always5hinee

Stories and stuff. 

[always5hineee]

Anointed (Enhypen x Reader) - Chapter 4: The Greater Good

Word count: 2,196

Chapter warnings: Mild language, mild themes

-----

       "Your majesty." Heeseung made is way into the separate bedroom, the place where he and Jungwon resided in this less-than-ideal hotel scenario. It made the most sense, as Jungwon was the leader and Heeseung his right hand source of information, but in this particular moment, it admittedly bugged the king that he couldn't have more than four seconds of peace.

       "Don't call me that, Heeseung." Shrugging, the younger god sat down in the flimsy office chair, idly spinning in slow circles.

       "It was worth a shot. Trying to warm you up before I start bothering you."

       "Yeah, well, you're bad at it."

       "Noted." He rolled his eyes. "Listen, I've been doing some calculations, and I wanted to double check with you on something." Eyebrows furrowing, Jungwon turned his body slightly more in the direction of his friend.

       "There's nothing I could confirm that would be any help."

       "Normally I'd agree with you," he concurred, irritating the man even further, although he didn't notice, "But in this case I don't think I have... all the information. I was hoping you may be able to fill in some gaps."

       "Well, uh... I can do my best?" Nodding, Heeseung summoned his tablet, only briefly disapparated for his walk into the next room. Furiously typing with almost ineffable grace, he projected a diagram, although this one more simple than many of his others. Rather than countless graphics and tiny notes, this one was a simple web map, each note clearly written, even if it was by hand. He had admittedly gorgeous penmanship for being such a quick-paced person.

       "So," he gestured to the center, "the seventh god."

       "With you so far." Jungwon joked, grin quickly sinking as he didn't receive a laugh.

       "Well, we agreed that we didn't know what would happen, but I was thinking..." He cleared his throat. "You were there when the world was first forming, were you not? You were born from the Earth."

       "I... yes? What's your point?"

       "So, you saw what it was like with no gods. And you never seem to talk about it."

       "It was a long time ago." He argued. "And it was a lot of pressure that I don't want to relive, so I'm sorry if that's offensive to you, but-"

       "All I'm saying is that you should know. Or you should at least have some information that could help us work it out in certainty. We have to be prepared for what may come."

       "So what, you're saying that I do know and I'm just not saying anything?" Jungwon asked angrily. "Even if I did, it would be within my right to retain that information as the king if I thought it was for everyone's best interests." Eyes narrowing, Heeseung's scowl quickly changed from a defensive one to a glaring attack.

       "Well, that wasn't what I was saying, but now you're making it seem like you do know."

       "I- how would you- why-"

       "I'm not stupid, Jungwon. You need to tell me."

       "No."

       "So you do know."

       "No! I- I don't- it's not like I could even predict that kind of thing."

       "You have ideas."

       "No! Yes! Maybe? I don't-" Groaning in exasperation, he shouted, "Just get out, okay?"

       "Absolutely not. This is a matter of safety. I could do something to stop it if you would quit being a baby for fourteen seconds."

       "Get out, Heeseung."

       "But I-"

       "Get out!" Nearly screaming, Heeseung headed towards the door, slamming it behind him as he furiously stormed out into the room where the boys and Y/N were getting ready to go. All of them stared wide-eyes as Heeseung did this, approaching her at such a quick pace that she reflexively backed up, but he was quick to grab her arm. Reaching up, he pulled out a piece of her hair, eliciting a yelp.

       "Ow! What-"

       "Stay still." He demanded, putting the hair into a glowing vial that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Waving his hand, a syringe of similar color conjured into his palm, which he was quick to stick into her arm, pulling about an ounce of blood. Pulling it back out, he waved a hand over her arm, a bandaid appearing and disappearing in a matter of seconds, the wound completely gone. They all stared as he took the two pieces of equipment and walked out the hotel door. Staring at each other, Jake, stating the obvious, commented,

       "Well that was weird."

       Heeseung was fuming as he searched the city for somewhere to do his work in peace. Scanning the area, he found a high-school gym that was seemingly empty, about a half-mile away. It didn't take much effort to appear in the courtyard, stomping towards the door and jiggling the handle, which was obviously locked. Pooling an ivory, jelly-like substance in his palm, he squished it into the lock, solidifying and turning it. The door creaked open, revealing the dusty gym, lit only by the strip windows lining the top.

       Shutting the door behind him, he set the vial and the syringe down, walking to the center of the basketball court. Away from the other men, he was finally starting to calm down, breathing in the distinct odor of rubber and last year's P.E. clothes. He'd always had a soft spot for humans' sports, especially basketball. They were a suitable way to pass the time, although admittedly wasteful considering how short their lives were. Conjuring up a ball, he absentmindedly threw it towards one of the baskets, making it easily, the sphere disappearing before it ever hit the ground.

       Finally, he walked back over to the bleachers, picking up his materials and moving towards the center of the floor once more. Setting them down, he begun reassembling a similar workspace to his one in the celestial palace. They weren't dissimilar to computers, although clearly more advanced, none of them requiring the same hardware as a human device. In a sense, they were all connected directly to his mind, executing whatever programs and recalling any information he needed in a moment's notice, far more efficient than anything a mortal could create.

       Placing the biological samples in their respective places, he could see their molecular structure with ease, and derive her health as well. As far as he could tell, her heart was functioning fine. Of course, this method of study could not account for any skips in beats or instantaneous issues, but biologically, it wasn't degrading. Her DNA wasn't special in comparison to any other human's, and he couldn't find any indication of why she had been chosen as the host. That left some sort of personality compatibility that she must share with the seventh god.

       With all this in mind, all he could do was start preparing medical measures to assist with the birth, as well as some more effective pain treatments compatible with her physiological makeup. He'd barely been able to get through twenty minutes of his work before he heard the door of the gym open once more. He quickly hid his presence, glancing over to where the light was streaming in, footsteps echoing in the empty space. Quickly, though, he felt his irritation return as a familiar voice said,

       "I can still see you, you know."

       "I thought you were a human." He spat as Jungwon walked towards his setup on the floor. "How did you find me?"

       "Tracked you. You didn't go very far."

       "You're the one that wanted me to leave, I'll remind you, so you can keep your sick power plays to yourself."

       "I'm not here to make a power play."

       "Oh, feeling guilty already?" He mocked, but Jungwon ignored him.

       "I know what's going to happen if the seventh god dies."

       "I know."

       "If he dies, his energy will be scattered, creating a sort of big-bang effect over the surface of the Earth and then out into the Milky Way. Depending on the magnitude and the direction, it could rupture cities, stars, planets, everything. The older he gets, the stronger the blast will become when he dies. After this, assuming the Earth has survived at all, the pillars will be permanently  imbalanced, and if they remain this way, it's the human soul that will be affected the most. Every sentient creature born from that moment on will have an integral piece missing, the result of which I'm not sure I can predict." Heeseung was silent for a moment, typing something in on one of his keyboards.

       "Okay." Jungwon didn't even know how to respond to that at first.

       "Okay? That's all you have to say? No thank you or theories or help? You know, for someone who wants everyone to think he's so smart, you sure are-"

       "I"m not going to thank you for giving me information I should have been operating with from the beginning." Heeseung cut him off coldly. "As for theories, I have a few, but I don't see why I should provide them to you."

       "Because it's going to affect all of us?"

       "Oh, and this whole bit about the end of the world isn't?" He laughed. "You really don't have any perspective, do you?" Jungwon was silent, but finally, Heeseung continued, "But since I'm a better person than you, I'll at least say this." He paused, typing in something else, then turning around what seemed to be a kind of whiteboard, listing out a few things in large letters.

       "Option number 1: we terminate the seventh god now before the risk becomes to great. We then distribute the responsibilities of the final pillar among us as best we can. The balance will never be perfect, but it will be controllable. At his current age, I'd assume he has the firepower of a particularly strong nuclear weapon. We bring Y/N out to some desert, set her off, and hope for the best." Pointing to the next line, he said,

       "Option number 2: we let her try. Best case scenario, it all works out, he's born, all our lives continue as normal. This is ideal of course, but the consequences of failure are astronomical. Option number 3:" he pointed again, "we attempt to remove him from her heart and into another organism, such as an animal, that won't have any other choice but to continue the birth successfully. I'm confident in my ability to pick a strong candidate, but I can't predict the compatibility. At best we can find one that reminds us of Y/N, but we admittedly don't have a strong grasp of her as an entity yet."

       "All of these sound like terrible options." Jungwon pointed out.

       "Wow, a real genius we have over here. Now let me run my calculations in peace. I don't have to tell you that I don't appreciate you interrupting me."

       "Well, I thought you should know."

       "Too little too late, your majesty. Now, if you'll excuse me." Jungwon stood in silence for a few minutes, but it was clear that Heeseung had no intention of saying anything else to him. He'd come around... eventually. But for now, it was probably better to get out of his hair.

       As Jungwon left, he cursed himself for making such a big deal out of it in the first place. He thought it would be better to let everyone carry on without the stress of knowing that the fate of the universe rested on this one long, complicated ordeal, but from Heeseung's perspective, he'd just put them in more danger. Jungwon wasn't sure whether he planned on publicizing this information, and if so, when. Maybe it would be better if he told everyone, at least then Jungwon wouldn't have to look at their disappointed, accusatory faces. Still, they might see that as even more offensive...

       He'd figure out what to do about it later. For now, he finally had some time to himself, with all the others out doing God- or rather, gods- knew what. Maybe he should monitor everyone's opinions on everything, and decide from there. Making his way back to the hotel, he walked into the bedroom, looking at the surface of his bed.

       Gods didn't need to sleep, per se, but maintaining a physical, human-like form was fairly difficult. It benefited them to eat, get rest, expel waste, bathe, all of the normal human functions. They could take care of these things magically, but it would admittedly be nice to pass out and not have to worry for the hours in which he was unconscious. Succumbing to this desire, he kicked off his shoes, instantly changing his clothes and slipping under the blanket, shutting his eyes and rolling over. He would sleep as best he could, and they'd deal with this when everyone had returned.

[always5hineee]

Anointed (Enhypen x Reader) - Chapter 3: Fifty-Fifty

Word count: 2460

Chapter warnings: mild language, mild themes, mention of drugs

-----

       As they arrived at the hotel, her confusion hadn't subsided, but her nerves had settled a bit. If anything, she was likely in shock, but at the very least if these men had intended to harm her, they would have done so already. Walking towards the foyer, Jungwon and Heeseung were chattering back and forth, no doubt about things she shouldn't waste time trying to understand. The women at the front desk whispered to each other as they approached the elevator, causing her to be a bit self-conscious. No doubt the three of them looked insane. Pressing the button, she quickly stepped in, followed nonchalantly by the other two.

       "So there's seven of you in total?" She asked, trying to fill her awkward silence by participating in the conversation.

       "Six right now." Heeseung corrected. "Don't you listen?"

       "Don't be rude." Jungwon chastised him, reaching into his pocket and pulling out something she didn't recognize. That is, until he pressed it to his mouth, blowing out an entrancing cloud of glitter.

       "Is that like... a celestial vape?" She asked, bewildered.

       "A what?" He responded, equally as oblivious.

       "You know, a vape? It's like a cigarette, but digital."

       "Oh. You humans and your odd technology." He shook his head. "No, there's no nicotine in this, and it wouldn't affect me, even if there were."  

       "You really shouldn't smoke that." Heeseung pointed out. "It's not meant for us."

       "You're gods and you haven't figured out how to make non-toxic drugs?" She cut in.

       "We don't use drugs." Heeseung scoffed. "There's ambrosia in it, which is why he uses it, but everything else in there is meant for angels. It can have detrimental effects on a divine soul."

       "Well, I haven't died yet." The man deadpanned, slipping it back into his pocket.

       "Yet." She didn't even want to touch that topic. It was clearly sensitive for both of them. Still, she couldn't help but wonder about the mechanics of it. Was it addictive? Obviously, gods didn't have normal brains, but was there still an executive center of function that could be hindered by something like that? And did he have to make it himself, or was there some sort of market and manufacturing system in their celestial world? If she had seen correctly, it had been branded, too, so were there competing companies?

       As she let her wandering mind drift off, the elevator let out a clear ding, doors sliding open and revealing a long, cookie-cutter hallway. Stepping out, Jungwon took the lead, unintentionally trying to put some physical distance between himself and Heeseung. She followed without thinking, looking around at the bland walls and dull carpeting.

       "We're at the end of the hall." He informed her as they walked. "Jake likes to look out the window at the birds."

       "What is he, a do-" Heeseung began to say, and then stopped himself. Not only was it a terrible joke, but one that half his audience wouldn't even understand. When they reached the door, Jungwon pulled the keycard out of his pocket, but paused. Turning to her, he warned,

       "As regal as the idea of gods may seem to a human, they can be... a bit of a handful." He admitted. "Just try and take everything with a grain of salt." Looking to Heeseung, he asked, "Is that a thing people still say?"

       "I believe so, your majesty." He returned sarcastically, an attitude the other chose to ignore. Tapping the keycard, the red light flashed green, lock clicking open. The door had barely opened three inches when she heard a young, excited male voice cry out,

       "Is that a human?" 

        She hadn't even made it past the bathroom as she was rushed with the sight of so many new faces. The one who had likely spoken ran up, grabbing her hand and shaking it vigorously before she had a chance to react. He had black hair, slightly shorter than Jungwon and Heeseung's, but his expression was more vibrant. "It's nice to meet you! My name is Sunoo, you must be the seventh host!" Coughing, Jungwon awkwardly stretched out a hand.

       "Yes, well... As he said, this is Sunoo, the youngest of us so far. Sunoo, this is, uh..." He looked back towards her. "What's your name again?"

       "You didn't even bother to ask her name?" One of the men behind them asked, lightly pushing Sunoo out of the way and taking her hand from him. Rather than shake it, though, he simply held onto it, staring expectantly. Realizing what he wanted, she stuttered,

       "My name is Y/N."

       "Ah, Y/N," kneeling, he kissed her hand dramatically. "Pleasure to meet you. Jake, at your service."

       "What is this, the 17th century?" The next one laughed. "Nice to meet you, though, I'm Jay." He simply waved rather than squish in any further.

       "Could you all back up?" Heeseung rolled his eyes in annoyance. "There's a whole room. Shoo."

       "We want to talk to the human girl, though!" Sunoo whined, earning another shove as Heeseung tried to clear up the space.

       "At least let her sit down." She looked around as Heeseung escorted her to one of the two visible beds. Upon further inspection, though, the room was much larger than she'd expected. There was another bedroom, the door slightly ajar, with a third bed and its own bathroom. There was also a spacious couch with an ottoman and a small kitchen, although it seemed to be untouched. As if all that weren't enough, there were floor-to-ceiling windows across most of the room, giving an admittedly beautiful view of the area below.

       Occupying the room now were six men, all in suits. They were similar in design, but unique in both color and accents- clearly made for each of them. Of course, as far as she knew, they could be manifested from their power, destroying any need for buying clothes. Given the orange stains on Heeseung's collar, though, she doubted it. Sitting down as the mattress compressed beneath her, she stared at them in near awe.

       "So, let's be a little more organized about this." Jungwon insisted. "You've met Sunoo," the man in the light green smiled brightly at his name. "And Jake." He wore the most normal clothes out of all of them, a simple black, matching his slightly longer-than-professional hair falling just into his eyes. "That's Jay-" He gestured. She'd heard him a moment ago, but now her view was completely unblocked, revealing a man with more well-kept, gelled hair in a purple outfit. "And that's Sunghoon." It took her a moment to find where Jungwon was gesturing, looking over to the couch and noting a man in a white suit who leaned back, offering only a small nod as they made eye contact.

       "We've already explained the pillars to you," Heeseung said, pulling his tablet seemingly out of nowhere once more. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to envision it." Grabbing it by the corners, he expanded it out into a sort of window, an interesting image appearing on it. A flat hexagon, like he'd described before, with glowing strings pulling from every corner, as well as the center.

