Chapter 2; Path A: You matter to me.

You choose path A

Ryeowook looked down, all he saw was darkness. He closed his eyes tight. 'I can't let Kyu get hurt! It's me being careless!'

"Kyu! Let go! You'll fall as well!!" Ryeowook said. He can stop his body from shivering. He's also scared of what will happen if he falls. He looked up to Kyuhyun. He didn't know how high he will fall but he can't get any chances. "Please let go!"

"Like, I'll do that! Come on! Help me pull you up!" Kyuhyun tried to pull Ryeowook up. "And stop looking at me like that! I'm not gonna let go!"

"Kyu..." Ryeowook said silently. The look of asking for forgiveness can be seen in Ryeowook's eyes for a second. He let go of his hold in Kyuhyun's hand.

Kyuhyun's eyes widened. "Wookie, darn it!! DON'T YOU DARE!!! I can pull you up!"

Ryeowook shook his head. His hand is starting to slip out of Kyuhyun's hand. "RYEOWOOK!" Kyuhyun held out his left hand to grab Ryewook's hand but unfortunately Ryeowook have already slipped out and he wasn't able to grab the hand. Ryeowook fall...

"WOOKIEE!!!!"

-Ryeowook's POV-

I opened my eyes slowly... Darkness and a dull pain in my left shoulder is what I first see and felt. I let out a whimper as I try to stand.

'It's so dark... I can't see anything.' I began to hold out my hand in front of me and wave it from left to right and vice versa while walking. It's mostly effective way to avoid getting hit by anything in my way. Mostly. I'm still colliding with some of the items either in the floor or just in the side of my path. Hopefully, none of these are anywhere near sharp or deadly, just cast aside wooden furniture which is quite soft already due to the mold that it have acquired due to the years.

"This place must be a hallway..." I mumbled to no one in particular. "A really long one..."

"Hehehe~" A faint laughter resounded throughout the dark hallway, startling me. A shiver went down my spine.

"um... Hello?" I nervously called out. What can you say...? Being separated to your friend in an abandoned building, alone inside a dark hallway and hearing a scary laughter is scary enough.

Laughter echoed yet again but this time it seems to be continuous.

"Is anybody out there?" I began to walk towards the source of the voice slowly. No response yet laughter kept on going.

My hand is still waving in front of me. The tip of my fingers brushed to an object. I use both of my hands to trace whatever is in front of me. Weird enough it was somehow metal, having the characteristic of the item cold and hard. I searched farther and have touched what it seems to be a handle.

"A door?" I tried to open the door. The handle won't reach the full turn. 'It is either locked or just has rusted instead and has been stuck like that'

However it was weird, the laughter is still coming from the other side of this door. Many possibilities have lingered in my mind. I looked at the door. I decided that I should knock at least once.

I knock softly. Almost instantly, the laughter halted. A click echoed in the dark hallway, emphasizing that the door is now unlocked.

I gulped. "What?" I hesitantly grab the handle.

-Kyuhyun's POV-

I stared at where Ryeowook fell. My blood ran cold.  Stood up and looked for a way down stairs. I can't believe Ryeowook would do that. Why?

"Wookie! I swear... If something happens to you. I don't know what to do!" I hissed to myself.

I'm both worried and angered of how things turned. I'm worried for Ryeowook while I'm angry at myself. I know that this place isn't as stable as I say it is. But I still force this idea.

'I shouldn't have suggested it.'

I flash my flashlight from left to right, looking for a way down. The hallway seems like to be bigger and wider now due to anxiety. More rooms as I walk down it and as I near the end of the hallway there's a small gap between the last room and the wall in the right unlike the left which the last room ends till the wall of the hallway's end. Turning a sharp right, the light of my flashlight cuts through the darkness showing a cellar like doors in the floor. Without hesitation I opened it, and just as I thought, behind the door is a hidden stairs going down.

'This probably is the way to the basement!' I carefully went down. The stairs made a very disturbing sound like an old door opening but it seems to be stable enough to hold my weight.

When I reached the end of the stairs, there’s not much to say. What's in the first floor of this building is pretty much it. It’s just a long hallway with probably unused furniture that even the time that this building is still having occupants. I pointed the flashlight upwards to see the ceiling then pointed it back to my path and walk forward carefully while frequently shining upwards to see if this is the location that Ryeowook fell.

After what seems to be a minute I reach the place where he fall. However Ryeowook not there...

"Wookie?!" I called out for him; the empty hallway makes an echo effect to my cry. It worries me. 'I'm sure this building isn't that large... right?'

