V+O; in the Alternate Universe **Completed**

Chapter 32

It was Bam's soft wet nose which woke her by sniffing at her face. Stroking his head she turned to V, his skin was slightly more of a normal colour. As she thought it, JungKook waltzed into the room, O's iPhone in hand. Not sure how to use it but clearly having figured out play, skip, and pause.

Stopping in his tracks as he looked down at V, "Oh he looks a bit better." His voice was happy but she wondered if it was a facade for her benefit. "I think he'd like this," he spoke, gesturing to the iPhone, clearly meaning the music.

"Well they do say music helps with healing."

"Who says?"

"Uhh, no idea really," O laughed as she spoke and he joined her.

The other 5 boys trailed into the room greeting her, everyone seemed a bit lighter today. She put that up to V looking a bit better. It was funny how they went from not knowing any of the songs from her iPhone to forcing JungKook to keep replaying ones they liked, until they were harmonizing in the small room. It definitely was a sight to see six exquisitely beautiful people with such talent and so different. There was JiMin, who went to high and then occasionally growled the songs in his own unique way, and RM who could rap any line, his voice able to go deeper than the rest. And JungKook was up there with V in his angelic vocals. And she couldn't forget to mention Jin, Hobi, and Agust who in their own right were spectacular.

It made her feel very ordinary, and she didn't count her marks; those weren't her, not to her, not really anyway. Not that ordinary was a bad thing, it was completely fine to be ordinary, it wasn't that she was complaining, more that she could see the difference. Or at least to her it was clear.

She blinked away tears as she realized just how much she wished V were here, in the realm of the awake. Thankful that the boys were too busy mocking JiMin's singing to notice her. JungKook seemed to clown all of them and it made her happy to see. Hobi also seemed to be trying to lighten the mood; he was forever playing sunshine.

Jin disappeared from the room, only to return moments later with a tray of blueberry muffins. He offered one to O first and she took it, although still not hungry; the others dug in. She sort of picked at it and hoped they didn't notice. The few pieces she ate were airy and soft, the blueberries little explosions of colour to her tongue.

Rocking back on his chair, JiMin slid right off the side just managing to save his muffin on the way down. The room exploded into a chorus of "JiMinshii" and laughter.

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Nobody left the house that day, it was like a weird sort of slumber party except no one slept and at 12am they all disappeared to their individual homes. Well all except one, Bam, who had refused to leave O's side and JungKook had not had the heart to ask him three times. Whether Bam knew her plans for that night or not he refused to budge even after JK tried to bribe him.

O paced the house as Bam watched her from his usual spot, under the table.

"I can feel your anxiety;" rang Coas' voice in her head.

"I'm sorry." She pressed back.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Coa asked, although she knew he would not try to stop her.

"I think it's the only choice, I don't want to be a killing machine." She hadn't meant to sound so sad as she'd thought it. She heard the familiar clicking of nails on the hardwood, the white raven. It fluttered and hopped onto the dining table, where Lenanne dismounted. Carrying a small canvas bag on her back.

"I must warn you there are possible side effects, one of those would include blood poisoning, it may not even work, and this is not going to be pleasant, and you sure you wish to go through with it?"

A low little growl came from Bam, he sniffed the air and growled again. The snow white raven clicked its beak angrily in agitation.

"Bam stop please. And yes I'm sure. I have to try."

Lenanne smiled and nodded, gesturing for O to sit. She did and Lenanne asked for her arm. Then handed her a piece of wood; "this is for you to bite down on;" Lenanne pressed the words into O's head.

That sprouted a slight twinge of fear; her pain tolerance wasn't bad but not high, and compared to the boys she felt like a wimp. Lenanne had a bunch of tools laid out on a cloth, the most outstanding piece was a shiny bright silver woven cord at its base, a black-red stone.

"That's the suture." Lenanne told her.

For whatever reason O didn't think it would've been so literal but it was.

"I'm going to start now, you should bite down hard." And she sliced into Orailia's arm, threading the silver strand through the skin and muscle, around the tendons.

O's arm was hot fire, she grunted in pain, eyes streaming tears. Never having been in such willing agony, moaning through the gag, she wanted V. She'd never wanted his comfort more, and to borrow his strength. Groaning again, she felt light headed, every one of her marks now seemed to move slithering, twitching, having a life of their own. Like the marks themselves wanted to scream. Bam began to whine and whimper. Looking down at her own blood, as Lenanne made another cut to anchor the stone deep within her arm, she felt faint, eyes rolling back.

Groaning through her teeth his name, "TaeHyung," possibly inaudible to all except Bam. She cried out for him again, this time the gag falling from her mouth, "TaeHyung!" Each time using his real name, but he would not come. The amount of blood flowing from her arm made her feel woozy. A blotch of blackness crept over from her left to her right eye, her blinking slowed, and she slumped against the table, and slid from the chair just as Lenanne put in the final lock off stitch. Barely conscious at this point when Lenanne said; "There is no more payment necessary, you have already paid."