Apologies for the formatting before! I didn't realise and for some reason I never get emails from Fanfiction anymore so I had no idea about the reviews. So, here is the fixed version, and hope you enjoy!
It wasn't supposed to happen like this.
That's what Saeyoung kept repeating to himself in the dingy cell. Crackling embers from the lamps above was the only clear sound that could be heard, other than the random rattles of chains, most probably coming from others kept in the same position. Vanderwood had kept to himself, even though it was painfully clear he wanted questions, and his fidgeting was starting to get on Saeyoung's nerves. And MC… She was just sitting, waiting, looking as hopeful as ever. She was the only reason why he was still sane, still able to brace through the pain of the bullet that had grazed through his arm, currently bleeding still. He had to pretend to be okay for her. Her presence made everything easier. He just wished he'd never involved her in any of this. His brother, his mess.
Saeyoung's thoughts were interrupted by the creaking of the cell door; a tilt of his head and to his surprise none other than V stood before them.
"Huh…? What the hell is going on? Seriously!" Vanderwood spoke up, pulling Saeyoung from his thoughts, returning him back to the present.
"What..." His eyes travelled from the dull stone of the floor to the rust of the metal bars and who was currently standing on the other side of them.
V…
He coughed, a weak, pitiful sound, his eyes closed, face full of the clear emotion that was pain.
"He's on the queen bee's side! Why is he coming here?" Vanderwood spoke, almost in disgust, looking away from the male. Clearly, he didn't want his pity either and he barely knew him. Says a lot.
"God..." Saeyoung sighed, no energy left in him to fight or argue otherwise. Instead, he let himself concentrate on the flames that were steadily flickering above, attempting to block out the pain that was radiating through him. Not that he would let anybody be aware of that fact.
"Saeyoung, how's your injury? What are you doing?"
Acting like he cared? How fake…
"… I can't understand this situation. Why is the RFA so freaking complicated?" The brunette man exhaled a heavy breath. He could say that again. The RFA was nothing but a fake society built on lies. Everything they stood for was meaningless – everything V said was nothing but an illusion.
"Saeyoung, here you are." V began to extend his hand outwards, through the bars; he knocked his hand away, creeping back, away from the bars, away from him.
"Don't come here… Don't touch me! Why are you here?" He bared his teeth, anger fuelling his veins, pain forgotten momentarily.
V closed his eyes again, sadness radiating from him. He didn't care. Nothing could wipe away what he did. It was his fault…
"Call Jumin with this… here." He managed to angle his arm through and lightly threw an object at Saeyoung; he caught it, barely, only to furrow his eyebrows in confusion. A… phone?
"Oh! Is that a phone? You stole it? Nice!" Vanderwood briefly grinned, clearly relieved that they had a small chance of getting out of this place.
"This is… the phone you gave me before. The sensors can't catch it." Saeyoung observed, turning the phone over in his hands. Why? Why was he helping them? Regardless… what he'd done…
"That's good. Anyways, let's access the RFA server. That powerful man can come save us."
How… cliché. He always knew Jumin would come in handy one day, however.
"There's not much battery left. You'd better hurry." V warned, one of his hands holding onto the bars for support.
Saeyoung narrowed his eyes. "This might be a trap. We can't trust him."
"That's true, but..." Vanderwood trailed off, worry etching through his eyes. Saeyoung was worried, too, but he had to be careful… V wasn't to be trusted. He couldn't trust him ever again.
MC began to speak, rattled out of her silence, only to speak again, clearly trying to choose her words right. "I don't think it's a bad idea to try. We don't have any other way… I want you to get treated as soon as possible."
He lightly smiled, love blooming inside at her words, her optimism. She was a ray of sunshine, one which everyone desperately needed. He'd listen to her.
"… If you think so, alright."
Vanderwood chuckled. "You're so devoted, aren't you..."
Saeyoung ignored him. Of course he was devoted… MC had helped him in ways he couldn't even begin to explain. "Before that… I need to hear your excuse."
