without them, I became nothing. With them, I became something. I give my thanks to the ones who made me what I am today; to the ones with the lost and regained childhoods.

-NOTVANTE

🦋⊰

The dark blurred out silhouette got closer to me as I watched it my eyes slowly dropping from the pain in my head. Who could it be?

When I blinked again, someone was in front of me, kneeling with a curious look. It was the boy I had met a couple of days ago, the one who had squeaked out for no reason. He was holding hands with the same Taehyung I had saved. The one that was apparently dead. The longer I stared at Taehyung, the more my sobs grew, and the pain in my chest spread throughout my whole body. I was so lost all I did was the cry.

"I-I don't understand! You died! You're dead, Taehyung. I thought I saved you, but it was all an illusion! Why? Why me?"

He quickly dragged me with him, telling me that it wasn't safe at all.

The other boy, who Lee-Xeng still had to know as Jungkook, let go of Taehyung's hand and went with Taeyong. He was there with the boy who wore black hoodies at school surrounded by a couple of other unfamiliar faces.

"This world, this world is the world that lies between two other worlds. We just linger here until we have to go. Afterlife isn't just as mythical as it sounds, Lee-Xeng. It's the next step to any life out there."

I was dumbfounded. Still confused out of my mind. What the heck did he mean? What did I have to do will afterlife?

"But me, why me? What do I have to do with all of this!"

Taehyung pouted lamely in response to my panic.

"Well, you're one of us, silly."

That's when I felt everything around me crash. What did they mean?.. was I.. dead too?...

Taehyung gave a rather sarcastic giggle before moving from his current spot to right where I stood standing now face-to-face with me.

"What, you thought you were still living? We're all here for that one reason.."

The more he spoke, the more I felt my body turn weak and impotent.

"What's that reason..?"

Taehyung purses his lips and helped me up slowly from the ground. My body felt too light, almost like I was sleeping. I followed behind quietly as he took me to the rest of the boys.

"If you haven't figured out yet, were the "infamous" Bangtan boys. This is Hoseok, Jimin, Namjoon, Jin, Yoongi but preferably Suga, and Jungkook, Taeyong who you've already met and me, but you know who I am."

I stared at him a little longer before turning to the rest of the boys and bowed.

"But why are we here? You're not really answering that question."

He remained silent. One of the boys who I was introduced to spoke up for him.

"You see.. this is actually purgatory. We all died. Not exactly at the same time, but around the same time. That's why we're all here."

I shook my head. This was impossible. I didn't want to believe this strong feeling of emptiness that I would remain living with for I don't know how long. Was I to just stay here and do nothing? Would I even have an afterlife to come?

"It's better if we just accept it all. If we fight, we won't get anywhere. We won't have that kind of freedom here."

The boy with the dusty brown hair motioned for me to walk with him kindly and I did. He kept telling me about why we ended here. How we all ended here.

"They were my best friends. We swore to go around the town and show that we just wanted equal support, equal rights. The people thought otherwise and began treating us badly. We never did anything bad. Then, we all appeared here. I was the first one to get here."

I stared at him as he kept speaking. Just why would someone do that?

"Jin over there, he was in a fatal car accident. His family survived but he was the only one off the hook. He would tell us how they were heading to a local park when they were hit. His family's friend got a bit too jealous of their lifestyle and handled it the wrong way."

I decided to interrupt kindly.

"But, what about Taehyung? I remember saving him from the train the other day.."

He waved a hand up and I apologized allowing him to continue telling me about the others.

"Jungkook, well you already know him. That same night you two met, he and his friend got in a heated argument and his friend killed him. Apparently, the friend didn't mean it, but he ran away after committing the crime. His own parents found him in his room the morning after."

He sighed, took a couple of seconds and then kept going.

"Jimin, the boy with the cotton candy hair-" he pointed at Jimin, who was smiling at rather electric blue flowers he had just found.

"-He died from leukemia. I think that out of all of us, he was the one who suffered the most before he ended here. He's very kind too. If you ever get a chance make sure to personally introduce yourself to him."

I nodded with a minuscule smile and waited for him to keep going. He hesitated a bit before continuing.

"I, myself, was very ill as well. I had an unknown disease which made me unable to speak much or even walk much. The last thing I remember was my mother and father's face. I loved them both equally. They were my only life support at the time.."

I swallowed and cleared his throat, trying hard to not show any actual emotion. I wouldn't have minded though. None of us would see those we loved again, so this would be the only time to actually cry.

"I was still in high school at the time. My friend, who always stuck by me, sort of all went downhill on their lives after I did. None of us were as bad as people thought. We always just wanted to show that wanting equal world peace and love was possible with a little boost from close ones around you."

He was right. Sticking up for what you wanted wasn't always easy. There was some type of battle that you had to handle before anything more could happen out of it.

"Yoongi, or Suga, he was the only one who died from clinical problems. He had high anxiety and Depression which never go well together. A couple of weeks ago, he vowed to tell his family of his problems, but when he had talked to a friend in support of his future actions, the friend wasn't supportive and it made him change his mind all over again. Instead that same night he found himself glancing at his body. Even when he had died, he never had the chance to get his words out to his family but still kept a secret smile on his face more often than one would have expected. Sometimes he falls under the gloomy weather, but we manage to get him out before it worsens."

I turned my head to look at Yoongi. He was sitting on the large tree branch, admiring the soft sunset as it slowly cascaded away, welcoming the starry night. I found the most admiration of his life story. He seemed like one who struggled a lot, but even when his evil side wanted a turn he would push it away and not welcome it.

"Now, Taehyung. What do you want to know about him?"

I had completely forgotten about Taehyung. I wanted to know everything about him. I was still a bit confused.

"Everything. I mean, if I could know everything.."

Namjoon smiled a rather cheery a closed lip smile and nodded. He seemed fine with my choice.

"Taehyung.. well, he was an only child. He grew up alone, with an abusive father and a mother that was nowhere in sight most of his life. Just like a lost fraction of his imagination. He had a sister, but from the constant abuse she received, she was pushed into such a horrible state of mind. His father took no blame of his own mistakes-"

I cut him off quickly, popping up a question that I hadn't intended to ask.

"Why? Wouldn't-"

"His father was a drunken man who only thought of his beloved addictions and his own self. After his wife left, he never took actual care of Taehyung and his sister. That's why Taehyung turned out to be such a way. He never committed suicide... He was murdered by the one person he trusted. That's why when you found him, he was laying down on the snow. He died that way; bleeding his last breaths and tears away while he watched the blurry figure his father take off from afar."

Namjoon took another breath before looking out at the distance.

"He was the silhouette you had seen earlier."

🦋❤️

Faith.

it is a strong word in which many tended to lose. A lot of us lose that little faith, while others of us tend to grip it at our fingertips. Without faith, I feel like many of the things that we do were not possible. Even when you lose everything, you find it and yourself. That's the best life advice I will give you.

If you feel like you're not worth everything, you are. Don't ever doubt yourself, please. I did it for a very long time, and I've slowly begun to love me for who I am and for who I should myself for. You should too. You deserve equal love and appreciation.

If you got to the end of this book, I thank you. I understand how short it was, or how it was quite mature, but I want you to understand that love, happiness, and self a trust makes you who you are. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. We don't need to be friends to talk about whatever it is that's bothering you. Bless you. stay alive; stay forever young.

🦋❤️