The Shadow Kissed Chapter Three
I’ll be honest with you guys right now. I really don’t like this chapter ._. But and so um yea~ Here’s chapter three, a little rushed, and starting to reveal a few secrets and, possibly, opening up even more questions. Congrats to the few people who guessed at one of those things revealed in this chapter. Also, sorry it was late in coming up ._.
New Characters revealed. Characters updated (in other words, more information added).
THIS STORY IS ABANDONED AND WILL NOT BE COMPLETED. UPON REQUEST, I AM WILLING TO WRITE UP AN ADDITIONAL "CHAPTER" EXPLAINING THE REST OF THE STORYLINE AND HOW IT WAS MEANT TO END, BUT IT WILL NOT BE COMPLETED. The contents of this masterlist has been unlocked for those who still want to read the story; however, as I have already stated, it will not be updated at any point in its original capacity. Thank you for your interest and time.
Title: The Shadow Kissed
Author: insanityplays
Rating: R
Pairing: KRY (Kyuhyun/Ryeowook/Yesung), Kangteuk, Hanchul. More to be added as revealed.
Characters: Psychic!Ryeowook, Psycho!Kyuhyun, Cop!Yesung, rest of Super Junior + M, appearances by DBSK, SNSD, and f(x)
Summary: After a nightmare Kim Jongwoon forwent paying any special attention to, he’s placed on a cold case fourteen years old where the only witness is a soon to be twenty-three year old man locked away in a mental “hospital” owned by the same people suspected for the murder/arson case of the Cho Family. Boring re-investigation aside, Jongwoon finds himself thrust into living his nightmare - only this time, it isn’t a dream.
Disclaimer: I do not own.
Warning: Includes, or will include, Angst, Drama, Romance, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Action, and Mystery. Also includes, or will include, paranormal activity, ghosts, attempted murder and murder.
- Chapter Three -
With a deep sigh, Kim Ryeowook, renowned psychic in the supernatural world, sank into the plush couch cushions of his moldy old couch in the living room of the one room apartment he hadn’t spent any time in for the last two months, groaning at the sound of his muscles popping.
Gazing contently around the room, he couldn’t be happier to be home. He’d just spent the last two months working on a case in Beijing, China, trying to throw an elusive criminal back into jail where he belonged.
Just two week’s before he’d been called onto the case, two female hikers had disappeared and been found dead off a trail somewhere on one of the less frequented hiking trails in Beijing. The m.o had matched that of three other murders over the course of the last year, as well as that of a man who’d been let out on parole a year and a half prior to the recent five murders.
The detectives on the case had been trying, since the first of the five murders, to throw that man back in jail, but no matter what they did, they couldn’t even connect the cases to him, and to top it all off, the man’s lawyer had been getting on their case for harassment.
So they’d called in a psychic, hoping he could pick up on something, anything, that would lead them in the right direction. For a month, he’d done his thing. He’d gone to all four murder sights, he’d done some ‘reading’ as they called it, helped dig up some evidence, consoled heart broken families, gotten into a few near death situations, and then he’d been in court for a month.
And that’s how his life went.
It was something he was much too familiar with, and something that never failed to exhaust him, no matter how little time he’d spent on the case. Opening his mind to the undead tended to do that to him, and it was mostly the stress of the case, the knowledge that he couldn’t just go lie down for a week like he wanted to, that kept him going every single time.
Other wise he’d collapse on his bed the minute he got home after seeing things he’d wish on no one, and sleep until his body felt rejuvenated enough to function, because it exhausted his strength to open his mind, drained the warmth from his very bones, and sent his emotions into turmoil.
He hated it more than anything in the world, but he lived with it because it was only a small price to pay for what he’d let happen to his mother. It was the only way he knew how to repent for what he’d let his father do, for what should have been done to him, instead of her.
It was almost ten years too late, but it was better than nothing, and he knew, if he’d let his “gift” go to waste, his mother would hate him, and he’d be racked with guilt, because it was all his stupid “gift’s” fault, and his mother had always said he’d been given it to do good.
So that’s what he did. He used his “gift” to help the police solve cases, used his “gift” to console heart broken families, but if he was honest with himself, that was the least of why he did it.
All he ever felt when talking to those families was their heart break, all he ever felt was drained, because being the bearer of such news was the second hardest part of what he had to do.
The first was having to see it in the first place.
Attempting to direct his thoughts elsewhere, Ryeowook wondered if the call he’d made earlier when he’d been driving home had been any help to the police. It wasn’t often that he had visions of the future, and more often than not they didn’t come true as the future fluctuated too much to be set in stone, but he’d made the anonymous tip about the bank heist anyway in the hopes that it would do some good the moment he’d seen it happen in his mind.
He was used to being right only half the time when he predicted the future, so it wouldn’t matter so much to him if he’d been wrong. He’d done his duty, he’d called it in…but he couldn’t help wondering why the vision had felt different. Almost wrong, even. Like it’d been planted in his head rather than picked up from the feelings in the air…
Against his thigh, in the pocket of his jeans that rested there, Ryeowook felt his phone vibrate, but as he settled deeper into the sagging cushions of his run down couch, he found he didn’t care to answer it, didn’t even care to turn it off or change his clothes, and he already knew who it would be.
He’d been daydreaming all day about his warm, cozy bed, but as he pulled the blanket resting over the side of the couch down and over him and let his exhaustion take him, he guessed he didn’t really mind that he wouldn’t make it to that scheduled appointment.
The couch would do just fine.
--
Yesung shivered as a man, Lee Sungmin, led him down the dark hallways of the Psychiatric ward where Cho Kyuhyun resided, attempting to ignore the chilling feeling he was being watched with every door they passed by.
Earlier that morning, when he’d arrived at work, Yesung had barely made it past the threshold before Heechul was pushing him right back out, giving him directions to the Psychiatric ward where Kyuhyun was located, as well as Siwon. He’d then informed Yesung of his task of checking up on Cho Kyuhyun, to see how insane he really seemed, and to see how bad off he was in the tiny little room they kept him in, as well as given him some information about Lee Sungmin, the man who was Kyuhyun’s primary care taker.
All he had to do was go in and tell the men inside that he’d been sent for a check up on a boy involved in a murder case, and they’d have to let him in, but if asked, he wasn’t supposed to reveal anything. As far as anyone else knew, the case wasn’t re-opened - it was all routine.
