Hakyeon had forgotten just how long it has been since he was banished into Limbo. A place between Heaven and Hell, a place where lost souls wandered aimlessly for who knows how long.

Decades? Centuries? Or even millenniums could have gone by already.

He once wanted revenge so desperately that he was willing to hurt others in order to obtain what he wanted.

Existence.

He craved to feel ‘alive’ again. Yet, after so long where he could not even keep track of time itself, he was beginning to lose that craving.

But just as he thought he had completely forgotten, he ran into someone who reminded him once again why he was inside of Limbo in the first place.

‘You!’ Hakyeon jolt in surprise after running into someone familiar inside of Limbo.

The other looked like Hakyeon’s love but knew immediately that they were not the same person. There’s no way they were the same.

The other stared at Hakyeon silently.

‘What are you doing here?!’ Hakyeon shouted.

‘Same thing as you, what do you think?’ The other said in a sarcastic tone that irritated Hakyeon even more.

Hakyeon glared at the Dark Taekwoon once more and turned around. He tried to ignore the latter’s provoking attitude in which would only make him even angrier.

They share the same face and voice but they’re nothing alike! Nothing!

But just when Hakyeon thought he got rid of the Dark Taekwoon, the other ended up following him closely from behind.

‘Stop following me! Go wander somewhere else!’

‘…’

Taekwoon said nothing as he continued to follow Hakyeon’s every step. Unable to bear it any longer, Hakyeon turned around and stomped angrily towards Taekwoon. He grabbed the other by his collar.

‘Dammit! What the hell do you want from me? Leave me alone!’ Hakyeon demanded.

‘…’

‘Say something already!’

Taekwoon grabbed Hakyeon’s wrist and pulled the boy’s hands away from his shirt. He was strong and forced Hakyeon to loosen his grip. The Dark Taekwoon’s grip was painful.

‘Let go!’ Hakyeon was struggling to get free.

‘You.’

‘Huh?’

‘What happened to your revenge?’

‘Wh-what are you talking about?’

Taekwoon leaned in forward and looked directly at Hakyeon’s eyes.

‘I know who you really are. Aren’t you angry at them? At that fake Hakyeon? The body that was supposed to be yours in the first place yet no one even knew you ever existed.’ Taekwoon said.

‘How… do…’ No one was supposed to have known the truth behind the so-called ‘dark’ Hakyeon.

Taekwoon smirked.

‘That’s because I’ve been observing you for a long time. I know everything there is to know about you and how much you really want to go back to the real world.’

Hakyeon couldn’t deny it. Just hearing the words of the ‘real world’ shook his heart. He felt isolated for so many centuries and though he was supposed have already gotten used to the lonesome world, he realized just how much he missed his first love.

‘I can help you.’ The Dark Taekwoon said to him.

‘Help me? How?’

‘Give me a hand and I will help you return to the body in which belongs to you.’

Taekwoon then goes on to explaining about the dream world or Dreamscape as others would call it. Though the Dark Taekwoon have lost most of his powers after being sealed away, he never stopped looking for an alternative to return to reality. He found a way to jump into other people’s dreams from within the pathways of Limbo. After many attempts, he finally found the right door. The path into the dream of the 21^st century Cha Hakyeon.

The leader of a boy group called VIXX.

~

‘Even if you’re inside his head, what happens afterwards? How do I help you?’ Hakyeon asked the latter.

Hakyeon didn’t know much about the other worlds. He relied solely on his powers as a being with darkness as his other half. Though he felt uneasy around this Taekwoon, he had no choice but to do things according to the latter’s plans.

‘It’s quite easy. I will make that Hakyeon fall in love with his dreams – his ideals and his desires. While he falls into my arms, you can use that opportunity and take over his body.’

‘I can do that?’

‘Yes. After you have taken over, all you have to do is make him lose trust in s and himself. Make it so that he never wants to return to reality ever again.’

‘But… isn’t that too cruel?’

‘Cruel? That what about all those times where you have been neglected? Trust me. If anyone deserves to live again, it should be you.’

