Sempiternal: • Savages • || BOOK 6#

21. (Fake) Peace

"I feel like I've been sleeping a lot lately."

"Yes, you have," replies Jungkook. Jimin walks into the kitchen, scratching his abdomen. "Hey everything okay?" he asks with an amused smile and Taehyung admires them interacting.

"Yeah, I just slept a little bad" Jimin replies and ruffles his short black hair. Taehyung furrows his eyebrows Why does he look like that? There's something very strange about that look. "Tae?" he asks in a sleepy voice and the model half-opens his lips.

"Your hair wasn't...?"

He falls silent before he finishes, now it's white and long How did it change so fast...?

Was there a change?

It's always been white.

He shakes his head and smiles square at his friend who laughs and sits down next to him. The three of them talk about nonsense, skirting how much they sleep and how tired Taehyung feels, mixed with how groggy he is. It's as if something, deep down inside him, tells him that he doesn't fit in here.

He lifts Yeontan onto his lap and receives the breakfast Jungkook prepared. Slowly the others arrive at the dining table. They all have breakfast together as usual. There are conversations here and there.

All coming with their feeling that there is something strange here. Something that doesn't fit. Not just in how they look, but in the place. Was their house always this big? To more doubts, sudden changes happen to adjust to what is more recent in your memories. It's strange. Why does it happen? No one notices? How come they're so calm?

Because are they happy.

Just like you are happy

What don't you see?

You are happy.

The rest may change and mutate, but you are happy.

You are very happy.

"Tae?"

He turns abruptly to Jin, who is missing his right hand. He furrows his brow, his eyes widening and starting to scream, standing up abruptly. His back hits the wall and he keeps shrieking. Blood oozes more and more from Jin's wound, who doesn't understand why Taehyung is making a drama out of this.

"Tae?"

He suffers a severe shock and locates himself where he really is: in the dining room and the others at the same table as him. His tired, anxious expression matches the whimper that escapes his throat. Jin licks his lip, he was so smiling and calm a moment ago. Suddenly he went blank, disconnected from reality and as he reacts, it's as if he's actually here with them and not inside his head.

"I'm sorry" stammers Taehyung in embarrassment. He rubs his face with both hands and looks up at Jin. "What was it you were telling me?"

"That Jimin hasn't come in...four...five? Occasions Do you know anything about him?" he repeats patiently and softly. Taehyung shakes his head.

"Junhan has mentioned that Hajun speaks strange, I guess he means it because of how well he speaks now" Namjoon expounds, his mind elsewhere. He never thought it would make him so happy to eat a damn lettuce leaf. No matter how sleepy he is. At the moment, he doesn't want any meat. So for a few months if possible. "And that he hunts a lot lately."

"And how do you understand all that to him?" asks Yoongi with a raised eyebrow. "I understand almost nothing Jaesang tells me or explains. Every day he talks worse or I understand less and less because there's nothing of use and I give up."