Some nights passed by like the blink of an eye. Some seemed to drag on for eternity.

 

Nights were always a reprieve, whether long or short, and to Hyuk, there was not a night he was ungrateful for. He was glad, at times, that he was considered the defective one. Being imperfect kept him safe in his cage at night – unlike the others. They were all grateful that he remained untouched, the youngest given that minor protection even if it meant that the elders were the ones coming back to the room hollow eyed and a little more broken each time.

 

Some nights were peaceful.

 

Those were the ones filled with a secret tension that only the occupants of the basement were privy to.

 

Glass crunched beneath his feet as he shifted in place, standing close to the open wall of his cage. A sickly green light filtered in from somewhere overhead. A dim light was cast over the room that allowed Hyuk to see the rest of the room.

 

To his left he heard N moving about, the hoops on his leather bindings clinking softly against each other. If Hyuk leaned forward just a bit, he could poke his head out of the cage and see his eldest friend pacing by the broken window of his own cage, uncaring of the glass that littered the floor. On his other side, Hyuk heard nothing but silence from Leo. This was typical of his most soft spoken companion and Hyuk did not have to look to know that Leo was sitting quietly on his cot – waiting patiently.

 

Ravi was the easiest to see. His cage was placed directly across from Hyuk's. The elder was pressed against the glass wall of his cage, his tattooed image distorted slightly by the numerous spells written across the glass to keep him in place. Ravi was one of the strongest boys and was one of the most favored. Extra precautions had been taken to contain him.

 

The stars of the night, however, were the boys on either side of him, and Ravi's head kept turning to look between the two anxiously.

 

Hyuk had always known that he and the others were in a bad situation. He had been born screaming and covered in blood, not from the birth of a child, but from dark magic and cruel hands that were misleading in their beauty. Hyuk had known from the moment he opened his eyes and saw that wicked grin that the pain he felt would be a constant in his brand new half life.

 

Her name was Saetbyeol and Hyuk hated the way her name rolled off his tongue. It was a poison, paralyzing him at times and sending him into agony for the rest.

 

He was the last to be created, the sixth and an experiment that was left being despised. She had twisted the spell that brought the others to life when she pieced him together, trying to recreate the fire that Ravi possessed, but instead got a punching bag that could take a beating without flinching.

 

Saetbyeol thrived on their pain, on their responses, and Hyuk took too much effort for too little a gain.

 

It never stopped her from being inherently cruel to him though.

 

Her latest... attentions had left him without a layer of skin on his forearm, the skin slowly knitting itself back together – as it likely would for the remainder of the night. Cool air blew over the exposed area, making it sting and ache with such persistence that was more annoying than painful. Hyuk stilled, cradling the limb to his chest.

 

Saetbyeol liked to leave them with reminders of her work, a constant reminder of their fate.

 

After tonight, however, that could change.

 

Hyuk stared at the glass box beside Ravi, its occupant standing off to the back of the box.

 

Hongbin stared blankly ahead, a thick black X replacing each iris and marring his vision. A scar, left on him as punishment for a previous escape attempt that the boys had made.

 

They had been careless that time. Tonight, they would be more careful. Tonight, they had a plan.

 

Hongbin's boots made a solid thunk as he set it against the glass wall in front of him, his back pressed firmly against the other wall. While the others lived in cages, some bound with thick tethers and rings that pierced into their skin, Hongbin was allowed to roam his glass cage freely. Saetbyeol didn't believe him capable of escaping, being blind and boxed in with smooth walls that held no hand or foothold, and liked to display him – like a doll in some grotesque gallery.

 

With that freedom in mind, the boys had worked out the mechanics when the tentative plans for another escape were made.

 

Hongbin had the freedom to move and free the others who were unbound inside their cages. If he could only escape his box.

 

It had been Ravi's idea, the idea born one hot night when his skin stuck to the glass of his own prison.

 

The rubber soles of Hongbin's shoes could hold him in place if he pressed his back against the wall and pushed himself up and out. Luck had it that the box was small and Hongbin was tall enough to go through with Ravi's plan, the dimpled boy essentially walking out of his cage and to the others.

 

Hyuk watched him rise anxiously, ears straining for any sounds of movement above them.

 

Hongbin's hands found the metal frame along the top of the box and he pulled himself up and out, legs falling out from under him, knees and toes bumping hard against the glass. He paused for a long moment, listening with the others, and pulled himself over the side when they felt that the coast was clear.

 

Being caught tonight was something that they could not afford to risk, not after all the preparation that had led to this moment.

 

Once Hongbin hit the floor, finding his way to the other side of Ravi's cage was a gesture of pure trust of the last boy in their circle.

