Journey 36

Chanyeol sat at the furthest and darkest corner of the stone cellar. He embraced his knees closer to him, ducked his head under his arms and traced his necklace with his fingers. His head was still throbbing painfully from the blow that he received from Luhan. But his heart was in a more painful agony. He was betrayed by a friend whom he treated as a brother. Had he known that from the start, he would never risk his trust to Luhan.

*Why Luhan? I thought we were brothers? Why???*

It was all his fault on why they were stuck at this dingy cellar for who knows how long. It was also his fault on why Jongin was struggling between a thin line of life and death. He should have never come back in Exo. He should have stayed with Jinri instead.

Jinri...

*Do you hate me now for leaving you Jinri? Does your love still exists in your heart? Are you waiting for me? Or are you in someone else's arm now? The thought of you alone makes me go crazier! I want to go home. I want to run away. I want to go back to you. But... I can't. I felt weak and coward to do that.*

He was so ashamed of himself. He was never a good leader. His friends had looked up to him, hoping that he has some concrete plan that can save all the EKs from the EMs. But no. He had launched himself into a war with no weapons and armors at hand. And what was worst, he should have never brought his friends along with his stupidity. He can't face them right now. Especially Jongin.

"Prince Yeol." someone knelt beside him.

Chanyeol looked up and recognized the rainbow-haired man he met on his first night at the cellar. Chanyeol can still vividly remember the expectant face of this man when he first saw him. It was full of joy and hope, as if his mere presence can save the Planet Exo. Too bad boy, because he won't. Chanyeol felt defenseless and weak and scared to do that.

"What's your name again?" he croaked.
"Sehun." the man prompted. "Anyways, he's still losing a lot of blood." he added sadly, pointing at Jongin.

Chanyeol followed the direction of Sehun's finger. His eyes landed on the pale and white-lipped Jongin, who was currently in the arms of Chen while Baekhyun tended on his wounds helplessly. The sight of the bloody-faced Jongin made Chanyeol's stomach lurched with guilt. It was his fault. Everything was his fault!

"Don't worry Prince Yeol. He'll come soon." Sehun assured.
"Who?"

At that exact moment, the cellar door opened with a deafening crack. Everyone was blinded with the sudden light that burst inside their prison cell. But then when the stranger closed the iron door, everything went back to darkness again.

A torch was lighted at the middle of the cellar, illuminating a blonde-haired man with an innocent face. He placed the torch carefully on the right hook and went straight to Jongin quietly. Chen and Baekhyun threw their arms defensively in front of their wounded friend.

"Go away scum! We won't let an EM like you to touch Kai!" Baekhyun hissed angrily.

The man stopped walking with a blank expression. Sehun aided the man and turned to face Chen and Baekhyun.

"It's alright. He's harmless." he said.
"Harmless?" Chen repeated unbelievably. "He's an EM Sehun!"
"I know! But Lay is kind! Believe me. He's here to treat Kai."
"It's okay Sehun. I am used to those kinds of reaction." the man named Lay said quietly.

Chanyeol studied Lay from head to toe. He was wearing a long, white coat that reached the heels of his feet. He was also holding a basket full of assorted herbs and ointments that he can't identify. Judging from this man's appearance, he was as innocent looking as Luhan. But then again, it's dangerous to judge the book by its cover. He had done a lot of that from Luhan alone.

"If you want to save your friend, let me tend to him now." Lay added. His voice was cold and blank. There was no hint of emotion from his voice nor his eyes. Chanyeol guessed Lay needed that in order to deceive people.

Chen and Baekhyun looked at each other uncertainly.

"Trust me. Lay won't hurt us." Sehun pleaded.

Reluctantly, Chen and Baekhyun parted and gave way for Lay. Lay walked in calmly and knelt beside Jongin. He started pulling out blue herbs and stuck it on Jongin's wounds. The latter groaned painfully.

"Endure the pain." Lay commanded to Jongin. "Could someone cover his mouth so we can muffle his cries? It wouldn't help if any of the EM guards heard him and found me helping you."
"But why?" Chanyeol blurted. He can't help but be suspicious. He was scared that Lay's good deed might have some exchange in return. "You can't be good all of a sudden just because one of us is wounded."
"Prince Yeol, Lay is good all these times." Sehun said. "He was the reason why I was able to endure Tao and Kris's tortures. He would go in my cell and heal my wounds. He would give me food when Kris ordered me not to be fed. He was unlike those cruel EMs up there."

