Survival | JJK / KTH / PJM |...

Guys, if you haven't noticed, I made a short video related to the Bathroom Incident and attached it to the previous chapter but I'll add it again in this chapter, just in case you missed it! So please watch it to get a better glimpse of the scene haha! It's only for entertainment!

Pst. Please reload the chapter a few times before reading to receive the latest updated version! I'm sorry for any mistakes or errors >< I'll try to fix it ASAP! Enjoy!

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Flashback: Explosive Diarrhea

We couldn't head back to the hotel on foot because Jungkook was shaking from his wetted pants. He refused to let me near him after seeing the staff's startled reaction when we exited the Ferris Wheel carriage. I called a cab, and after a few refusals, I agreed to pay triple and rode home with him. I figured he'd be uncomfortable, so we entered the hotel through the back exit and I asked the staff to escort him to the hotel's medical center. The essence of raw explosive diarrhea contaminating the entire room, causing everyone to scrunch their nose awkwardly.

"Is he okay?" I questioned when the nurse came out of the room.

"The doctor gave him medicines to ease his pain," The nurse smiled, carefully carrying a bag.

"Is that his clothes?" I questioned while eyeing the bag.

"Neh. We gave him a new set of the robe to change into," The nurse gulped stiffly at it.

"Give it to me," I smiled, holding out my hands.

"Oh. The hotel's staff will take care-"

"It's okay. I'll handle it. I don't want rumors to circulate concerning his unfortunate incident," I shook my head. The nurse unsurely looked at me but eventually handed it over.

"I'll ensure sure no words will leak out," The nurse bowed and returned to the room. I glanced down at the black bag, made my way out of the medical center, and headed back to our suite.

"You're back! Is that food!?" Hoseok smiled as he jogged down the hallway.

"Where's Jungkook?" Seokjin asked, turning away from the television. I was about to respond when Hoseok suddenly snatched the bag out of my hands.

"Don't open it-" I tried to stop Hoseok when he unwrapped the bag and peeped inside.

"ARK!" Hoseok jerked his head in disgust and clasped his hand over his nose in shock.

"Wae? Wae? Wae?" Seokjin curiously questioned, staring at Hoseok's sickened expression.

"I told you not to open it. The spoiled milk made Jungkook sick," I muttered, snatching it away from Hoseok just as Do-hwan stepped out of the kitchen.

"He shitted his pants?" Seokjin bursts out laughing on the couch.

"Why???! Why would you bring his-" Hoseok gawked at me in disbelief.

"How can I let the staff clean up his waste? He'll feel uncomfortable," I shook my head and tied up the bag.

"So what? Are you going to wash it for him?" Hoseok raised his eyebrows at me in horror. I pursed my lips, then turned to look at Do-hwan, who widened his eyes at me in shock.

"He's at the medical center. Will you accompany him?" I sighed.

"I thought you were going to make me wash it. For your information, I wasn't hired to remove poop from your boyfriend's pants," Do-hwan scoffed, shook his head, then left the suite.

"Wah such devotion. You're such a wife material, I'll give you that," Hoseok nodded, giving me a thumb up.

"The supreme alpha cleaning up her boyfriend's explosive diarrhea. I should tell the media about this. It'll make a grand headline," Seokjin smirked. I rolled my eyes at him and went to my room. Then entered the bathroom to scrub the poop-drenched pants. I wanted to barf but held it in and did all I could to get rid of the odor. I sprayed the entire bathroom with a room freshener to get rid of the nasty smell and turned on the humidifier to purify the room. After handwashing it, I packed up the soaking wet clothes and gave it to the staff to do the rest. I made my way back into the suite to find Do-hwan shutting the door to my room.

"Is he alright?" I questioned, walking up to him.

"Did you really clean his clothes?" Do-hwan asked. I shrugged at him and pushed the door open. Do-hwan left to his room, so I walked over to Jungkook, who was twisting and turning on the bed.

"Feeling better?" I questioned, sitting on the edge of the bed when Jungkook suddenly flopped over and turned his body away from me. He didn't say anything but slept quietly. He's embarrassed.

"It's fine, I don't mind-"

*Krrooook pheeeew Krrooook pheeeeew*

I turned to look at Jungkook, who was fake snoring and softly smiled at him.

"Hajima!" I chuckled, smacking his butt, causing Jungkook to shriek in panic.

"Why'd you hit me?! My asshole is sore from pooping too much already," Jungkook whined, pulling the blanket over his head.

"Don't be embarrassed. I really don't mind. You're making me uncomfortable with this kind of reaction," I shook my head and tried to pull the blanket off his head. Jungkook quickly tugged it back over his nose, revealing only his doe eyes. He blinked at me with his shy eyes.

"Are you teasing me?" Jungkook questioned, looking at me from under the blanket.

"Why would I? We all had explosive diarrhea at some point in our life. It's natural," I shook my head.

"Aren't you disgusted? I saw your reaction, so don't lie to me," Jungkook grimaced, covering his face with the blanket again.

"Oh. I almost puked out my organs, but what can I do? It's not like I'll leave you after seeing your imperfections. It's not even a flaw. I don't know why you're making a big deal out of it. Wae? Would you leave me if I had explosive diarrhea-"

"Of course not! Why would I?!" Jungkook snapped, sitting up with an annoyed look.

"Exactly. So don't be embarrassed about it. It isn't love if I can't handle your shit," I chuckled at Jungkook, whose face lightened at my words.

"I'm sorry," Jungkook scratched his head. I sat silently smiling at Jungkook, who leaned over to pull me into a tight hug. Jungkook didn't feel well, so I ended up cuddling him to sleep. He had to use the bathroom a couple of times, rushing back and forth throughout the entire night. Jungkook finally fell asleep after the medication spread through his system to calm his intestine. I snuggled my nose against his faint lily-scented hair and dozed off as well.

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Third Person POV

After Party

Jungkook carried Sora into the bathroom and sat her on the toilet when she weakly tipped over, so Jungkook firmly held onto her and lifted her up. He walked over to the bathtub and lowered her into it. Jungkook quickly undressed himself to get rid of his puked drench clothes and crouched beside the tub. He undid Sora's clothes and carefully sprayed lukewarm water over her flesh to wash off her vomit. Sora suddenly stirred in discomfort, so Jungkook got up to place a folded towel beneath her head. He carefully propped her up against the tub and proceeded to shower her. Sora slowly opened her eyes and turned to look at her lover with droopy eyes.

"Jungkook-"

"It's okay. Rest, I'll take care of everything," Jungkook carefully ran his hand down her soaked hair.

"My head's hurting," Sora whispered with her eyes closed. Jungkook paused and got onto his feet. He reached over to grab her soothing shampoo and carefully got into the tub. He sat down behind her and squeezed the shampoo onto his palm.

"Rest your chin on the edge of the tub. I'll massage your head for you," Jungkook whispered, turning on the faucets to let the warm water fill the tub. Sora wasn't fully conscious, but she eventually leaned on the tub while Jungkook sat behind her. He gently ran his fingers through her hair and massaged the side of her head. Sora fell quiet and eased at Jungkook's pressure. Jungkook finally finished washing her hair and was about to get up when Sora grabbed his wrist.

"Can we stay like this for a moment?" Sora whispered, slowly opening her eyes.

"Aren't you cold?" Jungkook questioned, unsurely looking at her. Sora shook her head, so Jungkook slid back into the tub with her. Jungkook leaned against the tub while Sora sat in between his legs. Sora scooted backward, then rested her bare back against Jungkook's torso. Jungkook relaxed his muscles and encircled his arms around her exposed body, so she could lean her head against his upper chest and shoulder. The two of them sat quietly in the water-filled bathtub, embracing one another in each other's arms. Jungkook pressed his nose against Sora's collarbone and softly kissed her shoulder. Sora exhaled, interlacing her fingers with his, and snuggled into Jungkook. Sora eventually dozed off again, so Jungkook lifted her out of the tub and dried her up. He pulled cozy pajamas onto her and carried Sora to the bed. Jungkook got dressed as well and woke her up to take the pills. He slipped into bed with his lover afterward and held her fragile body against his.

Sora's POV

I groggily sat up to the sound of soft knocking on the door. Groaning, I turned to find Jungkook lifting up his head to scan the door as well. Our room was brightly lit up by the blinding morning light. Jungkook let out a soft grunt and pushed back his hair with his eyes half-open.

"I'll get it," Jungkook grumbled, rolling off the bed. I laid back down as he walked over to the door.

"Is she alright?" Yoongi questioned when Jungkook opened the door.

"She took some pills," Jungkook murmured, closing one of his eyes after letting Yoongi in.

"I asked the staff to make you hangover soup, eat up," Yoongi shrugged, placing the soup down on the table, then strode out of our room before I could thank him.

"Are you feeling better? Why'd you drink so much last night?" Jungkook questioned, crouching beside the coffee table to taste the soup before turning to look at me with his sleepy eyes.

"To be honest, I don't even know why," I shrugged and sat down on the couch opposite of Jungkook. He scooped the soup with a spoon and stretched his arm towards me. I leaned over and took a mouthful of the soup before screwing my face in discomfort. It's so bitter... I hate it.

"Finish it. Vodka's even more bitter, but you chug it like water, so finish the hangover soup," Jungkook grimaced, pushing the bowl towards me. I quietly ate as Jungkook entered the bathroom to wash his face and went to the closet room to get dressed. I was slurping the soup when I looked up to find Jungkook dressed in mismatched clothes. He wore short vacation pants and a shirt with a red vest over his inner shirt, a blue hat with green peacock fur, and a black sunglass. I choked on my soup and started coughing at his random fashion.

"What are you doing?" I coughed while patting my chest in disbelief... shooting him a puzzled look. He looks like an idiot.

"Don't I look cool?" Jungkook grinned as he posed in his clown-like fashion.

"Fashion of the year," I chuckled and shook my head at him.

"Wae? Don't you like it? Weren't you the one packing my clothes? Why did you bring so much unnecessary things? Look at the peacock hat... did you think I need it?" Jungkook shot me an offended look. He sat beside me on the couch with a sly smirk plastered on his face.

"It wasn't me. I asked Do-hwan to pack your belongings. And it doesn't matter. You're Jeon Jungkook. You look good in everything, but why did you have to dress like this? Are you okay? Do you have a fever?" I chuckled, turning to brush back his hair. Jungkook held on to my hand and looked at me in the eyes.

"I know you're going through a rough time. Why else would you fill yourself with vodka?" Jungkook's face suddenly neutralized. I pursed my lips at his troubled expression.

"So you did this to make me laugh?" I smiled at him. He's so sweet...

"I know you're keeping it to yourself. I won't pressure you to tell me everything. But remember, I'm always here for you, okay? Don't drink too much. The side effects of alcohol aren't worth the misery that comes after. I'll be your punching bag. I'll be a clown to uplift your spirits or your lover whenever you need me. Just don't torture yourself to overcome the pain," Jungkook exhaled while rubbing my knuckle. I fell quiet when a hot lump in my throat... memories came flowing back into my head. I was a total mess last night.

"I was a nuisance, wasn't I? I'm sorry. I puked all over you last night," I whispered in guilt.

"Oh. I was drenched in slimy discharges of vodka, but it's okay. You've had it worse, you had to deal with my explosive diarrhea," Jungkook chuckled, reaching out to stroke my cheek.

"I told you it's nothing-" I whined, smacking his leg when Jungkook suddenly pulled me into a kiss. I fell quiet and gripped onto his arms as he tenderly kisses me.

"You're right. The soup is bitter," Jungkook screws his face in displease after pulling away from me to lick his lips. I shook my head, glanced at the empty bowl of soup, then averted my eyes back to Jungkook.

"Go get changed," I laughed, turning away from him while shaking my head.

"Why? Are you embarrassed?" Jungkook snapped, firing me an insulted look.

"I'd take you to a ball with me in this outfit, but it looks uncomfortable," I smiled at Jungkook.

"You're such a liar," Jungkook scoffed, getting onto his feet, and walked back into the closet. For some reason, he didn't close the door and stood within my view... undressing before me on purpose huh...

"I have a question," I crossed my legs on the couch as Jungkook pulled off his shirt.

"About my body?" Jungkook smirked, pulling on his sweatpants and hoodie.

"No. About your underwear," I crossed my arms. Jungkook shot me a baffled expression.

"What about it?" Jungkook asked, walking out of the closet room.

"Earlier when we first met at the mansion... I was organizing your room when I stumbled upon your underwear... why'd you wear an underwear with a hole-"

"Why'd you have to bring it up?" Jungkook widened his eyes at me in shock.

"I'm curious-"

"I was going to throw it away!" Jungkook defended himself.

"But why did it have a hole-"

"It's comfy, so I used it very often, and you happen to find it at the wrong time. Don't get the wrong idea. Why? What were you assuming? You're such a dirty-minded freak," Jungkook glared at me.

"I was just asking," I mumbled, looking away in annoyance.

"Do you have a pen?" Jungkook questioned while searching through the drawers.

"In my hoodie. The one in the lower drawer," I nodded. Jungkook searched through it and took out Namjoon's pen. I got up and left the room, so Jungkook followed me. I entered the kitchen to find the others preparing their breakfast.

"-Did you get their contact?" Seokjin questioned as he stood by the stove.

"Oh. I got the girl's number. I'll contact her before the meeting," Hoseok nodded, flipping through a booklet of alpha profiles.

"We should select our candidates and send out official recruitments news," Jungkook shrugged, writing something down on his palm.

"What are you writing?" Yoongi questioned, peeking at Jungkook's hand.

"A reminder to-"

"Can I borrow the pen?" Hoseok questioned, so Jungkook tossed it at him.

"Oh. That pen looks familiar- wait- Sora did you-," Seokjin paused in confusion when he recognized Namjoon's pen.

"You stole his pen during the search?" Hoseok chuckled, scribbling something on his booklet.

"Why are you only selecting the high ranks??? Concentrate on the lower ranks! Don't underestimate them. Many of the lower ranks are very experienced," Jungkook furrowed his eyebrow as he watched Hoseok marking the candidates.

"Why are you doing it on paper? Uncivilized savages," Seokjin rolls his eyes at Hoseok.

