Seasons

[his_angel16]

Title: Seasons
Author: his_angel16
Pairing: Kyungsoo/Joonmyeon, Yixing/Kris, Baekhyun/Jongin, Sehun/Tao, Minseok/Luhan, Chanyeol/Jongdae
Genre: Fantasy, Angst, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own the plot, not the people. Any actual likeness to any given person is purely coincidental.
Summary: The tense atmosphere accompanied by a surprise attack finally makes Kyungsoo crack. He doesn't want to do this anymore. But more than that, he doesn't want to control the earth. Earth means stability, of always being secure in everything you do. And that is not him.
A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update this. And it's all over the place, so I apologize beforehand for it. I'm not even sure what this is... >.<



It's been two weeks of agonizing conversations and exhausted attempts to get Jongdae to open up. Kyungsoo has tried so relentlessly to get him to even crack a small smile, but failed every time. Jongin had gone back for Chanyeol's body, Kris and Yixing having gone with him. They didn’t want to bring it back to the house. They took it somewhere else, somewhere Jongdae couldn't see it. They weren’t going to have the funeral right away, Kris having opposed to it the moment the word fell from Joonmyeon's lips. Kyungsoo understood, not wanting to let go of someone, of anything, that you felt was a part of your family. What he didn’t understand, was the distant look in their eyes. Yixing seemed to smile a little more, not as forced as the first couple he tossed out just to humor the rest of them. Kris, however, seemed more distracted lately, always having his phone in his hand, messaging someone. He thought Yixing would mind, but he didn’t. It was as if he chose to ignore the entire exchange. Jongin seemed jumpier than usual. He shrieked when Baekhyun tried to hold his hand one night while they were watching television. It didn’t mean anything to anyone else, but Kyungsoo figured no one else seemed to notice. They were all too engrossed in their own worlds.
  Sehun became increasingly distant, too, but Kyungsoo supposed it was from Jongdae's telling him to go away that first night. He tried telling the younger not to take it to heart, that Jongdae would be okay after time passed, but he had gotten a sad smile and a small shake of his head. It didn’t make much sense, but Kyungsoo kept trying to get Jongdae to speak to him, or even Joonmyeon, about what he was feeling. He had blocked Luhan out of his mind completely, too, so even their last resort had fallen through.
  “All he does is sit in their room, staring at Chanyeol's bed,” Joonmyeon stated. He looked tired, much older than his twenty-two years.
  “He's being a baby,” Baekhyun snapped, arms crossed. He had taken the news just as hard as Jongdae, but he seemed to snap out of it quicker. Kyungsoo knew better, having heard the elder sobbing in the corner of the library one night.
  “Be nice.” Joonmyeon raked his hands through his hair, leaning on his elbows. “How would you feel if Jongin died because of you?”
  Kyungsoo frowned at Baekhyun's wince, knowing Joonmyeon struck a nerve. “That wasn't very nice,” he whispered, voice only loud enough for the elder to hear. He cleared his throat, looking over at Sehun as he entered the room. “Sehun, are you hungry? I can make you something.”
  “I'm not hungry,” Sehun replied. He spent as little time as possible in the house, having gotten a job despite everyone's protests. He was dressed in khakis and a polo, apron folded neatly and tucked into his back pocket. “I'll be leaving soon for work. And I'll be late tonight, so don't wait up for me.” Sehun grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, turning and tensing a little before relaxing. “Hyung,” he greeted, moving passed Jongdae toward the living room.
  “Would you like something to eat?” Kyungsoo was on his feet in no time at all, approaching Jongdae cautiously.
  Jongdae shook his head. “No, just something to drink,” he mumbled, moving toward the fridge.
  Smiling slightly, Kyungsoo pointed to the empty chair next to the one he vacated. “Sit down. I'll get you something.” He was more than a little surprised when the elder nodded, shuffling forward to sit at the table. Kyungsoo quickly got him a mug of hot tea, setting it down in front of him before taking his own seat again. “Let me know if you get hungry. I'll make you something.”
  Nodding again, Jongdae gripped the mug with both hands. It was warm, almost too warm, against his cold palms. He didn’t join in their conversation, having zoned out during most of it, but something red caught his eye. It was resting against a black shirt, dangling around Baekhyun's neck, mocking him. “Will you tuck that into your shirt?” Jongdae was staring at it, eyes glued to the ruby even when the other clasped his hand around it.
  “Why should I?” Baekhyun shot back, frowning. “It's my memento of Chanyeol. I shouldn't have to tuck it in just because you can't accept the fact that he's gone.”
  “Baekhyun, just tuck it in.” Joonmyeon gave him a pleading look.
  “No.” Baekhyun glared at the elder, releasing the ruby from his hand. It bounced against his shirt, catching the light and reflecting it. “I'm done babying Jongdae. I miss him, too. I miss him just as much as Jongdae does. Why the hell is everyone still walking on eggshells around him?” He turned his glare on Jongdae, finding a blank expression on his face. “All you do is mope around. If it weren’t for you, Chanyeol would still be here!”
  “Baekhyun!” Kyungsoo growled, standing up. His chair fell back in the process, clattering to the floor and drawing Kris and Yixing to the room. “Apologize right now!”