Up in the waiting room, the atmosphere had been open, warm, and welcoming, but as he soon as he’d passed through the doors to the inside of the ward, he’d found himself moving downwards through a sloping passageway onto cold, hard, stone floor, where all he felt was frigid air and the distinct feeling of oppression, and then he’d had the thought that this was nothing more than an asylum - as far from a hospital as you could get.
Lee Sungmin had sent him a soft smile that bellied he knew exactly what was going through Yesung’s mind.
The man had solemn, but kind brown eyes and long black hair that framed his face, accentuating his soft features. His lips formed a pout even when he wasn’t attempting to, and with those solemn eyes, it made him look eternally sad. With the atmosphere the man worked in, Yesung wasn’t surprised by this.
To distract himself from both the cramped and oppressing atmosphere and the frigid air of the long hallway they walked down, he asked Sungmin, who’d been put in charge of Kyuhyun a few years back and who’d been helping Siwon ever since he’d accidentally stumbled in upon a conversation with Heechul about the case, about the young male.
Sungmin was only a quiet for a moment after the question was posed, and then he opened his mouth to answer.
“Kyuhyun…is the one patient everyone is afraid of. When I first got here, and he was assigned to me, they told me that he was unpredictable, dangerous, and very violent. Most of the time, it was supposed to be impossible to go near him, but sometimes you’d get lucky enough that he’d leave you alone, though he’d watch your every moment as long as you were in his cell.” Sungmin explained.
“After a few weeks of this job, I found out why Kyuhyun was like this. I found out what this job really was, and I knew there was no getting out of it. With each day, the others showed me how things were supposed to be done, and each day, I knew something was wrong. I questioned everything they did, until finally, the boss came and had a talk with me, and I knew at that moment I was going to have to watch my back, because they already didn’t like me. Especially afterwards when I did things my way and refused to treat the patients like they were…like they were beneath, me,” Sungmin spat the word as if it was poison on his tongue. He glanced around himself then to check that no one was near them, and then continued talking.
“They lace their patients food here because after a while, they realize the pills they’re being given are making them unable to defend themselves, and most of the other “doctors” here wait until their patients are sedated before beating them up and throwing them around, while they just sit there, too lethargic to react. The patients aren’t stupid, and usually know why they’re unable to fight back, so they refuse the medication. Sometimes, it even gets to the point that patients won’t eat, and they have to be given a shot for sedation.” Sungmin’s voice was sad, and Yesung suddenly felt the need to hit someone, just at the thought of what most of the patients here had to go through on a daily basis.
“Kyuhyun…Kyuhyun always knows when his food has been laced, and always knows when someone’s intent is to hurt him. He’s never fallen for anything once, and he’s never come at me once, though if I told the others this they wouldn’t be too happy I’m on the good side of the one patient they all fear. They’d probably beat me up just to make up for the fact that Kyuhyun doesn’t.” Yesung sent him a look, but Sungmin only smiled and waved him off.
“Kyuhyun allows me to do what he’s never allowed the others to do, and I’m able to go anywhere I want in his room quite easily, and because of this, his room no longer reeks from the smell of his chamber pot and rotten food that he’s thrown, and he’s no longer deathly skinny from being unwilling to eat the laced food.” Sungmin’s smile was smug this time.
“What the others don’t get though, is that even though our patients are considered insane, they’re a lot smarter than they look. Sometimes, I think they have more sanity than the majority of the population.” Tapping his nose with a delicate finger, Sungmin went on, “They can smell who you are. They know if you care about them or not, know who to fear and who’ll back down at the barest hint of aggression, it’s just that sometimes, they don’t know what to do about it.” Yesung nodded grimly. This was something he knew well.
“So Kyuhyun trusts you then?” he inquired. Sungmin laughed.
“I think so.”
“Good, then I’m glad you were assigned to him.” With another laugh, Sungmin shifted closer to him.
“Not just because I’m on you’re side then?” he asked in a teasing tone, just loud enough for Yesung to hear, and this time it was Yesung’s turn to laugh.
“That might be part of it.” The other part had something to do with Yesung’s sudden irrational need to protect the little boy who’d already been through hell and back.
A few minutes of silence later, Sungmin finally stopped in front of an iron clad door and turned to face Yesung. “This is his room. I can’t let you go in though, partly because of regulations and the fact that this is only supposed to appear “routine” and not like an actual investigation, and partly because I don’t know how he’ll react. Like I said, I don’t drug him to mellow him out and make him easier to handle like the others do.” Yesung nodded his understanding.
“That’s fine. I didn’t particularly want to go in there anyway.” Sungmin laughed.
“Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?” Yesung clapped him on the back, but he was smiling.
Taking hold of a piece of the metal Yesung hadn’t actually noticed, Sungmin slid open a little hidden window, a hatch, revealing a dingy chamber within that personally would have driven Yesung insane. He couldn’t help the wry thought that it was lucky the others already were insane.
In one corner of the room was a degrading chamber pot, and in the other a bed. The bed was more than a cot, but less than a mattress, and on it laid a man with shaggy reddish brown hair, one leg crossed over the other, bare foot tapping in the air to a beat only he could hear, his arms crossed behind his head.
If Yesung had to explain the scene in one word, he’d say it was relaxed. The man looked completely and utterly relaxed. Content even. Sungmin laughed at the confused look he sent him.
“It’s times like these I wonder if Kyuhyun really is insane, but then if he weren’t, wouldn’t he be acting insane because he wanted out? I know I would. These walls make me feel a little bit crazier every day.” Yesung laughed with a nod of agreement and titled his head.
Kyuhyun sat up then, and turned with a bemused look on his face. When he caught sight of Sungmin, Yesung could see the slight tenseness and defensiveness leave his shoulders. Then his eyes shifted to Yesung, and Yesung thought he might just lose himself in them.
They were so deep, so hypnotizing, those eyes, and they seemed almost ancient, almost tired. Yesung felt a sadness sweep over him, and felt like a child under that gaze.
He wanted nothing more right then and there to erase every memory that haunted the man, but knew that he couldn’t, knew that what had been done, had already been done, and he couldn’t erase any of it.
