He heard her shrill laugh, the tip of the needle lightly touching his forearm as he struggled against the restraints. The action caused him to receive a slap across the face. The sting burnt, making him instantly keep his eyes shut.

He feared what he would receive if he as much as peered at her.

It didn’t take long until Sanghyuk felt the needle pierce his skin. The cold metal made his blood freeze. The thread attached to it made him grit his teeth, the string wrapping itself around his bones.  She let out a giggle as he writhed; brushing his hair with affection while he bit his lip.

Her high heels clacking against the solid ground was a blessing to his ears. He waited until the sound had disappeared completely before slowly opening his eyes.

Sanghyuk glanced down at his forearm. Bile rose in his throat as he saw the coarse bark slithering all the way up to his elbow. He swallowed, breathing harshly through his nose.

“Sanghyuk…”

His head jerked towards the voice, staring Hongbin straight in the eye. The other man had an expression of utter guilt plastered across his face. After a while, he broke the eye-contact, looking at his arm instead.

His arm that had shards of glass embedded within the soft skin.

“Don’t,” Sanghyuk whispered, stepping forwards until the restraints pulled at his limbs and he hit the bars confining him. “Don’t apologize; this is my fault as well.”

It had been a ridiculous idea to begin with. Sanghyuk didn’t understand how he’d deluded himself into believing they’d be able to escape.

Wishful thinking that was what it had been. In the end, what it brought had been nothing but more mutilations and malfunctions to themselves. He observed the cracked glass in front of him.

He’d been too naïve to think that breaking the glass between the bars, that pushing against the wall with all his strength without caring about the restraints digging into his skin would set him free.

“I suggested it,” Hongbin murmured, barely audible in the cellar that they were caged in. “If it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“It’s not as if we aren’t doomed either way,” Hyuk stated firmly, resting his head against the cool metal bars.

Hongbin was far from unharmed. He’d managed to break the display case trapping him. However, as soon as the glass hit the floor, she was right in front of him. Without even hesitating, she had picked up each shard from the floor in complete ease.

One by one, those shards had been slowly pushed into Hongbin’s forearm.

The screams that had followed had Hyuk retching on the ground; hands clawing at his ears.

Hongbin sighed, expression grim as he sat cross-legged inside the display case. The bright lights fixed above him illuminated his entire form, truly showcasing his beauty. Despite the scabs circling the shards in his punctured skin, Hongbin was as beautiful as he’d been the first time Sanghyuk had seen him.

“But, we will get out of here,” Sanghyuk whispered, gaining the other’s attention. “I promise we will.”

A sad smile contoured Hongbin’s lips. The idea was but an idea, nothing more, and nothing less. Both of them knew that.

He could dream though. It didn't hurt to dream, even if dreaming was all that he’d done.

The sound of heels meeting stone floor made his blood freeze. Sanghyuk sent one quick look towards Hongbin before hurriedly walking away from the metal bars. She entered the cellar with the usual carefree aura radiating off of her, as if she’d forgotten something in the area.

As if she didn’t torture six people each and every day.

“Ah, I’m bored,” she pouted, puffing out her cheeks in an attempt to seem endearing.

It did nothing but frighten Sanghyuk, cold sweat instinctively breaking out on his skin. He stared hard at the floor, holding his breath as he felt her eyes roam across his body before scanning the rest of the room.

“Cha Hakyeon,” she began cheerfully, crossing the short distance. “You’ve been awfully quiet, is there something bothering you?”

Sanghyuk glanced at the two, observed how Hakyeon tensed under her scrutiny. He sat rigidly on a couch draped in plastic, the black leather restraints hanging from the ceiling and holding him in place. As she came closer, he stood up.

There was silence, suffocating, broken only by Hakyeon charging at her.

She laughed as Hakyeon slammed his hands against the split glass wall. The shrill sound sent shivers down Sanghyuk’s spine. Hakyeon snarled at her, eyes livid while she shook her head.

“Now, now,” she continued with a playful smile. “Don’t be like that, it’s not polite.”

Hakyeon glared at her, fighting against the ropes binding him. She tilted her head to the side, an expression of amusement on her features.

“You didn’t answer my question. Is there something bothering you?”

“You,” he snapped.

Sanghyuk watched the whole scene with bated breath. Hakyeon had been imprisoned far longer than the rest of them; he was the only one who could talk back without facing any consequences. However, Sanghyuk had never seen Hakyeon this mad before. The other man was kindhearted, too nice for his own good.

