"You're awake." I bolted up at the sound of a male voice. "Ah! I'm sorry! I'm not here to hurt you." I could see a tall man with raven black hair wearing ragged clothing, behind him was a woman who seemed to be talking to herself.

"Who-"

"We're just like you. We're here to feel paradise." He knelt down and smiled as he discreetly brushed away the warning message. "We've been put through trial after trial but soon, we'll be in paradise."

"Whose she?"

The man looked back. "That's my wife, Irene. This place has taken quite the toll on her." He looked back at me, his mint colored eyes widened in fear. His face was dirty with small scratches across his lips and eyes. His nose looked like it had broken several times as it leaned to the right. "My name is Joseph. I think…"

"What?"

"It's just that…we've been waiting for paradise so long, I just can't even remember…" He rubbed his tired eyes. "Oh…you're eyes look blurry. That means they injected you with the pain reducer."

"The what?"

"It's a medicine that they put in your eyes, it seems to target the part of your brain that feels pain and kills its cells. I think at least. It's not perfect and has some side effects."

I touched the bottom of my eye lid. My eyes darted to my shattered knee, there was a splint and some gauze rapped around my leg but I couldn't feel a thing. "S-side effects?"

"I've seen some people loose their sight all together. Others get discoloration in their eyes, some even had blown up pupils. But, you don't feel pain so I guess it's just a price you have to pay."

"It dulls…all pain?"

He smiled and sat down next to me as his wife rocked back and forth on her heels. "I feel like it does. When we came here we felt nothing but pain. But after they put the medicine in" he looked up and smiled, "well, we just feel much better." There was a sound, like electricity shutting off, and suddenly the man stood up and ran to his wife. "They're resetting the system. Listen girl, don't let their nonsense get to you. Irene calm down keep listening to the sound of my voice." He soothed his wife.

"W-what's going on?"

"What I said was true, that damn medicine they put in your eyes dulls pain so that way they can brainwash you into joining their fucking cult. But listen here, they'll do more. They'll do so much more."

The wife began sputtering nonsense.

"It's okay Irene. It's okay." He patted her hair. "Focus on my voice. They won't convert us okay?"

I looked around the rubble room, the floors were covered in dirt, there was a line of at least twenty cots and across from that a wall of boxes that must have read 'supplies' it was hard to read from this distance. In front of me was nothing but broken cement, frayed electrical wires, and steel rods for holding a building up. "W-what did they do to her?"

"My wife…she…" He picked her up carrying her rag doll like body to one of the cots. "We…we came here to find solace." He confessed. "Our daughter was killed by a drunk driver. He was an important businessman so the whole incident was brushed under the rug." He placed Irene gently on the bed on kissed her forehead. "So we came here and-"

There was a buzzing sound. Joseph straightened up and smiled at me. "So for now you just choose a place to sleep! When they're ready they'll come get you."

"J-Joseph?"

"So just relax for now, think of how great it will be to live in paradise!" With that he knelt before his wife holding her hand and muttering for her to only listen to his voice. I limped towards a cot and placed myself on the bed. The bed smelled of unwashed bodies and something metallic. Even though I couldn't feel the pain in my knee, or the back of my head, I could still feel the exhaustion coursing through my body.

I must have dozed off, my dreams were nothing but the visions of death, the chair they strapped me in, and Mint Eye. I could hear a loud alarm when suddenly the doors opened and another woman was thrown in. Behind her was one of those ME followers with the grey cloaks and grey colored masks. "Joseph." The distorted voice cut through. "It's time to eliminate that pain inside you."

Joseph stood up, a pained smile forced on his face. "Shit." I could hear him mutter as he walked past me. Just as loudly the doors closed and the room turned back into an emergency red. I didn't see it before but on the walls was the words Paradise, Mint Eye, Believe, No Pain. I felt my skin prickle at the thought of paradise. It sounded good.

"Magenta…Magenta…" The woman walked towards me, her eyes were watering and her muscles seemed to be spasming causing her to stumble as she walked. "Y-y-y-you are here f-f-f-for paradise?" Her red hair was matted almost making her look like witch. She was older, at least in her late forties as she took a seat on the cot opposite of me. "I-I-I can f-fe-feel paradise. It's g-go-golden doors are almost in my grasp. Th-they told me!" She smiled.

"I don't want to join paradise." I glared at the wall of propaganda. "Hell. It's not even paradise this room is like a purgatory for hell."

She swayed. "Wh-what-what did you just say?" He eyes twitched and suddenly she began scratching at her face. "Y-y-you don't want to j-join!? Y-you're just like those others that u-used to be here! B-but me and A-alex took care of th-those non-b-b-believers!" She stood up. Her eyes were wide and she had a crazed look in them.

"D-dont'!" Irene called out from her bed. "She doesn't know."

"Sh-sh-she doesn't believe!"

"She will." Irene laughed. Her voice was hoarse and strained.

"Y-you be-better." The woman staggered off, her torso lurched forward and backward as her head lulled to the side. I could see Irene lifting her limp body off the bed and slowly she made her way towards me.

Her blonde hair stuck to her neck with sweat as she dragged her left foot behind her. "You better watch what you say." She glared as she struggled to stand in one place. I helped her into another cot as she let out a shaky breath. "Paradise isn't attainable for everyone because the world out there doesn't understand it yet. That's why they have to cleanse us to help us understand."

I bit my lip praying that whatever came out of my mouth wouldn't result in that other woman lashing out on me. "But what about Joseph?"

"Jo…seph…" Her eyes fixated on the door. "Help me Joseph. Help me Joseph. Help! Help! HELP!"

"O-Okay calm down! Calm down." I struggled to stand as I shook her shoulders gently. "It's okay Irene. He'll be back."

