How many days, months, or even years has he been stuck here? He’d lost count long ago. He wasn’t even sure if his surroundings were actually where he was anymore. They changed so frequently that he had a hard time discerning whether his current situation was reality, thanks to the illusionist.

Speaking of the devil, the door opened slowly, and he straightened up as much as he could in his restraints. Only one person would open the door so carefully.

As he had expected, a short woman slipped in between the gap of the door. Her long brown hair was tied into a high, neat ponytail, not a single strand out of place.

“How are you feeling?” the illusionist asked in a soft voice. Her usually emotionless eyes were filled with pity and care as she looked at him.

“Could be better,” he croaked.

She sighed and placed a palm on his face, and he leant into the warmth. Warmth. How long has it been since he last felt his powers?

“Where am I? What are you showing me now?”

“What you are seeing now is the reality, not any of my illusions.”

“...the reality…?”

“You’re not supposed to be a fighter for us,” she told him. “You come from a research facility, you have friends that are waiting for you to join them. You are powerful, and you are not our slave.”

He closed his eyes and took in a shuddered breath, clinging onto her words like his life depended on them.

“My friends…”

“Would you like me to show them to you?”

He nodded.

“Open your eyes.”

When he opened them, he was in a beautiful, vast meadow. The air was crisp and smelt like freedom, and the sunshine was warm and enveloped him like a hug. He was sitting in the midst of all his friends—the boys that he had grown up with in the facility.

He looked around him, trying to imprint every part of the illusion into his memory.

“Oi! What’re ya doing?!”

The illusion faded away immediately. He forced his eyes open to see a guard standing in the doorway, squinting in. The question was directed to the illusionist, whose body was rigid in shock.

She composed herself, turning to the entrance with her once again emotionless eyes. “I was making him drown,” she explained, voice monotonous. “Then you broke my concentration.”

“Why ain’t he gasping, then?”

“He was drowning in emptiness and despair. Helps to take away the will to live.”

The guard cackled loudly. “Yer really ruthless, Luna. No wonder Boss likes to keep you around.”

Luna’s face was impassive. “Get out. I need to concentrate. And makes sure no one comes in until I’m done.”

“Okay, okay…” the guard swung the huge metal door shut, the bang echoing throughout the empty room.

“Drowning in emptiness and despair, eh?” he said lowly, and Luna cracked a smile. He then broke into a series of coughs, his throat hurting because of how dry it was. She quickly grabbed a bottle of water and gently fed it to him, and he gulped down the water hungrily.

He looked up at her, the moonlight shining on her face. She looked like an angel.

“I’ll get us out of here soon,” she promised, her eyes shining with determination.

“And then we can go find my friends?”

She nodded, “and then we can go find your friends.”

-

“Rise and shine, princess!”

Krystal groaned at the voice screaming right next to her ear, rolling over to the other side of the king sized bed.

Unrelenting, Amber climbed onto the bed, right on the spot Krystal had vacated. She proceeded to physically cling to her. “Wake up, Krystal!” she whined, dragging the vowels.

Krystal forced her eyes open in annoyance. “Okay, I’m up! I’m up!”

“Yay! Let’s go have breakfast, I’m starving.” Amber clamoured off the bed immediately, Krystal dragged her body to the bathroom.

Sticking her toothbrush into , she glared at Amber. “Why are you annoying me first thing in the morning?” she asked around a mouthful of foam.

Amber grinned, innocent glee shining in her eyes. “I’ve never really had a close female friend before. I used to hang out with the guys a lot and the girls would get jealous, so they don't talk to me.”

Krystal froze in the midst of brushing her teeth, before she caught herself and continued again. Spitting out the toothpaste and rinsing , she turned to Amber and sighed.

“You should meet my friend Sulli, she’s just as, if not more hyper than you are. I’m sure you’ll be great friends,” Krystal said as they headed towards the stairs.

Amber nodded eagerly. “Can’t wait!”

“Any news about Chanyeol and Baekhyun?” Suho asked the moment Krystal and Amber came down the stairs.

Amber grimaced. “Not yet, everyone’s been keeping their lips tightly shut, and it’s a bit hard to ask if anyone has seen people with powers.”

The boys were already seated around the dining table, munching on toast and cereal. There seemed to be a collective sigh of disappointment amongst them at Amber’s words.

“Don’t worry guys, I’ll find them soon! Have faith in Amber Liu!” she fist-pumped the air.

Sehun snorted loudly. “Did you guys know Amber’s middle name is Josephine?”

“Josephine?!” Chen spluttered, cereal bits flying all over the table.

“God, Chen, you are absolutely disgusting,” Krystal wrinkled her nose.

Amber was blushing as she sent an aimed kick to Sehun under the table. “Shut up, Oh Sehun.”

“Josephine is a pretty name,” Yixing shrugged, and Amber beamed.

“This is why healing is the best power out of all of you,” Amber said, jabbing fingers at the boys.

Right as she finished her sentence, Kai disappeared at reappeared behind Amber, plucking the toast she’d just picked up out of her fingers. He took a huge bite, a smirk on his face. “Nah, I think teleportation is better.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Kai, and no one’s going to heal you when you’re on the brink of death,” Yixing said casually.

Everyone gaped at the healer, who continued to eat like nothing was wrong.

Chen gave a low whistle. “That was pretty savage, Lay.”

“Yixing’s always like that,” Krystal chuckled, reaching for a piece of toast. “He comes in and ruins you when you least expect it.”

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