Fearless, Like the Stars (Chp 5/6)
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Chapter 5 “What is the first rule of the Adept? Consider our beginnings, for a moment; a single microscopic protoplasma that mattered very little on the evolutionary scale. It took us eons; changing, converging and multiplying and self-annihilating ourselves to create a multitude of species across the universe, before reaching the next step of evolution that placed us on the same state of being not unlike the Gods themselves.
But remember, as you will, the first rule: We are not Gods.”
- Kolar Varana, Fifth Ranking Adept and philosopher, House Kolar
Minseok had always looked up to Lu Han when they were younger, even though he was older by a whole month. It was Lu Han who had helped Minseok when he was struggling to navigate the social circles in the Academy, and it was Lu Han who had, one night when they were drunk on stolen wine and lounging under the twin moons that hung in the sky over Xeia, told Minseok that he would have to return home to Mivari after graduation to lead his father’s army. He hadn’t been happy about it, but his duties came first, over his dreams of exploring the universe.
The next day, they had been shipped off to different outposts to serve their apprenticeships before graduation, and that was the last time Minseok had seen his friend before the Academy was attacked.
The man who stood in front of him looked nothing like the Lu Han that Minseok remembered. Instead of the slouch of an eighteen year old trainee, he bore the stance of a fighter. Gone were the easy smile and twinkling eyes, replaced by hard lines. And if that wasn’t enough, Minseok realized in dismay, he carried a weapons holster strapped against his thigh, the markings on the leather straps indicating what he was.
It became clear that Lu Han had chosen a different path in the end.
“You’re a mercenary now,” Minseok blurted out.
“Bounty hunter, actually,” Lu Han corrected him. “Although, technically I’m sort of a freelancer at the moment.”
“But… how?” He thought Lu Han had gone back to his homeworld. Relations had been terse between Mivari and Xeia after that, and Minseok had not dared contact his friend lest he be branded a traitor.
“It’s been six years, Minseok,” Lu Han said quietly. “I’m not the same guileless boy with unrealistic dreams.” He looked sombre. “When news of the attack came, we were told that it was led by Mivarian forces. My homeworld. I was sure that there must have been a mistake, and the leader of the outpost agreed with me - but the others there… they were convinced. Took me for a traitor. I had to leave before a riot started, and made it off the outpost on a cargo transport headed to the next system. I ended up as a bounty hunter for the Bolman Syndicate. They didn’t ask any questions about who I was, as long as I delivered my contracts.” He sighed. “Later, I found out that the Academy had been attacked by rebels, not my father’s army. By then, my father had declared war on Xeia. I didn’t want to part of that, so I stayed away.”
“You never went back?”
Lu Han chuckled, but there was no humor in his laugh. “Once, a year ago. The rebels had been captured, and Xeia had signed the truce with Mivari. It was my father who found out where I’d been. Sent orders for me to return home, or to be cut off completely. I had to ‘grow up’, according to him.” He paused. “He tried to make me General, so I left.” He made a face. “Not exactly the welcoming party I was expecting.”
Minseok shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. “That doesn’t explain why you’re here. And how did you find me?”
“The Syndicate sent me a message on the secured channels. The Tribunal Guardsmen had lost contact with the transport shuttle that had been carrying you and the other prisoners. When they found the wreckage, half of it was missing, except for what was left of the guards and pilot. The searchers assumed that everyone else on board had burnt up.” Lu Han hesitated. “The Tribunal said that were no survivors. But the Syndicate was sure that there were some, since the transport was missing several escape pods.”
A cold shiver ran through Minseok. The Tribunal might not have wanted to execute him for what he had done, but they would feel no sense of remorse if he had died on this planet. “So what happens now that you’ve found me?” he asked, trying to stay calm. Had they sent anyone else, Minseok would have acted immediately. But this was Lu Han. “Are you planning to send me back to face the Tribunal again?” A new thought dawned on him, and he took a step back warily. His voice hardened. “Unless… Lu Han, were your orders to make sure that there were no survivors?”
Lu Han cut him off sharply. “They wanted to make sure that you were dead, but I came here to make sure that you lived, you idiot. They were going to call in Chanyeol at first. You know damn well you wouldn’t be standing here having this conversation with him, but he would have made sure you returned to the Tribunal, of course. In an urn.”
“Then why didn’t they?”
Lu Han smiled. “Who better to hunt you down than your own oath-brother? I told the Syndicate that I would do it alone, as long as they kept the other hunters out of this.”
“And they believed you?”
“Obviously not.” Lu Han rolled his eyes. “Chanyeol’s probably a few days behind.” He crossed his arms, giving Minseok a long, searching look. “I heard the news. That you were sent to prison for killing Woojin,” he said quietly. “That’s the other reason I’m here. You, of all people, could never have done something this horrible. What really happened, Minseok?”
Minseok swallowed. “Woojin was stealing abilities, Lu Han. He was selling them on the black market.”
Lu Han’s shocked silence followed this, the expression of disbelief on his face. Minseok himself hadn’t believed it at first, either, when he had found out. Woojin was a third generation Adept, and his father and grandfather before him had been First Ranks. The First Ranks were treated as near-Gods - only second to the Tribunal members themselves.
“When I found out about it,” Minseok continued, “I confronted Woojin. He attacked me first, and--and I killed him.”
Killing an Adept was almost unheard of. They were trained to never take another life, that their abilities were to be used to help people. By not only overpowering the other First with his ability, but destroying his body in such a way that he was almost unrecognizable, Minseok had practically signed his own death warrant
“Couldn’t you have gone to someone first? Report him to the Tribunal?”
“I--” Minseok grimaced, trying not to think of Woojin. Or what had been left of him. “I had no proof. I thought if I went to him, if I could force him to admit it, then I would find some sort of evidence for the Tribunal.”
Lu Han stared at him. “How did you expect to gain any evidence when you crushed his head--”
“I didn’t mean to!” At Lu Han’s shocked expression, Minseok cleared his throat and spoke in a quieter tone this time. “I didn’t mean to. But he was stronger than I was. When he threw me against the wall, I made a mistake of letting my guard down, and that’s when he grabbed me and pulled my powers away from me.” He drew a ragged breath at the memory. “Lu Han, he took everything.”
Lu Han shook his head, as if he still couldn’t believe it. “How?”
“Some form of transference. I don’t understand it either. He had always stayed under the radar, focusing only on those with weaker abilities, the ones who would have never been able to make it to the Academy.” Minseok paused. “But then he met my sister.”
Lu Han’s eyes widened. “Your sister?”
Minseok related how his sister had lain in the hospital, lifeless as a doll. Worse than being burnt out, which was a common occurrence amongst most trainees - except that there was no trace of her powers left within her, nothing left to heal. It had taken weeks for him to find out what had happened, chasing rumor after rumor, trying to search for the truth within Woojin’s Circle.
Finally he had had a breakthrough; one of Woojin’s friends, who had been bitter over the poor share of profits they had gleaned from selling the stolen abilities.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone this?” Lu Han demanded.
I did,” Minseok replied. “But the Tribunal wouldn’t believe me. No one would. They thought I was making it up, that Woojin had been dating her, and I was being the over-protective brother.” He rubbed his forehead, suddenly exhausted. “When he was draining my powers away, did you know what he said to me? That he wondered how many credits it would fetch on the black market. Because my sister’s price hadn’t been enough.” Minseok looked up at Lu Han. “I lost it then. Next thing I remembered was that I was on the floor, and Woojin was… everywhere.” He swallowed, feeling ill at the memory. “It took them a week to decide I was guilty, and set the sentence, shipping me off to Earth along with other prisoners who had been banished from their own worlds.”
