06.

“Are we lost?”

Even Sahyun had become irritated at that point, Seungkwan’s question being repeated for the tenth time since they first started trekking through the tunnel’s. She realized quite quickly that Seungkwan was the type of person who couldn’t sit still for very long, or even keep his mouth shut for very long either. And, he had been with them only momentarily, but she also figured out that Jihoon was not one for tolerance.

“Of course not, . We’ve been walking in a straight line this entire ing time. There aren’t any turns, therefore we can’t get lost. Can you stop asking?” He spat out, stopping in his tracks in front of Sahyun, very nearly making the poor girl run into him, had it not been for Soonyoung placing his hand on her upper arm and keeping her back. She shivered at his touch, hoping that it wasn’t noticeable.

She knew it was when he chuckled quietly behind her and let go, her ears no doubt turning a bright pink color, much like Minghao’s little energy ball.

“I remember why I don’t like you, Jihoon. You were always so mean.” Seungkwan huffed, but his voice remained quiet after that, as he sulked with his arms crossed, glaring at everything but Jihoon despite his attitude.

Jihoon began walking again after that, and Sahyun let out a little breath at being able to stop a little further away from everyone - namely Soonyoung’s body heat behind her - and have some space around her. 

She wasn’t too sure how long they walked for, though she supposed with how time passed in the Middleground, it didn’t particularly matter either. But her legs began to feel shaky, the energy from her “meal” already well past spent and used up from the exertion of escaping the house. She didn’t say anything though, for fear of having everyone freak out, and take even longer to get there (wherever there was). 

Swallowing the lump in , she kept going, not even realizing her steps had slowed until she felt Soonyoung’s hand on her arm once more, this time steadying her for balance.

“Sahyun?” She couldn’t even register the fact that he had said her name, maybe for the first time, maybe not, when it left his lips. Her head suddenly felt heavy and lulled to the side as she tried to keep it up, all the while still attempting to step forward. But, when she tried to move her foot again, it didn’t go anywhere like she thought and suddenly she was leaning forward, grasping for something to hold onto, her hand grabbing onto Jihoon’s sleeve as she couldn’t keep herself up any longer. She felt arms wrap around her waist and then under her legs before her eyes shut and her blurry vision turned black.

—

The first sounds Sahyun registered when she came to again was that of hushed voices whispering excitedly around her. She heard someone say she was awake, no doubt Minghao, and they stilled, and she could almost feel how each of them held their breath for her to stir. She groaned as she tried to force her eyes awake, her body feeling so heavy and weak, it was frustrating how little control she had over herself at that moment.

Eventually, she managed to pry her eyelids up and she found they were no longer in the tunnels, her surroundings now consisting of a warmly lit room, with red furniture draperies, a fireplace in the middle wall and an entire bookcase filled to the brim with old and dusty books, some clearly read more than others.

It was a complete contrast from where she stayed at Soonyoung’s, and far more welcomed than the expanse of dull gray. She was lying on an old red sofa, and she counted four pairs of eyes watching her, one of them unfamiliar. Soonyoung, Seungkwan, Junhui and someone she had yet to meet.

She attempted to sit up quickly, but her body ached and her bones buckled from the action and it wasn’t until Soonyoung reached out and placed his hand on her back to steady her that she was able to do it, his touch surprisingly gentle once more. 

She wanted to ask what happened, but when she opened to speak, croaked and she couldn’t get the words out, her body far too weak to even speak properly.

“That remedy I gave her will only work temporarily to give her energy, we’ll have to find a different and slightly more permanent solution for her very soon.” A new voice stated and she turned her head to look over the back of the couch to find Jihoon and Minghao standing with another unfamiliar face.

“What solutions are there, though?” Seungkwan asked, shockingly concerned about her. Sahyun swiped the smile that attempted to adorn her face at how soft of person Seungkwan was actually turning out to be, opposed his rough exterior. She knew if she smiled, he would simply berate her more and take back his concern.

The man beside Jihoon sighed, grabbing a book from the shelf and making his way over to the four standing by the couch. “Well, there isn’t much we can do. Not without stronger magic, and I’m afraid I’ve only dabbled in the study of magic an insignificant amount.”

“What happens if we don’t do anything?” The other new face asked, seemingly transfixed on the situation, his eyes peering over the other male’s shoulder to look at the opened book.

Everyone else stilled at that, and Sahyun felt a trickle of fear run through her spine. Whatever happened obviously wasn’t going to be good. Even Seungkwan seemed to know the consequences, and she briefly thought back to one of her first nights there.

Seungkwan said if she lost too much energy she would die. But with how they acted, she knew it must have been mor