Fractured • Choi Yeonjun

Chapter 4

Lacking~

It has been a week since the last time Yeonjun went into Evelyn's room. He couldn't keep telling himself she was sleeping the more he saw her, so he just kept away from her room. Though, every time he passed her door, his heart would sink in his chest.

The others have been trying to keep up with work as well as trying to help find anything they could when it comes to finding Evelyn's soul.

Dumah had only offered little help. She was a high angel, she could not really meddle in affairs on earth. At least not ones that involved bringing a human back to life.

Yeonjun had been pissed when she turned him down, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had tried messing around with mortal affairs for his mother and lost his place in heaven. He understood Dumah's situation.

Right now he was back at the ruins of Andromalius' palace, trying to find anything that may help. He regrets jumping to destroy the place so quickly. There was no telling if the demon lord had something that could help him, but now it was even harder to find anything at all under the piles of broken walls.

Yet, he was still going to look until he knew every inch was checked.

As the time went by, how quickly or slowly? Yeonjun didn't know. Time was nothing here with the unmoving "sun".

He stood up straight from where he was trying to lift a piece of wall he had knocked down a week ago. He could move it, but he needed to stop for a moment. His stomach gave a growl, and a wave of cramps hit him.

He sighs as he tries to remember the last time he had eaten. Hunger would not kill him, but food was something that kept him in top shape.

He turns and sits on the wall he had been trying to lift. He rests his elbows on his knees and places his face in his hands.

He has been keeping a lid on his emotions, but he was lacking in actually taking care of his needs. Not eating, not sleeping, not even taking time to sit down and just relax for a moment.

How could he relax knowing Evelyn was frozen in time in her room? He just couldn't.

He stands back up and wipes his dust-covered hands on his dark blue jeans.

He needed to get back to work before his thoughts caught up with him.

Yeonjun was running away in his own way. Running away from the body of the girl he loved in that dark room. Running away from the loss in his heart. Running from the sad looks of his friends. Running from everything and everyone, until he found her soul and fixed her.

~

Taehyun has been working to the bone just as Yeonjun was doing. Taehyun was just doing his work in their dorm at night while the others slept.

It was late at night once more and Taehyun was wide awake. He knew Yeonjun was still gone, he had gone to hell in a search of something.

Taehyun's room was a mess of old spell books, food wrappers, and dishes.

He was lacking when it came to taking care of his needs as well, but at least he was still eating at least every other day.

The pages of the book Taehyun was looking through were aged a dark yellow over time. The edges of the pages were ripped and dark brown from where so many people had touched them.

It was one of the many Taehyun had flipped through at a slow and painful rate. He read and re-read every page at least three times. Making sure he wasn't missing anything at all.

There has to be something to help here. Something, anything... He would take the smallest thing he could find. Something-no matter how small, was better than nothing at all.

He marks his spot in the book and leans back against the side of his bed, trying to ease the ache in his spine. He has been hunched over books for the past week, and he was feeling it.

His eyes reach the digital clock that rested on his desk. 2:27 am.

Again he had lost track of time.

It all seemed to melt together anymore. Days were just days, they had no name or meaning. Nights were the same. They had just become a time when he could look through his books.

His life was a repeat now.

Pass out sometime during the early morning a few hours before the sun would rise. Make sure he marked his book, stretch, grab a change of clothes-not knowing if they were clean or not. Take a shower where he fought to keep his eyes open, head for the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, add an energy spell, chug it, and maybe grab something quick to eat before heading to work with the others.

Repeat it all again the next day, and the next, and the next until, one day he finds something that will get him out of this loop of grief.

A knock on his door made him jump, snatching him out of his thoughts.

Who would be coming to my room at this time? This had never happened before unless there was an emergency.

His heart rate picked up as he wondered what was wrong now. Has Yeonjun gone and gotten himself into something? Was there something wrong with Evelyn?

He makes it to the door and pulls it open.

"Beomgyu?"

"I was getting water and noticed that your lamp was on..." His friend said as he stepped into the room. "Actually, I've taken notice that you've been awake every night this past week... you're also not eating enough."

Taehyun turns to face his friend after shutting the door. "I'm trying to check all my spell books, the only time I have for that is at night." Taehyun excused.

"I'm not the only one that has also noticed you coming into the kitchen looking like death warmed over. You can't keep this-"

Taehyun held his hand up and offered Beomgyu a small smile. "I understand you're looking out for me, but I have to do this. Yeonjun is out there every second of the day trying to find something, I can't sit around and do nothing when what happened to Evelyn is partly my fault."

"And if Evelyn was here, she would probably whack you both over the head and tell you two to give it a rest. You can't wear yourselves too thin. What will happen when we do find something and you're both too tired to follow the lead? She would also tell you to stop blaming yourself."

"But, she isn't here," Taehyun replied bluntly. He didn't have time to worry about burning himself out, no one had any idea what happened to souls that were torn apart. Do they stay wherever they landed? Do they roam? Can demons take them? Too many questions, and no answers what so ever.