Listen to Burning by Phantom : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygt9UXkKZ3k 

                                                                                      KAIRI

"All of you are relapsing."

Five coherent words, spaced out finely and announced loud enough; still Lay's words were responded to by a sea of blank faces. All of us simply stared at him and Donghae, who were standing on a small wall at the other end of the quadrangle, while the vast stone-laden and mossy floor was occupied by the rest of us. Woohyun was sitting next to me, holding my hand. His hands were warm but everytime I glanced towards him, all I saw were the remnants of a frozen time in his eyes. 

"The first official prototypes of the INVICTUS..." Donghae began explaining, "Baekho and Key belonged to that batch. They had not included the ultra-sensitive receptors in their brains, the ones that all of you have at the moment." He waved at us and it didn't take rocket science to understand that he was referring to the ones who lookes pale and near to death. I was still fine, but from time-to-time I felt chills and each time that happened, Woohyun would wrap his arms around me and try to warm me up. The green eyes too, a small voice whispered in my head and I shook it off. 

"I don't get it," Krystal said. "If Kairi has green eyes and the receptor has gone off inside her long ago... why is she still alive?"

"Watch your language," Woohyun hissed. I clutched his arm and gave Krystal a sheepish smile.

"I'm not dissing your girlfriend," she replied, rolling her eyes. She looked at me and I nodded, mouthing, "It's cool."

Krystal sighed and looked at Donghae. "All I'm asking is... does this change things?"

Donghae looked at Lay who shrugged and with that same calm expression on his face, he said, "It's up to you."

Murmurs resonated across the ancient walls as the words "choice", "chance", "alternative" began ringing everywhere. I looked at Woohyun who had suddenly shifted his position to a more eager one. 

At that moment, Taemin came running in, his healthy tan already wearing off and his caramel brown eyes turning grey. Behind him was a cute girl, who upon seeing me gasped. She bowed 90 degrees but I simply widened my eyes and nodded in acknowledgement. I noticed the metal box in her hands and when Taemin called for her, she quickly looked at him then hurriedly handed the mysterious little chest to Lay. She patted Taemin's back and told him to sit, but he shook his head and after wiping some sweat off his brow, folded his arms and remained standing. 

"Thank you Na Eun," Donghae said. "Everyone, this is Na Eun, one of my most successful students. She's interning as a nurse at one of the premier hospitals in Central Paragon and tonight, she's a hero."

Na Eun then explained that she had released a fake propaganda announcement all over Paragon and with a voice that was as excited as the rest of the team, she told us of the uprising that was slowly taking place in the streets all over the nation. 

"People have been creating videos and recording self-interviews to show proof of how Paragon has made them suffer," she said, smiling with tears glistening in her eyes. "In fact, someone from France called the International Court to report a major breach in the Commandments!"

I felt a stir behind me and saw Krystal's lips parting in astonishment. "That... France..." She then looked at all of us and said, "That must have been Jessica!"

"Also," Na Eun added, her smile widening, "because of immense pressure, Paragon's cyber walls have been cracking. People have been going on Twitter and Facebook!"

As if she had spoken some foreign language, everyone just looked at each other cluelessly. Na Eun's eyeballs almost rolled out of her head. "You guys don't know Twitter and Facebook?!!! How can you not remember Facebook??"

"Okay," Donghae said, resting his hands on her shoulders, "Before Na Eun gets too shocked about all that we've forgotten, let's move onto why Taemin made such an effort to run in here, yeah?"

"This box," Lay continued, "has the antidote to what you're suffering from right now."

It was one happy news after the other. I was ecstatic and scared at the same time. Before everyone could start dancing -- or at least whoever had the strength to -- Lay held a hand up. 

"Considering the number of INVICTUS on our team right now," he said in a more sober voice, "taking this antidote would be extremely detrimental to our military strength. This antidote... will lessen your pain. But it will also take away the very factors that make you stronger and smarter than regular humans."

All the joy from before crashed into an unfortunate heap and like dominoes, one by one, the people who had stood up fell back on the ground. The choice that everyone had been talking about... was this even a choice? 

"Look here," Baekho said. He looked at me and then sighed. "There must be a reason why Kairi has green eyes -- which you say is the sign of a polluted INVICTUS -- and is still able to survive. Granted, she's also suffering now, but she's healthier than all of the sick ones put together. You need to find out why so we can work this out."

"Kairi is still trying to remember bits and pieces of her past," Lay said. "It seems like.. a part of her memory was forcefully erased. The fact that she doesn't even remember why she has those green eyes might have been seen by the system as fair enough to let her live. But now that she has consciously chosen to go against Paragon, the INVICTUS gene in her is acting up."

