Author's Preface
Blue hit the ground hard after falling through the gate. He landed, dusted himself off, and stood staring at the golden gate in silence. Behind him, Jon, the porter, was going through the training as instructed by Wu Jin. He heard the loud thud and turned toward the golden gate. He watched as someone fell through. Jon chuckled and shook his head. "Blue must not have liked that guy if he flew through the gate like that." Jon watched as the man stood. His long blue hair, his size, his clothes. Jon's eyes went wide. "Blue?"
Jon started to walk toward the platform where the golden gate sat. "EEEEVVVEEEE!" He heard Blue scream, then watched as he reached his hand toward the gate. Blue's arm recoiled as the gate rejected him. Blue took a few steps backward and then ran into the golden gate with full force. Jon watched Blue bounce off and fall to the ground. Blue stood and ran full speed at the gate a second time. Once again, he was launched backward. Jon turned toward the administration building and began to run. He turned his head to watch Blue run into the golden gate a third time and fall onto his back. Jon ran through the doors of Wu Jin's office and stopped, out of breath, with his hands on his knees. He caught his breath as he saw the not-so-friendly look from Wu Jin. Jon pointed behind him, toward the outside.
"What the hell are you pointing at, Jon?"
"Sect Leader. It's... it's Blue... he's back, and something's wrong."
Wu Jin's eyes went wide. He placed his hands on the table and stood as his chair slid back and crashed against the wall. Wu Jin hopped over his desk and put a hand on Jon's shoulder. "Go fetch the strategist." Jon turned and watched Wu Jin walk out. Jon followed and turned down the hall toward Seori's office.
Wu Jin walked toward the golden gate. As he reached the stairs leading up to the platform, he stopped with his hand on the railing. He watched as his disciple knelt before the gate, pounding his fists against it. Sparks of energy flew into the air with every swing of Blue's fists. "FUCKING... LET... ME... THROUGH!" Blue continued beating on the gate. Wu Jin watched as Blue's hands began to turn red, his knuckles splitting open. "YOU MOTHERFUCKERS! OPEN THE FUCKING GATE!"
Wu Jin walked slowly up to Blue and placed a hand on his shoulder. Blue's entire body flinched. Blue slowly turned around and saw Wu Jin staring at him in confusion. Blue began to weep uncontrollably as he fell into Wu Jin's arms. Seori sprinted up to the platform and slowed as she reached the stairs. She froze midstep as she saw Blue crying uncontrollably, his head resting on Wu Jin's shoulder. She watched as blood dripped onto the platform from Blue's hands.
Wu Jin turned his head toward Seori. "Get my father and Yeol. Tell them to meet me in my office."
Wu Jin stood and helped Blue to his feet. He guided Blue toward his office. Seori watched as Blue didn't even bother to look her way. He hadn't even realized she was standing there. Seori looked back as Jon finally caught up to her. "Where are old man Cheng and Yeol?"
Jon shrugged his shoulders.
"WELL, FIND THEM!"
Jon bowed and took off running again. Seori stood on the steps, watching Wu Jin and Blue walk away as her grip on the railing grew tighter and tighter. She looked back at the golden gate. "What happened to my brother over there?"
Inside Wu Jin's office, he helped Blue sit on the ground against the wall, right beneath the window. Wu Jin pulled up a chair and sat across from him. Slowly, Blue began to calm down. Just as Wu Jin began to speak, the doors to his office flew open. Yeol and Cheng ran in.
"Is it true? Is my nephew home?" Yeol looked to his right and saw Blue sitting with his arms wrapped around his knees and his head buried between them. He looked at Wu Jin, who nodded.
Yeol walked over and sat next to Blue. Cheng pulled up a chair next to Wu Jin and leaned in close. "What happened?"
"I don't know."
Outside the office, Seori stood with her back against the wall beside the door. Ilho and Jinhu came sprinting down the hallway. Seori placed her arm in front of the entrance to Wu Jin's office.
"With all due respect, move your fucking arm, Strategist," Jinhu said.
Ilho leaned to his right and saw the scene inside. He tapped Jinhu on the shoulder and pointed. He looked at Seori. "What is going on? Why does Blue look like that?"
"Yeah, why does he look like someone killed his dog?"
"I don't know, gentlemen, but for now, leave it to the elders and the Sect Leader."
Jinhu tilted his head. "He's your fucking brother, and you're going to stand out here?"
"For now, I'm not sure I can handle seeing him like this."
Ilho put a hand on Seori's shoulder as he slid down the wall and took a seat on the floor. "Jinhu, relax. Take a seat, or I'll tell Mu Jang you threatened the strategist."
Jinhu sat reluctantly. "You're a dick."
Inside the room, Yeol sat next to Blue put his arm around him.
"Nephew, what happened? What has you like this?"
Blue raised his head. His vision was blurry from the tears. He wiped his eyes and saw Wu Jin and Cheng smiling at him. He looked to his left as Yeol nodded.
Cheng leaned forward. "Come, tell us what happened. Maybe we can help."
"Help? Help how? Do you have a magic fucking portal somewhere?"
Cheng sat back. "Okay, clearly something happened on the other side of that gate. I think now is the time to tell us."
Blue took a deep breath and explained the events of what had just happened, from the S-rank gate and the pendant to Grayson, his system telling him to run, Eve saying she loved him, and then being thrown through the gate.
"Now the gate is closed and won't let me go back. I don't know if they're alive, dead, or fighting. Meanwhile, I'm fucking stuck here now!" Blue slammed his fists against the floor.
Wu Jin, Cheng, and Yeol all stared at each other. They could not comprehend the strength of the enemy Blue had described, nor could they think of any words that might comfort him.
Wu Jin stood without saying a word and walked to his door. He leaned his head outside. "You three, come in here."
Wu Jin walked back in with Seori, Jinhu, and Ilho following. Blue's head perked up. "Holy shit! Guys!" Blue stood and ran to Ilho and Jinhu, throwing his arms around both of them. Jinhu and Ilho patted his back. Blue took a step back and looked at Seori. "Sis, you've grown since I've been gone." Blue sniffled, trying to fight back tears and act happy.
Seori walked past Blue and bowed to Wu Jin, Yeol, and Cheng. "If you three are done with him, I would like to show him to his room." In her hands, she held bandages and medicine.
Cheng and Yeol nodded. Wu Jin smiled. "Of course, Strategist."
Seori turned to Blue. "I'm glad you're back, Hyung. Follow me. We need to wrap your knuckles."
As she turned and walked away with Blue in tow, Wu Jin cleared his throat. "Jinhu, Ilho." The boys turned around. "Watch over him tonight, okay?"
Jinhu snorted. "Did you really have to ask us that?"
Ilho smacked Jinhu in the head. "We will do as you request, Sect Leader."
Wu Jin smiled as the two boys walked out, bickering back and forth. They reached Blue's room and peeked inside. Blue was lying on his bed, his head resting on Seori's lap as they talked. His bandaged hands lay crossed over his stomach. They couldn't hear the conversation. Ilho quietly closed the door and stood on one side as Jinhu stood on the other.
Inside, Seori stroked Blue's hair. "It will be okay, Hyung. You're home now." Seori looked down as Blue's eyelids began to close. The weight of everything that had happened had exhausted him. Blue drifted off to sleep. Seori gently slipped out from beneath him. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Welcome home." She turned and walked out of his room and gently pulled the door shut before. "You two can go now. He's asleep."
"No, ma'am. We will be here until we know he's okay." Jinhu crossed his arms.
"So be it." Seori walked away as the two boys stood guard all night while Blue slept.
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