6. Lanterns of hope, lanterns of pain

Jongin realized it was too late when he saw that the guards didn't stop shooting even when there was the possibility to hit Chanyeol, too. His tears kept falling, and he called his friend's name, telling him to return back, that it was dangerous. One of the guards ordered to stop attacking, and Jongin recognized him as Chen. "Is he crazy? He's going to die; those monsters are going to eat him…" The man snarled with hate in his words, but there was worry in his eyes. Jongin stumbled on his own legs and he climbed down the stairs, almost falling on the ground. He gasped for air as he run toward his friend, and his sight started blurring even more because of his tears.

Chanyeol was kneeling there, with a white-dressed man in his weak, trembling arms. Arrows were stunk on that thin body, the blood was tinting of red his white and golden clothes; he had a serene but sad look, and his eyes were shining with still unshed tears. "Chanyeol…" He whispered with tired voice. Jongin covered his mouth and choked back a sob; that man was surely going to die. They couldn't take him anywhere, and those arrows were shot with precision. Blood was falling from his abdomen, from his chest, from his left shoulder, from his legs. They could do nothing but watch him during his very last moments. "No, no, no… Baekhyun, don't talk, we're going home, okay? We're going to celebrate today, okay? It's going to be fine. No more pain."

Jongin, this time, didn't hold back and started sobbing even harder; it was like he could hear that weak heart slowly stopping his job. Chanyeol spoke while crying, with his hand trembling hard and his voice hoarse from screaming. "W-we're going home. Together." He repeated, hugging tighter the weak body; he pressed his head with Baekhyun's one and sobbed harder. "I'm sorry if y-you had to wait. We can go, now." The dying man smiled weakly with half-lidded eyes. "No more… Waiting." He whispered, with his voice filled with happiness and hope. Chanyeol's smile got wider, but even more sadder; his eyes still had a last glint of hope. "Y-yeah! That's right." He murmured as his gaze flickered on the too white face of the man he loved. "B-because w-we are – I… Baekhyun!" The tall guard suddenly cried and pressed their lips together, in a desperate tentative of imprinting that moment in his head. "I l-love you." He kept repeating as he left kisses on the young man's lips. "Even if I had never touched you before… Even if you didn't tell me everything. I'm complete; you gave me a reason not to be an empty shell anymore."

Baekhyun hummed and closed his eyes, on his lips a little satisfied grin. "I'm glad." He mumbled as his broken voice disappeared in the dark, cruel and silent night of the grey desert. The only noises were the young men's cries. "I love… You." With a last sigh, Baekhyun's heart stopped beating. His head fell on the tall man's chest, on his face there was still a small smile and a tear had fallen. Chanyeol screamed in agony, clutching at the cold dead body of the man he had learnt to love with passion and dedication. He couldn't hear his voice anymore. He couldn't see him laugh anymore. His light, his Baekhyun… He was dead, in his weak arms, and he had watching him dying. Why didn't he leave when Baekhyun had asked him to?! Why? He knew it wasn't Jongin's fault, but only his own. He had thought his love and his position there in Eden were enough to be safe, but he was wrong. Now, he had nothing.

His light wasn't there to wipe away his tears.

Jongin fell on his knees and in that moment Sehun arrived next to him; he immediately searched for shelter in his arms and kept sobbing, murmuring incoherent words and apologies. His heart and head felt heavy, and for a moment, he thought he had out. He slowly turned around, his only support Sehun's body, and watched as Chanyeol slowly rested Baekhyun's body on the ground; then, his friend took his bag and started to rummage into it. He almost beamed when he found his dagger, and Jongin widened his eyes. What was he going to do with it?

"Chanyeol, what are you doing…?" He mumbled, as he raised his arm towards his dear friend. The tall guard, though, didn't even look at him. "We're going home together, Baekhyun." He whispered with a smile. Chanyeol slowly caressed his dead lover's face with a soft, sweet smile and raised his hand with the dagger. Jongin realized only in that moment what his friend wanted to do. "Chanyeol!" He shouted, but it was too late when he saw his body slumping on the ground with an empty sound. "No. No!" He screamed, he tried to stand, anything to shook Chanyeol's body and yell at him for being so stupid and in love, but Sehun hold him back, as he cried, too. "He's dead!" Jongin sobbed. "How could you! Chanyeol, how could you?!" Sehun immediately let him hid his face on his shoulder and the other man kept crying, the image of his friend stabbing himself never left his mind for a second.

Jongin closed his eyes and let darkness spread in his head.

He woke up when a strong pair of arms caught him, and a new, sweet scent filled his mind. He sighed softly and nuzzled against the warm body, realizing who it was hugging him. He felt safe, but guilt was eating his heart; he had watched his friend killing himself and he had done nothing to stop him. He started crying once again, but he didn't open his eyes. "It's my fault." He sobbed quietly. "I walked slowly because I didn't want to let him go away… If I walked faster, then they still would be alive…" With his usual soft voice, the other reassured him, even if he sounded like he was crying, too. "Of course it's not your fault!" He quickly reassured him. His arms tightened around Jongin's waist, and the younger man clutched his hands on the soft shirt.

