Oblivion (Happy Place Sequel) || BTS

Attempt #1

A/N

Hello everyone!

I hope you all are excited for the first "real" chapter of Oblivion. This chapter became WAY longer than I expected. But truthfully, this is a LONG chapter, so please don't feel the need to read this entire thing in one shot. Also, this is entirely (mostly) from Yoongi's perspective, so you won't see much perspective from other characters. Hope that's okay.

Thank you all for the support! Once again, if you haven't read Happy Place, please read that first, as this one will have spoilers! Hope you like it! =^_^=

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"Are you almost packed up, Tae? We really need to get going!"

Yoongi was packing the last of their things for the trip, while Taehyung was grabbing some snacks for the road. Yoongi zipped up the enlarged suitcase as he heard his boyfriend downstairs.

"All my stuff is downstairs! Just grabbing some snacks. Ready to go when you are."

Yoongi smiled, grabbing the heavy suitcase before walking down the stairs. His hair always had a way of bouncing with every step, something Taehyung made known that he liked about the other. When Yoongi reached the bottom of the stairs, Taehyung wrapped the other in a tight embrace.

"Where are we going anyways? All you mentioned was that they're an old friend."

"Yeah. His name's Hoseok. I haven't seen him in years, but he invited me to his house for a get-together, and he said I could bring a guest. Which is lucky for me, because I don't know if I could go a weekend without you."

Taehyung smiled at that, pulling Yoongi into a tighter hug. They both stayed like that for a couple seconds before Yoongi moved to walk away. He grabbed his suitcase, bringing it towards the front door.

To be honest, Yoongi couldn't remember how long it'd been since he'd seen Hoseok. High school? Before that? His memory was a bit hazy when it came to Hoseok, but all he was certain of was that they were best friends before he moved away. He thought it would be a great opportunity to reconnect.

"Yoongi? Hey! Yoongi? You there?"

Yoongi woke up from his daze, startled by Taehyung touching his shoulder but immediately relaxing once seeing his boyfriend.

"You okay? I was calling your name for awhile."

"Yeah, it's just ..."

"Just?"

"I don't know. It's weird, but I honestly can't remember the last time I saw Hoseok."

"Well, you're friends, right? I guess that means it's about time."

Taehyung gave Yoongi a boxy smile, causing Yoongi to give one of his gummy ones right back. Taehyung went for Yoongi's hand and held it until they got into the car to leave.

"Don't worry, Yoongi. Before you know it, the weekend will be over, and we'll be driving back into this driveway together."

Yoongi smiled, backing out of their driveway. Once out on the road, Yoongi noticed Taehyung fall asleep. He put his free hand over Taehyung's, rubbing smooth circles on the back of it.

"Love you, Tae."

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Yoongi and Taehyung weren't the first to arrive, Yoongi noticing Jimin coming down the stairs as they walked in. However, Jimin wasn't alone. Just as Yoongi was about to ask who the other boy was, he noticed that Namjoon arrived with someone as well.

Yoongi was never good around a lot of people, immediately becoming quiet in the small crowd. Taehyung slipped his hand in Yoongi's while talking to one of the other guests. Yoongi smiled, finally starting to relax.

They were eventually settled in to a room where they had a little privacy before dinner. Yoongi took a deep breath.

I remember everyone, but everything is so fuzzy. Maybe I'm just tired.

"You know, if you talk in your head like that too much, it might just explode."

Taehyung gave a small smile, knowing how his boyfriend could dwell in his mind for hours on end. Yoongi smiled back, finishing up with grabbing essentials and placing them on desks and in their bathroom.

"Ha ha ha, very funny. I'm just ..."

"Nervous? It's okay to be. You haven't seen these people in awhile. It'll take time."

Yoongi smiled as Taehyung gave him a light hug.

"Yeah, you must be right."

"You know I'm always right."

"Hey, don't push it."

They both laughed before deciding it was time to meet the others at the dinner table. Even though Yoongi wasn't sure what was going on with him, he decided that it must have been the long drive and sleep depravation. They began walking towards the stairs, Yoongi knowing how lucky he was to have his boyfriend.

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It all happened within seconds. One moment, they were al enjoying dinner and having a great time, sharing phone numbers to be sure to stay in contact. The next moment they get a strange text message, and now, Hoseok is fighting for his life.

FROM: 119-121-2518

Hello everyone. I wouldn't close this message just yet. This party is about to get more interesting. If you look to the host, you'll notice he's drinking soda. At least, that's what he believes.

At this point, he'll start to feel sick quickly. You have a chance to save him, though. But you'll have to play a little game. In order to save him, all six of you MUST play. Do you accept? And I'd hurry. His time is running out.

PLAY THE GAME: TYPE

YES OR NO

Yoongi kept re-reading the text message, trying to figure out who sent the message. While he was deep in thought, Jin called him out of his trance.

"Can someone call 119?" Jin seemed frantic, trying to get Hoseok stabilized in the meantime. Since Yoongi still had his phone out, he responded quickly.

"Y-yeah!"

He tried moving from the text message screen with no avail. After a couple more seconds of franticly trying, he spoke up in disbelief.

"I ... I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

Now, it was Namjoon speaking up. Everyone was trying to help Hoseok in some way, but the other was deteriorating fast. Yoongi's hands started shaking, his vision getting slightly hazy. Before he knew it, there was a hand in his and another on his back trying to help soothe him.

"I need you to calm down okay. We're going to get through this, okay?"

Yoongi smiled slightly, noticing Taehyung's face through the blurry vision. Taehyung reciprocated a smile, trying to calm down his boyfriend at all costs.

"We have to play the game."

Everyone looked at Jungkook as if he were insane, including Jimin. No one had even thought of that as an option, so it shocked everyone.

After a bunch of arguing and questioning why they would even play this game in the first place, they all eventually agreed to type "YES" an play the game. Shortly after, they received another text.

FROM: 119-121-2518

Welcome players. I'm assuming you all are wondering how you can save your friend. To do so, you're going to need great eyesight. Around the dining room, I set up four numbers. These numbers will unlock the box in the briefcase. Inside the box is the antidote to the poison.

Find the antidote: Save him

Fail the game: He dies but you live

Can you live with the guilt? Good luck.

Yoongi became frantic, not sure if he should look for numbers or try to help Hoseok. Most of the other boys had split up looking for numbers already. While Yoongi was still trying to figure out what to do, the chef, Minghao, came over behind Yoongi.

"I'd get going if I were you. I'd give him about three minutes to live." Minghao seemed very cold but held a smirk, moving back to guard the way to the kitchen.

Yoongi was moving within seconds, doing everything he could to help the others.

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The group was extremely close to unlocking the box but to no avail. All Yoongi could see was Hoseok's lifeless eyes in front of him. However, he had to stay strong since Taehyung was already crying. Yoongi held his boyfriend up as he cried, trying to not burst into tears as well. Before anyone had time to think, all of their phones buzzed again.

"You may want to grab that." Minghao had his evil smirk back on his face, nudging his head towards everyone's pockets.

"I don't want anything to do with this game anymore. I'm done." Jimin looked at Minghao as if he was the worst filth on the planet. Jungkook wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's shoulder both to try comforting him as well as protect him.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice."

Yoongi noticed a new woman step next to Minghao. Within seconds, three more staff members appeared. Yoongi could already feel the stares of the staff piercing into him. He was becoming more scared by the second.

"Now. I'd check your phones if I were you." It was Sana this time, her smile at the end nothing like the kind the boys had seen when she greeted them by the door.

FROM: 119-121-2518

I see you were too late. Such a shame. I'm surprised that you almost found all the numbers. So now that that's over, let me explain this game in more detail.

I imagine you have now realized that the house staff is in on the game. No worries though. They won't hurt you as long as you play along. The point of this game is to survive.

But just some advice:

I'd kill others before they kill you.

You will receive another text for the details of the next game in about five minutes. Good luck players.

You'll need it.

Yoongi seemed to blackout, not able to hear anyone else in the room. He wasn't sure what was going on, almost as if his brain was trying to piece things together.

Why is this happening? Why can't I remember anything about Hoseok? Why can't I remember anything about anyone?

Yoongi was inside his head, the touch on his arm from Taehyung waking him out of his trance. When he came to, all he could hear were some of the guys fighting over the possibility that someone in the room was a traitor. Yoongi was shocked, the thought not even crossing his mind. The yelling grew louder and louder, causing Yoongi to speak up.

"Don't you think the real killer would want this. They want all of us to gang up on each other. That only lets the killer win. They're playing with us. We have to stick together."

It took all of Yoongi's strength and courage to get those sentences out, already feeling emotionally drained when the night had only just begun. Everyone else nodded their heads, the screaming and fighting stopping almost immediately.

It was then when all of their phones buzzed.

Sana looked up at the six men before her.

"Are you ready for stage two?"

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Everyone stayed close to each other, still unsure of the staff that surrounded them. None of them would have ever guessed that the staff would have been in on the plan.

"What do you mean stage two?" Yoongi at this point was just trying to buy time. "Just how many stages are there?"

Yoongi held onto Taehyung, being sure to stay between him and the staff. Even though Taehyung was fairly taller than his boyfriend, Yoongi was always playing the role of protector to keep Taehyung safe.

