GROUND ONE • LEE DONGHYUCK •

eleven.

THE ARENA HAD TURNED INTO HELL QUICKLY.

Jisung and Sage had got separated very quickly by the dispersing of people. The hell was Ground One thinking? Sage looked around the place in hopes to find one of the boys. It was frustrating her that everyone was fighting by command. Did anyone think with their own minds?

People swung their knifes at each other, anger spread across their face. The sound of tasers being set off was frequent. Ground One was training them to be ruthless. To not care about anyone else's wellbeing.

Sage wasn't going to fall for it.

She noticed Kai fighting someone, his demeanor way different than it used to. He pushed the man down, watching as he fell limp. "Holy shit," she breathed out. Kai turned around, a sinister smirk falling onto his lips. He crept closer to her, the woman moving back a few steps.

He lunged at her, a shriek escaping her lips. "Kai stop it!" she yelled, dodging his attack. "Don't fucking call me that," he roughly said, grabbing her arm tightly. She tried to move from his grip but it was no use. He pulled her down to the floor, cradling her. He held a knife in one hand while the other wrapped tightly around her neck.

She trashed against his grip, only causing him to grip her neck harsher. She coughed, the air leaving her mouth as he choked her. As her vision began to go blurry, she noticed that he held the knife up— indicating that he was going to stab her.

Was she really going to die like this? She closed her eyes, waiting for the impact of the knife. But it never came. A familiar man tackled Kai— the weight lifting off of Sage. She opened her eyes to see Donghyuck recklessly punching Kai. The knife had slipped out of Kai's hand, his hands no longer able to move. Blood from Kai's nose and lips spluttered across his face, a smirk still across his face.

Sage coughed loudly, trying to breathe in. Donghyuck didn't seem like he was going to stop anytime soon. It was blinded rage. Sage stood up, her legs wobbly. "Donghyuck stop it," she pleaded, her voice hoarse. He didn't listen.

She grabbed his arm, softly rubbing her thumb against it. "Hyuck," she called. He stopped for a moment, allowing her to move him away from the bloodied and unconscious man. "We've got the find the other boys. Please."

He softly touched her neck, the handprint still visible on her neck. She sucked her teeth at his touch, his eyes darkening at her pain. "I'm fine let's just go."

The two made their way through the people fighting, Sage holding onto his arm lightly. It took three minutes but, the group was finally together. The boys stared in shock at her neck, that had started to turn purple. The diverted her gaze, feeling awkward. "What the hell happened?" Jisung breathed out. "I'm sorry we got separated Sage."

"Stop apologizing when it's not your fault. Let's just make sure we don't get hurt anymore okay?" she softly said. The group stayed in a circle, protecting each other as others tried to attack. Ten minutes felt like hell. The group had beads of sweat that had began to pile on their foreheads from the constant fighting.

Finally, the alarm beeped— indicating that it was over. Sage collapsed, letting her hands catch herself on the floor. She had an excruciating headache. Her throat felt like it was burning. She coughed out of weakness. Jeno grabbed her from the floor, wrapping his veiny arms around her to keep her stable. "I've got you," he whispered, her head falling into his chest.

Donghyuck's knuckles began to turn white as he balled his hands into a fist. "I'm going to fucking kill him," he growled, taking a few steps to get to Kai. Chenle grabbed him. "Do that and we don't see you again. She needs us okay?"

Donghyuck hadn't ever felt this angered for someone. He couldn't even name how many scenarios that were going through his head to possibly harm Kai. What was Sage doing to him? He sighed, backing down. Chenle let go of him as he looked at Sage.

"What happened Donghyuck?" Mark asked. "That Kai guy choked her and tried to stab her.".

"People in here are turning against each other. We can't trust no one but us," Mark stated. "They're scared and it's turning into violence."

Sage removed herself from Jeno's arms, her eyes never meeting the boys. "I need to be alone," was all she said before she walked away from them. Her eyes darted across the arena's floor. People laid on the floor, bloodied and bruised. Some were still, no signs of life coming from them.

She looked away, quickly going to her room. She didn't know how many more days she could take of this. How many more task she could do. How many more people she could fight. She looked in her mirror, looking at the bruise that had formed on her neck. Her eyes then went to the scar that was on her face from the first arena fight.

Sage looked at her room, papers thrashed everywhere. Her drawers of clothes were now on the floor along with the things that had been on her desk. She heard the loud footsteps of her mother, alerting her.

"College?" her mother scoffed out. "You're not fucking going."

Sage eyes widened as she looked at her mother's hands. In it held her acceptance letters that she had hid under her clothes. Her eyes began to water. It was her only way to escape. "Mom! You have to let me go."

"I don't have to do anything Sage," she said, ripping the papers that meant so much to the girl. "You are not going to a college so you can get away from me."

Sage finally mustered up the strength to talk back. "Dad would let me go and you know he would."

Her mother paused, a smile playing against her lips. Sage knew that it meant nothing but evil. Her mother strides towards her, gripping her neck tightly. "Your dad isn't here is he? Business trip thousands of miles away where he doesn't have cell service what is he going to do about this?"

Sage let the tears fall as breathing got harder.

Sage dropped down in her bathroom, letting her tears come out. She hated being vulnerable because repressed memories always came back.