The Three Voices

When Taehyung opened his eyes, he was back in the white dream world once more. However, this time, he wasn't alone. Seokjin stirred and pulled himself up into a sitting position, scratching his head lightly.

"That was a weird nap–wait, where are we?" Seokjin said, looking up at Taehyung.

Taehyung sighed, memories of the past week flooding back to him. Where would he start? Every shift of his body felt like molten lead; his mind foggy from days of heightened anxiety and the bout of tears he shed. He knew he owed it to Seokjin to at least explain what happened in detail, but there was a part of him that just...didn't care anymore. A part of him that just wanted to lie down and sleep. Either way, he resisted the urge and summoned the rest of his energy to sum up the majority of the week's occurrences.

"Long story short, I have to find everyone after they disappeared and this bodiless voice is the only thing that knows where everyone else is. And the only way to find them is through my past reincarnations."

Seokjin paused, giving Taehyung a glance that clearly read 'you have got to be kidding me'.

"What the hell? Taehyung, please tell me this is a joke."

"I wish it was," Taehyung spat out bitterly.

Seokjin narrowed his eyes, trying to assess whether Taehyung was lying. But Taehyung's drooping shoulders and weary gaze told another story. Seokjin leapt up and clapped Taehyung on his back, laughing that same windscreen wiper laugh Taehyung hadn't heard in so long. He wondered how long Taehyung could keep up the act. This was certainly a joke, was it not? There must be a hidden camera around the room.

Well then, he'll gladly play along.

"Well, I'm honoured to be the first person you found. Who else could it be?" With that, Seokjin placed his chin into the crook between his forefinger and thumb, winking at Taehyung.

Who else could it have been? It could have been Guan Gong, the person who looked so similar to Jimin but ended up dying.

"Past reincarnations...that's so interesting. So, was I worldwide handsome in the past life too?" Seokjin asked, a sly look flitting across his impish face.

Taehyung flashed him a small smile, appreciating Seokjin's attempt to liven things up.

"Of course you were."

Taehyung's heart was still burdened by guilt. Last time, the only reason why he even saved his Jin-hyung was by pure luck that Jin Ying Hua was there. He couldn't guarantee that he would be so lucky next time. He snuck a apprehensive look at Seokjin, worry overtaking his mind.

But...his Jin-hyung was here. Alive and breathing. Wordlessly, Taehyung held onto Seokjin's hand. Warm. Not cold. Not like that terrifying time, when he felt like he couldn't breath; despair had invaded every crevice of his mind. When Seokjin's hand was freezing.

Seokjin's features softened and a twang of pain went through his heart. Taehyung looked like a child who had been abandoned; lost and afraid in a throng of people with no one to turn to. Seokjin's heart overflowed with concern, and he drew Taehyung in for a tight hug. Taehyung's acting had certainly improved... Even if this was a joke, he couldn't bear to see that sorrowful look on the younger boy's face, even if in the end, it was all an act.

"Don't worry, your hyung is here." he whispered in Taehyung's ear.

Taehyung's eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment.

"Such a touching reunion. I wonder if you'll be so lucky next time," the bodiless voice remarked, the melodic voice scathing; hissing like water on white-hot metal.

Both Seokjin and Taehyung stiffened. Seokjin stood in front of Taehyung, one hand keeping Taehyung behind him and the other curled into a fist.

"Who's there?" Seokjin yelled.

Taehyung placed a weary hand onto Seokjin's shoulder. Seokjin looked back at him and saw the defeated look in his eye, and knew exactly what the voice was. Taehyung's body sagged.

The voice chimed in: "You have given up a lot. Maybe you will feel the effects of this later on. I would suggest not telling that one standing next to you."

It paused.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Seokjin's eyes glanced warily at Taehyung; a certain distance seemed to come in-between the two of them. A strange feeling, almost as if Taehyung was going to fade away into nothingness at any point in time. Taehyung avoided eye contact, preferring to stare off to the side.

Seokjin took a step closer, but the barrier still remained; closing Taehyung off to him.

"Tae?" he called out, the tip of his voice trembling.

Taehyung took a deep breath and turned around with an oddly cheerful smile. Seokjin swore he felt his heart drop; a cold, sinking sensation inside his stomach riddled with anxiety of an unforeseeable future for the two of them.

Taehyung shook his head. He couldn't afford to let Jin-hyung worry about him. After all, their first priority was getting everyone else back first. His turmoil could wait until later; he didn't matter compared to everyone else.

"It's nothing. Just thinking about the previous world." Taehyung made up an excuse and wore a facade, even under Seokjin's pleading eyes.

The bodiless voice seemed to almost take pleasure in Taehyung's despair, letting out a gruntled laugh. It addressed Taehyung, and Taehyung only, ignoring Seokjin completely.

"Well, you will have to move onto the next reincarnation now. It seems like you'd prefer it that way. After all, it is your duty," the voice said, emphasising the word 'duty', making it into a heavy rock on Taehyung's back.

Taehyung nodded, casting his eyes down onto the white floor.

Seokjin had enough. He stormed up to Taehyung and shook him by the shoulders hard, hoping to knock some sense back into Taehyung.

"I don't know what's going on at all. You've explained it in like three lines, just tell me! What is this bodiless voice? What happened in the previous world? Why is it you who's left to do this?" Seokjin begged, shaking Taehyung's drooping body with every question he asked. At some point in their conversation, Seokjin finally realised what Taehyung said was the truth, no matter how unrealistic the truth seemed.

