Level And Life | KTH ✓

26. Hope

Hope.

It sounds a very common yet the most anticipating word which carries the potential to change the despair to encouragement, right?

But for the eight of them, it sounded the former one; mediocre.

There was hope before. Just a tiny flicker against the wind. But it only seemed like hope didn't knock gently upon the door and wished softly for it to open, and turned its back without even ringing the doorbell.

"L-let's go!" The sour words came out of Namjoon's mouth which felt nothing less than daggers.

"What?!" Taehyung sounded confused, dry tears kissing his cheeks .

"We can't leave from here. We can't leave Jungkook alone. He's probably waiting for us. He needs us!" Jin lashed upon Namjoon.

Gulping down the lump formed in his throat, Yoongi placed his hand on the elder's shoulder. "Hyung, I think Namjoon is right. There's no point in sitting here when the reason itself is gone."

"What the hell are you talking about?! Are you in your right mind?! How can you even think about deserting Jungkook and just go away?!"

"Hyung, please get a hold of yourself. He will not come back." The salty liquid cascaded down Hoseok's cheeks as he tried to explain Jin who looked like his ears were not willing to listen to anything.

"NO! Jungkook will come back. I can feel him, I can feel his presence.

Listen! He's calling for help! He's calling for me!

Jungkook-ah!" Jin retorted like an insane who had long lost control over his senses.

The anger was nothing but a shield for pain, like a cornered soldier randomly throwing out grenades, desperate for his life.

"Hyung! Why don't you understand?! He. Is. Gone.

JUNGKOOK IS GONE FOREVER!" Namjoon growled, shaking the former up.

There was something in that shout, a pain behind the scenes. He didn't just raise his voice, his muscles tensed and he got right in close for maximum impact.

After that Jin gave in, a fresh batch of tears replaced in his eyes as he hugged Namjoon and just cried and cried until his orbs became dry. While the younger soothed him, giving his best for whatever would calm him down.

"Those we love and lose are always connected by heartstrings into infinity."

And Jungook was exactly like the one for them.

They left the place, reaching an icy cave with their trembling legs. Some still sobbing in pain, others showed no response at all due to shock and this is why empathy is so vital, to allow ourselves to feel what others are feeling rather than opting for shallow sympathies.

Their irises were void of any emotions as involuntarily, all their minds could do was counting the times how their souls smiled together just a few moments before, and then everything turned upside-down when terror walked right in, becoming the visitor that leaves in their own time.

"If all that happened was a video then I would've not pressed 'pause' but 'delete'." Taehyung roughly moved his hand through his already tousled dark brown hair.

Indeed-

"Dying is a messy and often painful process, living as we do in a world that is yet to embrace euthanasia. The soul moves on, the matter and the countless memories remain. And those memories are like bullets. Some whiz by and only spook you while others tear you open and leave you in pieces."