"It's risky to do it digitally- it can be stolen," Yoongi nods at Hoseok.

"Mark the boy! He's-"

"He's too young!" Hoseok complained when Jungkook stopped him from skipping to the next page.

"Exactly! He has a long life ahead of him! It's easier to recruit young households! And we can even train his loyalty," Jungkook argued.

"Ani. Sora won't like it. Not after what happened to the kid she adored. Let's not drag them into this game, not when we're unstable. The kid will die early if we do- he deserves to live a happy life while he still can," Hoseok shook his head and tried to skip ahead.

"Just mark him! We're running out of choices!-"

"Hajima! We shouldn't drag a young boy!" Hoseok complained when Jungkook snatched the pen out of his grip. Hoseok snatched it back, and the both of them ended up tugging back and forth.

"You're so immature," Seokjin shakes his head at the two alphas fightings over the pen.

"Hajima~" Yoongi tried to stop them when Hoseok hastily yanked the pen. Jungkook pulled so hard- he ended up stumbling backward into the fridge.

"We're keeping underage kids out of this mess- oh? Where's the other half- Yah! You broke it!" Hoseok glared at Jungkook while gripping onto the pen and turned towards the paper when he noticed half of the ballpen were gone. Hoseok quickly shot Jungkook a frustrated look, but the entire room froze when we found Jungkook staring fixedly at something in his palm.

"Guys... uh..," Jungkook whispered, unblinkingly holding up the other half of the pen. All of our jaws dropped when we realized what it was... a flash drive.

"What the hell?" Hoseok quickly shot onto his feet in shock. Seokjin and Yoongi stood frozen in their places while staring at the USB drive in Jungkook's hand.

"AHHHHHH!" Seokjin suddenly screamed, pointing at Jungkook.

"AHHHHHH!" Jungkook screamed at Hoseok.

"AHHHHHH!" Hoseok screamed, turning to smack Yoongi's arm repeatedly.

"ARHHHHH!" We all bellowed in extreme excitement. I screamed in shock when I felt a rush of hope racing through me. The alphas quickly ran towards Jungkook and smacked him in disbelief. Who knew Namjoon's pen is actually a hidden USB drive? How'd we get so lucky? So this is where he's been hiding his secrets all along?! We kept on squealing until our voices cracked, and I started coughing. The alphas quickly rushed into the living room in a hurry. Hoseok went to grab a laptop and placed it on the coffee table. We sat eagerly around the laptop.

"Sora, you do it," Jungkook whispered, handing me the USB flash. I gulped and took it out of his hand.

"You do it. This has more to do with you," I handed Seokjin the drive. Seokjin blinked at the USB and shakily took it out of my palm. He carefully plugged it into the laptop. Everyone sucked in their breath as we waited for the laptop to process the flash drive.

Folder

A single folder popped up on the desktop screen, causing everyone to tense up. What does he keep in it? The contracts? I gripped my fist when Seokjin opened the folder, and a few files popped up. I keenly scanned it, but there were no signs of reports or records.

"It's just videos," Yoongi whispered in disappointment. Seokjin quickly clicked on the first video. It was a camera footage of a garden... in the dark- by the water fountain... The Island. Namjoon was standing by the fountain with his gun trained at Jiwoo while I stood in between them. A bright light flickered, and Jiwoo dropped dead into the water fountain.

"It's his hidden footage...," Hoseok whispered with his mouth hanging open.

"Seokjin-" I worriedly glanced at Seokjin.

"It's okay. It might not be the contracts, but this evidence is enough to disable Kim Namjoon. For a while. At the very least," Seokjin shook his head and clicked on the second video. It was a footage of the hallway in a mansion. The door slid open, and- my heart suddenly ached in pain when Yangcha came walking out of his room. He left our sight and reappeared in his room only to be followed by an unknown person. The assassin.

"Hajima. Don't play it," I gulped, gripping my hand intensely. Flooding memories of Yangcha's innocent smiles came rushing into my head, causing my heart to throb in remorse.

"Araso," Seokjin quickly ended the video. I can't watch it... I just can't. Seokjin moved to the next video, and it was footage of the university's hallway. And a girl suddenly appeared walking along the hallway when another girl appeared at the corner.

"Haerim? Minah?" Hoseok whispered, staring at the screen in shock. Haerim backed away in panic when she turned the corner, coming face to face with Minah. She seemed frightened of Minah. Minah crossed her arms and walked towards Haerim. The two girls had a brief talk. It seemed like Minah was pressing Haerim about something when Haerim lost her cool and shot Minah a smug expression, causing Minah's face to glower in irritation. Haerim said something to Minah while waving her phone in the air before walking off. Minah angrily turned to glare at Haerim after she disappeared into another corridor.

"So Haerim was involved with Minah?" Yoongi whispered. I sat quietly thinking about Taehyung's words... Seokjin immediately clicked on the next footage to find a record of... the base of the stairs leading up to the rooftop.

"Oh no... don't tell me-" Hoseok whispered in shock when Haerim climbed the stairs in a hurry.

"Wait what?! Isn't that-"

"Taehyung," Jungkook finished Seokjin's sentence when Taehyung appeared, running up the stairs after her.

"TAEHYUNG MURDERED HAERIM?!" Hoseok gasped, turning to stare at me in shock. I quickly sat back in bewilderment. Wait a minute... he told me she's a sacrifice... but he claimed he didn't kill her... what exactly happened on the rooftop?

"Maybe not. Why would Namjoon hide the footage if Taehyung killed Haerim? He could've used it against Taehyung," Seokjin muttered, fast-forwarding the video.

"Oh? What's going on!?" Hoseok chewed his finger uneasily when two other figures ran up the stairs. Kim Namjoon... and Kang Minah. They disappeared, and about ten seconds later... Taehyung appeared, rushing down the stairs in a hurry and left.

"So the four of them was there? They're the three suspects," Yoongi whispered, sitting back in disbelief. Namjoon and Minah came rushing back down the stairs after a while... whatever happened between the four of them... only three returned. Haerim never left the rooftop. She never made it back.

"What's going on?" Seokjin whispered with his eyebrows furrowed. That was the last video, and it left us baffled by the contents it withholds.

"Did they kill Haerim? But why was Taehyung involved...? Haerim's someone he cherishes," Hoseok shook his head.

"Taehyung did not partake in Haerim's murderer," I whispered. Finally piecing Taehyung's puzzling words together. He told me before I was drugged.

"How'd you know? He was there-"

"He told me. That's why he was so angry at me for ending the marriage. Haerim tried to blackmail him. She wanted Taehyung to break the engagement to save her, or she'd reveal his past secret. She must've recorded him, and he was chasing her for it," I whispered in realization.

"He told you?" Jungkook questioned, widening his eyes at me.

"He claimed she was a sacrifice to save our marriage, but he didn't kill her. In the footage... Taehyung left in a hurry which means... he was avoiding Namjoon and Minah on the rooftop. He didn't even know they killed her," I shook my head.

"But why would they kill Haerim? Minah and Namjoon," Hoseok whispered in confusion.

"Because she knew. She knew about Namjoon's plan to seize my power. Haerim tried to warn me countless times, but I dismissed her before she could even approach me," Seokjin whispered in horror. He sat back... staring at the laptop screen in extreme shock.

"So Haerim knew your households would become a wreck after Namjoon seized Seokjin's power. She ran back to Taehyung... in an attempt to escape the conflict... and must've had evidence on her phone to infuriate Minah. Who caught her and told Namjoon about it," Jungkook nodded, attempting to piece everything together.

"Namjoon was afraid she might expose his plan after catching her with Taehyung. So he eliminated her," Yoongi exhaled, leaning back against the couch.

"And that's why Taehyung was so upset with you after you broke the engagement. He could've saved Haerim, but he left her to die to save the marriage, but you rejected it. He sacrificed Haerim for nothing," Seokjin whispered, looking up at me with his mouth hanging open. I exchanged glances with Jungkook in silence. I thought Taehyung's words made no sense... I thought he was blaming me for her death... but... everything makes sense now... what the fuck. Everyone fell quiet and sat blankly... lost in their own thoughts.

"Let's push Taehyung aside for now. Will this be enough to hold Namjoon back?" I snapped out of my thoughts and turned toward the others.

"I'm not sure. We don't know if the footage is enough to obstruct Namjoon's scheme, but it'll cause a generous amount of impact. They're all siding with Namjoon, so perhaps... they'll reconsider after the lower ranks witness his relentless actions. I'm sure many will step back once they find out about Namjoon's truth," Hoseok nodded at me reassuringly. The alphas decided to use the footage against Namjoon because that's all we got for the time being. We can't eliminate Namjoon, but at least we can halt his plan and reduce his followers. We gathered all the evidence and worked on recruiting our followers instead.

Fast Foward: Afternoon before Taehyung's capture.

"Arghhhh!" I yelped when Jungkook suddenly hip threw me onto the ground, causing me to grunt in discomfort. He tried to pin me down, but I roughly tugged his arm and slammed my elbow into his chest before rolling over him.

"Good one," Jungkook chuckled while panting on the mat in defeat as I held him down. It's been a while since we trained together. I need to gear up for the upcoming storm. Jungkook pushed himself up into a sitting position while I sat on him.

"Why'd you throw me so hard? You could've broken my spine," I whined while rubbing my back, so Jungkook grabbed onto my hip to stop me from moving off him.

"I'll never harm a strand of your hair, but they will. I need you to protect yourself," Jungkook shook his head and leaned in to kiss me.

"We're supposed to train," I smiled, drawing my lips away from his, but Jungkook held onto my jawline and pulled me back into him. He slowly kissed me as I wrapped my arms around his sweaty neck. Jungkook sat up straight on the mat, then encircled his arms around my back to hold me close to him. Our breath growing steamier-

"Ah! Shoo shoo! Stupid cupids! Shoo!" Someone shrieked as soon as he entered the training room, causing Jungkook and I to pull apart. We turned to find Seokjin punching the air aimlessly while hopping around.

"Are you fighting invisible ghosts?" Jungkook rolled his eyes at Seokjin, who turned to look at us with a disgusted look.

"No, I'm fly-swatting the cupids. Are you here to train or do inappropriate things? You're so shameless. No wonder why Taehyung was so upset about your relationship," Seokjin scowled with his hands on his hips. I chuckled while getting off Jungkook and sat crossed feet on the mat. Just then, Yoongi and Hoseok came into the training room as well.

"Tsk. Mr. Perfect, why don't you show me your skills then?" Jungkook beckoned, getting onto his feet. I went to the side bench for water and sat down.

"Are you testing me?" Seokjin's face stiffened as he stared at Jungkook, who was grinning at him.

"Come on! Let me evaluate your skills," Jungkook wiggled his eyebrow at Seokjin, so he quickly stomped towards the half-blood.

"Don't murder each other. We need to stay alive until the final meeting," Hoseok skeptically watched Jungkook and Seokjin. Yoongi and Hoseok started training together, unlike Seokjin and Jungkook... Yoongi and Hoseok are very relaxed. Hoseok taught Yoongi how to disable his opponent by lightly tapping Yoongi's arm. They're fighting in slow motion... it's hilarious.

"Move your arm back and wooooh~ Quickly twist your body and grip their arms... like this..." Hoseok gently guided Yoongi.

Meanwhile.

"ARGH!" Seokjin roared when Jungkook suddenly slammed him onto the mat. And to my surprise, Seokjin swung his leg to sweep Jungkook off his feet, sending Jungkook flat onto his back. Seokjin's not so bad.

"Urgh!" Jungkook gasped when Seokjin encircled his shin around Jungkook's neck and gripped onto Jungkook's arms to stop him from escaping. Jungkook twisted his face in pain and thrust his upper body strength to sit up. Seokjin tried to hold Jungkook down but was flung away.

"Fuck!" Seokjin gritted, thumping hard onto the mat. The alphas quickly got onto their feet and launched at one another. Seokjin swung his fist, but Jungkook dodged it and punched Seokjin in the stomach, causing Seokjin to stumble backward. Seokjin immediately regained his consciousness and sidekick Jungkook's waist, causing Jungkook to topple to the side. They're fighting like a UFC match compared to Yoongi and Hoseok, who looked like old grandpas practicing Tai Chi. Swaying their hands back and forth in slow motion... just like the elders exercising at the parks. Ironically, Seokjin violently high kicked Jungkook, so he used his forearm to shield his head and raised his leg to kick Seokjin square in the chest. The both of them burst away from each other. Jungkook gripped his forearm while Seokjin clutched his chest in pain. They panted heavily while glaring at one another. It's a fierce fight.

"ARGHHHH!" The both of them howled loudly, startling the other two alphas, so they turned to find the pair wrestling each other for life and death. Suddenly, the Jungkook and Seokjin started punching with all their might, thrusting back and forth while trying to strangle one another.

"Yah- YAH YAH YAH!" Hoseok snapped, rushing towards the duo with Yoongi, who caught Jungkook while Hoseok grabbed Seokjin.

"LET ME GO!" Seokjin howled, angrily thrashing around, and aimlessly tried to punch Jungkook, who was trying to kick Seokjin. Jungkook repeatedly stretched out his leg to kick Seokjin, but he was out of reach.

"Are you trying to kill each other?!" Yoongi snapped while holding Jungkook back. The two finally calmed down, so the alphas cautiously released them. Jungkook and Seokjin panted heavily... turning away from each other in exhaustion-

"ARGHHH!" The both of them suddenly turned to face each other again.

"WHAT THE FUCK! YAH!" Hoseok roared, grabbing onto them again when they started fighting. Yoongi pulled Jungkook away. Jungkook and Seokjin stopped punching each other... instead... they slapped each other's hands like little kids. Jungkook got irritated and attacked Yoongi while Seokjin attacked Hoseok.

"Mohya- YAH!" Yoongi gasped when Jungkook pinned him down on the mat.

"Let me go you asshole!" Hoseok roared at Seokjin, who was choking Hoseok.

"Why on earth would an alpha practice old people's exercise? Swing and sway? They'll fucking murder your ass!" Jungkook snapped at Yoongi, who was turning purple from the pressure.

"Ow!" Jungkook winced when Yoongi suddenly elbowed him and slammed him hard onto the mat. Seokjin turned to look at Yoongi in horror when Hoseok disabled Seokjin and flipped him hard, causing Seokjin to wince in pain.

