Yoongi is pleased that at least, not everyone could directly see him.

But he had to be purposeful. Had to really caution and move himself in a specific way.

The room is nice- not too different from what Ilya had set up for them, clearly expecting them to stay aboard. And Yoongi wouldn’t mind but they, he,- all of them really, had things to do and complete. There’s just one major difference- there was no bedding set up.

He’s lucky Jn’young doesn’t shoot him immediately the moment he spots him sitting on his couch, inside his locked room, walking out half- and still damp from a shower.

‘For ’s-‘ he curses, before stopping still and inhaling deeply, closing his eyes.

‘Sorry to intrude,’ Yoongi greets the Khol’isa, not at all apologetic.

‘Get out of my room,’ Jn’young snaps, ‘I have nothing to say to you or to that Verktaë- how he’s managed to veil Ilya’s eyes I-‘

‘I’m not here to represent Jimin or talk on his behalf,’ Yoongi cuts across, unmoving. ‘I’m here because I would like to know more about Axudar, your experience, and why Ilya is adamant we do not step foot in Axudar.’

‘By all means, return the Verktaë to where he comes from, not my problem,’ Jn’young spits out, still unmoving from where he stood. ‘Besides, what’s in all of this for you? Why are you even here?’

Yoongi stands up, noting how Jn’young’s posture changes slightly. Following his body angle, Jn’young was probably aiming for the hidden TeorSer behind the clothing cabinet to the side as it was the closest. Well, good luck to him because Yoongi already removed every single hidden weapon in the room.

He turns, and lifting his shirt, literally exposes his back to Jn’young.

‘This explains nothing and gives me absolutely no explanation even more now as to why you would be with the Verktaë,’ Jn’young spits out though his expression is a little troubled. Yoongi shrugs, pulling down his clothes to cover himself again. But Jn’young’s staring at him, eyes studying his exposed skin for a while.

‘You’re one of the GI,’ Jn’young remarks.

‘I am,’ Yoongi nods.

‘You’re incredibly aware.’

‘I am still me, I am GI, and I am still Yoongi, of Earth, despite dying in Bhumi over a millennia ago,’ Yoongi replies, sitting back down again.

‘…you’re one of the Regurgitated?’ Jn’young questions.

Vividly, a memory from Earth flashes through his mind. Taking a quiet moment near the rafters, and a few stray cats walking about.

‘I don’t know what you mean by that,’ Yoongi replies honestly before adding, ‘Ilya told us a shortened summary of what happened to you. I would like to know more details from you.’

‘I have nothing to tell you,’ Jn’young states bluntly. ‘Go ask that Verktaë- he’ll know everything.’

‘Jimin is innocent in this.’

‘I don’t care what you think- he’s veiled your eyes, the same way they veil everyone’s eyes,’ Jn’young walks about his dresser, picking up a few random bottles. ‘He’s veiled Ilya’s eyes- how I don’t know-‘

‘Jimin has done nothing,’ Yoongi repeats again, ‘We are trying to understand what happened, why it happened-‘

‘Listen,’ Jn’young snaps, not looking up from the slender bottle he held in his hands, ‘I don’t care for lies and deceit-‘

‘I’m not lying- and neither is Jimin,’ Yoongi states again, ‘If you would like to check and see, I am sure that the Khol’isa have ways of making sure that they are not being lied to.’

Jn’young looks up at this, expressions shrewd, eyes gleaming neon red for a second. Yoongi does his best not to look away on instinct.

‘I just want answers,’ Yoongi tells the Khol’isa. ‘I want to understand.’

Jn’young doesn’t say anything, still staring straight at Yoongi in that uncomfortably sharp way. Yoongi doesn’t add anything else, doesn’t even move. After a very long minute, Jn’young looks away. He pats stuff over his skin, fingers carefully brushing through his hair, around his horns, shaking the back for excess water.

He stands a few minutes later, removing his outer-robe and coming to sit in front of Yoongi.

Honestly the staring game is getting a little boring but Yoongi will do what needs to be done. Jn’young gives him an amused smile- one that, objectively thinking, Yoongi knows is attractive. He’s been living with a Khol’isa for a while now and he understands the way they move, the way they react.

‘…you’re not uncomfortable?’ Jn’young asks.

‘…should I be?’ Yoongi replies back.

‘…ness normally makes Beings uncomfortable.’

‘…I don’t know why your ness should make me uncomfortable?’

‘…I suppose so.’

‘…’

A few minutes later, Jn’young is dressed up in flowy trousers and a neat robe to wrap around his torso, flowing out just a little below his hipline to create an elongated silhouette.

‘Please follow me,’ Jn’young gestures elegantly to Yoongi before leading them out of the small room into a doorway Yoongi honestly had no idea existed. Jn’young looks back just a little, a coy smile on his face.

‘For some privacy.’

Definitely hereditary.

It’s clearly his sleeping chamber- it wasn’t very personalized so Yoongi guesses it was set up for him by someone else. He spots a few crates stacked up to the side, clearly filled with the Khol’isa’s belongings. Next to the comfortable bed is a lounging chair that Jn’young immediately occupies, leaning back to make himself comfortable. There’s a footstool of sorts near the low tea-table before it. The door closes behind him and the lights dim.

Jn’young’s eyes are hypnotically glowing in the dim light setting.

‘Well,’ Jn’young gestures in a manner that’s so reminiscent of Sk’jin and K’mara, Yoongi nearly rolls his eyes. ‘I am always down for some quality story time, tell me why you’re here. Or better, tell me what the Verktaë told you to make you stay.’

Yoongi grimaces at the Khol’isa, unable to help himself as he takes a seat. It’s not comfortable.

‘I could show you instead,’ is Yoongi’s reply.

Jn’young squints at him.

Yoongi immediately looks away. Instinct flares in him.

‘If you want me to trust you- you’re going to have to trust me.’ Jn’young says curtly.

‘You may have not met any other Khol’isa before but I’ve met more than is necessary, I’ll be honest,’ Yoongi says as he meets Jn’young’s burning eyes again, with more determination.

‘K’mara yes? I’ve heard a lot about her,’ Jn’young looks amused, leaning in a little closer, studying Yoongi in detail.

Yoongi shrugs, allowing himself to relax.

‘How do you intend on showing me?’ Jn’young tilts his head a little. Again, objectively, Yoongi can see how this could be seductive. It’s a little amusing to witness. Again.

Yoongi reaches into his pocket, his movements slow, so as to not alarm the Khol’isa.

Yoongi knows Jimin would not want this. It’s the reason why he removed his Comm Device, why he asked Taeh’yung to cover for him. The Zhak’gri hadn’t exactly given him a response, but it felt right to alert him first.

Yoongi takes out a small bell, still attached to a strip of fine fabric, the edges just a little frayed from when he yanked it out of Sk’jin’s sleeve.

Placing it down on the low table, he says, ‘If this is what it takes for you to believe me.’

Jn’young stares at the bell, eyes shrewd and calculating.

Yoongi’s knees hurt a little from sitting at this awkward height for too long. Damn, Khol’isa’s and their ability to make you uncomfortable even in the most petty of things was definitely a trait that was imbedded in their genetics.

Jn’young gets up. Walking to the end of his room where a sort of dresser was set up. Jn’young studies his face for a moment in the mirror.

‘Do you like tea, Yoongi?’ Jn’young asks his reflection.

Yoongi nearly rolls his eyes again.

One of the influences, major influences, he’s had regarding his interest (some would say morbid obsession) with tea was because of how he saw K’mara use it.

It’s not surprising that Jn’young, a Khol’isa, would employ the exact same tactics despite having never met his own species before.

‘I love tea,’ Yoongi replies, knowing full well how monotonous he sounded.

Jn’young snorts. It’s elegant when he does it, the same way Sk’jin was elegant despite how crass he could get. Jn’young’s back is turned to him as tiny tinkling sounds echo about the room.

He’s not sure how long he can stay here without alarming the others- mainly Jimin. He’s banking on Jimin’s distraction to buy himself time to do this.  

Jn’young returns with an elegant platter, a teapot with 2 teacups in it. Yoongi would like to pause and admire the cups but he can’t afford to lose time.

If this goes according to his plan- he would only have 5 minutes at most before Jimin could sense something was wrong.

Jn’young smiles charmingly at him, placing a cup in front of him.

‘I hope it’s to your taste.’

Yoongi looks at the teacup, reminded once again of K’mara and her office at the Mothership. He also realizes how the lights have dimmed even more, the haze of the room thickening without his realization.

Jn’young’s eyes gleam at him in this purplish haze. Looking down at the cup, Yoongi sees the reflection of a reddened moon.

‘Aren’t you going to show me?’

Jn’young’s cup is to his lips, only his eyes revealed.

Yoongi takes the cup and gulps down the entire tea in one go.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Sk’jin knows that the others don’t trust him.

And he’s fine with it.

He wasn’t expecting Ilya’s crew to accept him.

It’s funny how Sk’jin finds himself with this situation- was this what it felt like to be an intern?

It’s, funnily enough, a refreshing change in pace.

Not when this information regarding Jimin and his apparent connection to Axudar and what was happening/happened there. Ilya keeps giving him sheepishly apologetic looks and Sk’jin wants to say that he doesn’t need to feel responsible.

At least unlike his own intern’s experiences, Sk’jin had one Being who believed and trusted him.

‘Tell me about Māho,’ Sk’jin says instead, as he and Ilya find themselves back at the Bridge.

There’s a reversal in how things were now, Sk’jin notes with some fondness. Instead it was now Sk’jin who was trailing after Ilya, asking questions at the speed of light. And it was instead Ilya telling Sk’jin his stories from the past, recalling comedic but just dangerous enough to be exciting situations with a glint in his eye.

‘Other than the fact that Evdos has been very embarrassed and is incredibly angry?’ Ilya wheezes while Camil struggles to maintain a straight face.

‘Māho is the closest Dock to Axudar that’s also completely free of its hold,’ Ilya tells him, crossing his legs up on the chair. Sk’jin does the same too. ‘Every other Dock within Axudar’s general parameter is a part of their network.’

‘I heard that Axudar has a sort of center for taking in political refugees- I think in Māhanga?’ Sk’jin inquires, remembering Namjoon’s words.

Ilya grimaces, giving Sk’jin a knowing look.

‘It’s a cover,’ Ilya states simply, ‘Māhanga is actually where Jn’young escaped from. And Māho is where he managed to escape to.’

‘So your hold over Māho is because of Jn’young?’

‘More or less- he was living in the depths of Māho for a couple of sols, reevaluating, studying, observing- he explained how useful it would be to have Māho on our side.’

‘How did you do it?’

‘The Deputy Fanger,’ Ilya grins, ‘She’s been leading Māho for nearly over a century. She refuses to listen to Axudar- and she’s under no obligation to do so either actually. She can’t be bought, bribed, blackmailed.’

‘Then what did you do?’ Sk’jin asks, intrigued.

‘Nothing,’ Ilya says honestly, ‘I don’t think there’s much negotiation or persuasion needed when you can see, all too clearly, what Axudar is doing.’

‘She’s been there before?’

‘She’s picked up enough Beings like Jn’young to put two and two together.’

‘There’s more like him- more like Jungkook,’ Sk’jin breathes out. It’s not surprising really- Sk’jin’s already reached that conclusion a long while ago- but the fact that this seemed strangely common now is enough to make him worried. The fact that Ilya was so aware of it all, that the whole crew inside the ship would be so familiar with it –

‘What does that word mean- the one Jn’young used to call Jimin,’ Sk’jin asks before repeating it carefully, ‘Verktaë.’ 

Ilya sighs quietly, ‘It’s a term from Axudar- it means hidden sight or sullied eyes.’

Never look directly at an eclipse.

‘I’m guessing Jimin’s not the only one with eyes like that then?’ Sk’jin says carefully.

Ilya seems to be pondering for a while, a furrow between his thick eyebrows.

‘I wish you would just believe me- just trust me,’ Ilya says quietly. ‘We can take you to Bhumi. I don’t think you have to enter Axudar to understand.’

