By some miracle, I am able to calm myself down and gather my thoughts. The terror I felt when faced with Sam is beginning to fade leaving me alone with my rational thoughts. As I sit in the dark, I begin to realize that something inside of me changed.

After being attacked on Wednesday and electrocuted by Sam, I realize that I'm not the same Eden I was.

Where was the Eden that was worried about money for school? Where was the Eden who thought the worst thing in her life was her parents coming to visit her over a weekend? Grades and saving money were all that mattered to me. I'd risk my mental and physical health over it.

Now all I can think about is surviving the night and saving these hybrids from their cruel fates. I remember the sting of the electricity. I can still feel the man's fists beating against me, throwing me to the ground, and staining the snow red with blood.

All I can think about is Jimin and if he's safe, more so than worrying about if I'm safe.

I never had to care about somebody else in this way. I didn't think these emotions were possible in real life. This sort of thing doesn't happen in real life. I wasn't prepared to face any of this, but then again, you never really are.

The only thing I can do now is hope I don't end up dead in a ditch, and pray we can escape from this place without further mental trauma.

My head isn't helping me cope with my situation. It hurts so much I can barely see straight. Yet I can't afford to dwell on the pain lancing through my body.

There is suffering happening all around me. There are people in this place who are suffering a worse fate than I. And I think it's my job to save them from it.

Maybe this grandiose thinking is keeping me from falling apart. Maybe it's the sense of duty that encourages me to continue marching forward toward the goal of freedom.

I've gained perspective on the other side of the world of hybrids, and it's not in my nature to sit back and do nothing.

In the past, I believed hybrids weren't my issue and I didn't understand them enough to have a say in the matter. I felt like it was my job to accept hybrids as they were, but that was the extent of it.

Now all I want to do is save them.

They don't deserve this life. They deserve to be free from this horrible place.

So I'll do my best, and pray the odds are in our favor tonight.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

"I still can't believe this is working," I whisper as I help Jungkook drag the body of the unconscious guard towards the cage. Taehyung opens the cage door wider and allows us to set the guard inside the cage.

Jungkook kneels beside the man and starts yanking off his clothes. "Here," he hands me the guard's thick, gray jacket and matching cap. "You need it more than us. If we get caught, you'll tell them that you're taking us to the lab to run further tests."

Taehyung shuts the cage door quietly and jogs towards the door. He peeks through the small crack before looking back at us. "The coast is clear. We need to go," he says.

I move as quickly as I can manage but the stabbing pain in my ribs forces me to slow my pace. I swallow hard as I ease my arm into the other sleeve. I zip up the jacket and shove my hair underneath the cap.

Jungkook tosses up the guard's keycards and I catch it between my fingers. I shove it into my side pocket as I jog carefully to the door. I peer over Taehyung's shoulder to get a better look, "Should I go first?" I ask.

Taehyung nods, pulling away. "We'll be behind you. Usually, the guards use neutralizing handcuffs but we don't have time for that."

"What do those do?"

"They shock us if we don't listen to their orders. It keeps us from running away," Taehyung explains curtly. He rubs his wrists at the mention of it, "We'll just pretend we're wearing it. Now come on, we need to go."

"First we'll find Hoseok, escape, and find Jimin afterward," I repeat the plan quietly. Hopefully, everything goes well and we don't end up repeating the escape cliche.

I open the door and force myself to act confident. If I act guilty or suspicious, we'll be caught for sure.

Behind the door is a long, dark hallway. The walls are stained with faded neon paint and black streaks of graffiti. The cement floor is damp with patches of ice frozen over each crack. At the end of the hall is only a void of darkness.

A feeling of dread settles in my stomach like a chunk of undigested food. My heart is racing as paranoia brings the shadows to life.

Taehyung nudges my back, snapping me out of my brief paralysis. When I turn my head, I find him already there. Too close for comfort. He doesn't pull away immediately, instead, he keeps his face close to mine and says, "After this hallway, there are going to be more guards. You can't hesitate, Eden. We need to go."

