Whirlwinds gathered the sky jellies, twirling them around as they glowed in the twilight. The laughter of children rang in the fields, the cries of a distressed mother not too far in the distance. “You’ll hurt him!” she called, hands springing to her face as Luhan, with the use of his telekinesis, tossed Sehun into the air.

“Here he comes!” Luhan laughed, face glowing as he watched his baby brother go flying through the air at an incredible height.

Just as Sehun began to descend, Kris swooped him up in his arms, soaring the two of them overhead. “Gotcha!”

The youngest brother giggled. “Again, again!”

“Again? Alright!” Kris dangled Sehun above the ground, holding him by his wrists and swinging him back and forth in the air. “You ready, Luhan?”

Luhan nodded. “Yup!”

Kris looked down to his younger brother, eyes tearing from the wind. “You ready, Sehun?” The little blonde nodded furiously and Kris chuckled. “Alright, here we go!” He swung Sehun with much more momentum this time, sending him flying towards their older brother with no guarantee that he’d be safe. Their mother’s cries could be heard as Sehun flew through the air.

He neared the ground, his hands now reaching out to catch him in case Luhan didn’t follow through. Panic was starting to set in. Just as he thought he would crash into the dirt, he was stopped in mid-air, Luhan smiling at him from several feet away.

“Did you really think I’d let you fall?” he said, gently dropping Sehun to the ground.

He shook his head. “No! I wasn’t scared ‘er nuthin’!”

Kris joined them, touching his feet to the ground. The three of them were short of breath, having been playing like that for the past hour. “You having a fun birthday?” Kris asked, ruffling Sehun’s hair.

Nodding furiously, Sehun grinned from ear to ear and said: “Yup! Best one I’ve ever had! Even if today isn’t really my birthday.”

“Come back to the house! I want to light the candles before I send you ruffians to bed!” their mother called, heading back inside to prepare the birthday cake. The blonde children raced after her at the sound of “cake,” having been waiting for this moment all day.

Sehun jumped into their dad’s old chair at the head of the table, bouncing up and down in his seat as their mother placed the cake, lit with seven candles, before him. Kris and Luhan pulled in close, staring down the cake as well, already preparing to sing to him. “Now, wait a minute, you two. We have to all go together!”

With their mother leading, Kris and Luhan started singing again in harmony. Sehun could feel his cheeks grow flush, his mom with her hands in his hair mussing it up. His brother started to speed the pace of the song up, and he was quickly blowing out the candles.

“Did you even have time to make a wish, baby?” His mother started pulling the candles out, Kris grabbing plates out of the cupboard.

He nodded. “Mmhmm! I was makin’ my wish when you guys were singin’.”

“What’d you wish for?” Luhan asked, pulling his chair closer to Sehun, anticipating his slice of cake, biting down on his lip.

“I can’t tell! It won’t come true!” Sehun glowered at his brother who only laughed at him. He couldn’t see what was so funny, it was a very serious matter to him.

They were all gathered around the table now, their mother washing the dinner dishes. It wasn’t long before they each had cake coating their faces, Kris somehow managing to get it in his hair. “Oh, you guys are all gonna need to wash up before you go to bed, tonight. And no messing around, you all have to get up early in the morning, understand?” their mother asked, looking at each of them separately.

The three boys nodded. “Yeah.”

“Are you guys nervous about going to the Capitol?” she asked, grabbing their empty plates from them and tossing them in the sink.

“Mmm,” Kris thought, “not really. I wanna go! Really bad!”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I just wish Dad was around. Do you think he’d be proud of me?” Kris looked to his mother, Luhan and Sehun waiting for her answer, as well.

She sighed. “Yes. I think he’d be proud of each of you.”

“We’ll say hi to him for you!” Luhan’s optimistic voice broke the sudden melancholy that had come over them. His mother looked to him, brows furrowed. “When people die, they go back to the Tree, right? And the Tree is in the Capitol!”

“Yeah! We’ll go see him and tell him how pretty you are, Mom!” Sehun added, holding on to this little bit of positivity as tightly as he could.

Her thin lips spread into a warm smile. “I think that’s really sweet of you boys. Talk to him all the time, okay? I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you again.” She paused. “It’s been a really long time since he saw all of you. Sehun was just a baby.” They each nodded. “Now, go off to bed. It’s getting late. I’m waking you up early.”

“Alright, Mom!”

~  ~

After a week of walking, they finally arrived at the outskirts of Suju. Despite their hopes, the world was still a barren, gray wasteland, even all the way out here in the Northeast. The group of them entered the city limits cautiously, each scanning their surroundings for Wraiths. There was nothing but the howling of wind, not even the sound of people in the distance.

Chen gazed out towards the buildings across the fields. “I don’t know that anyone’s alive. It’s too quiet…”

“We should still look, though.” Suho headed forward first, the others following behind. They were surprised to see so many of the structures still standing when the Capitol was in utter ruins. Suju was merely a ghost-town now. Not the remains of a battlefield. Though small, it gave them some sort of hope.

