Kaelsu's boots slammed against the steel floor, each step echoing like the ticking of a countdown. The corridor seemed to stretch on endlessly, lined with dimly flickering torches that blurred together as he ran. The air was cold, but adrenaline burned hot through his veins, drowning out the chill. He could still hear the fox's enraged growl reverberating behind him, closer now, like a storm fast approaching.
Hesitation was a luxury he couldn't afford anymore.
Kaelsu darted around a sharp corner and pressed his back to the wall, sucking in a breath that rattled through his ribs. His fingers flew across the glowing interface hovering in the air before him. Screens folded and expanded with each swipe: logs, combat data, memory fragments he'd dug up over the last sleepless nights.
And Junwoo's reaction to it.
Everything pointed to him, or at least he hoped so. Somewhere out there, Junwoo wasn't just a monster. He was someone real.
A sharp clatter echoed down the hallway. Kaelsu's head snapped up, heart hammering against his ribs. Boxed in. Just as planned.
With the game's menu still open, he tapped in a string of commands and smoky bricks rattled, rustled and vanished. The entrance hissed open. It was one of the puzzles he'd solved with the help of Azadeus in the past who easily solved it as if by habit. Another instance of this fox clearly being a pro. The taller of the two wasn't sure how he missed that at first.
His party came to life; summoned with an overwhelmingly bright light, then whispered a quick command and an azure light shimmered around his skin and his summoned monsters.
Then another pulse of light as he plucked a carefully stashed item from his inventory and set it on the floor of the newly opened room.
The room that was, clearly, not a trap. Except that it was.
A trap that Junwoo was about to walk into.
"You can't run forever," the voice belonged to Junwoo as the pet turned the corner and entered the room. He was taken aback with his own verbal statement.
Kaelsu stopped, that was Junwoo. The words poured out like water, he was far enough away from his summoner that he could exercise some form of self-control. At least, he could speak again.
Junwoo carelessly stepped into the room, triggering a silent trap that emitted a faint smoke that kept low to the ground. It was odourless, almost colourless and thin. Undetectable by the monster whose sights were set on only one objective: taking down his ex-master. It wasn't his choice, but the command steamrolled his thoughts. It felt like his own choice, after all, it was his own hands doing the work. Right?
Kaelsu turned to face the Jiuweihu at the doorway and started taking slow, deliberate steps backwards.
He needed to stall for two minutes.
Junwoo's eyes were no longer a lavish golden but had darkened, the light was gone. He stared, listlessly at Kaelsu. Junwoo panted, his entire body looked exhausted. Small bruises, cuts and scrapes were visible on his once soft skin, now calloused from the fighting.
Kaelsu was backed into a corner, he could feel the cold brick pushing against his back as quiet taps of clawed feet drew nearer. The light from the doorway cast a shadow as Junwoo walked further into the dark room, leisurely.
Junwoo's ears pricked as a light pinging noise cut through the sounds of panting and tapping, and the light was gone.
The door was closed.
The torches went out.
There was no escape.
A faint glimmer illuminated Kaelsu, the only thing visible in the room was the slight curve on his lips when a sly grin started to form.
A familiar azure shimmer ignited, that was his cue. Two monsters burst out of hiding in a synchronized strike, their arrival splitting the dark with blinding bolts of lightning and torrents of water. The twin assault crashed into Junwoo, stunning him mid-step.
A raspy growl shot into the air with Junwoo who was soaked with both water and electricity that snapped in erratic sparks. Every other second, his movement was abruptly interrupted with a shock. That included his charging ability that ended before he could start it.
His rhythm was broken.
Junwoo's body seized up and fell out of the air. He hit the floor with a deafening crack. It was a tight space, he tried to get up and move but was blocked as a dragon-like monster stood in the way between the fox and the already sealed exit. Even his charge, normally unstoppable, fizzled out with crackles.
One minute remaining.
Junwoo started to feel heavy and slow. Debuffs started to steadily appear above his health bar.
"What did you do to me?"
Kaelsu's voice was firm. "He poured all of your stats into speed. I lured you here since items don't work in player battles. But your summoner isn't here, so it's not a player battle… and you walked into the trap. In 30 seconds, you're going to be completely paralysed," Kaelsu breathed out.
Junwoo tried to lunge at him, his movements still quick, but was battered down as one of Kaelsu's monsters delivered a swift blow to his side.
Kaelsu walked over to Junwoo's body. He struggled to his feet. "Junwoo," he started with ice in his words. Something inside Junwoo churned. Something inside at him screamed to ignore it and power on, but before he could get back up a second swift blow landed with loud impact, cracking his ribs.
Kaelsu gasped and removed his monsters from the field, "I-I'm sorry-" he caught himself deviating slightly and returned back to his calm and cool composure. Kaelsu distanced himself from Junwoo and took a deep breath.
The thirty seconds were up. Junwoo's pupils constricted, he looked up at Kaelsu and tried to lunge once more but he was too late. He landed right at the white-haired Summoner's feet and collapsed. His claws drawn and mere inches away from the man.
Junwoo's voice crackled when he tried to open his mouth. He couldn't think of the words to say - his brain, frazzled. The voice in his head commanding him was loud, overbearing and all-consuming. However, the look that Kaelsu gave him as he stared into his eyes, scrambled the noise. It was a low hum of static.
"Junwoo," he said again, the fox flinched.
"Why do you keep saying that?" Junwoo managed out in between raspy breaths. His claws twitched, but he was unable to move.
Kaelsu kneeled on the ground and placed a comforting palm on Junwoo's claws. "I found you. I'm sorry for letting you go."
The dull haze in Junwoo's eyes flickered.
"I didn't think you'd really leave. I know who you are. I also know…" Deep breath, hand placed on the soft golden mane. "I also know where you are."
"I'm just… I'm… just?" His words sounded more like questioning. Regardless of the risk, Kaelsu took advantage of the situation and enveloped him in a tight embrace.
Kaelsu took out his staff. "I missed you." He started his chanting, "I'm going to try take you back. I don't know how this will work, but I needed you to be unable to resist."
Junwoo was too tired to fight. He nodded, obediently. He felt a welcoming aura that calmed his anger, and warmed his cold insides. "Kaelsu?" He murmured.
"Mmm?" He hummed back as he healed Junwoo.
"Do you really," he broke off in a coughing fit. "Do you know me?"
Kaelsu didn't break his focus and continued his chanting. His eyes were closed, but he could hear the gasp and the failed attempts at retreating away from the collar that encircled Junwoo's neck.
"That's not going to work."
Light flooded the room. The door behind them opened and the collar shattered into thousands of tiny shards. Each piece crumbled into dust.
"Don't you know you can't just tame someone's prize?"