Those oddly polished shoes of Hyunjae's didn't last too long. They were muddy and dark crimson stains ran down its sides, courtesy of a heavily bleeding Sam. Hyunjae sat stoically inside his wagon, staring at nothing in particular as him and his men were lead towards Dong-seok's camp. The sun was a couple of hours from setting, as a mourning Hyunjae spent some time with Sam's body to say goodbye, proceeding to clean him up with the help of Namjoon, Jin and Taehyung. The last was a lot less affected, finding himself apt to take care of a corpse. Hyunjae found it difficult to handle the corpse of his dear friend, and so did Namjoon. The latter couldn't deny that despite the mishap with Haneul, he had grown fond of Sam; everyone had. Well, except Jungkook but he could safely say he held no grudge whatsoever.
Hyunjae clutched tightly onto his coat jacket, refusing to wash the massive blood stain as Jin had offered to do so. It was a morbid memento, but a memento nonetheless. The stain had turned a dark brown and had stained Hyunjae's white button up, however he didn't seem to care. Though he tried to remain strong, his eyes would gloss over with a distant glaze of sorrow everyone could see.
It was quite tragic that Sam would not feel the joy of finding his sister alive and in good hands. At the realization, resignation washed over Hyunjae's face, but he seemed overall glad to be able to fulfill Sam's dying wish.
Mara clung languidly to Jungkook, brooding over how Haneul would react to finding out that the only flesh and blood she had left was gone. As disconnected from Haneul as Mara felt, there was now something to tie them together. They both had no family left and would have to rely on to the company of people that might or might not have their best interest and safety in mind. When Mara hoped for Haneul to be humbled, she did not mean this. There was nothing humbling about losing your only brother. Not only that, but Mara believed neither Sam or Kai deserved their untimely fates, so life had a pretty brutal way of teaching lessons.
You couldn't really miss people you did not know, but Sam and Kai were the kind to leave a lasting impression, and their absences were palpable.
Jungkook and Mara lead the way to Dong-seok's that evening, followed by Namjoon on Oreo and Hyunjae in his wagon. Jungkook could see the cabin growing closer, and he glanced over his shoulder at Mara, gauging her mood before speaking in a hushed tone.
"Let's hope Hyunjae doesn't ask about her bruises. It could be bad," Jungkook whispered.
Mara felt her stomach drop, and she sighed, "It's going to be noticeable as fuck. I shouldn't have beat her ass even if she deserved it."
"No, it was justified," Jungkook tried to hide his grin, "And hot."
Mara airily chuckled, "Shut up."
As the group neared the allied campsite, a figure, particularly buff and loaded with weapons
came to view. Dong-seok leaned on the fence, peering through the trees into the forest. His narrowed gaze was intimidating and Stoney, and his furrowed brows did not radiate friendliness. Despite being a man of warmth and kindness, he did very little to hide the lengths he would go to to protect those he loved. He was gentle yet unafraid, cautious yet uncowardly, compassionate yet unforgiving.
He was the very well thought out definition of what a man was, and certainly a role model Mara would've loved for Namjoon's group to constantly have around.
Namjoon would have been embarrassed to admit his actions against me to Dong-seok, Mara thought.
Mara glanced at Namjoon, accustomed to his stoic nature yet wishing he would show some sense of humanity every now and then, just as he had two days prior. Mara was proud of his noticeable changes, and she was relieved that things were getting better. The desire to leave was no longer present, but the girl would not hesitate to pack up if things went back to how they were. The risky and endangering environment that Namjoon's camp once was, was not a safe place for Mara to have ever been in.
As soon as Jungkook and Mara came to view, the frown on Dong-seok's face disappeared. It softened with familiarity and a warm smile took up his face. Mara missed Dong-seok and Evan. So far they had been some of the kindest people she had met, and without a doubt, she felt safer with them around. Dong-seok seemed extremely fond of the younger ones as well, finding them to be of greater priority than himself. With Hyundai on tow, Dong-seok did not completely let his guard down. It was a stranger that knew where he lived, after all, but considering his alliance to Namjoon, the man had no problem letting them in. Hyunjac however, maintained his distance, notifying the coachman to stop before the gate leading inside. Hyunjae stepped out of the wagon, about to step forward until realizing he still held his bloodied coat. He hesitantly placed it inside the wagon before gulping and approaching the gates with a newfound smile. It was not a genuine smile, nor was it deceptive.
