NOTE: If you read this chaoter while Listening to EXO's "Miraces in December", you might end up cutting your veins...like me.... jkjk. But siriously, it makes everything more traumatizing X.X

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I had grasped my sword in an effort to protect myself, but I knew it would have to be a miracle for me to keep moving while losing such an amount of blood. I stood with my feet apart and sword held upfront, petrified in the middle of a circle of light at the center of the arena, while the rest that surrounded me was darkness; nothing could be seen from my position. As much as I wanted to win this game, this battle, I felt like the moment had come for me to be defeated. I would never surrender, so I would most likely be killed by SuHo. I guess he was right about me making unessential promises: leaving Exotica was an uncertain vow to take. Now I’ll die, while everyone else keeps suffering; it isn’t fair at all, but yet again, what in life is fair… I prayed, the only thing I could do at the moment, and I just asked for a miracle; a sign to where SuHo would be. Sadly the sign came…

???: MINJEONG BEHIND YOU!!!...

A coarse, dry man’s voice had spoken! My heart stood frozen for a millisecond, but immediately I acted. I turned around to find JunMyun lifting up a dagger with his right hand, aiming it straight to what seemed my nape. I acted out of instinct, dodging to my right side in order to evade the blow, but it was too late. Just as I began to push my sword forth, the man had reached enough to stab me on my left shoulder. Still, I had managed to have a successful attack… I felt as my sword went through him; a disgusting feeling I had come to know in this game. Being shorter than JunMyun, I had penetrated him in the center of his diaphragm, just beneath his chest. Yet, the sword’s hilt was pointing downwards, which meant the metal edge was inserted upward. That only led to one conclusion: I stabbed his heart. Although the pain inflicted upon me was excruciating, I could not take my eyes off the man that was reaching an imaginable tone of paleness. I yanked the weapon from him and threw it on the ground, just as I went forth to take hold of the falling figure; my feebleness made me fall with him. He lay on his back, making no movement or verbalizing; he just stared at me with a pokerface as he struggled to gasp some air; wheezing the horrors of death. I saw how the injury was bleeding like a river’s flow, every heartbeat a gush bursted, and it was obvious there was no turning back. I sat to his right side, taking his hand in both of mine, and holding it strongly; I felt cold drops of water hit them. Even though a mortal enemy, I still held memories of him.

MJ: JunMyun… I know you hate me, but…No one deserves to die alone…

My senses had been blocked since I started losing blood, so I wasn’t aware of much of my surroundings. At this moment my body felt no pain, only my soul was in need. I wept for the lost of my ex-friend, and how his soul would be lost forever; there was nothing I could do about it. He continued to eye me with a confused expression, but still no reactions. He slowly began to show signs of unconsciousness, and I knew it would all be over soon. I held his hand tight, while caressing his once-again beautiful complexion. A minute into the situation, the Master’s eyes lost brightness and focus, and the most unusual event took place. I felt a slight tug on my hand, just as a tear fell from the man’s soul window. His head rolled opposed to me, and his grip on me ceased…

MJ: …I hope you get a second chance, wherever it is your going...

I stared at him for some seconds, accepting that my gruesome assassination was necessary, even though deep down it hurt. Still clutching his hand I felt a frictionless surface: it was a metal ring. I looked closely at it too see it had writings in a language I did not recognized. Slowly I wiggled it out og the Master’s bloody fingers, finally hiding it in my vest.

MJ: Just a reminder…of what we shared…

When JunMyun finally faded, the lights on the arena all lit up and I was once again was in contact with my surrounding. After these last few minutes of intense battling and encounters with death, my mind was far away from reality, but now I’ve returned to it. Now I could smell the blood that surrounded me in every direction; I could feel my body slowly collapsing with so many bruises; I could hear screams of grief and sorrow as well. That’s when it hit me hard; I remembered the one thing that made this victory possible: a voice…  I quickly got on my feet and turned around to find the source of the horrid expression, only to lose balance and fall on my knees and hands; my vision blurry. After some heavy breathes I looked up, finding a fuzzy Lay running towards me; far behind him I saw a small crowd surrounding something with exasperation… or someone… The most horrible thought crept into my mind, and I immediately began to fear the worst… Lay had finally reached me, pulling me on my feet and quickly scrutinizing my body. He gave me a reassuring look before carrying me on his arms. He glanced at the nearby corpse with pain and hatred, turning around and hurrying towards our friends. All though I was starting to drift from one conscious state to the other, I knew this victory wasn’t going to be completely filled with felicity. I had started to mourn without notice; my 2^nd pair of eyes didn’t need to see to know…

MJ: Lay…. please don’t tell me… someone I know…talked… PLEASE!...

