Taehyung kept his head bowed as he received the orders for his newest mission.

"Do you accept the tasks presented to you?" The leader of the Kyotan Mafia questioned the young assassin standing before him.

"I accept this mission," Taehyung answered confidently. His gaze remained on the cold floor beneath him as he answered his leader.

"Very well. You will depart for Itrius tonight. Good luck. May the shadows cloak you well," Taehyung's leader responded.

"Thank you, Master," Taehyung clasped his hands together before him and bowed once before turning and exiting the hall.

"How did it go?" A silver-haired man asked, approaching Taehyung as the doors closed behind him.

"Hyung," the young assassin greeted his captain. "I accepted it."

Worry covered the captain's face as he looked at his young assassin. "Are you sure you want to accept this one? Let me do it, hm? This is the hardest one Master has ever presented to you. Let me-"

"Hyung, it's okay. Master said I could rank up to a lieutenant if I succeed." Taehyung offered an assuring smile to Namjoon even though he was secretly shaking on the inside. This was the hardest mission, but it was the only way to buy his freedom. If he succeeded, he would be a lieutenant instead of a slave.

Namjoon sighed. "Alright. But be careful."

"Don't worry, Hyung. I've got the shadows, remember?" Taehyung said, giving Namjoon a boxy smile to cheer him up.

The captain shook his head at his subordinate while ruffling Taehyung's silky, black hair.

X•X•X•X•X

The city twinkled in the night as the hovercraft flew over the numerous skyscrapers decorating the horizon. Jungkook gazed down at the city with furrowed brows. He was visiting a potential ally nation in hopes of entering a deal with them. As prince of Devonia, it was Jungkook's duty to negotiate with neighboring countries to spread his kingdom's influence and business.

Jungkook's destination was the nation of Estyn. Estyn was a peaceful nation that agreed to nearly every treaty presented to them. However, for Jungkook's visit, it was Estyn who had offered an alliance with Devonia. Devonia was the second largest nation in the eastern hemisphere, so Estyn was keen on maintaining peace with the powerful country.

As the hovercraft began its descent into the capital city of Estyn, Jungkook's right hand walked up to him with a tablet in his hands.

"What are they proposing?" Jungkook inquired as he accepted the tablet from Jin.

"Estyn is proposing to expand their trade routes in Devonia in exchange for increasing the amount of supplies imported while maintaining the price," Jin explained as he handed the prince the tablet with his itinerary.

Jungkook studied the list as Jin added, "They also want to add a clause where their residents and our citizens can travel to and from without travel cards."

Jungkook nodded his head as he listened to Jin while scrolling through his to-do list. Noting that the conference would begin at nine the next morning, Jungkook returned the tablet to Jin before leaning back and closing his eyes, hoping to get as much rest as he could before landing in the foreign country and completely unaware of a dangerous assassin racing the stars to arrive at Estyn before he did.

X•X•X•X•X

A sleek, black car awaited the prince as he and Jin exited the hovercraft. After a short walk from the craft to the car, the prince was sitting comfortably as he was chauffeured from Estyn's airstation to an elegant villa positioned on the outskirts of the country's capital. A long parkway lined with tall trees led up to a circular driveway in front of the villa's grand entrance.

After taking a few calls from various ambassadors on the flight and two more calls from officials during the drive, Jungkook was done with politics for the day by the time he reached the villa. The prince exited the car and walked through the luxurious building to his room on the third floor.

"What would you like for dinner?" Jin inquired as he followed his prince down the hallway.

"Whiskey."

Jin released a sigh at the prince's answer. "Jungkook, you should eat something. It's been a long day."

"Exactly, Hyung. It's been a long day. I just want a hot shower, some whiskey, and sleep," Jungkook returned as Jin scanned his badge against the electric key to the prince's room.

"Okay," Jin conceded as Jungkook entered through the door. "But you will eat breakfast, alright?" Jin pressed, his mothering nature taking over.

