The door to his cell made no sound as the days passed. Even with his ears pressed up against the door, the corridors remained silent.

He was being left to his own devices either to starve or to go mad. He didn't know which would come first in all honesty.

The sinking realisation that it was impossible for him to make it out alive kept him awake all day and night, slowly driving him insane.

He really was going to die.

It seemed like decades ago when he felt the immense relief of escaping death by the hands of his captor. But he should've known better to think that that was the end of everything.

Because if what Sehun had told him was true and that his real mother was killed to keep him a secret -there was no question that the President was going to finish the job this time.

And Luhan was the last person that needed to be annihilated.

A few days in and Luhan heard the first sounds of activity.

Footsteps and there wasn't just one.

He heard conversations spoken in a few familiar voices and he knew that this was it.

They were coming to take him to his death.

His heart raced in his chest as the footsteps got closer and despite knowing better, he began looking round his cell, desperately searching for any possible escape routes. But it was foolish of him to even try.

The panic in his chest made it hard to breath and he began to cry.

He had neither pride nor hope left.

The door clanked open and his heart skipped a beat.

He heard them filing into the room and though he couldn't see them as he still had his head buried in between his arms and knees -he knew that all eleven of them were there.

He could feel his tears drenching his jeans and could hear his sobs escaping from the corner of his mouth but nobody laughed. None of them made a single sound.

"Give me your hand."

Luhan didn't have to look up to know whose voice it was. Obediently, he stuck out one hand but kept his head down; like an orphan being taken away to his new family.

He felt the other boy's  hand wrapping around his trembling fingers as if coaxing them to relax, to trust him.

But how could Luhan ever bring himself to trust him?

Sehun was one of them.

He was the reason he was going to die.

He lifted his gaze and came eye to eye with Sehun who had his usual stoic look on despite how miserable he must've looked. It made Luhan mad that he didn't care, like his life meant nothing to him at all. His hands were aching with the urge to slap him.

"Cuff him." He heard Kris say, standing behind the boy with his arms folded.

Sehun kept one hand on his and slipped the other into his coat before reappearing with a pair of handcuffs.
Luhan watched as he positioned it over his wrist and made no motion to struggle.

Sehun shot him a few tentative gazes as he cuffed the other boy without the latter putting up a fight. So different from all the other times he had to cuff his hostages.

The lock clicked and they were bounded together again.

Sehun looked up from their hands and found Luhan staring back at him. His pretty eyes filled with tears and a sadness so profound -it made it hard for him to look him in the eye and still keep his stoic gaze so he decided look away.

He got up and tugged at his hands, signalling for him to stand. Luhan obeyed quietly and stood by his side.

"Let's get him to the van."

All twelve of them proceeded to file out of the room with Luhan and his captor on Kris's tail.

Luhan had trouble keeping up, the days without food left him with no energy to even speak. He shuffled forwards, staggering whenever the cuffs propelled him forward.

His wrist was starting to turn red and he had to resist crying out in pain. 

But then he felt Sehun slowing down and the pain on his wrist disappeared. Replaced by something warm wrapped around it.

He looked down to see Sehun's hand around his wrist and glanced beside him in surprise but the boy had his eyes glued to the front, not sparing Luhan a single stoic glance.

They travelled through the seemingly endless corridors, each time Luhan looked back, he couldn't even see where he had been.

He was glad for this only because he wanted to stall for time. Though he didn't know what he was stalling for.

A miracle?

He scoffed.

The world wasn't a wish granting factory.

And he was proven right when they reached a metal door and Kris keyed in a few numbers on the security system. After it took a scan of his thumbprint, the door slid open and led into a garage.

They stepped into the spacious room where guns, ammunition and bulletproof vests lined the walls.

"Five minutes." Kris said as he reached for a gun and cocked it. "Take what you need and get into the vans."

On command, the rest of them dispersed to their different stations and suited up in case of complications cropping up along the way. Or worst -for confrontation.

Sehun dragged Luhan into the back of a sleek, black van. They settled down beside each other and waited for the others to join them.

Silence filled the tense atmosphere and Luhan could hear his own panicked breaths piercing the air but Sehun didn't seem to be bothered at all.

Someone got onto the back of the van too; an auburn haired boy who Luhan recognised had been the tallest among the eleven of them.

He sat down on the seat opposite them and handed Sehun a gun.

Luhan felt the warmth on his wrist disappear suddenly and realised that Sehun's hand had been holding onto it all this time.

He watched as he grabbed the gun from the tall stranger and examined it. His hands brushed along its smooth, jet black exterior until it came across a 'T' engraved on its handle and froze.

Sehun shot the boy in front of him a look of disbelief.

“Wasn’t this…his?”

He gave Sehun a knowing look and nodded.

“I figured we could give it to him, you know, once we get him back.”

Sehun took another long look at the gun, before sliding it into his pocket.

His eyes had a glint of determination in them.

