When Sehun comes home after two months of being away on his duties of being a weapon, he’s greeted by a face full of hair and long limbs wrapped all over him. Tao and Jongin, having arrived a week before Sehun, give him one of their bone crushing (and very awkward since their arms are in the way) hug before letting go and letting him breathe. They only give him a few seconds to gather his bearings before they both grab Sehun again and with an excited tone says, “You have to tell us everything.”

By everything, they mean their battles. Sehun doesn’t get to bring his luggage to the shared apartment he and Luhan have (his meister had already gone up ahead) because Tao and Jongin have already led him inside the academy’s gates and to their favorite spot under the tree, rice rolls and soda cans passed around for everyone to have while they take turns talking about their missions.

Sehun and Luhan are up to their thirtieth soul while Kyungsoo, Jongin and Tao are on their thirty-fifth. But they don’t linger on the numbers when all they can talk about is sharing their fights.

“You wouldn’t believe how one almost chomped off my shoulder-”

“Tao split its head open!”

“I have bruises the size of my palm-”

“Have you seen the way they look at you? All hungry and dead-”

“Luhan still makes me meditate in the mornings-”

“There was blood all over and it was awesome!”

“Ew Jongin that’s gross-”

They don’t stop talking until they’ve managed to get everything they wanted to share out in the open, all of them enjoying the adrenaline pumping through their veins as they recall their experiences. Kyungsoo is apparently pro at handling two weapons at the same time because Jongin and Tao couldn’t stop gushing about the things Kyungsoo makes them do during their fights.

After half an hour, when all three of them are left breathless and when the air has quieted down, all of them lying on the grass in a small circle, their heads resting on each other’s hip, Tao asks, “How are you and Luhan?”

How is he and Luhan?

They’re actually doing really well. It’s everything Sehun has ever dreamed about. Having a meister. Fighting souls for real. Waking up every day in a different town or city, muscles sore in the morning and reminding him of the last soul he took and how proud he feels at this accomplishment. It doesn’t even bother him that much when Luhan wakes him up very early in the mornings so they can be on their way. He likes this life he’s living.

And their link. Sehun has heard Luhan in his head when they train before, can feel what he wants Sehun to do when he attacks. But it’s so different, so exhilarating, when they’re faced with the real thing. He can feel Luhan’s drive to fight when they’re faced with an evil soul and likewise, Sehun knows Luhan can feel how much he wants to take it down. It’s like something Sehun can’t explain rushing from his veins to his fingertips. Like an electrical current keeping his mind and body awake and he can hear and feel what Luhan wants him to do in his head.

They still bicker and argue most of the time. Especially during a fight. Sehun would sometimes ignore Luhan’s commands when he sees a way in, something to their advantage while their fighting. He’d sometimes be right, earning them a soul without getting scratched or wasting time. But most of the time he’d be wrong and he ends up with a few bruises and cuts before they can actually defeat it. Luhan would yell at him on and on for not listening to a thing he says while he tends to Sehun’s wounds. Sehun hates when those days happen. Luhan would always dab at his wounds harder than usual and Sehun can only sit there, making sure not to let out a yell of his own lest Luhan starts lecturing him again.

So how is he and Luhan?

“We’re good,” Sehun explains, twirling his empty soda can on the ground. “He’s a really great meister. I can see what you all are raving about. He does know what it’s like out there,” Sehun laughs lightly when he recalls getting reprimanded all the time. “Although when he yells, it’s like my ears are going to pop.”

Jongin smiles at him. “He must be handling it really well then.”

Sehun finds this an odd comment but Jongin is always odd so he ignores that.

“He’s cool. I still hate him. But he can be pretty cool.”

“He doesn’t get any episodes?” Tao asks.

Again, Sehun finds this an odd thing to say. And he doesn’t ignore it this time because Tao, between him and Jongin, isn’t the odd one. So he sits up and looks at Tao and lets him see how confused he is by that question.

“What episode?”

“You know, from the accident.”

What accident, Sehun wonders, still looking at Tao the same way. It takes a while for Tao to get that Sehun really doesn’t know what he’s talking about and his mouth forms a small ‘oh’ at this realization.

“You didn’t know Luhan used to be in an accident?” Jongin asks this time as Tao seems to be embarrassed for blurting things out.

Sehun shakes his head.

“We didn’t really know either. We just knew about it a month ago when we headed up north.” Tao murmurs.