He was the person who had looked after Sanghyuk when he’d found himself inside a cell. He was the person who had taken care of him, who had made the hellhole he was trapped in seem somewhat of a home.

Sanghyuk had a feeling that the recent shift in Hakyeon’s emotions, how he’d turned cold the past couple of days, was due to their latest resident.

As the thought crossed his mind, he saw her take a step towards Hakyeon.

She leaned close, almost close enough for Hakyeon to grab her, before she stopped. The room was silent; if a pin were to drop Sanghyuk was certain it would’ve been heard.

“Cha Hakyeon,” she whispered, voice suddenly taking on a dangerous edge. “I love to hear your voice but, it gets annoying after a while. Please act like your usual self. You wouldn’t want our dearest Jaehwan to suffer now would you?”

The name seemed to trigger something in Hakyeon. He froze. The words had diminished the fire that had occupied his gaze, leaving the pupils with nothing but a blank stare. His hands, spread open over the glass wall, fell limply to his side.

She smiled at him, petting his hair through the cracks before striding over to the next cell.

Sanghyuk could see it. He could see the defeated slump in Hakyeon’s back as he watched her leave, could see how the latter was shaking.

“Lee Jaehwan,” she beamed at him. “How are you today?”

Jaehwan didn’t speak; instead he looked at her with eyes filled with need. He needed her the same way they’d all needed her in the beginning. If it weren’t for Jaehwan’s presence, it would’ve been Sanghyuk gazing at her.

“I missed you too,” she spoke, voice soft. “You know you’re my favorite, right?”

The words made him want to puke, her tone too foreign, too feigned. It did wonders for Jaehwan though. His eyes widened, hands pushing against the dirty glass separating them. She held up her hand as well, meeting his.

If it weren’t for Jaehwan’s tattered clothes. If it weren’t for the bruises, the burn marks marring his skin. If it weren’t for the flesh wound cutting into his chest and the metal rings clipped onto his limbs like the rest of them.

If it weren’t for any of them, they’d make a good couple.

She looked at him with such affection in her eyes that for a split second, she didn’t resemble the psychopath that tortured them day and night.

Sanghyuk quickly shook his head, ridding his mind of those thoughts.

She was the Devil incarnated, no matter how many masks she tried to put on for them.

“I’ll see you soon,” she whispered to Jaehwan, the glass before leaving him.

Taekwoon was the next person. He silently glared at her, eyes intense while she scrutinized him. Sanghyuk had learnt from the many quiet moments he’d spent with Taekwoon that the other man wasn’t good with words, or rather, he disliked talking.

However, that had enabled Sanghyuk to observe as well as memorize the smallest of actions that Taekwoon’s body did. The body language he was showing while she continued to browse him was the usual one.

On edge, a slight tremble running down his hands. He was afraid, Sanghyuk didn’t blame him.

The flickering television screens surrounding Taekwoon illuminated his face. A small smile graced her lips as she grabbed the fence blocking them from each other. Taekwoon stood his ground, back straight.

“How are you, Jung Taekwoon?” She purred, biting her lower lip.

Sanghyuk swallowed. Taekwoon was the only person who hadn’t screamed, hadn’t let any noise escape his lips during the whole time he’d been imprisoned. Her aim was to make him lash out, scream, beg, cry, anything that would prove him to be more human than he let on.

Taekwoon’s aim was to see how long it would take her to grow tired of him. His aim was to wait until she replaced him with someone else, until she allowed him to get away without stopping him.

Sanghyuk knew. He knew because every time she failed in achieving a reaction from Taekwoon after every session, there was a glint of something hopeful in his eyes.

Sanghyuk found him to be as naïve as he was.

“Why won’t you talk to me?” She whined, lightly hitting the fence. “Do I have to punish you?”

She was met with no response. Sighing, she her heel before walking towards the table in the middle, the tool table. Without hesitating, she brandished a remote control from the drawer.

A click resonated within the cellar.

The televisions stopped flickering, their screens tuning into one single channel. The images that surfaced were of one single person.

Kim Wonsik.

It was from the past. Wonsik struggling against her clutches as she laughed at him. His arms were twisted, bent in unimaginable angles. His eyes bleeding as she stabbed them over and over. Her hands were tainted with red, the needle in her fingers barely noticeable in the sea of redness staining it.

