Level One - Fated To Play (Chapter Three 2/2)
Title: Level One - Fated To Play
Main Characters: Kyuhyun, Sungmin
Pairing: Kyuhyun/Sungmin, Kangin/Leeteuk
Genre: Adventure, romance, action
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Violence, Swear words...
Summary: Life is precious... But not everyone agrees.
The government has created a brand new world out of greed and desire, a world where anything can happen.
And where death is the only way to survive.
Kyuhyun enters the Game World to save the person closest to him, and the only way out... Is to win.
[ Master List ]
A/N: .... I am, as my mom calls it, a lamer. TT-TT;;;; Sorry I'm late guys >W<
-----
Chapter 3: The City of Air
This scene was all too familiar.
It was a cold day, so cold that Sungmin could see his breath. He wasn’t worried about the cold though.
Lying on the ground in front of him was a young boy. He had cropped black hair, foxy eyes similar to Sungmin’s and dressed in pale green and black clothes. His eyes were narrowed in pain and he was pressing against the wound on his chest, covered in blood with teeth clenched as he glared up in hate at Sungmin.
“I’m sorry,” Sungmin could hear himself saying, his voice echoing through his head. He turned around, sheathing his katana, unable to watch.
Just as he began to walk away a rock went flying from the ground and at him. He dodged it at the last moment but the rock’s sharp edge slashed against his forehead, dangerously close to his eye. He didn’t look back as blood rolled down his face, similar to a tear drop.
Sungmin could feel a stare boring into his back as he walked out of the clearing and back into the forest.
“Excuse me.”
The voice shocked Sungmin out of his flashback and he was shocked to find tears falling from his face. He spun around to see the blonde from before.
“I can help,” he said in a soothing tone but that only made Sungmin angrier. He felt angry, betrayed, and guilty, so guilty. He felt like the guilt was bubbling in a pit in his stomach, threatening to explode or drown him.
“Get away from him,” Sungmin yelled as he made to pull out his katana, his eyes clouded by tears. He continued yelling for Kyuhyun, trying to get him to come back to him. “Kyuhyun, wake up!”
“Kangin, help me please,” the blonde said. Before Sungmin could attack either of them the brown haired guy that was apparently called Kangin had grabbed him from behind and had him in a headlock, his katana lying on the ground out of reach.
“Let go of me! Let go!” Sungmin yelled as he fought uselessly with his attacker. He managed to elbow the guy in the stomach but all he heard was a grunt and a tightening on his arms. “Don’t touch him! Kyuhyun!” He screamed, tears falling from his eyes, his voice hoarse.
They both ignored him as Sungmin watched in horror as the blonde went to sit beside Kyuhyun’s slowly healing body. It wasn’t fast enough, he was going to die. Sungmin knew it and he wanted to be by his side. He wasn’t going to leave again. No, not again.
“I’ve gotta put him out, Leeteuk, he’s a feisty one,” Kangin grumbled from behind him.
Put him out? No, he couldn’t! Sungmin needed to be by Kyuhyun’s side. He started struggling ten times harder but something thick and leafy grabbed a hold of his legs and held him in place. He was about to scream when what seemed like a flower appeared in his face and covered his mouth. He held his breath but he couldn’t forever and he soon began to fall into darkness.
The last thing he saw was a white light coming from where Leeteuk had his hands on Kyuhyun’s chest and two bright white wings coming out of Leeteuk’s shoulders. Then everything went black.
Kyuhyun stood on what seemed like a white platform, perfectly circular with markings of red, blue, green and yellow on the edges. Everything around him was white and he couldn’t see farther than his platform.
On four edges of the circle were four floating people. He couldn’t make them out, even though he was close, but he could see that they were there. Everything was blurred.
They were slowly coming into focus and he wondered who they were.
It was then that a white light began to form in front of him, a small orb of light. Curious he leaned forward to see what it was.
As he got closer he could hear the sound of a sweet breeze, the lull of the ocean, the rustle of trees and the flicker of fire. It seemed to almost beckon to him.
Reaching out a tentative hand he grabbed hold of it.
…And was pulled back into the world.
At first all he could feel was pain, spreading from the middle of his chest to every nerve across his body. Just as he was swimming back into consciousness he could feel someone nudge him on the arm and his body screamed out in protest.
Then he realized people were talking and he though the he heard someone say his name. He opened his eyes a bit and through the pale sunlight he could see a figure leaning over him.
Sungmin?
At first he thought it was Sungmin but then he realized the person had blonde hair, two feathery white wings coming out of his back and he was glowing a very familiar white light.
