The room was cold. That was the first thing Changmin realised — the room was freezing cold, as if someone had turned the air-condition on while it was storming outside. The next thing he noticed was how cramped everything was; the walls seemed to be closing in around him, dark, looming and unfriendly.

“You’re staying in here,” growled a voice. Changmin’s eyes flicked upwards, and for a moment, he was struck by how strange that was. Nowadays, Changmin spent more time looking down than anything; there weren’t many people he could find who were taller than him.

The woman who had spoken glared down at him, malice in her eyes. She stared at him as if he were a disease, or a parasite; something wholly unwelcome in her presence. Changmin was fully ready to tell her to the hell off except his mouth felt glued shut. He stared at her, taking in her baleful expression, and it occurred to him that he had no idea where he was. This room, this woman; everything was unfamiliar.

“I don’t want to stay here,” he found himself saying, and was shocked at the sound of the words. It was he who had spoken, but the voice belonged to a child; small, hesitant, and female. Changmin’s brain was a mixture of confusion and frustration; he had no idea where he was, or what was going on, but he wanted do something — anything — to show the woman that she was messing with the wrong person. Instead, he took a step backwards, and curled into himself, shielding himself from the looming figure above him. These were the actions of a frightened child — not of a grown man, who understood the harshness of the world.

“Little brat,” the woman snarled, turning around, and walking towards the small doorway. Changmin silently noted that there was barely a meter separating the door from where he was standing — and even less distance between him and the wall at the end of the room. “I’m tired of all the trouble you cause. You’ll stay here, and you’ll do what I say — and if changes aren’t made, brat, then you see what I’ll do to you.”

The woman stepped outside and closed the door.

The room was plunged into darkness.

Changmin opened his eyes.

He lay in bed, silently, staring at the ceiling. He was in his own room. His own warm, familiar, comforting room.

He forced himself out of bed and walked downstairs. The dream (or nightmare) was already fading, but Changmin felt unsettled. Something about the whole thing felt unnatural. It wasn’t like a dream; it was as if it were all a memory.

‘But not one of mine,’ he thought, frowning.

When he entered the kitchen, he was surprised to see it was full. Full of serious, purposeful faces, he noted with trepidation. Yunho, sitting alongside Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu; Changmin had no doubt about what this was about.

“Hyungs,” he greeted, walking to the table, and sitting down. He studied their expressions, and the looks of horror that had spread across their faces from the moment they had entered the room.

“I know what this is about,” Changmin said. “You’re worried about this.” He pointed to his face, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Yunho called us,” Jaejoong replied, concern shining in his eyes. Ever the team-umma, even when he was no longer in the team. Changmin sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“You all need to stop worrying,” Changmin told them. “It was a stupid, embarrassing accident.”

“But Minnie!” Junsu murmured, his eyes wide. “You…it looks so bad.”

“If someone’s hurting you — ”

“Jae-hyung,” Changmin interrupted, cutting of whatever the elder had been about to say, “no one has hurt me. Do you honestly think I’m the type of person to let that happen?”

Jaejoong fidgeted; clearly he had no idea what to think. Beside him, Junsu and Yoochun looked just as uncertain.

“I called them because I’m worried,” Yunho told him, his brow creased. “Min, have you seen yourself in the mirror?! You’re a mess!”

Changmin let out an involuntary shudder, as he remembered how he had first caught sight of the damage. The dark corridor seemed to stretch out in front of him, and that voice — that strange, disembodied voice — once again filled his mind.

“Min?”

“I’m fine,” he choked, standing up. “Look, you have to stop worrying, okay? I’m not a kid, I can look after myself. And this is my business, so…please, just back off, okay?”

“Changmin, come on, that’s not fair,” Yoochun snapped. “You’re our dongsaeng - it’s our job to look out for you.”

“It was never your job,” Changmin retorted. “But it especially isn’t now — I’m an adult!” He stood up abruptly, walking towards the doorway.

“Where are you going?” Yunho called after him.

“We don’t have schedules until late today, do we?” Changmin called back. “I’m going to hang out with Minho and Kyuhyun for a bit, okay? Unless you don’t trust me to leave the house.”

