Act 13 “Torture”

“Stop...Please…Stop this…” he could hear his own voice echoed inside the endless darkness. He was crying, sweating, hurting, falling, and dying literally; he couldn’t stand to see the same horrible things repeated for hundreds of time. His beloved parents were right in front of him and he couldn’t do a damn thing when those inhuman beings killed them; tearing their flesh with animalistic power.

“I’M BEGGING YOU, STOP THIS!!!” he shouted his lungs as he fell on his knees; it’s too much for him to handle. He cried and groaned in pain, going mad as tears flooded from his eyes. He felt beyond scared and terrified; he’s losing his sanity.

“Yunho…” suddenly his mother’s voice echoed. Yunho looked up immediately as he spotted his mother spread her arms.

“Come here…” his father appeared next to her, also with open arms.  Yunho got up, wiped his tears and embraced them. God knew how he missed them so much; he’s just a kid when he lost them after all. Yunho dug deeper to the warm embrace and closed his eyes. It felt so peaceful, at least before he felt something wet and red on his palm.

“Woaaa!’ Yunho gasped as he moved back. He saw blood all over his hands and then he saw his parents were bleeding; blood soaking to their clothes.

“Mom! Dad!” Yunho cried helplessly as he caught the two figure that fell on the cold ground,” Please stay with me, and don’t leave me again!”

“It…it’s you…” his mother was as pale as corpse as she tried to talk, breathing was hard for her and the scene was killing Yunho.

“Mom!!!”

“It’s your fault…” Yunho’s father’s voice echoed, filling the silence with creep as the bleeding man pointed to his son’s face

“Dad! What are you talking about? Don’t say nonsense, stay and I’ll get some hel---“

“IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!” this time his father shouted as he got up and pushed Yunho away from his mother. Yunho was shocked, terrified, lost, and he felt somehow guilty.

“IF ONLY YOU WEREN’T BORN, YOUR MOTHER WOULDN’T NEED TO DIE, I DIDN’T NEED TO DIE!!!” Yunho’s froze at his father’s shouts,” Those people that died because of you, because of your weakness, they would be alive…If only you never existed…”

“…Dad? What are you talking about?” Yunho could feel his heart was like pierced with the sharpest knife in the whole world as tears flooded from his eyes; making his sight blurred. Yet, he still could see the blood that soaked on his parents’ clothes clearly, the way his father looked at him with eyes full of hatred, and they way his mother’s eyes regretted to give a birth to him.

“Those monsters were after you! All of us just were caught in the process! They wanted you, Yunho…If only you could just go with them without dragging us along…” his mother was the one spoke this time.

Yunho felt like his heart stopped beating that very moment; his parents’ words were the worst torture he ever experienced in his whole life and he wanted it to stop or else, he was sure he would die from feeling guilty. Panicked, Yunho got up as he rushed as far as he could from his parents.

“You’re all lying!!!” Yunho shouted as he closed his ears, yet, his parents’ voice echoed inside his head, tearing him apart from inside.

“You couldn’t even save that poor boy in your last mission…How pathetic…”

“No! I wasn’t my fault; I did my best to save him!”

“You can only bring pain to the people all around you, Yunho…”

“Stop it!!!”

“No one want you…You’re completely alone in this word…”

“I SAID STOP IT!!!”

Yunho fell, tripped as he could feel pain all over his body. Yet, his heart still hurt more than ever; he felt like killing himself that moment. He wanted to die.

Suddenly, sometime fell in front of him. Yunho got his sight up and met with the dazzling thing. It was beautiful and sharp; might be the sharpest knife Yunho ever saw in his whole life. Staring at it before finally took the knife; Yunho wondered how it felt if he made it contacted his skin. Would it hurt him more than his heart now? Would it take the pain in his heart away?

Yunho put the knife few inches above his wrist as he felt it was so right. Slowly, he pushed the knife down as it made cold contact with his skin. He wondered; should he make it danced on his skin?

Yunho!!!

Yunho was startled as he looked around but he discovered no one; it had to be his imagination. No one wanted him in this world after all. All he could do was bring more and more pain.

Yunho, I’m begging you, please come back to me!

This time Yunho was sure it wasn’t his imagination and he somehow thought he recognized the voice. It was like he longed for the person’s voice. He put the knife down as he got up; searching for the source of the voice in eternal darkness. Yet, he found none and the voices stopped.

---

Yoochun never knew he could see this clear in the darkness, thanks to the mint tea; sorry, he meant, the infected blood they brought and drank again before. The weird thing was, it tasted like caramel latte for Junsu; another mystery Yoochun decided to find out after he ended all of this madness.

