Chapter 44.

Mark was drenched by the rain. It wasn’t acid rain, so he was fine. His clothes weighed him down and the mud tried to cling onto his feet. He was dragging them by the time he reached the camp. The shadows were leaving in a very slow pace, they let the light come forward. The sky above him wasn’t clearing up, but he knew dawn was upon him. Out in the distance the clouds allowed a pale blue sky to appear, and as he stopped just by the break of the woods, he looked at the rays of light that shone down upon land far away. It was still raining and he reached out his pale hand, watching it catch the drops. The rain was cold against his skin, the chill seeping into his palm and spreading through his veins. He shuddered.

The fire had gone out, and everyone was huddled inside the tents, talking in low voices. It sounded like mutters. Mark couldn’t hear them above the noise. He continued through the mud and wondered which tent to enter first. Should he call out their names? What if he was the only one to return? What if Yuta lost a battle against an infection? What was the mood? Would they be happy about his return?

Mark went for the largest tent, where Lord Win had been, where the wide bed full of soft blankets was located. He knew who he was hoping to see and he couldn’t calm his aching heart anymore. He needed to know if he was safe. If he had returned safely with the others.

Mark could already imagine it. Warmth radiated from the tent and a soft light escaped through the gap of the curtains. Haechan would smile with relief and embrace him, Mark would hold him tight, no matter who was with them in the tent. He wouldn’t care. What they were nearing was a time that was dark, and Mark was afraid they knew less than they wanted to, but he was prepared for it. He hoped he was.

He couldn’t wait to see Ten either. To talk to him, to find comfort in someone who was his home. What was happening out there in the world. Mark was afraid he would lose his home, even if Jaehyun gave him the opportunity to return. Something was lurking in the shadows, waiting for weakness and wanting to strike and tear. Mark reached out his hand again and this time it was colored by a warm light, it shone brightly against the blue hues surrounding him.

Mark pushed the curtain aside and found the front room with the table covered by a map full of people. Johnny’s tall form was recognizable. Doyoung, Ten, Jeno, Taeyong, Renjun, Jisung, Chenle and Jaehyun were all there. Mark guessed Jaemin was with Yuta.

Ten’s eyes widened at the sight of Mark and he moved through the bodies in the room to reach the other. Mark was taken aback by the strength Ten embraced him with, and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Ten’s waist, eying the others. Johnny looked grim, and he wasn’t looking at Mark.

Mark’s hands fell from Ten’s back and he stepped out of Ten’s embrace. “Don’t-” He began but Taeyong interrupted him.

  “He didn’t make it out.”

It started as an empty cold space within his chest and then it branched out through his limps. He felt hollow for a moment before rage took over, grabbing onto the cells in his body; controlling the reigns. He was trembling now, so angry at everything. Why did they return without him, how could they just let him be taken? Was he dead? Did he die?

  “Tell me exactly what happened or I will kill someone.” Mark spoke in an unsteady voice. He almost couldn’t see because of tears. “Tell me!”

  “We were chased by guards. He wanted to go and look for you since you got separated from us. The guards caught him, but he fought back and escaped them. We were waiting by the Misty Market, but then we were all surrounded. We managed to avoid being taken, but he was taken first. He knows his duty, Mark, what it will take to keep Jaehyun safe. He won’t say a thing. He can take whatever they throw at him.” Johnny spoke confidently.

Mark covered his face when his tears started falling. “He shouldn’t be taking anything.” He spoke through gritted teeth. “He should be right here.”

  “Mark we’re sorry… We got news though.” It was Taeyong that spoke. “We’re going to attack as soon as we’ve rested and packed everything up. We’ll move to the border of the city and wait until nightfall. The Damned will take out the guards and we will enter the city.”

Mark had turned away, embarrassed by his loss of control. His emotions were getting the best of him. Even if they promised that he could go back and save Haechan, he was just so disappointed not to see the other there. “Why?” He asked, and looked up. “Why so soon?” He knew it wasn’t because of Haechan. They had given Johnny time to return, and trusted he could handle himself. Therefore, they wouldn’t rush into action just because of Haechan. Something much more terrible had happened and Mark didn’t know what to imagine. He knew he should prepare himself, take control of himself and his breathing. He lowered his hands and turned back to face the others. Ten was looking at him with pity in his eyes, but also a certain fear. Taeyong’s hands were trembling. He was full of rage and Mark dreaded the news.

Johnny leaned forwards, ducking beneath the light of the lamp. It lit up his features from above, casting shadows down his face. One small glint in his eyes, made him look dangerous and angry. Mark held his breath, while noticing the others watching him, waiting for his reaction. This made him focus his eyes on Johnny, bracing himself for the news.

