My eyes search the ground below me, the dust from the dry earth spinning around me. There’s a red string entangled around my pinky finger and I try to rip it off but it doesn’t budge.

When my eyes lift form the ground I’m being stared down by two dark orbs and messy red hair, the face holding a somewhat soft expression. I tilt my head in surprise and try to speak but nothing comes out. The dust of the dry ground spins around us for a moment and then I feel an odd tugging on the opposite hand.

When I eye my hand I take note of the black and white braided string now weaving its way around my pinky. It fastens itself tightly around me and I make eye contact with Leo and he sends me a smirk. It’s a moment before he tilts his head and seems to study the being behind me. I turn and soon come face to face with a more tanned being with a smiling handsome face.

I study Daehyun’s face and try to speak his name but once again, nothing escapes.

He waves as me for a moment and soon the dust of the ground encircles him and the string that has tied us together seems to float upwards.

I let a puzzled expression take over my face as I watch it but soon feel fingers interlacing with mine.

I’m about to turn around when my eyes flutter open.

My face is warm from the heat radiating off of Daehyun’s chest and my hand is pressed against the line of his waist. His arm is holding my body in place against him and I smile as I turn my eyes upward to watch his serene expression.

His lips are parted and his breath is heavy as I watch him. I let my chin rest on him as I lightly lift my hand from his waist to push a few stray hairs away from his eyes but they flutter open lightly when the pieces are between my fingertips. He grunts a bit but a smirk greets me as I take my hand away. I smile lightly at him and he turns his pupils to me.

“Morning,” I mumble to him.

He keeps his smirk and rubs his eye lightly with a balled fist.

“Morning,” he greets quietly.

I giggle at his childlike response and he only widens his smirk.

He lets out a yawn and I just keep my smile.

“I’m going to go wash up…” I tell him as I take note of how sticky my body is from the heat.

When I move to get up he pulls my shoulders down with his strong arm and I gasp in surprise.

“But I’m so comfy,” he whispers against my neck as he kisses it.

I blush quickly and smack at his chest, and my face turns to him.

“Well, it’s hot and if you haven’t noticed by my disgusting appearance, it’s been a while since either of cleaned up,” I tell him with a cheeky grin.

His eyebrows crinkle at my response and he pouts a bit.

“You’re not disgusting.”

I giggle a bit as I study his appearance.

“Calm down,” I tell him, “I just want to wash up.”

He smirks a bit and eyes me as one of my hands grazes against my ribs.

I push my lips against him in a quick peck and jump up before he can move it any further. I wrap my arms around myself quick as I trot towards the door, ignoring my clothes and thinking that a towel from the bathroom would be more comfortable.

The thoughts concerning my dream try to envelop my mind but I push it away as Daehyun’s voice breaks through the silence.

“Can I come?” He laughs.

I turn my head over my shoulder and eye him in surprise but decide to call his bluff.

“If you want,” I say through a smirk, my eyes landing on his face to study his reaction.

His eyes widen a bit and blood rushes to his cheeks and I giggle when I turn back to sneak out the door. When I turn into the bathroom door I grab two towels, but leave one hanging around the door handle after I wrap mine around my tiny frame.

I skip down the stairs and turn to walk through the back door hidden behind the strangely winded stairs. I open it and walk through it into the dirty, small back yard and eye the shed where the water basin was located.

Hoping no one has touched the contents of my previous backyard, I wander to the shed and creak the door open and see the blue tub underneath the basin that collects the rain water. I kneel down near it and spot the spout, in turn moving the tub beneath it to drain the large metal contraption of its current contents. While I wait, my thoughts finally take top priority.

The contents of my dream were so confusing… The strings? I’ve heard of fated destinies symbolised through dreams… but how can one person be tied to two. The way they both looked at me two, neither of them in hate or anger, but mere understanding… Would Leo be mad if he found out what happened between Daehyun and I on this small adventure? Was he worried now…? I drop my eyes and scrunch my eyebrows as a strange feeling fills my stomach.

I hear footsteps which cut off my thoughts and when I glance backward, I take note of the handsome boy behind me.

Daehyun has the towel loosely wrapped around his waist and the v line around his hips that are quite noticeable. I blush as my eyebrow quirks up, drinking in his figure.

