The rest of the day was... interesting. And mundane.
Zen complained in the chatroom about being squished in between his bodyguards; their shoulders were broad and pushed against him, causing lots of typos in his messages. You did tease him and laugh at the thought of Zen being squashed, but ultimately showed sympathy for his discomfort.
Yoosung was having lots of fun being chauffeured around inside the black-out van, being escorted by bodyguards and pretending to be a celebrity. He would comment something like:
yoosung | I would have worn a mask if I knew so many people would be taking my picture! ^^
It was cute. Though, you tried to support him as Jaehee and Zen scolded him for staying up until 4am playing online games again, despite his mother sleeping in the very next room.
jaehee | I'm starting to think that Mr Han may have been right to call your mother. You really are a lost cause, Yoosung...
Yoosung was very defensive over this. You pinned it down to Yoosung being passionate over his online games. There were careers out there that existed solely for technology purposes, one which probably would have suited Yoosung more than whatever he was currently studying at college. What was Yoosung studying anyway?
Glancing out the window, you watched as the sky was beginning to turn a gorgeous orange as the sun started to set. A few stars had started to peak within the darkening blanket. It would be a nice night to go for a walk, wouldn't it?
You slipped on your shoes and coat, wrapping a scarf around your neck. Just as you were searching for your fingerless gloves, just for extra warmth, your phone started buzzing erratically.
You were startled for a moment before picking it up. It was Seven phoning you.
"He's phoning me..." you mumbled, not being able to withhold the smile of joy. Perhaps he really had just been experiencing late night sentimental syndrome, and he was finally back to his joyful self. This must also mean that he had managed to find some time away from work and under the watchful eye of his maid.
You answered and opened your mouth to say hello, but Seven's frantic yell cut you off.
"[Name]!!"
You flinched and pulled the phone away from your ear, stunned at the obvious fear in his voice. You ceased looking for your gloves and stood awkwardly in the middle of the apartment, waiting for an explanation.
"Seven? You sound worried, what's wrong?" You asked, eyes wandering over to the window again. The sun cast a golden glow inside the room.
"Don't move! Do not leave the apartment! Just stay where you are!"
What?
Don't move? Why?
The paranoia that had caused most of your anxiety began seeping back in. Uncomfortable and feeling nervous, you started kicking off your shoes and slipping out of your coat, now leaving them to one side as you obeyed Seven's command.
"What's going on?" You asked again, desperate for an explanation. He must have been tipped off that something bad was happening.
"I'll explain everything when I get there, just don't move!"
Seven was coming here. It was probably the wrong time to feel overjoyed that he was finally coming to see you, but you couldn't help the brief fleet of excitement. You pushed aside the thrill and cleared your throat, forcing yourself to focus on the dire situation that seemed to have Seven so panicked.
"You're coming here? Why? Seven, please tell me what's going on, I'm freaking out."
There was lots of noise coming from Seven's end of the call. Banging, frantic shuffling and the sound of zips being shut quickly. It sounded like he was packing. But what was he packing? And why was he deciding that now was the time he needed to come and protect you in person?
"There's something wrong with the security system, so I've got to come and fix it. I've got to leave now before Vanderwood..."
"Seven, wait, I don't—"
"I'll phone you again in a minute. Just don't move."
The line went dead as Seven abruptly hung up.
You stood silently in the middle of the apartment. You remained in that position for too long, overcome with growing panic at the thought of even breathing. Eventually, you managed to shuffle back to whet the desk chair was and sit yourself down. You didn't put your phone down for the fear of missing a call or message from Seven.
There was something wrong with the security system, so Seven needed to come and fix it in person. But the security system was made from a programme that he had created, which meant he could control it remotely. Did that also mean the Unknown hacker was able to control it remotely? If the hacker was after information, did that mean he was controlling it somehow and Seven noticed?
This felt like something everyone else in the RFA should know about. You were unsure if Seven would update the members individually, but he sounded so frantic and stern on the phone that he probably didn't have the time to.
You opened the messenger and started a new chatroom.
[name] | Seven is coming to the apartment. He said something is wrong with the security system and he needs to fix it
[name] | He told me not to leave the apartment...