"Mm," Jungkook agreed tiredly as Jin held the door open for a moment longer.

"Call me if you need anything."

"I will. Good night, hyung," the prince said with a yawn.

"Night, Jungkook," Jin bid as he closed the door.

Jungkook sighed as he took off his coat before throwing it over the back of a chair in the lounge area of the suite. The prince walked over to a table stationed against the wall and opened a provided bottle of whiskey. Too lazy to wait for the specific whiskey Jin would eventually bring, Jungkook poured himself a glass of the free liquor.

Jungkook sipped on the hard liquor as he entered the big bedroom. The motion-detecting lights snapped on as the prince walked to the balcony. After opening the glass doors, Jungkook leaned his arms on the stone railing and breathed in the crisp, night air.

After a few minutes of relaxing on the balcony, the prince wandered back into the room and went to the spacious bathroom. Unbuttoning his shirt, Jungkook set the now-empty glass on the bathroom counter.

Once he was fully undressed, Jungkook stepped under the hot water. The prince rested his head on the tiled wall and let the water flow over him, relaxing now that he finally had a moment of peace away from all the politics and responsibilities of a crown prince.

X•X•X•X•X

Taehyung steadied his breathing as he looked up at the luxurious four-story villa. He spied his target just minutes ago as he saw the man retreat from the balcony back into a room on the third level. A wide lawn of freshly cut, green grass separated the assassin in the trees from the white stone building. Taehyung repositioned himself to the other side of the wide tree that was providing him cover from the guards roaming the perimeter of the lawn.

The stars twinkled beautifully as the assassin looped a black face mask around his ears, highlighting his blue eyes. Making sure his cap was situated on his head snuggly, Taehyung recounted the time it took for the guards to switch positions after rotating around the villa fully.

"Thirty seconds. They run a tight shift," Taehyung muttered under his breath, impressed by the guards' quality of security. "Thirty seconds to cross the lawn and scale up the vines to the third floor." The young assassin sucked in his breath as he planned which vines he would use to reach the desired balcony.

"Okay, you can do this. It's thirty seconds," Taehyung tried to reassure himself. Thirty whole fucking seconds. Thirty fucking seconds. It's only thirty fucking seconds!

The boy heaved a stressed breath as he recounted the cycle one last time to make sure he had everything planned perfectly. He could not afford any mistakes.

"Five seconds to cross the lawn. Fifteen seconds to scale the vines. Ten seconds to reach the balcony and enter the room. Okayyyyy. You can do this!" Taehyung whispered in encouragement to himself as he peered around the tree to watch the guards do their last shift before he made his move.

As the guards neared the end of their shift, Taehyung gave one last look at the security cameras to make sure he was still in the blind spot. The moment the last guard disappeared around the corner of the villa, Taehyung dashed out from behind the tree.

1..2..3..4..5. Perfect! Taehyung reached the wall in just under five seconds. He immediately began scaling the vines, concentrating all of his focus on reaching the balcony on the third floor.

..14..15..16

The young assassin arrived at his mark in just over fifteen seconds. When he reached for the handle to the glass door, he found the door to be ajar. Hearing the guards near the corner of the villa, Taehyung did not hesitate in slipping through the door and into his target's chambers.

X•X•X•X•X

Jungkook wrapped a towel around his waist before leaving the steamed-filled bathroom. Running his fingers through his wet, dark hair, the prince walked over to the delivered cart decorated with a glass cup and and bottle of chilled whiskey. After opening the expensive bottle and filling the cup, Jungkook lifted the glass to his lips and savored the taste of the amber liquid. Upon finishing half the glass, the prince set the cup aside and removed the towel from his waist.

A small ruffle flowing through the white curtains framing the door to the balcony caught the keen eye of the prince. Jungkook kept his eye on the curtains as he slipped on a pair of name-brand grey sweatpants. Just as he set the pants on his waist, Jungkook felt the slightest whiff of air due to movement on his back.

