Chapter 19.

Mark rushed into the clearing, luckily everything was packed and they just had to get up and moving. Jaehyun and pulled himself up, leaning against a tree for support. Jeno was now holding onto Renjun with even more desperation. “I’m not leaving him!” He yelled and Haechan who supported Jaehyun glared at him.

  “Then stay!”

Mark looked at Jisung. “Carry him.” He ordered him and Jisung went over to Jeno who lashed out to get the other to stay back. Mark looked at Chenle who was giving him an expression that didn’t need to be put into words. Mark and Chenle walked straight over and tore at Jeno’s arms while Jisung gently picked up Renjun’s form.

  “We’re taking him with us, now shut your mouth or I’ll sew it shut!” Chenle snapped and Jeno turned silent. Then without hesitation Mark led them through the woods hopefully towards a place for them to hide for the night.

Mark remembered Taeyong’s words. You have two days. They needed to be back the next, which meant they had to travel at night time. Right now they needed to stay low.

Mark looked back and saw Haechan and Jaehyun speak together in low voices.

  “It all seems so odd to me,” Haechan said, about to continue speaking when Jaehyun spoke.

  “They can all hear you.” He said and Mark turned back around to face where he was walking. Feeling a little bit odd at the way Jaehyun had said that. It sounded strange; it was foreign to Mark to hear Jaehyun talk like that.

  “Are they like super humans?” Haechan asked. “They don’t seem monstrous to me, they seem like if they wanted to; they could take control of the clans.”

  “You’ve seen the best of them, Haechan.” Jaehyun answered. “They’re unstable.” Mark lowered his gaze, trying not to listen to Jaehyun’s words. Yet all he did was listen. Jaehyun was a bit out of breath at the pace they were going. “Not Mark though.” Jaehyun added and Mark couldn’t help but smile, there it was, something familiar in Jaehyun’s voice. That fondness and the caring velvety voice he knew belonged to Jaehyun. The boy who could calm Taeyong down; who stopped fights with simply just talking and stepping in between the raging Damned.

Haechan didn’t say anything. Then he sighed. “We’re going to be so far away.”

  “He’s doing a great job I would say.”

Mark wasn’t sure who they were talking about. Were they talking about him? It sounded like that.

  “Yeah but… I can’t believe they would make this rule. Killing people we know? Didn’t we learn? The past humanity was cruel and evil; we can’t judge a people we don’t know? Just because they are different and violent at start, we should be open to each other. That is what all of this is about? What we’re fighting for-” Haechan stopped speaking abruptly as if he was stopped. Mark tried not to look back, afraid of the two knowing he was listening.

  “If I survive this,” Jaehyun started, once again having that unfamiliar tone in his voice. A kind of authority in it. “I’ll fight.”

Haechan made a sound that sounded like he was smiling wide. Mark couldn’t control his urge to look back and gave in. As he thought; Haechan was grinning, but Jaehyun was staring right at Mark. Maybe he knew… He probably knew Mark was listening.
 

This made Mark think differently. Mark had always been so focused on protecting Jaehyun or taking care of him that he hadn’t noticed Jaehyun’s true personality or potential. Mark was focused on himself, on training and surviving and being strong, that he hadn’t thought from the others perspectives. There was so much more to their personalities that Mark hadn’t seen yet. He wondered what Johnny was really like, other than the kind nature he had, what was his goals in life? If he had been hanging out with Haechan and Jaehyun, Haechan who seemed like a very thoughtful and wise kid, this meant that Johnny probably enjoyed discussing as well. Mark hadn’t done that with them. It was all very simple and quiet, they hadn’t dared to show their true selves yet.

Maybe now that Haechan was with them, he could see Jaehyun and Johnny unfold. Where was their role in all of this? What had brought Jaehyun, Johnny and Haechan together? They didn’t seem like they were related in any way.

Mark looked up at the rise of a hill, trees had their roots deeply hidden yet few had fallen over, crossing through the clearing, their crowns now on the ground and letting light stream through. The fallen tree hid what looked like an entrance to a den. Mark jumped up upon the trunk of the tree and he hopped down and landed on stone. There was water beneath his feet. He stepped inside and felt the walls and felt stone. Not just stone, but concrete, and he tried to remember what he had learnt from the travelers that came to tell tales about the old world. What was this called? A bunker? Bunkers that once had protected humanity from themselves and the Last War.

  “Did you find something?” It was Haechan’s voice.

  “Yeah,” Mark said and pushed a heavy door open, he looked into the dark space and saw that there was a staircase leading down. Water was dripping somewhere and the walls felt damp. It wasn’t a safe space from nature, but it could be their hideout for the time being. “We can stay here for now.”

 

Mark closed the metal door and Haechan created light with a lantern that had been hanging onto his backpack for most of the time during the day. Mark was surprised it survived the trip in the water. Jisung who looked a little affected by the fact that he’d been carrying Renjun’s body all the while travelling, slowly put the other down upon a blanket Jeno had made ready. Jeno sat down and took Renjun’s head in his lap, sniffling at first and grabbing onto one of Renjun’s pale hands. Mark watched Haechan’s face while the other looked at Renjun and Jeno. There was sorrow, deep grief, yet Haechan masked it well and started making sure this place was safe after all. Could be the den for a Rox, maybe a different people. They were outside of the 5^th clan’s borders, so this place wasn’t safe.

