POV: Aron

It's hot. It's always hot. Obviously, because this smoldering fire never goes out, because it'll never stop torturing me.

I'm lying face up in the middle of the immense structure of metal bars that has become my prison. My whole body hurts, but not as much as before. Only a few hours have passed since the last show and my cuts and wounds are nearly completely healed. All thanks to those creams that those medics give me. I don't even know what it is they put on me, but it manages to clear up my skin fairly quickly.

That's how it should be, of course. I should be ready for the next show. I should look strong and healthy, agile and without any burns. All so I can be burnt to a crisp once again. It's always the same.

But the pain never completely disappears. What was it like to live without burns? I don't even remember anymore... Will I ever be able to live without pain again?

Slowly and with difficulty, I manage to sit up and lean against one of the bars. I stare down at the piece of paper beside me. It's still folded up in the shape of a plane. Just like those paper planes that always come my way but never make it because they're consumed by the fire.

This time it managed to get through. The sender must've taken advantage of the moment the wall died down and let the guards in so they could take me to the showers.

No one noticed the little piece of paper. If they had, they would've grabbed it before they brought me back.

I read it again:

We're going to escape. We'll reveal what we're capable of to those who keep us prisoner. We'll rebel against those who treat us like objects, who control us like marionettes.

We'll act and revolt in order to be free from this game and leave behind all this absurdity. We'll get back our freedom that they've taken from us.

Join us, escape with us from this unfair deal. Act out with us in this show that'll be the biggest of our lives, the most important. Help us be free again and free yourself as well.

We're strong. We're powerful. We can do this.

Let's act now. Let's show the world what we're worth.

I have no idea who wrote the note. It must be someone like me, someone they have trapped and use at their will. But in reality we're not the same because he still has the urge to live, to fight. Something that I lost long ago. Maybe it's the blond I saw in the makeup hall, the one they had to sedate. He seemed to have ideas of revolution.

What's the point in figuring it out though? I'll never do what this guy is asking me. It's impossible to escape from here; they'd never allow us to.

Pain, fear, and humiliation. That's what my life consists of and that's how it'll continue to be.

To see the sun again? To not have to run from these flames? Escape from here? I might've thought of that once. A long time ago. I quickly lost the hope of that. I'll never try to run away. I don't want any more pain than what I already have.

I'd love to be free again. My life is hell. But I know it's not possible; the attempt would be suicide.

I'm sorry. I'm not going to help. I won't try. I won't allow these rebels to condemn me to a hell even worse than this one.

I grab the paper and fold it back up into its former plane shape. I throw it directly into the flames closest to me. The fire destroys it instantly, right along with any shred of hope that had been hiding in the deepest pit of my soul.

            POV: Ren

I wake up in my cell again, still numb from those damn sedatives.

I'm sick of this. I'm sick of being drugged, of them doing with me what they please... I'm not a doll dammit!

I want to get out of here and return home. I want to see my little sister and play with her. How is she now? How much time has passed since I've seen her? Two years? Minna has probably started school by now... Does she miss me? What about mom and dad? I disappeared so suddenly. I was walking home from school just like any other day... I would've liked to at least have said goodbye. To have told them how much I love them...

I have to get out of here. I'm scared, scared that if I take too long that they'll forget me. Although... if I never get out of here then maybe that would be for the best. They should forget that they ever had a son...

No.

I can't think like that. We'll manage to escape. The paper planes that arrive daily give me the strength to keep fighting against the monsters that trap us. I would've given up long ago if it weren't for those words of encouragement. Our shared dreams kept me going. Along with the hope that I'll get to meet him one day... Baekho gives me the strength to move forward...

But...

What if we don't make it? What happens if we die in the attempt? If we never get to see the sky above our heads ever again? If I never get to see dad, mom, or little Minna... if I never get to meet Baekho...

Tears drip down my cheeks, undoing the knot I had had in my chest. I don't want anyone to see and believe that they can hurt me. But today, just for now, I'll allow myself to remember. I'll allow myself to be weak and cry for everything that I've lost.

The door opens abruptly. . I didn't hear them approaching. I dry my face quickly but not fast enough.

"What's wrong, baby doll? Miss your mommy?" says one of the masked men with a teasing snicker at the sight of my tears.

No. I shouldn't let them provoke me. I shouldn't fall for their tricks. I won't play along with their game. This slug isn't worth the energy.

I shouldn't do it. I clench my fists in an attempt to hold back the rage and hate. They come close. It's time to eat. I can't see their faces but I know they're smirking, that they're enjoying this.

