She was being held in a headlock tightly by Jacheol and he had a gun pressed against her temple. Everyone was panicking, including me. It felt as if everything was in slow motion.

I could see down the middle line of no man's land, hid behind a stone pillar in Higher square. On my left I could see Hoseok, his eyes trembling and twitching, yet his gun steady on their hostage, Seokjin. Taehyung was stood right next to him, his eyes locked with Chaeyoung's, who was on the right, warning her not to move, and his gun aimed on Jacheol, waiting to see if Hoseok gave him the signal.

Chaeyoung and Heera were good friends when they were younger, and I assumed it was still the same, seeing as no one really ventures out of their own territory, minus a few exceptions. Chaeyoung gulped, her eyes shifting between Taehyung and Heera. Yoongi held her wrist tightly, and she could do no more than struggle in his grip.

I saw the half-son of Jacheol too, off to one side, standing with both hands behind his back obediently. But the most bothered on the right side by far, was Namjoon. He had lurched forward to either grab Heera, or to knock Jacheol down. He tensed and froze as Heera told him not to move, and the gun on the back of his head advised him to do the same.

I had my back against the wall for a moment, the fear of Heera dying slowly terrifying me. I stared up at Jimin, who was holding Yejin back from getting to her brother. She writhed in his grip, but Jimin couldn't let her go and free Seokjin, knowing that he was the only way that Under could negotiate with Higher at the moment. She was trying desperately to grasp her hands around his gun, but was just out of reach.

And then there was me. I had one hand over Heesung's mouth, preventing his screams for his mother reaching Jacheol, and my other hand was wrapped around his waist, pulling him close to me.

I didn't know if I dared to look around again, but as Jimin and Yejin paused their fight in front of me, I turned, not loosening my grip on Heesung.

"He is of absolutely no use to me, but I know for a fact that she means something to you all. This is exactly why we do not get attached to each other in Higher," Jacheol spoke through the intensity.

"You're lying. He's the one that makes your Vitarum," Hoseok spat. Seokjin whimpered as the gun was pushed harder against his head. He seemed to have spotted Yejin as well, who was crying. He tried to smile at her comfortingly. It didn't seem to work.

"You must be joking! We have an entire medical team, not just one single man!" Jacheol laughed. "Kill him if you wish, this pretty one will die either way. Unless you give us her boy,"

I held Heesung just a little tighter at his words. He glanced up at me, tears slipping out of his eyes.

"You will never, ever have our son," Namjoon growled, pulling out a gun and pointing against the side of his father's head. The gun held against Namjoon's head was consequently clicked into loaded state.

"Oh, Namjoon... I wasn't sure whether Changmin would be able to fire a gun, but I know that you definitely won't be able to, let alone at me!" Jacheol smiled slightly.

"Try me," Namjoon said.

"Fine," Jacheol shrugged and pulled the trigger. There were gasps, and a short silence as Heera slid to the ground before shots went off all around me. I collapsed to my knees and held Heesung protectively in my arms and cried hard into the young boy's shoulder. He wailed in agony, but it didn't matter. Nothing could be heard over the gunshots.

Chaeyoung screamed and Hoseok shouted at Taehyung, "NOW," shooting Seokjin at the same time that Taehyung shot Jacheol. Taehyung yelled at Yoongi, "Get her to safety, you prick!" and watched as he dragged a distraught Chaeyoung away from the murder scene.

Changmin snuck down an alleyway, also evading the gunshots. Yejin had passed out in front of me, and Jimin carried her back down to Purgatory, hoping it would be somewhat safer there.

I couldn't take my eyes off of the events unfolding around me.

Namjoon had staggered back from Jacheol, without firing, as predicted. He crouched beside Heera's body and was weeping too. I didn't know if I could give Heesung up to that man anymore. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocket knife, pressing it to his own throat. My eyes widened and I whipped Heesung away from the sight, guessing what he might do next. As I looked back again, his body was slumped over Heera's, blood filling in the gaps between the cobbles of the pavement. I had guessed correctly.

Heart-wrenching screams could be heard from every direction and I had no idea what to do. It was then that it suddenly dawned on me that I was the only family Heesung had left now.