The pictures that talk ✔

Relief

Mark leads us to a part of wherever we are that looks like a residential area.

"It's because it is. All of these are apartment-like suites that are home to all of us. Some live together, some alone. I've been the latter since the beginning, which is exceptional, really. Not a lot get their own place" he explains as he grabs onto my hand tighter.

I hum, my eyes not leaving the side of his face, wondering how lucky I must be right now, no matter what is happening, that I get to see my brother again, someone I thought dead. He turns to me and smiles when he sees me already staring. "I still can't believe it. It feels like a dream" I whisper and he nods, glassy eyes looking back right into mine. "I know, little sister, I know".

He makes us stop in front of a single door and uses a card to make it open with a beeping noise. The door handle unlocks and Mark opens it, allowing us inside a wide room that serves as both living room and bedroom. There's a small kitchen at the side, but it looks high quality. A dining table stands by the large window that gives view to an outdoor garden surrounded by the building's walls. A door by the bed that probably leads to the bathroom is closed.

"It's pretty big" I say as I look around, amazed that a place such as this can be here. "Yeah, it's not the biggest. One of the smallest rooms really, so that lets you imagine just how big the others must be. It's not like I need more, so this one does the trick. We'll be fine with just the both of us".

We remove our shoes and walk to the bed where he makes me sit while he goes to the couch facing it. He motions to my phone with a sympathetic smile, knowing that my fingers are itching to contact them. "Go ahead, they must be worried sick. Sadly, for security purposes, only you can contact them, the barrier allows signals from the inside, but not from the outside" Mark explains, making me tilt my head. "What kind of barrier is it?".

He hums, trying to find the right words to explain. "It's a barrier that you don't find often. It is not a physical one, it distorts reality. It makes the outside believe that what is inside doesn't exist. The user was actually abused a lot for that, so he was brought here when he was young and he never asked to leave".

I look down at my knees. This place really seems to offer protection. "Why did the boss, Park Seo-Joon threaten me in the memory? He talked as if he would make me suffer if I refused his deal, but when we met earlier, there was none of that" I ask as I turn on my phone to open the contact screen.

Mark laughs. "Seo-Joon is a teddy bear. A scary one. He'll have sharp teeth and red glowing eyes, but he actually takes care of the people that are hurting. He himself was victim to the government, so he knows what it's like to suffer from their hands. His threat in the memory was probably more in link with you regretting it because you'd keep getting hurt more. He didn't mean it as he would hurt you himself. Still doesn't excuse making you feel what the man had though, I'm still trying to get him to apologize for that one". I scoff softly. "Well, he was right about one thing. I've been doing this for a long time, so I experienced a lot worse".

His eyes narrow in anger and his hands tighten into fists. He breathes in and out slowly to get himself back on track. "It's over now. It won't happen again. Now, are you going to call them?" he says, making me smile. I nod, feeling relieved about all this and tap on Jin's name, knowing he would probably be in the better state to answer.

I allow the camera to show my face as I raise my arm in front of me and wait anxiously for him, or anyone really, to answer. When his side of the screen appears, I almost become dizzy from how fast it's spinning before falling flat to the ground. The sound of something cracking can be heard and a loud swear before a face appears.

"Y/N! Hun, Sugar plum, are you okay?! Look at me, let me see your face, you're not hurt, are you?!" he asks with wide eyes, his camera focusing on his plump lips before he pulls back to allow me to see his whole face. I smile and nod. "I'm fine, Jinnie, you all must have been so worried" I say and he nods quickly, wiping a tear from his eye. "Thank goodness, really... The guys are currently freaking out, we went to the nest to try and calm down before making a plan to get you back, I left to get some water, wait a minute I'll get there" he says and the screen shuffles a little as he does something before showing me his face from his stomach.