About 50 feet away were the cliffs that were red much like the soil that still felt spongy beneath Luhan’s feet. Unlike the soil however the cliffs seemed to almost breathe with life. The red rocks twisting up like veins and pulsing occasionally.

Carved into the hulking mass conveniently were steps that Luhan started to ascend. Deathly narrow and scarily high “Just don’t look down, breathe,… deep

breathe on every step. Every step” He said trying to calm himself. By his 80^th breath his foot scuffed the next step up making him slightly stumble, and shift his view to look down. The first step was barely distinguishable. His legs shook violently at the distance from the ground. Fearing that his legs could give way he placed his hands three steps forward to try and steady his body. Not that it worked. His whole lower body felt like a dead weight.

 He had always been scared of heights. The only thing in the world he is scared of.

---

“Umma… Where are we going” A worried Luhan said.

“Umma and Appa have to meet with the Kim’s today for dinner and daddy’s work” She cooed forcing little feet into Luhan’s trainers.

“But I don’t wanna Umma” He bawled his fists and stamped his feet.  His parents dinner dates were always boring.

 Don’t even think about throwing a tantrum young man you don’t have a choice” She snapped. Making Luhan halt his kicking feet.

 

“Besides they have a boy about your age, and a garden! Hey, I know why don’t you bring your football?”

 

“Garden?” He said warily trying to stop the smile forming on his face.

 

He loved to play outside nearly as much as he liked to sing, but their apartment didn’t have the luxury of an outside. He happily got in the car after that.

They arrived shortly outside a pretty little house, with a pretty flower bush hanging over the door. He stood with his parents under the bush his dad ringing the doorbell.

‘Ding dong!’ It chimed, and with that it swung open and caught Luhan off guard as he ran behind his mother’s legs clasping onto them for dear life.

He could have sworn there was a mirror in front of him because from behind his mother he saw another boy peeping out from another pair of legs.

The only difference was this mirror image had a bundle of red locks and sharp piercing eyes accompanied by puppy fat on his face ( although the ‘baby’ fat never did disappear) his face reminded him of something…
 

“..b…boazi” He uttered. Realising what he just said Luhan threw his hands to his mouth. Fearing he had just disrespected his family.

But the four adults just looked down and chuckled.

“Minsoekie, don’t be shy why don’t you show little Luhan to the garden, and play with the ball he brought??” The slim woman said softly.

The Older timidly revealed himself and walked slowly towards Luhan extending out an arm.
Luhan stared at the boy’s face he had never seen a smile so bright and reassuring. Without a second thought he grabbed onto his hand and the two ran off. Luhan desperately trying not to drop his ball.

“I think they are going to get on just fine” Luhan’s dad stated, breaking the awkward silence.

“This way” Xiumin chirped while pulling Luhan to the left through a door.

 His feet touched the soft green grass but he didn’t get to enjoy it for long as Xiumin already hit his shoulder loudly exclaiming “ IT” While Luhan was still flusted, Boazi had managed to get a good head start. The younger dropped the football as he spied ginger hair from behind the massive climbing frame.

He raced up and loudly announced the younger as ‘it’. Before dashing off once again.

“It’s not fair” the younger pouted cutely “your taller and faster than me” He said teary after being’ It’ for a whole 10 minutes and not even getting close to catching Luhan.

Luhan felt bad he should have slowed down so the older could catch up he didn’t want to see the other cry. So he put on his best smile and said.

“Hyung! Let’s play football!”

That sent a wonderful eye smile to sprout across Xiumin’s face as they both started running clambering for the ball. (Luhan this time let Xiumin get to the ball first) Neither wanting to hurt the other by tackling they settled for a nice game of passing the ball. Each giggling whenever they failed to kick the ball. Full on laughing every time the other sent the ball flying. 
 

That was until Luhan delivered a mighty kick on the ball which set it to land on the mountainous climbing frame.

 

Luhan shivered.

 

 It’s just a frame don’t look weak in front of your new friend he told himself…

“I’ll go get it” He called out weakly as he forced his heavy legs to move closer to the ladder.

He gulped as he looked up, It was awfully high. Nether the less he climbed up the first step while Xiumin watched. Maybe this isn’t so bad he thought. He managed to climb two more before his head really started to spin at the proximity the ground was to him. He couldn’t climb anymore and just stared at the floor.

“Lulu…are… are you okay?” the older said worried.

“ I’m… scared hyung” he managed to choke out barely audio-able.

 
Luhan squeezed his eyes shut his whole body violently shaking this is how I die he thought, internally panicking. He heard footsteps climbing up the ladder.

That’s the grim reaper coming for me, I love you Mum and Dad He sniffled.

 

But the hand placed on his back was warm and not deathly cold.

