Hoseok
I stood in the small cage that those Scarlets had put me in. Right next to me, there was another cage with Logan in it. Luckily, he was given a bed of sorts and he was still sleeping. He's too young to understand what is going on but I still did not wish him to see anything. I just hope he never remembers any of this.
I looked around the room which was not completely dark. There were light bulbs hanging and a couple of windows up were allowing some light to come in, along with a breeze. There was something at the other end of the room but it was covered with a sheet. I could not help but be curious about what it was.
I sighed as I pulled my knees closer to my chest. My mind raced with everything that was going on. First Lux being murdered, then Hanuel breaking down and running away. The warehouse catching on fire which was only a distraction to get everyone out of the house. Logan being captured and me walking into this trap like an * because I trusted Jennie. I should have known better. Hanuel had told me that Jennie hated her. Why did I not stop to think about that?
Still, I could not believe she would go to these lengths – that she would use Namjoon’s son and betray Bangtan like that. I could not believe she did it because she loved me. Yes, we do a lot of crazy things for love but to betray someone because you love someone else is just... not right. Yet, thinking about the way she was killed made me feel sick to my stomach.
Domina Vindictae showed no mercy at all. It was almost as if she took pleasure in killing. I could see why Hanuel never wanted to confront her. I used to wonder why not face her and stop being haunted like an animal but I could begin to understand why. There was something diabolical about that woman. I could understand why Hanuel ran away and why she was trying to lure her away from us. I could understand why she was so afraid. Hanuel's plan might have worked if it wasn't for Jennie who was the inside leech.
I laid down on the ground as I stared at the ceiling, my mind thinking of Hanuel. Somehow, I found myself thinking of her smile whenever I kissed her or made love with her. It was so easy to dismiss it as friends with benefits but I was only fooling myself. I should have known better. I should have realized that the way my heart beat for her was different than any other person. I should have realized how easily jealous or worried I got for her. I should have realized with the way I looked for her company and her comfort and the way I felt whenever we slept together. It was more than sex... it was making love.
I thought back to what Domina Vindictae said… was she right in saying Hanuel loved me too? Maybe she was scared of love like I have been. After all, we’ve both lost people we loved and cared about. Still, I wondered what Domina Vindictae meant by saying that I would find out. God, I hope she doesn't hurt her.... but I know I am asking a lot.
The door suddenly opened and I stood up in the cage. I looked on as Domina Vindictae walked in, a smug smile on her face which only made me feel more anxious. Did it mean Hanuel was here?
‘Hello again Hoseok. I have to admit, Hanuel surpassed my expectations. She’s already here,’ she said as she pointed to the door.
I looked on as I saw her walking in determined. She looked like a character from a movie or a book – completely ethereal. She was wearing her usual getup – tight leather pants, black tank top and boots along with her jacket. She was holding her sword in her hand as she stopped and stared at me and Logan.
‘You dared to take a child hostage?’ Hanuel asked as she took a step closer. Vindictae laughed as she also pulled out her sword.
‘You know me Umbra. You know I have no remorse and no boundaries which I won’t cross, that includes killing children,’ Vindictae said. Hanuel's face hardened as he grip on the sword grew tighter. I could see the vein on her neck almost popping.
‘And Hoseok? Why is he here?’ Hanuel asked as she dared to break eye contact with her to look at me. I gulped as I held on to the metal cage.
‘Well, a little birdie told me that you love Hoseok,’ Vindictae said. Hanuel stiffened but did not say anything. ‘I also know the soft spot you have for children. You never quite forgave me for taking that ability away from you,’ she said, laughing mockingly. I felt myself wince because I knew how much that had hurt her.
‘You took a lot of things from me,’ Hanuel replied but not saying anything about me. Yet, her eyes kept flickering to mine, almost as if she could not help herself.
‘I am in a generous mood today though as well as feeling nostalgic,’ Vindictae said. I saw Hanuel pale at the mention of that and instantly, my heart skipped a beat. Was she going to force her to choose between me and Logan like she had forced her to choose in the past?
‘Is that so?’ Hanuel asked, gulping a little as she looked at Logan and then at me. I wanted to tell her it was going to be okay. I wanted to reassure her but I could not.