"Haiyaaaa~ don't underestimate the MinSeok squad," Both Yoongi and Hoseok smiled, raising up their arms with their hands bent downward like a bird spreading out their wings... and one leg raised at hip level. Seokjin and Jungkook grimaced at their opponents while groaning in pain at the same time. They didn't expect an unexpected counterattack. I sat laughing at them as Seokjin and Jungkook rolled on the mat in defeat. Hoseok and Yoongi continued swinging their arms and legs in slow motion... like old ajusshis exercising again. Never underestimate the alphas. Some might appear weak and harmless when they're actually one of the deadliest amongst the pack.

--------------------------

Present - After Taehyung's Capture

Sora's POV

Everyone remained restless that night. No one was able to sleep or eat. The alphas returned to the hotel while Jungkook and I stayed at the mansion. I couldn't stop pacing back and forth within my room after Jungkook left to check on Jimin. It was already dawn when Jungkook returned to my room with a sullen look.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered in a weak tone. He must've been very worried about me.

"Get some rest," Jungkook mumbled, quietly avoiding my eyes. He's disappointed in me... to him, I'm a hassle.

"It's already morning. I don't need sleep," I shook my head quickly strolled out of the room. How can I sleep when Taehyung is in danger?

"Sora hajima," Jungkook slightly raised his voice in irritation, but I ignored him. I quickly went to the security quarter to visit Do-hwan's office. The entire place was bustling with the defense team to locate Taehyung's whereabouts. Do-hwan was watching over one of his people when he noticed me approaching him.

"Tell me what happened. Everything," Do-hwan sighed, holding the office door open for me, so I entered and sat on the couch beside his desk. I nervously tapped my feet with my palm pressed against my face. Flashes of memories poured back into my head as I recalled the unpleasant incident...

"Can I have a cup of water?" I questioned, apologetically looking up at Do-hwan, who pursed his lips and left to fetch me a cup of warm water. I wrapped my hand around the mug while Do-hwan leaned against his desk with his arms crossed. I took a deep breath and told him everything. Everything about the text and what happened to Jimin and Taehyung. The room fell quiet for a brief moment when I finished. Do-hwan tilted his head towards the ceiling with a frustrated look.

"You should've spoken to me about the text. But it's too late now," Do-hwan sighed in displease.

"I thought it was Bogum... I didn't know he'd-"

"But he did. Sora. He might be and was your friend but not anymore. His people want you dead. I understand you have a great heart, and I know you want to fix this, but you can't blindly walk into their trap. The past stays as it is. But the present changes and you can't guarantee the future. Park Bogum is not your friend. He's your enemy. And now he has our supreme alpha. Not Min Yoongi, nor anyone ordinary... Kim Taehyung. He has Kim Taehyung. The pillar of this society," Do-hwan frowned at me uneasily.

"I know. I'm aware. I'll figure out a way to save him. The Black Phoenix must want something from us-"

"The Black Phoenix wants you dead. They want all of you dead. Including Taehyung and the rest of the alphas," Do-hwan cuts me off, so I sat staring at him in regrets. I'm speechless... I can't undo my mistakes... I feel so helpless...

"Then I'll trade-"

"Do they even want to bargain? Taehyung's as powerful as you are- they'll never release him," Do-hwan shook his head.

"We can... get him back, right? There must be a way," I worriedly eye him. If anything happens to Taehyung... I'll never forgive myself for it. Without Taehyung, the society will be thrown into chaos.

"To be honest with you, I don't even know if rescuing him is possible. The Black Phoenix got what they wanted, so do you expect them to free Taehyung? I got a bad feeling about this," Do-hwan exhaled, leaning against his desk.

"We have to at least try to save him. I'm certain Taehyung will not surrender either, so let's fight for him," I looked Do-hwan in the eyes.

"Sora. The meeting is in two days. Your status isn't guaranteed without Taehyung. You need him. If the contract expires, you'll lose a huge portion of your power," Do-hwan firmly looked at me.

"What am I supposed to do then? I'm literally going insane right now!" I cried, smacking my head with one of my hands, and softly whimpered in distress. Do-hwan pitifully stood watching me cry in desperation.

"I'll try to contact the other party. But I need you to stay strong. Even without Taehyung, you're still our ultimate supreme alpha. We can't lose you too," Do-hwan sighed, crouching down before me, and gently took the mug out of my hand. I looked up at him in tears. Do-hwan gently patted my hands and got onto his feet.

"Get some rest. I'll take care of this," Do-hwan shot me a defeated look and left his office. I watched him walk back towards the crowd of the security team to monitor the screens. I didn't want to leave the security department, so I stretched out my legs on the couch and laid down. I cried for a while until my body gave up on me and fell asleep due to exhaustion. I thought I didn't care about Taehyung... at least not in a romantic way. He's one of us. An alpha. I can't lose him to the Black Phoenix.

Third Person POV

Jungkook hurriedly rounded the mansion to search for Sora after she disappeared before he could stop her. He checked the wine cellar, including the entire garden, and was about to leave when he heard a sudden yelp from the orchid, so he turned to find Hwa-young sitting on the ground with a bleeding hand. Hwa-young screwed her face in discomfort while staring at her wound before looking up to find Jungkook standing by the fence.

"Oh. Oppa you've returned?" Hwa-young smiled, getting onto her feet with a bright smile.

"Yeah. Something came up," Jungkook nodded, his eyes drifting off to the blood trickling down her hand.

"You must be busy. I'll see you around," Hwa-young nodded, attempting to hide her wound.

"Go to the clinic to get it fixed," Jungkook nodded at her hands worriedly.

"The nurse is too busy taking care of Jimin oppa. I heard he's hurt. I'm fine. I'll treat it myself," Hwa-young shrugged, biting her lower lips awkwardly. Jungkook let out a huge sigh, then glanced around the garden one last time, but Sora was nowhere to be seen.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," Jungkook nodded, quickly walking off, then returned with a first aid kit.

"Oh. You didn't have to-"

"Come on, sit down. You don't want to get infected," Jungkook muttered, sitting down on the bench. He grabbed onto Hwa-young's hand without a thought. Hwa-young didn't know how to react, so she sat down beside Jungkook in silence.

"Thank you," Hwa-young smiled shyly. Jungkook paused when he caught the rich lily scent in the wind. He looked at up Hwa-young and unblinkingly stared at her when he felt this odd feeling within his chest. It's the scent. Jungkook quickly blinked and looked back down at her hand while disinfecting her wound.

"Aren't you bored in here? You're living inside the walls after all," Jungkook questioned, keeping his eyes on her wounds.

"I never thought I'd end up behind these walls either. But it doesn't matter. I don't want to become a hassle. I have to do this for my brother," Hwa-young shrugged, watching Jungkook wrap the cotton bandage around the gash.

"Is there something you want to do? Like a dream?" Jungkook questioned, carefully layering the bandage around her fragile hand.

"Dream? I want to become a florist. I want to open a decent shop... somewhere near the beach with a view of the sea. It's not much, but that's how I wish to spend my life," Hwa-young beamed, looking up at the sky in awe. Jungkook paused and slowly gazed at her lively smile... lost in his own thoughts.

"Florist? That's your dream?" Jungkook questioned as he stared at her.

"Oh. I love flowers... a lot. Such fragile and pretty little things. They're all unique in their own way. And they all have their own meaning too," Hwa-young nodded at Jungkook with her glimmering eyes. The wind softly brushing her hair as she innocently looks at Jungkook. He couldn't help but stare at her... observing her bright eyes... her genuine smile... and the faint lily scent filling the air. He felt this strange sensation within his chest. She reminded him of his mother.

"Oh. I see. I'm done. Keep this just in case you hurt yourself again. I have to go find Sora," Jungkook snapped out of his thoughts and quickly got onto his feet.

"Taehyung seems to miss her a lot while she was away. He was always staring at the gate with a longing look," Hwa-young mumbled, quietly turning to look at the main gate. Jungkook paused and followed her gaze to the entrance.

"Kim Taehyung? He miss Sora? I doubt it," Jungkook scoffed in disbelief.

"I don't have much knowledge of the relationships between the households," Hwa-young smiled at Jungkook.

"You don't have to. Stay out of this. I'll see you around," Jungkook nodded, dismissively walking off. He went to the security department to search for Do-hwan.

"Have you seen Sora-" Jungkook stomped into Do-hwan's office but stopped dead when Do-hwan pressed his finger to his lip, signaling Jungkook to be quiet. Jungkook shot him a confused look, so Do-hwan nodded towards the couch beside his desk where Sora was resting.

"Don't wake her up," Do-hwan whispered, uneasily leaning back against his chair as Jungkook walked up to her.

"Why won't she sleep in her room? Why is she doing this to herself?" Jungkook whispered, worriedly crouching down to feel her chilly skin. Jungkook turned to look at Do-hwan, who was anxiously eyeing them.

"She carries the heaviest burden. Fighting wars instead of enjoying her youth. Seeking for Power. Resisting her parents and protecting you. I'm amazed she managed to survive it all," Do-hwan sighed while staring at Sora with a pitiful look. Jungkook uneasily turned to look at Do-hwan and back at Sora's drained expression. Just then, one of the staff knocked on the door, so Do-hwan and Jungkook left Sora in the inner office and entered the bustling workroom instead.

------------------------

Flash Back: Dream

"Noooooo!" Taehyung playfully yelled when Woobin kicked the ball into the goal.

"I win! You lose ajusshi! Now give me a piggyback!" Woobin grinned at Taehyung, who shot Woobin an annoyed look.

"Why should I?" Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows at Woobin with his arms crossed.

"Ajusshi! Don't you have any dignity?! The loser has to give a piggyback!" Woobin grimaced at Taehyung.

"Aish. I'll beat you little-"

"NOONAAAA! AJUSSHI WANTS TO HURT ME!" Woobin screamed, rushing up to me while I sat on the traditional platform. So I caught him in my arms and tightly hugged him.

"Ohoh. Such a whiney kid! Are you going to tell on me?!" Taehyung grumbled, walking towards us.

"Noona. Make Ajusshi give me a piggyback. He lost, but he isn't accepting his defeat," Woobin pouted at me as I stroked his fluffy hair. Taehyung weakly smiled at me and sat down beside us while exchanging glares with the little boy.

"Ajusshi is very old. He's weak and useless- that's why he can't-"

"WHO SAYS I'M WEAK?!" Taehyung suddenly snapped at me with his eyes wide open. Offended by my words...

"Ajusshi's weak?" Woobin questioned, turning to look at Taehyung doubtfully.

"He's up to no good," I whispered at Woobin, so the kid sniggered at Taehyung.

"Yah. How can you spread false information about me? I'm not weak! Look at me! Oh- how is this weak!? Don't accuse me of such nonsense!" Taehyung snapped, getting up to stretch himself before lifting the heavy flower pot beside him with one hand. I smiled at Taehyung, who was very offended by my statement.

"Noona. Ajusshi can lift the flower pot with just one hand. Are you sure he's weak?" Woobin whispered into my ears with a shocked expression.

"Then why don't you give Woonbin a piggyback? If you're so well and fit?" I teased Taehyung, who let out a dry scoff in disbelief.

"How can you team up with the little devil!" Taehyung scoffed, placing his hand on his hip.

"You say Woobinie is whiney, but ajusshi won't stop whining like a little- AHHHH! AHHHHH! NOONAAAAA HELP ME!" Woobin mocked Taehyung when Taehyung suddenly snatched both his fragile legs in one hand and lifted him up, causing Woobin to hang upside down in the air.

"Taehyung!" I snapped in shock and shot onto my feet while Taehyung held Woobin's legs...

"NOOONAAAA! WHY IS THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN?!" Woobin shrieked... dangling upside down in the air.

"Taehyung hajima!" I averted my eyes to Taehyung, who was glaring at the kid. Taehyung secured Woobin's body with his other hand and flipped him back up. Woobin quickly grabbed onto Taehyung's neck in fright.

"AHHHHHHH! AJUSSHI IS SO MEAN HE TRIED TO-"

"If you keep screaming- I'll hang you upside down again," Taehyung warned. Woobin bit onto his lips, quickly rubbed away his tears, then pouted at Taehyung in fear.

"Taehyung..." I stared at him in shock. How can he scare the little boy? He'll be traumatized.

"You too. If you keep on stating nonsense. I'll make sure to pin you down when we're alone," Taehyung smirked at me, causing my cheeks to heat up.

"Are you out of your mind?! Why would you say such things in front of a kid?!" I snapped, smacking Taehyung's back.

"Ow! Yah!" Taehyung shot me a bewildered look while carrying Woobin in one arm.

"AHAHAHAHAH!" Woobin laughed happily as he watched Taehyung backing away from me.

"Watch your mouth around the kids! Did you think you could threaten me!?" I snapped, jokingly beating Taehyung's butt with a cloth hanger causing Taehyung to flinch in panic.

"Yah how dare you- yah! Hajima! Ow! Yah- I'm your- yah!-" Taehyung screamed echoes when I wouldn't stop smacking him with the hanger.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Woobin laughed at Taehyung's terrified expression.

"Why are you laughing! Owie... My butt hurts," Taehyung let out a fake cry while rubbing his butt, making the little kid laugh harder.

"Ajusshi. Don't cry. This is what you deserve for being a naughty boy," Woobin giggled while patting Taehyung's shoulder.

"Noona is so mean! Very mean! Hikhik! I'm so upset!" Taehyung faked a pretentious pout. He whimpered, then rushed off with Woobin in his arms.

"Aigo. I barely hit him... but he's faking the cry just to cheer up the kid after tutoring him," I shook my head at Taehyung. I watched him run off with Woobin over his shoulder. Taehyung lifted the little boy, tossed him up into the air, then caught the kid again. Echoes of their laughter... filling the orphanage's yard.

Dream Ends.

I bolted up into a sitting position with sweats beading on my forehead, quickly snapping my head around the room to find myself sitting on the couch in Do-hwan's office. Ah... I thought it was a nightmare... but it's reality. Fuck. I quickly got off the couch and strode into the bustling workroom.

"My office isn't your resting place," Do-hwan averted his eyes from the large monitor screen when I noticed Jungkook sitting beside him.

