Mortal Masks

Chapter Twenty Two

"He's shaking, someone help!"

Immediately Jaemin was on his knees in front of Renjun, stripping off his own winter reinforcements and placing his jacket upon Renjun.

He was like ice to touch.

"Renjun? Renjun, can you hear me? Are you okay? Can you get up?" Jaemin rests his hands gently upon Renjun's side, rocking the boy to face him as he lies on his side, visibly shaking from the winter air that has frozen his limbs.

Jaemin brushed the crystallised leaves off his friend, tugging him up so that Renjun was in a seated position, leaning into Jaemin's body.

"You're going to be okay..." He whispers, calling for his friends once more, "Guys, hurry!"

It was but a second later, that his friends broke through the entrance to the glade, and with their wide-eyes fixed upon Jaemin and the boy, they were quick to offer their own assistance.

"You're okay..." Donghyuck soothes as he joins Jaemin's side, his own hands shaking from the tremors of pain pulsing through his body, as he places his hands upon Renjun's upper arm.

"Where does it hurt? What happened?" He asks, concern strong in his voice as he's already closing his eyes, not giving Renjun a moment to respond. Even under so much distress, Donghyuck's eyebrows furrow, focusing solely on the boy before him, as he tries to take away Renjun's pain, even though he knows it will add to his own, "You're going to be okay"

"What are you doing out here?" Mark asks, kneeling next to Donghyuck, his hand placed on the small of the messenger's back, offering what support and assistance he can.

"Is there anything else out here?" Sungchan asks, his eyes searching the trees surrounding them, eyes narrowed, ready for a threat of any sort.

Renjun just shivers in response, wincing in pain as he draws in sharp and shallow breathes.

"Are you hurt? What happened?" Jaemin repeats, becoming increasingly more desperate seeing his friend grit his teeth, pain taking hold of his body to cause him to jolt in Jaemin's arms.

Not getting an answer, Jaemin looks over to Donghyuck, wishing to get some answers from his friend, only Donghyuck is frowning as he opens his eyes, confusion clouding his burnt caramel eyes.

He slowly releases his hands from Renjun.

"Why have you stopped? What's going on? How is he?"

Then suddenly, Renjun is throwing himself from Jaemin's arms, landing back on the floor, shaking as he tries to support his body.

Jaemin lurches forward, wanting to help, however a hand is quickly restraining his arm, holding him back.

He frowns down at the hand, and then up at Donghyuck's face.

"Hyuck, what...?"

"Come away from him..." Donghyuck whispers, his eyes fixated on Renjun like a hare watching a wolf, waiting- eyes full of anticipation, of shock.

He tugs Jaemin, who shuffles back slightly, still so confused, but Donghyuck moves so that he's slightly in front of him, as if he were protecting him.

But that ball of worry in his chest still burned bright as he looked to his friend, curled on his side, shoulder shaking from the cold, as he violently shuddered, as he... laughed. As his shoulders continued to shake, even as he threw his head back, a melodic sound of successful scheming is conveyed through laughter.

Jaemin can't move.

Suddenly a ferocious snarl comes from the group's left, and when Jaemin turns his head, he sees a shadowed figure stood amongst the trees. A low howl comes from their right, and another from before them, and another and another...