Chen woke up in daze, abruptly enough to startle Sehun who was sitting by his side. The tall man stood in a rush and tried to wipe his cheeks but the sniffs were unmistakable. “Sorry… I will make breakfast. You can shower.”

“Sehun....” Chen had no time to say more as Sehun stormed out. “He must love Jongdae a lot.” He showered and soon joined Sehun down. He noticed a woman and basically flinched. It was perhaps the first woman he encountered. “Good morning, Madam.”

“Jongdae?” Sehun held his mother.

“He does not remember. I told you what happened.” Sehun must have lied to her because there is no way in hell he told her the truth. The old woman nodded and smiled to Chen who bowed to her again before sitting. “You slept well?”

“Yes. Thank you for your hospitality.” Chen sincerely spoke and Sehun shook his head dismissively. “I would have spent it in the street otherwise.” A warm hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“You are always welcome to my house, Jongdae.” It made Chen blush and smiled to her warmly. “Oh my… your smile is something I rarely saw, these past few years.” Chen looked over Sehun who was stoic and silent. Chen got offered food and digged in after thanking the woman for her cooking. The woman left them after that and silence fell in until knocks on the door were heard. Sehun stood to let in his friends who spoke rather loudly.

“Where is the guy?” Baekhyun’s voice was heard and he sounded strained. Chen just stood by the door, took off his zenithophone -The watch that glitches repeatedly.

“Your tools.” He coldly ordered toward Chanyeol who handed his tool box with a studying face. “I may need your advices in some aspects, so please sit and remain quiet.” Chanyeol was about to talk but Chen looked over Sehun.

“Does Jongdae own a laptop?” Sehun nodded and rushed up his room. The silence fell in and Chen looked over the three men there. Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol observed him with just as much intensity as he did. “Are you going to remain standing there? Sit down.”

“You got no reason to order us around.” Kyungsoo bite in only to receive a jolt of electricity in Chen’s fingers as a warning. Chanyeol fast held Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“Let us sit.” Chen sat down as well since Sehun showed up with a laptop. Chen opened it and run the Bios option, cracking through the system as he connected his watch. Soon green windows showed up.

“Oh dear… I truly had no belief that the Zenithophone will work. But the system is intact.” Chen said loudly enough for them to hear. “It is waterproof and there is no sign of a hardware damage. Yet… my zenithophone is glitching.”

Sehun looked at the white layer in the watch. “Does the salt of the sea water damage waterproof items, Chanyeol hyung?”

Chanyeol blinked and as he stood to lean by Sehun, Chen flinched away. Chanyeol just looked at him, surprised before looking down to the item. “Usually? But this is not a terrestrial technology, I am sure it didn’t take that in consideration.”

“There is no sea in our planet.” Chen deadpanned. “The salt is so rare in our planet, I actually felt my skin crawl at the amount of salt in water.”

Sehun nodded. “Maybe… you should wrap your watch in a wet towel? The water will dissolve the salt and the towel will soak it back.” Chen nodded at that and looked down to the watch before swallowing a limb in his throat. “What is it?”

“This is not just a watch… this is my only way to communicate with my friends… with my husband.” Chen looked up to Chanyeol who had a distant expression on. “Do you think Sehun’s idea will work?”

“No. Salt is hard to take off but you have little to lose at this point.” Chanyeol admitted, even if he looked more unable to believe his own words. “I suggest you to switch the program from your watch to the laptop, it will be safer.”

Chen nodded at that and booted the normal system. Once the code screen showed up, Chen did not hesitate to write Chanyeol’s name and birthday only to freeze as it opened. “…”

“How did you know Hyung’s code?” Sehun was the one to ask first.

“I wrote my own code. Jongdae and I use the same code.” Chen admitted but soon tears willed down his cheeks. “Chanyeol2710.”

“That is my birthday.” Chanyeol mumbled.

“I know. Same goes for the Chanyeol I left behind in my world.” Chen allowed himself to shed few tears. He connected the zenithophone and transferred the program to the laptop only to notice. “Wait… The zenithophone catch a signal from my colleagues.” his fingers perhaps had never worked faster than that and Chen soon managed to notice D.O’s code name. “Does this laptop have a mic on?” Sehun hummed and Chen did not miss a beat. He called D.O through the transferred program.

“CHEN!” D.O perhaps had tore Suho’s ear drums with his scream. “Call the others! NOW!” Chen froze as he saw his friends. He froze at how real they seemed. “Chen! Do you hear me? Chen?”

“D.O…” He whispered and the man seemed to hear that.

“We all working to get you back! Ok? Just hang on, Chanyeol will be here in a minute.” Baekhyun dashed in the frame.

“Chen! Oh my god! You are alive and safe.” Chen blinked at Baekhyun’s tone.

“Of course I am alive, Idiot. I swore to not die before you.” Chen teased as more tears fell down. “I got your orb.”