‘It’d be great if Jn’young could tell us everything so that we can make that decision,’ Sk’jin replies with a shrug before reaching over to take Ilya’s gnarled hands in his own, ‘Like I said, it’s not my decision to make.’

‘If it were?’

‘If it were,’ Sk’jin winks with a smirk, ‘I think it’s safe to say Nambike would be so done with me.’

Ilya laughs, suddenly looking child-like, and Sk’jin is so so fond.

Ilya is still smiling, looking down at their hands, before he says, ‘Jimin is different- his eyes…they’re not like the ones Jn’young calls Verktaë.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Jimin called himself the Fate of his people,’ Ilya says, ‘Of his System.’

‘I honestly don’t know how that works, but yeah, he says he’s the Fate, and that his sister was the Heart. Something about this being the way it always is in his System.’ Sk’jin tells him.

‘A lot of times- most times- most Beings fight fate,’ Ilya says thoughtfully, ‘They fight fate, they make their own destiny- things like that.’

Sk’jin frowns a little, getting an inkling of what Ilya was saying.

‘Is what we consider order, or peace, or unity, the same if the decisions taken are made by fate?’ Ilya asks carefully. ‘Even if this order, this peace is something that has been known for a long time- that has been followed for the length of life itself- all minds evolve, all hearts evolve- what if they wish to control their own fate?’

‘Can’t you tell me?’ Sk’jin asks breathlessly, ‘Tell me what happened.’

Ilya exhales carefully, opening his mouth to speak when his Comm Device sparks up with lights. The same is echoed for Camil, and everyone else aboard the Bridge.

Sk’jin senses, more than anything else, a strange ripple in the air.

‘What is it-?’ he’s asking when Jimin bursts inside the Bridge, eyes bright and filled with fear.

Alarmed, Sk’jin stands up and makes his way towards Jimin but he was clearly not here for him.

‘Where is he?’ Jimin demands.

‘What-?’

Jimin is addressing Ilya who also looks equally confused. Sk’jin notices how Camil is casually standing, ready to intervene. He senses again, rather than sees, the way every single TeorSer in the room was now aimed not only at Jimin, but also at himself.

Sk’jin is not offended in the least.

‘I can’t- I can’t find him-‘Jimin exhales out, ‘I can’t find him where is he?!’

‘Jimin who-‘Sk’jin tries.

‘Yoongi!’ Jimin says forcefully. ‘I can’t find him! He’s here! But I cannot see him!’

Hoseok and Jungkook appear at the doorway, expressions wary, posture strained.

‘We can search for him-‘ Ilya begins, his voice calm, gesturing subtly to the others to stand down. But Jimin is not appeased in the slightest.

He takes a step forward and immediately Sk’jin knows something is wrong.

The light around him is soft. His hair moves as though a gentle breeze were combing through his strands- a breeze of starlight, and sunlight. His movements almost seem slow- but they’re weighty.

‘Where is he?’ he asks, his voice soft but at the same time echoes throughout the shockingly dark Bridge. To Sk’jin’s horror, everyone in the Bridge seemed to be in a state of awe- as though struck by some godly sight.

Taeh’yung appears out of nowhere, enveloping Jimin in what appeared to be a gentle embrace but the ripple of power that rockets out of them is clear enough to show how this was no gentle embrace.

‘Shh,’ Taeh’yung murmurs softly. ‘He’s doing what he thinks is best.’

Jimin’s light dims and he’s suddenly pushing Taeh’yung off.

Next to him, Ilya falls to his knees, breathing harshly.

‘Ilya-!’

‘I’m fine-!’ he gasps, already struggling to stand up.

‘Where is he?!’ Jimin rounds up at Taeh’yung.

‘He’s gone to talk to Jn’young,’ Taeh’yung is holding him in place, ‘Give him time-‘

‘He doesn’t have time!’ Jimin pushes Taeh’yung but the Zhak’gri doesn’t budge.

Jimin glares up at Taeh’yung.

Sweat trickles down Sk’jin’s back. He sees how Hoseok pushes Jungkook behind him.

A hand pulls him and Sk’jin realizes how Ilya is pulling him back.

‘Move,’ Jimin says in a quiet voice.

‘Give him time,’ Taeh’yung repeats, ‘He knows what he’s doing.’

Jimin exhales shakily, ‘Move.’

Taeh’yung shakes his head.

Sk’jin doesn’t know what to expect. But he’s not expecting Jimin to punch Taeh’yung across the face.

Taeh’yung falls heavily, a comically offended expression on his face as he hits the ground. There are confused exclamations everywhere, the sounds of TeorSers charging up, and questions rising up. But Jimin is already exiting the Bridge.

‘- -!’

Sk’jin darts out after Jimin, already being tailed by Jungkook.

‘What’s wrong-?’ Hoseok asks at once.

‘Jimin can’t find Yoongi and I think that idiot Human has gone and done something that’s going to get himself killed-‘Sk’jin hisses.

‘He’s stretching himself too thin-‘Ilya is panting behind them.

‘You- you know what-?’ Hoseok stutters out.

‘I know what you’re talking about,’ Ilya confirms, ‘I’ve seen it before, heard of it-‘

‘But- oh !’ Hoseok curses, stopping, ‘Where is Jn’young’s room?’

‘Follow me,’ Ilya says tiredly.

‘What was he thinking-‘Hoseok hisses, clearly upset as they jog after Jimin and Jungkook.

‘He wants answers,’ Sk’jin sighs, already able to interpret Yoongi’s actions and choices, ‘He knew that he was the only way Jn’young would listen-‘

‘I would have talked to him,’ Ilya argues, ‘-I would have been able to get him to talk.’

‘I think Yoongi didn’t want to wait,’ Sk’jin says quietly, eyeing Jimin’s slight form ahead of them. ‘Besides- you know Jn’young- do you really think he would want to speak to Jimin at all?’

Ilya doesn’t say anything, a grimace on his face.

‘But this is risky-‘ Hoseok argues, genuine concern in his yellow eyes.

‘It’s an extremely sure way of getting Jn’young to listen and talk,’ Sk’jin states bluntly. ‘It’s what I would’ve done.’

Ilya gives him a worried and pained look.

‘Jiminie!’

Taeh’yung blurs past them, an echo of green in his wake.

‘He can’t do this again!’ Jimin yells, ‘You know this and yet-!’

‘He knows this too!’ Taeh’yung stops Jimin, his expression reprimanding as he towers over Jimin. Sk’jin hears Ilya gasp, grabbing Sk’jin’s arm in a painful way, stopping him from jogging forward.

‘What-?’

‘Where are you finding these Beings?’ Ilya asks, his eyes wide, pupils narrow as genuine fear seems to strike him. In a way Sk’jin has been desensitized to Taeh’yung and his chaotic and terrifying ways.

‘He’s fine,’ Sk’jin says as reassuringly as he can. ‘He won’t do anything.’

It’s not exactly a promise Sk’jin can definitely make or keep, but it would have to do for now.

‘Jimin,’ Ilya calls. ‘I’ll take you to Jn’young’s quarters.’

Jimin looks away from where he’s staring down Taeh’yung. The Zhak’gri has a downtrodden expression, small pout forming on his lips, arms swinging despondently. Jimin ignores him and walks back towards Ilya.

‘Follow me,’ Ilya says, gesturing towards the right, ‘I’ll take you up.’

Hoseok and Jungkook follow after the two. But Sk’jin waits, holding his hand out for Taeh’yung to follow.

‘Did Yoongi ask you to cover him?’ Sk’jin asks.

The Zhak’gri nods, put out as he takes Sk’jin’s hand.

‘Why did you agree?’

At that Taeh’yung expression shifts just a little, eyes gleaming with a strange light.

‘I want to see it too.’

The wait in the lift is painful. Jimin’s eyes are glazed, staring at a point in the air before him. Jungkook is extremely stressed, holding Hoseok’s hand in a painful grip while the Ngfy’widan keeps giving Sk’jin questioning looks. Ilya, and Camil who had in the last second, shoved himself inside, are both staying quiet. Camil is openly carrying a TeorSer but no one really seems to be paying any mind.

When the doors open, Sk’jin doesn’t need to know which doorway they were headed to.

There’s a sickeningly familiar red gleam that seeps through the spaces of the slightly open doorway down the hallway.

Jimin is already sprinting. Sk’jin makes to follow but, again, for the nth time today, he’s held back. To his surprise it’s Taeh’yung.

‘What?’

Taeh’yung isn’t looking at him, instead looking down the doorway.

‘Jinnie I don’t think you should go inside.’

‘What?’ Sk’jin feels slightly offended, he pulls his arm out of Taeh’yung’s hold. ‘Let’s go!’

Taeh’yung doesn’t say anything, doesn’t move or make to stop Sk’jin as he rushes into the now open doorway of what was clearly Jn’young’s personal and designated living quarters.

The reddish light is concentrated towards an adjoining room, the doorway of which is occupied by Hoseok, Camil, and Jungkook.

Inside the air is misty, and Jimin is holding an unconscious and startlingly pale and lifeless looking Yoongi in his arms but it’s difficult with Jn’young and Yoongi’s hands trapped together-

Ilya is trying to pull them apart.

‘Let go!’ Jimin yells, tugging Yoongi away with a strange rendering sound as their hands come apart. Almost immediately, the mist seems to fade away as the light slowly ebbs back to its natural cool tones.

Stepping inside, Sk’jin immediately feels strangely weighted- as though he were stepping into water.

‘Yoongi!’ Jimin is dragging Yoongi away towards the doorway, away from Jn’young who was panting as though he just ran a marathon. Sk’jin notes the empty teacups on the low tea table.

‘What did you do to him-!’ Jimin hisses, eyes burning bright as he directs his confusion and panic at the other Khol’isa. Sk’jin steps further inside despite feeling heavy, trying to help Jimin lift Yoongi by grabbing his feet.

To Sk’jin’s horror, Yoongi’s eyes are open- still focused on Jn’young, hand still reaching out for the Khol’isa.

‘Oh -!’ Sk’jin curses, ‘Get him out of here!’

‘Jn’young-!’ Ilya is trying to shake the younger Khol’isa off.

‘I- I don’t know-‘ Jn’young is stammering, clutching his head in pain, unable to look away from Yoongi, his other hand still raised up too as though he was unable to put it down.

‘Hey- hey, look away-‘ Sk’jin moves to block Jn’young’s line of sight from Yoongi- he knew what was happening and Jn’young wasn’t old enough- wasn’t trained, wasn’t born with the knowledge of what this meant- Sk’jin takes Jn’young’s hand and tries to push it down when-

Jn’young tears his gaze away and looks up at Sk’jin, eyes aflame- light from a lifetime past burning bright and-

With a delayed gasp, Sk’jin plunges straight into the Bloodmoon.

 

 

*

 

 

‘I promise you,- that I’ll make everything right again when I come back. I’ll even be the in’ hero if that’s what’s needed.’

 

 

Remember me.                      Remember me.

I’m afraid.

 

Remember us.                      come back                                                                                come back

 

                                         It’s dark and empty.

 

Please remember us.                                 come back

come back

Is there more than this?

 

                                                                                                                                                                  Don’t leave us.

 

                                                                  Do I … do I have a place there?

 

                                                                come back

 

Don’t leave us. Don’t leave us. Don’t leave us. Don’t leave us. Don’t leave us.

Don’t leave me.

        come back                                        

 

 

You came back.

 

‘No- no I’m not-‘

 

-it wasn’t as though they could stop, they just chose not to…

               

       …and I started laughing because how could anyone be so incredibly idiotic I mean what possibl-

 

       -as already starting to yawn, I feel guilty bringing her here, should I change the ven-

 

-is that- wait who are you? I’ve been seeing you in my dreams-

 

…is that…is that you? Are you…are you god? A … spirit? What are you-

 

‘You don’t know me.’

 

‘I do. And I will make you see it.’

 

‘See what?’

 

‘You.’

 

-ve to help me please I don’t know where I am what is going on I cannot live here this isn’t right please I just want to go home-

 

-will they even recognize me? do you recognize me? I have no home to go back to- no planet- she was destroyed she was bled and left to die I have to go back to her…

 

                                                               …come back so that I can tell you I don’t forgive you for being so brave.’

