Fairy tales, albeit charming, were not just meant to be cautionary tales, where good conquers evil, the wicked gets punished, the righteous live happily ever after, or offer hope that one can do something positive about changing oneself and the world.

It is also about pain and loss, on how it shapes them, whether to let the darkness and anger turn those into something they had not wish.

And love, love is what makes all the difference.

Ragged breathes and heavy footsteps are heard in the midst of the bleak forest. Heavy rain pours and the flashes of lightning reveals creatures that are lurking in the dark. Taehyung grunted when he felt raw pain in his arms and foot, the unforgiving earth hindering their way out. But he didn’t complain nor utter another word for he was afraid someone would hear.

They ran and ran, even when he felt his lungs giving out or the way doesn’t seem to end. Stopping is none of their choice.

“Taehyung, go straight to the end of the bridge.”

His eyes quickly darted to his companion, his face grim and lined with worry. Taehyung tried to chase his eyes but he seems to be determined to avoid them. Doubt was apparent in his voice when he asked him. “And you?”

“I’ll try to delay them.”

He almost regrets asking.

Taehyung never seemed to register that answer in his mind for a few seconds, and when it did, he realized that would mean he would be left behind. They shouldn't be separated even for a split second. Not even now.

They both completely stopped when they finally reached their destination. The bridge seemed so foreboding now, and not a means of hope and escape.

His voice was firm when he replied. “No.”

“Run, now!”

“No… no, please, I can’t.” Taehyung shook his head, ignoring that desperate cry. A choked sob came out of his throat as he clung in his arms, dragging him anywhere, anywhere away from here. He doesn’t know where. Just away.

There is resignation on the voice of this man, the only one who had loved and trusted him despite knowing there is no happiness waiting for them, when he replied. “Do this for me, Taehyung. Please. Please just run.”

He shook again his head, the tears in his eyes blurring his sight. It cannot end here.

“Taehyung!” He panicked as he saw the town people closing their distance, torches and knives in their hands. He grabbed Taehyung’s shoulders so hard it almost hurts. “Listen to me! I promised your mother that I will protect you and this is the only way I know how. Go away from this town who never bothered to know and love you. Go away and be happy somewhere.”

“But what happens to you?” His throat hurts, he knows that his feet is bleeding somewhere, and his head is swimming in and out of consciousness. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

But leaving him hurts more.

“This is what I have to do, Taehyung.” He whispered, almost drowning on the shouts of those horrible people that never knew how to accept that what’s different from them is not always bad. “But I will find my way to you. I promise.” A small smile crept in his face, a little assurance that he will.

“You do?” A little hope that maybe, maybe.

“I do. So don’t lose the necklace I gave you. I’ll come back to you.” He closed their distance and landed a small kiss on his temple. “I love you, you know that, right?”

He nodded, and managed to croak a reply because he can’t afford to waste the little time they have of each other. “I know. I love you, too.”

“Now go. Don’t ever look back and go.” He pushed him away. “Go!”

Taehyung’s body shook with sobs and pain, but he turned his back away from him and ran, hell, he ran away from everything, from the pain, from his only love. He ran away and every step was agony. The tug on his heart was painful as the distance between them increases, he ran until he reached the other side of the bridge. Hearing shouts of people, he looked back and saw what he was doing.

He was cutting the bridge.

“No!” He screamed.

“I said run away! What are you doing?” He was frantically cutting the ropes for those people were almost there.

He dropped on his knees. “No…”

He watched as the bridge fell down.

“Hyung, no…”

He watched as the people reached him.

“Stop it, please…”

He watched as a man stabbed him at the back.

“I’m sorry…”

He watched as he fell at the raging water.

“Please…” A prayer.

He prayed for help.

But no one did.

A/N: hi guys! i hope you're interested in continuing after reading the first chapter hahahaha i've already got an internship now and my thesis is still going on so my updates are not regular, probably when I have time to beta my own work atleast ;A; i edited this also, after I've posted it days ago, hope you didn't mind. love you guys!