Within seconds of sending those messages, Yoosung logged in.
yoosung | ? Huh? Does that mean something bad is happening?
[name] | I don't know, he said he would explain once he gets here, and he sounded really urgent on the phone...
yoosung | what in the world is happening;;;;
[name] | I have no idea... Seven said something about "leaving before Vanderwood", but he stopped talking and didn't finish his sentence...?
yoosung | His maid?
yoosung | Are we even sure if Ms Vanderwood is his maid when he talks about her like she's keeping an eye on him?
Before you could even respond to Yoosung's theory of Seven's mysterious maid, Seven logged into the chatroom. Your eyes widened in surprise; why was he checking the chatroom rather than phoning you for an update? Unless he was there to inform everyone of what was happening.
707 | Yoosung, contact Jumin and tell him it's an emergency, and tell him that Rika's "special security system" has been hacked
yoosung | What?? What the hell is that???
707 | tell him to contact V
yoosung | ?????? Is [Name] okay??
707 | No, but I'm going to go save her now
You immediately stood from the desk chair and made your way into the kitchen. Your body was buzzing with adrenaline and panic; you didn't know what to do to even try and calm down. Seven had admitted you were in danger, and while you were thankful that he was on his way to help keep you safe, you were unsure of what to do in the meantime.
You opened one of the cupboards and pulled out a frying pan. You'd rather not use a knife to defend yourself, mostly because you'd hate to fatally hurt someone. Not only that, but you'd seen how effective a frying pan could be (Tangled was one of your favourite films).
With your frying pan clutched in your hand, you retreated back to the desk chair and sat down, eyes forward and watching the door intensely. If anyone tried to break in uninvited, you were ready.
Well... no, you weren't ready. You'd never defended yourself against someone physically before. You were actually unsure if you'd even be able to evade any break-ins.
Looking back at the chatroom, you saw that Seven had logged out after giving Yoosung some very firm instructions.
yoosung | I have to try and contact Jumin
yoosung | Will you be okay if I leave the chatroom?
No. You didn't want to be left alone right now. You were so frightened of whatever was about to happen.
[name] | I'll be okay! Seven is on his way... so I'm fine.
yoosung | So brave ^^
yoosung | I'll come back as soon as possible!
Yoosung then logged out.
Brave. Were you really the brave one right now? All you were doing was sitting pretty inside Rika's apartment, waiting for Seven to come and fix his broken security system. That didn't seem brave at all. You were simply waiting around for something to happen.
Your phone started ringing, and you answered immediately.
"Seven?"
"You're okay, thank God. Nothing has happened right?"
You did a quick scan of the apartment to double check that nothing was out of place. There weren't any strange noises, no suspicious people banging on the door and trying to get inside...
"No, nothing has happened."
"Good. I'm on my way to you right now." You heard the sound of a car engine starting, and someone yelling in the background. "I'm sorry for making you nervous."
"It's fine. Honestly. Thank you for coming to me. But... Seven?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
You could hear more yelling, and then the sound of someone pounding their fists on glass. The voice was muffled, but you could easily tell they sounded angry.
"Who is that yelling? Are you in trouble?"
"I, uh... I'll explain later. Call me if anything happens."
Seven then hung up again.
You chewed your bottom lip nervously and prodded the inside of your cheek with your tongue. The silence of the apartment was suffocating, it felt almost tricky to breathe. No, the air wasn't suffocating—but your chest was incredibly tight.
You set your phone on the desk and headed into the kitchen, wielding the frying pan tightly in your grasp. You'd have to rely on your own strengths for the moment until Seven could arrive.
Sighing loudly at this predicament, you reached into the cupboard and pulled out a class before filling it with water. To try and calm your nerves, you took a few deep gulps and allowed the cold water to trickle through your system. It did the trick somewhat, and already after a few deep inhales and exhales, you felt better.
"The special security system will be acti... acti.. acti.."
The robotic voice cut through the quiet apartment like ice. You jumped in surprise and lifted the frying pan up, moving quickly to the doorway where you peered out and into the main apartment. Nothing had been touched, nothing had been moved. Everything was as you had left it moments before—
Glass shattered loudly as shards flew across the room. You shrieked and stumbled back, watching in pure terror as a hooded figure landed with ease at the side of your bed.
