❝ i remember it perfectly placed right here, in the middle of this specific table. ❞ chenle tilts his head lightly, observing the details. ❝ could you shift it to the left just a tiny bit? yes, like that. perfect. ❞

donghyuck stares at the hourglass, expecting for a sudden change. he glances at chenle. ❝ this is it? this is your only mission? ❞

❝ as far as i'm concerned, yes, only this. ❞ chenle shrugs. ❝ i don't think i saw anything else in particular. i must return the hourglass back to the red room... for god knows what. ❞

the rest of the boys are already enjoying their time outside venturing the beach. donghyuck and chenle however are still caught up in completing the mission, and mark has no other choice but to assist them as the most experienced member.

❝ so what now.. hyung? ❞ donghyuck turns to mark in confusion. ❝ aren't we done? shouldn't we continue on to the next mission? ❞

❝ if you think the mission has been completed.. then there's no reason for us to pry open anything else unnecessary. however, because we can't control when the next mission will take place, i suppose the best thing that we could do now is to wait for our departure.❞ mark explains to them briefly. ❝ while we wait, why don't you guys go join the other boys and have some fun? ❞

❝ i wouldn't miss it for the world, hyung. ❞ chenle quickly gets up from his seat, feeling that he himself deserves a well-earned break.

❝ wait, chenle-yah, ❞

❝ hm? ❞

❝ can i borrow your camera, please? i'm curious of how the pics turned out. ❞

chenle lends him the item. ❝ take it. i wasn't planning on bringing this anyway, i don't want to break it.❞

❝ thanks bro, ❞ mark smiles lightly. ❝ have fun! ❞

like there's no time for him to waste, chenle sprints his way towards the sandy beach, heading towards the other boys. donghyuck turns to mark. ❝ i'm not gonna leave you here alone all-melancholic and sad. ❞

mark laughs. ❝ you really think that's what i'll be doing here? ❞

❝ please, i know you're going to do that. ❞ donghyuck scoffs. ❝ if you're really going to leave soon, at least make your last day special. don't hang around here sulking about how dreadful your life is. come with us and live your last day the fullest. ❞

mark feels somehow touched. ❝ you're desperately trying to drag me out to play, are you? ❞

❝ of course i am, ❞ donghyuck slides his hand unnoticeably, stealing the camera away from mark. ❝ besides, there's no reason for you to stay here if i take this with me. ❞

he quickly runs to the door, escaping with the camera with him. ❝ yah, lee haechan!! ❞ mark tries to grab the camera back, but he fails to do so. donghyuck was already too far off running towards the sea.

❝ you want it? come get it! ❞ donghyuck yells teasingly, lifting the camera up in the air. ❝ try to keep up, will ya?! ❞

because of donghyuck's successful attempt on baiting him to go outside, mark ends up losing his focus (donghyuck has no interest of returning the camera too, he holds unto it as if it was worth his life to keep mark from leaving) and proceeds to hang out with the others instead, indulging into another set of memories to be remembered in his last day.

❝ hyung! ❞ chenle gasps, surprised to see mark. ❝ i thought you weren't interested of leaving the house? ❞

❝ it's his fault, ❞ mark scowls, pointing at donghyuck.

❝ you're welcome, ❞ donghyuck grins sheepishly.

after spending the whole afternoon playing with ocean water, they return to the lodge a few hours later, still with full of energy and joy, continuing their everlasting party indoors. an excellent example to picture it is, of course, with the game of truth or dare.

renjun spins the confetti tube on the floor to choose their first victim. ❝ lee donghyuck! ❞

jisung cheers. ❝ woah, hyung! ❞

❝ lee-hae-chan! ❞ mark gushes.

❝ uri uri uri donghyuckie, ❞ jaemin smiles. ❝ truth or dare? ❞

chenle, being as shameless as he usually is, shouts first. ❝ dare, dare! hyung, don't be such a pussy and choose dare! ❞

donghyuck shrugs. ❝ you heard the dolphin, i choose dare. ❞

❝ dude, i got just the thing. ❞ jaemin tells everyone excitedly.

❝ what? ❞

❝ hug jeno and give him your most sincere apology! ❞

jeno looks at him in confusion. ❝ wait, what, why am i included— ❞

donghyuck hugs the boy without hesitation, patting his back. ❝ sorry for calling you the school's biggest loner. i think you're quite cool. ❞

❝ oh... oh.. em.. gee... ❞ chenle immediately shoves his camera and took pictures.

