(Kris' POV)

 

The me who has fallen in love with you does not have a place to return to

"Time?" I echoed. "Time for what?"

"I don't know. He just suddenly woke up and kept mumbling that." Lay told me.

"Nothing else?"

Lay shook his head. "Nothing else."

"Not even why he was in unconscious in the first place?"

Lay just shook his head again. "No. He doesn't say anything except something hun and about being... Being wrong?"

I just nodded my head slowly. "Okay. I guess he isn't fully recovered yet..."

"Seems like he's still somewhat in shock. But I'm just glad he woke up. I was worried he wouldn't open his eyes again... Then..." Lay then trailed off, leaving the sentence to hang in the air.
 

“We should probably give him some time before asking him questions. He'll be overwhelmed.” I suggested.

 

“But listening to him, it sounds like there isn't any time left.” Lay reminded me.

 

I sighed. Being the one in charge of these boys isn't an easy task. It can really give me a headache at times. Like now.

 

“I don't know. You're the doctor. What do you think we should do?” I asked in a defeated tone.

 

Lay's eyes softened. “Is something bothering you?”

 

“No.”

 

“Don't lie. I can feel your heartbeat.”

 

I sighed again. “Too many things to list. The monsters. Luhan. The Sun Clan. We lost our experienced Prophet. Baekhyun.”

 

“What happened to Baekhyun?”

 

“Haven't you noticed? He's spending a lot of time with that prisoner.”

 

“Oh. I guess I have... Keep going.”

 

“How the monsters seem even stronger these days. Ta--” I quickly cut myself off. “Nevermind.”

 

“Ta?” Lay asked. “What was that?”

 

I looked away. “Nothing.”

 

“Kris.”

 

“What?” I tried to act dumb.

 

“Your heartbeat.”

 

“It's nothing, really.” I lied.

 

“Kris. Judging from that rapid beating, I'd say it's the thing that worries you most. Now tell me what it is so we can fix it.” Lay commanded. For a usually gentle person, he can be so forceful at times.

 

“Well...”

 

“Oh, just spit it out.”

 

Really forceful.

 

“There's this... Someone.” I said. “I feel like I've seen that person before.”

 

“A girl?” I expected him to tease me, but he only asked in a curious tone.

 

“Uh... Yeah.” I lied.

 

“Name?”

 

“Tao.”

 

Lay frowned. “Tao? Doesn't sound like a girl's name.”

 

“It's short for uh... Taoni.” I just made up a random name on the spot, then realized how weird it sounded. Too late to go back now.

 

Lay's eyes flickered from my face to my chest, and I was afraid he'd say I was lying again, but he didn't. He just simply kept quiet and waited for me to go on.

 

Forceful at times, but a good person to talk to.

 

“Yeah... She... I feel like I've met her before somewhere. But I don't know where. It's so weird, that feeling. I don't understand it. Feels like I forgot something really important.” I admitted.

 

“So you feel like you've met this girl before somewhere?” Lay asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“But you don't know where.”

 

“No.”

 

“Hmm... That's funny. It seems like what's happening to me.” Lay mumbled.

 

I grinned. “You're always forgetful. I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot what you ate for breakfast.”

 

“Well, that's true.” Lay smiled back. The atmosphere instantly lightened.

 

But it didn't last for long.

 

“Kris!”

 

Lay and I both turned towards the door at the same time, finding an out of breath Xiumin leaning against the door frame. He had a panicked expression on his face, instantly telling us that something horrible happened.

 

“What is it?” I asked.

 

“Luhan! And... And the prisoner!” Xiumin told us.

 

“What happened?” Lay asked, calm as ever.

 

“I saw Luhan going down the stairs so I followed him, and then he started talking to the prisoner. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen! Then the prisoner wouldn't cooperate and Luhan used his power to throw him across the cell!”

 

My eyes widened in shock. Luhan? Being violent? That's never happened before. I don't believe it. “He's down there alone with him right now?”

 

“Baekhyun's there too.” Xiumin said.

 

Without another word, I dashed out of the room with the other two at my heels and headed straight for the dungeon underneath our house. Baekhyun isn't weak, but his power wouldn't be able to stop Luhan for long.

