A Guardian's Promise- Minbin

ELEVEN: At last, those eight letters

Quick warning: direct mention and visualization of torture midway through the chapter.

Minho rushed down some floors, not caring for the looks people gave him and politely but swiftly avoiding anyone's advances for conversation.

He found himself in front of Chaewon's office, knocking on the door with as much energy as he had.
"Hello?" Chaewon's voice called.
"It's me!" Minho called.
The door then opened shortly, Minho going down the hall and waiting for Chaewon to open the door for him.
The sliding door opened, and Minho let out a sigh of relief as he trudged his way to the bed.

"What happened?" number two asked in concern as she went to check up on Minho.
"Chaewon-ah... you've been talking to Changbin about me, right?"
Chaewon stood still, mouth open as she tried to make a response.
"Yeah," she replied truthfully.
"I've looked into his mindscape, and we've spoken. He's hurting, you know." Chaewon said as she sat in her chair.

Minho sighed and sat up, looking at her with broken eyes.
"I've uncovered many truths since we reconvened today with Seungmin..."
Minho told Chaewon about all of his findings today- his version of events being different, the Equinox Project and their intentions, and even the Clan intentionally setting them back to cover up their own actions.
Chaewon sat there in awe, Minho staying quiet for her to suck in the information.
"That chip that Seungmin found in my arm... was that one of their methods of setting us back?" Chaewon muttered.

"Probably. The deletion of the files of children was also an excuse." Minho nodded.
Chaewon let out an exasperated sigh.
"You know what, nevermind that for now. Have you fully recovered your memories?" Chaewon asked.
"I've seen the documentation that I told you about... and I know what Minho... what I went through. I've been fighting with all these emotions in my head and I've been trying to piece it all together, but I can't do it on my own."

"So you came to me for help."
"Precisely. I need to get my memories back and take on the President, no matter what. He can't be allowed to get away with any more of this."
Chaewon cleared her throat and got up, telling Minho to lay down and rest his head.
"You know the drill, right?" Chaewon asked.
She had given him mindscape therapy before, although this case was more severe. The previous sessions were for him to wind down after a mission or to keep his mind intact when he sustained an injury.

This time, they were dealing with bringing back nearly fifteen years worth of memories, and that was no easy task.
"As long as your will remains strong and you push through the boundaries, you will succeed. These are your memories, so I cannot help you in there." Chaewon's voice echoed to him as he slowly began to close his eyes.
She used her palms to create flowers and light, and he was instantly pulled into an unknown space.

Minho opened his eyes, letting out a shaky breath as he viewed the area around him.
He was not in a flower field or at a lakeshore, but in a space of complete darkness.

Perhaps this was Minho's state of mind from all that time ago, locked away and suppressed.
Minho began to walk, grunting as his steps felt heavier the further along he went.
He tightly held onto his sword as he pulled it out of its sheath, letting out a groan as he was met with a dark silhouette in the distance.
It seemed like it was provoking him.

He widened his eyes as it began to rush at him, but as it got closer, he could tell that it wasn't an enemy.
"Minho!"
Minho's breath hitched as a clear yet staticy view of Changbin stood in front of him. Yet he was younger, skinnier, and just a little bit cuter.
"Ah, you're so loud." a young voice called out.
Minho realized that it was his own voice.
At that moment, another silhouette broke off from Minho's body, a young him conversing with Changbin.

Both of their bodies were covered in static and disruption, and their voices became unclear and hard to listen to.
"Can you sing that song... always sing for me?" Changbin's silhouette's request was a bit cut off, but it wasn't unclear.
Minho's silhouette immediately took the other boy into his arms, slowly and carefully so as to not hurt himself.