I held Star in my arms, rocking back and forth with the force of her anguished sobs.

I knew that behind the salted pain on her eyes, visions of flames haunted her.

"I left him!"

I have already tended to Star's burns. She is bandaged, and damaged beyond repair. But the damage is not something that can be stitched up.

"I left him alone."

It is something inside, like a decay setting in her mind, polluting her airways, and spreading from the bloody pile of pain that used to be her heart.

"He sent me away to get food."

I ran a hand down her hair, hoping that the familiar gesture would be an echo of a comfort to her. Softly, I brushed through her hair, letting it lay smoothly down her back.

"I should have suspected. But I was so focused on the fact that he was going to eat."

I do not speak; I know that words could never be a comfort, not in this situation. Not with Star's heart burnt to a crisp. No, I stay still and let her hide in my chest. I become a pillow, soft and comforting after a day of immeasurable pain. I become her shelter.

"I should have known better."

My own heart is disintegrating, a flame slowly, excruciatingly destroying my insides. But it is not the time for me to be weak. It's Star's turn to feel.

"How could I be so stupid?"

I don't deserve to be hurt from this. After all, it is my fault in the first place. I caused all of this.

"I shouldn't have left him alone!"

Every new death is a shot to the heart. We are falling apart.

"I was responsible for his safety. And I failed."

I was surprised when she came to me first, and not Namjoon. But right now, she didn't need someone to interrogate her. She didn't need a leader to start planning for another grave. So while Namjoon took care of the dead, I took care of the damaged.

"I failed!"

What she needed was a friend. I would be a friend. I would hold her and let her cry. She didn't have to be brave for me. She could be heartbroken, exposed, and desolate in front of me. There was no need for an act. She didn't have to feel like she needed to be emotionless in front of me. She could be distracted. She could be sad. With me, she could be human.

"I should've stopped him."

Every beat of my heart was a pang, reminding me of who was really at fault; myself.

"By the time I got back...."

But I would be strong. I would take care of whoever was left. I wasn't alone.

"There was nothing left to save."

But I felt alone, alone in my guilt, my fault.

"I couldn't save him."

I'm so sorry Star. I'm sorry, it's my fault. I'm sorry Jungkook, and Jimin, and Hoseok, and Taehyung, and now Yoongi. I'm sorry I got you killed. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry I couldn't prevent this.

"I was too late."

I'm sorry Jin, for not being quick enough.

"He's dead, and I'm not."

We're losing ourselves, just like Seung-Jae wanted.

"How could I have done that, leave him alone to burn?"

I'm going to kill him.

~ and then there was 1 ~