nytis
minghao stopped in his steps and eyed the ground, "and to think i made a special friend." he spoke out softly. "the same, all of you. you're all the same." he looked at the guard and smiled, "junhui.." the guard paused when seeing the killer smile. maybe he shouldn't have said that, "i'm disappointed."
his black eyes hardened into something inexplicably cold. like lightning, his pale hand flew out hitting junhui on the side of the neck before the guard could even comprehend what was going on.
just like that junhui's eyelids fluttered closed, body collapsing to the ground. standing over the body, minghao didn't have his usual playful glint in his eyes. he looked like he was the one who got knocked to the ground.
he wasn't frustrated or mad like the time when he first met with soonyoung. he wasn't sad like the time jihoon said he didn't like his art. pain. he looked so pained, so hurt. it was written in his eyes and all over his face. jihoon hadn't and never thought that he would ever see minghao look so, so hurt.
"he's not.. dead right?" jihoon called out from his cell. this seemed to snap minghao out of his daze. the killer patted around junhui's waist pulling off a metal ring with all sorts of keys on it.
"not dead." minghao grunted, unlocking jihoon's cell door on the second try. the boy stepped out his door relieved that he was finally out of the cell yet also a little worried for the unconscious guard and what consequences would lead once he woke up.
he pushed the thoughts out of his head, "thanks minghao."
the killer flashed him a small smile, "everyone's missing you. it's time you come home." dropping the keys on junhui, minghao grabbed jihoon's wrist. "let's leave. quickly." getting pulled to the stairs, jihoon couldn't help but yank back harshly, earning a glare from minghao.
"j-just wait. just wait. there's one thing i want to check."
"we have no- fine. quickly!" minghao hissed.
dashing over to the keys he nodded at minghao and ran deeper down into the dungeon passing by lots of cells full of starved or even dead, people. some too weak to move others with enough energy to clamber to the bars begging jihoon to free them.
jihoon forced himself to ignore them and continued running looking for something that didn't quite fit in with the rest of the cells. that's right, he was looking for that someone who junhui told him not to worry about. why? partially because he was curious but more importantly, something in him told him he should.
jihoon halted his steps once arriving in front of a different door. it was see through and made of metal bars but instead it was just a thick iron door. the only way to see what was going on inside was through a slot as wide as a plate and no higher than six centimetres.
swallowing, jihoon pulled back the thin metal blocking the hole and peered inside. the inside was like a room. lit up by a few torches hanging from the wall, jihoon could see a small bed in the corner of the room, a little wooden desk along with a mess of papers and books on the floor.
what is this?
a thin person was sitting in the middle of the room. pale, about the age of seungcheol or maybe even a little older. this person had black hair reaching their shoulders, the ends were all choppy as if cut with some sort of dull blade.
the person turned around when hearing noise from the door. only then did jihoon get a glimpse of the face and when he did all he could do was gasp and stumble back. impossible. there is no way.
was it the lighting? it must be the lighting. the lighting was screwing with his eyes. jihoon looked at the slot again, seeing a pair of blue eyes looking at him. blue like the sky, blue like ocean, "lee jihoon. is that you, jihoon?"
that voice... he knows that voice. with trembling hand he shoved the most complex looking key into the keyhole, allowing the iron door to creak open. the man stood by the door in awe, "you're jihoon right? from clover field! you remember me, right?"
"i.. kitae?"
kitae smiled, "i knew you would remember me."
jihoon was at a loss of words, "but- i thought- aren't you-
there was a faint call from up the hall, jihoon whipped his head seeing a figure furiously waving him over. minghao.. right. they had to leave. he reached out and grabbed kitae's arm, half expecting the man to disappear, "we need to leave. right now."
stumbling after jihoon, the two people ran back to a very irritated looking minghao. "he's coming with us. this isn't a matter of discussion." jihoon said once seeing the killer eye kitae.
without a word minghao took the keys and dropped them back on junhui before gripping jihoon, "we're leaving now. no more going back." the three people, each holding onto each other rushed up the stairs. once arriving at the top did jihoon realize that the two thumps from earlier were from the two guards who were now laying in pools of blood.
"out the window," minghao whispered, leading them to an open window not too far from the ground. the sound of quick footsteps could be heard, followed by a scream. someone saw the bodies. "quickly!"
shoving the kitae out the window, jihoon jumped down quickly with minghao coming out last.
"hey! what are you doing?"
saying something that both kitae and jihoon couldn't understand, minghao grabbed a hold of the two pulling them along, muttering about how slow they were. yells could be heard behind them, forcing them all to run faster.
they only stopped when minghao skidded to a halt in front of a wall. "climb." jihoon watched as minghao clamber over in mere seconds.
he turned to kitae, "i'll give you a boost." knowing that there was no time to argue, kitae stepped on jihoon's hands and clambered over. now all that's left is jihoon. the boy could hear voices getting closer and closer. he had to start climbing, now.
"hurry!" minghao whispered harshly. the killer reached his arm down from the top of the wall getting ready to pull jihoon over as soon as he was in reach. however the boy was still barely up, trying to find any crack or rough surface to stand on.
"not everyone is a lizard like you," jihoon whispered back, stretching out his arm, his fingers just barely brushing over minghao's. the voices were getting even closer now, jihoon's hand brushed over the wall looking for something to get him just a little higher.
"there! the wall!"
"hurry! he's escaping!"
no, no. he couldn't do this, his head was getting dizzy and his feet were getting shaky. his hands were getting much too slippery to grab onto anything. "come on jihoon! what are you doing! just jump up!"
what was his doing? he was leaving, that's what. mustering up all his energy, jihoon kicked up from the wall, his hand getting caught in minghao's iron grip, yanking him over the wall just in time.
laying tired on the ground jihoon wanted to rest but minghao and kitae pulled him up despite how tired he was. "not yet." kitae murmured, "once were back in the markets."
as much as he wanted to just rest, he knew that he couldn't. "yeah," jihoon sighed tiredly, "let's go back, let's go home."
