The haunting melody of his phone's ringtone echoed through the car, its persistent calls pleading for attention. But Jin deliberately turned a deaf ear, determined to keep his focus intact, even as Jimin's number relentlessly flashed on the screen.
Initially, he found himself puzzled by P3's relentless pursuit as he kept choosing to ignore the calls, unwilling to let anything disrupt his unwavering determination. However, he didn't seem to be giving up anytime soon, and Jiya's urgent messages had added up to the flood of notifications on his screen. As he took a brief look towards his mobile, Jin gradually started to realize that it was no coincidence that they were both calling him at the same time.
P3's intentions were most likely to intervene with what he had decided to do.
What struck him, even more, was the realization that Jiya's involvement hinted at P3's awareness of Jimin's mother being the one behind all this and that was something that Jin had not thought of until that very moment. P3 already knew what he was trying to desperately keep Jimin from knowing.
Jin found himself cornered as the unsettling feeling seeped further into his core, understanding that P3 was woven into the fabric of Jimin's being, and hence in a way the truth had already made its way into Jimin's mind. All he could desperately try to prevent now was to keep Jimin's consciousness far from ever finding out.
The thought only had his heart clenched in fear that threatened to consume him. However, Jin held onto one reassuring certainty: P3 would never use this knowledge to inflict harm upon Jimin. Just like Jin, surely P3 could understand too, how important it was, for Jimin to never find out the truth.
Amidst his small reassuring attempt towards himself, however, there laid haunting thoughts that were slowly creeping into Jin's mind—thoughts of witnessing Jimin's lifeless form, forever beyond reach. Thoughts of watching him crumble under the weight of an undeniable truth, bearing the excruciating burden of a mother's love getting rewritten in his eyes, as nothing more than a lie.
"Why! Oh, why!" Jin erupted, his voice carrying a torrent of frustration and disbelief. The weight of his aunt's actions bore heavily upon him, like an unbearable burden that threatened to consume his very being. The road stretched out before him, a path without much traffic that mirrored the emptiness he now felt within as he had driven outside of the city.
"There's nothing that can excuse this, damn it! Just what kind of human is she?!" His words resonated through the stillness, ricocheting off the surrounding silence as if mocking him with their unanswered plea. A surge of anger surged through his veins, causing him to strike the wheel in a futile attempt to release the pent-up frustration. But his furious outburst was soon eclipsed by a series of emotions that overwhelmed him.
Glistening tears welled up in his eyes, a testament to the pain, resentment, and betrayal that coursed through his shattered heart. The memories that once brought solace and love now twisted and contorted into cruel reminders of his naivety, exposing him as a fool for ever believing in his aunt's deceitful facade.
At that very moment, Jin was tasting the bitterness, the confusion and the searing ache a betrayal could leave behind, only that for him it was double for he had gotten to know on the same day, that two people had broken his trust. One was more shocking than the other, but Jiya's betrayal was still sinking in his subconsciousness and boiling subtly.
In the depths of his tormented psyche, chaos reigned supreme like never before. His mind, once a sanctuary of rationality, now succumbed to the relentless assault of overpowering emotions. The veil of his strong feelings had ended up blinding his eyes, until Jin came face to face with a track that seemed to be coming right at him, despite the fact that he was on his lane.
In a bewildering moment of clarity, Jin snapped back to reality. His trembling hand instinctively grasped the steering wheel as he urgently pressed the horn, trying to make the other driver aware that he was driving in the wrong lane and was approaching him pretty fast, but the other vehicle that was bigger than his didn't seem to bulge.
"Oh shit!" A surge of dread gripped Jin's soul as realization dawned upon him. This was no mere mistake or misjudgment; it was a deliberate act of malice. He tried to escape the disaster with lightning-quick reflexes, wrenching the wheel and bringing his car to an abrupt turn.
Every fibre of his being was focused on survival, his heart pounding in his chest like a primal drum of fear. However, the other driver did not let him succeed in his attempt, bringing him to observe that moment with wide eyes that took sight of the event that was unfolding before him.
Everything passed before his eyes in a blur after he felt the collision, and his vehicle spiralled out of control in the road for what seemed like a mere blink of an eye to him. When he opened his eyes again, the world seemed like it was still spiralling around him, and his vision was playing games on him, as he failed to focus his eyes on anything.
His body felt heavy as he stood there unmoved, hearing noises he could not quite distinguish among the loud ringing that had infiltrated his scull and smelling the scent of smoke, that he could not see yet clearly.
