JongIn felt his cheek colder than usual. As he started to open his eyes, he began to hear low voices and whispers. When he fully opened his eyes, he noticed that he was again in the display case made of glass.

“Hey, JongIn is waking up.”

When he looked in front of him, he saw Kris sleeping. Lots of lights illuminated the not-so-unknown place, with special lights illuminating the gold plaques. He tried to stretch himself, but the thin threads impeded it.

“You can’t do anything, we’re all tied.” A low voice coming from LuHan said.

“I-“ JongIn tried to talk but he had his throat dry.

“Don’t exert yourself; your voice will come back soon.” KyungSoo said with a tiny smile.

As he took a glance of the rest of the room, he realized that, apart from KyungSoo and LuHan, everyone was sleeping. SeHun was in a strange pose and Tao looked like a mummy. JongIn cleared his throat and tried to talk again.

“I was tied like this before, when I first opened my eyes here.”

“Exactly like now?” LuHan said.

“Yes, with the same threads and-“

“Hmmpf-“

“What the hell…”

“Mom, five minutes more pleaaaaseeee…”

“SeHun’s crazy.” JongIn said.

“I know. I really do.” LuHan replied.

“What the- where am I?” SeHun said, trying to scratch his eyes.

“We’re at the display cases, SeHun.” KyungSoo answered with a sweet voice that JongIn admired not that secretly.

“What display cases? What are you talking about- Oh, I see.”

As SeHun fully waked up, everyone started to open their eyes too. Everyone reacted according to his way of being. SuHo cried because of his slight claustrophobia, Tao complained about the lack of comfort and XiuMin just started to sleep again.

“Anyone knows what happened? I just remember falling into the floor and nothing more.” LuHan asked to everyone.

“After you fainted, everyone started to faint too.” JongIn said. “And I was the last one.”

“And you saw something before?” BaekHyun asked.

“I- well…” He cleared his throat a little bit and he tried to not lose his mind. “I saw myself.”

“Do you mean in a mirror? The last thing you looked for was your reflection in the mirror? That’s a little bit narcissistic…” ChanYeol said.

“Just shut up ChanYeol…” KyungSoo sighed and JongIn grinned like the Cheshire cat.

“No, ChanYeol, I didn’t saw my reflection.” He tried to hide his momentary happiness. “I saw a real person who looked like me. And he was wearing a black suit.”

“Really? Are you sure you weren’t hallucinating?”

“I’m very sure. I saw him before in the house of the mirrors after everyone disappeared.”

“But you saw him there in flesh and blood?” SeHun asked.

“No, I saw my reflection and I was wearing a black suit.” JongIn sighed. He was thankful that he was in his right mind, or close to it.

“It’s really crazy…” Chen said.

“What’s crazy?” Lay asked.

“You’re really asking me? Everything! I hate this site so much. I thought I was going to leave this place of Satan and now we’re tied like marionettes!”

“I know I know… but I’m trying to be optimistic.”

“Optimistic my …”

“In fact this place is pretty amazing.”

“What the hell are you saying Lay?” Kris asked, incredulous.

“Look around you. This place is full of circus stuff! It’s wonderful.”

“It’s not wonderful.”

“The whole house is full of circus furniture, you’ll like it.” JongIn said.

“How do you know that?”

“Because I appeared here with KyungSoo and we wandered around the house searching an exit.”

“But the exit’s always obvious…” BaekHyun said.

“In this house nothing’s obvious, believe me.”

“And what has the house?”

“Well…” KyungSoo started. “It has a lot of rooms. It’s like a carnival in a mansion. Ah, it has two front doors.”

“Two front doors?” SuHo asked.

“Yes.” JongIn continued. “One of them was, how to say it… empty.”

“Empty?” Some of them said in unison.

“Like there was an empty room inside or something?” Tao asked.

“No, empty, literally. There was nothing, darkness.”

“Maybe it hadn’t light…”

“The light of the hall should have illuminated something, but that wasn’t the case.”

“Holy crap…”

“Maybe…” XiuMin started. “Maybe it was an alternative universe?”

“An alternative universe?” KyungSoo mumbled to himself. “It- it could be possible…”

“Yes, it’s an alternative universe. You’re very smart, KyungSoo.”

-    -    -

Everyone was in shock. There was the boy, the one who JongIn saw. And he was wearing a black suit.

“In fact all of you are very smart… in your way.” He said as he walked into the center of the display cases.

“Who are you?! What the hell have you done with us?” Kris shouted to JongIn’s double.

“Relax, Wu Yifan… The answers you want to hear will arrive. Just be patient.”

“Like hell I’m going to be patient. I want answers right now!”

“Gosh, why I had to pick you? You’re very arrogant.”

“Repeat that if you dare! I’ll leave the case and-“

“Oh no, you can’t. Believe me.”

