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[Communication Device Transmission #010 dated: 1st June 2022]
“It's time Seonghwa, prepare to leave in seven minutes.”
“Hongjoong we're not ready, you're compromising the team!”
“Seonghwa is right, Hongjoong, it's not safe, we should wait until the Hunters have passed—”
“There's no time to wait! I'm not going to lose another one of you to them. Six minutes and counting.”
“Wait, they're here, Hongjoong don't you dare move.”
“I'm checking to see if it's clear, cover me.”
“Hongjoong don't you dare—”
“Hongjoong!”
[End of Communication Device Transmission #010]
That was the day the world became darker, light being pulled from every corner and a sheet of grey covering the eyes of many. They had lost a soldier, a fighter, Hongjoong had been the strongest of them all.
The Hunters had taken everything, from everyone, including those thought to be their allies. No one was safe and the world in ruins proved it.
A group of six boys, that was once eight, walked down a path strewn with weeds and bones, rats scavenging for any scraps they could feast upon. But there was nothing, Yunho knew there was nothing.
“Let's stop here for the night, the safe house is still four hours away on foot and there are no travellers here to get us there any faster.” Yunho's weary voice halted everyone, the crisp autumn air feeling ever colder as they grouped together.
A fire was started but Yunho still shivered, Seonghwa pulling a blanket around them both but it wasn't enough. Tonight, dinner was nothing but scraps of bread and any air they could fill their lungs with.
“Yeosang, how's your ankle holding up?” Yunho asked him, tilting his head towards Yeosang who could only shrug in response.
“It's been better, we managed to clean it enough to stop any infection, but the brace is starting to break.”
“The safehouse should have supplies, we'll probably be there long enough for you to heal.” Yunho managed a smile, Yeosang returning the gesture and leaning against the elder. The conversation died a moment later and everyone returned to resting, stuck in their own heads.
It had been four long months since Hongjoong's death, the Hunters having shot him in the chest seven times. Yunho still remembers the blood, the crimson weaving its way into the earth and caking Yunho's hands with a stain he still could not remove. Wooyoung had said, one day when talking was easier, that he was like Lady Macbeth. A human gone mad. Yunho could do nothing but silently agree.
But today was clearly a day for silence, most of the days were. Seonghwa and Yeosang had fallen asleep, hands entwined on Yunho's lap and he set about tucking them into the blankets he could grab, pushing his jacket underneath their heads as a makeshift pillow.
“Goodnight guys.” He heard San call, no one replied. No one needed to anymore, nights weren't good and San knew that, but it had become a habit they couldn't seem to shed.
Night fell and the sun disappeared, Yunho wished the Hunters could disappear with it.
[Phone Transmission #004 dated: 18th February 2022]
“The Hunters are probably taping this, you know that right?”
“Yeah, but it's not like I have anything important to say.”
“Jeong Yunho, this phone is for emergencies only.”
“Then, Kim Hongjoong, why are you laughing?”
“Okay, you got me there, what's going on then Yunho?”
“Well, Jongho and I just got to the convenience store when we realised we didn't actually ask what snacks everyone wanted for the movie night.”
“Wow… You really used the phone for snack requests?”
“Yeah! I don't want anyone to be upset, you know how much of a picky eater Mingi is.”
“Okay Yunnie, I'm hanging up now, have fun~!”
“Hey! Kim Hongjoong don't you dare! You meanie!”
[End of Phone Transmission #004]
“Yunho… Yunho, wake up, we need to go.”
It was early light, the world bathed in pink and gold, a sliver of hope in an earth misted with grey. Yeosang could do little more than whisper, the cold biting at his skin and making his teeth chatter relentlessly. Yunho was their leader, they needed him awake. Today's trek would take them to the safe house, a base in the middle of nowhere for rebels such as themselves to hide. The Hunters had taken everything but their resilience and a revolution was on the horizon.
Yunho eventually stirred, rousing from fitful dreams that were coloured ruby. He had seen Hongjoong, he had seen Mingi. And yet, he opened his eyes to find their pictures in a locket around his neck, their presence an eerie ghost which pressed down on his shoulders.
Maybe, in a different reality, they would still be walking alongside them, the Hunters long gone and the world vibrant once again.
Hongjoong would've liked that. Mingi too, but Hongjoong was always living in colour; a rainbow of shades decorated his clothing, a spectrum of doodles and art inked on his skin.
“Snap out of it sleepyhead, have a bagel.” San cut Yunho from his reverie, spreading the last of the jam they'd grabbed from a store a week back onto the baked good and shoving it between Yunho's lips before he could protest. Yunho nearly choked on the item, coughing as he started to chew, San patting on his back as if he hadn't almost put his teammate out of action.
