Aimee sat with her back pressed against the cold wall. She spinned a knife inbetween her fingers, staring at the floor. Her thoughts raced, memories of the military base, the endless training, the cold indifference of those who saw her only as a weapon.

Around her, Jisoo (11), with his sharp eyes scanning everything, was perched on his bed. Minah (12) was bouncing her legs in a jittery rhythm, as though about ways to cure boredom. Hyunwoo (14) leaned against the wall, his posture stiff and unreadable, his eyes distant as if he was already mentally preparing for whatever came next.

Aimee wasn’t sure if she was ready for any of it.

They had been taken from the military base and brought here, a “rehabilitation center”. They were supposed to become “normal” kids. But what did that mean for them? They were tools, soldiers. It felt wrong, foreign, and utterly terrifying.

The door creaked open, and their manager stepped in, his expression as calm as always. "I have something for you all," he said, with a slight smile that felt out of place. "Something to help you settle in."

The group remained still, watching him, unsure of what was coming next. It was then that the manager stepped aside, and in walked 8 men.

Bang Chan. Lee Know. Changbin. Hyunjin. Han. Felix. Seungmin. I.N.

Stray Kids.

Aimee’s breath caught in her throat. She recognized them immediately a reminder of something beyond their existence as soldiers. They had been trained to survive, but emotions like this? This wasn’t part of the training.

Bang Chan stepped forward first, his warm smile barely hiding the concern in his eyes. "Hey," he said, his voice softer than Aimee had expected, "We’ve heard about you guys."

Aimee didn’t know what to say. She still had the knife in between her fingers. Were they here to teach them how to live, to be kids, to be human?

None of the others said anything either.

"Don’t worry," Chan continued, his eyes flicking around the room. "We’re not here to force anything. Just to support you. You’re not alone anymore."