Zhou Mi was hyperventilating. He ran a hand through his hair, stopped for a moment, giving a deep sigh, then resumed his endless pacing around the small room, his eyes fixed down on the ground. Luhan, sitting at the only table in the room with his arm propping his face, fought the urge to yawn. “Mi, will you just stop circling and sit down for a moment? You’re making me dizzy.” 

Zhou Mi scowled at the doe-eyed boy. “I’m so nervous that if I just sit down I’m going to explode! How can this even happen? I know nothing about martial arts, and yet the Master...there must be some kind of mistake.” 

Luhan frowned. “Um...correct me if I’m wrong, but since that old man is called the Master, I’m assuming he must be quite incredible. And, if he’s all that incredible and everything, isn’t it highly unlikely that he’ll make this kind of mistake?” 

“I don’t know!” Zhou Mi nearly shouted; he buried his head in his hands. “God...did you see the way the Shushan Five were looking at me? As if I was some kind of bug...” 

“Well, the one in the middle seemed quite nice; he patted you on the back when he went by, didn’t he?” Luhan asked; Zhou Mi shook his head. “Yeah, well the other four were glaring at me. If looks could kill I’d be riddled with stab wounds already.”

Luhan whistled. “Good thing for you looks can’t kill, after all.” 

Zhou Mi narrowed his eyes at his best friend. “I’m going through what might just be the biggest moment of my life, and all you can do is make facetious comments? Thanks, but no thanks, Lu.” 

Luhan struggled with laughter for the better half of a minute. “Hey, I’m trying to help you calm down here, okay?” 

“Once again, thanks but no thanks.” Zhou Mi responded snappily. 

There was a sudden creak, as the door was pushed open; Luhan and Zhou Mi both redirected their gazes, only to see Qian standing there, her expression frosty. “The Master wishes to speak to you.” 

Zhou Mi hesitated, glancing back at Luhan, who rose to his feet, shrugging his shoulders. “Might as well - then we can find out just what this is all about.” 

“Hurry up, then.” Qian snapped, her tone curt; without looking back to see if they were following her, she trotted off, leading the way. Luhan glanced at Zhou Mi, trying to catch his eye, but he had already taken off eagerly after Qian; biting back a sigh, Luhan realised he had no other choice but to follow them. 

Zhou Mi followed Qian into a dimly-lit room; it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, and as he did, he noticed the outlines of six others besides himself, Qian and Luhan. 

The remaining four of the Shushan Sect, Shifu, and the Master, presumably. 

The Master was standing some distance away from him, facing him with a warm, gentle smile on his elderly, wrinkled face. He beckoned. “Your name is Zhou Mi?” 

Hesitantly, Zhou Mi took a step forward. “Yes, Master.” 

“Do not call him Master; you are not a member of our Sect.” The voice was deep and harsh, disapproval sounding in every note of it; Zhou Mi flinched at the loudness and authoritativeness of the voice - there was only one person in the room who could have possessed such a voice: Shifu. 

The Master did not look away from Zhou Mi, but he spoke chidingly. “Do not be so harsh with him, he is now one of us.” 

Tao’s lips tightened, as he stared resolutely at the floor. 

“He has not been initiated-”

“And he will be.” The Master’s voice remained unchanged, every word enunciated clearly, in his warm, grandfatherly manner. “That is, of course, if you are willing?”

His question was directed at Zhou Mi, who didn’t realise it; he was still too shell-shocked by the entire turn of events. 

There was a short silence; then Luhan coughed. “Um, Mi...I think you were just asked a question that you’re expected to answer...?” 

Zhou Mi started. “Oh um yes. Yes, yes I’m willing. Just that my family...” The thought of his family made Zhou Mi’s brows draw together; his family was disapproving of his daydreams about martial arts, as it were - what would they say if he were to really go off in pursuit of that dream? Just imagining the scene made Zhou Mi wince. 

The Master gave a kindly nod. “I shall speak to your family, then. Ah, yes, I should make things clear to you first; Yixing, if you would care to explain?” 

Yixing inclined his head; as he stepped forward to address Zhou Mi, the Master turned away, gazing patiently out of the window at a little hummingbird. 

“You have been chosen, Zhou Mi. To be the Saviour. You know, I believe, of the Shushan Sect and Demon Sect, and that we are engaged in a long and bloody war, in which many, many lives have been sacrificed. It was once prophecised, by the Master’s Grandmaster,” The Master inclined his head at Yixing’s words. “that a Saviour would come to stop the war, and aid Shushan Sect in defeating the devious Demon Sect. It seems, that, at long last, that Saviour has come.” 