Wonsik was bound to a chair, nails holding his limbs in place. The blood ran down his cheeks, dripping down onto his ripped clothes. The liquid mixed with the flesh wounds, wounds that had almost been healed if it weren’t for the stitched that had been forcefully torn off.

His screams sounded static from the televisions. Sanghyuk closed his eyes, trying to shut out the noise. He remembered the session.

There had been too much blood, too much for a body to hold.

The noise continued, growing louder while echoing in the cellar. Sanghyuk cracked one eye open, seeing her thumb pressing down on the remote control. He glanced at Taekwoon; the man wasn’t giving any reaction.

However, Sanghyuk knew him by now. He saw the set jaw. Taekwoon was trying to keep himself from crying out.

“This is so fun,” she giggled, changing the channels to their usual flickering screens before skipping over to the final cell. “Isn’t it, Wonsik?”

Wonsik eyed her with pure hatred. Out of all of them, he’d been her favorite.

The images on the television were the proof. Wonsik was the first but not the last to be a part of her collection. His eyes were buttons, brutally sewn into place by her hands. His arms had healed a long time ago, yet the bones beneath the skin protruded in the wrong places whenever he stretched them.

He was beginning to transform, beginning to become possessed by the needle she’d injected him with.

Although the process was slow. Sanghyuk didn’t know if that was a good thing. Certainly it would take longer time for Wonsik to fully turn on them; however, the sloppy patchwork that had been done on him was something Sanghyuk wanted to erase completely from his memory.

Sanghyuk was snapped out of his thoughts as the sound of banging entered his ears. Wonsik was snarling at her, hands balled into fists as he bashed the glass wall. It was dented in several places, the algorithms covering the various spots having begun to fade.

“Wonsik, don’t be like that,” she fussed, feigning an expression of hurt. “When will you accept my love?”

He ignored her, pounding the glass until the skin on his knuckles split. He didn’t stop even as small droplets of blood coated his fists. She shook her head, sighing before leaving him to his frenzy.

“Whatever,” she called out over her shoulder. “You’ll accept it sooner than later, we both know that.”

Her high heels clacked on the ground made Sanghyuk curl up. It was inevitable, the torturing wouldn’t end nor would it take even the slightest of breaks. Yet he hoped, hoped each and every day with his whole being that she’d grow bored and replace them.

Her slender fingers picked up the accursed doll sitting in the middle of her tool table. It was battered, an arm about to come off as well as one of its two button eyes hanging by a thread. She scrutinized it, frowning.

Sanghyuk hadn’t seen this reaction before. He held his breath in anticipation.

“No!” she screeched, the noise causing Sanghyuk to freeze in fear. “You worthless doll, are you also rejecting my love?”

She spun around to face Hakyeon, holding the doll in her quivering hand while pointing an accusatory finger at him.

“I’m not surprised,” she hissed, her attitude shifting into a complete opposite one from her usual demeanor. “You’re just like your owner, aren’t you?”

Hakyeon looked taken aback, a flicker of fear in his eyes as he watched her bite her lower lip. Her teeth drew blood, coating them while she hurled the doll towards the ground.

Sanghyuk gasped, her sudden change in behavior scaring him.

She stomped out of the cellar, the sound of her high heels reverberating in the room. The silence that enveloped them afterwards was numbing. Sanghyuk shakily stood up, staring at the doll on the ground.

“What’s going on?” He whispered.

“Don’t say anything.”

He jerked his head towards the voice, gaze boring into Hakyeon as the latter breathed out. The man took a couple steps forwards, stopping as he came face to face with the cracked glass wall.

Time seemed to pause. Sanghyuk couldn’t believe his eyes. Hakyeon dug his fingers into one metal ring, ripping it off of his skin. He didn’t flinch, moving to the next one with the same ease.

A feeling of dread mixed with hope overtook Sanghyuk’s senses as Hakyeon freed his limbs one after another.

Time had quickened. The bars confining Sanghyuk from the outside world were pushed to the side, Hakyeon standing in the opening.

“How did you do that?” Sanghyuk asked, awe in his voice.

Hakyeon didn’t respond, focusing on the restraints holding Sanghyuk back. He took one of the metal rings, a gentle touch to it as opposed to what he’d done to himself. Although Sanghyuk didn’t see any need for carefulness.

