한설아..한설아..한설아.. (Hanseol-ah.. Hanseol-ah..Hanseol-ah..)

자니? 일어나세요. (Are you asleep? Wake up.)

And so he did. Fluttering his eyes open, the first thing he saw was his adoptive mother, towering above him with a contagious smile. She has always been so loving and nurturing, befitting her maternal instincts. He didn't say a word, and only smiled. He just wanted to look at her and think of every possible happy moments he's ever had with her. With who would only be his mother for less than a year due to his stubbornness. But the sight before him didn't last long. A few moments later, she was gone. The entire scene before had dissolved somewhere else. The recently bright haired Celestial wandered his eyes around wildly, trying his very best to pinpoint her location. But to no avail, he couldn't. Because there was nothing but a blank canvas.

He felt a slight tug from the back of his collar. Like someone was pulling him back. Despite standing his ground, he wasn't able to do anything. Because it was an invisible force. Not a form, nothing. Like a ragdoll, he was dragged away. Until he forced himself to wake up. 'This can't be real.' He told himself. There was no way that this could actually be happening right now. It just didn't make any sense. It was just a temporal nightmare. That's it. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!

By the time he actually woke up, there was already sweat dribbling down from his forehead and sides. Shifting his position to sit instead of laying, he gripped on to the bed sheets, like he was nearly fearing for his life. It was just a bad dream. A nightmare. A mind game. He was supposed to have a good life with his family but he gambled them away because he took it for granted. And when he was trying to find his purpose in life, he was captured by the guards and locked in an island for the rest of his 84 years. Right, make it 85. He glanced at the calendar placed neatly on top of the mahogany table next to the vanity table. It was 3rd January 2019. A new year. New resolution, right? It occurred to him, he's never actually had a resolution before.

Sighing to himself, he got up and went to the bathroom, taking a short shower to freshen himself up as he stared at his reflection depicted in the mirror. His hair was no longer dark, instead it was a brighter color. Maybe, a bit more brighter than he had initially intended. Reddish locks replaced his sake brown ones. It's not that it wasn't a good look on him, but it still feels foreign to the star. After finishing his shower, he got dressed and wrapped his bomber jacket around him before making his way downstairs, and finally head to his clinic. Briefly glancing at the clock hung on the wall, it was still early in the morning, at about 4 am. He thought he should get the clinic going because he was supposed to open it at 8. As usual, him being that guy who doesn't use any medium of transportation, walked all the way to the city square, where his facility is located at.

Shortly before arriving, he had a small instinct telling him that something was off. He couldn't shrug it off. And so, Hanseol opted for the latter; which was to go through it like any other sane person would. As soon as he arrived in front of his clinic, he saw the locks that was supposed to be sealing the entire place was broken, in a forced manner. Someone must've broke in. But who in the world would break into a veterinary clinic slash pet shop? It doesn't actually make the best sense of anything but instead of further questioning the motives, he made his way inside carefully. There, broken pieces from the back windows were scattered aimlessly on the floor. The red haired star made his way to the door where he kept everything animal in their cages, and they looked fearful. As if they were clinging to their own lives, whilst the dogs kept barking. He calmed them down and sat on the chair, wondering what happened the night before.

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The dhampir muffled snores echoed through the room, his face turned to the side, pressed against the wood of the desk which took up a large portion of his room. The sleep was mostly restless, after staying up all night studying he had eventually given into tiredness and closed his eyes for what he told himself would be a few seconds. He awoke however to the sound of ringing, at first it was a faint annoyance that caused him to twitch a little in annoyance but as it got louder and louder he started awake. Dark hues looked from left to right as he gathered his bearings before letting out a heavy groan, reaching out for his phone on the desk and turning off the alarm.

Jae grumbled a little, leaning back and stretching, his neck was sore from the way he had been awkwardly laying for most of the night and he barely felt like he had slept at all. Reading the time he cursed the fact he had forgotten to turn his alarm off since he didn’t have studies today but now he was awake he already knew it would be hopeless to try and go back to sleep. Instead he sleepily made his way to the bathroom taking off yesterday’s clothes and jumping into the shower. The warm water seemed to do wonders for his current state of mind, helping him to think clearer. When he got out he changed into casual clothes and grabbed his phone from the desk.

Well he was awake now so he supposed he should make the most of the day, tossing his bright red colored hair he chuckled, a snap decision for sure but he really liked the way it had turned out, even if the dye was only temporary and would wash back to his usual color in a few weeks. Twirling his keys around his fingers he slowly opened the door to his room, the hall was dark meaning both his roommates were still asleep so he did his best to stay quiet as he moved towards the front door but just before he reached it he stumbled a little, tripping over the table by the entry hall and almost sending it flying. Eyes widened and he reached out to grab it before it could fall, but the sound was anything but silent. He heard a grumble from down the hall. “Sorry” he whispered before he opened the door using the light to grab his coat and headed out before he could do any more damage.

Hands delved into pockets as he stepped out into the cold wintery morning on the streets of Evermore, a shiver moving through his body as he pulled his coat tighter around him, the sun was yet to rise so the streets were almost completely empty, only the odd car passing in a hurry every so often. The dhampir walked the streets of Evermore letting his mind drift, sometimes he couldn’t believe he was actually here, he felt like his life had been entirely turned on it’s head lately, in both good and bad ways. On the one hand, everything felt a little bit harder than he’d expected, from accepting his dhampir heritage to fitting into life abroad but on the other he’d met some really interesting people already.

