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“Is this some sort of test?"
"Everything that doesn't kill you is."
"Mind you," he added, "surviving doesn't always mean you passed.” 
― Michelle Sagara West, Cast in Secret

The storm itself lasted no more than an hour but to the six of them, it was an endless hell. Once the waves became large enough to overturn the boat, the members were split up and not even the moonlight shining against the raging waters was enough to light up the darkness of the ocean.

Jimin gasped, preparing himself for another wave of water. He had his arms wrapped around Nari, who he was trying desperately to keep above the water. He kicked his legs, keeping the both of them afloat. 

He looked down at his wrist device, turning it on only to use the compass. He turned his head, finding the direction of the island and waited for the wave to pass before he could start swimming. 

His eyes widened when a current running beneath them pulled him under and he lost his grip on her. He grabbed at the rope connected to his waist, pulling her back in as they were both jerked around by the water. 

He was panting at this point, and he reached behind him to turn on the ventilation for oxygen through his suit. 

He let out a small sigh of relief when he managed to pull her back in and he brought them back up to the surface for a brief second so she could catch her breath. 

He wiped the water off from his visor and looked down at her, the light from his helmet shining over her face. She had her arm hooked around his and was trying to keep her wet hair out of her face. 

He looked back when he heard the roar of thunder near them and he squinted, trying to figure out why this particular wave looked darker in comparison to the previous ones. 

Then it dawned on him that there was something inside the wave coming straight for them. 

He was unable to pull them away and when the boat slammed into them, the wind was knocked out of his system at the sudden impact. He let out a groan, feeling the side of his stomach scream in pain. 

He looked over and his eyes widened when he saw her sprawled against the underside of the boat, one of her hands clutching at her side. He grabbed onto the boat with his glove as best as he could and used his other hand to pull her hand away. He in a breath when he realized the blow from the boat caused the wound to start bleeding again. 

With no materials or resources to help her, he could only stare at her in worry and fear when she turned to him. 

Nari let out a gasp, finding it increasingly difficult to breath. The wound was causing her enough pain and when the boat slammed into her, the pain coursed through her like knives tearing her apart from the inside. 

She had turned to look at Jimin and gave him a look to tell him that she was okay but she could barely keep herself conscious. The previous exhaustion had caught up to her and with the amount of physical exertion she used to stay above the water, it was making her want to close her eyes. 

She lay the side of her head against the boat and closed her eyes, letting out a breath. 

Jimin stared at her, seeing her lay her head onto her arms and he shook her arm. His heart began to pick up when she didn’t respond and even after lifting her head up, her eyes didn’t open. 

Panic seized him and he pulled her into his chest, burying his face into her hair. 

“Please, you can’t sleep right now, Nari. Stay awake,” he whispered. He pulled back, holding her face in his palms and he tapped again against the side of her face, but she showed no signs of waking up. 

He looked around him but the sight of the waves and downfall of rain only made him panic even more. He took a quick glance at the compass once more and with his mind set on what he was going to do next, he shifted Nari so that one of his arms still held her. With the other, he used all the strength he had remaining to turn the boat over. 

Although it took a few tries, the boat was upright and he put her on before climbing on himself.

He cursed under his breath when the engine wouldn’t turn on and he figured it was because of the water. He checked all the panels and tried scooping out the water but with the waves crashing back on board, it was a fruitless attempt.

He adjusted her weight so that she was straightened up again before he let out a sigh, doing his best to balance on the rocking boat. 

Something moving off in the distance caught his eye and he had to squint to see what it was. His eyes widened when he saw that it was someone swimming towards the boat through the waves and once they got closer, he was reassured. 

“Are you alright?” Jimin asked, reaching a hand down for Hoseok to grab onto. The other nodded, climbing onto the boat. His eyes zeroed down onto Nari and he looked at Jimin. 

“She fell unconscious again. She has a pulse but she isn’t waking up,” Jimin explained, looking down at her. His eyes fell down onto her shirt, which even against the dark lighting, he was able to see the blood seeping through. 

“It’s going to be hard but we need to patch up her wound,” Hoseok said, looking around. “The waves are dying down right now so we have to take the opportunity before they rise again.”

Namjoon straightened up, feeling his back begin to grow sore from having to crouch for an extended period of time. He banged his closed fist against his thigh, trying to alleviate some of the numbness that spread through. 

He turned around to see Jin patching the holes in the cement with plaster. 

The both of them looked up when a man, the one who was in charge of giving them orders, returned. He walked over, inspecting their cleaning job and reparations. He nodded in satisfaction when he saw that there wasn’t a spot they had left behind. 

“You guys can go eat. They’re serving lunch right now.” 

Namjoon nodded, taking off his gloves and leading the way around the corners and narrow walkways. 

Although they were wearing clothes more fitting to the citizens of the Cover, people still recognized them because of their clean faces and tall stature. They greeted the people who pointed them out. 

“Why are the Soldiers out here?” 

“Aren’t they from one of the top mercenary groups?”

Jin was about to turn around to see who the person was who said that but Namjoon threw an arm over his shoulder, making him look forward. 

“Don’t,” he warned. “I don’t want to attract more attention than we already have.”

Namjoon looked up when the monitors hanging down from the ceiling began to play the daily message. He stopped in his tracks, as did everyone else around them. With their hands folded behind them, they stood still and kept their eyes on the screen. 