Before anyone had the chance to utter greetings, the door to Dong-seok's cabin flew open. It slammed against the front wall and out came Haneul, running towards the gate. Hyunjae was visibly appalled by her appearance, physically leaning back with widened eyes and lips slightly ajar. Haneul was still heavily bruised, and Mara discretely grimaced, pursing her lips to keep a guilty sigh from escaping her. Dong-seok opened the gate for Haneul after she struggled to do so, tears clouding her already impaired vision as she sobbed joyfully.
Haneul ran towards Hyunjae, and he welcomed her with open arms, his smile wavering as he clutched her tightly. There was silence beyond Haneul crying into Hyunjae's chest, and everyone stared at the two embracing with faces flooded in dread. Namjoon quietly walked towards Dong-seok shaking his rough hands and nodding in respect. The two leaders made stern eye contact, a reflection of the news they'd have to break to Haneul.
Speaking of, the girl had pulled away, wiping her teary eyes, sniffling and taking staggering breaths as she looked around Hyunjae. She peered at the guards that had accompanied him, then at Namjoon, finally landing on Mara and Jungkook. Mara couldn't look her in the eyes, afraid that Haneul would be able to read her pity and figure out with a simply look what had gone wrong. Jungkook secretly held her hand, squeezing it when noticing her expression.
"Where's Sam-" Haneul began questioning, quickly interrupted by Dong-seok, who extended his arm to welcome everyone inside.
"Let's step inside to talk. It's much safer," He said, nodding to Hyunjae and opening the gate for everyone to step inside. A trail of six people entered the cabin, finding it to be a tight squeeze on the sofas and offered extra chairs by a smiling Evan. Though it was a tough situation around them, Evan and Jungkook were quick to pull each other into an embrace. They smiled and chuckled through greetings and couldn't help hugging once more.
Mara stood by awkwardly, about to walk away before a voice called out to her.
"Where are you going?"
Her shoulder was pulled back gently, and Mara turned to find Evan expectantly waiting with arms open. Mara sheepishly grinned and stepped into her embrace, patting his back swaying them side to side. Evan looked extremely relieved to see them, as one who hadn't seen his friends in a while would. Mara imagined that times would get lonely when not constantly surrounded by close friends. She wished Jungkook could come by everyday to see Evan, just so he wouldn't feel alone. However, as much they wanted to be, they weren't close enough neighbors for that to be possibly.
Not to mention the literal walking dead.
"I was wondering when I'd get to see you two again," Evan gushed in a whisper, "Not the best occasion but..." he shrugged, glancing at Haneul.
"Glad you're doing good, Li Shang lookin-ass," Jungkook teased, pulling at Evan's hair and prompting the latter to pinch his arm in retaliation.
"Fuck you, is it because I'm Asian?" Evan chuckled.
"I don't know, ask Mara. She came up with it," Jungkook peered down at Mara with a smirk. She gasped with a shocked expression, socking him in the other arm and shaking her head when both boys laughed. A looming shadow suddenly eclipsed Evan, and his smile faltered when glancing at the person behind Mara. The girl felt the new presence, turning around to find Namjoon staring down at the three of them with a scowl.
"Now is not the time," he muttered. The three friends' cheerful moods turned glum, and they all shared a guilty look before sitting next to each other on the sofa. Haneul looked at the three of them with an indecipherable expression before staring down at her lap. She seemed to sense the anguish emanating from everyone, and her smile along with her hopeful attitude were gone. Everyone took a seat, and Hyunjae was the first to speak.
"Thank you for welcoming us into your home," he began, voice devoid of joy but genuine as he regarded Dong-seok, "And I also want to thank you for keeping Haneul safe." He turned to the girl, sighing but trying to keep a smile up. His trembling hands clasped together over his lap—the man was in distress, but saw no time to pour his laments out into the room.
"Even if I wasn't an ally, I would've found a way to get her back home," Dong-seok nodded, offering a warm smile, "I know you would do the same if you were in my shoes."
"Of course," Hyunjae agreed, "And to show my gratitude I'd like to offer our alliance to you," he said, "That and asylum, if you were to ever need a place to stay. We also have plenty of resources if you ever find yourself needing them," Hyunjae seemed to choke on his words, clearing his throat rather loudly.
"I accept your alliance," Dong-seok agreed, reaching out for a handshake Hyunjae firmly met. His despair was obvious to everyone, even to a clueless Haneul. She opened her mouth to speak, but Hyunjae cut her off as if expecting her to mention it.
"I need to know what happened and who did this to you?" Hyunjae gestured to the bruises on her face, causing both Haneul and Mara to bow their heads in shame. Namjoon's gaze flitted between the two girls awkwardly, and he shifted uncomfortably at the idea of having to address the incident and the events leading up to it.
