Work Text
????/??/??, late at night
???, South Korea
The smell, that's the first thing he notices. The scent of damp earth and rain. The smell of the woods on a summer night.
Then he hears the ragged breathing. The sound of sticks snapping under his feet. The rustling of the leaves as he forces his way through the shrubs.
He sees the trees and the darkness surrounding him, it must be late, he thinks.
Where is he? Where is he going?
Finally, he feels the cold air and the soreness of his legs. The scratches and cuts up and down his arms from the low hanging branches. He feels the tightness in his chest like he's been running. Like he is running.
It seems that's all he’d ever done, really. Usually, he would vanish without a trace before they found him, but they were getting better. Better at tracking, better at hunting. He supposes it was fitting that they only saw him as some pest to be killed off. Prey.
His mother was dead, shot on sight by the same Hunters who were after him now. His father was missing, obviously of no fault of his own. And his brother, his brother was falling behind.
“Hyung! Wait-!” His brother trips on a branch and collapses.
“Jongjin!” He stops dead and turns back, the flashlights of the Hunters and the barks of their dogs were rapidly growing closer. He kneels down beside his brother, the younger man’s leg had a huge gash in it, and it was likely that they were not going to get much farther. He attempts to scoop up the boy into his arms and run, but with the mud, it was hard to get traction.
“Hyung, just go on without me. If you can get away… it doesn’t matter what happens to me.”
“You can’t say that, Jongjin! I’m not leaving you!”
“Hyung, you’re in more danger than I am, they’ll kill you if they find you!”
“They’ll kill you for being related to me!”
“Hyung-”
“No Jongjin!”
A branch snapping nearby startles them from their argument.
“They’re over here!” A voice says, and they know it’s too late for them.
The older lowers them to the ground again and wraps his arms protectively around his brother; holding his face to his chest so the younger wouldn’t have to see the rapidly approaching Hunters.
“Freeze!” One of them calls out, “Don’t move a muscle!”
The sounds of weapons cocking cause the younger of the two brothers to twist his hands into the older’s shirt. “Hyung…” He whimpers weakly.
The older chokes back tears as he sees the Hunters rapidly descend on the two of them.
“We all loved you, Jongjin-ah.” The older says, stroking his brother’s hair, probably for the last time, “Don’t ever forget how much you were cared for.”
The group of hunters rapidly surround them, leaving no escape. A bright light begins to glow, growing brighter by the second. A loud scream pierced the air and…
---
2009/06/15, 02:56
Seoul, South Korea
Sungmin woke up in his room in a cold sweat. He has received visions in dreams since he was a child, but hadn’t had a vision in a long time, and never one that clear.He's not sure what to make of it, usually, his visions are of himself or of someone he knows, but he didn't recognize anyone in this one. And often it was like he was a bystander, watching things happen, even if the vision was of himself. But it was like he was living this one. In the first-person view. He could feel the cold air on their skin, the adrenaline coursing through their veins, and their fear.He sits up, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and shakily limps to the kitchen to get some water… or maybe something a little stronger. He stops and looks out his living room window, staring at the peaceful Seoul skyline. It was late, or early rather; according to the clock. 3 am.
The witching hour.
He shivered, not wanting to go back to sleep. He had a feeling that if he did, he would be greeted with an even worse sight. Blood, two brothers’ bodies piled together and abandoned on the forest floor. He doesn't think he could bear it.These people, Jongjin and… well, his brother. Sungmin could still feel them. He could still feel their adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Yes, definitely something stronger.
Even though he probably shouldn’t be drinking at this time, it’s not like he’s on a case.He sits down on the couch, setting the drink on the coffee table in front of him. He leans forward and rests his head in his hands. Sungmin has never liked his gift. Usually, it only showed him terrible things, people dying, tears, blood… He had gotten used to it in time, of course. But those are not the things a child wants to see when he drifts off at night. He remembers how he used to force himself to stay awake, once having gone over a week without it when he was 12.The only vision he ever had that could have almost been seen as ‘good’ was the day he got his first degree. Which in hindsight, could also be seen as sad, because then he began living out things he only saw in visions. People dying, tears, blood...As a Forensics Specialist, he had to deal with the aftermath of these things almost daily. Especially with the people he used to work for...But seeing it happen directly, through someone else’s eyes, it was entirely different. It was worse. Feeling their fear, their pain, their resignation that they were going to die, it was beyond horrifying.And something about the vision felt… odd. Even though he didn't know the name of the man he was seeing through, Sungmin felt as though he knew him from somewhere. He'd almost say deja vu, or that maybe they met in a past life; if he believed in that sort of thing.Resolving to not go back to bed, Sungmin holes up on his couch with his laptop and begins to research what little information he had to go off of, namely, the name.Jongjin.Just Googling the name instantly brings up several news articles.
