately cut Sungjae off and looked at him with a Don’t-Tell-Him stare.

     “Because of what?” Sunggyu asked with his right eyebrow raised.

     Seunghyun looked back at the demons and told them, “Nothing.”

     Sungjae was surprised. He wanted to say something, but Seunghyun blocked his view from them and continued, “It was nothing.”

     Jiyong looked at the three Arcs annoyingly, “A little reminder Choi Seunghyun. Before accusing someone, tell them the fuckin’ reason why they’re being accused of in the first place. You got that?!” Jiyong stated as he shoved Seunghyun away from them. Then the two Demons walked pass the three Arcs and left them in the middle of the street.

     When they were gone, Sungjae looked back at Seunghyun, “Why did you stop me from telling them? We could have used that information against them.”

     “Are you really stupid or are you just pretending that you are?” Woohyun asked, surprising Sungjae on the harsh words.

     “We can’t tell them we asked Mark to head to Jackson’s house to negotiate with him. That’s basically revealing our plans,” Seunghyun calmly replied even when he was inches away from screaming at his brother.

    “So, what now?” Woohyun then asked.

    “We’ll just have to wait and blame this on our leader. As much as I hate it, we can’t blindly accuse the Demons without evidence. If we want to find him, we have to look for evidence first,” Seunghyun explained before walking away.

     “This is messed up,” said Woohyun, and Sungjae replied with a nod. Then the two Arcs followed their brother back to their home.

     When the Arcs left the scene, Jiyong and Sunggyu turned around and just stared at their backs.

     “Well, that was interesting.” Said Jiyong with a smirk on his face.

     Sunggyu crossed his arms and replied, “Indeed it is.”

     “So now that the plan is working, what do we do next?” Jiyong asked.

     “Let’s just wait for Jackson with the information,” Sunggyu answered, and then Jiyong looked back at his brother, “Do you think he can extract information from him?”

     “With Jackson’s abilities, I’m pretty sure that he can,” Sunggyu confidently answered.

     Jiyong didn’t question it anymore since he knew how strong his brother is.

     “Well, we should go. Jackson will be waiting for us,” Sunggyu stated, and the two Demons left the streets of Gangnam to visit their captured angel.

PRESENT TIME: 

11:23 AM

     “You’ll have to wait and see,” Jackson told Mark before backing away from him. Mark quickly tried to shake his hands off the chains again, but it was still no use. When Jackson saw how he was struggling, he chuckled and said, “You have to stop tiring yourself.”

     Mark didn’t reply but he looked back at where Jackson was standing.

     “You’re going to need all your strength for what I have prepared for you today,” Jackson continued with a smirk on his face. Before Mark could even reply, Jackson went closer to him and placed his hand on Mark’s head. 

     Mark didn’t know what was happening, but he felt his eyelids getting heavier. When he closed his eyes, he felt his surroundings getting hotter in an instant. Jackson removed his hand from the angel, and the moment that he did, Mark’s eyes shot open. His body completely froze when he saw where he was.

     “Welcome to hell,” Jackson said with a smirk.

     “H-how did you-”

     “Don’t worry Mark, this is just an illusion. Your real self is back in South Korea. Well, physically that is,” Jackson explained. Then a table appeared right before his eyes. Jackson didn’t say anything and approached it.

     “An illusion?” Mark asked in confusion.

     “Yes. But you have to understand that what I do to you here in this illusion will be felt by your real self back in Korea. So you better ready yourself little angel,” Jackson explained. He snapped his fingers, and in an instant, Mark was placed on top of the table, both his hands and feet tied on the sides of it.

     Thanks to Jackson, Mark is aware that all this is an illusion, so there shouldn’t be a problem. But everything just felt too real. Since he was surrounded by fire, his body felt like it was inches away from burning. It was so real that even his real body was sweating all over.

    On the other hand, Jackson wasn’t sweating at all. This is the power of an illusion. Mark’s physically in Korea, but he’s mentally in hell. He’s awake, but his eyes see the current setting, which is hell. Objects could also appear in thin air too, and if Jackson cuts Mark’s arm in the illusion, Mark will feel the pain, but in reality, his arms are still intact. Another reminder is that no one else could see the illusion except for Mark and Jackson. 

     The plan is to give Mark as much pain as Jackson wants without even touching him. That’s why no other demon could possibly do this task except for him.

     “What the fuck’s going on?!” Mark asked as he tried to escape from the leather straps attached to his hands and feet.

     Jackson looked down on Mark’s face and said, “I told you, Mark, stop wasting your energy on useless actions.” 

     “W-what are you…going to do to me?” Mark asked, his heart beating faster and faster by the second.

     “Nothing really, but only if you tell me what I need to hear,” Jackson said while knives appeared in both of his hands. 

     “You know…” Jackson sat down at the edge of the table where Mark was strapped on, and then he looked back at him and continued, “I never thought your leader would take the bait.”

     Mark didn’t say anything, but he looked at Jackson with a confused expression. He still didn’t understand what he was trying to say, so Jackson generously explained it for him, “You know why your leader forced you to do this plan of yours?” Jackson asked, but Mark still didn’t answer because he didn’t know why Junhyung asked him to do his part of the plan either.

     “Well, that’s because he saw an illusion,” Jackson revealed.

     “A-an illusion?” Mark finally asked.

     “Yup. An illusion that I was making out with Hyunseung,” Jackson explained as he stood up, and Mark was too shocked that he didn’t even know what to say.

     “How can our leader be affected by that?” Mark thought.

     “You might be thinking why he acted like that,” Jackson said to Mark, almost like he was reading his mind, “Its because your leader is blindly in love with our lustful brother.”

     Mark stared at Jackson for a second before sinking that information in. He wanted to laugh it off but he just couldn’t. It was like a part of him somehow already knew about it even without Junhyung’s approval. 

     “How could he? We are forbidden to fall in love, especially to a demon,” Mark tried to say, but it was more like he was telling that to himself. Now he was just looking for an excuse.

      While Mark was thinking about what Jackson had told him, Jackson gripped on the knife that he was holding and stabbed Mark’s feet on the table without any warning.

     “AHHH!!! YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Mark shouted, and Jackson once again did the same thing to his hands, piercing his palm with a knife so it could get stuck to the table that he was in.

     “FUCK!!” Mark shouted again as he felt the pain scourging through his veins.

     “That will make you stay still,” Jackson said with a chuckle. He moved closer to Mark and touched his forehead, massaging it so Mark could at least relax, “The position looks familiar, isn’t it? Well, it’s because I’m reincarnating the moment your so-called god was crucified because of the sins people have committed. The same people he protected with all his life. Isn’t it unfair? People do good but in the end, they’re still the bad guys. Well, that’s why demons do evil because people never think that people that do bad would actually be the good guys in the end.”

     Mark didn’t say anything but looked away. His body felt numb at this point. Everything ached that his brain just lost sight of what to feel anymore.

     “Now, why did you steal JS’s ring?” Jackson finally asked him.

     Mark didn’t reply but glared at Jackson instead, making Jackson smirk. He liked how Mark still fought back, considering his situation.

     “I’m expecting a reply, Mark. Don’t leave me hanging,” Jackson stated while he was cleaning the blood-covered knife with a dirty cloth.

     “Fuck you!” Mark shouted at Jackson instead.

     “Wrong answer Mark,” Jackson stated as he threw the cloth away. And without any hesitation, he stabbed Mark on his thigh this time.

     “AHHH!!!” Mark shouted at the top of his lungs. It was so loud he thought his vocal chord would break.

     “Now tell me!” Jackson shouted back.

     Mark gritted his teeth and endured the pain. He knew that Jackson wasn’t planning on stopping if he doesn’t get the answer that he needed, so Mark took a deep breath and finally answered, “W-Without your rings…you are weak. Your demon b-blood…will take over. And y-your sense of reason…will be gone.”

     Jackson looked down at Mark and nodded his head. He was satisfied with the answer so he didn’t do anything this time.

     “Okay then, next question.” Jackson got on the table as well. Mark was in between him as Jackson sat on top of his stomach, making him wince. He looked down at Mark’s face and asked, “What’s the outcome of all your plans?”

     “I-I… don’t k-know,” Mark tried to answer since he was having a hard time breathing.

     “That’s not the answer I want to hear Mark,” Jackson stated. He gripped on his knife and stabbed him on the shoulder this time. Mark’s eyes widened even more as he felt the blood splatter on his face, “AHHH!!! FUCK!!!” he shouted louder this time. He knew that he was about to faint if Jackson stabbed him for one more time.

     “Tell me why or we’ll be doing this until midnight,” Jackson threatened as he pushed the knife deeper into his shoulder blades.

     Mark was clenching his fist, and saliva was already oozing out his mouth, “A-Ah! F-fine…I’ll tell you! J-Just please…stop,” Mark said, catching his breath because he thought he’d die if he wouldn’t be able to catch it.

     Jackson lets go of the knife but leaves it pierced on Mark’s shoulder. He stared at Mark with his right eyebrow raised, waiting for him to answer his question.

     “O-once we’re done…w-with our plans we…we will take it as an opportunity…” 

     “What are you talking about? What opportunity?” Jackson asked, but Mark doesn’t answer again, only making Jackson sigh in frustration. He slowly took the knife from Mark’s shoulder and looked back at his face.

     “I asked you a question, Mark. What did you mean by what you said?” Jackson asked further before stabbing him on his other shoulder.

      Mark shouted at the top of his lungs. All he wanted now was to faint, but Jackson’s illusion wasn’t letting him.

     “Answer me!” Jackson shouted, but Mark stayed quiet and just whimpered as the pain crept in his entire body.

     “Fine, if you don’t want to talk…” Jackson paused and looked down on Mark with a mischievous grin, then eight small knives appeared in his hands, “I’ll just have to torture you until you tell me the answer that I want to hear.”

     .

     .

     .

     .

     .

     .

     .

     “Are you going to tell me now?” Jackson asked, his hands were covered in Mark’s blood.

     “ Never ,“ Mark weakly replied. He was already bleeding too much that his blood was already dripping off the table. And his face was pale. If this wasn’t an illusion, Mark would have been dead a long time ago.

     “You’re making it too difficult for me,” Jackson stated, and the knives in his hand disappeared. Mark didn’t know what he’d do next, but to his surprise, a chainsaw appeared in Jackson’s hand.

     “I’ll saw you up until all that’s left is your head,” Jackson declared. But before he could turn that thing on, Mark finally broke down.

     “Wait! Please! I can’t anymore!” Mark shouted, and Jackson threw the chainsaw away and approached the angel with a smile.

     “F-fine, I’ll tell you! E-enough already…” Mark begged, tears now pouring out of his eyes.

     “About time, I was running out of ideas on what to do with you,” Jackson told him, his smile turning evil as he got closer.

     Mark looked at Jackson and told him, “Once t-the plan is finished and…we have killed you…w-we’ll be killing your f-fathers.”

     “What?” Jackson asked in confusion.

     “T-to finish…what our fathers…had started,” Mark continued.

     Jackson was about to ask another question, but because of the shock he received from what he heard from Mark, he slightly released his illusion, causing Mark to faint.

     “ Damn, I never thought that this was their planning, “ Jackson said to himself as he finally released his illusion, putting him and Mark back to the real world. He looked back at the unconscious Mark sitting on the chair and thought, “Looks like pain is done. we’ll be proceeding with pleasure this time. Hope you’re ready…my little angel.”

• END -

SDS1 18: PLEASURE

WARNING: There may be scenes in this chapter that will make you feel uncomfortable. Please read with caution.

MARK WOKE UP FROM his deep sleep. The moment he opened his eyes, he realized that he was already tied on the chair that he was in earlier, which means that the illusion was finally over. He scanned his body. He had no bruises or wounds. It may have all been an illusion, but Mark’s body ached.

     He looked around the dark empty room as beads of sweat poured down on his cheeks. His heart was beating fast and he started to panic. He still didn’t know where this place was, or how many hours ( or worse, days ) he’s been here. 

     No one was inside the said room, but a few minutes after, the door opened, revealing Jackson holding a red box. The moment Jackson closed the door behind him, Mark started to feel nervous and scared again. He couldn’t even say a word.

     “Looks like my angel’s awake,” Jackson stated, placing the box on top of the table. Mark could hear the box being opened, but because of Jackson’s huge frame, Mark couldn’t see what was inside, but he knew that this involved him getting hurt again.

     Jackson was still arranging the items inside the box as he said, “Don’t worry, we’ll be releasing you soon. And we won’t physically hurt you. It’s against the rules.”

     “The rules?” Mark confusingly asked himself.

     Jackson turned around and saw Mark’s expression so he repeated, “Yes, the rules. Haven’t you realized it yet? The reason why I’m the one torturing you is because I have the ability to traumatically hurt you while I’m not even touching you. You remember the torture yesterday? I wasn’t even moving at that time. I was just silently staring at you while I sat down at that chair,” Jackson explained as he pointed to the chair sitting right across Mark, “But I guess they’re wrong about me not touching you. Who cares about the rules right?”

     Jackson turned around and continued arranging the items inside the box. Mark was still confused about what Jackson said. What about those rules? Why can’t Jackson touch Mark? Or rather, why can’t a demon touch an angel? Is this part of their plan? To keep him alive?!

     “May I come in?” Someone asked from the other side of the door.

     “Sure,” Jackson replied. The door swung open and revealed Taeil holding a tray of food.

     “Here’s your breakfast!” Taeil stated with a wide smile as he approached Mark. Mark’s body froze upon hearing what the demon said. They’re already serving him breakfast, which only means he’s been here for hours. If not, an entire day.

     Taeil placed the tray of food on top of the chair Jackson sat on during the illusion casting. He went to Mark to remove the chains off of his hand, but Jackson pulled Taeil’s arm to stop him.

     “What? How the fuck is he gonna eat then? The spoon’s not gonna float by itself you know,” said Taeil, so Jackson walked to the tray of food and grabbed the bowl of cereal and spoon, “I’ll feed him,” he answered, making Taeil stop whining. He didn’t say anything else but sighed and just left the room in silence.

     Jackson went in front of Mark and kneeled on one knee. He looked at Mark’s eyes, but Mark turned away from him. Mark bit his lower lip, trying his best not to let the tears fall from his eyes.

     The room was silent until, “ Sorry, “ Mark heard Jackson whisper to him. He slowly looked back at Jackson who surprisingly had a tired face. Jackson looked directly at Mark’s eyes and told him, “I’m sorry if we had to use you, but I hope you know that this is what’s best for all of us.”

     “Sorry?!” That was the word that Mark wanted to shout, but he couldn’t do it. The thought of what happened last night just scared him.

     “Now think about this as payment for what Junhyung has done to our brother. Just be a good boy and pay the payment properly,” Jackson stated, and the tired expression on his face slowly faded and turned into a grin.

     “You understand right?” Jackson asked him, making Mark grip on his fist in anger.

     “T-that’s right…it’s all your fault Yong Junhyung! It’s all your fault! I’m fucking going to kill you! I swear to god that I will!”

     While Mark was occupied with his thoughts, Jackson took the spoonful of cereal and positioned it in front of Mark’s mouth. But Mark turned his head away once more.

    “Eat up or you’ll starve to death,” Jackson warned him, but still, no response. 

     Jackson sighed and placed the bowl down. He looked at Mark and brushed his hair back with his fingers before saying, “Don’t make this difficult for me. Eat up…” He paused and moved closer to Mark until his face was only inches away from his, “Or this cereal isn’t the only thing that’s going inside that mouth of yours.”

     The hair on Mark’s skin stood up. Jackson tried again and lifted the spoon close to Mark’s mouth. This time, Mark opened his mouth with no complaints and started eating.

      “This guy was torturing me yesterday, and now he’s feeding me. Is he as fucked up as Junhyung?” Mark thought to himself while he continued eating.

     Eventually, Mark finished eating his breakfast. Jackson stood up and looks at Mark who was watching him. He drank the remaining milk on the bowl and slowly licked his lips, making Mark look away from him.

     “You know you should be thankful that I was assigned to you. If not, Jiyong would have been the one torturing you right now, and believe me, he’s not the one you want,” Jackson revealed, shocking Mark. He imagined a scenario where Jiyong was the one torturing him. Just the thought of it sent him chills.

     “Should I be grateful that you’re the one torturing me then?” Mark said. The moment he said those words, his eyes widened from shock. He didn’t know he ended up saying that out loud.

     Jackson chuckled as he went closer to Mark, “Yes, you should be. Because I don’t only give fake pain…” 

     Jackson went back to the red box from earlier. He took out black leather gloves and wore them. When Jackson shifted a little to the right, Mark’s heart completely dropped when he saw a small tube and some kind of round device that he wasn’t familiar with.

     “I give real pleasure too,” Jackson finished with a smirk on his face.

     “What are you going to do to me?!” Mark finally shouted at him.

     Jackson didn’t answer. Instead, he took the tray of food from the chair and placed it on the table. Then he turned the chair around and sat down on it so he could face Mark while his arms rested on the top rail of the chair.

     “Sweet talks over. I’m giving you only one chance. Answer my question and I won’t hurt you. If not…well, you know what happens next,” Jackson told him, making Mark gulp.

    “What did you mean by finishing what they’ve started?” Jackson finally asked. Mark opened his mouth and immediately closed it after. He kept his mouth shut, and Jackson knew that he wanted to answer the question, but Mark was still too scared of his fathers more than him.

    “Answer me or face the consequences Mark,” Jackson warned him once again, but Mark still didn’t answer. His eyes were teary and full of fear, but Jackson ignored it all.

     “Who started what? What will you gain? Answer me!” Jackson now shouted at him.

     Mark flinched, but he kept his ground. There was no way he’d betray his Fathers.

     But Jackson started looking impatient, “I’m counting to three Mark. If you’re still planning on keeping quiet then I have no choice but to continue with my plan. One…” Jackson started.

     Mark was having cold sweats as Jackson’s words echoed inside his head. Getting tortured by Jackson or getting killed by his Fathers?

     “Two…”

     Mark now had to think of something, fast. Any wrong move wouldn’t only ruin the Arcs’ plan, but it will also have bad outcomes on the Archangels and God the Father Himself. So Mark had no other choice. He closed his eyes tightly and forced himself not to cry. Mark was now ready to face the things Jackson had planned for him.

     “Three.” Jackson finished.

     Everything fell silent.

     Mark started feeling hot, and sweat started to come out of his body. He quickly opened his eyes and saw that he was in HELL once   again.

     “An illusion?” Mark asked himself while scanning the place. Nothing was there but flames and a chair that’s placed right in front of him.

     “J-Jackson,” Mark called out. He staring at the empty chair in front of him. Even though nothing was there, he knew that Jackson was sitting there,  staring right back at him. 

     Mark gulped and continued, “P-please…let me out of this place. Please.”

     Laughter from dozens of unknown voices were suddenly heard everywhere. And as the laughter continued, Mark closed his eyes and started thinking. He’s been terrified for too long that he has forgotten how to think rationally. But thinking was the last thing Jackson and the others wanted him to do. That’s why they kept on torturing him.

     “I’m not in hell. I’m in a dark and small room with a demon. This isn’t real. This is a trick, an illusion, this is some kind of po…”  Then Mark stopped mid-sentence. He finally remembered something so important that he could have used it from the very beginning.

     “Power! I have powers!” Mark shouted from the sudden realization.

     The moment he said those words, someone snapped their fingers in a distance. But the moment the illusion was over, Mark saw nothing but darkness. His eyes were now completely covered with a cloth.

     “AHH! You son of a bitch!!” Mark shouted furiously.

     Mark suddenly felt someone touch his chin, then the stranger pulled it upward. But Mark turned his head away so the man could let go of him, “Please! Let me go!”

     Mark was now on a rampage. He was aggressively trying to escape from the chains that were tied on his wrist. Because of that, his wrist started to bleed. He was trying to pull the chair but it didn’t budge either.

     “Mark you fucking idiot!! You had that chance but why didn’t you even grab that fucking opportunity!”

     This was exactly what the Demon’s planned. 

     Make Junhyung go insane, kidnap Mark, then scare him until his mind goes blank to the point where he would completely forget that he has the capability to escape, and when he realizes it, it would be too late, and it is Mark’s turn to go insane.

     “Can’t paralyze me, hmm Mark?” Jackson asked with a smirk.

     “Jackson! I’ll fucking get out of here, and when I do…” Mark stopped when he felt someone wipe the tears off his face. Then Jackson leaned a little closer at Mark’s ear and whispered, “Don’t worry my little angel, you’ll be out soon. That…I’m sure of.”

     Jackson went back to his chair and continued, “And when you get out, we’re not the ones you’re going to be mad at.”

     “That’s impossible, who else would I-”

     “Think about it, Mark. Who started this anyway? If it weren’t for that person, you wouldn’t even be here, right?”

     Mark was starting to get confused again.

     Jackson stood up from his seat without saying a word. Seconds later, Mark felt the zipper of his pants slowly being pulled down, making the hair on his skin stand.

     “W-what are you-”

     “ Sshh , this won’t take too long. After this you’ll be free,“ Jackson said, and then a chuckle followed. Before Mark could even react, Jackson covered his mouth with duct tape. Mark wanted to struggle, or at least fight a little, but deep down he knew it would be useless. He couldn’t see, he couldn’t talk, and he couldn’t even move an inch. He was good as DEAD.

     While Jackson was preparing the items to be used for Mark’s so-called “Pleasure”, Mark suddenly started crying. He didn’t deserve this. How can someone be so cruel?

     “You ready?” Jackson asked with a low voice.

     Mark felt Jackson tug his pants and underwear off. He shivered when his cock felt the cold breeze of the room. His tears flowed faster. He bit his lips harshly as he felt a ring being attached on his lower part. As soon as the ring was attached to him, Jackson quickly puts the small round tube inside Mark’s slit to block Mark’s future release.

    The sudden stretch made him whimper.

    “This ring tightens every hour, so by next day your cock’s going to explode,” Jackson explained.

     “N-Next day?” Mark mumbled as tears continued to flow.

     “Yes, next day. You’ll be out of here by tomorrow, so by then…” Jackson went closer to Mark. He patted his head and continued, “May the king of hell be with you and your spirit…Mark Yi-En.” Then he smirked and moved away. He was about to take his leave, but then he suddenly heard Mark moan.

     “ Hmm… “ Mark repeated.

     Jackson slowly walked back to where Mark was. He grabbed the chair in front of Mark and sat down across him. Jackson wanted to hit himself on the head with a bat as well because he was suddenly getting hard on the sight of Mark feeling good. 

     He kept his eyes on Mark. His desire grew to the point where he wanted to touch himself and masturbate in front of the blindfolded angel. After a while, Jackson realized that he had been staring at Mark for too long now because he saw that Mark’s cock was already oozing with precum.

     Jackson looked at his watch and said, “2 hours.” Yes, Jackson has been staring at Mark being pleasured by the mechanical ring for two fucking hours.

     “ I need to go, “ he whispered to himself.

     Jackson stood up and attempted to leave once more when Mark mumbled something out.

     “What did you say?” Jackson asked, looking back at Mark.

     Mark was too weak to say anything else. He wasn’t even moving anymore. So Jackson went to where he was and slowly took the tape off Mark’s mouth. Mark was sweaty and tired as he said, “P-Please…e-enough…I can’t…”

     Jackson looked at Mark’s throbbing cock and gulped loudly. Why does the sight of Mark make him so hard?

     “Please…” Mark repeated.

     “Looks like 2 hours is your only record,” Jackson told him.

     Jackson quickly took the mechanical ring off so he could finally leave and never see Mark’s thing again. But the moment Jackson took the circular tube that’s stopping Mark from releasing, his cum shoots out and accidentally hits Jackson’s face.

     “Uh! Fuck!” Jackson shouted in irritation. But instead of feeling disgusted, it only made Jackson even harder. He brushed the thought away and took the towel hanging on the side so he could wipe his face with it.

     “This is what you get Wang Jackson for torturing someone with these kinds of tactics,” Jackson said to himself. He was about to leave the room for the third time, but he stopped again the moment Mark opened his mouth.

     “D-don’t go.” Mark weakly stated.

     “What the fuck are you saying now?”

     “P-please…I can’t…”

     Jackson was confused. But when he looked down at Mark’s member, he saw that it was still erect. The sight of it made Jackson smirk.

     “Still not enough…huh slut?!” Jackson asked him. He went to Mark and pulled his hair. Then he went closer to his ears and whispered, “You don’t want this big thing to enter your tiny hole little angel.” He pushed Mark’s head away from him and moved away. One more of this or Jackson’s going to end up doing something he never thought of doing.

     “Please…” Mark continued to beg him.

     Jackson finally snapped.

     “ I had enough of your bullshit, “ Jackson whispered. He was about to unzip his own pants when someone suddenly barged inside the room, stopping him.

     “Jackson!” he shouted.

     Jackson turned around and saw the third son, Kim Jun-Myeon of Greed, also known as Suho.

    “What do you think you’re-” Suho stopped himself when he saw Jackson’s bulge underneath his tight pants.

    “I knew it this was going to happen sooner or later. You might be the second most powerful son, but you’re still a man full of frustrations,” Suho teased, only making Jackson look at him annoyingly.

    “Do you want me to kill you?” Jackson asked him, so Suho seriously looked back at his brother and said, “Jackson, don’t make the same mistake as Hyunseung did, understand?”

     Jackson glared at him and replied, “Did you come here just to say that?”

    “Not really. I just wanted to tell you that your duty here is over. Let my boys do the “ other “ torturing. And don’t worry, if Mark feels pain, humans touching an angel isn’t counted on the rules,” Suho explained.

     Jackson looked at the weak Mark and gave his attention back to Suho. Then Suho patted Jackson’s back and continued, “We’re sorry for all the trouble we’ve caused you. I know that you’re a busy man.”

    “Just tell Sunggyu that I’m never going to do this again,” Jackson stated as he gritted his teeth.

    “Oh wow, a big guy like you doesn’t need a weak heart,” Suho continued to tease, so Jackson pushed him away from him and said, “Fuck off…”

     Suho laughed and grabbed Jackson’s arm, pulling him close so he could whisper, “If he wasn’t the son of Raguel then I could have used my knowledge absorption on him. But too bad. The moment we physically hurt him, his father will sense it. Why does Raguel have to be the fucking Archangel of Justice and Harmony?” 

     Jackson didn’t say anything, so Suho moved away and said his final words, “Well I better go. Fix your things because my boys will arrive at any minute.”

    Without waiting for Jackson’s reply, the prince of greed left the room.

    Jackson looked back at Mark and realized Suho was right.

    The reason why the Demons used Jackson is because he had the power to mentally hurt Mark, not physically. Mark’s father was a soldier of Justice, the moment someone ( Specifically a demon ) hurts his son’s body, he’ll be going down the heavens to save him. And those were the rules Jackson was talking about earlier. The reason why they can’t touch Mark was because of this. The only physical thing that they can do was the sexual torture, because Mark wasn’t really in Pain , rather, he was feeling, Pleasure

     “ I truly am sorry. It’s just something that I had to do .“ Jackson thought to himself as he stared down at Mark. This time, he wasn’t smirking. He looked at Mark with pain and pity. Jackson was one of the demons who didn’t agree with the plan, but he had no choice since everyone else agreed. After all, these angels are out there to kill them. It’s a fact that Jackson and the rest of the demons had to consider.

     Jackson took a deep breath and made Mark wear his underwear and pants back.

     “You’re not evil…aren’t you?” Mark suddenly asked, surprising Jackson.

     “ That’s not for me to decide anymore angel, “ Jackson thought to himself.

     “I’ll leave you something as a souvenir then,” Jackson answered instead as he leaned closer at Mark so he could kiss his neck, leaving a visible hickey. The action made Mark flinch.

    When Jackson turned his back away from him, Suho’s men arrived and approached him.

     “Hey, Jackson Wang right? If you don’t remember, I’m Steve and we’re from Suho’s so-called “business”. So, what are we going to-“ Jackson suddenly pulled Steve’s collar towards him and said, “JUST watch over him. Don’t lay a finger on this guy, you hear me?”

     Steve was shocked at Jackson’s sudden request, “B-But Suho said that…”

     “Listen to what I say or I’ll fucking cut your dicks off,” Jackson warned, his dark aura slowly showing that Steve and the rest of the guys couldn’t help but be frightened by him.

    “Yes sir!” Everyone answered in unison. Jackson lets go of Steve and leaves the room with the image of Mark still inside his head.

---

The next day, Mark woke up on top of a long table. He rubbed his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the room. He sat up and realized that he was at HAU’s library. He didn’t know why he was there, but then he remembered the torture that he experienced for the past two days. 

     While he was trapped inside the dark and empty room for two days, he thought to himself that he was bound to tell everyone about what the Demons did to him. But the only problem was, there was no evidence. How could he tell his brothers that he was stabbed when he didn’t even have any bruise on his body? Even the marks of the chains on his wrist was magically gone. And to top it all off, he didn’t know where he was brought to. 

    The Demons did a pretty good job of hiding all the evidence.

     Mark then felt something hot on his neck, making him remember the time Jackson left him a hickey. That was the only evidence he had with the Demons, and it was the only evidence that he was unwilling to share.

     Mark forced himself to stand up. He went down from the table and went out of library. He looked at the clock and saw that it was still too early for students to swarm the campus, but it was the exact time where the Arcs would arrive at school. So Mark weakly went down the stairs and headed straight to the lobby.

     The Arcs arrived just like how Mark predicted. Their eyes widened, and their bodies stiffened when they saw their brother who had been missing for two days.

    “M-Mark?!” Woohyun shouted. He dropped his bag and ran to where Mark was. Without saying anything, he grabbed him for a hug. When he pulled away, he held Mark’s shoulder and said, “Mark, are you okay? Are you hurt? Where were you?!”

     “We were looking everywhere for you!” Sungjae shouted as all of them went to where Mark was.

     Mark didn’t say anything, which the Arcs found strange.

     Lay, as the healer, approached their brother and examined his body. He scratched the back of his head when he found out that he was perfectly fine.

     “You’re okay?” Lay asked instead of stating.

     “If you’re fine then where have you been? Don’t tell me you were planning to run off?” Seunghyun stated. He wasn’t angry at all because he was overflowing with joy. He was happy to see his brother safe and unharmed, but he was actually expecting to see Mark naked somewhere on the streets, all beaten up.

     “Stop acting stupid. Can’t you see? The Demons did this,” a voice suddenly said.

     The Arcs turned around and saw their leader, Junhyung, approaching them. Seunghyun wanted to scold him, but when Mark saw him, he snapped. The moment his eyes saw Junhyung, tears started flowing out of it. 

     Mark pushed Woohyun away from him and embraced himself. His body felt hot, and the memory of what happened to him started flashing inside his head.

     “Ahh!” Mark suddenly shouted. He forced his eyes shut, hoping the memories would stop. 

     The Arcs looked at him with shock and confusion. Sungjae wanted to approach him, but Mark pushed him away and continued screaming.

     “M-Mark…are you okay?” Jihoon asked with a worried expression.

     “Lay, what’s happening to him?” Seunghyun asked, but Lay didn’t know either. Why was Mark suddenly screaming like that.

     “Mark, calm down!” Woohyun tried to say this time, but Mark didn’t listen and just continued shouting.

     The members of Arcs didn’t know what to do, so Junhyung went to where Mark was and held his shoulder gently to calm him down. But Mark quickly pushed him away. They were all shocked because Mark didn’t just “push” Junhyung away, he struck him with lightning.

    The impact made Junhyung fall to the ground. Thankfully he wasn’t really affected by the lightning since he’s an angel himself.

     While Lay helped Junhyung up, Mark suddenly pushed Lay away from their leader. He then went on top of Junhyung and grabbed him by the collar, “This is all your fault! If it weren’t for you then this wouldn’t have happened to me! You die in hell with those other fucking demons! Die in hell! You don’t deserve to be an angel!”

     The Arcs looked back at Mark with shock. Woohyun even covered his mouth because he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. This was his closest brother, but it seems like he was looking at a complete stranger.

     “Die!” Mark continued to shout, so Sungjae immediately went to them and said, “That’s enough!” He held Mark’s forehead, quickly making Mark fall asleep.

     When Mark fell on top of Junhyung, the Arcs became quiet.

     “Thank you Sungjae,” Seunghyun stated, grabbing Mark off of their leader.

     Junhyung stood up from the floor. The Arcs looked at him with a concerned expression, but deep inside, they were mad like Mark too.

     “And when you get out, we’re not the one’s you’re going to get mad at.”

     The Demons’ plan worked again. They successfully made Mark go insane and furious on the sight of his own brother, Yong Junhyung.

     “Lay and Sungjae, bring Mark to the clinic,” Seunghyun instructed.

     The two didn’t answer but took Mark from Seunghyun’s hold. 

     Once they were gone, Woohyun looked at Junhyung angrily and said, “Look what’s gotten into him. For two days he went missing. We’ve been telling ourselves that he’s good as dead because the Demons got him. But then the next day we find out that he doesn’t even have a scratch on his body, and he fucking wants to kill you. Now, whose fault is it?”

     “I didn’t know this was going to end up like this!” Junhyung shouted as an answer.

     “You fucking didn’t know?! That’s what you always say!” Woohyun shouted back.

     “Then what the fuck am I supposed to say?!” Junhyung asked next, and Woohyun clenched his fist, trying his best not to punch their leader.

     Woohyun was the most affected by Mark’s situation. He couldn’t even sleep for the past few days. He and Mark were the closest. They were practically best of friends.

     “Just face it, leader. Your plans will always be a disaster, and it will only take a miracle for us to be ahead of those demons,” Woohyun said with a voice that insulted Junhyung completely.

     “Woohyun, that’s enough,” Seunghyun warned.

     Woohyun didn’t say anything anymore. He glared at Junhyung for the last time and followed Lay and the others to the clinic, leaving Junhyung, Seunghyun, and Jihoon alone in the middle of the lobby.

     “Junhyung, are you okay?” Seunghyun asked the moment Woohyun left the scene.

     Junhyung slowly looked at Seunghyun and told him, “What else am I doing wrong? Tell me.”

     The Arcs looked at each other and looked back at Junhyung with pity. But before Seunghyun could even answer Junhyung’s question, Jihoon suddenly held Seunghyun’s shoulder and said, “I know we already have a lot of problems in our hands but you gotta see this.”

     Jihoon pointed at the entrance near the lobby, shocking the angels from what they saw.

     “Demons…”

• END -

SDS1 19: CONCLUSIONS

THE SIX BROTHERS WERE  walking down the streets with excited looks on their faces. They’ve been sleeping at Jackson’s house ever since they’ve kidnapped Mark. That’s a total of three days. They were exhausted, but after everything, their plan was about to come to an end.

     “Are you sure you safely placed Mark’s body at the library?” Sunggyu asked as he looked at Taeil and Suho who were assigned with that task.

     “Yeah, we stole the clothes inside his locker, burned his old clothes, and even wore gloves like what Jiyong instructed,” Taeil replied.

     Jiyong’s hands were inside his pockets. He puts the other one out to take off his headset, and then he said, “Well if you want to clear all the evidence then we need to take drastic measures. Those Arcs won’t stop until they could prove that we took him.”

     Minhyuk then went in between them and said, “Don’t worry. Jackson tortured and programmed Mark’s head to our liking. It’s impossible that Mark would blame everything on us, right Jackson?”

     The Demons stopped walking and looked back at Jackson, but Jackson remained quiet. He remembered his memory with Mark. Even though he did all the torture, the memory was still unpleasant. He thought that he was going insane.

     “Jackson! We’re on earth now. don’t tell me you’re still mentally in hell,” Taeil told his best friend.

     Jackson finally snapped out of it as he realized his dear friend Taeil was now standing right in front of him.

     “Oh, yeah,” Jackson simply replied.

     The Demons looked at each other and brushed the thought away so they could just change the subject.

     “Anyway, we shouldn’t be too confident. Mark might be smarter than we thought. Our plan worked perfectly, but karma is still a bitch, remember that,” Sunggyu explained, and everyone agreed to what their leader had said.

     The six sons finally arrived at their destination, and it was Jang Hyunseung’s house. It’s been so long since they’ve visited him, so Hyunseung was excited too, which explained why he was already waiting outside their house when they arrived.

     “JS!” Taeil excitedly shouted.

     “Hyunseung! Do you know how much we missed you?!” Minhyuk stated as he ran to where Hyunseung was to hug him.

     “Why didn’t you even visit us. We were pretty lonely without you,” Suho stated as Hyunseung and Minhyuk went to where they were.

    “Sorry, I was just being cautious. What would happen if the Arcs found out? The plan would be ruined,” Hyunseung explained.

     “Good call. But seriously, we’re glad you’re back,” Sunggyu stated while patting Hyunseung’s back. Hyunseung looked at his brothers, then everyone did a group hug. After the reunion, the Seven Deadly Sons walked their way to Holy Angels University.

     “We should go out and drink. You know, to celebrate for Hyunseung’s return and a very successful plan,” Taeil suggested.

     “Yeah, that’s a great idea. I’ll treat you guys,” Jiyong stated, shocking everyone from what he said.

     “Are you sick today Jiyong?” Hyunseung asked, pressing the back of his hand at Jiyong’s forehead to check his temperature. Everyone laughed, so Jiyong quickly pushed Hyunseung’s hand away while looking at his brother’s annoyingly. Whenever he does something nice for them, this is what they always do.

     “If you don’t want to then fine!” Jiyong stubbornly said.

     Yup, Jiyong still holds his prideful title.

     “Whether we want to or not, we still can’t celebrate. I’m not being an ass here, I’m just being a leader. We still need to finish our current plan. If this becomes a success I’ll treat you all in a vacation trip somewhere during our Christmas break, sounds good?” Sunggyu asked as he looked at his brothers seriously.

     “Yes, brother!” Everyone happily answered in unison.

     When they arrived at HAU, they instantly became the talk of the town. “Hyunseung’s back?!” and “When did they reconcile with each other?” were the questions that were constantly being asked. Though it was still funny on the Demons’ part because they never really separated in the first place. 

     Trey, the guy who made an article about Hyunseung and Junhyung, even ran back to the newspaper club to write about this exciting event.

     As the sons were walking, everyone moved away to give them space. When they arrived at the lobby, they saw Yong Junhyung, Pyo Jihoon, and Choi Seunghyun staring back at them with shock.

     “Demons…” Junhyung stated as the seven sons walked closer.

     “Move out of the way angel,” Jiyong stated as he pushed Junhyung away, but Junhyung quickly grabbed Jiyong’s arm before he could even take another step.

     “What do you think you’re fucking doing?” Jiyong asked, pushing Junhyung’s hand away from him. The students started circling them, all intrigued by what was about to go down. But Sunggyu quickly glared at them, making everyone back away and leave them all alone in the lobby.

     “What did you do to Mark?” Junhyung asked them with no hesitation.

     “Mark Tuan Yi-En? I don’t think we did anything to him. Do you see him with us?” Jiyong asked back, making Junhyung lose his control again. Everyone was surprised because he didn’t go to Jiyong, but to Hyunseung instead. He grabbed Hyunseung’s collar and pulled him towards him.

     “Is this some kind of revenge?! Do it to me! Not to my brother!” Junhyung shouted at him.

     Hyunseung chuckled and pushed the angel away. Good thing Seunghyun and Jihoon caught him on time. The students surrounding them started whispering at each other, so Jihoon looked around and snapped his fingers, stopping time. He knew that something was going to happen, and he didn’t want the students to see something that they’re not supposed to see.

     Hyunseung fixed his collar and looked back at Junhyung, “Revenge? I don’t have time to take my revenge on someone as low as you. Whatever happened to your ‘brother’ is not our concern, so don’t jump to any conclusions.”

     Seunghyun looked at the Demons with a blank expression and told them, “This was a plan, am I right?”

     The Demons looked back at Seunghyun, but they didn’t answer him, so Seunghyun continued, “Hyunseung being ignored, the ring, Junhyung’s insanity, everything was your plan. And even if you deny Mark’s loss and threw all the evidence away, we all know it was because of you. But it was pretty brave of you to kidnap the son of the Angel of Justice.”

     Seunghyun paused, then he smirked and realized something, “Wait, it was a plan too. And the fact that he’s spitting on all of us was also part of your sickening plan to defeat us. How’s that for a conclusion, slut?”

     Hyunseung clenched his fist but kept a straight face.

     “You were smarter than we thought. Why the hell aren’t you the leader?” Sunggyu asked himself as he grabbed Hyunseung’s shoulder to pull him back to the group.

     “That’s smart Choi, but if it was true I would have been impressed. Too bad I’m not even close to being impressed,” Sunggyu calmly stated as he went closer to Seunghyun this time.

     “I’ll tell you straight to the point. We didn’t kidnap your brother, we just programmed him to become a better angel and realize that what he’s doing is useless. Our next plan? That’s Mark’s decision if he wants to finish it for us or not. You started this mess, you finish it. To make things exact, let your fucking brother Mark finish it. He would be a great help in our plan.”