"Okay..." V paused for a second before continuing in a lower tone. "Ask me anything. There's no use hiding anything now."
"Rika and you… what were you two doing?"
"Rika did nothing wrong." Delusional. V must be to even say those words. "Mint Eye, Magenta… and this everlasting party… Rika made the wrong decisions because of the world I showed to her."
"So you brainwashed Rika?"
What had V been hiding this whole time? Was it worth it, to go to such great lengths, for… this?
"I don't know if that's the right way to put it… but it's true that this is all because of me. So I'm sorry. I'm sorry that Saeran and everyone got involved. I know saying sorry isn't enough..."
… of course it isn't enough. He lied. Caused Saeran to despise his very existence. The one person that truly understood him wanted to kill him.
"It is too late to apologise."
He cast his eyes downward. Too late. If he'd only known.
"I know… but I believe that Rika can be how she was before. Saeran might return to you then."
Would he… really? Or was he too far gone, caught up in a mass hysteria about the afterlife?
"… That's so hopeful." Vanderwood pondered, not really to anyone in particular. MC stayed quiet, observing as always.
"Was it your idea… to lie to everyone that she killed herself?" Saeyoung frowned, his voice growing quiet.
"Yes… It was too dangerous to reveal the truth and involve everyone. So I lied that Rika died and tried to distance the RFA from Rika."
"How do I know that you're not trying to trick us again?" Saeyoung grew defensive – he had to. Even if there was a small chance V could be deceiving them, he had to act on his instincts. He had someone he needed to protect… and another he needed back.
"Hmm… Well, he's blind. It'll be a piece of cake to take him down." Vanderwood spoke casually. Saeyoung almost laughed.
"He came to get us earlier. He might be a spy..." For once, he wasn't playing around. Every aspect, every avenue he had to consider.
"You guys would have been caught without me. I played the bad guy to earn Rika's trust so that I can talk to her."
Liar. Freaking Liar.
"What's so complicated? So… we are involved in just some couple's fight?" Vanderwood scoffed. They ignored him.
"Rika is the kind person you always knew, Saeyoung." V shook his head, almost trying to convince himself of that fact. "But she was sick long before she met me. She was suffering from paranoia and depression for a long time… Looking at my photographs and helping others was therapeutic for her.
"She was desperate to hide the fact that she was sick… and never showed it to anyone. Even Jumin never noticed." V's voice began to grow bitter. "But ever since the second party… and more so after Sally died… her anxiety started to take over her… She started coming up with this scenario about saving everyone. We got into a fight in that process… and she left me."
A wave of pity washed over Saeyoung but he forced the feelings to be extinguished. He still lied… and his brother…
"So… you two split up because of this religious cult." Vanderwood rolled his eyes, leaning his head back against the brick wall behind him.
"When..." Saeyoung's voice started to show an agitated tone, "Since when did Saeran get involved...?"
"I don't know exactly when Rika started reaching out to him." No, not good enough, he needed to know-
"After the second party, when someone first attempted to hack into the apartment's security system… that's when I first noticed it."
"That was… Saeran?" How did he get involved in this? How did he manage to follow his brother's footsteps?
"Yes. At that point, Rika had already set the blueprint for Mint Eye, and was trying to acquire the guest information of our previous part without having you notice." V… He sounded like he was speaking the truth. But the Rika he knew wasn't like this… didn't hide these things… "She wanted to take all the info at once and used Saeran to hack in."
It was then that he realised, and with a sad but venomous undertone, he spoke, "So I made the special security system… to stop my own brother?" Why? "How long has he been exploited like this…? A year or two isn't long enough to become that sufficient…!"
V sat in silence, seemingly unable to come up with an excuse. Or couldn't find the words. Either way, it didn't help to quell his growing anger. Or guilt.
"What the hell were you doing!? When I decided to leave, you told me to trust you!" A tear began to fall from the inner corner of his eye – he ignored it, eyes narrowing in hate, a touch of desperation in his voice. "You… you have no idea how hard it was to leave him… What the hell were you doing!?"
