The drive to Gwangju was quiet, say for a few small chatters between Jimin and Jungkook here and there and the mummer of the wind pushing through the open window.
Hoseok is sat by the window, blankly staring out at the abandoned houses and empty streets that once used to be filled with the citizens of Gwangju.
His thoughts were empty, with not even an emotion going through them. And that's because his emotions are stirring in the pit of his stomach, slowly brewing the closer they get to his old home in Gwangju.
Going back home always seemed like a far away dream to Hoseok. A dream that he eventually gave up on when he felt all hope was lost and he accepted his fate as the Royal Doctor.
But now that dream has become a reality, yet Hoseok wasn't sure if this was the reality he wanted to face. Alot has changed, he has changed, and the more he thinks about going home, the more the feelings inside the pit of his stomach stir, giving him a stomach ache.
Whenever he thought of Gwangju, his mother would come to mind, reminding him of their last words together before she was killed. She said he'd make a great king, far better than his father ever was, and Hoseok believed it at first, but now with his head filled with alters, he can't even make it as doctor anymore, much less a king.
"We will be arriving at the Jung residence in about ten minutes." The driver announces as he turns and heads down a lone road covered by trees on both sides.
Hoseok remembers these trees, they were the front entrance that lead down to the mansion, his mansion.
Again his stomach aches, physically making him grimace and cringe.
"Hyung, are you alright?" Jimin asks, gently placing his hand upon Hoseok's knee and giving it a light squeeze.
Hoseok's silence has been worrying him since they left Busan. He can tell Hoseok is nervous, and he wants Hoseok to talk it out with him, but Hoseok turns to Jimin with a fake smile and tells him that he's okay.
When in reality he was far from it.
The driver announces their arrival when the car pulls up to a large mansion covered in vines. Some windows were boarded up while others were left untouched.
The front garden, which was once lavish and green, is now barren, with dirt and patches of dead grass here and there.
On the way to the front door Hoseok spots a do not enter sign, with the symbol of Busan next to it, further reminding him that although he was home, everything was still under Busan's control, for now.
The driver parks the car and steps out, opening the doors for the three so they can exit the car and stretch their legs. He tells the king that he'll be waiting out front incase he is needed and stands guard by the car.
While Jungkook talks with him, Hoseok walks up to the front doors and grabs the familiar handle, giving it a turn and a push before the door lets out a groan and opens.
The smell of mold and mildew greet Hoseok, welcoming him back home after so many years. He enters the foyer and sweeps his eyes across the surroundings, taking in the broken furniture coated with dust, the floor filled with broken glass and dirt, and the gaunt walls that bleed the pain and misery it felt over the years.
Jimin comes in next and looks around in shock and wonder. The Jung residence is huge, as any mansion would be, but there was something about it that felt oddly warm and welcoming, despite the decrepit state it was in.
The more Hoseok looks around, the more he feels his memories come back, instantly shifting his mind into the past, where everything was back to normal.
"Hyung?" Jimin notices Hoseok's shoulders slump and reaches out to him, but Hoseok begins to walk, almost as if he was in a trance, leading Jimin down a hallway with large windows on one side and locked doors on the other.
Jungkook comes in last and sees Jimin following Hoseok. He hurries up to Jimin's side and stays close to him as they follow Hoseok.
"Is he okay?" Jimin whispers over to Jungkook as they watch Hoseok stop in front of a large faded portrait of a young woman.
"I don't know. I can't read his expression at all." Says Jungkook as he tries to examine Hoseok's face, but it was blank as ever. "Hoseok hyung, are you okay?" He asks.
Hoseok remains silent and moves on from the painting, leading the two around a corner and down another decrepit hallway that leads to two large double doors with the emblem of the Jung family carved into them.
The wood was rotted, but he can still make out the faded green color and the image of a squirrel with a shield, the pride of the Jung family.
A subtle gust of wind blows in from one of the broken windows, and for a moment Jimin thought he heard a faded scream coming from behind the double doors.
"Jungkook I'm getting scared." Jimin whispers. Jungkook nods in agreement. This part of the mansion held a spooky vibe.
"We'll just have to be patient with him. After all, its been years since he returned home so he's taking it all in." Jungkook says as he takes Jimin's hand and pulls him close, giving him comfort while they wait for Hoseok's next move.
Hoseok grabs both the door handles and turns them, giving the door a good push and opening them up to reveal a large throne room.
Shapes and sounds start forming, the smell of food hits him instantly, and Hoseok finds himself looking at a dance party, with guest swirling around the marble floor as the warm atmosphere engulfs him.
The music playing in his ears was clear as ever, it was so clear that he finds himself swaying to the rhythmic vibes as he strides into the room, looking around at the guests and he draws closer to the throne, where both his parents are.
He sees his mother in all her glory, adorning her queens crown and looking among her guest with pride and joy. His father was next to her, smiling at his adoring wife and holding her hand.
Hoseok feels his chest burn the closer he gets to the thrones. With each step, the dancing figures around him fade into the shadows, leaving behind the echoes of the past.
The room around him shifts, and the once welcoming vibe, takes a deadly turn when be hears the screams and the cries and gun shots ripping through his head.
It wasn't until he stops in front of the throne, when everything goes silent, and all that remains was the dried patch of blood on the ground.
Hoseok stares at it, and he sees himself sitting on the ground, with his mother dead in his arms and a blank look across his face.
Jungkook and Jimin look down at the dried blood on the ground, both feeling goosebumps rise up their backs. They can't even imagine the horrors that must have went on the day Busan took over Gwangju.
Jungkook feels himself become sick, with the gnawing sensation of regret wrenching inside his gut. What his family did to the Jungs was terrible beyond measure, and as king, he will fix the mistakes his family made and return Hoseok what was taken from him.
"No amount of apology will fix what happened to you and your family. But rest assured, I, King Jeon Jungkook of Busan, will return the district of Gwangju to you, I promise."
Hoseok doesn't say a word as he kneels down and touches the dried blood stain.
Jungkook and Jimin look at each other in confusion, then hesitantly Jungkook approaches Hoseok, with Jimin right behind him, looking over Jungkook's shoulder.
"Hyung, please believe me when I say I'll fix this. I'll bring you back your district and everything you lost. I even have a company coming to repair the mansion and restore it."
Jungkook stops behind Hoseok and carefully grips his shoulder. He feels Hoseok's shoulder shake and feels really bad for making him cry.
"I'm sorry hyung."
"No amount of apologies will ever undo the mistakes of the past." Hoseok mutters as his shoulders shake more and more. But he wasn't crying at all.
He was laughing.
"Your family took what was mine, Now it's time I take what's yours."
Jungkook wasn't expecting the shift in Hoseok's persona, nor was he expecting Hoseok to turn around and smash a wooden beam he picked up from the floor, knocking Jungkook off his feet and leaving Jimin completely exposed to Hoseok.
Only that it wasn't Hoseok he was looking at.
It was the Mad Doctor.