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Taehyung is not sure what to expect as he moves to the other side, his fingers digging in underneath the painting and pulling at the frame. It slowly slides open, not a sound coming from the effort. A harsh cold gust of air seeps out of the doorway, the temperature in the room much lower than that of the rest of the house.

The smell of decay and petals hits him like a tsunami, and he stumbles back a few steps as he puts his arm over his nose and mouth. His eyes are squinted, a dim light illuminating the tiny hidden room.

And what he sees makes his arm fall away limply at his side, the smell not quite registering as shock and terror sweep him up in their arms.

A woman is tied into a chair, the only thing keeping her from collapsing to the floor being the ropes securely binding her to it. Flowers cover every inch of the small space, some of them withered, some fresh. There are even a few flowers tucked into the woman's hair - or what's left of it.

Her head is slumped forward, half of the blonde hair missing from her head. Some of her fingers are only staying on her hands because they've been sewn on, though one arm is barely hanging on at the shoulder. The only thing keeping it from detaching is the hand holding it steady.

"It gets harder and harder to keep her from falling apart," August says, looking up at Taehyung as he holds the arm in place. "Not even the heavy duty staples are holding. Look."

He uses his free hand to gently push the woman's head back, and Taehyung falls to the floor, his hands and feet shuffling to get him further away.

Amelia is looking right at him, rosy cheeks drained to porcelain white and blue eyes clouded over with death. Staples run across her throat, though Taehyung can see the torn flesh beneath it willing itself to split apart despite the small metal braces trying to hold it together.

August lets her head fall back gently, and then he sighs.

"Isn't she lovely?" he asks. "Just as perfect as always."

Taehyung's chest heaves as he tries to make himself get up - make himself run.

But he's frozen, his eyes locked on the blackened fingertips of Amelia.

"I couldn't let her go, Taehyung," August says. "You understand. You told me you understood. You said you'd never be able to live without the people you love most."

Taehyung's head shakes back and forth, but no words come from his throat.

August sighs again, looking down at Amelia's arm.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers as he lets go of the arm and it falls away, landing with a thump on the ground. A thump Taehyung had become familiar with hearing. "I promise I'll fix it in just a little while. I have something to take care of first."

With that, August turns his eyes onto Taehyung, his feet carrying him towards him as Taehyung finally scrambles to his feet and runs.

Lovely | BTS ✓Where stories live. Discover now