"I love you, Jongin." The other man murmured. "And I promise you they will be together until the very end. I will take their bodies with me, and they will stay there. I promise." Jongin nodded weakly with a small smile. "Thank you." He answered with almost inaudible voice. "Now sleep. I'll be there with you, whatever you're going to do." Jongin sighed and fell in a deep slumber, where darkness welcomed him with her cold hands.

He gasped for air and his eyes shoot open. Jongin had felt like something was eating him alive, and he had never felt so scared before. No, that was a lie; he was terribly scared when Chanyeol stabbed himself, and he was sure there still was a smile on his face when he fell on the ground, next to Baekhyun. In front of him there was a river, and he was standing on a small bridge. What was that place? It felt almost like a sacred location, and somehow he knew that it wasn't his place. Why was he there, when he didn't even stop his dear friend from killing himself? His heart screamed for forgiveness, his mind told him to lose every hope: he was damned for his entire life. "This is our holy river." The soft voice told him, without scaring him.

Maybe, just maybe, he could reach peace just staying there, with him and the river. He hummed, but he didn't turn around; he felt no need to. "Chanyeol and Baekhyun are resting on a gondola. The river is going to bring them towards a whole new life." Jongin looked at the shiny water, catching a glimpse of a dragon carp, and that place finally started lighting up thanks to lanterns left on the water and others were swinging on the trees right next to the river. "Jongin, they aren't completely dead; Baekhyun is special, he can't die because he simply represents light." The soft voice kept explaining as the mysterious man wrapped his arms around Jongin's slim and tired figure. "What about Chanyeol?" The younger man murmured; he let out an unsteady breath when the other kissed his neck.

"I think he will be back together with Baekhyun." Jongin gulped down as he watched a gondola slowly slipping on the calm water. The couple was resting there, completely different: they still had the same clothes, but the blood was washed away, and the dagger and the arrows weren't there anymore. Baekhyun looked like an angel, with his white and golden veil and his serene smile; one of his hands was closed on Chanyeol's fingers. His friend was lying there, with a small, sweet smile, too. The couple, Jongin realized, looked like they were just sleeping; the young man knew that dead people weren't supposed to be like that, but it really was like Chanyeol and Baekhyun were in a deep and peaceful sleep. Jongin couldn't help but starting sobbing quietly at the lovely sight. The couple didn't look dead anymore, instead they were having a nice, long slumber while being next to each other.

"How can I stay here when I'm that self-centered? It's my own fault if they're like that…" The young man whispered as he let tears fall from his eyes and land on the water. "Jongin, it's only their fault… Baekhyun could have stayed away from the borderline, not that near like he did, while Chanyeol simply wasn't thinking straight." The soft voice reasoned, talking quietly right next to his ear. "This is your decision… You don't have to think what will happen to your friends if you'll stay with me." Jongin nodded weakly, crying a bit harder. Why was it that difficult? He just wanted everyone to be happy, but he knew it wasn't possible. Suddenly, as the gondola kept going slower, some fireflies arrived and rested on Chanyeol and Baekhyun's figures. Jongin gasped in delight seeing those small lights flying in the air, but he was confused when the fireflies became so many that the bodies on the gondola were completely covered.

"What is happening?" Jongin mumbled; right in that moment, the fireflies burst and quickly flew away. The only problem was that nothing was left there, and Chanyeol and Baekhyun had completely disappeared, leaving no trace behind. Jongin couldn't talk anymore, and he was truly astonished by what had just happened to the couple. "You're running out of time." The voice hurriedly told him. "I can't say that I know what just happened to Baekhyun and Chanyeol… But I can tell you something else." Jongin closed his eyes as he was quickly turned around; he felt a pair of lips on his own and he sighed in pleasure, searching with his hands for the other man's neck. "There is someone who is betraying you, someone who is planning almost everything. Also…" He took a deep breath and he sighed heavily, saying his next words. "I love you, Jongin. I want you to be happy, and I will let go of you if you're going to be happy in Eden. You deserve the best." He told him with unsteady voice before he started kissing him again and again, with more passion and desperate feeling.

Jongin let tears fall freely, his heart torn apart. "How can I leave when you're kissing me like that?" He mumbled. "How can I leave you when you can't let go of me?"

There was a sound of birds chirping and flying, and when Jongin opened his eyes, he was lying on a bed, with Sehun next to him.

A/N:
I'm terribly sorry! ;^;
I told you that not everyone was going to be happy! T__T
I apologize, but I had already decided long time ago what was going to happen. ;w;
Please, do tell me what do you think of the chapter, and vote the poll!
Also, write me on my tumblr. 

Gondola: if you don't know what it is, it's a type of rowboat that you can find in Venice (I actually live near there, lol).
Dragon carp: type of a Japanese carp, but it has different names. I was studying for art class when I saw it! XD