4

Suho was so close to his destination. When he'd turned to the window, asking silently for the instructions for the challenge, he'd received a short answer.

'Nurse's office'

However, he'd taken off before the remainder of the message had appeared.

'Careful, or you may need it'

Suho could see the small sign hanging from the ceiling in the dim lighting up ahead, and he pushed himself faster, sprinting across the empty cafeteria. The only sound amidst the silence was his own measured breathing and the sound of his shoes slapping against the floor.

As he rounded the pillar, a sudden black object came into his path, and Suho barely managed to jump in the middle of his sprint, a small yelp of surprise coming from him.

It was when his foot caught on the object that Suho remembered what it was.

The vending machine.

His yelp soon turned into a cry of pain as Suho went down, crashing against the floor which was covered in shattered glass. Suho could feel small trickles of warmth seeping down his palms as he laid on his back, panting hard, and there was an uncomfortable feeling in his left leg. Lifting his hands to his face, Suho saw streaks of red, his blood, lining his palms.

'I have to finish' he thought to himself, raising up on his elbows. What he saw, however, made him feel slightly faint.

A single, jagged piece of glass stuck out from his left thigh, the blood from the wound painting his pant leg red and spreading quickly. He reached out to touch the shard, and bit down hard on his lip when a sharp pain shot up his leg. He could hear shouts in the distance, Sehun's familiar voice ringing through the silence, a pleading tone prominent amidst his shouts.

Suho simply laid back down, trying to slow his breathing. He could feel a strange tightening in his chest, and red letters filled his vision.

'Challenge failed, competitor two'

Suho gasped as the message filled his vision, over and over, and then he felt hands sliding under his head as Sehun's tear-streaked face came into view.

Sehun felt his stomach drop when he'd seen Suho sprawled across the floor, his inky hair a stark contrast against the white tile. Sehun could see his chest rising and falling rapidly, the sharp planes of his thin form prominent from his vulnerable position.

"What have you done?" he whispered, and Suho could see the familiar faces of the rest of the group fill in behind Sehun.

"I'm sorry, but it's too late now" Suho replied, and he whimpered when he felt a twinge of pain go through his left leg again.

"Don't touch it, please" Suho said weakly, and Kyungsoo's face joined Sehun's over him.

"Hyung, we have to take it out and bind it, you're losing a lot of blood" he said quickly, before turning to Sehun.

"Do something to distract him, Sehun-ah, it's gonna hurt" he whispered in his ear, but Suho still heard and his breath hitched.

But then he felt a familiar mouth press against his own, and Suho relaxed in Sehun's arms, responding to the sudden kiss because he knew what was coming.

Kyungsoo grimaced, eyeing the jagged piece of glass sticking out of Suho's leg. Suho seemed relaxed, though, so he took a deep breath, hoping to keep this as quick as possible.

Suho screamed against Sehun's mouth as a blinding pain shot through his leg, Sehun's arms tightening around him in response. And then warmth spread through his leg as Kyungsoo tightly wrapped his jacket around the injured limb. Suho was shaking in Sehun's arms, tears streaming down his face as Sehun rocked them back and forth, tears of his own still prominent on his cheeks.

The tightening came back, stronger this time, and Suho gasped.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to save us, I'm sorry" Suho managed to grit out past the sensation in his chest, and Sehun's rocking paused.

"What are you saying?" Sehun asked frantically, and the others crowded around Suho as well.

"The Game--I failed--it said-" Suho panted harshly, but he never finished, head falling back as he went limp.

They all fell silent for a moment, as if not believing what had happened, now twice, to their friends.

"No, Suho. Come back," Sehun pleaded, resting his head against the other's chest with his eyes squeezed shut.

"Suho please!" Sehun cried out, shaking the limp boy in his lap. Strong arms pulled him off of Suho and Sehun turned to press his head against Kris' broad chest, sobs wracking his body.

The intercom crackled, and an almost inaudible intake of air went around the group as they awaited the dreaded tone.

"Competitor number two has been terminated. Do not move the competitor from his place."

Kyungsoo hovered over Suho, not touching him, but unable to believe that this had happened to yet another one in their group. That was, until he saw the steady, barely noticeable rise and fall of Suho's chest.

"Guys, termination doesn't mean death, they're just unconscious" Kyungsoo said quickly, turning to the others who were staring with various expressions; some tearful, some with hope, and a couple full of anger at this 'Game'.

"We have to leave him, we don't know what will happen if we don't" Sehun said firmly as he pulled away from Kris, anger replacing the pain in his eyes.

With that, the ten boys reluctantly turned and walked away, leaving the unconscious boy behind them.

The group decided to walk back to the library, everyone keeping mental tabs on each other so they wouldn't separate again. As they were walking down a dark hallway, Baekhyun felt a strange sensation run along the back of his neck, almost as if something was watching him. Slowing down and edging towards the end of the group, Baekhyun glanced around. Peering down another dark hallway, Baekhyun froze at what he saw.

The silhouette of a tall, almost familiar person stood still in the center of the corridor, face obscured by darkness. Baekhyun couldn't move, couldn't breath, as the head of the silhouette tilted ever so slowly to the side, almost as if assessing the frozen boy standing at the opposite end. Then a hand was on his arm, and he nearly screamed before looking up into Tao's concerned face.

"Hyung, we have to stick together" Tao said, looping his arm through Baekhyun's and dragging him after the group. Baekhyun could feel his heart thundering in his chest, and he had just opened his mouth to spill what he'd seen when he was cut off.

"Did you see something?" Tao asked quietly, Baekhyun glancing up with a startled expression.

"How did you kno-"

"Because I've been seeing things too"