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

"Has Lay-oppa awaken yet?" Minjee asked in worry. 

"Gege has." Tao answered, nodding his head after taking a glimpse of his older brother. "I suppose his emotions got way overboard that he lost consciousness." 

"That's rather the only reason why a person would faint, hyung." Kai pouted as he crossed his arms. "I'm worried. The deaths are coming and there's no end to it until maybe, all of us will eventually cease!"

"Stop thinking that way." Tao scolded. "We're going to live, Kris-gege said so, remember?"

"Well, no one is perfect and even our great duizhang commits mistakes!" Kai countered.

"Just... stop thinking negatively."

"I'm simply stating the truth, Tao-hyung-"

"Guys, will you please shut. Up?" Minjee growled in annoyance, cutting both's arguement. "Kai, Tao's right. You shouldn't see the end of everything as 'everyone will die eventually', okay? It's not a good thought. Why not think that we'll have some little luck and eventually live?"

"Noona, face the truth, we're gonna die. SuJu and SNSD are hunting us down. Sure, we did put SHINee and f(x) in silence but not those two packs! They're like the best of the best!" Kai cried.

"Now you're sounding like a negative Baekhyun-oppa, Jongin." Minjee glared.

Silence.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't-" Minjee gasped, noticing that she just uttered one of their dead brother's name. 

"We're going to live." Tao sternly said, avoiding eye contact with the two upon hearing his brother's name. "That's that. We're going to live, alright, Jongin? We are. We are."

"... Alright, hyung." Kai nodded in defeat. "Excuse me, I'm checking up on Lay-hyung. You two rest for a while, okay?" he smiled faintly. Upon the now youngest brother's leave, the two were sent in a deafening silence as they waited for the rest to come and give them company.

"Lay-hyung?" Kai's voice echoed, grabbing D.O and Kris' attentions. "Are you doing well now? Are your wounds still in a bad situation?" he worriedly asked. 

"Kai, your voice is too loud. Come near." Kris said, gesturing his younger brother to sit beside him and D.O. Kai did so and slowly sat down, his eyes fixed on his wounded older brother, trails of blood visibly seen and bruises crossed his whole body. A few scratches here and there and some small and big cuts there, his body was a complete mess.

"Hyung, your wounds-"

"He'll be find, Jongin." D.O cuts off. "We can tend on them. They'll heal." 

"But his wounds are seemingly in bad condition!"

"Stop worrying, they'll heal after being tended on." D.O said again. "Come on, stop being so worried."

"Lay-hyung, are you gonna get better?" Kai asked again, being totally worried of the dimpled wolf. With hesitation, Lay soon nodded slowly, worrying Kai more.

"I think he's not okay, hyung." he frowned, his eyes now fixed on D.O. 

"What the , Jongin? What made you think so?" D.O scowled.

"He nodded slowly!"

"And so?"

"... Well, just a hunch."

"Sheesh, you and your darn hunches." D.O hissed as he carefully placed the herbs they found a while ago over Lay's wounds and as expected, the dimpled wolf winced in extreme pain.

"Ouch!" Lay hissed, retrieving his wounded arm again.

"Lay. Endure it." Kris instructed. "Come on, if they don't get treated quickly, they'll swell and get infected." he explained, grabbing his brother carefully on his sensitive wrist. "Go ahead, Kyungsoo. Put the herb over the wounds."

"I." Lay hissed in pain. "I can do it myself. I can treat my own wounds myself, Kris-gege." Lay pouted, trying to snatch the herb away from D.O's hand.

"No can do, hyung. We're healing your wounds." D.O frowned.

"Ouch-! You're doing it wrong!" Lay cried in annoyance, finally grabbing the herb on D.O's hand. By himself, he placed the herb lightly on his slightly swollen wounds and eyed Kai. "Can you get more of these and a few of those those white flower near here?" he asked.

"Ah, sure hyung." Kai obediently replied, nodding his head before running off to pick the said flowers. After a few minutes, he came back, four flowers on his hand. "Hyung! I got them!"

"Can you please grind them into powder-like substance?" Lay asked. "Please?"

"Sure." he nodded and got a rock instantly, pounding on the flower petals as soon as the command was given. It took some time but afterwards, the petals were grinded and were hurriedly given to Lay, who applied them to his wounds, wincing in pain and a few tears threatening to roll down his eyes.