He was going to save his friend this time. He had to.

But when he met Luhan’s curious gaze he felt something fall apart within him.

This boy beside him.

This innocent boy who had somehow gotten himself tangled up in a web of lies.

“You make me worry for how...your life's gonna turn out...”

This naïve boy who could still show concern for the one who was causing him so much pain.

The van roared to life and he watched Kris from the backseat as he waited for all the others to get into their respective vehicles before sparing a glance at his watch and pulling his gloves tightly over his hands.

Without warning, the other vehicles set off first. Only till the garage was empty of everything except for the big, black van did Kris hit the accelerator and raced into the dark tunnel before them.

It was too bad, Sehun thought as he stared at the shaking boy beside him and reached out to hold his hand.

It just had to be Luhan.

The car ride was silent and grim. The tunnel walls flitted cross them and the occasional tunnel light would light up the inside of the van, making it visible that Luhan was pale as a sheet even in the dim setting.

Fear was engulfing his whole being as he trembled in his seat, sweat plastering his skin. He was drowning in his own fear.

He wanted to scream, to cry –to beg even. But he knew none of these would work. His fate was decided.

He sank deeper into the leathery seat, one hand digging into the cushion and the other lay limp in Sehun’s grip.

Luhan still didn’t know what Sehun was trying to do. He was sending him to certain death so why bother caring for him?

The more he cared for him, the more confused he got. And Luhan didn't want to die with unanswered questions.

Then he saw the light. It was faint at first, just a tiny speck in the distance. Until Kris sped up and the light seemed like the setting sun on the horizon, so beautiful and warm.

The van left the tunnel into a desert wasteland, the uneven sand beneath them made the ground shake vigorously.

Luhan felt the warmth of the sun's rays for the first time in almost an eternity. It felt so different from the warmth of the single light bulb that had hung above him back in the cell.

This was so much better.

He closed his eyes and tried to get his body to relax. After being so stressed out all the time, he decided it was time to stop and give up. He shouldn't worry about what he couldn't change anymore.

Surprisingly, his body had listened to him for once and he felt the tension leaving his body. He dozed off along the way, falling into a peaceful slumber he hadn't gotten to enjoy in a long time.

The ground beneath them shook even more as they transcended from the desert plains onto a rocky road. Luhan's head lulled to the side and before either of them knew it, he was asleep on Sehun's shoulder.

The younger boy shot a look beside him at the sleeping boy, wondering if he'd ever seen him look this peaceful and wondering how was he this peaceful.

Luhan was going to die. He wasn't sure how but he knew it was going to happen.

The president had been kind enough to spare Luhan back then when he was merely a child who knew nothing. But now...Luhan knew too much to be allowed to live.

Guilt started to seep into him, tearing at the edges of his heart. He wasn't supposed to feel this way. He hadn't felt this way in a long time. He promised he wouldn't.

But with Luhan's beautifully serene face lying against his shoulder, he couldn't help feeling so horrible.

"Don't tell me you care for him?"

The auburn haired boy who had been in the middle of polishing his gun, suddenly spoke.

"Why'd you ask?"

"It's the way you look at him," he smirked. "People would think he's the love of your life or something."

Sehun scoffed.

"You know I'm not capable of that yeol. People like us. We're not fit to love."

"Or to be loved," Chanyeol added, sighing to himself.

"Baekhyun loves you."

"I know but we're both one in the same. Whereas you and Luhan...you're right. You're not fit to love him."

"I never said I did," Sehun growled, hands clenched at his sides.

"Hey." Chanyeol raised his arms in attempt to declare his innocence. "I'm only saying what's good for you. Afterall, I've always considered you my adorable little brother."

He beamed at the scowling blond who ignored him and took out his gun.

Sehun stared deeply at it and his thumb ran over the 'T' again.

He was doing this to save a friend. All of them were.

There wasn't any other option. Sehun didn't want to fail again.

Luhan had to be sacrificed.

"I'm sorry."

His apology came out in a whisper, so faint that he'd be surprised if anyone heard it.

He didn't want anyone to know he was sorry. The thought of it put him to shame; he was a kidnapper. A wanted criminal.

Just staying alive had already been a challenge, there wasn't any room for remorse.

And there was definitely no more room for love either. He'd already abandoned that thought ages ago.

"Uncuff him."

The jingling of keys sounded beside his ear and he heard a few clicks before the shackles came loose.

Luhan woke up to Sehun's cold gaze waiting expectantly for him.

"We're here princess."

He frowned at the nickname and avoided his gaze.

Without warning, Sehun pulled Luhan out of his seat and dragged him off the van. The force he was using made Luhan wince but it was nothing compared to the strength Sehun used later when he shoved him headfirst onto the ground.

He felt a foot stepping down on his head, forcing him to stay that way. The gravel beneath him pierced into his cheeks and Luhan didn't have the will to struggle anymore.