YiXing’s expression wasn’t a comfort to me; his pressed lips and furrowed brows made a face full of misery and grief. I held onto his shoulders, trying to not let go of this World; I couldn’t faint without knowing what happened. I looked at the place we were going, and noticed many things. My friends all circled around someone, but I couldn’t distinguish who was who. The Exotics that had been taking my allies hostage were now gathered some meters away from them, staring at the gruesome commotion that took place; their hoods were back and perfectly man-made faces were exposed. Once we had arrived at the location Lay sat me on the ground, next to the wounded ally. To my right, next to me, lying on his back while was none other than my beloved partner, Kim JongIn…

MJ: KAAIIII!!!

I turned over, kneeling next to the tanned young man who’s skin started to become blushed. I touched his left upper arm, feeling the cyanide pod under his shirt. He was awake and conscious, but it was evident this state wouldn’t last long. I screamed as loud as possible while tears came down in streams.

MJ: KAI!! Listen to me! KAI!... Why did you do it?! Why did you talk?! WHY!?!... why…

Silence ruled the atmosphere; not even the prisoners spoke at the moment. My friends now surrounded me as well, weeping ever so quietly the sadness within. I wasn’t expecting a reply, but it came, and for the first time, I held a proper conversation with the man I had finally accepted as my other-half. A deep yet gentle voice came about, filling my heart with words that caused even more pain.

KI: …People do crazy things….for the ones they want to protect… MinJeong,… you’re the motor of the game… if you die it’s all over… I just did what had to be done…

MJ: NO! NO! NO! You’re not the only one playing JongIn! It’s not fair!!... IT’S NOT FAIR!!

KI: One life in exchange for the end of the game… the liberation of thousands of people… There is nothing more fair than that…

MJ: BUT WHY YOU!?!? WHY! JongIn…I… I love you… I don’t want to lose you!.. You…You need to survive…We need to get you out of here! I don’t know what Cyanide does to the body, but…

KS: But it will kill him if you don’t act quickly; and so will you….

Kris had appeared before us bearing an unreadable expression between happiness and pain; polar opposites in unison. He came closer to us, squatting next to me and taking a look at the man in peril. Kris took Kai’s left arm, pulling up its sleeve and scrutinizing the pinkish epidermis that mixed with his bronzing.

KS: The cyanide is already making havoc in his blood stream. As his skin gets redder, the poisoning is becoming worst. You have less than an hour to get him medical attention; there’s nothing we can do here about it. We aren’t prepared to deal with this situation. He’ll start suffering respiratory problems in the next few minutes. Half an hour from now, he might experience seizures, and eventually… a cardiac arrest…

My own heart suffered an emotional attack at the very moment, and so I couldn’t contain myself any longer. I began to cry uncontrollably over my beloved, seeing how his own eyes glimmered. He took my hand and squeezed it tight, staring at me with a calm and lovable expression. Kris got up and handed Lay some healing salts.

KS: The exit is through the dark door at the other side of the arena. You will go through a stone tunnel, and at the end will find a metal door. MinJeong must touch it with her bare hands, while they are covered with JunMyun’s blood. It will then open and set you free into the wilderness. You must go on for some length of wilderness until coming in contact with the nearby city.

Kris took out of his coat a small mechanical device that resembled a remote control. With the hit of a button, a symphony of metallic clashes were heard, on after the other. One by one, every prisoner’s Cyanide pod fell to the ground; shortly after, a tidal wave of emotions came. Screams, cries, but above all, words could be heard all around from every prison. Although a melody to me ears, my heart was overfilled with other emotions. No more time could be wasted; I got on my feet and turned around to face Kris, but once again lost balance due to the lack of blood. Lay caught me and didn’t waste time to scold me. His melodious, child-like voice made me ever so confused about what to do.

