Photo: Dylan Maxon Allen
Portrayed By: Ryan Allan
Chapter Dedicated To: fronno

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Chapter 16

Brent and I are having a snack. It's our usual routine before we sleep together side by side. Coffee is our guard, as always. He's pretty much Browdie but Coffee is more alert than Browdie whereas Browdie is more, I think, powerful than Coffee. Brent is munching happily on his fried chicken (God, I don't have any idea how he gets to cook chickens!) when the ground shakes a little, alerting all of us. He and I share a look, and it tells us that sooner or later, we will be dealing with trouble. Both he and I eat faster, stand up and look into our left and right. He wipes out his lips with his finger and my eyes flicker at the simple gesture and I purse my lips and avert my eyes from the view.

"I think we should move - " Brent says but stops as soon as the ground shakes again and I clutch his arm for support, to balance myself. Coffee begins to snarl and bark, indicating that they are already here.

The ground starts to crack, releasing hot air that could probably burn our skin. We take a step back, gather our things, and start to run. But the more we run, the faster the ground releases this steamy, full of gas air. I cough, waving a hand in front of my nose just to avoid inhaling the bad scent. Brent takes my hand and tugs me closer to him, leading the way.

As we approach the big and creepy tree, the ground cracks open, releasing a super steamy air, and my free hand happens to be where the steam is, burning my hand and I yelp out in pain. Brent looks at me with worried eyes and when his eyes land on mine burned arm, his eyes widen and he stops abruptly, but I push him, telling him to keep running since we're about to die. I ignore the pain in my arm, but the pain grows as I try to move it. It looks like it has hit the very flesh of my arm and a tear escapes in my left eye. Surrounding us, the ground keeps releasing those steamy air and what we only do is run since this is the best option we have here. Ever since we got inside this world, most of the days we spent here is about running.

Then at the end of the road, there's a house in the middle. Brent keeps a tight grip on my arm, still leading the way and not wanting to let me go. Coffee is still in shape and he has this determined expression drawn on his face as he runs with us. When we reach the house, Brent busts the door open and we're greeted by a long, dim-lit hallway. In the outside, it looked like this is a regular house but it's completely different inside. We can still hear the ground outside cracking and pouring out air, but we continue to run. Our footsteps echo around the room and that's the only sound can be heard, of course except to our pants and grunts as we continue to run. And then the unexpected thing happens, Coffee must have walked on something because he falls on the ground, whining and that's when the hallway's ground starts to crack and starts to release fire. Both Brent and I's eyes widen at the sight. He looks at me with worried eyes and I let go of his hand, nodding at him. Brent picks up Coffee, carries him like a baby, and we start to run again.

Behind us, the ground starts exploding and the fire crackles. We keep running and running until the exploding is far away from us since it takes about half a minute before the ground explodes again. I pant, breathless from the running and all I want to do is to rest and have a drink of a cold water. Brent hugs Coffee tight, in his eyes, there's a fear swarming. He must really love his pet and that makes me smile despite the situation we are in.

We hear another sets of footstep and Brent and I look at each other and my heart sparks a hope, my brain flashing the images of frowning Shawn and smiling Jelai, and as well as Browdie. My hand still aches in pain, but I try my best to ignore it. I'll have it remedied later after we're done dealing with this shit. Humans start to come into view, and the first person I see belongs to the first guy I met here; Shawn. He's walking with confidence and power is radiating around him. But he's with other... people. I see Jelai talking happily to this guy with jet black hair and the guy with light ash blonde hair laughs with Jelai. From the afar distance behind us, I can still hear the ground exploding and my instinct is to shout at them to run. So I do.

"Run!" I shout. Shawn whips around and when he sees me, his eyes widen and Jelai shouts happily, but when they see my horrified expression, a familiar expression crosses their face. The guy with a dark brown hair, same height as mine, with the same color of eyes as mine, clings onto Shawn and whines and Shawn scowls at him and pries his arm away. I scoff at the guy. "I said fucking run!"

The guy who was previously clinging onto Shawn's arm raises a brow at me and rolls his eyes. The people in this room are a total of twelve and I wonder where Shawn and Jelai met them. Are there more people here, trapped in this world? Shawn looks over my shoulder and his eyes become wide and he commands everyone to run.

