Updated; Re-uploaded

          Yixing woke with a pounding headache. The world was splotched with black and white for a long moment, and then all he could see in front of him was a bruised, worried, face.

          "You're up!"

          The loud voice rang in his ears and his hand reached up to grasp at his aching skull. The person before him moved back and the world spun as Yixing sat up. He almost fell right back down, but the boy helped to steady him with careful hands on his shoulders.

          "Are you okay?" He was asked.

          Yixing blinked slowly at the person as he regained his balance on the floor. He knew he recognized him, but his name was stuck on the tip of his tongue. After a few long seconds of examining his damaged features, it finally clicked.

          "Luhan... What happened?"

          Luhan's eyes were growing visibly wet with tears. "Oh, Yixing! You've been unconscious for so long! These weird people kept taking you away from me so they could test on you or something! They stuck so many needles into you, I thought you were going to be dead when they brought you back each time! Do you feel okay? Are you hurt?"

          Yixing's brain barely registered what he said. "My head... My head..." He tried to mumble, his eyes beginning to close against his will.

          "Hey! Yixing! Yixing!" Luhan shouted his name repeatedly, but his voice was slowly fading as Yixing was pulled into darkness once again.

          Yixing had been out cold ever since they first arrived and Luhan was worried that he wouldn't wake up. Luhan didn't know where they were, and he didn't know how long they'd been there, either. He’d woken long ago, though it as hard to tell as there was no clock in the room they were enclosed in, and it was all very scary and confusing to him.

          For most of this time, he sat huddled in the corner of the room with Yixing lying unconscious beside him. The small, plain, empty area was freezing and Luhan's thin night clothes didn't keep him warm at all. They were still damp from when he’d fallen on the grass outside, wet from rain.

          After who knows how long, a fully black masked person entered the room and reached out towards Yixing. Luhan was quick to throw himself in front of his friend, but he was just shoved aside by the strong masked figure. He watched helplessly as Yixing was carried away and stood up to go after him, but another figure quickly appeared to take hold of his arm. He was then half dragged out of the room, where an open hallway stretched out in two directions. Luhan didn't see any sign of Yixing, but he barely had time to look before he was pulled down the hall.

          Windows into more rooms opened up along the walls, where Luhan could see several large pods lining the walls of each room. Some had more than others, and he could make out bodies from within the cylinders. Not every pod was occupied, though, and Luhan shivered at the thought of being put into one.  He wondered if they were still alive in there, then soon decided against dwelling on it.

          On the doors to the many rooms, there were lists of names that matched the number of pods in each room. The names became burned to the back of his eyelids, and it sickened him to imagine a room dedicated to their group. He had no idea what lay in store for them after all of this, but he hoped with all of his heart that he could rejoin his friends and most of all, Sehun. He couldn’t accept that this would be their fate.

          After some time of walking, Luhan was brought down a hallway that branched off. Not long after, he was pushed into a seemingly random room. It was empty just like the last one, but a window made up the entire right wall. On the other side, Luhan could see Yixing strapped to a metal table with masked figures swarming around him.

          Luhan could see that Yixing's eyes were closed, but one of the figures jabbed a needle into his arm that made him jerk awake, screaming. A group stood to the side, and at his reaction they began typing things into some sort of tablet device, though it looked unlike any tablet Luhan had ever seen. Luhan ran and pressed his hands up against the window, yelling for them to stop, but the agonizing screams continued as they stuck needle after needle into Yixing's body. Once he cried himself unconscious—if that was even possible—they shifted to taking his blood, draining his body until he visibly paled.

          Luhan needed to help his friend and he caught sight of the machinery that lined the walls of the other room. He hoped his power would work past the glass between them, but this was the first chance he was given since they arrived, and he’d do anything to save Yixing now. Luhan focused his mind entirely on a large machine in one corner of the room and was relieved to see that it moved an unnoticeable inch to his will. In an instant, he had it flying across the room, crashing into the figures surrounding Yixing. He was about to break the glass wall, too, but the door to his room suddenly burst opened and someone walked in.

          Luhan backed away as the enormous figure came closer, but he couldn’t escape his punishment as they swiped a large fist at Luhan's face. He practically flew across the room due to the impact, and he made the stubborn mistake of trying to get back up. As he moved to his hands and knees, a large foot came and squashed him back down, driving the air out of his body. Luhan gasped for breath, but he didn't get up again. His face stung horribly, scratched from the figure’s rough knuckles, and now just breathing hurt.

