Suho's POV

I still couldn't believe it. How could those words have caused so much damage?

Staring at the kitchen sink with soap suds steadily disappearing in the murky waters, I didn't come up with any answers. Instead, the water began to imitate my thoughts, swirling round and round and round-

“Hey,” came Chen's voice as he stepped in behind me and slipped his arms under mine in a close hug. The water in the sink quietly stopped spinning. “A lot on your mind?”

He made a very affectionate roommate, but I never minded. These little touches always made me feel a little happier. But today, happiness wasn't an option. Just thinking about what Tao went through because of me-

“You're doing it again.” Chen pouted and a tingling sensation of electricity rushed through my body, not painful by any means, but eye-opening.

“I'm sorry, Chen. I don't think I'll be able to do the dishes this morning.” I took off the rubber gloves at the sink and moved to get out of his arms, only to have him hold on tighter. “Chen?” I asked after another wave of electricity moved through me, shocking my spine straight and the breath from my lungs. It almost felt... good.

“You're always the guardian, but who takes care of you when you need someone to lean on?”

“I don't need someone to lean on.” I insisted. “Zitao needs someone to lean on, especially after what I caused him. Why did I even say anything?”

“You aren't making sense, Suho. What are you talking about?”

Perhaps he felt when I tensed up, as he sent another shock to my ribs that spread with sweet tingles everywhere it possibly could - like always. Water was never unhappy to have electricity cling to it, enjoying the thrilling buzz with every molecule. This must be why I relaxed in his arms. There couldn't be any other reason than that to make me tell him what I did to Taozi. It hurt so much to admit it again, but he made it feel safe to talk about.

“You heard the story from Lay of Zitao's torture?” I started, leaning my head back comfortably onto his shoulder while I spoke.

“I heard it from Kris.” Chen's voice was soft by my ear and it made it easier to keep going

“So then you know that his mother's boyfriend was a bad man.” I continued, nodding. “Years ago, I talked to him, not knowing who he was. He was a block away from Zitao's house, so I thought he was one of their neighbors. Taozi used to tell me all kinds of things this man would do – throw things, yell, insult him without reason. I would comfort him whenever that happened and take him out for icecream or buy him something to make him smile again. I should have known, should have kept my mouth shut-”

“Suho, what did you say?”

“After finally understanding that I liked Zitao and a long time trying to build up the courage, I went to go confess. In my stupid excitement, I told the first person I came across. I really just thought he was a drunk neighbor. Grumpy, but harmless.”

“I don't understand.”

With a sigh, I broke out of his hold to speak face to face. Chen looked worried, but mostly confused. “You don't know what that man was like. From the stories I was told, everything Zitao would say was twisted into something to use against him. This man really hated him for just existing as his mother's child. The possibility of Zitao being gay was probably the last straw to him.”

“But you were the one going to confess, not Tao-”

“It didn't matter. He was already drunk and in a foul mood. His mind twisted it to make everything Tao's fault again and to make the situation bigger than it was.”

“I still don't think it was your fault.” said Chen with renewed determination in his eyes. “If he was already an abusive drunk, then anything could have set him off. How could Tao's mother stay with someone like that?”

“Denial is a powerful, powerful thing.” I breathed, leaning against the sink and thinking back to my parents. To fight the loneliness, I often denied they even existed. They did it too, denying that I was their son and instead only sending money and going off on long trips. I couldn't remember the last time they stayed over for more than a week. They hadn't even met Chen yet.

Chen stepped forward and hugged me close, laying his cheek on my chest. Honestly, he was too sweet to me. Sometimes I wondered if I was the one helping him or if he was the one doing all the helping. A small thrum of electricity charged through my veins as I hugged back and I couldn't tell if it was his power or something else that made my heart leap.

***

Kai's POV

Lunch ended and I teleported to the rooftop of Tao's school, uninterested in returning to my own school and getting unusually tired for that time of day. I set the alarm on my phone so I could wake up in time to meet up with the teen when school ended, sure I could somehow rope him into a date of some kind, no matter what he said about giving up on love. Maybe we could go to a water park or a zoo.

Possibilities drifted through my mind as I settled into a comfortable sleep under the blue sky, jacket thrown over my eyes to block out the light and arms pillowing my head.

The color of light shining through my closed eyelids was red.