  “Why the hell should I?” Baekhyun growled low in his throat. “Jongdae is worthless. He hasn't even mentioned his name in two weeks and I’m tired of him playing the martyr.” He felt his eyes sting, but he blinked back his tears as he turned his eyes back to Jongdae. “It's all your fault, you bastard!”
  Jongdae didn’t even hesitate. He dove across the table, knocking the plates of food and glasses to the floor, one hand clutching Baekhyun by the shirt while the other tangled into his hair. They fell to the floor, Jongdae pulling his arm back just to punch Baekhyun across the face. Everything was quiet around them until they saw Jongdae's fist spark with lightning, ready to strike Baekhyun again.
  “Whoa! Calm down!” Kris shouted, running forward. But it wasn't him that was able to stop the younger, it was Kyungsoo.
  Vines shot through the windows of the kitchen, snaking through the air to wrap around Jongdae's frame, prying him off of Baekhyun. He growled the entire time, eyes rimmed with red. Kyungsoo stepped between them, frowning at the elder before looking down at Baekhyun. “You shouldn't have said that, Baekhyun hyung,” he stated. “Hyung already felt really bad about all of it. You didn’t need to make things worse.” He turned to Jongdae, pursing his lips. “Let's go blow off some steam, hyung.”
  Merely growling in response, Jongdae kept his eyes fixed on Baekhyun. “Fuck off, Kyungsoo. This is between me and him.” He pulled at the vines around his wrists, snarling when they didn’t give as easily as he hoped. He bit down on one instead, tearing it with his teeth. He vaguely heard Kyungsoo sigh, but he didn’t care. He was going to get even. Baekhyun was out of line and he was going to do something about it. The first of the vines fell to the floor and Jongdae smirked, one arm free.
  “Baek, apologize to Jongdae,” Yixing said, frowning. He didn’t like where this was going. He feared one of them would end up seriously injured, or dead. That was when it clicked in Yixing's mind. He turned to Kris, frowning. “Shouldn't we tell them?”
  “We can't, Yixing. It's not the right time.” Kris looked at Baekhyun. “Just apologize to him.”
  “No!” Baekhyun pushed himself up, growling back at Jongdae. “He isn't the only one that's missed Chanyeol. He isn't the only one that loved him!” His tears were falling now, staining his face. “He was my brother, dammit! What gives him the right to miss him more than me?!” His hands lit up with blinding light. “Come at me, Jongdae, without holding back. Because I’m not going to show you any mercy!”
  Kris looked away when Baekhyun ran toward Jongdae, eyes wild. “Get Minseok in here.” Yixing nodded, hurrying away to find the elder. He could help Kyungsoo restrain the two until they could talk things out and be civil.
  Jongdae's hand sparked again, the lightning shooting out toward Baekhyun. He managed to dodge a lot of the bolts, only being grazed by one of the smaller ones. It made his leg go numb, successfully dropping him to his knees. He glared at Jongdae as he watched lightning spiral around him, zapping the vines. He dropped to his feet, both hands sparking as he approached the other. Joonmyeon sighed next to Kyungsoo, upset that he couldn't do anything. Water was no match for lightning and he wasn't about to give Jongdae a conductor. Baekhyun was trembling, but they didn’t think it was out of fear. He was angry; at Jongdae, at himself, at everything. He waited until Jongdae was close before he threw his hands up, shutting his own eyes. The light blinded everyone in the room, filtering outside through the broken windows. It gleamed off of the splintered shards on the floor before it died down. Smirking, Baekhyun lunged at Jongdae while he was still unable to see. He knocked him to the floor, both trying to pin the other down.
  Minseok arrived with Yixing panting behind him. He frowned, walking into the room. Kyungsoo was the first to regain his sight. He joined the eldest beside the two struggling on the floor. “I'll get Baekhyun, you get Jongdae,” Minseok ordered. He grabbed the younger by his arms, pulling him off of Jongdae easily.
  Kyungsoo tackled Jongdae back to the floor as he tried to get up, hands alive with lightning. He braced himself, knowing full well that the elder didn’t care who he hurt as long as someone else felt pain. He felt the surge of lightning leave Jongdae's body, but he wasn't prepared to feel the hatred, the venom, with it. He kept his arms firmly around his hyung, tears burning his eyes.
  “I'm sorry, hyung,” he whispered, hands twisting into the fabric of the elder's shirt. He closed his eyes when he felt the first sob shudder through Jongdae's frame. “I'm sorry. I didn’t know you were feeling so bad, so...so lost.” He looked up at Minseok, finding he had ice wrapped around Baekhyun's wrists, holding them together like a frozen pair of shackles. “Take Baekhyun to his room. I want to talk to him later.”
  Minseok nodded, turning to poke Baekhyun in the middle of his back. The younger frowned, nodding once before trudging off toward the living room, going up the staircase toward his shared room with Jongin. Yixing followed to heal his wounds as Joonmyeon and Kris came toward Kyungsoo and Jongdae. Joonmyeon sighed once he saw how tightly Jongdae was holding onto Kyungsoo, as if he needed something to keep him grounded. How fitting, he thought to himself, lips curved in a small smile. Jongdae, wielder of lightning, needs Kyungsoo, the earthen prince, to keep him grounded. Joonmyeon blushed when he heard someone cough behind them. Finding Luhan with his cheeks dusted pink, his own face flushed at realizing Luhan had been listening for stray thoughts.
