Jungwon shook his head.
He knew what comrades meant to people. They'd go the world and back for them.

It was what K would've wanted.
K died in vain.
And he wasn't going to let anyone else.

"If this is going to be your last stand, we should do it together, as one team."

...

Time: 17:04, October 23

Perhaps she was already dead.
She felt like a soulless corpse, just waiting to deteriorate into the depths of death, never to be seen again.
This had been her fate. She was going to die.

She laid on the surface of her mind's abyss, unmoving.
Eunchae had felt like this body of her, though not her physical body, and instead one kept within the confines of her and the monsters consciousness, was gone for good. She felt like it had withered to a point of which it was excruciating to even try to exist.

Her hands and face felt like they were freezing against the icy surface, of some type of dark matter, of which she laid upon. She could even feel her breath condensate the moment it left her lips.

It had been hours. Or even days. She didn't know.
But each second had been filled with physical and emotional torment. She felt like her body was being drained and drained until there would be nothing left. Eunchae got weaker and weaker as more time passed, as so did her fighting will.

She was no longer Eunchae. No longer viewed as a human. Not by anyone.
To all the mortals, she was nothing but a monster.
To the spirit, she was just an item to be spent. Just a source of power.

To the hunters, she was an enemy.

She wasn't Eunchae.
She was a monster.

Through the darkness, a figure emerged into sight.
It was burning a satan red.
The spirit.

Eunchae closed her eyes.
Her heart felt like it had been encased in within a box of spikes. She had already felt at her lowest, but yet at the spirit's presence, her heart felt like it had reached rock bottom.
Maybe it was here to finally kill her. To put an end to her torment.

The spirit stopped in front of her, its floating bodily figure towering over her. She felt an involuntary wave of intimidation.
The air was much heavier than it had used to be, and her skin prickled from the blazing air radiating off of the monster. The glow was almost too much for her eyes to bear, even when they were closed.

"You wish to die... That's what you desire..."
The spirit spoke to her in a jeering, haughty, raspy voice.

Eunchae kept silent. It was a struggle to breathe in the air, let alone try to push out a sentence.

It spoke to her again.
However, this time, its voice had an eerie side of it within the tone; admiration, almost like some kind of proudness in a way.

"But yet, in the face of death, you still feel it, Hong Eunchae?"

The monster edged closer to her, stopping right in front of her face.

"They call it... 'comradeship', those mortals... It disgusts me. As much as I have attempted to diminish it from you, part of it still remains, I can sense it. Locked away, unreachable, where even the deepest blows can not penetrate."

The creature paused.

Eunchae felt a lump form in her throat.
Comradeship.

As many times as she had broken it, or strayed away from it, it had always stayed bonded to her, through the people dearest to her. It was seated away in a place not within the confines of her consciousness, but within her very soul.

She had failed them, betrayed everyone she loved by giving up her body to the spirit.
But there had always been regret.
Because she had still felt comradeship.

Everyone there was like family to her. Especially Garam.
She lost Garam. Lost somebody who was a big part of her life.
After Garam's death, she had felt completely lost, like she wanted to forget about it, never accept that it had happened.

But the answer had been right there.
Right in front of her.
She was just too blinded by denial to realise it.
She had all of them; Sakura, Kazuha, Yunjin and Chaewon had always been there for her, from the very start.
Sunghoon had been there as well. Even if it hadn't been for long.

They were there for her. Through thick and thin, they were there.
From the day the monster had first taken possession of her body, they had valiantly fought the spirit, even in the face of death.

She remembered.
Sakura had thrown herself multiple times into danger to save her.

Eunchae felt a sense of longing emerge in her heart.
They cared for her.
They hadn't abandoned her.

The spirit could sense her change in demeanour.
As quickly as her hope had built up, the monster was going to crush it.

"What struggles will your dear friends go through for you...? Such a pity... fragile mortal hearts... So easily broken..." The creature rasped in a mocking manner.

Eunchae gritted her teeth.
Sakura and the others, surely they were surely still there for her.
Surely they were.

The spirit continued.
"Soon; the tables will turn..."

A raspy, broken, screeching cackle of triumph came from the monster.

"You will die at my hands..."

The spirit hovered ever closer to her, to continue the last parts in a menacing whisper into her ear.
"And maybe, perhaps you won't be lonely after all... I'll make sure that Sakura and Chaewon join you..."

Eunchae opened her eyes.
Her heart gave a large, worried thump.

"I know where they lie... and I will kill them... and it's only a matter of time before I do..."

Eunchae's heart dropped.
That could only mean one thing.

Sakura and Chaewon were going to stand no chance against what was coming for them. Whatever was going to happen, it would be for the worst.
The spirit was absolutely sure of it.

...

He had a heavy heart.
Yet, it felt like the weight upon his shoulders was heavier. Beyond a point of which seemed like no return.
It felt like it was pulling him deeper and deeper into a cycle between denial and acceptance, yet the closer he got to accepting, the heavier the weight was that kept him away.

