--Eleven: The Rules and Sacrifices

“Jae? Why are you here? H-how y-you-”

            Yunho gasped, dropped his papers the seconds he met those beautiful pair of eyes.

“Urm, principal, is there something wro-“

            But Changmin, his assistant, never finished his question. His jaws dropped when he looked at the men in front of him. Just a minutes ago, they got a false announcement about some intruders thus they eager to close the gate. Changmin got bad feeling about the announcement and he still asked Yunho to close the gate, thus no one could enter the Academy. He did not know that the intruders have been arrived at the Academy days ago.

            And by now, Changmin is positively sure that he is right. He is frozen when he saw someone who should not be here. The name is Jaejoong and Changmin never like the other ever since fifteen years ago.

            But that is not the reason why his jaws dropped. The thing is the principal, that Yunho, has been running to the supposed to be enemy and hug him tightly. Changmin face palmed himself, before pulled Yunho away from Jaejoong.

“But, Jae is here!” Yunho pouted, he stomped the ground as he pointed at Jaejoong

            Changmin glared at him although the other is certainly older than him, but Yunho is mentally younger than him when he talked about Jaejoong.

He narrowed his eyes to the intruder “What are you doing here? Powerless could not enter the Academy. That is the rule”

Jaejoong snapped the thought of being hugged by Yunho and glared back, smirked in the middle “Perhaps, the Elyxion is not as bright as they told then? You are just bunch of weaker playing to act cool” he mocked

            Yunho felt betrayed by the words. But who is kidding, even when the other has turned his back on him, they never meet even once. Jaejoong has turned to Red Forces, their nemesis organization.

“You did not answer my question. How could you enter the Academy?” Changmin asked, ignored the hurt feelings on Yunho’s face “What are you doing here?”

Jaejoong let out a loud laugh, the evil one, before pointed behind them. Changmin gasped, he turned his back only to look at his students with disoriented eyes ready to attack them. He immediately pulled Yunho closer and looked at his surroundings.

“Me? I am showing you how the feeling of being attacked by your most loved”

            Changmin know there is only hatred in Jaejoong’s eyes. He did not like a bit about that. Either way Yunho who has being stiffed after hearing Jaejoong’s words. The last words hit him hard like a poison. If only the man knew how much he loves the other.

***

“How you managed to make such a way?” Suho asked

            Suho did not like the idea about having secret passage to the Academy. Knowing someone could make such a way made him felt insecure. But Kris got the point, and half of his is glad to have such a secret passage.

“What do you think I am doing for two years?” the blindfolded Kris asked back, started to get more annoyed by inability to see

“Stop arguing, please?” Yixing warned but none of them listen him, so he sighed and turned to the other two beside him “I am questioning this all the time. What will be happened if you are vanished from our time?”

Tao shrugged his shoulder “Why asking?”

“Curious. You could travel back to the past, but not to the future. Does it mean you could not back to your time now?” Yixing asked again

This time, the future Kris smiled, tapped his best friend’s shoulder before said “Curiosity kill a man, Lay. Stop questioning something you do not want to know”

            Tao whistled beside Yixing, let the healer left dumbfounded in the back.

“Babe, what are you doing? Hurry, you are left behind” Suho shouted in the front thus Yixing run to him

***

“Is this, Kris’s house?” Minseok asked

            He looked around, looking at the dying house. The house is luxurious once, Jongdae knew it. It felt like it once stood beautiful with a garden and a fountain, dragon statue stood proudly in the front. However, the garden has been awfully mess, the fountain has been dried, mosses decorated the surfaces, and there is no head on the dragon statue, not the mention the cold breeze that kept blow around them. Despite being a magnificent house, all they could see is a haunted and a very abandoned house.

            Chanyeol flinched. The exterior of the house is just like the one he lived in with his hyung. And now he just knew that this abandoned house is once his house before he is born.

“This is awful. All the plants are dead, mosses everywhere. As if no one took care of them” Kyungsoo frowned

“No one even came here again, I guess” Luhan stated, deepened the frown of Kyungsoo’s face

“Let’s get inside” Minseok asked and all of them followed him

            He took the lead, dusting all the spider webs on his sight when motioned the other to come inside. Sehun flinched at the cleanliness of the house when Luhan floated away the objects on his way. The older did not even want to touch it. Kyungsoo did not like how the things are placed randomly. What did Suho hyung do here?

