“I finally found you…” Juuzou thought while staring at Joon and Haeji from the entrance of the infirmary. “Juuzou, it's you!!!” Joon grinned as he quickly paced towards the white haired male. Juuzou smiled and hugged Joon, glaring at Mochi. Juuzou held his pointer to his mouth in a shushing way, “It was supposed to be a surprise Mochi!” The feline laughed. Haeji looked at Juuzou and Joon playing with Mochi and smiled, “It's just like back then…”

[BACKSTORY]

“HAHAHAH SUCKER!!!” An 8-year-old Juuzou laughed, smacking a 10-year-old Joon in the face with a pillow. Joon pulled the dirty pillow out of his face and began chasing Juuzou around the burnt down mansion. 5 -year-old Haeji on top of Joon’s shoulders and pointed towards Juuzou, running for his life, “GO GET THAT PEASANT, SIR JOON!!!” She gave a toothy grin. “Onwards!!!” Joon held Haeji’s legs, making sure she wouldn't fall while he ran. Joon kept running, chasing Juuzou.

[END]

“HAEJI!!!” Juuzou lightly shook her. “Huh?” Haeji snapped out of her trance. Juuzou smiled and hugged Haeji, whispering in her ear, “Don't act worried, we’ll make him worried.” Juuzou gave a tired smile to Haeji. Haeji returned the smile and walked over to Joon's bed, falling backwards onto the mattress. “Man, I’m so tired!” She complained, “that little brat stole some of my money I was saving for boba while I was in the gym and I ended up fighting him. AND GUESS WHAT?” Haeji sat up, “I GOT CALLED A CHILD ABUSER!!!”

“What?” Juuzou gasped.

“AND ALSO, HE TURNED OUT TO ME THE PERSON I'M SUPPOSED TO FIGHT IN THE RR!!!” Haeji held her arms out.

“That's rough buddy.” Juuzou said sarcastically while stealing Haeji’s boba. “Patricia’s about to-” Juuzou was interrupted when Ratu barged in, “YOU'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS! THERE'S A SHOOTING OF SPELLS!”

“WHAT?” Mochi and Haeji shouted in unison. She quickly got up and headed towards the door until Herring grabbed her wrist, “W-What?”

“Be careful, Haeji!” Joon warned.

“Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her.” Juuzou reassured him before following Haeji out of the infirmary. If she wasn't seeing it with her own eyes, she wouldn't believe. There were wizards, warlocks, and illusionists causing a conundrum around the lounge and through the halls.

The ruckus also reached toward the food court as well. Some of the meat that was being consumed reverted back to life as the animals attacked and rammed the tables, trampled on the silverware and attacked the passerbyers that were within reach.

“What the—” A pig was ready to charge in on Haeji when Mochi jumped over the swine and clawed its face. The pig ran away squealing.

“How did happened? Wait! The spellbook.” Haeji recalled, she got the spellbook back from Breloq. It was sometime before her brother suffered from another medical crisis.

📖

“Time to start the spell!” Hwa Hae Ji closed the book  and uttered the spell in her native tongue to change her appearance. A cool wind carressed her cheeks as her skin changed to a lighter skin tone, her cheeks flushed and her lips turned lightly fuller.

She headed to the ladies' room to see if the spell worked. It did, but she didn't like it. It made her look like a geisha with the make-up that altered her features. She washed her face to get rid of the make-up of the beauty spell.

As the make up ran down her face, she grabbed a paper towel to dry off. There has to be a spell better than this one. Haeji thought she looked at herself in the mirror.

Then she had an idea. A word game. The kind of word games that wizards and spellcasters like Joon partaken in before. Is like practicing casting spells.

And she knew who would be able to play.

Haeji walked up to Ryan and Felin. Felin turned to Hae Ji's direction. The native Elonian noticed hiw the Daoitunian thief came forward.

"H-hey Ryan." Haeji sat beside him. "Uh, wanna play a fun game?" Ryan hesitated a bit, then accepted, "Okay..."

"It's a word game! Just say the words I say ok?" Haeji prompted as she opened the spellbook, Breloq intervened.

He unzipped his jaw, and spoke, "Listen here. If anybody is going to play a game, it is definitely not going to be with you." He crouched down to meet Ryan at eye level. "Do you accept any kind of invitation?"

Ryan stumbled on his words, scared of not knowing what he did wrong. "I... I... She... It is just a game." He shrugged.

"With people you do not know of," Breloq reasoned.

"What harm can a word game be?"

Breloq looks at Ryan in disbelief.

"How ever did you survive that magic massacre? Incantations... invocation and evocations, chants, all that? Did none of that stick in your head? Even runes, which you use, must I remind you, use words..."

Ryan stared back in awe. Breloq rarely speaks and even when he does, he barely speaks. "I'm sorry...?" Ryan turned to HaeJi and apologized, "As you heard, I suppose, you must convince him otherwise."

"Breloq, I asked Ryan. Plus it's just a small game. Also you can play too!" Haeji offered as Breloq's beady button eyes, usually were expressionless. Ryan felt a twinge of mistrust.

"Yes, and chants are small words with great impact," Breloq replies. "If you insist, give a little more insight on it. I'll be the judge of its... safety."

"You can go first if you want," Haeji looked at Breloq, craning her head upwards to look at him, "Breloq." Breloq's smart, I'm worried that he will see through my game. But even so, it's up to Ryan. "Well?"

Breloq's beady eyes squint at her proposal. "Switching targets, I suppose? Even more suspicious then insisting on Ryan."

