There will be many POVs in this one! It's also going to be a long chapter, it took me a while to be inspired for this one but I finally did it!

Honestly, I'm really proud of this story, it goes deep, definitely not filled with fluff, it's very different from what I usually write, but I worked really hard on it and I hope it pleases you all nonetheless even though there's not the romance I usually do. Tell me what you think when you're done please 🥺

"We'll always protect you, no matter what. We love you".

---

Today is another long day at the shop. One would think that selling shoes would be a never ending struggle for people, but where I work, they come in and leave just as fast.

Rich people don't have time to waste.

I compile the checks I was given today as payments and make sure to put every single one in the right folders, one for each customers, all of them VIPs.

The amount of contact I get with people here is close to zero and when they do talk to me, it's to complain that I'm not fast enough, but my manager knows better than to comply to them, he knows I'm one of the best here.

He likes to say that I'm suited to work for the worst mafia gangs because I know what I'm doing and I don't cower in front of intimidating people without it being any sort of defiance. I just go with the flow while also knowing my worth.

Apparently, it's rare here. Workers either submit so much to the customers' demands that they get burnouts, or they focus too much on the fact that we should all be equals and end up making the shop lose loyal customers.

I'm a perfect in between.

"You sure you didn't hang out with future mafia people when younger?" Eunwoo asks me and I shrug as I start making the inventory of what we have left.

"I'll tell you the day I remember something about my past".

He hums. "Have you ever tried seeing someone for your memory? Maybe hypnosis? Don't you want to remember?" he asks again, and again, I shrug.

"Not really. Does it really matter? If anyone knew me, they would have showed up sooner or later. No one did, I'm assuming I don't have family or friends and if that's the case, I'm better off not remembering. I'm doing well right now and that's all that matters" I tell him, watch as he offers me a tight-lipped smile.

"That's your choice, lovely. Do you want to come to our place for dinner tonight? Sanha and Jinjin have been asking me to invite you, the guys all want to spend time with you, it's been a while since the last time".

I smile and nod. "Sure, I'd love that" I tell him and his smile brightens instantly. "Great, I'll tell them! They'll be thrilled" he muses, his excitement making me chuckle.

I focus back on my task as we close up the shop, his words swirling in my mind over and over again.

As much as I try to act like I don't care, not remembering does bother me. I always have this dream, one that's filled with seven people. I feel like I know them, but I can't see any of their faces, I barely see anything.

It feels like something I would've heard before falling unconscious, the only thing that my mind has been holding onto since I woke up at the hospital. I've been trying to convince myself that it's just my imagination, a way for me to feel like I belonged somewhere, that I wasn't just abandoned like that, left to myself with absolutely nothing, but after a few years, I had to come to understand that I was probably just lying to myself.

There's no one waiting for me anywhere. I was lucky enough to meet Eunwoo and the guys one day when I was job-hunting. As soon as they saw me, they walked up to me and although at first I was really intimidated, what with them having a strong aura, they ended up being really nice.

Eunwoo introduced me to this place and I got the job instantly. Since then, we've been close friends and they've been wonderful. They helped me settle somewhere not too far from where they live and they're always present when I need them.

Whenever Moonbin goes grocery shopping, he always asks me if I need anything but I usually just go with him, it's always fun. Sometimes Rocky is there, sometimes it's MJ. They feel like brothers and I honestly don't know what I would do without them.

The phone rings and I tilt my head, wondering who could be calling at this time of the day. The shop is closed and they should all be aware of our schedule, but still, Eunwoo makes his way over to answer, eyes not looking too surprised, maybe he was expecting someone to call.

He doesn't say anything, instead humming a few times and then hangs up the phone without looking up at me. "Sorry, the dinner will have to be pushed back. I'll drive you home, don't go out tonight okay? If you need anything, just call us" he says and I frown, wondering if everything is fine but I've learned to just go along when something like that happens.

"Are the guys alright?" I ask, unable to stop myself from worrying. It's not often, but sometimes, they do come back wounded.

He smiles and pats my head gently. "They'll be fine, don't worry. Let's go".

Without waiting for my approval, he takes my hand and leads me forcefully outside of the shop and to his car in a hurry, eyes looking around and searching for something. I do notice a black car not too far from his and he seems to notice it too, his gaze hardening on it before he throws my door open and makes me sit inside.

By now, my heart is beating faster and faster in my chest because as Eunwoo sits inside and starts up the car, the other black car's light also turn on and another one appears a little further away.

Eunwoo tsks his tongue and tests my seatbelt to make sure it's solid. "Hold on tight, lovely, it won't be a fun ride" he warns me and I nod, hand going to grip onto anything I can just as he hits the accelerator with strength, the tires screeching on the asphalt before our car quickly gains in speed.

I force myself to breathe slowly, as hard as it is as a race starts, us being chased by now three black cars. I want to ask what the fuck is going on, but I know better than to ruin Eunwoo's concentration as he drives between so many cars.