"It must hurt." D.O sighed.

"It doesn't. Not that much pain when Suho fell off the cliff." Lay frowned. "Can you imagine the pain-"

"Lay, please." Kris cuts off, shutting his brother's words in. "Everyone perfectly can imagine such pain. We've lost seven brothers in total. And of course, it's painful for each one of us. We know how much it hurts."

"It might be very painful for you, hyung. Suho-hyung is painful indeed, and we all feel that. You're not alone." D.O said, patting Lay's back lightly, sure that he wouldn't hurt his brother. "I mean, hey, all of us know how close you are with Suho-hyung. You're like two peas in a pod. We know how you have a part of life that you owe to him. That is why his death is rather a sharp spear pierced in your chest." 

"... You're such an artist in words, Kyungsoo." Lay smiled faintly. "And, yes, I understand what you're trying to say. I'm just kind of wavered by my dark emotions. Forgive me."

"We understand, hyung. It's the same feeling when we first lost a brother." Kai smiled. "It's alright."

"I am rejoiced that you undersatnd." the dimpled wolf giggled.

"Alright, take some rest already. We might halt our travel for a few days. With our healer injured, we are greatly helpless when we get wounded severely." Kris instructed. "I'll see how Minjee and Tao are doing. I'll also report to them that you're doing well now, Lay."

"... Yes. You do that, Yifan-gege." he nodded. 

Minjee. The name echoed in his mind and for some reason, he felt tears burn in his eyes.

The moon rose sooner than everyone expected. Due to extreme tiredness, everyone fell right into a deep sleep, excluding one. The injured wolf stayed awake, seemingly dazed and silent. The scene of Suho dying replayed all night long in his head, and it haunted him. Badly. 

And he hated that his brother's death came before his eyes. It was horrid. It was a real and living nightmare for him.

"I'm sorry I had to let you go." Lay whispered to himself, seemingly talking to Suho as if he still existed and sat alive in front of him. He wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or if Suho's soul really followed him and decided to stay in the earthly realm. He was confused of life itself already.

"I shouldn't have let you go." Lay sobbed softly, covering his eyes with his small hands. "Forgive me, Joonmyeon, I shouldn't have..."

Once, his eyes averted to Minjee, who was peacefully sleeping beside Tao. She seemed like an angel, as always. But in Lay's eyes, she was nothing like the angel he once saw. 

She was no angel in his eyes.

She was no one that seemed angelic anymore. She wasn't the same Minjee in his eyes.

"Minjee..." he growled in fury. 

She was a killer. A black sheep.

"You killed Suho, Minjee." he glared at the sleeping figure of the female human. "You killed Joonmyeon, and that is because of your existence. Soon."

"... "

"Soon you'll have your life pay his, Kang Minjee."

Dawn slowly came and everyone was back to their senses after getting the right amount of rest they needed. Knowing that there weren't anyone chasing them yet, Kris knew that the surroundings was safe, thus, instructing everyone to take a fresh breathe of the winter breeze.

Everyone had faint smiles on them, and surely, they were kind of new to the feeling of freedom after days of running away from "near deaths" brought by SNSD and SuJu. This time, no one was chasing them. Yet.

"Gege! I'll go pick some food!" Tao volunteered, raising his arm.

"Alright. Kyungsoo, Jongin, accompany him, will you?" Kris said, nodding his head.

"Alright!" the two nodded, smiling and skipping towards their brother. Meanwhile, Kris, Lay and Minjee were left, trying to make a small source of heat from dried branches. The flame soon began, thanks to Kris doing everything swiftly. Minjee sat near the flame but far enough to not let herself catch the hot flames and get burned.  

"Gege! We're back!" Tao chirpped, carrying a few berries and a few nuts as well. Behind, Kai and D.O carried a few birds they seemingly had caught and shot successfully. They were immobile, thus, they arrive with the conclusion of them being dead. 

"Let's eat!" Kai cried.

"Eat those birds you mean?" Minjee gulped.

"Of course. Kyungsoo-hyung here can handle that!" 

"I am not eatnig something like that!" 

"Well then, starve to death, noona."

"No!"

"Then eat the freaking birds then!"

