Venatus

-21-

Jimin shifted around his sleep. His hand curling up in a fist and unconsciously gripped on the sheet. His eyebrows furrowed together, a thin layer of sweat covering his forehead. He let out a chocked noise, moving yet again.

Jimin panted, running through the tall grasses, the string of clicking sounds and heaving footsteps following him. He didn't dare look behind and see what it was. He didn't have to. He knew it the SilentCreeper. Jimin chocked back his cries, when the creature screamed out. 

He didn't know where he was running to, or where he was running through. The only thing that he knew was that he couldn't stop. 

His legs burned from running. He didn't know how long he was running but his legs were now begging him to stop. His chest rose and fell with heavy breath that he took in. His heart beating as fast as race horse. It was too fast and painful, but his body needed it. 

The adrenaline in his body was still present but the exhaustion was taking over him. His stung with unshed tears, sweat prickling near the corner. He rushed to wipe the wetness away from his vision. 

The dark night was spread across the wide sky like a rich velvety blanket. Decorated with multiple twinkling jewels. The pale silvery moon didn't do much to light up Jimin's path, but it was enough. They sky, the stars and moon watched as Jimin was chased by his death in an endless run.

There was no end to this running. It will only stop when Jimin falls and accepts his death. There is no other way to this. 

Jimin heaved, hastily looking around to find a place to hide in or way to run towards. But there was nothing.  Suddenly, the SilentCreeper cried out once again. Jimin froze in his path, when he saw a shadow hovering over him. 

The creature was right above and there was nothing Jimin could do.

He shot up on his bed, eyes wide and chest rising up and down fast. 

"It's okay. It's just a bed dream" Jimin heard someone's soft voice beside him and a hand soothingly rubbing his back. He shakily looked to his side to see Yoongi's sitting beside him. Jimin couldn't see his face in the dimly lit room, but he could make out the shadow of his scrunched brows. 

"Wha-What-" Jimin wasn't sure what he wanted to say but still tried nonethless. 

His nightmares were less of a dream and more of a cage. A place where Jimin was stuck, unable to get out. Running for his life, screaming for help. His lungs failing to function properly as his own mind tortured him in a cruel way. 

"It's okay. The dream's gone" Yoongi comforted. 

Jimin nodded, his breathes slowly becoming even. While, Yoongi tried to get him to calm, Jimin tried to make himself belief that it was not real. That he wouldn't have to encounter the creature again. 

But the nightmare felt so real, his unable to make out the line between reality and illusion fabricated by his brain. The line looked so thing; fading in and out.

Jimin flinched when Yoongi switched on the night lamp. The soft yellow hue of the light, slowly pushed the darkness away from the two. It wasn't much, but at least now Jimin found it easier to make himself belief. 

"Jimin, look at me" Yoongi requested. 

And the younger did as he was told. His soft brown eyes full of fear, boring into Yoongi's raven ones.

"What you saw...was not real. And here-" Yoongi pointed around, "-that thing can't hurt you"

Jimin gulped, licking his dry lips and nodded. 

After a moment of trying to calm down, Jimin could finally formulate proper sentences. He chugged down the glass of water that Yoongi had given and put it back on the bedside table. 

He looked at Yoongi with a confused look, "Why are you hear?"

And maybe it was lack of proper light, but Jimin saw a soft pink color Yoongi's cheeks. 

"I knew that you'll be having another nightmare" Yoongi answered truthfully. 

It's not that Yoongi had stayed up for Jimin, but each night he would wake up from his own nightmare. And he knew that Jimin was suffering form the same thing. 

Jimin nodded and was about to ask another question when they heard-

ping

It was followed by shuffling sounds and footsteps. Jimin and Yoongi frowned, getting off the bed and walking towards the door. Yoongi had kept it open when he entered the room. Outside, in the main room , Hoseok was standing by the table. The blue holograph was hovering above the table. 

"What is it, Hoseok?"

The called person, looked back at them and then at the table, "We got something"

Yoongi and Jimin looked at each other with a confused look and then walked to the table. Hoseok was typing something on the holographic keyboard. A picture of a white envelope floated on the screen. 

Hoseok looked at his member and upon getting a nod from his leader, he clicked on the envelope. Multiple files, images, maps flowed out the envelope. It was too fast and they could barely make out anything that came out of the envelope. 

And then the last time to come out of envelop was the image of a grey lock. Unlike the others, this was stayed on the screen, rotating a slow speed. Hoseok frowned and clicked upon it.

"Congratulations player, you have unlocked Stage two"

~

kekekekeke~

I hope you enjoyed stage one. Now... get ready for stage two!