sighing, baekhyun squinted out of the bright window, his stomach releasing a dire grumble. taking a quick look at his watch, his dark eyes widened when he saw the hour and minute hand paused at twelve, indicating that he had slept here overnight. what would his father say? was he searching the streets right now, looking for his quiet, perfect son? "he's probably too hungover to move," baekhyun snorted bitterly, recalling all of his drunk actions inflicted upon him and the poor women he brought home every other day. as he continued to ponder, his lips curled downwards in fear when he again felt eyes on him, intensely tracking his every move.

his heart leapt out of his chest as he couldn't shake the feeling off, causing him to shiver slightly, stretching his legs as he slid off of the bed. he shuddered when his foot met the cold hardwood floor, the other foot following suit as he stood.

one hand fiddled with his bottom lip while he began pacing back and forth, the other supporting his elbow while his eyebrows creased. what is this i'm feeling? he asked himself, panic beginning to build up in his chest as he felt piercing gazes on his disheveled frame. his stomach growled loudly again, and he swallowed hard, his throat parched and dry. running his tongue along the edges of his teeth, baekhyun turned sharply, continuing to stride between the bed and the dusty mirror on the wall.

soon, he found himself standing rather expectantly in front of the other door in the room, which he had assumed to be leading to a bathroom. he tapped his chin thoughtfully, black eyes sweeping over the white wooden door with curiosity, left foot thudding quietly against the floor. finally arriving at a conclusion, his pale hand reached for the brass doorknob, quivering ever so slightly at the anticipation of what he would see on the other side. as he pulled the door open, he was slightly disappointed at seeing nothing other than a regular, old-fashioned bathroom. once stepping in, he left the door open, staying relatively close to it in case it decided to slam shut.

again, he began to walk back and forth in the bathroom, observing how the bathtub had a crack running down the middle, how there was one shattered ceramic tile, and how the taps looked like they hadn't been turned in centuries. he peeked around rather skeptically, startled at small sounds such as a dripping faucet or a creak. his lips were pulled into a tight line, mind racing to find a way out of this mess he had gotten himself into.

should i even bother trying to escape? life was hell, anyway. it's been peaceful here, in a sense. no assholes riding my ass about some stupid treasure. no drunk bastard of a father bringing home women for exploitation.

as baekhyun continued to pace, he caught sight of himself in the mirror hanging above the sink, his eyes bulging at what he saw. his cheeks were sunken in, hollow and lifeless. his once silky and tame raven locks were now messy and tangled, causing him to instinctively reach up to his roots in attempt to brush them out. his lips were cracked and dry, much like the tile he currently stood on. the bleached white dress shirt and navy blue pants were messy and awry, tattered at the edges. his eyes traveled along the bridge of his nose, up to his protruding cheekbones, and to his almond-shaped iridescent eyes.

he didn't recognize the boy staring back at him from the mirror. he knew for a fact that byun baekhyun had soft, perfect dark hair, with a well rounded face and a flawless complexion, along with clean and tidy clothes. this byun baekhyun who gazed hollowly back at him, seemed to be just a shell of who he actually was.

he only recognized his own eyes, decorated with thick yet straight lashes, and irises the colour of a midnight sky.

so lost in dissecting the reflection of himself, his eyes caught sight of something at the corner of the mirror, scrawled into the thick layer of dust coating it.

the words embedded in the dust were beginning to scare him, his stomach lurching at the sight of the familiar set of letters, causing him to bite his lips in fear and anxiety, his eyes unmoving from them.

and somewhere at the back of his mind, he started to ponder the meaning of them, albeit slowly.

"who is in control?"