       "Jungwon, the first to be born, holds Center Pillar." He gestured to it, the image lighting up blue over the area in question. "I hold the Pillar of Knowledge, Jay the Pillar of Chaos, Jake the Pillar of Creation," each line lit up in a similar fashion to the first, although colors varying. "Sunghoon holds the Pillar of Beauty, and Sunoo the Pillar of Emotion."

       "I... don't know what any of that means." She admitted.

       "Yeah, well, neither do we." Jay stuck his tongue out, Heeseung once again sighing in irritation.

       "Yes we do." He argued. "To an extent, at least. While admittedly we moreso do than know, I've been working on categorizing the Earth's reliance on gods for quite some time now. There's no need for me to lay it all out for a human, as it could easily take weeks, not to mention she'd have no idea-"

       "Come on, man, you're being so cold," Jake laughed. "She just said her name was Y/N, no reason to call her 'the human'."

       "Yes, some respect would be very much appreciated." She mumbled. "Especially considering what you're asking of me."

       "You already told her?" Sunghoon asked, face still expressionless. "How did that go for you?"

       "Well," Jungwon looked over to her expectantly, but she didn't know what to say. Finally, he continued, "We didn't get a no..."

       At this, all of the men looked at her, suddenly causing her to feel uncomfortable in her own skin. She squirmed as much as the bed would allow without it seeming to evident, but their faces indicated that they knew exactly what she was thinking. She tried to stare them down, but finally gave in.

       "Look, I'm just... I'm not sure about this whole thing."

       "Come on, you'll be fine!" Jay pushed. "I mean, sure, it's not ideal,"

       "We most certainly cannot guarantee that she'll be fine." Heeseung said, just as he had in her home. Eye twitching, the man half-whispered,

       "Do you want him to be born or not, stupid?"

       "I don't like liars." She scrunched up her nose. "I understand that this is... important to you all, but..."

       "It's not just important to us." Sunghoon said, finally standing to join the rest of them. "I have a very bad feeling about what may happen should the final attempt fail." She swallowed hard, eyes darting back and forth. Sunghoon by far made her the most uncomfortable out of all of them. While he wasn't as knowledgable and succinct as, say, Heeseung, something about the way he was looking at her made her feel like she was under scrutiny.

       "Since you don't approve of liars, I suppose I'll be honest." He continued, gaze never wavering. "Out of the six other hosts, two were compliant. Both suffered greatly, and the encounter ultimately resulted in death. We have no incentives to offer you, no promise of a peaceful afterlife or everlasting happiness. Of course," he waved a hand, gold coins spilling through his hand and disappearing before they hit the ground, as if they were a mirage. "We can provide you with most of the worldly things you could ever desire. And just as there's no guarantees should you accept, there's also none if you refuse. Everything could turn out to be fine. Or... not." There was a long pause.

       "And if I do agree?" She asked.

       "Then we'll be here for all of it." Jungwon promised her quickly. "We'll do our best to make the process as easy as possible. We have means of easing your pain."

       "When it comes down to it, though, our main priority will be the successful retrieval of the seventh god from your body, regardless of the consequences." Sunghoon added, the other men continually shooting him warning glares in a feeble attempt to get him to shut his mouth.

       So, there were really four outcomes. She agreed, the god was born, and she lived. She agreed, and she died, meaning that whether or not he made it, it wouldn't matter to her. She refused, everything was fine, and she lived. Or, she refused, everything was not fine, and the universe collapsed in a burning pit of mass destruction. While she knew this wasn't quite how it would work statistically, in her mind, she had a fifty-fifty chance at living. And out of all of those options, only one held her accountable for the death of others. And judging by that...

       "I'll do it." She mumbled.

       "W-what?" Jungwon looked surprised. "Really? You mean it?"

       "Yes, I mean it." She said, almost in disbelief of the words that were coming out of her own mouth. There was no telling what would happen from here, but what else could she do? She'd never necessarily been a strong person, but something told her that this was the right thing to do.

       "In that case, we need to start preparing right away." Heeseung said, moving towards her, hands already aglow with whatever godly power he yielded.

       "Hold on, now," she held her hands up. "Let's calm down, I've only just decided." Hanging her head. "Honestly, I don't think I'm prepared in any way, shape, or form for this."

       "That's completely understandable." Jake piped up with a smile. "Everything will be fine, Heeseung is one of the smartest people I know."

       "Truest thing you've said all day." The man in question agreed. "But if you want to take the day to think about everything, I suppose I can hold off. There's some work I need to get done, anyway."        

       "In that case, will we be returning to the celestial kingdom?" Sunoo asked "I really wanted to spend some time on Earth..."

       "Me too!" Jake agreed. "Maybe Y/N can show us human stuff! It's been forever since we've visited, so much is different!"

       "I'll tag along for that." Jay agreed.

       "You can't just wander the city." Jungwon argued. "You stand out like sore thumbs."

       "Aww, come on," Sunoo whined, "Please?" As the so-called 'baby' of the group, Jungwon had a hard time refusing him. Pressing on the bridge of his nose (although technically incapable of having a headache in the way that this motion would provide any physical relief for him) he sighed.

       "Fine. But if you get into any trouble, I swear I'll-" He wasn't even able to hold their attention until the end of his sentence as the boys cheered, nearly jumping into the air with excitement.

       "I, for one, will stay here." Heeseung shook his head. "Have fun doing... whatever."

       "I think I'll do the same." Sunghoon agreed, earning a groan from Jake.

       "Come on, it'll be fun!" The boy pulled on the other's arm. "Please?" She looked at the two, silently hoping that Sunghoon would stand his ground, but much to her dismay, the man relented.

       "Fine. If that's what you want." Jake pumped a fist, readjusting his suit.

       "Yes!" Turning to Y/N with a wide grin, he said, "I guess your first job as the new host is going to be to find us some better clothes."

       "...What?"

Click here to read Chapter 4

[always5hineee]

Anointed (Enhypen x Reader) - Chapter 2: Heart

Word count: 3,884

Chapter warnings: mild language, mild themes

-----

       "There's never anything good on TV." Y/N mumbled to herself as she put the remote down. Leaning back into her couch, she readjusted herself. She'd been having chest pains lately, but she didn't really think anything of it. Usually after a quick resituation and an ibuprofen or two, she was good to go. The real pain here was boredom. Obviously she had things to do... There were little activities she liked, friends to see, she could work more if she wanted to... But just sitting here in her home, it wasn't entertaining at all. Eat, sleep, TV, sleep again, it was all the same. Sometimes she found herself wishing for excitement. Pulling out her phone, she idly began scrolling through her preferred sites, switching back and forth moment-to-moment as she looked for something even mildly entertaining.

       Maybe I'll take a shower. She thought to herself. That wasn't really all that entertaining either, but at least it was productive, in the sense that she'd be clean. She debated it back and forth, then finally bit the bullet and stood up. Walking along her hall to the bathroom, she stopped to grab a towel or two, then locked the door behind her. Running the water, she waited, glancing around and noticing all of the tiny details. The spider cracks near the trim of the wall, the chipping paint, the dirt in the grout of the tiles... She really should clean up more often. Sticking her hand under the water and adjusting the temperature slightly, she finally shed her clothing and stepped inside.

       As the water ran down her body, wiping away any accumulated nastiness since the last time she bathed, she dragged a hand along the wall, wiping away a few water droplets with it. It was warm, at least, and she'd been sitting for a while, so it felt nice to stretch out her muscles a little bit. She didn't have anything to be ready for, so she took her time, not really bothering with all the nuances. If anything, she just liked the way her soap smelled.

       She wasn't sure how long she'd stayed in the shower, but when she was finally ready to get out, she turned the faucet off, watching as the water drained from the shower head down into the drain. Sighing, she opened the curtain, the cold air washing over her body like a sheet as she grabbed her towel, wrapping it around  her frame. As she did this, though, she heard... a knock?

       It clearly wasn't on the bathroom door, but she could have sworn there was a knocking coming from her front door. Ignoring it, she unlocked the latch to the bathroom, walking towards her bedroom. Again, the pounding of a fist against wood. Who could be here? She hadn't invited anyone, and she didn't think she had any packages coming. At least, nothing she needed to sign for. She continued to ignore it, digging through a drawer for something comfortable to wear. Then, another sound echoed towards her, although this one far more frightening- a metallic clang, almost as if someone was trying to open a lock.

       Scrambling for something, she managed to pull on a pair of underwear and throw on the longest shirt she owned, glancing around frantically. This kind of thing does not happen, it couldn't be happening. Single girl, home alone, and some big scary bad guy comes to get her? She could not go out like that. All she had to defend herself was the pepper spray she'd affixed to her house keys, which were thankfully sitting on her dresser. Water soaking through her clothes, as she hadn't had time to fully dry off, she switched the button on the spray. She first inched towards the door, but on a second thought, she opened the closet and shoved herself inside, trying to keep her breathing steady. Bravery would do no good here.

       As she stood shaking, wet, cold, and frightened in the closet, she began to hear muffled footsteps and voices coming from the front room. They were unintelligible at first, but as they threateningly proceeded closer, the words faded into auditory view.

       "Maybe she's not home."

       "No, I sense a human presence. If not her, there's at least someone in here."

       "I don't really like the idea of doing this by force, but-"

       She tensed up. Was she about to get kidnapped? She was going to end up on TV dead in a river somewhere- and she wouldn't even be alive to at least find the five-minute news story entertaining. She listened attentively as the handle to her bedroom door turned, soft footsteps leading inside.

       "She's here." A male voice spoke. "Somewhere... over there?" She readied her pepper spray as she shifted her weight to her back foot, ready to run if she had to. It felt like slow motion as the handle on the closet turned, the crack of light widening to show her room.

       "Fuck off!" She yelled, not hesitating to spray her intruder, taking advantage of the element of surprise to shove the person who opened the door out of the way, booking it for the hall. She didn't get very far, as the man behind the second voice stuck out his arm, catching her in her path with no problem. His arm didn't budge an inch, and she felt the dread overtake her as she realized how incredibly strong he was. Her breathing picked up, nearly to the point of hyperventilating now as she sunk to the ground, still being gripped by the second man. Looking back and forth between them, she couldn't keep her eyes in one place.

       They were both in suits, one white and one orange, and the man who had opened the closet door was very notably not screaming in pain. Lifting a hand slowly to his face, he attempted to wipe away the red liquid from his skin. Putting it to his nose, and then rubbing it between his fingers, he asked calmly.

       "Ugh, what is this crap? It's so... sticky."

       "Wh- H- I- Leave me alone!" She stumbled for words, trying to crawl backwards on the floor to no avail. The second man had her completely helpless.

       "Calm down, we're not here to hurt you." He tried to calm her down, but was obviously met with resistance.

       "I don't have any money!" She insisted, "You can have whatever you want, just get out!" Her heart was racing, so fast, in fact, that her chest pain returned in fiery vigor. Clutching a hand to her heart, she grimaced in pain, laying completely down as she struggled to remain upright, having no choice but to writhe in pain, completely unable to do anything. Walking towards her and kneeling down, the man in the white suit reached out.

       "Get away from me-" She choked out, trying to wiggle backwards, but he was easily able to lay a finger over her collarbone. Her eyes were shut, dreading what was going to come next, but to her surprise, her pain completely vanished. The last phantom stings fluttering away, she hesitantly opened her eyes again, looking up at the two men. Sitting up once more, still in the clutches of the orange-suited man, she demanded, "Who are you?! What do you want?"

       "You're welcome." The first grumbled. "My name is Heeseung."

       "And I'm Jungwon." The other raised his free hand. "We tried to knock, but, uh... you didn't answer."

       "What the fuck..." She said, more to herself than them. "I'm going fucking crazy." She nearly laughed, tapping herself on the head. "You've been too stressed lately, Y/N, you need to get your act together." Standing, she turned to the one who had introduced himself as Jungwon. "Would you mind letting go of me?"

       "Um..." He glanced to Heeseung. "Are you gonna run away?"

       "Hmm." She tapped a hand to her chin. "Let me think about that, um... I SHOULD!" She gave a big, fake smile. "I think I have every right to! But no, I'm not going to run away." Tentatively, he unclenched his hand, letting the fabric of her shirt fall loosely, creased from the pressure. "Awesome! Thanks." Walking between the two of them, she approached her bed, sliding a hand under the blanket and lifting it up, bringing a knee to the edge so she could get in.

       "What are you doing?" Heeseung asked curiously.

       "Going to sleep." She said, turning away from them as she pulled the blanket up over her shoulder. "Go... be somewhere else. Go back to schizophrenia-land or whatever."

       "We're not imaginary." He protested in annoyance.

       "Okay. Goodnight."

       "Hey! We're talking to you!" He demanded.

       "I can't hear you."

       "You clearly can if you're responding to-" Heeseung began to argue, but Jungwon held up a hand, indicating that he should pause.

       "We're gods. We never wanted to break in, but we have to speak to you regarding the birth of a new deity." She didn't say anything. Breathing in exasperation, he asked, "Really? Nothing? That didn't spark any curiosity in you?"

       "Nope. Goodnight." Heeseung laughed a little at seeing Jungwon just as frustrated as he'd been a moment ago, but a quick glare cut that short. Rolling his eyes, the king said,

       "Fine. You can sleep for however long you want, but we're going to be here when you wake up." She didn't respond. Finally, he sat down on the ground, indicating for Heeseung to do the same. Reluctantly, he complied, looking around at all her possessions idly. He didn't go to Earth often, as he was consistently busy, so he could at least learn some things while he was here... starting with this goo all over him.

       It was only a few minutes before she rolled over, although her eyes were still closed as she pretended to sleep. Jungwon watched intensively as, finally, her eyes opened just a tiny bit. Sitting up and crying out in frustration, she exclaimed,

       "Oh my God, you're still here."

       "Gods." He corrected. "Like I said."

       "This is a very elaborate kidnapping scheme, I have to tell you." She sighed. "I think you'd be better off resorting to a good old gun to the head."

       "We're not here to kidnap you. We're here to ask for your help."

       "And you expect me to believe that you're a god? I mean, come on, what god would wear a tacky orange getup like that?" Before he could stop himself, Heeseung let out a laugh, quickly covering his mouth as his king shot him yet another scathing glance.

       "Yes, I expect you to believe it. What kind of proof do you want? Heeseung already relieved your pain."

       "So what?" She scoffed. "Maybe he knows homeopathic medicine or something."

       "Homeopa... what? No!" He shook his head, trying to keep on track. "Like I said, whatever you want."

       "Maybe you can disappear!" She faked a gasp. "That would be absolutely insane. You should try that."

       "You are very... unpleasant."

       "Well, excuse me, I really don't take well to people breaking and entering."

       "Again, we tried to knock."

       "Normally when people knock and don't receive a response, they leave-"

       "Enough, both of you!" Heeseung cut in. "Can I at least check on the baby?"

       "Baby?!" Both Jungwon and Y/N shouted at the same time, eyes identically wide as their heads spun towards the man.

       "What, is that not what humans call it?" Heeseung tilted his gaze in confusion. "I was trying to make it easier to understand."

       "There's a baby in me?!" She began to panic again. "What the fuck did you psychopaths do to me? I can't have a baby! I don't-"

       "It's not a baby." Jungwon growled. "It's a god. That's what I've been trying to explain, if you weren't being so difficult."

       "The baby is God?!" She laughed, eyes still wide and breath ragged. She didn't even know what was happening at this point, and her processing speed had dropped to zero. "You know, they teach you this shit in bible camp and you just ignore it until-"

       "For the last time, it's not a baby." Jungwon sighed. "All I'm asking is that you listen to me so you can make a proper, well-adjusted decision."

       "I'm never gonna be well adjusted to whatever... this... is." She muttered, getting back up out of the bed and walking between them.

       "Hey, hold on-" Jungwon started, but she waved him off. Still, he continued to follow her.

       "I'm not running. I'm just going to get a glass of water."

       "Did you not just get out of the water?" Heeseung asked.

