Another day, another thought away from that place.

Kyungsoo has been staring at the screen for half an hour now since he got inside the gray room. This time the different panels are flashing through his eyes at a faster pace than they had yesterday or any other of the days before. He signs at the last set of pictures and barcodes showing up, making the task seem even more exhausting than being just a simple memory check-up routine.

25/25. I do have a good memory, Kyungsoo thought grimly, contrasting with the easy smile forming on his examinator's lips.

"Perfect score Do Kyungsoo, once again" quipped the little man, sitting few places away from said man just some inches taller than him.

If it wasn't for the not so welcoming weather outside and the dark clouds b south, kyungsoo would have jolted out of his chair, he had to, ultimately, against himself, since he is just the 17th on the list and a row of 27 other people are waiting for their turn right in front of the booth.

Kyungsoo is trying to ignore the faraway noise he is hearing, but children cries and hidden gigglings, whoops even are not helping him in the dusky morning in Maya. His trail of thoughts are suddenly stopped with something new, his eyes locked on a target- no, target? he brushed it aside, it was just a man, running fast. He now stills, his interest on the subject rising. Last month he made his way in this new country, and he expected to see new things from the beginning but nothing caught his attention, nothing new, he ended up muttering at the end of the day, why did he even have expectations? What kind of things did kyungsoo see before this? His head suddenly throbs.

The man, though, had a broken arm and his running form gives away his rather disabled state. He had lean futures and sported shabby if not dirty clothes. He could easily be mistaken for a farmer who had his worst day with his sheeps. Limbs muddy and barefoot, making his run even harder, he fell thrice but didn't miss a beat and stood right after each time. He never stopped. He never looked behind him, hell he didn't care about an old granny on his way, brushing one another shoulders slightly on the run but enough to make the old woman lose posture. The boy can now distinguish the man’s face as he is nearing the booth and about to go past it. He was older, way older than him but were his eyes failing him? No, it couldn't be. Kyungsoo has probably been in better form, he can’t remember how he even fell in this place but certainly he still got a hold of his eyes. So, the smile spreading on the man’s face wasn’t an illusion of any sort.

The man was smiling, his eyes were wide only accepting the existence of what was right in front of him, the sun embracing his face, wind in his black locks. Toothy was the only thing coming to kyungsoo's mind at the vision. The man's chin went up and he opened both his arms, then a sense of liberty lavished the younger, something the boy knows all too well. Or did he really? It wasn't far lived.

An immense sadness invades kyungsoo, you are not going anywhere, what? Who is talking? He keeps hearing voices in his head but never know where they are coming from. Another throb.

It was nice while it lasted. In the corner of his eyes, another man appeared in his field of vision, a brunette, eyes searching, and then appeared a glint. He smirked his lips going up for a brief moment before going down and giving place to a horrid expression.

He then understood. It was dreadful.

You cannot escape from this place.

Kyungsoo had had enough. He is reaching for his ears, he doesn’t want to hear anymore, and he suddenly wanted to puke.

The man had eloped. He was running away. Why?

Don’t ask kyungsoo, kyungsoo has no idea, and more importantly why is this affecting so much? This man was a stranger.

Why was he being chased?

Kyungsoo didn't have more time to pounder on the question as the brunette was already dragging the "survivor" by his neck, hardening his steps and barely giving a glance or heed to the victim's pleas. There were no cries of help, doom day was written on the man's forehead as he gave up, everything, from his expressions, stopped fighting back and had a resigned look on his face.

You cannot escape from Elixion.

Kyungsoo doesn't remember much after that, he doesn't notice when two men lightly push in a car and he also doesn't know how much time passed since then.

 I wish he escaped.

 

Baekhyun had his face on his palms, eyebrows raised at the situation he is confronted with. It was a question of life or death. In all the seriousness and tense atmosphere in the crowded center, the boy, for the life of him couldn't bring himself to choose between a Hot chili shawarma and an extravangazza pizza from Dominos, rather he had both in front of him but wished someone thought of a mix between the two dishes.

