There were times when Changmin woke up in the middle of the night in tears.

He would wake up and find himself in a cold sweat, his face wet from crying.

Tiptoeing to the room next to his, he would slowly crack open the door and take a peek inside. Once he had seen Yunho soundly asleep—still in his bed—would Changmin then be satisfied.

“I won’t leave,” Yunho had told Changmin once. “You don’t have to worry, you know.”

Yes. Of course he wouldn’t leave. Changmin knew that.

But as much as he wanted to believe it, his dreams wouldn’t let him.

It haunted him.

Every night, the same dream would replay itself as Changmin slept.

Three dark shadows fading into the darkness... Yunho following them in a stupor... and no matter how desperately Changmin called out to him to stop, he wouldn’t.

Why did Changmin have to go through this every night? Wasn’t reality harsh enough on him?

He was strong to the world. Everybody knew Max Changmin, the powerful voice and the headstrong maknae of the team.

But in the night, when he was alone in his dark room trying to get to sleep, he would remember his dreams.

And then suddenly, he wasn’t strong, powerful, headstrong Max Changmin anymore.

He was quiet, insecure, terrified Shim Changmin.

He was the kid that saw his three role models collapse, that watched his three best friends leave, that yearned for his three brothers’ love once again.

He was the boy that only had one person left in the world... yet that one person, though sleeping in the room next to his, was walking away in his dreams.

In the day, Max Changmin would be surrounded by managers, workers, friends, fans, and Yunho.

But in the night, when he would be sitting on his bed with his knees drawn up close to his chest and his long arms wrapped tightly around his legs...

Shim Changmin.

Was.

Alone.