I trust him to not kill us in an accident, I'm more worried about why we're being chased. I look behind us to see them stuck behind a few cars and Eunwoo turns left with a sharp turn of the steering wheel.

I gasp, not having expected it and hit my head against the window with a groan. My friend's eyes widen and he looks at me briefly. "Are you okay?!".

I bring a hand to the sting I feel on my head and when I pull back, it's to see blood on my fingers. I shut my eyes as a wave of dizziness hits me and I try to stay conscious, something I struggle with for a few seconds.

That was an awful impact, never thought I'd get a fucking concussion in a car. "I'm fine, it's nothing" I tell him as I dry my fingers on my black pants, hoping it won't show too much, my clearly affected brain not thinking too brightly at the moment.

"Y/N, I'm not stupid, I saw the blood. I'm so sorry, I should've warned you before turning, are you hurting a lot? Are you dizzy? Fuck, should I bring you to the hospital?" he asks, a swarm of questions that only serve to give me a headache.

"Too many questions, Woo-ah, I'm fine, just bring me home please" I tell him and he frowns before nodding, not convinced but I can tell he doesn't have many options, there's clearly something happening tonight and I'm getting in the way.

"I'll call a friend, I'll ask them to hang out nearby in case something happens, text him if you need anything, I'll give you his number" he says as we reach my building and I nod, the sting from my head becoming a low painful throb.

He parks in the underground parking of the condo complex where they made me settle and gets his phone out before contacting a number.

"Hey, Namjoon-ah, I need your help".

I react to the name as if it's one I recognize and suddenly, a headache like I've never had before hits me with strength, drills making holes in my brain and trying to pull it out bit by bit. I feel Eunwoo's hands on my arm and back as I bend forward, hands over my ears as a high ringing fills my mind, highly uncomfortable and I just want it to stop.

"Y/N lovely what's wrong?! Fucking hell, please get here soon and bring Jin hyung, she got hurt in the car, I think she might have a nasty concussion. Yes, thank you, truly, I'm sorry".

I'm not sure what happens next, but when I feel a pair of arms pulls me out of the car, I open my eyes to see Eunwoo gazing down at me with worried eyes, his lips moving but no sounds reach me.

I shut my eyes again and try to focus, but the ringing noise is overwhelming and destroying my senses. "It hurts" I manage to say and soon after, I feel my body float off the ground, arms encasing me to his chest as my head rests on his shoulder.

I open my eyes again to see that he scooped me up to save me the trouble of walking and he brings us to the elevator, but then he hesitates. "Is taking it going to hurt your head? Maybe I should take the stairs" he mumbles, his voice heard over the annoying noise.

I huff and shake my head weakly. "Just take the damn elevator, it's not like it's going to kill me".

I'm not going to have him carry me up five flight of stairs. Having to hold me up like that is enough already. He climbs the elevator and I pat his other shoulder. "I can make it there myself, you're in a hurry" I tell him but he shakes his head.

"Not before I make sure you're fine and settled at home. The guys can handle it a bit longer without me" he counters and I hum, knowing it's useless to try to win. Eunwoo knows them the best, as long as they don't get hurt because of me, then it's fine.

The ascension to my floor is far from comfortable and my grunts must not be as quiet as I want them to be, but it's tolerable and soon, the doors open to a small corridor. He walks to my door and enters the code before opening the door.

Smelling home helps settle my nerves and after removing his shoes, he takes me to the living room where he makes me lie down on the couch gently. He kneels by my side and cups my cheeks, waiting until my eyes fall on him to speak.

"Namjoon and Seokjin are going to come very soon. They are close friends along with their five other members, I trust them with my life and I know they'll take care of you well, okay? Don't be afraid when the door opens. Now I need to go but try to rest, Seokjin is a good doctor, he'll be able to take care of you properly" he explains and I nod, eyes too tired to remain open already shutting against my will.

I feel his lips press against my forehead before his heat leaves my side. It doesn't take too long until I fall asleep.

---

I hear the door open but where I would expect to hear voices, at least whispers, it's utter quiet.

My mind feels like jello, as if my brain went into the blender but I force myself to open my eyes and notice the darkness in the room. Wasn't the light turned on? Eunwoo wouldn't have turned it off.

I sit up with a groan and look around me. I'm not crazy, I heard the door open.

That is until I feel something cold press against my neck. I freeze as a warm breath hits my ear and I get shivers of disgust across my body.

"Make noise and I'm slicing your throat open". I resist nodding my head, afraid of moving my skin across the knife that rests against my skin and stay still, lungs trying to breath as quietly as I can while panic quickly fills me, an adrenaline rush making my previously fuzzy mind now work perfectly clear to try and save my skin.

What do I do? Can I make it out of here by myself? Can I knock him out without dying? Is there really nothing I can do? Where are the friends Eunwoo talked about? Are they not coming? How long has it been since I fell asleep?