"All I can tell you is what the text told you. The goal is to survive. And take the text's advice. Kill the killer before they kill you." Sana's voice seemed cold and calm, staring down the six boys.

"The amount of stages depends on your will to live. But can you survive them all?" This voice was new to everyone as well, coming from a man that wore overalls and a straw hat. He looked the part of the gardener.

"Wait a minute." Everyone turned towards Jimin. "How did you know what the text said? You didn't see any of our phones."

At this point, everyone realized what Jimin had figured out. They all started to think it through themselves, realizing that it was true. None of the staff had access to the message on their phones, yet they knew exactly what the messages were saying.

How do they know? How many steps ahead are they? Who are they working for? Well, Hoseok's dead, so what could they be after? I need to protect Taehyung. I need to keep him safe.

Almost as if on instinct, Yoongi pushed Taehyung slightly behind him more than he was before. Taehyung looked at Yoongi, the terrified look causing Yoongi to want wrap him up in a protective hug. Yoongi stayed at the ready, not sure what the staff would do next.

"You might want to check your phones. Who knows ... there might be another time limit, and you're wasting any time you have." The maintenance woman was looking at her nails, not even interested in the six men in the center of the room. She gave them all one more glance before looking back at her nails.

With that, Jungkook grabbed his phone from his pocket first with Yoongi not far behind. Everyone else followed him, but they seemed more timid to do so. However, after looking around the room, they were truly trapped inside the dining room by the five staff members.

They all read the next message individually. Yoongi glanced at Taehyung, noticing his boyfriend's hands shaking. He knew he needed to read the text, but he wished he could hold Taehyung's hands, seeing that they were shaking from fear.

FROM: 119-121-2518

By losing stage one, you lost a friend. By losing stage two, you may end up with the same fate. This game will be a little more interesting. As you can see, there are five staff members surrounding you, but there are six of you. Here's how stage two will work.

Each one of you will try to pick a staff member, but as you could have guessed, one of you will be left without one. This will be a huge disadvantage for you. Once all the staff members are taken, each player will receive a note. The player without a staff member will receive their note from the table in the living room. These notes will have instructions for what to do next.

All I can say is do not come in last place. The last player to complete their task and return to the final location ...

Will die.

Good luck players.

At this point, almost everyone was running towards a staff member, not wanting to be the one person with a disadvantage. The room went from being extremely calm to mass hysteria. Jungkook, since he was the first one that looked at his phone, was also the first to run and pick a staff member. He ran to the closest person in his vicinity, Minghao. Once he chose his member, he wishes he had given it more thought. Minghao wasn't the kindest person they've met since being here.

Yoongi quickly skimmed the text, running towards the closest person he could find: the gardener. He had run so fast, that he spent a couple seconds catching his breath. The gardener didn't seem to impressed, leaning to one side as if this whole thing was the least amusing thing he had to do.

After catching his breath, he noticed other people running towards staff members. Jimin had run to Sana, and Namjoon had run to the maintenance worker. The only two people left were Jin and Taehyung. Yoongi could see Taehyung frozen, his hands holding his phone and still shaking.

"Taehyung, move! Please!" Yoongi shouted, trying to get his boyfriend's attention.

Taehyung's head bounced up quickly, trying to locate Yoongi's voice. When Taehyung and Yoongi locked eyes, Yoongi could see tears rolling down Taehyung's face. He was completely paralyzed with fear. Yoongi knew that, even if Taehyung wanted to move, he wouldn't be able to.

Within a couple seconds, Jin ran to the last staff member: Woozi.

Once everyone had a staff member except Taehyung, Yoongi ran towards the center to pull Taehyung into his embrace. Just as Yoongi got to him, Taehyung's full weight collapsed into him, tears continuously rolling down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Yoongi. I ... I just couldn't move, and I didn't know what to do. I'm so scared. I'm so sorry."

Taehyung was frantic, but Yoongi was holding him close, trying to calm him down as quickly as possible. With a couple deep breaths, Yoongi was able to calm Taehyung down enough.

"Don't be sorry! You did the best you could. We're both scared, but you got this. I'll do everything to protect you. I promise."

Taehyung put his hand in Yoongi's, scared to let go even for a couple seconds. Now that Taehyung had calmed down slightly, Sana spoke up.

"It seems that we've all been chosen." She looks around one final time before continuing. "We will now distribute the notes. Once you receive yours, please follow the instructions. We are here to help you, not tell you what to do. Good luck."

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Yoongi looks at the gardener, already knowing nothing about the man in front of him. In the corner of his eye, he can see Taehyung already running to find his note in another room. Yoongi wishes him luck before giving his attention back to the man in front of him. Before he can ask the man his name, a note was being shoved in front of his face. Yoongi was shocked for a second.

"Well? Are you going to open it?"

Yoongi reaches out to take it. While he opens the note, he can hear the gardener scoff and mumble under his breath. While ignoring the man, he opens it up.

It seems you've chosen Sewoon. Very interesting choice, seeing that you didn't meet him before this moment. What will you do with him? Your first destination is in the kitchen. There, you will find the next note. Look carefully. Pay attention.

Before Yoongi could make a break for the kitchen, he stopped in his tracks. Almost all the other guys had left for their respective room, seeing that he was one of the last left. However, he knew this couldn't wait.

"What's your name?"

"You care about that at a time like this?" The gardener chuckled a bit. Yoongi stood his ground, not moving from his spot.

"Yes, I do. Especially if you're with me for this stage of this 'game' I'm forced to play."

The gardener stood straighter, gaining more respect for the man in front of him. He looked Yoongi in the eyes before continuing.

"The name's Sewoon. I'm the gardener here."

"Nice to meet you. Now, let's get moving."

Yoongi jogged to the kitchen since it wasn't that far from where they started. While jogging, he noticed that he was the last person to leave that room. While Yoongi didn't want to panic, the anxiety had began to sink in.

I can't get in last. And Taehyung ... he's all by himself. I hope he's okay down there. I need to finish my part so that I can help him. Okay, Yoongi. You need to focus. Let's look for that next note.

Before Yoongi could even think of looking for the note, he was pulled out of his haze by the complete destruction in front of him. The kitchen was an absolute mess. Dishes were thrown all around the room, making the room look like a pig's sty. Food was lying out on a marble counter at the center of the kitchen. The oven door was open with nothing inside. The fridge was blockaded with a small table most likely used for food prep. Overall, this room was trashed.

"What happened in here?"

Yoongi looked baffled. Sewoon had just entered the room, laughing slightly at the sight before him.

"Looks like it was trashed."

"Yeah, no shit."

Yoongi took a deep breath, trying to stay focused on the task at hand. After calming himself down slightly, he began looking for the next note. He moved a couple things around while Sewoon moved to the cabinets. After a couple seconds, Yoongi started to think about the note.

What will you do with him? What could that mean? He looks like a gardener, but that obviously won't help me here? What will you do with him? What can I do with him?

Yoongi was startled by someone tapping him on the shoulder. He quickly turned around, his hands up in automatic defense.

"Whoah, whoah! Calm down there. You seemed to blank out there for a bit. I've been calling your name, and you weren't responding. You okay?"

Yoongi wasn't sure why the man cared if he was alive or dead. He was pretty sure everyone, or almost everyone, was going to die tonight if all those horror movies he watched had anything to say about it. After calming down, he spoke up.

"Sorry. Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About?"

"Do you have any special talents? Something most people may not know about you? I'm just trying to think of anything."

Sewoon put his thumb and index finger on his chin, thinking deeply for a couple seconds. Yoongi was starting to lose hope when Sewoon spoke up.

"Not really, honestly. I mean, other than the fact that I have a little OCD over organization, I'm fairly 'normal.'"

It was as if a light bulb went off in Yoongi's head. He quickly noticed all the different plates on the floor. Within a couple seconds, he turned to Sewoon.

"We need to organize these plates! Quickly!"

"What?! That's what you got out of that?"

Sewoon seemed astounded, not sure how organizing these plates would help anyone. And seeing the amount of plates on the floor, this was going to take more time than Yoongi had.

"Yes. Start organizing what you can over there. I'll start over here."

Sewoon nodded and Yoongi, starting the organization on his side. Yoongi knew he was running out of time, so he decided to think smart.

If I was a note, I'd be placed somewhere hard to find. Or maybe a place where a lot of plates are stacked, since most people would start with the smaller piles first. So, where is the biggest pile?

Yoongi looked around for a couple seconds before spotting a fairly tall pile of plates to his right. Yoongi quickly began tearing the pile apart, organizing as he went. Within a minute, he was shouting at Sewoon.

"I found it! I found it!"

Sewoon looked surprised, since it didn't take Yoongi that much time at all. Sewoon moved back to Yoongi as the he opened the new note. He held his breath as he began reading it.

Go back to the dining room. Await instructions there.

Yoongi looked at the other side of the note, expecting this second note to have more information than this. Even Sewoon seemed surprised at the lack of text. Yoongi wasn't sure why he was being told to go back where he came, but he decided to follow the instructions. The last thing he needed was to come in last.

"Thanks for all your help."