Jeno was crying softly and Mark inhaled deeply, thinking of the sunny fields and the way the light found its way through the tree’s crowns of his home. The sound of his steps against the wooden bridges crossing their ways from house to house, far up in the air, far away from dangerous animals on the ground. Hidden amongst the branches and sometimes in the open clearings, looking mighty and beautiful as their lights shone like stars beneath a roof of leaves.

Mark felt a hand on his arm. He opened his eyes and looked at the person who was giving him a comforting touch. He had expected Jaehyun, but Haechan was looking at him, eyes shifting from one eye to another. Mark realized his eyes were glowing, he lowered his gaze. Haechan squeezed his arm. Mark nodded and inhaled sharply, trying to collect himself. Haechan went to sit besides Jeno, pulling the taller into a hug. Mark looked at them, thinking of the way Ten had held him throughout those hazy days.

Chenle was standing guard outside, Jisung had gone with him, the two probably needed some fresh air from all the grief that loomed over the rest of the group. Mark walked over to Jaehyun, he sat down and leaned against Jaehyun’s body, letting his head fall on Jaehyun’s shoulder. Jaehyun chuckled a little and put his head on top of Mark’s. Familiar, the gentle warmth Jaehyun emitted, that was something Mark had felt from him from the very start.

 

It was quiet, so very quiet that Mark heard it immediately. He had been listening to the hum of everybody’s heartbeats, how fast they went compared to his. Yet this one had a different rhythm, it was new.

Mark sat up. Jaehyun who had been dozing off woke up and looked around as well. Mark noticed Haechan watch him. Either it was a creature having come near or Jisung or Chenle was approaching but he couldn’t hear their steps. Mark went to his feet and Jaehyun put one of his arms on his raised knee, eyes trying to read Mark’s body language. Haechan was about to move when Mark located the source of the heartbeat. He turned around. It all went so awfully slow, the horror and excitement that rushed through his veins as his thoughts slammed together. He looked at Renjun’s peaceful face. He was alive.

Mark separated his lips to speak, about to remove his gaze from Renjun and look at Haechan to deliver the news. Yet it happened so quickly.
Renjun woke up.
 

His eyes were a pale sea green, and Mark tried to move quickly. Run over to hold the other down but Renjun was even quicker. He immediately got up, grabbed the nearest weapon which was Jeno’s sword and Mark jumped away when Renjun cut through the air and what could’ve been Mark’s chest.

  “Renjun!” The others cried out in shock. Renjun spun around to look at them, then back to Mark. He raised the sword again.

The metal door swung open and Chenle and Jisung hissed as they charged at Renjun. The railing that separated them from a fall down, bent towards the deep when they slammed Renjun’s thin body into it and then threw themselves on top of him.

  “No!” Jeno cried out as they did, and he hurried over, trying to push them away. Renjun trashed against their hold growling and hissing like a beast. “Ren!” Jeno called out, trying to get in between the two Damned holding his friend down. “Renjun it’s Jeno.”

Renjun looked at Jeno with wide eyes, yet he couldn’t control himself. He was still fighting. Jisung groaned and Chenle laughed.

  “Unbelievable.” He said. “Look at the eyes.”

  “Another unique.” Jisung said voice laced with irony. “Red eyes are soon going to be rare.”

Mark looked away from the struggling Damned and up to see Jaehyun and Haechan’s reactions. Jaehyun’s jaw had dropped, watching it all in shock, while Haechan had his weapon ready, body shielding Jaehyun’s. Mark frowned.

They used the robe they had for getting across the river to tie Renjun to the railing that surrounded what was a hole into the ground. This bunker had several levels going down, the path had stairs going down in a spiral. Renjun was still restless, caught up in emotions and he was crying and screaming on the same time. Jisung and Chenle had collapsed on the ground, regaining energy and both staring at Renjun in shock. Haechan looked at Jeno.

  “You can thank them.” He said and pointed to the three Damned. “Renjun will have a chance to live now.” Haechan sat down again. He looked at Mark. “We should leave soon.”

Mark breathed in. He heard the tremble in Haechan’s voice; he was scared. It was barely there, but it was probably because now another loved one was in danger. Renjun could hurt others, himself or get killed for what he had become. It wasn’t safe for them.

Renjun was sobbing now. What had been an outburst of fear and a full on panic attack was now the realization of what situation he was in now. Jeno slowly went closer to his friend and sat in front of him with a small smile, not too close for Haechan to comment on it but close enough for Renjun to see him. Renjun looked at his friend too, there wasn’t a glow in his friend’s eyes, he didn’t look sick. Renjun pulled at the robes. “Jeno,” he cried trying to get out of the bindings and Jeno scooted closer at the mention of his name. Haechan stood again, but Renjun didn’t do anything but cry as Jeno ran his fingers through Renjun’s damp hair and wiped his tears.

