The Theory of Everything 

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When Jongdae woke up in the morning, the bed was empty. He frowned, as the cold air hit his skin. He looked around, and realized the window was wide opened. Chuckling, he got out and after closing the window he left to find Minseok.

“Min?” he shouted, but what answered his was silence. “Minseok?” he tried again, but the boy was nowhere to be found. “Min, baby, where are you?” he tried again, but still, only silence.

Passing the entrance to the kitchen, Jongdae’s eyes landed on the calendar. The big day.

Today.

He looked at the clock and forgetting about everything, he quickly ran back to the bedroom to dress himself. When he was almost done, his phone started ringing.

“Minseok?” he asked, panting.

“Junmyeon. Where are you?” he heard the scientist’s voice.

“Oh, I will be in the lab shortly!”

“Hurry, we need to prepare you.” And with that, he hunged up. Jongdae rolled his eyes, and looking up at the three suns once more, he ran out of the building

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Many hours later, after countless check-ups, a few injections and many tests, Jongdae stood dressed in a white attire in front of what looked like a hospital bed with many monitors around it.

“What is it all?” he asked, looking at the equipment.

“Oh, just to keep your body in check, don’t worry,” Junmyeon smiled.

“Have you seen Minseok?” Jongdae asked, looking around and at all the people moving in the room.

Junmyeon shrugged, and shook his head, “it is weird that he is not here.”

“We… I think we might have a sort of argument yesterday, but I am not sure,” Jongdae mumbled.

“You are not sure whether you had a quarrel with your boyfriend?” Junmyeon laughed, “you two are really something.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Oh, you know, no one actually expected the two of you to be together this long,” Junmyeon shrugged.

Jongdae frowned looking at everyone once again, “we are perfectly good, thank you,” he mumbled to the older.

Junmyeon laughed and straightening his back he said, “Jongdae. You are unable to love another human being. You two are not good, and you are far from perfect.”

After that, the man left, leaving Jongdae stunned at his boldness.

“Lay down,” a voice next to him spoke, “we are about to start.”

“But Minseok,” he thought to himself, never articulating the words.

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“We are ready to start,” Junmyeon said, checking the control panel.

“Insert the injection,” a voice next to him spoke to the microphone, and a nurse next to Jongdae’s bed did as she was told. “Jongdae,” the voice continued, “this substance will put your body to sleep. The chip on your neck will start working in a few seconds, and you find yourself separated from your body. Remember, that nothing can happen to you. If your subconscious dies, we will not be able to wake up your body. The risk is nearly zero, but you still need to be careful. Understood?”

“Where is Minseok?” Jongdae asked, his breath heavy from the amount of liquids being added to his blood system.

“I asked if you understood.”

“Yes,” Jongdae mumbled, “where is Minseok?” he repeated, but no one answered him.

“I am going to count to three,” Junmyeon spoke, “one,” he started.

Jongdae’s heart banged against his chest.

“Two.”

It banged again.

“Three.”

Jongdae started falling and around him was only darkness.

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Junmyeon let out a sigh and ran z hand though his hair.

“Alright,” he mumbled, “start the clock!” he exclaimed.

With a massive frown on his face and nerves eating him out, he looked at the panel in front of him.

“Is he stable?”

“Yes,” came the answer, so Junmyeon slowly added more power.

“What are you doing, Jun?” asked a person next to him.

“I’m sending him on the edge of the Universe,” the scientist whispered.

“Where?!” the person exclaimed, surprised, “we have never tested these grounds, Jun! You cannot do it! We do not know how will the Odyssey act! It is too far! The machine may not make it!”

“Quiet,” Junmyeon ordered, still adding more power, but at a faster pace.

Seeing that Jongdae was stable and nothing happened, Junmyeon quickly pushed the arm all the way, adding one hundred percent at once. He smiled victoriously to himself, but then paled.

“STOP IT!” A loud yell came from the white door behind him, and everything in the room went black.

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When Jongdae opened his eyes, there were stars shining above and below him. It was calm, bright and beautiful. He looked around in awe, admiring the view. The most beautiful view he has ever seen. In a far distance there was a burning sun. The only thing other than stars.

Peace.

Calm.

Nothingness.

 

“What do you think is up there?”

“Nothing”

 

‘He was right,’ Jongdae thought to himself and for some reason he felt a stinging feeling in his heart.

He floated in the air, looking up and down and to his left and right, and there was a feeling of joy erupting in his chest.

‘I made it.’

‘It’s real.’

‘It exists.’

Jongdae’s eyes watered as he could not contain his happiness.

His dreams came true.

He had everything he had ever dreamt of.

He had the Universe.

And even tho the Universe was nothingness, in that nothingness Jongdae found his eternity.

Jongdae felt eternal.

He felt immortal.

He felt forever.

The last thing he saw was the massive sun erupting in front of his eyes and he went blind.

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“PUT THE POWER BACK ON!” a few voices shouted at once, one of them belonging to Junmyeon.