His resolve to solve this case increased.
Kyuhyun smiled at him then.
It was more of a smirk than a smile, and he tilted his head as if in curiosity, but his eyes were mocking and Yesung got the feeling the other had just read his mind, got the feeling the other was scoffing at his feeble attempts to do something, anything, for the man who was older than his age, and then the dream flashed in his mind, and his own eyes hardened in determination.
Kyuhyun’s brow furrowed before he turned away again and laid back on his bed, and that’s when Yesung saw the scars.
His heart ached.
--
As Yesung was leaving the Psychiatric ward about fifteen minutes later, he saw Choi Siwon exit through a back door and head for his own car a few spaces to the left of Yesung’s. Yesung avoided looking at him as he unlocked the door of the police cruiser he’d driven here in, but when he slid in, he caught out of the corner of his eye a signal from the tall, handsome man, and when he left, Yesung gave him a courteous one minute head start before heading out behind him to follow.
They stopped half way across town at a cafe, and both got out to head in together.
When Choi Siwon unfurled himself from his car, Yesung was able to take in his long, lean form that would have appeared gangly if it weren’t for the obvious muscles and the strength in his build. His hair was black and slick with moose that kept his long black bangs swept to the side, stiff but adding a slightly dangerous look to the other wise handsome man with thick eyebrows and brown eyes.
He wore the outfit Yesung had seen on the security guards back at the Psychiatric ward.
“Siwon,” he greeted with a tilt of his head. Siwon nodded back.
They moved inside of the cafe then and sat down at a booth near the back, each on either side so they could face each other. Both of their eyes scanned the cafe, Yesung’s in habit, and Siwon’s in an attempt to look for any signs of someone who would recognize him talking with a police officer.
“Heechul told me this morning he’d put you on this case,” Siwon said in greeting, suddenly smiling, unfriendly, hardened look gone from his face.
“It was a surprise to me too,” Yesung laughed. Siwon snorted and shook his head, reaching across the table to slap Yesung on the shoulder.
“You know that’s not what I meant.” Yesung sobered up.
“How’s the kid?” he asked in a quieter voice. It didn’t matter that he’d already seen him earlier that day, didn’t matter that he already knew what Sungmin had told him. He wanted Siwon’s view on the case.
Siwon sighed. “Better off than most of the others,” he admitted, grimacing. “I’ve heard more screams then I’d like to in a lifetime, and most of them aren’t typical of a Psychiatric ward either. They’d fit better in an asylum where everyone’s condemned to die and the people inside really are crazy.” Yesung cringed.
“I kind of got that feeling when I walked in.”
“I’m not surprised.” They grew quiet then as a server made her way to their table to take their order. They both asked for Coffee - Yesung’s black, the nightmares were really wearing him down - and Siwon ordered a box of donuts to go - for work, as that’d been what he’d originally been sent out for.
“Look,” Siwon said, suddenly getting down to business, “The kid isn’t safe anymore. The minute you walked in, the boss got all stiff. He didn’t care that you were just here on routine. He suspects an investigation.” Yesung’s eyes widened.
“He got on the phone with the big guy, Lee Soo Man I assume, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. I think it was Japanese or something. I did catch one thing though, when he got off the phone,” he said, and proceeded to rattle off a few stiff sounding words. Yesung jerked in surprise.
It was definitely Japanese, and he knew what it meant too.
Siwon caught the movement, and he stared on grimly. “Not good news, is it?” Yesung shook his head. Siwon sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t think so. I don’t know how you’re going to do it, but you have to get Heechul on it. He can’t stay there any longer - hell, he probably shouldn’t even be in Korea anymore.” Yesung could do nothing but nod his head in agreement.
--
By the time Yesung made it back to headquarters, it was apparent Heechul has been pacing.
“Where the hell have you been!?” he growled the minute Yesung entered his office. Yesung stared at him, startled for only a moment before he continued to move into his office, by passing Heechul to get to his desk.
“Exactly where you told me to be,” he answered flippantly, nightmares and worries and death threats on his mind. Heechul sneered at him and slammed his palms down on Yesung’s desk.
“Don’t be a smart ass, Yesung. We’ve got a problem,”
“I’d say we do,” Yesung retorted, finally turning to face Heechul. “Kyuhyun’s not safe anymore. They’re planning to kill him.” Heechul opened his mouth angrily to respond to that, but then the words sank in and he blinked slowly and closed it, sitting down in the chair in front of Yesung’s desk.
“Well, shit…”
“That’s what I said.”
“Are you sure? How do you know this?” Heechul demanded, sitting up straight, all business now.
“I caught up with Siwon after I left, and before you say anything, it was perfectly safe,” Yesung said before Heechul could cut him off. “His boss got on the phone after I came in - apparently he got all stiff and nervous at the sight of me and my request. Siwon couldn’t make out most of the conversation though he’s pretty sure it was with the big man himself, Lee Soo Man, but he was able to repeat one thing to me.”
“What? What did he say?”
“The equivalent in Korean would be “we’ve got to get rid of him,”” Yesung replied grimly. Heechul didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. His face showed it all.
“Fuck, I knew this was going to happen!” Heechul suddenly shouted, slamming his hands down on the desk again and standing up to pace. “I knew this was going to happen three months ago!” Yesung was flabbergasted.
“Then why the fuck didn’t you get him out of there!? Heechul, I don’t care of this kid’s insane, he’s suffered enough already!”
“You think I don’t know that!” Heechul shouted back, stopping his pacing to glare at Yesung. “You think I don’t fucking know that!? Trust me Yesung, if there were a fucking way to get him out of there, I would have done it already!”
Yesung sat back down from where he’d sat up so suddenly, and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Heechul wasn’t the bad guy, he knew that. Heechul was nothing but practical, and he did everything he did because he had too. It wouldn’t do to turn on each other now.
“You’re right, I know that. I know you would have. I’m sorry.” Heechul huffed and sat back down as well, arms crossed over his chest. “What was your big news?” Yesung asked then, eyes still closed.
“Henry made a crack in the case. He found those missing records, every last inch of Kyuhyun’s father’s employment records, and it’s not good news.” Yesung was already gawking at the thought of the twenty-two year old computer hacker finding records that even the oldest cops on the case fourteen years ago hadn’t been able to find, but then his eyes widened and his mouth slammed shut at the idea of it not being good news.