"... I accept defeat! I'll eat them, alright? Sheesh." Minjee pouted. She did have a fault herself, she was too picky in such suffocating situation. Well, they were already choking because of their limited freedom, and yet she was still complaining. She knew it so she had to accept defeat.

A few hours passed and everyone had their fill. Everyone enjoyed their freedom for this day they actually no one chasing them yet. 

Everything was quiet. Everyone was calm and for quite some time, some were faintly smiling as well. Kai and Tao were playing, D.O sat quietly, eyes scanning the seemingly calm surrounding. Kris watched over his brother while Minjee felt warmth again. Lay was an exemption though.

He was quiet all the time.

"Yixing?" Kris called out, garnering the younger's attention.

"Yes, gege?"

"Look, I know it's Suho that's running in your mind right now. You know, we can talk about it. The whole pack." Kris suggested, making the younger avert his gaze.

"No, gege. I would't want to talk about it." Lay sternly said.

"But you wouldn't be able to clear your thoughts if that's the case."

"I'd rather keep quiet." Lay answered back.

"Zhang Yixing-" 

"Look, gege. I appreciate you being our listener, but this time, I would suggest me being alone." Lay said before standing up and going back to their cavern. "Excuse me."

With his leave, everyone froze and all eyes were on him. Everyone was seriously shocked by his actions, even Minjee. "What's wrong with Lay-oppa? He seems... different." Minjee asked, eyeing her mate.

"Who knows? I've never seen him like that!" Tao answered. "In fact, he's more in the bright side! It's rare to see him like that, I mean, sad."

"... Maybe it's because of Suho-hyung's death?" D.O asked.

"Heaven knows." Kai shrugged.

"It's surely because of Suho." Kris sighed. "Let him be for now. He wouldn't want to be disturbed in such situation. He needs time alone."

"Understood." everyone nodded, eyes looking away from the dimpled wolf. The sun soon sets and everyone crawled back to their cavern to get another peaceful rest as the moon slowly rises and takes over the sun's place. Stars twinkled but slowly, gray clouds inked the sky.

"Good morning." Minjee yawned as she headed towards the pack, who were preparing breakfast already. Everyone seemed bright, even the once gloomy Lay was faintly giving away smiles to his brothers, and to think of it, she as well got one. "I see Lay-oppa's in a better mood now?" 

"Mhm." Lay smiled. "It seems that I am. Along with that, I'd want to ask forgiveness for my actions yesterday." 

"Again, Lay, it's okay." Kris sighed. "Everyone understood your pain after all the deaths we've encountered. We perfectly understand. Besides, you and Joonmyeon were rather the closest in this pack. You've grown together since childhood, yes?"

"Indeed." the younger smiled. "We were rather close. Say, I'd like to make it up to you guys. Who wants some tea? I'd love to make some for you all!"

'We'd gladly appreciate that!" D.O clapped. 

"Gege makes the best teas!" Tao added. "Minjee, you've got to try 'em!"

"I'd love to." Minjee smiled. "So, can I help?"

"It's alright. I can handle. It might just take a few minutes. I'll have to search for the right herbs and everything. Plus, the water!" Lay smiled as he got up and disappeared in the horizon. Everyone patiently waited, soon being immersed in chats and everything. They were feeling small sparks of joy light up again. It warmed their once fearing hearts up.

Soon, Lay came back, he had the right herbs and the now heated water he got from who-knows-where. There were a few wooden hollow cup-like objects as well, which of course, Minjee hoped were clean. As well as the water and herbs and everything else. Well, she still needs to mind safe health even in such situation, right? 

A few more minutes, Lay came out, carrying and handing cups of tea to all. Everyone gladly received them and thanked their brother. They felt the tea warm them up by the least they can. "Best teas ever!" Kai happily chirpped.

"As expected of hyung!" D.O grinned. 

"Here, Minjee." Lay said, handing the female human her share. It had a clear color and a fascinating aroma. "Oh, intruiging." Minjee smiled as she received hers. The sweet aroma made her sunny smile appear once again. It somewhat relaxed her mind and removed all tensions and fears coarsing in her body. "Thank you, Lay-oppa."

"My pleasure." Lay faintly smiled.  

"This brings back memoires, doesn't it, gege?" Tao giggled. 

