Starlight and Petals (taekook)

19: Collision

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Author's pov:

Taehyung jolted awake to the sound of loud crashes and desperate screams, his heart racing. Disoriented, he scrambled to make sense of his surroundings, but the chaos pulled him to his feet. Without thinking, he threw off his duvet and ran, his bare feet pounding the floor as he rushed towards the living room.

What he saw made him freeze.

The room was in shambles—furniture overturned, objects strewn across the floor like a battlefield. Taehyung forgot how to breathe, his chest tightening with fear. It was one of those days. One of those terrifying, soul-crushing days when everything fell apart, and he wished more than anything that his parents were still here, standing beside him, to make things easier, less terrifying.

"Grandma, no!" Taehyung shouted, his voice breaking as he ran towards her. His grandmother was in a frenzy, throwing everything she could get her hands on. Nancy was desperately trying to calm her down, but it was no use—his grandmother was too far gone.

"Why... why can't I remember his name?!" she screamed, her voice full of anguish. "How can I forget his name?!"

Taehyung rushed to her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her into a tight hug. His own breath came in ragged gasps as he tried to calm her. "Grandma, it's okay... it's fine. Just breathe with me, okay? In and out. Come on, with me," he whispered, trying to soothe her even as she thrashed in his arms.

Nancy darted out of the room to call for help, her own panic evident. But Taehyung had to hold on, even as his grandmother fought against him with surprising strength.

"Leave me!" she screamed, her voice filled with desperation. "Call Jungkook! He knows—he remembers! He'll tell me the name of that bad man!"

Taehyung's heart shattered. She remembered everyone. Everyone but him. His chest ached, the weight of her confusion crushing him, but he had to stay calm.

"Okay, okay, you need to calm down and i will call Jungkook, i promise my love" Taehyung promised, his voice trembling as he held her tighter, trying to keep her from hurting herself.

"But please... calm down. Please, just breathe." But she kept screaming, kept struggling. Her grip tightened around his arm, and before Taehyung could react, she pushed him so hard that everything seemed to slow down. He stumbled backward, his body crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.

Pain exploded through his skull as his head slammed against the wall. His eyes went wide, and for a moment, his entire world spun out of control. The sharp, searing pain in his head felt like it had been split in two by a hammer, his ears buzzing with a deafening ringing.

He heard a loud gasp—Nancy's voice, shouting his name—but it all sounded distant, like it was coming from underwater. Taehyung groaned, his body sliding down the wall as the wet warmth of blood began to trickle down his forehead.

He blinked, once, twice—everything was blurry, disjointed. He tried to focus, but his vision swam.

Finally, the room came back into view, and Taehyung saw her—his grandmother, standing there, frozen. Her face was etched with realization, fear, and regret. Her lips trembled as she stared at him, confusion clouding her eyes.

Taehyung forced himself to stand, even though the pain coursing through his body felt like a darkness threatening to swallow him whole. His head throbbed, his vision wavered, but he had to push through it. He had to stay strong.

"I'm fine—I swear, I'm fine, Ma. Please, sit down," he whispered, trying to steady his voice as he held his grandmother's trembling hand in his own. Her frail, wrinkled fingers were cold but still warm to him—still a part of her that felt familiar. He forced a smile, even though his entire body was screaming in pain.