Mark was confused—beyond confused.
The boy in his arms… was fine.
No bruises, no blood, not even the slightest wince of pain when Mark set him down.

They stopped at the bench in front of the office, Mark still staring at him as if waiting for a crack to show.

Mark: “Donghyuck?”

Hyuck didn’t meet his eyes, voice low but just loud enough for Mark to hear.
Hyuck: “Don’t ask… I don’t know.”

Mark’s gaze lingered on him, as if the longer he looked, the more sense this would make. It didn’t.
Mark: “This is all just way too weird.”

Hyuck: “You have powers… I’m pretty sure we all do. But… how can we find them? Like—how did you find yours?”

Mark ran a hand through his hair, remembering the blast of wind, the way it had surged from him without warning.
Mark: “I… I don’t know. I don’t even get how I did that.”

Hyuck leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
Hyuck: “We know you have wind. Do you think you have more?”

Mark gave a helpless little shrug.
Mark: “If only I knew, Donghyuck… if only I knew…”

On impulse, he reached out and took Hyuck’s hand. His thumb brushed lightly over the knuckles, grounding himself.
Mark: “We’ll figure it out.”

Hyuck’s lips curved into a small smile.
Hyuck: “Don’t worry.”

Mark hesitated before asking, voice softer now.
Mark: “So… you’re okay with all of this?”

Hyuck looked at him, puzzled.
Hyuck: “What do you mean?”

Mark: “The fact that we’re connected. The fact our rings glow like this. The fact we… have superpowers.”

For a moment, Hyuck just stared down at the ground, thinking.
Hyuck: “…Yesterday, I kept asking myself—why me? Why us? Why now? But then I thought… maybe we never really get an explanation for why we live, so why do we need one for why we were chosen? I was confused. I didn’t want to embrace it. But maybe—just maybe—I can make a change to the world. And there has to be a reason. Why I was chosen. Why all of us were chosen.”

Mark studied him, the honesty in his voice.
Mark: “And the whole connection thing?”

Hyuck’s gaze flicked away.
Hyuck: “…We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Mark sighed, leaning back against the bench.
Mark: “I just really want an explanation… as soon as possible.”

Hyuck: “We all do, Mark.”

A voice cut in suddenly, making them both jump.
Jaemin: “Well, I just happen to be the luckiest man alive.”

Hyuck’s head snapped up to see Jeno and Jaemin strolling toward them, hands linked like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Hyuck: “…What?”

Jaemin: “I need to tell you this. All of you. Me and Jeno just got one step closer to figuring all of this out—and you’re all gonna cringe.”

Mark grimaced.
Mark: “I don’t like cringing.”

Jeno: “Get used to it. We need the other three.”

Hyuck spoke up.
Hyuck: “Oh, yeah—about that. Chenle got a call from his brother saying he had to go home. Renjun didn’t want to wait, so he just left.”

Jeno: “Jisung?”

Mark: “I saw him when we got to school, but that’s it…”

Hyuck: “We’re literally skipping class. Maybe we can all just go home and talk tomorrow.”

Jaemin: “OH MY GOD, MY FAMILY IS GONNA KILL ME.”

Jeno: “I won’t allow that.” A soft smile tugged at his lips.

Jaemin: “You can sleep over. I’d miss you too much.”

Jeno: “But I won’t have any clothes.”

Jaemin: “You can borrow my brother’s. Don’t worry.”

Jeno: “…Okay then. I’ll stay over.”

Jaemin: “Yay!” He leapt into Jeno’s arms, burying his face in his neck.

Mark stared at them.
Mark: “…Are you two—”

Jeno: “Uh, yeah. We’ll explain tomorrow. Just make sure you get everyone on the roof.”

Mark: “I’ll get the two young ones.”

Hyuck: “We can tell Renjun.”

Jaemin: “Now let’s all go home… this school’s giving me a headache.”