Hyunghyuk- I'll fight for you ✅

3

As we are running down the corridors, trying to find the others, a lot of questions come up. How is the village? How did the others manage to flee? What are we going to do now? And most importantly, are we going to die? I've never been afraid of death in my whole life but now that I'm running through these corridors, my legs already sore and about to give in, the gunshots of the soliders in the background, I realise that death may come faster than I expect it to. And in the twinkling of an eye, I get a panic attack. My chest tightens and I stop running immediately. Jooheon and Hyungwon keep on going, not noticing that I am falling behind. My knees get weak, the air gets stuck in my throat, not wanting to reach my lungs but not wanting to leave my body either. My heart is pounding against my chest, heavier, faster and louder than it ever has. I try to get up, try to fight it but I'm too weak. My body drops to the floor, tears streaming down my cheeks when I hear loud footsteps approaching. I close my eyes. I'm not ready to die and I definitely don't want to see it.

"Minhyuk, get up! Come on, please! Minhyuk!"

I open my eyes abruptly, gasping for air. Hyungwon is kneeling down next to me, Jooheon sitting a bit behind him.

"We have to hurry Minhyuk!"

I nod, my heartbeat slowly calming down again. Hyungwon takes my hand and helps me to get up and in the blink of an eye, we're running again. I don't even have time to process what just happened. Jooheon opens a door to the right of us and pushes us inside. He locks the door and takes a deep breath.

"This is it, our meeting point. We need to wait for the others."

I just now notice that my whole body is trembling, so I sit down on the floor, staring at the wall and calming down a bit.

"What happened to them? After Minhyuk and I got captured. What about the village?"

Jooheon sighs and shakes his head.

"Everyone was already dead. The village burnt down until there was nothing left but grey ashes. We couldn't protect them, couldn't protect our families. We're the only survivors."

I close my eyes.

"And the Clan?"

Hyungwon asks again, his voice being all wobbly and tremulous now.

"We got separated. Shownu's situation was strange. I found him in some kind of prison but it seems like he made it himself. Wonho got a job as smith but he used his ability to help me build a new machine and make this escape plan. Kihyun has sworn to take revenge. He killed some people and burnt their bodies. I found him in a devastated, almost emotionless state and brought him to my special underground greenhouse where I kept most of the flowers. And Changkyun..."

He takes a deep breath.

"He was playing around. I think...I think he just wanted to know what his life could have been like if he was raised by a normal family, not a clan of soldiers. He played video games, bought teddy bears and rode a bike through the city."

Jooheon is fiddling with his shirt.

"I almost left him there. He seemed so happy and carefree."

He shakes his head and gets up again.

"But we are his family and he needs us."

It's an excuse, he knows that. Maybe it would have been better to leave Changkyun out of it but after so many years of fighting and living together, it must be too hard for him to let go. More than our leader Shownu, Jooheon has a deep connection with Changkyun. It was him who found the boy and recruited him when he was only eleven years old. Since then they have been almost inseparable.

"They are here."

Jooheon whispers and opens the door, letting the others enter. I get up quickly. As soon as the door closes and we are safe again I run up to them and hug all of them. Tears are streaming down my cheeks as I feel their warm bodies embracing me after such a long time.

"You're alive."

Kihyun mumbles against my shoulders and I feel my shirt getting wet.

"Are you crying?"

He quickly wipes his tears away.

"Of course not."

He holds me tight.

"I almost missed your energetic and annoying ass."

I laugh at his statement and wipe my own tears away. I let go of him and look at Changkyun who's now coming in for a hug.

"Oh wow."

I say and laugh.

"You are taller aren't you?"

"Shut up."

He mumbles and pulls me close, tears now leaving his eyes. It is a moment of grief and joy, we cry and laugh, hugging each other tightly, not wanting to let go ever again. Everything seems to be okay for a moment until Jooheon breaks the murmur.

"We need to go on."