— The high-priority queue is almost full — announced a soldier at the entrance to the tarpaulin where Jimin, Dante, and Mandy were looking after another patient with a serious medical condition. The patient lying on the stretcher had been trampled in the chest during the escape and had fractured some bones in his chest, almost puncturing his heart. It only took a little over a minute and more concentration for Jimin to heal the wound. When he regained consciousness, the man stared at him as if he were seeing an angel whose wings shone in vivid shades of white and gold. He had lost count of how many people he had saved since arriving at the camp and yet everyone's reaction when he finished healing them was the same: a mixture of amazement, disbelief, and gratitude.

Jimin didn't blame them. Putting himself in their shoes, he would also have been intrigued that, in a matter of seconds, they had gone from absurd pain, exposed wounds, and dislocated limbs to a perfect state of health. The doctors, however, no longer saw it as a novelty and began to help with care to alleviate the serious condition until Jimin could take care of the patient. Dante and Mandy acted as if they were senior professionals, not only softening the risks of the injuries but also calming the arriving civilians and allowing the healing process to be easier, without the need to fight the feelings of despair that flooded him when he connected with the person's body.

— Next — Jimin rubbed his forehead to dry the sweat that had accumulated there and took advantage of the few seconds he had before the next patient arrived to close his eyes, relax his shoulders, and take a deep breath. He was tired. It felt like he had run a long marathon.

— Are you all right? — Dante whispered in his ear, placing his hand next to the knee that Jimin was using to support himself on the floor.

— Yeah, I'm just a bit tired. I think I need some water — as soon as he finished his sentence, his friend hurried off the tarpaulin and returned with a glass of water just as doctors were carrying an unconscious woman with cuts on the side of her head. About to press his thumb against the sharp part of the ring and start the healing process, Dante held his hand and pressed the glass against it.

— Water first, powers later — he sat down next to him and only softened his hard gaze and arched eyebrows when Jimin had finished drinking the liquid.

As he connected with the lady's body, Jimin breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that the cuts were superficial and there was no damage to her skull or brain, so it wouldn't take long to take care of her. Gradually, as more people were brought in and taken away, the wounds became softer and required less time and energy.

— Thank you very much — the woman holding her son's hands as he sat on the makeshift stretcher – the boy had deep scratches on both legs – threw her whole body against Jimin's and hugged him tightly, squeezing his neck, rocking him from side to side and staying that way for a while. When he pulled away, tears streamed down his gray dusty cheeks, leaving streaks wherever they went.

— It was terrifying to see my son in that state, unable to walk because of the pain in his legs. I thought I was going to lose him, but you changed that. I don't know what you've done, but I'll never be able to thank you enough — the woman stood up with the child, with no trouble standing, and bowed her torso and head to Jimin, greeting him as if he were a mystical entity.

— That's not necessary, ma'am — Jimin stood up and helped the woman to straighten up and stop the exaggerated bowing. It was extremely uncomfortable to receive this kind of quasi-religious thanks, as if she were worshipping a god. Jimin didn't want to see himself in that position — I'm glad I could help. The soldiers outside will guide you from now on.

The woman hugged him again, this time more quickly, and walked towards the tarpaulin entrance. Before leaving, the child turned and waved to Jimin with a toothy grin on his face. The sunlight intensified and the bright rays hit both figures, reflecting in the little boy's tear-filled light brown eyes. The mother followed their movements and also waved goodbye. Those two people, victims of an immense fatality that would leave its mark on the history of each of them, smiled happily and contentedly. They were relieved. Healthy. Alive. And all because of Jimin's powers.

On that afternoon of disaster and terror, he prevented many people from leaving that plane prematurely and becoming statistics in later surveys of the deaths resulting from the invasion of the Devoured. They were alive, they could feel love, joy, sadness, happiness, disappointment, fulfillment, fear, courage, and anger. They could build their futures and enjoy the unpredictable and incredible events that happened along life's journey. They were still breathing in and out of oxygen. Their hearts were still beating. They weren't wrapped in plastic, inert like empty hulls. Everyone you had cared for in the last few hours was still alive. Alive. Jimin had prevented a cruel and unjust death. He had made it possible for dreams to still be possible and not turn into nightmares of loss. And then Jimin cried.

He felt the tears run down his cheeks and collect on the mask that covered his mouth and nose. When he agreed to be part of the Project, his ambitions were selfish and personal, he just wanted to help his mother, cure her degenerative disease, provide a better life for both of them, build a world where they would be safe and enjoy peace. That opportunity was nothing more than a tool to make him stand out in the army to the point of demanding favors from the organization. Jimin just wanted to achieve his own goals.