          Luhan felt tiny as he was picked up and thrown over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and not in way that was to be appreciated. The giant carried him out into the hall, and the next thing he knew, he was back in the other room.

          Luhan was thrown to the hard floor without pity and he groaned loudly as he landed. He barely heard the quiet door slide shut and a long time passed before it opened again. He shifted his position slightly to see two figures carrying Yixing in, where they slowly set him on the floor. They were much more gentle compared to how Luhan was handled, and they didn't even acknowledge his presence before they left.

          Doing his best to ignore his own pain, Luhan crawled over to his friend to see if he was injured. Other than the tiny pricks along his arms, he seemed to have no wounds, so Luhan settled himself back down and closed his eyes, though it was impossible for him to sleep. Regardless of the time, his pain was too strong to ignore.

          Time passed as Luhan laid unmoving on the floor. People returned again and again to take Lay, but they didn't touch Luhan. They probably didn't want him to interfere again, and he didn't try to stop them. He didn't want his life beaten out of him, but when Yixing finally opened his eyes, he broke down with relief and knew he had to do something to get them out.

          Luhan allowed  Yixing to be taken once more and hoped his friend would stay strong. When he returned, Luhan acted like he had all day, making sure not to raise any suspicion to hint at his next actions.

          As the two ”caretakers” exited the room, Luhan jumped forward to hold the door open before it slid close. He caught it just in time, and the figures continued down the hall without even noticing. No one else could be seen, so he continued on with his barely thought out plan.

          Keeping his foot lodged in the door, Luhan reached over to drag Yixing out into the hall, whispering many apologies to the unconscious boy. With much difficulty and the use of a majority of the strength he’d just regained, he managed to get his friend onto his back, and he then looked down both ends of the hall.

          Luhan hadn't had much time to think about how he was going to escape, so he wasn't sure which way he should go. He had only been down the right end, so he had no idea what was waiting for him on the left. For all he knew, he could walk blindly into more of those masked enemies.

          Luhan quickly came to a decision with a nod to himself, then he took off down the right end of the hall, but he soon stopped as Yixing shifted on his back.

          "Yixing? It's Luhan. Are you feeling okay?" He asked, turning to look at his friend over his shoulder. The teen's eyes were barely open and his messy brown hair fell into his pale face. His breath was quiet and shallow in Luhan's ear, and he rose a shaky hand to point behind them.

          "I feel something..." He mumbled. "A...leg..."

          "A leg?" Luhan echoed questionably, gazing down the opposite end of the hall. He wondered what it could be that Yixing was talking about, until he recalled having been told that Yixing could feel another’s physical injuries. When he came to that realization, another thought hit him.  "Joonmyun hurt his leg… Are you telling me it’s him?"

          Yixing opened his mouth to answer, but he was already drifting off again, his arm dropping to his side before he could get out another word. Luhan turned around fully to look in the direction Yixing pointed out, but he hesitated before continuing, unsure if he should risk going into the unknown.

          Luhan knew for a fact that Yixing could feel another's pain after having the boy run off mid conversation a number of times with the mere explanation of “hold on, papercut.” He couldn’t stand his friends feeling an ounce of pain for even a second, and after everything he’d done for them, Luhan knew his mind was to be trusted. And if it was Joonmyun that he was referring to, then they'd have a greater chance of escaping if he had come to help.

          Unless he was captured for testing, too.

          Luhan quickly shook his head and pushed the dark thought to the back of his mind. He had to take the chance.

          Bringing Yixing farther up on his back, Luhan took a deep breath and hurried down the other end of the hall. He paced his steps quickly, though he still moved cautiously in the unseen area. 

          The surroundings here were similar to those he had already seen. Rooms and rooms lined with large pods appeared on his left, while the right wall was bare, an occasional door appearing. Eventually, the single hallway branched off to the right, and Luhan stopped to gaze down the new pathway.

          The hall was empty and quiet, and Luhan found it strange. The building seemed deserted, but he had seen plenty of the masked figures to know it wasn't true.

          Moving down the hall, he kept alert for any sign of movement or sound. But everything remained still, and he was beginning to wonder if it was a good or a bad thing.