On that thought his mind drifted to Hanseol remembering how he had dashed out of him without even a goodbye, he felt kinda bad about that. He looked down at his watch wondering what time the animal clinic was open, he’d done a quick Google search and found the location already. Figuring he didn’t have anywhere else to go and Hanseol said he slept at the clinic sometimes he thought he may as well see the place for himself. Changing direction he continued walking, making his way in the right direction, he knew it was a fair distance to walk but he liked walking, it was peaceful for him, allowed him to think without interruption.

By the time he finally found himself turning down the road to the clinic an hour had passed, his fingers a little numb from being exposed to the cold wintery weather for so long. He wondered if this was dumb, showing up here unannounced considering he hadn’t heard much from the other male but then he figured Hanseol probably wouldn’t even be there anyway and his worry would be over nothing. Jae let out a frustrated breath, why did he overthink things so much.

He knew he should have never revealed his weak spot on that exact time. He should not show the vulnerable moment and let it take him away into another world, but he wasn't sure if whoever it was, was still there or not. And he also needed to know if the animals in their cages were alright or unharmed. Thankfully, they were just shaken to the core. Sometimes, Hanseol questioned his own virtues and traits. One moment he is too kind for his own good. But if not that, he's that stubborn and vengeful kid. It works either way and never in between so he thought the first was the better option to go along with. He would rather forget all about the dark things his mind would suggest occasionally from time to time, despite having settled down for almost 2 years. But then again, Hanseol Park is the definition of recklessly dense. It's part of his charm.

The wintery weather outside had the snow sticking in everywhere else, and had made a complete mess in the main road, and for in front of his place just as well. Surprisingly, the red haired Celestial did however, prefer the company of such coldness. It was refreshing, if not chilling to the bone. Ruffling the one particular Pomeranian pup in his hands, he sighed and placed the small fluff ball back into his cage and locked it before going outside in the main so he could proceed to clean up the place. It was a weird way to start his day but what else could the star do? He'll probably lodge a police report on the break-in but nothing else was actually stolen. It was clear that whoever did the mess was not targeting the place, rather they were keeping an eye out for him. The dread that had previously settled down in the pits of his stomach returned tenfold as he could almost feel the paranoia threatening to take over him. 

Shuddering slightly under the effect, Hanseol took the broom from the storage room and went forward to start his cleaning up session. It wasn't until he felt another presence domineering the room's atmosphere, that he actually looked up to the side mirror placed at the corner of the entrance. Four males. They did not look like robbers, at all. "You have got to be kidding me.." He grunted in distress, clicking his tongue in annoyance as his grip on the broom tightened and he huffed. "One day. I can't have one day of peace. At all." Shaking his head in response, he turned around to face his opponents. They didn't look like the usual antagonists. But then again, he learned that looks aren't everything. He made the mistake of trusting someone who looked as innocent as a deer the last time, and he almost got killed in Madrid, because of it. 

"You just had to target my workplace? Can't you see you scared the poor animals off?" Did he also mention he had this serious case of sorting out his priorities? No? Well, now he did. The annoyance was radiating off him as it slowly made up to the surface. Hanseol has never been that guy who's tolerance level is the size of a peanut. But he's quite temperamental and impatient in his own rights too. Hanseol had plenty of sides, and he wasn't immune to those negative ones too. He just learned to keep it down for good reasons. "I hate you guys." He mumbled as tried his best to hold his own against the four using the broom.

The dhampir pulled out his phone to check he was in the right place before tucking it into his pocket and taking a long drawn breath, he didn’t really know why he felt nerves bubble in his stomach, perhaps because it was still early and his mind still felt foggy or perhaps something else entirely. He came to a stop outside the building, his eyes catching his own reflection in the glass before he noticed the cracks and shatters. Jae pursed his lips concerned as he moved closer running his finger along one of them, it looked like some kind of blunt object had been forced against it.

From his military training and natural dhampir instincts, Jae got the immediate feeling that something was very wrong, his eyes moving to the door which he saw had been clearly been forced open. He felt his whole body stun for just a moment concerned for the safety of Hanseol, if whoever had done this was willing to break down the door, what else were they capable of and what did they want. It was then that his hearing picked up the sounds of what sounded like a fight. He pressed his hand down on the door pushing it open as he listened closer, counting the number of footsteps he heard, one, two...three...four..maybe six? His heartbeat began to quicken though he remained silent, not wanting to draw attention to his presence.

His focus however was dragged away when he saw a bright light shining, it was almost like he could see through the wall in front of him, a figure who seemed to be glowing with an ethereal light. The dhampir gasped for a moment before clapping a hand over his mouth to quieten himself, of course he’d heard the whispers about fallen stars coming to Evermore city but this was the first time he had seen one himself and now he realized that Hanseol’s secrecy when they had met made sense. Realizing he was wasting precious time he pulled his daggers from their holster in his belt and quickly began to etch a rune on the surface.

When the run was complete it glowed blue before fading into the metal and whilst Jae didn’t feel any difference he knew he would be invisible to those who looked upon him. Safely protected from whoever it was he started to make his way towards the glowing figure. The scene before him as he walked into the room however made his blood boil, watching as 5 figures surrounded who he now recognized as Hanseol’s shadow. The dhampir didn’t even have to think as he moved forward, weapons unsheathed as he dug them into the back of one of the attackers. He pulled a shocked face as he realized the reflex way he had reacted to the scene.

Jae turned pulling another one by the collar, causing the male’s eyes to bug as he seemingly was pulled back by an invisible force. The only proof the dhampir was a real person was the grunt that escaped his lips as he took a hit from one of the other figures who had now realized it was no longer 4 against one. Jae moved backwards spitting blood to the ground but remained light on his feet knowing without being able to see him they were at a disadvantage.

