The room was still on the everpresent gloom, the only sound the rustle of Eunhee's sheets when she moved. The pained war cries had already died a, yet Yixing and Baekhyun still hadn't gone back to the dorm. 

Lara had been awake for a long while. Once again, the icy stone walls had devoured her with their sharp fangs and their iron thorns. She could feel the pain in her bones. creeping in her veins like a cold snake. The walls of the Catacombs has indeed devoured her: her dreams, her hopes, her strenght. Her spirit was utterly broken, but it had not been shattered yet.

Somewhere within herself, she still harboured some hope. she still believed it was possible to get out of that hellhole with her friends, even if to do so she had to crawl through bloody dirt. Everytime she saw them she couldn't help but thank them mentally for all they had done for her, even if they had no idea. A lot of inmates did not survive The Catacombs. It wasn't only for the physical strain, but because of the crippling absence of natural light. A lot lost ther minds and decided to break their bodies rather than watch their sanity slipping through their fingers like fleeting sand.

Lara had contemplated that option several times. A fast escape. But all those years, her friends had kept her steadyly anchored to life, to hope. She had learned to fight for them when she lost the strenght to fight for herself. She understood they would fight for her sake if she let go of herself. She wished to live another day to see their smiles above everything else. Even above escaping that cursed body and that tainted world.

The heavy metal door creaked open. The moldy light of the sick bulbs hanging on the corridor walls cut the gloom as a dusty yellowish blade. Lara sat on her matress and jump towards Yixing without giving him a second to react. She hugged him tightly and let his big warms hands caress her back. His honey voice kept reassuring her he was safe.

"What about me?" Lara stiffened in Yixing's arms. She knew that voice too well for her own good, even if she hadn't seen him yet. She got out fo Yixing's embrace and in a heartbeat she had thrown herself to Baekhyun. He smelt like gun powder, blood and sweat, but it felt right. It felt right having his fingers trace irregurar paterns along her shoulder blade and his lips kiss her hair. 

"You stupid idiot" She wispered to his chest, "How can you just disappear like that today!"

"I'm sorry"

"No you're not"

Yixing laughed under his breath. They always ended up the same way: the all mighty Baekhyun hanging his head low and the famous midget Lara staring at him with blazing fury and hidden amusement. 

"I don't understand why you're so upset" Baekhyun shrugged "You already know how it works. It's always the same, this year too"

"It is not the same, Baek. You know it's different. This is our year"

The hallways were getting empty. What broke loose that night had such a reputation not a single soul dared to be one second late to the time the bunker colsed its doors. When everything ended the floor whas soiled whith a sickening shade of red, littered with dead bodies, isolated limbs and guts. 

Everyone dreamt with The Escape, but nobody dared to advance their time fearing maybe the intestines that would line the railings that night would be theirs.

"Come on Lara!" Baekhyun shouted "Again. Use any opening"

She was exhausted. Baekhyun had insisted on practicing hand-to-hand combat while most of the inmates of their year were practicing in the shooting field. The edges of her vision blurred into blots of colors. She blamed it on the sweat that soaked her forehead and creapt into her eyes. Or maybe it was her erratic breathing and the crazy rhythm of her heart

Baekhyun was a meter away from her, offensive stance. Lara barely dodged the blow. He was on another level. The white tank top he was wearing was just a second skin, sticking to the curves of his chest because of the sweat. But, unlike her, he did not seem tired at all. Lara crouched to dodge another blow and quickly slid towards him, burrying her elbow between his ribs. He stumbled a few steps back and landed on his coughing and panting. It was the first time she managed to knock him down.

"Sorry" she panted "Did I hit you too hard?"

Bakhyun shook his head. "It was perfect. Even better if you can do it harder"

She helped him up. Yixing and Eunhee were coming their way from the targets for the knives. Discouraged and with panic biting her insides, Lara looked at the dilapidated clock on the wall: there was just one hour left. In one hour, all the lights of The Catacombs would melt to black and she would have to make her way out of that hellhole in complete darkness. Through ruthless guards and other desperate inmates. Through death and cruelty. 

"There's just one hour left" Eunhee said "We should go change and revise our plan"

Nothing could be heard anymore, not even the echo of the gunshots from the shooting field. She felt chocked by the silence, it boomed on her eardrums and echoed through her ribcage. 

"Go ahead" said Baekhyun "we'll be with you in a minute"

She looked at him puzzled. His long and slender fingers treced her jawline, savouring the creamy texture of her skin. She closed her eyes and leaned onto the affection poured through his caress. 

"I'm scared, Baek" she wispered "I'm so scared I feel like I'm choking on thin air" 

"Look at me" 

She shook har head and pursed her lips. "Look at me Lara" his voice was soft but firm. She reluctantly opened her eyes. It had been years since she last saw his eyes so full of determination, flashing and scorching. She felt the flames of his strength warming her insides and the tips of her fingers, barely brushing the knife holstered on her leg. It had been years since she had been so aware of Baekhyun's real force and the danger he represented, but never for her. Since that incident in the showers almost two years ago she had not seen the true vigor of the indomitable beast that resided inside him. 

Baekhyun was staring at her tenderly, with a soft smile. She watched him removing the necklace he always hid under his raspy clothes, flush with his skin. It was a silver light flake with sharp edges and a crystal diamond embedded on its center. He, who still had some memories of his life before The Catacombs, had told her th jewel once belonge to his mother.

"Baek, what are yo-"

"I want you to have this" The diamond reflected the white lights of the room, little specks dancing on his face.

"You know I can't take it"

"Then give it back to me"

"What?"

"Keep this necklace with you and take care of it until I ask you to give it back. Whatever happens tonight, I will always find you. I promise you, no matter what happens I will find you.