            When everybody kept moving, Chanyeol stopped at the track. He looked at the large painting in front of him. Under the dust and web spider, he could see a pair of loving couple in the darkness. He tightened Baekhyun immediately when he felt something dropped on his heart. It hurts, Chanyeol thought.

“What is wrong, Yeol?” Baekhyun asked but the other shook his head hard and returned to the other

            They stopped when Jongdae pointed to the slightly opened door.

“I think they are there” he said “The only door that is slightly open” he added

            Minseok nodded, asked the other to come followed him behind. But Baekhyun did not move. He looked at the large painting Chanyeol just saw before. He felt something strange at the painting. Thus he called his friend who frowned at the thought.

“We need to heal you fast, Baek. Whatever is that, just forget it-“ Jongdae stated, but Baekhyun shook his head, eyes still focused on the painting

“But- just a moment ago, I saw red eyes over there” Baekhyun insisted

            At the question, Chanyeol stiffed. That reminded him of Baekhyun’s question back in the class. This is not the first time Baekhyun talked something about red eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean what I said, Jongdae” Baekhyun deadpanned, his head started to dizzy again and all this talks did not help much

            Baekhyun is not ready to meet that Phoenix again.

            Chanyeol could feel the other leaned closer to him, thus he tightened the grip. Every time Baekhyun felt dizzy, he would lean closer to him, and then Chanyeol would feel tired easily. He did not want to tell the other though. Chanyeol did not want to add another question to their full lists.

“That is weird but let’s kept going. I don’t want to stay any longer here” Jongdae ended

            Baekhyun nodded, leaving the uneasy feeling on the painting before they kept going. Chanyeol looked at the painting for the last time before followed Baekhyun behind. They did not know that behind the painting is a safety box that kept the journal about Red Forces and their research-

            -and a pair of red eyes is staring at them.

***

            Suho pulled the present Kris closer when he heard weird noises near them. He shushed him when Kris cursed thus make the other mouthed another cursed. The future of them followed them behind, stopped at the same time when they heard the same weird noises.

“Can you hear that?” Suho asked, earning a nodded from Yixing who immediately blow the candles out

“What the hell?” the grumpy Kris asked, but soon held his breath when he heard the same weird noises “What is that? Is that a fight?”

“Someone is fighting above us. Where are we?” Suho asked, poked the present Kris with his branches

            There is no light above him, and with a blindfolded the present Kris could not know where the hell they are. But he felt his body tensed, he heard weird noises, and some voices. He focuses on the voices instead and widened his eyes in shock when he heard it right. That did not help him to look clearly, but it help him to express his feeling.

“That is the leader of Red Forces! They are already in the Academy, ! They must be started the plan” the grumpy Kris shouted in panic

At that, Suho hit him with another poke “What plan?”

“They wanted to bring down the Academy, killed the Principal and claimed the Academy as theirs” Kris explained

“But the elders would not accept it!” Suho shouted immediately

            The future Kris started to explain to the confused Tao. Apparently, the Academy has been headed by the Principal, but the one who chose the students and sent the invitation are different people. They are called as the elders, who have the authority to choose the next principal. Alas, no one ever saw them even the principal is chose by the letter.

“The elders would not have much option when the Academy itself is destroyed” the present Kris explained

“What do you mean?” Yixing asked, now share the same groggy face with his boyfriend

“They plan to destroy the Academy with the help of the Prophecy. Once they got the power, they wanted to destroy it” Tao explained, fist his hand unconsciously “I did not trained to be such kind of killer weapon for nothing, seriously. Red Forces is bad dream” he hissed in anger

“” is all Suho could said

            He fastened his steps, knowing the Principal is indeed in danger. Without a light, he could manage to come faster undetected. There is only one way in the underground and that helped a lot anyway. They only needed minutes to finally arrive at Kris’s room, or now Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s room and got outside.

            Thus, they widened their eyes at the sight.

           Never been in is life, the Academy became this mess. Dustings are filled the alleys, once they get rid of that, they could see the worse sight. There are things scattered everywhere, most of them are the broken statue’s body that once decorated the Academy, the stone walls, surface and ceiling. The chandeliers that hung luxurious on the ceiling are broken and its shards are scattered all over something that should be the ground, it is just that the floor has been broken and it could not be recognized anymore.