The prickling feeling of the rings being plucked out of his skin was nothing compared to the endless torture Sanghyuk had had to witness, and experience.

“Hakyeon,” he whispered once all the rings were disposed of. “How did you-”

“Can you move?”

Sanghyuk paused, slowly taking a step forwards. His legs throbbed, the foreign actions sending sharp bursts of pain coursing through his veins. Taking a deep breath, Sanghyuk pushed on until he was out of his cell.

The smell of rotten flesh, intensified as he stood outside his confinement for the first time wasn’t what brought tears to his eyes.

It was the sensation of freedom.

“How did you do that?” He repeated, glancing at Hakyeon.

The other man sighed. He clicked his tongue, bending down to pick up the discarded doll. Sanghyuk froze, awaiting the feeling of being possessed. It never came.

“This doll,” Hakyeon began, carelessly swinging it in his hand. “It doesn’t have any effect on us anymore. Didn’t you notice it?”

Sanghyuk hadn’t remembered. It dawned on him though. He hadn’t reacted when the doll had made impact with the ground.

“That’s why she left,” he murmured in awe.

Hakyeon nodded, clutching the doll in his hands as he walked towards Hongbin’s display case. “She’s overused it, and now she has to fix another one.”

“How long will it take?” Hongbin responded, gazing at Hakyeon.

“Not too fast, not too slow.”

The case was broken with one blow. More blood ran down Hakyeon’s hand as he helped Hongbin plant his feet on the ground. The strength he possessed was incredible, it made Sanghyuk wonder how long Hakyeon had been trapped within these walls before the rest of them arrived.

He shuddered. From the way he spoke with her, it must’ve been a far too long time.

“Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon commanded, jerking him out of his reverie. “Go get Taekwoon and Wonsik.”

Sanghyuk responded with a curt nod, hurriedly moving to Taekwoon’s cell. He touched the fence, meeting the other man’s eye as he gripped it tighter. Taking a deep breath, Sanghyuk concentrated his strength in his grip before pulling the fence back.

It was ripped from its position, almost sending Sanghyuk tumbling to the ground as it clattered against the stone floor. He gaped at the sight; he hadn’t thought being in captivity would increase his strength tenfold.

Yet again, he never thought he’d be tortured day and night until he’d reach these kinds of limits.

Slowly, he stepped into the cell. The television screens hurt his eyes as he took one of the metal rings cutting into Taekwoon’s forearm. Sanghyuk looked at him warily, afraid that he was being too careless.

“Here I go,” he whispered, voice slightly trembling.

As quickly as Sanghyuk could manage, he ripped out the ring. Taekwoon didn’t even flinch, simply staring into the distance as Sanghyuk worked on the rest of the restraints. Sanghyuk quickly finished off the last one, dragging Taekwoon with him as he exited the cell.

“Stay here,” he said firmly. “I’ll get Wonsik.”

He quickly headed for the man, massaging his temples as he crossed the short distance. It was a strange feeling, moving his limbs, being able to freely speak without receiving a punishment. It felt foreign, yet natural.

“Wonsik, we’re getting out of here.” Sanghyuk spoke up, gaining his attention.

He wasn’t himself; Sanghyuk knew that all too well. He didn’t know though that Wonsik would lose his entire self. The man threw his whole body against the glass wall separating them, roaring at him while he tried to smash through the wall. Sanghyuk took a couple steps back, staring with wide eyes at the scene in front of him.

Raising his voice, he tried to catch Wonsik’s gaze with his own. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

It didn’t help; it only seemed to put more fuel on the fire. Wonsik bared his teeth at Sanghyuk, causing him to step even further back. Fear overtook his senses, and it sickened him. He didn’t want to be afraid of someone who went through the same nightmare that he did.

He didn’t want to fear someone who had faced more agony, more pain than he’d ever imagined possible.

“Please, Wonsik,” Sanghyuk pleaded. “We’re going to get out-“

“She won’t hurt us.”

Sanghyuk spun around, coming face to face with Taekwoon. His interruption surprised him, Taekwoon had never spoken before. His voice was soft yet raspy, quiet yet powerful. Wonsik stopped, staring at Taekwoon while the other met his gaze.

“We’ll get out of this, together.” Taekwoon said quietly.