“We stayed at this inn for a week and the man at the lobby saw we were from the main city. He’d join us for dinner some nights and he asked us if Luhan was still around,” Jongin continues, pausing to word things better for them because they all know he’s a bad story teller. “Kyungsoo asked him how he knew Luhan and the man said, ‘Who doesn’t know Luhan?’ Apparently he and his meister would travel up north a lot back then. But ever since that incident where he almost died, he hasn’t seen him around much.”

Almost died? Sehun frowns at that. Jongin earlier said it was an accident.

“The man thought he stopped becoming a weapon,” Tao adds. “Which is kind of true since he’s a meister now. The old man was surprised to hear about it too. He said he always thought he and Zhang Yixing would stick around for a long time. They always seemed to look out for each other, he said.”

Zhang Yixing. The name rings a bell but Sehun can’t remember where he heard that before.

“You know what, forget all that,” Jongin says, lying back down on the grass. “It’s probably not important now anyway.”

Tao nods. “We only asked because we thought you knew and well, we were worried how you guys were doing. Whether it was okay for Luhan to be back out there in the field. We all know how dangerous that can be when you’re not ready.”

“Yeah. But then thirty souls,” Jongin whistles. “You guys are doing great.”

Sehun has never heard this story before. Luhan never talks about his old life so Sehun would never know.

“Did they say what kind of accident it was?” Sehun asks.

Tao shrugs. “There are different versions of it. No one knows what really happened.”

Sehun shifts his gaze between the two of them.

“What version did you guys here?”

“Just that he almost died.”

Sehun does not like the sound of that at all.

 

* * *

 

It would be wrong to say he doesn’t care about Luhan. Because as much as he hates to admit it, he does. He may not like the guy that much but he’s his meister. And everyone knows weapons always look after their meister.

Luhan looks out for him too. And maybe it’s not the same as how every meister looks out for their weapon. But Sehun can tell he does look out for him a lot. He wouldn’t have trained Sehun too hard, pushed him around and yelled at him for nothing. Sehun truly believes he does all that to prepare themselves out there.

So having to hear that Luhan almost died once scares the out of Sehun. He’s scared because he was this close to not being able to meet this person that would be his meister. It’s a selfish thought. And, well, he's also incredibly amazed that for someone who almost died, Luhan still wants to go back out there.

“I hope coming here to rest for awhile didn’t make you lazy,” Luhan says to him as they walk. “Remember, we’re not coming back here after another few months.”

Sehun barely registers the snide remark. They got up at the earliest hour to get started on their journey. The skies are still dark and the area quiet. The only ones awake are some of the meisters and weapons that are tasked to guard the main city’s walls which they left behind half an hour ago. Sehun had said his goodbyes to Tao and Jongin the night before they left. They’re to leave after two days as well and might not see each other again for quite awhile.

Sehun isn’t listening to Luhan because he’s busy thinking still about what Jongin and Tao said to him. Is that the reason why Luhan doesn’t talk to him a lot? Is that why his meister is quiet and closed off? Just how bad did the situation get for him to ‘almost die’?

Sehun stares at Luhan’s back. Sehun likes walking behind Luhan. His meister is too quiet that Sehun leaves him to his thoughts while they journey from one place to another. He lets Luhan lead the way since he knows the area more than he does. But right now, as he stares at Luhan’s back, Sehun wonders what he’s feeling right at this moment or every single time they have to fight.

And why, he wonders, why would Luhan go back to doing this when his life was almost taken from him?

He may have his eyes on Luhan but his thoughts are not with him at the moment that he doesn’t register Luhan stopping in his tracks. Sehun’s nose hit the back of his head and he winces, stepping back to rub on it.

“What?” Sehun asks, wondering why they stopped when Luhan holds a hand up for him to quiet down.

“Do you hear that?” Luhan whispers and Sehun sweeps his gaze in front of them.

He doesn’t hear it at first but he hears the slight rustling of the leaves just a few meters away from them. Sehun doesn’t waste a single second. He instantly steps to the side, sweeping Luhan behind him in a protective stance and glares at whoever- or whatever’s out there.

Protecting Luhan hadn’t always been a priority. Sehun always thought of himself and what he’s tasked to do. He’s always too busy counting down the number of souls he still needs to take to become a scythe. But now, call it pity or whatever it is that he's feeling after he heard Tao and Jongin's story, Sehun feels the need to protect his meister as well. After all, a meister is everything to a weapon and he can't risk losing Luhan a second time.

At first they hear nothing but the sound of leaves rustling. But then a small groan can be heard and a small clicking sound. Sehun is all tense, eyes locked ahead while Luhan stays behind him, peering over his side to see as well.

