✔️ 𝐈𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 | 𝐓𝐚𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐮𝐤

Chapter Thirty-Six.

Taehyung

The building was old.

It was located in one of the most run-down parts of Seoul, which housed not only suspicious individuals, but old buildings that had been abandoned years ago. The sounds of nearby car alarms sounding were audible, and some unintelligible odor filled the air, overtaking Taehyung's olfactory.

He only stood outside the building for a brief second, enough to close his eyes and muster all the courage he had. Jimin was in here. So was Seokjin. He had to save his friend - he was worried that the police would not arrive in time to save him. With that thought, he rushed inside.

Taehyung wished he had brought a flashlight with him. The floor plan of the building was complex, with many hallways and small rooms that had gaping holes in their walls. Pieces of old furniture, shards of metal from the building's frame, and shattered alcohol bottles were strewn all over the floor, creating dangerous obstacles. Taehyung was forced to step carefully as he ran around, desperately searching for his friend.

"Help me!" a voice cried, the sound bouncing off the exposed concrete flooring and decaying walls. "Please, anyone!"

Taehyung realized that the sound had come from further within the building, so he went deeper still - down more hallways, through more rooms.

Then, he saw him.

In the middle of the building was a large room, walls decorated with graffiti and carpet slashed in multiple spots. The light of the moon and nearby streetlights streamed into the space, illuminating an old chair placed in the middle. Tied to the chair was Jimin, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Taehyung!" he sobbed, his usually bright eyes now dim and full of fear. "You have to leave, he has a gun. Please, he's going to kill you!"

"I'm not leaving you here," Taehyung gushed, rushing to his friend. He used the car keys to cut through the ropes that bound Jimin's limbs to the chair.

"He's here, he's in here somewhere," Jimin told him, his voice racked with emotion. "He- he broke into my apartment and took me here, and I know he's here somewhere, watching us..."

Taehyung felt like vomiting. He was terrified out of his mind, and he was scared that he was going to die any moment. Despite this, though, he kept sawing through the small fibers of the woven rope, desperately hoping that he and Jimin could escape the building before Seokjin appeared.

Just as Taehyung broke through the last bit of rope, a loud bang sounded through the building, echoing. For a second, Taehyung wondered what it was, but he instantaneously felt a searing pain in his thigh. He screamed, falling over, clutching the area. When he felt something wet coat his hand, he pulled it away, shaking, realizing that dark red liquid was everywhere. Blood.

Jimin rushed over, immediately tearing the bottom half of his battered shirt away from the rest and desperately attempting to wrap it around Taehyung's thigh, just above where the wound was. He was attempting a tourniquet, Taehyung realized. However, despite the wrapping, Taehyung felt nothing now - the adrenaline had taken over.

"So, I finally get to see you again," a silky smooth voice cut through the air, sending chills down Taehyung's spine. "I'm glad you care about someone... it's refreshing to see a killer have a heart for once."

Taehyung propped himself up on his elbow, gazing in fear at the man who was slowly walking towards him: Kim Seokjin.

Seokjin looked horrible - the bags under his eyes were darker than ever, he was visibly emaciated, and his hair was tousled and greasy. Taehyung would've felt a pang of pity for him if he hadn't done all those horrible things to him.