The dim red-lighted corridors of the fourth floor of block E weren’t as intimidating this time. Under Tao’s briefing and Kris’ keen eyes this time they were prepared for the attack.

This time Kai pushed Sehun aside and became intangible, the bogger passed through without touching him. Sehun blew the bogger away with wind and then finished it off by slicing it in half with compressed air.

This time Suho took advantage of the water dispenser at the middle of the corridor. He engulfed the dogger’s head in a sphere of water and, with Tao’s help, held the creature captive until it drowned.

This time Kris held Lay from his waist as they flew over the dogger that was stuck with its feet frozen to the floor -courtesy of Xiumin. Kris leaned Lay forward so the latter could reach down and quickly end the dogger’s misery.

This time Kai phased through a wall as he lead a bogger into a dead end, allowing Chanyeol to flame the cornered creature into ashes.

This time Kris managed to save Chanyeol from the doggers nearing him. Xiumin froze three and Sehun sliced two.

This time no one got hurt.

This time Lay didn’t pass out.

This time Tao didn’t have to reverse time.

The red lights were replaced for white ones. A voice spoke in the intercom, it was Mama. She praised them for their hard work and urged them to rest. They were free for the rest of the day and the rest of the week as reward.

But sleep didn’t come easy. Not for Tao. The over exertion of his abilities drained his body to exhaustion. He felt himself trapped in the darkness, he knew he was dreaming. Not dreams though, not even close. He was stuck in multiple nightmares, reliving memories only he had of things that happened but were changed. His burden. The consequences.

Chanyeol’s face, eyes terrified and pleading. His smile disappeared, blood gushing out. Fire. Doggers. Doggers running. Doggers jumping. Doggers shrieking. Doggers gnawing. Gnawing someone. Chanyeol. Red lights, dark halls. White lights, spacious lobbies. Bogger, ing boggers. Chanyeol again. Damn Chanyeol getting hurt all the time. Dark corridors. Red lights. Sehun getting hurt. Kai saving Sehun then getting hurt. Kai saving Sehun and they both are safe. Chanyeol again. Kris saving him. Kris’ smile. Kris’ voice. A half-eaten energy bar. A small husky chuckle. Deep voice. Kris smiling. A bogger. Damn boggers.

A dogger was chasing him down a staircase with no end. The creature was five times bigger than normal, it’s terrifying, it’s aggressive. Tao was scared, he’s scared for his life. He had been running down the stairs for an eternity. Each time he believed he was reaching the end he would stumble over Lay’s body. He didn’t look back. He knew Lay would be there again. Guilt consumed him as he knew it was his fault Lay fell down the stairs. The dogger was behind him. Run. Run. Run.

“What are you doing?”

“Snap out of it! It’s just a nightmare!”

“Zitao!”

He fell, there were no more stair steps, the staircase was gone, the dogger was gone, Lay wasn’t there anymore. He looked up and saw himself, only it’s not him.

“You have to see this,” Tao said to him.

It was the other Tao, the Tao from his past visions. Spirit Tao.

He was inside someplace, it wasn’t small it’s just that it felt crowded with the amount of people gathered. He was watching from the side. The room had grey concrete walls, two light green couches faced each other; the wooden coffee table was placed aside to make room. A big ceiling lamp illuminated the room. He could tell there was a hallway at the back that lead to a different room. At the left was a small staircase.

Lay was standing at the front with another boy who had a distinctive face. Lay’s hair was auburn and his clothes were different, like Xiumin was in the other vision. The dark haired boy who stood next to Lay looked trouble and sad, his big round eyes were serious and apologetic at the same time. Lay looked more composed than the other. They were talking, explaining something to the group. They were all scattered across the room, he saw himself with silver hair sitting on a couch between a blond version of Kris and a boy with honey blond fluffy hair and a small face. Standing next to Kris was Chanyeol with short red hair. At the couch opposite was Xiumin, then Suho with burgundy brownish hair and then Sehun with long chocolate brown hair. Kai stood against the armrest, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his hair a lighter brown color. On the floor between the two couches sat a boy with purple hair and next to him Tao recognized was the boy named Jongdae from the previous vision. He noticed this time that Jongdae was wearing short black rubber gloves.

