Rewrote this piece of work so many times, i was this🤌 close to announcing a writers block out of irritation and frustration 💀💀

I pulled through tho! Hehe~

(Jk's feelings are mine as I struggle to write this chapter lolol)
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~ Jungkook's POV ~

I watched in great frustration as my hyungs remained half-present. Their thoughts had taken them into a dark spiral, but they still trudged around in search of the exit - something they've been assuming doesn't exist anymore.

My frown remained prominent and expressive as I stayed still in my spot, viewing Jimin hyung and Yoongi hyung circling Diana, her dazed stature still ongoing and we seemed to lose her a bit more as time ticked away. It only served to induce more fear in everyone's hearts.

However, I refused to lose hope so easily. I will never step closer to giving up. And I can't let them cross that line either. I don't surrender. I never will.

"Can we please just.. stop? For a moment can we please sit in one spot and gather ourselves?" I pleaded loudly, watching as my hyungs turned my way as my voice resounded in the brightly lit cave. They nodded mutely, which served to only frustrate me more at the silence, the loss of voice and lack of will to fight their way through.

I followed after them as they silently gathered in a circle and sat down, so easily complying to my request. No one resisted, saying that they must search more. No one protested to keep looking and not waste time.

I couldn't help but send Wonho hyung a pointed look, feeling the most put-off by his lack of effort for these moments. A so-called Guardian so easily wilted to lose hope for the one he needs to protect? Can he really call himself a Guardian after this show - or lack there of?

I sat down as well, closing the open circle as I regarded them all in front of me, awaiting what I wanted to say.

What I need to say.

"Is that it? We're just going to walk around half-assed? You'll just glance around at a spot and assume our way out is simply not there? Is this the time to lose hope? We should be ten times more determined! You're allowing Diana to continue to suffer with this game's cruel ministrations! I can't believe you're allowing this!!" My voice raised halfway through my confrontation, expressing my anger and frustration.

When no one spoke, I continued, "She said that she saw our exit! She saw it! Has no one bothered to piece this together?! The moment we come this close to getting out, suddenly Wonho, -" my tone holds some bite as I address him, before my glare rounded at everyone else who perked up at my informal tone, "- He feels that the area is unsafe, he suddenly blurts out that this place is flooded by mobs and yet not even one has bothered to show up? Suddenly Diana is in some sort of unbreakable haze and is no longer with the ability to help as she loses herself? Can you not put the dots together?" I felt aggravated, growing so incredibly frustrated as they looked at me mutely.

"Say something!!"

I finally screamed, boiling rage igniting my insides whilst they flinched and straightened, a stern look over their previously blank expression that only made me scoff.

Sure, correct my informality and not your useless hopelessness.

"Yah, he's older tha—"

"-You know what? I kinda don't give two shits, right now!" I cut through Yoongi hyung's firm tone.

I stood to my feet, glaring down at them as they gaped at my snappy demeanour. I'll fucking show you snappy, alright.

"This is not the time nor place to contemplate whether everything we've done till this point was unavailing or not! You can't possibly expect a sudden miracle to pop up out of thin air and gift it to us? When did we ever receive that from this world? All we got were a limited supply of weapons and medical equipment. They were meant for our stay in the wilderness, not for our journey out of here. Get yourself together and stop mopping about as if it's helping any!" I snapped, speaking with my whole chest to pierce my point across their hopelessness. They need to get out of this damn stupor of pessimism. It's useless and inconvenient. I'm sick of it.

~ 3rd person POV ~

They all remained speechless, mouths opening and closing as they tried to formulate a response to Jungkook's outburst. They can't brush him off by using the excuse of his informality to address the current situation.

He is right - they all thought. They couldn't continue to work like this. They needed to help, they needed to get out of this place for good and save her from insuring anymore sufferings.

