“_____-ah!!” Your brother called out to you in desperation. “Quicker!!”

“Oppa! Don’t leave me!” Your vision started to blur due to the tears. “Oppa wait for me!!”

Your legs were aching so badly, and you knew that unless someone came back to help you, they were going to catch you.

You looked forward and noticed that your parents had already vanished into the mysterious mist far ahead. They didn’t even spare a moment to check up on you. Your brother was still running. He turned back to you every so often. Although you definitely knew that he was your brother, his face was strangely blurred and you could not make out any of his features. But that didn’t matter to you. You were being chased, and you were going to be caught.

“Oppa!” You called out once again, “help me!!”

He spun around to face you. He was now in front of the mist. It was closing around his figure, as if soon he would become a part of the mist and disappear from this world- the world that you’re still in. Yet you knew that he was torn between running back and saving you, or following your parents and being saved.

“_____ please!! Run faster!” You could hear the agony in his voice, and you urged your tiny legs to speed up.

But, unsurprisingly, you stumbled and landed brutally on your front. The impact shocked you and an unimaginable pain shot up your right leg. You pushed yourself up and tried to continue running, but your legs gave up and once again you fell down. You looked at your injured knees; they were bleeding profusely down your pale and bruised skin. Unable to give up, you bit your lips and stood on your feet. The panic blinded you from your broken ankle and you forced yourself forward.

It was no use. Your injured legs could not sustain your weight. Angry tears fell out of your eyes as you went down once again. You knew you were trapped.

You could hear them. The chasers. You could hear their echoing footsteps as they hurried in your direction.

You raised your head to your final hope. He was still there. But did you want to drag him down with you? It was obvious that if he came back for you, he would be caught too. Did you love him enough to let him free? Moreover, were you willing enough to sacrifice yourself for his safety? 

“Oppa I can’t move!!”

He turned his head towards the direction of your parents, and turned back to you. He took several quick steps forwards, but stopped when he saw the faint, yet emerging figures closing up behind you.

“Please don’t leave me!! I’m scared!” You screamed, a sob broke out from your throat. “Please help me...”

You somehow felt that he had started crying too.

The utterly helpless feeling overwhelmed him. He didn’t know what to do. He could go back, but he’d be captured. Or he could leave you and after returning to health, he’d come back and look for you. His chest tightened every time you called for him. He was supposed to look after you. Yet what was he now? A coward who was too afraid to run back to save his sister. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.

You rubbed away the tears when you noticed two grey shadows behind your brother. The shadows quickly transformed into your parents, and each of them looped an arm through your brother’s arms, dragging him away.

They didn’t even glance at you.

“No, no!! Appa! Umma!! Please!! DON’T LEAVE ME!!” You crawled forward, scraping your already damaged legs, a hand franticly reaching towards your fading family.

Your brother also panicked at your parents’ sudden reappearance, “______-ah! No! I can’t leave her!! Let go of me!! NO! NO! LET GO OF ME!! _____!! ______!! Oppa will find you!! I will find you!!!” He screamed to you as he thrashed and kicked against the forces dragging him away. “_____-ah!! I will find you!! I PROMISE I’LL FIND YOU! I WILL FIND YOU! DON’T FORGET ME! I WILL FIND YOU!! I LOVE YOU ____!!” 

His voice disappeared.

You froze.

Your small hand still outstretched in front of you.

Suddenly, a harsh coldness rose up inside you. It overtook your body, and overtook your mind until you felt nothing but numbness and emptiness. You began to shake uncontrollably. You could hear nothing. Not even the footsteps behind. You felt as if the world had stopped. As if the air around you had stopped moving. You couldn’t move. You didn’t want to accept this reality. The reality that was too unbearable for your 5 year old mind.

You were abandoned.

A pair of large arms enclosed around your small figure. Soon more joined. You didn’t shout. You didn’t resist. You didn’t even mutter a single word.

Until you heard his voice again.

“______!!”

Your head snapped up and your eyes widened.

“ Oppa!!”

“______-ah!”

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Please comment and tell me how you found it so I can improve later ^^

But I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter~