Y/N's footsteps echoed through the empty streets as she ran, her heart pounding with each step. She didn't know where she was going, only that she had to move, had to escape the suffocating silence that had settled over everything. Her mind was a whirlwind, spinning faster than she could comprehend, and the tears that flowed freely down her face seemed to blur her vision.
How could he do this? How could Jungkook just… leave?
The cold night air bit at her skin, but it did nothing to numb the pain inside her chest. Every breath she took felt like a jagged piece of glass, scraping against her ribs.
I won't lose him. The thought repeated itself over and over again, like a mantra she couldn't stop. She refused to believe it. She couldn't accept it. Jungkook had to come back. He had to.
She stopped, suddenly realizing that she had no idea where she was. She looked around, disoriented, her breath coming in quick, uneven gasps. The streets were unfamiliar. It was as if the city itself had shifted, pulled her into a place she didn't recognize.
It wasn't until she heard the faint sound of footsteps behind her that she snapped out of her daze.
Turning quickly, her heart leapt into her throat, but the figure that emerged from the shadows wasn't Jungkook. It was Yoongi. His face was grim, his eyes full of something Y/N couldn't place—something dark and foreboding.
"You need to stop," Yoongi said, his voice low but firm. "You're not going to find him like this."
Y/N stood frozen, her fists clenching at her sides. "I have to find him," she said, the words coming out more desperate than she intended. "I have to make him understand. I can't lose him."
Yoongi's gaze softened for a moment, but then he shook his head, as if the weight of her words were too much for him to bear. "Y/N, you don't get it, do you? You never did. This isn't about understanding. This is about survival. And the sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be."
Her heart clenched. "What are you talking about?"
Yoongi took a step forward, his eyes never leaving hers. "Jungkook's already made his decision. You think he left because of Yuri? No, it's bigger than that. He's protecting you. He's trying to keep you out of this world. The world that he can't escape. The world that's been swallowing him whole."
Y/N felt like the ground beneath her was giving way. Her breath caught in her throat. "No. That's not true. He wouldn't leave me to protect me. He wouldn't… leave me, period."
Yoongi's expression was pained, but there was no denying the truth in his words. "You don't know what he's up against, Y/N. The people he's involved with… they don't care about your love. They care about power. And right now, Jungkook is the one standing in their way. They'll do anything to break him. And they'll do anything to break you, too, if they think you're his weakness."
Y/N took a step back, her mind reeling. The pieces were starting to fall into place, but they didn't make sense. Jungkook is trying to protect me?He's keeping me away from all of this?
It didn't feel right. It didn't feel like love. It felt like a betrayal.
She shook her head, forcing herself to focus. "I don't care about their world, Yoongi. I care about him. If he's really trying to protect me, then why did he leave me in the first place?"
Yoongi sighed deeply, as if he'd been carrying this burden for far too long. "Because, Y/N, he thought this was the only way. He thought that if he kept you away from all of this, you'd be safe. But he didn't understand. He didn't understand that you would never be safe until you were with him."
Y/N's heart skipped a beat, the weight of his words crashing down on her. "What do I do now?" she asked, her voice breaking.
Yoongi was silent for a moment, before speaking softly. "You fight. You fight for him, no matter what it takes. But remember, Y/N, the fight won't be easy. Not for you, not for him. The storm is coming for both of you."