"Welcome to our world." Seokjin snickered, positioning himself in an intimidating stance as he faced the forest's edge. His sleeve had now been stained by the blood of his deep knife wound, blood still trailing off his skin and falling against the grass at his feet. His blonde hair fell softly over his narrowed eyes, the rays of the sun catching against the knife clutched in his hand. 

From beside him, Jimin was still tugging at his roots, eyes darting left and right with each sound that echoed from the forest, "Fuck this." he muttered, letting his arms fall to his side, "I don't even have an ability yet!"

Seokjin rolled his eyes with a grunt, "Right now, no one really does." he simply stated, reminding the group that he wasn't able to manipulate time as per usual due to his injury. With his eyes still focused on the rustling bushes and swaying trees of the forest, he spoke up once again, this time with a lower voice, "Here's the plan... there are five of them and four of us including the kid inside." he explained, keeping his voice hushed, "Aurora, you stay with the kid, I'm going to try and lure as many away as possible." he gulped, "If it doesn't work..." spinning on his heels, Seokjin turned to face the girl behind him, simply holding out the single polished knife towards her startled form, "Then use this."

Hands shaking in the slightest, Aurora reached out towards the weapon, wrapping her dainty fingers around the handle as she took it from Seokjin's grasp, "But Jin I-"

"HEY!" Seokjin shout, cutting off Aurora's words as he turned to face the forest's edge once again. His call was followed by silence, so with a sly smirk, he rose his hand. Catching in the light of the sun, the single purple stone placed upon Seokjin's polished silver ring shimmered and glistened, a stunning sight for anyone watching on. "YOU LOOKING FOR THIS!?" he bellowed, feeling pleased with himself as slowly but surely, five alien-like men emerged from the thick clusters of trees and plants of the forest. 

The group of men stepped out from hiding, sharp golden eyes rendering Jimin speechless as his eyes wondered over their features. He'd never encountered the enemy before, and to put it simply, Jimin wasn't expecting such a frightful sight. Even from a distance, Jimin could tell that the men towered over even Seokjin's form, muscles sculpting their bodies perfectly as they stood with an intimidating stance. They held weapons he had only ever seen in sci-fi movies, bearing sharp teeth like some reptile. 

Noticing Jimin's frozen stance, Seokjin was quick to grab a hold of the male's wrist, tugging him firmly as he ushered for Jimin to follow him. And just like that, Seokjin and Jimin took off in a mad dash, feet practically skidding against the loose gravel and dirt of the path leading back down the road they had come from. 

It didn't take very long for the Andromedans to purse the pair, grinding their teeth and clutching their weapons tightly in their grasp as they chased after the one thing more important then anything right now. 

The stone of time. 

Aurora couldn't help but admire Seokjin's bravery. Despite being utterly powerless at this moment, he still took on the majority of the fight. If he was thinking the same as she was, then Seokjin and Jimin's best bet right now was to find both Yoongi and Hoseok, both of which could probably handle a fight with no problems. 

Letting out a breath, Aurora felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. 

All until the last two Andromedans slowed in their tracks, sharp intimidating eyes snapping towards her small figure still standing on the front porch of the cottage. She couldn't help but shudder, body trembling as one of their lips rose into a devilish smirk, reptile-like tongue licking at his pale lips. 

Her heart began to beat faster and faster as both males turned towards her, dragging their feet over the earth as they slowly began to approach the cottage. 

"Shit." she cursed under her breath, backpack falling off her shoulder and landing against the front porch as she found herself freezing up at the intimidating sight. She felt her mind slow as the men grew closer and closer towards her trembling form, all until she bit down against her lower lip, snapping herself out of it as she spun on her heels. 

Launching herself towards the slightly opened door of the cottage, Aurora slammed her hands against the wood, letting out a grunt as it failed to open the entire way. She felt her heart sink as her eyes trailed up to meet the stone cold eyes of the brunette behind the door. He wasn't letting her inside, he was being a dick and forcing her out. 