“I know. The portal closed before it could follow me.” Baekhyun mid sobbed that. “If I knew you were with me in the portal, I would have… I would… Chen…” Baekhyun was trembling, Chen concluded as he noticed D.O hold him. “I am sorry.”

Chen was about to say something when Chanyeol and Jongdae came into the picture. It took them a moment to not break down. “You are ok, Right?” Chanyeol spoke suddenly and the man behind Chen leaned to look at the screen, shocked. “Oh… I see. This is Jongdae’s Chanyeol.”

“Yeah.” Chen hoarse voice broke further. “I… Chan…”

“I am not giving up on you. I battled to have you before and so I will battle to have you back again.” Chanyeol spoke seriously and smiled. “I love you, Chen.”

“I love you too, Chanyeol. I trust you to get me back.” Chen tried to smile but it fluttered as Chanyeol’s smile flattered. “We are just a dimension away…”

“Actually, you are one thousand dimensions away.” D.O rectified. “The same planet but another version. You need to get a stronger emitter for the signal. Our detector can barely recognize the signal. I am surprised we can even see you.”

Sehun handed a tissue and Chen looked over him before realizing something. “Jongdae! Oh. There is someone who want to see him.” he pulls Sehun into the frame and the boy gasp before noticing Jongdae in the frame. The man looked down and Sehun knew what it meant.

“Hyung… you tried to kill yourself again, right?” The men behind Chen let out hushed shocked outbursts.

“I am sorry, Kid. You deserve better.” Jongdae spoke softly which seemed to surprise Chen’s friends. “I am not coming back. It doesn’t matter.”

“It does. I love you.” Sehun sternly spoke. “Like Chanyeol would never give up on his Chen, I am not going to give up on my Jongdae.” It made Jongdae snap his head up and look at the screen. “I will get you back and we will start over. I will make you happy. I promised you so.”

“Sehun… I destroyed myself, don’t fall down the hole I fell in.” Jongdae spoke darkly. “I will die. I want to die. So live your life like you had never known me.” Sehun was about to speak when Chen spoke.

“Is death really the answer to your pain?” Chen growled. “You are in love with Chanyeol while Sehun is in love with you. Do you think that you dying will end that circle?” Jongdae scoffed. “I know that Sehun will make you happy, because he suffers as much as you do. He live the same kind pain but he fight it out instead of giving in.”

“Yeah, Hyung. I spent the last six years catching you whenever you fall and it is only Chanyeol in your lips.” Sehun urged. “Do you want me to end up like you?” It made Jongdae shake his head, slamming his hands on his ears. Before any of them could say anything, Jongdae wobbled down and Baekhyun was first to catch him. “Jongdae!” Sehun stood, panic written in his voice. “Jongdae Hyung! What happened to him?” Chanyeol picked him and just smiled reassuringly.

“He is mentally instable right now, so I guess it is normal for him to faint. Be at ease. This conversation is recorded and I will make sure Jongdae hear your words over and over until it gets in his thick skull.”

Chen laughed. “As thick as Mine.” his laughter died. “Let us talk seriously, now. How long are the captor is in intercepting the signal.”

“The video signal is hard to intercept but it seems that your Zenithophone is unconnected.” D.O explained.

“Salt. It is altering the functions of the watch. I do not know how to fix that.” He pointed to Chanyeol behind him. “He proposed we wrap the watch in a wet towel and I will try to see if it is working.”

“Chen…” D.O looked at the screen and Chen noticed his seriousness. “Your power will die out without a source.”

“The planet I am in is filled with energy. I can see the power run through me without the orb and the zenithophone is glitching.” Chen reassured. “However, D.O, are you sure my zenithophone is enough to give in my position? Maybe I should keep on the communication.”

“The video signal is vast. I don’t think it is enough to get your position. Kai got only one shot.” Saying so, the said Kai appeared in the room with Sehun, both kissing. Sehun stiffened in Chen’s side. Sehun whined pushing Kai away when he noticed his dobbergang.

 “Oh wow… Wait…”  He rushed closer with a stiff Kai behind. “Captain?”

“Hi mentee. I see that my brother is already making it hard for you.” Sehun laughed before looking back and noticing Kai’s hard face. “Kai… I am fine.”

Kai closed his eyes. “I mistakenly picked a stranger over my brother. Wow, you are definitely fine.” Kai snarled, anger written in his tone. “Give me good news, D.O.”

“No coordination and Lay is still knocked out to open a door right now, so chill.” D.O snarled back. Sehun stepped in before a fight could break in and Kai’s shoulder hunched.

“Captain… Are you ok?” Chen nodded. “That what matters. We will work hard all together to get you back.” Chen looked over Chanyeol who had an unreadable expression on. “Please have faith on us.”