Some eyes darted to the one who stood up with a start, his eyes glazing with a newfound flame expressing his determination and desperation,

"We must get out. You're right, Jungkook. Let's go check that area." Hoseok nodded, waving for Jungkook to come along as he trudged purposefully to the area everyone stayed crystal clear from. They very area Wonho voiced firmly to avoid because it felt so wrong.

"Don't!" Wonho resounded swiftly, startling Jungkook as he pulled the latter by the collar of his shirt from behind, making him stumble backwards by the pull.

Jungkook turned quickly on his heel to face Wonho with wide eyes, who turned slightly sheepish. "Don't. It's—- I'm serious. It's dangerous." He said so more stably, sucking in a deep breath as the maknae shook his head in rebuff, "It's still worth a shot. As dangerous as you claim it to be, maybe you think so because you're a part of this game. You probably feel wrong that the 'game players' are leaving this world. Have you thought of that?" He cocked a brow at his statement before shrugging out of Wonho's outstretched hand that went to catch a hold of him again.

"Fine! Fine. Then I'll come, too." Wonho scowled, hiding his inner fears for the younger man's sake. It's true, he can't outwardly claim that area is dangerous if it didn't prove anything. He's only spewing words, and with no proof. It's just his feelings. But his gut has never failed him, which is why he hid his growing fear as Hoseok, Jungkook and him approached the area supposedly holding the dangers and the potential exit.

"Please be careful." Jimin resounded from behind him, a short distance away as he stayed back with the rest still surrounding him. Anxiousness and worry was piling in enormous amounts on his being but he held back, feeling cowardly as he feared the area himself, too scared to get close like those three that began to search the space as thoroughly as possible.

He hated that his feet stuck glued to his spot, he hated how he did nothing but watch. Anything could just... happen. He was so sure of that claim. For all he knew, he could be watching his beloved friends trudge forward and meet their final breath.

Taehyung took a deep breath from beside jimin, momentarily bringing the latter a pause from his running mind as he turned to his friend. Before Jimin could voice his question, Taehyung rushed forward.

"I-I'll come, too!" He yelled after them, jogging ahead and leaving Jimin's side, the latter clamping his mouth shut immediately.

He glanced down at the ground to his left, peering at Yoongi who cradled Diana delicately, mumbling softly in a whisper, but his words were incomprehensible from where Jimin stood. He sighed and crouched down to the ground, naturally bringing his hands forward to massage her calves, but pausing when he was met with no mass. Gulping at the harsh reminder, he turned away and watched Yoongi mumble words of reassurance her way, encouraging and welcoming to allow her the relief of knowing everything is fine. He whispered how she's safe and that they're so very close to ending her sufferings for good.

Diana's blank stare into nothingness visibly caused Yoongi a disheartening throb in his heart, he felt his chest compress painfully as he was left without an ounce of response on her end, flinching soon after as he felt Jimin's tentative hand place on his shoulder in silent consolation.

"She'll be fine. Right...?" Yoongi asked, his vulnerability shining through his strong exterior as he turned to look at the blonde hopefully.

Jimin felt his heart break for his hyung, not expecting the show of emotions display so clearly on his sharp, but delicate features. His confident tone wilted into hesitance and uncertainty, portraying easily just how much this was effecting him.

"Hyung... I- of course. Diana is strong. She'll be just fine." Jimin stumbled over his words, intent to reassure the elder the best he could.

-

"It's just empty space through here." Taehyung mumbled, pulling his hand away from the penetrating white light in front of him, serving to bring him nothing but disappointment at the lack of findings.

"Just a wall, here." Jungkook announced by another white glitch, his arm disappearing into the intangible mass.

"What do you mean by empty space, Tae? Check it properly." Hoseok stated sternly, his own hand still for a moment of hesitation before darting into the coloured glitch and then heaving out a breath as he felt the stone wall under it.

Taehyung sighed and nodded, walking back to the glitch he just checked, shoving his hand in and leaning forward to feel the wall on the other end.