“Damn,” Lu Han swore. “I didn’t think the Tribunal would be so hasty.”
Minseok let out a sigh of relief. Lu Han, at least, seemed to believe him. No one else had. “There’s a rumor that Woojin’s grandfather had some influence with the Tribunal. I don’t doubt that he would have petitioned for me to be executed, but Tribunal law stopped him.”
Lu Han nodded in agreement. After a moment, he gave Minseok a thoughtful look. “Dalbin.”
Minseok stared at him. “What?”
“I’m thinking you could go to Dalbin. It’s a nice pleasure planet, two sectors away in the opposite direction from Xeia.” Lu Han tapped his finger against his chin, looking at Minseok’s clothes critically. “You might need a new wardrobe, though. This just makes you look like a farmer.”
“What are you talking about, Lu Han?” Minseok demanded.
“Why, escaping from this place, of course.” Lu Han flashed him a conspiratorial grin. “And the Tribunal of course. They won’t be able to find you there, and even if they did, Dalbin doesn’t have an extradition treaty with any governments within the system. If you give me a day, I can have a whole new identity for you and get you out of this pit and off the planet straight away--” he broke off, glancing sharply over Minseok’s shoulder.
Minseok turned around, following his gaze, and found himself staring at Baekhyun. He was standing at the doorway looking as white as sheet, his face a mixture of emotions that flickered between confusion, anger and, worst of all, disappointment.
“Baekhyun--” Minseok’s heart was pounding wildly in his ears. He hadn’t been paying attention. When had Baekhyun returned? How much had he heard?
“D-don’t.” Baekhyun flinched away sharply when Minseok began to move forward, about to reach out for him. “Please-- don’t.”
Minseok took a step back, holding his hands up. “I can explain--”
“With more lies?” Minseok flinched, as if he had been struck. “You said you couldn’t remember much about your past. That you didn’t know where you came from.” Baekhyun’s voice shook. He looked furious, and hurt. “And you’ve killed people. You’ve been lying to us-- to me, this entire time. What makes you think I’ll believe you now?” He craned his neck, glancing over Minseok’s shoulder. Minseok realized that he was trying to look at Lu Han. “And who is-- what the hell is that?”
Minseok felt a prickling sensation against his skin and he whirled around - but it was too late.
Several objects floated in the air, spinning around lazily, held up by Lu Han’s ability.
* * *
“Baekhyun, wait!”
Ignoring Minseok’s shout, Baekhyun ran up the corridor and past the other doors. He had to get out, to escape.
He couldn’t believe what he had just seen. The items belonging to his grandfather, floating in the air. The old timepiece, spinning round and round. The marbles, making slow lazy loops, held by nothing. Impossible things, things that existed only in dreams and stories, but he had seen them.
Questions ran through his mind endlessly. Who had that man been? How had he entered the colony? The only direct way in from the Outside would lead past the square, and Joonmyun would have seen him immediately. He wouldn’t have allowed a stranger to stroll in unaccompanied like that.
He ducked into a small alcove, twisting his body to squeeze into the narrow space until he found himself in the same tunnel that led to the ledge he had brought Minseok to the other night. Fumbling with the lightstone that he kept on him, he used it to illuminate the way. Here, he would be safe. He needed time to think. He couldn’t face Minseok now, not after what he had heard.
Minseok had no intention of staying here.
Baekhyun’s chest hurt. His eyes stung, and he angrily wiped away the tears. He had let himself be fooled into thinking that Minseok cared about him. The tenderness he had shown Baekhyun had been all an act - and Baekhyun, stupidly, had believed all of it. He did not care for Baekhyun. He would leave, and Baekhyun would be alone.
If there was one thing Baekhyun feared more than anything else, it was to be left alone. He had lost all of his family, and felt that emptiness for so long - and Minseok had filled that empty space in his heart. He had fallen in love with Minseok, fallen hard and given his heart to him - and now Minseok would leave, taking it with him.
Baekhyun stumbled, and fell. His knee scraped against the rocks, his palms landed on the ground - but he felt nothing. He was numb all over. He loved Minseok, and Minseok-- it was clear that Minseok did not feel the same way.
He stumbled again. This time, it jolted him out of his dazed state, and Baekhyun realized that he hadn’t fallen out of clumsiness. He reached out cautiously, placing his hand on the nearest surface, which was the wall.
It was trembling.
Baekhyun snatched his hand away. He tried to get to his feet, but he found that he couldn’t keep his balance. The ground was shuddering now, and every step he took brought him to his knees.
A loud crack pierced through the air, echoing around him. Startled, Baekhyun dropped the lightstone he had been holding - then the ground opened up, and he fell towards the darkness.
* * *
Minseok turned to face Lu Han, a mixture of emotions churning inside his gut. He gave Lu Han a withering stare. “Thanks for that,” he said sourly. “Now he’s going to run off to the leader of the colony and tell him everything.”
“Why worry about that?” There was nothing spinning in the air any longer, although Minseok noticed that Lu Han now held a book in his hands, flicking idly through the pages. It was one of the journals Minseok had been in the middle of reading, that had been filled with entries penned by Kihyun, Baekhyun’s great-grandfather. Minseok had left it out here last night. “It’s not as if you’re planning on staying here anyway.”
Minseok said nothing. The silence dragged on for several seconds, and he watched as the realization dawned on Lu Han face, before he lifted his head up at Minseok sharply.
“You’re actually staying,” he said, voice filled with disbelief. “Minseok, you know they’ll find you here easily. Chanyeol’s not the only other bounty hunter the Syndicate would have called in.”
“What are my options, Lu Han?” Minseok demanded. “Go back, and let the Tribunal decide where else to dump me? Or worse, decide to just execute me?”
“The laws--”
“The laws were written by the Tribunal. They can change them again--”
Minseok laughed humorlessly. “Have you ever heard of them changing it?”
Lu Han looked troubled. “I hear your words, Minseok. But what if it were possible? Would you leave, right now, with me?”
Minseok studied the expression on his face. It was like they were back at the Academy again, young boys dreaming of adventures across the universe. Lu Han’s face was hopeful, eager.
He shook his head. Lu Han’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Lu Han.” Minseok felt a twinge of guilt. He never imagined it would come to this, to him having to choose between two worlds.
He knew clearly which one he would choose. Baekhyun had saved him once, by pulling him out of the tunnels - and he had saved Minseok again by pulling him out of despair after being sent away from his home. In the time that they had spent together, Minseok had fallen for the other man - and it was ironic that he was only realizing it now, when he had caused Baekhyun to lose his trust in him.
Baekhyun. Why was Minseok still here, when he should be looking for him, to explain things to him? He needed to set things right again, even if it meant revealing everything to Baekhyun.
And that Minseok would not - could not - leave him.
He straightened up. “I have to go after him.”
“Wait.” Lu Han gripped Minseok’s arm and stopped him in his tracks. “There’s something else you need to know.”
“Lu Han, I have to go--”
“Will you at least let me finish?” Lu Han demanded. Minseok stayed quiet, and reluctantly nodded. “You asked me earlier how I found you. Our sensors picked up traces of the prison transport on the surface of the planet. We combed through the area, but still couldn’t find you.” He paused. “Until we found your frost patterns.”
