♚EXO (TSBTP) DANMYEON 6♔

♚EXO (TSBTP) DANMYEON 6♔

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(April 15,2011 07:14 a.m)

Lay's POV

I can't take away my eyes from the weird view right infront of me.

When that creature lands us here at the river bank, it snuggled protectively at Kris. And every time we try to come near it to get Kris ,who still sleeping, it snarled at us causing us to backed away and once in a while it let out a steam through his --I considered it as a he okay-- nose with no particular reason. Maybe he's just showing off.

Chen gained his consciousness yesterday afternoon. But the fear in his eyes and his trembling body indicated us that he's not fully recovered yet. That's no question of course whoever experienced that high fall will have a phobia. But in the brighter side, at least he is alive. Thanks for Luhan's power.

"Will he be alright?" The panda, who is seating beside me, asked.

I turned my head to his side breaking my gaze to the overprotective dragon. "Chen or Kris?"

Tao sighed and looked to Chen that staring blankly at the river flow. "I don't know. You choose." He offered.

Picking a stick I drew absentmindedly my symbol, a figure of unicorn. "Chen is just daze, he will come back soon to his senses, hopefully a couple or one hour before the eclipse. As for Kris, I think he's okay just by seeing how that dragon protects him."

Luhan and Xiumin are wondering around the area, spying if there's someone in the range. We decided to travel by walking toward the sacred circle, cause if we fly in daylight, someone will surely noticed us beside the sacred circle is just a few miles away.

"That dragon, it reminds me of Kris' symbol." Tao said out of nowhere. "It is his soul companion right?"

I nodded, confirming his guess. "Do you remember when we are young, and we are training at the forest?"

"I remember." The time controller answered as he played to the heart shape stone in his hands. "Is it okay if I ask you to tell me the whole story what happened that night." He encourage.

I barely talk but with the compassion on Tao's eyes that tells that he wants to listen to me, I just found myself speaking.

"That time Eleonor told us that we have to find a certain object at the forest in the middle of the night. And me being serious, I decided to find it on my own. I focused at that task, because I wanted to prove to myself that I can do anything other than healing in the future. Because I was too absorbed, I didn't notice that I already walked to the deepest of the forest far away from our house. I am cold that time but because I am too stubborn I didn't surrendered. Hours had passed but I didn't find it. I wanted to cry, but I told myself I wouldn't let a tear slips at my eyes because only failures and losers do that, I said to myself, atleast I tried maybe tomorrow I can do it. From then I decided to go home. And of course I was lost. I felt like I am walking around the circle. I am brave, I said, I repeatedly chanted it as if it was a mantra. Then I got this feeling that something is eyeing me. By then I can't contain my fear. I started to run, and shouted everyone's name. The loud growl and the rustling of dry leaves indicated me that a wild animal is chasing after me. I tried to be faster but because my legs are short at that age in just a second, its big foot is pawing me down, my front is against the rough ground. The hungry growl is scaring me. I screamed when it bit my left shoulder, I did felt how its huge teeth sunk into my flesh, the pain is creeping. When the beast was about to tear the limbs out of me, it fell to my side. I knew that it was dead, so I turned to see who did it. I was in awe just by looking to its glowing presence. An unicorn. The blood that dripping in its horn made me think that it was used to stab my attacker in its fatal point. I wanted to touch the unicorn's fur but I am too weak at that time so I gave up. Eventually everything went blank with what the unicorn said in my mind echoing. I am your soul companion. That's what the unicorn said. When I woke up, I felt so refresh. The wound that supposedly at my shoulder is gone, even a tiny scratch is none. Strangely, I made it to our house, and I told to all of you that 'Unicorn is my soul companion.'"

Tao's eyes are smiling after that. "You know, you are becoming more amazing when you talk a lot. I just can't understand why you always kept your mouth shut." He commented which causes a burn in my heart. The answer to his question haunted me reminding me about what I saw last night. Tao noticed my reaction and awkwardly look around but me. "S-so," He sighed "Is Chen had a soul companion too? You know, his symbol is a figure of scorpion."

