The damp sand, the sound of the sea crashing against the shore, the gentle sea air hitting his face at a constant rhythm, the smell of salt in the air, and the sun illuminating the entire landscape were not enough to calm his racing heartbeat. Something was on his mind, an urgency to do something. As he looked at the beach ahead, Jimin realized that he wasn't alone. Two people were with him and, no matter how hard he tried to identify their features, their faces were blurred, as if they were covered in a dense fog. He did, however, notice that they were a man and a woman.

— We need to decide now. There's no turning back if we stick to the plan. Are you sure what you're about to do, Christian?

           It took Jimin a few moments to realize that the woman was staring at him, waiting for an answer. "My name isn't Christian. Why are you calling me that?" he thought. She continued to watch him, however, shaking her right leg in a sign of nervousness.

           — I don't have a choice — Jimin felt his throat move with the answer, but it wasn't his voice he heard. It was thicker and firmer. He hadn't given his brain any commands to say that either. It was then that he looked at his own hands and realized that they were larger than usual. He touched his face and felt the roughness of his scruffy beard. It wasn't on his own body.

           — I need to find out what they're hiding so much — said the voice, not his own, before everything went dark.

 

✧✧✧

 

Jimin was still in a trance between the world of dreams and reality when he felt something moist and rough hit his cheek first and then spread to the rest of his face. He continued to lie there, assuming that the sensation was coming from his imagination, but opened his eyes when something pressed against his chest. Staring down at him with its tongue sticking out of its mouth excitedly and wagging its tail was the dog they had rescued the night before. When he realized he had woken up, the animal him frantically again, a fit of saliva and affection.

— Hey, hey, easy there — Jimin lifted his torso and sat up, managing to push away the dog who was staring at him enthusiastically — You look fine — as if it could understand him, the little animal began to run around the bed, rubbing against the sheets and twirling after its tail.

— A puncture in the morning — he grumbled as he got up and examined the dog, which remained sitting while Jimin touched its body. The wounds no longer presented any risk and were already forming scabs that would protect the wound until the skin recovered.

— I need to think about what I'm going to do with you — the dog moved closer, rested his front paws on Jimin's chest, and lined up his head, almost like a hug. Jimin was surprised by the movement and its fur. It was then that he noticed that the animal was filthy, just like himself. The towel he had set aside the night before to bathe himself was lying on the floor.

Jimin carefully moved the animal away from the bed, opened the bedroom door, and stuck his head out, noticing that there were no monitors or cadets in the corridors. He closed the door and ran down the corridor of the building towards the bathroom. There was no one there. Back in his room, Jimin found the dog sitting on the floor, wagging his tail when he saw him come in.

— We need a bath. You and me — Jimin picked up the towel from the floor and grabbed another from the closet. In one swift movement, he put the dog on his lap – the animal wasn't big or small, so carrying it wasn't a challenge – grabbed his toiletries, and headed for the bathroom again, hoping no one would see him. As soon as he got there, he ran to the cabin and locked the door, gasping for breath as he ran. He put his things on the small acrylic shelf next to him and let go of the dog, who stared at him with doubt in his eyes.

— Try not to bark, please — he said as he the shower and the animal scampered away, crashing into the cabin door. I'm not going to hurt you — Jimin crouched down and calmly led the dog into the water. At first, the animal struggled to get out of Jimin's hands, but relaxed after a few seconds. He shook his body, splashing water everywhere, opened his mouth to bite the air, and jumped around happily. When it barked for the first time, all of Jimin's senses were heightened and his heart raced.

— Shiiuu. Remember our agreement? No barking — the animal sat and stared at him, remaining silent, as if it understood the command. Jimin poured some shampoo on its body and washed it carefully so as not to open up the healing wounds. He then moved the animal away and removed his filthy, torn clothes. As he bathed, the water that fell over his body took on shades of brown and red, both from the dirt and the dried blood soaked into his arms, legs, and hair.

The hot steam relaxed his muscles, restored his energy and Jimin sighed several times during the bath. As much as he wanted to stay there for hours, he knew he couldn't push his luck. No one had entered the bathroom and the dog was calm, but both things could change in the blink of an eye.

Jimin turned off the shower, wrapped the towel around his waist and, with the other one in hand, squatted down and dried the animal. He remained silent for a few moments to see if he could pick up any signs of any other presence in the bathroom and, when he realized that they were still alone, he opened the door a crack.

— Now we just need to take it easy on the q- — before he could finish his sentence, the nameless dog shot through the door and ran out of the bathroom.

— HEY! GET BACK HERE! — Jimin ran after the animal, which was whirling around the room and marking the floor with its paw prints. The towel around his waist limited Jimin's movements, and he was easily evaded by the animal. About to catch him, the dog slipped under his legs and ran down the corridor, out of sight.

