“Hey.” Junhui said, approaching Soonyoung. He was still grieving, it was written all over his face. “You okay?”

Soonyoung shook his head and rested on his bed. He closed his eyes and the bitter feeling washed over him again. The vacant bed next to him only reminds him of his loss. He rolled on his sides and played with a necklace from back home. His heart was throbbing. As bad as it was, he didn’t expect anyone to actually die.

“I don’t know Junhui. It still feels surreal, too surreal for me to believe.”

Junhui nodded. Seokmin’s death had been hard on all of them, including the facility caretakers. Junhui was never really close to Seokmin, but he did make everyone laugh. He hastily patted the younger boy’s head. 5 days older is still older anyways. He sat down next to the grim Soonyoung and looked his way.

“We have to let it go. Let’s just hope he’s in a better place.” Junhui said, trying to console the disconsolate boy.

The words sunk into his mind.  Let it go. He tried, he really did, but it didn’t work. Seokmin was the closest he has ever gotten to having a friend. Not to mention the shock he got from witnessing his death firsthand. He twisted again, now looking at the ceiling. Seokmin had said that one day, once they get out of his mess, he would introduce Soonyoung to his family. Now all of that is impossible. They won’t be able to play pranks on the villagers nor create music.

Impossible.

He sighed

Just then a thought occurred to him. Why is it that they were the ones selected to participate in the experiments? Why not other people? And why were the ones picked only young boys? Also, why are the instructors boys of the same age? A bit older perhaps, but not by much. He scratched his head and glanced at the older boy.

“Something’s off.” Soonyoung said.

Junhui glanced at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

Soonyoung sat straight and shrugged, still fumbling with the necklace. He sighed and clicked his tongue. Junhui looked at all this curiously. His foot was tapping against the floor, and his eyebrows were knitted together.

“What is it?” he asked.

“The trials,” he said, “there must be a reason why we were the ones experimented with.”

Junhui sighed. “I don’t even know why these experiments are held in the first place.”

Both boys’ thoughts wander, their imagination taking them to different ideas and theories. Their faces were filled with agitation, confusion, and wonder. Junhui thought about this too, although not as hard as Soonyoung. He glanced over at the window and studied the clouds. A bit dark and gloomy, he thought. He shook his head and glanced at Soonyoung. 

Soonyoung stood up and grabbed a tissue from the bathroom. Junhui glanced at him for a second before lying down on the younger’s bed. He looked at Soonyoung, scribbling things with a pen, a determined look on his face. They didn’t say anything for a while, Soonyoung making deductions and Junhui lying down, staring at him. He finally sat up and nudged the younger boy.

“You know what, why don’t we call it a day and talk about other things,” Junhui said, “cheerful things.”

Soonyoung nodded but the thought still bugs his mind.

What is this all about?

“What is this all about?”

Jungkook glared at the presence of Mark Tuan, who is said to be the mastermind (and his boss, mind you) of the whole project. His hair was red and he had quite the fit body. He smirks at the younger boy’s approaching figure. He lowered his glass of red wine and walked over to the younger boy.

“Pleasure to meet you, facility head.” he smiled and offered his hand.

Jungkook walked past him and plopped onto the nearest chair. Mark raised an eyebrow but proceeds to sit anyway. Jungkook still has his eyes on him, paying attention to every slight movement. They were not on friendly terms, both from their different backgrounds and their competition in the organization. There was a time when they were of the same rank, but that memory is long forgotten by both.

“Why are you here? And you still owe me an explanation about…” he motioned to the facility and probably everything inside it, “this.”

The red-head nodded and let out a sigh. “I guess I owe you one,” he said, “but why don’t we just get down to business first?”

The younger boy nodded and handed Mark a file. He shot the older boy a glare, not letting him get away easily. The older scoffed and opened the file, taking out all of its contents and checking it out. The stack wasn't thick, but it was scribbled with pen all over, not leaving a single empty spot. Mark raised his eyebrows as he skimmed through the contents. It was not orderly, a mess. His hands traveled to the edge of the paper as he flipped the papers over to check for any extra details. He looked over at Jungkook and raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you organize it in chronical order?" he asked sharply.

The younger boy smirked and clicked his tongue. "I'm sorry for not doing your biddings, princess."

Mark rolled his eyes and stood up. "I'm going out somewhere first. Take care of the report properly."

