𝗡𝗘𝗢 𝗭𝗢𝗡𝗘 // ɴᴄᴛ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ

⌗ 19

დ .•*””*• ★ •*””*•.★.•*””*• ★ •*””*•.დ

With an evident gulp, Zoey glanced over at Jisung, seeing as he was in his monstrous state once again. “Ji—”, “I'm okay, Noona.”, the younger boy smiled warmly at her, retrieving his axe in the process. She let out a small sigh, worrying about the boy, knowing just how much his thoughts haunted him.

“Okay, but if you ever need to talk, I'm here.”, a light smile was plastered on her face as she saw his eyes soften, portraying an emotion she thought she hadn't seen correctly. Love.

“How cute, it makes me want to gag.”, the two give their attention to a girl who had a smug look on her face. “This is the arena, there is no place for this lovey-dovey shit. Why don't you take this to your grave.”, the girl commented, scoffing at the two.

“Mind your own business.”, Jisung narrowed his eyes, sending daggers at the girl, but she merely ignored him. “This is taking too long, 096.”, “You're just too impatient, 097.”, the girl scoffed once more. “095 is already dead. I knew he was a weakling, but we can't let them make fools out of us.”.

“Let's give them hell.”, she said, a smirk now plastered on her face. “Hanni—I mean, 097. Why don't you shut up and take care of it yourself? I don't have time for your whining.”, the boy rolled his eyes, occasionally glancing over at both Mark and Renjun who were ready to take him on.

“Gosh, I always have to do everything myself.”, the girl—now known as Hanni—took steps towards the nearly forgotten boy sprawled out on the floor. “Really, 094? You just left this one here? We only leave them alone once they're dead.”, the said man scoffed, glaring at the girl he found so utterly annoying.

“Back off, he's mine. I want to finish what I started.”, a smirk returned to his face as Lucas approached the two. “Ji, go help Chenle, I'll take the girl.”, Jisung widened his eyes at Zoey's words. “No! I can't let you handle it on your own!”.

Her expression softened, smiling warmly at the younger boy. “I thought you trusted me?”, “I do, Noona, but... I'm just worried about you...”, the boy's words went into a whisper near the end as he clenched his hands, tightly forming a pair of fists at the thought of not being able to keep her safe.

For the first time, he had someone he genuinely cared about—a first since his family had died—he didn't want to loose that. The warmth of being cared for, the deep emotions he felt for the girl. He didn't know it just yet, but he had truly fallen for her, just like the rest of the boys. He loved her.

Averting his eyes back on the girl, he watched as her eyes widened, glued to a scene in front of her. “Chenle!!!”, she shouted out, running towards Lucas who held the poor boy up by his collar. “Leave him alone!!”, the girl jumped on the labrat's back, tightly strangling his neck as his feet stumbled back at the impact. “You bitch!”.

Using his free hand, Lucas ripped the girl off of him, throwing her harshly in the distance. Jisung panicked, his feet moving at an abnormal pace, before the girl flew right into his abdomen. The two fell backwards, hitting the ground, as Jisung kept a firm and protective grip on her waist.

“That was a close one...”, he let out a sigh of relief, realizing he got to her fast enough to minimize the damage. “Are you okay, Ji?”, the boy nodded, giving her a reassuring smile that had soon disappeared. He watched with wide eyes as the female labrat had walked into the cave. “Jaemin hyung!”.

Upon hearing his words, Zoey snapped at the direction he was looking at, also witnessing the daring girl step inside. Her heart began to pound against her chest, worry engulfing her like a flame.

Without a second thought, she bolted towards the cave, getting past the chaos which was Mark and Renjun's fight with Jinyoung. Jisung immediately stood up to follow her, but was held back by a hand grasping onto his wrist.

“Jeno is already on it.”, the boy glanced down at Haechan who was holding his bleeding head, giving the younger one a reassuring smile. “She's not the same Zoey as before, she's stronger now. She'll be alright.”, Jisung sighed, hoping the older one's words were truthful.

“Let Jeno handle it now, we should go help our pet dolphin, he's barely conscious.”, the younger one widened his eyes at Haechan's words. Glancing back at his best friend, his heart nearly stopped. Lucas was beating him to a pulp. Without thinking, he swung his axe in the air, chucking it at the two.

Lucas effortlessly dodged it, Jisung's axe attaching itself to a nearby tree. There was no doubting it, Lucas was indeed the strongest. The trick he played on Jackson wouldn't work here. He had to play it smarter than ever. This is a game after all.

დ .•*””*• ★ •*””*•.★.•*””*• ★ •*””*•.დ

Hanni smirked, her eyes landing on Jaemin's unconscious body. “Humans are emotional. Take one out and you'll take the whole group out.”, she chuckled, her own laugh being the only thing she could hear throughout the rocky structure.

Grabbing her dagger from the belt strapped around her waist, she knelt down in front of the boy who was completely unaware of her presence. “I'll try to make it as painless as possible..”, the girl said, her voice growing soft.

She didn't like the way the government tormented her with the constant reminders that she was his, something he owned, and something he could control. However, she had to bare the consequences she signed up for.

Holding the dagger up at a stabbing position, her lips formed a thin line, her arms hovering above his body.

As she was about to lower her arms to end it all, she felt a sharp pain on her forearm.

Retracting her arms from above Jaemin's body, she yelped in pain seeing the arrow jabbed into the side of her forearm, streaks of blood slithering down her arm.

Glaring up at the person who did this to her, her jaw slightly dropped seeing the dangerous look in the younger girl's eyes. “Back the fuck up.”, she warned, drawing another arrow while taking careful steps towards her enemy.

The older girl smirked, standing back on her feet. “Well, this is unexpected.”.