     “What did you do to him!?” Junhyung shouted in anger. He was about to punch Sunggyu but Jackson quickly grabbed his wrist before he could do so. Junhyung was trying to break free from the hold but Jackson was just too strong. A few seconds later his wrist started to burn. Junhyung saw fire coming out from Jackson’s hand.

     “Ah! L-Let go!” Junhyung shouted, trying to pull his hand away from Jackson’s fire.

     “Junhyung?!” Jihoon confusingly asked while he was staring at his brother with furrowed brows.

     “Don’t worry, Mark will tell you everything. Well, maybe not everything,” Jackson said with a smirk before letting go of the Arcs’ leader. 

     Junhyung looked at his wrist, surprised that it wasn’t burnt like how he thought.

     “I know I saw fire come out from…” Junhyung paused. The sudden realization made his legs weaker that he immediately hold of Seunghyun and Jihoon’s shoulder for support. His heart started beating faster, and for the first time, he looked back at Jackson and felt fear.

     “I-Illusion…you have…Illusion casting?!” Junhyung shouted, shocking Seunghyun and Jihoon.

     “Isn’t that one of the most powerful demon power that ever existed?”   Jihoon thought to himself as fear started to grow in him too. If this was true, then the Arcs were fools to think they could easily defeat these demons.

     “That’s how you tortured Mark didn’t you?! Answer me!” Junhyung shouted, but Jackson only kept quiet.

     “Don’t over exaggerate leader. I guess they were right when I heard you became insane. Illusion Casting’s for highly ranked Demons, but we appreciate it that you thought I had that kind of power,” Jackson stated, making Junhyung even more furious, but at the same time confused too.

     “Whatever you do or think, the outcome will still be the same. So stop making false conclusions because conclusions ain’t enough without evidence,” Suho stated, then the Demons finally left the three Arcs.

     The moment they were out of the scene, Seunghyun quickly grabbed Junhyung’s shoulder and asked him, “Junhyung, are you sure he has Illusion Casting?”

     Junhyung couldn’t answer. He was confused and wasn’t sure about it himself.

     “If it’s true then we’re screwed!” Jihoon added.

     “I don’t know! I’m trying to think okay!?” Junhyung shouted in panic.

     Seunghyun suddenly looked worried. Jackson’s power was something that they weren’t expecting, “If Jackson has Illusion Casting, imagine what Jiyong and the rest of the Demons can do.”

     “What the hell were we thinking!? We can never defeat those demons!” Jihoon said with a panicked voice, but Junhyung quickly slapped him on the head so he could calm down.

     “Ouch! Why did you do that for?!”

     “How can you think so negatively?! They might be strong, but we’ll still be stronger. All we can do right now is be careful,” Junhyung stated, and the two angels couldn’t do anything else but nod in agreement.

     “What’s your plan then?” Jihoon asked, but Seunghyun looked at him and said, “Junhyung had enough plans. For now, you follow mine.”

     Junhyung didn’t react so Seunghyun continued, “Know the Demons powers. Discard their rings, they might have been trained to control themselves without it by now. So stay low and don’t let the Demons know what we’re planning.”

     Junhyung was about to ask something but Jihoon remembered something and immediately butted in, “Minhyuk has life-draining! Remember our first battle when he drained Sungjae’s energy? Then Father Phanuel said that until Sungjae’s unconscious, Minhyuk can still absorb his energy, so Father Phanuel asked Lay to stop healing Sungjae, remember!”

     “I remember,” Junhyung weakly answered. How can he forget the time Father Phanuel scolded him?

     “Well, that’s a start. Minhyuk has life draining, then based on what our leader said, Jackson has Illusion casting. We have five demons left,” Seunghyun explained.

     “Got it. I’ll inform the others,” Jihoon stated. He snapped his fingers to start the time again, and then he ran off to the clinic, leaving Seunghyun and Junhyung with the students who looked confused about the situation.

     “Scram!” Seunghyun simply shouted. And that was enough to make the students who were surrounding them run away from the scene too.

     “Looks like we lost again,” Junhyung stated with a loud sigh, “You be the leader Seunghyun. I can’t do this. Everyone knows I can’t do this. The only reason why I’m your leader is because I’m the son of Father Michael,” Junhyung stated without looking back at the angel that he was talking with.

     Seunghyun took a deep breath and held Junhyung’s shoulder, “I know that your plans haven’t been good, but you’ve done a lot of things that made us stronger. Junhyung, our Father’s chose you to be the leader for a reason. Don’t give up on them,” he said as an encouragement.

     Junhyung nodded, but he knew that Seunghyun’s words weren’t going to convince anyone. Not even himself.

---

     The five Arcs left Mark at the clinic to eat. Mark, who has been in bed for hours, woke up and realized that he was at the clinic. He rubbed his eyes, and when everything was now clearer, Mark suddenly saw a girl standing at the end of his bed, writing down notes. 

     Mark quickly sat up straight, surprising the woman.

     “Oh, you’re awake,” said the stranger with a calm voice. 

     Mark didn’t say anything so the stranger continued, “I’m Selene and I’m the university’s doctor. I took your temperature and saw that you were fine, so I can happily say that you can head back. It’s lunchtime too so go to the cafeteria to eat your lunch.”

     Mark nodded as a reply. Then he slowly stood up and opened his mouth to say, “T-Thank…you.” But before he could leave, the girl grabbed Mark’s arm gently and said, “Wait, I almost forgot to tell you.”

    Mark looked back at her as she slowly leaned closer to him and whispered, “An eye for an eye…a tooth for a tooth,” then Selene smiled, letting go of Mark who had a confused expression on his face.

     “W-What?

     Selene gently held Mark’s cheek and stated, “You know what I mean, Mark Tuan Yi-En.”

     Mark wasn’t sure, but the girl’s eyes turned red for a quick second, catching him off guard. So he pushed her off him and ran away. As soon as the doors closed, someone emerged from the curtains and approached Selene. It was Kharon the third.

     Selene fainted the moment she saw Kharon, but Kharon caught her on time. He stared at the unconscious doctor and held her forehead as he whispered, “Awake my child”. She opened her eyes by the command, revealing the bloody red iris that Mark saw earlier.

     “ Father …“ she stated.

     “You did well my child. Now, when I snap my fingers you’ll be back to normal,” Kharon said, snapping his fingers right after. And just like that, the doctor vanished from his arms.

     When Kharon was finally alone inside the clinic, he took a deep breath and brushed his hair back with his slender fingers. He walked towards the window and looked at the students who were walking around the campus, “I hope you’re right about this one my princes. I hope you’re right.”

MEANWHILE…

     “Seriously, no one from the Arcs attended our class,” Minhyuk stated while he was walking to the cafeteria with his brothers.

     “Really? Yong and Choi ( Junhyung & Seunghyun ), attended ours,” Jiyong stated.

     While they were talking, Taeil suddenly jumped in front of them and said, “Maybe they’re already thinking of a plan again. I’m guessing Junhyung and Seunghyun already instructed his brothers to execute it.”

     “Hey, our Taeil might be on to something here,” Suho agreed.

     “Let’s just see what they’re planning this time. But whatever it is, we already have our plan, and nothing can stop us from achieving it,” Hyunseung declared, and everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

     When they arrived at the cafeteria, students looked and whispered like usual, but the whispers stopped when they saw a man approach the infamous group with confidence. Of course, that man was Arc’s Pyo Jihoon.

     “What is this about now angel?” Jiyong asked while scratching the back of his head. It was obvious that he was getting tired of the Arcs as well.

     Jihoon went closer to Jiyong and bravely stated, “We’re not here to talk to you so you can go ahead and eat your fucking lunch.”

     “What did you-”

     Sunggyu quickly stopped Jiyong and faced Jihoon instead, “What do you want anyway? If this is about your brother again then-” Sunggyu stopped as he saw the rest of the Arcs walking towards them. As Jihoon backed away, Junhyung went forward and stood in front of Jang Hyunseung.

     “What?” Hyunseung asked. Everyone thought he was going to say something, but to their surprise, Junhyung grabbed his collar and kissed him, shocking everyone around them. 

     Junhyung’s tongue forcefully opened Hyunseung’s mouth and succeeded. Hyunseung then felt something cold touch his tongue. When Junhyung pulled away, the demon realized that the angel left something for him.

     Junhyung wiped his mouth and said, “I think that belongs to you.”

     Hyunseung spitted it out. The sons were surprised to see that is was actually his ring.

     “I’m giving it back to you because every time I see it…I keep on hearing your sexy moans the night we fucked each other till morning,” said Junhyung with a smirk, surprising everyone.

     “Junhyung, we’re going to target Jang Hyunseung first. We need to piss him off so he could show us his powers again, can you handle it?” Seunghyun told Junhyung earlier.

     “Are you kidding me? I know EVERYTHING about pissing that fucker up.”

     “What did you say?” Hyunseung asked as he clenched the hand where the ring was. He scanned the cafeteria and saw that everyone started looking at him with lust-filled gazes. 

     The Demons looked at each other. They knew what was going to happen next.

     “Wrong move angel…” Sunggyu stated, confusing the Arcs.

     Hyunseung’s aura changed like the first time Junhyung pissed him off.  And like before, Hyunseung’s ring started to lit up again, making Junhyung smile even wider.

     “You keep hearing my voice huh? Then that’s perfect.” Hyunseung stated before grabbing Junhyung’s collar. He looked straight into his eyes, then Junhyung started hearing whispers. At first, he thought he was just hearing the students that were around them, but the whispers grew louder and louder by the second.

     “Oh, baby. Come on.”

     “Fuck me harder Yong Junhyung. Come on!”

      “Cum for me. Like what you did last time.”

      “That feels so good! More baby! More!”

      Junhyung’s face turned red, and his entire body started feeling hot. The voices got louder and closer that he felt like they were screaming it right in front of his ears. There were too many voices that he couldn’t even understand them anymore.

     Junhyung pushed Hyunseung away and started covering his ears tightly, confusing everyone. Then out of nowhere, he shouted, “Shut up!” Confusing everyone even more because the cafeteria was dead silent.

     The Arcs tried to approach him but he pushed them away too. But when he saw Hyunseung’s face again, the loud voices stopped, and now he was hearing moans. The same moans that Junhyung heard the night he fucked Hyunseung. It was so clear in his head that he felt like they were doing it again.

     Junhyung tried to regain his focus. He gasped for air and looked back at his brothers.

     “A-audible…Inun-dation,” Junhyung finally thought to himself as he quickly ran away so he couldn’t hear anything else.

• END -

SDS1 20: CHOICE

EVERYONE WAS SPEECHLESS EXCEPT for the Demons who had proud looks on their faces instead. They thought that Junhyung would at least know who he’s messing with after what happened.

     “I told you, that was a wrong move,” Sunggyu stated, and Seunghyun and the rest of the Arcs just looked back at the Demons with shock and fear.

     “I think you need to follow him or else he might just kill himself,” Suho stated, and Seunghyun took a deep breath and glared at the Demons before running off to follow their leader. Then the rest of the Arcs followed behind him.

     “Okay! Shows over you mother-fuckers!” Jiyong shouted, and everyone immediately continued with what they were doing earlier.

     “Come on. I’m really hungry now,” Minhyuk stated, and Jiyong draped his arm around Minhyuk’s shoulder and told him, “You’re the prince of gluttony. It would be strange if you weren’t even if you are wearing the ring.”

     The sons started walking to their usual table except for Taeil who had a confused expression on his face.

     “Something’s wrong here,” he stated, making his brothers stop to look back at him.

     “What do you mean?” Minhyuk asked, pushing Jiyong’s arm off of him. 

     “I think they’re planning something here. Look, why would Junhyung suddenly return Hyunseung’s ring? And come on, if you’re not slow, Junhyung was clearly trying to piss JS off again.” Taeil explained, and everyone now realized it too.

     “So the reason why Junhyung gave Hyunseung the ring back is because he wanted to see if it would glow or not, right?” Suho asked back, and Taeil nodded his head since he and Suho shared the same conclusion.

     The sons became silent on the sudden realization. They needed to know what their enemies were planning before it’s too late.

     “Okay brothers, after the case with Mark, we’re going to find out about Arcs’ plan before things get out of hand,” Sunggyu instructed, and everyone nodded in agreement.

     “Wait, I almost forgot. Suho, did you tell Kharon about our plan?” Sunggyu then asked while looking at his greedy brother.

     “I did. And I bet he already used someone to finish the final program for our helplessly stupid little angel.”

---

Junhyung and the rest of the Arcs arrived at their house slash hideout called the Holy Home. The moment Junhyung took a step inside, the voices in his head stopped. When he couldn’t hear them anymore, his legs weakened and he fell to the floor in an instant.

     The Arcs approached him with a worried expression. Lay kneeled down and supported his leader with his arm, “Junhyung, are you-” Before Lay could finish his sentence, Junhyung cuts him off and said, “Audible Inundation. Hyunseung has Audible Inundation.”

     “W-what?” Lay asked, but everyone else was shocked by what they heard too.

     Seunghyun took a deep breath and brushed his hair with his fingers before throwing himself at the sofa in defeat, “Audible Inundation. The lowest-ranked demon amongst them…has fucking audible inundation.”

     The rest of the Arcs looked even more worried. Audible Inundation was a power you can’t shield even if you cover your eyes.

     “So, what now?” Woohyun asked.

     “Audible Inundation, life-draining, and Illusion casting. It gets worse and worse. Haven’t you noticed it yet? Those are powers we cannot shield. With a ring, without a ring, nothing will happen. The only way we can defeat their powers is by having a power much greater than theirs”, Sungjae explained.

      “I’ll think of a way okay!” Junhyung suddenly shouted, making his head hurt even more. If the Arcs were worried, Junhyung was ten times more worried about the situation. As the leader, he was responsible for making plans and moving forward. But with what they have now, they’re all pushed to the edge of a cliff. He couldn’t think of anything.

     “Lay, bring Junhyung to his room and heal him,” Seunghyun instructed.

     Lay nodded as a reply. He was about to help Junhyung stand, but their guardian Dongmin, AKA St. Peter, appeared in front of them. He had a serious expression on his face, which made everyone realize that they were in a lot of trouble.

     “Junhyung, all the Fathers would like to see you,” their guardian finally revealed.

     Everyone became quiet. A meeting with ALL the Archangels didn’t sound good.

     “I understand,” Junhyung stated, standing up on his own without the help of his brother. He went to the living room first and stood in front of the large mirror, the rest of the Arcs standing right behind him.

     Dongmin stood beside Junhyung and kneeled on one knee. He held his chest and looked at the mirror in front of them, “Father, we are ready to speak to you,” he stated, and the mirror started to glow. After a couple of seconds, the seven Archangels appeared before them.

     “Fathers,” they all greeted with a deep bow. As soon as they stood up straight, all the Archangels’ eyes were already on Junhyung.

      “Junhyung, you have once again caused your brothers great harm!” Phanuel ( Yook Sungjae’s father ) started.

      “Especially your brother ( his

 son ) Mark! How could you be so careless because of your mere feelings?!“Raguel added.

     Junhyung took a deep breath and bowed again, “I’m sorry father, I promise I will-”

     “Silence!” Someone shouted. And this time it was Junhyung’s father, Michael.

     He looked back at Junhyung with a disappointed expression, “Junhyung my son, how many times do we have to tell you that you need to think before you execute your plans! I’ll tell it to you straight. Defeating those demons is easy, you just need to use your head!”

     “I know father. But I have Necrokinesis ( To cause instant death ). I can kill those demons if you just let me use it.” Junhyung reminded them.

     “How dare you!” Raphael ( Lay’s father ) shouted, making everyone flinch. Without waiting for anyone to react, he continued, “You clearly know that you cannot use your gifted powers without the permission of our God.”

     Junhyung clenched his fist and answered him, “Then why did he give us these powers?!”

     “Because there is a right time for everything,” Uriel ( Jihoon’s father ) explained.

     “That’s bullshit!” Junhyung shouted, surprising not only the Arcs and the Archangels, but their guardian too. Junhyung always answered back to him, but he never expected Junhyung to actually say such a thing in front of all the Archangels. His human blood is no doubt stronger than his angel blood.

     Everyone became quiet. After a few seconds of silence, Samuel ( Seunghyun’s father ), took a step forward. He takes out a scroll and looked at Junhyung, “Yong Junhyung, son of Michael. Listen and obey!”

     Junhyung and the rest of the Arcs were surprised by what they heard. This was the Holy Order , and whether it was a good order or a bad order, no one has the power to go against it.

     “You have committed the greatest sin a leader of the Angels could ever commit. You have caused your brothers great harm, you have forgotten your real purpose, you have become one with an enemy, but more than that, you have fallen in love with a demon. We hereby sentence you to 27 days of mortality.” Samuel read loud and clear, sending chills down to the Arcs’ spines.

     “W-What? You can’t be serious…”

     “In 27 days, you will no longer be a leader, an angel, and a son of Michael. Repent on your sins during these times. And for the rest of the Arcs, you will not include this “man” in your plans during his repentance. This is your Holy Order,“ Samuel finished, and all the Arcs were left speechless.

     “F-Father…there must be another way!” Seunghyun stated, his eyes teary on what was happening to his dear brother.

     “This is a command! Not a request!” Samuel reminded him with a powerful voice. But Junhyung didn’t give up. He bowed down on his knees and started crying and pleading.

     “Please Father, I will repent on my sins…but not this way,” He begged. The Archangels didn’t even flinch, but deep down this was hard for them too. This was the only way Junhyung was going to learn from his mistakes.

      “Please let me stay, please…” He continued, but their fathers only looked at him without saying a word.

     Junhyung clenched his fist and finally broke down. He lifted his head and looked at the Archangels, “Fathers! I don’t understand anymore! You have given me the ability to kill those Demons but I am not allowed to use it. You have given us a mission to kill them but the Lord’s commandments clearly say; Thou shall not kill , but you said those seven are an exception to that law. Fathers, they have powers much greater than what you imagined. They can use those powers and kill us once and for all. Why can’t we do what they can when both of us only have one mission!?”

     “You cannot because you are not them! They are Demons and you are Angels. They are mistakes and you are gifts. They send horror and sins to the earth but you bring blessings and good news. They follow NO GOD, but you live because of ours. They can betray their only king, but the moment you betray our God, you are even sinful than a demon,” Phanuel stated, making everyone look at each other with sad expressions.

     “Please my son. Just listen and obey,” Michael, Junhyung’s father, commanded with a hint of hurt and sorrow in his voice.

     “Father…please,” Junhyung continued as he looked at his father with his pitiful eyes. But Michael only looked away.

     Junhyung took a deep breath and finally accepted his defeat. He glanced at his brothers who looked like they were about to cry too. Then he puts his head down, and with a shaky voice, he said, “ I…li-sten…and…o-obey .“ 

      The moment Junhyung said those words, the ground started to rumble. The Archangels gestured their hands to Junhyung. White light started coming out from him and he started shouting as he felt the pain of losing his angelic blood. His brothers couldn’t do anything else but look away.

     Junhyung started feeling weak. His white hair was starting to turn black. All the power he possessed started to leave him.

     After a few more agonizing minutes, Junhyung fainted, and he had now become a pure human.

     .

     .

     .

     .

     .

     Junhyung woke up from his bed the next day. His head felt like it was being pounded by a hammer. He gritted his teeth and massaged his temple before standing up from his bed. He held onto the wall for support, dragging his feet to the bathroom so he could wash his face.

     When he finally got to the mirror, Junhyung saw his reflection and said nothing. After a few seconds of silence, he punched the mirror, causing his knuckles to bleed. But at this point, he didn’t care anymore.

     “Ah!!” He shouted in anger. 

     He walked out of the bathroom. He tried to produce lightning, but nothing came. He tried his other powers, but still, nothing came.

     Junhyung, out of complete loss and anger, threw the vase that was on the side of his bed. Tears went out of his eyes as he sat down on the floor while the blood from his knuckle continued dripping.

     The Arcs’ leader was now completely human. Hatred started to grow inside him to the point where he wanted to just scream. An Angel could fight hatred, but humans can never do.

     Junhyung leaned back on the bed and saw a crucifix hanging on the ceiling. He stood up from the floor and ran to where it was. He angrily looked at the image of his God and grabbed it. He got ready to throw it to the ground, but someone immediately entered his room to grab his hand just in time.

     “Junhyung! What are you trying to do!?” Lay shouted, taking the crucifix away from Junhyung’s hand.

     Lay gently placed it on the bed and turned to Junhyung so he could face him. But when he saw what his brother looked like, he couldn’t help but pity him. Junhyung’s eyes were all red because of too much crying, and his knuckles were bleeding too. Lay could only sigh and hold Junhyung’s hand to heal his bruises. When his hand was all healed, Junhyung grabbed his brother and hugged him tightly before crying louder.

     “Please stop…” Lay pleaded, but Junhyung still continued.

     Lay took a deep breath and gently kissed Junhyung’s forehead to calm him.

     Junhyung was never the crying type so Lay didn’t know what else to do but pat his back as a sign of comfort. After calming himself down, Junhyung took a deep breath and moved away from the healer.

      “Our brothers?”  He asked.

      “They left,” Lay answered.

      “Where to?” Junhyung asked further.

      Lay shook his head and brushed his hair back with his fingers, “You know that I can’t answer you that. Our Fathers clearly said that we cannot let you-”

      Junhyung quickly stopped Lay and started begging him, “Please. I need to know Lay.”

      Lay couldn’t say a word and just looked away, so Junhyung held Lay’s cheeks so he could look back at him. Junhyung looked straight into his eyes and said, “Please, I need to know where my brothers are. Please, help me.”

     Lay sighed and finally said, “Fine, but you need to stay here.”

     Junhyung lets go of Lay and nodded his head as a reply.

     “They were looking for Mark. Mark hasn’t come home yet since yesterday. We called the university and they told us that Mark already left. Earlier they found out that Mark was at the park and they’re on their way there now. They told me to stay here and look after you,” Lay finally explained.

     The moment Junhyung heard the news, he quickly discarded what Lay told him and ran off, leaving Lay frustrated by how stubborn their ex-leader was.

     “Yong Junhyung! Seriously! I don’t know what to do with you!”

---

The park that Lay was referring to was close to the university so Junhyung got there in a snap. He was glad that he ran and took a shortcut because the Arcs weren’t there yet.

     “Mark!” Junhyung shouted when he saw Mark sitting on one of the benches, but Mark didn’t respond. Junhyung went to where he was and grabbed his hand. “We’re going home,” he commanded, but Mark pushed him away and looked at him with a blank expression.

     Junhyung angrily looked back at Mark again and said, “I said we’re going home!”

     “Hey, the kid doesn’t want to go home, can’t you see?” A voice said from behind.

     Junhyung turned around, and to his surprise, he saw the Demons coming towards him.

     “Wow Junhyung, the black hair suits you. Your white hair was too angelic for you so I’m glad you decided to change it,” Jiyong said with a sarcastic tone. He then went closer to Junhyung and started sniffing his neck, making Junhyung unable to move. Fighting him now would mean death.

     “The moment I saw you I knew what was up. Of course, Humans, Demons, and Angels will still be VERY different,” Jiyong told him, then he pushed Junhyung, making him fall on the ground with no effort.

     The Demons laughed. Junhyung was already too weak they could kill him right now if they wanted to. But of course, taunting him is way better.

     “Who wants to do the honors!?” Jiyong shouted with an excited smile on his face.

     “I’ll do it,” Jackson stated as he went closer to where Junhyung was. He kneeled down on one knee and lifted Junhyung’s collar towards him so Junhyung could forcefully look up at him.

      “This time, I won’t be doing any illusions,” Jackson continued with a smirk.

     Junhyung looked at Mark with a scared expression, but Mark didn’t even lift a finger to show any attempt of helping him.

     “M-Mark! Help!” Junhyung now shouted, but Mark still didn’t answer him. He pleaded once more, and this time, Mark stood up from his seat. He walked towards Junhyung and looked down at him, “An eye for an eye…a tooth for a tooth.” He stated, and right after Junhyung couldn’t move a muscle.

     Mark just paralyzed him. Now that Junhyung was human, even angel powers could affect him.

     Jackson smirked from the unexpected action. He was about to land a strong punch on the paralyzed Junhyung that could greatly damage him, but the Arcs arrived just in time to stop him.

     Seunghyun ran to the scene and struck Jackson with powerful lightning, causing Jackson to be thrown a meter away from Junhyung. Then Lay, who informed the Arcs of Junhyung’s escape, ran to where his paralyzed brother was and held onto his forehead so Junhyung could move again.

     “Are you alright?” he asked him.

     “Yes, I’m fine. Thanks,” Junhyung answered as Lay helped him stand up.

     Taeil went to where Jackson was and helped him up as well. The Demons were now face-to-face with the Arcs once again, while Mark was just standing in the middle.

     “Mark! Come here before they hurt you!” Woohyun shouted, but Mark wasn’t listening. Instead, he angrily looked at the Arcs and shouted at them, “Hurt me?! Weren’t you the cause of my pain and sufferings?!”

      “Mark, listen to us. They planned everything. You shouldn’t be mad at us, you should be mad at them!” Sungjae tried to explain, but Mark didn’t even budge.

     “Hey Angels!” Sunggyu then shouted. When the Arcs’ attention shifted to him, he continued, “Why not make your brother choose?”

      The Arcs were surprised by the proposal, but Junhyung stepped forward and said, “Fine.”

      Seunghyun grabbed Junhyung’s arm and angrily told him, “What do you think you’re doing?! This is not for you to decide anymore Yong Junhyung!”

     Junhyung ignored his brother and pushed his hand away from him. He then went even closer to Mark and showed him his hand, “Grab my hand if you choose us, turn around if you choose them.”

     The Arcs gasped as the Demons just looked calm and confident about Mark’s decision.

     “ DEMONS or ANGELS? “ Junhyung seriously asked him.

     Everyone was anticipating for his answer, but Mark slowly grabbed Junhyung’s hand, finally making the Arcs smile.

     “I told you he would-”

     “Demons…” Mark suddenly answered, shocking everyone.

     “What did you just say?” Junhyung asked as he looked straight at Mark’s eyes.

     “Demons. I choose Demons,” Mark repeated, making Junhyung’s eyes widen from shock. His hand slowly falls down as he looked back at the Demons with anger. He clenched his fist when he saw the Demon’s smiling.

     “That’s what I thought,” said Sunggyu, quickly pulling Mark towards them. Junhyung was about to run towards his brother to take him back, but then all of them were covered in fire, quickly making him back away.

     And when the fire disappeared, the Demons and Mark disappeared with it.

     “N-No…” Junhyung stated in disbelief as tears started flowing out of his eyes. He slowly fell on his knees as he started shouting, “Take me instead! Don’t do this to my brother! Please! Take me instead!”

     Sungjae quickly ran to where Junhyung was and hugged him tightly.

     The Arcs didn’t say a word as the sky turned grey above them. Just a few seconds after, it started raining. It was as if their God was crying with them too.

END

SDS1 21: NEW MEMBER

THE SEVEN DEADLY SONS, including the angel Mark, arrived at Jiyong’s famous mansion. Jiyong’s parents left for Italy for a business trip, so Jiyong had the mansion all for himself. They were all in the living room while Mark was on the sofa, still unconscious because of the teleportation since teleporting through fire wasn’t something that he was used to.

     “So, what’s the next plan? Now that we have Mark, what’s next?” asked Taeil, still confused about what they were planning.

     “Don’t worry Taeil. Now that Junhyung’s human, and we have Mark by our side, the Arcs will start falling one by one. And you clearly know what happens to an Angel when he betrays his clan,” Sunggyu stated as he took a sip of the wine Jiyong’s maid offered.

     Taeil’s eyes widened when he heard what their leader just said, “Don’t tell me-”

     Sunggyu just smiled as Suho went to where Taeil was and explained, “The longer he betrays his god, he’ll slowly become a black angel, and eventually… die “

     “Exactly,” Minhyuk stated in agreement.

     “Well brothers, we need to sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day, so we need the strength for the upcoming war,” Sunggyu instructed.

     “Yes brother,” everyone said in unison as the brothers went to their respective rooms. 

     Jiyong’s residence has 3 guestrooms so that means Suho sleeps at Jiyong’s room. Hyunseung and Minhyuk at the first guestroom, Sunggyu ( as the leader ) sleeps alone at the second guestroom, and Taeil and Jackson at the third guestroom.

     Everyone was already at there designated rooms except for one son, Jackson. Jackson stayed in the living room with Mark. He just sat on the floor in silence, staring at the unconscious angel. He didn’t know why, but there’s something about Mark that made Jackson go soft. Maybe it’s because he’s one of the main reasons why Mark is betraying his whole “ family “ in the first place. 

     You could say he felt guilty.

     “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you,” he told him. Then Jackson gently held Mark’s hand and whispered, “I’m sorry.” 

     He was slowly caressing Mark’s hand as he continued, “You shouldn’t have been involved in this. The moment I saw you when you tried to steal the ring I knew that you didn’t want to do it. Someone like you doesn’t deserve such pain like ours and your brothers.”

     Every time Jackson closed his eyes, the image of Mark being tortured was the first thing that he saw, and that was something he wasn’t proud of. 

     Looks like Mark isn’t the only one programmed.

---

“Jackson! Wake up!”

     Jackson slowly opened his eyes and saw his closest brother, Taeil, standing in front of him. He looked at his hand and realized that he was still holding Mark’s hand the whole time that he was asleep. So Jackson quickly lets go of Mark and stood up to fix himself. 

     Jackson fell asleep in the living room with Mark. It’s a good thing it wasn’t Sunggyu who caught him.

     “What’s the meaning of this Jackson? Come on, Mark ain’t running away you know,” said Taeil in between chuckles. Taeil knew what was going on with Jackson, especially since they’ve been together for years. He knew that deep down that Jackson has always been soft and caring, especially since his mother raised him that way.

     “I know what’s up man, but please remember that you can’t repeat history. JS was enough,” Taeil reminded him as he patted Jackson’s back and proceeded to the dining room.

     It was still six in the morning. Mark was still asleep, and so was the rest of the Demons. Taeil was expected to wake up early, now that he’s the “hyper” one, and Jackson wasn’t used to waking up at this time of the day.

     A few more minutes of dozing off, it was already seven, and everyone started to wake up except for Mark. No one bothered to wake him up since no one cared about him in the first place.

     The Demons were eating in the dining room. Jackson couldn’t sit properly since he kept on stealing glances on Mark while thinking, “ What if he gets hungry or never wakes up at all?“  Those were the thought’s inside Jackson’s head. He looked so worried that Sunggyu was starting to notice it.

      “What’s making you look like that big guy?” Sunggyu finally asked without even looking back at Jackson.

     Jackson drank his coffee and answered like how he usually does, “Nothing.”

     Sunggyu chuckled and took a bite of his bacon, “It better be nothing,” he said, now looking back at Jackson with a serious expression. The dining room became tense. You could clearly see the dark aura surrounding the room. A fight was bound to happen again.

     “Okay everyone, let’s all be happy that our plan worked. No need to be so tense,” Minhyuk stated, quickly breaking the dark atmosphere. No one talked after that. Everyone just continued eating their breakfast in silence. And as they continued eating their food, they suddenly heard a noise coming from the living room.

     “Looks like our little angel’s awake,” Jiyong stated. He was about to stand up from his seat, but Jackson quickly grabbed his hand and made him sit back down.

     “I’ll handle it,” Jackson stated, standing up from his seat and heading to the living room. Sunggyu was about to stand up too, but Hyunseung, who was sitting beside the leader, held his thighs to stop him. All Sunggyu could do was take a deep breath and let their envious brother be.

     When Jackson arrived in the living room, he saw Mark swaying back and forth like some kind of drunkard since his head still hurts because of what happened yesterday. He was about to stumble back, but good thing Jackson caught him on time before he could fall.

     “Are you okay?” Jackson asked, but Mark just quickly pushed him away.

     “W-Where am I?“He asked, making Jackson scratch the back of his head as he answered, “Hey, you chose us remember? So don’t act as if we kidnapped you.”

     Mark ignored Jackson’s comment and started looking around. He was taking a good look at where he was just in case these sons try anything again.

     When the other sons were finished eating, they proceeded to the living room where Mark and Jackson were. Mark stopped looking around and tensed up when he saw the demons’ leader approach him.

     Sunggyu went towards him and help his chin before lifting it so he could level his eyes. 

     “Hey little angel…welcome to hell,” Sunggyu said with a smirk on his face, making Mark flinch. He lets go of Mark and faced his brothers right after, “Okay, every one of you get ready. We’re going to HAU since we have an important announcement to make. And Jackson, I bet you’ll gladly want to assist our new member here.”

     Jackson didn’t reply but the rest of the Demons left Jackson and Mark in the living room again.

     Jackson was about to come closer, but Mark instantly moved away. No matter how guilty Jackson would feel, Mark will fear him after what happened.

     “I can get ready on my own, I’m not a kid. Just tell me where the bathroom is,” Mark quickly stated without even looking at Jackson.

     Jackson took a deep breath and nodded his head in understanding, “The second door on the left, that’s the bathroom. Your clothes are already inside, just hurry it up so we could all leave,” Jackson stated with a low voice.

    Mark gulped and ran off without saying anything else.

---

    The seven demons, plus their ‘new member’ Mark, used Jiyong’s forever-awesome limo as a form of transportation.  When they arrived at HAU, they decided to park right in front of the campus’ main lobby, causing everyone to surround the said vehicle.

     The Seven Deadly Sons went out one by one. It even looked like they were famous kpop artists who are about to walk down the red carpet of an award show.

    When they got out, the seven stood in a horizontal line, and then Suho took out a megaphone and turned it on.

    “What’s up HAU!” Suho shouted in excitement.

    The students shouted back, almost making the other sons laugh. Apparently the students were still too scared not to react to what these Demons were saying.

     Suho smiled at the fake reaction and continued, “Well, we’re here for an important announcement. The Demons has finally found a new official member!”

     The students started to look confused. Some even brought their phones out so they could film the epic moment. Everyone thought it was some kind of new student who’s just as bad as them, but they weren’t prepared to see who the Demons were actually referring to.

     “Let us gladly introduce you, our new member! Mark!” Suho finally announced.

     Everyone gasped when tey saw Mark pop out of the limo. Flashes were everywhere, and people were going nuts ( Yup, just like kpop artists ). How can an Arc be a Demon out of the blue?!

     “Now, whoever tries to hurt this guy…will be facing us.” Suho wanred with a sadistic grin, causing everyone’s skin to stand.

     “Okay bye!” Suho finished. Then he threw the megaphone away, and the Demons ( plus Mark ), walked away and entered the lobby like they owned the whole place.

HAU’s NEWSPAPER HEADLINE : Mark of Arcs, now a Demon?!

     The Demons decided to cut classes and stay at their building’s rooftop. The announcement that they made earlier was pretty much useless because the Arcs didn’t show up. But regardless of their enemies’ absence, the Demons enjoyed their moment earlier, so it’s not a complete lose.

     “Why the fuck didn’t your brothers show up?” Minhyuk angrily asked, but Mark kept his mouth shut.

     “So Mark? Why choose Demons?” Hyunseung then asked, even though he knew what the reason was.

     Mark was sitting on the floor, just in front of the metal fences. He still didn’t answer but stared at the huge buildings in front of him instead. His expression was blank, so Hyunseung looked back at Minhyuk and shrugged his shoulders.

     “Anyway, you’re one of us now. Who cares about those angels. Demons are way better. You can do whatever you want and don’t get punished by it, and the best part is… there are no rules,” Taeil happily explained.

     Jiyong was lying on the floor with his headset on while using his bag as a pillow. When he closed his eyes, he thought, “How long do we have to put up with this? Why don’t you just die already you fucking useless Angel.”

     “Hey, let’s treat our new boy here. How about we go to the bar, get drunk, and fuck some bitches,” Suho suggested, quickly making Sunggyu glare at him.

     “This isn’t the time to “ fuck some bitches “ Suho. Think about what’s going to happen to us because of that,” Sunggyu scolded, so Suho sighed in defeat and said back, “Fine, whatever you say Kim Sunggyu.”

     While everyone was minding their own business, Jiyong quickly stood up and removed his headset. He looked at his brothers with an annoyed expression and told them, “Hey, let’s go play at the arcade! Let’s leave this crappy place! I’m so bored I could freakin’ die!”

     Everyone looked at Jiyong confusingly, but Sunggyu sighed and stood up from the bench. “You heard him. Let’s head out before he explodes like a bomb.”

     The sons didn’t complain and stood up except for Mark.

     “Hey newbie, you don’t wanna join your big bro’s here?” Taeil playfully asked, but Mark just shook his head and declined.

     “Well, we can’t leave this guy alone,” Sunggyu stated while looking at his brothers. When his eyes reached Jackson, he quickly pointed at him and continued, “Jackson, you take care of this little angel while we play outside. We’ll come back before lunch break.”

     Yup, make the guy who tortured Mark “ take care “ of him.

     “Okay.” Jackson simply answered.

     Hyunseung looked at Jackson and told him, “Go easy on him this time,” then he winked, making the rest of the Demons laugh.

     The Demons pretty much didn’t care if Jackson falls in love with Mark or not. Mark would die anyway, and they all know Jackson’s not the type of guy who would go crazy because of his mere feelings. He’s no Junhyung.

     “See you later prince of envy!” Jiyong shouted as he and the rest of the Demons left the two at the rooftop.

     when they left, Jackson looked at Mark, but Mark completely ignored him. So Jackson just went to the bench to lie down. He was about to close his eyes when suddenly…

     “I will never forgive you.”

     “What?” Jackson asked, sitting back up to face the angel.

     “I will never forgive the wrongdoings you Demons had done to me. I don’t know why but…even though I know that you’ve done all those things to me, every time I remember the pain that I felt that time, I always end up getting mad at my brothers. It would always look like my brothers caused me much pain rather than you. I just couldn’t handle it anymore. So, now do you know why I chose the Demons?” Mark suddenly explained, shocking Jackson.

     Jackson didn’t know what to say so he just nodded his head as an answer. He didn’t need to hear what Mark just told him, especially when he’s the one who programmed Mark in the first place.

     “How about your Fathers? Are you okay with leaving them behind and joining us?” Jackson surprisingly asked, not wasting the moment that Mark’s finally talking to him.

     “I’m already done with being a mindless soldier of God,” Mark answered, shocking Jackson on what he just said. He didn’t know why, but he felt pity when he saw Mark’s sad expression. His sadness completely contradicted to what he said, which only made Jackson realize how good their manipulation was.

     “Hey Wang, I-” Before Mark could finish, Mark suddenly felt dizzy. Jackson quickly stood up and supported him. The demon stared deeply at Mark’s eyes and unknowingly brushed Mark’s red hair back. But then he stopped when he saw the color black underneath Mark’s red hair. 

     Mark was really turning into a black angel.

     “Hey, do you want me to bring you to the clinic or…”

     Mark stood up properly and pushed Jackson away from him as he answered, “I’m fine.”

     Jackson continued to stare at him in silence. 

     Mark looked so weak. Anyone who would see him would think he’s sick. He also had a blank expression on his face. But for some reason. For some fucking reason, Jackson saw pain and hurt instead. Mark knew what the Demons did to him, and the fact that he despised his brothers instead pained him. His heart and mind was fogged, and Jackson couldn’t help but feel guilty every time he saw him.

     “I’m sorry,” Jackson suddenly stated, making Mark look at him with confusion.

     “What do you-”

     Mark wasn’t able to finish because Jackson kissed him without even warning him. While he was kissing him, Mark’s eyes widened from shock, but he couldn’t seem to push Jackson away. A few seconds later, Jackson finally parted from the kiss. Both men were panting heavily. Mark was flustered. No one had kissed him on the lips before.

     “What the hell are you-” Mark stopped when out of nowhere, it started to rain. It seems like a demon kissing a son of the Angel of Justice isn’t a good sign.

     “Ah, shit! I’m wet! We need to go you idiot!” Mark shouted as he was about to leave the rooftop, but Jackson quickly grabbed him by the arm, stopping him. He then pulled Mark closer and looked at his hair again. 

     The black strands were gone. 

     Jackson started to smile when he saw that Mark was looking a lot better.

     “Wang, are you okay?” Mark confusingly asked.

     Jackson ignored Mark’s question. Instead, he held Mark’s shoulder tightly and told him, “Mark… fall in love with me. “

     The rain grew stronger. Mark froze in place as if he paralyzed himself. “ Fall in love with me “ was a dangerous request coming from a demon. Especially when he knew that Junhyung did the same trick with Hyunseung.

     “What are you even saying?” Mark asked, even more confused on the situation.

     Jackson looked at Mark again and said instead, “Please. Fall in love with me.”

     “Falling in love with a demon…will lessen your death. At least this is the only thing I could do for you Mark,”  Jackson thought as he looked at Mark who was still shocked on Jackson’s sudden request.

