He hears the soft whispers of other people’s voices as he sleeps. They sing to him but very quietly. A dance doesn't go unseen as they are on point and connects perfectly; it is as if they are one. He can barely hear them but it gives him a straight feeling of nostalgia.

      Something about the way the 7 of them dancing on one stage with their white skin contrasting with the black pieces of clothing brought shivers down his spine. They danced in the moonlight as heavy rain poured down, soaking their bodies. Hair dripping wet, the ends of their hairs flicked off small droplets with each move that shone in the light. It was like small snowflakes a winter sky.

      A move repeated over and over again, seemingly the point of the dance. Thumbs up and shot just behind their necks in a sequence of 5. It ended with a body wave, their thumb ghosting over their body, complete with an adjuring stare. 

      It was time for another person to take centre stage. The man walked in front, singing the words with all his heart. Before the other knew it, the man looked straight ahead and reached out, as if he were to grab something, or someone. The singer smiles ever so slightly, his lips mouthing words that formed a sentence which made the other's heart skip a beat. His eyes glistened as another one of the 7 person took centre stage. It seemed like they were trying to tell him...

However, he never managed to hear what the man said.

      Sungjong woke up with a bang; his eyes wide open as the light begins its morning mission of trying to blind him through the semi-transparent curtains. Top half of his body sitting up; his thin duvet began to slip of his shoulder. He felt as if a shot of caffeine was injected into his small body. Sungjong was awake and alive but at the same time he didn't feel like he was living. He didn’t even realise how tight his fists were as they clutched onto the duvet. It was as if his life depended on it; Sungjong didn’t want to let it go. What was that all about? He had heard someone call his name but he couldn’t quite put my finger on whose voice it was. Sunggyu hyung? Woohyun Hyung? Sungjong's memory wasn’t always the best but he knew how each of them sound like and none seemed to fit them.

      Hoping to distract himself from the dream, he found himself looking at the picture frame with a picture of Sunggyu, Woohyun, Hoya, Dongwoo, Sungyeol and him. It was a casual day out to the park, nothing special but it was also the last day they would see Hoya since he was transferring to a dance specialist high school. 

      He could feel a pain in his chest. It hurt, as if he was being stabbed a thousand times. Deciding it was best he left it alone; Sungjong jumped off my bed with a small ompf. 

“SUNGJONG! ARE YOU AWAKE?!” He heard Sunggyu call from downstairs. It wasn’t long until he came downstairs fully dressed in a plaid shirt and white jeans, all cleaned with a smile on his face. The smell of bread, eggs and bacon lingered in the air. A side of bake beans and salad laid out neatly on the table as his two hyungs stayed in the kitchen to finish up. Sungjong sat down, knowing he wouldn't be much of a helper if he were to go in now. Judging by the laughs emitting from the kitchen, he guessed they were almost done. 

"YAH! LEE SUNG-" Sunggyu shouted again but stopped when he came out of the kitchen holding a basket of freshly made bread. He could see Sungjong sitting at the table with the morning paper, reading it as he sipped on his morning tea. Though it was normal for the maknae to be like this, something in him was different. Sunggyu could tell.

"Jongie?" 

"Yes hyung?" The youngest answered, looking up to meet the brunet. Sunggyu frowned inwardly, hoping the younger couldn't see it. His eyes, his eyes are different. He thought to himself, placing the basket in the middle and taking his seat directly opposite Sungjong. Not a moment later, Woohyun burst through the door with the last of the cooked bacon and eggs, setting it down with a bang. It was his way of getting both the other's attention on him at the same time. With a bang. However, after some years, they had gotten use to it. If it wasn't for Sunggyu begging the younger to look up at Woohyun when he did that after being too lazy to do it a few years back, he wouldn't have bothered.

"Let's eat!" Woohyun exclaimed with joy as he sunk into the chair next to Sunggyu. Exchanged smiles came from the two older ones.

      The clutter, clatter of silverware hitting the cutlery was all that remained as they eat their breakfast. Sunggyu's eyes adverted from his food, Woohyun and Sungjong with worry. With a sigh, he spoke up. 

"Jongie?" Calling him by his pet name, Sungjong lifted his head up. 