 

…do you hear that sound? Is that what music is supposed to be? I don’t remember anything? Am I alive?

‘No please I can’t-‘ Sk’jin can’t breath can’t see can’t speak-

He was back in here back again and he can’t- he has to leave he can’t be here again. He knows that if he looks closely, he will see forms and shapes- he will see their dreams, memories, and an emptiness that was simply waiting.

A soft song starts to play- the voice echoes from past the darkness that lay between stars, undiscovered and cold.

And now Sk’jin knows this song. He knows this melody now.

There’s shuffling footsteps- sounds of someone desperately trying to speak, desperately trying to connect- it’s more than just one- there’s more than just one, Sk’jin can sense it now-

‘You’re alive- you’re all alive,’ it’s his voice- Sk’jin remembers hearing it so clearly- remembers the words so clearly- ‘You’re all living, and you were born into this Continuum.’

The white starts to fade, and red seeps in instead.

‘No- no-‘ Sk’jin closes his eyes but there’s no way he can un-see the stain. He could do this- he could break out of this all he had to do was-

‘That’s so insulting- was real handsome ‘fore, y’know? I was a mothering prince aight?’

The red darkens but before him Sk’jin sees it. Sees himself.

Somehow strangely short, but in a way that suggested he was entirely folded inwards, the Being is floating, encased in crystal like ribbons that should have been beautiful but instead seemed stained and inlaid with an impossible amount of blood, biological fluids, and half-formed organs. The neon red eyes glare at him through the strange misshapen form-

‘Khol’isa.’

‘In the flesh- well, some of it.’

Sk’jin moves as best he can- he’d spent so long in here, he knew he had to get out- knew he couldn’t let the Bloodmoon stain this place through him and he reaches forward as further as he can, straight into his eyes-

‘Wait-‘ he tries to stop Sk’jin.

‘Spaces, what now?’ Sk’jin snaps.

‘What about them?’

‘What ‘bout them?’ Sk’jin retorts.

‘What- what about them?! They’re Beings! They’re alive! I can feel them- their thoughts and memories and-‘ Sk’jin wants to sigh but he’s also curious.

‘You could feel ‘em? What’chu mean?’ he had been alone in here for so long. Unable to speak, unable to flow into their memories as they did with one another. Because Sk’jin wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to die. But he didn’t, and so he lingered.

It had all been an accident.

‘Like- I can sense them- I see their,- I dunno, memory or something-‘

‘Ain’t my problem and frankly not yours either,’ but Sk’jin doesn’t have time to entertain this Human, he’s here to get him and that Long-Huon out.

‘There are tens and thousands of them in here! Maybe even millions! We can’t abandon them here-‘ The Human is horrified, terrified.

‘Ain’t our problem.’

So Sk’jin grabs him hard, making sure the Long-Huon is latched on as well and ignoring the Bloodmoon below him, reaches upwards.

‘Hey! I got them out! They’re here!’

Pushing through what felt like a cloudy haze of compressed red, Sk’jin breaks out of the condensed air and into an endless white space that is bitterly familiar.

‘And I’ll miss you too.’

‘-!’

Sk’jin hates it here. Hates it to his core. At least he was in an area where he could think on his own, and not possibly drown and lose himself. There’s a heavy weight on his head.

‘Spaces not again,’ Sk’jin curses, reaching up to rub at his temples when he’s met with something more than just hair. Something so achingly familiar, forcefully made foreign to him, and now just- just back.

His stuttered breaths echo around him, the white air around him moving in accordance.

‘What-?’

‘Hey! Help me!’

Spinning around quickly, Sk’jin finds himself staring across at Jn’young. The young Khol’isa is waist deep in the white mist, weighed down by something as he tries to lift himself up. Sk’jin, confused, rushes forward.

‘You should know how to get out-‘ Sk’jin begins but the younger Khol’isa has his own questions.

‘How are you here?’ Jn’young asks, eyes wide, confused and lost, staring at his horns.

‘Long story what’s wrong-‘ Sk’jin asks but once he’s close enough he sees it.

Jn’young is holding onto Yoongi. The Human’s face is horrifying blurred, only his hand clasped in Jn’young’s is clear.

‘ -‘

Sk’jin tugs, reaching down to grab onto Yoongi’s hand clasped in Jn’young’s unrelenting grasp. But it was nearly impossible. Yoongi’s head lolls back, his eyes disappearing into the mist, mouth slightly open.

‘He’s such an idiot oh Spaces why is he such an idiot-‘ Sk’jin complains, exhaustion seeping into him as he does his best to pull.

‘I didn’t- I didn’t know-‘ Jn’young pants, sounding wretched and as exhausted as Sk’jin felt. ‘I didn’t know he was-‘

‘It’s okay- or I mean, I’m saying it’s okay just-‘ Sk’jin gets out, kneeling and positioning himself properly, doing all he could to help Jn’young up. ‘Here, hook your arm around me and I’ll reach down-‘

Jn’young wraps an arm around his shoulder and reaching down, Sk’jin grabs Yoongi’s wrist.

It’s cold.

‘Okay I’m going to try and-‘

‘How did are you here?’

‘Uh- followed my memory from when I was last here?’ Sk’jin pants out, tugging as hard as he could. Yoongi’s hands are like ice.

‘You’re-?’

‘No- , I was never really here- nor there, it’s- it’s complicated, I’m not an egg, New Born- whatever-‘

There’s a ripple of light through the white space.

‘What was that-?’ Jn’young looks around nervously, ‘What was-‘

There’s a sense of anticipation- of excitement, of arrival.

Of being Found.

‘It’s probably someone coming to help us now that he’s straightened his head out-‘ Sk’jin says tersely, tensing as he exerts his whole strength. The light ripples again and there’s a sigh that rings throughout the mist.

Jimin sinks down towards them in a halo of light, illuminating the white space with warmth and dimension, as though the spaces around them finally found direction, as though they could finally stop waiting.

As though they could finally just rest.

Found. We are found.

He reaches past Jn’young and Sk’jin, levitating above them as though afloat in this white mist, and without much effort, pulls Yoongi out.

‘I’m sorry-‘ Jimin gasps out, holding Yoongi’s still unconscious and still blurred form close to himself. ‘I’m so sorry.’

Jn’young, still panting, very confused, glances around at Sk’jin. And Sk’jin, with complete grace and dexterity, reaches forward and smacks the young Khol’isa right between the horns.

‘Ouch-!’ Jn’young hisses, ducking away, maintaining distance.

‘What were you thinking,’ Sk’jin scolds at once, ‘This is not some simple mind manipulation or persuasion you should have known it wouldn’t be safe to do this-!’

‘I didn’t know,’ Jn’young retorts his expression genuinely disturbed, making his way to stand up before hesitantly approaching Jimin who was carrying Yoongi in his arms, crouched down as though to completely hide and cover the Human. ‘How is he here?’

‘Because I walked here once upon a Dream,’ Jimin replies in ways of explanation, carefully looking over Yoongi as though to check for injuries.

Sk’jin remembers Amme’s words, of how they had found Jimin in the center of that ship, all the eggs or as Ilya refers to them, New Borns, connected endlessly to him.

Jn’young looks at Sk’jin as though for an explanation and Sk’jin just shrugs. Honestly, he’s too old for this.

‘Why isn’t he awake?’ Jn’young asks, looking worried as he stares at Yoongi.

‘For someone who was determined to be unhelpful, you sure did take the initiative to do something incredibly dangerous,’ Sk’jin comments.

‘He came to me-‘ Jn’young begins, defensive and also panicked.

‘-he’s not supposed to do this anymore!’ Jimin says quietly from where he’s crouched. ‘You- he was nearly-‘

Sk’jin looks back to where Jimin had come through, and where Yoongi had nearly sunk into.

Remember me.

‘Hey come on,’ Sk’jin says as calmly as he can, approaching Jimin, his tone soothing, ‘You got to him. You got to him on time-‘

‘He doesn’t have time,’ Jimin says quietly, eyes never leaving Yoongi’s face. ‘He doesn’t have time anymore and I can’t- I can’t ask him.’

‘Ask him what?’ Sk’jin carefully places his hand over Jimin’s shoulder, squeezing gently.

‘I can’t ask him to stay,’ Jimin whispers.

He’s not crying, no tears in his eyes. But his sorrow is profound. The mist around him stirs with agitation, with helplessness, the melody of this eternity shifting to one of sorrow.

Jimin’s sorrow.

Jn’young doesn’t say anything, just watching the two with a sort of curious wonder in his eyes.

It’s silent.

Maybe for Jn’young and Jimin.

But for Sk’jin, he can’t un-hear what this place sounded like. His eyes burn as the Memories of this endlessness weep.

‘What did Yoongi show you?’ Jimin asks, adjusting Yoongi in his arms and with a free hand gently pushing his hair away from his face.

‘He- he…’ Jn’young sighs out slowly, ‘He showed me what the GLA did to him, what the Yishengs Ndica and Tlun’hla operated under the guise of developing a secret corps unit, how he first spoke to Amme about his suspicions. He showed me what he overheard, what you helped him clarify from his memories, and how he landed in Bhumi, how he met you and how- how he was taken. He showed me the red evil-and how they took everyone. Taking them apart. He showed me the- the way he awoke, showed me how he found you again, and how he truly Awoke. He…he showed me a lot of you.’

Jimin finally looks away, looking up at Jn’young.

‘I’m sorry,’ the young Khol’isa says hesitantly, coming down to kneel by Jimin. ‘I misread you, and who you are.’

Jimin shakes his head. ‘Do not apologize, I am probably worse than what you thought. What you think.’

Jn’young looks confused, looking to Sk’jin for answers. But Sk’jin just shrugs.

Welcome to the ing club where nothing makes sense.

‘And what about you?’

‘What do you think pupa? It’s like I said,’ Sk’jin replies back, ‘I existed here, there, nowhere, every where else- a continuous nightmare you could say.’

Jn’young mulls over his words, studying Sk’jin carefully.

‘Then how are you-…’

‘Out and about?’ Sk’jin asks for clarity, making Jn’young nod. ‘I’m here because I made a promise.’

Sk’jin doesn’t want to elaborate, and Jn’young doesn’t ask for further details.

‘What did you show him?’ Jimin asks, looking back down at Yoongi. He looked a little better, a little more clear, and less blurry.

To Sk’jin, Yoongi reminded him of a blurred memory. The colours somewhat still there, the form and shape outlining a general idea, a resemblance.

But fading slowly, surely.

Desperately clinging onto remembrance.

‘I- I haven’t-‘ Jn’young begins hesitantly, biting at his inner cheek, eyebrows furrowed, hand twitching as though remembering a past pain. ‘-it was too- too painful to continue and so I thought I would- I would bring us through here and-‘

‘It doesn’t work like that for Yoongi,’ Jimin says quietly, still gently Yoongi’s hair, ‘He’s different- he’s-…he’s bound to me.’

‘Yoongi isn’t…’ Jn’young pauses a moment, clearly trying to sound as sensitive and polite as he could. ‘I’ve never…I don’t think I’ve ever really looked into anyone like him before- it’s just-’

‘Could you show me?’ Jimin asks quietly. ‘Show me what you would have shown Yoongi.’

Jn’young is still hesitant. He glances over Jimin with what could only be deep rooted and conditioned hatred, suspicion, and distrust. And if what Ilya has been hinting at was only just the surface level of what had happened, what was still happening, then it wouldn’t be easy for Jn’young to simply address Jimin without any malice whether intentional or not.

But the Khol’isa glances down at Yoongi instead, staring hard.

‘It’s probably hard for you to believe in Jimin, even Yoongi- but do you really think I would be here if this was not something we truly believe is necessary?’ Sk’jin suggests quietly.

Jn’young falters, gaze lowered to the misty floors. Sk’jin doesn’t look too close, he can sense them all around, watching, listening, sleeping, dreaming, gathering around Jimin’s position.

Then he seems to make up his mind. He gives a short nod, stepping forward.

‘I don’t know- what will happen to Yoongi um- if he comes with us,’ Jn’young says regretfully, extending his hand out towards both Jimin and himself.

