THE PAINFUL TRUTH

Morning came the next day and it is not a surprise that Chen is one of the last to wake up and enter the dining room.

He entered with a mess of a hair while scrunching his face.

“That drink left me the worst hangover I’ve ever experience. What the hell did I drink last night..” he groaned as he plops right next to Aecha and he buries his head on the table in his arms.

Aecha chuckled and pats his head, “Who told you to drink anyways?”

“I thought it was a normal drink”, he whined incoherently with his head still on the table.

Sehun, who is sitting the opposite of him kicked his shin. Chen yelped and glared at him in return.. well, he tried but it came out silly rather than intimidating.

“That’s for last night. You made a huge disturbance and people gave us weird stares. We were embarrassed to the point of wanting to leave you there”

“Don’t tell me, I don’t want to hear it“

“You almost strip your clothes off saying that its hot”, Kai continues with full mouth as he munches on his toast.

“Damn it!”

The room immediately filled with laughter and choking sounds since most of them were eating. It’s a good way to spend their morning with, it’s been awhile since they’ve eaten breakfast normally and not to mention— fancily.

Although some has already finished eating, they still stayed in the dining room to chat and wait until everyone is finished.

They’re planning to meet Boa in the main room around 1. Nervous is an understatement, even though they look like they’re having a great time right now, deep inside they can’t help but feel anxious.

They overheard about the talk between Haneul and Boa yesterday thanks to Yina (the girl was too curious and decided to eavesdrop and acted normal in time when the conversation ended).

It seems like a big deal, they don’t know until what extent but the fact that Boa felt like the guilt has been eating her alive— it sounds really important and ground-breaking.

As usual, Suho kept quiet amidst the noise that their group is making. He was one of the few who entered late for breakfast and ate slowly as he thought about how badly this ‘secret’ will affect them.

He sighed and look up just to meet Yina’s eyes. She’s sitting across him and he could see that she’s wondering about what he’s thinking.

Her frown says it all and she even asked in a silent manner about what’s wrong but he shook his head with a forced smile.

Yina on the other hand starts to overthink. Is it her fault? Why does he seem like he’s in a not-so-good mood?

Did she annoy him too much?

She knows she’s quite a handful to deal with and she doesn’t normally care but it bothered her somehow. Yina sinks into her seat bitterly as she tries to finish her yogurt sloppily.

The group fell into silence when the topic they’re talking about ends and suddenly, it felt peaceful and calm—which is kind of weird for a noisy group like theirs.

It’s never like this because usually there will always be new conversations flows one after the other and food being thrown here and there due to the teasing and annoying each other.

Is somebody missing?

“Where’s Baekhyun?” Kai suddenly ask and then it struck them.

The mood maker slash noisiest is not here!

“That’s funny, is he still sleeping? He’s the first to go to bed though”, Inna said as she tilts her head.

“We shared the room with him—“, Chen told them as he mentions Xiumin as well. “He was still sleeping when I woke up and left”

“Is he okay?”, Chanyeol asks with a frown. Even the latest person who went to bed last night is here (He himself), but why is Baekhyun still sleeping?

Right on cue, Eri bolted into the room as she meows loudly— startling everyone in the room.

They stare at her in confusion as she meows loudly and approach the closest to her.

Yeseul.

She shrieked when Eri starts clawing her pants and Yeseul pulled her legs up on the chair— leaning on Chanyeol in progress.

“What’s wrong with her?”, Yeseul asked loudly with wide eyes as she stares at the cat.

“Is it hungry? Here kitty”, Inna tries to offer her a bit of her chicken but Eri went pass her and bolted towards Suho.

The leader picked her up and tries to calm her down by patting its head but Eri struggles in his hold and escaped through biting his finger.

“What the hell?”, Suho said in shock. The cat escaped the dining room and went to the left, towards where the bedrooms are located.

But then it hit him. Something must’ve happen.

“Baekhyun”

As soon as Suho said his name, it didn’t take them long to understand. The way the leader said the latter’s name made it clear

Suho jolted down the hallways and followed Eri’s loud meows and entered the dark room.

He could hear Baekhyun groaning loudly as if he’s in pain and he quickly opened the curtain.

The rest enters the room as well and saw him on the bed, his forehead covered in sweat and his face showing that he’s experiencing a nightmare.

