wake up

wake up

wake up

I want to leave.

It’s an ocean of light.

A sky of light.

An eternity of nothingness that encompasses no shape or form or colour- only light.

There are voices here- of him. Of her. Of them.

Of everyone.

wake up

Voices of the past.

Voices of the present.

Voices of the future.

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream

wake up

There is singing, there is crying, there is screaming, there is laughter.

If you asked him where this was, he would say It was, it is, and it will be because that was what this truly was.

Was he happy? He’s not sure- was that a concept that was remotely important here?

Was he sad? He’s not sure.

What he does know is that he needs to be somewhere. He needs to go home.

wake up

He needs to go back.

That is all he remembers. That is the core of who he is.

I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam

And he clings to that- and he lingers in what is. Sometimes he hears voices that are clearer than others, feels colours that are louder than others. Sometimes it’s just empty. But recently, if there is a concept of time here, after many an age, he finally hears something.

He can hear their memories.

wake up

And it’s louder than anything he’s heard before. Clearer, brighter, stronger.

And they are colourful – with so many emotions. It hurts his heart- because the colours he sees the most are pain, anger, sorrow, fear, regret, self-loathing, and worst of all, the colour that is starkest and brightest yet darkest of them all: homelessness.

And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem.

Sometimes he feels the colours close by, and sometimes they’re far away. Sometimes the colour of suspicion and doubt shine brightest. Then sometimes the colour of confusion and paranoia deepen in hue.

wake up

And sometimes it's empty. It’s empty and he wonders if it’s going to be empty again but suddenly- amidst this endlessness of light, there is an eruption of pure and green energy.

But if I know you, I know what you'll do

And through this light he hears a voice. Or was it 5?

‘Who are you?’

‘I am the Yemenifesi Ch’inik’eti,’ he responds to the voice. ‘Who are you?’

‘We are the Fifth, born of the first Awakening. What are you doing here?’

wake up

‘I came here to seek shelter, to bring safety to my people. To take them home. What are you doing here?’

‘We could feel you. How long have you been here?’

‘I don’t know. Time is not a concept that exists here. I don’t know where I am.’

‘We have seen this place before. Do you wish to leave?’

‘I need to go back.’

You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

‘Where?’

‘Back home.’

wake up

‘Can you leave? I will try to help you, I don’t know if I can.’

He looks at the green energy- almost as ancient as this light around him- almost as powerful.

‘I have never tried- I don’t know how to.’

‘Follow it.’

‘Follow what?’ he asks. He really wants to leave now. Because he sees another colour bleeding in through the green. A colour he wants to eradicate. A colour he needs to remove.

wake up

‘Follow their voices, their dreams, follow their souls, follow their memories, follow their hearts- they will guide you.’

‘I will try.’

He’s searching now- for a way out.

‘What is your name?’

What was his name? He had a name.

He has a name.

wake up

He finds the exit. Through the bleeding colour that he has come to hate. It’s faint at first. But not for long.

A soft light fills the air before- soft and golden- like sunshine.

And he remembers his name.

‘My name is Jimin.’

wake up

*

Jimin stands besides Hoseok, watching as the body blackens, the fat glistens and melts, gathering the soot around it and forming waxy shapes coiled like solid smoke.

‘What will you do?’ Hoseok asks the high-priest. 

‘Nothing,’ the high-priest replies, with shocking casualness and ease. ‘The birds and rats will come to eat it.’

Jimin feels a shudder run through him. He wants to stand in front of Hoseok, and block his vision from this sight.

Because Jimin can see how Hoseok sees himself in the charred bones, remains of a sacrifice offered and honoured but forgotten and consumed. But he can’t- instead he can taste the ashes of the air in his mouth- as dry and bitter as the pain Hoseok feels, dropping the knife he used to kill his own father.

‘I’m so sorry,’ his father had whispered in the end. And Jimin’s heart breaks at the love that is so clear and apparent in his eyes. In their eyes. He chases after Hoseok as he trips across the hallways of this massive ship that housed the Venture Unit. The knife falls from his hands and Jimin can feel it burning in his own palm.

When Hoseok looks up into the mirror Jimin stares deep into his eyes.

This was that moment- it is that moment- where the fires have burnt away from around Hoseok, and left nothing but charred bones, liquidized fat, and cracked raw flesh.

Jimin watches as Venture Unit officers and agents come running in, a Yisheng behind them. They whisper amongst themselves, pointing at Hoseok, expressions of fear, disgust, as well as relief etched on their faces. He watches them thank him, Jimin watches them pour their gratitude over Hoseok but they all leave after the sacrifice has been offered. They all leave before they can see the charred remains.

They hold no glory over bones.

Jimin wants to take Hoseok’s hand, where he feels the fire of the knife etched there. But before he can reach for his hand, a loud sound thunders through the air-  and a bright streak of light erupts above him.

Jimin steps out alongside Sk’jin, his form shrouded and hidden within the form of this other Being. His eyes burn strong and neon red. Determination and the strength of a promise long kept, long protected.

Together they track the motion of a ship- one that is laced with familiarity that does not come from himself. Jimin has seen it in their dreams.

‘How-‘ 

‘I promised you that we’d get out of here,’ he grits through his teeth as he raises one hand, finger pointing and tracing the path of the unsteady ship. ‘And that’s how.’

It vanishes behind a hill and they hear crushing sounds.

‘If they’re still ‘live kid- ‘s go check on ‘em.’

Jimin quickly follows the Venture Unit agents through the crude and cruelly constructed maze of a lab. The stench of death, chemicals, and blood seeps into his pores. They had destroyed the power grid, shrouding the place in darkness and overtaking it with a stealth attack.

Jimin can’t take his eyes off of the remains of the people that once lived peacefully in this planet. This planet that was once young, lush, green- with just the smallest hint of civilization growing near the river lands. What was once farmlands were barren and overridden with cruel iron and metal. The ground that was soft and rich with clay was watered with blood, tears, and curses. Even the sky had changed colour, from a bright clean turquoise to dead ash-grey.

Kutsoglera had died, and along with her, her children too.

