Lily had spent the entire night counting the minutes until she felt like she would go crazy. The minutes couldn’t seem to move fast enough and she was way too nervous to even bother lying down.

Instead, she went about preparing for her departure. Sure, she’d said she’d wait one day but both she and Xiumin knew those were just words. There was no way in hell she would sit on her and just wait while her brother struggled to survive an attack from her possessed sister.

By the time sun came up, Lily was raring to go. She talked to the landlord about looking after the shop as well the upkeep of her small apartment. She had no idea when or if she would be coming back but it didn’t hurt to have a safety net in place, just in case.

All arrangements in place, she boarded the first bus leaving for Oulphesden. She knew she was being reckless but she honestly didn’t care. At least, she would be beside them and for her, that was a good enough reason.

Along the way, she called her mom to make sure her sister-in-law and Leo’s son were alright and appraised them about Leo’s accident. ‘I’ll let you know how he is soon as I find out,’ she promised.

‘He should’ve left with us,’ her sister-in-law sobbed. ‘I told him to come with us, to leave Oulphesden like you’d said but he insisted… he sent us away but… I should’ve-’

‘Minah…’ she interrupted firmly, ‘this is not your fault.’

After calming her down, she said her goodbyes and settled down for the ride. In a couple of hours, she’d be able to see Rose and Leo with her own eyes, ensure that they were fine. Of course, she trusted the Legends but that did not settle the anxiety bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

She couldn’t help but wonder if this could’ve been avoided had she not kept Leo in the dark. But the Legends themselves had been caught off guard by Rose being possessed…

Still, guilt marred her conscience and she chewed her lip nervously. Taking a deep breath, she tried to talk herself out of it. Just like she’d told her sister-in-law, repeated, ‘This is not your fault.’

There is no way any of them could’ve known that Evil would use Rose as his conduit to torture Xiumin with the ghost of his sister. Rose…

Her sister had already been in a fragile state, having woken up from a yearlong coma and the doctors had warned her that they’d need to work hard on her rehabilitation.

She may not have been responsible for Rose being possessed by Xiumin’s sister and attacking Leo… but she had a duty to make sure her sister recovered well and here, she’d failed. She should’ve just it up and faced Xiumin instead of running off and hiding.

It had seemed like a good decision at that time but now, she wasn’t so sure. If she’d stayed in Oulphesden, Leo would’ve gone back to his hometown with his family safely. And who knew, maybe she could’ve picked on Rose’s problem sooner, could’ve done something to prevent what had happened.

She let out a sigh, rubbing her brow. It was no use crying over spilt milk, as her mother used to say. She’d left and it had been the best decision at that time; just like coming back was right now. Others may not agree with her but she’d never let that sway her. Her judgement had served her well in the past and she was beyond the point of questioning herself over and over.

Firmly, she pulled out her planner and started organizing her tasks.

…………………………………….

Xiumin didn’t sleep a wink the entire night. Not that he slept much in general, what with Lily being gone and his nightmares coming back. But usually, he managed to sit down and close his eyes at least once before the memories woke him up again.

This time, even that little respite evaded him. Star’s face kept flashing through his head. He remembered her as the fresh-faced child she’d been when Evil had attacked their temple, way back when. That’s what Evil had shown him when he’d been trapped in the maze, her face and body that of a child even when she’d turned into a hideous, decayed version of herself.

But the Star he’d seen reflected in Rose’s face was no longer fresh-faced… or even childish. It wasn’t the horrific vision from the maze but it wasn’t his innocent baby sister either. Whatever Star had been through, it had tainted her, left permanent marks on her, marks that showed even in the smallest glimpse of her.

He had so many questions. Where had she been all this time? In the Abyss? His stomach roiled in protest. The Abyss, filled with the vilest of creatures, home to nothing but abominations. That his little sister had been trapped there all this time made him sick.

Who knew what kind of ordeals she went through to have survived all this time in the Abyss. Chen didn’t speak much about his experience but from what D.O had told them, the creatures of Abyss attacked any outsider they found, tried to eat them, rip them apart.