By now, it had piled up to a point where he felt like it was too late.
Heesung pulled his cap down over his eyes.
He wanted to block out the world. Block out everyone and everything. It felt like he could never be forgiven for his actions. Not anymore.

He felt like the world was against him.
Like he was just fate's fool.

But, just then, the dorm room door bursted open, and the noise rung in his ears.
He jumped off his bunk, uttering a curse under his breath, adjusting his cap.

It was Kazuha.
She had her sword in hand
Behind her, emerged Niki, who was holding an array of sheaths in his hands; all of their weapons.

Jay stood from his bunk, confused.

"Is there a spirit nearby? What's this for?" He asked, a hint of alertness rising in his voice.

Kazuha seemed to dismiss his words.
"We need to get ready. We're going out. And very soon." She told them.

Niki held out his hand to Jay, who took his weapon. Jake also reached for his one.
Then, he held out his hand to Heesung, but Heesung didn't move.
Heesung glared at Kazuha, his brows furrowed in annoyance and indignancy.

"Whatever your doing, if it doesn't concern me, consider me out of this." he spat.

He crossed his arms.
It was a blatant refusal.

Kazuha shook her head, and answered him, yet in a tone which was suppressed agitation.
"It concerns all of us."

Heesung shrugged his shoulders.
"Which is?"

Kazuha pursed her lips.

Niki held out his hand again, slightly annoyed.
"Heesung, for god's sake, just take your sword. If it concerns all of us, it concerns you. No more questions needed."

Heesung smirked.
"And if I don't?"

"You-"
Niki forcefully pushed the sword into Heesung's hands, making him stumble a few paces back.
"Just take it!"

Jay came up to them, placing himself in the middle of the two.
He shook his head.
"No- We are not- most definitely not- doing this again! Heesung, just go with what they have to say. You're a hunter. We aren't arguing. Not again."

Heesung didn't look at him, and instead kept his glare at Kazuha.
"Tell me what's going to happen. You haven't told anyone here what you're doing yet."

Kazuha let out a breath.
"I said we were going out. We're going out to our headquarters. Where Sakura and Chaewon are."

Heesung shook his head.
"Are you insane? That's a death wish! Eunchae's going to be there any moment from now! I'm not risking my life for those two. They're in for certain death."

Kazuha paced up to him, and looked at him in the eye, her face stone cold.
"Sakura and Chaewon are in danger in the first place because of you! Yunjin told us all of it! You told her where they were! It's your fault! You should help us save them!"

He fired back at her, though Jay tried to stop him.
"Guys-"

"WHAT ELSE DID YOU WANT ME TO DO? LET HER DIE BECAUSE OF EUNCHAE? YOU SHOULD BE THANKING ME FOR SAVING HER LIFE!"

"Stop it-"

"So then why are you so reluctant to help?!? We need to save them!"

"THEY'RE AS GOOD AS DEAD, YOU HEAR ME?!? DEAD!"

Kazuha stopped.
The room went completely silent for a brief moment.
She tensed up her shoulders, her face in utter disbelief.

"...They're what...?"

Heesung huffed out loud.
"I said, that they're as good as dead. They have no chance against Eunchae."

Kazuha shoved him backwards. He stumbled back into the bed frame.

"And you're just going to let them... die? Just like that?" She shouted, furious at his audacity.

Heesung went red.
"Damn you-"
He shoved her back, his emotions ablaze.
"There's nothing, you hear me? NOTHING you can do. They're gone. Just accept that they'll be gone."

Kazuha took staggered steps backwards, holding a hand near her collarbone.
She gritted her teeth, in pain.

Jay broke in between the two of them, facing Heesung.
He had a hand on his sword, and a face which warned him not to speak further.

His shoulders were tensed up. He looked like he was on his absolute last straw.

"If we'll die doing this, so be it. You'll live alone here, forever. Do as you please. But, if we survive, even if it's just one of us, and we catch sight of you again, just know that you'll be out of this team. Either way, if you do not come, you will never see a single sight of us again. Never. But, if you come with us, you can avoid all these consequences. And maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to make it right with us. I'll make sure of this, keep that in mind." He told Heesung.

Heesung clutched the hilt of his sheath, weary of Jay's hand on his own one.

"So, will you join us, or not?" Jay asked, finalising it.

Either way, for him, no matter the outcome, the consequences were worse if he stayed. He'd never be able to provide for himself, let alone fight other spirits alone.
It would still end in certain death.
In reality, the choice he wanted to avoid, was still extremely dangerous.
Yet, it was either he would die in vain, or die fighting.
The only difference between the two was the amount of time.
Time he didn't have.
Heesung let out a long, defeated breath, clipping his sheath around his waist.

"Fine. I'll join."

...