Closing and opening my eyes and calming myself, I looked at the burned woods that we used last night. "I think so." I said, coming back to my usual answer.

I can see through my peripheral view that he is slapping his forehead as I heard him said under his breath, "Idiot Tao."

We didn't try to talk again, knowing that I would not cooperate properly again. That's what they always get when they try to dig the reason to my silence.

Few minutes passed, when I heard, also Tao, a groan. I looked to the source, Its Kris who is seating up. But something huge caught my whole attention.

As I stand up, Xiumin and Luhan showed up, and noticing something they stopped on their tracks and frowned, joining me and Tao.

"Where's the dragon?" Chen asked who too, looking at the spot where the Dragon should be. Xiumin ran toward the guy.

"Oh thank all the elements. You finally spoke." Xiumin exclaimed.

"No I didn't, the rock did." Chen said sarcastically and smiled forcefully. Xiumin just smack the lightning summoner's head to pretend that he buy it. "But where's the dragon?" Chen asked again.

In sync, all of us except Kris, who still pressing his hands in his temple, searched the sky, to see if there's a flying dragon or to see something that may give us a clue where and how the dragon go. We found nothing.

"I am sure that creature is at there a while ago, how did that creature manages to go in just a blink of an eye." Tao expressed. "It's so impossible!"

"Seriously Tao, after all that happened in our life you still think that there's an impossible." Luhan piped in and walked toward the still groaning Kris. "What are you feeling?"

"A massive headache." Our leader answered. Luhan glanced to me with his doe eyes. Understandingly, I approached them, using my power I diminished the pain that Kris is suffering. And without giving a second look, I walked away from the two. I sat at the big rock beside the river, far from the rest but enough for my earshot to hear their conversation. "The dragon, that you're talking about, is it the one who save me?" I looked to him and I saw that something registered to him. He faces the ground as if he's ashamed. "Chen I'm sorry." Kris' apologized that shocked us, Kris is one of those who is full of his self and always find a reason which we will accept and grudgingly forget his mistake, in short, he's not the one who we thought would not ever dare the 'I'm sorry' words.

The unexpected one major change of Kris' personality seems to finally made Chen recollect his self. "Well, seeing you like this and begging for forgiveness is enough to me, but..." Chen trailed off grinning like a fool. "I know that you will still feel the guilt so to ease you, you can be my slave for a long run when we finally set our foot on earth, what do you think? You know I am all business." Chen continued while wriggling his eyebrows. We rolled our eyes, boo me but I more like him in his silence.

"You know what, never mind." Kris declared.

"Oh come on Kris, I know you didn't mean that. You love me with all of your heart." Chen insisted.

"I don't love you stupid." Kris retorted, making Xiumin, Luhan, and Tao laughed and for Chen gaped at him.

"Did you call me a stupid, that's ouch." Chen said with a fake hurt.

"I don't care." Kris lay comfortably on the grassy ground. "The dragon said something to me in my dream. "I am your soul companion."" He said bringing the dragon to be a topic again and dismissing Chen's nonsense talk.

I averted my gaze to them as I stand up. I turned around and got out of my dress, leaving me completely . I decided to wash myself. I submerged myself to the soft streaming and slightly cold clean river water after hearing Tao started recounting what I said earlier. The water relaxed me, and the way it covers every part of my body soothed me. The sound above was almost blocked. The bright sunlight made the underwater visible. Just like what always happens in daytime this place also radiated serenity. Giving me a capability to visualize and recall what happened to me last night.

***

The blazing fire of the bonfire we made gave us a heat, decreasing the coldness of the night. I watched how the wood burn, giving myself something to do.

Xiumin, Luhan and Chen are already asleep, they're probably tired after continues misfortune events. My body is also shouting me to sleep, but my mind is wide awake for unknown reason. Giving up, I stood and walked toward the forest.

As I enter the woodland, an eerie silence filled me. I should be going back to the group but I found myself going deeper in the forest, maybe because I want to know what gave the vibes of mystery. I keep my senses alert ready to fight if something attack me. The farther I walked, the more enigmatic getting things are. I should hear a howl, a growl, a hissing or anything deathly sound but I there's none. My sweat streamed in every part of me because of the humid air. The heavy fog blinded me suddenly, blocking the sight of the way out. I started to get panic. I fell on my bottom when images formed in front of me. My whole body trembled, my tears flowed out, my voice hitched, and a familiar pain squeezed my heart because of the scene that's showing to me. The fog clouded me more and gave me the graphic flashback as if I'm there.

