He woke up groggy and cold. He couldn’t remember the past few hours. Or was it days. He didn’t know. His dreams were dark now. He had no new memories to make them, His cot and chains were uncomfortable, but at least he isn’t standing anymore. Like before. He sighed, and he heard his raspy voice.

The door creaked open, and he screwed his eyes shut.

“Taemin.” The strangely familiar voice spoke in a musical tone. “Are you dead yet?” He felt the other poke his cheek. Taemin let out another sigh in his darkness. “Apparently not," they laughed out softly. “Well we do still feed you so I would assume so.” Taemin opened his eyes slowly and saw the stranger smile, and he saw the name tag. Onew. He was alone.

“Where are the others?” He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling that there were going to be more people. Onew kept that same knowing smile on his face. “Soon, my sweet,” he said as he reached to touch Taemin’s cheek. “They’re coming, I just wanted you to myself for a few minutes.”  He the skin with the pad of his thumb and Taemin fought hard not to wince.

The door opened once again. “What did I say about touching the specimens, Onew-ssi?”

Taemin thought he recognized this one to be Jong something. The man was shorter than Onew, but made his presence known when he pulled the hand away from Taemin’s cheek. Onew frowned slightly and this was one of the rare times Taemin was awake enough to see it. “But Jonghyun-ssi, aren’t I your senior?” Jonghyun. That was his name.

Jonghyun kept a blank expression as he reached into his white lab coat and pulled out a small navy blue book. He flipped to one page and started to read aloud:

“Any specimen in possession of Kim Industries may not be touched unless it is required for scientific experimentation purposes. Contact with any specimen that is unwarranted will be punished as the CEO of Kim Industries (Kim Kibum as of 2018) sees fit. Punishment can include but is not limited to demotion, termination of work, termination of life, forced experimentation, etc. - Page 173 Article II Section VI of the Official Employee Manual of Kim Industries.”

He snapped the book shut and Taemin snuck a glance at Onew’s face, for his expression was priceless. “Understood, Jonghyun-ssi,” He replied. “And yet you do this every single time,” the other retorted. “It does not matter, let us just continue.”

Taemin grimaced when they left his side. He barely remembered what happened to him anymore, but his body reacted, knowing it was anything but good. He looked to the side to see them putting on their hazmat suits. Taemin laughed a little at this. He figured it was protocol, but just the thought that he caused this much commotion in his little room amused him.

Apparently one of the men heard him because he saw a mask glance over. He tried to imagine pity in its features, but could find none before it turned away to write notes on a paper. Taemin wondered what those two wrote about him on there. His brain felt too damaged to try and figure out the big words that they would so he improvised. “Arrogant.” “Sassy.” “Unruly.” “Pale.”

His head suddenly started to hurt. He hadn’t thought anything like that for a long time. He tried to look back into his memories for any sign that he ever did think, but by then, the splitting pain in his head was too much. Taemin softly whimpered and closed his eyes. He heard more writing on the paper. “Bipolar.”  

A cart was wheeled over to his cot and he felt something sharp prod his side. “Wake up, Taemin, you know we need to do this.” His head hurt too much to figure out who the voice was, Taemin felt his shirt being opened and the sharpness poke harder into him. Taemin opened his eyes and looked down.

Just below his ribs, a rod with a pointed end was pushing into his skin. He exhaled sharply, and it ended up pushing it farther.

“We do this every single time, Taemin. Why are you still rejecting it?” Taemin looked up and was met with a mask towering over him with a halo of bright light coming down on it from above.

“Shut... “ he felt his breathing quicken. “Up…” He closed his eyes again. The bright white light still burned his eyelids.

“Specimen still has an aversion to sharp objects.” Taemin heard scratches on the paper.

The sharpness was pulled away thankfully and Taemin was relieved for just a moment. Then on his other side, a less painful rod was pushed in just above his liver. The pressure still hurt, but not enough to make a fuss.

“Specimen’s aversion to blunt objects has significantly lessened.”

The object was pulled away and Taemin felt pads being stuck to his chest. He opened his eyes slightly to see the two men on either side of him and a big beeping machine at the end of his cot. He could see the marks that the other two tools had made on him.

On his left, he pointed one left a dark red line of bruising that Taemin almost thought was blood. On his right, there was a circle shaped indentation just under the last of his ribs. Both sides contained numerous scars of the same shape and size. He was trying to count them all to at the very least estimate the time he had been in here; however, he was interrupted by a sharp shock to his chest.

His entire frame bucked, and he fell back hard, panting and pulling at his restraints. He was trying to find anyway to clutch his beating chest and stop the pain.


