There was tension in the air as Namjoon ran his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit.  He exhaled shakily, his eyes deep in thought. “So you’re telling me that the ROMAN program that was terminated years ago…was spearheaded by your parents?” he muttered.  “And the stuff that’s in you. The program…”

“The very science that our parents sought to make a reality for this military,” Ara explained.  “The car crash was a cover up. There’s something bigger at stake.”

“And now that the North has a hold of this program…” Namjoon trailed off.

Jungkook tensed.  “They’re only scratching the surface.  Our parents destroyed most of the information before they died.  The rest was carefully coded,” he said. “However, the North’s progress is slowly but surely increasing.”

“Then we have to go and destroy it once and for all,” Namjoon concluded.  

“No!” Ara exclaimed.  “Can’t you see? The South’s armies are no match for the handful of super-soldiers they have.  They’re programmed to take down entire countries on their own.”

Namjoon frowned.  “But you said yourself that the program consisted of Northern soldiers.”

“Some had no choice,” she protested.  She paused and looked away. “Plus…they have Yoongi.”

The captain’s eyes grew with shock.  His mouth gaped slightly as he remembered the horrors of the day he’d lost the member.  “Yoongi…”

“I couldn’t lie to you about that,” she replied grimly.  “The man at the warehouse, when we saved the president’s daughter.  That was him, or rather, a fraction of him. He was being controlled, and that’s how the North gets their ROMANs to do their dirty work for them.  Something they like to call night mode.”

Namjoon nodded slowly, processing the information.  To say he was shocked was an understatement. He had no idea Ara’s situation had escalated to this level.  

He rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh, closing his eyes.  “How the hell are we going to get him back if you couldn’t do anything while you were over there?”

Ara bit her lower lip.  “I…I don’t know…”

“Don’t pressure her,” Jungkook said, his voice low.  “She was scared and fighting for her life. She didn’t know what could happen to her at any moment.”

“I’m not,” Namjoon replied calmly.  

“It’s true,” she said.

Jungkook sent a warning glare at her.  “It’s not your fault, so don’t take that responsibility on yourself.”  He knelt down next to the bed and grasped her hand tightly. “Ara, do you understand?”

She pursed her lips and nodded slowly.

Namjoon glanced at her.  “So what are we supposed to do?”

She locked her gaze with his.  “Forget about it. It’s best if you forget.”

“How can I forget what I just saw?” Namjoon asked, exasperated.  “You’re asking me to do the impossible, Ara. I can’t just let you hurt yourself more and more.”

“You have to,” she said.  “Or they’ll kill you.”

She rose from the bed.  Her legs shook as she took small steps, steadying herself with the bed frame.  Jungkook trailed behind, his expression filled with worry. She took Namjoon’s hand.

“I can’t afford to lose you,” she breathed.

Namjoon pulled her into his arms, kissing her desperately.  Her sore heart swelled and beat faster against her ribcage. When he pulled back, his forehead touched hers lightly.  She could feel him shaking his head, chuckling.

“I love you more than anything, but you’re going to need someone you can trust,” he said.  

She scoffed.  “I had a feeling you’d say that,” she said with a small smile.

“So, do you trust me?”

“Always.”

She hugged his tall frame and sighed with relief.  It felt as if some of the burden on her shoulders was lifted, but replaced with guilt.  Although it weighed even more, this burd