SEVENTEEN | SICKFICS - HURTFICS I

Seungcheol | Burned Part II

As the last of the smoke began to dissipate and the fire truck's sirens faded into the background, Dino stood frozen outside, his chest heaving with the frantic breaths of someone who had just narrowly escaped a nightmare. His eyes darted around, his gaze desperate, as he looked for Seungcheol.

The air outside felt like a stark contrast to the chaos that still raged inside the building. For a brief moment, it almost seemed unreal. They had made it out. Dino was safe.

But then, the realization hit. His hyung is not with him. He thought he followed.

His heart dropped, and panic surged through his veins.

"Where is hyung?!" Dino cried out, his voice trembling. His breath caught in his throat as he spun around, looking back at the burning building. "Hyung! Hyung!" His voice cracked, the weight of fear and helplessness gripping him. His knees buckled, and he crumpled to the ground, overwhelmed by the magnitude of what had just happened.

The other members, still gasping for breath, were beginning to gather outside, all of them looking anxiously toward the building. They had seen Dino, and that was a relief, but Seungcheol... Where was their hyung?

"Where is he?" Woozi whispered, his face pale, his eyes wide with concern. "Where's hyung?"

The others were silent, but their worried expressions spoke volumes. Hoshi stepped forward, his hand tightly gripping the edge of his shirt, his eyes scanning the building. "He pushed Dino out... he made sure he was safe," he muttered, the words thick with disbelief.

But as the firefighters moved into action, spraying down the building with torrents of water, it became clear-Seungcheol was still inside.

The firefighters worked quickly, expertly assessing the situation. They saw the collapsed wall, charred and still smoldering with embers, blocking the only way in. One of the firemen motioned to the others, signaling them to move quickly and push forward.

"We need to get the flames under control," the firefighter barked, his voice urgent. "If we don't stop it now, we could lose him."

Their hoses sprayed a powerful jet of water, trying to extinguish the flames as quickly as possible. It wasn't enough to stop the fire entirely, but it was enough to slow it down. As they rushed to clear the debris, they shouted commands to one another, trying to create a path through the flames to reach Seungcheol.

Back outside, Dino was beside himself. His body was shaking uncontrollably, his knees giving way as he collapsed to the ground in a sobbing heap.

"Hyung! Please..." he wailed, his cries breaking the stillness of the night. "Please, come back! I can't lose you!"

His hands were pressed against his face, but it did nothing to stifle the desperate, guttural sobs that tore through him. Dino was trembling, his entire body wracked with fear. He couldn't-he couldn't-lose Seungcheol. Not like this.

"Dino," Jeonghan's voice was low and trembling, as he crouched beside the maknae. He reached out to comfort him, but Dino jerked away, his arms flailing.

"No! I need him! I need him to come out!" Dino cried, his voice raw. "I can't... I can't..."

The others stood nearby, their eyes wide with horror and disbelief. They could feel the weight of the situation settling in, the helplessness wrapping around them like a heavy cloak. They had all watched Seungcheol go back inside to save Dino. But now, their leader, their rock, was trapped in that inferno. And they couldn't do anything to help him.

"Please, hyung... come out," Dino begged, his words breaking apart with each sob. His hands were shaking as he reached out, as if hoping to touch the leader that had protected them so many times before. "Please..."