⚠️ WARNING: Blood, torture, panic attacks, death ⚠️
Renjun flipped the next page of his book and absentmindedly began to read the next sentences. He had been doing this for the past couple of pages and he was sure that he really wouldn't be able to recall any of the events which he had supposedly read.
Sure, Renjun would usually find himself encaptured in one of the many novels that the library had to offer but today, especially today, with his boyfriend snuggled into his chest as they cuddled on their shared beanbag, Renjun's mind was not focused on the typed words.
He stole a glance towards the boy curled up against his chest, arms wrapped tightly around his torso as he peacefully slept on. Renjun resisted the urge to laugh at how cute Donghyuck looked and he pushed his reading glasses back up his nose, looking back to his book.
Renjun liked their little corner of the library. Donghyuck had practically screamed bloody murder when he burst through the front door the other day holding a giant beanbag in his arms. He had forced Renjun to follow him and they had gone into the back corner of the library where Donghyuck had proudly dumped the beanbag and declared it their new spot. Of course, Donghyuck had also chosen to get some tacky lamp from somewhere in the house and add it, thus finishing the creation of their new spot.
Renjun certainly wasn't one to complain as he would sit down to read and not even a couple of minutes later Donghyuck would come waltzing in and plop himself into Renjun's arms, curling up to go to sleep. Just as he had today.
Donghyuck shifted in his arms and Renjun looked down, finally placing his book to the side and choosing to hug his lover instead. Renjun watched with the utmost adoration as Donghyuck groggily opened his eyes to look up at him, giving him a half-asleep smile.
"Don't wake up okay Junnie? You'll be okay here alright?"
Renjun looked at him with confusion. What wa-
Renjun jolted as freezing water slashed across his face and he gasped for air and he slowly came to. Renjun moved to push the water out of his face but blinked the water out of his eyes in confusion when he found he couldn't move. He tugged his hands against some sort of constraint behind his back and after a moment or two, he realized it was rope. He quickly pushed any lingering exhaustion from his body as he tugged at his legs, realizing the same.
Renjun's head spun as his gaze flickered around the room. From what he could tell he was constrained to a chair and in some sort of basement. The bare, concrete room was covered in mold and other sorts of grit, from what he could clearly see at least. The room had only been lit by a couple of stray lights here and there, creating corners and spots of complete darkness.
However, Renjun's focus moved past the room and quickly focused on the malicious grin sporting a man's face in front of him. Dark brown hair growing into a mullet, dozens of rings adorning his slender fingers, and dark clothes complimenting his long, slender body.
There was so doubt this was Chae Hyungwon.
Renjun's luck was certainly bad today.
"Glad to see you've finally joined us," Hyungwon sneered and flung the empty metal bucket at Renjun, hitting him directly in the face. Renjun took a deep breath and spit out the blood beginning to fill his mouth. He ignored the throbbing pain enveloping his jaw and rolled his gaze back to glare at the smirking boy in front of him. "Been a long time Renjun."
"I'm sorry, do we know each other?" Renjun raised his eyebrows and let out a short laugh when rage fell over the other's face. He stalked over and grabbed the collar of Renjun's shirt, pulling Renjun's face close to his own.
"I've got all the time in the world to make you pay for what you did to my members you jackass. Don't think you're getting out of this alive." He spit into Renjun's face and Renjun flinched away, Hyungwon releasing his collar and moving back.
"I'm sorry, I really don't think I remember. Could you maybe remind me?" Renjun posed innocently and Hyungwon growled, clearly prone to Renjun's persistent teasing. Renjun watched with disinterest as he turned to grab a knife off of the metal cart near the back wall.
Hyungwon pointed the knife at him grinning and, with a hint of insanity in his eyes, pressed the knife against Renjun's neck. Renjun stared straight into Hyungwon's challenging gaze as the other drew a slow cut across the side of his neck, obviously not deep enough to kill him. Renjun felt the blood drip down his neck, to the base of his neck, and slowly seeping into his black shirt.
"Aw," Renjun pouted and looked at Hyungwon with faux upset in his eyes, "Are you going to cut me up a little? You gonna take revenge for Wonho? You know I remember when I shot him. Twice in each leg then once in each arm before I let him bleed out. His scr-"
Hyungwon let out an enraged scream before plunging the knife into Renjun's thigh. Renjun groaned in pain before laughing.
"You think that's all it's gonna take? Why don't you do it again huh? Let me bleed out just like he did." Renjun sneered and felt a sting bloom across his face as a hand slapped him across the face.
"I'm going to make you suffer," Hyungwon breathed heavily before slowly pulling the knife out of Renjun's leg, blood rushing down his pant leg. Just as Hyungwon was about to stick the knife into his other thigh a hand wrapped around his wrist and Renjun looked up at the new addition.
"He's just riling you up, If you can't handle yourself without killing him I'm taking you off this task," Shownu's deep voice ordered evenly and Hyungwon nodded before moving back. Shownu's eyes flickered down to look into Renjun's. "Hello again Renjun."
