𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡𝐬 - 𝐭𝐥

nine

two days. forty-eight hours. two thousand eight hundred and eight minutes left to be exact before taehyung will be in the hands of namjoon's cruel workers and the president too.

time is ticking. taehyung and namjoon exactly knew that.

the older was totally immensed on working out how he could find a way to duplicate taehyung's identity. from his genes, to his dna until his last chromosome. the older worked hard, day and night, not wasting any of his time.

it was three in the morning. namjoon still in front of his microscope trying to double check everything making sure he'll get everything perfectly.

taehyung leaned by his door without the elder noticing him. he cleared his throat.

"why are you up this early, tae?" he glanced up to the younger and then back to what was in his slide.

"hyung." he heaved a deep sigh. "you should stop this." he said as he walked closer to him. namjoon removed his glasses turned on the lights and face the latter.

"tae-"

"i have known my fate ever since i was born in this world, hyung. i know i have to face every cruelty in my life and this is what is happening now." indeed. mermaids- regardless of the gender, knew what they were facing ever since from the start. although not all of them will undergo this hideous phase but there should always be one of them, and for taehyung's case it is him.

"kid, look at me." taehyung's eyes sparked with all the hope and willingness left in him. " i am doing this for you. for your future. for the future of your kind."

taehyung couldn't fathom why the elder is doing this. he just needed to ask why.

and it was where namjoon's heart got heavy.
"I encountered someone who's exactly like you, before-before you were in captive. i promised him to save whoever's going to be in captive after him so that your kind wouldn't go through the suffering he felt." namjoon's voice broke. waves of all those heart shattering memories came back to his mind.

"i promised him. i promised jungkook, and i just cannot break that promise after what the younger have experienced." taehyung frozed at the mere mention of a merman's name. a lone tear escaped his eyes.

"did-did you just say, jungkook?" body and mind still frozed. emotions all over the place. another tear running down through his precious face. with lump on his throat, his eyes were to break in any moment like a fragile glass. "please tell me you didn't say his name."

namjoon nodded. confused as why the younger suddenly cried. "he's my younger brother." longing eyes suddenly faded and anger replaced.

taehyung punched the wall which made namjoon rose up from his seat, calming the boy who's a wreck in front of him.

"why do they have to lie to me, huh?" he laughed to himself. "left the sea world to take new life my ass." he grinned evily.

he was furious. he just learned his brother's death thinking it's going to be him next after a few days. his death was being covered by the whole family for sure his mom and dad were the first ones who knew.

"what happened to him, hyung?" he closed his eyes whilst catching his heavy breaths, one at a time.

he might not know what really happened upon the last breath of his brother and for sure it will hurt like hell but he needed to know. and why should it keep going as a lie when they already know what they're facing for. for sure something's up and that's what he is going to know the second he's after this whole capture fiasco he's in.

"do you really wanna know?" taehyung could only nod. he sat again where he was seated a while ago.

namjoon hesitated at first. the nightmare he witnessed with his bare eyes is now coming back to his memories like it just happened yesterday. "he was skinned alive." he gulped. "out of water. fins and scales were taken purely and delicately like some sort of diamond." jungkook's shouts lingering in namjoon's ears. goosebumps sent all over his skin. the mere sight of the young merman, suffering in the hands of his kind. he can't bear the sight of the torture but he can't do a thing. and now that he's steps away to be able to save his brother, he certainly won't miss the opportunity.

taehyung looked up to the ceiling, tears welling on his eyes. he closed his eyes and took another deep sigh. "what happened to the body?"

"cremated. discarded in the ocean." taehyung could only mutter a small curse under his throat.

"that's why i am trying my best, tae. now that i can actually help i won't miss this chance. now that i knew you two are actually related is what pushes me more to continue all this duplication for you." the scientist explained.

"why do you risk your life for this?"

"because your brother did the same thing."

"get over it. we'll just have to plan this out and it will work. no one's risking their life here. you and me will both live, hyung." taehyung said.

around nine in the morning when lisa was waken up with a ring on the doorbell. with grumpy face and heavy steps, she checked on who it was.

sleepy eyes is what greeted him. "would you look at that." he said and her eyes grew wide.

"taehyung?! you haven't texted me that you'll visit."

"well, that wouldn't be a surprise anymore if i did." he laughed and handed her the small bouquet of yellow and pink chrysanthemums on his hand.

"come on in." lisa ushered him to go inside with him gladly following her.

"coffee or tea?" she asked him.

"latter would do."

lisa then proceeded to the kitchen to get him some tea. taehyung can only observe her from where he was. thinking that this may be the last time he will cross paths with the girl in front of him, attending him.

he sighed. "here's your tea." she said. "what brings you here, tae? and how did you know where i am living?" she raised an eyebrow and taehyung couldn't help but smile.

he didn't answer, instead, he pulled her in for a hug.

"what are you doing?" she asked. "stay still. im not wasting any time i have left. just making the most here with you."

a/n: this is a super short update. im so sorry it took this long. the book is coming to its end. thank u for all the support even i haven't updated this book. luv u all sm, stay safe!