Lay continued healing Jongin without offering any comments from Sehun's defense.

"Besides, it was not his choice of being one of the Exo-Ms." Sehun added. "His parents were criminals. When he was born, he was forced to be one of the EMs too. He has no choice you see? But that doesn't mean he was a bad guy."
"That's enough Sehun." Lay said at last. "Pass me the murtlap please."

Sehun searched the basket and pulled out a thin bottle which everyone assumed as the murtlap. Lay dropped a few pints on Jongin's wound which made the latter scream.

"Ssshhh." Chen whispered.

Hours went by as Lay continued healing Jongin. Once again, Chanyeol felt helpless. He can't even tend to his friends' wound. He went back to his favorite spot and sulked. He wanted to run away. Can he escape and never look back?

"Don't worry Prince Yeol. We'll be saved. You are here." Sehun sat down beside him.

Chanyeol averted Sehun's gaze.

*I can't Sehun. Stop counting on me because I don't have any power to save you*

"I thought I'd die when I was first thrown here." Sehun continued as he watched Lay silently. "Either from hunger or loneliness, I'd prefer dying than continue living under the EM's realm. But I thought that you would someday save us Prince Yeol. And I was right. You're here. With us."
"Yes. In the prison." Chanyeol snorted.

Sehun hadn't missed that sarcastic comment. In fact, it made him smile.

"But from here we can device a plan right?"

Chanyeol did not reply.

"Ahh... If only we can have some black pearls!" Sehun added longingly.
"What are black pearls for?" Chanyeol asked confusedly.
"It's for wishes my prince. When an exotic dies, his body will turn into an ash while his cyan tattoo will turn into a black pearl. Whoever touches this pearl with his bear hands first can make their wish as long as it was in the Rules of Three."
"Rules of Three?"
"Yes. Rule one: Don't wish for powers and success in a competition. Rule two: Don't wish for a death of someone. and Rule three: Don't wish for life of a dead person. It complies with the rules of nature, life and death."
"I didn't know such things exist." Chanyeol said. *Then I could've wished myself to escape from here*

Sehun nodded.

"I'm so sorry you have to fight your own brother though."
"W-what?" Chanyeol asked sharply.
"Don't you know?" Sehun rounded his eyes in surprise.
"Know what?"

Sehun shifted uncomfortably.

"Luhan... he was your half-brother." he said tonelessly. "He was King Iyo's son."
"N-no..." Chanyeol shook his head. "Luhan said his parents had abandoned him. He said he had no one but himself. He -"
"-lied my prince. He lied." Sehun cut in.
"Then that means..." Chanyeol gasped breathlessly. "Luhan k-killed our.... no."

Lay stood up and rearranged his basket. 

"He'll be fine after a few days. Just don't let him move around or he would reopen his wounds." he said.

Sehun casted a sorry gaze at Chanyeol before he stood up too.

"Thank you Lay." he said sincerely.

Lay returned his gratefulness with a close-mouthed smile.

"I better go before someone caught me here." he said.
"Wait!" Baekhyun said. Lay turned around with a raised eyebrow.
"What is it?" he asked.
"If you are on our side. Help us out here." Baekhyun continued.
"I am in no one's side." Lay muttered. "I just don't want violence and bloodbath."

He turned his heel without another word and closed the iron gate behind him. Sehun smiled sadly at Baekhyun.

"I tried to ask him that too, and he gave me the same response."

When Sehun, Chen, Jongin, and Baekhyun were finally asleep, Chanyeol crept silently and sat beside Jongin.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you Kai. I'm so sorry." he turned to the rest of his friends and wiped a tear that trickled down his cheek. "Your prince is weak. I'm sorry everyone."

Just then, a loud clanking accompanied with a joyous voice singing at the top of his lungs awakened everyone. Sehun, who was the only one who recognized the clanking, retreated far from the stone wall fearfully.

"What's wrong Sehun? Chen asked, suddenly alarmed.
"It's... It's-"

Their iron door opened for the second time. But this time, it was Tao standing on the front door and not Lay. And this time, Chanyeol was sure he was not there to bring good news for them.

"It's torture tiiiimeeeee~~~" Tao said in a bloodlust, singsong voice.
 

Hi guys! So, here's the final line-up:

I made Suho and D.O as humans...

I divided the remaining 10 EXO members into Exo-Ks and Exo-Ms...

And I made Lay into a good EM because... well, I just can't imagine our cute lay to be as ruthless as Luhan's character!
Kkk~ Who can imagine that eh? :)))