“We already suspected the man to be working with SM in some way or another, but it was even worse than we’d thought. He’d been working for them for nine years before he and his family died.” The look on Heechul’s face suggested implications behind that that Yesung wasn’t getting, so he slanted an eyebrow at him.
“Cho Kyuhyun’s father owed Lee Soo Man everything before he died, including his life, as does Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun wouldn’t have even made it past three months old if it hadn’t been for Lee Soo Man and his illegal organ smuggling.” Yesung’s gaze stayed steady on Heechul’s face, the implications starting to seep in.
“They have it in writing. Kyuhyun is obligated, under contract, to be, or do, anything and everything SM orders him to - legally wise, at the very least, and we all know how good SM is at getting around that little hitch - as was Kyuhyun’s father. It doesn’t excuse murder, but somehow, I don’t see Kyuhyun getting out of this alive.”
The anger built up in Yesung’s chest as he took that in, eyes still level with Heechul’s, and he felt a lump form in his throat, felt tears sting at his eyes, and it didn’t even matter that he didn’t honestly know this kid, that all he had were newspaper clippings and news casts - the thought of that boy losing his life to the men who’d already stolen his family made him want to strangle something.
Before he could stop himself, he was vaulting out of his chair, sending it reeling back against the back wall of his office. “THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!” he shouted in a voice that almost didn’t sound his own, catching Heechul off guard as the man jumped and stood up as well, staring Yesung down as he stood his ground. “That’s not fucking good enough! Solving this case and putting SM and Lee Soo Man behind bars is not good enough, if we can’t even save the last fucking surviving member of Kyuhyun’s family!”
“God Damnit Yesung, stop making this harder then it has to be! I already told you, I tried everything I could! We can’t get him out of there! They have him under contract!”
“I don’t care, Heechul! Try harder! I am not going to just stand by and watch this kid die!” Yesung shouted, eyes wild, breathing harsh. Heechul glared back at him then and turned to stomp out of his office, but he stopped at the door, and in a cool voice said, “If you want to save him so badly, look up the web address of the man on the sticky note on your desk. He’s probably our only hope, but you’d better work fast.”
--
As it turned out, the man Heechul had pointed him towards was the best psychic in the business, and he’d just gotten back from a trip to Beijing, China. Already knowing the man must be resting, and preparing for at least a week off, Yesung jotted down his home address and dressed down from the official police garb he’d been in earlier to head out to meet him, making sure to grab his jacket in an attempt to throw off the chill he’d been feeling lately.
Despite Yesung’s limited belief in real psychic’s, that fact that this guy was the best in the business, and the fact that Heechul thought he was their only chance, kept him from thinking any more about it. This was an emergency, and Yesung had no other choice. The younger man would have to understand his dilemma, and Yesung would attempt to put aside his disbelief.
He drove carefully down the more dangerous street’s of Seoul in his non descript undercover car until he found the run-down apartment the young psychic lived in, brow furrowing at the thought of how much money the kid had to make and the horrible living conditions he lived in.
He got out of his car anyway and moved up the steps off the apartment building, one hand on his gun tucked in the waist band of his pants in case he needed to draw it quickly, eyes scanning the small complex as he made his way to apartment 24C. When he got there, there were no signs to speak of that pointed to the inhabitants of a psychic, but Yesung prayed he’d gotten the address right and knocked anyway.
When no one answered right away, Yesung assumed he was just being impatient, but as the seconds ticked by, he couldn’t help reaching out to knock again. He was almost afraid the other male wouldn’t be home, and if it hadn’t been for the obvious signs of inhabitance, he might have thought the place was empty.
Before Yesung could reach up to knock for a third time, someone answered the door, and the appearance of the man inside frightened him. He’d pulled open his door all the way upon answering it, giving Yesung the ability to completely take him in as the other man did the same.
The man, if he was indeed the Kim Ryeowook from the paper Heechul had left on his desk and from the website, hardly looked anything like his picture on the website, or anything like what Yesung assumed a psychic would look like.
If anything, he was the shell of the man from the picture. He looked too thin to be eating properly on a daily basis, with sharp collar bones that showed through the thin, grey top he was wearing that hung off one shoulder, and sharp hipbones that hardly held up the darker grey sweatpants he had on. His face was thin, and slightly ashen with dark shadows beneath his eyes, and his hair seemed a thin, washed out reddish-brown that hung limp just above his eyes in wispy bangs.
As Yesung opened his mouth to speak, he saw the other man’s soft brown eyes widen in fear as he backed slightly away from his open doorway, and then the man was attempting to throw his door closed. Yesung reached out with one steady hand to grab the door frame, and shoved his foot in between the door jamb and the door so it couldn’t be shut.
With his other hand, he pulled out his badge. “Detective Kim Jongwoon, with the Crime Lab,” he said in a quiet but authoritive voice, avoiding any mention of his undercover work in his introduction. “I work on special cases in Seoul, and I need your help.”
With a defeated, but no less frightened look, the man Yesung assumed was Kim Ryeowook reluctantly let go of the door and stepped away to let Yesung in.
“I can’t help you,” he said in a quiet, melodic voice even as he retreated to his small kitchen, Yesung trailing after him.
“I think you can.” The man only shook his head as he pulled out two cups from a cupboard.
“Water?” he asked, turning around to glance at Yesung as Yesung took a seat in front of the small counter that served as a serving bay for the kitchen. When Yesung nodded, Ryeowook turned to grab a jug out of his small refrigerator and poor them some. He placed one cup in front of Yesung and then retreated back to another counter closer to the kitchen sink to lean up against with his own cup of water.
“I really can’t help you,” he repeated, averting his gaze from Yesung’s as he took a sip of water from his cup. Yesung’s brow furrowed.
“Please, I know you just got back from a case in China, but this is important. A man’s life is at risk, and as far as I can tell, you’re our only hope,” Yesung pleaded.
“What do you dream about?” Ryeowook asked suddenly, gazing out the window over his sink. Yesung’s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to say something when Ryeowook cut him off. “Do you dream about this man’s death? Perhaps you dream about the things he’s feeling right now. Or maybe, you dream about his past…am I right?” he continued, finally turning and catching Yesung’s gaze.
