sixty

Jisung stared up at the sky, seeing the endless blackness around him, wondering if hell always looked like this. So far, he hadn't seen any stars, no moon, and no sun.

The dark clouds concealed it, but they reminded him more of smoke than real clouds. The sight was dull and Jisung found himself wanting to see the sun.

"There is no sun in hell, right?" He asked and glanced at Minho. "Isn't it sad to be living like this? Drenched in darkness all the time, with only fire to illuminate the land?"

Minho stayed quiet for a moment and did not look at Jisung, keeping his eyes fixed on a point far off in the distance.

When he never replied, Jisung raised his head to look at him questioningly and saw that he was lost in his thoughts, gazing at the sky with a strange expression on his face.

A sad frown appeared, his mouth forming a thin line. The sadness he saw in Minho's eyes was the same that he had already seen when he had woken up after his nightmare. What caused him to feel sad all of a sudden?

Jisung wasn't used to him being sorrowful; it was an emotion he normally didn't display and he wished he knew what the demon was thinking of so intently. "Minho? He asked eventually, prompting their gazes to meet.

For a brief moment, it seemed as if Minho had forgotten about him. He looked startled, but he quickly hid his surprise and any emotion behind an unreadable expression.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"No," Minho replied tersely.

Jisung didn't know if he should ask the demon about it, seeing as he didn't want to talk about it, so he just sighed and decided to let him be for now. "I want to see more of hell," he said pleadingly. "Please show me around!"

"I'm not a tourist guide and this isn't a vacation," he grumbled and took Jisung's hand, linking their fingers together.

"I know that of course," he pouted. He let his eyes roam around for a moment until they came to rest on a reddish glow which was far off in the distance. Flames were sprouting towards the sky, originating from a deep pit that he couldn't see clearly since he was too far away.

He didn't know what it was; it didn't quite look like a volcano, but what else could it be? Glowing embers rose, and smoke clouded the area above it.

He was fascinated by the sight and wanted to get a better look at it, but Minho kept his hand in a hold and didn't budge. "What's over there?" He asked and pointed at the flames.

Minho's eyes darkened as a sinister emotion flickered over his face. "Purgatory."

"O-Oh," he stuttered. He'd heard of that place before, and he was aware of how dangerous it was, so he didn't want to go anywhere near it.

"I'll show you something better, okay?"

"Okay," he said with an excited smile. "Are there plants in hell? I mean, except for those dead trees in Chan's garden. I haven't seen any so far..."

"I wonder what kind of flowers would grow here," he mumbled as he looked around, spotting only a bunch of half-burned trees that were barely clinging to life.

He glanced at the demon questioningly, noticing that the he stared at him like he was an apparition or something, his eyes reflecting a mix of wonder and pain.

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

Minho swallowed and tore his gaze away from Jisung. "Nothing. You just reminded me of someone for a moment," he replied evasively while he stared at the vast night sky above them. They were both silent for a few moments, and Jisung studied Minho's expression with a frown.

He wondered who the demon was talking about as he couldn't explain why he suddenly looked melancholic. His behavior today was unusual, to say the least.

To be continued...

I AM NOT FINE. STRAY KIDS' COMEBACK TODAY WAS SO AMAZING. WORDS AREN'T EVEN ENOUGH TO DESCRIBE HOW PROUD I AM OF HOW FAR THEY'VE GONE.