---

A dark, hostile figure with knives for fingers was petting my back lovingly, creating deep red scratches while my throat strained to ask for help. The scratches were dripping with hot blood and soaking my shirt completely through. What the hell? Why couldn't I escape? Why couldn't I breathe properly?

The figure's eyes were glowing a deep red and I screamed in fear at forever being at this thing's mercy for the rest of my life, because I just knew that it had no intention of letting me go. It hated me. It lusted after me and the pain that showed on my face.

Except... this wasn't me that was feeling these things. The memory of Tao's shamed face at my discovering his scars came back to me and the dream shifted so that it was Tao in my place, being tortured before my very eyes.

“.” the figure whispered in his ears while I was helpless to watch. “Nauseating-as-.” he shrieked suddenly causing my soulmate to jump and cry out harder to be let go. The figure's eyes turned grey-white and I wanted nothing more than to punch the thing in the face, if I could only move to do so.

My heart felt like glass shattering in slow motion. It was only inevitable that it would become a mess of pointed shards. Why did Tao have to be the one to go through this? Why couldn't it be me instead? Tao didn't deserve any of this. What could he have possibly done to deserve this?

You aren't meant to be here.

I recoiled at the familiar animalistic voice and searched for the wolf in my dream, finding it watching the scene of the evil figure and tortured boy with a sorrowful expression.

“What does that mean!?” I yelled at it, frustrated and hurt.

You don't remember? The wolf seemed surprised, but I didn't have any patience for this.

“Save him!” I pleaded, tears running down my cheeks. “Why does he have to go through this so many ing times?!”

I can't save him, but you can.

The dream was breaking apart around me, but I screamed at the wolf to tell me what I could do.

Leave this world, Kim Jongin. You aren't meant to be here.

---

I woke up sweaty and scared out of my mind for something that was already in the past. Perhaps Suho explaining how he had caused Tao's misfortune had brought all the fears back. That paired with the heat must have caused some crazy dreams.

Leave this world? What did that mean?

My phone began ringing and I grabbed it expecting it to be the alarm I set. Looking at the screen, there was still an hour of school left. And Kyungsoo was calling me.

“I think the wolf told me to kill myself, Soo.” I said into the phone, skipping useless greetings.

“What?! Kai, where are you right now?”

“I'm on top of the rooftop at Tao's school.”

There was a long silence on Kyungsoo's end before the teen shrieked, “What the !? Kai get your back here or I'm showing every single embarrassing picture I have of you to that Tao guy. Good luck resting in peace after that, .”

“I'm not killing myself, Soo. I'm just napping.”

“Did I stutter? Get your here, Jongin!”

The line cut and I stared at the phone a little while before lazily gathering shadows to take me out of here and to my own school rooftop where no one would see me appear.

When I got there, my phone rang, the screen showing it to be Kyungsoo again. “Give me a minute to get to class.” I spoke into the phone immediately and without greetings again, wondering how anyone could be so impatient.

Down the stairs I went, listening to the boy seethe for a few seconds before answering back, “I gave you four hours. School is over, Jongin. Where the hell were you all day? Do you know how worried I was?!”

What? I stopped and looked down at my phone and saw the time had changed. As I continued staring, the numbers began moving backwards. Hurriedly, I went down the remaining stairs and stood in the middle of one of the school's many hallways, watching students suddenly walking backwards and then forwards again, going into class and exiting class.

Tao. Something had to be going on with him for time to be moving so weirdly.

Without a second thought, I brought myself back to his school's office to find out what class he was in. It was difficult, since time kept moving in strange ways and it seemed like the office worker kept switching between forgetting what I was looking for and getting up to leave for home.

Time to try something else. This didn't always work, but when I needed to teleport somewhere, sometimes I could sense the people in the area before actually appearing. I let the shadows overtake me, but instead of reappearing in one spot, I peeked in on all the classrooms I could, sensing the area. Everyone was moving so much, it was hard to sense anything.

Until I found one person who didn't move at all, asleep at a table. It was him. It was Tao.

I appeared in that room, an art room, and found Baekhyun and Chanyeol at his side there, moving in slow motion like the rest of the class. Suddenly, they both broke through Tao's hold, moving in the same time frame I was in, the rest of the class now filing out of the classroom at a rapid speed.

“Kai!” Chanyeol exclaimed with wide eyes. “Help us!”