     “Wang, are you high right now?” Mark asked instead.

     Jackson squeezed Mark’s shoulders tighter and told him with a serious tone, “This is the only way that I could think of.”

     “I don’t want to betray my brothers, but the guilt I feel is slowly consuming me. And the only way to kill it is by making sure I make things right with you.”

• END -

SDS1 22: YOU & ME

“ARE YOU SURE YOU safely placed Mark’s body at the library?” Sunggyu asked as he looked at Taeil and Suho who were assigned with that task.

     “Yeah, we stole the clothes inside his locker, burned his old clothes, and even wore gloves like what Jiyong instructed,” Taeil replied.

     Jiyong’s hands were inside his pockets. He puts the other one out to take off his headset, and then he said, “Well if you want to clear all the evidence then we need to take drastic measures. Those Arcs won’t stop until they could prove that we took him.”

     Minhyuk then went in between them and said, “Don’t worry. Jackson tortured and programmed Mark’s head to our liking. It’s impossible that Mark would blame everything on us, right Jackson?”

     The Demons stopped walking and looked back at Jackson, but Jackson remained quiet. He remembered his memory with Mark. Even though he did all the torture, the memory was still unpleasant. He thought that he was going insane.

     “Jackson! We’re on earth now. don’t tell me you’re still mentally in hell,” Taeil told his best friend.

     Jackson finally snapped out of it as he realized his dear friend Taeil was now standing right in front of him.

     “Oh, yeah,” Jackson simply replied.

     The Demons looked at each other and brushed the thought away so they could just change the subject.

     “Anyway, we shouldn’t be too confident. Mark might be smarter than we thought. Our plan worked perfectly, but karma is still a bitch, remember that,” Sunggyu explained, and everyone agreed to what their leader had said.

    “By the way, where the hell is Kharon? We still need to fetch Hyunseung,” Taeil asked.

     The Demons called for their mentor, Kharon the Third, AKA the demon who drags the soul to hell. The sons stopped in front of the stop sign where they told Kharon to meet up with them. 

     “So, if Kharon does this perfectly, our plan will be a success,” Suho elaborated.

     Sunggyu took a bottle of water out of his bag and took a sip, “Don’t worry, Kharon is as strong us our fathers. We don’t need to worry about anything.”

     The sons continued waiting for their guardian slash mentor arrive. Sunggyu, who finished his bottle of water, threw the empty bottle to the trash bin. But the bottle stopped in the air just inches away from the mouth of the bin, making everyone realize that everything else stopped, which only meant that Kharon had finally arrived.

     “There he is,” Minhyuk stated as he pointed at a phoenix flying above them.

     The phoenix dropped and transformed into a human figure. And there it was, Kharon, standing in front of the sons while wearing his HAU priest uniform.

     “Looking good mentor,” Jiyong joked around, but Kharon only looked serious.

     “I’ve heard about your plans and I’m quite impressed. I thought the ‘fucking-each-other’ part was a really stupid move, but I’m seeing progress here. Though I’m not here to shower the six of you with praises. I’m here because of a favor you’re asking me. I’m actually in a hurry because a prison bus got into an accident and 24 of the prisoners died. I need to cross them to the rivers of fire but I had to reschedule it because of this favor of yours,” Kharon stated, making the sons look at each other.

      Jackson, without looking at Kharon, asked, “Then why the hell did you agree on it anyway?”

     “It’s because your sons of my fucking bosses, you got that big guy? And I wouldn’t even be sticking around with you and helping you out if not for that reason,” Kharon explained, making Jackson smirk because he wasn’t expecting him to explain it at all.

     “So, what’s the favor my prince Sunggyu?” Kharon asked as he looked at the scary leader.

     Sunggyu walked to his floating bottle and forcefully shoved it inside the trash bin, “We want you to manipulate Mark. This last manipulation will be the finishing touches on our plan. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. “

     “So, what do you actually want me to do?” Kharon asked with his right eyebrow raised.

     “Let Mark hear those words. We don’t care if you have to shove it in his ear or let someone else say it, but we want him to hear it no matter what,” Sunggyu explained further.

     Kharon paused for a few seconds and answered, “Well, I guess I can do that.”

     Sunggyu smiled and thanked Kharon before looking back at his brothers, “Well brothers, we still need to fetch the prince of lust. It has been days since we’ve last seen him. Kharon, wanna come with us?”

     “I don’t think it’s going to be a great idea if the students see us walking together,” Kharon answered.

     “Well, you have a point there. Well, see you I guess. And thanks again,” Sunggyu stated, and then he started walking away, the sons following behind him.

    Kharon was getting ready to leave, but Jackson stopped and said, “Hey guys, I’ll follow you there. I just need to ask some more questions.”

     Sunggyu nodded and the five proceeded to Hyunseung’s house. Jackson ran to Kharon who was ready to start time again. He stopped when he saw the prince of envy, and then he looked at him with furrowed brows.

     “I have a question,” Jackson stated.

     “Well obviously,” Kharon said back in between chuckles. But he stopped when he saw that Jackson’s face didn’t even show any hint of amusement. So Kharon cleared his throat and asked, “Okay, what is it?” 

     “Because of what you told us, we did this plan. You told us that if an angel betrays his or her god, the angel will slowly turn into a black angel and eventually die. And when he dies, he’s brought to neither hell nor heaven. Instead, they will be brought to a black abyss. We picked Mark because we knew that he had the weakest mental capacity, but it will be a risk because his father is the angel of justice and harmony, so everyone decided to use me because I could manipulate and torture him without really touching him-”

     Kharon scratched the back of his head and stopped Jackson, “Wait. Are you sure you’re going to ask me a question, or are you telling me the summary of your plan?”

     Jackson sighed and finally asked, “What will redo this? I mean, there must be something to stop this right? You didn’t tell us that part.”

     “To stop the black angel transformation? Well, there is only one way so that an angel could return to his former glory,” Kharon answered, shocking Jackson since he didn’t expect that there actually was a way to stop it.

     “What is it then?” Jackson asked. He wanted to sound calm so Kharon could explain this to him carefully. But Jackson wasn’t even really sure why he wanted to know so badly. Saving Mark, if it really happened, wasn’t even part of his plans.

     “Well, it’s simple. Mark can return back if he reconciles with his brothers and returns his faith to their god. But of course, a betrayer going back to his clan won’t be easy, especially in Mark’s part. First, he’s not just an angel. He’s one of the princes of Heaven, same as you guys, your princes of Hell. He chose you over them, so whether he goes back, he still needs to leave with your consent. But of course, Sunggyu won’t allow that. Second, it’s going to be hard to convince him to return because you manipulated him and programmed his head to hate his brothers. The only way to remove the manipulation is to make him fall in love with one of you guys,” Kharon finally explained.

     “ Make him fall in love with one of you guys ,“ the words repeated inside Jackson’s head.

     “W-What?” asked Jackson in total shock.

     “I can’t fully explain it, but the books say that connections between a demon and an angel can be another form of healing or cure. Like Hyunseung and Yong Junhyung. When they had sex, they did the connection , making them immune to their powers. Well, only the normal powers of an angel and demon ( Like fire and lighting, transforming the other into a mindless zombie and such ) are included…

     Mark falling in love with any of you will slowly remove everything that you programmed him, like erasing a virus inside a corrupted computer. Once the manipulation is slowly fading, Mark will finally start thinking. His ability of thinking was removed because of what you guys did to him, so anger and pain are controlling his mind. But when he starts thinking, he’ll realize and know that going back to his brothers is the best decision. But then again, nothing will happen if even one of your brothers doesn’t want him to. So if he falls in love, it won’t really save him, but it will only make the transformation process slower,“  Kharon explained further, and Jackson was mentally trying to remember everything that he was telling him.

     “Meaning?” Jackson asked, hoping for an elaboration.

     Kharon was confused about why Jackson was suddenly interested in this, but he brushed the thought away and answered his question again, “The transformation really doesn’t have a certain date. It only depends on the guy who’s suffering the transformation. But for example, it might take a full week, but when he’s in love, then the process might be three to four weeks. Do you get it now?” Kharon explained, still confused about why Jackson was asking about it. But he was still answering every question even though he was confused.

     “Yeah, thanks Kharon,” Jackson finally stated.

     “Why did you ask anyway Jackson? It’s strange for you to be asking me something like that,” Kharon asked back.

      Jackson was thinking of a logical answer, and when he did, he quickly said, “I just wanted to make sure everything is going to be perfect. Don’t want our efforts to be wasted right?”

     “I see. Good call,” Kharon stated as he patted Jackson’s back. He was about to leave but then he suddenly turned back around and shouted, “Just don’t make him fall in love with any of you, got it?”

     Jackson replied with a nod, and Kharon started time and finally left the scene. As Jackson stared at Kharon’s back, he gulped loudly. Will this be okay if he won’t tell this small information to his brother?

PRESENT TIME

   Jackson ignored Mark’s question. Instead, he held Mark’s shoulder tightly and told him, “Mark…fall in love with me.”

     The rain grew stronger. Mark froze in place as if he paralyzed himself. “ Fall in love with me “ was a dangerous request coming from a demon. Especially when he knew that Junhyung did the same trick with Hyunseung.

     “What are you even saying?” Mark asked, even more confused on the situation.

     Jackson looked at Mark again and said instead, “Please. Fall in love with me.”

     “Falling in love with a demon…will lessen your death. At least this is the only thing I could do for you Mark,” Jackson thought as he looked at Mark who was still shocked on Jackson’s sudden request.

     “Wang, are you high right now?” Mark asked instead.

     Jackson squeezed Mark’s shoulders tighter and told him with a serious tone, “This is the only way that I could think of.”

     Mark didn’t know what to say. He just continued to stare at Jackson with confusion and shock.     

     “Let me ease your pain, Mark. I promise everything will work out if you only fall in love with me,” Jackson continued to explain, but Mark finally had the strength to push him away.

     “What are you talking about? If you’re thinking that the angels would do something bad to me then you’re wrong. They’re citizens of heaven. They can’t hurt me whether I betray them or not,” Mark explained, but Jackson aggressively scratched his hair in frustration and tried to explain again, “You don’t understand me! If you don’t do this you’re going to-”

     Jackson immediately stopped when he realized that he was about to tell Mark their whole plan just like that. So Jackson quickly took a step back, but Mark went closer to him. He narrowed his eyes and asked, “I’m going to what?”

     Jackson gulped loudly and started making false stories. Telling Mark it was nothing would only make him more curious, so telling him something might just work.

     “You turned your backs on your own clan. Which means you’re going to turn into a black angel,” Jackson finally revealed.

     “Huh?” Mark confusingly asked.

     “This transformation will make you weak and will delete all your angel powers. A-and if you think that being a black angel is a good thing then your wrong. When a black angel dies…”

     Jackson stopped again. When he said the word die, his heart started aching for some reason. But he gathered his strength and continued with his lie, “When a black angel dies, he doesn’t go to heaven nor hell. You’ll be brought to a black abyss of nothingness. You’ll be awake but your eyes will see nothing but darkness. Falling in love with a demon can lessen your-”

     Mark surprisingly cuts Jackson off and said, “So? I think that’s even better than going to hell or heaven. You don’t need to worry about me prince of envy. I can handle living alone in a world of darkness. I’ve been through a lot. Living at a dark abyss won’t even be a problem to me anymore”, Mark explained, then he gave a weak smile after.

     When Mark smiled, it only made Jackson hurt more. While he was staring back at Mark, the rain started to become stronger. Mark was about to turn around and walk away, but Jackson quickly grabbed his hand and slapped Mark on the right cheek.

     “How could you say something like that so easily?!” Jackson suddenly shouted, making Mark flustered.

     Mark lowered his head and didn’t answer. So Jackson grabbed Mark’s hand and told him, “I don’t know if I’m going crazy or if I’m turning into another Junhyung, but I can’t stand seeing you like this,” Jackson loudly said so Mark could hear it through the loud raindrops.

    With those words alone, Mark slowly lifts his head up to face him again.

    “I can’t stop thinking about you after that day. I can’t think, and I feel guilty all the time when I remember the things that I’ve done to you. The first time I met you is when you were trying to steal my ring, I knew that your terrified face won’t be easily erased in my mind because you weren’t terrified of me…you were actually terrified of failing the mission that your brothers and fathers had given you,” Jackson explained, then he lets go of Mark’s hand.

     Mark still continued to look at Jackson confusingly. But Jackson was confused himself. Why was he suddenly saying these things? Why was he so affected by an angel that he barely even knew?

     Jackson clenched his fist, then, he finally lost it, “What did you do to me?! Is this some kind of revenge?! I want to help you and I can’t stand seeing you get hurt when all your Arcs wanted to do was kill us!” he shouted at Mark, making Mark flinch.

     Jackson fell into his knees. He was bowing in front of Mark.

     “I don’t want to feel like this anymore. I don’t want to betray my brothers like this,” Jackson stated, but it sounded more like he was begging. Mark didn’t know why this was suddenly happening. Did Jackson Wang, the son of Leviathan, ruler of the realm Envy, and the 2nd strongest son, just have a mental breakdown in front of him?

     Mark went closer to Jackson. He kneeled down so he could be in the same level as him. Then he lifted his hand and was about to touch Jackson, but he hesitated. Mark sighed and made up his mind so he held Jackson’s chin and lifted it up so he could face him. But when he saw Jackson’s face, Mark fell back.

     Jackson was actually crying blood.

     “I can’t do this anymore. Please, make it stop,” Jackson stated as he was banging his chest with his fist. 

     Mark slowly stood up. He started to feel pity over Jackson. The image of Jackson torturing him was fading away when he saw him look like that. Mark was confused even more. Why was this demon so worried about him being brought to the black abyss? He didn’t know what to say, so instead, he grabbed Jackson and draped his arms around Jackson’s neck so he could hug him.

     “I didn’t know you were this sensitive,” Mark said in between chuckles. “You know your brothers won’t like it if they see you acting weak over me. I know what you’re feeling. It’s pure guilt. And I pretty much know that demons don’t feel guilty at all, that’s why you’re in pain.”

     Jackson didn’t say anything and continued staring at Mark’s eyes.

     “I forgive you, so you don’t need to act like that.” Mark stated. Then he pulled his right hand away and wiped the bloodstains on Jackson’s cheeks. He was about to break free from the hug when he suddenly felt Jackson hug him back on the waist, but even tighter than his hold.

     “Well this is getting weird,”  Mark thought to himself, but he didn’t push Jackson away.

     The rain kept on pouring, but the two remained still, not knowing that someone was watching them from behind the door.

---

The rain stopped, but Mark and Jackson were already soaking wet. The two were at the locker room. Mark was sitting far away from Jackson, and the two didn’t say a word to each other. Maybe they were still too embarrassed about what happened earlier.

     “You can change your clothes you know,” Mark suggested, but Jackson didn’t reply. It’s funny because Mark was the stubborn one earlier, but now it’s the other way around.

     “If you want I can leave,” Mark stated. He was about to stand up but Jackson spoke, “Don’t. Just stay here.”

     Mark took a deep breath and slowly sat back down on the bench. The two still didn’t say anything and the whole room was filled with silence and awkwardness. But the silence broke when Jackson’s phone rang. Jackson took his phone out and answered it, “Hello?”

    “ Jackson Wang, where the hell are you?! “ Sunggyu shouted on the other line. It was so loud that Jackson had to move his ear away from the phone.

     “I’m in the locker room with Mark, why?” Jackson answered, then Mark’s attention shifted to him like he wanted to know what they were talking about.

     “Don’t come out there until we arrive. You understand that asshole?!”

     “What’s your problem anyway? What’s going on?” Jackson asked, annoyed since Sunggyu was getting mad at him for no reason.

     “ What’s going on?! We left you guys at the rooftop and you start hugging each other?! Someone took a fucking picture! You’re all over the school’s fucking headline!“  Sunggyu angrily answered, causing Jackson to widen his eyes from shock.

     “W-what? That can’t be. We were-”

     “Well, it’s fucking happening right now. We’re going over there. Hyunseung and Minhyuk are already talking to Trey so he could stop releasing those articles.” Sunggyu explained.

     Jackson didn’t say anything else so Sunggyu continued, “Why do you guys always get caught up with those fucking angel!”  Then he hanged up. 

     Jackson placed his phone down and looked at Mark who was also looking directly at him with a curious expression.

     “What’s going on? Is it my brothers again?” Mark asked, referring to the Arcs.

    Jackson didn’t answer but sighed instead. He took his phone once more and went to their university site to make sure Sunggyu wasn’t fooling around with him. But when he went to the site, the first thing you’d already see was Mark and Jackson hugging each other. The title of the article was,  “Forbidden love under the rain”.

     Seriously, Trey and his newspaper team move fast as shit.

     He wanted to throw his phone away on the total embarrassment that he did to himself and to his brothers. But he wanted to know more. So he clicked the link and waited for it to load. But when it did, it said that the article was an error. Looks like Hyunseung and Minhyuk already talked things though with Trey, or maybe, beaten the crap out of him.

     Well, it may be gone now, but half of the students in HAU would pretty much have seen the article already, so putting it down now isn’t a big deal.

     “Ah seriously. This is what happens when you show your weakness,” Jackson said as he aggressively scratched his head.

     “Pardon?” Mark asked while looking at Jackson. But before Jackson could reply, Sunggyu, Taeil, Jiyong and Suho finally arrived at the locker room.

     Jackson stood up from his seat to greet his brothers, but then Jiyong went to where he was and grabbed him. He pulled Jackson’s collar upward and said, “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

     “Hey! What the hell are you doing?!” Mark shouted. He was about to go to where Jackson and Jiyong were, but Jiyong quickly glared at him and said, “Don’t come closer or I’m fucking going to kill you.” So Mark slowly backed away.

     Jiyong shifted his attention back to Jackson and continued, “What the fuck is wrong with your brain!? First, it was Hyunseung and that stupid angel Yong Junhyung, now it’s you and that bitch Mark?!”

     Jackson was expressionless, making Jiyong loosen his grip. Then he completely lets go of Jackson and took a deep breath to finally calm himself down.

     “I’m not mad at you Jackson, and you know that. I’m mad at your actions,” Jiyong stated as he looked away while the rest of the sons were surprised to see Jiyong so matured about the situation.

     “What’s going on anyway?” Mark finally asked them.

     Suho looked at Mark and answered for him, “Your faces are all over the campus. Everyone is even thinking that you’re together, that’s why you’re here with us.”

     “What?” Mark said in surprise as he sat back down.

     Sunggyu finally went to where Jackson was and told him, “I’m not going to blow up and beat you up Jackson, but I’m only going to tell this to you once. We told you that falling in love with this bitch is alright.”

     “Why does everyone keep on calling me bitch!?” Mark angrily asked in the middle of the conversation, but he was completely ignored by everyone.

     “But please don’t let the whole world fucking know that you are,” Sunggyu continued.

     Jackson was still expressionless, but Mark felt his face burn when he heard Sunggyu say those words. His world stopped. “H-He fell in love with me?” he asked himself with full shock.

     “Then how am I going to fix it?” Jackson finally asked.

     The sons looked at each other, thinking of ways that could help them solve this problem.

     “What do you think we should do Taeil?” asked Sunggyu as he looked at the prince of Sloth. Lately, Taeil’s instincts were the only thing that’s making the Demons be ahead of the Arcs. Taeil finally showed his brothers that his brain was really something special.

     “Well, I don’t know…tell everyone that they’re actually together so they’d stop talking about it and making weird conclusions?” Taeil suggested.

     “Seriously Taeil? That’s the only thing you’ve got?” Jiyong asked back, but Sunggyu nodded his head like he agreed with the weird plan.

     “That’s actually a good solution. If everyone thinks you’re together then the article is useless. And people will think that the Demons aren’t only rivals with the Arcs, but it’s the Arcs who are the bad guys in real life. It benefits us in total,” Sunggyu explained.

     Jiyong went in front of Sunggyu and asked him, “Are you hearing yourself right now Sunggyu? Do you think Jackson would just-”

     “I’ll do it,” Jackson suddenly stated.

     Everyone looked at him with surprise, especially Mark. But Jackson looked back at Mark and continued, “I’ll pretend that I’m together with him.”

• END -

SDS1 23: LOVE ME

THE ARCS ARRIVED AT  the campus without Junhyung and Mark beside them. When they got to the gate, everyone was staring at them, whispering at each other. Maybe because the Arcs were absent yesterday and now they went to school incomplete. But the Arcs didn’t mind it at all, they were kinda used to it at this point.

     Mark was a part of the Demons now, and that’s something they can’t change. Junhyung was temporarily not part of the Arcs until his order was finally over. It was already two days since then, but for Junhyung and the rest of the holy sons, it felt like forever.

     “Man, I missed the attention,” Lay stated with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, making Seunghyun glare at him so he could shut his mouth.

     While Junhyung was away, Seunghyun became the leader, making the whole Arcs disciplined as ever.

     “I can’t wait for Junhyung to be back. I miss him already,” Jihoon stated. And then Woohyun looked at him and continued, “I know. But I miss Mark even more than our stubborn leader. If it weren’t for him then-”

     Seunghyun quickly stopped walking and angrily looked at Woohyun, making all the attention of the students shift to them. The Arcs were surrounded by students, but they didn’t mind scaring them away like what the Demons would usually do.

     “Didn’t I already tell you that we should never talk about Mark? Whether the Demons did something to him or not, he still decided to leave. So he’s a betrayer, and we don’t talk about betrayers, so this isn’t Junhyung’s fault, understand?” Seunghyun asked, and then he pushed Woohyun away and walked past the wave of students.

    “Seunghyun!” Jihoon called out, quickly following behind him while Sungjae, Woohyun and Lay were left in the middle of the crowd.

     “What the fuck are you looking at!?” Woohyun finally shouted, scaring everyone and making them run away.

     “Are you alright?” Lay asked Woohyun. Then Sungjae went to where he was and added, “Didn’t we already tell you to stop talking about Mark? We know the two of you are best of friends compared to the five of us but you gotta learn to move on.”

     Woohyun fixed his uniform and took a deep breath, “I wish moving on was that easy Sungjae. I hope it really was.”

     Sungjae patted his back to comfort him, and then the three angels went to the lobby so they could head to their class. When they got to the lobby, they were welcomed by a large crowd at the gate. The three holy sons went inside the crowd and squeezed themselves in so they could see what everyone was looking at. When they were finally standing in front, they saw a limousine parked right in front of the school’s main building.

     “What the hell is that?” Lay asked. And like someone answered his question, the door of the limo finally opened. One by one the Demons went out. First was Sunggyu, then Hyunseung, Suho, Minhyuk, Taeil, Jiyong, and lastly it was Jackson.

     The sons stood in a horizontal line formation like before. But Jackson stood in front of the limo’s door and showed his hand to the entrance. The Arcs were curious about what Jackson was doing, but everyone else knew that he was waiting for Mark.

     “Hey, little angel! You coming out or what?!” Jiyong shouted as he turned to face the limo.

     A hand finally went out and grabbed Jackson’s hand. And like he was some kind of princess, he grabbed the hand of his prince charming as he went out of the limousine.

     “M-Mark?” Woohyun asked when he saw his brother. He wanted to run to where he was but Sungjae quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.

    “Remember what Seunghyun said to us Woohyun,” he reminded him.

     Woohyun clenched his fist because he couldn’t even do anything. He just watched like the rest of the bystanders.

     Suho, like what he did yesterday, took out a megaphone. It seems like they have another important announcement.

     “Well, about the articles yesterday, we weren’t really planning to tell everyone about this matter, but what the heck. Because of the stupid article and the assholes who just can’t leave our personal life alone, we were now forced to tell everyone the truth,” Suho started.

     Everyone started whispering and taking out their cellphones. These announcements were always video worthy.

     “The article about Jackson and our new member is true. They’ve been together for a few days now, that’s why Mark is with us. So if you assholes talk about this matter again then expect us to hunt you down. Got that?” Suho finished, and then he threw the megaphone away, hitting a student.

     Everyone was shocked by what the Demons just announced. They looked at Jackson and saw that he was expressionless, but his hands were holding Mark’s hand tightly.

     Woohyun couldn’t take it anymore so he pushed Sungjae and Lay away from him and ran to where the Demons were. But before he could run to where Jackson was standing so he could punch him, Lay grabbed his arm. Now the three Arcs were in front of the Demons.

     Everyone became quiet as the Demons stared down at the angels.

     “Look who we have here. Oh, it looks like Mark and Junhyung aren’t the only ones missing in your group. Kicked out Jihoon and Seunghyun too?” Jiyong teased.

     Woohyun ignored what Jiyong just said and stated, “What’s this about? What kind of lie is this now?”

     Sunggyu went in front of Woohyun and asked him, “Lie? Well, Mark told us not to tell you but I guess it’s about time that we did. When Mark went missing? Yeah, he was with us. And do you know who he was with?”

     Woohyun looked confused, so he slowly looked at Mark who wasn’t even interested in what they were talking about. But when he felt Woohyun staring at him, Mark looked his way.

     “Mark…w-who were you with at that time?” Woohyun finally asked him.

     Mark sighed loudly and scratched the back of his head in irritation, “Jackson. I was with Jackson at that time because I was fucking tired of your crap. I stayed with him the whole time and made all of you worried on purpose. Now you get it, Nam? Even before the plan, I already fucking hated you guys!”

     When Woohyun heard of Mark’s answer, Woohyun’s eyes turned white as he shouted, “You’re lying!” He was about to hit Sunggyu with his lightning, but Sungjae quickly grabbed Woohyun’s arms and immediately whispered, “ Jihoon, stop the time. “

     A few seconds later, everything stopped. The students surrounding them weren’t moving except for the Demons and the rest of the Arcs. Sungjae doesn’t have the power to stop the time, but Jihoon does. Other than having the power to brainwash people, Sungjae also has the power to enter someone’s mind. It’s like a mental telephone.

     “Seriously? Not this again,” Minhyuk stated as he looked back at the furious Woohyun.

     Hyunseung went forward and pushed Sunggyu who was in front of Woohyun. Hyunseung was inches away from Woohyun as he said, “Face it, angel, your brother chose us. Not you. So leave us alone.”

      Woohyun looked down and clenched on his fist, “ Give us Mark back, “ he said with a low tone, making everyone unable to hear what he just said.

      Jiyong went to where Woohyun was and held his shoulder, “What the hell are you talking about?”

     Woohyun lifted his head and finally shouted, “I said…FUCKING GIVE US MARK BACK!” Right after he said those words, Woohyun’s silver ring started glowing. It surprised the Demons because their rings do something similar.

     While the demons were busy staring at the glowing ring, they weren’t able to notice that something was appearing in Woohyun’s hand. It was a silver sword. But the sword wasn’t just a simple sword because it was covered in lightning.

     When the sword was now in full view, the Demons immediately took a step back. Suho was about to summon his hammer to help Jiyong, but Hyunseung quickly stopped him. He went closer to Suho and whispered to him, “ Jiyong can handle it. “

     Suho nodded and placed his hand back inside his pocket.

     Jiyong, on the other hand, smirked at Woohyun and said, “What are you going to do with that sword you little-” 

     In the middle of his sentence, Jiyong suddenly stopped. He lowered his head and saw that the sword was pierced inside his stomach. Everyone except for Hyunseung and Sunggyu was shocked by what happened.

     “Jiyong!” Suho shouted as he was about to run to him, but Hyunseung stopped him again.

     “JS! We need to fucking-”

     Sunggyu lifted his hand and pointed at Jiyong as he said, “Look closely Suho.”

     Woohyun looked confused when the lightning that covered the sword started disappearing. He didn’t have a choice but to let go when he noticed that the sword was slowly turning to dust. A few seconds later, the sword was gone, and Jiyong wasn’t even hurt.

     “W-What the…” Woohyun couldn’t say anything. He was running out of words to say about what the powerful demon just did.

     “Did he just absorb Woohyun’s sword?” Lay asked himself, also in shock.

     Jiyong smirked once again. His ring was lighting up this time. Then a weapon slowly appeared in his hand too. It was Jiyong’s signature spear-like-ax weapon. 

     The angels backed away, especially Woohyun. Jiyong pointed his deadly weapon at Woohyun and said, “Like that? Well, look at what else this baby could do.”

     Woohyun and the rest of the Arcs looked closely when lightning suddenly appeared out of the weapon like what Woohyun’s sword could do a few seconds ago. That alone shocked the Arcs to the point where they couldn’t move.

     Lay wanted to run away when he realized something. He tugged Sungjae’s shirt and said in shock, “ E-Empathy…he has freaking empathy. Tell Jihoon to start the time back. Tell him to start the time back! “

     Sungjae was shaking and couldn’t even concentrate. But then he saw Jiyong smile directly at him, he couldn’t do anything and just close his eyes in defeat. He waited for the impact, but nothing happened. When he opened his eyes back, he saw Seunghyun standing in front of him, holding a silver shield that absorbed Jiyong’s lightning attack.

     “Are you planning to get all the civilians here involved Kwon Jiyong?!” Seunghyun angrily asked.

     Jiyong didn’t say anything and just smirked. Just in time, Jihoon arrived at the scene. He snapped his fingers to start time. Everything started moving again right after, but everyone was shocked because the moment the time started moving, the Demons were already gone.

     “What the…where are the Demons?!” A student at the back shouted from shock.

     “What’s going on here?” A low voice asked. 

     The students turned around and saw their school’s priest, Kharon. He approached the Arcs who immediately bowed in front of him to show their respect. Kharon nodded his head to acknowledge them, and then he looked back at the other students and asked, “Are you going to stand here all day or are you going back to your classrooms?!” He shouted, and everyone quickly left the scene except for the Arcs.

      Lay looked at the ground and saw smoke coming from the area where the Demons were earlier. “They teleported again,” he thought to himself.

     Kharon took a deep breath and looked back at the Arcs, “All of you get back to your rooms. I don’t want this happening again.”

     “Yes sir,” Seunghyun answered, and the rest of the Arcs left as if nothing happened.

---

The Arcs arrived at the rooftop where they’ve recently been hanging out. Jiyong sat on the benches and looked at his brothers with a satisfied grin, “Have you seen their faces when they saw how strong my powers were?”

     “How could we have missed it Jiyong?” Suho sarcastically answered before sitting beside him.

     Taeil, who looked occupied ever since the encounter with the Arcs, looked at his brothers and said, “Shouldn’t we already be cautious about this? We’ve already noticed this before. We shouldn’t be flaunting out powers like this.”

     Sunggyu nodded his head and agreed to Taeil’s claim, “I get Taeil’s point. And after what happened earlier, it’s clear that their plan involves knowing our powers. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to let you stop using them.”

     Everyone looked back at their leader with shock. They were starting to question his decision after what they just heard.

     “What do you mean by that?” Hyunseung asked him.

     Sunggyu chuckled and answered, “Whether they find out about it or not, it will still benefit us. Let’s look at it this way. If they find out about how strong our powers are, they’ll start becoming cautious. That will give us enough time to execute our plans.”

     When the Demons heard Sunggyu’s explanation, they all started grinning in excitement, forgetting about their brother Jackson who was sitting beside Mark at the garden downstairs.

AT THE GARDEN

     “Why are you so clingy?” Mark asked while trying to push Jackson away, who was comfortably leaning on his shoulder. Jackson didn’t answer, so Mark continued, “This isn’t real remember? I only agreed to this because I didn’t want your brothers to kill me.”

     Jackson sighed and finally sat up straight, “This might not be real but the words that I told you yesterday…those were the truth.”

     Mark gulped. He was about to push Jackson away from him, but Jackson quickly pulled Mark even closer so he couldn’t move an inch anymore. The angel was about to protest, but Jackson leaned on his shoulder again and said, “Don’t move. Just stay like that.”

     Mark looked at Jackson and saw that his eyes were already closed, so Mark didn’t say anything anymore and just took out a book from his bag and started reading.

     A few minutes had passed. While reading his book, the breeze got stronger, and a leaf suddenly fell from the tree behind them, covering the sentence that Mark was reading. Mark smiled and picked the leaf up. Then he looked back at the sleeping Jackson and placed the leaf on his nose before laughing to himself.

     Jackson crinkled his nose, making the leaf fall. Mark continued to stare at Jackson, and as he did so, the smile on his face slowly vanished. His chest ached, and he didn’t know the exact reason why. But there is something that he was sure of; his heart wouldn’t stop beating fast whenever he’s with the envious demon.

     “Hey, Jackson…” Mark called out, but Jackson didn’t respond.

     Mark took a deep breath and looked at the sky. Even though Jackson was fast asleep, he continued, “Others might think I’m insane, but I’m starting to enjoy being with you and the rest of the Demons. Sure it’s not something that I’m used to, but the longer I’m with you guys, the more I realize that you’re regular people. If it weren’t for our fathers, I’d even think that you’re all good people.”

     The breeze grew stronger as Mark spoke. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, “Remember the time you wanted to know information about our plans? I didn’t say anything because I was scared. But now that I’m with you guys, then I’m ready to tell you everything that I know. Maybe I’ll talk to Sunggyu and-”

     Jackson, who was supposed to be fast asleep, chocked on air and immediately sat back up, “Don’t!” He shouted, surprising Mark.

    “You’re awake?!” Mark asked as he looked at Jackson.

    “Who would even fall asleep in that position?! I’m not Taeil. And you don’t need to tell us your plans. The Arcs might have already changed it anyway,” Jackson explained to him.

     Mark looked at him in disbelief and said, “What? That’s impossible. God, Himself told us that it was the prophecy. That we were destined to-”

     Jackson quickly stood up from where they were seated and shouted, “Enough!”

     Mark stood up as well and went in front of Jackson.

     “What’s wrong with you Jackson?! You approach me and go with your “ fall in love with me”  shit, and then we become together for some dumb ass reason. And now that I’m doing something that will benefit your brothers, you don’t even want me to do it? You tortured me for that reason, you asshole!“ Mark shouted as he was angrily pointing at Jackson’s chest. For some reason, his confusion turned into anger.

     Jackson didn’t say anything, but instead, he grabbed Mark and hugged him tightly.

     “I’m sorry. I know I’m confusing you but at least let me explain,” Jackson stated.

     Mark didn’t say anything. His arms were at his side and his head was facing the tree behind them. It was obvious Mark didn’t want this.

     “I didn’t want you to think that we welcomed you because we wanted you to give us information. Do you get it by now Mark Tuan-Yi-En?” Jackson asked, but Mark only pushed Jackson with all his might and succeeded. He then glared at Jackson and told him, “Why are you doing this to me?”

     “It’s because I like you,” Jackson answered straight on without even hesitating.

     Mark was startled by the answer that he didn’t even know how to react.

     “H-How is that even possible?” Mark asked, quickly turning away so Jackson wouldn’t see his face. 

     Jackson took a deep breath and moved closer, “What else am I supposed to do so you’d realize that my feelings for you are real?”

     Mark gulped and answered without facing Jackson, “I want you to stop confusing me. How on earth did this even escalate so quickly? If you don’t know Jackson Wang, I haven’t done anything, in particular, to make you like me. Unless you have a weird thing with your torture victims then you’re messed up.”

     “What I did to you will never be erased, and I know that. But I’m not asking you to marry me. All I’m asking is that-” Mark stopped Jackson midsentence when Mark looked back at him and said, “I fall in love with you. Like falling in love is as easy as turning a switch.”

     Jackson looked at Mark and lifted his hand to touch his cheek, “ Then let’s take it slow. What do you want me to do for you, my little angel? “

     Mark’s chest ached again. But before he could say anything, a third-party suddenly cleared their throat to catch Jackson and Mark’s attention. Mark immediately pushed Jackson away when he saw Jiyong and Hyunseung approaching them. 

     “What do you want me to do for you, my little angel?” Jiyong repeated while Hyunseung continued to laugh.

     “Why are you a man with few words when you’re with us? But when you’re with Mark you say the weirdest things?” Hyunseung asked in between his laughter.

     Jiyong went to where Jackson was and patted his shoulder, “Well, I hate to be the guy who ruins the moment, but it’s our lunch break. Sunggyu and the others are waiting.”

     “Okay.” Jackson simply answered, and then Jiyong smirked and left with Hyunseung. Mark didn’t say anything and looked away from the demon. The fact that Jackson didn’t even look embarrassed after saying such a cheesy sentence made Mark embarrassed instead.

     “Let’s go,” Jackson commanded, and all that Mark could do was nod his head and follow behind his supposed boyfriend.

---

A week later, the seven sons, including Mark, were staying at Sunggyu’s house again. Mark and Jackson were still in their room, while the rest of the Demons were at the dining room, talking about something that wasn’t meant to be heard by their new member.

     “Why is he still alive? Shouldn’t he be dead by now?” Jiyong asked with an annoyed expression.

     “Can you be quiet Jiyong? Can’t you see he’s just on the other room?” Sunggyu angrily asked while looking at his prideful brother.

     “Then why can’t we just kill him? Seeing him with us everyday just pisses me off,” Jiyong continued, but with a softer voice this time.

     Hyunseung took a sip of his wine and looked back at Jiyong, “Be patient Kwon, he’ll die soon. The transformation isn’t something that happens in an instant. And come on, his red hair already turned black. He’ll be dying soon so don’t worry.”

     “Yeah, and let Jackson have his fun while that bitch is alive,” Suho added with a smirk.

MEANWHILE…

AT JACKSON AND MARK’S ROOM

     “Jackson! Stop it!” Mark shouted.

     “Come on. You told me that if I tell you where my birthmark was then we’d do it,” Jackson said with a serious expression while pulling Mark closer to him.

     Mark was finally able to escape from Jackson’s hold as he shouted, “That was a joke you asshole!” Then he quickly stood up from the bed and went in front of the mirror.

     “Shit, I seriously don’t look good with this black hair,” Mark stated as he was staring at himself in the mirror.

     Jackson looked away; he knew what this meant for Mark. He was slowly dying, and Jackson couldn’t take it. Seeing him look like that pained him more and more.

     “What the hell,” Mark suddenly said, making Jackson quickly run to where he was.

     “What’s wrong?” He asked with a worried expression.

     Mark looked at Jackson and showed him his hands, “M-My nails…they’re turning purple,” Mark said in horror.

     Jackson tried not to show his surprise as he grabbed Mark hands and kissed them. Mark didn’t stop him. Instead, he continued to look at Jackson with a small smile. After a week, the two became closer than expected. Maybe even close enough to make Mark fall in love with Jackson like how Jackson wanted.

     “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be alright,” Jackson nervously stated.

     Mark continued to smile. Then he pulled his hands away from Jackson and said, “Why do you keep saying that? It’s not like I’m going to die or anything.”

     Jackson was shocked by what Mark just said, so he quickly grabbed him by the shoulder and said, “Didn’t I tell you to never say that!” Jackson suddenly shouted at him.

     “J-Jackson, let go…you’re h-hurting me.”

     Jackson saw Mark’s pained expression so he quickly lets go of him. Then he slowly fell on his knees and told Mark, “Please don’t say that again.”

     Mark sighed and kneeled in front of Jackson. He looked at him with concern as he said, “Alright, I won’t. Now stop acting like that. You’re scaring me.”

     Jackson softly held Mark’s cheeks and said, “I don’t want you to say that you’re dying. Because if you leave me like this…I might just beg our King to just die with you.”

• END -

SDS1 24: ONLY WAY

“OKAY, THE GOOD NEWS, if this is even good news, is that we found out that Kwon Jiyong has Empathy. The bad news is…well, I think Mark left us with his own accord. Last week the Demons announced that Mark and Jackson were together even before the incident when Mark went missing,” Lay shared with the guy who was standing beside him.

     “That’s bullshit.”

     Lay turned his head to the right, revealing a human figure, Yong Junhyung. He shrugged his shoulder from Junhyung’s reaction, and Junhyung just sighed and massaged his temple.

     “Anyway, thank you for reporting to me Lay. And I’m sorry that you have to put up with this,” Junhyung stated.

     Lay just chuckled and answered him, “Don’t be too thankful. If the Fathers find out about the truth then I’m going to rat you out without any hesitation, you got that?”

     Junhyung narrowed his eyes and looked at Lay with a serious expression, “The truth? That we’re together?”

     Lay blushed from the obvious lie. When Junhyung smiled from his reaction, he awkwardly laughed it off and smacked the back of Junhyung’s head instead.

     “Stop with the jokes Junhyung. When I say the truth, I mean you forcing me to visit you in this convent every week just so I could report what the Arcs are doing. And we all know that it’s against our Fathers’ holy order to talk to you. You should be happy you’re my brother,” Lay explained.

     Junhyung doesn’t say anything but nodded his head in understanding.

     “Oh yeah, when are you coming back to school? It’s been a week; everyone in HAU has been asking if you died or something. Even Mark rebelled and turned his hair black,” Lay told Junhyung, surprising him.

     “Didn’t Mark like his red hair? Or is it because Hyunseung doesn’t want anyone in their group to have the same hair color as him,” Junhyung asked, more concerned about his brother’s hair color than their concern about his attendance.