“Heart rate is 120 after initial shock, BP is rising.”

Taemin felt hands pushing his wrists down onto the cot’s framework. Another unannounced shock spread through his body and he heard his own pained groan come from his lips.

“Heart rate 130 after two shocks. BP has risen to 130/90.”

Taemin could barely hear what either of the two said. His head would not stop pounding, his heart was racing, pain was shooting through every limb. Taemin was too lost in the horror that he didn’t even register that he had been gagged. He didn’t even know his lungs were capable enough to scream in that moment, but he guessed that they had wanted to be cautious.

Another shock ran through him and Taemin couldn’t even try to stop himself from arching his back and flailing against whatever was holding him.

“Heart rate 150 after third set of shocks. BP risen to 160/110, may have to stop tests early if it gets higher.”

Taemin was angry. It was the only thing he felt. They were so calm while he went through hell. There was no sympathy at all He wanted to scream but his mouth was clamped shut by the gag. His body was protesting and he felt so tired. He wanted the pain to stop. He started to weep, hoping that they wouldn’t do more.

Taemin felt a sharp sting in his left arm and then the world turned black.


Taemin woke up to the pain in his head radiating, but he was thankful that the rest of his body was at peace. He looked down, seeing a drop of sweat drip from his brow. Apparently they had done the lower body tests while he was asleep.

His pants were pulled off, remaining folded on the chair next to him. Along both of his bare thighs, short slices were strategically placed, blood still dripping. His hips were lifted by a pillow underneath him and he noticed the stirrups off to the side. He felt disgusted and let his head lie back. At least he wasn’t conscious for that part of the experiments. Taemin didn’t know what would have happened during those times, but from the context, he knew they weren’t pretty. He let his head lie back
and let out a groan.

The men must have still been in the room, because he heard something and then footsteps leading to him.

“You performed very well this time, Taemin.” He felt a hand start his hair.

“Onew-ssi.” The hand retreated. “Sorry, just habit.”

Taemin opened his eyes and saw the men without their suits on and a television on a fact in front of his cot. The back of his bed started to rise until he was sitting up straight.

“Do you know what comes next, Taemin?” He shook his head; he had no memory of anything specific. Taemin saw Onew go to write on the paper.

Taemin looked back at the TV as Jonghyun went to turn it on.

“Just relax and watch.”

Relax. Taemin didn’t know what that word meant anymore.

On the screen was a big swirl that was spinning and some music was playing in the background. No matter what he did, he couldn’t tear his eyes from it. Not even to blink. He felt tears drip down his face and more writing on the paper. The spiral was so pretty, he felt he was forgetting all of the events of the day. He was just awake enough to hear one of the two men say to him, “Minho-ssi will be here soon.”

