"Yoongi?"

He chuckled and nodded, taking a few steps towards the bed. "Hey Hoseok."

I wiped the sleep from my eyes, sitting up in my bed, covering my bare chest with my comforter. "H-How..? I-I watched you die. This is a dream. It has to be a dream." I started to pinch my inner arms, wincing at the pain from my pinching yesterday.

"Hoseok, please stop pinching yourself. This is real. I'm here. I am real."

I shook my head, unable to wrap my mind around it. "You'll have to find a way to prove it to me because I saw you be decapitated in front of the entire town, and I saw them toss your corpse into the truck like a piece of garbage."

I took a deep breath after realizing that I had been rambling.

He walked the rest of the distance between the window and the bed, sitting down next to me on the bed. I felt the mattress sink from his weight, making me gasp in shock.

"How is this happening..?" I whispered, more to myself than to him.

I felt him put a hand on my cheek, stroking the skin gently with his thumb. I couldn't help but melt into his touch, missing the feeling he gave me.

"I can explain all of it Hobi, I promise. I don't have much time."

My eyebrows furrowed as I turned my head away from his touch slightly. "W-What do you mean?"

He sighed, unable to meet my eyes. "Namjoon is helping to distract the guards outside while I came in here to get you. He helped me to fake my death, okay? But I can't explain it all right now. I came here to see if you would come with me."

"Go with you? Where are you going?"

"Everyone in this town thinks and believes that I am dead. I have to get the hell out of Auralia. I can't ever return, Hoseok."

As his words began to register in my brain, I felt my throat begin to tighten as the thought of never seeing him again hit me, especially after thinking he was dead.

"We can escape this place. We can be together, with no worries. We can be free. I-I won't have to live in a cell alone."

I shook my head, scooting away from him slightly. "I-I can't leave! I'm the prince! I'm supposed to rule this town when my father is too old or ill to continue to do so. There is no next in line, Yoongi!"

Yoongi looked taken aback. He opened his mouth to say something when there was a bell sounded from the nearby church. He stood up and ran his hand aggressively through his hair. "Hoseok, that's my signal. I might not be able to make it back to get you..."

"I can't leave this place, Yoongi."

He sighed, nodding solemnly. It almost looked as if he was about to cry but was forcing himself to hold it in. "Then I hope you enjoy your freedom. I know you will make a great king some day."

I gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

He gave a short nod before bending down and wrapping his arms around me in a hug. The bells chimed again in the distance, making Yoongi kiss the top of my shoulder before pulling away, rushing towards the window.

"Jung Hoseok... Don't forget how much I love you, okay?"

I took a shaky breath, watching him grab onto the rope and leap over the balcony. Tears stung my eyes as I watched him leave, probably for the last time.

"I-I love you too, Min Yoongi... I just wish I had said it to your face."

••••••

I didn't sleep for the rest of the night. I sat there, staring at the window that I had propped open, just in case, hoping that he would come back. I should've made a decision.

I should've gone with him.

I don't even want to be fucking king. I could get away from all... this. From my dad's harsh words, from not even being able to walk outside without someone needing to accompany me.

I wanted peace. Freedom.

Yoongi is all these things to me. It's the reason why I fell so hard for him in such a small amount of time. It didn't take much for me to smile without forcing it. I would openly laugh, not worrying about how loud I was being when doing so. I felt like a regular adult.

Yoongi made me realize that the life I thought was perfect for me is all an illusion. I didn't know what I was missing until I found my missing piece.

And now the piece of the puzzle is gone, and it might never be found.

It feels like he took a part of me with him.

••••••

Hi.

I'm sick, and I wish I wasn't because I don't have time to be sick.

But I see the Jonas Brothers this week, so that's a plus.