Chanyeol created another wall of fire to protect himself from incoming Suho. However as Suho hit the wall of fire, the fire dispersed and Suho grabbed Chanyeol by the collar, and proceed to shove him on the ground.

Suho tried to grabbed the Lucifer’s Blood from Chnayeol’s hand but Chanyeol managed to shove Suho away. He proceed to throw several fireballs towards Suho. Suho effortlessly repelled Chanyeol’s fire attacks with his water.

Chanyeol unleashed massive fire, causing the whole area engulfed by flames. Jimin tried to create wall of water to protect herself and the rest of the boys from Chanyeol’s fire when she discovered that they were protected by an invisible sphere of protection.

Jimin decided to fight alongside Suho but at the moment she trying to teleport her body gave a strong jerk. Jimin felt horrified as she is unable to teleport, as if something is preventing her from doing so. Jimin looked up, her concern expression become very visible on her face.

Suho what are you up to?

Chanyeol’s two hands turned into claws. “If I could not harm you with my fire, let’s see if you can avoid my claws”. Suho however still managed to remain calm and compose. “Chanyeol, you had let yourself into darkness for too long. I can end your life now if I wanted to. But I still believe there’s some light inside you. Chanyeol, fight against your own darkness. Come back with us”

Chanyeol began to laugh. “Darkness will always exist Suho. As long there is light there will be darkness. If you choose to be on the light side then I’m needed for the darkness side”

Suho shook his head in disappointment. “I had promised myself that I will bring back Chanyeol home tonight and I intend to keep my promise. I will do anything to have him, regardless the price I had to pay!”

“Very well” chuckled Chanyeol, “We’ll see if you’re able to!” Chanyeol sprint towards Suho, Chanyeol raised his clawed hand, ready to strike Suho at any moment.

CLANG!!!

“Huh?!”

Chanyeol gave another swing. Again the sound of clang can be heard. No matter how often Chanyeol attacking, he found himself unable to touch Suho, as if there was an invisible wall protecting Suho.

“What the hell is this??!”

Chanyeol become furious and his attacks become more frantic. While Chanyeol was too busy trying to attack Suho, Suho raised his hand and face his palm of Chanyeol ‘s face. Suddenly a strong current of water emerged from Suho’s hand, sending Chanyeol few feet away.

Chanyeol immediately get himself up, he felt completely disbelief that he was unable to hurt Suho anymore, let it be by his elemental fire, darkness, and even his physical attacks.

Suho closed his eyes. “Chanyeol, do you know what’s your problem? You followed your desire way too much. A leader will always put aside his feelings, desire, and think everything as whole team. That way you will remain compose, and will not act reckless. Which is WHY I’AM THE LEADER NOT YOU!!”

Suho suddenly opened his eyes, revealing they had turned into bright blue, the light on Suho’s body become brighter to the point Suho now appeared like a white light entity.

Suho dashed himself towards Chanyeol. Chanyeol, now shaking with fear tried to fly away when he felt something is holding him back. A familiar manly voice can be heard from his back.

“I had enough with you! This is my body! Now get the hell out from it!”

From the ground Jimin and the boys heard the voice and saw it; behind the demonic Chanyeol was a glowing white spirit whom they recognized well, Chanyeol. Chanyeol’s spirit hold his demonic possessed body as Suho getting closer.

“Chanyeol….I knew there’s still come lights in him, the good side of him” murmured Kris. But Jimin become horrified instead. “Oh no! Suho! Don’t! Don’t!”

Kris looked at terrified Jimin. “What’s going to happened? Jimin?!”

Suho and Chanyeol locked eyes. “You will come back with us tonight Chanyeol”

Chanyeol’s spirit smiled and he slowly disappeared, the demonic Chanyeol  tried to flee again but it’s too late, Suho had reached him. A strong bright light and shockwave occurred upon the collision. The boys closed their eyes to protect them from the radiating light but Jimin can see it clearly; Upon the collision, a massive dark force, in a shape of black cloud was shoved off from Chanyeol’s body as the lights from Suho’s body left his body and went  ing into Chanyeol’s.

The boys kneeled down as they embraced the shockwave. Kris managed to grab Jimin and hold her tight, preventing her from being thrown away. For a moment everything in their surrounding smashes into pieces, small rocks, branches, and dry leaves all splintered into dust. The air became filled with dust that hurled over their heads from all directions.

Then the bright light was divided into ten bolts and each hit the boys, they can feel that their elemental powers had returned to them.

Then everything suddenly become calm. The boys raised their head. Dust slowly disappearing, the light had vanished. The boys slowly stand up, Kris help Jimin get her footing.

“Where’s Suho?” Jimin whispered to herself, with cold sweat began to rolled from her head. Then in a distance, few meter away, she can see a figure laying motionlessly on the ground.