"...I'm sorry." Was that all he could say? Meaningless apologies?
"I'm sorry will never be enough. I won't ever forgive you! Even if you never planned for this to happen…!" He growled, grabbing onto the bars of the cell, inching his face closer to V's, to make him see his pain, his anger…
"Ugh..." V faltered, losing his balance, his hands gripping the bars parallel to Saeyoung's. His eyes were closed; a mask of pain covering his features.
"Hey, hey! Calm down. You're hurt right now." Vanderwood sighed, looking between the two with resignation. It wasn't his place and he knew it.
At least MC stayed quiet. He didn't want to snap at her.
"Saeran… my brother… what are you planning to do…! Turn everything back." He refused to look away from V's guilty face. "It's all because of you! I'll never forgive you!"
"Saeyoung… It's all my fault..."
...No! He didn't want an apology, didn't want him to weep… Just standing there, speaking nothing apart from apologies…
"We were just used… We were innocent… You two used us! You and that saviour… I'm going to do everything to destroy you both!"
"Ugh…!" V's hand slipped from the bar and he fell to the floor, his knees supporting him. He looked up, looked up to Saeyoung's face with such sadness he had to look away, his anger not dulling in the slightest.
"Seven, don't… Not now!" Vanderwood spoke with an intensity larger than he had before, reaching out to touch Saeyoung's shoulder. He shrugged him off, glaring.
"Saeyoung, I understand how you feel… but think of yourself and stop!" MC all but shouted, her fist clenched to her heart. Her eyes were glossy; she was hurt.
Saeyoung looked down, biting his lip. What was he supposed to do? He had all this anger… and was stuck here… with the very man who caused everything to go sour in the first place. At least before he had his brother, they had each other…
"God..." V whispered from his place kneeling down, a few locks of his hair falling in front of his eyes. Good. Saeran didn't want to see the pain there any longer.
"Why did you involve MC then…? You wanted to use her too!?" Saeran began to get defensive, the reminder of how she was now in danger too brought back to the front of his mind.
"That's..." He didn't finish his sentence, trailing off before he even begun.
"If you were, I'll never forgive you..." Saeran was one thing, but bringing the completely innocent MC into all the chaos was unforgivable. In his eyes, at least.
"When MC first logged into the RFA messenger… my instinct told me that Rika was behind this… Rika's apartment, guest information, new member… this all only felt like a threat to the party." He glanced over to the brunette who was staring impassively into the nearby flames. "If I didn't accept her, MC could have been in danger when she had nothing to do with us."
"Why did Saeran start attacking us ever since MC came… He wanted the information?"
"No, Mint Eye was after all the RFA members. Rika wanted to prove me wrong… and try to absorb all the members to Mint Eye. But that plan failed, because you won over Saeran..."
He was glad of that, at least. Having all the members in this cell along with them would have only given them a worse fate. At least they had a chance… A slim chance…
"Wait. How do you know what's going on here? So you know all the top secrets? I thought you weren't getting along with the queen." Vanderwood cocked an eye upwards, suspicion arising. V shook his head in response.
"I disguised myself as a disciple and stayed here… to acquire information."
"… That's why we couldn't reach you." Anger slowly began dissipating from Saeyoung. V hadn't redeemed himself in the slightest but he most definitely wasn't completely on their side.
"Yeah..."
"Damn it…"
"Now, the mystery is solved?" Vanderwood wasn't a patient one. He made that clear whenever he had an assignment.
"… I don't know. But… knowing more won't change anything, unless there's a way to change Saeran back to the way he was." He wished with everything he had that there was. He couldn't give up hope for his brother… never again…
"If Rika changes, I think there's a possibility Saeran will realize the truth. Then he might return to you."
Possibility… There was only a possibility that he'd get his brother back. He might be lost, brainwashed to the point of return…
"How are you going to change the queen's mind then?" Vanderwood enquired, his arms crossed. That in itself wouldn't be an easy task. Who knew how far Rika had gone by all the events she'd set into motion.
