Taehyung is the rudest boy I have ever spoken to. It's as if he believes I can't see him glaring at me in the dark.

Unfortunately, I feel sympathy towards him like I do for Jimin. I am willing to brush off his attitude on account of a lifetime of suffering in this horrible place. Like Jimin, Taehyung doesn't trust new people and wants to protect his family. Yet Jimin was more optimistic about escape but that's probably because he realized he could do it.

Taehyung has a point about the difficulty of escaping this place. It would be impossible to do it without outside help. The only thing giving me hope is that Jimin is coming to rescue his family anyway.

I sit quietly in the dark cage and stare at the door beyond the cage doors. We are in a larger cage than before in a warehouse-like area. There is a faint light behind the door with shadows moving back and forth meaning there is somebody guarding the door.

In the distance, the echoes of screams bounce off the thick metal walls of the warehouse. I silently pray that it isn't Hoseok's screams.

As I try to curl up into a ball, my muscles ache sharply in protest. I wince as I press my elbows into my sides, attempting to block out the cold air. I rest my bruised chin on my knee and stare off into space, struggling to form a solid plan of escape that would help Jimin instead of hinder him.

In the movies, the rescuers and prisoners end up jinxing themselves and landing themselves in huge messes due to a difference in escape plans. The rescuers would show up at the place where the prisoners should be, but they aren't because they already escaped and are wandering around, and then the rescuers get caught and the former prisoners have to go rescue the ones—, you know what I mean.

I'd like to avoid that situation as best I can.

Taehyung's deep voice draws me out of my planning. "They're coming. I can hear them."

I blink in surprise, giving him an odd look. "Coming for me?"

"Yes, you," he snaps, "of course for you. I'm just giving you a heads up." He looks away from me and pulls Jungkook's sleeping body closer to him as if to protect him.

I try to mentally brace myself but the sound of the slamming door causes all calm thoughts to escape my mind like fleeing mice. I jump back and drag my bruised self to the center of the cage, instinctively moving away from the bars of the cage.

A man walks into the large room and approaches the cage in a threatening manner. He leans down and picks up a random piece of pipe to swing at his side. He reaches the cage and bangs the metal bars with the pipe causing the sound to echo loudly.

Jungkook stirs from his sleep as Taehyung moves in front of him, trying to block him from plain sight.

They really do protect their own, I think to myself. Would Jimin protect me too?

I grimace as I scoot further from the cage door. Pain throbs in my skull when he hits the pipe to the bars again.

Stop thinking about that. You can't rely on him to save you. You have to stay strong for as long as you can.

Keeping my mouth shut about his whereabouts is how I am going to protect him. How I am going to help save the others? Thinking of this situation in a noble way helps ease some of the gut-wrenching fears I have developed.

"Good, you're awake," the man's voice sends a shiver of dread down my spine. He is the man who tortured us earlier. "I hope you thought about what I asked, Miss Eden."

I swallow hard as I lean away from him. I wrap my arms around myself to protect all my vital organs. My heart pounds hard against my chest; its beat echoes in my aching head. I shake my head at the horrible man, "I won't change my answer."

A distant scream sounds again, coming from the open door. My body freezes over as a dark daydream falls over my mind.

It's Hoseok. They're torturing him again.

This is all my fault. I should have never spoken to him. I should have ignored him.

He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't have to suffer because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Hoseok didn't do anything wrong," I raise my head to look the man in the eyes. "He was just standing there, he didn't need to come here!"

The man chuckles, "Why not? The more the merrier."

Taehyung and Jungkook watch us silently in the dark. I don't think the man knows they are awake yet.

"Besides, having him here will make things go faster," he continues casually, "Maybe he'll serve as some encouragement." He tilts his head to the side causing the light from the door to fall over his clean-shaven face. His muddy green eyes glint with malicious intent and greed.