"Here's what you asked for." He heard Kris say.

The shuffling of feet and then Luhan felt the pressure on his head disappear. But then someone stepped forward and pulled his head up by his hair with brute force.

Luhan stared at the man through pained eyes as he compared his face with the picture he had in hand.

The brooding man then released his grip and Luhan sunk back to the ground, hitting his head in the process. He felt blood trickling from his forehead but made no motion to move.

"Take him."

"-Wait. You're not taking him until we see the man we agreed to exchange for."

"Don't worry We have him. Men, bring him out."

Luhan struggled to lift his head enough to watch as the other men in suits dragged out a man from their car. He had a black fabric tied round his head so much so that Luhan couldn't make out his features.

He watched from the corner of his eye as Sehun squinted to get a good look, desperation clearly written on his face.

"We want to see his face."

"Of course."

The man made a motion with his hand and the one closest to the masked boy ripped the bag off his face, revealing jet-black tousled hair and a bruised up face.

Sehun's pupils dilated and he jerked in his spot, wanting to run to the boy but then forced himself to stop.

"Taemin..." He breathed.

Luhan watched as the boy stared wide eyed at Sehun as if he couldn't believe his eyes. And then slowly, a  smile formed on his lips.

Taemin's once perfectly chiselled face was now battered up; his eyes had lost the glint of adventure he used to always have.

But yet, the boy grinned at Sehun like how he always did. And the latter was glad he hadn't lost him completely.

The inky haired boy opened his mouth to speak but found it hard to form words with his mutilated mouth.

"It's...It's a..."

And then Taemin's eyes cleared, gleaming with life -with desperation.

As if he'd gained one last trembling grasp of what was important, he conveyed his last words in a bone chilling scream.

"It's a trap-"

Luhan felt warmth splattering all over his body. He wiped a hand over his face and found himself staring at blood.

Taemin's body fell in puddle of crimson red. A gaping hole on the side of his head from the bullet fired.

Then the chaos started.

Bullets were flying everywhere and the deafening gunshots pierced the air. Luhan was momentarily out of it, not knowing what to do or where to hide.

He stayed low on the ground, his tears making a reappearance from before. He was scared out of his mind; this wasn't a movie. People were literally dropping dead beside him.

A body fell atop of him which made him yelp in surprise. His weakened heart was stretched to its limit under the crushing weight, and his rapid breaths were agonizing to maintain.

At this rate, if the bullets didn't kill him -his body would.

He struggled to push off the corpse, squirming and pushing his arms against the man's already cold back.

Somehow, he'd finally mustered what little bit of strength he had left to heave the body off of him with a choked grunt.

Pushing himself onto his feet, Luhan staggered his way in the opposite direction of where all the fighting was taking place, praying fervently that none of them would notice him.

Maybe, just maybe. He had a shot at escaping.

He just had to get to the van, ignite the engines and then speed off into the desert. It was worth a try.

His legs were moving as fast as they could, desperate to reach his safe haven. No stray bullets had found its way to his skin yet, and no one seemed to have noticed his disappearance.

Taking advantage of his current stealth, Luhan sprinted the last stretch to the van.

But just when the door to salvation was just an arm's reach away, he felt a piercing throb in his chest.

He looked down and then the pain became evident and his hopes were dashed.

It wasn't so much the ripping pain when the bullet sliced through his chest, but the shock, the surprise and his own naivety.

It wasn't what he expected. He had thought that the pain would be more unbearable. He stumbled, taken aback, gaze still fixed on the van until his legs became too weak for his body.

He collapsed onto the ground, laying there as he felt his life seep out of him. Luhan didn't know what was coming next, he just knew that this was the end.

He didn't manage to catch a glimpse of his murderer but whoever did it definitely did it intentionally. What were the chances a stray bullet could hit one of the most vital parts of his body?

Blood started to pool in his mouth and he felt it drip down the sides of his mouth.

He felt himself crying too, not because of the pain but for his pathetic fate.

There was still so much he wanted to do...

But Luhan accepted that he wasn't going to be able to do any of them.

And he was okay with that.

His vision started to blur and he felt the world spinning around him, the chaos in the background gradually muted down to silence.

He was exhausted.

Luhan's eyelids began to droop and just as his vision faded into a sea of black, he saw two familiar hazel eyes staring into his own and felt himself being encased in someone else's arms.

But Luhan figured he'd never find out whose arms were holding him as his eyes closed shut and his whole world plunged into eternal darkness.

A/N: It's been four? Five months since I've updated this fic? Idk I've just been busy with school work recently that I hadn't gotten the time to actually sit down and write out these chapters. I'm so immensely sorry for taking so long to update, I can't promise I'll update anytime soon but I'll definitely try my best. Oh and shoutout to vestema for leaving such a lovely comment on my feed ^^ You were mainly the reason why I picked up where I left off in the fic. Till the next chapter, I hope you enjoy reading my lovelies~ <3