"Did you find anything?" I questioned, glancing away from Jungkook.

"Nothing. It's more efficient to run a large-scale search, but the other alphas will notice the commotion. We can't let the society find out about Taehyung's captivity. So we're doing it quietly, but it'll take a while," Do-hwan nodded at the screen of different cameras' footage of the city as the undercover squads investigated the regions.

"Were you able to contact them?" I bit my lips, feeling very stuffy inside.

"No. Nothing so far. They're not responding," Do-hwan shook his head hopelessly. I closed my eyes in disappointment. Fuck. What are they planning to do? How can we negotiate if they refuse to communicate with us? I feel like bursting into tears again but tried my best to contain myself. No. Crying will not bring Taehyung back. Tears will not resolve anything. I need to be bold and face this matter. I need to be in my right state of mind to fix this, which means I can't allow myself to become weak. After monitoring the screen for another hour, I finally left the security department with Jungkook. We didn't speak on our way back to our rooms. Jungkook quietly entered his room, so I went to mine. Stopping by the door to stare at Taehyung's room. A rush of heavy emotions filled my chest as I stared at his door. Instead of entering my room, I turned around and walked toward Jungkook's room. I shouldn't neglect the problem between us. I can't repeat the same mistake by leaving it unsolved. So I need to sow the small hole before it rips bigger. Mend the small cracks before it gets too deep to fill. I pushed open the door to find Jungkook sitting on his couch with his head hung low. He quickly looked up at me from under his bangs, straightened himself, then glanced away. I steadily walked up to him, and instead of sitting down beside him, I sat down on his lap. I encircled my arms around his neck, then buried my face into the side of his neck with my eyes closed.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I snuggled into him. Jungkook didn't say anything, so I ran my fingers up his hair and played with it.

"Don't apologize to me. You did nothing wrong. I just need you to prioritize your own life," Jungkook finally exhaled, coiling his arms around my waist.

"I should've told you about it, but how can I? How can I risk your life? I can't," I shook my head. Jungkook tugged me closer to him.

"I know. But I told you, I don't care. If you're going to do something reckless... at least let me be by your side. Don't wander off alone into the unknown," Jungkook whispers.

"I want you by my side in every moment of my life. But not when I'm suffering. I don't want you to witness it," I whispered as I grazed my figures against his face.

"That's not for you to decide. Even if I have to see you in pain, I will not abandon you. I don't want to regret losing you so please... jebal... let me be with you," Jungkook sighed, running his hand up my arm. I sadly stared at him in silence until my eyes drifted off to his lips. Jungkook slowly leaned forward until our lips made contact. I tightened my grip around Jungkook's neck as he heavily breathed against my face. His arms... drawing me closer to him as we kiss. Jungkook suddenly flipped me onto the couch and lowered himself over me. I let out a soft breath and tugged his body closer to mine while Jungkook unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it to the floor, then lowered himself over me again. He gently ran his hands through my hair as we caressed our moist lips. Jungkook slowly pulled away to look me in the eyes, then leaned in to kiss me again on the lips. Running his hand down to my stomach and pressed down onto it before tilting his face to kiss my neck and down to my collar bone while I gripped onto his hair. Jungkook grazed his fingers along the side of my curves, linking his fingers with mine as he traced his way back to my lips. He let out a soft moan when I played with his earlobes.

--------------------------

Next-Day: A day before The Elite meeting

"What do you mean they don't want to negotiate?!" I snapped at Do-hwan in shock as the elders sat on the couch in the living room with ashen faces.

"We did all we could. They refuse to meet any of our terms," Do-hwan shot me an uptight look.

"Then what are we supposed to do? What are they going to do with Taehyung?" I seethed, grabbing my hair in distress. What's their intention???

"His life is in danger. We have to bring him back no matter what," Mr. Kim gritted his jaw with a super terrified look on his face.

"Kim Taehyung will not die. Gather all of the squad team to prepare for a rescue mission. Send out all the manpower we have to bring Taehyung back home," Appa ordered Do-hwan with a very intense stare while my mother sat quietly glaring at me.

"We haven't located him yet, but we'll break into all of their bases if we have to," Do-hwan nodded at the elders.

"I'll ask the other alphas for assistance-"

"No. No one can find out about this. Taehyung's disappearance must be kept a secret until we get him back. We can't risk revealing the truth- not when the Elite Meeting takes place tomorrow. Once they know we lost Taehyung, everyone will pounce at us," Mrs. Kim quickly cuts me off, so I sat quietly with a hot lump in my throat.

"Your alpha friends? Did you really believe they're loyal to you? They still betrayed each other despite signing the official contracts. And yet you believe they'll offer you assistance in this situation? Without any documents or contracts? They won't. That's their nature. Once they discover your weakness, they will charge at you without hesitation. Because of your foolishness, we've sunk deeper into the chaos. You chose to side with the other households over your own. Now what? Your stupidity cost Taehyung's life- yet all you can do is shed tears over it," Eomma finally spoke up, glaring at me with her burning eyes.

"Ani wae-"

"Jungkook no-"

"No. I will not tolerate this anymore. You shouldn't be treated this way! Why do you keep blaming her when you're the ones pushing her toward the end? This is exactly why she feels like she doesn't have a family. Because all you care about is your power and never her. You keep on steering her onto a path she doesn't want to follow to satisfy your own desire. She trusted you. She trusted Taehyung. She trusted all of us because we were supposed to be her family, but no, you lied to her. You've been deceiving us of the truth and constantly running us over with your unending games. Of course, Sora's tired. Of course, she has trust issues, and of course, she will resist you. Did you think she'll put up with all your bullshit until the very end? You broke her first. And now you're faulting her with the damage you caused?" Jungkook angrily shot up onto his feet when I tried to stop him from intervening in the matter. The elders fell quiet and stared at us with a displeased yet guilty look.

"You'll be the death of each other," Eomma snarled at Jungkook.

"So what? I will stand by her side at all costs because every time one of us broke down, you were never by our side to comfort us. It was her who comforted me. It was Sora who comforted Jimin. It was Sora who had to put up with Taehyung, and it was Sora who managed to unify the top alphas. You keep claiming she's dense but look at what she has done for us! She held every one of us together despite her impulsive actions. She's not our weakness. Jang Sora is our strength, ever since the beginning, but you keep trampling on her just because you can," Jungkook fired back at my mother, who shot him a disapproving look but was unable to counter him. The entire mansion fell hushed as the elders stared at their hands in guilt. I hastily gripped my hair one last time, then dragged Jungkook out of the living room in a hurry.

"Where are we-"

"B-Back to the hotel. You can't s-stay here. You're not safe here," I stuttered, tugging him into his room, and rummaged through the drawers for his clothes.

"I'm not leaving you," Jungkook stated, firmly grabbing onto my wrist to stop me from going through his clothes.

"Jungkook. Listen to me-"

"I know what you're going to say. And I'm not going to listen to you! I'm not leaving you to save myself! You can't me make a coward! We went over this, didn't we?!" Jungkook snapped, cutting me off, causing my chest to wrench in pain.

"JUNGKOOK JEBAL-"

"NO. LOOK AT ME SORA! LOOK AT ME!" Jungkook snapped, grabbing onto my shoulders and tugged me forward. I fell quiet and stared at his burning red eyes in silence... he was fuming in anger.

"Don't push me away from you. Just don't! Do you realize how terrible I feel whenever you tell me to hide in the shadows!? You're the only person that matters to me! If you think I'll run off just to save myself, then you're wrong! I'm not going anywhere without you! I don't care if I'll die! I've had enough of this! I know you're scared, so let me be there with you! We'll be scared together because that's better than being afraid by yourself! How many times do I need to repeat myself? You don't have to suffer alone," Jungkook snapped in a broken yet frustrated tone. My chest wouldn't stop aching at his pained expression. I just wanted him to be safe... so I kept pushing him away...

"I'm sorry. Don't cry. I lost myself again- I'm really sorry," I whispered, pulling Jungkook into a tight hug and tugged his head into my shoulder. Jungkook let out a heavy sob and tightly wrapped his arms around me. He started crying while gripping onto my shirt. Tears filled my eyes as I embraced him in my arms. He must've felt really terrible for not being able to do anything for me... I shouldn't have pushed him away like this. Ah... but I'm really scared of putting him in danger...

"Stop pushing me away. I'm begging you. It's breaking my heart," Jungkook whispered in a weak tone, so I fastened my arms around him and dug my face into his chest. The truth is... I don't ever want to let go of him... but if it guarantees his well-being then... I have no other choice. No matter how hard he tries to convince me... it'll never change anything because I've already made up my mind. I'll make sure he lives. If things go wrong... it has to be me. I will be the sacrifice, not him.

-----------------------

The Elite Meeting

Namjoon began briefing the purpose of the meeting as the representative of the opposing party. Hoseok shot me a nervous look from the lower row while Yoongi settled in the row below mine. The alphas seem to question Taehyung's absence but didn't dare to question us until my household announced his absence due to an unfortunate flu. Eomma shot me a warning stare to keep myself in check, so I sat composedly with a blank face. I tried my best to stay focused, but my mind wouldn't stop wandering... I ended up zoning off to who knows where.

"-Sora-shi?" Namjoon questioned, causing me to snap out of my thoughts. I glanced around the hushed meeting hall to find all eyes on me. Jungkook watched me anxiously as I tried to recall what Namjoon said earlier. I don't remember. Seokjin shot me an unsettled look, then turned his attention towards Namjoon.

"The supreme alpha doesn't have to answer you. Mainly because you're not fitted to represent the society," Seokjin cleared his throat to break the silence.

"What do you mean Namjoon's not-"

"You accused the supreme alpha of numerous crimes with lack of evidence. But that's not my point. Kim Namjoon, your record isn't so pretty either. You called out Sora for being a murderer and a thief but failed to reflect yourself in the mirror," Seokjin continued, raising his chin with pride.

"What absurdity is this-"

"Kim Namjoon, you indirectly slaughter an entire family of the Jae's household by using Hyun Jiwoo. Only to eliminate him later during the Jung's Island gathering to tie up your loose ends. Kang Minah, unsuccessfully poisoned two of the top alphas, Jeon Jungkook and Jung Hoseok, during a birthday celebration. And the most shocking crime? Gae Haerim. You ruled her death as a suicide. Because she was your registered ally. We weren't able to investigate her incident properly. But was it really an accidental death? You both were last seen on the rooftop before she fell to her demise. And recently, Jong Dohyun. Your ally. Met the same fate, but a much more gruesome tragedy. Everything was a part of your scheme to frame the supreme alpha of the murderer after she hurt him at the tournament. But did she really kill him? You went as far as murdering your own people, just so could you use their deaths to support your allegations? We might not know who killed Dohyun and how he died. Will we ever know? Probably not because you've already covered up the crime. How can you trust this man? Hmm? Do you really believe he's doing this for the sake of the society? He will eliminate all of you without hesitation to achieve his goal. We'll show you all the evidence if we must. Do you wish to see it? Kim Namjoon is not what you think he is, but that's not my concern. I'll leave you to decide your own fate," Seokjin questioned, lifting up his eyebrow with the flash drive in between his fingers. Namjoon chewed the side of his mouth in irritation once he saw the flash in Seokjin's hand. Minah blinked uneasily, sinking back into her chair.

"The purpose of this meeting isn't to dig up our past affairs. Rather, to decide the supreme alpha's legitimacy to dictate the society. The problem isn't us or any individual alpha. It's the Black Phoenix. Due to your dishonesty and greed, the society as a whole is threatened by an outside threat. If we fail to act quickly, instability will arise, and we will all face a tragic end. Initially, I thought the Black Phoenix was the core problem... but no. It's you. Jang Sora. The title does not belong to you. It never had. Isn't it odd? Ever since you showed up, the society has been going through all sorts of difficulties? What happens when you introduce an invasive species to an ecosystem? The keystone species struggle to survive and begin to die off. Just like how we keep losing our alphas. The solution? We have to remove the invasive species before it destructs the entire system," Namjoon finally fired back at us. Seokjin gritted his teeth at Namjoon's word... briefly glancing at me again.

"Prove it," I finally spoke up.

"Moh?" Minah glared.

"Prove it. I told you to find proof, didn't I? Give me all the reasons why I have no right to claim my title? Don't use a pathetic staged murder to justify your accusations. Give me solid evidence," I muttered, dully crossing my arms. Minah shot me a sharp glare but didn't say anything.

"Proof? Is that what you need? That's it? Will you step down from your position if I can deliver the truth?" Namjoon smirked, leaning back with a smug smile.

"Did you find it?" I calmly smiled at him.

"Then let's take a look at something I've prepared for all of us," Namjoon nodded, tapping on his monitor. He sent out a file to everyone in the room, so I glanced at it and skimmed through the documents. What in the world...? DNA results? My smile slowly disappeared as I read the full report of... Park Bogum's and Park Jihyun's DNA records.

"Yah. Do you expect us to believe this mere test? You never even met Park Bogum- how the hell did you get his DNA sample?" Hoseok scoffed at Namjoon in disbelief.

"Park Bogum is Park Jihyun's legitimate heir," Namjoon ignored Hoseok.

"This can't be accepted as official evidence! Did you think you can easily fabricate-" Seokjin argued but was immediately cut off when the hall door swung open and a group of people came striding it. The entire hall gasped even before I could recognize the person. Park Bogum appeared with a stern expression. He was dressed in a dark navy blue suit. Seokjin turned to look at me with his eyes wide open as Yoongi furrowed his eyebrows in shock. Jungkook nervously gripped his hand... Hoseok's mouth dropped open. Bogum made his way towards Namjoon's section and sat down while his guard remained by the door. There was an absolute moment of silence as I sat... staring at Bogum in shock. What is the fucking hell just happened?! Why is he with Namjoon? Why is he here? Where's Taehyung? What is he doing???

"Anneonghaseyo. I'm Park Bogum. Park Jihyun's only son. I am here today as requested by the representative of the alpha's household to prove the validity of the DNA test," Bogum greeted in a dull tone before looking up at me sharp in the eyes.

