He quietly and obediently followed Jihae in the stairs from the basement. He felt excitement tingling all over his body as the thought of getting out this dark basement and see the outside though his hands were still tied by the chains, and Jihae was holding the rest of it, pulling him whenever he paused for short rest.
He resisted to be carried by Jihae since he disliked being touched by strangers, and he was already a grown up man to be able to walk on his own.
As Jihae opened the door, they were greeted by magnificent hallway with statue of werewolves standing at the side. Hyeop stared at the statue, observing it like it was a rare statue he has ever seen. The statue have the form of wolf and human, standing on its own big feet as if screaming domination.
Strange.
Hyeop felt a light tug on the chain and he continued to follow the older. While walking along the magnificent hallway, Hyeop wondered of what kind of person they were, if they're really hunters then why take them? Unless they're hunting humans and they'd captured and soon will die. Just thinking that made Hyeop couldn't believe that this was his reality.
Wait, he remembered his dream about the eight master. But that was a different story than their current situation. Can he even survive from their hands?
Where's Junhyuk?
His question has been answered when he saw his twin seating in the living room between the gorgeous guy with long hair and the guy who just took advantage his docile situation after Fin f*cked his a*s.
Hyeop was furious since then, eyes turning into emerald as he stared at Jeongsun dead in the eyes.
Junhyuk's eyes landed on him and his eyes widen, wanted to stood up and run to embrace him but unfortunately, Hyunsung held him down, whispering threatening words into his ear.
Jeongsun smiled when his eyes landed on him. Hyeop didn't react at all, not when Jihae pulled him out of the house and up to their den, others following them behind.
Hyeop thought again as Jihae forced him to sit in front of the table.
'They've been taking good care of Junhyuk. 'I don't see any marks of pain and abuse on his body,' Hyeop thought to himself.
Junhyuk was fine unlike him who was full of bruise on the neck and his cheeks that slightly sullen and red from the rough slaps he received, lips bleeding, and bruise at the corner of his plump lips.
Hyeop jolted in his seat when he felt fingers brushing his messy hair. He turned over his shoulder and saw Fin, brushing his hair softly before pecking at the tip of his head.
"How are you feeling? I am quite sure you are really hungry right now. Have some bread and fruits," said Fin and signed Jihae to hand over the foods.
The others took their seats. Fin sat beside Hyeop and Jihae on the other side, not letting Jeongsun take the seat near Hyeop after what he done to him. The younger huffed and bit the apple instead. Junhyuk was seating between Hyunsung and Jeongsun across the other three while Junghwan well-seated beside Jihae, and Sungjoon seated beside Hyunsung. Seunghyun took a seat at the edge of the table and Minhee on the other edge.
In a moment, Minhee stood up and exchanged seat with Hyeop. Now, Hyeop was seated at the other edge of the table and facing Seunghyun, and the whole members.
"I believe you eat enough to a play games with me," said Seunghyun with a sly grin.
"Maybe," said Hyeop timidly causing the others shivered as how deep the his voice was, just like Fin. The voice doesn't fit at all they thought.
"Do you know the story of the king?" asked Seunghyun, knowing that his intelligence was far more high than Hyeop.
Hyeop stared at Seunghyun intently, he could feel the confident oozing out of him, he doesn't like it. He fixed his glasses and leaned on the table.
"Which one?" asked Hyeop, staring at the objects and foods on the table.
"The king in chess. Do you know the story of the white king in the chess?"
"I'm afraid not," said Hyeop with cold tone, eyes still on the objects until Hyunsung lifted his chin and warned to look at Seunghyun in the eye.
Seunghyun scoffed, chuckling to himself. Junhyuk stared at Seunghyun, he was too full of himself knowing that he have the brain than his twin.
But Junhyuk knew better, Hyeop was waiting at the exact time to strike back. Let his enemy taste the small victory first then give them the long defeat.