"What memories?" Minjee blinked in curiousity, stopping her halfway from sipping her tea. 

"Well, back then, Lay-gege was rather unaware of his talent in tea making." Tao began, smiling as he tasted the calming tea run down his throat. "Everyone thought that his only talent was healing like any other members of the Zhang pack."

"And then Suho-hyung showed him tea making." Kai continued. "And Lay-hyung got super interested in it and with his first attempt, made a rather good tea! It was relaxing and it amazed everyone! It then revealed his hidden talent in tea making. And his talent made him radiate brightly in the clan as his teas make anyone with the worst pains and stress feel better in a matter of seconds!"

"Indeed." D.O agreed. "We've all been in the worst situations of stress and pain and it only took a few healing teas and herbal treatment from Lay-hyung here and they were all gone." 

Lay only smiled faintly and Kris greatly noticed Lay's change in expressions. Since Lay handed over the teas, he felt something different, as if his brother's aura changed gradually. His eyes were locked on either Lay or on Minjee, who was giggling as the brothers state lots of Lay's past in tea making. He even picked up a rather intruiging aroma, and he was sure the scent wasn't that far.

"Yixing." the duizhang calls out. "What are the herbs you used in Minjee's tea?"

"The usual, gege. Why?" he answers.

"... Its aroma is different. And you're lying."

"What- Duizhang, how can you-"

"You are, aren't you?" Kris repeats.

Lay gulped and shook his head. "No! I would never lie, gege! You know me!"

"Well, someone so pure like you can easily get tainted, Lay. Your father and mother were the same. It's not that far for you to be ending up the same way, Yixing. Now, the truth-"

"Duizhang, I ain't lying! Believe me!" Lay insisted.

"Well, I see the opposite though. Spit it out."

"I am not lying!"

"Spit it out."

"Zhang Yixing."

"Gege, believe me, I'm telling the truth-"

"You're lying. The truth now, Yixing. Now."

Silence filled the place and everyone felt tension once again. The glare Kris sent Lay were like bolts of electricity coarsing every part of his body, making him shiver and fidget. Minjee slowly brought the tea away from her rose-colored lips, which were freezing already. She suddenly felt that she was just about to make herself fall into a deeper problem and froze in place.

Without any warnings, Lay snatched Minjee's tea and drank it down, straight, shocking everyone. "Hey-!" Minjee gasped as she saw Lay drop the cup and drop on his knees. He was coughing vigourously and made everyone worry the heck out. 

"Lay-gege-!" Tao cried as he supported his brother. "W-what's wrong? What happened?"

"I knew it." Kris stated out as he knelt beside his dimpled brother. "You put poison on her tea, didn't you?" 

Poison?

"W-what? I-in my tea?" Minjee gasped as her eyes widened twice as large as her normal eyes. "W-why? What-"

Her speech was soon cut off as Lay fell on D.O's lap, weak and breathing abnormally. He was coughing and his eyes were now half-lidded. "Lay-oppa, why did you-?" Minjee gasped, tears forming on the corners of her eyes. 

"I was furious of you, Kang Minjee." Lay cuts off, glaring at the female. "I was so furious of you, you started this mess. You gave us this fate, where we'll all have to die because of the curse you brought to us."

"C-curse?"

"Why do you think... we keep on dying? It's because of those curses you've bestowed us with." Lay repeated. "It began when Haewon-hyung died, and then, everyone continued on, targetting the whole EXO."

"Since... my oppa died? W-why and how did I give you such unacceptable and unlawful fate?"

"... You crossed our lives. That simple." Lay answered. "You killed everyone, Minjee. You killed Luhan-gege, Sehun, Chen, Xiumin-gege, Baekhyun, Chanyeol and most of all, Suho. You killed all of them."

"... I-"

"Lay-hyung, why did you consume the poison though?" Kai asked. "You wanted Minjee-noona killed yet you drank the poison you made yourself for her. Why?"

"... I can't kill someone a brother cares most for." Lay answered, tearing up as he lets go of those words. "I can't kill someone Tao loves dearly. I'd be a monster if I did do such.. and it's an act of betrayal which I sore that I vowed to when our pack was formed."

"... Yixing, why though?" Kris questioned.