In front of them, a small light was guiding them; it was the empress spirit. She said they could go to the shaman’s sealed chamber and saved the other from the tunnel that connected the previous square room. There weren’t any zombies so far and Yoochun was more than delighted.

Besides him, there was his childhood friend, Junsu, running next to him. Both of them took steps as fast as they could passing the long and dark tunnel because they had a very bad feelings and they needed to make sure the others were okay.

“Here…” the empress’s voice echoed as she leaded them to turn right on the junction as they reached a hall in another few minutes. They approached slowly and without making any sound. Inspecting the area; they realized it was used as ancient prison; they never knew such place existed when they lived their previous life; their guess it was the shaman’s work behind the king.

BUM!

Junsu reflected as he pulled Yoochun and both of them hid behind a big stone when sudden noise of metal caught their ears. But then, there’s nothing. Junsu got up and looked around; then he realized he heard something weird.

“Chun, do you hear that?” Junsu asked as Yoochun tried to get the sounds. Suddenly, the empress’s light rushed to the other side of the hall as they followed; they stopped in front of a stoned door. There was a bar small window and Junsu took a peek inside; just to find Changmin curled like ball, crying.

“Changmin!” Junsu rushed to open the door but Yoochun stopped him.

“It’s a trap, look,” Yoochun pointed to some invisible string; it connected the door with the ceiling above them. The ceiling would go down, crushing them if the door opened. Without wasting any time, Yoochun cut the string as they opened the door and proceeded inside. Junsu was the first one made contact with Changmin, just to get pushed away.

“Get away from me!!!” Changmin shouted as he moved backward, avoiding.

“Min, what’s wrong? It’s me, Junsu…” Junsu was scared to see Changmin like that; the younger man wasn’t stabilized, his eyes were full of fear and distrust. Yoochun watched behind Junsu as he took a glance at the empress’s light. Blurry, he could see the empress nodded to him.

Slowly, Yoochun approached Changmin. Again, Changmin almost kicked Yoochun but the man came prepared; he pushed Changmin on the floor and didn’t let him go till the younger male stopped shouting and struggling. Junsu watched in horror the process but eventually sighed in relief as Changmin calmed down, but still with fearful eyes.

“We’re not going to hurt you, Changmin, it’s okay…” Junsu came as he hugged Changmin, caressing Changmin’s back few time.

“…Hyung…” finally Changmin spoke; it was enough to make Yoochun smiled as he joined the friendly hug, but then Changmin continued,” I’m sorry, it’s my entire fault…”

“What do you mean?” Yoochun asked.

“Hyung, it won’t make any sense but…I remember our previous life…I was the one set out the virus to the world! If only I wasn’t a fool and did my best to guard the entrance instead of gone mad and attacked the shaman…I’m so sorry…I’m sorry,” Changmin cried. The scene was still as clear as crystal to him; it was like everything happened few seconds ago instead of decades ago.

“It’s okay, Min, we remembered too,” Junsu spoke as he let go of Changmin,” It’s not your own fault, we’re all at fault….”

“That’s why we need to hurry and stop it now befor---Changmin!” Yoochun was terrified to see Changmin suddenly screamed again as he put his hands on his head. Both of Yoochun and Changmin tried to calm him down but it took longer than they expected. Moreover, it was the worst pain-experienced they ever saw; it was way worst than when any of them awakened. Changmin lost his consciousness for a few seconds. He opened his eyes again but with empty stare; completely exhausted, he sweating so much and trembling.

“He’s forcefully awaken,” suddenly the empress’s voice fulfilled the room; causing Changmin to panic when he saw her transformed from a light to her true spirit form. Changmin knew it was his mother from the previous life; he thought for a second she was a zombie but stopped his stupid suspicion as Yoochun and Junsu werecompletely calm; seriously, he couldn’t think right.

“Unlike the others, he wasn’t bitten. It was like the memories were planted in his head when he was wide awake and the pain was worst than being bitten,” a tear slipped from the empress’s eyes as she embraced Changmin, just to get herself past through the man; she couldn’t touch living things after all.

Changmin froze; never in his life was he this blank. He couldn’t think as he fell flat on the ground, the pain attacked him again for a few second but then it’s gone. Yet, Changmin knew it would be back soon and he could do nothing about it; he just hoped he didn’t go mad.

“Go…” Changmin used his left strength to speak,” Save Jaejoong hyung and Yunho hyung…I’ll catch up…later…”

Yoochun and Junsu wanted to protest but the empress stopped them; telling them it was for the best. Changmin’s pain would end eventually but even she didn’t know for how long the pain would torture him. In the end, the empress spirit stayed with Changmin as the other two men continued their journey; they just hoped they got there on time.