Gravi Capitis Dolore

A Heavy Headache

Garrett took him at a fast pace straight to the rooms without a word. Some people who weren't in the cafeteria just now were looking panic-stricken in the corridors, and, as they entered the living area and went up the stairs, Jungkook could hear hysterical sobbing and loud talking coming from inside the arcade room. They passed it all and simply went up and up the stairs to the third floor and straight to J's room.

Jungkook could feel how his pulse was flying through his veins while his heart kept beating at the pace of a bird's wings, and even though his focus was sharp, he couldn't help but think of Taehyung and wonder if he had seen that, or even Jimin. How must Jimin be feeling in this cloud of fear?

Garrett knocked harshly twice on the door.

- It's Garrett. -

At once, the door opened by August. Wide-eyed and tense. He said nothing as he let them in, this time knowing that Jungkook was there as well. Once they were inside, the door closed and he locked it.

Jungkook had absolutely no idea why he had agreed on coming here. He knew it was simply because he wanted to feel like he had a purpose and yet he also knew that these people were... weird. However, he still looked around at the screens, they were all on and dizzying though only one had his volume turned on.

In that one second after they entered and the door closed, an angry shout startled him.

- You're drained, Garrett! - August screamed at him, but then Garrett lifted a hand and screamed back without turning to him.

- I don't wanna hear it, Yoongi! -

Yoongi?

- Jungkook. - J caught his attention sharply as he neared him as fast as he could. - Tell me the time and date, now. - He commanded him, desperate and sharply, wide-eyed as well.

Jungkook, breathing fast and harsh, pursed his lips as he looked over J's shoulder to one of the screens and saw the time on the corner of it. He knew it was all ridiculous and unbelievable, but still, without hesitation, he opened his mouth and said,

- Half-past one in the afternoon of the fifteenth of September, two-thousand and nineteen. -

As if a blow of solid air had hit them in the stomach, Jungkook saw the three of them losing their breaths. And, as he saw Yoongi and J straightening slowly to look at him, Garrett turned around sharply.

All three were looking at him with their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets and saying absolutely nothing.

Jungkook took a tentative step back only because this just turned even weirder. Yet, at once, Yoongi took a step toward him as he took a sharp intake of breath, but other than that, he stayed put, looking as if he had no idea how he should react. J on the other hand, spoke to Garrett as he stared right at him.

- Call your father. -

Jungkook didn't have to ask if he was indeed who they were looking for because their reactions had summarized as much. And he was in half a mind to leave this absurdity.

However, he saw Garrett taking his phone out of his pocket to make the call and now he couldn't help but feel fear rising up in him. The same fear that just this morning had caused him a panic attack in the bathroom stall of the gym; the fear of being taken away. The fear of not knowing what was going on. Because, even if he thought it was far-fetched, for them it was real.

So he spoke at last, right at J.

- What's going on? - He had a million questions, but that was the only one he could put into words.

All three of them looked at him, frozen and tense. Garrett was holding his phone to his ear as he and Yoongi looked at J. For a moment it looked like he wanted to say something, his mouth would open to articulate a word, but then he would close it again.

- We wouldn't know how to explain it to you, honestly. - He shook his head, his breathing also fast.

And then his head snapped at Garrett when he put the phone right in their midst and a low voice came.

- Garrett? - That must be his father, the one J was talking about.

Somehow, it sounded familiar to Jungkook but... in a way that made his insides hurt. However, before J or Yoongi could say anything, Garrett cut in breathlessly.

- We found Jungkook! -

There came silence from the other side so the room stayed as such but for the news channel.

Jungkook frowned at another question that had popped up in his head. If they had been searching for a "Jungkook" all this time, then why didn't Garrett ask him from the time the first day they met? He told him his name then and it hadn't sounded "familiar" to him so far as Jungkook remembers, so why were they acting desperately now? What changed?

- Jungkook... - The other one spoke in a low voice. Tentatively, as if he was still thinking. None of the three said anything, but Yoongi rolled his eyes. - You found... Jungkook... - Again, pensive. Jungkook frowned, it sounded so weirdly funny for some reason.

Then, Garrett laughed silently, confusing him even more. Until the other line exploded.

- OH, SHIT. OOOOOH SHIT. -

Now the three of them chuckled, at last, rolling their eyes while Yoongi said...

- He's always so slow. -

- I'M RUNNING, I'M RUNNING. -

- Why weren't you in Aloisia's place already? - J asked him a bit loudly so he could hear as he ran. - All the Heads and their successors are there, you should've been there to take Cadoc's place. - He said as he folded his arms over his chest.