Hanseol would admit, he was an a disadvantage. It was over 4 people against him at first, until he saw the other 2 emerging out of nowhere. All that previous confidence just disappeared, as it diminished every second that passes because he could feel the physical energy being drained out of him the longer he tried to defend himself. He knew he couldn't use his ability unless it was the last resort, because then it would've been proving to them that he was exactly what they wanted. Which was already another case seeing as he was confident that from the glow in him that was starting to emerge more lighter as the time passed by, was all the proof they needed to know that he was a Celestial. Who knew being a fallen star could be such a work? Not him, obviously.

He was better in variable usage rather than hand to hand combat because he didn't exactly want to use any of his precision to hurt anyone else. Sometimes yes, his kindness just really got the best of him and caused him to hesitate. All he's ever done since the beginning was block and deflect all the hits that were given each by his opponents, using the broom. He did not land one hit towards them. Not one. Up until he saw two of them staggering down so suddenly, which piqued his attention, wondering what happened. Hitting the back of one of them, he used the other end of the broom to smack the other's face that had inadvertently result in the latter receiving a mean hit. "What the hell." He mumbled under his breath, his doe eyes aligning with the frown that was evident on his face as he stepped a few steps back, before positioning the broom in the offense manner. For someone who lived a nomadic life, martial arts was a prerequisite term for Hanseol. It wasn't the first time he's been ambushed and tackled this way, and he doubted it would be the last. Precautions are never useless, after all.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you. Just leave and never come back." He warned briefly, the grip on the stick becoming for firmer than ever. Truthfully, the Korean Celestial hasn't used his Celestial energy to his use for quite some time, especially since he's been held in captivity for almost 85 years. It became rusty in time, but he did manage to practice every once in a while, a few times every week since they settled in Evermore. Even if he had a good control over his abilities and identity as a Celestial, it wasn't in Hanseol's nature to hurt nor maim anyone, much less inflict any injury that was permanent. This was one of those times when Hanseol desperately wished to get back the side of him that he developed during decades of his imprisonment. At least that guy could fend them off by whatever means necessary. Whilst it was scary for the star to even think of reverting back in such ways, desperate situations call for drastic measures. 

He still, however, eyed the spot where Jae was actually at, despite being invisible. An instinct told him something was helping him. Or someone. He'll figure that one out later. His attentive self had heard the slight but brief grunt coming out of nowhere earlier. And he was positive it wasn't coming from his opponents. 'Whoever you are, I really should thank you for knocking some sense into me.' He said silently before switching into a partial offense mode when the instigators proceeded with their attack. The distant barks from the room behind them made Hanseol only quicken his movements, wanting all of this to be over with as soon as possible so he could tend to them. Yes, priorities. He'll fix that later. While he was fending off two of them, he did not realize one of them had came up from behind. That was the reason for his current fight against the headlock movement that was instigated on him. The aggravated Celestial then backed his body against the wall at a fast pace, where his opponent released the choke hold on him, relieving the fallen star of his limited air stream source. 

While he was busy breathing, a hit landed on him straight to the jaw, resulting him staggering down to the floor. He didn't even have sufficient time to regain his composure before he was dragged away and pushed against the glass table by the counter. A painful grunt was emitted from him as he tried to get up, only to be punched twice more. 

Perhaps it was because his natural instincts always pushed him into fight mentality but Jae had to admit he was confused as to why Hanseol wasn’t fighting them back, it was clear that he was outnumbered, surrounded on all sides by the hooded males and their intentions were obviously malicious. The dhampir was a little adverse to fighting when he was younger but as he grew he had learned it to be a necessity, something you had to do to survive. What he couldn’t explain was the way his body seemed to know what to do in situations like this, moving with a grace he knew he didn’t normally possess.

Jae allowed himself to give into that same fighting instinct, he had always been a little afraid of what he was capable of when he truly gave into his dhampir side but in a situation like this there was no question about how he would react. He landed too pretty heavy blows on two of the figures which scattered the whole group but took one himself which sent him staggering back. Thankfully his intervention seemed to have triggered something in Hanseol who was no longer looking like a stunned rabbit and instead he seemed to join the fight. Good, because even with his dhampir abilities Jae didn’t know if he could take down all of them on his own. On that thought he ran at another of the assailants kicking hard against his ribs which sent the male flying into the wall with a crack that made the dhampir shudder a little, he wasn’t one for hurting people either he had to admit.

Jae wanted to roll his eyes as he heard Han speak again noting the way he refused to accept how much danger he was truly in, he was half tempted to say something but he knew any sound he made would only lessen the only true advantage he had over these people. People who sought to hurt. Jae could understand some though, noting that his own fighting style always tended towards non lethal force, his aim was to knock these men out, not to send them to early graves, especially as he couldn’t even be sure what this was all over. Was Hanseol in trouble? Got in with the wrong people? Did he owe someone money? He had a lot of questions but now wasn’t the time to ask them

Jae was doing his best to keep as many of them busy as he could, the hits he landed with his daggers were sharp and deadly, causing large gashes which rendered two of them useless. The one he had kicked into the wall seemed to have passed out and so he had a moment to breath before he turned to see one of the males had Hanseol by the neck. Despite the pain radiating from his jaw and leg where he had taken some pretty nasty hits he pushed himself back to his feet, moving across the room to where the celestial was taking several hits from one of the figures. Without much thought for the consequence he ran at the male with full speed knocking into him with his shoulder which managed to pry his hands away from Hanseol but also caused Jae to lose his balance, crashing to the ground, his hand losing grip on his daggers as they skimmed across the floor.