"I can let her destroy me until she is satisfied." V said it with such a lack of emotion he almost felt pity. He was willing to do anything for Rika.
"Uhm… I don't know exactly what you mean, but isn't that dangerous?" Vanderwood was only stating the obvious. If V would even do that at all.
"...He might be lying. I feel so complicated after hearing all of this." Saeyoung rested his face in the palm of his hand, inhaling sharply. "But… I have to save MC first, so we have to escape.
"Vanderwood, turn on the phone." He sat up straight, mindfully focused once again. "Let's access my virtual server IP first. It'll be done in ten minutes. I have to let Jumin know where we are."
He just hoped this would work.
It had to work.
"...You don't think something will happen to us before Mr Powerful comes for us, do you?" Vanderwood questioned, his fingers fiddling with a stray stone he found on the ground. Saeyoung had successfully sent their whereabouts to the RFA server; they now only had to sit and wait. And hope they wouldn't die beforehand. "I think it's been about two hours since we sent the message… My only wish before I die is to smoke a cig."
Wow. So ambitious.
"He'll be here in a couple hours..." Saeyoung spoke unconvincingly. He could only hope that would be true.
"What was the last thing you did after hacking into the server? I saw you writing some strange script. I've been an agent for seven years but I have no idea what that was. Where did you learn it?" Vanderwood asked, flinging the stone against the wall. The reverberating sound spread across the cell, breaking the silence only their voices held.
"Oh… that's..." Saeyoung chuckled sheepishly, "a calling command for the robot cat. I created the language, so it won't make much sense to you."
"What? You created your own language?" Vanderwood seemed surprised that was capable of his best agent. He wasn't a sought-after hacker for nothing.
Right on cue, a familiar voice chimed through the cell walls. "Food delivery!"
"Aargh!" Vanderwood suddenly sprung up at the sight, moving backwards until he hit the stone wall. "Isn't this the one that spits fire? This is what you called!?"
Saeyoung ignored him as the RoboCat crawled through the cell and towards his lap. "Good job, cat robot. I'm glad I put a lot of care into the invasion algorithm. Can't believe it got here without it getting caught."
"What did it bring? It's holding some tomato in its mouth?" Thank you, captain obvious.
"I saw tomatoes growing north of this building. I analysed it through the satellite before we left."
"Spitting out tomatoes, meow…! Five in total meow." It spoke happily in its automated voice before it began to dispense the food on Saeyoung's lap.
"Gahh! Did it just throw up?" Vanderwood squealed. Again.
"It's empty inside." He wiped the tomato against his shirt for good measure and extended his hand out to MC, who looked up with confusion. "MC… eat this."
"Thank you." She smiled gratefully, moving closer to Saeyoung and taking the tomato from his hand without hesitation. She ate it in silence.
"You're a strange dude, you know that? How did you think to make this? And you could have told it to bring some bandages or medicine…!" Vanderwood sighed, closing his amber eyes in frustration.
"I didn't have time to do that." And without a beat, he changed the conversation. Even with his last breath, he would make sure MC was safe. "Robot cat, how is the security here?"
"Three humans are guarding meow. And a woman caught me on my way meow."
"What?" Vanderwood looked up at Saeyoung's face, his own filled with alarm.
"Which woman?"
"Long blond meow."
"You don't think..." V spoke up from his silence, worry rising in all of their bodies. He was cut off by the very thing they were all anxious about, however.
"I knew you're a genius the moment I saw you. I can't believe you made this." Rika spoke from the shadows, her shoes echoing against the stone as Saeyoung seemed to lose all ability to breathe. Just a bit longer… He couldn't let Rika do to MC what she did to Saeran. His mental state couldn't handle it.
But maybe that's what she wanted.
"Her, meow!"
"Rika…!" V uttered in panic, using the bars to help him stand up, though she paid no attention.
"Oh… we're in trouble aren't we?" Vanderwood muttered under his breath. Saeyoung silently nodded while MC clung to his arm as an emotional support. He could tell she was afraid.
