A/N: Sorry for the wait. I suggest you reread the previous chapter because a lot of things in this chapter are tightly linked with what happened in D.O.'s past memories. If you're still confused at the end of the chapter, feel free to comment and i'll answer all your questions. Cheers~

In the Present…

When Kai emerged from the backend of the house with Kyungsoo in his arms… that’s when D.O. felt a cruel sense of Déjà vu. “No… No…” D.O. shook his head desperately. He recalled what happened in his memories. Kai had entered the fray while they were fighting Minister Do and Keto, citing some weird reason for heading to the back of the house. “I had a weird feeling in my gut that lead me to this dark abandoned room on the second floor, near the backend of the house… He was calling for my help, and he sounded awfully like you. I had to go check it out!” Kai explained. Kai had returned to the fight empty-handed last time.

Kai did not return empty-handed this time. Coming back to the present, D.O. glanced down at a weak Kyungsoo in Kai’s arms and it was then that he knew… somehow, it was Kyungsoo that had called Kai for help then. How it happened, he did not know. D.O. gasped and fell to his knees when a very familiar force drained him of his energy. It was the exact phenomenon that weakened him greatly that time; it was the exact phenomenon that slowed him down during the fight from his past; it was the exact phenomenon that made him a liability… ultimately causing Kai his life as a sacrifice to save D.O.’s. D.O. stared at a weak Kyungsoo and connected the dots.

It may appear that Kyungsoo’s present weak physical state was the cause of his problems then. So the energy drain I suffered from last time out is attributed to Kyungsoo’s welfare now? How is that possible? D.O. struggled to stand up.

 “Strange things do indeed happen to people who play with time…”

Kris hauled him up onto his feet just then, “I know you’re not Kyungsoo, but I know you’re not bad. Help us fight this battle.” He fixed D.O. with a steely look, the boy trembling not under Kris’s stare but at the knowledge of where this situation was heading. “K-Kai’s going to die… Keto killed him. Everything now is like what it is before…” D.O. broke out in sweat. Kris and Tao, the latter moving over to join them, stared back in shock. “What do you mean?” Tao asked D.O. The other was too far-gone in his fear to reply him. “I can’t let him die again.” D.O. promised himself.

D.O. turned to the couple momentarily. “A few minutes later, a cloaked figure is going to apparate right behind Luhan and Soojung-” He pointed towards the pair currently stuck at a corner of the room, “-He’s going to knock out Luhan and steal Soojung away.” Kris and Tao nodded before running towards Luhan. D.O. didn’t even need to tell them what to do… the pair had already assumed and jumped to prevent what had happened in the past.

They were now rewriting history.

D.O. watched as Kai, with Kyungsoo in his arms, ran towards the unconscious Baekhyun. Kyungsoo wanted to check on his unconscious brother. He dashed off towards them without hesitation. Kyungsoo visibly shuddered when he saw D.O. This caused Kai to glare at him, and it broke D.O.’s heart. Kai was obviously angry and blaming D.O. for kidnapping and hurting Kyungsoo. “I’m here to help…” D.O. stated calmly before helping Chanyeol drag Baekhyun and Xiumin’s bodies away from the fight zone. He rummaged in his robes and brandished Kyungsoo’s wand at the other. With a very serious face, D.O. turned to both Kai and Kyungsoo pleading for them to hear him out. “Keto, the guy in black, is after Soojung. I’m going to stop him… He’s going to come after you too. I want you to be able to defend yourself …… which I failed to do last time.” Before he turned away, Kyungsoo grabbed onto his wrist. “What happened last time?” Kyungsoo asked hesitantly. D.O. stared hard at Kai. “I lost the man I loved.” That statement hit Kai and Kyungsoo hard. The latter tightened his hold around the other. “I’m not going to let you die, Kai.” Kyungsoo whispered into Kai’s ear as he watched D.O. sprint towards Keto.

A pained cry from across the room startled them. The pair turned just in time to witness Lay and Suho fall. “Stop resisting, Kyungsoo!” Minister Do stared at the two Kyungsoos, a little confused, before continuing, “Let Keto take Soojung.” It was D.O., not Kyungsoo, that replied. “O-Over my dead body!” He hissed. Keto merely shrugged and smirked, “That can be arranged.” The next few spells flying out from the other’s wand were laced with much venom, and targeted at none other than D.O. By now, Kai had settled Kyungsoo onto his feet, and the both of them were helping Chen fight Minister Do. Kyungsoo was tottering around to the best of his ability; he was still quite weak from the hours he spent cooped up in that dark room upstairs that was void of food and drinks.

As D.O. predicted, a few minutes later, another stranger apparated into the room behind Luhan and Soojung. This time, the cloaked figure didn’t manage to knock Luhan out for Kris and Tao had been warned by D.O. The Hufflepuff pair stood tall in front of Luhan and Soojung, determinedly fighting off the newcomer. In his memories, D.O. recalled Sehun being stunned when he got distracted by the danger Luhan was in. Back to the present, he saw Sehun turn slightly to check if Luhan was fine. D.O. saw Keto aiming at Sehun, and he powered his way through to deflect the wicked stunning spell that was aimed at Sehun. “Don’t get distracted!” D.O. yelled at a startled Sehun, “That stunner actually hit you last time out… thank god I deflected it this time.”

The fight got more intense and messy as everyone left standing congregated at the centre of the room. Only Luhan and Soojung remained out of harm’s way, the former was the last protection for the lady. Spells were literally flying everywhere. “It’s Kohen!” Chanyeol yelled out when they managed to knock the cloaked figure onto the floor. Kohen growled under Chanyeol’s body, after the latter tackled him to the floor. Keto seemed pissed that his follower’s identity had been exposed so easily. He pointed his wand at Chanyeol about to disarm him before cursing him into oblivion. Kyungsoo, who was nearest to his best friend, saw it and move to stand in front of the other bravely. He had intended to take whatever that came at him.

D.O. knew what was going to happen before it did. He saw Kai nudged Kyungsoo out of the way and was himself, flung backwards, onto the ground, from Keto’s disarming charm. It reminded him so much of the past, where it was him that had been flung back by the force of the other’s spell. D.O. saw Keto advancing towards Kai who was trying to scramble for his wand several feet away. Kyungsoo screamed but couldn’t get up onto his feet to reach Kai in time.

Love paid the ultimate sacrifice. Even if this Kai was Kyungsoo’s Kai and not D.O.’s Kai, D.O. knew he couldn’t let anyone hurt the living representation of the man he once loved. He swore to prevent what happened; he swore to prevent Kai’s death. D.O. intends to honor his vow.

He saw Kyungsoo moving to stop Keto, but it was D.O. that ran between Keto and Kai first, bravely staring down the other’s wand as Keto mentioned “Sectumsempra”. He screamed as what felt like a thousand knives slit open wounds onto his body. The pain was unbearable. D.O. could understand what his Kai felt at his death. He slumped to the ground, blood openly streaming from his body.

Everyone was driven silent at the sight of D.O. writhing on the carpet. A fleeting sense of relief crossed Kai’s mind when he noted that it was D.O. and not Kyungsoo that had absorbed the curse. Despite that, it was still too cruel watching someone who looked like or was technically part of the love of your life dying. Keto, Minister Do and Kohen apparated away with a loud “pop!” fleeing the sc