‘I’ll take him up,’ Jimin says with a nod of understanding, ‘He- he could do with some sleep.’

Neither Jn’young nor Sk’jin know how to react when Jimin stands, Yoongi in his arms, and quite suddenly, as though it was always there, a doorway appears some ways behind him.

It’s a little ajar, and opens a little more, as though welcoming Jimin in.

Neither Sk’jin nor Jn’young make to follow after Jimin, but they do look in through the gap.

It’s a small house. A home.

Sk’jin recognizes the aesthetic as distinctly Human. This was Yoongi’s make- his design, his space.

It’s dimly lit inside, just a few lamps switched on in the room down the entry hall they were looking into.

It looks comfortable, lived in, and cherished.

Sk’jin can hear the rain.

The bedroom door is slightly ajar. They watch as Jimin places Yoongi down on the bed. He lifts the blanket over him, tucking him into bed.

‘Yoongi is not like the GI, who have no memories- essentially just biological replicas of the original with no link to their previous life,’ Jn’young declares, ‘And he’s not a New Born, nor is he anything else made by those Creveni- but I can tell that- and though I’m quite sure, that he’s one of the Regurgitated, it doesn’t seem to…seem to really explain much of who he is as a whole…’

‘The ones who took Namjoon- they’re the ones who are slowly waking- and it’s-…it’s not right.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You can see it, can’t you? With the Human. I know that- we call them New Borns- like Jungkook. They are made and born whole- individual. Perfect almost.’

Sk’jin nods to that.

‘They’re not meant to be alive really.’

‘You’ve met others like him- Ilya mentioned this.’

‘I don’t know how similar they are with each other- but, from what I saw, and what Yoongi showed me he’s- he’s been alive, for too long.’

Sk’jin looks away from Jn’young and back at where Jimin is brushing away Yoongi’s hair from his face, saying something quietly even though Yoongi wasn’t responsive.

‘I think there’s something we’re all missing- and maybe we can all come to understand why all of this happened, why all of this is happening,’ Sk’jin replies, stepping away as he notices Jimin slowly exiting the bedroom.

‘I don’t like vagueness and miscommunication,’ Jn’young declares.

‘Wow, would have never guessed with your behavior,’ Sk’jin replies dryly.

Jn’young sends Sk’jin an unimpressed look.

‘The Creveni that you mentioned- who are they?’

‘I think you know them in a different name,’ Jn’young says after a short pause, ‘But they were the ones responsible for what happened to the Human’s planet. What Yoongi showed me from his past in- in Bhumi, what Jimin refers to as the Red Evil.’

Akramanese. Red Evil. Creveni.

A plague in its own right, the effects of which they were still seeing even though it was eradicated.

‘And what is “regurgitated”?’

Jn’young gives him a curious look, ‘Yoongi didn’t know the term either- you’ve never heard of it?’

‘Would I ask if I knew?’

‘It’s what I was talking about,’ Jn’young sighs out, ‘You’re aware then- of the GI, that the Yisheng created them. More like clones and replicas than anything else.’

Sk’jin nods.

‘Then there’s the ones that the Creveni created- to an extent- at least for me, they’re all New Borns. We’re all New Borns.’

‘All right…’ Sk’jin frowns.

‘The only real distinction we can see, is like with all living creatures and creations,’ Jn’young explains, ‘We are not always born to singular fate.’

Jimin looks at them from across the hallway, listening to their words.

‘The GI are the way they are because the Yishengs who created them, who molded them crafted them the way we know and expect of them – that is all they have known, that is all they are made to know.’ Jn’young says simply, ‘But the New Borns- most of us, some of us, a few of us- we are born different- we are Lived different.’

‘How long did it take for her to wake up?’

‘Wake up? No- I broke the OrTank.’

‘…you what?!’

‘I broke the OrTank- I was worried- I didn’t know what she was encased in, how long it would last, was it in fact poisoning her? I didn’t know- so I broke it. And she woke up an hour or so later. And since then I’ve raised her as my own. We can’t go live in the ports, because the Collectors will want to take her. Some of the patrol units know about her- but they think she’s just deformed- maybe mutated. That’s not exactly uncommon here.’

‘Jungkook- he’s- I guess according to Ilya- he’s a New Born too.’

‘The young Vicitra?’ Jn’young inquires.

Sk’jin nods, ‘We found him in Ynqaba. We believe the Yishengs were there-‘

‘He was intended to become like the GI then?’ Jn’young interrupts. ‘I’m different- I was created by the Creveni, and then taken by Ndica into Axudar.’

‘But-‘

‘In essence, your youngling Jungkook and I are the same. We can both be called New Borns. In fact, so can the GI, and all the creations of the Creveni.’ Jn’young explains.

‘But Yoongi-‘

‘-is one of the Regurgitated.’ Jn’young answers, ‘I know that sounds- unpleasant, but it is what it is.’

‘What makes Yoongi different?’

‘He was created but…for lack of a better word, he was not incubated after his creation. He was not sent long enough into void, this space here, to completely…well, to lose himself- it might differ,’ Jn’young adds thoughtfully, ‘Hence the term regurgitated, - he was swallowed, but never digested properly I guess.’

Sk’jin makes a disgusted expression, but it made sense, if you thought about it. All of the eggs, those New Borns- all of the GI that were contained in those OrTanks, all of the Beings growing and sleeping within the Akramanese ship- they were held in those states for who knew how long.

But Yoongi.

According to Amme, she was able to rescue just a handful of them before Ndica had the rest destroyed, after discovering them in Megibīya, not too long after the Akramanese took in Jimin.

‘With the true GI, and with what the Creveni made. But from what Yoongi showed me- he was created by the Creveni, and then he was abandoned, taken in by the Yishengs instead.’ Jn’young looks thoughtful before he adds, ‘It’s probably after that Ndica took hold of me from the Creveni.’

Sk’jin’s mind is abuzz, ‘Is that why- is that why he remembers so much of his past? Why it’s almost as though he has two separate…identities, within him?’

Jn’young nods, adding with regret, ‘When I was in Axudar, I saw quite a lot of them- the Regurgitated. And it- they never lasted long.’

Sk’jin can’t help but glance inwards.

Jimin isn’t looking at them, instead he’s looking down at Yoongi’s sleeping form, now completely whole and no longer blurred.

‘What happened to them? What did- what did they do in Axudar?’ Sk’jin asks quietly.

Jn’young just shakes his head, glancing away from the doorway and actually stepping back. ‘I never saw for myself, but I don’t think- I don’t think it would have ended well.’

‘But- but you? And Jungkook-‘

‘I’m not Regurgitated, it’s why I have no- no connection or memory of the Bloodmoon, as the Khol’isa call it.’ Jn’young explains, ‘And for Jungkook-… you’ve known him longer. What do you think?’

‘He was born Awake,’ Yoongi had said about Jungkook. ‘He was raised.’

‘But he’s the same,’ Taeh’yung had replied, ‘Same.’

‘Maybe same, but different.’

Jimin steps out, closing the door behind him that somehow was never there in the first place.

The sound of the rain disappears along with it, like a faded memory.

There’s a lot to think of- to digest, with what Jn’young just explained to them. Sk’jin understands why Ilya had insisted that they hear it from Jn’young.

Jn’young doesn’t say anything, but just extends his hand out to Jimin. Jimin takes it without hesitation. Jn’young then reaches for Sk’jin’s hand.

‘Uh-‘ Jimin begins hesitantly.

‘No princeling, I’m coming too,’ Sk’jin waves aside Jimin’s obvious worry that Jn’young immediately catches on, retracting his hand just a little. But Sk’jin grabs it quickly. ‘Let’s get going pupa, time is of the essence is it not?’

Jn’young grimaces, still very handsome regardless, and nods.

The white of the mist collapses almost immediately, the air forms shapes and boundaries so quickly, expanding in mass and time around them.

They’re in a crowded street, Transporters zipping around carelessly, Beings crossing the road here and there with no regards to the incoming traffic around and above them.

Ah, typical city behavior.

‘Welcome to Axudar, more accurately, welcome to Prime-T One City, in Kaitūtei,’ Jn’young announces, ‘Notable Beings from Kaitūtei is of course, the Yisheng Ndica, our favourite Yisheng in the whole Known Universe, ah, may he rest in peace.’

It’s a typical street, nothing noteworthy or amazing. It was just a normal street.

At least for Sk’jin.

There’s a gasp from Jimin. Sk’jin follows his line of sight upwards, towards a massive billboard jutting out of the edge of a tall building.

It’s a typical advertisement. Flashy edits, and then a few highly stylized models who are apparently enjoying whatever ointment they put on their skin as they rub their very bodies with glee and relish. Sk’jin doesn’t understand why something like this would illicit a reaction like a gasp- he highly doubts Jimin is a prude. But then the models are replaced by someone who is clearly a spokesperson or representative.

And that’s when Sk’jin feels his own gasp erupt out of him.

The Being who has replaced the models is tall and slim, elegance in the way they move their six arms. Their skin is a fresh light sapling hue. They had no hair, the crown of their head expanding fan-like behind them. If Sk’jin had to guess, he would assume that the shape would change according to each Being in the species. But he doesn’t have time to think about it because-

‘As you can see – we can give you your youth back- not just the physicality, but the strength, the feeling, the sensation- and most of all, selective memory that allows you to relive your life to the best of what it was!’

Twin solar-eclipses were looking down at him.

Immediately, Sk’jin stares across at Jimin who is beyond confused.

If Sk’jin remembers right, only Jimin had these eyes- he was born with them, displaying his rank, his title- his calling.

The billboard continues to play the ad, and Jimin can’t tear his eyes away. He stares and he stares.

‘It’s not the same,’ Jn’young says conversationally, ‘I don’t think it is. Look closely.’

Paying attention back at the advertisement, Sk’jin concentrates. The language is warped- Sk’jin can hear how he doesn’t understand it, but at the same time, as this is Jn’young’s memory, he understands Jn’young’s understanding of it. His memory of it.

The Being with Jimin’s eyes continues to speak and Sk’jin squints, studying this Being’s features.

‘It’s here.’

He feels a finger lightly across his temple.

And Sk’jin sees it.

Faint marks- surgery incisions.

‘Verktaë.’ Jn’young says, ‘Hidden eyes, sullied eyes.’

The advertisement changes back to the beginning, back to the models who are dramatically aged, and in a flash, their forms changed to the younger ones. This time when they turn, Sk’jin notices the long dent down their backs.

‘This is wrong,’ Jimin whispers. ‘This is wrong.’

‘Come with me,’ Jn’young says.

Sk’jin tears his eyes away from the ad.

Jimin is still staring, watching as the Verktaë appears again.

‘That’s-…that’s a Be’iji- a native of Be’i, the fifth sister-planet of Menigišiti,’ Jimin says, dazed, tone almost monotonous. ‘The Be’iji they- they cannot…they can hear lies. They can hear falsehoods and-‘

‘Jimin.’

Sk’jin forcefully turns Jimin’s head away, forcing him to look away.

‘I think you need to stop thinking about what you once knew,’ Sk’jin says firmly. ‘What you once believed in. What you thought was the truth, what you thought made sense, what was once infallible. You need to leave that behind- you’re not in that lifetime anymore. You’re here. And here everything is different. And we need to understand how, and why.’

Jimin inhales shakily before exhaling slowly. He nods, taking Sk’jin’s hands that were on his face and squeezing them.  

‘Come with me,’ Jn’young says again.

Jimin doesn’t let go of Sk’jin’s hand and he can’t rue him that.

When he really thinks about it. Thinks about the state of Jimin’s mind- how he woke up after so long, and having all of this shoved at him, having the knowledge that his very existence was the cause and reason behind so much destruction and death. Knowing that your System, your planet, your own people, those you thought you knew- how all of that meant nothing, how none of that represented what you thought you knew so well. Knowing that the Being you love is hopelessly tied to you, and the fate you hold – and knowing that that was the very thing that was slowly killing them.

He squeezes Jimin’s hand back.

‘I’m glad you’re here,’ Jimin tells him quietly as they follow Jn’young down the crowded street.

‘What does it mean?’ Sk’jin asks quietly. ‘What…what do your eyes really mean?’