“I can’t help you with your nightmares, and I won’t help you on your case. I won’t get involved with the Shadow Kissed.”
--
Masterlist/Character Information
New Characters revealed. Characters updated (in other words, more information added).
THIS STORY IS ABANDONED AND WILL NOT BE COMPLETED. UPON REQUEST, I AM WILLING TO WRITE UP AN ADDITIONAL "CHAPTER" EXPLAINING THE REST OF THE STORYLINE AND HOW IT WAS MEANT TO END, BUT IT WILL NOT BE COMPLETED. The contents of this masterlist has been unlocked for those who still want to read the story; however, as I have already stated, it will not be updated at any point in its original capacity. Thank you for your interest and time.
Title: The Shadow Kissed
Author: insanityplays
Rating: R
Pairing: KRY (Kyuhyun/Ryeowook/Yesung), Kangteuk, Hanchul. More to be added as revealed.
Characters: Psychic!Ryeowook, Psycho!Kyuhyun, Cop!Yesung, rest of Super Junior + M, appearances by DBSK, SNSD, and f(x)
Summary: After a nightmare Kim Jongwoon forwent paying any special attention to, he’s placed on a cold case fourteen years old where the only witness is a soon to be twenty-three year old man locked away in a mental “hospital” owned by the same people suspected for the murder/arson case of the Cho Family. Boring re-investigation aside, Jongwoon finds himself thrust into living his nightmare - only this time, it isn’t a dream.
Disclaimer: I do not own.
Warning: Includes, or will include, Angst, Drama, Romance, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Action, and Mystery. Also includes, or will include, paranormal activity, ghosts, attempted murder and murder.
- Chapter Three -
With a deep sigh, Kim Ryeowook, renowned psychic in the supernatural world, sank into the plush couch cushions of his moldy old couch in the living room of the one room apartment he hadn’t spent any time in for the last two months, groaning at the sound of his muscles popping.
Gazing contently around the room, he couldn’t be happier to be home. He’d just spent the last two months working on a case in Beijing, China, trying to throw an elusive criminal back into jail where he belonged.
Just two week’s before he’d been called onto the case, two female hikers had disappeared and been found dead off a trail somewhere on one of the less frequented hiking trails in Beijing. The m.o had matched that of three other murders over the course of the last year, as well as that of a man who’d been let out on parole a year and a half prior to the recent five murders.
The detectives on the case had been trying, since the first of the five murders, to throw that man back in jail, but no matter what they did, they couldn’t even connect the cases to him, and to top it all off, the man’s lawyer had been getting on their case for harassment.
So they’d called in a psychic, hoping he could pick up on something, anything, that would lead them in the right direction. For a month, he’d done his thing. He’d gone to all four murder sights, he’d done some ‘reading’ as they called it, helped dig up some evidence, consoled heart broken families, gotten into a few near death situations, and then he’d been in court for a month.
And that’s how his life went.
It was something he was much too familiar with, and something that never failed to exhaust him, no matter how little time he’d spent on the case. Opening his mind to the undead tended to do that to him, and it was mostly the stress of the case, the knowledge that he couldn’t just go lie down for a week like he wanted to, that kept him going every single time.
Other wise he’d collapse on his bed the minute he got home after seeing things he’d wish on no one, and sleep until his body felt rejuvenated enough to function, because it exhausted his strength to open his mind, drained the warmth from his very bones, and sent his emotions into turmoil.
He hated it more than anything in the world, but he lived with it because it was only a small price to pay for what he’d let happen to his mother. It was the only way he knew how to repent for what he’d let his father do, for what should have been done to him, instead of her.
It was almost ten years too late, but it was better than nothing, and he knew, if he’d let his “gift” go to waste, his mother would hate him, and he’d be racked with guilt, because it was all his stupid “gift’s” fault, and his mother had always said he’d been given it to do good.
So that’s what he did. He used his “gift” to help the police solve cases, used his “gift” to console heart broken families, but if he was honest with himself, that was the least of why he did it.
All he ever felt when talking to those families was their heart break, all he ever felt was drained, because being the bearer of such news was the second hardest part of what he had to do.
The first was having to see it in the first place.
Attempting to direct his thoughts elsewhere, Ryeowook wondered if the call he’d made earlier when he’d been driving home had been any help to the police. It wasn’t often that he had visions of the future, and more often than not they didn’t come true as the future fluctuated too much to be set in stone, but he’d made the anonymous tip about the bank heist anyway in the hopes that it would do some good the moment he’d seen it happen in his mind.
He was used to being right only half the time when he predicted the future, so it wouldn’t matter so much to him if he’d been wrong. He’d done his duty, he’d called it in…but he couldn’t help wondering why the vision had felt different. Almost wrong, even. Like it’d been planted in his head rather than picked up from the feelings in the air…
Against his thigh, in the pocket of his jeans that rested there, Ryeowook felt his phone vibrate, but as he settled deeper into the sagging cushions of his run down couch, he found he didn’t care to answer it, didn’t even care to turn it off or change his clothes, and he already knew who it would be.
He’d been daydreaming all day about his warm, cozy bed, but as he pulled the blanket resting over the side of the couch down and over him and let his exhaustion take him, he guessed he didn’t really mind that he wouldn’t make it to that scheduled appointment.
The couch would do just fine.
--
Yesung shivered as a man, Lee Sungmin, led him down the dark hallways of the Psychiatric ward where Cho Kyuhyun resided, attempting to ignore the chilling feeling he was being watched with every door they passed by.
Earlier that morning, when he’d arrived at work, Yesung had barely made it past the threshold before Heechul was pushing him right back out, giving him directions to the Psychiatric ward where Kyuhyun was located, as well as Siwon. He’d then informed Yesung of his task of checking up on Cho Kyuhyun, to see how insane he really seemed, and to see how bad off he was in the tiny little room they kept him in, as well as given him some information about Lee Sungmin, the man who was Kyuhyun’s primary care taker.
All he had to do was go in and tell the men inside that he’d been sent for a check up on a boy involved in a murder case, and they’d have to let him in, but if asked, he wasn’t supposed to reveal anything. As far as anyone else knew, the case wasn’t re-opened - it was all routine.