"I didn't plan on making such a loud noise, but I suppose that was unavoidable..."
The intruder reached up and pulled down his hood, revealing bleach-white hair that stood up in random directions. His skin was a sickly white pale, and his eyes were a terrifying blue, enhanced by dark circles around his eyes. His entire outfit was black and blended in with the growing darkness outside, and his demeanour screamed dangerous.
His eyes swept across the room thoughtfully, and soon landed on you quivering in the kitchen doorway, protectively holding the frying plan close. His eyebrows quirked up in amusement, and a muffled laugh came from beneath his mask.
The intruder moved a heavy boot forwards, crushing the glass beneath him as he started to approach you.
"You aren't wearing any shoes," he noted bluntly, gesturing with a vague point to your white socks. You shrunk back as he moved closer, rounding the bed and beginning to trap you in the kitchen. "You need to be careful of the glass, you'll cut your feet."
Before he could reach you, he stopped a few feet away. There, his eyes roamed you up and down, taking in every detail into deep consideration. Then, as if satisfied with what he was seeing, you saw his eyes crease as he smiled beneath his mask.
"Hello, [Name]." You shuddered violently as he spoke your name, and it was then that you had zero doubts of who this intruder could be. "Do you know who I am?"
You swallowed your fear and forced it to one side, lifting your head and trying to be brave. "You're... the hacker..." you managed to speak out, an even tone taking you by surprise.
"Smart girl. I'm the one who led you to this apartment, and I'm the one who sent out that email to you and the others. That email was an invitation to our paradise, a Magenta of hopes and dreams." Unknown moved closer, and you took a step back to try and maintain distance. "I've come to take you there. The RFA is filled with lies and false hope, especially those bastards Luciel and V..."
Unknown reached up a hand, as if expecting you to willingly accept it. "I will explain everything in better detail once we get there."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," you defiantly hissed, lifting the frying pan a little higher to try and deter Unknown. You probably wouldn't be able to hit him in the face, considering he was a little taller than you, but you could definitely do some damage to the stomach if you swung hard enough.
Unknown snickered loudly. "You don't have any choice. You're here because of me, and thanks to me you'll be getting out."
Without any warning, Unknown lunged towards you at a terrifying speed. You didn't have time to swing the pan in defence. His arms encircled your body, his hands snatching the pan from your grip and tossing it out of reach. You screamed in response to his movement and began attempting to flee, swinging your legs as Unknown lifted you from the floor.
"SEVEN!!" You screamed as loud as you could, feeling your voice tear through your throat and leave it feeling raw. "SEVEN!! HELP M—" Unknown clamped his hand over your mouth, muffling your terrified screams for help.
You wriggled and writhed in Unknown's arms, heart pounding inside your chest with the same intensity as your body to get free. Unknown began moving to the window where he had broken in from, the glass crunching underneath his boots.
You wailed loudly, tears streaming down your cheeks as you caught sight of your phone laying on the desk.
Seven...
You swung your head back, feeling the back of your head collide with Unknown's face. He yowled in pain and let go, dropping you to the floor. You collapsed in a pathetic heap, knees scraping into the glass shards as you scrambled to move away quickly.
You reached out to grab your phone, feeling the smooth screen brush underneath your fingers. But before you could snatch the device, something snaked through the roots of your hair and violently pulled you back.
A sharp pain rippled through your skull as Unknown gripped you by your locks of [hair colour] hair. You shrieked in pain, hands flying up and nails scratching into his leather gloves. You tried to claw at him to force him to let go, but it was useless.
"You don't understand now... but you will," Unknown hissed. You craned your head around, glaring through your fear at the dangerous man. "I knew you would resist, but calling out that filthy name is making me angry." Unknown produced a cloth from his pocket and harshly wrapped it around your mouth, tightly tying it so it caused more than discomfort for your skin.
You instinctively moved your hands up to pull the cloth away, but Unknown secured yours hands behind you. You continued to wail loudly for Seven, praying that he was close by and would miraculously hear you.