Taking a deep breathe I walked forward yet again but this time I almost tripped due to something circular that I have stepped into. I pointed my flashlight to see what I have stepped and found Ryeowook's flashlight! The glass is definitely shattered. I grabbed it and push it on and off. No light is coming from it. I hit the flashlight lightly again and again and amazingly it light up again!

'Ryeowook will still need this!' I thought as I put away the flashlight in one of my pockets. As I did so, I noticed the drop of red just a few steps away from me. It's not that many but... It's still looks fresh!

I stood up and walk towards it and found like it's leading to somewhere. I can hear my heartbeat loud and clear in my ears. I followed the droplets of blood.

I felt some of my worries disappear as I catch a glimpse of the person I was looking for in the end.

"WOOKIE!" he turns to look at me and I shined him up with my flashlight. He brought up his right hand to cover his eyes from the bright light. It looks like he was reaching up for something earlier. I ran to him after I passed the last obstacle in my way and hug him tightly.

"Kyu!" he said, his voice is filled with surprise and relief.

-3rd POV-

Ryeowook stood frozen just a little bit as he was hugged by Kyuhyun tightly. Getting out of his trance. He returns it by a hug using his right arm since the other still hurts. The two release each other after a few moments.

"Why did you do that? I'm so worried!" Kyuhyun shouted. If Ryeowook won't know better it seems like Kyuhyun is at the edge of crying.

"Both of us will fall if I didn't do that..." Ryeowook said silently. "I don't want you to fall and got hurt because of me... I'm sorry..."

Kyuhyun sighed heavily. "Seriously, you—" Kyuhyun's eyes widen when he saw Ryeowook's left shoulder. A big gash can be seen and still bleeding badly.

"WOOKIE! Your shoulder!" Ryeowook looked at his shoulder and wince...

'No wonder it hurts so bad...' Ryeowook thought. In the corner of his eyes, he saw Kyuhyun took out a small metal water jug like those seen in war movies that soldiers use however smaller.

"Come here!" Kyuhyun said grabbing Ryeowook's left arm and hoisting it up a bit as Ryeowook move closer. “I may not be an expert in first aid but I know it isn't safe having that kind of wound in a place like this. It can get infected." he said calmly while pouring water in the wound.

Ryeowook wince. Even if it is water, it still stings. Kyuhyun took out his bandana-like-handkerchief and quickly bind up the wound. Ryeowook looked at him. "Isn’t that your precious handkerchief?"

"Yeah so?" Kyuhyun replied, slowly and carefully using the said piece of cloth as an replacement to a bandage.

"You do know blood stains clothe! Why use it like that!" Ryeowook looked at Kyuhyun.

"Well too late I already used it." Kyuhyun looks unaffected at what Ryeowook said.

"Come on Kyu..."

Kyuhyun sigh yet again. "Look. It's just a handkerchief. Not much. Even if it is precious to me, I'm totally fine with it. It's for you after all."

Ryeowook shuts his mouth and waited patiently for Kyuhyun to finish.

"There! Done!" Kyuhyun said with a triumphant smile. Proud of his work. This somehow made a smile through Ryeowook's face. He was about to tell Kyuhyun something before laughter echoed to the walls yet again, sending shivers to both Kyuhyun and Ryeowook.

"What the..?" Kyuhyun looked around to find the source.

"Kyu... It's from this door..." Ryeowook said.

Kyuhyun looked at the door that he failed to notice earlier.

"I was about to open it when you came. I kept on hearing this laughter around..." Ryeowook said. "I'm sure it came from there. I knocked at the door earlier and the laughter stopped."

Kyuhyun looked at Ryeowook. "So... Are we going to look inside?"

Ryeowook looked at the door for a moment. "I have a feeling..."

Both of them looked at each other and nodded. They both hold the door's rusty hand and opened it

--TBC…

_{Hi~! I’m back… and -.- yeah… been so long… lol… heheheh…. orz . hehehe no options for now.  I need them to get inside of that room or no plot~! Yeah… ohh… so BTW to those reader of Distant Embrace. Don’t worry the next chapter won’t take so long like you have waited here and there... no seriously… I actually should be updated that instead of this as I promised to a certain someone. But the story is saved on my other device and I don’t have it here with me…. So yeah… the update of Distant Embrace will be at least next next week… sorry…}

Shout outs: 

Subcribers: SuperJuniorR_13, Aulia21, callmejasche, adiella, Kura-chan, cweetdark

Path A takers: cweetdark, chadly18