Monday comes and so does work. I get my bag ready in my room, take my camera and the printer and decide to head to the living room where some of my soulmates are probably lounging right now, Waffle following closely behind.

As soon as I step out of my room and into the corridor, the bathroom's door opens to reveal Jin with a towel around his neck, hair wet from a shower. His eyes crease when he sees me and then fall to my bag and camera.

"Are you going to the gallery today?" he asks me, following me when I walk past him. I nod and greet Hoseok and Yoongi who are sitting next to each other on the couch. "I am, I have to start thinking about the next exposition, it's already been a while and artists are already starting to send me their projects. I need to go through them" I explain and hear him nod as we reach the kitchen.

I grab some bread, peanut butter and honey and start making myself breakfast. I grab a banana that I cut in pieces before sitting at the dining table. I drop one piece of the fruit to Waffle, much to his happiness and let Jin grab one piece too before munching on my bread.

"I haven't seen you take pictures recently, are you going to take part in the exposition this time too? Since you didn't get to enjoy the last one" he asks me and I nod quickly, eyes concentrated on my food. "I will, I was thinking about getting back into it today, I've slacked off for long enough. I might go to the city this time for the pictures" I reply and feel a slight shift in the bond.

"Not alone, right?" Yoongi asks me from the couch and I take the time to swallow my bite before replying. "Well, if someone's not busy, they can come along, but I would be just fine with Waffle. That's why we got him after all, right? Plus, he's so big already, most people will keep their distance without me saying a thing".

Jin sighs. "That's not wrong. We're just worried because of that vision, you know? The guy looking for you. Not knowing when he'll take actions is just the worse" he says and I bite my bottom lip. He's right, not knowing is the worse, but I can't just stay inside and wait until something happens.

"Well, the M.I.'s on the case so maybe it'll be over soon" I mumble, knowing quite well that it's never that easy. They don't reply, already aware that I know those words don't mean much.

"Anyway" I start loudly, taking it upon myself to change the mood, "Today I'm staying in the village, I'll be either at the gallery, walking around or at home so please don't worry too much".

I finish eating the food and set the dishes away in the kitchen before going to the front door. As I put on my shoes, I hear a few pair of feet hurry to my side so when I look up, three handsome faces stare at me.

Hoseok is first to take action, taking me in his arms with a satisfied groan as he pulls me close to him, only releasing me when Yoongi starts getting impatient, the bond the first hint before we see his face. With a chuckle, I step aside in front of him and open my arms. He tries to hide his smile but his eyes show all his affection as he scoops me up in his arms and holds me tight. Jin then grabs me from his arms, not letting me touch the floor just yet and he rests his face in my neck, breathing in my smell before putting me down on my feet and gives me the cutest little smile.

I wave goodbye and leave the house with Waffle. We both stop and take a moment to breathe in the natural air, the woody, humid scent of the forest. I look down at the pup by my side and smile.

"Ready to visit a little, buddy? I'll show you around the village". He barks happily, getting up to dance on his four paws, tail hitting the air quickly and I laugh as we start walking away from the house. I can feel eyes on me and when I turn around, I see their faces looking at me through the glass by the door.

With a smirk and a funny face, I turn to the front to reach the village, ending face to face with the center of the public place. This house is really so well situated. I watch Waffle take in the surroundings, looking at all the faces and even though he seems happy and excited, his demeanor seems different, more... professional.

Waffle needs to be careful now. He can feel a lot of abilities surrounding us and he's glad for his owner's soulmate's barrier. No one feels aggressive or dangerous, so he allows himself to relax just a little, but he's not here to play, he's here to protect, so he does just that. His smart brain starts storing every single information he comes across in his brain, his special dog ability allowing him to remember and never forget.

We start walking around and as I watch Waffle sniff the ground, eyes alert and body standing tall, I decide to take a picture of him. With the sea in the distance between the buildings, I crouch a little to get his best side and when the sound of snapping rings in our ears, I see his ears shuffle as he turns to me. I grin and point to my camera, deciding to show him his picture later.

I show him the old music shop that seems to captivate Yoongi these days, Scenery, the cafe where Jin works, the fountains where children jump around when it's really hot outside, I point to where the garden is, telling him that I'll show him an other time and slowly, we read the gallery.