The man noticed that Kyuhyun was awake. He smiled softly, though he looked tired and his eyes were dull. “Go back to sleep,” he whispered and Kyuhyun felt a calm spread over him before he closed his eyes and released himself into the realm of sleep.
He was coming in and out of consciousness, for hours, or maybe it was weeks, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he felt drained and tired but fairly numb and painless when he did wake up. The first time he woke was when he felt someone carrying him roughly. The next time he thought he was sleeping on a bed but he couldn’t quite be sure.
Kyuhyun finally awoke to the sound of soft hushed voices. He could hear two people in the room whispering to each other and then he realized he didn’t recognize the voices and he had no clue where he was. He kept his eyes closed as he felt around him. There were soft blankets and a pillow which meant he must be in a bed. He opened his eyes an inch to see them inside a tree hut, one of the houses built right inside the tree. In the corner was a kitchen and across from him the door. When he turned to the side he was shocked to see Sungmin sitting in a chair, head resting on the bed, fast asleep. He had the sudden urge to brush his bangs away from his face but decided against it.
He closed his eyes again, trying to hear the whispers from the back of the hut.
“… No Youngwoon, no.”
“But Jungsoo, what about your safety? We can’t have them knowing about you!” Youngwoon? Jungsoo? Who were they? He thought the voices were familiar but the names he didn’t know.
“We’re not killing them, Youngwoon and that’s final.” Kill? Kill who? Kyuhyun almost shot up in surprise but kept himself firmly on the bed. He didn’t want them to know he was awake, not yet.
“Jungsoo, you know what could happen if someone finds out. They could try to kill you, or someone else could try to.”
“I know Youngwoon, but I’m not going to kill them.”
“You won’t have to. I’ll do it for you!”
“No, I don’t want anyone to die-”
Kyuhyun couldn’t stand it anymore. No one was going to die and he was going to make sure of it. Lifting himself weakly up he stumbled out of the bed. As soon as he stood his whole head throbbed and the room went dizzy. He felt himself falling, the ground getting closer and closer.
Just as he thought he was about to collapse he felt strong arms grab him and gently lift him back up. Opening his eyes he was shocked to see Sungmin standing behind him, giving him a small smile though his eyes looked emotionless.
The brown haired man that Kyuhyun now recognized from the fight stood up, already pulling out his sword. He saw Sungmin reach for his katana but it wasn’t there. Instead he maneuvered his way in front of Kyuhyun, pulling out a concealed knife.
Man, I have GOT to get me one of those. Kyuhyun thought.
“Now, now, no need to pull weapons out.” The blonde man who spoke had dark circles under his eyes and he was sagging in his chair, looking exhausted. When he lifted his hand to beckon them over his hand was shaking. He shot a look toward the brown haired man and he slowly lowered his weapon before going back to his side.
“Come on now, come sit down,” the blonde said as he motioned Sungmin and Kyuhyun over when they still hadn’t moved. “I know you have some questions so come over and I’ll explain everything.”
Sungmin still hadn’t moved but Kyuhyun’s curiosity got the better of him so he walked past him and took a seat at the table. He saw Sungmin sit reluctantly next to him.
“Good, now that that’s done, Kangin, can you make some tea?” The man supposedly named Kangin, though Kyuhyun thought he had heard Youngwoon, stood up and went to the kitchen. The blonde then turned to them and flashed them a dimpled smile. “Let’s start out with the basics, my name is Leeteuk and this is my friend Kangin.”
“I’m Kyuhyun,” he introduced, “and this is Sungmin,” he added after an awkward pause when it seemed like Sungmin wasn’t going to answer.
“It’s nice to meet you! Anyway, thank you for rescuing us back there, I’m extremely thankful.”
“Oh no, I should be thanking you,” Kyuhyun said. “You two saved us… At least, I think.” He paused for a moment, his mind going blank. All he remembered was yelling to Sungmin, pain, and then light.
Leeteuk shrugged. “No problem at all, no problem at all,” he said, though he seemed to blank out for a few moments.
“You’re an Angel, aren’t you?”
Kyuhyun turned to Sungmin in surprise. He thought it might’ve been a joke but he seemed completely serious.
Leeteuk turned to him and nodded very slowly.
“What’s an Angel?” Kyuhyun asked when no one seemed to want to explain.
Leeteuk began hesitantly. “An Angel is a Child of Light. There are only four of us in existence at a time. We have the power of enhanced healing for ourselves and the ability to heal others. That is how I was able to save your life.”
Kyuhyun suddenly remembered what had happened when he was unconscious. A strange white room. Fuzzy figures. A bright light. “So that light was you?” He nodded.
“How did you become an Angel?” Kyuhyun asked.
“He killed one of the Children of Light.”
