Warning: they lose their parents in this chapter :(

Honestly, I struggled so much with this chapter, I hope it serves its purpose well because I would continually rewrite it if I didn't settle with one version, I hope you guys enjoy it even though it's not a happy time.

Namjoon, Jungkook and I are cuddled together on the couch of their living room when my brother's phone suddenly rings and startles us, his ringtone set louder to avoid missing anything coming from our parents.

We had time to go grocery shopping after the both of them were done cleaning up their place, we had time to start cooking a slow dinner, we had time to put it in the reheat drawer of the oven to make sure it wouldn't go cold before their arrival and we had time to eat the food in silence because it was getting late and we still had no news from our parents.

It's not like them to not let us know when they're going to be late and it's been taking me everything to not start panicking, to not give free reigns to my anxiety to blow this out of proportions, my mind screaming continually that their plane crashed or that something happened on the road to our home.

I know that Jungkook's been in the same boat as I so when he hurries to stretch towards the coffee table to grab his device, we can all see the desperation in his form as he turns his phone around to see who's calling.

Namjoon pauses the tv show we were watching to give him a chance to hear what is said and we observe silently as my twin accepts the call with a frown, the number shown on the screen not one we recognize.

Three hours.

We've been waiting for three hours for a sign of life, and for three hours, we have gotten nothing at all.

They had to take the plane to reach our city, otherwise using a car would've taken too much time so the possibility of it being late is there.

They rented a car that would be waiting for them at the airport so it's also possible that traffic is simply bigger than expected, the roads are always filled with people in the area, it doesn't matter what time it is, our town is alive night and day after all.

That's a point Namjoon has brought forward often for our sake, that and the fact that they probably forgot to charge their phones, they're always so confused when it comes to technology, they're not big fans of it.

So we've spent the last three hours trying to convince ourselves that they're fine, that they're simply late, but there's always that nagging worry at the back of your mind in such a situation, the what ifs eternal and invading.

What if they aren't fine? What if something happened and we simply don't know about it yet?

Jungkook stands up abruptly to make a few steps away from the couch and I feel the shift in the air as if a blanket that slides over my skin.

Panic, worry, fear, it makes me feel uneasy, my anxiety being fed with each inhales I take when I notice the wobbling to his bottom lip as the rest of his face remains impassive, what's wrong?

"Are you sure? You're not mistaken? T-they- maybe you got the wrong people, it's possible, right?" he asks with a trembling voice before staring at me with sorrow stamped all over his face, he looks like he needs an anchor, no matter what kind, just something to keep him from falling into a dark endless pit.

I instinctively jump to my feet and reach his side before Namjoon can even blink and I hug my brother tightly, he holds onto me for dear life with one arm in response, his heart erratic in the way it beats under my ear that forces mine to pick up the pace, I've never seen Jungkook in this state before, never.

The next second that follows happens with Namjoon joining us as well, a strong pillar for the both of us as he wraps his arms around our duo and I hear him take in a sharp breath when being so close allows us to hear what is said from the other side of the call.

'I'm afraid this is no mistake, Mr. Jeon. We had a look at their IDs and upon searching in the database for any family, we found your number as well as their daughter's. You might want to take your sister with you to come see them as soon as possible, Mr. Jeon, we're unsure of how long they have left... they won't make it through the night. I'm sorry'.

My knees buckle under my weight at the words uttered and Jungkook squeezes his arm around me tighter to keep me from falling to the floor while his own body demands that Namjoon supports him, this isn't about who I think this is about, right?

"Who- who was that, Jungkook? Who were they talking about?" I ask in a whisper, my brain knows the answer but my heart refuses to believe it, I must have misheard everything, my ears heard wrong, that's all.

He ends the call and drops his phone to the floor before hugging me with all of his strength with both arms, his body trembles around mine and I shake my head, no, it can't be, this isn't happening.

"Mom and dad are at the hospital, bubs, they had a big car accident on the way. The doctors tried to save them but... their wounds are fatal, they can only give us enough time to head over to say goodbye" Jungkook explains shakily and I start crying while continually shaking my head, no, this is just a nightmare, this is a very bad dream and I want to wake up, it's not funny.

"We have to go now before it's too late, okay? Come here bubs" he murmurs with a lump in his throat, a hand to the back of my neck as he presses a strong kiss to my temple when my tears quickly morph into wailing, this can't be real.

