18^thNovember. 0147 hours

 

Sehun couldn’t believe his eyes.

There was not one, but at least four to five Jongin materializing as another vanished. It seemed like he was everywhere at the same time. There was one behind Soojung, lightly poking her and then disappear before she could see the culprit. There was another Jongin at the right corner of the room and another just beside the closet. Sehun’s mouth dropped open when he finally stopped and there was ultimately only one version of Jongin standing in front of him.

“H-how did you-,”

“It’s called flash step,” said Luhan, appearing beside Sehun. “That was great, Jongin. Practice this often and we can use this to our advantage.”

Jongin simply nodded, looking a bit spent after all the energy he used for the simple move. Luhan gave him the green light to rest for awhile to which he gladly went to sit beside Soojung who already had her turn, ready to annoy the hell out of her.

Luhan was monitoring the practice individually this time. He aimed to expand their ability more than what they can do now. It was essential for his plan that they know the basic concept of their abilities in order for it to be put into full use. Luna was the last to go and this time, Luhan asked Sehun to help with the demonstration.

“Sehun, I trust that you know how to keep the air still?” Sehun nodded. “I’d like to see if you can cancel sound instead of amplifying it,” Luhan said to Luna nonchalantly.

Luna widened her eyes at his request. “But I only know how to generate the sound or convert it. I don’t know how to cancel it!”

“Luna,” Luhan began, his hand on her shoulders, “you can manipulate sound and not just generate it. Think of it like you're pressing the mute button on a remote.”

With a sigh, Luna agreed. Luhan turned to Sehun, signaling him to keep the air around the area still, just in case Luna failed the first time. When Sehun managed to still the air, Luna wasted no time creating the sound waves. It was loud enough to irritate the ears of those inside the room but not harmful enough to actually damage them. Before the sound waves could dissipate, she focused on cancelling the sound waves and in an instant, the room was quiet again. Sehun released his hold and exhaled.

“Good job, Luna!” Luhan praised, genuinely pleased. Sehun found it odd when compared to the amount of enthusiasm he showed earlier to others. Luna beamed and muttered a quick word of gratitude before joining Chanyeol, who was busy chattering with Sulli. Luna sighed.

“Alright, we’ll go on a 15 minutes break and pick up where we left off.”

 

Everyone scattered all around the room and Sehun moved to join Luhan, who usually spend his time alone or perfecting his ability, eager to sate burning curiosity.

“You like her, don’t you?” Luhan snapped his head towards him, and Sehun could detect a chink in his armor.

“Feelings are dangerous, Sehun, especially to people like us,” he sighed, “the sooner you know that the better.”

Luhan took a book from the pile he always brought, ready to bury his nose deep in scientific explanations. He wasn’t ready to drop the subject but Sehun knew better than to pry things from Luhan when he clearly didn’t want to divulge. Quietly, Sehun wondered what made him what he was today. He tried a different approach.

“You were so great with all of them, including me. How did you know about all of this? And this," he pointed to his wrist, "this technology! How did you know to make the bracelet?”

Luhan snapped his books shut, his face slightly colored with irritation. “First of all, it’s not a bracelet, it’s a wristband. Second of all, my past is none of your business.” He quickly returned to his book, a sign that the topic was closed but Sehun had had enough of being dismissed by this particular guy.

“Why won’t you let us be your friend? You never eat with us. You act like you don’t know us outside these walls and every time you speak, it’s always about something practical and boring. You never j-,”

“It’s better if we keep all of this strictly business. It’s dangerous to show friendship because suspicion will arise. I thought you’ve lived here long enough to know that.” Luhan meant it to hurt so that Sehun will go away but all he did was sighed and stayed. Luhan turned to his book when Sehun didn’t leave.

“Your friend died on you, didn’t he?” Sehun spoke softly.

The nostalgia hit him hard like the violent waves of the sea. His eyes, his smiles, his jokes… Luhan’s eyes began to pool with hot tears but he was quick to let any of it drop.

“I’m guessing I’m right about your friend,” Sehun prompted gently. Luhan sighed.

“He helped me a lot with the tech and the theories, I'll tell you that."

“You two were going to escape together,” Sehun deduced, “but he didn’t make it.”

There was a short silence before Luhan spoke, his voice harsh and determined, “There were a lot of flaws in our plan which is why it failed. I won’t let the same mistake happen twice.”

Luhan walked away without a glance at him. Sehun sighed and stood up, knowing that was as much as he can get out of Luhan.

 

~*~

 

Sulli was alone when Sehun walked over towards her, lost in her own sea of thoughts. Sehun quickly wondered if he was at least a foam in the waves of her mind.

