Thread by @Mirana_Khysa, - 7 - - 8 - 9. Taehyung’s breath puffs in front [...]

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9. Taehyung’s breath puffs in front of him in small clouds, the chill of the morning wrapping around his body as he makes his way towards the center of town.

The town he lives in now is a quiet, small one. He had to move away from the busyness of the metropolis, too many headaches and sleepless nights. However this town, as small as it is, it’s also old, and that can pose its own problems.

The road is mostly empty, passing by a park where a few singing birds can be heard. Taehyung pulls his scarf higher up the bridge of his nose, nuzzling the fabric in hopes of finding some warmth

/Don’t worry, you’ll be cold forever soon./

The boy freezes. Looks around. Nothing. The streets are mostly empty save for a few passing byers.

/Never alone./

Taehyung shakes his head, continuing on his way. It’s cold this October, colder than any before. Or maybe that’s just Taehyung, he’s never enjoyed the cold. But it’s fine, the coldness of his chest will be gone soon.

The town square finally comes into view, the old stone fountain in the middle drained of water. A few pigeons pick at some seeds around it, as a child rushes forward to scare them.

A moment like this would have warmed Taehyung's heart once. Now he just stares, void of emotions.

The man moves to sit down on one of the benches circling the fountain, the old wood gently creaking beneath his weight. It’s cold in October.

His thoughts are swarming his mind. /Help. /Destroyer. /Seeker. /Brother./Monster. /Lover. /Broken. /Crystal remedy./

Taehyung snorts, head tipping back to look at the clouds mapping the sky, a few birds chasing each other. “There is no help or love for the wicked”.

His eyelids drift down, blocking the world around him and surrounding him in a blanket of darkness. His thoughts are silent here, the darkness too deafening to focus on anything else. But...it’s safe.

He doesn’t know how much he spends like that, peaceful like that dead, his consciousness far away from this world. Could have been minutes...could have been hours. A stone doesn’t care for time.

A soft breeze wakes him up, as if someone passed by right in front of him. He opens his eyes slowly, gaze adjusting to the still sky as his mind struggles to pick up his thoughts again. Taehyung straightens his back up, muscles and bones popping with the effort after laying still

He checks his watch. 11:00.

Just as he moves to stand, his eyes notice something placed next to him. A rock at a first glance. A crystal upon further inspection. Taehyung studies it for a bit, before gazing around him for a potential culprit.

The stone definitely wasn't there when he first sat down, over two hours ago

Unfortunately, he finds himself alone. Taehyung regards the crystal again. It's small, made of a union of golden, orange and yellow hues. Not opaque but not clear either. He should go, there's no reason to stay here.

Someone must have misplaced it and will surely come back for it. And yet, he can’t move from his spot, an unseen force rooting him in place.

His arm extends, hand hovering a few millimeters above the gem. Taehyung swears he’s going insane. He can almost feel the energies of the stone seeping into his hand, making their way upwards.