"I read the book about the princess and the gloat. Do you heard that story?" asked Seunghyun again.
"Yes, a gloat prince who killed the princess," said Hyeop in sadistic way causing Seunghyun to laugh.
The whole place was surrounded by silence and the only one who need to talk were the two competitors. Junhyuk can feel the heavy atmosphere already along with the forming tension between Seunghyun and Hyeop.
Seunghyun soon stopped laughing and after thinking a minute or two, he spoke.
"He couldn’t have done that, you know," Seunghyun gently remarked; "the princess have been ill, that's why, the prince was kind enough to end her suffering."
"So the prince are," said Hyeop; "very ill."
"How can you be so sure then?" asked Seunghyun with an intent tone.
"The prince had been poisoned by the princess, so that he suffered in great illness, and as for the princess punishment, the prince killed her," Hyeop remarked; "the second prince killed the princess. He didn't kill the princess because she was suffering in her illness, the second prince killed her because of her devious speech and evil doings."
Seunghyun paused awhile, trying a little to fancy to himself what such an extraordinary way of story would be like, but it puzzled him too much, so he went on. "But why did she lure the first prince in her trap and poison him?"
"Because," paused Hyeop, staring sternly at Seunghyun who're beginning to lose in the first game, he thought. "she wanted revenge but sadly, the second prince got her."
"And so do us," Minhee spoke, "If you're applying the story of your situation, sad to say, you're the one who will die here," he remarked with sadistic glint in his eyes.
"Sad to say sir, I can't die," said Hyeop causing the whole group fall silent.
"How can you be so sure you can't die -- " Minhee paused as the thought of gloat can't die that easily. It have a lot of process before they could kill a gloat.
"Do you believed that I am a gloat?" Hyeop suddenly asked making Minhee's eyes sharpened at him. "Do you read the tale of gloat's relative? Aside that they are lynx,"
"Chimera, the invincible mythology creature," said Seunghyun with a snort. "So, are you referring yourself as invincible as them?"
"I believe so,"
Junhyuk watched as Seunghyun's jaw twitched in irritation. Is Hyeop pulling someone's temper?
"But," Hyeop said in hastily, "That's only in the tale."
Hyeop noticed Minhee eyed Junghwan and so the youngest leaned over and looked at him.
'Is this back up? Are they trying to cheat?' he suddenly thought to himself after noticing that.
"Take some more tea," the youngest said, very earnestly.
"Very civil of you offering some tea although there wasn't one aside from that one cup of tea," said Hyeop and pointed at Seunghyun's tea. "Do you want me to steal someone's tea? Or so you want to be a disrespectful child to take someone's tea?"
Junghwan opened his mouth to defend himself but Hyeop quickly spoke with stern voice.
"And to make it remarkable, there was no more tea other than that," Hyeop said in stern tone causing the youngest blush in embarrassment and sulk in his chair.
Junhyuk can't help but chuckle, but of course he keep it to himself. He hold himself not to laugh at the youngest.
Seunghyun cleared his throat. He didn't expect Hyeop can shoot like that so immediately.
"You are very observant," said Sungjoon. "I noticed how you stared at the table awhile ago."
"Yes, but I didn't expect him to offer something very inappropriate," answered Hyeop like it was nothing. "Very lame," he added and eyed Junghwan who was furiously glaring at him.
Minhee eyed Seunghyun who was glaring at the younger. "Very clever," he said and tried to compose himself as possible. "May I ask another question?"
"Proceed," said Hyeop.
The others stood up and before Hyeop knew it, he already seating in the other table, very short one and chess board was placed before him. He looked up and saw Seunghyun up close, holding the white bishop, placing it neatly on the dark side.
"Setup, Turns, and Taking Pieces," said Seunghyun, and Hyeop was not dumb to be told what was it.
The board was setup. There were a white square at the closest right hand side for both of them.
"Can you play with me?" asked Seunghyun with a wide grin.
