"We become the monsters we're most afraid of."
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"Jimin," she breathed out. "You're allowed to touch me."
His plump lips slightly parted as a gasp escaped him. "I-" he exhaled, his fingertips slightly grazing her cheek.
"I'm someone else tonight...
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*** smut warning ***
Aera observed in horror as Jimin's body convulsed and writhed on the ground, robbing her of her ability to think straight. The veins of his neck became terrifyingly prominent as his whole body strained against the urges his corrupted mind was whispering to him.
Whatever had gotten into him, it was dark and vicious, sweeping through his insides and apparently, fighting it was causing him immense pain. Aera found herself unable to stop her tears from falling down, as she tried to grab him by the hand, but to no avail, he yanked it off, offering her a menacing growl that made the blood in her veins freeze.
Numbing fear. That's what Aera felt as she watched Jimin, this perfectly designed human weapon, fight the impulse to harm her. Fear that quite possible, he wouldn't be able to resist it. He wouldn't be able to resist the demonic force that had possessed him, seeping through his bones and ravaging his mind.
However, she couldn't run, no matter how every atom of her body screamed at her to flight. Leaving him would kill her, and staying with him would literally kill her. There was this dull ache that started pooling in the pit of her stomach.
Desperately, she wanted to help him, but what was she to do?
She would take hold of the beast.
Unsteadily, her small hands gravitated towards his face as she repetitively attempted to cup his jaw. His unseeing eyes were looking in a different direction every two seconds and she wondered if he was even himself right now. He had to. He had to be somewhere in there.
"Jimin, look at me," she pleaded, her voice a hoarse whisper as her eyes desperately searched his. "Please, look at me. I'm here, everything's going to be alright."
Mumbling incoherently, it wasn't long until she realized that his body had slightly relaxed, even though it was still quite tense. His arms dropped to his sides and Aera let out a sharp gasp when his eyes finally peered at her.
"Do you hear me? Jimin, do you hear me? I promise it will all go away, we'll make it go away together. You remember, right? Together," she sobbed, vision going blurry from the tears that relentlessly streamed down her face.
There were drops of blood rimming his full lips, probably from biting on them too hard and his complexion was gaunt and sickly, dark bags hugging his usually lively orbs as he stared soullessly at her.
Suddenly, she sensed power surging through her body as her palms against Jimin's face grew warmer. An almost imperceptible whip of red light extended from her chest and towards Jimin's, binding them together. It grew bigger, thicker, stronger. Aera had no idea what it was. There was pulsing in her fingertips as her whole being focused on extorting this malevolent shadow clutching on his soul. She let out a shaky breath, the process exhausting her quicker than anticipated, still she carried on.