However, his heart squeezed as he realized how petty and limited he had been, overlooking the real impact he could have with the power to heal any injury or illness. He forgot that other people could share in the suffering he felt when he noticed the consequences of his mother's illness, feeling imposing in the face of the painful future that lay ahead for the most important person in his life. There were probably many Jimins around Cocoon and he was capable of helping them all.

Jimin had always worried too much about the future. Before he decided to become a doctor, and even afterwards, he often suffered from anxiety when he thought about the different paths he could take and, consequently, the different realities he could build for himself. He spent hours at night tossing and turning in bed and bombarding his brain with questions that agonized his soul: Is this really what I want? What am I? Am I going to be happy? Am I good enough for it? What if it goes wrong? But what if it works out? Will I regret it? Will I achieve my dreams? What are my dreams? What will happen to me in 5 years? And in 10? 20?

All these questions, however, became meaningless in the face of death. There were no possibilities when death came. It undermined all prospects and led to only one destination: the end. The people he healed would still be able to think about each of those questions, reflect on them, and choose the most diverse and different paths. And all because they were still alive. His powers didn't just involve healing. They enabled existence. As long as they were alive, there were no limits to who they could be. Jimin granted a future to those who might not have one if they remained injured. This realization, while increasing the burden he carried with him, filled every corner of his body with happiness, energy, and purpose. He was going to save as many people as he could, no matter what he had to do.

— High priority queue empty. In a few minutes, three hospital trucks will arrive, but for now no one in the camp is at risk of death — announced another soldier at the entrance to the tarpaulin. Some medics breathed a sigh of relief, others sat on the ground and threw their heads back or prayed in silence.

— Good work, guys. Don't let your guard down, but we can breathe for a moment — Barbara looked at everyone there and finally at Jimin, nodding and whispering "excellent job".

— You were incredible, Jimin. I'm impressed — as soon as Dante approached, Jimin dried the tears on his cheeks with the sleeve of his lab coat, lowered the mask from his face, and did his best to pull himself together.

— I had already seen your powers in action, but only now do I understand how important they are. Thank you for allowing me to be by your side — Mandy had lowered her mask and was smiling from top to toe, even though her gaze exuded exhaustion.

— We are incredible. Without you, I wouldn't be able to do anything — Mandy and Dante's presence brought comfort to a stressful situation like that and Jimin mentally thanked the universe for their company.

 

Jungkook

 

I need to save my family.

I need to save my family.

I need to save my family.

 

These were the only thoughts that had been swirling around Jungkook's mind since he received the news of the Modifieds' invasion of the Polaris district. His district. The place where he grew up, lived through good times and bad, learned to be who he was, played in the fields with his sister, helped his mother look after the house. He knew his neighbors, the people who passed through the area to work, the few business owners. And they could all be dead by now. What stopped him from collapsing completely and giving in to the depths of despair was Jimin, who was with him the whole way and helped him make it almost in one piece to the helicopter that brought them to the area.

The warmth that radiated from his hands when he held yours, the way he massaged your wrist with his thumb, the shy but convinced smile he gave you when you looked at him and the constant whispers of "I'm here, it's going to be okay, we'll be able to help your family" were anchors that kept him connected to reality, while preventing him from sinking into the sea of despair and giving in to the most absurd and terrible thoughts that popped into his mind.

Jimin had cared for him even at his recent farewell. Despite the boy's trembling legs, his gaze was still firm and full of affection. Jungkook knew about the other's insecurities and assumed that his beloved was fighting internal battles against them, but it was clear how he put that aside to help him. In the end, he was selfless enough to ask Jungkook to look after Tania.

She and Pedro were sitting next to him, swaying in front of the uneven road the jeep was passing at the moment and talking about strategies they could use if certain situations arose. The two of them had been chosen to make up his squad on the first day of the fighters' training and the selection criterion adopted by Mattheu was performance. Pedro was an expert marksman and strategist and Tania looked like a goddess of war, strong, fast, decisive, talented, good at hand-to-hand combat and handling weapons.

Having them as partners in a situation like that was a tremendous of luck, but they were still ordinary human beings. They weren't genetically modified to gain strength, speed or accelerated regeneration. Take care of Tania for me. Jimin's voice echoed through his mind, reminding him of what he needed to do and the importance of not letting disturbing thoughts about his family get in the way of his mission.

He had never felt more like punching someone in the face than Commander Ronald, sitting in the front seat, when he told him about the plans for the East Zone. A simple rubble dam on the bridge that connected the area to the rest of the district would not be enough to contain the advance of the Modifieds. It was risky and irresponsible not to think of something to get the people out safely. They were marooned at the mercy of weak