  “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” he started, cheeks still pink. “I was just hoping Jongdae's mind wasn't closed off since he used up a lot of energy.”
  Joonmyeon waved him off, a little too quickly, causing Kris to raise a brow at them. Offering the elder a sheepish grin, he turned quickly to start cleaning up the mess the two younger caused from their fight. He frowned, picking up a plate. “They nearly destroyed my house,” he whined, staring at his reflection in the cracked surface. “Keep them away from each other for a little while.”
  Kyungsoo finally pulled away from Jongdae, finding his eyes red and puffy, tears drying on his face. “Hyung, you should go lie down. I’m going to go speak with Baekhyun.”
  Jongdae shook his head. “Don't leave me,” he whispered, voice broken. He sniffled, hands fisting into the younger's shirt as he slowly shook his head. “D-don't leave me, Kyungsoo.”
  Sighing, he nodded, knowing that he couldn't leave Jongdae's side for now. “I won't leave you. We've been through a lot together, huh?”
  Kris jumped when his phone went off, the beeps loud in the quiet kitchen. “S-sorry,” he muttered, placing the phone to his ear. “What's wrong?” He sighed when he got a response, a low voice coming over the speaker. It was muddled, but Kyungsoo felt as if they had heard it before. “I'll be right there. Yeah, I'll bring Jongin along, too.” He pocketed his phone, pointing to the door. “I have somewhere I need to be for a little bit. I'll be back later.” He hurried from the room, shrieking as he caught sight of Jongin, leaning against the wall.
  “Hyung, you have got to stop doing that,” Jongin said, voice teasing. “Come on. I assume he wants some company.” He didn’t wait for the elder to reply, taking his hand and vanishing from the hallway, leaving smoke behind in their place. Popping from one place to the next, Jongin was used to it, even now after being away from Kihwan and not running from Tao anymore. Kris was still getting used to it, though, and it made Jongin chuckle every time the elder's hand would tighten around his. Pulling his hand free, he flexed his fingers in mock hurt, watching as Kris’s forehead creased with worry. “Dude, you fly. Why is teleporting so scary to you?”
  “When I fly, I can see where I’m going,” Kris replied, opening the door. They always appeared on the roof, never on the ground. It was only a matter of time before someone shouted aliens and had the government there to investigate. Pursing his lips, he led Jongin down the flight of stairs to the middle floor. Walking down the corridor, he pushed open the apartment door, finding pizza boxes and various other take-out containers spread all over the place.
  “Hyung!” Chanyeol boomed cheerfully before launching himself at Kris. He nearly knocked the elder over, Kris’s back smacking into the wall. Jongin had stepped out of the way, grimacing when Chanyeol reached out to hug him, too. “I've missed you!”
  “Oh yeah? I haven't noticed.” Kris offered him a smile when he pulled away, arm still wrapped around Jongin's neck. “You need to clean.”
  Pouting, Chanyeol wrapped his other arm around Jongin, squishing the younger to himself. “I've had to live off of pizza and noodles and all you tell me is I need to clean. I’m offended, hyung.”
  “And I’m being strangled!” Jongin dug his nails into Chanyeol's arm, the elder yelping before shoving him away. Fixing his shirt, Jongin looked at him, expression serious. “Chanyeol hyung, I know you don't really remember anyone but Kris hyung, but you have to come back.”
  Chanyeol frowned. “I can't go back. You told me that there's twelve of us, right? Then why do I only remember Kris hyung?”
  “You still can't remember anyone else?” Kris knelt down, piling empty pizza boxes on top of each other. “Have you looked at the photos I sent you?” When the younger nodded, Kris sighed. “I wonder why you still can't remember anything. It's been two weeks since-” He dropped his sentence, glancing up to see the pained expression on Chanyeol's face already in place. “Sorry.”
  “It's okay.” Chanyeol kicked his shoe against the floor, hands in his pockets. “It's not every day that you can come back from the dead.” He moved to sit on his couch, Jongin going with him as Kris continued to clean. “Are you certain this was our apartment when I was fourteen? I don't really remember it, either.”
  “Yeah, we lived here. You, me, and Baekhyun.” Kris set the boxes on the counter, turning to look at Chanyeol. “Speaking of Baekhyun, he got into a pretty bad fight today with one of the others.”
  Jongin plopped down next to Chanyeol on the couch, bottom lip jutted out in a pout. “Why is this the first I’m hearing of it?” He turned accusing eyes on Kris. “Who did he fight with?”
  “Jongdae,” Kris deadpanned. He waited for the name to spark some recognition in Chanyeol, sighing when it didn’t. “They fought over something that was neither one's fault. Jongdae could have killed Baekhyun, but Kyungsoo managed to take more of the final blow.”
  “Remind me to kick Jongdae's ass later.” Jongin glanced sideways at Chanyeol, pursing his lips when he remained expressionless. The only proof he and Kris had that meant Chanyeol was at least trying to remember were the creases in his forehead.
   “I wonder if Luhan would be able to figure out what's going on in your head.” Kris looked at Jongin. “Go get Luhan, please. We'll fill him in once he's hear. I don't want anyone else knowing that Chanyeol is alive.”
