Jimin was up in an instant, sitting on the ground, electrified by the danger he was in and unaware of how long he had been out. His senses took a while to wake up and the still warm body of the dead wolf slid to the right as soon as he stood up. The space around him reflected the chaos of his appearance, animal and human blood scattered everywhere, spots where the grass had been turned over and mixed with the earth, some pieces of the fabric of his long-sleeved blouse torn by the ground. His arm, which until then had been injured, with muscles torn and punctured by the wolf's bite, was in perfect condition. The only evidence of what had happened was the dried blood on the limb.

He thanked the heavens for his power and for coming out unscathed from that violent attack, which sent shivers down his spine as he remembered the animal's furious gaze and the pain he felt when he was bitten. He was also grateful to the survival instinct, responsible for the clumsy and effective blows that had kept him alive in that bestial contest. Jimin rubbed a hand over his eyes and stared at the caramel-colored dog a few meters ahead, lying motionless except for its slow breathing. He took a few seconds to get up, his legs shaking as he did so and crawled over to the animal.

About to check on the dog, a faint, painful howl prompted him to look over and find Jungkook sitting on top of a wolf, his sword embedded in the beast's chest. Around him, four other wolves lay dead, some with limbs separated from their bodies. Jungkook stared at him and, even from a distance, he could interpret the sad, exhausted look on the boy's face, who didn't seem happy about ending the lives of animals that were just following their instincts. Leaving the dog behind, but not without checking that it needed help but would survive, Jimin walked towards the fighter and hurried his pace as he saw the situation the boy was in.

The battle he had been involved in was no match for what seemed to have happened to him. The surroundings were destroyed, some places with gaping holes in the ground, and the amount of blood on the ground was such that the grass seemed to be originally red rather than green. Dodging a decapitated wolf, Jimin reached the warrior and was startled by his injuries. All over his body, long, deep scratches marked the skin, very close to vital points, such as the one that started at the bottom of his cheek and went down to within a few millimeters of his left eye. His torn clothes exposed the bites on the side of his abdomen, legs, and back. Hair damp with blood and sweat hid a shallow cut on his skull.

However, the situation of Jungkook's right arm left him speechless with disbelief, triggering all the warnings in his mind: the limb was in living flesh, some parts with exposed bones, the hand dangled in front of the broken wrist, and the pinky was connected to the hand only by a thin layer of muscle, almost severed. Jimin took a deep breath, contained his terrified feelings, helped the boy off the dead wolf, and laid him on the ground, his body protesting in pain from the effort he was making. Jungkook seemed anesthetized and Jimin knew that he was only alive thanks to his powers. Any ordinary human being in that situation would already be dead from blood loss.

— J-Jimin — said the boy, his lower lip cut and trembling, his voice as weak as a whisper — I tried to protect you. I-I'm sorry.

— You don't have to apologize — Jimin wasn't wearing the ring that helped him pierce himself and gain access to the healing powers, so he looked for the dagger and found it meters away, impossible to reach. Jungkook's sword, however, was nearby, and, closing his hand around the blade, he felt the cold metal cut into his palm and fingers, blood dripping down the weapon. Jimin spread his blood over the combatant's exposed wounds, connecting to his body within moments.

Despite his deplorable physical state, calm and gentleness came over him as he established the connection. He promptly began the healing process, focusing first on stopping the continuous bleeding and then on restoring torn and ruptured muscles. Jimin used his hands to guide the abilities, commanding the cells through them. He hadn't healed half of what he needed to and exhaustion had caught up with him and he didn't have enough energy to continue, exhausted by the fight he had fought, but he wasn't going to stop. He remembered the times when Jungkook had seemed to go out of his way to protect them during the training sessions with the soldiers and he looked to those memories for the strength to carry on.

He wasn't counting the minutes, but he knew it was taking longer than usual to heal him. When the wounds on his body were resolved, Jimin concentrated on his arm. While he was restoring the muscles, skin, and broken bones, he felt his energy being away at an unbelievable rate, and he had to breathe harder to keep going. When he had finished, his finger still in critical condition, Jimin stopped for a moment and rested his hands on the floor, his breathing labored and his vision blurred. In a normal situation, he could solve all those problems without such fatigue, but he knew that battle, self-healing and now dealing with complex injuries demanded a lot from his body.

— Jimin — Jungkook sat up slowly, groaning as he tried to stay in that position — Don't push yourself so hard. You've already done too much.