Minseok took a step back, pulling away from Lu Han’s grip. “That’s not possible.” His ability was gone. Lu Han’s words made no sense. “I told you, Woojin--”
“I read the reports, Minseok. I know you said Woojin stole your ability, and there was no trace of it on him or on you when they found you both.” Lu Han’s brow was furrowed. “Yet how is it possible that I can sense it from you at this very moment?”
“That’s… that can’t be right.” Woojin had taken everything from him before he had died. It was impossible. Their abilities couldn’t regenerate. Something else Lu Han had said registered in his mind. “What do you mean, when you say you can ‘sense’ it?”
Lu Han’s face had gone pale, as if he had realized his slip.
“Lu Han?” Minseok stepped closer. “What aren’t you telling me?”
The other man closed his eyes. “Damn. I wasn’t… I wasn’t supposed to let you know. Not this way.”
“Let me know what?”
Lu Han opened his eyes. He held Minseok’s gaze for several long moments,before he finally spoke. “Remember how we used to play hide-and-seek, back at the Academy? When we had to close our eyes and then search for each other, back in the towers?”
“I hated that game,” Minseok remarked a little bitterly. “What about it?”
“That’s because you never won. But I never told you why.” Lu Han took a deep breath. “I’m... I’m a Class-4 Sensitive.” Sensitives, or empaths, were uncommon within the Academy. Anyone found with such a gift wouldn’t have been placed in the same classes as the other trainees - they would have been pulled out from those, briefed carefully and sent spaceside to another facility for special training. A Class-1 would be able to detect changes in emotions; Class-4’s would be able to sense anyone with an ability.
“That’s why the Syndicate contacted me. They knew I would be able to find anyone here. It took me some time to sense you, but I haven’t been able to find the other prisoner yet.” Lu Han looked at Minseok, who hadn’t spoken a word the entire time that Lu Han had been talking. “I didn’t want anyone finding out. My family didn’t know either, and I was afraid that if I told you, you would stop treating me as your friend--” He grunted in surprise and staggered back, his hand rubbing his jaw. “Minseok, what the hell?”
“That’s for not trusting me to cover your back, you asshole.” Minseok massaged his knuckles, where it still hurt from the punch he had thrown. “Twelve years as my oath-brother. You could have said something.” His temper began to fade when he realized what he had done, and he let his arms drop to his sides with a heavy sigh.
Lu Han looked at him, the shock still on his face. He was still rubbing at the spot where Minseok’s fist had landed. “I guess I deserved that,” he admitted, after a moment. Then, he let out a snort of amusement. “Although, considering the fact that you’ve been keeping secrets here yourself, that’s a little ironic.”
Minseok’s face sobered. “Lu Han, I still can’t sense my ability. I would have known if it had resurfaced. You must have been mistaken.”
“Then how do you explain the frost?” Lu Han demanded. “Even now, standing in front of you, it’s there. It’s not as strong as I remembered, but I can sense it, simmering somewhere within, trying to wake up. Like it’s been asleep all this while.”
Minseok wanted to argue, to tell him that it was impossible - that Minseok had tried and tried and he hadn’t been able to bring his ability back. But he remembered the night out on the ledge, when the air had seemed like ice, and he recalled the moment when he had been struck by the burning cold today.
“It’s not just you,” Lu Han continued. “This place… this colony that we’re in, I can sense it all around us.”
“What are you talking about? They’re all humans, Lu Han. No human can control so much power.”
“I’m telling you, it’s here. Not as strong as what a first-year trainee would display, but enough for me to feel it. Even that man that you were about to run after--”
“Baekhyun.” Minseok realized what Lu Han was insinuating. “Baekhyun? But, he can’t be--” he started to say, but then he stopped, his eyes widening.
The earth was trembling beneath their feet.
By the time they had made their way to the centre of the colony, the ground had stopped shaking. In the distance, however, they could still hear the occasional rumbling in the distance, like approaching thunder.
The colony was in chaos. All around them, people were in panic. Some were huddled against the walls, frozen in fear. Some had their eyes closed, muttering prayers under their breaths. Others were being holding whatever valuables they had, moving in droves towards the main gates.
Minseok found Jongdae near the clock tower trying to direct people to safety, and he grabbed his arm quickly. “Jongdae! What’s going on? What’s happening to the colony?”
“Tremors,” Jongdae said shortly, before turning around to shout at someone. “Keep them moving in a straight line!” He turned back to Minseok. “They’ve been recurring more frequently, though none as bad as the earthquake that happened ten years ago. Joonmyun doesn’t like to take chances though, so he came up with a safety plan whenever the tremors happen.”
Earthquake. Tremors. Minseok felt the grip of fear on his throat, remembering Baekhyun’s story. “Where’s Baekhyun?”
Jongdae gave him a startled look. “I haven’t seen him since you both left earlier,” he said. “Isn’t he with you?”
Minseok shook his head. Realizing that he still held onto Jongdae’s arm, he released him quickly. “Where is everyone headed towards?” Perhaps Baekhyun was in middle of the crowd. He could still be safe.
“Everyone’s being moved to the safezone on the other side of the colony, where the greenhouses are. The area is the most secure place underground, and the walls were reinforced to keep the rocky surface from breaking apart. You should go there too--” his words trailed off, and his eyes widened. He took a step back, and pointed at Lu Han in shock. “How the hell did he get in here?”
That was not a reaction he had expected. Minseok looked at Lu Han, and then back at Jongdae, whose face had gone white. For the first time since meeting Jongdae, Minseok realized he looked frightened.
Lu Han was grinning. “Of all the places for you to hide in, Jongdae. Must be my lucky day.”
Minseok turned towards him, staring. “Wait, you know him?” he demanded.
“Him?” Lu Han gestured at Jongdae. “He’s got a bounty of a hundred thousand credits just for his head.” He shrugged. “Might be more for the rest of him, but the Syndicate’s not usually picky about these things.” Jongdae, Minseok noticed, had turned paler.
“Lu Han, now’s probably not the best time to be discussing about heads when the damn colony is about to fall on us,” Minseok told him quietly, although most of it was through gritted teeth.
“Right,” Lu Han said, not sounding even a little chastised. “Find your boyfriend first, then catch interplanetary thieves.” He craned his neck, and groaned. “Damn it, the little rat’s escaped.”
“What?” Minseok turned back and found that, true to his word, Jongdae had vanished.
Hours later, there was still no sign of Baekhyun, although the shaking seemed to have stopped completely. When he had determined that it was safe, Joonmyun issued an order for everyone to return to their homes, with an added note to keep away from the streets for the time being.
Minseok had ignored his orders, and tried searching for Baekhyun all around the colony. He wasn’t at his store, nor was he at Jongdae’s clinic or workshop. The doctor himself was missing too, and no one had seen him either.
With each passing second, Minseok found himself growing more worried. He paced around the floor in his room, trying to think of where Baekhyun could be. Lu Han was slumped in his seat by the wall, lazily reading another old journal.
“Baekhyun’s great-grandfather must have been a genius,” Lu Han remarked, sounding excited. “Half of the building plans he had for the colony were accompanied by calculations that are beyond what I’ve seen before. I didn’t think the human race had even been capable of reaching such levels of complexity.” He turned a page. “I wonder if I could borrow one of these. I could run them through the Skylark’s mainframe --”
“No,” Minseok responded flatly. “You’re not taking anything from this place. And, for that matter, neither am I leaving with you.” Lu Han had spent the last few hours trying to convince Minseok to leave the colony and board his ship, which was apparently still in orbit.
