“There is a sickness inside you.

Always. 

Lurking and waiting to attack when you are loneliest.

In those pitch black nights when you leave the curtains undrawn so the moon and stars can embrace your darkness like it does the sky; you gaze outside, eyes cloudy but vision clear. You think no one understands but actually, it’s too hard to explain. So you remain still with hitched breaths; counting to ten or maybe one thousand, yearning for sleep to last forever. But you cannot count well because the thoughts are terrifying, the sickness is strangling.

You struggle against the sickness, but one day it gets you and your world sees the real you.

Shock comes first, but then you learn to face yourself. You realise the world will never accept you, so you create your own world inside your mind. You dance with the sickness until one day, it defines you.

They distinguish you as sick, but you were only a victim of loneliness.

You needed someone to help -there was always someone to help- but they didn’t do enough.

So you take revenge on them for not helping you as much.

Then, they hate you too.

Your world hates you and that’s the worst feeling.

Finally, you try to run away from your sickness because it made you hurt the only one who loved you.

But now, the sickness wants you; it isn’t done with devouring your mind, body and soul.

That, my friends; that sickness is called Wither.

An evil attachment; the obsession which drains all goodness from you, makes you do bad things to those you love, it is entirely Wither’s doing.

And Wither is inside Jimin, it is his personality which comes alive at night.

But Jimin hasn’t let Wither define him yet.

He wakes up every single day, not knowing why he is still breathing. He doesn’t know who Jimin is. He only knows the voices in his mind - the ones which were created to be his friends when he had no one.

You see, Jimin was born with a gift. Believe it or not, his gift was empathy.

Unusual levels of empathy with people who are kind to him. This level of empathy means he can sense a location, personality, or empty space and immediately recall the precise incidents which took place.

Thus, he can read minds of those he empathises with.

He can see who they really are.”

“Minie, I’m always here for you.”

“Why aren’t you letting me in then?”

“Because you will hate me.”

“I - I can never hate you Yoongi. Please let me in your mind...let me touch your heart. Stop detaching, stop resisting, please.”

White lights suddenly blared as both boys were grabbed by the hair and thrown into seperate rooms for the mind control conditioning.

They didn’t know how long the electrocution would last, but Jimin vows to set them free.

Set them all free.

As bedtime approached, Yoongi turned to Jimin, “Can you do something for me.”

“Anything.”

“Kill them all.”

And with that, he passed the younger a paper. It had a drawing on it.

The problem is; Wither is bloodthirsty. Wither wants revenge and will plot anything to achieve it.

* * *

A blood curdling shriek broke the boy’s recurring dreams as he slowly opened his eyes and yawned, brushing back his dull blonde hair in the process. Checking his bedside alarm clock, it was 6.30 am on a Tuesday morning.

It was Hyemin and she sounded distressed. No one knew where Jisoo had run off to and this was the third night since.

Pushing off his duvet, Jimin drew circles over his collarbone. His fingers traced the silver cross around his neck as he smiled, before throwing on a white t-shirt. Still in black shorts, he stepped out of his room, purposely avoiding the full body mirror.

The sun was up as were the early birds.

Soft crying got louder as Jimin approached the kitchen. As usual, his steps were so quiet that no one realised his presence.

“I just know she’s calling out for me. I know my J-Jisoo...she’s never left home...” Hyemin cried.

Taejin was comforting her as was the beautiful Jungkook.

 “Jungkookie try get a bit more shut eye, it’s a school day,” Taejin reassured the boy who had an arm around his mother.

“No. I can’t...I, I keep on having nightmares about her, I know she needs me. She needs her big brother,” he replied, rubbing Hyemin’s arm softly.

Jimin frowned, Jungkook needs to rest.

Taejin wiped tears away whilst thinking of another precious child who ran away, “I’ll drive around town again before heading to the station.”

As though Jungkook could sense Taejin’s mind, he turned to the man. “Taehyung is so broken. And you let him go. He can’t survive in his state.”

Taejin froze.

He knows where the boy is, naturally Hoseok had let him know amidst hundreds of phone calls that evening he slapped his son. Hoseok told Taejin that the lonely boy had gone to live with his mum and Taejin knew it wasn’t good for anyone. But most importantly, he knows how soft Taehyung’s heart is.

He wants his boy back, the joy and pride of his eyes. The boy who inherited an angel’s heart. Taejin regrets mistreating his son and hopes one day he will forgive him.

Taejin misses Taehyung, but now that Jisoo’s whereabouts are unknown, finding her is the priority.

Jimin scrutinised the three of them carefully and sighed. He wishes he could tell them the truth, that Jisoo never belonged here. But, he would be labelled as the evil guy like always.

“Hey buddy, you ok?” It was Taejin.

He placed a heavy hand on Jimin’s shoulder as the boy pointed an eyebrow at the direction of touch.

“I can help you search if you like.”

Taejin smiled, “It’s okay Jimin. You get ready for school...how is it anyway?”

“Huh?”

“How is school going?”

“Oh. Yes, it’s great.”

Jungkook overheard the reply and frowned. No it wasn’t. Everyone was still mourning over the loss of Jackson. How could Taejin not know? How could none of the parents even care about what was happening in school? Did the teachers not say anything?

Taejin nodded before walking out, “Okay. That’s nice to hear son.”

Jimin held back a laugh at the fake conversation before snatching one last look at Jungkook.

The younger gawked at Jimin before dropping his gaze.

Jimin walked over and Jungkook’s cheek, “Get ready for school. We can hang in the fields for a bit, eh?”

