❝𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒❞ [On Hold]

𝟏𝟔➺𝐇𝐢𝐦

Chapter 16
Him

His insides felt lighter, his head dizzy but the comforting feeling of the soft sheets beneath him felt all too calming and asked Hongjoong to just close his eyes yet again and take a better sleep after the weird nightmare he had gotten. It felt as if a whole week had passed with him sleeping but he was still tired and that the rest had gone in vain.

His vision blurry as he moved his head around slightly only to register a slight weight above him. He turned his head towards it, finding the asleep body of San slightly draped over his own, his hands in his hair. The ringing doorbell's sound made Hongjoong wince as if he a whole lot of trumpets had been played beside his ear. Just who could be there? Hongjoong softly removed San's weight from above his waist, tugging him inside the sheet properly before he registered that his shirt was open.

Hongjoong closed the buttons when he gave San a quick glance. Another ring of the doorbell had Hongjoong groaning before he rushed towards the apartment door. "Who is it?" Hongjoong opens the door grumbling under his breath, his head down in a still sleepy burden. The other side seemed too surprised that Hongjoong's head shot up though. "HYUNGGG!! HOW?-WHAT??" A loud shriek from two high-pitched voices Hongjoong recognised to be Jongho and Wooyoung rang out in his ears in unison, the younger duo throwing themselves on Hongjoong's small stature in teary eyed relief as well as shock.

"J-jongho-Wooyoung! What are you doing??" Hongjoong's wide eyes speak how utterly shocked he is as well like the other two when he tries to get them away from him. "G-Guys at least let me breath-" Hongjoong choked slightly when the other two separate themselves in realisation. Breathlessly shocked Hongjoong hears Jongho ask. "Hyung where have you been?! And San? You guys have been gone for two days now!" Wooyoung and Jongho give worried looks to Hongjoong who stands there nervously.

That's when Wooyoung starts to realise how something is wrong with Hongjoong's features. His shirt feels disheveled though buttoned. His hair are damp slightly yet felt like they had been blown away by a strong wind. "Hyung...what exactly happened with you?" He questions nervously, his heart pounding to hear about the worst. Hongjoong was already confused from what Jongho said before that instead he questions back. "What do you mean missing for 2 days?" He couldn't honestly understand about how it's 2 days.

He can easily tell how much time he had spent in that place and it was sure almost a week. But how is it possible? How can a week go by inside a house while in the real world it's been only 2 days? If this is truly the case then it means that....time goes...faster in the house?!? "Hyung! You alright?" Wooyoung's slams a hand at Hongjoong's shoulder bringing him back from the train of confused thoughts. Jolting up, Hongjoong looks up blinking his eyes.

"Y-Yeah?" He questions not sure about what they were even talking about when a soft whine from the bedroom grabs his attention. "Joongie...where are you?" Hongjoong's eyes widen at the voice, his steps immediately walking to their room on their own. "Sannie! You alright?" Hongjoong runs to sit beside San who is sitting in their bed by now, rubbing an eye, while the other hand gripped his head in pain slightly.

"My head...hurts." San mumbles, his eyes squinted with pain and sleep as Hongjoong hugs him tightly in relief of having the other awake finally. "Don't worry, I'll get you some meds you'll you alright soon." Hongjoong pats San's back softly rubbing it once in a while before he motions for Wooyoung to get some headache pills and water for San. Jongho just watched things out of slight confusion and concern until Wooyoung returns.

"Here take these." Wooyoung returns immediately after. San nods separating himself from Hongjoong and popping the pills in his mouth before taking a small of gulp of water with Hongjoong's help. Hongjoong then gets San to lay down again as he pulls the covers above him and makes sure San is comfortable. "Get some more sleep, okay?" Hongjoong strokes San's hair softly before leaning in to press a kiss over his forehead. San nods closing his eyes and starts to fall back asleep to help the medicine kick it's effect in more easily.

After sitting beside San until Hongjoong was sure he had gone back to sleep, he got up with Jongho and Wooyoung following behind to leave the room. Hongjoong sighed not believing San really did wake up. He didn't want to leave San at all but decided otherwise to let him have some much needed rest. "So...Hyung? Now may we know what exactly happened in these two days?" Wooyoung asked, his eyebrows raised in curiousness and a little impatience after how long they had been waiting to hear things out from Hongjoong over what exactly happened.

Hongjoong stays quiet, nodding slowly before whispering for the other two to follow behind him. Hongjoong settles onto the couch in the living room asking for the other two to imitate his actions before he rests his head back onto the couch, closing his eyes. "Honestly I don't know what exactly happened." Hongjoong's hand comes up to pinch the bridge of nose, his forehead forming creases out of overexertion of his thoughts yet he continues to push through his thoughts.

'You're mine joong.' 'I want you.' Glimpses of Seonghwa's words, his laugh, his stare pierced through his memory making him flinch slightly. 'He won't wake up so easily.' Hongjoong remembers being scared to death at those words. 'See? He gives you tears but I can give you smiles.' Hongjoong felt his lower lip quiver shutting his eyes tightly. He can't let the demon's words go true. He can't. '1 WEEK!' Hongjoong's eyes shot open sharply at that startling Jongho and Wooyoung who were staring at him and waiting to hear even a single bit about things.

Those words struck his heart like a needle, his eyes feeling as if they would kill the demon just by staring if he were here in front of him. "He is no one to give me time to be with my love." Hongjoong mutters to himself leaning forward to thread his fingers together and prop his elbows on his parted knees taking in a deep breath. "What?" Jongho raises his eyebrows in question at Hongjoong's words. "I said, I won't let him take Sannie away from me." Hongjoong clarifies, his eyes angered at even the thought of Seonghwa's evil laugh or face.

"Who hyung? What do you mean?" Wooyoung interrogates, his eyes stating just how much worried and confused he was for not only him but his best friend after hearing what Hongjoong just said. "He took us and held us captive. He did something with San and he wouldn't wake up until now. He is obsessed. OBSESSED TO THE POINT HE WILL KILL SAN-" Hongjoong's voice gets higher as he speaks, his eyes getting red in anger. Jongho and Wooyoung just stare wide eyed in confusion while the older continues his speech as if speaking to himself but they don't stop him.

"-HE NEEDS ME RIGHT?! BUT HE FORGOT THAT I ONLY NEED SAN AND I WON'T LET HIM TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME. HE SAYS 1 WEEK?! I WILL NOT ONLY SAVE BUT SHOW HIM WHAT HE DESERVES." Hongjoong grits his teeth as his breathing get high. It's as if he is someone else and not himself. Wooyoung and Jongho know that Hongjoong will do anything for his love but right now even they feel quite scared of the older. "But who is it? Whose gonna take San away from you hyung? What are you even saying?" Jongho raises his voice at the end slightly as he finally sees Hongjoong go quite, shutting his eyes before muttering a soft but clear answer.

"Him. The Soulless."

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Hey! i hope you all enjoyed this chapter and forgive me for such late updates😭. Love you all and thanks for being with this story till now.