"Of course, I didn't fabricate the results. I only asked the Black Phoenix to sort out this matter. As you can see, I'm doing my best to resolve this matter without bloodshed, and we're fortunate that the Black Phoenix agreed to cooperate with us. I intend on serving the society peace and safety, not slaughter and destruction. Please refrain from doubting my effort in restoring our society's unity and prosperity. Sora-shi. This is my proof. Please be considerate of the innocent lives thriving within the society because if you resist, there will be bloodshed and lost lives. But if you step down willingly, you'll be able to save many living souls. You do have a choice," Namjoon sighed, turning towards me. The alphas glanced back and forth between Bogum and I in discomfort while whispering to one another. The elders tensed up at Bogum's arrival and uneasily eyed Kim Namjoon and his people. Seokjin slowly rested his hands on his desk with his head hung low in defeat before slumping down with an upset expression. Hoseok fell quiet too, nervously chewing his lower lips. Yoongi, on the other hand, remained calm. He sat blankly staring at the opposite party. Jungkook shot Bogum a furious glare as his face begins to turn red. Despite the mixed reactions, no one dared to utter a single word. I sat motionlessly staring at Bogum... feeling a warm sensation within my chest... but it grew warmer and warmer until it was boiling hot. I was so upset I could feel the hot steam sizzling from my ears.

-----------------------

Present: Taehyung's Death

Sora's POV

The entire room was thrown into chaos while I cried in extreme shock. Jungkook tried to help me but lost himself in the sudden commotion. He sank to his knees and furiously slammed his fist repeatedly on the floor before looking up at the pitch-black screen in tears. Grief was ripping us into shreds as rapid flashes of past memories flooded our minds. Taehyung's warm smile whenever he looked at us when we were younger. Flash. Taehyung's happy laughter filling in the air while he plays fetch with us. Flash. Taehyung's frightened face when he noticed the crowd of kids chasing after us. Flash. Taehyung resisting the group of kids just like he held back the Black Phoenix to save me. Flash. Taehyung bringing us rice cakes to cheer us up. Flash. Taehyung tackling Jungkook onto the grass... our laughter... filling the early morning air in harmony.

"ARGHHHH!" I roared, tightly gripping onto my throbbing chest as I felt the piercing pain striking me over and over again. Jungkook let out a loud sob and pressed his hand against his face, tears gliding down his cheeks.

"Sora! You have to leave! Now!" Hoseok pushed through the crowd and grabbed onto my arms. Yoongi quickly seized Jungkook, and we were drawn onto our feed. I couldn't hear anything but the relentless ringing in my ears as the two alphas fought to break us out of the crowd. Everything became distorted before me... as if the entire world was spinning... tilting and twisting, causing me to lose my balance. Yoongi and Hoseok brought us back to the mansion instead of the hotel because they figured we were safer there.

Jungkook and I stumbled into the living room to find Mrs. Kim crying in difficulty as her husband held onto her. My parents looked up at us with their tears-filled eyes. The Jeons looked very drained. Imo, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall with an ashen face. A few maids held onto her while she pounded her chest in distress... wailing at the top of her lungs. The entire mansion is loaded with anguish and grief as they mourn Taehyung's unexpected passing. Yoongi stood watching us with a very concerned expression while Hoseok rushed out to make a call. Do-hwan slowly crouched down and lowered his head in defeat. Jungkook leaned against the couch... choking on his tears in distress. I sucked in my breath and looked down at my trembling hands... what did I do? Everyone's in pain... I can't focus.... the pain... it too much for me to handle... I can feel it in every bit of my body... I'm lost, and it kills me inside.

"ARGHHHHHHHH!" I bawled at the top of my lungs, causing everyone else to suck in their breath. I leaped onto my feet, violently shoving all of the flower vases off the stand, producing a loud clattering sound when it shattered on the floor.

"URGHHH!" I sobbed, wildly grabbing the flower stand. I wielded it violently into the glass window, creating a crack. I let out a shaky breath and swung at it again, causing the rift to extend across the huge glass window. Crack crack crack... I looked up at the cracks spreading across the entire glass panel.

"SORA! HAJIMA- YOU'LL GET HURT-" Yoongi snapped, rushing towards me just as Jungkook shot off the couch when he noticed the glass fractures reaching the upper part of the window- CRACK. I hurled the stand one last time, and the glass exploded violently... shattering all over the mansion. And to my horror, an enormous chunk of unbroken glass tilted towards me. Just then, I felt a hard blow on my back when Jungkook swung himself over me. CRASH- I felt an immense force from above us... Jungkook shielded me with his body and tugged my head into his chest just as it smashed into pieces on his back... shards of glasses raining all over us. Everyone in the mansion shielded their face as the entire window collapsed from the collision, sending the piercing shards all over the place.

"What happened?!" Hoseok rushed back into the living room in horror just as I felt Jungkook growing heavier. I nervously looked up to find Jungkook's wearied expression... his lips slightly ajar...

"Call our medical team! Now!" Yoongi snapped at Hoseok and raced towards us. Yoongi quickly caught Jungkook, whose feet staggered from the immense impact, and we collapsed onto the floor. My heart stopped beating when I noticed the blood seeping all over Jungkook's back as Yoongi held him up. I sobbed in regret with my hands pressed onto the glass-filled floor... ignoring the stinging ache when I noticed Jungkook's pained expression.

"Jungkook-" I whispered in an apologetic tone as he weakly slumped into Yoongi's arms. There were severe cuts all over his back and arms... his upper right cheekbone was bleeding as well.

"Sora get up! You're bleeding!" Yoongi snapped, trying to pull me off the floor as I remained on the broken glass. Jungkook weakly averted his dim eyes to me and tried to say something with his fingers reached out. I grabbed onto his hand with my bloody hands, but Jungkook suddenly let go of me and fainted. Yoongi gritted his jaw while holding onto Jungkook, whose hands dropped lifelessly to his sides. My heart wrenched in intense pain... and my head was spinning like crazy.

"Jungkook no-"

"Get her off the ground!" Yoongi snapped at Hoseok when he hurried toward us.

"Andwae! Jungkook! Let me-"

"Sora! Stop moving! You're hurting yourself!" Hoseok grunted, trying to stop me from thrashing around on the floor. The endless piercing glass... digging into my flesh, but I didn't care and tried to scramble towards Jungkook in tears.

"Put her out. Put her out now!" Yoongi snapped at Hoseok, who shot me an anxious expression as I wildly thrashed around.

"No! Let me see him-" I was cut short when Hoseok smacked the back of my neck and everything turned pitch black.

Third Person POV

Jang Sora finally collapsed from her despair with her arms stretched out for Jeon Jungkook. Jung Hoseok quickly scooped her off the glass-filled ground and lifted her lifeless body off the floor. Yoongi swung Jungkook's arm over his shoulder, so Do-hwan hurriedly rushed over to help him. The alphas brought the couple to the medical room for treatment as soon as the medical team arrived and left the doctors to patch them up. Yoongi and Hoseok shot each other a grave look, then turned to stare at the two lovebirds. Kim Taehyung is dead. They only have Sora left. The vengeful storm will hit them at any moment now. The alphas knew... they knew... they had to fight the storm... and protect the supreme alpha at all cost because she's their only hope in surviving. Without her... every one of them will perish without a trace.

Sora's POV

After what felt like an eternity... I finally woke up from the icy darkness. I couldn't concentrate on anything at first but eventually made out the shape of the medical room. I grunt in pain while pushing myself up into a sitting position. Earlier memories came flooding into my head when I turned to find Jungkook resting beside me with a bandaged head and upper body. They had an oxygen mask over his face as he rested peacefully on the bed beside mine. A surge of pain throbbed inside my chest as I stared at him... tears unconsciously slipping down my cheeks.

"Mianhae," Was all I could to voice out. I lowered my head and aggressively sobbed in guilt when I remembered Taehyung. I'm doomed... drowning in this chaos... I can't push myself toward the surface anymore... I'm drifting off to the deep end. Every wrongdoing I've committed has finally taken its revenge on me. I've lost everything. The Society will eliminate me along with the other households. Everyone's going to collapse because of me- I sucked in my breath and stopped my tears from running when I felt a hollow spasm spreading across my chest. I tightly gripped the bedsheet when I felt an icy cold bolt surging through my body. The darkness... it's back? I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at Jungkook but couldn't feel anything. The constant pain in my chest receded, replaced by a dull emptiness. I blinked away the remaining tears and carefully got off the bed before looking down at my bandaged arms. My mind turned completely blank when I stared at Jungkook. I limped towards him and held onto his cold hand.

"This isn't the end. I won't allow it," I whispered without any thoughts with my eyes trained sharply on Jungkook's pale face. I can't break down, or everyone will sink with me. Nothing matters besides Jungkook's safety now. I can't dwell over a dead person for too long, or I'll lose everything. No matter what happens... I won't let society eliminate me. I need to stay alive to protect him. I took a deep breath, raised my chin, and limped out of the room. The corridor was oddly quiet until I heard arguments coming from the living room.

"- term and conditions must be-" Eomma suddenly halted when I appeared in the living room. Mrs. Kim and my mother were arguing while the rest of the elders turned to look at me with anxious expressions.

"- You hurt your leg- how did you walk all the way here-" Do-hwan rushed up to me in confusion, so I raised my hand to stop him. I slowly lifted my loose pants to find my right leg bandaged up to my knees. I didn't even know I was injured. How did I walk all the way here without feeling any discomfort? The darkness. It's at its peak.

"I'm fine," I muttered while covering my leg, then stared at the elders with a blank expression. I glanced at the huge glass window, and it was already replaced. The elders watched me uneasily from the living room.

"How long?" I questioned Do-hwan, who was frowning at my injured leg and unbothered expression. He doesn't understand why I'm not in pain.

"A day," Do-hwan bit his lips. I didn't pass out for that long.

"Taehyung? Any news?" I gulped.

"No. Nothing," Do-hwan shook his head. My chest suddenly stirred, but I contained it and averted my eyes to the elders. Mrs. Kim suddenly broke into tears again...

"You stay out of this-"

"Kim Taehyung died a day before the contract expired. Which is today, so I'm entitled to inherit all of his assets," I spoke, sternly looking up at my mother before averting my dull eyes to Mrs. Kim.

"I object! You did this to my son! We let you have everything your way! He did everything he could to maintain your power, but you took him for granted! Now look at what you've done! He's gone because of your reckless actions! We don't even possess his precious body!" Mrs. Kim roared at me in tears. I gripped my hands at her words.

"You can deny it all you want, but it won't change the fact that the asset belongs to my household. It's time for you to retire," I replied in an emotionless tone. My mother was stunned by my words. She didn't expect me to move on this quickly.

"Get all the papers ready for transfer," Eomma sighed, turning to look at the Kims, who were glaring at us with their spiteful eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with your family..? My only son- he- he- sacrificed himself to save you, and yet all you care about is the assets?! Was he nothing to you but a mere puppet?!" Mr. Kim roared in anger.

"I am mourning his death, but I can not allow my emotions to overtake me. Our status is being threatened by the other parties. So, I must obtain my absolute power to counter them before we lose more of us," I said calmly at the Kims with no sign of remorse. I can't bring Taehyung back, nor can I rewind time. I have to move forward and get everything under control. Out of the three supreme alphas, I'm the only survivor. Seokjin lost his assets, and Taehyung died. I'm the only one standing.

"How can you be so cruel and heartless?! You said my son abused you but look at you now! Look at yourself! You're alive and living well! My poor Taetae... he's- argh!" Mrs. Kim aggressively sobbed, suddenly collapsing onto her knees in despair. She abruptly fell unconsciously, so Do-hwan had to rush her off to the medical facility, leaving us alone. My parents looked up at me with an uncertain expression.

"Congratulation, you got what you wanted. I'm done. You can do whatever you want. On one condition. Leave Jeon Jungkook out of everything," I shot them a warning stare and walked off. I didn't know what to do, so I returned to the medical room and sat quietly by Jungkook's side. Listening to the monitor beeping at a constant rhythm. It was late night when I decided to return to my room to take a shower. I tried to keep my injury out of the water and pulled on comfy clothes. I sat down at my desk... slowly pulling out the alpha's file... flipping to... Kim Taehyung's section. I sat stiffly staring at his usual blank expression in the photo... our destiny finally parted ways after being messily entangled into one another without an end. We always fought... I prayed for you to disappear... I wanted you out of my life... so you did. You left. I won. You lost. But why...? Why can't I celebrate this victory? Why don't I feel any better? Why am I still hurting? Is it because you were never the problem? Because you were just an excuse to justify my pain? Why am I filled with dread...? I don't feel any better.

Fast forwards: An hour later.

"It's our last resolution. Accept your fate and do must what must be done," Eomma stared sternly at me while I kept my gaze on her. Eomma eventually left my room, leaving me seated at my desk. My eyes drifted down to the file before me... I clenched my fist and closed my eyes when tears built up. Gulping, I reopened my eyes and shakily reached for the file with my trembling fingers while I held onto it. I stared at the documents in silence... this is my destiny? Click. I quickly glanced up when my door slid open, and Jungkook came limping inside the room.

"Master please- oh, my lady. Young Master refuses to stay in the medical room as soon as he wakes up," The nurse tried to help Jungkook, who didn't listen to her. I quickly blinked away my tears and shoved the document into the drawers before rushing toward Jungkook.

"It's okay. I'll take care of him," I nodded at the nurse.

"But you aren't well either-"

"Just bring us our medication. We'll be fine," I shook my head at her. The nurse shot us a concerned look but she eventually agreed and left us. I let out a heavy sigh while observing Jungkook's tired expression. His lips were all chapped from dehydration, and there was a bandage on his cheekbone. Jungkook stared at me with this dark expression, and without saying anything, he pulled me into a tight hug. The weight within my chest instantly subsided as I pressed my face against his chest.

"I'm glad you're safe," Jungkook whispered into my ear.

"You should've stayed in the medical room," I mumbled, pulling away from Jungkook. I helped him onto my bed. Jungkook reached out to hold my hand and wordlessly gazed at me with dark circles under his eyes.

"I had a nightmare. That's why I came to see as soon as I woke up," Jungkook gulped with a beaten look.

