[Haechan in the Sier call]

I woke up early the next morning to knocking on my door. Squinting at the light that shone into the room, I sat up groggily to hear the knock stop for half a beat and then continue again. Swallowing my saliva, I sat there wondering if there would be bad news. Deciding that it was best I face it, I threw the covers off and walked over to the door, swinging it open just to see Xiumin with his knuckles up just to knock again. He blinked at me and I blinked back.

“G’morning, dear Harin,” Xiumin said, suddenly laughing at how sleepy I looked. “Someone slept well last night.”

“The best sleep ever,” I told him, my voice still rough. That wasn’t true though, I kept thinking about Sehun but knew it was best to push my feelings aside. My feelings were not going to save Exodus from whatever it was going to go under. “What’s wrong, Xiumin? It’s so early.”

“J-hope contacted me.” Xiumin paused. “Actually no, J-hope told Luhan and Luhan told me that he has talked to Jin—"

“Wait, wait.” I looked back to see Bubbles stirring. “Let’s go see Jaehyun? I don’t want to explain it all over again to him. Bubbles… C’mere.”

Xiumin nodded and waved at Bubbles while she bounded up to my side. She has gotten so big, her body moving in rolls; the creature sniffing my feet and nudging my leg with her nose to show me that it was time to go. I closed the door behind me, rubbing the sleep away from my eyes realizing that I didn’t even brush my teeth or freshened up yet—but that was for another time when news about Oh Shin was involved.

I went to Jaehyun’s door, a hand going to open the door since I knew he usually left the door open when I could hear him talking. His voice was worried as the sound of someone wailing could be heard. I peeked past the door just for him to look at me and motion me over, Xiumin and Bubbles following close behind.

I was worried I was invading whatever he was doing but Jaehyun was holding a Sier and he was talking into it. Xiumin closed the door behind him and I could hear wailing and sobbing from the Sier.

“Come on, now. It’s alright….,” Jaehyun was saying, his eyebrows knitted. “Harin is here with Senior Xiumin, do you want to talk to them?”

A hiccup sounded and I looked closely to see Haechan’s big eyes filled with tears, wiping them away and nodding. I took the Sier from Jaehyun just to see him wail again, Mark’s voice in the background.

“He’s been freaking out since it happened. He won't stop crying, Senior!” Mark said. Xiumin sat on the bed, listening to what was going on.

“SENIORRRRRRRRRR!” Haechan wailed at me, returning to a fit. “You have to get me out of here! I don’t want to be here anymore!”

“Haechan, what’s wrong?” I asked, worried. The Sier was clear and I could see his face turn redder by the minute. He sobbed, turning the Sier to his side of the room and I saw that it was empty with no boxes at all. His boxes were gone and there was black soot on the floor.

“THE HEADMASTER BURNED ALL MY BOXES!” he bawled. “B-Because I kept all the other s-students and…. My mansion is gone! Beach is gone! They almost burned Yuta’s body and…. And…. THE STATUE OF UNCLE RUMPEL IS GONE!”

“Yeah, that was expensive.” I heard Mark say in the background.

“And.. and… I HAVE NO CLOTHES TO WEAR!” Haechan told me, his voice raising an octave. “Looook, I’m wearing Mark’s clothes!”

Haechan panned the Sier down and I saw that he was wearing a black shirt and a white outer top with black pants; an outfit that was similar to a sailors outfit. I bit my lip to try not to laugh when it panned back to Haechan’s face and I noticed he was wearing a hat. The hat was white with a black stripe on it.

“What is this sailor outfit?!” He yelled out when Mark yelled back from his bed.

“You don’t need to wear the hat, Haechan!”

“BUT IT PULLS THE OUTFIT TOGETHER!”

I sighed, sitting down on the bed, Xiumin scooting sit on my right while Jaehyun came close to my left. All three of us looked at Haechan who was having a hard time calming himself down. I felt so bad for him, I wanted to hug him.

“It’s a good thing I kept all the pearls and the Sier in this bag,” Haechan said, looking up at us. “Senior, you have to come and get us!”

“Why can’t you just come out of the portal to Soul City?” I asked Haechan whose bottom lip trembled when Mark’s voice butted in.

“They closed the portal, for now, Senior. No idea why, but I think it’s because children have been trying to run away and go home,” Mark said to me and even he looked worried.