- I WAS, BUT I NEEDED TO GET OUT FOR A SECOND. RIXON TOOK MY PLACE. -

- Rixon? - J said with a worried frown.

- Lord save us all. - Yoongi shook his head to the heavens.

Garrett sighed and looked up at Jungkook only to then avert his eyes shily at the floor before concentrating again on his phone.

- Are you there yet? - Garrett asked gently to the phone but his father answered him without answering him at all.

- THEY FOUND HIM! - He seemed to have screamed that to a room at large and the screeching of chairs being harshly pushed back came back until the voice of a woman came. Again, quite familiar.

- Garrett? -

- Yes. - He answered surely and straight-backed, but then J cut in.

- The Rose is here with us. -

Muttering and gasping came from people on the other side. Those were... too many grown people for this to be a prank of sorts...

- How's his aura? - Aloisia spoke again.

- Stay put. - Yoongi muttered straight at him, maybe fearing that he might do a runner now that the conversation had turned weird-er. But, even if he was indeed frozen with fear, curiosity was the one allowing him to hear everything clearly.

J looked at him up and down and then answered.

- To be honest ma'am, we can't see it. -

- He has a mirror for a shield. - Garrett cut in. - That's why I thought it wasn't him in the first place; I didn't realize I was looking at a reflection of my own aura instead of his own. -

- Marvelous. - Came a different voice, more ancient than the others, making Yoongi snap his eyes at the phone as if he had immediately recognized it.

But Aloisia cut in.

- There's nothing marvelous about it, Betsalel. He can't have done that at will. Hoseok, put him on the phone. We need to hear the time and date from him. -

J, who apparently was "Hoseok", looked up at him and with a frantic little wave of the hand urged him to come forward.

Jungkook swallowed and opened his sweaty palms to rub against his pants before taking a tremulous little step forward. But it wasn't enough, so he took another one, closing the circle at last, and with a little, tentative voice, he spoke to the phone Garrett held in their midst.

- He--...Hello...? - He cringed. He was genuinely afraid of what was happening, mainly because he had absolutely no idea what he was getting himself into. But, at the sight of Hoseok's nod, he went on to look at the time to say once more. - It's... one, thirty-seven in the afternoon of the fifteenth of September, two-thousand and nineteen. - He said tentatively as he frowned.

Once more, as if solid air had punched them on the stomach, there came a unified exhale from the other side before Aloisia spoke again.

- Jungkook? - This time she sounded... younger somehow. Also, it reminded him of Emily in a way. A weird sort of feeling filled his chest, and he answered.

- Yes...? - There was a part of him trying to remember something, but the memory wasn't there. Like the feeling that you used to know something but you have no idea where that could come from. A deja vu.

- But he sounds so timid. - Another male voice said. - Is that really him? How could they be sure it's him if he has a mirror around him? -

- He foresaw this, you dummy. - A female voice came. It sounded nearly like Aloisia's yet different. - That's why they had to ask him the time and date as a precaution. It was all his idea. -

Wait... Whose idea?

Why are Garrett and the other two suddenly looking up at him with amazed expressions like he had done something impressive?

- Ok, then. Jungkook. - It was Aloisia this time. Jungkook looked back down at the phone as he kept on with a confused frown. - How old are you? -

- Twenty-one. - He kept on talking with a tentative voice. Murmuring came from the other side and some rustling of pages was heard before she asked again.

- Where were you born and who are your parents? -

This felt oddly personal, but a glance up told him that they were all paying very close attention to him, so he could do nothing but answer.

- I was born in Chalfont St.Peter's hospital, in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire. And--

- Wait... - Aloisia cut him off. As if she had heard something that bothered her. - Chalfont doesn't have a newborn's ward. -

It beats him how she knew that but he chose to tell them only to get out of that silence.

- It was an emergency delivery and that was the closest hospital. -

Silence but for some ruffling of pages once more, it seemed like someone was writing down what he was saying or trying to see if it matched something they had already.

- Do you know why it had to be an emergency? -

What does that even matter?

Jungkook frowned at the weirdness of it all. And yet, his curiosity was far greater, including his wish to know what was going on and why he was so important to these strangers.

- They were driving somewhere and got involved in a massive car crash close to them so the shock made it all turn into an emergency. - He shrugged.

But the weird questions kept on coming.

- Do you know how many cars crashed? - He shook his head, blinking, completely baffled by it all. And it was because of his silence that she asked again. - Do you know if it was a simple car crash or a car going straight to hit another? Do you know if it was an accident or on purpose? -

He simply sighed and answered.

