Empire | ATEEZ

039

Days later when I, finally and at last, staggered from the driveway toward the front door to the headquarters, it was with the help of two crutches.

My legs were fine, Mingi had pointed that out several times, but I had absolutely refused to be put in a wheelchair after the doctors told me that walking around with a chest wound would not only exhaust me but also heighten the chances of worsening the injury.

There was also nothing wrong with weelchairs, Mingi had pointed that out as well, but I decided that I had already been coddled and helped enough. If walking was a problem, then it was a problem I would have to fix with crutches.

I did have a suspicion that Seonghwa may have threatened the doctors who had initially taken Mingi's side, but I got what I wanted and, as I reached the door and grabbed the handle, both men flanking me, I felt more than satisfied.

The familiar scene of the foyer was a welcome sight; from the walls covered in panels of neutral colours which instantly made me calm to the bright light flooding the open spacel turning the leaves on the plants by the door an intense green colour that matched those of the ones which could be seen through the windows.

And then there were the six men inside, all of them turning to face the three of us as we made it through the door with looks of mixed worry and relief.

The members of Empire looked as if they had been waiting for us to return, sitting on the edge of the chairs, leaning against the walls, or standing with their arms crossed as all of them froze and fell into silence, immediately making me suck in a quick breath.

Hongjoong was the first to move, crossing the room in a couple of steps as he headed for me with a foreign look on his face, spread his arms, and pulled me into a hug.

A small sound of surprise escaped my lips as I dropped my crutches and simply stood there for a moment before returning his embrace, clinging to him for support.

I caught Yunho's eyes from across the room as he offered me a reassuring smile only to furrow my brows as I heard Hongjoong take a shaky breath, worried for a moment that he might have been crying, and rubbed his back a little, searching his face as he pulled back and held my shoulders as he regarded me for a moment.

I tried to straighten myself a little as if that would make me look less wounded, but I felt my heart sink nonetheless as he broke the silence and said, "You could have died."

And then all of my worries disappeared as he continued, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "You're a pretty shitty medic."

Jongho snorted as he immediately looked down and covered his mouth. I nudged Hongjoong a little, allowing myself to smile as well as I felt Seonghwa's hand at the small of my back.

"I'm happy that you're alive, though," the leader added, shaking his head a little to move some of the blue locks out of his eyes, his hair messy and undone, "And eternally grateful. I'd say what you did makes up for the fact that I never gave you my permission to get that tattoo, but only barely."

We both laughed at that though the look in his eyes quickly turned serious as Jongho spoke up from behind him, "He even broke one of our rules for you."

"Some things can't be forgiven, shouldn't be forgiven," Hongjoong said, and I immediately knew that he was referring to the manhunt he had set in motion and the fact that Nocturne was now hunted by every criminal group in the country.

My smile faltered a little as the seriousness of the situation set in, as i remembered that these people, my friends, were more dangerous than they let on, Hongjoong especially.