Though I can't understand your breath,

It's alright I'll hold you

Rain sat at the edge of her bed as tears rained down her cheeks. She had pushed Jin away before he could apologize and had requested some time in solace but now she sat wanting nothing other than someone to hug her, someone to take all the pain away, someone she could find comfort in. She peeked at her suite through her swollen eyes and was reminded yet again of how harsh she had been on Jin when it wasn't even his fault. 

Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm down but instead broke down in hysterics. Sucking rapid breaths in she rushed out of her room. Staggering to a stop near the banisters she saw the blurry image of the piano shining under the moonlight in the midst of the dark hallway. 

She didn't know how she got there nor did she know how she did it but as her fingers glided over the keys she created symphonies and melodies. Bursts of notes resonated inside the hall as sounds both high and low rebounded off the walls. Each time the tunes touched a crescendo, the melody darkened. Telling stories of despair, pain, fear and loss, stories she could not bring herself to say. She only came back to herself when a low voice broke her reverie. 

"Music. A beautiful symphony of various sounds, where you can reach both the lowest and the highest pitch. Every form of music has a meaning to it and every musician has a story to tell. You just need to figure out what that story is. Yours showed me immense sorrow and longing my child. Are you alright?"

Turning in her seat Rain squinted at the shadows in the hall until a figure stepped out from wall and walked till the moonlight lit his figure. A tall man in black drapes was staring intently at her. He had wide dark eyes with an unfamiliar amount of cold and tousled dark hair. She noticed how his shoulders were pulled back and his chin was held high. A stance that commanded authority and power of everything it encountered. But this wasn't what caught her attention it was the nagging feeling of having seen him somewhere before that set Rain on the edge. 

"I'm fine but...who are you?"

"I'm Zander"

Rain sucked in a sharp breath that didn't go amiss by Zander. She felt an undeniable hatred rising through her chest as she looked at him. He was the reason why she had lost her parents, lost her memories, lost her powers. Lost everything. 

Still she knew that he must have approached her with an intention and wanting to know about it made her keep a calm yet surprised face and listen to him.

"I see that you know who I am, so let me directly get to the point. I have an offer for you, one that will let you have your memories back".

"But- ", Rain stammered but before she could continue Zander held up a hand, palm facing upwards and it shined as if a thousand stars were glowing at once before the light took a shape of a long staff and dulled as the object materialized itself. Every inch of the silver staff was covered with carvings and it ended with a single glowing diamond shaped jewel. It was when she saw the carved 'V' at the base of the gem did it strike her that it was the very staff that Jin had told her about. 

It was the way back to Velros.

It was her only way back to her memories, back to her mother and father.

"What is the offer?", she questioned cautiously.

"I can give you this staff but in return you'll have to obey one command of mine with absolutely no objection"

Being sceptical she further asked, "And what is that command?"

"You'll know when the time comes". 

And with that he clenched the hand holding a staff and with another blast of light it turned into a locket of the shape of 'V'. Dangling it by the silver chain Zander gave Rain an alluring look. She pondered little over his condition, her mind preoccupied with the idea of getting her memories back. She did not wonder what price she would be paying for this. She didn't question how he knew her, she didn't question how he had gotten into the mansion or why he was helping her, instead she held out her hand automatically as if it had a mind of its own. 

"I agree to your offer"

Zander's lips curled upwards sinisterly. Instead of just dropping the locket into her hands he clasped her hand with the locket in between. 

"I'm casting a spell that will prevent you from backing out of my condition", he said, while Rain whimpered a little as a cold bracelet formed itself on her wrist. Moving closer to her he whispered, "If you break the promise you will suffer severe consequences".

"And yes you can use it only one time" 

With that Zander released her hand and with a flick of his cloak he disappeared into thin air. Rain stood there watching at the now empty space for a while before looking at the wrist that Zander had just grasped. On it rested a bracelet, simple with a design winding around it's concave surface. A pattern with leaves and a particular flower blossoming on the single branch as it entwined around the bracelet, reflecting just enough light to make it shine but not stand out. 

Opening her clenched fist she saw the locket. Holding it out against the early rays of sunshine she saw the way it shimmered, enrapturing her in it's beauty. Her heart surged as she was filled with hope once again. She could go Velros now. She could look for her father. And if he was still alive-

"Rain?"

Rain startled and immediately woke and hid the locket underneath her shirt as well as hiding the bracelet in her sleeves. She knew better than anyone that it would be plain stupid to tell the others that she had met and accepted an offer from the very person who had destroyed everything in their in lives. She looked up and saw Jungkook walking towards her. He was still wearing the previous night's attire with his hair ruffled. 

