Chapter Text
He felt good, as good as he had never felt before. His body was weightless and free of all tension with which he has been carrying as he can remember, in a state of complete happiness and relaxation. He could perceive the big goofy smile that adorned his face as he watched his friends play, have fun, and joke in the meadow like the normal people who never let them be.
He drank from the colorful drink Sehun had brought him and enjoyed the cool sensation running through his body. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, he allowed himself to lie down on the comfortable lawn to admire the sky, which was full of floating hamburgers. He closed his eyes and let the pleasant feeling of peace and the harmonious laughter of his members intoxicate his being.
Since when did he not allow himself to enjoy the small pleasures of life like these? He didn’t remember, his life always seemed to revolve around protecting the Tree of Life and the Heart and stopping Red Force, who never noticed the detail that he has never had time for himself. And not only did he seem to think about it; Sehun and Jongin were playing and teasing Chanyeol, who was chasing them, seeming to get bigger with each step, or could it be the youngers are the ones who got tinier? Chen and Suho chatted animatedly and, to his pleasant surprise, he could finally appreciate the smile of his leader, which brought out his features instead of the eternal tense expression that always showed.
Baekhyun started humming a song that he no longer remembered its lyrics but still didn’t stop him from trying to recreate its catchy beat. But suddenly, everything around him began to spin, as if he were on a carousel which was lulling him. Slowly, the voices of his companions began to sound more and more distant and his environment started to succumb before absolute darkness; something weird, Because lately both the real and dream realm did not seem to differentiate each other; sharing the same bright colors and the feeling of being flying all the time. He tried to take a few steps, but his legs were not responding to him; he wanted to scream, but his voice was drowning; he tried desperately to move his arms, but they felt heavy, the sensation of anxiety oppressed against his chest. He didn’t like this, he wanted to wake up and return to the world of peace and tranquility that he enjoyed so much.
After a time of struggling to free himself from the invisible restraints that held his body, he could finally hear something in the distance, a soft and light murmur, so soft that if he had not been immersed in this abyss, he could never have heard it. He sharpened his ears so he could understand what the voice was trying to tell him.
Baekhyun was what he heard.
Baekhyun, Baekhyun, Baekhyun. It repeated over and over in a loop, while the alluded didn’t know who the voice belonged to. That voice was vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t recognize it. It didn’t belong to any of his members, otherwise, he would have already identified it from the beginning; it must be someone else’s, however, Baekhyun didn’t have more friends or acquaintances outside his close circle. That's how lonely his life was as Guardian of the Heart.
Baekhyun... Baekhyun. The voice was starting to drift apart and Baekhyun tried harder to make his body respond to his commands.
He wants to know why he is here in the first place.
Baekhyun.
He wants to go after the voice to meet the entity who is calling him.
Baekhyun.
He wants to ask why his body doesn’t obey him.
Baekhyun.
Who are you?!
“Baekhyun!”
The named snapped his eyes open, rushing to his feet and causing his head to collide heavily with Junmyeon's face. Both guys grunted in pain as they massaged the injured area.
“Suho? What happens?” he asked blinking repeatedly, trying to focus on the silhouette of his leader.
“That’s what I wanted to ask you,” Suho replied, verifying that he hadn't gotten a bump from the blow. “You were stirring a lot in dreams and you didn't answer my words, so I worried that something bad was happening to you.”
Overcoming his dizziness, Baekhyun was finally able to see the older man clearly, not liking Suho's worried expression. No, he didn’t want to continue seeing him like this, he is the person who most deserved to relax among all. Don't get him wrong, he obviously thought the others also had the right to enjoy and have fun, however, Suho has always been the one who has had to bear the most. Despite not being the oldest, he, with his natural leadership, was the one who decided to be the one to take care of them since their planet was attacked by Red Force and protect them of any threat that wanted to harm them, blaming himself on any failed mission and nursed them in case they get hurt. Suho is the father figure that everyone can count on and lean on. and that's something Baekhyun will always be grateful to the eldest; That is why he has tried to get the most laughter out of him and to be the most careful in his missions despite his childish and slightly carefree nature, so as not to worry his leader.
¨I’m fine!” he responded energetically as he jumped up, earning a skeptical glance from his leader, clearly without believing him. “Seriously, look.” He began to do various theatrical and comic poses, making the other laugh with affection.
“Okay, I believe you.” he said with amusement, standing up.
“Really? You don’t seem very convinced.” Now his poses were accompanied by exaggerated gestures. Suho fell to his knees again, laughing loudly.
“Now I’m convinced the hit left you crazier.” he barely managed to say between laughs.