"I won't tell you where he is because I don't know where he is," I argue. "Do you think I put a tracker on him?" I ask incredulously.

The man scowls, "It isn't completely out of the question. Hybrid owners will typically tag their hybrid... Our tracker was removed because he was in transit to another client when he escaped, which is why we can't find him now."

"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you," I snapped, eyeing him in the dark. I wrap my arms tighter around myself to keep myself from shaking. "I don't know where he is. It's pointless to ask me unless you want me to lie to you."

The man rolls his eyes, "This could be so simple if you just answered me. You and your friend can walk free if you tell me where he is."

"We will walk free because we don't have that information," I answered flatly.

The man hits the bars with the pipe again. I flinch and shrink back, scared he'll either throw the pipe or beat me with it. "I am running out of patience!" he shouts, "I'm not going to play games with you! Tell me where he is! I know you know where he is! Stop playing dumb with me, I know you're lying!"

Terror causes my breathing to hitch. I stare at the man, wide-eyed, as he grips the pipe tightly in his hand. Memories of the electricity running through my body like spiderwebs are painfully fresh. The pain still lingers in my body.

I don't want to be hurt again.

But I can't betray Jimin.

"What kind of owner doesn't know where her fucking hybrid is?!" the man continues to scream. "Tell me where you are hiding him! NOW!"

I force the words from my tight throat. "I don't know where he is."

"TELL ME!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" I scream back, my voice cracking from the effort. "I am telling the truth!"

The man growls in his fit of rage. He swiftly turns around and points at the guards standing at the door, "Get my knife. I don't have time for this shit," he orders in a lowered voice.

The blood in my veins turns to solid ice.

He's going to kill me. Or get close to it.

My mind flashes to Hoseok and I am once again crushed with sickening guilt. He knows less than I do and he's being tortured for it. I am hurting him. I am making him suffer for something he wasn't even part of.

What have I done?

Maybe I deserve to be tortured for dragging Hoseok into this. For thinking I could save Jimin. For everything.

They should hurt me more than them. This is all my fault.

My body slackens against the cold floor. The ground sways from under me. My head is light as a feather yet the pain remains clear as ever. My breaths come sharper than before. It's impossible to exhale anymore.

I can't breathe.

I can't escape.

I'm going to be tortured again.

The man whirls around, "ARE YOU DEAF?! I said, get my knife! Fucking hell, do I have to do everything around here?"

"Eden!" Jungkook whispers while the man is distracted, his black puppy ears are pushed back against his tangled hair. He crawls towards me and lightly touches my wrist. I gasp for breath and lift my head to face him. His large eyes are wide with worry, "Come here, come to this side. He can't reach you over here."

I struggle to regain control of myself. I can already feel myself begin to cry out of terror. I've never done that before. My body is stiff, I can't move.

"Come on," he urges quietly, "hurry!"

"Can't—," I gasp again, "I can't—, I want—..." I start coughing as the lack of oxygen reaches my head. I rest my head on the freezing metal, pleading for the pain to stop. My chest screams for air and begins to ache as if he had already stabbed me. Maybe it's the bruised rib, or I'm actually having a panic attack.

In a swift motion, Taehyung stands from his spot and hurries to my side. He slips his arms underneath my trembling body and forces me to roll onto my side. "Come on," he hisses, "you have to move!"

Why is he helping me?

Even if I wanted to move, I can't. My body stopped responding to me. All I can do is stare at Taehyung, frozen in a state of terror.

Jungkook's dark brown eyes widened in horror as he saw the man approaching the cage. Without hesitation, Jungkook scoops me up and rushes to the car corner of the cage where they had been sitting. Taehyung keeps low to the ground as he runs over to us and places himself in front of me.

Jungkook's arms wrap around me as he pulls me into the space between his spread legs. He holds me tightly, resting his head on my shoulder, our cheeks pressing against each other. I stare ahead, still trapped in a never-ending cycle of fear and panic. I can't control my breathing. My lightheadedness is worsening.

