Mortal Masks

Chapter Thirty Five

It was a couple days later when the letter arrived, carried on the wind and delivered straight to the doorstep of their cottage.

Jaemin had been the one to find it.

After a long day of combat training, his body was screaming at him to crawl into bed, to take a moment to rest, as his eyes were barely able to stay open for more than a few moments at a time. Not only had he spent the past day or so engaging in 1-to-1 combat training with Yuta and Jaehyun, but he had also sparred with the wolves whilst they were in their animal forms. A gash on his left thigh now served as a reminder of Jisung's determination and youthful energy.

However, even in his exhausted state, as soon as he saw the letter, his eyes were blown wide, as he retreated back into the kitchen, calling everyone to gather immediately.

The letter itself was incredibly short, but also incredibly urgent.

And as they gathered around the kitchen table, huddled together as Jaemin read out the words inked in their friend's handwriting, nervous glances are shared as every scribbled letter only served to rustle awake the dormant butterflies sleeping in their stomachs.

"We've run out of time" Jaemin concludes, looking up from the piece of paper and surveying the people around him, before his gaze lands on his father, whose expression is set in concentration as his mind begins racing, immediately trying to tie together the loose threads of their plan, "Chenle says it has to be done tonight"

In his letter, he penned that a dark warning had been issued to the institute. Incredible energy, something not felt for centuries, had been radiating from the stone room all the crystals were kept in, alongside the gateway to the spirit realm. It had everyone on edge, waiting for an attack on such a grand scale. Spirits were somehow growing stronger, and they were fighting relentlessly to pass back through the portal and be apart of the mortal realm once more.

The institute is to go into lockdown from tomorrow, after regiments of hunters and messengers arrive from Seoul for support. In his letter of warning, Chenle also mentioned that institutes in Shanghai and Beijing had also been made aware of the threat, and were warned, just in case the Kyoto institute became overwhelmed.

The attack could happen any day.

"We need to get Chenle out of there" Mark whispers, taking a seat as he brings his hands up to his face, "And can we still get to Hyuck? With the portal being swarmed by spirits on the other side? What will happen if we open it to pull him through, would we be endangering the whole institute? Japan? The world?"

Jaemin felt like he couldn't breathe.

They had been so close.

"And how do we now break into a place that has increased surveillance, and is about to go into lockdown?" Jeno questions, looking absolutely defeated as he drops into one of the chairs, his whole body slouched against it.

They were too close to give up.

They couldn't give up. Surely, they couldn't.

"This mission was practically impossible before we started..." Jisung says, shaking his head as that light of hope that he once had in his eyes, that he just had a moment ago in training, begins to fade, "What can we do now?"

And in the moment when all hope seemed to be lost, Yuta clears his throat.

"We stick with the plan"

All eyes turn to gaze upon the exiled hunter.

"It's going to be tough, and you're all going to need to be brave... But we can do this"

And Jaemin feels something in his chest shift, as he looks at the determined expression his father is sporting.