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—TAEHYUNG'S POV—

Combing my fingers through my hair stressfully, I approach the sink and clutch it's sides.

It's hard to even recognize the man in the mirror these days. He always looks so beaten up and broken, yet trying to put on this brave face so others around him won't fear. It gets difficult.

I stand up straight and shake my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts before turning on the cold faucet, expecting cool temperatured water to fill my palms so I can wash my face.

Instead, blood gushes from the metal pipe. Nothing but icy red liquid.

I try to turn it off but it keeps flowing, creating smears and webs of crimson along the milky bowl.

The smell... It's so horrid, but nothing I'm unfamiliar with. Clogging noises start to form as it all rushes down the drain. I then turn over to the hot tap and turn it on as well.

Fire. Hot, raging fire spews from the faucet. I slip my hand underneath and somehow the flames don't hurt. I watch as my skin crisps up and becomes waxy with burns, but the pain... I don't feel it. In fact it kind of feels soothing.

I proceed to wash my hands and face with the blood and fire. My neck tilts back as a soft exhale leaves my lips and I savor the sensation of my burning pores. Blood droplets fall from the tips of my lashes while the rest trickles down my forehead.

When I look back into the mirror I see dark smoke caressing my skin in the form of tentacles from behind. They stroke my neck and play with my hair, their voices swarming around my head in growing, inaudible whispers.

"˙˙˙sǝʎ 'ɹǝllᴉʞ ɐ ɯɯW ˙˙˙sɐɥ ǝɥ ɥɔᴉɥʍ uI ˙˙˙spuɐɥ ǝɥʇ pu∀ ˙˙˙puᴉɯ ǝɥʇ"

Their breathy echoes grow so loud it feels as though I can rip the words from the very walls. I can feel the room shrinking in size and before I know it, my reflection is gone. The only thing that remains on the glass are wine streaks.

In a blinding lightning flash, Lilo slams her palms on the other side, eyes crying tears of blood as he bangs desperately and screams my name for help.

I pin my palms onto the glass also. My eyes scan around her body to evaluate her form.

"Tae why won't they let me see you..." She sobs further. "Why can't they just leave us like this? Let us be happy?"

"W-what do you mean?" I shake my head.

And to cut us short, a bright glowy light wraps around her mouth and drags her away.

"Lilo?! Lilo! Hold on I..." I roll up my sleeve, "I'm gonna get you out of there."

—END DREAM FLASHBACK—

"Hellooo Earth to alien." Jungkook clicks his fingers in front of my face.

I quickly snap up to see the group looking at me, as if waiting for me to say something. I guess I got caught up thinking about that awful nightmare I had last night.

"Huh? Oh um, sorry just tired. What were you saying?"

"I was asking if you're reading to leave. It's late afternoon, and the party is back in the city. We should head out as soon as we can."

"You got the masks?" I stand up.

Jungkook takes out three masquerade masks and tosses one to me. When my palm is laid out I notice Lilo staring at the slightly blood-splotched bandages that hug my hand.

"Then let's go." I take a gun from under the cushion and plant it in the back of my jeans, hoping to divert any attention from my injury.

—LILO'S POV—

"We'll be back before morning. Call us if anyone stops by here." Hoseok tells Jimin and he nods.

With my head hung low, I watch my feet and follow the three men to the foyer before Taehyung stops me with a hand on my chest. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Coming with you." I reply.

"Lilo, you're not coming."

"Why? I can help! Everyone's doing something to protect me, surely I can do more than sit on my ass."

"Li, all it takes is one person to see this face?" He circles his pointed finger, "—and you're back behind bars. I planted guns around the house in case of an emergency. You're saying here out of the city where it's safe."

"But—"

"It's not like you'll be alone, Winter will be here to keep you company while we do the man's job."

"Correction, Winter will be upstairs sleeping." She adds.

"Hey! If it's a man's job then why don't I get to go!" Jimin protests in defense. Jungkook pouts his lips teasingly and swings an arm around his shoulder, "Because we need a man here to protect the girls, Chim Chim."

"Call me that one more ti—" Jimin mutters and swings his leg to kick the younger.

"Just come back safe you idiot." Winter holds Jungkook's cheeks and pecks him on the lips.

While the others converse, Taehyung prepares to walk out of the room when I catch his wrist, the one linked to his wounded hand. He looks back at me in confusion. "Yes?"

"Are you not going to explain how this happened?" My eyes lower to the bandages, my voice at a whisper. "We need to talk about this."

He rolls his eyes almost unnoticeably.
"We'll talk later."

What was that look for?

"Tae—"

"Let's go guys." He announces. And with that, he leaves the house alongside the other two without turning back.

"Welp, I'll see you guys in nine hours." Winter takes a pillow from the couch and heads upstairs. "Maybe more."

