How much of the world conformed to social injustice because the law regulated them to do so? Nearly seven billion people who used to inhabit the Earth. Everyone had been too naive, following a new system out of blind obedience, not knowing it would lead to humanity’s downfall. The government called it the Age of Renewal, but in fact, it was the greatest massacre of humankind.   Traces of the Renewal imprinted themselves around the city in the form of deserted streets and destructed buildings. The entire city was unkempt, a thick fog of pollution clouding everywhere, cracked cements floor and fallen boulders obstructing pathways.   It had been months, perhaps even years, since people were separated from loved ones. The way government officials appeared and dragged people by force, using a gun to shoot some kind of medicinal fluid in their neck to determine one’s life or death was an impossible visual to erase. The memory relived those gawking incidents too well, an image that haunted dreams at night and ghosted during the wake.   Of course, the government reasoned these people deserved such treatment, for they rebelled against the main command and was therefore unworthy of life. The ones who managed to escape the status quo were labeled as rebels, terrorist, or outlaws, but they prefered to go by The Recusants.   “Did you hear that?” Kyungsoo’s head jolted up, halting his movements from sharpening his trench knives against each other. He stared at the other five in the room, letting silence resume.   “Is someone here?” Heejin asked, her breath hitching at the absurdity of her words.   The five of them were vigilantes on the run, hiding from the government’s radar. They never stayed in one place for too long, and had recently taken a liking to the tall skyscraper in the middle of the city—even though the side of the building had been completely demolished, leaving the walls bare to the emptiness outside. The foundation was in crumbles and could collapse any moment, but they took the risk, knowing it had ample electricity and water to get them by for several days.   “That can’t be. We checked this entire city and found no one alive,” Aemi uttered, her eyes brooding with cynicism. She took her forearm machete resting on a nearby table, a weapon which Kyungsoo had built for her, and got ready to survey the area.   “Wait, let Jongdae and I take a look,” Baekhyun said, swinging his sledgehammer around with ease. Despite the tension sinking in, he seemed the only one unaffected by it.   The one in question had no choice, knowing it was better to move in groups than individually. Knowing how reckless Baekhyun could be, Jongdae followed behind.   As soon as they were out of the door, Hyunmi let her foot fall from the chair, leaning forward to the others. “Could it be the government? We didn’t see any civilians,” she spoke of new possibilities.   “Exactly. Even if it were a civilian, why would the government allow him or her to live? The government exists to kill,” Aemi said, a clear annoyance in her tone.   Heejin looked down, indulging in her own thoughts. She remembered seeing it in the news for the first time. The government had invented a new substance known as the R-66, requiring every citizen to be injected by it. It acted out like an internal chip fused within their DNA, one that could retrieve personal data through a mere fingerprint; including their bank accounts, credit cards, health report, criminal records, and so on. The idea had been appealing at first, but they soon discovered the dark consequences along with it.   The R-66 was a deadly virus, one that could immediately kill a person through an internal combustion. The media accidentally leaked the footage of a civilian exploding when it went against the law and sped through red light. The car flipped around, the bloody meat of the destroyed body splattering against the car’s window. A small trespass with severe consequences.   People began to realize, the Age of Renewal was the government’s idea of playing God. Whoever did not abide to their law would be killed through the virus. In the end, the government managed to build up a mindless army of fake law abiding citizens. They cut down on human population, killing those not deemed good enough for their standards. Heejin and the rest, The Recusants, were the ones who managed to get away.   Her thoughts halted when she heard voices outside. Her body tensed, straightening upright as she kept her eyes fixed on the entrance. Soon, Baekhyun and Jongdae returned, but not empty handed. They had a hostage.   “We found an intruder roaming around the first floor,” Baekhyun said, forcing the unknown guy down to his knees, hitting the back of his kneecaps using his sledgehammer.   The guy hissed at the movement, his knees hitting the cold cement floor in a way it could tear his skin open. He tried minimizing the impact of his fall by pressing his hands on the ground, which only made it worse.   “Who are you and what are you doing here?” Jongdae asked.   The guy hoisted himself on his knees, raising both arms in the air. The move seemed harmless enough, but to a bunch of people on the wanted list, it translated to a possible attack. Out of reflex, they reached out to their weapon, Hyunmi and Aemi blocking Heejin who was too busy with her experiments to get her grenades ready.   “I’m harmless,” the guy spoke, his body incredibly stiff, realizing his life was in their hands.   Heejin held back her desire to giggle, knowing it wasn’t the right time despite her urges. “What a silly name,” she uttered, immediately drawing the hostage’s attention on her.   