Little Star fighting such creatures off by herself was not that pleasant thought. He’d been a victim to fate, forced to grow up, to step into the role of a killer far too early because of Evil. That Evil didn’t spare his sister even after the torture he put Xiumin through…

The glass in front of him burst into an icy shower as his powers ran awry, anger roiling through him. He’d barely reconciled himself with the fact that he’d inadvertently murdered his parents and sister, with the thought that at least they’d been spared Evil’s torture.

But if Star’s soul – he assumed that’s what it was since he’d buried her body with his own hands – had been in the Abyss all this time, this meant that one of those nightmares, hallucinations that he’d assumed were just those, were true. And Star had actually been taken by Evil sometime during when he’d been murdering innocents.

When he closed his eyes, his mind flashed back to that time. Unlike usual, he delved into the memories, trying to remember every detail in an effort to pinpoint when it could’ve happened.

He felt sick with no Lily to remind him that these were just memories. Everything was far too clear but he tried not to flinch away, focused on finding Star but it was in vain. All the memories were overlapping illusions, blurred between reality and dream. He felt the same helplessness at being unable to do anything to save his sister, his fingers curling uselessly, until it felt like the feeling would suffocate him.

He broke away, coughing, gulping in air in huge . Sweat dotted his forehead as his vision swam, and he buried his head between shaking hands. ‘Star…’ he muttered, his voice choking up with emotions, eyes getting wet. His beast howled mournfully inside him.  

There was a light knock on the door before it slid open. Xiumin didn’t turn to look at whoever it was but the person came near him anyway.

The gentle hand resting on his shoulder told him who it was.

‘I’m fine,’ he muttered unconvincingly. Warmth flowed through him anyway. He sighed, putting his hands down and looking up. ‘I told you I’m okay…’

Lay smiled beatifically, signature dimple poking in his cheek. ‘I didn’t say you weren’t.’

Xiumin pointedly stared at his glowing hand which was resting on his shoulder. Lay shrugged, not relenting. ‘Just thought we could all use some healing. I’ve been making rounds.’

Xiumin sighed resignedly, knowing the healer could be very stubborn. ‘At this hour?’ he asked as a form of protest.

‘Everyone else was in the living room, so I healed them before they went off. You’ve been locked in here all night.’ Lay frowned, looking reprimanding.

‘It’s my room,’ Xiumin pointed out the obvious, making Lay pout. He chuckled at the irritated expression on his face. ‘Fine, fine, heal me. Maybe I’ll fall asleep.’

Lay lit up like Christmas had come early, so Xiumin hurriedly back-tracked. ‘No, don’t actually put me to sleep. I need my senses if I have to deal with all this mess.’

Lay chuckled lightly, still steadily healing him. It was just enough to make him feel warm instead of the numbing cold he’d been once used to. Now, his thawed heart warmed under the healing ministrations.

‘You don’t have to do this by yourself, you know…’ Lay began, voice soft. ‘I’m here… so is Suho.’

Xiumin made a noncommittal noise. Suho had always respected his decision to keep his private matters just that, unlike the healer who’d managed to dig out his secrets against his will.

‘You should go to the shop today,’ Lay said abruptly.

Xiumin stared at him. ‘I can’t just…’

‘Rose is going to be asleep for a while and Leo won’t wake up anytime soon. You should go to the shop.’

‘It can wait.’

‘You promised Ken.’

‘Stop looking in my head!’ Xiumin snapped, irked, eyes turning red suddenly.

Lay wasn’t intimidated. Then again, he was their healer, he couldn’t let wild beasts hinder his work.

‘I don’t read minds, Xiumin… but I do see the future.’ Lay reminded him gently but firmly. ‘You should go to the shop.’

Xiumin stared at his face for a few moments but acceded. ‘Fine, I’ll go. In fact, I’ll leave now. It’s not like I’m sleeping anyway.’

He’d expected the healer to stop him but Lay nodded pacifically, holding out a hand to help him up. Xiumin stared at him irritably before standing up – without any help, he might add – and hurrying out of the door. Maybe the fresh morning air would help clear his head.

……………………………………

You should go to the shop today.

