54: The Long Road

   Even though the sun had long disappeared under the horizon, the fires of Greyfleur continued to roar like a blinding scar against the night sky. An unremarkable van bombarded up the main road north, away from the burning hamlet, shaking its occupants in their uncomfortable seats.

   Chanyeol stifled a painful grunt as the van went over a bump in the road. With his free hand he nursed the pain in his shoulder, willing for it go away. It had felt sore since Hallowmire but the fighting from earlier seemed to have made it worse. He could feel the loosened bolt in his shoulder joint gouging at his flesh; even the slightest of movements was tinged with a sharp pain, tugging at his fragile nerves. Grimacing, he gripped harder onto the steering wheel and forced himself to concentrate on driving. He was sorry for stealing someone else's vehicle again but getting his friends to safety was his main priority. He glanced briefly in the rear view mirror towards Baekhyun and Sehun before settling his eyes back onto the road. It was getting dark now. They both had the same defeated look on their faces. Compared to what had happened to Luhan and Jeongri, Chanyeol felt his injuries were so insignificant. He had no right to when they were both doing worse than him. His problems would have to wait.

   Luhan remained unconcious after teleporting them out of Greyfleur. Sehun had been quiet since then, quieter than he usually was. If it seemed possible, he looked paler too. They didn't know when Luhan would wake again. A rather morbid thought crossed Chanyeol's mind; a small voice that whispered 'if he wakes up at all'. Sehun had been staring out of the windows, anxiety riddled across his face. Every so often, he'd place his palm across Luhan's forehead only to scowl at the high temperature.

   To the rear of the van, Baekhyun watched over Jeongri with the same concern. She had been fine at first, if a little exhausted. Together they ran for their lives; running just like how he ran with her through the streets of Greyfleur but she grew weaker and continually lagged behind everyone else. Everyone had been so preoccupied with Luhan that no one saw her finally collapse into the undergrowth. They had ran so far ahead that when they realised she was missing, they couldn't see her anymore. It had been Baekhyun who noticed first. Chanyeol glanced at him in the rear view mirror again. It was Baekhyun who carried her on his back for the last mile.

   Somewhere in Chanyeol's mind, he felt a small twinge of jealousy.

   He didn't want to feel that way, it had surprised him at first but it was a constant feeling that he could not ignore. The van had been silent ever since they started driving. It was as though Baekhyun was in his own world with Jeongri and Sehun was lost in his own world with Luhan. No one had bothered to ask him if he was okay. Chanyeol glanced at Baekhyun again in the mirror, hoping to catch his best friend's gaze but it was for naught. For the first time in their ten year partnership, he felt like he was losing his best friend but he wasn't angry about it. It was inevitable ever since she re-entered his life. It just made him feel a little sad. An era of his life was closing. With his free hand, he massaged the ache in his shoulder again and let out a soft sigh.

   At a time like this, Chanyeol wished he had someone to look after him too.

   As the van drove around a bend, Baekhyun stared out towards the once peaceful hamlet with a heavy heart. He had been trying to shake off the uncomfortable feelings of déjà vu that had been creeping up his skin. First it was Hallowmire and now this. Was chaos destined to follow them whenever they went?

   Unable to escape the churning feeling of guilt, he looked away only to focus on Jeongri again. She lay slumped in the seat beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. If it wasn't for the rapid rising and falling of her chest, she would have looked like she was just sleeping. He didn't think twice about wrapping his hand around hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

   He didn't know how to stitch her wounds like Luhan or how to magically heal all her injuries away like Kyungsoo. He was just a soldier; his powers only good for fighting. The only thing he could do was to let her know that he was there for her. Without realising, he rested his head against hers and closed his eyes. How was it that just this morning they were sitting on the roof of Luhan's home together, having such those moments he had longed for. Knowing that she was finally trying to move on and even smiling again because of him.

   It was the first time in a while that he felt like he'd had the old Jeongri back.

   It was the first time in a while that he didn't feel like such a stranger.

   The old Jeongri was never hurt like this. She was too cautious to get injured or ill in comparison to him. In fact, whenever he came down with a cold, she would come to his home with a flask of homemade chicken soup and a healthy dose of teasing, mocking him for not being the 'strong boy' he once claimed to be. He always pretended to hate her visiting but in actual fact he looked forward to it every time.

   There was only one time that Baekhyun could remember her having to go to hospital. It was during their early teens, both so fresh faced and naïve. He had made a bet with her on who could do the most consecutive cartwheels. Jeongri had always been stubbornly competitive, just like him. He thought it would be fun and of course, there was no way he was going to let her win but things got out of hand and she crashed into the wall and broke her arm. Baekhyun remembered how guilty he felt when he saw her cry, tears streaming down her face. She was taken to hospital and he was ferried home by his parents without another word.

   He didn't know why he did it but Baekhyun spent that night making his first chicken soup. It didn't taste very good and his mother wasn't very happy about the state in which he'd left the kitchen but Baekhyun was content with what he'd made. The next day, he remembered being so surprised to see that she wasn't crying anymore. Instead, she gestured brightly towards her cast and made fun of him for looking so worried. Rather defiantly, she had declared that she was a strong girl. Stronger than he claimed to be at least.

   Baekhyun knew that his eyes were wet but he didn't care. It was dark and no one could see him anyway, except maybe Chanyeol. Silently, he let the tears fall because in less than a month, he'd seen her succumb to her injuries twice now, even to the point of death. It scared him and this time he didn't have anyone to help her. Again, he squeezed her hand, willing her to be as strong as she once was, hoping that she would wake up by herself.

   He didn't notice the van slow down, eventually grinding to a halt. It was Chanyeol clearing his voice that brought him back to the present. Hastily, Baekhyun wiped his face with his sleeve and leaned forward, trying to see what was going on. Chanyeol had stopped at a junction that had a large road sign beside it. It told them that the road on the left would take them to the Capital, whereas the road leading right would take them to Merehua. Chanyeol leaned back and looked