Yunho grabs his mortar and pestle after gathering his herbs just as his herbal teacher instructed and he slowly begins to knead the herbs, the juices being squeezed out from the leaves and mixing together. Yunho works hard to make this remedy perfectly, knowing he would like to master making these medicines just like the rest of his pack. These ancient remedies have saved Essence many times over the years.

Yunho's always specialized in creating new mixes that differ from the old ones, trying to make new additions whenever he can. His teacher advises him to stick to the recipe, but Yunho can't help but experiment. He's even cured a sickness that came over Essence around this time last year all from a special remedy he had created himself.

"I see you're playing around again, Jeong," Yunho's teacher says to him, glancing over his shoulder to watch him as he kneads the herbs together.

Yunho smiles brightly up at his teacher, always having been a joyous soul, "It's not playing, sir. You never know when I, or anyone here, could make the next big medicine we use for years!" He says cheerfully.

The real reason Yunho's always been curious about medicines and remedies was because of his father. He's been ill for a very long time and all of the pack's mixes seem to never work for him. That's why Yunho kept trying to create new mixes -- in hopes that one of them will finally work for his father and cure him of his illness.

"Well, just don't make a mess..." His teacher stays, keeping his face straight and stern as he begins walking around to the other pack members when they all get interrupted by a loud noise outside.

What was that?

"Everyone gather to the center of the grounds immediately."

The voice is loud and everyone in the herbals building knows that it's their pack leader. It must be something important for him to call everyone like that. All of the students along with the teacher stand and leave to head to the center of the grounds.

Yunho wonders how his father is doing back at home, knowing he wouldn't be able to get up and walk all the way here. He will have to tell him the news when he gets back home. Yunho feels himself preparing for the worst the closer he gets to the large mass of his pack members.

Yunho notices that the Park family is he and gathered around towards the middle with the pack leader and his family. They must be here for their yearly visit, Yunho thinks. He's always found it interesting

Everyone is talking amongst themselves about what this could be about but are silenced when the pack leader begins to speak.

"We've received a prophecy this morning," He begins, "One that says war and ruin are coming, along with a strong and powerful love."

Many of the pack members are shocked, but the majority of the younger members aren't worried about the war and ruin part as much as the strong and powerful love part. They're all wanting to be the one the prophecy is about. There is talk among the young pack members about a possible fated mate pairing being among them, but the people that bring it up are immediately hushed calling it nonsense since fated mates know who their mate is instantly when they see them and they all know each other.

Yunho, however, is shaken when he hears the pack leader mention war.

It can't be.

There hasn't been a war in so long, it has to be wrong, right?

Yunho has an indistinguishable look of worry come across his face the more he thinks about it, his thoughts going straight to his ill father. If there is to be a war, he knows that all of the alphas and some betas will be sent to fight.

His father is among that group, being an alpha, of course.

Yunho knows that even though he is ill, he will be called out to fight. Yunho also knows that he can't let that happen no matter what. It would kill him. His heart begins to beat faster and faster the more his mind begins to fill will thoughts about his father possibly dying if he were sent to fight in this war.

There has to be something he can do.

Yunho is knocked out of his trance by his friend Kyelin, "Yunho~ what do you think about the prophecy? Everyone is so worked up about the possibility of someone here having a fated mate, isn't that wild?" She asks, her eyes full of wonder as she stares up at her childhood friend.

Yunho flinches at the contact, not having expected anyone to startle him like that, but he should've known. Kyelin is always sneaking up on him like this.

"I haven't thought much of it, Lin..." Yunho begins, worry prominent in his voice, "You don't think there will actually be a war, right?"

Kyelin looks like she thinks for a while before answering, "Well, a prophecy has never been wrong before, but I think many of us are hoping that the powerful love could combat the acts of war mentioned. Don't you remember the stories, Yunho?"

Yunho sighs. Of course, he remembers the stories about Essence's most powerful ancient leaders. They were the first fated mate couple, soulmates that were bound to be with one another even before birth. Fated mates were destined to meet in every single lifetime. Essence had not seen a fated mate couple ever since them, so the ancient leaders' story became almost like an old folktale to the members of Essence now. In recent years, some members of the pack tried to fake that they were fated mates, but when it was found out to be false, they were cast out of the pack.

Essence believes fated mate couples are very special and have special powers within themselves that unlock when they find their mate. At least, that's what all of the stories would describe. The stories that all members of Essence have heard since they were small children.

"Of course I remember, Lin, but the war--"

"War, shmor. You know how powerful our pack is, Yunho. There's no way someone could defeat us, you know that!" Kyelin interrupts him, but her voice gets a bit quieter when she sees the defeated look on Yunho's face and she remembers about his father, "Oh... Yunho, you can't really believe they will try to send him, do you?"

Yunho flinches at the mention, knowing she means his father, and slightly turns away from her, looking towards the ground.

Kyelin comes over and wraps her arms around Yunho's waist, "They won't send him, Yun. You have nothing to worry about," She says in a hopeful tone, trying to get her childhood friend to look at her, "Look at me... I promise he won't get sent."

Yunho does look at her when she says her final sentence, a pang sending through Yunho's heart, really wanting to believe that she's telling the truth. He calms down after talking with her and nods, biting his lip to keep it from trembling.

