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Triggering content ahead.

Some diseases are silent; they slowly devour the body without causing pain and never warn of their presence.

Some patients are deaf; they ignore their body's cries for help and never once listen to them.

And Jungkook suffered from a silent disease while he was a deaf patient; thought he was untouchable, that he'd never get under the train even though he was standing in the middle of the train's path; he thought his strength would stop it; thought he was the leading actor in a movie bound to have a happy ending; thought he was indestructible, the hero who would survive anything, your hero, the one who, in the last minutes of the movie, just before the credits started rolling, would grab your hand and walk carefree on the beach through the sunset.

It was a dream from which he had woken up in the confines of four dirty walls, a stall smelling of rancid urine, far from what his nose was used to smelling; he'd have traded the dream for a nightmare if it meant waking up in his bed even if the other side of it had been cold and empty.

But it has been said once and would be repeated again: when it rains, it pours.

And Jungkook had both a dream while his eyes were closed and a nightmare as they opened; reality slapped him sharply; he was neither the protagonist of his movie nor your hero, and in the perimeter of the segregation, he found himself pondering which one caused more disappointment.

"Inmate 7991, you're summoned to the prosecutor's office."

Power is a trip that comes to an end, like a beautiful vacation stolen from the last weeks of summer, dulcet and heartwarming that you get addicted to the feel of it pretty quickly; power knows no eternity, power is an elevator that rides steadily to the highest level, and as soon as the top is in sight, it shoots down quickly, making sure that pride and honor are killed at the same time.

It's scary, Jungkook would admit; the moment of the rapid fall isn't as exciting as in a roller coaster, no, because in the amusement arcades, the ride, however scary, ends within a limited time; but the ride from power to endless humiliation knows no end, for it's destined to push the rider into the deep ground.

Jungkook would say he rolled in his grave when his name was switched with a number when they took away his mohair suit and gave him a gray jumper instead, but if you asked twice, he'd admit that his feet left the ground when the officers stripped his body to perform the usual security check before sending him to his cell.

He'd also admit that this wasn't his original thought, that he felt the beginning of his nosedive when the officials handcuffed him in the church before you could give him your pledge of allegiance, that the moment he saw you running after him only to stop in front of Taehyung while wearing a wedding dress he had picked out for the big day, was the moment the button was pushed, that seeing you prioritizing another man, added to his humiliation salt that burned the wound, made the takeoff unannounced and gave him no time to buckle up.

But for the sake of his wounded pride, he decided to apport amendments to his thoughts, to play pretend maybe, for he couldn't grant you the pleasure of being associated with his dismay, not after seeing the depth of your colors.

It was when he was just brought to the facility; as if walking in the suffocating corridors wasn't torture enough, fate also decided to entertain his shooting ride with a hangman wearing the same gray jumper as the one he had been given; Jungkook was still in shock, revolted from the effect of the speed, silently followed the officer into his cell as the other inmate approached him; he had kept his distance so as not to draw attention to them and spoke quietly enough not to be heard by the officer, but loudly enough to make Jungkook's eardrums bleed: "Kim Taehyung and Kim Seokjin are brothers, and your wife knew about it."

So, in the end, in the confines of his cell, he figured that the disappointment you caused him was bigger than what he had lost and what he would lose.

"Mr. Jeon, are you aware of the seriousness of these crimes? I suggest you better start talking because this," the prosecutor pointed to the files scattered on the table, "these are speaking on behalf of your silence, and believe me, it won't help you in court."

You're smart; he'd give you that; you planned your strike well and waited for the right time; he judged you unwisely, he'd admit to that too; you're someone who holds a deep grudge; he chuckled at the thought.

Every file he had coerced you to steal from your late husband was before his eyes; he had tricked you in the past without really meaning you any harm, for to him, it all served a greater purpose; your unity; but here you played him foul; he never wanted you to end up behind bars for the murder of Seokjin, but apparently you wanted him to atone for a crime for which he had excelled himself to get you the non-guilty verdict for.

"All right, let's talk, is your recorder on?" Asked Jungkook.

"All ears for you, Mr. Jeon." Quipped the prosecutor.

