GAME RULES ━ ATEEZ

08.

A/N: I WROTE THIS LITERALLY A YEAR AGO AND IM PUBLISHING IT NOW. is anyone even still here atp. publishing for shits and gigs 

San woke with a start.

His room was grey and cold, windows framed in drooping clouds, lightning flashing in the distance. During the night, he had somehow managed to kick his grey comforter to the floor and now lay bare, covered in nothing but his boxers. His dreary room was illuminated by the ugly greyness that was the outside world. San wondered if he'd ever see it again. 

God, how he missed his life. He missed the bright blue sky and clouds that didn't look like banal attempts at cotton candy; he missed Hyewon's face, illuminated by sun. He missed Changbin's stupid laughter, emanating from Wooyoung's room as San tried to sleep. He missed almond lattes and statistics class and the feeling of leaves crunching under his feet. He missed Yunho's bright smile and the ability to sleep through the night. 

He needed to find Seonghwa, talk this through with him. Seonghwa always knew what to do. Seonghwa had always been the sane one, the smart one, the one with every solution to every issue ever. Seonghwa helped him ask out Hyewon, and Seonghwa helped him with stats, and Seonghwa bought him almond lattes and took walks with him and let leaves crunch under his feet. Seonghwa was the closest San could get to his life, and San needed to find him. 

San needed Seonghwa. San let a pair of Wooyoung's sweatpants hang lowly around his hips and pulled on a shirt stolen from someone (Hongjoong, probably) and set out to find his older brother. 

——

The hallway was vacant, red stripes of carpet extending on each side of him. Every door was shut tightly, no sound or light from any of the cracks. San sighed and descended the stairs. 

He was making his way to the kitchen when he heard something that halted him.

"San!" 

San stopped in his tracks, the sound of a voice emanating through a wall. That voice sounded like-- "Mingi?"

"San! San, help! Help me!"

"Mingi, where are you?" San felt dread fill his bones, blood curdling in his veins. He rushed towards the yelling, frantic, legs pumping beneath him. "Mingi!"

"San, I'm down here! Help! Hoongjoong!" 

San stumbled across a trap door, nestled into the ground. He hesitated--a basement? A part of his brain told him that this was wrong, he was making a mistake--but then he heard Mingi scream again, and all rationale flew out the window. He tore open the door and immediately scrambled through. 

"Mingi! I'm here, where are you?"

"San, help me!" A different voice floated through the basement. 

"Seonghwa? I was looking for you! What happened? Where's Mingi?"

"San! Hurry!"

"Jongho?" San's steps slowed. "How are all of you down here?"

"San, hurry! They've got me!" Mingi's voice sounded, ringing loud in the acrid basement. 

San came to a stop at the base of the stairs. Wasn't there a rule about a basement? He couldn't remember what it was. 

Suddenly, he heard his voice being yelled from above him. 

"San? Where did you go?" Wooyoung's voice emanated through the open door at the top of the stairs. "San?"

Wooyoung's blonde head peeked through the hole. Suddenly, the door began filling itself.