He frowned when he felt nothing and took a small step closer, noticing that the whole of his right arm was inside the glitch. "Um..." he spoke under his breath, looking at his friends questioningly before turning back to the awfully bright glitch halfway engulfing his being when no one noticed.

He pulled away unsurely, his shoulders tensing uneasily as he looked at the white glitch tentatively. Before he could think too much into it, he took a deep breath harshly before lurching forward, breath hitching when his whole body slipped in without making contact with any material.

"AGH—!"

Everyone jumped at Taehyung's loud whimper, the others staying behind stood up from their seated position in alarm while Hoseok and Jungkook rushed towards the sound in great caution and worry.

"Hyung?!" Jungkook yelled after him, eyes growing wide with worry when he couldn't find the man, but could here his cry of pain.

"Taehyung??" Hoseok called after the taller man fretfully. Wonho stepped beside the unnerved man with a ready stance, eyes wide and alert.

~ Hoseok POV ~

Where is he?? I can here him.. he's in pain. He's in pain!!

"Taehyung?!" I called out more loudly, momentarily looking away from the glitch I know he was just checking as the others jogged this way with deep frowns and creasing brows.

"What's going on? Where is Taehyung? What was that??" Namjoon bombarded us with questions, looking around for Taehyung, knowing he heard his yell of pain.

"It hurts! Where is everyone? I can't see!!" Taehyung broke through with a wince in his voice. He's hurt. Oh god, he's hurt.

"What?? Where are you?" Jin hyung gasped, picking up on the groans the younger man resounded. Jin hyung approached the white glitch hesitantly before looking back at me and Jungkookie with a questioning gaze.

I pursed my lips, not knowing myself.

"WAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Jin hyung suddenly screamed in pure terror as he jumped ahead with a start and rubbed his shoulder aggressively while the others tensed and flinched at his sudden yell.

"Something touched me!!! It touched me!!!!" He cried in horror, eyes dilated with clear disturbance. All of us turned towards the white glitch and noticed long fingers peeking through. That turned into a hand, then an entire arm and finally, the man himself - the one that put us into a state of terror and worry.

I groaned indignantly as I noticed Taehyung sporting a nasty cut on his forehead, where he put his hand against it to stop the bleeding.

"You punk! You wanna give me a heart attack? What is wrong with you?? Why did you hurt yourself so badly???" I went on a rampage as I trudged his way and stopped myself from smacking him upside the head because of his new found injury.

Taehyung winced, "I think I got a concussion..." he groaned, pulling his hand away and grimacing at the fresh red colour covering his hand.

"Y-you—-!!" Jin started but was interrupted as Namjoon stepped forward to inspect his well being. Something I was too caught up to do myself before I snapped out of it and checked around to see if he attained anything else.

"Did you run straight into a wall?" Jungkook questioned incredulously. Taehyung sighed, growing sheepish, "Uhm.. yeh..." he mumbled.

"Wh-why?" He asked, clearly holding back his amusement which had the elder huffing, cheeks flushing in embarrassment, "I-I was checking the thing again, but I couldn't reach anything on the other side, okay? So I just stepped in to make sure it wasn't another secret passage." He grumbled, his tone defensive and sheepish all the same.

Jungkook snorted this time, "Ran. You ran into it." He pointed out, showing some compassion as he winced at the prominent red color decorating his forehead.

Jimin heaved out a big sigh, slumping on his spot before tackling his fellow 95' lined with a cry, "I would seriously hit you but you already made yourself bleed! Don't go around jumping into things blindly!!" He hollered.

"What else was I meant to do?" Taehyung chuffed with a pout, grunting as Jimin pulled him into a headlock before whining in protest.

I observed Wonho as he heaved out a sigh of relief, but never loosening up. His body was stiff and his muscles all bulged as he remained tensed and alert of our surroundings.