          Suddenly, the sound of echoing footsteps reached Luhan's ears and he looked back to see someone walk out of a room. He was frozen to the spot as the person caught sight of him, and he felt the air grow cold around him. Luhan noticed ice spreading from the feet of the figure, coating the floor and walls in a clear sheet. It reminded him of Minseok's powers, and the thought of his friend made his escape pop into his head. Tightening his grip on Yixing's thighs, Luhan spun around and ran. He didn't take the time to look back, but the soft crackling of ice told him that he was being pursued.

          As he fled, Luhan struggled to keep Yixing properly on his back. He almost slipped multiple times and his body ached from the weight. His chest hurt from the run on top of his earlier beating, and all he wanted to do was collapse and sleep.

          Sooner than he ever would have liked, Luhan's path came to a dead end. He didn't see anyone behind him, so the person either gave up or they didn't reach his last turn yet. Knowing that the latter was more likely, he desperately tried opening the closest door to him, but he didn't know how it was possible. There was no handle or keypad to use, and nothing happened when he felt along the wall for any hidden buttons.

          A chill was starting to seep into the room and Luhan knew the person was close. Looking around, he searched for a way to escape, and that's when he noticed a door with an actual handle. He swore it wasn't there a moment before, but he wasted no time in pushing it open. He stumbled into the empty room and gently brought Yixing to the floor, then he closed the door and leaned against it as he regained his breath.

          A moment later, footsteps could be heard on the other side. Luhan did his best to keep his heavy breathing quiet, but Yixing apparently felt that it was an ideal time to wake up.

          "Joonmyun..."

          His voice came out as a whisper, but he might as well have been yelling, for the door burst open at the slight sound. The force of the push sent Luhan falling face first to the ground and he scrambled to his feet, reaching out for Yixing. But before he could reach his friend, something hard slammed into his side. Luhan stumbled and turned to see a large wall of ice closing in on him.

          The figure, now without a mask, seemed to only be after Luhan. The man's face was cold and still, as if nothing could phase him. He resembled a lifeless statue, simply carved to appear human. Yixing was conveniently unconscious again, and the man paid him no attention and continued advancing toward Luhan.

          Luhan was pressed far against a wall by the slab of ice, and he spotted another doorway just behind him. He hurried to pull it open and bolt to the other side in hopes of luring the man away, but he was prepard. Either that or he had incredibly fast reflexes, making the floor slippery under Luhan's feet to bring him to a slithering halt. He wasn't able to stop himself before he crashed into the wall of yet another empty room.

          Only, this room wasn't as empty as he thought.

          "Luhan!?" A familiar voice rang through the air, followed by a much angrier, deeper tone. "This bastard is gonna pay!"

          Surprisingly hot air surrounded Luhan, warming him up immediately. He relaxed onto the ground with his back against the wall, feeling as though his body would melt into a puddle from pure exhaustion. His eyes slid shut, and he listened as he tried to regain what little strength he could.

          Water splashed and wind howled around him. Ice shattered like glass, and soon a single, inhuman groan filled the remaining silence.

          A gentle hand touched Luhan's cheek and he couldn’t help a smile, opening his teary eyes. He was safe now.

          Sehun could barely stopped himself from squeezing the life right out of Luhan, though it had been his goal to see that it wasn’t yet at its end in the first place. He was just so darn relieved to finally see for himself that Luhan was alright, but even then, he looked just a touch away from shattering.

          Sehun Luhan’s cheek with the barest of touches, and Luhan's lips turned up in a pained smile that instantly brought tears to Sehun's eyes. His beautiful face was bruised with traces of dried blood coming from his nose, but he was alive.

          Sehun leaned forward to gently press their lips together in a quick, reassuring kiss, and he felt Luhan's arms wrap around him. He let his own arms brings Luhan closer, until the older teen was practically sitting on him, and only then did he let out a long breath.

          "I knew we'd find you..."

          "Is Joonmyun here with you?" Luhan asked softly, voice hoarse and pained.

          Sehun nodded, blinking away his pools of tears. "We came with a few others to get you and your friend out of here."

          "Yixing... He's in the other room." Luhan said, as though he suddenly just remembered that he hadn’t been alone. Sehun helped to pull him to his feet, though the boy seemed to have a remaining sense of strength despite his tattered appearance.

