The World Ends With You - Chapter 7
Title: The World Ends With You
Chapter: 7/?
Pairings: ZhouRy (Main), many others
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Character Death, Angst, Apocalyptic Themes
Summary: Sequel to Till Death Do We Part. Zhou Mi had always been a failure of a necromancer. He botched up all his spells, brought back the wrong person, and the few times he had gotten it right, his ex boyfriend had taken it upon himself to send his successes back where they came from. But this didn’t stop him from trying… Until one day, the new boy next door happened to walk in on his ritual… And vanished into thin air. Determined to get Henry back, Zhou Mi set off for Korea, to find the only person he knew would be willing to help; Cho KyuHyun, his ex. But more people start disappearing, and the events set in motion would change all their lives, and the fate of the four worlds, forever.
A/N: No character pictures this time T.T Don't have the time... But I'll get them done for the next update~!
Trailer
Characters and Terms
Character Pictures
Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five || Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
The group remained in YeSung’s room until late into the evening after LeeTeuk and ChangMin left. Neither angel returned, but even though the mood had turned quiet afterward, Zhou Mi couldn’t help but feel more hopeful than when he’d first arrived in Korea that morning. He’d doubted that his ex would be able to help, despite knowing more about the supernatural world than the necromancer, but now he was sure they would find a way to bring Henry back. There was no chance they would fail, not with two full Entities and an angel on their side.
They went through all the information they knew, and found that along with Henry and their friend EunHyuk, there had been several other strange disappearances throughout the year, growing more frequent as time passed. Some cases they could dismiss as human activity, but there were too many people vanishing to pass off as criminal doing. None of those disappearances had anything in common; they happened anywhere, anytime, to anyone. When they turned on YeSung’s computer and researched on missing people, they found that all over the world the same thing was happening.
“So what are we supposed to do?” RyeoWook asked, chin resting on the pillow he had snatched off YeSung’s bed at some point. YeSung pulled his boyfriend up onto his lap, looking over at the pile of notes they had taken.
“We can try looking in all the different places there have been disappearances,” KyuHyun suggested. “There are plenty of areas nearby, take your pick.” He pushed the list of missing people and locations where they were last seen towards the middle of the circle.
“We’ll go in teams,” KangIn said, frowning lightly. “Just in case. LeeTeuk will definitely join in once he comes back, so that gives us an even number.”
“KyuHyun and I will look where EunHyuk disappeared!” SungMin volunteered quickly, wanting to know what had happened to his cousins’ best friend. KyuHyun nodded, marking their initials next to EunHyuk’s name.
”LeeTeuk and I will look where… Choi SiWon? Oh, I remember him, he was in our class,” KangIn said, frowning slightly as he wrote down their names. YeSung nodded, running his fingers through RyeoWook’s hair as the younger looked through the list before pointing.
“Lee TaeMin?” He questioned, looking up at YeSung for confirmation. The other nodded, reaching over and marking their names as well. “Just a question, but how are we supposed to notice if there’s anything odd around?” YeSung asked, raising an eyebrow. “We can’t see anything like you all can.”
“RyeoWook can sense supernatural activity slightly,” KyuHyun pointed out, making the eternal magnae smile faintly. “It’s okay if you don’t find anything, just try your best.” He consulted with SungMin before marking their names down next to Park JungMin.
Zhou Mi looked over at KiBum, who he assumed he was partnered with. The other was looking at the paper, but there was a slight haze over his eyes, signaling his thoughts were elsewhere. “KiBum sshi?” Zhou Mi questioned, bringing KiBum back to reality. “Sorry,” The younger murmured, shaking his head slightly to clear it. He pointed at a random name on the list, and Zhou Mi wrote their names beside Lee SunKyu’s in messy Hangul.
KyuHyun stood, stretching and looking at the time. “It’s getting late. Lets meet up here tomorrow so we can start looking?” He suggested, the others agreeing easily as they packed up. Zhou Mi watched as KangIn and KiBum left together to walk back home, RyeoWook sitting down on YeSung’s bed and going through all the notes they’d made as his boyfriend went to see his best friend and his older brother off. (They couldn’t hear what YeSung had said this time, but they most definitely heard the loud whack as KangIn’s hand made contact with the others head. RyeoWook abandoned the notes in favor of fetching more ice.)