"I admit that I committed tax evasion and money laundering and helped cover up arms deals on the mayor's orders, but I didn't kill anyone and certainly didn't have Seokjin's blood on my hands," Jungkook propped his cuffed hands on the table and leaned back against the seat, a slight smirk appearing on his lips, "in fact, you'd lose the case if you attack me in court with this crime. The evidence points to the real killer, as do most of the papers here; Y/N had an agenda against her late husband, she wanted to help the company that valued her talent as part of her revengeful plan, and when she got busted, she did what she did." Finished Jungkook with a broader grin.

Jungkook resembles Dante's Scormiglione in many ways; he was raised to believe that he must take anyone who might be involved in his fall with him to purgatory; believed that hell should be enjoyed in company, preferably with his loved ones.

That is precisely why you were told that you'd be on trial within twenty-four hours; you were grateful that you were given time to find yourself a lawyer out of Jungkook's ring; you were grateful that you were given time to enjoy freedom before it ended.

The case was reopened for investigation based on the new testimony; what was deemed self-defense was challenged by the prosecution, and you knew that the chances of justice taking its course were slim this time.

But Scromiglione was nothing more than a troublemaker devil, a mere guttersnipe compared to Malacoda, who always had bigger plans up his sleeve and led Dante to the final catastrophe where no bridge could be the salvation. So when Scromiglione's mission ended, he got rid of him.

"Min Yoongi sent me to retrieve the payment for an unsettled tab between you."

Jungkook figured he never really looked at the sky, never appreciated the blue paint that adorned the horizon, never allowed himself the luxury of being comforted; in fact, he refused to be comforted by anything that wasn't you, and damn if he didn't regret it as he lay in the yard of a fenced prison, bathing in the blood that kept his heart alive for only one purpose: to love you.

But Jungkook was right: you're vindictive.

You didn't know it, but you found out when the correctional facility contacted you to inform you of his dismay; you didn't expect tears to flow like rivers because what he did was beyond forgiveness, but you couldn't deny that the hysterical laughter surprised you; Jimin had told you that your condition was worsening and had increased the dose of your medicine due to the incoherent behavior you showed in the last period; so you stopped your bewilderment and laughed out loud until the tears that refused to leave their hideout pitied your wounded smile and mingled together to support each other; you let your back fall against the wall as the effects of the medication you took started kicking in, consecutively, the smile faded, and sadness reigned.

You resented Jungkook; there was no doubt about that, and even if there was, it had been ruled out as you stood in the mourning hall receiving condolences from people driven there by greed; you figured the reason for your tears was actually the man whose grin was impossible to hide as he entered the temple; your tears were caused by the realization that you were the reason people around you were either sent to hell or chased out of heaven.

Taehyung was the latter.

"May he rest in peace." Taehyung offered as he bowed; it was all so phony, and you wanted to scream, to shout some reason into his numb head, to tell him that he had let his rage consume him to the point of turning him into a monster even worse than the one you doubted would attain Nirvana. Still, in the end, you bottled up the thoughts, knowing full well that you were the trigger for all this. "Please be strong."

"Thank you for coming."

​Jungkook's testimony, however, wasn't the only reason you were summoned to court. In fact, the whole case was pushed forward at the request of Seokjin's next of kin, who had already accused you of conspiring against his brother long before Jungkook could open his mouth, and although you saw it coming when the officers arrested you in the church, you preferred remaining in denial.

Even when you were trembling between his arms, breathing heavily from the collision of forbidden love, from the passion that consumed you and reigned over anger and abhor, you preferred denial.

You remained in denial until your lawyer confirmed your doubts. But you couldn't blame him, for you knew that you had taken away what he considered family and that he had never been given the chance to know the reality of what had transpired.

"If you don't tell him, I'll," shouted Jimin; he had had enough of the whole story, had had enough of feeling guilty, of lying all the time, feared he'd forget the truth if he went on like this. "Jungkook is dead, and who knows if he is linked to his death or not; Y/N, Taehyung is sailing far away from shore; he's becoming a threat to you and to himself; you have to stop him."

"He won't," you offered; you were tired from all the fighting, your medicines weren't much help in such a case, you lacked strength, and apparently, Jimin had a lot of energy to keep up the fight until one of you gave up; "he's out for blood, his brother's blood that I spilled; he can't be blamed."