Baekhyun pushed his way forward to explain as quickly as possible. “Tao fell asleep in class. We can't wake him up and sometimes we're immune but other ti-” he cut off and they both got stuck in Time's grip as it went backwards and students filled the seats again, the teacher's drawing on the board explaining human proportions suddenly coming undone under the marker. The two went back to worrying over Tao before walking backwards to their own seats, Baekhyun next to Tao and Chanyeol a few rows up.

Time moved forwards slowly again, with Chanyeol turning his head to look at Baekhyun sadly.

Feeling dizzy, I made my way to Tao's side. His cheek lay against a blank paper and he moved in the same time frame I was in, breathing faster than he should and right hand clawing into the table. Each time his nails scratched across the surface, time moved differently. Calling his name, I gently picked up this hand.

He jerked awake and looked at me like I was a demon out to get him before I got him to remember it was just me, just Jongin here.

“Tao, you want to ditch the rest of today?”

“What time is it? My watch is never right...” he asked, and I realized that the light in the room was out and no one was around anymore. Through the window, there were stars out.

Checking my phone, I chuckled. “Eleven at night. Yesterday night.”

“Oops.” Tao said with a tired smile, standing up and collapsing his arms over my shoulders. “Take me away from here?”

He was trembling.

***

Xiumin's POV

School was ending for Chanyeol and I stopped by the building to pick him up. I may have come too early in my haste to see him, but it was hard not to want the feeling of heat again when the cold kept coming back, and stronger every time. I didn't think my curse could get any stronger.

Climbing out of the car, I sat down on the edge of some grass outside the school doors, picking up leaves and twigs and making a small palace of them with frost to glue them together. My thoughts drifted to that of warm sand castles I used to make as a kid at the beach, topped with the best-looking shell I could find that day.

“Xiumin?”

That wasn't Chanyeol's deep voice. I grimaced at the skip my heart made to the sweet voice I knew so well. Luhan. He looked down at me with sad eyes. Why was he so sad? He let me be taken away by that tall stranger without a fight.

“I'm here to pick up Chanyeol, not to see you.” I told him, observing his features carefully. The words hurt him, I could tell.

“I know. Xiumin,” his voice had dropped down to a whisper and he closed his eyes like what he was saying was really difficult for him. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

Already regretting the harsh words, I answered a small “sure” and followed him away to my car. I would just have to meet Chanyeol later.

***

Chanyeol's POV

Xiumin texted me that he wouldn't be here to pick me up. That wasn't good; the fire deep inside my chest felt unruly today. Seeing Baekhyun and being so close to him all day did strange things to it. The fire always suddenly wanted to spring free whenever I came to see those playful, black-lined eyes.

It was because seeing Baekhyun made me so stupidly happy. That couldn't happen. I couldn't see him anymore. We should never be together.

I was dangerous. Every day, I was reminded of this.

Not willing to start walking to the bus just yet, I sat on the curb outside the school and gazed out at the many cars and trees and buildings. The days were getting warmer. Then again, it might've just been me.

The thing is, we only had one day together! And we had spent that day wonderfully. There was talking, sharing interests, making out, some experimental touching just like in any cheesy high school romance – but I ruined it all. The fire in my chest ruined it all, ruined everything.

I sighed, long and deep, at the clouds pulling away from the sun. It was too hot out already. Sweat began to gather on my forehead.

Now would be a good time to leave, I decided, standing up.

“Wait up!”

No-

Running towards where I stood was Baekhyun with those gorgeous eyes and hesitant lights peeking out from inside his uniform sleeves. He was stunning as always, and my lips twitched, wishing to smile. But smiling would give off the wrong signals. He needed to stay away from me.

I took a step back as he reached me.

“Chanyeol.” he panted, resting a hand at his hip and squinting from the sunlight. We would stay here to talk, I knew, instead of moving to the cool shade, as he once told me that the light made him feel more comfortable. I understood; it made me feel comfortable too. If the heat of the light weren't so dangerous, I'd spend every waking moment in the sun.

Baekhyun didn't say anything more. What did he come out here for, if not to talk?

Troubled, I told him truthfully, “I don't want to hurt you again.” Those words had to be said, no matter what.

“You think this doesn't hurt?” Baekhyun asked incredulously, and it stung. Still, he was safe as long as he didn't get too close to me. “Listen, that day- the burn was so small-”

“In the future,” I interrupted him. “the burns won't always be small, Baek. It's getting stronger. That's why I need my soulmate. I need Xiumin now.”