I saw my 5 years old self who is playing in the floor of my old home together with the kid Luhan. They're smiling like the happiest kids in the whole world as they clashed their wooden toys.

"I will kill you evil!" The kid me dubbed/ spoke for the figure he holds.

"No you couldn't do that! You're the evil not me! You and your people must die in our hands!" Luhan shouted back.

"AAAAAAAAHHH!!!" They both screamed as the young me and luhan started the war between our toys.

"Boys, you're getting too loud." My mother scolded while smiling. My heart wans to melt from seeing her. I tried to touch her but my hand just past through as if I'm not solid.

"Let the kids play Ruby." My father piped in who held my sleeping baby brother, Ivan. I felt a loneliness and longing from seeing them. I want to feel them, but I can't.

The little me ran toward my mother and hug her leg and looked directly at her and grin widely. It's weird to remember how extraverted I am, when I am a child. "Mom, can we play outside?" He/I asked and gave my mom a puppy eyes.

"Please stop that look Lay." My mom said.

"Please, please, please."  He/I still continued.

"Fine, just don't go too far away and remember the rule ok." My mom said giving up and patted my head.

"Really? Yehey. Luhan come on!" The little me celebrated and literally dragged the little Luhan.

I want to stay and said to my family to stop my five year old self from going. But I find myself following the two kids. My tears stained my face while I catch up to them. "Kids go back. Don't leave. Please." I cried to them yet it was pointless. "Look don't do anything stupid, you will get them killed!" I still continued. I stop infront of them but they just passed me.

"Lay wait, I'm going to bring more toys. Wait me in our play ground." Luhan announced and ran toward his house.

He --my little self who is not me anymore-- shrugged and ran toward the playground located outside the village we live. He stayed there for few minutes for his friend but after that he decided to hide.

"I hate you." I mumbled not caring that the kid is also me.

He walked about a hundred yards far and hid behind a overgrown bush. He squeled in delight when he saw Luhan searched for him. "Come on Luhan find me if you can." He mocked.

I glared at him. I was about to go toward to the little Luhan when I heard a voice.

"Hey there little kid" A manly but raspy voice said causing me and the kid to look at him.

The man is at his early middle age, his hair also his long beard are gray-white, he wore a classical elegant robe and his eyes full of coldness that made everyone gave him their submission. At his hand he held an impossible beautiful young girl that made the stupid young me gaped. A puppy love.

I rolled my eyes at him. I sat in front of 'ME'. Although I know that it is useless I still said, "They are bad people, please run now." A frown crept in his face as if he heard what I said. I smiled and my spirit goes up but it was crashed down when I heard him said.

"Why didn't I see you around here before? Are you a new comer? Can I be your friend?" He asked with a glint of pleasure in his eyes. He passed through me again and come near to the two persons who I know, the ruler and her daughter, Erza. I didn't do anything afterwards and just keep my back to them, unwilling to see what I did that time. I wanted to cover my ears but my body didn't respond.

"Well kid it depends to the answer you will gave to me. If your answer pleased me, I will let you befriend my daughter, but if not then it's not going to happen." I heard the man said.

"Go on mister, I will answer you, I did read all the books in our house so I think I can answer you confidently." The kid boasted.

I can literally feel the grin of the ruler. "Is that so?"

"Yes sir, Go on try me." I closed my eyes after he said that and seeing Luhan walked away with his shoulder drop, probably disappointed to his friend who hid from him.

"Luhan, I'm sorry." I said.

"Then please me by telling who you are and how important you are." The man demanded.

A long silence passed after the kid said " My mom and dad said that I shouldn't tell anyone except Luhan's family who am I. That's the rule and if I did go against it, something bad will happen. And that's the law of nature, break something and you will be punished." He reasoned out halfheartedly

I hug my legs and sunk my head between my knees.

