“What do you mean you’re here for me?” Taemin asked quietly, not even trying to hide the fear in his voice. “I thought he was going to take me where I needed to go.”

Heechul gave him a sympathetic smile. “He is. I’m just here to help.”

Onew stood up. “Stop it Heechul.” He grabbed Taemin. “Come on, let’s go.”

“You shouldn’t interfere.” Heechul glared at him. “You could be the very reason this has happened.”

“What?! How could this be my fault?!” Onew’s voice was rising in pitch.

Heechul stood so they were face to face. “Everything was fine until he spent a few days with you.”

Onew let Taemin’s arm fall from his hand. He didn’t want Heechul to be right but he couldn’t help letting some of the blame fall to him. Something had happened, he had gone wrong somewhere. If he had just kept quiet and let Taemin follow him this...

“It’s not your fault Onew.” Taemin broke his train of thought and stood between his guide and Heechul. “Please don’t think that, we can go...I’ll go with you...I-”

“No.”

“But hyung. I thought you-”

Onew turned his head to face the younger. “It doesn’t matter what I think.” Onew felt like his heart was breaking staring into Taemin’s eyes at that moment, he looked so scared. “You’ll be okay, he can’t hurt you. And if he can help prevent you from ending up like me it’s worth it okay?”

Taemin hesitated before he nodded.

“I’ll wait for you.”

Heechul put a comforting hand on Onew’s shoulder, patting it a couple of times. “There’s so much at stake right now, I only wish you realized it.”

Onew sighed and broke his eyes away from Taemin, heading down the stairs of the pavilion.

Heechul popped the cork on a bottle of wine and filled up a glass.  He handed it Taemin who took it reluctantly. Then poured one nearly to the brim for himself before he sat down next to the boy.  “Something has happened along the way Taemin. Something that has changed your resolve. I’m here to intervene.”

Taemin looked at him confused. “My resolve...”

“Yes.” Heechul motioned for him to drink. “Do you remember when you first got here, how you felt?” Taemin nodded. “How do you feel now?”

Taemin took a long drink from his glass, the wine making his tongue feel dry. “I don’t know. When I got here, I wasn’t afraid. But the longer I’m here...things are happening. I keep getting these visions, these overwhelming emotions I’ve never felt before. I think it’s trying to tell me something.”

“Have you seen these things before?”

“Not that I remember.” He paused. “I think he’s having them too. Is that...normal?”

Heechul shook his head. “Not for him. He doesn’t even remember his name Taemin. He doesn’t remember anything.”

Taemin gently swirled the burgundy liquid around in the glass. “Like amnesia.”

“Sort of but with amnesia it’s just your mind. Here your soul is involved too.”

“And you can’t help him?”

“I’ve tried. Many times.”

“Is that why he hates you?”

“I would say so. He doesn’t understand what’s happened to him, why he can’t remember, and if I can do what I say I can it doesn’t make sense to him. So he’s resentful, bitter, and directs that towards me personally.” Heechul crossed his arms in frustration. “It’s unfair really.” He sounded like he was whining.

“But you know, you know his name, you know what happened to him, why he doesn’t remember, you know why I’m feeling the way I am now.” Heechul nodded to everything. “ Am I going to end up lost here too?”

Heechul stopped at the last question. “That I can’t say because I really don’t know. That’s ultimately up to you in the end. If you can solve this mystery that’s surrounding you right now.”

“It has something to do with him too, doesn’t it?” Heechul picked up a plate of dried persimmons offering one to Taemin who shook his head in frustration, he shrugged before he put the plate down, laying back as if bored. “Why can’t you just tell us what’s going on?”

“I can’t tell you what to think or how to feel. Anymore than he can tell you which path you need to take at the end of all this. It’s something you have to come to on your own. I just put you back on track.”

“What can you tell me?”

“The same thing I told him before he walked out of here, there’s a lot at stake right now, more than either of you know.”

Taemin sighed heavily and emptied his glass, leaning back next to Heechul. He suddenly felt very burdened, limbs heavy, mind a tangled mess of thoughts. He closed his eyes.

Heechul saw the glass tip as Taemin’s muscles relaxed as he dozed off. He gently pulled it from his hands careful not to disturb him. He got up and walked out of the pavilion and found Onew sitting on the bottom step. He slid over to make room for Heechul.

“Is he asleep?”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“A while.”

“Can he hear us?”

“No.”

Jinki nodded looking down at his hands. “I’m sorry. For how I acted in there.”

“Apologizing to me?” Heechul raised his eyebrows in mocking.

Jinki took a deep breath. “Can you help him?”

“Why do you care? You think what I do is a joke anyway.”

“Heechul...” Onew sounded defeated

‘It’s not like this hasn’t happened before. You’ve seen lost souls, you know better than anyone what it’s like. What makes him any different?”

Onew thought about it. “I don’t know.”

“I think you do.”

Onew looked at him.

“I’ve known you for a long time. And you have never shown an ounce of emotion for anyone or anything until now. I see it in your eyes, the concern you have. You need to seriously ask yourself why you feel like this, what is it about Taemin that has brought you here.”

