The Monster Under The Bed

26. Final Answer

The group stays in silence for hours. Xiumin had isolated himself from the others, obviously feeling guilty. Kyungsoo had attempted to do the same, but Jongin remained by his side. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were together: Baekhyun was staring straight ahead while unconsciously playing with Chanyeol's ear. The taller boy was asleep, curled up on the ground beside him. Chen was sitting by Zitao, who was beside Autumn. Luhan was on her other side. Kris had passed out again, his head was resting on Autumn's scissored legs. From stroking his hair, she could tell his fever was coming back. And quickly.

The cage door swings open. Leeteuk is the first to walk in, followed by Kyuhyun and the others. Autumn counts thirteen.

Leetuk scans all of them, a cocky smirk on his face, until his gaze falls on Autumn and Yifan. His face shows shock, and he walks over to them. Zitao and Luhan immediately move to block the two of them. Leeteuk snaps his fingers and two branches pop out of the ground and yank them back. Leeteuk stands over Yifan and Autumn.

"What's wrong with him?" Leeteuk asks gruffly.

"Why do you care?" she hisses.

"Tell me or else."

Autumn gulps.

"He has a fever," she answers, "He was getting better, but now he's sick again."

Leeteuk doesn't say anything. He just stares at them.

"How long have you known him?" he asks suddenly.

"For a year," she replies, then indicates to Luhan and Zitao, "They've known him for longer."

"Kangin!" Leeteuk barks, "In order of age."

Autumn sees a black tear open up and suck in Xiumin before anyone can move. After a few seconds, there are cries of alarm.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Autumn shouts, Leeteuk turns and glares.

"You four have a choice right now," he says, "You can go where they're going. Or..." he pauses, "I will let you go free. Just this once."

"W-what?" Luhan stutters.

"Leeteuk, what are you saying?" Heechul asks, "They--"

"I don't have to explain myself," Leeteuk growls, "And I'm giving them this choice," he looks at her, "You can go with Yifan and be free, or you can choose to join Exo."

Upon his words, Baekhyun is sucked into the thing, ripped straight out of Chanyeol's grasp.

"Why?" Luhan asks.

"Just choose."

Luhan does his best to reach for Kris.

"Kris."

Zitao takes a little longer, but he also chooses Kris. Last is Autumn. She glances at the others. Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, Chen, and Jongin were looking at her. Her heart begins to hurt. She glances between the two groups. She bites her lip. She didn't want to abandon them, but she couldn't leave the other group.

"I'm staying with Kris."

She turns away so she doesn't see the Exo members looks of hurt.

Leeteuk snaps his fingers and one of the men comes over and unlocks the cuffs and her choker.

"Lead them out."

Zitao and Luhan support Kris and Autumn follows them out. She glances behind and sees Jongin with a betrayed look as he too, is sucked in.

Being led by Kyuhyun, they are led out of the cave.

"Fly away quickly," Kyuhyun says, then smirks, "If we catch you again, I'm sure my father won't let you go again."

Autumn doesn't hesitate to wrap her arms around the three of them and teleport somewhere she knows is safe.

Kris's mom's house.

The woman is outside and screams when they appear. But she quickly recovers from her shock and hurries down to them. To Kris.

"Yifan, baby?" she asks, cupping his face. She flinches upon feeling his hot skin.

"It's happening," she whispers, then looks at all of them. She seems to sense their depression.

"Let's get all of you inside," she ushers, "I have seaweed soup almost ready."

They follow her inside, where they lay down Kris on one of the beds. The woman then leads them over to the kitchen, where she serves them the hot soup.

"What happened?" she asks when Luhan and Zitao are done eating. Autumn wasn't hungry.

"We got captured again," Luhan says, "Autumn and Zitao joined them with the intent to save Kris and I. But shit happened, and Kris and I were taken somewhere else where I was tortured by a different group of people. I don't think they touched him though. They captured all of Exo and were sending them through some black hole, but when the leader saw Kris, he let us go after making us choose between Kris and them."

"It was kinda hard to choose," Zitao admits,  "I wanted to protect Kris, but I didn't want to abandon them."

"Why is that?" Kris's mother asks.

"They've become our family as well," Autumn answers quietly, then looks up from her soup, "I don't want to just leave them to whatever horrible fate they're going to have to endure."

Mrs. Wu nods.

"Are they a threat to Yifan?" she asks.

She shakes her head.

"I don't know," she whispers.

"After one of the members of Exo, Yixing, saw me, he told them that I was one of them now. He defended me," Luhan comments softly, "I think they would do the same for Kris."

The woman nods slowly.

"Then you shouldn't abandon them," she says, "Do you know the name of the leader?"

"Leeteuk," Autumn replies. The woman's eyes widen and she is silent. She clearly recognized the name.

"That man is quite dangerous," she tells them finally. Autumn's heart sinks.

"So we can't save them?" Zitao asks. She shakes her head.

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all!" she pauses, "But we're going to need a good plan if we're going up against him."

🔼🔼🔼🔼

Leeteuk stares down at his nephew. Suho stares back up at him.

"Why are you doing this?" Suho coughs, tears in his eyes.

"I have my reasons," Leeteuk answers, indicating for Kangin to use his power one last time.

"What ever happened to love for family."

Leeteuk holds up a hand to pause Kangin's actions. He thinks for a second.

"People say love and hate are two completely different things. What they fail to realize is that both emotions spawn from the same source: a flaming passion. Whether that passion is negative or positive determines what it can become," he answers, "And all I have for you is a negative passion."

He lowers his hand, and his nephew disappears before his eyes. Disappears to a cruel fate. Leeteuk can't help but smirk. He had won.

🐢🐢🐢
Authors note
This book is done! Kekeke
I don't know how soon the next one will be up, but hopefully I'll have it up soon. Until then, read some of my other stuff.
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(PS. definitely_notJohn do your worst. 🙃🙃😏😏)