<Choi Mansion>

Two weeks had passed with Jeonghan, Joshua, Hoshi and Woozi trying their best to subtly figure out what could they do within the legal boundaries to get proper justice but as expected, there was no way out.

Jeonghan sighed as he was sitting in his room. He felt frustrated in the mess, so he shut his laptop and research files to go out for walk.

He stepped out of the room into the hallways, walking idly.

"Wait, where's the turn?" Jeonghan stood confused amidst the two dead silent corridors.

"Excuse me? Is anyone here?" Jeonghan raised his voice, expecting some help as he clearly knew that he had lost direction.

He pulled out his phone to call someone for help, but it was the exact moment when he heard some grunting sound from behind the door of a room.

He scrunched his brows as he moved closer to the room and tried to listen what was going on.

"Help me...please-" *grunt "Fuck you, literally fuck you for making me life hell!" "grunt "So-sorry master, please spare me."

Jeonghan's heartbeat raced as he gulped visibly.

The room filled with the sounds of grunts and the desperate pleas. Jeonghan stood frozen as he tried to make sense of the situation.

His footsteps became hesitant as he quietly approached the door, careful not to make a noise. He placed his ear against the door and continued to listen.

"W-wait-" Jeonghan paused, "How- Why does both the extreme moods seem to be coming in the same voice?"

The voices were now getting clearer, and Jeonghan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He leaned closer to the door, straining his ears.

He could tell that the same person was speaking in two opposing tones, as if switching between a pleading tone and one filled with authority.

Jeonghan inhaled a deep breath as he pushed open the door and to his surprise, it wasn't locked.

[Trigger Warning, Skip to where it ends]

His eyes widened when he saw a man being tied to a chair with his eyes having uneven and brutal stitches, which were clearly meant to restrain him from opening them.

His fingers were chopped off and so were his ears. His left leg was gone while his hair were disheveled.

Suddenly, the grunts coming from the person stoppen and his lips cruved into a smirk.

"Human...flesh...food...ha-ha- tasty... bring it- bring it to me! I SAID BRING IT TO ME!! CAN'T YOU HEAR?!"

Before Jeonghan could proceed further, he was pulled out of the room and the door was shut with loud thud.

Jeonghan was brought out of his trance as he locked eyes with an unknown lady.

The voice from inside the room began to rise.

"WHY IS IT GONE?! HUH?! Y'ALL REALLY DON'T WANT TO LIVE, DO YOU?!"

The lady didn't say anything as she dragged Jeonghan out of the corridor and brought him to another halllway.

"Who are you?" Jeonghan scrunched his brows, "And what-"

"Im Nayeon." The lady crossed her arms across her chest.

"And may I ask the reason for you literally dragging me like that?" Jeonghan raised a brow.

"You're a well-known psychiatrist but zero survival instincts." Nayeon rolled her eyes, "Dr. Yoon, right?"

"Excuse me? You should rather worry about your social skills." Jeonghan frowned, "And how do you know my name? Who was that person? And-"

"So many questions, one answer. I work here." Nayeon stated.

"What? That's clearly a lie because I've a list of every single person who works here or visits here occasionally or-"

"Dr. Yoon." Nayeon chuckled lightly, "Why do you think that you know everything that goes on here? Every single thing you know can be a lie or a manipulation. Truth is something which is hardly spoken here."

"Exactly. I'm well aware of that." Jeonghan's gaze turned stern, "That's why I'm not believing you either."

"I don't need your trust either." Nayeon stepped closer, "Do you know what could have happened in that room if you had stayed longer?"

Jeonghan raised a brow, his curiosity clearly piqued by Nayeon's words.

"No, I have no idea," he admitted, crossing his arms. "What would have happened if I stayed there longer?"

Nayeon chuckled without humour, "That monster would have feasted on your skin." Her voice dropped to a lower octave, "And I'm not kidding."

Jeonghan took a step back, a mix of surprise and dread washing over him. "He...feasted on people's flesh?"

His stomach twisted with a mix of disgust and horror. "And you work with that thing?"

"People? Why do you think he was in such a state? Did anyone else pluck his eyes, tore his fingers and leg?" Nayeon looked at him.

