Echoes In The Wood|| Taekook|✓

4. The Hidden Past

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"By morning, the forest is silent, but the ground is littered with whispers of what was buried there overnight."

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Jungkook awoke to the soft chirping of morning birds, their song delicate yet unsettling, as if the forest itself was whispering secrets. The air felt cooler than it should have, a strange, unsettling chill running down his spine. Above him, the canopy of trees swayed gently, their leaves rustling like hushed voices just out of reach, creating an atmosphere of suspense and intrigue.

He sat up, stretching his stiff limbs and wincing as his shoulder throbbed. The pain had dulled overnight, almost too abruptly. He inspected his body, eyes narrowing at the sight. His bruises, though still there, had faded unnaturally fast. What should’ve taken days, if not weeks, had vanished in hours. His skin was marked by only the faintest shades of purple and blue, leaving him feeling disoriented, as though the forest had worked some strange magic on him while he slept.

Jungkook ran a hand over his side. This doesn’t make sense, he thought, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Something’s wrong. The eerie sense that the forest had healed him somehow, but at what cost?

He glanced around and spotted Taehyung near a small stream, crouched and peering into the water with quiet focus. Taehyung’s head was tilted downward, his hands moving delicately over his arm, as though he, too, was inspecting the wounds from yesterday when he too fell down.

Curiosity tugged at Jungkook. He stood slowly, feeling an odd reluctance to move, as though the forest itself wanted to keep him rooted in place. Still, he made his way toward Taehyung, his footsteps soft on the damp earth. The air was thick, and every sound seemed muffled, as if the forest was listening to him, waiting for him to speak. The once comforting hum of nature now felt ominous.

When Jungkook got closer, he paused, noticing the way Taehyung dipped his hand into the stream. His fingers moved gracefully, sending small ripples across the water's surface. For a moment, Jungkook caught a glimpse of Taehyung’s face reflected in the stream—distorted, blurry, almost inhuman. Jungkook blinked, trying to get a clearer look, but Taehyung’s hand moved again, sending larger ripples that completely obscured his reflection. The sudden motion seemed deliberate, as if Taehyung didn’t want Jungkook to see him too clearly.

"Morning," Taehyung greeted without looking up, his voice soft yet unsettling in the stillness of the forest. He smiled looking at him, but there was something in his eyes that made Jungkook uneasy. It was as if Taehyung knew something he didn’t, something he couldn’t understand.

"Morning," Jungkook replied, his voice quieter than he intended. His eyes lingered on Taehyung’s movements, then settled on the large wound on his forehead. Taehyung’s fingers brushed the marks around his neck—a bruised, lingering impression that looked disturbingly like handprints. Jungkook’s stomach twisted.

Had he noticed that before? Was it what the scarf hiding?

"How are you feeling?" Jungkook asked, trying to focus on anything other than the sudden chill in the air.

Taehyung’s smile never faltered. "I’m alright. The water here... it has a way of soothing wounds." His voice was even, but Jungkook swore there was something cryptic hiding beneath his words.

Jungkook glanced at the stream, uneasy. "My shoulder... it’s barely hurting now. It’s like... it healed overnight." His brows furrowed, frustration creeping into his voice. "That’s not normal, right?"