"Stop it," Ryan said, nudging Breloq in the shin. "She just wants to play a game while we wait for the fight."

Felin sniffed the air between Haeji and Ryan. "I don't smell anything weird."

Breloq flicked her head. "It's not like you ever had the ability to smell magic before it is casted." He let out a grunt. "You know what?" He looked at HaeJi, and accepted her offer. "I'll do it first then... Just to prove to these kids that word games are just as dangerous as signing up for something without reading the terms and conditions."

"That's how we got in here," Felin snapped. "You signed us up without talking to us!"

Breloq waved her off. "Now, let's start this game."

“I'm not sure if Elonian Rune Magic can be shared with people from other worlds,” Ryan spoke. “But-”

“Just tell how to do it,” HaeJi interrupted him. “We’ll know if I can use it after my attempt.”

“Oh, yes, right, okay then,” Ryan stuttered. “Breloq, can you get a rune stylus?”

Breloq inhaled, making a sound of defeat before conjuring a door to leave and fetch a stylus.

“Rune stylus?” HaeJi questioned.

“From what I know, people who do not share the blood of the original rune mages cannot perform Runic Magic by drawing in the air or by using a pen or pencil on some sort of surface,” Ryan explained.

“And you so happened to be a descendant of one?” HaeJi replied.

Ryan chuckled. “Funny story actually. Uh, well, not really, I suppose. Anyway, my dad was a golem created from the blood of a man who was from that lineage. It was a shocker when I discovered that my dad-”

Breloq came back, waving the grey stick in front of HaeJi. She grabbed the stylus. Her eyes examined the ragged stone as she let it roll along her hand. “What is so special about a rock? This might as well be the head of a spear.” Her eyes shifted to Ryan. He was busy thinking about what rune to share.

“Okay. I got one. Copy me,” He said as he drew the rune with his finger. HaeJi slowly followed with her stylus. Since she was facing him, she kept the orientation of the rune in mind. Ryan spoke its name,“Ba.”

“Ba,” HaeJi repeated. Her eyes widened as the rune glowed and faded. In its place, a small droplet of water formed. She tucked the stylus between her thumb and pointer as she placed her hands underneath it, then raising them to cup the droplet. Sadly, it popped and the water splattered onto her palms. “Well,” she cleared her throat, “now we know. I can use your Rune Magic.”

"Your turn", Haeji said as she picked another spell.

Ryan casted a spell that conjured up a stone as the dirt solidified and became stone. I sense elemental magic. Nulekai peered around the perimeter as he felt an energy similar to Ryo's. 

"Haeji, I dare you to cast this spell." Ryan shows the name of the spell.

Ryan traced the rune in front of his other palm. HaeJi mimicked him. “Besos,” she spoke. Lightning discharged from the rune, zapping her palm. “Ah!” She hissed in surprise. The shock was weak, but it was unexpected. She gripped the stylus as she rammed her forearm into Ryan’s neck. Ryan coughed as his throat was squished. “Do anything funny again, and that will be your last,” HaeJi warned him.

Ryan nervously laughed as she backed away. “Understood.”

Breloq shook his head.

Then Haeji grabs the spellbook and flips the pages for a spell that got her attention. The Bondage Breaking Spell. Ryan read the fragment carefully word for word. 

"You picked a hard one." Ryan mentioned before he concentrated on the runic incantation and casted it.

After Ryan had successfully casted the powerful spell he heard the sound of links breaking, the closest one was Haeji's EMCuff. Then Breloq's jaw zipped open by itself, his jaw hanging at disbelief.

"What was that spell?" The sounds emitted from the abyss of Breloq’s mouth. An alarm went off. Breloq and the others stopped talking to look around.

Joon's EMCuff opened along with the other magic users that had the cuff on for safety precautions, including Nulekai's. 

Joon looked at his arm with a confused expression, “What happened?” Joon rubbed his wrist where the cuff used to be. Suddenly men in black suits came in. Joon immediately recognized them as people who work for Patricia. Joon stood up, his white hospital gown falling to his ankles, “What can I do for you, sir?” Joon played dumb. The man walked closer to Joon, thinking he was harmless. “I’m here because Lord Patricia has sent us. She will sabotage the Colosseum in 1 hour. For your safety please come wi-” The man said before Joon punched him, breaking his nose. “Sabotage the Colosseum? Don’t tell me their planning to steal the Life Gem?” Joon thought as he pulled another man's arm forward, bringing him to the ground. “WE NEED BACK UP IN ROOM NUMBER 233; PATIENT IS CONSCIOUS AND FIGHTING. PLEASE BRING SEDATIVE.” Another man yelled into his walkie-talkie while trying to fight back Joon. Joon dodged a man with a needle kicking him in the back. A man suddenly came behind him and rammed him against a wall. Joon grunted as his glasses fell, breaking them instantly. Joon ducked, getting out of the man's grip against his back. Joon swang his foot in a circular motion, swiping the men off their feet. Joon got back up and ran for the door, “I need to find Haeji!!!”  He ran out the door but was stopped by Jian, and a needle. “Just stay still.” Jian sighed as he used his magic to paralyze Joon. “Damnit, If I weren't sick I could've easily broken out of this spell.” Joon gritted his teeth. Jian squatted down to Joon's level and took the cap off the needle. “Hold him still men. He might break out of it.” Jian licked his lips. He inserted the needle into Joon’s upper arm. Joon’s eyelids got heavy, “Hae….sang”,  he thought as he fell asleep. “He’s out sir.” The man said to Jian. “Good, make sure you get the EmCuff back on.” Jian said before leaving.