현실에 찢겨 붉게 묻은 피들
•

"Ah, sorry! Excuse us, please!"

Jungkook's voice boomed at the entrance balcony of the Palace, running past people as he pulled Taehyung along.

Odd looks were thrown their way but they paid no mind, rushig around the corner into the hallway, looking for Yoongi and Jimin.

Just as they made another turn, Jungkook staggered back, almost crashing into someone.

"Sorry."

He bowed, before hurrying past the guy.

"Ah, wait--!"

"We're in a hurry, sorry—"

Taehyung tried to say, but the guy looked like he had something urgent to say. Just before Jungkook made a turn.

"Yoongi and Jimin—"

This stopped them, rushing their attention to the person they bumped into.

"They went to the garden if you're looking for them."

The two nodded, and bowed once again.

"Thank you!"

Then, they rushed off, leaving the man in the almost silent hallway. He was about to continue his steps, but he hesitated, looking back at the direction of the two before changing courses, slowly walking back the way he came.

•

"Joon-ah, we have to meet up with everyone soon. D'you think they found anything?"

"Probably. But, let's wait until—"

"Namjoon hyung! Jin hyung!"

Jungkook and Taehyung cried out as they reached the two, coming to a halt in their running, breathless from the running. They showed the two the notebooks they'd found.

"We found this! It's bad, I think they're heading to hurt Yoongi and Jimin!"

"Look, look the entry says--!"

"And, the plan says, right here--!"

The two were speaking over each other, panic evident in their movements and voices.

"Okay, okay, you two calm down. Let me take a look."

Namjoon said, letting the two hand it over. He skimmed through and read bits and pieces, before flipping over to the most recent one, eyebrows raising as he read through. Seokjin was reading as well, from the side.

"What? That guy plans on... but, I didn't think..."

Taehyung and Jungkook flailed as they yelled.

"It doesn't matter what you thought. We have to go to the garden now, Yoongi and Jimin-- they--"

"He's planning on killing them!"

•

"Hoseok?"

Yoongi and Jimin watched, taken aback at the same Hoseok that helped them enter the scene, looking stern.

Forehead scrunching in desperation, Jimin tried calling out.

"Hoseok! Hoseok--! What the fuck are you doing? Help us!"

Eunji rolled his eyes and looked at the two with a deadpan.

"He hates both of you, like me, why would he help you?"

What? But, he was conversing with them just a few days ago without a problem, despite the awkwardness, hate would've shown itself in speech tone if he really hated them.

"Anyways, he's not here to chat with you. We've got other plans. The one delayed fucking years because of you two. You should start, now, Hoseok."

"What?!"

Jimin cried out, still unsure if it's the same Hoseok. He knew the man had changed, but what was this?

Hoseok obeyed soundlessly, getting out a book and looking for a spot on a fertile soil of real Afterlife ground -- what they had needed. He flipped the pages, and seemed to dig into the soil, starting the process, the process only he could do, written in his blood, banished by what he thought he could call his friends.

"Now, now. Volunteer one of you, I'll start with one, watching the others' pain. Who wants a taste of magma?"

Magma?

At the word, both of them had an instinctual response to the visual imagination, shuddering.

Noticing their visible reaction, Eunji laughed.

"Sounds great, doesn't it? Now, who wants to go first? I have my hands ready, I wanna start with your arms.

"Alright, I'll go ahead."

Yoongi gaped at Jimin's words, holding him back.

"What the fuck, no!"

Jimin glanced at Yoongi, ignoring his protests and mumbled somethingn that sounded like 'on the count of one'.

Then, when Jimin stepped forward, makng it seem as if he was giving himself up. But, just as Eunji took a step, Yoongi gripped on Jimin's wrist.

"One!"

The two flapped their wings, getting off the ground, a few feet above ground.

Eunji took a step back, a bored expression on his face as he watched the two attempt to fly, but flailing around before they hit a tree and tumbled down, letting Eunji step closer.

"You two realize you're still on Palace grounds, right? It's easier to fly out here because the atmosphere isn't as much as inside, but it's just a half as dense outside as it is inside.

Before Eunji could do anything, Yoongi staggered to stand up.

"Me, first."

Letting out a breath of laughter, Eunji shrugged.

"Doesn't matter to me as long as it's one of you."

Jimin was about to complain, but Yoongi hushed him down.

"I'm a Hell-resident. It'll hurt less for me."

Still worried, Jimin felt Yoongi's grip loosen on his wrist, to which he slid his hand down to hold his hand.

Eunji sighed.

"I get that you think you're protecting each other, but I'm gonna do this to both of you. Your fates are sealed. It's all in vain. But, it's a little fun seeing this, I suppose. Love the false hope you two have, to end in despair anyway. Well, whatever, Min Yoongi."

With that, Eunji harshly grabbed Yoongi's arm, burning magma into his skin, the red heat clear for the eyes.

Yoongi cried out in pain, shuddering and thrashing in the position he had.

Jimin didn't want to watch, tears already blurring his vision. He felt like punshing the shit out of the guy, but knowing science, his lightning Ability wouldn't do much here, it would just heat the guy up even more.

"Ah, my favorite sight."

Hearing those words from the disgusting mouth enraged Jimin, filling his sight with red along with tears.

"Fuck you."

He spat the words, but there wasn't much he could really do.

"Fuck me?"

There was disbelief in Eunji's words before he pulled his hand back, instead reaching out to grab Jimin's arm, burning into his skin as well, causing an instant reaction of a loud cry, having Jimin collapse, not able to bear the pain.

Looking at him with menacing eyes, he also spat out.

"Fuck you two and your stupid sense of order."