Yoongi bowed slightly in Sewoon's direction. The gardener looked shocked, not expecting that at all. Sewoon smiled before they both jogged towards the dining room. Yoongi wasn't sure how the others were doing, but he was confident that he wasn't last. However, the figure standing in the dining room shocked him.

"T-Tae?"

"Yoongi!"

Taehyung immediately ran towards Yoongi, embracing the smaller man in a hug. Yoongi was still shocked, slowly wrapping his arms around Taehyung. After a couple seconds, Yoongi pulled Taehyung back a bit.

"H-How did you get done so quickly? Without a staff member, too?"

Yoongi looked confused, and Taehyung started to go rigid. Even though he was trying to hide it, Yoongi could see right through him. They'd been together long enough that Yoongi could tell when something was wrong with his boyfriend.

"Yoongi, I need to tell you something."

Tahyung had looked frantic, but beore he could continue, two more people ran into the room. Taehyung had stopped in his tracks, getting behind Yoongi somewhat.

"Taehyung? How'd get here so fast?"

Jin and Jungkook had both run into the room around the same time, not expecting to see Taehyung in front of them. Knowing that Taehyung didn't have a staff member, everyone was expecting him to come in last. So, the two newcomers to the room were in slight shock. However, that shock turned into slight horror when Jungkook and Jin realized their respective partners weren't in the room yet.

"So, we're just waiting on two more it looks like."

Sewoon was the one to speak up with Minghao and Woozi behind him. They all seemed fairly calm, the exact opposite of how some of the boys were feeling. Just as Sewoon was about to speak up again, they could all hear footsteps.

Jin and Jungkook were on the edge of their seats, not sure who would walk through the dining room entrance first. Harsh breathing could be heard, as if the person was out of breath. They ran into the room, supporting themselves on their knees as if they were ready to collapse from running so fast.

"Jimin!"

Jungkook ran up to him and gave the smaller man a hug, almost knocking the man on the floor in the process. When Jimin had realized he wasn't last, he started to cry into Jungkook's shoulder. Jimin had grabbed onto Jungkook's shirt, showing no sign of letting go anytime soon.

Jin was devastated, knowing that Namjoon was most likely going to be killed this round based off the text. After another minute, Namjoon had jogged into the room, noticing that everyone else was accounted for. Just as Jimin was crying tears of joy, Namjoon began crying tears of despair. He knew what coming in last meant, and all he could do was hold onto Jin as if his life depended on it.

Yoongi could see the rest of the room going through so many emotions. He was about to go comfort Namjoon and Jin when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Just as he thought someone, there was proof that no one was there.

Am I seeing things now? I swear I saw someone there. But ... we're all here. What is happening?

Before Yoongi could dwell to far, Taehyung had gripped Yoongi's shoulder and turned him around quickly. Yoongi was a little shocked, Taehyung looking extremely scared and anxious.

"Yoongi, I really need to tell you something."

Yoongi held Taehyung's hands, giving him his undivided attention. Taehyung still looked very anxious, but Yoongi squeezed his hands comfortingly.

"You can tell me anything."

Taehyung tried smiling, but it was strained. He took a deep breath and looked Yoongi in the eyes.

"I ..."

"Now that everyone's here, we can get started. Namjoon." It was Minghao speaking up, looking straight at the man in question. "You came in last. However, you may not be the one to die."

You could hear a pin drop in the room, everyone not sure what was going on. This wasn't part of the plan. Yoongi looked at Taehyung who now looked like a deer in the headlights.

I could lose Tae. I can't lose him. I still haven't heard what he needed to tell me. What could it be? I can't just ask right now. I need to protect him.

"You will see a spot at the table with your name. Please sit at your spot and await further instruction."

Minghao had left for the kitchen while the boys all found their respective seats. It was set up so that each couple was facing across from each other. Yoongi sat down anxiously, looking towards his boyfriend. Taehyung looked extremely anxious, playing with his fingers excessively. Yoongi could tell something was wrong, but before he could comfort Taehyung, he was interrupted.

"I'm passing out drinks, but please ..." Minghao paused and looked around at everyone, including the other staff members, "... do not drink them."

Immediately, everyone felt shivers up their spines. Minghao kept passing out drinks, giving the last one to Taehyung. Once they were passed out, he went behind Jungkook. Everyone then heard a loud buzzing noise. They all looked at each other and knew ...

... they received another text.

Yoongi was the first to reach for his phone.

"What are you doing?" Jimin stopped Yoongi in his tracks.

Yoongi wasn't sure what else they could do. His first priority was to protect Taehyung, and if that meant opening the text message, then so be it.

"If we don't look at the message, something bad is going to happen anyways. We might as well prepare ourselves for what's about to happen." Yoongi looked at Jimin, trying to get the younger to understand.

At this point, everyone pulled out their phones to read the message.

FROM: 119-121-2518

Hello. Right now, there are glasses in front of you. One of your glasses contains poison.

When each person read this part of the message, they all grew tense. Everyone became paralyzed with fear but continued reading. The staff members felt the tension emerging and stood straighter than normal.

Once you're all done reading this message, one of the staff will count to three. At this time, you are all required to drink what's in the glass. If you choose not to, the staff members will kill you.

Almost everyone's mouth dropped. Yoongi looked at Taehyung, trying to figure out a way to protect him. His mind was moving a mile a minute. Taehyung looked up, tears starting to well in his eyes. Yoongi didn't know what he could do to make his boyfriend feel better, seeing that Yoongi wasn't even sure he was going to make it out alive. Each staff member then brought out a knife into each person's view. Taehyung was trying to hold back his tears, trying to stay strong.

Just for your own knowledge, one of your friends chose who would die tonight. But who, you ask? I'll save that for all of you to figure out. Good luck, players.

Yoongi could see a tear slide down Taehyung's face. However, Yoongi wasn't sure what was going on. Yoongi and Taehyung had been together for a couple years now, and Yoongi could tell when Taehyung was crying from sadness and when he was crying from feeling regret. When Yoongi looked at Taehyung, he saw regret. He was about to ask Taehyung what was going on before being interrupted again.

"I will give the count off. Good luck to you all." The powerful voice came from Hyuna, almost like a cold-blooded killer. All the boys grew stiff but put the glass in their hands. "One..."

Everyone grew tense, bringing the glass closer to their mouths.

"Two ..."

They all kept their glasses up, afraid of being killed.

"Three." Hyuna said the last number with venom.

Everyone hesitantly took a sip from the glass. The staff members lowered their knives, now having no use for them.

Everyone waited in anticipation to see which glass was poisoned. All the glasses were now back on the table. Everyone looked around, nervous at who would drop. Taehyung occasionally glanced to the other edge of the table, Yoongi trying to follow his gaze without Taehyung noticing.

Yoongi wasn't sure what was spiking his boyfriend's anxiety, but he knew he needed to help. Yoongi reached for Taehyung's hand under the table, Taehyung's eyes immediately locked on to Yoongi's. Taehyung smiled as Yoongi rubbed his thumb against Taehyung's hand. The best Yoongi could do right now was try to comfort him as much as he could.

The staff members were also looking around as if unsure themselves who would drop from poison. The only two that kept their eyes straight were Minghao and Hyuna, as if they seemed to know who would die tonight.

All of a sudden, everyone heard a loud crash, a chair and body hitting the floor. Yoongi noticed that it was the man to his left, Namjoon.

Yoongi immediately ran to Namjoon's side, being one of the closest people to him. Jin almost jumped across the table to get to his boyfriend. Jin was crying, trying to hold Namjoon's head as his tears fell.

"Joonie, stay with me. You're going to be okay."

Jin tried smiling, but everyone could see the despair in his eyes. Yoongi had backed up slightly, wanting to give Jin his last moments with his boyfriend in peace. Yoongi looked at the ground, not sure how to process the loss.

This is ... real. We're going to die. There has to be something we can do. A game? A way to play for an antidote like with Hoseok. Hoseok. Why are my memories of him still so fuzzy? That doesn't matter right now! I'll try to ask about an antidote.

Just as Yoongi was about to run towards Sewoon, he stopped dead in his tracks. Taehyung had placed himself away from the rest of the group. It wasn't hard for Yoongi to tell that he was crying, tears streaming and falling off his face. Yoongi had a worried expression, walking slowly towards his boyfriend. Yoongi was right in front of him, but it was as if Taehyung hadn't even noticed him there. Yoongi reached his hand towards Taehyung's arm.

"Tae?"

Taehyung jumped, ripping his hand away from Yoongi. When Taehyung had realized it was his boyfriend in front of him, it was as if Taehyung could no longer hold back his sadness, crying into Yoongi's shoulder.

"I'm ... sorry. I'm so sorry."

Yoongi was confused, Taehyung barely saying it above a whisper. However, Yoongi's main priority was to try and calm Taehyung down. He rubbed his hand down Taehyung's back, knowing that this always calmed Taehyung down back home. By the time Taehyung cries were down to a whisper, Namjoon was long gone. Jin was still holding onto his body, not wanting to let go.

"Who did it?"

The voice came from Jin whose voice was quiet yet full of anger after laying his boyfriend gently on the ground as if afraid he would shatter. Everyone looked at Jin, not sure what he was trying to accuse someone of.

