Beneath the City ✔️

Sting

'You left me.' He said. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words weren't there. The hurt on his face spoke for itself; I was too late for him. 'Did you... did you even try to find me?' He asked bitterly.

'I wasn't even sure what you looked like.' I protested weakly. 'I haven't seen you since I was nine.'

'What about when you could still remember me?!' He spat.

'I was a kid!' I said.

'But your magic is strong enough, you could've done something!'

'I was scared!'

'You were scared?!' He spat. The He laughed. 'I was fucking terrified. Do you have any idea what they did to me?' He hissed. I shook my head, blinking back tears. 'They beat me, starved me, and destroyed me until I was forced to help them.'

'I'm sorry.' I croaked. 'I really am.' I begged.

'If you were real-'

'SHUT UP!' Jin interjected. We both turned to him, shocked.

'Jin it's ok.' I said.

'But it's not!' He argued. He turned to Taehyung. 'When I first found her, she was unconscious, starved half to death. She was ten, and covered in bruises.I healed her up, but when she woke up she was terrified of me. She didn't speak for a week. When she began to talk, she told me about you, and cried her tiny ten year old heart out. She thought she'd killed you, but went looking for you anyway. She had been beaten for breaking into a night guard's personal filing rooms. She was searching for you.' Jin spat, and Taehyung paled. 'So don't ever say she wasn't sorry.'

I felt my vision begin to slip. 'Jin?' I called out, but my voice was shrinking away too.

'She loves you so much.' Jin told him. 'And you'd throw it in her face.'

'Jin.'

'Don't listen to-'

'Jin help.' I called out, but I was already falling unconscious.

*^*

When I came to, Jin's face was right above mine, and my feet were propped up on his jumper and shoes. I tried to push myself up onto my elbows, but the world began to spin again, so I laid back down.

'How long was I out this time?' I asked Jin.

'A minute maybe.' Jin answered.

'What does she mean this time?' A voice behind Jin said. Jin carried on as if nothing was said.

'How do you feel?' Jin asked.

'Pretty good, but I can't stand just yet.' I said.

'How long have your symptoms been showing?" He asked.

'Just as we arrived.' I told him.

'Why didn't you tell me?' He asked frowning.

'We were all busy whenever it crossed my mind.' I told him.

'Are you ill?' Taehyung asked. I stared at Jin for an answer and he stared back, equally panicked. Neither of us knew what to say as an answer. I picked at the hem of my sweater.

'Uhh...'

'Y/n.' He said slowly.

'Sort of?' I said.

'How is that a question?!' He demanded. I held my hand out to him, and he shuffled towards me, and knelt down. He glanced nervously at Jin, then back at me, before gently holding my hand in his. I pulled back my sleeve, to reveal the pale blue blooms growing beneath my skin. He looked back at me searching for answers.

'Just before Jin found me, I had an operation, to cut off my ability to use magic. I was unstable, and terrified of my powers.' I explained. 'We magicians aren't meant to exist without our magic; it's the reason I was unconscious when Jin found me.'

His mouth hung open in shock. His eyes followed the blue up and down my wrist, and he pulled my hand towards him, and enveloped mine in his bigger ones.

'I'm so sorry.' He whispered, as a tear slipped down his cheek.

'Me too.' I replied.

'You have no reason to be.' He told me. 'You tried so hard to find me when I gave up. I'm sorry.' He whispered, and drew me into a hug. I buried my face in his shoulder, and did my best to memorise how he felt. He smelt like dirt and porridge, and he was so warm. I began to cry, as I realised just how much he had changed from the small boy that smelt like warm bread, and cried as I realised just how much of his life had been stolen from mine. I held on tighter, knowing I could lose him again.

'I'm just glad you're alive.' I whispered in his ear.

'Y/n?' He asked suddenly.

'Hm?'

'There's an elephant on my arm.'