“JONGDAE!” Minseok shouted, rushing through the door next to the control panel and into the room in which Jongdae’s body laid.

It was black, the monitors were shut down. Minseok put a hand on Jongdae’s and it was cold.

Suddenly, the light went on again, and Minseok shot back into the previous room.

He grabbed Junmyeon by the collar and pushed his against the wall.

“WHAT THE WERE YOU THINKING?! YOU HAD NO RIGHT! I WILL KILL YOU!” he yelled.

“Hyung,” he felt someone’s hand on his arm and was pushed back, “it’s not time.”

“THERE WAS NO PERMISSION GIVEN TO SEND HIM TO THE EDGE! THERE WERE NO TESTS DONE IN THAT AREA! YOU ARE A LIER! I CHECKED IT ALL!” he shouted.

Suddenly, a sound freezing Minseok’s blood filled the room.

“We’re losing him!” someone shouted and it became very chaotic.

Minseok’s eyes went wide and he couldn’t move. He turned around after a moment and looked at the body.

“He is dying,” someone mumbled next to him, and that moved something inside of Minseok.

“Send me there,” he said suddenly, turning to look at Junmyeon, “I’ll bring him back!”

“That’s dangerous, Minseok, I cann –“

“You will send me there, or I will kill you with my own hands!” Minseok yelled and everyone in the room looked at them, “connect me to him,” he ordered.

“Minseok,” a woman’s voice sounded in the room, “no one has ever done it before. It may not work, you may get stuck in a loop, or you may not come back. Both of you can die.”

“If he dies, I die too. I have to try.”

Everyone exchanged looks, but then Junmyeon nodded and Minseok was taken to the room in which was Jongdae.

“Dae?” he whispered, watching the younger’s chest rising and falling slower and slower. “Dae, please. Do not leave me. You promised. You promised to come back to me. Please.”

“Minseok?” a woman behind him spoke, “please, lay down.”

He did as he was told and raised his sleeve.

“I am going to inject you the same serum I inserted Jongdae. It will put you to sleep. We cannot use the chip on you, because it may send you somewhere else. I will connect you directly to Jongdae. However, this process will turn you into a parasite. So remember, you have only a limited amount of time. Jongdae is weak. Hurry up.”

“I will.”

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Jongdae was drifting in the space, a blissful feeling him up.

‘This is it,’ he thought.

“Now, I can die,” he smiled to himself.

“Jongdae?” he heard a familiar voice and gasped.

“Minseok?! What are you doing… what… what are you doing here?”

“I came for you!” the boy answered, nearing the younger. What Jongdae noticed was a gold rope attached to the older’s wrist.

“Am I dead?” he mumbled, looking Minseok in the eyes.

“Not yet,” the other whispered, “but you are dying. We need to go. I need to get you out.”

“But I do not want to go!” Jongdae exclaimed, backing away.

“Jongdae! You were into a black hole! Junmyeon ed up, he lied to us! The edge of the Universe was a never tested destination!”

Jongdae stayed silent, looking around.

“Where were you?” he whispered suddenly, “I was looking for you.”

“I left early in the morning to do some research. To make sure you would be safe. But I was too late. The experiment went wrong.”

“Wrong,” Jongdae repeated, “no. It did not,” he smiled looking at Minseok, “I am here. You are here. At the edge of the Universe. I have seen what my mind was not even able to dream about, Min. I found my eternity.”

Minseok felt his heart break, “Dae,” he begged, trying to control his voice, “come back to me. Come back home. Please.”

“There is nothing there for me, Min –“

“I AM THERE!” Minseok exclaimed, and Jongdae raised an eyebrow, “do I really not count at all? Who am I to you?! Come back, Jongdae!”

“I cannot come back, Min. Look at this. Look at all these stars. I can touch the stars, Minseok! I can do what I have already dreamt about!”

“But you’re dying!” Minseok’s voice cracked, “you are dying, Dae!”

“I am not dying, Minseok. I am becoming a star,” he whispered, smiling into nothingness.

“Dae,” the older mumbled, shocked.

“Stay here with me, Minseok.”

“What?”

“Why would you want to come back? Look at this infinite!”

“Infinite?! Jongdae, you got into a black hole! You’re in the center of nothingness!”

“You are here,” Jongdae looked at him, “if it was nothingness, you would not be here.”

Minseok whined. Jongdae was acting like a lunatic.

“Come back with me, Jongdae,” he begged again.

“Stay here with me, Min,” the younger repeated. “If you want me to go back to that life with you, why will you not stay here with me?”

“Because this is a grave, Jongdae.”

“And what is Earth?”

Minseok’s eyes widened, “home, Jongdae! Earth is home! I am your home!”

Jongdae looked Minseok in the eyes, and his eyes were sad.

“I have been dreaming about it for such a long time, Min. I will be happy if I die here.”

“What about me?”

“You?” Jongdae asked surprised.