‘Come closer my sweet Umbra,’ Vindictae said as Hanuel did step forward. Vindictae led her to the cages as she stood in front of us. ‘You’ll choose who lives and who dies. Choose who you are going to kill, Hoseok or Logan,’ Vindicate said.
‘What? No! You can’t force her to do that,’ I said but Hanuel chuckled to herself, a hollow, empty laughed that worried me. It was almost as if she had already made a choice.
‘If you don’t choose, I will kill both of them and you know I will,’ Vindictae said. Hanuel approached the cage as she came close to me. She put her hand through as she touched my cheek.
She leaned closer, our lips briefly touching because of the metal bars between us. Yet, in that simple kiss, I felt heaven on earth. She touched my cheek once more and I looked at her as I saw a single tear rolling down her cheek. I wiped it using my thumb as I continued to stare at her.
‘I’m sorry Hoseok,’ she said as she pulled back and away from me. I shook my head, not sure I was understanding.
‘Choose Hanuel... either the love of your life or an innocent, sweet, little boy.’ Lady Scarlet told her. I could see the way she was torn but I shook my head.
‘Hanuel, don't worry. Save Logan and kill me.’ I said, wanting to reassure her it was okay but she shook her head in response.
‘I can’t kill you Hoseok,’ she said, turning to Vindictae. ‘You want blood, right? Then have mine. Take my life instead,’ Hanuel said. I stared at her as my heart started to race against my chest.
‘Hanuel what the * are you doing? You can’t be serious...’ I said but she cut me off.
‘I’m very serious. I can’t kill either of you but my life isn’t important Hoseok. I’ve done a lot of harm to a lot of people. This is my punishment,’ she said but I continued to shake my head in disbelief. I could feel my own heart breaking at her words. Why was she thinking like that? Didn’t she know how much I love her?
‘Stop it Hanuel. Your life matters just as much as mine does,’ I argued back, but she remained silent. 'She'll just kill us either way. Save Logan,' I begged.
'Don't worry Hoseok. I swear on every Scarlet's honour. Her life for yours is enough for me,' Vindictae said. 'So, Umbra, what is it going to be?' she asked.
'Take my life and let them go,' Hanuel said as I continued to shake my head.
‘I thought you might offer that so I prepared something for you,’ Lady Scarlet said as Hanuel began to follow her.
‘HANUEL!! NO!! Come back here!’ I yelled but she just kept walking, ignoring me completely. She had made her choice and she was not going to back away from it. They approached the huge item until Vindicate pulled the sheet, revealing a tank and my heart sank as I knew what she was going to be forced to do. Hanuel looked at me and nodded as I shook my head. ‘Please no,’ I whispered. No… no, this was not happening!
I watched as Hanuel dropped her beloved sword that had always been like an extension of her body. It clanged on the floor. I watched as Vindictae put on a pair of handcuffs around her hands. I saw her wince slightly and gulp. She turned to look at me as I shook my head once more.
‘Hanuel, please, don’t,’ I said but she just smiled before she climbed up the ladder and went inside the tank. I watched as Vindictae forced the lid to close. Suddenly, water started rushing in quickly. I looked at Vindictae who looked completely insane as she laughed to herself in delight. This is what she meant by I will see that Hanuel loves me too because why else would she give up her life for me? There is no greater sacrifice than that!
‘NO!!’ I yelled as I watch the water fill up the tank quickly. Her hands were handcuffed together as the water filled it up. I saw her starting to struggle - her natural instinct fighting against the water.
Before I knew it, I saw the water covering up to the surface, leaving her nowhere to go. Her body struggled for a while before she stopped.
‘NOO!! HANUEL!!!’ I screamed as I tried to hit the cage open but it didn’t work. It didn’t even budge. Her eyes fixed on mine forcing me to stop as I shook my head while my heart raced against my chest. She smiled before her body began to *.
‘NOOO!!! HANUEL!! HANUEL!!! NOOOOO!!!’ I screamed as I saw her body falling numb, her eyes closing while her body still *ed, bubbles coming out of her mouth, her body growing completely numb. ‘NOOO!!’ I screamed just as the door opened with some sort of explosive device. Someone rushed to her and others came to me and Logan. I recognized Yoongi who opened the cage door.