"I will cleanse you of your false faith," Unknown rambled, now lifting you from the floor again and forcing you back to the window. You could feel the come night air tickle against your cheeks. "I'm going to show you your true paradise—"
"The special security system has been deactivated."
Unknown's fingers dug into your sides. You squeezed your eyes shut and began to sob, a hiccup ripping through your lungs.
Instead of forcing you out of the window, Unknown stopped and turned to face the room. You sensed his shock and reopened your eyes, watching as the apartment door swung open.
You cried out in relief as Seven stepped in, his cheeks slightly flushed and his arms carrying bags and bags of unidentified equipment. He carelessly dropped it all to the floor and released a loud whine, his head tilting back before a small laugh left his mouth.
"God, that was tough~" He complained. He looked forward and assessed what was happening. His golden eyes darkened as he took in the situation, his smile dropping into a slight frown. "You're the hacker, right? I guess you're not completely shameless since you're covering your face. You'll go to jail for breaking and entering like this."
If you weren't about to be kidnapped and had your limbs tied behind you, you could have laughed at Seven's playful attitude.
"You aren't wearing any shoes, [Name]..." Seven called out softly, his hand briefly gesturing towards your feet, which were back on the ground again. Unknown squeezed you tighter, ensuring that you wouldn't move. "Make sure you don't step on any glass."
"Even now, all you do is ruin my life," Unknown accused through gritted teeth.
Seven's eyebrows shot upwards in surprise. He considered Unknown for a minute, looking him over to try and place any familiarity, but he couldn't spot anything. "Huh? Do you know me?"
"You probably don't know. I'm sure you've long forgotten about me." Unknown shuffled you around so he was holding you in one arm, then lifted his other hand to pull down the mask from his face, revealing himself to Seven.
In an instant, recognition flashed in Seven's eyes. You watched, feeling confused and overwhelmed as Seven became flooded with guilt, crestfallen with emotions of a past that he had revealed to no one.
"You..." Seven stammered, his playful attitude melting into a puddle on the floor. "But... you..."
"I prayed I wouldn't see you, because seeing your face only reminds me of my pathetic life. It felt so good hacking into all your programs, but now it's all back to square one," Unknown sneered.
Tears glossed over Seven's eyes. "Saeran..." he whimpered, "why are you here—?!"
You felt Unknown's grip tighten on your arm. You winced at the pain and whined into the cloth, feeling tears roll down your cheeks again. Even with Seven standing right in front of you, you were still at the risk of being thrown out the window and taken to Unknown's freaky Mint Eye paradise.
"Don't call me that, you don't deserve to say that name!" Unknown snapped.
But Seven continued to press on for answers. "Who taught you to hack? When did you learn to—"
"Shut up."
"Rika told me that you—"
"Don't say her name!"
Seven seemed taken back by Unknown's words. "What?"
"You're a traitor. All the names you speak will be contaminated. Don't say her name, you don't deserve to say it."
You could hear how unhinged Unknown sounded, and you feared for what would happen next. Even if Seven is able to resolve this situation somehow, you felt uncertain about the future and what it would lead to. Seven recognised this person from his past—his shady past that he would constantly remind you of being dangerous to know—and that just come with some heavy baggage.
"Saeran, why are you doing this? Did something bad happen? Is that why you're here? But Rika would never have—"
Unknown let out a bitter laugh. It sounded forced, like it almost hurt to leave his throat. "You're lying, again. I can tell."
Seven frowned deeply and shook his head. "I'm not lying!"
"You're not?" Unknown hummed, tilting his head to the side. His other hand returned to your arm, his fingers digging deeper into your limbs. You were sure it would leave a bruise or some deep mark. "That promise about protecting me, about being together—all lies. Even that last promise about us being happy when we'd escape that hellish place was a lie. I remember all of them."
Unknown began moving you back towards the window. You resisted against him, leaning towards Seven and hoping he would move to grab you, but he seemed frozen and lost in his thoughts, like something was stopping him from doing anything. It was like he wasn't even present.
"I know you changed your name to Luciel to get rid of me."