I get my keys and unlock the door, knowing that no one is going to be around since nothing is happening just yet. I let Waffle step inside and while he does a thorough round around the building to make sure it's safe, I lock the door and head to my office, the pup following me with a satisfied and relaxed posture.

I set my bag down by the desk and sit down, getting my laptop to open the mails I got from some artists. I give priority to those I already have a contract with and start making a list in order to help myself keep track of them all.

I open the first one on the list, which is JB. With a smile, I click on the first picture. A sunset. With curiosity, I watch one after the other, all of them. All sunsets. I decide to print them, thinking that there might be something hidden in them, an activity he very much likes to do, always a hidden message in his work. 

Once all nine of them printed, I gather them on my wide table by the wall and turn on the desk lamp. He just sent me a puzzle, didn't he? With a tsk of the tongue but eyes ready to take on a challenge, I start analyzing every single one of them, using a magnifying glass to try and see the smallest details.

But the more I move them around, the more I start to see a shape. With a frown, I decide to try and play around. The clouds... I gasp and smile at the work in front of me.

"JB, you freaking genius" I whisper as I stare down at his work. I put them aside for now into his folder, putting it somewhere safe so I can get back to it when needed and start going through the other artists' work.

A few hours go by like that and it's Waffle's whine that gets me out of it. I look up from the pictures in front of me to see him staring at me, ears bent down and he turns to look at the door intently.

"Do you need to pee, my boy?" I ask him as I get up on my feet and take my bag with me to then head to the door. I unlock it and open it, watching as Waffle dashes outside like his life depends on it. With a laugh, I follow him after making sure the door is locked again and find him near a tree, back leg in the air and relief on his face.

"I'm sorry, Waffle, I didn't realize we stayed here for so long" I tell him when I see it's already time for lunch. He comes back trotting and barks as if to tell me that's it's okay. I pat his head, letting my nails scratch the back of his ears and his head leans into the touch, eyes closed.

"Such a good boy, I'm glad to have you with me" I coo at him and he slips the tip of his tongue out of his mouth.

We walk a little around the place, letting the fresh air clean our lungs and suddenly I feel Yoongi's soul brush against mine like a sweet invitation. I smile at the warmth he exudes even when not physically present and let him in.

"Hey, Snowflakes, are you free right now?" he asks, to which I hum a yes. "Do you want to come spend some time with Jin, Hoseok and I at the cafe?". With raised eyebrows and a wide smile on my face, I look down at Waffle who excitedly reacts to my happiness with a jump and a bark. "I'd love that! I was just thinking about going there to eat something, Waffle got me out of the gallery so I'll go back only after eating" I say and I feel his part of the bond fill with pride for the dog and relief. "I'll have to thank that fluff ball then, I kind of expected to have to pull you out of there by force" he chuckles and I respond with a pout that he can't see but feel.

"Alright now, just come over, Jin's getting food and something fresh to drink for you already, see you soon, be careful on the way" and he's out.

I look down at Waffle and motion forward. "Let's go to my soulmates, pup". We start walking side by side, the big dog keeping an eye out for everything by my side. Meanwhile, I stare at the people walking around, enjoying the feeling of being free for a little while. Free of worries, free of trouble, just enjoying the moment in the present.

But it doesn't last for long. It never does.

Waffle suddenly grows loudly and uses his paws to jump on my back and pushes me to the ground. Something really hot hits against the barrier and bounces upwards into the sky, but the burning feeling it leaves behind is a hint of what could've happened.

I look in front of me to see someone playing with little balls of fire at the tip of his fingers. Waffle's body is standing in front of mine, ready to counter and attack at any time, his training in full effect right now.

The man makes a bigger ball of flame in his hands and grins as he throws it at me again, but the brave pup is faster. He pushes my shocked state to the side just as the small sun burns the patch of grass where I was just a few seconds ago.

People around the place are screaming and running from the scene, some taking their children into their arms to flee the dangerous situation while older people get help from others to walk inside buildings.

I stand up slowly, hissing when I feel some wounds on my knees and palms. "Who are you?" I ask the man, trying to control my voice to sound unaffected. While I talk to him, I slowly turn on my camera and turn off the flash before getting a few pictures. Blurry or not, I'll be able to read him like a book.

