When Youngjae awoke, he found himself in a cold room. He was curled up on a bed, and when he sat up, stark white walls surrounded him, a single security camera was mounted to a corner on the ceiling; within moments, Youngjae began to panic. Where was he? Where was Daehyun? He was still alive, right? Was he back in the bunker?
 
"Are you awake, Yoo Youngjae?" a voice suddenly announced from above.
 
Youngjae looked up, trying to find the source of the voice, and found a speaker embedded into the ceiling above Youngjae's head. He hopped out of the bed, and approached the camera, glaring at the small device.
 
"Where am I? Why did you take me?" Youngjae demanded. He was terrified out of his mind, yes, but he was still a college student. If they didn't know about his involvement with Guernica, he could just plead insanity. "Just why do you need me so badly?!"
 
There was no response from the speaker, and Youngjae wondered if the person left, but then there was a reply. "You should ask Madame Hyosung that. Please turn around."
 
Youngjae turned around, and saw that the wall behind him had turned into a giant monitor. The Empress herself sat at a desk, her entire being boasting royalty and demanding respect.
 
"Yoo Youngjae," Madame Hyosung greeted with a sugary smile. "How are you feeling?"
 
Youngjae didn't reply for a moment, too dazed to be in the presence of the Empress—even if indirectly. "...I'm fine, Madame."
 
Madame Hyosung nodded approvingly. "I'm glad. Now, I'd rather get straight to the point than avoid it with unnecessary chatter. I've been notified that you have questions about your...stay?"
 
Youngjae narrowed his eyes. Stay? Imprisonment, more like. "Why did you go through the trouble of capturing me? Wouldn't it be easier to just let me go in peace?"
 
"You're important, Youngjae," Madame Hyosung replied, and Youngjae remembered a similar conversation with Daehyun. "More important than you'll ever know."
 
Youngjae blinked. "What is that supposed to mean? What exactly do you need me for?"
 
"That is currently confidential information," Madame Hyosung said.
 
"No, that's not helping," Youngjae cried. "What—"
 
"I have some questions for you, Youngjae," Madame Hyosung announced, cutting Youngjae short. Youngjae could tell her patience was running thin. "Would you care to answer them?"
 
Youngjae nodded slowly.
 
"Where is Guernica?" Madame Hyosung asked.
 
Youngjae's eyes widened. He couldn't reveal his knowledge about them. "I don't—"
 
"We found one of the members with you when we took you in. His name is Jung Daehyun, if my records are correct," Madame Hyosung stated. "Would you like to see him?"
 
Youngjae's heart just about stopped. They had Daehyun. Why did they take him? Why didn't they just leave him alone?
 
"It's a simple yes or no question, Youngjae," Madame Hyosung continued with a frown. Slower, she repeated, "Would you like to see him?"
 
Youngjae was torn between his choices. If he said yes, the Empress would know of his involvement with Guernica. If he said no, he'd have no way of knowing whether or not Daehyun was truly captured. So...
 
"Yes," Youngjae said after another moment of hesitation.
 
Madame Hyosung smiled again, and seemed to nod to somebody off-screen.
 
The screen suddenly changed, and Daehyun sat in front of Youngjae, slumped in a chair. A hand came up from behind the camera, grabbed Daehyun's hair, and lifted his head up. His eyes were closed, but he was in obvious pain.
 
A hand flew up to Youngjae's mouth as he suppressed a gasp. He felt like throwing up, but there was nothing in his stomach. They'd tortured Daehyun already. Why... How could they?
 
"No...," Youngjae uttered through his hand.
 
The screen switched back to Madame Hyosung, who had the slightest smirk on her face, and Youngjae struggled to compose himself.
 
"As you've seen, he hasn't been very cooperative with us," Madame Hyosung remarked, and Youngjae could almost hear the smugness in her voice. "So, how about this? You tell me everything you know about Guernica, and I, in turn, will let Jung Daehyun live. Do we have a deal?"
 
Youngjae gulped nervously. What was he supposed to do? Should he trade Daehyun's life for the safety of the others?
 
"I'll let you think about that for a bit," Madame Hyosung said. "You have a week, Youngjae, and I expect an answer by then."
 
When the screen turned off, Youngjae crumpled to the floor.
 
What had he gotten himself into?
 
//
 
It'd gotten difficult to tell time in that isolated room. Youngjae laid on his bed, wondering how the others were, contemplating his choices, blaming himself for everything that went wrong, wishing for Daehyun's safety.
 
An officer visited with a tray of food periodically—presumably twice a day. The first time around, Youngjae ignored both the officer and the tray, but he gave up after several hours and reluctantly ate.
 
As the days passed, Youngjae's fear and anxiousness grew and melded together into a dark shadow that lurked in every corner of that room.
 
At some point, Youngjae just couldn't sleep anymore, lying awake with Daehyun's bloodied and bruised face sill in his mind.
 
Youngjae wondered when the week would be over, but also dreaded it. He didn't want to be responsible for Daehyun's life, or for everybody else's lives.
 
//
 
"Have you come to a decision, Youngjae?" Madame Hyosung asked, her smile still the same as ever.
 
Youngjae stood with his arms crossed, trying to hide any uncertainty beneath a cold facade. "Yes."
 
"Good," Madame Hyosung said, clapping her hands once. "Now what's—"
 
"I have two conditions," Youngjae interrupted, and by the look of shock on the Empress's face, she wasn't used to being interrupted.
 
Madame Hyosung narrowed her eyes, her smile quickly slipping. "Which are...?"
 
