Luhan couldn't breathe. Not anymore. It was as if something was stuck in his throat or worse, something deadly shoved inside his mouth. Something dark. Something pure evil.  Palpitating, he couldn't see clearly anymore but he could still feel the violent pain against his chest, killing him softly as each second passed. No matter how hard he try to scream for help, he always failed. He could feel the tears escaping from the rim of his eyes. His sweat drenching his body and clothes. Although everything was hazy in his eyes, he could tell that the red liquid on the surface of the floor was blood. He didn't know where it came from though, but it terrified him.

Help me. I don't want to...

die.

That was the last thing he heard before waking up in the middle of the night, hands as cold as ice. Luhan struggled to breathe in and out; to ease the violent inconsistent rhythm of his heart with all he can. 

Suddenly, it was the hardest thing to do. Again.

Darting his eyes around his room, he clutched his twisted heart even more. It took him longer to regain his composure back. Clearing his throat, he looked over to his side and found the water with medicine prepared for him. His mother must have been watching him after all, but what exactly happened earlier? The last he could remember was talking to Kai on the phone. After that, everything just went black. That's all he can remember, besides the painful nightmare in which he was dying. Taking the medicine in his palm, he shoved it in his mouth and drank the water rather anxiously.

"Luhan?" his mother called as she opened the door to Luhan's room. Her face brightened when she noticed her son sitting up and smiling at her. "You stubborn kid," she said rather sweetly, walking towards her teen son and taking his cold hand into her warm ones. She had been watching him all night long until a few minutes ago that she had to go to the bathroom, ever since the neighbor brought her son back but unconscious. Earlier she didn't even know what to say when she met them at her door; she only stared wide eyed at her son's knocked out figure until the worried latter snapped at her.

Seeing Luhan awake wasn't even making her feel better. He's smiling, but what if he's only hiding the pain? If not, then why would he collapse just like that? She promised herself after her husband's disappearance that she's going to watch over her children carefully and assure them that they are going to be alright even if it's just the three of them together. But ever since that day, she became too occupied with her job that she wasn't even able to be the kind of mother who stays home to guide her children. She always picked up Hani from the school though and well- she trusted her son just a little bit too much since he was older.

"Luhan? Are you feeling better?" She asked, looking through his eyes.

"I just had a bad dream."

Aware that Luhan had taken the medicine she had left for him, the brightness in Mrs. Xi's face went dim in just a matter of seconds although she was glad that he looked better awake now. "Your friend brought you here. The one who lives across the house. He looked like he had gotten himself into a brawl, Luhan. So I was really worried that you might be hurt too but you seem fine. I'm glad to hear that you carried him all the way to his house but that was still dangerous of you, Luhan. You even let yourself be soaked in the rain, you're gonna get sick because of that."

"He was hurt, mom."

"You are not strong enough and it's not good befriending someone who is often bullied. What if you get into a fight too? I am your mother, you must listen to me. Sometimes you have to choose your friends, sweetie." Luhan sighed at his mother's statement. She doesn't trust him, as usual. It wasn't the first time she said those words to him, telling the boy that he's not strong enough wasn't even a compliment. It only made the smaller boy feeling downhearted of himself.

"I want to sleep." Luhan gave up, pulling his hand away from his mother. "You should go to sleep too, mom. I'm okay now. "

The night felt so long with Luhan just staring at the ceiling blankly. His mother had left to sleep for only a few hours before going straight to work. Hani was sound asleep in the other room. Luhan couldn't sleep. He wanted to ask Kai about the details of what happened or who was murdered in the street? He grabbed his phone, attempting on typing the questions but couldn't get himself to click send. What's stopping him anyway?

Going back to his phone's inbox, he found that he had unread messages from Kai. His eyes twitched in befuddlement as he read the messages that said:

-What happened Luhan? Are you okay? What was that noise?

-Luhan, answer my calls!

-Is something wrong happening to you? At least reply to my messages!

-Hey, are you hurt? Do you want me to go to your house?

-Hey, Lu.

-Luhan!

"I didn't make any noise," Luhan mumbled to himself and started typing with his thumbs.

- Sorry for the late reply, Kai. I'm okay. I was just tired.

Shortly, there was already a new message from Kai.

- I heard you passed out. How are you feeling now?

Luhan replied quickly, almost without thinking.

- I'm good. Thanks to Sehun.

And he clicked send before reacting to his response.

"Oh no. What did I just say?" With his face flushing red, he rapidly typed something else to explain what he just said.

- Just kidding about Sehun.

For a long time, Luhan stared at his phone, waiting for Kai's reply, which didn't come. Well, he's probably asleep by now. Luhan thought as he put his phone away and adjusted his pillow in the middle of his bed before placing his head comfortably, falling into another nightmare in his sleep.

It's been five days and the weekend had passed. Five days since another classmate was declared dead. Five days since the school announced four of the students from the campus went missing on the same day of their classmate’s murder. Five days and Luhan is still trying to talk with his neighbor who hadn't been to school for days. Luhan even prepared him food to show his gratitude to the latter (in which Ms. Oh always accepted wholeheartedly). None of his attempts were appreciated by Sehun though. Sehun wasn't even planning on coming out to meet him or at least to say 'thanks for the thoughtfulness' to the smaller boy. He stayed in his room for the past few days, eating only whenever he's hungry which was rarely. At times, he would stand by his window just to take a quick glance at the small boy striding his way back to his own house.

One time, he found a little girl standing across to his house. Sehun assumed it was Luhan's little sister, recalling everything Luhan had said about the young mute girl.

It was when the little girl caught him peeping at her that Sehun thought he saw his brother standing in fr