A hand grabs my arm harshly and pulls me up to my feet and the stranger's body presses against my back to keep me close, knife remaining exactly where it was on my neck.

"We will exit into the corridor and to the stairs, I repeat it again, if I hear you make a single noise, you're dead" he warns me before opening the door to push me outside, uncaring of the fact that I'm not wearing my shoes anymore, something Eunwoo must have taken care of without me realizing so the cold floor makes me hiss.

"Not a fucking sound" the voice growls and I nod lightly, afraid of what he'll do. To my relief, he just continues to push me until we reach the stair case and we begin our descent, my body never fast enough for him as he pushes me and makes me almost fall more than once.

Halfway, he suddenly makes us stop and gets his phone out of his pocket, knife still against my throat. I manage to look down at the screen to see a message.

They're here. Hurry.

"Fuck. Move, faster" he pushes me again after putting his phone back in his pocket and soon, we enter the underground parking lot.

Right away, a black car stops in front of us and the door opens. The last thing I remember is a bag thrown over my head and a hit to the back of my neck.

Namjoon's POV

When I end the call with Eunwoo, I jump up to my feet and run to Jin's room where he's resting after the long day he had.

He won't be happy that I wake him up, but she's in danger and I know he would never forgive me if I don't tell him. Anyway, she's wounded and needs treatments.

The boy is going to get it from me when I see him. How could she get hurt in his car, for fuck's sake? Without knocking, I enter inside to find him sprawled like a star in the middle of his king size bed.

I quickly make my way to him and shake him awake, his grunts telling me I'm very near to getting hit in the face by his fist and indeed, I pull back just in time to feel the wind of his hit against my nose.

"Hyung, now's not the time, Y/N needs us" I tell him, the magic name making him sit up instantly, tired eyes wide open and focusing on me.

"What do you mean she needs us? We can't go, Namjoon-ah, that's why we made Eunwoo's gang take care of her, we can't get close to her again" he says and I sigh, knowing that, but there's only so much we can avoid.

"Eunwoo called me and asked me to come over. Something's going on, I called a contact and the others are fighting against a foreign gang, they seem to be after her. I don't know where they got that info, but word is spreading around that she's important to us and now they want her to get to us" I explain as I make my way to the door.

"Fucking hell" he mumbles before jumping to his feet. "I'm getting dressed and coming down right away, get the car ready" he says and I nod, already about to do that. "On it".

Your POV

"Y/N baby! Look! I found your favorite flowers on the way!" a voice exclaims and I turn around to see a boxy smile before looking down to his hands that are holding a beautiful bouquet of pink daisies.

I gasp and run to him before jumping in his arms to hug him tight and his laugh fills my ears, so much joy in a single sound as his arms close around me.

"Thank you Ta-"

A sharp sting to my cheek has me waking up in shock and I look around me to find myself in a dark room, body tied to a wood chair right in the middle of the space.

I try to move but obviously, being tied means I can't. A snort makes me looks up to see a man gazing down at me, his arms crossed over his chest as he sits on a stool in front of me.

"Finally awake? You sleep for an awful long time for someone in such a sticky situation. I slapped you a few times before you woke up" he says and I understand now why my face feels so swollen. That wasn't just a one time.

"Who are you?" I ask, not expecting an answer but I still need to start somewhere. This somehow doesn't feel new for me, but it doesn't mean it's not scary. He hums.

"Who I am? You really don't recognize me? I guess the rumors were true, you really forgot everything" he muses, an amused smile playing on his lips.

I frown at him. "What the fuck are you talking about?" I ask him and he bursts into laughter.

"Still as fiery as ever, I like that. You know, I used to have such a fat crush on you when younger, but those boys were always with you, never leaving us a chance to get close to you. I thought I'd gotten over those feelings but seeing you like that in front of me, so vulnerable..." he chuckles, a chilling sound that makes my blood grow cold.

"I love it" he ends before licking his lips slowly.

I try to move again, at least to put some space between us but I can't even move my feet. I groan and glare at him, daring him to try anything. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you" he croons and when he stands up to walk to me, a hand going to graze my cheek, I tilt my head away from his touch, disgust washing over me.

He sighs and shakes his head. "Such a pity that you don't remember. It would have been fun to see terror in your eyes as you process that the same thing is going to happen again" he says as he steps back.

What happened before? I don't know, but his words make me fear for the worse. No doubt that being here won't be fun.

Jin's POV

Fuck fuck FUCK.

"She's not here. She's gone" Namjoon says as he comes back from the corridor with panicked eyes.

"They got her first. Call Jungkook and ask him to hack the cameras for the stair case and the underground, she couldn't disappear like that, Eunwoo said she fell asleep before he left" I tell him, remembering clearly his description when I'd called on the road to her place.

He'd said that she was most likely to have a concussion because of the hunt, that she'd hit her head when he made a sharp turn and that blood coated her fingers when she touched her skull.