LY: You aren’t going anywhere until we heal you!

MJ: NO! We’re leaving NOW!

LF: MINJEONG! Stop acting as if you’re made of stone! NOW SIT DOWN!

LanFang sat me on the ground against my will. HaeRi came to help Lay begin his procedures. Without a thought he pulled out the small knives on my back and the dagger on my shoulder, causing great pain and bleeding. I momentarily out, but came out of it fast enough to keep suffering the crisis that was taking place; there was no place right now for me to faint. So many injuries made it hard to believe I was still alive, yet gentle YiXing and RiRi tried their best to make the pain less. HaeRi ripped various stripes of clothe from her shirt, while Lay wrapped them around my ribs, leg, shoulder, and head. If I did refuse such a treatment, I would indeed die along the way; I was already mangled enough to go into a coma. As I was taken care of, I never stopped looking at JongIn, who cradled himself from side to side in an attempt to diminish the burning sensation within. Still, he would take my right hand and exchange words of comfort.

KI: You’ve been very strong MinJeong… I’ve never seen someone like you before… And I’m sure I’ll never see one ever again…

MJ: Don’t be silly JongIn!...I have to stay strong for my children, remember? I had to protect you all… but it wasn’t enough…

KI: …Don’t worry about me… this is nothing… compared to what’s inside…

MJ: Kai….I…(My tears fell instinctively)… I’m sor-

KI: Don’t be; it’s not your fault… I was the one who failed… I should have been the one to confess… or better yet… I shouldn’t have fell in love with you… but it was a hopeless effort…

MJ: No Kai… don’t say that… I… I should have just been frank with you…with myself… Still... would the outcome have been different?...

KI: …No… I would have talked either way… If I talk, I die; If I don’t talk, you die… Your survival is more precious…

I couldn’t go on with the conversation. It didn’t even feel awkward that we were having this chat in front of everybody else; we just had to talk to feel each other’s presence. I continued to mourn while looking at the boy’s beautiful features. Finally, Lay and HaeRi had finished with me; I stood up with XiuMin’s help, and immediately glanced at the area to find Kris. He was with SeHun in the center of the arena, looking at their deceased Master and… friend… I began to direct myself towards them, in an attempt to settle things before moving on, but something else caught my eye. A man was running towards me; someone I’ve been waiting to see again... I imagined our reunion to be magical and romantic, filled with confessions and agreements, but it ended being a sorrowful interchange of words. The man that once claimed to be the ruler of my heart had come to me, embracing me in his frail arms. I felt his fast heartbeat against my body and his soft whimpers in between my bloody hair. As much as this meant to me, there were other priorities right now. I pushed him off, staring at him as a whole, seeing all the markings this game had left in his arms and face. His blonde hair showed long black roots, while his baby face was dabbed in dirt; his eyes were surrounded by a black aura of fear. He stared back with tearful eyes, as he tried to proclaim word; his once perfect voice was now a faltering howl.

LH: MINJEON! You don’t know what this means to me… I… I have to tell you something!

MJ: LUHAN!! Tell me later! We have to leave NOW! JOGNIN IS DYING!!

I went past him, leaving him behind with what seemed a broken illusion…just like mine. Only a few steps taken and I was face to face with Wu YiFan and Oh SeHun; behind them stood what seemed like a hundred Exotics. They’re hoods were thrown back and they’re already familiar beauty was exposed; men and women all alike. I felt a presence behind: all my allies had come to back me up.

MJ: Kris! A deal’s a deal… I won the game… Now set everyone free!

KS: No need for aggressiveness Miss Park; my intentions were clear from the very start.

Kris took out the remote, pressing another button, which opened every prison gate with a swift movement. The prisoners began to propagate through the arena, as they came down from every direction, running towards the exit. Ants looked organized in contrast with this multitude. The great majority stood on the edge of the main area, watching closely as the drama unraveled. Seeing Kris in this attitude made me finally accept that he was indeed someone of confidence; I owe him part of the victory obtained today.

