“Relax. Calm down.”

Donghae breathed slowly, “In and Out”, following the pace he heard.

“Focus on my words”, Leeteuk said in a calm voice. Donghae’s face had relaxed, eyes closed, the creases on his forehead had eased as he listened to Leeteuk’s words.

“We are going back to the night you went to the forest again. The night you don’t remember.” Donghae was still calm.

“It’s night, you are in your room sleeping when you wake up suddenly in pain.” Donghae’s eyebrows twitched, features tensing up a bit. “What happened next?” Donghae could see nothing new, he shook his head, “I don’t remember.”

“Focus”, Leeteuk ordered. “You have to open your mind. What did you do next.” Donghae was distressed, “It was too hard to breath”, his hand clutched on his shirt. “It felt as if my heart was being crushed.”

It was silent for a while, “And”, Leeteuk urged to continue. Donghae was still silent, his hand that was clutching at his shirt was now resting on his chest, his features calm.

“I am driving myself to the forest”, Donghae said. “Why”, Leeteuk asked.

“It felt like a calling”, he said. Leeteuk and Siwon exchanged confused glances.

“Are you in the car”, Leeteuk asked.

“Yes”.

“Can you say who do you see in the mirror?”

Donghae was quiet for a while, “I can’t recognize it. The face is blurred.”

Leeteuk nodded his head, as if realizing something, “Ok. Let’s move ahead.”

“Let’s go to the forest.” Leeteuk said. “What is the first thing you see?”

“The tree”, Donghae replied, his breathing getting heavier.

“You have to finish it”, he said with gritted teeth. “You have to complete what you started.”

Leeteuk was surprised with the sudden change in tone, “Donghae? Calm down”.

“Don’t break your promise”, Donghae continued still angry. His hands fisted at his shirt, “Is it buried? Where is it?” I’ve to find it.” Donghae said frantically.

Before Leeteuk could ask Donghae to calm down, he suddenly yelped in pain, hands clutching his chest. “Ca-can’t breathe…”

“Wake up Donghae”, Leeteuk ordered.

The room is eerily quiet, like a calm before the storm and that is slightly unsettling as Kyuhyun noticed his friend trying hard to stay calm. The room is dimly lit by candles, illuminating Donghae in a warm light as he laid down on the recliner with Leeteuk beside him. He had his eyes closed and seemed to be recalling his days as soft words were spoken by Leeteuk. Kyuhyun wanted to stay alert but he was in a daze, as he heard the words being spoken but doesn’t comprehend. It went on for a while, in hushed words and erratic movements, but nothing seemed to break his stupor, until Donghae startled upright.

“Calm down Donghae”, Leeteuk soothed, “You are safe”. He can sense a shift in energy, the dark aura around Donghae pulling desperately at his calm aura. ‘Strange’ he thinks.

Donghae dropped his face in his palms, slightly rubbing his temples and trying to calm his nerves. What he saw, what he heard, he doesn’t understand. Maybe it was better that he didn’t remember how he got to the forest and why he went there. Abruptly memories of drowning while trying to pull someone along flooded in, that was when he startled upright.

“So… how did it go?” Siwon stood up, unsure whether to go near Donghae or not. “Did you recall anything useful?”

Donghae shook his head, “I don’t know about it being useful.” He fidgeted in his seat, eyes focused at the flame of candle in front of him, “Something about being set free. I think I kept on chanting a phrase but it’s not clear.” He stopped fidgeting and got still, “I felt being angry, too angry, yet powerless, drawn to that place.” He remembers driving to the forest, remembers digging fervently with his bare hands, remembers how he was bristling with raw anger, remembers how helplessly he watched himself struggle against his friends and hurt them.

“Donghae”, Kyuhyun called out softly, urging him to continue.

“I didn’t feel like myself”, he continues. “It was my body out there, but I wasn’t in control.”

Siwon just exchanged confused glances with Kyuhyun.

Leeteuk had a serious look on his face, as he carefully treaded the topic, “I think this could be a case of possession. I think you’ve had your suspicions about it.” Donghae neither agreed nor denied as Kyuhyun and Siwon moved uneasily in their seats. “The time you lost, was because your body was under the control of the spirit that took over you. That is why you saw a blurred face in the mirror. It took advantage of your weakened state and was able to possess you.” He scratched his chin before continuing, “To make a case, it probably has some things to take care of and that’s why it used you as a vessel.”

‘No , Sherlock’, Kyuhyun thought.

Donghae shook his head, trying to reject the possibility that he was probably possessed, but the facts were indicating otherwise. “Why me? Why now?” Donghae asked as he studied the guys surrounding him.

Helpless gazes just answered back, unsure of what to say, or how to explain, when they themselves are equally in the dark. “This is it then?” Donghae asks. “A dead end!”

Siwon rushed forward and knelt beside Donghae, “Hey, don’t think like that. You, Leeteuk-ssi”, he addressed Leeteuk, “Can’t you help in some way. Like a, like this”, he pointed at the wall, “a protection talisman or something, I don’t know”.

Leeteuk walked around the duo as he blew off the candles and the lights, “Like I said before, I am not a shaman, just a kind of psychic, who can sense spirits and help people.”

“Kind of psychic”, Kyuhyun interrupted impatiently, “Either you are or you aren’t. Can you help or not, because there are other things we can do, instead of standing here