The moment that the dagger left his hand his body became visible once more. He grimaced a little trying to get up but the burly built male beat him to it, grabbing one of the daggers from the floor and slashing the dhampir’s arm with it. Jae let out a cry of pain, recoiling away from the attack but refused to back down.

Man does he suck at this whole thing. and all because he didn't wish to inflict any harm on the very group of people who sought out to harm him. How long can he be adamant in staying his exuberant harmless self until it eventually cost him his own freedom? Again? Was he really willing to lose that sense of relief again, after all these years? After finally getting the chance to see the world for what it truly was, to get a chance at living a normal life? No. Hanseol was not prepared to give that up so easily. That seemed to be the only aspect that has been keeping the young star behind.

While still flailing helplessly laid against the glass table next to the counter, he was taken aback by the sudden force that sent his instigator flying off. It gave the star a brief scare for a while as he tried to regain his conscience by filling up the blank dots that was applicable for him to do. Hanseol pushed the remnants of glasses away from his body and got up, while still grunting from the injury he suffered from earlier. Was this finally the last streak to play with himself for today? Possibly. Judging from the air that he was currently starting to exude, it was clear that none of them are going to escape here fully intact. Not in that way, maybe. But Hanseol seemed resolute in getting answers, once and for all.

Instead of letting them go like he usually does, for once, the doe eyed Celestial wished to get any sense of knowing by questioning them on who sent them all the way to Evermore; a place that was supposedly safe enough from the clutches of such people trying to claw at them, in desperate wiles of greed. He shouldn't be surprised, of course. He knew the world is also a bitter place as beautiful as it was. A place shrouded by memories of torment that left a permanent mark and stain in the generation's legacy. Taking the crowbar from under the counter, he managed to hit two of them straight in the face and the other receiving the ultimatum blow around the torso.

His dark hues caught the sight on a set of daggers that was skimmed across the floor not far from where he stood. Someone was definitely there helping him. He just needed to find out where the person is currently at. He tried to rake his mind to find out what else he knew about the other species, having already made a decent research on his own about the existing factions of different species co-existing in the same city. Dhampir. They have runic ability to mask themselves and enhance their ability. Was it Jae? He's guessing he'll find out soon. Dragging the crowbar with him, the red haired Celestial kicked the third person's knee as hard as he could, sending him to his knees, and allowing the free space for him to knock him out unconscious. And so, he delivered yet another blow to the back, just around the shoulder part that he was sure was connected very closely to the clavicle area, knowing fully well it would render the other person for quite some time. Maybe learning a thing or two about medical terms on the human anatomy is not a useless thing, after all. 

But again, Hanseol had left himself vulnerable under the eagle eyes of another when he faced his back against him. It was due to him hearing a howl of pain coming from one part of the place, a timbered voice he was sure he recognized due to the distinctive features layering it. So, he was right. Before he could get to the direct source of the voice, he was attacked from behind. The attacker however, made his mark and gesture known as he emitted a loud yell, similar to that of a battle cry. That was when it happened, an occurrence that caught Hanseol by surprise. The blade of the dagger did not pierce the flesh of his body. It stopped just a few meters away from his chest, the moment he made a swift turn to face him. A faint glow that slowly started to glow brighter settled and nestled itself on the tip of the dagger before gradually quickening its pace to engulf the dagger. The Celestial himself was shocked by it, much less the others in the current company. Wide eyes accompanied his reaction as he willed nothing more to push his current opponent with what seemed to be an energy, that send him staggering to the floor with the dagger flying and landing against one of the canvas paintings. 

With everyone but one being on the ground already, he grabbed the back of the person who was holding the other pair of the daggers and dragged him away from Jae, despite not being able to see his visible form. He dismantled the dagger from his grip and kicked him in the face, harsh enough to knock the last one out. However, his gaze on the male that he rendered useless earlier using what seemed to be his Celestial energy was not averted elsewhere, because that was the biggest blow of the night. "Jae, is that you?" He called out and saw the blood staining the floor. He didn't escape unscathed too, his face resulting in a few bruises, but the worst from his ribs and torso. 

Pain was threatening to take over his whole body, he could feel every punch and cut as though they were being inflicted over and over and yet he continued to get up and fight on against those who came towards him. Jae wasn’t the kind of person who gave up, from the moment he had entered this fight he was all in. At his heart, Jae was a dhampir and that meant he was a fighter, one who would always do everything he could to protect those who were innocent.

He found his focus moving to the celestial often, trying to determine his movements and plan his own strategy around them, sure it wasn’t helped by the fact that Hanseol didn’t even know it was him and wasn’t accustomed to dhampir fighting. Jae thought they may have the upper hand once three of the attackers were knocked out but this one particular male kept coming back no matter how much the two of them fought against him. He was stronger and faster than the others, supernatural for sure and it was clear he was the leader of whatever this group called themselves.

Hanseol seemed to have some level of skill he noted, seeing how the male moved into traditional martial art stances though it was clear he was under practiced and it was two of them against several older males who clearly had planned this out. The setting of it and the way they had lured Hanseol to where the animals were, it sounded like the celestial was actually their target, not anything he owned. Jae hadn’t really done much research on celestials but there must have been a reason no one even knew about them up til now right? Perhaps it was related.

The gash to his arm radiated painfully through his entire body, sending him down to the ground, clutching it against his chest as though it could numb the feeling of fire that seemed to flow through him. He gritted his teeth through the pain though the cry that escaped his lips told the story for him, dhampir weapons were designed to be deadly and he’d never had one turned on him before, he couldn’t say that he particularly like the feeling he had to admit. Turning to his side he moved backwards before the attacker could land another hit on him though as he moved,  the blood from his arm left a trail along the floor. He tried to slow his breathing knowing that panicking would only make it worse and the last thing he needed right now was to pass out.

