Sempiternal: • Contaminated • || BOOK 3#

31. New travel companion

"What do you want now?"

"I'm coming with you What's not obvious?"

Jungkook looks Jin up and down at him, him? To get out of here? He thought there would have to be a calamity to pull something like that off. Jungkook finishes lacing up his boots and heads for the exit, having a huge, but empty backpack on his back. In it is a bow, several arrows and in his pocket he carries a combat knife.

Jin carries only a revolver and a pocket knife. Jungkook walks with the map open, trying to locate himself and mark a route with which he will not have problems again. His face still hurts. Even though it healed fairly quickly, his eye is still swollen and it's annoying to wear the medical patch.

Turning into a street, they find that the whole area has red X-shaped marks, but also an incredible amount of Yagtalja walking and crawling through the snow. Jungkook grumbles under his breath, crossing it out as he notes "infected and uncrossable".

"You're mad at all of us.... For not wanting to do anything. According to you what should we do?" The question comes out of nowhere to break the silence. Jungkook takes long minutes to answer. Jin doesn't rush him with it. The real miracle will be for him to say something.

"All the communities know about each other. Stop pretending we don't exist and take a territory too so they stop forcing us to go so far." replies Jungkook. Simple and unhindered.

"What do you think you will do if those groups we warn of our existence come to attack us?"

"Respond."

"With what people? Hardly anyone fights."

"Then we'll die at least."

They are silent for a while. Jin wonders if Jungkook really understands what's going on or is he talking based on his emotions. He is too emotional. Too angry and resentful. As if somehow, doing that will manage to take his frustration away from him over the Jimin issue.

Because it's always the reason for his biggest rages and unraveling.

"There's no need to fight Jungkook. No need to get hurt either" Jin says standing next to him. "There's plenty of room, there's plenty to explore and take what we need. This foolishness is only going to lead to something really serious happening to you" He puts his hand on his shoulder. "Understand that we want to-"

"See me right?" Jungkook swats him away. "Yeah, my black eye looks phenomenal."

He walks a little faster to leave Jin behind.

~ * * * ~

"Sooner or later they're going to corner us," Seonghwa mutters with the map stretched out on the table. "I'm starting to think they already know we're here and that's why they take every space around us." He rests his cheek on his knuckles and Yoongi rubs his forehead.

"I think the same thing and that Namjoon already knows, but hasn't wanted to say anything about it." Seonghwa gives a sigh.

"Sunbae Don't you think this is the right thing to do? Fight... Fight for what you want and for what you need" Seonghwa bows his head. "Even if it's hurting people, shielding ourselves under the fact is that we don't know who they are."

"That's what the world wants."

"And it's what we need. Maybe. To survive it."

Yoongi nods, it's what unsettles him the most, what terrifies him the most. They have no choice but to go with the flow. Than to be what reality pushes them to be. As if by doing so, they can finally stop it from continuing to suffocate them.