𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄 -- 𝐀 𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐘𝐅𝐈𝐂

⸻ 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 & 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃

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The morning is warm. Soft lights of the sunshine beam down against the sidewalk, illuminating crystalized ice that had settled on the glittering icicles hanging off the occasional building nearby. It's still cold, but it's not as cold as it could be all things considered. Sulli's hand brushes against old brick houses as they walk, tracing the rays of light with their feet, and trying not to replay what happened yesterday and in the early hours of this morning.

We all miss you, you know.

They can't fight back the smile that crawls over their face at the memory. Although it does worsen the emotional dilemma they've been facing ever since leaving Club Lore, it's nice to know that someone misses them. Even the members who seem more than a little emotionally constipated.

To be loved is to be missed.

It's a little after nine now, which they thought was a decent time to show up at Yaşru's. They'd woken up earlier from yet another unsettling nightmare, but it hadn't felt as frightening the second time around. Sulli had even texted Yaş to let him know they were coming over soon. It's not that they were surprised that they hadn't received a response, but it did make them a little paranoid.

Nothing happened Sulli, Yaşru can take care of himself.

Sulli knocked on the door gently, anxiously waiting for a response. While the seconds ticked by, they rocked back on their feet, looking up towards the doorway. There wasn't any sign of the decorative lettering here like there was in the Club Lore meeting room, although there were birdlike scratches along the edges. Sulli's frown deeped on their face, tilting their head upwards to it, before glancing back at the door. Hesitation brushed their thoughts before they pressed their ear to the door, listening. There wasn't a sound. A moment later, there was a soft, muted bark.

Erlik.

Yaşru must have gone out then, for the ingredients for the cookies. Unease settled in the pit of Sulli's stomach, instincts screaming that that's not what was happening at all. Still, Sulli's instincts had been wrong on more than one occasion, especially recently. Although they can't be found at fault for all of it, they wouldn't have guessed about the otherworldly traits regularly - and probably wouldn't believe it completely unless they saw it with their own eyes.

There was another soft bark, and Sulli's hand hovered over the doorknob. That would be an invasion of privacy, wouldn't it? To go into the apartment without being let in? Still, something dreadful was beginning to coagulate in their stomach. Pressing down the paranoia, they retracted their hand, crossing their arms over their chest instead of giving in to their insatiable curiosity. After all, that was what had gotten them here in the first place. They wish they could just turn it off at times like this. Because nothing had happened - certainly nothing could have happened to him.

Sulli's fingers twitched, and instead of giving in and opening the door, they reached for their phone, scrolling back through their messages towards Club Lore's contacts. An internal war debated in their head, pushing and pulling on the argument of whether or not to give into that debilitating paranoia. It felt different this time, like something was seriously, seriously, wrong. Not the same kind that followed Sulli in the darkness of their nightmares, not even close.

This was worse.

Sulli called Yaşru first, but almost immediately it went to voicemail, and Sulli's heart sunk deep in their chest. That wasn't possible- just this morning he'd picked up, and everything had been fine. Controlling their breathing as best as they could manage, they scrolled down further. Madden.