       "It's... it's called a shower." She said as she shakily moved towards the kitchen. "Some gods... you two sure are stupid."

       "I have been alive for centuries." Jungwon warned. "Don't take our presence lightly."

       "Yeah, I gathered that." Filling a glass, she pulled out a chair at the kitchen table. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Okay. You get fifteen minutes. After that, I can't guarantee anything."

       "We're not going to leave."

       "Then I'll call the police."

       "As if you're little human police could do anything to us." Heeseung snickered.

       "Clock's ticking." She pointed at the grimy LED light on her microwave. "So get talking." The two men looked to each other, then took a seat as well. They weren't used to being displaced from their normal table positions, but it couldn't be helped.

       "I'm... I'm not really sure how to start." Jungwon admitted.

       "Well, I'd figure it out." She said coldly.

       "Well, um..." He thought for a moment. "The Earth is situated below the celestial kingdom."

       "Which is where I assume I'm meant to believe you're from?" She noted.

       "Stop using up our fifteen minutes." Heeseung mocked her attitude from earlier. Leaning back, she crossed her arms, staying completely silent.

       "While everything you've learned from science is pretty much accurate, spiritually, the earth hangs from the seven pillars of heaven. These, of course, aren't really physical, but beings who live in the celestial kingdom can technically see them, although really the visual is more a sense of what they represent-"

       "You're rambling." Heeseung warned him.

       "Yes, well... Anyway, each pillar is upheld by a god. I was the first to be born, and I'm tied to the central pillar of Earth. Then, as it expanded spiritually, more gods were born to hold it from the six corners. Think of the spiritual shape as a kind of hexagon hanging from a ceiling."

       "Each god is born as the need for them accumulates. We take up pillars on opposite sides, balancing the weight. This is why Earth goes through periods of balance and imbalance. When all 7 gods are in place, the universe stabilizes, spiritually, at least."

       "So what does this have to do with me?" She asked, unable to help herself.

       "For a god to be born, it's not the same as a human being. There's no parents, conception, or baby." He glared towards Heeseung, who just brushed it off. "Their energy forms together, and develops within a host that bears a compatible soul. This could be anything from angels to humans to animals."

       "We've even theorized that gods could accumulate within plants, although we haven't tested that theory-" Heeseung began, but Jungwon was quick to continue to the point.

       "There are only seven attempts for each god to form. And the seventh and final god is, unfortunately, on his seventh and final attempt."

       "Why do I not like where this is going?" She mumbled.

       "Well, I suppose you've probably guessed already," he admitted sheepishly, "but we believe you may be the new host for the seventh god." Jungwon was admittedly being a bit sneaky with this phrasing. In truth, they already knew for certain. Still, he gained nothing from dropping that information on her so suddenly. "Would you mind if Heeseung gave you a brief medical examination? It would be completely painless and non-invasive, of course."

       She said nothing for a moment, all the information congregating and whirling in her brain like an ocean after a thunderstorm. She... she really didn't have any reason to object. Either these men were lying and she was going to be kidnapped and chopped up anyway, or they were telling the truth, in which case... they knew far more about this than she did. Finally, she dropped her head.

       "I guess... I guess you could look. But I get to stop whenever I'm uncomfortable."

       "Perfect." Heeseung was quick to approach her, reaching for the hem of her shirt.

       "Hey!" She slapped him away. "Hands off, man!"

       "I'll need to see your chest, as that's the source of your pain." He tilted his head. "Is that a problem?" Flustered, she shook her head rapidly.

       "Just- just- agh! Stay here, let me at least put some real clothes on." Before they could object, she stood up, rushing towards her room. Digging through her now-disastrous drawers, she found something a little more suitable to wear, allowing for her to be covered underneath no matter what they needed to see. Looking towards the door, she silently hoped that she'd walk out there and the whole thing would have just been a bad dream. Gods? The universe? She knew she had been wishing for excitement, but this was a bit overboard. Still, staying in her room wasn't going to do anything. They'd just come bother her more.

       Walking out, she was loathe to see that the two figures remained, watching without shame as she exited her room, as if they'd been staring at the door the whole time. Headed towards them, she re-crossed her arms in discomfort.

       "Uh, just out of curiosity, you guys don't have, like... X-Ray vision or anything, right?"

       "I, uh, don't know what that means," Heeseung admitted, "but if you're asking if we were watching you change, the answer is no." As if that was any less suspicious. Sitting back down, she took a deep breath.

       "Okay. I'm ready." Pulling out the chair next to her and sitting down in it, Heeseung leaned in, lifting up the hem of her newly-donned shirt so that he could see the larger part of her chest and collarbones. Holding a hand flat across the skin, he shut his eyes. His skin was irregularly smooth and warm, almost like a car in the sun. Did he even have fingerprints?

       A minute passed, then two... Eventually he opened his eyes, turning slightly to nod at Jungwon. Breathing out through his nose, the other man confirmed what she was already fearing.

       "It's as we suspected. You are the seventh host."

       "Great." She said. It's all she could say. How was she meant to take this? Oh, that's fine! I'll just become the incubation shell for a god! No problem! "So what now?"

       "Well..." Both men were silent, as if they were communicating through thought. If they were, she'd have no way of listening in, so all she could do was watch and wait. "I'm... hesitant to admit this, but... you can refuse." This caught her off-guard. This entire time, they'd been doing nothing but pushing her around, and now, suddenly, it was her choice?

       "And what if I refuse?"

       "Well, the seventh god would die, spirit dissipated across the universe. It would cause destruction, although we've never been in this situation, so it's impossible to tell how much. We risk the Earth becoming permanently imbalanced."

       "If... if it's that important, why are you letting me decide? Can you not force me to do it?"

       "We can." Jungwon easily informed her, as if that kind of power wasn't absolutely terrifying. "But I just don't function that way. It's not right. Not only that, but your unwillingness to participate could kill the seventh anyway. Even if he is born, he may become permanently damaged from the clashing of your soul against his. Ideally, you would fully participate willingly, but I... I know that's a lot to ask. Especially of a human."

       Okay, no need to bring humanity into this. She thought to herself. But was she strong enough to agree to such an outstanding demand? As she was thinking, Heeseung traced something into her collarbone.

       "Hey, what-" Before she even got the question out, a brilliant, sparkling white panel appeared in front of her, visible from both sides. On it, she saw a diagram, one that was familiar. For the most part, at least.

       "It seems as though he's taken root in your heart." Heeseung explained, tracing the lines of her arteries and drawing out a pattern of charcoal grey and golden shimmering light. "It's quite interesting, scientifically, but not very ideal for the survival of the host."

       "Heeseung!" Jungwon snapped.

       "I'm simply being honest." He replied. "You said you want her to make her own decision, so she should have all of the facts." Turning to her, he continued, "You're strong, I can sense that, I'm sure that's why the seventh was drawn to you. I can ease your pain and heal you as best as I can, during and after the process. However, I can make no promise that you'll live."

       "I..." She looked back and forth between them, both gazes unintentionally pressuring her for an answer. "Can I think about it?" Both men relaxed, at least happy that they didn't receive a 'no'.

       "Of course." Jungwon nodded. "In the meantime, it's probably best that you stay close by to us, so that we can help you in the event of an... emergency."

       "I don't even want to know what that means."

       "The other gods are nearby as well, if you'd like to meet them." He offered. "It may influence your decision, though."

       "Oh, yeah, it's a definite 'no' if she meets those lunatics." Heeseung joked.

       "Wait, all of you are on Earth? Right now?" She asked.

       "Yes. It's more difficult than you may think to travel back and forth, so we try to make as few trips as possible. Like I said, we can introduce you if you'd like. We're in a nearby hotel."

       "Gods. In a hotel." This was getting more ridiculous by the second. But what could she do? She had no choice but to believe them, unless she could prove otherwise. It didn't take a miracle to see that they had incredible strength, as well as unnatural abilities. "Yeah, I mean... Let me grab my keys."

       "Yes! I love cars!" Heeseung cheered as she turned away. What had she been dragged into?

Click here to read Chapter 3

[always5hineee]

Anointed (Enhypen x Reader) - Chapter 1: The Seventh Birth

A note before the story: Ni-Ki is underage, and will not in any way romantically or sexually interact with the reader. If that's what you're here for, I would respectfully ask you to leave. In addition, there are many religious themes in this work, as it pertains to gods. It is in no way centered around any one specific religion (although I was raised Catholic, so there are admittedly many Christian influences) and it is not intended to make fun of or disrespect any practices. If something is overly offensive, please feel free to let me know, and I'll do my best to accommodate. Otherwise, happy reading, and feel free to leave your thoughts and reactions below!

Word count: 2,492

Chapter warnings: mild language, mentions of suicide, mild themes

-----

         "Your highness..." A voice called from the other end of the chamber. The man seated in the chair at the head of the table sighed, looking out over the gilded cityscape below him. The room was well-lit, although none of the overhead lights were on. The sun outside shone brightly over the marble and steel behind him. Turning the chair around, he saw the familiar face of a light green-suited man standing at the door.

       "I told you, you don't have to call me that. It's not the Renaissance anymore." The other man shrugged.

       "What can I say, I'm a sucker for professionalism."

       "What is it that you need?" The seated man asked, idly rearranging the papers littered across the table. They weren't confidential, but something about engaging in conversation made him a bit fidgety.

       "I, uh, I don't really know how to say this..." He put a hand to the back of his head, scratching nervously.

       "Did you cause a mass natural disaster again?"

       "What?" He looked confused, "No."

       "Well then, I'm not going to be mad." He laughed lightly. "So just spit it out."

       "Well, uh..." He took a deep breath. "I was told to let you know that the birth of the seventh has started." The man at the table froze immediately. Thoughts began rushing through his head. It was too soon, and they weren't ready. What was he going to do? It was his job to make the call, but-

       Before he could let his mind race ahead of him, he dropped his hands under the table, clenching them together. Shutting his eyes, he forced himself to calm down. He could at least hear everyone's ideas before they made any decisions. They couldn't afford any mistakes, so spreading out the debate would help him.

       "Is everyone else on the grounds?" He asked, trying to keep his voice still.

       "I think so." He responded. "Do you want me to track them down?"

       "Just call over the system." He sighed. "Actually, on second thought, I'll do it. And maybe get a head start on packing, we may have to travel... very soon." The other man nodded.

       "Of course, your highness."

       "Don't call me that."

       "Whatever you want, your highness," he joked, slipping out the door, green flashing past the opposite glass windows before disappearing out of sight. Sure that he was gone, the man slipped back in his chair, leaning his head upwards and shutting his eyes once more. Slipping his hand into a pocket, he pulled out a small, golden device, engraved daintily with the script Stell-A. Lifting it to his lips, he took a long, deep breath, held it in for a moment or two, and then exhaled, watching a cloud of golden glitter dissipate as euphoria flooded his body. Putting it away, he gathered up the courage to make the intercom call.

       Holding his right hand up by his ear, he flicked his wrist into a circle, a filament of light appearing where the end of his fingertips passed through the air. Once there was a suitable spiral, he spoke to the empty room, barely able to hear his own voice echoing in the hall.

       "Urgent: All divine, please report to meeting room A, I repeat, all divine, please report to meeting room A as soon as possible." Snapping, the spiral disappeared, intercom connection dissipating. Now all he could do was wait. Touching his two fingers together, he paused, then drew a rectangle in the air, the same bluish light connecting into a tablet. He had barely managed to tap out a few notes before the first of those called arrived.

       "Jungwon." Looking up, he was met with a taller man, his suit a subtle, aged ivory color. "I suppose Sunoo let you know?"

       "Yeah..." He sighed again. "When did you find out?"

       "A few minutes before I sent him to talk to you." Tracing a similar rectangle in the air, he was now holding a tablet matching in color to his outfit. "I've been looking every day. I've seen some signs for the past few months, but now there's no doubt."

       "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

       "It would have just put more stress on you." He said. "There's no need for you to worry more than you have to." He reasoned as he took his seat to Jungwon's right.

       "It's my job to worry." He lamented, partially joking.

       "Just because you're the king doesn't mean that all the responsibility falls on you." Heeseung reassured him. If we do something, we do it together. And we'll suffer the consequences together."

       "Already planning for consequences, huh?" Another voice interrupted. Looking over, both of them saw as the third man entered the room- wearing a brighter-than-necessary purple suit (although not properly, as the sleeves were rolled up and his shirt was half-tucked in), the man quickly made his way over to the seat next to Heeseung. "I don't even know what the emergency is yet and I'm already scared."

       "Jay." Jungwon smiled. "I don't think you've ever been this early to a meeting."

       "Yeah, well, I was gonna stop for coffee, but you said urgent" he mocked with air quotations, "So I figured I'd do you all a favor and grace you with my presence."

       "And graced we are." Heeseung mumbled under his breath." Knocking him in the back of the head, Jay laughed.

       "Jake and Sunghoon were walking over together, they should be here in a second." He mentioned as Heeseung batted his hand away.

       "I spoke to Sunoo earlier, he should be here soon too." Jungwon returned.

       Sure enough, the room was full in a matter of minutes. Jungwon sat at the head, making up the near-rainbow of outfits in a classy dark orange color. Heeseung and Jay sat to his right, with Sunghoon in white to his left, Jake in black right next to him, and Sunoo, the last to arrive, still wearing a mint green next to Jay. That left only the seventh seat at the table, the very last at the left, unoccupied.

       "So, what did Jake blow up this time?" Sunghoon asked.

       "I've been with you all morning!" The man in question protested, crossing his arms in a huff.

       "I wish it were only that." Jungwon looked stoic, causing them all to straighten up immediately. Although he could be a serious guy, this seemed really serious, and it immediately served to make everyone uncomfortable. Not his intention, although unavoidable. Taking a deep breath, he announced,

       "Heeseung has confirmed that the seventh has reappeared. So now we... Well, I guess we have to decide what to do." The room was completely silent. The men looked back and forth to each other, no words passing between them. The unspoken confusion and and chaos was more than evident, though. "Come on, guys, say something..." Jungwon begged. He wasn't about to make this decision on its own.

       "Do we know where it is?" Jay piped up, trying to clear the air a little. "Surely we must have some idea who or what we're dealing with."

       "It's definitely a human." Heeseung informed them, lifting up his tablet slightly and swiping up, causing the other men to summon theirs and receive the image. While there were a lot of graphs and charts that none of them really quite understood, Heeseung continued to explain. "It's quite unnatural, it's been a human being every time. And it makes our job more difficult."

       "What?" Sunoo asked. "Is it not always a human? I was born to a human woman." The others looked to him, slightly, put-off, but Jungwon cut in.

       "I'm sorry, I forgot that you're the newest addition."

       "How does it feel being so young?" Jay snickered, causing a pout from the other man.

       "I'm hundreds of years old, you know. We've just never had to... go over this stuff before, you know?"

       "It's perfectly reasonable." Jungwon glared at the instigator. Turning back to Sunoo, he explained, "When gods are born, it's not really a regular birth. We appear in the spirits of other beings until we're established enough to hold our own form. They can come from other gods, humans, angels, even animals."

       "Well, I knew about the being-born part, obviously." Sunoo huffed. "I just thought it was humans."

       "Jake was born to a dog." Jay laughed, elbowing a much-repulsed Heeseung in the side.

       "Hey, as far as I'm concerned, I was the easiest out of all of you." Jake shrugged. "And animals are cool."

       "It is admittedly more simple through animals." Heeseung added. "It takes away most of the risk of the deity dying and having to find a new host."

       "Doesn't that hurt them, though?" Sunoo asked, shocked that Jay's joke was even true.

       "The hosting process is admittedly a bit painful," Jungwon explained, "And the hosts often die off. But it's not a pregnancy, and gods don't reside in the womb, so when the time comes, they generally phase out of their host. If anything, it's the divine light that's the most harmful."

       "So how were all of you born, then?" The youngest asked. "Besides Jake, of course."

       "Well, each of the seven gods only has seven chances to be born. Any we don't take up on our first appearance, we can later use should we die off." He explained.