A beat passed, Sanghyuk watching the exchange carefully as Wonsik began to relax his posture. The tiniest of smiles flickered across his lips, disappearing as fast as it had appeared. Wonsik waited as Taekwoon walked closer, not even looking at him as he brandished one of the sturdy needles belonging to the tool table.

Taekwoon hacked into the glass, showing a surprising amount of power as the wall began to crack. He hit the same spot a couple more times, the hole becoming bigger and bigger until it broke completely.

“Thanks,” Wonsik mumbled as he got out, leaning against Taekwoon for support.

Sanghyuk looked back and forth between the two. He had known that Taekwoon held a special place for Wonsik, but he’d never known that the other man shared the same affection. How deep it ran was now clear in Sanghyuk’s eyes, he’d been too careless with his observations.

“Are you lovebirds done yet?” Hakyeon called out, arching an eyebrow at them.

None of them replied, simply trudging over to where Hakyeon stood beside the tool table. Sanghyuk followed suit, halting as he walked past a cell.

Jaehwan was still sitting obediently inside the confined space. He wasn’t budging, merely observing them with little interest. Sanghyuk stared at him, confusion clear in his eyes as he stepped closer towards the cell.

“Stop, Sanghyuk.”

Hakyeon’s strict tone had him stopping. Sanghyuk wavered, the thought of Jaehwan alone in her hands preventing him from moving. He shook his head, standing his ground.

“Why can’t we save him?”

“He’s too infatuated with her,” Hakyeon responded, a dark expression taking over his features. “There is no chance he’ll come with us.”

“But we can’t leave him,” Hongbin argued, pushing past him to reach where Sanghyuk stood. “Is there no other way-“

“We’re not leaving him,” he interjected, averting his gaze. “I’m not leaving him.”

It took Sanghyuk a second to digest the barely audible statement. He stepped forwards, a hand raised in protest. Hakyeon gave him no time to intervene, gesturing to a door.

“Get out, before she comes back.” He spoke firmly.

Sanghyuk couldn’t believe his ears or his eyes. The sight unfolding in front of him was surreal. Taekwoon responded with a short nod, pulling Wonsik with him as they exited the room. Hongbin stayed by his side, his hand grabbing Sanghyuk’s arm.

He didn’t know his feet were moving, didn’t know he was responding to Hongbin as he lead him towards the door. It wasn’t until they’d reached the door that his mind seemed to connect itself once again.

Hakyeon was watching them. A smile lighting up his face as something akin to tears were seen in his eyes.

The door closed, Hongbin’s hand continuing to lead him as his other one let go off the door frame.  

He did know Hakyeon was never going to escape, as long as Jaehwan stayed.

“Sanghyuk, we have to hurry up,” Hongbin’s calm voice whispered, his grip tightening.

He nodded faintly. A long corridor stretched out in front of them, multiple doors lining its sides as the light flickered above them. The air was ominous. Sanghyuk took a deep breath, removing Hongbin’s hand before striding forwards.

Each step brought them closer to their freedom. The small vibrations that coursed through his feet felt an earthquake shaking him. Sanghyuk kept his balance, trying to muffle any sounds that escaped the stone floor.

“We’re almost there,” Hongbin breathed out, pointing to the end.

Light, limited from their view yet burning with such brilliance peeked from behind a closed door. It stretched out, reaching for them. The sight made Sanghyuk fasten his pace, a feeling of hope bubbling up in his chest as he came closer.

His feet lost contact with the ground, dread coursing through his veins as the air was knocked out of him.

“No,” Hongbin murmured, voice quivering.

Glancing back, Sanghyuk saw Hongbin staring at him in pain. The pain was quickly replaced with blankness as his eyes rolled back, his body crumbling to the ground. Sanghyuk froze, hands shaking. He had tried to catch Hongbin as the other fell. His hands hadn’t responded.

A noise echoed in the distance. Someone was screaming.

Sanghyuk didn’t recognize the scream.

He did recognize the other one that came after. 

It belonged to Wonsik.

Slamming his hands against his ears, Sanghyuk tried to block it. Yet despite the blood rushing, the pounding of his heart, despite everything he still heard the heart wrenching scream that could only belong to one person.

Taekwoon’s scream ended, leaving the corridor empty with nothing but anguish and desperation.

Sanghyuk didn’t have any time to run through what had happened. He was hoisted higher into the air, before the invisible grip ruthlessly hurled him to the ground. The impact was stronger than he’d expected, cracks ringing in his ears as he began to cough blood.

