Chapter #24:

      The Vexation.

“What the hell is this place?” Haejin asked to herself in genuine wonder as she peeked out of the back seat window to stare at the old, wore down cottage house. It was small; extremely small and looked like it would break down any minute of the day. She once again ducked her head down to hide and leaned her back against the side door. The car at that moment was empty. Her father has gone inside that cottage looking place a solid half an hour ago while telling his driver to unload the money. She was confused and horrified at the same time; confused because where the hell was the money and horrified because the money was supposedly placed in the back seat where she was currently hiding. It didn’t take her much time to figure out that the brown boxes that were shielding her body were actually loaded with money. She thought of tearing open one of the box to see the amount of money that her father is giving away to these people, but in the end thought better of it; tearing open the box was similar to presenting herself for the sacrifice because they would immediately know that there was someone that has intruded. Even though she didn’t tear open the boxes, still, she tried to move them from their place to test out their weight. The young queen was absolutely horrified when she registered the fact that the boxes were heavy enough that she couldn’t easily lift them up. How heavy can a piece of paper be? There were total three of the boxes. Haejin couldn’t even imagine the amount of money that was being wasted like this.

What the hell had my father been up to?

After their departure from the castle, it had taken them almost fifteen minutes to reach the location where she was currently at. The view outside the car was pretty clear to her from where she was hiding- that is why she did not miss it when the scenery outside changed from an empty highway to a dense forest.

Why here?

It was the part of the district that was not inhibited at all. It was filled with abandoned houses, shut down factories and shops, a small park if she remembers clearly and of course, the forest. The forest they were driving through was said to be the home of many wild animals that is why the place was not populous at all. After a whole five minutes bumpy ride through the forest, they have reached the cottage which had an extraordinarily big, cemented parking lot which was then fenced by equally extraordinarily huge walls; which she thought were there to protect the place from an animal attack. The heavy metallic gates that were the only way to enter the fenced territory were guarded by two guards; who had heavy loaded guns in their hands. Haejin had to make an extra effort to hide her body from the eyes of the guards as they passed through the gates; thankfully she was successful in her attempt. Though, she wasn’t sure how long will that last since the driver was still standing in the parking lot while maintaining a little distance from the car. There was no way she could get out of the car without being noticed. Even though the parking lot was huge, still, there were only a few more cars that were parked outside. Unlike her father, it seemed like the others didn’t have a privilege to bring a driver with them since there was not a single soul outside beside the driver and the guards that were protecting the gates.

My father will kill me if he knew that I am here.

She thought to herself in a panic and ducked her head down once again when she saw the driver walking away from the car towards the guards; who were at least at the distance of five minutes from her.

This is my chance.

It was indeed her one and only chance because it seemed like the driver has finally decided to unload the car and have gone towards the guards to ask for their help. Her thoughts were confirmed when she saw him pointing in her direction while talking to them. She quickly pushed open the door and got out of the car while being as discreet as she could. Looking around frantically, she quickly made her way towards the white van that was parked at a little distance and hid her body behind it.

This is scary.

I have to get out of this place.

Haejin watched with bated breath as two men made their way towards her father’s car and started unloading the boxes that have earlier helped her in hiding. The boxes were then diligently carried inside the cottage; leaving her alone outside with her thoughts and one guard who was still guarding the gates. She pressed her back against the hot surface of the vehicle with a dejected sigh and slumped down to the ground. She was trapped; badly. Haejin didn’t even want to think of her husband’s reaction once he comes to know where she had been. She wondered whether her father would leave her alive to see her family again or not. It was a saddening thought because everything has just started to fall in place. The thought of not being able to meet her in-laws and Baekhyun involuntarily brought tears to her eyes. She didn’t want that. Not when she has just started to develop feelings for him. What if her father doesn’t kill her, but keep her as a captive away from everyone like he had wanted to do his all life. The fear that consumed her on the thought of not being able to see her husband ever again made her realize that how serious her feelings for him actually were; she didn’t care about anyone else, but him. She had fallen for him and the realization of that came to her a little bit too late.

My life has always been messed up, huh?

Haejin thought to herself bitterly and immediately snapped her head towards her left side when she another guard walking in the direction she was hiding.

I thought there were only two guards!

The terror that she was going through at that moment was visible on her face and it had completely rendered her ability to think useless. There were no cars that she could hide behind without being noticed; especially when her father’s car was once again being guarded by the driver. Letting out a shuddering breath, she closed her eyes and lifted her body off the ground. If she was going to be caught in the end, she won’t let it happen without an effort. Haejin fixed her stare at the guard; who has yet to acknowledge her presence and dashed towards the door of the cottage which was surprisingly open. She stepped inside the small, dusty place carefully and widened her eyes in shock when she saw another two men guarding a small opening at the end of the terminal wall while conversing with one another. She quickly moved her body to the side, out of their view and once again hid her body behind many boxes that were stacked upon one another. She once again pressed her back against the solid surface and crouched down to the ground; all the while holding her breath. The young queen strained her ears to hear for any kind of footsteps that might lead to her direction and slumped down in relief when she heard none. She would admit that her actions right now were completely reckless, but they still got her out of the sticky situation. There were only two possibilities; either they would have noticed her and would have taken her inside to her father or she would have been successful in not being noticed. Haejin was glad that she fell in the latter category.