- My dad said it looked like a pursuit because a car ran past them at full speed hitting them and then, all of a sudden, another one, also at full speed, crossed that car and crashed it. And before you ask more, that's all I know because they had to turn around and go to the hospital so they didn't see if anything else happened. -

They muttered within themselves for a second, and the longer he waited, the less scared he was, only pissed off.

- Alright. Your parents, who are they? -

Jungkook looked up at Garrett and spoke to him, just as pissed off as he felt.

- You do realize I'm giving my personal information to a group of strangers, right? -

- Oh, he realized. -

- Shhhhh! -

Jungkook pursed his lips at him, waiting for an answer. But Garrett didn't even seem to be breathing.

- I... - Then, he shook his head. - We're not your enemies, truly. - And he nodded.

Dizzying and insecure, how will Garrett hope he would believe him when he spoke like that?

- Jungkook. - That low voice from before spoke again, the one who was supposed to be Garrett's father. The only one who felt like the most familiar voice of all. - Tell me, do you believe in magic or logic? -

- Logic, obviously. - He said, unkindly and surely, as he folded his arms over his chest. For all he had said of perhaps accepting that these magical people could exist, now that he was talking to them, he felt like they were trying to kidnap him because of his parents more than anything.

Even if deep down, very deep down, he felt trapped in this logical brain of his.

- Logic? - The sound of his confusion made Jungkook tilt his head down at the phone. If you're really all that logical, then your favorite thing to do in this whole world can't possibly be making art, is it? -

Jungkook said absolutely nothing and the silence just stretched on as his previous fear arose once more. Why does that man know him? This was his primal reason for fear.

When a second too long went on, Garrett's father spoke again.

- I'll take your silence as a yes. Jungkook, tell me which you find most beautiful to paint, men or women? If you're the person... the person I used to know, then I already know the answer. But I want you to say it. I want you to hear yourself say it. -

...No, he won't.

If he said the answer was the former to these strangers, all he would feel is guilt. He's not ready to speak of things like this with people he didn't even know the faces of. And the worst part was how he had said "the person I used to know" as if Jungkook knew any man with that kind of a voice.

- What are you talking about? - He spat the words. The fact that this stranger thinks he knew him only filled him with rage. But this question wasn't only for his current confusion, it was for the moment at large. What are they all talking about?

But he just went on.

- Say it, Jungkook. -

The latter huffed out a bored breath. He won't want to drag Taehyung into this mess. Not when he had his kids to worry about, not when he hadn't even asked him if he wanted to be involved in this, he hadn't even told him about all of this and Garrett and the auras and the white pavilion, nothing. And if they kept on asking weirdly personal questions and being all pushy about it, he wouldn't even want to come back at all.

- I won't. - He said with a roll of his eyes which was somehow reflected in the tone of his voice, which would maybe be why the four of them -including the ones on the phone- were taken aback.

- Look, Jungkook--

- I said I won't, period. - He said towards the phone, putting his foot down.

And then he heard...

- You're... closed-minded. - Jungkook was the one taken aback now by the pure confusion in this man's tone. For some reason, he was perplexed, as if he never expected him to be that way. - Umm... you--Wait! No, please, don't take the phone. Give me a minute, I got it... Alright... - He sighed. - Jungkook, can you tell me why you don't want to just say it? Please, we both know what it is already. - His voice had turned much gentler than before, yet still tentative as if he didn't know how to approach him anymore.

However, Jungkook's frown wasn't because of that, but of his words.

- How would you know what it is? I don't even know you. - Lie. From the same place, he felt this man's voice was somehow familiar, the statement he just spat felt like a lie. But he wouldn't budge, he wouldn't let his guard down, it was all he had left to hold him up.

A very deep sigh was heard from the other side, a deep sigh that seemed to carry a lot of age and maybe even pain. Garrett lowered his gaze at the phone with a worry-some expression while J just lifted his eyebrows at Jungkook, not in surprise, but more as if to say "you have no idea".

- I know what it is... because I used to be your model of choice. - The man from the other side said with a soft tone of voice.

Jungkook's eyes snapped down at the device as his heart missed a beat just when he remembered his own words to Taehyung from the night before.

"...in my heart, I feel like I have lost you time and time again. I feel like I have met you time and time again, loved you time and time again, mourned you... time and time again."

It has always been there, this feeling whenever he would look at Taehyung, it was right in his chest, right in the middle of it and deep inside where not even pain can reach, right there is where he had felt this old love feeling new again.

...again...As if he had indeed lived... and reborn....

