Disclaimer: there will be a lot of violence in this chapter and the next.
I was dreaming.
Or was it a memory?
Mabe it was happening right now?
There was no way of knowing.
I only knew pain.
The feeling of his fist hitting my face.
The pain as he held me up by my hair and made me look at him.
I saw myself reflected in his dark eyes and the sick pleasure this was giving him.
He liked hurting me.
He talked about the other's he had hurt and how much they had suffered, only to make me fear him even more.
The fear mixed itself with the metallic taste of my blood as he knocked me back, then kicked me as I lay on the floor.
I held my wrist close to my heart as I rolled in on myself, trying to protect what I could.
I heard the sound of his laughter as my ribs broke.
I heard my own screams too, but there was nothing I could do.
"My brother's girl. So brave. You're not even calling for help," Seong-Min spat, then threw me against the mirror hard enough for it to shatter.
Shards bore into my skin, ripping through my training clothes, turning it red.
He held me up by my hair again, but my vision was already blurring. Dark spots bobbed at the edges of my vision.
I hoped for the darkness to come and take the pain away.
There was so much of it.
But not yet.
"You-" I said with as much strength I could muster up. "You killed Naeyon, didn't you?"
I couldn't see his reaction because his fist had once again connected with my face and knocked me back. But I heard his chuckle echo through the room.
"My dear, old sister. She was almost as much fun as you, you know? My older brothers only wanted to make sure she would think twice about running away again, but I couldn't let that bitch go."
He kneeled somewhere close to me, but my vision was restricted to the floor beneath me, my own blood soaking the mahogany floor.
"She was going to take my favorite plaything from me."
Taehyung.
I knew he meant him.
"You're a monster."
He laughed again and I felt him turn me.
I moaned in pain.
I couldn't escape his face as he squeezed my cheeks to make me look at him.
"I am." He beamed, not even trying to hide it.
His smile broadened.
"But so is my little brother. What do you think he's going to do when he sees what I did to you?"
I choked, trying to struggle out of his grip.
But all my attempts were useless.
No.
"Yes. You're right. He'll go into a rage like you've never seen. Maybe he will even kill me. It'll be fun to see him try. But one thing is for sure. I'm not going to prison. Either he kills me or I decide my playtime with him is over."
I wanted to scream, but he pressed a knee against my throat.
Panic set in- deep; mindless panic as I tried to push against him, crawling at his skin.
But I couldn't move him in the least.
He was going to kill me.
"Don't worry sweety." he now crooned, smiling down at me widely.
"I'm going to call my brother soon. You see, I know exactly what to say to make sure he'll do something very stupid and thoughtless. And there will be nothing you can do to stop it."
I underestimated him.
I made a huge mistake, but there was nothing I could do now as I snapped for air I didn't get.
My vision turned dimmer and dimmer.
"Shhh," was the last thing I heard as a hand stroked over my head like he was comforting me.
"Sleep now, Y/N. And sweet dreams, because if you wake up, you're life will be hell."
The darkness took me.
____
Something bright blinded me.
I tried to blend it out.
I wanted to go back to the darkness. There was too much pain here.
I couldn't even say where I hurt. It was everywhere.
"Miss, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?"
The voice pounded through my spinning head, but it was not one I knew.
The light appeared again.
"She's regaining consciousness," the voice said.
A woman I thought.
I tried to turn away from her.
Too much pain.
There was a sudden jab at my right wrist and then a pressure at my left shoulder.
I tried to open my eyes, but I felt tired.
"It's going to be Okay, little monster. You're going to be fine."
Oppa.
My brother.
Namjoon was here.
Memories flared back and made me suck in a sharp breath.
Seong-Min.
Seong -Min did this.
And Taehyung- Oh my God...
I opened my eyes.
We were in an ambulance, Namjoon next to me, holding my hand as tears streamed down his face.
"You're gonna be Okay, Y/N." he cried, partly, I was sure, to reassure himself.
I wanted to tell him I was okay, even as I winced in pain at the smallest movements.
But there was something more important.
I opened my mouth.
Only a choking sound came out.
The female voice spoke again and I finally saw the paramedics face.
"Don't speak yet. It seems you were choked and hurt your vocal cords. We're giving you another sedative which will lesson the pain and make you go to sleep."
No.
No!
I shook my head, turning to Namjoon.
"T-t-taaee." I croaked out, but it sounded so distorted I wasn't sure he understood.
Namjoon bend down to hear better and I repeated myself.
I felt the sleepiness seep into my blood.
No.
Not yet.
I grabbed Namjoon's arm, even as it hurt like hell.
"T-tae!" I croaked and he finally understood.
"He's fine, Y/N. He'll come to the hospital soon. Don't worry."
I shook my head.
"N-no. Seong-M-min planned t-this. He w-wants T-tae to f-freak and h-h-urt someone."
Namjoon's face darkened.
I was right.
He must have seen something in Taehyung's expression.
Next to me, Namjoon knew him best.
My brother squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head.
When he opened them again, he looked unapologetic even as he lowered his voice so no one would overhear us.
"I don't know sister. After what he has done to you- I can't... Why should I stop Tae? How will we know Seong-Min wont hurt you again?"
My muscles felt like stone, my thoughts sluggish but I managed to reach my left wrist and pull back the fabric.
Namjoon followed my eyes.
He stared at the thing around my wrist in utter disbelieve.
Then he cursed, loud and colorful.
"Why? God, why did you do that, Y/N?"
I tried at a smile but failed.
"B-because I l-love him. I-I-I couldn't l-let him stay-y with em."
My brother cursed again and looked ready to murder me.
Ironic if you considered my current situation.
I'd known that there was no chance in the world they would have ever agreed to my plan, so I hatched it by myself.
I'd taken the recording watch from my sister's room and worn it all day.
And it had been worth it to protect it when I was beaten, seeing that it was unharmed.
"So you knew he would come? You knew he would seek you out tonight?"
Namjoon yelled accusingly, appearing to be close to a mental breakdown.
I nodded, feeling too tired to answer.
Yes, I'd known.
The more I had heard about Seong-Min from Taehyung, the more certain I became that he would notice the digging and snooping around.
And then he would come after me.
Because he would choose the weakest link and the one he could hurt the others with most.
All I needed to do, was give him a chance to confront me alone and let him tell me all his dirty little secrets. And he had. He said it all, and everything was now on the little thing around my wrist.
I'd spent almost every second with Tae or one of the others these past weeks.
But when I had noticed the shadow outside my window, I'd known.
Seong-Min was already watching me.
It was time.
But I'd underestimated him.
I didn't think he would knock me out or provoke Tae so soon.
"T-there iss a c-camera i-in the s-studio as well. Got him. But-"
It was harder and harder to fight against the drug cursing through my body, taking my pain, but also my consciousness.
"Namjoon!" I breathed, reaching for my brother's hand even as my eyes fell shut.
"Stop him. P-please stop him or t-this was all f-for nothing. H-he can't become l-like one of t-them."
I never heard Namjoon's answer as the darkness took me again.