          "Joonmyun's already there." Sehun informed him. "And I want you to go with him. He'll get you out of here."

          "But what about you?" Luhan’s fingers curled around his, and he gave a small, crooked smile.

          "Don't worry. I just need to find someone. I owe it to a friend."

          "This place is huge! There's no way you can find one single person!" Luhan said, then a look of remembrance crossed his face. "Wait a minute... Do you know this person's name, by any chance?"

          Sehun quickly thought back to the conversation he had with Youngjae just before he left.

          "Sehun, this is selfish of me to ask, but.... If you happen to see someone named Daehyun, do you think you could bring him back with you? He means a great deal to me…"

          "Of course. Especially after all you've done to help us."

          "Thank you, and good luck."

          "His name is Daehyun." Sehun told Luhan.

          "Daehyun... Daehyun... Daehyun..." The older teen repeated the name multiples times, obviously deep in thought, and then he suddenly latched onto Sehun's arm, his eyes wide.

          "I know where he is! I saw his name back by our room!"

          "Are you sure?" Sehun asked, shocked to find that it was so easy to fulfill Youngjae’s wishes.

          Luhan nodded quickly. "Positive! It’s horrible—the condition he may be kept in, but he must be alive! Come on!"

          Luhan took Sehun's hand and pulled him into the other room, passing the thing that Sehun had previously knocked unconscious. He’d resembled a man at first, but now his features rippled to reveal splotches of black that were anything but human. Joonmyun was crouched on the ground beside Yixing, his face close to the other's. As Sehun and Luhan entered the room, he sat up, his hands moving to wipe his face. He sniffed once and sent them a small smile.

          "It's good to see that you're okay, Luhan."

          "You, too." Luhan replied. "Yixing's okay, I think. I'm not sure what they did to him, but we probably don't have the time to talk about it now."

          "He's right." Sehun agreed. "I'm sure our presence has been noticed, so we should hurry. Joonmyun, go ahead and take Yixing out. I'll contact Kai when we're ready to leave."

          "Take care." Joonmyun said.

          Sehun gave him a quick nod, then he gestured for Luhan to lead the way out of the room. They discovered that the outside walls were covered in ice, and Luhan followed them like a trail through the building. Sehun was able to see just how far Luhan had fled from the ice-man, and he wasn't surprised to see him beginning to limp after only a short time.

          "Luhan, you're hurt. Is it really okay for you to move like this?" Sehun asked after taking a particularly slippery turn. He squeezed Luhan's hand and the older male returned the action, not even looking back.

          "I'm fine. You said you need to find this person so I’m bringing you to him.”

          "Well, yes… But I don’t want you to push yourself so har—“  

          "Then I'll help you." Luhan interrupted, grasping Sehun's hand tighter. "I don't know who this Daehyun person is, but I won't ask. It's none of my business to ask about your acquaintances. It’s of absolutely no concern to me."

          "Hold on. Are you thinking weird things right now?" Sehun stopped dead in his tracks, bringing Luhan to face him for questioning. The older teen turned his head away to avoid his gaze, but Sehun held up his chin and looked him straight in the eyes. "Luhan..."

          "I don't know what you're talking about." Luhan mumbled, his eyes flicking back and forth.

          Sehun let out a sigh, feeling just a tad bit hurt. "With me being younger than you, you'd think I'd be the one to act like this."

          When Luhan didn't answer, Sehun moved his hand to hold up his face, finally bringing their eyes to meet. He gave Luhan a small smile as he used his thumb to gently rub his cheek.

          "It's only been a day since I've seen you and already you think there's someone else?"

          "It feels like forever..." Luhan murmured, eyes closing for just a moment of reflection.

          Sehun shook his head, fingers reaching up to tangle in Luhan’s soft hair. "It's been a long day, and you've missed a lot, but I'll get you caught up once we find Daehyun and leave. I actually don't even know him, so you don't have to worry about any remote relationship between us."

          "Then... Why are you looking for him? Luhan asked in genuine confusion. “How do you know he’s here?”

          "It was just a hunch of his, really, but I want to reunite him with someone I met earlier." Sehun explained, recalling the pained expression Youngjae had made when he spoke of Daehyun. "I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for him, so I want to help him in return."