I inhale shakily and nod, reminding myself not to stop moving. If I can keep walking, then I will be okay.

"We'll be ninjas," Jungkook whispers with a quiet chuckle.

An unexpected smile forms on my lips and I have to smirk to hide it. "Exactly. We're the ninja squad."

"The Taekookeden squad," Taehyung adds, his voice low enough to rumble in his throat.

Jungkook giggles until I reach the door. He falls silent and watches me intently.

I take a deep breath and remind myself of the plan. Act confident and keep your face under the hat. I open the door and find a shock of a white-walled hallway behind it. Thankfully, nobody is here.

I gesture for the boys to follow me. I force myself to stand up straight but that doesn't stop me from limping. I harden my gaze to appear intimidating and to create the illusion that I belong here.

The white walls are eerie against the artificial lighting. Each door we pass is locked with a passcode that requires a keycard. I notice some of the doors have labels: Storage, Lab 5, Janitor, Number 7... I pause in front of door Number 7 and try to peer inside the small window built into the door.

I squint and cup my hands around my eyes to see better. It's pitch black inside. I wait a moment and just as I start to pull back, a hand slams against the glass. I suppress a scream and jerk backward, landing myself in Taehyung's arms. I stare at the door in shock as I watch the hand remove itself from the glass, disappearing into the dark.

"Oh," I breathe as I ease myself from Taehyung's arm, "sorry, that surprised me."

Taehyung casts me a doubtful look. "You should be more careful. These doors..." He gestures to the seemingly endless hallway, "some of them hold failed experiments. They're insane, you need to be alert."

I shiver at the image in my mind. "Is there nothing we can do for them?"

Taehyung's eyes flicker with distant pain as he watches door Number 7. "Death is the only thing that can save them." He nudges me again, "We have to keep moving. Your friend is probably in another cage room."

Jungkook glances worriedly around the empty hall. "I think they're on the other side of this place. On the other side of the greenhouse."

"Greenhouse?" I question, "Why does this place have a greenhouse?" I start walking forward and gesture for them to follow me again.

We walk faster down the hall, keeping a careful eye for any wandering guards. Strangely enough, there are none around. They must have gone into lockdown as Sam ordered after all.

"This used to be an arboretum before they converted it into a lab. The Grass Flower Arboretum," Taehyung explains under his breath, keeping his wrists together as he trails behind me. "It's an hour away from the city."

I look over the white walls and the hanging fluorescent lights warily. Every step I take, I am reminded of the dangers of being caught. They'll torture us if we're caught. Any second now, a guard can walk around the corner and capture us. Not only that but the dangers hiding behind each door are becoming more apparent.

Soft cries are turning into sharp shouts of agony. The smell of disinfectant and gasoline hangs in the air like a heavy cloud and becomes stronger with each step. Behind another door is the sound of obsessive scratching that gives me goosebumps. I shudder and continue walking like I own the place.

Jungkook sniffs the air with a hesitant look. "Wait."

We stop in unison and look back at him.

Jungkook narrows his eyes at the upcoming corner and beckons us to back up, "I can smell somebody coming. Hurry!" He turns around and starts running back down the hall without warning.

My heart rate spikes as I take off after him. Taehyung surpasses me with ease but slows once he reaches another corner.

I am already gasping for breath once I reach him and stumble over my weak legs. Taehyung casts me a judgemental look but I shoot him a warning look.

"My rib is bruised," I tell him flatly. "It's hard to run like this."

Jungkook presses himself against the wall before sliding down into a crouch. His fluffy dog tail curls up with alertness as he stares down the hall. His eyes narrow with concentration and he sniffs the air again. "I think this way is better..."

I crouch down beside him for a quick breather and peek around the corner. The coast appears to be clear but I don't trust any of this.

It's too quiet.