            But the most terrified scene of all is students that laid everywhere, hurt, bruised, fainted. There are bloods splattered all over the surfaces. Some of them are unconscious, but mostly did not even lift a finger. They did not know whether they are alive or not, but Yixing knew some of them could not be help. He flinched, felt sick at the scene.

            The more they walked, the more they saw the horrified scene. Suho started to feel insecure about his classmate doing. Little he knew that his classmates have already left before the mess has been started.

“Let’s find the others first” Suho suggested when no one argued about that

            -except Yixing who kneeled down to heal some of, he thought could be, the survivors.

***

            Baekhyun did not like how the all ended up with some kind of endless dark alley. It reminded him of his dream. But at least, he has the others with him, moreover the man beside him. He did not know why, but Chanyeol stood by him gave him some strength he did not have on his dream. Not to mention that his eyelids are being heavy for the time being and he felt dreamy all the time.

            Although no one noticed that, Chanyeol knew this. Every time Baekhyun would lean closer to him, he gripped the other tightly but softly. He did not want to give more harm to the other. But as the time being, he knew his state is not helping at all. He started to feel numb as the power is consumed by the other being. Thanks to the certain dark room thus the other would not notice that.

“Did you hear that?” Luhan suddenly stopped

            He could hear familiar noises. Being trapped on that sickly orphanage, of course he heard so many fighting scenes. Thus, when he heard another, coming from wherever their headed, he narrowed his eyes.

“Someone is fighting above us. Where are we?” Luhan concluded then he asked Kyungsoo

            By now he already touched the ceilings, frowned visible on his face.

“It felt familiar. But-“ Kyungsoo stopped his sentence, frowned

“But what, Kyungsoo?” Minseok asked

Kyungsoo did not like how doomed they are thus he pouted deeply “It is the Academy. Suho hyung is headed to the Academy, and he is not alone” he explained

“You mean with Yixing?” Minseok asked

“-and two other men” Kyungsoo closed his eyes, frowned a little

            Then all of them started to make protested sounds. Luhan groaned, Sehun rolled his eyes, Minseok furrowed his eyebrows, Kyungsoo pouted, Jongdae looked at them alternatively, Baekhyun closed his eyes at the dizziness, Jongin left unconscious, when Chanyeol-

            He did not make any expression at all because his eyes are fallen to certain man in front of them. A tall man just came behind them, smirked evilly and gave them an alarmed feel. He did not like this, the man supposed to be one of his hyung, the one that met Baekhyun earlier in their house, but lots younger.

            At the other side, Baekhyun focused on that new man’s glowing red eyes.

***

“Watch out!”

            After healing so many students, Yixing looked at his lover and his friends. He widened his eyes when he looked at someone, he did not know, rushed to them, trying to hurt them, especially Suho. Thus, Yixing lifted his hand, tried to reach the other desperately to safe him. Well, the act is truly futile, because first- he is healer, his power did not mean to attack or defend, second- someone has already save his lover.

            The blindfolded Kris, who is happened to be the nearest one to Suho, pushed him hard to the ground. He could not see anything, but he could hear voices. Moreover his best friend screams that asking help, thus he reacts faster and did the best thing he could with blindfold. He pushed Suho hard to the ground, turned his back, and faced whatever attacks coming to him.

“Not that easy, huh”

            He heard a voice then a clashing something. He furrowed his eyebrows when a long-warm hand tapped him on the shoulder, asked him to step back from the scene. He desperately wanted to see what was happened but he could not. He knew the consequences yet he held himself. That is when he heard the voice carefully. The clashing somethings seemed like a wooden something with an iron something. He flinched, did not like how the fighting is going on. That wooden something could not fight an iron something, right?

“That is my husband” he could hear his own voice near him “Does he look cool?” he could imagine himself grinned at the scene

He frowned “I could not see. Who is holding the wooden something?” he asked immediately

“You mean the nunchaku? It is Tao, our husband” with that, the present Kris showed that panicked expression but then he could hear himself chuckle “Relax. He is awesome. He would not lose that easily. That is how we love him” he added only for himself

            The present Kris frowned. He did not know what is happened but he still got that uneasy feeling. He really wanted to release that blindfold, but- he knew they need supports and their futures could help.

“Are you okay?” someone suddenly tapped his shoulder by now he guessed it as Tao

The present Kris nodded when the future Kris chuckled beside him “He is perfectly okay, just a little bit flustered. You are so cool, honey” he flirted the other soon make the present Kris flinched

            This is not the time to flirt at each other!