          Luhan seemed to understand and accept the circumstances, and then a sudden look of determination crossed his face. "Let's go, then." He seemed to forget about his own previous concerns and hurried to continue on, but Sehun stopped him once more.

          "Wait. Let me help you out."

          "What do you me—" Luhan stopped mid-sentence when Sehun slid an arm around his waist. If it were a different situation, Sehun probably would've given him a playful smirk, but he just stuck with a small smile, instead.

          "Lean on me. I know you're hurt."

          Pink dusted Luhan's cheeks, barely noticeable behind his bruises. He looked like he was going to protest, but then he slowly gave in and shifted his weight into Sehun's side. His arm reached up behind Sehun's back and held onto his shoulder, and they continued on side by side down the hall.

          The silence that fell between them was more comfortable than before, but the silence all around them bothered Sehun. He felt like he was in a suspense movie and that something would jump out at any given moment. Luhan, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind. If not, then he was masking his cautiousness well.

          To Sehun's surprise—and slight worry—no one made an appearance as they ventured through the building. Luhan eventually brought them to a halt at a door that looked like all the others they had passed, but Sehun trusted him. A silver plate hung in the middle of the doorway with four names carved in black. Taking a closer look, Sehun saw that the first name read 'Daehyun'.

          A hopeful expression lit Luhan's face. "Do you think it's him?"

          Sehun could only shrug. There was no surname listed, but anyone that they could save from this dreadful place would ultimately be worth it. "Who knows? We'll just have to bring him to Youngjae and find out."

          He reached out to open the door, but stopped short when he saw that there was no handle. Luhan seemed to already have notice.

          "I've tried before, but I don't know how to get out or in. They slid open on their own when the people here walked through..."

          "Great..." Sehun muttered, pressing his hands against the white door. He tried pushing, knocking and banging on the door, but nothing happened. After a few more failed attempts at getting it open, a thought hit him. "Have you tried using your powers?"

          Luhan stared at Sehun with wide eyes, then he suddenly ran his hands through his hair and groaned. "Why didn't I think of that!? I'm so stupid!" He pulled roughly on his hair and let his head bang harshly against the wall. "I've wasted so much time when I could have left a long time ago!"

          Before Luhan could hit the wall a second time, Sehun grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back. "Stop. You're going to seriously hurt yourself. All that matters is that you can try it now."

          Once Luhan appeared more calm, Sehun let him go and watched as he turned to face the door. The older male took a deep breath and rose his hand, his fingers spread wide. He stared unblinkingly at the door's surface and it soon moved with a small jerk. Luhan's eyes closed for a moment and when they opened, the door did the same.

          "Great job!" Sehun praised, smiling proudly. "Let's go." He held the door open for Luhan in case it closed again and let him go in first, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him from following. He turned to see who it was, but a fist rammed into his face before he could even blink.

          "Sehun!" Luhan's shocked voice filled his ears as he stumbled back into the room.

          "I'm fine." Sehun quickly told him, fingers grazing the stinging surface of his nose. "Get Daehyun." He glanced back to see Luhan running to one of the weird pods in the room, then he turned back around to see a man enter through the door. One look was all it took for Sehun to know that he was bad news. He wore all black just like the others and looked well built, his facial features menacing. He was huge, too. Much taller than even Kris.

          Sehun lifted his hands in front of him and swiftly sent the man flying out of the room with a strong blast of wind. The man flew out the entryway and hit the hallway wall, and Sehun saw him fall to the ground before the door automatically slid shut. He kept his guard up for a moment, just in case, then he ran to help Luhan.

          The older teen was struggling to open one of the pods and Sehun could hear his breathing growing heavier with the effort. He had actually managed to open it, but he needed Sehun's help to swing open the thick glass window that covered the front.

          Inside the metal pod, they found a boy strapped down, unconscious on his feet. His skin was pale, his plump lips cracked, and his light brown hair was unusually long. Sehun could tell that he'd been there for quite a while and he hoped with all his heart that he was still in good state. He reached up to check the boy’s pulse and was all too glad to find that he was still alive, though his skin felt like ice.

