It was barely midnight and Taehyung was staring at the crusted ceiling for the fifth time, watching as cockroaches crawl occasionally before disappearing into the abyss of a crack.
His roommates were already fast asleep, strangers that he didn’t bother to get to know.
Taehyung’s heart was still pounding in his chest and he found himself clutching the area where it resided. The fear still had a grip on him, the cold eyes, the wicked grin and the raw bloodlust that loomed over their heads like a heavy raincloud. The scene kept replaying in his mind like a broken record that would forever play the same loop.
It had already been a few days since the incident and they hadn't been allowed to go out.
The man that had attacked him, his name was Ling and he was supposed to be released next month. Taehyung had took that away from the man, his freedom, his possibility to reunite with his family. He knew he shouldn’t blame himself for what had happened, afterall Ling was killed by that insane girl called Karma. But if Taehyung was strong enough, he could’ve settled it without that much blood being spilt and Ling would still be alive.
Karma
It suited her. Her parents must’ve had the ability to see the future to name her such a thing.
She was bad luck, bringing misfortune and death to anyone who crossed her path, paving a twisted and rocky road of blood and dead bodies.
She was insane too, Taehyung had seen psychopaths before, they were all violent and lusted after blood but Karma, she was different, she knew when to be violent and she didn’t crave blood, it was more like she needed it in order to survive, the need to destroy something, to crush one’s dreams and future before snuffing out the light of one’s life.
Karma was the worst kind.
Yet, Karma had saved Taehyung, she had appeared when he needed help the most and even went as far as announcing that he and his friends were under her protection. It was all too confusing and terrifying at the same time.
Karma's personality was like an everchanging puzzle, so complex.
After the incident, several guards had came running, all too shocked and terrified to even come close to the girl, it wasn’t until a man with white hair wearing a lab coat approached the scene and managed to make Karma go back to her isolation room with just a simple command. What confused Taehyung even more was that she didn't get punished, not even a scolding. Usually inmates who get caught fighting would get whipped several times. But her, she just walked out, happily humming like nothing inhumane had happened.
Turning onto his side Taehyung stuffed a hand underneath his pillow and forced his eyes close, he had enough weirdness and trauma for one day.
~
The one thing that annoyed Taehyung the most was rumours and whispers.
They guards had finally allowed them to leave their room and the first thing that greeted him were rumours about him and Karma having some kind of secret relation.
How the hell would he even meet someone that lived outside Korea? He hadn't even been outside Daegu before.
Karma’s short declaration had started that annoying buzzing from the inmates about how the hell had he managed to befriend such a dangerous person and when Taehyung finally sat himself in his respective seat he found himself being assaulted by his friends, their faces only inches from his as their mouths spat questions.
“Alright alright! Sheesh, do you guys have to get close like that?” Taehyung shouted as he slumped on his chair arms against his chest with an imminent frown on his face. “I’m as confused as you are.”
“Oh so you really don’t know her.” Namjoon started, his face contorting into confusion. “Then why’d she intervene?”
“That I don’t know!” Taehyung replied throwing his arms in exasperation. “One moment I was being punched by Ling and the next she was standing there spouting something before killing him.”
“And helping you out.” Jungkook quickly added, pursing his lips together when Taehyung sent a glare in his direction, instantly shutting Jungkook up.
“Well one thing’s for sure she seems to like you and that earned us protection.” Jin pointed out, resting an elbow on Jungkook’s shoulder before leaning a bit.
“She doesn’t seem to have an ulterior motive that I can say.” Jimin piped in, not wanting to be left out of the conversation unlike Hoseok who just stood by and listened.
“Aish, she’s a child, a psychopathic child, the worse kind.” Yoongi scoffed as he pointed out. “She doesn’t have an ulterior motive, the way she acts I don’t think being in here even bothers her, it’s more like she enjoys it like some kind of sick preschool fieldtrip.”
It was true.
Karma didn’t even bother to look at the other inmates when she popped out of nowhere.
“And there’s this rumour about her getting special treatment.” Namjoon frowned, a finger on his chin as he contemplated on something.
Taehyung sighed, his normal and peaceful prison life had just ended and he still had twenty-nine years more to go before he can taste the fresh and sweet feeling of freedom.
Just then Mr Brownwin entered the classroom with a sour look on his face and Taehyung immediately sank on his seat.
There was never a good day when Mr Brownwin was in a foul mood, he easily got irritated and anything that you do would annoy him. The last time Mr Brownwin was in bad mood all of them had been sitting on their chairs as stiff as planks (every small move they made angered him) afraid that the greying man would whip them in their seats.
“The man that you saw yesterday with white hair was Sebastian Strauss, Karma’s guardian and the head researcher of America’s government. You see, Korea and America had signed a peace treaty and Dr Strauss being here is the proof that the treaty exists. He’s doing a research that requires the participation of our fellow Korean inmates.” Mr Brownwin stated, his hands clasped together tightly that Taehyung swore he could see the knuckles turning white.
“Participation? What’s in it for us?” Namjoon suddenly asked, his right arm raised as he stood up.
“Freedom, all your charges will immediately be cleared and you will get to leave this place. No strings attached.”