There should be guards here. Why is it so empty? Why would they leave all of these doors unattended?

"I think we're getting close to the greenhouse," Jungkook adds quietly. He looks back at me with a concerned look.

At that moment, I realized this is the first real look I've had at him.

Jungkook has a round but structured-shaped face with a cleft chin. He has a pronounced jawline that makes him appear older but he still has a baby-like face. His eyes have sharp corners but are large in shape. He has a round-shaped nose. His lips have a deep cupid's bow with sharp ends. His bottom lip is fuller than the top lip. His black hair is tangled up and reaches his shoulders in curled locks. A pair of floppy dog ears are set on the upper part of his head that blends with his hair's waves.

He and Taehyung are wearing dark gray sweats and long sleeve shirts, but are not wearing shoes or socks.

We're supposed to be in ninja mode and I can't help but feel that we're doing a terrible job of it.

"Where is everybody?" I question anxiously. "Aren't there supposed to be guards?"

"No," Taehyung crouches down at my side and winces briefly, "they don't have enough people to guard every area of this place. They only put two guards inside the main rooms. However... the security cameras..." Taehyung points up at the corner of the hall, noting the small black dome hanging from the ceiling. "It's strange that they are off today."

My eyes widen, "Wait, they're turned off?"

Taehyung nods slowly, still eyeing it. "Usually there's a little red light. There isn't one. I've been watching and so far, none of the cameras are on."

"Do you know why?"

Taehyung's lips curl back with suspicion. "I'm not sure. Maybe it's because of budget cuts."

His deadpan response takes me by surprise and I nearly laugh. I catch myself and press my hand against my mouth, looking away for a moment to compose myself.

Taehyung squints at me, momentarily confused, then looks ahead again. "Whatever the case, we need to move faster than this."

Jungkook shoots him a worried look over his shoulder. "We can't. I can smell them, Tae. They're too close to us. We have to stay here."

"But—!"

"SHIT."

We whirl around in unison to find a guard standing behind us. He stares at us with equal shock in his eyes, frozen in place.

Taehyung grabs the front part of my jacket and yanks me violently from the ground. He drags me forward and runs without hesitation. I fight back a yelp and hiss sharply through my teeth inside to ease the pain aching through my body. Jungkook sprints and passes us like the Devil was chasing him.

We run blindly down the halls with adrenaline fueling our every step. Suddenly, I'm not exhausted from running. My head is buzzing with manic energy allowing me to run faster than I ever have in my entire life.

Shoot, shoot, shoot! We were caught! We have to find Hoseok and get the heck out of here!

"We're almost there!" Jungkook calls back to us. "Faster, Eden!"

"I'm trying!" I shout back, urging my legs to move faster. I can already feel my thighs burning. My breaths are drawn sharper and deeper than before. I'm starting to feel lightheaded. The lights of the hallway begin to flicker and shadow over. "Wait! Wait, hold on!"

"We have to keep moving!" Taehyung scolds, pulling me forward again, still running at full speed. I catch a glimpse of his back and in my moment of panic, I realize his back is slick with fresh blood.

"TAEHYUNG!" My eyes widen to the size of waffles, "You're bleeding! Oh my goodness, Taehyung, you can't—!"

"I know, I know!" Taehyung hisses sharply and continues to run. "It doesn't matter right now! It's always bleeding, keep up!"

My vision darkens again and I feel my legs begin to give out. The faint warnings of the nurses echo in my head like an ominous prophecy.

You shouldn't strain yourself. You have to avoid stressful situations while your body heals. Your head is in a fragile state.

My breath hitches as my legs give out from under me. I cry out in pain as I hit the ground, sending a wave of horrible pain through my ribs. I gasp for breath but the hallway continues to darken.

Taehyung appears in front of me with terror shining in his dark eyes. "Eden!" he shouts but his voice is muffled. "Eden, come on! We have to go! What's wrong?"

