Chapter 9: Gone Too Long

        "I..." you were left speechless for a simple question. Your eyes did not want to leave him, yet Suho's weight inside your arms reminded you. You breathed in deeply, laying a hand over his forehead, "What did you do to them?"

        "You needn't worry," Kris uttered flatly, "the pill doesn't kill. It washes their minds of their most recent memories...whatever they saw you and Luhan do, they will not remember it. They'll believe in any reasonable explanation you give them." Silently leaning down beside the unconscious Tao, the only one he didn't knock out himself, he pulled him from the ground to carry over his shoulder as though he were no more than a light-weighted child. "Come on you two." He silently glanced at Luhan's way, just noticing his stare that had remained upon him all this time, before eying him towards the ground where Baekhyun still lay.

        Breathing heavily as you and Luhan dragged Suho over the couch, you sighed tiredly. This wasn't the way you were expecting to reunite with him - getting into a vicious fight, trying to defend your friends, and almost fearing that Kris, himself would harm them. Glancing to him by the corner, you did not know why you hesitated over your words. "When will they wake?"

        "I don't know about the one that was out already when I came," Kris silently glimpsed at Tao over Luhan's bed, "but the other two, maybe within hours, or latest, by morning."

        You blinked once after his answer, barely having listened to any of it. Your blank, yet overwhelmed expression somehow found its way in making a smile creep up Kris' dour face.

        Luhan raised his eyes in surprise by the back as he watched you step up boldly, throwing your arms around his creator and savior; not only was he astonished to see you appear so "overjoyed," he was more in awe for seeing Kris smile at all. The mentor who had guided him, the man who had created him, he had always been serious, perhaps even a little mysterious...what was he to you? And what were you to him? Not knowing why he thought such things, Luhan still couldn't help but wonder, his gaze remaining over the two of you.  

        "You rascal," you laughed bitterly over Kris' shoulder, feeling his heart beat near you as you breathed in his familiar scent, "you were gone for how long...a year?"

        "13 months I suppose," he mischievously pretended to sound nonchalant, when you released yourself from his hold, your expression filled with more than one emotion. You had expected that your heart would at least feel jealousy when Kris would reach out to Luhan, yet his brotherly smile and paternal touch upon his shoulder led you to feel no more than satisfaction only. How could you not be satisfied, when Kris was right there before you?

        "You learn fast," he grinned encouragingly towards him, making Luhan widen his eyes another time in surprise, as he felt a bit flattered to see him complement him with such sincerity, and of most, with that smile. "A few days, and you've already mastered your gift. That is ten times faster than what ________ took." Squeezing his shoulder firmly, he didn't catch the small change over your face when you heard him call you by none other than your true name.

        "I haven't mastered it just yet," Luhan answered a bit unconfidently, raising a shaky palm as he glanced tentatively at both your directions, "it just...came to me naturally because it was an emergency. Right now, I don't think I can even lift a thing without actually touching it." He flinched automatically even while Kris' gaze remained patient, causing you and him to exchange confused looks. It took Luhan much time to concentrate his powers. You watched him closely as the mark by his wrist shined suddenly, before you heard the glass behind you by the desk shatter as it dropped on the floor. Blinking, you immediately sent him a questioning look. "That was a...success?"

        Luhan shook his head with a somber expression, "I only meant to move it, not drop it...I don't know, it doesn't come naturally when the timing isn't right...

        "What was that timing that made you feel like it was right?" Kris' voice whispered calmly by his ear, "Why did you feel so obligated to use it?"

        His deep voice turned the atmosphere around you three into a deadly silent one, as Luhan sent you one unnoticeable glimpse, "I thought Celeste...I meant ________..."

        "Celeste," Kris corrected coolly, "don't get used to the name ________, or you'll start calling her that around others."

        "Yes Celeste," Luhan answered quickly, suddenly remaining silent as though he had forgotten his previous question.

        "And you were saying?" Kris reminded lightly, noticing the nervous expression creeping up Luhan's face for no reason for he had clearly attempted to skip the question. "What was that right timing Luhan, that made you feel like your telekinesis powers come naturally to you?"

        "The hunters," Luhan's voice trembled restlessly, "they came out of nowhere. My head was a mess but...all I could think of was protecting my friends..."

        "You mean these mortals that you've met for two days?" Kris questioned doubtfully as he glanced at the three laying around Luhan's apartment. Yet Luhan shook his head, but nodded too afterwards. "Not just them...I wanted to help Celeste..." he pursed his lips while barely looking at you, looking as if he wanted to speak further, yet at last decided to shut his mouth.

        You swallowed a silent laughter, utterly bewildered over why a simple answer like that took Luhan so much effort to spit out. Perhaps you should feel grateful, for he had admitted that his powers only came because he wanted to save you. In other words, he cared for you and feared for your safety. But should that be unreasonable in any sort? At least you did not assume so; you as his "guardian" had taken up the responsibility to protect him, so why shouldn't he do the same in return?

        Feeling the atmosphere thickening a bit with awkwardness, you interrupted the silence with an even more awkward chuckle, as you attempted your best to be playful. "Who ever told you I needed to be saved?" you forced a grin in order to melt away Luhan's anxiety, your hand subconsciously laying itself by his arm as you glanced him a reassuring smile.

        "You needn't be," Kris spoke suddenly at the moment he found the two of you gazing upon each other without noticing, "you have survived and done well by yourself without me for the past year, and I expect you to do the same from now on," he paused briefly as he sensed the same thing that both you and Luhan too had, but still continued, "for I will not linger here for long." Remaining perfectly still and calm, he smirked lightly over your alert faces as you two stood back, sensing the sudden movements of another figure outside your windows, even though it wasn't in your sights yet.

        "No need," Kris muttered deeply when you raised a hand in self-defense, watching the young man who was clearly another one of your kind climb his way inside the window without any warning. "Kris we must go, they have spotted them." His voice sounded even younger than Luhan's,  and his figure also thinner and sharper, but somewhat taller. You frowned out of nowhere, not knowing why that voice sounded so oddly familiar. You sniffed in his scent, yet did not recognize him. When the lights inside the room finally came to lighten up his features, you almost became sure that you've seen him somewhere, perhaps a long time ago.

        "Mark," Kris raised a hand for the young man to take as he stepped down from the counter. He returned his smile genuinely while not having yet looked at either you or Luhan. But when his eyes finally landed upon you, he froze there at his spot as if his feet had been nailed to the ground. His lips parted uncontrollably, as though he had wanted to speak, yet Kris suddenly squeezed his hand still within his hold. The boy whom he called Mark turned helplessly towards him, his body giving off a shiver.

        The groan behind him startled you all, as a dizzy Tao rolled over the bed near Suho who still remained asleep. "What in the world  j-just...happened..." he stirred, rubbing the back of his head, having a hard time opening his eyes while you hurried there and knelt before him. "Tao," you touched the place where he was hit as gently as possibly yet he still groaned in response. Leaning up over one elbow, he opened his eyes tiredly. "Who on earth did this?"

        "I'll explain everything," you swallowed almost nervously, already beginning to wonder how you would explain the situation of two strangers inside Luhan's apartment. Quickly turning your head, you opened your mouth to speak, but ended up standing suddenly. There were no others over that empty space near the window, no one but Luhan alone who stood rigidly, his eyes staring blankly at the two of you. A strong breeze blew in through the opened windows, suffusing the whole room with its chill, as though no one other than you had entered tonight.

        Gone again, he was....without an explanation.