"I said. Who. Did. It." Jin wouldn't even look up, not able to take his eyes off his boyfriend. Yoongi didn't hear their last exchange, ut he could imagine it was just as heartbreaking as if he would've lost Taehyung. Everyone became silent as Jin looked up.

"What do you mean? Who did what?" Jimin was confused, not sure where Jin was going with this.

"The text message said that one of us chose who would die tonight. So, who chose Namjoon?"

Everyone else in the room looked surprised at the accusation. None of them could imagine losing their boyfriends yet alone watching them die. Taehyung looked at the floor and held his hands, sweating slightly at the fear of being figured out as well as the thought that he actually killed somebody. However, Taehyung knew that, if he was going to tell anyone, he needed to tell Yoongi.

He killed someone. He was a killer. What had he done?

Yoongi looked back at Taehyung to hold his hand. He knew that Taehyung always got a little anxious during confrontation, even if he wasn't directly involved. But, all Yoongi saw when he looked at Taehyung was ...

Why ... Why does he look so guilty? No. It couldn't be. Taehyung couldn't have done this. He wouldn't. But ... I know my boyfriend better than anyone else here. He's guilty of something, but what could it be?

Jin was getting angrier by the second but trying to stay calm for his sanity. Yoongi moved away from Taehyung slightly to try and create a barrier between Jin and Taehyung.

"Jin, they were probably forced to make a choice. This probably wasn't personal." Jin moved away from Yoongi quickly, his mannerisms still emanating how angry he was.

"I don't care if it wasn't personal."

Everyone looked at Jin now, all eyes full of sympathy and fear. No one was sure what Jin was going to do. Jungkook took a quick glance around the room and noticed that the staff had left, leaving only the five boys that were still alive and a dead Namjoon.

"My boyfriend is dead. And what? I'm just supposed to move on with this game?" Jin looked back at Namjoon and immediately turned his anger into tears pouring down his face. His hands went to hold his face as he slowly knelt towards the floor, all his strength seeming to leave his body.

Taehyung was the first one to approach Jin. Yoongi tried to hold him back, but Taehyung continued forward. Yoongi wasn't sure what was going on with Taehyung, but was nervous for his boyfriend. Taehyung stood above Jin, causing Jin to look up as a shadow overcast him. Taehyung then knelt down and gave Jin a hug, letting Jin's head rest on his shoulder.

Both of the boys cried on the floor, comforting each other over the loss of their friend. Jungkook and Jimin had approached Yoongi as the three of them watched this unfold. Both Jungkook and Yoongi were unsure of what to do next.

When Yoongi looked at Taehyung, he still saw some form of guilt. Rather than being inquisitive on what Taehyung could possibly feel guilty for, he wanted to hold his boyfriend in his arms. He wanted to protect him. He wanted to save him.

"Guys ..." Taehyung spoke up, catching everyone's attention, even Jin who was crying with Taehyung next to him. Taehyung immediately felt all eyes on him and looked like a deer in headlights.

"Tae. What's wrong?" Yoongi seemed concerned for his boyfriend, approaching him before another sound caused him to stop in his tracks.

Everyone's phone vibrated or dinged at once, and they all knew what that meant. No one cared what Taehyung was about to say but rather the phones in their pockets. However, no one seemed to be in a hurry to reach for them, afraid of what they'd say.

"Really? Another one?" Jimin seemed to be in disbelief. He wanted this "game" to stop, but he knew that whoever planned this had much more for them to do.

"We better look. It'll only get worse if we don't." Yoongi's voice was cold, but everyone agreed with what he was saying. One of them could die right here if they refused to look at their phones. Yoongi went to grab for his when he was stopped by motion entering the dining room.

The staff came walking back into the room, almost as if coming from a meeting. They all crowded around the archway that went from the dining room into the kitchen. Jimin was the first to notice that Woozi's eyes were red and puffy. Everyone else then realized that these staff members were people too and didn't seem ready for the result of all this.

"What are you all doing here? Going to force us into more things?" Taehyung was getting up with Jin still holding onto him. Both had red, puffy eyes and weren't ready to move on. Taehyung seemed more frustrated at the situation at this point.

"We're here to be sure you read the next message." Hyuna's voice was still sharp and cold, a dominating aura coming through her voice and into each of the boys.

"Fine."

All the boys looked at Yoongi as his voice pushed through the silence in the room. They were confused as to why Yoongi was so quick to agree to the staff. Yoongi sighed before continuing.

"It's either we read it and have a chance of escaping, or we die here. Let's just read it." With that Yoongi grabbed his phone but didn't open the message, waiting to see if the other boys would follow him in his footsteps.

Gradually, everyone else pulled out their phones. Before Jungkook pulled out his phone, he went over to Jimin and pecked his forehead. He wasn't sure if this would be the last time he's see his boyfriend. Jin was about to leave Namjoon's side when he noticed something strange.

"Guys ..." Jin grabbed everyone's attention to look at him. Once all eyes were on him, he held up a cellphone.

"What's so special about your cell phone?" Yoongi was thoroughly confused.

"It's not mine. It's Namjoon's. And look ..." Jin went up to the other guys who now huddled around him. He clicked a button that lit up Namjoon's phone lock screen with all his notifications. At that moment, everyone saw it.

"Why would the killer send Namjoon a text message if he knew he was the one dying, or already dead for that matter." Jin and Jungkook said this sentence around the same time, making everyone else in the room think.

"That must mean..." Yoongi had his hand on his chin, grabbing everyone else's attention. "... the killer had no way of knowing how things would play out. Like who would be without a staff member. Or who would have been chosen to die this past stage."

Everyone began to put pieces together, but what Jimin said next sent chills through everyone's bones.

"It also means that ... the killer must also be someone who's already here. Otherwise, why would the texts have to be set up in advance?"

At that, everyone started sizing each other up, questioning who in this room was the killer. Was it one of them? Or was it a staff member? Was there more than one?

Yoongi looked at Taehyung who had been looking at the ground for awhile now. Yoongi could tell that something was wrong, but he wanted to hear it from Taehyung before making any assumptions. Yoongi began reaching for his boyfriend's hand before he was interrupted.

The sound of a loud clap brought everyone out of their minds and back to reality. Everyone's glances shot to the staff where they saw Sana's hands in the air as if she was the one who just clapped. Once she had everyone's attention, she spoke.

"I'm sorry. But ... you need to read the text now ... or we'll have to be rash." At that, the staff members pulled out the knives they had previously minus Woozi who didn't seem in the right state of mind to do so. The boys looked at each other.

"We can discuss this later. Right now, we need to survive." Jungkook quickly said this before opening his phone. The other boys followed him in his footsteps, preparing themselves for what was about to happen next.

Yoongi took another glance at Taehyung before opening his phone, hoping that he'd have time to talk with him soon.

FROM: 119-121-2518

It seems you've lost another. How many will you lose before you get out of here? The next stage may be the determining factor. For this stage, you will all work together. Go to the basement. There, you will find a note that will explain Stage 3. Good luck players.

And one more thing. I suggest you figure out who the killer is and fast, or you all might end up dead.

Everyone looked up from their phones. Taehyung was wiping old tears away from his eyes, reaching out to hold Yoongi's hand for comfort. Yoongi smiled, glad the other was coming to him for comfort and security. None of them wanted to cry anymore, only having the determination to get out of this house. After reading the text, Yoongi looked towards the staff.

"Can you all show us where this place is?"

"What place?" Woozi sounded so innocent and confused. His eyes were only pink now. Yoongi assumed the man wasn't cut out for this killing gig.

"What do you mean where? You all are working with the killer, aren't you? You must know every step." Jungkook was still angry, keeping Jimin behind him to keep the boy safe.

"We may be helping them, but it's more complicated than that." Sewoon leaned onto his one leg and crossed his arms.

"What do you mean more complicated?" Jin was getting more confused by the second.

"Guys. Fighting them right now isn't going to help us. We need to get out of here fast, and I don't want to lose anyone else. Instead of fighting, let's move on."

Yoongi was trying to be the voice of reason, not wanting to waste time that could very well be precious to them for the next stage. Yoongi kept a hold of Taehyung's hand, trying to rub soothing circles into it. He smiled at him before looking back at the staff, Sewoon specifically.

"The basement. Where's the basement?"

"I ... I can show you."

Yoongi was surprised to hear Taehyung speak, not having heard his voice in awhile. Most of the boys looked shocked, not sure why Taehyung would know where this place was. Yoongi squeezed the boy's hand, as if it was a signal for his boyfriend to continue. Taehyung tried to smile before continuing.

"I had to go there for Stage 2. I can show you all where it is, but ... I really don't want to go back down there." Taehyung's hand started to shake from remembering what happened down there. After a few seconds, Yoongi shook Taehyung's hand a bit, causing him to snap out of his memories.

"Everything's going to be okay." Yoongi whispered, trying to make Taehyung feel better.

Taehyung swallowed before moving out of the dining room and towards the door to the basement. Everyone else followed him out, including the staff. Jin was hesitant to leave Namjoon but knew he couldn't stay by him forever. Once Taehyung reached the basement door, he abruptly stopped. He took a couple deep breaths before turning back to everyone else.

"Here it is."

"I'm heading down." It was Jungkook, his determined voice breaking the silence that formed.