Before I can think twice, my fist is already on the mask of the closest one, throwing him off balance. . My wrists and feet are tied and they're two people and really pissed.

The first one hasn't even recovered from my punch when the fist of the second man connects with my stomach. Unable to breathe from the impact, I fall to the floor. He grabs me by the collar of my clothes and lifts me for another hit. This one goes to my face.

I fall again. The first man is finally back on his feet. Ah, I managed to break his mask. Good. He kicks me in the ribs and, once again, I'm left without air. It hurts to breathe. They beat me all over the place to the point I can't tell who's throwing which punch. A metallic tastes fills my mouth. I can barely see as more blood drips down my face.

The hits finally stop. One of them grabs me by the hair, forcing me to stand even as my legs scream to give out from under me.

"Don't even think of touching us again, little girl. Understand?" He yells and lets me go. I fall harshly onto the floor.

They go, leaving me there. The mirrors of the room reflect my pathetic reflection back at me.

My blond hair, once well cared for, falls messily around my face, stained with blood. Blood covers the majority of my face. My right eye is swollen and refuses to open completely. My clothes, the one with tacky sequins, is filthy and ripped in various places.

Right now, I'm far from the 'doll' image they like to give me.

My body feels heavy. It refuses to move. But I have to vent somehow. With a colossal effort, I drag myself to where I hide the paper airplanes I receive. I grab the latest one and, with a tiny piece of coal, write on the back of it.

We have to leave now. I can't take this anymore. Help me, I need you.

I lift it as high as I can, shaking it, waiting for him to feel it and take it. Soon, like always, I feel the pull on it and let go. I watch it fly away. I let my arm fall back to my side. I can't hold on anymore. The darkness wraps around me, protecting me from the pain and agony.

            POV: JR

"JR... JR... Wake up, JR..."

JR? Is that my name?

The voice calls to me, drags me back to the light. It takes me from the darkness and again to the room of mirrors. I don't like this place. The dark is tranquil, calm, painless. Here I feel heavy and sad, tired, suffocated...

"JR... do you hear me?"

I hear her. Obviously I hear her. It's the same voice it always is, the one that talks to me but that I never see the source of. But today I see her right in front of me. A blonde. Smiling. Why is she smiling? There's nothing here to smile about. I don't feel the urge to smile. I feel sad, heavy, tired... I still can't move. I need to move! WHY CAN'T I MOVE? Oh, right, the cables... Lots of cables, all over the place...

This girl doesn't have any cables. Why isn't she tied up? She can move as she wants. And she smiles, she doesn't suffocate. I can barely breathe. I can't breathe! AIR!

"JR, calm down..."

She places her hands on my shoulders in an attempt to calm me. I don't want her to touch me. WHY IS SHE TOUCHING ME? I don't want it. She smiles, happy. I'm not happy. I don't want her to touch me!

"Here, JR. You need to eat."

I spot the plate she has. Some type of pasta. It's brown with little pieces of meat. Gross. I won't eat that. I'm not hungry either. Why should I eat? I don't want this happy girl to give me disgusting food. I don't want to be in this bright room with cables either. I want to be able to move and breathe.

But she brings the spoon of brown pasta up to my mouth anyway. No! I don't want to eat! I DON'T WANT TO EAT!

"JR... please... you have to eat... if you don't eat, I..." now she's not smiling. The happy girl isn't happy anymore. And I don't like it. Her smile is pretty, and if she's sad then I'm even more sad.

Obediently, I eat the brown pasta. Disgusting. It's almost worse eating it than looking at it. But it makes her smile. She smiles because I've eaten the gross food. Damn happy blonde.

But I'm hungry. Yeah, I'm hungry. Really hungry. I'll have to eat it even if it tastes bad... it really does taste horrible...

But the happy girl doesn't care. She keeps giving me spoonfuls of brown pasta with a wide smile. I'm unable to say anything.

I'm choking. I'm drowning in brown pasta. Why does she keep giving me brown pasta? Stop now, happy girl! This is disgusting! IT'S DISGUSTING! I DON'T WANT IT!

So I spit it and scream. Because I don't want her to give me these gross noodles. Because I want to move and feed myself on my own. Because I'm tired of her happy face. Because I don't want to see this bright room anymore, with its mirrors and cables and cables and mirrors and...

"But..."

She doesn't smile. Now she's worried and she gets close to touch me. I can't move out of the way. She grabs my hand, concerned, and talks to me. But now I can't hear her. I see her but I don't hear her. Weird. She grabs me. I don't want her to grab me. I don't want her to touch me! DON'T TOUCH ME!