"Damn!" someone shouted from afar, voice loud enough to make one of his colleagues jump in the 25m perimeter of the center. He hears someone lowly cursing. About 15 screens were up on the wall but all of them were keeping watch on the one on the left side corner particularly. From what baekhyun remembers, when he was off the chili sauce off of his hands and accidentally made a slurping noise enough to have the official commissioner of the military camp and also childhood friend, Kim Jongdae, shooting him a disgusted look, a man got ambushed from all sides then was pushed in some car, if they looked into it they could probably get the plate of said car.

Fists clenched and knowing looks that hid countless stories were exchanged briefly and the camp was alive once again. Everyone was moving past desks, and going back to whatever they were doing 6 minutes before the head direction got notice of the sudden accident and had some of the most graded officers gathering around the single screen.

The less graded between them were making the most ruckus, since they had no idea about the man's identity. They didn't know him. Baekhyun would also swear he didn't know him, for a fact he knows he technically never crossed paths with him in the center, after all, new recruit as he is, Byun Baekhyun made sure to remember all the faces on the military photobook and he could bet 5 months of trash cleaning in Tao's dirty room that the subdued man is unknown to their camp. He could almost swear. Almost. But baekhyun could feel the weight of the situation. Baekhyun’s mind wasn’t all about the shawarma earlier. His features shuddered for a slightly short time at the view of the man's face, even shorter than a second but blink and you would miss it, breath and you would never know what is hidden behind, he is now back to stretching lazily his back.

This wasn't normally what baekhyun does. He doesn't do that. He doesn't take interest in cases he fully knows end up as slumbers for him. He isn't your hard working type of guy, you see. He actually relatively hates their guts. He just isn't here for that. He is here for one thing alone. Just then, his desk neighbor wakes him up from his thoughts:

"50 bucks Jongdae is skinning someone tonight, and I'm not even kidding man", Chanyeol giggled like a 17 years old highschool girl in a 24 years old man's body.

A whole mystery, the recruit thought, shifting to meet his long-time friend.

"Nice skirt Chan, and nice try but you think jongdae's gonna care once I tell him who got his lovely cat under his tires?" he replied seeming nonchalant with chanyeol's eyes going wide in the span of seconds.

"No, you won't-" he breathed, flushed even.

"Try me " baekhyun threw, not impatient, not in a mocking tone, but grinning, reminiscence of their countless bickering that mostly ends in his favour.

"Anyway, what were you thinking about?" his friend signed finally deciding to sit on his desk, and taking at the same time a piece of meat in his mouth.

“Nothing really”. Everything.

Then speakers resounded suddenly everywhere in their vicinity.

*SPEAKERS ON*

"Byun Baekhyun, you are expected in the Marshall's office", came in the infamous voice of Kim Jongdae.

Both chanyeol and baekhyun were surprised, and those who know him also expressed theirs with few glances and snorts, for those thinking he got himself in trouble, yet again. His friend eyes him cautiously, but ends up sending him off with a playful smack on his , to which he yelped. But then baekhyun also couldn’t help but fart on said man’s hand. Of course, baekhyun always had to win.

Baekhyun's skin tingled on his way to the office, out of his colleagues’ sight and curious eyes. He lets himself get shaken to the core, shuddering with new feelings assailing him, lets his eyes turn into those crescents when he is smiling to his ears, he lets himself be swamped in future expectations, future encounters maybe. He bites his lower lip, thrills coming all over him. Everything that happened in the last 15 minutes seems forgotten already except for maybe for a face. No, baekhyun could never forget that face. A face he used to wake up to, a face he kissed four times only and would want to kiss countless times now, a face that lights his world up.

How could he forget? Baekhyun has been looking for clues for the past 7 months. Indeed, baekhyun doesn’t work on cases that end up as slumbers. Kyungsoo’s disappearance case is not one of them.

His mind screams as he finally reaches the office’s door knob.

Finally, I finally found you, Kyungsoo.

 

 

-To be continued