Remnants of her people that managed to survive were limited in number, and were barely recognizable for who they were and what they originally looked like. Jimin can only see the echo of their previous selves. The rest shrouded in bionic metal, experimental elements, and cruel bioengineering.

But what does surprise him, amidst the fear and death that coloured the bland walls of this facility, was the intense ruddy glow surrounding a few of the Beings here. And mainly so around him.

‘You’re going to be all right.’ One of the agents who had previously broken down into tears says to a much younger Namjoon.

The gravity of the darkness in his eyes weighs down Jimin’s chest- feeling an overwhelming rush to push aside the other agents and hold the young child in his arms, willing him to forget the years of torment he lived through.

‘We’re here to help you,’ one of them says and Jimin wants to scream.

What had the Universe come to? What had all Life come to? Did Life hold no more value?

‘You’ll be all right,’ they keep repeating. ‘We’re taking you somewhere safe. You’ll be safe.’

No one could promise safety. Not when the Universe moved like this.

‘Is it what I need?’

Jimin sinks to the floor before Namjoon, where he sat on a table, the weight of his gaze crushing him.

‘Do you want to rest?’

Jimin is startled as he finds himself on a cliffy hill. He can smell a storm in the air- the promise of rain. He could shudder in relief at the transition. But that relief is short-lived.

Because that colour is everywhere here. It stains the sky red and the promise of death brews more imminently than the storm overhead. Jimin quickly pushes himself up from the rocky ground he found himself in. He follows the sound of the voice and he climbs up a few boulders before he catches sight of a distant sunrise over an autumnal forest.

A sudden sorrowful exhilaration, a realization that he’s been here before.

Movement catches his eye and Jimin quickly scrambles over. There’s a tall stringy Being- Yoongi’s friend. He’s stained with that colour too, and Jimin already knows what’s going to happen. What will happen.

Desperately, he tries to find Yoongi. would there be a way to warn him? He had to. How did he not realize this until now?

All Life is connected- a Continuum that goes on and on, looping into each other. How could he have not figured it out. Finally- he catches sight of the Human.

He look tired, his hair dim and matted, and his skin a little ashen from too much physical strain and not enough rest. But what mattered the most was that Yoongi wasn’t stained that colour.

‘It’s fine,’ Yoongi replies with an easy shrug. ‘I’ll rest later.’

‘You should rest now,’ his friend insists. Jimin has never been able to see Yoongi’s friends face properly- was this because Yoongi himself couldn’t remember?

‘I feel like I’ve spent…spent all my life resting,’ Yoongi replies with a small huff of a laugh. ‘And now I can finally…’

The young Human pauses a while, looking over the great horizon with an expression bordering between sorrow and bliss. Jimin wants to walk towards the Human, but he’s stuck. He can’t move.

‘And now I can finally be.’

Jimin wishes he could reach up and touch the Human. But he can’t.

So instead he hums. The tune that Jimin can hum from sheer memory. The tune that filters through the ocean of light.

Yoongi suddenly turns, his eyes locking onto Jimin’s. Jimin stumbles back a little, overwhelmed beyond words.

‘What is it?’

Jimin wants to say something- tell Yoongi to please please please run- run now-

But he’s frozen and that pale golden light starts to wrap shine from behind him. It was time to go. He found the exit and he has to leave. Leave the past, leave what was and enter the present to what is.

Yoongi smiles, still looking deep into Jimin’s eyes.

‘Sunshine.’

The sun to his right breaks through the clouds and is shining around Jimin, warm and bright, soft and gentle.  It eats away at that colour and Yoongi approaches him, hand reaching out as though craving for its warmth on his skin.

Jimin holds his hands out before him and catches Yoongi before he falls over.

He’s drenched in sweat, blood splattered over his face- he’s barely awake and yet his eyes remain stubbornly open. Locked onto his.

Jimin can’t stop the tears rolling down his eyes as he helplessly holds the Human in his arms. Finally able to grab hold of him.

He couldn’t do anything before- the past Was and he could do nothing to change it. But he was here Now and Jimin is determined.

‘Yoongi,’ he keeps repeating because it’s the only word he knows Yoongi will understand.

Oddly enough, and in a way that hurts Jimin’s heart even more, Yoongi smiles. It’s small, strained, and so misplaced with their situation. And ever so softly, the Human whispers, ‘It would be just like this.’

*

You have to wake him up

‘Did you hear that?’

Taeh’yung is 99.99% sure they heard singing. He glances at Sk'jin, checking to see if the Khol'isa heard it too.  

He’s talking to you. Listen closely.

But Sk’jin doesn’t pay them heed. Because the Khol’isa is paying close attention to the fight.

Taeh’yung narrows their eyes at the OrTank.

‘Was that you?’ they ask quietly.

Lean in closer- you can speak to him. You have to wake him up

They don’t hear much. Only feel.

And they felt a lot. Taeh’yung could sit there for hours, communicating just like that. Reading his emotions, understanding what he wanted to say. Sometimes the connection was there. Sometimes it wasn’t. Like he was falling in and out of sleep.

Somewhere just beyond the panes of sleep and death.

It is Light there. Only Light, and only Death.

‘Can you hear me?’ Taeh’yung asks quietly, looking into the Being’s face. He wasn’t of a Species Taeh’yung directly recognizes. They have a feeling the First might know. But the First’s memories and thoughts were always too faint, and Taeh’yung’s never had the patience to really listen to her.

He can hear all of them. He can see all of them. You have to wake him up

Sk’jin is wincing as he watches the fight. He couldn’t watch it, unable to witness as Yoongi is thrown across the arena like a rag-doll. But Taeh’yung watches. They don’t look away.

They would witness this moment- so that it would live on and with each Awakening, he would remember this and they would know.

He has unexplained memories.

Imagery of unexplained darkness that was living and breathing- each exhale and inhale shaping the dimension they knew and occupied. Vivid colours of the genesis of creation, raw and chaotic energy that pulsed; a wild and crazed heart suddenly beating, pumping Life through its system. And like a great heaving mess, the Universe was born of darkness and colour, Life circulating and spreading.

Lean in closer- you can speak to him. Let me speak to him.

What was, what is, what would be all existed continuously in the Universe. Nothing was ever truly forgotten, nothing truly died- the dimensions of what was, what is, and would will be just expanded and expanded, creating new space and form. The memory of what was building what is to make way for what will be.

