┊ ˚➶ ｡˚𝓨𝓮𝓽 𝓣𝓸 𝓒𝓸𝓶𝓮˚｡➶˚┊

"I know where the Emperor is."

Three days had passed since Jihyun and Jimin reunited. Today, she wasn't expecting Yoongi in her room with his hands fiddled together. For a moment, he reminded her of Taehyung.

"How do you know?" she asked as Yoongi kicked the door shut behind him. He barged in her makeshift room in the castle, not that she minded. It wasn't like anyone else came to visit her. They were preoccupied with healing Jimin.

"It's the last place I can think of. The only problem is I don't know if the bastard is crazy enough to try it," Yoongi said. He sat on the side of her bed. He had a tablet with him, and he showed her a digital map of New Theon. He pointed to one landmark, and her eyes bulged. "I know what you're thinking-"

"The Exodus Caves? Are you insane? Rumors say the caves aren't even real, just a tale to scare children."

"Where else would he have gone?" Yoongi asked. Y/n didn't have an answer. "He wouldn't go to the border, there's nothing out there except rocks and endless ocean. The island where his tower used to be is filled with rubble and also dominated by the Moros Navy. The Islands are protected by Moros. The Rocklands are too dangerous not to mention how many rebel bases we have there. Where else, Y/n?"

"Maybe he's hiding with the rest of the navy?"

"Sure, which are close to the Exodus Caves. That leaves two options: either he's on one of those ships, or hiding inside the Exodus Caves. They aren't a rumor. There are deadly creatures of the night there, maybe the Emperor is using them for protection."

"Can he do that?"

"If anyone's good at taming creatures, it's him. Why do you think Hellsirs are still around? He's been smart with his weapons by not limiting them to just people."

"Shit," Y/n mumbled. He was right. It didn't make sense for the Emperor to go anywhere else. "I'll go tell Jungkook. Him and Shawman can plan a raid."

Yoongi agreed. He escorted her to Jungkook, who was about to enter Jimin's room. Yoongi left them alone, which caused Jungkook to raise a brow.

"Yoongi believes the Emperor is either on a ship in the navy or in the Exodus Caves. I think he's right. What should we do?"

Jungkook rubbed his temple. "I'll tell Shawman. If Yoongi's right, we need to take action. New Theon isn't safe as long as the Emperor's alive."

Without saying anything else, Jungkook stomped off. Y/n took it as a sign she should enter Jimin's room, but she waited. She heard soft voices inside. None of them sounded like his therapist. Instead, they sounded like Jimin, Kastor, and Jihyun.

When she entered, her theory was proven correct. The three were inside with Kastor leaning against the wall while the Park brothers sat on the bed. Jihyun was half-asleep while Jimin kept darting his eyes between Kastor and Jihyun as if he didn't know who to focus on. His baby hand was tangled in Jihyun's long hair, stroking it and giving his scalp a light massage.

"Y/n, you're here?" Kastor said, but it sounded more like a question.

Y/n shut the door behind her. Jimin's gaze fell on her, and he had a curious glint in his eyes. There was no animosity hiding behind his expression.

Staring at him brought a sea of emotions Y/n didn't want. His lips were smoother than they used to be. In the castle, they had lip care products she was sure Kastor was sneaking to Jimin. Jimin also seemed like he was dressed better. His clothes weren't torn, and they fit his body well. It was as if he was a fashion star. His white tunic was loose but decorated with little stitches of swirl designs around his chest area. The fabric was so light she could see his tattoo on his shoulder.

"I figured I'd check in. Don't mind me," she said, going next to Kastor. "Yoongi believes he knows where the Emperor is. For obvious reasons, I can't say it here."

Jimin gave her a blank face. "Ah yes, let me go tell the Emperor with my dozens of way to contact him. Maybe I'll talk to the fish and make them carry on the message. Oh, or maybe I can do messenger birds. Or a smoke signal. The options are limitless."

"Okay wiseass, it's only been a few weeks since you've been here. You're not healed yet. Forgive me for not trusting you," she said, and Jimin snorted.

