This chapter is... pretty different from anything I've ever written. Also, I strongly recommend listening to the song above while you read! :)

LV: Jungkook

We reappear in the moonlit meadow where we first started our trip through his memories. The heap of charred wood that once resembled a house stands a mere five feet away, but neither of us make any movement to get closer. The monster doesn't let go of me, and I don't make him. We stand there, two figures bathed in moonlight, each clinging on to the other. Each needing the other's support.

Finally, with a shuddering sigh, the monster relaxes his hold on me, taking a step back. His eyes still have remnants of tears in them, but his voice is strong, if broken.

"I felt it," the monster murmurs. "When I saw the house burn down, I felt the emotions you call sadness. It... hurts. Do all emotions hurt so much?"

"Not all," I tell him, "Some feel wonderful. It's mostly a combination of both, really. There's no getting used to it. But pain isn't the only thing in this world. Feelings like joy and happiness and euphoria exist with it. That's what makes life worth living."

"Like love," the monster murmurs, almost to himself. "Like you."

I don't know how to respond to that, and a faint blush colors my cheeks. It's been a long time since I've felt the familiar feelings of shy affection in my heart. But as I look at the monster now, it strikes me that I know not one of the basic things about him. Not even his name. All these days, and I haven't thought once to ask him.

"Do you have a name?" I ask. "It sounds wrong to call you a monster now. You aren't a monster. I want to call you something different."

"My name..." The monster appears confused for a second. "My name? Everyone now calls me a monster. That is all I am. That is all I will ever be. But I had another name..." His features harden in concentration, like he's trying to remember a memory he can't quite grasp.

"V," he finally says. "That is my name. Before I was the monster, I was V. Though I haven't used that name in a long time." An expression of longing crosses his masked face.

"V, then. That's a nice name," I comment, and V's eyes shine. The mask covering his face gleams silver in the moonlight as he gazes down at me. It's been on for so long, that the edges are starting to melt into his skin. I run a tentative hand over it, feeling the cool silver beneath my skin. I shiver at the unnatural coolness of it. He must see the question in my eyes because he tilts his head.

"Can I?" I ask, and he nods. I bring my fingers up to the edges of his mask, giving it an experimental tug. It doesn't budge, latched firmly onto V's face. But this time I want it off. I don't want his face to be covered by this sheet of silver anymore. I want to see his bare face. So I pull harder, until the mask finally drops into my waiting hands with an angry hiss. The back is bent into sharp spikes, and blood drips down V's face from the places where the spikes had dug into his skin. I let out a small gasp, dropping the mask. His face is inches from mine, and I can see the dozen small wounds glistening on his face. It looks painful. A flash of unreadable emotion crosses his eyes as he gazes down at the mask on the ground. Then he looks back at my face.

"I'm so sorry," I say. "I didn't realize―"

He stops my words with a kiss. His lips, infinitely soft, brush against mine as his left hand entangles itself in my hair. For someone who always keeps his emotions locked within, he kisses me like a man who will never be sated. Even though it has a sharp urgency to it, the kiss is not like the one we shared on the battlefield. It is... not gentle, but not devouring, either. This is my first kiss with him where I feel something warm and curious stir inside my chest. This is the first kiss that makes me want another.

But I don't get it. When I do get a second kiss, it's only a light one on the tip of my nose because V pulls away. He stares at me in absolute shock, a hand to his lips. I see that the hand is shaking, as he takes a step back.

"I'm sorry," he says, in a voice that's fighting to keep calm. "I shouldn't have done that. I―I don't know what came over me. Please forget it, Jungkook. It didn't mean anything."

"Don't apologize," I'm surprised that my own voice comes out so soft. "You did nothing wrong. And I don't want to forget it. Don't you see, V? Don't you feel anything here?" I put a hand on his heart, and he looks down. "Doesn't anything feel different?"

"Different..." V hesitates. "Without the mask, I feel better, I suppose. More able to feel. And there was some sort of... fuzzy feeling in my chest when I kissed you. I've never felt it before." He shakes his head. "I have no way of describing it."

"That's what we call love, V," I smile up at him, while he tilts his head.

"Love," He repeats, unsure. Then he nods, his voice stronger. "Love." His hand rests on his heart, just above mine, and entwines our fingers together. It's only a small touch, but it sends fireworks exploding in my chest. I know he feels it too, because he smiles. With a start, I realize that this is the first time I've ever seen him smile. In such a caring and protective way, no less.

He lifts a hand up to my cheek, letting it rest there for a moment. My eyes take in his face while he stares at me with those dark whirlpools of shadow which threaten to engulf me and never let go. He traces one side of my cheek, then the other, his onyx eyes thoughtful.