“Yeosang is going to be carried by us today in turns, we can't afford his injury to worsen before we get there, aggravating it just isn't a good option,” San explained to Yunho, who could only nod. The plan was good, he would hate to see Yeosang in any more pain than he already was.
“Is Seonghwa helping, or should I stick with him again?”
“Seonghwa is taking the first shift, he just wants to get it over with I think. He probably thinks he's being a burden.” San murmured as he finished speaking, Yunho and him shared a look over towards the eldest who was helping to rewrap Yeosang's bandages, gaze firm and strong. He could've fooled anyone else, but not them, everyone in their small group knew just how vulnerable Seonghwa had become.
It was bright when the six of them set off, the sun crawling higher with each passing moment, searing across Yunho's vision as sunspots danced over his surroundings. If he listened closer, he would've heard Seonghwa's humming, a tune from years ago, when the world they lived in wasn't burned.
[Government File: Song Mingi. Date: 30th March 2022. Opened.]
Name: Song Mingi
Date of Birth: 09.08.99
Status: Student
Reason for imprisonment: One major arson attack on Hunters and Government property, no deaths but many secret documents either burnt or lost.
Sentence: Life Imprisonment
Other comments: He refuses to speak, does not engage or comply with interrogation methods. Potentially very dangerous and is known to have worked with high-status rebels.
[Government File: Song Mingi. Closed]
The way to the safehouse had broken away from the safety of the forest a while back, open tracks stretching through deserted farmland for miles and miles. Yunho was baking, despite the autumn which had rolled in weeks ago, the sun seemed to burn him with every step. He knew he should call for a break, but that would only mean sitting in the heat, well in sight of any Hunter, should they fly overhead or stalk them on the ground.
“Could you pass the water Yunho?” Wooyoung asked, face a mess of sweat and dirt as he was passed the canister, practically crying out in relief as he drank.
Yunho wished that level of emotion would still lodge itself in his heart, but alas, it had become impenetrable long ago. That was why they followed Yunho's lead, everyone could see that he had a level head on his shoulders. He was no longer the boy that cried weakly at minor scuffles, nor laughed under pouring rain and smiled at stars. Yunho was made of stone and ice and steel, his armour growing stronger with each passing day.
When the sun creaked away and heaved itself behind the clouds, that was when Yunho let them breathe. He flopped down by the base of a lonesome tree, withering roots digging into his back but he no longer cared. The pain barely registered.
“We're only about twenty minutes away, who wants to carry Yeosang for the last stretch?” He asked the others, everyone quietly glancing around before Seonghwa raised his hand.
“Thanks Hwa, you're the best,” Yunho said, grin lazy as he closed his eyes for a moment, everything turning to a peaceful black as he let himself imagine that they were back at home. He thought of Hongjoong, his hands raking through his hair that was soft, not greasy and matted to his forehead. He thought of Mingi's laughter and let it fill him to the brim. And then he opened his eyes again, looking at the five faces that knew a world which had changed overnight, that had watched their best friends be taken or killed. Eyes that were lost to the throes of a time that had passed what felt like eons ago.
Yunho pushed himself up on shaky legs, determined to make the last half a mile. He had to, for Hongjoong's sake. It was his dying wish. Hongjoong had never said it out loud, but the man's gaze before he had been killed had said it all.
Yunho, you need to live.
[Phone Transmission #001 dated: 14th December 2021]
“Hongjoong, I need to tell you something…”
“You can tell me anything Seonghwa, take your time.”
“... I love you.”
“I love you too, Seonghwa, you're my best friend—”
“No no wait! I don't mean it like that, well, I mean… I do but… I love you, as more than a friend too.”
“Oh, I see. Seonghwa, I love you as more than a friend as well.”
“I think this is something we should probably talk more about in person.”
“I'll be home soon Hwa, love you.”
“I love you more, see you soon.”
[End of Phone Transmission #001]
“Welcome, it's good to see you Jeong Yunho.”
The man at the entrance to the safe house smiled, Yunho felt a sense of home and comfort rise within him for a moment as he followed after him and down into a large basement.
The safe house was vast, a winding maze of hallways and corridors that diverged from a cosy common room. Yunho was a little overwhelmed at first with all the instructions and rooms he would need to know, but the man in front of him - who called himself Eden - was nothing but helpful and kind. Yeosang had been rushed off to the infirmary, San and Wooyoung going with him so he wouldn't feel alone. That left Yunho with Jongho and Seonghwa, the three of them wandering down towards a room that would become a base for the next few weeks.
