Neither of us moved for what felt like an eternity. Vanderwood looked between us, analyzing the situation unraveling in front of him. "Wait… Don't tell me…" He trailed off, hesitant to make assumptions. "Sori, what's going on?"
"Sori is my little sister," Saeyoung said, still not moving from his spot in the doorway.
My feelings inside felt confused. Saeyoung is alive! He abandoned us. But there must be a good reason. No reason good enough! He wouldn't just leave us! But he did. This isn't his fault. Stop making excuses for him! Saeran, wait! Don't be upset with me!
"It's okay if you're mad at me, Sori," Saeyoung said softly, as if reading my mind.
I covered my face with my hands to hide the tears. "I'm not…" I hiccupped. "I'm not mad." Hurt… It makes me upset that he disappeared, but now he can tell me why! So, why can't I stop crying and just ask him? These emotions were making my head pound.
An arm wrapped around my shoulder, pulling into a hug. "I hate to interrupt this reunion, but it isn't safe for you out here right now," Vanderwood said, planting a soft kiss on the top of my head. That's the third time he's kissed me since we met. "And you're soaking wet. You'll catch a cold." His concern for me warmed my heart.
Calming down, I wiped the tears off my cheeks. "Thanks for worrying about me," I replied with a smile.
Vanderwood took one last look around. "I'll come inside with you for a little bit. Your apartment should be safe for a few hours." Keeping an arm around me, he led me inside the apartment.
It was a little messy. Chip bags on the coffee table. A huge computer area, with more than one monitor. Is he hacking like Saeran? From what little I remember, Saeyoung was so smart. He always came up with plans and took care of us whenever Mother got out of hand.
"Sori, can I have Seven look at your phone? We need to make sure they aren't tracking you by it. In the meantime, you can take a shower and warm up," Vanderwood said, holding out his hand.
Giving over my phone, I nodded. "S-sure. Thanks," I said, trying to calm my racing mind. Finally, alone in the bathroom, I sat down in the shower, letting the warm water soak into my freezing body. Is this really happening to me? Has all my bad luck turned good?
He doesn't care about us, Sori. Forget about him and join me in salvation.
Salvation. That's what he wanted. Saeran forgot reason… and turned all his hatred for the world into hating our brother. With our mother dead, he had no one else to blame for his pain. He was the perfect target for that blonde woman. Saeran… did you forget all those times our brother protected us from our mother?
Vanderwood had left when I returned to the main room of the apartment. Since none of my clean clothes were here, he'd stolen some of Saeyoung's clothes for me. Brushing my bangs out of my face, I quietly walked over to where Saeyoung sat at his computer, typing into what looked like a chatroom. "Saeran likes computers too."
He looked up from his screen, surprised by the statement. "Oh yeah? Do you?"
He's interested in me? I dropped my gaze to the floor. "No. I'm not very good with technology." Guess I am the stupid one of the three of us. Tugging at the sleeves of the shirt, I sighed. "W-Why did Vanderwood call you Seven?"
Saeyoung pulled over the chair on his other side, wanting me to sit. "My line of work requires me to be discrete. It's my code name." When he noticed his answer satisfied my curiosity, he asked, "Do you know where Saeran is?"
I shook my head. "No… I can't remember. Wherever he is, it isn't a good place. The elixir, it changed him." He waited patiently when I paused, trying to find the right words. "I have gaps in my memory. From the same elixir. I escaped from that place three years ago, but I still haven't regained my memories."
Saeyoung turned when he had a phone call but pressed the end button immediately. "You don't have to talk about it, Sori."
"But I want to!" The words tumbled out of my mouth. It's been so long since I've had someone to trust. It's all been a secret. My identity. My past. Pulling my knees up to my chest and hugging my arms around them, I rested my chin on top of my knee. "I remember being in that place and I didn't like it. All they talked about was Salvation, kind of like being at the church, except they didn't worship God. It's some woman, but I don't remember what she looks like except for her blonde hair and green eyes. She didn't like me."
"Sori, if you do not make the choice to join us in salvation, then I will have no choice but to cast you out," Her piercing green eyes peered down into my gold ones. Her guards had thrown me down onto the ground in front of her throne. She didn't speak to me the way she spoke to Saeran.
The doors opened, and my brother came running, dropping down to my side. "Savior, please forgive her. Sori needs more time. Her kind heart is causing her to hold onto our eldest sibling." Saeran had changed in the last few days.
The Savior rose from her throne, coming over to Saeran like he was her favorite dog. "I understand why you're worried about her, but if she continues to deny the elixir, there is only one choice." She grabbed his chin and squeezed. "Do you understand what must be done for her to stay in paradise?"
The light in his eyes dulled and his whole body seemed to shift in a strange way. "I understand, Savior."
Panic arose in my chest. I jerked my body forward, pulling her grip off my brother. "Don't touch him!" I shouted. The whole room went deathly quiet. The other believers in the room had gaping mouths. Somehow the laugh that came from beside me didn't sound at all like the one I knew so well. Turning my head slowly, Saeran had a smirk on his face. "S-Saeran?" It has to be that drug!
The front door swung open, causing me to jump. Vanderwood had all my belongings in one suitcase and a large box. His hair dripped water on the floor and there was a streak of blood across his cheek. "That went as well as expected," he mumbled, setting the items down. His eyes met mine and he smiled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Sinking back down into the chair, I tried to hide my fear. "I'm okay."
Vanderwood turned his gaze to Saeyoung, narrowing his eyes. "I received a call from the boss. You still haven't finished the work that was assigned to you. How many times do I have to tell you to get it done?" He sounded like a nagging mother, like the ones I'd seen in the grocery store.
My brother sighed and waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, Mary, I got it. I'll get right on it." He turned in the swivel chair and opened up some program. The mixture of symbols and numbers made my head hurt. Saeran had been good at this too. He'd tried to explain to me, but I didn't understand.
I rested my forehead on my knees and let my eyes slide close for a moment. That's what I told myself, anyways. Just resting my eyes. It seems like he's busy, so I should just be quiet like I used to do when Saeran worked. Somehow the sound of Saeyoung typing on the keyboard lulled me into a restless sleep. That memory I'd remembered… That had been the first time I'd seen a real change in Saeran's behavior. A terrifying change.