“Min — ”

Ignoring his hyungs’ calls, Changmin left the room.

…

Somehow, Changmin ended up telling his two friends everything. Telling his hyungs — even Junsu who was closest to his age amongst the members — just didn’t sit right with him. Changmin hated showing weakness, and running to his hyungs at the first sign of danger felt like he was asking to be coddled and protected. It was different with his friends; he didn’t doubt that they would , but at least it didn’t feel like he was demanding to be babied.

“I’ve been having these really weird dreams,” Changmin told them. “I’m falling, in all of them, towards…I don’t know, a stretch of rocks, or something. I wake up before I hit the ground though. And it’s the same every time — ever since we went to the woods.”

Minho’s eyebrows quirked upwards. He seemed somewhat amused, and Changmin wasn’t the least bit surprised. Kyuhyun, however, was staring at him with serious eyes, his brow creased. That was surprising; Kyuhyun would usually be the first to torment him at any sign of weakness.

“I woke up last night and I received a phone call; the voice told me that ‘bad things will happen’ and to look in the mirror.”

Minho let out a snort of laughter. Changmin’s eyes flickered to him, and he shot him an annoyed glance.

“Sorry,” the rapper said, amusement in his voice. “I just…” His shoulders shook with laughter.

“So I looked in the mirror,” Changmin continued through gritted teeth. “And guess what I saw?” He jerked his hand towards his bruised face. “This.”

Minho stopped laughing, staring at him with wide eyes. Kyuhyun — who had been looking at Changmin with solemn, serious eyes the entire time — didn’t look the slightest bit surprised.

“You have to go to the police!” Minho told him, panic in his voice. “If someone’s threatening you — ”

“But it wasn’t a threat!” Changmin shot back. “No one hurt me — I woke up and these were just there! I didn’t even feel anything! And — and if you look at them, it looks like I was thrown against a bunch of rocks! I mean there are grazes, and — and — and that dream — ”

“Sometimes you fall over in a dream and bruise your knee,” Minho told him. “Then you wake up and it turns out that you fell off the bed and hit it on the ground. What happens in real life can effect what happens in your dreams”

“Well I sure as hell don’t sleep on a pile of rocks!”

“Well, I think that’s where you should be a bit concerned! If someone calling you telling you that they bashed your face in, and then you find out you look like that — ”

“I don’t know,” Kyuhyun interrupted, frowning. “I — I mean, Minho, I’ve told you what happened the other day.”

“Oh god, not this again,” Minho groaned. “Kyuhyun, I told you — it was a prank. You’re bandmates were pulling a prank on you!”

“What happened?” Changmin demanded, staring at Kyuhyun with wide eyes.

“Nothing!” Minho’s eyes flashed. “God, do you know how ing pathetic you guys are acting right now? I do not spend hours working my arse off, just to come home and listen to this !”

There was a moment of silence. Kyuhyun and Changmin stared at their friend with wide eyes.

“What the ?” Kyuhyun spat at last.

“Sorry,” Minho muttered, averting his eyes. “I just — sorry. I haven't been feeling myself lately.”

Changmin’s eyes widened. “Haven’t been feeling yourself? Have you — ”

“Hey, hey, slow down!” Minho interrupted. He held up his hands in mock defence. “Min, I don’t mean anything supernatural — I’ve just been having a bad week, and that’s it. See? There’s a rational explanation for everything.”

“Like you being a ?” Kyuhyun snorted. “I thought about what you said and — I don’t think it’s a prank. There’s no way in hell my hyungs are that smart.”

Changmin leaned back, his face creased into a frown. “What do we do?” he asked softly.

“There’s nothing to do.” Minho looked exhausted. “Guys, come on. What do you think this is? A ghost?” He smirked. “If you’re afraid maybe we can tell your bandmates. I’m sure they’d be willing to protect the maknaes.”

“Oh piss off,” Changmin snapped. “We’re older than you are!”

“And yet I’m the only one not peeing my pants in here,” Minho retorted. He leant back, rolling his eyes. “Just calm down, alright? Whatever you think you’re experiencing, it’s nothing. Trust me — there is always an explanation for these things.”