  “That wretched uncle. He is keeping Se Hun in the dark, controlling him to do what he wants. The 1^st Clan isn’t free of the illness and they haven’t sent the awakened Damned to the land that is safe for them no… They are placed in basements, children, young and old. They say they will transfer them, but instead they use gasses they’ve kept hidden from the time before the war and they use them to kill them.”

Johnny’s eyes were hard.

  “The things is,” he began. “It doesn’t kill them. Not completely. So they go in and burn them. The smoke rising from the sewers in some places at night smelled so bad, I had to check what it was. I somehow knew it would reveal what was happening behind the curtain. The children are saved for last, separated from their turned parents, and even harder to sedate. The gasses aren’t working how they want. They will do it next night and from a guard around the time before dawn. We need to be in there to stop them before they succeed.”

Mark hoped Haechan would forgive him for not coming to rescue him first. In that moment he knew what he would’ve wanted Haechan to do in his stead. Mark’s eyelids fell closed, as heavy as a cave collapsing they shut out the light, and he exhaled deeply. The pain of realizing what those people, who had woken up from death itself, had been put through was tearing at his heart. Some must’ve been awake as the fire spread, some must’ve felt it, and Mark could picture the red image of flames and the screams that never reached the world above them. He couldn’t let that happen to children, they deserved to see another sunrise. Mark raised a hand to run it through his hair and ended up gripping onto the black locks, pulling at the roots.

  “Pack fast.” He commanded. “We need a plan before going in. We can’t go in blindly.”

Chenle grinned, his eyes glowing a faint neon yellow color. “Finally.” He muttered and Jisung frowned, but both of them came closer.

  “We can’t kill unless necessary.” Mark told them, Chenle specifically and the grin fell off Chenle’s face.

Taeyong came closer. “We can’t attack full force at just one place. The army is good at communicating. We need to be in the tower and end the reign of Jaehyun’s uncle on the same time as we free the children. If we let the children wander the street without Jaehyun having control of the army, we will allow a bloodbath.”

Mark nodded and glanced at the curves of bridges and tunnels. “Do we have a map of the sewer system?”

Johnny scoffed and raised a hand, one long finger coming up to tap on the side of his head. “All in here.”

  “Can you draw it?” Mark asked. Johnny pushed some of his long brown hair behind his ear and by the lopsided smile, Mark knew he wasn’t too confident.

Ten stepped forward. “Let me draw it.” He said in a gentle voice. “That is the least I can do.”

Taeyong shook his head. “You can do so much more.” He said. Mark looked at Taeyong and noticed Ten look down at his feet. Chenle and Jisung were grimacing. Taeyong glanced around only to realize what he had said.

Mark decided to help. “He’s not wrong, but this is one thing. I trust you to finish that quickly. I want someone that children will trust in the sewers. It’ll be dark down there, but two people will be enough…”

And so the plan was coming together. Jaehyun, Johnny, Taeyong, Ten and Mark was going into the tower. Jeno and Renjun would save Haechan. Jaemin and Doyoung would find Lucas and bring him to Mark. Yuta was by the gate, making sure to keep, what they knew was called the Tick going. Guards surrounding the gates kept sending a message around and if it fell short at the gate they came through, it would be obvious and send alarm. Chenle and Jisung ended up going into the sewers. They would be quick and with Johnny’s knowledge of where the children were located, they could get them out in no time. Johnny even suggested a place to take them, if it took them too long to catch Jaehyun’s uncle and bring back the True Commander to the throne that ruled the 7 clans.

Mark spent the morning planning and talking, and when Ten and Johnny had the map ready, they did more planning. Into the afternoon they were getting weapons ready and changing into clothes not just for travelling, but for combat. Jaehyun kept walking from tent to tent and Doyoung had taken a spot by the fire he had started again. As the sky gave them a moment without rain, Doyoung could get a stew going, hoping it would let them be full until the fighting started. Mark walked across the muddy clearing, eyes down upon the clothes he was wearing. It was all dark, but he was still wearing his leather jacket. He glanced down at the sheaths, one with his sword and the other with a dagger. He hoped he didn’t have to use them, the more people they killed the harder it would be for them to convince the clans to accept the Damned as people and not monsters.

Doyoung’s face was lit up by the fire. The clouds looked light and pale, not carrying much rain. He could spot the crisp blue sky in different places, and he was mesmerized by its color. He took seat on the wet wooden trunk, and let the warmth from the fire embrace him.

  “Any warnings?” He asked Doyoung, the other looked like he was in deep thought. His forehead wrinkled, eyebrows low and eyes fixed upon the flames that were their way up the stone pot. His lips lacked the flush of pink, he didn’t look like he had much strength.