"Why would anyone do that to him?" Jeonghan tried to process all the information.

"Exactly." Nayeon paused, "He did that to himself. For food."

Jeonghan's eyes widened at her words, his face going pale. "He did...what to himself?"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did he do that to himself? How could he?

"Why...?" Jeonghan's voice was barely above a whisper.

"I thought you would know things like this since you're living here for long enough." Nayeon shrugged.

"What kind of mad woman are you?" Jeonghan gasped, "Are you crazy or what?"

"Shut up, doctor. I'm neither mad nor crazy, I'm just used to it." Nayeon rolled her eyes.

Jeonghan's frustration was building up inside him. "Used to it? Seriously?" He let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"You can't just get 'used' to things like this! That's sick. That's not normal."

"Whatever."

[Warning Over]

(To those who skipped, a new character, Im Nayeon was introduced who pulled Jeonghan out of the room.)

"How do you even know me? And what work do you do here?" Jeonghan raised a brow.

"Can't answer that." Nayeon turned around, "Bye bye."

"What the fuck is wrong with everyone here huh?!" Jeonghan finally broke out, giving into the pent up frustration, "Every single person would start to reveal something and then refuse to continue by saying stupid things like they don't actually know anything or they can't say blah blah."

Nayeon turned around, flipping her hair slightly with a mocking smile, "You look pretty frustrated for a psychiatrist."

Jeonghan scoffed, his eyes narrowing. "Frustrated? Well, can you blame me? Everyone acts all mysterious and won't tell me anything."

He took a step closer to Nayeon, his voice growing more intense. "What? You know more than you're letting on, don't you?"

"Of course I do." Nayeon let out a small laughter, "I know almost everything. Everything for you to figure things out. But-"

"But?" Jeonghan raised a brow.

"If you can pull out that information from me, sure go on." Nayeon chuckled.

Jeonghan's eyes narrowed, a competitive spark igniting in them.

"You sure you wanna play this game with me?" he challenged, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm a psychiatrist. I specialize in figuring out people's motives and extracting information."

"Then do it, we've plenty of time for that." Nayeon mocked, "Let's see what you've go, doctor."

Jeonghan smirked, his fingers tapping lightly against his arm as he considered his approach.

"Alright," he began. "Let's start with the basics. Who are you really? Why are you so invested in this place and those people in the room, the one with-" Jeonghan made a slight gesture towards the door where the screams had come from.

"Why are you defending them? You're not like them; not a killer, at least, I can tell." He stepped closer.

"Oh my my, do I really look that innocent?" Nayeon pretended to act shocked.

Jeonghan rolled his eyes at her sarcastic remark.

"Oh spare me the act." He said, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"You know, playing coy isn't going to help you. You have a different aura about you - a different energy that doesn't scream killer."

"What kind of aura?" Nayeon asked.

"Don't change the conversation, Miss." Jeonghan politely rebuked.

"You know what? I'm really busy right now, see ya later." Nayeon turned around to leave.

"Is Mrs. Choi actually blind and pretend to be all fine?" Jeonghan asked.

Nayeon halted as she turned around with a gasp, "You know?"

"Of course."

"You figured it out by yourself?"

"Of course." Jeonghan grunted.

"Damn I wasn't taking you seriously, but I guess you're interesting." Nayeon chuckled, "That old bastard is finally in some trouble this time."

"Pardon?" Jeonghan frowned.

"Choi Sunwoo. That motherfucker." Nayeon rolled her eyes, "The bitch I forcefully work for."

"Then-" Jeonghan stepped forward, "Why can't you tell me everything? It would be helpful for both of us."

"Calm down there, doctor." Nayeon stated, "Give me some time to think if we're going to believe you or not. And please don't walk into random places like that, you'll get in trouble."

"We? Who are we?" Jeonghan asked.

"You'll know." Nayeon pushed a door and walked in, "If you get fortunate enough." She shut the door which blended into the wall and looked like it was just a normal wall there.

Jeonghan was left standing there, a mix of annoyance and intrigue churning inside him. He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"What the hell...?" he muttered to himself.