It must’ve been the dreams again.

“Baekhyun?”, Suho tries to wake him up by shaking his shoulder.

He’s still in deep sleep.

“What’s happening?”, Suho mutters and place his hand on Baekhyun’s forehead. No signs of fever but.. his body is colder than the normal temperature.

“Chen”

The healer immediately went to his side and tries to calm Baekhyun down by activating the parasympathetic nervous system in his body.

Suho frowns when it didn’t work. It still didn’t wake him up.

“Water”, he calls out and starts to panic even though his expression remains calm

Xiumin sent droplets to his face, wetting his pillow in process but again he still won’t wake up.

“Here, let me try”

Aecha suddenly offers and make her way towards the bed. She was about to close her eyes when Kyungsoo asked her, “What are you trying to do?”

“It looks like his soul is stuck in his dreams. I’ll pull him out of there..”, she then took Baekhyun’s hand in hers.

Kyungsoo frowns but not because he’s jealous, he’s worried about his friend being stuck. That sounds absolutely terrifying.

Kyungsoo then place the back of his hand on Baekhyun’s neck, it is indeed a bit colder. “What happened to you..” he mutters in worry.

Aecha had already started searching because they could feel the temperature dropped in the room; all of them decided to stay because it seems serious.

The guys fell in deep silence as they waited while the girls were huddled at the corner of the room, talking in hushed tone.

“Is he always like this?”, Yeseul asks the others and Inna shook her head. Since she just recently joined, she doesn’t know most of the stuffs going on in the group.

“I don’t know the full story but Baekhyun has always been experiencing dreams and nightmares. I heard from Aecha that it wasn’t this severe before” Inna replied with a whisper as they stare at him in worry.

Although they aren’t close but seeing him like this makes them sad. He really looks helpless in that condition.

Suddenly, Boa came into the room. “Why are you all gathered here?” She asks and peeked through the door in curiosity.

The girls exchanged stares with each other because none of the guys noticed Boa’s presence yet and it had to be them to answer.

But the thing is.. what and how do they tell her? They don’t even know the whole story

“We’re not quite sure ourselves, Miss” Yina decides to play safe and told her that.

Boa frowned and then asks, “May I come in?”

They allowed her to because, who are they to prevent her from entering? It is her tree house to begin with, moreover she’s the leader of Deldara.

Boa entered and it is then the guys started to notice her.

“What happened to him?”, Boa asked Suho as she place her hand on his shoulder.

Suho shook his head and said, “Aecha said he’s stuck in his dreams and we’re not quite sure why. She’s trying to find his soul now”

Boa’s eyes immediately darted to Baekhyun and she sighed. “So it’s you..”

Her sudden statement took the attention of all of them. What does she mean by that?

They were about to ask her when suddenly another person walked— flew into the room.

“Miss, I found—“, Haneul reported but halted when she saw Baekhyun on the bed. The faerie blinked in confusion but continued reporting, “her. She’s in the main room”

Boa nodded, “Okay, be right there.”

Haneul then flew out to keep ‘her’ company. The leader of Deldara then straightens her outfit and said, “He will wake up soon. Once he wakes up, take him to the dining room and we’ll start discussing when he finishes eating”

With a comforting squeeze on Suho’s shoulder, she left the room.

“How long has it been?” Yixing asks them and Sehun replied, “About 10 minutes in. This is making me nervous suddenly”. He said as he place his hand on his stomach.

They could relate. The feeling is unsettling.

Another 10 minutes has passed and Kyungsoo starts fidgeting beside Aecha. “Hey”, he said softly as he puts his hand on her shoulder to squeeze it. “You doing okay there? Can you hear me?”

Aecha nods absentmindedly, her eyes still closed. “I’m almost there.. she just won’t let him go” she mutters under her breath and Kyungsoo frowned. He looks at her hands that is holding Baekhyun’s and he could see that she’s holding onto it tightly.

As if she’ll lose Baekhyun if her hold gets looser.

Who won’t let Baekhyun go?

“She said someone won’t let him go in there”, Kyungsoo told the rest with worry and extended his hand to reach Baekhyun’s.

It’s getting colder.

“, I think she needs help! He’s getting colder each second what the hell”, Kyungsoo panicked and turned around to call Yina.