His heart began to beat frantically as if it was trying to tell him that his thoughts were right at last. But there was an obstruction forming in his throat. Even if his heart wanted to believe it, his mind didn't, it refused point-blank.

Right as he was having what felt like a mental breakdown, the man sighed again.

- The problem's that I have no idea how he's now. - He sounded pensive as if he was both talking to them and the people on the other side. - I never thought Jungkook would change so drastically. -

Jungkook put a hand over his forehead as he felt a headache starting on the crown of his head and spreading down.

What does this man mean with him changing drastically? Fine, he couldn't say that he had been this way or another his whole life, but drastically? Even if his voice sounded familiar, that didn't mean he was.

- Who are you? - He demanded with a tensed jaw as he glared at the phone. He was so close to snapping at the weirdness of it all, either that or he was going to throw up. He felt his anxiety trying to get out of control and the images of terrible fighting and trees bursting into flames on the screen showing the capital weren't helping in the slightest, only aggravating it.

He rubbed his hand against his forehead harshly and caught Garrett looking at him anxiously. But the man gave a sad little laugh.

- The name's Aureoluz, but you can call me Luz if you wanna. -

...he knows him.

Jungkook's eyes widened and his breathing stopped, and for the briefest of seconds, he saw something, a glimpse of something. Warm light and smiles, that's all he saw in that glimpse. Laughter and wind, that's all he heard in that glimpse. Cold weather and warm skin, that's all he felt in that glimpse. He smelled mountains, tasted flowery tea, and felt... in the depths of his chest he felt... what he had always dreamed the feeling of family would feel like. Warm, happy, lovely, safe... beautiful...

His eyes welled up with tears once the glimpse was gone. In less than a second, he had fallen in love with a feeling he had never felt. And he was so confused and scared because... where had that come from? Why did it hurt so bad? Where did it go?

As his hand fell from his forehead, his head tilted down and he blinked. A tear escaped his lashes and fell to the floor. He was... in so much pain and he had no idea where it came from.

- Jungkook--

He took a fast step back from Garrett. Even if his voice was gentle and his outstretched hand promised nothing but comfort, he was in so much pain it was unbearable to be standing.

- I have to go. - Was all he managed to whisper with that obstruction in his throat, and he turned around to open the door. No one stopped him this time, no one spoke as he opened it, no sighs were heard from the other side of the phone as he walked out, and he could think of nothing else but his aching heart as he walked towards his own room.

Jungkook tilted his head back from his knees and rested it on the bathroom wall. He has been crying for what felt like hours and yet the blinding light of his phone only told him that it wasn't even two in the afternoon yet. It was like time and space were completely different things when sadness hit this hard.

It was weird. This was the second time he cried today and yet it felt so different, so distant. In a way, he felt different, older, and more tired. Once again, the tiredness he had always carried deep inside, came back to him. He had forgotten about it thanks to Taehyung and because of all the craziness that had been going on, but it had hit him so hard that he barely had any strength to stay sitting. It was so weird. Because this sadness wasn't his own and yet it was.

He was sad for the same things he used to be sad about all the time, mainly his family, or more like the lack of it; it was the same sadness, but it felt heavier somehow. As if he wasn't only crying because of the awful father he has but also because of the perfect father he felt like he used to have.

And then the feeling would come back, the longing to see that beautiful glimpse he had seen before.

He had forgotten what it looked like by now, but he knew it had been beautiful, he knew it was like heaven, and... he felt like he had been there. And he would long for it and cry for it because he didn't have it.

Then, he would get confused out of his mind. He felt like there were two different people in his body, like his heart and his brain were beings of their own always fighting to take control of what he would choose to do next. The "Right" and the "Wrong" side of his brain had actually been his brain and his heart all along. So he would also cry because he couldn't understand.

He couldn't understand. He couldn't understand. He couldn't understand, He couldn't understand.

"You're... closed-minded.", "I never thought Jungkook would change so drastically", "I know what it is... because I used to be your model of choice."

Who was he...?

Jungkook...?

Who was he, truly?

Could anybody come and tell him who he really was? Please, oh please, someone save him from this agony. Why did this man sound so familiar and yet so distant? Why did he say "used to"? Had they met before? Had he promised them anything and that's why they were looking for him? But then... he was only twenty-one, there's no way, the math doesn't add up, his memories don't either, nothing makes any sense, nothing, nothing.

Nothing makes sense.

Nothing sounds logical.

"Logic?", "Tell me, do you believe in magic or logic?","Logic?"

"Logic?"