“So you found him, the final soulmate.” he scoffed before asking a small, “What's his power?”

“Ice.”

“Fire and ice.” he mused with a defeated nod. “Of course.” Turning his head away as his eyes filled with tears, Baekhyun brought a ragged tissue from his pocket that looked to be well-used and dabbed at them, smudging his eyeliner at the corners.

“Don't cry, Baek.” I stopped myself from reaching out to him and kept my hands at my sides stiffly. Those tears were more painful than anything.

“You like me.” Baekhyun stated with a watery smile. “You actually want me at your side, but you won't take me when I'm giving you my everything. It's too sad, Chanyeol.” With a sniffle, he continued, “And my whole life, no one's ever liked me like that. What am I supposed to do when the only person who thinks I'm worth anything doesn't want me near?”

“Baek-”

“Lay healed me a couple days ago.” he offered, lifting his shirt to show an expanse of skin that used to carry a red burn the exact size and shape of my right-hand thumb. But the skin was clear and perfect just like before. How? Lay never used to be so good at healing.

I nearly jumped back as Baekhyun took my hand, expecting to be suddenly hugged, as this was his normal style. He only held my hand with both of his, lightly sobbing.

“Please,” he begged. “Let's just spend another day together. I'll show you. We can be careful and no one will get hurt this time.”

Shaking my head, I yanked my hand back, choosing to ignore the painful shock in my chest at the sight of Baekhyun looking so alone without it. Alone was better – safer. “I won't have you put yourself at risk. So... stay away from me. Don't touch me, don't get too close, and whatever you do, do not wear anything especially flammable.”

He grabbed my sleeve. “Chanyeol-”

“No!”

“Yeollie-” Giving up whatever self-restraint he had since we started talking, Baekhyun threw his arms over my neck, lips meeting mine in a sudden kiss. I was already molding myself around him for a better fit, slightly bent with my hands at his waist.

This was what I'd been afraid of. Something about Baekhyun always felt so right, so perfect. Every little detail about him drove me crazy. There was no way someone I only just met could feel so lovable. He reminded me that fire wasn't just hot. Fire was radiant, dashingly bright. It was passion and a gentle, loving light.

But fire would always be hot. It would always consume, never satisfied with what it had. Burning orange flashed beneath my eyelids as the image of a wild flame struck through my mind like a living nightmare. I could feel it building first red, then white-hot through the very core of my being.

Panicking, I shoved Baekhyun off of me, eyes darting to find any flames on his body. There was some smoke, but no burning; I caught it just in time. I quickly got out of there, running away from the voice calling me back.

Past buildings, past trees, past dainty little gardens that would be eaten whole from this fire in my chest in a second if I only stopped to breathe. Nowhere was safe for a person like me. That abandoned field I used to go to all the time was too far away to run to.

Eventually, I had to stop. I didn't have a choice. My lungs strained to breathe and my clothes were slowly losing to the flames around my arms and back. Keeping in the rumbling fire hurt like nothing I've ever felt before. Maybe since it couldn't destroy the things outside my body, it decided to destroy what it could inside.

My reflection stared back at me off a car parked nearby as someone with wild orange eyes, windswept hair, and a flaking uniform before the fire broke free and swallowed everything in sight in raging flames.

I couldn't help but feel glad that Baekhyun didn't see this side of me as I slid into a state of fiery peace with my head tilted back towards the sun. Everything in a ten-meter radius would be blackened to bits, I knew.

Hopefully, there weren't any people around, but I didn't know. I stopped caring.

I stopped caring.

***

Author Note:

I wrote something in Sehun's POV but couldn't use it because the chapter was already super long. It'll just be saved for the next chapter. Also, I want to write more about Kai and Luhan and all that stuff, so get super excited about the next update, 'kay?

This chapter was really hard to make decisions over, but I am so glad I finally got it together. Sorry for my uber late-ness! This story and all my others won't ever be abandoned, I promise. However, I don't think I'll work on my alien fic until after the new MV is out since there is a lot I think could be used for inspiration there (like, I was so surprised to find so many parallels between what I wrote and what was in the teasers).

I love you all bunches - you are all so cute and sweet and always seem to know how to make me happy~

Thank you for reading!