❝ aw this is the cutest thing i've ever seen, ❞ mark sobs. ❝ i feel like crying. ❞

after another dozen rounds of playing around, their energy starts to settle down just as the moon arises, with the exhaustion of constant running starting to kick in. the boys have now changed their clothing to the blue suits provided by the staff. though uncomfortable, it was way better than the soaked school uniforms they were using since yesterday.

one-by-one, everyone passes out in the living room, not able to resist the urge to rest. mark simply observes as the conversation starts to dry out and the kids were starting to fall asleep. he reminisce the past day as he did so.

11.00pm. after abruptly waking up , chenle decides to head over for a little tour of the lodge. he crouches down to stare at the hourglass, observing the features. he notices that though he had just placed it there for a few hours, the sand has almost emptied out. the time is almost over.

he turns the hourglass back, starting out anew. his eyes widen when he notices the strange occurrence.

as if it was created that way, the sand from the upper part of the hourglass quickly withers down, returning to its earlier state, where the time was almost over. chenle stares at it in disbelief. the time.. is not changing at all!

feeling a bit creeped out by the sight, chenle returns back to the sofa as he tries his best to fall asleep again.

11.32pm. jaemin feels a little tingle on his ear, bothering him as he sleeps. he groans in annoyance. ❝ yah, what is this— ❞

he opens his eyes, realizing that he has fallen asleep at the sofa. he looks around his surroundings and immediately noticed that everyone are long unconscious. wiping his eyes, he regains balance and tried to stand up. 

the strange feeling still lingers. the room is dark with no lights turned on. the moon is the only thing exposing visible light to guide him.. wait.. unless...

he turns around to see a ray of light peeking out from the spare room. slowly he heads towards the room, putting his hand on the handle. should i call mark-hyung..?

he glances back to the living room, seeing mark still vast asleep. no, i shouldn't bother him. this is nothing, anyway.

he opens the door, revealing something he didn't expect to witness. his eyes widen in fascination.

jaemin didn't know that jeno was up the whole time, paying attention at the boy as he explores the house out of curiosity.

11.53pm. mark's eyes flutter open after a short nap. he stands up, feeling the ground rumbling underneath his feet. he sighs in exasperation. there's nothing else that i can do.

he circles the room one last time, his eyes looking down at his fellow brothers sleeping safe and sound. they certainly look like calm and innocent boys if he sees them like this, unlike how they usually act when they're wide awake. he plays around with the basketball, twirling it with his finger, trying to calm his nerves as he waits for a sign. donghyuck, jisung, renjun. wait, where's—

❝ hyung, ❞ a voice startles him awake. ❝ what are you doing? ❞

mark flinches, turning to see who's awake. ❝ chenle? ❞

❝ you're not.. leaving, aren't you? ❞ chenle looks at him in disbelief. ❝ are you leaving without telling us? ❞

❝ chenle, i.. ❞

❝ i saw this. in my dream. ❞ chenle heaves a breath. ❝ i saw you leaving. ❞

mark froze. ❝ you didn't tell anything about seeing me in your dream. ❞ 

❝ this exact moment, i knew you were going to do it. the hourglass.. that's for you. ❞ chenle gapes in realization. ❝ it shows that your time is almost up.. and it is inevitable. ❞

mark takes a deep breath and nod. there wasn't any reason for him to hide anything anymore. ❝ if you saw me in your dream, then this part is clearly inevitable, for everything in your dream must happen in order for the mission to be completed. i can't run away from this, not ever again. ❞

❝ what's going on, hyung? ❞ chenle asks. ❝ why are you leaving? ❞

❝ you'll know later on, but now's not the time for me to tell you. ❞ mark sighs. ❝ and chenle, please refrain from waking up the other boys. ❞

❝ but you're leaving! ❞

❝ yes, secretly. i'll make sure that they don't even notice. ❞

❝ but that's not fair! ❞ chenle cries out. ❝ everyone deserves to know! ❞

❝ would you want to spend the next missions with me knowing that i died? ❞

❝ no, but i wouldn't want to spend the next missions not knowing what really happened to you! ❞ chenle shoots back. ❝ you're being too selfish, hyung. you don't want to risk a painful goodbye. ❞

❝ I would rather keep the happy memories for you all, not the painful ones. ❞

❝ but this is not the way— ❞

❝ guys? ❞

the conversation breaks apart by the voice of another individual. ❝ jeno, what are you doing? ❞

❝ i wouldn't like to break off your argument, but.. i'm starting to feel quite concerned. ❞ he gestures at the door. ❝ jaemin.. is it normal for him to be.. doing that? ❞

mark heads towards the door to check what jeno was referring to. they catch a glimpse of jaemin, standing in front of the mirror, the objects surrounding him floating up high in the air.