...what will he be left with if there's no logic? Even his love for Taehyung was logical; he gave him the love he had always been devoid of, he showed him respect and care, happiness and freedom. Of course, he would love him, it was obvious he would love him. It was logical for him to accept something he was so desperate to have.

His wish to come to this university was also logical if not a bit shallow and vain. He wanted to be here because the place was the most beautiful one he had ever seen and he wanted to be taught how to learn so he could continue doing so on his own since that was something that has always been natural in him; his love to learn.

He loves to learn things that are logical and factual, he really enjoys whenever he can understand humans by learning more about their history. And yes, he loved to understand cultures by reading different types of folklore, but that doesn't mean he believed those creatures actually exist.

For goodness sake, the more he denies and closes his mind off on possibilities, the harder his headache got. And the more he tried to stay logical, even if that's the only way he knows how to live, the heavier his shoulders felt.

This wasn't even a pain he wanted to share with Taehyung. He has no idea where it's coming from, all of this is ridiculous so why does it hurt so much? It's like he was crying for all the things he had ever cried about and it's so stupid to him. Everything is so stupid to him. Why does it even matter? What matters, really? When the country is going to the dogs and some magical Tinkerbells try to ask him where and why he was born, what matters?

...Taehyung matters.

...his friends matter.

He promised Jimin he would help him. He promised Finn (without words) that he would keep his hand's intention a secret. He promised Leo (without telling him) that he was better now that he had Taehyung. He promised Emily he would communicate more. Those promises matter, right? The good things matter.

Jungkook sighed.

Alright... No more tears. He needs to be pretty for four o'clock. And for tonight.

With sloppy limbs and stumbling a bit, he stood up, leaning heavily on the sink. Then, missing twice, he flipped the switch and turned on the white light of the bathroom.

Right on cue, someone knocked on the bedroom door.

- It's Garrett. - Jungkook heard, muffled, as he announced himself. It was quite a good habit, he'll give him that.

Jungkook tried to grab the doorknob of the bathroom, but his hand slipped, so he tried again and finally managed it. However, before heading out, he turned around and looked at himself in the mirror.

He didn't grimace at his reflection unlike usual. Instead, he merely stared at the pale skin, the tear tracks, the red eyes, the unwavering sadness in them and felt... nothing but pity for himself. It wasn't always that he felt pity for himself and whenever it happened, he wouldn't like it. But, right now, it felt different, like he was looking at himself with different eyes and couldn't recognize his body. Not like the shape was off or something, more like... his body... in the historical sense. What his body had gone through, that's what his eyes were looking at.

With a final sigh, he turned around and walked out, turning the light off and punching his shoulder with the doorframe without meaning to. Dragging his feet, he got to the door, wondering for the first time where Jimin was, and opened it.

Indeed, it was Garrett, but thankfully, he was on his own.

- ...hi. - Garrett said, as timidly as... he used to know him.

Things were so much easier before he saw Garrett in the woods last night.

Instead of replying, Jungkook let the door swing open as he made his way to his bed. His body felt so tired, everything about his movements screamed tiredness, his feet dragged, his hands simply were at either side of him, and not even his neck could hold his head up properly. He meant to sit on his bed, but, craving a bit more of a dark and small place, he sat down on the floor with his back against the side of his bed and his head leaning sideways against his nightstand as he hugged his knees close to his chest.

Silently, it seemed, Garrett had closed the door and made his way to him. For a moment, he stood awkwardly beside him, without knowing what to do. But then he knelt beside him and... again, stayed awkwardly in that position.

Jungkook let out a breath of a chuckle at the sight. It was funny.

At this, Garrett took it as an opportunity and stretched out a hand.

- Would you--... I mean...- He halted and took his hand back. But then tried again, stretching his other hand. - Well, I--... - But he stopped himself once more and took his hand back.

Jungkook sighed and rolled his eyes with a tired grin.

- What is it, Garrett? - Even his voice sounded incredibly tired.

Garrett's anxiousness mounted at the sound of his voice and finally took a deep breath to say.

- I'm a Healer Core, so... If you let me, I could ease some of your--

- Healer Core. - Jungkook repeated in a monotone voice, his face devoid of any amusement anymore. - Healer Core? - He raised his eyebrows in question, keeping his intrigue to a minimum so he wouldn't get overwhelmed by his own head again.

Garrett nodded, seeming grateful for his intrigue.

- Yes. Our Core is more or less our souls, is who we are, who we are meant to be, and who we were created to be. - He explained, keeping a hand on his upper abdomen as he said it.

Jungkook saw that hand and then looked back up.

