SCI MYSTERY (idol au)

Chapter 2: A Twist in Time

The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow in the hotel room. Bai Yutong stirred, blinking against the unfamiliar brightness. He felt unusually light, almost as if he were floating, and that was when he noticed something was off. The bed felt smaller, the sheets were softer, and his body—his body felt different.

"What the..." he muttered, sitting up quickly. A glance around the room confirmed his suspicion; this was not the same hotel suite they had enjoyed the night before.

"Yutong?" Zhan Zhao's voice came from the corner of the room, his tone laced with confusion. Bai Yutong turned to see Zhan Zhao sitting on the floor, glasses askew on his face, hair tousled in a way that was distinctly more youthful than usual. His refined features were unchanged, but something about his demeanor felt more innocent, more vulnerable.

"Zhan Zhao, what happened?" Yutong's heart raced. He felt a sense of dread creeping in. "Are we... younger?"

"Definitely younger," Zhan Zhao confirmed, pushing his glasses up and standing to get a better look at himself in the mirror across the room. His reflection was startlingly youthful. "We look... like we're in our early twenties, maybe even teens." He frowned, anxiety settling in as he tried to piece together the fragmented memories of the night before.

Bai Chi was next to awaken, and he rubbed his eyes, looking utterly bewildered. The sound of a low laugh caught his attention, and he turned to see Zhao Hu sprawled out on the floor, laughing heartily. "Look at us! We're practically kids again!" Zhao Hu's vibrant energy was infectious, but it only heightened Bai Chi's discomfort.

"Don't joke about this!" Bai Chi exclaimed, his voice higher and tinged with panic. "What's going on? Why are we here?"

"Easy, little rabbit," Zhao Hu said with a teasing grin, standing up and ruffling Bai Chi's hair. "You're the only minor here now. This is your playground!"

Bai Chi scowled, the nickname feeling like a weight rather than a term of endearment. "I'm not a child!" he protested, crossing his arms in an attempt to appear more mature, even if he felt anything but.

"Guys, focus," Bai Yutong interrupted, his authoritative tone cutting through the light-hearted banter. "We need to figure out how this happened. Where are we?"

"Let's check around," Zhan Zhao suggested, already scanning the room for clues. The walls were decorated with posters of various entertainers, but they looked older, more nostalgic than anything. "If we're in a different timeline, we need to understand how far we've gone back."

They searched the room, which seemed to be an office of sorts, filled with stacks of papers, photographs, and various knickknacks related to the entertainment industry. Bai Yutong opened a drawer and found a laptop. "Here!" he called out, turning it on with a few quick keystrokes.

As the machine booted up, the team gathered around, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. "Come on, come on," Zhao Hu muttered impatiently, tapping his foot as the loading screen took its time.

When the desktop finally appeared, Bai Yutong quickly navigated through the folders, looking for anything that could provide answers. "Let's check the documents. Maybe there's something about why we're here."