Inhuman | ✓

xlvii - ardent

𝙹 𝚄 𝙽 𝙶 𝙺 𝙾 𝙾 𝙺

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN AWAY ANYMORE. YOU'RE BACK HOME."

Her arms remain spread open, as the serene smile never leaves her face, her eyes seeming to stare into my soul as if she knew all of what I have gone through, that I feel my eyes lulling to a close and my whole body becoming weak. My knees are shaking and tears relentlessly roll out of my eyes when she envelops me into a hug.

"There, there," she whispers soothingly while rubbing my back gently. The sight of the Doctor's face seems to blur within the warm light coming from the lamp through my vision, as I remain frozen in Mother's arms. "Don't cry now, Kook. Mother's here. Your father is here."

Other than my knees, I feel my breath shaking as well, as she pulls away a little and holds both of my arms. "Bu—but how—"

"Shh, it's okay." She puts a finger on my mouth, turning around to spare the Doctor a glance before looking back at me. "What matters is we're together, alright? Now, listen to me. Your father wants you to stay inside this room. We'll just have to take care of something, understand?"

I stare at her, then my eyes flick over the Doctor. It confuses me for he is not saying anything and is only watching the two of us with a blank face. Something inside me tells me that everything here feels off, my thoughts now shifting to a clearer state when my eyes catch a glimpse of a familiar mark peeking out from her sleeve. Heart pounding, my arms tighten, forcing myself to not appear suspicious as I glance at the Doctor. "Where are we?"

"Home, of course." Her voice remains calm, her arm reaching out to hold my face. I stiffen at the eerie touch. "Relax, son," she says slowly, and I wasn't sure if catching her eyes flash in magenta for a split second is real. "Try to recall. . . The day we went to the museum, do you remember?"

The vague image of the white, Corinthian columns displayed in front under the daylight appears in my head as the glow in her eyes increases through my vision, feeling the grip of her hand around my wrist tighten. My eyes lull slowly to a close with the lamp dimming and her calm voice sounding like a siren's enticement. I'm feeling. . . Tired. The images of the museum fills my mind while she speaks, only now that there are no people, and everything inside is empty.

I am walking through the hallways. There is no light streaking through the windows but shadows residing the walls and the scent of dust lingering in the hot air. Around me hung empty frames as they fall down to the floor with a thud, one by one. I fasten my pace—the susurrous noises of the woman's voice has come back and is becoming louder from behind that I feel my hair rising on the back of my neck. Through the darkness I run, heart pounding, legs feeling numb.

"Do you remember?"

Sheering to the right, a light is flickering at the end of the hallway, illuminating a figure of a woman standing—faceless.

I stumble backwards and force myself not to scream as her face nears toward me every time the light flickers after; I wheel around and then push a door open before barging inside. Slamming the door close, the woman's loudening hiss is cut off by the silent darkness welcoming me, my pant filling the entire room. 

I then close my eyes shut as my whole body crashes against the door; my shaking fist slides down.

There is a scream.

The walls explode behind me, the darkness at once banished by the igniting of burning flames. I scramble on my feet to turn around—wall destroyed, a car crashed inside, and a blaze crawling outwards as young Jimin's watery eyes stare through the front window across the room, realizing after a moment that he is not looking towards me. Someone else is crying, and when my eyes glance down, I see myself. My younger self plopped on the floor.