- So... you heal? -

Garrett chuckled, with a bit of pity but... he was sweet. The sweet puppy Jungkook had seen since day one was always there, it was just the moment that brought out which character he should play, just like himself.

But who is Jungkook when he's not playing a character?

No. Jungkook shook his head a bit and simply paid attention to Garrett.

- Yes, I'm a healer. Not like a doctor, that's different. I could... - He got a bit closer to him, continuing to smile gently at him as the middle of his eyebrows pulled up. - I could, maybe... - But then his smile wavered and fell. - Well, the truth is, because of your shield, I have no idea if I can send enough of my energy to be able to reach you and take away your... pain. -

Jungkook gave a weak, humorless, chuckle.

- Your healer energy should be able to take away my pain? - Garrett nodded. - But because I have a mirror as a shield, you can't reach to heal me. -

Garrett stood still for a bit before taking in a deep breath.

- I could try. - He said determinedly, but Jungkook remembered.

- Didn't that guy say you were drained, though? -

Garrett seemed to deflate a bit with a frown. It was obvious that he was but hated to admit it.

- I could still try. Come on. - Determinately, he reached a hand and grabbed his shoulder.

Jungkook didn't have any reasons to shake it off, so he stayed put as he tried whatever it was that he was trying to... try?

But Garrett frowned down at the place he had grabbed him and his lips opened a bit in silent surprise.

- What is it? - Jungkook asked in a little voice, not noticing any change in his physical or emotional pain.

But then Garrett looked up...

- I... - He shook his head. - I can't feel you. Your soul is... - He shook his head again with a glance down at his shoulder.

Jungkook chuckled again.

- Or you're full of shit and magic's not real. -

Garrett let go of him with a sudden deep frown of pure anger, and the moment he balled his hands into fists, a circular ball of solid air expanded from around him and hit every piece of furniture in the room, including Jungkook, making each object it touched creek, wobble, or move back a scarp of a nail, while Jungkook felt pressed against the corner he was in.

He looked at him without any particular emotion on his face, no wide eyes, no open mouth, he just stopped laughing like before. And he listened.

- That was a wall of pure energy. We don't do "magic". - He explained to him. And then sighed, letting his anger go as he reluctantly leaned to the side against the bed. - And it cost me, even if I hadn't used much. - He looked at him with sorry-filled eyes and as if unconsciously, he lifted the same hand as before and placed it on his shoulder again before talking once more in a small voice. - Maybe when I'm fully charged, I could come here and we can do something about this shield, yeah? -

But Jungkook lifted his shoulder and Garrett took his hand off.

- Why do you want to leave me defenseless? For all I know, you people don't have any good intentions. -

Lie... He had the theory he had composed for himself about why the HMD and the majority of society's rules are rubbish, he knew Garrett was not a bad person even if his friends seemed to be a little edgy, he knew the people in black that were having a second round in the capital were lead by the heads that Garrett had called earlier because he had seen the rose and made the connection immediately. This lie was part of the shield to protect himself against the strangeness of it all. The denial was part of keeping his head straight even if there were logical thoughts that were left cut short by his closed mind. And he knew nothing beyond the walls and shields of his mind, so he was afraid of what it'll do.

He might be curious, but this feels like it trespasses the boundaries of his sense of survival.

Garrett sighed deeply as if he knew he hadn't meant what he said and was sad that this shield of his controlled him so much.

- We do. - He gave him a little smile, a genuine little smile. - We have always had the best intentions. Not the greatest approach, I'll give you that, but the outcome is always for the true good. -

Jungkook tilted his head a bit as it rested against his corner.

- The true good... - Does that strike a chord in him? - Not the greater good or even the good of all? The true good? - He squinted his eyes. He had never heard it said like that.

Garrett looked down as he nodded and with the help of his arms he slid a bit closer to him, then, he looked back up.

- We come from a very large tribe of people called the Eadem Veros Inducat, which translates to "The true Ones". This tribe started thousands of years ago, and since then, it has grown and divided into clans that live in different parts of the world, yet we always keep in contact because we're one people. Our main goal in everything we do has always been the same since our first ancestors were taught: To cleanse this world of darkness. We're seven different Cores heading towards the same goal in different ways. Just to give you an example of how we work together: The Shadow Cores give information about a certain darkness to the Wisdom Cores who then would strategize how to defeat it and finally the Warrior Cores fight the darkness away. But that's only when it's a corporation or a physical group of people. When the darkness is inside the soul, that's when Healer Cores take place. -

So far... It sounds amazing in a fantasy type of way. But Jungkook was paying attention nevertheless, so once Garrett stopped talking, he asked something.

