𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐓 𝟗.

six

{FIVE YEARS LATER}

Chan sits alone on a rooftop. If he fell from here, he'd die. He used to think that death was something he wanted. In reality, he wanted an escape. In the last five years, everyone but himself had either been captured or killed.

All because of him.

Seungmin and Woojin got caught while buying supplies. Chan never heard from them again, until they were both pronounced dead by suicide. And then there were seven.

Changbin got stabbed in a back alleyway, and Hyunjin died protecting him. Then there were five.

Jisung couldn't take the grief, so he went with them. Those who remained cried for a week. Four.

Jeongin went MIA on a mission, and was captured by the police. He left too. Three.

Minho died due to alcohol poisoning and heartache. Two.

And Felix. Oh, how much it hurt when he left. He was the last to leave. Felix suddenly became ill. He wouldn't eat. He wouldn't sleep. His family, the people he spent his entire life with, they were all gone. Forever. He couldn't take it. So he left Chan too. One.

Chan came to this specific rooftop because it's where he found Jeongin. He came because he couldn't sleep. The voices of his members were still heard in his head. He was never fit to be a leader. He was lucky to escape death once, but what if the outcome would have been the same if he had died that day? Chan felt his face grow wet from tears, a state he'd been in since his family had left him, one by one. The emptiness within him grew every day they were gone, and he felt himself grow colder and weaker as well.

He missed them so fucking much.

He just wanted to be with them again. To hear them laugh. To see their smiles.

Suddenly, as he looked out to the beautiful sunrise, he saw them. All standing at the edge of the building, waiting for him. He smiled as his heart burst with joy.

"Chan," said Seungmin with a smile, "it's okay. We're happy now. And you can be too."

"Come with us. Let's be Stray Kids again."

He knew what he had to do in order to be with them. And he was okay with it. He didn't even register that he had reached the end of the building as he reached out his hand to them all.

Without another word, and one more step, he fell too.

And Stray Kids became whole again.