If Only I'd Met You Earlier♡ •Ot7•

25. Aftermath

The dreadful aftermath of the fight seeped into the clearing with ironic lightening of the atmosphere, it was already dusk as the rest of us rushed to Ayeong, who sat with Jean's head in her lap and cried. Jean's breathing was shallow, but still there, slow and uneven. Would she die from just exhaustion of power? Was that possible? "Mom, Mom! Please open your eyes! Mom!" She cried.

We just stared at them as Jean lifted her hand and touched her fingers to Ayeong's tear soaked cheek, "You didn't stand next to me, my daughter." She coughed. A hiss of anger escaped Jimin who stood the closest to Ayeong, she was silent and did not answer. Pure rage boiled through me, but I kept myself from snarling.

"Why? Why did you do this!?" Seokjin asked from where he stood next to Hoseok, Namjoon leaning on his and Taehyung's shoulders for support. Jean didn't reply.

"Why, mom? Why did you do this!?" Ayeong coaxed. Jean looked around at all our faces before stopping on Namjoon's, but still did not answer. Jungkook nudged his elbow to mine and gestured towards Jean. I cocked my head in confusion and he gave the Dont-You-Remember-? look, gesturing to my eyes with his index and middle finger then towards Jean. RIGHT, my mojo.

I sat down next to Jean's torso, making her gaze break from Namjoon and shift to me. As if she already knew what I was about to do, she looked away and shut her eyes thight, "Why did you do this, Jean?" I asked. Her lips twitched as she held herself back from answering my question. So, I repeated. Still no response.

I looked back up at Jungkook, who gestured for me to calm myself, concentrate and try again. So I did. After breathing in and out a couple of times, I repeated my question in a very calm and soothing voice, "Why, Jean? Why did you do this?"

"Because I want those-" she forced herself to keep quiet, shaking her head with eyes closed tightly, "Don't use your powers on me!" And then, she cried.

"Mom." Ayeong spoke, placing a hand on Jean's cheeks, "Mom, look at me." Jean shook her head while panting, making Ayeong plead again. Hoseok helped Namjoon shift to SeokJin for support and sat down on Jean's other side and placed three fingers on her temple. His eyes widened.

"She's dying." He said, in a voice as low as whisper, but we all could hear.

"WHAT?! No!? Noo! Mom, MOM!?" She patted Jean's wet cheeks coated with tears which continued to flow, "Mom! Tell me this is a lie." She kept silent and there, I could see Ayeong physically break into pieces, a thousand, millions of pieces, "What did you do, mom?" She asked, placing a careful hand on her arm, "How can all this... do this to you? How... how could you do this to me?" The last of her words barely even audible over the roaring in my ears.

"Because she used all her power to create the last monster who Jungkook fought, down to the last bit. Her body is trying to remake the power because her mind is still in fight mode and now it's going to use the energy she needs to survive but... but it won't be enough. She..." Hoseok let his words fade away, unable to look at Ayeong.

"Please, please can you do something? Please, Hoseok do something!" She cried, her pleading eyes boring holes into Hoseok, who shook his head, gesturing that nothing could be done.

My breath hitched. What ever she had done in the past few weeks, I hated her for it. Deeply, thoroughly resented her for it. But... but I couldn't forget the loving and caring woman she had been to me my whole life before that. Right from the time when I was in the orphanage and had no one to talk to, no one to sit beside. But she had been there, playing with me while also taking care of her own little girl, Ayeong. I couldn't forget how she supported me through everything, even attended my annual day function in school while she sat in the front row, clapping and cheering for me as I got my degree and stayed by my side even long after I had left the orphanage. It hurt soo soo much, "Why, Jean! Why did you do this!" I asked, placing a hand on her arm, my vision blurring with the moisture collecting in my eyes, "Everything was soo good. Why did you do this?"