He felt strangely calm, like his mind instead of the rough crashing waves of the sea it was before, it was now serene like an untouched lake in the mountains, quiet and still. It was a relief. A huge weight on his shoulders had been lifted. 

And it was all thanks to you.

"Miss (L/n) will be your therapist but as she isn't currently in the condition to work, I will be filling in for her," the lady with long dark hair spoke to him, drawing him out from his thoughts. 

"Miss (L/n)...? (F/n) right? Is she-" he trailed off and his brow furrowed in concern. "Is she alright?" 

The woman's eyes wavered slightly and she thought before responding. "(Y/n) is recovering...Slowly but she will be okay."

Why did it seem like she was trying to convince herself with her own words?

"That's a relief to hear," Namjoon said with a pressed smile. 

There was a moment of silence between the two, neither saying a word.

"(Y/n) has been through a lot," Jisoo began, Namjoon looking back up at her at her sudden informality. "I've known her for a long time, and I know that she will come out of this okay,"

"It's been a couple weeks, I know, but I believe in her and she always pulls through in the end. So you don't have to worry about her okay?" she finished with a guarded but kind smile. 

But he would worry.

The girl who incidentally and completely saved his life was unwell as a result. He wrung his hands anxiously. Was this his fault? He didn't want to be the cause of your poor health.

"Tell me, Namjoon- sorry," Jisoo paused looking up at him. "May I call you Namjoon?"

"Of course," he said, nodding. Jisoo's voice bringing him out of his worries.

"My name is Miss Kim Jisoo, but you may call me Jisoo if that makes you feel more comfortable during our session." Namjoon nodded again.

"Tell me, do you have any family, or friends to contact?"

"No family, and I have been living with a few others. Choi Seung-hyun and Kim Yong-sun. They're closer to being my friends than the others were. And another, his name is Hoseok, before he was admitted to Wings Mental Hospital..."

"Hoseok? By any chance do you mean, Jung Hoseok?" 

A look of surprise crossed Namjoon's expression.

"Yes,"

Jisoo bit her lip, considering whether to let Namjoon know that Hoseok was in fact in the very same building as they were. 

"That's quite a coincidence," Jisoo laughed sheepishly. "As a matter of fact, he's...He's here in this facility."

Namjoon's eyes widened in shock, before calming.

"How is he? I know from last time I saw him he wasn't doing well...Is there a chance I could talk to him later? And perhaps (Y/n) too? If she's feeling up to it," he asked, the last bit almost timidly from the way his gaze dropped to the floor avoiding Jisoo's stare. "I'll understand if she doesn't want to see me, after what I did."

"That was not you, Namjoon. None of it was your own doing. Your body was being used by a malicious being that is no longer here. You're free now. And this is a safe place for you to talk about anything you need to. This is a place for you to heal." 

It seemed as though your body wanted to move, and your brain needed to get you up for a bit after being in such a deep slumber. You knew you weren't ready to be up and about but part of you just felt so restless. 

Dark bags sat under your tired eyes and your skin lacked much colour as you sat curled up in your office chair with a blanket. Your hands curled around a mug of hot chocolate that warmed your body. You weren't entirely sure when or how you had managed to drag yourself to your office, but there you sat breathing in the scent of cocoa and just merely existing.

If it hadn't of been for Taehyung, you wouldn't be sitting there alive and breathing- you were pretty sure of. Well, as alive as your drained husk of a body could be. 

You felt a bit better here, your bed feeling more like a prison than a safe place of comfort and sleep. You had been in it more than you had been out and awake and that concerned you. As much as you were wary of having to much sleep however, you knew it was one of the things at the top of the list to recovering fully. 

But you were scared to fall asleep again. To go back to that place where your nightmares lay waiting to devour you. That's all that waited for you when you slept recently, and it was becoming hard to do. 

Keeping your mind busy with something else for a little while seemed to help slightly. 

Jackson had been updating your files and cases while you had been off, and you assumed Taehyung must have had a hand in it too as you found a cute froggy post-it note on your newest file which read in messy hand writing- 'feel better soon, Petal x'. 

No matter the shadiness and lack of trust you felt around Taehyung, you couldn't deny you were quickly warming up to the man. He had helped you in more ways than one. 

You picked up the most recent file that Jackson had left completed for you. You flipped it open.

KIM NAMJOON

AGE: 23

GENDER: Male

CASE: Possession

EXTRA DETAILS: Jailed for multiple criminal acts. Arson, drug dealing, aggravated assault, GBH, Vehicle theft, murder.  All committed under possession. Has been on the run. 