"I regret to say that the injuries to her face weren't...caused by whoever took her," Namjoon slowly began. Hyunjae's face contorted from confusion to realization. Namjoon did not back down from Hyunjae's increasingly intimidating gaze, but his shoulders were tense. He did not expect to be told this, not by Namjoon.
"Right," Hyunjae slightly frowned, "Then what happened?"
Silence.
It was a silence Hyunjae wasn't too pleased with.
"I killed Mara's horse,"
Everyone's heads turned to Haneul, who was staring at Mara. In her eyes there was bitter resentment, but most importantly there was guilt. Mara could see it, and she couldn't find it in her to look away now that Haneul was coming clean. It was unexpected, but there was an exhaustion in her voice, one that proved Haneul was just as tired of her own contempt as Mara was.
Hyunjae's frown became a scowl, "You what?!"
"Out of envy and spite," Haneul continued, breathing in deeply, "I wasn't thinking straight, and I made a terrible mistake. A defenseless animal paid for my own bitterness, and then I tried to slander her in front of her people," she shrugged, gaze flickering to Hyunjae, "So she gave me a taste of my own medicine."
Stunned, Hyunjae only blinked.
"Holy shit," Evan incredulously laughed, "So you beat her up?!" He asked Mara, and now the attention shifted to the other girl in the room. Mara was left speechless after such a confession from the girl who had been so cruel to her. It was like someone a lot more rational and mature had taken over Haneul's body, prompting her to confess her own wrongdoings in front of her leader. Mara guessed that trauma often knocked sense into people who lacked it, but now Mara felt even guiltier.
No matter how sorry, how apologetic and changed Haneul was, nothing could bring back her brother.
Dong-seok silently shook his head at Evan's remark, but no one seemed bothered by it.
Anxious at the several pairs of eyes on her, Mara couldn't come up with something to say. Her lips parted, but nothing came out. She was still missing her companion greatly, but she was no longer angry or resentful. She didn't need an apology from Haneul to move on, but it was nice to see her own up to her mistakes.
"So don't be angry at them, at any of them," Haneul pursed her lips.
"What were you thinking, Haneul?" Hyunjae spoke softly, disappointed.
"It's all been dealt with," Namjoon notified, glancing at Haneul, "Clearly."
Hyunjae pinched the bridge of his nose and heavily sighed in resignation, "Fine. We will talk about that later. I guess everyone has learned a lesson somehow someway. I still want to know who took you, if you can even remember."
Haneul shrunk back into the sofa, growing distant as if she were replaying the events in her head. Mara saw herself in Haneul for the first time ever.
"They were a group of men," Haneul blankly muttered, "I forget how many. They tied me up by my hands and made me walk with the group of roamers that pulled their wagon. Took us up a trail a couple miles and then camped in a small cave."
Haneul seemed uncomfortable retelling the events, but Hyunjae was intent on figuring out exactly what happened, even if it was in front of everyone. Her story matched up with Sam's description, but it was the next part of her story that would resonate with someone in particular.
"How did you make it out?" Hyunjae pressed.
"That's what really confuses me," Haneul frowned, "One of them was really quiet. He waited for them all to settle in and then offered to keep watch while everyone slept. They had left me outside with the roamers, and he suddenly came up to me and untied me," Haneul's voice trembled as she explained, "He told me to run...And he said that if I got caught again he wouldn't do anything to help me."
Everyone simultaneously frowned, and even Haneul seemed to still be perplexed.
"He let you go? Just like that?" Namjoon asked, confusion evident in his voice.
"Yeah..." Haneul quietly sniffled.
"Did they say who they were? Their names? Anything like that?" Hyunjae sternly asked.
Haneul nodded,
"They called themselves the Ateos. It was like they were proud of it, of what they were doing."
Mara's stomach dropped, her hand absentmindedly reaching for Jungkook's, who also recognized the dreadful name. Jungkook squeezed her hand, turning to her with concern as he looked over her fearful features.
"You okay?" Jungkook whispered, and Mara felt herself truthfully shake her head before she could say yes. Not only did she very vividly remember her experience with the God forsaken community of the Ateos, but the actions from the man who let Haneul go were not only strange, but familiar.
"Thankfully I've had the pleasure of meeting them," Hyunjae sarcastically replied, "I'll figure out a way to retaliate-"
"No!" Haneul rushed out, "Just...Just take me home to Sam..." Haneul clutched Hyunjae's arm, "I just want to go home."
