Run.

10

Present Day

You're trapped.

Behind you, a horde of monsters intent on sinking their teeth into you rushes ever closer. All that remains in front of you is air as the ground gives way sharply, the steep cliff dropping down toward a rushing river.

"Kook!" You choke out as he skitters to a halt, teetering on the edge. He glances over the edge, then at the oncoming mob, doe eyes finally landing on you.

"We have no choice" he whispers, calm resignation in his eyes.

Before you can utter a single word of protest, Jungkook wraps his strong arms around you, clutching you tightly to his chest. He pushes off the edge of the cliff, launching you both into the air and very narrowly avoiding the bloody beasts clawing and reaching for you.

Time stands still for a breath, suspending you there. But the moment is shattered all too soon, fragmenting as gravity comes crashing through you.

A scream is ripped out of your throat as you both plummet towards the surging, black waters below.

A Few Months Ago

You kneel down, shaky fingers wrapping around the smooth, cold metal. You stand on legs like jelly, turning and facing the group of wide-eyed men clumped behind you, hand outstretched to show the newfound weapon. They're speechless, eyes switching back and forth between the gun and the dead body on the floor. You're honestly not sure which one they're more shocked by.

You hear the sound of air being sucked in through teeth from the ebony-haired man next to you, as if he just noticed the deadly object clutched in your hand. Jungkook reaches over, quickly but carefully taking the gun from you.

"Please be careful, this is not a toy" he whispers, mindful of the fact that there may still be other monsters nearby. You huff, opening your mouth to retort, but freeze when you see him click something on the gun.

Oh.

You snap your mouth shut, realizing that the safety was not on and Jungkook may have just saved you all yet again from something horrible. You glance at him sheepishly, heat rising in your cheeks. Thankfully, he's not looking at you. His eyes are closed, hand tightening on the hilt of the gun as he takes a few slow, deep breaths, steeling himself for the next part of your journey. Whatever he felt in those few moments after killing the zombie seems to vanish as he opens his eyes, a calm strength resonating in the black depths. His eyes briefly scan your motley crew, finally landing on you.

"Ready?" He whispers, and you're reminded of the unfortunate reality that you're the one who is supposed to be leading the way. You take a deep breath, steadying your thumping heart and nodding in reply. As everyone quietly moves back to their respective positions, Jungkook steps lightly over to the door, peering through to see if anything is waiting in the lobby. He looks back at you and nods, giving you the all-clear. As you step up to the doorway, Jungkook takes his spot behind you, gun clenched tightly in his hand. Before you can walk through, he puts a hand on your shoulder, stopping you. You look back at him and see reassurance flickering in his dark eyes. "I'll be here the whole time" he whispers, releasing you as he does so. The corners of your mouth lift slightly, grateful for the encouragement.

You turn back towards the door, gathering your courage and stepping through, the boys following suit. What little light there is from the moon floats in through the windows, bouncing off the marble floors and illuminating a small part of the vast room. As far as you can see, there's nothing in the room. You silently head for the front door, praying that nothing lurks in the shadows beyond your line of vision.