I will majorly slap the shit out of him when I see him, but for now, we need to find her. She's everything to us and to know her in danger is making my blood boil in anger and freeze in fear.

I don't want a repeat of the past and a good look at Namjoon tells me he's thinking the same. That day where everything went downhill was the day that we broke. We promised to do our best to keep her safe, even if it meant staying away and yet, we failed a second time.

"Jungkook is reviewing the tapes. He's going to send them over soon" Namjoon tells me and I nod, eyes looking around to try to find anything, any little signs of who's behind that. I head to the kitchen and there, on the counter, the worst thing I could possibly see.

Pink daisy petals. They're fucking sick, playing this game on us! I hit the wall in anger and notice next to the pile a little note. I grab it quickly while Namjoon reaches my side.

Remember that day when I snatched her from your fingers? When I brought her in for a game the first time? How is he handling that memory? I'm sure he must have been miserable since then, poor little baby! I'm offering you all a second chance to redeem yourselves. I have a new little game, let's have fun, shall we?

Fucking sick bastards.

Namjoon grabs his phone in a hurry before bringing it to his ear.

"Jimin, grab Taehyung and Hoseok, get weapons and ammunition, it's them. They got her" he growls and I can only imagine our younger's reaction at this revelation, I know I am fuming. They started a war.

And oh will they regret it.

"Jungkook found the car, let's go" Namjoon suddenly says and I run after him out of her place. Just give us some time, just some time, Y/N. We're coming.

We won't do the same mistake twice.

Your POV

I'm taken to a wide room that looks like a labyrinth. There's a freaking maze made of tall bushes inside.

"They're coming soon so we're going to play a little game. I'm giving you a head start, you can start running and try to make it to the exit first, but you'll realize that it's not as easy as you think it is. After maybe... five minutes, I will start sending in men and their goal will be simple. To catch and kill you. You can try to hide, but my men are good at finding what they're told so I would say running is your best bet. If you make it to the exit, I release you, no questions asked. How's that?" the man says and I gulp, getting a very bad feeling from this.

"Why are you even doing this?" I ask him, not understanding anything. Why me?

He sighs and shakes his head. "Maybe this experience will help you remember. Ah but first, before you start running, wear this costume. There's only a single thing differentiating it from the others, I wonder if they will be able to tell you apart this time" he says with a laugh before throwing clothes at me.

"Who the fuck is them? Who are you talking about?" I ask, annoyed. He shrugs and leans against the wall, eyes on me. "You'll see soon enough. Now get changed, I want to see you" he says with a sick smile.

"Down to the underwear. Remove everything" he adds.

I glare at him, ashamed and angered. He's enjoying this way too much, it's disgusting.

Whoever it is he's talking about, I truly hope they can tell me apart from those trying to kill me. I don't want to die.

Taehyung's POV

I can't believe it.

We should have kept an eye on her, we should've made sure she would be safe ourselves. I don't blame Eunwoo's gang for not seeing this coming because we didn't either, but it still pisses me off.

She was supposed to lead a happy life. She forgot everything, she was supposed to be able to lead a normal life now, so why the fuck does it have to happen again?

I keep the past like a haunted memory in mind. I'd been the one to find her first, but they just had to hide her in a fucking disguise. I didn't think, I shot.

Fucking good thing I was distracted when I shot and missed her heart, I would've never forgiven myself if I'd killed her, I wouldn't survive the guilt.

"We can expect the same scenario, right? They'll try to hide her as one of theirs" Hoseok asks, a permanent frown on his face as he drives the car.

Jimin looks at me and squeezes my hand tightly before nodding. "I'm sure, they're sick bastards, we'll have to keep an eye open, she won't remember us" he says, words that make my heart sting in pain, that she doesn't remember us.

It hurts so much to love someone, but it hurts even more to know that this is all my fault. I failed to keep her safe, I hurt her and the shock caused her to forget about us. I just want to hold her in my arms again and hug her close, to tell her how sorry I am, how much I regret it, but is that even possible?

I ruined it for all of us. Made the others lose her too, yet they never took it against me. They hugged me when I cried, they comforted me when I wanted to give up and showed me love when I wanted to end it all.

They were with me through the worse and slowly, very slowly, things started to get better. Watching her from afar and seeing her lead a normal life made me believe that maybe this was for the best.

She wouldn't be in danger anymore, she would be safe from all that comes with the mafia world. We're strong, but when it comes to those we love, we are weak.

And for her? I am weak as a flower, yet strong as a diamond. What I would do to keep her safe, what I would do to show her love, only her can make me feel that way. Only her can both destroy and heal me.

"We'll get her back, Tae, we won't do the same mistake twice, I promise" Hoseok tells me, eyes gazing into mine from the rear-view mirror. I nod at him, wanting to believe that everything will be fine this time.

We'll save her from this shit hole and after that, we do a better job at protecting her. I'm not keeping her away anymore.