 

After what seemed like hours before I finally saw them, I realized that Xiumin was right. He hadn't seem wrong.

 

A few metres away, I saw Baekhyun holding onto Luhan's arms, shouting at him to stop. Inside the cell, the prisoner, Chanyeol, was hanging off the ground while holding his neck. Luhan was using his powers to choke him.

 

“Luhan!” I yelled.

 

Baekhyun's head snapped towards me and a look of relief filled his eyes. “Kris! You have to stop him! He's strangling Chanyeol!”

 

“Luhan. Let him go. Now.” I ordered.

 

Luhan simply looked at me with emotionless eyes and didn't let go. Inside the cell, Chanyeol looked dangerously close to blacking out.

 

“What are you doing? Let him go!” I shouted, this time with more authority.

 

Luhan hesitated for another split second before dropping his arm to his side and Chanyeol fell to the ground, gasping for breath. He coughed hard and Baekhyun looked worriedly from the outside.

 

“Chanyeol? Are you okay?” I heard him ask. Lay walked past me to go and check on the flame user. But my attention wasn't on them.

 

“Luhan. What happened to you? Why are you doing this?” I asked. “You've never been one to use violence for a solution.”

 

“This useless prisoner won't tell me what I want.” Luhan said simply.

 

“Tell you what? Is it so important that you need to choke him?”

 

“Maybe it is. You wouldn't know, and you don't need to know.” Luhan told me.

 

Behind me, Xiumin in a sharp breath at hearing the harsh words. I was shocked too. Luhan had always been the friendly, gentle one. Now... I don't know who I'm looking at anymore.

 

“Did something happen?” I asked. “You've changed.”

 

“Things change, people change. Only you stay the same, Kris.” he said coldly. “Always the weak, easily influenced one. It's because of you that father doesn't approve of us.”

 

That stung. It really did.

 

“Luhan! What are you saying?!” Xiumin shouted behind me.

 

“No, just... Let him be. Maybe it's because of this built up emotion that he finally snapped.” I said, trying to sound calm.

 

“But--”

 

“Please.”

 

“Luhan.”

 

My eyes went to Lay, who was sitting on the ground beside Luhan.

 

“You were really going for a kill, weren't you.” Lay asked softly. “If we hadn't arrived in time, you would've killed him.”

 

“Of course I was trying to kill. I'm not like someone.” At the last word, he looked at me from the corner of his eyes.

 

“What happened to you? Our gentle brother... You just suddenly changed. So much in such a short time. Ever since you woke up, you've been so different.” Lay said. “Did something happen before you passed out? While you were unconscious maybe?”

 

Luhan's eyes hardened into ice chips. “None of your business.”

 

“It clearly is since it's effecting all of us.” Baekhyun said.

 

“Stop talking. You're so weak that you even befriended a prisoner.” Luhan snapped. “Do you have no pride?”

 

Baekhyun's eyes went wide with surprise, but then he looked down and kept quiet.

 

“Luhan, that's no way to talk to your brothers.” Xiumin told him.

 

“Brothers? We're not even related by blood! It's so obvious that I'm pretty sure you even noticed.” Luhan said.

 

Xiumin had a hurt expression on his face, and he looked away angrily. I sighed.

 

“Let's just break this up. If we keep on like this, we're going to be fighting among ourselves soon.” I said. “Baekhyun and Lay, can you stay down here to keep an eye on the prisoner? If he dies, war will start again. Luhan. We can't keep you down here. You can either go upstairs or leave.”

 

Luhan looked at me and I thought I saw something flicker through his eyes. But it was gone too soon for me to catch what it was. Maybe it was even just my imagination.

 

“I don't need you to tell me what to do.” Luhan said. This time his voice was quiet. He pushed past me and Xiumin before disappearing up the stairs. We all watched him go in silence.

 

“He's going to come back, right?”

 

I was unsure. I hate being unsure, but I can't lie to myself. But being the one in charge, I have to be strong. When everyone else is shaken, I must remain steady.

 

“I'm sure he will.”