Taebaek, Gangwon – Area 1, Year 2023 (Winter) – Day 943

A sharp rap on the door stirred you from your dreamless sleep as you sat up, groaning slightly when your back grazed the hard mattress. You had slept the whole night resting on your side, afraid of putting pressure on the wound even though a week had passed since they were inflicted. Glancing at the old rusty clock that hung on the wall, you sighed softly, shaking Luhan who slept soundlessly next to you.

A new day had started.

You used to carve into the wall using the edge of a sharp fragment that had dislodged from the brick wall; but you lost count of the exact days you had been in this place. It had been too long, too exhausting for you to keep counting. With every sunrise and sunset, the future began to seem bleaker and bleaker, the hope you had of escaping waned.

“Wake them up,” you muttered. With a nod, he shook the few boys awake while yawning. Luhan had been placed on the night shift yesterday night and had only arrived back to the room in the wee hours of the morning. During the night shift, you guys were usually tasked to either answer to the guard’s beck and call or to cut up firewood and transport them back. Winter was coming, and temperatures were falling day to day.

A sudden jerk from next to you made you glance down at the small figure curled into a small ball. His fists were clenched tightly, with his nails cutting crescents into his palm whenever he tensed. Your heart ached whenever this happened. It had been a week since he arrived and yet he was still plagued with the nightmares of the ordeal he had been put through. Taking his wound up fist in your hand, you rubbed it gently, sighing when you felt his grip relax in your hand.

“Kyungsoo, it’s just a nightmare. Wake up,” you whispered, shaking him lightly. Stirring, he sat up, wincing slightly as his joints creaked.

“Was I having a nightmare again?” he asked softly. With a slight frown, you nodded forlornly while he simply sighed. Looking at his hand that was still curled into a fist, his eyebrows raised slightly upon noticing how your hand was still wrapped protectively around his. Feeling suddenly awkward, you pulled your hand away quickly; you rubbed the back of your neck nervously, clearing your throat before walking away.

“Yah, Byun Baek get up.” Shoving the boy slightly, he rolled off the bed with a heavy thud before glaring at you with accusing eyes. “You pushed me,” he groaned, rubbing his bottom that had made contact with the floor when he landed.

“What are you going to do about that?” you teased, turning away from him before reaching for the boy who slept soundly at the other side. With a gentle hand, you pushed his hair away from his forehead with a small smile, patting him gently on the temple.

“Jongin, wake up, it’s morning,” you crooned, smiling when the boy sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily. “What the hell is with that? That’s biased treatment,” Baekhyun complained, whining with a frown on his face.

“That’s life. Stop complaining and just get ready,” Luhan replied in your stead, smacking him against the back of his head one last time for good measure. Waving his fists around angrily, you stuck out your tongue cheekily, before standing up. With one hand, you grabbed the showering necessities hanging by the door.

“Everyone go shower, we’ll meet in the courtyard later and for goodness sakes, can you take lesser time to shower today? We almost got thrown in for additional night duty that day because of you,” you accused, shaking your head at Baekhyun who scoffed under his breath, rolling his eyes in your direction.

Ignoring him, you closed the door, heading towards the female bathroom located in the dinky basement. There were comparatively less female children locked in this camp and since the guards used different showering facilities, the female facilities here were starkly inadequate.

After taking a quick shower, you ran back to the room, placing the small bottles of the soap on the table and hanged the damp towel on the rack by the bed. Jogging towards the courtyard, you tied your hair into a high ponytail, help by strips of elastic cloth.

The courtyard was a big cement area enclosed by high fences located in the center of the camp. Every morning, they would gather all the inmates into the courtyard, engaging them in a vigorous training session. This was the way the Government scouted for their ‘talents’.

Those who were strong and capable of fighting would often be brought away and their fates depended on their subservience; either killed or trained in the royal forces. It was a sure-proof way for them to simultaneously strengthen their forces and to eradicate possible threats. It had been by pure chance that you and Luhan eavesdropped on their conversation, warning you guys about where most of these ‘talents’ eventually ended up.

“Han ge,” you called, upon spotting the familiar boy, his hair slightly damp and messy from the quick shower he took. It was amazing; despite the hard times he had experienced in this camp, Luhan remained handsome, his face marred of scars that most children wore on their cheeks. Giving you a slight nod, he waved you over before whispering in your ear.

“Today’s going to be tough, I heard that the guards are in an uproar. Apparently, they just picked up another boy, but this one is either brave or a complete idiot. He apparently isn’t Korean and likes cursing the guards in English and Chinese,” he murmured, moving his lips inconspicuously while the rest of them moved into formation. Raising your eyebrows slightly, you stared forward, shaking your head.

“Don’t misbehave today, the guards are in a fit, ready to beat someone up, so don't make you the scapegoat,” you warned, side-eyeing Baekhyun. Rolling his eyes, he gruffly nodded in response.

The loud screeching of the loudspeaker caught your attention as all eyes fell upon the gathered guards in front. Tapping his microphone, the head guard addressed the silent crowd.

“Today, the head of the Royal Forces has graced us all with his presence. In order to absorb more of you into their ranks, we will engage in a f