"Shh, shh, it's going to be alright," Jungkook whispers into my ear. The slight stubble on his chin brushed against my soft skin. He presses his knees against my sides and scoots me closer to him, "Take deep breaths, Eden, take deep breaths..."

Taehyung sits in front of me and urgently motions for me to be quiet. I gasp quietly as I suppress rising tears. I shake my head as I make feeble attempts to control myself.

I'm going to be killed. They're going to kill me this time. They're going to be angrier than before. They're going to hurt everybody I love. They're going to hurt strangers because of me.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

I slap my hands over my mouth and fight back a cry. I lower my head to hide behind Taehyung's broad shoulders. My body trembles as I fight against the terror running rampant through my body.

I can't breathe.

"WHERE THE HELL DID SHE GO? WHAT THE FUCK!" the man screams, turning on the guards. "I FUCKING TOLD YOU TO WATCH HER!"

"She—, she never left the cage!" one argues but his voice cracks. "The cage never opened!"

The man chucks the pipe at the bars, scaring me into turning into Jungkook's chest. I bury my face into his shoulder and wrap my arms around him, praying their crazy plan works.

"For the love of God, can you stupid fucks even follow orders?" the man asks in total disbelief. "It's like you are purposefully trying to make me lose my mind! This whole place is its own brand of fucking shit up!"

"Sir... should we check the cage?" the other guard asks quietly.

"And let the other hybrids out?! Are you retarded or are my ears just fucked today?" The man groans and storms towards the door, "Get this place on lockdown, or I'm going to stick a needle up all of your asses!" With that, he leaves the room and shouts orders down the long hallway.

One of the guards sighs. "I bet she's still in there," he mutters, "he's overreacting again."

"He's been acting like a bitch ever since the cat hybrid escaped," the other adds spitefully.

"Insane, more like it. You think he's on something?"

"I wouldn't put it past him. Ryan said he was clean but I severely doubt that."

"Alright, I'm going to tell the others. Stay here for me, okay? Let's hope Sam doesn't chew my ass out for delivering his orders."

"Best of luck to you."

Silence falls over the dark room once again.

My lungs finally allow me to exhale and I take the first free breath I've had in a while. I gasp quietly and remain buried in Jungkook's shoulder. I grip the back of his shirt, hiding in his hug.

Jungkook's body relaxes back against the cage wall. His hand brushes over my head and finds my ear. Gently, he tugs on the soft lobe and traces his finger over the curve of my ear. It's a distracted motion, but a comforting feeling.

Taehyung breathes a sigh of relief and turns around to face me. I feel his touch on my back; it lingers for a moment. "We bought you some time," he whispers.

Slowly, I lift my head to look back at him. "Thank you," I whisper, scared the guard may overhear me.

"I want to believe Jimin is coming too," he adds quietly. "But we need a better plan than sitting around and waiting."

"That could cause more problems if Jimin is already on his own..." I worry as my fears return to me. "He knows the way here, doesn't he?"

"He doesn't know where your friend is." Taehyung watches me seriously. His eyes are almost black in shade. He is still shadowed by darkness making it difficult to make out his features. He stares at me for a moment before his eyes widen in realization. "Oh, I guess... maybe we shouldn't talk about this right now..."

I didn't realize I was crying until I felt a tear fall onto the back of my hand. I sniffle quietly and quickly wipe away my tears. "I... I might need a minute..." I admit.

And they gave it to me.

We remain in our positions, hiding in the darkest corner of the cage, in total silence. I take this moment to fully compose myself.

I can't fall apart like that again. I need to be stronger.

But that is easier said than done.

A/N: I promise things will be better soon! To help you feel a little better, there is a good ending to this book and I won't kill off the members! I can't handle bad endings meaning I REALLY can't write them without sobbing my heart out. Things are dark right now, but it will be better soon! Just stay with me! <3