Neverland [✓]

[ To Begin Is To Sacrifice ]

[ Part 3 ]

Had Irene known what it'd feel like to be betrayed ... she couldn't. She could not understand the feeling of loneliness. Peter made those around him, who he took in, feel the absence of a presence. He made them feel what it is to be isolated and abandoned. He inflicted pain towards them for living a life opposite him. Peter could not control the voices inside his head and neither can they change what's already formed him.

Memories began to swirl around Irene's mind. She stirred in her unconsciousness, yet remained still. Confusion consumed her and she stirred once again. 

"Taehyung, come look at what I've built!" 

Even when Irene was a few years older than Taehyung, they equalized themselves as the same age. Irene did not care if was taller than him. She did not care if he had trouble speaking certain words. She enjoyed using her time with Taehyung, playing and building sandcastles whenever they have time. 

The toddler toddled his way towards the sandcastle and gasped in awe. His eyes had seemed to sparkle as they widened. Taehyung said words that seemed incoherent for Irene, despite him spitting out and trying his best to speak. The toddler jumped up and down, inducing the lass to copy him. 

They giggled in pure joy and Taehyung jumped too over excitedly that he fell down on the pile of sands. Irene gasped in shock and helped him up before he cried. She did not even care if the sandcastles were destroyed. She only cared about Taehyung and that he did not lick the sand by accident.

She helped him stand up and dusted the sands off his overall. There were evident tears on his cheeks since he's only a few years younger than Irene. She crouched down to his level and wiped his tears away.

"It's okay to cry, Taehyung, but know that I'll be here to watch over you, all right?" She spoke with a smile on her face, unaware that toddler Taehyung had no clue whatsoever. He had no idea what she said, but only understood his name and 'okay'.

He nodded nonetheless, spreading his arms wide for a hug. Irene smiled even wider and embraced the toddler. 

"Let's get some ice cream, shall we?"

Irene gasped at the strange memory and clutched onto her shirt. She heaved out heavily, eyes widening at the memory that was never integrated inside her memory. She thought so and it was strange to suddenly remember a memory about them as children. 

Her heart raced once more, but breathing for the latter was a difficult thing to do.

She was still surrounded by the darkness, where one ray of light shone through an unknown direction. Irene began to lose control, crawling through the cold ground as she helplessly glanced around. Confusion consumed Irene to the point where the memory faded away into the back of her head. 

She began to stutter and called Taehyung's name. 

Taehyung continued to walk forward when all of a sudden a faded whisper called his name. He swiftly turned his head around, responding to her familiar voice with a shout. He turned multiple times, searching through familiar paths, trees, lakes and bushes. They were calling out to each other, seeming as they had a connection or something.

The connection was visible in front of their eyes, but they could not feel the strong link. It was fading ever so slowly just like the existence of Neverland. Taehyung cursed at himself more than towards Peter. The bleeding eventually stopped, even with Taehyung moving around in search for Irene. 

Irene, too, was trying her best to find a way out, but she remained in the dark and isolated side of Peter's mind.

She ran towards North, West, East and South. She ran in circles without a clear direction. She felt exhausted. Her stomach churned in apprehension. She wanted to get out from here. She wanted to see her parents. She longed for their embrace. Neverland is not a calming place. Neverland has its darkest sides that scared the vexed lass.