"I'm busting your balls. As long as I can go on the mission, I don't care," Jimin replied. It went quiet at that. His face fell. "You're shitting me."

"It's not a good idea," Kastor said. "Listen kid, I know you want to kill the Emperor, but we can't trust you."

"You can't trust me?" Jimin asked with a quivering lower lip. "I get the others, but you? You don't..."

"Jimin, of course I do, I didn't mean it like that. I meant we can't trust you around the Emperor. You're not you around the Emperor, and we can't have that happening again." Kastor trotted over to the bed, sitting on the side of it. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"But..."

"I'm sorry, kid. Not everything is meant to be. You and Jihyun are my responsibility now, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you."

"I'm the best fighter out there," Jimin said. "My heel is okay, I can fight. Let me take him down."

"Jimin," Kastor replied in a soft tone. "Please don't make this harder than it has to be."

"But I..." Jimin trailed off as Kastor rested his hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I just want to do something right. I want to make people proud."

"You do. You've always made me proud, kiddo."

Jimin sniffed and hugged Kastor, Kastor hugging back without hesitation. Y/n had to admit it was weird to see Jimin so affectionate. Both before and after the Emperor took him, Jimin wasn't very touchy with other people. Y/n was an exception due to their relationship status, but even Kastor didn't get many embraces. He only got them when the fear of death was resting inside their hearts.

Jihyun got up and rubbed his eyes. "Kas, can you walk with me?"

"Everything okay, Park Junior?" Kastor asked as he pulled away from Jimin. Jihyun chuckled and motioned with his head toward Y/n. Although Y/n knit her brows together, Kastor lit up. "Right. Yeah, let's take a walk."

"You two are assholes," Jimin said with a grunt, but Kastor and Jihyun ignored his complaints. They left the room, which meant Y/n and Jimin were alone. "Great."

"What?"

Jimin sighed. "I would tell you, but my therapist says being mean would make me a bad person."

"Glad to know you care about me," she said with an eye roll. It felt strangely like she was meeting him for the first time. It felt like she was bickering with Commander Park.

"I do." Jimin paused. "I think. But why don't you care about me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked.

"You haven't come to talk to me. You're always standing in doorways watching, but you don't talk. Why?"

"You were the love of my life," she said. For the first time, it didn't hurt to say those words. "It's hard to look you in the eyes when you remind me of all the nights we were curled up in bed, twirling each other's hair and talking about the little Park Jimin that dreamed of a better world."

Jimin pressed his lips into a line and furrowed his brows. "Why can't we still do that?"

"I want nothing more than to be in your arms, talking about the past you. But I know that Jimin is gone. It's time to move on. I need to forget."

"Everyone keeps saying that," Jimin said. He said it slowly; like he wasn't sure the words were worthy enough to leave his lips. "But I don't get it. What's the point of moving on? Why not carry me with you, even if you're somewhere else?"

Y/n stalled as her heart swelled inside her chest. "What?"

"Why do you need to move on from me when you could remember me instead? I..." Jimin stopped and reached under his bed, taking out a pile of papers and turning them so she could see. "I don't know which memories I should trust, but you're always in them, whether it's good or bad. I'm healing, that's what everyone says, but not without you. You're still here, even though you refuse to acknowledge me. Maybe we should heal away from each other, but why do we have to forget? Some of my favorite parts of the day have you in it."

"I didn't know you felt that way. I thought you hated me. I thought you regretted being with me."

Jimin stood and held his papers close to his chest, his baby hands going pale as they squished against the pictures. "Why would I ever regret you?"

She laughed. It sounded more like a sob. "Don't say that. Don't do this."

"Do what?"

"Make it hard to say goodbye."

"We don't have to," he said. "We can try again. I may not know myself and my memories, but there's something inside me that keeps bringing me back to you."

"Jimin, I love you, but you don't love me."

He set the papers down and came closer, pressing his hand on her cheek. It was the most contact they had had in what seemed like decades, and she relished in it. His thumb brushed her tears away as their eyes locked.

