Martyr | Yoonmin [1] (unedited)

chapter 43

Present time with Jimin and Taehyung...

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"It's better this way," He repeated.

Taehyung took the memory back.

"Jimin?" Taehyung called him.

The other boy had fallen onto his butt, he looked confused and almost unsure where he was. Jimin looked up at him and reached out his hand. Something's wrong, Taehyung thought. The sudden change was drastic, Taehyung feared he messed him up. It was almost like the beginning when they started altering their memories – when he turned them into almost empty shells.

Taehyung grabbed his hand and helped him up. He continued to hold it, studying the other boy. Jimin looked around and then back at him. "Taehyung, why are we here?"

"What do you mean?" Taehyung asked.

"I don't know," Jimin frowned. "I feel like I just had a really bad dream, but I can't remember what it was. I felt so scared."

Taehyung pulled him into a hug. "It's okay, I'm here."

Jimin froze at the sudden intimacy. He hesitated and then he slowly wrapped his arms around him. "Were we arguing about something?"

"It's nothing," Taehyung reassured him. "I'm pushing you too much. You've been training non-stop."

"I think I was yelling at you, wasn't I?" Jimin said, pressing his cheek against Taehyung's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Taehyung felt uneasy. He did something, he took the memory back. Jimin had been yelling at him and it was getting on his nerves. He gave him that memory out of spite. Jin had been the one to hunt them, controlled by Felix to bring them back to the facility. Jin took him to Felix.

He had been sent to the isolation ward. They needed his powers of persuasion back then before he was able to alter a person's memories. When they used him, they had tortured him until he was too weak to fight back. They took him into the room where they drugged him and injected him with the black liquid. The liquid that made him turn into this, Felix's puppet.

Once his trials were completed, his powers grew. He hadn't been this strong before. They turned him into a monster. Now Felix wanted Jimin next.

"Jimin," Taehyung whispered. He held him tighter. The other boy was shaking under him. He pushed him too far, the forgotten memory had been too much for him. Jimin was terrified. "I want to take all the things that scare you away. I can do that for you. I can make you stronger."

Jimin pulled back, still grasping Taehyung's shirt. "How can you do that?"

"I can make it that you don't feel afraid, and you won't feel sadness anymore," Taehyung answered. The guilt made his heart heavy. He felt ashamed for scaring his friend. This would be better for him. "These emotions are stopping you from becoming who are."

"Who am I?" Jimin finally stepped back, letting go of him. "I don't even know who I should be, Taehyung. I'm just so tired of being scared all of the time."

Jimin looked down at his hand, the ring on his finger. He missed Yoongi so much. He looked back at Taehyung, Jimin had tears forming in his eyes. Taehyung was looking at the ring.

He looked up at Jimin. "I just need your permission."

"And I'll still be me?" Jimin whispered.

Taehyung hesitated. "No, you'll be brave."

Jimin began crying, his knees became weak. He couldn't take it anymore – this life. He wanted a normal life with Yoongi. With Jin and Namjoon. He wanted to be normal. But he could never have that. He would never have a normal life because Felix would never let him go. Was this the only way?

"On one condition," Jimin finally answered after a long silence. Taehyung nodded. "I go home. To my family."

"Felix woul-"

"Felix doesn't have to know," Jimin interrupted. "For one night at least. Please. I need to see them."

"We'll have to do it now then," Taehyung said, his jaw hardened. He would have to agree. Felix would be angry but not for long if he knew that Taehyung finally completed his mission. Jimin would soon bond powers with the martyr.

"Ok." Jimin nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Taehyung reached up, wiping his tears. He cupped his cheek. "Jimin," His eyes turned an electric shade of blue. He leaned into his ear. He whispered the words. Jimin wouldn't feel fear or sadness. Jimin wouldn't feel anything. His emotions were his greatest weakness and in order for him to become strong, he would not feel hate or love.

Taehyung stepped back, letting go of Jimin.

Jimin's eyes were closed. He wiped at his wet cheeks and sighed. He hummed and looked back at him.

Taehyung froze. Jimin's eyes were empty like he was looking into a void.

Jimin scoffed a sarcastic breath of laughter. "What the hell you staring at? You look you just seen a ghost."

Maybe that wasn't a good idea.