MJ: Well?? Are you going to lead the way or what?

KS: Even in the verge of death, your attitude exceeds all. I’ll stay behind. SeHun and I have some matters to attend here.

MJ: NO! You have to leave with us!... There’s nothing else for you to do here!

KS: Hehe…You really are different; I wasn’t mistaken...

SH: Now that Thuho Hyung ithn’t here, we have other planth for dith plathe.

(Now that SuHo Hyung isn’t here, we have other plans for this place.)

KS: …like blow it up…

MJ: WHAT!?!?

SH: We’re already grown men; ith harder for uth to thtart a new life out there…

(We’re already grown men; it’s harder for us to start a new life out there.)

KS: Besides, we’ve spent our whole lives spoiling that of others. There isn’t much we can do besides that; it’s in our nature. We’ll end everything in the place it all started…

MJ: BUT…

KS: MINJEONG! You’re losing time. You’re still as obnoxious as ever, heh! Now go, and take everyone to safety. And,…good luck…

And so cold hearted Wu YiFan gave out a smile, free of sarcasm and doubt; an expression of whom he really was. With a nod of the head, and a heavy heart, I turned around to face my comrades. Still, Kris voice called my attention once more.

KS: Wait… Take this with you. Once the World knows about this place, it will be hard to get your hands on any souvenir…

SH: Bethides, everything around uth will thtop exithting in a few moments…

(Besides, everything around us will stop existing in a few moments…)

The 2^nd in command stretched out my sword; the item was fully covered in JunMyun’s blood, making me flinch at the sight. Still, Kris action showed just how serious he was about “his World” and its effects in the rest of the real World. I took the weapon, but didn’t hold it for much time. I looked back searching for LuHan, finding him just a few steps behind me. I offered him the item, which he took ever so carefully.

MJ: Hold onto it for me… If anything happens along the way… You’ll have an important piece of me… The weapon that ended it all… The one that earned your freedom and a thousand more…

LH: I’ll treasure it forever; but I’m certain it will return to your hands at the end of the journey.

My best friend curled his lips in an attempt to not cry, trying to show how sure he was about my survival. I didn’t know what was more unusual: Luhan crying or me not bothering to console him. Without bothering to look at the Exotics, I decided it was time to move on. Lay was carrying Kai on his back, and XiuMin was offering me his.

HR: NO is not an option MinJeong! You can’t walk all the way out of here! Plus we need to hurry!

Knowing me better than herself, HaeRi knew I was about to reject the offer, but she had more reason than me. I had to accept I was in a critical situation, and I couldn’t keep trying to guide everyone. It was them who needed to guide me now. I couldn’t only work my body, but I couldn’t think straight either. I couldn’t do anything about Kris and the other Exotics either, so I simply accepted their decision. Without a last glance we all headed to the exit, being followed by the population. With a strong push of the doors, we disappeared from the arena, leaving behind but a memory.

The straight tunnel was semi-circular, wide but not very tall; yellow stones gave shape to this dim road, poorly lit by candles at the side. A multitude of people came after us, and there were some others who were already waiting inside the tunnel, making the air heavier than usual. The group ran for some minutes until the true exit door was reached. It was a silver door, technologically sealed to only let people through once activated by the Master’s blood. XiuMin got in front of it, making it possible for me to reach it by extending my arms over his shoulders. I placed my opened hands in the middle of the door, letting them there for some seconds, until a beep came from the door. Instantaneously, the door slid to the side and a stone stairway was revealed. Made out of gray irregular stones, the stair way seemed somewhat long and inclined, leading upwards; a faint unknown source of light came from afar, giving at least enough visibility. Some people started to run out of it, but the majority waited for our first move to follow along. As we were about to start climbing it, JongIn began to breathe heavily; his skin was now a darker shade of rose. YiXing quickly laid Kai face-up on the ground as I climbed down from MinSeok and kneeled by my partner, taking both his hands in mine as I tried to reassure him between sobs.

