√ 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 // 𝐻𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝐻𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑗𝑖𝑛

thirty five.

Hyunjin's p.o.v.

     It didn't matter how long it took, or when it would happen, or who the first target was.
Sicarius was already dead.

     That thought was the only thing that kept Hyunjin running, the fantasy of blowing their heads open, stabbing them through the heart and twisting, the light in their eyes slowly fading as they experienced the same pain that he was now in.

     The group was gathered in the living room, Chan having just gotten off the phone with Taeyong; Nari's brother was on his way, bringing one of his units with him, including Chenle, who was so distraught that he had begged to be present at their meeting.

     There was nothing the boys could do as they waited, no way that they could help their captured members. Chan sank down onto the couch, blaming himself, repeating aloud that he shouldn't have let the two youngest go off on their own without protection.

     Changbin clapped his leader on the shoulder, squeezing lightly but not speaking, trying to comfort him without angering him. It didn't really work, Chan resting his face in his hands as he despaired.

     Unable to sit still, Minho paced on the floor, his fist placed on his mouth to hide his deep frown. Felix and Jisung also sat, their postures full of anxiety and worry, faces creased with concern as they thought of their younger friends.

     Breaking his usual poker face, Seungmin's lips were pursed until they turned white, his mind running wild as he imagined what his members were going through at that moment.

     Hyunjin just stood, face still but hands restless, wanting to hold his members safely in them once again. His eyes skimmed over the others, and he became confused, counting their heads quickly to make sure he wasn't mistaken. And he wasn't. Someone else was missing.

     "Where's Woojin hyung?"

     Chan's head snapped up, lips ready with a response, until he realized that he didn't know either. But he dismissively waved his hand. "He's probably still upstairs in the surveillance room. Felix, go check on him?"

     The boy nodded solemnly, padding out of the room with light steps. No one seemed bothered by the oldest's absence, having been used to the lack of his presence, his dedication to keeping them safe never questioned.

     But Felix bolted back into the room, his face white as a sheet and his eyes overflowing with panic. "He's not upstairs. I couldn't find him anywhere."

     Chan's breathing sped up, his heart barely able to take any more bad news. He half rose from his seat, hand going to his phone so he could dial his member's number.

     The phone rang and rang, and the boy didn't pick up. But Chan couldn't stop; he dialed twice, four times, eight times. Minho finally had enough and snatched the phone out his hyung's shaking hands, his gaze gentle.

     "Chan... "

     "No," the leader responded, verging on sounding hysterical. "He's just running an errand, or maybe he had to - "

     "Chan!"

     The room fell silent after Minho's outburst, hands fisted as he exhaled harshly. "He's not here!"

     Those words seemed to snap something in Chan, and he surged up, grabbing the nearest breakable thing, which happened to be a vase, and flung it at a wall. The other boys flinched as the material shattered, bits of pottery going everywhere.

     "No, damn it!" he hollered, face turning red as the veins on his neck rose. He continued to throw random objects at the wall as he let his fear and frustration pour out. "I promised that I would keep us together! We said that we would never leave each other, and because of me, that promise means nothing! They're gone!"