2008/06/17, Three Missing and One Dead After Hunter Attack
2008/07/19, Brothers and Father Disappear After Mother Found Dead
2008/09/27, New Lead on Missing Persons Case
2008/10/03, Missing Family Case Runs Cold Again
He scrolls for a bit more before he finds what he's looking for.
2009/06/14, Father Found, Still Searching for Missing Brothers
Surprisingly, the last one, the most recent one, was only posted a few hours ago.Sungmin clicks on the link.
Last year, the body of Im Boyoung was found in her family home in Cheonan, where she lived with her husband and two sons. Im Boyoung, a Seid, was shot 15 times and left to bleed out in her bedroom.
It is assumed that her sons escaped with her husband into the woods near their home. And for nearly a year they were assumed to be either dead or on the run. However, the body of the father, Kim Sanggon, turned up in a nearby river just yesterday, with no sign of the other two missing people.
This answered some questions about the possible escape, though how they remained under the radar for so long remains a mystery. The search is still out for the two brothers, Kim Jongjin, aged 22, and Kim Jongwoon, aged 25. If you have any information regarding the search for the missing Kims, do not hesitate to contact your local law enforcement.
Sungmin sighs, Kim Jongwoon… He was only two years older than him, and his brother was only a year younger. These must have been the men in his vision, and he had seen it through the eyes of Jongwoon. He doesn’t think that they were killed, even the anti-Magic weapons don’t glow like that when they were fired, but he can’t say for sure if they escaped either, the vision ended right when the flash went off.He doesn't know why this particular vision has him so worked up, but he can’t stand not knowing what happened with this one. I need to call him… Sungmin decides, standing and leaving his laptop open on the coffee table, it'll be difficult, but maybe he knows how to get the information I need.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
2009/06/15, 09:32
Seaside Apartments, Downtown Gangneung, South Korea
In the early 90s, following the previous act of forcing all of the Seid population to register themselves and family members, the Korean government passed a law that made it illegal for Magic users or Seid, and non-Magic users, or Soll, to marry and have children together. Any children who were found to be half-Soll and half-Seid, or Halb, would be killed on sight. And the routine census that keeps track of the Seid population makes sure that the two bloodlines remain separate.
Needless to say, tensions were high and remained that way for the next several years.
Things escalated in late December 2003, when riots struck Seoul, Busan, and many other major cities across the country, following the death of a four-year-old Soll boy named Lee Junghwan. The riots went on for four months, and the destruction that occurred rocked the country and the world. There was never an official body count, but it is rumored to be between 30 and 100 people that were killed, and over 200 that were injured, Seid and Soll alike. This became known as the “Bloody Spring”, and there is a memorial held for “Red Wednesday” on April 11, when the height of the riots and killings were in 2004.
Later that year, following the end of the riots, the government passed a law, thought to be in regards to the suspected killer of Lee Junghwan, that allowed bounties to be placed on unregistered Seid citizens. Rewards were given out to people who turned in their neighbors, some as high as 5 million won.