Jungkook smirked as the older boy left the scene. He didn't change much, in terms of coockiness, he got better. He was no longer the shy, modest guy. Grabbing the file and exiting the room, he smiled. The past is in the past indeed.

⁞⁝•ֱ̀␣̍•́⁝⁞

Jin let out a sigh as he walked towards the training room. The incident has made everyone anxious, him included. He looked at his watch and saw that it's been 5 minutes past the usual schedule but who cares about that now? If it were up to him, he would let the experiments rest after such a terrible accident - they are still human after all. His eyes scanned the room, almost instantly, as he opened the door. The experiments were there, each and every single one of them.

He made his way to the railing and looked down. 1, 2, 3... 14. He closed his eyes. The mandu is gone. Although he's never gotten to know any of them personally, Jin had seen the liveliness the boy, Seokmin, had brought upon the others. Now that he's gone, the mood is sure to go downhill very quickly. His eyes caught a sudden movement and he turned to look. Kwon Soonyoung. Starting from that boy, huh?

Soonyoung bore lasers into Jin's face, his jaw clenched and his fist balled. Anyone could see that he was mad, sad, and frustrated. Hansol was holding him from hitting the trainer - Jin and Taehyung. Clearing his throat, he put on his best pokerface, trying hard not to look as depressed as the others were. The kids quickly stared at the older boy, waiting for him to speak.

Taehyung nudged him and chuckled. "Look, no one's chickened out."

Jin shot him a glare, shutting him up. An unsual surprise was portrayed on Taehyung's face before he caught his expression and threw it back onto the usual track.

"Today you will be continuing with your training."

Groans and complains could be heard from corner to corner. They may not have chickened out, but going back inside the killing machine is another thing all the same. Taehyung snickered and leaned in.

"Don't worry, if any of you dies again we'll be sure to conjure a better machine next time."

This got him a whack on the head by none other than Jin. The younger personnel rubbed his head, muttering a curse under his breath. Massaging his temple, Jin took another glance at the experiments. The noise has died down and it is now upto him where the course of the training will go. He whispered for Taehyung to prepare all the pods and make sure that they are not corrupted. Taehyung left soundlessly, directly checking on the pods mechanics and programming.

Clasping his hands, he started to talk. "Today you will be going through virtual training. Basically, you would have to survive in the wilderness and fight people for a day." he paused, surveying the various reactions he got. The younger ones, Dongjin and Chan, looked surprised and perplexed. On the other hand, Seungcheol looked very energetic about the program. He resumed, "In the real world, it'll only take half an hour. Good luck."

The pods opened on cue, casting their eerie purple glow over the room. Jin smiled. At least that Tehyung is fast and skilled. His eyes were set upon the experiments once again, urging them to step into the pod and start the training immediately. Some hesitated while others plunged right in. As long as they don't refuse, everything is very well.

Taehyung arrived shortly after, panting and sweating. He rushed towards the main control in the room without even glancing at Seokjin who was right in front of him. Fear was evident in his face, both puzzling and alarming Jin.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice full of worry and anxiety.

Taehyung shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't activate those pods, they weren't ready."

He pointed at a certain cable that connected the mind to the virtual world. "Some parts of it are still off and inactive, if they disconnected in the middle of the program the experiments would be trapped inside."

He might not be as smart as Namjoon but Taehyung was hired for his quick thinking and perception. Typing furiosly on the keyboard, he entered a few commands to cancel the initiation as best as he can. There was someone - or something - that was fighting him. A rat among the base, or at least among those who knows of the base. He shook his head when the commands fail, wiping his sweat as he did so.

Grunting, Jin punched the nearest wall. How did this happen? He grabbed Taehyung by the collar and stared at him. "How did this happen? How???"

Taehyung squirmed and shook his head. "I-I don't know. I think someone might have infiltrated the base. We need Namjoon for this."

Not wasting a moment, Jin grabbed the receiver and called for Namjoon. He was desperate and panicked, nothing could calm him down before the emergency passes by. His voice shook, "Dude, we need you here."

AUTHOR'S NOTESAn update! After months of not updating (lmao)! Exam's are actually taking place this week, but I decided to break down this chapter into two so I can do at least an update before going on a field trip. Don't forget to comment and subscribe - upvotes are dearly appreciated.