Seven was blinking rapidly through the building tears. "That... that was..." Seven stuttered, at a complete loss for words. "I didn't have a choice," he explained quickly, "it's all too much to explain now, but if you just—"
"Shut up," Unknown shouted, his voice silencing the room instantly. You flinched as his voice practically shattered your eardrum, to the point where a ringing noise replaced the silence. "You're covering lies with more lies. You're pathetic. I knew you were lowly. My saviour was right."
"Saeran, please, I don't know what you were told but I genuinely thought you were doing well! I asked Rika to send me photos of you, and you were laughing in all of them! I couldn't ever meet you again, but I prayed everyday for you to be happy—"
"More lies," Unknown interjected coldly.
This was a losing battle that Seven was fighting.
Suddenly. Seven seemed to remember that you were still in the room and watching all of this unfold. His eyes filled with panic at this realisation, and he shook his head as if to remove all the thoughts that had previously blocked you out.
"We can resolve this! Just let [Name] go, she has nothing to do with any of it—"
"Wrong. I brought her here, she's mine," Unknown corrected, moving you further away from Seven.
Seven looked almost ready to pull out his own hair from frustration. "There's no reason to involve her in any of this!" He tried to reason, "don't do something to her because of me, please!"
Unknown hummed in a loud, mocking way. His head tilted to the side, like he was amused with Seven's obvious distress. "Why are you so bothered about her? Do you have feelings for her or something?"
"I..." Seven looked between you and Unknown.
Would he admit his feelings for you right now? In a moment where his feelings should matter most, would he be honest about them or deny them?
Seven lowered his head, avoiding eye contact with you. "Even if I do, it's useless."
Unknown let out a snort of laughter. "So you do have feelings for her," he revealed, rolling his eyes as Seven's defeat. "I can basically do whatever I want to this girl and it'll make you suffer, right?"
As if to prove his point, Unknown began twisting your arm harshly behind your back. You cried out as a pain started to form in your joints, which were being forced to bend in a way that they shouldn't. It Unknown were to press any harder, you were sure your arm would snap in half.
"Stop it!" Seven yelled, daring to take a step closer and closing the gap. "Stop hurting her!"
Unknown grinned wickedly at Seven. He moved his head down so his lips were brushing against your ear. Despite being in such a painfully awkward situation, you tried to move your head away. You were sure you looked incredibly pathetic right now, crying and wailing and looking like a complete mess without any shoes on.
"How should I play with you?" Unknown's voice dropped into a husky murmur, one that would have been attractive and alluring if not for the situation. You cringed in fear and tried to hold back another sob, but couldn't prevent the whimper that escaped your throat. "To be officially inducted, you'll have to go through training, and a lot is coming to mind..."
"Saeran," Seven warned.
"A stranger has been located."
Unknown lifted his head from your neck and wildly looked around for the robotic voice that came from the speakers.
"What? What is that?" He asked, looking at Seven in a demanding way.
Realisation dawned on Seven, and his face paled slightly. "It's the special security system... I restarted it and it's only now staring to work again...!"
"Sensed location of stranger. Adjusting target."
"Target?" Unknown growled, looking back and forth between Seven and the speakers that hung cleanly on the wall above the door. "What is it talking about?"
"Saeran, it's sensing you as a stranger."
"Backing up all information. 20 seconds until the bomb is activated."
"Saeran, we're all going to die if you don't get out!" Seven barked, taking multiple steps forwards to close the gap. Then, turning his attention to you, Seven gave you a pleading stare, looking desperate for you to obey him. "[Name], now!!"
Without thinking, you swung your head back and collided with Unknown's face. You felt something crunch at the back of your head, and you briefly began to wonder if you had accidentally broke Unknown's nose. Before you could ponder on the damage done, Unknown let go of you and gave you the chance to move away.
You stumbled forwards, where Seven reached out and pulled you into his arms and away from Unknown. Seven held you tightly, but not so tight that it was restrictive. It was comforting, and immediately you felt safe despite the new turn of events.
Unknown clamped a hand over his face. You craned your neck to see what was happening, and you spotted the blood splatters that he had smeared by accident. You felt a slight twinge of pride for the damage you had caused.
The security system started counting down, and Unknown wasted not a second more in the firing zone. He clambered over the window and escaped into the night, leaving you in Seven's embrace and in the shelter of an apartment protected by a bomb.