Namjoon had been in your files all along, you just hadn't gotten to his file yet...It seemed like fate had put you in his path.

He had been possessed the whole time, from the store robbery weeks ago and maybe longer. 

A certificate was stapled to the back of the reports that Jackson had filed. The name signed at the bottom made your heart thump in your chest. 

Choi Seung-hyun

Date of death: xxxxxxx

Date of birth: xxxxxxx (30 years)

Cause of death: Burnt to death

What on earth had happened when Taehyung left the abandoned site with you? Had the building burnt down? But why, and how?

There was a second certificate-

Kim Yong-sun.

Date of death: xxxxxx

Date of birth: xxxxxx (26 years) 

Cause of death: Skull fracture. (Sometimes, a broken skull bone can affect the brain. The broken pieces of bone can cut into the brain and cause bleeding and other types of injury.)

You couldn't hold the dam that broke from your eyes as the tears dripped in fat droplets down your face, your bottom lip wobbling slightly. You sniffled burying your face in your palms as you cried quietly. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," you whimpered hysterically over and over. You felt this guilt would follow you for a long while. 

The room suddenly felt very small and claustrophobic, the walls seemingly to close in on you and the lights flickering out. 

You jumped as a soft knock came to your office door, the walls expanding back out to where they once were in the blink of an eye. 

You furiously rubbed at your red eyes to rid yourself of the tears. You scrubbed your face with the blanket uselessly hoping it would made you look less like death. 

Your body protested in cracks and stiffness as you got up and made your way over to the door. You opened it an inch and peeked out curiously but cautiously. 

"Jungkook?" you squinted at the young man outside your door, who looked back at you with just as much surprise. 

You didn't have time to say anything else as the door was forced open and his arms had enveloped your smaller form. The blanket that had adorned your shoulders fluttered to the floor from the momentum. Jungkook's hair tickled your cheek as he squeezed you tightly. 

"Y-you're...okay," his voice shook. His skin was hot against yours which made you worry slightly. Hesitantly, you wrapped your arms around his waist and hugged him back. In turn he nuzzled his face into your neck, his breathing calming down.

The two of you stood like that for a few more moments, savouring the peace. 

"You're always coming back like this," he said drawing back, but making no movement to release you. "When will you stop doing this?"

You pressed your lips together averting your gaze. You had the answer, however it was growing more and more difficult to answer that question. 

Was it really worth putting your body through this much pain, for the sake of others? What happened to self-care and choosing your own well-being over others once in a while?

You pulled away from Jungkook and picked up your blanket wrapping it around your shoulders again. 

A pained expression washed over Jungkook before it was gone and he tried to offer you a smile. "I've missed you, Noona." 

You smiled sadly at him and raised your hand to his head. 

"Sorry I've been away for a while," you said as your ruffled his hair fondly. 

His smile wavered and eyes flickered with an unknown emotion you couldn't quite put your finger on. You withdrew suddenly, realising that you probably shouldn't be acting so informally with him, being his therapist and all. You had to keep the semi-professional boundary with your client. You seemed to have forgotten that a little over the past few months. 

You ushered the young man back a bit so that you could close your office door behind you and went to move past him. You were hungry, and you could feel that your stomach was about to growl at you. A simple sandwich from the kitchen should suffice. 

Jungkook grasped your hands tightly, impatient expectation shining in his eyes. 

"No," he said firmly. "You're not leaving me again, only to come back hurt."

You stared at him dumbfounded for a moment unable to respond from the suddenness. 

"I'm just going to get something to eat..." you said in almost a question. His reaction made you wonder...Was Jungkook starting to get abandonment issues? And becoming a bit too attached to you?

"Ah, okay...Can I join you?" he asked bending his head down shyly. 

"Sure, we just need to make sure you're back where you need to be for curfew, alright?"

Jungkook beamed at you, a bunny smile that despite your concern over the whole situation seemed to warm your heart. 

After a small lunch with Jungkook, you found that although it was only miniscule, you were feeling better with a bit of food in your stomach. You sent him back to his room before getting yourself a glass of water and returning to your own living quarters. 

You couldn't say that you were looking forward to being back in your bed again. The thought of it only made you drag your feet and walk slower.

You entered your room and shut the door behind you with a soft click. You went over to your bedside table to place your water down and paused. Something seemed to be amiss. You stared at the table for a minute deep in thought. What was wrong? 

And then realisation hit you. You sucked in a sharp breath. 

Your talisman. The one thing you always kept close. It was gone.

Frantically you started searching. In your clothes pockets, in your drawers, under the bed, the covers, the wardrobe your books wash basket-

"You lose something?" 