- You said there were seven Cores? -

His question and interest made Garrett happy it seemed.

- Yes. - He answered with a smile and then started counting them off his fingers. - Shadow, Wisdom, Warrior, Healer, Joker, Elder, and Lover. -

Jungkook lifted his hand a bit to stop him and, once he did, he averted his eyes up towards the window to look out at the sky for a bit and let his head take the information in, one at a time.

He was accepting the information, not yet believing it, but also not denying it in its totality. Maybe it was his tiredness and the fact that he could do nothing but listen, but he was still taking notes only so he could tell all of this to Taehyung. Regrettably, he had to tell Taehyung about this and about the fact that these people seem to know about him as well. Just... eventually.

So, once his temples stopped palpitating as hard, he spoke to the windows.

- Tell me about them. - He whispered as his eyes did what they could to stay open. But Garrett didn't answer him.

- I think it would be better for you to take a nap, Jungkook. - He told him gently.

Jungkook snapped his head at him.

- Why don't you want to tell me about them? -

Garrett shook his head softly.

- Is not that I don't want to. You need to sleep. You can't even hold your head up. Come on. - He straightened and knelt to then push himself back on his feet, but before he stood up, he stretched his hands for Jungkook to take. - I've told you the basics so I think that's enough for today. - He waited for a bit, but Jungkook didn't take his hands.

It's not that he didn't want to, he simply couldn't move anymore, it was like his body was paralyzed with tiredness yet his mind was still awake. Unlike other times when he's incredibly tired and his mind goes to sleep before his body does, because of his headache, he can't lay his mind to rest.

Maybe Garrett had seen this, for he stood up and walked somewhere on the other side of Jungkooks's bed. The only thing Jungkook heard was the ruffling of bedsheets and the feeling of the bed covers being swept up his back before Garrett came into view again. Yet, this time, he didn't stretch his hands to him, instead, he went right to his side to be right against him as he faced the bed, and then hugged him in earnest, sliding his arms over his chest and under his arms to then hold him tightly to his own chest. It was so warm and gentle, so heartbreakingly gentle, that Jungkook's eyebrows knitted in the middle as he felt Garrett resting his temple on his shoulder.

Then, without him having to do anything at all, Garrett stood up and brought him along as he kept on holding him securely and gently. Once up, he swiftly turned sideways, freeing one of his arms to then put it behind his knees and hold him up. As if he weighed nothing and was the most delicate and precious person, Garrett had done all the work with unbelievable care and then placed him on his bed as if he was laying him on a fluffy cloud.

Jungkook looked up at the ceiling as he lay there, frowning at how beautiful his carefulness had been. He felt him taking his shoes off just as gently and then placed the covers back over his body up to the chin, and then he sat next to him without ever making the bed move. He smiled down at him ever so softly, and Jungkook couldn't help but feel deep down in his chest, that this was surely an angel.

- You can sleep now. -

Jungkook felt the smallest of tears sliding down his temple.

He once had a mother...like this...

- My... head hurts. - Jungkook whispered as best he could so Garrett knew it was fine to leave him like that and go. But then he blinked and his smile grew.

- I can take that away. - He said as he reached his hand up. - This isn't a pain in your soul, it is in your body. I can pull the heavy energy out of you. Shall I heal you? - He asked for permission with his gentle fingers outstretched.

However, Jungkook frowned deeper, making his forehead hurt even more.

- But... you're spent...? - He whispered with genuine worry even if he knew nothing about what "being spent" meant. But Garrett just shook his head as he smiled.

- That doesn't matter. - And he proceeded to place the heel of his hand against his forehead while his fingers went thru his hair to place against his scalp, and then softly, he took his hand off, sliding his fingers towards his forehead, making him feel a trickling feeling go down from the top of his head as his fingers slid gently down his eyebrows to then closed his eyelids. And once he couldn't feel his fingertips against his skin, he felt like a water balloon was being taken off his head and shoulders.

Once the feeling was gone, he took a deep breath, as if gasping after being suffocated for so long. He let go of that breath softly and was just conscious enough to notice the pain on his head, neck, and shoulders was gone. Then, he knew no more.

Garrett swallowed and softly stood up as he held onto the heavy pain he had taken off of Jungkook's head. In his tight fist, he held what felt like a magnet being pulled down towards the floor, but if he let go of it now, it would only latch onto the weakest person in the room, and even if he could feel cold sweat starting to mist his skin, he knew it would only go back to Jungkook.

So, doing everything he could to hold onto that pain, he walked out as silently as he walked in, locking the doorknob from the inside before closing the door at last.

