[Year 19 of Exile]

"Kai!"

"Suho-hyung!"

"Baekhyun! Yixing! Where are you!?"

"H-Help m-me... Kris-hyung..."

"Where did this... wretched fire come from..."

"Huang Zitao! Zitao ah, where are you!"

"Omma... A-Appa...!"

"J-Jen... I'm sorry..."

"I'm sorry for not saying goodbye."

I inhaled deeply and I awoke with a start.

Opening my eyes, the canopy of the trees that surrounded us greeted me. Day hasn’t broke for I spied a beautiful navy-blue sky beyond the density of leaves that grew way above our tiny existence on the ground. I could hear my ragged breaths in the crisp silence of the woods as my shoulders rose and fell in sync with my diaphragm.

Not realising that I was crying, I blinked and the tears rolled down the corners of my eyes and entered my ears. I mentally swore.

Damn it. What was with that dream? Were any of the voices that I heard real? Did the boys really say all that?

Did the boys really… die?

I choked on a sob and hurriedly clamped my mouth with my hands when I remembered that four of the twelve of them were still with me. Careful to not rustle the dried leaves under my makeshift bed, I slowly whirled around and strong relief washed over me when I saw that they were still here.

Alive and well, sleeping.

A light breeze ruffled my hair but I didn’t feel cold. I pulled the towel-blanket up to my shoulders and snuggled my face in it. My eyes flitted to the campfire in the middle of our sleeping circle and seeing how a small fire remained within the arsenal of branches and logs that Sehun gathered, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful.

The fire swayed in the breeze and I was afraid that it would go out. But it didn’t.

Chanyeol’s fire must be special.

My eyes strayed to the said boy. He had his hands tucked under his cheeks as he laid on his right side, facing the fire. The amber glow from the small flame illuminated his features. His fringe obscured his shut eyes and his mouth was pulled into a thin line. The boy occasionally grumbled as he dreamt of who-knows-what. I chuckled silently as I looked opposite at him. His longs legs were pulled up towards him and I knew that both the towels that were below and above him were far too short for his height. I should have given him extras.

My eyes were about to travel over to Luhan, who slept with his head above Chanyeol’s, when a soft rustle came from behind me.

What was that?

I whirled around, forgetting that I was sitting on thin ice — a bed of dried leaves that crackle with every movement. Fortunately, the boys hadn’t heard a thing as I got up and with my towel draped over my shoulders, I crept towards the sound that I have clearly heard.

[Sehun]

“-ehun! Sehun! Wake up!”

I could feel many pairs of hands shaking me as consciousness flooded me and I awoke with a rough start.

“Get up, you lazy !” A deep voice growled, as the warmth that came from the hands left me and I shivered reflexively. Pulling my blanket (oh, it’s a towel; I forgot) up to my chin, I blinked rapidly and my eyes accustomed themselves to the sunlight that were streaming through the canopy of leaves overhead.

Day had broke.

After rubbing my eyes, I saw that Chanyeol-hyung was sitting on a messy pile of towels and his face was buried in his hands. Luhan-hyung was pacing behind him while Kyungsoo-hyung was leaning against one of the many trees that enclosed us in this dense part of the woods.

My eyes searched for the only girl in our little party when a dreadful feeling washed over me.

“W-Where’s Jen?” My voice was hoarse, as though I hadn’t had water for days when I’ve clearly drank a whole bottle the previous night before I slept. “Luhan-hyung, where i-is she…?”

My heart shattered when he gazed at me with the most broken eyes that I’ve ever seen on him. They were bloodshot and puffy, and I knew that he had cried.

No…

I turned to Kyungsoo-hyung, hoping that he’d give me another answer but he too shook his head. His chin trembled and tears welled in his eyes. If the small boy wasn’t leaning on the tree, he could have crumpled on the forest floor right then.