Taehyung's hands were trembling as he clutched his phone in his lap, his mind replaying Jungkook's broken voice over and over again. The place where it all started.

Namjoon's grip on the steering wheel was tight enough to turn his knuckles white. His jaw was clenched, his mind racing. Every second that passed felt like an eternity.

"Faster, hyung," Jimin's voice was barely above a whisper. He sat in the backseat, his legs bouncing anxiously, his hands gripping the fabric of his jeans. His breath came in short, ragged gasps.

Yoongi sat beside him, quietly. His face was emotionless, but his fingers dug into his knees, his entire body tense. He hadn't spoken since the call ended, but the fear in his eyes spoke. The weight crushed him—those pills had been his. Jungkook had taken them from his room. His stomach twisted violently, bile rising in his throat.

Jin sat in the passenger seat, his hands clasped together in silent prayer. "Please, please, please," he murmured under his breath, willing the universe to listen."He'll be okay," he whispered, but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.

Hoseok's foot tapped against the floor rapidly. He couldn't sit still. He felt like if he didn't keep moving, the dread in his chest would swallow him whole. "He's okay," he muttered to himself. "He has to be okay."

Taehyung bit his lip, hard enough to draw blood. Hold on, Jungkook. Please, just hold on.

They didn't know if Jungkook would be okay.

They just knew they had to find him. 

They reached the building and ran.

Jimin almost tripped over himself in his haste. Namjoon's hands fumbled with the door handle before shoving it open. The empty hallways echoed with the sound of their pounding footsteps.

The dance room door was slightly open.  And then the world came crashing down.

Jungkook lay sprawled on the couch, barely conscious, his body unnaturally still. His head was tilted to the side, his lips slightly parted, his breath dangerously shallow. His fingers were limp against the fabric. His skin was pale—too pale.

The empty pill bottle lay on the floor beside him.

For a moment, no one moved. No one breathed.

Then chaos erupted.

"NO!"

"Jungkook!" Taehyung's voice cracked as he sprinted forward, dropping to his knees beside him. His hands shook as he grabbed Jungkook's shoulders, giving him a desperate shake. "Jungkook, wake up! Please, wake up!"

Jimin was right behind him, tears already slipping down his face as he crouched beside the couch. "No, no, no, no," he whispered, his hands hovering uncertainly over Jungkook's chest, afraid to touch, afraid to confirm the worst. "Kook, please. Open your eyes. Just—just look at us."

Hoseok was clutching Jungkook's shoulders, his forehead pressed against the younger's. His body trembled violently. "Jungkook-ah," he whispered, his voice broken. "It's hyung. Look at me. Please."

Namjoon stumbled forward, pressing his fingers against Jungkook's neck, searching for a pulse. His own heartbeat thundered in his ears, his vision swimming with panic. Then he felt it—a faint, slow rhythm under his fingertips. "He's breathing," he choked out, but it didn't feel like a relief. Jungkook's breaths were shallow, and weak. "But it's bad. We need to get help, now."

Jin had already pulled out his phone, his fingers trembling as he dialled. "Hello? We need an ambulance. Please. He—he took something. He's barely breathing—" His voice broke, and he pressed a hand over his mouth, trying to hold himself together.

Yoongi had frozen in place, his eyes locked on the pill bottle. His mind went blank, his stomach twisting with a sickening realization. He knew that bottle. He knew exactly where it had come from.

His room.

His painkillers.

His knees buckled, and he sank onto the floor, a strangled sound escaping his throat. "No..." His fingers dug into his scalp, his breathing uneven. "No, no, no, this—this can't—" His vision blurred, his chest tightening painfully. This is my fault.

Hoseok pressed a shaking hand against his forehead, trying to stop the wave of nausea rising inside him. His whole body felt cold. "We should've known," he whispered. "We should've—should've seen it, should've done something—" His voice cracked, and he clenched his fists, his shoulders trembling.

Taehyung let out a broken sob, cupping Jungkook's face with shaking hands. "Jungkook, please," he begged, his voice raw. "Don't do this. Don't leave us. Just open your eyes, just—just say something, anything."

Jin swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing himself to focus. He couldn't break down. Not now. "The ambulance is on the way," he managed to say, his voice steadier than he felt. "We have to keep him awake."

Taehyung nodded frantically, wiping his tears as he gave Jungkook another gentle shake. "Jungkook-ah, come on," he whispered, voice thick with emotion. "It's hyung. Look at me, please."

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, the faintest shift.

Jungkook's eyelashes fluttered, a weak sound escaping his lips. A breath—shallow, unsteady—escaped him.

Jin gasped. "That's it, Kookie," he sobbed, brushing Jungkook's hair from his clammy forehead. "Stay with us, just a little longer." 

Taehyung let out a choked sob. "That's it, Kookie, stay with us," he pleaded. "Don't close your eyes. Please."

Jimin gripped his hand even tighter. "You're going to be okay," he whispered, his tears falling freely. "We're here. We're not going anywhere."

Jungkook's lips moved, barely making a sound. His voice was so faint it was almost swallowed by the silence, but they heard it.

"...sorry..."

The word shattered them.

Jin let out a trembling breath, running a hand through Jungkook's damp hair. "No, baby, don't be sorry," he murmured. "Just stay with us, okay?"

Yoongi swallowed hard and squeezed Jungkook's wrist again. "Don't apologize," he whispered. "Just... just hold on a little longer, kid. Help is coming."

Hoseok wiped at his face, his chest aching with helplessness. "You don't have to do this alone," he whispered. "You have us. You always have us."

Outside, the sound of sirens cut through the night air.

Jungkook's eyes fluttered again, his breathing unsteady. His body felt so small, so fragile in their arms. 

Namjoon exhaled shakily, his voice breaking as he whispered, "We've got you, Kook. We've got you."

And they held him tighter but Jungkook's eyes fluttered as his lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came.

And then his body went still.

His hand slipped from Jimin's grasp.

His chest barely moved. Outside, the sound of sirens cut through the air.

"Jungkook?" Hoseok's voice was barely a breath. His hands tightened on Jungkook's hoodie, shaking him, his voice rising in panic. "No—no, no, no, wake up! Please!"

Jimin's sobs turned into full, body-wracking cries as he clutched Jungkook's lifeless hand. "Don't do this," he begged. "Don't leave us, please—"

Namjoon felt his entire world tilting, his breaths uneven. His fingers gripped Jungkook's shoulder, searching—begging but his chest clenched as a sob tore from his throat.

Jin's hands hovered over Jungkook's face, trembling violently. "No," he whispered, his voice breaking. "No, no, no, baby, please—" His breath hitched as he let out a broken, gut-wrenching cry.

Yoongi stared.

His hands were still on Jungkook's wrist.

His grip still tight.

But there was nothing left to hold onto.

"Hyung," Hoseok whispered, voice raw. "He's—"

Yoongi's entire body tensed. "No." His voice was sharp. "Don't say it."

Jungkook's lips were slightly parted, his body still, his breath barely there.

The sirens were getting louder.

But they were too late.