“Is everyone okay?” Tao asked

            Then he remembered why he is being saved.

“Suho, Lay, are you okay?” he asked in panicked, looked at a certain direction when someone softly directed him

            He blushed immediately when he felt the soft touch from someone on his face. That is must be Tao. He cursed the future Kris who chuckled at his reaction but now he needed to know how well his friends are.

“I am fine” he could hear Yixing said, then a groaned from Suho and he knew the latter is safe

“Is that Henry?” Suho asked

            The present Kris remembered the young boy in the Academy who always followed him in awe. As Kris remembered, Henry has the power of change the object into an iron. But there is no way he would hurt him!

“He is being controlled with something, I could feel it” Yixing touched the said boy’s forehead who formed a weird wrinkles

“Red Forces” Tao answered, “They manipulated minds with ambition, mostly the hurts one. Don’t heal him Yixing, we did not know what will be happened if we healed him. He might not aware and attacked us again”

            With that, the frowned on the present Kris deepened, he did not like how Red Forces worked.

“I thought it is better to leave me here” Yixing suddenly suggested, looking at his surroundings “Too many injured people here, someone should take care of them!” he groaned at the scene

            Suho knew how much pressure his lover could take just seeing someone injured badly so does his best friend. But leaving the healer all alone without any protection is not in the agenda. Although the present Kris did not know how bad the condition is, he still did not like the idea of leaving Yixing alone in the battlefield.

“Then, I’d go with you” the future Kris suddenly said “I mean, we needed to separate anyway. You need to release that soon, that is bothersome” the future Kris pointed at the blindfold on the present Kris “-and someone should go to the Principal office soon. Lay is right. We needed to do something with the injured people. I will accompany him. That is the best solution I could think” he said

            The present Kris is taken back by the idea, but he could not think either way. He could be the one that accompanied Lay, but he knew, he will not do much. It is weird that he believes at the man that moment ago he assumed as a deceiver. As for Suho, he could not think anymore best option. There is no way the present Kris could survive in the battlefield without his vision.

“I’d accompanied you then” Tao suddenly suggested, embraced his spouse tightly but the latter frowned deeply

“No, honey, you go with them. They needed someone who knew the Red Forces perfectly, and that is you” he said

“But-“

“No buts” the future Kris let out a little chuckled before kissed the other on the forehead “Remember our promise when we decided to travel back to the past? I won’t leave you alone, honey” with that said, Tao hit him lightly

“You better not!” he hissed, tear could be visibly seen at the corner of his eyes “Of course I remember that. That is the reason I agreed with your stupidest idea” he mumbled the last words before added “-fine! I will go with them, but you-“ he pointed at Yixing

            Suho flinched, did not like how this man pointed at his lover.

“-if anything bad happened to him-“ he held his breath, looking at the other “-do whatever he said. That’s the best thing I could say now”

            In seconds, Tao looked at the ground, tried his hard to hold his tears. Suho did not know what they are talking about, but the future Kris let out another chuckled before drag his lover to his chest. Soothing him softly, he lifted Tao’s face and smiled warmly. Minutes later, they are kissing like a mad men. Lips perfectly attached at each other, fighting for dominance which Kris won of course. Suho gasped at the scene, cursed silently when Yixing felt red on his face. Blessed the present Kris who has blindfold on his eyes, he could not see a thing.

“Now I got my lucky charm, I believe I will be perfectly fine. Now, go. You better save that principal’s fast. Show ‘em what you got, honey” he leaned closer to his lover, put his forehead at the other when chuckled lightly

“I am going to punish you if you do something stupid” Tao hissed in annoyance, lips reddened up but tears still tried to get away

“Punish me whatever you like-“ the future Kris teased

            The present Kris immediately has an urge to puke at his future self. But he maintained his facial expression before someone dragged him softly. By the hands, he knew those belonged to Tao.

“Be safe” is the last thing Suho could say to his lover before they are disappeared in the alley

            The present Kris did not know why he could not get rid of this uneasy feeling since he stepped back into the Academy. Probably the blindfold did the job, but when someone touched him softly and released that annoying little thing, he saw the most beautiful face he ever saw. Tao is tall, he has a pair of sharp eyes, and traced of tears, that soon Kris noticed immediately. He has black hair that suit perfectly with his dark-orb-eyes, and dark eye bags under his eyes. But when he looked at someone’s back beside Yixing at the end of the alleys, his hearts dropped.