"How's Kihyun, Shownu? Last I remember there was a bullet hole in his forehead." Renjun shifted into a more relaxed position as he watched Shownu's reaction.
"How's Haechan? Last I heard he completely forgot you and left. Seems we really did a number on him if he forgot the supposed love of his life." Shownu replied evenly and Renjun felt a growl rise up from his stomach as he jerked against the restraints.
"I'll make you pay for what you did to him," Renjun grit his teeth and he stared into Shownu's emotionless eyes, "That's a promise." Shownu leaned closer and placed a hand on Renjun's arm, causing Renjun to tense up as his skin began to crawl.
"You see, there's this funny thing that I learned." Shown trailed his hand up Renjun's tense arm to wipe away the blood running down his neck. "It's always fun to learn your enemies' weaknesses. Makes it a lot easier to torture them." He grabbed Renjun's chin roughly and dug his nails into his skin. Renjun felt his heart thud rapidly against his chest and he tried to twist his chin out of Shownu's grasp to no avail.
"Don't touch me you bastard," Renjun spat and Shownu laughed before throwing Renjun's head to the side as he took a step back. Shownu wiped his hand on his dress shirt and moved to lean against the wall.
"Tell us where the drugs are Renjun and we promise not to hurt you too much," He gave Renjun a level gaze and Renjun squinted his eyes at the other. What drug? Renjun's head spun as he tried to think of any significant drug, his memories still a bit muddled from just coming back. His eyes involuntarily widened as one came to mind and he cursed at himself as he saw a grin spread across the other two's faces.
"So you know?" Hyungwon grinned at Renjun's mistake and Renjun rolled his eyes. Like hell he would tell them anything that might endanger his members. That might endanger Donghyuck. Donghyuck. Renjun's mind briefly lingered on the younger before a fist came into contact with the side of his face, blood dripping out of his mouth and down his chin. Hyungwon rolled up his sleeve and Shownu watched passively from the side.
Just then another person entered the room and sped over to Shownu to whisper something into his ear. It was no one Renjun recognized, probably some other low-level servant, but he did catch onto the not-so-quiet murmur.
"He's here to see you, boss."
Shownu gave the messenger a short nod and moved to pat Hyungwon on the back before leaving, giving no indication that he knew Renjun had heard the message.
Another punch to the face brought Renjun back to the person in front of him and he flinched when Hyung won pulled up his shirt sleeve to trace his fingers across Renjun's bare skin.
"Who knew you were such a freak?" Hyungwon teased and he grabbed Renjun's wrist, holding it tight enough to bruise. Renjun grit his teeth, tears beginning to form in his eyes as his skin began to burn under the contact. His breathing quicken as his heart felt like it wanted to break out of his chest. Renjun couldn't breathe.
Hyungwon moved his hand to grasp Renjun's leg and Renjun saw the terrifying glee that was displayed on Hyungwon's face before he shut his eyes tightly, trying desperately to ignore the fingernails digging into his skin. He tucked his head down into chest as his throat began to close up, trying anything to stop the disgust, repulsion, and panic rising in his chest.
"Renjun Hyung."
Renjun snapped his head up, eyes wide, startling Hyungwon as he looked at the brown-haired boy standing behind his tormentor. Renjun blinked in shock as Donghyuck moved through Hyungwon and his stomach dropped with disappointment and despair. The apparition of his lover moved to stand by him and Renjun felt tears roll down his face as he took in Donghyuck's face.
"Are you already crying?" Hyungwon laughed as he moved to drag the cart closer to his reach as he positioned himself in front of Renjun, smiling with the sheer glee that he was about to torture Renjun. Renjun somewhat understood. If someone had painfully and brutally killed Donghyuck as he had done to Wonho, he would have acted the same.
The imaginary boy next to him placed a comforting hand onto Renjun's shoulder and Renjun looked to the side to stare into his mind's creation. Donghyuck was smiling softly at him and brushed a hand over Renjun's forehead.
Hyungwon carefully took one of the knives off of the cart and inspected it before slashing Renjun's arm. Renjun winced at the stinging pain but he could handle this. He watched as Hyungwon pulled off the lid to a jar filled with a white substance. Renjun widened his eyes in realization as Hyungwon picked some up and threw it into the open cut on his arm.
Renjun stifled a scream and bent forward as the salt settled into the cut, not only burning his arm but effectively dehydrating him as the blood surrounding the cut would become more hypertonic, damaging the tissue further and increasing the sensitivity of the neurons around the wound.
Tears began to form behind Renjun's eyelid as Hyungwon roughly grabbed the salt-filled wound and he let out a gasp of pain. He dug his own fingernails into his palm to focus on that lesser pain, most likely drawing blood. Hyungwon began to repeat the process on his other arm and Renjun took a labored breath.
"Donghyuck, stay with me," Renjun cried out softly as his hallucination of Donghyuck, the person he craved to be with him the most, brought his arms around him and moved so Renjun's head rested on his chest.
"I'll always stay with you sweetheart," Donghyuck whispered softly and pressed a kiss to Renjun's forehead as his gut-wrenching screams began to fill the air.
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