The ringtone of his phone kept accompanying him despite the fact that he could not distinguish its sound any more as he stood there unmoved and disoriented, blinking slowly again and again, while his mind was urging him to observe, in need of information.
He managed to lift his hand and rest it against his forehead, only to feel something wet running through his fingers. With confusion, he lowered his hand only to witness his skin covered in a scarlet colour that made him aware of the fact that apparently, he was bleeding from his head.
Amidst his blurry vision, he stretched out to reach his phone only for his movements to come to a halt as he felt someone's touch over his shoulders. His mind momentarily questioned when the driver's door had been open, for he had not heard any movement. His hearing remained pretty noisy, and he has yet to snap out of the shock that the impact of the accident had brought upon him.
Jin turned his head slowly to witness who was there, while in his hand, he secured his phone that stopped ringing.
"Nothing personal, you know. I am just doing my job." The unknown to him, man, whose face was partially covered with a black hygienic mask, spoke to him words that faintly entered Jin's ears despite the close proximity.
"What?" He replied in utter confusion right before he felt the hand of that man take hold of his throat and push him back to his seat, placing his head into a position were Jin's neck would be visible to him and then without further hesitation, the stranger stuck a needle on a vein in his neck, making Jin's eyes instantly grow wide.
His reflexes thankfully awakened at that moment, and he used his strength to push that hand away from him, taking hold of that needle and getting it off him immediately after.
"Aish! This son of a-" The stranger appeared agitated by that abrupt action of his that had brought his injection to go to waste since he had barely managed to inject a small doze on Jin and his orders didn't include the luxury to do any missteps.
He punched Jin in the face immediately after, the force being enough to send Jin's consciousness to the edge, for he was already injured, and most of his strength had abandoned him.
"Go tell her... You won't get away with this... even if I die, you won't," he murmured, his voice barely audible as his consciousness was fading into darkness while his cell phone pierced the air with its haunting ringtone, causing Jin's grip to tighten around it as if desperately clutching onto a lifeline.
Jimin... I never got the chance to bid you goodbye, and for that, I am sorry. Whenever you drifted into the abyss of your own mind, I was there, steadfast and resolute, fighting to pull you back into reality. I tried to be that stable place you could rely on, the one you could always be certain about amidst your chaotic reality. But now, I apologize, for I won't be there to meet you this time...
Jin's thoughts spiralled inwardly, engulfing him in a profound sense of loneliness, for he was considering this moment as his last. The weight of his cousin's sorrow pressed upon his heart, burdening him with a pang of overwhelming guilt, for now, he knew that he, too, would be one more wound, adding to Jimin's unending sadness.
"Do not shed tears on my behalf... I am unworthy of such emotions... for I have failed you," he whispered, the words a faint confession lost in the chilling silence. As the stranger's hand pressed down on his head, holding him captive, Jin's consciousness surrendered, leaving him limp on his seat.
The stranger slowly pulled his hand after he noticed that the weight of his head had changed and once he realized that Jin had fainted and was a perfect prey in his hands, he rushed to search his pockets and get another doze to inject on him and finalize his mission.
A mission that seemed to be destined to not be seen through till the end for as soon as he managed to fill the new needle with the liquid drug that would inevitably bring Jin to a heart attack that would become the cause of his death, erasing every suspicion related to his ending, a vehicle caught his sight, approaching very fast and halting rather abruptly as some meters distance from the crashed vehicle of Jin.
The presence of the dark van had made the stranger instantly retreat, for he was warned to not be caught in the scene and so he started running back to his track, leaving the unconscious Jin behind.
---meanwhile---
A whirlwind of chaos engulfed you, P3 and Dongmin as your car screeched to a stop and you all rushed outside the vehicle, consume with urgency, worry and confusion for you had been following the location InSu had provided for you and it had halted right there.
Once outside, it was inevitable for you to not notice the vehicle that was laying ahead, consumed by billowing smoke.
"Hyung!" A gut-wrenching cry escaped P3's quivering lips as the realization hit him like a punch to the gut. That vehicle belonged to Jin. Without a second thought, he surrendered himself to instinct, his feet propelling him forward in a desperate sprint, ignoring any possible danger that the atmosphere around may be holding for him.
Despite the shock that had momentarily taken over you, however, your eyes that were looking ahead, took notice of a track leaving the scene and instantly you turned to DongMin. "Quickly! Memorize the license plate of that track—hurry!"