       "That's only ever happened to me, though." Heeseung explained. "But my death is a story for another day. I was born to an angel's wings in the circle of Seraphim. Most of the angels I've ever met have been more than willing to carry a god, so I was born on my first culmination. After I died, I was rebirthed through the same exact angel, which is rare, but not that surprising if you take into account soul compatibility and-"

       "Blah, blah, blah, no one cares." Jay waved him off. "You can keep your fancy tech garbage to yourself."

       "I wasn't-"

       "I was born to a human, but it took me my second try. My first host died."

       "Died?!" Sunoo looked surprised. "Why?"

       "It's a stressful process." Jay shrugged. "Even if a human is willing, depending on what part of their body you appear in, it can cause immense physical trauma. Both times, I was born into their lungs, so the first didn't quite... cut it, if you know what I'm saying."

       "Woah..."

       "You already heard, I guess, but I appeared in two humans, both rejecting our request to carry. Even as a god, Jungwon refuses to make the unwilling take on the job."

       "It's unfair." The king pointed out. "Not to mention it can put the process at risk."

       "Yeah, yeah." Jake waved a hand. "Anyway, I woke up to a lovely German Shepherd, so it wasn't all bad, I guess. She stayed with me until she died of old age."

       "...Interesting?" Sunoo said, evidently curious and confused simultaneously.

       "I was born from the fingertips of a dancer in Egypt." Sunghoon chipped in with his story. "She made it out completely unscathed, we were friends for a long time. It's not often a human encounters a god, but even less often that they handle it as well as she did."

       "And what attempt was that for you?" He asked.

       "Fourth."

       "Huh... and how were you born, your majesty? You were first, right?" Nodding, he looked off into space as if remembering something.

       "I don't know a lot, because I was the only one that didn't have anyone there to watch, but I was born from the Earth."

       "The humans have stories about it." Jake laughed. "Apparently, the ground burst open and water rushed out for forty days. That's why most religions have stories about a 'great flood'."

       "That's our guy, for you!" Jay chimed in. "Always has to be the best."

       "I would have stopped it if I could have." He mumbled. "Anyway, now that we have the explaining out of the way, the time has finally come for the seventh god to be born. And we don't have any room for error. We need to approach this very carefully."

       Lifting his hand up, Heeseung drew a large, ivory rectangle behind him, lighting up into a sort of projection. Similar graphs appearing, he added some annotations, translating a few of the numbers as he spoke.

       "The seventh first appeared nearly one-hundred years ago, although it was long after you were born, Sunoo. The first human he appeared in was willing to carry him, but unfortunately, he appeared in her brain, which is a very sensitive area to be sharing space with deities. She would have survived, but unfortunately, she was driven mad before he was able to fully form, and eventually committed suicide." Swiping, he showed a chart with seven spaces, the last left empty.

       "The second and third refused, which left us with a fifty-year drought in which there were no compatible souls, I assume. The fourth was a young child, and Jungwon took the responsibility of terminating the ordeal himself before the human even knew." Jungwon looked down at his hands on the table. It wasn't a decision he made easily, but he couldn't bring himself to let a child take on that duty. It was a controversial encounter, but their discussion had ended in an ultimatum provided by him. Anyone to disagree was left with the option to keep it to themself, or leave. Obviously, there was no issue following that.

       "Similarly," Heeseung continued, "the fifth had been occupied in her own soul, which caused some confusion, both for her and the seventh god. Eventually, we ruled that, should the seventh be born in this manner, he would retain some mortal aspects, causing confusion when the mortal piece of him would inevitably die. Thus, it was terminated once more. The sixth refused to carry."

       "So this is his last chance at being born?" Sunoo asked, eyes wide. Most of the room nodded, a bit somberly. "What happens if it doesn't work?"

       "Should the host die, or the seventh be terminated for the final time," Heeseung explained, "his energy would dissipate into the universe. It would be impossible for him to ever form. We're honestly unsure of what long-term affects this would have, but even in Heeseung's death there was decimation across the Earth, and that was an impermanent ordeal."

       "And what about us?"

       "The heavenly host would be incomplete, which could put the universe at an imbalance."

       "What does that mean?"

       "Well-" Before Heeseung even got the chance to answer, Sunghoon drawled,

       "He has no fucking clue."

       "Sunghoon!" Jungwon snapped at him.

       "What, it's true." He shrugged. "We don't know what happens, and we really don't want to find out. So..."

       "So we have to convince this human to carry him, no matter the consequences?" Sunoo asked.

       "We could always lie." Jay pointed out, receiving a few glares. "What? It's true. I know it's not really the moral route, but we're running out of options. After all, if we show up and explain everything really quickly, it'll seem like a big honor."

       "She's young..." Heeseung noted, looking over his notes. "It could work."

       "Unacceptable." Jungwon put his foot down. "I'm sure if we're honest about how dire the situation is, she'll be willing to help. After all, those with compatible souls to gods are usually very special." There was silence. Sighing, he added, "Look, if something happens, that would be... unfortunate. But who are we if not our standards? We can't lord power over people, even if they are humans. We'll do our best to make the process as comfortable as possible."

       "Do you know where in the human the seventh is cultivating?" Sunghoon asked.

       "No." Heeseung admitted. "I would need to see her in person to make that judgement."

       "We can go today." Jungwon stated. "We need to discuss the options as quickly as possible. Heeseung will accompany me."

       "I think we should all go." Jake protested. "We're going to have to make the decision together, after all."

       "That could scare her." Sunghoon pointed out. "Imagine six gods appearing in your living room."

       "It happens to me all the time." Jay joked.

       "You know what I meant. I think that Jungwon is right to keep things small at first."

       "What if we all go to Earth, but just his majesty and Heeseung visit the host first? That way, we're nearby." The king pondered for a moment.

       "That's actually not a bad idea. So, let's all prepare, and leave for Earth as soon as possible."

       "Right now?" Jake asked, surprised.

       "The sooner, the better." He stood, dusting off invisible lint that was most definitely nowhere to be found. "I'll call you all back when we're prepared to leave." The other men, not really able to argue, stood as well, looking at each other in a similar manner as the start of the meeting. Everything was happening so quickly... But, one by one, they disappeared to their own chambers. Sunoo, the last to leave, bowed awkwardly.

       "Sunoo..." Jungwon called after him, causing him to spin, slightly frightened. Laughing under his breath, Jungwon insisted, "Stop being so formal."

Click here to read Chapter 2

[always5hineee]

I’m sry bc this isn’t rly a question but I jus wanna say that the final bell is downright one of the best fics I’ve read in a long time. Thank you sm ♥️♥️♥️♥️

That is so sweet! I’m so happy you enjoyed it :) I’ll have some new stuff up soon, so keep an eye out!

[always5hineee]

Infallible- Epilogue

Word count: 383

Chapter warnings: None

-----

       Y/N stared out over the bridge, looking at the city beneath her. She loved it up here. The lights were gorgeous, and she watched entranced for a moment as they flickered in the urban environment around her. The air was clearer where she was standing, surprisingly, likely because she wasn't in the thick of civilization anymore. It felt nice to stand above it all. Although it was a bit chilly, she didn't mind. It's not like it was going to bother her for long.

       The wind ruffled her hair and she smiled, looking up away from the city at the sky. A few birds fluttered by, catching her attention. Flying was so amazing. Something had just drawn her to the concept recently. To be able to fly must be a wonderful gift.

       "Miss?" She heard a voice behind her. Spinning around to face the approaching man, she smiled politely.

       "Hello! Can I help you?" He had a comforting air about him, smile warm, freckles dotting his face, just barely visible in the bright glint of the warm sun. He had that kind of face, the look of someone you'd known for years, even if you'd just met them.

       "I'm sorry, I was just passing by, and I noticed you standing at the bridge." He said, holding a hand to the back of his neck and laughing awkwardly. "I love it up here too, the air is nice."

       "It is, isn't it?" She agreed. "I don't know why, I've just liked coming up here lately."

       "I haven't actually seen you around before... What's your name?"

       "Y/N. Yours?"

       "Felix. Nice to meet you."

       "You too!" Leaning on the bridge next to her, he looked over, a glint in his eyes.

       "You know, Y/N," he started. "This is kind of random, but... Would you want to go out sometime?"

       "Hmm?"

       "I mean, only if you want to!" He started saying in panic. "I- I'm kind of new at this whole thing, a-and I don't really mind, I-it's not-"

       "Chill out, silly!" She said with another laugh. "I'd love to. Here," She reached for her phone. "Give me your number!"

       "N-number?" He asked.

       "Um, yeah, your phone number. You do have a phone, right?" He stared at her, frozen as he realized.

       "Uh... no?"

The End

[always5hineee]

Infallible- Chapter 22: Tale of a Princess

Word count: 1169

Chapter warnings: Mild themes

-----

       "Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Y/N." Jisung started, moving his hand along the nonexistent ground in the shape of a little stick figure. Raising an eyebrow, she looked to him.

       "Are you serious?"

       "Shut up and listen!" He demanded, glaring in annoyance. Shrugging, she agreed.

       "Okay, okay."

       "Thank you." Repositioning himself, he continued. "Now, Y/N was a pretty girl who lived in the village. She walked around doing normal, boring village things. Some would say she wasn't even that remarkable at all." Lifting up his other hand onto his knee, he said, "But there was a prince! Prince Felix! Who lived in the big tall tower with the King, Bang Chan."

       "What an odd name for a king," She remarked.

       "Prince Felix saw little Y/N every day, and slowly, fell in love with her. But the King didn't like that. The prince had to follow his orders, and his orders strictly prohibited village girls and princes from being together." Having the little Felix hand jump down from his knee, he said,

       "But, Felix didn't care! He snuck out to go see her whenever he could!" Putting his hand back upwards, "The King found out, and decided to take matters into his own hands. He went to go kill the little village girl." The hand representing her toppled over, laying flat. "But his information was wrong. He picked the wrong girl. And because of that," He made a little flying motion, "The knight guarding that girl was assigned to protect Y/N."

       Felix... was in love with her? Which meant that they'd met before he was assigned to her. Or at least, he'd known of her. Not only that, but Bang Chan... he'd tried to kill her? She didn't even get the chance to ask a question before he continued on with his rendition.

       "The King needed to hide his crime, so he blamed one of his other knights, a fierce warrior! His right hand man helped him do so, and promised to keep the secret to the grave. The knight, as well as his best friend, who tried to defend him, were thrown out of the kingdom, exiled forever!" He made a little 'noooo' sound effect as he motioned an outward blast.

       "The guilt began eating at the king, so as repentance, he let Prince Felix protect the woman he loved, on the condition that he never act on his feelings." Shrugging, he said, "The rest of the story you know."        

       "The exiled kidnap the knight, the prince switches sides, all of... that..." She said, looking to him for his confirmation, which he gave in a nod. "So... what now?"

       "What about it?" He asked.

       "What do I do? Is Hyunjin my guardian angel, or is Felix? Is Chan alright? Will Seungmin and Jeongin be let back into heaven?"

       "You have no need of knowing." Jisung said with a look. "It's not as though you'll remember." He said. Her heart dropped, and she stared at him, looking for any indication that he was kidding. He loved to get reactions, it had to be a joke. Still, his face was serious.

       "W-what?!"

       "We can't just let you walk around spouting about angels. You'll be committed. That's a boring life for a guardian angel, no matter who it may end up being." She sighed, sitting back. So that was it? She just... wouldn't remember. Although the thought pained her, she wouldn't remember. He was going to take something from her that she wouldn't even realize was missing.

       "Can... can I know? Just for right now?" She asked, hoping that he'd accept. "It would make me feel better, even if just for a little bit longer." He thought about it momentarily.

       "I don't see why not." He said finally, letting her relax. This place was peaceful. She wouldn't mind just staying here and talking to him. "What do you want to know?"

       "The right hand man- the king's- was that-?"

       "Changbin." So that's why he rushed to Bang Chan's side. He'd known the whole time, and was still loyal to him. Noticing her confusion, Jisung clarified, "Changbin has known Bang Chan a very, very long time. And because of that, he understands how he handles situations. Bang Chan tends to let guilt eat at him, and for an archangel, that's very dangerous."

       "How so?"

       "Archangels can only die if they choose to." Jisung said. "Which, while it seems like an abuse of power, is actually quite a frequent event. There are very few archangels left. Living forever is a burden no one wishes to bear. Even still, Chan isn't that old, no older than any of us. He's carries a great deal of self-hatred, though. Changbin made it his mission to protect Chan from himself should a situation like this arise." She thought back to a few moments before, what he'd said. He had been begging Chan not to give up.

       "Then is he...?"

       "He's dead." The reaper said simply. "Without Changbin there to help him through it, and with the guilt of that girl's death coming back to haunt him, as well as seeing the emotional repercussions firsthand? It was more than he could handle. He chose to die." She looked down. She had tried to make that same choice. "He did one thing before, though. It was quite curious, actually." Looking up, she asked,

       "What was that?"

       "He granted Felix humanity."

       "He... what?" Jisung looked almost as dumbfounded as she did.

       "I know, I'm not even sure how he managed it. I've never seen an archangel do it before. But, in expending an incredible amount of energy, he's made Felix human. No doubt so that he can be with you."

       "So... what does that mean for them? For everyone?" He shrugged again, keeping the same removed attitude as he'd always done.

       "Chan is dead. Changbin will likely go back to heaven to serve in his position. I doubt he'll do anything rash, he never has before. Hyunjin will return to being your guardian angel. Felix, now a human, will likely do everything in his power to chase the woman he loves- you. He'll seem perfect, I'm sure, as he already understands you. I'll wipe your memory, you won't remember us, or him, so you'll lead your life as normal."

       "What about you?"

       "I have my own job to deal with. I'll go back to it."

       "...And when I die?" She asked. "Can I have my memory back?" He laughed again, standing up, as if their time was growing closer to an end.

       "You never quit, huh? I can see why Felix likes you." Reaching out a hand, he helped her to her feet. "I'll consider it. Let's hope we have quite a few years before that happens." Looking to him, she breathed in, even though her body wasn't real.

       "So... this is it?" He nodded, holding his palm out to her forehead.

       "Yeah... I'll see you later." She smiled.

       "Okay Han."

       "Jisung."

Go to Epilogue

[always5hineee]

Infallible- Chapter 21: Removal

Word count: 1050

Chapter warnings: Mild language, themes

-----

      "Oh, he didn't tell you?" Seungmin said with a fake whiny voice, treating her like a baby. "What a shame, and after you so obviously looked up to him." He spat.

       "Seungmin, stop it." Chan muttered under his breath, almost as if he were trying to keep them from hearing it.

       "What? You're the high and mighty archangel, the pillar of righteousness, everyone's hero. Don't they deserve to know?"

       "Stop."

       "Maybe you should have thought of that before you got me thrown out of heaven!" He said in finality, glaring with a hatred she didn't think possible.

       "Chan, what is he saying?" Y/N asked. "What does he mean, you there him out?"

       "I- it's not- I didn't- it's not what you think-"

       "Oh, isn't it, though?" Seungmin laughed bitterly. "Was it not enough to kill that poor girl, and then frame me? You just have to rub salt in the wound by coming here and acting like some God? Someone to be followed? You're a liar." Now, all were on their leader. He was backing up, trapped on all sides by the two groups.

       "That was you?" Hyunjin asked, crying even more prominent now. She had forgotten that it was his partner, the one before her, that had been killed.

       "Wait! Let me explain!"

       "Why should they?" Seungmin asked, "You didn't do me that favor. Oh, right, because it would have compromised your innocence." So... Seungmin and Jeongin hadn't done anything. The former had been falsely accused, the latter defending what was just, and... and she had ben with him? The whole time? Was she lucky to even be alive right now? Who knew if he'd do it again, who-

       "You monster!" Felix screamed suddenly, jumping up from his place by her side and lunging for him, knocking them both scrambling to the ground. "It's your fault I'm not Y/N's guardian angel, this is all your fault-"

       "That's what you get for falling in love with a human!" Chan shot back, shoving him off. He clearly didn't want to hurt the other angel, but Felix's attacks weren't barred. The archangel's skin was already starting to bruise- something she didn't even know it could do.

