We were trapped. We were trapped like fishes were in a pod. We were trapped like mice in a mice trap. We had no way to go, no way to escape except if we would fight our way out.

But there were fifty of them and about forty from us and more than half of those people were in no shape to fight.

The Sheriff and the Governor seemed to realize that too, their sickening faces were smiling.

“I see that I was not wrong assuming that you do have a lover, Heechul.” After hearing the governor’s words, I looked at Heechul who was partly hidden by Hangeng’s broad back. I figured that he was standing there not because he was Hangeng’s lover but because Hangeng knew that Heechul was probably his only ticket out. Well, that was if you didn’t count…

I turned to look over my shoulder. Sungmin was standing there with Kyuhyun’s arm over his shoulder so that he could help him standing. He seemed worried and he wasn’t without reason.

“You’re wrong assuming that at all, stupid ape !” Heechul brought me back to the situation before us. He was now standing partly in front of Hangeng and challenged his uncle with his expression.

The Governor didn’t take that well. His puffy, bloated face became red in anger. His little pig’s eyes narrowed themselves and with his sausages like fingers he pointed at Heechul and screamed with a high-pitched voice: “Don’t talk to me like that, you- You-” He seemed to be choking in his own anger.

Heechul’s pretty face sported a smug expression. And it was very difficult for me to process that this pig like man was family of the beautiful Heechul and Sungmin. Nature really knew how to play it’s tricks… Or at least Donghae did.

 I looked to Donghae who stood on my right. He was wearing a dark expression. A murderous expression but somewhere in that expression, I also saw regret. But I knew that this wasn’t really Donghae’s fault. If Donghae had known that this all would be real, he would’ve never drawn this world this way.

Wanting to let him know that, I grabbed his hand. As soon as Donghae felt my hand in his own, he looked at me full surprise. I squeezed his hand softly and showed him a small smile to let him know that everything was alright, that he shouldn’t feel guilty.

Donghae sent a little smile back and softly rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand.

From that moment on, I knew that we were okay. I wasn’t angry at him anymore, Donghae wasn’t annoyed with me anymore. We had buried the hatch and now we had to face a common enemy.

Meanwhile, Hangeng had pulled a sword and pointed it at the Sheriff who had pointed his gun at Hangeng. But it seemed that the Sheriff was the only one with a gun. The other soldiers had swords and crossbows and other medieval weapons.

But nobody fired or swayed with their weapons, they all seemed to wait for the signal. I didn’t know what that signal was but I was sure that it had something to do with the Sheriff who stood next to the Governor. I wasn’t sure though if Sheriff was a good word to describe the man because he didn’t look like the ‘sheriffs’ in my comic books at all. He wasn’t wearing a hat nor a badge or anything else ‘cowboy or sheriff’ like that I knew. The only remotely close thing was the gun he held in his hand but even that didn’t seem very sheriff like-

‘BANG!’ I was shocked when I suddenly heard that gunshot and I reacted immediately on instinct and ducked away behind Donghae who didn’t seem frightened in the least bit… Or maybe he just didn’t show it.

Behind me, I heard soft sobs. I recognized them and saw Ryeowook clinging onto Tiffany. Without a doubt, he was reliving his own dark memories.

I took a quick peek at Yesung who stood a few steps away from Hangeng and Heechul. His face was calm, like Donghae’s, and he wasn’t showing any signs of anxiousness or even concern. He was just completely blank as if nothing could hurt him. But if something did, I wasn’t sure what that would do to Ryeowook…

Yesung suddenly leaped forward with a dagger in his hand – I had really no idea how that got there – and he ran in front of Heechul and Hangeng.

“Hyukjae!” I looked up and saw Donghae looking at me from over his shoulder.

“Y-yes?” My voice was a bit hoarse. I coughed twice and with slightly watery eyes, I looked at Donghae.

“I need you to stay behind me.” Donghae pressed on and that one slightly sweaty hand that connect us squeezed mine.

I nodded and felt his warm hand letting go. Donghae grabbed one of the knifes in his boots and he was just in time to deflect an attack from a soldier.

I bit my bottom lip to keep in a screech of fright. But Donghae didn’t seem to be shocked at all. He seemed prepared for the attack moreover, he seemed to know what he was doing. That actually reminded me