  “We’re not monsters.” Jisung muttered and got to his feet, leaving through the metal door. Mark dared to look at Haechan. The other was looking at where Jisung had been, a frown on his face. Mark sighed.

  “Renjun.” He called and Renjun shifted his glowing eyes to Mark. “You’re ready to go?”

The other blinked. “We should wait.” He said and Mark now saw the cautious boy with the crossbow that he had first met. Not the weak and dying version of him that he became so quickly. Maybe he was already sick at that time. Renjun was tougher than Mark thought he was.

  “Why?” Haechan asked.

  “Jisung will reveal us, they’ll search this place. We can hide further down.”

Mark frowned. Now Renjun sounded awfully like Doyoung. “Now, what are you saying?”

  “They’re close.”

 

Chenle flung the door open and ran out. In no time he was back with Jisung. “This ing kid was wandering.”

  “I needed space!” Jisung protested and threw Chenle off of him. Chenle kicked out after the other and the two went into a full on fight. Haechan stared at it in disbelief. Mark raised a hand for him to not panic. They wouldn’t hurt each other.

  “I can’t sit here, hiding.” Jaehyun said. Haechan gave Jaehyun a look Mark couldn’t read. “Let’s just go.”
 

They left immediately, Renjun could walk by himself. Mark grabbed Chenle’s and Jisung’s collars and separated them. Jaehyun had energy enough to grab Jisung and hold onto him while Mark made sure to keep Chenle away until their anger subsided. Jeno had a firm grip on Renjun as if afraid the other would run away. Haechan led the way and when Jisung and Chenle were cool they circled around the group as in the morning, but now it was dark out. Mark came up beside Haechan, Jaehyun walked behind them, an arm around his stomach but not wanting anymore support.

  “Imagine them but a lot more.” He said and looked at Haechan with a smile. Haechan had now dared to turn on the lantern again. The light danced over the dark woods, lighting up Haechan’s face as well as the ground and the nearest trees. Mark was referring to Chenle and Jisung, which Haechan already knew because he made a grimace.

  “Like a bunch of kids.”

  “Pretty much.” Mark joked and noticed Haechan smile a little. The other looked back at Jaehyun.

  “We’ll be there soon?”

  “Soon.” Mark promised. Then the madness would begin.

A person was walking back and forth in a dimly lit tent. With the L shaped form and the wide bed full of the softest furs, the light collection of colored stones decorating the wooden furniture. This was the home of Taeyong.

The person walking back and forth in the faint light didn’t have glowing eyes. The high points of his features caught the light of the torch and revealed an upturned nose and high cheekbones, and a glow in the eyes. The person not tall of height, rather small and petite. He was muttering some words that could not be heard. It sounded highpitched, a voice of worry or panic. He was biting on the skin around his nail on his thumb, spitting out the skin whenever he managed to tear it off. It was beginning to bleed.

The door which was just a flap of tent hiding the entrance was thrown aside suddenly. It made the small person jump in fright and turn around to look at the entering figure. The eyes glowed white in the darkness. The small person held his breath, waiting for the other to speak.

  “My lie won’t last long, Ten.” A deep voice came from the figure with glowing eyes. He was nearing the smaller with a slow speed, shoulders squared and tone dangerous.

  “He’ll- he’ll be back soon!” The smaller named Ten stuttered and put out his hands just slightly, ready to put them in the way to create distance between the two who were now standing very close.

  “Where did he go?” The deep voice asked, ignored the outstretched hands, coming far closer than personal space, breath dancing over Ten’s face. “Tell me.”

  “They wanted to speak in private!” Ten exclaimed, voice high, afraid. “I don’t know what they’re planning. Johnny is in the cave! I swear he’s not in on it!”

  “And you?” The figure with glowing eyes asked, his letting the back of his fingers caress the side of Ten’s face, in what would seem like a loving gesture, but it left chills. It was cold.

  “I have no idea I promise!”

  “Where is he?” The figure with glowing eyes asked again.

  “Near the lake, west side of it. Close to the mountain!”

There was the sound of movement outside of the tent. It was fast. The two figures went quiet for a while. Listening.

Ten stopped trembling. The person with glowing eyes closed his eyes, now looking like a shadow. He pulled Ten closer and Ten let the other embrace him. Then he stepped back, wiping his eyes.

  “Taeyong… Do you think they believed it?”

Taeyong nodded. “Now they won’t be watching our cave all the time. Their eyes will be turned elsewhere. It’ll give them space.”

  “Are you sure they’re on their way? You said two days. Why did we let him go?!”

  “I don’t know.” Taeyong said. “I guess, I put too much trust in him.”

The wind crept beneath the tent, coming up and pulling at their hair and clothes. Ten and Taeyong turned to look in the direction of it, it came from the mountain. They looked at each other, both turning around to face the entrance, ready to run out when a person stood there, eyes glowing.

His silhouette had its clothes dancing behind it as the wind blew and it howled somewhere around them.

The eyes glowed blue.

Mark grinned as the sky behind him blossomed with color.

  “Have a little faith.” He grinned.

A/N:

All your comments really made feel so inspired! Thank you so much! I'm ahead so I can update soon! 

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Love,
Emma <3