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.
The two humans were clearly trying to flee now. The small submarine started diving upwards towards the surface, but it wasn’t nearly as quick as Taehyung. When he got hold of the metal frame it easily crumbled under his grip. Just seconds later the motor stopped working and the submarine slowly started sinking again. Taehyung could hear the vague sounds of the two humans inside the submarine yelling and screaming at each other in panic, but it was muffled by the glass and water all around.
Taehyung knew that if he left them to go back to the surface he could say goodbye to his peace and quiet. In the past, whenever humans had spotted him anywhere and had been able to escape it had meant he was going to lose the area. Within months it would become swarmed with humans. And Taehyung wasn’t going to lose this place to humans. So they had to die. Aside from the fact that they had just attacked him of course. Taehyung certainly didn’t mind killing them. It wasn’t exactly a loss.
He punched against the glass but it was surprisingly tough. He tried hitting it again, but the material still didn’t give in. So instead he placed his claws on the surface. He could see the woman looking at him in absolute terror from the inside. Taehyung smiled before applying pressure with the tips of his fingers. Within seconds he could feel them sink into the glass. Cracks started forming all around his claws. Taehyung pulled them away and lifted his hand again.
The woman screamed once again when his fist collided with their damaged layer of protection. And then she stopped.
Taehyung had assumed that the death of the two divers would be it. That once he had gotten rid of the destroyed submarine there wasn’t going to be any more trouble, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. He didn’t even get a full day of peace before another submarine showed up. This one made of more metal and bigger than the one Taehyung had seen before.
Taehyung had decided to try to wait it out by hiding in the shipwreck. He just wanted to be left alone and he hoped it was just going to pass through, but when an explosion shook the shipwreck, he knew that that wasn’t what they intended. They were intentionally going after him.
Not wanting his home to get destroyed any more than it already had been, Taehyung quickly climbed out. The second one was harder to sink than the first one, but Taehyung just had to figure out the closing mechanism of a hatch he had found. It certainly didn’t seem comfortable for those inside the submarine when it filled up with water.
After two days of quiet, Taehyung was sure that this had been it, but he was wrong yet again. Submarines just kept showing up and even after weeks of fighting off their machinery, Taehyung really wasn’t even sure what the humans were trying to do. Finally two stray explosions hit the shipwreck, tipping it over the edge of the drop right next to it. Taehyung could have tried moving it back with a lot of effort, but the ship was already ruined.
So eventually, after a weeklong standoff, Taehyung had to give up his home and instead disappeared deeper into the ocean, a bitter taste on his tongue. He hated how easily humans could take one of his few joys from him. First Jimin and now his home.
All the remaining respect Taehyung had once had for them was gone. All they were was an annoyance. Even at the bottom of the ocean they had to take away his safe space. There was no way Taehyung was going to let anything like this happen ever again.
A/N
What do ya'll think? After his experiences with humans are you on Taehyung's side with humans?
What are your thoughts?
Also I have a small question! I got some predator commission by @ blankton_bt on twitter!
And now I'm not sure if I should use this as a new cover or if I should continue using my old one because I also absolutely love the old one😭
This one is absolutely stunning but I feel like it gives off the wrong impression for the story especially in the beginning🥲
Now just a cover comparison so you guys know what I'm talking about
These are the two I'm a little indecisive with:( Which one do you guys prefer?