This was Continuum. And this was the Universe.

This is everything and nothing.

The Zhak’gri were the first. First born of the Awakening, first born of the Darkness.

And the first to be consumed.

Because where there is Life and Darkness, there is Death and Light. And the Zhak’gri contain this within themselves- because they knew that all that was, would come to what is, and would later become what will be.

Or at least that’s what they keep telling him. But Taeh’yung has never cared much for the Universe or what was going in around it. Regardless of past, present, future. There was too much happening around them, too much to see, too much to experience, for him to really bother getting caught up with the “truths” and “realities” he was being told to understand.

What mattered the most to Taeh’yung, was to do what none of the other 4 ever did.

wake up

And it wasn’t just about blowing up moons, building a planet, or kick-starting a whole new species of Beings from their elemental core.

Taeh’yung figures it was pretty cool that it was their people, the Zhak’gri,  the first of all living Beings to have ever existed in the Universe, were the blueprints of all living Beings. He also thinks it’s cool that their people, or well, what remained of them, were the first and only Beings to have ever gotten close to succeeding in creating and using dimensional rifts. As a result of this, their people were somehow able to achieve a sort of reincarnation that allowed their souls to continuously exist. So that when the host died but the soul was reborn, memories created in its previous host would still exist.

It was cool, but honestly Taeh’yung doesn’t understand why it was even a thing that had to happen.

Taeh’yung was the Fifth, born of the Awakening. The period between his consciousness and his previous host had been a very long time. So much so that Taeh’yung believes they might actually be one of the last surviving. Many of the other Zhak’gri’s, tired of their continuous existence, took the dramatic end of the stick and literally flung themselves into the nearest blackhole. Taeh’yung, despite his behavior, was not prone to such dramatics.

wake up

Instead he just wanted to live.

To just be alive for the time he was meant to live, and continue on living to the fullest of his ability, and to aid those around them who might need it.

This was the Fifth birth, and Taeh’yung is pretty sure it’s the only time they’ve ever felt alive. Sometimes the other 4 voices come up to argue, to try and direct him to a certain path- to continue the search. What was this search even about? Taeh’yung doesn’t care about dimensional rifts and reaching into other life-forms not of this reality. He doesn’t care for breaking the Continuum or to control Life.

He just wanted to live, discover and find new planets and civilizations, make friends, make sure other Beings were living good lives, and be happy.

wake up

But there are times, during this time of his Birth, where they are witness to certain things, and he will stay to make sure that they see it, so that the memory of it may permeate the entirety of his soul, so that when the Sixth is born, that they too would feel what he felt, see what he saw, and understand what he did.

And today was one of them.

‘This is ing stupid!’ Sk’jin hisses, his eyes gleam as though wet. ‘Get him out of there now- withdraw from it now- is this worth it-?!’

‘He’ll pull through- he can do this-‘ Namjoon argues back.

Sk’jin has looked away, and there really are tears in his eyes.

‘Yoongi is going to die!’ Sk’jin says harshly. ‘And we’re just-‘ Sk’jin pauses, he’s distracted from the screen they were watching to another screen. Taeh’yung looks away from Yoongi’s fight and feels a flare of irritation at the sight of Van Seulgaan making his way inside their ship.

The Tayian doesn’t look as composed or collected as he normally did and Taeh’yung registers the Second expressing her disappointment. They were descended of her, as were many from that general System. But whatever remained of her essence, her elemental core, had long been diluted. The only source of almost entirely unadulterated elemental essence from the Awakening based off of the Zhak’gri could be found in the Khol’isa.

That was why K’mara had been so careful around him. Because she could see them.

The first of my children

Sk’jin was different- his core altered in a way that even Taeh’yung couldn’t see. In a way none of the 4 could really explain.

Because you don’t want to see

The same way he couldn’t really see into Yoongi.

Because you don’t want to see

The same way he couldn’t see into the Being inside the OrTank.

Because you don’t want to see

Taeh’yung just wanted to live and explore and have friends, but it would seem that the Universe didn’t want him to just be an observer.

‘What the is he doing here-‘ Sk’jin burst out, turning around to get up but the Android guard pushes him back down to his seat on the couch. They’re in the Bridge, Sk’jin occupying Hoseok’s seat at the cockpit and Taeh’yung standing behind him, the OrTank safely strapped to one of the unoccupied seats.

‘He’s here for him,’ Taeh’yung says at once, gripping the handles on the side of the OrTank.

‘Let me go or so help me I will end you-‘ Sk’jin hisses at the Android just as Van walks in.

He’s attempting to look poised but Taeh’yung can practically smell anger and fear emanating off of him in strong rolls.

You have to hide him.

You have to wake him up

The Being in the OrTank suddenly twitches but Sk’jin and Van are too occupied, glaring each other down to notice.

-…walked with you…a dream- the song, with a soft singing voice suddenly sounds again. Except it’s louder and clearer this time.

‘I can hear you,’ Taeh’yung breathes out softly, crouching down and taking the OrTank to the other side of the cockpit, looking as though he was hiding. ‘Speak to me please.’

He’s speaking to you, but you’re not listening to him.

The Being inside shifts a little, fingers flexing. Taeh’yung has spoken to him before. Has introduced himself, spoken to him. But it was all sporadic, without any pattern. 

You need to guide him. Guide him out. Guide him back out. You have to wake him up

‘You said you wanted to go home, that they would take you home. But they can’t right now- not without losing,’ Taeh’yung says quietly, the surface of the OrTank in a soothing manner. ‘They’re all trying very hard- especially Yoongi and-‘

Taeh’yung glances over at the fight. Taeh’yung knew that Yoongi would lose. And he also knew that Yoongi knew that.

He might be the best fighter out of all of them- but he wasn’t trained for this.

You know that he can see all of this. that he can see all of this. let him follow the colours. You have to wake him up

‘-I think he’s in trouble right now.’

I want to leave.

Lean in closer- you can speak to him. Let me speak to him. You have to wake him up

‘Can you leave? I will try to help you, I don’t know if I can.’ Taeh’yung speaks for the Second.

