23 Departure

Within the Underground and Renegade Adept community, respect and image was an important thing. Not to be seen as weak or someone who could be pushed over easily. It was an often occurrence where groups or crews of Adepts would have rivalry battles and constantly take shots at each other to prove who was superior. When someone from your crew was targeted or attacked, the crew would not take this lying down. What was then created was a culture of standing your ground and protecting your own.

Seeing Donghyuk be treated in such a vicious manner for such a trivial thing as a test, Hun-cheol would not take this lightly. Provoke an Underground Magic-Channeller, you best expect a backlash.

Hun-cheol charged while chanting rapidly. The Adept, having been hit by one of Hun-cheol's metal spikes, had turned to face Hun-cheol as he began chanting. But as he was chanting, he felt something strange happening by Donghyuk. He turned and saw that pieces of his collapsed metal wall was melting and floating in mid air. The wall was slowly opening up as the metal melted and flew into the air. He turned back to Hun-cheol was rushing towards but his hand was stretched out in the direction of the metal wall that was covering Donghyuk.

Namjoon and the others reached the metal wall and were looking for a way in. As the metal wall melted, there became gaps where they could look through. Hoseok shouted as he looked through one of the gaps.

"I see him!"

Namjoon came over and saw Donghyuk through the gap. His eyes were closed and there was some blood on him. It was clear that he wasn't in a good state. They needed to get him out quickly. He turned to Yoongi who nodded. Yoongi chanted quickly and created a large ball of fire. It began melting the metal wall, widening the hole so they could reach Donghyuk. When Yoongi dispersed the fire, Hyosang had already finished chanting and created a tiny wolf shadow who ran through the gap to Donghyuk. It bit Donghyuks clothes, and dragged him out of the hole.

Hoseok and Namjoon grabbed him as he reached the opening in the metal wall. As Namjoon saw his friend in this dire state, he glared angrily at the Adept who put his friend in this position.

Hun-cheol was still chanting as he directed all the metal he melted from the wall to create multiple large spikes. He also created metal around him and created spikes around him. He then caused all of the spikes to go flying towards the Adept. The Adept knew he was in trouble as he had multiple spikes coming his way from two different directions. He summoned two metal walls from the ground. The metal spikes clashed and pierced the walls. Although they had pushed through the walls, they were stopped before they reached the Adept.

Hun-cheol seemed to have anticipated this as he continued chanting. Although it looked like he had sent all the metal spikes at the Adept, he had actually sent one into the ground. He raised his hand slammed it down. The wall his opponent had made came crashing down in front of the Adept who had to jump back to dodge. He was now standing in front of the other wall he had made to block the other spikes. Hun-cheol then lifted his hand a metal spike shot up from the ground in front of the Adept. He was caught off guard and didn't have time to block as the metal spike pierced his shoulder and pushed him in the wall, the spike stapling him to it.

Hun-cheol arrived in front of the Adept and punched him hard in the stomach. Namjoon appeared behind Hun-cheol and held him back.

"Hyung, Donghyuk is OK. Calm down."

Hun-cheol struggled to move as he stared furiously at the Adept.

"Let me go!"

Hitman Bang came over.

"Hun-cheol! That's enough. Remember what you are training for. Remember the code of conduct you need to uphold."

Hun-cheol shook of Namjoon as he faced Hitman Bang.

"Code of conduct? Screw your rules. I've given you all I have and you have still denied me from debuting. You promised us that we would debut and the date has constantly pushed back. You restrict us from doing and saying what we want."

He turned and pointed at the Adept nailed to the wall.

"If being an Eidos means that I have to allow punks like this to attack me friends and my crew. Then maybe being an Eidos isn't for me."

The Adept smirked as he stared back at Hun-cheol, taunting him. Hun-cheol scowled as he quickly chanted and put his fist forward and quickly pulled it toward himself. A bit of the wall behind the Adept's head quickly stuck out, hitting him in the back of the head and knocking him unconscious.

Hun-cheol began to walk away. Namjoon rushed forward and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Hyung! You don't have to do this."

Hun-cheol turned to look at his dongsaeng. They seemed to communicate silently for a second before Hun-cheol sighed.

"It's up to you to lead the team now. I do believe you will become a powerful group from here on out. But I just can't continue walking this path anymore."

Hun-cheol turned and continued walking away, leaving Namjoon to watch him leave with a look of pain and sadness.

Donghyuk slowly blinked as he opened his eyes. The light hurt his eyes. He found that his body was in a lot of pain and it was hard for him to move. As his eyes focused, he saw that he was in a tent. He was lying down on a bed and Namjoon, Hoseok, Yoongi and Hyosang were around the bed looking at him. Namjoon leaned forward.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

Donghyuk moved a little and ached, groaning a little.

"Just great. Every part of me is in pain and breathing isn't fun at the moment. But other than that, I'm good."

Namjoon grinned at Donghyuk's sarcasm. Donghyuk remembered the match.

"So I lost pretty badly, huh."

The others went silent. Donghyuk looked around.

"Where's Hun-cheol hyung?"

The boys stayed silent. Donghyuk sensed that something was wrong.

"Hun-cheol has decided to leave Big Hit Academy."

Hitman Bang walked into the tent as he spoke. Donghyuk stared at him in shock and disbelief.

"What? Why? Did he lose? He can't have lost right?"

Hitman Bang shook his head.

"Your opponent utilized vicious methods to defeat you. Hun-cheol angrily responded and attacked the Adept. He came to the conclusion that the life on an Eidos was not the path we would be able to walk, so he left."

This hit Donghyuk like a brick wall. He was completely stunned. The room went silent. As Donghyuk processed this new information, and the others all went quiet. Having this just happen earlier that day, the wound was still raw and hearing it out loud again hit all the boys hard. Especially Namjoon as he had known him the longest having trained together with him for the past year and a half.

As they were all deep in thought, Donghyuk looked up at Hitman Bang hesitantly for a second before speaking.

"Bang Pdnim. After today's match, I have decided on my path. I ask to be removed from the group and to instead focus on being a Power Designer. I also believe that I am not suited for the life of an Eidos."

Namjoon looked at Donghyuk in shock. Hun-cheol had just left and now Donghyuk wanted to leave the group as well.

"Donghyuk, are you serious?"

Donghyuk looked at Namjoon and smiled.

"My skills are better suited to support the group from the back. I think it will be better for the team as a whole if I take a step back."

Namjoon didn't know how to reply. Yoongi frowned as he thought over Donghyuk's choice. Hyosang sighed sadly. Hoseok had a look of pain as he looked at Namjoon and Donghyuk. Hitman Bang scratched his chin in thought then nodded.

"Very well. Donghyuk will no longer be a part of BTS and will instead be a Power Designer trainee for BHA."

Hitman Bang turned and walked out of the tent, leaving the boys to sit there in silence. Just like that, in a single day, BTS had lost two members.