"You have scars," He finally murmurs. "Two of them, like twin scims. You must have gotten them in battle."

"How bad is it?" I whisper, and V chuckles: a deep, soothing sound that makes me relax completely.

"They are beautiful," he leans down to kiss my forehead, and I close my eyes. "Your face couldn't be anything but beautiful, Jungkook. With or without scars."

My blush rises, and I suddenly wish for a mask of my own to cover it. At the same time, I feel a painful pang in my heart. This was exactly the sort of thing that Taehyung would have said. Looking at V's eyes, with all of its love and affection, makes me want to cry. When V seemed like an untouchable source of darkness, namely the monster, the pain in my heart was less. Weirdly, seeing him here now, smiling at me with love in his eyes, makes me think more vividly of Taehyung. It hurts me more.

"You still love Taehyung, don't you?" V asks unexpectedly, and I raise my head to look at him. He gazes at me, not accusingly, but more with restrained curiosity and... could I have imagined it? Sadness.

"I never stopped loving him." I whisper. "Not for one second."

V nods, as if he expected this. "I can never take the place of Taehyung in your heart. Nor do I plan to. You two are soulmates after all. It seems crude of me to try and disrupt that bond. And yet, I had thought... no, I had hoped..." he clears his throat, looking hesitant. "However foolishly, that you would feel something for me."

"Oh... " I don't know what to say. Did I love him back? The person who had taken Taehyung from me in the first place, wrecked havoc in Shadow Valley, and was responsible for hundreds of deaths? But at the same time, he was the person who showed me his past, saved me from falling, and kissed me so passionately. I hadn't had enough time to sort out my feelings. At this point, I didn't know what I felt for him anymore.

Silence stretches between us. Not exactly the uncomfortable type, but enough to make me wish it to be over. The full moon shines above us, casting an eerie glow upon our still forms.

"What do you want, Jungkook?" V asks suddenly, putting his hand under my chin and tilting my head up so that I'm looking him straight in the eyes. "What do you want most in the world? Tell me."

"I―" I want Yoongi and Jimin to be alive. I want this war to end. I don't want anyone else to die or get hurt. I want... Taehyung back. The unspoken thoughts cloud my brain, yet I can't seem to make them into words. They stick in my throat, the memories too raw, too fresh. V must have seen it in my eyes, because he doesn't make me speak. But even when I don't say anything, he seems to know exactly what I wish for.

"I cannot raise the dead. That is beyond even my capabilities," V says gently. "But I can grant your other requests. The specters were called off already when I jumped down the cliff. As far as they are concerned, I'm dead. They don't like to operate without a leader, and decided that enough damage had already been inflicted. They're gone. Shadow Valley is safe now, and so are your remaining friends. They're worried for you, to say the least. And as for Taehyung... well, he's been dormant long enough, don't you think?"

"You mean..." my breath constricts in my throat. "You mean..."

"If you wish it." V says simply.

I do wish it. I wish it with all my heart. After all these days, weeks, of separation, I'm more than ready to see him again. Hug him, kiss him, be enveloped in his warmth. Feel his arms around me again. It is what I wish more than anything. But if I did...

"But then you'll die!" I say, as the revelation strikes me. "I―I don't want you to die. Isn't there a way for both of you to live? There must be. Perhaps you two can split bodies... " my words fade away as I realize how stupid it sounds. Even V's smile looks forced.

V's hands cup my cheeks, and though gentle, they have a strength in them that wasn't there before when he says, "There is no way for Taehyung and I to co-exist in one body without one of us being oppressed for most of the time. I do not want to live like that, and neither does Taehyung. Besides, I won't die. I am a shadow spirit, after all. Even when I abandon my living host, I'll just go back to being a piece of shadow. You don't have to worry about me, Jungkook."

"But why?" Even though I try hard to keep my voice level, it cracks. "Why are you relinquishing control so easily? I―is this some sort of trick?"

V sounds genuinely hurt when he says, "Oh Jungkook, do you think that I'll sink so low as to use Taehyung against you? I'll never do that to you. It's not a trick, I promise."

I bite my lip, hesitant to believe him. Hesitant to get my hopes up in case it all comes tumbling down. "You had no trouble doing it before."

V frowns, and his hands tighten on my face. "That was, like you said, before. You're happy with Taehyung, I know. In ways that you cannot be with me." A flash of pain dances in his eyes. "But do you think I can be happy seeing you so miserable? To see you wishing for someone else whenever I show my affection towards you? Do you think that is what I want?"

He looks away, taking a deep breath. When he speaks again, his voice wavers. "There are two choices here, Jungkook. Either I take full control, or Taehyung does. Which do you choose?" His voice rises on the last few words, barely restrained. His fingers are no longer gentle on my face, but harsh.