Whirling around, Jungkook blocked the assassin's arm with his forearm. The assassin was quick to drop the blade aimed for Jungkook's heart to catch it with his free hand and slice towards Jungkook's side to maim him.

Wow. He's good. Nearly as good as I am. Jungkook grabbed the hand with the knife to distract the assassin as he swiped his shin through the man's knees, knocking him off his balance and bringing both of them to the floor.

Taehyung's cap fell off, revealing his silky, black hair. He kept his grip on the knife as he struggled for dominance. The prince eventually pinned Taehyung to the floor and reached for the mask covering the young assassin's face.

Not wanting to reveal his identity, Taehyung brought his knee to the prince's manhood, extracting a groan from his target. Taehyung used the following split seconds to wiggle out of Jungkook's hold.

Jungkook was quick to recover, however, and lunged at Taehyung's knees, keeping him from standing up completely. Taehyung turned to kick Jungkook off of him, but the prince was already on top of him again.

"Who are you?" Jungkook growled as he blocked the assassin from piercing the blade into his heart.

Blue eyes stared back at Jungkook before the assassin let go of Jungkook's arms. Taehyung repositioned his hands so he could fling the prince's arms apart. As soon as the prince's arms were separated, Taehyung sat up and brought their heads together in a painful head-but.

Taehyung quickly got out from underneath Jungkook, but apparently, it was not fast enough as the prince grabbed Taehyung's wrist and twisted it, sending the knife spinning across the floor. Taehyung stumbled onto the rolling cart containing the whiskey, causing the opened bottle and glass to crash to the floor.

Keeping his hold on Taehyung's wrist, Jungkook quickly stood and pushed the assassin against the wall. Taehyung let out a groan as he was slammed into the wall. For the first time, he was able to see the prince's face clearly.

As the prince's face came into focus, Taehyung's head felt as if it would split open. He hissed and brought his free hand to his head as pain ripped through his mind. His vision blurred, but he fought to remain standing. He could not lose. His freedom depended on it. Panting, Taehyung stared at the prince with wide eyes.

With his free hand, Jungkook removed the mask from the assassin's face. Jungkook's heart immediately ached as he saw the assassin panting before him in pain. Once Jungkook had absorbed all of the assassin's features, he too brought his hand to his head as pain entered his mind.

What the f*ck is going on?! I didn't even drink that much! Jungkook grunted as he tried to focus.

Images of the assassin smiling and looking at him fondly raced through his head. Sounds of his laughter and cries filled his mind as he chased after the black-haired lovingly on a sunny day. The assassin turned and said his lover's name, but it was not Jungkook's name. It was "Haru".

Taehyung was not fairing any better. Images of the prince and the sound of his deep voice engulfed the young assassin and brought him to another world. A world where he was safe in his lover's arms. Taehyung groaned as the pain increased. He leaned against the cold surface of the wall and let out a pained moan. What the f*ck is happening to me?

Jungkook staggered away from the assassin who was going through the same pain. Tears touched his eyes as he continued to watch the assassin grimace in pain. What is this?

Taehyung's eyes closed as the pain became too much. He felt his knees buckle, and his body began to fall. Jungkook rushed towards the assassin and caught him in his arms as he fell away from the wall. A single tear fell onto Taehyung's face as Jungkook stared down at the man in his arms. The man who tried to kill him. The man who filled his thoughts with his smile. The man who was his.

X•X•X•X•X

"Don't kill him, Jungkook!" Jin cried out as he raced through the door to the prince's chambers.

Jungkook looked up at his right hand racing toward him. Jin stopped in his tracks as he saw Jungkook holding the unconscious assassin. "What happened? Did you kill him?"

"What? No. Why do you ask? Wait..." Jungkook furrowed his brows. "Hyung, why do you seem like you knew he was coming? And why can't I kill him?"

"I'll explain everything later, but right now, you need to tell me what happened. Why is he unconscious?" Jin said as he sheathed his sword and carefully approached his prince.