Jae grimaced ripping the sleeve from his jacket before he started to bind it around the wound, knowing that leaving it open would likely lead to him bleeding out on this very floor. Feeling lightheaded his thoughts were filled with the last time he had been seriously injured during his military training, it had been a wake up call for him about his own capabilities, he learned that as good of a fighter he was, there was always going to be someone out there who could hurt him, especially when you were outnumbered. Unfortunately he didn’t have long to treat the wound because the trail led the male straight back to him and Jae kicked his legs out in an attempt to keep the male away whilst he finished tying the knot with his other arm. Now secured the dhampir was about to push to his feet when he caught the bright light from across the room in the corner of his eye.

His lips parted as he turned towards Hanseol who gave off a bright beam of light which sent a feeling of shock around the room and the male he was facing flying dramatically. Jae had so many questions, all information about fallen stars had been stripped from the world and so they were almost a complete mystery to him, the male standing there the only evidence of one had ever seen. But it was hardly the time or the place. Watching as Hanseol finished off the last male he slowly pushed himself to his feet, though his footsteps were now heavy and loud as he struggled to keep his balance whilst fighting with the pain he felt. Jae moved to pick up the dagger which had landed next to the painting before moving back to collect the one at the celestials feet. Now they were both in hand he removed the rune, allowing himself to return back to normal.

Looking up at Hanseol he saw a whole different person to what he had seen the night that had first met, his eyes were bright like before but now they seemed to have a depth to them, like he had been through much more than this, like this was just another day for him. Now the dhampir was visible he opened his lips to say something but it came out much softer than he expected, almost unfamiliar in tone “You’re supposed to fight back you idiot” he murmured almost a little deliriously before his legs gave out and he fell backwards to the ground. He managed to stay conscious but his head was spinning and he wasn’t sure he was making much sense.

His eyes searched wildly for any sign of Jaesung, but he did notice the blood trail from a distance and went closer to it. Until the dhampir revealed himself to him. He saw the current state the poor younger dhampir was in, and his expression dropped into a much more somber and sullen state as he crouched down to help him. Hanseol was aware that he was emitting a much lighter glow than usual, and that it was evident he was a part of the mysterious faction residing in the west side of the eternal city. There was no running away from this now. The next time Jae talks, he'll explain everything. He promised himself that much, by the very least. The newfound friend he found in Jae deserved much more and seeing him in such state broke the Celestial's heart devastatingly. 

Following the words coming from him, Hanseol couldn't help but to daze away in confusion to why he thought quipping such a remark was the best option at their current situation. But it was soon replaced with a soft chuckle and smile. "Are you okay?" He mumbled, his mocha hues gazing at every outline of the male's physical to pinpoint the injury he had suffered from earlier. He noticed the twin blades within his grasps and concluded that it was a dhampir's affinity weapon. His. That explains why the impact it delivers would be far more devastating. It was then that he noticed the injury the dhampir had. His arm was bleeding and while it was tied in a decent and semi-full knot using the cloth, it didn't stop there. It didn't take the red haired Celestial long to actually understand what was occurring before him. Jae was injured by his own weapon, used in retaliation by their opponents. He might not know much about dhampirs altogether but he knew that their weapon had a history of protecting; which meant a single cut from one would result a not-so-looked-forward outcome.

He didn't have the time to say his next words when the male just suddenly stagger to the ground backwards. He didn't have enhanced agility and whatnot, so the fallen star only managed to soften his fall by protecting the head from hitting head first. Gaining such an injury from a dhampir's weapon was bad enough, he didn't want the dhampir to suffer a concussion just as well. "Don't lose consciousness on me, Jae. We'll get you to the hospital. I'll call paramedics or anything, but we'll get you there. Don't worry." He reassured, and let his eyes wandered off trying to find the keys. "Be right back." Laying his head on the floor gently, he went over the counter's desk to find the keys to the storage room, where a first aid kit was stored at. Unfortunately, the hospital was quite a distance from where they were at, so Hanseol was trying to opt for a brief first aid treatment first. It wasn't until he came back with the first aid kit and one glance at the wound, that he finally realized something. That wasn't exactly a mortal wound from a usual weapon. It was a weapon that held every trinket of magic flowing in it. 

He hoisted Jae up on his side before dragging him away to the spare room, where there was a bed. It was the room where the Celestial often slept at whenever he didn't want to go back home. "Let's get your wound cleaned and sanitized first.." He said and slowly began to unravel the bandage made around his arm. The nasty cut was very intimidating. It wasn't the wound that made the male shudder, it's what was used to inflict it. He however, did know that dhampirs had accelerated healing and in time, it'll close up like nothing happened. But for now, he had to make sure it stays germ-free. It was ironic, here he was mending to someone. In his clinic. Pet clinic. He was a doctor, yes. But only for the animals. But a first aid kit treatment is very basic so he doubted he'll have trouble with it. He filled a bowl with clean water and came back to the side of the bed and proceeded on cleaning the wound. Not long after applying iodine on his wound, he wrapped his arm with a new and actual bandage. Hanseol was immensely grateful that someone familiar was there to save him, but he didn't like the idea of them getting hurt in return. This wasn't his first time fending off people who wanted to hurt him for their own personal gain, but it was definitely the first where he wasn't alone.

