next update will be fast because it's small

Chaerin finally managed to fall asleep only after midnight. Her mind kept bringing the conversation with Kai and kept analyzing everything he’d told her, along with the fact that he’d actually shared so much with her. She’d realized she’d come to feel pity for him. Avoiding that thought, her mind wandered to how close, physically wise, they’d stood. How Kai’s face looked from such a close proximity. It had taken her a while to shake the feeling of curiosity and anticipation and the guesses of his lips’ taste.

In the end, she just concentrated on everything they’d have to achieve for her to get her past back and, suddenly, the trade was worth it. Now that she knew how many dirty secrets she missed, she knew it was worth at least one try. To that exact try she woke up to. Suho, who’d pulled the curtains apart to let light shine into her room, brought her back from dreamland. When she woke up, she was partly glad she hadn’t dreamt of any nightmare, but she was also worried for that exact reason.

“So, these are the blueprints I made from my memory of the laboratory. This is the first floor,” Suho said, pointing at one sheet he’d drawn straight lines and lots of boxes that were named after what every room was. “And this one is the basement,” he pointed at the second. “I’ve not been many times on the second floor so I’ll try to remember it later. For now, this is enough because the others’ are locked in here.” Suho’s finger pointed at the sheet of the basement where a few square boxes were perfectly aligned.

“We’ll have to either break through the second floor or the entrance. Considering that the latter is the worst case scenario, I suggest we go through the second floor,” Suho thought aloud and Chaerin looked at Kai for his opinion. He, however, looked confused.

“Why can’t we go through the first floor? It’s much easier and from what I remember, there’s less security. Plus, that’s where the fire and light-related testing units are. If we are lucky enough, we’ll bump into Chanyeol, Chen or Baekhyun. We have chances of adding up in number,” Kai glanced at Chaerin and then at Suho, “and we surely need that at this point.”

Suho, however, shook his head. “No. There’s too much commotion happening there.” He stacked his papers nicely and brought a third one to line with his pen some abstract boxes. “Besides, on the second floor is Sehun and DO. They can help.”

“But Sehun’s practically useless!” Chaerin was surprised by the way Kai was starting to become frustrated. It made her wonder if it was because Suho was not listening to him.

“I make the plans here.” Suho was far too calm compared to his counterpart and the girl felt all the more smaller in front of them.

“And I have more power than you so I have the final say.”

“I know so many people to disagree with that.”

Kai clenched his jaws, frown so deep. “Fine, do as you please. But don’t expect me to follow your, of anyone’s, orders.”

“Maybe we should just put this on hold and talk about it on the way,” Chaerin tried but she shut when Kai addressed a glare at her.

“You, don’t talk.”

That was beyond what she had asked for and with a swift move, she stood up and hit her hands on the surface of the dinner table. “I want to see you two do it on your own then!”

A song cut off the tension as suddenly as it had started and the three of them glanced at the cell phone on the kitchen counter. With the two males frozen, Chaerin quickly ran for it and found a received message. She gulped, almost sure of what it was about. She pressed to open it and there it was, the same game as before, launching on its own.

The same character with red hair walked through another part of the forest, coming to a stop when a white big building showed up. The character used the yellow key to enter the building but was stopped when enemies showed up and captured them. The scenery changed into a white room where the red-haired character had now light blue hair and threw orbs of blue at others, which Chaerin guessed to be enemies.

Then, the game zoomed out and the screen flashed white before it showed the starting screen once more. Chaerin’s wide eyes rose and looked at the two males who, without losing time started to act.

“Get a pair of blankets and some water, Kai. We’re leaving.” Suho gathered the papers into a pile and then glanced at Chaerin. “You better call your boss and tell him you’re not going to work today. And possibly for a couple days.”

***

“Where is it, exactly?” Chaerin asked from the backseat of the van and Kai glanced at her through the rear mirror.

“Far enough,” Suho replied, his eyes scanning through the paperwork. “We couldn’t even train you,” he added in a mutter and Kai lets a short, low growl.

“We could have if we didn’t leave this suddenly.”

Suho outright ignored Kai’s comment and continued; “Since we’re this far, I think it’s time for you to know about your past. Ask away, and this time, I’ll answer them as detailed as I can.”

Chaerin froze in place. The moment had finally come, she could know about whatever she wanted. Finally, she could fill in the years of her life she knew close to nothing about. It overwhelmed her. After five years, to come to this and have someone who could answer everything brought a knot to her chest. She wondered if, maybe, she was not yet ready to hear all of it.