"I'm not sure what happened. One second we were fighting, and the next..." Jungkook trailed off as he recalled the images that had flooded his head just minutes before. He looked down at the man in his arms. Did he also get memories? Why else would he be in so much pain? I need to think about this. I can't tell anyone just yet. I need to figure out what is going on.

"And...?"

"And then he collapsed. And you came in saying 'Don't kill him.' What's going on, Hyung?"

"We were testing him," a new voice sounded.

Jungkook looked up to see a tall man dressed in the same black outfit the assassin was wearing. A younger, silver-haired man followed the man into the room.

"Testing who? Him?" Jungkook looked back down at the unconscious man in his arms.

"Yes," the man nodded. "V was selected to be your bodyguard, but we had to test his skills to ensure he was qualified. If he survived this, then he would be your bodyguard. He had no ill intent."

Jungkook's brows furrowed as he stared at the two, new men. The silver-haired gazed down at the unconscious assassin with worry while the leader was emotionless. He could have cared less whether or not the unconscious assassin had survived.

Looking back at Jin, Jungkook began to piece together what was happening. His father had mentioned striking a deal with the Kyotan Mafia. Never did he think it would be to build up his security. Returning to gazing at the male in his arms, Jungkook felt angered at the ordeal the young assassin was put through.

"V," Jungkook said the assassin's name almost possessively. When Jungkook realized V had no grudge against him, a fire sparked in his bones. "Why did you give him such a dangerous test? He could have gotten hurt!" The prince spat at the man.

"Prince, calm down. It was necessary to make sure he could protect you," Jin interjected, trying to calm his prince.

"Master, since V's mission is finished, may I take him back? He needs medical attention," the silver-haired man ejected as he stepped forward and extended his arms toward the unconscious assassin. Jungkook resisted the urge to pull the boy back to him as the man took V from his arms.

"Ask the prince. V is now his. He decides everything regarding V." The leader of the Kyotan Mafia stopped Namjoon from leaving with Taehyung with a shake of his head

Following his master's orders, Namjoon slowly turned to Jungkook who stood and slipped his shirt over his head. "Prince Jungkook, please let me take V back to Devonia."

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that," Jungkook stated. He didn't know why, but he wanted to keep V close to him. No, he needed to keep him close. Something about the assassin was drawing him in. "V stays here. I will see to it that he gets the best medical assistance."

Jungkook watched as the man's face fell. "Please-"

"V stays here," Jungkook growled, not liking how attached this assassin was to V. Is he a brother? If not...lover? For some reason, the thought of the man being V's lover sparked a fire in Jungkook.

The prince then walked over to the man and took V from him. Holding the assassin tightly, Jungkook turned to Jin. "Get me a new room."

"Yes, sire," Jin immediately called for a new room as the prince walked out of his chamber carrying the unconscious assassin.

"Excuse me," Namjoon stopped Jin on his way out.

Jin halted and turned to the assassin. "Can I help you?"

"It's just- Is the prince a good man? Will he take care of V?" Namjoon asked in concern.

"Don't worry. Jungkook is a good man. He will make sure V is treated well," Jin said reassuringly.

"...Thank you," Namjoon thanked after a short moment.

Jin managed a small smile at the assassin before following his prince out of the room.

Jungkook gently set V on the soft bed while Jin called for a doctor. V moaned as he sensed Jungkook turn to leave. Subconsciously, Taeyhung reached out and grabbed Jungkook's hand.

Jungkook turned around as V moaned softly, "Don't go, Haru-ah. Please don't leave me again."

Haru? How does he know that name? Jungkook sat on the edge of the bed and pressed the back of his hand against V's forehead. It was hot, indicating V had a fever. Jungkook began to worry when the assassin began crying in his sleep. "V..." Jungkook called softly. "V!" He gently shook Taehyung's shoulders.

"Haru!" V called as his blue eyes snapped open. Taehyung panted as he stared at the man hovering above him.