          Sehun immediately went to work on undoing the simple leather straps that kept Daehyun down. It wasn't anything too fancy, so it only took him a short minute to finish. As he unclasped the last strap, the boy leaned forward and fell into Sehun's arms. He gently brought Daehyun to the floor, then he glanced at Luhan, who now sat on the floor against one wall, his eyes half lidded.

          "Okay, Luhan. Continue resting and I'll call—"

          "Sehun!" Luhan interrupted him all of a sudden by practically screeching his name. His eyes were wide open once again as his gaze fell on something behind him.

          Sehun spun around on his heels to see a wave of men crowding into the somewhat small room. He hadn't heard their silent movements, and not even the door made a sound. Each man was as huge as the last ones he faced, and he couldn't even count how many of them he was up against.

          Reaching up to his ear, Sehun pressed a button on the earpiece Youngjae had given him. "Kai! Hurry!" He yelled urgently. “We’re surrounded!”

          As soon as Sehun finished speaking, a fist flew past his head. Glass from the empty pod shattered into a million pieces around them, and Sehun stared wide-eyed at the arm that was stretched impossibly across the room. It was connected to the flying punch, and it shrank back to its owner a moment later.

          "Sehun."

          At the sound of his name, the boy glanced back and found Kai standing beside him. He was quick to point at Luhan, but the older male avoided Kai's helping hand.

          "No. If you're trying to make me leave, I won't go."

          “Luhan, we don't have time for this!"

          "I can help! Kai, take Daehyun!"

          Following the orders of the older teen, Kai grabbed onto Daehyun and they vanished in a puff of colors. Seeing that he wasn't being listened to, Sehun faced the advancing enemies. He held up his hands and gusts of wind appeared out of nowhere, pushing the men back.

          An unexpected spear flew through the air, managing to break through his wind barrier with ease. As Sehun dodged and it crashed to the ground, he realized that it was made of ice. The attack broke his concentration, and a person headed towards him. Sehun prepared to face him, but a sudden chill reached his legs and he looked down. Ice covered his feet and rose to his knees, holding him in place as a person strode up and wrapped a large hand around his neck.

          "You thought I'd stay down, didn't you?" The man’s voice had a strange accent to it that was unlike anything Sehun had heard before. His words were hardly cohesive, but maybe that was due to the lack of oxygen Sehun was currently getting. He pulled weakly at the fingers that prevented him from breathing and came to the realization that this was the same man that brought Luhan straight to him. The fingers around his neck tightened, and Sehun started to aim punches at his face in hope of being free.

          All of a sudden, a guttural yell left the man's throat and his back arched, his fingers releasing Sehun's neck. He spun around and Sehun spotted tiny pieces of glass digging into his skin through his shirt. Sehun gasped for breath and looked at Luhan, who was giving him a hard stare. He looked like he was going to say something, but Kai appeared again before he could.

          "Hurry." Sehun croaked, and the two were soon gone.

          The ice around Sehun's feet cracked and he forced himself free. The ice-man was getting dragged away by his allies, apparently rendered unfit to fight, and two more people took his place. The others stood out of the way, which Sehun found to be strange. They could all take him down at once, but instead it seemed like they were taking turns or something. He could almost imagine a barely clothed woman holding up a sign that read 'Round 2'. No matter the reasoning, Sehun was just glad to have a small break.  

          Sehun’s next opponent swiped his arm through the air and blobs of water appeared, hovering between them. With a push of his hand, the water flew towards Sehun.

          The teen greatly underestimated the attack and didn't think the water could be of any harm, and he instantly regretted his decision to remain standing as soon as the liquid touched his skin. The water was scorching hot as it splashed over his body, turning his skin bright red and bubbled with blisters. His knees buckled from the intense pain and agonized tears streamed down his face like a fast-flowing river, completely blurring his vision.

          Sehun didn't know what happened next, but one second he was crouching in pain and the next he was lying on his back, a voice repeating his name from above. It took him a long moment to come to the conclusion that Kai had retrieved him, and that it was Luhan who was repeating "oh Sehun," though he wasn't sure if he was saying "Oh Sehun" or "oh, Sehun."

          Whatever they were positioned on suddenly jerked up, and Sehun groaned as pain shot through him. Ice cold liquid poured over his body and he felt the pain start to ease a bit. He pried open his eyes to see Luhan looking down at him with wet, tired eyes.

          "You idiot... If I wasn't there before then you'd be dealing with far more than this... Look at you..."

