Heartless || •OG• ✔️

Chapter 42 - Jimin

The lighthouse felt empty despite how the entire group was inside it.

The circular shape of the interior was filled with stone walls and dim light. A winding staircase was next to them, but they had enough space to move around. It was just wide enough to fit all 8 of them. The idea that it was 8 instead of 9 hadn't clicked in Jimin's brain yet. He wasn't sure he wanted it to.

Charlotte had been sobbing over June's death, Ivan silent about it, and Jericho holding Charlotte while she cried. Kayden and Theo were sitting in their respective corners, still awestruck by the news. Theo was by Asa, who was groaning and sweating as he rested his back against the freezing wall.

Asa was in terrible condition. He got shot through the thigh. Theo feared it hit an artery. Jimin wasn't a doctor, but he knew that wasn't good. All of them were silent upon hearing that diagnosis. There were no words to speak. Charlotte was devastated by the news of June's death. Ivan refused to speak to anyone. So far, only Ariel had been willing to speak. Even then, she kept her words directed to Jimin and no one else.

The air felt old as it hit his face. There were no fresh currents flying inside the lighthouse. No windows were open, no doors. However, that changed when Jimin took Theo's bag and stormed out to the wooden shed next door.

No one bothered following him. They were processing their grief in different ways, so they respected Jimin's way. His way was to sit in the shed, drink what little water they had, and imagine it was liquor instead. By the time he sat down on the metal table inside the rusted shed, the water was in his hand, him taking sips from it.

Tools were scattered on the metal table. It was the only sign of life the shed had. Everything else was barren, the walls held together by toothpicks and rope, the floors dusty while there was no light inside. Jimin left the door open to allow moonlight in. Otherwise, it was dark. Too dark for Jimin's liking, but he wasn't in the mood to complain.

He spotted the Dumbo plush inside the bag. It ended up in his tiny hands, him petting the top of it as if that would bring him more consolation. Of course, it didn't, and Jimin was left alone with his thoughts for far too long.

Any peace he had was shattered when Ariel strolled inside, her eyes falling on the plush. He was amazed she didn't question it. Instead, she went to stand across from him. Her arms wrapped themselves around her chest as they peered at one another.

"Do you know what our next step is? Jericho's talking about going to London next, but do you think that's a good idea?" Ariel asked.

Jimin waved the air, placing the plush down so he could take out the plastic bag of comics. She knit her brows together. With his fingers beckoning her closer, Ariel came over and took the bag from him, opening it and laughing when she saw all the volumes inside. It brought a smile to Jimin's face to see her distracted, even if it was only for a moment.

"Happy birthday, kiddo. I'm sorry this is how you're spending it," he said.

"Are you kidding? This is officially the best birthday ever." She came forward and hugged him, although it was awkward considering he was sitting on an elevated surface. When they parted, she held the comics close to her chest.

Peace was a beautiful concept. Jimin wished he could swim in it for hours, but it had to end at some point. All good things did. Ariel sensed the change in his mood, backing up to give him space to jump down from the counter. He didn't realize how sore he was until his feet hit the ground, sending a wave of ache through his body.

"London is the best play, but we have to be more careful. If we can, I'm gonna try and convince the others to leave you, Ivan, and Kayden behind. You three got dragged into this, if we can keep you safe at the pub, then that's what we'll do."

"You know you don't need to do that," she said, and he brought his brows together.

"Do what?"

"Pretend like you can't protect me. I saw how you fought. You took out those guys without breaking a sweat."

"And then I couldn't take out those guys in the hotel," Jimin replied. "In case you forgot, June had to save us. June of all people. We would have died if it weren't for him. I didn't protect you. He did."

He shut his mouth. Silence followed. Ariel was staring at the ground, then, she brought her gaze up to meet his. To his awe, she had tears brewing. A storm of emotions was swelling around her irises, speckles of grief mixed with terror dotting the whites of her eyes.

"I'm not Aria," she said.

His lips went dry, his adrenaline spiking. "What?" he asked, the question sending a quake throughout his spine. The bones of his body nearly cracked from carrying the weight of the sensations sprinting around his organs.

"In the hotel, you told June about Aria. Your daughter, right?" His silence gave the answer, and her eyes expanded by a hair. "Too much?"

"Too much."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." She trailed off, clutching the comics tighter. "I've felt like a burden my whole life. With you, I felt like someone cared about me. Like someone actually wants to help me." Past tense. Cared: past tense. It made Jimin's veins boil from remorse, but Ariel gave him no chance to reply. "And now it feels like I'm a burden to you too. If I am, it's okay. I just would've liked it if you told me sooner."

She walked away. Jimin let her. Comics and hugs were nice, but Jimin knew they weren't enough to convince the girl she wasn't a burden to him. It was the opposite. He felt like a burden to her. Maybe it was time to change.

Maybe it was time to show that he cared.

~~~

Jimin was left alone in the car with Ariel. The others vacated as soon as they parked. Kayden would go out the next morning and dispose of the cars with Jericho. Until then, they decided to drown in their miseries. Jimin was fine with that. He did that every day anyway. Yet somehow, this felt different. More real.

Darkness casted itself on Jimin's form. It was early morning, the sun not quite out yet. It was on the horizon, and he had to admit the sky looked like a painting. The back of the pub was a shadow, the door swung open for Jimin to close once he got inside.

He turned and saw Ariel was asleep, slumped against the window. A plastic bag was tied to her wrist, containing the comics he gave her. He rubbed his lips together, mentally preparing himself before he departed the passenger's seat and went to the opposite side. The door opened, and he took the bag without waking her. Then, he undid her seatbelt and was cautious with her form.

Jimin slid the girl across the seat, scooping her up into his arms. In her daze, she rested her head on his chest. It was terrifying how frail she had become. He made a mental note to make her larger meals and have himself eat less to compensate for their new rationing protocol they were sure to implement.

Carrying Ariel wasn't painless. Aches ran up his body as he kicked the car door shut and held her, going as fast as he could without risking waking her. She was drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness, her eyes shut despite the soft groans she let out here and there.

He entered the pub to find everyone was gone, likely in their rooms to prepare for the night. Lights were flickering, some off, others wishing they were off. Jimin made the decision to turn all of them off to conserve energy. Whatever bills the old man was getting, they'd soon fall on the group. Whenever the old man came to drop off supplies, he took the letters from the mailbox and didn't tell them what the letters were. Jimin was sure he could guess.

Creaking noises made Jimin wince as he went up the stairs, going to Ariel's bedroom and using his hand to open the door. It made him strain, but he managed to get through. The light was already off, so Jimin had the easy job of placing her on her bed, pulling up the covers to fit her figure.

From that angle, she seemed younger. Younger than she already was. Any innocence she had left was taken by this mission. Their quest for the High Council had been constant failures. Killing Holden meant more would come after them. Was killing Holden worth it? In the process, they lost June, and Asa's condition was unstable. Theo was doing his best, but it was hard to work through tears. Jimin knew that better than anyone.

Jimin brushed Ariel's long hair out of her face, coming a bit closer. "You were never a burden. At least not to me," he whispered, and he saw her lips spread up to form a soft smile. He leaned closer and kissed her forehead, giving her hair one last stroke before he parted from her. "Goodnight, baby."

And after that, he left.

~~~
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