On the floor, two equilateral triangles were made with volcanic rocks, meeting at their apexes. Outside those triangles, there were candles that formed circles around each apex of them, where the three pairs of doppelgangers would be standing. The candles were already lit and waiting for them to step in the circles.
"Here." Lino said, handing Chris and Lilly the two ends of the red wool thread that was tied to his wrists. Lino stepped back and stopped in the middle of the circle around the triangle's apex, making the threads stretch.
Chris wrapped one thread around his wrist and tied it tightly, connecting himself to Lino's wrist. His other wrist was tied too to be connected to Lilly. Chris lifted his head to find Lilly struggling with her two ends of the threads.
"Hey," He chuckled and stepped closer to her. "I'll do it." He said and grabbed her wrists softly.
Lilly smiled, remembering how he did the same for her nine years ago. She gave him her wrists and he started tying the threads, connecting her to him and then to Lino. Lilly was silent and her eyes never left his face as he was focusing totally on her wrists. He looked so beautiful with how the candles' orange light reflected on his face. He took her breath away with his simple act of holding her wrists and she didn't want him to give it back.
"All done." He said, almost whispering.
"Nine years ago, when you asked me to talk after this ends, you were going to confess, right?" Lilly asked softly.
Chris chuckled. "It's been nine years and still we couldn't have that talk."
Lilly looked down at his hands that were still holding hers. She twisted her hands to be the one holding his. She started rubbing them softly, calming him down along with calming herself. "If this ends well," She paused to shake her head. "No! When this ends well, let's talk!" She lifted her head to look at him. "I'll be the one talking this time."
Chris smiled at her. Making his best not to pull Lino since he was already tied to them, he lifted his hands up to cup her face and rest his forehead against hers. He breathed in, inhaling her scent, afraid that it might be the last time. "Promise me to stay safe."
"I'll do my best." She pulled away to look at him. "But if anything goes wrong, if.. if I come back possessed as last time, stay away from me. Stay safe, please."
Chris didn't talk for more and just nodded, knowing by heart that he would never be able to stay away from her even if she came back possessed. With that, they both stepped back and positioned themselves in their spots at the other two apexes of the first triangle, to be surrounded by the lit candles.
Meanwhile, Alana, Chan, and Minho were done tying their threads. Alana was terrified, to say the least, but the two males didn't let go of her until she was assured.
Still holding their hands, Alana looked at them. "Just in case something goes wrong," She started talking. "I want you both to know that I love you." She looked at Minho with a warm smile. "Thank you for being my friend and for always being by my side. Thank you for helping me in finding Chan and bringing him back." She then looked at Chan. "Thank you for coming into my life. Thank you for being my soulmate. I've never been happy in my life as much as I am since the day I found you." A stray tear trickled down her cheek.
"Can you just stop?" Chan sighed, trying his best to control his own emotions. He wiped that tear with the back of his hand. "Nothing is going to happen, love. It's going to be fine."
"Yes!" Minho patted her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. I promise. You are going to be perfectly fine. I won't allow anything to happen to you." He chuckled. "This Hulk is not going to let anything happen to you." He cocked his head to Chan.
"What if something happens to you two?" She questioned, starting to panic again.
Minho stepped closer to her and pulled her into his embrace, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. Quickly, Chan joined in this friendly hug. No one of them was assured. No one was sure of the things they were promising. No one was settled or calmed. But they knew they had to go through this and they will. Pulling back, they all looked at each other with broken nervous smiles before they stepped back to their positions in the triangle.
Alana stood at the head of the triangle, back-to-back with Lilly who was the head of the other triangle. The threads connecting each triangle were stretched and they were apparently ready.
"Remember," Minho talked. "Once we get in, we form the triangles once again while holding hands, with the triangles' heads pointing towards the gates. We keep repeating the words until the triangles carved in the gates illuminate. Just then, we break the triangles and close those gates when all is done, then we leave."
Lino pulled his left hand up to check the time, pulling Lilly's right one with his as they were tied. "It's almost midnight. It's time." Lino said.
Lilly breathed in deeply, filling her chest with air and Chris did the same. She lifted her head up to face her friends. Each of them stood at one apex, forming a triangle that was lined with rocks. The candles burning around their feet and the red wool thread connecting them to each other, mirroring the other triangle. The three pairs of doppelgangers lifted their arms and crossed them over their chests, letting each palm rest over the opposite shoulder. They closed their eyes and started reading out the lines that they memorized.
"Beongaeleul gajyeo waseo cheondung-i ullyeo peojigehasibsio.
Hondon-ui bangpae mun-eulo ganeun gil-eul yeosibsio."
The six of them said in unison then waited for ten seconds before they repeated in slightly higher voices.
"Beongaeleul gajyeo waseo cheondung-i ullyeo peojigehasibsio.