They entered the city, windows shattered in shops and doors hanging off hinges. There were signs laying in the streets, some trash here and there. It was all minimal damage compared to the horror they came from.

Sehun peered through a shop window, pulling the fabric of his cape over his mouth snugly. “Do you think they all left?”

“Who knows,” Luhan answered, voice low and barely audible. Distracted.

Kris thought he saw someone looking at him from beyond the broken window of a shop, taking a second glance to reveal no one there. The eerie feeling of being watched was prickling at him, and a few of the others now, too. Their heads began looking over their shoulders more and more. Every sound made them jumpy and suspicious.

Baekhyun reached down and grabbed a broken flagpole, now moving more cautiously than before.  Every sound made Kris jump, levitating him into the air much like how a cat jumps when it’s startled.

“Where’re you from?” a voice called from behind, the Legends swinging around to see who it belonged to. Standing at the other end of the street stood a woman with short brown hair, a strong jaw with feet planted firmly in place.

“The Capitol!” Suho called back. “Are you the only one here?”

The woman didn’t answer. Instead, she looked them each up and down, face stiff as she slowly approached them. “Have any of you been bitten?” she finally asked, maintaining a decent amount of distance.

Luhan and Kris looked to their younger brother, their stomachs turning. Sehun raised his hand hesitantly.

“How long?” she asked.

He pulled the fabric away from his mouth so he wouldn’t be misunderstood. “A little more than a month.”

She raised a brow, arms crossed. “You’re holding out alright. What brought you here? How’s the Capitol?”

The Legends looked down to the ground, searching for words.

“Nevermind,” she started, “Judging from one-arm over there and this infected kid, I’d say it’s probably Hell out that way. Come on, we’ll take care of you.” She extended a hand out, waiting for them to take it. “I’m Amber.”

Each boy took her hand, introducing themselves.

“So, there’s more of you out here?” Lay asked, the boys following her through the alleyways and back behind empty buildings.

Amber nodded. “A good handful, yeah. The biggest problem out this way, besides this perpetual drought we’re in, is Wraiths.”

“Eh, it’s like that where we’re from, too. The Red Force has taken everything,” Baekhyun replied.

Tao followed the others from the back of the group, listening intently. He already knew—they all did—that the direct infection to the Tree is what had withered all the vegetation. If a Wraith didn’t get to you, it was likely you’d starve to death.

Amber finally led them through a final alleyway and through the back entrance to a small, brick building. A ripped sheet functioned as a door, and beyond it were barrels and crates from previous trade hauls. The sound of quiet chatter could be heard echoing off the walls, and it faded quickly when the speakers heard someone approaching. Amber pulled back a makeshift door into the back room, revealing five others; two of them male and the others female.

“We have visitors!” Amber announced, moving from the doorway and into a small kitchen area to allow the Legends to pass through. “Why don’t you all get to know each other, I’m starving.”

Suho did his best to introduce each of the members, losing his breath. It never occurred to him that eleven was quite a large number of people to introduce before.

Two of the girls sitting close together, the same exact eyes, decided to name themselves first. “I’m Jessica,” the girl with long, wavy brown hair started, “and this is my little sister, Krystal.” Krystal smiled shyly, hiding behind her long, dark hair.

The guys waved. “I’m Minho,” one said, his nose a little wide and hair thick and a little wavy. His face was incredibly friendly.

“I’m Ryeowook.” He had strong cheekbones and raven black hair. He looked very young, but his posture made him appear much older than the others.

Finally, a petite, young looking girl with dark, wavy hair, big eyes and pouty lips waved an awkward hand. “I’m Sulli.”

“Sit down someplace. Grab somethin’,” Minho said, waving his arms and directing them to make themselves comfortable. “How are you all doing, anyways?” It was so strange to find someone who seemed so enthusiastic in a time like this. From the look of things, the people of Suju didn’t experience the same kind of Hell as the people of the Capitol. They had paid the biggest price, all for the Tree.

~  ~

Several hours had passed, the boys now getting to know the last survivors of Suju. Jessica and Krystal passed out the dinner the prepared. ‘It’s not much,” Jessica said, “but at least it’s something, right?”

Kris took a bowl from her. “Thanks.”

She smiled. “No problem. So, you Luhan and Sehun are brothers, huh?” He nodded. “You’re lucky to have each other. I’m so thankful I still have Krystal. I couldn’t imagine going through this alone,” her voice became low, not wanting to put her blessings in other peoples’ faces.

“Yeah. We’re pretty lucky, aren’t we?” Kris blew on his food as Jessica sat down next to him, their elbows a little close. With so many of them in one place, it made the room a little cramped.

Sulli came over and sat beside Xiumin, her voice quiet as she sat in the open spot next to him, “Sorry. It’s a little tight in here,” she laughed awkwardly, pulling her hair behind her ear.