Evil souls are disgusting. Sehun has seen them in class presentations, in training videos and in real life. But every single time he’s faced with one, he still manages to feel disgusted. He hates the way they look rotten and disfigured. One of his professors back at the academy explained how that’s because they’re too consumed by evil. Some look a bit human despite it having only one eye or a huge gash in their face, lips chapped or teeth broken. Some have taken up strange forms that resemble monsters. Those are the ones that are completely lost to their human selves. Sehun hates when they’re faced with those. They seem to be more deranged, fast and stronger.

What greets them up ahead is a soul so lost to its roots that it looks like nothing Sehun has ever seen. It’s twice as tall as Sehun, half of its body looking so bulbous that it’s walking a little off course. Sehun isn’t always greeted with the same disgusting looking soul but he can always tell that souls which look more monstrous are the ones that are a lot more challenging to fight off.

In an instant, a surge of something like fire and ice shoots through his skin and Sehun curls his fingers into a fist, knees crouched to attack. Luhan’s voice is already in his head and it’s filled with authority.

Do not make the first move, Luhan says through their link. Let it come to you-

Do you not see the size of that thing? I can have the upperhand if I take it down now-

Sehun, I don’t care how big or tiny that thing is. I want you to wait.

Sehun gives an annoyed sound, obeying his meister even if his legs are itching to charge forward. He can feel the hold Luhan has on their link like he’s holding a leash. It's tight and firm but Sehun knows he can break free from it anytime. But he obeys and only readies himself because this is expected of him. This is what he was trained for.

The lost soul up ahead locks eyes with Sehun - if those are really its eyes, those things that look like slits now due to it being so disfigured - and it seems to smirk as Sehun just glares back at it. It makes a small clicking sound with its teeth as if its hungry. Without wasting another minute, it starts charging forward, its mouth opening to let out a low howl.

It's not moving as fast as Sehun thought it would be. Maybe it's because of its weight that it seems to drag itself. It's huge though and as it comes closer, Sehun crouches down lower.

Anytime now, Sehun says, waiting for his meister’s cue.

It’s weak on the left. I want you to focus on taking it down on its left.

Sehun feels Luhan’s hold on him loosen up, letting him go and he charges forward as well, meeting the creature head on.

Fighting is something Sehun always felt he’s a natural at. All those years Sehun’s father reprimanded him for it, all those times he was sent to the principal’s office for knocking a kid in his class, always made him feel horrible. Because while he was doing it, while he was standing up to bullies, the feel of being able to do something about it felt thrilling. And he had felt horrible for doing something his parents frowned upon.

But now, with none of his parents around judging him, Sehun gives himself in to all that adrenaline and all that excitement as he tackles and shoves the soul out of the way. Sehun listens with ease as his meister gives out commands one after the other and he lets all that energy flow through his swift kicks and hard punches.

Sehun throws blow after blow at the hideous soul. Something splatters on his shirt after a hard jab and Sehun wrinkles his nose as he pinches on the blood stain he sees. The ugly soul’s blood. Not his.

Are you serious right now? Luhan angrily says in his head when he sees Sehun wiping his hands on the back of his pants and carefully brushing away his fringe from his eyes. We don’t have time to be all dainty.

It has a weird smell, Sehun whines, ducking as the monster throws a punch at him.

They all do. Sehun can feel Luhan roll his eyes at him.

Sehun turns and does another swift kick right near its hip on the left from Luhan’s command and the monster howls in pain. Sehun grins in triumph as it glares at him angrily again and he rushes forward to knock him down now.

Killing an evil soul is easy as long as you’ve done most of the damage so it can’t move. Because souls are fast and you wouldn’t want it to slip through your hold. Sehun knocks this one off its feet and holds it down with his foot right near its thick throat. The monster’s hands instantly come up to grab Sehun but Sehun only jumps and lands harshly down on its stomach.

The monster sputters and Luhan tells him to get on it, choke it or find something to stab it with. Sehun looks around and kicks off a branch as thick as the monster’s leg from a tree. Picking it up, Sehun charges forward and whacks the head of this soul with all his strength before it can even get up again.

A sound of a sickening crunch followed by a heavy thump has Sehun pause, panting as he looks down at the monster he just took out. Dead or alive, the thing is so disgusting that Sehun wrinkles his nose as he stands there. He smirks at the pool of blood, glad to see he took this one out easily despite its size but then he grimaces when he feels the soul’s blood on his shoes.