❝ what the.. ❞ chenle stares at the sight in admiration. ❝ what is that, witchcraft?! ❞

❝ must be because of his enhanced magnetic force after falling into the mirror dimension. ❞

❝ mirror dimension— ❞

❝ stay low, let me handle this. ❞ mark barges into the room, his eyes shifting to the body-sized mirror. ❝ yah, stop that! it's not him that you want! ❞

mark's voice was loud enough to wake up the other boys, including the very awestruck jaemin. jaemin wakes up from the trance, glancing to mark. ❝ hyung, i don't know why i'm doing this— ❞

❝ let him go. he's not a part of your concern anymore, i've saved him before. ❞ mark commands the mirror as if it's a living creature. ❝ i'm mark lee! i'm the one you wanted, right?! don't hurt him anymore! take me instead! ❞

❝ what the fuck is happening.. ❞ donghyuck mumbles, still half-asleep. ❝ yah, na jaemin, what are you doing there?! mark-hyung! ❞

after mark's little threat, the mirror lets go of jaemin and all the objects surrounding him. jaemin strides backward in shock. ❝ wow, that was crazy.. ❞

❝ yeah, how did you do that? i was scared as hell! ❞ jeno pulls jaemin to his side, making sure that he's alright.

the strange looking mirror, not showing any reflection, has appeared as a fearsome whirlpool to another dimension instead. mark steps forward, looking at it cautiously. ❝ for someone who has committed such 'inhumane' crime, i expected you to pick me up with something scarier. ❞

❝ hyung, what do they want? ❞ jisung asks nervously. ❝ why did they almost suck the life out of jaemin?? ❞

❝ also, what crimes have you committed? ❞ renjun asks alongside the latter. ❝ is this supposed to be your punishment? ❞

mark turns around to them and laughs. ❝ yah, i've woken up the whole squad, haven't i?❞

chenle groans. ❝ hyung, this is no time for jokes! ❞

❝ says who? haechan said that i have to live my life the fullest even until my last breath, ❞ mark grins. ❝ i can't help but feel relieved to be sharing this moment with you guys. ❞

jaemin looks at him earnestly, his gaze melting in concern. ❝ hyung.. you're not doing this because i did something wrong right? ❞

❝ oh, good heavens, no. i've saved you in the future, nana, there's no reason for me to relive all that again. ❞ mark shakes his head. ❝ renjun is.. correct. this is a part of my punishment, something that i couldn't run away from even if i wanted. it has no correlation with you guys, so don't worry. i have to do this.. and there's nothing that you could do to stop me. ❞

❝ you're.. leaving us? ❞ jisung's voice breaks.

❝ unfortunately, yes. but don't fret! you guys will be seeing me again soon. ❞ mark smiles at him reassuringly. ❝ i'm sorry that we have to part ways like this, this is seriously not what i've planned. i can't wait to see you guys again.. in another life, perhaps? ❞

❝ you're not leaving! ❞ donghyuck yells at him in anger. ❝ i'm using that favor from winning that basketball game now, i don't care! i, lee donghyuck, request you to not leave! ❞

mark chuckles. ❝ yah, i'm a part of the hyung line. that favor is supposed to be a punishment for the dongsaengs who have lost. ❞

❝ yeah, says who? ❞ renjun spits out. ❝ yah, mark lee, don't you dare leave! ❞

mark wishes that he could do whatever his dongsaengs have asked from him, but unfortunately this task he wouldn't be able to fulfill. ❝ renjun, remind me of the numbers, will you? 240816? ❞ he turns to jeno. ❝ you too, jeno. either one of you will work just fine. okay. i shall depart now. ❞

jeno stares at him blankly, giving him no response. all of the sudden, he tries to grab his hand. ❝ hyung, please don't leave— ❞

but mark has already further entered the mirror, leaving them behind.

and before they could even react, they too dissipate into thin air.

—

ridin' is a freakin bop and the dreamies are charting rly high rn on melon and im so so so so happy so what should we do to celebrate?? read this longass ending chapter as we get into the next mission!!

im sorry if this was really confusing,, feel free to ask me questions abt the plot and sorry that i always write such complicated books sdjhdjd

15 votes for next chapter~

- yuehwa