He sat next to her and tapped her shoulder lightly before placing it near her cheeks for the second part of the trick. When Sulli turned and felt a bony finger on her cheeks, Sehun chuckled because seeing her confused was more adorable than he could ever imagine.

“I thought you were Chanyeol!” Sulli pouted.

“He’s not the only one with the stupid jokes, you know,” he grinned despite his irritation towards the said man.

“Clearly,” Sulli chuckled, her eyes forming a smile of its own.

In an instant, any sort of jealousy he had over Chanyeol disappeared when he heard her twinkling laughter. It never failed to brighten his day. His eyes locked on hers and for a moment it felt like the earth had shattered and the only thing holding him together was her and her eyes and her smiles; her whole being. Their gaze was broken in haste and Sehun crashed down to the ground once again.

He glanced around to see Chanyeol trying to make his way over to the both of them. He would never give him the chance to be the last man standing. Of course, he couldn’t do anything when they’re both in their room.

Luhan stopped him, however, and it was obvious by the way he kept glancing over at Sulli and him, that he was itching to be the wall separating the both of them. Sehun was instantly grateful for the distraction. He didn’t think they could suffer any more damage.

Sehun quickly turned to Sulli before Chanyeol and Luhan could finish. She was staring intensely into the distance, keenly interested on something. They were sitting at the far end of the room, quite isolated from all the others but a perfect spot for observing what was going on in the room, which brought him to wonder what she would do every time they come here when all the others were practicing.

“Sulli,” Sehun called. She replied with a soft hum without turning to his direction, still captivated with what she was staring at. Sehun braved himself to follow the direction of her stare, telling himself that if it was Chanyeol she was ogling at, he has to keep calm.

But Chanyeol was on the opposite side of the room, his second attempt to disrupt their time alone obviously failed with Luna pestering him. Sehun has never been more grateful for that side of Luna now more than ever. When his eyes finally landed upon what Sulli was so engrossed on, he couldn’t help but smirk.

Soojung and Jongin were bickering – a common sight actually, though their fights have been generating less and less hate and something more towards friendship and a hint of something more. Sehun couldn’t hear what was being said but their lips were easy enough to read. He watched as their conversation grew heated and their faces were so close, their noses touched. Eyes widened and cheeks reddened, both of them turned away before anything else could happen.

Sehun could sense Sulli’s disappointment when she sighed pointedly. As much as Jongin wanted to deny of having any sort of attraction towards Soojung, everyone knew the tension between them was not something that was easily dismissed. He watched on, even as Sulli seemed detached from the previous interest he had over them.

Soojung’s hand was inches apart from Jongin’s and even as they continued to refuse looking at each other directly, their hands were snaking towards the other. And what their lips couldn’t do, their hands did.

Sehun tapped Sulli’s shoulder before she could miss the moment. When she squealed in delight, Sehun found himself smiling too.

“So this is what you do in your spare time. Pry on other’s private display of affection,” he said, jokingly.

 “I get bored sometimes and you were always so busy,” Sulli said sheepishly.

“I know.” He sighed, feeling dejected.

“It’s fine,” Sulli smiled, derision completely absent on her face.

Contrary to her smiles that would’ve left him high in cloud nine, this one, however, left him feeling guiltier than ever. He should have made more time for her, no matter how busy or how tired he was. Instead he was too busy with the green-eyed monster over her and Chanyeol when he should be fighting for her heart and gave her what she deserved.

He would give her everything just to see the smile on her face. He would give away his happiness if it meant hers. He would give his life willingly even, if it meant she could continue to light the world with her smile.

It was scary, this love thing, he realized. But it wasn’t all too bad. Of course, if her happiness meant for him to be with her then all the better. Sehun smiled at the thought, hoping that one day he’ll be her happiness.

“What are you smiling about?” Sulli asked, breaking his trance. Sehun smiled sheepishly, saying it was nothing. Sulli was curious and it showed clearly on her face, but she didn’t pursue it.

Sulli turned to watch Soojung and Jongin again even as the two broke away and Soojung was heading over to Luna. He chuckled. “You really like them together, don’t you?”

“I do!” Sulli squealed, covering realizing she was a little too excited. “There was this one time where they were trying to approach the subject of them kiss-“

“They kissed?” He exclaimed. Sulli nodded vigorously, before launching into gossip mode. The way she talked, it was as if she never gossiped with anyone before.

“I wanted to tell you the other day but you were asleep and other times, it slipped my mind. They kissed, but I think it was an accident or something. I heard them talking about tension and heat and how it was an in the moment kind of thing. They said it will never happen again but I heard otherwise. Don’t tell Soojung or Jongin what I know.”

