𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐋. ☐

TWENTY.

Jisung stared at them for a long while. There was a silence that none of them dared to break, so incredibly suffocating that he could nearly feel the atmosphere compressing him. He could feel his anxiety raging in his body, and he had to put in far too much effort to stop it from overtaking him.

"What?" Minho finally said.

Changbin and Hyunjin both stood, and Changbin was the one to respond, "A few minutes? Really?"

"That can't be right," Minho shook his head, quickly, "We- Jisung can vouch for this. I promise, we were only gone for a bit."

None of the students seemed unconvinced by the words. Jisung could tell that it was their shock speaking and not doubt, and maybe that's why he held his patience for so long.

Chan stood up as well, taking a quick step forward, "Jisung. When I got stabbed, you said time was weird here, right?"

Changbin whipped around to the blond, "You were stabbed?!"

"Fuck," said Minho and Jisung in near unison.

"It's all dealt with now," Chan drawled, regret glowing in his expression, "It's- Don't worry about it."

"Don't worry about it?" Seungmin spoke up, his voice small, "Chan, that's... that's not just something you don't worry about."

"Seungmin, Changbin, I will explain everything later," Minho's voice held authority, but Jisung could see that he was more nervous than he allowed himself to show, "Let's just focus on what's at hand."

Changbin closed his eyes for a long while, breathing in and out. He finally opened his eyes and whispered, "Okay. But this isn't finished."

Chan and Jisung exchanged a very thankful glance before Chan spoke again.

"So... Jisung, you said time was weird, right? You noticed that a while ago."

"Yeah," Jisung drawled. His heart was racing and his hands were shaking, and he was sure that everyone could hear the waver in his voice, but he pushed past it. "I... I mean, I didn't notice much, but I had just noticed the sun wasn't moving at all. Also, none of us have gotten hungry or anything. I'm just assuming it has to do with the way time works here."

"Jisung has a point," Minho said, "Have any of you felt hungry? Thirsty?"

"No," Hyunjin murmured.

"I haven't," Changbin said.

Jisung could hear a small snicker in Seungmin's words, "If Changbin's not hungry, then there's definitely something weird going on."

Changbin glared at him, but there was a playful glint in his eyes.

"So... the forest is inconsistent with how much time passes?" Felix spoke for the first time since they'd returned, "Different patches speed it up or slow it down?"

Hyunjin seemed deep in thought as he pitched in, "Would that be why so many people have gone missing in here? Weeks might've passed in the- the real world. It's been what, hours?"

"I think that, among other things," Jisung said, sparing a glance toward Jeongin. He was, of course, still unconscious. But Jisung could at least see the rise and fall of his shoulders with his breaths. That amounted to something, at least.

"There's no way to tell," Chan groaned. "Why did none of us think to bring a watch?"

"My camera cut out the moment we got deep into the forest," Changbin shook his head, "It wouldn't have been trustworthy."