His heart still refused to believe it though.

"Enough! Tell me this is a joke! Tell me that what you've said are just lies! Whatever's going on, this isn't funny anymore!"

Taehyung looked up at Seokjin with despair on his face.

"It's my duty, hyung. I wish I could say it was a joke. I'm so sorry." Taehyung's voice quivered towards the end.

Seokjin stepped away from Taehyung, his movements almost robotic. How could this be true? Past reincarnations, them slipping away, leaving Taehyung alone. He was speechless.

A certain calm came over the two as Seokjin's mind tried to wrap itself around the new information. During this, Taehyung seemed to curl in upon himself; the tilt of his head, the curl in his previously unwavering back all made him so much smaller.

Seokjin tore at his hair in frustration. Whatever was going on, fine, screw it. Taehyung needed his care first. If what he was saying was truly what happened, then Taehyung must've been undeniably lonely. Seokjin himself could not comprehend the fact of BTS not even being a thing; let alone for Taehyung to actually experience that world.

He cradled Taehyung's face with his hands, forcing Taehyung to look him in the eyes. "Please, rely on me! I'm your hyung for a reason goddamnit, so stop placing all the burden on yourself and let me take care of you!"

Taehyung wanted to fall into Seokjin's embrace so much that it hurt inside his chest, but something in his mind whispered that he couldn't. He had to be strong, and this was his mission to uphold, was it not? This burden wasn't a lot, he could take it. He had to prove that he was worthy, just like all those years ago.

Prove you are worth something, they said.

So he did, but it wasn't enough for them.

Taehyung just had to be strong. With guilt building up more and more, he wrenched his face away from Seokjin's grip.

"It's okay, I told you. Just a really long story, and I've told you everything you need to know," he mumbled, eyes darting to the side.

Seokjin's hand dropped to his side, a frustrated look on his face. He stepped out, holding onto Taehyung's arm, preparing to talk some sense into Taehyung when everything turned black.

Seokjin reached out, fear clouding his thoughts and disrupting him from his previous thinking; fingers outstretched, looking for a certain someone.

"Taehyung! Where are you?"

A warm hand gripped his in return.

"It's fine, hyung. This is normal," Taehyung's eerily calm voice replied.

The masculine voice rang out once more.

"Hey, you really did it huh? But why is the first thing I see a damn drama? Get over yourselves."

Seokjin opened his mouth to reply, his hand unconsciously gripping harder onto Taehyung's.

"Who are you to tell us anything?" he retorted back, and immediately regretted saying it after Taehyung's hand squeezed his almost painfully.

The masculine voice chortled, and took on a hard edge.

"What am I? I am the one that holds the lives of the other five. You better watch your mouth."

Taehyung called out, "What's next? Let's just get this over and done with, and move onto the next world."

"Finally, someone who actually gets shit done. If only if you had the same decisiveness back then." The male voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Taehyung flinched as he remembered his uselessness in the past world.

"You want the next reincarnation? Alright."

"Give me some information about it, at least."

"Stars above, this is why I hate dealing with humans. Too inquisitive. You guys make me do twice the amount of work I do normally, and just to let you know, I absolutely hate it," the voice complained.

Taehyung stayed silent, hoping that the voice would at least reply to his question.

"You have a lot of blood in your past reincarnations. Wouldn't be surprised if you died the instant you went into this one."

Seokjin couldn't keep silent, nor did he want to at this point.

"Excuse me? No one is dying, not on my watch, and definitely not my Tae."

The voice paused, before bursting out in laughter. "Ah, that's the most hilarious thing I've heard all day. Not on your watch? What are you, God?"

Taehyung sighed. "Seokjin. Don't. Just...leave it to me."

Fury rose inside Seokjin's heart. "Why? I can't stand this voice, the way it speaks to you. And you let it speak to you like that! Taehyung, where did all your confidence go?"

"Everyone else's lives are at stake! You don't know anything, so just let me handle it, okay? I'm not a child who has to be coddled," Taehyung burst out, annoyance apparent in his voice.

If the voice had a face, it would look amused at this point in time. "See? Told you. Humans are too emotional."

"Anyways, back to the topic. Your next reincarnation is going back to your home world. I think you'll like it."

With that, the voice faded away with a mirthless chuckle.

Seokjin struggled in the darkness, holding tightly onto Taehyung's hand.

"What about me?"

There was only silence, before the world faded into the dark shade of grey.

"You are not present in this lifetime," the androgynous voice replied.

Seokjin shook his head. "I will go with Taehyung, even if I have to force my way through. Do something about it. If you have enough power to send Taehyung back, then you must have a way to let me go with him as well."

"Seokjin– " Taehyung tried to interrupt, but Seokjin shushed him.

"No questions.I'm going, whether you like it or not."

The voice stayed quiet.

"I will see what I can do. But if you die, you will truly perish in this world. That is the condition."

Taehyung tried to stop Seokjin, but Seokjin drew Taehyung close and used another hand to cover Taehyung's mouth. Taehyung struggled against Seokjin's hold, muffled protests voicing out, before finally giving up and staying quiet.

Seokjin's relieved sigh rang out throughout the deafening silence.

"I'm willing to take that risk."