That left only Zhou Mi, KyuHyun and SungMin in the room. Zhou Mi stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his pants. “Thank you so much for this, Kui Xian,” He said with a bright smile. His ex’s lips quirked into a smile. “Don’t worry about it. I’d do the same if SungMin disappeared. What do you think about my friends?”
“They’re… Wow,” Zhou Mi breathed. “I never thought I’d see an Entity in my lifetime. I never thought I’d see an angel before I died, let alone two.” He bit his lower lip slightly. “I just wish Henli were here to see all this.”
KyuHyun couldn’t help but feel pity for the man, who was obviously worried to death about his neighbor. Taking a few steps closer, he touched his hand lightly to the males shoulder. “Hey. Don’t look glum, okay? It doesn’t suit you at all. We’ll find him.”
Zhou Mi looked up at him, then smiled again before pulling KyuHyun into a hug, temporarily forgetting SungMin was right there. “Thanks Kui Xian,” He said happily, before releasing him and leaving the room with a wave. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”
KyuHyun smiled faintly; he may not like Zhou Mi the way he used to, but he had been rather upset that they hadn’t managed to at least part on good terms. Perhaps, even though their ideologies were at opposite ends of the spectrum, they could still be friends when this was over.
Sighing, he turned to face SungMin, only to see his boyfriend facing away from him, back stiff. Brow furrowed slightly in concern, he walked to him and wrapped one arm around his waist. “SungMin, what’s wrong?”
SungMin was stiff in his grip, and there was a telltale quivering in his shoulders. Wondering what had upset his boyfriend, KyuHyun’s eyes widened after a moment and he span the elder around. “SungMin, look at me,” He said softly, and when the other refused to meet his gaze, he tucked one hand under the boys chin and tilted his face up until he could see the wetness in SungMin’s eyes.
“You think I’m still in love with Zhou Mi, don’t you?”
At that, SungMin gave up trying to hold in his tears and cried against KyuHyun’s chest. The former ghost hunter held him close, rubbing soothing circles against the bunny boy’s back. “SungMin, you’re the only one I love,” He whispered softly. “If I do feel anything for Zhou Mi, it’s as a friend, nothing more. He’s just going through a hard time, and I know if I’d lost you like he lost Henli, I’d be devastated. I’m just trying to help him.”
“I know that,” SungMin whispered, sniffing unhappily. “I know it’s hard on him, I understand. But… But what if you fall in love with him again?”
“I won’t,” KyuHyun said firmly. “Zhou Mi and I didn’t work out. Both of us agreed a relationship like that would never work.”
SungMin’s grip around KyuHyun tightened. “I can’t compete with that, Kyu,” He said softly, tears staining his cheeks. “All throughout the meeting, I couldn’t even hear what LeeTeuk was saying properly. Zhou Mi could see him and hear him, and he’s a magic user. I’m just me. I can’t do anything like that.”
“SungMin, that’s a part of why I love you,” KyuHyun murmured. “ ‘Just SungMin’ is the boy I fell in love with, remember? I don’t care if you can’t use magic; I can’t either. I don’t care if you can’t see and hear spirits properly; I have trouble sometimes too.” He kissed SungMin’s forehead. “I love you the way you are, SungMin, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
SungMin smiled through his tears, burying his face against KyuHyun’s shirt. “I love you too, Kyu,” He whispered.
“What’s the difference between KyuMi and KyuMin?” YeSung spoke up from the doorway, a pack of ice against his head. KyuHyun raised an eyebrow at the wide grin on the elders face. “The ‘N’!” KyuHyun picked up the book on the desk and YeSung took off before KyuHyun could give him a second dent in his head.
“Sorry about him,” RyeoWook said, looking behind him where YeSung was hiding further down the hallway. “I think KangIn hit his head too hard.”
SungMin muffled giggles against KyuHyun’s shirt as the taller gave RyeoWook an amused look. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, RyeoWook hyung, but your boyfriend has always had a few screws loose.”
*****
By the time the meeting with the demons was over, LeeTeuk had a massive headache. They’d went over the various disappearances in both Earth and Hell, and LeeTeuk’s own idea that the people in question could have been sent to the Void. It took Micky half an hour to calm HeeChul down again after that; all of them knew what the Void meant.
