THAWING FIRE • VHOPE

C1 - Boy Meets Evil

C1 - Boy Meets Evil

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Taehyung

The gates open with a loud growling, gap big and open like a hungry lion's mouth looking for some prey to devour. From here, I can see the moving and unkempt individuals who seem to be very busy of their work, running to and fro.

I can feel sweat drizzle down my cheek as one of the men in white nurse outfit rolls the wheelchair I'm in into the opened gates. I just keep my arms stuck onto the armrests, not moving and just observing everything. In front of me are white-painted rectangle-shaped buildings with shiny glass windows that send blinding sparks to your eyes whenever the sun's rays hit them. I have the urge to cover my eyes, but I can't because my hands are tied by metal straps like I'm a mental patient.

Wait... I think I am now.

As the man rolls me to the right, a group of laughing teenagers with black chokers on their necks catches my eyes. I stare at them for a moment. They are wearing white tracksuits and the chokers on their necks have yellow colored lights in the middle like pendants or something. I don't know.

Why are they wearing these? Am I gonna wear one, too?

"Those kids are Troubleds. Funny how they are laughing," the other man at my left who isn't pushing me tells me. He scrunches his face for a bit and shakes his head. He and the other two then suddenly depart from me and the man behind who is pushing my wheelchair.

I look back at the group and, holy cow! Is that a horse's tail on one of the kids' back? I swear I saw one on her back!

What is this place? It's so weird.

I am suddenly rolled right inside a building along with some kids who are on wheelchairs like me who come from the other doors. They, too, have terrified and confused expressions on their faces.

I glance at the front and see a long, wide, narrow hall and white walls. The lights lighting our way are too bright that I feel my own eyes being blinded. I hear some kids asking questions to the men who are rolling them, but a certain yell pierces through my ears. Glancing forward, I see a chestnut-haired boy who is wearing the same suit and black choker. But the light on his choker is red and he is currently dashing out of the room that has "Hostile Control Unit" above its black metal door.

The boy's laugh resonates through the hallway, causing us all to stop on our tracks as he runs toward us. His hair goes flying in the air, eyes widening when he probably realizes he's gonna crash into us if he won't stop.

"Come back here!" a man in a lab gown appears and shouts from the doorway. He is holding a remotelike device in his hand and is pushing the buttons on it.

The boy stops just a few meters away from us and faces the shouting man.

And before I know it, the thing that the man is holding suddenly falls into the floor as he lets go of it, the device lighting up in flames on the floor and exploding to embers. A gasp from him escapes his lips and he looks at the boy. The other kids behind me are gasping, too.

What the heck was that?

"Not again, Jung!" he exclaims.

The boy only shrugs and turns his back on the man and faces us, a cocky grin on his face, lifting his legs to run again.

I look at him in shock, and he stares back the same, his mouth now slightly agape as his eyes land on mine.

I feel my heart stop for a second as his dark brown eyes stare straight at me.