Something strange is going on in the tiny room of blue-painted concrete walls, the paint fading to a dull color.

The sound echoes as someone rubs their finger slowly against the wall. Looking closer, he's intentionally staining it with his blood.

He rests his forehead against the wall. And chuckling, he recalls the story of the Greek God, Ajax.

Despite the horrendous act he committed, his own blood still blossomed flowers. Would his own story have a similar ending?

"Wouldn't that be nice?" He lifts his eyebrow as he admires his work.

In a swift movement, he backs away and rushes out of the room, deciding to end the games once and for all.

Without him standing in the way, his markings become legible.

"Won't trust

Can't trust

Don't trust

But I'm ?

U N F O R G I V E N "

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EPISODE 8

NEVER BEEN BROKEN

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"Get up," Nara commands as she grabs Jungkook's arm to help him up. Upon seeing the last two participants emerge from the smoking tent, Jungkook's knees had buckled. The fight with No. 1 Kim Namjoon left them debilitated. They weren't ready for another fight.

Despite Nara's attempts at helping Jungkook up, her eyes never leave the couple emerging from the circus tent.

While stretching, the auburn throws her slender arms over her head, making her appear taller. A raven-haired boy slips from the trapeze behind her. When he lands on the ground, he rolls to his side to let out a laugh.

"The fuck?" Jungkook whispers under his breath as he stands up.

Nara readjusts her grip on the knife, gulping down the lump in her throat.

Based on their demeanor, she suspected they were strong. Why were they so relaxed? They don't fear walking toward 3 people as 2? How confident could they be that they were the ones with the upper hand?

No. 11, Ahn Hani, exhales deeply after finishing her stretch. She raises an eyebrow as she notices Namjoon's body behind them like his body is an ordinary piece of litter.

She scoffs. "Mm? So that's where one ended up. Always thought he was the star of this show."

A sprawled-out No. 18, Park Jimin, bends upright, throwing his arms into his crisscrossed legs and focusing on them all. Their spines tingle at his icy stare. His eyes were cold and dark, like two pools of negative energy. If they stared too long, it felt like they would swirl inside them.

"How are we planning to put on our show now, 11?" He asks her, shifting his gaze away enough to let them breathe.

Nara turns toward the guys beside her. While Jungkook mimics her curious stare, Taehyung stands still. Is he scared? She wishes she could walk over take his hand in her own. She'd tell him everything was going to be alright, even though it most likely wouldn't be. Nara breathes deeply. God knew she needed someone to lie to her like that.

Taking a step behind Jimin, Hani throws her arms over his shoulder and rests her chin on his head. "The show must go on."

Jimin squints his eyes at them, deep hatred oozing from his stare. "I'll give you grace. If the previous winner steps up, I won't hurt the others. My problem is with them only."

This again? The previous assumption was that Jin had won the previous games, but Namjoon revealed it wasn't the case. They thought he was bluffing, but here they are hearing it again. But how could it be one of them? That was a reality Nara couldn't handle.

"Bullshit," Jungkook mutters only loud enough for Taehyung and Nara to hear. "Won't hurt the others? How strong could they be to not kill us by now?"

Jimin, annoyed that no one has stepped forward, bows his head down and sighs.

"Protecting your killer? What fools. Just so you know... this will hurt. No running or hiding either." He laughs dryly, "After all, you can't run from yourself."

Hani straightens up as Jimin's wicked smile grows. There's a strange booming noise from inside the circus tent behind them. It's followed by a deep hissing sound that roars louder until the visible waves emerge from the tent.

The waves grow larger and the sight is enough to have them all turn on their heels to run. However, it doesn't take long for the waves to fly over their heads and engulf them.

Nara feels her whole entire body flip under the weight of the water as it crashes down. She kicks and flails attempting to get control of how her body moves in the water.

She's pulled upright, her head popping over the water. She gasps for air, coughing wildly. "Nara!" Taehyung's voice strains as he pulls her close to him, trying to keep his body from turning with the waves. He was panicking because he wanted to keep her close to him, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to for much longer.

Their backs hit against the barrier - the one that's been closing in since the game started. It was much closer than they last remembered. Their eyes widen as another set of waves come crashing into them.