You have to wake him up

Closer- you know you can go closer- don’t worry, trust us, we won’t lose you in there

I have never tried- I don’t know how to.

He’s been waiting. He’s been waiting and waiting. He needs to leave. And we will See. He needs to leave.

‘Follow it.’ The First speaks.

Follow what?

Lean in closer- you can speak to him. Let me speak to him. You have to wake him up

‘Follow their voices, their dreams, follow their souls, follow their memories, follow their hearts- they will guide you.’ The First speaks again and Taeh’yung finds himself back there again.

The world of white.

They stand behind him, their hands on his shoulder, looking on. You have to wake him up they say in unison. Taeh’yung is tempted to wave them off. Instead he directs his attention to the tear in the light. A shape bleeds out into form, pulsing in the wavelength of the song.

And he is born of song, Taeh’yung finds out. Ancient, unknown.

You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up You have to wake him up

‘I will try.’ The Being stands before him, his expression lost.

He’s searching now- for a way out.

‘What is your name?’ the Third asks.

He looks confused, thinking hard.

Please remember please remember please remember please remember

He will remember. He will. He just needs Time.

‘My name is Jimin.’

wake up

*

Sk’jin doesn’t normally get angry.

Irritated? Yes.

Frustrated? Maybe a bit too frequently.

Exasperated? All the ing time.

But the moment he sees Van’s face Sk’jin is flooded with pure anger. The kind he hasn’t felt in a while.

‘Your contestant is losing. He’s already lost. He lost the moment he stepped inside that building- so now hand that egg over to me and I’ll allow you to take back whatever remains you can scrape off of the floor.’ The Tayian announces the moment he’s close enough.

Sk’jin pushes past the Android guards, uncaring of what they might do and goes and shoves Van Seulgaan.

He knows it’s not effective but he’s not trying to beat Van into a pulp here even though he wants to.

‘Sk’jin? What’s going on? Hey-‘

‘You listen here you little -face,’ Sk’jin towers over Van and he leans down so close their foreheads are almost touching. ‘You will leave my ship right now, or you are going to regret it.’

‘That’s not going to work- I’m done indulging you and your crew,’ Van shoves him back, normally passive face hostile and frenzied. ‘You think I believed any of the bull you told me? You’re all fugitives- running away, at the first opportunity, hiding and avoiding the real issue here- do you have any idea what you’ve done? What this could do-‘

‘Oh- so we’re the ones who ed things up?’ Sk’jin pushes him out again but he’s restrained as a few hands hold him back. ‘We were just ing stocking up on the ing Dock and this bull you’ve been funding threw us in for a loop and your ing greed put us all here-‘

‘I thought you would understand- out of all the Beings in this ship- I thought you would understand!’ Van Seulgaan barks back.

‘I don’t ing care! Get the out of my ship-‘

‘They’re here!’ Hoseok suddenly announce. ‘ they’re here-‘

‘What? How? That’s not possible,’ Namjoon argues. ‘That’s not possible-‘

Sk’jin freezes- and he also notes how Van has frozen where he’s stood.

‘What did you do?’ he whispers. ‘What did YOU DO?!’

His silvery eyes burn with fear and rage and he charges at Sk’jin. And it’s for a fraction of a second, just the tiniest movement, but Sk’jin notes how Van Seulgaan is suddenly distracted, his eyes shifting to look at something behind Sk’jin. But he’s already moving forward.

However, he doesn’t make it past a single step.

Soft yet strangely corporeal golden light erupts from behind Sk’jin and a flash of green forks around him.

‘Sk’jin, you and Taeh’yung get out of there now, they’ve brought the entire ing Tayi fleet ing Spaces-!’

By the time the light has dimmed and Sk’jin can finally open his eyes, the Androids have all collapsed in a heap and the ship hums to life, the rift-lock having been lifted. Van Seulgaan is out cold where he was standing.

‘SK’JIN!’

Sk’jin spins on his feet and nothing could have prepared him for the sight that greets him.

Taeh’yung is standing by the Navigator’s Mast, his eyes flaring green and a dancing ring of dark green light around him like some bizarre upright halo. But this isn’t what’s blowing Sk’jin’s mind.

‘Jin! Are you all right!’ Taeh’yung nearly bowls him over, green light fading abruptly.

‘Tae-‘ Sk’jin feebly raises a hand, pointing towards the Navigator’s Mast.

‘Ah right! This is Jimin! Jimin this is Sk’jin! Or just Jin!’ Taeh’yung steps aside, casually introducing the Being that has been asleep inside that OrTank ever since before this bull started what the actual-

He’s entirely , and not entirely embarrassed by that fact. Whatever liquid that was containing him dissipates into air in a matter of seconds, leaving this Jimin dry. Standing upright, he’s probably Yoongi’s height, but quite slight. His skin tone is warmer than Sk’jin had first observed, with freckles smattering the expanse of his skin. His hair sways about, a strange gossamer shade of silver and gold combined.

‘Sk’jin what is going on?! Answer me!;

But what really stuns Sk’jin is his eyes.

They looked just like solar eclipses.

‘Right! Clothes!’ Taeh’yung then strips off his outer tunic, holding it up for the Being to wear.

His movements look unsure but not unsteady. As though he hadn’t been “asleep” for probably centuries. He just…seemed curious.

And then all of Sk’jin’s anger comes rushing back in again.

‘All right so who the are you?!’

The Being jumps at Sk’jin’s loud and angry tone. And honestly Sk’jin is so done with this situation he doesn’t care anymore. He marches forward to where he’s standing and before anyone has time to react Sk’jin grabs him by the shoulders, shaking him hard.

‘Sk’jin what’s going on? Taeh’yung answer me!’

‘Who are you and why were you in there? This is all because of you and I need to know why this bull started!’

The Being is, understandably, very shocked and stunned speechless.

‘Jin wait-‘

‘No! I need to know why he’s here- why we’re here!’ Sk’jin doesn’t even bother looking at Taeh’yung as he grips the Being’s bare shoulders even harder, uncaring if he was hurting him or not.

The Being doesn’t answer, just gaping a little before his eyes dart around Sk’jin’s face and instead of answering him or even looking abashed at this proximity, he reaches upwards, not to push Sk’jin away, but to gently place them on his temples.