The Celestial took a few spare clothes and placed it on the table next to the bed, in case the dhampir required any change of clothes since his was already stained with blood. He also got a glass of water for him, placing it on the table, while beckoning for him to drink. "I fought back. A little late. But I did. I've never fought back before..it's all usually deflect and block. And then run." It occurred to Hanseol that he's been too used to the idea of running all his life. 3 years didn't seem that long, but for the Celestial who lost grip on his adoptive parents only 4 months after his fall, it was long enough. To survive in the cold world alone while also being pursued and hunted down. "Thank you..for helping me."

Jae wasn’t angry that Hanseol hadn’t told him what he was, he didn’t think he’d want anyone to know if the roles were reversed, celestials were unheard of, most people had never even heard a whisper about them until the past few years, truth be told he wasn’t sure he actually believed they were real, he did now though, after having seen the other male quite literally throw light at one of the attackers. He wondered as he looked up at Hanseol whether he had always been glowing like that, or maybe the loss of blood from his arm was making him see things.

Jae grunted in half annoyance and half pain as he fell backwards, he heard the celestial’s words but couldn’t get a word out, he felt dizzy, the sharp magical blade having done quite a number on his state of mind, thankfully before his head could collide with the ground and make matters worse the male managed to catch him, he let out a long breath of relief doing his best to keep his eyes open, focusing on the sound of Hanseol’s words. It was worth it, he thought to himself as his eyes scanned over Hanseol, noting that while he had taken some pretty hefty blows for the most part he seemed sound. The dhampir allowed a faint smile to cross over his expression “I only see one of you so that’s a good sign” even when his head was spinning and he felt like he was going to pass out, Jae found himself cracking jokes, a sure sign of insanity right?

Hanseol was right though, losing consciousness was probably going to make this far more dangerous and he certainly didn’t feel like letting those low lives win today, he would take great joy in finding out what species they all were and sending them tail between their legs back to whatever ambassador would deal with them “I’m still here” he murmured softly, as the celestial pulled his hand away his warm touch was replaced with the cold solid ground. He groaned a little but he doubted the other male heard it as he was already off looking for whatever it was he needed. Jae was focusing his own body, twitching each part of him to make sure nothing was broken, thankfully everything seemed to be in tact but then he tried to lift his right arm and let out a loud cry of pain, okay not everything.

By the time Hanseol turned around, first aid kit in hand Jae had managed to push himself into a crouching position, when the celestial hoisted him up, he didn’t protest, doing his best not to completely rely on the other male for strength. He followed him without questioning it until they reached the next room. Now against the wall behind the bed he could at least sit upright to watch the celestial as he got to work. He could tell Hanseol was in his element from the get-go. Sure his speciality was animals but it wasn’t really all that different was it? At least he could hope so anyway.

“Be careful” he warned, his voice drawing out the words without him intending to “It burns” he explained the feeling he had been going through since the moment the blade had made contact with his skin, dhampir weapons were designed to do ultimate damage and while it’s full strength required a dhampir to wield it, this still hurt like hell. He did his best not to wince too much as the other male got to work on treating the wound, cleaning off the residue of whatever was causing his whole arm to burn up and allowing the dhampir just a small sigh of relief, he closed his eyes for a few seconds managing to move his arm a little without it radiating complete firey pain “You’re pretty good at this” he complimented as he opened his eyes again leaning forwards a little, his strength very slowly beginning to return to him.

Jae’s eyes moved to the items Hanseol had set down but he didn’t reach for them, instead his gaze remaining on the bright eyed celestial, the words he spoke made Jae a little sad “You didn’t have anything to fight for?” he asked in a curious tone, he’d always had a reason to fight, it was like a reflex for him really, he would even run into fights he knew he couldn’t win because he was headstrong like that, really Jae just cared about everything a little too much for his own good. Reaching out the arm that wasn’t currently bandaged and laying in his lap he took the glass of water and brought it to his lips downing about half the glass before he set it back down. The celestial’s words were sincere, which brought a smile to his lips “You’re welcome” he responded before feeling the need to justify his actions “I’m not the kind of person who can stand by and watch someone get hurt” especially not someone he knew, it felt wrong on every level “Perhaps it’s my dhampir protective instincts” he chuckled softly resting his head back against the wall his gaze tipping up towards the ceiling.

“I have a lot I want to ask but first” his eyes moved towards the door they had come through “We need to do something before they wake up because I don’t think I’m fit for round 2” the two of them had made a pretty good team though, taking down all of them when they were greatly outnumbered.

It wasn't exactly a weird occurrence or unheard of him to do something so concerned on his best interests. Yes, surprisingly that is one of the ways he began to understood more and more each day. He was still under the pretense that everything will be fine, afterwards. How this was nothing more than something that was temporary. Of course, at some point he knew it was futile and hopeless for him to keep holding on to such glimpse of undying wish that will keep fluttering away from his grasp each time he tried his best to catch them. Hanseol knew, that because of what he was, he became a target for the other watchful eagle eyes from greedy people from all across the world, who only ever seemed to care for what they wanted, and cared very little for what they've already had. 

Being a Celestial became more of a burden to him if it's anything. However, he was still under the preference on putting all his trust on their wayfinder, Ophelia, who he trusted to keep a steady and watchful eye over them. It wasn't as if they could actually go anywhere else, in that matter. He was what he was. And today, was the result to everything he's been trying to evade for so long. Today was the proof and evidence that he'll never be able to actually run away from all of his problems that consisted of his identity. After what occurred earlier, he was sure it was finally time for him to accept what was in store. The fallen star was absolutely devastated to see the state that his newfound dhampir friend, Jae, was in. It was his fault. As cryptic as things may come across, he was the trigger to the sudden events that went down today. The red haired Celestial was aware he was the cause of how the younger male suffered his current injury.