“You’re fine,” he replied, his voice just as quiet as hers, scooching to give her some space. The two of them were rather awkward together, Sulli constantly pulling her hair behind her ears and Xiumin shaking his foot.

After a few minutes of silence, Sulli said, “So, you guys are Legends? There’s supposed to be twelve, right, is one of you scouting for another town?”

Xiumin shook his head. “Uh… no,” he stuttered, “We don’t know where he is, actually. Wraiths went off with him and we aren’t really sure if he’s still alive or not…”

She gasped. “I’m so sorry, that was so dumb of me to ask, I’m sorry. Your name is Xiumin, right? I’m sorry, Xiumin.”

“Hey, it’s alright,” he assured her, giving her an empathetic smile.

“I’m just so bad at talking to people, to be totally honest. I feel like I can never say the right thing. God, I’m still so embarrassed, Xiumin.” She hid her face behind her hands, a smile on her face despite her words.

He smiled back at her, taking one of her hands away from her face. “Don’t be. I’m the same way. People don’t even see me, most of the time.”

Sulli pulled her other hand away, looking him in the eyes. “I see you.”

~  ~

Chen stared out the window, the town overcast and that deep, greenish-black that made everything look murky like a swamp. The quiet rainfall was calming, yet his mind was full of awful thoughts. Thoughts that made his skin crawl and heart sink. Outside of the brush only a few yards away, Chen swore he saw Li and Lully’s faces.

“What? Something out there?” D.O. asked, observing Chen’s pursed expression.

He sighed, leaning back against the wall. “I keep seeing them…”

“Seeing who? The girls?”

Chen nodded solemnly. “Sometimes its just corpses… Other times I see them looking back at me.” He cuckled faintly. “Maybe they’re haunting me. I can only imagine what Lully would say to me now if she could.”

D.O. turned away, scouring his mind for something to say. But there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“I’m seeing them more and more lately,” Chen went on. “Sometimes I can smell the perfume Lully used to wear, or hear Nana laughing in the distance with Sydney. Sometimes Li talks to me when I’m sleeping. Like she jumped into my subconscious like she always used to. They were our sisters and I just let them die, D.O. I just let them die.”

“You didn’t let them die. There was nothing you could do.”

His voice was shaky and he strained to keep it still. “Then why does it feel this why? Why can’t I stop thinking about all the things I could’ve done?”

And again, D.O. didn’t have an answer. He had nothing to offer him, and he could feel the resentment build up inside again.

~  ~

There was a whimpering someplace close, and Lay being the way that he was had to find out who it was that was crying. It sounded like one of the girls. He pulled back some of the brush and found Li hunched over her knees, hands through her hair.

Lay rushed over to her. “Hey, hey! What’s wrong?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, tears streaming down her face. “It just hurts so bad. Everything is so loud today, Lay.”

He immediately lowered his voice. “Is there anything I can do?”

Li shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t really know. Can you take away headaches?” Her eyes were pleading with him, desperate for release from the intense pain she was feeling. They would even wince here and there, indicating the throbbing that was drumming in her skull.

He couldn’t deny her, even if he wasn’t sure there was anything he could do. He thought for a moment before answering. “I can try.”

She stuttered a bit. “Okay.”

Placing a hand gently on top of her head, he searched for the source of the problem. Searched her brain activity, her nerve endings. Li was holding her breath, frightened if she moved even a little bit it might interfere with the healing process.

In less than a minute, the pain dulled down into nothing more than an annoyance, more tears escaping from Li’s eyes.

“Better?” he asked, voice still low.

She nodded, biting down on her bottom lip. “Yeah,” then falling into him, wiping away the tears, “Thank you so much, Lay.”

He put a hand on her shoulder, letting her collect herself. “It’s no problem, Li. Anytime, alright? Don’t be shy to ask for help if you need it. No one deserves to deal with pain like that, especially when you got someone like me around, alright?”

“Alright,” she nodded, her voice soft. “You know, sometimes I wish I wasn’t born with this. Sometimes you don’t want to hear what people are thinking, or see what they see. Some things aren’t meant to be known by other people, Lay. I think that’s part of why it hurts so bad…”

“What do you mean?”

“I know things about people that I probably shouldn’t. And I feel so bad because sometimes I… Something I start to forget that they filter out those bad thoughts and I just start to think they must be bad people.” Li took a deep breath, trying to keep from crying again. “I don’t wanna know what people think anymore, to be honest. I don’t want to judge people for things that they can’t always help. Even I think bad things sometimes that I don’t wanna think.”

She took a deep breath. “And that why I think it hurts so bad. It’s punishment for thinking so badly of people sometimes. It’s what I get for being judgemental.”

He rubbed her shoulder and shook his head with a knowing smile. “You’re not judgemental, Li. You’re human. Stop beating yourself up for it so much, alright?” Lay turned his head so he could see her face, trying to give her a smile to return.

“Only if you promise this one thing to me.” She sat up, letting his arm fall to his side and looking him in the eyes.

“What is it?”

“You’ll stop beating yourself up over Irene.”