This lead to the rise of groups such as the Hunter Organization, a group of people who track down and turn in Seid for rewards. Though the movement only gained popularity recently, it is believed that they have been hunting Seid for over a century. We reached out to the head of the organization for comment, but have not received a reply-
Heechul muted the television with a loud huff of annoyance. “Why are they reporting this stuff as though most of us didn’t live through it?” Heechul asks his sister.“I don’t know.” Heejin says around the toothbrush in her mouth, “Maybe there were no good stories, and this girl just took whatever crap she was given and ran with it.”Heechul scoffs, “Yeah right. She was probably reporting this as a reminder to Seid that we’re still on the bottom of the food chain.”“You take everything too much to heart, Chul-ah.” Heejin scolds, “You should lighten up a little.”“Noona, people have literally died because they didn’t take this to heart at all.”Heejin sighs, “It's not the life mom and dad wanted for us, but it's what we were given. And we have to make the most of it while we can.”Heechul says nothing, just glaring at the muted TV screen. The anchor lady has moved onto a new subject, some boy group called Super Junior ‘08 is under fire for god knows what now.“Isn't that group under the company you auditioned for a few years back?”“If you can call what I attempted ‘auditioning’ then I suppose so.” Heechul flops onto his back on the couch, “They didn't even give me a chance, yeah I showed up late but they could have at least heard me out.”“They had a Seid/Soll box on the application, didn't they?” Heejin asks, rushing around, gathering things, “That's probably why they refused you.”“Yeah…” Heechul sighs, “Well whatever, it seems like they're doing pretty poorly, and I guess don't really want to be mixed up in whatever shit they're causing.”“It's probably for the best then.”Heechul replies with a drawn-out “Yup.” As Heejin finishes getting ready for work.“Well as much as I'd love to leave the TV on all day, I kind of need you to leave now, Heechulie.”“Noona, please, your satellite has much better shows than the six channels of cable in the hospital.” Heechul whines.“I'm sorry, if my neighbors hear footsteps or the TV on while I'm gone, they might report me. Besides, if you look like you're laying brain dead in your bed all day, the doctors will be concerned.”Heechul groans, “Fine. But call me when you get home so I can come back.”“We'll see.” And with that, Heejin turned off the TV, and Heechul disappeared from her living room.---
2009/06/15, 09:44
Seoul General Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
Heechul had always liked visiting his sister. Since he moved to Seoul, he hardly ever gets to see her anymore, and if he does, usually the only way is through the television.Should Heechul be using magic to project himself halfway across the country? Probably not. Does he care? No, because he's bored and laying in this hospital bed all day is depressing. And painful.Speaking of pain, as Heechul is sucked back into his body, that's all he can feel from his left leg. He almost shouts in pain, reaching over to the remote by his bed to start a round of morphine. In a few minutes, the pain is bearable again.He's been in intensive care for almost a week now, ever since an explosion at the electronics factory left him buried under tons and tons of steel and concrete. No one knows what caused the explosion, just that the aftermath left people, likely including Heechul, out of a job. He had heard rumors that it was some anti-Seid radical who wanted justice for his father or some shit.People were so crazy these days, he could almost believe it.His left leg had been shattered and mangled to the point that the EMT's and surgeons weren't sure if it could be saved. But they tried anyway and were mostly successful. It was unclear at this time if Heechul would actually be able to walk with it, but hey, at least they were able to keep it attached.The man in question sighed, laying back in his hospital bed, and staring at the static that playing on the TV screen above his bed. He doesn't know when he'll be able to leave, but he feels like he’ll go insane if he has to stay here for one more night alone.He reaches for the remote and flips through the channels, nothing catching his eye, something about the Super Junior group, and their comeback with all new members for SJ ‘09. A brief story on the still missing Kim Brothers, and a story about his warehouse explosion. Yadda, yadda, nothing that he wasn’t already aware of.A knock alerted him to his doctor standing in the doorway. “Good to see your finally awake. I was getting worried, Heechul-ah.” He said with a warm smile. Doctor Lee Soogeun had been the surgeon in charge of recovering Heechul’s leg and has been checking on him frequently since. He was a bit small but had a big personality, and a great knowledge of the human body that made him the best doctor in his area, maybe the whole country. He claimed he was a bit of a comedian, and he was, even if his jokes were cheesy or inappropriate. Today he seemed serious, however.“I'm amazed that I can even get to sleep these days, to be honest,” Heechul says, motioning to his leg still suspended above him.Doctor Lee chuckles, entering the room fully, “How do we feel today, hm?” He checks Heechul's chart, “Noticed anything different?”“Not really.” Heechul replies, leaning back against the pillows again, “It just hurts.”“That's to be expected, it was almost a miracle that we were able to repair your leg at all.”“That's not something you want to hear from a doctor, you know.”“I suppose not. But it is the truth.” he writes down a few points on the chart, “Sometimes that's better than just telling the patient what they want to hear.”Heechul hums in agreement. “When do you think I'll be able to go home?”