     “That’s not the point here isn’t it?” Lay asked him, annoyed that he’s talking about Hyunseung again.

     Junhyung cleared his throat and apologized.

      Lay sighed and shook his head before looking back at his brother, “The Fathers told you to repent on your sins in this convent and asked you to pray in the chapel every day for forgiveness. But that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to attend school. You want to fail your classes, you idiot? And the tuition fee is expensive for crying out loud! Do you think our guardian just picks his money from a tree?! He has to pay for the seven of us!”

     “What does our guardian even do for a living?” Junhyung asked instead.

     “Junhyung! You’re not listening!” Lay angrily shouted, and Junhyung just laughed it off and patted his brother’s shoulder, “I’m just kidding. I’ll attend our classes tomorrow.”

     Lay didn’t answer and pushed Junhyung’s hand instead. Junhyung was about to say something in return, but his expression suddenly changed when he asked, “So, has JS been doing okay?”

     Lay rolled his eyes in annoyance after hearing his brother’s question, “JS? You mean Hyunseung? Why the hell are you asking about him now?”

     Junhyung quickly started to think of false reasons. And when he did, he looked back at Lay and said, “W-Well…just wanted to know if the fucker’s dead.”

     Lay looked at Junhyung with disbelief but answered anyway, “Well apparently he’s not dead. And I know you’re going to ask about it anyway so I’ll answer it for you. He doesn’t have a lover at the moment. Happy now?”

     Junhyung smiled from what he heard, but when he saw Lay glaring at him, Junhyung cleared his throat and said, “I mean, who cares if he doesn’t have a boyfriend yet, right?”

     “Whatever you say Junhyung.”

     While the two were talking, Seunghyun suddenly arrived and approached them.

     “Seunghyun!” Lay shouted in surprise. But what surprised him more was the fact that Junhyung wasn’t surprised to see him. It was almost as if he was expecting him to arrive.

     “You come here every day except for Mondays because you said Lay might see you. What brings you here now?” Junhyung revealed, making Lay’s eyes widen from shock. He looked at his two brothers and started pointing at them like they were criminals.

     “W-Wait…you come here to see Junhyung too?! And you know I visit as well but you didn’t even tell me!?” Lay asked in disbelief.

     Seunghyun, who was panting ever since he arrived, looked at Lay and answered, “I’ll explain that to you later, but right now we need to go. Junhyung, the Fathers gave us their permission to take you. You can return to the residence immediately.”

     The atmosphere quickly changed, and Lay and Junhyung’s expression became serious.

     “What do you mean?” Junhyung asked him.

     Lay went to stand beside Junhyung, curious about what Seunghyun was about to tell them.

     “It’s about Mark. The Fathers informed something to us just this morning. The hair, his pale color, everything! They didn’t know about it either. They just found out when we told them about what was happening to Mark,” Seunghyun explained with a panicked voice.

     “I-I…I don’t understand,” Lay stated, now starting to feel the panic too.

     Seunghyun looked at Junhyung and Lay with a sad expression and finally revealed, “Mark’s slowly dying .” 

     The two froze. Junhyung even went out of balance; but good thing Lay was there to catch him before he could fall.

     “This can’t be. Why all of a sudden? Is the demons doing something to him?! TELL ME WHAT THEY’VE DONE TO MY BROTHER!” Junhyung now shouted, anger visible in his face.

     Seunghyun had to take a deep breath before he could answer. He knew that Junhyung wasn’t going to like what he’s about to explain next.

     “It’s not what the Demons did. It’s what Mark did,” Seunghyun answered.

     “What do you mean?” Lay asked, still holding Junhyung to support him.

     “Mark is slowly transforming into a Black Angel. Black Angels are made when an Angel betrays his clan. And that’s the exact thing that Mark did. The bad thing about black angels is that they don’t live to be black angels. They die and go to a world of nothingness. Junhyung, Mark is going to die and live in darkness for the rest of his life,” Seunghyun explained further, and this time, Junhyung finally fell on the floor. 

     Lay was unable to support him and just gave up. So he lets go of Junhyung’s hand.

     “This can’t be…how could my brother…no, there must be a way…”

     “I know there is, but we don’t know anything that could stop it. The only kind who know about these things are the Demons. Not just Sunggyu and the rest of his brothers, but all of the people in the underworld. Black Angels were made in their territory, so it’s only natural that they could stop it too,” Seunghyun told him.

     Junhyung slowly stood up and quickly went in front of Seunghyun.

     “How could you be so certain? Maybe you’re right, black angels are made in fucking hell. But what if they don’t know how to stop it? What if there weren’t any way out of it!” Junhyung shouted, now helpless about what he just heard.

     Seunghyun looked at Junhyung straight in the eyes, and with a serious expression, he answered, “Transformations only last for four to five days.”

     Lay looked confused on what his brother told them. He looked at Junhyung and Seunghyun and stated, “But Mark left us for about a week now.”

     “That’s right.”

     The three looked at each other like they just hit the jackpot.

     Lay excitedly jumped off his feet as he said, “Then someone inside the Demons is helping him live. That’s gotta be it, right?”

     “Helping him? Who on earth would help Mark when they planned all this in the first place?” Junhyung honestly stated, pushing aside his excitement over the matter. It was still too early to celebrate.

     “Isn’t it obvious? It’s Jackson!” Lay shouted, making Seunghyun and Junhyung look at him. 

     When both men had his attention, he continued, “We all know Mark lied when he said he was with Jackson because he was sick of us. The truth is, they did something to him, something to manipulate him to go against us. The Demons must have forced Jackson to make that happen since he has Illusion Casting, but after their successful plan, Jackson must have started feeling guilty. Which may be the reason why he’s helping him live.”

     The two became quiet. Shocked on Lay’s clever conclusion.

     “Whoa,” was the only thing Seunghyun could say to the young boy. Then, out of nowhere, Junhyung started laughing. In between the laughter, he tried to say, “Come on, a demon falling in love with an angel is just too crazy.”

     Seunghyun quickly looked at Junhyung and said back, “Same goes to an angel falling in love with a demon.”

     The room became quiet. Junhyung gulped and looked away after realizing what he said. It was obvious Seunghyun was trying to make Junhyung remember why he’s a human in the first place.

     “Well, what’s the plan then?” Lay asked so he could break the tension.

     “We need to talk to Jackson. I know it’s risky but we need to try. Jackson’s our only hope in saving our brother. If this turns well, Mark won’t die and would even be back in our side,” Seunghyun answered.

    Junhyung took a deep breath and brushed his hair back with his fingers, “I’ll do it. I’ll personally talk to Jackson.”

---

“Mark, we’re going to have a party tonight at Jiyong’s house. You coming or what?” Minhyuk asked his seatmate, Mark.

( NOTE: If you don’t remember, Hyunseung switched seats with Mark before.)

     Mark looked at Minhyuk and weakly answered him, “No, I don’t actually feel good. I’ll just stay at Taeil’s house tonight. He told me he was going to show me this cool new video game.”

     Hyunseung was reading his book. Without removing his eyes from the book, he answered Mark, “Well, I guess it can’t be helped. You’ve been feeling unwell for the past few weeks so I guess it’s important that you rest.”

     Mark nodded and continued writing his notes. Then Hyunseung smirked, happy that Mark was going to die soon. But Woohyun saw him smirk, making him furious. So out of anger, the pencil he was holding suddenly snapped, catching Hyunseung’s attention.

     “You okay? Want an extra pencil?” Hyunseung asked, making Woohyun glare at him. He was about to say something to the demon, but he immediately looked away from him. Tears were about to come out of Woohyun’s eyes. He was angry and in pain at the same time because he found out about Mark being a black angel just this morning, and Hyunseung wasn’t helping at all.

     “What’s with those eyes Woohyun? Want me to stab it?” Hyunseung continued to annoy him.

     Woohyun finally turned his head so he could look at Hyunseung. With an angry tone, he shouted at him, “I’m not doing anything to you so can you fucking leave me alone you slut!”

     Everyone became quiet. Minhyuk heard what Woohyun just said and quickly stood up from his seat, “What the fuck did you just say to him?!”

     Minhyuk was about to throw a punch on Woohyun, but Mark grabbed his hand to stop him, “Forget about it Minhyuk. Leave the fucker alone. He was my brother before but he’s right, he didn’t really do anything. So don’t waste your energy on someone like him.”

    “What did you just-”

     Hyunseung quickly stopped Minhyuk and said, “Mark’s right Minhyuk, so sit down. It was my fault anyways.”

     Minhyuk pushed Mark’s hand away and sat down angrily.

    Hyunseung went back to his book. But he couldn’t concentrate as he thought to himself, “What just happened? Did Mark just say all those things to Minhyuk with his own accord? I’m sure we programmed him right. He couldn’t even talk straight and think straight before. Could it be that it’s slowly wearing out?”

AT THE OTHER CLASSROOM

     “Jiyong! Didn’t I tell you to stop with the parties?” Sunggyu stated as he looked at Kwon Jiyong who was playing a game on his phone.

     “I can’t help it okay? I heard that a guy in our university had the coolest party ever. I had to beat the crap out of him and show him who the real king is,” Jiyong replied, not removing his eyes on the screen.

     “Well that’s stupid,” Suho commented while writing down his notes for their next class.

     Taeil stood up from his seat and went in front of Sunggyu, Jiyong and Suho. Then Jackson followed behind him.

     “Hey guys, see anything different?” Taeil asked.

     “No,” the three answered in unison. So Taeil looked at Jackson, making him answer instead, “Seunghyun’s not here. Only his brothers Sungjae and Jihoon are present.”

     “So, what’s the problem?” Sunggyu asked, still confused why his two brothers are making a big deal out of it.

     “What if Junhyung and Seunghyun are planning something to get Mark back?” Taeil blurted out, making the three laugh at the same time.

     “Guys, whether they make a plan or not, they won’t stand a chance. Look, Junhyung’s a freaking human. And Mark? Mark’s never gonna go back to those assholes,” Suho explained.

     “And how could you shitheads be so sure?” Taeil asked, crossing his arms.

     Sunggyu smirked and answered his brother, “It’s because we’re demons.”

     Jackson and Taeil sat back down to their seats, feeling neglected by their demonic brothers. Did they seriously think that if ever the Arcs planned something to them then it wouldn’t be a hindrance to them anymore? Their confidence is definitely going to be their downfall if they continue on with it.

     “Good morning class,” their professor greeted when he arrived at the room. Everyone greeted him back and settled down. Then he placed his things on the desk and looked at the students in front of him.

     “Mr. Yong Junhyung’s been absent for days, and now Choi Seunghyun is absent as well?” The professor asked. But before they could be marked absent, Seunhyun arrived just in time, Junhyung right behind him.

     “Oh my. Welcome back Mr. Yong Junhyung,” the professor stated. 

     The two angels bowed and greeted him. And when they were about to take their seats, Junhyung looked at the Demons first and smirked before taking their seats.

     Taeil leaned closer to Jackson and whispered, “See, I told you something’s not right here.”

     Jackson didn’t say anything, but deep inside he knew that his lazy brother was one hundred percent right about it.

---

The low church bell rang, signaling everyone that classes were over. Sunggyu and the rest of his brothers stayed, expecting the Arcs to stay behind too so they could have a one-on-one talk with each other, but they didn’t, making Taeil even more suspicious on their actions.

     “So, I guess it’s about time that we leave,” Suho suggested, then the rest of the Demons stood from their seats.

    The five Demons went out of the room. Everyone was walking in a horizontal line, but Jackson stayed behind them. While they were walking at the empty hallway, Jackson saw shadows walking behind him as well, so he stopped and said, “Hey guys, I’ll catch up with you okay? I think I dropped my wallet.”

    “Sure thing big guy. We’ll just go straight to the rooftop and wait for you there,” said Jiyong, and then everyone left.

     When the Demons were out of sight, Jackson turned around and said, “What do you need from me Yong Junhyung?”

    Junhyung smirked. He went out from a classroom and answered, “You’re really proving to me why you’re the second most powerful prince Wang.”

     Jackson didn’t answer, but he glared at the man in front of him instead. But Junhyung ignored the reaction and took a step closer to the demon, “I want you to help us. In exchange, we’ll help you.”

     Jackson chuckled upon the request and said, “Thanks for the offer, but why the fuck do you think I’ll help an angel like you?”

     Junhyung smirked and went even closer to him, “Then why are you helping my brother Mark?”

     Jackson flinched. He was shocked, but he didn’t want to show it. So instead, he said back, “I don’t have time for this shit.” He was about to turn around and leave, but he quickly stopped when he heard what Junhyung had to say.

     “Jackson, when will our angel die? Next month? Next week? Or maybe even tomorrow?” When Jackson heard this, he quickly ran to where Junhyung was and pulled his collar upward.

     “Don’t say that,” Jackson stated, hurt and pain visible in his voice.

     Junhyung’s expression softened when he felt Jackson’s hand trembling. He looked at Jackson apologetically, so Jackson slowly let go of him, and then he turned around so Junhyung wouldn’t see his face anymore. The last thing he wants is for a human to see how weak he has become.

     Junhyung went closer to Jackson and told him, “We know you’re helping our brother. That’s why I’m here. I want to talk to you so we could help you too.”

     “I’m not here to help the Arcs. I’m here to help Mark alone,” Jackson quickly answered, still not turning around to face Junhyung.

     “Jackson please, you’re the only one who can help us bring our brother back. We know okay? We know that if he returns to us he’d live. Just tell us what we need to do so we could-”

     Jackson quickly turned around and shouted, “There is nothing that you can do!”

     Junhyung’s heart broke when he saw trails of blood coming from Jackson’s eye. He was not expecting to see something like that from him. Especially from the second strongest son.

     “There’s nothing you can do,” Jackson repeated but with a lower voice this time.

     Junhyung walked closer to Jackson and wiped the blood on Jackson’s cheeks. He thought Jackson was going to push him away, but to his surprise, he didn’t. So Junhyung seriously looked at him and suddenly declared, “ I’ll surrender myself to you…in exchange for my brother’s life. “

     Jackson slowly lifted his head. He was shocked to hear Junhyung’s offer. He just made a deal with a devil, which was something that anyone could not be able to revoke.

     “That’s a promise,” Junhyung confirmed.

     Jackson quickly looked away from Junhyung’s eyes and said, “There’s only one way so that Mark could live, and that’s for the Demons to give him back to you personally. Without any doubts, without any second thoughts, with an open heart, we’ll give him back to you.”

     “What did you just say?” Junhyung asked, surprised at what Jackson just told him.

     Jackson cleared his throat and finally looked back at him, “You wouldn’t have a problem with me because I’d hand you Mark in a split second. But for Jiyong, Sunggyu, and even Hyunseung? I doubt that they would even listen to me if I tell them that we should hand Mark back to the Arcs. My brothers would never give Mark back to you, especially that we’re so close to getting him killed.”

     “Jackson, there must be another way. Is there some kind of antidote? Prayer? Ritual? Anything?!” Junhyung asked, now panicking when he heard about what Jackson just said.

     “Antidote? Prayer? Do you think the King of Hell would make something that could be cured by a prayer? And don’t think that killing all of us would help either,” Jackson explained further, and Junhyung couldn’t do anything else but massage his temple in frustration.

     “That’s why there’s nothing you can do. If not that then there’s no other way to help him. I just want to be as close with Mark as possible before he dies. I think this will be a great time to say your goodbyes to him before he could leave for good,” Jackson stated with a pained expression. And then he walked away with a heavy heart. 

     He knew that just talking to Junhyung was betraying his brothers, but he had no choice but to give them that small information. Because he truly cares about Mark.

     “Shit,” Junhyung mumbled underneath his breath. He wasn’t expecting that the only way of saving their brother was making the demons give Mark to them.

     “Well, that sucks,” someone behind Junhyung stated. Then the rest of the Arcs went out behind the lockers.

     “What now Junhyung?” asked Sungjae as he and his brothers went to where Junhyung was standing.

     “We can’t just let Mark die like that,” said Lay. Then out of nowhere, Woohyun punched a locker with his own fist, making the Arcs shocked on his sudden action.

     “If we only knew this sooner then we would have helped him,” Woohyun stated, still angry that he only found out about this matter a few hours ago.

     Junhyung looked at Woohyun and told him, “You gotta keep yourself together Woohyun. We’re all guilty and hurt just like you, but nothing will happen if we let our anger consume us. And even if we knew about it before, we still couldn’t help him. You heard Jackson. The only way to save Mark is by letting the Demons give him to us.”

     “So are you telling us that we just let our brother die like that?” Jihoon stated, his tone a little higher. He was angry because he wasn’t expecting Junhyung to give up so easily.

     “Junhyung, there must be something we could do,” this time, it came from Sungjae. “Our Father’s allowed us to take you because they believed that you could-”

     Junhyung quickly cuts him off and shouted, “Then what am I supposed to do?! I was fucking isolated in a chapel to repent on a sin that I didn’t really commit. I never wanted Mark to go missing when I asked him to do our plans. I know it might have been my fault but wasn’t I manipulated as well? I’m a human now. Not your strong angelic leader. So what do you expect me to do?”

     Seunghyun went in front of Junhyung and held his shoulder, “You’re not human, not even an angel. You’re neither both of those things because you’re our brother. Do you understand it now Junhyung?”

     “I have no idea on what you’re saying,” Junhyung honestly stated, making the Arcs laugh, breaking the tension.

     Junhyung smiled and gave Seunghyun a quick hug.

     “It’s good to be back,” Junhyung stated. And then Seunghyun looked at his brothers and told them, “Look, even though Junhyung keeps on telling us that it wasn’t his fault, it clearly is so don’t forget that. Well, no offense Junhyung.”

     “None taken.”

     “But we gotta trust him again. So are you all willing to listen to our brother even though he’s now a human just like the others?” Seunghyun asked, and the Arcs looked at each other and shouted, “Yes Seunghyun!”

     Seunghyun nodded his head and looked at Junhyung. Then he gestured his hand so Junhyung could stand in the middle.

     Junhyung smiled and did just that, “Okay. While Seunghyun was talking shit earlier and telling me I wasn’t a human when I clearly was, I quickly formulated a plan that might not or might just work. It would be worth a shot but are you guys willing to do it?” Junhyung asked as he looked at the Arcs.

     Woohyun then went forward and answered, “We’ll do anything for Mark.”

• END -

SDS1 25: I BEG YOU

JACKSON ARRIVED AT THE rooftop, surprised to see the Demons playing basketball with Mark. Suho was about to pass the ball to the angel, but Jackson quickly ran to where the ball was and set it on fire.

     “That’s enough for today,” Jackson stated as he threw the burnt ball away.

     Jiyong went to Jackson and patted his back, “Looks like Jackson didn’t find his wallet.”

     Jackson pushed Jiyong’s hand away and answered, “Mark’s weak. Can’t you at least give him a break?” Jackson asked, and Jiyong just shrugged his shoulders as an answer. Jackson then took a deep breath and grabbed Mark’s hand so he could sit down on the bench. Sunggyu chuckled at his brother’s reaction and told him, “Loosen up Jackson. It’s not like we’re trying to kill him or anything.”

     Jackson looked at Sunggyu with a blank expression, but he was already clenching his fist in anger by what he said.

     “Mark, you’re good at playing basketball aren’t you?” Minhyuk asked as he sat down beside Mark. Then he took the bottle of water beside him and drank it.

    “Well, I used to play it when I was younger,” Mark answered, tired from the game as well.

    When Minhyuk was done drinking, he looked at Mark and handed him the bottle, “Here, have a drink. We don’t want you feeling all weak again.”

    Mark sweetly smiled and thanked him. When Minhyuk saw his expression, he quickly looked away. Looks like he’s starting to feel guilty on what Mark’s going through too.

     Mark finally took a drink and looked at Jackson, “So, did you find your wallet?”

     Jackson awkwardly nodded as a reply. He didn’t want his brothers to find out he was lying.

     Hyunseung then went to Jackson and told him, “Hey Jackson, never leave your boyfriend again, got that? He kept on asking for you earlier and it’s driving us all nuts! No offense Mark.”

     Mark chuckled and looked at Jackson with a smile that says, “Can’t help it”.   Jackson sat down on Mark’s empty side and wiped his sweat with the back of his hand. Then, without any warning, he quickly leaned over and kissed Mark on the lips.

     “Seriously Jackson? I said don’t leave him, not kiss him,” Hyunseung said, then he started laughing.

    “Why JS? Missed the days when you and Junhyung were like that?” Taeil suddenly asked, making everyone ( including Mark ) laugh out loud.

     “We weren’t really together assholes, remember?” Hyunseung stated as he sat down. But he quickly looked away and stared at the scenery outside the campus. Even though what they did to Junhyung was a seriously evil plan, Hyunseung really did had feelings for him, maybe even a little. 

     “He loved you Hyunseung,” Mark suddenly stated, making everyone look his way. Hyunseung looked at Mark as he continued, “He loved you to the point where he couldn’t even sleep at night.”

     “Stop it. I don’t need to hear this shit”, Hyunseung stated as he stood up, but Mark ignored him and continued again, “One time, he went to all the libraries and churches just to look for a bible that says that an angel could fall in love with a demon without betraying his clan. He loved you to that extent Hyunseung.”

     Hyunseung felt his heart aching once more. So he quickly looked angrily at Mark and said, “When I say stop, I mean it Mark. I’m only starting to like you. Don’t make me hate you again. So never ever mention that angel’s name in front of me, understand?”

     Then Hyunseung left. He tried to clear his head. He already tried his best to forget about Junhyung, but how could he forget the time he and Junhyung became one? And all the sweet words and the laughter’s Junhyung gave him. How could he forget all that?

     The truth is, Hyunseung never really hated Mark to the point that he’d wanted him dead so badly. He just wanted to look like it so that his brothers would think that he wasn’t a weak slut like what everyone was calling him. 

     The reason why he was like that to Mark was because he was jealous of him and Jackson. Every time he looked at the two, he only felt pain. He hated the feeling so much that his only solution to stop that pain was to kill Mark. If Mark’s gone, it would mean that his memories of Junhyung would be gone as well.

     “It was a plan. It was only a plan Hyunseung. Straighten your fucking head.”

     Hyunseung was talking to himself while he was walking in the empty hallway. But then he stopped when he saw someone walking in his opposite direction.

     “Yong Junhyung,” Hyunseung said, his voice low but stable.

     Junhyung smiled when he saw him. Then he walked to where Hyunseung was and said, “Long time no see son of lust. Can’t believe we’d see each other again.”

     Hyunseung didn’t say anything. He actually didn’t know what to say at all.

     “Speechless? Did you miss me that much Jang Hyunseung?” Junhyung teased.

     Hyunseung finally composed himself and answered, “Don’t call me by my name.”

     Junhyung moved closer and held Hyunseung’s chin. He looked at him with a serious expression and told him, “Don’t be like that Hyunseung.”

     Hyunseung didn’t say anything, but he quickly pushed Junhyung’s hand away from him.

     “You disgust me Junhyung. If you think that I enjoyed our short moments with each other then you’re wrong. So don’t even try talking to me again,” Hyunseung stated, clenching his fist because he knew that the words were all lies.

     Junhyung gulped and looked at Hyunseung with a hurt expression.

     “Not even a little?” Junhyung suddenly asked him, so Hyunseung had to look away.

     “Don’t look at me like that,”  Hyunseung said to himself. Not daring to say it out loud.

     It’s been a minute and the two haven’t said another word. They didn’t even move. All they could think of was why did they have to bring the past back all of a sudden?

     After a while, Junhyung finally broke the silence when he moved closer to Hyunseung. He slowly lifted his hand and gently placed it on Hyunseung’s shoulder. When Hyunseung didn’t react, Junhyung lowered his head and pressed his forehead on his, “Please take care of my brother. I know that we can never take him back from you but at least make him happy. This is the only thing you can do for crushing my heart into pieces.”

     Hyunseung was surprised at what Junhyung told him, but he doesn’t say anything as he let Junhyung hold him.

     “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that,” Hyunseung thought to himself, but with his power of Audible Inundation, he passed it on to Junhyung’s head, surprising Junhyung.

     Hyunseung quickly pushed Junhyung away, but before he could leave, Junhyung pulled Hyunseung towards him and gave him a long passionate kiss.

     Hyunseung froze on Junhyung’s sudden action. But he was just as surprised because he wasn’t even angry. He actually missed Junhyung’s touch.

     When they parted from the kiss, Junhyung locked his eyes on Hyunseung’s. Then he moved closer and said, “Without any hidden meaning, without the useless plans, and without anything else in the background. I’m not saying this to change anything inside your head, and not even to make you confused. I’m going to tell you this because I couldn’t tell you this before…”

     Junhyung went closer to Hyunseung’s ear and whispered,  “I love you.”

     Hyunseung’s heart dropped. And when Junhyung moved away from him, he was shocked to see that the Arc was actually crying. Junhyung pulled his hands from Hyunseung and walked away.

     When he was gone, Hyunseung fell down on his knees, and for the first time, he started crying blood.

---

     The next day, Jackson was in his room, getting ready to go to school. He just finished taking a bath so he went out of the bathroom with only a towel. Jackson’s mother was in France for a fashion show, so he was left alone.

     Jackson fed his pet snake Invidia. After that, He took his towel off and started changing into his clothes. He was about to grab his bag so he could leave, but the door of his room suddenly slammed open.

     “Mark!?” Jackson shouted when he saw that it was Mark who opened it.

     “Fuck, did I forget to close the door last night?” Jackson said to himself as he went to where Mark was. But before he could ask why Mark went to his house this early in the morning when he was supposed to stay at Taeil’s house, Mark suddenly fell to the floor.

     “Mark!” Jackson shouted as he kneeled down to help him.

     “Are you alright? Are you feeling weak?” Jackson asked, scanning Mark’s body. Then Mark opened his eyes, making Jackson completely fall down on the floor. Mark’s eyes were all red. Jackson’s whole body froze when he realized something.

     “It’s today…it can’t be today…please no,”  Jackson said in a whisper. He wanted to cry again, but he already cried too much that no tears would fall out.

     Mark looked straight at Jackson and finally opened his mouth. With a weak and soft voice, he said, “I-I…k-knew.”

     “W-What?” Jackson asked in surprise, slowly going back to his kneeling position.

     “I-I’ve always k-known a-about…B-black a-angels…I was dying…I a-already found out…even before…t-the day…you t-told me…to f-fall in love…with you…I…k-knew,” Mark struggled to say, shocking Jackson even more.

     Jackson’s body was already trembling as he said, “No, this can’t be. Why didn’t you tell me you knew!?”

     Mark smiled and held Jackson’s cheeks softly as he answered instead, “T-thank you…for helping me…J-Jackson…I-I…did…f-fall in love…w-with you.”

     Jackson finally broke down and started crying again. He hugged Mark as tight as he could and said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Jackson’s got you.”

     Jackson didn’t know what to do. Mark’s time was finally up and Jackson’s head was about to explode into millions of pieces. But then it hit him…

     He took Mark and carried him at his back, and then he ran outside. When they were outside, he started running as fast as he could.

     “Hang in there Mark,” he told him. And as Jackson was running, he said to himself, “I’m sorry brothers. Betraying you is the only solution I can think of. This is the only way that can help him.”

     Jackson arrived at his destination. And his destination? The Arcs’ residence. He was standing in front of the door and was about to knock when it quickly opened. And the person who opened it was none other than the Arcs’ leader, Junhyung.

     “J-Jackson!” Junhyung shouted, calling the attention of the other angels.

     “What are you doing h-” Woohyun immediately stopped when he was Mark being carried behind Jackson’s back.

     “Mark! What happened to him?!” Woohyun asked.

     Jackson didn’t have to answer. The hurt in his face was already the answer to it.

    “It’s time,” Seunghyun answered with a sad expression.

     “P-Please…help us,” Jackson finally stated. The Arcs couldn’t help but feel pity for Jackson. Was he seriously betraying his brothers for their brother?

     “We need to go,” Junhyung commanded. And then he looked at the Arcs standing behind him and continued, “This is our final shot. And this will be our proof of why we are called Angels. Sungjae, help Jackson carry Mark.”

     “Yes, brother,” Sungjae stated. He was about to take Mark away from Jackson, but Jackson quickly moved away from him and said, “N-No…I’ll carry him.”

     Junhyung smiled sincerely and said, “Alright then. Arcs, let’s go.”

     Without wasting any more time, the Arcs and Jackson arrived at the Holy Angels University. When they arrived, everyone was shocked to see the Arcs now complete, but they were even more shocked when they saw Jackson with them.

     “Where are the Demons?” Jihoon asked, his voice serious so the student would know they were in a hurry.

     “They’re at the lobby,” a boy quickly answered.

     The eight ran to the lobby without anything to lose. When they arrived at the lobby, the Arcs saw the Demons walking towards them with their famous pyramid formation. They stood in front of them, making the Demons stop walking. The students even started to surround them again to see what the commotion was about.

     “Jackson?!” Taeil shouted from shock when he saw Jackson and the rest of the Arcs.

     “Jackson, what the fuck are you-” Sunggyu stopped when he saw Mark behind Jackson. Then he looked back at the rest of the Arcs. Without asking anyone, he finally got the picture.

     “Don’t tell me you’re-”

     Jackson quickly looked at Junhyung, and then Junhyung nodded.

     Without anything else to say, Junhyung went down on his knees and placed his head on the cold ground. Yong Junhyung, the most powerful son, was bowing in front of his rivals.

     Everyone was shocked. Hyunseung even gasped on the sudden action. But then one by one, the Arcs started bowing in front of the Demons until Jackson was the only one standing in the middle.

     The Demons looked at the Arcs with shocked, but they were even more shocked as they continued to look at their brother.

     “Don’t…” Sunggyu quickly commanded, but Jackson ignored it. He took Mark from his back and gently placed him on the ground.

     “J-Jackson…don’t do this,” Sunggyu repeated, this time his voice was calm so he could convince his brother. But Jackson was certain on what he was about to do.

     “I-I’m sorry…” Jackson stated, his voice shaking due to what he was doing to his brothers.

     He placed one knee down, then another. When he was now kneeling in front of them, he lifted his head so he could face his brothers, then a blood tear went out of his eyes as he said, “Brothers…I beg you…give them their angel back.”

• END -

SDS1 26: HIS FATE

“BROTHERS…I BEG YOU …give them their angel back.” Jackson stated as blood tears poured out of his eyes.

     The Demons were speechless. But before hearing their answer, Jackson lowered his head so it could touch the cold floor, shocking them even more.

     The students were whispering at each other and even taking pictures of Jackson and the rest of the Arcs. They were also confused at the same time. The questions inside their heads were; W

hy are they bowing in front of the Demons? Why does Mark look sick? What’s really going on? And some were just confused about the fact that Jackson was fucking crying blood!

     The students were staring at Jackson and the rest of the Arcs. When Jiyong noticed it, he moved a step forward and commanded, “Stand up,” His voice angry but concerned at the same time. 

     But Jackson didn’t listen. He kept on kneeling on the floor like he didn’t hear a thing.

     “I said stand up,” this time, Jiyong’s voice was louder.

     When he saw that Jackson still didn’t move, he quickly ran to where Jackson was and punched him right on the face, shocking everyone.

     “Jackson!” Suho shouted as he was about to run to where Jackson was, but Sunggyu blocked Suho’s way with his arm.

    When Jackson fell, Jiyong went on top of him and grabbed his collar. He pulled it towards him and shouted, “I SAID FUCKING STAND UP!” And with all his might, he pulled Jackson upward so he could forcefully stand up. When Jackson was finally standing, he wiped the blood on the side of his mouth and pushed Jiyong away. When Jiyong wasn’t holding Jackson anymore, Jackson slowly kneeled back down.

     Jiyong aggressively scratched his head and looked at his brother with disbelief, “Wang Jackson! You’re a fucking prince! You don’t kneel to anyone!”

     Jackson took a deep breath and lifted his head before looking straight at Jiyong’s frustrated face, “I will bow down to anyone…if it means I can save Mark.”

     Jiyong’s eyes opened wide when he heard Jackson say those words. He didn’t know what had come up inside Jackson’s head all of a sudden. He knew that Jackson liked Mark, but he didn’t expect that he’d like him to this extent.

      “Jackson, please. Don’t end up like me.” This time, these words came from Hyunseung. When Junhyung heard it, he quickly lifted his head to confirm if it really was him.

     “Don’t end up like me who almost betrayed his own brothers just because of an angel he once loved”, Hyunseung revealed. When he saw that Junhyung was looking at him, he stared back and continued, “I fell in love like you Jackson. I loved him, maybe not as much as you love Mark, but I loved him.”

     Then Hyunseung looked back at Jackson and proceeded to what he was trying to say, “But it didn’t help me. Remember our mission, Jackson. Remember what we were destined to do. Why did we go through all this trouble if we were going to back out in the end? Your fate will never be with Mark…so was my fate with him.”

     “That’s a lie!” Jackson suddenly shouted.

     He was finally full of it. His emotions were mixing inside him and he didn’t know how to release it. So he clenched his fist and slammed the marble floor, bringing the Demons and the Arcs into a room full of writings.

     “ Illusion Casting, “ Taeil whispered as he scanned the whole room. Then the Arcs stood up and scanned the room as well.

     Everyone was surprised because Jackson brought ALL of them here with his illusion casting. For what they know, Jackson can only do that to one person. But it looks like due to his anger, he unleashed a power so great that he was able to bring all of them with him.

     Inside the room where Jackson brought them were writings of the previous promises that every one of them said. Promises that were kept, and promises that were long forgotten by each and every one of the people that are inside the said room.

     “Why did you bring us here Jackson?” Minhyuk asked, looking at the walls of writings. Everyone was confused on why Jackson would suddenly bring them there, but when Jackson noticed everyone’s confused faces, he started talking, “This is the promise room.”

     When Jackson gave them an answer, everyone looked at him, intrigued by what he was trying to do.

     Jackson thought that if he still couldn’t convince his brothers with this then there was nothing else that he could do to help Mark anymore.

     He took a deep breath before explaining further, “This is the room of promises. The writings on the wall are promises that came out of each and every one of our mouths. Some promises were made when we were kids and some promises that were made just yesterday. There are thousands of them written here. But…”

     With a snap of a finger, some writings vanished, leaving only a few behind.

     “Only a hundred were fulfilled,” Jackson continued. Then everyone started reading the promises. Some of them even recognized it. How could they forget a promise that they fulfilled on their own?

      “See how many promises we’ve made before. And see how few we actually fulfilled. Whether we’re angels or demons, good or bad, there are some promises that we still haven’t done”

     With a blink of an eye, all the words that were written on the wall vanished into thin air. But one sentence remained in the middle, and it said, “ Let me ease your pain, Mark. I promise everything will work out. “

     Jackson pointed at those few words and stated, “And this is the only promise I made ever since I was little.”

     Everyone looked at Jackson with disbelief and confusion.

     “That’s impossible. You should have at least made one promise with someone, right Taeil?” Suho stated as he looked at Taeil who was scratching his head.

     “J-Jackson…never made a promise to me…or to anyone,” Taeil revealed, surprising everyone even more.

     It was true. Jackson never did make a promise to anyone. Everyone knew that Jackson was the quiet type, but they didn’t expect that he’d actually never make a promise his entire life.

     Jackson looked back at the demons. His eyes were full of hope. This was his last shot on making his brothers agree with him. He looked at Sunggyu this time, and then he went closer to him, he said, “Please, let me fulfill my only promise.”

     Sunggyu stared at him and didn’t answer. The Demons looked at each other. What Jackson said actually moved them, but was it enough to make Jackson’s brother throw away all their hard work?

     “That’s enough Jackson,” Sunggyu finally said.

     Jackson looked down and brought everyone back to the real world where the Arcs and Jackson were still bowing, and the Demons were just standing in front of them. Jackson was already trembling. He knew that deep down, the Demons would never agree to his condition. But he also knew that deeper inside them, they didn’t want this either.

    “G-Guys,” Minhyuk suddenly stated, tapping Jiyong’s shoulder so he could grab his attention. Everyone looked at their surroundings. Nothing was moving again. The time stopped, and no one knew who did it.

     “Jihoon, did you-” Seunghyun asked as he looked at Jihoon. He was the only one in the group who could stop time so everyone thought it was him. But Jihoon quickly shook his head and denied the accusation.

     Sunggyu was going to say something, but Mark suddenly moaned in pain. He shouted and grabbed his chest, and then everyone noticed that his skin was slowly turning black.

     Jackson quickly clenched his fist and bowed even lower on the floor, “P-Please brothers! Give them their brother back!” Jackson now shouted.

     “J-Jackson…” Taeil called out. He felt bad for his brother. Because if you ask him, he’d give Mark back if it meant making Jackson feel better. That’s how much Taeil loves Jackson.

     Sunggyu finally had enough of this nonsense. He went in front of Jackson and forced him to stop bowing to them, “Wang Jackson that is enough!”

     “Please! There’s not much time!” Jackson continued to beg..

     “I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH!” This time, Sunggyu’s command made the whole atmosphere darker. Everyone – even the Demons – were shocked on the anger and wrath this prince emitted. It was almost hard for the Arcs to breathe.

     “One more word from your mouth and I will not recognize you as my brother anymore,” Sunggyu warned him. The Demons quickly looked at him with surprise. Did Sunggyu just threaten Jackson with something like that?

     “Don’t be too cruel Sunggyu,” Minhyuk stated, but Sunggyu didn’t listen to him.

     “You can’t just let him die. Please, if it means being away from you would save him then I’ll take that risk. Just let him live,” Jackson shockingly answered, his voice soft, like he was trying to tell his brothers that he wanted this to be done without them fighting.

     Jackson’s actions surprised the Arcs more than the Demons did.

     “If I need to live in a world full of nothingness. If I need to take his place then I’d do it. Just let him live,” Jackson finished, blood tears pouring out of his eyes.

     Sunggyu was at his limit. He knew that Jackson would keep on asking them to give Mark back until Mark’s last breath, and there was nothing that he could do. Jackson was willing to throw his relationship with his brothers away for the sake of Mark. But Sunggyu still didn’t say anything. 

     Everyone finally became quiet. Both groups didn’t know what else to say. But after a few seconds of silence, and when everyone thought that all hope was lost, Taeil suddenly went in front of the Arcs.

     “W-with the power vested in me by the 

King of Hell

  I, the Prince of Sloth, the fourth son of the realms of hell, am handing you the son of Archangel Raguel, Mark Tuan Yi-En,“ 

Taeil suddenly stated, looking at Jackson with a smile. 

     Everyone ( Arcs in particular ) was surprised but happy at the same time with what Taeil said that they didn’t even know what to say.

      Then Taeil looked at his other brothers who were avoiding eye contact with him. But there was one particular brother who looked back and said,

“With the power vested in me by the King of Hell, I, the Prince of Glutton, the second son of the realms of hell, am handing you the son of Archangel Raguel, Mark Tuan Yi-En.”

     Jackson started to have hope when one-by-one, his brothers gave their oath in giving Mark back to the Arcs.

     “With the power vested in me by the 

King of Hell

, I, the Prince of Greed, the third son of the realms of hell, am handing you the son of Archangel Raguel, Mark Tuan Yi-En,“

 said Suho without looking at Sunggyu and Jiyong who was shocked that he said it too.

     Jackson looked at the rest of his brothers. Hyunseung, who wasn’t planning on doing this, felt his heart beating faster. When he finally looked up, the first person he saw was Junhyung. He gulped and clenched his fist. While looking directly at the Arcs’ leader, Hyunseung stated, 

“W-with the power vested in me…by the 

King of Hell,

 I, Jang H-Hyunseung, the Prince of Lust, the first son of the realms of hell…am h-handing you the son of Archangel Raguel, Mark Tuan Yi-En.“

     A tear fell from both Junhyung and Hyunseung’s eyes. 

     “ Thank you, “ Junhyung whispered, and Hyunseung looked away and immediately wiped his tears.

     Jackson looked at Jiyong and Sunggyu next. They were the hardest to convince that Jackson was prepared to bow to them again. But then Jiyong looked at Sunggyu with an apologetic expression and lowered his head.

     “Don’t tell me you’re-”

     Jiyong cuts Sunggyu off and said, “Sorry Sunggyu but…when a brother of mine begs and bows right in front of me, I can’t just let his sacrifice of throwing all his pride away go to waste, right?”

     Sunggyu didn’t answer but kept his shocked face as Jiyong stated , “With the power vested in me by the 

King of Hell,

 I, the Prince of Pride, the strongest son of the realms of hell, am handing you the son of Archangel Raguel, Mark Tuan Yi-En.“

     Jackson hid his happiness as he heard Jiyong say those words. Even the Arcs were happy but confused at the same time. Like Jackson to Mark, the Demons threw all their hard work just because their close brother cried, bowed, and begged right in front of them.

     “Sunggyu…” Hyunseung finally spoke without even looking at Sunggyu and the others. 