Yunho's eyes are suddenly drawn back to the Park family, seeing them talking to the head alpha before rushing out of essence grounds.

He can't help but wonder what is actually going on here.

Is war truly among us?

~

The Park family is sprinting quickly through the woods to get to Bloodbane in time before they set out on their attack.

"It seemed like everything was going alright until that gathering in the middle of the grounds when that prophecy was read," Gyungho growls, "I can't believe after all these years that Bloodbane would actually do something so... So stupid!"

Hyejin glances over at her husband as they all run, "They must really believe Essence still possesses magic."

"It didn't seem like they had any magical abilities, only the remedies and medicines that they've made, but that isn't magic. That's just what they've always done and they're the reason we're all able to get through so many illnesses. Maybe they found something," Dohyon suggests.

Seonghwa keeps quiet as they all run, running close to his sister Areum to make sure she's keeping up. Areum hasn't been doing so well, they think she might've caught something from traveling so much. She's prone to getting sick whenever they travel to all of the packs.

Seonghwa's been worried about her, so he got some medicines while they were in Essence to try and help her while they're still on their journey. He knows the stress from all of this war talk can't be good for her health either.

Seonghwa nuzzles her side when she lags behind a bit, and this action makes her continue running on with them, knowing she will be able to rest soon.

Gyungho's voice is gruff through their link, "Knowing Bloodbane, they probably saw something new that Essence had created and instantly thought the worst. Who knows. We must get there as fast as we possibly can, though. Hurry."

~

"We've already gathered and explained the plan to all of Bloodbane's alphas and strongest betas. They're going to meet us at the entrance of our grounds in two days' time. That will give them enough notice to bid their goodbyes and farewells to their families and friends before we head off. I trust that throughout the years, we have trained them all to be at their peak performance and we will have no problem when we encounter Essence," Mingi's father, Song Minseok announces, standing before their family and a few of their most trusted alphas.

Mingi watches and listens to his father, already knowing all of this information since he's been his right-hand man ever since he became of age, so his mind is a bit distracted with other thoughts.

He will never get over how his father can control a room and get everyone in it to listen to him and respect him. Mingi has always aspired to be a wonderful man such as his father.

"My son will be leading a small pack through the forest where we will try and sneak-attack any members of Essence trying to get the upper hand on us. We sense that they know something is coming, but we're hoping they're not sure exactly what that something is. We don't know how exactly their magical abilities work, so we can't say positively, but I know Bloodbane's power. I know that together we will be able to bring them down. After this, no one will disobey the widely known forbiddance of magic that all of the packs set in stone many years ago," Minseok continues, his voice booming throughout the room they're all sitting in.

Mingi's face flashes with disgust at the mention of magic, knowing he's been raised being told all of the horrible things that magic caused in the past. Those horrible events are why all of the packs collectively agreed to never use it again. So, why would Essence still be using it? Mingi couldn't understand.

Essence has been rumored to still possess magical abilities for many many years, but recently, one of Bloodbane's members told Minseok that they saw a few members of Essence practicing magic. This led to Minseok sending out some of his men to spy on Essence and they came back to him with similar results.

Essence still has the power of magic.

After the meeting, Mingi began packing his backpack for when they set out the morning after next. He senses someone outside of his room and turns around to see his father coming in and taking a seat on the side of his bed.

Minseok smiles warmly toward his son and pats the spot on the bed that's next to him, "Come sit, Mingi."

Mingi nods, stopping his packing and he goes and sits beside his father, immediately being taken into a loving embrace by him, causing Mingi to laugh, "Father, what's wrong?"

Minseok releases his son from his embrace and rubs his shoulder, "I just thought you needed that. You looked distant during our meeting, is everything okay?" He asks, genuinely worried about his boy. He knows how distraught he's been recently, and there's only one thing he knows it could be.

"It's just... I thought I would've found my fated mate by now," Mingi sighs as he twiddles his thumbs, "You had already found mother by this age and so did all of the other alpha males in our family, so why haven't I found mine?" He asks, worry prominent in his voice as he lifts his head to look at his father.

Minseok brings his son closer to him, keeping an arm around him as he speaks calmly, "Mingi, you just have to wait a bit longer is all. You know everyone in our family has found their fated mate, so don't go thinking you're any different. They will come, my son. You'll know instantly," He smiles, thinking back to when he had met Mingi's mother for the first time.

"I know, I know... I'm just starting to worry about how much longer I will have to wait for them. I want to know what it's like to finally have my soulmate," Mingi says, thinking about what his fated mate could possibly be like.

"When you find them, it's going to be the most astonishing moment of your entire life. It'll feel like life paused just for you two when you first make eye contact. I promise to you that all of this waiting will finally be worth it, son," Minseok says as he strokes his son's back before giving him a kiss on the head, "I'll see you the morning after next. Please be sure to say your farewells to everyone as I mentioned back there."

Mingi smiles, feeling better after talking to his father about how he's been feeling, "Will do, father. Thank you."

Minseok turns and shows a loving smile before heading out.

Mingi lies back on his bed and daydreams about his future fated mate. He wonders if they will be a male or female, a beta or omega. What will they look like? Mingi's mind is flooded by thoughts of them, it makes his heartbeat quicken the more his imagination goes wild.

Mingi puts his hand over his heart and closes his eyes.

Soon, my love... 

I'll meet you soon...

End of Chapter Ten