30 August Year 22
It's quite silent now. The sun has begun to lower, turning the sky into a mixture of purple, pink, and blue. Seokjin gazed at the sunset as he walked towards the ocean. He could see the stars begin to shine as the twilight sky turned into nightfall. The colors reflected onto the ocean, painting the waves as a bright pink combined with the natural color of as it crashes onto the land nearby.
He feels the sand crunching against his feet as he walks closer to the waves. He stops walking, and looks up at the night sky. After they returned from the sea that day, they went back to their solitary lives as if nothing happened. No one contacted another, and only made baseless assumptions from the graffiti on the streets, the light in the gas station, and the muffled piano playing in the distance. The boy looked at the ocean and wondered, where did he go wrong? Have his efforts to save the others been for nothing? Is their fate supposed to end like this – lost in misery and despair?
Since starting the time loop Seokjin has experienced horrendous trauma, betrayal, and heartbreak. He's watched his friends die in unimaginable pain – and die himself. He's lost hope in fixing this, but he has to continue. On some days he fears that he will never be able to save them and loses himself in despair. But in the end he picks himself up and continues, they are his friends, and he loves them. He doesn't expect anything in return for doing this, he just wants them to be happy.
In the distance he hears a noise come from the water. It was a noise that held a familiarity he couldn't pinpoint. The noise reminded him of a whale calling out to someone but isn't heard. As he walks closer to the edge of the dry sand, the noise gets louder. Seokjin walks into the ocean, listening to the mysterious noise. The water is cold and pricks at his skin as he submerges fully into the water.
Voices in my head sing to me
As he swims into the depths of the ocean, the whale's song translates into a voice. The voice changes into multiple voices calling for him to go deeper.
Intrepid trek below to the deep
He finally reaches the bottom and finds a cave that shows the surface. Seokjin swims to the cave's surface as the voices become louder and louder. He leaves the cold water and enters the strange cove. The cove feels familiar but he's never stepped foot inside, it feels like a distant relative who never bothered to visit.
Feeding from the sacred root that lies beneath the cove
As he walks through the cold, rocky floor. He finds a single tree root that begins to emit a faint pink glow. The single root turns into seven roots as he treks forward.
The haunted melody that eludes me evermore
Seokjin follows the root as it begins to split into seven paths. As he faces a crossroad in the cove, he hears a haunted melody. It was a melody that felt distant but close. He didn't know why but he felt drawn to it. He could hear a faint piano playing harmonious chords, speeding up ever so slightly and slowing down.
Phosporus lights glows and swarms
Transnautical maps lie torn
As the melody plays, the faint glow disperses into the cave, forming a swarm of lights that follow a single trail. Seokjin decides to follow the lights into the trail. As he walks, he finds a paper on the ground. The paper was a piece with the title "Hope." It was a piece that Yoongi finished today, it contained his fear, cowardice, and conviction. On the other side, the page had a single drawing of a bird. It was in intricate drawing painted in black, with its wings open and flying away. Jungkook wanted to paint a bird behind Yoongi's piece to signify hope.
His boots hit an object on the ground, Seokjin picks it up. The object was a large single piece of a mirror, the edges were jagged and sharp, as if it was broken apart by something. In the mirror is contained words that were scratched on by its owner. The words were scribbled on quickly with a black marker. The only words he could make out was "I must survive." They were the last words that Namjoon said when he left. They were words that Namjoon would live by when he left the snowy village to return here.
Seokjin continues to walk down the cave. Eventually, he finds a bottle of pills with its contents scattered through the ground. They were pills to treat narcolepsy, Hoseok would regularly take this medicine so he won't fall asleep. Sometimes Seokjin felt like the pills Hoseok took was the only way for him to cope with being abandoned.
He returns the prescription bottle to the ground and notices a single red apple. The apple was spotless, as though it was just picked off a tree, and showed no signs of wear. It was like a forbidden fruit in the middle of a desert, wanting the owner to fall into temptation. Jimin liked to eat apples, it was a fruit that soothed him after having a seizure, as if he fell into the temptation of forbidden knowledge.