Clenching her teeth, she pushed once again, "LET ME INSIDE!" she shout with desperation, frightened that the brunette was failing to understand the severity of the situation. She felt her heart beat in her throat as the sound of footsteps against the grass grew closer and closer towards the front porch, her small fists beginning to slam desperately against the door as a wordless plea. 

The brunette clicked his tongue, "Why should I?"

Aurora felt her blood beginning to boil, anger growing deep inside her as she sucked in a sharp breath of air. This kid was probably the most stubborn idiot she had ever met. So locking her eyes sternly with the male's, she kicked the door, "JUST LET ME IN!" she shout, voice now laced with both fear and anger. 

The brunette found himself flinching at the small girl's desperation, so letting out a scoff, he swung open the door. 

Aurora stumbled inside, placing her back against the wooden door as she shut it behind herself, chest rising and falling at a rapid pace as anxiety began to bubble to the surface. 

The brunette crossed his arms over his figure, and it was only now Aurora could momentarily take in the man's form. He was of average height, but of a slightly better build then most, gifted with a perfect ratio of muscle whilst his body curved almost in a feminine way, his tiny waist emphasised by the black t-shirt partially tucked into his ripped jeans. Aurora couldn't help but give an eye roll at the fact that such an isolated male still cared for his appearance so much, the only misplaced item of clothing being his black gloves. 

"You've got some nerve," the male spoke, brunette hair falling softly over his dark entrancing eyes. 

Aurora could've studied him all day, but, "There's no fucking time dude," she uttered, moving away from the door, "People are here to kill you!"

And finally... the message got across, "What!?"

Rendering the pair speechless, both of their eyes snapped back towards the cottage door as the sounds of loud knocking erupted from the entrance. "OPEN UP!" one of the men shout from outside, the door threatening to break loose from its already damaged hinges as the knocking persisted. 

Aurora threw her hair over her shoulders, "Oh fuck, fuck, fuck!" she cursed, grabbing a tight hold of the brunette's shoulders as she tired to push him towards the back of the cottage, "You've gotta hide!"

Before Aurora could even think about hiding the male, she found her eyes pop as she glanced back towards the door, catching an expression of fear for only a fraction of a second before a blinding flash of light erupted. 

Aurora and the male both let out a scream as the door was blown open, almost like a massive surge of energy exploding from the entrance as both of them were flung from their feet and thrown backwards as they crashed to the floor. Energy surged through the air as the brunette shielded himself from the heat, curling up against the floor as the sound of windows shattering disrupted the earlier peaceful moment. Thousands of shards of glass rained down over the floor, the blast from the energy shrilling over the brunette's ears, rendering him momentarily deaf as he covered his head protectively. 

Almost as quickly as it had happened, the blast settled.

The front door was no longer in one piece, but now shattered pieces of wood against the floor. Dust had stirred in the air, sending the brunette into a fit of coughs as he clutched his hands over his ears. The ringing in his eardrums was almost unbearably painful as he struggled to find his breath once again. He found himself laying weakly against the floor, eyes slowly opening and closing as they refocused on the scene. 

Then he saw them, two pairs of feet standing right before his face as his eyes rested on their shoes. He swallowed thickly, trying to bring himself to stand.  

"I sense a presence from this guy" One of the men spoke, voice low and sandpapery, laced with a thick unidentifiable accent. 

The other man was quick to respond, "What about the girl?"

"Leave her she ain't special." the other chuckled lowly. And that was the moment the brunette knew that these guys meant business. 

The two men bent down, grabbing a tight hold of his neck before tugging the brunette to his feet. His gaze locked with the eyes of an Andromedan, a shiver running down the back of his spine at the supernatural sight. But he couldn't gape for long because the Andromedan was quick to tighten his hold around the brunette's neck, rendering the male breathless as he began to gasp for air. He brought his weak hands to his neck as he began to claw at it, mind growing almost fuzzy as his brain began to loose oxygen. His limbs felt heavy, his mind clouded as tears began to prick at the corners of his eyes. He couldn't give up though, he just couldn't. 