  “Too many to even focus on one.” Doyoung’s voice came out as an exhausted drawl. He reached out to stir in the stew, a sigh leaving his lips. “I keep seeing someone falling now. Strings tangle into their limps and tear them apart. Blood runs down the floors of a tall building that I have never set foot in, yet it is so detailed… I hear children crying… even before Johnny told us about the situation in the 1^st Clan, I heard them cry.”

Mark’s eyes looked beyond Doyoung and the flames and onto the spot where the Rox had died. Doyoung continued talking as if he was relieved to get the nightmares off his chest. “The sky is so dark in my dreams. Thunder keeps roaring and a storm is picking up…” Doyoung fiddled with the wooden spoon. “Lord Win walked past me. He smiled at me and then when I tried to follow him I… Well I have been wrong many times. Surely I am wrong again.”

Mark stayed quiet. He couldn’t tell anyone of his meeting with the two. He wanted to keep them safe, and by revealing their mission, he would risk their lives. He wasn’t sure if Jaehyun could forgive them. After all they had tried and succeeded in getting him killed.

  “Hansol was there…” Doyoung whispered and Mark looked up at the other. Doyoung’s skin looked almost transparent, yet his eyes didn’t meet Mark’s. They were distant, as if he was inside his nightmares again. Then the other’s dark eyes came back to focus on the world, but they didn’t look at Mark, they looked at someone behind him.

Mark turned around. The wind came and blew his hair away from his eyes so he could see the figure of the man clearer. The wind played with the dark brown hair on top of the True Commander’s head. He was walking towards them, his jacket long and reaching his knees, blowing in the wind as if it was a cape. Jaehyun’s eyes were trained on the ground, avoiding large puddles on his way to the fire. His eyes met Doyoung’s shortly and then he let them rest on Mark. His lips curled up into a smile. Mark felt relieved and yet an incredible guilt blossomed within him. It was his fault that they lost Haechan. He shouldn’t have tried to save a stranger. Mark avoided Jaehyun’s gaze.

Mark turned back around and faced the flames. It was so quiet except the occasional mutter coming from the tents when the doors blew in the wind, letting the sound slip out. Jaehyun exhaled deeply as he sat down with ease. He was not weak anymore, Mark reminded himself. Jaehyun wasn’t ill, he was Damned. As death had tried to pull him down so many times he managed to defeat it and come back. If Mark knew much of the religions the people before them believed in, he knew that that was an incredible but scary thing. Even as someone who just let the world be the world and take it as it comes, that wasn’t a thing that was usual. Mark’s father never came back. Neither did his mother, and she died of the same decease.

Mark was pressing his right thumb into the palm of his left hand. His skin was calloused, used to climbing and fighting by now. No soft hands can move through the tree tops like he can. He remembered the pain he had felt as a child when he started training. He cried the first night. Then after that, no matter how deep the cuts went, he never cried again because of the pain. He had seen how the other people in his clan bandaged their hands with stoic faces. This was routine and Mark would not be known as the one who thought the pain was too great.

Moving around within his small village had been easy. The branches was used and worn, with no branches near the trunk. At times splinters would pierce your skin, no matter how thick it was and Mark knew that if he gave into that pain... He would fall to his death.

Jaehyun reached out a hand and stopped Mark from picking at the hardened skin. His hand was paler than Mark’s, almost ashy as he gave Mark’s hand a squeeze.

  “It’s not your fault.” His voice was soft and gentle as it always was. It reached somewhere deep within Mark, chasing away the monster that was torturing Mark’s heart.

  “You weren’t there.” Mark squeezed his eyes shut. He was annoyed with himself, because he knew he should’ve accepted Jaehyun’s comfort, but he just couldn’t forgive himself that easily.

  “Give Haechan a little more trust. He is a soldier and a guard. This will not break nor bend him. He is patient and as long as he knows you’re trying to get to him, he will not feel lost.”

Mark dared to glance into Jaehyun’s brown eyes. The other was right. Mark shouldn’t be so hard on himself, Haechan wasn’t helpless. He could make it without Mark’s protection. Mark needed to believe in him, and do what was expected of him.

Haechan would kill him if he didn’t do it right.

He needed to get Jaehyun to his rightful place; the throne at the very top of the Last Skyscraper.

A/N:

The plan is coming together! I finally knew what to do and where to go! So the only thing I need is the time to write.
I am in college now and daaaaaamn, the homework got me so tired. I'll get used to it I hope.

I'm so happy that you guys are excited about this fic! We're going into the city in the next chapter I think... if I follow my plan hahah

We go up!!!

Love,
Emma <3