SHINee World

Chapter Seventeen

The group arrives back at the White Kingdom, the message in hand. Jungkook is standing at the entrance to welcome them in, pulling Ally into a hug. "Yoongi Hyung is back!" He tells her, excitement clear in his voice.

She pulls away, a smile forming on her face. "Where is he at?" He gently takes her hand to pull her along. The rest of SHINee right on her heels to follow. They all walk into the infirmary, seeing the red king sitting on the bed and his back against the wall. His eyes trail over to her and a small smile graces his lips. "You're okay, Ally," he confirms, seeing no injuries on her.

She nods, walking over to take a seat in a chair beside his bed. "Of course I'm okay, but you shouldn't be worrying about me. I'm more concerned about you." He shakes his head, as if saying not to worry about him. "I'm okay. There's no need to worry." She raises an eyebrow and touches the bandage on his arm. He winces, proving her point.

He lets out a groan but doesn't argue. She gets up to check on the members of ATEEZ. Most of them were still asleep, resting their bodies. Except for Wooyoung and San, the two bickering over something. Ally laughs quietly, walking over to the two. They both stop, looking up to see her. The two smile, San pulling her down for a hug. "Careful, San. You're injured." He shrugs, hugging the girl closer.

"You're safe and that's all that matters."

-

A day later is when she thought it would be best to bring up the topic about the clue they found. She grabs her phone, heading up to Namjoon's office. She arrives at the door, bringing a hand up to knock. The talking inside stops as he says come in. She turns the knob, opening the door up and walking inside. She's greeted by Namjoon, Jin and Jimin. The three had obviously been talking about something important before she arrived.

"What's going on?" She asks, concern washing over her features. They all shake their heads, finding a spot to sit down. "Nothing to worry about." She sighs, worried but doesn't bother to bring the topic back up. She opens the pictures up on her phone before clearing her throat. "We got a clue." All of their eyes widen, hearing the words leave her mouth.

"What is it?"

"What did you find?"

"Any leads?"

All of them start asking questions, throwing different ones her way. The door opens, someone walking up behind her and gently touching her shoulder. "Guys, quiet down so she can speak." It was Minho, the other three filling in behind her. She nods, taking a breath to relax herself from the overwhelming inquiries.

"He left a clue," she shows them the picture, "that only a select few understand." Her gaze lingers over to Key. He lifts one shoulder, not saying anything. "The other thing I have to discuss is my abilities. I'm able to see visions of what he did to leave the clues. It's a huge advantage for us when it comes to following his trail." The others all look at her in awe, finding the new information amazing.

"Then lets use it to our advantage."

-

The stillness was one thing to hear  on an occasion.

Not. Every. Single. Day.

It was driving Jinki internally insane. Sometimes there would be the sound of water drops falling from the ceiling of the damp room. Other than that, it was quiet. He could hear the running of his thoughts, too many theories crossing his mind. What was Keres getting out of keeping him here? He's the leader of one of the most known first generation Kpop groups. He makes music for his daily life. How was he important enough to be captured and held in a room for the past month now?

At least he thinks it's been a month. He has no way to tell the time. There's no windows in his room to see the sunlight. Just four barren stone walls, mold riding up the creases of each one. A bed in one corner, pressed up against the wall. It was hardly comfortable enough to be recognized as one. A blanket was thrown on top of it with a pillow. He rarely uses either, keeping his eyes opens as he sits on the floor.

He lays his back against the bed, his eyes closing for a moment as he lets out a deep breath. He's barely fed enough to keep himself alive and occasionally given some water to stay hydrated. He hasn't gotten to bathe in weeks, leaving the dried blood on his forehead and arms. His wounds have scalped over for now, surely infected. He did his best with what water they provide to keep them clean.

Footsteps are heard from the hallway, slowly approaching his room once more. He doesn't bother to open his eyes. He already knows it's Keres, here to bother him once more. The door opens up, the person walking into the room. They give a sinister smile, grabbing their usual chair and taking a sit in front of the idol.

"Are you going to speak today?"

Jinki opens his eyes, meeting with theirs. "No." The other tsks, shaking their head and crosses one leg over the other. "Stubbornness will get you no where. Many of your idol friends have nearly died trying to save you. If you would only listen, then Ally will be safe."

His eyes widen hearing the girl's name, struggling to sit up more. "Don't you dare touch her." Keres grins. They finally got a reaction out of the leader. This will make the game fun. "Then it's time for you to talk." The villain leans forward, ready to have some fun. This is what they were created for after all.

-

A sudden pain shoots through Ally's head, making her grab onto Taemin who sits beside her. He gently takes her hand, trying to get her to look up at him. "What's wrong?"

"Onew is in pain. I think he gave in. Keres must've used some sort of tactic to do so."

Kibum lets out a sigh, his eyes scanning the fields in front of them. "They brought your name into play. Jinki Hyung will be okay though. He's strong." This saddens her but makes her determination much stronger to find the lost idol.

It was her job, after all.

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Word Count: 1,082