Jungkook is dead and no longer an obstacle, but what Jimin didn't know was that Jungkook wasn't the biggest obstacle to begin with. He didn't know that Yoongi had left the house just minutes before he arrived; he came by to remind you to hold up your end of the bargain, and this time you couldn't take his threat lightly even if you wanted to because this time it was no longer about Jimin's medical license and your freedom, this time the threat was Taehyung.

Yoongi saw no need to hide beneath a veil of lies in front of you, came clean and confessed what he had done to Jungkook, admonishing you to keep your mouth shut if you didn't want Taehyung to take the blame and end up in the slammer instead.

Taehyung was Yoongi's chicken that delivered golden eggs and fattened his bank account; if you revealed the truth, he'd lose the cover he had found after a long search for his shady business, he'd lose the company he had his eye on since the business began.

Yoongi found the deal of a lifetime. He wouldn't let the dish that fate served him be ruined, and if you decided to be stubborn, he'd go to the extreme to keep the hold he eventually had on Taehyung's company.

A win-win situation, revenge and money; after all, these are two good friends who go hand in hand more often than you think.

You were determined to tell Taehyung the truth to open his eyes about the person he blindly trusted; you didn't expect him to forgive you or welcome you with open arms, but you wished he'd put an end to this tragedy, maybe move to another country to escape this toxicity and start over, and apparently, Yoongi knew exactly what you were thinking about, which is why he made it clear he'd do the same if you opened your mouth, and it won't take the police long to make a connection, considering Taehyung's motive for killing Jungkook.

"You're not protecting him, Y/N," Jimin argued, "you're turning him into a murderer with your silence, can't you see that?"

Damn it, you knew; he didn't have to rub it in your face like that; you just had no other solution.

And only so much could the soul bear; you had enough; your head was full of pensiveness and voices of regret; weeping no longer helped, for it didn't give your heart the liberation it sought; neither did you have the strength to cry out the frustration; you were like a soldier who lost in war and was left alone on the battlefield, fighting several enemies at once and being attacked from different directions.

You wondered when and how it'll all end, figured only courage can stop it all.

Jimin watched in silence as your tears flowed in streams and didn't know how to stop; he watched you collapse and fall to pieces, just like the celadon you had thrown on the floor, and regretted that he had heeded your pleas and hadn't taken you to the hospital after the MRI examination he had performed and received the results of; You had a serious relapse, Jimin had increased the dose of your medication, but with the amount of alcohol you consumed, the effect wasn't optimal.

"I'd rather he kill me than see him go to prison, Jimin!" you cried, grabbing him by the collar, tears soaking your skin along with the transpiration; your pale face alarmed him, but what frightened him, even more, were your words, "I can't, Jimin; this man has it in for Taehyung now," you loosened your grip until your hands slipped from his collar and slid across his chest as you knelt before him, "this has become much bigger than Taehyung's revenge on me, Jimin; this man...this man won't leave us alone," you cried.

"What do you mean?" Jimin crouched to meet your level.

"Taehyung may want to kill me, but he didn't kill Jungkook," your voice came muffled, almost like a whisper, as your sobs grew louder; Jimin held your shoulders assertively as he urged you to explain, "Yoongi did it, and he's ready to pin it on Taehyung if we don't keep our mouths sealed."

For Dante, Malacoda was the head of the demons in the Malebranche; he described him as a creature with horns and a long tail; however, for Jimin, Malacoda wasn't as Dante claimed; in fact, all the doubts and contradictions about the description made him wonder if Malacoda had descended to earth or found a human body to possess, for he was sure as hell he had several encounters with him, and damn, he looked very much human.

To Jimin, Malacoda's new stage name was Min Yoongi.

Jimin didn't care much about the morality of the Devine Comedy, couldn't give less of a fuck if he'd end up in the same hell that Dante had described because ridding the human kingdom of a malignant demon like Malacoda seemed so tempting that hell wasn't scary at all.

But Yoongi was actually Malakoda and not just a copy-paste. Jungkook helped him escape Malebranche when he sent him to prison, made him wear a suit, and sat among the people, literally and figuratively the devil wearing Prada.

But even though he wore Prada and perhaps preferred Dior, he never got rid of his reckless nature. He played with Taehyung the same way Malacoda played with Dante, feeding him lies and promises of survival, making him live in the shadow of a nightmare that tried to disguise itself in the form of a dream but still failed miserably.

