Ecstacy of Love (vsoo)

16. Don't leave me.

Edited

Taehyung's POV

The arena was quiet. Too quiet. The air was thick with tension, and I could almost taste the bitter regret that clawed at my throat. Today, I had to face the consequences of everything I had failed to see. Jian-was about to meet her fate.

I couldn't stop it. I couldn't undo the pain she had endured, the pain I had caused. I had believed the lies, had thought her to be an assassin, a spy working against me.

I watched as the guards placed the black rack over her head, hiding her identity from everyone around us. They led her, along with the other prisoners, to the center of the arena. My heart pounded in my chest. I wanted to shout, to stop this madness, but I couldn't. I had given the orders. I had chosen this path.

The sword came down.

I closed my eyes as the blood splattered, but it was no use. All I could do was stand there, helpless, as the woman I had once known was wiped from the world.

.

.

.

Military Camp, Taehyung's Study Room

The door slammed open, and I looked up from the scrolls I was reading, only to see Jimin standing in front of me, trembling. His face was pale, his body rigid with fear. Something was wrong-no, something had gone horribly wrong. The air felt too still, too heavy. I could feel the weight of his presence before he even spoke.

"Taehyung... J-Jian... Jian isn't Jian," Jimin stammered, his voice breaking. I froze, my heart skipping a beat. What was he saying?

I stood up quickly, walking toward him, my mind racing. "What are you talking about?" I demanded, my voice cold, trying to keep myself composed. "What do you mean 'Jian isn't Jian'?"

Jimin was shaking. He could barely get the words out, but finally, they spilled from his lips, one painful word after another. "She's Kim Jisoo."

I blinked, the words not registering at first. My mind spun. Kim Jisoo? My Jisoo? The same girl from my past, the one I had lost, the one I had abandoned all those years ago?

"You're lying," I whispered, my voice faltering as a cold shiver ran down my spine. "You're lying, Jimin. If this is a joke, it's not funny."

Jimin's hands trembled as he pulled something from his pocket. He handed me a small woven bag, and I took it with shaking fingers. Inside, I found a hand fan, a knife, and something else-something that made my heart stop in my chest. A jade hairpin.

And then, the necklace. The amethyst necklace I had given to her-the one I had given to Jisoo when we were younger. The one I had promised her, the one that meant everything to us both.

I felt my knees go weak as the truth crashed over me like a tidal wave. This wasn't a lie. This wasn't some cruel joke. Jisoo had been right in front of me all along, and I hadn't even known.

"No..." I whispered, my voice cracking. "This can't be true. This can't be happening."

But Jimin nodded, his eyes filled with sorrow. "I have proof. She's Kim Jisoo, Taehyung. She's alive. And... and I think you might have hurt her."

I collapsed to my knees, unable to stop myself. I gripped the necklace in my hands, my heart breaking with each passing second. What had I done?

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. All I could do was stare at the necklace, the token of my love for her, the love I had lost because I was too blind to see the truth.