"I'm sure you were shocked when you saw Saeran. But you have to admire his loyalty. He got a tattoo of the Mint Eye logo on his arm." Rika smiled, sounding almost like she was in a dream-like state. Too happy.
"What happened to you..." This was not the Rika he remembered. Not by far. V had told them things… but he never fully believed she'd taken a turn for the worse, not like this.
"You have to get one too… It's good to be more like Saeran."
"Why did you do this to Saeran!?" Saeyoung tilted his head, anger flooding through him once again.
"I saved him. And I'll save you too soon. But it'll take time to make sure your brain is happy. You need to go through a certain process. It won't be easy… but Saeran went through it too." Rika was delusional. Crazy.
"… I can't forgive you. Who said you could do that to my brother!? Ugh…!" He faltered, falling back against the stone. His arm stung, the pain returning from a dull ache to something much worse.
"Hey, calm down! You shouldn't get worked up right now! You're hurt and you have someone to protect!" Vanderwood threatened, knowing that using MC to remind him what he had to lose would work. Which it did – though he continued to glare at her.
"It'll be great if we can have a twin in our group."
"Rika, stop involving innocent people into this." V stepped closer, trying to intervene, change her target. It worked.
"Oh… I forgot about you."
"If you involve more people, you will only feel more empty. You already know this."
"Empty? Not at all." Her eyes seemed dull, transparent. Rika was either completely insane or on a million different drugs at once. Or maybe both. "What should I do with you…? I don't have any plans to include you, so maybe I'll just use you to implant fear into everyone and just throw you away."
"...As I said before, do as you please."
V had truly given up, hadn't he? He was no better than a lapdog...
"It has nothing to do with me… I'm making the decision for everyone else. Let's see how long you can stay confident. It will be such a fun event."
"For Mint Eye's everlasting paradise!"
Seven looked around in disbelief. How… did Rika accomplish this? Followers chanting, praying, at her feet?
"Let's guide the sinners to heaven through the holy cleanse!"
"Gahh..." Vanderwood shivered, looking around at the figures with unease. "What's up with this place? And how are things going so fast?"
"I'm sure they were preparing for this long before we came. God..." Seven looked around for possible exits, escape routes, weapons… not a thing that wouldn't raise alarm.
They were stuck.
"Hey, you're really unwell right now. You won't be able to walk like this. How the hell are you managing to stand up?" Vanderwood asked with concern, sighing when he didn't get a response. "Damn it… That SOS we wrote on the messenger… did anyone see it?"
"I'm sure Jumin noticed. But… he's far away. It'll take more than five hours by car..." He sighed in desperation. Time was running out and fast. Who knew what Rika was capable of?
"It's been three hours so far, so two more hours..?! Will we still be alive by then?" Vanderwood groaned. "Why are they doing this so fast? That queen has a bad temper."
God, that was an understatement.
"MC… I'll try to stall time. Please be safe until Jumin's here."
MC refused to meet his gaze. She didn't want to realise the danger they were in, and he knew she wouldn't try and save herself over everyone else's safety.
"My god..." It was settling on Vanderwood too.
"It's the saviour!" The people around them chanted, some of them in a dull, lifeless tone. Was he to become what they were?
"...For everlasting paradise." She spoke, hearing her 'devoted' followers shout the exact same thing back at her. She smiled.
"We will now begin the entering ceremony for our new disciples." Rika extended her hand to the group that was standing beside one of the walls; the one that consisted of themselves. "These three here will cleanse themselves of the unnecessary knowledge acquired in the contaminated world. They will give their all to endure the process, and pledge to participate in the party of paradise that only pursues everlasting happiness and joy." It was sick how they watched her like she was a God. Rika was far from it, though she believed herself to be close to one. "But before, we will proceed with the cleansing ceremony for the arrogant sinner."
V was pulled by his arm to stand closer to Rika – he didn't speak a word or try to object.
"What will happen to him…? Will they torture him like what happens to failed agents!?"
He worried why Vanderwood cared so much for people he'd never met. "I don't want to know… Just think about how to get out of here."