“Who are my parents?” Who were they and where are they? Why had they left her on her own?

“I only know of your mother,” Suho started, eyes suddenly becoming so grim. Chaerin anticipated the worst. “She was a poor and greatly unlucky woman. She had been arrested for stealing from the flea market when she was given, without anyone’s knowledge, to the experiment laboratory. She was studied for her anatomy and genes, spending a couple years in between the white walls until she was pushed further into a project. The first one that carried you.”

“You see, you were merely a test that was supposed to die. But you didn’t. And that brought new light and hope for the experiments the unit had been on for decades. For the first time, the newborn had stayed alive. The man who’d been there the first, he’d gotten to know the whole story through eavesdropping and he told me that, at some point, you did die. But something kept you alive so he guessed you were pampered since then. We’re not sure though, so it’s just a hypothesis.”

“And what happened to my mother?”

Suho hesitated. “Kris told me they got rid of her. When he had gotten there, she was already missing so we guess she was sent off years before he arrived into the laboratory, from how the talk was at the minimum about her.”

“That’s…” Chaerin couldn’t even bring herself to word out her disgust. What were those people? She felt Kai’s glance through the rear mirror, a short glance of worry; she’d caught that. “And how… was my childhood?”

“You didn’t have any,” Suho replied quickly. “You were trained since age three and until then, you were basically in a tub, still being added genes and whatnot. When Kris first saw you, you were already being trained at army level and you were barely fifteen. His first impression of you was admiration and terror. Both Kai and I have the same first memory. You were already practically an obedient machine with no whatsoever sense or feeling.”

“I already told you about our first meeting,” Kai added, another glance. “You always did that with new recruits.”

“Did I?” Chaerin wanted to laugh. This sounded too weird and strange and it felt like she was starring in a science fiction movie. In one that she would most likely have to sacrifice herself for the rest. “And what about the other guy? Kai told me there was also a short male that was around with Kris and me.”

“Short male? With you? Did you talk about Luhan to her?” Suho growled at Kai but the latter shook his head.

“I kept my mouth shut, okay? I just mentioned him.” Kai glared but Suho had already turned to look at Chaerin.

“He was something like… a bodyguard. He was made for the sole purpose of controlling you when you slipped past the lines. He was also supposed to…” Suho trailed off when Kai let a deep growl that sent chills up Chaerin’s back.

“Supposed to what?” Chaerin pressed nonetheless and Suho sighed.

“You two were meant to be mixed and have an offspring that carried both or your abilities and would therefore be the superior. Had it had been born, it would be able to control both objects and people and such was the goal of the tests that had been going on for more than thirty years.”

Chaerin grimaced. How could they think of people like some kind of breed of dog. Like it was the same, like they could mix them until they reached the satisfactory result. It really was disgusting to her.

“But, luckily, you killed him.” There was something joyful in Kai’s tone that made Chaerin sick. How could someone think like that?

“Kai, don’t mix in your personal grudges. Hold them for another time.” Suho was quick to scold him but that had been enough for Chaerin to change her mind about Kai.

“She hated him herself!” Kai protested and Chaerin frowned.

“Wait, did you say I killed him?”

“You were a flawed subject despite being the best one in the laboratory. You are divided by two sides; the good and the bad. Once you became fifteen, your bad one started to become more powerful and you started acting up. Hence why the scientists were in need of someone as powerful as you to control you. But he wasn’t a match to you and you killed him at the weakest point you’d ever been at. Your bad side practically exploded and you ruined half of the building, taking numerous scientists down with the ruins. Neither of us could stop you and when Luhan tried, he… didn’t succeed.”

“And then, you blanked out,” Kai added, almost whispering.

I could hear numerous shots in the air and I could feel my connection with the rest becoming weaker—they were going down. The scientists were drugging them to force them to give up on the revolution our superior had started. But she’d fallen to her knees shortly after Luhan did.

I still had the vision of bloodied Luhan in front of my eyes. She hadn’t hurt him, no. She’d ruined him. Much like a flower, she’d hit his roots, she’d gone for his brain and the pain he suffered was unavoidable. Blood had reeked through his ears and nose, his mouth was open in a silent scream and his fingers twitched with every nerve our superior went through and cut off. Fast yet painfully slow for him, she destroyed the young male in front of me as if he was nothing but a crisp she could step on.

But they tried to hold her down… They truly did