Up in the waiting room, the atmosphere had been open, warm, and welcoming, but as he soon as he’d passed through the doors to the inside of the ward, he’d found himself moving downwards through a sloping passageway onto cold, hard, stone floor, where all he felt was frigid air and the distinct feeling of oppression, and then he’d had the thought that this was nothing more than an asylum - as far from a hospital as you could get.
Lee Sungmin had sent him a soft smile that bellied he knew exactly what was going through Yesung’s mind.
The man had solemn, but kind brown eyes and long black hair that framed his face, accentuating his soft features. His lips formed a pout even when he wasn’t attempting to, and with those solemn eyes, it made him look eternally sad. With the atmosphere the man worked in, Yesung wasn’t surprised by this.
To distract himself from both the cramped and oppressing atmosphere and the frigid air of the long hallway they walked down, he asked Sungmin, who’d been put in charge of Kyuhyun a few years back and who’d been helping Siwon ever since he’d accidentally stumbled in upon a conversation with Heechul about the case, about the young male.
Sungmin was only a quiet for a moment after the question was posed, and then he opened his mouth to answer.
“Kyuhyun…is the one patient everyone is afraid of. When I first got here, and he was assigned to me, they told me that he was unpredictable, dangerous, and very violent. Most of the time, it was supposed to be impossible to go near him, but sometimes you’d get lucky enough that he’d leave you alone, though he’d watch your every moment as long as you were in his cell.” Sungmin explained.
“After a few weeks of this job, I found out why Kyuhyun was like this. I found out what this job really was, and I knew there was no getting out of it. With each day, the others showed me how things were supposed to be done, and each day, I knew something was wrong. I questioned everything they did, until finally, the boss came and had a talk with me, and I knew at that moment I was going to have to watch my back, because they already didn’t like me. Especially afterwards when I did things my way and refused to treat the patients like they were…like they were beneath, me,” Sungmin spat the word as if it was poison on his tongue. He glanced around himself then to check that no one was near them, and then continued talking.
“They lace their patients food here because after a while, they realize the pills they’re being given are making them unable to defend themselves, and most of the other “doctors” here wait until their patients are sedated before beating them up and throwing them around, while they just sit there, too lethargic to react. The patients aren’t stupid, and usually know why they’re unable to fight back, so they refuse the medication. Sometimes, it even gets to the point that patients won’t eat, and they have to be given a shot for sedation.” Sungmin’s voice was sad, and Yesung suddenly felt the need to hit someone, just at the thought of what most of the patients here had to go through on a daily basis.
“Kyuhyun…Kyuhyun always knows when his food has been laced, and always knows when someone’s intent is to hurt him. He’s never fallen for anything once, and he’s never come at me once, though if I told the others this they wouldn’t be too happy I’m on the good side of the one patient they all fear. They’d probably beat me up just to make up for the fact that Kyuhyun doesn’t.” Yesung sent him a look, but Sungmin only smiled and waved him off.
“Kyuhyun allows me to do what he’s never allowed the others to do, and I’m able to go anywhere I want in his room quite easily, and because of this, his room no longer reeks from the smell of his chamber pot and rotten food that he’s thrown, and he’s no longer deathly skinny from being unwilling to eat the laced food.” Sungmin’s smile was smug this time.
“What the others don’t get though, is that even though our patients are considered insane, they’re a lot smarter than they look. Sometimes, I think they have more sanity than the majority of the population.” Tapping his nose with a delicate finger, Sungmin went on, “They can smell who you are. They know if you care about them or not, know who to fear and who’ll back down at the barest hint of aggression, it’s just that sometimes, they don’t know what to do about it.” Yesung nodded grimly. This was something he knew well.
“So Kyuhyun trusts you then?” he inquired. Sungmin laughed.
“I think so.”
“Good, then I’m glad you were assigned to him.” With another laugh, Sungmin shifted closer to him.
“Not just because I’m on you’re side then?” he asked in a teasing tone, just loud enough for Yesung to hear, and this time it was Yesung’s turn to laugh.
“That might be part of it.” The other part had something to do with Yesung’s sudden irrational need to protect the little boy who’d already been through hell and back.
A few minutes of silence later, Sungmin finally stopped in front of an iron clad door and turned to face Yesung. “This is his room. I can’t let you go in though, partly because of regulations and the fact that this is only supposed to appear “routine” and not like an actual investigation, and partly because I don’t know how he’ll react. Like I said, I don’t drug him to mellow him out and make him easier to handle like the others do.” Yesung nodded his understanding.
“That’s fine. I didn’t particularly want to go in there anyway.” Sungmin laughed.
“Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?” Yesung clapped him on the back, but he was smiling.
Taking hold of a piece of the metal Yesung hadn’t actually noticed, Sungmin slid open a little hidden window, a hatch, revealing a dingy chamber within that personally would have driven Yesung insane. He couldn’t help the wry thought that it was lucky the others already were insane.
In one corner of the room was a degrading chamber pot, and in the other a bed. The bed was more than a cot, but less than a mattress, and on it laid a man with shaggy reddish brown hair, one leg crossed over the other, bare foot tapping in the air to a beat only he could hear, his arms crossed behind his head.
If Yesung had to explain the scene in one word, he’d say it was relaxed. The man looked completely and utterly relaxed. Content even. Sungmin laughed at the confused look he sent him.
“It’s times like these I wonder if Kyuhyun really is insane, but then if he weren’t, wouldn’t he be acting insane because he wanted out? I know I would. These walls make me feel a little bit crazier every day.” Yesung laughed with a nod of agreement and titled his head.
Kyuhyun sat up then, and turned with a bemused look on his face. When he caught sight of Sungmin, Yesung could see the slight tenseness and defensiveness leave his shoulders. Then his eyes shifted to Yesung, and Yesung thought he might just lose himself in them.
They were so deep, so hypnotizing, those eyes, and they seemed almost ancient, almost tired. Yesung felt a sadness sweep over him, and felt like a child under that gaze.
He wanted nothing more right then and there to erase every memory that haunted the man, but knew that he couldn’t, knew that what had been done, had already been done, and he couldn’t erase any of it.
His resolve to solve this case increased.
Kyuhyun smiled at him then.