  Jongin nodded, disappearing for a brief moment only to reappear with a startled Luhan next to him. He blinked in the room, eyes falling on Chanyeol sitting on the couch, eyeing him wearily. “Ch-Chanyeol?!” Luhan screeched, voice rising in octaves. “But you...! A-and Jongdae. Then Baekhyun...!” Luhan failed at forming a coherent sentence, spluttering like a fool.
  “Calm down, Luhan,” Kris said, drawing attention to himself. “Yixing, Jongin, and I found him alive two weeks ago when we went back for him. I’ve been in constant contact with him since he woke up, but he doesn't really remember anything.”
  “Or anyone,” Jongin added. “Except he remember Kris hyung.”
  Luhan blinked again, waiting for Chanyeol to disappear from before his eyes like an apparition. But he doesn't. He's sitting there, staring back at Luhan like he's crazy. “How the hell are you alive?”
  Chanyeol shrugged, scratching at his head. “I don't really know. I don't remember anything from before two weeks ago. I remember growing up, my family, and other small things like that. But I don't really remember any of the people I met since turning fourteen.” He exhaled loudly, looking at Kris before turning his eyes back to Luhan. “And that was, what, seven years ago?”
  “You don't remember anyone but Kris?” Luhan looked between them, chewing on his lower lip as he tried to piece things together. “I understand why you wanted to keep this a secret.” He moved to sit on the coffee table in front of Chanyeol, crossing his arms over his chest. “I'm going to read your mind, see if I can find anything in there that you remember subconsciously.”
  “It's okay.” Kris gave Chanyeol a reassuring smile when the younger turned apprehensive eyes on him. “It doesn't hurt and you don't really feel anything either. Just try to relax. It'll make things easier for Luhan.”
  Luhan closed his eyes, trying to focus on just Chanyeol's mind. He frowned when all he was faced with was darkness, an empty hole where his memories should be. Opening his eyes, he looked at Kris. “It's just empty. We should take him back to where it happened. Maybe being there will make whatever barrier is up break.”
  “I don't feel good about it, but we'll try.” Kris looked at Jongin. “Let's take him to the alley.”
  Jongin grabbed Chanyeol's hand as Luhan and Kris took his other one. After making sure everyone was holding onto him, Jongin teleported them to the opening of the alley. He followed the others into it, staying behind Chanyeol while the elder two walked in front of him.
  “This is where it happened?” Luhan frowned, finding that there was a charred mark on the ground. “Is that what Jongdae did, back then?”
  “Yeah.” Kris stopped just short of where he was standing two weeks ago. “If this doesn't work, we'll recreate what happened. We'll blindfold Sehun, Kyungsoo, Joonmyeon, Tao, and Jongdae to keep Chanyeol's being alive a secret. Yixing can help us recreate the scene since he knows Chanyeol's back. Luhan, you and Jongin can play the parts of the guys responsible for this.”
  Jongin bristled. “Why do I have to be a bad guy?”
  “It would be to help Chanyeol remember everything.” Luhan looked to Kris. “Are we sure he even wants to remember? I mean, whenever a person develops amnesia, it's from the truth being too difficult to face. Maybe this was his subconscious telling him that he doesn't need to be a part of this whole thing. It's giving him a chance to walk away from fate.”
  “Wait,” Chanyeol mumbled, looking over at them. “You mean, there's more to all of this? I know I can control fire, and I obviously can come back from the dead, but what else is there?”
  “Kihwan,” Jongin supplied. “Kihwan is trying to kill all of us. And the only way for him to be defeated is if all twelve of us are there, standing and fighting together.” He ignored the look Kris shot him, walking to stand in front of Chanyeol. “I know him better than the rest, but Tao knows him better than I do. He's out to get all of us and it's only a matter of time before he does. We need you, Chanyeol. You have to remember all of us, remember how close you were to all of us. Remember Sehun and Tao; Joonmyeon and Kyungsoo; Yixing, Minseok, and Luhan. I don't really care if you remember me, I'm not exactly the best guy to know, but you have to remember Baekhyun and Jongdae. If you can't remember anyone else, at least remember the two most important people in your life.”
  “Hey!” Kris pouted, arms crossed. “Hurtful.”
  Jongin rolled his eyes. “Oh, get over it Kris hyung. You're only ranked numbed three in his life. Jongdae and Baekhyun have taken first and second. You just have to deal with it.”
  “Guys,” Luhan whispered, eyes glassy and vacant. He was staring at the other end of the alley, but that's not what he was seeing. “Kihwan is on the move. We have to get home now or things are going to end badly.” He blinked, eyes focusing on the three with him. “This is bad. Like, I wish my visions were wrong kind of bad.”
  “Do we have enough time to drop Chanyeol off at the apartment?” Kris frowned when Luhan was shaking his head before the words finished leaving his mouth.
  “We'll be too late if we make a detour. We have to take him with us.” He looked at Chanyeol, finding his shoulders tense. “Don't worry. You'll be fine.”
  Jongin took everyone's hands again, teleporting back to Joonmyeon's house. They were outside, staring at whatever was left of the structure. “What the hell?” Rubble and broken walls, shattered window panes and upturned furniture is what greeted them. “Is this possible? I mean, hyung, you just had the vision. Could this have happened so quickly?”
  “Kihwan is messing with us,” Kris muttered. “He knew Luhan would see an attack coming, so he did it sooner than he planned.”