Her hand explodes. Disintegrates. Her skin disappears and the flesh melts over the bones. I don't want to see but I can't move. I see the blood. I see it fall over the floor. Just blood. I can't see anything else. I hear hysteric screaming and calls for help. Someone comes to take her out of here.

"Alice! Alice!" Someone screams. No, a lot of people scream. The happy girl screams. The people with white, expressionless faces scream. And everyone runs, they move, cry. I just look at the blood. The puddle of crimson grows with each passing second. Until suddenly I'm not in the bright room anymore. Now everything is dark and the girl in front of me doesn't smile. She's not blonde. She looks at me but doesn't see me. Her eyes are empty, lost. Her hands, stretched out towards me don't reach me. Her chest is covered in blood, red and thick. I try to go towards her but I can't move. Because, in reality, I'm still in the white room and the cables hold me in place. And it hurts because I can't get to her and she's so far away... too far away... and, at the same time, much too close.

            POV: Minhyun

Air... I need air... But there is none, just water. My whole body, completely bare, is submerged in water...

I open my eyes and see the surface. It's barely a half meter above me. Sitting up would be enough to get my head above the water to breathe. But I can't do that. My body doesn't respond.

I'll drown... Maybe it's better this way. My suffering would end here. But they would never allow that. I'm too valuable to be allowed to die.

Could I part the water myself? Yes, I definitely could, but it's not necessary. Why put in the effort?

Just like I expected, small, soft hands carefully grab my head and pull me out from under the water. Finally I can breathe, albeit a bit desperately.

"What are you doing, Yooyoung? You know Minhyun can't move on his own! Be more careful! If something happens to him, you're dead! They'd never forgive you!"

The owner of that voice hurries over and helps the first woman to sit me up in the metallic seat made specifically to bathe me. They make sure to place me in a position in which I can't accidently fall into the water in.

"I'm really sorry, Ara. I'll be more careful and it won't happen again. Min, forgive me please!"

"It's not a big deal, really. I'd like not to fall like a ragdoll, but, well..."

I smile and she returns it. She's calmed down and so has her leader.

Together, the two of them pull me from the water to start the cleaning process. I like when they do this. I like feeling their hands run over my body. It's not any sort of ual excitement or anything of the sort. I simply like feeling the contact with my skin. It makes it feel like my body still belongs to me. It makes it feel like I'm more than a ragdoll, that even if I can't move I can at least still feel something.

Their touch is gentle. They're the only ones that are like this, the only ones that talk to me and treat me like a person rather than an object. They're lovely and they're kind. I like being with them very much.

While they wash me they tell me things. Nothing about their lives though, or about their jobs. It's forbidden. They talk to me of mundane topics, things that don't matter, but for me it's more than enough. Just hearing their sweet voices is enough.

"Ara, could you give me some water please? I'd do it myself if I could move my arm..."

She smiles and complies quickly.

"I feel like I can't do anything for myself. I'm probably the one who gives you the most work."

"That's true but you're the one we like to care for the most."

"Ara's right. You're the most likeable! Besides, you're very cute..."

I blush a bit at her words. How long has it been since I've received a compliment? I really do like these girls. I wish I could spend the whole day with them...

They finish quickly. It's not too long before I'm dressed, my hair is styled and I'm seated in the uncomfortable makeup chair.

"Yooyoung, where's Yoonjo? Could you go get her?"

The younger woman arrives soon after with said person. She's the one in charge of my makeup. The redhead greets me with a quick nod and begins with her work.

"Good morning, Min! How are you today?"

"Hmm, the usual, you know. I try not to move around too much. Hey, how's your leg? Has it healed?"

"Yup! The doctor said it'll be completely healed soon. Thanks for asking. You're a sweetheart, Min."

These sessions of preparation for shows are the only good things in this place. They take hours in making me visually perfect, but for me my time here passes all too quickly...

Yoonjo finishes. I'm ready to be seen by the visitors. The guards waste no time in coming to collect me.

I don't want to go but I can't avoid it. All I can do is wait patiently for the next session.

I adore these girls. It's more obvious to me now than ever that I can't try to escape. If I'm caught, they'll never let me see them again. These girls are the only thing keeping me alive in this place. Without them I wouldn't be able to endure. I want to see them again already...

We reach my cell. The guards are dragging me along. One loosens their grip a bit and I, unable to keep my footing, fall to the floor. This seems to bother them. They yell, they insult me. What do they want me to do? I'd like to be able to move on my own too...

They seem to be in a bad mood. They grab me and punch me in the stomach as a supposed punishment for falling. They avoid my face and arms. The people who will come to see me shouldn't see any kind of bruise or mark on my body.