Letting out a grunt, the brunette weakly ungloved one of his hands, noticing that the Andromedan was simply focused on nothing but choking him to death. So taking the opportunity, the brunette rose a trembling hand to the Andromedan's face. 

The man froze, 

And the brunette uttered a single word. 

"Die."

His voice came out in nothing but the faintest of rasps, throat dry as he struggled for a breath. 

The pressure around his neck was quick to lessen though, the man's fingers no longer digging into his skin as he let go of the brunette's neck, allowing for the younger male to stumble back, sucking in a tremendous breath as he broke out into a fit of uncontrollable coughs. The brunette was almost too pre-occupied regulating his own heartbeat to notice how the Andromedan swayed on his feet, the colour draining from his skin as his eyes rolled back in his head. And like he had just suffered a fatal heart attack, the man dropped to the floor in a jangled heap, not a single breath leaving his pale lips. 

From across the room, the other Andromedan's eyes grew wide in not shock or remorse... but anger. "The fuck did you do!?" he shout, sliding a knife out from his pocket as he launched from his feet. 

The brunette found himself utterly defenceless, breathing already ragged and uneven as he swayed on his feet. His vision was blurred as the Andromedan flew towards his weak figure, and before he knew it, he felt a cold blade dig into the side of his torso. The brunette let out a blood curdling scream, choking on his breath as the Andromedan twisted the knife before pulling out the blade, watching on psychotically as the brunette collapsed to the floor. 

Everything hurt. From the ringing in his ears, to his constricting airways down to his stabbed torso. He clutched his hands weakly around the wound, blood pooling around his fingers and down against the wooden floor of the once peaceful cottage. The brunette continued to violently cough, not surprised when the taste of metal filled his mouth as he coughed up a thick mouthful of blood. This couldn't be happening, he refused to believe that he was to become the next victim of a murder. 

Cursing under his breath, he tried to move, placing a hand against the blood covered floor as he tried his best to at least sit up. But his energy was drained. Letting his head rest against the hard wooden floor boards, he let out a small chuckle, blood trickling from the corner of his chapped lips. He knew he'd die a horrible death, he deserved it none-the-less. 

His eyes began to flutter shut, vision becoming blurred as a mixture of tears and darkness washed over him. However something caught his attention before he lost all consciousness. 

A new figure had emerged in front of him, 

A Portal,

A black coat, 

And

Mist.

~*~

"Kid?" 

Laying against the wooden floor, the corner of the brunette's lip twitched at the sound of a foreign voice calling out to him. His mind was clouded, thoughts and memories in a jumble as he strained to hear the voice once again. 

"Kid wake up!"

And finally he felt himself being pulled back into reality. With a throbbing head he slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times as the heaviness of sleep tried to tug him back into unconsciousness. 

Everything was blurry. For a second, he didn't know where he was. He didn't know how he had collapsed on the floor, nor how blood had stained at his fingers, also staining the shirt hanging loosely from his form. With a long exhale, he could tell tale signs that his brain was still waking up, grasping loose strings for memories. 

"You okay?" 

The brunette found his eyes snap up from the floorboards, gaze locking with the face of a stranger. He couldn't help but let his lips part in awe at the sight of the unworldly male before him. His deep blue hair fell softly over his forehead, eyes settled over his form. His eyes, they were beautiful, fragile and swirling with streaks of purple as if a galaxy had trapped itself inside. Perhaps he was still dreaming.

Moving back a little from the male's gaze, the brunette gave a cough, "Yeah..." he muttered, running a hand through his hair as he waited for his memories to re-surface. 

Then, everything was processed.

Within seconds of realising what had happened, he sat up straight, eyes wide, memories not forgotten but erased. Aside from his own noisy breath, there was nothing to be heard as he began to pat down his torso with shaking hands. "Wait- where did it go..." he uttered, feeling around before wrapping his hands around the hem of his t-shirt, "I was stabbed wasn't I?!" 