"Why so eager?" Yoongi raised his eyebrow, unsure of what had gotten into the maknae.

"I'm tired of waiting. We should just get this over with." Jungkook's voice seemed slightly cold, Jimin leaning into Jungkook's side to try and calm him down. Jungkook sighed before continuing. "I'm going."

With that, Jungkook opened the door and walked down the stairs slowly. The lights were on, but it was still very dim. He reached the basement, everyone else filing downstairs and reaching the basement as well. The staff stayed upstairs, knowing that they aren't supposed to go down. Once everyone was downstairs, Jungkook noticed a table towards the back of the basement. There were two jars on it with what seemed to be papers stuck inside them.

"Guys, that must be for the next stage. Let's go."

Before Jungkook could walk over, he was held back with a hand holding onto his elbow. It was Taehyung who looked more terrified by Jungkook's action to move towards the table.

"What's wrong?" Jungkook was confused on why he was being held back.

Yoongi seemed confused, never having seen Taehyung on edge like this before. Yoongi could see tears threatening to spill from his boyfriend's eyes. Before Yoongi could approach him, Taehyung spoke up.

"The table was meant for Stage 2. I ... I had to play a game to get out." Taehyung's stutter caught everyone's attention. Jungkook squinted his eyes slightly before pulling his arm out of Taehyung's grip. Everyone could feel the tension, or was it panic, emanating from the two.

Why is Taehyung so distraught? What happened down here? Why is he so on edge? There's so many questions I want answered, but I should try calming Taehyung down first. But I still need to figure out ... why is there guilt in his eyes? What did he do?

Before Taehyung could react, Jin quickly jogged towards the table while passing the duo who were in a deadlock. Taehyung got out of Jungkook's grip, quickly following as if in panic and was then followed by the other three boys. Yoongi kept it at a walking pace.

It was then that Yoongi thought he saw movement coming from the stairs. He quickly turned around to see a shoe on the last stair at the top before disappearing. Yoongi knew he recognized those shoes, but he couldn't remember who they belonged to.

Were those Sewoon's? Minghao's? Why can't I remember anything today, and of course on a day where I really need my memory. Okay, now who wore those shoes? Think, think, th--

"Please. Stop." Yoongi's thought process was interrupted by Taehyung breathing heavily from running, his one hand on his knee while the other gripped Jin's wrist tightly. The other two boys finally caught up, breathing slightly heavier than before with Yoongi now catching up to them. Once Yoongi caught up to Taehyung, he slipped his own hand into his boyfriend's. However, Taehyung moved his hand out of Yoongi's, Yoongi shocked at the motion. Taehyung was always the one that wanted comfort.

There was silence before Jin spoke up.

"It was you ... wasn't it."

Everyone stopped in their tracks, all eyes on Taehyung. Jungkook finally understood where Jin was getting at.

"Taehyung. You couldn't have ..." Yoongi's voice trailed off as he looked at his boyfriend in utter shock.

Jin pulled his wrist out of Taehyung's grip that seemed to have weakened over time. Jin then pulled the single paper out of the blue jar. In old writing, the name stood out to him.

Namjoon

"You killed him." Jin's eyes stayed focused on the ground. His hands turned to fists once again, knuckles turning white. Jungkook and Jimin slowly backed away from Taehyung and Yoongi, Taehyung keeping his head down as well.

"There must be something we're missing. Taehyung would never try to kill anyone. He must have been forced to. Right, Tae?"

Yoongi quickly grabbed his boyfriend's hand, trying to get his boyfriend to look at him while defusing the situation. While Taehyung had seemed guilty over something since the last stage, Yoongi couldn't believe that his boyfriend would have killed anyone.

"I ... I did it." At this, Taehyung put his head in his hands, tears streaming out his eyes and down his hands. Jin started crying as well, but his face was getting red with anger.

"How could you!?" Jin then grabbed Taehyung by the shirt and pushed him against the closest wall. "How could you kill him?" Jin and Taehyung were both crying but for different reasons. Jin was crying out of anger at the loss of his boyfriend, while Taehyung was crying at the fact that he actually killed someone. Yoongi went to run at Jin to save Taehyung when what he heard stopped him in his tracks.

"The note said I had to choose. I had ... no choice. I didn't even know whose name I put in." Taehyung was still looking at the floor.

"What do you mean you didn't know?" Jin pushed Taehyung against the wall again. Jungkook and Yoongi were now trying to pull Jin off of Taehyung. Jimin was still shocked at the news, not moving from his position.

"I shuffled some names together and randomly put one in the blue jar. I ..." Taehyung sniffled before continuing, "I didn't want to know who was dying, who I was killing. I couldn't take it." With that, Taehyung fell to the floor in a fetal-like position. Jin's hands were now off of Taehyung's shirt as he was in disbelief. Yoongi and Jungkook successfully pulled Jin away from Taehyung.

After pulling Jin away from Taehyung, Yoongi was in disbelief. He didn't know how to process the information.

Is this why he looked ... guilty? He ... He killed someone. How ... How could he? Why would he? I ... I don't understand. Yet, even though he did such a thing, all I want to do is comfort him and tell him everything will be alright.

Eventually, Jin also fell to the floor, crying uncontrollably. He knew that Taehyung didn't have any control, but his brain kept going to getting revenge for Namjoon's death.

Jin eventually got back on his feet, Taehyung still sitting against the wall. He approached Taehyung slowly, eyes still on the floor. Yoongi tried to push Jin away, but Jin pushed Yoongi towards Jungkook with all his might. Yoongi was about to run towards Taehyung before Jin's next move stopped him.

Jin held out his hand, looking at Taehyung and waiting for him to look up. Once Taehyung looked up, he was in disbelief.

"Why?" Taehyung was confused at the gesture.

"I really want to hurt you, but ..." Jin paused, looking away towards another wall, "... that's not what Namjoon would have wanted. He'd want me to try and get out alive. I can't do that without you. All of you."

Jungkook, Yoongi, and Jimin all looked at each other, nodding slightly in agreement to let this play out.

"I'm ... I'm so sorry." Taehyung looked up at Jin, still crying. He was surprised to see Jin crying heavily as well. Jin reemphasized his outstretched hand, trying to get Taehyung to grab it.

"I know. But come on. We need to get out of here, and we can't do that if we keep crying." Jin gave a slight smile as Taehyung took his hand.

Once Taehyung was up, both Jin and Taehyung wiped their remaining tears away. They both then turned towards the rest of the group. Jungkook saw the determination in Jin's eyes before speaking up.

"Let's start stage 3."

------------------------------------------------

Yoongi had stayed close to Taehyung while the others were looking for the next note. Taehyung leaned into Yoongi as if wanting to whisper something but not having the mental strength to do it.

"I'm not mad if that's what you're worried about. I still love you to the moon and back."

Taehyung didn't say anything, but Yoongi could hear the small sniffles leaving the younger. Yoongi turned around to see Taehyung's puffy red eyes, still trying to wipe away small tears. Yoongi smiled before bringing Taehyung into his embrace.

"I'll fight for you. Always."

"I'll fight for you too."

Yoongi pulled away from the embrace, kissing Taehyung's nose before leaving the younger to look for the note. Taehyung looked slightly shocked at the show of public affection but smiled slightly, needing that moment to give him hope.

"Guys, over here! On the wall."

Everyone ran to Jungkook who was pointing at a note on the wall. They all looked at each other before Jimin pulled it off the wall and started reading it aloud.

Hello players. It seems you've made it to Stage 3. Congrats. This next game will truly test your will to live. Trust your instincts, or you'll be the next one to die. In a couple seconds, one of the staff members will come down to help with Stage 3. In this basement, you'll see two chairs facing each other. Two of you will sit in the chairs and await instruction from the staff. Good luck.

All of the focus turns to the chairs in the room that were previously ignored. They all look around before Yoongi speaks up.

"Who's sitting in the chairs?"

It's obvious that no one wants to sit there, knowing that whoever does will most likely be at risk of death. It was a couple seconds before a voice spoke up.

"I'll do it." Jin raised hand, his voice echoing in the bare basement.

"What?" Jimin looked at the older, confused on why he would want to volunteer.

"I just lost Namjoon." Jin takes a deep breath before continuing. "I don't want any of you to have to go through what I went through in losing the one they love. So, I'll do it."

Jin walked towards one of the chairs, standing and awaiting who the next volunteer would be. Before anyone could ask for the next person to volunteer, a voice broke through the silence.

"I'll do it."

Taehyung raised his hand hesitantly. Yoongi had looked around, not wanting to believe that Taehyung was the one to volunteer himself. Yoongi turned to him, about to question him when the younger spoke up.

""I was the one that caused all this, that killed someone. I need to participate. There's no other option to me. I need to try and make this right."

Taehyung seemed very determined, and Yoongi knew from the look in his boyfriend's eyes that he couldn't fight his choice. He held Taehyung's hand before speaking.

"If this is what you want, I trust you." Taehyung nodded before approaching Jin. Just as Taehyung was about to speak, everyone heard the basement door open.

It was in that instant that everyone remembered the note stating a staff member would be helping with Stage 3. They all waited anxiously as the individual stepped very slowly, almost as if doing it on purpose to build tension. Everyone was shocked at the face they saw. They waited for the figure to reach the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm here to direct you in Stage 3. Have you chosen two people to sit in the chairs?"