Satisfied with making his leader happy again, Baekhyun helped him up and taking him by the arm, he guided him with the others, who were racing to see who would be the first to reach the top of the hill. Leaving what happened in the background.
________________________________________________
He didn’t know how the car was moving on its own.
It had to be magic, or someone was moving it with his mind. Wasn’t there someone who capable of doing that? Baekhyun was sure about that, but he couldn't remember who could make such an achievement.
He was with the others in the middle of what appeared to be an abandoning parking lot. Why were they here? No idea. The last thing he remembered was he was with his members and they were on top of a building, watching the fireworks and the next second they were in this place.
The automobile (never better said) continued on its circular path. His members were watching it with absurd fascination, annoying Baekhyun. Didn't they wonder how the car could move by itself? He huffed in frustration, taking a colorful pill from his pocket, and forcing himself to swallow it. Since that time of that strange dream, his body has not willingly accepted any food. At first, he thought he was sick, but he did not present any discomfort or pain, beyond a slightly bad mood and less receptive to his environment. But it's Baekhyun; when he's not in the mood it just means talking 5% less than he usually does, so there was nothing else.
The slow ride of the car was killing him with boredom, so much so that without noticing it his eyelids were closing. Opening them again, he saw that he was again in the dark abyss. However, this time he could feel his limbs more freely and the feeling of oppression was not so present.
With difficulty, he started walking around the place, not even sure if he was moving. What did these dreams mean? He didn't know, but he would try to know.
“Baekhyun.” He heard behind him.
Turning, he found a boy who seemed to be the same age and height, with pale skin that matched his blond hair. And, despite appearing to be the same height as Baekhyun, the stranger gave off an imposing and haughty aura.
“Who are you?” he asked, mesmerized before the ethereal figure.
The stranger was silent for a moment, watching him with his cold blue eyes, seeming to want to find something in him. Baekhyun felt himself shiver before the intensity of his gaze.
“Don’t you know who I am?” was all he said, his voice was smooth, but still manly.
Baekhyun narrowed his eyes, trying to remember his face, after all a beauty like him could not go unnoticed, but apparently, his brain did not think the same. In a way, it reminded him a little of Jongin, but it was obviously not him. He sighed in defeat at not recognizing him, shaking his head.
The blonde pursed his lips in a thin line and frowned, he seemed to be thinking in something, because they were once again submerged in uncomfortable silence, or at least for Baekhyun because it was obvious that the stranger in front of him knew him in some way and made him feel vulnerable before such a disadvantageous situation.
“What is the last thing you can remember?” the stranger inquired again.
Baekhyun sighed loudly, visibly annoyed. Was this an interrogation? His annoyance was cruelly ignored by the other, who continued to watch him insistently. The shorter one rolled his eyes and started to try to remember:
Before entering this… place? He was with his friends watching a boring car circle around them. No. Wait, he was with them in a meadow and ... why are there giant floating hamburgers and clouds exploding in fireworks? Maybe he dreamed it. The more he searched into his memories, the more implausible they seemed to him, to the point of absurdity. He began to scratch the back of his neck in despair. He did not understand the images his mind was showing him.
“I-I don’t know.” he said quietly, defeated.
The blonde nodded, muttering a few words that Baekhyun couldn't hear. Within seconds the other approached Baekhyun with incredible speed, making him gasp in surprise.
“I’ll help you then,” said the stranger, placing his hand on the contrary's cheek. "Now focus."
Baekhyun was going to protest when he felt a surge of energy begin to spread throughout his body and his vision lit up.
The first thing he heard was the sound of an explosion, followed by screaming and gunshots, and the sound of hurried footsteps being heard distant. He didn't know what was going on, only that the fear and anxiety pressing in his chest was overwhelming, as was the constant buzzing headache. He wanted to move but discovered that not only his head ached like hell, but his body as well. He screamed for help, however, no one answered. This is how, in complete solitude, the light began to go out.
The next thing that happened was a succession of images passing before his eyes: The white ceiling of a hospital, straps tying him to a bed, several machines connected to his body, there are more stretcher with people on them, but he cannot recognize them; nurses entering the room injecting him with a red substance, his body reacting violently due to the strange chemical, crimson stains covering his skin and the room starting to crumble and ...
Baekhyun cried out in agony, moving away from the contact as if it were burning. He couldn't figure out what was in the other's gaze, whether guilt or concern, but before he could say or do anything, Baekhyun tried to hit him. However, when his fist was about to touch the other's perfect face, everything disappeared, and he found himself in the empty building again, this time without his members around.
He sighed wearily and began to search for them, this time with a strong tightness in the chest.
________________________________________
Was this all a fucking joke? Baekhyun thought grumpily.