Feebly, I reach for Taehyung and struggle to form the words in my numb mouth. I shake my head at him as the shadows turn into sharp dots of darkness. "I can't—, I can't get up—, my head—"

"No no, your head has nothing to do with running!" Taehyung probably thinks I'm the dumbest person alive.

He has no idea how bad it hurts. He has no idea how difficult it is to stay awake. How the world is already fading from my reach.

I'm not going to make it.

My gut wrenches as my next idea crosses my mind. I swallow back my fear and drop my head to the ground. "Go," I force out as a rush of tears fills my eyes, "go now. Leave me here. I'm slowing you down." Weakly, I try to shove him away from me, "Get out of here. You can escape on your own."

"We're not leaving you," Jungkook argues sharply, now kneeling at my side. "I can carry you, we aren't leaving you behind."

"Jimin saved your life to keep you safe, not to let you sacrifice yourself in the end," Taehyung retorts with a note of bitterness. His eyes flash with anguish as he looks over me. "I'm not letting his efforts go to waste. Jimin wouldn't leave you either."

He didn't leave me. That's what got us into this mess. Into this never-ending cycle of saving and sacrificing each other.

Jimin said that he regretted being near me that night. He felt guilty for what had happened to me and wished he hadn't escaped in the first place, in hopes of things being better for those around him. He didn't want anybody else to be hurt because of him.

So this is what it feels like.

"I FOUND THEM!" a rough voice shouts from down the hall.

Taehyung and Jungkook bristle with terror. Taehyung clenches his jaw briefly before trying to pick me up. "Come on," he whispers, his voice becoming desperate, "come on, I'm not leaving you. We're not going to leave you behind, Eden, you just need to run!"

"I can't go anymore," I choke out as his face is shadowed by the overhanging light. "My head—, I can't do it anymore. I'm not doing it on purpose, Tae, my head is just—"

"That's a lie!" Taehyung shouts as he struggles to his feet. I am shocked to find his face not contorted with anger but with fear. "You can't give up now! We have to escape! We have to find Jimin!"

"GET THEM! HURRY BEFORE THEY RUN AWAY!"

The pain inside my skull is indescribable. It makes me want to scream. It makes me want to chop off my own head just to make it stop. Anything to stop the pain.

"RUN!" Jungkook screams, backtracking with wide eyes. "RUN TAE! WE HAVE TO GO!"

Taehyung winces sharply as he readjusts his grip on my body. "I know!" His voice comes out like a cry of pain instead of a shout. "I—, we're going to escape, Eden. We're going to—AH!" Taehyung's face contorted with pain before we collapsed onto the ground.

My head hits the ground again and this time, I swear my skull cracked. An inhumane scream escapes my mouth as the pain blinds me.

"TAEHYUNG! EDEN!"

"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE! HURRY UP!"

I cradle my head in my hands, sobbing into the ground from the excruciating pain in my head. Somebody could have shot me in the head and I wouldn't even know the difference.

I have to get up! I can't be captured here! But oh my God, it hurts so much. Please, please get up!

I force my head to lift from the ground only to meet Jungkook's teary-eyed gaze.

The world moves in slow motion for only a moment.

A gunshot echoes off the walls of the white halls.

The lights above my head explode into sparks and darkness falls upon my vision.

I don't remember passing out, but I remember the cold touch of the ground against my face.

I failed. We failed. This is the end for us.

There is nothing left for us to do.

It's over.

A/N: It is a pet peeve of mine to watch characters with serious injuries go on to ignore said injuries while doing extreme stunts so this is my way of fixing the mistakes of my predecessors, haha. All hope appears to be lost... what shall our lovely Eden and company do next?

I ask you to mentally prepare yourselves once again if you haven't already! Maybe watch some fun Bangtan Bombs or a relaxing Live with your bias~ Stream Dynamite for the Grammys, lovelies! Cheer up, and keep fighting! <3