Hyuna looked as dominant as ever, not ready to waste any time. She looked over at the chairs, noticing Jin and Taehyung standing at each chair. She smiled slightly before starting to walk over to them, her short heels clicking as she went. Out of instinct, Yoongi looked down at her shoes.

Those weren't the shoes I saw earlier. So, it's not her. Then who was down here, and why were they in such a hurry to disappear?

Yoongi was pulled out of his thoughts by Hyuna placing Jin and Taehyung in the chairs opposite of each other. Yoongi looked scared for Taehyung, but his boyfriend gave him a small smile, trying to give Yoongi some hope that he'd be okay.

"You three must stay back against the wall." Hyuna points to the wall behind the other three boys.

Yoongi, Jungkook, and Jimin all hesitantly walk to the wall, gently placing their backs against it. They could see Jin and Taehyung facing each other. They could hear Hyuna from where they were, waiting to see how this stage played out.

I can't let Tae do this. I can't lose him. How do I stop him? How do I stop this? Come on Yoongi, think! Maybe I can switch spots with him? But what if I leave the wall? Will he be hurt? What so I do?

Yoongi was having a mental war with himself, not wanting to lose his boyfriend but not sure how to step in without the other getting hurt or punished in the process. Yoongi decided to wait and see what the stage entailed before he decided to act.

"Here's how this is going to go. You guys will play rock, paper, scissors." Hyuna was speaking loud enough for everyone to hear, but before she could finish her thought, Jin speaks up.

"Wait. This is all coming down to something like rock, paper, scissors?!!?" Jin and Taehyung were both in disbelief. But before they stayed like that for long, Hyuna let out a huff before continuing.

"Jeez, you kids not letting me finish. I'll say this one more time." She lets out a sigh before continuing. "You both will play rock, paper, scissors. Once this happens, we're going to play a small game of Russian roulette. The winner of the game will have a gun put to their head. They will have the power to either take the bullet or send the bullet to the other player."

Hyuna sounded calm, but both Jin and Taehyung look absolutely terrified. Everyone in the room knew in that instant that someone was going to die. At this point, Hyuna pulled a gun out of a pocket in her overall-like outfit. Hyuna readied the bullet, everyone hearing the gun click. Jungkook, Jimin, and Yoongi all got tense. Yoongi looked ready to run towards Taehyung before Hyuna spoke up.

"I told you to stay against the wall. If any of you leave, we'll shoot you where you stand." Hyuna said it so seriously that the three boys pushed themselves as close to the wall as they could. Yoongi seemed anxious, debating if running to save Taehyung was worth it. However, he seemed very conflicted, wanting to comfort his boyfriend but knowing that they may shoot both of them if he tried. Although, on second look, Taehyung seemed to be staying calm in the dire situation.

Why is he so calm? Does he have a plan? Knowing how smart he is, he might have already formed a way to win. Or ... has he given up. I can't lose him. I just can't. But I can't move from here, since I don't want to have him get hurt because of me. Tae ... I hope you have a plan.

"You'll have one minute after winning rock, paper, scissors to decide whether we shoot you or the other player. Good luck." Hyuna sounded cold but gave Jin and Taehyung space to play the game.

Taehyung had a calm exterior, but Yoongi could see that he was anxious deep down, not wanting to have to make a decision that would mean life or death for either of them. Jin wasn't much better but was trying to internalize his fear. Jin then held his hand out in a fist, showing Taehyung he was ready to play.

Taehyung then held out his fist as well, his hand shaking slightly. Jungkook, Jimin, and Yoongi couldn't take their eyes of the other two. Jimin slid his hand into Jungkook's putting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and having his head face the wall. He couldn't watch what was about to happen. Jungkook squeezed his hand tighter and kissed his head as he awaited the result. The three of them held their breath.

Within five seconds, they had a winner.

Taehyung held out scissors, while Jin held out paper. Even though he won, Taehyung looked absolutely terrified.

It was in an instant that Hyuna started a stopwatch no one even noticed she had. She put the gun centimeters away from Jin's forehead and turned her head to face Taehyung. Taehyung's eyes became wide, his hands now permanently shaking.

"You have one minute to decide." Once that was said, she faced Jin and stared into his eyes. Hyuna was surprised at what she saw.

Jin had taken a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did so. He placed his arms lightly in his lap. His breathing was audible but continuously calm, not wavering for even a second. No one, including Hyuna, understood how Jin could be so calm knowing that his faith was in someone else's hands.

After about 15 seconds had passed, Taehyung's hands were still shaking profusely. He started to grip his hair, almost ready to pull it out within seconds. Yoongi knew what this was.

A panic attack? He hasn't had one of those since ... that day. I need to be there for him I need to save him.

Yoongi was about to leap away from the wall when he was grabbed by Jungkook. Yoongi looked back sharply, seeing the other gripping his arm tightly with Jimin still nuzzled into his shoulder.

"I know you want to help him, but you can't."

"I can't just leave him suffer like that!"

"I you think he won't suffer when she shoots you!"

It was as if Yoongi stopped breathing, the reality of the situation hitting him square in the face. Jungkook looked sympathetic, knowing how much the older wanted to help. After a deep breath, Yoongi placed his back against the wall and kept an eye on Taehyung.

"Thirty seconds have passed. You don't have much time."

"I ... I don't know what to do. I don't want to die, but I can't kill him. I ... I don't want to be a killer."

At this point, Taehyung was crying, tears streaming down his face with his shaking hands still gripping his hair. When trying to take deep breaths to calm him down wasn't working, a voice pierced through the chaos.

"Kill me."

Taehyung looked up, his hands becoming temporarily limp. His breathing calmed, and the tears still ran down his cheeks as he pinpointed where the voice came from. He was met with Jin's eyes staring right at him.

"W—What? I ... I don't want to kill you!"

"But I'm giving you permission. Please, kill me. I know I said I wanted to get out of here for Joonie, but maybe this is the universe telling me to go be with him now."

Taehyung didn't know what to do. If he killed himself, he'd break Yoongi's heart. But if he killed Jin, he was a murderer.

"Taehyung, I'm giving you permission. You won't be a killer. You'll be doing me a favor. Please."

"Fifteen seconds."

Hyuna's voice broke the tension only to cause more chaos in Taehyung's mind. He looked Jin in the eyes, trying to find a way of knowing this is truly what the older man wanted.

"Please."

Taehyung closed his eyes, putting his hands to his ears as if trying to block out the sound.

"Five seconds."

"Jin. I choose Jin."

Taehyung kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see what events would unfold. Yoongi could see Hyuna nod at Taehyung's decision. She cocked the gun, causing everyone else in the room to close their eyes.

There was a gunshot. A body had hit the floor.

Taehyung and Yoongi had opened their eyes at about the same time, seeing Jin's lifeless body in front of them with blood pouring out of his head. Taehyung's eyes grew wide, in disbelief that he had caused someone to die.

Yoongi wasn't thinking anymore, pushing against the wall to run towards Taehyung. He wasn't even thinking about being shot at this point, only thinking about Taehyung. After taking a couple steps, it was obvious that Hyuna's job was done, not worrying about Yoongi leaving the wall.

Once Yoongi had reached Taehyung, he pulled the younger up and into his embrace. Taehyung was taller than Yoongi, placing his head on the shorter's shoulder. It was as if the tears would never stop falling, Yoongi's shirt slowly becoming soaked. Yongi held him tight, allowing him to let everything out. He couldn't imagine how his boyfriend was feeling.

"It's okay. I'm here. You're going to be okay."

"I ... I'm a murderer. I ... I didn't want to kill him."

Taehyung's speech was being interrupted by his tears and occasional sobbing sounds. All Yoongi could do was continue to hug him, rubbing his back in a way to try and comfort him.

"You're not a murderer."

After a couple seconds, Yoongi heard something whispered to him.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Tae."

Taehyung snuggled his head into Yoongi's shoulder for a couple more seconds before stepping back and wiping the rest of his tears on his arm. After some remaining sniffles, they both realized that Jungkook and Jimin had joined them at some point, Jimin also trying to hold back tears.

"You all need to move. Up the stairs. Now."

Everyone could see Hyuna pointing the gun at them as if she was threatening to shoot them. Jimin and Taehyung immediately started shaking. Before Hyuna could threaten them again, Yoongi and Jungkook were moving with Taehyung and Jimin towards the stairs that led out of the basement.

Yoongi held onto Taehyung as he moved, not wanting to let Taehyung out of his sight for another second. Once they all exited the basement, Hyuna closed the basement door and then leaned onto one leg, putting her right hand on her hip.

"Why are you just waiting there?" Jungkook was confused on the holdup, unsure of where to go from here.

"Just give it a second."

"What?" Taehyung and Jimin said it almost simultaneously, truly confused on what Hyuna was waiting for.

As if on cue, everyone's phones vibrated, sending dread through all of their spines.

"I'm getting fucking tired of this." Even though Yoongi was still holding onto Taehyung, every text he got made him fear that he would lose him. However, he tried to calm down slightly for Taehyung, not wanting the other to be too worried.