They go under the water once more. They attempted to hold onto each other's arms, but slowly they were pulled until their fingers couldn't even hold them together. Strangely, the blue water transitions to pitch black. Nara finds herself moving her arms until she doesn't feel the weight of the waters around her. Confused and standing upright, she whips around, her eyes search for anything in the black void. She puts her hands in front of her, but can't see them. Has she actually turned blind? It trips her mind for a second and she stumbles back in shock.

"I got you," Jungkook's voice is next to her ear. She feels him beneath her, having caught her fall. Her first instinct is to believe he wasn't trustworthy anymore.

"T-taehyung? What about Taehyung?"

He stiffens.

"Jungkook?!" Her blood rises and the heat of the panic hits her fast.

A scream rips through the air, and Nara knows it's Taehyung. They have him.

Nara's heart panics, and her pants grow shallower. Is she about to lose him? Was she unable to say goodbye?

"You...!" There's a shrill in her voice and she lifts her hand to attack him, despite not knowing where he stands. If she kept swinging her arm, she's sure that she'd land one hit.

Jungkook gasps. "Nonono. Nara, I had nothing to do with it. Don't let them get into your head. This is what they want!"

The grip Jungkook has on her tightens, fearing that Nara would squirm out of his hold and he'd lose her. She weakens. "I swear, Jungkook. If you're lying, I'll kill you myself."

"Trust me. I want that anyways. But right now, we need to move."

"No, but-" she cries.

"We have to!"

She finds her strength to stand and clasp Jungkook's hand as he pulls her up. "Just run!" He tells her and she obeys, still not being able to see anything in the darkness.

Anxiety creeps up her throat, and she's close to throwing up. This was it. This was going to be the final battle and she would either come out as a victor or lose her life. She was either following Jungkook like a fool or making the smartest move to stay alive.

Thoughts of her mother spring into her memory like flashes warning of her life ending. She tries not to think about them at the moment because she's afraid it's preparation for her death.

But if she fought back, could she kill Jungkook? Would she crave to win the game and kill Taehyung also? How did she feel about him? After everything they've been through would it be that easy?

It wasn't like she would only carry the guilt from their killings. She carried the guilt surrounding her true desire to win the game. Because it wasn't just about healing her mother, but also about regaining her own life.

She felt like a knife stabbed her in the heart for being so selfish. The panic attack was settling in and her legs began to feel disconnected from her body, but she tried to continue running.

Unknown to Nara, Jungkook was unable to move or speak, overwhelmed by the intense fear that had suddenly engulfed him. He couldn't think straight. Nara almost broke the trust between them. It would have been that easy to take them all at that moment.

Jungkook stumbles. Upon dragging her down, Jungkook's ragged breathing reaches her ears. Nara's voice trembles as she calls for him, placing her hands on him to see how she could calm him down. It was impossible for him to think clearly. Due to this state of mind, he couldn't map out anyone's location. It only intensified his fear and brought back his own memories he tried to keep at bay.

Always running like a coward, he was reminded. Earlier, Taehyung was close enough to rescue him. Yet when Hani appeared next to him, he turned on his heels and ran to Nara's location rather than saving Taehyung. He was the only one who could've saved him, and he didn't do it. How could he face Nara now? Does he blame her for feeling the way she does?

Crying for a breath, Jungkook tilts his head back. No matter how much he chanted to clear his head, he couldn't. Taehyung won't be the only one to die. They all were. A painful death he wished to avoid.

He trips on his feet, pulling Nara down with him. The darkness glitches around them, flickers of light reaching their eyes.

"Nara, kill me with the knife now." Jungkook mutters out, spitting out the saliva pooling inside his mouth. His inability to use his power destroyed his confidence. In just a few seconds, they could emerge from the light and kill them.

Nara realizes she no longer has it. But it didn't matter if she did have it, because she wouldn't pull through with his request.

She concentrates on healing herself. "I can't do that, Jungkook. I need you!"

They all need each other.

"You promised!"

Seeing the light return completely, Nara shields her eyes. Despite not seeing clearly, she looks around for Taehyung. She calls out for him, her throat burning, but there is no answer. She knows she's putting them at risk of being found so easily, but she has to know he's okay.

Jungkook lowers his eyes and allows her to find Taehyung.

A cloth drapes over his head and pulls back tightly causing him to claw at it. Nara feels it over her own. There was no time to scream as their world once more becomes dark.