The girl ran towards the bed and starts to enhance Aecha’s power and not long after that, Baekhyun shouted suddenly as he jolted upwards from his bed.

Just like someone who just got revived from drowning, that’s how Baekhyun looks like right now.

He’s gasping for air— inhaling and exhaling like there’s no tomorrow.

“Are you okay?”, Suho asked him as he pat his back. Xiumin starts yelling to the youngest to get him a cup of water and both of the guys dashed towards the dining room.

Baekhyun calmed down and took another deep breath, his hand on his hair as he grips on it. “I don’t know.. what just happened?” He asked in confusion and the rest of the group replied with worried stares and only that.

How are they supposed to know what happened?

“Water”, Sehun came back and offered him the cup. Baekhyun gladly took a sip from it but then he choked, making people around him panic again.

Aecha and Inna on the other hand also lets out a small yelp at the same time Baekhyun woke up and scrambled away from each other. “What the hell was that?”, Yina asked loudly with round eyes as she stares at her hand.

Aecha’s mouth is open too because whatever happened between them, it sent some sort of powerful wave that is too overwhelming for them to handle.

“It’s her! The one who keeps appearing in Baekhyun’s dreams” Aecha explained in shock.

Baekhyun’s attention turned to her immediately and he asked, “What? You met her?”

Aecha nodded, “Your soul got stuck somehow and you kept dreaming and won’t wake up. I went to take you out of it and saw her holding on to you.. what did you see Baekhyun?” She then asks, Baekhyun blinked and frown. He slowly look away from her to watch his reflection on the mirror that is on the left, opposite side of his bed.

“I saw myself”

“You dreamt about yourself?”, Chanyeol asks with a cracked tone and he immediately clears his throat. “Sorry, I was too nervous. Man I thought you were dying”

Baekhyun then shook his head as he tries to climb out of the bed, “I’m not sure if it’s me though..” he said almost nervously and approached the window to look outside.

The rest of the group continues to stare at the guy as he tries to calm himself down. His fingers distractingly gripping the window’s handle— anyone could see that he’s quite shaken by whatever happened.

He took a deep breath and turned around to face them. “I saw a guy that looks like me”

“Maybe it is you..?”, Sehun tries to suggest but he shook his head again.

“I don’t know..”, he mutters and place his hand on his face. “It took place in a different time”

He lets his hand down and cross his arms in front of his chest, staring at the group with confusion. “The era where kings and queens are still in rule”

They took Baekhyun to the dining room for him to eat and they all sat in awkward silence.

The mood maker is being awfully quiet and it bothers them so much that no one dares to talk. They munch on desserts as Baekhyun ate his brunch.

Then Haneul head pops in, “Are you almost done?”

All heads turned to her and back to Baekhyun and the man raised his eyebrows in confusion, “Oh? Are you waiting for me to finish?”

Haneul almost replied in a sarcastic way but she could sense how everyone is pretty tense right now so she decided to play nice.

“Not really.. just head to the living room once you’re finish?” It came out awkwardly however and Baekhyun replied with a nod.

“I’m done actually”

“But you’re halfway done”, Chen points out with worry.

“I don’t feel like eating”, Baekhyun mutters as he puts his dish on the floor in which Eri gladly ate off his plate.

Baekhyun then approached Haneul and gave her a weak smile. “Let’s go”

He left the dining room on his own and Haneul stare at his back, wondering what happened to him. “O..kay”

The rest of the group followed silently and that made Haneul more confused. What happened to the group that make jokes about everything? Why are they so serious now?

After the dining room turned empty, Haneul sighed. “Well, things are going to be tough after Miss Boa reveals everything. Bless them”

She then joins them at the main room, where they are currently introduced to a new girl by Miss Boa.

Yoon Subin.

Gosh that girl is hard to find. Haneul had troubles in finding her yesterday because of the crowd in the festival.

The fact that the girl didn’t want to be taken to the tree house is another thing.

She probably thought that faeries are going to do something to her.. well Haneul can’t blame her.

Non-faerie that gets invited to the tree house are usually not for a good purpose and this is known by everyone.

She feels kind of bad seeing Subin’s pale face when she found her this morning. Her reaction almost looks like she’s caught doing some illegal things.<