"Are you alone? I thought I heard voices...", he trailed off as he saw her up close. Had there been a couple more bandages on her she would've looked like an Egyptian mummy was the first thought that crossed his mind. The red puffy eyes with disheveled hair added to the exact look of a person who had stayed awake wailing the entire night. 

"Yeah, I'm alone"

He stared at her for a few moments before looking past her at the rosy skies of dawn. 

"Did you get back home now?", she asked.

Jungkook just hummed and continued to eye the skies. Rain looked at him with a forlorn look as she saw the lost look in his eyes. He knew about the brooch. Her eyes shifted to a cuts on his forehead and on his nose. She felt stupid for not having noticed them when she first saw him. She tugged at his sleeve bringing his attention back to her.

"Come with me"

If she remembered correct, she had seen a first aid kit on her dresser. Walking ahead she didn't bother to see if he was following her. She entered her room, with Jungkook on her heels. 

"Sit on the bed"

Jungkook looked at her as she walked to the dresser while he sat on the bed. She came back with two band-aids and a tube of ointment. Taking some amount on her finger she leaned forward till she was inches away from his face and applied it on his forehead making him immediately scowl from the stings. Smiling at that she blowed gently while applying the ointment on the rest of the cuts and putting band-aids on them. 

Their breaths mixed together as his violet eyes stared intensely at her mahogany ones till they had her attention. The moment lasted a little too long before Rain moved back and cleared her throat pretending to be busy with something else to distract herself from the tension between them, making Jungkook hide a smile.

"I have a favor to ask", Rain said as she got up to keep the ointment back in the first aid kit.

"Yeah?", Jungkook answered.

"Can you take me to the exact place from where you all had entered this place? Like I know it is in the shop but I don't know exactly where"

"Yeah I can but why?"

"Nothing I just want to see the place and even though it sounds stupid I wanted to know if it will open sensing my powers which I hope haven't disappeared completely", she stated while intertwining her fingers. 

"Hmm ok, let's go after breakfast", Jungkook consented and stood up.

"Jungkook?" Rain called out just before he headed out of the room. He looked back at her with raised eyebrows.

"Can you cook?"

With a nod and yet another snuffled smile he walked out of the room. He was pretty sure he knew why she had asked him that.

Seeing the kitchen with flour sprinkled all over like snow and a couple of smashed eggs on the wall, Rain was lucky to have escaped with just an aching shoulder and a bit of flour on her face. She giggled at the sight of Jungkook climbing the stairs with flour all over his hair and the sound of him constantly muttering under his breath. She was wiping her face while waiting for the cookies in the oven to get done when she saw Yoongi walking sluggishly out of the sitting area.

"Hey"

At the sound of her voice a half awake Yoongi turned to look at her with raised his eyebrows. 

"Thanks for yesterday...also do you know what hurt my shoulder? Its been aching like hell", she asked.

"It was a bullet graze", Yoongi said as he yawned and left to climb up the stairs.

A bullet graze? Thinking back she couldn't pin point exactly when the bullet had grazed her shoulder. It was most probably when the car had spun around when the bullets had shattered the glass. Her adrenaline rush directed all her attention to the heat of the moment so she couldn't even remember getting grazed. 

Her train of thoughts were interrupted when Jin walked out from behind the stairs. He paused as he took her in while she averted her eyes to stare at anything but him. Just then the oven chimed and Rain breathed out as she found her escape. 

Being distracted as she was she opened the oven and held the hot tray with bare hands. Wincing she stumbled back only to flinch on coming in contact with a steady wall. Jin extended his hand past her and took out the tray. The heat did nothing to him.

"Be a little careful, will you?"

His voice admonished in a concerned whisper in her ear. 

Rain didn't say anything as he kept the tray on the table but when he took her hands in his to examine them she pulled them away. Striding out of the kitchen she almost stumbled into a freshened up Jungkook. 

"Can you put the burn ointment on her right palm Jungkook?", Jin said somberly as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen. His tired raven eyes made contact with Jungkook's violet ones. Jungkook nodded and as he took off. 

Without another word Jin went back to the kitchen as Rain stood awkwardly, guilt gnawing at her insides.

~

Rain and Jungkook stood in front of the exact wall were portal opened in the old lady's shop. It was in the changing room at the very end of the shop. 

Rain had placed the box of cookies on the old lady's counter since she wasn't there. A note she left said that she had gone to the countryside but of course all the boys knew the passcode to the back door of her shop located right next to the changing rooms. Although Rain felt sad that she would be going without telling the pleasant old lady a goodbye but she felt relieved at the same time. At least she didn't have to lie to her. 