It was more of a smirk than a smile, and he tilted his head as if in curiosity, but his eyes were mocking and Yesung got the feeling the other had just read his mind, got the feeling the other was scoffing at his feeble attempts to do something, anything, for the man who was older than his age, and then the dream flashed in his mind, and his own eyes hardened in determination.
Kyuhyun’s brow furrowed before he turned away again and laid back on his bed, and that’s when Yesung saw the scars.
His heart ached.
--
As Yesung was leaving the Psychiatric ward about fifteen minutes later, he saw Choi Siwon exit through a back door and head for his own car a few spaces to the left of Yesung’s. Yesung avoided looking at him as he unlocked the door of the police cruiser he’d driven here in, but when he slid in, he caught out of the corner of his eye a signal from the tall, handsome man, and when he left, Yesung gave him a courteous one minute head start before heading out behind him to follow.
They stopped half way across town at a cafe, and both got out to head in together.
When Choi Siwon unfurled himself from his car, Yesung was able to take in his long, lean form that would have appeared gangly if it weren’t for the obvious muscles and the strength in his build. His hair was black and slick with moose that kept his long black bangs swept to the side, stiff but adding a slightly dangerous look to the other wise handsome man with thick eyebrows and brown eyes.
He wore the outfit Yesung had seen on the security guards back at the Psychiatric ward.
“Siwon,” he greeted with a tilt of his head. Siwon nodded back.
They moved inside of the cafe then and sat down at a booth near the back, each on either side so they could face each other. Both of their eyes scanned the cafe, Yesung’s in habit, and Siwon’s in an attempt to look for any signs of someone who would recognize him talking with a police officer.
“Heechul told me this morning he’d put you on this case,” Siwon said in greeting, suddenly smiling, unfriendly, hardened look gone from his face.
“It was a surprise to me too,” Yesung laughed. Siwon snorted and shook his head, reaching across the table to slap Yesung on the shoulder.
“You know that’s not what I meant.” Yesung sobered up.
“How’s the kid?” he asked in a quieter voice. It didn’t matter that he’d already seen him earlier that day, didn’t matter that he already knew what Sungmin had told him. He wanted Siwon’s view on the case.
Siwon sighed. “Better off than most of the others,” he admitted, grimacing. “I’ve heard more screams then I’d like to in a lifetime, and most of them aren’t typical of a Psychiatric ward either. They’d fit better in an asylum where everyone’s condemned to die and the people inside really are crazy.” Yesung cringed.
“I kind of got that feeling when I walked in.”
“I’m not surprised.” They grew quiet then as a server made her way to their table to take their order. They both asked for Coffee - Yesung’s black, the nightmares were really wearing him down - and Siwon ordered a box of donuts to go - for work, as that’d been what he’d originally been sent out for.
“Look,” Siwon said, suddenly getting down to business, “The kid isn’t safe anymore. The minute you walked in, the boss got all stiff. He didn’t care that you were just here on routine. He suspects an investigation.” Yesung’s eyes widened.
“He got on the phone with the big guy, Lee Soo Man I assume, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. I think it was Japanese or something. I did catch one thing though, when he got off the phone,” he said, and proceeded to rattle off a few stiff sounding words. Yesung jerked in surprise.
It was definitely Japanese, and he knew what it meant too.
Siwon caught the movement, and he stared on grimly. “Not good news, is it?” Yesung shook his head. Siwon sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t think so. I don’t know how you’re going to do it, but you have to get Heechul on it. He can’t stay there any longer - hell, he probably shouldn’t even be in Korea anymore.” Yesung could do nothing but nod his head in agreement.
--
By the time Yesung made it back to headquarters, it was apparent Heechul has been pacing.
“Where the hell have you been!?” he growled the minute Yesung entered his office. Yesung stared at him, startled for only a moment before he continued to move into his office, by passing Heechul to get to his desk.
“Exactly where you told me to be,” he answered flippantly, nightmares and worries and death threats on his mind. Heechul sneered at him and slammed his palms down on Yesung’s desk.
“Don’t be a smart ass, Yesung. We’ve got a problem,”
“I’d say we do,” Yesung retorted, finally turning to face Heechul. “Kyuhyun’s not safe anymore. They’re planning to kill him.” Heechul opened his mouth angrily to respond to that, but then the words sank in and he blinked slowly and closed it, sitting down in the chair in front of Yesung’s desk.
“Well, shit…”
“That’s what I said.”
“Are you sure? How do you know this?” Heechul demanded, sitting up straight, all business now.
“I caught up with Siwon after I left, and before you say anything, it was perfectly safe,” Yesung said before Heechul could cut him off. “His boss got on the phone after I came in - apparently he got all stiff and nervous at the sight of me and my request. Siwon couldn’t make out most of the conversation though he’s pretty sure it was with the big man himself, Lee Soo Man, but he was able to repeat one thing to me.”
“What? What did he say?”
“The equivalent in Korean would be “we’ve got to get rid of him,”” Yesung replied grimly. Heechul didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. His face showed it all.
“Fuck, I knew this was going to happen!” Heechul suddenly shouted, slamming his hands down on the desk again and standing up to pace. “I knew this was going to happen three months ago!” Yesung was flabbergasted.
“Then why the fuck didn’t you get him out of there!? Heechul, I don’t care of this kid’s insane, he’s suffered enough already!”
“You think I don’t know that!” Heechul shouted back, stopping his pacing to glare at Yesung. “You think I don’t fucking know that!? Trust me Yesung, if there were a fucking way to get him out of there, I would have done it already!”
Yesung sat back down from where he’d sat up so suddenly, and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Heechul wasn’t the bad guy, he knew that. Heechul was nothing but practical, and he did everything he did because he had too. It wouldn’t do to turn on each other now.
“You’re right, I know that. I know you would have. I’m sorry.” Heechul huffed and sat back down as well, arms crossed over his chest. “What was your big news?” Yesung asked then, eyes still closed.
“Henry made a crack in the case. He found those missing records, every last inch of Kyuhyun’s father’s employment records, and it’s not good news.” Yesung was already gawking at the thought of the twenty-two year old computer hacker finding records that even the oldest cops on the case fourteen years ago hadn’t been able to find, but then his eyes widened and his mouth slammed shut at the idea of it not being good news.