Your POV

I hate this. As I run through the corridors, the mask on my face is a real nuisance. I can't see anything other than what's in front of me. Is this how horses feel during races? When they can't see their left and right, when all they see is the path ahead?

They run, that's all they can do. They run blindly and only hope to make it to the end.

I have no idea how long I've been running, but what I know is that my head hurts. It hurts so much. It's like memories trying to come back to the surface, but my brain tries to reject them. They're dangerous, painful.

Yet the situation, it makes everything out of my control. Flashbacks of smiles, of laughter get cut off by screams of pain and blood.

Warm and loving hugs become cries and tears.

I once wore a costume like this. I once wore it and I almost died because of it.

Almost died from the hands of someone I loved dearly. I get the feeling that it wasn't on purpose. They wanted to save me, but I looked like the enemy, of course I would be treated like one.

My heart hurts, but I don't know if it's because of the pain I know he must have gone through or if it's because of what I had to go through myself. Names come back to mind and they both make me long and fear, but I can't tell for what reasons.

I don't fear them, but I fear something. Is it forgetting them? The fear of not remembering them? They seemed very important to me. They are important to me.

It's so many thoughts that run through my mind, that make me confused and because of them, I don't realize that my five minutes have long since gone.

Not until I hear a noise behind me. I turn around to see the shadow of someone getting closer and I start running, afraid for my life. The man did say that their goal would be to kill me. I need to find the exit, if only I can make it to the end!

Would he keep his words and let me go? Can I even make it there? I just want to remove the damn mask but I can't, he locked it to the rest of the outfit, I can't remove anything. Breathing feels hard, like I'm suffocating and panic nearly swallows me whole as I turn another corner to get as far away from my pursuers as possible.

I don't want to die.

Not when I'm just starting to remember snippets of a life I used to love living. One that was shared with seven wonderful men. They were feared by most, they were strong and dangerous, but in my eyes, they were the most loving people in the whole world.

I want to see them again. I want to tell him that I'm not mad at him for shooting me. I want to tell them all that I forgive them, that it's not their fault.

I remember clearly now the last thing they told me - "We'll always protect you, no matter what. We love you" - .

It was them. I remember all those days when I got help from strangers, dangers that were avoided all of a sudden, stalkers disappearing without a noise, times I'd thought I'd gotten lucky, they now become times where I was protected.

By them.

Eunwoo and the others... They must have approached me at their request. When they saw me the first time, they knew who I was. I remember their eyes, it wasn't hazard. They came to me with a purpose.

The job that was so easy to get, lodging me in one of their buildings, always being there for me.

The friendship that we developed is real, but they approached me at Bangtan's request. I'm sure of that. The more I think, the more I remember and it feels liberating, all the beautiful times we spent together, memories that bring tears to my eyes, heart melting and burning, fear mixing with relief as I keep running, my lips begging even more to survive, to see them.

I want to see them so much.

"She's there!" I hear suddenly and my tears become out of panic, lips quivering as I try to run faster. But when I end up in a dead-end, my heart stops.

Yoongi's POV

I'll kill them all. I'll kill every single bastards. I'll keep the boss for last and I will make him suffer for days, I'll make sure to keep him alive for long enough to make him experience just how painful and disgusting he made my life into when he took her away from us.

She was supposed to be safe, but when Namjoon called Jungkook to ask him to find trace of her, it was like my heart shattered. A fragile vase too near the edge of the table and a little bit of wind was just enough to make it fall.

It broke in so many parts, but now I have a weapon.

The shards have sharp edges and they are exactly what I intend to use to make them all regret laying a hand on her. They will feel my wrath and they will regret their first breath, I will make sure of it.

"We're almost there, hyung" Jungkook says, his words pulling me out of my thoughts and I nod, eyes looking outside to see the others' cars on the road in front of us. We managed to regroup and I hope they're ready for what's to come. I hope they're ready because no one is stopping me.

Not a single man will survive in there. Not until I find the love of my life. My only reason for being alive in this world, her and the boys. Without any of them, I would've been dead a long time ago.

Y/N was actually the first one to befriend me at school. And I'd found her so damn annoying. She was this sunshine of smile and warmth and having it all directed at me was a nightmare. How could I, a child who lived in the darkness all his life suddenly live in the light? It made no sense.

But when I saw her bullied one day, something in me snapped.

Who did they think they were to try and taint the sun? I couldn't lose the only light that dared shine on me. The only warmth that managed to melt my ice. That day, I nearly killed them all but she stopped me with a gentle hug.

I remember that exact moment when I felt my broken pieces heal, when the ice fully melted and suddenly, I had eyes only for her.

Meeting the others was fucking hell, seeing them all fall for her, I couldn't bear it, but with time, when we teamed up together to survive in this world of danger, when we swore to keep her safe until our last breath, something clicked in place.

If it was us, just us, it would be fine. I would tolerate sharing her. Because I had just as much love for them as I had for her. And that love continued to grow, strong, warm, beautiful.