     Sunggyu was looking elsewhere, but Hyunseung looked back at him and continued, “Killing him or letting him live won’t make a difference Kim Sunggyu. I know what you’re thinking; our hard work, the plans we all did, the sacrifices we all had to endure was going to be wasted once you say that oath. But think about it as an advantage. Maybe Mark’s fate doesn’t end with something as simple as this. Maybe it was something even worse. We’ve proven these angels what we can do, now we can show them the worst things we can offer.”

     Junhyung wanted to laugh with what his ex-lover had to say. Hyunseung was trying to convince Sunggyu to give Mark back, but at the same time, he was trying to tell him that now that the Arcs found out about what the Demons were capable of, they should be scared of them now.

     Now everyone was looking at Sunggyu, waiting for the leader’s final answer.

    Sunggyu took a deep breath and finally said something that made all the kneeling angels lift their heads up.

     “I can’t believe I’m fucking doing this for a stupid brother of mine,” Sunggyu finally said, making everyone smile from ear to ear.

     Sunggyu looked at the Arcs’ leader and continued, “Fine Yong Junhyung, we’re giving you your angel back. But remember to never make the Prince of Envy, the second strongest son, kneel in front of his brothers again.”

     Jackson grinned on Sunggyu’s statement while Junhyung couldn’t help but let the tears of happiness fall from his eyes.

     Sunggyu sighed once more and finally said,

“With the power vested in me by the 

King of Hell.

  With the wrath of blood flowing through my every vein…we give you your brother back.“

     The skies became red and the grounds started to quake the moment Sunggyu said those words. Everyone backed away when Mark was suddenly surrounded by fire. But even though he was being blocked, the Arcs and Demons could still see what was happening to him inside the circle of fire.

     As everyone was closely watching, a demonic figure suddenly appeared from the ground, standing right in front of Mark. The Demons knew that it was one of their fathers, but no one was really sure about who it was.

     The demonic figure started chanting in a language that no one understood. But this caused Mark to shout from the tip of his lungs. Jackson wanted to run towards him but he was forcing himself not to because he knew that this was for Mark’s sake.

     While the demon continued with the chant, black smoke started to come out from Mark’s mouth. The demon was apparently absorbing the black smoke that was consuming Mark.

     After a few more seconds, the skies cleared once again, and then the fire and the demon disappeared once the black smoke was absorbed.

     Everyone and everything became quiet.

     “Mark…” Jackson was about to run towards the unconscious angel, but Sunggyu quickly stopped Jackson and pulled him towards him.

    “Don’t move,” he told him. 

     The Demons and the Arcs waited in silence. Right after, a strong light suddenly shined upon Mark, and a deep and loud voice from the sky spoke, “Awake my son and you will redeem your full power.” Then Mark’s eyes were shot open, surprising everyone because his eyes were glowing. Then Mark looked at the sky and said, “ I am awake my God. “

     The light disappeared and everything started moving again. The students looked blankly at the Arcs and Demons like nothing happened.

     Sunggyu was pissed but relieved at the same time. He didn’t know if what he did was the right thing or the other way around. But at least everything was finally over.

     “I just wasted the greatest chance in my life because of a stubborn brother. That’s just great,”  Sunggyu said to himself. Then Jiyong went to the crowd of students and shouted, “Okay bitches, the show’s over. Now skedaddle before I do something to your asses.”

     The students looked scared and ran away, leaving the Demons lined in front of the Arcs.

     Jackson quickly ran to where Mark was and kneeled on one knee so he could face him. Mark looked back at Jackson and smiled. He gently held Jackson’s cheeks and said, “Thank you.”

     A tear came out from Jackson’s eye once more. But this time, it wasn’t blood, it was water. It was water because Jackson felt like he was the happiest man alive. He moved closer to Mark and gave him the sweetest kiss he could ever give him.

     “Thank you so much. I’m really glad that you’re okay,” Jackson stated, then he pulled him into a warm embrace.

     “Oh come on. We helped these two out, now we’re gonna see them make out every day as a reward?” Jiyong stated, making Seunghyun laugh. But when Jiyong angrily looked at him, the angel stopped laughing and acted like he didn’t do anything.

     “Thank you,” Junhyung said with a low tone.

     “What did you say? We kinda didn’t hear it?” Suho then teased, obviously making fun of the defeated leader.

     “I said thank you,” Junhyung repeated, but louder this time.

     “What?” Suho asked once more, obviously enjoying the somewhat ’ victorious ’ moment.

     Junhyung sighed and finally bowed down. Then the rest of the Arcs did the same and everyone said in unison, “We thank you with all our hearts.”

     Sunggyu smirked and went in front of the Arcs, “This isn’t over yet assholes. Maybe this plan didn’t work, but that was a good warning that you don’t mess with the demons. And besides, seeing you all bow right in front of us and begging for our help is the best victory we could ever achieve.”

     Junhyung couldn’t complain and just nodded his head in agreement. Then Sunggyu looked at the Demons and angrily said, “And if anyone of you ever bows in front of me again and beg me to give an angel back to you, then I will kill you with my bare hands this time, you got that!?”

     “Yes brother!” everyone answered in unison.

     Sunggyu took a deep breath and finally walked away, while the rest of the Demons followed behind him. 

     Mark and Jackson were done with their “ sweet “ moment, so Jackson moved away so the Arcs could go to him next. While the Arcs hugged their brother, Woohyun went to him and said, “Thanks Jackson…for everything.”

     “I told you before that I’m doing this for Mark, and not for you guys. You and my brothers could continue with your plans for killing each other. Continue your mission. I just want Mark to be beside me.” Jackson shamelessly stated.

     “Alright,” said Seunghyun, and then the rest of the Arcs nodded in agreement.

     “But Jackson, how were you so sure that your brothers were going to agree to this?” Lay confusingly asked him.

     Jackson just smirked and simply answered, “They’re my brothers….that’s why.”

     Lay chuckled and nodded his head in understanding before joining the rest of the Arcs. While the Arcs celebrated Mark’s return, Jackson saw Junhyung standing in a distance. Junhyung was unsure if he should approach his brother or not. So Jackson took a deep breath and approached him.

     “You shouldn’t feel guilty about anything,” Jackson stated, standing beside the Arcs’ leader.

     Junhyung smiled and placed his hands inside his pockets, “I’ll talk to him when everyone’s done.”

     Jackson nodded his head and watched the other Arcs with Mark, “He really does belong to the angels.” He said out loud. Junhyung looked at him as the demon continued, “I don’t know if this helps but…what you said to Hyunseung was right. Why are we even doing this?”

     Junhyung was surprised that Hyunseung mentioned about that to their brothers, but he didn’t say a thing. So Jackson looked at him and continued, “Look at us. We didn’t even know we were demons a few weeks ago, but then we’re suddenly tasked to kill you since our Fathers’ said you’re out to kill us. But…are you really here to kill us?” Jackson asked, and Junhyung was left speechless.

     “That’s a question that I’ve been dying to find an answer to.” Junhyung honestly stated.

     Jackson didn’t say anything anymore and just patted Junhyung’s shoulder, “I’ll see you later. I have to talk to my brother first. I’m pretty sure they’re still not happy about this.”

     “Sure. And thank them for us again.” Junhyung stated.

     Jackson was about to leave, but then he remembered something. He walked in front of Junhyung and snapped his fingers. Then the words,  “I’ll surrender myself to you in exchange for my brother’s life,”

  appeared in thin air.

     Junhyung’s eyes widened from shock.

     “Don’t forget those words Yong Junhyung,” Jackson stated. He turned around, and the words vanished before he could leave the scene.

    Junhyung gulped loudly on the sudden realization of what he just said before. He seriously made a deal with a devil, and making deals with a devil is the worst thing that you could ever do.

     “Hey Junhyung!” Someone suddenly shouted, interrupting Junhyung’s thoughts. He looked up and saw the Arcs looking back at him. Then he saw Mark reaching out for his hand. The sight of him made the Arcs’ leader smile.

     “Welcome back angel.”

MEANWHILE, AT A LOCAL BAR

     “I told you didn’t I? Your demons will never execute a plan as cruel as that. Even if their fathers were the kings of the realms of hell. The Demons can become good because their half-human and the Arcs can become bad because they’re half-human,” explained Park Dongmin as he was taking a sip of his beer.

     “I get it now. Your god will always be a hundred percent right about everything, happy now? All I’m worried about is the King. If he finds out about this he’s gonna torture me till he’s satisfied,” Kharon answered as he too took a sip of his beer, making Park Dongmin chuckle.

     “But it was smart of you to stop time before the students start thinking about stupid conclusions,” Dongmin pointed out.

     “Well, I’m still the priest of HAU. I can’t let my Demons get suspended because of something everyone think is impossible,” Kharon simply answered.

     Dongmin lifted his glass towards Kharon and said, “Well here’s a toast to us guardians who were forced to take care of a bunch of kids. Once this shit is over, you and I can finally go back to where we came from.”

     Kharon smirked and lifted his own glass, “I can’t fucking wait.” 

A MONTH LATER

“Jackson! Wake up! Your mom’s calling us downstairs!” Mark shouted while shaking Jackson’s body. Jackson tried to ignore him, but Mark wouldn’t stop shaking him, so Jackson was forced to open his eyes, only to see Mark lying beside him in his bed.

     “Good Morning,” Jackson said with his deep voice as he reached out to give Mark a passionate kiss.

     When they parted from the kiss, Mark touched his nose with Jackson’s and greeted back, “Good morning.” 

     Jackson sat up and stretched his arms. Without looking back at Mark, he asked, “What time is it now?”

     Mark quickly gave Jackson a peck on the lips again before standing up from the bed, “It’s six-thirty and we still need to go to the university. I don’t want you to be late because of me again. Remember how your brother’s scolded me because of that?”

     “I know, and I’m sorry. You know my brothers like you…and sometimes hate you at the same time. It’s a love and hate relationship,” Jackson honestly stated.

     Mark sighed and picked up the scattered clothes on the floor before shooting it inside a basket with the rest of Jackson’s dirty clothes, “I know. But you’re lucky my brothers like you. Well, they are angels so I’m not quite surprised.” He then gave Jackson a shirt since he was still topless. 

     “Can’t we stay in bed a little longer? My brothers and I have been training for a week. I haven’t seen you in a long time.” Jackson complained.

     “A week isn’t a long time Jackson.” Mark then answered, and Jackson pouted like a kid, making Mark chuckle. He went closer to Jackson who was still in bed, then he grabbed the shirt that he gave him and helped him put it on.

     “Looks like you guys have a plan again. What is it this time? You gonna kidnap Woohyun?” Mark asked even though he knew that it was unlikely since the Demons and the Arcs now have a ‘stable’ relationship.

     “There’s nothing for you to be worried about babe,” Jackson answered, now wearing a shirt thanks to Mark.

     “Babe my ass,” Mark answered, rolling his eyes before walking away. But Jackson grabbed his arm and pulled him back in the bed, showering him with kisses that he was supposed to have given during the days he was busy.

---

Jackson and Mark arrived at the school with their hands intertwined. No one looked or whispered at each other because they were too used to seeing those two together. What became an issue was the fact that Mark went back to the Arcs and the Demons didn’t even do anything about it.

     “Guys!” Mark shouted when he saw his brothers in the hallway walking towards them. He quickly lets go of Jackson’s hand and ran to where the Arcs were. Then Jackson followed behind him.

     “Hey Jackson, did you take care of our brother here?” Junhyung asked, but Jackson didn’t answer. Instead, he placed his hands inside his pockets and ignored the Arcs.

     “Looks like you did,” Sungjae sarcastically stated.

     While the Arcs were talking, the Demons arrived just in time. They saw Jackson with the angels and approached him with a smile on their faces.

     “Jackson!” Taeil shouted excitedly the moment he saw his best friend. Jackson smirked and waited for the Demons to approach them.

     “Hey prince of envy, how was your night?” Minhyuk asked as he and the rest of the Demons went in front of Jackson and the Arcs.

     “Did you have a good fuck last night?” Hyunseung then asked with a smirk on his face, making the Demons laugh on his statement while the Arcs didn’t look impressed by the dirty question.

     “Hey! He’s our brother! How could you say something disgusting about him in front of us?!” Woohyun angrily asked, but Hyunseung crossed his arms and answered back, “I wasn’t talking to you shorty.” 

     Woohyun clenched his fist and was about to punch Hyunseung, but Junhyung quickly stopped him from doing so.

     “Forget about it Woohyun,” Junhyung stated. Then Sunggyu, who was standing in the middle of the pyramid position, smirked and pointed at the back, “Jackson, go back to your position,” he commanded.

     Jackson didn’t say anything else but went to where he usually stands.

     “Looks like we need to go ladies. Oh, and Junhyung, my homework please,” Sunggyu said with an evil grin.

     Junhyung glared at him, but he took out a bunch of papers from his bag and handed it to him anyway, “Here you go, sir.”

    “Thanks. Let’s go, brothers,” Sunggyu commanded, and then he and the rest of the demons walked away.

    “How long do you need to serve those Demons?” Seunghyun asked their leader who was now back in his angel form.

     Junhyung looked at the ground and answered with a sigh, “As long as it gets.”

     Lay laughed at the situation that their leader was in and draped his arm around Junhyung’s shoulder, “Well, it’s the price you have to pay for making a deal with a devil.”

     Junhyung didn’t say anything back, but he couldn’t help but smile and walk away with the rest of the Arcs.

     It might not look like it, but this could be the start of the Demons and the Arcs’ good relationship with each other.

     Well…

     MIGHT

• END -

SDS1 27: REMEMBER ME?

“DIDN’T I TELL YOU

to wear your glasses? I bought that for you.“

  A man stated, staring at Taeil who was squinting his eyes because he couldn’t see clearly.

     “But it’s too goofy! Why buy me something that makes me look like Harry Potter?” Taeil asked, making the man laugh from what he heard.

     “And when the hell did you care about how you look?! You’re too lazy to even fix your hair when you wake up!” He pointed out with a louder tone, making Taeil scratch the back of his head in irritation,  “For fuck’s sake stop screaming. It’s hurting my head. I’m going back to sleep.”

     “Seriously?! Come on Lee Taeil! We still have a video game to finish.” The man stated, pulling Taeil’s arm so he wouldn’t be able to leave.

      Taeil looked at the man and honestly told him,  “I’m tired.”

      The man pouted from Taeil’s answer and lets go of his arm, “Why do you always do this to me? But when Jackson asks you to do something, you do it with no complaints. Do you like him?!” He suddenly asked.

      Taeil was surprised at the sudden question, but he was too tired to even show it, “I like him because he doesn’t talk much, so will you be a good boy and shut up?” He asked instead.

     “So you do like him?!” The man continued to ask.

     “You clearly know who I like…” Taeil mumbled to himself.

     “What?”

      Taeil pretended like he didn’t say anything and just started walking away.

     “Hey! Lee Taeil! What did you say?!”

     “Seriously! Just leave me alone!”

     The alarm clock sets off, instantly making Taeil open his eyes from shock. His heart was beating fast after the dream that he just had. He sat up, massaged his temple, and lazily turned the alarm off.

     “Why the fuck am I dreaming about you again?” Taeil asked himself while holding his aching chest. Taeil’s been having these dreams for a long time now. Dreams that were clearly memories that Taeil has now completely forgotten.

     “And who the fuck are you? Why can’t I remember your face?” Taeil asked himself before standing up from his bed to get ready for his classes. Before leaving his room, Taeil fed his pet snail slash guardian Acedia. Afterward, he went downstairs and saw his mother brewing coffee.

     “Well, you’re up early. Breakfast?” she asked when she saw Taeil approach her.

     “Nah, I’m going to meet Jackson today. We’re gonna buy new glasses,” Taeil replied.

     “I see. Then don’t come home late again okay? You know that I worry about you sometimes even if you’re a demon,” Mrs. Lee casually stated.

     Taeil nodded his head and answered, “Yes mom, I will.” Then he went to his mother and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the house. When he went out, he saw Jackson leaning on the side of a light post, waiting for him to come out.

     “Well that took you long enough,” Jackson sarcastically stated as he and Taeil started walking.

     “Good morning to you too Jackson. So, how’s Mark?” Taeil asked just so Jackson wouldn’t get mad at him for making him wait too long. He learned that Jackson becomes calmer whenever they talk about his lover.

      Jackson didn’t reply for a few seconds but later on, he did. “He’s doing good. He moved back to his brother’s house last weekend.”

      “Wow, after a month of staying with you? It must’ve been tough on him,” Taeil honestly stated.

     “Well, his father heard that he was staying with me so he and the other Archangels forced him to move back. They thought I was planning something bad again,” Jackson stated while rolling his eyes, obviously annoyed.

     “Bowing in front of us like a lunatic to save him just to do something bad to him later on. Yup, that sounds about right,” Taeil sarcastically said back. Then Jackson chuckled, surprising him on his brother’s sudden action.

     “Wait a sec. Did Jackson the great just smile at me?!” Taeil asked with an exaggerated expression.

     Jackson’s face quickly turned back to normal as he said, “Don’t push it.”

     Taeil smiled and nodded his head in defeat, “I guess every one of us changed because of our Fathers. To tell you the truth, I don’t even know what we’re doing now. Shouldn’t the King of Hell be doing something right now? And we haven’t even heard of our Fathers yet,” Taeil honestly told his brother.

     “They might just be busy torturing some naughty souls in hell. And come on, do you want us to get killed that badly?” Jackson asked with his right eyebrow raised, making Taeil shout back, “Of course not!”

     “Then what are you worrying about? You should be thankful our Fathers didn’t turn us into a human just like what the angels did to Yong Junhyung,” Jackson pointed out, making Taeil realize that Jackson was right.

     Afterward, the two didn’t say anything anymore. It was a good feeling to have silence, even for a few minutes. Especially since nothing normal had ever happened ever since they turned eighteen.

     “We’re here,” said Taeil as he and Jackson arrived at an Optical shop.   The two entered the shop and went to the area of the store where the big round glasses were placed.

     “Don’t tell me you’re going to buy that again,” Jackson stated, but Taeil grabbed the same glasses that he was wearing inside the shelves, but this time, it had a different color. His old one was black, but this time it was silver.

     “I knew it,” Jackson stated as he watched Taeil walk towards the counter with a satisfied look, “Why do you always buy the same glasses?” He asked him.

      “It’s because I like this design,” Taeil simply answered.

     Jackson didn’t argue anymore and just watched as Taeil paid for the glasses. After that, the two went out of the store and started walking again.

     “Where’re our brothers now?” Taeil then asked.

     “They’ll be waiting for us at Suho’s house today so let’s look for a cab,” Jackson suggested.

     The two went to the side of the street and waited for a cab to drive pass them. While they were waiting, Taeil kept on stealing glances at Jackson. He’s been having dreams about someone he couldn’t remember, and he was hoping Jackson might know about it.

     “Spill it.” Jackson suddenly stated, surprising Taeil.

     Taeil awkwardly laughed and scratched the back of his head, “Well, I just wanted to ask if you remember the dreams that I mentioned before. The ones I’ve been having before we even met our brothers?”

     Jackson didn’t answer and purposely ignored Taeil’s question, making Taeil look at him annoyingly, “Hey, Wang Jackson! You told me to spill it so why are you ignoring me now?!”

     Without looking back at Taeil, Jackson sighed and finally answered him, “Alright. I remember okay?”

    “Okay. Then do you really not know who I’m seeing in my dreams? Because it looked like we were pretty close to him. When I have these dreams there’s always me, you and that guy. Were there three of us before?” Taeil asked his best friend with an eager expression.

     Jackson took a deep breath and looked at him, “Taeil, you’ve been asking me that ever since you started having those dreams. Are you even sure those are memories? Because I still have one answer. There wasn’t a “that guy” before. It was only me and you.“

     “But-”

     Jackson quickly cuts Taeil off when he saw a cab coming towards them. “Taxi!” He shouted. The cab stopped and Jackson opened the back door for Taeil. Taeil glared at him but entered the cab anyway. Jackson couldn’t help but sigh again before closing the door for Taeil and taking a seat at the passenger’s seat.

     “Where to sir?” the driver asked as soon as Jackson closed the door.

     “At Cheongdam-dong,” Jackson answered.

     The Two didn’t talk anymore, making the whole cab silent. Taeil looked out of the window and stared at the cars that drove past them. He yawned, his vision getting blurry as the cars started speeding up. His eyelids started feeling heavy, and after a few more seconds, the son of sloth fell asleep.

     “I need to leave Taeil. You know that this was my dream ever since I was a kid.” The nameless man stated with a sad expression.

      Taeil, who was lying on the bench, didn’t even bother to open his eyes as he answered, “Alright.”

     “Alright? That’s the only thing that you’re going to say to me?” The man asked, obviously frustrated.

      Taeil finally opened his eyes. He stood up from the bench and looked back at the man in front of him, “Then what the fuck do you want me to do? Beg and tell you not to leave? This isn’t a melodrama. Leave if you want. I’m going home. I’m tired.”   He answered him before turning away from him.

      The man looked down on the floor in defeat. But before Taeil could completely leave him, he chased after him and grabbed him by the arm, “Taeil…at least take this.” He stated, pulling something out from his pocket and placing it on Taeil’s palm.

      Taeil looked at his hand,  “A…guitar pick with the initial T?” He asked.

     “Yeah, I used that on my audition last month, and I believe that this was the reason why I was picked as the new guitarist of their band. I’m giving this to you because it’s important…like how important you are to me” The man answered.

     Something inside Taeil burned. He wanted to say something, but he shoved the guitar pick back at the man’s hand and said instead, “I’m not taking that. Bring it with you to Tokyo. Goodbye” Then he finally walked away.

     “Taeil! Wait!” The man shouted, gripping on the guitar pick on his hand, but Taeil continued walking without looking back.

     “Taeil!”

     “Taeil! Wake up! We’re here!” Someone shouted close to his ear. Taeil opened his eyes and felt tears coming out of his eyes. He wiped the tears with his hand and saw blood. 

     Jackson, who only saw the blood tears when Taeil faced him, looked at him with shock, “What the…Are you alright?” He asked, taking out his handkerchief so he could wipe it for him. Taeil pushed Jackon’s hand away and went out of the cab.

     “I’m fine. I’m just really tired, that’s all.” Taeil lied, wiping the rest of the blood-stains with the back of his hand instead.

     Jackson sighed and nodded his head, “Okay. I’ll believe that for now.”

     Like what Jackson said, he didn’t question his brother anymore. They walked their way to their destination, which was Suho’s house. Without knocking, they went inside Kim’s residence where they saw the Demons hanging out in the living room.

     “Hey, guys!” Taeil greeted. When they got closer, they saw that the sons were actually watching porn.

     “Seriously guys? This early?” Taeil asked as he sat beside Minhyuk on the sofa while Jackson sat on the carpet beside Jiyong, who was engrossed with what was on the television. 

     “It was Suho’s idea,” Jiyong answered, his eyes still glued to the screen.

     “I thought it would be Hyunseung’s idea,” Jackson then stated, making the rest of the Demons laugh.

     Hyunseung, who was sitting beside Sunggyu on the other sofa, glared at Jackson and told him, “Very funny Jackson. Just because I’m the prince of lust doesn’t mean I watch those things.”

     “Yeah. Why would Hyunseung watch those things if he could just do it for real,” Sunggyu stated, draping his arm around Hyunseung who only pushed it away as soon as Sunggyu did it. He then grabbed a pillow and slammed it on Sunggyu’s face, making the sons laugh again.

     “Man, I haven’t laughed like that in a while. Ever since the ‘Mark and Jackson incident’, we’ve been so serious with making a plan even greater than that one, and it’s driving us all crazy,” Minhyuk honestly stated, and everyone agreed.

     “If it wasn’t for Jackson, we would have been progressing,” Jiyong stated as he looked at the brother sitting beside him, but Jackson just shrugged his shoulder, not even guilty for what he did to his brothers’ plan.

     “If it wasn’t for Jackson, we would have been consumed with guilt,” Hyunseung corrected.

     “I guess you’ve got a point there,” Jiyong admitted as he placed his arm around Jackson’s shoulder.

     The seven brothers started talking about normal things again, remembering the fact that they were still college students and not just princes of hell. But as the conversation was running smoothly, Sunggyu butted in and brought them back to reality.

     “My Father talked to me last night,” he spitted out, making everyone stop talking.

     “You mean Father Satan?” Taeil asked curiously.

     Sunggyu nodded his head and took a deep breath, “Yeah, and he was furious. He told me that the King of Hell almost showed himself to us so we could be punished by his own hands, but our Fathers did everything to stop him,” Sunggyu revealed, making everyone shiver by just the thought of it.

      “And Kharon? He’s been gone for 3 weeks now right? Well, the reason was that he was giving his services  to the King as punishment for not guarding us enough.” Sunggyu continued, shocking them even more. But this time, Jackson started feeling guilty. The only reason why their guardian was being punished is because of what he did.

     “But that’s not the worst part. Apparently, the King was so excited to feed on Mark’s soul that he continuously salivated for days. That’s just fucked up man,” Sunggyu explained further, and Jackson’s guilt subsided a little. 

     “S-So you’re saying…the K-King himself…wanted to p-punish us?” Suho asked while stuttering by just the thought of it.

    Sunggyu didn’t want to admit it himself, but he nodded his head as an answer.

    “So what do we need to do? There must be something that would make that fucker calm down. Do we need to kill some strangers as a replacement for Mark’s soul? Or is an angel’s soul just way better than any other human soul?” Jiyong asked, bravely referring to their King as fucker .

     “Hey, Kwon Jiyong. Don’t talk like Mark and the rest of the Arcs are just some kind of food,” Jackson angrily stated, pushing off the Jiyong’s arm that was placed around his shoulders.

     “Oh for fuck’s sake. You just heard what Sunggyu said. Our King wanted to kill us because of what you did. This isn’t the right time to be defending your stupid lover,” Jiyong answered back, quickly making Jackson pull his collar towards him, “What the fuck did you say?”

     Taeil immediately went in between them and pushed Jackson away from the prideful prince, “Guys! Are you fucking serious right now? We should be making plans, not fighting each other.”

     Jackson didn’t say anything while Jiyong fixed his shirt. No one wanted to say it out loud, but the rest of the demons knew that Jiyong had a point. Jackson contributed to their current problem, even though all the sons agreed to release Mark in the end. If Jackson didn’t initiate it, then everything would have gone smoothly.

      “Well, enough with the drama. My Father gave us a mission. Finally, we have an idea of what we need to do. And the mission is this: K

ill anyone who you see as a threat . And that includes everyone who makes us lose our focus on our real mission, which is killing the Arcs.“ Sunggyu finally revealed to them.

     “It simply means we kill all the third parties,” Hyunseung concluded.

     “That’s correct. And if we can’t do that…” Sunggyu paused and seriously looked at his brothers one by one, “Our Fathers will do it for us,” he continued, leaving the sons speechless. It only made them realize that they weren’t in any position to disobey the King anymore.

---

“Guys, are you all tucked in now?” Suho asked as he looked at his brothers who were occupying his bedroom.

     “Suho, you have an extra pillow?” Jiyong asked, lying on Suho’s bed while playing a game on his phone. Suho took the extra pillow on the sofa outside. Then he went back to his room and threw it at Jiyong.

     “Happy now my king?”

     “Thank you, my slave,” replied Jiyong with a grin, making Suho tackle Jiyong on the bed. Now the two were wrestling, forgetting the fact that their leader was also beside them.

     “I’ll kick you out of my house and make you sleep on the lawn if you don’t shut up,” Suho stated while locking Jiyong’s neck with his arms. Sunggyu looked at what his brothers are doing and glared at them. He didn’t have to say anything to make the two stop.

     “It’s 11 PM and we have classes tomorrow. So shut up and sleep already.” Sunggyu stated, and everyone finally settled down.

     Taeil, who was on the futon beside Hyunseung, stared at the ceiling with a blank expression. He was scared that he’d have those dreams again. Jackson kept on saying that those weren’t memories and just dreams, but Taeil knew deep down that it was. It just felt too real.

     “ Let’s just think of happy thoughts. “ Taeil thought to himself before closing his eyes. It didn’t even take long for the dreams to take over right after.

     “Taeil! Please wake up, Taeil!” A voice shouted but Taeil wasn’t responding.

     “Taeil, come on now. This isn’t the time to be sleeping. Taeil please!” The voice continued, but this time, it was obvious that they were in a state of panic.

     “Your Jackson’s still here. I didn’t leave you like he did, so please open your eyes. Please” Jackson, the owner of the voice, begged while gripping on Taeil’s shoulder.

     The dream became clearer. Taeil was lying on a hospital bed while Jackson stood beside him, tears falling on his cheeks. Taeil wasn’t responding. It’s already been hours and he still hasn’t moved.

     “Doc! Fucking do something! Why isn’t he opening his eyes!?” Jackson shouted when the doctor and nurses arrived inside the room.

     “We’ll try our best sir, so please calm down. Nurse, bring this man outside.” The doctor answered.

     The nurses tried to approach Jackson, but Jackson shoved them away. He wouldn’t let go of Taeil’s hand.

     “N-No…I’m not leaving his side. Taeil! Open your eyes!! Taeil!”

     Taeil shot his eyes open. His heart was beating fast and he was sweating like he just ran a marathon. He couldn’t even breathe properly.

     What was that? Why was he in the hospital with Jackson?

     “Shit. Why can’t I still fucking remember?” Taeil asked himself. He looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was already 4 AM. Taeil stood up and went out to get some water. When he went to the kitchen, he was shocked to see Jackson standing at the balcony, drinking coffee. So Taeil went to where he was and stood beside him.

     “You’re up early,” Jackson stated as he took a sip from his mug.

     “Why didn’t you tell me I was brought to the hospital before?” Taeil asked instead, making Jackson spill the coffee that he was drinking.

     Taeil sighed and closed his eyes as he said, “Based on your reaction, it looks like it’s true.”

     Jackson cleaned himself up and looked back at his best friend, “That’s just a dream,” he answered. Jackson was about to leave, but Taeil quickly grabbed his arm and said, “For the past few years I knew that you’ve been lying to me but I just brushed the thought away. But now I want to know why. Why can’t you just tell me the truth? Just tell me who he was so I could-”

     “Taeil…he’s not real,” Jackson finally answered.

     “What?”

     “You were never brought to the hospital, there was never a ‘him’, and those memories you keep on telling me isn’t real. Open your eyes and go back to reality Taeil. This isn’t an illusion anymore,” Jackson answered with a cruel tone so Taeil could finally stop asking him about it.

     When Jackson pulled his arm away from Taeil, he quickly turned around and walked away. But before he could completely leave, Taeil told him, “I’m gonna find that man whether you like it or not Jackson. I don’t know why you’re so against it, but I will find him.”

     Jackson stopped walking and clenched his fist in irritation. Taeil walked past him and went back to Suho’s room as if nothing happened. When he heard the door slam, Jackson went back to the balcony and aggressively threw the mug in anger.

     “Why can’t you just fucking leave us alone?”

---

Everyone was running back to their respective rooms, but the Demons were slowly walking down the hallway like they owned the place. They decided to put a more badass aura and bring out a scary vibe just so no one would want to be friends with them anymore.

     Sunggyu also instructed them to become jerks and assholes, like what Sunggyu, Jiyong, and Suho were before. It was hard ( Well maybe not for those three ), but it was for the sake of everyone. If they became close with others, they might just die because of them.

      “We’ll be heading out first. Bye guys,” Suho stated as he and the other sons went inside their classrooms, while Minhyuk and Hyunseung went to their classroom. The five Demons sat back down on their respective seats. Taeil and Jackson were still in bad terms with each other so even though they were sitting together, they didn’t talk at all.

     While the teacher was discussing, Taeil heard Jihoon say something to Junhyung who was just sitting in front of him.

     “ Junhyung, I think I need to piss, “ Jihoon whispered to Junhyung, but it was still loud enough for Taeil to hear.

     “Jihoon you idiot, I told you to go to the restroom before we leave the house,” Junhyung angrily answered back.

     “Well sorry, my piss time isn’t scheduled,” Jihoon sarcastically answered so Junhyung didn’t say anything anymore.

     Without asking the professor if he could leave, Jihoon stood up from his seat. But as he stood up, the wallet on his back pocket fell right in front of Taeil. Taeil wanted to ignore it, but his conscience was fighting with him, so he decided to just grab it so he could place it back on Jihoon’s seat.

     When he was about to reach for the wallet, he suddenly saw something that made his heart stop.

     It was the guitar pick that he was too familiar with.

     “ N-no, don’t tell me… “

• END -

SDS1 28: FINDING IT OUT

TAEIL QUICKLY TOOK JIHOON’S wallet on the floor and placed it on his chair. He turned his head to look at Jackson to check if he saw it too, but it seemed like he didn’t, so Taeil sighed and closed his eyes in relief.

     Then it sank in.

     PYO JI HOON WAS THE GUY IN HIS DREAMS?! 

     It didn’t make sense at first, but then Taeil remembered how Jackson would change the topic whenever he talked about it. Sometimes he even got mad when Taeil keeps on talking about it. Is it because Jackson knew that it was Jihoon all along? Now it made perfect sense! Jackson didn’t want Taeil to get close to Jihoon again because he found out he was an Arc!

     But wasn’t that unfair? He could have Mark all he wants, but Taeil can’t even reunite with his childhood friend? Ever since the day Jackson made “friends” with an angel, everything changed between the two groups. Like simply talking to them wouldn’t be a big deal anymore like before.

     Well, Taeil needed to know what to do first. He needed to know how they became close, how they separated, why Jackson hates the shit out of him, and why he can’t he remember a thing. But first, why DOES Jackson hate Jihoon? It’s obvious that Jackson hated him even before he found out he was an Arc, so what could the reason be? 

     Taeil’s been having these dreams even before he met the Arcs and the rest of his brothers, so why does Jackson hate his guts? Is it because he was somehow involved with Taeil’s so-called hospital scene?

     “Hey!”

     Taeil was brought back to the real world when he saw Jihoon handing him papers.

     “Your paper’s on top, pass the other papers at the back,” said Jihoon as he was handing Taeil their previous test papers. But Taeil looked at Jihoon and accidentally started staring at his face like a pervert. He was trying to remember his face but there was nothing, and it made Taeil’s head hurt instead.

     “Hey Mr. Lee, are you going to get the papers, or am I going to throw it at your face?” Jihoon suddenly asked with a low voice, making Taeil flinch. 

     “Oh, yeah. Sorry.” Taeil quickly took the papers and passed the rest of it at the back. Then he looked back at Jihoon and thought, “ I can’t fucking remember your face!“

     Taeil was thinking hard, but then he realized something that surprised him as well. Could it be that because of that accident in his dream, he lost the memories he had with Jihoon?

     “ Is that it? “ Taeil asked himself before resting his chin on his table. While he was staring at the back of Jihoon’s head, Taeil forced himself to close his eyes and fall asleep. And like the sleeping expert that he is, he did fall asleep.

     “Hey Taeil, listen to this.” A familiar voice stated.

     “What is it this time?” Taeil asked without opening his eyes. He was sitting under a tree when someone suddenly placed an earset on his left ear. When he opened his eyes, he saw the faceless man sitting beside him.

     Without saying anything, the music played…

You look so bad, I was wrong…

I don’t know written English but I’m silent, cause I’m a Trouble Maker

You can slap my face; I ’ m n

ot pretending to lose

Even though I lay out plenty of poor excuses, I’m in your hands

Look at me, stop turning your head

I just want to watch a movie tonight

How is it that even your sulking is cute

Hm? Looks like you just smiled a bit, I’m right..

I’ll do better next time, I won’t make more excuses

So that curses don’t come out from your pretty lips again.

     “What was that all about hyung?”   Taeil asked the moment the music ended.

     “It’s a song.” The man answered.

     “I know it’s a fucking song. I’m not stupid.”

     “Yeah, but it’s a song…that I wrote for you.” The man continued, surprising Taeil. His reaction made the man look sad, “I’m sorry,”   he said instead.

     “Don’t be.” Taeil immediately answered.

     “I know that you’re hurt okay, so stop putting a tough act. I know that you’re mad at me that I chose this dream of mine over you, but you need to understand that I’m doing this for us.” The man explained, but it only left Taeil feeling irritated.

     “Can you just shut up?! You talk too much.”   Taeil answered instead, making the man sigh.

     “Taeil, I don’t want us to fight again.” He told him. But when Taeil closed his head, the man touched his hand and said, “ I love you. You know that, right? “

      Taeil was surprised when he heard the bell ring. His eyes were red, and when he looked around the room, he realized that the Arcs and the rest of his classmates were gone except for his brothers.

     “H-Hyung?” Taeil confusingly asked himself.

NOTE: ‘Hyung’ is what a younger male calls to an older male. It can also mean older brother, but you don’t necessarily have to be siblings to call each other that.

     “Man, I’m so hungry,” Suho stated as he and the rest of the Demons stood up from their seats.

     Jackson stood up as well and went to the others. Taeil quickly fixed his things and followed, and then all of them went out of the room and proceeded to Minhyuk and Hyunseung’s classroom.

     “Hey, I just noticed that the two of you haven’t been talking recently. What’s the matter? We’re brothers here, we should talk about things that bother us,” Suho suddenly stated out of the blue while they were walking down the hallway.

     “What the hell are you talking about? We talk all the time,” Jiyong blurted out.

     Sunggyu face palmed himself, irritated that his brother didn’t get it, “He wasn’t talking about you, you idiot.”

     Jiyong looked at Taeil and Jackson and finally understood what Suho was trying to say. But before he could say anything, they finally arrived in front of Hyunseung and Minhyuk’s classroom.

     “Hey guys,” Minhyuk said as he saw his brothers arrive. Then Hyunseung went to Jackson and held his shoulder, “Mark said he’ll visit you later. He and his brothers are going to do something today.”

     Jackson didn’t answer but nodded his head instead.

     “What’s wrong with you?” Minhyuk asked as he saw Jackson’s dark aura.

     “He and Taeil are having an argument about something that we don’t know about,” Suho answered for them.

     Hyunseung and Minhyuk looked at each other, and then they looked at their leader who only shrugged his shoulder as an answer since he also didn’t know why the two were arguing.

     “Anyway, let’s grab some lunch,” Jiyong stated, and everyone agreed. While they walked their way to the cafeteria, Sunggyu – the guy in the middle – suddenly stopped, making the rest of the Demons stop from walking as well.

     “Where’s everyone?” He asked with a confused expression.

     “Aren’t they in the cafeteria?” Hyunseung answered calmly. It was obvious that he was hungry and didn’t want to waste any more time. But Sunggyu disagreed and said, “No, there should be noises coming from downstairs. But listen closely. Nothing’s there.”

     Everyone followed what Sunggyu said. They listened to the environment around them. And it was true. Nothing was there to be heard.

     “He’s right,” Taeil stated.

     “Something’s off here. Did someone stop time again?” Minhyuk then asked. But before anyone could answer, Jiyong’s eyes suddenly widened from shock when he saw something approach them. Without any hesitation, he shouted, “Look out!”

     The Demons quickly ducked on what seemed to be a dislocated naked human. Jiyong then summoned his demonic scepter and pointed it towards the creature. Electricity and fire came out of the scepter that quickly made it unconscious.

     The seven sons stood straight and backed away on the frightening image in front of them. It was the first time they saw something as ugly and disturbing as that. Its flesh looked like it was melting, and it seemed to be covered in slashes and bruises. The face was disoriented too. It didn’t have a nose, its all-white eyes were popping out. Its jaw was also pulled down, making it look like the mouth was forcefully opened.

     Black liquid went out of its mouth, which the Demons suspected was blood.

     “I-Is that a fucking ghoul?! Because when Kharon described it during our lessons, that fucking fits the description!” Minhyuk shouted as he stared at the unconscious ghoul in front of them.

     “Looks like it,” Jiyong answered as the scepter vanished from his hand.

     Sunggyu patted Jiyong’s back and said, “Thanks Jiyong. You did great there.”

     “No problem. But where the fuck did that thing come from?” Jiyong asked while staring at the unconscious ghoul. He wasn’t really expecting an answer, but when he heard a voice, the hair on his skin stood up.

     “L-looks like t-this shit hole…followed me h-here. T-that King…really doesn’t know how to…g-give up.” Someone stated.

     Everyone lifted their head up. Their eyes widened from shock when they saw who the owner of the voice was.

     “Kharon!”

     The sons couldn’t believe what they saw. Their usual strong and arrogant guardian was now weak and covered in blood. They couldn’t say a thing that it made Kharon chuckle. “N-Nice seeing…y-you again…k-kids,” he stated. But because of how weak he was, he almost fell down. Good thing Hyunseung immediately ran to him so he could assist him.

    “What the hell happened to you?!” Suho shouted as he and the rest of the Demons ran to where their guardian was.