Lu Han sighed. “Why are you so stubborn?” he grumbled. “If Baekhyun really cared, he wouldn’t be avoiding you right now.”
“He’s not avoiding me,” Minseok snapped. Lu Han’s words stung. “Something must have happened to him.” He stood up abruptly. “I can’t keep waiting like this. You stay here. I’m going to look for him.”
“And let you out of my sight again, after trying to hunt you down?” Lu Han closed the book, placing it back on the shelves. “I’m coming with you," he started to say, but Minseok was already striding out the door.
By the time Lu Han had caught up with him, Minseok was standing in front of Joonmyun’s door. He pounded on it, calling out Joonmyun’s name. No answer. When it became evident that Joonmyun wasn’t home, Minseok turned around and slumped back against the wall, letting out a frustrated sound.
“What’s going on?” Minseok looked up and found Joonmyun standing in front of him, a curious expression on his face. “Why aren’t you with Baekhyun, Minseok?”
“I’m trying to look for him,” Minseok said. “We fought and he ran off, just before the ground started shaking.”
“He’s missing?” Joonmyun asked, sounding alarmed. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“I-- I wasn’t sure at first. I tried looking for him everywhere but I can’t find him.”
Joonmyun’s expression grew more worried. “This is bad. Even Jongdae’s missing now, and I can’t seem to figure why.”
Lu Han snorted, muttering something about a ‘sneaky rat’ underneath his breath. Minseok stepped on his foot to warn him.
Unfortunately, Joonmyun saw the movement, and realized that there was someone else there with Minseok. Someone whom he didn’t recognize, who definitely did not look like he belonged in the colony.
“Who are you?” Joonmyun asked sharply. “Minseok, who’s this?”
Minseok sighed. “This is Lu Han. Lu Han, Joonmyun is the colony leader. Be nice to him,” he said shortly.
Lu Han raised his eyebrows at Minseok. “This planet has changed you. Jokes? From you? You never used to be like this on Xeia.”
“Xeia?” Joonmyun looked at both of them in confusion, as Minseok groaned. “Is that your colony?”
“It’s a planet on the other side of the system,” Jongdae spoke up, suddenly. He stepped out of the shadows from where he had been hiding. Minseok noticed that he had a knapsack with him, and he was dressed in an odd assortment of clothes, complete with a pair of leather boots and gloves. The combination looked nothing like the simple clothes he had been wearing in the colony.
Joonmyun’s eyes grew wide. “Jongdae, where were you? Why are you dressed like that?”
“I’m leaving the colony, Joonmyun.” Jongdae’s expression was conflicted. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a choice. I can’t stay here any longer.”
“But… why?”
“Because he’s not one of you,” Lu Han responded, just as Jongdae opened his mouth to speak. “He’s a thief who’s wanted by his own government on another planet, and he thinks I’m here to take him back.”
Minseok expected Joonmyun to act shocked by the news, but instead, he narrowed his eyes and whirled around to face Lu Han.
“I know that,” Joonmyun snapped. “I know all about where he came from, and what he did. It doesn’t matter to me what he used to be - he’s just a part of our colony as anyone else here.” Joonmyun advanced on him, and reached out to shove his finger against Lu Han’s chest, forcing him to step back in surprise. “Jongdae is our doctor. He’s not a thief, do you hear me? You’re not going to take him away from us. If you try--” Minseok caught sight of the storm in Joonmyun’s usually calm eyes --”I will stop you.”
Lu Han’s eyes widened. So did Minseok, who had never seen calm Joonmyun react with such fierceness.
“Well, that’s one way to confess to a guy,” Jongdae remarked, breaking the silence in the end. “I didn’t think you felt that way, Leader.”
Joonmyun’s face was bright red by the time he was done. “I--I-- that’s not what I meant!”
“I’m flattered, by the way.” Jongdae’s grin grew wider, as Joonmyun continued sputtering. “Although the idea of you fighting with a mercenary sounds wonderfully heroic--”
“Bounty hunter,” Lu Han corrected, giving the both of them a reassuring look. “Also I’m not going to try to take anyone away, so calm down. I’m here to help Minseok,” he said. “And right now, we need your help to find Baekhyun.”
“There aren’t that many places to hide in the colony,” Joonmyun told him. “Everyone knows everyone here. Someone would have mentioned seeing him by now.”
“Could he have gone to the Outside?”
“Not by himself. The main way out needs two people to open the gates. He wouldn’t have been able to do it on his own.”
“What about the old tunnels?” Jongdae asked, looking at Joonmyun. “You told me before that when you first came to the colony, you found another tunnel that led out of here.”
Minseok looked at him in surprise. “You were from the Outside?” he asked, quietly.
“It’s not really a secret,” Joonmyun said defensively. “It was Baekhyun’s parents who brought my family into the colony when I was ten.” He swallowed. “My parents were lost with them in the tunnels.” Minseok felt a surge of sympathy, remembering how hard it had been for Baekhyun when that had happened. He hadn’t realized Joonmyun had been through the same ordeal too. “That’s why no one’s allowed into those tunnels, Minseok. They’re not stable enough. We’ve tried mapping them over the years, but it takes time.”
“Baekhyun knows them though,” Minseok said, suddenly. He remembered Baekhyun’s confidence when he had told Minseok about the tunnels and how he had used them to explore the mountain range. “He’s been using them for years.”
Joonmyun and Jongdae stared at him. “How?”
“He-- he didn’t say. But I went with him into one of them, and we were… we were on the Outside.” There had been other tunnels too, leading away from the colony, but Baekhyun had pulled him past the openings and told him that those didn’t lead to the top.
A thought struck him. The ledge. Baekhyun had said that he would go there when he needed to get away. What if the tunnels had fallen in? What if Baekhyun was trapped up there, with no way back?
“I know where he is,” Minseok blurted out. “At least, I think I know where it is, but I need help lighting the way.”
“We’ll go with you,” Joonmyun said quickly. “Jongdae can get the lamps and we can use those to search the tunnels.”
Minseok remembered the way back to the same tunnel that Baekhyun had led him from, although it felt odd to be going into them without Baekhyun’s presence. Joonmyun was right behind him, along with Lu Han, while Jongdae kept a safe distance from Lu Han while trying to keep up.
Suddenly, Minseok stopped, holding up his hand. The others followed suit. Ahead of him, the path had split into two.
“Which one, Minseok?” Joonmyun asked.
“I can’t remember,” Minseok said. He tried to recall when they had returned, when Baekhyun had been pulling him along, his hand warm in Minseok’s grip. Minseok hadn’t been paying attention then. “Damn, damn--”
“Wait,” Lu Han called out. “I think I found something.” They hurried over towards where he was standing, looking down at something he had picked up from the ground.
It was one of Baekhyun’s lightstones.
Minseok took it from him, his hand trembling. It was still glowing, although the light was faint, but it was proof that Baekhyun had been here recently.
He looked up. They were standing almost inside one of the tunnels. He raised his lamp, and the light fell onto the rubble that covered the entire opening.
I used to be afraid of the dark, Baekhyun had said.
The lightstone was here, on this side, and Baekhyun wasn’t.
“Shit,” he heard Jongdae swore. “Baekhyun. He can’t be--”
“He’s still alive,” Minseok cut in. “He wouldn’t have let himself be trapped like this.” He had to stay alive, for Minseok.
“Where does this lead to?” Lu Han asked Joonmyun, looking curious.
Joonmyun took a deep breath, before he answered, “The tunnel leads directly to Carcere, the prison colony.”