And then we lost her. It was hell, getting through that. We all struggled in our own ways, but Taehyung had it the worst. Watching him crumble and wail every night as he relived the seconds of her body falling down over and over again, we didn't have time to remain in our corners anymore.

We had to be strong to help him, to keep him with us. The amount of time I found him with a gun in hand, just gazing at it with empty eyes, the fear that filled me at the realization that he was analyzing his options, I never want to go through that ever again.

It will not happen again. This time, we're saving her and we're bringing her back with us.

Your POV

I don't know if that was on purpose, but a hole in the corner of the dead-end was just big enough for my body.

The problem now is that I don't know where I need to go to keep going. If I end up face to face with them again, I am dead. I look around me, try to hear where the voices come from but when I see shadows appear from both sides, I swear and crawl back onto the hole where I came from.

As I suspected, they're all gone. Now I need to go back closer to the beginning of the maze and try another path. If I take the previous ones, I'm just going to come face to face with one of the men. I have no doubt they'll try to go around to get to the other side of the large bush separating every corridors.

This is a huge risk I'm about to take, but I don't have a choice. It's either that or be killed anyway. I need to try to do what they won't expect me to do. That's what Yoongi taught me. Always do the opposite of what they believe but don't let them see it.

They need to believe that they have the upper hand until the end. With that in mind, I start screaming before hurrying away as fast as I can as I hear their feet rush to where I previously was. I snicker and make my way down another corridor, ears trying to tell every noises I hear apart, where they come from but when I hear shooting begin, I quickly crouch and freeze.

"She's somewhere in there, separate and keep an eye open, she's most likely in the same uniform as theirs!" I hear Namjoon's voice and I want to cry right here and now out of relief.

But then I feel something cold press against my head along with the sound of the safety being removed. "Found you".

Jungkook's POV

Once we raid the building, we kill every single assholes we see on the way until we end up in front of a door leading to a massive indoor maze.

We take some time to analyze who is where so we can take them down without being noticed when we hear her scream echo in the room.

My heart starts pounding in shock and I can barely stand still, Jimin and Taehyung in a similar state, pupils dilated and dark as we stare at the green walls that hide her from us.

Yoongi stares at us and starts pointing at different parts of the room, his hawk eyes seeing everything, the adrenaline making everything so much clearer as I almost see his skin jump with every beat of his heart in his neck.

We're all dying of nervousness. Namjoon looks at us all before getting in the room and we follow behind, guns shooting every bodies Yoongi showed us.

"She's somewhere in there, separate and keep an eye open, she's most likely in the same uniform as theirs!" Namjoon shouts and we all nod before taking different directions, Jimin, Hoseok, Yoongi and Taehyung taking the entrance while Namjoon, Jin and I run around the maze to start from the exit.

My whole body is shaking in nerves and I take in a deep breath before separating from my two elders to try and find her.

Gunshots start being heard and I pray that none of them are against her, that she'll get out of here without being hurt, without having to bleed. I wish she could keep her smile forever, the same way she helped me to discover mine.

I was the last one to meet the group. When I arrived, they all looked close, but there always seemed to be a competition between them to see who would impress her the most, who she would fall for first.

I didn't understand why, at first. It was such a waste of time and more than once did I try to step away from them, to separate myself from such a weird group, but Y/N, there was something about her.

The way she would smile at me.

It was never out of malice. Her eyes were always filled with love, warmth, happiness. I remember thinking often that she had to be dumb. She was naive, vulnerable and weak. This world would eat her up and chew on her like you chew on a bone at the end of the meal. She wouldn't survive.

At the time, I was smaller, cuter, I hated that because that made people look down on me. They'd team up on me and beat the shit out of me everyday after school and then I'd go back to an empty house limping.

One day, Y/N found me while I was on the floor at their feet and she just... ran over and pushed them all to the ground. She stood in front of me and told them that she wouldn't hesitate to beat them up if they touched me again, strong or not.

They knew better than to attack her, she had six scary men behind her at all time and they knew they were dead meat if they hurt her. But she didn't give a shit about that, she was ready to beat them up herself.

When she turned around and crouched besides me, where I expected to see pity for someone weak, I saw a bright smile, she was fucking beaming in pride. "You saw that?! I made them run away! I did it all by myself!" she said and I couldn't help the laughter that had left me that day.

Idiot. I wanted to tell her that it wasn't her, they fled because they were scared shitless of the guys, but her smile, it was so beautiful that I just couldn't burst her bubble. I'd taken the hand she had offered me to help me up and from there, she never let go.

There was no staying away from her, never. Y/N was the magnet that united us, gave us strength, gave us purpose, a family.

And now it's my turn to do the same. I'm going to stand in front of her and then I'll smile at her, take her hand and lead her out of here and never let go.

Your POV

Everything happens quickly. The click of the trigger about to shoot a bullet into my brain, the sound of the bullet leaving the gun, the shock that shakes through me when his body falls on mine, heavy and lifeless.