Everything went dark again.

~~~
Taemin woke up with a start in a pitch black room. His bed was back in its original position from what he could tell. His breathing has started to slow as he relaxed into his cot. He felt around with his chained wrists to see that his pants still weren’t on and he frowned. That’s why he was cold, wasn’t it?

Taemin huffed and then heard some shuffling near his left side. He tensed, not knowing what was happening. From all that he knew, his room was always bare except for the machines next to him.

Then he began to remember that this was supposed to happen. He remembered the same sound coming from that same side in one of his memories that he didn’t know he had anymore. One name stood out from the cloudiness in his head at the moment.

“Minho?”

He heard footsteps shuffle over to his side and a hand touch his. “It’s me.” His voice sounded monotone and emotionless. Although, Taemin somehow knew that he would soften and he also knew what was supposed to happen next.

“Are you going to put me to sleep again?”

“I am.”

He felt Minho’s hand move up his arm and come to rest on his cheek. It was much different than Onew’s. It felt familiar. He felt himself lean his head against it. This was the one touch he felt he could actually put a memory to.

“Could you at least put my pants back on before you do?”

Taemin heard Minho huff under his breath and then felt his other hand touch his thigh.

“They usually do that part before I come in… I guess I’ll do that first, then.”

Minho left his side and Taemin’s eyes started to adjust to the darkness. He could make out a man beside him and really nothing more. Just the outline. He could tell, however that he had a very nice silhouette.

Minho had been there from the beginning, he realized. He looked back in his memories and found that the only things he could see clearly were the ones in the dark, Minho at his side giving him pills. He was always there to comfort him after events that he couldn’t remember. It was honestly unnerving to know that the only things he had anymore were the memories in the dark.

“Minho,” He asked. The other nodded his head and patted his leg to get him to lift it. “Yes?”

“Why can I only remember you and nothing else?” Taemin felt the other tense a bit.

“You don’t need to concern yourself with that, Tae.” Tae. That was a name from the first days that they had met. It was Minho’s special name for him that no one else used.

Minho slid his pants up one of his legs and then the other. Taemin hissed a little when the fabric hit his thighs. “Sorry, Tae, I forgot that they do that tests there.” Taemin relaxed a little and resisted reacting again as the pants were put back in their original place. When Minho was finished, he rubbed his thigh almost affectionately.

“Minho,” Taemin asked again. “Yes?”

“When can I see you in the light?” Minho tensed a little at that as well.

“Soon enough.” Minho was quick to reach over to the table next to him. “Time for your pills, Tae.”

“Do I have to?” He didn’t want to go to sleep. He didn’t want Minho to leave. He felt safe with him. The only memories he had were with him, and he didn’t want them to disappear if he didn’t spend time with him. “Can’t you stay with me for a little longer?”

Taemin saw Minho’s silhouette linger on his left side. “Maybe a little longer.” Taemin saw him sit down next to him and he relaxed on his cot. He sighed softly. What was it about him? Taemin felt wrong for feeling so drawn to him because of the fact that he was the only thing he could remember, He didn’t feel as if it was real. Like a type of stockholm syndrome almost. His head started to hurt again through his thoughts. He tried to pull his hand to his head, but the chains as always were too short.
Taemin groaned a little and closed his eyes, his vision still pitch black.

“Are you okay, Taemin?” Taemin nodded and replied, “My head just hurts.” Minho hummed in response and lifted his hand to touch his forehead gently. Taemin felt his hair being brushed away and his hand was now running through his hair. The pain had not quite subsided, but the touches were pleasant and calming. “Any better?” Taemin nodded again. “Lots.” “Good. Just try not to think. It’ll help.”

Minho continued the ministration for a little while and the two sat in comfortable silence for a bit. This was how it always was, Taemin knew. He always asked him to stay, and Minho complied. Taemin thought about all the other times he was here. He couldn’t remember any specific dates, obviously, but he did know that each time they met, Minho became more affectionate, and he himself became more comfortable around him. Taemin’s headache returned, but he didn’t let Minho know. He didn’t need to worry
him more.

“Don’t fall asleep now, you need to be awake for your pills.” Taemin groaned. The touch was so relaxing. He didn’t want it to leave, but he relented anyway. “Fine.” He heard a low chuckle. “You always are one to hate sleep.” The hand moved from his hair down his arm to his hand where Minho held it for a short time before letting go and moving to the side. “Well, that’s because I know what’ll happen when I wake up.” Minho hummed again in response. “That is true.”

The conversation was done after that and Minho just looked at his work. Taemin had no idea how he was able to see anything in the darkness. Maybe he just memorized it before he came in the room and just went from there. Or maybe night vision goggles. Something. He decided to stop while he was ahead to prevent another headache. He knew Minho didn’t have any pain killers. Or at least he thought so.

Sooner or later, his cot was being lifted to sitting again and Minho nudged his arm. “You’re not asleep, are you?” Taemin shook his head unconsciously even though it was dark and replied, “I still don’t want you to leave.” The other rubbed his arm gently. “I’m sorry, Tae, but I have to.” Taemin finally surrendered and said to just get it over with.

He couldn’t reach his own mouth so Minho touched his chin to get him to open it. Taemin complied and felt a tablet hit his tongue. It didn’t taste nice at all, but he knew it had to be done. Minho brought a cup to his lips and Taemin drank a sip hesitantly. He swallowed both the water and the pill at the same time and gagged at the taste.

“I know it’s not the best, but just bear with me. You’ll be able to rest soon.” Taemin nodded and opened his mouth for more. The tablet was placed and the process was repeated 3 more times. His eyes started to close without him wanting them to after a few minutes. He felt Minho squeeze his hand gently. “Sweet dreams,” he said. Taemin laughed a little. “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to dream.” He let his eyes close and the darkness enveloped his mind and body once again.

A/N: (Whooaaa i had no idea i could make that line up there ^^)

Hi guuyyysss yes I'm not dead but I might as well be with all my school stoof. *hehe*

Okay, so um, yes, this is not usually what I write but I hope you like it /)////(\ This idea was actually inspired by SHINee's song "Alive" (Which is so good but I'm pretty sure most of you have heard it already) 

I know this chapter was kind of all action only and not really any back story, but I promise as the story progresses, more will be explained *thumbs up*

Anyway, again, I hope you all like it!!! Please comment and subscribe (comments are reeeaallyy appreciated) to tell me what you thought of this, and the next chapter should be up soon *huggles and waves* see you soon! ^w^