“ Luhan I’m here you don’t need to worry now, open your eyes” Baozi said calmly.

“I...I can’t” The other stuttered.

 
“Yes you can I believe in you!” Luhan could almost imagine the heart-warming smile he was sure Xiumin had on his face.

But imagining wasn’t enough he had to see it, so he praised his eyes open. Of course there it was and it instantly made all his fear go away.

“Let’s go get the ball together, it’s scary up here. Hold my hand”

Luhan clamped onto it as tight as he could as they climbed the steps one at a time. Xiumin slowing down to the Youngers pace.

“Where almost there” Xiumin shrieked with happiness.

Luhan hadn’t breathed out until they reached the safety of the wooden platform, but still shivered in-between sobs. Boazi was at a loss of what to do so he comforted him in the only way he knew how he sat next to Luhan and pulled him into a hug.

“It’s okay I won’t let you fall Lulu, your safe with me!” He pulled some ridiculous face which made his cheeks puff up instantly making Luhan smile and wipe his tears away .

He wasn’t even scared on the way down but he kept holding tight onto boazi’s hand as they went down… just in case.

---

The sudden memory of the smile Xiumin would give him every time he got scared gave him the strength he needed to finish climbing the red stairs, not that he wasn’t scared he was still terrified but he forced his heavy legs to climb one step after another because baozi was at the top of here and they needed each other.

The scenery was a lot different here it was more humid and the purple sky seemed to hang heavy with tears especially over the black fortress. Which itself was a darkened beauty it’s walls must have been 50ft high the highest tower possible doubling that but much like Chanyeols boat it was worse for wear. The walls were uneven, windows sloping and so many tiles missing that you wondered why some of the towers even bothered having roofs at all. But what does it matter when this is hades town? Town for the dead.

Luhan however was not alone.

He could feel it, the presence of something big and powerful to his side Sniff…sniff….  He felt something cold nuzzle his leg and flinched. The beast was caught off guard by his sudden movement and formed into an intimidating stance to unleash an almighty growl at Luhan.

It was the first three headed dog Luhan had ever seen and easily the size of a house, its fur had the biggest assortment of scars seen on any creature, this was no innocent little pup.

He found this out for certain as when he tried to pull out the lyre from his back to tame the beast   it’s senses were sharp and sent a paw swinging for his body making Luhan fly a few meters; it was the fall that hurt the most rather than the gash to his eye caused by the beasts claw.

 But he had no time to cry about the pain as the adrenaline got the best of him as he hoisted himself up seeing the beast charging from him. He knew he couldn’t out run nor could he charm him with song now that the lyre was flung out of his reach.

But he’s still a dog right?

Thump, thump.

and all dog’s like food right?

Thump, thump.

The only option Luhan had now was to win the trust of the three headed dog …with food it was ridiculous but the only option he had.

Thump, thump.

Out from his pocket he pulled out a Chocó pie and un-wrapped the packet staring at the charging beast dead on in the eye all the while.

He didn’t think it would work why would it choose to have a Chocó pie when there is a nice slab of fresh meat and then bones to pick his teeth with once he has feasted.
 

Thump, thump.

But Luhan stood his ground. Still staring…
 

…

THUD.

The beast had stopped and sat down like an obedient lap dog spying a ball.

Not wanting to anger the beast he threw it straight away, the left head caught it as the right head got suspiciously close to Luhan. He could feel it’s stinking breath contaminating his face, but he dog only it engulfing it in slobber.

Until it just skipped away seemingly happy at Luhan’s presence.

That went rather well Luhan thought to himself as he picked up his lyre still intact thank god.

He walked up to the gate of the black fortress with a new spring to his step for the first time in his journey he believed he could actually bring Xiumin home.

The gate was a fake gate made to make the underground look fierce and dangerous but in truth the real door was embedded in the ‘gate’ frame, it was the same size as an average door in worse condition of course. Yet it must have been well oiled because when Luhan yanked the latch up and opened it no sound came from the welting wood.

The other side was emerged in darkness with an eerie aura. It could have the potential to be pretty, Luhan was looking at a rather large square with surrounding buildings it looked kind of like a market town, but the windows snarled with jagged teeth, tiled floors sprouted black weeds and grime was surrounding the waterless water feature. But the most interesting thing of all where the faint 3D shadows that roamed some had distinguishable features most did not. But none of them seemed to see him.
 

These were the dead.

He couldn’t see any castles like the mighty hades might reside in so he had no choice but to make the shadow’s notice him. He walked up to the one with the most distinguishable features a short thing with faint wide eyes. He tried to walk with confidence.

“Um, excuse me sir, could you point me in the direction of Hades?”

The shadow looked up to him and blinked slowly, but said naught, there was naught sound anywhere but Luhan’s breathing.

