Veiled | JHS | ✓

Stay humane

"Stay away from him, b**ch! He's mine!"

17-year-old Sia stared at the bathroom floor, her head hung down and not a hint of emotion on her face. That must have angered the one who addressed her more. One of her minions spat. "Look at this shameless, wh**e! I ought to teach her lesson-"

Sia's head was wrenched back as long-nailed fingers dug into her hair jerked it up so that her eyes would meet her assailants. Even as the nails dug into her skin and the hair tore from her scalp, Sia didn't wince. All she did was stare back, eyes glossed over, with no will to fight.

"Ahahaha, loser!" A third voice snickered at her state, holding the phone that was recording the whole scene. She looked to her companion on the right and made a gesture. Her companion smirked and looked at the cowering girl, who stood at the corner holding a bucket.

"Go on ahead. You're her friend, right? You're the best one for this job."

The cowering girl was pushed to the front by the leader of the group. She hung a hand over her trembling shoulders as she whispered into her ears. "Go on~ Show me what you've got. Pour that over her."

The girl hesitated and the assailant smirked. "Or do you want to take her place? You're her friend, after all?"

The terrified girl shook her head and within seconds, stepped forward and poured the entire drain water all over her friend. Sia clenched her fists as the water drenched her form. Raucous laughter, full of glee resonated through the room. Finally, the leader of the assailants warned. "Stay in your place. Remember, don't ever mess with what's mine again!"

Footsteps receded out of the bathroom. Sia didn't move. She sat still on the bathroom floor, water dripping from her hair and her skin. A meek voice spoke from a corner. "I'm sorry."

She looked up at the voice of her friend. Well, her former friend. "Why did you do it?"

She flinched at her tone. Sia didn't like the way she cowered or flinched or just stayed back like an absolute dumb**k. Frustration coursed through her and she screamed, "WHY DID YOU DO IT? I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!"

"They- they would have turned to me. They would get me expelled. They're all in this together, you know that, don't you? They- they will ruin my future, I don't have a choice-"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE?!" Sia shrieked. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to hear any pathetic excuses. It was all her fault. All hers! She should have never trusted her.

The tears spilled down from her eyes. The cold, withdrawn, unaffected facade broke and she crumpled, a sob slipping from her throat. The meek voice answered.

"Then tell me..."

Sia looked up to her former friend's eyes that were shining with a fierce vehemence as she asked.

"What would you do if I were you?"

Right...

Humans were naturally selfish. Sia had learned that lesson such a long time ago. She was no exception to that rule.

But she had also learned something that she had sworn to never forget. Humans were innately selfish, that's why it was important to remain humane.

How could she have ever forgotten?

She had been blind, believing in an inherent human instinct that told her to fear the unknown. Too unsighted to see where she was going wrong. Too biased against something that she did not know, thinking that she was in the right. Too wound up in her head to see that she had forgotten what she had promised herself long before. To stay humane.

Being different wasn't a crime. She should have remembered that out of all. She had been through the same, after all. She had experienced what it was to be different and to be scorned for it and to realize that she had become the very image of what she once hated was horrifying.

Since when had she been so blind? Was having something different from others such a bad thing?

Was Hoseok bad?

Her head reeled with the memory of the intensity of his eyes. The way the warmth in them had drained out at her words, the way its light dimmed, the way hurt flashed through it. Something in her wrenched at the memory.

She didn't know. It confused her more just like that day back in high school, when her friend had posed the same question.

What would you do if I were you?

Sia's fingers ran along the bookshelf of her university library. Her eyes were unfocused, not taking in a word on the spine of the books, a single face constantly playing in her mind. She pursed her lips, her eyebrows furrowing at the frustration. It didn't feel right. She had to do something about it. An agitated breath left her lips as her eyes flitted around the library when something caught her attention.

There was a... shadow near the other shelf of the library. No, it wasn't a shadow, it was something indefinite, barely able to take a shape, floating mid-air. Without a reason, Sia's heart began to thunder inside her chest. It didn't feel right. That shadow or that weird presence that kept flickering out of focus. It was not good. It was malicious. Wrong. Just out of order. It didn't belong there.

Sia looked around the library. It was fairly occupied. There were students in the library but then why wasn't anyone noticing that strange weird presence. No one threw a second glance at that shadow that lurked beside the shelves, walking right past it almost as if... it wasn't there. As if only she could see it. A chill crept down her spine as she leaned back to the shelves for support, something in her keeping her rooted to the place.

How come no one noticed it? It was so dark and evil and oozing with such vengeful power that it suffocated her. How could no one see it?

Sia's eyes looked around again only to freeze as it landed on a familiar figure at the other end of the shelves, staring straight at the form, horrified.

Hoseok.

It looked as if he could see it. More clearly than her. As if he knew exactly what a malignant thing it was. Fear defined his features as he stared transfixed at the evil shadow. Something was going on. Suddenly, the lights went out.

And then, there was a deafening crash.

"AAAGGHHH!"

________________________

A/n: Sneak peek into her past.