“Suho!”

Jimin sprint to Suho’s body, but halfway Kris overtook her. Kris kneeled down and turned Suho’s body. He then saw a horrifying scene; with eyes half opened, Suho’s lifeless eyes staring at Kris with a blank expression, Kris could not feel any sign of life within Suho’s face.

Kris begin to shook Suho’s body. “Suho! Suho!”

No reaction.

“Come on Suho! Don’t do this to me!”

Kris gave another shake. Still no reaction.

Lay stepped in and kneeled down next to Kris. He placed his palms on Suho’s chest and small glowing green light begin to emit from Lay’s palm. “Come on Suho. Come back to us” begged Lay. For someone who just died, Lay knows their life essence is still around, lingering before completely disappeared, now he is hoping he can called it back with his healing ability.

But still nothing happened. Chen pushed Lay aside. “Let me do this! Kris put Suho down! And guys stay few feet away from me!”

Without any objection the boys, along with Jimin backed off few feet away. Kris gently placed Suho on the ground and proceed to join the rest. Chen placed his palm on Suho’s chest. With full of concentration, Chen released small current of electricity in Suho. Suho’s body jerked, but there was still no reaction. Chen gave another try, this time he set higher current. Suho’s body gave another violent jerk. But Suho’s face still remained emotionless.

Tears begin to rolled from the boys’ eyes. Jimin and Baekhyun began to sob.

“Come on Suho!” begged Chen. Tears begin to form in his eyes. “Don’t do this to us! We need you!”

Chen clenched his teeth as he looked down. He felt disappointed with himself. No matter how hard he tried Suho is not coming back to life. Everything was hopeless. Suho had gone.

Few feet away, another body begin to move. Chanyeol’s body had turned normal. Chanyeol slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the top of his right hand; the Lucifer’s Blood is no embedded on his hand, what is left is a burning mark indicated something was there.

Chanyeol sat up and as he his left side he can see the Lucifer’s Blood laying on the ground. Chanyeol turned to his right and saw the everyone gathered at Suho’s body. Chanyeol’s eyes become wide and cold sweat rolling non-stop from his forehead.

No…..!

Chanyeol instantly get himself up and sprinted to them. He kneeled down next to Chen, grabbing Suho by the shoulder. “Suho! Suho! Wake up! I’m back! See I’m back! You did it! You saved me!”

But Suho still remain motionless.

“Do you know what’s the job of a Balancer?”

“Is to maintain the balance within Exo” Jimin replied confidentially. Her Master smiled with satisfaction. “Good. But do you know how important it is your duty my child?”

“Very”

Her Master smiled gently as he closed his eyes. He then slowly opened them again. “Listen my child, no matter what happened, the leader must leave to unsure the existence of the rest”

Jimin nodded in agreement, but her Master ‘s expression become intense, “But they will be times when the unavoidable happened, but like I said, the leader needs to live. There is a way to revive the leader, only the leader, this will not apply to normal members. I will teach you the method but I do hope you will never had to use in your life”

Jimin did not faltered, instead she assured her Master, “Tech me whatever necessary Master, for this will be my lifelong duty. I’am prepared”

Jimin snapped back to reality and stopped crying. Jimin stood silently for a moment as she watched everyone mourning over Suho. Jimin closed her and a single tear rolled from her right eye.

“Guys…..” Jimin finally spoke. “We can save Suho….we still have time to”

The boys looked at Jimin intensively. “How?”

Jimin did not bothered to answer their question, instead she approached Suho’s body and reached out her hands. “Everybody hold my hands and formed a circle around Suho”

Although baffled, the boys obediently followed Jimin’s instruction. Kris reached Jimin’s right’s hand while Baekhyun grabbed Jimin’s left hand. “Now I want all of you focus, concentrate the element inside you, we will gather all out elements into one to revive the water”

The boys exchanging looks and slowly one by one began to close their eyes. “Concentrate everyone..”

Slowly each of the boys’ chest area begin to glow with the shape of the symbol of their elements. Jimin opened her eyes and she can see the area of her own chest begin to glow as well, but minus any symbol; just a round shape white light.

Then all the lights absorbed into Jimin’s body, making her whole body illuminated by white light. Then as the light become brighter, the boys realized something is happening and opened their eyes.

“Jimin! What are you doing?”

Jimin did not answered, instead she gave Kris a gentle smile. Then the light from her body abruptly left her body and went into Suho. Suho’s body begin to emit bright white light.

Jimin fell but Kris managed to grabbed her before she reach the ground. Jimin begin to pant hard as she struggled to breath.

“Jimin! What have you done?”

“Hush Kris! Look at Suho oppa..”