MJ: There buddy; everything will turn out fine… You just need to hang in there…Just be strong…

Even with his heavy breathing and apparent loss of consciousness, he managed to give me one of those heartwarming smiles of his. I thought that he would pass out at any moment, but he went through with the situation and managed to hold on. Still, his breathing didn’t get any better; that’s when a dusty deep voice stated it.

CY: He isn’t getting any better. We won’t make it to the hospital on time if we keep stopping.

XM: Of course we’ll make it!....We will..

A nasal voiced XiuMin tried to make ChanYeol’s statement somewhat more positive, but his face didn’t show much confidence in that. I got once again on MinSeok’s back as Lay took Kai with the help of Yeol. We went on, Lay guiding us all, and the multitude came behind, watching our backs with pity and gratefulness. A few steps taken, and rays of sunlight hit us; it was a new day; the 10^th day we we’re in Exotica’s ground. Some people glorified this day they on which they once again saw light as free men and women, having promising futures to live out. But here I was, speculating about my own survival and that of JongIn. I could see his back from here; that perfect structure I so many times praised. Those strong shoulders that carried me so many times in this game; the crook of his neck that dried my tears in so many crises. Now he looks so weak and so much in need; it makes me wonder about how nearness to death change people. We die just as we we’re born: weak, with necessity and in tears. I simply pray that this isn’t an occasion for reverse-births… Being caught up on my thoughts, after some minutes we had reached the end of the stairway, stepping on a damp grassland filled with tall vegetation that blocked our view. A voice that seemed that of a young boy came about, taking charge of the situation.

LF: Time to give some orders! LuHan, start cutting grass. Make way for Lay and XiuMin to go through. HaeRi, stay with Lia while I help him out with the daggers….. HEY! HEEEY!!! SILENCE!!!!! WE NEED MEN TO COME HELP US!! Come on, let’s go!

LanFang had taken the crowd’s attention, convincing a great quantity of men to come help, giving some of them sharp weapons to cut the plants; the rest just used their hands. The area before us had a peculiar form: it was inclined, slowly forming a slope that put great weight on the ones carrying others; still, at a fairly quick pace we began making way through the dark swamp area. Lay and XiuMin were now side by side, making me and Kai be next to each other. He was looking worse than ever. Eyes shut and parted lips that searched for air; his skin seemed like that of a 3^rd degree sunburn. I wanted to take the chance to set everything straight; to make sure he understood what he meant to me. To my surprise JongIn opened his eyes and, upon seeing my proximity, took the lead. With a faint voice, and many breathes in between, he managed to give me one of the most heartbreaking conversations…

KI: MinJeong, I didn’t fall in love with you at first sight…. You slowly crept inside me with every little action you made…. I didn’t want to get attached to anyone, because I didn’t want to get hurt when they abandoned me…. Soon after we started to spent time together, I got to know you, and I saw a strong woman with a big heart… As time went by, I kept discovering how beautiful you were on the inside, making me doubt my own vows…. I felt the need to tell you, but it didn’t feel right, since you were here because of LuHan… I knew how much you loved him and it was obvious I would be rejected… I always thought I was no rival for LuHan… he was everything you wanted… that I wasn’t…. You always saw me as your protector; a sort of older brother or friend... You even saw me as your child, but never did I sense you looked at me as a man... Before we came into the Temple, you told us how you truly felt about us all, and I was hoping for you to magically say the words I so much wanted, but… they never came... You asked if I was okay, I said I was alright, but it was a lie... There was nothing else I could do… I had finally given up on my dream. Still, that didn’t mean I stopped loving you…. That last moment in battle I knew you were in need, and… when the final blow came, I knew you wouldn’t be able to counter it in time… My body acted on it’s own… and… I’m happy it did…

LY: Save the chit-chat for later! You need to save your strength JongIn.

I broke down in air filled sobs, facing the consequences of not being honest with one-self and others. Seeing JongIn’s tearful eyes made me realize how much he was hurting inside, and what I truly meant to him. I’ve seen him in pain because of his sister and about being left alone in the game, but never has he been like this because of…Love… Once again I had begun to drift between my conscious states, but I stayed in this world for enough time to tell him how I felt.

