Pandora's Box

Chapter 29

content warning-ish? i'm not sure if this is super note-worthy, but phrases typically used to mention suicide (kms type) appear a couple of times, so obviously better safe than sorry!

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"Steal their scissors or something, I don't know. Has anyone actually met The Fates?"

Beomgyu was grateful for Seungmin's confusion. Even knowing it was genuine, it was the only bit of brightness at the table.

Jisung shook his head. "Not that we know of, but that's exactly it! Why should we be listening to imaginary forces? Just don't go."

The group's efforts at coming up with a solution to the battle were appreciated, but Beomgyu wished they'd simply understand there was nothing to be done. By holding onto baseless hope, they were starting to mess with his own head, that there was actually a way out of it.

Changbin was silent as well, simply staring at the table with guilt. Beomgyu wanted him to realize that no part of this was his fault, but he understood the other's unease with the group sounding so sure of a positive outcome.

"Well, they can't ditch, or avoid or whatever. Then they'll both die.We just need to find a loophole," Kai reminded them.

Jeongin sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, Seungmin draping an arm around his shoulders. The two had become much less subtle about their relationship, even then non-cupids picking it up by now.

Felix sighed as well. "There has to be something we can do. This is bullshit." The curse caused everyone to look at him, even Changbin's head finally shooting up.

Felix looked around. "What?! It is!"

"We've just...never heard you curse," Hyunjin stated in awe. Changbin nodded in agreement, slowly smiling for the first time that day.

The ease in tension caused a new feeling to wash over the table. A new wave of ideas, much to Beomgyu's dismay. None of the ideas were bad, but they were simply not going to work.

"We'll send someone with them to heal any wounds. Maybe Nurse Park?"

"They have to fight to the death, my love. That wouldn't work." After saying it, Yeonjun glanced at Beomgyu pointedly. Beomgyu's hand traveled to his front pocket.

He had told Yeonjun about the dagger he owned earlier that day. It made sense to him, using something non-magic as a weapon. It was all he knew.

"Fine. There's potions for after-death healing, right? Let's make one of those," Chan added helpfully. But Minho shook his head. "There's no time. It takes months to make something like that." At the statement, Jisung groaned and slumped into Minho's side.

Beomgyu tried not to smile at them, all things considered. It seemed like the two had rekindled, or forgiven, or whatever it was they needed to do, in the context of this situation.

In fact, as if by some mysterious force (although he snuck a glance at the blonde 'force' he suspected behind it), each struggling pair seemed to resolve their separate issues.

Beomgyu convinced himself it was with the idea of how short their lives truly were. That the horror of his situation with Taehyun was a sort of wake-up-call for them.

He tried to latch onto that fact, rather than his own coming grief.

"Ugh. Why do potions take so long? We have to keep thinking," Hyunjin said.

"Guys, you really don't. You're just gonna give yourselves false hope," Beomgyu tried.

"Well, we might as well have a little school spirit after all. We-"