"You will not harm Guernica and its members in any way, shape, or form," Youngjae said. His voice was calm, calmer than he'd been anticipating. "No matter what I tell you, you or any Legion soldiers cannot hurt them."
 
Madame Hyosung seemed to contemplate Youngjae's words before replying. "And your second one?"
 
Youngjae took a deep breath. "Let me see Daehyun."
 
Madame Hyosung shrugged, and her smile returned. "Fair enough. An officer will stop by shortly to you."
 
"So we have a deal?" Youngjae asked. He honestly didn't think it'd be that easy.
 
Madame Hyosung nodded. "Of course, Youngjae. As long as you do your part, I will do mine."
 
//
 
Youngjae didn't know what to expect as he was guided down the hall. It was a windowless building and the halls looked exactly the same, as did the doors. Youngjae became confused the instant he stepped out of the room. The officer didn't even bother to put him in handcuffs. Did they trust him that much or did they think he was too weak?
 
The longer they spent in that hall, the more Youngjae began to question his request. What if it was a trap? Was Daehyun really in there? Would the Enpress really go through with the deal?
 
"Hey, we're here," the officer announced.
 
He opened the door to a small room, and Youngjae suppressed a gasp. Daehyun sat at a table, his head hanging low. He was in handcuffs, and a long chain going through a loop on the table kept the cuffs and table linked together. It'd been a week since Youngjae saw Daehyun, but he already looked so much smaller than before, so defeated.
 
"You have five minutes starting now," the officer announced. He stood at a corner to keep an eye on the pair.
 
Daehyun looked up, and Youngjae's eyesight began to blur. Youngjae sat down across from Daehyun, trying to keep his tears back. Daehyun's right eye was swollen shut, his lip was split open, the blood just beginning to dry, and multiple bruises littered his skin.
 
Daehyun smiled when he saw Youngjae, the same as any other time he smiled; the twinkle in his eyes never left.
 
There was an uneasy silence between them for a bit. They didn't have a lot of time. Youngjae wanted to speak so badly, wanted to talk to Daehyun about so many things, but... Where would he start? He just wanted things to return to normal.
 
"Are they treating you well?" Daehyun eventually asked. "Are you having any trouble? You're not hurt, are you?"
 
Youngjae took in a deep breath. Why was Daehyun worried? Wasn't he concerned about himself?
 
When Youngjae didn't reply, the smile on Daehyun's face wavered, but didn't disappear completely. Daehyun leaned forward in his chair. "Why aren't you speaking? What's wrong? Please don't tell me they removed your tongue. That'd be the worst thing."
 
Youngjae tried to swallow the growing lump in his throat. It was so pitiful seeing Daehyun like this. "I'm fine."
 
Sighing with relief, Daehyun closed his eyes. "That's good."
 
"I'm sorry," Youngjae blurted without thinking. His voice was thick, and he didn't know what else to say.
 
Daehyun's eyebrows furrowed, and he opened his eyes. "Why—"
 
"I dragged you into the forest. If only we hadn't been there at that time, we'd still be...home. I'm sorry." Youngjae's voice quivered, and he bit his lip once he was finished. I'm sorry for betraying Guernica.
 
"It's not your fault. We didn't know," Daehyun reassured. He leaned forward, and whispered, "We'll get out of here together."
 
Youngjae nodded. He wished so desperately for that to be true, but was that even possible anymore?
 
There was silence again, more comforting than uneasy this time—but not by much.
 
Daehyun smiled, but he was obviously forcing it now. "Man, this isn't how I wanted to do this. Sorry."
 
Youngjae blinked. "What are you apologizing for?"
 
"One minute," the officer suddenly declared.
 
Daehyun glanced at the officer behind Youngjae's shoulder, then focused his attention back to Youngjae. He took in a deep breath, and quickly said, "I love you."
 
Youngjae's mouth fell open, speechless. What? No, that was a joke, right?
 
"Sorry I couldn't be more romantic, but you know. happens." Daehyun shrugged with that smile still gracing his lips. Was he just refusing to acknowledge their entire situation?
 
Youngjae closed his eyes, and he felt the tears begin to sting behind his eyelids as the stress and terror and guilt just flooded his mind. The lump was still there in his throat, and he was sure it'd gotten larger.
 
"Thirty seconds."
 
Tears had begun to fall down Youngjae's cheeks, and he quickly wiped them away. They had thirty seconds left. Without another moment's hesitation, he leaned over the table, nearly standing up from his chair, and pressed his lips against Daehyun's.
 
Their kiss was desperate and electric and metallic and something Youngjae wished he'd done sooner.
 
"Alright, break it up. You two are finished," the officer barked, his boots hitting the steel floor with sharp clicks.
 
When Youngjae was harshly pulled away, he saw a sort of resignation in Daehyun's glassy eyes. It didn't suit him, not in this place, not chained to the table like a dog.
 
"Wait for me!" Youngjae exclaimed, stumbling over his own feet as the officer dragged him backwards to the door. "Please...! We'll—"
 
The door shut with a tone of finality, and Youngjae covered his mouth to hold back a sob, trying to get rid of those hopeless eyes from his mind.
 
A soldier brushed past Youngjae, a ray gun held tightly in his hand, and Youngjae stared as the soldier entered the room they were previously in.
 
The last thing Youngjae saw before he was dragged around a corner was a flash of light.

A/N: ; A ;

Sorry it's weird and cliched but, honestly, this is where the fun really begins.

{This has been part one of a two part heartbreak.}

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