This was our worst nightmare, to lose our parents to an accident of the kind, that we would one day wait for hours and hours only to learn that they'll never make it to us.

It was especially our worst nightmare to be the cause of their death, yet here we are, but it can't be real, right?

They can't be dying, they were supposed to get here, we were supposed to have a fun day together tomorrow, we were supposed to have a family reunion, we wanted to show them our home, our beautiful town, our shop, so what is this?

"Come, let's go" Jungkook repeats softly before pulling me with him and from there, I can only follow like a puppet as Namjoon takes charge of the situation when the strong facade that Jungkook tries to keep on wavers one too many times.

Everything feels like a dream, as if I'm watching from a distance as things unfold around me, Namjoon says things that echo so much in my head they can only form waves of sounds, their touch on my skin the only thing keeping me from crumbling down.

Namjoon takes the wheel while Jungkook sits at the back of the car with me, his arms always around me as he pushes my head to his shoulder while we get on the road for a reason that feels unreal, this has got to be a joke, a very bad prank.

I take a look at the time to see that it's ten and a half, which hospital are we going to?

"Can you go faster, Joon? That hospital is an hour away from here, we won't-" he swallows a sob before pushing the words out with difficulty, "we won't make it in time otherwise".

His soulmate looks at us through the rear-view mirror and nods his head before going faster as demanded, the air in the vehicle thick and hard to breath in, my heart breaks some more with each thump it makes within my chest, what sight will greet us once we make it there?

The silence is only disrupted by my quiet sobs as the two of them remain calm in appearance, but I know better than to believe such a facade that is only meant to appear strong when from within, Jungkook is hurting as much as I am while Namjoon hurts for us both.

We make it to the hospital under an hour.

Forty-four minutes and eleven seconds to be precise, I counted myself, I couldn't stop looking at the time.

It takes three minutes to find a spot in the parking lot and two to make it within the gigantic building, one to finally reach the counter, then two for them to find the room and to give us the directives.

Two minutes to wait for the damn elevator, one to reach the right floor, then five minutes of running through the corridors until we ask someone for the door to our parents' room, and then one minute before we finally reach the closed door that opens to their wounded bodies.

A doctor inside who appears to have been waiting for us says something, but Jungkook and I, we can't look away from our parents' unconscious bodies so Namjoon listens in our stead before thanking the man who leaves the room to give us space with a sincere apology.

"They... they're currently in a sort of coma, it could be the shock from the accident or something along those lines, but the doctor said it's possible they might be able to hear you so... if you have anything to say... now's the time" Namjoon explains softly with a hand on our shoulders each with a squeeze, he doesn't get an answer but he doesn't expect one.

A coma? So we can't even hear their voice one last time before they go? We get nothing at all, no squeeze of the hand, no kiss on the cheek, no weak smile followed by an I love you? We only get this horrible silence?

To see mom and dad with thick bandages covering their bodies, bandages that have turned red from losing too much blood, swollen and painful looking cuts that decorate their skin, bruises that act like paint strokes of colours, their eyes closed and lips parted with weak breathing that doesn't sound nearly enough, I can only stare in confusion, because it doesn't seem real, none of this feels real.

I make a shaky step forward, then another, and another, all the way until I stand between their respective beds and I gaze at them, take in the wounds that look even worse from up close, they don't look fake, fake wounds don't swell like this.

I raise a hand and cup mom's cheek, then dad's, so cold, they're so cold, and as realization starts to settle within me, that we're really about to lose them, it feels like my world crumbles in thousands of pieces.

"Mom? Dad?" I murmur, this weak hope within me that they might open their eyes to stare at me flickering to life for a brief moment, but when Jungkook back-hugs me, when his tears soak my shirt, the contrast of his warmth to their coldness is unmistakable.

I caress their cheeks again, disbelief warring with reality.

Dad trimmed his beard, it was so long the last time I had seen him but I'd told him to take care of it before coming over a few days ago, that he would scare the animals otherwise. He had laughed and agreed, our mom had told him the same thing that morning.

As for mom, she who always tried to look her best, makeup, clothes, hair, nails, jewelry, she went for a natural look today because she knew that Jungkook and I both find her the most beautiful when she's not trying to overdo it.

Why is it that even in such a state, I can't help but find them so beautiful? They are and it breaks my heart, because wasn't tonight supposed to have those faces showing smiles? Do we not get to see their smiles again anymore?

