edelweiss - &team

38

Fuma had a different experience from Euijoo, luckily. His designated pathway had not been as winding and precarious as the other's, instead, he took a single turn and followed a long hallway that curved gently. Above, he could catch a glimpse of the brilliant blue sky sandwiched between the dark stone walls. Occasionally, he could sense Yuma trying to catch hold of him, and when he was about to respond, he stopped before a large wooden door.

The door was fixed on one of the stone walls, it was wide and definitely ancient, perhaps ripped from an old temple. And it beckoned him. Even though he could confidently say what, or more accurately, who was behind the door, there was no other way around it.

So he sucked in a quick breath and threw the doors open grandly.

As expected, there was a small, lean figure waiting for him. Positioned in the dead centre of a decently-sized arena, Minhyung looked like he was being swallowed by the massive space around him. Still, he stood, still and poised, shoulders thrown back, lower lip wobbling ever so slightly.

Wordlessly, Fuma took careful steps into the dusty arena to stand before his junior. He studied the immortal, large eyes watery and small fingers tightly entwined.

With a laboured sigh, Fuma tossed the sword he forgot he was carrying to a side, "Minhyung, I'm sure we both know that we're not warriors of any sort."

"I know. I don't want to do this, either," Minhyung suddenly dropped down, crossing his legs. He looked like a small child waiting for a lesson to begin.

"Where's Kyungmin?" Fuma suddenly asked.

Minhyung shrugged, "Around. Probably trying not to lose his fucking mind controlling this labyrinth."

Fuma stayed silent, then, on a whim, copied Minhyung and took a seat on the ground, not once taking his eyes of Minhyung. A ghost of a smile played at the younger's lips, who then said, "Why don't we talk?"

"What's there to talk about?" Fuma shot back, a little too sharply.

"Anything," Minhyung sighed, then purposely blew upwards to mess up his bangs, "One of us has to die by the end of this anyways."

"Will Kyungmin be coming?" Fuma decided to start with figuring out how many people he'll have to deal with. Minhyung rolled his eyes, "That guy? He's dead set on Yuma, so you'll probably never see him."

"Both he and Junwon, huh," Fuma groaned, leaning back against his arms, as Minhyung let out a childish giggle. And it hit the both of them that they felt so comfortable with each other, just like all those years back.

"I understand Kyungmin more than Junwon, though," Minhyung's nose scrunched tightly, distastefully, "Yuma was Kyungmin's replacement but...Junwon was never on par with Yuma." Then Minhyung rested his chin on his palm dotted with small stones from the ground, despite the prickling pain, "Junwon will die by today. Hikaru...may not. Yejun and Gaku are a little harder to say."

Fuma waited patiently but Minhyung didn't seem keen to elaborate, so he instead questioned, "Where have you been all this while?"

MInhyung chuckled, dragging his finger through the dirt on the ground, forming random shapes, "Where can I go? Looking like this...I can't go far." Jerking his head up so fast it startled Fuma, Minhyung said gravely, "Promise you'll kill me. Even if it hurts. Even if you have to set me on fire. You must not let him have me."

Before Fuma could even finish processing that request, so convoluted and cryptic, Minhyung added with a snap of his fingers, "And you must stop Death. Even if you die trying."

"Yeah we knew that already," Fuma said wryly. He dragged his eyes across the interior of the arena, scowling at the flickering flames of torches placed on the walls, but gasped softly when he realised the door he had entered vanished. Minhyung noticed his shock, only nodding sympathetically, "In the end, Kyungmin truly leaves us with one choice."

And at a wonderfully apt time, the walls came crashing down. Fuma shot up at once, tense, while Minhyung scrambled to his feet, evidently not expecting this. When the dust cleared, a cough was heard, then an awfully familiar voice complained, "Ugh, Yixiang, why is it so messy this round?"

Minhyung looked startled but recovered quickly, his shock replaced with intrigue. "Nevermind, looks like we have more than one option now," He said that so simply, as though it was merely a small change in plans rather than what was likely a more gruesome and painful ending for him.

"Are you sure?" Fuma asked Minhyung quietly as the others began to hurry to his side. Minhyung only nodded, a small, sad smile on his face. As Yudai and Maki fussed over Fuma, checking for wounds Fuma did not have, Yixiang's eyes bore holes into Minhyung's skull, not once removing his attention from the younger immortal, while Harua carefully fanned out the remaining cards they held. With a shaky hand, Harua drew out Minhyung's card, of sage green, inscribed with the word "Pride" and a golden form vaguely resembling a human.

Spotting the cards, Minhyung chuckled and dug through his pocket, "What luck. I am the only one who kept them." And after some searching, he procured a set of similar cards, the edges slightly crumpled and bent due to the haphazard storing. At once, Yixiang stormed up to him and snatched the cards out of Minhyung's limp hand to inspect them, releasing a sigh of relief when all of them were still glittering and bright.

"They're all alive," Yixiang reported, eyes shining, "They're okay for now."

"Before you go," MInhyung cleared his throat, "Please kill me."

That really dimmed the mood, everyone stared at him, aghast and taken aback. "No," Yudai said firmly, still awfully gentle and loving towards one of their youngests.

Minhyung dropped his gaze down to his arm, which he tilted to allow a better sight. On his pale, unblemished skin was a long, nasty wound, mildly pulsating as they watched, disgusted.

"If you don't kill me, he'll just do it," Minhyung pressed on.

"It'll take so much to kill you," Harua suddenly piped up, not in a resentful way, rather a pained, sympathetic way.

Yuma stepped forward, an unspoken offer, which Minhyung accepted with another smile.

"Yudai, close your eyes," Yixiang encouraged, but their oldest shook his head, eyes pinned to Minhyung.

"It is going to hurt a lot," Yuma whispered as he crouched next to Minhyung, who had taken a seat once more.

"I can take it."

As Yuma raised his hands, Minhyung joked, "I'll see you guys again in our next life, yeah?"

Yudai's eyes were so liquid, so heartbroken, a rare sight, as though he was playing the role of a devastated hero watching his world burn down. Yuma planted his hands on Minhyung's shoulders, closing his eyes, as Minhyung began to shudder, as though he was horribly cold. Then he was shaking so hard Yuma had to let him go as he toppled to the side, his mouth contorting in a silent, agonised scream and blood began to rush forth from his nose, mouth and eyes.

"I'm sorry," Yuma choked out.

"It's alright," Minhyung gurgled out weakly, "I wasn't... meant to make it this far, anyways."

And he stilled, finally acquiring the peace he had been chasing for centuries.

an: the next chapter will be posted in five days, the 7th, since im starting work now! all updates will now be every five days