“… we confirmed our theory by checking their codes and they turned out to be number ones. Which means they are the first of… their kind, I don’t know how else to say it,” Lay explained.

He heard a shriek, it’s not from the room. It’s overlapping the dream. A bogger. Tao was scared, he’s frightened a bogger might jump on him now.

“In the incubating laboratory they had the follow up lot, replacements waiting to be used…”

The dark haired boy’s voice was interrupted by the bogger.

Is there one in my room? Wake up! Please wake up!

“Focus!” spirit Tao said angered. “It’s not here, it’s your imagination! Focus.”

He did.

The boy wasn’t speaking, he looked sad and afflicted. Kai was next to him, holding the boy close to him with one arm around the smaller one’s waist. Kai had his head next to the other, he was whispering something inaudible. The other nodded and looked back at the group with newfound courage. “We all have a number…”

The image blurred and he couldn’t hear what the boy said. He saw a bogger, he saw a dogger, he saw Chanyeol in flames being eaten alive.

No!

“Focus!” he heard spirit Tao. “Those memories aren’t real! Pay attention.”

He fought to see clear again.

Everyone in the room stared shocked, eyes wide and jaws would either fall open or shut tight. They all reacted differently, but they were mostly silent. Tao watched himself tear up. He cupped his mouth shut with his hand as he began to sob. Blond Kris hugged him from behind, his hands soothing against Tao’s arms. Kris rested the side of his head against the back of his and whispered consolingly.

The image began to blur again, he couldn’t hear them any longer. He saw himself yell something, but he never knew what he said.

The vision broke, he was lost somewhere, but he couldn't see anything. Spirit Tao appeared again, he looked angered.

“Focus!” he demanded. “Damn it Zitao focus! This is important!”

Now he was someplace else. It was familiar. He recognized the symbolic tree on the walls. He was in the facility but in a room he had never been in before. The room was spacious. There was a big glass desk at the back, with wooden black bookshelves covering the wall behind it. He saw Mama sitting on a big black leathered chair, she looked distressed.

The honey blond haired boy was standing in front of her desk, only now his hair was dark. He was screaming enraged at her, but Tao couldn’t hear anything. He saw a tired looking Xiumin leaning against a serious Kris, and Kai resting his hands on his knees with a worried gaze. They looked just like they do now, only tired and ragged.

The guy in front made a harsh movement, Kai yelled something at him but it was futile.

Suddenly Mama’s eyes went wide. She looked terrified as she was lifted in the air by an invisible force. Her body was floating in the air. But she wasn’t the only one. Xiumin, Kai and Kris were pulled up by the same unknown force, their expressions were just as frightened as she was. They screamed at the boy whose body remained firm on the ground. Tao felt fear when he got a closer look of the boy’s face, his eyes weren’t human.

He heard screeching. Claws rasping against walls. Sehun’s frightened eyes. Kai’s worried gaze. Kris yelling. Kai crying, Sehun dying. Sehun’s frightened eyes. Kris yelling. Sehun’s worried gaze. Kai dying. Sehun crying. Screeching. Claws rasping against walls.

“It didn’t happen that way,” spirit Tao reasoned. “They both are fine, they both are alive and well. No one died. Stop it! Focus!”

He was back in the room, Kris was yelling as he hovered in the air. Xiumin was crying hopelessly as the force kept him in the air. Mama was frightened. Her calm eyes were in a raging havoc of mixed emotions.

Kai was held against a bookshelf near Mama. Sehun was there now too. His body was covered with a thick film of airy white, surrounding his body like a second skin. He was in front of the boy with abnormal eyes, he was forcefully shaking the other boy by the shoulders as he yelled at him. Sehun looked desperate as he spoke to the boy.

The vision blurred and disappeared, he was lost again. Spirit Tao appeared before him, he was mad.

“You can’t stay here,” he said and pushed him.