  “Minseok!” Luhan called, voice ringing out. It echoed back to them and it sent chills through his body. “Minseok, where are you?” Luhan gasped when rocks shot straight up into the air. They remained suspended as people coughed, climbing over the broken remains of Joonmyeon's house. Minseok slid down a mound of rubble, looking up at Luhan.
  “Hey,” he greeted, reaching up to wipe the back of his hand on his cheek, dirt smearing across his skin. “We're okay. Kyungsoo saved us. That kid is really strong.” He looked over, eyes widening at seeing Chanyeol.
  “I'm not a kid,” Kyungsoo groaned. He crawled out before the others, flopping unceremoniously next to Minseok on the ground. He blinked, counting the pairs of shoes in front of him. One, two, three, four... He looked up, sitting up straight. “Chanyeol?”
  “Hi?” Chanyeol frowned, not knowing who he was speaking to. He thought back to the photo Kris showed him, recounting the names. Kyungsoo smiled, turning around to shout that Chanyeol was back, that he was alive, but Chanyeol cut him off, his words making his blood run cold. “You're Kyungsoo, right?”
  He turned back to the elder, eyes wider than usual. “What?” Kyungsoo looked at Jongin, finding him staring at the ground. He turned to Kris. “Hyung, what does he mean? What happened?”
  “Chanyeol is alive, by some miracle or another, but he doesn't remember anyone.” Kris tensed at seeing Baekhyun and Jongdae appear over the top of the rubble. “Oh, shit.”
  Kyungsoo felt his heart stop when he looked at Baekhyun and Jongdae. They weren’t on good terms with each other yet, but they wore identical looks of shock. They stumbled down the pile, Joonmyeon helping Tao and Yixing out of the hole in the ground. Thankfully Sehun had gone to work and hadn’t been home to be caught in Kihwan's outburst. They paused, Yixing out of guilt and the other two in surprise, before slipping down to the rest of them.
  “Chanyeol?” Baekhyun asked, voice trembling. “Is that really you?”
  Jongdae clutched at Baekhyun's hand when Chanyeol looked at them, lips set in a frown instead of his usual smile. “It's him, Baek, but something's off,” he murmured. His eyes were wide, boring into Chanyeol's. He could see his silhouette in them, standing next to Baekhyun. “How are you standing in front of us right now?”
  Chanyeol shrugged, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. “I was sort of dragged along by Kris hyung.” He looked at them, seeing the relief on their faces. Something felt familiar about both of them, but he didn’t remember anything about either of them. It bugged him, not being able to remember them. He seemed important to them.
  Baekhyun looked at Kris. “How did you find him? How is he here?”
  “When Jongin, Yixing, and I went back for his body, he was sitting up in the alley,” Kris informed them. “There was fire all around him, engulfing everything. Yixing said it was probably his awakened power, being released when he died.” Kris found it difficult to speak, nearly choking on his own words. “I've been talking to him for two weeks.”
  “That's what you three were hiding,” Kyungsoo accused, standing up. “You three knew he was alive and didn’t bother to tell any of us?”
  “You bastard!” Baekhyun cried, lunging at Chanyeol. He caused the other to stagger back a little, arms stiff as his hands gripped at Baekhyun's upper arms. “Do you even know what we went through? Jongdae and I, we were ready to kill each other because of you.” He sniffled, looking up. His entire body went cold at seeing how dull Chanyeol's eyes looked. He pulled back, eyes wide as the first tears spilled over. “What's wrong with him? Why isn't he happier to see us?”
  Jongin moved to Baekhyun's side, cupping his face and forcing him to look at him. “Baek, he doesn't remember anyone except Kris.”
  “What?” Baekhyun glanced at Chanyeol, finding the frown still on his face, the unrecognizable dullness in his eyes. “But, that's only temporary, right? He's going to remember us.” He looked back at Jongin, fear beginning to grip at him. “Right?”
  “I don't know.” Jongin couldn't avert his eyes. Baekhyun's bore into his own and he found himself captivated by them. “I really don't know if he'll remember any of us or not.”
  Baekhyun looked away, back at Chanyeol before lowering his eyes to the ground. “He might not remember any of us? But I was with him when Kris was.”
  Jongdae staggered forward, stopping in front of Chanyeol. “You really don't remember us, do you?”
  “No.” Chanyeol frowned seeing Jongdae wince. “Sorry?”
  Kyungsoo grasped Kris’s wrist, pulling him off to the side as Joonmyeon slid down the rubble to meet them. “Hey, isn't there anything we can do?”
  “I don't think so. We took him back to the alley it happened in, but nothing jogged his memory.” Kris sighed, kicking his shoe against the ground. He perked up, looking over his shoulder. “How exactly did you guys survive? Was all of this Kihwan's doing?”
  “We were all in the chamber.” Kyungsoo followed his gaze, eyes locking on the remnants of their home. “We heard shaking and before I could think, I used my power to take us underground. The entire chamber is about twelve feet below now.” He chewed on his lip, lost in his recent memories. “Joonmyeon had to snap me out of my trance, or we would be too far underground to come back.”
  “You saved them?” Kris clapped him on the shoulder, grinning. “Good job.”
  Kyungsoo shook his head, shrugging Kris’s hand off. “I didn’t save anyone. I was running away.” He left Kris standing there, going back to join the others just as Sehun ran up to them.