Snapping out of his daze, Dongmin complied, resuming his position in the driver's seat and reigniting the engine's dormant power in order to follow the vehicle, enough to be in a distance to get that plate number that you could not see from where you were at that very moment.
Meanwhile, your run after P3 with your phone still clutched tightly in your trembling hand, ready to be used at any moment to summon help. Yet, your heart yearned for one thing above all and that was nothing else but the assurance of Jin's survival.
"Hyung!...Hyung!" P3's anguished voice cried out his name, as he reached Jin's unconscious form. With tender concern, he caressed Jin's cheek, his trembling fingers tracing the lines of the crimson blood that marred his once pristine face. Worry etched deep into P3's features as he stared into Jin's face, desperately seeking signs of life.
"Call an ambulance!" He firmly yelled and you hurried to do just that, speaking over the line with a trembling voice as P3 was struggling to unlock Jin's seat belt and get him out of the vehicle.
'Damn it! Damn, It! You can't die. If you do it will be the end of both of us you fool. Don't you know, Jimin would have never made it this far without you!" P3 found himself uttering these words, although acutely aware that Jin could not hear his anguished plea. His desperation consumed him, compelling him to exert brutal force upon the stubborn seat belt, with the intent of shattering its hold.
And then, mercifully, that awaited crackling sound pierced the air, offering a bit of relief to his troubled soul. With reckless determination, P3 swiftly removed the seat belt from Jin's body, then he proceeded to secure him protectively in his arms. Without a moment's hesitation, he started pulling Jin out from the confines of the wreckage, and you, having just concluded your urgent phone call, hurried to assist by supporting his legs.
Once at the side of the roam, gently, you lowered him to the ground, the weight of his fragile body settling on the cold concrete. P3 sat down with him, holding Jin's head in his chest delicately as he kept ignoring how much his clothes had gotten smeared with his blood.
"He is breathing...He is alive." Raising his weary gaze, he locked eyes with you, speaking information that you so much needed to hear.
"Thank god, we weren't too late." You left a breath of relief escape along with those words as you faced the sky, feeling as if your head was about to explode with all the anxiety and unexpected events that had been happening today.
Within the labyrinthine of your mind, a whirlwind of perplexity was still swirling. Why on earth would Jin harbour the thoughts of taking someone's life? And more bewildering still, why had he set his sights on Jimin's innocent mother, of all people? P3 had not had the time to explain much but that was all you had caught up on amidst P3's phone conversations with Jiya, on your way to find Jin and that knowledge had surely confused you more than had cleared anything.
You had left anything aside however for securing Jin's well-being was a priority and at that very moment too, you did the same, pushing all those questions and wonders you had at the back of your mind and focusing your vision again, on Jin's unconscious body.
The sight was difficult to observe for long, without feeling your chest heavy so you averted your gaze to P3 in hopes of getting from him some courage and reassurance that everything will be okay, however as your eyes landed on his face, you witnessed him frozen with wide eyes, looking over Jin's face with an expression of pain.
"P3." You called out to him right before you walked by his side and hesitantly touched his shoulder, to your surprise however he did not move at all.
"P3...Are you okay?... Snap out of it!" You raised your voice as he didn't seem to be responsive and his behaviour added more to your already edgy emotional state.
A loud phoneme of pain escaped his lips soon after and he quickly brought one of his hands over his head as he wrenched in pain.
"P3?"
"I am okay...I just...it was a reminder...I don't have much time." He was breathing heavily but he managed to get control over himself as uttered some reassuring words before he turned to look at your utterly worried and frightened face.
"What do you mean?"
"P2 was knocking at my door." He replied as a faded smile passed through his lips, slightly ticked off by the audacity of P2 to try to get over him while he was in control of Jimin's body.
"P2...I thought no one could make you leave the throne of Jimin's consciousness unless you want to." You uttered the knowledge that Jin had let you in as you kept eye contact with P3.
"They say I am the most fearful yet among all Jimin's personalities, P2 is the one that is constantly getting fed and growing, no matter who is in control. You see he is the embodiment of all the sadness Jimin has ever felt and his sadness had never stopped growing." He admitted bitterly as he allowed his gaze to fall again on Jin's injured body, for despite the fact that P3 was in control of Jimin's consciousness he was not in control of his heart and seeing Jin in such a life-threatening state, had sure landed a hit on Jimin's emotions and had awoken sadness in him that was igniting P2's strength.
"You mean...P2 can overpower you?"
"He can overpower us all."
---To be continued...