Jungkook sighed with relief and silently stretched out his hand. Taehyung flinched as Jungkook's hand neared him, but he relaxed once the prince's warm touch brushed away a tear.

"V..."

His call sign instantly reminded Taehyung of his mission, of him sneaking into the villa and trying to kill the man sitting in front of him, and of the painful flashes.

"How do you know my name?" Taehyung questioned defensively.

Jungkook was startled by how deep V's voice was.

"...uhh..."

"Why am I here?" Taehyung demanded, his guard on red alert.

"You passed out," Jungkook answered truthfully.

"Why am I not dead? I came to kill you. Why haven't you killed me? I am no use to you alive," Taehyung spat out in one, long breath.

"Woah, slow down. First off, I am not going to kill you. Second, you are very much of use to me alive."

"Why?"

"Because you are now my bodyguard."

"Eh????"

X•X•X•X•X

Taehyung could not believe the words he just heard. "What do you mean bodyguard? I am an assassin. I kill people. Not protect them."

"Well, it seems my father thinks that an assassin makes the perfect bodyguard."

"How so?"

"You will be able to spot other assassins since you know the signs."

Taehyung could not argue with that. It was true. He would be able to spot another assassin better than any other. But one thing still did not make sense. "But why would he have me try to kill the one I am supposed to protect?"

"To test your skills. I am the best fighter in the royal military, so it was most likely to see how well you can fend against me."

"Ahhh..." Taehyung's eyes widened as a realization hit him. "Wait...so that means the Kyotan Mafia is colluding with the royal family?"

"It seems so."

Taehyung's face fell when realized he was still not free. "What trickery. I went from a slave to assassins to being a slave to the prince. Wow...How could I be so stupid to believe I'd actually be free?" Even though Taehyung said this to himself, Jungkook was still close enough to hear it all.

Jungkook did not know what to say. V was technically now his. He could do whatever he wanted to Taehyung. But, for some reason, Jungkook's heart hurt at the thought of V being a slave.

Before Jungkook could respond, both the males' attention turned to the door as Jin entered leading the physician. The physician bowed to Jungkook respectfully, waiting for the prince to allow him permission to enter. The prince continued to sit on the bed as he surveyed the Estynian doctor.

"Prince Jungkook," the physician greeted.

Jungkook nodded slightly in recognition of the doctor's presence before standing from the bed. The physician cautiously approached the assassin, setting his medical bag on the bed upon his arrival.

"Why is there a doctor? I'm not sick," Taehyung pondered. He felt fine.

Jungkook frowned and placed his hand against V's forehead. Oddly, the fever had receded. "Well, you passed out, and we need to know why. I can't have my bodyguard fainting on me, now can I?"

Taehyung looked up at the man standing over him. A lump formed in his throat as he peered at the man who now owned him, his master. A fire sparked in Taehyung as he felt betrayed. Betrayed by his past master, the man who took him from the ruthless military and trained him. Betrayed by his fellow assassins. And betrayed by the man in his visions. He had been tossed around like a horse at auction.

Fueled by his inner rebellion, the words that left his mouth were burning hot. "Whatever you say, Master." Taehyung stared at the prince confidently as he spat the words.

Jungkook was torn. His heart pained when V called him "master" with such despise. V had every right to despise him. But Jungkook felt hurt as he had no say in V's transfer. His last wish was to hurt V, but here he was, unwillingly being the one who hurt him.

Usually, Jungkook could not give more than half a fuck about what people thought of him, but he just could not stand the way V was staring at him.

"I had the same amount of say in this as you. If I had my way, you would be free."

Taehyung's boring gaze faltered as he heard the words coming out of the prince's mouth. Ashamed of hating the man before knowing all the facts, Taehyung turned his face away. Would he really let me be free? Tears touched the assassin's eyes as Jungkook gently took V's chin and turned his face back up.

Jungkook swallowed dryly as he gazed into those watery, blue eyes. "And don't call me master. Call me Jungkook."