He sold him a bridge that promised a healthy reality, even though the bridge itself was crumbling.

Yoongi needed revenge to quench his rage, and Taehyung happened to be the mosquito caught in the net of such a black widow.

It started with revenge but ended with greed, the usual pattern of life, no news

"Jimin," you called out as he turned on his heel toward the door, leaving you broken into a million shutters he knew couldn't be glued back together. "Please don't..."

Jimin hasn't driven that fast since his motorcycle accident. He was aware that a car accident could be fatal and much more dangerous than the one he had on the motorcycle, but he didn't give a shit about that when an urgent situation like the current one clouded his logic, and as if driving at 180 km/h wasn't risky enough, he decided to keep using his phone and calling the same number, even though he was transferred to voicemail every fucking time.

"Don't you dare hang up," Jimin shouted when the line was finally taken down; he had turned sharply left into the driveway to Apgujeong, where Taehyung's house was located, "we need to talk, and urgently."

"I think I've made myself clear enough: I don't have a Jimin in my life, and you don't have a Taehyung in yours; that leads me to believe you've dialed the wrong number." Offered Taehyung.

"For God's sake, grow the fuck up, Taehyung," Jimin blurted; he had parked in front of Taehyung's house and was relieved to see the lights were on. "I heard you're looking for the truth; maybe I can help you with that."

Taehyung laughed heartily, which added a tiny bit to Jimin's discomfort and annoyance that was enough to make his blood boil, "The truth? I didn't expect a liar like you to tell me the truth, Jimin; such a funny plot twist."

Taehyung was still making fun of Jimin's plight when his assistant announced the arrival of an unexpected guest; he looked frozen as Jimin held his phone to his ear and continued, "Well, enjoy the twist." After hanging up, he put his phone in his pocket and sat down on the sofa across from Taehyung.

Taehyung decided to give Jimin time to shine, figuring he could get by with a few comical and poorly written lies. So he turned off his phone and turned his attention to the man who was once more than just a friend.

"Go on, what wind sent you in this direction, Jimin?"

Jimin gulped, eyes went shut to prepare himself once again for the grand beginning; he knew you'd never forgive him for going against your wishes, but he also knew that your mind was clouded, failing you terribly in making wise decisions. "It was your child, Taehyung. I never touched her nor dared to look at the woman you loved with indiscreet eyes."

The grin that had previously graced Taehyung's lips quickly disappeared, his body stiffened, and his hands clenched into fists. He'd claim that there was an earthquake, which is why his head was spinning wildly, and Jimin would claim that the thunderstorm outside couldn't be louder than the silence that followed the bomb he dropped.

Taehyung refused to move an inch, remained rooted to the spot, and didn't flinch when he broke the silence, "Why did you lie? Why did you kill him?"

"She was in prison, remember?" Jimin began, "You ran away, and she panicked. Honestly, I was scared too: if anyone noticed her pregnancy, you'd have been the first to be accused, you'd have lost your job and everything you worked hard for, Taehyung." Jimin exhaled deeply, interrupting the contest of looks that was making him nauseous, and continued, "It was her decision, her way of protecting you; I couldn't go against it."

Taehyung fought hard to maintain his composure, refusing to send Jimin flying across the room even though the willingness to do just that was quite present; instead, he lit a cigarette, inhaled its tar deeply, and put his hands to his temples as he looked intently at the floor, avoiding Jimin's eyes that provoked his demons. "That answers my second question; what about the first? Why did you lie to me?"

"That's the reason I called you today," Jimin retorted, "there are truths you need to know, Taehyung; masks that need to be cast off so your vision can become clearer."

"Spit it out." Hissed Taehyung.

"Your partner is the reason for all this; he came up to me and started digging his nose where it didn't belong, and so did I when I smelled the fishy stench coming from him; however, I couldn't keep up with his pace and found myself stuck in his net."

"Yoongi?" Taehyung was confused; the flood of information left him drowning in an ocean of high waves.

"He has an agenda mainly against Jungkook, just like you; the only difference is that he didn't mind crossing all boundaries to achieve his goals, even if that meant stepping over you."