Xiumin stared at the mountain of paperwork piled on the desk in the manager’s room. It was a good thing he’d showed up because this was going to take some time. Xiumin assumed it was stuff that required his perusal because otherwise, Ken seemed to have handled things admirably on his own. His conscience niggled at him and he sighed, rolling up his sleeves and sitting down to go through the files.

Sorting the files and going through them actually helped, distracting him from the overwhelming guilt and feeling of uselessness and failure that had been plaguing him all night. He threw himself into work with relish, forcing himself to shut down everything else.

Soon, he was thoroughly immersed, sorting the mail into different piles; bills, sponsors offering their products, offers for expansion, businesses looking for collaboration. He’d been right, it was all stuff that needed his seal of approval before it could be executed.

He was so lost that the sounds of other workers arriving didn’t register. Ken stepped into the office at one point but stood stock still, shocked at seeing his boss working diligently, eyes focused as he perused the documents. After deliberating whether to risk his life and disrupt Xiumin or not, he decided against it and stepped out, going quietly back to his station. Let sleeping dogs lie, his mother had always said and it was a motto he’d stuck by in his life.

‘What’s gotten into you?’ Tae asked, catching sight of Ken’s unusually serious countenance. She’d arrived there to pass time, as she often did, by bugging Ken while he worked. She also enjoyed free snacks taken under Ken’s name while fulfilling her duties as a great friend, so it was a win-win situation in her book.

Ken’s eyes widened comically in response to her question and he put a finger to his lips, shushing her rather aggressively. ‘Not a sound,’ he hissed, hurrying to her side. ‘Do you want to get me killed?’

Tae rolled her eyes but lowered her voice anyway. She still believed Ken exaggerated how scary Xiumin was but she was in no hurry to experience his cold gaze any time soon.

‘What…’ she whispered, ‘has gotten into you? Boss in his office right now?’

Ken nodded vehemently, pushing her back. ‘So you’d best stay out of my way and let me do my job properly.’

Tae sniffed. ‘You’re no fun,’ she whined in a hushed tone.

‘Go sit with Nara,’ He tried to shoo her away.

Tae pouted. ‘She’s waiting for Chanyeol.’

Ken sighed, not looking too happy about the news. ‘Of all the days, she had to have a date here today.’

Both friends glanced over to the corner table where their genius friend was busy scanning through the articles she’d pulled up, her eyes scanning the screen with an intense focus. It was still quite early, barely past the morning rush but Nara had been far too excited to stay at home. Apparently, she’d had a breakthrough epiphany regarding her research and of course, she needed to share the details with Chanyeol immediately, much to Ken’s displeasure.

Tae sighed happily. ‘Aren’t you glad she’s found someone?’

Ken shrugged. ‘I suppose… I still want to beat him up though.’

Tae laughed, hurriedly quietening at Ken’s glare. ‘Why?’ she asked.

‘I don’t like how he looks at her,’ Ken sniffed, putting the coffee beans into the machine for roasting. In another half hour, their breakfast regulars would start showing up.

‘How’s that?’ Sometimes, it was just fun to see Ken suffer and Tae smiled widely at Ken to show him that.

He rolled his eyes. ‘Like he wants to kiss her, that big, stupid lumbering idiot of a…’

The doorbell jingled, announcing the arrival of customers and Ken straightened hurriedly, only to slump at the sight of the tall silhouette. Nara, from her corner in the room, waved her arms excitedly and Chanyeol waved back, a huge smile splitting his face.

Tae cooed inwardly and a look at Ken told her he too was cooing at Nara, though he still clenched his fists when Chanyeol bent down to peck her cheek. ‘Why that…’

Tae restrained him. ‘Leave them be. Don’t you have pastries coming in today?’ she asked to distract him. Ken, for all his good intentions, could be a bit overprotective and they could do without that for now.

Ken smacked his forehead and cursed. ‘I totally forgot!’ he exclaimed before turning to Tae. ‘Take my place, I need to get them before they sell them to someone else!’

Tae blinked in surprise at the apron into her face. ‘But I don’t know how…’ Her words trailed off because Ken had already rushed out.