What the heck just happened? The body quickly gets pushed off me and I look up to see Jimin staring at me with wide eyes, fingers quickly going to get the mask off after undoing the locks.

The wave of fresh air that fills my lungs as soon as it falls doesn't last long when he takes me in his arms tightly, a sob leaving his throat that has a lump forming in my own.

I hug him back and gently pat his back, just like I used to when he would come to me crying. Seeing him get every single doors leading to his dream slammed in his face was heartbreaking, but nothing could be worse than feeling him shake in my arms.

I bring a hand to the back of his head and press a kiss on his temple, notice him freeze as realization hits him. He pulls back and stares at me with hopeful wet eyes, cheeks drowned by tears.

I smile at him and cup his cheeks to get rid of the trails. "I remember. I'm sorry it took me so long... thank you for coming to save me, Jiminie" I murmur and just as a sob threatens to leave his lips at my words, I see an enemy appear from the corner behind Jimin.

Without thinking, I grab the gun that was previously pointed at my head and shoot at the man, eyes staring at him until his body falls down with a thud.

Jimin turns around and quickly jumps up to his feet with a swear, his emotions having gotten the best of him. He takes a quick look around to make sure no one else is nearby. "Guys, I found her!" he screams before coming back to me, eyes falling on my shocked state.

I just killed a man. I drop the gun, hands shaking uncontrollably as it slowly gets processed in my mind.

It was to save Jimin, but I killed a living being. I did exactly what I didn't want happening to me.

And that brings me back a new memory, one that was locked away for a long time.

Jimin's POV

Seeing her stare at her hands with wide eyes makes me want to hit myself.

I let my joy and relief at finding her get the best of me, so much that I forgot to make sure the perimeter would be safe.

Her reacting so fast to grab the weapon and shoot behind me took me aback and I knew right then that I had failed her. I should've been happy once somewhere safe but no, I always have to do things in the wrong order.

Her touch felt so comforting, hearing my name leave her lips made fireworks explode in my chest, heart beaming in so much relief that I was just about ready to wail like a baby and that almost cost us our life.

I notice the exact moment when she shuts down, hands shaking so much that it's not just fear, it's not just shock, not with the face she's making. I crouch in front of her and cup her cheeks, try to get some eye contact but she's gone, I don't know where, but she's gone.

I pull her in my arms and rock her softly as I hear the others join us, their eyes wide and panicked when they see her state.

Jin is first to throw himself to the ground next to us, hands patting her body and taking a look at her face and head to see anywhere she could've gotten hurt, fingers gently moving her face so he can take a look at her eyes and he frowns before looking at me.

"What happened?" he asks as Hoseok and Taehyung kneel by us, teary eyes taking everything of her, hands hesitating to touch her as if it would make her disappear.

I feel my tears come back, shame and guilt flooding through me. "I messed up hyung, she... she remembered me, I didn't take a look around first, she- she shot one of them before I even felt his presence. She became like that right after, I don't know what's going on" I tell him, eyes falling on each of them until I see understanding flash through Namjoon's eyes.

"I... I think I know but for now, let's take her out of here" he says, lips pressed into a tight line as he and Jungkook help me up and none of them attempt to take her from my arms, which I appreciate. I can't let go, not yet. Not when she's like this because of me, I need to make things better.

We exit the maze and Yoongi stops, which has us looking at him in confusion. "You guys go, I have someone to find first" he says and his words prompt something in Jungkook because the next thing we know, he's following behind the older man.

The two of them disappear into a corridor and Jin lead the rest of us outside, Hoseok's arm around my shoulders while Taehyung flanks my other side, his eyes not leaving her form. We walk past dead bodies and when we reach the outside, it's dark, clearly late in the night.

Jin tells us to wait while he go gets the car and we nod, Hoseok and Namjoon the only ones keeping watch as Taehyung and I can't help but gaze down at her, her now closed eyes moving as if she's having a nightmare, eyebrows furrowed and anxious lines decorating her face.

"Did she... did she really remember you?" Taehyung suddenly asks and I nod, remembering the way she looked at me, the way she touched me and said my name, there is no doubt. "She did, I'm thinking the maze must have brought back memories" I mumble, unable to feel the relief I previously felt.

She should've never had to touch a weapon. It wasn't supposed to happen, we didn't want her to taint her hands, to get someone else's blood on her beautiful skin. She's our flower, our angel, this should've never happened and I ruined everything.

"She'll be fine, Jimin-ah, we'll take care of her" Hoseok affirms and I look up to meet his gaze, see only sincerity in his orbs. I nod, thankful that he's able to be so hopeful and turn my head to the car getting closer.

I look back at the building, knowing that the two of them will be fine before stepping inside at the back, Namjoon at the front while Hoseok and Taehyung sit besides me, Y/N's feet resting on Taehyung's lap.