 

Ken was a favorite of Saetbyeol's because he was pretty and had very little fight to him when it came to her, unlike Ravi. Saetbyeol did not have a soft side, but she liked the way that Ken fell over himself to please her, to avoid her wrath. His softness sometimes failed to affect her, but it left her thinking him the most docile.

 

Ken had been the one to free them all when they made their first escape attempt.

 

Guiding Hongbin's every step with a soft tone, Ken led the other to his cage, just as he had every other night they spent putting their plan into action.

 

Ropes, wrapped tightly around his arms rather than being attached with steel rings, fell off his arms easily enough when Hongbin worked them loose. Angry red lacerations crisscrossed across his skin where the ropes had been, but Ken seemed unaffected by the pain as he led Hongbin back out into the middle of the room.

 

Ravi was freed next, the pace of their escape picking up now that their savior was sure of his footing. They wasted no time in freeing the last three and Hyuk stumbled into the center of the room in relief. The punctures where the rings had been inserted burned but the pressure that had been pulling at the skin was relieved and Hyuk counted that as a win.

 

There was a round table in the center of the room, covered in trays with scalpels and piercings, some thicker than others. They jingled against each other as Hyuk and Ravi lifted the table and put it out of the way, shoved into Hyuk's now empty cell. Hyuk snatched a pair of tweezers from the table and slipped them into his pocket before trailing after Ravi to the center of the room again. They would need them to pull out the glass embedded in their skin. That is, if their night ended successfully.

 

N and Leo followed closely after them The oldest pair directed the younger boys to their positions, the arrangement a practiced motion by now. N had a firm grasp on Hongbin's elbow as he guided him into place and they were ready, all six of them working together to roll the thick rug in the center of the room up to reveal a complex arrangement of symbols painted on the floor in the only available medium they had – their blood.

 

A Witch's Trap.

 

Ken and Ravi had been the ones to paint the circle, their fear of discovery keeping them from releasing the others from their more complex bonds. In previous days, they had to be ready to move everything back into place at the slightest indication that Saetbyeol was headed downstairs to them.

 

They were bold tonight. The Trap finished apart from two final ingredients.

 

The trap activated once the witch's blood was inside the diagram and her power detected. Which led to the final and most risky step of their plan: luring Saetbyeol down to the basement.

 

The boys crowded into the alcove behind the door, breathing as quietly as they could as they began their wait. Once everyone was in place apart from Ken, they set their final step into motion.

 

Ken screamed.

 

The loud sound rang out through the basement and the boys could not help but wince.

 

Ken had serious projection skills.

 

He hurried into place as soon as he quieted his voice, his friends' arms tugging him quickly into place as footsteps thundered overhead.

 

It did not take long for Saetbyeol to arrive and survey the situation, the door banging open as she made her entrance.

 

She walked into the middle of the room.

 

Hyuk and Ravi shared a smirk of satisfaction as she walked right into their trap, not noticing the symbols on the floor when all of her attention was focused on the empty cages before her.

 

A feral noise of rage tore itself from the witch's throat as she looked around the room and N stepped forward from the shadows.

 

“You're mad, right?” he asked, seemingly nonchalant about the entire situation as he stared her down.

 

It was a ploy to make her angry and it worked like a charm.

 

Saetbyeol's magic flared around her like a cloak and the Trap it in, activating instantly and sending up a translucent wall around the witch. Her face contorted in anger and confusion as she tried to touch the barrier, a shock of energy preventing contact.

 

“Let's hurry,” Hongbin urged, tugging at Ravi's arm, and the tattooed boy led him out the door and up the staircase. Ken and Leo followed them closely, all of the boys eager to be free from their prison.

 

“How did you get my blood?” Saetbyeol screeched, recognizing the Trap.

 

Hyuk grinned at her, a similar expression threatening to break over N's face as the eldest began tugging him out the door.

 

“We didn't get your blood.” the youngest laughed. “We just stole your calendar. Being on your period sure , doesn't it?”

 

Being lonely and surrounded by people was a depressing situation, one felt deeply by Jeon Chaeyeong.

 

The cafe she sat in was warm, a stark contrast to the persistent chill of the April air outside, and people were eagerly coming in to escape the cold. Finding a table for herself had proved impossible.

 

Instead, Chae set up a small work station at the counter, as far away from the register as she could, lest she end up being disturbed. The regular refills, hot chocolate and snacks rather than coffee, took a bit of money to pay for, but Chae had no concerns for that.

 

Her father worked hard and constantly, always away from home to 'provide' for them but both he and Chae knew it was only an excuse. There was a rift between them and neither could stand to stay near the other for long. Too many things unspoken lingered between them, destroying the relationship they had once had. The one they had before her mother died.

 

He should have stayed around more often.