Yunho put down his rucksack and instantly made a beeline for the water cooler in the room, filling up his bottle and drinking the contents twice before he felt satisfied. Jongho quickly took his place as soon as he stepped away, laughing in a way that Yunho hadn't heard in months. It made him wonder if maybe they could rebuild upon the happiness they'd lost?
“Seonghwa, you should rest,” Yunho whispered, eyeing the eldest who had just shut the door behind him, the chatter and movement in the hallways dulling to near silence.
But Seonghwa didn't move, not until Yunho had picked out a bunk bed and laid himself down there. The eldest slowly padded over, removing his shoes and thick leather jacket that belonged to the man he could no longer say the name of. Seonghwa pulled back the blanket Yunho had placed over himself, sliding in next to him before bundling them up once more.
Yunho knew he would never understand the inner turmoil of what Seonghwa was going through, the ineffable pain that lay deep in his soul. He had not spoken, not muttered nor sang since that day. Yunho knew why. Everyone did. It was clear to see that even though Yunho had known Hongjoong the longest, he hadn't known him in the same way that Seonghwa had. Their connection ran deeper than the almost two decades of friendship Yunho and Hongjoong had traversed through. Seonghwa and Hongjoong were two people that became one just by a glance, a fleeting moment of connection that formed a bond strong enough to withstand anything.
Anything except the Hunters.
“One day, we'll be able to say his name Seonghwa. We'll shout it loud and clear from every rooftop in every city. Everyone will know what he did and who he helped and they'll be as proud of him as we are.”
“I know.” Came the quiet reply.
Yunho had missed that voice.
[Blog Post dated: 1st June 2022, do you wish to delete?]
Sometimes I fear for my life, you know?
The world has become a land for murders who kill in the name of our supposed safety. The Hunters don't care about safety though, they care about no one but themselves.
They have corrupted governments and poisoned the minds of innocent people to believe they are the righteous ones.
A rebellion from us, the side of true freedom, is the only way out.
I, Kim Hongjoong, am asking the people of our city and any others who are listening to fight. Death will be the only force stopping us, but even in death, we can shout. Don't fear the Hunters, for they are nothing but cowards with weapons.
Join the revolution, the Hunters must return to the Hell they were ripped from.
[Blog Post deleted]
It had been a week of rest, a luxurious feeling for rebels who had been running for so long. Yeosang was healing fast and back to chasing around the others, laughing at jokes that used to make him groan. Seonghwa had spoken, albeit only to Yunho, but it was a start and Yunho was proud of him.
Yunho, still, had much left on his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that something big was brewing, something he was not involved with. Beyond his control.
He had talked to Eden about the revolution, about the plans that people like Hongjoong - and Mingi - had started to form. But the storm that was about to hit seemed to be just out of reach. Yunho was scared of getting drowned and forgotten.
“Song Mingi, I've heard that name before.” Said Eden at dinner one day, hearty plates of stew still hot in their hands as they moved to sit at a free bench.
“He was one of us, but he was captured by the Hunters,” Yunho explained, to which Eden only nodded, digging into his meal as the other five boys took their places.
“Eden… Are you planning to rebel, as a group, against the Hunters? Is that something that will happen?”
“Yunho, you've asked this before, but you're still too young to fight. It is better for the six of you to wait here—”
“Hongjoong was too young to die!” Yunho spat out, rising from his seat with his fists clenched. The dining room ground to a halt, Yunho could hear Seonghwa begin to cry.
“Why won't you tell me anything? I want to help…” Yunho's voice was softer this time, fraying at the edges. Eden stared at his plate for a moment, as if mulling over his own reply, before staring right back up at Yunho.
“Because you, Jeong Yunho, have not found your reason to fight yet. Everyone else on your team has let themselves open up, be completely honest with those around them. I can see the hope and the pain and the sorrow in their eyes. Your eyes are opaque and made of brick.” Eden said and left the table without a second glance, turning tail and exiting the room. Yunho walked in the opposite direction.
He wished to crumble.
[Phone Transmission #078 dated: 28th September 2022]
“Hongjoong… I know you can't pick up, I know this will just be another answer machine message because your ashes are sitting in my backpack and your phone is in someone else's hands.
But I needed to make this call, like all the other ones, it was definitely necessary, not useless like you used to tease me for.
There's something about you that I miss the most, and it's not your terrible sense of humour or god-awful cooking. I miss your hugs Hongjoong, your hugs and your voice. How you would sing me to sleep and cling onto me like a tiny koala. It was kind of endearing I suppose.