Those words seem to have settled all the doubts, but I was still trembling. Woohyun gave a small smile that didn't say much and when he looked away, I slowly turned around to find the face that had shocked my mind. 

Kai.

We exchanged glances and without uttering a word, he trimmed the rough edges of my lost nostalgia. 

"Kairi."

I looked up from my book and smiled. Shifting to make space for him, I let Kai sit next to me. 

"What's up?" I said. Soon enough I realized that his mood was a little glum. 

"What happened?" I asked, concerned. "Kai?"

"Kairi," he said. Suddenly he grabbed my hand and when I felt something wet hit my wrist, he murmured, "Don't forget me."

"Wh-wh-what's wrong... Kai..." 

The moment our eyes met I shut up. For the first time in my life, I was seeing him cry. He placed a finger on his lips and gave a broken smile. "Promise me... you'll always remember me."

I wanted to ask why he was saying such a thing. Everything had been working out fine. But in the silence that passed, I knew that I just had to smile and nod. 

"I promise," I said. "Stupid Kai. Why would I forget my only brother?"

I gasped loudly and heads turned towards me. Woohyun held my face in his hands and asked me what happened. Lay and Donghae rushed towards me, one checking my temperature while the other checked my pulse. I began whimpering and then right there, infront of everyone, I burst into tears. 

"What's wrong Kairi?" Woohyun asked. He began interrogating Lay and Donghae who were ignoring his frantic calls and completing their duty. From my peripheral glance, I found him standing next to Luhan, his lips trembling like mine. When he found me staring at him, he gave a small smile while Luhan wrapped an arm around and seemed to reassure him. 

"Kai," I murmured. 

"What?" Woohyun said, leaning in. 

"He... he..." I lifted my finger and pointed at him. "He knows."

Judging from the look on his face, I assumed that Kai was not a fan of an entire army boring a hole into his face. 

                                                                 *************************************

"Bae Suji... Or do you prefer Suzy?"

It was the same room in which just about a month ago, a girl had been wrongfully punished. Set aside as a national traitor, the girl was then helped by a stranger and though the two had eventually died, the unfair murders had added fuel to justice's pyre. 

There were no chains or scary tables that resembled coffins. The room had been remodelled completely and looked like a new page of life had begun with its refurbishment. Maybe there was some hope that was trinkling in with the sunlight through the windows. Or maybe it was the old man, for whose presence everything had to be destroyed and remade again. 

"Where is," the man asked, a dangerously calm look on his face, "my daughter?"

"She's not your daughter anymore," Suzy spat out. The man blinked at her then proceeded to look down at the file in his hands. 

"I apologize for the harsh opening to this interrogation. I should be asking about you of course. So when did you register with the INVICTUS?"

The man waited while Suzy glared at him, breathing through her gritted teeth. She continued hissing at him until finally, she spat on his face. "Screw you," she murmured. "They're coming for you. Sooner or later, your experiment on humanity will end."

The General wiped his face with his handkerchief, a navy blue cotton cloth with neat white embroidery. He folded th kerchief and placed it on the table, folding his arms across his chest. "That won't happen my dear."

"Oh really?"

The General nodded and smiled. "For as long as Kairi is alive and well, nothing will happen to Paragon."

Suzy's smirk faltered. "Wh-what do you mean... by that?"

The General uncrossed his legs and stood up from the chair. He strolled towards the mahogany table on which a metal box lay. He traced the edges of the table and said, "Suzy, you're a Paragon product. You know that right?

"The INVICTUS project is one of the biggest accomplishments of this nation. An entire army of humans, smarter and faster and stronger than the regular humans. What a perfect way to intimidate any potential military threats... Ah, sorry for deviating. What I'm trying to tell you Suzy, is that if the International Court wants to defeat Paragon's system and apply a mass rehabilitation of the state, then it would have to follow one of the key rules, which would be to discard of..."

Suzy watched as the old man asked for a moment and opened a piece of paper that had been nesting in his coat pocket. He wore his glasses and read the written words on them. 

"Ah here it is," he said, smiling at his prisoner. "'To discard of Paragon projects and any acquaintances and substitutes of.' Which means that your entire rebel team will be brought to the Court for working with the INVICTUS. Not as witnesses, but as the prosecuted."

                                                                      *******************************************

Listen to Please Don't... by K. Will : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV2Gvy8VxpE

"Are you feeling better?"

Woohyun handed Kairi a cup of cheap coffee mix, something the latter gratefully accepted. "This is all we have," he began to explain, but was interrupted by a shake of her head. 