Then, something they’d thought impossible had happened. A young Angel had ran into the meeting room in a panic, looking for YunHo. He seized up at the sight of the demons, making HeeChul smirk, then kept right on going. “U-Know sshi! There’s a large commotion in the East Wing!”
Commotions were rare in Heaven, especially in the buildings the Spirit Guides and Angels occupied. YunHo got to his feet quickly, JaeJoong not even half a second behind him. “What happened?” JaeJoong asked, looking at the angel from behind YunHo.
The boy looked scared, the glowing outline of wings behind him quivering. “They say that… Hao YoungSaeng. He disappeared. No one knows how, he was just there talking with a group of people, and suddenly he went pale and complained of being cold, then vanished.”
HeeChul and YooChun looked at each other. “That’s the same thing that happened to JunSu and HanKyung,” YooChun murmured. JaeJoong slipped around YunHo. “YunHo, I’ll go check it out. Take care of our demon friends.” Ignorin HeeChul’s outrage at being called an Angel’s ‘friend’, he walked out quickly with the Angel boy right behind him.
YunHo looked at LeeTeuk and ChangMin, who seemed just as surprised as he was that the disappearances had reached Heaven, before turning to face the demons again. “This is a troubling issue. If we’re going to reach the source of the problem, there will have to be some form of co-operation between Heaven and Hell.”
“An alliance?” YooChun murmured, frowning. “The demons clans haven’t been united under one cause since the Great War. It would take years to get them to agree, and we don’t have the time.”
“Then your clan would have to do,” YunHo said firmly. “Talk to your ally clans, and see who is willing to follow. There is no time to arguing, but we should still gather as many allies as we can.”
HeeChul fumed. “Lets get this straight, featherbrain. This ‘alliance’ is a temporary inconvenience. As soon as this whole issue is sorted out, I’m going back to thinking up ways to tear you to pieces.” YunHo didn’t seem fazed by the hostility in the demons voice.
“Very well. Now, we’re going to take a look around Heaven and Earth where there have been disappearances, I suggest you both do the same in Hell and let us know what you turn up.”
YooChun nodded, standing. “Very well. We’ll be back with our findings this time tomorrow.” He pulled HeeChul up and out of the building before the elder demon could start ranting about anything else. YunHo followed them to made sure they left Heaven, before sighing softly and heading towards the East Wing. Just what was going on?
*****
Henry wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he’d come to the Void; his watch had ceased to function after the first few days. He wish he’d thought to change the batteries at some point. They had to rely on Tablo’s ability to read the slight inconsistencies in the black sky to know just how long they’d been here for. But still, he wasn’t prepared for the answer.
“Two weeks???” He gaped at Tablo, who looked back at him calmly. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”
“I’m not,” Tablo said, sitting down beside EunHyuk. They’d spent most of their time walking from location to location, though Henry had yet to see why it was so dangerous to stay in one spot for too long. And he hoped it would stay that way. They took quick naps for three or four hours at a time, always with one person wake as lookout; lookout for what though, was still beyond him.
Thoughout that walking time, Tablo worked to teach Henry Hangul; since he had nothing else to do, he learnt quickly, and could hold a basic conversation with EunHyuk now. Though the Korean boy tended to forget Henry was just a beginner, and either ramble off too fast or use words Henry didn’t know yet.
“But it hasn’t been that much time on Earth, right?” Henry asked, sitting down beside them. His Hangul was halting and awkward, but he was determined to practice, so he spoke whenever he could in the others native tongue. Tablo and EunHyuk were patient with him, correcting any mistakes and not laughing at him. It reminded him of Zhou Mi reaching him proper Mandarin, and his chest ached as he wondered how the older male was fairing.
“No, it should have only been a day or two,” Tablo replied, looking up at the sky. “Try not to think about it, okay Henry? It will just make you feel worse.”
“Here’s the good news!” EunHyuk exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood as Henry’s shoulders slumped slightly. “We’re close to where we promised we’d meet HyunJoong, right?”
“HyunJoong?” Henry inquired, after talking a moment to process what EunHyuk had said.