After walking for what seemed like hours, Seokjin decides to take a short break. He leans against the cold, uncomfortable wall and sits down. As he recollects himself, he notices a crude painting on the wall across from him. It was painted with a black spraycan, it was one color and many colors crushed together. The painting showed a thin face, pink plump lips that had lost its words, dry hair. But the most definite feature came from the eyes. The eyes didn't have pupils but in his mind he could picture them so definite that it gave him chills. They were eyes in which emotions like happiness and sadness had all but disappeared, the warmth gone and only leaving behind apathy and coldness. Taehyung painted that picture in the container village before he got caught. He didn't know why but he felt an unusual pull towards the person in the painting. It was almost as if he was staring into a reflection of himself if he continued to go through with this. He stands up and takes a final look at the painting, and continues walking.
Treasonous mariners float and stare,
Their dead gaze warns us all
Seokjin finally reaches the end of the cave after hours of walking. His feet were sore and he could feel his legs burning. As he recognized his surroundings he noticed a multitude of people leaning against the rocks and on the ground. He walked closer and sees six familiar faces, his friends. No, they weren't his friends, they were his friends from other timelines that succumbed to their despair.
Yoongi was leaning against a large rock with burns all over his pale body, his pale orange hair were covered in ash and reeked of gasoline. Yoongi was an outlier compared to the others, he was unpredictable. There were loops that ended with him dying in Seokjin's arms, others that ended with him dying in front of Jungkook.
Jungkook was next to Yoongi. His neck was twisted in a strange angle and dark crimson liquid leaked from the top of his head. In every timeline Yoongi died, Jungkook would die along with him.
Namjoon was on the other side, he had a large burn on his left shoulder and torso. Blood and pus was leaking from the burns. In the past timelines, Namjoon would be in prison for beating someone up. But eventually there was a worse event that would happen to him, he died in the container fires. Seokjin tried to get Namjoon out while Taehyung held the door open but the container collapsed and they were separated. It was one of the most painful deaths he's ever experienced, being trapped in a burning container with his closest friend.
Taehyung was leaning on Namjoon's shoulder. He was the opposite of what Namjoon looked like, he was wet and pale. It was a moment where Seokjin thought that everything would be okay and they went to the ocean that day. But as they neared the observatory tower, Taehyung climbed the tower and stood at the top, after a while he jumped.
Hoseok lied face down on the cold floor. He looked the most peaceful out of the six. There weren't any tatters or visible injuries shown on his body, his clothes were clean, it was as if he was sleeping.
Jimin leaned against the rocky wall. His orange hair was dripping water, his clothes were soaked and his skin was deathly pale. It was almost as if he drowned here.
One figure was staring directly at Seokjin, his eyes covered by dark brown hair. He was wearing a white button up shirt that was covered in blood at the front. As Seokjin gazed at the person, he realized who he was. It was Seokjin himself. He vaguely remembers what happened that day, he tried to stop Taehyung from killing his father but got caught in the crossfire. Taehyung stabbed his chest with a glass bottle and he quite literally died. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, he felt his soul drift away from his body only to eventually wake up again.
The people that were here were from their worst respective timelines. Other bodies were scattered across the cave, Seokjin felt like they were here for a reason. The corpses left here are a warning of what's to come if he continues to venture into the cave. They were a reminder of the consequences of playing with time. For every timeline that Seokjin failed, his dead friends would be brought here.
Some hearts will grow cold
As he gazes towards his dead friends. He recalls the timelines where his friends ultimately betrayed and abandoned him.
It first happened with Taehyung, he understood that he didn't mean for that to happen. Seokjin only wanted to apologize and wish Taehyung the best.
In other timelines, it would be his friends that abandoned him. In the end, they ended up being caught in their own despair again.
Some of them outshine them all
But at the same time, he recalls the times where they would spend hours at the beach, happy and distracted from their normally miserable lives.
He remembers their high school days where they wouldn't care about trivial things, they had each other.
Show love through it all, Breathe through my soul
He couldn't find it in his heart to hate them. They were his friends. He doesn't expect anything in return for what he's doing. Frankly, he assumes that they would never contact Seokjin again and leave after this is over. As much as he wants to stay near them, the only thing that gives them a chance at happiness is let them live their life. He loves them so much, no matter what happens, that was the truth untold.
Even if he would suffer a thousand times more from this, he needs to continue. To show his friends that they deserve to be loved, learn, live, and fulfill dreams.
The only hint he has gotten to save them was to find the Map of the Soul. He spent the last few timelines endlessly searching for something about the Map of the Soul. He couldn't grasp the meaning of the phrase. When he pressed for another hint, the creature only said that hints come at a cost. That cost was something he was unaware of. The first time he got a hint from the unseen force was when he accidentally died from Yoongi's fire. Now that he thinks about it, every time Seokjin has died, he was given a hint.
