Kim Jongwoon has been through a lot in his lifetime.

Just in this maze alone, he had, let’s see…

Lost Kasumi, found and freed Kyuhyun and Ryeowook, stumbled into a nest of traps, and watched them die.

Imagine Kyuhyun’s relief when he had actually tripped over the trip wire, sending the knives whooshing harmlessly over his head.

Imagine Ryeowook’s horror when a boulder had then dropped from above, crushing his best friend.

After that, Ryeowook seemed to not care about anything else anymore.

But that eased neither Yesung’s sorrow nor shock at, upon reaching a cliff, Ryeowook’s desperate suicide.

And so Yesung, from then on, had braved fire, water, metal, earth, and air, all by himself.

Alone.

When Willow happened to stumble into that chamber, he knew that he would never, in all his lifetime, be able to shoot her.

He would rather die by her hands than to hurt her in any way.

But he knew that she would not shoot him either.

He could only hope that she would fall for his bluff.

But she never had a chance.

Because there was Leeteuk, all the grief of killing his own love evident on his face.

Yesung had never been more shocked.

I didn’t fire… I never pulled…

No, he never pulled the trigger.

Because it was Leeteuk who had.

Twice, once for Emikochie, once for Willow.

Yesung could not know that.

But he did not struggle through the maze for nothing.

He stands.

Yesung will rise.

Oh yes, and Yesung will win.

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When Leeteuk finally finds him, Heechul is still lamenting Kasumi’s death.

“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m so ing sorry…” he wails to the world.

Leeteuk doesn’t have the heart to pull him away.

But Heechul knows.

“J-Jungsoo,” he hiccups, furiously swiping a hand over his eyes. “We have t-to win.”

“Yeah,” Leeteuk agrees, eyes wet, placing a hand on Heechul’s shoulder. “For them.”