“We already suspected the man to be working with SM in some way or another, but it was even worse than we’d thought. He’d been working for them for nine years before he and his family died.” The look on Heechul’s face suggested implications behind that that Yesung wasn’t getting, so he slanted an eyebrow at him.
“Cho Kyuhyun’s father owed Lee Soo Man everything before he died, including his life, as does Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun wouldn’t have even made it past three months old if it hadn’t been for Lee Soo Man and his illegal organ smuggling.” Yesung’s gaze stayed steady on Heechul’s face, the implications starting to seep in.
“They have it in writing. Kyuhyun is obligated, under contract, to be, or do, anything and everything SM orders him to - legally wise, at the very least, and we all know how good SM is at getting around that little hitch - as was Kyuhyun’s father. It doesn’t excuse murder, but somehow, I don’t see Kyuhyun getting out of this alive.”
The anger built up in Yesung’s chest as he took that in, eyes still level with Heechul’s, and he felt a lump form in his throat, felt tears sting at his eyes, and it didn’t even matter that he didn’t honestly know this kid, that all he had were newspaper clippings and news casts - the thought of that boy losing his life to the men who’d already stolen his family made him want to strangle something.
Before he could stop himself, he was vaulting out of his chair, sending it reeling back against the back wall of his office. “THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!” he shouted in a voice that almost didn’t sound his own, catching Heechul off guard as the man jumped and stood up as well, staring Yesung down as he stood his ground. “That’s not fucking good enough! Solving this case and putting SM and Lee Soo Man behind bars is not good enough, if we can’t even save the last fucking surviving member of Kyuhyun’s family!”
“God Damnit Yesung, stop making this harder then it has to be! I already told you, I tried everything I could! We can’t get him out of there! They have him under contract!”
“I don’t care, Heechul! Try harder! I am not going to just stand by and watch this kid die!” Yesung shouted, eyes wild, breathing harsh. Heechul glared back at him then and turned to stomp out of his office, but he stopped at the door, and in a cool voice said, “If you want to save him so badly, look up the web address of the man on the sticky note on your desk. He’s probably our only hope, but you’d better work fast.”
--
As it turned out, the man Heechul had pointed him towards was the best psychic in the business, and he’d just gotten back from a trip to Beijing, China. Already knowing the man must be resting, and preparing for at least a week off, Yesung jotted down his home address and dressed down from the official police garb he’d been in earlier to head out to meet him, making sure to grab his jacket in an attempt to throw off the chill he’d been feeling lately.
Despite Yesung’s limited belief in real psychic’s, that fact that this guy was the best in the business, and the fact that Heechul thought he was their only chance, kept him from thinking any more about it. This was an emergency, and Yesung had no other choice. The younger man would have to understand his dilemma, and Yesung would attempt to put aside his disbelief.
He drove carefully down the more dangerous street’s of Seoul in his non descript undercover car until he found the run-down apartment the young psychic lived in, brow furrowing at the thought of how much money the kid had to make and the horrible living conditions he lived in.
He got out of his car anyway and moved up the steps off the apartment building, one hand on his gun tucked in the waist band of his pants in case he needed to draw it quickly, eyes scanning the small complex as he made his way to apartment 24C. When he got there, there were no signs to speak of that pointed to the inhabitants of a psychic, but Yesung prayed he’d gotten the address right and knocked anyway.
When no one answered right away, Yesung assumed he was just being impatient, but as the seconds ticked by, he couldn’t help reaching out to knock again. He was almost afraid the other male wouldn’t be home, and if it hadn’t been for the obvious signs of inhabitance, he might have thought the place was empty.
Before Yesung could reach up to knock for a third time, someone answered the door, and the appearance of the man inside frightened him. He’d pulled open his door all the way upon answering it, giving Yesung the ability to completely take him in as the other man did the same.
The man, if he was indeed the Kim Ryeowook from the paper Heechul had left on his desk and from the website, hardly looked anything like his picture on the website, or anything like what Yesung assumed a psychic would look like.
If anything, he was the shell of the man from the picture. He looked too thin to be eating properly on a daily basis, with sharp collar bones that showed through the thin, grey top he was wearing that hung off one shoulder, and sharp hipbones that hardly held up the darker grey sweatpants he had on. His face was thin, and slightly ashen with dark shadows beneath his eyes, and his hair seemed a thin, washed out reddish-brown that hung limp just above his eyes in wispy bangs.
As Yesung opened his mouth to speak, he saw the other man’s soft brown eyes widen in fear as he backed slightly away from his open doorway, and then the man was attempting to throw his door closed. Yesung reached out with one steady hand to grab the door frame, and shoved his foot in between the door jamb and the door so it couldn’t be shut.
With his other hand, he pulled out his badge. “Detective Kim Jongwoon, with the Crime Lab,” he said in a quiet but authoritive voice, avoiding any mention of his undercover work in his introduction. “I work on special cases in Seoul, and I need your help.”
With a defeated, but no less frightened look, the man Yesung assumed was Kim Ryeowook reluctantly let go of the door and stepped away to let Yesung in.
“I can’t help you,” he said in a quiet, melodic voice even as he retreated to his small kitchen, Yesung trailing after him.
“I think you can.” The man only shook his head as he pulled out two cups from a cupboard.
“Water?” he asked, turning around to glance at Yesung as Yesung took a seat in front of the small counter that served as a serving bay for the kitchen. When Yesung nodded, Ryeowook turned to grab a jug out of his small refrigerator and poor them some. He placed one cup in front of Yesung and then retreated back to another counter closer to the kitchen sink to lean up against with his own cup of water.
“I really can’t help you,” he repeated, averting his gaze from Yesung’s as he took a sip of water from his cup. Yesung’s brow furrowed.
“Please, I know you just got back from a case in China, but this is important. A man’s life is at risk, and as far as I can tell, you’re our only hope,” Yesung pleaded.
“What do you dream about?” Ryeowook asked suddenly, gazing out the window over his sink. Yesung’s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to say something when Ryeowook cut him off. “Do you dream about this man’s death? Perhaps you dream about the things he’s feeling right now. Or maybe, you dream about his past…am I right?” he continued, finally turning and catching Yesung’s gaze.
“I can’t help you with your nightmares, and I won’t help you on your case. I won’t get involved with the Shadow Kissed.”
--
Masterlist/Character Information