‘Khoi ah gne an kal?’ he asks softly.

He has a gentle voice- not a low voice but he’s not pitchy either. There was something melodic in the way he spoke his words, a lilt to his vowels that made the language somehow strangely harsh yet melodically soft. At this distance, Jimin’s eyes are hypnotic.

Never stare straight at the eclipse- it’s dangerous.

Before Sk’jin can even process the strangeness of what was happening before him, “Jimin” is stepping away from him, distracted by something. Then he pales- his skin losing colour in a shockingly fast manner, eyes widening.

‘Yoongi!’

Sk’jin has a million and one questions. But for now he’s going to stick to: how does he know Yoongi’s name?

Jimin is addressing Taeh’yung in the same unknown language, and before Sk’jin can even ask Lisai to translate, Taeh’yung is responding in the same language rapidly- hands flying, pleading it would seem. And Sk’jin understands why because Jimin suddenly turns about, quickly adjusting his tunic and overstepping the Androids and makes his way out of the Bridge.

‘Hold up-!’ Sk’jin feels like everything is happening too quickly for him to process.

‘Sk’jin! For s sake-!’

‘Jimin!’ Taeh’yung sprints forward, catching the Being by the hand and pulling him back, rapidly speaking.

‘FOR ’S SAKE ONE OF YOU ANSWER ME-‘

‘He’s awake.’ Sk’jin mumbles, watching now with utter bewilderment as Taeh’yung and Jimin seem to be arguing back and forth.

‘What-?’

‘Sk’jin- don’t ing lie-‘

‘I am not lying- that thing from the OrTank is awake and he did some weird and-‘

‘ing Spaces-‘

‘Namjoon, Sk’jin, you guys have to get out of there-‘

‘But Yoongi-!’

‘JIN!’

‘WHAT? ING SPACES, WHAT?!’ Sk’jin screams back.

Taeh’yung and Jimin, to their credit, don’t flinch, instead they both step up towards the Khol’isa, invading his space.

‘Do you trust me?’ Taeh’yung asks, uncharacteristically serious.

‘What-?’ Sk’jin actually does trust Taeh’yung-maybe not his methods, but his intent. But at this moment, he’s not too sure about any of it.

‘Sk’jin please,’ Taeh’yung pleads, holding his hand out to take his own. Sk’jin feels a ripple, the familiar thrumming that always comes from Taeh’yung’s touch, as though he contained an energy that was bursting to free itself right from under the Zhak’gri’s skin.

Listen to me child

It’s so faint, Sk’jin wants to believe it was in his mind. But he knows that it’s not. Because he’s heard this voice before.

‘Sk’jin- could you please just explain what’s happening- are you leaving? You have to leave- Hoseok just stay put until Sk’jin comes to get you-I’m going up, I have to get Yoongi out-‘

‘You’ll get caught for ’s sake. Namjoon you can’t possibly escape the Pageant, Van, and the GLA by yourself-‘

‘Sk’jin?’ Jimin’s tone is imploring and an added touch of something. One that doesn’t make sense but Sk’jin finds himself nodding.

‘All right. I trust you.’

Taeh’yung breaks out into a huge smile and says, ‘Joonie! Can you go over to the Pageant arena? There should be a place where contestant managers or House representatives can stay!’

‘Taeh’yung?! Can someone please ing explain-‘

‘Not now Joonie,’ Taeh’yung gently pushes Sk’jin towards the cockpit, making him sit. ‘Jinnie, can you take us to the arena?’

‘You want me to fly us into the arena?!’ Sk’jin splutters, unsure why his body wasn’t protesting as much as his brain.

Instead of Taeh’yung responding, Jimin suddenly crowds into him, taking his hands into his own. The warmth of his skin feels like unexpected sunlight.

‘Sk’jin, khognei tak in, kal to ang.’

Sk’jin has no idea what he’s saying but he finds himself nodding, hands already starting up the ship.

‘I’ll set up our flight trajectory!’ Taeh’yung volunteers cheerily.

‘You don’t know how to use it-‘ Sk’jin argues though he’s already boosting their engines. Taeh’yung must have taken care of the rift-lock with his previous stunt with the green lightning thing.

‘I watched Joonie do it all the time,’ Taeh’yung says dismissively and to Sk’jin’s surprise, the trajectory is accurate and the ship’s cockpit system aligns to it, straight for the Pageant arena.

‘Ka lom eh,’ Jimin smiles down at him, ‘Nakin ah min gnai dam ang che aw?’ and he kisses his brow.

‘Uh- okay?’ Sk’jin somewhat dumbly replies, unsure why he wasn’t opposing any of this, as the ship lifts into the air.

‘Sk’jin? Are you all right? Taeh’yung?’

‘Just get your into the arena.’

*

‘Just get your into the arena.’ Sk’jin replies, sounding strangely at-ease and not at all harassed like he did literally 20 seconds ago. Namjoon steps into the elevator, glaring at the Android guards that step in with him, taking up additional seconds of his precious time.

‘Namjoon- can you please tell me what’s going on- some of the ships have landed on the Dock, the others are making their way in-planet- and if I’m not mistaken, I think I just saw a bunch of GIU ships too.’ Hoseok asks, exasperation laced into his voice. ‘The ship can’t come up here- it’s not possible without getting caught-‘

‘I don’t know what’s going on either- they’re just telling me to go up-‘

‘You’re going to get caught- I don’t know how- but this is not looking good for Yoongi,’ Hoseok says tersely. ‘If he was fully armed and armoured then he would be on equal footing- but he’s losing. Namjoon he’s losing; we need to get the OrTank out-‘

‘Well apparently he’s awake and-‘

‘They’re leaving! Sk’jin and Taeh’yung- the ship’s taken off!’ Hoseok exclaims with surprise. ‘I don’t know what you think you can do up there…, -‘

Namjoon exits the elevator, anticipation mounting inside of him. Here, he can hear the crowd roaring without any filter or added effect.

‘Hoseok, what’s going on-‘

‘They’re there- , Namjoon hurry up and get there, what the is Sk’jin thinking?’

