Tree of Life

Suho ran up to the tree, out of breath. He stared at the man lying against it. “Lay,” he breathed. “Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine…” Lay assured, resting his arm over his stomach. “I can breathe normally again…”

“Good, because… I really think you need to get back. You need to get back to your place.”

“Back, how… Kai’s not here.”

“I know. But you have to get back somehow. Something’s wrong.”

“I can’t. I’m stuck here.”

“Dammit. Where the hell is Kai?!”

“I told you, we got separated in the infinite loops of wormholes that is teleportation.” Lay blabbered, not knowing that someone else was behind Suho.

“What do you mean,” Kyungsoo started. “You two got separated?”

Suho turned to face him. “You’re awake.”

Kyungsoo ignored Suho and walked up to Lay. He repeated his question while Lay stared at him.

“I don’t know, okay?! We got separated. I ended up here. He could be anywhere else by now.” Lay huffed. Kyungsoo scowled at him.

“EVEN IF HE WAS ANYWHERE ELSE, HE WOULD HAVE TELEPORTED HERE ON HIS OWN BY NOW! DAMMIT, SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED TO HIM!”

“Kyung, calm down.” Suho insisted.

Kyungsoo glared at him with teary eyes. “CALM DOWN?! CALM DOWN!? HOW DO WE KNOW HE WASN’T ATTACKED BY LUCIFER!? HUH?! Dammit!” He stomped off, swearing out of oblivion.

Suho sighed. He would have said something to Kyungsoo had he not cried. He looked at Lay who shrugged.

“Why is this happening to us…?”

???

Kai stood straight, trying to back away from Taemin although he was pressed against the crystal. "W-What is this place? Why am I here? Am I d-dead?" Kai asked all at once, flustered.

Taemin continued smiling. "Please... Calm down... Kai." He outstretched his hand in front of Kai.

How Taemin figured out his name, Kai couldn't figure out. But he hesitantly placed his hand on Taemin's, allowing himself to be led to the middle of the strange room.

"...Sit down," Taemin had said after he had sat down cross-legged himself. "I'll answer your questions."

Kai sat down in front of Taemin. “U-uh... Am-Am I dead?" He asked cautiously.

Taemin nodded. He was still holding Kai's hand.

Kai continued. "If... If I'm dead, then is this... H-Heaven?"

Taemin laughed at him. Kai didn't see what was so funny; he was probably as dead as Kai was.

"Mm..." Taemin hummed as soon he was done giggling. "...I guess you could say that. This is my heaven.” He leaned on his hand, looking quite amused.

“Th-Then…” Kai glanced at Taemin’s deep brown eyes. “Are you an angel?”

Taemin laughed again. “I guess I am…” He started playing with Kai’s long fingers. “And what about you?”

Kai raised an eyebrow out of confusion as he watched Taemin play with his hand. “Huh?”

“Did you enjoy your life as a guardian?”

“How…” Kai looked up at Taemin’s face only to see his mouth stretch into a smile again. “…Well, yeah, I guess I did.”

“Good,” Taemin let go of Kai’s hand and looked right into his eyes. “I have a proposal to make.”

“…W-What is it?”

“Your asylums… The two of them used to be one big thing.” Taemin motioned his hands, bringing them together. “But then they were separated because God wanted to protect it from some evil thing.” He separated his hands again. “I think they should stay together, they should just be that one big asylum.” He brought his hands together again. “You know what I’m saying?”

Kai looked confused. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do you want them together?”

Taemin sighed and combed through his long bangs. “I want them together because they’re meant to be together. They were one piece at the beginning. If the two worlds were morphed together, then the guardians would function more easily.”

Guardians.

“Wait…” Kai interrupted. “Guardians die when they meet their parallel guardian. If you put the two worlds together, then they’re bound to meet each other…”

Taemin’s smile etched into Kai’s mind.

“I know,” he replied calmly. “That’s why in order for this to work, half of the guardians need to be sacrificed.”

Kai’s heart started beating rapidly. “W-What…?”

“Kai…” Taemin lightly touched Kai’s face with his hands. “Please help me with my plan.”

No.

“I’ll let you live on as a guardian…”

Say no.

“I’ll even send Sehun back to Earth, healthy and happy.”

“NO!” Kai accidentally shouted out loud.

“No…?” Taemin stiffened. “No…?” He repeated, as if he misheard Kai.

“Y-You can’t do th-that…” uneasiness was audible in Kai’s voice. “Y-You can’t just sacrifice six guardians!”

“Kai…?”

“You just can’t. It’s… It’s inhumane!”

Taemin’s eyes turned cold. “…So you won’t help me Kai…?”

“No.”

“Even though Sehun has a chance to go to Earth…?”

“N-No!”

“…Bad choice, Kai.”

Chen’s Beach

“Nggh…”

Chen hit the cold sand, clenching his sides. He shakily stretched his coat to look at his chest. The black marking encircled there was faintly glowing.

“I-I-It’s finally time…” He fisted the sand, sweat dripping down his face.

The lighting in the distance ceased to continue.

Chanyeol’s Landing

Chanyeol stared at his sleeping beauty. Baekhyun laid there as if he wasn’t screaming his throat out ten minutes ago. The peaceful look on his face made Chanyeol feel a little better.

Chanyeol, kneeling next to Baekhyun’s body, slowly started ing his lover’s shirt. He was met with a surprise; the black marking that permanently defaced Baekhyun’s beautiful chest had an eerie glow.

Chanyeol sighed, rubbing tear stains off his face. He hovered over Baekhyun and lightly planted a kiss on his dry lips.

Before he knew it, Chanyeol started crying again. “P-Please come back to me Baek…” he whispered, his tears dropping onto Baekhyun’s lifeless face.