       "Love?" Hyunjin asked again from the sidelines. Even in the matters of the angels, he hadn't been filled in. As they kept hitting each other, mostly with Chan falling to the ground and taking the punches, a light began to form in between them. She didn't know exactly what it was, but Seungmin and Jeongin did. They were reverting back to their non-corporeal forms, Felix especially, as he had less control over himself. Although they had the opportunity to grab Hyunjin, they were content to sit back and wait. Felix knew he must be helping them, giving them a weak angel to prey on, but now, he didn't care. Chan had ruined his life, and hadn't even bothered to confess his actions.

       Their brawl grew too bright for her to see. Burying her face in Hyunjin's chest, he put a hand on the back of her head, trying to keep her steady as it intensified. She immediately relaxed a bit- it was no question that he was made to watch over her. That's why he was her guardian angel. So why was Felix...

       When the light died down, the sight was less than pretty. She only knew that it was safe to look by the shouting of new arrivals. Just before Felix's energy had given out and the portals shut, Changbin, Minho, and Jisung rushed on to the scene. Minho immediately moved to Felix's side, his face slimy and disgusting with sweat and tears. Changbin ran to Chan, who was similarly doused, although the salt was mixed with blood.

       "Chan!" The warrior was shouting, panicking like she'd never witnessed. "Bang Chan! Come on!" Shaking him, he started crying as well. "Come on, Chan, I know you're there, you promised me you wouldn't! You fucking promised me you wouldn't give up, come on-"

       "He's gone." Jisung said flatly, standing over Changbin. Sniffling, he kept insisting.

       "He promised... he-" The man hiccuped. It was actually quite pitiful to watch. He was leaning over Chan's body, crying into his shirt. "This can't be happening, it-"

       "What's going on?" She asked, looking up. Hyunjin took in her expression, then looked up to Jisung. Their eyes seemed to say everything. He nodded, taking Y/N's face lightly, and kissing her forehead. Then, he disappeared from beneath her.

       "H-Hyunjin?" Looking around, she realized that Hyunjin wasn't the only thing that had disappeared. Felix, Minho, Changbin and Chan on the ground- actually, the ground itself, it was all gone. The world was white, like pearl, surrounding her like a void. Even looking down, she was sitting on nothing. Standing in front of her, the only figure still remaining, was Jisung.

       "H-Han-" She stuttered, looking up at him, arms still empty from her now-missing guardian angel.

       "I told you, Jisung is fine. Don't be so formal." He said gently, sitting down on the ground, criss-cross-applesauce in front of her.

       "I don't understand... What's happening? Where are we?"

       "More like what happened." He said with a hint of exasperation. "'Where are we' is a much easier question, though. Welcome to my soul."

       "Y-your soul?" She asked, confused.

       "Yes."

       "It's so..."

       "White? Empty?" She nodded. "That's because I cleared this space for special situations. Like this one." He explained. "In reality, you're nothing but your own soul anyway. Your body is still out there. It's probably being moved right now, although you wouldn't be able to feel it."

       "So am I dead?" She asked, receiving a laugh.

       "God, no. We're just talking. It's quieter in here." He said, looking around. "I find the outside world to be annoying, sometimes. It's loud, unpredictable. I can control everything in here."

       "Aren't you worried our souls will get tangled?" She asked. "Like Hyunjin and I?" Not only that, but if it were to happen, who would undo it? Jisung was the only one who had proven able before.      

       "No, I don't have that special connection with you that Hyunjin does. We'll be fine." He said, easing her worries. "Now." Settling in, he looked at her with that soft, carefree grin. "I'm going to tell you a story."

Go to Chapter 22

[always5hineee]

Infallible- Chapter 20: Reveal

Word count: 1209

Chapter warnings: Mention of suicide

-----

       "I don't like the idea of splitting into two groups." Minho said with a weird look. "I don't see why we can't investigate both, one after the other, as a group."

       "I'm telling you, if we pick the wrong one, they'll find us out." Felix said insistently. "According to my reconnaissance, they have the ability to survey three locations. I've narrowed it down to two, but if we were to go to any, they'd know. Once they know we're coming for them, we'll have to start all over."

       "How were you able to get around their setup, then?" Jisung asked curiously.

       "We don't have time for this!" He argued. "Hyunjin, Jisung and I can go to the first location, Chan, Changbin, and Minho to the other."

       "What about me?" Y/N asked.

       "And why those groups?" Changbin asked. "You're putting all our warriors together, and you know Jisung will generally keep his hands clean. Your group is severely underpowered."

       "I agree," Chan cut in, ignoring Y/N's question. "Jisung will go with the second group, and I'll go with the first." Changbin immediately had a problem with that.

       "Chan, I'm not letting you g-"

       "It wasn't a question. That's an order from an archangel." Chan commanded, leaving Changbin to pause, and then simply nod. He was good at taking orders.

       "I'm coming with you." She said to Felix, Hyunjin, and Chan, putting her foot down.

       "No, you're staying here." Chan started, before she continued with her demands.

       "Not without a guardian angel, I'm not!" She insisted. "It's more dangerous here by myself."

       "I said, n-"

       "I don't take orders from angels. I'm a human." She said. Felix looked to Bang Chan, then to her. It wouldn't hurt to have her there... If anything, she'd act as a weakness for Hyunjin. It may prove useful in getting him under control.

       "I'm sure she can come, it'll be fine." Felix said, holding a hand in the air. "This should be an absolute cakewalk. Plus, if one group arrives at a location and there's no threat, they know to travel to the other. It'll be simple." That sounded well enough.

       "Some guardian," Hyunjin muttered, "You're going to take her out into battle with us?" Felix's eyes slid over to Hyunjin's, locked in a silent staring contest.

       "Both of you, stop it." Chan said. "We have to get along, since we're in the same group. Felix, you open both gates, we'll go through. Whichever group doesn't find the fallen angels, fall back and travel through the other gate." Felix's mood dipped a bit. Keeping the gate open would take up a decent amount of energy. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to help the fallen angels should his power be compromised like that. Normally, he wouldn't have cared- he hated them, it was their fault that Hyunjin had been assigned to Y/N, why she was given any angel to confide in other than himself. Still, they were going to fix it now.

       "Let's go." Felix said, not wanting to waste anymore time. He opened both gates, side by side in Y/N's room. He was the first to walk through the one on the left, as he had to give the signal to those waiting for him. The timing was only perfect, hence his hurry to get to the meeting location as fast as possible. He didn't see, but the other group waled through the portal on the right, as he felt the energy leave his body.

       The second group, consisting of Changbin, Jisung, and Minho, upon arrival, were met with a large set of stone walls. Stepping forward, Minho was the first to call out,

       "Where are you cowards? What is this place?"

       "That's not going to work." Changbin said quietly, observing the scene in front of them. Upon his instruction, Minho realized that it wasn't just walls- it was a maze. "We're not going to know if they're here unless we search the maze." He said.

       "We can just fly above and find them."

       "Not possible. There's a roof."

       "This is obviously a trap, then!" Minho shouted, "They're distracting us from the other location!"

       "But what if it's not?" Jisung said with a hum. "Then you've just gone and ruined it. You have to be absolutely sure, hmm?" He couldn't argue with that, but it still didn't feel right. Something here wasn't as it should have been.

       Meanwhile, as the first group walked through, Bang Chan and Hyunjin took surveillance of the area, having been the first time they'd ever seen it. Y/N, however, stopped dead in her tracks. Hyunjin, tuned into her as he was, immediately noticed, walking to her side in concern.

       "Is something wrong?" He asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Her knees shaking with unsteadiness, she crumbled to the ground, staring as if at nothing, fingertips clawing at the dirt. Hyunjin dropped to his knees, pulling her up to try and hold her.

       "Hey! Hey, talk to me! What's wrong?"

       "Y/N?" Felix asked, concerned as well, trying to walk over. As soon as he spoke, though, her glance focused on him, causing her to recoil, backing up to try and get away from here. "Y/N, what's the matter?!"

       "H-how did you know how to get here?!" She asked frantically. "How did you know?!" He tilted his head in confusion.

       "W...Wha..." His eyes shot open when he'd realized his mistake. The whole reason he'd known to come here was because of Seungmin. If Y/N somehow knew this spot as well... No, there was no way she could have known about its connection to him.

       "This is where I tried to kill myself." She said.

       "You what?!" Hyunjin asked, gripping onto her arm in desperation. He didn't know about that little fiasco...

       "Y-yeah, I was your guardian at the time, wouldn't it make s-sense that-"

       "You were her guardian angel, and you let her try to kill herself?" Hyunjin asked, tears rolling down the corners of his eyes. Normally he wouldn't have been so empathetic, but the connection a guardian has with the human they're protecting- it was causing him to force himself to feel the pain that might cause someone to turn to such things.

       "No!" She said. "You weren't there!" She was accusing him, calling out his lie. "I walked into my apartment, and you said,  'I thought something bad was going to happen, but then I couldn't sense you at all'. You didn't know where I was. You weren't here. So the only way you could know..."

       "Hello, Y/N." She heard a voice say from their right. Everyone looking over, they saw none other than their targets, the fallen angels, Seungmin and Jeongin, wings spread and walking right towards them. They were actually quite surreal, it was the most angelic energy they had ever exuded since she'd met them.

       "Just what do you think you're doing?" Bang Chan asked, stepping in front of the three on the ground.

       "Get out of the way, murderer. My business is with Felix, and it's already been dealt. I'll be takin Hyunjin now."

       "Felix?" Hyunjin looked to him.

       "Hyunjin?" Bang Chan said in succession, looking back.

       "Murderer?" She asked fearfully.

Go to Chapter 21

[always5hineee]

Infallible- Chapter 19: Past to Present

Word count: 1191

Chapter warnings: None

-----

       "What happened to Y/N?!" A voice said in panic from behind them as she began to drift off into sleep. Turning quickly, they all faced the door, where Felix was standing. Bang Chan quickly rushed over to him, grabbing him by the shoulders and turning him from side to side as he frantically asked,

       "Felix! Are you okay? Are you hurt? What did they do to you?" He grabbed his jaw, turning his head to the side, examining for cuts, when Felix pushed him off, rubbing his arms as if he'd been contaminated or something.

       "I-I'm fine." He said. "It's fine." Chan still looked concerned, raising an eyebrow.

       "What happened? Did they take you? Did you run?"

       "They, uh," he swallowed nervously. "They got me while I was trying to bind them up and dragged me through a gate. I managed to escape, though, and I came back here, because I figured it was safest." He shrugged.

       "How did you beat them? It was two to one?" Changbin asked.

       "And how did they open a gate themselves? They should have been weak from the fight." Minho added on.

       "Maybe he was able to beat them both because they were weak from opening the gate too." Bang Chan supplied, looking to him. "Not to mention he's a warrior angel."

       "Y-yeah, that's it." Felix said with a nod. That was a close call... Good thing Chan was too adept at solving problems for his own good. "But I'm a guardian angel now."

       "Actually, we have good news!" Chan continued, gesturing to Hyunjin and Y/N's bodies on the bed. "We separated their souls, and healed them, although Hyunjin was a little bit harder. With any luck they'll both be good as new after a peaceful night! We can get back to normal!" Felix's nose scrunched up against his own will, but thankfully nobody saw it.

       "Well, not quite." He cut in. He had to upkeep his end of the deal with Seungmin and Jeongin, not to mention get his place back as Y/N's guardian angel. "We still have to find the fallen angels."

       "Do we, though?" Changbin asked thoughtfully. "As long as we keep them from getting a hold on another angel, they're none of our business. They'll die off on their own down here." Shit... he had to find a way to convince them that they needed to find the men, and in three days exactly, no less.

       "If they were able to nab an angel once, they'll be able to do it again." He pointed out. "And now that they have more experience and intelligence, it'll take them less time to do what they're planning. As long as they leave us alone, we may not realize anything's happened until it's too late."

       "He has a point." Minho agreed, relieving him slightly. "We need to make sure this doesn't happen again."

       "First Y/N needs to rest, though." Felix said adamantly.

       "And Hyunjin." Bang Chan added on.

       "Yeah, right..." He said coughing. "Anyway, I'll work on trying to find them, since I was with them last. We'll get ready to go in a few days." He said. Chan looked over at him again in surprise. He wasn't generally one to make the plans, he was more of a follower. Still, there was nothing inherently wrong with it. If Felix wanted to go out of his comfort zone a little bit, who were they to stop him?

       Y/N was obviously the first to wake up the next morning, surrounded by muttering angels. Surprisingly, Jisung hadn't left, although his work was technically done. She just barely recalled the whole process, as well as him confirming that the process of splitting their should had worked. Looking to her side, she also saw Hyunjin, her real guardian angel. She had never really talked to him. What was he like? Was he okay? Had they managed to heal him?

       "Oh, Y/N, you're up." Chan said, walking over to the bed, sitting on the very edge as he tried not to disturb her position. She sat fully up to make sure he had enough room, causing him to give her a quick glance of gratitude. "How are you?"

       "I'm fine." She said. "You still have some explaining to do." His gaze fell. He knew that he couldn't expect her to forget forever, but he'd at least wondered if the injuries wouldn't stall her. It wasn't something he liked to remember. In fact, it would take all of his effort to even both recounting it. A light touch on his shoulder snapped him out of his quickly whirlpooling thoughts.

       "Are you... alright?" She asked, eyebrows furrowing as she watched him panic. Looking at the warmth of her gaze, she slight shaking of her body occasionally as she shifted in bed- he sighed in defeat. He wouldn't be able to writhe his way out of this.

       "Hyunjin. You weren't his first project as a guardian angel." He laughed a little. "I mean, I'm sure that's obvious, you've seen how a first-time guardian angel acts sometimes."

       "Okay... what does that have to do with Seungmin and Jeongin?"

       "Well, some angels watch more than one person, although it's difficult. Regardless, the only time when an angel gets a replacement human counterpart is when their previous one, well..."

       "Dies?"

       "Yes." He nodded. "Before he was assigned to you, Hyunjin's counterpart died."

       "I'm... sorry to hear that." She said, wanting to be respectful, but also not exactly sure where he was going with this little tangent.        

       "No one knows exactly how they died, but it was clear that it was a... supernatural event."

       "They were murdered by an angel." Minho said from behind them, clearly listening in. Changbin put a hand on his shoulder, as if to warn him to keep quiet and stay out of the conversation. Bang Chan winced at the comment.

       "I'm not familiar with the actual case, but Seungmin was convicted of the act. Jeongin was friends with him at the time, and insisted that he was innocent. He demanded to be thrown out of heaven as well, as was Seungmin's punishment. Still, to this day, he stays by his side religiously."

       "So... did he do it?" She asked. Bang Chan looked up.

       "Huh?"

       "Did Seungmin kill that person? And if he did, why?" Chan looked to the side, stuttering.

       "I- well, I- um-"

       "It's unknown." Changbin answered for him. "We're sorry."

       "Oh..." She said, a bit disappointed. It was always a struggle for her to figure out who to trust. Even now, she felt as if they were hiding something from her. "Um, where's Felix?" she asked, just noticing that he wasn't in the room with the rest of the angels.

       "He's handling the tracking of Seungmin and Jeongin." Bang Chan said. "They're dangerous."

       "I thought you just said you didn't know if they were dangerous?"

       "They kidnapped Hyunjin, you saw what they did to him." Minho argued. "That's dangerous enough."

       "We move out as soon as we find them." Bang Chan said with an air of finality. "Then this nonsense will finally be done."

Go to Chapter 20

[always5hineee]

Infallible- Chapter 18: Separation

Word count: 1628

Chapter warnings: Mild themes

-----

       "We don't have time for this right now, Y/N." Bang Chan said quickly, pushing her request to explain aside.