            He did not know, but that uneasy feeling came from his future self indeed.

***

            When Sehun decided to tell the others about his story, and left him behind at the Academy because the younger certainly did not want to take another risk of letting he came face to face with his younger version, he did not expect Red Forces to come this fast. By the time the group has managed to leave the Academy, some of students changed to be someone different. Dangerously threatening, if Jongin would described the word. But, well, he supposed not to feel surprised, this is red Forces they are talking about, the same organization that manage to change an innocent boy into a cold blooded killer.

            However, he is doomed. The moment he fought against those threats, he found out the source of the threats is coming from the principal’s office. He walked fast to the said room, floated the other students with just his hands, yes his power developed to the good side. Fighting whoever blocked his way and helping whoever seems injured badly. He did not plan to be met with one of the most wanted to be killed on his list.

            Kim Jaejoong

            -the leader of Red Forces

            -the youngest of former powerless researchers

            -the powerless who used his knowledge to rule with non-sense and hate the gifted

            -the one that change Luhan to be cold blooded killer

            -the one, by now, has stabbed him right on his heart with a blooded sword

            Luhan cursed when looking animatedly at the sword on his heart and at the expressionless man in front of him. . He added when blood splattered out of his mouth. As if his half burned scarred face is not miserable enough and now he is coughing bloods moreover a sword on his heart. It misses just by inches.

“That is not how you call your savior, Lu” Jaejoong hissed

            Although the man visibly hissed, Luhan could see the other smirked evilly at him. He drew back his sword as though it did not just stab a flesh of meat. The future Luhan could feel his leg weakened and he immediately kneeled down. His right hand grabbed his chest desperately when his left hand fell to the ground in seconds, tried to sustain his position.

“You are not- my savior” he groaned as the blood kept coming from his mouth

“Yeah, just because you are coming from the next five years, does not mean I stopped being your savior” Jaejoong rolled his eyes, motioned his sword so the tip lifted Luhan’s chin up “-but I am your teacher. I supposed to be your guardian after I found you years ago in the orphanage, miserably cried like a baby. Oh, but you are still a baby back then. I forgot about that, my bad” Jaejoong chuckled before slightly poked the other’s neck with the tip of his sword “I have the rights to kill you baby Lu. Once you turned your back to us, you are our enemy”

            Luhan let out another blooded coughs when the tip of the sword continuously poked his neck every damned word. He cursed immediately, looked at the fainted assistant in the corner of the room but the principal could not be seen anywhere. Thus when he heard footsteps started to come near. Luhan closed his eyes, fisted his hand and let the door opened slightly with his power. He could hear three pair of shoes but he could not see anything. His vision has blurred and he knew it only take minutes before his conscious left him, he through this a lot.

“Oh, I know you travelled back to the past and hired that annoying spy. But trust me, no one messed with me. Nobody could defeat Red Forces. I started to pity you. Travelled back to the past only to face the same fate? Well, good bye”

            With that said, Jaejoong lifted his sword up and-

***

“Are you okay?” Jongdae nudged the boy beside him

            Sehun suddenly stopped abruptly when he felt something itchy on his chest, made Luhan groaned at his back when he accidentally bumped him. He mouthed what is happened with you to the boy while caressing his reddened forehead. Sehun would like to protested, but at the same time, a certain man called them. After recognized the face, he froze immediately, asked the other to step back.

“Hyung?” Chanyeol is the one who asked, already lifted his hand to grab the other when Sehun harshly blew him to the back

Sehun glared at the said man, who smirked at the scene “You should not be here”

            Jongdae shivered at Sehun’s voice. Instead of the warming and bubbling tones he used to voice, it only filled with hatred. Minseok caught the tense and motioned the others to step back, which Kyungsoo gladly did because Jongin is still unconscious on his hands and he could not do a thing to defend himself.

“Who is he?” Minseok asked, looked at both Chanyeol and Sehun who seemed recognized the man

“Tao-“ Sehun answered coldly

“-hyung” when Chanyeol added confusedly

“And- who is he again?” Luhan asked, clearly did not like the aura around the man

“Red Forces” Baekhyun mumbled, silently leaned closer to Chanyeol

            By now Chanyeol is out of breath but he managed to catch the other.

