Eclipse of the Chronos || JJKx Reader ✓

22: Shattered Illusions

The transport pod hurtled through the underground tunnel, the rumble of its engines barely masking the deafening silence that filled the space. Y/n stared blankly through the glass, her heart heavy with grief. Seokjin’s final words echoed in her mind—Just live. But how could she? How could she move on when her brother had sacrificed himself to stop the catastrophe they’d been fighting against?

Each second felt like an eternity as the pod sped further away from the collapsing facility, taking her further from the one person she had come all this way to save. The world outside blurred, but the images in her mind—of Seokjin’s worn face, his determined eyes, and the weight of his sacrifice—remained crystal clear.

Beside her, Jungkook remained silent, his presence a steady anchor in the whirlwind of her emotions. His hand rested lightly on her shoulder, offering silent comfort, though he, too, looked troubled. They had escaped the collapsing facility, but the cost was too great.

After a long moment, Jungkook spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry, Y/n.”

Y/n didn’t respond, her eyes still locked on the distant remnants of the facility crumbling behind them. She wanted to scream, to cry, to fight against the reality of losing Seokjin. But instead, she remained silent, numb to the world around her.

The pod shot further into the darkness, and the deafening roar of destruction began to fade. But something gnawed at Y/n’s mind—a feeling she couldn’t shake, a nagging doubt that something wasn’t right. Seokjin’s last moments replayed in her head: the tremors, the alarms, the look in his eyes…something felt off.

She sat up straighter, her brow furrowed. “Jungkook…did you notice anything strange?”

Jungkook glanced at her, puzzled. “Strange? What do you mean?”

“Seokjin,” she said slowly, piecing together the fragments of her thoughts. “He…he didn’t feel real. I don’t know how to explain it, but something was off. The way he moved, the way he spoke…”

Jungkook’s expression darkened. “You think it wasn’t really him?”

Y/n’s heartbeat quickened as the possibility took root in her mind. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just imagining things, but—”

Before she could finish, the pod came to a sudden stop, jolting both of them forward. The lights inside flickered, and the hum of the engine fell silent. They were left in complete darkness, save for the faint glow of the emergency lights.

Jungkook’s eyes narrowed. “This isn’t supposed to happen.”

He stood up and moved toward the control panel, his fingers flying over the holographic display, but nothing responded. Y/n stood beside him, her earlier suspicion now amplified by the eerie silence that enveloped them.

Just as they were about to force the doors open, a static-filled voice crackled through the comm system. “Y/n…Jungkook…”

Y/n froze. That voice—it was Seokjin’s. But it was different now, distorted, almost robotic.

“Seokjin?” she called out, her voice trembling. “Is that you?”

The static cleared, and Seokjin’s voice came through more clearly, but there was no emotion in it, just a cold, calculated tone. “You were never meant to leave. Not yet.”

Y/n’s heart pounded in her chest, and she exchanged a glance with Jungkook, both of them realizing the same horrifying truth. Seokjin—the one they had spoken to in the facility—hadn’t been real.

“It was a hologram,” Jungkook muttered, his jaw clenched. “We’ve been tricked.”

The comm crackled again, and Seokjin’s voice spoke once more, this time softer, almost regretful. “I had no choice, Y/n. They’re watching me. I needed you to think I was activating the failsafe, to buy time…to keep them off my trail.”

“Who’s watching you?” Y/n demanded, her voice filled with equal parts confusion and anger. “What’s going on?”

There was a pause, as though Seokjin was weighing how much to tell them. Then, his voice returned, grim and full of warning. “The enemy has me, Y/n. They’ve had me since the beginning. They wanted my mind, my knowledge…they’ve been using me to build something far worse than Project Chronos. I couldn’t risk them finding out about you and Jungkook.”

Y/n’s blood ran cold. “They’ve captured you? Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I couldn’t. They monitor everything. The hologram you saw was designed to lead you out while keeping the enemy distracted,” Seokjin explained. “But now…you need to get out of here for real. You’re in more danger than you realize.”

Jungkook’s fists clenched, his protective instincts flaring. “Where are you, Seokjin? We’ll come back for you. We’ll get you out of there.”

“No.” Seokjin’s voice was firm. “You can’t come for me, not yet. You need to gather more information, find a way to destroy what they’re building. It’s the only way to stop them.”

Y/n shook her head, her heart breaking all over again. “We can’t just leave you behind. There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t,” Seokjin said softly. “I’ve seen what they’re capable of. If you come for me now, you’ll only fall into their trap. Trust me, Y/n. This is the only way to keep you and Jungkook safe.”

For a moment, Y/n couldn’t breathe, the weight of his words pressing down on her chest. She had spent so long searching for him, only to find that their reunion was just another layer of deception.

“Seokjin…” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“I’m sorry,” he replied, his voice full of regret. “But this is the path we have to take. I’ll be waiting…when the time is right.”

The comms fell silent, and the hum of the pod’s engine resumed, the lights flickering back on as the emergency system reset. They were moving again, but Y/n felt more lost than ever.

Jungkook stood quietly beside her, his face dark with frustration and helplessness. He reached out and gently took her hand, offering her a small but reassuring squeeze. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

Y/n nodded, though her heart was heavy with the burden of uncertainty. Seokjin was alive, but they were farther from saving him than they had ever been. And now, the stakes were even higher. The enemy had Seokjin, and whatever they were building—it was far worse than she had imagined.

As the pod sped deeper into the unknown, Y/n clenched her fists, determination rising within her. Seokjin had bought them time, but it wouldn’t be for nothing. She would find a way to save him—and stop the enemy, no matter what it took.

But one question lingered in the back of her mind: Why hadn’t Seokjin told her the whole truth? There was something more he wasn’t saying, something he was still hiding. And Y/n feared that when she finally uncovered it, the cost would be far greater than she could bear.