There was a pause in which Kyuhyun inhaled a sharp breath, Leeteuk bit his lip and Kangin placed the cups of tea on the table which no one touched.
“So, who did you kill?” Sungmin asked with a slight hint of malice in his voice.
Leeteuk sighed and took a small sip from his tea. Kyuhyun noticed his hand was still shaking. “My sister.”
He began to explain before the two could get the wrong idea. “My sister, Inyoung, was a Child of Light. We were hunting one day when we got attacked by a group of bandits trying to become Angels so they could have the power to heal. We escaped but she was wounded so bad that even being one of the Children of Light couldn’t save her. She asked me to kill her so that the bandits wouldn’t get the power.” He closed his eyes, gripping his hands together tight under the table. “I had to.”
Kangin was at his side immediately, placing his arm around his shoulder comfortingly. Kyuhyun was amazed at the gentleness behind it all, surprised that the strong man was capable of such kindness. Leeteuk glanced up at him and gave him a small smile. When Kyuhyun looked over at Sungmin there was something conflicting in his eyes but when their eyes met they hardened again.
There were a few minutes of silence in which Sungmin seemed determined not to say anything. Coughing awkwardly, Leeteuk stood up and took the tray of cold tea and placed it on a wooden counter. “We’ll be leaving in the morning,” he told them gently. “It’s too dangerous to stay in one place for a long period of time. You’re welcome to stay for as long as you want.”
Leeteuk smiled at them, but Kyuhyun thought he looked exhausted. “Kangin and I will be gone before you wake up.”
Leeteuk followed by Kangin were already walking up a set of stairs in the side of the tree when Kyuhyun suddenly shot up, almost knocking over his chair and making Sungmin jump. “T-thank you.”
“Kyuhyun,” Leeteuk said calmly, a small soothing smile on his face. “You saved us. We should be thanking you.”
“You would’ve done the same, I bet.”
A haunted look passed over Leeteuk’s eyes and Kangin seemed to tense up next to him. “Maybe,” he said before they turned away leaving the two alone.
Sungmin was still sitting stonily at the table, hands clasped under his chin, looking at something only he could see. He only stirred when Kyuhyun poked him in the cheek and told him they should get some rest. “We should move on tomorrow, right?”
Sungmin observed for him for a second and a frown passed on his face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Kyuhyun nodded quickly, ignoring the slight dizziness that passed through his head. “I’m fine.”
The older man rubbed his eyes like he was tired. “We’ll go easy tomorrow,” he said before standing up and ushering Kyuhyun back to the bed.
Kyuhyun laid down and was curling up to sleep when he noticed there wasn’t a second bed. “Where are you going to sleep?” He asked when he noticed Sungmin had a pillow in his arms and was sitting down.
“In this chair,” he said as he placed a pillow on the side of the bed and leaned his head onto it.
“Oh no you’re not,” Kyuhyun said as he yanked the pillow out from under Sungmin’s head, earning him a pout which Kyuhyun returned.
“Please never pout again.” Kyuhyun was insulted at first but then he saw the smile on Sungmin’s face and he smiled too.
He decided to ignore him and instead placed the pillow next to his and moved over. “There’s enough room for both of us here,” he offered.
For a second he thought Sungmin was going to refuse but he just shrugged and maneuvered his way into the bed next to him. At first it was slightly uncomfortable because they both tried to give space for the other and moved to the edge of the bed, almost falling off, before they relaxed a bit.
Kyuhyun could feel Sungmin’s back pressed against his arm and his foot pressed against his leg. For a moment he forgot to breathe before he slowly drifted off into dream world. If he had stayed awake he would have noticed Sungmin’s breathing was slightly uneven.
True to their word, when Sungmin and Kyuhyun woke, Leeteuk and Kangin were already gone. A note was left for them, written in curly script.
Good luck.
No signature, nothing. The piece of paper was the only thing that showed they had even existed. Kyuhyun took the note and placed it in his bag.
Sungmin looked outside the hole in the tree, wincing as the sun burned his still sleepy eyes. “It’s already mid-afternoon. We’ve slept for hours,” he said, frowning.
Kyuhyun smiled and slung an arm carelessly around Sungmin’s shoulders, in such a good mood that he ignored the sudden stiffness in Sungmin’s form. “It’s a fantastic day, nice weather, the sun’s shining. Let’s begin, shall we?”
Sungmin smiled lightly and ducked out from under Kyuhyun’s arm, grabbing his bag and walking toward the door.
“Where are we going next anyway?” Kyuhyun asked as he grabbed his bags and put his arms behind his neck.
“The Forest of Death.”
“… Oh great.”