‘Are you--’ he began to ask but I pushed him away as I ran to where Taehyung and Jimin were pulling a lifeless Hanuel out of the tank. They placed her on the ground and I knelt down next to her. I placed my fingers against her neck but there was no pulse. She was not breathing and there was no heartbeat to be felt.
‘What have you done? You were supposed to kill me!! ME!!!’ I yelled as I interlocked my fingers and placed them against her chest. I started pushing onto her chest as tears flew out of my eyes. ‘Please... please don’t die on me. Not like this. Please,’ I begged. I kept pushing onto her chest, praying I was doing it right.
‘PLEASE WAKE UP!! WAKE UP!!!’ I screamed before I pinched her nose and tilted her head back. I breathed in air into her mouth but she still didn’t move. ‘Please, please don’t die. Please I need you. I need you, wake up!!’ I yelled once more.
‘Change with me.’ Jin instructed. I listened as I let him take over. I couldn’t believe what was happening right now. I watched as he pushed onto her chest, doing compressions with a lot of force. ‘Breaths,’ he instructed. I lowered myself as I breathed into her mouth. Jungkook took Seokjin’s place as he continued the compressions while I felt my own heart continue to break. I was losing the girl I had fallen in love with.
‘Please, please wake up. I love you dammit and I never told you. I was a coward and never told you how much I love you. Please wake up! Please I need to tell you how much I love, please. Please I am begging you Hanuel, please don't do this to me’ I said, breaking down into hysterics.
‘Breaths Hoseok,’ Seokjin instructed again, a certain urgency in his voice. He was desperate as I was. I lowered myself and breathed into her mouth. Her body was growing cold and I felt my heart shatter as I saw Seokjin changing places with Jungkook again.
‘Please, Hanuel, please, I’m begging you, please open your eyes. Please, don’t leave me. I can’t lose you too,’ I said as I take her hand in mine and just cried. I buried my face into her stomach and just sobbed. I did not care who saw. I just cared about her. I just cared about the fact that the love of my life was dead because she was protecting me.
Almost as if someone took pity on me and heard my prayers, she started coughing violently. I looked up as I saw her struggle to cough up the water and I was quick to help her sit up. She kept coughing water, most of it coming onto me but I didn’t care.
‘That’s it, cough it out baby, we’ve got you,’ I said as she heaved, trying to catch her breath. Her body fell limp into my arms as I held her close to my chest, against my now wet shirt. Her breathing still came out ragged and without any sense of rhythm. She was trembling as she tried to hold onto my shirt.
‘Ho--hoseok,’ she croaked out, her voice weak.
‘Shh it’s okay, I’ve got you, I’m here and I’m never leaving you again,’ I said as I started to rock her back and forth while someone came to put a blanket around us. I looked up to see Namjoon looking at us with a sleeping Logan in his hand and a relieved look on his face.
‘What happened Hoseok?’ He asked. I turned to look at him and I could see the look of worry on his face as he looked at me and Hanuel. I knew how much he cared for Hanuel, like a sister. One would think he was angry at her for leaving and maybe he was but I knew he was more than glad that she was alive.
‘Jennie betrayed us. She was the one who drugged the others and took Logan and then she tricked me into coming here. Vindictae killed Jennie and then lured Hanuel here. She gave her a choice. Kill me or Logan but she refused to kill either one of us and chose to take her own life instead,’ I explained as I hugged Hanuel closer to my chest. I saw him gulp, before his anger resurfaced.
‘Find her!’ Namjoon ordered as some of the lower ranked men rushed to search the place. Seokjin came closer as he checked on the barely conscious Hanuel who was still in my arms as I held her securely there. He had his fingers on her neck as he checked her pulse and breathing.
‘She'll be okay but we need to get her to the house and warm her up. She’s going to need a lot of rest,’ Seokjin said.
I nodded as I picked her up in my arms. I started walking with the others to the cars, my eyes fixed on her. She must have been exhausted because although shivering, she still fell asleep.
‘She’ll be okay hyung, she’s strong,’ Taehyung said, trying to reassure me. I just nodded as I looked at her, grateful to know she was alive. She was alive, in my arms and I was not going to let her go again.