MJ: Kai… even though LuHan and you are polar opposites, I love you because of who you are…I have to confess SuHo did say a truth about me… I…I kept denying my feelings for you, because… I felt I was betraying LuHan…only in my mind, I guess… Because in reality he wasn’t in love with me… I was afraid to change my heart so drastically… but now… Now I’m sorry I didn’t change it sooner… I always tried to appear as the perfect being…the truth is I’m full of flaws… dangerous and painful ones…

KI: To me…you’re perfect… MinJeong, I… I will love you like no other… No matter what happens… I’ll always be with you…

JongIn bore a smile at the moment, even in the state he was. Sadly, after such beautiful words, a horrible sign gave way. JongIn’s eyes fully opened as his body began to shake. Lay stopped and quickly put the tanned man on the muddy ground. We saw with fear how his frame sharply shook from one angle to the other in a fraction of seconds, like a shaking boy in winter. I got down from MinSeok and sat next to Kai, taking his head so it didn’t hit the ground. I screamed his name multiple times, trying to bring him back from wherever he was going. His eyes had rolled back, and his thick lips slowly acquired a bluish tone; he was not breathing.

MJ: KAI!!! KAI!!!....KAI!!!

I kept calling him in between tears, feeling his every movement through my hands. YiXing squatted next to me, calling his long lost friend with grief. He was holding JongIn’s hands, trying to prevent so many movements. Kai gave out some mumbling grunts, as if he wanted to express something. Some seconds after, his movements stopped and he regained some breathing, making the blue skin turn back to its tan.

MJ: JONGIN!!! WAKE UP!! JONGIN!!! OPEN YOUR EYES!!!

LY: Leave him like this. He’s regaining himself from the blow. We know he’s breathing, although it’s to enough to prevent another seizure. We must go on and reach the city before another one comes around. Chanyeol, Xiumin; help me with him.

XiuMin and Chanyeol helped put Kai on Lay’s back. Now, more than ever, his precious back looked that of a frail child…ChanYeol and XiuMin exchanged tasks, so now the tall man was in charge of carrying me. As I got on his lean back, a teenage girl’s voice came through the crowd, calling out a familiar name.

??: XIUMIN?! XIUMIN!!! MINSEOK OPPA!!!!

The man who was about to go attack the angry flora turned around to face the one that called his name. Upon seeing her, MinSeok’s face lit up with happy tears. A young woman with straight black hair and 1-lid eyes came running by, embracing the man and hiding her face in his clothing.

XM: SUNGMIN!! YOU’RE ALIVE!! …my sweet little sister… I’ve finally found you…

It was clear the girl was XiuMin’s younger sister, which he had lost contact with a year ago in the game. It was very touching seeing these siblings reunite with each other. As if it there wasn’t enough drama and trauma in the atmosphere, I heard how Lia spoke to HaeRi some deep thoughts. Her sweet voice went perfect with her angelic exterior.

LA: I hope my brother is alive too… I wish I could find him as well…

Although much was happening in the surroundings, Lay had already gone up ahead with some other men. Chanyeol and I were behind him, as the multitude kept following us with respect and order. Even after being liberated, they trust in us to guide them till the very end; imprisonment has some traumatizing effects on the human mind. Right now my own mind was under much trauma as well. I felt weak as ever; I caught myself from time to time drifting into a deep slumber. Still, there was nothing more disturbing that Kai’s health. He was barely breathing, and we don’t know how much time it will take to reach a hospital; let alone reach the city. I still have hope that we’ll make it! I…I’m praying for a miracle to happen… the thing is… Do I deserve that miracle?... Thinking back on all the moments we shared, JongIn and I, and it is now that I am thankful for each and every second…The soul, just like the mind, is a merciless wonder: it works against you. One can’t be happy every moment of their lives, because the mind and soul dominate you… They govern your emotions, which govern your actions… I had so much time I could have been honest with Kai, yet I wasn’t… “They” were always telling me how it wasn’t just towards others... How about now; what’s just about these consequences?... It’s simply sad to know how we truncate our own fate without reason… And with a mind full of thoughts, amidst my unconscious dreams, we continued through the unknown jungle. I wasn’t aware of my surroundings, but I clearly heard Lia’s words as she spoke to HaeRi.