I don’t think someone will come here now.

At least, she hoped that it would be the case.

“Have you seen the Queen?”

“No, we haven’t, my prince.”

“Okay. You can go.” Kai turned towards Sehun as soon as the two maids walked away with a concerned frown on his face. They have arrived back at the palace from their school at the same time as usual and have expected to be greeted by Haejin; who was usually sitting in the launch reading a book or is busy in the kitchen preparing something for them to eat personally.

“Do you think she has gone somewhere?” Sehun asked while mirroring his brother’s expression and stopped another maid that was walking past them when Kai just shrugged his shoulders as an answer.

“Have you seen the Queen anywhere?” The youngest prince inquired and stared at the maid while waiting for her answer.

“My Queen was seen exiting the palace around 12 PM in the morning.” Both princes stared at each other when they heard that and trailed their gazes back to the maid with their brows raised in inquiry.

“Do you have any idea where did she go?” Sehun questioned again with furrowed brows while trying to think of the place where Haejin could have gone. He just hoped that his sister-in-law was not naïve enough to go the Moonlight Palace alone.

“I’m sorry, my prince. I don’t know that.”

“It’s okay.” This time Kai was the one; who answered the maid and dragged his brother away to his room when she bowed to them in respect and walked away.

“Do you think we should call Hyung?” Sehun wondered out loud and stared at his elder brother when the latter stopped in his tracks to contemplate their options.

“Sehun, Haejin noona is not a kid. She could go anywhere she wants. We can’t keep her locked in this palace. Maybe she has gone out with her friends.” Kai made sense. Haejin was a responsible adult and maybe they were over reacting.

“Baekhyun and Minseok hyung have been busy lately too. I don’t think we should worry them over something that we are not even sure about. Let’s wait for her. I am sure she would be back before the guys come home from the university.”

“I hate it when you are persuasive,” Sehun grumbled under his breath and threw his body on top of his bed with a groan. His elder brother made sense, but still, he can’t shake off the feeling that was making him uncomfortable.

“Should we call her?”

Haejin has been sitting at the same spot for the past hour and thankfully none of the guards have bothered to come around all the cluttered boxes to see whether there was someone hiding in there on not. The security over there was not strong; it was way too noticeable now when she has time to think about it. There were not many guards and those who were present seemed really careless. It was as if they were sure that no one can find the place they are guarding and intrude; which could have been true if she hasn’t actually ended up in that place accidentally. Another thing that she noticed was the lack of the security cameras; whatever this place was, they didn’t want many people to know about it. She has a feeling that the lack of the surveillance cameras was due to the fact that they didn’t want to gather any kind of proof that may give anyone a clue about the existence of this place.

“Hey, it’s time for your break. Go call Kim from outside so he could replace you.” Haejin peeked through the spaces between the boxes to witness the encounter as the man who just stepped inside walked out again. She moved away from the boxes a little when the men guarding the small entrance got up and stepped out of the cottage too. The young Queen curiously gazed towards the entrance that has been guarded all the time before shaking her head and sitting back down.

Should I?

Haejin wasn’t sure anymore. She was stuck in that place and wasn’t sure that how long will it take for the people over here to finally realize that there was an extra person around them; who was not supposed to be here at all. Even though, she manages to remain hidden from their eyes still she couldn’t possibly get out of here without being noticed and being locked up here would do her no good since she needs food and water too.

 I am here. Might as well see what’s inside.

Spiked by her curious nature she got up from her crouched position and quickly went past the small entrance carefully to keep an eye on the main entrance. She let out a small sigh of relief when she managed to get past it without being noticed and carefully descended the stairs. The staircase was poorly illuminated. She had to catch herself from tripping down for more than one times before she finally reached the last step. Glancing around in paranoia, she hesitantly peeked around the corner and furrowed her brows when the first thing that came in her sight was a room. The door to the staid place was closed and from the loud voices coming from inside, she was sure that there was an argument going inside. The door was labeled as a meeting room which further cleared the things for her. Bending down a little, she carefully walked past the door and peeked around the corner when she finally reached the end of the small hall; to make sure that there was no one who could possibly see her walking inside.

What the !