Now it turns out that they are in space for… some reason and now a robot, more fake than the ones he saw in low-production movies, threatened to destroy them. Speaking of false, what about colors? A while ago he found them pleasant, but lately, they seemed nothing more than to cause him headaches and want to tear out his eyes. Not to mention that lately the images of the hospital and his screams plagued his mind and became more and more constant, something that did nothing but contribute to his lousy humor, which, not even the conciliatory words of his leader or the jokes of the others who tried to evoke a smile, managed to help.
He saw angrily how the others were fooling around with the robot, just as they have been doing with everything around him. He flatly refused to participate in this trick, outraged by the attitude of others. Didn't they realize what was going on? Well, Baekhyun didn't know for sure either, but what he was sure of was that something bad was going on, however, the others simply believed that his words were more due to his bad mood and tiredness that they didn't take him seriously. And perhaps they are right, they are so convinced that this is all real that they made Baekhyun doubt if he is the mad one, after all, this started since…
Since that boy appeared in his dreams.
"You did take your time figuring it out."
Baekhyun managed to control the shock caused by the sudden voice behind him. He turned slowly to face the author of his nightmares (literally).
"You," he spat between his teeth, not bothering to hide his anger. Without letting the other say or do anything, he took it from the collar of his shirt to bring him closer to him. “What do you want from me? Haven't you mocked enough? Will you not be satisfied until I go completely crazy?” each word distilled pure poison.
To his surprise, the other did nothing to free himself from the grip; moreover, for the first time, he seemed to see more than the mask of coldness and indifference on the blonde's angelic face: shame.
"Say something." he growled impatiently, beginning to shake the other, believing that this would get him out of the words.
But all he got was the stranger to bite his lip and look away. The blonde looked so small and fragile, so contrary to the strong and graceful image of the previous two times, that they forced Baekhyun to release him as if he were the monster taking advantage of a poor defenseless man.
He ruffled his hair desperately. What the hell was wrong with him? He has never been someone who used violence as a first choice, or at least not without good reason. He was going insane.
"I ..." The other's voice pulled Baekhyun out of his trance, focusing all his attention on him, "I'm sorry."
Baekhyun froze in his place, processing the words the blonde said to him. It really wasn't something that was expected; he believed that the other would continue with his cryptic shit or that he would finally destroy what little mental health he had left, but here he was; apologizing to him.
Focusing on the opposite, he realized that he was blinking repeatedly, looking cuter than ever. Baekhyun guessed that it was probably some nervous tic.
“What?”
The blue-eyed man sighed loudly, perhaps annoyed at having to repeat himself, but Baekhyun had to be sure he wasn't hallucinating.
“What I did was wrong, I shouldn’t have entered your memories in such an invasive way, much less force you in your condition to remember what happened to you and…¨
"Wait, wait, wait, what happened to me?" The blonde's chatter stopped before he passed out from lack of air. "If you want to apologize so much, tell me what you want and why you are here because you seem to know me, although I don't know who you are."
The other nodded, extending his hand. Baekhyun backed away immediately, taking a defensive stance.
"Take my hand." At the suspicious look Baekhyun shot him, the blonde growled softly. "I know that last time it was not a pleasant feeling for you, and I do not ask that you trust me, but if you want to get the answers that you long for, you must do it."
Baekhyun was not convinced to do what the blond asked him to do. Nothing. But he had no choice but to listen to it, and honestly, he was tired of the constant nightmares that haunted his mind.
With resignation, he extended his arm to interlock his fingers with the opposite ones finding it amusing how tiny the stranger's hand is and how soft it is too. He was going to tell him about that when he began to feel a warmth go through his fingertips and slowly go all over his body, making Baekhyun close his eyes and let himself be enveloped in such a pleasant sensation.
Again, fragments of memories made their way before him, but this time they did not crowd into a whirlwind of chaos and confusion. Baekhyun wanted to know where he was going when a beam of light momentarily blinded him.
"Hyung, this is my friend, Taemin," he heard Jongin speak.
Opening his eyes in front of him was the same young man who appeared in his dreams. Perhaps this version was more expressive, but blue eyes, blond hair, and delicate features did not lie; it was him.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Lee Taemin, I hope we get along well, Baekhyun-sshi," he offered his hand with a friendly smile.
"I say the same." replied the other, reciprocating the opposite gesture. Pressing his hand again the glow reappeared, this time bringing him back to the present.