I remain stood in the foyer staring at the door, even though the guys are gone. Why won't Taehyung tell me what happened to his hand? Did he have an accident or something while I was asleep?

I understand where he comes from about me staying behind, but ever since we moved into this house I feel like I'm being served by friends who don't even have to care about my situation, yet they do. Sitting here like a sitting duck... It's not fair to them. I don't know... Maybe I should just fall back and let Taehyung handle things. He seems to know what he's doing, but I feel guilty.

"Something wrong?" Jimin pokes his head beside me. His eyes practically disappear as he smiles.

"Just thinking." I murmur.

He runs a hand through his purple locks. "You're worried about the guys right? Don't worry, they'll be back safe. In the meantime we can find something to do while they're gone..."

"Like...?"

"Hmm..." He hums adorably while strolling into the living room like a Disney princess with me following behind. A light laughter leaves my mouth at the dramaticness.

Finally he spots the TV and asks,

"Wanna watch a movie?

"Sure. What movie?"

"Depends on what Hoseok has." Jimin squats down to rummage through the Cd's while I collapse into then couch.

"Aish, all this dude has is horror's, yet he's such a scaredy cat. Let's see, we have Hush... Birdbox...Train to Bus— Okay no." He quickly puts the third one down.

"Ah, Inside out! Let's watch this one."

"How manly." I giggle.

He chuckles before grabbing a blanket and throwing it over me, "I'll get us some icecream," then he goes into the kitchen.

The vibrance in Jimin's laughter and that look in his eyes take me back to that day on the pier... It was no doubt one of the best days ever. Part of me forgot how charming he could be.

He returns with our ice creams and we both tuck under the blanket as the movie begins. The first ten minutes go by before Jimin points at the screen and chuckles.

"I like Joy."

"Really? I actually like Anger."

"No way, Joy reminds me of—"

Jimin stops, looks down into his bowl and fills his mouth with a scoop of ice cream.

I give him a faint smile and set my bowl down. "Of Teddy?" I finish.

He doesn't answer and continues to watch the screen with a face of stone.

"What happened between you two? Are you in a relationship? If you care about her then why aren't you with her?"

Jimin runs another hand through his hair and swirls his tongue around the inside of his cheek.

"When the cafe closed, we started spending more time together. I got to meet her brothers and now they look up to me a lot. I thought since everyone's getting into relationships, why not ask her out? So I did. And she was close to saying yes..."

He looks into his lap.

"But she got a job elsewhere. One out of town in performing. She wouldn't tell me where and said I couldn't come with her. Maybe I read her signals all wrong and she never even liked me that way... I don't know." He looks back at the TV.

"She'll probably be travelling a lot. I'm sure Teddy likes you just as much as you like her." I plant a hand on his shoulder.

"Who cares." He exhales and shakes his head before grumbling, "This always happens anyway."

I frown into my own lap and let my eyebrows furrow. Poor Jimin...

"And then to make things better, I find out that my best friend is a murderer. It was all hard news to take. Jungkook freaked out. I was taken aback too but Taehyung is like my brother so... Looks like I'll always be there for him."

His eyes blink a lot as the faintest little smile creeps onto his face at the thought of Taehyung. I smile also, grateful that his friends didn't judge him when he finally let them in on what he did.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ 🌙

The end credits roll and when I turn to find Jimin fast asleep with his head on the couch arm.

"Guess I'm washing up." I chuckle.

Picking up the bowls and spoons, I take them to the kitchen sink. Once they're dried I look around the kitchen like a lost puppy, wondering which drawer the utensils go in. I pull one of the draws open but it's empty.

"Oh, maybe it's this one."

I pull another drawer but it's just filled it's papers. I'm about to close it when I lean in and squint my eyes.

These are Taehyung's documents. The ones he had on the table last night.

I pick up the most crinkled paper in my free hand and read down the page. It's a list of statuses from members of Lim.

• Randell Scotch — still in occupation
• Renald Barnett — still in occupation
• Ricky Thompson — on vacation
• Robby Zentorno — Incarcerated [May 26th]

The page is crinkled beneath the last name. I use two hands to pull the paper and reveal the following line.

• Roberto Thorne... Deceased [Nov 13th]

My eyes bulge.

My lips part.

Roberto Thorne isn't even alive.

Yet Taehyung and the boys are out looking for him.

I look over my shoulder to glance at Jimin who sleeps peacefully on the couch. Chewing on my lower lip rapidly, I wonder if I should wake him up and tell him. It's not like I have my own phone anymore, nor can I make calls or else they could be traced.

"Shit." I mutter.

Leaving the spoons on the counter, I hurry upstairs and pick out some clothes, then do my make-up and braid my hair back. After about forty-five minutes I reactivate the alarm and run out of the house.