Byun Baekhyun, day one hundred and eleven 20:13

I’m not sure how much time I have. He left but he’ll come back, I’m sure of it. There’s no point in coming here and telling me what he did just to leave and not come back for me. I need everything to be written down and I need to hide this, text my mom where to find it so she’ll know I’m not okay. I don’t care if she thinks I’m crazy, she’ll come looking for it and realize that I didn’t leave of my own free will. If she doesn’t find it then to whoever’s reading this: my name is Byun Baekhyun, I live in Seoul, Korea, and I’ve been tested on for the past 3 months because I have the supernatural ability to bend light to my will. I don’t know where I’m being held or by whom but I can guarantee that I’m not safe.

He was sitting in the dark when I came back from work. He looked like a villain from some cheesy superhero movie. His white clothes were still sullied and his hair was as unruly as ever. After I had registered who was there he stood up, an almost manic smile on his face. It didn’t reach his eyes which were wide and unblinking no matter how he tried. The initial shock wore off and I could feel myself striding over to him to engulf him in a hug. He was still so small but his laugh, unlike his expression, was soft and comforting.

“They’ve been looking for you, Kyungsoo.” I whispered in the middle of our embrace. I swear I could feel his smile faltering.

“I know They have, my family is gone, They’re the only ones who would look for me.” He answered. It was confusing, I remember the news said his father filed the missing person’s report. I could feel my head shaking.

“No, Kyungsoo, your father’s been looking for you for 5 years.” This time, his was the head shaking in denial.

“No, Baekhyun, my father couldn’t have. He died shortly after I disappeared and my family left Korea. They’re the ones looking for me.” He pulled back to look me in the eye. “They’ve done this every time, They sent it out the first time they took me and every time I get out they reopen it. That’s how they keep explaining how I’m gone.” He made no sense but the look in his eyes told me he believed this to be the truth and who was I to doubt it?

“What do you mean ‘every time’?”

“I mean, they want us to escape. This is a game to them Baekhyun. I know they’re in Seoul and soon they’ll have all of us back and we’ll be turned off and turned back on under new circumstances.”

“Kyungsoo, you’re not making any sense.”

“I don’t have to!” He exclaimed. “They’re coming for you, try to get away before They do, that’s what I’m gonna do.” He got himself ready to leave the apartment and leave me confused. Right before he opened he added in a whisper, “They’re getting closer.” and with that, he was gone. I didn’t have the time or energy to work out the gravity of his words but it was serious, that much I could tell. Half of me wanted to run after him, ask what he meant, but the other half found the prospect of a hot shower much more enticing and, like an idiot, I listened to the second half.

Exiting my bathroom, I was met with yet another surprise. Someone was sitting on my couch again, I could only see the top of their head but the tell-tale gray settling in his hair told me just who it was and that I should be very afraid at that moment. I had planned to slip into my room—he was alone there after all—and get out of there but I was stopped by his voice, one I had hoped would be buried in memory.

“Now, now, Mr. Byun, leaving your guests unattended to is quite rude, don’t you think?” His voice had a hint of playfulness, as if this was somehow a joke. I tried to steady my own before replying.

“Well, Master Kim, breaking into someone’s apartment is quite rude, don’t you think?” He let out a chuckle, I failed to see the humor in the situation. He beckoned me over to sit in front of him and, like some kind of mindless follower, I did. He had made himself tea while I was away though I doubt I was in the bathroom long enough for that.

“Tell me, Mr. Byun, was my advice helpful?” There was challenge painted on his face as I tried to remember what advice he spoke of. “Ah, I see, you’ve forgotten the subject of our last conversation? Pity, you’ve come such a long way since then.”

“A shame I can’t say the same for you, unless we count the distance you’ve travelled.” His laugh was cold, his head tipping back seemed unnatural. The longer I looked the more morphed he seemed to become.

“Your wit remains, at least to some extent. You don’t wonder what I’m doing here.”