“He can’t end up like this, like me. Just help him.”

“I think I can but I’m going to need your cooperation to get him out of this before it’s too late.”

“What did you mean in there when you said there was a lot at stake?”

Heechul clicked his teeth as he stood. “Better start soul searching yourself blondie if you want that answer. Don’t stray too far, but don’t come in unless I call for you.”

“I’ll be here.” Onew waited outside anxiously. True he had his doubts about Heechul, but the fear and desperation he felt right now had him reaching out for anything. He knew things with Taemin were different, and he noticed the changes in him since that scene at the river but he never thought it was this serious.

Heechul went back to Taemin who was sound asleep sitting up in a very awkward position. He lit a candle in middle of the table and sat next to the boy, studying his features.

“Such a pretty thing.” He sighed and pulled the boy's head into his lap, laying him down gently on his side. He relaxed and ran his fingers through Taemin’s hair in a soothing motion. Taemin’s body relaxed against him. “Don’t resist it.” Heechul cooed. “Open yourself to everything. Let it all flood in. If you don’t face it now you may never get out.”

Taemin’s brow furrowed as he slipped further into a dream like state, his hand gripped Heechul’s thigh. Heechul nodded and continued to the boy’s dark hair away from his face, studying his expression.

It wasn’t long before Taemin started talking in his slumber. Heechul observed him quietly slipping in and out of his thoughts when necessary to give him a push, speaking softly every now and then to encourage him onward.

Taemin opened his eyes and looked around confused at first...this wasn’t the pavilion, Heechul was gone...he was...this was his home, this was his mom’s kitchen. He was back at home with his family. His heart started racing as he looked outside the patio doors, his parents were grilling; the day was gorgeous. Jongin was there, his older brother was there. He stepped outside and was shocked to see himself there too and seated next to him was Onew...

He stepped backwards in shock, how was he seeing himself? And what was his guide doing here? He suddenly felt very sick. This was impossible but everything felt too real. He could hear Jongin’s goofy laughter, the smell of the meat cooking, the hot sun on his skin.

“Taemin, can you boys set the table?” His mom called.

The sound of his mother’s voice left Taemin choked. He clutched at his chest watching himself and Onew get up from the table. He took a deep breath as he felt them rush past him in the doorway brushing his arm. They came back through with an armful of various things, napkins, utensils, and put them all down where everyone could reach.

He watched himself smile as they sat back down, his guide looking over to him warmly resting his head on his shoulder.

His eyes widened...wait...Onew...that’s not...

Before he could think about it anymore he was snapped out of the warm sun into the rain. He looked around trying to gather his surroundings, he was on sidewalk now, businesses were lined up across the street from him. The cars that drove past were...older? He sank against the wall, this was...not the present, he had no idea when or where he was.

But then he saw Onew again in front of a shop talking to the owner, a small package in his hands. He was dressed in a suit and looked quite different from how he remembered him, and how he saw him at the dinner table with his family. He had color to his skin, his hair was dark brown, he smiled.

“Wait! Onew!” He called out and he tried to step forward but when he did he was standing underneath a huge tree. The same tree from his vision by the river.

He saw himself again seated under it, a much younger version 15 or 16 maybe, leaning back to back against a much younger version of...

“Jinki, I should get going.” He heard his younger self speak softly. “Mom will be worried.”

The other boy spoke but he couldn’t make out what he was saying.

The air went from warm to cold in a matter of seconds and he saw the figures start to blur around him.

“Please don’t go yet.” Onew appeared again, looking over his shoulder at Taemin, as they are now.

This....what is this? Taemin sank to his knees. Confusion and frustration taking him over. “Who are you?!” He cried out.

Smoke enveloped the couple he was watching under the tree, the smell filling Taemin’s nostrils. His vision went black, all he could feel was heat, his own screams filled his ears, his throat burned.

“I’ll find you Jinki.”

Taemin woke up screaming, crying, jolting upright and meeting Heechul’s eyes wide in fear.

Onew heard his screams and started up the stairs despite Heechul’s request. “Taemin...”

“Jinki.” Taemin mumbled looking to the doorway of the pavilion, hearing the footsteps rushing up the stairs.

“Not yet.” Heechul whispered.

Onew rushed in the pavilion entrance only to find it vacant, two empty glasses on the table, Heechul and Taemin both gone. “Taemin.” Onew felt himself start to panic. “Taemin!” He looked around outside through the open windows. “Taemin! Where are you!? Heechul!” He rushed back down the stairs and circled the building. “TAEMIN! TAEMIN! Where are you!? HEECHUL, dammit Heechul! Where are you?”

He turned his back to the building towards the wood line, eyes searching desperately for any sign, ears straining in the echo of his own yells. He spun around and saw an empty field behind him now, the pavilion gone, it had disappeared. “TAEMINNNN!” He screamed.

Heechul snickered behind him. “So theatrical.”

Onew spun around and gripped Heechul’s shirt in his fist. “Where is he?” He gritted through his teeth.

“I’m sorry Onew, but he’s moved on.”