 

She should have told him that she wanted him around.

 

Things would not change easily now, too far gone for a simple fix and both Chae and her father found it easier to just ignore their problems than face them.

 

Chae was well provided for in some ways, but company was one thing that continued to elude her.

 

Spending too much money on overpriced drinks and snacks was preferable over wandering about an empty house that was too big and too cold for one young woman.

 

Bored with too much studying, Chae turned her gaze away from her notes and let her eyes wander over the crowd, looking on enviously at the chatting groups pressed into the cafe.

 

She had always been a bit of a shy child and making friends did not come easily. The few she did manage to to find had been the center of her social life until recently. Moving on to high school had pushed them all down separate paths, her two good friends applying to different high schools, which focused on the arts rather than academics like Chae had chosen.

 

She could see a few of her classmates scattered around in some of the tables in the cafe, their uniforms standing out against the casual dress of the other people. Like on her own blazer, the name of their high school was embroidered on the left , Boseon High School standing out in gold letters against the black fabric.

 

Chae had just begun her second year at Boseon, the new term only a few weeks in, and yet again, she failed to find any new friends.

 

Her first year of high school had passed uneventfully and awkwardly, Chae keeping to herself in a sea of unfamiliar people. She made attempts to socialize, trying to combat the loneliness she was left with outside of class, but attending sporting events alone left her feeling uncomfortable and confused when she failed to understand the gist of what was going on. She eventually gave up on that front and resigned herself to sticking to idle chatter with her seatmates between classes in the hopes it would eventually lead to something more.

 

Apart from building a reputation as a nice person, Chae gained little from her attempts.

 

There was just something about her that made people veer away from her. She did not repulse people and she did not attract them in either, but seemed to travel in her own orbit. One that left her alone and frustrated because any sort of attention whether negative or positive would be better than just being regarded with polite indifference all the time.

 

Sometimes, Chae felt like she was losing herself in the isolation. Then again, who was she in the first place?

 

To the rest of the world, it seemed as if she was just something to glance at out of habit as they passed, rather than something to be curious about. Like the way students automatically turned to look at the classroom door when it opened, whether they were expecting something or not.

 

She could not keep wandering her lonely home with this feeling pressing down on her. A strange sort of tension had begun building within her over the past year and Chae was afraid of what she would become when that tether snapped.

 

A new employee from the cafe brought Chae her latest hot chocolate and she regarded him thoughtfully.

 

Maybe she could start working. She had no other responsibilities or obligations apart from school and her lack of a social life had kept her more than up to date on her studies. She could spend her days at school and her afternoons working – anything to stay away from that empty house for just a little longer.

 

Besides, studying could only hold her attention for so long. It was boring and even Chae needed something more than just her books.

 

The sky has turned to a soft purple when she steps out onto the street again, the industrial glow of the city illuminating the darkening atmosphere. The air had gotten chillier and Chae winced when the cold air blew across her legs, protected only barely by her tights. She resolved to look for some thicker leggings soon and hurried to board the bus.

 

For once, she managed to find a seat and is entirely grateful for it. A few weeks ago, she had the misfortune of being knocked over by a rowdy group of middle school students and ended up on the floor of the bus with a busted lip. The group had only seemed mildly apologetic about the entire incident and Chae was reminded of why she did not like preteens very much. Those brats.

 

(That being said, she had been rather rude at that age as well.)

 

Maybe she would save the money she got from her job for a car – if she managed to get her license after graduation. Then she could drive circles around those middle schoolers. The idea made a smirk curl at the corners of and the man next to her looked uneasy, scooting discretely away from the teen. Well then. She did not think she was that scary.

 

She lived a couple of streets away from the quieter business district on the west side of the city, the water of the Cheolgang reflecting back the city lights where the river curves around the buildings. A quick trip over the Hwang Bridge and she is almost home. Outside of the bus the cold evening air settles over her once more, made even more uncomfortable by the proximity to the water.

 

Still, the residents braved the chill to wander from shop to shop, enjoying the sights and the atmosphere.

 

Chae ambled on idly, stopping occasionally to look in on the street stalls, until the cold became too much for her and she hurried on to her house, leaving the vicinity of the shops for her neighborhood, a nicely kept area with lots of streetlights that allowed her to walk fearlessly through the night. Her father had chosen to move them into a slightly more upper class area after her mother passed away, with better security, gated yards and a neighborhood watch.

 

Later, Chae realized it was a sort of preparation for the way he would leave her on her own while he went away on business.

 

The Jeon residence was only two streets away from the shopping center and had a slightly more modern look than the houses that sat on either side. The white stone walls that surrounded her yard were a stark contrast to her neighbors' more natural choices, and stood out starkly under the glow of the streetlights.

