♫

Zitao wasn’t sure anymore how long he had run.

The terrifying voices of those hybrids back there was still echoing in his mind. He couldn’t be sure what had caused them to scream that loud, but the current situation itself had explained everything well; Vega was being attacked. The three of them would stop once in a while, catching some breath, but in just a few minutes they needed to move their tired feet again because Yixing knew Junmyeon was able to track them. Zitao let Baekhyun, the chestnut hair guy led him into whatever place they were heading right now. He wasn’t sure the city would be a safe place for anyone.

“Baek,” Zitao could hear his own raspy voice. At this rate of time, his energy was slowly draining because of the pressure and all. The hybrids were dependent on their voice. If one was close to dying, their voice would slowly fade away and became really faint, even more faint than just a whisper.

“Baek,” Zitao tried again, this time, harder.

“Yes?” At least it worked.

“Where—“ the raven haired boy cleared his throat. “Where are we going?”

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”

He had been saying that for the last hour. And Zitao was starting to slip off from his consciousness. The night was still young and he was cold as . The sudden attack of Junmyeon and his colleagues didn’t spare him any chance to pack for thick clothes or foods.

“Oh, it’s here! Guys!”

Zitao looked up to see Baekhyun running forward, leaving Yixing and him behind. He swiped away the bushes covering his sight and soon, his view was filled with hybrids that looked familiar to him. Baekhyun was hugging a tall guy with curly brown hair. They looked really relieved and Baekhyun even had tears welling up on his eyes.

There were many of them, but Zitao could tell there was something strange with this bunch of hybrids. He stayed still, scanning over the groups, looking for a certain face. Baekhyun then released the man in his grip and approached him, dragging him on his feet to the middle of the group.

“Everyone, this is Zitao. Zitao, everyone,” Baekhyun groggily introduced him to the hybrids. He could hear faint gasps and even shocked expression, all clearly written on their faces.

“Baekhyun, who are these hybrids? What are we doing here?” Zitao leaned down to whisper. But the latter only looked him in the eye, before releasing the raven hair boy. Yixing grabbed him and led him into one of the tent availible there—and Zitao couldn’t help but wonder who built the tents. Once they were inside, Yixing slowly sat himself down and Zitao could hear a faint sigh of relief. He could tell how spent Yixing was.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. That was such a tough combat back there. I never really used my power before, it feels great to let it out once in a while,” Yixing chuckled at his own words. But then the tent filled with silence again and his smile faded away.

Zitao sat right before the older and asked, “What the hell is happening?”

It was not like Yixing wouldn’t tell him the whole story. But Yixing knew best Zitao couldn’t hold his curiousity even for a night. Though the older needed to rest his whole body for using its maximum power, it seemed like Zitao wasn’t going anywhere tonight.

“I’m going to tell you all the things I know. It’s not much, but it’ll explain a few things,” Zitao nodded.

“Few weeks ago when I was walking pass my father’s working room, I heard a conversation between him and Heechul. Something mentioning ‘the prophecy’. And that the entire Eridanus is starting to crumble apart because somehow, it’s divided into two majority now. The ones who believe in the prophecy, and the ones who don’t. Those who don’t, believe that the prophecy will destroy Lyra. Those who believe, are sure that Lyra will not be completely destroyed, it will only transform into a whole new star, through destruction.”

“The destruction itself is mentioned to be caused by a single hybrid. The Élu. And it is believed that you’re the only ancestor left of its kind. That’s why we need to make sure you’re safe.”

Yixing could tell from the way the younger frowned at him. Ridiculous, Yixing read his mind.

“That’s nonsense. You said you didn’t know what kind of hybrid I am!”

“I was in denial. I heard about you a lot. Father often mentioned you and your father. But I just never happened to believe it until today. Until I touched Minseok earlier and saw you in his mind.”

Zitao was shocked. All this time, Yixing knew about the prophecy. Yet he never really talked about it with Zitao. The raven haired boy got up from his seat and ran out from the tent, leaving Yixing panting and sighing. He totally needed a lot of rest, to regain his power back. Yixing didn’t have to call him tho, Zitao would return somehow. He had no other place to come back. Corvus was being under attack and the chaos wouldn’t die down until a few days. Their little camp was located near the Forbidden Forest and Yixing was sure even a hybrid like Junmyeon wouldn’t know their hideout.

Besides, that kid needed time to absorb all the brand new information.

About what he truly was.

+++

There was no torch to light his way, only the moon which shone too bright. Zitao couldn’t see anything with fat tears that started rolling down his plush cheeks. He was an Élu. That was why the Eridanus made his father’s boat accident looked like it was natural, and the same thought also went for his brother’s missing. Because he was an Élu. When the Eridanus stopped searching for Zhoumi, Zitao and his mother moved to Volans, his hometown where Zitao was born, and started a new life. That was probably the only reason left why he hadn’t been killed just yet. Because Volans was so far from the heart of Vega, Corvus, and there was no way the Eridanus could find him. Only recently they had moved again to Corvus because Zitao needed to get into Horologium. Turned out his first day at school would be the last day he enjoyed freedom.

But knowing the reality was right, that what he had thought was actually happening, was more hurting than it ever did. How cruel. Zitao wanted nothing but a peaceful life. He couldn’t believe it that Eridanus would take any ways to get rid of anything that stood their way. They killed his father and took his brother, only for the sake of Lyra’s security. To prevent the prophecy to happen.

The forest was thick with tall pine trees, darkness surrounded him and when he felt his feet were starting to give up, the boy fell down. He didn’t mind the bruises and the smell of dirt that sticked with his skin. He didn’t mind his face meeting the soil. He didn’t mind anything at all, as fat tears kept rolling down his face.

The raven haired boy stared far towards the wide river that separated Corvus and Crux, another city in Vega that Zitao sure was starting to get attacked too. He could see the faint smoke from different spots and even the screams could be heard from miles away. All this mess and chaos, caused by a single prophecy he just heard few minutes ago. Maybe that was why his mother moved to another city, because even his mother too had known about it all those time ago. Maybe she thought things would change somehow, that she believed people were starting to forget, so they came back.

But nothing would ever change.

“Right, brother?” Zitao’s voice was barely a whisper. But he was answered with an eternal silence. Nothing could be heard again afterwards. The calm water before him was reflecting the night sky and Zitao soon reminded with his old memories of his brother and him playing at the lavender field back in Volans.

Zitao wished he didn’t have to come back. But he needed to—he had to. He had lost his father and brother, he wasn’t going to let the same thing happen to his mother this time. If Eridanus thought that getting rid of his father and brother would prevent the prophecy, then hurting his mother was going to be the last thing they would do. Zitao had a feeling that Eridanus was going to use his mother in advance, to use her as a bait so Zitao would return to the city and surrender. But that wasn’t going to happen.

“The prophecy needs me to complete itself. If I gave up now, that means I’m giving Junmyeon the victory he wants,” he got up from his seat and limply walked back towards the camp.

Zitao didn’t even realize he was being spied.

+++

“Oh, you’re back.”

Zitao wanted to admit that he accidentally got into the tent where Baekhyun and Yixing were currently in, along with the other male hybrids sitting around what appeared to be a large oak table. He was sure some of those faces were pretty familiar to him. But Zitao was never good in memorizing anything. Baekhyun motioned him to take the only seat left which was between Yixing and a hybrid with large round eyes that had been staring at him.

“I thought you wouldn’t come back,” Yixing whispered when he sat down.

“I made up my mind. Not because of you so chill out,” Zitao was quick to say that when he noticed the proud expression that started growing on the other’s face. He turned to his right and was almost jumped out fro