"You're awake now. And I'm here. Don't recall the nightmare if it makes you uneasy," I smiled, cupping Jungkook's pale cheeks between my palms, then leaned forward to peck him on the lips. Jungkook weakly nodded, so I slid my arm under his neck and cuddled him to sleep. I struggled to fall asleep that night because I couldn't stop recalling eomma's words. It felt like I had five minutes of sleep when someone suddenly banged on the door, so I woke up to be greeted by the bright light beams coming through the window. Hours of sleeping felt like a minute. I grumbled softly... turning to find Jungkook squinting his eyes sleepily.

"Rest. I'll deal with it," I whispered in a hoarse tone, then stumbled off the bed to open the door. Do-hwan immediately burst into my room, and that's when I heard a muffled crying from beside the door. So I turned to find Jimin sobbing against the wall...

"What's going on?" I questioned in confusion. I was wide awake at this point. Why's Jimin crying? Are his legs alright? Did he walk all the way here? Do-hwan gulped at me with a troubled expression.

"Why's he so noisy?" Jungkook questioned, sitting up to stare at Jimin, who was weeping in the hallway.

"What's wrong???" I stuttered, turning back to Do-hwan, so he let out a deep breath.

"This morning- the Seoul's Police Station- they-they reported-" Do-hwan tried to voice out his word but couldn't, so he stood fixedly staring at me. Jungkook and I exchanged uneasy glances.

"What? Report what?" I questioned, feeling super nervous the longer I listened to Jimin's cry. Jungkook slowly got off the bed with a confused look.

"-They found a dead corpse at the west base of Bukhansan national park.- A passerby found the person-" Do-hwan whispered. My heart sunk... it's the same spot I was told to meet up with Bogum...

"And? What about it- why-"

"Taehyung," Jimin choked while rubbing his face in distress before letting out another wail of agony. Jungkook stopped moving and looked up at me with his huge eyes... I opened my mouth and tried to respond...

"-Are you sure-"

"It's not confirmed yet. Ji-Jimin saw it on the news, so he came to find me. I contacted the station, but they're still investigating. Though- they did give us some information. Male... in his 20s... about 180cm tall... various signs of severe injuries across the body and a bullet wound in the head- they've assumed it as a homicide and murder. But his identity isn't confirmed yet... we'll find out soon," Do-hwan finally blurted out everything after stuttering between his sentences. Jimin's whimpers grew even louder. I felt a jolt of icy cold sensation spreading through my body... I'm paralyzed...

"You need to be ready for the result. I've sent orders- to the Seoul Station to secure the investigation and keep it confidential. I blocked all of the media from further spreading the news too," Do-hwan continued as I stood staring at him with my mouth half-open.

"Can you confirm it's him?" I whispered when I felt dread filling me. I didn't how to react to the news... my head was buzzing all over the place. I knew Taehyung died, but why am I still taken aback by this news? Maybe deep down... I hope all of this wasn't true. Can I face him? Will I be able to look at him?

"I'll inform the elders and head to the autopsy laboratory to confirm it. So wait for my call," Do-hwan sighed, nodding at me, and left the room. Jimin whimpered as he watched Do-hwan disappear down the hallway. My eyes drifted from the blank wall to Jungkook. He was frozen in his place with a vacant expression. I thought I was already absorbed into the whirlpool, but... why am I still spinning in this endless chaos...?

Jimin eventually calmed down after some time and sat blankly... staring out the window. I'm trying to keep myself busy with work to push the thoughts away. Jungkook, on the other hand, left to help Hwa-young in the orchid. None of us said anything as we waited for the confirmation, though we could all feel the dread lurking within us. The only thing we can do is to keep ourselves occupied to soothe our minds. At 4:00 PM sharp, I left my room to find Jimin at the same spot in the living room just as Jungkook came walking through the door while dusting his hand. As soon as I reached the door, Imo suddenly appeared, rushing towards the mansion's front door... followed by a group of maids, who tried to stop her.

"-My poor thing-" Imo sobbed, attempting to open the door, but the maids held her back. Imo let out a sorrowful cry and gripped her chest in pain. Jungkook, Jimin, and I exchanged nervous glances. Just then, Mrs. Kim appeared in tears along with her husband. The Kims quickly rushed out of the mansion, leaving us baffled. I turned to look at the upper staircase to find my mother slowly walking down the stairs with a blank yet troubled expression. My father appeared after her with the Jeons... they were all dressed up. My chest churned uncomfortably when Eomma looked up at me with a beaten stare... her face as pale as a ghost. Without a word, the elders left the mansion with Imo. Jimin slightly opened his mouth and straightened himself when he noticed the elders getting into separate cars.

"-What's going on-" I whispered but was cut short when my phone started vibrating. Jungkook and Jimin averted their eyes to me, so I slowly withdrew it from my pocket. Do-hwan. I stood fixedly... staring at the name on the screen of my phone in silence. My chest turned hollow upon his call. I dreaded picking up the call but finally swiped across the screen and shakily brought the phone up to my ear.

"-Oppa, I brought something for you...," Hwa-young cluelessly walked into the mansion with something in her hand but halted when she noticed the tensed atmosphere within the room. She uneasily glanced from one of us to another.

"O-Oh?" I stuttered, unblinkingly keeping my eyes on Hwa-young.

"Sora. You should come to see him," Do-hwan spoke weakly from the other side of the line. I felt a piercing stab in my chest... my body turning icy cold at his words.

"W-who?" I swallowed the hot lump in my throat. For some reason, my mind refuses to acknowledge the expected truth. I refuse to let my mind wander off...

"I'll see you soon," Do-hwan sighed through the phone and hung up on me. I was completely paralyzed. My mind turned blank, and everything around me suddenly shuts off. Slowly... I averted my eyes to Jungkook, who was staring at me with a curious yet uptight look. I tried to speak, but nothing came out... my lips started trembling until tears filled my eyes. Hwa-young glanced back and forth between us in confusion. After seeing my reaction, Jimin screwed his face in distress and pressed his palm against his face. I felt like breaking into pieces but quickly wiped off my tears before it got the chance to flow down my cheeks. Without saying a single word, Jungkook rushed into the garage and started his car engine. Jimin sniffled quietly in his seat, so I walked up to him.

"K-Kaja...," I managed to whisper. Jimin looked up at me with his glimmering eyes. Pain... consuming our body once again.

Fast Foward

Third Person POV

The alphas hurriedly raced into the National Autopsy building, then strolled through the lobby where the guards were already expecting them. The staff immediately assisted the alphas upon their arrival, leading them up to the restricted level. The alphas quickened their pace and rounded the corridor to find Do-hwan standing at the end of the hallway. The three alphas slowed down when Do-hwan turned to look at them with a sorrowful look. Sora nervously glanced towards the room at the far end of the hallway, where they could hear the wailings. It was the cry... of a mother's grief. Mrs. Kim. Do-hwan said nothing but stared at the alpha's drained expression.

"-You don't have to," Jungkook quickly turned to look at Sora, who was running her fingers through her hair. The door to the room slid open, and my parents came striding out with the Jeons... the echoes of despair growing louder through the gap of the door. Eomma stopped dead in her track when she turned to find us standing on the opposite end. Her eyes... it was filled with tears... pained tears. My father looked at me in disappointment while Mr. Jeon anxiously eyed Jungkook. Jimin suddenly let out a deep sigh and limped towards the room before us. Jungkook slid his fingers into mine, and we exchanged frightened glances. We slowly walked forward... coming face to face with the elders. Eomma stood firmly staring at me without blinking...

"-I-" I tried to speak when the door swung open violently, and Mrs. Kim came stumbling out of the autopsy room with a handkerchief over her mouth. Tears were flooding down her cheeks... Imo appeared next... the old lady leaned against the wall while pounding onto her chest repeatedly to counter the pain. Mr. Kim walked out with his head hung low as he tried to hold back his tears. Whatever their reaction was... everyone was wrecked by what they saw inside the room...

"I'm sorry-" I apologetically whispered at the Kims. Mrs. Kim suddenly stopped crying and slowly turned to me with her burning red eyes.

"You- you're sorry? You're sorry?! WILL IT BRING HIM BACK!? YOU KILLED MY SON-" Mrs. Kim raised her voice at me in rage.

"Refrain from speaking nonsense. Sora has nothing to do with this. Taehyung fulfilled his role," Eomma suddenly cuts Mrs. Kim off. Her face was now very dull. Mr. Kim snapped his head angrily towards my parents.

"Since the beginning, you're nothing but selfish people! You used and tortured us as you wish to meet your own desire. And we let you because we had to protect his life! And yet, you never stopped. Not just the girl but the entire family is rotten and corrupted. Power? Is that what you want?! Even if we have to die- you'll never get a share of it back! All your sins and crimes will eventually return to you! Let's see how long you'll survive without the power you've been thirsting for! Even if we're disabled... we won't go down so easily... we'll drag you into the filth with us!" Mr. Kim roared at my parents in anger before helping his wife away. Imo suddenly lost her balance, so Do-hwan quickly rushed over to stabilize her. Eomma was angrily glaring at the Kims as they marched down the hallway. She fired me a sharp glare and stomped off with the rest of the elders.

"I'll get the guards to escort her home," Do-hwan bitterly nodded at us before leading Imo away. I gripped my hands in discontent, then turned around to find Jungkook staring at me with a sullen expression.

"Jimin entered by himself. Sora, look if you aren't ready-"

"No, it's okay," I shook my head at Jungkook, who was worriedly staring at me with a concerned expression.

"Araso. Whatever happens. Remember I'm here with you, okay? You're not alone," Jungkook sighed, lightly squeezing my hand, then pushed open the door. I swallowed the stuffiness within my chest and followed him into the chilly and dim room. The only source of light was the operation light above the... corpse... resting on the operating table. Jimin was oddly quiet as he stared at the body. Jungkook and I exchanged dreadful glances again before walking towards the body. Jimin scooted aside and leaned against the wall with his head hung low. My heart began racing for no reason the closer we got to the corpse bed. The person was shirtless. They covered the lower part of his body... exposing only his upper body.

I didn't want to look directly at his face, so I observed his injured fingers instead. It was all swollen... even if they cleaned him up... I can still see the severe injuries along his arms... body... chest... huge gashes of open wounds... purple and blue bruises covering almost every part of his once-perfect body. My eyes slowly drifted up to his neck... there were a few lines of bruises around it... indicating he was strangled... and finally... my eyes landed on the familiar face.

Kim Taehyung.

Jungkook sucked in his breath as I felt his hands tightening around mine. We stood fixedly staring at Taehyung's ghostly face... there was a deep gash on his upper left forehead... a broken nose... split lips and bruised eyes... scratches existing all over his once-perfect visual. At first, I couldn't feel anything. The sight was too much to process. We stood staring at Taehyung... scanning his lifeless body in total silence. Jimin slowly slid onto the floor in the dark corner. Something's missing. I looked back up at Taehyung's beaten face. His cold stare... the dullness in his eyes... the deadly energy... it's missing. Gone. Empty. It felt really odd... to see him in this condition. The Kim Taehyung I know... always stood so mightily... wherever he went... his presence was always very prominent. But why can't I sense it now...? Not even his darkness...? It's all gone. How is this possible? I snapped out of my thought when Jungkook suddenly let out a soft whimper and lowered his head. I turned to find Jungkook sobbing with his eyes closed... tears dripping from his eyes and right onto the floor. Upon Jungkook's emotional outburst... mine was awakened as well. And out of nowhere... a rush of killer pain extended across my chest... one thud of thundering pain after another. Tears started to build inside my eyes as I stared at Taehyung's pale face. Jungkook bit down on his lower lips and began trembling, so I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my head against his chest to comfort him. Jungkook choked and rubbed his nose bridge in distress while I stared at Taehyung's corpse. My body finally gave in to the pain, and I finally broke into tears. I hugged Jungkook, turned my face away from the corpse, and pressed my face into his chest. Jungkook firmly encircled his arms around me as I began bawling in remorse. Jimin sat quietly staring at us before resting his arms on his knees... lowering his head again. The chilly quiet room suddenly erupted in loud wails of grief and sorrow.

His death broke each and every one of our hearts. Kim Taehyung left us drowning in the endless loops of pain we never thought he was capable of causing. No matter how hard we tried to drain the ache with our tears, it was useless. The throbbing in our chest only gets worse. Guilts and regrets tormenting our souls and minds.

At the end of the day... we returned to the mansion. We cried so much we had no tears left to shed. The mansion was very gloomy and lifeless. The elders were nowhere to be found either. The sky was very dark, and there wasn't a single breeze of wind. It's as if the world stopped spinning. Everything was still and quiet. No birds chirping... no insect cries... no leaves rustling... nothing. The entire mansion's property was completely dead.

The maids tried to prepare meals for us, but we all lost our appetite. Most of the time.. we sat blankly staring at the empty walls. My emotions were all over the place... I'm malfunctioning. One moment, I have the urge to scream at the top of my lungs... then it all disappears, and I become numb, and the next moment I find myself crying unconsciously. Is this what it's like to lose a person I cherish? Do I love him, or am I simply attached to him? Whatever it is... it isn't only me. His death is affecting all of us. Sometimes my mind's completely blank, and other times it's overflowing with past memories. But one thing stayed... the heaviness within my chest. No matter how many times I sighed... or how deeply I tried to exhale... my chest only grew heavier... and heavier. There was nothing we could do to suppress our emotional instability but let the waves hit us... in an endless cycle. By the next day... we were all completely drained. Soulless. The ring of sorrow rolling on and on like a turning wheel. Jimin locked himself up in his room while Jungkook continuously stayed in bed with a blanket over his head. Meanwhile, I sat blankly on the couch... lost in my own thoughts. What do I do now? Where do I go next? I feel so lost. Just then, a maid knocked on the door, so I told her to keep her voice down since I didn't want to wake Jungkook. She told us there were guests, so I left the room and headed to the living room to find Hoseok and Yoongi waiting for us.

"Sora- We heard the news- I'm so sorry for your-"

"It's okay," I shook my head at Hoseok, who leaped onto his feet the instant he saw me. Yoongi shot me a worried look after scanning my worn-out expression.

"It feels so surreal-," Yoongi muttered as he shook his head. I said nothing and sat down on the couch.

"Did you see him? It must have been tough for you," Hoseok bit his lips anxiously.

