If there is a place

That you need to be

Let me follow you

So that it can be you and

Me

**

Bam had more conviction now, more confidence, and more power. He was on a roll to get to the seventy-seventh floor in order meet with the Wolhaiksong. He needed to meet Urek again to form an alliance against Jahad and they had agreed to meet on the third full moon of the year, at the winged tree.

There was not enough time.

"Bam," Khun seethed. It was the fourth time in a week where he had to use his fire fish to close Bam's nasty wounds. Floors sixty to sixty-five were no walk in the park, especially when Bam was trying to defeat every enemy with sheer brute force.

"Let's go," Bam said, his expression unreadable. He had enough of this wretched Tower and its secrets. Yuri had told him before that Urek knew more about his unspeakable past, and he was determined to find out more.

The rest of the team exchanged glances but said nothing. Some things were better left unsaid.

"Are you not going to say anything?" Khun approached the red-witch as a last resort. She was their guide after all, and her counsel was always of weight.

Hwa Ryun cast a rose-red eye on him. "What if I say this is the path he has to walk?"

"...it's better if you don't talk to him."

Khun tried in every waking moment to reach out. He took Bam's shoulders in his hands, trying to shake him out of this strange coldness. The fifth time Bam took a near death stab through his stomach, he took Bam in his arms when he was finally healed, half begging him to stop this madness. When he was asleep, his nightmares were always about Bam in a pool of his own blood; unresponsive.

He would wake up with feverish fear and a hand over his chest as his temperature dipped between two extremes. Khun had been overusing the fire fish to heal Bam, and he was filled with dread that it may one day fail to save the one thing that mattered to him.

They finally reached the sixty-sixth floor, the floor of the devil.

Khun started sensibly. "Bam, we should scout for information first from other regulars. This floor has a bad reputation and we know nothing –"

"We're not like other regulars, Khun. We'll be fine."

Bam, for the first time, decided to be truly reckless. The longer they took to climb the Tower, the more suffering there was going to be. Bam was not going to stop. Khun inwardly groaned, resigned to his fate of being the team's healer rather than their strategist.

The evil one resembled a Minotaur and boasted that he had impenetrable skin and an indomitable pronged fork. But what was truly terrifying was the uncountable number of hearts he seemed to have – it took Bam's first thorn to stab through four of his hearts, and the second to finish off the fifth. The devil slumped to the floor in a heap, its battered body slowly dissolving. It was finally killed. Or so they thought.

"Heal the rest first, Khun," Bam said as Khun approached him hurriedly. "It doesn't hurt," he insisted.

When Khun finally reached Bam, he realized that Bam's damage was the worst of the lot. He sighed and Bam squirmed stubbornly under Khun's glower which read – don't do that again. He summoned whatever he had left of the fish, focusing the last lick of flames to close the lacerations at Bam's abdomen.

It's strange how it only takes a split second to change lives.

"Khun!" Hockey cried, already seeing three seconds ahead. "Look ou –"

Bam blinked as something wet hit his cheek. Blood...? His eyes widened horrendously.

An anguished sound tore from Bam's mouth. He didn't know whether it was a scream or a cry – Khun had been impaled straight through the chest by the devil's fork. It missed his heart only by inches, thanks to Hockney's warning. Khun stood there looking at Bam, frozen, his mouth opening and closing silently. He coughed out blood before he crumbled.

Bam caught Khun, who collapsed like a rag doll. The lightbearer gasped for breath, and Bam clasped his pale cheek, his heart thudding loudly against his ribcage in panic. "Khun, Khun –" He held Khun's hand tightly, choosing to ignore the fact that it was colder than he last remembered. "You'll be fine," Bam whispered, as if trying to reassure himself. "Summon the fish Khun, come on –"

But there was nothing, and Bam could only watch agonizingly as red, viscous fluid continued to seep through Khun's clothes and onto his. The blood was warm, but Bam was numb with fear.

"B-Bam." Blue eyes were hazy, and Khun struggled to hold Bam's fingers, but failed. How ironic, Khun thought, for him be killed by the devil.

Bam shook him by the shoulders, as if trying to create a miracle by sheer will. "Where's the fish Khun!" Bam's voice took up a notch, in disbelief. "Why isn't it healing you?! Don't scare me – please," he pleaded, wrecked.

"You'll manage without me, Bam." Khun whispered.

He summoned the last of his strength, a fading twilight, and stroked Bam's cheek. He was apologetic when he realized that his fingers had smeared blood all over Bam's face. Darkness threatened his vision, and he knew he had to say it. Before it was too late.

"I lov –"

His body went limp in Bam's arms.

He didn't manage to see how he was clutched to Bam's chest, as the young slayer came utterly undone. He didn't manage to wipe the tears that were rolling down Bam's cheeks, as he shattered like glass. He didn't manage to hear Bam choke out, as he sobbed, no – I can't manage without you, Khun.

At the moment before Khun's heart stopped, the capricious sweet fish finally poked its head out and decided to do its magic. It was only after Bam felt Khun's steady pulse with his finger, did he breathe again. He gulped in breaths of air before he collapsed, exhausted, fingers still entwined with Khun's.

When Khun finally stirred a day later, he woke up to a pair of golden eyes that was looking intently at him.

"Khun!"

Bam looked more haggard than he last remembered, but the smile on his face was radiant.

He was told that Rak had finished off the last heart of the devil with his spear and they passed the test to the sixty seventh floor. His chest still ached, and Bam said it seemed that the fire fish did a halfhearted job on Khun, probably pissed that it had been overused in the last month.

Khun laughed and stopped immediately as he felt a jolt of pain. Bam leaned over to him in concern, worry reflecting in his eyes. "Just don't make me laugh for now, Bam," Khun said jokingly, carefully massaging his chest. Bam relaxed visibly. They looked at each other for a long while, as if there was too much to say, and they didn't know where to begin.

"I'm sorry, Khun."

Bam looked conscience-stricken and Khun reached for his hand without thinking, fastening their fingers together as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Bam looked faintly surprised but did not resist.

"Don't be, Bam. Between us, there is no need to say sorry."

They kept their hands together for some time in comfortable silence, as sunshine trickled through the panes of the window. It was astonishing how simple things could create an unforgettable memory.

Bam blinked suddenly, as if remembering something.

"Oh, Khun?"

"....Yes?"

"Before you passed out, was there something you wanted to say to me?" Bam frowned, trying to recollect his words. "I think it started with I –"

Khun cleared his throat, embarrassed. "I was just going to say –" Bam looked at him expectantly, and he faltered.

"I was going to say that I will always be here for you, Bam."

Bam's lips trembled and he pulled Khun into a fierce embrace, relieved beyond words that his best friend was here again with him. Khun rested his chin on Bam's shoulder and closed his eyes. Maybe if he pretended to fall asleep, they could stay like this for hours.

He decided that he would tell Bam what he meant to say the next time, if he was ever reckless again. Some things for now, were better left unsaid.

"....Khun?"

"What is it?" Their arms were still wound together, and Khun's voice was a soft hum in Bam's ear.

"I just wanted to say that you were wrong," Bam said quietly, after a pause. Khun blinked, slightly puzzled, but before he could open his mouth to ask, his question was answered.

"No, I can't manage without you."