An abrupt chaos and then, there was silence.

Baekhyun stood up from his seat, like the faces inside the café, he was unable to comprehend what was it that he just heard. That one incredible boom. What he felt. What, just happened?

A one-time big-time shockwave sent the chairs, cups and signboards in a whirl, the air rippled with erratic winds. Uneasiness fell into the café and onto the ghastly faces who watched the bleak sky turn into darkness with ashes pouring as a substitute for rain.

“What was that?” one asked as Baekhyun made his way to the sliding doors of the café. “What’s that sound?” another whispered. “Where did it come from?”

Thick black smoke rose from the center of the city, bringing in the foul smell of fire. Baekhyun prayed that Minseok wasn’t involved to whatever happened there.

Debris fell, shooting like rocks from an erupting volcano that came hailing down, breaking a couple of windows and vehicles. There were those unlucky ones who have been squashed and others hurriedly dialled 9-1-1, doing everything they can to keep the harmed conscious.

Baekhyun hurriedly opened his phone and began contacting Minseok – “The number you have dialled is currently out of reach”.

Baekhyun curses, tapping the numbers again and again, hoping that Minseok was alright. Alive. To make sure that he was somewhere with Junmyeon drinking their favourite Frappuccino while discussing their new plans together like they always would. To make sure he wasn’t going find him in a hospital bed lying unconscious again, or worse –

“No! That’s not going to happen. It won’t happen it-“

As if in cue, panic-stricken rebels and citizens of the Capitol came flooding through the streets, away from where the explosion had come from. There were frightened screams followed by fists on fists, blaming each other who was ever responsible for that disaster. Rebels and citizens started punching, spitting and kicking each other that led Robocops to snatch them up one by one to cease the chaos.

Baekhyun tried to keep himself well away from the fighting, but it didn’t help him ignore the frantic woman who struggled, fighting for her freedom and break free from the Robocop’s grasp. The distraught woman fought, her eyes stained with tears, her face shrouded with dirt.

The words the woman screams next immediately blocks out Baekhyun’s hearing. His whole world stops, all turns to black and his heart ceases to beat. He couldn’t find his own voice, couldn’t see as darkness closes in. He felt cold until he turned numb. He couldn’t function properly. So now he wondered, how did his feet have the mind of its own?

He found himself running.

He didn’t tire. He didn’t ask himself why he was running. He didn’t wonder to himself how his feet knew where they were going when there was nothing in his mind. And yet, something pushed him to run faster and faster.

He hears a voice. That woman from earlier. Her screams melts the numbness away, replacing it with horror as he could hear her in his head repeating the same thing over and over again: “It’s you filthy rebels! You’ve sent a suicide bomber inside to kill all those scientists!” she screamed until her lungs would burst. “Murderers! Murderers!”

‘She’s lying’ Baekhyun’s eyes started to well up. ‘A bomb couldn’t possibly-!’ he shakes his head, doubt was the only thing he could cling onto, but his born pessimism would overshadow that little kindle of hope that whatever the woman was saying was just plain delusional. It couldn’t be, could it? ‘Minseok-ah, Minseok-ah!’

Please. Don’t take him away from me.

Maybe it was numbness, Minseok thought that left him staring into the skies of harsh rain for a long while before he realized he was alive – still alive; trying to live.

He couldn’t tell whether it was blood that streamed down from the corner of his mouth or if it was the rain trickling on his skin.  But he surely knew that his whole body was paralyzed - broken. The large blocks of what once was a stone wall of The Court crushed his whole being to sink into the earth. At least I won’t feel those attacks on my spine anymore, he bitterly laughs – tried to laugh.  

He tries to move his head sideward, trying to see what has become of the place, his fellow scientists and the people around the vicinity. None. All of them, wiped out and all that remained were the rubble and what was left of the destruction from that blasted explosion.

Who planted the bomb? Who managed to get past the security without being detected?

‘Lay’ he says quietly to himself. His eyes widens for an abrupt moment in surprise for that sudden realization that…a possible suspect – no. Minseok shrugs it off. It couldn’t be possible that Lay would plant a bomb.

Lay’s core model wasn’t built for such a thing. Could it?

“Danger” Lay whispered to him seconds before everyone started bursting out of those doors. Seconds before everything flashed in his eyes and sent them flying and crushed to their deaths. Minseok, with all the strength left in him willed himself to look up and around in search for the Mecha, now considering the images playing in his head seconds before they all met their doom.

Did Lay knew of this coming? Did he developed a heightened sense of hearing and overheard the scheme of blowing up at such a coincidental time where all the authorities of Mechatron gathered in one place? No. Minseok doesn’t believe – doesn’t want to believe – that the rebels would go far into Civil War to prove a point against Mechas. But right now…

How much did this extraordinary Mecha knew about the truth behind this bombing?

Darkness starts to close around his vision. His hearing starts to blur, save for the pitter-patter of rain on the rubble and debris around him. He heaves a breath and chuckles. ‘Guess I won’t be able to know huh?’

In the distance, Minseok could decipher the sirens from ambulances and robocops being dispatched. He could see in his head what the news headlines will look like: ‘The People has declared War on the Capitol”. His comrade was right, Civil War is coming and he failed to prevent it.

He failed preventing Civil War. He failed reuniting The People and Mechatron, to share his views on how to make the world a better place. He failed to – he failed to tell Baekhyun that he…

Minseok finally gives in and makes a loud, gut-wrenching laugh even if it started to hurt him, he says almost desperately and bitterly, “If cancer can’t kill me, then the gods found a way to get rid of me faster. To end my miserable, pitiful life” and then, he starts to tear up.