     “I j-just escaped from the…K-King. I g-guess…he found out…I was g-gone…so he sent these g-ghouls to chase after m-me. I’ve…been a-attacked by 50 of that just…earlier so I look like…s-shit right now,” Kharon struggled to answer.

     “Fifty?!” Everyone asked in unison.

     “Yeah, I’m out of e-energy…s-so can I ask you a favor and bring me to… some s-safe place? Your F-Father’s told me…t-their massage for you…s-so please h-hurry,” Kharon stated, then he suddenly coughed some blood out from his mouth.

     “Our Fathers?” Hyunseung asked in confusion, and Kharon weakly nodded.

     “We’ll look for a good spot. Minhyuk and Jackson, help Hyunseung carry Kharon,” Sunggyu commanded. Then Jackson and Minhyuk went to Kharon and helped him stand up.

     “But what about him?” Taeil asked as he was still staring at the ghoul.

     Kharon looked closely at the ghoul on the floor, and then his eyes turned red as he shouted with all his might, “

Begone! “ Then the ghoul was suddenly set on fire before vanishing in thin air.

     Sunggyu then looked at Suho and said, “Suho, get us out of here and bring us to where we tortured Mark.”

     Jackson looked uncomfortable by how Sunggyu described it, but the leader ignored the reaction as Suho nodded his head in understanding. Suho closed his eyes, and the demons were instantly teleported to an abandoned warehouse. 

     Minhyuk, Jackson, and Hyunseung placed Kharon at the chair that brought memories back to Jackson, but he didn’t say anything about it anymore since he knew that the situation that they were in didn’t need it.

     Kharon coughed blood as soon as he sat down, worrying everyone even more.

     “Want some water?” Sunggyu asked as he was patting Kharon’s back.

     “N-No…we don’t…h-have…much time,” Kharon stated. He was forcing himself to speak for the sake of the Demons.

     “Y-your conversation w-with…Ruler Satan ( Sunggyu’s Father )…t-that was the…l-last one. T-they were locked up b-by the King. T-The king is very mad at…all of you. Not just b-because of the incident…with Jackson…but with Hyunseung as well…”

     The sons became serious. Their hearts started pounding fast. They finally saw how cruel the King is. They just took it for granted since they knew they were princes.

     “What does he want from us!? Is he a psychopath?!” Jiyong shouted.

     “Y-You might be wondering…w-why it’s happening o-only now. Your fathers…t-tried their best…to stop him.”

     The atmosphere changed and the Demons looked at each other with sad expressions. What could they even do? They can’t just go to hell and defeat their King. They can’t even defeat Kharon!

     “P-please be careful…from now on…my princes.” Then out of nowhere, Kharon slowly went down on his knees and bowed in front of the seven deadly sons.

     “W-What are you-” Sunggyu was cut off when Kharon spoke again, “Y-You have made me…and your fathers…very proud…I am v-very happy…to s-serve you.” Right after that, Kharon started vomiting black blood. But when the demos looked closer, it was actually leeches.

     “Kharon!” Everyone shouted in unison.

     “O-Oh no…I-I need to…h-hurry,” Kharon stated as he wiped his mouth with his trembling hand.

     “Kharon, what’s going on?! You need to rest! Let’s talk about this tomorrow okay?!” Minhyuk insisted. He was about to approach their guardian, but Kharon only pushed him away, “N-No…your fathers…your fathers told m-me that…you should….y-you should…” But before he could finish his sentence, Kharon suddenly looked upward and started screaming, making everyone cover their ears by how loud it was. It was like the sound Kharon was making came from thousands of birds.

     Soon after his eyes started to turn black, and then veins in his face appeared.

     “What’s happening to him!?” Suho shouted, still covering his ears. 

     Kharon was still screaming his hearts out. Black smoke started coming out from the floor, and that smoke slowly turned into hands that grabbed hold of Kharon’s body.

     “Fuck, what should we…what should we…” Minhyuk didn’t know what to do. This never happened to them before.

     Jiyong was about to summon his weapon once again, but Sunggyu quickly grabbed his hand to stop him, “No, we might get affected by what’s happening to him. I don’t want to say this but…it’s better if we do nothing.”

     The sons were shocked at what their leader said, but they can’t help but agree. If something happens to them now, then they can’t do anything for Kharon or for their Fathers anymore.

     “Kharon! What should we do?!” Taeil shouted, “What did our Fathers want us to do?!”

     Kharon looked at the demons, and blood-tear fell from his eyes before he could vanish.

     The whole room fell silent. Everyone was shocked to the point where they couldn’t even say anything. Everything just happened so fast that they don’t even know what was happening anymore. 

     “W-What the fuck just happened?” Minhyuk asked, finally breaking the tense aura lurking around the room.

     “So what now?” Jackson asked. When everyone looked at him, he continued, “Do we pretend like nothing happened today? I know what you’re all thinking. I’m not stupid. I know that you think that this is all happening because of me. Alright, I admit it. I was a fool to fall in love with our enemy. But don’t you see what’s happening now? The real enemies aren’t the Arcs. We’ve been blinded from the start.”

     “Then what do we need to do? Do you have a fucking idea what our Fathers wanted to say?” Jiyong asked, but Jackson didn’t answer him.

     “Let’s just stick to what our Fathers first instructed us to do, and that’s not to get involved with third parties. Our Father’s warned us about what the King could do to the people who would be attached to us. So that’s what we need to concentrate on. We also need to be careful for now on. If possible, starting today, we stay at one house until we have a chance to talk to our fathers again. Is that clear?” Sunggyu instructed, trying his best to act strong for the sake of his brothers.

     “Yes, brother!” Everyone answered in unison.

     “So this is the real shit now? This is what we’ve been training to do for the past months. To hide from our so-called creator?” Suho asked.

     “We’re not hiding. We’re just waiting for what we really need to do,” Sunggyu answered.

     “Well, let’s go before those weird black hands arrive again,” Hyunseung suggested, and everyone agreed and went back to HAU as if nothing happened.

     The Demons were walking down the hallway like usual, but this time, black aura could literally be seen around them. After what happened to Kharon, the Demons weren’t in the mood to even scare anyone because their presence alone made the students move away.

     “Hey! Demons!” Someone shouted at the perfectly wrong moment.

     The Demons looked in front and realized that the Arcs were already standing right in front of them in the middle of the hallway.

     “You alright assholes?” Lay asked as he curiously examined the faces of the Demons.

     “Jackson? What’s going on?” Mark worriedly asked, but Jackson didn’t answer him either.

     “What the hell do you fuckers want? As you can see, we’re not in a good mood to have an argument with you,” Sunggyu said with his voice full of anger.

     Junhyung took a step forward and said, “We’re not here to fight. We’re here to tell you that everyone went missing earlier and then your fucking ghoul attacked us like mad. We almost got hurt you know. If you want to play that game, we can play along with you assholes.”

     The Arcs thought the demon would say something back, but the demons looked at each other with shocked expressions, making the Arcs look confused.

     “Wait. Don’t tell me you-” Hyunseung cuts Junhyung off and said, “Even though we fucking hate you bastards, we didn’t ask that ghoul to attack you. Because for your information, we were attacked as well.”

     The news left the Arcs speechless.

     “You gotta be kidding me,” Junhyung stated in disbelief. Then Seunghyun went to stand beside their leader and said, “Why would a creature of your world attack you? It’s not because we’re worried or anything, but it doesn’t sound right you know. You’re all princes. Why would the servants of hell attack you?”

     “That’s a question we’re not going to answer. We’re still rivals remember? So don’t worry because we can handle ourselves. Brothers, let’s go.” 

     Sunggyu and the rest of the Demons walked past the Arcs, but before they could completely leave, Junhyung told them, “I still made a promise that I’ll offer myself to you. Well, angels don’t break their promises. And that promise doesn’t just involve making homework and projects. We can help you if you’re in trouble or if-”

     Junhyung was cut off once again, but this time, it was Jiyong’s turn to speak, “We don’t need your fucking help, so leave us alone.”

    “Put your pride down for once Kwon Jiyong. Something is bothering you and we all know that you don’t have a solution for it,” Sungjae stated, and Minhyuk went in front of him and asked, “Why? Would you have a solution?” 

     Sungjae didn’t back down and took a step closer, “Chaos. Your hell is in chaos, am I correct?”

     Sunggyu clenched his fist and looked at Sungjae angrily, “You know nothing,” he stated. But Sungjae continued anyway, “We’re angels. There are things that we know before you could even hear about it.”

     Sunggyu finally went forward and pulled Minhyuk away from Sungjae. He clenched his fist harder and told him, “Fine. We do have a problem, and it’s a big one. And you know why we’re having that kind of problem? Well, it’s because we fucking ruined our plans for the sake of saving your stupid brother!”

     The Arcs were suddenly quiet. Jackson quickly looked at Mark, but Mark turned around so he couldn’t be able to see any of the Demons. It was obvious he felt guilty about it.

     “So if you want to fucking help us, leave us alone.” Then Sunggyu walked away, and the rest of the Demons followed except for Jackson. Jackson went to where Mark was and pulled Mark towards him. He softly kissed Mark’s forehead and told him, “You were the victim. You were the person we tricked. You don’t have to feel guilty about anything, so don’t worry . “

     Mark nodded his head as an answer. Jackson kissed his forehead for the second time before finally following behind his brothers. When he was gone, Woohyun looked back at the Arcs and asked, “What’s going on with the Demons? Or rather, what the fuck is their king doing to them?”

    Without looking back at him, Junhyung answered, “I don’t know. But if their king can attack his own princes, then imagine what he can do to us.”

---

The low church bell rang. Taeil and Jackson stood up from their seats and went to Sunggyu, Suho, and Jiyong as soon as they finished fixing their things.

     “So, what do we do now?” Taeil asked Sunggyu who was thinking of a plan to work things out.

     “Let’s all go home today, and then tomorrow we’ll start staying at my house. Pack your things and don’t tell your mother’s about what’s happening to our Fathers. I’ll go to Hyunseung and Minhyuk and inform them about this. You four should go first,” Sunggyu instructed.

     “Alright,” Suho answered.

     Jackson and Taeil were supposed to go home together, but since they were still in bad terms with each other, Jackson went with Sunggyu to fetch Mark. 

     Suho and Jiyong looked at each other. Jiyong sighed and looked back at Taeil and said, “Come on. I’ll give you a ride,” he stated, draping his arm around Taeil’s shoulder and pulling him out of the room so he wouldn’t have the chance to complain.

     After Jiyong’s generous offer, Taeil safely arrived home. His mother was still at work so he immediately went to his room and locked the door. He threw his bag on the floor before throwing himself in his bed. Then he stared at the ceiling and asked, “What the fuck is happening right now?”

     Taeil’s brain was going to explode, so the only way to relax was by…you guessed it…sleeping.

     “Taeil! Wake up!”   The familiar voice asked once again as soon as Taeil’s dream started.

     “What the fuck do you want now?” Taeil asked, slowly lifting his head up from the table, only to see the faceless man squatting in front of him.

    The man leaned close and answered, “ Class is over. We need to look for Jackson or he might get mad again.“

      Taeil wanted to complain, but he lazily stood up from his seat and grabbed his backpack instead. He and the faceless man headed outside to look for their friend Jackson. While walking, the man said, “ H

ey, remember the audition I took for the new guitarist of the band that I like?“

     “Yeah?” 

      The man stopped walking, making Taeil stop walking too. Then, he suddenly grabbed Taeil’s shoulder and shouted,  “I got picked!”

      Taeil stared back at him and didn’t say anything. His “no-reaction” reaction made the excited smile on the man’s face fade.

     “Hey, I just told you that I got in!” He told him again, hoping Taeil just didn’t hear it the first time.

      Taeil yawned and scratched the back of his head,  “Then what the fuck do you want me to do? Jump around? I’m too sleepy to even smile right now.”

     “Well at least congratulate me.” The man said with a pout before letting go of Taeil’s shoulders.

     “Congratulations,” Taeil said back with no hesitation.

     “What the hell?! That was lifeless as fuck!” The man complained, but he smiled anyway and continued, “ T

hey said I need to train next month before I really become a part of their band. So by the end of this semester, I’m leaving for Tokyo.“

      The news obviously surprised him, but Taeil pretended like he wasn’t interested as he answered, “I see.”

     “Again with that same lifeless reaction? When the fuck are you going to show me that you’re concerned about me? You’re not even proud? Come on Taeil.” The man asked, but this time, he couldn’t contain his disappointment.

      “I’m fucking hurt right now asshole.”

     Taeil woke up once again, but this time he was gasping for air. He looked at his watch and saw that it was already 11 in the evening, and he still hasn’t changed his clothes. He sat up from his bed and looked at his pet snail Acedia who was inside his glass container.

     “Dad, are you alright?” he asked. Then he lazily stood up from his bed and changed his clothes. 

     Taeil’s mother was home since the lights downstairs were already turned off. So Taeil sneaked out of their house so he wouldn’t wake her up. He went to the mailbox and opened a secret compartment that his a pack of cigarettes. But the moment he took it out, a memory quickly flashed in his head.

     “Stop smoking,” a voice suddenly stated.

     “Smoking makes me feel awake,”   Taeil answered.

     “Just stop smoking. It’s bad for your health.” The man insisted, but Taeil ignored him and continued smoking anyway. So the man snatched the cigarette from him and used it himself instead.

    “Hey! Why would you use it?! I thought it was bad for the health?!”

     “If it can make you stop smoking then I’d use all of it.”

    Taeil dropped the cigarette pack on the floor and started slamming his head with his fist. His head started aching because of it, but the dreams still felt more painful than that.

     “What the fuck is happening to me?! It keeps getting worse!” Taeil shouted at himself.

      Images started flashing in front of Taeil that he couldn’t help but vomit. The voices grew louder and louder too, so Taeil ended up running away while covering his ears. He didn’t even care where his feet would bring him.

     “Stop messing with my head!”   He shouted to himself as he kept on running away. As he continued running, he noticed a dark figure standing just a few meters away from him. Taeil stopped to see what it was, but then the figure spoke as if hundreds of people were talking at the same time,  “Are you afraid Prince Lee Taeil?”

     Taeil started having cold sweats as he heard the figure speak. He was slowly taking a step back, but then he saw that the figure was moving even closer to him the more he went backward.

     “W-what are you?” he asked.

     “I was sent by our loving King to help you.”

     “Y-You’re lying! H-he would never help us!”

     “But he is my prince. Now take my hand and all your worries will be gone. Your memories that were locked away and everything you ever worried about will vanish once you hold my hand. Come Lee Taeil. Take this sinner’s hand…”

     Taeil wanted to answer back, but then his eyes widened when he realized something, “This happened before. You took my memories away, didn’t you? That’s why I can’t remember anything!” He concluded. But then the figure’s eyes suddenly turned red, and he immediately started running towards Taeil,  “Come to me Lee Taeil!” 

     Taeil froze in his place because of shock. All he could do was close his eyes and wait for the impact. But the figure stopped midway. Then, he started swaying side to side,  “Then as the King had instructed…die!”

     The figure transformed into a ghoul and came running towards him again. Taeil was still frozen in place. He stood still as he watched the ghoul run towards him like lightning. But when he was only a few inches away from him, the ghoul was cut into two. But instead of blood, it vanished like smoke. 

     The area surrounding Taeil ended up being covered with black smoke. Taeil squinted his eyes and then saw a man standing behind the spot where the ghoul was supposed to be in, “ In the name of the lord, vanish evil creature! “

     The man’s hands were covered with bright light, and he slowly absorbed the black smoke.

     “W-What was-”

     “Are you alright?” Another voice asked.

     Taeil lifted his head and saw Woohyun holding his sword. Then with a few taps on the floor, it vanished from his hand.

     “That was close. Good thing we were passing by or you might have been dead by now,” someone added. Taeil looked back at the man with the glowing hands and saw Pyo Jihoon, AKA the man who Taeil suspect is the person in his dreams.

     “What’s happening prince of sloth? Why are these demonic creatures after you?” Jihoon asked. Even though they were supposed to be enemies, he didn’t shy away from showing his concern.

     Taeil gulped and hugged himself as a form of protection, “T-thanks for the help, but I need to go.”

     “Want us to walk you home?” Woohyun offered, but it sounded more sarcastic than sincerity.

     Taeil was already walking away as he answered, “I’m fine…j-just…leave.”

     “What’s going on Lee?” Woohyun asked once again as he tried not to laugh at Taeil who looked like he was about to piss himself. But then Taeil suddenly turned around to face them. With blood tears in his eyes, he looked at Jihoon and said, “Hyung…I’m scared.”

     Woohyun was taken aback. He didn’t expect Taeil to actually cry.

      “H-Hey…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-” Woohyun was cut off when he saw Jihoon approach Taeil. He stood right in front of him and asked, “What did you just say? Did you just call me…hyung?”

• END -

SDS1 29: DREAMS OR MEMORIES

“WHAT THE FUCK IS wrong with you?! 

Didn’t I tell you to leave already?“ Taeil angrily shouted at the man who kept on following him.

     “Taeil, at least listen to me before I leave.” The man stated, grabbing Taeil’s hand to stop him. But Taeil only pushed him away, “ The plane will not wait for you asshole. What you’re about to say can wait.“

     “No Taeil, just listen okay? Even if I leave, even if you broke up with me, I just wanted to say that-”

     The alarm clock suddenly sets off. Taeil opened his eyes but immediately closed it when the light shined on his face. He scratched his eyes and adjusted to the light before looking around the unfamiliar room.

     The bedroom was the cleanest bedroom Taeil had ever seen. The walls and ceiling had a creamy white color, there was a chandelier in the middle of the room, the bed covers were soft and white as well, and there was a huge mirror in the middle. He also saw something above the mirror. Taeil already knew where he was the moment he saw it because above the enormous mirror was a crucifix. And only an Arc would hang that in their room. 

     Taeil sat up straight and stretched his arms as he yawned. 

     When he saw his reflection on the mirror, he finally remembered something important. How on earth did he get here? All he remembered was that a ghoul almost attacked him, but then Woohyun and Jihoon…

     Taeil quickly stopped his thoughts. Of course! Woohyun and Jihoon brought him here! Who else would bring a Demon to their home?

     “I better get back before my brothers find out I went missing,” Taeil stated as he was about to stand up from the bed, but the door opened, making him completely stop.

     “Good morning demon. I wanted to bring you a tray of delicious food but…I’m not that kind of man.”

     Taeil was shocked to see who it was. Because the man who entered was the Arc’s leader, Yong Junhyung.

     “Woohyun and Jihoon told me everything that happened last night. Then they said you fainted and they didn’t know where you lived so they brought you here,” Junhyung explained.

     Taeil finally stood up from the bed. He realized that he was in a different set of clothes, which was a lot bigger than his normal size. But before he could react to what he was wearing, he looked back at the angel and said, “You should have left me outside.

We’re still enemies remember?“

      Junhyung chuckled and sat down on the chair just in front of the bed, “Don’t worry, we didn’t do anything to you. Well, not in this house. This is practically the house of angels. The house of good. I’m shocked you haven’t burned yet.”

     When Junhyung said those words, Taeil glared at him, making Junhyung clear his throat and take his words back, “Obviously that was just a joke. If we wanted to leave you there our conscience would haunt us.  And like what I said before, I made a promise to Jackson, and I don’t plan on breaking that promise.”

     Taeil looked away when he heard of the word ‘Jackson’. He remembered that he still wasn’t in a good relationship with his best friend. When Junhyung saw his expression, his face changed into something soft and said, “What’s happening Taeil? I know something’s up with you guys, but is it true that it’s because of…Mark?”

     Taeil didn’t answer for a few seconds, but he decided that answering him won’t hurt, “We do have a problem, and I assure you that it’s not because of Mark. Well, not entirely because of Mark. Don’t be bothered by Sunggyu’s words. He only said that because he was afraid. All of us are afraid. So all you guys could do right now is leave us alone.”

     This time, Junhyung stood up so he could be closer to Taeil. When he was standing a meter away from him, he said, “At least let us help you. There must be a way that we could pay you back the kindness you have done for me and for my brothers.”

     Taeil clenched his fist and looked at Junhyung with hatred and pain, “Our kindness is the cause of our current problem! So an angel like you can’t offer us anything else because you can never understand how hard it is to be forced to be the bad guy!”

     Junhyung was shocked by what Taeil just said. He took a step back on the shock of Taeil’s reaction because when Taeil wiped his cheeks, he saw blood.

     “ A…blood tear, “ Junhyung stated, almost like a whisper.

     When Taeil saw the blood, he quickly wiped the blood off with the shirt he was wearing and said, “I-I’m sorry…I…I just had a tough night. So could you just give me my-”

     Without anything to say, Junhyung grabbed Taeil’s arm and pulled him for a hug. Taeil was shocked by the action of the upper ranked angel. He didn’t know if this was real or just because of pity. But for a few seconds, Taeil felt good, maybe even safe.

     “If there is nothing that we could do, then as you and your brothers had wished…we won’t do anything for your sake. All I could say is: We will reach out to you if you feel like drowning. Because no ocean is too deep for those who are willing to help,” Junhyung sincerely declared, almost making Taeil cry again.

     Junhyung finally lets go of him. He wiped the remaining tears on Taeil’s face and gave him a smile. Taeil wanted to say thank you but his mouth just couldn’t open, like saying thank you to an angel was the biggest sin a demon could ever do.

     “Well, your clothes are in the bathroom. You could take a shower too,” Junhyung said as he pointed at a door on the left, “I hope even for a few hours, this house erased some of the problems you’re having right now. I won’t ask you about it, and I’ll instruct my brothers to not ask about it as well. We’re enemies, like what our fathers said, but right now…”

     Junhyung didn’t continue but smiled at Taeil instead. Then Junhyung went to the door and grabbed the doorknob. But before completely leaving the scene, he looked back at Taeil for the last time and stated, “By the way, this was Jihoon’s room. No one has ever slept on that boy’s bed before because he’s such a clean freak. But looks like you were an exception.” Then Junhyung winked, making Taeil confused on what he just said.

     “What do you mean?” Taeil asked innocently.

     “You and Jihoon slept the whole night together. The clothes you’re wearing are his too. But I don’t think he’d be happy to see bloodstains on his clean white clothes.” Then Junhyung finally closed the door and left Taeil alone inside Jihoon’s room.

     Taeil slowly turned his head to see the bed he just slept on last night. The image of him and Jihoon sleeping together popped inside his head, making him flustered. He quickly removed the thought away from his head and ran to the bathroom. When he entered the bathroom, his jaw dropped, “How rich are these Arcs?”

     Taeil stripped his clothes and took a bath. Afterward, he wore his clothes back. He even washed Jihoon’s shirt to remove the bloodstain and hanged it to dry. He took a small towel hanging on the side and used it to dry his hair. He was ready to leave, but when he got out of the bathroom, he saw Jihoon fixing the bed. His presence alone made Taeil feel tense.

     “Looks like you’re awake,” Jihoon stated with a low voice, making Taeil flinch. He didn’t know what to answer the angel so he kept quiet.

     After Jihoon was finished fixing the bed, he stared back at Taeil who was staring back at him too. The two started to stare at each other, but it was cut off when Jihoon threw Taeil’s glasses at him, which he thankfully caught ( It was new ).

     “Are you gonna stare at me like that or are you gonna move?” Jihoon finally asked.

     Taeil blinked rapidly and snapped back to reality. He cleared his throat and said, “Sorry.”

     Jihoon moved closer to him until his face was only inches away from him. Taeil gulped as Jihoon stared back at him with his killer eyes. Then Jihoon snatched the towel Taeil was holding and said, “Breakfast is ready.”

     Jihoon moved away from him and threw the towel on a basket full of dirty clothes. He looked at Taeil once again and told him; “Don’t walk alone at night if you know your life’s in danger. Woohyun and I won’t be walking the streets at night forever.”

     Taeil just nodded as a reply. He really didn’t know what to say. He wanted to ask questions, but words just couldn’t come out. When Jihoon saw Taeil’s confused expression, his face softened. He thought that Taeil was scared of him.

     “Don’t be afraid. We don’t just attack freely. We still do have instructions. If our Fathers told me to kill you, then I wouldn’t have tucked you in last night,” Jihoon answered, hoping it would relax Taeil in any way.

     “A-Alright,” Taeil stated.

     “Good,” Jihoon simply replied. 

     Taeil stood on the corner of the room like a lost child. Jihoon didn’t want to pressure him, but he knew why he was so awkward with him, “Last night you called me hyung,  and then you fainted at that exact moment. I wanna know why. Have I ever done something that made you think I could be a big brother figure to you?”

     Taeil suddenly blushed when he remembered what happened last night. He wanted to punch himself for saying something as stupid as that.

     “N-No, I just remembered someone. That’s all,” Taeil answered, his voice with a hint of uncertainty.

     “Who?” Jihoon continued to ask. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to let this slide so easily.

     “Why do you want to know anyway Pyo Jihoon?” Taeil asked instead, relieved that he came up with something that makes him not answer Jihoon’s killer question.

      Jihoon looked out the window and sighed, “It just confused me. That’s all.”

     Taeil looked at him with disbelief. He wanted to know why Jihoon felt confused about it. But just when he was about to open his mouth, the door suddenly swung open, making both of them look at the direction of the doorframe.

     “Hey, you two. Everyone’s waiting downstairs,” said Mark who just entered the room. And then he looked at Taeil with a smile and said, “Good morning demon.”

     Taeil nodded awkwardly as Mark looked back at Jihoon with a glare, “I’m serious. We’re all hungry,” and then he closed the door and left the two as if nothing happened.

     “Well, you heard him. Let’s go.”

     The two went downstairs and headed to the dining room where they saw the rest of the Arcs. They were seated at a long antique table that resembled the last supper. The angels were on both sides, while their guardian Dongmin - who Taeil saw for the first time - sat in the middle. Taeil had to stare at him for a couple of seconds just so he could register his face.

     “Looks like Taeil’s the first Demon to ever enter our residence. He even slept here,” Woohyun pointed out with a smirk on his face.

     “Feeling at home Lee Taeil?” Dongmin asked as he gestured at a chair where he expected Taeil to sit. 

     Taeil nodded politely and sat down beside Seunghyun and Sungjae. He didn’t want to be disrespectful or piss anyone off. This was basically their territory. Even if Taeil’s powers were strong, he wouldn’t stand a chance against seven strong angels, and to add up, their guardian was there too.

     Jihoon sat down as well, and then everyone placed their hands together to bless the food. They closed their eyes and recited their prayer before meals. 

     Taeil just sat down quietly, but as the prayer was going on, his chest started aching. At that moment he remembered that he was a demon, and angels are basically surrounding him. But Taeil sat still. He endured the pain while the Arcs did their prayer. He didn’t want to act rude and interrupt them.

     When the Arcs were finished saying grace, Seunghyun saw Taeil gripping the bread knife. It was a good thing it wasn’t that sharp or Taeil would have been cut by now.

     “Guys, it seems like we forgot we have a Demon for a visitor,” Seunghyun stated as everyone looked at Taeil.

     The Arcs realized what was going on and started to have concerned looks. As the leader, Junhyung apologized on their behalf, but Taeil didn’t see the point of him apologizing. It’s not like they offended him or anything.

     “We’re sorry about our carelessness. We should have thought of your side,” Junhyung stated.

     “It’s alright, no need to apologize,” Taeil honestly answered.

     Dongmin took a sip of his morning wine and looked back at everyone, “Well, let’s eat then.”

     All the Arcs started eating. Taeil looked at his dish and found out it was all vegetables.

     “These guys are freaking vegetarian?” he thought to himself. But he grabbed his chopstick and ate it anyway.

     “So Lee Taeil, I’ve heard about the ghouls. Junhyung asked me not to ask about your problems, but can I ask you something else?” Dongmin suddenly asked. 

     Taeil took the last bite of his tomato and nodded as approval. So Dongmin puts his chopsticks down and looked at Taeil seriously. Then he started his question, “Where’s Kharon? I haven’t seen him in a while. Or is Kharon part of the problem you Demons are having right now? Am I right, Lee Taeil?”

     Taeil didn’t say a word but nodded once more. This made the Arcs stop eating and started to listen to their guardian and Taeil’s conversation.

      “Here’s my next question. Your king of hell instructed ghouls to kill you because he realized that you’re not the demons that he expected you to be. He thought that giving you great powers will make you all follow him blindly, but that wasn’t the case, correct?” 

     Taeil dropped his chopstick, shocked when he heard Dongmin say those words. The Arcs were twice as shocked when they heard it come out of their guardian’s mouth as well.

     “H-How did you-”

     “I knew it this was coming sooner than later,” Dongmin stated instead.

     “I thought you weren’t going to ask about the problem we’re having right now?” Taeil asked as he now looked straight at Dongmin’s eyes.

     “I didn’t ask about it. I asked a question that I think was not related to your problem. But based on your reaction, you just answered the question you didn’t want to hear,” Dongmin stated as he took another sip of his wine.

     Taeil clenched his fist under the table. He knew that this was going to happen. He knew that he was going to be pushed on a wall, but he just wasn’t careful enough.

     Dongmin saw Taeil’s reaction, so he sighed and didn’t say anything for a few seconds to calm him down. When he saw that Taeil finally loosened up, he continued, “I did not mean to force you to answer me Lee Taeil. I’m talking about this because I’m sadly older than you and I know a few things that you don’t. I want to share some information that might help. You and your brothers said that you didn’t want the Arcs to help, and I understand that. But I guess you don’t mind if I help instead.”

     Dongmin paused for a few seconds but quickly continued so Taeil couldn’t react to what he was about to say.

NOTE: If it’s not already obvious, this is fiction, so please don’t correct me. This is just how we decide the story would go.

     “Let me tell you a story Taeil. Once upon a time, there lived 8 Archangels. These Archangels followed the Lord and gave grace to the people on earth. One day, the 8th Archangel named Cherub , wanted to be greater than the God Himself. God was a listener and granted the Archangel’s wish, so He created Cherub a place for him to use his own powers, but Cherub used it for evil. And now he rules the said place.

     The fallen Archangel started spreading evil, so God decided to destroy him. There, the 12 apostles were born. These twelve apostles were chosen and given the mission to destroy the fallen Angel, which you now call “King of Hell”. They were trained to defeat Cherub, and the Archangel’s personally molded them to be fine soldiers of God. When Cherub heard about it, he immediately created his seven rulers. And these seven rulers were chosen from the now corrupted world, and those are your fathers.

     Your father’s and the Twelve Apostles fought each other until the Seven Deadly Rulers defeated them. And now, everyone calls the 12 Apostles as The 12 original Fathers who fought for the greater good of the world.

     For the evil’s victory, the Seven Rulers were given Realms to rule and slaves for them to be followed, as a ’ gift ’ from Cherub. But the catch was, they had to tempt and rule the realms forever.

     A few years later, the biggest mistake was made, and you and your ‘brothers’ were born, the Seven Deadly Sons . When the Lord heard about this, he asked the seven Archangels to give women who could not bear children a child as a gift. The mothers were fully aware of what was going to happen to their firstborn child, which was hard for the mothers to accept. But if you’re asking, the Lord gave them the gift to have a child with the person they love afterward. 

     Anyways, let’s continue…

     When the Arcs were born, they were already trained and instructed to terminate the newborn children of the Seven Rulers. Because God did not want to repeat the same mistakes that happened to the 12 apostles. When Cherub realized that the Seven Sons weren’t like his Seven Deadly Rulers, he had a great plan to destroy you before you could destroy him. The end.“

     When Dongmin was done with his storytelling, Taeil and the rest of the Arcs fell silent. Taeil was the only one who didn’t know about this story so he was a lot more surprised compared to the Arcs.

     “If he wanted us dead, why did we reach 18? Why did he give us such amazing powers?” Taeil asked, confused about that fact.

     “He was testing you. Like I already said, he thought he could control you. He thought he could bribe the seven of you, but you didn’t take the bait. Now he wants to dispose of you before you all grow stronger.” Dongmin explained further.

     Taeil couldn’t say anything. He couldn’t believe something that looked cool and fun before now became something so serious.

     “I hope this helps you in making your new plans. And I hope you can tell this information to your brothers as well. Open your eyes demon. We are not the real enemy anymore,” Dongmin seriously told him.

     Taeil was mind blown on what he just found out. All he wanted to do right now was to run to his brothers and tell them what he just found out.

     “Now, let’s continue with our breakfast,” Dongmin casually stated, and everyone did continue. They started talking and pretended like nothing happened. Taeil, on the other hand, slowly ate his breakfast. His mind was already starting to formulate a plan for the Demons to use. But Taeil knew what he had to do first. 

     He and the rest of his brothers needed to talk to their Fathers again.

---

“Well, we hope you enjoyed your stay at our residence. We would gladly welcome you again,” Dongmin stated, and Taeil bowed in front of him as a sign of thank you.

     Junhyung went in front of Taeil and patted his shoulder, “Good luck to you and your brothers,” then he looked back at Jihoon and continued, “And you walk him home.”

     Jihoon stopped drinking his water and immediately complained, “What? Why me?! Can’t you make Lay do it instead?”

     Lay glared at Jihoon’s suggestion, “Seriously?”

     Seunghyun looked at Jihoon as well, “Just do it. You’re the only one in this group who’s close with Mr. Lee Taeil.” He stated, and everyone agreed.

     “I am not fucking close to him!” Jihoon quickly defended.

    The angels were arguing with each other that Taeil just took a deep breath and started walking away, making Jihoon chase after him and accepting the duty of walking him home.

     “Okay, I’ll do it.” He stated, letting go of Taeil’s arm.

     Before the two of them could leave, Dongmin said his last words, “Remember Taeil. Cherub is not equal to our God. He is lower than that. Remind him of his place, and he will surely fall once and for all.”

     Taeil nodded his head and looked at the Arcs one by one.

     “T-Thank you…Arcs,” Taeil finally said. Then he smiled at the Arcs who happily smiled back at him. He bowed again and finally left, Jihoon following right beside him.

     While they were walking, Jihoon didn’t say anything. He had his hands in his pockets, and his expression looked unpleasant that Taeil was forced to address it.

     “What the fuck is up with you, and why are you always mad at me?” Taeil finally asked. After what happened earlier, he felt more comfortable with the Arcs. But that didn’t include Pyo Jihoon.

     “I’m not mad,” Jihoon finally answered, “You just make me think. And I don’t like it when people make me think.”

     “What do you mean by that? Is it because of the hyung thing? Did it affect you so much?” Taeil asked, and Jihoon nodded with no hesitation, surprising Taeil at how direct he was. Taeil sighed and looked at the sky while they were walking. Maybe it was about time he explained why he called him that.

     “It’s my turn to tell a story. You might or might not know about it but I’ll risk it,” Taeil finally stated.

    Jihoon walked silently and readied himself so he could listen attentively to what Taeil had to say.

     “It wasn’t always Jackson and me. There was…another guy. I couldn’t remember his face or his name. All I knew was that I liked him a lot and he liked me back. Until one day he had to leave Tokyo for the sake of his dream of becoming famous. I guess we had a fight because of that one…”

     Jihoon suddenly stopped him as he asked, “You guess? You’re not even sure?”

     Taeil shook his head and simply answered, “Nope.”

     “What?! I don’t get it!”

     “Well, I only had dreams about it. And I once dreamt that I was brought to the hospital and I almost died too, but I don’t know the reason either. Maybe it was because of an accident. I don’t know,” Taeil continued to share.

     “So, you think you had amnesia because of that accident?” Jihoon asked.

     “That can be the only explanation, right? But I clearly felt the emotion, the pain, the happiness, and the love that I shared with him. I remembered them like I was living it all over again,” Taeil explained further.

     Jihoon didn’t say anything else like something finally hits him. It was like he finally found the missing piece of his puzzle. But when he noticed Taeil looking confused, he quickly said something so he wouldn’t think of any conclusions yet since he too wasn’t sure about it.

     “Then what?” he quickly asked.

     “Then that’s it. You don’t remember don’t you?” Taeil asked as he stopped walking. Jihoon stopped as well and looked at Taeil, and then both of them stared at each other’s eyes.

     “Do you?” Taeil asked once more.

     Jihoon quickly looked away to avoid Taeil’s eyes before answering him, “Why would I remember something like that? I wasn’t even there.” Then Jihoon started walking again. 

     Taeil followed, and the two were silent as they walked. But Taeil didn’t want their conversation to end just yet, “Then why are you reacting like that? You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

     “I don’t okay. If you think I’m the hyung you’ve been dreaming about then you’re wrong. You’ve got the wrong guy,” Jihoon tried to say.

     Taeil stopped and quickly grabbed Jihoon’s arm to stop him, “Then why? Why do you have the guitar pick that was supposed to be mine? Hmm, Pyo Jihoon?”

     Jihoon didn’t look at Taeil. He just kept his mouth shut as Taeil was desperate to hear his answer.

     “Please tell me it was you. Please tell me that you were the man I fell in love with,” Taeil now begged. But still, Jihoon didn’t answer.

     Taeil now looked impatient. He clenched his fist and shouted, “I need to know Jihoon! Tell me it was you!”

     Jihoon finally turned around and faced Taeil with pain and hurt. But before he could say anything, someone suddenly pushed him and pulled Taeil’s arm away from him.

     “What are you doing with this guy Taeil?!” The man angrily asked him. Taeil looked at the man who pulled him and said, “Let go of me Jackson.”

     “Your mother was fucking worried about you and called all of us, do you know that?” Jackson stated with anger in his voice.

     “Were you with him?” Jackson asked as he pointed at Jihoon, but Taeil didn’t answer.

     “I think we need to talk.” Jackson started dragging Taeil away from Jihoon, but before Taeil would completely disappear from Jihoon’s sight, he looked back at Jihoon with a sad expression, and then he was gone.

     Jihoon stood frozen in the middle of the street. His heart was beating fast as he realized something he should have realized sooner. After so long, he finally found the boy that he was looking for. But why wasn’t he happy about it? 

     Jihoon knew that it wasn’t just Taeil’s dream. It was a memory. The only problem was, Jihoon was never even part of it like what Taeil thought.

     “I knew it. Jiho-hyung , I think I found out who your ’ T ’ was,” Jihoon stated as he took out something from his pocket. He stared at the guitar pick for a while, and then he clenched on it and ran.

• END -

SDS1 30: HURT BECAUSE OF YOU

• Woo Jiho’s POV -

THREE YEARS AGO

I’m Woo Jiho and I’m a nineteen-year-old high school student. You might be asking me why I’m this old. Well, it’s because I’m a delinquent, and I’ve moved from school to school because of how I act around students, and of course, bad grades. 

     I repeated high school for 3 years, and yes, I should have been a college student by now. But I’m not, and do you know why? Well, it’s because I want to be famous. And I don’t see the need to study if you want to be famous, right?

HOLY ANGELS HIGH SCHOOL    

     “Okay, good morning everyone. Before we start with the discussion I want you all to meet your new classmate. He’s a bit older than you so I hope you show your respect. Mr. Woo, please enter the room and introduce yourself to your new batch of classmates,”    the teacher said as he moved aside and gestured for me to enter. I went inside and stood in front to stare at the boys who were staring back at me.

     “He (Jiho’s father) seriously did transfer me to an all-boys school,”  I thought to myself as I just continued to eat the gum inside my mouth.

     “Mr. Woo? Are you just going to stand there or are you going to introduce yourself?” The male teacher repeated, making the students laugh.

     “Looks like we have another weird one!” One of the boys in the back shouted. And again, waves of laughter were everywhere. I searched for the boy who said those words. When I saw who the culprit was, I took my gum out of my mouth and threw it on his face with no hesitation.

     “Right on the forehead,”  I said to myself with a satisfied smirk.

     The students became quiet. They stared at the boy I just threw gum at, then they stared back at me. The teacher was shocked too. And like what I expected, the boy angrily stood up, took the gum off his face, and threw it on the floor. But before he could say anything, the teacher stopped him and said, “Okay, let’s not become violent here Mr. Kim, please sit down. Mr. Woo, if you don’t want to introduce yourself then…”

     I stopped him right in the middle of his sentence and looked at the students in front of me.

     “I’m Woo Jiho. I’ve been to 10 different schools ever since I started middle school, and if you’re asking, I’m nineteen, which is way older than anyone who’s inside this room. Well, except for our old teacher here,” I said as I bravely pointed at the teacher beside me, “Don’t call me hyung or anything else. And don’t mind my business and I won’t mind yours, got that kids?”

     The students didn’t say anything else, which satisfied me.

     “Okay then, please sit down beside the boy you just threw bubble gum at,” the teacher instructed.

     “What?! But I’m already sitting beside the sleepy Lee Taeil and Shut mouth, Wang! ( In short, the weirdoes )”, the guy, who’s apparently named Kim, stated.

     (Arrangement: Wang Jackson, Lee Taeil, Mr. Kim, Jiho’s new chair)

     “Stop complaining. I’ll just get my things so we could start with the discussion,” said the teacher as he left the room.