Namjoon doesn’t have to wait for an explanation because the moment he’s out in the balcony ledge that rings around the wide space of the Arena for the contestant Houses to sit in, he’s caught off-guard by the sight of the Užkulisai appearing overhead, her powerful lights casting a blinding radiance over the Arena grounds.

The lights focus and highlight an area on the grounds and Namjoon can just about make out two figures.

‘They’re getting Yoongi-‘ Namjoon’s realization comes out with a choked cough. ‘Spaces, -‘

The back of the ship comes into view and to Namjoon’s intense alarm a figure jumps off.

‘What in the -‘

‘Namjoon! Can you see us? Get over here now!’ Sk’jin commands, yet again, sounding strangely calm.

‘I can’t ing believe this-‘ Hoseok is mumbling. ‘Namjoon-‘

‘I can’t just go!’ Namjoon retorts back, feeling everything from anger to amusement as he watches the ship lower down. ‘I’m a little surrounded if you remember!’

‘It’s fine! I’ll come help!’ Taeh’yung chirps in.

‘What do you mean-‘

There’s a strange bright light that radiates from underneath the Užkulisai, right at the arena grounds where Yoongi should be. It’s not the ship’s own set of lights- this was different. It felt different. It’s followed by a bright crack of green light that is familiar to Namjoon. The green light forks through the arena, and Namjoon is already running. Because the Android guards all collapse in a heap on the ground at Namjoon’s wake.

He leaps over the balcony ledge, dropping down heavily but nimbly onto his feet some 10 feet below.

‘PA! OVER HERE!’ a loud voice yells. And it’s only then that Namjoon realizes that a strange silence has fallen over arena- a weird stillness. And to Namjoon’s increasing bewilderment, he catches sight of a few Beings from the stands, eyes wide and expressions full of reverence. As though they were looking upon some godly sight, filling them all with awe.

Taeh’yung appears from beyond the strange light, that upon closer inspection, looks almost solid.

‘Pa!’ he waves his long arms in greeting but he’s tackled down by a blurred object.

‘Taeh’yung-!?’

There’s a flash of green and Yoongi’s fragile looking opponent goes flying into the air, head strangely limp as she falls down with a thud.

‘Pa!’

Taeh’yung reappears, entirely unfazed. Namjoon decides not to ask questions, casting another glance at the alarmingly limp body of the contestant on the ground. Namjoon has seen his fair share of dead bodies to recognize them, no matter the species. Taeh’yung pulls him in towards the light and it feels strangely corporeal, as though passing through a strange membrane of sorts.

‘Is everyone all right-‘ Namjoon begins to ask but he’s stunned into silence when he comes upon a strange sight.

Standing, as though waiting for him and Taeh’yung, is the Being from the OrTank. He has tears down his face, expression pained and filled with worry, and in his arms is an incredibly bloodied and beaten Yoongi.

He’s speaking rapidly in a language Namjoon doesn’t understand or identify to Taeh’yung who responds back, his tone placating.

‘Yoongi-‘ Namjoon tries to say but Taeh’yung is already speaking over him.

‘Pa! Go to the Bridge! Jimin and I will take care of Yoongi! Let’s go get Hobi and get out of here!’ Taeh’yung quite literally pushes him away, hurrying “Jimin” towards the direction of the Medical Bays.

‘Uh-‘

‘Namjoon! Up here! Now!’

Namjoon gives up on trying to understand and just listens to the Zhak’gri, casting one more look towards Yoongi’s direction. The Human is unconscious and barely breathing. Ignoring the bitter guilt that burns up his throat, Namjoon runs up towards the Bridge.

*

Hoseok is so entirely done and exasperated.

It wasn’t as though the line had died. There was a difference when the line through the Comm-Device died. There was the tell-tale click sound

No one was replying to him, no one was explaining anything, he’s literally stranded on a Dock, teeming with GLA officers and agents from both the Venture Unit and GIU. He’s shifted to blend in with the Pompen once again, easily following through with their confusion. Because that’s what Hoseok is.

Confused.

Very confused.

He’d been watching Yoongi’s match, stomach burning as he watched the Human get flung across the arena grounds. His hands shook as Yoongi wouldn’t stay down, wouldn’t stop. But with the arrival of the GLA, Hoseok hadn’t been able to keep track. But now here was the Užkulisai, quite simply entering the Pageant arena.

And then landing.

And then a bright light erupts.

The camera angles of the events sort of just freezes and no matter how many times Hoseok changes the channel or adjusts the frequency, nothing happens.

And then less than a minute later, the light is suddenly gone from one of the camera feeds, the arena is in chaos, and the Užkulisai missing.  

‘-oseok? Can you hear me?’

Hoseok has placed himself in the Hangar containing Van Seulgaan’s ship, watching alongside other confused Pompen maintenance workers, as GLA officers purge the ship in a matter of seconds. They were terrifyingly thorough and quick to apprehend all of the Beings inside of the ship. They’re being shooed off towards the main atrium and Hoseok easily follows. He doesn’t bother hiding his screen or the content of what he was watching- every other Pompen made to work during the Pageants had a screen on them, watching the event take place. They’re ignored for the vast majority of the time the GLA officers have been in the Dock and Hoseok is all too eager being ignored.

‘Yes I can ing hear you- what in Spaces happened?’ Hoseok demands in a fierce and low whisper as they make their way into the large Atrium.

The Atrium, like all other atriums in every other GLA-standard Dock, was a massive space within the Docks, creating hollows within the massive floating structure where entrances and bridges opened out and connected to each other. GLA Offices were located here. As well as medical bays, shops, eateries, hotels, even entire spas and luxury facilities such as salons, museums, garden spaces, and several restaurant chains. Each Dock had 4 Atriums, spanning the entire length of a Dock on four symmetrical sides. So the side of the Atrium facing out into space was nothing more than a massive window the travelled up and down the length of the Atrium.

‘I need you to switch back on all of the communication signal lines in and off-planet.’ Namjoon orders, sounding tense.

‘I can’t!’ Hoseok replies and before he can even begin to ask what was going on, Namjoon cuts over and says, ‘I transferred the main malware to the screen with you- you can control it now.’

