The Red Cosmos

Dahlias

Seokjin merely observes the scene unfolding before him. His lip throbs from Taehyungs punch earlier but he ignores it opting to focus as he attempted to loosen the poorly knotted cord tied around his hands.

Standing inches from him is Da Hye, distraught as she glares hard at Hoseok.
He's stunned by the look on her face, words spill like venom from her mouth.
Was this really the same Da Hye he'd known for months.
It makes him sick to his stomach, her blatant confessions to killing multiple people in the name of love.

Hoseok looks as though he'd been through hell himself. Bloodstains are marring his torn shirt and a large gash at the side of his head where dried blood sticks to his skin. Despite the situation, relief floods his system knowing that Hoseok had nothing to do with Mina's murder.

Glancing back at her body sitting eerily still upon the chair, his heart clenches.

Taehyung levels Hoseok with a passive expression, looking too calm for a person who has a gun pointed directly at their head.

"Kim Taehyung, you're under arrest for the murders of all those innocent women" Hoseok continues.

Seokjin is far too gone in his grief to react, this was all too much to take in.

Suddenly, as though possessed, Da Hye falls back in shock, eyes wide as she points a shaky finger at him.

"S-stay away!!" she screams backing away.

What?

"I SAID STAY AWAY!!" she hollers covering her ears with her hands and rocks back and forth "please, I didn't want to do it.." she whimpers.

What the fuck? He meets Hoseok's equally confused eyes.

"What is it Hye?" Taehyung says as he reaches for her.

"Move even one fucking muscle and I'll shoot" Hoseok threatens.

She doesn't seem to hear either of them, fear clouding her judgment as she stands suddenly. "Don't come any closer!!" she says backing into Taehyung who grabs hold of her. "Hye!"

She pushes against him roughly but he doesn't let go.

"Why couldn't you love me!?? I loved you so much Jimin!!" she sobs.

Jimin? But wasn't he dead?

Could she be hallucinating?

He's finally able to tug his hands free of the cord. Standing cautiously he rubs at his sore wrists.

"Stay back Jin!" Hoseok warns as he takes small steps towards them, "she's delusional".

"Please, I didn't want to do it!!" she begs "but you gave me no choice".

"Bullshit" Seokjin yells irritation giving way to his nerves, Da Hye flinches back.

"You had a choice! Everyone has a choice, but instead, you chose to kill them. You willing ended their lives and selfishly played victim all this time" he sneers.

"Jin" Hoseok warns "keep your distance".

He's too angry to care at this point. All the grief and fear he suffered only to find out Mina was dead all along.

"You're insane, you'll never be loved, you're a monster" he spits.

Da Hye's face is blank, she's eerily still at his words for only a split second before the look in her eyes goes feral and she's charging straight at him knocking them both to the floor. He hears Hoseok shouting and the sound of a gunshot echoes off the walls before all falls silent.

Da Hye is eerily still against him, there's a piercing pain in his lower abdomen and when her body is hoisted off of him by a distraught Taehyung, he finds her unconscious.

There's red staining the side of her dress, it drips from Taehyungs hands onto the floor.

"Jin.." comes Hoseok's voice, he sounds afraid.

"H-Hoseok?" why is it so hard to breathe all of a sudden. His body is aching so much.

The other man drops to his knees beside him tearing a piece of his shirt as he attempts to lift his body. The movement sends a sharp pain tingling up his spine that makes him cry out.

Panting he looks down finding red blooming across his lower abdomen. A knife is embedded in him.

"What..?" he feels cold.

"Shh don't speak too much, you'll be okay" Hoseok talks too fast for him to comprehend "I called for back up earlier, they'll be here". His hands are shaky as he pulls the knife out, he releases a blood curling scream. The pain is excruciating. Blood is pooling from the wound and Hoseok has to press down hard with the cloth to stop it.

"Slow breaths," he says looking into his eyes.

The moment only lasts for a split second before Hoseok is wretched from him. He's thrown back by Taehyung who jumps on top of him and beings punching him violently. The sound of a fist connecting with his jaw makes a sickening crack.

Taehyung's fists are bloody by the times he's done. Hoseok lays unconscious and battered. Reaching down Taehyung picks up the gun abandoned to the side and turns to him.

His line of sight is becoming foggy, the image of the other is swaying as blood continues to seep from his wound.

"Why?" he asks the man pleadingly "this isn't you Tae... please".

Taehyung's eyes are cold, sinister. Lifting the gun and aiming straight for his head Seokjin closes his eyes.

Mina's smiling face runs through his mind.

I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.

"Tae" comes a small, weak voice.

Opening his eyes, he turns to find Da Hye, pale as a ghost clutching her bloodied side.

"Don't" she begs.

Taehyung's face suddenly, filled with so much emotion, rushes to her side.

"Hye," he says shakily, she caresses' his face softly before wrapping her arms around his shoulder and hugs him close. He doesn't hesitate to hug back.

Seokjin watches through blurred eyes as her hand slips down to Taehyung's and takes the gun from it. She lifts it to his head, positioning it there. He doesn't seem to notice, far too distracted hugging her close.

She moves her lips to his ear, kisses it softly before whispering loud enough for Seokjin to hear, "I'll never love you".

She pulls the trigger.

Blood splatters everywhere, his body falls limp to the side.

She doesn't even spare him a glance, merely locking eyes with Seokjin.