"Is that your answer?" The man asked in displeased.

"Ye~~ no, no! no!" He stuttered. I remembered that that time I looked directly at the man's eyes. He sighed first before he started talking. "My name is Zhang Yixing but now they all call me Lay. I am important because the red force with the power of healing use me as it vessels, and I am a one of the 12 legend also my friend Luhan. He bears the red force which has the power of telekinesis. Once we reach the age of seventeen we can from then use our powers. And when the phase of requirement ends we will find a way to purify the red force each of us bears and after we have to unite. I don't know how I knew it, it just happened same goes to Luhan."

" Burn down the whole village." The man yelled with his flat voice. The Army suddenly popped out from their hiding place.

Abstractly, I looked to the young me and saw his eyes grew wide. "Why? I'm sorry if my answer didn't please you, I will never asked you again about me being friend to your daughter. Please don't burn our village mister." He said and clutched the man's robe. "Please." The hurt I feel that time also haunt me now.

Smiling evilly, Erza's father kicked 'ME'. "Remember what you said earlier about the law of nature. If you destroy something you will be punished. This is your and the other brat's parent, and your village punishment for failing my order to fill me about the information to the legends." The ruler sneered. "And also this is will serves as your punishment for not following your parents rule. You will suffer for eternal guilt. Because of your blabbing, everyone in your village will die including your and Luhan's family. Just think about it, how would he reacts, when he knows that you are the reason of his family death. You are responsible to all of it Zhang Yixing."He said. That's the reason why I didn't talk too much now, afraid that I will say something that may hurt anyone. The sob of the kid filled the whole place for a while, then a scream that full of terror and pain overcome it. The sound of it is unendurable for me that time. The young me blocked the sound from entering his ears by placing his both hands to it. The guilt covered my whole being, from my soul, to my mind and to my heart. Knowing that the grief they are suffering is caused by me pangs me. "If only I could kill you now." He said with a hint of disappointment. "Go now, maybe you will find your family still breathing. Though I doubt that. Come on Erza." He swiftly walked away while dragging his daughter.

The small figure curled himself like a baby in a womb, clutching the fabric above his heart. "No." He said and composed himself, I followed him when he ran toward the burning village.

A pile of dead bodies welcomed us, not just a burned things, but also the smell of blood putrid the air. The familiar faces of the people died wear an agony. But the little me continue to walk even he tripped multiple times.

"Mom! Dad! Ivan! Where are you?." He shouted when we reach the place where our house should stand. The smoke goes up, there still houses that on fire.

The army started to leave and didn't acknowledge the kid's presence.

Even though I know where my family is, I still followed him. When we reach the place, We both fall to our knees and both lament. He crawled toward the bodies not caring even it is headless. "Mom! Dad! Ivan!, do not forgive me please, hate me! despise me in your afterlife. Please, I'm'm sorry but don't forgive me. Mom dad Ivan." He cried, causing me to cry more, Don't forgive me cause I deserve it. I joined my past self in hugging my family's body, I just want to feel them even I can't hold them. "Forgive me not." We both said.

"Lay" A child voice called. We looked at the innocent Luhan who is also covered with blood and felt a sting of guilt. "They're all dead."

I closed my eyes, the tears fell like a falls.

"Yixing." An angel voice called. I looked up and saw the girl who possessed the breathtaking beauty, the same but the teenager version of the girl that present on that day. After a few years this is the first time I saw her again. Undeniably I know that from seeing her that I still love her. The flutters in my stomach died when she smiled at me wickedly. That's the point that I noticed that I'm back to the forest, with no fogs at all, with a deathly sounds booming in every corner. "Did you like my send-off gift?" She asked.

I frowned at her, "What send-off gift?" I asked back, and forcefully stand up so that she would not look down at me.

"Everything you experienced tonight is the gift." She answered.

It took me a while to click what she's saying. Confusion invaded my mind. "You-- you did those? H-how? Your only power is reading every one's mind."