I move a hand to my mouth as I slide to the floor with a whimper and my twin follows, his sobs shake through his body and right into mine and we cry out our pain together.

We cry, because what we're seeing are lifeless corpses, unresponsive bodies, a deep silence coming from such loud people. It's unnatural, it's not right, this isn't them, our parents are always so joyful, full of laughter and smiles, their selves expressive and cuddly, warm and kind.

Our parents are full of life, yet it got sucked right out of them without any warning.

Namjoon stays at the back of the room with a hand over his face to quieten his cries, he's known us for three years now and never, never has he ever seen us in this state before and it breaks him, it makes him feel powerless, weak.

He had met our parents once before and understood instantly where our joy of living had come from.

They had accepted him in a heartbeat and treated him like family, Namjoon had never felt as accepted as he had at that moment and it had warmed his heart, him who had been rejected by his family many years ago.

He had met them only once, but they left a mark on his soul, a mark in the shape of a heart, he can't even imagine how painful it must be for us, he can see it, he can hear it, yet he knows that it's only a poor percentage of what we're truly feeling.

Because Jungkook and I feel deeply, our love rising to heavens that no one has ever heard of before for the people we care about, for the people we have accepted into our heart.

We don't love a little, we love until there's not an inch of free space in our soul anymore, every ounce of who we are meant for the people dear to us.

Losing our parents... it's shrinking all that love into a tight ball that then threatens to burst at any moments, a ball of love that when it explodes, will give birth to a whole new universe that will have so much more to give, but it hurts, it hurts so badly.

Jungkook wipes his face after what feels like an eternity, he takes in a deep breath to try and pull himself together before pulling me up with him, and then he pushes the two beds together before moving dad to mom's bed so they can be together until their last breath.

I help him as much as I'm able to, but every so often, I can't help but fall into another fit of tears, they did everything together, they were inseparable but why do they have to die together on top of everything?

Namjoon keeps staring from where he is because he knows us enough to know that this is between Jungkook and I.

All our plans of caring for our parents when they would lose of their independence, this is us doing it now, this is our last chance of showing them how grateful we are for all that they did for us, our last chance at giving back at least some of the love they always showered us with.

Jungkook kisses their cheeks one at a time, he takes their hands before kissing their knuckles and then intertwines their fingers together, the exact same way they've always held hands, just like roots merging together.

They were trees that grew next to each other all their life, trees that felt everything as one, their love for each other, their love for us, their love for life, they inspired us in so many ways.

Jungkook and I stare at their hugging forms in silence for many long minutes, the both of us holding onto the other with a tight grip, because we know, tonight is the last time we see them with a heart still beating.

And when midnight ticks, they draw their last breath at the same time and the tight ball of love that kept contracting more and more within our soul shatters, and it takes everything with it.

Two men receive all of it right in the heart.

Their POV

At first, it's a weird sensation.

Like a flower that starts blooming, it's a sensation of a dimmed feeling growing stronger and stronger until it fills all of their soul, their bodies shake from the sheer strength of such a pure wave of energy and they lose all strength to keep standing.

Jin crashes to the ground first and Yoongi second, their eyes meeting from across the room with panic because they don't understand what is going on.

But then they hear it, the wail of lamentation, the cries, the sobs, just... pure pain.

It fills their mind, their heart, their soul, all of them, every inches resonating with that voice that pulls at their heartstrings with force and agony.

It's a pull that begs for them, it hurts them, it makes them want to cry, and then it makes sense.

Jin swallows a whimper when he understands that it's their missing one, the relief that he should've felt nowhere near the surface of his heart when all he can hear is such pain, the feelings that fill his soul unlike anything he has ever felt before, something is wrong, terribly wrong.

Yoongi tries to force himself to sit up, but his body feels so heavy that he decides to crawl all the way to Jin instead, his need to be with his soulmate stronger than the weakness that is currently overwhelming all of him.

It feels as if someone is stepping over his body again and again to keep him from reaching the other man and it terrifies him, the heavy sobbing that echoes in his head making him want to break into a run to join their youngest soulmate, yet he can't find the strength to move at all and it's the worst feeling he has ever experienced in all of his life.

Yoongi finally reaches Jin and they both join hands, fingers and knuckles turning white from how tight their hold is, they are stunned and taken aback by the suddenness of the events.