The touch was warm as the boy’s conflicting thoughts subsided, “Yeah, sounds good,” turning to Hyemin who was staring into the distance, “Don’t worry. She will return safe and sound.”

Once the younger was up the stairs, Jimin took a seat around the breakfast tabletop.

Hyemin sniffed, “You should get some rest too. You must be-”

Jimin cut her off, “I had a sister too.”

The woman turned to her foster son, forcing a smile, “Where is she?”

“I don’t know.”

Hyemin took his hand as the boy stiffened, “What was her name?”

Jimin’s eyes rounded innocently, “Jisoo. Her name was Jisoo.”

Silence erupted like a volcano as the woman collected her thoughts. As though Jimin was a mirror of the pain she felt, she began opening up her deepest, darkest fear.

“Jimin, this area...so many children have gone missing over the years. There were so many news r-reports. The children were kidnapped and used...no one knows why,” she whispered frantically.

The boy gulped before taking a deep breath, “What do you mean?”

She hesitated, “Six years ago, a huge fire killed the kidnapped children,” she assessed Jimin’s shocked expression, “Oh ignore me Jimin, I’m just talking crazy,” she cried after every sentence.

Only if ignoring was that simple. All of a sudden, vivid flashing images crossed his eyes, children sobbing, screaming, and crying for help, electric shocks penetrating midnight silence every single day.

Pushing his chair back violently, Jimin stood up, “Stop!” He yelled unknowingly, letting his guard down for the first time in many months.

Hyemin stood up with shock, “Jimin, I-”

But the boy was already out of the front door, he needed fresh air; he needed to breathe.

The noises attracted a messily dressed Jungkook who came breezing down the stairs, “What happened?!”

“I...Go after him! See if he’s okay!”

Running out, a confused Jungkook looked both ways before spotting a head of light hair. He ran towards Jimin who had already stopped. He could already sense Jungkook, “I’m okay. I needed air.”

But his voice was quivering.

Rounding his doe eyes and blinking rapidly, Jungkook leant into Jimin and hugged his pain away.

“I don’t know what happened, but I know it isn’t easy living here with us. Please, don’t you run away too. Family makes a house a home and our home has been getting emptier lately,” he sniffled into the elder’s shoulder.

Jimin doesn’t know why he’s feeling so emotional for never has he felt this way in years, but he too cried that morning. He shed a tear on Jungkook’s neck whilst wishing he could unsee everything he saw in his life.

* * *

“Hey Taehyung, is everything okay?”

Looking up, said boy nodded once before continuing to nibble at his lunch.

Sitting down opposite him with her lunch tray, Irene smiled at the lone boy. “It’s good to see you back after so long.”

Nodding again, Taehyung took a huge bite of his sandwich.

Realising he was feeling down, Irene ate her lunch in silence. She just wants to give him company since everyone was whispering mean things about Kim Taehyung. An anonymous video was posted online, showing the boy collecting his drunken mother from a stripper club. But as usual, it was taken out of context. She needed work and the bar paid well.

He doesn’t care anymore. He forgot what life was like as a student. He forgot about keeping up appearances.

Irene passed him his favourite dessert, chocolate pudding.

Smirking, “Why are you being nice to me? Shouldn’t you be joining them in laughing at my expense?” He questioned.

Fanning her bangs, “And why would I do that? I just want to make sure you’re doing well.”

Looking up with wide eyes, “Jheeze Irene, it’s only a video. I don’t care.”

Raising her eyebrows, “I’m talking about Jackson.”

“Oh yeah. That. It’s such a shame, honestly,” looking up nervously, “I know you two were dating. It should be me asking you-”

Just then, the canteen door swung open as in strolled Jungkook and Jimin, looking merrier than ever. Arms flung around each other, the noise instantly died down and if Taehyung was correct in noting; some students seemed intimidated by the sudden presence. The football jocks scowled at the boys but they didn’t start a fight.

Majorly confused, “Irene, what’s the deal with that?”

The pretty girl tied her hair back before scooping rice and soup, “Seems as though Jackson’s power transferred to your brothers. Everyone’s scared they’ll be gone next if they get on the wrong side of JJ.”

“JJ?”

“Dumb right? It’s their nickname, group name? I find it so lame,” she replied eloquently.

Taehyung frowned, but something sunk in the pits of his belly, “So everyone thinks it was them who did it? What about teachers?”

She clenched her jaw, “They have no evidence and no witnesses. It’s been treated as a dog attack.”

Taehyung watched their actions. This bond wasn’t good for anyone. But his heart aches the most at seeing someone else by Jungkook’s side, seeing the stranger standing where Taehyung once stood before a series of unexplained events distanced them.

A weight disrupted his thoughts.

“ed up right?” Hoseok growled, sliding in beside Taehyung.

Turning angrily, “What the Hoseok? I leave for a few weeks and this happens?” His fists curled automatically whilst watching the two choose matching lunches.

Sensing trouble, “Don’t do anything irrational Tae.”

“I second that. They’ve done stupid things together lately,” Irene remarked, ignoring Hoseok’s silent hand gestures. “What? He should know they’ve been taking Class A illegal drugs,” she emphasised. As head girl, she should’ve informed the teachers but didn’t. Telling Taehyung acted as compensation.

Taehyung turned to the two of them furiously, his soft hair bouncing, “What?! The have you been hiding from me? Tell me everything god dammit!”

A couple of students turned their way. 

“What?!” Hoseok and Irene simultaneously shouted menacingly. The students jumped and bent their heads down.

“Look Taehyung, they’ve just been acting up because they’re young and...”

But Hoseok was cut short as saucer sized fireballs were constantly fixated upon ‘JJ’ taking seats in the far corner until Taehyung stood