Suho’s body still emitting white light, but slowing become dimmer. Suho’s lifeless eyes begin to show sign of life and Suho blinked for few seconds. He then slowly sat up and the white light disappeared. Suho stared at his hands, baffled by his sudden revival, “I’m….still…alive?”

“Suho!”

Suho turned towards the voice and saw Kris, kneeling on the ground with Jimin in his embrace, while the rest of the boys were unsure to react; mixture emotions filled up the air, too many things had happened in short period. Suho become horrified, and rushed to Kris side, taking Jimin into his arms.

“Jimin! What have you done! Why did you! Why did…”

“Hush Suho” Jimin placed her fingers to Suho’s lips. “This is my duty, don’t you forget that”

Suho begin to sob, “Liar, that’s not the reason you did this”

Jimin’s eyes begin to fill up with tears as well. “It is my duty….but you’re right Suho…I did this as well over my duty…”

“Jimin…I…”

 “This is the price for me to pay for bringing you back, a life exchange with a life” Jimin’s body slowly starting to dissolve.. “Don’t cry Suho, I will not really die, you know I couldn’t, I’m the balancer. I will come  back, but till then you just have to wait for me…Suho…..I Love you….”

Jimin’s body completely dissolved into the thin air, leaving Suho hugging to himself. Suho hugged himself tighter as he begin to son uncontrollably.  The rest of the boys turned their heads down solemnly as they crying in silent.

Suho sat silently on floor of the balcony of his bedroom, staring blankly into the darkness of the night outside of the house. He then heard a soft sounds of footsteps but did not bothered to turn to have a look. He then saw a hand passed him a cup of warm tea and took it, Kris sat next to Suho as he began to sip his own tea.

After few minutes of silence, Kris eventually voiced his regret, “I’m very sorry about Jimin Suho, I should had known better, I should had prevent her from doing that..”

Suho finally took a sip from his tea. He still staring at the darkness. “It’s ok Kris” assured Suho. “Jimin will be back. She will, after all she is the balancer, unlike us she could not really die-it just her body…” Suho paused as he hold his chest area.”… was temporary destroyed in the process of reviving me..”

Kris stared at Suho as Suho become quiet again. “Suho…there’s so many things we didn’t know, You need to begin to tell us what you know, I refuse the be left clueless if anything ever happened again”

Suho finally gave a look at Kris. He gently nodded, “Very well, I will”

Kris put down his cup of tea and folded his right arm sleeve, revealing a metal bracelet with a Dragon design on it. “Remember this Suho? When you gave this to me? (refer to Exo Prelude, Chapter 7: Kris) I had become strong, just like you wished me to, but I will become stronger, that way I can finally protect you, just like what you did to me back then”

Chanyeol sat quietly in Baekhyun’s room. He used to shared room with Baekhyun until recently he switched  temporary with Sehun as Sehun wanted to discuss his recent studies with Baekhyun. Chanyeol sat on Sehun’s bed, which was his at one time. He could not face the others, not after what he did in the past three days.

It’s only three days, and yet so many lives had changed. Chanyeol tried to hold back his tears as his guilt began to filled up inside.

“Don’t let your guilt gets on you Chanyeol. The last thing we want to happened is you become corrupted again”

Chanyeol raised his head and he can see Baekhyun, leaning against the room’s door panel with his arms crossing to each other. Chanyeol looked down again and Beakhyun slowly walked in and sat next to Chanyeol on the bed. Chanyeol turned his face away from Baekhun in ashamed.

“Hey listen Chanyeol. Whatever happened back then it was not your fault. There’s nothing you could do. Don’t forget I also know you from the school (refer to Exo Prelude, Chapter 4: Baekhyun), but what matters now that you’re back, and everyone is glad it happened”

Chanyeol is not convinced. “ Are you really sure Baekhyun? Or are you trying to make me feel better?”

Baekhyun let out a sighed, then smiled again. “Very well, then tell me what they doing there?” Baekhyun pointed towards the door. Chanyeol turned his head and only then he realized the rest of the boys been standing at the door. “Guys…..?”

Kai walked in, followed by Sehun and then by the rest, they all went to embrace Chanyeol. “Welcome back Chanyeol hyung” whispered Kai. “I’m so glad that you’re back”

“We all glad that you’re back hyung” added Sehun. “I’m so glad I didn’t….I’m just glad you’re back hyung”

Chanyeol’s eyes began to filled up with tears. “Guys….I….I’m so sorry…”. Chanyeol then saw Suho and Kris standing at the door. Only after the boys released their embrace from Chanyeol the two walked in.

“Welcome back Chanyeol” welcomed Suho. Suho and Kris bended down and embraced Chanyeol as well.  “Suho, I…” but Suho interrupted Chanyeol, “Let it be gone, just like before (refer to Exo Prelude,  Chapter 6: Suho), we will start from here again”

Chanyeol become silent and the boys exchanging looks with a smile.