'He probably already assumed the worst..' I figured, aware of his clear dislike to this area in particular. He was very verbal about it anyway, so I can't put it against him. He was visibly ready to pull everyone away from this place, jaw tight and ready to open so his mouth could blurt out his claim to being right since the beginning.

We haven't reached there. Not yet.

~ Taehyung's POV ~

"Ow!" I winced when Jin hyung dabbed some disinfectant on my injury, making it sting more, something that was clearly doing the opposite of lessening my pain.

"Hush, I'm almost done." He mumbled, concentrated and resuming his painful bandaging process. I huffed and wisely shut my mouth, enduring the awful stinging sensation knowing it will help me in end. "Couldn't you have put your hand in front of you instead of running head first into a rock wall? This cut is horrible!" Jin hyung fretted.

I only sighed in response. I was doing that, I just couldn't see the curved surface behind the blinding light awaiting a hit on me. I had my eyes closed...

"AHHHHH!!! THERES A- A THING!! SOMETHING'S THERE!!!!!"

Hoseok hyung's shear volume of screams had easily gained everyone's attention as his screeches of fear echoed throughout the cave's expanse.

"What what what???" Wonho was quick to rush forward, eyes darting speedily at the sight within Hoseok's direction, his hands trembling as he kept pointing towards a white glitch.

"It's weird!!!!" He wailed, jumping on his spot with both disgust and horror, his feet stomping over the stone ground as a reliever for his overflowing emotion of fear and revulsion.

"The glitch??" Jin hyung pried questioningly, but earned a vigorous shake of the head by hobi hyung, his whimpers expressing his off putting emotions.

He brought forward the one hand he had held closely to his chest, opening his palm upside for us to examine.

"It- It's GOOEY! PLEASE GET IT OFF" He cringed loudly, unable to fathom what to do with the substance coating his hand.

"I-is that..." Namjoon hyung tried, carefully stepping forward to take a closer look before grimacing in rebuff, "Oh geez, is that Saliva?" He assumed immediately.

"EWWWWWW" Hoseok hyung hollered once again, making us collectively grimace as the guess seemed accurate enough to stick to.

"Where did you get this?" Wonho asked, nearing the only glitch closest to this area. Hoseok hyung scowled at his hand in disgust before looking up at the glitch with remorse, "That glitch right there.. oh god, this is awful." He gagged then.

~ 3rd Person POV ~

On that note, everyone subconsciously held their breaths when Wonho waited no moment longer before sticking his hand in as well.

"Y-YAH!" Jin gasped in shock, taken aback by the lack of hesitance in the buff man's actions.

Wonho shrugged, shifting his arm around with a building confusion as he felt nothing, only momentarily contacting with a stone wall.

"There's nothi—"

Nothing. That's what he was obviously trying to say. That's what they all concluded. But that was before he was proclaiming in shock, falling inside the white glitch as if he was pulled in with an unknown force.

It had every other man yelling after him in horror, hearing his screams induced with shock and dawned with helplessness in that moment all the while.

"GET AWAY!" His voice screeched suddenly, halting anyone from potentially mustering up their courage to seek after him. The boys all paused, stiff and tense in the muscle as they held themselves still.

Upon his stern command, everyone - although following suit easily as they backed away - they were reluctant as their footsteps hurried backwards.

And not long after, the glitch stuck to the wall faded away in a flash, leaving behind the sight of a sealed wall.

Then, a crash.

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Woohooooo!!! Lil'old me initially struggled to make the plot progress in this chapter, but the later me persevered and pulled through~ 😁✨

We are SUPER Close to the end of this story. Hmm, should I tell u guys how many more chapters to go??? Hmmmmm

There's just 3 more chapters waiting to be released. They're not cross checked, and so will be published in due time. Just be ensured that you'll see this book through till the end before this year ends 🥴💕

How did u like this chapter? 👀👀
Hope this book so far has been enjoyable 🥹❤️❤️

Love u guys! 🥰🥰😘💕

~ Ada