“Great,” Sehun mumbles as he shakes his foot in the hopes to get rid of the stain. It’ll be harder to take out when it’s all caked in.

Quick. Take what you need so we can leave. Sehun can feel Luhan frown through their link. He’s a little edgy. Sehun understands why. An attack that’s too close to the main city’s walls can be alarming and dangerous. They need to get out of there so they can alert the city of their recent encounter and tell them to heighten security.

Sehun crouches down and peers at the creature, waiting for it to happen. An evil soul is considered destroyed only when its soul emerges from its body. Blood just won’t do. Blood can be misleading. So Sehun waits for that small flickering light he always sees emerge from the monster in front of him.

It appears faint to the others but with a weapon's trained eye, it always seems like it's glowing. The first time Sehun saw it, the first time he took a soul, he had been wary of it. He knew the drill. They were taught what to do with it at the academy. But to actually have a soul up close and in the palm of your hands was a little different.

Thirty souls later, Sehun thirsts for it. He's no longer wary of how warm and bright it is. He enjoys the warmth and how fulfilling it feels to have a soul in his hands. A soul he himself took.

Sehun eyes the small glowing light that rises from the creature and he inches his face closer to it, grinning at how pretty it is. It always amuses him how a soul can be this enchanting even if it had once belonged to something so ugly and monstrous.

The warm light grazes his lips and Sehun parts his mouth, welcoming his reward. It slips past his lips and rests on his tongue before Sehun finally closes his mouth and swallows it willingly. A soul has no taste but Sehun can feel its warmth settle in his chest where he'll keep it for now along with the others. Storing souls inside a weapon’s body is safer than keeping it in another vessel. Weapons wouldn’t want to risk all their hard work being stolen.

He stands up to watch the monster slowly disappear in front of him. Like the breeze around him is wiping it away from existence. A soul cannot exist without its own body and likewise, a body cannot exist without its own soul. Where it disappears to, Sehun doesn't know and doesn't care. He has its soul. He doesn't care about the rest of the details.

He turns around to let Luhan know he’s done when his meister is suddenly yelling through their link to watch out. Sehun doesn't react to his words in time and something hard smacks him on the side of his face causing him to land back down on the ground hard.

His ears are ringing and his eyes sting from the pain. He barely heard Luhan’s warning only a second away from the blow. He should’ve paid more attention to his surroundings and it’s a mistake he always makes. He can taste blood inside his mouth from where his teeth collided against the insides of his cheek when he hit the ground. Sehun groans and blinks as he tries to regain his eyesight back.

Move to your left, Luhan commands quick and Sehun rolls blindly to his left as something smashes beside him. He can feel the earth tremble from the blow just mere inches away from where he had been.

You alright? Luhan asks and Sehun nods blindly as he tries to get up. His thoughts are still a bit jumbled and he holds the side of his head as he gets to his feet.

Something growls beside him causing Sehun to stiffen.

It’s another one. Same size as the first. Less… bulbous.

Where did it come from? Sehun grimaces, spitting out blood as he opens his eyes and sees the world spin.

Doesn’t matter right now. I need you to do a roundhouse kick. Three o'clock.

Sehun does what he is told with his eyes squeezed shut and he turns, leg swinging until his foot hits something solid. Whatever it is he’s up against, Sehun can hear it in pain. Through his haze, Sehun manages to smirk at that.

Sehun listens to Luhan's instructions as he gets a proper visual on what they're up against. Luhan was right. As soon as he can see, he sizes up this soul. This one looks the same as the first. Less bulbous but more muscular.

And ugly. Though that’s never a surprise.

This is too huge for you, Luhan says, sizing up the situation.

Sehun only laughs. This is exactly the right size for me.

Sehun charges forward as their new enemy takes a good swipe at him. It misses Sehun by an inch and Sehun darts to the side and gives a smart jab.

This monster’s howls are loud, loud enough that Sehun knows it will reach the security around the main city’s walls. Help will come in a few moments so Sehun acts fast. It’s not like he doesn’t want anyone to come and help him. It’s just that this is his soul. Two souls in a day is a good catch.

You don’t have to take this one, Luhan says when he feels Sehun acting on his decision quickly. You’ve already managed to get one today. Leave this to the others-

Sehun ignores him. He ignores Luhan’s firm and commanding tone in his head. He’ll get an earful from him later. But taking this monster down will be easy. He doesn’t have to sweat it out.