Mingi used to say I had a crush on you, in some ways he was right. I did, but it faded when I realised that you and Seonghwa were happy and I realised I valued you more as a best friend than a lover.
Maybe the Hunters are listening to this right now and laughing at me, but a part of me likes to think you're listening from… Wherever you are now.
You were one of a kind, Kim Hongjoong, one day I hope to be even a smidge as great as you were.
Talk to you soon.”
[End of Phone Transmission #078]
At first, the Hunters had been nothing but a minute problem, an itch on the side of society that you couldn’t seem to get rid of. But they were not a group with any measurable power. Yunho recalled that they used to hack government sites and listen in on phone calls, but it was nothing that one should be afraid of.
When Mingi was captured, that was when things had changed. It had only been a week prior that the Hunters had revealed the true weight of their power, shown to the world the extent of their membership. Trusted politicians, respected leaders, your friends, your neighbours. Those you thought you could trust. Each and every one of them belonged to the Hunters, willingly or not. Mingi had been the first to rebel, starting a fire in the Government Records building and burning their secrets to the ground. Yunho had not seen him since.
From then on the world became a crash site, smoke dragged over cities and countries were left deserted. Those that were left were either taken in by the Hunters, or they ran. Hongjoong was supposed to lead them to safety, but now Yunho was left to fill his place.
Yunho knew he would never live up to the expectations the others had put upon him, he would never become vulnerable like Eden wanted him to.
He sat atop a small hill, a few hundred metres from the safe house, looking down upon the wilting grass and flooded marshes. The rain was still only a drizzle and Yunho could see for miles and miles, the scenery stretching out like elastic. It felt harrowing and all too real, Yunho was cold and wet and tired but the desire to continue running was still there, set deep within his bones. The safe house was secure, but it wasn’t a place Yunho could call home forever. He hadn’t seen the sun in a week, he hadn’t seen his own reflection in months.
Hongjoong had once said that there was beauty in rain like this, the type that clings to your skin and rolls down every crevice of the earth. Yunho could only scoff at his friend’s words now, shuddering as the droplets trickled down the back of his neck, cold meeting cold and leaving him to freeze.
But, there was beauty as the rain began to stop, clouds now mere smudges of grey in the navy sky, glittering stars now decorating its vastness. The heavens were clear as day to Yunho now, constellations mapping a familiar view that had once made him grin from ear to ear. Mingi was the one to introduce him to the pictures one could paint between stars, each blinking light and dusty nebulae telling a story of the ancient times which were only read about in books. It was rather poetic when Yunho paused to think about it. He rarely often let the world move on as he stood still and watched, but the sky was stunning and wide and he felt too insignificant, a meaningless force which could not move a rock, nevermind a star.
The moon was whole as Yunho led down, letting his limbs entangle with the rolling earth and become stained with green and murky brown. He wondered if maybe he could stay there and some ancient god would take mercy on him, let him sink into the mud and become one with the dust of which everything was returned to.
But there was something simmering deep within Yunho’s soul, a call which wouldn’t let him live in peace. With the revolution, the fallen friends he had lost and the friends he still clung onto, Yunho lived in a constant cycle of war.
“Hongjoong… What should I do?” He asked the moon, as if it would somehow answer him and tell him of a bright future where Yunho could finally feel safe.
But there was no answer and so Yunho cried, the tears and final droplets of rain melting into one, the stars leaking out of the sky like diamonds.
He didn't notice the figure watching him, knowing smile curving on their lips as they walked back down into the safe house, plan forming in their head.
[Blog Post dated: 1st December 2022, do you wish to delete?]
Dear all who may find this seeking answers,
The Hunters have taken so much from us. Their power grows with each passing day, minute and second. There was once little we could do to stop them.
Until now.
The revolution is imminent, rebels are rallying forces across the globe to help raze those who dare to destroy our freedom. We have lost so much, we have lost so many, we will lose no more.
Who is writing this post you may ask? And where are they writing it from? These are things that I cannot say, for the revolution is everywhere, it resides in the hearts of those the Hunters tried to take. In the minds of those they have already taken. The revolution grows.
I call upon everyone who is reading this right now to fight, fight for yourself, for those around you. Fight for people like Kim Hongjoong who gave his life for this cause, who protected his friends for the sake of the revolution. Let peace be our true calling.
Keep both eyes open, the revolution is coming.
[You do not have permission to delete.]
[Access denied, your location has now been shared with the rebellion.]
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