Could this be what I need to break me free?
Seokjin thinks back to the timeline where he died. He was forced to watch his friends fall apart and keep their sanity together from his death. It was the most heartbreaking experience he ever witnessed. He prayed to the gods above that there's someone listening to his pleas – to let him go back. To let him have another chance in life.
At that time, the unseen force heard his cries for help and gave him a hint. If he finds the Map of the Soul, he can save his friends.
Could this be what he needs to break free of the timeloop? To find the Map of the Soul?
The swarming, the haunting, can die with me
He doesn't belong here, he needs to move on and escape from this place.
Seokjin has known all along but he pretends not to notice it. The unbearable feeling that it's better to leave and save himself instead of saving his friends. When he was first given the opportunity to turn back time, he didn't realize how difficult it would be to save them. At first he was desperate to just save them, they were suffering from their despair and misery, and they didn't deserve to.
They were his friends. They may have flaws and scars, they may have been nobodies. But they were alive, and together. They still had days to spend their most beautiful moments in life.
Leave this all behind and look within
Though we all must die we don't all live
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a white blob appear. It begins to approach him, materializing into a white animal with one blue eye and one green eye. The creature gazed at Seokjin with knowing eyes, witnessing the dawn of realization on his face. If he wanted another hint, it would be at the cost of his life.
It explains to him that hints come at a cost. And that cost is his death. Seokjin hesitated to come up with a response, he doesn't like dying.
The creature only reiterates this, leave his life behind and look within his soul. Though he must die for now, his friends won't live if he doesn't. He feels like he has no choice.
"I accept your terms" he says out loud to the creature. It twitches it's ears in response, eyes boring into his soul.
See the world below reform
Speak the words and call the storm
He is suddenly brought back to the town and to his friends. He saw his friends at the container watching the fireworks. Yoongi finished his piece, Jungkook was out of the hospital, Hoseok returned. Taehyung didn't kill his father, Namjoon and Jimin were safe. Everyone was there except Seokjin himself. Then, he noticed something strange happen.
They slowly began to depart the container, as if time was being reversed. It started slow and soon began to move faster. Soon, they return to April 11, the day where it all began.
The creature told him that once he feels ready to give his life, speak the words to call the storm. He didn't understand what that meant at first. Time has stopped for the moment and the night sky is still out.
In this waking dream, I feel a pulse
Seokjin returns to the sea where he finds his body passed out on the sand. As he looks down at his feet, he notices that he emits a faint pink glow. When he tries to touch his body, his hand goes through.
The white animal returns to his view.
I see a heart of steel and gears that move just like a clock
The white animal returns to his view. It's blue and green eyes glowing brightly under the moonlight.
Bodies on the ocean floor fade away, embraced by the queen of this fantasy
The force of this god has revealed herself, I bow unto the Beast Queen alive
A bright light shines over the animal, Seokjin covers his eyes. When he opens them, he is brought back to the cave where his friends' corpses are. As he looks around, the bodies begin to fade away. Emitting a faint blue light that returns to the white blob in front of him.
The blob begins to show a figure that is about his height. The figure steps out of the white light and Seokjin realizes that it's a reflection of himself, but different. This Seokjin has peach colored hair and wore a patterned jacket and trousers. Instead of having brown eyes, this Seokjin also had blue and green eyes.
They asked him again if he's ready to give up his life. Seokjin hesitates to answer again.
Show love through it all, breathe through my soul
The person looks at Seokjin, and they open their hand to reveal six flower petals floating. Each petal represented one of his friends. He could feel his friends' soul emanating from the petals. Seokjin reaches his hand out to grab the six petals, when his hand reached them, they disappeared.
He looked at the person again with pleading eyes. Asking permission to see his friends one last time before he dies and goes back. They look at Seokjin in surprise, this kind of love that he has for his friends is something they have never seen before. They begin to wonder if this curse given to humans with no hope of ever living a normal life can be broken by him.
For such a long time they've witnessed humans lose their sanity and ultimately ask for death from accepting this curse. Is this boy, willing to bear torment and despair for his friends what they need to set them free from this fate?
They approach Seokjin and give him the flower petals. Seokjin holds both his hands as the petals hover above them. He brings them close to his chest, feeling their warmth spread through his body and closes his eyes. As he holds the petals, he returns them to the person and finally says that he's ready to die.