“I was assuming you’d get to that.” This time I expected a laugh and received none. He narrowed his eyes, leaning more into his seat as he considered my words.

“Very well, my business here is quite simple; I’m here to let you know that we’re bringing you back. We’ve known where all of you are for a while now, you’re not exactly subtle.” He paused to take a sip of his tea. “You’re sure to have many questions but I assume one is related to your fellow subjects. We’ve already brought back four of you, for starters.”

“Who?”

“Numbers ten, twenty one, sixty one, and ninety nine. Didn’t you wonder why the first two didn’t join you?” A smile played on his lips and I felt sick to my stomach.

“What did you do to them?”

“We didn’t do anything, Mr. Byun, we let ten heal twenty one and then we brought them back, they’ve both been recovering at our facilities. Though we really must punish twelve for what he did to our building, it’s been Hell trying to fix it in time.”

“Couldn’t you just let Yixing go? Haven’t you tortured him enough?” I could feel the anger building at the back of my voice.

“You need to be contained, all of you, your powers are dangerous tools.”

“We don’t need to be contained! I’ve been doing just fine outside of your facility!”

“This time, yes, but many other times you’ve endangered civilians.”

“Wha-what do you mean ‘other times’?” And yet another smirk played on his weathered face.

“Please, Mr. Byun, you think we’d actually be careless enough to let you all get away? You’re experiments. We reset you every time we bring you back to test how long it takes you to get out. You’ll be used for military extraction programs once we’re finished.”

“Ex-experiments?” Suddenly, Kyungsoo’s words made sense. Turned off and turned back on.

“How do you think you got your powers exactly, Mr. Byun?” Another tense sip of his tea before he lowered his voice to a whisper. “We gave them to you, everything you are is because of us.”

“No, I don’t want to be an experiment.”

“That’s not how this works, you can’t just choose not to after twenty five years of hard work.” The cup made a clinking noise as he set it down on my coffee table. “But don’t worry, once we reset your friends they won’t remember any of the trauma. They won’t remember you either nor will you remember them.”

“Do you wipe our memories every time?”

“Of course we do, we need to see which version of you is the best. That’s not this one.” I needed to consider his words. I had escaped multiple times and so had the others, but why go through the trouble of making us forget how to access our powers if we were supposed to be used for the military?

“Wouldn’t it just be easier to brainwash us or something and send us out into the field?”

“We tried that, five of you lost control of your powers and three are now gone beyond repair. You’re lucky we caught ten and twenty one when we did. They overexerted themselves, any longer and they would be gone as well, you wouldn’t want that now would you.”

“But what—”

“Number twelve was here earlier, trying to warn you.” It wasn’t a question but I found myself nodding either way. “He’s proven to be tricky. For some reason his powers won’t let us reset him completely. He… remembers a lot. That’s why he’s so unstable. He remembers times when we’d set you all to believe you were enemies, when our facilities were simpler, I’m surprised he let you and sixty one get so close after what you’ve done.”

“What did we do?”

“That’s not important, you won’t remember it anyways.”

“Are you going to take me back?”

“I’m not but someone will. Soon. They’re getting number one now. He was your leader, wasn’t he? You’ve always done the best with him in that position.”

“Do I get a chance to say good bye or will you just take me and tell my friends and family that I’m on some retreat?” Again, Master Kim laughed.

“Oh no, that excuse won’t work again. No this time they’ll believe you’re overseas for business.” He got himself ready to get up.

“How much will we forget this time?”

“Everything.” He was at the door, hand on the knob. “Oh, and do try to turn the streetlamps back on, Mr. Byun, they’ve been out for a while now because of you.” And he was gone. It felt like cold water was being poured down my spine. I practically ran to my bedroom.

I knew there was no use trying to escape now. I just grabbed this and started writing. It’s been about twenty minutes now. I don’t know if soon means within the hour or days from now but I know running won’t save me.

As soon as I hear something outside I’ll know my fate. To whoever finds this, please