Rain closed her eyes .Taking in a breath until the sides of her heart started getting numb, until it hurt. She let it out slowly until she felt there was nothing left inside. In that moment she told herself that it will be alright if she makes a mistake. It will be alright if she has to do something with help from the very man who stole everything from her. It will be alright, cause in the end she can finally go back. She can finally start to look for her parents. She can finally try to put together her broken memories. She can finally find herself. She will not cause any problem to anybody.

Taking slow steps towards the wall she placed her palm flat against wall with bated breath. A droplet of sweat dripped from Jungkook's neck into his collar.

A few seconds passed. 

Just when Jungkook was about to give up and tell Rain to come back the shop was flooded with blinding light. Rain lowered her eyes only to find the necklace emitting a low glow. Pulling her collars up to hide it with her other hand she looked back at a shocked Jungkook with eyes as wide as saucers.

"Call the others here immediately"

Jungkook nodded and removed his phone ringing up Jin whom Rain recognized from the voice through the phone. Bringing back her attention to the wall she saw as it slowly started fading to silver throughout it's length and removed her hand. She remembered that Zander had said that it would open only once and wished that the boys arrive here immediately.

Rain saw as the wall was now completely gone, replaced by a silver sheet. She startled when she saw Jungkook's hand slowly pass through the sheet and when it completely went through it their eyes met. His held pure joy and gratitude while hers hid a secret she wished would never reveal itself to the others. 

He brought his hand back and gave Rain a bone crushing hug as his tinkle of laughter filled her ears like paradise. She laughed while hugging him back as for the moment she let his contagious glee wash away her guilt. 

Pulling away he looked at her once before taking a step forward and disappearing through the silver sheet. Just then the back door burst open and the others ran towards her. 

Jimin was the first one to reach her and stop in his track as his eyes fell on the silver sheet before pulling her into a hug. Hoseok and Ashlene were next. Jimin pulled away. "See on the other side Rain", he said with a twinkle in his eye as he stepped through it. 

Ashlene held Rain's hands and squeezed silently saying a thank you before taking Hoseok's held out hand and stepping through the portal. In that moment it struck her that she and Ashlene could never go back to the way they were. The truth had changed their relationship.

Taehyung came running and crashed Rain into a bear hug without even glancing at the shimmering sheet behind her. 

"Thank you so so so much Rain, it wouldn't have been possible without you", he said as he kissed her cheek before going through the portal. 

Rain was frozen in her place with rosy cheeks as Namjoon came next giving her a curt, grateful nod before stepping through. 

Yoongi followed, and for the first time ever she saw softness in his features as he grunted a thank you before he stepped through. 

Rain looked after him and couldn't help but want to break down every wall he had ever built just so that she could make him feel the warmth of life and show him all that his coldness had prevented him from seeing. 

Just then she noticed that the edges of the portal were growing dimmer and morphing into the wall. Panic flared in her chest as she waited for Jin. After everything he had done for a way back to Velros that he even considered her getting hurt she couldn't let him miss this. 

Rain's fingers closed around the necklace as she ripped it from her neck causing a deep cut on her skin from the force of it. She threw it near the wall and ran towards the door and looked out to see Jin getting out of the car, talking to someone on the phone. He hadn't noticed her. Looking back inside she saw that the portal had closed several inches more.

Without a second thought she sprinted towards him and grabbed his free hand. Jin dropped his phone as his body was yanked towards the door. 

"Rain!", Jin gasped as his body was yanked towards her. His phone slipping from his grasp. 

"Just run! The portal is closing", Rain said between breaths. 

Jin's eyes widened as he grasped her hand just as tightly and together they ran towards the portal. 

Passing through the open entrance Rain tightened her grip around his hand when she saw that only a few inches of the open portal were left. Running with all their strength they closed the distance between the door and the portal. 

She looked back at Jin before jumping through the narrow silver hole, consequently pulling him into a jump just as the portal closed. 

The silver sheet disappeared completely, morphing back to the cream coloured wall.

Jin's shoe slid to the floor along the wall marking its path with mud stains. 

The discarded locket stopped glowing before breaking into a thousand illuminated particles and vanishing into the air. 

Dear readers,

THEY FINALLY WENT TO VELROS!!!!!

WOOHOOOO!!!!

Ok now that I have calmed down, lemme just-

ZANDER MET RAIN LIKE OMG!!!!

Yep no one fangirls over a book more than its author :)

Ok back to the story, Jin and Rain are like fire and water clashing but I think they understand each other a bit more than they themselves know. Anddddd Jungkook is finally opening his heart bit by bit to Rain. 

Rain felt nothing other than burdened throughout the chapter and I wish I could have lessened it but well that is the consequence of her own choices. Lets wait to see what happens now that they all are in Velros.

Till next time,

Do svidaniya!

~RV