Taehyung rose from the sofa, facepalming, let his hands go from his face to stroke his hair as Jimin continued his revelation, "He asked me to tell you it was my child and threatened to twist the truth if I refused; after that night, I realized you'd been had, but it was too late for me to do anything, especially since I'd sworn to keep what she told me a secret."

Taehyung, losing what little composure he had promised to keep the conversation civil, strode up to Jimin's seated figure and grabbed him by the collar, "Enough preamble; get right to the point; what is there that I don't know, Jimin?"

"She didn't cheat on your brother with Jungkook, everything you saw was fabricated, and Yoongi knew it and kept it a secret."

Taehyung was sure that he was in hell, always thought that he was destined to experience it both in the human realm and in the afterlife; he thought that God started his punishment early for the grave sin of having loved his brother's wife for he didn't deserve mercy, but he never believed that purgatory had circles and that he was yet to experience the worst.

He regretted mocking Dante's knowledge; he'd admit his mistake.

Jimin had worked hard to see through Yoongi's plan and never once believed what the man offered as an excuse for his sketchy orders, especially when he blatantly threatened you and him. So he began to use Yoongi's assets against him.

Chul was Yoongi's henchman, strong and with sealed lips. However, he had a flaw: his alive consciousness; Jimin couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the man arrive on time for meetings at the hospital where he worked. After convincing the attending doctor, he checked his file and found out that the man was addicted to Valium, which the attending doctor refused to prescribe for him anymore, so he turned to Chul and provided him with his poison in counterpart of information.

Chul's mouth grew wider and more generous each time Jimin brought him a few packets of his beloved sedative until he revealed all the secrets Jimin needed to know to understand Yoongi's biggest picture better.

"The server house was hacked according to the plan, but he only fed you parts of it; why? Because it contained an explanation of your brother's death, what led Y/N to give Seokjin's ledger out to Jungkook, and how she ended up in his bed."

Taehyung's grip on Jimin's collar loosened, eyes bloodshot as he listened intently to Jimin's words that dug deep into his heart, "Jungkook started all this because of his obsession, and Yoongi danced on his rhymes to obtain his vengeance."

Taehyung took a few steps back, lost in the middle of a jungle he had never entered, lost in anger and deception, until Jimin's hands, gripping him confidently by the shoulders, brought him back to reality: "She didn't kill Seokjin on purpose, he abused her for months. Actually he wanted to kill her that night; that he ended up dead was only the result of her survival instinct, the result of a push so she could escape his grip on her throat, it wasn't entirely her fault if fate wanted him to fall on the corner of the table; Taehyung, you can't call that murder."

Taehyung was aware that it was the middle of winter, that it was freezing cold outside, but he didn't think it necessary to reach for his coat because the heat that burned his body longed for the raindrops to ignite it, to soothe the blazing fire that burned every cell until the skin exuded pus.

Taehyung wondered if there would be any skin left by the time he reached the afterlife. At that point, he'd argue that God must replace his skin before sending him to hell so that he can feel the pain once again because what he has done cannot be forgiven even if God's mercy is boundless.

Every tear he had been swallowing all this time made a fuss and assaulted him immediately; he was grateful that he had made it to his car before he collapsed; his pride needed no additional wounds; the steering wheel became his punching bag, and his hand wished it had a voice so it could tell him it was bleeding from all the beatings; Taehyung had always wished to be Seokjin since he was little, his role model, he'd admit, but that wish grew even stronger when his brother put a ring on your finger, and now it grew even stronger as he wished to lie on his brother's grave instead.

His calls all went to voicemail, but he never gave up hope, even when he revved the engine to life and drove to Jungkook's house; he wanted to blame you, to let his anger infect you before he could kiss it better, before he could embrace you, intending to find peace in your embrace; he'd ask you if your offer was still valid, if you'd run away with him to a far country where no one could recognize you, if you'd accept his love, if you'd be his until the end of your lives, he'd...

Many are the dreams, but he wondered if they could ever be realized.

Taehyung wished that the unread voicemail he spotted on his notification panel was from you, so he stopped at an emergency shoulder along the highway and pressed "call" to listen to the voicemail.

His feelings were mixed when he heard your voice; it brought him joy but also frightened him the longer he listened.