Sehun skids across the floor as he runs, the ugly soul’s foot nearly crushing him. Sehun grins in triumph though when it misses him by an inch and he retaliates by throwing a hard blow on its stomach.

You’re not listening to me again, Luhan glares at him through their link. Sehun gives out a small apology but they both know he’s not really sorry. Luhan sighs and tells him to get to its neck if he can.

Sehun follows his instructions, all the while keeping his eyes locked on the monster’s. It’s too thick. This soul’s muscle structure is too thick that Sehun has no idea how to penetrate it. Sure he can get a few blows in there but he’ll need something big to leave some damage.

And this is why I told you we should back off, Luhan mutters when he feels Sehun analyzing it. The creature whips its head at Sehun, following him wherever he goes as Luhan continues to instruct him to climb on its back.

Careful, you’re too close-

Nonsense, Sehun replies, kicking off another branch from a tree and gripping it tight in his hands. He runs and charges at the monster, whacking it hard near its shin.

The monster keels making Sehun do a victory dance before he can jump and climb on its back. It’s cut short though when it takes another swipe at Sehun, hitting him square in the chest and Sehun is thrown in the air.

Sehun! Luhan yells as Sehun feels his back hit a rock hard. He groans, crumpling like a rag doll and wincing at the pain. He miscalculated. It’s his fault.

Nevermind, he thinks, picking himself up with another groan just in time to duck and find cover because the monster is at it again, clawing at him.

That’s it, we’re getting out of here. Luhan’s voice is frantic in his head and Sehun wonders why he’s scared. This is nothing, he thinks. They’ve been through worse.

Hold on, Sehun says. He’s going to get on its back and wrap his legs around its throat. Maybe bash its head with the branch while he’s at it. Luhan can tell what he has on his mind and firmly tells him no. But it’s too late, Sehun is already running forward.

His back hurts. He can feel the sharp pain of it as he runs. His joints hurt too but it’ll be over quick and he’ll get medical attention later. Right now, he’s about to take his thirty-second soul and Sehun is pumped with adrenaline that he forgets all that ache.

Sehun picks up the thick branch he dropped earlier, runs and uses a fallen tree to jump hard. The monster barely staggers as Sehun lands on it and it spins around to get Sehun off. Sehun swings his legs around his neck in a tight grip. He only gets to the part where he raises the branch above his head before he’s yanked away and thrown once more to the ground.

He’s pushed out of the way in an instant by his meister and Sehun rolls across the ground. His sleeves are torn and he looks like a mess. He lifts his head up groggily after a while. Luhan is the one fighting the monster off now and Sehun pushes himself up with all his strength so he can get to him. Luhan is not allowed to fight his battles and he doesn’t want to wait around for this soul to harm his meister.

“The hell are you doing.” Sehun grabs Luhan in time just as the monster’s hands reach for him. Sehun glares at his meister but is only met by the same look.

“You’re one to talk. Didn’t I tell you we should get out of here?”

Sehun doesn’t get to reply when the earth trembles and he sees a tree being uprooted. Sehun stares at it in awe, at how strong this thing is and he only realizes what it’s trying to do when the tree comes flying at them fast.

Sehun pushes Luhan out of the way. Luhan lands hard on the other side safely and Sehun scrambles for cover. But he’s too late. He only sees Luhan’s eyes widen and his arm stretched out for him before he’s crushed.

He considers himself lucky he wasn’t hit by the trunk and he doesn’t get any part of himself broken. He receives the light end of it but it’s enough to bring him down. It’s enough to render Sehun immobile. He can’t breathe as leaves and twigs smother him. He lies there underneath the crown of the tree trapped.

Sehun! Luhan yells frantically through their link. Sehun, can you hear me? Sehun?

Something crashes outside and Sehun tries to move. Luhan’s out there. He needs to get to him.

Sehun, answer me! Where are you?!

Here… Sehun weakly replies. He can’t breathe. He can’t see.

For the first time, Sehun feels scared. He’s never been in this kind of situation before. His limbs hurt. His lungs feel like it’s about to give out. He has a massive headache that won’t seem to go away. And he can't see his meister. His meister can't see him.

He’s terrified. He doesn’t want to die.

Luhan? Sehun calls out yet he can hear how small his voice sounds in his head.

He must’ve sounded different for there’s a pause in their link. Luhan must’ve felt him, felt how scared he is with the way he sounds alarmed and shaking and something rustles just above Sehun.

“I’m getting you out of there! Hold on!” Luhan yells. His voice is muffled from the leaves.