Narrowing his mocha hues on the dhampir who still managed to crack up a small joke, he shook his head in response before snickering afterwards. "I can't believe you're actually cracking up jokes right now. You do realize you just got injured with your own affinity weapon, right?" He quirked his eyebrow up at the dhampir that laid down restlessly on the bed as he began to sort out the stuff he used earlier back into the box, closing it slowly. Staring at the a set of dual daggers laying on top of the desk, he hummed before going over the cabinet to keep the first aid kit away. "Of course I'm pretty good at this. I'm a veterinarian, Jae. A doctor for the animals, pretty sure stitching wounds up became part of the daily route to go when almost every injury these fluff balls suffered were usually gashes if not internals." It was one of the many factors why the Celestial took an interest in studying the human anatomy and medicinal herbs a lot more often than usual. He might be a supernatural creature hailing from a faction of species that still remained a mystery to most, but he was sure mortal wounds are very much still applicable to him.

Better be safe than sorry. There was nothing wrong with precautions and early plannings. It didn't exactly help when your paranoia level is always above the roof. But for someone who knew what being hunted down felt like, was it really a weird question to be asked? Hanseol didn't realize he had let a mild step take another turn to speak of his not-so-bright past that still etched a devastating blow to his memory lane till today. Following the question that came out from Jae, Hanseol shrugged casually as he sauntered slightly to take a seat on the chair next to the bed. "I didn't exactly have anything back then. If I had nothing, what's there left to fight for? Now that you've probably got a glimpse of what my identity is, it's clear my backstory isn't exactly all merry and jolly." The doe eyed star wheezed, replacing his once grim expression into a much more brighter one. "I'm a fallen star, Jae. Like, literally. I fell down one day and didn't have any recollection on my memories. I was a John Doe. Crashed somewhere in Busan close to 85 years ago, with no knowledge about my surroundings whatsoever." 

Sometimes, it occurred to Hanseol, that his impervious demeanor usually managed to steer every possibility rate away from its original discourse. It wasn't that he didn't have hope, he had them. It just diminished and dissolved as the years went by, where nothing changed. It does get depressing when you've been locked away for the most part of your life, without knowing exactly what you did wrong to deserve such result. He pondered on it almost every night, still yet questioning the night sky what was his purpose down here. Hanseol admired Jae's sudden need and want to protect people who are relatively weaker than him. A dhampir's sense. But overall, even if he wasn't a dhampir, the star was sure he would still protect. It wasn't until he brought up the topic of the 6 men rendered unconscious outside the room. "Right. Them. Priorities." He got up and opened the door before peeking outside. They were still unconscious. "I wouldn't want a round two either. I'm still rusty in all that physical department." He was not kidding. The last time he had practiced proper martial arts was before he was captured and that was far too long ago. The only form that came close to him as exercise was his daily cardio workouts. "Tie them up? I kind of need to ask them why they came all the way here. They didn't seem local. I doubt they would escape the watchful eyes of the ambassadors to be able to sneak in without alarming anyone."

Jae wasn’t going to pretend like he understood the struggles of other species, hell he didn’t really understand his own considering how long he had spent completely disconnected from the dhampir community but he was curious, to know what it was like to be something else, being a dhampir was all he had ever known, he couldn’t even  imagine what having abilities other species had would be like. But he did find it hard to understand what it was like to not have a will to fight, his fighting spirit was such a defining part of who he was that he’d always assumed it was normal, but seeing the way Hanseol had almost took off running was an eye opener to him. Noting the tinge of guilt he saw in the celestials eyes as he looked back at him he shook his head a little “No, no feeling bad for me, I make my own decisions” he warned, sure they were usually reckless but that was part of who he was and he wouldn’t change that for anything.

The dhampir arched a brow in response to Hanseol’s snickering, his eyes moving downwards to his arm and then looking back at at him with a chuckle “You know it completely escaped my notice” he teased with an amused expression, Jae always resorted to humor, it was easy and natural for him, something that had stuck with him throughout his childhood up until now, when in doubt he always seemed to try and lighten whatever situation he found himself in. “I really have to stop dropping those mid fight” he cursed moving his hand to place over one of the blades, it naturally illuminating as it recognized his aura, his daggers felt like an extension of himself since he had gotten them, he found himself a little lost when he didn’t have them. Hearing the way Hanseol responded to his words Jae pressed his lips together “Yes Doc” he stated, doing his best to keep a straight face before he erupted into laughter, turning his head away slightly as he did so.

Jae was doing his best to try and understand the celestial, up until now he’d been pretty cryptic when it came to anything about his past which had led Jae to believe it wasn’t filled with good memories, the dhampir was pretty young and that gave him quite a naive positive outlook on the world, Jae was for the most part an optimist, at least he tried to be, because thinking about the worst constantly only seemed to lead to the worst. . “Nothing huh” he spoke more to himself than the other male, his eyes scanning over him “Must have been lonely” he commented thinking about how he had been surrounded by family since the moment he was born but stars didn’t have family did they? He watched as the celestial’s expression moved from sullen to bright, noting the way his whole demeanor seemed to change, it brought a smile naturally to the dhampir’s lips, it was replaced with light surprise as he heard Hanseol speak his age however “So you’re not just a ball of light, you’re an old ball of light” he teased with a chuckle, it was ironic because looking at the both of them he’d assume Hanseol was the younger of them in age.