Sighing, she lifted the counter door and slipped inside, gingerly letting it fall. She had nothing else to do anyway, so might as well use some of those customer service skills she’d been learning as part of her degree.

It soon became apparent that Ken wasn’t coming back soon enough for her to keep fending off customers with promises of ‘I’ll be with you right away!’ Glancing around for help and finding none, she bit her lip. It was time to call in the big guns.

It took far more courage than she would’ve liked to approach the closed office door but she clenched her teeth, closed her eyes and gently knocked.

There was no response, which was rather anticlimactic with the amount of adrenaline running through her system. She knocked more firmly the second time around and there were sounds of movement before a ‘Come in’ floated over to her.

She couldn’t find Xiumin at first because of the amount of paperwork piled on his desk but the glare he shot her went through her, sending chills down her spine. Maybe there was some truth to Ken’s words after all.

‘Who are you?’ Xiumin asked, his cold gaze piercing.

Tae gulped. ‘Tae,’ she squeaked. He raised his eyebrows, not saying anything and well, let’s just say Tae’s tongue ran away with her.

When Ken came back, balancing boxes of pastries precariously on top of each other, it was to find Tae busy running errands around the shop with Xiumin supervising the machines. He hurried over to the counter, disposing the boxes and hurrying over to Xiumin’s side.

‘H-hey boss,’ he greeted, not sure what else to say.

Xiumin nodded, pointing at the trays lining the counter. Taking the hint, he busied himself with serving the customers. When Tae passed him, he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her to the side discreetly. Glancing over to make sure Xiumin wasn’t looking at them, he turned to face her. ‘What’s going on?’

Tae smiled brightly. ‘Guess who got a new job?’

Ken smacked his forehead. ‘Seriously?’

‘I panicked, okay?’ she defended herself. ‘He was staring at me like this,’ She made a face, ‘and I didn’t know what else to do, alright? It’s your fault for being so late! Where were you?’

Ken let out a sigh, picking up the trays from the tables. ‘The bakery isn’t that far but I was carrying a whole lot of boxes.’

Tae sniffed. ‘Well whatever. I’m a part-timer now, so I guess we’ll be working together from now on.’

Ken looked around the shop curiously. ‘Where’s Nara?’

‘Oh she and Chanyeol went out a while ago. I think they were headed for the library.’

‘Tae!’ Ken protested. His friend only shrugged her shoulders. ‘Move, I need to report all the sales to Boss. He said he’d supervise my first day to see I learned the ropes properly. Wish me luck.’

Ken shook his head, watching Tae walk away. Sometimes, he really questioned his life choices. There he’d been, a successful gangster with enough PR to keep others away and he’d been well on his way to becoming the next ringleader for VIXX; but then, Leo had quit the gang and he’d followed suit.

He’d cleaned up his act and come to Oulphesden, somehow – he still wasn’t sure how – ended up making friends with Nara and Tae and now look at him, working in a coffee shop. He had Lily to thank for it, who’d taken him in on Leo’s word and given him her own position.

Life worked out strangely sometimes. Sighing, done reflecting, he picked up the trays and headed back to the counter.

……………………………………………

A/N:

Hey everyone :)

Hope you guys enjoyed this update. This should be obvious but we'll soon be having more Xiumin/Lily interactions again - gosh, I missed them T.T - and we'll also see more of Kyra and D.O. But honestly, the people I'm most excited about are Chen and Rose/Star because I want the story's to be super good, you feel me? Like, we're 3 quarters done with the whole storyline (YWCFTS, MLFAP and now, YAMD), so I think it's high time for a drop.

It's still a bit choppy, writing because... well, frankly because things have been a bit tough and it's difficult to find motivation - or time, actually, to wirte. Anyway, here's hoping this will be the year to end this story, and hopefully give it a proper resolution. Thank you, the handful of you, who've stuck around so far - your support means a lot to me. 

On lighter notes, who's excited for EXO? We're getting them on Lotte concert today and then, hopefully, a comeback (please let it be ot9, please, please!) and Yixing's 3rd album. I'm so pumped :)