  “What the hell happened?” he shrieked, eyes wide. He took in the appearance of the crumpled heap, eyes turning to each of the others. He stopped, eyes focused on Chanyeol. “Chanyeol hyung? Aren't you dead?”
  Chanyeol shrugged. “I was. I woke up a couple weeks ago.”
  Sehun looked at Tao, the elder shrugging. “He's really here? Chanyeol's back?”
  “Yes and no,” Yixing stated, facing the younger. “The only one he has any recollection of is Kris. He doesn't remember any of us.” He glanced over at Kyungsoo, finding him staring at the house. Sighing, he turned his attention to the younger. “Something wrong, Kyungsoo?”
  “It's over.” Kyungsoo refused to look over, a sinking feeling taking over him.
  “What?” Joonmyeon asked, taking a step toward Kyungsoo. “We didn’t hear you.”
  “I said it's over.” Kyungsoo turned to look at Joonmyeon, frown set on his face. “If Kihwan has this much power, how can we beat him? He'll just keep coming back until he kills all of us.”
  “All we have to do is keep fighting,” Tao explained. “We keep on the defensive, keep him ay bay. We'll tire him out and then attack.”
  Kyungsoo was shaking his head before Tao finished. “We aren’t cut out for this, Tao. You have years of experience dealing with him, so does Jongin.” He dropped his gaze to the ground, pressing his hands to his sides to keep them from shaking. “I don't know about everyone else, but I can't keep doing this. I don't want to be afraid to close my eyes at night. I don't want to constantly watch my back while I’m outside.”
  “We're all tired of it.” Tao crossed his arms over his chest. “But if we don't stand together, we won't have a chance at all.”
  “We already don't have a chance! Look at this!” Kyungsoo pointed to their house. “He destroyed it! Without any effort, he made it collapse. We've lived here for years and now look at it. Where the hell are we supposed to go? How the hell do we keep fighting when Kihwan is capable of doing this!” He shook his head, eyes harder than stone as he looked at Tao. “You can stay here, waiting for him. Fight for whatever you're fighting for. But I’m done fighting. I’m not built for this life.”
  “What are you saying?” Minseok asked. “You're quitting?”
  “Yes, I’m quitting.” Kyungsoo looked at him, exhaling loudly. “I quit. I’m done, Minseok hyung.” He turned to look at Joonmyeon. He pulled him in for a hug, arms shaking as his eyes burned. “I'm sorry, Joonmyeon. I’m really sorry. But I just can't fight anymore. I don't want to fight anymore.” He pressed a kiss to the elder's cheek before backing away. He waved once to everyone before turning to walk away.
  “Hyung, where are you going?” Sehun asked, looking at Jongdae before looking back at Kyungsoo.
  “I don't know.” Kyungsoo looked over his shoulder. “Whenever I get to where I’m going, I'll tell you. Or just have Luhan hyung check up on me. That way, I won't be pulled back into this life.”
  Tao frowned, watching as Kyungsoo walked down the street, disappearing from sight after walking too far. “We've survived Kris running away; Yixing's addiction to pain; Jongdae, Sehun, and Kyungsoo nearly dying twice; Chanyeol actually dying and coming back; Jongdae and Baekhyun at each other's throats; Joonmyeon's grandfather dying; and me hunting down Jongin for seven years.” He looked at the others, scoffing as he motioned to their broken home. “And this is what makes him quit? Losing a roof over his head is what makes him give up?”
  “He's been thinking about it for a while now,” Luhan mumbled, tearing up. He sniffled. “I should have told you guys, but I thought he'd be fine. We all have our inner demons we're trying to fend off, but I really thought Kyungsoo would have been able to overcome them.”
  “The signs were there,” Joonmyeon added, wiping at his eyes. “He was worried more about Jongdae's well-being after Chanyeol died than his own. It was only a matter of time before he cracked under the weight of everything.”
  “I don't agree,” Jongdae murmured, shaking his head. “He hasn't cracked under anything. He's just tired. Kyungsoo wouldn't be the ruler of earth if he broke easily. Think of is as corrosion. Right now, we're all acid that needs to be washed away in order for him to heal.”
  Baekhyun poked Jongdae in the arm. “Your analogies are horrible,” he said. “Besides, Kyungsoo leaving, isn't it more symbolic than that?”
  “What do you mean?” Jongin questioned, reaching out to take his had.
  “Kyungsoo controls the earth. The earth is stable, it's unmovable by everything except itself. He's let everything around him control him and everything he's done. The fact that he just walked away, by no choice but his own, means he's taking those first steps to being a better him.” Baekhyun looked around, finding matching shocked expressions on everyone's faces. “What?”
  “You just said something that makes sense,” Kris told him, blinking. “I've been so absorbed in Chanyeol lately that I missed you becoming wise.”
  “Hey! I’ve said things that made sense before!” Baekhyun pouted at Jongin, eyes wide to add to the effect. “You've heard me say things that made sense before, right?”
  Jongin shrugged, turning to Kris. “Now that the house is destroyed, where do we go? We can't all cram into that apartment.”
  “Maybe Kyungsoo was right,” Joonmyeon murmured, drawing everyone's attention. “Maybe it's best if we just give up; live normal lives.”