Tao fell a long, long fall that felt as if it would never end. He screamed in the darkness, but nothing happened. No one came to rescue him. He kept falling, he was desperate he could feel himself breaking down. No wait. He wasn’t crying. He wasn’t falling. Someone was pulling him. Someone was yelling at him. He felt hands on his arms.

“Wake up!”

He awoke in his bed, chest heaving and body covered in sweat. He felt cold. Every part of his body begged for him to rest, the exhaustion of the trial must have provoked the nightmares. It had always been like that for him. When his mind and body felt extenuated, his dreams became more realistic and often scarier.

“Are you okay?”

He felt the presence before him, the hands holding his arms tightly.

“Tao?”

He blinked until his vision cleared. Kai was in his room, sitting on his bed, holding his arms. His face concerned.

“How…” Tao tried to ask but lost his voice. His throat felt tight.

“I phased through the wall,” Kai quickly caught on. “Are you okay?”

Tao nodded but Kai’s eyes wandered around his face -he didn’t seem convinced. He bit his lip, he looked slightly embarrassed.

Tao didn’t think, he just felt himself being embraced. He wanted to hug Kai back but his arms were unresponsive. He barely knew the guy but he was grateful for the comfort. He relaxed in the warmth of the embrace. He knew how long Kai held him due to his ability. It was a length of time he’s never been held before. So long, so warm.

“Rough sleep?” Kai asked softly and patted Tao’s head. He shifted to let go, but Tao finally managed to move his arms and hugged the other back, mumbling the other to not let go yet. Kai chuckled and hugged him back. “You’re not the only one who’s having nightmares.”

“You too?” Tao whispered. He felt Kai nod.

“I’ve been to the other rooms, no one has been able to sleep well,” he explained. He moved his hands soothingly on Tao’s back. “We’re huddling up at Kris’ room. Want to join?” Tao nodded against Kai’s shoulder. “Okay, breathe deep,” he waited a second. “Hold tight,” he joked.

Tao felt his insides sink as he fell into darkness -still within Kai’s embrace. He felt his body being squeezed, the air was out, his senses hazed. It wasn’t painful, but it was strange. He felt how they fell to the floor, still hugging each other firmly. His lungs breathed in the air he lacked, everything was dark.

“Tao. Tao we’re here,” he felt Kai move and then lightly laugh. “Tao open your eyes.”

Black railing, a white hammock with a brown owl nestled on top. They were at Kris’ balcony. He blinked then let go of Kai. Kris was there, he helped them stand. The sky was clear, it was midday already -the trial ended at 8:56 am.

There were blankets and pillows on the floor. Chanyeol was sprawled on the floor lazily. Sehun and Lay were hogging Kris’ bed.

“Just move Chanyeol and get comfortable,” Kris said and patted Tao’s shoulder.

“I’ll be going then,” Kai said before disappearing.

“Why did he leave?” Tao asked as he pushed Chanyeol with his foot. The lanky guy groaned and rolled over, giving some space to share.

“We’re missing two,” Kris explained as he sat down next to him. “In case you didn’t notice.”

Tao scratched his head feeling embarrassed. He was too tired to think properly. Missing the warmth, he leaned the side of his body onto Kris, resting his head on the broad shoulder.  They were silent, they were all silent. The rest joined and found space where they could. There was comfort unspoken in the air. They felt safe, they felt relaxed. At some point Tao finally slept peacefully.

He woke up noticing a heavy arm around his waist and his back against a warm chest. A head next to his, warm breaths against the crook of his neck. He was lying down, comfortably. Too comfortable. He opened his eyes and realized he wasn’t on the floor anymore. Instead he saw Suho huddled against Xiumin, the smaller boy was hugged like a pillow by Kai, who rested his head on his chest. Xiumin’s left arm went over Kai’s head and reached to Sehun’s, his small hand resting on the boy’s hair. Sehun was hugging Kai from behind, his face hidden in the tan boy’s nape. And Chanyeol had his right arm and leg sprawled loosely over Sehun, his chest faced the ceiling, mouth agape and lightly snoring.

Tao slowly realized he was in Kris’ bed and that the warm body against him was none other than Kris.

Why am I sleeping with Kris while everyone else is on the floor?

