Royally Yours (Jikook AU📱📲)

5. Jimin

Jimin hugged his knees closer, resting his chin on them. The wind whipped softly against his hair, carrying the faint scent of the city below-smoke, dust, and the tang of the marketplace.

He could hear the distant chatter of merchants bargaining, the occasional shout of guards patrolling, and the hollow clatter of chains from the slave quarters. Each sound reminded him of the invisible walls surrounding his life.

This is my world, he thought bitterly, small, cramped... and built to trap me.

A lonely bird flitted across the horizon, its wings catching the golden sunlight. Jimin's gaze followed it.

I wish I could just fly away... Leave all of this behind.

But he knew better. Dreams were a luxury for people with freedom. For someone like him, freedom was a word that belonged only in stories.

He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the sun warm his face. For just a few minutes, he pretended the ropes around his life didn't exist. Pretended that the city, the market, the lords, and their cruel rules were far away.

"Just a few minutes," he whispered to himself, "where I can be... me."

And there, on top of the Ruvana mountain, with the sun painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, Jimin allowed himself the smallest spark of hope-that maybe, one day, he could breathe without chains, and the city below wouldn't feel like a cage anymore.

The suffocated feeling in his chest and the chain around his neck made him want to throw off everything he couldn't control. But he knew he couldn't, and that realization made him angrier. His throat burned as if fire ran through it.

I will get out of this situation I will...

The vibrating phone in his pocket brought him back to reality. Darkness had fallen while he'd been lost in his thoughts.

He clumsily pulled out the phone and saw it was Hoseok, desperately trying to contact him.

"H-Hoseok?" Jimin said quietly as he swiped to answer.

"Jimin! Finally! I've been calling you nonstop!" Hoseok's voice was full of worry. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over the city for you!"

Jimin rubbed the back of his neck, feeling guilty. "I... I just came up to the mountain for a bit of air. Needed some time."

"Air?" Hoseok's voice softened, though concern still laced every word. "It's dark now, Jimin-ah. You shouldn't be alone, especially up there. What if something happens?"

Jimin's chest tightened. Hoseok always knew how to make him feel comforted and guilty at the same time. "I'm fine," he muttered, though the words lacked conviction.

"You're never 'fine' when you disappear like this," Hoseok said, a mixture of frustration and care in his tone. "You know I worry, right? You're like... my family, Jimin. I can't just let you vanish without knowing you're safe."

Jimin stared into the dark sky above Ruvana, the city lights below twinkling faintly. He wanted to tell Hoseok everything-the anger, the suffocation, the chains around his life-but the words stuck in his throat.

"I know, Hobi," he said softly. "I'm... I'm okay. I just needed some time."

There was a pause. Then Hoseok's voice came, gentler now. "Okay... but promise me something, Jimin? Promise me you'll come back soon. Don't stay out there alone too long."

Jimin pressed the phone to his chest, swallowing hard. "I promise."

"Good. And... Jimin?"

"Yes?"

"Don't let the darkness swallow you. You're stronger than you think. And we- Jihyo, and I-we'll always be here for you."

Jimin felt a lump in his throat, a mixture of gratitude and longing. He nodded to himself, though Hoseok couldn't see it. "Thanks, Hobi. I... I'll be back soon."

Hoseok's relieved sigh echoed through the phone. "Good. That's all I needed to hear. Now, get home safely, okay?"

"I will."

Sliding the phone into his pocket, Jimin gazed at the night sky. The stars glimmered faintly, tiny reminders that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't completely alone.

And for a moment, the weight around his chest felt a little lighter.