Upon meeting the blonde (Taemin), Baekhyun wanted to hit himself. How could he forget about the person who seemed to be the only thing Nini had been talking about for a few months? Worse, he forgot a friend; because after he and Taemin showed up they began to see each other more, reaching a point where there couldn't be a week without them going out together (sometimes without Jongin's company) and even more when his loneliness and depressing thoughts began to overwhelm him. As if Taemin knew when he had those episodes and wanted to help him clear his mind, something for which he would always be grateful to him and while he had some suspicion with him at first, today he could ensure that Taemin became one of his most close friends.
"Taeminnie" The named frowned, clearly annoyed with the nickname, but before he could reveal his annoyance, he was dragged away by Baekhyun and imprisoned in a tight hug. "I'm glad you are well; when Jongin could no longer find you, I was afraid something might have happened to you.” He moved a bit away from the blonde to look him straight in the eye. "What happened?"
Again, Taemin cut eye contact and bit his lip, causing Bekhyun to look at him confused.
"That doesn't matter," he murmured, recovering surprisingly quickly, his eyes hardening. "I'm here to find out what happened to you."
Baekhyun pulled away from Taemin completely, looking at him as if a third head had suddenly grown.
"What do you mean?"
"It's hard to explain, even I can't figure out what's going on," Taemin was silent for a few minutes, probably wondering what to say. "I don't know if it makes sense to you for now, but it has something to do with the Tree of Life, the Heart and the Guardians".
Baekhyun widened his eyes, surprised that the blonde knew of their true existence. He grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look him directly in the eyes.
"How do you know about that?" He asked terrified, after all, if Taeminnie knew about them there might be the possibility that others (Red Force) would find out as well.
"Relax, as I told you, it is difficult to explain, but I will try to do it; In the past few weeks, I have had strange dreams about a gigantic tree and a heart divided in two".
"That's impossible," Baekhyun interrupted. "Only the Guardians are supposed to communicate with the Heart, not a ...”
"Stranger," Taemin completed without looking upset, yet Baekhyun couldn't help but blush, "Don’t worry, I understand better than anyone the importance of keeping secrets," before Baekhyun could find out what the other was referring to, he continued. “The Heart told me in my visions that you were in danger, so I contacted you, to be sure.”
"What do you mean, in danger?" Baekhyun felt like an idiot for asking enough questions, but he wasn't understanding what the blonde was saying.
Taemin seemed to understand his confusion, so he smiled slightly, making his features soften.
"I told you it would be complicated." The smile faded, darkening his expression. "From what you told me a while ago, you have begun to notice the inconsistencies of this reality." It only took a nod from Baekhyun for Taemin to continue. "That is because the world you are in now is nothing more than a dream, an illusion to keep them appeased."
"Sounds like Matrix," Baekhyun teased, trying to lighten the mood, but Taemin's lack of reaction made him feel like he had failed.
"You can see it that way," he conceded. “All the failures in said Matrix I have been causing since our first meeting to wake you up, however, there is something that is preventing me from doing so, so the process has been very slow.”
"But who is doing all this and why does they want us asleep?"
"Red Force." At the mention of that name, Baekhyun's body tensed completely. “And to answer the second question; I am not sure of the details, but it seems that they are using you to achieve the Heart.”
>> “Before you go crazy again, no, Red Force doesn't have a chance to find it for now, as it needs all the members and especially two to get it.”
"More members?" Impossible, he was sure that they were all locked together in this dream world, but the condescending glance that Taemin shot him gave him to understand something else.
“I don't know much about this about the Guardians, but the symbols engraved on a rock that I saw in my dreams suggest that they are the number of Guardians there are; six that are being corrupted, which I suppose are the ones that are with you, three normal and three off.”
"The three turned off ... what were they?"
"A dragon, an hourglass, and the last one is very strange, but I would say that it is a series of three circles connected by a line located above and below and in the center another circle surrounded by two other lines."
He didn't know why, but hearing from them made his chest clench tight and his eyes itch, as if a part of him had been lost and that emptiness was filled with great sadness. He stifled a sob and asked Taemin to continue.
"The other three normal are shaped like what appears to be a feline, the other a unicorn, and the last the symbol of cold. The first two are supposed to be the ones that hid their respective halves and know their location."
"Why can't I remember them, just like I couldn't do it with you?" He said scratching the back of his neck in frustration, like the previous symbols, these managed to awaken feelings in him, (although this time without the feeling of bitterness and loss as with the others) and this made him desperate for not knowing why he felt such emotions.
"I don't know," Baekhyun could see the frustration in Taemin's soft voice, as if saying those words left him with an unpleasant taste in his mouth. "But what I am sure of is that you are being used to reach them."
"Then they keep us captive to be their baits?" All this was aggravating the migraine he had, but this time because there was a lot of information that he had to assimilate. If he had been someone else, he would have branded the blond as crazy and would never believe him, but considering everything he has had to deal with, he is more than used to weird situations.