Now, we're side by side with Shawn, Jelai, and everyone. Browdie seems happy to see me as he has his tongue stuck out, like he's been wanting to lick me ever since. I look at Brent, and his eyes are hard and cold, and he has this blank expression etched on his face. Running faster and we're actually behind him, I match his pace and Brent looks at me with those cold eyes of his that makes me shiver. I want to ask him what's the problem, but stop myself since I know this is not the right time. But one thing he does is he takes a hold of my hand and together, we run faster and I hear Shawn snarls behind me. I ignore him.

Coffee jumps away from Brent's hold and runs with us, probably sensing that his owner was having a hard time carrying him. The exploding of the ground becomes faster, and faster until it's behind us already. My legs are aching painfully and the pain in my arm doesn't help me at all. I grit my teeth, silently praying to the God of the Water or to whoever to help us overcome this obstacle.

We turn to the left side of the hallway and the fire seems to be following us and the more we run, the more breathless I become. My breathing becomes faster, wanting some air to be in my lungs. Sweats form on my forehead, and it trickles down to my cheek down to my neck. The persons behind me start to murmur, probably praying to their God or ancestors to help them. I shut my eyes tight, thinking of my Mom and Dad's happy faces, my friends' joke and my heart becomes light. If I'm going to die, I would die fighting, not running. This is not the best time to die. Yet. I still have missions. I'm still keeping the promises I made back home and I want to fulfill them. I want to prove to the people of Pisces that I'm worthy of the title of the Chosen One.

I look over my shoulder and the guy with a thick shiny black hair says something beside the girl with brunette hair and the girl's face falls and suddenly, it becomes determined. She looks at me with cute eyes of hers and smiles. I give her a small smile. When I take a look over at Shawn, his gaze is set on me and his eyes are basically burning and my heart picks up a speed and I turn my gaze back in front.

Reaching the end of the hallway, Brent swipes his arm around my waist and he jumps, together with the rest, and the ground explodes wide and loud. Brent is on top of me and shielding me with his big frame of a body. Little rocks start to rain above and I shield my face with my arms whereas Brent shields the back of his head, him still on top of me. The raining lasts for a couple of seconds and after that, Brent looks at me with those beautiful eyes of his, gives me a beautiful smile, leans down and kisses the edge of my lips. I hear some squeal; the girl with the brunette hair. I give her a shy smile and push Brent away and he seems to like our position because he wouldn't budge.

"Okay, Brent!" I laugh, pushing him hard. "Roll off my body!" He chuckles and we both stand up.

"Dylan!" Jelai walks over me and gives me a wide hug. "We thought we lost you!" I chuckle and tweak her nose. Browdie growls at the people, especially with the clingy guy and I smirk internally. Well, Browdie likes me.

"Browdie!" I greet enthusiastically and the people have this scared look on their face, as if thinking Browdie would slash me with his pointy claws. Browdie will never ever do that to me. Browdie's fangs show and starts to lunge himself at me and when he reaches me, he throws his huge form on me and I fall down. Browdie gives me a big lick on the cheek, everywhere and I laugh out loud. People look at us with confused eyes and I see an envy look in the clingy guy's eyes. His and I's feature are kind of the same; brown eyes and dark brown hair but he's thinner than me.

The only people Browdie likes is me and his owner, Shawn.

Shawn snarls again, louder this time and he walks over in front of me and offers a hand. Browdie rolls off of me and hangs his head low. Yup, still an asshole. I take his hand and he helps me stand up, until he pushes me into him and gives me a hug. Chest to chest, body to body, groin to groin, every cell of my body reacts to the physical connection and my breath hitches. He can probably hear the loud beat of my heart. Jelai whoops and I laugh nervously. Brent is looking at us with jealousy in his eyes. He rolls his eyes and walks away.

"Welcome back, Dylan." He says in a whisper and gives me a hug again, much longer this time, and I just want to bury my face in the crook of his neck because he smells really good. Even though he's sweaty, he still smells good. He still looks an angel. Perfect. "Don't you ever go away without me, you fucking hear me?" And I find myself nodding.

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Oh my freaking Gosh! Oh my freaking Gosh! Oh my freaking Gosh! Shawn is back! OMFG. And there's another clingy guy? Who the hell is he?