"Do we look at it?" Jungkook looked around at the others before thinking of reaching for his phone.

"Do we have a choice?" While saying this, Yoongi was the first to grab his phone but didn't open the message. He looked up. "We do this together. We're a team now, okay?"

Everyone nodded followed by grabbing their own phones. Once everyone had their phone in their hand, they all opened the text message.

FROM: 119-121-2518

It seems you lost another. Too bad. But there's more fun to be had. And a team? Really? Don't fool yourselves. You all know this is a game of survival. One where you fend for yourselves. But you haven't figured out who I am yet? Maybe you should start thinking harder. It's only a matter of time. Go to the front door and await more instructions.

"What the hell?" Jungkook seemed to be in utter disbelief, not sure if he was reading the text correctly. After looking up slightly, it seemed that everyone had the same face in place.

"How ... How did they know?" Jimin seemed more horrified than anything, unsure of how this unknown person is getting information so quickly.

They all knew that Yoongi only mentioned them being a team seconds ago. It started making all of them think that the killer wasn't someone with them but rather someone following them throughout the house.

"This is freaking me out. Honestly." Jimin said it, but Taehyung was also shaking. The shaking was only obvious to Yoongi, since the older had moved closer to Taehyung in a way to try and protect him.

Yoongi pecked Taehyung's cheek to try and calm him down, but all Yoongi received was a halfhearted smile. Yoongi could see what this was doing to his boyfriend, and to say the least, he was upset at seeing his boyfriend in such disarray.

"It doesn't matter how they know." It was Yoongi this time, trying to bring everyone's heads together. "Don't let them get to you. We need to stick together."

"At least someone gets it. They're obviously trying to tear you all apart."

Every looked at the voice, its feminine qualities standing out in the sea of more masculine voices. Hyuna kept looking at her nails, not even giving the group of boys the time of day.

"And why would you want to help us?" Jungkook's voice came out more defensive than he would have liked. Hyuna only brought her eyes up to meet his for a moment before focusing again on her nails.

"I don't know. I'm kind of hoping at least one of you can make it out alive." Before anyone can get her to elaborate, she starts walking towards the front door of the house. Once she gets to the doorway of the dining room, she notices no one following her. "Are you all coming?"

Jungkook was the first to move, looking back at the other guys. "We won't get anywhere if we just stand here." He then turns to follow Hyuna, holding onto Jimin's hand as he walked. Hyuna, Jungkook, and Jimin actually leave the room, causing Yoongi to look at Taehyung quickly.

"We shouldn't lose them. Come on."

Yoongi hold his hand out, waiting for Taehyung to hold it. When he doesn't, Yoongi looks at Taehyung to find his head angled towards the floor.

"What's wrong, Tae?"

"How can you love me. After what I did, I don't even think I can love myself."

It happened in seconds. Yoongi moved into Taehyung's personal space, causing Taehyung to look at him. Yoongi moved in but stopped, letting Taehyung move the final inches to press their lips together. Taehyung placed one hand on Yoongi's jaw ad intertwined the other hand with Yoongi's. Yoongi had his free hand on Taehyung's hip, the two enjoying a moment of privacy.

After a couple seconds, Taehyung broke the kiss, pressing his forehead against Yoongi's. They both took a deep breath, giving Yoongi a moment before he spoke up.

"I will always love you. You were there for me in my darkest moments, so what makes you think that I wouldn't be there during yours? I know you didn't want to do it, any of this. You're strong, and I'm sorry you've been the one to make tough decisions. But I will always love you."

Taehyung had more tears welling up in his eyes, giving Yoongi's lips a peck before looking around the room. Hyuna, Jungkook, and Jimin had left at least a minute ago, meaning the two of them were alone. Yoongi seemed to notice the dilemma, looking to Taehyung for guidance.

"Do you know how to get back?"

"Yeah, I think so. I only walked it once for the second stage, but I can probably find our way back."

Yoongi smiled as Taehyung reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers. Yoongi was smiling, something he hadn't done much since this mess had all began. When they were about to leave the room, Yoongi quickly let go of Taehyung's grip and turned around .

"Yoongi?"

I swear I just saw movement. Who the hell is here? Who's messing with me? This isn't the first time this has happened. It's like someone's still here, watching us. But why are they trying to stay hidden so much? What are they after?

"Yoongi? You there?"

Yoongi snapped out of his thoughts, looking back to Taehyung who had walked back over, slowly intertwining their hands as if he was afraid Yoongi would run off again.

"Yeah. Sorry. I just ..." Yoongi gave one more look around before giving up, "I thought I saw something. Must just be the paranoia. Let's go."

Taehyung gave Yoongi a smile, swinging their hands slightly as he tried to find his way to the front door where Hyuna, Jungkook, and Jimin would be. Yoongi still felt as if he was being watched, but he knew that, if anything happened, he'd protect Taehyung with his life.

After about a minute of not being sure they'd ever find the front door, Taehyung saw Hyuna in the distance, jogging towards her with Yoongi in tow. Jungkook and Jimin were happy to see the two, glad that nothing bad had happened to them after being separated.

"Glad to see you two weren't killed. Taehyung, you're smarter than you look."

Hyuna had a smirk on her face, the other boys not sure what she meant by her statement.

"What do you mean?"

"You only went between this area and the basement twice if you count walking there and back. Finding your way back here without help is ... impressive to say the least."

"Taehyung's not an idiot."

Yoongi piped up before Taehyung could even form a comeback. All four of the boys smiled, realizing that they truly did have each other's backs. Hyuna seemed slightly shocked, not expecting to be talked back to. Before she got angry, she took a deep breath before acting like the conversation never happened.

The buzz of everyone's phones seemed to stop time and put everyone on edge, but Yoongi noticed that Taehyung completely froze. Jungkook, Jimin, and Hyuna were busy talking to each other about opening the message, but Yoongi started rubbing Taehyung's back comfortingly.

"We're going to be okay." Yoongi whispered it just so Taehyung could here. "I promise, Tae."

Taehyung calmed down immediately at his words, but he was still shaking. He gripped Yoongi's hand tighter and moved into his side.

"I love you, Tae."

Taehyung smiled, giving Yoongi an eskimo kiss as thanks. They looked at Jungkook and Jimin who were looking back towards them. They all nodded in a sense of agreement to look at the text. With a nod from Hyuna, everyone opened their phones.

FROM: 119-121-2518

I feel like sending you all on an adventure for Stage 4. You all will go to different parts of the house, but this time, you won't have any staff with you. Once you reach your destination, you will need to find four numbers scattered around the room. Once you find them all, go to the living room where there will be three chests with locks. Enter the code into your chest to receive a "special" prize needed to get out of here: your car keys. Now you may be asking: How did you get our car keys? That's something to tell you at another time. Also, I will allow two people to pair up, since there are four of you and only three chests. But choose wisely. It's your only way for survival. The last person to return and unlock their chest will die. Hyuna will give you your destinations. Good luck players. I can't wait to see who wins.

They all looked at the text, no one having any reactions to them anymore. It was as if they were all desensitized to the feeling of dread that each text brought. Jungkook, Jimin, Taehyung, and Yoongi looked at each other to decide who should pair up. Jimin was the first to break the silence.

"Pairing up seemed to be a blessing and a curse."

"How so?" Jungkook was confused, not sure where his boyfriend was going with this.

"On one hand, you can pair with your partner and have their support throughout the stage. However, if you both come in last ..."

"Then you both die. Just like that."

Yoongi finished Jimin's statement, also now realizing why choosing the pair was harder than it originally seemed. They all stood there in deep thought until a voice broke the silence.

"I'm pairing up with Yoongi."

Taehyung sounded determined, as if he wouldn't take no for an answer. Yoongi looked at him, not sure that this would be the best idea.

"Taehyung, if we come in last, I can't lose you because of something I might do. You should go alone or pair yourself with something else. I wouldn't be able to live if I was the reason you died."

"I trust you." Taehyung was firm, not leaving Yoongi to argue. Yoongi nodded but still had an uneasy feeling.

Once everyone was in agreement, Hyuna spoke up, not wanting to waste any more time.

"I'll assign you your locations. Jimin will be looking in the bedroom they were assigned when they arrived. Jungkook will be looking in the basement. Taehyung and Yoongi will be looking in the kitchen." Hyuna said this with little emotion, almost as if it was a chore.

Everyone seemed determined, ready to run for their lives. No one wanted to be the last one back to the living room. Taehyung and Yoongi looked at each other, ndding as if in agreement to give it their all.

"1." Jungkook got into a running position facing the living room where he'd find the basement.

"2." Jimin was ready to head to the bedroom, giving Jungkook one more glance before he looked ahead of him. For all he knew, this would be the last time he'd see his boyfriend.

"3." Taehyung and Yoongi were already in position, facing the kitchen. They both ran as fast as they could. Jungkook and Jimin were soon to follow in their respective directions.

Everyone had taken off as Hyuna stood in her position, watching them all run. Once they were all out of her sight, Hyuna began moving to the living room to stand by the chests and wait upon their arrival.

---------------------------------------------------

When they both reached the kitchen, they stopped to take a couple deep breaths. Yoongi wasn't used to running around much, and Taehyung wanted to make sure Yoongi was okay to continue. After a couple seconds of leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen, Yoongi noticed something unexpected.