“You can hear what they say?” Sehun asked, a little surprised by that fact when he can barely hear anything from where he was. Of course he could just direct the wind to carry the sound over to him but he thought it would be a little too obvious and too tiring.

“Yes, I can. My ears can pick up a little bit more than what others can, I suppose. But it’s still no match for Luna’s, whatever it is.”

“Maybe it’s your ability. Maybe you’re like Luna!” Sehun exclaimed.

Sulli smiled amusingly, but he could sense melancholy on her face, something he has never seen in one of her smiles before. “I wish that was the case. But it’s not. It’s just a skill I guess. I can’t do half the things she can.”

His mind instantly travelled to earlier when Luna cancelled the sound easily. Her ability, along with Soojung’s, was one of the most developed ever since training started.

Sulli bit her lip, and Sehun realized she was off staring into the distance again. Her face was contorted with agony. He instantly knew she was listening to something she didn’t like. But why didn’t she pull away then?

Sehun saw that she was looking at Soojung and Luna who seemed busy discussing something and this topic must've been hurting Sulli. He couldn’t stand seeing her like this. She was desperately trying to keep herself together.

His primal need to protect her grew stronger as he stomped over to Soojung and Luna. He didn’t think twice about what he was going to do or the fact that Soojung and Luna were much stronger than he was. All he could think of was vanquishing the pained look in Sulli’s face.

“…destroyed the town?”

Their voices were clearer as he neared them. He stopped in his tracks, hearing those words. It was the same thing the scientists said about her. Were they possibly talking about Sulli?

“Wiped out. Completely off the map.”

Sehun froze. His curiosity over her past was battling with the need to stop the pain from hurting her.

“She did all that by herself?”

He didn’t need to look to know that the question was confirmed. The two girls seemed ready enough to let go of the subject and Sehun realized he was too late. He quickly rushed over to Sulli and it wasn’t because Chanyeol was hurrying towards her either; it had nothing to do with jealousy this time. Her eyes were snapped shut, her hands covered her ear and she rocked to and fro, mumbling words that obviously didn’t make her feel better.

Sehun cursed as he watched Chanyeol laid his hands on her shoulders but still speeding to get to her. The room had never felt this big.

 

~*~

 

Sulli could barely register his words or the concerned tone in Chanyeol’s voice asking if she was alright.

All she could think was how much pain the words that left Soojung and Luna’s mouth had inflicted on her. The impact it had on her was more powerful compared to any of the scientists that had whispered about it among each other, thinking she was deaf. They knew.

They were supposed to be her friends and now they must’ve known the truth. They must be disgusted by what she’d done and what she is. She realized then how dangerous it was to be attached to anyone in the first place. Feelings were not something she could play with idly, not if she was still a liability.

Ugly!

!

Loser!

The voices and the words filled her head, the memory was coming back to haunt her. She could feel her senses tuning out and there was nothing else she could see or hear other than those taunting words and their mocking laughter, the burning fury building inside her until…

Vivid scenes of her past, of the one night she wished she could forget, flashed through her mind and it felt like she was there again; in the middle of the crowd, soaked to the bone and covered with the horrid smell of dung. The shame, the humiliation, the constant mental torture that has been boiling for years and was about to tip over, scalded her whole being. The familiar burn was growing inside her and it wasn’t long until-

She needed to get away from here before anyone else would get hurt.

…calm. Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep…

She chanted those words again and again as the burning images threatened to take over her whole being. She refused to turn into that… thing again. No. Never!

Her head was spinning and she stood up, scanning the whole room for a way out of the building before the fire inside her blazed brighter than she could control. She dismissed the worried look all over the room and ignored Chanyeol’s attempt to brighten things up for her. Brighter flame was the last thing she needed.

Her savior came in the form of stairs that lead to the roof. She growled and pushed Chanyeol away, telling herself that he’ll be fine when she heard the loud thud. She climbed the stairs faster than anyone with super speed.

Her jaw clenched and her eyes snapped shut once again. She could hear their screams, oh how good it felt when they screamed and begged for mercy. The mangled bodies, human flesh burned to ashes and it was all her fault. All because she could not control her head.

It only took a minute for the whole town to be wiped out, living creatures and magnificent buildings were all gone. It wouldn’t take long for this building and the tall wall surrounding it to collapse, along with all the people in it. Luhan, Soojung, Jongin, Luna, Chanyeol, Sehun…

Sulli was fighting for dominance over her control but she was too weak and had had no practice at all. Her pupils dilated until her eyes were completely black and she knew she was too late. The darkest part of her took over and she was left aside, helpless and alone.

 

Harsh wind that could yank a tree off its roots…

Iridescent light flashed across the night, blinding and intense, stark contrast to the dark sky…

It was starting.

And Sulli had failed to control it.