Chapter 6
Chapter 5 “What is the first rule of the Adept? Consider our beginnings, for a moment; a single microscopic protoplasma that mattered very little on the evolutionary scale. It took us eons; changing, converging and multiplying and self-annihilating ourselves to create a multitude of species across the universe, before reaching the next step of evolution that placed us on the same state of being not unlike the Gods themselves.
But remember, as you will, the first rule: We are not Gods.”
- Kolar Varana, Fifth Ranking Adept and philosopher, House Kolar
Minseok had always looked up to Lu Han when they were younger, even though he was older by a whole month. It was Lu Han who had helped Minseok when he was struggling to navigate the social circles in the Academy, and it was Lu Han who had, one night when they were drunk on stolen wine and lounging under the twin moons that hung in the sky over Xeia, told Minseok that he would have to return home to Mivari after graduation to lead his father’s army. He hadn’t been happy about it, but his duties came first, over his dreams of exploring the universe.
The next day, they had been shipped off to different outposts to serve their apprenticeships before graduation, and that was the last time Minseok had seen his friend before the Academy was attacked.
The man who stood in front of him looked nothing like the Lu Han that Minseok remembered. Instead of the slouch of an eighteen year old trainee, he bore the stance of a fighter. Gone were the easy smile and twinkling eyes, replaced by hard lines. And if that wasn’t enough, Minseok realized in dismay, he carried a weapons holster strapped against his thigh, the markings on the leather straps indicating what he was.
It became clear that Lu Han had chosen a different path in the end.
“You’re a mercenary now,” Minseok blurted out.
“Bounty hunter, actually,” Lu Han corrected him. “Although, technically I’m sort of a freelancer at the moment.”
“But… how?” He thought Lu Han had gone back to his homeworld. Relations had been terse between Mivari and Xeia after that, and Minseok had not dared contact his friend lest he be branded a traitor.
“It’s been six years, Minseok,” Lu Han said quietly. “I’m not the same guileless boy with unrealistic dreams.” He looked sombre. “When news of the attack came, we were told that it was led by Mivarian forces. My homeworld. I was sure that there must have been a mistake, and the leader of the outpost agreed with me - but the others there… they were convinced. Took me for a traitor. I had to leave before a riot started, and made it off the outpost on a cargo transport headed to the next system. I ended up as a bounty hunter for the Bolman Syndicate. They didn’t ask any questions about who I was, as long as I delivered my contracts.” He sighed. “Later, I found out that the Academy had been attacked by rebels, not my father’s army. By then, my father had declared war on Xeia. I didn’t want to part of that, so I stayed away.”
“You never went back?”
Lu Han chuckled, but there was no humor in his laugh. “Once, a year ago. The rebels had been captured, and Xeia had signed the truce with Mivari. It was my father who found out where I’d been. Sent orders for me to return home, or to be cut off completely. I had to ‘grow up’, according to him.” He paused. “He tried to make me General, so I left.” He made a face. “Not exactly the welcoming party I was expecting.”
Minseok shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. “That doesn’t explain why you’re here. And how did you find me?”
“The Syndicate sent me a message on the secured channels. The Tribunal Guardsmen had lost contact with the transport shuttle that had been carrying you and the other prisoners. When they found the wreckage, half of it was missing, except for what was left of the guards and pilot. The searchers assumed that everyone else on board had burnt up.” Lu Han hesitated. “The Tribunal said that were no survivors. But the Syndicate was sure that there were some, since the transport was missing several escape pods.”
A cold shiver ran through Minseok. The Tribunal might not have wanted to execute him for what he had done, but they would feel no sense of remorse if he had died on this planet. “So what happens now that you’ve found me?” he asked, trying to stay calm. Had they sent anyone else, Minseok would have acted immediately. But this was Lu Han. “Are you planning to send me back to face the Tribunal again?” A new thought dawned on him, and he took a step back warily. His voice hardened. “Unless… Lu Han, were your orders to make sure that there were no survivors?”
Lu Han cut him off sharply. “They wanted to make sure that you were dead, but I came here to make sure that you lived, you idiot. They were going to call in Chanyeol at first. You know damn well you wouldn’t be standing here having this conversation with him, but he would have made sure you returned to the Tribunal, of course. In an urn.”
“Then why didn’t they?”
Lu Han smiled. “Who better to hunt you down than your own oath-brother? I told the Syndicate that I would do it alone, as long as they kept the other hunters out of this.”
“And they believed you?”
“Obviously not.” Lu Han rolled his eyes. “Chanyeol’s probably a few days behind.” He crossed his arms, giving Minseok a long, searching look. “I heard the news. That you were sent to prison for killing Woojin,” he said quietly. “That’s the other reason I’m here. You, of all people, could never have done something this horrible. What really happened, Minseok?”
Minseok swallowed. “Woojin was stealing abilities, Lu Han. He was selling them on the black market.”
Lu Han’s shocked silence followed this, the expression of disbelief on his face. Minseok himself hadn’t believed it at first, either, when he had found out. Woojin was a third generation Adept, and his father and grandfather before him had been First Ranks. The First Ranks were treated as near-Gods - only second to the Tribunal members themselves.
“When I found out about it,” Minseok continued, “I confronted Woojin. He attacked me first, and--and I killed him.”
Killing an Adept was almost unheard of. They were trained to never take another life, that their abilities were to be used to help people. By not only overpowering the other First with his ability, but destroying his body in such a way that he was almost unrecognizable, Minseok had practically signed his own death warrant
“Couldn’t you have gone to someone first? Report him to the Tribunal?”
“I--” Minseok grimaced, trying not to think of Woojin. Or what had been left of him. “I had no proof. I thought if I went to him, if I could force him to admit it, then I would find some sort of evidence for the Tribunal.”
Lu Han stared at him. “How did you expect to gain any evidence when you crushed his head--”
“I didn’t mean to!” At Lu Han’s shocked expression, Minseok cleared his throat and spoke in a quieter tone this time. “I didn’t mean to. But he was stronger than I was. When he threw me against the wall, I made a mistake of letting my guard down, and that’s when he grabbed me and pulled my powers away from me.” He drew a ragged breath at the memory. “Lu Han, he took everything.”
Lu Han shook his head, as if he still couldn’t believe it. “How?”
“Some form of transference. I don’t understand it either. He had always stayed under the radar, focusing only on those with weaker abilities, the ones who would have never been able to make it to the Academy.” Minseok paused. “But then he met my sister.”
Lu Han’s eyes widened. “Your sister?”
Minseok related how his sister had lain in the hospital, lifeless as a doll. Worse than being burnt out, which was a common occurrence amongst most trainees - except that there was no trace of her powers left within her, nothing left to heal. It had taken weeks for him to find out what had happened, chasing rumor after rumor, trying to search for the truth within Woojin’s Circle.
Finally he had had a breakthrough; one of Woojin’s friends, who had been bitter over the poor share of profits they had gleaned from selling the stolen abilities.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone this?” Lu Han demanded.
I did,” Minseok replied. “But the Tribunal wouldn’t believe me. No one would. They thought I was making it up, that Woojin had been dating her, and I was being the over-protective brother.” He rubbed his forehead, suddenly exhausted. “When he was draining my powers away, did you know what he said to me? That he wondered how many credits it would fetch on the black market. Because my sister’s price hadn’t been enough.” Minseok looked up at Lu Han. “I lost it then. Next thing I remembered was that I was on the floor, and Woojin was… everywhere.” He swallowed, feeling ill at the memory. “It took them a week to decide I was guilty, and set the sentence, shipping me off to Earth along with other prisoners who had been banished from their own worlds.”
