bite ー changlix [discontinued]

FIVE

the next time they meet, there's a different atmosphere surrounding changbin. he's on edge, nervous. like he's anticipating something.

"he left another note," felix says quietly, unfolding it and reading it aloud. "do you really think he can help you? what a fool you are, lee felix. twenty-eight days."

changbin just stares.

"twenty-seven, now," felix continues. "look, i understand if you don't want to help me anymore. i don't want to drag you into this, too."

changbin's mouth falls open, and his eyebrows knit together in confusion. "felix, i know what i signed up for when i agreed to help you. i'm staying with you."

"he wants me. you don't need to involve yourself in this."

"but i will."

"changbin, he's going to kill me in twenty-eight days. that's not nearly enough time for you to do whatever you're going to do."

"then he'll have to kill me first," changbin says simply. "and besides, i already have a plan. there's no way he'll get you."

felix looks up nervously, meeting changbin's eyes and then immediately averting his gaze. "really?"

"i'm going to give you a day to get everything in order. tomorrow morning, meet me here. i'm going to take you out into the forest, and we're going to stay there until the charm i'm putting on it wears off. i'll use every magical method i know to figure out who's doing this, and once i find out, we can leave."

"woah," felix says, eyes blown wide like saucers. "that's... a lot."

changbin nods. "i need you to pack a bag full of anything you may need while we're gone. i'll take care of food and water. just bring some clothes and anything else you want to bring."

felix nods, and changbin stands. "this café at seven tomorrow. i need to go get some things ready, but i'll be here early in the morning. okay?"

"okay."

"bye, felix," changbin waves, walking out of the small café. felix waits a few minutes before following him out, his to-go cup of tea warming his hands as he walks.

he sighs, pulling out his phone. he knows he told chan not to contact him, but at the very least, chan has the right to know what felix is doing. he pulls up chan's contact and pressed call.

he picks up on the second ring.

"felix?" chan asks in a hushed voice. he's whispering, and there's a hushed murmur in the background.

"i got help."

"from jisung?"

"not necessarily. his friend is helping me escape. we're going out into the woods to stay until we figure out who or what is after me." felix reaches his dorm and unlocks it, pushing inside. surprisingly, there's no note on his door.

"do you know where minho is?"

felix freezes. "i thought he was with you now."

"...no. he said he had to run an errand and he never came back, oh god, what if--"

"i saw him two days ago in jisung's shop. that was the last time i saw him," felix interrupts. chan breathes out a sigh of relief.

"can you go check on him? please?"

felix purses his lips. "what if that would make him a target?"

"felix, come on. i need to know that he's okay."

felix stops, turns, and exits his dorm room, locking the door with his free hand. "yeah. i'll go check on him now."

"call me afterwards. don't forget."

felix laughs a little. "i won't."

he ends the call.

the walk to the campus bookstore is tedious and unnecessarily long, but felix can't really find it in himself to care. chan is right--there is a chance that minho could be in danger. he can't exactly fend for himself as someone who was just turned under a year ago.

"i need to talk to han jisung," felix says quickly to the boy tending to the register.

mouth stretched into a thin line, the boy throws his hand over his shoulder, pointing with his thumb towards the door leading to jisung's room.

felix nods and proceeds to knock thrice on jisung's door before turning the knob and pushing his way inside. it's completely empty. there's no sign that minho and jisung have even been here.

in the quiet of jisung's room, felix heaves a sigh, eyebrows furrowed. "where," he says to the boy, voice desperate, "where is he?! where is the boy who was with him?"

the boy turns to see the empty room, and his jaw drops. "i really have no idea," he stutters out. "they were here twenty or so minutes ago. they never left the room."

felix's teeth sink into his bottom lip as a force of habit, and he clenches his fist, sprinting out of the bookstore. he has to find them. they can't possibly be far, he thinks, chest already heaving. they just--

a stranger runs into him. the boy stares at his feet apologizes, gripping someone's wrist behind him and pulling him along. but felix recognizes that voice, and he stops them before they can escape.

"jisung?"

the two freeze.

"minho?"

jisung shakes his head frantically. "we have to get out of here. there's no time."

"no," minho says, refusing to let jisung drag him any further.

"minho, you need to get back to the coven," felix whispers, his voice low. jisung shakes his head.

"we can't make it there as fast as we need to," he says, his eyes frantic. "i'm going to hide him from whatever's coming."

"what do you mean--" minho snaps at jisung, pulling his wrist free from his grip.

"there's something coming, and it's not just targeting felix. once it's done with him, it'll come for anyone who's not human." jisung shudders. "i saw it. when i read your future, felix. i've never seen anything like it. the darkness..." he shakes his head, resolving to grab minho's wrist once more and pull. this time, minho lets him.

"i'll be safe with jisung," minho decides quietly as his boyfriend slowly drags him forward. "stay safe, felix."

he intertwines his hand with jisung's, and then he vanishes into thin air.

―

xodaniel