"I don't know how to love you right. Maybe I never have, and maybe I never will, but I won't stop trying to learn how. My therapist tells me to fight for love. Real love. You're it."

She trembled as she stumbled away from his touch. Her stump pressed against her chest as she peered at the man who had taken so much from her. Yet this was the same man who had given her a reason to breathe. A reason to fight. A reason to lead.

"No," she whispered. "You don't know who you are. I don't know who you are. You seem better, and I'll trust it's real this time, but the last time you made progress like this, you cut off my hand and joined the Emperor. There's no fixing us. It's time we go our separate ways."

"What if I go back to normal-"

"There is no normal, Jimin. You were physically and mentally abused your entire life, and I am so sorry you were. You deserve the world, and the Emperor took that from you."

Jimin gave her space and sat back on the bed, burying his head in his hands. She brought her gaze to the papers with drawings of her on them. She was a knight. There was more detail on her face than on any of the other drawings on the pages.

"I want to kill him," Jimin muttered. "I want to kill the Emperor. Please, I understand why you want nothing to do with me, but if I could ask you for one more thing, it'd be this. Let me kill the Emperor. Make the case for me to join the team. I... I need to, Y/n."

Y/n approached him despite her better judgement. She took his four-fingered hand and rubbed the back of it, Jimin whipping his head up at that.

"No," she said with a soft smile. "You don't. Jungkook was right, you can't kill the Emperor."

"What?"

She gave his hand a small massage. "So many have lost their lives to the Emperor, but you've lost the most. Out of all of us, you deserve the kill."

"Then why won't you let me have it?"

"Because it's time for you to move on," she said. Before he could speak, she continued. "Not forget, you can never forget, but you need to move on. The Emperor has tortured you enough. It's time to let us handle it. You deserve the kill, but you deserve a peaceful life more. You're never going to see the Emperor again, okay?"

Jimin held her hand a little tighter than before. He kissed the back of it before letting go and leaning back. His eyes met hers as he parted his lips.

"Okay."

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚˚｡➶˚┊

It took them a week to plan the assault.

Y/n stood outside, helping the group haul weapons and crates onto their ships. There were three giant ships that were ready to take on the navy. The navy was small. It consisted of several smaller ships that were mostly there as a formality. They protected New Theon from any attacks from the border, not that there was anything out there except rocks and dead animals.

The beach was cloaked in a sheet of darkness due to the night sky. Rebels were rushing around and preparing to go on the journey to the Exodus Caves. It felt different. It didn't seem like just another mission. In a way, it felt more dangerous than the castle siege. Although they had lost countless during the siege, and Y/n had lost her lover, it didn't change how the Caves appeared more serious. Maybe because this was the fight that would win the war. Officially, anyway.

"You gonna be okay without me?" Y/n asked as she placed a sword in one of the crates heading to the ships.

Kastor, who was gearing up, snorted. "Are you kidding? It's better if you stay here."

"Jungkook would kill me if I went along. I'm surprised he's letting you on this mission."

"Shawman disapproved, but the rebels seem to listen more to Jungkook than Shawman these days," Kastor said. Y/n tried to help more with the loading process, but with only one hand, she wasn't doing much. "Thanks for bringing out my gear. I can't remember the last time I joined a mission."

"Other than the farm."

Kastor chuckled. "Other than the farm. That led to Park throwing a tantrum over my disappearance. Never let him live that down, yeah?"

"Oh please, Jungkook talks about it all the time."

Kastor and Y/n went back to aiding the rebels when they could. Y/n ended up on the sidelines. They were at the Emperor's old arsenal. The place where Namjoon died.

Y/n saw Jimin with Taehyung and three other people. One was his therapist while the other two were guards, likely there to ensure Jimin wasn't stealing or trying to communicate with the Emperor. They didn't want him on the mission, but they wanted to push the limits and see how much Jimin could handle.

