“I think it’d be best if you all wait outside.”

Lay wasn’t favourable of the fact that he had to Shixun’s father out, especially since it has been a long and dreadful 15 years of them being apart. Not only that, neither of them thought that the other would be alive. But he needed to make sure Shixun wasn't indirectly disturbed, be it physically or mentally. Especially when she's in a state more vulnerable than any other time before.

“Just… give me five minutes…”

Lay turned to Luhan and silently nodded to Kris’ trailed request. Both he and the Crown Prince left the cool makeshift ward and huddled outside with the princess. “I’ll go check up on Kai, see if he needs anything.”

“I’ll go with you.” The princess left her brother and followed in Lay’s tracks as the Crown Prince had his eyes fixated on the unconscious girl.

Just a few minutes ago, Shixun was on the brink of death and it worried him more than when he realised Krystal was infected by the epidemic as well earlier this week. He couldn’t deny that he had feelings for the girl, but he doesn’t think Shixun’s feelings for him were mutual. He let out a deep breath, watching with eyes filled with sympathy as Kris gently caressed his daughter’s hair.

His fingers slowly went to her arms where the sickening ebony tracks lie, and Luhan couldn’t help but fist his palms by his sides. If only.

If only his father hadn’t instructed the experiment to be done, none of this would’ve happened. Luhan could’ve met Shixun in a situation much less dangerous and could’ve gotten to know her in a different light.

Kris’ shoulders slumped as his fingers splayed across the scars on her arm, most of them made by his own team of researchers. His heart burned with both anger and sorrow when he realises that it wasn’t entirely their fault. If it weren’t for his minor calculation mistake that jeopardised the whole experiment, none of this would’ve happened. As he planted a kiss on the top of his daughter’s palm, Lay came in once again from Kai’s room to change check on the girl’s status.

Wordlessly, Kris left the room, glancing back once more to his frail and weak daughter before closing the door behind him.

“I’m—sorry,” Luhan started when Kris came face to face with him. “We didn’t get to protect her.”

The man only gave a simper and looked back through the clear glass, watching as Lay switched on the humidifier. “I never thought she would be anyway,” his voice was clear and transparent, like he expected Shixun to be in constant danger and unprotected all her life. “She deserves a better father…”

Luhan couldn’t say what he wanted to say, because all he wanted to tell Kris was that he probably was the best father Shixun could ever ask for. But how could he say that when Kris was gone for more than half of Shixun’s life.

“I don’t know Shixun that well yet,” Luhan confessed. “But from what I’ve seen, with everything that she’s gone through, your daughter is a much stronger fighter than any of us on this ship. I know she’ll pull through this.”

Kris had a small smile on his face, but it was void of any feeling. The man curtly bowed his head to the prince and headed for the controls.

“Are you having any trouble with the machine?”

Chanyeol looked up and shook his head, “But, we still don’t know what it helps with.”

Shixun’s father let out a small laugh, still void of feeling as he walked up to the other.

“This red button allows us to jump a few million kilometres, but it can only work every half an hour after being pressed once because it needs to recharge,” Kris told Chanyeol, who nodded with a frown on his face. “So, what you need to do is make sure to press it every 30 minutes, and we’ll reach Earth in less than a day’s time.”

Chanyeol’s elf ears perked in elation. “So, you mean it works as a teleporter?”

Kris raised both his eyebrows and work a confused grin on his lips, nodding away. “Sure… if that’s what you want to call it…”

Chanyeol was about to press on the red button when Luhan suddenly came and interrupted his moment. The Crown Prince ed his chin towards the stairs that lead to the second floor, “Why don’t you accompany Baekhyun. I’m pretty sure he needs someone right now.”

Chanyeol was about to argue but thought that it would be for the best, after all; his friend finally found his mother, but he didn’t think the woman would be this way.

Kris followed suit, his hands ed tightly inside the pockets of the fresh new pants the Resistance handed to him shortly after his introduction earlier. He finally had a decent shower and not with weird weeds coming out of the water system. He was finally coming home and coming back to meet the King. The King who entrusted him with this research, he wondered if His Majesty would ever forgive him for committing such a loathsome error.

“So… um—” Chanyeol tried to search for something to talk about on the way up, he never thought that it would take this long to climb to the second floor. “How… have you been, Mr—”

“I told you in the cell, and I’ll say it again; you really can just call me Kris.” The man shook his head at how jittery Chanyeol was, giving a lopsided smile when the latter lowered his head. “And uh… I don’t know exactly how you expect me to answer to a ‘how have you been’ question actually.”

Chanyeol scratched the back of his ear and gave a sheepish grin as he continued to climb up the stairs. He didn’t give it much thought, it was a question to pass time anyway. As soon as they got to the door, Chanyeol gave three knocks to the door. Subsequently, the door slid open, revealing Baekhyun with tired and worn out expression on his face.

“Hi Baekhyun,” Chanyeol waved meekly to which the other responded with a crooked smile. “How’s she doing?”

Baekhyun faded his smile and gave a shrug, shifting his eyes to the man behind him. “Oh, Kris.”

“May I come in?”

Baekhyun only gave a tight scoff, “You want to see her?”

Kris landed a hand on the younger and squeezed his shoulder in assurance, “You know that none of this is her fault, right? You believed that initially,” Kris said, “And you still do.”

Apologetic wasn’t enough to describe what Baekhyun felt. He learnt further from the Chanyeol what Kris said about his mother, and he couldn’t deny that all of what’s happened could’ve been avoided if only she’d spent more time underground than on the surface.

“I know it’s not her fault,” Baekhyun responded under his breath, his fringe covering his watery eyes as he hung his head. “But how am I supposed to face Sh