“He’s a friend of ours who’s been in here nearly as long as I have” Tablo replied. He leads a small group of others who are trapped here. You’ll find plenty of small groups wandering around like that. We promised him that we’ll meet near here in a few days time.”
“How do you know where to meet though? Everything looks the same to me,” Henry said, frowning. Tablo smiled faintly. “It’s the same as telling the time, and not walking off cliffs.” EunHyuk pouted at that; within the two weeks, he’d been the victim of many such accidents. Henry had learnt to walk behind Tablo instead, and pay attention to the areas the older man avoided. “You just watch for inconsistencies in the colors.”
Hnery sighed softly. “Alright.” He yawned, then lay down, closing his eyes. He was exhausted after walking all ‘day’. “I’m taking a quick nap, okay?” He was asleep before he could hear their answer.
His sleep was more-or-less restful; there were no nightmares for once. Though, as always, when he was close to waking up again, everything changed. He was still in the Void; but this time he was alone. He could hear EunHyuk and Tablo calling for him, searching, but he couldn’t see them. Then, a third voice joined theirs, and although it was distant, Henry could hear every word.
”Henli! Henli, where are you?
”Zhou Mi ge?”
His eyes opened, onto more darkness. But now he knew he was awake. Zhou Mi’s faint voice rang in his ears, and he knew his friend was looking for him still. Did Zhou Mi know… Henry wasn’t in the same world as he was anymore?
Lifting his head, Henry’s gaze focused on the two figures sitting a few feet away. He blinked, then his eyes widened in surprise. “Y-you guys-“
EunHyuk sprang away from Tablo in alarm, caught his foot on the uneven ground, and fell onto his behind with an undignified yelp. Henry gaped at him, then looked at Tablo, who looked unfazed as always.
“What’s wrong? You’ve never seen two guys kissing before?”
Henry opened and closed his mouth several times, before finally stuttering out a question. “Y… You guys are together?” He squeaked, completely caught off guard.
Tablo shrugged, helping the red-faced EunHyuk to his feet. “Five years is a long time to spend in oblivion,” He said as an explanation. Henry blinked at them both.
“Any other important information you’re hiding from me?” He deadpanned, and Tablo laughed. “You have no idea.”
Chapter: 7/?
Pairings: ZhouRy (Main), many others
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Character Death, Angst, Apocalyptic Themes
Summary: Sequel to Till Death Do We Part. Zhou Mi had always been a failure of a necromancer. He botched up all his spells, brought back the wrong person, and the few times he had gotten it right, his ex boyfriend had taken it upon himself to send his successes back where they came from. But this didn’t stop him from trying… Until one day, the new boy next door happened to walk in on his ritual… And vanished into thin air. Determined to get Henry back, Zhou Mi set off for Korea, to find the only person he knew would be willing to help; Cho KyuHyun, his ex. But more people start disappearing, and the events set in motion would change all their lives, and the fate of the four worlds, forever.
A/N: No character pictures this time T.T Don't have the time... But I'll get them done for the next update~!
Trailer
Characters and Terms
Character Pictures
Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five || Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
The group remained in YeSung’s room until late into the evening after LeeTeuk and ChangMin left. Neither angel returned, but even though the mood had turned quiet afterward, Zhou Mi couldn’t help but feel more hopeful than when he’d first arrived in Korea that morning. He’d doubted that his ex would be able to help, despite knowing more about the supernatural world than the necromancer, but now he was sure they would find a way to bring Henry back. There was no chance they would fail, not with two full Entities and an angel on their side.
They went through all the information they knew, and found that along with Henry and their friend EunHyuk, there had been several other strange disappearances throughout the year, growing more frequent as time passed. Some cases they could dismiss as human activity, but there were too many people vanishing to pass off as criminal doing. None of those disappearances had anything in common; they happened anywhere, anytime, to anyone. When they turned on YeSung’s computer and researched on missing people, they found that all over the world the same thing was happening.
“So what are we supposed to do?” RyeoWook asked, chin resting on the pillow he had snatched off YeSung’s bed at some point. YeSung pulled his boyfriend up onto his lap, looking over at the pile of notes they had taken.
“We can try looking in all the different places there have been disappearances,” KyuHyun suggested. “There are plenty of areas nearby, take your pick.” He pushed the list of missing people and locations where they were last seen towards the middle of the circle.