LA: Unnie… UNNIE! I hear something… strong short currents of wind…If I can recall correctly, it sounds like…LIKE TRANSIT!!

HR: A CAR!?! YOU MEAN CARS!?!

LA: YES!!

The men closest behind us were inspired by the news, and moving forth helped the others cut down the path. LanFang, being in charge of the working squad, gave orders on how to approach the vegetation for faster results. As the path quickly appeared before us, Lay and ChanYeol jogged on. I had my gazed fixed on Kai, who was still to my left. I called him, trying to wake him up with the news, but he refused. I was startled by his reaction and told Lay to check him; the older simply explained his theory.

LY: He isn’t responding, but he’s still breathing. I can feel he’s breath on my neck, plus his heartbeat against my back. Still, they are both very weak…

Even though he was alive, it wouldn’t be much time till he had another seizure that could take his life. I kept staring at the now red skinned boy that shivered as his reflexes denoted resentment in the body. Drops of sorrow obscured my view as they wetted my carriers clothing.

CY: Just be strong MinJeong-sshi… I may’ve not been with you for too long, but I know JongIn is a strong guy. He’ll make it through…

I nodded, thanking my consoling friend for his words. I have faith he will make it, and we’ll be together forever… Out of the blue, a manly voice from behind was heard asking for permission to pass between the ex-prisoners; he bore a different accent from us all. I slowly turned my head to see who he was: a tall, blonde, blue-eyed, muscularly defined man, with pinkish lips that resembled greatly those of our Maknae.

??: LEIA!!! LEIA!!!

He called the young girl that upon recognizing his voice came to a halt. As the man finally crossed the sea of people, he came face to face with his apparent reflection.

LA: DEON!?!? IS THAT YOU!?

Lia stretched her arms forward, trying to find someone to come in contact with, while still being watched over by HaeRi. The man ran towards his sister, embracing her in his apologetic gesture, as weeps escaped both their lips. From what could be heard from the multitude, the man overhead the crowd talking about Lia’s “superpower”, which he immediately recognized. As emotive as the moment was, my soul became invaded by unknown grief when the unimaginable occurred. The far away structure that was known as the Temple busted in pieces, making the ground shake as a turmoil of black smoke rose to the sky. Subsequently, other explosions were heard, one after the other and being farther away. One by one, Exotica’s buildings were being blown up; destroyed by the ones that inhabited it for decades… There would never again be another game… People began to run in all directions, fearing the worst to come. An outrage came out of the event, and so Lay and ChanYeol began to run the length of the passage. LanFang’s squad stopped cutting and began to simply part the vegetation in front, being quickly followed by the carriers. Only few minutes went by before XiuMin’s alert gave rise to new hopes.

XM: I SEE THE ROAD!!! I SEE PEOPLE!!! WE MADE IT!!

Our hearts were content and expressions filled with glee! JongIn would be saved!! I called Kai to tell him, but still he wouldn’t react. I knew he was even worse than before, so there wasn’t much to hope for, but he was still alive; that was all that mattered. Everyone kept going forth, and eventually we saw the road. It was a sort of mountain with a road in a curved manner. We could see from below, since the path we were taking was inclined. From above people could be seen; by-passers had parked their cars on the side of the road to witness the explosions that had taken place some minutes ago; Kris must have done it on purpose, since it seems this wasn’t a very transited via… I’ll always be grateful to you, WuFan… The squad up front began to call for help, and some of the strangers noticed us; some began to cross over the bars to come down the slope in attempts to help. Though they didn’t go down much, it was enough to help pull us up. Meanwhile, strangely women started calling the emergency system for support; they screamed into their phones asking for every means of authority.  We were just feet away from walking on pavement; we just had to cross the small muddy cliff that separated civilization from the wild. My joy could not be contained!