The reflection tilts their head, peach hair covering their green eye. Seokjin begins to realize that they were no longer in the cave but at the top of the observatory. The night sky now a dark blue and purple, reflecting the ocean below. They stand in front of Seokjin, brushing his dark brown hair behind his ear and smiling at him. Seokjin nods a final time and feels a harsh push against his chest, falling backwards into the dark ocean.
Could this be, what I need, to set me free?
He hits the water fast, feeling a sharp pain on his back and sinking deeper. He can't feel his body, as if there were chains on his limbs to prevent him from swimming to the surface. Struggling would just make his death slower, he decides to succumb to his fate. He can feel his lungs struggling for air, his body screaming for him to move but he doesn't.
As he falls, he dreams of a better world. Of a world where his friends are happy and safe. Of a time where everything was right in the world and his friends were alive. Where they can save each other from their own miserable lives. He dreams of the time where he would rebel against his father to prevent Yoongi from being expelled. He thinks of a happier time where Yoongi can find his conviction to and passion to live for. He dreams of a future where Yoongi would come clean to him about his feelings for Jungkook. Yoongi isn't the kind of person to talk about his feelings easily, he would rather take them out by other means. He knows that Jungkook and Yoongi need each other even though they don't know it themselves.
He dreams of a universe where he can sit in silence with Namjoon and embrace in each other's presence. He recalls a time where they had a long conversation and just for a moment, they would show their raw vulnerability to each other. Namjoon suffers in silence, maybe one day he would confide in Seokjin. Maybe – in the far future, he can wake up to Namjoon's arms around him. When Namjoon thinks he isn't looking Seokjin notices the way he looks at him – full of love and longing. He dreams of a time where one day Namjoon can return his feelings. Namjoon has already been through so much to survive, he hopes for Namjoon to seek comfort in him.
He dreams of a world where Hoseok stops taking his pills. Where he stops lying to the nurses and doctors about his condition. He dreams of a world where Hoseok is able to move on from his past, he doesn't need Hoseok to trust him completely he just wants him to understand.
He dreams of a world where Jimin can learn to move on from the past. To learn how to trust again. He doesn't know what happened to him during his childhood but what he does know is that Jimin doesn't deserve to be haunted by a past that makes him a hollow shell of what he once was.
He dreams of a world where Taehyung doesn't feel back into a corner with no way out. Where he can express his troubles without worrying about trust. For his entire life Taehyung has feigned happiness when he isn't, he is still a child. A child who has witnessed the horrors of abuse and lived in fear. He wants Taehyung to confide in someone he feels safe with for the first time. Maybe one day Taehyung can trust him again.
He dreams of a world where Jungkook can live like a happy child with them. To escape from his neglectful family and return to the time where he relied on them. Seokjin has witnessed Jungkook's bright eyes fade into a dim reflection of himself. He wishes for Jungkook to continue living instead of dying.
He dreams of a world where his friends are happy. And that he's happy with them. He doesn't know if he'll ever be able to live a normal life after all of this is over, but if they are safe, then that's all that matters to him.
Seokjin can feel his lungs burning from the water that has seeped into his mouth. He starts thrashing his body in pain from not being able to breathe. He coughs out his final breathe of air from the surface and sees the bubbles slowly fade away. He can feel his vision darkening as he sinks deeper.
Seokjin looks to the side and sees a large whale in the distance, swimming towards him. He smiles one last time and lets go.
I'm ready to serve my planet now.
He jolts awake and takes a large gasp of air. Seokjin opens his eyes to blazing sunlight and a soft bed. It was April 11 again. He doesn't remember what happened but he feels different. The timeline didn't end because of an unknown outlier, he ended it. '
Seokjin takes out a picture from his drawer. It was a picture from their high school days. When they went to the sea in the scorching heat, shouting out their dreams and fantasies. Those memories from days past were some of the best days of his life.
As he gazes at the photo, a petal lands on the picture. Seokjin looks at the ceiling, six other petals fall. He closes his eyes and recalls the final hint he was given.
At the end of his journey to save them, the place he reached is where he had been. In the end, Seokjin has to find the beginning of all things, The Map of the Soul. Something which is within everyone, but can't be found by anyone. After a series of trials and failures, he has figured out what the Map of the Soul is.
He found the Map of the Soul within himself, he's ready to go through with this and save his friends.
Once again, just like before.
Together, with them.