At the mention of her deceased brother, Hyunjae turned rigid. He clenched his jaw, his eyes glinting in the light of the candles in the room, "I promised Sam I would do something about it, I promised to take care of you..." He insisted, "And I don't plan to let him down."
"So Sam is okay?!" Haneul smiled, and it was a painful sight to witness. For Haneul to be so relieved that her older brother was alive and not dead under a white sheet, laying on the porch back at the lodge awaiting to be picked up by Hyunjae for burial.
Sam would not be getting back up anytime soon.
When Hyunjae did not respond, Haneul's smile fell from her face.
"I wanna go home and see Sam," she repeated softly this time, staring at the side of Hyunjae's motionless face.
Hyunjae said nothing.
It was becoming increasingly uncomfortable for everyone around. Mara hoped that Hyunjae would take her aside for a moment to break the news. But it looked like she was coming to that conclusion on her own.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" The girl whispered, desperate for a positive reaction from the man her brother saw as family.
"I promised him I would take care of you-"
"Why would you need to take care of me if Sam is there?" Haneul snapped.
The tension in the room was suffocating, and a disturbed Namjoon sat up from the couch abruptly, gaining everyone's attention.
"I think we should let Hyunjae and Haneul talk in private without all the extra ears around," Namjoon muttered, cueing with his eyes at Mara and Jungkook. The pair stood up from the couch, hand in hand, and were lead outside by the leader. Dong-seok and Evan also stood up, stepping outside along with the other three with somber expressions. Haneul's eyes were glossed over, and she wouldn't take them off of Hyunjae, who had yet to meet her gaze.
Haneul's lips quivered, "Please..."
"Sam was like a brother to me-"
"Please don't-" Haneul whined.
After everyone filed out of the cabin, the five stood awkwardly nearby. They said nothing and instead waited for Hyunjae to come out after having told Haneul.
Evan seemed to have zoned out, his eyes glued to something in specific. Mara followed his line of sight, feeling her face grow hot when realizing Jungkook still firmly held her hand. She tried to pry her fingers from his, but Jungkook turned to her with confusion.
Am I embarrassed?
No.
Of course, Mara was over the moon have Jungkook by her side, for him to want to hold her hand regardless of who was looking, to love her in her worst and in her best. His love was only something to get used to, and the thought of PDA had her cheeks turning red and butterflies erupting. She was a shy and reserved kind of woman, so belting their love to the world was slightly intimidating.
Instead of letting go, Mara simply tightened her hold, offering a smile.
She was the shell of a person. Her face was tear stained and her good eye was now swollen too. Despite looking like she had been crying nonstop, Haneul's face held no emotion. She walked out of the wagon, not sparing anyone a word or a glance but her gaze glued to one thing—or person—in particular. Haneul slowly walked towards the porch of the lodge, still appearing to be in disbelief.
Hyunjae trailed after her with a disheartened frown, again clutching his coat to his side, lips pursed tightly. Haneul looked down at the blanketed corpse of her brother, her breath slowly becoming louder. She choked back a sob, her lips trembling and her face scrunching up into one of agonizing pain.
Haneul wept like she never had before, knelt before his body with the strength having left her knees in despair.
Hyunjae did not comfort her, standing almost coldly behind the grieving girl. He didn't want to get any closer, perhaps refusing to go through the process of mourning his loss once more. Mara waited for Hyunjae to do something, for him to embrace her when she most needed it. The loss of family was never easy, and no matter how close Hyunjae was to Sam, it was Haneul's loss of her last living relative, let alone sibling, that was far worse.
Maybe it was slightly ambitious for Mara to assume Haneul would want her comfort, but regardless, Mara did not hold back from stepping towards the crying girl. She knelt beside her and extended her arms, her own lips twitching downwards at how loudly Haneul was sobbing. She could never shame her, she could never wish bad things upon her, and now that Haneul needed someone more than ever, Mara would certainly be there for her. There was no time for rivalries, no time for cruelty or contempt. It was in her nature to be forgiving, maybe naively so, but that's just the way some humans were.
Mara was surprised when Haneul immediately wrapped her arms around her waist, her head burying into Mara's shoulder as she continued to cry. Mara held her tightly, resting her head on her's and patiently sitting there.
She would let go when Haneul was ready to let go.
If it took hours,
then so be it.
———
A/N: This book is almost a 23 hour read at this particular chapter lmao. At least that's what it says on the info page of this book.
Hope that you're all still enjoying!
Anyways, shorter chapter for today but we out here! :)
(FYI: None of these images depict real people!)
-wethenaive