— — Jimin ran in search of the dog, leaving the bathroom and following the marks left on the floor. They led him to the staircase at the beginning of the floor and when he noticed that the little animal had come down, he despaired. Jimin paced back and forth in the corridor, thinking of the endless possibilities of that escape. Someone could find the dog and take it to their superiors, who could do who knows what with it. They could return him to the woods, which would put him at risk if there were still predators loose in the forest.

If they found out what he had done, they could punish him for it. The responsibilities he had taken on because of the Cross and Sword project weren't enough, now he would have to deal with yet another one. "What was I thinking bringing a dog I found in the middle of the forest into my room? And bathe it?" The question surfed through the sea of questions in his mind.

— Jimin? — he turned around startled to find Jungkook standing in the middle of the corridor with the caramel dog on his lap.

— Where did you find him? — Jimin approached them both, wishing like never before that he could throw the animal out of the window.

— I came to check on him and found him running down the stairs. Luckily no one saw him — said Jungkook.

— Naughty dog — the animal watched him with joy in its eyes, its tongue sticking out of its mouth as it gasped for air. It seemed to be enjoying the situation.

— Why is he wet? And why are you almost in the middle of the corridor? — Jimin's cheeks flushed when he realized he was only wearing a towel, his body almost completely exposed and his wet hair stuck to his forehead. The blush intensified when he noticed that Jungkook was looking him up and down, analyzing him with his gaze.

— The words choked in his throat and in a desperate move to stop the shameful and pathetic scene, Jimin pulled the dog off Jungkook's lap and walked towards the bedroom. Jungkook stopped outside the room and gave him a comical smile through the open door.

— Are you just going to stand there? — asked Jimin, annoyed.

— I think you need some privacy to change, don't you? Unless you want my company while you take off your towel — his smile widened even more. Jimin ran to the door and slammed it shut, hearing Jungkook's laughter echoing outside. He was so embarrassed by the scene that he couldn't organize his thoughts. He hated feeling this mental confusion and he hated even more the embarrassment it spread through his body. Jimin leaned his back on the closet, took a few deep breaths, and calmed his mind.

He got dressed in a dark gray sweatshirt and black pants, put on his slippers, and dried off the dog, who then scampered around the room, sniffing every corner. Jimin took the dirty bedspread off the bed, threw it in the back of the closet, and opened the bedroom door, inviting Jungkook in. He was waiting on the other side of the corridor, his arms crossed and his back against the wall.

— That was one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen. Thanks for that, it brightened up my morning — commented the young man as he sat down in the chair in front of the desk and the dog, who greeted the visitor with frantic tails.

— It's good to know that you enjoy my humiliation.

— A little — Jimin rolled his eyes and went back to concentrating on drying and combing his hair.

— Have you decided what you're going to do with it? — I have no idea. We can't just abandon it in the forest, but I also find it difficult to keep it here. It must be against the rules to have an animal in the army barracks.

— If it were possible to keep him, would you accept?

— I don't know. I've never had a pet. In fact, few people in the Cocoon have ever lived with one.

— If you want, we can talk to Lanna.

— She'll refuse our request without even hearing it — said Jimin, finishing combing his hair back.

— It can't hurt to try. Being part of the project should give us some leverage in the negotiations — suggested Jungkook.

Jimin stood in front of the mirror, looking at the dog through its reflection in the object. Despite the work he had done in the morning, the animal seemed happy to be there. Whether it was the little caramel eyes that hadn't stopped shining since he woke up or the prospect of not being left alone in his room during his stay in the army, Jimin had grown fond of him. Maybe animals were his weak point.

— All right, then. We'll give it a try. But you talk to her.

— No problem — Jungkook went back to the dog.

— Does this mean we need to give him a name?

— Haven't you thought of one yet? How about Jorge? Or Paulo? Or better still, José!

— Those are the worst name suggestions I've ever seen — Jimin approached them both, stared at the animal for a few moments, and remembered the chaos it had generated in the wee hours of the morning.

— Storm. He's going to be called Storm — the dog wagged his tail as if he liked the choice. Jimin his head and he closed his eyes as he received the affection.

— Ah, you got it too — said Jungkook, getting up and walking towards the door.

— Got what? — Jimin followed him with his gaze and saw him lift from the floor an aqua—green invitation with golden orders. He hadn't noticed the object in the room, as it had been out by the whirlwind of events that had taken place when he woke up.

— I found an invitation identical to this one under the door as soon as I woke up — said Jungkook, handing him the envelope. Jimin took out a yellow and black card.

 

 

When he had finished reading, he checked to see if there was anything on the back of the card or the envelope, but the message was the only information available.

— Has everyone been invited to this event?

— I don't know, but I'm excited to see the Operational Center. Not just anyone is allowed to enter the building — confessed Jungkook.

Unlike the boy, Jimin wasn't enthusiastic about the idea of a party whose purpose was to celebrate the Cross and Sword Project. With this theme, they would both be the center of attention, which gave him chills just imagining it. He didn't know who would be at the event, but he guess