"Why are you here? I'm on the verge of collapsing," I whispered, looking up at them. At this point, they should just save their own lives.

"What do you mean why we're here? We're your friends," Hoseok shot me a hurtful look.

"Friends...?" I whispered to myself.

"We've convinced the society to put your trial on hold to mourn Taehyung's- death," Yoongi clasped his hands together. My heart ached at Taehyung's name, so I swallowed the lump in my throat and averted my eyes to them.

"Sooner or later, I'll fall anyway. My household is torn apart, you know that," I shook my head at them.

"What do you mean? What about Taehyung's power? Did he really refuse to renew the contract?" Hoseok questioned.

"Yeah. The Kim turned their back on us. They won't return my power, not when I killed their- heir," I muttered and glanced down at my hands.

"Hey. Don't be hard on yourself. He was bound to die sooner or later anyway. Two powerful households can't coexist together. Sora, you won. You're free now," Hoseok argued.

"It doesn't feel like a victory to me. I can't bring myself to celebrate it," I sighed heavily while rubbing my face.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I know you're devastated by Taehyung's death, but this is the reality we have to face. You have to move forward, and we'll help you," Yoongi sternly stared at me.

"I'll only drag you down with me-"

"That won't happen. Sora. The society is preying on you right now. I know this is shocking news, but you can't let it become your greatest weakness. Everyone knows you're crumbling. It's expected. But they don't have to know you're helpless. You can mask it. For as long as you can. Fake it until you make it. There's still hope. I need you to fight through it. You have to. This isn't the end, Sora. The problem isn't the alphas... it's the Black Phoenix. You're the only leader we have left. Taehyung intimidated them, but the truth is... they fear you much more than Taehyung, so use it to your advantage," Hoseok furrowed his eyebrows at me. I fell quiet and stared at him.

"He's right. It's not the end. We need you. You can retrieve your power. Kim Taehyung died before the contract ended, which means you have every right to inherit his power," Yoongi agreed.

"A part of the term was solid evidence of his death. We knew he died a day before the expiration date, but we didn't have any evidence. His body only showed up two days later, which was too late because it expired. I can't inherit it without going through another round of disputes with his parents. I can't bear another conflict..," I shook my head at them. If only we found his body before the contract ended to prove his death... I'd be able to inherit everything. But no. We couldn't get a hand on his corpse sooner.

"Maybe you can resolve things with the Kims. We bought you sometimes, so you have until the end of the funeral to figure out everything. Namjoon is still collecting the votes, but we'll keep an eye on that. We'll deal with the external issues and we will hold them back for as long as possible. But. We need you, Sora, to resolve your internal conflict. We can't lose you too because if we do... the Black Phoenix will end the Society," Hoseok shot me a pleading look. I let out a soft sigh and sat back against the couch. Should I give up? Or should I resist? Jungkook. Sora, if you fall Jungkook will be the prime target.

"I'll see what I can do," I sighed, finally looking up at them. The alphas let out a heavy exhale in relief.

"I'm glad you made up your mind. We'll see you at the funeral? I hope things will work out by then. We'll leave now so you can get some rest, take great care of yourself," Yoongi sighed as he got onto his feet, so I nodded at them.

"Oh, by the way. I don't want to stress you any further, but there's something you need to know. Kim Seokjin's refusing to vote. He took a step back when he found out Taehyung passed away. He's standing on the baseline to save himself," Hoseok halted to look at me with a worried look.

"I'll deal with him," I nodded reassuringly, so they left. Seokjin's playing the bystander now? Smart move. He's hopeless after all. I don't have much time, so I have to act quickly. There's a solution my mother suggested... but it isn't pleasant. I closed my eyes to recall my mother's brief visit the night before we found Taehyung. It's the last resolution... my ultimate attack... but there's a problem. I'll be able to obtain my power... but it comes with a downfall. A consequence. I slowly opened my eyes when I heard faint footsteps approaching me. Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook. I sat blankly staring at Jungkook when he appeared, walking down the hallway with puffy eyes... the hood of his jacket pulled over his head.

"I've been looking for you," Jungkook grumbled, slumping down next to me, and sleepily leaned his head against my shoulder as I wrapped my arms around him. Jungkook let out a heavy sigh, laid his head on my lap, and snuggled into me while I gazed down at him.

Jeon Jungkook is my downfall.

-------------------------------

Fast Forward: Next Night

The news of Taehyung's death took the entire the society by storm, so my household had to deal with the media to prevent further controversies. Despite the dispute within my household- the Kims agreed to hold Taehyung's funeral the next day after my parents spoke to them. But we're still hopeless, the Kim declared they will never come to an agreement with us. As much as my parents are very impatient... they had to hold back... until the funeral is over. It's the least we can do to fake our alliance to the public. If we start fighting for power now, the society will realize we're screwed. Therefore, both the Kims and my parents agreed to keep it between themselves for the time being. I couldn't sleep, so I sat up on my bed and turned to find Jungkook fast asleep beside me. I have to get my power back because I can't allow my households to attack each other... it might trigger a greater disaster. I turned to look at my desk with an unsettled feeling before glancing at Jungkook again. What do I do? Softly exhaling, I got off the bed. I drew out the file from the lower drawer to place it on the desk. I cautiously sat down on the armchair... quietly hugging my knees with my eyes trained on it. This is the only way to reclaim my power... but why do I feel so restless? I guiltily look up at Jungkook on the bed again before averting my eyes back to the file. I don't want to make a fuss, so this is the only solution to retrieve my power. The Kims won't be able to refute us if I do this. But if I don't do this, my parents will have to fight the Kims. And it'll drag Jimin, Sungho, and Jungkook into the conflict as well. If something happens to Jungkook during the fight... I'll be the person responsible for it. I have to do this. I tightly gripped my shirt as tears built up inside my eyes while I sternly stared at Jungkook.

"Focus on the present, Sora," I patted my shoulder in the dark. Shakily exhaling, I draw the file towards me, lift my pen, and hover it over the document. The dim moonlight... illuminating the blank space below my name. I gripped the pen in difficulty, shakily looking up at Jungkook again before glancing back down at the file. My heart started racing the longer I hovered the pen tip above the paper. I sucked in my breath, quickly signed the blank space, and dropped the pen just as quickly. My body trembled nervously as I leaned against the armchair with my eyes trained on my signature. Tears started forming in my eyes... waves after waves of pain pounded against my chest. A single tear slipped down my cheek as I averted my eyes to the section beside my name... Kim Taehyung. And under his name... was his signature. Slowly, I averted my eyes... to the title of the document. Marriage License. A rush of sadness consumed me. I felt like bursting into tears, so I immediately covered my mouth, grabbed the files, then left the room with it. I went into Taehyung's room to place it in his safe before striding out of the bedroom. I went back to my room and was about to turn the handle but halted. I'm scared... I can't face Jungkook. I sighed heavily, turned away from the door, and walked toward the wine cellar instead. I grabbed the first bottle of wine I saw and walked to the far corner before sliding down beside the cupboard. The relentless pain was spreading across my chest, so I hurriedly uncorked the wine bottle. Then poured the liquid into my mouth until I felt an intense burn expanding across my chest... easing my misery. I let out a heavy huff, then leaned my head against the wooden cupboard with my eyes closed. My mind is clogged again... I don't know if I'm doing the right thing? Jungkook trusted me... but here I am... breaking us. I let out a soft sniffle and leaned against my knees while grabbing onto my hair in distress. I hastily snatched the bottle, swallowed a mouthful of wine, and screwed my face when I felt the hot and slow-burn kindling across my wounded chest to numb the ache.

Flash Back: Sora's Mother visiting her the night before they discovered Taehyung's body.

I quickly glanced up from the desk, expecting to see Jungkook, but my mother appeared instead. Eomma came walking into the room with her hands behind her back as I straightened myself. I looked up at her in confusion.

"How's the boy doing?" She questioned, avoiding my eye contact as she scanned my room.

"Why are you here?" I ignored her question and stared straight at her.

"We can't obtain our power from the Kims," Eomma shakily exhaled, averting her anxious eyes to mine.

"What do you mean? Kim Taehyung died before the contract-"

"We lack evidence. His death can't be confirmed unless we have his dead corpse. It's part of the terms and conditions," Eomma shook her head. My head turned blank at her words...

"You must be kidding me. Is this a joke?" I scoffed, looking up at her in shock. Why's everything never easy for me? Wae?!

"It'll expire tonight, and we don't have his body. We'll lose everything to them, so if the Kims break the alliance- we'll lose the Parks as well. You'll lose Jeon Jungkook too," Eomma shot me a disinterested expression.

"Then we'll find his body! Send out all the people we have to search for-"

"The Black Phoenix refused to bargain with us. And they killed Taehyung with no warnings. Do you really think they'll keep his body intact?! As far as we know, they probably destroyed the alpha's body already," Eomma impatiently snapped at me. I closed my eyes at her words... my head's aching... why's everything so complicated!?

"Then do you have a better suggestion? I know you're here for a reason," I muttered, opening my eyes with my arms crossed. Eomma gulped and slid her arms to the side, revealing a file.

"The Kims will never admit to his death. Therefore this is the only way to make it right," Eomma whispered, pushing the files towards me. My eyes drifted off to the title on the cover.

Marriage License.

"You want me to sign the license? He's dead. It's useless," I tilted my head at her in disbelief.

"It's the initial certificate. The one he signed when you refused the marriage. With this, the Kims won't be able to counter us because you're legally his spouse. Even if the contract expires, the marriage will save it. No one will be able to counter us," Eomma pressed her hands against the desk and leaned forward with an eager look. I was frustrated at first, but eomma has a point. The contract is useless now because we already lost the alliance.

"Can't we oppose the Kims? You're good at threatening people. Make them yield to us," I sternly stared up at her.

"Really? Are you going to play like a child? I know you know the risk of confronting the Kims, especially when they possess our power. The society is pressing us. So, we can't stir up another conflict. We can't risk letting the society know we lost the contract to the Kims, or you and I will perish. And we can't harm the Kims," Eomma glanced away in discontent while gripping her hands.

"Wae?" I questioned.

"Wae? How long have you been in the game? The Kim isn't our ally anymore. If something happens to them, we won't be able to inherit anything. The Parks and the Jeons will inherit everything. Not us. The Kim might announce their withdrawal from our household anytime soon. So, we must act quickly before the society realizes the truth," Eomma gritted, turning back to me. I fell quiet and thought hard about it.

"I'll think about it, you should get some rest," I muttered, calmly looking up at her.

"Think about it? There's absolutely nothing we can do about it. If we don't act now- right. Jeon Jungkook. Either way, you'll lose him. Without our power, you won't be able to protect him. But to obtain our rightful power, you must register the marriage. You know which is the better option. Sora. You can either prevent the alliance from falling apart and buy him some more time or be stubborn and lose the alliance. He'll be eliminated once the alliance break," Eomma shot me an edgy look.

"I'll talk to him about it," I sighed emptily. For once, my mother's right about everything.

"Not every love story has a happy ending. But at least you got lucky- you'll be married to a dead person," Eomma shot me a blank stare. There was a pain in her eyes... is she referring to herself? Park Jihyun married another woman, and she had to witness everything while being married to another living man. She never got over Jihyun...?

Flash Back ends

I sat stiffly with my head hung low. Why am I so upset over this? Maybe I wanted to protect the relationship between Jungkook and I. But I've already stained it. I didn't want him to get involved in this mess, but here I am... tangling up our relationship with the conflict. I'm afraid it'll ruin us... no... I'm scared of dragging Jungkook deeper into the pit with me. I wanted to give up on everything and stop fighting for good. I wanted to lose to the game and surrender. But I can't seem to let go of Jungkook. If I lose... he falls... we'll both perish. I don't care if I die... but Jungkook? He doesn't deserve this. No one does. Not even Jimin, Hoseok, Yoongi, and Sungho. They all risked their lives to protect me... and yet I want to give up on them? I'll only let them down and lead them to their demise with me. At least Seokjin's smart enough to free himself from me. I knew he'd turn his back on me at some point... I never expected much from him. This is the Game of Survival... and he's doing all sorts of things to Survive... even if it means betrayal and making sacrifices.

"Ah, why isn't this strong enough? Stupid wine," I muttered, glaring at the empty alcohol bottle. I finished an entire bottle, but I'm not even close to being drunk. Shaking my head, I pushed myself up to examine the wine bottles on the shelves and tried to grab another bottle when someone caught my wrist.

"That's enough," Jimin sternly stared at me.

"What are you doing here?" I muttered, dismissively tugging my arm out of his grip and grabbed the bottle. I went back to the corner and sat down with the wine. Jimin folded his arms as he stood staring at me with a disappointed expression. I took a huge gulp of wine when Jimin suddenly snatched the bottle out of my hand and sat down beside me.

"You always fought when he was alive, and yet here you are, mourning his death," Jimin muttered, so I glared at him in irritation.

"Because of who? Wasn't it you who played dirty to get us fighting?" I grumbled, rubbing my mouth in discontent. Jimin shot me a guilty glance before turning away.

"Are we going to blame each other now?" Jimin rolled his eyes.

"Give it back-"

"Aish. You have to attend the funeral tomorrow!" Jimin snapped, pulling the bottle away when I tried to grab it.

"Right. I should say goodbye. Are you going?" I questioned, leaning against the wall in defeat. Jimin stared at the bottle in his hand and clenched his jaw in silence.

"I have to send him off," Jimin whispered in a weak tone and quickly chugged down the wine before the pain could take over him.

"You're blaming yourself, aren't you? Because he saved you? He saved us," I questioned, nodding at his healing thigh. If Taehyung didn't sacrifice himself to save us... we'd all be dead. Who knew the Black Phoenix's plan was to slaughter us?

"I'm going to kill each and every one of them," Jimin snarled angrily while gripping the bottle.

"Only if the society doesn't kill you first," I mumbled, glancing away in defeat. Jimin gulped in frustration and emptied the wine while I stared at him. After a prolonged silence, we finally left the wine cellar and returned to the mansion. I woke up at noon the next day to prepare for the funeral. I took a warm bath, pulled on a black dress, and tied my hair into a neat bun.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Jungkook questioned, watching me from the couch.

