criminals°nct dream [slow updates]

seven: "don't touch me"

[disclaimer; this is purely a work of fiction therefore, do not attempt any stunts in this story
and do not take any violence, aggression and
etcetera in this story as examples to follow.
thank you]

[tw; contains depictions of violence and abuse that
might be upsetting or triggering for some readers]

  Nari arrives at the place and rushes into the old, isolated building.

  She quickly dials Aera's number and groans when she hears nothing of it.

  "ISEUL! AERA! WHERE ARE YOU?" Nari yells resoundingly and sprints through the empty, cold corridors.

  She frantically searches around for the way to the basement but after finding nothing, she spins to head the other way when a booming shout echoes throughout the area.

  Her eyes widen and she whips her head to it- tailing the sound immediately.

  She halts abruptly at the square entrance on the ground, almost tumbling over the stairs leading down into it.

  "STOP! PLEASE STOP!"

  Aera's pleading screech horrifies and calls a surge of a panic in Nari.

  "HOLD ON!" She accelerates her steps further into the unknown to the point her surroundings are barely distinguishable and she outstretches her hand to grab the door handle.

  But she's obstructed when it suddenly, swings open and what greets is both expected yet, appalling to her.

  A bloody and battered Iseul tiredly trudges out while dragging a still chained up Aera on her chair behind her.

  Nari gapes as she stares and Iseul plummets in exhaustion before lifting up her shaky hand to give a silver key.

  "Here... the key... to the lock," she pants and falls unconscious.

  Carefully, the older leans her against the wall before freeing Aera from her cold, metal ties.

  "I thought you got hurt. Why'd you shout like that?" Nari recalls and the other cracks her sore neck.

  "For them," she then, answers and points into the basement.

  Nari peeks and her eyes pop off their sockets at the barbaric sight.

  Bashed bodies drenched in red lay torpid on the brittle, crimson ground. Thankfully, all are still breathing- just, but very much alive.

  A bloody whip stretches across the floor like a lifeless reptile and from its worn appearance, she can already imagine what happened.

  Suddenly, a moving shadow catches her eye and she turns to see Jeno, the only one left standing with nothing but a bruised cheek and a busted lip.

  He pierces daggers through her with his callous eyes.

  He speaks nothing nor does he move a single muscle but the aura he emanates is enough to summon death itself.

  Nari gulps but she can't shake of the feeling of familiarity. His gaze... It somehow reminds her of Iseul's.

  The girl retreats slowly and lifts Iseul's limp body. "Come on, we should leave."

  Aera aids her and carries Iseul by her other arm- exiting and departing from the place using Nari's car.

  Jeno lowers his inimical gaze and it softens as he lifts all his injured friends to a corner.

  The memory from earlier flashes suddenly when he leans Jisung's head on Jaemin's shoulder.

  An animalistic holler left Iseul and she landed one last violent blow onto Renjun's face.

  The lad's nose bled after- broken by her fist and she laboriously stood.

  She swivelled and faced Jeno, the final challenger and she glowered belligerently. Scratched, bleeding knuckles trembled in anticipation to break him.

  Iseul ran towards him, unfeeling and rabid- throwing one kick after the other but Jeno only parried.

  She grunted and went into fighting stance- preparing for when he assails, but he didn't.

  "What are you waiting for? I'm all yours to take," he spoke and his low voice resonated in the vacant basement as he raised his arms wide open for her.

  Iseul kept clenching and unclenching her fists, befuddled and troubled of what to do.

  Jeno looked at her tight fist that had been dripping with blood and recognized it as the one cut by their whip after she used it to fight against them.

  He gradually closed the distance between them with an intense gaze that never left hers.
"Fight me. You must be dying to crush me after all this."

  She gulped but her fingers began to loosen as her pose relaxed.

  Jeno noticed and captured her wrist. "Don't you hate me? Just hit meㅡ"

  THWACK!

  Iseul smashed her knuckles on his cheek before roughly striking him in the stomach with her leg.

  He fell to his knees and coughed jarringly- blood spilling out and tainting the stone ground.

  "Don't touch me," she hissed and marched to Aera at the sound of Nari's calls.

  And like that, she disappeared out the door.

  Jeno slides to the floor with his back against the wall.

  He sits with one leg up and his arm hangs over it- his mind empty and yet, so heavy.