“Changmi?” A light touch on the shoulder made me flinch, returning me from my thoughts back to the overcrowded barrack, which the rebels call an infirmary. “Are you listening to me?”

Mirae is the girl standing in front of me now, and was considered the best doctor among the locals, but she would not be in any comparison with the doctors of our world. She was not bad, but in such critical times, when people are lying around, begging for salvation, with horrific damage, treatment without equipment and a professional doctor significantly reduced the likelihood of success.

“Changmi, are you okay?”

“Yes, what did you say?” More and more often I began to sink into my own thoughts, completely ignoring what I was told. After Chanyeol rescued me, he immediately left to give out commands, leaving me in the care of the soldiers who brought me to this place. The entire barrack was overflowing with people who had suffered from the last attack, but obviously my mind was trying to abstract me from the surrounding reality, which oppressed me so much. Even now, I stared indifferently at Mirae's moving lips, but I heard nothing.

“This ointment was specially developed by me, by order of Chanyeol, he…”

“Wait, where is Chanyeol?” Anxiously looking around, I never saw a single red-haired guy. After I parted with him on the battlefield, I thought that he would also come to the doctor for treatment, since the battle was already over. However, the guy was not here, which made me anxious. My gaze shifted to the girl, who was also smiling calmly, not understanding my feelings in any way. “He got serious burns, why isn't he here? Have his injuries been treated?”

“Don't worry, Chanyeol ordered us to take care of the people first.'' Still smiling, she continued to gently apply the bad-smelling cream on my burnt cheeks, taking her time and treating me like a child. “And he does not feel pain when interacting with fire, because he is a Phoenix that does not burn in a flame.”

There were notes of secret adoration in her voice and her eyes sparkled with admiration. As I noticed, this was normal for everyone under Chanyeol's leadership. Everyone from old to young: women looked at him with eyes full of admiration and men obeyed unquestioningly, not even daring to hint at disobedience. Chanyeol is an outstanding leader, having convinced all these people to follow him unconditionally and believe in him in a way that they don't even believe in themselves.

“Okay, then where is Sehun? He’s not fireproof after all.” The irritation in my voice was getting harder and harder to hide. The girl's calmness got on my nerves and the fear for the guys made it even worse.

“The order was given to take care of the seriously injured first.” She said unquestioningly, without a smile, showing her professional side. As she twisted the lid of the cream, the girl looked at my face and the doctor's concentration was replaced by sympathy. “Changmi, Sehun is in a special unit recruited by Chanyeol himself. Don't worry, they are the last ones who could get hurt.”

“But …” I wanted to continue senseless arguments, as a strong push to the back made me fall towards the doctor. The girl caught me and a dull pain went all over my body. Quickly regaining my balance (not without Mirae's help) I turned around and fell into the grip of an old man with mad eyes.

“You! I know who you are! Chosen One that will save the world?!” In despair and through tears, this disfigured man shouted at me. He grabbed me by the shoulders, painfully digging fingers into them and shook me which made my head spin. I couldn't look away, I couldn't move. Fear gripped my body, preventing me from getting out of the grip. “That’s your fault! All these problems are because of you! My daughter, look at my daughter! What was done to her because of YOU!”

A seemingly decrepit old man dragged me by force towards one of the beds on which seriously wounded people lay. There was a girl in the place that he pointed, although it took me a while to figure it out. She was extremely disfigured: half of her face was completely burned out, leaving a skull and eyes that were forever open without eyelids. She was looking at me but as if she was looking through, not seeing anything.

“It's all because of you! I knew, I knew from the very beginning that all this chosenness is nonsense! Will you save us?! So come on, what are you waiting for? Save my daughter!” The old man was still shaking me and his face, covered with deep wrinkles and even deeper fresh scars, was distorted by insane grief, mixed with angry tears.

The soldiers, standing on the watch in the infirmary, arrived in time and dragged the screaming old man aside. They also picked me up since I was no longer able to stand. I was in prostration, looking at the retreating grief-stricken man. Time seemed to have stopped and I did not know what to do. A shiver pierced my body but there was still a ringing silence in my head.

“Changmi.” Sehun appeared in front of my eyes, holding me gently by the shoulders, looking at me with his calm eyes. How did he get here? Scanning his face for some time, I began to calm down. The noise surrounding us reached my ears and now I was already on my guard, looking around.

The people who had previously stood and sat calmly on different sides of the infirmary are now gathered in a tight circle around us. Their faces were definitely not friendly and if it were not for the guards desperately holding back the crowd, I think I would not have been alive. I heard their screams, their voices full of rage and absolute hatred in my direction.

“It's her fault!”

“Why did Phoenix let her in?!”

“Burn the witch!”

The phrases flying from all sides frightened me more and more, it made tears welling up in my eyes. Am I guilty? My gaze wandered over the faces contorted with anger, and each of them gave out a desire to kill.

“But I didn't ask for it! I didn't want to…” My voice was drowned in the surrounding hum and the guards could no longer restrain people but then I remembered Sehun was there. He was still standing in front of me, holding me by the shoulders, with a strange calmness on his face. As if nothing bothered him, as if everything was under control.

“Follow me.” He whispered only that, practically not moving his lips, but I clearly heard him. His voice passed as pleasant waves in my mind, calming me down and bringing me into such a needed right now state of hypnosis.

Sehun went towards the crowd, holding me close to him. His closeness was overwhelming but fear overpowered all other feelings. We walked unhurriedly towards the crowd that, like raging waves, was ready to swallow us without a trace.

And now he was already standing in front of them, angry people who looked at me with unprecedented anger. I looked at Sehun as if asking what we were going to do, as he stepped closer to the crowd and now all eyes were on him. For the first second, people still tried to intimidate him, stretching out their grabbing hands to him. One of the bravest even came closer to him, but immediately regretted it.

The hand of an angry man, who aimed his fist straight at Sehun's face, was caught in the same second by the guy, preventing him from moving. Initially, the attacker tried to escape the grip and then tried to hit Sehun with the second hand but suddenly he shuddered and groaned in pain, falling to his knees. He was still screaming in pain and tried to pull his hand out of Sehun's grip but the guy did not even flinch, tightening his grip on the man’s fingers.

There was a loud crunching sound, after which Sehun let go of the man's hand, who immediately collapsed, emitting unintelligible hums along with foul language. The whole atmosphere around us has changed: the people that a minute ago were ready to tear me to pieces, now in heavy silence looked at the tormented man but did not make any attempt to help or do anything.

My friend just grabbing my hand, continued on his way through the crowd. This time the noise around us died down. Everyone just looked at us with unkind looks but in any case they stepped out of the way, not daring to interfere.

“Isn't it the Nine?”

“What is he doing here? Shouldn't he be in the garrison?”

“Did he break his arm? They are supposed to protect us…”

There were quiet whispers from all sides that I could not help but hear. I fixed my gaze in front of me and just trailed after Sehun, not daring to look any of the people in the eye. Sehun's steadfastness amazed me, especially his protection. Is it another order from Chanyeol?

***

Some time passed, during which I had already come to my senses but I still wandered after Sehun, as if on a leash. He did not let me go and led me in an unknown direction and I did not resist. What's going on with my life