“Good afternoon, citizens. I hope you have all had a wonderful morning. Let’s continue to work hard to build a better future for ourselves. Remember, if it ever gets too tough, you may restock your Bliss at any dispensary. Once again, the Forerunner is proud for all that you have done. May the Cover continue to be your safe haven.” 

Once the message was over, the people continued on their way. 

Namjoon and Jin arrived at one of the food kitchens for the workers in the Cover. They stood at the back of the line, moving up a few steps every time the people in front of them moved.

Jin looked around. “I forgot what it was like to live out here compared to the Innermost,” he whispered, looking at the children running around with tattered clothes. Namjoon turned to see where he was looking at. 

“We’ve had the luxury that the Ordinarians out here don’t. That is why we have to work harder to help them, don’t you think?” 

When it was their turn to receive their portion of food, the lady scooped in an extra portion onto their plates. Namjoon grabbed onto her wrist before she could add anymore. 

“Please, this is more than enough for the both of us. Save the portions for everyone else.” 

She nodded, eyes wide and amazed by his behaviour. Namjoon shot her a small smile before walking over to find an empty bench for him and Jin to sit on. 

They ended up sitting on a small wooden bench pushed up against the wall in the small eating area. 

Namjoon looked down at the mashed up food on his plate and he took in a breath before grabbing his spoon and taking a bite. 

“Hey,” Jin called out. Namjoon turned to him and raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. 

“Aren’t you worried about the others? We haven’t heard from them and the Forerunner hasn’t contacted us about anything, either.” 

Namjoon looked down at his food. “There’s not much we can do, Jin. The Forerunner says we’re up against something that may be more dangerous than we can handle. If they’re an enemy of the Cover, the Forerunner can handle it.” 

“He said the same thing when we first lost Taehyung and Jungkook,” Jin pointed out. He stopped talking when Namjoon snapped his head towards him. 

“Jin, do you hear yourself? You’re doubting the Forerunner when he’s doing his best to get our men back for us. We’ll hear from him soon.” 

“But they’re probably on their way to-” Jin stopped, his eyes round. He bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. 

“Never mind.”

Jungkook, after looking around, was the first to reach shore. He dropped down onto the sand and took off his helmet, taking in deep breaths. He turned around to face the water before pulling his legs into his chest. 

The sun was beginning to come up over the horizon and he looked around at the unfamiliar place he was now in. He placed a finger onto the device on his wrist and brought it closer to his face. 

“This is Jungkook. I’ve made it to the island. Does anyone hear me?” 

He waited for a few seconds before he heard crackling come in from his earpiece and his eyes rounded. 

“Yes, this is Yoongi. I washed up on the south. Where are you?” 

After confirming his location, Jungkook got up and walked along the shore towards where Yoongi said he was coming from. 

He walked for a bit and he finally saw someone walking off in the distance. He recognized the suit and when the person took off the helmet, Jungkook saw Yoongi give him a wave from afar. 

“Have you seen anybody else?” Yoongi asked, looking behind Jungkook. He shook his head. “I just made it to shore and broadcasted the message. How about you?” 

Yoongi shook his head also. “Same here. Did you get hurt anywhere?” 

Jungkook looked down and tapped his helmet. “Nope.” He looked around. “What should we do now? Wait?” 

Yoongi nodded. “We can explore along the shore to see what we’re dealing with around here. Keep your device on in case anybody else tries to contact us.” 

The two of them took their guns out from their holster, keeping their eyes alert as they walked along the shore. It was very much like the island they had come from and from where they could see, there was no real difference. 

About thirty minutes later, they finally heard something come in through their earpiece and they stopped to listen. 

Jungkook turned towards the water when he heard something from both his earpiece and the ocean. He walked along the sand, letting his boots sink deeper into the water.

“Hello? This is Taehyung. I’m with Jimin, Hoseok, and Nari. Yoongi and Jungkook, do you guys read?” 

Jungkook and Yoongi turned to each other. 

“Yes, we read. We’re on the island. Where are you?” 

“I see you. We’re bringing the boat in,” Taehyung replied. 

When the boat came close enough, Jimin stopped the engine. Taehyung threw one end of the rope towards Jungkook, who wrapped it a few times around his arm and stepped back, keeping the boat sturdy enough for them to jump off. 

“Are any of you hurt?” Jimin asked, coming over. Yoongi and Jungkook shook their heads and he sighed in relief. They caught sight of the white cloth wrapped around Nari’s head and they frowned.

“What happened?” Jungkook asked, walking over to help her get off. 

“The boat slammed into her and opened up her side wound. She got a blow on the head and only just woke up,” Taehyung explained, bringing one of her arms over his shoulder so he could carry her weight. 

Nari looked up at them and she gave them a small smile when she saw that everyone else was okay. “I’m glad nobody got hurt. We should get going.” 

“Are you sure? We can find somewhere and start camp. You should rest, Nari,” Jungkook said, turning to her. She shook her head. “I’m fine. We should make use of the daytime hours and move as soon as we can.” 

She looked up when Jungkook held out a hand to stop her from moving forward. He nodded towards the blood seeping out of her shirt. 

“Let’s patch up your wound first.” 

a u t h o r ' s     n o t e

         Hi everyone! I'm sorry for the late update. I've been really busy because my summer vacation's almost over. I do hope you enjoyed it, though! 

         I also want to thank everyone because we reached 800 subscribers! Thank you all of you who have joined me on this journey! It means so much.