“Mhmm… Hang in there, guys. Just go to class and lay low, okay?” Jaehyun said. “They were probably mad that you guys weren’t going to class. Now promise me you’ll go to class.”

“P-promise, Jaehyun,” Haechan blubbered before Mark waved at the Sier, his hands going to close it. When their faces left, I sighed, shaking my head.

“Poor them,” I told Jaehyun and Xiumin who agreed. “Where did they get a Sier, anyway?”

“You forgot Haechan and Mark’s rich. Haechan bought it so he could talk to Uncle Rumpel. Say, Harin… Your brothers are still in the centaur gap though.”

“Yeah. I’m sure there’s nothing happening. The Headmaster is just mad because Haechan has been hiding kids in his pouch. Anyway, Xiumin, you were saying—”

“Oh. J-hope has told Jin about it and said that for some reason it was really easy to uncharm him,” Xiumin told me, crossing his legs. “But actually I heard from Jin that he and J-hope got into a fight because Jin didn’t believe him but I don’t know what happened next. Anyway, that’s all.”

“I called Johnny to come back,” Jaehyun told us, standing up. “He was bored with the giants anyway so he wanted to come back. The thing is, what are you both thinking of doing now?”

“Luhan and Tao said they’ll try to work on Suho and Kris but remember when Senior Donghae told Senior Leeteuk?” Xiumin asked. I nodded. Leeteuk had said sweet words about them being brothers and was the one who stabbed him. “I think we should use the memory on all of them when we gather all of us together.”

“How do we reach Kai and Chen?” I asked Xiumin who pointed at the Sier.

“Kai’s father has one, I’ll try to contact them. For Chen, I don’t think he has one but we can send an echowomp to him. I’ll arrange it,” he told me, and I felt relieved that Xiumin was taking the lead. “As for Sehun…”

Sehun.

My heart dropped.

I didn’t want to think of him, and I didn’t want to hear his name.

“Sehun, we should save for last,” I told Xiumin, hoping he didn’t hear the change in my tone. “It’s his father. If we ever tell him something and he goes against us like how Senior Leeteuk did to Senior Donghae, then we may face even more problems.”

“I agree,” Jaehyun piped in, bending down to pat Bubbles on the head. I stared at Bubbles, chewing on my lip before turning to both of them. I hated asking them for favors.

“Do you guys know anywhere I can stay? A hotel, perhaps?” I asked the boys who looked at me, perplexed at my question.

“What’s wrong? The Royal Headmaster Oh Shin didn’t try and threaten you or something, did he? He hasn’t been around….” Jaehyun paused. “Did he send someone to try to kill you again?”

I turned pink. I didn’t want to tell them that it was because I fought with Sehun and he was a distraction—especially with Krystal prancing around with that snobby look of hers. Shaking my head, I saw Jaehyun’s eyes soften and before I could even say anything he spoke.

“You and Sehun okay?” he asked and for a moment I wanted to burst into tears. I had a knack of being emotional over the littlest things and I knew Jaehyun could see past it. Xiumin frowned and I sighed.

“Small fight,” I replied. Xiumin and Jaehyun weren’t ones to meddle, both of them nodding in understanding. Xiumin then proceeded to say that Sehun was arrogant sometimes and he apologized on his friend's behalf.

“Don’t apologize, Xiumin,” I told him, smiling. “It’s not your fault he can be a jerk sometimes. I just need a place to stay. I don’t feel okay staying under his roof.”

“You can always stay in the Jung Tower,” Jaehyun told me. “Or I can bring you home to my mansion.”

“Jaehyun, you want me to climb up your tower like Rapunzel?” I asked Jaehyun, Xiumin bursting out into laughter.

“What’s a Ruppletell?” Jaehyun asked back and I forgot that he didn’t know anything at all about the stories on Earth.

“Or… Maybe you can come and stay with us in Luhan’s house,” Xiumin said and I blinked. “Then again, we all sleep on the floor because these day’s Jin and Lay have been sleeping over as well.”

“Senior Lay’s around?” I asked him, my eyebrows raising in surprise.

“He doesn’t work in SM anymore. Senior Yesung took his place so he can keep close to Senior Leeteuk who is now headmaster. He now works in the Royal infirmary but since there isn’t much to do because there are doctors there, he’s taking some time off,” Xiumin replied.