Jimin looks ahead, lips pressed into a thin line before he takes a deep breath. ‘As the…as the Fate of my people- the Yemenifesi Ch’inik’eti, I represent the Fate of Menigišiti, and all those who live there.’

‘You represent the decisions, the path- what should, what shouldn’t happen?’

Jimin pauses before he shakes his head, ‘I- it’s not like that. I never make decisions, I just- I advise, I listen, I just-‘

‘A lot of times- most times- most Beings fight fate. They fight fate, they make their own destiny- things like that. Is what we consider order, or peace, or unity, the same if the decisions taken are made by fate? Even if this order, this peace is something that has been known for a long time- that has been followed for the length of life itself- all minds evolve, all hearts evolve- what if they wish to control their own fate?’

‘What does it mean- if someone else has it?’

‘That wasn’t- that wasn’t the real one it was- it was wrong,’ Jimin emphasizes, looking up at Sk’jin, ‘Was it because I left Menigišiti? Was another born to replace me immediately this- it’s never happened like this before and-‘

‘-look here.’ Jn’young calls, pausing to a stop a little ahead of them.

Jimin turns pale.

There’s another advertisement, this time it’s closer down on a display near an intersection. Going around and past a few other Beings on the street, Sk’jin practically drags Jimin closer, a cold sensation hitting his stomach.

It’s not too surprising- he’s been able to put two and two together.

Every time Jn’young, or even Ilya, spoke about it, though brief, Sk’jin always had the feeling that they were referring to more than just one Being- more than just one Being with the same eyes as Jimin’s.

And in this advertisement, shot and edited to look like some sort of interview, is a native Axudarian, asking questions to a group of 4 separate Beings. There’s no volume, and Sk’jin guesses it’s some form of tabloid media, just showing a brief rundown of what was happening for an episode to be broadcasted later. They seem to be having a light-hearted chat. All four of the interviewed Beings have the exact same eyes as Jimin.

Stunned into silence, Jimin just stares.

‘They called them Eclipsing Travelers,’ Jn’young explains, leaning against a high streetlamp, ‘Brought here by Ndica, to help Axudar be united and whole, to put aside their differences, and embrace oneness.’

‘Hoseok had mentioned this,’ Sk’jin frowns, ‘And even Namjoon- during their research, and from information from Amme- about how Axudar had…maybe undergone some sort of very intense reformation regarding…well, I guess regarding the way they look?’

Jn’young smirks at that, ‘That’s a very polite way of putting it. And also not quite exactly that.’

Sk’jin glances around the street, looking closely at the Beings around them. None of them looked all too strange, for their own species at least. Or, in Sk’jin’s perspective of them at least.

‘I think in order to explain this more, and before I show you more about myself, I should explain Axudar and…and what they believe in.’ Jn’young says thoughtfully. ‘It’s not to…not to really excuse them, or an attempt at empathy because,’ Jn’young snorts, ‘I lived the means of supporting their beliefs and if I could destroy every single one of them I would.’

There is no exaggeration in Jn’young’s tone- no attempt at a statement made just for shock-value; Jn’young held absolutely no qualms about doing what he says he wants to do.

‘Axudar has three livable planets in it,’ Jn’young starts out, reclining elegantly against the lamppost. ‘Each planet clashed against each other over resources, who held the “correct” beliefs- all of that usual stereotypical topics that cause conflict across the Known Universe. But here in Kaitūtei, they took things a little- let’s say they took things a little too far.

‘As you know- Axudar as a whole has always long held…theoretical studies quite high, regarding the topic of immortality.’

‘It’s where the whole nonsense behind Digitized Souls first came up.’

Jn’young nods.

‘While the planets within Axudar all had their differences- they all craved one thing.’

‘Immortality?’ Sk’jin scoffs.

‘The ability to choose,’ Jn’young explains. ‘You’re aware that Kaitūtei is under the GLA protection for Environmental Protection right?’

Sk’jin and Jimin both nod.

‘Actually, all of Axudar is placed under this protection- and not just as a cover up- but genuinely because the System of Axudar is actually very fragile, and the Beings within it, the original natives,’ he nods at the television at the interviewer, ‘they have incredibly short life-span, and are incredibly sickly. They naturally live just a short 50 Standard sols.’

Sk’jin is taken aback by this. There were a lot of planets and Systems that did indeed have Beings with short life-spans, but this was incredibly low.

‘It’s actually- maybe it’s not a coincidence, but you’re familiar with Gaia- Earth, where Yoongi is from correct?’ Jn’young asks.

Both Sk’jin and Jimin nod hesitantly at this.

‘In the past, Earth too had an incredibly short life-span, by Standard measures anyways. But that was in the past, before the GLA “rescued” them and integrated them into the Known Universe. As a result, Earth was rescued, her Humans restored, and now they’re able to live longer, become stronger- and all of that good stuff. Similarly, Axudar had reached that breaking point Earth did so many millennia ago.

Over population, pollution, depleting resources – Axudar nearly ate itself in order to survive.’

‘But Axudar has long been a part of the GLA,’ Sk’jin frowns. ‘No System under the GLA would go through such a turn without the GLA knowing and, despite their faults and greed, the GLA would attempt to move in wouldn’t they?’

‘Unlike with Earth, Axudar staged their own apocalypse,’ Jn’young explains. ‘It purposefully corroded itself, broke its own people, essentially tore down and stripped the Beings of Axudar into nothing more than hollow and empty shells, simply waiting for anything that could save them.’

‘Is that when Ndica made his move?’

‘I think…I think it has a lot to do with what Ndica himself wanted to do- his own beliefs, his belief that this Universe was meant to be a certain way.’

‘Ndica did this to his own System?’ Jimin asks harshly.

Jn’young nods and adds, ‘Much worse has been done, for far less.’

Sk’jin knows all too well what the Yishengs had wanted to do with the Known Universe.

‘And so he came in- much like a long awaited hero coming to rescue the helpless,’ Jn’young explains. ‘He turned the Beings of Axudar against the GLA, by orchestrating a good near millennium of absolute horror over Axudar, making it appear that the GLA had abandoned them. And he claimed to bring life, to bring healing- it was all just, just simple GLA tech- terraforming equipment, nurseries and incubators- the means to regrow Axudar, replant resources, develop and fund tech and equipment for fuel and energy – because despite being such a forefront in developing technology, Ndica bled his own System dry in order for him to control it.

Axudar became his petri dish to experiment in.’

‘Of course,’ Jimin says softly, ‘Starve someone long enough, and they will eat anything given to them.’

Jn’young nods, ‘And then with the help, no doubt, from Tlun’hla, who had a very big hand in the development of the GI, brought their twisted beliefs into Axudar and forever changed the way all of Axudar would simply choose to be.

‘Already in the past, the Beings of Axudar would indulge in all sorts of attempts to elongate their lifespan, to extend their existence, to live more than they could – they cursed their fate, only allowed to live such a short period when they believed they had so much to give, so much to do, so much to know- this hunger they had surpassed any hunger they would have, and it was what Ndica and Tlun’hla fed into.’ Jn’young pauses, looking down for a moment before adding slowly, ‘He was able to convince the Beings of Axudar to allow Ndica to do as he wished – to introduce this new technology he had developed and strengthen the people. Of course this was all simply a very vague reenactment of what happened on Earth- the Axudarians were able to live longer- and this was already a sealed approval from the mass public for Ndica to do as he wished.’

Not only was Ndica a native, but he was a Yisheng, blessed with long life, and the very ideal the now starved and depraved Beings of Axudar craved to become. Of course they would follow and listen obediently.

‘It was during this time when they first made contact with the Verktaë,’ Jn’young narrates. ‘But nothing would come of it for a long while, until one day it did.’

‘Was there a reason? A cause?’ Sk’jin asks, glancing down at Jimin who is quick to ask, ‘When did all of this happen?’

Jn’young looks uncomfortable as he says slowly, ‘I do not know, how much of what I say you will believe when I say this but- but time does not function the same way we understand it, in Axudar.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘As I mentioned before, Axudar has some of the lowest life-spans, right?’

Sk’jin nods slowly whereas Jimin’s eyes widen as though in realization.

‘This doesn’t necessarily have to do with their physical capacity as living Beings, but rather the state in which their System exists.’

‘That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard,’ Sk’jin announces, ‘Time is the same- it’s linear and will continue to be so.’

But Jn’young shakes his head and so does Jimin.

‘What do you mean by shaking your heads,’ Sk’jin scowls at both of them. ‘You’re saying Axudar exists in a different time frame?’

‘I think- Sk’jin I think,’ Jimin says carefully, ‘I think Axudar might have been, a place where the First Children once were.’

‘Great not this First Children bull again-‘ Sk’jin huffs out.

‘So- I can’t give you a straight timeline- because…because it doesn’t add up,’ Jn’young explains carefully. ‘But Ilya tried to add it all up together- and though I could be wrong, I believe this all happened nearly 1300 sols ago by Standard measurement. But for me- for me it was no more than 2 centuries ago.

And once the Verktaë and Ndica collaborated, and with the discovery of the Creveni and what they were doing by creating New Borns, Ndica was able to use his own System to develop and grow his own New Borns. Obviously a lot did not work out- but once he stabilized, once he was able to obtain more of the Creveni’s creations from Bhumi, he and Tlun’hla were able to start working on the GI.’     

‘He was so sure of himself- with the Verktaë he was able to bring in not just a beloved legend long believed in Axudar, to life, but he was able to stabilize his System.’

‘What do you mean?’ Jimin asks breathlessly.

‘It’s not like the whole of Axudar thought that Ndica was their hero, or in some Beings case, their God- many did not like Ndica and where he was going with Axudar- but after the Verktaë came, it was almost as though they were simply subdued and lulled into a singular state of oneness- of being united.’

A very bitter cold feeling settles in Sk’jin’s stomach. He looks at Jimin, remembers what he had done, just within the hour, at the Bridge, how all the Beings aboard and nearby simply stood in awe of him, in complete subjugation.

‘And Ndica was able to recreate, in a sense, the control he believed in so much- the power he craved, the ability to manipulate; in the belief that any of this had to do with peace or unity. He was able to do it in Kaitūtei-‘

‘-how- how can you make an entire planet just believe-‘ Jimin starts but he stops, clearly understand how it was done. How it could be done.

Because if Jimin were to look at it- if anyone were to look at any sort of belief system- the answer lay there. It was simple. Too simple.

Jn’young gives him a lazy smile, ‘And it didn’t stop there- all of Axudar quickly fell into this state of delusion. And now the Beings in it live a strangely charmed life you could say.’

‘Are they- are they being controlled?’ Sk’jin asks, ignoring how Jimin looks sharply at him.

‘Not exactly controlled no,’ Jn’young shakes his head, ‘They’re…in an elevated state. What they choose to see- their eyes veiled. They could banter with each other, have minor arguments over the taste of food, preferences of summer and winter- but they do not exist beyond anything more than that.’

‘And so what do the Verktaë have to do with this?’ Sk’jin inquires, ‘Are they the ones responsible for living like this-‘

‘I wouldn’t say they’re all responsible for this,’ Jn’young shakes his head. ‘While the Verktaë are responsible for a lot of wrong- they’re here in Axudar simply because they too, like those in Axudar, wished to go against their fate.’

Sk’jin can’t find it in himself to look at Jimin.

‘What do you mean by that?’ Sk’jin asks.

‘What I know, what I came to understand- all of this was learnt from when I pried into the minds of the Verktaë, and into the minds of some other Beings who either aided Ndica and Tlun’hla, or even a few Axudarians,’ Jn’young explains without hesitation. ‘So what I did with Yoongi was not the first time I had done it.’

Sk’jin can’t help but glare at the other Khol’isa. Now was not the time to prove oneself.

‘Every time I looked into the minds of the Verktaë, of why they chose to be there, of why they wanted to come to Axudar, what was their purpose- their memories only ever lead to once source-,’ Jn’young looks at Jimin almost apologetically at this, ‘- a large courtyard, filled with all sorts of Beings, all of whom I recognized as being Verktaë but- but that was when I knew their eyes were not always like this,’ Jn’young taps across his temples, ‘-and at the top of this courtyard stood 7 pairs of Beings, behind them a large OrTank of sorts, and within it encased a Being.’