“...I...are you...has there been some sort of...of mistake made? I mean...how can it be me?” Zhou Mi stammered; Yixing hesitated, his eyes flickering to the Master. The Master smiled his kindly smile. “It is you. There is no mistake. You are the Saviour.” He laid his hand on Zhou Mi’s shoulder. “You are the one who will deliver us to salvation.” 

Another silence; this time Luhan noted the downturned corners of Yifan’s lips, the darkness of Tao’s expression and Qian’s bitter gaze. Zhou Mi was staring, speechless, at the Master. 

“This is all good and well, but there’s no way your father is going to agree to this, Mi.” Luhan interrupted; he, unlike the others, had no problems with interrupting the Master. “If he finds out, he’s going to lock you in your room for a year and a half. More, even.” 

Zhou Mi grimaced; he knew there was truth in Luhan’s words. Tao sprang up, a little too eagerly. “So you can’t do it? Well then, that’s too bad, isn’t it?” 

Yixing quelled Tao with a look; the younger disciple sank back, his smile fading. The Master did not look away, did not seem to even have registered the interruption. “It is your choice, child. Whether you wish to stay or leave - you decide. I will not force you, not push you.” He held out a key.”It is your decision to make, and yours alone. If you wish to join us, then seek out Shushan Mountain, and you will be welcome there. If, by the end of ten weeks, you still have not entered the doors of Shushan...then your intent will be clear to us.” 

Zhou Mi hesitated. “You...I can’t go with you?” 

“We are leaving at once, and it is not good to leave behind your family and friends without a word of warning. Not good at all.” The Master lay a hand on Zhou Mi’s shoulder; the touch was both heavy and warm at the same time. “Make your way to us, and we will train you. Or stay, and we will never bother you again. Like I said, the choice is yours to make.” 

Zhou Mi stared down at the ground, unable to meet the Master’s eyes. And then the pressure was lifted off his shoulder; the Master nodded at his disciples. 

And they filed out of the room, one by one. 

Luhan was watching silently, his eyes alert; he could not help but notice the slight spring in the steps of Tao and Amber; Qian and Yifan’s faces were set in stone, while Yixing seemed slightly disappointed. As they left, Luhan nearly ran to Zhou Mi’s side, punching his shoulder. “What were you thinking? Why didn’t you say yes? I thought it was your lifelong dream to join Shushan Sect?” 

“It was - is. Just...” Zhou Mi’s voice trailed off; he seemed unable to verbalize the strange feeling that had come over him at the thought of really leaving his hometown behind. 

Luhan hesitated; he could sense the tumultuous turmoil in Zhou Mi, his indecision, his fear, everything that was holding him back from joining Shushan at once; Luhan knew that this was his best friend’s dream, that he should convince Zhou Mi to go, or he would regret losing this chance for the rest of his life - and yet-

And yet he didn’t want to let him go. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shim Changmin knelt down at the altar; he lay his sword in front of him, bloodied with the lives of hundreds, even thousands of warriors. He bowed his head, his lips moving in silent prayer. 

Behind him, Kyuhyun’s eyes narrowed; his breathing was even as he watched Changmin, his body perfectly still as he waited. 

Silence. 

Then a voice rang out. “The Saviour has been chosen.” 

Changmin’s eyes opened, but he did not move; the corner of his mouth corked up in a half-smile. “At long last. Who is it? Who is the honoured warrior whom the Master has chosen to sacrifice for them? Or perhaps I should say, innocent bystander.” 

The person who spoke stepped out from behind a pillar; her long, lustrous black hair tumbled down her shoulders, her eyes sharp and flinty, filled with curiosity as she asked. “Why are you so sure it’s not one of the Shushan Five?” 

Changmin just laughed. “They? They have no right. Come, now, Krystal - who is it?” 

Krystal smiled, a cold, devious smile. “An innocent bystander - a scholar, in fact, with no prior training. An imbecile, when it comes to martial arts, or so I hear.” 

Kyuhyun stirred for the first time, his deep voice solemn. “His name?” 

“Zhou Mi.”

----------------------------------------------

A/N: Poor Luhan, struggling between letting his friend go to chase his dreams and possibly not meeting him again, or making him stay, which might make him regret for the rest of his life...

The last scene was actually my favourite; there's an air of mystery surrounding all the Demon Sect members, because their true intents are all not revealed. And Krystal's one of the Demon Warriors, yes. One of you noted that all the Demon Sect Warriors are Korean, while Shushan is Chinese; this is actually part of the feud between Shushan and Demon Sect, can any of you guess just what it is?

I'm sorry this chapter took so long it coming, but the next one will probably take a while too (school and exams, ugh) And remember guys, comment and subscribe!