Taehyung’s eyes had widened at the unexpected news, it was too good to be true yet here he was asking a random seatmate of his if he was hearing it right. Namjoon also didn't expect the answer and had seated himself quietly back on his chair, his brows scrunched up in utter disbelief.
It was the same for his friends, Yoongi who always fell asleep during class was whispering something to Hoseok.
“And also, from here on out all of you are not required to come here anymore. This will be the last time that I’ll be seeing you…” Mr Brownwin trailed off and Taehyung gasped at the sullen look that had fallen upon the man’s face, the others too busy talking to notice before it was replaced with a look that Taehyung couldn’t read. “Good day boys and May God bless you all.”
Everyone went silent as Mr Brownwin exited the class rather too quickly and Taehyung immediately bolted to his friends, curious as to what their thoughts about the offer were.
“I think there’s a catch in that offer. No sane government would just release criminals after answering a few surveys.” Namjoon explained his hand slamming on the desk.
“I agree with Namjoon.” Hoseok frowned, “even if it sounds tempting.”
“The others look happy though. Should we tell them that maybe it’s a fluke or something?” Taehyung said his tone evident with worry, even though the rest of the inmates here were practically strangers to him, they didn’t deserve to be treated like sheeps that would feed the government’s science.
Jin shook his head at Taehyung. “They’ll probably just dismiss us. Some of the guys near my seat were already talking about how they could get laid again.”
They were right. Who wouldn’t jump in on the once in a life-time chance? If Taehyung hadn’t met his friends he too would probably think the same, hopes soaring high at the thought of getting an early release.
“For now, let’s just lay low and observe what happens.” Namjoon instructed, he was the smartest of the circle, meaning he knew better, he knew the possible outcomes that their decisions would lead to, the other was constantly looking out for them and Taehyung was grateful for that.
~
Karma sat inside her room staring blankly at the pristine white wall in fron of her. Her guardian had ordered her not to leave the room and her logical mind obeyed it like a puppy.
The prison was boring enough as it is, Pentagon was far more exciting and exciting. She had found a way to escape that day after days of planning and memorising every nook and cranny the prison had to offer (before she got tranquilized and sent here) and Karma still relished the fact that she had found a weakness to the unescapable fortress.
Chuckling to herself, Karma slowly went to the door. She had heard about another unescapable prison before. Cypher was it? She didn't think they'd actually throw her here.
So much for being unescapable, she had only been here for a few days and Karma already found a number of weaknesses in the prison without much effort. If she tried escaping, it'd be just like a walk in the park for her.
But somehow, for some reason she doesn't. That euphoric feeling of needing and wanting to escape wasn't there, instead it only felt like a dull throb.
This was a first for her, like something was holding her back.
Thinking long and hard, a light buld suddenly clicked. She had killed someone when she got here but for some reason, she couln't remember what triggered her to go psycho on the man.
She was just passing by when she heard the commotion but then she saw him. The boy with bleached hair.
She didn't know what compelled her to intervene. She had been confused when her legs dragged her and was more confused when she told him that she wanted to be friends. Never in a million years did she thought of ever doing that.
That wasn't like her at all, she never cared about people before, unless blood was involved. Wait-she did kill someone, but why did she stop? One kill wouldn't have satisfied her when her switched got flicked on.
Was it the boy? If yes then why?
Questions started to surface one after the other before she slapped a hand on the door, the loud noise successfully stopping her mind.
She was getting frustrated, she had never thought about something so deeply before, it was unnerving. Everything just came so easily to her that she didn't see the need to.
Until now.
Quickly exiting the room Karma marched to the direction where her guardian's office was located. He hadn't visited her since she got her.
The corridor was empty, after killing the ones from boredom they had stopped posting guards in the fourth floor. The office was located above and was heavily guarded which didn't pose a problem for her. She can take on a tank, a few guards with weapons would be like taking on a giant sundae on her own.
Rounding a corner, Karma suddenly paused midstep. There were a couple of voices heading her way and she quickly hid herself in a corner.
Eyes widening in realization, she didn't know why she was hiding. She could just kill them easily.
"I feel kinda sorry for those bastards, but hey if it's not us then I'm okay with it."
"They'd actually think they would be set free. What simpletons."
"That Doctor is bat crazy by the way. No wonder her little sister-ack!"
The guards made a choking noise as Karma grabbed them both by the back of their necks with a bruising grip before slamming their faces into the concrete floor. The sound of bone cracking and blood splattering filled the quiet corridor. The guards didn't even have the time to scream for help as Karma kept at it, smothering the floor with more blood.
Karma had heard enough, the first two statements already gave away everything and for some weird reason she was compelled to break the guards' faces. This wasn't odd at all. On the floor, with both hands getting dirty, but what she found odd was that she wasn't laughing nor giggling not even a smile or grin. She wasn't having fun at all.
It was pure emptiness and Karma detested the feeling.
Stilling for a moment with the guards' heads held up, she waited for any tiny movement that would tell her they were still alive but the guards stayed unmoving, chest still with bloody and deformed faces that have caved into their skull.
Content that they were dead. Karma made her way back to her room.
She was furious.