She first sneered but then she laughed with sinister, "I was given a dark power Yixing! And reading minds is just a part of my whole power. All of you are fool, including my bastard father, who thinks I am just a worthless and not so powerful demure girl. And the two of you didn't know that all along, I am playing the both of you." She said but something still didn't made sense. "Yixing, my power is controlling every one's mind."

I tried to smile. "You're boasting that power? Let me tell you, I am more afraid to the red fossils because not just they can also do that but they can turn everyone into an ash. I pity you Erza, you're not that powerful you are thinking you are." I said.

Even I said that she's still smiling. She walked near me, leaving a few centimeters space apart, she traced her fingers to my jaw line and looked intensely into my eyes. "You too Yixing, boasting your own stupidity. You didn't understand me do you? Then let me tell you too, The red fossils can only eat at the frightened with no strength faith soul and they can only controls the legends if they are at any state related to angry, they just possessed the body. While I can control everyone without them knowing because I influenced their mind. I can toy their feelings,I can make illusions and I can see everyones desire and memories. My power is powerful because the mind is one of the most important in living. Now tell me who do you fear the most? The red fossils or me."

I absorbed and analyse the information she gave to me. I groaned silently, she fooled everyone alive in this planet, even his father. I loved her cause I thought she's different from her father, I thought she is kind and pure, but I now all I can see to her is an evil girl with a pure darkness in her soul. "Why don't you just control my mind also to give you the answer you want?" I asked in flat tone.

"I don't want to." She whispered in my ear. "I know that you didn't asked me but this night is just the second time I entered and controlled your mind, from you deciding to walk toward here and to the flashback you saw is all my doing. I know that you are curious when did I use your mind so I will tell you. I am the real reason why yours and Luhan's family are dead. I controlled your mind that time Yixing that's why you decided to tell us what my father wanted and it was also fueled by the feelings you had that time to me." She said as if it was a normal thing like breathing.

"I hate you." I said and glared at her.

"If that's what you believed that you feel for me then I have to believe you. This is my real send-off gift to you Yixing. Giving you clarity to what really happened and at least to lessen the guilt that you always carry every day. I can kill you now but I will wait to the day that you can fight me without anything restraining you to kill me also. Good luck on your way Yixing. Do not worry I will influenced father's mind to stop him from ordering an army to get on your way, Hard to admit but I want to make the red fossils out of my planet because they are irritating me by there continues killing to our Army, anyway, Goodbye." She turned around and walked away but she stop when she was about to take a turn. "Here's a tip, Do not forget that Your Mama tried to say something to all of you that day. I think you should find it out before going to Earth." She informed and totally vanished.

***

I spat some water before opening my eyes. A 5 figure are hovering me. But when my eyes adjusted, Luhan is the first one I noticed. The guilt is still there even though I finally knew that I am not the fully responsible to our parents death, maybe because all this time I kept the truth to him. I decided that I will confess it on earth.

"Just what the hell are you thinking Lay? Killing yourself by drowning when we are about to start the next phase after few hours? Are you out of your mind?" Luhan scolded.

"I'm sorry Luhan." I apologize.

Shaking his head he said "Whatever, just cover yourself now, it disgust me to see you completely ."

"Aye" I saluted. As I wear my clothes something occurred to me. I looked seriously at them. "Guys, I already know why Eleonor didn't die."

"Oh great we can found information by drowning ourselves too. What is the reason." Chen said.

"Red fossils can't kill those souls who have a strong faith. And Eleonor is one of them, he believes that we will make it through the end and his strong faith was dedicated to us." I explained. "And guys, we forgot something."

"What is it?" Kris asked.

"We forgot that Mama is trying to say something to us the last time we saw her." I informed. Making us silent and thinking a way to know what it is.

"There's no way we can know it, unless we go to the sacred cliff and wait there until tomorrow sunrise. But the eclipse will happen at noon today." Tao concluded.

I bite my lower lip because of frustration.

Suddenly the whole place turned dark as if we are experiencing an eclipse. An eclipse! Just like what we did earlier this time with Kris we all looked up at sync. My face paled because of the thousands red fossils that covering the whole sky above.

"Guys I think we have to run now, the red fossils are here." Xiumin warned. "One two RUN!!" We did as what he said and right on time when the red fossils attacked.

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