Jae felt it was strange to know about Hanseol’s past and not say anything about his word, he tilted his head a little wondering what interesting there was to say “My story isn’t quite so long, I’m 21 and I recently came to America after being discharged from the army” he was proud to say those words, proud to have served his country, even if the experience had been hard and somewhat traumatic for him. He trailed off not sure what else there was to say, his focus turning to the men who laid passed out in the next room “Could have fooled me” he commented softly under his breath as he thought back to the way Hanseol had been fending them off with a broom and then a crowbar, not even a real weapon. At the suggestion of capturing them Jae showed some concern “One of them was definitely supernatural” he commented as he pulled himself to his feet, not caring much for his own sanity as he slowly made his way across the room, standing in the doorway before he pointed out the figure of the male he’d assumed earlier was the leader.

He knew it was risky but he could also understand why Hanseol wanted answers, this was his home after all and he had a right to know why people came to it to attack him. “Okay, we should try and use something to weaken them, make sure that you’re not in danger while talking” he didn’t go through all of that just for Hanseol to get himself hurt all over again after all. “And when you’re done we call your ambassador and we ask for their help” they weren’t going to be able to fully solve this alone, that was for sure. It was lucky there was two of them to be able to back up one another’s accounts of the event. Hesitantly he walked into the room, slowly crouching by the male he mentioned before “Therianthrope?” he commented as his eyes scanned over the male’s tattoos, one seemingly the mark of a pack

The Celestial didn't have friends. All he's ever had were acquaintances, throughout his travels across each continent every time he would get the chance to settle down on a chair and talk. He understood how he was pretty cryptic about most things but that was just the way he was raised up to be, not that he had much of a childhood seeing he was literally crashed on the face of the earth as the same figure he was standing today. The only thing that changed about him was his demeanor. He wasn't the most subtle person there is, hence his struggle on the current issues arising very clearly. Hanseol was clear in what he wants, most of the time. He saw nothing good will come out if he kept hiding behind layers of the truth itself. 

That was probably why he wished to seek out the truth to their imprisonment that went on for over a century for their kind. What happened? What did they do that deemed them dangerous? Of course, he had a viable understanding on his own species identity that posed them as a threat to the supernatural community for what they were able to do. They couldn't live without being hunted down by greedy people and even in death, they still brought a whole lot of impact within them. The Celestial saw themselves to be much like a ticking time bomb or a nuclear warhead even. One that could go off any second and bring a very devastating outcome. The power to alter and tweak the timelines became a scary concept that was still difficult to grasp for the young star. He still ahs much to learn regarding it. He wasn't even a user of his energy until today.

"Just because it was your decision to help me, doesn't make it any lesser than it being my fault, Jae. If I didn't focus so much on only deflecting and defensive movements, it probably would have ended a lot faster and you wouldn't be hurt." He remarked dryly as the guilt still rested in his loins. Being a Celestial that were part of the light species, Hanseol is a naturally exuberant and soft-spoken soul that wanted to make a mark in the world. To do good. To do anything that could make the world a much better place than it was. He believed in such sentiments. That something like that was still viable for them to go searching. One day, it'll be known. Shrugging casually, the Celestial opened the door and beckoned for the dhampir to follow him to where their instigators were left on the floor amidst the other broken things. "I led a simple life. As simple as a Celestial can get, at least. I don't stay at one place too long, that's probably why I opted for a much more nomadic lifestyle. Being hunted down, that's not really a life you would ever attempt for. But what could I do? I can't kill every person that comes to me in hopes of trying to use my death or extort my energy for their own personal gains. Replying bad with something bad is just off the scales."

All the fallen star has ever wanted was just to lead a normal and content life, by doing what he likes best and surround himself with the white paints of the world. But drama will always follow when you're a Celestial, a species that still very much unknown to many parts of the world. Even Hanseol didn't fully understand his species, on what he was. In time, he hoped to be able to get a firm grasp on his identity. Being indecisive is such a stain to his current character. A dosage of insecurity didn't add up the best to it either. "I'm not sure if I even have much of memories to even consider which one is good or bad. Seems like there's only a few doors in here." He mumbled as he tapped his head before circling the men like a predator stalking its prey. "Oh and I would hardly call 89 years old old, dhampy. I thought 100 is mostly the average for anyone here, nowadays. Immortality switch and whatnot.  Huh, ball of light. That name is very ironic."

"I think the ones I hit with the crowbar was knocked out a little longer. But the guy there, is definitely out cold." He quipped as he pointed to the main person that seemed to exude a supernatural air. The one Jae had said to be a supernatural like the two of them. "I guess I can now add another one to the never have I ever game. Never have I ever blasted a guy with my celestial energy." Humor should be the last thing that was supposed to be on his mind at the moment, but he couldn't help it. Jae exuded a very positive energy for the star. Upon hearing the man's species, he quirked an eyebrow in response before letting his eyes wander around. "I should have silver around. They're weak around silver, right?" He had concluded the other 5 were literally mercenaries that were human. Not surprising. Coming back with the silver chains he was supposed to use bar the cages, he dropped them on the floor, where his other free hand held a long rope. 

"I'll tie the other 5 together and lock them in a room where they can't escape, first. Then we'll handle that one." Dragging the bodies one by one, Hanseol managed to tie them up against each other in a circular motion using the rope, with help from the dhampir. He locked them in the room Jae was in earlier before turning his attention on the still yet unconscious therianthrope. He dragged the silver chains that rattled against the friction caused by the sudden clashing between the floor and him. Soon enough, the star finished tying him up on the chair. At least he was considerate enough to give him solace by sitting. Now all they needed to do is wait for him to wake up.

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