“Red Forces? He is not. You meet him, Baek. He is one of my-“

“No hyung. Baekhyun hyung is right. He is not your hyung, he is Red Forces. He looks younger” Sehun explained

“The one with time control power?” Minseok remembered

            By the power mentioned, the new man frowned.

“How did you know my power?” Tao asked, apparently did not like how his nemesis knew some information about him

“He is the next cruelest destroyer then?” Luhan kept asking as if the man is not even there

            At the question, Jongdae is amused because Sehun still replied with a nodded. Jongdae could see red on that new man’s face. He must be very angry because of being ignored.

“-but how’d you know that Baek? Red Forces?” Chanyeol asked

“Red eyes” Baekhyun mumbled incoherently when Minseok gasped at Chanyeol’s condition

            Just by that, Baekhyun glowed for seconds and lighted up the dark underground. Thus, the rest could see how pale Chanyeol is. Baekhyun snapped his face. Eyes open widely when he looked at his roommate.

“I- I am fine” Chanyeol said, but his hoarse voice could not be hidden

“Hello, I am still here” Tao managed to say, looked alternatively at the others

“Oh, shut up you” Luhan rolled his eyes, leaned closer to Chanyeol to see how bad he is “I am the first cruelest destroyer, and he is the second. You are the last, so basically you are the maknae here. Behave” he stated

            Jongdae could not help to hide his laugh, he pulled Kyungsoo immediately, tried to hold his laughter with the other’s back. Minseok frowned, did not like how Luhan talked with their supposed to be enemy. But Chanyeol’s state is worrying, Luhan is right indeed.

“If I was you, I won’t touch him” Jongdae suggested immediately when Luhan rolled his eyes again and tried to touch Chanyeol’s forehead

            He has a fever, a severe one. But that is not the reason why Luhan drew back his hand in seconds. He could feel fire on his hand thus Minseok immediately shot him with ice so the fire would dead.

“The only one that can touch Chanyeol is Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo gasped

“-but why?” Luhan continued, when Sehun tried his best to treat Luhan’s hand

“That should be connected with Loey on his dream, right?” Jongdae suddenly asked “I mean your story Sehun. The one that you told us back in the room” he added

            Sehun nodded. Now that Jongdae has mentioned it, he remembered when future Luhan told him about Loey haunted Baekhyun’s dream. However Kris visited the dream and insisted that is not his brother, someone different that share the same face with him. Jongdae frowned, his brain worked so hard today. About the prophecy, then the power, and now the dream, he did not surprise if his brain explodes one day.

            He heard someone cleared his throat, Tao.

“Can I talk now, hyung?” Tao politely asked, surprisingly innocent and did not spread terrified aura anymore

            He lifted a book on his hand that they barely noticed in the darkness. It is an old book with leather as the cover, written in messy hand-writing. Seems like a journal, Jongdae thought.

“I may not know half of the story, but- I think this book could help you” he said, by then they gathered up to look at the journal

***

            The journal is a simple leather cover book that has been hidden for years. The papers inside started to stick up and it is actually a lot of work to read one page without accidentally ripped the other, but Tao soft hand manage to do that. He flipped paper by paper, and explained the information inside. It is surprisingly recorded every single thing that is happened before Red Forces was formed. The researches, the invention, the academy, the power, the gem, and-

            -the prophecy.

“We are doomed. Really-“ Jongdae widened his eyes, looking at each paper he tried to read in the darkness

            Thanks to the glowing Baekhyun, at least he could interpret one or two, but- wait-

           He lifted his face up, tried to find his source of calmness that is happened to be his favorite senior, Minseok. Thus he would prevent his panicked attack and no lightning struck randomly outside. Then he looked at clueless Sehun and Luhan, before shifted to Baekhyun and Chanyeol. As if his eyes are not wide enough, he widened his eyes and looked at Jongin and Kyungsoo, an idea came to his brain. Then he looked at confused Tao.

“What?” Tao asked

“You mean that you ran out from the orphanage, because nobody need you there, right?” Jongdae asked “So it is safe to say that you are on our side, right?” he added more

To his concern, Tao nodded “That is when I found this house and find the book behind the old painting. Why?”

“Good. Because, I will tell you a plan to get out from this train of hell” he stated seriously, looking at the others that gathered up immediately.