“And does he know…?”

“No, not yet. J-hope, Luhan, and Tao said we should tell the advisors all together so we won’t be wasting Tao’s powers. After dinner that night, he was so exhausted we had to bring him food to his mattress and practically feed it to him.”

“I guess Luhan’s house is out of the picture,” I told Xiumin, though I knew that I would never stay in Luhan’s house because it would seem like I was invading their privacy with almost all of them packed in one living room. I was about to tell him that I would find a place to stay in Soul City with the amount of money I exchanged the pearls for when a knock on the window sounded.

Jaehyun jumped and I turned to see that there was an echowomp fluttering outside his window. Its wings were flapping as it stayed afloat. It looked smaller than a usual echowomp when I remembered that it might be one of Shinee’s because I told them what floor and room I was. I stepped forward, stumbling over Bubbles before Jaehyun grabbed and steadied me.

“I’ll do it,” Xiumin said, going and opening the window. “What’s an echowomp doing here?”

“Jaehyun and I went to see Shinee yesterday to track down Namjoon,” I told him. Xiumin stepped away from the window and the echowomp flew in.

“I have been flying past the other window!” The echowomp said in Taemin’s voice.

“Sorry, I woke up early and came to this room,” I told it and the echowomo fluttered down onto the bed. It looked up at us with it's big eyes before opening its mouth to replay a message.

“Hello! I-I’m… Tae—Ouch!” Taemin’s voice came out from the echowomps mouth when it was replaced by another man’s voice that sounded more prim and proper.

“Ong Harin. Onew, our tracker, has found a lead and wants to bring it to you.” Key’s voice said and I blinked. “Do tell your address to Cheese and then we’ll bring him to you—unless…”

Key’s voice trailed off and I thought the echowomp named Cheese was finished when Key’s voice started again.

“Unless you want us to “Torture and Extract” for information. That’s a package though—you have to pay extra.” Key’s voice said smugly and I turned to see Xiumin and Jaehyun looking at the echowomp as if it was the one who would “Torture and Extract”.

“Uh, no?” I said and the echowomp continued to speak.

“If the client says no, proceed to say the next sentence: I would need you to give me the address to send it off. Address is… Remembering the client's address in 1…2….”

“No, no. Wait. I don’t know where I’ll be just yet!” I said out loud to the echowomp. It closed its mouth and waited, Xiumin deep in thought before speaking.

“Pixie Street—House number 444/110,” he suddenly said and the echowomp nodded, repeating the address. “Eunwoo’s house.” He told me and I automatically nodded, realizing that Eunwoo was actually in Soul City. “You can stay there for a while.”

“Why does it keep saying “it”?” Jaehyun suddenly asked. “It said, “Send it off”. What is Shinee sending off?”

“I have no idea,” I said to Jaehyun, the echowomp suddenly flying up and fluttering its wings and saying it’ll relay the message and wishing us farewell. “Are you sure Eunwoo will be okay in letting me stay for a while? He has a paired partner already and I—”

“He’ll be okay with it. He’s really fond of you and his paired partner is a sweetheart. She really does remind me of you. Did he tell you--?”

“That she might be pregnant?”

“Rumors go fast, but my brother comes faster,” Xiumin said, Jaehyun and I turning red at the rated +19 joke Xiumin made. Xiumin paused as if he forgot that I and Jaehyun weren’t his friends and I wondered if he spoke to Suho, Lay, and Kris like this since they were considered the same age.

“It was a joke. Lighten up,” Xiumin told us, chuckling. “I’ll have to go and take the day off. I’ll go and bring you to Eunwoo’s house. I’ll also go and get some grass for Bubbles too if you’re bringing her—”

“I’m bringing her,” I told Xiumin, Bubbles sneezing. “I’ll go back then.”

“I’ll meet you in front of the gate,” he told me, patting Bubbles and telling Jaehyun he’ll see him later. When Xiumin left, Jaehyun looked at me, a soft smile on his face.

“I would go with you but—”

“It’s alright, Jaehyun. You’re not the one fighting with Mr. Arrogant,” I told him, reaching up to pat his cheek. “Besides, I saw that Eunwoo has a Sier. I’ll contact you through it. All I have to do is look into it and say your name, age, and think of you; yes?”