“I do have faith on you all, guys. Have faith in me. I will find a way to strenghten the signal.” Chen promised. “Meanwhile, treat Jongdae with as much love as you show me.” they chanted a ‘yes,sir’. “I will disconnect the call and focus on fixing the salt issue. I will call as soon as I can, the same hour tomorrow.”

Chanyeol handed Jongdae over and rushed foreward. “Wait, Chen.”

“I will wait for you, Chanyeol. I know you will never give up on me.” Chen reassured but Chanyeol shook his head.

“I love you, Chen. I truly do.” Chanyeol sounded desperate. “Please contact us often. Please.”

Chen smiled “I will call you often. I promise.” He ended the call as soon as he said so and leaned back on the chair, looking blankly at the screen filled with files. “What are those?” he clicked on a file and his singing voice boomed out. It took him a moment to realize it was Jongdae’s voice. It sounded definitely way more polished than his. “He is skilled in singing.”

“It was his dream.” Chanyeol’s voice broke his daze and he glared at the man. “Jongdae and I … we dreamed to form a duet and sing when we grow up.”

“Did I ask you to speak?” Chanyeol looked insulted but somehow said nothing. “Looking at how wounded Jongdae looked in that one single video call, I am heck of sure none of you deserve to talk about him, except you, Sehun.”

Sehun smiled at that. “Thanks. This song is beautiful.”  Chen clicked on more files when a picture of two kids was on the full screen. It was definitely Jongdae and Chanyeol, playing in the playground. Jongdae had a toothy smile while Chanyeol had thrown his arm around his shoulder. It made Chen wonder.

“For how long did you know Jongdae?” Chen looked over the shocked Chanyeol who had his eyes on the screen.

“Twenty years. I was his playmate until we joined The elementary school, it bloomed into real friendship.” Chanyeol’s eyes glittered with tears. “I had never known he was in love with me until he broke down lately.”

Sehun scoffed. “Trust me, hyung. He loved way before Baekhyun was in the picture.” Chanyeol looked over the dark faced Baek and Chen did as much. “He was so in love with you… he is so in love with you…” Chanyeol nodded at that.

“I wonder what made him… hurt himself like that.” Chen wondered loudly as he sighed.

“Imagine living with that damn question for six years.” Baekhyun roared suddenly. “Imagine watching your best friend get himself in such situation… I… He was the last person I expected it from.” Chen looked at him and Baekhyun looked away. “If he loved Chanyeol, why didn’t he try to stop him before confessing to me? Why did he try to break Jongin and Kyungsoo’s relationship? Why did he do all of this?”

Sehun was about to say something. “It is my fault.” Chanyeol spoke suddenly. “I know it is my fault. I should have been more considerate and obvious to Jongdae’s pain. He was my childhood friend… he is almost a family to me.”

“But you gave up on him.” Sehun stated. “You all gave up on him… leaving the middle scholar me try to collect him.” Chen looked at him in shock.

“You loved him for six years, right?” Sehun shook his head.

“I just… freaked out at first, to be honest, but my fear of seeing dying led my heart to love him. Jongdae had slit his wrist in the middle of school and he was bleeding to death. He said no to the nursery so I had to take him on my back to the bus stop where a woman was kind enough to take him to the hospital.” Sehun seemed to shiver at the memory. “I wasn’t even friend with these guys. I remained around Jongdae so he won’t die… when I saw how he tried to hurt himself… the other way around.”

Chen looked at Sehun who gave in to sadness, hiding his face with his arms. Chen could see how Sehun’s shoulder moved at his silent sobs. He looked up to the men who had an unreadable expression on. “He was partying, drinking and sleeping with random people for as long as I remember.”

Chen frowned. “Six years ago?” Chanyeol nodded. “And none of you tried to stop him?” Baekhyun was about to talk but Chanyeol shook his head. “Wow, nice friends you are.”

“What would you have done if you were us?” Baekhyun snarled. “I spoke to him. I can’t force him to what I want.”

“If what I want for my best friend will protect him and keep him away from hurt, I will definitely do it. Even if it means to die in the battlefield.” Chen stood and faced Baekhyun, sincerity folded in every serious layer of his posture. “I would die to let him live. That what friendship stands for. Not to be a ing bystander. Go out. Return tomorrow, I would had been done with the tools to check on the watch.” None of them moved. “Go.” Electricity growled in his body, for the first time Chen noticed that it was the planet’s pure energy. The electricity surrounded him for a long moment. “The air is surcharged.”

“There is a storm coming.” Chanyeol said. “We should call Yifan to get us or we are stuck inside for the day.” Baekhyun nodded and picked his phone to call only to tense.

“No signal.” He looked over Chen who fast stood to rush up. The orbs were shining hard in Chen’s vest. The others had joined him inside the room. “What the ?”

“The orbs are sensing an opposite energy.” Chen explained. “it may means two things. Either a portal got opened nearby, or that the red forces had followed me inside.” the stiffeness in Chen’s voice made the others shiver in fright.