"Are you ok?" Sunggyu asked. The top half of his body leaned forward to get a closer look at their Maknae's eyes. It was scaring him. Everything about Sungjong looked normal but it wasn't. Nothing was and that scared Sunggyu to wits end. 

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Tilting his head to the side as he replied to Sunggyu’s question with another. The question to him wasn't valid. Nothing had made him believe the question of 'being ok' was needed to be asked. Especially if it was directed at him. For Sunggyu to ask that, it must be something serious. 

"N-nothing..." The oldest picked up his fork and continued to jam food into his mouth. He chose not to look at the younger, instead, choosing to direct his gaze at a nearby wall. Sungjong thought it was strange but chose not to question it. 

      Within a matter of minutes, the plates were cleared. Bringing his body to the front of the door, he put his shoes on of the day ahead. It was his first day, finally starting a new life as a university student. Following the path of the Arts, he was happy to continue on with it. Art was his love, his life and the reason for his living. Though his parents were strongly against it, they had no choice by to let their only son take it on as he got into the most prestigious school in all of South Korea, Seoul University. 

"Have a nice first day." Sungjong turned to see Sunggyu standing next to him; his back leaned against the wall. He smiled and nodded, leaning into Sunggyu's hand as the older ruffled his head. 

"I'll be back before you know it." The door closed and Sunggyu watched with saddened eyes. He couldn't help but worry for his friend. To him, Sungjong was still the child he had grown up with. Fragile, kind-hearted but strong for a 4 year old at the time. Those aspects were still there but changed in some ways. It made him wonder how quickly they had all grown up. How time flies when you're having fun. 

"Don't worry too much Gyu. He's strong, you know that." A palm was pressed gently on his shoulder with a light squeeze of comfort. Sunggyu hated to admit it but he loves it when Woohyun did that to him. He felt as if, he was home. 

"I know he is. That's why I can't help but worry." 

      His screams were interesting, full of passion and hurt. The way he would tumble in his sleep. Restraints held his body in place, digging into his skin as he tumbled out of control. Quickened breaths that threatened to stop anytime. It was powerful, so perfect. One sentence would repeat itself over and over again. Just barely able to talk, he muttered them again. 

"Save me..."

      Birds hummed a simple, merry tune. Trees rustled in the morning breeze as the pink petals belonging to the flowers descended onto the ground. Even the sun was perfectly up in the sky with very few clouds. Today was a truly beautiful day. No one could deny it. Not even Sungjong as he walked through the park pathway to his university. His blue headphones blasted out his favourite music and it drowned him into another world. The perfect utopia he wished to be in. 

      The walk wasn't long but it was draining. Before he knew it, he could see Hoya waving at him, ushering him to come quickly. Sungjong let out a small giggle before running to Hoya, giving him what he called a half hug, half tackle. 

"Ompf! Our Jongie has gone stronger!" The older chuckled, ruffling Sungjong's hair. A small whine escaped through Sungjong's lips. 

"Is that how you greet a hyung you have seen in 5 years?" Hoya gave a playful pout but was slapped away by the younger. They laughed together, catching up as much as they cockle as they walked over to their classes. Half way through, Hoya left Sungjong, making his way to the dance major classes. Something made the younger feel lonely but he couldn't argue. Art through painting and drawing just wasn't Hoya's type. 

"YAH!" He heard a shout down the hallway. I they were calling him, he would know who it is straight away, if it wasn't for the voice that gave it away. There was only two people who called him by the awful 'name' of 'YAH!', that was Sunggyu and the other, Sungyeol.

"Good morning." Muttering under his breath, he sped up his pace, hoping the other wouldn't catch up. 

"YAH! IS THAT HOW YOU GREET YOUR BROTHER?!" Of course Sungyeol would catch up. It was also very obvious he would jump on Sungjong, putting him in a headlock as he rubbed his head in a punishing way. And those stares by people he barely knew? Those were to be expected.

"Let me go Sungyeol hyung!" A playful chuckle was all that was left as Sungjong somehow managed to pop his head out of the lock. Sungyeol swore he heard a small 'pop'. Looking up to his brother, he wondered how someone like his could get into Seoul University. True, he was smart but he hated studying. It wasn't until their parents told him Sungjong was moving out that he actually put his head down into a book. 

