Chapter 1 New Beginning

“Attention . . . Attention . . . This train has reached the last station. All passengers, please abort now. Please check and make sure you bring all your belongings. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Kim Jaejoong's hands were shaking upon hearing the announcement and his voice quivered like grass in the wind. "W-well, Tae,” he said to his younger brother, Taeyong who was sitting next to him. “We are here. Hehe. . .” An awkward laugh left his lips.

Taeyong moved his gaze from the window to Jaejoong. Jaejoong’s big doe eyes well up and tears started to threatening to fall down his porcelain face, his lips trembling until he bit them and forcing a smile. Taeyong could tell Jaejoong was scared but who can blame him. He turned his gaze back to the window. “Yeah…”

He let out a deep heavy sigh before put on his backpack. Finally, after a long journey, they arrived. “Careful,” he mentioned to Jaejoong as Jaejoong struggled with his backpack and luggage. Taeyong dragged his luggage following closely behind Jaejoong.

Once outside of the train, they were greeted by an old train station. It looked like the train station from World War II’s time and it was abandoned since then. The station’s signboard was badly damaged. Taeyong stared at the signboard, trying to make out the word written on it. “S-s. . .r. . .”

“Syren,” Jaejoong read it out loud.

Taeyong looked at Jaejoong with a questioning look and looked back at the signboard. "You can read that?" asked Taeyong but Jaejoong didn't answer. “Syren. Hmm… A strange name” commented Taeyong. He pretty sure he never heard of that name in his entire life and will make sure to check up on the map later. If they didn’t just come out from the train, Taeyong would think the station was no longer been used and all this was just a dream.

There was no one walked around them. Taeyoong surveyed around and he realized there were only both of them there. There was no sign of anyone or any staff working on this ‘abandoned’ station. He looked back and saw the train was empty as well. Looked like other passengers had left before the last station. Or was it no one else on the train since the beginning? Could it be they arrived at the wrong place?

‘ this!’ cursed Taeyong in his mind. Why his strange-creepy thought came at the time like this? He hated this part of himself. The train’s door immediately closed before he could suggest Jaejoong to get back into the train and turn back. Too late now. The train had left them.

“It’s so cold,” Jaejoong mumbled, so sudden.

Taeyong turned his attention to Jaejoong, then looked around him and finally he looking up at the sky. The sky was clear, the tree and grass around the station were tall and green like nothing had touched them, there was no wind, but the air was indeed strangely cold. There was a tension in the air, like static. It seemed to freeze people like they were fearful of being shocked. If it was not for the biting cold, Taeyoong wouldn't have noticed the air at all.

“Strange,” responded Taeyong, pulled his jacked tightly. He could feel the hair on his neck stand. It was not a good sign. His mind started to think about strange think again. Bad thought led to a bad thing. Taeyong immediately shut his eyes and mumbled, “Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it.”
 

“Taeyong!” Jaejoong almost shouted. He wrapped his hands around Taeyong tightly. “It’s ok, it’s ok. E-everything is ok. I-I’ll takes care of you.”

Taeyong opened his eyes slowly and stared at nothingness. ‘You didn’t sound so convincing,’ he thought. ‘But you tried. I’ll take care of you.’ He closed his eyes again and hug Jaejoong tightly. “Let’s take care of each other.”

“Hmm…” Jaejoong responded, nodding. This time, he failed to hold back his tears from falling. Who could guess that he and his brother will end up like this? Stuck in a new place that they knew nothing about, starting a new life that they had no idea how and they have nothing. Nothing at all.

Jaejoong and Taeyong’s parents got into a car accident and die. Eventually, the inheritance and the house were taken away from Jaejoong and Taeyoong because they were adopted. The family members, who used to be Jaejoong’s family too, claimed that both of them didn’t deserve anything and they had been sent back to an orphan house.

It felt like just yesterday Jaejoong was sleeping peacefully in his comfortable bed in his big bedroom. But today, he didn’t even have a place to stay. It was strange when he had many friends, uncles, aunts, and cousins, then suddenly he didn’t have anyone else other than his younger brother, Taeyoong. It was strange when everything takes a 180-degree turn because of one incident. Jaejoong guessed there was nothing that will last forever. There was no such thing. Perhaps, the word ‘forever’ doesn’t exist at all.

“Hye…” Taeyong whispered, trying to pull away from the hug.

Jaejoong hurriedly wiped his tears before he pulled away. “What?” he asked.