SCARRED | TK

Chapter Eight

i have a playlist for scarred that's very important so if you want to give it a listen you can find it on my Spotify at @/hiraee under the title "SCARRED"

Enjoy!

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"You held the balance of the time
That only blindly I could read you
But I could read you
It's like you told me
Go forward slowly
It's not a race to the end."

The cold, refreshing, breeze caressed his face with gentle movements, almost as gentle as a person's touch but there was no warmth in it—only iciness that reminded him of moments he would rather forget.

The scenery ahead of him was not pleasing to the eye and yet, he stayed there, staring at it with pain in his heart and thoughts clouding his mind. It could've been magnificent, that scenery he so dearly wished he could witness with his own eyes. He had only seen them in photos—forests of trees that seemed to never end, large plains covered in blooming flowers and insects, streams of clear water that seemed to hold life in them.

His greatest wish was to see those sceneries with his own eyes—the true beauty of the world they lived in. Pain resonated through his body when he realized that, nor him, nor anyone else could witness such beauty every again. They had destroyed it—humans. Had taken that beauty in their cold, merciless, palms, and shredded it apart for their own selfishness. Those never ending plains had turned into large, never ending, monochrome building made of cement and sorrow. Those forests had turned into dust after all the trees had been cut down and the animals—they were no longer there.

Nothing was healthy anymore—nothing was there.

All Taehyung could see as he sat on the bench outside the medical compound was a sorrowful wasteland—the result of their own actions.

Humans were selfish. Had been for a long time.

Taehyung hadn't seen any of those sceneries before and, even if part of the world's decaying was due to the virus spreading all over it, he knew that humans were just as guilty.

Taehyung could enjoy the outside air because the research center was in a less radiated area but, although the air seemed fresh and filled with life, the image in front of him was not pleasant.

The large forest that had once stretched over that surface was almost dried out, the few trees that still had leaves in them being sick and on the verge of death. Since the research center was situated in one of the safest areas of the world, there were still life around it but it was not enough—it would all soon perish too. The caregivers made sure to take care of each tree and invest time in their well being but, even with the most advanced technology, the virus couldn't be stopped; it could only be slowed down. That's what drove Taehyung mad, the fact that, no matter how ingenious people thought he was, how many things he had achieved, he wasn't able to stop the virus.

Because there was no way to stop it—he knew.

And yet, he couldn't tell anyone. He couldn't forcefully take their hope.

He wanted to save everyone and yet, he was unable to.

The doctor dug his fingers into the pockets of his robe, pulling out the pencil he had kept there for two days. Taehyung hadn't shown it to Jeongguk because he was afraid of his reaction but he was going to give it to him soon. After meeting JK, the medic had avoided going into Jeongguk's room. Out of fear, maybe. Or out of curiosity.

He wasn't sure why but, after his meeting with the other persona residing in Jeongguk's body, Taehyung's body had started feeling lighter—healthier.

Despite their last meeting, Jeongguk was as usual, calm and far too quiet, but Taehyung had noticed the way his lips curled upwards whenever he told him a joke or laughed at the way he chewed his food. It was like something had snapped inside him that day, making him realize that Taehyung was not someone he should fear.