Jin let out a small gasp. In all of his life, Jungkook had only let Jin call him by his given name. Taehyung felt just as shocked, if not more. The crown prince of Devonia just told him his name!

"Now, let the doctor take a look at you, okay?"

Taehyung nodded slowly, still dazed at what just transpired. Jungkook let go of V's chin and stepped back as the physician walked up to Taehyung. Taehyung remained silent as the doctor performed the examination, still milling over what he knew about the prince.

First, he was an amazing fighter.

Second, he had a cold exterior.

Third, he had no say in Taehyung being his bodyguard.

Fourth, he hated this arrangement just as much as Taehyung.

Fifth, he was trying his best to make something good come out of this.

Sixth, he appeared in the visions racing through Taehyung's mind.

Seventh, Taehyung knew him in his past life?

Taehyung's eyes widened. That's it! Past life. Did we know each other in our past life? How did we know each other? Wait...don't tell me...

Taehyung's thoughts were interrupted as the physician concluded his examination. "V is perfectly healthy. The cause for his passing out was most likely induced by increased stress. Just keep an eye on him. If he shows signs of passing out, put him on an intravenous nutrient drip."

"Thank you, doctor," Jin said as the physician packed up his bag and left the room. "We should let him rest," Jin suggested. "You should rest, too. You still have the conference tomorrow."

Jungkook nodded. He turned to look at V, who was staring out the window deep in thought, before following Jin out of the room. After showing Jungkook to a new suite, Jin quickly retired to his own room.

Jungkook took off his shirt as soon as he was alone and crawled into the spacious bed. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. The night had been way too eventful. The prince turned on his side after slipping under the silk sheets. Jungkook fell asleep almost instantly and dreamed of the black-haired assassin in a leather uniform holding a sword and sparring with the man called Haru.

X•X•X•X•X

"Haru!" Taehyung heard his voice ring happily, but it was not he who called the name. His body moved against his will as he ran through the field. Long, black hair flowed behind him in the wind as he raced up the hill.

"Haru!" He called once more as he reached the top of the hill. Taehyung was in awe at the sight before him. A tall, raven-haired man stood with his back to him, the sun creating a perfect, golden halo around his head. His long, dark hair was half-up in a golden clasp and thick needle, while the lower half flowed freely.

Taehyung held his breath as the man slowly turned to face him. His eyes widened as he saw the beautiful face. His features were sharp, but his eyes were soft. Those dark eyes...where had he seen them before? Before Taehyung could think any more of it, the man called his name, or rather, his lover's name, "Eunseong."

Taehyung looked at the man's loving gaze only to remember the events of the night. The face of Haru was that of the crown prince. Taehyung's thoughts were cut short when Haru gently said, "Eunseong-ah."

"Hmm?" Eunseong looked up at the ravenette who took his chin in his hand.

"I love you."

Eunseong broke out into the biggest smile.

Euff, you must really be in love for you to smile like that.

As if his thoughts were advice after the song was written, Eunseong continued to smile brightly at Haru. But Taehyung couldn't help himself, either. He found the gaze of Haru a little too attractive.

If only someone looked at me like that. Eunseong, you are one lucky guy. Don't mess this up.

Taehyung almost jumped when the ravenette placed his arm on Eunseong's lower back. But Eunseong leaned into the touch and blushed when Haru pulled him close. Taehyung's heart began to speed up when Haru leaned in for a kiss.

Ya ya ya yaaaa! What are you doing? I'm not ready yet! I haven't even had my first kiss!

Taehyung's thoughts had no effect as Haru continued to lean down.

His lips do look really soft, though. No! Do not think those thoughts. Get your head out of the gutter, Kim Taehyung!

Taehyung almost screamed internally as those soft lips got closer.