Throwing his t-shirt off, he didn't care that he was in front of a complete stranger as he placed his hands against his torso. Blood stained against his skin but no matter how hard he looked there was absolutely no signs of injury. 

Still crouched in front of the startled brunette, the ether elemental found his gaze trailing over the male's form until his eyes froze on a symbol against the side of his torso. With delicate swirling lines of near transparency, the symbol was beautifully clear. 

Two koi fish, one pitch black and the other left with no shading. 

The blue haired male swallowed thickly, "You're life..."

The shirtless male frowned, "Excuse me?"

"Your body obviously healed itself..." The ether elemental pointed out, slowly reaching out a hand towards the symbol, "And there on your torso is the koi of life and death... you're life-"

"Don't fucking touch me!" the brunette exclaimed, slapping the stranger's hand away before shuffling backwards. Hurriedly patting his hand against the floor, the brunette was quick to snatch up his shirt, throwing the material back over his head as he covered his exposed chest. He scoffed, "Why doesn't anyone respect that!"

Clicking his tongue against the inside of his cheek, the stranger slowly rose to his feet, arms crossed over his chest as he turned away, "Fine, whatever."

Rolling his eyes, the brunette rubbed a hand against his throbbing head, crossing his legs as he sat more comfortably against the floor. Now that the stranger had taken a step back, his eyes were able to roam the scene. With his breath catching in his throat, it didn't take him long to shudder at the sight of two dead males tossed over the floor. "What the hell were these guys?" he breathed, turning to the stranger for answers. 

The stranger simply shrugged, "I don't think I should be the one doing all the explaining..." As if on cue, a shadow fell over the floor. The brunette found his eyes snapping towards the doorway of the cottage... a dishevelled blonde haired male coming into view. The ether elemental pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the blonde, "He should."

With wide eyes, Seokjin scanned the scene, tousled blonde hair matted to his forehead as beads of sweat rolled down his heated skin. Slamming a hand against the doorframe, Seokjin scowled at the blue haired male, "YOU!"

The ether elemental simply cleared his throat, "I think you've got something else to worry about right now," he chuckled lowly, stepping aside as he gestured towards an unconscious figure. 

Gaze snapping over to the scene, Seokjin's eyes were quick to soften at the sight of Aurora laying sprawled out against the floor of the cottage. Her ebony hair fell over her face, soft breaths leaving her chapped lips. 

"God," Seokjin uttered, sucking in a sharp breath as he pulled himself away from the door frame. With quick feet he stumbled over to Aurora's side, reaching out with gentle fingers as he softly brushed her hair from her face, "Is she okay?"

The stranger spoke up once again, "She's all good... just unconscious." 

Seokjin exhaled a slow breath, "I'm guessing you're the-"

"Ether Elemental, yeah." he spoke flatly, dusting himself off as he stood tall and proud before the group. Taking a hold of the collar of his shirt, the male slightly pulled down the fabric to reveal part of his upper chest. Seokjin gave a nod of acknowledgment as he made out the symbol of ether, a single circle printed against the man's chest. 

As the ether elemental fixed his shirt, Seokjin rose a brow, "How did you know we were here?"

The male shrugged, "No point in lying, but I followed you." he began to explain, rocking back on his heels, "I'm always travelling somewhere... so I decided it might be fun to check out how many elementals have actually gathered." Cocking his head over towards the brunette still sat against the floor, he gave a slight smirk, "Seems like you've almost got everyone."

The brunette began to gnaw at the inside of his cheek, "Wait-" he turned towards the group, 

"Can someone explain what's going on?"

{Author Note}

Happy New Year everyone! I'm finally back and updating as per usual again!

AND OMG GUESS WHAT!!!!! As most of you may know, I live in Australia where the wildfires are currently happening. It's been three months you guys... AND WE FINALLY GOT SOME RAIN! It was only for about 10 minutes today but I don't think I've ever cried so much at the sight of rain. I literally bawled my eyes out the second a drop of rain rolled over my skin and everyone around me, just started cheering of both excitement and pure relief. 

I really hope the fires settle this month. It's absolutely awful.

(unedited)