Bloodlines // Stray Kids

60

Gracie, Jisung, and Minho had formed their own group to search for Rachel and were carefully moving through the halls of the southern wings of the tower.

"So, is nobody going to talk about what happened back in the meeting chamber?" Jisung asked hesitantly.

"Are we even sure we know what happened back there?" Minho responds

"Does it even matter?" Gracie says in a sharp tone.

"Of course it does. You saw the five of them. They aren't human." Jisung shoots back.

"So what? Partially neither are we, but that's beside the point. I just entered a room to find my parents dead. Connor, Felix, Hyunjin, Seungmin, and Jeongin are still themselves. I'm not about to lose my closest friends just because I'm confused as to what's going on right now."

"She's right Jisung." Minho spoke up quietly. "So they may look at little different now, that doesn't change who they are inside."

"There is just so much happening right now."

"It'll pass." Gracie tried to reassure him. "We'll get through it."

"Come to think of it, there is something that's been bugging me though." Minho said

"What is it?" Jisung and Gracie asked simultaneously.

"Felix's mom referred to Felix as 'my prince,' and Hyunjin's father did the same to Connor. If it had just been Felix's mom saying that to Felix I wouldn't have thought much of it because it can be a common family term of endearment towards a son, but Hyunjin's father saying it to Connor was strange."

"Connor, Hyunjin, and I grew up together, perhaps he had just grown to see Connor as a second son?" Gracie said with a hesitant tone not really matching her statement.

"We all know that wouldn't be a normal thing to do even if was the case." Minho paused. "Maybe I'm just overthinking things."

The three came to the end of the southern wing of the tower and could not find Rachel in any of the rooms.

"I'm pretty sure this side of the tower is deserted, we haven't found anything." Jisung said with a sigh.

"Let's head to the safe house and meet up with everyone to plan our next move." Gracie said as the three made their way out of the tower.

~~

"Brittney, do you really think splitting up is the best idea?" Brandi was nervous. "The three of us always stick together when something's wrong. That's how it's been since we were little."

"We'll cover more ground that way. I can escape trouble using my illusions or hypnosis, and you can stay with Woojin who can protect you both. We need to try and find Rachel as quickly as possible."

"Fine, just be careful." Woojin said as he and Brandi moved down one hall while Brittney made her way down the other.

Brittney walked carefully, watching for any traps Jaemin could have set and listening for the slightest bit of movement. The halls were quiet and deserted, but as she made her way further down the corridors she couldn't help the feeling of dread that seemed to wash over her. As she got further down the hall it seemed as if the lights themselves were getting darker, the feeling of unease sinking into her bones and causing a chill to run up her spine. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched as she moved down the halls, the shadows seemed to stretch and writhe around her, and she no longer felt safe. 

As she approached the end of the hall she could see light coming from the final room in the corridor. As she approached the room the dread and fear she had been feeling only got more intense seemingly radiating from behind the closed door. As she reached out to grab the door handle every muscle in her body was tense. One half of her brain was saying to open it and look for Rachel, while the other half was screaming to get as far away from the room as possible. 

She opened the door and the waves of fear and dread washed over her at full force almost making her knees buckle and causing her vision to go blurry for a moment. When she looked up hoping to see Rachel in the room she was instead met with the cruel black eyes of Jaemin.

"Well, if it isn't the Fairy bitch. You know, I was shopping it would be Connor that found me, but I have my own scores to settle with you as well, so I can still have some fun with this."

Knowing she couldn't handle Jaemin on her own she tried to yell for Brandi and Woojin but was stopped by one hand appearing out of the shadows to cover her mouth and another one to place a knife to her throat. A shadow stretched up from the ground tying her hands behind her back and letting her know she was dealing with a Spriggan even if she couldn't see their face. She concluded that she had been being watched in the halls, and the shadows that seemed to move were this Spriggan monitoring her.

"Thank you, Yangyang. It would be a shame if she called people to join our little party so soon." Jaemin spoke to the person behind her.

She recognized the name. Liu Yangyang was part of Jaemin's bully group back at the university. His friendly and sweet appearance concealing a cruelty to match Jaemin's own.

Jaemin looked directly at Brittney. "Don't worry, they will get to see you soon, but first I want to have a little fun." He walked up to her and placed his fingers on her chin raising her eyes to meet his. "You know, you're a pretty one. I wonder what your screams will sound like?"

Brittney didn't have time to react before the most intense pain she had ever felt coursed through her body. Yangyang released her and melted back into the shadows, and she dropped to the ground as her screams echoed throughout the halls. 

Brandi and Woojin had just cleared their section of the tower as Brittney's screams rang through the halls and the two took off running towards where they had come from.

"Ah, such a delightful sou..." Jaemin was interrupted by Woojin and Brandi calling out Brittney's name. 'Oh, do you hear that? Your friends get to see the show now too. I better make it a good one."

Trigger Warning (involuntary suicide)

Jaemin stopped the pain Brittney was experiencing before looking directly into her eyes. Brittney's head began to feel hazy and clouded. It was as if she was being locked away from her own mind and a fog seemed to fall over her eyes.

"Now, why don't you stand up and walk to the opposite side of the room there?"

Brittney tried to resist but couldn't help doing exactly as she was told. 

"You're going to help me hurt your friends, doesn't that sound great?"

"Yeah, Jaemin. That's awesome!" Brittney could feel herself slipping away as Jaemin raised a knife to her neck.

"Brittney!" Woojin yelled as he and Brandi burst into the room. They froze when they saw the blade Jaemin held against her neck and the fog in her eyes.

"Let her go Jaemin." Woojin said angrily.

"And if I don't? What are you going to do? Any of your powers risk bringing the entire tower down and killing us all, and Brandi there doesn't have any powers to help to begin with."

Woojin knew Jaemin was right, he couldn't fight here and Brandi wouldn't be of any help at the moment.

"It doesn't really matter though, you've lost." Jaemin sneered "Brittney, you may do the honors."

"Of course Jaemin!" Brittney smiled as she took the knife from his hand. Brandi and Woojin watched in horror as she quickly cut her own throat. As the blade left her neck the fog in her eyes faded and her smile fell as in her last moments she realized what she had done. A tear ran down her face before she dropped to the floor.

Woojin and Brandi sunk to the floor in shock at what they had just witnessed. They couldn't move or speak. Everything felt numb as the stared at Brittney's lifeless body across from them.

Jaemin smiled. "Kill them both Yangyang." 

Yangyang appeared from the shadows with his knife inches away from Woojin's face before Woojin and Brandi felt themselves sink into darkness. They found themselves outside the council tower with Changbin standing next to them.

Woojin looked at him with tears in his eyes.

"Don't try to speak, let's just get to the safe house."

Changbin placed his hands on their shoulders and they sunk into the shadows once again moving towards the address Connor had given them.