Before he knew it, Taehyung was sitting up in the bed. Sweat beaded his temples and bare chest. He had taken his shirt off to sleep after everyone had left him alone. He found it was easier to sleep when he was shirtless. It took a few seconds for Taehyung to catch his breath. He threw back the covers and slipped out of the bed. He opened the windows and breathed in the crisp, night air hoping it would clear his mind.

His thoughts were still racing over the dream he just had. Well, could he call it a dream? It was more like a memory. A memory from long, long ago. Taehyung sighed and closed the windows. It wasn't enough. He needed to get out, out of this place. He needed to breathe, to be enveloped by the cool night.

Forgetting to even put his shirt back on, Taehyung opened the door to his room and stepped out into the stone hallway. His bare feet padded softly on the smooth stone as he made his way to the end.

Which way...well, let's just try one. Taehyung turned right down the hallway and soon came upon a set of spiral stairs leading down past the other levels to the ground floor. He turned his head to look up and make sure the spiral went all the way to the top level.

Wasting no time, the assassin silently ascended the stairs. Once at the top level, Taehyung looked around for the modern addition of the stairs to the roof for emergencies. After taking a few steps down the corridor, the assassin found his target. Taehyung quickly entered the staircase leading to the villa's roof. Unlike the other wide stone steps, this staircase was built from metal and concrete.

Taehyung released a pent-up breath as he arrived on the wide roof. Though the roof was not completely flat, the slight slope did not hinder the assassin from perching on it comfortably. Taehyung sat on the terracotta roof and leaned back on his arms with his legs stretched out before him. Looking up at the stars, Tae let out a small sigh and closed his eyes.

Whenever he couldn't take the ruthless training put upon new assassins, Taehyung would always venture up to the roof to breathe. That's how he met Namjoon who also frequented the roof when he needed some space.

Taehyung did not know what turn his life would take with the prince, but he decided he would still try to win his freedom, and if that meant being the best bodyguard in the universe, then Taehyung would be the best bodyguard the world had ever seen. He would do anything to be free.

After about a half hour, Taehyung decided it would be best if he were not missing when he was called upon to get ready for the conference. After one last deep breath, Taehyung rose and exited the roof. He quickly made his way down both sets of stairs and found himself back in the long hallway.

Taehyung placed his hands in the pockets of the grey sweatpants he had been changed into as he meandered down the hallway. The assassin took his time, not wanting to go back to the place where he had a memory of someone else's life.

It wasn't until he was halfway down the hall that Taehyung heard the quiet whimpers and moans seeping from the door to his right. There were not many rooms on this level as the suites were massive. The only other people he knew to be on this level were that Jin guy and the prince. But why would they be in pain?

Taehyung found himself walking towards the door. Why? His curiosity and because even though Taehyung was raised to be a cold assassin, he was very kind at heart. He did not like seeing people in pain. Or, in this case, hearing someone be in pain. Within seconds, Tae had his fingers wrapped around the door handle. After a short breath, the assassin entered the room.

The room was cast in a cool glow as the moonlight seeped through the opened doors leading to a balcony. A soft breeze swept through the room, billowing the wide curtains. Taehyung quietly approached the man in the bed.

He could not see who it was as the man was on his side with his back to the door. The man's back was flawless except for a small scar on his left shoulder. Other than that, it was elegantly defined by muscles, and the skin was smooth and milky.

"Hey," Taehyug softly called as he reached the bed. The man continued to release small whimpers as he twitched and moaned from his apparent nightmare. When his call did not work, Taehyung put one knee on the bed and reached over to pat the man's shoulder.

As soon as his fingers touched the man's shoulder, a hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him onto the bed. In a split second, Taehyung was flipped onto the bed, and dark eyes were staring down at him.

Taehyung held his breath as he looked into those dark eyes. Never had he seen a gaze so intense. It took him a second to realize that he was completely subdued by the prince. He tried to move his arms, but Jungkook held a tight grip around his wrists. Next, he wiggled his legs to feel the prince's knees right on top of them.

