escape | jaemin

17

Haechan parked the car at the back of the store as the group exited it, getting all their equipments ready as they got in their positions.

" Haechan stay in the car in case we need to leave quickly, the rest stay on guard to check whether any of the skulls member comes," Jaemin instructed as everyone nodded along, " Jeno will distract any cops that might come this way while me and Chaeyoung will go in and check the locked door out."

Everyone moved and did what they were told to, staying on high alert as they moved discreetly. " Lets get this over with," Jaemin mumbled, grabbing Chaeyoung's wrist and pulling her into the building.

Her eyes habitually looking towards the broken clock – 04:20 the same time it had been stopped at ever since she had first stepped foot inside the store.

" Lead the way," Jaemin commanded. Chaeyoung felt andrenaline pumping through her veins, her heart pulsating in excitement and anxiety.

She walked into the staff room, the place empty and deserted, dust accumulated on walls and tables, spider webs at the corners of the walls.

" Didn't know 4 days was all it took for this place to become," she said, pointing at the dust on the tables, " like this."

" We're not here to reminsce memories, just open the door, find something useful inside then leave," he stated straightforwardly before walking towards the door with Chaeyoung following behind.

They stood in front of the door, the exact same one like the one in the picture. Jaemin looked at the girl, raising an eyebrow signalling for her to start hacking.

She looked at the device, analyzing it before pressing the keys. Her mind filled with codes as she continued to do her thing.

A few minutes after a melody sounded as the device turned green, the door opening automatically. Her eyes lit up in excitement as she managed to open the door.

The two were greeted by a room filled of cabinets. Chaeyoung opened one to find at least a hundred files inside, taking one out and flipping through only to see the papers all empty.

She opened another and saw another 100 files filled with empty papers. " What the hell?" she muttered, eyes scanning the area as she saw the other hundred over cabinets.

She turned to the boy as he looked through the same file, eyes narrowing towards it, confused. " What's the use of putting these files if it's all blank?"

" These are just distractions." Jaemin said, putting the file inside before closing the cabinet. " One of these cabinets probably holds the one file that we need."

" But there are hundreds."
" There is always a clue, just start searching one by-" he said before getting cut off by a gun shot that sounded. His head shot up, hearing voices through his earpiece.

" Jaemin, the skulls came, some of them are coming into the staff room now," Chenle informed, sounding oddly calm, like this had happened many times before.

The boy scoffed, " i'm so done with their shit," he took his gun out, loading it in one swift movement as he turned around to the frozen girl. " You find the file and go to Haechan immediately after, don't do anything dumb."

" W-what? You're leaving me here?"
" Why? You scared?" Jaemin said, raising an eyebrow. " I'll be just outside angel," he said in fake contentment, flashing her a sarcastic smile before exitting the room.

The girl rolled her eyes, heaving a sigh of disapproval. " His natural habitat," she murmured with hatred.

She looked around the room, gulping down a lump in her throat as she saw the endless amount of cabinets. It was a small room but with hundred over cabinets that contained hundred over files and only one had significance, it seemed impossible to find.

Eyes scanning the cabinet numbers, figuring out that there was 1000 in total. " Clues can lead us here but can't tell us where the hell the file is," she said to herself, standing still for a moment. " Wait...Clues..." she muttered in realisation. Her head shot up immediately running towards the specific cabinet.

" The clock, it must be it," she uttered, a hint of hope blooming in her. " 04:20, four hundred and twenty..." she trailed off, eyes lighting up when she saw it.

She instantly opened the cabinet, eyes gazing inside. Her eyes widened, feeling sadness whirling in her, hand reaching inside to grab the necklace. The necklace that her mother had gave her when she died, the one most precious item that she had lost a long time ago.

Tears trickled down her eyes, hand tightly clutching onto the necklace tightly. It was shaped as a key, memories of when her mother had given her this flashed across her mind, vividly remembering the exact same words her mother had said when she gave her the necklace.

" It's the key to all your answers."
But what was that suppose to mean? One thing leads to another but this just left her at a dead end, an end with more unanswered questions. She felt desperate, desperate for answers.

Why was the necklace here? How long has it been here?
Her mother said as if a necklace, a non-living object shaped as a key was able to give her the answers she needed and wanted. But what was a necklace gonna do except be kept as a memory.

Remembering the disappointment she felt when she lost the one and last item she got from her loved one, before they died. The tragic death that was left engraved inside her mind.

Nothing had a happy ending in her life, it was always a 'the end'. There were no fantasies, it had always been just reality.

Chaeyoung wiped her tears away, placing the necklace into her pocket. Her mind endlessly replaying her entire existence, the memories, memories that she hated.

She left the room, immersed in her own mind as she walked casually, completely oblivious to the merciless war outside. Bodies laid lifeless on the ground, pale and cold. The boy stabbing one after another with a languid smirk on his face. Slowly cornering the last guy until the girl came out, head bumping right into the man's back.

Before she could even comprehend what had happened, she got pulled towards the man, knife grazing right above her throat. " You better stop, or I'll-" the man said.

" You'll what?" Jaemin interrupted. The girl trembled in fear, her eyes sheen with tears, body frozen- afraid that a single small movement could bring death upon her.

" I'll kill her!" The man said, a hint of fear evident in his voice.

Jaemin leaned against the wall, dominance radiating off his figure- standing the same way he stood when Chaeyoung had first met him, sending shivers down her spine at the memory.

" Help me," Chaeyoung whimpered, voice soft as she felt her heart pulsating.

His eyes narrowed at the girl who was held abducted. Apathetic, his gaze shifted to the man, mouth forming a smug smirk.

" Go ahead, kill her, I don't really mind."

It's nearly 3am rn oop- but Jaemin is being so mean :(