................................

Days go by and the border shrinks to a 200 meter radius, trapping the remaining participants together. The God's roster has not decreased. There is only desolation in the town, with slain participants scattered everywhere. And in the center of it all, a scream is heard for the hundredth time.

The big top contained three dressing rooms. In the far left room, Nara attempts to kick her legs out as Hani tortures her mind. She can't move them since they're restrained in her chair. As Hani presses her fingers against Nara's temples, Nara pleads for her to stop.

In the room next door, Taehyung's head lay over his chair, already knocked unconscious. He was the first to be captured. Only his chest rose and fell to indicate he was still alive.

Jungkook curled up against the wall in the last room. A fear of who could enter the door gripped him as he bit the skin around his fingernail. This time, Jimin walks in. Jungkook's body lurches forward and he vomits - his conditioned reaction.

Back in the first room, Hani continues torturing Hani as she's tortured the others - recalling her memories and making them twisted.

Nara sinks into them. The feeling of fear transforms to feeling safe and sound. She returned to the hospital, caring for her mother. She sinks back into the chair convincing herself it's real this time. After a few hours, the scene distorts the surrounding colors into off-hues. Her mother's heart monitor sounds as she flatlines and when her eyes return to her mother, she notices that her skin is rotting at an accelerating pace.

Her mother mutters, "It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

Nara shoots off her chair, sending it flying into the hospital floor.

"No!"

Nara's brought back to reality, and upon seeing the circus tent room again. Her eyes widen and the tears prick the corners of it.

Hani wasn't finished, she decides to pull Nara into another memory. This time she's in her high school classroom. As she looks down, she finds nasty names written across her uniform and shoes.

The whisper of her mother's death goes around the room as she looks around. Nobody would defend her. She earned the "cold" title after repeatedly declining their invitations to meet after school. She didn't tell anyone about her mother at the hospital and she regretted it. Rumors circulated before she knew it that Nara thought she was better than everyone else. That thought never crossed her mind. In actuality, Nara wished to be among them, enjoying her youth. Instead, she had the overwhelming responsibility of caring for her mother.

She lied to herself that the loneliness didn't bother her, but years of it can make anyone a monster. At some point Nara struggled with a difficult decision: to prioritize her own needs or care for her mother. She chose to take care of her mother, but when she felt the loneliest she'd wish her mother would die so she could live.

She didn't want to revisit these gruesome thoughts, but Hani was torturing her in this way.

Hani pulls away and Nara hangs her head to weep.

Leaving the room with a hum, Hani's long hair swings behind her as she pops her head into the adjacent room. Taehyung's eyelids briefly fluttered, and his eyes continue to roll. She had to admit; she had the most fun with him, deeming his screams the best. Although she couldn't peer into other people's memories (only turn them negative), she figured he must have had the worst. Even when she stopped her abilities on him, it was like he was still being tortured. He screamed and clawed at his neck until he passed out.

Meanwhile, in Jungkook's room, Jimin warped Jungkook's reality. Jungkook watched as the room swirled around him, color lights smearing across his vision.. He grew nauseous, not understanding what was going on. He felt like he was in a dream, unable to control his movements or decipher the reality in front of him. He felt helpless, as the walls and furniture seemed to be dancing around him. Suddenly, he senses a tugging sensation, and he was back in the room.

"My turn," Hani rests a hand on Jimin's shoulder before curling up against his side,

Jimin shifts his weight from one leg to another, walking out the room. "I'll go check the stage."

Jungkook mumbles incoherently. Only a "Why don't you kill me?" making sense in his ramble.

Jimin pauses, his hand on the doorknob. He turns back to Jungkook and smiles. "Because I don't want to."

"It was me. I was the previous winner."

Jimin kicks the doorframe and walks over to grab him by his shirt. Startled, Hani covers her mouth and leans against the wall.

He tilts his head as he looks him over. "We'll see."

"Don't kill the others. Please, just kill me," Jungkook cries.

Jimin throws him back to the ground, raking his hair with his fingers.

Jungkook's gaze returns to where he left off, and he trembles.

"Let's make a deal." He lifts his eyes up to Hani.

She giggles and kneels in front of him. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Twirling her index finger, she presses it against his temple, sinking Jungkook into his bad memory.