“We’ll go in teams,” KangIn said, frowning lightly. “Just in case. LeeTeuk will definitely join in once he comes back, so that gives us an even number.”
“KyuHyun and I will look where EunHyuk disappeared!” SungMin volunteered quickly, wanting to know what had happened to his cousins’ best friend. KyuHyun nodded, marking their initials next to EunHyuk’s name.
”LeeTeuk and I will look where… Choi SiWon? Oh, I remember him, he was in our class,” KangIn said, frowning slightly as he wrote down their names. YeSung nodded, running his fingers through RyeoWook’s hair as the younger looked through the list before pointing.
“Lee TaeMin?” He questioned, looking up at YeSung for confirmation. The other nodded, reaching over and marking their names as well. “Just a question, but how are we supposed to notice if there’s anything odd around?” YeSung asked, raising an eyebrow. “We can’t see anything like you all can.”
“RyeoWook can sense supernatural activity slightly,” KyuHyun pointed out, making the eternal magnae smile faintly. “It’s okay if you don’t find anything, just try your best.” He consulted with SungMin before marking their names down next to Park JungMin.
Zhou Mi looked over at KiBum, who he assumed he was partnered with. The other was looking at the paper, but there was a slight haze over his eyes, signaling his thoughts were elsewhere. “KiBum sshi?” Zhou Mi questioned, bringing KiBum back to reality. “Sorry,” The younger murmured, shaking his head slightly to clear it. He pointed at a random name on the list, and Zhou Mi wrote their names beside Lee SunKyu’s in messy Hangul.
KyuHyun stood, stretching and looking at the time. “It’s getting late. Lets meet up here tomorrow so we can start looking?” He suggested, the others agreeing easily as they packed up. Zhou Mi watched as KangIn and KiBum left together to walk back home, RyeoWook sitting down on YeSung’s bed and going through all the notes they’d made as his boyfriend went to see his best friend and his older brother off. (They couldn’t hear what YeSung had said this time, but they most definitely heard the loud whack as KangIn’s hand made contact with the others head. RyeoWook abandoned the notes in favor of fetching more ice.)
That left only Zhou Mi, KyuHyun and SungMin in the room. Zhou Mi stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his pants. “Thank you so much for this, Kui Xian,” He said with a bright smile. His ex’s lips quirked into a smile. “Don’t worry about it. I’d do the same if SungMin disappeared. What do you think about my friends?”
“They’re… Wow,” Zhou Mi breathed. “I never thought I’d see an Entity in my lifetime. I never thought I’d see an angel before I died, let alone two.” He bit his lower lip slightly. “I just wish Henli were here to see all this.”
KyuHyun couldn’t help but feel pity for the man, who was obviously worried to death about his neighbor. Taking a few steps closer, he touched his hand lightly to the males shoulder. “Hey. Don’t look glum, okay? It doesn’t suit you at all. We’ll find him.”
Zhou Mi looked up at him, then smiled again before pulling KyuHyun into a hug, temporarily forgetting SungMin was right there. “Thanks Kui Xian,” He said happily, before releasing him and leaving the room with a wave. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”
KyuHyun smiled faintly; he may not like Zhou Mi the way he used to, but he had been rather upset that they hadn’t managed to at least part on good terms. Perhaps, even though their ideologies were at opposite ends of the spectrum, they could still be friends when this was over.
Sighing, he turned to face SungMin, only to see his boyfriend facing away from him, back stiff. Brow furrowed slightly in concern, he walked to him and wrapped one arm around his waist. “SungMin, what’s wrong?”
SungMin was stiff in his grip, and there was a telltale quivering in his shoulders. Wondering what had upset his boyfriend, KyuHyun’s eyes widened after a moment and he span the elder around. “SungMin, look at me,” He said softly, and when the other refused to meet his gaze, he tucked one hand under the boys chin and tilted his face up until he could see the wetness in SungMin’s eyes.
“You think I’m still in love with Zhou Mi, don’t you?”
At that, SungMin gave up trying to hold in his tears and cried against KyuHyun’s chest. The former ghost hunter held him close, rubbing soothing circles against the bunny boy’s back. “SungMin, you’re the only one I love,” He whispered softly. “If I do feel anything for Zhou Mi, it’s as a friend, nothing more. He’s just going through a hard time, and I know if I’d lost you like he lost Henli, I’d be devastated. I’m just trying to help him.”