You stopped dead in your panic and switched round at the sudden voice. You looked up immediately to see the talisman, swinging slightly as the cord dangled from his grasp. 

Your gaze flickered between the gently swinging talisman that dangled from his slender fingers and his dark orbs.

Min Yoongi.

"Give that back," you demanded calmly. Your hands balled into fists, to hide the shaking. 

How had he so easily gotten in here?

"You don't look so good," he said nonchalantly and looking you up and down slowly. 

You lifted your hand out to him silently repeating your demand for him to return your precious item. "I'm fine."

He let out a long sigh and took a step towards you. Yoongi then cupped your outstretched hand underneath with his free hand and placed the talisman in your palm, where the stone hummed softly warming your skin.

You went to pull your hand back only for Yoongi's hand to clamp down on your wrist. Breathless you were pulled into his chest with a soft thud taking you completely off guard. Arms coiled around you and kept you against him securely.  

For some reason the conversation you had with Moonbyul a while ago at the hospital came back to you.

'"Yoongi?" You questioned. "Sure he's odd but...are you sure you don't mean Hoseok?"

"Both of them, but Min is a special case. One that I myself avoid as much as possible and you should too."'

But then why did it not seem to feel that way when you were around him? You failed to feel any 'badness' from Yoongi, only a sweet calmness.

He smelt like firewood and smoke.

To be honest part of you wasn't even surprised that he was here. He always seemed to just pop up anywhere unannounced. He had always been harmless. So what was the problem with him being here now?

"You shouldn't be scared to fall asleep, (F/n)," he spoke softly as he always did and it started to cloud your mind. Your eyes widened slightly.

"How would you know that?" you questioned while your body was reluctantly relaxing in his hold. 

No! You can't relax now!

Instead of replying he started to hum quietly. A haze fell over you, a drowsy lavender sort of air making it increasingly hard for you to concentrate. Your worries, your guilt and your pain all fading into the far corners of your mind. 

No, you would be fine. You had your talisman back. You were safe with it. You were....fine...Right? 

"Sleep princess. I'll keep the nightmares away." Yoongi's voice was like a gentle lullaby. 

You found yourself unwillingly falling asleep, unable to keep your heavy eyelids open. It was as if an invisible force was tugging at your consciousness, pulling it away to a dark space. Your body began to slump in his hold, your limbs becoming to much to hold in place. 

The one question that had been on your mind each time you saw Min Yoongi slipped past your lips just before your succumbed to sleep. 

"Who are you, Min Yoongi..."

The corner of his lips quirked into a small smile. 

"That's right princess. Sleep. Fall into that little slice of death, with me."

He ran his fingers through your hair, a fond look on his calm face.

You had given him his warmth back, and he had never felt more content than in that moment. He felt he could stay like that forever with you in his arms. And in fact he wasn't worried that he wouldn't get to do this again.

Because...

you were promised to him, after all.

When you awoke Yoongi was gone, his warmth however seemed to remain and in your palm sat nestled was your precious talisman, the whole experience feeling a lot like a dream to you. Where had he gone off too? You were starting to doubt whether he was real or not. Perhaps a figment of your imagination. 

You sat up in your bed, looking around your room aimlessly. You weren't sure what time it was, but it was dark outside signalling that it was late. You felt slightly sweaty and dirty from sleeping so much, and decided to freshen up with a quick shower before returning to bed. You felt a lot better after washing your hair and soaking your body. 

You felt a lot better about going back to sleep for some reason...

As you got back into bed, before you closed your eyes your brain registered that there was something different about your room.

It seemed darker in one corner. The same corner you thought had merely succumbed to old discolouring paint. But the more you stared at it, the more your curiosity began to gnaw at you.

Keeping your eyes on the corner, you got up and flicked the light switch.

Nothing.

Nothing was there but the slightly discoloured paint, similar to the corners in bathrooms that would grow darker from the dampness of steam of baths and showers over time caused.

You switched it off looking at the same space. The corner was still a lot darker than the rest of the room as if covered in a dark cloud or black paint, it was hard to tell, but the point was, it was darker than it should be. Yet, when the light was back on, there was nothing there.

You shook your head and shrugged your shoulders. You were being paranoid, exhaustion was creeping up on you, that's all.

You turned off the lights once more and slid back under your covers and closed your eyes.

The blackness in the corner grew an inch. 

https://youtu.be/e7jvlu4Bj7I

Who spotted the Edgar Allen Poe ref?? ;)

Some much needed Yoongi time in this chapter for you Yoongi stans :) Don't worry he will have more spotlight in future chapters, I promise! -Rikki

UNEDITED 

28. 07. 2023