It was the first thought that crossed her mind as soon as she registered the view of the room which was devoid of any kind of living soul. She stepped inside the huge room hesitantly and let out a quivering breath. If Haejin thought that it was bad for her to be here earlier, now she thinks that it is worst. The room was painted white completely with not even a single blotch of any color otherwise; it had no signs of life- just eerie white silence that sent unpleasant shivers down her spine. There were at least five hospital stretchers perfectly aligned along the terminal wall just below a huge clock; each consisting of an individual drip stand, ECG machine and other medical equipment standing beside them. She slowly raked her eyes over the beds and her attention was immediately drawn towards the straitjackets (these are the jackets that are used in mental health institutes) that were hung near them. It almost looked as if it was home to thousands of mentally disabled people; which Haejin knew was not the truth. It can’t be that simple. The white sheets of two of the beds were ruffled which indicated that someone has been laying on them not a long time ago. The young queen hoped that it was just because they wanted to have some rest and nothing bad. There were thousands of scenarios that were playing in front of her eyes at that moment and she didn’t like any one of them. her lips nervously she shifted her stare towards the rest of the complex and expensive equipment that were placed in the room. They were all new to her; never in her life had she ever thought of encountering something like that.

I have a really bad feeling about this.

The next thing that caught her attention was the number of computers that were placed on the working desks forming a circle. Haejin didn’t bother counting, but she was sure that there were at least twenty of them. Some of them were turned off while others were on standby probably protected by some kind of password. The beeping from a big, metallic machine was the only noise in the otherwise silent room as she made her way towards the previously occupied beds. She yelped silently in pain when she accidentally stubbed her toe against the leg of the stretcher; causing it to rattle slightly. Startled, she immediately turned her head towards the door of the meeting room and let out a silent sigh of relief when no one seemed to have noticed the small sound of disturbance that has been caused by her. The young queen’s concentration turned back towards the stretcher once she was sure that no one was coming out and she reached out her hands to drag the bed back on its place soundlessly. It was then when she was moving the stretcher did she notice the metallic cuffs and binds that were attached to the bed. She instantly stepped away from it as if she was burned and looked around in shock trying to comprehend the things that she was looking at.

B-Binds?

Haejin felt like she couldn’t breathe. There was not a single explanation that would justify the presence of the oppressive binds that were attached to all the beds present in that room. All those machines, all those equipment, all that technology along with those hundreds of files; what was the purpose of them?

I need to hurry up and get out of this place.

Wiping away the layer of sweat that has covered her skin, she quickly made her way towards the shelves that were holding all the files and randomly pulled out one of them to read. If she has heard Baekhyun correctly then the files that she was looking for were supposed to be some kind of case history. Flipping open the file, she hastily went through the text that was written inside it and unceremoniously pushed it back in its place when she failed to understand a word that was written inside it. Throwing a hurried glance towards the meeting door, she quickly pulled out another one; only to repeat the same actions. It was after she had pushed back the nth file back in its place that she stepped away from it with a sigh. There was nothing. All of the files that she has happened to open were some kind of financial data that was totally out of her understanding. She was just losing time.

Come on! Haejin think!

Where would Baekhyun keep something that he wants to hide?

She didn’t know why that thought crossed her mind, but it certainly did help her think. Her husband won’t leave such an important thing out in the open. He would keep it somewhere safe where no one access it, but the question was-

Where the hell is that place?

She raked her narrowed eyes over all the files once again before reaching out for the files that were arranged in the last rack. The first thing that she noticed as soon as she took hold of the file was that fact that it was certainly cleaner than all the others that she has looked through; unlike them, it was not covered in dust. It gave her a little hope. Maybe it was devoid of dust because it was being frequently used. Sending a prayer to the sky, she reluctantly opened the file and slowly skimmed her eyes over the words printed on the first page.

CASE HISTORY

Experiment #7

Lee Jaein

Male

12 years old

Blood group AB+

Tester: Jang Yeejon

Day of arrival:

12th April 2013

Date of death:

19th July 2013

Haejin stared at the file in her hands numbly; trying to process the information she has just read. All she can comprehend was the fact that a kid named Jihoon was brought to this place when he was 12 and he never managed to return back alive. Now, what she wanted to know was that what the hell they did to him. Was this the case history Baekhyun was talking about? Why was this kid named as an experiment? Was her husband brought to this place too? There were so many questions and no one to explain; it was suffocating her with each passing second.

There are experiments being performed on kids over here…

That was the only logical reason and explanation that came to her mind, but then again it didn’t make anything better; it anything it made the whole deal worst. Swallowing the lump that has formed in , she flipped over to the next pages. There were hundreds of readings written on the page along with various kinds of graphs which Haejin totally failed to understand. The list of the words that she managed to understand was really short. Some terms like stable, unstable written in front of different titles, blood transfusions record, medical record, mental health feedback, body responses were familiar, but nothing else seemed to make sense to her.

What is this thing?

Pushing back the file in its place, she quickly pulled out another to examine it. Like the previous one; it was a lot cleaner than the others which told her that it might also provide her with some kind of information.

CASE HISTORY

Experiment #2

Kim Sohee

Female

14 years old

Blood group A-

Tester: Jung Junhyun

Day of arrival:

28th May 2011

Day of death:

13th August 2011

Haejin closed the file once again with a heavy heart and pushed it back inside. It was clear to her by that point that no one who has ever dared to step in this place has gone outside alive which made her scared of her own fate. She wondered how those kids died. Was it a natural death? A planned one? An Accidental one? There was s