Hakyeon was taken back by Taekwoon’s words. He was merciless and scheming yet Hakyeon could not help but admit that it was a plan that benefitted him a lot. He was desperate for existence and freedom.

‘But, what do you get from all of this?’ Hakyeon questioned.

‘You love the other Jung Taekwoon right?’

‘Huh? Of course! That’s a stupid question to ask. Isn’t it obvious?’

‘I am the same. Bring me the other Hakyeon and allow me to keep him by my side. Forever.’

The word ‘forever’ gave Hakyeon an uneasy chill but he agreed.

‘I-I got it.’

With their plans set in place, Hakyeon did everything as the Dark Taekwoon told him to do. All they had to do was wait for the perfect timing to strike at the leader of VIXX’s mind. From within the leader’s mind and dreams, they could see how heartbroken the other had been not only from Taekwoon’s rejection but negligence from the other members as well. Eventually, the 21^st century Cha Hakyeon grew tired and fatigue. He began to question his existence and his place within the group. He wanted to desperately be accepted by his beloved members and the Dark Taekwoon granted him that exact wish.

But neither did the Dark ones think that the 21^st century Jung Taekwoon would eventually have a change of heart. He tried to change himself in order to make amends with his lifelong friend.

 ~

‘Well? What now?’ Hakyeon grew rather impatient just watching and waiting from within a dream world.

‘Don’t worry. The time will come.’ The Dark Taekwoon said in a rather confident manner.

Hakyeon couldn’t help but feel rather impatient with all the waiting. Sure he almost forgot about everything in his past after being banished but now that he realized that there was a way for his revival, he didn’t know how to stay still. Then, the Dark Taekwoon saw the restlessness on Hakyeon’s face and suddenly his hair.

‘Wh-what are you doing?’ Hakyeon felt flustered by the Dark one’s sudden affection.

‘You’re still a child.’ He smiled.’

‘Sh-shut up!’ Hakyeon slapped the Dark Taekwoon’s hands away and turned around. His cheeks grew red.

He couldn’t help it though, his childlike features and personality was hard to get rid of. Though his physiques have grown, his mind was still like a child’s. Even he had to admit. After all, he had only truly existed when he was still a kid.

‘You’re quite naïve you know that?’

‘Huh? Are you trying to pick a fight with me?’

Taekwoon chuckled.

‘No. But you do realize that even after you take over that boy’s body again, that Taekwoon isn’t the same one as the one you once loved.’

‘I know that! But I don’t care! I’ll think about it after I get my body back!’

‘You really love him don’t you…’

‘Of course!’ Hakyeon said in confidence.

‘What about me?’ Taekwoon suddenly asked.

‘Wh-what about you?’ Hakyeon stuttered.

‘I look the same as him, my face, my body, and even the tone of my voice. Don’t you feel anything for me as well?’ Taekwoon took Hakyeon’s hands to caress his features, proving to the boy that he and the other Taekwoon were exactly alike.

‘Pfft! No way! You can sound and look the same but you’re noting like that Taekwoonie. You’re different! I can tell you two apart even if you stood next to one another.’

‘… I’m glad.’

‘Huh?’

‘I wouldn’t know what to do if you fell in love with me as well.’ Taekwoon teased.

~

As the two watched from the other Hakyeon’s dreams, they could see that despite all the efforts the other members of VIXX had put forth in caring for their leader, this Hakyeon was still in doubt and insecure about himself and others.

‘Is he stupid or what?’ The Dark Hakyeon was frustrated.

‘That makes the two of you right?’

‘Wh-what? I’m definitely not like him! s like him so much and even that Taekwoon is trying to change himself for that stupid Cha Hakyeon. Yet all he does is question everything other people do. He’s totally blind about how s feel about him! If it was me…’

Hakyeon stopped. He realized that he was about to say something he should not have.

As he watched the group grow and bond, he began to feel envious of their relationship with each other. He felt sympathy for the other members and even hoped that he was the leader of the group instead. Though the younger members teased their leader a lot, it was obvious that they were just boys who still cared and loved the oldest of the group. It was just hard for them to express their feelings.

‘If it was you, what would you do?’ The Dark Taekwoon asked him.

‘I… I don’t know.’ Hakyeon looked away in guilt.