"This is all for our party of everlasting paradise!" Rika announced, turning her attention to the male next to her. Before she could speak, however, a desperate shout echoed through the hall.
"...Saviour!" ...It was Saeran. His eyes seemed to be burning with rage. "Didn't you say that you will not accept Luciel as a disciple!?"
"Saeran… ugh..." Seven had to turn away from the hate he held in his expressions. He knew it was his fault.
"I told you that Saeyoung will be a great asset to Mint Eye. Do not interrupt the ceremony and leave." Rika spoke in a monotone voice – she then turned her back to him, clear that she wanted him out of her sight. He clenched his fists.
"I can be greater than him!… You told me that you chose me instead of him! You sad I had greater potential!"
"Saeran, I gave you your chance. And you never defeated Saeyoung. You need to know how to accept your failures."
That response only seemed to anger and frustrate him; he began to grow distressed, voice cracking repeatedly. "You promised… you promised that I'll get my revenge…! I risked my life to bring him here. But you're going to let him live…!? He's invited to our everlasting party?"
"Hey… this is good." Vanderwood smirked. "I hope he stalls some time for us. Luciel… you okay?" He looked at Seven only to recoil, eyes growing wide. "Hey! You're going pale… When's Mr. Powerful coming here…? Shouldn't he take a flight or something!?"
MC looked over worriedly, lacing her fingers through Seven's for support. He squeezed lightly before letting go and turning to his side. "Vanderwood… untie the thing on my arm..."
"We were going to use that when someone comes to save us! What are you going to do!?"
"I can't… let them take… Saeran… Hurry..." He began to feel faint but willed himself to go on a little further. He could feel the blood begin to run down his arm already.
"Saeran, how foolish you are. Well, I suppose we have to get rid of rotten leaves for new ones to grow." Rika waved a hand out in dismissal.
"Do you mean I have to be happy with him here? He has no right to be happy! You're the one who told me what he did to me!"
"Mint Eye wants a greater and more beautiful future…! You have done great bringing Luciel here. You will be rewarded."
Saeran practically screamed. "I don't need a reward! Letting Luciel live is betraying my faith!"
"...Anyone here?" Rika seemed highly displeased.
"Yes, saviour!"
"He won't be able to use his arm anymore. He's useless. Just get rid of him. Paradise will only come once he's gone…!"
Rika ignored him. "Take Saeran away. He needs to be brainwashed again."
That made him halt. "What…?"
"Yes, madam." One of the followers agreed without an objection. Though, by the fear in his face by that statement…
"No… I can't let you take Saeran." Seven declared. "Not this time…!"
"Hey…! No…!" Vanderwood tried to object but he ignored him, slowly moving forward until he was standing in front of Saeran. He grimaced in pain as he gripped his arm, which was now slowly dripping, the bandage tinged with blood.
"No… Don't take my brother..." His head felt heavy. Too heavy. "Stop all this… If you touch my brother… I'm going to destroy you all…!" He almost fell to the floor but managed to stagger back onto his feet, his words beginning to slur. "All of you…! Stop it. Stop doing this to my family…! Stop it… We're going home now..."
"You dare to block me…!? You dare?! I'm going to kill you!" Saeran argued, his voice hoarse.
"Saeran… please… let's go home… Let's go back home..."
In response Saeran pushed him to the floor; Seven furrowed his eyebrows, reaching out to his brother. "Come with me..."
"Hey…! Seven!"
Was that Vanderwood? He couldn't tell anymore.
"What is this?"
"Take away the one who just fainted! And lock the other one up!" Rika ordered amongst the silence. A man he didn't recognise answered.
"N-no… No..." Saeran pushed against one of them but they were clearly stronger, another Believer taking his other side and dragging him by his arm.
"Do not resist!" He shouted into Saeran's ear; Seven craned his neck slightly in his weak state and saw him manage to push the two away, reaching into his pocket and… taking out a gun.
"Get away from me!" He screamed, sounding almost psychotic, "All of you! Don't come near me… If you do, I'm going to shoot you!" Saeyoung clutched his head, forcing his eyes shut. "God… Ugh… what… My head.. it hurts..."