“Damn,” Lu Han swore. “I didn’t think the Tribunal would be so hasty.”
Minseok let out a sigh of relief. Lu Han, at least, seemed to believe him. No one else had. “There’s a rumor that Woojin’s grandfather had some influence with the Tribunal. I don’t doubt that he would have petitioned for me to be executed, but Tribunal law stopped him.”
Lu Han nodded in agreement. After a moment, he gave Minseok a thoughtful look. “Dalbin.”
Minseok stared at him. “What?”
“I’m thinking you could go to Dalbin. It’s a nice pleasure planet, two sectors away in the opposite direction from Xeia.” Lu Han tapped his finger against his chin, looking at Minseok’s clothes critically. “You might need a new wardrobe, though. This just makes you look like a farmer.”
“What are you talking about, Lu Han?” Minseok demanded.
“Why, escaping from this place, of course.” Lu Han flashed him a conspiratorial grin. “And the Tribunal of course. They won’t be able to find you there, and even if they did, Dalbin doesn’t have an extradition treaty with any governments within the system. If you give me a day, I can have a whole new identity for you and get you out of this pit and off the planet straight away--” he broke off, glancing sharply over Minseok’s shoulder.
Minseok turned around, following his gaze, and found himself staring at Baekhyun. He was standing at the doorway looking as white as sheet, his face a mixture of emotions that flickered between confusion, anger and, worst of all, disappointment.
“Baekhyun--” Minseok’s heart was pounding wildly in his ears. He hadn’t been paying attention. When had Baekhyun returned? How much had he heard?
“D-don’t.” Baekhyun flinched away sharply when Minseok began to move forward, about to reach out for him. “Please-- don’t.”
Minseok took a step back, holding his hands up. “I can explain--”
“With more lies?” Minseok flinched, as if he had been struck. “You said you couldn’t remember much about your past. That you didn’t know where you came from.” Baekhyun’s voice shook. He looked furious, and hurt. “And you’ve killed people. You’ve been lying to us-- to me, this entire time. What makes you think I’ll believe you now?” He craned his neck, glancing over Minseok’s shoulder. Minseok realized that he was trying to look at Lu Han. “And who is-- what the hell is that?”
Minseok felt a prickling sensation against his skin and he whirled around - but it was too late.
Several objects floated in the air, spinning around lazily, held up by Lu Han’s ability.
* * *
“Baekhyun, wait!”
Ignoring Minseok’s shout, Baekhyun ran up the corridor and past the other doors. He had to get out, to escape.
He couldn’t believe what he had just seen. The items belonging to his grandfather, floating in the air. The old timepiece, spinning round and round. The marbles, making slow lazy loops, held by nothing. Impossible things, things that existed only in dreams and stories, but he had seen them.
Questions ran through his mind endlessly. Who had that man been? How had he entered the colony? The only direct way in from the Outside would lead past the square, and Joonmyun would have seen him immediately. He wouldn’t have allowed a stranger to stroll in unaccompanied like that.
He ducked into a small alcove, twisting his body to squeeze into the narrow space until he found himself in the same tunnel that led to the ledge he had brought Minseok to the other night. Fumbling with the lightstone that he kept on him, he used it to illuminate the way. Here, he would be safe. He needed time to think. He couldn’t face Minseok now, not after what he had heard.
Minseok had no intention of staying here.
Baekhyun’s chest hurt. His eyes stung, and he angrily wiped away the tears. He had let himself be fooled into thinking that Minseok cared about him. The tenderness he had shown Baekhyun had been all an act - and Baekhyun, stupidly, had believed all of it. He did not care for Baekhyun. He would leave, and Baekhyun would be alone.
If there was one thing Baekhyun feared more than anything else, it was to be left alone. He had lost all of his family, and felt that emptiness for so long - and Minseok had filled that empty space in his heart. He had fallen in love with Minseok, fallen hard and given his heart to him - and now Minseok would leave, taking it with him.
Baekhyun stumbled, and fell. His knee scraped against the rocks, his palms landed on the ground - but he felt nothing. He was numb all over. He loved Minseok, and Minseok-- it was clear that Minseok did not feel the same way.
He stumbled again. This time, it jolted him out of his dazed state, and Baekhyun realized that he hadn’t fallen out of clumsiness. He reached out cautiously, placing his hand on the nearest surface, which was the wall.
It was trembling.
Baekhyun snatched his hand away. He tried to get to his feet, but he found that he couldn’t keep his balance. The ground was shuddering now, and every step he took brought him to his knees.
A loud crack pierced through the air, echoing around him. Startled, Baekhyun dropped the lightstone he had been holding - then the ground opened up, and he fell towards the darkness.
* * *
Minseok turned to face Lu Han, a mixture of emotions churning inside his gut. He gave Lu Han a withering stare. “Thanks for that,” he said sourly. “Now he’s going to run off to the leader of the colony and tell him everything.”
“Why worry about that?” There was nothing spinning in the air any longer, although Minseok noticed that Lu Han now held a book in his hands, flicking idly through the pages. It was one of the journals Minseok had been in the middle of reading, that had been filled with entries penned by Kihyun, Baekhyun’s great-grandfather. Minseok had left it out here last night. “It’s not as if you’re planning on staying here anyway.”
Minseok said nothing. The silence dragged on for several seconds, and he watched as the realization dawned on Lu Han face, before he lifted his head up at Minseok sharply.
“You’re actually staying,” he said, voice filled with disbelief. “Minseok, you know they’ll find you here easily. Chanyeol’s not the only other bounty hunter the Syndicate would have called in.”
“What are my options, Lu Han?” Minseok demanded. “Go back, and let the Tribunal decide where else to dump me? Or worse, decide to just execute me?”
“The laws--”
“The laws were written by the Tribunal. They can change them again--”
Minseok laughed humorlessly. “Have you ever heard of them changing it?”
Lu Han looked troubled. “I hear your words, Minseok. But what if it were possible? Would you leave, right now, with me?”
Minseok studied the expression on his face. It was like they were back at the Academy again, young boys dreaming of adventures across the universe. Lu Han’s face was hopeful, eager.
He shook his head. Lu Han’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Lu Han.” Minseok felt a twinge of guilt. He never imagined it would come to this, to him having to choose between two worlds.
He knew clearly which one he would choose. Baekhyun had saved him once, by pulling him out of the tunnels - and he had saved Minseok again by pulling him out of despair after being sent away from his home. In the time that they had spent together, Minseok had fallen for the other man - and it was ironic that he was only realizing it now, when he had caused Baekhyun to lose his trust in him.
Baekhyun. Why was Minseok still here, when he should be looking for him, to explain things to him? He needed to set things right again, even if it meant revealing everything to Baekhyun.
And that Minseok would not - could not - leave him.
He straightened up. “I have to go after him.”
“Wait.” Lu Han gripped Minseok’s arm and stopped him in his tracks. “There’s something else you need to know.”
“Lu Han, I have to go--”
“Will you at least let me finish?” Lu Han demanded. Minseok stayed quiet, and reluctantly nodded. “You asked me earlier how I found you. Our sensors picked up traces of the prison transport on the surface of the planet. We combed through the area, but still couldn’t find you.” He paused. “Until we found your frost patterns.”