He was lifted again, slammed down another time before darkness started to tug at his vision. Gritting his teeth, Sanghyuk tried to drag himself forwards.

His reward was a repeated session.

The darkness clouded his vision. Yet he saw, he saw the faint streaks of light begging him to continue onwards.

It hurt his eyes, tears falling from them as he clawed at the ground. He wanted out, he wanted freedom.

He had never been this close before. He had never known how great freedom felt.

Sanghyuk had never known how painful, how agonizing, losing freedom felt.

He cried out, nails scraping the bare tiles. His screams reverberated throughout the corridor, replaying in his mind as he reached for the light.

Gravity betrayed him once again. The impact tore off the little strength he had left; leaving him sprawled across the ground in a bloody heap. The last thing entering his ears was the sound of clacking high heels.

After that, darkness embraced him.

“Han Sanghyuk, it’s time to wake up!”

The darkness faded, the fog clearing up as he blinked a couple times. She was smiling at him, a fresh doll cradled in her hands.

A new wall had been set up, the glass shimmering in the flickering lights along with the metal bars.

“Ah, I was so lonely,” she wailed, hugging the doll closer.

She spun on her heel, gesturing to their brand-new cells. A wide grin had taken over her lips when she turned back to him. Sanghyuk barely detected it, too focused on Hakyeon’s cell.

It was empty.

Jaehwan looked strangely saddened. His eyes were duller than the last time Sanghyuk had seen him.

“Jaehwan will forgive me,” she said, taking a step backwards. “He always does.”

Sanghyuk ignored her. He continued to inspect the other cells. The sights made his heart break. Taekwoon kneeled on the ground, a position he’d never seen him in. His eyes had been tightly stitched together, the black thread coated with blood.

Wonsik besides him, limbs shackled to the wall. He was staring down at the ground, shoulders slumped. His lips were tightly stitched together. The thread was almost unnoticeable, caked blood covering it.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” She whispered, watching them with motherly affection. “It took me a minute or two to figure out what I’d do with them. But this, I couldn’t be happier.”

“Don’t be sad though, I saved the best for last.”

Her voice drilled into his head, the tone too gleeful. He jerked his head towards her as she walked to the middle of the room. The tool table shone with its utensils displayed in the open. Her hands grazed them, fingers dancing across the metal until stopping at a long needle.

Sanghyuk hadn’t seen it before. The mere sight of it brought a feeling of dread down the pit of his stomach. She positioned herself in front of someone, leaning forwards to their hair.

It struck Sanghyuk like lightning. Hongbin wasn’t in his cell.

“You’ve always been my true favorite,” she purred, caressing his cheek. “None of them can match up to you.”

Shackles held him back, chains that limited his movement. He trashed around, trying to break free from his confinement as tears clouded his eyes. He knew what would happen.

He didn’t want it to happen. Sanghyuk couldn’t lose Hongbin.

He’d rather lose freedom than Hongbin.

She strode around him, revealing the man to Sanghyuk. He was sitting on a chair, no restrictions. The scene hurt Sanghyuk. His eyes were half lidded, face expressionless. There was no smile evident, no kind eyes watching his way.

Hongbin looked far from alive.

She positioned the needle against the back of his neck. Sanghyuk felt his breathing accelerate, desperately yanking his arms from the chains. Nothing happened except the red marks that appeared on his skin.

“Please,” Sanghyuk pleaded, vision covered with tears. “Please, don’t do this. I promise I’ll do whatever you want if you don’t do this!”

She paused, looking up at him.

“I’ll take his place,” he sobbed. “Just let him go, please.”

Her grip loosened. A sense of hope filled Sanghyuk’s chest as she seemed to ponder his words.

“That does sound interesting,” she began.

Sanghyuk felt himself calm down, his breathing slower as her fingers slipped off of the needle. She touched her lips, further contemplating.

He thought he’d reached through to her. He believed she’d listened to him.

Sanghyuk should’ve stopped believing long ago.

The buttons replacing Hongbin’s pupils when the needle was pushed all the way through his nape met Sanghyuk’s. Emotionless, lifeless as he stared at him.

“I love you too much for that to happen,” she giggled, pulling out the needle.

A scream forced its way into Sanghyuk’s ears. It pierced his thoughts, it broke his heart. It destroyed what was left of him. It reduced him to nothing.

He recognized it as his own.