       "No! You're hiding something, I can tell!" They may have been angels, but this meant that they weren't used to dealing with humans, as well as their hyper-sensitivity to other people.

       "We need to focus on saving Hyunjin!" He demanded. You can throw your hissy-fit after!" She looked taken aback, even though it had been her suggestion to begin with. He had never spoken to her like that since they'd met, and despite it not having been long ago, she thought she knew his personality fairly well. Then again, watching his fight with the two rogue angels had shaken her opinion. Now he was treating her like a nuisance, and it didn't sit well with her.

       "We can bring him back to Y/N's house, like Jisung said. He's probably familiar with it, so it won't be shocking to him." Changbin suggested. It was surprising, coming from him, as up until this point he'd generally kept his opinion out of things, but maybe everyone was just full of surprises today. Plus, he was right, and Minho was the first to back him.

       "That's true, if he was her guardian angel, he'd obviously know the area." He looked over to the man lying on the floor, breath ever weakening.        

       "I'll open a gate." Bang Chan said, no room for questioning in his voice. The angels began to follow, Minho swinging his arms under her knees to carry her through. Eyes shut and another turn of her stomach later, she had appeared in her own apartment once again. They laid the injured angel down on her bed, staining the blanket, but she didn't complain. They had more important things to worry about.

       "Alright," Jisung started, towering over his body. "Now we have a choice to make," looking back at Bang Chan. "I can start by trying to heal him, or by disconnecting their souls."

       "Heal him," Bang Chan said quickly, no hesitation in his words.

       "Hold on, I didn't get a chance to explain." Jisung held up a hand, looking back down to his frame. "The longer we go without healing him, the more likely it is that he'll die. He can't heal himself. But... While he's weak, it will be far more difficult for his soul to fight me, meaning that if we want to separate him and Y/N, now is the best time."

       "We should do that, then." Changbin countered the archangel's initial order.

       "But he could die-"

       "He's in danger anyway if his soul is split up." They glared at each other, both waiting for the other to back down. Hyunjin had no way of making the decision for himself. Looking between Bang Chan, Changbin, Jisung, and Hyunjin, they didn't know what to do... She didn't know what to do. She couldn't feel in her heart what he'd want to do, mostly because his soul was bound to protect hers. It was hurting him. That was her deciding factor.

       "Separate our souls." She said curtly, looking at Jisung. He nodded once, gesturing for her to lay down on the bed next to him. There wasn't much room, but she could tell she'd be able to squish in.

       "H-Hold on, am I the only one who heard the part where he could die?" Minho cut in with an objection.

       "No, but if this works, he'll be stronger than if we healed him ourselves." Changbin argued.

       "Still, that's a really big if! And Y/N could die as well! Human souls are more fragile than-"

       "He can't keep getting himself hurt because of me!" Y/N snapped. "Jisung can do it. We'll be fine." She looked to the reaper. "Go ahead." They set up similar to last time, although Hyunjin was lying next to her. Jisung settled himself in a sitting position on top of her.        

       "Alright. I have to warn you, this is going to feel differently than last time." He said, looking at her, any trace of his usually combative nature lost in the wind.

       "How so?"

       "You'll be able to tell exactly where your soul is. You still may feel it in other parts of your body, but it's going to feel like something is caught in your throat. You need to try and go through the motions of breathing, even if it feels like you shouldn't be able to. I promise you, you're not suffocating, and there's nothing there." The boys in the background made a face at this, but she didn't bother to look over.

       "Okay."

       "And," he continued, "I'm going to take your soul out of your body. It's a little risky, but it's much easier than trying to untangle it while it's still inside you, we've learned that much from our last encounter." He breathed in sharply. "You're going to feel very, very cold, but it should only last a few seconds. Alright?" She nodded again. "Just let me know if you absolutely need me to stop." This was the first thing she didn't agree to.

       "No, don't stop, no matter what." She said to him.

       "But-"

       "No options. Even if I beg you to stop, you have to finish." He said nothing. "Han," she snapped her fingers in front of his face, forcing his attention back to her. "Promise me you won't stop, no matter what." He looked away again. "Han!"

       "Jisung is fine..."

       "Stop avoiding my question," she said, blatantly calling him out. "Come on. You know it's the right thing to do." He sighed. There really wasn't a way around her.

       "Fine. I promise."

       "Thank you." She said, relaxing back into the bed. Leaning towards her face, he pressed his hands to her collarbones, evenly on either side.

       "Are you sure you're ready?" He asked. She nodded, shutting her eyes, before remembering that he needed them open. She looked into his dark, piercing gaze, although she was soon to go blind from the sensation of her soul being ripped from her body. As he'd said, she could feel it moving from her chest, towards his hands. He dragged them up her throat, pulling the soul along with it, almost like a magnet through a wall. She barely remembered to breathe, and if not for his warning she probably wouldn't have.

       When she felt it escape the confines of her mouth, her body began to freeze, within a fraction of a second. Her limbs went numb, not unlike the feeling of falling asleep after having been lain on for hours at a time. Her eyes rolled back into her skull against her own will, completely unable to move. It was sharp, and although not necessarily painful, it was extremely uncomfortable, defying her nature.

       The other boys watched as Jisung held what appeared to be nothing in his hands, shaking as if it was too heavy to hold. His wings shot out from his shoulder blades, similarly as to when Hyunjin's soul had fought him the first time, although in this case it seemed as if it were his own will. His fingers clawed at the air, trying to pull apart the two souls, creating a considerable amount of energy in the room that they could all feel. It was as if he were untangling a pair of headphones, except for her couldn't afford the same flippant violence with a soul as one would have with such a cheap investment. Finally, he drew his hands to his mouth, biting into it and yanking back with the force of his whole upper body, straining, and then suddenly jerking backward, as if he'd broken free.

       Leaning back forward, and breathing considerably heavily, he gently pressed his lips to hers, breathing a long sigh into her mouth as her chest expanded, the warmth reentering her frame. Her skin returned to its vibrant color, eyes settling back to normal, limbs twitching with newly invigorated life. Then, taking what he still held in his hands, he lifted his fingertips to Hyunjin's mouth, pouring the soul back in.

       Both of the bodies on the bed were still passed out, but clearly unharmed. It would only take a few moments for Y/N to wake up, maybe a few more for Hyunjin. They were still unsure on the state of his health, but he was now safe to heal, and Bang Chan wasted no time moving to do so, holding his hands over the man's head and chest, eyes shut in concentration.

       "Why did you have to put your mouth all over hers?" Minho asked suspiciously, jabbing at Jisung as usual.

       "I had Hyunjin's soul in my hands, hers in my mouth." He said defensively. "I didn't want to risk getting them tangled up again, and the soul goes in and out through the throat the easiest. Excuse me for not considering your feelings before doing so- I didn't realize you had a crush on me." He continued, joking back with a wink. Minho looked utterly annoyed and confused by this, breathing out in exasperation and turning on his heel. Not even a few seconds later, Y/N coughed, rubbing her throat in pain and trying to sit up.

       "I-is it done?" She asked. Jisung lightly put a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back down as he removed himself from sitting atop her body.

       "It's over, it worked. You're alright." She smiled weakly.

       "G-good." She said, trying to sit up again.

       "You're probably still tired. You should get some rest." He said. "We'll fill you in later." She tried to protest, but the weight on her eyelids was heavier than she'd ever felt before. Against her own wishes, she found herself sinking into sleep once again.

Go to Chapter 19

[always5hineee]

Infallible- Chapter 17: Double Escape

Word count: 1380

Chapter warnings: None

-----

       "Where are we?" Felix asked, looking around suspiciously. The area they had travelled to was admittedly close to Y/N's home... He didn't see anything immediately that indicated this, but he could sense it. He had a weird feeling about anything to do with her. It had bothered him at first, but he had slowly grown to expect it, and even appreciate it as a calming consistency.

       The area they were standing in now felt dark. It was similar to the feeling he always had around her, but somehow darker. It wasn't inherently a bad place, if anything it was just a little run down. They had appeared on a concrete bridge, stained by years of aging, moss and plants growing up through the cracks. It was fairly secluded, but it looked out over the entire city. Even during the daytime, the flashing lights were blinking all over, causing his attention to flit around, searching for something he knew he'd never find.

       "It's pretty." Was all he managed to say, looking out over the scenery.

       "I know, and out of the way. That's why I picked it." Seungmin said, leaning against the side of the bridge as he tried to recover from their fight. Angels could normally heal themselves fairly well, but Seungmin and Jeongin's powers were evidently depleted. Jeongin quickly struggled off the ground and held his hand up to the bruises on his partner's wrists.

       "Here, let me do it." As he tried to reach, though, his legs gave out from underneath him and he tumbled back into the dirt.

       "Jeongin-" Seungmin said worriedly, moving to help him up, but nearly falling himself. With a sigh, watching them both, Felix knelt down.        

       "Neither of you are doing too well. I'll take care of it." Hovering his hand over Jeongin's body first, he healed him to the best of his abilities. The boy breathed out in relief, falling back against the concrete.

       "That's the best I've felt since falling out of the sky." He said with a half-laugh, the most emotion Felix had seen him display since they'd met on Earth. Seungmin groaned as Felix did the same for him, shivering as his wounds healed. His wings involuntarily fluttered out from his shoulderblades, sweeping upwards as he stretched them. Their color had whitened up a little since the last time he'd used them, likely due to Felix's help.

       "I'm surprised you can heal that well, being a soldier and all." Seungmin joked.

       "What's that supposed to mean?" Felix asked accusingly. "If anyone was going to need to know how to heal, it would be someone on the battlefield!"

       "I suppose you're right." He said with another deep breath. "So... now we need a plan."

       "You don't have a plan?" Felix groaned. "Why did I ever trust you to-"

       "Calm down." He rolled his eyes. "I told you the plan, get Hyunjin back so we can use him to get into heaven. Then you're home free."

       "What's to stop you from getting kicked out again?" He posed with annoyance. "Or me for helping you?" This was quickly beginning to seem like a very, very bad idea. He still had the chance to leave, turn them in.

       "Heaven is big. Really big. If I had known I was being targeted, I wouldn't have gotten caught." He explained. He obviously didn't intend to get caught a second time. "As for you, who says they'll even know you were involved?" Raising a hand, he continued, "Actually, that's one of our biggest advantages. If I were your little friends, I'd be assuming right now that Jeongin and Seungmin had escaped, taking Felix with them to keep him quiet and potentially have some bargaining power."

       Listening to that, Felix had to admit he was right. There was no doubt that his mismatched crew was thinking that he'd been kidnapped, already trying to find a way to get him back. While they wouldn't be able to track his soul, like they had with Hyunjin, they were much more aware of his energy, and may just be able to feel his movements. Not only that, but because of the condition of these two, he would likely have to take up most of the angelic duties.

       "Not only that," Jeongin added, "But we may be able to finally make an offensive move with you around."

       "What do you mean by that?"

       "Well, if the others think you've been kidnapped, they won't be suspicious of you." That was fair enough. "We can send you back in to set them up, bring them right to us." That sounded... awful to him, somehow. Was he really just going to turn on his friends, on Y/N like that? He was meant to be her protector...

       Wait, that was it, though. He needed to protect her. It wasn't Hyunjin's job anymore, he'd given that up. And now he just wanted to waltz back in, take it back from him? He didn't care what happened to her. He wasn't there for her for all that time. Felix was. It didn't matter what he was feeling in that moment, Felix knew that it was his duty to work it out. He wasn't sure why Seungmin and Jeongin had actually been removed from their home in the first place. Bang Chan knew, and he was pretty sure that a few others did as well, but as far as he could tell, these two weren't trying to hurt anyone, so what did it matter to him? Let them return. He'd never have to see them again. All that mattered was his hold on Y/N, his responsibility.

       "That makes sense." He said. "In that case, we'd want to do this as soon as possible. They think you're weak, even though I've obviously fixed you, so it would be suspicious for me to escape after an extended period of time."

       "I agree." Seungmin said. "But we need to agree on a date and location for a sort of ambush. If you could split them up and just make sure that Hyunjin got to us, that would be optimal, but it will happen fast enough that I think we can handle it."

       "You can't survive another fight, though, unless you run again. Then the plan is completely gone. We can't pull the same trick twice."

       "Well, then we just make sure it works the first time." Seungmin shrugged.

       "We should use this bridge as the meeting spot." Jeongin posed. "It's not the most ideal, but it needs to be a location that we're all familiar with, and going back to our original hideout throws too much suspicious on our connection to Felix."

       "That works for me." Felix said. When?"

       "Let's say... Exactly three days from now." Seungmin suggested. "That gives us enough time to prepare, and you can try and marinate the idea of splitting up in search for us. Maybe even find a way to suggest that you have an idea of where we are." Felix nodded.

       "Alright."

       "Good. Now go and 'escape'." Seungmin shoved him lightly, almost as if they were friends. Felix looked at them for a moment, eyes shifting between each, and then stepped through a gate back to their previous location. At this Seungmin took the opportunity to look to Jeongin, who was clearly burning to ask a question.

       "Why didn't we just use him instead?" Jeongin said with confusion. "He healed us, it would have been 2 to 1." Seungmin couldn't deny that he'd thought about it. Still, it wasn't right.

       "We're not trying to be any more awful than we have to. He did us a favor, and we owe him for that. Plus, Hyunjin is already incapacitated. It's less of a loss to only inflict the damage to him."

       "You told me you'd do anything to get back into heaven."

       "Yes, and I will. If it comes to that. But if we can afford to be decent, I'd like to keep it that way." Jeongin said nothing, simply turning to look out over the city. They had three days to plan their crowning jewel, the plot that would finally bring them home. They could only hope it would work, not wanting to think about what would happen should it fail...

Go to Chapter 18

[always5hineee]

Hell and Back- Chapter 44: Epilogue (Final)

Word count: 928

Chapter warnings: None

-----

       "Ugh, this is so boring." Kris whined from his seat on the couch, pulling one headphone out of his ear.

       "No, it's not!" Suho said, shoving him lightly on the arm. "You're doing really well, I know we'll have a hit soon. You're the best musician I've ever met."

       "Says you." The man laughed in return.

       "Let's not forget, I'm sitting right here." Lay joked from his seat on the carpet. Everyone was gathered in the studio for one of their usual practice sessions. Honestly, they hardly ever did much practicing. They mostly wrote their own music, or messed around singing stupid songs on the equipment. They sat and talked, fantasizing about the day they would make it big.

       "Do you guys ever feel like something's missing?" Kai asked, looking up at the crappy popcorn ceiling showing through the cracks of the foam they'd put up.

       "Yeah, your brain cells." Chen snickered.

       "Shut up! I mean with the group. I don't know..."

       "You're overthinking it." Sehun sighed. "You don't have to be so philosophical all the time."

       "Maybe you're hungry." Luhan suggested.

       "That's always you." Kyungsoo reminded him.

       "No way, it's you!"

       "Should we actually play something today?" Chanyeol asked, looking them over. "I've heard that we might get to play at a few of those open air restaurants we applied to a few months ago once summer hits, it could be good to refresh our set, you know?"

       "Ah, my arm hurts." Xiumin complained. "I don't want to."

       "We're never gonna get any better with that attitude!" Suho chastised him, before noticing a buzzing from underneath him. "Oh, hold on," Pulling it out, he saw that it was indeed his phone ringing.

       "Who's it from?" Tao asked, head tilting.

       "Secret girlfriend?" Baekhyun suggested, wiggling his eyebrows and earning laughs from several of the other boys.

       "Shh!" Suho said as he went to hit the button. "I don't know, so behave!" Taking a few steps into an empty portion of the room, he held the phone to his ear, covering the other with his hand. "Hello?.... Yes, this is him." They all waited in anticipation. After a few hums of understanding, they heard him say, "Oh, you already have my email? Just send it there then. Yes? Yes. Of course, thank you." He pulled the device away from his face, clicking to make sure it was off and sliding it back into his pocket. He turned around, faced with 11 staring men.