  “But it hasn't even been the right time when Kihwan strikes. We still have a little time,” Luhan argued, eyebrows furrowed. “Maybe we can convince Kyungsoo to come back?”
  “I doubt it,” Minseok stated, frowning. “He's made his choice. Now, we have to figure out a way to fight Kihwan without him.”
  “We were finally back together,” Sehun mumbled, eyes focused on the ground. He could feel everyone's eyes on him and he fought back the urge to dive into Jongdae's arms and sob. He used to do that to Kyungsoo, but with him gone, he felt like he needed to be brave in front of everyone. He could cry later, maybe only in front of Tao. “Chanyeol hyung just came back, somehow, and now Kyungsoo leaves?”
  Jongdae frowned, moving to hug the younger. His frown deepened when Sehun smacked his arms away. “Sehun?”
  “Don't, Jongdae. Don't go back to treating me like some stupid kid.” He looked at the elder, finding that he could see him clearly and his voice didn’t tremble. “If anything, you're the one that needs to be treated like a kid. You and Baekhyun both. You were so worried over who was to blame for Chanyeol dying that everyone's been on eggshells around the two of you.” Sehun reached out, taking Tao’s hand in his. “Let's go.”
  “Where are we going?” Tao asked, allowing himself to be pulled down the street.
  “I don't know, but I don't want to look at them right now.” Once they were out of sight, he stopped walking, dropping Tao’s hand as he lowered his own to his side. “It's their fault.”
  “What is?” Tao tipped Sehun's face toward his own, trying to read his expression. “What's who's fault?”
  “Kyungsoo leaving. I’ve only ever seen him crack under pressure once before. And it was awful.” Sehun sniffled, wiping at his eyes. “It was before you met us, before we left the orphanage. One of our caretakers died and he was trying to be strong for Jongdae and me. When he finally cracked, though, he took out half of the building. It collapsed around him. We thought he was dead at first, but then we learned he controlled the earth and things like that never fazed him”
  “He brought down half of the orphanage?” Tao whistled low in his throat. “And I thought I was impressive.” He smiled at seeing Sehun roll his eyes. “There's what I was looking for.” He pressed a kiss to the younger's forehead, smile still in place. “Let's go back, okay?” Sehun nodded, letting Tao lead the way back to the others already. He knew he had to apologize for his outburst, for telling Jongdae and Baekhyun they were acting like kids.

Kyungsoo leaned against the cool window of the bus, staring into the darkness. He watched as more people boarded the bus. Looking across the street, he sat up straighter, eyes locking on Kihwan staring at him. He beckoned him with his index finger and Kyungsoo stood up. He didn’t fully understand why he was so compelled to speak to him when the other could clearly kill him without an effort, but he wanted to get it over with. His shoes hit the sidewalk and he squared his shoulders. He was short compared to Kihwan, coming up to only his shoulders. But who wasn't he short next to? He mentally braced himself in case it didn’t end well, but before Kihwan could speak, words were spilling from Kyungsoo's mouth without thinking.
  “You want this power so badly?” he growled, eyes dark as he glared at the elder. “Take it. I don't want it anymore. Just take it and leave me alone.”
  Kihwan smiled, holding his hand out toward Kyungsoo. “Smart decision, ruler of earth,” he said. Once Kyungsoo placed his hand in his, he grinned. He reached out with his free hand, ripped the part of Kyungsoo's shirt over his heart. He waved his hand, the same sigil appearing over Kyungsoo's heart as on the table in the secret room. He felt a burning in his chest, wincing in pain before it faded. He gasped, finding the sigil gone. Kihwan grinned at him, stepping away. “Thanks for your power, descendant of the Do family. I'll use it wisely.”
  Kyungsoo watched as Kihwan vanished into the night, reaching up to place a hand over his heart. He lifted his foot, stomping on the ground. His eyes widened at seeing that he didn’t so much as leave a footprint. “Is this real? I’m...really normal?” He turned around, jumping at seeing another person standing there. “Who are you?”
  The woman smiled sadly at him, bowing slightly. “I'm Jihye, Do Kyungsoo. I’m King Suho's wife and the ancestor to your friend Joonmyeon.”
  “Jihye?” Kyungsoo frowned, looking around. He looked back at her, blinking. “Aren't you dead? I mean, how are you here?”
  Jihye straightened back up, smile falling from her face. “Why would you willingly give your power to my brother? He's evil, Kyungsoo. Why give him more power?”
  “Because I was tired of it. I’m not fit for the kind of life where I have to keep fighting. I wanted it to be over. And now, it can be.” Kyungsoo looked down, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I'm normal now.”
  “You were normal before.” Jihye smiled when Kyungsoo's head snapped up. “Controlling earth was your normal. Look inside of yourself, Kyungsoo. What do you see? Can you still feel the pulse of the earth, of the living things you created with your power?”
  Frowning again, Kyungsoo shook his head. “I don't see or feel anything. In fact...” He forced himself to meet her eyes, sadness pooling in his own. “It seems empty.”
  Jihye held her hand out to him. “Would you like to see the kind of world that has been created from you forfeiting your power?” She waited patiently as he hesitantly took her hand. Visions flashed before him, faces of his friends, his family. Sehun and Jongdae weren't talking; Tao, Kris, and Yixing struggled with Chanyeol disappearing for days at a time; Jongin and Baekhyun began ignoring each other; Luhan and Minseok had an argument that caused Minseok to say he hated Luhan; and Joonmyeon wasn't there anymore.