So that was why Namjoon was unaffected by the fact that Van Seulgaan had destroyed his screen. The extent of Namjoon’s skills was a little overwhelming, but at this moment it’s entirely welcome. He switches tabs on the screen, looking for anything that might indicate he had the sole control over an entire planet’s communication channel signals.

‘Switch it all back on!’ Namjoon orders. ‘Access the tab to the left-‘

Just as Namjoon says the words, Hoseok comes across a rather plain and obvious tab that reads COMMUNICATIONS GRID SYSTEMS and a very simple ON and OFF beneath it.

‘I got it!’ Hoseok taps on the ON and then asks, ‘What’s this for? Why? Aren’t we stopping their signals from reaching out-?’

‘We’re coming to get you- we needed a camouflage.’ Sk’jin explains, soundly strangely relaxed. Hoseok has simply stopped asking questions ever since Sk’jin’s statement of ‘he’s awake’.

There’s a wave of gasping sounds and shouts that fill the Atrium. This Atrium faced Pompa, and Hoseok understands why everyone was freaking out.

A sudden onslaught of multitudes of ships and Transporters, previously unable to leave all lift off.

Hoseok had of course kept track of all the ships that had left the planet, but were stuck in the stratosphere, unable to leave due to lack of signals coming in from the planet and from the Dock. There were some thousands in numbers but it seems to have increased, what with panic and the sudden appearance of the GLA.

It seemed to be a universal thing: that everyone loses their collective minds the moment an form of authority figure steps in.

‘Hoseok, can you please make your way to Hangar Bay 83-00FD?’ Namjoon asks.

‘Yeah I’ll be there in a few minutes-‘

A small Transporter lands and as the doors open, the entirety of the special-jury steps out.

K’mara leads the group forwards, followed closely by Van Seulgaan, Lmiura, Xmi, Shn’ow, and last of all, Amme. But the Atrium is in too much chaos, dealing with the sudden barrage of ships and transporters coming from Pompa. And not to mention the entire GLA fleet suddenly hovering around.

‘They’re here. They’re all here,’ Hoseok reports at once, keeping a steady eye on all of them as he makes his way towards one of the exits that would take him to Section 83. He was in Section 21, so he would have to make his way to the next Atrium and then downwards.

‘All of them? Even Amme?’ Namjoon asks, sounding shocked.

Hoseok eyes the Yisheng carefully as he replies, ‘All of them. In the same ship.’

‘Well, that worked as planned.’

It’s the only thing that has worked out from the plan, Hoseok wants to say but he bites his tongue. He spots the exit and before making his way into it, glances back one more time.

A shudder runs down his back when he finds Yisheng Amme staring straight at him, her eyes unwavering. And even from this distance, Hoseok knows, that she knew.

‘.’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Amme just saw me.’

‘.’ Namjoon agrees. ‘Move. Quickly. We’ll be there in a minute.’

Hoseok hurries, purposefully weaving through crowded areas, ducking under taller Pompens and other Beings alike. His heart is pounding, the back of his neck prickled. He can’t wave off the feeling of Amme’s dark eyes following after him and he fights the urge to look back. It’s only when he reaches the elevator that he allows himself to look back into the Atrium.

And to his intense disquiet, he spots Amme, standing tall beyond the crowd, closer than he ever anticipated, watching him.

The elevator doors close and Hoseok nearly slumps against the walls from relief.

‘She definitely saw me.’ Hoseok says, more to himself than Namjoon.

’30 seconds.’

Hoseok spots the Užkulisai, already docked but ready to leave. And he hurries, disregarding any subtlety or discretion. The panicked gut instinct that he was being followed never letting up even this far from that Atrium. He doesn’t look back- not trusting himself and what he might see. 

The ramp is already lowered though only halfway, the door is open and Hoseok can see the antechamber lit up. He picks up his speed and grits out, ‘Get ready- I’m almost there.’

‘We’re ready to move out.’ Namjoon replies back, just as tense.

Hoseok doesn’t realize he was holding his breath until he gasps his exhales, slumped against the back wall of the antechamber inside the Užkulisai.

‘Go!’ Hoseok gasps out but it’s not needed because the door has already closed and the ship is humming.

‘Strap yourselves- we’re going into warp in 10 seconds!’ Sk’jin announces.

Hoseok scrambles, exiting the antechamber and launching himself towards the Lobby. He runs past the Medical Bay and if it weren’t for the imminent warp-mode they were about to enter, he would stop to stare.

Yoongi is unconscious on one of the Medical Beds, a bunch of tubes attached to his arms. The capsule like casing has been lowered over him and clinging to that is an extremely familiar Being.

He glances up from Yoongi’s unconscious form, looking straight at Hoseok.

Chills run down Hoseok’s back as he quickly sits down, the security straps wrapping around him in an instant.

His eyes remind Hoseok of another time he had seen a solar eclipse. Just as the familiar pull of warp-mode tugs at the lining of his stomach, a voice comes to Hoseok’s mind unbidden.

‘I’ll be fine dad- it won’t be any different than what you or mum did.’

His father had pulled a funny face.

‘That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.’

*

It’s pleasantly quiet.

The sun is shining above him and it’s windy. He has a feeling that he’s quite high up, but he’s not sure where he is. That bit of information is a bit foggy. He remembers the taste of something bitter, something that coils around his tongue, spreads down his throat, and somehow to the rest of his body. It’s a tepid bitter sensation that Yoongi finds he doesn’t really like, but has somehow grown accustomed to it, feeling strange in its absence.

Small flecks of red flicker at the end of a small white smoking object between his fingers. Lifting his head he looks over at a magnificent view of the skies- clouds looming above, below, all around him. He blows out smoke, as white as the clouds.

He exhales wrong, coughing harshly, and excruciating pain throbs across his ribs.

‘-ongi!’

Startled, he makes to turn but he slips and falls, strangely enough, into the sky.

He wakes up coughing, pain that is somehow numb but very present and very very real, spreads over him. Pain isn’t really much of an issue for Yoongi. He doesn’t fear pain, doesn’t fear the aches and bruises and cuts.

His vision is blurred and everything is too bright. But he instantly recognizes the forms and outlines of his surroundings.

He was in the Užkulisai Medical Bay.

