Taehyun let out a sigh as he let his eyes linger on the unresponsive bodies; he stared at Kai, Jisu and Jungeun, their faces pale and their breaths low. He knew that they would wake up soon, but he couldn’t help but feel guilty at the fact that they overworked themselves to a great extent, while he simply stood still amid the fight.

It had been around ten minutes since the team reunited at the store, only to see unoccupied furniture within the dark room. They then noticed that the barrier had expanded to enclose more of the elongated street, along with a few more residences – the Choi family mansion was partially covered too.

They carried the limp bodies and headed towards a noticeable crowd within the mansion, letting the nurses treat the fallen fighters.

Under the roof of the living room, Taehyun and Beomgyu found themselves sulking, wishing to be playing cards and games on the familiar carpet surrounded by the soft cushions that they always threw around. Freedom felt so close yet so far away at the same time.

“Hey, they’ll be fine.”, Beomgyu reassured as he placed a gentle hand on Taehyun’s knee.

He then returned his gaze to the three lying on the couches, wondering when they’d wake up. Just then, he felt a presence nearby, and he turned around to see Seungmin approaching him.

“Hey, where’s Yeonjun-hyung and Soobin-hyung?”

That stirred Taehyun from his daze; the latter rose to his feet and inspected the room. He saw groups of people – the rest of the team, the officers, the two nurses, and a few parents – scattered across the living room, murmuring amongst themselves.

“Uh, they’re in the other houses.”

“No, Taehyun, they’re not.” Seungmin looked at the younger with a strong gaze. He then added, “Felix and I just went to all the houses on the block, and we didn’t see them. I thought they told you where they would be?”

Taehyun raised an eyebrow as he processed those words; he then his heels and began counting the number of officers assembled at one corner, and his eyes widened at a shocking realisation.

He breathed out heavily, not wanting to panic. He then briefly glanced at Yeonjun’s father, who stood at the side with his personal guard. Mustering up enough courage to overcome his quivering voice, he said, “. Are those two still outside then? All alone? I thought some of the officers were with them! Better yet, I thought they came here and went into the other homes! They should be back by now!”

Just then, Kai stirred in his position, fluttering his eyes open, a feeling of déjà vu settling into his heart. He slowly lifted himself off the couch and put his legs down, leaning back and letting his body rest against the cushioned surface. “Ah… W-What happened?”

While the others rushed towards Kai and tried to explain the situation and keep him relaxed, Taehyun picked up a torch from the ground and ran towards the large doors of the mansion that swung open with a quick push.

He stared outside, heavy breaths escaping his chapped lips. He looked up at the shining moon and frowned at the sight of dark clouds filling the night sky. An unsettling feeling grew within his heart, causing him to stiffen his shoulders.

Within the dark, he then saw a figure approaching at an alarming speed.

Several minutes ago, Yeonjun found himself sitting on the rough ground just outside the library, his sight of the interior being blocked by a tall bookshelf obstructing the broken window just before him – the bookshelf that Soobin used to push him out.

He quickly hoisted himself up, dusting off the dirt on his palms. He then looked over his shoulder, gasping at the close proximity between his body and the surface of the barrier.

He then returned his gaze to the front, feeling his heartbeat quicken as his mind processed the situation he was forcefully put in. He helplessly ran towards the wall enclosing the library, desperately pushing against the bookshelf but to no avail. Only then did he lift his head to see the massive creature looming over the land, its claws reaching forward.

Suddenly, he heard in his mind the voice of his best friend – he heard the voice tell him to run.

With not a moment to waste, he turned around and ran towards the nearest source of light, his torch long forgotten within the ruins of the library – the library that had Soobin trapped.

He wiped away the fallen tears on his cheeks, only for a fresh stream to roll down to his chin; with heavy breaths leaving his parted lips, he dashed forward, his feet moving at a concerning velocity and nearly tripping over pieces of rock and rubble on the ground. He couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gravity pull him down, but he knew it was all just guilt and remorse.

But he had hope, and that kept his feet steady on the surface. He believed he was doing the right thing, he believed it was what Soobin would’ve wanted him to do. He believed he would make it in time, he believed he would be able to rescue his best friend.

He prayed that he would. He prayed that the other was alive. He believed he had to believe.

With that belief carrying him forward, he found himself heading towards the mansion that he so dearly missed even though he oftentimes hated the utter luxury that he grew accustomed to. The once faint streaks of light peeking out through the dark windows were now evident in front of his gloomy eyes; he closed his fingers into fists, for his hands felt empty without a torch, without his best friend’s hand dragging him along – his best friend was gone.

He couldn’t be gone; he couldn’t believe he was gone, he didn’t want to believe it.

As he walked past the open gates of the mansion and stopped in front of the large entrance, he slouched his shoulders and breathed out heavily, the lingering hope fading out with time. He saw through his hazy vision, Taehyun standing with a relieved expression.

“What took you so long? Where the hell were you two? Was there a slime chasing you both?”, the younger complained as he stepped forward. “Hyung?”, he inquired. He looked to his left and right, raising an eyebrow at the realisation that a certain tall boy wasn’t standing nearby.

“Where’s Soobin-hyung?” He waited for a response, but as the silence aded through yet again, he began to panic. “Hyung. Where is Soobin-hyung?” He emphasised on each word and his voice was quiet and forced, his eyes rigid and wide open. He then flashed his torch on the other’s face, only to notice that despite the bright light, Yeonjun’s eyes were overcome with an unrelenting feeling of sheer anguish and sorrow.

He didn’t know one could look so devastated, so dejected, so broken.

“He’s w-waiting for me.” Yeonjun whispered in a voice so soft, one could almost miss it. He then lifted his head and forced a smile, but the despair was far too clear in his dull eyes. He cleared his throat and added in a clear tone, “We have to bring him here. We can’t keep him waiting forever, can we? The slime’s too big for him to fight all alone.”

Taehyun stared at the other in shock, his lips parting with concern. He tried to connect the dots, and all that he could conclude was an urgent need to get the truth out of Yeonjun. He felt hi