It hurts. , it hurts a lot! But I can't move. What the hell is wrong with them? Leave me alone! I look up at them with teary eyes but they don't show the slightest sign of sympathy. One of them has a broken mask. I hadn't noticed before.

I cough and the taste of metal fills my mouth. I spit out blood. This seems to get their attention and they finally cease to hit me.

Lifting me, they seat me in my place and clean off the blood. Like nothing happened, they leave.

That's it. I refuse to put up with this. I was wrong; I should get out of here. Not even the company of those girls is worth this hell. I don't care whether or not I'll see them again. I have to try and get out of here.

You win, paper plane boy. We'll run away. I'll help. We'll show them what we're capable of. We'll be free.

            POV: Baekho

I pace around my cell. Again.  Up, down, down, up, waiting... Today she has to come. She promised. I wait impatiently because, even if she doesn't know it, she's a key piece in this 'revolution'.

I sense the approach of footsteps. It has to be her.

There's no point in pretending to be chained up. She's the only one who knows. As long as she keeps my secret there's no danger. I know I can trust her. At least, I hope so. Because if not then everything is lost.

The zip in the curtain falls open and a guard enters my space. Masked, armed.

She removes her mask before getting any closer and gives me a wide smile.

"Hey there, Baek! How've you been? Have they hurt you too much while I've been gone?" She asks excitedly.

"No. You know I know how to control myself. If you don't provoke them, they treat you alright. And you?"

"Hmph, well... The new guy nearly killed one of the stylists. He totally destroyed one of her hands. He doesn't know how to control himself and he's giving us lots of problems. But let's not talking about that. Have you missed me?" she keeps that smug smile on her face.

"Of course. I've run out of paper."

"You idiot!" She smacked my arm playfully, pretending to be angry, and takes out a small stack of paper from under her jacket. They're perfect for my notes.

I reach out to grab it but she pulls away at the last moment. She places one hand to my chest and holds them out of reach.

"One moment... What do you have for me?"

"Aish, Nara... Always so untrusting..." I roll my eyes while I go to take an origami figure out from my hiding place.

She keeps quiet for a few seconds, studying it, impressed. It's a dragon. A tiny dragon with soft wings and painted eyes and scales. It looked like it could come to life and fly at any moment.

I'm lucky that I'm good at this sort of thing because it's the perfect excuse to ask her for these papers and pencils that I need for my cards.

"Back to little animals, Baek?" She teases once she's over the surprise.

"I got tired of flowers. They're much too simple. Besides, you're a warrior. A dragon suits you better."

"You're so cheesy today!" She laughs, messing up my hair with a hand.

"Ah! The stylists spent 20 minu—..." Something catches my attention. A small vibration in the air. An alarm goes off in my head; something's wrong.

"They'll get over it... Yooyoung loves your hair. I'm sure she wouldn't mind brushing it again." She keeps talking and I force myself to act like nothing's wrong so she won't notice. No one can know about my second ability. My ability to 'sense' things. Not even Nara can know.

Even as I continue talking with her, I expand the reach of my senses to discover what's going on.

The signal is coming from Cell 3. Ren. They're beating my boy. . Why can't he just keep a low profile? Why does he have to provoke them?

I can't help him. Not with Nara here. Not that I could do much if I was alone... And I can't kick out Nara. She hardly ever comes to see me and she's my friend. It would seem strange to ask her to leave...

I have to wait until she leaves. She always leaves quickly anyway. She never stays more than 10 minutes. I know because I often count the seconds.

I smile as we talk over trivial things. Over what's happening in the sport world, over her boyfriend and his insisting that she leave this job, over her mother's debt and that being the reason she can't quit... But while I smile and respond with monosyllables my mind is elsewhere. I follow Ren's fight. My poor Ren. The attacks feel violent. It almost hurts just to sense them. If they don't calm down soon, he'll be nothing but a splatter against the floor.

Finally, Nara leaves and I release a breath of relief when the door closes behind her. It's been a while since the guards have left Ren and now he's holding up a card for me. I grab it quickly, anxious to read it. Relieved that he's well enough to be able to write.

But my heart nearly stops altogether when I see the note. It's covered in blood, nearly unreadable underneath all the stains. I manage to make out a few words.

... leave now. I can't... anymore. Help me, I need you.

My Ren. My poor Ren. I still have no idea what he looks like, but imagining him in his cell, covered in blood, tears my heart to shreds.

Maybe he's right. Maybe it's time to go. Maybe it's time to act.

Ready, act to bring it to an end!

Ready, act to bring them down.

Ready, a spectacle to end them!

Ready, time for your own show!