Flashing memories of his fight appear before his eyes, startlingly clear and stark before the blurred background of the Medical Bay. He’s still coughing. His chest feels like it’s shattered and compressed, sharp bits of his own bones piercing him continuously. The Tl’mei flails against an invisible shield- formless but bright.

Had that been a dream? Was he reliving a dream? Then that meant he would appear-

Yoongi tries to turn to face the light, anticipating his reappearance. There’s that light again, and just like he predicted, just like he dreamt, he appears again.

The Tl’mei blurs out instead- and so does the arena. His face comes into focus and slowly, so does the Medical Bay.

His chest doesn’t feel shattered anymore- rather he feels incredibly heavy. As though a great hook had latched onto his ribs, pulling him down. He can’t feel his limbs, but that part doesn’t bother Yoongi. It’s something he’s gone through before.

He was healing right now. And he knew he was safe.

He can detect a smile, a voice speaking to him, but his hearing isn’t all too great at this moment, so Yoongi doesn’t understand him. There’s a hand that appears, clearer than the face because of its proximity. Yoongi feels the hand carefully thread through his hair. It hurts. But at the same time, it feels all right. He closes his eyes, unable to open them longer. But he tries to open them again and the face reappears. The lights behind him are a little different. The face gets clearer and clearer and this time, so does the eclipse.

‘It would be just like this.’

When Yoongi finally wakes up properly, he’s able to sit up just a little, causing little alarms and sounds to go off around him. This is instantly followed by the sound of footsteps and a loud cry from Taeh’yung: ‘He’s awake!’.

The Zhak’gri bursts in, wide grin set on his face, hair a mess, and for reasons unknown, a ladle in his hand. His appearance is pushed aside, quite literally, by Sk’jin who storms inside the Medical Bay.

The Khol’isa’s skin is glowing, his eyes bright, and he smelled like something Yoongi can’t quite name, but associates with somewhere hot and dry.

‘Yoongi-‘

‘Where are we?’ Yoongi manages a croak, his mind finally coming up with the correct scent. ‘You smell like dust.’

Sk’jin blinks and then he rolls his eyes as he says, ‘You nearly ing died. Put away that GI agent intuition- we’re in Ch’dra.’

‘Namjoon?’ Yoongi is pushed back with a surprisingly gentle hand as Sk’jin looks over his health tab, studying his readings while adjusting some form of drip.

‘Upstairs- and confused. Probably making his way down.’ He replies carelessly.

‘Hoseok?’

‘Outside, also confused. Probably headed back in.’ Sk’jin mutters. If Yoongi isn’t mistaken, Sk’jin looks irritated. And not at Yoongi. But at something else.

‘I’m here!’ Taeh’yung beams, his head popping from behind Sk’jin.

‘How long?’

‘Two days,’ Sk’jin finally looks away from the screen mounted on the wall next to his Medical Bed. ‘Your regenerative levels are insane.’

Yoongi pauses, wondering how he should reply to that. Taeh’yung walks over to sit on his Medical Bed, a feat considering it’s designed for one general sized Being and Taeh’yung is quite tall. He carefully puts his arms around Yoongi, holding him in a gentle hug. He presses his cheek against Yoongi’s, and the Human can quite literally feel his smile against his cheek.

‘Thank you.’

For a moment, Sk’jin’s irritation abates, and he looks at Yoongi with what the Human can only properly term as fond. But then Namjoon appears and Sk’jin’s irritated expression comes back.

‘Yoongi- hey,’ Namjoon says somewhat lamely.

‘Hi.’ Yoongi replies, hoping the response suffices. He feels Taeh’yung smile even wider.

‘Uh- how are you feeling-‘

‘Wow, I really wonder how he’s feeling,’ Sk’jin spits out. ‘You know, from nearly DYING!’

Namjoon closes his eyes tight, clearly trying to conjure up some patience.

‘I don’t know,’ Yoongi replies before he asks, ‘What is the situation of our mission?’

Sk’jin throws Namjoon a glare which Namjoon returns with a frustrated grimace. But before this exchange of tense facial expressions can continue, Yoongi hears a door banging open and Hoseok’s voice filling the area. Taeh’yung pulls away from Yoongi, obvious excitement in his body language.

‘-wait! Please be careful-!’ is all Hoseok manages to say when he appears in the doorway, out of breath, hair disheveled, eyes wide.

Yoongi’s mind is reeling.

He feels his jaw drop. He’s blinking rapidly, somehow unable to look directly at this Being’s face.

He was awake, and he was standing in front of him. In fact, he’s walking towards Yoongi, a smile breaking out on his face, hands lifted before him.

‘Yoongi!’

Yoongi is vaguely aware of Taeh’yung squealing while Hoseok appears at the doorway, also looking breathless as though he suddenly had to run. Everyone is speaking but Yoongi doesn’t really hear them. Not when his solid warmth wraps around him, triggering memories from the arena.

He was real.

*

(Author’s Notes)

The only ship mentioned in this fic and it’s finally here. after 18 chapters. And they don’t speak the same language.

I hate myself.

The language Jimin speaks is a language I speak and it’s a legit language lol. My mum’s from a small state in India called Mizoram and the language there is kinda…unusual and unique with over 8 tones in the dialect. It’s called Mizo but don’t take my word for it when I say the spelling and meaning is accurate, I’ve purposefully changed some of the spelling and the words used because I prefer some words over another because I think it looks better.

And yeah, this update is a little…short- well short for this fic’s recent standard, because it’s gonna be weekly for a while ehe. So yeah…*scratches back of neck* I hope you enjoy.

Taeh’yung POV might be a bit difficult to understand so I’ll just clarify some parts here. When writing Taeh’yung’s sole perspective, I use they/them/their as his pronouns. However when Taeh’yung is referring to one of the other 4, the pronouns he/she will be used. The very small writing is the “voices in his head”. They’re meant to be hard to read because Taeh’yung can’t hear them all too well either. Because Taeh’yung’s character is a complex one- he’s a lot of different Beings in one so when it’s his POV, all of him, speak at the same time, unless an individual voice comes out. It’s one of the reasons why he’s sort of so chaotic with his behavior and persona.