"...What's going on? Rika." V frowned, though Rika stayed silent, watching the events unfold. Seven closed his eyes, the weight on his head growing stronger.
"My head… I feel like my head's going to explode…!"
"Disciples! Do not be alarmed! This is only a test given to us!" Rika shouted to the people gathering behind. "Give him the meds! Give Saeran the medicine of salvation... Now!"
"Seven… hey…! Wake up…! God, I can't even go to him…!" At least someone would be concerned for him in his last moments… He just wished MC didn't have to see him go...
"If you come near me, I'll shoot you! Just… just leave me alone… Ugh… my head… Damn it…!" He could hear voices drop in and out, the floor almost becoming transparent, like he was floating on air. Shouting… silence… screaming… emptiness…
A gunshot sounded through the air. He didn't even wince – though he didn't have a chance to find out if it was intended for him or not. The bang of the gunshot brought him back to his senses, though the pain in his arm was gone, strangely. He was no longer lying down; no, he was sitting with his back to something, though he couldn't figure out what. His eyes were open too, but everything was foggy, he couldn't see…
He blinked. Once. Twice. His surroundings began to come back to him. He was sitting in some kind of room – a room that was way too white to be in his house. Too plain. There was a desk, a chair, a bed – which he had his back against – and a window. With bars.
A hospital wouldn't have bars… right?
His limbs protested against working but he got up anyway. He felt like he hadn't moved in days.
He slowly opened the only door that was leading out of the room and, without a second to take in his surroundings, a person outside stopped and walked over to him, clearly a fake smile plastered on her face. She looked like some sort of doctor – wearing all white. It didn't look like a hospital either. Too small.
"Hey hun, you okay? You were out of it for a couple of days there… we were getting worried."
"… Do I know you?"
Her face dropped. "Not again..." She muttered, before putting on a fake smile again. "Follow me, please? I'll explain everything in just a few moments."
After a few seconds of debating, he followed her down a few halls to a plain white door. Nothing different there apart from it stated some name on the front. He didn't recognise it.
She knocked heavily, a disguised look of sadness written across her face. He knew that all too well.
Seconds later it opened and a young-looking man opened the door; he looked at Seven and smiled, only for that smile to falter when he saw the woman who bought him there. He had a good look at his face; his eyes were green and his hair a light blonde, matching the colour of his stubble. He didn't look like the sort of person to work… wherever this was. He looked like he belonged in an advertisement for a beach or something. If beaches even did advertisements.
"Doctor, it's… happened, again." That's all she said before she left, leaving him only the more confused.
"Come in, please." Seven walked inside, following the man as he did. He beckoned him to the chair and he sat down, but before he could ask any questions, the man began speaking.
"I'm sure you're confused, no?" Seven nodded. "Well, there is no way to put this simply, so I'm going to make this short and sweet. You're in a Psychiatric Hospital – Palm Springs Psychiatric Unit to be precise. Among other things, which I will not bring to your immediate attention at this time, you suffer from severe hallucinations – which, for an unknown reason, tend to wipe your memory for a short amount of time and replace those memories with ones fabricated. The memories you think are yours are merely an illusion. This doesn't happen every time, but almost every time it does you have this exact reaction. You're not one to like sugar coating, either."
Everything he knew… was false?
"Though not everything is fabricated. Your mind tends to pick out people from your life to place in these hallucinations – a friend that you may speak to here has a good chance of being placed in that hallucination. Our minds cannot conjure up people that do not exist, so please take a slight amount of comfort in that. I'm sorry if this is a lot to take in."
"What's..." He swallowed. "What's my name? Is that at least real?"
"You like to alternate – you've told us this before. Saeyoung – your birth name, Luciel or Seven. Which would you prefer me to call you?"
"… Seven." He whispered. Seven was good. Seven was a mask. He could be Seven. Again. It would be like being in the RFA messenger again. That was easy.
Except the RFA never existed.
And technically, neither did his entire life.