Predator | Taekook

Chapter 58

Chapter 58

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The next memory Jungkook got to see felt different. Or rather, Taehyung himself felt different. His emotions had shifted drastically. A long time had to have passed in comparison to the memory that had played in that medieval town.

Taehyung was staring at the sunset. He’d once again not been able to find Jimin. No matter how long he spent looking and no matter where it always ended up the same. Realistically Jimin was probably dead, but Taehyung wasn’t willing to just accept that. Unless he found actual proof that Jimin really wasn’t around anymore he was going to continue looking.

Jungkook realized what the emotions he hadn’t been able to recognize before were. It was loneliness. Taehyung was lonely. Not the passing kind. Just the deep feeling of being alone that had probably been gnawing at him for years, if not centuries. The only consolation to that dull pain was that Jungkook knew that Jimin wasn’t actually dead. Although Taehyung’s sadness certainly made it feel real.

For the first time in months Taehyung dove down to the place Jungkook recognized as the closest thing Taehyung had to a home. Although the descent only took a minute or so, there was barely any light left down here. They had to be at least a couple hundred meters deep.

Taehyung’s home was quite simple. There was an old shipwreck that looked like it had only sunk a couple of years ago. The metal of its frame was mostly in good condition. At least good enough that only fish could follow Taehyung inside. No larger predators. It was one of the few places Taehyung could get some proper sleep in. Right next to the shipwreck was a dramatic drop that Jungkook couldn’t see the bottom off, but based on Taehyung's feelings towards it Jungkook could tell it was even deeper than his brain could comprehend.

Small fishes started crowding around Taehyung now that he was keeping still, but he moved his tail to scare them off. He wasn’t trying to lure in sharks or other bigger predators. He had just hunted a fed a couple of hours ago. All he wanted to do now was disappear into the belly of that ship and get some real rest for the first time in months.

But before he could withdraw into his home, a loud noise pulled his attention away from it and before Taehyung could react something hit his side. A sharp pain traveled over his left and another loud noise boomed from right next to his ear. The water all around him had changed color and tasted weird.

Startled, Taehyung reached down to check his body. Make sure he was okay. But luckily whatever had hit him and exploded hadn’t broken through his skin. Nevertheless, his side hurt when he moved. It had been a while since he had felt pain like that. There was a good chance his ribs had taken some damage, but he knew that would heal soon.

He scanned the surrounding waters with his eyes and as if on command the area lit up. Dazzled he squeezed his eyes together at the blinding light. Once they had gotten used to the sudden brightness, he could make out the silhouette of a small submarine. Just big enough to fit two humans. Taehyung hadn’t seen one like this before, but it was easy to figure out that it was a new invention of the humans.

Within seconds Taehyung closed the distance between himself and the vehicle. Now that he was closer he could see that the ball in the middle of a weird metal frame was made from glass. Through it he saw the eyes of the humans that had just tried to kill him. Whatever they had done certainly would have been enough to kill one of them.

Taehyung could see the fear in their eyes. They looked at Taehyung like they hadn’t just attempted to murder him. As if they were completely innocent. Innocent and helpless. And then one of them, a male, fired another thing like the one that had hit him earlier. This time Taehyung was prepared though. He stopped it with his hand, and when it exploded, he barely felt it. The skin on his hands and arms was tougher than that of his stomach.