     Everyone was still silent as I went closer to my new chair. As I went there, I grabbed Kim’s bag and threw it at the chair where I was supposed to sit on.

     “What gives man?!” he shouted as he stood up and went close to my face. But he was shorter than what I expected, and I was taller than what he expected, so he instantly backed away a few inches from me.

     “You sit on that chair, I’ll sit on yours. Since you don’t want to sit beside us weirdoes, right?” I told him.

     Kim didn’t say anything else and just sat down on the chair where I was supposed to sit. I placed my bag on my new chair, then I looked at Kim and kicked his chair so he could be farther away from me.

     “That’s better”, I stated as Kim just glared at me. He didn’t say anything else, but I actually didn’t care whether he did say anything or not.

     I now sat down as the teacher entered the room and started with his discussion. I secretly placed my headphones on and started listening to my rock music. Then I looked at my left, and there I saw the boy who changed my life.

---

“Okay, you may now go.” Everyone stood up and started leaving the room. I stood up from my chair and was about to leave the room as well when something suddenly caught my attention.

     “Taeil! Wake the fuck up. It’s our lunch break now. You could sleep at the cafeteria if you want.”

     I turned and saw my seatmates. The scary-looking guy was kicking the legs of the guy who was still sleeping, so I thought of helping him out. I approached him and tapped this guy’s shoulder, making him look at me with a glare.

     “Can I give you a hand there kid?” I asked anyway, not threatened by him. He acted like he didn’t hear me, so he went back to waking his friend up like he didn’t hear a thing.

     I chuckled and touched his shoulder again, “Hey, I know you’re scared of me, but if you want I could-”

     The kid pushed me with no hesitation, surprising me. He continued to glare at me as he replied, “I’m not scared of you. For fuck’s sake just leave me alone.”

     Wow, this is a brave one. I like it.

     “Well, I’m apparently a weirdo in this school and you guys are weirdoes too, so won’t it be nice if we weirdoes could help each other?” I jokingly asked him, but then the boy continued to ignore me. I was about to grab his arm for the third time, but the boy finally looked back at me with such a scary look that it made the hair on my skin stand. 

     “Whoa,” the only thing that I could say because it was my first time to actually feel afraid of someone younger than me. So I decided to just leave him be, but then he suddenly moved aside, finally giving me permission to help him.

    I smiled and nodded my head.

     “I didn’t catch your name by the way,” I stated as I went closer to the boy who was sleeping.

     “Jackson, Wang Jackson. And that’s Lee Taeil,” he answered, and I didn’t expect him to answer me at all.

     “Well Jackson, there’s a trick when you want to wake someone up, and it never failed,” I tell him with a grin. Jackson didn’t say anything else and watched me do my magic. So I kneeled on one knee in front of the sleeping boy and shouted right in his ear, “Lee Taeil!”

     He slowly lifted his head and looked at me angrily. But before he could say anything else, I leaned closer and gave him a kiss, making his eyes open wide because of shock. I moved away and saw how surprised the two were. Their expression made me laugh.

     “Looks like you’re awake. Hey Lee Taeil, I’m Zico, nice to meet you.”

     And I guess that was it. That was the start of my tight relationship with Taeil and Jackson. And the strange thing is that the only reason why I chose to sit beside Taeil was because I saw him sleeping, which meant I wouldn’t worry about a noisy seatmate.

     Things happened fast between the three of us, especially Taeil and I. Because when I got together longer with Taeil, my feelings for him started to grow, and it’s not in a friendly way.

     “Hey, Taeil! Do you have supernatural powers or something? Because you fucking sleep all the time!” I asked as I went to the rooftop to see Lee Taeil sleeping on the floor while using his bag as a pillow.

     Taeil didn’t budge. He didn’t even open his eyes when he answered, “Leave me alone.”

     I went closer to him and sat beside him, “It’s like as soon as you lay down your entire system just stops working. It’s crazy.” I continued to say, ignoring what he told me.

    “Are you even listening to me?” He asked, finally opening his eyes.

     I looked directly at him and smiled, making Taeil look away because of embarrassment, which was kinda cute. He sat up and crossed his arms. Without looking at me, he asked, “By the way, where’s Jackson?”

     “Don’t know.”

      The atmosphere between us became awkward. I was about to say something, but Taeil lied down on his bag again and closed his eyes. Probably to escape the awkward tension. 

     I smiled again and looked at the view. As the wind blew harder, I called out, “Hey, Taeil…”

     Taeil doesn’t say anything, so I continued, “I like you. Do you want to be with me?”

     The rooftop became quiet. Taeil didn’t say anything for a while to I finally looked back at him with my cheeks turning red because of embarrassment.

     “Taeil?” I asked, but Taeil didn’t but again. I tried to shake him, but he didn’t move, which finally made me realize that this bastard was once again fast asleep. Or the saddest part is he’s pretending to be asleep so he wouldn’t have to answer me.

     I sighed and brushed my hair back with my fingers. I didn’t want to say anything anymore because I didn’t want to be disappointed. Disappointed that the first person I confessed to actually dumped me.

     “Okay,” he suddenly answered, making me look back at him so fast I thought I’d break my neck.

     “W-what?” I asked, but Taeil still had his eyes closed when he replied, “I don’t want to repeat myself. I’m too tired for this drama,” he surprisingly stated.

     “So this means we’re together now?!” I happily asked even though his answer wasn’t worth the celebration. But come on, this was Taeil we’re talking about. He says things straight to the point because he’s tired of people asking him more questions and even talking to him. This was one of the reasons why I like him. He’s so direct.

     “Yeah whatever,” he answered.

     Without thinking of anything else, I quickly grabbed Taeil’s collar and gave him a kiss, which finally woke him up completely.

     And that was it. We became together for a few months.

     Until I had the opportunity to audition in a band I really liked. And like what you guys have found out, I got in and became the new guitarist. But the consequence was, I had to leave the country and move to Tokyo to train and be part of the band.

     I had to talk to Taeil about it because I didn’t want to leave him behind. But every time I ask him, his answers were the same. He would always tell me to go or follow my dreams, and some times, in worse case scenarios, he’d say he’s too tired to even answer me. So I practically didn’t know what to do. So with the shittiest decision that I made in my life, I left.

     And as for Taeil…

     “I heard from his mom that he was brought to the hospital. What happened to Taeil Jackson? Please tell me.”   I begged over the phone.

     “So this is what you do? Play with his feelings and leave as if nothing happened between you two? 

Never ever call me again, especially Taeil. You got that?

“ Jackson answered with an obviously furious tone. Of course, I understood him. Taeil’s practically Jackson’s brother.

     “You know I didn’t want to leave. It was Taeil who said that I should-”

     “You fucking moron! Taeil never wanted you to leave! He wanted you to stay so badly that he cried all night about it! You couldn’t even see that!?” Jackson now shouted at me, making me grip on the phone that I was holding.

     “How the fuck was I supposed to know if he doesn’t even show me how he cares about me?! Every time that we’re together, he’s on his own little world!” I shouted back, and the two of us ended up panting heavily.

      There was silence for a moment before Jackson could finally answer me, “ He understood why you needed to go, which is why he agreed to it even though he didn’t want to. He knew how much you wanted to pursue your dream, and he knew that you’d instantly drop it if he tells you not to leave. That’s why he never said anything. But he called you every fucking day. And not even once did you answer him. “

    I grip on the phone even harder I thought it would break. At that moment I knew that I was on the wrong. I saw Taeil’s calls but I was always busy, and I never called him back because, for some dumb reason, I thought he wouldn’t answer. I didn’t even fucking try.

     “Well, I hope you’re happy now you son of a bitch. Because of you, Taeil couldn’t even sleep anymore.” Jackson revealed, surprising me.

     “W-what did you-”

    “Because of you, he forced himself to take sleeping pills that weren’t affecting his body so he drank the whole container and almost died. You should be happy I was there to save him. It was always me who saw everything you couldn’t see.”

     “Jackson, I’m going back to Korea, I need to-”

      Before I could finish my sentence, Jackson ended the call.

     “J-Jackson…no…Jackson!”

     And like what Jackson told me before I left Korea, the band went on bankruptcy and disbanded before I could even debut. And I never heard of Taeil and Jackson again.

     After two years of earning the money in Tokyo to go back home, I went to look for him. But everywhere I go, no one knew where the two were. I kept on calling Jackson, but he wouldn’t answer. But I never gave up. I needed to see Taeil again.

• THIRD PERSON POV -

Jiho was back in Seoul. And his mission? Look for his friend Wang Jackson, and his once lover, Lee Taeil. But after a few months of waiting, he finally found out where they were. It was no other place but the Holy Angels University.

     “Taeil, please be here,” he stated as he held the guitar pick in his hand tightly.

     Jiho was walking towards the gate of the campus when he suddenly felt something strange going on around him.

     “What the fuck, where is everyone?” he asked. As he continued to move forward, he felt someone following him. He quickly stopped walking and turned around, but no one was there. So he continued walking until he finally heard the footsteps. First he didn’t panic, but soon he heard that it was already running behind him, finally making him run as well.

     Jiho didn’t look back and just kept on running. He wasn’t even sure if he was being chased or not. But when he was finally inside the school grounds, he stopped running and started catching his breath.

     “What the fuck was that?” he asked as he turned around, but no one was there. But the moment he turned back, he saw something in front of him that made him freeze. It was a creature he hasn’t seen before. A monster and a beast combined. The King of Hell’s loyal servant…a ghoul.

     Jiho was lost for words. His mouth was just hanged open, and his body was trembling in terror with the sight that was in front of him. Then, the ghoul spoke. His voice sounded like thousands of men were speaking at the same time.

     “ The King believes that you will be a threat to the Prince of Sloth. A great threat that will make him unsuccessful on the task that was given to him by his Fathers and King, “ the ghoul stated.

     Jiho was too terrified to even process what the ghoul just told him. He felt like he was going insane.

     “ And as instructed by the king…YOU MUST DIE! “

     The ghoul suddenly cuts it’s own hand until his blood started dripping out, then it ran to where Jiho was and pierced its blood-covered hand inside Jiho’s stomach. Blood started to come out of Jiho’s mouth as the ghoul just went deeper inside. Then he fell unto his knees, and everything that surrounded him became blurry.

     When all hope was lost, two figures appeared just in time to rescue him. It was Pyo Jihoon and Zhang “ Lay “ Yixing. Two members of the Arcs.

     “Man, Mark’s not home yet, Where the fuck is he? You know, I really have a feeling that those fucking Demons took him. There’s no doubt about it,” Jihoon stated with anger in his voice.

     “Then we need to go back to our brothers and tell them that we-” Lay stopped when he saw what was happening in the corridor.

     “Jihoon! Ghoul!” he shouted, making Jihoon turn his head and look at what Lay just saw.

     Without any hesitation, the two ran to where it was and started summoning their weapons and got ready for an attack. But the Ghoul pulled his hand from Jiho’s stomach and started attacking as well. Thankfully the two angels were still too stronger than the ghoul, so it fled and left the scene, leaving blood trails on the floor.

     “Should we follow it?” Lay asked while staring at the ghoul who got smaller and smaller in his view.

     “No, let it go. Let the demons handle that thing.” Jihoon answered.

     Lay and Jihoon then looked at the person who was lying and the floor and was practically bleeding to death. They went to where Jiho was to check if he was still alive.

     “He’s still alive,” Lay stated, trying to check his pulse again to make sure he was not mistaken.

     “Then heal him! Hurry!” Jihoon commanded, and Lay followed and started healing Jiho. Jiho’s wound was starting to close, but he started feeling immense pain, so he couldn’t help but moan in agony. Later on the moans turned into screams. The reaction immediately made Lay stop.

     “What’s happening to him?” Jihoon asked with worry in his expression.

     “The ghoul’s blood is inside him so he’s being poisoned. I can heal him and stop the poison but it will take a long time for his body to adjust to this, so he might be in a coma after. While I’m healing him, talk to him. He needs to still be awake so that my powers can easily move around his body,” Lay instructed. 

     Jihoon nodded in understanding and looked at Jiho who he did not realize had already stopped screaming.

     “What is your name?” Jihoon asked, then Jiho tried to answer, “J-Jiho…”

     “Good, he’s still conscious. Now. why were you attacked by a-” Jiho suddenly stopped him and handed the angel something, “P-Please find him for me…p-please f-find…T-Ta…” But before he could finish, Lay was done healing him, and Jiho finally became unconscious.

     Jihoon looked at his now bloody hand and opened it. There he saw a guitar pick.

     “The best option is to bring him to the hospital. Medicine can help make my healing powers grow faster inside him. For now, he would still be in a coma. My powers are currently fighting the poison of the ghoul. His body must be at rest so that the process could be complete. So, what’s your plan? Want me to remove the memory of this man with his encounter with a demon slave?”

     Jihoon didn’t answer and started thinking. He placed the guitar pick inside his wallet and said, “Don’t speak of this to anyone for now. We have more problems than this human. For the time being, I will take care of him until he awakens. When he wakes up, I’ll ask him the reason why he was being attacked by the ghoul. There must be something about him that made that ghoul want to kill him, right?”

     Lay didn’t answer and just nodded in agreement.

     “Then let’s bring him to the hospital, change clothes, and go back to the Holy Home. They might have news about Mark by now,” Jihoon stated, and Lay nodded again. 

     The two brought Woo Jiho to be confined at the hospital like what they planned. While Jiho was lying unconscious on the hospital bed, Jihoon looked down at him and said, “Jiho-hyung, I promise to look for your T. In exchange, you need to tell me why that ghoul was after you.” 

• END -

SDS1 31: THE TRUTH

“ I KNEW IT. JIHO -hyung, I think I found out who your ’ T ’ was,“ Jihoon stated as he took out something from his pocket. He stared at the guitar pick for a while, and then he clenched on it and ran.     

     Everyone was still in the living room, chatting about the things that happened to them before. When Jihoon entered the Holy Home, Seunghyun was about to ask if Taeil was sent home safely, but Jihoon ignored him and said instead, “Lay, we need to talk.”

     Without anything else to say, Jihoon went out of the residence, so Lay confusingly followed.

     “What is it this time Pyo Jihoon?” Lay asked as he crossed his arms.

     “It’s Lee Taeil. The guy Jiho was looking for was actually Taeil,” Jihoon quickly revealed, but Lay had no clue on what he was talking about.

     “Who?” Lay asked, still looking confused.

     Jihoon aggressively scratched his head and made it clearer so that Lay could understand what he was talking about, “Jiho! Remember the time we were looking for Mark at HAU? Then we saw this guy being attacked by a ghoul? We helped him and you healed him and he’s still in a coma until now! But before he fainted he asked me to look for this T guy so I could give the guitar pick to him. Does it ring a bell now?!” Jihoon asked him one more time.

     Lay finally had a shocked looked on his face. He now understood what his brother was talking about.

     “Man, I almost forgot about that! You’re still taking care of him? Doesn’t that guy have a family or something?” Lay asked as he started thinking of unnecessary things at the moment.

     “Lay! That’s not the time to be talking about that! Do you even know what this means?!” Jihoon asked him, panic present in his voice. Lay was thinking about it for a second,  but then his eyes widened and he finally knew what he was so worried about.

    “He’s linked to a demon! He was a third party of the Prince of Sloth!” Lay finally concluded.

     Jihoon looked relieved that the boy he was talking to was finally getting it.

     “Exactly! In the looks of it, Jiho was a big part of Taeil’s life, but we all know that the king of hell doesn’t want his plans to be ruined, and like in the books, third parties face death once they become attached with a demon,” Jihoon explained, and Lay agreed to everything that his brother had said.

     “But the ghoul didn’t kill him because of us so-”

     “He took Taeil’s memory of Jiho!” Lay finished. Then Jihoon smiled, as he was glad that Lay finally understood what they just found out.

     “Man, Taeil will be so mad when he starts to remember the truth about Jiho. He’d be mad at the king for sure! And this can be a great step for the Demon’s to turn their backs on their king. And we don’t even have to kill them anymore if that happens!” Lay stated excitedly, but Jihoon didn’t quite pay attention to what his brother just told him.

     “Jihoon, are you even listening to me?” Lay asked him.

     Jihoon was snapped back to his senses like he realized something again.

     “Jihoon?” Lay asked once more, looking at his brother who’s eyes were wide from realization.

     “L-Lay…do you understand the consequences…if Jiho wakes up now that Taeil is starting to remember him again?” Jihoon asked. 

     Lay looked at Jihoon, who was also looking at him with a terrified expression. Then in unison, they shouted, “Someone’s going to try to kill him again!”

---

 “What is fucking wrong with you?!” Jackson shouted as he pushed Taeil inside his bedroom. Then he locked the door and looked at Taeil who was expressionless.

     “You said mom was worried, so I’m going home,” Taeil stated. He was about to leave the room and grab the doorknob, but Jackson quickly gripped on Taeil’s arms and pulled him, making him fall on the bed.

     “Why do you want to know who that guy was Taeil!? Why?!” Jackson angrily asked, but Taeil didn’t answer and just looked away.

     Jackson finally calmed down. You could clearly see that he was hurt and in pain at the same time because his best friend wasn’t listening to him anymore. 

     “That guy is not worth remembering Taeil, believe me. I’ve done my best for you, haven’t I? Am I not enough for you!?” Jackson surprisingly asked.

     Taeil finally looked at him, but his face was still expressionless. Then he opened his mouth and said, “It’s Pyo Jihoon isn’t it? It was him, that’s why you don’t want to let me know.”

     Taeil’s answer made Jackson look back at him like he had lost his mind, “Taeil, you got it all wrong! It wasn’t Pyo Jihoon! You need to listen to me. I haven’t seen him ever since we were in high school. It can’t be him!” Jackson desperately tried to explain.

     “Then who is it? Huh, Jackson? Since it’s not him, and we don’t fucking know where the guy is, why don’t you just tell me who it was so we could get over it?” Taeil said, finally on edge.

     Jackson took a deep breath and seriously looked at his brother, “But why Taeil? What will you benefit from this?”

     Taeil was finally mad because Jackson kept on stalling, “Can’t I have the freedom to know?! I just want to remember who it was, even just the name of the man that I once loved. I want to know who!”

     Jackson looked away at Taeil’s pleading eyes, “I will never tell you who that man was. Because of him-” Jackson stopped. He remembered the time Taeil almost died because of the sleeping pills he took.

     “What? Because of him, I was what?” Taeil asked as he stood up from the bed, but Jackson didn’t continue anymore.

     “Jackson, if it’s not Pyo Jihoon, then why does he have the guitar pick?” Taeil finally asked.

     Jackson was suddenly shocked by what Taeil just told him. He slowly turned around to face Taeil and asked, “What do you mean?”

     “The pick hyung was going to give me before. He has it,” Taeil revealed.

     Jackson almost fell, like his balance disappeared. Good thing he quickly grabbed the chair for support so he wouldn’t fall.

     “That can’t be. That’s impossible. Hyung would never give that pick to anyone except you,” Jackson stated, then Taeil was also shocked like he was going to fall as well.

     “You are telling the truth. It really isn’t Jihoon then,” he finally realized.

     Jackson looked at Taeil with ease and stated, “I’ve been trying to tell you, it’s not Jihoon…it can’t be Jihoon. Your thoughts were too occupied on looking for hyung that you forgot the facts.”

     “Facts?” Taeil repeated.

     “Why would we call him hyung if we’re older than Jihoon? And remember that Mark told us they’ve been training together ever since they were kids? How can he be our classmate? The Arcs never went to school. Those are the facts that you have forgotten,” Jackson explained.

     Taeil didn’t say anything and just kept his mouth shut. He was embarrassed, especially at Jackson.

     “Can I at least ask why I couldn’t remember anything about him? Could you at least tell me what happened to me? At least you could tell me that.”

     Jackson doubted that but he thought that Taeil was right. He had to know what happened to him before. It was time for him to know the truth. Jackson sighed and finally stated, “Hyung left Tokyo to pursue his dreams of being in a band. He ignored you and never called back, and you couldn’t take his absence so it made it hard for you to sleep. I know it sounds impossible, I was shocked about it too. I didn’t believe it at first, but I did when your mother called me. She said you drank 20 pills at the same time because you were going insane. And because of that, you were brought to the hospital… 

     You were almost dead if it weren’t for me because the pills weren’t just the cause of it. The doctors found out you suddenly had internal bleeding. The doctors didn’t know the cause of that but you couldn’t stop vomiting your own blood. Your mother didn’t match your blood…it was my blood that matched yours. And when you woke up after a week, you forgot everything that was related to hyung. 

     The doctors were also confused because it wasn’t selective amnesia. No one knew the cause of you having internal bleeding, or vomiting blood, or even having selective amnesia in general. Everyone might say that I’m a bad guy, but I blamed him for everything that happened to you, that’s why I hate him. But all that matters now is that you’re okay. And you didn’t have to remember that guy ever again.“

     Taeil was speechless and confused at the same time. What happened to him? How could something like that happen to him all at once? Why so suddenly?

     “I’m glad that you’re back to your senses. But we have more problems than your past. Go home and apologize to your mother for making her worried,” Jackson finally continued.

     Taeil went to the door and was about to leave, but Taeil stopped when he heard Jackson said, “I still won’t tell you who that guy was. Never…”

     Taeil clenched on the doorknob, forcing himself not to jump on Jackson and force him to tell him who his hyung was. Instead, he closed the door of Jackson’s room, then left.

     Jackson went to his pet snake Invidia. He looked at Invidia and said, “Father, if you could hear me now. I hope things get better soon…because we really need it.”

---

“Is it still Kim Jiho’s visiting hours?” Jihoon asked as he arrived at the hospital where Jiho was confined in.

     “Yes, sir Pyo Jihoon. But you only have an hour left,” the nurse stationed at the reception answered him.

     Jihoon thanked the nurse and directly went to Jiho’s room. He quietly entered and sat at the chair that was beside the bed. He’s been taking care of Jiho for months now. He even pretended that he was his cousin even though he had no idea who the guy was.

      As for the paperwork, he asked someone to do it so that the hospital won’t doubt about their relationship. And for the bills, he’s been withdrawing it from their guardian’s  -Dongmin - account. His guardian might have known about it by now but he might be too lazy or drunk to even care about it.

     Jihoon looked down at Jiho and sighed.

     “Jiho-hyung. It was Taeil all along right? Man, if I only knew…” Jihoon stated with a chuckle, “Jiho, you can’t look for him anymore. I’ll tell Taeil that you were the hyung he was looking for, but that’s it. The consequences are crucial. If you get in contact with him again you’d be attacked like before, and we won’t be there to help you anymore.”

     Jiho obviously couldn’t answer, but the machines that were supporting him made the room become noisy, which Jihoon was thankful for because it would have been awkward if the whole room was silent.

     “If I could just erase your memory of him inside your head then I would, but it’s against the rules to erase a memory of a person, especially when they treasure that memory. Demons do it all the time, but that’s the problem, they’re demons. And I can’t ask a demon to erase it instead, it would still be against the rules! Ah! Fuck, I don’t know what to do with you! Why did I have to save you? Why did you give me the guitar pick instead of Lay? Why am I the only one carrying this burden?” Jihoon continuously asked, but it was more like he was asking himself those questions instead of Jiho.

     Jihoon stared back at Woo Jiho, and said his final words, “Once you wake up, I will look for your relatives so don’t worry. Everything that happened to you will be forgotten, I promise. May God be with you and your spirit.”

     Jihoon made the sign of the cross in front of Jiho and left the room. He then went out of the hospital with a heavy heart. But Jihoon stopped walking when he saw a Demon standing right in front of him.

     “J-Jackson?”

• END -

SDS1 32: A PLACE IN YOUR HEART

“J-JACKSON?” JIHOON ASKED FROM  shock as Jackson stared at him with a blank expression. He was about to ask how the demon found him, but Jackson opened his mouth and answered him before he could even ask the question, “Mark told me where you were.”

     Jihoon didn’t react and just nodded his head. Looks like Mark loves Jackson more than Jihoon now.

     “Let’s make this quick. Why do you have hyung’s guitar pick?” Jackson then asked.

     “What are you talking about? I don’t have time for this,” Jihoon answered as he walked past Jackson. But after his next blink, his surroundings changed into a world of chaos. The buildings were suddenly old and destroyed, the sky was gray, and he and Jackson were the only thing moving. This was a sign that you should never mess with the 2nd strongest demonic son.

     “Tell me why you have the guitar pick that he was supposed to give to Taeil. How did you get it?” Jackson asked again. When Jihoon turned around to face Jackson, he was shocked that Jackson was now only a few inches away from him.

     Jihoon gulped but bravely lied again, “I just found it somewhere okay?”

     “We can talk about this forever and you are never coming back to the real world until you tell me the truth,” Jackson threatened, but Jihoon just glared at Jackson and stated, “Try me.”

     Jackson smirked, happily accepting the challenge.  He didn’t want to hurt his lover’s brother, but he was left with no choice. He had to squeeze the information out of him.  Good thing this was only an illusion, so he wasn’t really going to hurt him physically.

     “Fine, as you wish angel,” Jackson stated. Without even moving, the ground started to crumble. Then just a few seconds after, Jihoon was hanging on a cliff. And at the bottom of the cliff were people shouting for help, trying to get free from the black hole.

      “G-Get me out of this!” Jihoon shouted as he was holding on to the edge of the cliff just so he wouldn’t fall.

     “Tell me how you found that pick and I’ll help you up,” Jackson stated as he walked towards the cliff and looked down at Jihoon. Jihoon ignored Jackson. He was trying to get up but nothing was happening. It was like something was pulling him down every second he wasted.

     “Tell me or you’re going to fall inside that hole and I am never going to bring you back,” Jackson warned.

     Jihoon was already sweating. He looked away and finally stated, “F-fine…j-just…help me.”

     Jackson looked at him and said back, “Finally.” Then he suddenly stepped on Jihoon’s hand, making him fall. But when he fell, he ended up being brought back to the fake chaotic world.

     “Now, where did you get the pick?” Jackson casually asked as if nothing happened.

     While the two were on their own little world, Kwon Jiyong was driving the streets when he saw Jackson and Jihoon staring at each other in the middle of the sidewalk like lunatics. Jiyong quickly parked his expensive car on the side of the street where Jackson and Jihoon were and went to where the two were standing.

     “What the fuck are you two doing?” he asked, but neither of them answered.

     Jiyong went even closer to where Jackson was and stared at his face. Then he saw that Jackson’s eyes were all red. With this, he automatically knew that Jackson was doing an Illusion with Jihoon.

     “What the fuck do you want with this asshole Wang?” Jiyong whispered as he stared at the two, then he had an idea.

     “Why don’t I just find out myself?” Jiyong said with a confident smirk.

      With Jiyong’s power of empathy, he held Jackson and forced himself to enter his illusion. Just like that, he was teleported to the illusion that Jackson was casting.

     “Wow, this is one insane Illusion,” he stated as he scanned the creepy surroundings. While he was walking, he suddenly saw Jihoon and Jackson talking in the middle of the abandoned city. He quickly ran to a destroyed building which was close to where Jackson and Jihoon were, then hid himself so he could eavesdrop on what the two were talking about.

     “So because of what that ghoul did to Jiho, we brought him to the hospital. And until now, he’s in a coma,” Jihoon explained.

     “

Jiho? Who the fuck is this Jiho 

guy?“ Jiyong thought to himself as he continued with his mission to eavesdrop.

     “Don’t’ tell Taeil about what happened to Jiho. Continue with your plan. Once he’s awake, bring him to his family and never speak of this again,” Jackson stated.

     “Now it’s Taeil? What are you two hiding from all of us?” Jiyong thought again.

     “What do you mean Jackson? We need to tell him! He has the right to know who he was. At least let him see him!” Jihoon stated, insisting Jackson that Taeil should see who his hyung was.

     “No! It wouldn’t do any good to Taeil. Once you introduce Jiho-hyung to him he won’t listen to us anymore and wait for him to wake up until he could talk to him. Both of them would be in great danger. If the two don’t meet…then no one will get hurt,” Jackson said with a sad expression.

     “But-”

     “Think about it Jihoon. We could still prevent this.”

     Jihoon didn’t answer for a few seconds and finally said, “Fine, I’ll think about it. But still, the good decision would be showing Taeil his past lover. But as you requested, I’ll think about not doing it for their own sake.”

     Jackson nodded his head as a thank you. He was about to snap his fingers to stop the illusion, but Jihoon suddenly added, “ By the way, what you said about the internal bleeding, the vomiting of blood, and selective amnesia? All of that was a doing of a strong demon. That demon forcefully erased Taeil’s memory of Jiho.“

     “What do you mean?” Jackson asked in confusion.

     “Angels and Demons have the power to erase memories, even select what memories to erase. But Angels could not do this because it’s in the rules and it’s forbidden to erase a treasured memory. Angels could only erase memories that are related to the underworld. But demons never follow rules, so they can erase anyone’s memory. That causes all the things you told me earlier, ( internal bleeding, the vomiting of blood, and selective amnesia ). When a demon or an angel erases a treasured memory, those things happen. But in bad cases, the person may not handle it, so they simply die,” Jihoon explained.

     “Then why didn’t they just do that to Jiho too?” Jackson asked.

     “That’s a good question, but you forgot something,” Jihoon pointed out.

     Jackson looked at him confusingly and asked, “What?”

     Jihoon stared at Jackson’s eye and answered, “Zico’s a third party. And we all know you don’t just erase a third party’s memory.”

     Jackson didn’t get it for a while, but soon after, his eyes widened from realization, “They kill them,” he stated with. Then, after a few seconds, Jackson and Jihoon were now brought back to the real world. 

     “I told you everything that you wanted to know. Now I need to head back before my brothers get worried about me,” Jihoon stated before he left Jackson.  Jackson was about to leave as well when someone suddenly pulled his shirt.

     “Look who we have here. If it isn’t Wang Jackson.”

     Jackson turned around to face the stranger, but he quickly looked annoyed when he saw his brother Kwon Jiyong instead.

     “Oh, it’s just you,” Jackson stated, and then he started walking again, leaving Jiyong on the sidewalk.

     “What do you mean with JUST you?!” Jiyong shouted as he chased after Jackson and walked with him, “Why were you talking to Pyo Jihoon of the Arcs?” he quickly asked.

     Jackson didn’t answer and just sighed as he heard what Jiyong just told him.

     “What the fucks with that sigh Wang Jackson? Don’t you respect me anymore?” Jiyong angrily asked him.

     Jackson continued walking and answered, “Okay listen. First, I never once respected you, and second, you’ve probably heard of everything that we’ve talked about inside the Illusion, so don’t play dumb on me. And lastly, I don’t need to tell you who Jiho is and why Taeil and I are related to him, understand?”

     Jiyong was shocked at first but pretended like he wasn’t impressed by Jackson’s conclusion. So he acted prideful like always and said, “Well, why not? I’m your brother, aren’t I? Whoa, did I just fucking say that right now?” Jiyong stated, but Jackson didn’t answer him anymore.

     “Come on Jackson, tell me! I want to know what all of that was about!” Jiyong insisted, forcing Jackson to tell him what was really going on between them.

     “You don’t need to fucking know. If you bug me about that again I’m fucking gonna kill you” Jackson warned with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

     “Not if I kill you first. Remember, I’m still the strongest son,” Jiyong confidently fired back.

     Jackson finally stopped walking and said, “No one fucking cares!” He thought that Jiyong wouldn’t talk anymore, but he was wrong.

     “Oh please,” Jiyong stated as he rolled his eyes. Jackson knew that his prideful brother was never going to leave him alone, so he looked at back something and said, “Wait, Jiyong…isn’t that your car?”

     “What?” Jiyong turned around and saw that his car was hit by another car.

     “What the fuck!? My baby!” Jiyong shouted as he quickly ran to where his car was and started scanning the broken glass all over the place. He looked back at Jackson, but he was already gone. But when he turned back to his car, it was actually fine and spotless.

    “W-what the…I got tricked by your illusion casting again! Curse you, Wang Jackson!”

THE NEXT DAY AT HAU

     The Demons were walking down the hallway. It was lunchtime, and they weren’t allowing a ghoul to attack them again, so they quickly went to the cafeteria and ate like no one was after them.

     Everyone was silently eating; some of the students were even staring at them because of the dark aura they were bringing. 

     Then, Sunggyu broke the Demons’ silence and said, “We’re going to try what we planned earlier. Taeil’s going to try to contact our Fathers through the mirror, and we are not going to stop until we do. But if that doesn’t work, we do the second plan. I’ve researched about summoning and it says that we need to combine our powers. We align our rings in a circle formation, from Lust to Pride. Then we say this Latin-summoning spell. And each of us will cut our palm and put a drop of blood on our own rings.”

     “Is it effective?” Minhyuk asked. 

     What their leader just told them sounded a little crazy, so they were very hesitant about actually performing it.

     “I don’t know if it’s effective either but it’s worth the shot. At least we tried,” Sunggyu answered, then it was Suho’s turn to ask their leader, “What is this summoning spell anyway. Do we need to memorize it or something?”

     “I’ve read it and it says that it has six steps: The invocation, the prayer, the conjuration, the pact, the ritual, and lastly, the vision. He wouldn’t really be present, but we will see him and talk to him like normal. But we only have a few minutes so we need to ask him the important questions first.”

     “Well, it sounds like a good plan,” Jiyong honestly stated.

     “Of course it is. It was Taeil’s idea,” Sunggyu stated, then his brothers looked at Taeil at the same time.

     “Why? It’s not like we’re gonna die if we do a simple summoning,” Taeil explained. Everyone was agreeing to the plan, but Hyunseung wasn’t a bit glad about it.

     “Fine, the spell does work, but what if we summon something else? A ghoul perhaps, then it finds out we’re trying to summon our Fathers then it would get us all killed because of that stupid summoning?” Hyunseung asked, making the whole table tense up.

     “Why are you so against the plan? At least we’re trying to do something that would help. I don’t see you doing anything,” Taeil fired back. But Hyunseung wasn’t leaving without a fight, “I’m not against it. I’m just saying that we need to think about it first before we move on to that act.”

     “Well, looks to me you’re against it because all the plans you’ve done so far were total failures!” Taeil now shouted, shocking not only the rest of the Demons but the whole student body. And that included the Arcs.

     Taeil knew Hyunseung had a point, but he was a little cranky today. Especially with what happened to him with Jackson yesterday.

     “That’s enough!” Sunggyu shouted as he slammed his hands on the table.

     “Are you guys fucking kidding me right now?! Can’t we have a peaceful day for once?! Ever since things got fucked up, our heads keep on getting hotter and hotter. What do you want me to do with you guys? You’re fucking hopeless! I had enough of your shit!” Sunggyu angrily shouted with full range. And then he threw his plate and walked away. 

     The students who were blocking the way, quickly moved, and made a path for Sunggyu. Then Suho sighed and went to follow him out. 

     Jiyong continued eating his food and finished it all until nothing was left. Then he threw his plate as well ( for some stupid reason ), almost hitting a student. Then he glared at Hyunseung and Taeil and said, “Can’t waste food can’t we?” Then he followed his two best friends outside the cafeteria.

     Minhyuk, Jackson, Hyunseung, and Taeil were the only ones left at the table. And everyone inside the cafeteria was staring at the four of them. Jackson pretty much didn’t care and continued his lunch while the three sat still, feeling the stares of the other students.

     Hyunseung was about to grab his chopstick to continue his food as well when someone suddenly grabbed his arm. He lifted his head to see who it was, and as everyone expected, it was Yong Junhyung, the Arcs’ leader.

     “Come with me,” Junhyung suddenly commanded, then he started dragging Hyunseung outside the cafeteria without even waiting for his answer.

     “Hyunseung!” Minhyuk shouted when he stood up from his seat. He was about to follow the two, but Jackson stopped him and said, “These are the fights and problems that we shouldn’t involve ourselves in.” Then Jackson paused and looked at Taeil, “Each and every one of us has different problems. So why not just join your two brothers with their lunch, how does that sound Lee Minhyuk?”

     Jackson then looked back at Minhyuk. Minhyuk stared at the students who were staring back at him. He even saw the Arcs look at him as well, so he slowly sat back down at his seat.

     Jackson took a bite of his carrot, and then he shouted, “You fucking bastards better go back to your seats!” And everyone did.

     The three Demons continued with their lunch, and everyone went back to their own businesses. At the other table were the Arcs, and they were really bugged by what was happening to their past rival group, Demons.

     “There he goes again,” Sungjae stated, referring to their leader Junhyung.

    “That asshole still does like Hyunseung but wouldn’t fix his relationship with him. What the fuck is wrong with that dude?” Woohyun stated as he took a sip of his bottled water. When everyone agreed, he continued, “Like me, for example, I had an intimate relationship with Kim ( meant Sunggyu ), I’d do everything for him so that the two of us would be back to our old sweet days. Don’t know, treat him to dinner or something?”

     Everyone became quiet. Did Nam Woohyun just make Kim Sunggyu his example as someone he had an intimate relationship with? Sunggyu was the leader of the Demons, other people call him the, “ he who must not be named “. That’s how scary and respected Sunggyu was.

     “Are you fucking kidding me Woohyun?” Jihoon asked in disbelief. Then the rest of the Arcs started laughing, making Woohyun laugh too.

     “You’re such a greasy bitch Woohyun, do you know that?” Sungjae stated as he continued with his lunch again.

     When everyone calmed down, Mark asked, “Then what is the reason? Why can’t Junhyung just fix his relationship with Jang Hyunseung? Jackson and I are together and we’ve been pretty good. I don’t think being an angel can stop us from loving a demon. We still don’t have the ability to control our hearts.”

     No one answered Mark. They basically didn’t know what to answer him. But Seunghyun did, so he placed his chopstick on the side and answered, “It’s because he’s our leader. He screwed up a lot of times now, and he was forced to become a human again. He believes that loving Hyunseung again would bring disgrace to his Father. And everyone knows that Junhyung’s Father is also the leader of the Archangels. Junhyung just simply wants to be like his Father to not disappoint him.”

     Everyone agreed, but Mark wasn’t done with his questions, “But what if he finally changes his mind? What if he just followed his heart instead of his father?” 

     Seunghyun smirked and answered, “Then we’d be proud of him.”

     “Huh?” everyone asked in unison. They were confused about what Seunghyun just told them. Why would they be proud of their leader if he went back to the Demon who almost destroyed him? 

     “It’s because he finally had the guts to do it. Being a leader needs guts, and that’s what Junhyung still lacks. He can’t fight for what he wants and continues to follow the facts and the rules. You should remember that no one can become a great leader overnight. Sometimes you need to do bad things, in order to become a good leader. Once you’ve become a person who can do it all, you automatically become a great leader that everyone would look up to.”

MEANWHILE…

 “Let go of me!” Hyunseung shouted as he pushed Junhyung away from him. He didn’t want to be with him now, and he especially didn’t want to be alone in an empty corridor with him.

     “Looks like you’re still short-tempered. You never change do you?” Junhyung asked, but Hyunseung wasn’t a bit happy about it. So Hyunseung glared at Junhyung and said, “I’m not in the mood to play games with you angel. Why don’t you just fucking leave me alone?”

     “I can’t because you’re always on my mind,” Junhyung quickly answered, making Hyunseung’s mood change into something a lot softer and calmer than before.

     “Whenever I’m not doing anything, you’re the person in my mind. When I see you, I just want to run to where you are and give you a kiss. Didn’t I tell you before that I love you?” Junhyung bravely asked.

     Hyunseung didn’t answer. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t believe any word this angel would say.

     “Why can’t you love me back?” Junhyung finally asked Hyunseung, shocking him with the sudden question.

     Hyunseung clenched his fist and forced these words to come out, “I don’t love you…and I never did.”

     With those words, Junhyung almost fell. He heard these painful words once again from the person he loves more than anything. Hyunseung’s been telling him these words ever since before, but why does it feel so painful now? Is it because of how Hyunseung said it?

     “You’re lying and I know it Hyunseung. I know that I’m still inside that heart of yours,” Junhyung insisted, forcing Hyunseung to take his words back.

     “Still? You never had a place in my heart in the first place.”

     Junhyung was now genuinely hurt, but this time, he fell on his knees in defeat. This was his last chance and it looked like Hyunseung doesn’t want him anymore. But what he didn’t know was Hyunseung was just as hurt. He had to push Junhyung away. The Demons had a problem that still doesn’t have a solution. Junhyung would just be in danger.

     Junhyung slowly lifted his head so he could face Hyunseung, “Then kill me.”

     Hyunseung looked at him confusingly, so Junhyung repeated, “Kill me right here, right now, if you never really loved me. That’s what you Demons want right? To kill us all? Then do it. I’m giving you your chance. I promise I won’t fight back.”

      Hyunseung took a step back because of shock, but he quickly composed himself to look brave. With an expressionless face, Hyunseung summoned his saw-like-weapon and pointed it at Junhyung’s neck.

     “I’m really gonna do it,” Hyunseung stated, but Junhyung just closed his eyes and got ready for what he was about to face.