“You’re not going to be able to carry that by yourself,” he mutters as he moves towards me, turning the spout off as we both look it over and notice it’s full.

“I’m not completely useless,” I breathe out as I smirk at him.

He chuckles and picks up the basin and urges me to lead him into the house.

He carries it with ease through what I call the backyard and through the house… Maybe he was right; I probably wouldn’t have been able to carry that all the way up here.

When we enter the bathroom, I instruct him to poor it into the medium sized tub. He does so quickly and then takes a moment to eye it with a somewhat confused expression.

He places the basin near the tub and I look through the shelving near it and find a few wash cloths strewn about. I take two and hand him one but he keeps his confused expression.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“I just haven’t washed like this before, I mean, won’t it be cold?”

I giggle a bit, “It’ll be about lukewarm from the heat of the sun beating down on the shed.”

He nods and I dip my hand with the wash cloth in and take a moment rub the slightly warm water across my neck. Afterwards, I take a moment to sit myself on the edge of the tub, planting my feet in the water.

I eye him and suddenly make an interesting question.

“Why don’t you get in? I’ll help you wash.”

He tilts his head a bit, “I’ve never had anyone help me wash up.”

“Never?”

He removes his towel and I avert my eyes to the water as he sits in front of me, slowly working his way into the somewhat cool water.

“Like, not even your parents?” I question.

My hand slides the cloth across his back and I give it a squeeze to let the water drip down his toned muscles. The water reaches his belly button while he sits and I take not of his strained posture at the mention of parents.

I watch as one of his hands plays with the water  and its a few moments before he takes the time to answer.

“No, they wouldn’t have been able to,” he mutters, his shoulders slumping.

I tilt my head in surprise and watch him as he continues to play with the water that surrounds both of us.

“Why…?”

He coughs a bit and stays silent.

I’ve never seen him act like this… He was so quiet, so seemingly disturbed by what seems like a simple question. Well, what was simple in this world any more?

“Daehyun, you can tell me what’s bothering you,” I reassure.

He nods and coughs again as his fingers stop lapping at the water.

“It’s different in Mato; we don’t get to stay at home with our parents.”

I stop my hand from moving and eye the back of his head, the silence an urge for him to continue.

“I remember what they look like…” He begins, his voice cracking as he continues, “I remember when the soldiers came to take me away, and the pain from it all… But I don’t feel anything anymore.”

I gasp a bit and I can hear him scoff lightly.

“I can think of their faces, but there isn’t any emotional attachment to them anymore… To be honest, I don’t even know if they’re alive or not anymore, and it doesn't seem to bother me in the least...”

I hear him sniffle and his hand reaches away from the water towards his face but I let my hand travel there first to wipe at the tears that I can’t see, but I am sure are there.

He stiffens at my touch for some reason and I can tell from his body language that he doesn’t do this often. I keep quiet and wait for some type of words to escape his lips. He leans into my hand after a few moments and finally decides to break the silence.

“I can’t even cry about not being able to see them, my parents, but I cry over the fact I can’t feel anything towards them anymore…”

I feel tears well up in my eyes and I keep my hand on his cheek as he continues.

“And it hurts more seeing people in other districts able to connect with their own parents… I know it’s right, but I just don’t understand.”

His hand overlaps mine and there are tears travelling down my cheeks as I feel his come into contact with the skin of my hand.

“Why can’t I feel that?” He asks, choking out a sob and ending his confession.

I stifle a quiet sob and quickly snake my other hand around his neck and chest, pulling him backward into a hug.

“It’s okay,” I whisper against his ear, “Maybe one day you’ll find them…”

I hear him sniff again but new tears come into contact with my now wet hands.

How could a group of people who apparently cared so much about their people torture someone like this? Do they even realize the emotional trauma they’re causing?

I don’t move away from him, but encourage him in the silence that fills the air around us. I place a kiss on the back of his neck as he releases what seems to be years of built up torture.

No matter how the future unfolds, I was going to make sure no one else would feel like this… This was my final reassurance that no matter what type of war or skirmish unfolds; I was going to help the people in this tormented world escape from the pain they have endured.

My parents, VIXX’s parents, BAP’s parents, Daehyun’s tormented mind… The government will surely pay for their sins.