I would tell them how much I care for them. Tell them that I appreciate their efforts and their affections. The fact that they are by my side… everything. I want to tell them everything…

The Dark Hakyeon felt his heart crying for the other members as he watched the other Hakyeon drown himself inside of doubt.

‘Then become him. Take back what belongs to you.’ Taekwoon said.

‘There’s no way I can do that… it’s even hard to take over his body at the moment.’ Hakyeon was uncertain.

‘You can. Believe me. I will definitely make it happen.’

Taekwoon grabbed Hakyeon into his arms and strangely enough, the hug was reassuring yet also unsettling at the same time. But why? Exactly what did this Taekwoon have in mind that Hakyeon didn’t know about?

~

Hakyeon have thought it long enough that if he did successfully take over the leader’s body, what would happen next? Can he really successfully grab hold of the members’ affections for their leader? He was envious of their bond but he knew very well that he had no place within it.

He was an outsider.

Plus, the members have been so careful about their leader’s health and well-being that their relationship have only gotten a stronger as days gone by.

Then, during the day of the filming for the group’s music video ‘Chained Up’, the Dark Taekwoon helped him in dragging the other Hakyeon into Dreamscape. The Dark Hakyeon pretended to be the real one in front of the other staffs and proceeded in the filming but was tempted to end things once and for all.

He wanted to make it so that Hakyeon would not be able to go back into reality and tried to hurt the same body in which he was trying to possess.

Yet, the Dark Hakyeon never thought that his actions would end up to hurting the VIXX’s Taekwoon in the process.

Your hands! He wanted to shout out and grab the latter’s hands to treat it. Though he knew that this Taekwoon was not the same Taekwoon as he once loved, it still pained him to watch this Taekwoon get hurt.

But just as he saw the other members gathering around this Taekwoon, something awakened from inside of him. He was fuming with jealousy and envy. He didn’t even know why he got as angry as he did but subconsciously, he grabbed a shard from one of the broken mirrors and ran towards the maknae.

I’m sorry. He wanted to say aloud but screamed countless times within his mind. He wanted to stop his actions but it was too late to do anything about it.

His violence ended up traumatizing not only the innocent boy but also the other members.

~

As he returned to Dreamscape, Hakyeon felt the agony and guilt for what he had almost done. He kept apologizing over and over for his actions. He wanted to make amends and actually didn’t want to hurt anyone other then to return to a body where he could be alive again.

But one day, he discovered something as he was about to visit the Dark Taekwoon and tell the latter that he wanted to give up with their plans.

He no longer had the desires to return to reality.

It just wasn’t his place to begin with.

‘What are you doing?!’ Hakyeon shouted in surprise as he saw that the Dark Taekwoon was trying to manipulate the other members’ dreams as well.

‘Helping you.’

‘What? How are you helping me?! You’re… you’re causing them pain as well! You creating nightmares within their dreams! Stop it!’ Hakyeon pleaded desperately.

Taekwoon looked at the other’s questionable actions.

‘Are you beginning to feel sorry for them?’ His sharp gaze gave Hakyeon a fright.

Hakyeon gulped.

‘I…’

‘Well?’

‘They have nothing to do with this! Ever since the beginning of time… they have only been there for Hakyeon and fought by his side. They’re like family to him! That’s why I want to stop! I-‘

Taekwoon grabbed Hakyeon by his neck. Choking him.

‘What are you… let go…’ Hakyeon was struggling to get away while trying to grasp for air. The Dark Taekwoon’s grip was painful.

‘It’s too late. You can no longer back out.’

The Dark Taekwoon’s usual tone suddenly became dark and threatening. He looked at Hakyeon with a murderous intent and the darkness started to engulf around his body. Hakyeon’s body was trembling as a reaction from the fear.

He had forgotten that this was the same Taekwoon in which he had once fought to the death in order to obtain the title as the Ruler of the Underworld. The merciless and powerful descendent of the God of the Underworld.

‘Whether you like it or not, you will continue to do as I say. You will bring Cha Hakyeon to me. If not, not only will I make sure you get hurt but also the members of VIXX as well.’