“I know that,” SungMin whispered, sniffing unhappily. “I know it’s hard on him, I understand. But… But what if you fall in love with him again?”
“I won’t,” KyuHyun said firmly. “Zhou Mi and I didn’t work out. Both of us agreed a relationship like that would never work.”
SungMin’s grip around KyuHyun tightened. “I can’t compete with that, Kyu,” He said softly, tears staining his cheeks. “All throughout the meeting, I couldn’t even hear what LeeTeuk was saying properly. Zhou Mi could see him and hear him, and he’s a magic user. I’m just me. I can’t do anything like that.”
“SungMin, that’s a part of why I love you,” KyuHyun murmured. “ ‘Just SungMin’ is the boy I fell in love with, remember? I don’t care if you can’t use magic; I can’t either. I don’t care if you can’t see and hear spirits properly; I have trouble sometimes too.” He kissed SungMin’s forehead. “I love you the way you are, SungMin, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
SungMin smiled through his tears, burying his face against KyuHyun’s shirt. “I love you too, Kyu,” He whispered.
“What’s the difference between KyuMi and KyuMin?” YeSung spoke up from the doorway, a pack of ice against his head. KyuHyun raised an eyebrow at the wide grin on the elders face. “The ‘N’!” KyuHyun picked up the book on the desk and YeSung took off before KyuHyun could give him a second dent in his head.
“Sorry about him,” RyeoWook said, looking behind him where YeSung was hiding further down the hallway. “I think KangIn hit his head too hard.”
SungMin muffled giggles against KyuHyun’s shirt as the taller gave RyeoWook an amused look. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, RyeoWook hyung, but your boyfriend has always had a few screws loose.”
*****
By the time the meeting with the demons was over, LeeTeuk had a massive headache. They’d went over the various disappearances in both Earth and Hell, and LeeTeuk’s own idea that the people in question could have been sent to the Void. It took Micky half an hour to calm HeeChul down again after that; all of them knew what the Void meant.
Then, something they’d thought impossible had happened. A young Angel had ran into the meeting room in a panic, looking for YunHo. He seized up at the sight of the demons, making HeeChul smirk, then kept right on going. “U-Know sshi! There’s a large commotion in the East Wing!”
Commotions were rare in Heaven, especially in the buildings the Spirit Guides and Angels occupied. YunHo got to his feet quickly, JaeJoong not even half a second behind him. “What happened?” JaeJoong asked, looking at the angel from behind YunHo.
The boy looked scared, the glowing outline of wings behind him quivering. “They say that… Hao YoungSaeng. He disappeared. No one knows how, he was just there talking with a group of people, and suddenly he went pale and complained of being cold, then vanished.”
HeeChul and YooChun looked at each other. “That’s the same thing that happened to JunSu and HanKyung,” YooChun murmured. JaeJoong slipped around YunHo. “YunHo, I’ll go check it out. Take care of our demon friends.” Ignorin HeeChul’s outrage at being called an Angel’s ‘friend’, he walked out quickly with the Angel boy right behind him.
YunHo looked at LeeTeuk and ChangMin, who seemed just as surprised as he was that the disappearances had reached Heaven, before turning to face the demons again. “This is a troubling issue. If we’re going to reach the source of the problem, there will have to be some form of co-operation between Heaven and Hell.”
“An alliance?” YooChun murmured, frowning. “The demons clans haven’t been united under one cause since the Great War. It would take years to get them to agree, and we don’t have the time.”
“Then your clan would have to do,” YunHo said firmly. “Talk to your ally clans, and see who is willing to follow. There is no time to arguing, but we should still gather as many allies as we can.”
HeeChul fumed. “Lets get this straight, featherbrain. This ‘alliance’ is a temporary inconvenience. As soon as this whole issue is sorted out, I’m going back to thinking up ways to tear you to pieces.” YunHo didn’t seem fazed by the hostility in the demons voice.
“Very well. Now, we’re going to take a look around Heaven and Earth where there have been disappearances, I suggest you both do the same in Hell and let us know what you turn up.”