He couldn't shake the feeling that there was so much more to Nayeon than she was letting on. And that closed off room only added another layer to the mystery.

He glanced back toward the room where the screams had come from before making his way out of the hallway.

He made his way back to his room and collapsed on the bed after drinking some water.

"What the fuck was that?! This place-" Jeonghan closed his eyes to calm himself.

A huge chunk of it started to make sense.

The pills. To both Seungcheol and Seokmin.

The uneven and suspicious reports.

Areum being blind but being able to act a bit too well.

And now that man in the room and the encounter Nayeon.

"Of course." Jeonghan shot open his eyes, "Of course, this number of sources and power wasn't for just some property."

Jeonghan sighed heavily, "Wait- Why did Choi Sunwoo say that Seungcheol's parents were alive? Enough. I. Want. Answers."

<Seungcheol's room>

Seungcheol looked up as the door of the room was opened in a hurry as Jeonghan walked in while closing it shut.

"What happened?" Seungcheol asked with concern. The chain attached to his cuffed right hand wriggled slightly as he sat up straight.

"I'm here to ask questions again." Jeonghan walked towards him, "And I won't go back disappointed this time."

"What sorts of questions?" Seungcheol asked, his gaze locked on Jeonghan.

"What's going on here? What are those pills? Why do they keep you like this?" Jeonghan sat beside him, "Do you know what happened today?"

"What?" Seungcheol scrunched his brows.

Jeonghan took a deep breath as he recited the whole incident to the older.

"WHAT?" Seungcheol gasped, "Are you fine? Tell me- are you-"

"Seuncheol!!" Jeonghan paused, "I'm fine. All I need are some answers. It's alright for the things you don't know but at least tell me the things you do!"

Seungcheol sighed as he looked down.

Jeonghan hesitated a bit, "Is it- is it true that your parents are still alive?"

Seungcheol's gaze shot up, "How- How do you know?"

"Choi Sunwoo told me but in a confusing tone, so I'm not sure." Jeonghan scoffed, "I'm not giving you any hopes that your-"

"Hopes." Seungcheol chuckled bitterly, "It's true. My parents are not dead."

"What are you saying?" Jeonghan was taken aback, "Then who were the ones whose dead bodies were found? And where are your parents?"

"The ones who were killed were my substitute parents but according to all the legal documents which were rather forged, they were the real ones." Seungcheol looked away, "It's kind of true though. They raised me since the beginning, adopted Seokmin and kept both of us brothers, together."

"And your real parents?" Jeonghan asked.

"Fell into some other greed after raising me for eight years with so much love." Seungcheol gulped, "Left me on the edge where I couldn't understand if they wanted me or not."

"But- who? Who are they?" Jeonghan inched slightly closer.

Seungcheol looked into the younger's eyes, "Choi Sunwoo and Choi Areum."

"WHAT?!" Jeonghan's eyes widened, "Are you kidding me right now?!"

Seungcheol nodded in denial, "When I was eight, they started getting distant from me. My substitute parents were first brought in the house as caretakers. Gradually, they were doing all the things my parents would do for me, usually.

One day, mom and dad started forcing me to address them as uncle and aunt while call the caretakers, mom and dad. I protested so they began to say pity things like 'it's just a game', 'it's for fun'. I still refused so they-"

"They?" Jeonghan asked.

"Locked me up in a dark room for three days after beating me up." Seungcheol sighed, "Do you think these things started one or two years ago? No. It has been going on since I was eight. Even before Seokmin was adopted. Even before Ara was brought home. And henceforth, I started calling my substitute parents as mom and dad. At least they loved me."

"Oh right. Ara?" Jeonghan pointed out, "Seokmin said you both had a sister?"

"She wasn't adopted legally but we treated her as our sister." Seungcheol revealed, "Jeonghan?"

"Yes?"

"I'll tell you everything that happened that night." Seungcheol made up the decision, "And the few things about this mansion that I know."

"You will?" Jeonghan hesitantly asked.

Seungcheol nodded.

A/n : Yeah, another twist💀

Anyways take care everyone!
-Jeonghanneyonghaseyo