***

How was he expected to answer such a complicated question? What does life teach us? Yah, if he wasn’t at wits’ ends and fearful for his life and those he loved he would have smacked the fortuneteller silly and scream at her. How unfair of a question was that?

“Do you take pleasure in the torment of others?” he then asked. “Ask me another question, you can’t expect me to know the answer to that! Aish, ridiculous!”

“You refuse to answer?” the atmosphere in the room darkened and felt heavier as the fortuneteller glared at him.

“What if I do?” Tao asked brazenly while Kai was starting to get nervous.

The fortuneteller grinned and drew another circle on the crystal ball. From inside of it, Tao and Kai heard faint shouting and tiny tapping against the glass.

Kai’s eyes widened and he struggled in the chair to get loose. “D.O.! Xiumin-hyung!”

Tao gawked in disbelief at the crystal ball and glared at the fortuneteller. “What did you do them? Let them go!” he shouted, but the old crone shook her head and the crystal ball went blank once more.

“That was a warning,” the fortuneteller stated with a sadistic calm.

“Yah! Release them, you old–!” The fortuneteller zipped Kai’s mouth and the youth lost his ability to speak, his lips unable to part.

“Hrmph!” he protested.

“Now then, the answer,” the fortuneteller stated, staring harshly at Tao. Doing his best to suppress his anger, he thought of the proper answer to give.

“Life teaches us…that nothing ends. Things may perish and die away, but as long as you have memories, as long as you have time, it is proof of existence,” he said, wishing he could flick his wrist right now to stop time and find a way to get away from this scary old woman.

The fortuneteller paused and snapped her bony fingers. Tao and Kai inhaled for breath at the sudden release and they got up from the chairs.

“Correct,” the fortuneteller said. “I will help you, but I demand payment,” she then stated.

“Payment? Hold on, that wasn’t the deal!” Kai snapped. “You’ll help us find Jae-noona and you’ll release our brothers!”

“Now, now, when was releasing these mortals part of our bargain?”

“If you can change the deal, then so can we!” Tao stated, seething. “I gave you the right answer, so you’ll help us find noona and you’ll let our brothers go!”

“You dare to demand these things without paying me? Did you really thing that my help was for free? I told you that it came at a price,” the fortuneteller gestured. “I will tell you where your noona is, but not before I get what is due.”

The room darkened like the fortuneteller’s mood. Tao looked at Kai before he gazed at the crystal ball, Xiumin and D.O. shouting and banging against the glass from the inside.

“What is your price?” Tao then asked, while the snake slithered over the fortuneteller's neck.

“I can see that you care a great deal for your brothers, so I’ll sweeten the deal somewhat. I will release them both for you, and in exchange, one of you will take their place. I’ve no need for two pets, just one will do,” when she grinned this time, she showed her yellow, rotten teeth as both brothers were bewildered at the impossible request.

“You’ll free them?” Tao asked. “And you’ll tell us where to find Jae-noona?”

“You have my word,” the fortuneteller promised. “If there is one thing I cannot do in this cursed existence, is lie. I may trick, I may deceive, but I never lie.”

“Then take me!” Kai spoke before Tao even could and it shocked him.

“Kai, no!”

“Take me instead. Tell Tao-hyung where to find Jae-noona and release the rest of my brothers,” Kai spoke defiantly, ignoring Tao.

“You? You are quite feisty. Bet you’re strong too,” the fortuneteller appraised him while Tao felt a flood of panic hit him in the gut.

“No! You can’t have Kai!” Tao said, feeling like an irresponsible big brother if he would allow this to happen. He turned to his defiant brother, holding his shoulder.

“Kai, you and I both know that you have a better chance of finding Jae-noona and to get everyone out of here safely. You can teleport, I can’t. My skills are useless here,” he urged, realizing what this decision would mean for him.

“But, hyung…”

“I trust you, Kai. You can do this,” he said, thinking to how many of his brothers have sacrificed for him just to get him this far. “You’ll find Jae-noona, and then you’ll be able to save the rest of us, too.”

“Hyung…” Kai watched him closely, his face evidently showing how he wasn’t agreeing with Tao.

“You’ve not much time to dally,” the fortuneteller interrupted. “If you wish to find your noona, you must do so before All Hallows’ Eve is over. A second past midnight, and you’ll become part of this haunted nightmare,” the old crone explained sinisterly. “What is your decision?”

Tao nodded at his younger brother encouragingly while Kai let out a deep sigh.

“Release my brothers from the crystal ball and tell me where I can find Jae-noona,” Kai stood before the fortuneteller with certain agitation, but all she did was smirk at him.

“Very well.” Another snap of her fingers and Xiumin and D.O. were freed, Kai quickly moving into action to teleport them to safety before the fortuneteller could trick them. When he reappeared, the old crone was looking at Tao, sizing him up as if she was already excited at the prospect of her payment.

“You will find your noona in the library of this house. Better hurry, the lord of the mansion will not let her go without a fight.”

Kai nodded and begrudgingly turned towards Tao.

“Hyung, I’ll be back for you, I promise,” he swore as Tao bit his lip and nodded.

“I know you will. Tell noona that I’m glad she’s safe and that I’m sorry that I couldn’t find her,” Tao requested as a light tremble traveled through his body.

“I’ll be back, hyung, I swear,” Kai repeated, a sliver of emotion shining in his eyes before he was surrounded by black smoke.

Tao sighed when his world had turned into glass, but he had to have faith. He trusted in his brother, he knew that Kai would be able to finish the job he failed to complete.

The fortuneteller tapped against the crystal as she smiled triumphantly. “Don’t look so down, Huang Zitao. Not every hero gets to save the day!” she cackled as she left and Tao was left alone, praying that Kai would save them all.

=== NEUTRAL ENDING: SACRIFICE ===

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