"Sungjong? Are you ok?" The concern in his voice wasn't left unnoticed. The youngest once again lifted up a brow. Why had nearly everyone been so concerned? Was he missing something? 

"I'm fine... Sunggyu hyung asked the same question this morning..." Saddened by the fact he could have worried his elders, especially his brother; he looked down at the floor. For some reason, it was the only thing that kept him from being insane. 

"Shouldn't it be normal? Everyone asks that question. It's just how you interpret it, does it make it different to the other times we've asked you." Truth had spoken through Sungyeol, words. 

"I know... But I can't help but wonder..." Trailing off to another world. 

"Hyung! What is it that seems to be wrong with me?!" Sungyeol looked Sungjong up and down. Anticipation was in the air. His examination that lasted around 2 minutes felt as if it lasted years for the younger. He tapped his feet, a habit he got from Sunggyu when he was impatient. 

"Your eyes." 

      It wasn't what they did that pained him. It was how they did it. His love, his family. It was all so frightening. 

"Where are you?" He found himself asking. No, nothing could be seen but pitch darkness. Fallen into the abyss on sacred grounds. To die, to live, none was his to possess. If he was to choose, he would choose neither. He doesn't want to live, not does he want to die.

Mirrors often reflected what was in front of it. It couldn't lie. However, though the mirror can't, the being in front of it can. What we want to be, what we aspire to be, we can see it all in front of is. That was what Sungjong learnt as he looks into the piece of reflective surface hung inside the boy's bathroom wall. The time was now lunch. First day had gone by like the breeze before he knew it. Something about it reminded him of high school. His first day had gone by the very same but something was missing. That he couldn't quite put his finger on the missing element. It made him feel strange, uneasy. Like, he was missing something very important. 

"My eyes..." His finger reached close to his eye as he pulled a face in front of the mirror. Luckily he was alone; otherwise other people would think he was very strange. 

"My eyes?" Tilting his head, the reflection followed the same movement. There was nothing wrong, at least to Sungjong there wasn't. No matter how many ways he turned his head or how long he stared, it gave him nothing. Not one to give up that easily, he continued to look. Maybe a spark was out of place, maybe there was none at all. It was all so confusing. 

      The bathroom door opened, giving Sungjong a fright and causing him to quickly move back. He didn't realise how close he was to the mirror until he became more aware of his surroundings. The man who came in wasn't anyone he recognised. In fact, Sungjong doubted r had ever met him before. Nothing about him felt or looked familiar. 

      Before a conversation could start, Sungjong headed for the door. Anything worse than conversing with someone was someone he didn’t know. He knew he wasn’t quite the talkative type.

"Moonsoo, my name is Moonsoo!" He heard the person shout before the voice was cut off by a slamming of the door. 

      Sungjong felt panicked. Not realising the man had introduced himself until a second too late. The least he could at least do was to reply back. However, he decided against it. The name had hurt too much; it was as if he was forgetting something. 

"Something missing. Something important..." He muttered under his breath as he ran down the hallway.

"Sungjong!" He lightened up when he saw Sungyeol down the hallway. Sweat covered most of the elder’s upper body as his breathing was quick and shallow. It was as if he had been running

"Where were you?! I asked around but no one had seen you after I saw you weren't in class. Didn't we say we would have lunch together?!" Anger, concern, irritation, Sungjong heard it all. Especially with the face he was making, it was obvious. Sungyeol was an open book to Sungjong but the law student had more that met the eye. 

      He felt his heart race. The voice had soothed him and brought him to the world of hell. It was coming back, bits and bobs but they were coming back. The piece that was missing, the one that will eventually finish his puzzle. The last note to his symphony.

"Hyung! Who? Who is Moonsoo?!" 

      He laid there as the others stood and watched. Their faces emotionless as they looked at the lifeless body. Skin bruised, cut and deadly pale. They had failed. They had failed so badly. One man sigh, speaking up with the words: 

"Time for the next one."

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Next chapter will be posted in a few weeks?

AV~