“Junhong, stop crying! What are you, a baby? Just shut it!”, Yukwon yelled, in a mix of emotions. His lower lip was bleeding incessantly, as it was an open wound he had in his left cheek – caused by the continuous beating he suffered. His head was spinning and aching from the drugs they had forcefully injected straight into his veins – and because of that he had bruises on both arms -, his eyes were tinted with a scary crimson color and it hurt opening them, as the light made him almost blind – even if it was just the weak, dim light of the sector.

Although Yukwon’s intention was to simply try to achieve a sense of peace – as it was, in reality, an impossible task – by silencing Junhong’s cries, he knew had been mean and hateful. Junhong was simply a kid; Yukwon had no right to explode like that. Especially when Junhong was so defenseless; Hyosung wasn’t there to protect the poor boy.

Yukwon had suffered for more than an hour inside the interrogation room and after being determined by the guards he had endured his share, they threw his weak body in the sector and powerfully rip Hyosung from Junhong’s arms.

It was always like that. Every time Hyosung went to the interrogation room, there was no stopping Junhong’s cries and pleads. There was no one who could calm him like Hyosung could; Sunhwa had tried countless times, unceasingly to no avail. Minhyuk had succeeded in calming the boy a couple of times, but, as his body currently lied senseless on the floor looking practically dead, if it weren’t for the weak up and down movements of his chest  - only protected by a thin blanket Youngjae and Jongup had wrapped around him – there was no hope for the little boy. He would cry nonstop until Hyosung’s return and, after that, a hysterical reaction would follow, as he scrutinized what the guards had done to the person he loved the most – rather than romantically, Junhong loved Hyosung like family, like a sister, like a mother.

“Yukwon, don’t be like that.”, Sunhwa scolded as she rubbed Junhong’s back, imitating what Hyosung did lots of times.

Youngjae, who was roughly cleaning Yukwon’s busted lip, made a face. “Not that I agree with how he spoke to Junhong, but Yukwon has a point.”, he sighed, trying to find the right words. “Junhong, look, we take care of each other okay? But you can’t spend your time crying. Do you think Hyosung needs you to cry for her? She needs you to be strong, for her, for us, for you. Honestly, I don’t even know how you survived until now. I mean, I’ve seen you fight, and you’re actually good, but ever since we’ve been sent down here, you look like you lost your faith and your determination. Where is the courageous Junhong? We need him. Junhong, you have to be strong. You can’t succumb to them!”

Youngjae inhaled a big gush of air. He felt relieved for telling Junhong what had been on his mind for a long time and he did it the best way he found. He didn’t thought he had been rude or mean. Hopefully, Junhong would understand what he meant and try to be stronger.

The cries became muffled and, after a while, Junhong’s tears were completely dry and one could only tell he had been crying because of his bloody eyes and big dark circles.

“I’m sorry.”, he mumbled apprehensively, almost like he feared his tears would rebel and escape at the first excuse. “I’ll be stronger from now on.”, Junhong looked down, his hands grabbing the hem of his ripped and dirty shirt with unnecessary force.

Sunhwa was still rubbing Junhong’s back and a little smile crept on her bruised face. Her chapped lips became paler from the stretch and her eyes shone in happiness, for Junhong and for all of them; there was hope, she was sure of that.

Minhyuk stirred and moaned in pain making Jongup immediately get up as a reflex. “Do you think he’ll wake up?”, he asked to no one in particular.

“Probably not, let him rest. He suffered quite a lot this time.”, Youngjae whispered. He was now trying to clean Yukwon’s cheek wound, but he could only use dirty rags, making it a difficult and somewhat superfluous task.

Youngjae had a fairly restricted knowledge in health and first aid, but he knew far more than any of the others: he had been taught by an insurgent doctor. He was a nice and concerned man. Regretfully Youngjae couldn’t remember his name, has they had spent little time together. Despite that, from their short period together, Youngjae could see the man was passionate about their cause and he firmly believed that, once The Almighty was destroyed, life would dramatically improve. Youngjae clearly remembered the man telling him how he had been forced to take the serum for being considered “a great asset to Thuos Kor’s society”, even though he had clearly expressed his hatred against everything Thuos Kor represented.

Eventually, he was caught and killed for high treason. Youngjae saw it from an old television; it was one of the few times Yoo Youngjae cried.

