[CONTENTID1]Chapter 66[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Sacrifices[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

"TAO!" Xiumin screamed as Tao collapsed onto the floor.

Luhan stared at the knife that was sticking out of Tao’s body and the blood that surrounded it. Tao...why? Why did you do that?

Dongjun instantly ran and sprinted down the stairs. Xiumin and Kris bolted and chased after him.

Luhan snapped out of his shock as Mei Li came over. She went on her knees beside Tao, crying. "NO!"

Luhan lightly tapped Tao’s cheek, but his eyes wouldn't open. "Yah, maknae!"

Lay came over to tend to Tao as Chen picked up his phone and called for an ambulance.

Mei Li wouldn't stop crying as she sat there staring at Tao with her hands still tied behind her back, begging him to open his eyes. "Mei Li," Luhan grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him.

She collapsed into his chest and he wrapped her arms around her. She struggled to get out, but he just held her tighter. "He'll be fine," Luhan repeated over and over again.

But in his head, he wasn't too sure. Won't he?

Once the ambulance arrived, they quickly took Tao away to be sent to the hospital. Lay and Chen ran downstairs to see if Kris and Xiumin caught Dongjun, and Mei Li and Luhan slowly made their way out.

Luhan slowly pulled Mei Li along as they went downstairs after the ambulance took Tao.

Please be okay, please! She couldn't stop sniffling and crying no matter how hard she tried, and she could barely see because of the tears in her eyes.

Somehow she ended up outside again, guided by Luhan's hand.

"Mei," a voice said.

She looked up to see a figure standing in front of her, but her tears made her eye sight blurry. She lifted one hand to wipe her eyes, only to see the person she least expected.

"L?" she gaped.

"Yea, it's me," he replied, smiling.

"W-w-what..." Mei Li stuttered. Am I hallucinating?

"MEI LI!" another voice wailed, pulling her into a hug.

Luhan let her go and he looked up at her mother.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" she exclaimed, tears in her eyes.

"W-what's going on?" Mei Li asked. "How did you know we were here?" She finally noticed the police cars parked around the building and the police officers talking to Kris and Xiumin.

Then she caught sight of two officers pushing Dongjun into their car. She quickly looked away, not wanting to see him ever again.

"I told them," L answered her question.

You...what?

"You were a part of this?" Luhan shouted, preparing to throw a punch at L.

Mei Li grabbed his arm and held him back. "Wait oppa, don't."

He looked at her and calmed down. She turned back to L and nodded for him to continue.

"I started to notice something was wrong," he explained, but he paused and bit his lip. "Can I talk to you alone, Mei?"

She stared at L and she just knew she could still trust him. She nodded and took a step closer to him, but Luhan pulled her back.

"Who is he? And how do you know he's not like Dongjun?" he whispered, staring at her with a serious and worried expression. "I'm not letting you disappear from me ever again."

He took her hand and faced L. "If you need to talk to her, I'm coming too."

Mei Li watched L for his reaction. He glanced at their intertwined fingers with a solemn expression and looked back up at her, nodding.

It was 3am and they were still at the hospital outside the operation room. Mei Li was Anne's back as she leaned against her, sleeping.

She and her friends had come to the hospital after mom called them to let them know what happened, and she'd been waiting with them ever since. Jiyeon, Joongki, and Junho were all here as well after calling their parents to let them know. Mei Li was glad Anne had such good friends.

Mei Li thought she had cried a lot, but Anne cried even more. That's when she was sure that what Anne felt for Tao wasn't purely a crush. Anne's growing up. She smiled as she wiped her cheeks with her finger. However, Anne wasn't the only one who came to the hospital after hearing the news.

Sitting across from them was Jessica and Kris. In any other situation, Mei Li would've been spazzing at the scene, but she could only smile weakly.

EXO’s manager had told Jessica what happened and she left her schedule early to come over immediately. Although Tao and she had always claimed that she despised the maknae, it was evident that she still cared for him as a noona. She had cried about how she should've treated Tao better, and it was only when Kris pulled her in for a hug that she finally calmed down.

She was currently sleeping against his chest with one of Kris's arms around her waist and the other her hair.

The rest of EXO-M was scattered in the hall as well, some sleeping and some staring off into space.

Ayi and Mei Li’s mom were at the main office filling out papers and forms for the hospital bill and what not.

The entire hall was silent with the exception of sniffling and the sound of breathing. The hospital had been in complete pandemonium when Tao had checked in. The fans had found out and it was just utter chaos before the police appeared.

"Hey,