‘What- what did she look like?’ Jimin asks, words strained, hands forming fists.

‘How –how did you know-?’ Jn’young looks bewildered.

But Sk’jin is putting it together now and it feels all too familiar.

‘Her eyes were always closed,’ Jn’young says gently, ‘Sometimes she wasn’t clear in the memories- but always, the ring of light on her forehead was clear and bright.’

‘Tsirin,’ Jimin whispers, hands trembling nearly violently, painfully gripping Sk’jin’s hand.

‘I think you saw his sister,’ Sk’jin explains in answer to Jn’young’s questioning look.

Jn’young truly looks regretful.

‘And?’ Jimin asks forcefully, ‘What else was in this memory?’

‘A few of the 11 pairs would speak, but the clearest thing any of these memories could conjure was one of them saying ‘we will break from our fate of hiding- we will control our fates from this day’.’

Jimin exhales shakily before he sinks down to his knees.

Jn’young looks incredibly uncomfortable.

Sk’jin is tugged down too, his hand still clasped in Jimin’s shaking one.

There’s nothing Sk’jin can say.

It was clear.

Ndica managed to take control over Jimin’s Council, or at least a majority of them as Jn’young had mentioned 7 pairs; from what Sk’jin remembers Jimin telling them, the Great Council consisted of 11 pairs of representatives of every existing planet is Menigišiti. Ndica had planned on taking Jimin, to use him much the same way the Akramanese used him to create and “incubate” their eggs. And while that plan was thwarted by the appearance of the Akramanese, Ndica clearly got hold of his sister.

If his sister, the Heart of their System, was anything like Jimin, then being able to use her to gain complete and utter control over all of Axudar would be child’s play.

What could Ndica have said to the Council to make them break their System like this?

‘They changed their eyes, they said, to symbolize their control over their own fates,’ Jn’young adds hesitantly. ‘And the scars are a reminder of how they were once simply following blind faith.’

Jimin is shaking, the air around them shifting visibly. Jn’young instantly stands straight, looking around with wide eyes.

‘Uh-‘

‘It’s him wait-‘ Sk’jin nods at Jimin before crouching as low as he could to address Jimin carefully. ‘Jimin- hey kiddo, breathe with me here okay? There’s nothing you can do about this-‘

‘-where did I go wrong?’ Jimin asks, his voice monotonous. ‘Where did I go wrong, what did I do wrong.’

Sk’jin looks around helplessly.

He knows what Jimin is feeling- maybe not in the same scope, but he knows.

When he lead his network, so many centuries ago, in a time that felt like a lifetime ago, he did his best to organize and bring stability to the many Beings who followed him and worked for him. And sometimes things didn’t work out- sometimes it was his fault, sometimes it wasn’t- and Sk’jin always pondered over what he did wrong- what went wrong.

‘What did I do, what did I not see?’

Jn’young is increasingly agitated by the chaos around them as the Prime-T One City starts to violently warp, no longer under Jn’young’s control or even within his memory.

Suddenly, Jimin looks up, straight at Jn’young.

‘Show me-‘ Jimin says, ‘I need to see her- I need to see what you saw in their memories I need to see-‘

Sk’jin feels himself being pushed aside as Jimin seems to teleport before Jn’young taking the Khol’isa’s face in his hands.

‘Please show me-‘

Jn’young hesitates before his eyes focus, serious and intent.

The floor falls below Sk’jin and he’s surprisingly not in a heap on the stone floor.

It’s a beautiful place. The sky clear and wide above, the sun just about right and warm. There are tall hills, the peaks of white snowy mountains to the the west, and a wide ocean to the east.

But the details are blurred. Because this wasn’t Jn’young’s true memory- but rather a memory of a memory, faded and washed. But it doesn’t stop Jimin, pushing through the crowd.

He fit into this memory- like he belonged. Jn’young appears next to him, his expression disturbed.

‘It seems that there was some sort of coup planned,’ Jn’young says quietly as Jimin stops before the raised courtyard, unable to move on ahead as the memory blurs terribly. ‘To take him and his sister out.’

Sk’jin nods, sighing quietly under his breath. Even from here, Sk’jin recognizes the OrTank- it was greatly similar to the one Jimin was in, but slightly larger. The form inside is blurred, but the ring of light is not.

Sk’jin can make out rippling hair, blurred arms and legs.

‘Why would they do this?’ Jn’young ponders quietly.

‘Because,’ Sk’jin says quietly, ‘A lot of times- most times- most Beings fight fate.’

Jimin turns around to look at them, eyes wide and glimmering with unshed tears.

‘Is what we consider order, or peace, or unity, the same if the decisions taken are made by fate?’ Sk’jin quotes. ‘Even if this order, this peace is something that has been known for a long time- that has been followed for the length of life itself- all minds evolve, all hearts evolve- what if they wish to control their own fate?’

  

 

*

 

It was raining when Yoongi was finally able to get himself together.

He remembered being carried in, being placed on the bed, having a hand as warm as unexpected sunlight caress his face, push back his hair.

He remembers voices, discussions, answers, questions.

He gets up, reaching over to switch on the lamps because it was dark out. The floors are cool under his bare feet. He walks to one of the tall windows and pushing aside the curtain looks out.

The sky is stormy and dark, the rain steady but not overwhelming.

The lamp switches off again and Yoongi goes to switch it on again. Somehow it’s not upsetting that the lights keep switching off. But the warm yellow of the light reminds Yoongi of Jimin.

He switches on all of the lamps in the bedroom before stepping out into the dark hallway. Here he switches on all of the lamps again, noticing how one by one, the ones in the bedroom switch off.

Quietly, the sound of a door opening draws his attention.

Looking around, he notices how the front door is now open.

A soft white light spills out of the doorway, illuminating the hallway faintly.

The lamps start going out in the hallway as well.

Yoongi takes a step forward towards the door, drawn to the soft light.

He had been in there before- out there, somewhere there. Just moments ago.

But- but Jimin had brought him back in here.

The lamp next to him gives out and somehow, Yoongi automatically switches it back on. When he looks up again, the door is closed again, and all the lamps are switched back on.

He looks back at the door, pausing momentarily before turning his back to it and returning to the bedroom.

Ilya had called in the medics to be at standby.

So they’re the first Beings Yoongi sees when he wakes up.

He’s quickly checked over, while Camil loudly asks him ‘Yoon-ki how many fingers am I holding up?’ in the background. He’s still in Jn’young’s inner chamber, and to his surprise, Sk’jin was slumped over the low table, along with Jimin and Jn’young.

No one wanted to move them- so Jimin, Sk’jin, and Jn’young were allowed to just slump awkwardly over furniture, their hands all grasped together.

Yoongi himself had woken up some hours ago, much to Hoseok’s obvious relief, Ilya’s confusion, and Jungkook’s tears he wouldn’t owe up to. Taeh’yung is there to tell him what happened, and why Sk’jin was also added to the mix of unconscious Beings.

And now that team of medics waited outside, while Yoongi, Hoseok, Taeh’yung, Jungkook, Ilya, Camil, and Jaen are gathered in the inner room.

It had now been over 5 hours of just waiting, but no one made a move to step away. Yoongi had explained what he showed to Jn’young briefly. Hoseok was obviously mad at him, more worried over mad, but the “mad” part was showing a bit more.

Yoongi had awkwardly apologized which made the Ngfy’widan somehow more upset, making him swear to him to never ever do something like this again.

Yoongi hastily accepted.

There’s the slightest twitch of fingers- whose, Yoongi is not sure, but their grasped hands fall apart, with an alarming loud snapping sound and everyone is panting for breath, falling over away from each other as though repelled.

‘I feel like I’ve drunk something from Zu’ruitok,’ is the first thing Sk’jin groans, even before opening his eyes. The medics are very quick to bring him a bucket, an anti-nausea shot, and several facial wipes, all in that order.

Jn’young is much better- just disoriented, but already being held up by Ilya, closely watched over by Camil who beckons over a medic.

Yoongi reaches Jimin first. Careful with how he holds him.

Jimin is shaking, heaving as he clutches Yoongi’s hand, falling over as though losing all sense of direction, perspective and balance. But Yoongi is there.

‘Hey I’m here-‘ Yoongi pulls him closer, grounding Jimin to his own body, ‘I’m here sunshine, I got you.’

Jungkook stands, torn between Sk’jin and Jimin. He makes up his mind, crouching down to Sk’jin and almost inconveniently nuzzling into the Khol’isa. It makes Sk’jin smile, wrapping an arm around the younglings head, saying something in a low voice.

One of the medics approaches Jimin, scanning him quickly. If the medic team is confused, they don’t show it. After Jimin is cleared, Hoseok immediately steps in.

‘What happened?’ Hoseok asks, crouching down.

Jimin takes a few steadying breaths.

Yoongi wishes he could just give Jimin a short reprieve- a time to just breathe. Rather than answer questions, forced to understand what he had no part in, forced to come to terms about the nature of what happened, and what was happening. He almost wants to tell Hoseok to just give Jimin a moment to recover- a moment to just simply be.

‘My System-‘ Jimin gasps out, ‘My people- they-‘

His face crumples and he blindly pushes his face into Yoongi’s shoulders, whole body shaking as he sobs, tears soaking Yoongi’s shirt wet.

‘Hoseok-‘ Ilya calls quietly, looking down at Yoongi and Jimin briefly with worry.

The Ngfy’widan walks over quickly.

‘Oh, Chim,’ Taeh’yung says quietly, also kneeling down to gently pat Jimin’s head, face still buried in Yoongi’s chest.

Yoongi doesn’t say anything, just holds Jimin close to himself.

He glances across at Sk’jin who was being supported by Jungkook.

He looks worse for wear, fatigue evident in his eyes. He’s gingerly touching his temples when he catches Yoongi’s gaze. He looks at Jimin, and then back at him, his expression grave.

He feels an arm around him, noticing that it’s Taeh’yung who’s hugging them both with his long arms.

‘My babies,’ he says softly, smiling at Yoongi in a gentle manner.

The medics leave the room after they’ve cleared everyone. They hesitate a moment before making their leave with a nod from Camil.

Hoseok is standing with Ilya, listening to Jn’young who was speaking earnestly, cradling a bottle of ionized water in his hands. The Ngfy’widan is nodding, expression serious as he listens to Jn’young explain what he must have shown Sk’jin and Jimin.

Not for the first time, Yoongi wishes he could simply leave. Simply leave, take Jimin with him, and go somewhere far away, where no one could find them, where no one could touch them.

Somewhere so far away, that grief could not touch them, guilt could not stain them, and loss could not burden them.

Yoongi wishes he could just pick Jimin up right now, take a Transporter, and simply leave.

But he knows he can’t.

Because in the end, Yoongi knows Jimin would not go.

And Yoongi promised, that day, so so long ago, that he would find Jimin.

And wherever Jimin went, Yoongi would follow.

 

*

 

Face still splotched, hands still shaking, Jimin sits next to him, hand in hand, as he, Sk’jin, and Jn’young finish speaking.

‘Is there a way of knowing,’ Hoseok begins hesitantly, ‘If your sister is still…still there?’

Jimin shakes his head.

‘We can assume that with the way Jimin was contained in that OrTank, his sister should be similarly positioned,’ Sk’jin theorizes. ‘It’s safe to say, considering how Axudar is still functioning the way it is, that she should still be there. That is to say if Tsirin is at all in Axudar.’

‘Based on what Jn’young has to say, and with what Jaen can confirm about Axudar, I would say she is still there,’ Ilya says worriedly and adding, ‘But does that mean that your System, Menigišiti, is now completely exposed?’

‘If it were, we would know,’ Camil comments, to which Hoseok nods.

‘Even if the gateways are not functioning, Menigišiti will still be hidden,’ Jimin replies.

He had cried his heart out, crumpling against Yoongi. But after a few moments, he was able to pull himself together again, straighten out his expression, and ready to discuss. Yoongi wishes he could give him all the time he needed to just allow himself to feel, to truly just take a breath.