"Here to kill me, V? Complete your mission? It won't buy your freedom anymore," Jungkook accused the assassin under him, completely oblivious to the fact that Taehyung was in no shape to assassinate someone. He was empty-handed and only wearing a pair of sweatpants.

"Do I look like I could kill someone right now?" Taehyung retorted.

Jungkook raised a brow at Tae's quirky response. The prince then scanned the man under him from head to toe. Taehyung felt the prince's eyes linger on his golden abs before finding his face again.

"Well, if you're not here to kill me, then why are you in my bed?"

"Correction: I was in your bedroom. Not bed. You're the one who pulled me into your bed." Taehyung was not having any more of the prince's accusations.

Jungkook prodded his cheek with his tongue before starting again, "Okay. Then, why were you in my bedroom?"

"I heard someone crying when I was in the hallway. You were having a nightmare, so I tried to wake you up," Taehyung explained. "If I knew I was going to be interrogated, I wouldn't have tried to wake you up." Taehyung turned his head to the side as he mumbled the last sentence.

Jungkook thought for a second before releasing his hold on Taehyung and leaning back on his knees after getting off of the assassin. Taehyung rubbed his wrists as he sat up and shimmied to the edge of the bed. Looking back, Taehyung studied the prince before placing his feet on the cool stone floor.

"Er..." Taehyung sounded, drawing Jungkook's attention. Turning toward the assassin, Jungkook gazed at Taehyung as his breathing continued to return to normal. "Your nightmare..." Taehyung swallowed before carefully continuing, "Was it of Haru and Eunseong?"

Jungkook gazed at Taehyung for a moment before nodding. "Mm." The prince stood from the bed and walked over to the doors leading to the balcony before adding, "Why do you ask?"

Taehyung fell silent as he pondered how to respond. Because I'm curious. Because I think they were us in the past. Because...I want to know what happened.

"Who do you think they are?" Taehyung chose to respond with a question after determining it to be a safe way to begin the conversation that had been looming over the two since their first meeting.

"Our past lives," Jungkook replied flatly as he opened the glass folding doors and walked onto the balcony.

Taehyung was surprised by the prince's blunt response. He had not expected Jungkook to be so open about it that quickly. "Do you know what happened to them...?" Taehyung eagerly waited for the prince's response. What had he dreamed about? Was it tragic? Did they remain together?

Jungkook fell silent for a long while. He turned from Taehyung and gazed out over the city in the distance. Taehyung assumed the conversation was going to end there and was preparing to leave when Jungkook spoke.

"They died."

Pain filled Taehyung when he heard Jungkook's answer. They died... Hollowness soon replaced the pain in Taehyung's heart, and tears filled his eyes. He could not explain why he suddenly felt so emotional over someone he did not even know.

Haru and Eunseop were Jungkook and Taehyung's past lives, and they had lived and died tragically together. Although Taehyung had only the snippets of memories he had seen in visions and his dreams, the emotions had remained and transcended into this life.

Hearing Taehyung's soft sniffles, Jungkook turned and entered back into the bedroom before walking to stand in front of the assassin. Placing his thumb under Taehyung's chin, Jungkook lifted his assassin's face to lock eyes with Taehyung.

The words that came from Jungkook instantly dried Taehyung's tears. "I don't really care what happened in our past life. What matters is this life. And, in this life, I am going to protect you."

He had been crying for his past self while Jungkook had been able to separate himself from Haru. And, like how Jungkook was not Haru, Taehyung was not Eunseop. And they were living in this life. They had been given another chance at life and love, and it was up to them to make it work.

In this life... Taehyung's heart fluttered as he looked up at the dark orbs staring down at him. He had never felt a stare so intense, and he longed to know more about the man standing over him. However, Taehyung knew that if he took Jungkook's hand and remained by his side, he would never be free of his past. Eunseop would forever haunt him.

It was now Taehyung's choice. Would he join Jungkook in this life? Or would he break away from the cruel fate that had brought them together?

The End
Thanks for Reading <3
Written by WeiDao 維道