Suho’s POV

Areum looked worse than I had ever seen her. Her new hair or old I guess if you count her first life was a mess, a giant frizzy bird nest mess. I knew she had no intention of fixing that mess in the near future. Red rimmed her eyes and tearstains made pink streaks run down her face. Dried blood stained her full lips that were stretched into a tight smile, which lacked Areum’s usual brightness. But those were nothing compared to the hollow misery and-and pure exhaustion in her eyes. Yet she was still poised in perfection. Her old demeanour of confidence was back. That didn’t fool anyone though, despite meeting so recently in this life we knew each other for centuries.

“Areum!”

Chanyeol burst out of seat, sending a flinching Baekhyun tumbling to the ground. Chanyeol nearly tackled Areum in one of the most heart-warming bear hugs I had ever witnessed in all my lives. I smiled at the two, even without my memories I knew Chanyeol and Areum were a match made in heaven. And with my memories I knew that the two were a match made in heaven, literally. The knowing smirk Kris sent me confirmed that he too was having similar thoughts. Chanyeol and Areum, Zian and Daiyu, they were the eternal couple. However cheesy this may sound, they will only love each other.

I had hated Chanyeol-Zian in my first life. Why? Because he was from Xieye the nation that murdered my family.  Neither Kris nor I trusted Zian or even liked him. But that was before he came to us, Daiyu limp in his arms. That was before I realized Zian was mourning Daiyu’s death more than us.

Areum, to my surprise (I had no idea they were this close), s her arms around Chanyeol, hugging him back with just as much intensity. Her bony hands clutched onto his shirt and I heard a muffled cry. Soft whispers, which were distinctly Chanyeol’s, was the only other sound in the otherwise silent room.

  It was a bittersweet sight. I didn’t need to see Chanyeol’s face to see the hurt or to tell that he felt the way Zian did. I didn’t need to hear Areum’s choking sobs to know how much pain she was in, how upset she was. Despite how sad this scene may be I couldn’t help but watch them in fondness. Both of the were alive (and uninjured, which was good too). And they were together, again.

History is repeating itself, the forever mood ruining part of me struck again with this thought. This thought that filled me to the brim with this, this dreading fear of the inevitable. It rooted itself in the darkest pit inside me, a question, a question that I didn’t want an answer to.

If we, Exo, were reincarnated, has the same thing happened to everyone from our first life too?

Chanyeol POV

“Do you want to go upstairs?” I whispered softly to the girl sobbing hysterically in my arms. Just what happened to make her this way? Is what I wanted to ask, but that question was for another time. If I weren’t so close to her I would have missed the miniscule twitch I figured was a nod.

I didn’t hesitate to hoist Areum up, being as gentle and careful as I could be, and carry her to her room. It wasn’t that hard.

I placed her on the ground of her rom, near a corner. Corners were my favourite place as a kid. I could see everything that approached. The walls were always there; they were the most reliable things I knew as a child. Never failing to protect my back, the back that had too many stabs to count.

Areum crawled on shaky limbs and curled into a tense ball, pushing her back against the corner. I circled her with my long limbs, embracing her as I did so. My hold on her was firm, not tight enough to hurt, just enough to remind her I was here, here for her. I knew how much it meant to have someone there for you, someone to cry on, to hold you, to listen to your pains. As a child I had only wished someone was there to hold me.

“No, no, no, no, no, no.” Areum chanted as if it was mantra, her voice thick and croaky. Her voice rose and rose, as it did more and more fear infused itself into it, until she was screaming in terror.

“Areum, I’m here. I’ll listen. You don’t have to fear anything. I’m here, no one else is.” My heart ached. It had been aching ever since the dragon had sent Areum flying back. But this was a different ache. It hurt more, it ate away at me. Blood came from her arms and I realized something that made the ache worsen. Areum was scratching, pinching, and tearing away at her skin until it bled. Digging her nails in, deep enough to draw the dark red liquid that swam through our veins. Pink, puckering claw marks ran up and down her arms. I took her hands in mine, not minding that they smeared blood on my fingers. All that mattered was stopping her from hurting herself. That was the least I could od to protect the girl I liked.

I had no idea how long I held her for or how long she had wept. But when Areum finally calmed the sunlight that flowed in from the glass wall behind us was long gone. Replaced by a pastel light that came from a half moon and stars.

We had moved from the floor to her bed. Areum’s head rested against my collarbone and she was relaxed, her muscles were no coiled up, ready to fight. Her hands were cold, she, was cold. So I guess that was why she nuzzled closer. So I guess that was why her arms were wrapped around my waist. It was my warmth that made her hold onto me and mumble the three words I had only heard in dreams.

“Will you stay?”

It was weak, feeble, and barely audible. At first, I thought I had misheard. But she mumbled again.

“Stay with me, Park Chanyeol.”  

“I won’t leave you.”

I tried to tell myself that it wasn’t about the feeling of euphoria that invaded my veins whenever I saw her. I tried to convince myself that the reason I stayed was not because…I...liked Kim Areum.

I broke my promise. I fell for someone again. After Yejin, I vowed to never fall for anyone ever again. I didn’t want to feel that pain again. I didn’t want to hurt again. Yet, here I am with a racing heart and soaring insides.

These past few days, I missed her. I worried constantly about her and if she would wake up. The time Yejin came to me, the day I left for the island, all the hurt and yearning, it faded when I saw Areum. It