“Yes. Think of me often, will you?” he asked and I nodded, Jaehyun taking my hand and pressing his lips to the back of it. “I have to go see my father now. He’s in the Order and he said he wants me to help him with something. I want to finish it before Johnny comes so I can explain everything to him in peace.”

“Of course. Come on, Bubbles,” I told Bubbles who walked after me. I went to my room, closing the door, and began to shove all my things in the bag. The clothes I was wearing were the clothes I brought back from Earth the second time I came to Exodus along with the rest of EXO. Chewing on my lip, I pushed everything inside and began talking to Bubbles.

“I’m feeling weird again, Bubbles,” I began, sighing. “I feel like I’m not being heard.”

I felt like I was screaming in the dark with no one being able to hear me. What was worse was that it was like no one mattered as much as Sehun.

“This is not me,” I told her. I didn’t feel this hurt when Mark and I didn’t work out. With Mark, I knew it was a long time coming. I knew that when I looked at him, I loved him but I didn’t want to end up with him.

But with Sehun, it was like stepping into a black hole.

I gave a sigh and grabbed the bag, ushering Bubbles over to go to the gate and meet Xiumin. I stepped out of my room, holding the bag before heading towards the stairs when I heard a door from behind me slam. When I turned, I saw that Sehun was coming out of Ms. ’s bedroom and I wanted to jump down the stairs so he wouldn’t see me but he did.

“Gaian,” he called my name and I paused, turning to see that his eyes were on the bag that I was holding. I bit my lip and he took long strides toward me, stopping a foot away. “Where are you going?”

“Away,” I replied, taking a step down the stairs.

“Ong Harin…” His voice trailed. “Where would you go? There is no need to overreact—”

I didn’t want to hear what he had to say. He could say that was overreacting. He could say that he thought I was being dramatic, but I didn’t want to hear any of it. I continued to walk, tears threatening to fall.

I hated feeling like this. He didn’t know how hard I was trying. He didn’t know how hard it was to be in a place where I knew I didn’t belong, fighting for god knows what.

“Ong Harin.” His voice was desperate now and his footsteps neared me before he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. “Where are you going?”

He sounded pissed now. His voice was filled with warning and blinked, Sehun looking down on me, his eyes softening.

“Let go, Oh Sehun,” I whispered. I didn’t want to break down.

Not in front of him.

Sehun didn’t deserve to see a part of me that was vulnerable.

“Let me go,” I told him softly.

“If you’re mad about yesterday.”

I shook my head, bringing my hand back towards me, his hands falling limply to the side. “I’m not mad, Sehun.”

This was the first time I called him just Sehun and his name rolled off my tongue. No, I wasn’t mad at all. I was sad and cornered, but I couldn’t blame him.

“Harin.” His eyes were worried. “The things I do… I do for—”

“Exodus,” I told him gently, nodding. “I understand. So, Sehun.” I paused. “Do what you have to do. I’m not stopping you.”

“Ong Harin.” Sehun’s eyes searched mine.

I had to get out of there. I had to get away from him. I couldn’t.

My heart twisted and even though I knew that what I had with Sehun was complicated at best, I knew that it would never happen because of who he was. I stepped away, walking down the stairs when I heard him angrily call my name once more.

“Ong Harin—If you leave here.” He sounded pissed. “If you leave here, don’t come back.”

I didn’t look back.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When I went to see Xiumin, he asked me if I had been crying and I couldn’t reply. All I did was shake my head as my bottom lip trembled. Xiumin passed me his handkerchief and told me that he was there to listen if anything had happened. I thanked him and we went on our way.

We went to the chariots, Xiumin passing one of the people three charms and we boarded the chariots that were dragged by horses. It didn’t take long and before I knew it, Xiumin had told me to get off. We were at a place with houses and there were all inhabited.

“We’re near the Royal Archives,” Xiumin told me, pointing to the tall building that was a street away. “There’s where they keep all the information, news, and stuff.”

He began walking and I saw a sign called “Pixie Street”. I wondered why it was called Pixie street when I saw a statue of a woman in the middle of the street that looked very familiar. Xiumin saw me stare at the statue before chuckling.

“You would kn