Soohyun felt her knees go weak as she watched the twisted look on Baekhyun’s face. No. This can’t be real. She couldn’t just believe what her eyes were seeing right now.

Baekhyun’s smirk was still on his face before he uttered a word. Soohyun dreaded his words. It would just prove whatever Hann just said. It would just prove that Baekhyun might’ve used her for his own gain. She didn’t want to believe it—she trusted him with her whole heart—he can’t just turn his back on her like this.

He told her to trust him. Is this also a part of his plan?

“Done’s done, Hann. Now, I want the crystal,” Baekhyun said.

“Baekhyun,” Soohyun called out, her voice at the verge of cracking as she looked only at Baekhyun. Please. But he was unwavering—his eyes showed no emotion nor remorse—they were determined for the crystal. Is this the real Baekhyun? Is this what Jongdae has been telling her about?

Hann let out a chuckle as he stepped closer to Soohyun. Instinctively, Soohyun stepped back without breaking eye contact with Baekhyun. She wanted to see it for herself. Maybe, just maybe, he was lying and he was just playing with Hann to get the crystal. Maybe.

“You just fell right into my hands at the right moment. How lovely is that, Soohyun,” Hann started. “Just when I need much more power, here you are being offered as an exchange for this crystal. Just how lucky I am.”

Soohyun could care less about Hann’s blabbing. She didn’t want to look away from Baekhyun. She didn’t want to lose him and everyone else. Please. Don’t give up on me.

“Baekhyun...” she called out once again but still, Baekhyun’s demeanor wasn’t changing even for a bit. Her heart pounded loudly against her chest.

“I want you all to watch this before I give the crystal,” Hann said. It took Soohyun by surprise when he took her hand and grabbed her harshly. He then stopped at the middle of his tracks and started chanting something she wasn’t familiar at all. He continued with his chants until Soohyun could feel something unfamiliar inside her.

She looked back at Baekhyun, hoping that there would be change, but to her dismay, he stayed just like what he was before. Unwavering. Her body started to feel weird, as if something was forcefully taken out of her. She grabbed the hem of her dress tightly as she grasped for air. Hann was still chanting beside her. It didn’t took long enough when her knees dropped to the ground and her breathing became more excruciatingly harder than before.

Soohyun couldn’t register what exactly was happening. It just felt like something was clenching real tight. She couldn’t find the strength to even gasp for a tiny bit of air. At that moment, Soohyun thought this might be the end for her. No one was there to help her—not Baekhyun and not the rest of the crew—no one. She wanted to cry for help, to yell and to just ask for a helping hand because she could feel death right at the very tip of her fingers. She can’t just die like this.

There were still a lot of things she wanted to do. There were still so many of them and she knew she could do all of those if she really wanted to. I can’t die right here. I won’t. Soohyun took the last bit of energy she has to open her eyes. With blurred vision, she searched the ring on her hand and forcefully took it out. It didn’t do anything at all as she still could hear Hann’s loud chanting beside her but she wish it did something. Anything.

Anything would do.

Please. I don’t want to die like this. Soohyun’s eyes were failing her each second that passed with nothing happening. Her body was numb and she couldn’t feel anything at all. Her head was starting to feel light, as if her soul leaving her entirety at that very moment. With one last gasp for air, her eyes closed, leaving her unconscious on the ground.

~~~

Soohyun woke up with a headache as she reached for something she could grab on. Her whole body was aching and it was so painful to even lift a finger. She groaned in pain as she carefully sat herself. She looked around and noticed that she was on an unfamiliar place.

Then she remembered what happened. She was on the ground, gasping for air, as Hann chanted something that made her feel so weak and helpless. And then she collapsed, with Baekhyun’s face as the last image engraved on her mind.

This place wouldn’t have been the ship. It was far from what she remembers. She had to let out a defeated sigh as she came to a realization that she had just been offered as an exchange for the crystal they were all dying to get their hands on. It hurt her. It slowly destroys everything inside her—on how quick they were to just give her away—it pained her to the bones. Was that why everyone was becoming distant to her for the past few days? Is that why