Jongdae shook his head, holding the tip of his axe closer to the guy’s neck. “Your name and purpose. Three seconds.”   Realizing the seriousness of the threat, the boy didn’t even dare to gulp down his fear away, knowing his neck may get sliced by the blade. “Kim Minseok. I am on the run.”   The first time he spoke, Heejin had focused on his funny remark. The second time, she focused on the velvety quality of his voice. That despite the threatening situation he was in, there was some sort of friendliness embedded within. Perhaps it was intuition, perhaps it was her ability to easily trust in others, but she chose to believe his words.   “He is one of us then,” Heejin concluded, hesitantly darting her eyes between the others who had their fair share of trust issues. Unlike them, Heejin hadn’t lost a loved one through the Renewal.   “How can we trust you’re not part of the government?” Aemi asked, trying her best to assess the stranger.   “Honestly, I wouldn’t know how to prove that either. What sort of evidence would you need in order to believe me?” Minseok asked, stating a good point.   “Where have you been the entire time? Why did you only appear now?” Aemi continued asking. Interrogating.   “I was hiding between the marts, surviving on the food stored there,” Minseok answered, which was logical enough. Ever since the destruction, the entire land had been in turmoil, and places were left abandoned. Everyone who survived were led to live within the government city, a place where every behavior and conduct could be surveilled.   “Then I heard you guys approaching. So I came here thinking we could form an alliance.”   “Alliance?” Baekhyun scoffed. “What do you have to offer for us?”   Minseok curved his lips, nearly smiling with pride. “I am an excellent shooter and am good with melee combat. I can make escape plans too,” he spoke.   “Hah! Try escaping us,” Baekhyun provoked, holding him steady by the shoulder.   “That would take away the point of being civil and forming an alliance,” Minseok said, chuckling a little at his humor, but quickly stopped when he felt the cold metal tip of Jongdae’s axe press against his throat.   “What do you think?” Aemi asked, turning to Hyunmi who seemed to be deeply in thought, considering the pros and cons.   “Handcuff him,” Hyunmi said, more like an order than a suggestion. Her eyes scanned around the room, searching for someone to do the job when someone already volunteered.   “I’ll do it!” Heejin nominated herself, getting off of the chair, leaving behind her chemicals and beakers to go fetch a handcuff they had found at an abandoned police station earlier.   It wasn’t that she was eager to lock Minseok up, but knowing how roughly the others would hurt the intruder, she was really the best choice available. Besides, she had convinced herself to trust him.   She knelt down next to Minseok, hesitating a little before grabbing his hand, but he seemed to surrender willingly to prove his truthfulness. When she clawed the metal around his wrist, she felt his eyes gazing at her. It made her cheeks burn up a little.   “You must be the nice one,” he suddenly said.   “What?” Heejin flinched, missing the clasp of the handcuff. She turned to meet his eyes, only realizing how bright they glimmered. In fact, despite his messy disheveled hair and the dirt on his face, she noted how handsome he looked. Her newly formed opinion was backed up when he grinned, revealing a dimpled smile that made her heart jump.   “Yeah, every group has one. The one who puts her faith in suspicious strangers,” Minseok said.   “You’re saying it as if it’s a bad thing.” She unconsciously pouted, even though he hadn’t been wrong.   “Well, it works to my advantage, so no complaints from me,” Minseok said, laughing a little. “So, we have established my name, what’s yours?”   Heejin wasn’t sure how open she could be, and turned to the others for help. But they were already talking of their next move, unaware of her little exchange.   “I’m Heejin.”   “Ah, I’d shake your hand if I could, but I’m kinda in a locked up situation,” Minseok spoke with some humor implied.   Heejin couldn’t stop herself from giggling at that, amazed how this guy could lighten her up when she was the one chaining him in handcuff, locking it until she heard a click. “That’s quite alright. Your intention was well received.”   Minseok smiled radiantly, confirming Heejin’s racing heartbeat had not been part of her imagination.   “So how long will I stay locked up like this?” He asked, wiggling his arms.   “Until they tell me to release you?” Heejin guessed unsurely, tucking the key in her pocket. She honestly felt sorry for the guy. How will he eat? It would be so uncomfortable sleeping like this. And she didn’t even want to imagine how he’d try going to the bathroom.   “So who are you guys? Lucky survivors? Government’s throwaways? The Recusants?” He laughed again, knowing it couldn’t be true. The Recusants were known as a vicious anarchist against the government, not a small bunch of young adults who handcuffed strangers. The Recusants fought and escaped government officials before they could be injected with the R-66.   But Heejin pressed her lips together, letting her silence answer him. His laugh faded, and soon he was left with a stare of bewilderment, locking her in his gaze. It made her cheeks heat up again.   “Heejin, you need to continue your experiment,” Hyunmi’s voice yelled across the room.   “I have to go,” Heejin said a little awkwardly, avoiding his gaze. “Uhm.. Just let me know if you need anything.”   He hadn’t uttered a word even as she got up on her knees and left him there. She returned to her table where she was delegated the greatest task of all. Find an antidote.   It was for this reason they were dubbed The Recusants. They weren’t mere runaways, but runaways with knowledge to stop the government. They had been the top in their own field: Baekhyun was an engineer, Kyungsoo a weapon specialist, Aemi a hacker, Hyunmi an intelligence strategist, and Jongdae a law enforcer. But Heejin had always been the best in chemistry, taking up the role of an alchemist among them.   “So, is he safe?” Kyungsoo asked when Heejin rejoined the table.   “I can’t tell yet,” Heejin said, her fingers unconsciously circling around a beaker. “But if he does speak the truth, he’d really be a great asset to the team.”   “If he wasn’t bluffing, that is,” Baekhyun said, scoffing once again.   “Well, perhaps we’ll find out one day,” Hyunmi said, turning to the hostage with a glare. The rest soon followed, unable to extract any information from him. He just sat there, curiously looking around him with bewilderment, and when seeing them, smiled in response.   They wondered what or who he truly was.     For days and nights, they wandered about from city to city using hijacked cars. With Baekhyun’s background as an engineer, he knew how to jump start these vehicles as if he was stealing it.   Minseok wondered why they moved around so often, why they preferred the tall skyscrapers—though they were hiding in an abandoned family home at the moment—and what exactly it was they were looking for. He had only vaguely heard them talk about it, but was never supplied a proper answer.   He had troubles sleeping sometimes. Even when the sky began to glow a rich golden hue at dawn, he couldn’t sleep because of the approaching noise. Strange. Why would there be noise when the town was deserted?   Minseok blinked his eyes open, sitting upright from the floor he was sleeping at, realizing what this meant. Everyone slept in the living room, a silent pact to ensure no one would do anything suspicious. They all had their weapons next to them, and Minseok would not risk being killed trying to wake them. So he went to the one person he was sure wouldn’t harm him.   “Hey Heejin,” he whispered softly, gently nudging her shoulders to shake her body around. The sunlight cascaded down her face, and he saw the peaceful face of a sleeping beauty. It almost made him feel bad to wake her up, but proceeded anyway.   “Hmm… What?” Heejin mumbled a little, shifting from her rolled up position to face him, her eyes scrunching from the light.   Minseok held back his urge to smile at the sight. “Uhm, I think we may have visitors,” he said.   At once, Heejin’s eyes shot open. She lifted herself up, not realizing the distance between them. Her eyes darted to his arms, still handcuffed.   “I suppose they found us,” a voice resonated from behind.   Heejin looked passed the stranger, seeing her cousin, Hyunmi, already awake and loading her gun with new ammunition. She had a forlorn look on her face, but as the shadows passed, turned out to be eagerness.   “Are you going to kill anyone?” Heejin asked carefully.   “If we have to,” Hyunmi answered coldly, tucking the gun in the holster of her belt. “We got five minutes to clear out.”   Heejin felt her heart sink, watching others regain consciousness. Her cousin didn’t use to be this cold, this heartless. She’d talk about giving people second chances, and how everyone deserved redemption. But that was until they took away her fiance Woohyun, forcing her to watch him detonate like a human bomb. With his departure, Hyunmi’s compassion left as well. Her hatred towards the government turned into a personal vendetta.   “What are we gonna do now?” Minseok asked quietly, watching others getting ready to leave. Even Heejin was busy cleaning out the supplies on her table, the beakers and everything.   “We escape before they arrive.”   It took them exactly five minutes to clear out the building, heading to the car. As everyone dumped their stuff in the trunk, Baekhyun tried starting the car.   “They’re here,” Aemi muttered, her eyes glaring into the distance where about ten men in white suits approached them. The suits were so ridiculous, similar to that of an astronaut, but also what they’d wear in quarantines. They headed to them, guns in their arms.   “Huh, they needed an entire army to fend us off? How strong do they think we are?” Jongdae asked with light humor, picking his axe up.   “Keep them busy, the car won’t start,” Baekhyun said.   “If you insist,” Hyunmi said, not holding back when she took aim, squinted one eye, and pulled the trigger. The bullet penetrated through the special suit, blood splashing through the head as one man fell down. The small move ignited a bigger rage, like a pendulum that would forever be trapped within the same cause and effect, ensuing in chaos.   As they charged into battle, Minseok didn’t realize he was lightly holding unto Heejin’s fingers. Perhaps he wished for her to stay out of the fight, perhaps it was an attempt to protect her. He had never seen her with a weapon anyway, and wondered whether she required his protection.   “You are welcome to use my sledgehammer,” Baekhyun mumbled, pointing to his weapon in the backseat.   “I am not strong enough to use it,” Heejin cried, feeling sheer panic rising up. Her friends were fighting. Killing. Hurting. But it didn’t take long before they were left powerless and got captured. All four of them were forced to kneel down in a circle, their weapons stripped away from them. One of the men saw her looking and approached.   “I can help,” Minseok said, turning to Heejin with impatience. “Release me, and we can fight.”   Heejin’s face paled up, not knowing what to do when others usually had the answers. One of the man brought a familiar looking gun: the device injecting R-66. The government wanted to inject the virus into them.   She didn’t think things through, dealing with consequences later when the situation seemed urgent now. She retrieved the key, her fingers trembling when she inserted it into the keyhole. Finally, she managed to release the handcuff from Minseok’s wrist.   He waited no second, took Baekhyun’s sledgehammer, and grinned. “I’ll be right back.”   Heejin watched as Minseok stormed into the huddle, her heart clenching with worry. He had only claimed to be a good fighter, but what if they were all bluffs? Even her friends were good, but lost when they were outnumbered. Could Minseok handle the remaining nine people?   But her heart jolted with surprise when suddenly, Minseok took a good swing, smashing the sledgehammer right against the temple of the man’s head. His special suit did nothing to protect him, the black wiper in front of the face shattered through the force. The others tried to capture Minseok, but he ducked and jumped after reading their movements, predicting their next attack. It almost looked like a choreographed movement as he danced his way out of captivity.   Once Aemi saw an opportunity to attack, she shot up from her seated position, landing a jab on the captor’s face. She jumped sideways to retrieve her machetes, fastening them around her arms. Then she proceeded to stab it through the man’s suit. She wasn’t keen in killing people, but the situation begged to differ.   Minseok’s involvement turned the tables around, and suddenly they had a chance. Everyone was busy fighting, not realizing someone got captured.   “Jongdae!” Heejin yelled, watching in fright as three men held him captive, one of them bringing the gun to his neck. They were going to inject him, and there was nothing she could to to save him. She could use her bomb, but everyone’s close proximity with the target would hurt them too.   Everyone turned at her uproar, and their motive shifted to save a fellow comrade instead. Hyunmi took her gun, releasing a bullet towards the guy’s direction. But the guy next to him used a steel shield to deflect the assault.   Before any of them could come close, they heard Jongdae’s frantic cry fill the silent air. Their bodies were momentarily frozen, watching in horror as the virus gun clawed itself into the skin of his neck, transferring the R-66 virus into him.   “No! I will never conform to the government! You think you’re doing the right thing, but you’re monsters! I won’t give in! I won’t! I won’t! I—”   A big explosion appeared, deafening their ears with a painful ring. Jongdae’s body burst open, and it began raining blood from the sky. Whatever was left of his flesh and internal organs came falling down, landing on the floor with a slimy squeak.   The virus worked fast, too fast. Seconds after its injection, it bore the power to spark off the combustion. Jongdae’s words of resilience defined him as a lawbreaker, and thus sentenced him to death.   Hyunmi was too stunned to move, her face frozen at the familiar sight. The scene was an angsty dejavu. Only that time, it had been Woohyun.   Minseok appeared next to her, quickly taking the gun from her hand, shooting a few ammunitions towards the men who did this to Jongdae. His aim was accurate, as he had told them, and no bullet was wasted putting them to death, until the gun ran out of bullets.   “Let’s go!” They heard Baekhyun yell, cueing that the car was ready.   Aemi came to retrieve Hyunmi, helping her run back to the car before the two remaining men could chase after them.   “Come on,” Minseok said, holding Heejin by the hand, the grip still slippery from Jongdae’s blood. He made sure she got in the car first before he followed afterwards.   As soon as everyone was in, Baekhyun pressed the gas, drifting away from the scene.   Silence engulfed, no one speaking a word of their loss, not even Baekhyun who usually had something to say. Heejin didn’t realize she was still holding Minseok’s hand, trembling with fear, but grateful it hadn’t been worse. They had lost an ally, but they hadn’t lost a battle.     Only when they had settled at their next base did a thousand of swirling emotions burst out. As the guys unloaded their things, the girls expressed different reactions.   “How did they track us? We made sure to remain off radar, choosing routes that are within the CCTV’s blindspot,” Hyunmi yelled, looking like she could destroy the furniture.   “None of us carry a phone or anything that is connected to their satellites,” Aemi added, truly wondering the same thing.   Heejin looked up, a few possibilities going on in her head. But she did not dare speak them out loud, afraid the ideas may seem foolish. So she remained by Minseok’s side, silently watching as he washed the blood away from his hand in the kitchen sink.   “There is actually another way for them to track us down,” Kyungsoo began, his voice calm and unaffected by the death of their comrade.   “Do tell,” Aemi prompted him.   “The R-66 virus,” he answered, his eyes gloomy and dark. “As much as it stores a person’s personal data, it can also find our location.”   Baekhyun was the first to laugh it of