MJ: KAI!! KAI!! WAKE UP!! WE MADE IT!! YOU’RE GOING TO BE SAVED!!..... JONGIN-AH!!!

To my even greater comfort, my beloved young man showed movement. He softly moved his head side to side, as if waking up form a long sleep. Slowly he raised it from YiXing’s shoulder and directed his beautiful eyes towards me.

MJ: KAI!!! HANG IN THERE!!! YOU’LL BE ALRIGHT!!  I PROMISE! REMEMBER… I WILL ALWAYS PROTECT YOU NO MATTER WHAT!!!...

At that moment Kim JongIn gave the sweetest and tender smile; as if that of a child. It was filled with thankfulness and compassion: an expression of love maximized. His crescent moon eyes smiled at me with their glorious black diamonds; as reflective as the rivers flow… as crystalline as the soul within… And so with the same speed I had acquired joy…I lost it… Still bearing that beautiful expression in his face, his head swung to the side, dangling without purpose. His arms went loose and he began to tilt out of Lay’s grasp. Soon after, they both fell to the ground. YiXing quickly checked JongIn, but his complexion drastically changed.

MJ: LAY!! WHAT’S GOING ON?! WHAT HAPPENED!?

LY: He…He’s not breathing…He doesn’t have a heartbeat either…

Water got into Lay’s eye rims. I told Chanyeol to put me down next to my partner. I noticed how his chest wasn’t moving…

MJ: KAI!! KAI!!! OPEN YOUR EYES!!!... KAI!!!!.... LAY! DO SOMETHING!!!

LY: THERE’S NOTHING MORE I CAN DO!!..WE... we weren’t fast enough…

MJ: NO!!!! I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!!!

I pushed the older man away as I positioned myself over JongIn’s cold body. I did on him what I had done on Lay the day he drowned. I pinched Kai’s nose as I blew air into his mouth, touching those full lips of his for the first time: our first kiss… I hit him over his heart with synchronized movements; all my remaining force was put into labor. I repeated it again. An infuriated Lay pushed me off and told ChanYeol to take me away.

LY: YOU CAN’T SAVE HIM MINJEONG!

MJ: NOOOOO!!! YOU HAVE TO HEAL HIM!!! HE HAS TO LIVE!!... LET ME GOOO!!!

I wasn’t screaming; I was howling. I struggled against ChanYeol’s grip, but couldn’t break free. Lay took Kai’s body in his arms bridal style, and passed it to the nearby unknown man that was already in the muddy slope. A chain of men had formed from the path to the road above, serving as a passing line to help the most vulnerable. One by one, they took JongIn in their hands and passed him forward, until he reached the top. I was being passed behind him, still throwing a fit because of the situation.  I was completely sure JongIn was still alive; he was just…HE WAS JUST SOMEWHERE, BUT HE WAS ALIVE! In seconds I was being sat on the pavement of the now crowded road. Unfamiliar people had already gathered around Kai, speculating about his death.

MJ: HE’S NOT DEAD!!!!

I ran on my knees towards him, taking a grip on his head as I shock it forth trying to wake him up. He still made no movement. I was losing sense of everything; my mind and soul were the ones in control now, and they were making chaos within me. I called him… I shook him… and eventually, I slapped him hard across the face…

MJ: WHY ARENT YOU ANSWERING JONGIN?!?! WAKE UPPP!!  SOMEONE HEELP!!!! 

Some of the unknown men came and took me by the arms, dragging me away from JongIn, saying I needed to be calmed down, or else I could hurt someone. Others expressed nothing could be done until the police and paramedics got to the area. I fought against multiple hands that tried to restrain me, as I still watched JongIn’s body on the ground. I screamed his name non-stop; he would wake up soon! YiXing had reached the surface world and was once more scrutinizing his best friend. After some seconds, Lay covered his own face and let loose his shoulders; they quivered harshly, even though it wasn’t cold… I kept screaming, calling JongIn’s beautiful name. A woman had brought a white blanket and threw it over my beloved, covering his delicate body, and with it, any hopes of survival… Kim JongIn was dead… And there was nothing I could do about it… I failed him….I… I killed him…

…I finally passed out…