8 is fate // Stray Kids

34

Changbin

He was drowning.

Their ship was sinking and there was nothing he could do to keep them from drowning.

The realization drove Changbin almost mad. He couldn't stop thinking that he had made a huge mistake. That maybe he should have fought for Han to stay, should have been selfish for once.

He wanted to respect Han's wishes, he truly did, but ever since he was gone, everything felt so wrong. It was like their dynamic had been brought out of equilibrium, unable to regain their footing.

Everyone was tense, sensitive, irritable.

Almost like they had gotten so used to Han being their mood maker, that they didn't know how to loosen up without him around.

Changbin had come to the realization that he had gone about it the wrong way. That there had been no need for cutting any ties whatsoever. He understood perfectly why Han had felt the need to leave, but that didn't mean they couldn't keep in contact anymore. Why couldn't they exchange letters, make sure the other was okay, be pen pals. There was nothing that spoke against that, was there?

That way, they wouldn't have to worry about him, and their mind would be put at ease, at least a little. And Changbin was sure that even through paper, Han would be able to deliver some crazy and captivating stories, easing the tense mood that has reigned in the house lately.

Of course, this wouldn't be the solution to all their problems, but it would at least help them all focus more on the matter at hand. Because that was what they needed to do if they wanted to survive this. The Eighth was on the move much quicker than predicted. More and more of his followers infiltrated Miroh and by now, it was only a matter of time before Geuneul showed his face and started this war for real.

Changbin was tempted to talk to his sister about it, maybe take her up on the offer to search for Han. But a part of him was still hung up on the sorta-promise he had made with the human. Additionally, they have collectively made the decision to keep Han out of their mess for now, backtracking now might only cause more chaos.

He wrung his hands, the feeling of drowning only growing. His thoughts were like sirens, trying to lure him down to the deep, dark bottom of the ocean.

He was sure he would truly go mad if nothing changed soon.

"For fucks sake, Changbin", snapped Hyunjin suddenly. "Stop fucking infecting me with your shitty mood, I've got enough of that myself."

"Sorry", mumbled Changbin, internally chiding himself for being unaware enough to let his emotions spill out like this. The thought alone made him even more anxious, he had to get himself under control before he did something stupid. "Didn't mean to."

"I know", huffed Hyunjin, less agitated than before. He understood the jumbled mess of thoughts that was storming inside Changbin's brain far too well. "Let's take a breather, I think we can both use it."

When it came to their Levanter powers, Hyunjin was the perfect match for Changbin. Their powers had equal properties which made training together a lot easier. They understood how the others' power functioned and how delicately it had to be wielded. They were able to support and advise one another, speeding up their growth.

Sometimes Chan joined them as well as his power was the next closest thing to theirs.

The rest of them didn't necessarily need partners to train and often preferred to work on theirs alone. Which Changbin couldn't blame them for, if he could, he would do the same. It felt weirdly vulnerable and slightly embarrassing to have so little control over your own power, especially since they have had them for a couple of years now. Sometimes it felt like something foreign was inside of him, like the source of his power didn't belong to him.