Nothing would have prepared him for what Taemin would say next.
"That would have been logical." His voice was hesitant this time as if its owner was thinking of how to say the following with enough tact not to frighten the opponent. Baekhyun decided to link his hands and dedicate a conciliatory smile to Taemin to encourage him to continue, making the blonde return the gesture, although his smile was more than an empty grimace "But what they decided to do was for you to have another role... active.” In Baekhyun's clear confusion the blond tried to explain himself more. "They decided that instead of waiting for them to come for you, it would be you who found them."
"But if you say we're drugged, how can we possibly go looking for them?" Baekhyun had to refrain from shaking Taemin again as long as he told him at once what he meant, as he was beginning to hyperventilate.”
"That is why they sedate you so that you can weaken their minds and thus force them to do things that they would normally refuse to do. That is why I have been looking for you in dreams because in the physical world I could never reach you. Baekhyun, they are controlling them to find the remaining Guardians."
Hearing that, Baekhyun's legs lost strength, forcing him to fall to his knees. Taemin shouted his name with concern, and in just a few moments he was already together with him, with his arms around him.
"No wonder I was in that hospital," he said more to himself than to his friend, remembering the visions he saw in their second meeting. "That's why I was tied to that stretcher and they injected me with that red liquid, that cocktail of drugs that we've been drinking in that surreal reality," and more memories crowded into his head, making him gasp in pain. "We tried to run away, but they were too many and we were weak, but three did manage to escape," this time faces that he saw blurred began to take shape. "Kyungsoo, Yixing and Minseok, they did it.” He looked up at Taemin with his eyes wide. "Tell me they are fine, please tell me that they did not capture them."
"They are all right," Taemin assured again, even though he told him a while ago and hated repeating himself, he had no heart in denying his plea. "For now, they are recovering and resting from the wounds inflicted on them, but they are sure, believe me."
Baekhyun nodded like a lost child, ignoring the look of deep sadness Taemin sent him.
"For now, all you can do is play along and wait." Before Baekhyun could protest, Taemin silenced him. "I know what I'm asking is too much, but our best card is to keep up appearances."
"And you couldn't help me out of this?"
"It wouldn't be recommended," Taemin admitted regretfully, feeling helpless as he hadn't in a long time. "If I try to forcefully wake you up, it could cause you terrible brain damage and I can't even guarantee you anything."
Baekhyun sighed wearily, but still understood Taemin's arguments, so he had no choice but to accept what the blonde was saying.
"But I can help you with your dreams."
"How?"
Taemin smirked.
"Observe."
______________________________________________
Opening his eyes, he noticed that he was back on the plastic planet. In the distance he saw that his members managed to injure the robot, causing several spheres to emerge from it.
"They are our powers, but how did this robot get them?" Chen asked as he inspected the sphere with his symbol.
"I don't know, but that explains why he could use several of our abilities," Suho replied.
Baekhyun rolled his eyes, didn't they ever realize that when they arrived in this world they did it without their powers? Wow, it will cost him to adapt to this.
"The real question is, how do you get them back? I can feel my power to answer my call, but I can't break this thing.” Chanyeol tried to hit his sphere, but all he did was hurt his knuckles and that the object wasn't even affected.
Baekhyun grimaced and started to join his companions when the spheres began to glow brightly and various bolts of energy came out of them. For a moment Baekhyun believed they were under attack, that Red Force realized their interaction with Taemin, but he quickly dismissed that idea when he saw the spheres begin to break, allowing his powers to return to them. He saw a white kitten in the distance repeatedly press a button and couldn't help but smile tenderly at the adorable intruder.
"You couldn't bear this place either, could you?" He carefully loaded him and stroked his fur, seeing his deep blue eyes. "Thanks, Taeminnie.” He meowed in response.
Setting the cat aside, he set out to press the button to regain his power, and uniting with his friends destroyed the robot, generating a huge explosion and causing the planet to do so as well.
The next thing Baekhyun knew was that he was free-falling, impacting his body against a liquid surface. Looking around, he saw that he was surrounded by a vast ocean. He allowed himself to relax while looking at the blue sky and listening to the sound of the waves. He knew that at any moment they would put him in any other poor simulation of reality, so he would take advantage of this moment of calm to think.
Taemin's words came to his mind, of how he should continue this farce and feign ignorance with his situation. He could do it, as much as he was dying of the cringe that such situations caused him and the blatantly false of the worlds, but he would do it for the well-being of the Heart, and more than anything, for the safety of his companions.
The game has started.