“Just a few more weeks, but you'll have to take it easy. We may even have to start thinking about physical therapy.”Heechul groans, “What for? I already know how to walk. I can use my own legs, after all.”“We had to put metal rods in your leg, Heechul-ah. There was so much damage to your leg structurally, we might not be able to take them out again without causing you more damage or more pain.” Heechul gulps, “I'm sorry, but that's the way it has to be.”They sit in solemn silence for a while before they hear another knock at the door. They turn to see another doctor, much younger, and much taller than Doctor Lee, standing awkwardly in the doorway.“Good morning Doctor Cho!” Doctor Lee greets with a slightly forced looking smile, before turning back to Heechul, “I forgot to mention, I'm being tailed by our new resident. Kyuhyun...” He motions for the younger man to enter the room, placing a hand on his shoulder when he shuffles next to Doctor Lee at the foot of the bed, “Doctor Cho is the newest resident at the hospital, he even assisted me in your surgery.” The young man bows politely with a soft ‘hello’ and Heechul attempts to do the same, “It's likely you'll be seeing a lot of each other.”“I hope for your quick recovery.” Doctor Cho adds quietly before turning to Doctor Lee, “Director Park said she wants to see you in her office.”Doctor Lee sighs, “Even when we're at work she can't keep away from me.” He turns to Heechul with a sly wink, “Well I guess I should be on my way then. I'll see you later Heechul-ah. We should have you up and about in a day or two.” he walks out with a wave over his shoulder, before adding, “Doctor Cho, don't forget to continue your rounds.”“Yes, sir.” The young man replies. He bows again to Heechul and takes his leave.And then Heechul is alone again.He flips the TV back to a blank channel and closes his eyes, the sound of static slowly washing over him. He imagines himself in his sister's apartment again, the noise of the hospital fading out and the noise of a downtown Gangeung apartment becoming clearer.---
2009/06/15, 10:23
Seaside Apartments, Downtown Ganeung, South Korea
When he opens his eyes again, he finds himself seated at the desktop computer in his sister's bedroom. The monitor still on, even though the tower was off. Heechul grins giddily, grabbing a pen and a sticky note to scribble a message to his sister, which read: ‘ always double check you turned your computer all the way off, noona. :) ’He practically skips down the hall and into the living room, flopping down on the couch next to his sister's cat, and turning on the TV. Blissfully unaware of the danger about to go down on the other side of the small peninsula.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
2009/06/15, ??:??, Late at Night
???, South Korea
One Week Until the New Moon
A hooded figure walks down a stone hallway light solely by glowing red torches.
Always have to go in for dramatics, don’t they,
the figure thinks,
It makes it seem like this really is the dark ages, and not just an entire organization that wants to live in it.
He meanders slowly, taking in the familiar sights and smells of the ancient building; it’s the first time he’s been back in this place since he was 10 years old. He’d almost forgotten how to speak Korean, he’d been gone for so long.
“Twenty-One-ssi.” A voice says behind him, “It’s been a while.”
The figure turns around to face someone who had been familiar to him at one point, but now seems more like a distant memory or a dream, “Eighteen-ssi, it has, hasn’t it?”
Eighteen walks towards Twenty-One, with arms opened wide, a smile plastered to his face. Eleven followed suit, walking to the younger and falling into a warm hug. It would be like coming home, if it didn’t feel so wrong. Like he didn’t belong anymore.
Eighteen represents something he was once, he also represents something he lost.
“When did you get back?” Eighteen asks, pulling away.
“Just a few hours ago.” Twenty-One replies, “I was just re-familiarizing myself with the Tunnels, I see that nothing has changed.”
Eighteen laughs, “No, not really.” He releases Twenty-One and stands staring at him with a grin still on his full lips, “Mind if I join you on your trip down memory lane?”
Twenty-One knows he should say no, but even after all these years he still has a soft spot for Eighteen.
They walk and talk for awhile, catching up after so many years apart, when Eighteen finally asks, “Why are you here now?”
Twenty-One stops in his tracks, he had been hoping he wouldn’t have to answer such a question so soon.
“I, uh,” He stammers. May as well come out with the truth, Eighteen has always been able to read him like a book, “I’ve been given a mission from the council.”
Eighteen gasps, and excitedly slaps Twenty-One on the shoulder, “No way! Are you serious?” Twenty-One nods, “That’s incredible! It came straight from the council?” Twenty-One nods again, “Amazing! I can’t tell you how many of the others would be so jealous of you!”
Twenty-One nods solemnly,
He’s still too young,
he thinks,
Still too naive and unaware of the council’s true intentions. He doesn’t even know about the Prophecy.
Suddenly, another cloaked figure walks up to the two of them, Eighteen’s gushing cut short.
“Twenty-One, it’s time.” the new figure says, either not noticing or ignoring the way Eighteen hits him on the shoulder again.
“Don’t be a stranger next time.” Eighteen says, pulling Twenty-One in for another hug, “And good luck!” Eighteen pulls away and walks down the stone passageway.
When they are alone, the new figure asks Twenty-One, “Are you ready?”
Twenty-One sighs, glancing back at Eighteen’s retreating form, at his childhood walking away from him. But there’s nothing he can do now, it’s too late. Plans are already set in motion that cannot be undone. So he dejectedly turns to the other figure with the only answer he can give.
“Yes.”