Take Me Home // Ateez // Stray Kids

36 - Take me home

«Everyone, just a reminder, we need to be silent. The entire time. No slip-ups, or we might not make it in without a confrontation.»

Everyone looked at him, nodding. They knew this, but a reminder was good.

«We know Seonghwa is hurt, so he won't be able to walk himself. Changbin, you're going to carry him, right?»

«Yes,» Changbin nodded with determination. Seonghwa was his friend. He would do anything for him.

«And if you get tired and need help...»

«I'll be right there,» the man next to him said.

«And Felix, you'll be in charge of getting Aelia on her feet, and making her understand that she needs to be silent.»

«Yeosang is starting the looping of the feed for the security camera at 03.36 precisely. In worst-case scenario, we'll have three minutes to get in and out. Hopefully more, but let's be prepared. Everyone is armed, yes?»

Again, everyone nodded.

Yeosang had tears in his eyes. The others didn't watch the security camera from the dungeon like he had. He knew Seonghwa was out, and he knew Aelia was very scared. Not so much for herself, but for Seonghwa. At one point she was begging for help, looking straight at the camera.

«Hyunjin, please,» she said, standing under the camera. She wasn't talking very loud, she was probably trying to spare Seonghwa. «Please, let Seonghwa go. I'll do anything. Absolutely anything you want, I'll do. If you need to kill me, then do that. If you need me to do... stuff before that, I will. I don't care. I know I'll never be with Seonghwa, it's okay. I'll stay with you. Or I'll die. Whichever you prefer. Just please, send Seonghwa out of here. Let him get better. He has an infection in the wounds on his back, he needs medicine. He won't make it very long in here. And if he dies, I won't have any reason to live any longer, you know that. But if he's out of here, he can get better. That is worth everything to me. So I will do anything you want. I'll love you again. I swear I will. I did before, and it won't be hard to do again. Hyunjin, please!»

She broke down sobbing on the concrete floor, and Yeosang had to keep listening. It was his job to keep his eye on her for now, before they started. He watched her crawl back over to Seonghwa who wasn't moving. She kept checking his pulse, and she put the blanket around him better, trying to not put any pressure on the wounds on his back.

When night came, Yeosang saw the door to the dungeon being opened, making Aelia get to her feet. Something was put on the floor before the door closed again, and he watched Aelia bang on the door, crying.

It was food. Alia was trying to eat some, but she soon just left it on the floor. She sat there, leaning against the wall, looking at Seonghwa. It was sad to watch.

Yeosang kept looking at the footage from the mansion as the night went on. There were no cameras in other places inside of the house, just in the dungeons, so they didn't know what was going on, how many people were there, or who was awake. On the outside, however, they had watched the guards do their thing, and they knew a little about the outdoor security at least.

«Everything is calm on the outside,» Yeosang said as the clock hit 03.36. «Looping the cameras now. Go!»

Aelia was so tired of crying, of being scared. When she heard the door open, she could hardly even raise her head. But the door opened so slowly, it was weird. And then she did look. She gasped and Felix immediately put a finger to his lips. She nodded and her eyes widened as the door opened widely and people started to enter. Felix came straight over to her and took her hand, slightly pulling on it. She didn't want to go, but when Changbin unceremoniously picked Seonghwa up and put him over his shoulder, she stopped resisting. Then she realized who was helping Changbin get Hwa up. Mingi? Aelia looked at Felix with questions in her eyes, but there was no time to answer them. He led her out the door, where she again saw familiar faces. Jongho and Wooyoung were guarding the stairs, guns ready. But they weren't going to the stairs, Felix led them further into the basement, all the way to a door that looked like any other door in there. Except San was standing in this one, holding it open. Felix gave him a nod, and San led the way for them into a dark hallway, with only the flashlight on his gun lighting the way up front. As the others also entered, more flashlights lit up. San held a steady tempo, leading all of them. Felix held one hand on San, the other grabbing onto Aelia's hand still. Behind her, someone had a hand on her back, so not to fall behind.