       "So?" Chen asked. "Who was it?"

       "You're not gonna believe me." Suho laughed, looking over them.

       "Stop messing around!" Lay complained. "Who was it!"

       "It could have been my mother for all you-"

       "Suho!" Baekhyun shouted. "It sounded important!"

       "It was an agent from SM Entertainment." He said, smiling softly.

       "Woah, like... the SM Entertainment? Who does all the groups and stuff?" Sehun asked with wide eyes.

       "No, the other one." Xiumin rolled his eyes, hitting him lightly on the back of the head.

       "And what did they say?" Kyungsoo pressed, looking for any signs of the call in the man's face.

       "They... want us to come talk to them. All of us. About signing a contract. As a boy group." Suho finished. There was a moment of silence, before the room broke out into cheers.

       "We're gonna be a real band!" Baekhyun shouted, trying (and failing) to pick up Kris in joy.

       "It's like a wish come true!" Kai agreed, smiling much wider than he normally did, none of them concerned with looking cool.

       Y/N watched from the side of the room. She knew they couldn't see her. It wasn't her first time seeing one of them in passing. She'd seen Kai's wife, although she didn't really approve. She saw Kris move on to create music on his own, something she'd always known he'd be good at. She saw Sehun fall in his own bedroom once, that was funny. She even saw them as kids, experiencing moments that she had been there for... Except she wasn't there anymore. It was clear that they didn't remember her. She'd even seen this moment a few times before. She knew that the man from before had placed them in her path on purpose, although she wasn't sure how. His identity still remained a mystery to her.

       She wasn't sure how long she'd been stuck flitting about, and she knew it wasn't going to end anytime soon. When one is immortal, though, the years seem shorter and shorter in passing. Until time collapsed in on itself, somehow, she'd be there. And even then, she wasn't sure if she'd persist. Although, maybe she'd get to meet the man again. She was beginning to realize how he'd felt... bored. She tried to find entertainment in passing, in watching others, but it all went by so fast, it wasn't worth getting invested. Things were born, and then they died. She was abnormal in that regard. To come from nothing and then also not return to nothing felt unnatural. Maybe she would be nothing one day. But for now, she was content to see the smiles on their faces.

       She wanted to reach out and touch them, to let them know that she was there, that she still loved them, but in the blink of an eye, they were gone, and she was in a fourteenth century style French palace, a purple robed man in place of her friends. Sighing, she leaned back. It wasn't unusual. Still, she'd see them again. She just hoped they weren't having too much fun without her.

[always5hineee]

Hell and Back- Chapter 43: All is Fair in Love and Rewards

Word count: 2299

Chapter warnings: Mild language, themes

-----

       "Ah, whatever, a deal's a deal, I guess. I don't like breaking the rules." The man shrugged. "Anyway, I gave you your wish, you can go. Bye!" The man waved. Baekhyun looked to her, then they both looked back to him.

       "What?"

       "I said, Goodbye. Shoo. Thanks for playing. Get out of my building." He waved a hand.

       "That's not how this works, you bastard-"

       "Look," the man shrugged. "I'm sorry if you have a problem with it. In all honestly, I found it rather ironically redundant as well. That's part of the reason I picked it. Still, as I said just a second ago, a deal is a deal."

       "We didn't even get to make the wish." Baekhyun said in anger, causing her to cringe. "You can't just assume you know what we want?" At this, the man's face seemed to light up.

       "Oh, I see." Smiling ear to ear, he faced her with a strangely terrifying stare. "Little missy hasn't told you what's going on, has she?" She didn't say anything. "I supposed that makes sense, you never would have helped her otherwise..." Baekhyun's eyes slowly shifted from the robed man to her face, although she didn't make eye contact with him. She didn't want to see his face.

       "Y/N?" She could feel the stare over her body, stabbing her in a thousand tiny pinpricks. "What's he talking about? Do you know something?"        

       "Let me tell you something, Baekhyun." The man said, leaning backwards nonchalantly. "There's a lot of mystery to this little game. I made it that way on purpose. I have abilities you could never hope to understand, mans and sources beyond your reach. That's how I do everything I do. Take your powers at my will, reward the wishes, etcetera. Of course, this means I can basically have whatever I want, whenever I want, which isn't any fun, now is it? That's why I'm playing this game. It will be entertaining for quite some time, as there are others desperate enough to play."

       "I don't see your point." He snarled, attention now completely diverted from her.

       "See, now that you know there's a person behind all this, I'm sure you've realized that there are no mistakes, it's not an automated system. At least, not to the extent to which you were thinking." Pausing, he rolled his hips in a dramatic turn.

       "Y/N, dearest, on which trials were you selected to have your powers removed?" She forced herself to think back. The first set was... the time trials, at least as far as Tao had told her. There were a few scattered about after that, but... "Ones where your life was in danger." The man finished for her, seeing the gears turning in her mind. "You see, while Lay and Tao did pose somewhat of a problem to my fun, you... you were the worst. Of course, I later decided that it would be all the more torturous if you lived, but still..."

       "This doesn't make sense. Why would you restrict her? She has no powers." Walking over to him and tapping the side of his head a little more than lightly, the man laughed.        

       "You're not getting it, Baekhyun. She does have a power. She's just never known, because she's never had to use it. Although, in my experience, it's not exactly a nice one." Looking down at her hands, she realized what he was insinuating. It couldn't be true, it didn't make sense, and yet... Everything lined up.

       "Am I...?"

       "Yes, ma'am! You're immortal. Tragic, really, seeing all the trouble you went through to get this wish."

       "How is that a shame?" Baekhyun asked. "This is good." Snickering, the man lifted a hand to his mouth.        

       "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh. It's rude." Letting another chuckle fall from his lips, he said, "I almost never want to tell you, watching you sit there with your puppy-dog eyes is just so funny."

       "Y/N, what's going on-"

       "Do you want to tell him?" The man asked, "Or should I? I mean, you have the honors if-"

       "Please don't." She whispered under her breath.

       "Me it is then!" The man spun again. His movements were just as animated as they had been before as he showed no signs of growing bored with the two of them. "You see, while I'm powerful, I have limits. So I always want to check before I promise someone something to make absolutely sure that I can fulfill my end of the bargain." Leaning in with a soft smile, he muttered, "Which is why I require the wishes to be made before the game begins."

       His eyes widened as he realized the gravity of that one, tiny statement. He stood frozen, mind reeling back to the day Y/N had told them about the trials.

       "So basically, I can have up to fifteen people. And I figured you guys might want to help me out a bit?"

       "So you can wish for anything?" Sehun asked, leaning forward with an intrigued glint in his eyes.

       "I mean... yeah, it said that."

       "We could totally wish to be rich, then." Kris suggested.

       "Or famous!" Chanyeol added.

       "Guys." Suho held his hands out, quieting their overlapping suggestions. "We could get the band." The whole group went into what almost looked like a frenzy, Y/N watching it with a glossy stare. She hadn't mentioned yet that she'd already made her wish. She just needed their help.

       "This sounds awesome!" Tao cheered above the chatter, pumping a fist in a strange little dance. His and all the others' eyes were bright with excitement and hope, glittering with the promise of a better future. She didn't doubt that it was exactly the look that was on her face walking down the street the night before.

       He turned to her, eyes watering, even though he barely had anything left to cry after everything they'd been through. Everything they'd been through for her. For the group. Only to find out that she'd been playing them the whole time.

       "He's lying, right, Y/N?" He asked. She said nothing as her head hung. "Tell me he's lying." Still nothing. He ran on the bridge connecting the platforms, running to her and grabbing her by the shoulders shaking her violently. "Please tell me he's lying to fuck with us!"

       "He's not lying." She whispered as she felt water slide down her own cheeks.

       "H... what?"

       "He's not lying, Baekhyun!" She sobbed, trying to grab his arms to cry into his shoulder, but he backed up from her frantically, as if her skin was burning to the touch.

       "You... you lied to us?"

       "I- I saw how excited you all were, a-and I needed help, I couldn't bring myself to say that-"

       "So you decided to lead everyone to their deaths?" He said, completely breaking down now. "And for what? What did you even wish for?"

       "There's the irony I was talking about." The man said, lowering his voice to add to Baekhyun's declining disposition. "She wished for powers." Adjusting his robes, he continued, "Of course, even I can't manifest that kind of thing out of nowhere, so I had to... borrow them. But, if Y/N's so greedy for more abilities, I think she'll find this solution rather satisfactory." Looking to her, he explained,

       "You've been given the abilities of the fallen. Of course, this means you won't have light powers, since Baekhyun here has by some miracle managed to survive. If anything, killing them did you a favor!"

       "I-" She stared down at her hands, horrified. "I have... everyone's powers?"

       "Yes!" He said cheerfully. "So, that would be... Tao's time powers-"

       "T-Tao is dead?!" She asked, crying beginning to make it hard to see.

       "Well, not technically. He got himself stuck in a time loop trying to save you from that train. To be fair, your life wasin danger at the time. He knew the risks when he did it, though. Anyway, I was still able to retrieve his abilities for you, as they're basically useless to him now." Counting on his fingers, he continued, "So, in order, next was-"

       "Suho." Baekhyun snarled under his breath.

       "Yes, thank you. Suho's water abilities, electricity from Chen, healing from Lay, telekinesis from Luhan-"

       "Luhan?" She asked, pulling herself up again. "He dropped out, what the fuck did you do to him?!" Putting his hands up in mock surrender, the man urged her to calm down.

       "I didn't do anything to him. Do you remember his dropout penalty?" She looked down, and then to Baekhyun, who was refusing to interact with her. Sensing her inability, the man said, "That's alright. It was failure." Thinking back, she did recall that. It was confusing to say the least, and in asking the app, it gave them a snide response which she now realized must have been this man typing back.

       "What does that even mean?"

       "Well, after returning home from his little fear factor fit, he suddenly found that he'd been fired from his job. Unfortunate, really, but he was hopeful in your ability to win the wish, so he wasn't too worried about it. But then, he couldn't find another job. The rent was due soon, and none of you were around to pay it. He tried to get help, and failed. Things started piling up. It's surprising how shitty things can get in just a few weeks." The man said with a chuckle. "Soon, he had himself convinced that you all had won, and just decided that he didn't deserve to participate because of his performance."

       "Oh, Luhan..." She muttered. She'd never want him to go through any of that. If he'd stayed... but that still didn't explain how he'd managed to get ahold of the man's telekinesis abilities.

       "Well, I mean, his item was a gun, so," And, with an unachievable lack of decorum or politeness, the man made the motion of blowing his own head off with a finger gun. "Which left Chanyeol and Kai, who gave you fire and teleportation, and then Kyungsoo and Sehun, who provide earth and wind, Xiumin with his ever-popular ice abilities, and then finally Kris and his flight." Shrugging, the man said, "All in all, this turned out well for you. You're powerful, immortal, and you don't have to worry about the people who would have been mad at you about it. It almost makes me think that you planned it this way." Before she could say anything, she saw Baekhun rise to his feet.

       "Baekhyun?" She said, watching as he turned around. "Baekhyun!" He still didn't answer. "You're just gonna let him leave?" She asked the robed man, expecting him to help her. He gave her a strange look.

       "Why shouldn't I? The game's over. He can say whatever he wants to the police, but he'll just get committed for it. I don't plan on sticking around."

       "But- I-" Groaning, she pulled herself up, running after him and grabbing his elbow, almost identically to how she'd handled Sehun. Shoving her off, he sent her sprawling to the ground, looking up at him with a hurt expression on her face.

       "Don't fucking touch me." He said in a terrifyingly quiet, humorless tone. It was like he was a completely different person. "Don't ever come near me again. If I see your face, you'll be lucky if I pretend you don't exist. I would honestly throw you over the edge right now if I didn't know you'd survive."

       "B-Baekhyun," She begged, "Come on, man, I made a mistake, I'm sorry-"

       "Sorry isn't good enough!" He yelled, turning to her, his face a complete mess. "Sorry doesn't justify you killing my best friends! Sorry doesn't bring back the man who cared for all of us out of a fucking woodchipper, Y/N, sorry doesn't un-betray Kai after he died trying to save you. Sorry doesn't make Xiumin's death worth anything. I wish you'd died in the game so we could have at least done what we were planning to do!" Holding a hand to his head, he laughed shakily.

       "Oh, God. All of us were banking on the fact that we could bring everyone back with that wish. But you knew." He looked at her. "You knew we were all fucking dying for real. How did you live with yourself? How did you sleep at night?" Shaking his head, he accused, "You're a psychopath. You must be really good at pretending to be a human being. Is that what it's been, all these years? Have you been pretending in case you needed something? I'll bet you knew you were immortal. You could be a thousand years old by now."

       "No, Baekhyun-" She begged him. "I can still fix it, if I have Tao's time abilities, I can reverse it, I can save everyone."

       "I don't know about that one, little lady." The man said from behind her. "That's a big jump. What happened to Tao? That would most definitely happen to you. It's not easy, manipulating the flow of things. Of course, I couldn't care less, as I'd be exempt, but... Are you sure you'd be willing to do that?"

       "Would it bring everyone back?"

       "Brand new." She turned to Baekhyun.

       "I guess this might be goodbye."

       "Hell if I care." He snarled, not even turning to face her. "Serves you right, you stupid bitch." She tried to smile as she convinced herself it would be the right thing. It had to be.

       "For what it's worth, I really am sorry." She said. He didn't respond, and most definitely didn't accept her apology. Breathing in deeply, she turned to the robed man. "If that's the case... I want to make a new deal."

Go to Chapter 44

[always5hineee]

Hell and Back- Chapter 42: Game Master (Trials 90-100)

Word count: 2403

Chapter warnings: Mild language, themes

-----

       Their next trial was exactly the same. All that happened was the number switched from 89 to 90. It honestly had her wondering if there ever really were trials where they had earned skips, or if the game simply knew who it intended to die. She was questioning the power behind it. It was already strange that they'd be able to give her, as they'd stated, whatever she wanted. She remembered that offer.

      You have been given the opportunity to make a wish. The wish can be anything, quite literally. Do not underestimate our capabilities by making a trivial request. If we so choose, you may be invited to earn this wish. You are under no obligation should your wish be selected. You may only wish once.

       It was ridiculous. It was so ridiculous, she had chosen to partake. At the time, it seemed like a blessing. Now it was a living nightmare, one she wasn't quite sure she'd be able to fix. She had yet to tell anyone of her deception regarding the wish as well. Before, she'd figured that they'd be supportive, but... now that people were dead? The likelihood decreased with every carcass. Even if they were going to forgive her, would there be anyone left to do so by the end? They were in the final stretch now, but her hope was draining.

       It took them nearly a two full days to find the room they were meant to come upon. In walking through the doors, they first found similar rooms, then mazes like they had previously, (although this time, they were sans Kris's fireworks to see them through). Not only that, but Kris's leg was barely functional. He tried to reassure them that he could handle it, but putting stress on him wouldn't help anyone. They would take turns helping him along as he leaned on them. They would have carried him, but he would have found it humiliating, not to mention his weight being a significant factor.

       They ran out of diet supplementary pulls by the end of the first day. Of course, they didn't know if it was actually night or not, but they did know when they became too tired to continue on. No one knew how long they slept, and no one said much. Kris tried to make his usual shitty jokes, but they honestly just came off as mean, so he cut it out. The same happened with Baekhyun's goofy attitude- he was finding it harder and harder. to even bother smiling at this point. Xiumin continued making them ice cubes as they walked. It wasn't the most hydrating, but it was better than the alternative.

       When they finally found the room, it was like discovering Atlantis. It wasn't that there was anything particularly comforting about it, but it meant the end of their trek through this decrepit nightmare of epic proportions, a chance to finally finish this. 2 days was the longest they'd spent on any trial, and it was fantastic to be out of it.

       When they arrived, it looked to be just a gigantic room, bigger than the vat room, with barely anything in it. The black tiled floor stretched for what could have been a half a mile, with a raised platform and stairs descending from it in the center. Walking in, she looked around in awe. There were no pathways, doors, anything besides the structure and the floor beneath her. Venturing out into the room, the other boys looked around as well, but didn't seem to draw attention to anything unusual.

