Apocalypse ✦ Nomin

78

Jeno stares blankly at the scene in front of him. Everything inside him goes numb as Jaemin's words refuse to sink in. He places his hand over his heart as if to protect it from further damage from Jaemin, but he's unable to feel anything at all.

"Maybe it's not what it looks like?" Jisung utters quietly.

Jeno doesn't acknowledge him. Instead, he tries to walk towards the two. Xiao harshly grabs at his forearm and yanks him back. Jeno whips his head around to look at him with a snarl.

"Don't," he hisses, but Jeno doesn't listen. He shoves Xiao off of him, nearly causing the man to pounce at him and attack, but Jisung throws his arm out and presses his palm against his chest, forcing him to stop before he caused an all out brawl.

With Xiao unable to hold him back anymore, Jeno seizes the opportunity and walks into the light, revealing himself to Jaemin, Yuta, and a barely recognizable Renjun. Yuta grins from ear to ear at the sight of him while Jaemin looks like a deer standing helplessly in the headlights of an oncoming car, just seconds before impact.

"My son...I'm glad you could finally join us. It's quite unfortunate that you had to arrive just in time to witness your soulmate choose someone else over you. I'd hoped I could spare you the heartbreak, but...at least now you can say you heard it firsthand," Yuta hums.

"J-Jeno, I–I'm so sorry...Please...forgive me," Jaemin says with glistening eyes.

Jeno shakes his head.

"How could you?"

Jaemin's brow furrows with a clear lack of understanding.

"How could I? I-I'm doing this for us...for all of us."

"That's enough. You've made your choice," Yuta silences Jaemin as he twirls his hand into a clutched fist, "There's no need to lie. It's futile."

Jaemin tries to call out to Jeno, but not a single sound escapes him. Tears stream down his cheeks like a pair of water faucets, and Jeno could barely stand to see it.

"No matter. You don't have to worry about him anymore, my son," Yuta speaks calmingly.

Though the sting of Jaemin choosing Renjun was still very much present, something began to feel off about the situation. Something clearly wasn't right. He was missing pieces of the puzzle that told him exactly what was going on. The way Jaemin said he was doing this for all of them had very sinister implications which were only further alluded to by the fact Yuta silenced him from being able to speak. Yuta knew Jeno would take his word, and he wanted to stop him before he was able to give Jeno the full picture. But what exactly was it that Jaemin had agreed to?

"Jaemin...what did you do?" Jeno utters in a quiet voice.

"He's chosen to abandon you and live a long, happy existence with Renjun. He has decided to never see you again," Yuta answers without hesitation, but Jeno doesn't trust him. He stares intently at Jaemin and focuses hard on his thoughts.

He told me I can either be with Renjun and never see you again, or choose you and have him kill everyone I love. Can't let Renjun die. I can't let any of you die...I'm sorry, Jeno. I love you.

Jeno's eyes remain on Jaemin without blinking for several moments before he shuts them. He places his tongue over the front of the top row and sucks his teeth as his nostrils flare.

"You set him up," he growls in a low voice.

"Pardon?"

"You set Jaemin up knowing he would choose Renjun and it would make me feel betrayed. You threatened him into choosing the outcome what you wanted him to," Jeno confronts Yuta as his grip tightens around the sword.