 

Chae entered the pass-code for the gate and let herself in, kicking a few stray stones off the walkway as she went, and sighed heavily as she entered the dark and empty house before her.

 

The boys huddled together beside the water, their legs draped over each other for warmth and the lot of them so tangled that it was nearly impossible to tell where one boy started and another ended. Moments of such closeness were stolen during their time in the basement, so they reveled in the freedom to just be close to one another without fear.

 

A breeze blew in off the chilly water, sending a collective shiver through them. Ken stuffed his toes beneath Leo's thighs and tucked his face more securely against Hongbin's neck to hide from the cold. His ratty sweater offered him little protection against the elements and only the basic coverage that was considered decent.

 

Saetbyeol had never really given them any clothes beyond what was necessary – and only then because she got some sort of pleasure from ripping the fabric along with their skin.

 

Ken wiggled a finger against Hongbin's ribs, the hole on the sweater's torso offering him the chance to warm his fingers against the younger boy's skin.

 

“Hyung!” Hongbin yelped, squirming away from Ken and into Ravi's lap. “Isn't it cold enough without you doing that?”

 

“Come back, Bin-ah,” Ken whined, making grabby hands at the sightless boy.

 

Hongbin pointedly turned away from him to hug Ravi instead, his added weight crushing the maknae beneath them both. Hyuk seemed unconcerned, however, and just looked warm.

 

The oldest boys looked at him with envy before N sighs and pulls Ken over Leo to lay in both of the eldest boys' laps. Ken just went with it and buried his face in N's stomach, ignoring the slight scratchiness of his shirt (it was probably dried blood but he tried not to think about that) and felt himself becoming sleepy as the warmth of the others surrounded him.

 

That seemed to be all they did during their first few days of freedom. Sleep, move to another discreet location, sleep some more. He was sure that N slept less than any of them, keeping an anxious watch over the younger boys while their guard was down, but the eldest boy would never say. Or maybe he might admit to it, but he would try to distract from the seriousness of the situation by acting ridiculous to annoy them into forgetting. It always worked on Hongbin.

 

Their leader (which he truly was, despite any of their fake whining about how annoying he was) nudged Ken back to consciousness before speaking, N easily catching their attention with nothing but the dying sounds of traffic in the background to distract from him. Night had begun to fall over the riverside, giving them the cover to move about with less complications than they would during the day.

 

To be blunt about it, they all came across as suspicious characters. Hongbin, with cloth wrapped around his eyes to hide the black streaks that replaced his irises, was likely to raise some questions with his appearance. Not to mention that they were all covered in their own blood. That would definitely catch some eyes.

 

“Leo and I talked about it this morning,” N began, staring at his dirty, bare feet. “We're going to find some more clothes for us – then we're going to find somewhere to stay. Somewhere with a shower. I don't think we'll get anywhere until we get all of this washed off and I don't know about you, but I really want a bath. Really.”

 

“Just you and Leo-hyung are going?” Ravi frowned, brow furrowed. “Then what are we going to do?”

 

“Hide out and take care of Hongbin and the maknae,” N sighed, hoping that no one would start a fight once he got his plans out in the open. “Once we get cleaned up some, I'll see about finding a spell that'll give Bin his sight back.”

 

As if drawn by a magnet, all of the boys turned to stare reluctantly at the thick tome that N had stolen from Saetbyeol's bedroom, its pages yellowed with age and its cover made of dirty, cracked leather. It was currently wrapped in one of Saetbyeol's shirts, the boys unable to stand the bare presence of the thing.

 

Ken turned his head from it to once more press his face against N's stomach. The older boy looked down at him and forced himself to relax.

 

“I'd like to see you guys again,” Hongbin hummed, hands finding Ravi's face with ease, the gesture having been practiced many times before after their first escape attempt. By now the slopes and dips of the others' faces were engraved within Hongbin's memory, his touch remaining even as the images of them faded in his mind.

 

“Listen to Ken while we're gone.” N commanded, nudging the younger boy out of his lap and over to the maknae line. “We're just going to this laundry mat down the street... Leo watched it the other day and people leave their stuff in the dryers occasionally. We'll just grab and go. Behave kids.”

 

His last comment was met with some grumbles from the boys, but he was still allowed to kiss them all goodbye, their lingering fingers against his wrists, his neck, his face conveying their concerns.

 

Be safe. Be quick. Come back to us soon.

 

The boys bid each other goodbye and the younger four stared after them until they disappeared up the hill to the street, away from the bridge they were concealed beneath, and Ken felt Hongbin's fingers curl around his own. The oldest boy squeezed his hand, knowing that Hongbin hated it when the others went too far from him – into the darkness where he couldn't find them.