Jimin was strong- but he didn’t always have to be strong. And Yoongi wishes he could give Jimin that, give him time to no longer feel the need to be strong.

‘Our gateways simply stabilize what was already existing in Menigišiti- the gaps appearing in our shield will be unpredictable, however, and we wouldn’t be able to control it or cover it.’ Jimin further explains.

‘How many of the Verktaë live in Axudar?’ Hoseok asks.

‘Nearly more than half- and that’s just in Kaitūtei, I don’t know about the other two,’ Jn’young replies easily. ‘It’s- it’s as though they live there for their amusement, watching the Axudarians live their elevated state- like they feel a sense on control.’

‘They think they are controlling their fates by indirectly controlling the “fates” of the Axudarians,’ Jaen says bluntly, ‘My father was one of the Axudarians who refused to listen to Ndica- he escaped with our family before things got worse. Before everyone lost themselves.’

‘Does that mean- does that mean Menigišiti is empty?’ Sk’jin asks sharply.

‘I highly doubt everyone would simply follow-‘ Ilya begins but Jimin shakes his head.

‘If they used Tsirin the same way they used me to connect the fates of the Red Evil’s creations to me, then our people would have followed Tsirin- or at least followed what they were lead to believe,’ Jimin says steadily. ‘Our people-  we are all tied together in our beliefs-‘

‘-beliefs that they clearly wanted to overthrow,’ Camil remarks from where he was sitting.

Jimin scowls a little at that.

‘There’s a ship, Ndica’s ship that is the center of Prime T-One – you could say all of Prime T-One was built around and for this ship.’ Jn’young explains, cutting in, ‘And from what I was able to understand- this is the ship that came in and after that, as Jaen calls it, everyone simply lost themselves.’

‘We can assume that this ship carries Tsirin then,’ Hoseok remarks, arms crossing, ‘And as Kaitūtei is the “protected” planet- it makes sense that this is where the center of control would be, so to speak.’

Jaen nods at that, ‘Māhanga and Blidra have an ever lower population count than Kaitūtei did in the past- besides, from what I remember my father telling me, Māhanga was where all of the crazy started with experiments and all that.’

‘If you don’t mind my asking,’ Yoongi interrupts, ‘What were the eggs, the New Borns, used for in Axudar?’

Jn’young gives him a wry smile.

‘Ah yes,’ he says lightly, ‘We got into trouble before I could show you clearly.’

Yoongi grimaces at that.

‘In Axudar, us New Borns made excellent subjects for experimentation. Especially once we were awaken- Ndica made it his absolute mission to understand how the Creveni made us- he did a lot, I can spare everyone the details. But it was just not Ndica and his crew of equally delightful Yishengs, but also the Verktaë who would come in and look at us.’ Jn’young narrates, ‘They found us all extremely fascinated- and somehow, they seemed to hate us a lot. And I never quite understood why- but then when you showed me into your memories,’ Jn’young looks across at Jimin and says, ‘I think it’s because they associated us, the New Borns, with you.’

‘Because the eggs- I mean New Borns, created by the Akramanese, were influenced by Jimin?’ Hoseok says carefully, ‘Because they’re tied to him, to his “fate”.’

Jn’young nods, ‘I guess you could say the GI were born because of us New Borns caught up in Ndica’s mess.’

‘We- we won’t be able to enter Menigišiti without alerting Axudar,’ Sk’jin says slowly, ‘Any hopes of trying to get the New Borns from Tayi to Menigišiti is just- just impossible.’

‘It’s why they set you on this mission,’ Ilya surmises, ‘Because they can’t act on it themselves.’

‘Is there a way of securing Menigišiti?’ Jaen asks Jimin.

‘It’s- it was already as secure as it could be,’ Jimin corrects himself, ‘So I don’t know how- especially if my people…if they left because they no longer wanted to be there, to no longer live as they did-‘ Yoongi squeezes his hand, ‘-and we still don’t know if- if anyone remains. If they all just left- or if some remained but that-‘

‘-seems unlikely,’ Jaen says bluntly with a shake of her head, ‘There is no coup, no takeover, where those in opposition are ever just allowed to live as they choose. Not in cases this extreme. Had my father not escaped with us when he did- we would have been killed, like so many others who did not run, who could not run.’

Jimin nods to that, his jaw set hard.  

‘So what is it that you plan on doing?’ Ilya asks after a few seconds of silence.

Hoseok glances over at him and then at Sk’jin.

‘I think we should get Jn’young here to the Medical Bay for a thorough check up,’ Camil announces, getting up, ‘And Jaen needs to return to uh- the Bridge?’

Jaen is unimpressed before she too nods.

‘You’re more than welcome to stay with us,’ Ilya says, ‘We want to help you- this connects all of us more than you think we care to admit. But it is, and we will help in every way we can. Please remember this.’

Sk’jin looks pained as he nods, smiling a little late at Ilya.

‘If you need me, I’m at the Bridge- come on Jn’young, there’s a few issues that have been reported to me that I need you to look over from Cuab.’

‘I thought Camil was offering to give me a thorough check up at the Medical Bay?’ Jn’young raises his eyebrows, a smirk on his lips before addressing them, ‘Feel free to chill here- have some tea!’

‘You guys are so gross,’ Jaen says with a toss of her head, exiting the room.

Sk’jin watches after them leaving, a look of longing in his eyes.

They wait a while before Hoseok sighs heavily and says, with his face pushed into his hands, ‘Spaces, can all of you please not do dumb like this ever again? Please? Like, for my sake, I’m prematurely aging from stress here.’

Sk’jin laughs, leaning back to completely lay down on the thickly carpeted floor, ‘Mine wasn’t intentional Hoseokkie.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Jimin apologizes in a small but sincere tone before elbowing Yoongi.

‘I’m-‘ Yoongi begins, ready to apologize again.

‘Especially you!’ Hoseok says fiercely, looking up from his hands. ‘For ’s sake you couldn’t have waited and-‘

He stops talking, looking up and inhaling deeply. He was clearly not done with being mad at them.

‘Uh- I’m sorry too?’ Taeh’yung adds tentatively while Jungkook, extremely confused, also apologizes.

Hoseok looks 2 seconds from crying.

‘Okay so let’s plan,’ Sk’jin hurriedly announces from the floor, one foot kicking Yoongi.

‘What do you think has happened?’ Yoongi asks quietly, ‘To Menigišiti?’

Jimin fiddles with his hands, shoulders down, expression much more free. It makes Yoongi feel good- knowing that Jimin was allowing himself to express more to not just himself here, but to everyone else gathered in the room. Like he felt safe, comforted with the five of them here.

‘With Tsirin gone, and with me here- we did not…we did not die,’ Jimin says carefully, ‘And I have no idea- what will happen- what has happened, because it has never happened before. If we died- then another would be born, on the same day. But we- we’re still here.’

‘You believe your sister is alive?’

Jimin shrugs, eyes watering at once and saying with a wobbling and breathless voice, ‘I don’t know- ah, I didn’t want to cry again-‘

Five of them immediately offer Jimin some form of tissue or face towel.

This makes Jimin laugh, nose running, face wet. He takes the one Jungkook pushes at him and wipes his face.

‘We do not know what state Axudar is in, and knowing what we know now- it’s too risky to try and go there,’ Hoseok says, frowning hard as he thinks. ‘It would be incredibly risky showing up with not only Jimin, but with Jungkook and Yoongi.’

‘And we have no idea what’s up with Bhumi- I mean, Megibīya,’ Sk’jin corrects himself, ‘Or all of Menigišiti as a matter of fact.’

‘But- but your sister…’ Hoseok says slowly.

Jimin exhales out slowly.

‘I don’t- I don’t know what to do.’ Jimin admits.

‘The people of Axudar- the Axudarians, they made their choice to live in this state,’ Sk’jin states bluntly, ‘I know that sounds harsh- but we’re not responsible for what has happened there- for the choices they have made.’

Jimin nods to that, closing his eyes.

‘But if you want,’ Sk’jin says slowly, ‘And you want to check on your sister- because again, at this point we can’t claim to understand how things work in your System- what it means to have both of you, outside of Menigišiti- and if you want to find a way, back to your sister-‘

Jimin shakes his head, eyes still closed.

‘I- I want to go to Megibīya,’ Jimin says, his voice stable, opening his eyes to look at all of them. ‘But we do need to find a way in,’ Jimin says his words carefully, ‘With what we- with what we’ve been seeing, and now that we know from Jn’young’s past, and with what Amme told us- the eggs, or New Borns, they deserve a safe place to be kept, to grow in time, or to sleep, and- be allowed to live how they wish to.’

Jimin looks at all of them, ‘I know this is- this is a difficult task, none of you, owe any of these Beings, the New Borns, you don’t owe them anything. And if you wish to leave-‘

‘-so going to Axudar is completely out of any hypothetical plan then,’ Sk’jin drawls across, ‘I think heading to Bhumi will actually be a reasonable step forward.’

Jimin frowns down at Sk’jin but the Khol’isa pays him little mind.

‘Agreed,’ Hoseok jumps in, giving Jimin a small apologetic smile, ‘We can choose a separate trajectory- it might take a little more time, but given our condition, we have no choice. We can choose this spot in order to observe further into Menigišiti, as well as see what has been happening in the general space-area.’

‘Yeah!’ Taeh’yung jumps in to agree with violent nods, ‘It will be interesting to see! And if we return Chim to Megibīya, who knows what we might be able to see?’

‘We can get you home soon then,’ Hoseok smiles at Jimin who finally gives up his attempts at trying to make them leave the mission again. He looks sad, but at the same time, strengthened. Yoongi squeezes his hand gently again.

‘What about Namjoon?’ Yoongi asks.

‘Well, according to Camil’s last find, he’s still in Lowet.’ Hoseok replies immediately.

Sk’jin grimaces at that.

‘Kookie, what do you know about Lowet?’ Taeh’yung asks the Vicitra.

‘Um- not a lot,’ Jungkook replies hesitantly, ‘Always fighting with Lowet.’

Hoseok grimaces at that.

‘Tae- do you think Axudar could be one of the First Children?’ Sk’jin asks swiftly.

Taeh’yung pouts thoughtfully from where he’s sitting, ‘I don’t know Jinnie, I’ve never been there. None of us have really. Why?’

‘It’s what Jn’young said,’ Sk’jin explains, rolling over to lay on his front, pushing himself up on his forearms to address the Zhak’gri. ‘He said that time is not exactly, in sync, with the rest of the Known Universe.’

‘Ah!’ Taeh’yung exclaims with a nod and says, ‘Some places are like that!’

‘What- no they’re not,’ Sk’jin argues at once.

‘Jinnie! They are!’ Taeh’yung crosses his arms, glaring down at Sk’jin.

‘Axudar is not close to any blackhole,’ Hoseok says slowly, looking between the two, ‘I mean in theory, if you think about how time does travel-‘

‘Not a theory,’ Taeh’yung shakes his head, ‘This does happen! You don’t have to be near a blackhole for this to happen!’

‘I’ve never heard of this-‘ Sk’jin begins but Hoseok cuts across, ‘Okay but that aside- does Axudar being one of the First Children in anyway effect or influence what happened?’

‘It would make sense as to why Axudar as a whole was so obsessed with Menigišiti?’ Yoongi offers, ‘They had a whole myth- a creation story, and folklore generated from just a singular and rare celestial occurrence- to the point where the Axudarians didn’t question Ndica when he brought the “Verktaë” in.’ 

Hoseok nods to that in agreement.

‘Do we- do we accept their offer?’ Jimin asks tentatively.

Sk’jin immediately stiffens.

‘Ilya has a lot of power backing him up- a lot of connections, access,’ Hoseok lists off on his fingers, yellow eyes looking down at his hand but not really seeing, ‘-we could really boost our efforts, our time, our resources, by accepting his help.’

‘But?’

‘But,’ Hoseok smiles, ‘I don’t think I would feel good coming in between another family with this mess, no matter how closely connected they feel.’

Taeh’yung coos, reaching over to pat Hoseok on the head, which he dodges without much effort. Sk’jin seems relieved by this answer.

