I Don't Believe In Forever

12

Seungmin staggered back to the house, his mind a whirlwind of guilt and confusion. The taste of blood still lingered on his tongue, a bitter reminder of his failure.

He couldn't shake the image of the man he had bitten, the life draining from his eyes as Seungmin fed. The horror of it all made his stomach churn, but he couldn't bring himself to stop walking. He had nowhere else to go now.

When he finally reached the front door, he hesitated. The thought of facing the others filled him with dread. How could he look them in the eye after what he had done? But he had no choice. He had to go inside, had to find a way to clean himself up before anyone saw him like this.

Steeling himself, Seungmin pushed the door open and slipped inside. The house was quiet, the soft glow of a lamp in the hallway casting long shadows on the walls. He was halfway up the stairs when he heard a voice behind him.

"Hyung?"

Seungmin froze, his heart sinking. He turned slowly to find Jeongin standing at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes wide with concern. Seungmin's breath caught in his throat as he realized he must look like a monster, blood smeared on his mouth, his clothes disheveled, his face a mask of anguish.

"Jeongin, I..." Seungmin's voice faltered, his words dying in his throat. What could he possibly say? There was no way to explain this, no excuse he could offer.

Jeongin's gaze flicked to the blood on Seungmin's lips, his expression tightening with worry. But instead of recoiling, he climbed the stairs quickly, reaching out to take Seungmin's hand. His touch was gentle, his voice soft as he spoke.

"Come on, hyung. Let's get you cleaned up."

Seungmin allowed himself to be led to the bathroom, too numb to protest. Jeongin didn't ask any questions, didn't demand answers. He simply filled the sink with warm water and handed Seungmin a cloth, guiding him through the motions of washing the blood from his face.

As Seungmin scrubbed at the stains, tears welled up in his eyes. He felt like a child being cared for after a nightmare, except this nightmare was real, and he was the one responsible for it. The water in the sink turned pink, swirling down the drain as if it could take away the guilt that clung to him.

When he finally looked up at his reflection in the mirror, the blood was gone, but the shame remained. He turned to Jeongin, his voice barely a whisper.

"Thank you."

Jeongin nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. "You don't have to go through this alone, hyung."

Seungmin wanted to believe him, wanted to hold on to the hope that he could somehow get through this with the help of his friends. But the events of the night were too fresh, too raw. He had nearly killed someone. The darkness within him was too strong, too relentless.

The next morning came too soon, the weight of the previous night still heavy on Seungmin's shoulders. He barely slept, his mind racing with thoughts of what he had done, what he might do if he lost control again. When he finally dragged himself out of bed, he found Han and Minho in the kitchen, both looking unusually tense.

"Seungmin, we have to go to work early today," Han said, his voice laced with concern. "There's been an incident."

Seungmin's heart skipped a beat. "What kind of incident?"

Minho glanced at him, his expression grim. "A man was bitten last night, almost killed. They want us to check the scene."

The words hit Seungmin like a sledgehammer. His blood ran cold as he realized they were talking about the man he had bitten. The man he had left bleeding in that alley. The man who had barely survived because Seungmin had managed to pull himself away at the last second.