No, Sehun gasps, fighting for air but he only sputters. Get out of here!

He may be scared. But he can’t risk his meister’s life too.

Save it, Luhan snaps at him. Sehun can tell he’s annoyed. But he’s scared too, judging from the way his voice inside his head is quivering.

The earth trembles again and Sehun starts breathing heavily. His lungs seem to be working again and he tries to move. But pain shoots through his arm and he remains still.

The twigs and the branches scratch his face. He still can’t see properly. Something is happening outside and he wishes he can get out of here.

Right on it, Luhan says and just as he says that, the tree is lifted from him. Sehun quints as light fills his vision. He can breathe freely now but as he sees that it’s the monstrous creature who lifted it off of him, Sehun feels all the air in his lungs escape him.

It was a distraction. Luhan had tricked it to get Sehun by lifting the tree off him. And as soon as he’s free, Luhan hooks his arms under Sehun’s own and drags him away.

Sehun cries out in pain as he’s dragged to the side. His shoulder is dislocated.  Luhan shushes him, promising him medical help later. Later. If they can get out of here.

We will, Luhan assures him, brushing Sehun’s hair out of his eyes before standing in front of him protectively.

The soul roars and starts after them again. Luhan looks like he’s about to charge forward too and Sehun weakly tells him to get out of the way because he is not fit to fight this thing when someone is suddenly in front of Luhan, blocking him from the creature.

Sehun watches as this person slices through the creature’s legs with a small dagger he has in his hands. Blood fills the ground and the creature cries and backs away, howling in pain. It sways and staggers around. But it’s not killed yet. It would take more than just that. To this thing, it was just a scratch.

The person in front of them turns around and looks at Luhan that Sehun is able to see his face. He knows him. Sehun knows him. He’s seen that face before.

Something flickers in the man’s eyes and in an instant, Sehun feels empty. As if something just left him. He suddenly feels hollow and Sehun asks Luhan what’s happening. If he felt that too. Only Luhan doesn’t reply making Sehun call out to him once more.

It takes a while for Sehun to realize what just left him and confusion and panic fills him when he no longer feels Luhan’s presence in his head.

The man tosses his dagger at Luhan who catches it easily. The monster whips its head at him and Luhan charges forward, running head first and avoiding its arms with ease as it claws at him. Luhan springs in the air, using the fallen tree in the way as leverage. He’s aiming for the back of its head. At least, that’s what Sehun thinks he’s planning to do.

He’s watching all this like a movie. Like he’s not a part of this fight at all. Like he wasn’t nearly crushed to death earlier. Sehun sits there, leaning against a rock as he watches his meister who isn’t acting like a meister at all. He watches him move effortlessly, swinging his legs and throwing punches and deadly kicks. Luhan doesn’t seem like Luhan as he moves and Sehun is so confused and in awe as he watches this.

Luhan manages to get to its shoulders. Where Sehun had been before he was yanked away. Luhan doesn’t make the same mistake as he did earlier by taking too much time. This time, Luhan uses the dagger and plunges it down the back of the monster’s head fast.

He leaps off of it just as the creature stumbles and he lands right beside where the man is who was watching the fight silently all this time. The creature wobbles around, blood oozing out of the back of its head. It finally collapses in front of them, making the ground shudder that Sehun can feel it all the way from where he's sitting.

It's quiet now. Save for Luhan's heavy breathing and Sehun panting. The pain in his shoulder gets to him then and the intensity of what he just went through fills his entire body. His head is throbbing. He can't feel his back. His face stings and he knows he's filled with scratches. He's getting dizzy just trying to suppress the pain of his injuries.

But Sehun keeps his eyes open. He keeps his eyes on Luhan to see if he's alright. Luhan who isn't looking at the creature behind him, its soul now glowing faintly and hovering for him to take. Luhan can't take it. He's not a weapon. And Sehun can't take it either. He wasn't the one who brought it down.

The soul continues to glow until it disappears along with the body. It's a waste for something that almost killed them, something they managed to defeat just go and disappear. But neither Sehun nor Luhan is concerned about it at the moment. Both their attention is on the man standing there.

Yixing. Zhang Yixing. Sehun suddenly remembers his name.

He’s awake long enough to see Luhan and Yixing share a look. One that Sehun can’t understand as he sits there but can make out how it’s filled with something only familiar to them both. Something that’s only meant to be understood between the two of them.

And then everything starts to dim, the pain growing more intense that Sehun finally succumbs to it and passes out.