Minseok took a step back, pulling away from Lu Han’s grip. “That’s not possible.” His ability was gone. Lu Han’s words made no sense. “I told you, Woojin--”
“I read the reports, Minseok. I know you said Woojin stole your ability, and there was no trace of it on him or on you when they found you both.” Lu Han’s brow was furrowed. “Yet how is it possible that I can sense it from you at this very moment?”
“That’s… that can’t be right.” Woojin had taken everything from him before he had died. It was impossible. Their abilities couldn’t regenerate. Something else Lu Han had said registered in his mind. “What do you mean, when you say you can ‘sense’ it?”
Lu Han’s face had gone pale, as if he had realized his slip.
“Lu Han?” Minseok stepped closer. “What aren’t you telling me?”
The other man closed his eyes. “Damn. I wasn’t… I wasn’t supposed to let you know. Not this way.”
“Let me know what?”
Lu Han opened his eyes. He held Minseok’s gaze for several long moments,before he finally spoke. “Remember how we used to play hide-and-seek, back at the Academy? When we had to close our eyes and then search for each other, back in the towers?”
“I hated that game,” Minseok remarked a little bitterly. “What about it?”
“That’s because you never won. But I never told you why.” Lu Han took a deep breath. “I’m... I’m a Class-4 Sensitive.” Sensitives, or empaths, were uncommon within the Academy. Anyone found with such a gift wouldn’t have been placed in the same classes as the other trainees - they would have been pulled out from those, briefed carefully and sent spaceside to another facility for special training. A Class-1 would be able to detect changes in emotions; Class-4’s would be able to sense anyone with an ability.
“That’s why the Syndicate contacted me. They knew I would be able to find anyone here. It took me some time to sense you, but I haven’t been able to find the other prisoner yet.” Lu Han looked at Minseok, who hadn’t spoken a word the entire time that Lu Han had been talking. “I didn’t want anyone finding out. My family didn’t know either, and I was afraid that if I told you, you would stop treating me as your friend--” He grunted in surprise and staggered back, his hand rubbing his jaw. “Minseok, what the hell?”
“That’s for not trusting me to cover your back, you asshole.” Minseok massaged his knuckles, where it still hurt from the punch he had thrown. “Twelve years as my oath-brother. You could have said something.” His temper began to fade when he realized what he had done, and he let his arms drop to his sides with a heavy sigh.
Lu Han looked at him, the shock still on his face. He was still rubbing at the spot where Minseok’s fist had landed. “I guess I deserved that,” he admitted, after a moment. Then, he let out a snort of amusement. “Although, considering the fact that you’ve been keeping secrets here yourself, that’s a little ironic.”
Minseok’s face sobered. “Lu Han, I still can’t sense my ability. I would have known if it had resurfaced. You must have been mistaken.”
“Then how do you explain the frost?” Lu Han demanded. “Even now, standing in front of you, it’s there. It’s not as strong as I remembered, but I can sense it, simmering somewhere within, trying to wake up. Like it’s been asleep all this while.”
Minseok wanted to argue, to tell him that it was impossible - that Minseok had tried and tried and he hadn’t been able to bring his ability back. But he remembered the night out on the ledge, when the air had seemed like ice, and he recalled the moment when he had been struck by the burning cold today.
“It’s not just you,” Lu Han continued. “This place… this colony that we’re in, I can sense it all around us.”
“What are you talking about? They’re all humans, Lu Han. No human can control so much power.”
“I’m telling you, it’s here. Not as strong as what a first-year trainee would display, but enough for me to feel it. Even that man that you were about to run after--”
“Baekhyun.” Minseok realized what Lu Han was insinuating. “Baekhyun? But, he can’t be--” he started to say, but then he stopped, his eyes widening.
The earth was trembling beneath their feet.
By the time they had made their way to the centre of the colony, the ground had stopped shaking. In the distance, however, they could still hear the occasional rumbling in the distance, like approaching thunder.
The colony was in chaos. All around them, people were in panic. Some were huddled against the walls, frozen in fear. Some had their eyes closed, muttering prayers under their breaths. Others were being holding whatever valuables they had, moving in droves towards the main gates.
Minseok found Jongdae near the clock tower trying to direct people to safety, and he grabbed his arm quickly. “Jongdae! What’s going on? What’s happening to the colony?”
“Tremors,” Jongdae said shortly, before turning around to shout at someone. “Keep them moving in a straight line!” He turned back to Minseok. “They’ve been recurring more frequently, though none as bad as the earthquake that happened ten years ago. Joonmyun doesn’t like to take chances though, so he came up with a safety plan whenever the tremors happen.”
Earthquake. Tremors. Minseok felt the grip of fear on his throat, remembering Baekhyun’s story. “Where’s Baekhyun?”
Jongdae gave him a startled look. “I haven’t seen him since you both left earlier,” he said. “Isn’t he with you?”
Minseok shook his head. Realizing that he still held onto Jongdae’s arm, he released him quickly. “Where is everyone headed towards?” Perhaps Baekhyun was in middle of the crowd. He could still be safe.
“Everyone’s being moved to the safezone on the other side of the colony, where the greenhouses are. The area is the most secure place underground, and the walls were reinforced to keep the rocky surface from breaking apart. You should go there too--” his words trailed off, and his eyes widened. He took a step back, and pointed at Lu Han in shock. “How the hell did he get in here?”
That was not a reaction he had expected. Minseok looked at Lu Han, and then back at Jongdae, whose face had gone white. For the first time since meeting Jongdae, Minseok realized he looked frightened.
Lu Han was grinning. “Of all the places for you to hide in, Jongdae. Must be my lucky day.”
Minseok turned towards him, staring. “Wait, you know him?” he demanded.
“Him?” Lu Han gestured at Jongdae. “He’s got a bounty of a hundred thousand credits just for his head.” He shrugged. “Might be more for the rest of him, but the Syndicate’s not usually picky about these things.” Jongdae, Minseok noticed, had turned paler.
“Lu Han, now’s probably not the best time to be discussing about heads when the damn colony is about to fall on us,” Minseok told him quietly, although most of it was through gritted teeth.
“Right,” Lu Han said, not sounding even a little chastised. “Find your boyfriend first, then catch interplanetary thieves.” He craned his neck, and groaned. “Damn it, the little rat’s escaped.”
“What?” Minseok turned back and found that, true to his word, Jongdae had vanished.
Hours later, there was still no sign of Baekhyun, although the shaking seemed to have stopped completely. When he had determined that it was safe, Joonmyun issued an order for everyone to return to their homes, with an added note to keep away from the streets for the time being.
Minseok had ignored his orders, and tried searching for Baekhyun all around the colony. He wasn’t at his store, nor was he at Jongdae’s clinic or workshop. The doctor himself was missing too, and no one had seen him either.
With each passing second, Minseok found himself growing more worried. He paced around the floor in his room, trying to think of where Baekhyun could be. Lu Han was slumped in his seat by the wall, lazily reading another old journal.
“Baekhyun’s great-grandfather must have been a genius,” Lu Han remarked, sounding excited. “Half of the building plans he had for the colony were accompanied by calculations that are beyond what I’ve seen before. I didn’t think the human race had even been capable of reaching such levels of complexity.” He turned a page. “I wonder if I could borrow one of these. I could run them through the Skylark’s mainframe --”
“No,” Minseok responded flatly. “You’re not taking anything from this place. And, for that matter, neither am I leaving with you.” Lu Han had spent the last few hours trying to convince Minseok to leave the colony and board his ship, which was apparently still in orbit.