One big slap to the face as he realizes that, dying this way was more painful for his lover to say goodbye. To die by accident, by murder than natural death. Minseok cries in helplessness as his fear of hurting and parting Baekhyun was slowly coming true as his vision blurs and the heavy rain drowns him in his misery.

And then, as he was about to accept his fate, he hears a familiar voice, far away.

“Marco!”

Baekhyun.

Minseok smiles sadly as he hears him. Maybe the gods doesn’t actually hate him. They’re giving him a chance to see him…one last time.

“…Polo” he exhales softly, gathering his strength to yell.

“MARCO!” the voice was more frantic and desperate now.

“Polo”

“M A R C O !”

“POLO!” it was hard, but he managed to let his voice be heard.

It was an ache so deep that Minseok could hardly breathe. This pain, he could hardly imagine if Baekhyun finds him, but he kept going. Baekhyun needs to find him, one last time. All he could do now, was believe in himself that he could do it.

But even as he screamed, Baekhyun’s voice went farther away from where he was. He failed as Baekhyun trudged to another direction from him. Fearing that he would slip away any moment now, Minseok cries louder, harder.

“Is anyone there!?” Minseok calls out, his eyes closed tight, tight. “Help me!”

But Baekhyun kept calling, unable to hear him as the sirens drowned his own voice.

How could this happen. How could this happen to me. How come do I have to suffer this kind of torture? This isn’t fair, this nightmare!

“Help me breathe” Minseok coughs, another pool of blood pumping out of his mouth and everything was falling silent, his eyes dimming the world around him. No, no, no, not yet please!

God help me. God help me breathe.

A miracle had him smiling inside as the world reverted a little brighter as the familiar grip on the back of his head lifts him up to press against the warmth of someone’s chest. Baekhyun had found him at last. Minseok felt embarrassed to have his lover see him like this but gods, he was so glad that he was here in his final moments while he still had strength left. Minseok said nothing, instead he relished being in Baekhyun’s arms, melting away the cold from his drenched body.

He could hear Baekhyun murmur, “Gods, gods this can’t be happening. No, no this is a dream. A Nightmare!”

“Baek…puppy…” he whispers, catching Baekhyun’s attention.

“You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay just…just hang in there” Baekhyun clasped both his palms on each side of Minseok’s face, a little relieved that he was still alive until the grave understanding that he might not be in any second longer overpowered over him.

Baekhyun screams. “Help! Somebody help us!” No one came.

Desperate to save him, Baekhyun positions himself and pushed the wall on top of Minseok – he couldn’t. Baekhyun turns around to use his back and feet for more force and strength, but such a large chunk, he couldn’t move it alone.

The coughs from Minseok alerted Baekhyun to hurry onto his side once more. Baekhyun says brokenly, “Fight it Minseok. Fight it for a little while and we’ll get you out of here I promise!”

His coughing got worse and all Baekhyun could do was watch and let the tears water down onto Minseok’s already soaked face.

“Don’t…don’t leave me Minseok” Baekhyun sobs quietly. “Don’t leave me”

His heart twisted, Minseok felt nauseated hearing Baekhyun like this. He couldn’t handle the hardships both of them were going through right now that he thought telling him he had cancer seemed easier than this.

Is this the karma he gets after keeping secrets from Baekhyun? Minseok sighs in defeat.

Minseok could feel himself slip away. He could hear a familiar faint voice in the distance. One who had raised him, cared for him and sang lullabies to him when he was still small. Someone was come to pick him up. It was time.

Time’s ticking.

“Baekhyun” he finally says and Baekhyun nods to let him know he was listening. “…I was wondering…even in my last moments…”

“Don’t say that…” Baekhyun intervenes but Minseok cuts him off.

“My body is broken. I can no longer move”

Baekhyun shook his head. “We can fix that. Mechatron can help you stand up. Your advanced technology and-“ but the way Minseok’s eyes stared at him, into him, into his soul said otherwise.

“I’m dying Baekhyun” and both their worlds shattered around them. Nothing else mattered. Just the remaining words Minseok had to tell Baekhyun.

Time’s Ticking.

Thinking of departing messages to one person was much worse than standing in front of millions in TV and giving a speech.

“Baek…” Minseok starts off. “…earlier this morning…I was meaning to ask you something…”  Baekhyun stills in his place. “…in my pockets, you’ll find something there. I…I was hoping you’d wear it for me…as I have worn mine” he coughs gently and continues with a sad smile, “Will you...?”

Understanding what it was, Baekhyun breaks down and buries his face onto the piece of bear chest saved from the wall. He nods and sobs louder, “A million lifetimes yes”

Now Minseok found himself laughing and crying. “You said yes!”

“Will I ever say no to you, you dummy?” it would have been said in a teasing way, but Baekhyun couldn’t manage to sound any pleasant. He feared, he may not ever be pleasant anymore now that Minseok was-

“I wish we had more time together” the world vanished in his vision and darkness consumed Minseok as his whole life flashed across. His childhood, his achievements, his patients, Do Kyungsoo, Junmyeon, Lay, the Rebellion, Sehun and of course, Baekhyun, the warmest memory he will carry on to the next life.

“I’ll be with you Baekhyun. I’ll be everywhere and look after you” he heaved one last breath as his soul slowly drifts away. “…I’ll be with you. Even if my heart stops…beating…”

And then, a strong embrace around his head, Baekhyun rocks the both of them gently until he bursts out screaming. Despair, helplessness, pain, loss. As if he too died along with Minseok.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:  And so...the time of Kim Minseok ends.