He felt uneasy. A different kind of uneasiness he had never felt before. His insides fluttered, his chest felt warm and his face blushed. He felt anticipation. But of what? What could possibly happen? He felt confused. He couldn’t understand what he was feeling.

He moved his leg, trying to feel with his foot. He felt three legs. Wait, three legs? Excluding his own, he was able to touch a third leg.

“What the hell?” he muttered to himself.

He felt Kris move. Tao went rigid. He could feel Kris’s mouth next to his ear. His heart began to thump with anxiety.

“Tao?” the deep sleepy voice whispered.

“Kris?”

“Yes. What time is it?”

“4:23 in the afternoon.”

“Go back to sleep,” he groaned displeased. It was obvious he was still tired.

“Kris.”

“What?”

“Why… Why am I here,” Tao gulped nervously, “in your be- bed?”

“I couldn’t leave you.”

Tao felt his heart clench painfully. Am I sick?

“You told me not to leave you remember?" Kris continued.

His face heated up. Probably a fever.

“Thanks… I guess.”

“No problem,” he felt Kris hold him tighter.

“Why are we like this?” he felt embarrassed.

“’Cause Lay’s hogging half of the bed.”

“Oh,” now he understood everything.

He sighed in relief. Lay was the owner of the third leg, how did he not notice that said boy wasn’t sleeping on the floor like the rest. And Lay was probably using more space than Kris and him together, which explained the excessive snuggling.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Kris asked.

“No, it’s okay,” he felt Kris’ lips smile.

“Tao?”

“Yeah?”

“Sleep.”

“Okay.”

Three days had passed since the surprise trial. Sleeping became easier now. Tao didn’t have any visions yet, just occasional nightmares. Nightmares of the memories that were no longer true.

They were outside in the clearing at the right side of the building. They had created a garden with a water fountain and benches for the boys to hang out without having to enter the woods. A well-earned prize, Mama had said.

Everyone seemed to get along better now. Sehun had long forgiven Xiumin for the things the other hid from him. Tao suspected that part of the reason for his forgiveness was that Xiumin saved and helped him during the trial. There was at least a positive side to the trials. The shared fight to survive caused immediate bonding. Tao could honestly say he trusted the group with his life.

Lay no longer acted weird around Kai. Sehun wasn’t eternally worried anymore and Kai was happier and comfortable. He didn’t seem as aloof as the first time he met him, but there were few moments where the other would space out. But Tao figured he was a daydreamer like Lay.

Tao was sitting with Lay on a bench, while Kai and Sehun were sitting on the grass in front of them. Sehun was playing with the flower petals Kai plucked out, swirling them in a circle with wind. Occasionally hitting Kai with a petal.

Kris sat with Chanyeol on the bench to the left. Chanyeol was petting Tawny on his lap while Kris drew on his sketchbook. They were friendlier with each other too. Tao could never imagine the fact that Chanyeol hurt Kris when they first met, it seemed impossible.

Suho and Xiumin were playing at the fountain. Xiumin would obnoxiously freeze the water every time Suho tried to create levitating streams or spheres of water. They were just fooling around. All of them were just fooling around and letting the day pass by.

Until she appeared.

Until she appeared with him.

Mama stood to their left, next to the garden, with a boy standing next to her. Brown fluffy hair, small face, almond eyes, perky nose, thin lips and a thin body dressed in plain purple clothes. He looked familiar. Tao felt like he had seen him before.

He didn’t listen to whatever Mama was saying, he just watched the nervous boy fidget. When Mama moved her hand towards him, he visibly flinched. Mama looked displeased and bid her goodbye, leaving the skittish boy behind.

No one moved for a full minute. They were all observing the new addition to the group. But eventually someone spoke.

“Luhan?”

The boy looked startled and confused, his eyes widen. Then he asked.

“Kai?”

A/N:

Yes, Luhan is finally here. It’s officially the end of Tao’s series. Can you guess whose series is next?

Thanks to DOISGOLD, Jessica24680, Nyreen and Pinkkara for subscribing, I’m glad you like this story.

I hope you all have a nice week.

Annyeong!

-Blackie.