          "I'm sorry... But thank you..." Sehun murmured, letting out another small groan as his body jerked again.

          "Hey! Take it easy! It's getting bumpy back here!"

          At the sound of Ren's voice, Sehun turned his head to see the blonde sitting behind Luhan. A horse's neigh came as a response and Sehun became aware of the sound of fast-clomping hooves.

          "Don't speak in horse if you can talk like a human! I don't know what you're saying and you know it!" Ren shouted angrily.

          This time the horse snorted and Sehun was actually tempted to smile. He was safe with Luhan and the others, and now they were on their way back to their new home. The horse was pulling them along in a simple wagon, just big enough for all of them to fit. Ren had told him on the way there that the horse and dragon were the same person, though he hasn't shown his true form to them since they arrived. Sehun thought it would be sweet to have shape shifting abilities. He'd choose only the best animals to live his life as, and he could only guess that this guy was chill in his human form, too.

          When they finally arrived at their mountain home, Joonmyun, Kai, and Ren jumped out of the wagon. After the few hours-long ride, they looked relieved to be able to stretch their limbs. Sehun followed more slowly, the cool night breeze soothing his burned skin. Luhan looked like a zombie on his feet, and Sehun helped him walk despite his own agonizing pain.

          Ren helped get the still unconscious Yixing onto Joonmyun's back, then Daehyun onto Kai's, and then they began heading inside. They passed through the two sets of doors and for the second time that day, Sehun was amazed at the vastness of the building.

          Some of the people who milled about nearby looked in their direction when they entered, but most kept their distance. Whether to give them space or because it was a usual occurrence, he didn’t know. Sehun's eyes scanned the room and immediately fell upon Youngjae as he spotted the teen pacing around the large room, and their eyes met a moment later. The waiting teen sprinted across the room to stop in front of Sehun, who gestured for Kai to step forward. He did just as Sehun wordlessly asked, turning to reveal the person on his back.

          Sehun watched Youngjae's reaction carefully, praying that things were in their favor. The teen stepped towards Kai, his eyes wide behind his glasses. He rose a shaky hand to touch the face of the boy on Kai's back, and his lips started to tremble profusely.

          "D-Daehyun...?" Youngjae brushed away the boy's long hair and tears suddenly poured out of his eyes. "Daehyun!" His voice came out as a sob as he held onto the unconscious boy's body. Kai let Youngjae lower to the ground with Daehyun's body in his arms, and the crying teen buried his face in Daehyun's neck.

          People only now began to crowd around, lured in by Youngjae's sobbing—not that he noticed. Most looked confused, and Sehun guessed that they knew just as much, if not less, than he did about Daehyun’s existence. Some were on the verge of tears, either way. Sehun was simply glad to see Youngjae's reaction, relieved to see that they had accomplished all that they had hoped to.

          Youngjae didn't stop his sobbing for a long while, and when he did, it was because Daehyun finally woke up. His hand rose to run through Youngjae's hair, unnoticed at first, and Youngjae immediately jerked back when he registered the touch.

          "Oh my God, Daehyun! You're awake!" He yelled, his relief clear to all of those who were gathered around. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

          Daehyun blinked up at Youngjae as the teen ran a hand through his grown hair over and over. "I'm... I'm..."

          "What? What is it!?"

          "Food..."

          "Food?" Youngjae repeated questionably, as if doubting his own hearing.

          "I'm hungry..." Daehyun mumbled, and Sehun almost thought Youngjae would hit him by the look on his face.

          "Are you being serious?"

          "Yeah, of course. When was the last time I ate? A couple hours ago?"

          "A couple hours? More like a couple months." Youngjae said, looking as though he would start crying again. "I've missed you so much... You idiot…"

          Daehyun's eyebrows furrowed slightly, face drawn in disbelief, and he raised his hand to Youngjae's neck. With a simple downward tug, he brought their faces closer until they were kissing in front of everyone.

          Sehun smiled at the sight of the couple and his arm around Luhan brought them even closer. He was glad to be involved in reuniting them, and he hoped they wouldn't be separated again. He understood how Youngjae felt without his partner, but he could tell how much closer he and Daehyun were compared to Luhan and himself. How Youngjae managed to live so long without Daehyun, Sehun would probably never know.