A loud shriek was heard; Sunhwa immediately stopped rubbing Junhong’s back and her eyes widened in horror. Junhong’s reaction was similar: the boy froze, his eyes wide open, like he was trying to understand what would happen next. Yukwon shivered, trying to alienate himself from the sudden flood of gruesome thoughts that invaded his mind; Jongup, who was sitting next to Minhyuk’s senseless body, gasped and his eyes suddenly start burning from the tears that were forming. Youngjae silently prayed for the best and continued (apparently) stolid – he was really just trying to be strong, afraid of seem hypocritical after what he had told Junhong.

After a moment of suffocating silence, a door was opened, someone panting was dragged and their sector door was opened.

A brutally beaten Hyosung appeared. Sunhwa instinctively yelled and got up, running to help her friend. Jongup also went next to the older girl and grabbed her, helping her to reach a place where she could sit and rest. Yukwon started vociferating at the guards, swearing and threatening them. Hyosung was plainly miserable – and that was an euphemism. Junhong couldn’t even look at her. Just a glimpse made him sick. And he felt guilty for not being able to stand next to her like she did for him innumerous times.

“Hyosung”, Youngjae called. He could see how she was in shock. She had a dull look in her eyes – which was freakish, as she always look determined - and Youngjae felt like, before taking care of her physically, he had to see what they had done to her mentally.

It was hard to look at the girl: she had blood running from the corner of and her teeth were stained in crimson; her face was swollen and so were her lips; she had bags under her eyes emphasized by the disturbingly dark circles she had; her hair was a mess, dirty and disheveled, with clear evidences of bald spots. Hyosung’s nose was also bleeding and she had bruises all over her face and arms; her forearms and hands were full of cuts and burns. She had her shirt ripped open, reveling her sports bra and her chest and abdomen. Both were also covered in cuts and burns, but also bruises and something else Youngjae couldn’t quite understand what it was; probably something they had use to torture her.

“What… What did they…”, Sunhwa couldn’t properly form a sentence, haunted by the ideas of what the guards might have done to the older girl.

“Did they… Touch you?”, Yukwon asked, his voice dripping with hate and disdain. Hyosung shook her head, perfectly comprehending what Yukwon was asking.

“If they did… Hyosung, you don’t need to hide it from us.”, Yukwon stressed, worried about her.

“They didn’t.”, she finally spoke. Her voice was hoarse and weak; was aching for water. “They didn’t touch me like that.”, she assured Yukwon. He just nodded.

Youngjae got closer to the girl and crouched, to look her in the eyes. “What did they do to you?”, he asked.

“Not that Youngjae.”, she looked at him. Her eyes weren’t dull anymore; they were full of fire and determination. Youngjae lightly smiled: that was the Hyosung he wanted to see and he believed her. It wasn’t that implausible though; ual abuses were hideous crimes that not even the guards used on rebels - it was rare and punished with death.

"They tortured me in various ways, but they didn't do that.", Hyosung tiredly inform. She was telling the truth.

“I’ll take care of you.”, he said and went to grab a clean blanket to clean Hyosung’s wounds. Yukwon took his shirt, revealing his own scars and burns, and gave it to Hyosung, who gratefully accepted it.

“Junhong, go to her. She needs you. Can’t you see how badly beaten she is?”, Youngjae asked in a low voice as he ripped a clean blanket that was next to the younger boy.

“I don’t think I can.”, Junhong mumbled, looking straight ahead. He was afraid of breaking down in front of Hyosung when she needed him the most.

“Remember Choi Junhong! Be strong!”, Youngjae said as he grabbed the boy’s wrist and made him get up and face Hyosung. The girl weakly smiled at him with her busted lips.

Junhong went to her as slow as he could, trying to gain courage and then sat next to her, where Sunhwa had previously been. He grabbed her hand and smiled at her comfortingly as Youngjae tried to clean her wounds.

“You know, an amazing girl once told me courage is all we have to survive in this world. I think she’s the bravest person I’ve ever met.”, he told her. Hyosung smiled despite the pain; he was talking about her.

“Thank you Junhong.”, she squeezed his hand.

“Try to rest. I think you’ll feel better after waking up.”, he informed her.

With Youngjae now treating her arms and hands, Hyosung rested her head on Junhong’s shoulder. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she managed to mumble something that made Junhong and Youngjae – the only ones close enough to hear her - feel a rush of hope invading their bodies.

“I saw Yongguk. He said after tomorrow they’ll attack. We have to get ready as well. We only have one chance.”

And she fell into a deserved slumber.