"We both owe him plenty of our lives," I sighed, looking at him through the mirror. Jungkook nodded, glancing away just as the door opened, and Do-hwan came striding in, dressed in a black suit.

"Why aren't you dressed? Aren't you going?" Do-hwan questioned Jungkook, who was still in his sweater and jeans.

"I need to get my wound checked in a bit. I'll join you guys in the afternoon," Jungkook explained, so Do-hwan nodded at him. I shot Jungkook a reassuring smile before leaving with Do-hwan to the funeral hall. I got in the car with Jimin and remained silent.

"Oh, it's raining," I whispered when a droplet of water landed on the window. And before we even knew it, there was a heavy downpour. Ah... why's the world so depressing? The sky must be mourning Taehyung's death too. Jimin stepped out of the car as soon as we arrived, so I followed him. The guards held an umbrella over us as the mild wind blew at us. I glanced up at the stormy dark sky... CRACK... a bolt of bright lightning lit up the vast sky... BOOM. A frightening thunder rumbles across the sky. Jimin tugged me closer to him, so I wouldn't get soaked from the rain, and we made our way into the building. We strode into the bright hall to find it filled with people. My parents were already seated in the front row. The Kims shot me a displeased look as we strolled through the aisle leading up to the... casket. I felt a heavy thud in my chest when my eyes settled on the funeral picture of Taehyung's usual blank stare. I felt a shuddering chill out of nowhere... goosebumps spreading across my body.

"We can wait if you're not ready-"

"It's okay. Let's bid our farewell. This is our last moment with him," I shook my head at Jimin's sullen expression. Jimin nodded at me, so we walked up to the casket to pay our respect. Dread filled me the longer I stared at Taehyung's funeral flower wreath... it felt as if his eyes were blazing into mine. What did you try to say before you died? Whatever it was, I'm glad it's all over for you now. The torture and endless suffering finally ended for you. I'm actually jealous of you because, now, you can rest in peace. We were never on good terms, but I'm still grateful for our good memories. To be honest, I wanted you gone, but I'm not feeling any better now. I'm afraid... and frightened... I don't know why... maybe it's because I know you won't be here to save me anymore? You left us right when the storm arrived... I guess it's luck because now... I'm the only one left to deal with it. It's heartbreaking how I can only recall our downtimes... all those times we hurt each other... but I'd never guess you'd leave so early. It feels strange to be honest... you leaving so unexpectedly. One day... I woke up... and you're no longer there anymore. It's as if you never existed. Your existence and death made my heart ache... all of us actually. Maybe I'll never understand our complicated relationship. Maybe, you never did too... maybe, we're at the wrong place at the wrong time... maybe we were never meant to be. Maybe this is our destiny... maybe you've got a cold heart... but in the end. You never failed to save me. Again. You succeeded in saving me from death, but unfortunately... you lost yourself as a consequence.

My heart throbbed aggressively as the thoughts traveled throughout my head. Tears began filling my eyes, so I kept my eyes shut to prevent the tears from seeping out and clenched my dress tightly to repress my emotion. I killed you. I killed Kim Taehyung. That's the truth, the reality I can't avoid. I kill everyone around me... soon enough... one by one of the alphas will perish because of me. I'm a disease. The cursed child. The grim reaper. I suck away all sources of life and happiness. Everything I touch... dies. Anything I lay eye upon... withers, and everything I reach out for... drains empty. I knew I was the problem, the black hole, but I was... stubborn and neglected it. Now... I've lost Taehyung. I never understood his importance to me until I lost him. But it's too late... I can't do anything about it... he's gone. Long gone. And my soul? It's decaying. I'm breaking all over again... my entire body feels so sore... how long can I endure this?

"You alright?" Jimin whispered, lowering his head to examine me.

"I'm fine," I gulped, lifting my head to stare at Taehyung's face again. Without another word, I turned around and made my way down the aisle but halted when Seokjin came walking in my direction. My blood began boiling upon his presence, so I stood glaring at him. Seokjin shot me a brief glance and dismissively walked off. I gripped my hand and snapped my head towards him in irritation.

"Sora!" Hoseok whispered, waving at me from the third row. I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to look at him.

"Where's Jeon Jungkook?" Yoongi questioned.

"He'll be here soon," I muttered, sitting down beside them. Jimin sat next to me, then turned to scan the entire hall.

"Kim Namjoon was here since morning," Hoseok whispered, nodding at the far back row where Namjoon was seated with Minah and his people.

"He seems to be in a good mood," Jimin grunted in displease.

"Kim Seokjin. What is he up to?" I questioned, keeping my spiteful eyes on Seokjin, who was paying his respect before the casket.

"Locked up in his mansion. We have no idea. He's been in hiding. I didn't expect him to show up today," Hoseok shrugged. After an hour, the ceremony finally started, and the funeral conductor showed up to give eulogies. We were asked to stand up, so we did. The funeral-filled hall stood up. Everyone lowered their heads to listen to the prayers. The rain grew heavier, and the sky grew so dark it was basically night outside the building. The lightning struck the sky and boomed repeatedly... the room became chilly. It's a thunderstorm. The staff began lighting up the candles along with the prayers. Just then... the door opened, and someone strolled inside the venue, followed by a group of people. Guards...?

"What the-" Jimin was cut short when the person came strolling into the hall. Everyone turned to look at the person in shock. My blood started boiling when I realized who it was... Park Bogum. The funeral conductor halted the prayer, and the entire room fell hushed upon his arrival. The alphas glanced back and forth in confusion as the guards made way for the heir. Park Bogum shot me an emotionless glance as he passed by and went up to the platform.

"How dare he show up here?" Yoongi gritted angrily as Bogum stood in front of Taehyung's wreath. The hollowness within my chest started to expand as I stood fixedly staring at him. He killed our supreme alpha and dared to show up at his funeral? What the fuck is wrong with him?! My body shivered from the icy cold sensation slithering up the back of my neck. Thud. The darkness consumed me. I stared straight at Bogum with my pitch-black eyes just as lightning ignited the sky, followed by a clap of deafening thunder.

"Sora-" Hoseok whispered, attempting to stop me. But I pushed past them and began walking down the aisle. My footstep... echoing throughout the hall. I will murder him. My blood began pumping with violence the closer I got to him when one of his guards suddenly blocked my path. Everyone fell quiet with their eyes trained on me.

"Step aside. This isn't your territory," I warned, staring blankly at the guard, who refused to back off. Bogum slowly turned to face me with a calm expression.

"Let her through. We shouldn't disturb the funeral," Bogum ordered. The guards exchanged uneasy glances but eventually moved to the side. I slowly averted my eyes to Bogum. He was standing on the platform before the casket.

"Resume the prayer," I ordered, glancing at the frightened-looking conductor.

"N-neh...," He bowed at me and signaled the other staff. They dimmed the hall light, so the candlelight was the only source of light illuminating the room. Everyone straightened themselves as I carefully made my way up the platform and stood beside Bogum. I raised my chin to stare straight at Taehyung's picture when I felt the intense darkness surging through my veins. Everyone began praying again as I stood by Bogum's side. He walked right into the wolf's den.

"The nerve to show up here," I chuckled, keeping my eyes trained on Taehyung's picture. Bogum sideways glanced at his guards and back towards me.

"You should leave and live quietly while you still can, or you'll be trapped," Bogum muttered under his breath. I let out a soft scoff, causing the entire hall to pause. The funeral conductor uneasily turned to look at me, but I raised my eyebrows, so he began praying again.

"No one's leaving," I smiled, staring right into Taehyung's dead eye.

"I'm warning you-"

"Warning me? Look ahead of you. It's the man you killed," I whispered, nodding forward. Bogum gulped and turned to stare at Taehyung.

"Listen to me- there's no time-" Bogum gritted his teeth, suddenly turning to me. He quickly straightened his frustrated face when he noticed the eyes of the alphas staring at him. Is he trying to manipulate me...? Did he think I'd fall for it again? Because of him, I lost Taehyung. I will not lose my people to the Black Phoenix. He had no right to take away Kim Taehyung's life.

"That easy?" I questioned, quietly turning to look at Bogum's pale expression. It was all a scheme to succeed my power?

"Sora-"

"Don't you fucking dare call me by my name," I gritted, angrily grabbing onto his throat, causing the room to gasp in shock. Bogum gripped my hand in terror and tried to pull my hand off his throat. His guard quickly pulled out their guns to aim it right at me, causing the alphas to shriek in hysteria.

"L-Lower your weapons!" Bogum managed to gasp as I tightened my grip around his throat. The sharp contraction... thudding in my chest along with the thunders. The guards didn't listen to Bogum and continued to target me.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!? YOU MURDERED KIM TAEHYUNG, AND YET YOU DARE TO THREATEN OUR SUPREME ALPHA'S LIFE RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES?!" Hoseok roared angrily at the guards.

"You came to your own funeral, Park Bogum-shi," I smirked, digging my nails deeper into his neck. Bogum's face slowly turned pale from the lack of air... he started gurgling within my clutch as I continued to strangle him. Bogum desperately turned to look at his people in fear.

"I said- d-drop you weapons," Bogum pleaded as tears filled his eyes. The guards turn uneasily to stare at the alphas in the room and finally surrender. They cautiously lowered their weapons to the ground with a fearful expression.

"Say it. Confess your crime before all of us. Tell them what you did to Kim Taehyung!" I roared angrily at Bogum, who twisted his face in pain.

"Sora- jebal- I'm sorry- but-"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING APOLOGIZE TO ME-" I growled angrily when another rupture of darkness shot across my body. Slowly... I lifted Bogum with one hand... raising him off the ground with my immense strength. The entire hall gasped once again as they watched Bogum dangling helplessly in the air...

"It wasn't me-"

"ADMIT IT! NOW!" I roared, thrusting my grip into his throat. Bogum was hanging hopelessly with his feet barely touching the ground. The darkness was devouring all of my inner peace... all I could hear was the consistent pounding in my head. The sky lit up again... exposing Bogum's pained expression.

"Listen to me-"

"I SAID CONFESS! ARGHH!" I bellowed, dropping him onto the ground, causing Bogum to gag in distress. He gasped for air and barely got time to gather himself when I grabbed his collar and slammed him hard into the casket. I snatched the hairpin out of my hair and dug it right into his throat. Bogum stared at me in fear as I seethed at him...

"Araso. I'll just end you," I gritted, furiously glaring in his eyes. The guards tried to react by grabbing their guns when the alphas tackled them onto the floor. Jimin disabled a guard, Hoseok pinned another onto the ground, and Yoongi snatched the gun from the other guard. Another guard tried to scramble for the gun on the floor when Seokjin simply kicked it across the ground with his hands behind his back. Tension suddenly arises within the room as the rest of the guards stood uneasily staring at us.

"Kim Taehyung- "

"ARGH!" I roared, raising my hand in the air, then swung the pin right into Bogum's neck- The gigantic hall door swung open... followed by loud rumbling thunder. The exposure allowed a violent blow of freezing cold wind to enter the hall. Bogum flinched in fright, but I halted before the pin reached his neck and turned to look down the end of the aisle...

The candle lights began to flicker as the strong gust of wind filled the room. The rain drizzles... sprinkling into the room with the wind current. At the wide-open door was a silhouette of a person. The entire room shifted their attention towards the door as the furious rain poured heavier behind the person, who stood fixed in his place. The freezing wind gushed violently into the room, causing my loose hair to flutter all over the place. The darkness within me suddenly subsided... replaced by an uncomfortable sensation. I slowly turned to scan the person... my chest stirring uneasily as my brain struggled to process the situation. The person took a step forward and steadily walked towards us with something in his hand... a weapon? No- a cup? A wine glass? The entire hall gasped in terror when he stepped onto the aisle and walked toward us. My hands started shaking for no reason... as I proceeded to stare at the mysterious figure. Too familiar... The wind blew harder into the hall... wait a minute... my heart jolted in shock when I recognized something. Thud... thud... thud... the familiar footstep... boots... I blinked repeatedly and looked up at the figure, who was now halfway across the room. I couldn't see his face yet because the candlelights were the only source of light illuminating the dim room... but somehow... I knew... I knew... thud... thud... thud... and then it struck me... right in my head. My lips began trembling as my eyes drifted up to his face. CRACK... the sky ignites brightly... a brief flicker of light flashes through the window, so I stopped breathing. I found myself staring into the familiar razor-sharp eyes... staring straight at me from under his wild bangs... my mind went blank...

It's... it's...

BOOOM. The deafening thunder shook the entire venue, followed by another blinding flash of lightning just as he arrived at the base of the platform. My lips slightly parted as I stood stiffly staring at the familiar dark brown eyes in the dim candle's glow. My racing heart immediately stopped beating, and my ears deafened. I was paralyzed... and frightened... because I found myself... staring right into the eyes of the darkness.

I was face to face... with... how--

CRACK. The hall lit up again, but this time... it was clear as daylight... my eyes widened in shock. I felt my soul ascending from my body... blood drained from my face... and everything stopped moving.

BOOM. The sky roared violently, followed by a powerful blast of wind.

I am completely disabled by the devil's dilated pupils of pure evil.

K- Kim Taehyung.

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Hiiiii! How are you!? I'm doing not so great but I did my best on my exams! It's been a while, I know T_T and I'm sorry. I wish I can update more often huehue but life's a b*tch. I probably left you shook with the previous chapter with Taehyung's death >< Late April fools! XD haha I gotcha! Jk, I'm sorry for worrying you >< I was really excited to release this chapter so I hope I didn't fail you T_T

Did you enjoy it? How was it? Please let me know because it's very important for me >< I'll try to improve. But mostly, I want to talk with you guys! I've been stuck in quarantine for over a month now so I'd love to communicate with y'all before I go crazy haha!

Thank you so so much for your support! Seriously, thank you for giving me an opportunity to express myself, and thank you for encouraging me to do better! You're all very sweet and kind T_T what did I do to deserve this? I love you guys so much! Thank you for spending your time on my work T_T I'm really honored and I'll try to create better content so it'll be worth your time! I will miss you again but goodbye for now! Please take care of yourself and always stay positive! Stay healthy and always believe in yourself because YOU CAN DO IT! I believe in you! Hwaiting!!! I LOVE YOU <3