“Am I ever on your mind? Do you ever think of me? Do you even love me, Jongdae? I have given you all of me. Every piece of me loves you more than any of these stars. They are nothing but a cold light, and yet, you love them more than you will ever be able to love me –“

 

“You are unable to love another human being.”

 

Suddenly, Jongdae felt his body temperature rise, and his skin itch from the warmth. He started sweating.

“What is happening?” Minseok asked terrified, seeing the weird way in which Jongdae was suddenly moving.

“Nothing,” the younger mumbled, “it’s just getting really hot.”

“Hot?” Minseok repeated, “no, no, no!” he exclaimed, “you are not supposed to feel warmth, you cannot feel anything! Your body…,” he murmured, “your body is dying, Dae.”

Jongdae’s eyes widened, as if a sudden realization fell on him. He extended his arm to catch Minseok, but a wave of shock separated them.

“What is going on?!” he shouted, starting to panic.

Minseok looked around, and there, at the very far of the surrounding them nothingness he saw something.

“The black hole,” he whispered, “it is swallowing another one.”

Jongdae’s eyes widened with realization and his lungs started hurting.

“Minseok! Minseok help me!” he shouted, pleading, but the older started floating away, pulled by the invisible force.

“JONGDAE!” he heard his boyfriend’s scream and then Minseok disappeared.

“Minseok! Minnie!” Jongdae yelled, terrified.

He was afraid.

He was alone.

He was dying.

“Minseok! Minnie, help me! Please! I am so sorry! I am so sorry for everything!” he kept on screaming, but slowly his lungs were giving up on him.

“I will do better, I promise. Just take me out of here,” he begged, “please!”

Tears filled his eyes, as air bubbles in his lungs started erupting and breaking.

A painful scream escaped his lips and he felt blood on his tongue.

“Minseok,” came his broken whisper.

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Minseok’s eyes flew open and he took a deep and sudden breath. He quickly got up and jumped off of the bed and ran towards the younger. His heart was heardly beating.

“Where is he?!” Junmyeon screamed, entering the room.

“The black hole…” Minseok mumbled, pale, “they collided… the black holes collided and he was in the middle of it… he called for me… and I… I –“

“Shhh, Minseok,” Junmyeon whispered, placing a hand on the other’s shoulder, “you have done everything you could.”

“Jongdae,” he whispered, running a hand though the younger’s hair, “wake up. Wake up for me, please.”

 

“Look at the Suns. Look how they glow on the sky. Look at the gold that drips down from them, like a waterfall falling to the ground, like gold falling from the sky. It shines brighter than any money or diamonds on this Earth. It glows brighter than the old Sun. This light could be the one of a lighthouse, calling lost beings of the Universe back home. What if it is, Minseok?”

 

“Come back to me, Dae, come back. Don’t leave me, please.”

A tears fell down Minseok’s cheek as he held Jongdae’s cold hand.

“Do you remember when you spoke of the Suns? How they are the brightest things in the Universe? I told you I had seen things that shine brighter than them,” he mumbled, hiding his face in Jongdae’s barely moving chest, “that was your smile,” he whispered, “that was your smile I was talking about. And when you said that that scenery was the most beautiful thing in the Universe, it was not. You are, Dae. You are the most beautiful thing the creation has ever mastered. I beg of you, do not become the star. Not now, not like this. Come back to me, Jongdae, because I do not know how to leave without you. I know you do not love me –“

“I do,” came a whisper, and Minseok’s head shot up. Jongdae was lying there, with a weak and small smile on his face, his eyes focused on Minseok. “I am so sorry.”

Tears started falling down his face, as he could not contain the overwhelming sense of relief and happiness.

“You came back to me,” he mumbled in a broken whisper, tightening his grip on Jongdae’s hand.

“You called,” the younger whispered, “you were the light that guided me home. Brighter than the one of millions suns. Thank you, for saving me,” Jongdae whispered, and a tear stained his cheek.

Minseok shook his head, smiling, “you came back to me.”

“I love you, Min. I was so afraid when you disappeared. I was so terrified. I no longer whated to stay there. And it hurt so much. Dying. It hurt so bad. But do you know what was the worst? When I realized I will never see you or touch you again. That I will die there all alone, and no one will care. I am so sorry for being blind for such a long time,” Jongdae confessed, no longer holding his tears back, “please, forgive me.”

“I love you, Jongdae,” Minseok whispered, placing a kiss on Jongdae’s forehead.

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"I think I found it," Jongdae mumbled, lying in bed with Minseok.

"Found what?"

"My infinity," the younger smiled, hugging the elder tighter.

"Where?" Minseok whispered into Jongdae's hair.

"In you," he confessed and Minseok chuckled. "You win, Min."

"Win? What?" the elder asked confused.

"With the Universe. The space has got nothing on you."

"I love you."

"I love you."

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I am not entirely happy with this, so there are chance that one day in the far future it may be rewritten, but well, we'll see.