  “How can this happen with just me being gone? I wasn't that important.” Kyungsoo looked at Jihye. “Where's Joonmyeon at?”
  “He'll leave them. He's searching for you, all over the world, because you never called. And while he's gone-” She snapped her fingers and another image flashed before them. “-this will happen.” Kihwan was sitting on a throne, grin on his face as Tao and Jongin stood on either side of him, Baekhyun's pelt thrown across his shoulders.
  “Luhan's vision.” Kyungsoo blinked, watching as people he had never seen before dragged in a person with familiar hair. They threw him forward and he landed on his knees in front of Kihwan.
  “So, I’ve finally found you,” Kihwan chuckled, clasping his hands together.
  Joonmyeon looked up, face bruised and bloody as he stared Kihwan down. “Let my friends go,” he ordered, voice holding no conviction, no threat. “All of them.”
  Kihwan smiled wickedly, motioning toward the far end of the room. A pile of bodies was stacked there, all sharing dull eyes. “What to do? Zitao and Kai are the only two that remain.”
  Kyungsoo felt a sob bubble up, hand going to cover his mouth as he stared into his friends' dead faces. “This can't all happen just because I told them that I quit. They're stronger than that.”
  “They can't be strong with their ground constantly shifting beneath them.” Jihye reached out, wiping away the tears that fell from Kyungsoo's eyes. “Controlling the earth means more than creating flowers and moving boulders. It means being stable for your friends to stand upon. Not a doormat, but a solid, sturdy place that they can always rely on. You, Kyungsoo, are that stability.”
  The visions of the potential future vanished and they were standing back in front of the deserted bus station. “But, I gave up my powers. I can't help them anymore. I can't...”
  Jihye pat his cheek. “Kihwan might have taken the physical half of your spirit, the one that leaves the mark on your skin. But within you, entwined with your spirit, is the other half. You just have to want it more than anything and it'll return to you.”
  “I want it.” Kyungsoo swallowed down the lump in his throat, wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “I want my power back.”
  “Make yourself believe it. Until it's what your entire being wants, it won't happen.” Jihye's image shimmered before him and he frowned, eyes wide as he reached out to try to keep her there.
  “Wait! I need your help! I can't do this on my own. Jihye, please, you have to help me get my power back.” He felt hot tears streak down his cheeks as she vanished form before him completely, leaving an echo in her place.
  Believe in yourself, Kyungsoo. Believe that you can do it on your own; that you have enough power inside of you to change the world because you definitely have enough power to move it.
  Kyungsoo closed his eyes, falling to his knees. He placed his hand over his heart, nails biting into his skin. He heard a soft chuckling and he lifted his head to find Kihwan staring at him, arrogant smile plastered to his face.
  “Give it back,” Kyungsoo mumbled, voice small. He felt vines wrap around his arms, binding them to his torso. He stood up, pushed against the constricting vines, but they wouldn't budge. “Give it back to me.”
  Kihwan chuckled again, shaking his head. “Sorry, kid, but it's mine now. And I think I'll use it to get rid of you first. Then I can take care of your little friends. They won't be expecting another attack so soon. Too bad you wanted out of this life. Now, let me help you leave it!”
  Kyungsoo's eyes went wide at seeing Kihwan lift large pieces of the earth up from behind him. He struggled against the vines, tried to break free again. He looked back at Kihwan, finding him cackling as the boulders tilted in the air. He's going to kill you, his mind screamed at him. He felt fresh tears slip down his face before hitting the ground below him. He looked down at hearing the ground split, finding small flowers pushing their way through the rough soil. Jihye was right. I still have a little bit of my power.
  “Say good bye!” Kihwan shouted, hurling the boulders through the air at him.
  “No!” Kyungsoo pushed against the vines restrained him, watching them snap and fall to the ground. He placed his hands in front of him, feeling the first boulder against his palms. It was shoving him backward, across the ground. He hoisted it up, throwing it forward to crush the second one. He walked forward, shoes leaving imprints in the ground as he did so. “It's my power, my ability.” Kyungsoo glared at Kihwan, watched as his expression turned to one of confusion. “It's my power, dammit. And you can't have it!” Vines shot up from the little plants his tears created, zeroing in on Kihwan. Kyungsoo held his hand up, watched as ivy spread from his palm, shooting into Kihwan's hand. He let out a pained scream, but Kyungsoo ignored it. He was more focused on feeling his power return to him. He looked down, the sigil reappearing over his heart, glowing brightly before turning drown against his skin.
  “What?” Kihwan's eyes were wide as he stared at Kyungsoo. “How the hell are you still able to control the earth? I took your power away. You gave it to me!”
  “It can't fully be taken from those that were born with it. It's in our genes; in our blood. It lies in our very souls. And that's something you will never be able to control.” He smirked, turned to walk away. He paused only to cast a final glance at Kihwan over his shoulder. “Let this be a warning to you, Kihwan. Come at us with everything you have. But know that even then, you won't defeat us.” He turned back around, the ground below him cracking in a complete circle before lifting him up. It carried him off, toward his friends, toward his family. Toward his destiny.