Lu Han sighed. “Why are you so stubborn?” he grumbled. “If Baekhyun really cared, he wouldn’t be avoiding you right now.”
“He’s not avoiding me,” Minseok snapped. Lu Han’s words stung. “Something must have happened to him.” He stood up abruptly. “I can’t keep waiting like this. You stay here. I’m going to look for him.”
“And let you out of my sight again, after trying to hunt you down?” Lu Han closed the book, placing it back on the shelves. “I’m coming with you," he started to say, but Minseok was already striding out the door.
By the time Lu Han had caught up with him, Minseok was standing in front of Joonmyun’s door. He pounded on it, calling out Joonmyun’s name. No answer. When it became evident that Joonmyun wasn’t home, Minseok turned around and slumped back against the wall, letting out a frustrated sound.
“What’s going on?” Minseok looked up and found Joonmyun standing in front of him, a curious expression on his face. “Why aren’t you with Baekhyun, Minseok?”
“I’m trying to look for him,” Minseok said. “We fought and he ran off, just before the ground started shaking.”
“He’s missing?” Joonmyun asked, sounding alarmed. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“I-- I wasn’t sure at first. I tried looking for him everywhere but I can’t find him.”
Joonmyun’s expression grew more worried. “This is bad. Even Jongdae’s missing now, and I can’t seem to figure why.”
Lu Han snorted, muttering something about a ‘sneaky rat’ underneath his breath. Minseok stepped on his foot to warn him.
Unfortunately, Joonmyun saw the movement, and realized that there was someone else there with Minseok. Someone whom he didn’t recognize, who definitely did not look like he belonged in the colony.
“Who are you?” Joonmyun asked sharply. “Minseok, who’s this?”
Minseok sighed. “This is Lu Han. Lu Han, Joonmyun is the colony leader. Be nice to him,” he said shortly.
Lu Han raised his eyebrows at Minseok. “This planet has changed you. Jokes? From you? You never used to be like this on Xeia.”
“Xeia?” Joonmyun looked at both of them in confusion, as Minseok groaned. “Is that your colony?”
“It’s a planet on the other side of the system,” Jongdae spoke up, suddenly. He stepped out of the shadows from where he had been hiding. Minseok noticed that he had a knapsack with him, and he was dressed in an odd assortment of clothes, complete with a pair of leather boots and gloves. The combination looked nothing like the simple clothes he had been wearing in the colony.
Joonmyun’s eyes grew wide. “Jongdae, where were you? Why are you dressed like that?”
“I’m leaving the colony, Joonmyun.” Jongdae’s expression was conflicted. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a choice. I can’t stay here any longer.”
“But… why?”
“Because he’s not one of you,” Lu Han responded, just as Jongdae opened his mouth to speak. “He’s a thief who’s wanted by his own government on another planet, and he thinks I’m here to take him back.”
Minseok expected Joonmyun to act shocked by the news, but instead, he narrowed his eyes and whirled around to face Lu Han.
“I know that,” Joonmyun snapped. “I know all about where he came from, and what he did. It doesn’t matter to me what he used to be - he’s just a part of our colony as anyone else here.” Joonmyun advanced on him, and reached out to shove his finger against Lu Han’s chest, forcing him to step back in surprise. “Jongdae is our doctor. He’s not a thief, do you hear me? You’re not going to take him away from us. If you try--” Minseok caught sight of the storm in Joonmyun’s usually calm eyes --”I will stop you.”
Lu Han’s eyes widened. So did Minseok, who had never seen calm Joonmyun react with such fierceness.
“Well, that’s one way to confess to a guy,” Jongdae remarked, breaking the silence in the end. “I didn’t think you felt that way, Leader.”
Joonmyun’s face was bright red by the time he was done. “I--I-- that’s not what I meant!”
“I’m flattered, by the way.” Jongdae’s grin grew wider, as Joonmyun continued sputtering. “Although the idea of you fighting with a mercenary sounds wonderfully heroic--”
“Bounty hunter,” Lu Han corrected, giving the both of them a reassuring look. “Also I’m not going to try to take anyone away, so calm down. I’m here to help Minseok,” he said. “And right now, we need your help to find Baekhyun.”
“There aren’t that many places to hide in the colony,” Joonmyun told him. “Everyone knows everyone here. Someone would have mentioned seeing him by now.”
“Could he have gone to the Outside?”
“Not by himself. The main way out needs two people to open the gates. He wouldn’t have been able to do it on his own.”
“What about the old tunnels?” Jongdae asked, looking at Joonmyun. “You told me before that when you first came to the colony, you found another tunnel that led out of here.”
Minseok looked at him in surprise. “You were from the Outside?” he asked, quietly.
“It’s not really a secret,” Joonmyun said defensively. “It was Baekhyun’s parents who brought my family into the colony when I was ten.” He swallowed. “My parents were lost with them in the tunnels.” Minseok felt a surge of sympathy, remembering how hard it had been for Baekhyun when that had happened. He hadn’t realized Joonmyun had been through the same ordeal too. “That’s why no one’s allowed into those tunnels, Minseok. They’re not stable enough. We’ve tried mapping them over the years, but it takes time.”
“Baekhyun knows them though,” Minseok said, suddenly. He remembered Baekhyun’s confidence when he had told Minseok about the tunnels and how he had used them to explore the mountain range. “He’s been using them for years.”
Joonmyun and Jongdae stared at him. “How?”
“He-- he didn’t say. But I went with him into one of them, and we were… we were on the Outside.” There had been other tunnels too, leading away from the colony, but Baekhyun had pulled him past the openings and told him that those didn’t lead to the top.
A thought struck him. The ledge. Baekhyun had said that he would go there when he needed to get away. What if the tunnels had fallen in? What if Baekhyun was trapped up there, with no way back?
“I know where he is,” Minseok blurted out. “At least, I think I know where it is, but I need help lighting the way.”
“We’ll go with you,” Joonmyun said quickly. “Jongdae can get the lamps and we can use those to search the tunnels.”
Minseok remembered the way back to the same tunnel that Baekhyun had led him from, although it felt odd to be going into them without Baekhyun’s presence. Joonmyun was right behind him, along with Lu Han, while Jongdae kept a safe distance from Lu Han while trying to keep up.
Suddenly, Minseok stopped, holding up his hand. The others followed suit. Ahead of him, the path had split into two.
“Which one, Minseok?” Joonmyun asked.
“I can’t remember,” Minseok said. He tried to recall when they had returned, when Baekhyun had been pulling him along, his hand warm in Minseok’s grip. Minseok hadn’t been paying attention then. “Damn, damn--”
“Wait,” Lu Han called out. “I think I found something.” They hurried over towards where he was standing, looking down at something he had picked up from the ground.
It was one of Baekhyun’s lightstones.
Minseok took it from him, his hand trembling. It was still glowing, although the light was faint, but it was proof that Baekhyun had been here recently.
He looked up. They were standing almost inside one of the tunnels. He raised his lamp, and the light fell onto the rubble that covered the entire opening.
I used to be afraid of the dark, Baekhyun had said.
The lightstone was here, on this side, and Baekhyun wasn’t.
“Shit,” he heard Jongdae swore. “Baekhyun. He can’t be--”
“He’s still alive,” Minseok cut in. “He wouldn’t have let himself be trapped like this.” He had to stay alive, for Minseok.
“Where does this lead to?” Lu Han asked Joonmyun, looking curious.
Joonmyun took a deep breath, before he answered, “The tunnel leads directly to Carcere, the prison colony.”
Chapter 6