Taking a step back from the door, he stumbled with his own feet until he could hold himself to one of the corridor walls. He swallowed again, he was getting dizzy so he shook his head to clear it a bit.

The truth was, he had been already spent before helping Jungkook one last time, so now he was in dangerous territory.

As best he could, he held on tightly to that pain with a tight fist. Because he couldn't clean it away given how he had no spare energy left in him, he had to go outside, to the woods, so the natural energy of the earth could do it for him. But for that to happen, he had to walk out first, and if he fainted now, this pain would latch itself onto anybody, maybe even someone he knew. So he took a deep breath and pushed himself straight into his feet and started walking out of there.

He could count with one hand the times he had taken away a headache of this magnitude, but Jungkook had been the first person he knew who was still conscious enough to pay attention to their conversation and even ask questions of his own. And the way it was so heavy... This pain was so heavy it literally felt like it was being pulled to the floor.

He could only hope he had done him a favor by taking this off of his shoulders, maybe now he could open his mind a little bit.

As Garrett walked down the stairs holding tightly both to the railing and to the pain in his other hand with every strength he had in his arms, the amazement hit him again.

He couldn't believe Jungkook was... Jungkook. The Rose, the one they have all been waiting for, but most importantly, the one Luz had talked to him about. He had indeed been told that not even if he saw home videos or pictures of him he would be able to recognize him in this lifetime, but even now, having seen the Jungkook upstairs and the one in the countless photo albums they had at home, even now, he still couldn't make the connection. Maybe it was part of their curse, but he wouldn't know because he wasn't in on all the plans or all the reasons. Luz wanted to keep him away from all trouble, that was why he hadn't objected when he said he wanted to go to this university once they all thought The Rose wouldn't appear here anymore. Luz mopped a little but told him he felt happy he wanted to be well away from where the fight would break out.

And then look at what happened.

He nearly fell to the floor countless times as he walked through the white rocky path and then entered the woods. For a second, he leaned against a tree to heave and cough, but then went on. He had to go deep, to get as far as he could from the people around. He walked and stumbled, going face-first against a tree he hadn't noticed and then walking again. But then, right as he was about to reach the little clearing he had found the night before, the pull on his fist was so great that he fell.

His fist wouldn't part ways from the ground, so he had to do it right there. He looked around and had to push a flat rock closer to him by the point of his shoe to then start digging a hole on the ground beside his unmoving fist. He lost a breath and gasped to return it and keep going for he needed to dig out earth even if his body was starting to tremble with cold sweat.

Yoongi had been right when he had said that he was drained. His energy was on nineteen percent after helping Alex for today; which was lower than the minimum they were all allowed to be in, for it was just enough so their scenes were still sharper than the normal human, so they could sense if anything happened around them and survive. They weren't allowed to go lower than twenty percent, much less lower than fifteen percent, and right now, after taking such weight off Jungkook, he was on ten percent. Ten percent was just enough so the organs could keep going without any exterior help. He should be laying down, he shouldn't even be moving, and yet he kept on digging as hard as he could to get rid of this awful energy so it wouldn't latch onto someone else and fill their souls with dark thoughts.

He's a Healer, worrying about other people is part of who he is as a person, but being so careless of his own well-being has always been one of his greatest flaws.

Once the hole was deep enough to put his fist in it, he put the rock aside and held himself there. He shook his head rapidly, trying to clear it, trying to get his eyes to focus, and lost a breath once more. He gasped, but shallowly, so he tried to breathe again as he dragged his fist over to the hole and it fell inside until only soil was around it. As rapidly as he could, he dragged the rest of the soil he had dug out and buried his fist in it, nearly falling face-first when his elbow bent over. Once he was done with that, he fell forward and held himself with his forearm as he gasped for air and, slowly, he opened the tight fist under the soil. He opened it and waited, counting the seconds because he didn't have enough energy to know if the pain was finally gone; counting the seconds and thanking the Sun that this was completely harmless to the earth. Then, he took his hand out and tremulously tried to stand on all fours.

He had to get to that small clearing. This morning, when he meditated, he had cleaned the place with his own energy, so he had to get to it because it would help him regenerate faster than if he were to fall anywhere else.

Feeling as though his lungs were being compressed, he crawled his way over to it; his eyes falling shut on their own before he forced them open, his mouth hanging open because his yaw didn't have the strength to close it, his hands holding him up at strange angles because he couldn't feel past his wrists, he gasped with difficulty.

But his body couldn't go on anymore.

Garrett fell right before he could get to the clearing, and the only part of him that managed to get in was his desperate, outstretched hand, before he fainted at last.  

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