    “Y-you can still change your mind Yong Junhyung. You can still walk away alive”, Hyunseung tried to say. He didn’t want Junhyung to find out he was just as scared of what was happening. His hands were trembling as he gripped on his weapon.

     “I’m ready to face my destiny,” Junhyung finally said as a tear fell from his eyes.

     At that moment, Hyunseung’s heart broke. He himself knew that he could not do something as cruel as this, especially to the man he loves.

     “ I can’t… “ Hyunseung whispered, but it was loud enough for Junhyung to hear. Junhyung opened his eyes back to see Hyunseung crying blood.

     “I’m sorry brothers,” Hyunseung stated as he un-summoned his weapon. He went closer to Junhyung and kneeled down so he could be at the same level as him. With great force, he pulled his collar and gave Junhyung a kiss.

     Junhyung kissed back, but softer than any kiss he’s given to Hyunseung. He wrapped his arms around Hyunseung as they continued.

     Once again, someone had proven that an angel and a demon could love each other. But the big difference this time…

    It was the leader of the Arcs himself that had proven it.

---

Classes started again, but the Demons and the Arcs didn’t go back to their classrooms. Well, maybe except for Minhyuk, Mark, and Sungjae who were straight-A students.

     Lee Taeil was with Jackson at the rooftop a few minutes ago, but Taeil decided he had enough fresh air, so he left Jackson there. As he was walking down the hallway, he saw someone running towards him; it was Pyo Jihoon, the guy he thought was his hyung.

     “Lee Taeil,” Jihoon said as he stopped in front of Taeil, panting.

     “What do you want?” Taeil asked with an “ I-don’t-wanna-fucking-talk-right-now “ voice. By the looks of it, Jihoon understood that Jackson already told Taeil that he wasn’t the hyung that he was looking for.

     “Do you want to know who your hyung is?” Jihoon suddenly asked.

     Taeil’s expression quickly changed as he heard what Jihoon just told him. When Jihoon saw that Taeil was listening to him now, he looked at him in the eye and continued, “I’ll bring you to where he is.”

• END -

SDS1 033: WRONG TIMING

“I’LL BRING YOU TO where he is,” Jihoon revealed, leaving Taeil speechless.

     “I can show you your precious hyung, only if you promise me that you will never see him after that,” Jihoon demanded, shocking Taeil on the deal they’re about to make.

     “Why not? Did Jackson put you up to this? Did Jackson tell you that we shouldn’t meet each other anymore?” Taeil quickly asked.

     “No Lee Taeil, I didn’t talk to anyone about this. I just felt like this was the right and the best thing I could do and offer you. So please just bear with me on this,” Jihoon pleaded, wanting Taeil to understand him completely.

     “But what if I want to see him again? What if I want to know more about him and the reasons why I’m-” Jihoon’s eye suddenly widened, making Taeil stop talking. Then he pulled Taeil and dragged him inside the men’s restroom.

     “What are you-”

     “Shh!” Jihoon covered Taeil’s mouth as he slowly peaked out of the door. While Taeil was confused about what was happening, a sword suddenly appeared on Jihoon’s hand, shocking Taeil even more.

     “What’s happening?!” Taeil thought to himself as he prepared himself too. He didn’t know what was going on but he knew that it was something so serious that Jihoon had to summon his angelic weapon.

     After a few minutes, Jihoon summoned his weapon back and sighed. Then he removed his hand from Taeil mouth and looked back at Taeil who had a lot of questions ready.

     “What just happened?” he finally asked.

     “I have the power to stop time, so I know if it’s happening. And just a few seconds ago, everything stopped. And the only ones who can move were the Arcs, the Demons, and the pack of ghouls who were running around the campus…searching for you, Lee Taeil,” Jihoon explained, shocking Taeil.

     “M-me? Why are they-”

     “Listen to me carefully Lee Taeil. I believe that the “accident” that occurred to you was not just an accident that erased some of your memories. I believe that the demons erased it for you. The reason why you can’t meet your hyung is that he’s a third party, and according to your scriptures, a third party must be killed. Since your king thinks that your hyung is dead, you’re up next. That answers your first question. This was the reason why Wang did not want you to get near him anymore,“ Jihoon explained further. 

     Taeil suddenly felt bad about not believing Jackson in the first place, when all the guy did was protect him.

     “B-but he isn’t, right? He’s not…d-dead,” Taeil asked, starting to feel a lot more scared. He was now thinking that Jihoon might bring him to a graveyard.

     Jihoon tried to calm Taeil down, “Don’t worry. When a ghoul attacked him while he was searching for you, we saw him and helped him out. That answers your second question about his guitar pick. That’s the reason why I have it in the first place. And for the third question, the reason why I want you to see him first is because as an angel…that’s the right thing to do.”

     “But, I don’t think I can hide from those ghouls forever,” Taeil honestly stated.

     “That’s right. That’s why when my brothers found out something wasn’t right about you guys, they wanted to help. We realized that you’re stronger than all of us combined. And defeating you was very impossible. But there are things that we could do that you don’t. We wanted you to offer your brothers to stay at the Holy House while you were still being chased because our house can be invisible to demons, so the ghouls won’t find you there,” Jihoon explained further.

     “I think I’m starting to understand things now,” Taeil stated as he leaned on the wall, “I feel so stupid now,” he continued.

     “Don’t be. We make mistakes and misunderstandings but that can make us stronger,” Jihoon suddenly told him.

     Taeil looked at Jihoon weirdly and said, “Man, you angels are so weird. But in a serious note…I don’t think you guys are that bad like what our Fathers said.”

     Jihoon smiled and replied, “You guys aren’t that bad like what our Father’s said either.” Then the two started laughing. 

     Taeil looked at Jihoon and said, “Hey, that’s the first time I saw you laugh like that. It’s not bad.”

     Jihoon quickly stopped laughing when he heard Taeil tell him that. He looked like he was embarrassed because of what the demon just said.

     “Well, you’re always grumpy and serious so I didn’t expect you to look like that. You should laugh more often Pyo Jihoon,” said Taeil, but Jihoon didn’t know what to reply. After a few seconds of silence, Taeil finally asked, “Well, how are we going to get to hyung without me being attacked?”

     “That’s simple-” Jihoon took Taeil’s hand and intertwined it with his, shocking Taeil on his sudden action.

     “Hey, are you fucking hitting on me Mr. Pyo Jihoon?” Taeil asked with a serious face, making Jihoon laugh his pants off.

     “Are demons always like that?” Jihoon teased, making Taeil glare at him.

     “What do you mean by that asshole?”

     “I mean, do you guys always conclude things?” Jihoon asked further. Taeil got annoyed by the questions that he made the temperature of his hand hotter so Jihoon could let go of him.

     “Aw! Why the hell did you do that?!” Jihoon asked as he ran to the sink to wash his burning hands.

     “I wanted to set my hand on fire but I didn’t want to burn you. You were the only one who knew where hyung was so I had no choice,” Taeil answered like it wasn’t a big deal.

     “You really are a demon.”

     Jihoon wiped his wet hand on his clean white shirt. Then he went to Taeil and said, “I held your hand because I’m an angel. I have the ability to lessen your scent. Ghouls can smell you so you need to hold onto me so we wouldn’t be both in grave danger. Got it?”

     Taeil suddenly felt embarrassed, but he pushed the thought away and acted strong so he wouldn’t look stupid in front of Jihoon anymore.

     “Fine, I get it. Here…” Taeil stated as he offered his hands to Jihoon this time. Without having any second thought, Jihoon took Taeil’s hand and pulled Taeil out of the restroom. While they were walking, everyone was staring at them, making Jihoon feel uncomfortable.

     “I bet Trey is going to make an article about this,” Jihoon stated as they kept on walking.

     “Yeah, no doubt about it. But I’m used to being in the school’s newspaper so I have no problem with it,” Taeil said proudly, but it looked like Jihoon pretty much didn’t care about it. The Demon and the Arc walked their way at the street while holding hands. People were still staring at them but they didn’t bother reacting because they knew that they had reasons for doing this.

     “So Pyo Jihoon, how was your-” Jihoon cuts Taeil off and said, “Call me Jihoon. It bothers me that you call me by my full name.”

     “Well, is it okay for a demon like me to casually call you by your first name?” Taeil seriously asked.

     “I already told you didn’t I?” Jihoon asked back.

     “Alright, change topic. What are the things that your fathers told you about us? You know, about the Seven Deadly Demon-Children,” Taeil asked out of curiosity.

     Jihoon didn’t answer like he was thinking of what to say. When he constructed the right words, he said, “Nothing serious really. They just told us that we need to destroy you because you will cause destruction and sin. But now, I doubt everything. How about you guys? What do your fathers tell about us?”

     “Well, they didn’t really instruct us to cause destruction and sin like what your fathers said. The only thing they told us was that we have to kill you because you were planning to kill us. And that’s pretty much it,” Taeil innocently answered.

     Jihoon laughed once more, “Why does that sound like we’re the bad guys now?”

     “Dunno,” Taeil simply answered him with a shrug. While they were walking, Jihoon’s phone suddenly rang. He took his phone using his free hand, and then he answered it, “Hello, who is this?”

     “Mr. Pyo Jihoon?” A female voice asked as soon as he answered the unknown number.

     “Yes, this is Pyo Jihoon, who is this?”

     “This is from xxx hospital. This is Mr. Kim Jiho’s nurse,” the nurse answered, surprising Jihoon, “Oh, hello. How may I help you?”

      There was a short pause before the nurse could answer him, “Uhm, it’s about Jiho…”

     “What about him? Is he awake now?” Jihoon asked, making him and Taeil stop walking.

     “He’s not just awake. He…escaped.”

A FEW MINUTES AGO

AT XXX HOSPITAL

     It was a cold afternoon at the hospital.  Jiho’s nurse just finished examining him. She took her chart and left Jiho inside his room. When the nurse closed the door shut, something glowed inside Jiho’s chest, and only Jiho heard the low and loud voice.

     “Awake my child. Awake Woo Jiho,”  said the unknown voice.

     Jiho’s hand twitched. Lay’s power was done circulating inside his body. The ghoul’s blood was finally out of him. He was now awake, and his mind was remembering everything that happened to him before he could fully open his eyes.

     “The King believes that you will be a threat to the Prince of Sloth. A great threat that will make him unsuccessful on the task that was given to him by his Fathers and King. And as instructed by the King…YOU MUST DIE!”

     “What is your name?”

     “J-Jiho…”

     “Good, he’s still conscious…Why were you attacked by a-”

     “P-Please find him for me…p-please f-find…T-Ta…”

     “Jiho, you can’t look for him anymore. I’ll tell Taeil that you were the hyung he was looking for, but that’s it. The consequences are crucial. If you make contact with him again you’d be attacked once more, and we won’t be there to help you.”

     “If I could just erase your memory of him inside your head then I would, but it’s against the rules to erase a memory of a person, especially when they treasure that memory. Demons do it all the time, but that’s the problem, they’re demons…And I can’t ask a demon to erase it instead, it would still be against the rules! Ah! Fuck, I don’t know what to do with you! Why did I have to save you, why did you give me the guitar pick instead of Lay? Why am I the only one carrying this burden?”

     “Once you wake up, I will look for your relatives. Don’t worry, everything that happened to you will be forgotten, I promise. May God be with you and your spirit.”

     After that moment, Jiho’s eyes finally opened. His body automatically went into a sitting position. He was panting, tired from all the sleeping. 

     He heard everything that Jihoon had told him while he was in a coma. Everything was confusing at first, but the longer that he was in his sleep, the more he understood everything that was happening. 

     He knew about the Demons and the Arcs. He knew that when he wakes up, he’d be attacked again. But everything didn’t matter to Jiho anymore. He had enough of being a coward.

     “I need to find Taeil.”

     Jiho took the oxygen mask off his face, removed the dextrose that was attached to his hand and so was the rest of the medical equipment that was supporting him while he was still in a coma. 

     When he stood up from the bed, he quickly fell on the floor. He’s been in a coma for a long time so his strength hasn’t been back to normal. But Jiho forced himself to stand up. He held on the hospital bed for support. Every step he took was painful, but he fought it all until he found clothes on top of a chair beside the bed. 

     He slowly went to the chair and carefully changed his clothes. When he was now dressed, he went to the door and left his room. Good thing his clothes are different because he went out of the hospital with no problem.

     “Taeil, I need to find you before those “ things “ find me first.”

• END -

SDS1 34: REMEMBER WHAT’S FORGOTTEN

“ MR. PYO JIHOON?“ A

 female voice asked as soon as he answered the unknown number.

    “Yes, this is Pyo Jihoon, who is this?”

     “This is from xxx hospital. This is Mr. Kim Jiho’s nurse,” the nurse answered, surprising Jihoon, “Oh, hello. How may I help you?”

     There was a short pause before the nurse could answer him, “Uhm, it’s about Jiho…”

     “What about him? Is he awake now?” Jihoon asked, making him and Taeil stop walking.

     “He’s not just awake. He…escaped.”

     “What did you say?!”

     “We are truly sorry for this enormous mistake. We will call the police so we could-”

     “No, it’s okay. I’ll look for him myself. I’ll send someone there to pay for the hospital fees,” Jihoon calmly answered, but then he quickly turned his phone off and looked at Taeil with a worried face. He didn’t know how he would tell this to Taeil.

    “What was it? Was it about hyung? Is he awake now?” Taeil asked, giving Jihoon a hint that he wasn’t going to like it if he didn’t answer him.

     Jihoon sighed and looked at Taeil seriously, “He escaped.”

     “What?! That can’t be. Where could he possibly go to?” Taeil asked, quickly removing his hands from Jihoon.

     “He’s probably going to HAU. We’re going back there just to make sure. I’ll message Lay so he could go to the hospital and pay for the hospital bills. Hold my hand so we could go,” Jihoon commanded as he showed Taeil his hand again. Taeil hesitated but took it anyway. Then the Demon and the Angel ran back to Holy Angels University.

     When they arrived, Taeil and Jihoon realized that everyone on the campus was gone.

     “We’re too late. They’re here,” Jihoon stated as he lets go of Taeil’s hand. It would we pointless anyway if they still held each other’s hand now that Jiho’s awake.

     “Where could hyung be?” Taeil asked with a worried expression.

     “I don’t know, but for sure he’s here on the campus somewhere. The ghouls wouldn’t be here otherwise,” Jihoon answered.

     “Then we need to find him before-” Taeil suddenly stopped when he saw his brothers running towards them. But then he was even more surprised when he saw the Arcs running just behind the Demons.

     Both groups were covered in black blood, and all of them were holding their weapons.

     Taeil immediately ran towards his brother and stopped right in front of them, “What happened to you guys? You look like shit!” he jokingly asked, but deep down he was glad that they were okay.

     “Dozens of fucking ghouls attacked us a few minutes ago.” This didn’t come from any of Taeil’s brothers. It was Woohyun he answered it instead.

     “I’m sorry this is happening, this is about-” Sunggyu cuts Taeil off and said, “We know about your hyung and your sudden memory loss. Jackson explained it to us earlier when ghouls started attacking and started looking for you.”

     “Oh, and I knew about it too even before that,” Jiyong suddenly said, but no one actually cared, making him cross his arms and pout.

     Taeil was shocked, but he knew that it was the right thing to do now that everything was falling apart. Jihoon looked at Junhyung, scared that his leader might get mad at him for doing all on his own.

     “Lay told us about it too,” Junhyung finally said to Jihoon. 

     Jihoon looked at Lay but Lay avoided his gaze.

     “What are you guys standing there for? Let’s look for that hyung and save his ass before the ghouls kill him. Because if we’re too late, these ghouls are going to fucking kill us next” Jiyong stated, and everyone agreed.

     “Even if I hate to admit it, it’s best if we stick together. Those ghouls beat us by numbers. We need all our strengths to defeat them all,” Sunggyu explained, shocking everyone. But everyone still agreed with the Demons’ command.

     “But what about hyung? The ghouls would have found him by now!” Taeil stated, worried about what might have happened to his hyung.

     Lay held Taeil’s shoulder to assure him that Jiho would be okay, “Don’t worry about him. My angelic powers are in his blood. The ghouls would have a hard time detecting him. All he needs to do is hide and not be seen.”

    Taeil sighed in relief and nodded his head, “That’s good. Then let’s go.”

     “Yeah, but can any of you guys start time again? Because the longer this goes, the harder it is for us to breathe,” Minhyuk requested because it was true. The longer the time wasn’t moving, the harder it was for the Demons and the Arcs to breathe.

     “We’re sorry but we can’t. Jihoon has temporal stasis, but this was done by a stronger demon, so we can’t undo it. Maybe that’s the reason why you guys are having a hard time breathing too,” Mark explained.

     “Shit. Who could that Demon be?” Minhyuk asked, but both members of the Demons and the Arcs just shrugged their shoulders.

     While the two groups were talking and planning their strategies, Lay suddenly stopped them all and said, “I found him. I found Jiho.”

     “Huh? How are you so sure it’s him?” Hyunseung asked as everyone was silent.

     “I told you, my powers are flowing inside him. A few seconds ago I sensed something inside my chest, so it only means he’s close by. Everyone, follow me,” Lay explained, and without waiting for anyone to answer, he started running. 

      The two leaders looked at each other and nodded their heads, then the Arcs and the Demons started to run and follow Lay until they ended up in the soccer field.

     “He’s somewhere here,” Lay stated as he and the rest were panting heavily. Everyone started to search for where Jiho was until Suho shouted, “Guys! I found him!”

     All of them ran to where Suho was. Then they saw Suho and Jiho under the bleachers. Jiho was panting, tired of running as well. Especially with his state, it was impossible for Jiho to keep it together.

     Taeil ran to him and shoved everyone away so he could go to where his hyung was.

     “Hyung!” he shouted as he kneeled down to him. He closely looked at him and held his cheeks gently. The moment Taeil held his cheeks, a tear fell from his eyes. Taeil’s been dreaming about this man, but now, he’s seeing him face-to-face.

     “W-Woo…J-Jiho…” Taeil suddenly stated. Everyone was shocked, even Taeil, because no one has told him his full name yet.

     “Woo Jiho,” Taeil repeated with a smile. He grabbed Jiho and gave him a tight hug. Then he started crying. It’s been so long and Taeil finally found him. The Arcs and the Demons were happy for him too, but they wouldn’t lie, they didn’t like the said reunion. This would only mean that the possibility of all of them being killed is now even greater.

     “T-Taeil…I finally…I-I…f-finally found you,”  Jiho whispered in Taeil’s ear.

      Jiho looked at Taeil and wiped the tears in his cheeks. Even though he was weak, he forced a smile. Taeil locked his eyes on Jiho, and slowly, he leaned closer and gave him a kiss. As they were kissing, something suddenly throbbed inside his head.

      And the final memory was now unlocked.

FLASHBACK

     “Should I call hyung again or…nah, I’m too lazy to…what the hell am I talking about? I should call him again. Maybe this time he’ll answer and I could finally sleep and stop drinking those disgusting sleeping pills.” Taeil said to himself as he walked

 to the desk to take his phone. When he was inches away from reaching it, an unknown force suddenly stopped him.

      “Huh? What’s going on…why can’t I-” 

Before Taeil could finish his sentence, someone suddenly grabbed his neck and started to strangle him from behind. Taeil was trying to escape from its grasp but it was too strong. When his looked at the mirror, he saw who it was.

     It was an ugly and terrifying ghoul.

     Taeil suddenly felt his heart drop the moment he saw the ghoul. It scared the fuck out of him so he became even weaker.

     The ghoul released Taeil, who fell on the floor to catch his breath. The ghoul then grabbed the sleeping pills and grabbed Taeil’s cheeks. He forced Taeil to open his mouth, and then he shoved the pills inside. 

Taeil was refusing and digging his nails deeper into the hand of the ghoul but nothing was happening.

      “Hmm!!”

     When the container was finally empty, Taeil started vomiting the pills out. And then blood came out next.

     “Ah!” Taeil shouted. His stomach was starting to hurt and he couldn’t take it.

     “H-Help…” he tried to say as he crawled towards his door.

     The ghoul went closer to Taeil and stared at his eyes. T

hen the ghoul bit himself. When his hands started to bleed, he shoved his hands inside Taeil’s mouth so he could drink the flowing black blood.

     Taeil was forcing himself not to drink it, but the ghoul kicked his stomach, forcing him to drink it instead.

     When the blood was finally inside Taeil, his eyes turned black. The ghoul then removed his hand inside Taeil’s mouth and kneeled down in front of him. He opened Taeil’s mouth once more and started “ sucking “ the memories out of Taeil.

     When it was over, Taeil woke up and started vomiting blood again. But this time, Taeil had forgotten everything about Woo Jiho. 

Before he could faint, he heard the ghoul say,

“King, I have taken the memory of Woo Jiho from the Prince of Sloth. Just instruct me if we need to kill Woo Jiho next.”

     Then it vanished.

END OF FLASHBACK

     “I-I…remember everything now,” Taeil stated as more tears streamed down from his eyes. But this time, it was blood because Taeil wasn’t happy. He was in pain. Soon after, Taeil felt anger consume his entire being. He clenched his fist and started emitting a dark aura, scaring the Arcs and the rest of the Demons.

     “How could they do such inhuman things to their own kind?!” Taeil finally shouted. He felt betrayed. He trusted the King before and believed that he was the one who gave them life. But now he finally realized that what they thought of him was all wrong. All Taeil wanted now was to see the King dead.

      Taeil’s dark aura was growing and growing, so his brothers quickly looked at each other.

      “Taeil, calm yourself,” Hyunseung quickly said as he kneeled down and held Taeil’s shoulder.

      When Taeil saw Hyunseung, he finally eased himself.

     “I’m sorry,” Hyunseung suddenly stated, then he continued, “I apologize for arguing with you when we should have been acting like brothers. I didn’t know you’ve been carrying this painful burden. Well, even though I didn’t know about it, I shouldn’t have acted like an asshole. I hope you forgive me for acting that way. After all, we’re all in this together right?”

     Taeil finally calmed down and gently held Hyunseung’s hand with a smile.

     “I hate to burst your bubbles, but a herd of ghouls are running towards us,” Seunghyun stated, making everyone look his way.

     Everyone saw hundreds of ghouls running towards them. The sight made most of them nervous.

     “Shit, everyone, in position. Lay, can you stay here and guard Jiho hyung?” Sunggyu asked, but before Lay could answer, Taeil went in between them and said, “No, I’ll do it. I’ll stay here and take care of him.”

     “No, we need you to fight with us,” Suho explained. Taeil was one of their strongest brothers. They obviously needed him in battle.

     Lay went in front of Taeil and assured him again that his hyung will be alright, “Don’t worry Lee Taeil. Help your brothers, I’ll stay here and guard him with all I can.”

     Taeil hesitated but finally agreed, “Alright.”

     “Let’s go,” Junhyung commanded when everything was settled, and everyone ran to the field. The Arcs started to summon their weapons, and so did the Demons. Then everyone stood in line as they waited for the ghouls’ attack.

     “Call my name if ever you get hurt alright?” Jackson stated as he looked at Mark. Mark nervously nodded as a reply. He was actually very scared deep inside because this was the first time they were going to fight these many ghouls.

     “Answer me that you will call my name whatever happens!” Jackson now shouted, startling everyone.

     Mark finally looked at Jackson and answered him, “I will call you. I promise.”

     Jackson looked at Mark worriedly. He grabbed Mark and gave him a quick kiss before anything else. Jackson wasn’t worried about himself because he knew he could protect himself. But Mark doesn’t even have half of Jackson’s power so he’s more worried about him.

     As for Junhyung, all he could do right now was look at Hyunseung who was getting ready for battle. When Hyunseung noticed that Junhyung was staring at him, he quickly grabbed Junhyung’s hand and held it tightly.

      Minhyuk gulped and wiped the sweat on his forehead. Everyone got ready as they felt the ground shaking.

     “They’re getting closer. Everyone ready,” Sunggyu stated as they saw the ghouls now meters away from them.

     Just when they got even closer, the mob of ghouls suddenly stopped, confusing the Demons and the Arcs.

     “What’s going on?” Sungjae asked, but no one answered.

     When everyone was looking confused, the skies suddenly turned red, and the grounds started to rumble. The Arcs were starting to get scared, but for the Demons, this was a common event.

     “What’s happening?” Seunghyun asked.

     Jiyong smirked and looked up at the sky, “Our guardian just arrived.”

• END -

SDS1 35: WE CHOOSE OUR OWN DESTINY

A BURNING PHOENIX WAS  approaching them. Then a few seconds later, it landed in front of the Demons and the Arcs. When the fire was gone, the figure was now visible, and it showed Kharon the Third, the Demons’ mentor.

     “The school’s priest is your mentor?! I should have known that was coming!” Woohyun shouted from shock as he stared at Kharon’s now demonic figure.

     “Kharon!” Minhyuk excitedly greeted as he was about to run towards him, but Sungjae quickly grabbed his arm and stopped him.

     “That’s not your mentor anymore,” Sungjae stated, confusing the Demons.

     “What do you mean? That’s Kharon. That’s our mentor!” Minhyuk defended.

     Sungjae slowly let’s go of Minhyuk and explained further, “He might have been your mentor…before he was being controlled by your king.”

     “W-what?” the Demons asked in confusion.

     Jihoon pointed at Kharon’s face, “His eyes are half black and red. It only means he’s being controlled. He’s still inside his own body but…your king is still stronger than he will ever be. He’s also the one who stopped time. He’s no longer the mentor you once knew. I’m sorry.”

     Everyone was shocked as they stared at Kharon staring back at them with an emotionless expression.

     “Wow, you know so many things about our kind more than we do,” Jiyong commented with a chuckle.

     “Of course we do. We studied about you guys,” Seunghyun coolly answered, and then everyone gave their attention back to Kharon.

     “The Seven Deadly Prince of Sin. The Seven Betrayers of the King,” Kharon stated, his voice sounding like a thousand dead souls were speaking at once.

     “You have ruined your fate and your destiny. So as instructed by the king, WE MUST DESTROY WHAT HE HAS CREATED!” Kharon now shouted, making everyone cover their ears by how loud it was.

     The ghouls started to run towards them and started attacking.

     The battle finally begun. Fire and thunderbolts would be seen everywhere. You wouldn’t expect it but the combination was beautiful.

     Hyunseung would stare at the ghouls and use his Audible Inundation. With this, the ghouls would stop attacking and start feeling lust and ecstasy. So while the ghoul would be in complete pleasure, Hyunseung would slice their head off with his Demonic saw.

     Minhyuk, on the other hand, would simply strangle the ghouls and drain their energy and power. When the ghouls fell, he would stab them with his sword right after. Of course, just to make sure they die completely.

     For the third son – Suho – He just used his fire and demonic hammer to kill the ghouls since his demonic power wasn’t like his other brothers who have the ability to inflict pain. But Suho was smarter than just attacking. He was a con artist so he had the skill and the brain. He used his teleportation to attack ghouls multiple times in different locations, making it hard for the ghouls to attack him back.

     Smart? Yes. So when Taeil saw this, he did the same thing.

     Sunggyu was no exception. He was walking around and attacking while his whole body was on fire. These were ghouls, not Demons, so they weren’t immune to fire that the Prince’s produced. No one could even move close to him while he was killing the ghouls with his saw-like sword weapon.

     Jackson, as the second strongest, wasn’t even moving. He would make illusions on a group of ghouls and make it look like he was attacking them, but in reality, they were the one’s killing each other. And for the ones who would walk in front of him, he would just effortlessly attack them with his Demonic claw.

     And lastly, for the strongest son, Jiyong. Jiyong had the power of Empathy, so he has the ability to copy anyone’s power. But the problem was, the ghouls didn’t have any power that was worth copying, so what Jiyong did was copy his brothers’ powers instead. He used Hyunseung’s power of Audible Inundation, Minhyuk’s life draining, Suho’s Knowledge absorption, Sunggyu’s fear amplification, and Jackson’s Illusion Casting. Because of how powerful Jiyong was, he controlled everything and made it into one powerful and indestructible power.

     It was like in movies, when the protagonist was simply walking and everyone in his path was dying. Jiyong was exactly like that.

     The Arcs was just dumbfounded as they saw the Demons do their thing. All they could think of right now while fighting the ghouls was that they were glad they don’t have to fight them anymore.

     The Demons were surely terrifyingly powerful.

     “Kill them all! Spare no one!” Sunggyu continued to shout as the ghouls fell one by one.

     After a few long minutes, the battle was over. Hundreds of ghouls were now dead and scattered everywhere on the ground. A few minutes later, the grounds started to rumble again, and the ghouls started to vanish on by one.

     When the ghouls were gone, the sky became clear once more.

     The battle was over.

     “We did it!” Sunggyu shouted as everyone cheered ( But they didn’t cheer long since they were tired as fuck ).

     The Arcs and Demons summoned their weapons back. Everyone was covered with black blood but no one cared.

     Mark ran to Jackson and hugged him tightly, both of them were happy that no one was hurt. Junhyung on the other hand ran to Hyunseung and started checking his body.

     “Are you alright? Are you hurt somewhere?” he asked.

     Hyunseung stopped Junhyung and held his hand tightly, “I’m fine.” Then he smiled and moved closer to give Junhyung a kiss. The Demons and Arcs quickly looked their way with a shocked face.

    “He finally did it,” Seunghyun stated as he was looking at the two new couple.

    “Look at you guys. You look horrible!” Lay shouted as he went out of the bleachers while assisting Jiho.

     Suho, who was now standing beside him, wiped the blood off his hand on Lay’s shirt and said, “Oops, my bad.” Then everyone started laughing.

     “Hyung!” Taeil shouted as he ran to where Jiho was. He took him from Lay’s hand and hugged him tightly.

     “Thank you for guarding him,” Taeil stated as he looked at Lay, and Lay just nodded as a reply.

    Jiho removed his hands from Taeil’s shoulder and forced himself to stand straight. Then he forcefully held Taeil’s cheeks and said, “This lazy bum was actually a prince of Sloth. Who knew.”

     Taeil just chuckled, but cried once more as he held Jiho’s hand.

     “I-I’m so sorry for leaving you Taeil. You know that I never wanted to leave you. Believe me. All I wanted was for us to have a better future. A-all I wanted was…all I wanted was for you to finally tell me that you’re proud of everything that I’m trying to do in my life. No one supported me…you and Jackson were the only ones who accepted me. When my dreams failed all I wanted was to go back to Korea and find you but-”

     Taeil held Jiho’s cheeks back and quickly cut him off, “I forgive you Woo Jiho…I’m very proud of you Woo Jiho…and I love you very much…Woo Jiho.”

     Jiho paused and didn’t say a word. Then he started crying as he gave Taeil a tight hug.

     “Thank you…thank you so much. I love you more Taeil,” Jiho said back, tears pouring out of his eyes.

     The Demons and Arcs were looking at the happy couple. Glad that everything was ending well.

     But…

     That’s what everyone thought.

     “Something’s not right here,” Jihoon stated as he looked at their surrounding. Everyone looked at Jihoon confusingly, so he explained what he was worried about, “Time hasn’t started yet.”

     “What do you guys mean?” Hyunseung asked with a confused look.

     Everything was silent. But then, Jihoon’s eyes suddenly widened from shock.

     “Taeil!” he shouted as he pushed everyone in front of his way and pulled Taeil away from Jiho. He and Taeil fell on the floor as Jiho looked at them, eyes wide open as well.

     “J-Jiho?” Taeil confusingly asked as he looked back at his lover.

     “I-I love you…” Jiho forcefully said as blood started to flow out of his mouth.

     “W-What are you-” Before Taeil could even finish his sentence, Jiho started to cough more blood, shocking everyone.

     Jiho slowly lifted his hand and started reaching out for Taeil like he wanted to hold him for the last time. But then he suddenly lost balance and fell on his knees, revealing Kharon, standing right behind him…

     …holding Woo Jiho’s heart in his hand.

     “H-Hyung…” Taeil said in shock as he looked at Jiho, then to Kharon, then back to Jiho.

     Kharon, who was holding Jiho’s heart, started to cry blood. Forcing his true self to come out, everyone heard the real voice of Kharon as he said, “I-I’m s-so sorry k-kids…P-Please f-forgi-”  But before he could finish, something from the ground started pulling Kharon.

     “Ah!” Jackson shouted as he ran towards Kharon to stab him. But before he could even get closer, Kharon vanished, and the time finally continued. All Jackson could do was drop his weapon on the floor and fall on his knees as blood tears fell from his eyes.

     “No!” Jackson shouted as he slammed his hand on the ground where Kharon stood.

     Mark quickly ran to his lover and calmed him down. The place was quiet. Everyone was speechless and shocked. It happened so fast and unexpectedly. Everything was like in slow motion.

     When Jiho finally fell on the floor, the breeze became stronger.

     “H-Hyung…” Taeil softly called out as a blood tear fell from his eyes. He wanted to go to him, but Jihoon didn’t let go.

     “Hyung!!” Taeil now shouted as he emitted a deadly aura. He wanted to run to Jiho, but Jihoon hugged him tighter from behind so he wouldn’t be able to escape. Even if the deadly aura Taeil was emitting was hurting Jihoon, he still forced his body to hold onto him.

     “Woo Jiho!! Stand up! Stand up Woo Jiho!” Taeil kept on shouting, making everyone breakdown and start crying. Some were even looking away.

     “Calm down Taeil!” Jihoon tried to say in between Taeil’s screams.

     “Woo Jiho! I said stand up!” Taeil once again shouted.

     “No!! No!! Woo Jiho!”

     Jihoon hugged Taeil tighter even more so Taeil could calm down and not destroy anything. Thankfully, it worked. The breeze calmed down, and so did Taeil.

     “ Woo Jiho… “ Taeil finally whispered as he turned around to hugJihoon back. He clenched his fist while holding onto Jihoon’s shirt. Then he shouted with all his might, “WOO JIHO!”

---

AT THE HOLY HOME

 "May the Lord be with him and his spirit forever..."

    Park Dongmin - the Arcs’ guardian - sprayed Holy water on the ground where they buried Woo Jiho. The Demons decided to bury him at the Arcs’ home instead rather than in any cemetery because they knew that no one would believe their story on how Woo Jiho died.

     Seunghyun suggested that they search for his father and tell them about what happened to his son, but Dongmin insisted to keep it a secret instead because Mr. Woo’s time was almost up. It was better for him to see his son himself in the Lord’s Arms (Meaning: He was going to die soon. And Woo Jiho didn’t have any other close relative other than his father ).

    It was late and everyone was at the living room. Everything just happened in one day so everyone was exhausted. The Arcs and the Demons hadn’t talked the whole time. Everyone was just silent. But right now, silence was what they needed so they could calm down and process everything.

    Everyone couldn’t get over the fact that Woo Jiho just died a few hours ago and is now buried. Jackson still couldn’t stop thinking of Jiho because he still hasn’t apologized to his dear friend for not allowing him to talk to Taeil in a long period of time. 

     As for Taeil, all he could do was stare at the guitar pick Jihoon gave him earlier. He couldn’t cry anymore because he’s been crying for hours. Trails of dry blood were all over his cheeks.

     Taeil gripped on the guitar pick and broke the silence, “Now that I remembered him…they took him away from me. How cruel,” Taeil stated, expressionless.

     “We’re sorry for your lost Taeil. We really are. We tried our best and-”

     Taeil cuts Lay off and said, “What you did for him, for me, and for my brothers was enough. Even more than what we expected you to give. But nothing will happen if we just stay here and wait for someone to die again.”

    “Lee Taeil is right,” Dongmin stated as he entered the room. He went in front of the two groups and said, “I pimped our Holy mirror a little. With that you can contact any of your fathers. Lay can open it for you, but we need one more who can do Catoptromancy. I know that even one of you has that ability.”

    Taeil stood up and said, “I do.”

     “But would this be okay with our Fathers?” Sungjae asked with a concerned voice. He didn’t want to look like he and his brothers were betraying their clan.

    “Don’t worry. This was already planned…even before everything else started,” Dongmin finally revealed.

     The Arcs and Demons quickly went to the holy mirror to summon their Father Lucifer who instructed them about the third parties. Lay went in front of the mirror, and then Taeil followed. The Arcs and the Demons were forming a semi-circle around the mirror as the two started with their summoning.

     Everyone was quiet as the two did their thing. And finally, something started appearing in the mirror.

     It was Jiyong’s father, Lucifer.

     “J-Jiyong? Sons? Is that you?” he asked weakly.

     “Father!” said the Demon in unison as they bowed in front of the mirror.

     The Arcs flinched as they saw the Demon’s ’ Father ’ because it was their first time to see an actual Demon in real life.

    “It’s good to see you all well even after the King’s attack. I’m glad that you all have mastered your powers. I apologize for not warning you sooner, but as you can see, the king trapped us. And I apologize for what had happened to Woo Jiho as well,” Lucifer stated as he looked at Taeil.

     Taeil didn’t say anything so he continued, “But I hope you understand that Kharon the Third did not want to do those things.”

     Everyone nodded in understanding. Even if Lucifer didn’t tell them, the Demons understood the reason why Kharon had done what he just did.

     “Well, I could see that you’re in the Holy home right now. That’s good.”

     “What do you mean Father?” Jiyong asked as he looked at his Father closely.

     Lucifer looked at the Demons seriously and finally revealed their real destiny,  “Listen sons…

We were the same. We were humans like you too. We had normal lives. We went to school like you. We fell in love and had fun like every normal teenager would. But the difference is we followed our so-called destiny. My sons, don’t end up like us. Follow your own destiny. Write your own fate. Team up with the Arcs…and defeat the King,“ Lucifer finally revealed, sending goosebumps to everyone.

     “F-father…”

     “You are not mistakes…you are gifts. Your fathers, Kharon, and I are all proud of you. You are not the Seven Deadly Sons anymore. You are now the Seven Prince of Sins who will defeat the King of Hell. Make us proud,” Lucifer finished, making the Demons look at each other with determination in their faces.

     “As instructed Father. We will defeat the King,” everyone said in unison as they bowed once more.

     “Good, but here’s a hint. No one can kill the King but the Angels’ god. Don’t put your mind on killing him. Lock him up so he won’t have the ability to hurt you or anyone else anymore. How you do it is up to you,” Lucifer explained.

    “I’m sorry for bugging in but…if this works well, will the sins on earth vanish?” Woohyun bravely asked, trying his best not to look straight through Lucifer’s bloody-red eyes.

     “I’m sorry young man but our presence alone emits sin on earth. And we cannot be killed because we are now one with Hell. You must destroy HELL in order to destroy US. The “gift” that the King had given us was actually a curse. We are immortals who are forced to do things we do not want to do, so tell your god that we apologize for still giving him problems,“ Lucifer surprisingly explained.

     When no one said anything, he looked back at his sons and said, “ Sons, we want you to live the life that your Fathers wanted. If you also have plans on saving us, I’m already stopping you in advance because there is nothing you can do for us. But the only thing that I could say is…good luck.“

     “Thank you father,” said the Demons with a bow.

     “I need to go before the King sees me talking to you. Goodbye, my dear sons. Oh and Arcs, take care of these boys for us.”  Then he vanished and everyone’s reflection was the only thing they could see.

     The room fell silent.

     “So that’s what our Fathers wanted all along. To team up with the Arcs, when all we did was run away from them,” Sunggyu stated as he was staring at the floor.

     “Kim Sunggyu,” Junhyung suddenly called out as he went in front of Sunggyu. The Demons’ leader lifted his head and saw Junhyung reaching out for his hand.

     “What the fuck is that?” Sunggyu asked with his right eyebrow raised.

     “Well, we had a rough start so I want to reintroduce ourselves,” Junhyung stated with a smile.

    The Demons and the Arcs were just behind them trying not to laugh on how silly Junhyung was acting. Sunggyu wanted to ignore him, but he smiled back and nodded his head.

     “Fine,” said Sunggyu as he reached out Junhyung’s hand to shake it. Then Junhyung seriously looked at the Demon’s leader. And like the first time they met, he said, “I’m Yong Junhyung and I’m the leader of ARCS . It’s a pleasure to finally work with you.”

    Sunggyu smirked and nodded his head, “Then I’m Kim Sunggyu , the leader of a group called DEMONS . And it’s also a pleasure…to finally work with you.”

     When the two leaders let go of each other’s hand, Sunggyu looked back at the two groups and said with a grin, “Let’s defeat that motherfucker.”

• END OF BOOK I -

∙ BOOK II ∙

The Seven Deadly Sons have now teamed up with the enemy and have finally betrayed their King. But will they continue to walk the path they created themselves and be able to choose their own destiny even if things don’t go as they planned?

Follow the Seven Deadly Demons and Seven Angelic Arcs as they realize that the Devil that they challenged is far worse than any of them had ever imagined.

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This has been Book I of the SDS Series. And on behalf of the Dog Crew, thank you for reading.

• BOOK 2. NOW PUBLISHED -