"Didn't we come in with three cars?" I ask and Hoseok shrugs. "Jungkook stole a car, they can take the other one when they're done" he says and I nod, not surprised. Jungkook often enjoys stealing cars for a day, just for the thrill of it.

"Now, Namjoon-ah, how about you tell us what you know that we apparently don't about her?" Jin asks and we all stare at him to see him sigh and nod.

"Y/N... didn't have a happy childhood. She killed her parents to protect her little brother. She was sadly the only survivor at the end of that night".

Your POV

Old memories keep flooding in. Beatings I would get from mom and dad, hearing my little brother scream in pain in the middle of the night only to find him bleeding on the floor the next morning when I would be sent to fetch him for breakfast.

He was frail, weak and my universe. He was everything to me. My precious little brother.

I remember promising him one day that we would run away together. I was doing my best to make that possible. I would avoid eating at school when mom would give me money for lunch and keep it in a secret pouch at school.

I didn't know how much we would need, but I was very intent on getting us out of there.

Then one day, his screams... they were louder than usual. Filled with so much pain and terror, I couldn't help but break the rule of not leaving my room without permission. I went to the kitchen and there, I found a gun on the counter.

I had no idea how that shit was supposed to work, but I was about to find out. I played around with it and managed to see the bullets inside, it was loaded. I could remember briefly seeing dad push something before tucking it in a box, so I did the opposite and pulled on it.

I made my way to my brother's room and when I opened the door, I felt my blood drain from my face. Why was there so much blood? It didn't make sense for someone to lose so much of it. Seeing our parents with sharp knives in their hands, seeing my baby brother stare at me, eyes begging for release, to be freed from this nightmare, I remember thinking that this was the end.

Mom had turned around in confusion at seeing his attention focused on something else than her and when she saw me standing in the doorway, I saw anger flash across her face. I was not getting out alive either.

I did the only thing I thought I could. Pulled the gun from behind me and shot her. When dad turned around in shock, I shot him too. They didn't die right away. They crawled over to me, blood spilling out of their mouths, a trail of red behind them as they tried to reach me.

I shot them both in the head. I couldn't see these monsters alive anymore.

I remember making my way to my brother and seeing him in the bed, just bleeding continuously from all over his body. There was no way he was surviving. He'd begged me to take him out of his misery, asked me to smile so he could die with the prettiest of views.

He wanted to see me looking happy as I shot a bullet through his head. I couldn't deny him this request. We'd lived in shadows for so long, I did my best to be a sun for him, to show him light in the darkness and at that moment, I knew that I'd managed to do exactly that.

He'd called me his pretty sun. Said he would become a pretty star and follow me everywhere I would go, that he would help me be bright when I would feel dimmed. I mustered the most sincere smile I could manage that night and shot a bullet through his head.

And when I saw the light flee his eyes, I felt mine disappear entirely. I was left there, in a bloody room surrounded by three dead bodies.

I called the police, told them I'd killed my family, brought an end to my brother's suffering and brought an end to tyranny. They didn't understand what I'd meant until they got over and saw my brother.

Then followed many months of therapy where they'd make me relive the night over and over again and one day, one day I just couldn't remember anymore. As if my brain had had enough.

From there, I was made to start over, brought to a nice family and although I didn't know why, I kept looking for people that would remind me of someone.

I didn't know what exactly, but there were eyes that I was looking for. Eyes that needed to experience light.

Light I was ready to give because somewhere in my heart, there was a star also shining.

Hoseok's POV

The next following days, Jin has been by her side constantly.

Always taking notes of her vitals, making sure she would get all the nutrients her body needs until she would wake up.

It's been days of us being unable to leave the house anymore. We finally had her, but she was still gone.

After Namjoon told us about her past, we finally understood so many things about her. Her need to take care of us, to always make sure we were happy, her smiles when we were sad, hurt, broken. They always seemed brighter than they were in happy moments.

She was the girl with a heart of gold on a mission to bring light to those that drowned in darkness. She was our sun until we found the strength to become stars and here we were, gravitating around her, needing her warmth and her guidance to keep shining.

She brought together seven different young boys, each coming from different backgrounds and made us into one big family without even being aware of it. She linked us all together and she was the source of it all. She was the heart of this beautiful bond she had created.

And still today, still today, she is at the source of everything. She is our source of life, of light, of happiness, of love.

Even from a distance, as we learned to live without her by our sides, she still managed to put a smile on our face. When she would help elderly people cross a street. When she would trip on a rock and try to hide in embarrassment, when she would jump in joy, when her laughter would travel across the air and straight to us, she would always find a way to give us some of her light.

And now, as I sit on the bed by her side, as I look at her face, I wonder if that light will still be present.

And if it's gone, maybe it's sign that it's now our turn to give back. To become her sun.

We would become the suns that bring light in her darkness, and just like she healed us, we would heal her.

Because we love her and we would do anything for her.

I did not cry writing this. Not at all. Nope.