The kitchen was spotless. He was expecting dishes and plates to be thrown around and the kitchen to be in disarray. He walked into the kitchen cautiously, expecting some sort of trap.

"This is ... weird. Why would they leave us a clean kitchen? Wouldn't this make the numbers easier to find?"

Yoongi was talking out loud, trying to get his thoughts together. Taehyung had followed him inside the kitchen, staying within close proximity.

"Why don't you be grateful?"

They both turned around quickly, not recognizing the voice. Yoongi grabbed a knife off the nearby counter to defend himself. His breathing became heavier, his fear becoming more visible. Taehyung wasn't much different, grabbing a frying pan as if it would protect him.

They were met with Minghao, his hands up. It seemed as if he was claiming his innocence, the hands up showing that he had no intention of fighting. Yoongi decided to keep the knife in his hand but lowered it to his side, Taehyung following suit with the frying pan. Yoongi gripped the knife tightly, ready to use it at a moments notice.

"What are you doing here?" Taehyung didn't let his eyes off the chef. "Hyuna said that staff weren't helping this stage." Yoongi noticed Minghao step forward, so he stepped backwards, pushing Taehyung behind him.

"Don't come any closer."

Minghao stopped moving forward, his expression showing nothing but annoyance. Yoongi was expecting him to speak, but the longer he waited, the more he became on edge.

"Touchy, are we? Can't blame you. But you both are going to have a more difficult stage it seems. Especially since your numbers aren't even here."

Taehyung's eyes widened at what Minghao said. He was starting to believe that both of them would die here, not sure how they could pass the stage without it. His breathing started to speed up, the anxiety crawling in. Before it could get too bad, Yoongi interlocked his pinky with Taehyung's behind his back, trying to keep it out of the sight of Minghao.

"Our numbers aren't here? What do you mean?"

Minghao had moved away from them, going back to the doorway to guard it. Yoongi still wasn't sure what was going on, doing his best to comfort Taehyung without making it obvious. He was afraid that, if Minghao knew too much, he might target Taehyung. He couldn't let that happen.

"I have your numbers." Minghao looked so serious that Yoongi and Taehyung didn't even question if he was lying.

"Then why won't you give them to us? That would've been easy, right?" Yoongi was becoming more impatient by the second, wanting to keep Taehyung safe and tired of Minghao's games. They waited for Minghao to speak up, Taehyung still shaking slightly.

"I was sent to ask you three questions. When you answer them all correctly, I'll give you your numbers."

They were both in disbelief. Instead of getting frustrated, Yoongi took a deep breath and looked Minghao straight in the eyes.

"Then give us the questions."

Even Taehyung would admit that Yoongi looked scary. The only time Yoongi had ever seen him look like this was when a group of drunk people had pushed Taehyung to the ground one time. He had sent almost every person in that group to the hospital, one almost to the point of dying. Taehyung never liked to see this side of him, but knew he only did it to protect him.

"Fine. 1. Who was the first person to die tonight?"

Yoongi scoffed, as if that question was too easy. Taehyung smiled, feeling as if they both had some hope to not finish in last.

"Hoseok."

It was Taehyung, finding the courage to speak up. Yoongi smiled, looking back at Taehyung before he became distracted, his facial expression changing within milliseconds.

"Yoongi, what's wrong?"

I see it. I swear, I keep seeing it. Movement. Someone's here. Is it staff? It could be, since there's still plenty of them walking around. But then, why are they trying so hard to stay hidden. Who are you?

"Yoongi! Hello?"

When Yoongi had come out of his daze, Taehyung looked extremely concerned. Yoongi had never liked to see Taehyung upset, but he needed to find out who this mystery person was. However, he knew now wasn't the right time to go on a search.

"Sorry! I just ... got distracted." Yoongi looked towards Minghao. "Give us the next question."

"Seems like someone's spacing out. The place finally getting to you?"

"Next. Question."

"Okay, okay. 2. For Stage 2, what room and staff member was given to Jungkook?"

Both Yoongi and Taehyung were taken aback at the sudden new difficulty of the question. Yoongi was scrambling his brain, trying to think of who Jungkook had. His brain was blank, frustrated that he couldn't think clearly.

"Didn't he have you? And ... he went to the ... the bathroom, right?"

Yoongi was shocked at what Taehyung had said, never realizing that his boyfriend's memory was this good. Yoongi knew that Taehyung had a decent memory, but this was absolutely ridiculous.

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

Taehyung looked to Yoongi, not sure that he even had the right answer. He looked scared to get the question wrong, not wanting Yoongi to get hurt.

"Yoongi, I honestly don't know if I'm right."

"I trust you. I do."

Yoongi gave Taehyung a small smile, causing Taehyung to give one in return. He took a deep breath, thinking through his memories before making his final decision.

"He had you, and he went to the bathroom."

"Right." Minghao seemed emotionless, as if this was part of his job description. Yoongi patted Taehyung's back, praising him for a job well done. Before Yoongi could say anything, Minghao continued.

"3. Where was Jungkook sent for this stage?"

Right after the question was asked, Yoongi could see more movement out of the corner of his eyes. Before he could even think, he turned around and followed it, leaving Minghao and Taehyung where they stood.

"Yoongi? Yoongi! Where are you going?"

I can't be crazy. I'm not crazy. Someone is watching us. It can't just be my paranoia. I need to protect Taehyung. Who could be following us? Why would they want to follow us? I need to find out. I need to know who you are.

Yoongi ran outside the kitchen, not seeing anyone. When he saw movement directly to his left, he quickly turned to his left only to be left with ...

Pain. What is this? Am I dying? Why can't ... I move?

He looked down to see a knife in his stomach, a hand still attached to it. When he looked up, his eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. It couldn't be real.

"H – Hoseok?"

All Yoongi saw was Hoseok give off the most sinister smile he'd ever seen, letting go of the knife but leaving it embedded in Yoongi. As Yoongi dropped to the floor, Hoseok was already running away into the shadows of the house. He melted into the shadows, no one seeing him but Yoongi.

By the time Taehyung and Minghao had reached him, Yoongi was already on the floor and covered in his own blood. His vision was becoming hazy, the knife still stuck in his stomach.

"Yoongi!"

Yoongi had only ever heard Taehyung scream like that once before. The utter growl and despair that left his lips making the older want to wrap the younger up. However, it became blatantly clear to Yoongi that he couldn't even move much, yet alone comfort his boyfriend.

"Yoongi, you're going to be okay. Just stay awake. Keep your eyes on me. Please, please, Yoongi. You can't leave me, please!"

Yoongi's vision was starting to fade, his eyelids getting heavier and heavier by the second. Breathing was getting harder, and he knew he wasn't going to be awake much longer. He noticed Minghao bringing towels from the kitchen for Taehyung, but almost all his hearing was lost at this point. Taehyung had started to press the towels to Yoongi's stomach, the older never noticing that the knife was removed at some point.

I ... I need to tell him ... that it was Hoseok. He's ... still alive. I need ... to tell him. Come on Yoongi. Speak. Speak!

"T – Tae."

It came off as the softest whisper, Yoongi using every last bit of energy to try and speak. He could feel himself fading fast, knowing he wasn't going to make it. Taehyung was now crying, Yoongi feel the tears occasionally hitting his face.

"I'm right here. Please don't leave me, Yoongi. I love you so much. Please, you can't leave."

The occasional sobs were interrupting his speech, Yoongi wanting to do anything to comfort him. He raised his hand slowly up to Taehyung's face, slowly wiping a tear away.

"I ... love you."

"I love you too, but hold on. You can't leave me like this. Please!"

You need to ... tell him. Hurry. You're running ... out of time.

"T -- Tae."

"Yeah?"

"The person ... who stabbed me," Yoongi was struggling to talk and keep his eyes open, knowing he was in his final seconds.

"Yes, Yoongi? Who was it?"

"It ... It was ..."

"Yoongi? Yoongi!"

Taehyung had noticed that Yoongi stopped breathing, getting ready to start CPR. But, he stopped when he noticed all the blood that left Yoongi's body. It was almost as if his mind couldn't process what just happened. He lost Yoongi. He lost everything.

--------------------------------------

A/N

So ..... that happened. Attempt #1 is done. What are we thinking? I know it was super long, so I apologize. But, I hope it was worth it!

A couple questions for you all:

1) Since this was from Yoongi's perspective, I didn't continue after his death scene. Did you guys want a general knowing of what happened after his death? (Like who died during what stage and who faced who in the final stage? It won't be in story format, but I wasn't sure if anyone would be curious about it.)

2) Was there enough content that was different from Happy Place? Since it's based on Happy Place, obviously a lot of things will be similar, but I want to be sure I'm adding in some different content to keep y'all on your toes *evil laughter* So, I thought I'd ask.

Thank you all again for all your support. It's because of y'all that I'm even writing this sequel, since y'all gave Happy Place so much love. Again I can't thank you enough! <3

If you'd like to support me, my ko-fi is https://ko-fi.com/ecstaticace
Please don't feel obligated to donate anything!!!! Just you reading my stories gives me so much joy! Love you all so much! Thanks again for everything! Until the next update! =^_^=