ninety

"I missed you," Dongmin said, his eyes brimming with relief and Joy.

"How... are you alive?" Minho asked. "Y-You died right in front of me!"

"I found a way to come back," he answered. "Because I missed you so much, I couldn't stand being without you!" He beamed at Minho. His pale lips curved up, forming a perfect smile.

Minho stared at him, not fully over his surprise yet, but his happiness to see Dongmin outweighed his confusion. He didn't question his sudden appearance, didn't even realize that there was no possible way for him to still be alive.

"It must have been fate for us to reunite," Dongmin whispered and closed the distance between them, his blue eyes sparked joyfully.

Minho was about to answer, but he paused when he noticed something was missing. "Wait, where's—" He sputtered and turned around to find the rest of the room empty.

Dread rose in him when he didn't see Jisung anywhere near him. "Jisung?!" The panic that built within him pulled his attention away from Dongmin.

He used his magic to try and feel Jisung's presence, but he couldn't feel him. It was as if he had stopped existing. Normally, he would've sensed whether he was nearby or not. Now, though, there was just nothing.

"Fuck," he cursed. "Jisung, where are you?!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, waiting desperately for an answer. His shoulders heaved as his breathing quickened.

"Dongmin..." He muttered. "Did you see where he went? He was just here a second ago! We have to look for him!"

"So you have replaced me with that guy," he said. His lips curled downward. "Minho, how could you? I thought you said you loved me."

"I... I didn't replace you," he replied hesitantly. Speaking to Dongmin after a long time was painful. His chest became heavy with an emotion he couldn't identify.

"But you made a bond with him," Dongmin said sadly. "You never did that with me! I didn't mean anything to you, do I?"

"That's not true, I—"

"Is that why you let me die?" He suddenly asked. "You were fed up with me. So you brought me to hell to dispose me. Isn't that right?"

"No," he breathed. His voice cracked. "No, I would never."

Dongmin frowned. "If that's the case, then come back to me. Who cares about that filthy guy? You're better off with me."

"Filthy, huh?" Minho mumbled, giving him a sharp look. The color of his eyes changed to deep red. "Don't you dare insult him," he growled.

Dongmin was so different from the way he had been in the past, like a complete stranger. The longer Minho spoke to him, the more he got the sense that something was off.

And there was something else that bugged him. How was it possible for a human to come back to life? He was sure that they'd turn to ash. There would be nothing left of them.

And how did Dongmin even know that he was bonded with Jisung? He had never, not once, told him about that.

"Forget about that guy, he's not worth it," Dongmin said, and that was when Minho lost his temper.

"Stop fucking insulting him," he growled and abruptly pushed him to the ground. "You are not Dongmin."

"What do you mean? Of course I am!" He replied.

"The real Dongmin would never say such cruel things. You might have copied his looks, but not his personality," he snapped. "Whoever the fuck you are, how dare you impersonate him."

"W-What are you saying?!"

"You are an illusion," he countered. "And a fucking shitty one. That blood mage must have been drunk when he created you. I don't have time for this crap," he hissed and stormed towards the door, intending to find Jisung as soon as possible.

"I'm not letting you go!" A furious voice thundered from behind him. A wave of frost magic gathered in the doorway, building a crystal-clear wall made of ice. It blocked the only exit of the room.

"My only purpose is to stop you," he shouted. "You won't leave this room as long as I am here."

Bottomless fury overwhelmed Minho. Hot and blazing, it manifested in the form of flickering light around his body. "Then I have to kill you."

Nobody was allowed to stand between him and Jisung. He would get rid of everyone who tried, and this impostor was no exception.

To be continued...