"You're hearing this too, Yoongi, I'm not the only one hearing this, am I?" Jin asks with a whimper, tears are already running down his cheeks, his soul has gone from one pain to the other, he never expected to be welcomed into their last soulmate's life this way.

"I can hear it too, hyung... Can you hear us, sweetheart? Can you hear our voice?" Yoongi asks with a lump in his throat, the feelings that are swarming him so intense that he can barely handle it, is there anything they can do to help their soulmate?

The sobbing abruptly ends to give place to unsteady breathing and they hear a soft voice fill their soul, they would melt from the sound alone if they weren't feeling all of the pain currently sent to them through the soul bond.

'Are you... are you my soulmates? Did it finally happen?" the trembling voice asks them, shock and pain merging into the sound and they both nod desperately, yes, yes of course they are.

"We are, baby, oh we have waited for so long for you and to hear you cry like this... it breaks our heart, what's wrong? Is there anything we can do for you right now?" Jin asks and they get a heavy silence for a few seconds before the voice returns with a sad muffled sob that splits Yoongi's soul in half.

'Mom and dad... they're dead, we just lost them, they're gone'.

"Oh sweetheart" Yoongi gasps with teary eyes, what kind of sick game is fate playing on them?

'They were supposed to spend the weekend with my brother, his soulmate and I but...' there's a pause before the voice resumes with a sniffle, 'we waited for hours without any news and then we got the call from the hospital, we left right away but once there... we could do nothing else except stare at them until they stopped breathing' the voice explains with such a sadness that emanates from it that Jin and Yoongi would physically fight death in person if they could, their soulmate is currently processing grief and the distance has never been as much an enemy as it is now.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry, so sorry, we're here with you, okay? You're not alone, are you? Is your brother with you?" Yoongi asks the pained soul with a hand over his mouth, he wants to drop everything he was doing and take the first plane to wherever it is they have to go now, but they can't until they manage to get more information and right now doesn't appear to be a time for that.

'Jungkook is with me, Namjoon is here too' their soulmate answers weakly with another loud sniffle and Yoongi nods in slight relief while Jin rubs his face, he can't believe their baby is suffering like this right now and they can't do anything about it.

"Alright... I'm really sorry about your loss, baby, truly sorry" the eldest soulmate whispers and they hear a weak hum in response before silence takes over again, it must be so much to handle in one night.

The voice breathes in and out deeply and they feel the merged emotions within them try to find clarity, but it's like a bucket filled with paints of different colours that have all started to mix into one another, what sense can you make out of such a mess when you can barely differentiate the colours anymore?

'I'm really sorry that this is how the Soul voice experience had to happen, I... gosh, I was so excited about it but I'm such a mess right now' they hear next and their souls twist at the words uttered, how can their soulmate even apologize for being in pain?

"Don't you worry about it, baby, the soul bond just connected so that means it's the middle of the night, isn't it? How about you try and get some rest? Stay with your brother and be there for each other, we'll talk later in the morning, how's that?" Jin offers with a concerned frown, he doesn't want to stop talking but he can't be selfish, he finds their soulmate pretty good for even holding a conversation with them right now.

'Yeah... Namjoon said we should get back home for now and take the time to process this tomorrow with a rested mind, he's probably going to stay up all night to watch over us though, that's just how he is'.

"Okay, you do that, Jin and I will be right here if you need anything so don't be afraid to reach out, okay? That's what this bond is for after all, it's there to connect us" Yoongi murmurs and they get a small okay in response.

'Thank you for talking with me even though I'm in this state... I'll... I'll try to get my wits together tomorrow, I just feel so empty right now, it was a huge shock and I'm not sure how to feel at the moment'.

Goodness... a shock, they say? It's a crumbling-world event, Yoongi and Jin can't even imagine going through the same thing with a composed mind, they would be bawling their eyes out.

"Take your time, we'll be waiting. Just like Yoongi said, we're right here if you need anything" Jin repeats his soulmate's words and from there, the bond dims until their soul clears of all emotions that weren't theirs to leave them feeling just as empty as their baby.

They remain sat on the floor for what feels like an eternity, hands still holding onto one another as they try to process, they won't get to sleep until they hear their voice again, they both know that, there will be no rest for both groups this night.

Jin and Yoongi look down at their marks and despite the sight greeting their eyes, the third dot no longer black but purple, they can't feel joy, not when the price of their bond finally connecting had to be their soulmate's parents.

What a terrible price to pay for forcing fate's hand.