"It's warm," she said and breathed in the steam. "Thank you."

Woohyun smiled and slowly, enclasped her hand in his. "So... Kai is your brother."

Kairi nodded and sighed. "This feels weird." She looked up and found Kai surrounded by a few EXO members and a few from their team. Lay and Donghae were meanwhile still discussing the consequences of the antidote with each other, while Baekho was sitting on a chair with Nicole preparing him for a blood test. 

"Woohyun?"

"Hmm?"

Kairi tightened her grasp on him, though her eyes were on her coffee. "When all this ends... I'll inject myself. I'll fight with this till the end and then I'll inject myself. So that everything can become normal and... yeah, that's all I have in my mind."

She let out a soft laugh but Woohyun was staring at her, eyes wide open. This was the first time Kairi had spoken about a time 'after' the war, 'after' Paragon. As warmth enveloped him, Woohyun said, "I have some plans."

Kairi looked at him. "Really?"

Woohyun nodded. "We can get married."

Kairi's smile drooped a bit and she bit her lower lip. "Marriage..."

"I'm not forcing anything on you." He looked at everyone and smiled. "Doesn't matter. As long as all of them find their paradise, we'll be fine."

Kairi grinned. "Paradise?"

Woohyun smiled back. "Yup. And we'll be together in ours." He leaned forward but hesitated. Kairi waited and furrowed her eyebrows. 

"What now?" she asked.

Woohyun closed his eyes and glanced to the side. "You're not alone anymore," he said. Kairi smiled at the sight of Kai glaring at them and for the first time in her life, she had someone to follow as well as someone to fall back on. 

                                                                            ********************************************

The door opened and the guard straightened up. The old man gave a nod and said, "Receive her after five minutes."

Before the guard could even give the formal bow, the General left, leaving the hallway bleak and quiet. Within seconds however, the guard disobeyed his boss' commands and rushed inside the room. He removed his mask and flinched at the old woman lying on the ground. 

With his long legs, he marched up to the woman. "Where's Suzy?"

The old woman opened her eyes, revealing their emerald green shade. The young man gasped and stumbled. "Suzy?"

"Shin?" the woman croaked, coughing and wheezing on her breath. 

"Suzy what happened to you?" he said, taking her frail body in his arms and trying to help her sit up. She pointed to the table, upon which lay an open metal box and a used injection. 

"What is-- antidote?" Shin narrowed his eyes. "How could an antidote do this to you?"

"Shin," Suzy breathed. "Tell Kairi to run. Tell Woohyun to take her away and run." Unable to hold up anymore, she let her body collapse on the floor.

Shin placed her head on his lap and wrapped an arm around her. "I will, but first I need to get you out--"

Suzy coughed and shook her head urgently. "No. I won't last. Tell them to leave."

Shin stared at the woman in front of him, struggling to breathe and get up. 

"I'm sorry," she said. "For lying to you. I'm sorry."

The young man didn't say a word and slowly, the room fell silent. The old woman wasn't wheezing anymore and her body was frozen in time. 

"I'll take a moment okay?"

Shin smiled, his face beaming as he watched his Partner run to the loo. He exited the restaurant and placed his hand on the roof of the car. It had only been a year since he met Suji, but he could already see his whole life with her set out before him. 

"Suji," he sighed and grinned. 

"I don't want to!"

Shin's ears perked up, the familiar voice pulling him towards the narrow alley behind the parking lot. If his senses weren't wrong...

"Suzy, you have to. It's important."

Standing infront of him was his girlfriend with none other than the leader of the INVICTUS army, Kang Baekho. 

"Why does it have to be so bitter?" Shin's jaw fell slack open as he watched his girlfriend take a suspicious looking purple pill. She made a gagging noise after she swallowed it, only to have Baekho pat her on her head. 

"You're a new INVICTUS Suzy. If you want to be healthy for the undercover operation I'm preparing you for, you need to take this."

*****

"Sorry!"

Shin started the engine and turned up the volume of the radio. 

"Shin?"

He glanced at Suji. "Yeah?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"

Shin blinked at her, not saying a word for a few moments. He looked back at the road and when the red light approached, slowed down his car. 

"Suji," he said. The girl looked at him and Shin caught the faint light of fear in her eyes, a deer in the headlights.

"I love you," he sighed and kissed the top of her hand. Suji grinned and kissed him back, unable to notice the pain she had seared into him. 

Shin waited for his tears to fall on his withered lover's face and when he was sure that she was no more, he whispered, "I always knew."