He closes his eyes, feeling his chest heave as he's absorbed in his memories.

It's blue hour, and he can't find his hideout anywhere. Turning, he runs from dark alley to dark alley, but can't find street names he recognizes. As his legs weaken, he falls against the door of the storage container. He's tired of running, but fears the cops will find his location.

Jungkook was always running away from the cops. After escaping orphanage brutality, he had no choice but to run if he wanted to survive in the cruel world. Eventually, he found himself in a large, unfamiliar city. He was still a minor at that time, and with the police always a few steps behind him, he had to come up with a way to survive and make a life for himself. So he learned to live on the streets, steal food and clothes, and keep himself hidden. He earned the trust of the other street kids as he granted favors. The crimes snowballed out of control as he began helping the community to the point where the cops threatened to kill him themselves.

Every day, he feared he wouldn't live another day. He was so scared that he was convinced that death was the only way out. He almost pulled it off, holding a 9mm to his head, before they summoned him into the game.

After catching his breath, Jungkook looks down at his lap and finds the pistol. As if it were going to shoot him itself, he gaped and stretched his arms against the storage unit door.

"What are you intending to do?" A police officer steps out from the alley.

He can feel the shame and cowardice radiating off him, and his eyes fill with tears. He swallows hard against the lump in his throat, and his hand trembles as he brings the gun back to his head. When the gun end touches his head, it feels cold. In desperation, he closes his eyes, and the gunshot rings through the air.

When the smoke clears, he finds Nara and Taehyung in front of him. The horror in their eyes shakes him to his core. Looking down, he finds that he's shot Taehyung instead of himself.

Taehyung stumbles backwards as he falls into Nara's arms. Her scream sends shivers up his spine.

"It's all your fault!" she exclaims.

Jungkook stutters, "N-no! No! This wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to be me!"

He shakes his head in disbelief, and Hani's voice drifts back into his consciousness.

Taking in a sharp breath, he can feel the floor's coldness against his skin.

"Pathetic." Hani's voice is like acid against his skin, burning into his ears and making him wince. "You were always weak, weren't you?"

He is paralyzed with fear as Hani stares him down. He can feel her eyes boring into him as she speaks.

"Do you really want to die?"

She reaches down and grabs his arm. His heart lurches as he sees the tattoo on his arm. He feels his throat go dry, and all he can do is stare at her in shock.

"Take your last guess. It's that easy."

She hums, waiting for him to speak. Jungkook stares at her, pained. "I don't want to die for nothing in this game. Not this time."

She caresses his face, and when Jungkook attempts to jerk it away, she fixes his sight back toward her.

"Let me hear this deal of yours."

................................

"Nara."

"Nara."

Her eyes flutter open and as her vision slowly clears, she's seeing the face she's been begging to see once more.

Tears sting the corner of her eyes and she shakes her head violently, wishing to stop them so she can stare longer, believing she's hallucinating.

He cradles her face gently and tries to shush her before she makes too much noise. Nara smells blood and the panic sobers her quickly. "B-blood!"

"I'm okay," he shrugs his sleeves over his hands and nods his head reassuringly.

They're heads jerk toward the door as a faint scream travels down the hall.

Taehyung scurries to untie Nara from her chair, his hands trembling.

"We'll save him. We have to!" Nara bites down hard on her lips.

She almost falls off the chair as she becomes untied. Taehyung's quick to wrap his arm around her and pull her upright to face him. He rests his forehead against hers, slowly linking their hands together as he rolls the sleeves of his sweater up.

"No matter what, don't let go." He tells her.

She presses her lips together in an attempt to smile, but it shocks her to feel like she can't muster one. Following Taehyung out of the room, she looks down at their linked hands.

His scar is gone.

But as her eyes travel up his arms, she sucks in her breath. Four numbers glistened on his skin. And there was no mistaking what they were.

2

2

2

7

Author's Note;;

The amount of tears it took to produce this chapter. I hope it wasn't a disappointment. GOOD NEWS the next episode will be the last one. The story is coming to an end! Another good news is that I've written a lot of it already since I've edited this chapter heavily, rearranged scenes, and plotted out the finale. I expect that I can get it out to you guys sometime next week!

A special shoutout to Cupidslittlewings for talking this chapter out with me while we hung out in Charlotte <3