The shadow wouldn’t reply so he drifted onto the next, this one was stockier.

“Sorry to bother you, but could you direct me to Hades?”

This one opened its eyes and stared piercingly at Luhan, no answer. But he could feel the first shadow gliding towards him.

Maybe he’s ready to talk he thought.

Luhan turned around sharply and gasped. They were all sulking towards him at least 40 in the pack … needless to say he ran, and sprinted down the nearest alley from the apparent adrenaline. The ghosts sped up too and chased him down the narrow streets like a cat had sighted a mouse but they carried out every move elegantly whereas Luhan on the other hand was mashing on the cobbled ground. He had no Idea where he was going but he slid round another corner to the right and crashed into something … squidgy.

Before colliding with the ground.

“HEY YOU, YOU LEAVE THIS KID ALONE” A tall male with a beautiful angular jaw line shouted at the shadow’s while hauling rocks at them.

They immediately sulked away.

This man must have great authority around here Luhan observed.

“Sorry about that, were not all like that here I promise” He said while extending a hand in Luhan’s direction, he carried on. “But what the hell were you doing bothering those guys?”

Luhan brushed down the dust from his trousers.

“I want to know how to get to hades”

“You waste no time beating around the bush ey?” the taller said.
 

“I need to see him”

“Look mate your dead, no one gives a about your needs” He said while spitting on the ground.
 

“I’m not like you” Luhan stared piercingly into the strangers eyes.

“I’m human”

Before Luhan could even blink the tanned male had pinned him up against the dark alley wall his cold hands clasping onto others mouth.

“Your warm” He stopped to sniff Luhan’s hair “and you still smell slightly of flowers” Luhan just nodded nervously.

“, you can’t be out here in the open” He sighed

“We need to get you somewhere safe, I’m Kai by the way”

He let go of Luhan’s mouth and led him round the corner and down some dank stairs all the time when Luhan tried to utter a word Kai would place his fingers to his lips and let out a ‘shush’ sound.
They stopped at black door where he displayed a sequence of tapping’s before the door opened. Another dark hallway he was lead down but this time a faint humming sound of music got louder as they approached yet another door which was promptly opened, letting the brightest light Luhan had seen in days escape.

“Come on, it’s not that bright hurry on in”

As soon as Luhan trudged in he was greeted with the sweet sound of swing music, smoke fog and crowded tables as couples had a good time… In more ways than one.

“Alright Kai?” The women giggled his chin and jingling their bodies, Kai smirking all the while at them.

“Having a man tonight are we Kai?” One cooed

“That’s none of your business” he snapped “Just get us a drink will ya’ Sylvia?”

Luhan sat at the last booth in the corner with Kai while Sylvia came back with a pint for both of them; she glared at Kai before saying.

“It’s on the house” before she stormed off, Kai never took his eyes off her bouncing .
 

“I like her best when she’s mad” Kai laughed

“Not my type” 

“How is it that someone like you can find your way here?”  Luhan noted that Kai had wonderful chocolate eyes.

“It’s something I had to do”

“But why”? He said sounding interested

“I’m here to collect what shouldn’t be here anyway”

“Well I’ll be damned” He said slamming his half empty glass on the table “you’re here to save someone aren’t you?” 

Luhan just gave a small nod while sipping his beer. (He didn’t like beer he found it to bitter)

“You’re the first damn fool crazy enough to try it” He cackled in time with the bouncy music
 

“How did you even get here?”
 

Luhan told him his story right from the start from when he and boazi first met right to when Kai had found him.
 

“So you see why I need to get to Hades?” Luhan said seriously
 

“Mmmm you need your booty call back” He said while eyeing up the busty girl on the dance floor obviously not that interested in the others story.

“Well it’s more than that…” He gulped “do you think you could show me to Hades?”
 

“Sure but it’s too late now, I’ll take you in the morning you need some rest the bar closes soon, this place is also a motel” He said  focused back onto the conversation.

The music stopped.

“ WE NEED A NEW STRING PLAYER, STRING PLAYER? ANY ONE? ANY ONE?” A band member shouted

Silence.
 

“THAT KID THAT WAS WITH KAI HAD A LYRE”
 

Everyone stopped to look at the booth on the end of the row.
 

“I think you better go up and play” Kai whispered
 

Luhan was not happy about this he just wanted to sleep, but what the hell would it hurt? He hadn’t played for a while and he would be staying here tonight anyway.
 

“Okay, okay I’ll play”

Everyone cheered as Luhan walked up the small stage .The singer was a tall lanky young male with strangely coloured rainbow hair, on anyone else it would have looked ridiculous but it suited his soft face shape. He smiled at Luhan as they whispered chords to this song.
 