Hondon-ui bangpae mun-eulo ganeun gil-eul yeosibsio."
They waited for ten more seconds and were about to repeat but stopped when a very cold wind brushed their bodies, making them flinch. Alana gasped from the coldness that made her shiver. Her closed eyes weren't helping the feeling of fear from what was happening around them.
"Don't open your eyes." Lino warned just when Alana was about to do that. "Carry on. One more is left."
Alana nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her nod, and gulped the lump in her throat. She took another deep breath and heard her friends do the same before they resumed reading out the spell.
"Beongaeleul gajyeo waseo cheondung-i ullyeo peojigehasibsio.
Hondon-ui bangpae mun-eulo ganeun gil-eul yeosibsio."
They all said for the last time and paused, waiting for a sign or an answer to whatever they were doing. The answer came fast when a very very loud thunderclap roared, making Lilly and Alana scream but they didn't dare to open their eyes or step anywhere. That thunderclap was soon followed by heavy rain that poured over them through the opening in the cave's summit.
Lilly clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as fear filled all of her chest. Not even the presence of her Lino and Chris was assuring her. Actually, they were very quiet. It seemed like they weren't affected by the rain or the loud thunder. And that was when she guessed what was happening.
The rain was very heavy that it was painfully hitting her body. She thought there would be bruises from it. The thunder was almost damaging her ears from how loud it was. Although her eyes were closed, she could sense the bright lights that attacked for a fraction of a second. It had to be lightning. The wind too was blowing very strong through the tunnels of the cave, that she had to brace herself tighter to stop her body from swaying with it or being shoved somewhere.
It was a thunderstorm. No. That had to be a tornado or something. It was hell-scary how it started in a blink with that strength. But what was even scarier, was how it suddenly stopped, as if it never happened.
Suddenly, Lilly felt nothing. No rain was attacking her body. No thunders could be heard. No lightning and no wind.
"C-Chris? Lino?" Lilly called weakly but gained no answer. "Alana? Chan? Minho?" Hesitantly and slowly, very slowly, Lilly unsealed her eyelids to see exactly what she expected.
They were there!
Around her, the other five were scattered here and there. They were groaning and stirring mostly. Chris was rubbing his head while standing up. Lino was on his back, grunting from the pain. Chan was frantically on his knees next to Alana who was passed out. While Minho was on his feet, ignoring all the pain and having wide eyes and dropped jaw as he watched the nowhere they were in.
Minho found that they were surrounded by complete darkness. Not normal darkness. It was pitch black as if they were in outer space. No sign of the cave they were in. The hell he couldn't even see the ground they were standing on. There was nothing to tell them where they were. There was no source of light around them and that made Minho wonder how they could see each other clearly. Nothing gave any clue of what happened to them and how they teleported to this place. If it wasn't for their drenched bodies, Minho would've thought they were dreaming and nothing really happened earlier.
Looking up, down, right, and left was useless because there was really nothing. It was only them in this dark bubble.
Minho looked over his shoulder to check how Alana was doing. Thankfully, she was back to her senses and Chan was pulling her to her feet. Chan looked at Minho and nodded before his face dropped. Alana by his side had wide eyes while looking at Minho who was clueless about what was happening. Shakingly, Chan lifted his hand to point at something, making Minho turn to look back ahead of him.
Ahead of them, there was a very high gate that wasn't there a few seconds before. The gate was a solid dark brown wooden one. It measured at least fifteen meters high. In the middle of it, there was an upside-down triangle. It looked as if it was carved inside the wood. This triangle is supposed to illuminate when the second ritual is done.
Minho was so taken aback that he jolted backward and stumbled but luckily didn't fall as a pair of hands caught him. Looking back, he found it was Lino. Behind Lino, there was another gate that looked exactly the same.
"W-What the h-hell is that?" Minho stuttered.
"Welcome to The Gates." A voice echoed that didn't belong to any of them.
Looking around them, they could see a figure moving far away, yet seemed to be so near. In a blink, that figure was standing just ahead of them. A tall lean muscular man with long hair, sharp features, and dressed in a hanbok.
"A-Are you Hwan?" Alana questioned. The man matched the description Ana gave them.
"Prince Hwan." He corrected. "Now, hurry up and start the rituals. You are not supposed to be away from your bodies for long." Looking at the two gates he nodded to himself. "Once you start, those gates will start swallowing, and then.." He sighed. "And then, we finally end this. At all costs."
At all costs, he said.
At all costs, they knew.
They knew that they might not go back. They knew they might get swallowed by those gates. They knew the odds might endanger them. They knew, but they had to do it. They were the only ones capable of doing it and they had to take that responsibility.
Looking at each other, they started to take positions, forming triangles facing the two gates and pointing at them. Holding each other's hands, they licked their lips and closed their eyes to start spelling the second part of the ritual.