[Year 19 of Exile]

"Do you think I've blinded her...?"

"Nah, I doubt it. She's just knocked out, that's all."

"Baek, stop sulking. She's fine, trust me."

Baek...? Baekhyun?

He's alive?

"But Yixing-hyung... She's not waking up, and it's been a few hours since we found her."

"Don't worry, she'll wake up soo– Oh look! Her fingers are twitching."

At the mention of my fingers, I could feel them moving as well. Consciousness flooded into me and I could hear them clearly now.

That's great... They're alive and well.

"B-Baekhyun ah..."

"Jen!" I felt warmth on my hands as someone (or some people) grasped them. "Princess, are you alright?"

"I-I'm f-fine." My eyelids fluttered open and the light user's face loomed into view. The day had broke, for a pretty baby-blue sky greeted me as my eyes darted towards it. "I– I'm just glad to see you."

My voice broke as I tried to sit up, numerous pairs of hands rushing to help me and I let my tears spill. Sobbing tears of joy, I buried my face into Baekhyun's shoulder and his hand patted my head soothingly. His other hand wrapped around my shaking shoulders and he cooed softly.

"You're that happy to see us huh, Jen." Xiumin chirped, as he squatted down and his face came into my line of vision. His cheeks rose as he grinned and I had the urge to pinch them. "I'm glad we found you."

"I'm glad too!" I wailed, snot spurting out from my nose and the boy whose arms were around me put me at arm's length, clearly shocked at my display of bad hygiene. "Sorry Baekhyun."

They laughed and it was then did I manage to see them for the first time in days. Glancing at them, my brows furrowed when I couldn't see him.

A wave of uneasiness washed over me.

"Where's Suho...?" My eyes flitted from boy to boy, darkened looks to sad looks. Jongdae shook his head lightly and my heart sank. "No way..."

"Of course, we don't think he's dea–"

Kris smacked Tao on the back of his head and the younger whimpered, but kept his mouth shut thereafter.

"He can't be. He shouldn't be..." My hands reached up to my head and my fingers clutched my hair, pulling at them. "There's no way! Please tell me he's not!"

"We don't know, Jen." Tao squeaked, his widened eyes welling up. "We really don't..."

"Instead, we've got more pressing matters to worry about." Kris spoke up, as my eyes flitted to him. Under the sunlight that bathed us, my heart wrenched as I took a good look at the third eldest. His face was unshaved and soot covered most of his features; the boy clearly didn't bother with his looks anymore, seeing how unkempt his hair was and the amount of dirt trapped under his nails. "You've got to help him."

And my eyes followed his as they rested on a boy whose face was blank and whose eyes stared at nothing.

"Do something about Kai, would you?"

I sighed.

"Why are you sighing?" A low voice came from beside me as an arm swung onto my shoulders, bringing closer to him. "You don't like this place...?"

I looked out at the large body of water and my eyes strayed to the snow-capped mountains that backed it. Dense greenery grew on the other side of the blue lake and it was postcard-worthy. Not that I have my phone to snap a shot anyway; everything's been burnt to smithereens.

"This was where I found you," The boy continued, as he too stared out at the picturesque landscape before us. "When you ran away from the cabin."

Seeing how I hadn't responded, he let out a forced laugh and the one-sided conversation lapsed into silence.

"I don't blame you, Kai."

My same-aged friend stiffened and I turned to face him but his side profile greeted me instead. I cupped his face to turn his face towards me but he wouldn't let me.

"I really don't blame you."

"You're lying." I could barely hear him as he retracted his arm from my shoulder and pulled his knees up to his chest, hands locking them in place. "I can tell."

"It's not your fault so I'm not blaming you at all."

He stayed silent as his eyes stared at nothing and the scene chillingly reminded me of the first time I approached him that day.

He was so broken on the inside and seeing him like that broke me too.

[Kai]

"Kai...?"

I heard her.

"Jongin?"

I flinched on the inside, having heard my other name that I