He ignored the comment and kept his eyes closed for a moment, focused on not losing the connection with the other's body and seeking energy in some part of his being. A moment later, he looked at the other person and saw a tired, downcast, mild look and a simple smile of gratitude. Even in that situation, he could feel the warmth that overflowed from the other person, an invitation to lay down his worries there and live in tranquillity. Jimin sighed and held Jungkook's injured hand, returning his focus to recovering his almost severed finger. It was the most difficult healing he'd done since he'd received his powers, either because of the immense fatigue or the complexity of restoring the connection between the finger and the boy's hand.

When he had finished, Jimin didn't realize he was holding his breath and lost control of his body, requiring Jungkook to hold him against his chest before he fell to the ground. He remained in that position for minutes, the heat and the rhythmic sound of the fighter's heartbeat making him forget, even for a short time, what had just happened.

Jimin stood up with what little energy he had managed to recover and gave a weak smile.

— Maybe this isn't the best time, but I'm proud of you. Your fight with the wolf was epic — commented Jungkook.

— Were you able to watch me as I fought the other wolves?

— Not much, but enough to see the ferocity with which you fought. If we keep up the nightly training, I think you might even beat me — he joked, smiling with his eyes. Jimin felt his cheeks flush at the compliment.

— You were the one who dealt with most of them. Thanks for that, too.

— I'm the one who needs thanking. What you just did was impressive, Jimin. I almost lost a finger and you managed to put it back.

— It was nothing. I'm glad you owe me one.

— It's okay — replied Jungkook and they both smiled slightly, their bodies still recovering from the battle.

— I was careless — the boy spoke again, this time staring at his own hands — I didn't want to hurt the animals and I restrained my movements, but they went in for the kill. I made a mistake in underestimating the situation and I paid the price for it.

Jungkook looked at the caramel dog, still motionless on the ground.

— Is he alive?

— Yes, but he'll need help. We're going to have to take him to my room and take care of some wounds. If I told you that you'd have to go to the veterinary building and steal some gas and medicine, would you think I was crazy?

— Of course, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't support it.

Jimin nodded, massaged his neck, and crawled to Jungkook's side, looking up at the cloud—filled sky.

— Our first fight together. I mean, the first real one. Risking our lives and stuff — he said.

— We did well, didn't we? I'm glad you're here, Jimin, even more so knowing that you're a mobile ambulance ready to come to my rescue — Jimin punched Jungkook lightly on the shoulder, who put his hand on the spot and feigned a giant pain that didn't exist — How can you hurt the person you've just healed?

— You deserved it — they both laughed and it was only then that Jimin realized he was still holding Jungkook's hand. As soon as he realized it, he let go and made a tremendous effort to stand up, his legs still wobbly from lack of energy. Jimin started walking slowly towards the caramel dog and stopped halfway, his body frozen with fear and dread, the moment he heard howls coming from the forest.

— It's not possible — whispered Jungkook as he stood up and approached, also terrified. Jimin turned to the same spot where the wolves had previously emerged from and, as the bushes rustled, two more beasts came into view, more irritated and angrier than their former adversaries.

— Holy — the curse was a reflection of the panic that seized every vein in his body. He had been scared the first time he had faced them, but he believed he could fight the wolves and come out alive. This time, exhausted and exhausted, he doubted they would be able to fight one, let alone two of them.

— We need to run and find a way out. Now — despair overflowed with the words and, at that moment, Jimin realized that Jungkook also thought that they wouldn't make it out alive.

— I can't run, I don't have the strength — he confessed. He also didn't like the idea of leaving the dog lying on the ground a few meters behind the boys. They huddled together, one next to the other, trying to think of something that would save them from that situation. The wolves walked towards them, their mouths half-closed and their canines bared, furious at the death of their fellows.

— My swords — his weapons were far away and if he tried to run to them, he would be caught in a deadly attack. Jimin's dagger, however, was next to the young man's foot, who grabbed it and placed it in Jungkook's hands.

— You know how to use it better than me.

— And how are you going to protect yourself?

— I don't know, maybe with my hands, but we'll have a better chance of surviving if you have this — the fighter was reluctant to accept, but he knew it was the most logical thing to do at that moment. The animals, sensing the movement of their prey, didn't give them another second to organize themselves and snarled. Jimin sighed and felt trapped in a repetition, once again facing death and his body protesting in terror. Jungkook stepped forward, positioning the dagger close to his chest. He knew that the boy was in no condition to face the animals, his slumped posture and trembling legs testifying to his exhaustion, but he knew that he would try until the end.

Jimin took a deep breath and b