"Tae, you brought back my voice, but I wish I had used it to tell you the truth; you had once told me that it was your choice to stay under the shadows of lies, but was it really? Wasn't it just my selfishness that made me think it was a good decision to protect you from the seared truth? Tae, I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I created those branches, I'm sorry that I threw you under their shadows, I'm sorry that I robbed you of your purity, I'm sorry for loving you, Taehyung, and I'm sorry that I never mustered the courage to say it, but, and although it's too late to confess now, out of selfishness I want you to know that you were always my choice, the love I cherished; I love you, Tae."

Taehyung left the door of his car open as he sprinted to your door, the phone still in his hand. He didn't give up hope that you'd answer his call, but it only took a little push for him to realize that the door was indeed open, whereupon he threw away the useless phone and ran into the house to look for you.

Eerie was the silence, the emptiness of a house that used to be full of maids and helpers; no more guards to protect the owner from enemies, no eyes to watch over Rapunzel who was locked in the tower; Taehyung wondered why you'd stay in such a place after finally gaining your freedom; he considered adding to the list of suggestions he mentally made to get a yes to relocate you and nothing else.

The echo of his voice as he called your name came back to him in a domino effect, but your voice refused to play along with the game; Taehyung, however, persisted, calling out again and again as he jumped two flights of stairs at a time, determined to shorten the time that kept him from his plan, opening every door in sight until the one at the end of the hall came into view, which he pushed open with equal zeal.

But he wished he hadn't.

Taehyung had wished in the past that he had lost his sight before he saw Seokjin take the veil from your face and kiss your forehead, but as he stood at the doorframe of your room watching your pale body dangling from the ceiling, the lips that were once plump and rosy had already turned purple from lack of oxygen, he figured that this was the moment when he wished to go blind, when he wished to pour acid on his eyeballs, when he wished that the tears that were still flowing incessantly would turn into solid water with pointed tips and dig into his cornea until the vision in front of him would become invisible.

"Y/N," his voice came muffled, a whisper, for he feared if he spoke louder, he'd admit that all he saw was real, "why?...."

"AHHHH," the gut-wrenching pain overcame him, and the feeling of cold and lifeless skin made him realize that whispering wouldn't change the truth. So he let a cry of agony accompany his lonely tears.

Anger often goes hand in hand with loss, anger at fate, at life, at circumstances, hell, even at God's decisions, but in some rare situations, the anger is directed against people, against the individual who changes the course of fate and plays around it.

And Taehyung was furious, just as Dante was furious when he found out that the Malacoda had lied to him about the bridge; the only difference is that he decided to dance on the rhymes of his anger to revel in his revenge.

Taehyung had lost everything, so there wasn't much left to protect; in fact, there was nothing left at all.

Taehyung lost you, and with your loss, he lost himself.

Taehyung left your room with an anguish that contrasted with the hope with which he entered, checked his glove box as soon as he reached his car, and let the screech of his car's wheels mask the howl that refused to give him a break.

Taehyung had a taste of hell and knew full well that there were other flavors he had yet to taste, but he couldn't wait for God to take his life before serving him the other flavors. Therefore, he decided to provoke the Almighty and commit the dreadful deed that would ease his pain, even though he knew that the hell keepers would add wood to his purgatory.

"Kim, I'm glad you came, buddy. It's time to celebrate our victory, don't you think?" Yoongi welcomed Taehyung with wide arms.

"Indeed, it's time to celebrate our victory, partner," Taehyung grinned.

The smell of gunpowder masked that of blood; Taehyung had emptied his gun onto Yoongi's chest, drilled holes in his carcass, and sat down beside his body, "You've got good taste in drinks, partner." He laughed as he gulped down the glass in one gulp; the blood that splattered on his face almost hid the tears that were still flowing heavily.

Taehyung didn't move, figured he'd enjoy the fruits of his deed and the resulting intoxication, and as the police sirens grew louder, a burst of hysteric laughter made its way into his features, which looked as soulless as the corpse beside him.

"And now that you have ended the pain I caused you, Y/N, hand me the glass so I can sip on it, but before I drink, let me tell you this: you have always been my only choice, the only love my heart has known; I love you too, Y/N."

A/N

This is not a real edit; I just found the song fit for the chapter and wanted to play around with it, so please don't mind my lousy job and just enjoy the song.

Swipe up :)

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