***

            After arrived at principal’s office, Suho looked at the door that slowly open, and he widened his eyes when the said man just lifted the blooded sword to slash a black-hooded man who kneeled down. Upon the scene presented, Suho lifted his hand, produced amount of water to be shot at the unknown man. He did not have the time to think what kind of attack he managed. He needed to act fast, that is the matter. Suho did not need to ask Tao who is the black-hooded man because they wore the same hooded. Tao screamed at the scene, running fast to the injured man, his wooden nunchaku already on his hands, ready to attack.

            Apparently the water that turned out to splash only, managed to distract the sword man. Thus when the sword man soaked with water, Tao ran fast, twisted his wooden nunchaku quickly, so the blooded sword fell to the ground with a clashing sound. At Tao arrival, the black-hooded man dropped to the ground and fainted. Suho ran to the man, heart skipped a beat as he hopes that this man could survive.

“Luhan?!” he shouted in high pitch “Luhan, is that you? Are you okay? , open your eyes! Luhan, please!” Suho shouted at the unconscious man

            He did not see where is Tao, probably having a fight with that sword man. Kris arrived just a second after Suho kneeled down and put Luhan on his lap. His blood is spilled everywhere, now mostly on Suho’s lap. He gasped when he looked at blooded gap on future’s Luhan chest and he could not feel anymore panic. His vision is blurred with tears, seeing his future friend is dying is not in his list. Suho is a sobbing mess, calling the other’s man name like a mantra.

            At first, after hearing the story, he is glad that Luhan is safe. Moreover, the three of them decided travelled back to the past, to his time, so they could prevent the tragedy. But, after analyzing future Luhan’s face, he felt bad, like- so bad. If Kris and Tao appeared like nothing is bad happened on their time, Luhan is the opposite. His face is decorated with scar, mostly burning scar, down to his body. The only remained is his sparkling eyes but it lost its sparkling by now. It is dull and soulless.

“Suho stop shaking his body. He is- he is d-“ Kris could not say anything as the word stop coming from his lips

            Kris did not believe this either. He chose not to. Seeing his friend die like that is not in his agenda. He cursed at the sword man who just stabbed the future Luhan, by now is fighting with his soon-to-be husband. Suho could not stop crying as he embraced the other’s man tightly, did not intend to let the body go. So, Kris took this as the noticed when he turned his back, his face is surprisingly full of anger.

            He glared at the sword man, by now focused on fighting Tao. Took something as the weapon and ran like a mad man to the said man. Tao widened his eyes in surprise when he looked at Kris slightly floated on the floor and ready to attack the leader of Red Forces without proper training and proper weapon. Thus when Kris foolishly step forward to fight the leader, Tao pushed him hard to the ground, earned a confused look from the other and Suho splashed them with another water.

            Soon, they are drowned in water, that bloody water.

***

“You can tell me the answer now, right Kris?” Lay asked

            The taller man looked at him in confusion. His slow brain actually did not get what the other man is trying to say. So, being a good friend he is, Lay repeated his question.

“My question about Ta- your husband’s power” Lay repeated “I am as bad as you when it comes to brain, but I did not let that one slipped out easily. What will be happened if you are vanished from our time?”

“Oh, that one” Kris mouthed an ‘o’ before raised his eyebrows to the other “Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yeah, that is the reason why I asked, I think?” Lay mumbled

He could hear Kris chuckled when he said “We will be dead, Lay. When the future looked at us, we are going to be dead”

            Lay stopped at his track, he turned his back to face the taller. Kris is sure that he will be laughing mess if only Lay did not hit him hard with his supposed-to-be healing hand. Lay’s face is priceless, Kris thought. He widened his eyes and as if it is not enough, he formed an ‘o’ from his lips and blinked rapidly like an animated character.

“Then what are you doing here?! You supposed to leave the Academy like right now! Are you dumb?!” Lay, by now, hit him rapidly and tears started to form from Kris’s eyes courtesy of his laughter

“Relax Lay, you are killing me!” Kris teased when Lay just realized what he is doing

The latter stopped, breathing hardly before glared at the other “Then, get back already! We did not need you here anymore. We already knew what is happened, so go! We ensured that we will be fine, I will!”

            But Kris continued to laugh, he passed the nagging Lay while putting his hands casually on the back of his head, whistling in relax. Lay kept nagging behind him, telling him to go back and all, but Kris did not even try to hear that. Little Lay knew that coming back to the future is not in their agenda. That never is.