“Stupid boy…”

“I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear anything. Well, I’ll start with the basics. I’m Kai and you’re at my house. Now, I’ll let you ask me whatever you want.”

“You could have started from there!” Kris said.

“I told you the answers will arrive, it’s not my fault you’re an impatient.”

“Why- no, what happened? What happened to everyone?” KyungSoo asked.

“Everyone’s fine in your world. Everything’s like you remember it, despite the fact you’ve never existed for anyone.”

“Wh-what?” XiuMin asked.

“I erased your family’s memories and you don’t exist in the Earth. You’re all mine now.” He smirked.

Everyone was speechless. Kai really enjoyed their faces, everything was worth it.

“Oh my God…” KyungSoo said.

“A-and…” LuHan tried to get away his lump in the throat and started again. “And why have you done that to us? Why have you erased us from our home?” He ended saying with a flickering voice.

“That’s a good question! I’ll tell you my story.”

“Hooray…” Tao said sarcastically.

“Shut up boy! Thanks. Well, as some of us might have thought, I’m not from your world. I’m from another world, where the alternative universes are as common as breath. I really like them, so I spent my whole short life studying it. When I was trying to create a portal to a world, I just stepped with yours. I traveled there and, in one of my trips, I saw JongIn.”

The room was filled with surprised sounds and whispers. Kai liked the effect he was creating in his boys.

“I just stood there in shock. He was exactly like me. When I returned home I started to think hundreds of ways to him being mine. I’m seeing you KyungSoo, don’t kill me please. Where I was… Ah! Yes, the marionette’s part. I’m not only a fan of the alternative universes but also of circus and carnivals. And then I had my spectacular idea. I’d transform him in a flesh and blood marionette! It was the perfect plan. I used to spend the day watching him in the computer with my flying camera and everything was wonderful. There was only him and I. I was just pretty obsessed with him. But then something appeared. The gorgeous KyungSoo appeared.”

JongIn, who was in the verge of tears, looked at him and tried to hit the glass with his fist. “Like hell! Not him, you Kai.”

“Why not? You’re trapped and I’m not. I can do whatever I want.” He smirked.

“You can’t!”

“And why not?”

“Because… because I like him! And you can’t do anything!”

“Whoa… JongIn’s just confessed you, KyungSoo! What should I do?” He said, getting closer to KyungSoo’s case. “Oh, wait a second… why are you blushing? Like hell you like him too…”

“Yes, I do, what are you going to do?” KyungSoo said, angry because he was so happy right now and at the same time his world was breaking down.

“Yes, yes!” Chen shouted. “You can’t do anything! Stupid jerk! You trapped us in this place and do you dare to trap us again here? And that’s not all; do you dare to make us yours? And KyungSoo doesn’t’ belong to you! You’re a motherer.”

Everyone started swearing him and he started to get angry. What a stupid boys he chose.

“JUST SHUT THE UP!” Kai shouted, breathing heavily. “Gosh!” He started to calm down and when he was serene again, he smiled. “Just let me finish my story. When I saw him… let’s say that it was love at first sight. So I decided to make him mine too. But then I saw the rest of us. I liked you so much that I decided I would do a collection of 12 flesh and blood marionettes. My 12 marionettes.”

“You’re sick.” Tao mumbled.

“Shut up. So I decided to make a plan to get the twelve of us in the same place. So what was my idea?”

“Just go to get mental help.” SuHo said.

“And you’re the one who talks. Whatever, my idea was getting all of you into a carnival! So I travelled to your world and I started to distribute the brochures. Yes, the one you and MinSoo had read a billion times, JongIn.”

“You, stupid jerk…”

Kai smirked as he knew he just hit a sore spot. “Yes, yes… whatever. Do you want to ask me something more?”

“Just rot in Hell.” BaekHyun said.

“Shut up BaekHyun. Really, why are you swearing me? I’m good!”

And then another round of insults rained over Kai.

“Have you finished? Yes? Okay, then. KyungSoo, you’re coming with me.”

“What? No, he’s not coming.” JongIn said.

“Don’t d1are you, Kai.” Kris said.

“Touch him and you’ll see what happens with your face.” Tao added.

“When we get out from these cases, you’re a dead man!” LuHan shouted him.

“And I will personally kill you.” JongIn said. “And then everyone will finish off you.”

“Yeah, sure we will.” Lay nodded.

“You’re so pathetic. What a ty marionettes. Whatever, KyungSoo, come with me!” He opened KyungSoo’s case with a grin and his threads disappeared.

“No, I don’t want! JongIn!”

“Hush!” He took a syringe and he injected him a tranquilizer. “Good night, my precious KyungSoo.”

He took him bridal-style and he left the room, leaving behind another beautiful round of cuss words. 

A/N: Hello!! As you've noticed, this is not the last chapter. Probably the next one will be the last but there will be an epilogue! I hope you're liking the final as well as the whole story. Lots of loves from the author and thank you for giving my fanfic an opportunity!