‘But would they agree to our refusal?’ Jimin looks at Sk’jin, ‘Ilya is family to you, he wants- he wants to be with you.’

Sk’jin gives him a small shrug, ‘Ilya is a grown Ožkan, and more than that, Nambike and his mother raised him, he will understand.’

Jimin nods slowly to that.

‘Okay then I will start setting up a route to Megibīya, maybe something different, from the others we had set up,’ Hoseok announces. ‘And as usual, we will keep the line open for Namjoon.’

Everyone nods to that.

‘Spaces, I’m hungry,’ Sk’jin groans as he sits up, immediately aided by Jungkook. ‘I think I also want like, a 5 hour bath-‘

‘When do we go?’ Hoseok inquires.

Everyone stops a moment.

‘I know it’s important we leave soon,’ Hoseok clarifies, ‘But at the same time, I want it to be done with all of us in good health – the two of you especially.’ He points at Sk’jin and then at Yoongi. ‘I think it’s safe to say we could get all of our provisions we need from here, but I need all of us to be in good form.’

‘Ilya is leaving Cuab in 2 days,’ Sk’jin offers from the floor. ‘We can- we can leave the same time.’

‘Are you sure?’ Jungkook asks a little nervously, ‘Um- it’s the, those white robes- they- they can follow us and-‘

It’s a sticky silence, one that has everyone looking at each other for an answer.

‘I told Ilya about them,’ Sk’jin informs them. ‘I think- I think he’s more than prepared to do what is needed if they appear again.’

‘Maybe they won’t show up at all!’ Taeh’yung adds in cheerfully, ‘They suffered pretty large losses!’

‘Thanks to you,’ Sk’jin says in a low voice.

Hoseok thinks this out carefully before nodding, ‘Yeah- yeah. Two day; that’ll hopefully give us time to complete everything.’

‘And see if it’s possible to get the info on who the issued our arrest warrants at a Universal scale,’ Sk’jin scowls, standing up. ‘But first- I think Jimin and I will go talk to Ilya. Tell him our plans.’

Jimin nods to that at once and adding, ‘Warn him about the Omhlophe – if he won’t take the risk-‘

‘-which we don’t blame him for-‘

‘-then we leave at once.’

Everyone nods to this.

‘I’ll go get us food!’ Taeh’yung volunteers.

‘Great- Yoongi, Kookie and I will go over the Laikin, prepare for this new plan.’ Hoseok adds, stretching a little as he stands up.

‘Should we uh- maybe clean up the place a little,’ Jungkook asks from where he was sitting, looking around the indeed, quite messy room.

Yoongi almost does not want to, just out of pure pettiness. But he nods anyways.

It doesn’t take too long to straighten out the room. They didn’t know where what went, so settled to neatly lining up misplaced objects near the wall or over the cleaned low table.

‘How much did you hear?’ Jimin asks him as they step out into the hallway, bringing up the rear. Yoongi is tired, they were all tired, and he’s grateful that Hoseok brought up the plan to have them rest first.

‘About the Regurgitated?’ Yoongi inquires, watching with some amusement as Jungkook offers to carry Sk’jin who was dragging his feet.

Jimin nods.

‘There’s a reason why Chaewon used to say that we were a family of cats, not dogs, despite having Holly.’

Jimin looks a little confused but he’s smiling, as though feeling the fondness in Yoongi’s voice. But he stops Yoongi for a second, tugging at his sleeve, allowing the others to walk further ahead.

‘Please- I really mean it,’ Jimin whispers shakily, ‘Please don’t do that again.’

‘I’m sorry sunshine,’ Yoongi takes his hands in his.

‘When I reached for you- your hands were cold and I- I thought I was going to lose you I-‘ Jimin stops, ‘Please, please- please.’

‘I won’t,’ Yoongi promises, taking his hands up to kiss them, ‘I won’t, I promise I won’t. Not again, I promise you.’

 

*

 

Ilya was not in the Bridge, and Jaen had explained that he was dealing with some issues within Cuab itself with Jn’young. But that he would be back in a few hours. She had readily accepted some of the requests Hoseok had, and Camil had appeared to take the Ngfy’widan to the main storage cells to retrieve what they would need for the long journey.

Camil still gave him impressed smiles and cheering motions every time he saw him, and has said ‘big fan!’ at least 15 times by now. Yoongi is still uncomfortable that’s he so recognized. A few of Ilya’s crew do a double-take when they see him, expressions of both wariness and awe mingling in their gazes.

Yoongi and Jungkook met up with the two during their descent to the hangar, pushing a few gravity-lifts stock-pilled with fuel cells and chargers.

Yoongi immediately persuaded and got Jimin to sit on the lifts. Jimin had protested at first but eventually gave in, relief in his expression as he sits down.

Sk’jin point blank refused. But that didn’t stop him from complaining every few hours much to Yoongi’s mild annoyance and Jimin’s amusement.

‘I ing hate this,’ Sk’jin complains for the 7^th time in 15 minutes as they walk down the extended hallways bridging a few hangars together.

‘I’ll carry you?’ Jungkook offers.

‘I am not that old,’ Sk’jin grumbles but he fondly ruffles the Vicitra’s hair. Jungkook is clearly still very worried. ‘Okay how about you go set up for me? Honestly my arms are useless right now.’

Jungkook nods very seriously grabbing the lifts he was tugging along, quickly sprints ahead to reach the Laikin.

‘I’ll be down in about 10 minutes. Taeh’yung could you please stop hogging all of the food, everyone thinks we’re starving you or something-‘ Hoseok complains mildly.

There’s just a throaty giggle from Taeh’yung’s side.

‘What do you think they’ll do with the guards?’ Jimin asks from ahead of him as he squints at the ship now separately parked to another section of the hangar.

‘Return them?’ Yoongi offers, eyeing Sk’jin who shrugs unhelpfully.

‘I was just thinking,’ the Khol’isa says, stepping back to walk alongside Yoongi.

‘That you’re tired?’ Yoongi drawls.

‘Shut it Human,’ Sk’jin rolls his eyes, ‘I’m always tired.’

‘Sure.’

‘I preferred you when you talked a lot less than this,’ Sk’jin grumbles.

Jimin laughs, throwing his head back.

‘I was just thinking, and I bet my left lung that the ship in Kaitūtei is the same ship we found in Ynqaba,’ Sk’jin says.

‘It most probably is,’ Hoseok agrees, ‘I was thinking that too…do you think that’s why Namjoon’s in Lowet?’

Yoongi glances at Sk’jin who was carefully schooling his expression.

‘Maybe,’ Taeh’yung offers unexpectedly, ‘Ynqaba, Lowet, the planets there- a lot happened to them, and maybe Namjoon was taken there so that he can figure things out.’

‘You don’t think he’s being held at ransom?’ Jimin asks suddenly, looking truly aghast.

‘Don’t worry, we’ll pay for his metal any price,’ Sk’jin says before changing the topic, ‘Taeh’yung please stop eating and please bring me my food already.’

‘But it’s so tasty!’

‘And I would like to experience that too!’ Sk’jin argues, ‘Do you know how tired I am?’

‘Just take a seat,’ Jimin laughs.

‘I’m not that old,’ Sk’jin scowls, making a show of walking around ahead. Jimin just giggles at the Khol’isa. Clearly their relationship had improved. It makes Yoongi smile.

By the time they’ve arrived at their hangar, Jungkook bounds out of the Laikin, pleased with himself.

‘I set up for you!’ he declares, shiny eyes directed at Sk’jin who fondly pinches cheeks.

‘I feel better already,’ Sk’jin replies, ‘But I think it’s only fair if I help you guys out anyways.’

Jimin vocalizes his agreement, jumping off lightly.

‘Not heavy stuff!’ Jungkook points aggressively at the small crates piled up to the side.

Sk’jin raises his hands in mock-surrender and walks over to the pile. Yoongi guesses it contains the hollow vacuum cells the Laikin required for stabilizing manual-flight in-planet.

Straining his neck a little to look over the piled crates and looking outside, Yoongi can just about make out the edge of the end of Cuab-D2. The hangar doorways are all open glimmering a faint blue to indicate the Atmoshield that covered the entire ship. Yoongi guesses they were transferring goods to and fro at the hangar levels down here.

‘Sleep after this,’ Jimin states.

Yoongi chuckles, leaning forward on a crate with one arm and resting his head on it. ‘You or me?’

‘Both,’ Jimin says firmly, ‘This time I think 32 hours, 11 minutes.’

Yoongi laughs, standing up straight to lean forward and kiss him lightly. ’32 hours, and 43 minutes.’

Jimin narrows his eyes comically as though contemplating, walking backwards, while Sk’jin yells, ‘Stop flirting and get a lift here thanks!’

‘Sounds good,’ Jimin declares primly, ‘I will hold you to that.’

‘Can’t wait.’

‘I SAID STOP FLIRTING!’

Jimin laughs, walking over towards the stacked lifts over on the other side of the hangar.

Looking around, still grinning, Yoongi finds Jungkook crouched at the side doorway to the Laikin, eyes like faintly glowing orbs, watching him.

It would be a rather terrifying sight to be sure, but Yoongi can’t help but chuckle.

‘Come on Kook,’ Yoongi gestures him over. ‘Let’s bring in the heavy stuff.’

Jungkook slinks all the way back in, eyes narrowing even more.

Yoongi cackles to himself.

Sk’jin complains every time he brings in a load of crates to the side, Jimin laughing next to him.

There’s a slight tremor under Yoongi’s feet, and the ship seems to tilt a little. They all pause, looking around suspiciously.

Nothing happens, though Sk’jin’s lift manages to float down some ways into the hangar.

‘Wow thank you artificial gravity for inclining along with the ship in my time of fatigue-‘

‘Sk’jin, if you’re tired, I can do it myself,’ Jimin wheezes, leaning against one of the halfway stocked lifts as Sk’jin catches up to one of the 2 that had floated away.

Yoongi feels the slightest tremor again- the hair on his nape standing on end.

‘You reach my age one day and you’ll know exactly what I mean-‘ Sk’jin yells from over his shoulder as he walks over to one of the lifts merrily floating away from them. ‘Even gravity is against you-‘

Jimin laughs, reaching down to pull at the small brake-lever at the edge of the lift when-

The lights flare red, immediately followed by a carrying wailing klaxon sound. The ship shudders violently- reminiscent of a planetary tremor.

Then almost violently, a familiar faint orange ripple of an emergency Atmoshield erupts before Yoongi, between him and Jimin and Sk’jin.

Jimin’s eyes widen just the slightest meeting Yoongi’s, his smile turning confused for a moment and-

The darkness of space has always frightened Yoongi. Some primal fear deep within him, stirring at the sight of such an endless darkness, spewing in every direction.

And now it starkly contrasts Jimin- light flaring strangely around him, through his hair,- and Yoongi recognizes it as the Atmoshield flickering out from behind Jimin, the shield guarding the large open entry to the hangar now a gaping entrance.

Briefly- just for a fraction of a second before, in an instance, the light with all of its warmth, its joy, its laugh- pulls away into the endlessness where Yoongi cannot follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author’s ing notes

 

I just realized in the last chapter I wrote Camil’s name as Camat instead I AM SO SORRY

I HAVE CORRECTED IT THOUGH

I have

So many emotions about

MotS:7

Im saying it now

Moon is my song

The fact that Kim Seokjin™ wrote the lyrics

The very same Kim Seokjin™ who performed one of the most pure, the most heartbreaking songs known to man kind “tonight”

Also as a massive Caravaggio fan, I cannot but say version 3 is my favourite and I am going to buy that

And I am sorry about being so weird with my writing schedule I just- yeah, time is

Time is a

also to anyone confued with how the chapter ended- 

basically something happens, to be revealed, and that causes the outer Atmoshields surrounding he ship to glitch and go off, out sk'jin and jimin into space

BUT APPARENTLY SHADOW IS A WHOLE MINUTE LONGER THAN THE VIDEO???????????? AM I?????????/ GOING TO SURVIVE THAT???????????????? SHADOW KEPT ME ALIVE DURING THE WORST TIME OF MY JOB IT REALLY KEPT ME GOING I SWEAR