By Chance Or By Choice

By Chance Or By Choice: Part One

"And on three, you're going to leave your past life and return to your body."

Donghun rolled his eyes, not quite able to catch the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The cynicism he'd brought into this pokey room an hour ago hadn't faded - but it looked like he was on his own.

"Woah. So Jun was some kind of performer in his past life?" Chan's eyes were round as he swivelled to face his older friends. "That makes so much sense! Agh, why wasn't I something cool like that in my past life?"

"At least you didn't get brutally slaughtered." Byeongkwan glared at Chan, looking perturbed. He jutted his chin at Sehyoon. "Or freeze to death."

Donghun sat back as they started to squabble over who had the most miserable past life, a pierced eyebrow raised. As the eldest member of A.C.E, it often fell to him to be the voice of reason. Today was no different.

"Come on," he said. "Cameras are off, you don't need to keep pretending." He glanced over at their staff, who were packing away the cameras used to film the reality segment for their fans. "You don't believe all that stuff, do you?"

"I'm not pretending!" Chan looked affronted. He watched their fifth friend, who was still lying in an armchair, yet to come around from his reading. "I wouldn't cry like that if I was pretending." Fleeting embarrassment crossed his face, recalling his reaction to his supposed past family. "I can see myself living a simple life."

This time, Donghun didn't bother biting back the smirk. He gave their youngest a playful shove. "Just simple? Are you sure you weren't a lowlife, Beggar Chan?" He laughed as he earned a smack in the ribs.

"Yeah, well maybe it's a good job you sing Cactus in this life, seeing as we all know in your last life, you'd have been a pri-"

It was the fear that flashed across Sehyoon's eyes that made Donghun freeze. They knew each other too well - he recognised that rare slip in composure. He followed Sehyoon's eyeline, and his heart jolted.

A distinct tremor ran through Jun's body. His eyes were still shut, but his eyebrows knitted as he choked for air.

"Junhee!" Donghun was on his feet in an instant. He grabbed one of Jun's hands, which shuddered in his own. He cast around desperately - but the past life reader had backed away, his eyes wide with shock. "What have you done to him? Call 119! Someone!" Panic clenched his heart.

"Hyung, what's happening? Is it a seizure?" Chan scrabbled at Donghun's sleeve as Jun's tremors intensified. On the other side of the armchair, Sehyoon and Byeongkwan joined Donghun's attempt to keep their leader still.

"Why isn't anyone calling-?" He looked up desperately, but at the very moment he registered that no one else remained in the room, his vision twisted. Sounds went muddy. The lights flickered.

His trembling fingers slipped from Jun's.

He registered a dull pain as his knees hit the floor. Like a ship on some great wave, the room pitched violently from side to side. White lights blinded him like a strobe. He could just make out the crumpled form of their maknae convulsing on the floor. Invisible fingers squeezed his throat until all that remained was the sound of his own choking.

A deep bell tolled.

Donghun's vision distorted again. Through the kaleidoscope, he met Sehyoon's foggy eyes, then his head became too heavy and he stared down at his shaking hands. Like ink leaking across his skin, a dark mark spread across his arm. He gulped for air. 1342.

Again the bell tolled.

There was no space left in his mind for fear. As the bell rang an eighth time, Donghun's face met cold tiles. With his final energy, a dull voice deep in his consciousness wished that if this was death, it would just take him. Spare the others.