"They took him. Theytookhimtheytookhimtheytookhim…" She mumbled. "I don't want…para…" Her eyes glazed over and suddenly she was panting heavier. "Paradise…" Drool started to roll down her chin. "Haa haaa. Paradise makes you happy." She laid back on the bed and started giggling. "Let's go to paradise. I love paradise. I love it." She clutched her chest and buried her face into a dirty pillow. "Haa haaa…"

I backed away slowly as she panted and mumbled over and over again how much she loved paradise.

Hours passed until eventually the alarms barred once again and Joseph was thrown into the room. He looked dazed and his eyes kept darting back and forth looking at each word on the walls. "You." The man behind him spoke. "It's your turn. He wants to see you personally."

I was looked back at the three, Irene was asleep her body restless as it battled a nightmare, the other woman was doing something near the far wall too far for me to see, and Joseph…he laid there looking at me as he struggled to keep his body upright. We locked eyes and for a moment a look of intelligence glazed over him. It was only for a second but I knew, Joseph was still there. He wouldn't give in.

I was led into a room of computer screens lined up against the right wall, to my left was s singular mirror reflecting the screens. The man who brought me here was stood there with his back to me. "They're denying that your dead." He laughed as he pointed at a screen in the middle of his desk. I could see, though fuzzy, the chat room screen. So he was reading our messages. "Look here, that young one is lashing out on V. And here," he pointed to another computer with past logs, "look, when they learned of your 'death' they went crazy." I could only see one chat clearly before he scrolled through.

[707]: The…the system went off.

[Jumin Han]: What are you talking about?

[Jaehee]: What system?

[707]: As a security measure Rika had me set up a bomb inside the apartment.

[Jaehee]: A bomb?!

[Jumin Han]: You said it went off…

[707]: I got here as fast as I could. I really tried to I swear.

[Jumin Han]: What happened to her?! Is she safe?!

[707]: The whole floor is on fire.

[Jaehee]: Oh my god…

[707]: I didn't make it on time. I should've answered her call! But I was doing something for the agency! If I had just-

"Isn't it funny?" He scrolled faster going through each chatroom. Words of anger, hate, and confusion scrolled up and up. He looked back at me, his mint colored eyes widened in slight surprise. "Why are you crying?"

I looked away as I wiped my tears. "I need to talk to them."

"I agree." He smiled. "And I have a perfect idea on how to inform them." Before I could even react he grabbed me by the wrists tossing me onto his chair. He reached over me grabbing the rope on his desk and began to tie around my hands binding each wrist to the arm rests. "You're legs are going to have to be spread open." His voice was dark and quickly he locked my ankles behind the legs of the rolling chair. I felt my heart pounding in fear. I couldn't close my legs if I wanted to and the rope dug deep into my wrists causing them to bleed. "Don't struggle so much. You're only making the ropes rub your skin raw." He warned.

"What are you planning to do?"

"I want to show them how much you love paradise." He pulled out my phone from his back pocket. "So be a good girl and show them." With his other hand he pulled out a pill bottle and tossed a few into his mouth followed by a swig of water. Grabbing my cheeks with his thumb and index finger he pitched slightly making my mouth open. Feeling his lips connect with mine I struggled to pull away. A gasp escaped my lips as I felt the pills and water pour into my mouth. The pills dissolved and reluctantly I swallowed. "Oh? What a good girl." He chuckled as he moved away, a mixture of saliva and water ran down his chin before he quickly rubbed it away with the back of his hand. "Now let's show them how much you love this place." A word automatically raised to my mind. Mint Eye.

I could feel my heart speeding up. My body felt warm and something was stirring in the pit of my stomach. I tried to rub my legs together feeling strange but the restraints kept me from moving. Heavy gasps left my body as I felt tears began to roll down my cheeks.

"That's a good face." The light on my phone went off momentarily dazing me.

"Ung…" I tried to move my body the backs of my legs hitting the edge of the chair as I struggled to release this growing lust inside me.

"What made you feel this way?" He chuckled moving a strand of hair out of my face.

"Mnnnn." I dug my nails into the plastic arm rest. "St-stop…"

"Hmm? That's not an answer." His eyes were half lidded as he took another picture. The room lit up for a split second dazing me. "Maybe I should up the dose?" He moved aside, there was a mirror behind him that reflected the Mint Eye logo. "So, what made you feel this way?"

"M…mi…" I couldn't say it. I shouldn't say it. But it felt good, too good. If I say it I know I'll want to believe it. "Min…" I bit my tongue. Don't say it. Don't say it. Don't say it.

"Hummm. That's irritating. Okay I'll just make you say it." He moved in front of me, the logo still within eye level, "Open wide~" And poured more pills into my mouth. He poured the water into his mouth and placed his lips over mine. The physical contact felt too good. Even just a little I couldn't help but feel my body shake. I could feel his hands ghosting over mine, it was like electricity was washing over my. As soon as the pills ran down my throat I could feel his tongue entralge with mine for a split second.

"Aaah…" I felt my body spasm as my back arched off the back rest. My movements felt like they were being slowed down by time. "No! No! No!" I could feel my hips slam into the seat.

"Now then. Who made you feel this way?"

"Ngha ah! Ah! I can't. My body…feels weird…" I thrashed my head around trying to fight this uncomfortable yet pleasurable feeling in between my legs.

"Say it." He chuckled.

"M…Mint Eye. Pr-aaah!-Praise Magenta! AAAHH…" My body shook in pleasure as I felt a release of warmth in my body. I could see white and hear nothing but my own moans of pleasure.

"Yes…that's right." I could hear his voice somewhere in the distance.

"S-Seven will—"

"Ha ha ha. Stop using that idiotic name." He growled.

"He'll find you."

I could feel my body being lifted off the chair. "I pray he does."