Hyeop looked down at the chess and pieces. He took the black pieces, placed it on their exact setup. He stared at the queen on his hand, remembering that the queen must be on a square that matches her color.
When he his fingers let the queen go, the mist around them began getting thicker and thicker until the whole forest covered in mist.
Seunghyun clapped his hands together and Hyeop suddenly found themselves still in the tree house but it's already night, and the only light with them was the lamp beside the chess board.
Junhyuk watched as both Seunghyun and Hyeop suddenly put to sleep, but their body were still functioning, eyes closed and they're moving in soft motion.
"White always moves first. So, I'm gonna move mine first shall I?" Seunghyun said.
"And we can alternate turns. Oh, well we can only move one piece at a time, except when castling. Am I right?" Hyeop then chuckled to himself sarcastically, not liking how this guy turning him like he doesn't know how to play this.
"Oh, I thought you don't know. I wonder how higher your IQ or your intelligence?" chuckled Seunghyun and moved the pawns forward.
As far Hyeop can remember, pawns can only move forward. The pawn can move one or two spaces, every subsequent move can only be one space at the first one.
It moved diagonally to take opponents if his memory was right.
So, when Seunghyun was done on his first move, he began moving his pawn forward too. Silence filled the air as the battle of their pawns continues until Hyeop reached the opposite side of the board, where Seunghyun's another pawn.
Seunghyun grinned as he moved his pawn diagonally and took Hyeop's.
"Maybe my IQ is higher than you? I have a super brain than your sidekick brain?" Seunghyun bragged but Hyeop ignored his bragging and moved his rook in a continuous line to the side where Seunghyun's pawns, and took the two of it.
Seunghyun gasped, not liking how Hyeop took two of his pawns in just one move.
"Don't brag, that was not so nice of you," said Hyeop in a cold tone. "Or most likely, don't be too happy because when you gets too happy -- "
"Enough of your speech," Seunghyun quickly cut him off.
The game was getting intense whenever each one of their pieces was taken away until Seunghyun decided to begin the game. Again, they're back to the first round and Hyeop thought that Seunghyun can't accept his defeat when he was almost winning in the game.
They both used the special move, castling.
Castling is the king can only move that allows two pieces to move during the same turn.
They moved their own piece of kings in the two spaces towards the rook that it will castle with, and jumps their rooks to the other side.
Both men's kings castle were to the either side, both has not moved nor in check. They did not move through or into check, knowing that there are no pieces between the king and castling-side rook and castling-side rook was not moved.
Hyeop decided to take the other special move like in passant. He moved his pawns and attacked Seunghyun's pawns after he saw him moved his pawn into two spaces that was next to his pawn.
He took the opposing piece by moving forward-diagonal to his pawn's attacked square.
Hyeop's king was still in check when Seunghyun's piece was in a position that can attack his king. Hyeop must move his king out of check. He blocked the check and captured the attacking of Seunghyun's piece.
"Checkmate," said Hyeop after his king was finally in its check and cannot be captured by Seunghyun's pieces. "I assume putting my king in checkmate is the only way to win the game," he added and looked up at Seunghyun who was glaring at him with his eyes now silver.
"Chess is an incredibly complex strategic game."
Seunghyun closed his eyes and slammed his hand onto the chess board, with that, they finally woke up and everything seemedback to the way it used to be, except the chessboard with the pieces sprayed all over it.
"You won. That was unexpected, well, you're just lucky today," said Seunghyun timidly before standing up and climbed down in the ladder. He looked upset.
Hyeop looked at the scattered pieces and grabbed the chessboard, flipping it over and placing back all the pieces inside before closing it. He neatly moved it to the side and looked at the guys in front of him, staring at him in awe.
Junhyuk smiled and ran to his twin, but quickly pulled back by Hyunsung.
Hyeop stood up and about to fight to get his twin when Minhee placed himself in between, looking at Hyeop with a stern smile.
"I made my decision."