From this distance, he seemed calm. They didn't let him touch any weapons, but he was allowed to help put armor on the troops. It felt good to see Jimin working for the rebellion again. For a moment, it looked like Park Jimin was back. She wanted to believe it was real.

"He doesn't know it yet, but he loves you," Kastor said. Upon realizing she got caught staring, she moved back and prepared to leave. Kastor held her in place. "I'm not trying to lecture you or give you hope. I just thought you should know. He asks questions about you all the time."

Y/n shuddered in his grasp and felt tears rising inside her. "What does he ask?"

"If you've eaten, if you're getting sleep, how your stump is doing. That kind of stuff."

"Oh," she muttered. "What have you answered with?"

"What he wanted to hear. I didn't want to worry him."

Y/n accepted the response. They stopped talking and finished the preparations. Soon enough, it was time to leave. Jungkook and Shawman had already boarded the main ship and were waiting for Taehyung to join them. That meant the therapist and two guards had to escort Jimin back to the castle. However, fate had different plans seeing as Jimin spotted Y/n and Kastor working together.

Him and the guards approached as Taehyung waved his goodbyes and went to join the assault. Kastor was about to leave when Jimin grabbed his hand. The guards made him retract it right away.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Jimin asked, his voice cracking.

"I'm going on the mission, kid. You think I'm sitting out on the most important battle in New Theon's history?"

"But you're going to the Caves," Jimin insisted, trying to go back to Kastor only for the guards to hold him. "That's way too dangerous, you know how many will die."

"A lot." Kastor stopped to hang his head. "And I might be one of them, but I need to do this. I just..." He squeezed his chestplate. "I need to."

"You can't do that, I won't let you. You're too old for this, you need to settle down and live with Jihyun and me. Please don't do this."

"Jimin, you feel an obligation to kill the Emperor, don't you? I feel the same thing. You know what he did to me. Please, try to understand-"

"Bullshit!" Jimin shouted as tears streamed down his face. "Just stay! Please stay!"

At that point, Jimin was getting aggressive and trying to push his way past the guards. His therapist attempted to calm him, but he was too worked up. Y/n nodded to Kastor, who took the hint. He had to go.

"I'll be back soon. Shawman will keep me safe. Trust me," Kastor said before spinning on his heel and departing.

Jimin clawed at his captor's hands and yelled. He wailed about how he needed Kastor, and Y/n shriveled inside herself upon hearing the anguish in his tone.

"Don't go!" Jimin begged, snot pouring down his face.

"Okay, come on," his therapist said. The guards began to drag him away. Jimin resisted the process, but it didn't matter. His foot was too weak to put up with the stress, and he succumbed to the strength of the guards.

"Please don't do this," Jimin said with a whimper. "Don't go!"

"Jimin," his therapist tried, but Jimin was already sobbing and reaching out for Kastor, who was disappearing from sight.

"Dad!"

Y/n couldn't hold in her breakdown. As soon as Jimin shouted that one word, Y/n cried with him and backed away. She had no doubts the mission would go well, but now, looking at Jimin's frantic state? Her mind was plagued with doubts and worries.

The guards got Jimin to follow them, but it wasn't easy. They had to force him away. Y/n plopped down and let the sand consume her. She watched with teary eyes as the ships sailed. There were no rebels there except for her and the stragglers who were there to help load cargo. Everyone she loved, other than Jimin, was on the main ship. The last people she had left were about to plunge into darkness and fight a fearsome foe. For years, the locals had called Jimin the Reaper. But Y/n didn't believe it anymore.

The Emperor had been the Reaper all along.

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚𝓨𝓮𝓽 𝓣𝓸 𝓒𝓸𝓶𝓮˚｡➶˚┊

A/N: Only THREE more chapters left. Are you guys excited? Nervous? Sad? All three? I'm a mix of all three right now.

I'm super emotional. This chap had a lot going on between Jimin calling Kastor dad and Y/n and Jimin reflecting on their lives. I can't wait to show the ending, but I also don't want this story to end...

Do you think Kastor will make it back okay?