He scoffs and walks closer, eying the growling and menacing dog with weary eyes, deciding to stay a couple of feet away just in case.

"I'm here to finish something I failed to complete many years ago. You got lucky for too long, finding you was hard. I guess your parents were ready for such an eventuality, but no more. You'll die just like them and there's no getting out of it" he says before quickly throwing a ball of fire at me, but it just bounces against the barrier.

Waffle takes that time of inattention to attack the man and throws him to the ground, jaws on his neck to keep him stable and I have no doubt the pup would break it in a matter of seconds if the man moves too much.

The man's eyes are wide and scared, this wasn't part of the plan. He doesn't care about dogs, but this one is no ordinary one. It's a killing machine.

I step closer, feeling confident that Waffle can control him. I crouch in front of his face. "Who sent you?". He's about to grin but a growl from my brave pup makes him think twice about his moves and his mouth frowns.

"Your parents knew too much. They were told that if they were to try and fight back, it would go against them, their whole family, their children would be punished. Boss always keeps his promises" he spits and whimpers when Waffle's teeth breach the first layer of skin, letting a trail of blood slide down to the ground.

Waffle has learned how to keep men like him under control. Humans are not much different creatures from animals. When you put pressure somewhere sensitive, they become weak and frozen in place. He can feel such darkness coming from his soul and he won't hesitate to break his neck if the need arises. He knows his owner got the picture so right now, it's just a matter of waiting for help. He can feel her soulmates getting closer, just a little longer. But then something big and dangerous makes his senses scream. He lets go of the man and grabs hold of his owner's shirt to pull her away as he runs. But then she falls down when she loses her footing and he has not choice but to pull her away as her body slides on the rocky ground, even if her shirt rips and her skin bleeds, he needs to keep her alive.

I watch as the man's skin starts becoming redder by the second as Waffle pulls me away, the pain half registering into my brain because of the sigh in front of me. And the next seconds blind me as a wave of hot and burning fire comes brushing at my feet, filling the surroundings.

I feel Waffle getting tired and I turn around to grab him in my arms so he can use the barrier too, because soon we are totally engulfed into the fire. It doesn't touch my skin, but it burns nonetheless. I truly hope it doesn't burn Namjoon, that he's not the one feeling all the pain I should've felt was I to be hit.

The pup covers me with his body, trying to protect my face and eyes as best he can. His fur serves as good protection for his skin and he knows he can handle the heat better than I can.

Soon, the fire subsides, but I don't dare move, Waffle is staying still, panting heavily as he starts looking around. Only ashes remains where the man was. He killed himself. He sees panicked faces running to his owner and he gets up to release her body, letting Yoongi drop to the ground next to her and pulling her into his arms, hands on her face to see if she's hurt.

When I feel something cold on my skin, I open my eyes to see Yoongi just above me, tears in his eyes. Jin and Hoseok appear from behind him, both crying their eyes out as they drop around me, all making sure that I'm intact and fine.

"What the fuck was that? Are you okay? Can you hear us?" Yoongi mumbles weakly, voice shaking from too much emotion. I open my mouth, but my voice stays silent, body in shock and unable to react normally.

Jin reaches to me and stands up with me in his arms, Yoongi and Hoseok following close behind. The latter takes in my tired face and frowns to then looks at the other two. "I'm going to go get Namjoon and Jungkook, go home right now, I'll come back with them as soon as possible" he says before disappearing out of sight, out of thin air.

"My body's burning" I manage to whisper loud enough for them to hear me. Jin starts running, my body shaking in his arms with each steps. "Your skin is burnt, if Namjoon hadn't put his barrier on you, you'd be dead right now" Jin responds, voice filled with fear, eyes looking forward as he runs as fast as he can, remnant of tears gracing his cheeks.

My skin burned even with the barrier? I guess the flames were really strong. "Yoongi, please call Eunwoo over and explain what we know so far, we'll need all the help we can get".

I feel so tired and my eyes close by themselves. "Stay with us, baby, please" I hear Jin's voice say but it sounds so far away. "Keep your eyes open for me, Hun, we'l-".

And then darkness and silence greets me, allowing my body to float into nothingness, out of the pain's slender fingers' hold on my body.