       Out of nowhere, the floor dropped from around them, almost like a shitty video game graphic. Tiles sank into a deep black pit, down which none of them could see anything. It left them separated, spread lightly around the room. They were close enough that they could hear each other, but not so they could jump to each others... what seemed to be pillars of sorts? She looked back to the door, searching for any way out of this, uncertain of checking her phone.

       "Boo!" A voice said suddenly from behind them, causing them all to spin. Standing above them on a platform, attacked to stairs and a runway, was a hooded figure. He was backlit by the room, and his robes hung around him in droves. "It's so nice to finally meet you!" He said like a young fan, obviously cheery. He lifted his hands, slender fingers peeking out from under the sleeves, to remove his hood, pulling the crease of the robe behind him so his legs were more free.

       He wasn't anyone that Y/N could ever recall seeing before. He was surprisingly young, and of similar height to Baekhyun, although clearly younger. His hair was dark and fell in soft waves over his face, nearly concealing the strange glint in his eyes. His jawline was strong, but subtle enough as it curved his face, smooth skin stretching over the expanse of the portion of his body that was revealed. Although he was technically still wearing the robe, with the hood pulled down and the folds pushed back behind him, she saw that he was dressed fairly casually in actuality, maybe even more stylishly than average.

       "Who are you?" Kris growled, confirming her suspicions that this was not someone familiar to them.

       "It's none of your business." The man said with a shrug, nonchalantly walking down the stairs from his own platform onto the runway that ran through all of theirs. "I've had such a fantastic time watching you." His lips plumping into a pout, he said, "I was hoping that last little trial would have taken more of you out. It seems like I'm going to have to settle for Xiumin."

       "Xiumin?" Baekhyun demanded, still defensive, "What's wrong with him?"

       "Oh, nothing technically. It won't be much longer now, though." The man laughed. Xiumin had seemed weaker, but they'd thought nothing of it... Thinking back to Lay, though, that was naive. Was it a similar situation? Was he sick? Seeing the glance of confusion on her face, the man held out his arms as if offering them a generous gift. "What? If you're that clueless, I suppose I'll explain. Unless...?" He asked, looking to the man in question, as if offering for him to explain on his own. He simply looked to the ground.

       "Alright, then! You see, Xiumin's power relies on drawing water from his environment to crystallize into ice. Of course, in light of this, I had to make absolutely certain there was none of that to be had. Of course, I didn't plan on giving you water once you got in here anyway, so it wasn't too difficult. That left him with only a few options once you idiots started demanding it from him. Take it from the air, which- I'm not even certain the random hydrogens and oxygens would have been enough, and even if they were, he could risk suffocating everyone in the process. He could take it from you, which would have defeated the purpose, or..." She looked to him as she realized, the man finishing her thought.

       "He can get it from himself."

       "Xiumin," she muttered, looking at his frame. With the context available, she began seeing gate specific indications. His cheeks were no longer soft and rounded as they had been, but now sinking just slightly into his face. His lips were cracked and he seemed tired.

       "Honestly, I'm surprised he's managed to hang on for this long," The man said with a congratulatory tone. "The same really goes for all of you. You're actually my first test run of this little game! I was a bit worried when you came in with such a diverse set of powers. I had to plan the challenges very meticulously. I was mostly worried about Tao and Lay, but they honestly dealt with themselves! It was hilarious to-"

       "Shut up! You don't get to talk about them like that." Kris seethed, glaring daggers into the man's body. He couldn't do anything, though.

       "I 'get' to talk about you however I want." He stuck a tongue out childishly. "It's my game, after all. And I'm being generous! Is this so much to ask for one little wish? A wish for anything you could truly ever want?"

       "Yes." He spat. "It is." Shrugging, the man posed,

       "And yet you're still here. Which brings me to your last trials." He spun on his heel, gesturing outwards. "Welcome to the final room! Designed it myself. Technically, you have ten trials left to complete, nine when your pipsqueak over there kicks the bucket.  Of course, I've realized that I've had to make this incredibly difficult for you all thus far, and as I said, you're a test run, so I'm willing to tweak the rules. So! I'll make you an offer." As he said this, a watch that she only just noticed he had on his wrist beeped quietly.

       "Oh! Speak of the devil, fatality skip!" Pressing something, she felt her phone buzz, and sure enough, there was the notification.

       Fatality skip: Trial 91

       "Xiumin!" She shouted, looking over to him desperately. He was laying down on his own platform, not moving at all.

       "That won't help you now, sweetheart." He said, walking on air over to Xiumin's platform. Was that his ability? Did he have more than one? He was outside of her realm of understanding to say the least. She watched helplessly as he removed the man's body from the platform by pushing it with his shoe, as if relocating a dead rat on the driveway. He did so with the same disgusted flick of his heel, turning away as his corpse fell into the abyss.

       "What the fuck is wrong with you?" She asked with tears now coursing down her face.

       "Wrong? I'm doing you a favor, don't you forget!" He said looking at her like a consumer upset with their product. "Which brings me to my, as I said, generous offer. I'd like to just give you your prize now, but that's no fun, and I'm curious." Grinning ear to ear, he asked, "Just how good of friends are you, really?"

       "What's that supposed to mean?" Kris growled.

       "Ah, ah, calm down, I was getting there." Sitting down cross-legged on the runway, he held up a hand. "You," he pointed to Kris, "And you." He pointed to Baekhyun. "First one to fall off of the platform dies, obviously. Once one of you goes, I'll reward the wish. Or, we can all sit here and wait to see which one of you starves to death first."

       "Why not me?" Y/N asked, looking at him helplessly. "Let me do it!" Pouting again, he shook his head.

       "That's no good. You're player one! The crown jewel! The wish maker! I can't have you dying on me, yeah?" Waving his arm, he dismissed her, "You just sit tight. I want to see who's going to push who in." Kris and Baekhyun locked eyes. Their platforms connected via tiled bridges, similar in material as to the floor when they'd first entered. They both walked down their pathways to meet in the center at a common pillar. The man in the robe watched intently as they looked to each other. Kris clearly had the advantage in height and weight class, but Baekhyun may be able to get an edge with agility and size. It was anyone's guess.

       "I'll go." Kris said with a sigh.

       "No! You can't do that!"

       "Baek, I'm hurt. If he were to do anything else, I wouldn't be of any use to you."

       "You can't die, Kris! We've made it this far, maybe we can-"

       "You know we can't do anything to this maniac!" Kris shoved him lightly in insistence. "I want nothing more than to crush his stupid fucking skull, I know. But you've seen what he can do, and he's clearly deranged. We'll never win, especially not on his terms and in this state."

       "But..."

       "You think I want to die?" Kris laughed, shaking. "I've been trying to keep this from happening the whole damn time. Hell, I almost died getting here. So did you."

       "Let me go. You'll take better care of Y/N. You're betraying he by leaving, and everyone who..." he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

       "I just told you, I'm doing it, no questions." Kris shifted his weight off his bad leg. "It'll be okay, man, I promise." Puling Baekhyun into a hug, something she'd rarely ever seen him do in their entire time of knowing each other, he said, "Now get our wish and bring everyone back, okay?" Baekhyun nodded as tears fell down his face, causing his eyes to grow red. "Hey, don't cry on me. You'e always been such a baby." Lightly punching him in the arm as he sniffled, Baekhyun argued,

       "You're literally crying, I don't wanna hear it." Kris pulled away from him, looking to Y/N and giving her a nod.

       "Don't let this piece of shit win, okay?" He asked. She didn't know what to do, watching in awe as she gave a slight nod.

       "Wait." Baekhyun said after he turned, holding out something. Looking down, Kris saw that it was the little stuffed animal he had taken as his item. They'd never needed it, but... somehow, in this moment, he was glad to have it.

       "Thank you." He laughed looking at it and putting it in his pocket. Then, limping to the edge in only a couple steps on his bad leg, he paused. He wanted to turn around, to say goodbye again, but it wasn't going to get any easier. Taking in a deep breath he looked downwards, to where there was seemingly no end. Then, as he exhaled, he stepped off, not making a sound.

       The man immediately began talking over Baekhyun's quiet crying and her choked noises of dread and incomprehensibility.

       "Ugh, that was so boring, I thought you two were at least going to fight each other. Baekhyun! What if he had pushed you off the edge, hmm? What if it had been a trap?"

       "I wanted to go, anyway." The boy muttered.

       "Ah, whatever, a deal's a deal, I guess. I don't like breaking the rules." The man shrugged. "Anyway, I gave you your wish, you can go. Bye!"

Go to Chapter 43

[always5hineee]

Hell and Back- Chapter 41: Turn In (Trials 88-89)

Word count: 1445

Chapter warnings: Mild language, themes

-----

       "How did Kris make it out alive?" Kyungsoo asked Xiumin under his breath as Y/N and the man in question both sat, now silently on the ground.

       "The key was in his leg. What happened to Kai?"

       "It- It was in his abdomen. He wanted us to kill him first, but... we thought he could make it, but we didn't have the medical training to be sure. We..." Even someone as controlled as Kyungsoo was having trouble. "We perforated his stomach on accident." It was most definitely painful- if they had cut his stomach open, the acid from must have spilled out and corroded his other organs. He didn't want to ask who was the one to do it, but he felt like he knew. "What about you? What happened to your arm?"

       "Oh, the second trial. What was yours?"

       "Strangely fine, actually." Kyungsoo shrugged. "There was this panel that opened up to a glass box with an open face. There was some sort of weird meat or something in it. One of us just had to eat it- I let Sehun do it because honestly, he hasn't shut up about being starving since we started. He said it was kinda tough, but he still managed. I think he actually took two bites of..." As Kyungsoo was explaining their trial, he saw Xiumin's eyes widen and mouth fall open as he unintentionally brushed a hand over the shirt wrapping his arm.

       "Uh, what's the matter?" Kyungsoo asked, looking to the side awkwardly. Looking to him, then jerking his head back to his arm, he unwrapped it- he had never really looked at the wound. Pulling the fabric away from the still sticky blood, he saw the streaking tracks in his flesh, coursing inwards where the wound deepened. Horrified, he looked over to Sehun, who was also staring in shock. It was so quiet, if someone had dropped a feather, everyone would have heard it. Then, as they all sat frozen, Sehun threw up on the ground, hands over his stomach. There was barely enough water in his system to do so, Xiumin frantically trying to summon up ice for him to drink.

       "I can't do this anymore!" Sehun started crying as he lay down on the ground, Xiumin still trying to help him get a hold on himself. "This is insane, there are only six of us left, I can't keep watching people die, I don't want to be treated like some kind of toy by this stupid fucking game!"

       "Sehun, you have to calm down-"

       "No! I want to leave." He was curled up into a ball, crying into his knees as Xiumin tried to help him. "I want to go home..."

       "You can't drop out now," Kyungsoo reminded him, rather unhelpfully, "This set of trials just ended, we have no idea what the penalty will be. Even then, the last one was literally a limb, how much worse can-"

       "I don't care!" He was screaming, repeating it over and over, "I don't care, I don't care..." Kyungsoo was right, though. Even in looking down at her phone, she saw the new text, always so unusually cheery and blank for the circumstances.

       Congratulations! You have completed the Unit Trials. Welcome to Round 8, the Sacrificial Trials! Round 8 will consist of 14 trials completed based on the directions. If a player drops out, the trial will be null for that players and they will pay the dropout penalty fee.  Round 8 will end after trial 100. The reward will be given after trial 100.

       Nowhere in the round description did it give them even a semblance of the dropout fee, as per usual. He didn't seem to care though, batting Xiumin's hand away as he tried to scramble to his feet, basically covered in his own sickness.

       "I'm dropping out- I can't- I can't-" He scrambled to find his phone. With Y/N and Kris basically in shock, as well as Kyungsoo's general attitude and approach to things like this, Xiumin was basically the only one who was able to still try and talk him out of it, and he was growing less and less effective by the second. He even tried pulling the boy's phone away from him, but he was adamant, entering the app to press the drop out button. Xiumin has previously been under the impression that only Player 1 could allow someone to drop out, but that was obviously not the case as his nameplate faded from colored to grey. Sighing in relief, he tried to wipe the mess of salt, mucus, and blood off his face, leaning back and breathing heavily.

       Not even a second later, Kyungsoo fell to the ground behind them. Spinning around XIumin ran to his side, trying to figure out what was wrong.

       "Kyungsoo! Hey! What's happening?!" His tongue hung out of his mouth as he tried to breathe, pointing to his throat, even Y/N and Kris watching at this point. It was as if he was choking on nothing, lungs heaving and yet drawing nothing in as his chest spasmed out of control. It wasn't even minutes before he slumped over, unmoving.

       "Kyungsoo! Get up!" Xiumin was shaking his body. At this point, Kris tried to limp over by sliding on the ground with his one good leg.

       "We have to figure out what's happening, if he can't breathe he'll completely die within ten minutes." Xiumin tried to snap himself out of his blind shaking of the man beneath him to actually figure out the issue. They opened Kyungsoo's mouth, and Kris even reached in, but there was nothing blocking his throat. Xiumin pushed on his lungs, on his heart, but still nothing. They sat there, trying and trying, not even stopping once Kris's warning of ten minutes had passed. They couldn't just leave him there. Baekhyun was busy trying to get Y/N up, trying to get her to help, or at least make sure she was okay, but she was still flitting in and out of reality. She only was able to focus her eyes on her own phone when she heard a repetitive, familiar ringing reach her ears.

       Fatality Skip: Trial 88

       Xiumin buried his face in Kyungsoo's chest, practically beating on the man's limp frame as his shoulders shook. Kris sat back, exhausted and leg clearly still in pain, just watching helplessly.

       "What the fuck was that?" Sehun whimpered. "T-this is why I wanted to leave, this isn't fair, it's just awful, it's..." As he said this, she clicked the button. There was no point in waiting now. They had spent so much time discussing and arguing and grieving just to move on as usual, so she may as well try and find out what happened. As soon as the notification was gone, she'd have the ability to use the search bar again. Maybe there were answers there.

       Trial 89: Find the final room.

       Limited power: Kris

       Drop-out Fee: Xiumin

       "So that's what happened." She muttered under her breath.

       "What? What happened?" Sehun asked, earning himself a glare from Kris.

       "Weren't you going somewhere?" Ignoring his snide comment, they all sat waiting expectantly for her to provide them the answers. Swallowing away her nerves, she explained quietly,

       "The dropout penalties for the sacrificial trials..." She glanced at Kyungsoo. "They're other players." Sehun's eyes widened as he stepped backwards. Without saying anything, he turned around, agonizingly slowly. She watched as he took a few small steps towards the door.

       "Sehun," She started to say, getting up and chasing after him to grab his elbow. He turned to face her, eyes still wide, but mouth shut and features unwavering, almost as if he were looking through her. "Sehun, hey, it's not your fault, you didn't know."

       "Let go, Y/N."

       "No, you don't-"

       "I already dropped out. There's nothing I can do. You'll be fine." He gently pulled his arm away from her as he walked through the door. They hadn't been able to escape before, but something told her the game would let him go. Those were the rules, after all. As he faded from her view, she muttered,

       "Be safe." She returned to the group, looking down at her phone, desperate to get out of the same room as Kyungsoo's body. She picked up the pills out of his pocket, skin still warm against the fabric of his pants, making her sick to her stomach. She turned away, looking at her phone. Their next trial was to find this 'final room'. That is, it was, until her view was obstructed by the new notification.

       Fatality skip: Trial 89

Go to Chapter 42

[always5hineee]

AHHHHHHH yea im actually hella curious as to why seungmin was thrown out...was he og a guardian angel as well? and he failed to protect his?

You’ll find out soon! The EXO story will hopefully be finished tonight, that way I can put my focus back into Stray Kids and maybe start something new :) Until then, you’ll just have to speculate about Seungmin...