Luhan started playing out a tune on his lyre every band member joining in at the appropriate time the boy last with a sweet voice:

 

I don't know about you, boys
But if you're like me then hanging around
This old manhole is bringing you down
 

Everyone stopped to cheer and agree at that statement
 

Six-feet-under getting under your skin
Cabin fever is a-setting in
You're stir crazy! You're stuck in a rut!
 

A few even started dancing sending their partners swinging, on the dance floor.

Or you could use a little pick-me-up
I can give you what it is you crave
A little something from the good old days
 

Everyone cheered; Kai was even on the dance floor dancing with the busty barmaid

I got the wind right here in a jar
I got the rain on tap at the bar
I got the sunshine up on the shelf
 

Luhan was enjoying the moment of this hopeful song, the first he had played in a long time.

Allow me to introduce myself
Brother, what's my name?
My name is...
 

He tried to find Kai in the mass crowd

Our Lady of the Underground!

Lastly he found him eating the face off the barmaid across the table in a comprising position, Kai broke off the kiss for a short while to look at Luhan, he dangled some keys and placed them on the counter before helping the girl up and pinching her , he turned around one last to wink at Luhan as he was leading her upstairs.

Luhan went on to play two more songs that night before insisting that he had to sleep now ready for tomorrow, everyone seemed disappointed. In a weird way that made Luhan feel happy, it was great to have people appreciate his music again .Everyone here appreciated the soft elegant melodies that a lyre could sing in the hands of the right person. But at the same time the only person’s approval he needed was boazi’s and the quicker this night was over the quicker he could see him.

As he was leaving, the singer clasped his wrist and asked for lessons on the lyre.

“Lessons” he sighed  while closing the door to his hotel room.
 

The last and only person he had taught was Xiumin.
 

---

At age 12 Luhan could already play the violin, piano, guitar, cello, flute, saxophone, oboe, lyre and sing.

One day his parents had invited the Kim’s to watch Luhan play in the quartet at a ballet performance, Luhan was more nervous than usual that day knowing that Xiumin would be watching. But his parents were so dazed by the beauty of it all that they asked him to tutor their son musically, Luhan’s parents were delighted of course.  This meant that from every Wednesday henceforth the older would come round and Luhan would teach him to sing or pick up an instrument. This made both of them happy too, now the two would see each other more often, even if that thought did give Luhan butterflies. At first they tried the Violin.

After only three lessons Luhan’s parents burst into the room pleading with Luhan to teach him another instrument because the screeching was driving them insane. So instead they tried the saxophone Luhan insisting that the air Boazi was borrowing in his cheeks meant he could be a great saxophone player.

He said this at the start of every lesson pushing in boazi’s cheeks to make them deflate trying to give him hope but he didn’t turn out to be a great saxophone player, all he ended up doing was spitting into it making Luhan cringe every time.

So then they tried guitar and singing, the later he wasn’t too bad at.

“Boazi, that’s not how you hold it…” Luhan said awkwardly staring at the guitar in the others lap

“It’s not?” He said blushing. 

“Here, let me show you”

He walked up to the bench Xiumin was sitting on and reached his arms over boazi’s to get the finger placements right his chest touching the elders back, reforming fingers until the elders  were in the right position.

“I know how to teach you!” Luhan exclaimed suddenly.

Without any more warning he cupped his warm hands over Xiumin’s and strummed the strings his hands atop the elders. This made Xiumin giggle.

With Other hand Luhan was controlling he stared pressing on frets while continuing to stum… albeit a little clumsily, however Boazi loved it!
 

“Lulu, look how good I got!”

“Hyung, you haven’t been cheating have you?” Luhan said cheekily

“No, I’ve just got the best teacher in the world” Xiumin displayed the widest smile ever on his face while Luhan continued to play his Xiumin ‘instrument’

Xiumin recognised the song Luhan was playing “ something stupid “ by Nancy and Frank  Sinatra 
 

So he started singing rustily along while being played.

I practice every day to find 
Some clever lines to say
To make the meaning come through
But then I think I'll wait until 
The evening gets late
And I'm alone with you
 

Xiumin gulped through his shaky lines as he could feel Luhan’s hands stiffening over his

The time is right 
Your perfume fills my head,
 

Luhan smelled lovely today.

The stars get red
And oh the night's so blue
 

His voice was really shaking now knowing the next lines.

And then I go and spoil it all, 
By saying something stupid….
 

Xiumin breathed in ready for it and…
 

Luhan stopped playing
 

Only to sing the next line for himself:

Like "I love you". In the sweetest shyest voice Xiumin had ever heard.

They stared into each-other’s eyes for a long time before the only feeling Luhan knew was Xiuin’s lips on his.

 

---

a/n 
 

Thank you all for subscribing! Appologies for going through so much in one chapter :/ it was either have two really short pathetic chapters or this. Just sorry for bad writing.