"... I betrayed you." Lay coughed, the poison kicking slowly in him. "I am not worthy of living while in your pack. I'd die in the end anyway, so I just quickened things up." he breathed.

"You're an idiot, hyung." D.O whispered. "A big, big, idiot."

"... I know I am, Kyungsoo." Lay giggled despite the difficulty in breathing he had. His sight was blurred and he can barely see his brothers nor Minjee any longer. He felt his breathing pace slowing down and he had to say something first before he goes into the light. "Listen here, as the stars rise up, follow the straight line they form in the west. They'll guide you to the right path. Three members from SNSD and five members from SuJu will hunt you down by the next two days so be careful. Don't go near rivers, trouble lurks there."

"Noted." Kris nodded.

"And Minjee." he called out, grabbing the female's attention in no time.

"Y-yes?"

"Come here." he instructed as he pulled out a necklace with a small bottle safely hanging down. "Here, it'll serve as a lucky charm for you. When troubles fall, just open it, alright?" 

"... Oppa-"

"See you all soon." Lay smiled as he closed his eyes. "I'll be reuniting with our brothers now."

"Lay-oppa, don't you dare-!" Minjee sobbed.

Silence. "Lay-oppa..."

"Zhang Yixing!" she shouted.

"Please..."

"Minjee, gege's gone." Tao softly said as he felt his brother's pulse vanish. "He's gone. He's with everyone now."

Unacceptable. "No." Minjee mumbled, sobbing harder as the yellow-headed wolf pulled his mate closer to him. "He can't... no." the female weakly cried as tears escaped her eyes. 

"... Now what?" D.O sighed as he eyed the leader, sorrow reflected clearly in the red-haired brother's eyes. "We're surely no stand for the enemies that'll appear anytime in our path, hyung. We're three plus one human versus the whole clan." 

"D.O-hyung is right, Kris-hyung. We're no match! What do we do now? We're surely gonna die-"

"Get as many white flowers you can get around the area." Kris instructed, his head lowered and his hair blocking his face. "As many as you can find in the area. Hurry."

"What's with the command, gege?" Tao asked.

"Just obey." he said, showing rims of tears on his cheeks and corners of his eyes. "I want our brother to have a peaceful sleep. Bring him in the cavern, Zitao. Minjee, stay here. Kyungsoo, Jongin, the flowers. Now."

"Yes, duizhang." the two nodded and hurried to get as much as they can find. It didn't take that long and they arrived with a rather big amount of white flowers in their hands, enough to make a bouquet out of it. Volunteering, Minjee arranged them neatly and placed it on Lay's chest. Tears fell. Sobs were heard. A hand held Minjee's freezing hands. Tao knelt beside her and nodded, assissting her out of the cavern.

"Sleep well, Lay." Kris whispered as he took a last glimpse of his brother's peaceful death state. With the remaining members of the pack, the group left, walking off and facing another fearful day.

"Lay-hyung!" 

Voices called out his name, making a certain dimpled man look around, shocked of the familiar voices he heard. He saw shadows but he can't figure out who they were yet. They were blurred, but the voices seemingly calmed him down and made him smile faintly.

"Hello?" Lay called out. "Anyone there?" 

It was seconds when Lay recognized that his clothes were white. They were neat, unlike his dirted clothes before. Plus, the environment was a lot more paradise-like. The trees were green, flowers grew here and there. The warm breeze brushed over his face and it tickled him sligthly. 

"Lay!"

"Hyung! Over here, hyung!"

"Hyung!"

"Oh my goodness, you're here!"

Voices made Lay turn around and grow a lot more curious. Soon, he felt a familiar touch on his shoulder and a voice he simply cannot forget easily. "Yixing, you're here."

"... Joonmyeon?" Lay gasped, seeing Suho smiling at him brightly. 

"Hey there. You're home." he smiled, grabbing his brother's arm. "I told you we'd meet again sooner or later. A promise would never break."

"You... how... w-what...-"

"Say, how about you prepare us some tea before we play the clap game, hm? Xiumin-hyung, Jongdae! Are you with us?"

"Sure!"

"Baekhyun, Chanyeol, how about you?"

"We're in!"

"Sehun? Luhan-hyung?"

"Of course!"

"Alright." Lay nodded happily. "Let's play!"