I open my eyes to the familiar sight of Taehyung's apartment, though now the lavender walls do little to soothe my frazzled nerves. As I stand there, taking in the plush furniture, the happy photos on the walls, all I can think of is how it's never going to be like this again.
I walk forward, taking one of the pictures from the wall.
Taehyung and Jungkook's smiling faces peer up at me from behind the glass, their eyes filled with so much life. I remembered the story behind this picture, as Taehyung loved to tell it every chance he got. It was their one year anniversary and Jungkook had spent weeks preparing for it. A trip to the amusement park, a candle lit dinner in the park-it was everything Taehyung had ever wanted.
I wonder if this picture, or any of the pictures in this room, survived the fire.
Or did they perish-just like their owners?
"Hobi."
I freeze, the picture in my hand clattering to the floor. Closing my eyes, I try to swell the hope that's rising in my chest.
It's just a dream. Not real.
"Hobi, it's me."
Not real. Not real. Not real.
"Give him a second. He's probably freaking out."
I whip around at the sound of the second voice, my blood freezing in my veins as I see them.
"Taehyung... Jungkook..." I whimper, tears pricking my eyes.
Tae gives me a sad smile. "Hey," he says quietly, giving me a small wave. "It's good to see that you're awake." He chuckles. "Or sleeping, I guess I should say. The last time we saw you, you were-"
"In a coma?"
He beams at me, his blonde hair falling into his eyes a bit. "Yeah."
"I just found out about you guys," I say, my eyes dropping to the ground. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."
"Don't worry about it," Jungkook says, finally choosing to enter the conversation. "I knew when I ran in that I might not come back out alive." I look up to see him gazing at Taehyung lovingly, his eyes caressing his lover's face. Both smiling despite the fact that they were talking about their demise. "But I couldn't just let Taehyung suffer alone. If death was going to come for one of us, then it was getting both of us."
I watch them for a moment, my heart swelling in my chest. I was glad to see that even death hadn't ruined their spirits or their love for one another. I couldn't believe I was talking to them. But that also posed the question of whether this was real or not. Was I really talking to them or was this just a projection of my grief?
"Is this real?" I ask hesitantly, not really sure which answer I wanted.
Taehyung nods, his face darkening. "Sadly, yes."
"We've been trying to talk to you for a while..." Jungkook starts.
"But you always seem to be heavily guarded," Taehyung laughs, finishing the thought. "That's one protective spirit you have there, Hobi."
"You mean Yoongi?"
"Hmmm," Jungkook tilts his head. "You're not supposed to know his name." He watches me curiously. "Care to explain?"
"It's kind of a long story," I say, scratching the back of my head. We were friends, right? Then why was I so reluctant to tell them my story of Yoongi?
Cause you're selfish and want to keep him to yourself...
I push the thought away, forcing a smile on my face. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"
Tae gives me his signature boxy smile, his face lighting up. "We love stories."
They walk passed me, settling down on the couch, their arms wrapped around each other as they watch me expectantly. I sigh, sinking into the plush, black cushions. How many times had we done this exact same thing? But this was different. Everything was different now.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," I sigh, before launching into my story. I tell them about the dreams, which earns me a scowl from Taehyung as he realizes I'd told Jimin but not them, then move onto my coma and the way Yoongi seemed to be responsible for waking me up, about being able to see him when I woke up, and about the dream I had last night. Their faces darken when I bring up Yoongi's murder and how I had almost caught a glimpse of the culprit's face.
They exchange a glance, Jungkook giving Tae a small nod.
"Hoseok," Tae says quietly. "That's what we're here for."
"What do you mean?"
"When we died," Tae gnaws on his bottom lip, "We were asked to be Guardians. To try and change someone's fate."
"Whose fate?"
Jungkook shakes his head, averting his gaze. "We can't tell you." He meets my gaze once again, his eyes blazing. "Trust me, I wish we could. I wish we could save you from the danger you're in. But we can't," he says, his voice dropping lower on the last sentence.
"So we've been trying to contact you," Taehyung starts again, his hand tracing circles on Jungkook's thigh. "We wanted to warn you."
"About the danger? I already knew there was someone after me," I say, waving their warnings away.
Taehyung scowls, little creases appearing between his brows. "While you may be aware of the danger. You're not aware of how close it is."
"What do you mean?"
"It's soon, Hoseok. You need to figure this out."
"Figure what out?"
"Who the killer is, obviously," Jungkook scoffs. "He's never going to stop, Hoseok. He sees you as a threat and as long as you live, he'll keep coming."
"A threat?" I stand, throwing my hands up. "I don't even know who he us! How can I possibly be a threat?"
"You know, Hoseok." Taehyung says, standing slowly and placing his hands on my shoulder's. His gaze burns into my own, as if trying to force me to remember something. "It's in your head, you just need to figure it out."
"How?"
He gives me a sympathetic smile, ruffling my hair a bit. "Yoongi is your biggest clue right now, Hoseok. He's-" His form flickers, cutting out like a television station in a storm. Jungkook approaches from behind, his own outline wavering.
"Time's up, Tae."
Tae's hands drop from my shoulder's, a sigh breaking from his lips. "I know."
"What's going on?" I ask, panic rising in my chest.
Tae meets my eyes, his face fading more by the second. "He's awake." He gives me a small smile. "See you later Hobi." He turns and grabs Jungkook's hand.
"Wait!" I yell, reaching out towards them. "Don't-" they're bodies blink out as if sucked into a black hole, leaving me alone "-go."
I open my eyes, my white ceiling stretching out above me. I sigh, rubbing my eyes. Soft breaths sound from the space beside me. I turn towards them to see Yoongi there, his eyes closed as he sleeps. He looks so peaceful that I debate whether or not I should really wake him. But then Tae's words come back to me.
Danger was looming. And this small man beside me was my only lead as to how to stop it from swallowing me whole.