"I―I don't... " I try to back away, but V grabs my shoulders. His eyes are dark, glowing even, with the power of shadows. I feel a flash of fear run through me like lightning. "Choose, Jungkook!"

I'm shaking now, not being able to speak even if I wanted to. My feet want to move, but I'm rooted in place by his glare. I'm not imagining it; shadows are swirling around him, getting faster by the second. They prick me like shards of glass, while I'm still unable to move in his hold. I flinch in pain.

"V, stop!" my cries are feeble against the onslaught of shadows. "Please, stop!"

The effect is immediate. V breaks away from me, his hands trembling. The shadows dissipate in the air, as V's eyes slowly return to the still blackness I was used to seeing. He freezes in place, eyes wide and chest heaving. His stare is unfocused, as if he's listening to something only he can hear. He mutters something once or twice under his breath, hands clutching at his hair. He looks unhinged.

"V..." I reach a hand out, but he backs away. He looks... scared. Our fingers meet in midair, and I entwine them together, hesitating for only a second before I hug him. He stiffens at the touch, but I don't let go. If I do, I know that he will only run off and I'll have missed my chance to talk to him.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," I whisper, sinking into his embrace. "I don't blame you."

"You should," he murmurs back, as his hand comes up carefully to brush a lock of hair from my forehead. "I lost control. I let myself hurt you. That is entirely my fault. You can't make any excuses for my actions."

"I'm not trying to," I say. "You lost control, yes, but you listened to me. You stopped when I asked you to. That's enough for me."

He doesn't say anything, and I don't make him speak. His arms around me are tentative, but still caring. I lean my head on his shoulder, feeling safe for the first time in days. Without the mask, he radiates a much warmer aura, so different from the cold, winter gale he radiated earlier.

V lets out a shaky breath, holding me close. "The question I asked you earlier was unfair. For good or worse, you don't like hurting other people's feelings. Even mine. It's your nature, and I can't ask you to change that. You knew if you chose Taehyung, you would hurt me. But this time, I want you to answer my question honestly. Don't think about my feelings or how I'll feel depending on your answer. Just answer it how you truly feel. Can you do that for me?" His pure black eyes search mine beseechingly, and I nod.

"Do you want Taehyung back?" The question, though not unexpected, makes me tense. At my hesitation, V frowns. "Answer me, Jungkook. And answer it truthfully."

"Yes," the words tumble out of my mouth. "Yes, I want it more than anything else in the world." I avert my eyes, afraid of what I'll see on V's face. Like I thought, pain flashes through his dark orbs, but he merely nods.

"Thank you," he whispers, and I raise my head to look at him. My eyes widen.

I let out a gasp when I see that shadows are rolling off him in waves, twining with the cool night air and becoming invisible. It covers him with a shimmering glow, like the one I saw in his memories. Little by little, the darkness leaves V's eyes, but his grip on me doesn't loosen. And I don't want it to. He beckons me forward with a twitch of his finger, like he's about to tell me a secret. I lean in, and he smiles.

"I love you," he murmurs into my ear, voice barely above a whisper. He gazes at me, and for once, his black eyes are calm. Brimming with emotions, some of which I can't identify. His thumb wipes away the stray tears staining my cheeks ever so gently, and a featherlight kiss finds its way onto my lips. The last wisps of shadow coil into the air, and V lets out a sigh. A sigh that tells me he's ready to move on. Our hands entwine together one last time, before his eyes close, and grip slackens.

And then I know he's gone.

V's gone.

No sooner have I thought this, the man in my arms slumps forward, his knees buckling. I cannot keep him upright, so I ease his body gently onto the ground, pulling his head into my lap. His eyes are closed, and cuts and scratches marr his face. His breathing is soft, like he's still in a trance-like state.

"Taehyung?" I whisper, one hand resting on his cheek. His eyelids flutter, but otherwise, he doesn't move.

"Taehyung." I say, this time with more conviction. A sort of half groan leaves his mouth, and his head lists to the side. When I brush some hair off his forehead, he stirs. His eyes slowly ease open, and I draw in a sharp breath.

They're red.

His eyes are red.

It's a dream, Jungkook. You're dreaming. I must be. I have wanted to see those impossibly bright eyes for so long. Could it really be him?

I gaze into his crimson eyes. For a long moment, all we can do is take in each other's faces. Tears drip down my face, falling on his cheeks, but he doesn't take notice. His eyes are trained on my face and my face only. Slowly, his face changes from shock, to disbelief, to tenderness.

"Oh, Jungkook," Taehyung finally whispers, as his eyes meet mine. His smile is the sun rising after the longest, darkest, night. "Look at you, my love. Look at you."

{😊}