YooChun nodded, standing. “Very well. We’ll be back with our findings this time tomorrow.” He pulled HeeChul up and out of the building before the elder demon could start ranting about anything else. YunHo followed them to made sure they left Heaven, before sighing softly and heading towards the East Wing. Just what was going on?
*****
Henry wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he’d come to the Void; his watch had ceased to function after the first few days. He wish he’d thought to change the batteries at some point. They had to rely on Tablo’s ability to read the slight inconsistencies in the black sky to know just how long they’d been here for. But still, he wasn’t prepared for the answer.
“Two weeks???” He gaped at Tablo, who looked back at him calmly. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”
“I’m not,” Tablo said, sitting down beside EunHyuk. They’d spent most of their time walking from location to location, though Henry had yet to see why it was so dangerous to stay in one spot for too long. And he hoped it would stay that way. They took quick naps for three or four hours at a time, always with one person wake as lookout; lookout for what though, was still beyond him.
Thoughout that walking time, Tablo worked to teach Henry Hangul; since he had nothing else to do, he learnt quickly, and could hold a basic conversation with EunHyuk now. Though the Korean boy tended to forget Henry was just a beginner, and either ramble off too fast or use words Henry didn’t know yet.
“But it hasn’t been that much time on Earth, right?” Henry asked, sitting down beside them. His Hangul was halting and awkward, but he was determined to practice, so he spoke whenever he could in the others native tongue. Tablo and EunHyuk were patient with him, correcting any mistakes and not laughing at him. It reminded him of Zhou Mi reaching him proper Mandarin, and his chest ached as he wondered how the older male was fairing.
“No, it should have only been a day or two,” Tablo replied, looking up at the sky. “Try not to think about it, okay Henry? It will just make you feel worse.”
“Here’s the good news!” EunHyuk exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood as Henry’s shoulders slumped slightly. “We’re close to where we promised we’d meet HyunJoong, right?”
“HyunJoong?” Henry inquired, after talking a moment to process what EunHyuk had said.
“He’s a friend of ours who’s been in here nearly as long as I have” Tablo replied. He leads a small group of others who are trapped here. You’ll find plenty of small groups wandering around like that. We promised him that we’ll meet near here in a few days time.”
“How do you know where to meet though? Everything looks the same to me,” Henry said, frowning. Tablo smiled faintly. “It’s the same as telling the time, and not walking off cliffs.” EunHyuk pouted at that; within the two weeks, he’d been the victim of many such accidents. Henry had learnt to walk behind Tablo instead, and pay attention to the areas the older man avoided. “You just watch for inconsistencies in the colors.”
Hnery sighed softly. “Alright.” He yawned, then lay down, closing his eyes. He was exhausted after walking all ‘day’. “I’m taking a quick nap, okay?” He was asleep before he could hear their answer.
His sleep was more-or-less restful; there were no nightmares for once. Though, as always, when he was close to waking up again, everything changed. He was still in the Void; but this time he was alone. He could hear EunHyuk and Tablo calling for him, searching, but he couldn’t see them. Then, a third voice joined theirs, and although it was distant, Henry could hear every word.
”Henli! Henli, where are you?
”Zhou Mi ge?”
His eyes opened, onto more darkness. But now he knew he was awake. Zhou Mi’s faint voice rang in his ears, and he knew his friend was looking for him still. Did Zhou Mi know… Henry wasn’t in the same world as he was anymore?
Lifting his head, Henry’s gaze focused on the two figures sitting a few feet away. He blinked, then his eyes widened in surprise. “Y-you guys-“
EunHyuk sprang away from Tablo in alarm, caught his foot on the uneven ground, and fell onto his behind with an undignified yelp. Henry gaped at him, then looked at Tablo, who looked unfazed as always.
“What’s wrong? You’ve never seen two guys kissing before?”
Henry opened and closed his mouth several times, before finally stuttering out a question. “Y… You guys are together?” He squeaked, completely caught off guard.
Tablo shrugged, helping the red-faced EunHyuk to his feet. “Five years is a long time to spend in oblivion,” He said as an explanation. Henry blinked at them both.
“Any other important information you’re hiding from me?” He deadpanned, and Tablo laughed. “You have no idea.”