Creature of the Underworld [VIXX WonTaek Fanfiction]

Chapter 14 ~ Unreal

Hongbin's POV
"What happened to him?" Leo whispered to me. I had, like Hyuk suggested, made something to hide ourselves from sensing. But it only held two people at most (it could probably had more if I tried harder with more time), so here I was with Leo, watching Ravi and N. Ravi was unconscious on the ground, murmuring something and N was circling him with locked eyes, like a hyena watching its prey. Then Ravi's eyes shot open, and a tear trickled down his cheek. His eyes, from my current distance, were full of fear and melancholy.

"I have no ide..." No. That was a lie. I did have some idea. No, again - I knew. "Ravi's broken."

"W-What?"

"Mentally and maybe emotionally broken. N either told or showed Ravi something that set him off the edge. Something Ravi was scared of. From what we saw, N showed him something in his mind," I whispered in reply.

"Can we help him?" Leo asked, voice slightly louder. I put a finger to my lips to tell him to lower his voice again.

"If we can get to him." Truthfully, I didn't know a specific way to heal a broken mind. But I had a suspicion - it worked before.

"I'm going to fight N." Leo moved to stand from our hiding spot, but I grabbed his wrist and yanked him down.

"No! Are you crazy? Do you want to be broken too? You'll be of no help to Ravi. The whole thing is a trap that can trap more if it wanted to."

"Then what do we do?" I was silent for a moment, and observed N. He took Ravi's wrist and they melted into the shadows. I sighed.

"We go to the Underworld. Unfortunately."

Time passed. Leo and I got Hyuk to come along with us and filled Taemin and Kai in on what happened and our plan-that-isn't-a-plan. The only planned thing was go to the palace in the Underworld. Taemin, sadly, had to stay and tend to Kai who was slowly healing. We bid the couple goodbye and left the home.

"Hold Hyuk tightly," I told Leo. He nodded wordlessly. Ever since we had went back to Taemin and Kai after spying on N he hadn't said a word. His expression was unreadable, too. He was good at hiding himself... a good and bad skill. Hyuk held onto me and I pressed on Hyuk's teleporter. We were teleported to a hiding spot near the palace doors, one for emergencies if Hyuk had to escape or anything. We emerged from the spot and pushed the large doors open without second thought. N would've sensed us by now. And there he was in the throne room, still in his true form - he looked stronger than before, if that was possible - and he was holding the chain of the leash Ravi was put on. I saw Leo clench his fists out of the corner of my eye. Stay calm, I transmitted to him. Ravi was in his true form, but leashed. He had a red collar tight around his neck, and he snarled when he saw us.

More specifically, Leo.
That was what shocked me.

"You came so fast," N said with a smirk. "I didn't even have time to have a drink." It was then that I noticed the bottle in his hand. It was small and filled with a bright purple liquid. "Hongbin, I thought you could build better - I sensed you like I always do. Was Leo rushing you? Was he so excited to meet his killer?"

"He's not going to kill me," Leo shot back. He shifted in the blink of an eye - expert work - and growled at N. N dropped the chain and Ravi stepped forward, down the stairs that lead to the elevated platform with the throne.

"I already killed you once," Ravi said calmly to Leo. "I'll do it again." Before I knew anything happened, Ravi threw Leo up against a wall and he held Leo there. Hyuk and I shifted and Hyuk dived at Ravi from behind, hitting an invisible forcefield. I helped Hyuk get up from where was shot back, and pulled out a small metal ball. I was glad I was loaded with inventions. I threw the ball and the forcefield shattered. I grabbed Ravi and pulled him back, and Leo went down onto his wolf fours again.

"We won't kill you, but you won't kill us," Hyuk said to Ravi. Ravi didn't reply, and smoke rose from under Hyuk. Hyuk didn't move - he was frozen.

"Ravi," Leo desperately said. "Why..." He was looking for the words. "Wonshikkie-"

"Don't call me that!" Ravi demanded.

"Wonshik-ah..." Leo shifted back and walked towards Ravi.

"Leo, you're going to die," I said sternly. He ignored me. N wasn't doing anything, which was suspicious.

"You should listen to your friend," Ravi said, but didn't smile. Leo put his hand to Ravi's cheek and caressed it. "This isn't some story where love and goodness fixes everything."

"It doesn't have to fix anything." Ravi grabbed Leo's arm and yanked it away from his face.

"It will once I destroy you." Ravi shot something blue in my direction which caught me off guard. I was soon frozen as well, though I could look around with my eyes. I watched uselessly as Ravi threw fire at Leo's feet, who tried to move away but the fire spread at an impossible speed. It made a ring around Leo, and the fires behind him grew taller. Blue lightning snaked around Ravi's right arm, and he shot the lightning at Leo. Leo could not do anything but take the shot or he'd get burned to ash. Leo stumbled and the fire was gone as fast as it spread. Leo fell backwards with shout, and fell to the floor. He held his chest where the lightning had shot him. "It's not fun killing someone with a single shot," Ravi said. "But it's the reason why people keep losing. People want to savor deaths, murders - but that gives the victim time to escape. Humans are pathetic at making the most out of death. I am a demon and I control so much. I can take something's strength if I wanted to. I could grow my power to be able to kill someone with a touch. But I don't." Ravi opened one hand out, and a ball of darkness gathered above his palm. He threw it down at Leo, who hadn't said a thing. The dark sphere disappeared an inch above Leo. "What the-"

"You can't kill me. You love me," Leo said firmly. I felt like I was watching some sort of romantic drama. "You still have feelings for me."

"It doesn't matter that I do!" Ravi shouted. "Y-You were dead! Hyuk was dead! Kai was dead! The rest were all crazy! I shouldn't be alive!" That was when I saw the glazed eyes of a broken person. I felt myself slowly gain strength. I could or again. I started on my suspicion of what was the cure.

"Leo loves you. We're all alive," I said loudly. I grabbed Ravi and held him by the shoulders. He didn't try to move away. He didn't try to move at all. "Alive. We're not crazy. We're here for you, Ravi. What you saw was fake. A lie. Unreal." Ravi blinked once. Twice. Thrice. The glassy look disappeared from his eyes.

"Unreal," Ravi repeated. He looked at Leo. Ravi grabbed Leo into a hug, and I saw Leo's sleeve get wet with tears. "I thought... I-I thought you were gone..."

"How could you believe N?!" Leo asked.

"I don't know... I-I think he planted th-thoughts and scenes in my head..."

"Speaking of N, does anyone know where he went?" Hyuk piped up. We turned to the throne - the empty throne.

"He had a potion. A witch potion, probably from Ken. I think he's planning on drinking it to become powerful so he can get rid of us... Or whatever it does." Leo nodded.

"I'm sorry, Leo," Ravi repeated. "I-I hurt you. Does it still sting?"

"No." Leo shook his head. "I don't know what happened, but the pain's gone."

"Good, 'cause we're going to go fight a hard battle again," I told him. "I don't think it'll be the last, either."