The night air was cold, biting against your skin as you walked into the ruins with your little brother's hand clutched tightly in yours. Every step felt heavier than the last, guilt pressing down on your chest like a stone. Behind you, the hospital faded into silence, the voices of the boys swallowed by distance. Jungkook's desperate cry still echoed in your ears—"Y/N! Don't go!"—but you hadn't turned back. You couldn't.
Taehyung's face haunted you. The way his body had convulsed after the transfusion, the way everyone's eyes had turned on you, fury and grief twisting their features. You had tried to save him, but instead you had become the scapegoat. And now, with your brother's small fingers trembling in your grip, you carried not just your own guilt but the crushing weight of his safety.
"Are we really leaving them?" your brother whispered, his voice fragile.
You swallowed hard, forcing strength into your tone. "We have to. They don't want us anymore."
His eyes shimmered with tears, but he nodded, trusting you. That trust cut deeper than any blade.
The city was a graveyard. Buildings stood hollow, their windows shattered, their walls scarred by fire and decay. The streets were littered with debris—abandoned cars, broken glass, the remnants of a world that had once been alive. Every sound made you flinch, every shadow a threat.
You led your brother through the ruins, your senses sharp, your body tense. You had no weapons beyond a rusted knife and your determination. Jungkook's bow, Jin's calm voice, Namjoon's strategies—all of it was gone. You were alone now.
Your brother stumbled, his small legs struggling to keep up. You crouched beside him, brushing dirt from his cheek. "We'll rest soon," you promised. "Just a little further."
He nodded, his lips pressed together in determination. He was braver than most adults you had known, and that broke your heart.
You found shelter in an abandoned apartment building, its walls cracked, its windows boarded. The air was thick with dust, but it was quiet, and quiet meant safety. You guided your brother inside, your knife clutched tightly in your hand.
He curled against you, his body trembling. "Do you think Tae-hyung will be okay?" he whispered.
Your chest constricted, tears burning your eyes. "I don't know," you admitted. "But I hope so."
Silence stretched between you, heavy and unyielding. You held him close, your arms wrapped around him, your heart aching. You had lost so much already. You couldn't lose him too.
Days passed. Survival became routine—searching for food, finding shelter, avoiding the infected. You rationed every scrap, every drop of water, ensuring your brother had enough even when you went hungry.
The infected were everywhere, their growls echoing through the ruins. You learned to move silently, to hide in shadows, to breathe shallowly when danger passed. Your brother followed your lead, his small body pressed against yours, his eyes wide with fear but steady with trust.
At night, you whispered stories to him—fragments of the world before, memories of laughter and light. You told him about mornings filled with music, about Taehyung's smile, about Jungkook's determination. You painted pictures of hope, even when your own heart was breaking.
But guilt never left you. It clung to your skin, heavy and relentless. Every time your brother asked about Taehyung, your chest constricted. Every time you remembered the boys' faces twisted in anger, your breath caught. You had tried to save him, but instead you had been cast out.
And yet, deep down, a fragile thread of hope remained. You had survived a bite. You were immune. Maybe that meant something. Maybe that meant Taehyung could still be saved.
But you would never know. Not now. Not when you were alone.
One night, the infected came too close. Their growls echoed through the building, their shadows flickering across the walls. You clutched your brother tightly, your knife trembling in your hand.
"Stay quiet," you whispered, your voice shaking.
He nodded, his small body pressed against yours.
The infected shuffled past, their footsteps heavy, their breath foul. You held your breath, praying they wouldn't notice. Minutes stretched into eternity. Finally, the growls faded, the silence returning.
You exhaled shakily, your body trembling. Your brother looked up at you, his eyes wide. "You kept us safe," he whispered.
You forced a smile, brushing his hair back. "I'll always keep you safe."
But inside, you wondered how much longer you could keep that promise.
The days blurred together. Hunger gnawed at you, exhaustion weighed you down. Your brother grew weaker, his steps slower, his eyes duller. You gave him everything you had, sacrificing your own strength for his.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the ruins, he looked up at you, his voice trembling. "Do you think they miss us?"
Your breath caught. "I don't know," you admitted. "But I miss them."
He nodded, his lips pressed together. "I miss Tae-hyung. And Jungkook hyung. And Jin hyung."
Tears burned your eyes, but you forced them back. "Me too."
Far away, the boys sat in silence, their grief heavy. Taehyung's body had healed, his fever gone, his smile faint but real. He was alive. He was cured.
And Y/N was gone.
Regret flooded them. Jimin sobbed quietly, Hoseok stared at the floor, Yoongi muttered curses under his breath. Namjoon's jaw was tight, his eyes hollow. Jungkook's fists clenched, his voice fierce. "We have to find her. We have to bring her back."
Taehyung's voice was gentle, his smile faint. "She saved me. Don't let her think she failed."
The group rose, their regret heavy, their resolve stronger.
And as they stepped into the ruins, their hearts burned with one purpose: to find Y/N and her brother, to bring them back, and to beg for forgiveness.
You didn't know they were coming. You didn't know that Taehyung was cured, that the boys had realized their mistake. You only knew the silence of the ruins, the weight of your guilt, the fragile trust of your brother's hand in yours.
But somewhere in the shadows, footsteps echoed.
And hope stirred once more.
The city was a carcass of steel and stone, its silence broken only by the occasional groan of the infected drifting through the ruins. Y/N moved quickly, her brother's small hand clutched tightly in hers. Every step was a gamble, every shadow a threat. The guilt of Taehyung's suffering pressed down on her chest like a stone, but the need to protect her brother kept her moving forward.
Her brother's voice was a whisper, fragile against the wind. "Do you think they'll come for us?"
Y/N swallowed hard, forcing strength into her tone. "We can't think about them now. We just have to survive."
But deep inside, she wondered. Would Jungkook still be searching? Would Taehyung forgive her if he lived? Or had they all turned their backs for good?
Far across the city, the boys searched. Jungkook led the way, his bow drawn, his eyes scanning every shadow. His voice was hoarse, desperate. "She's out here. I know she is."
Namjoon's jaw was tight, his eyes hollow. "We'll find her. We have to."
Jimin's sobs broke the silence, raw and jagged. "We pushed her away. We blamed her. And she saved Taehyung."
Taehyung, pale but alive, leaned against Hoseok, his voice gentle. "Don't let her think she failed."
The group pressed on, their footsteps echoing through the ruins. But every trail they followed led to silence, every shadow swallowed their hope.
Y/N found shelter in an abandoned library, its shelves broken, its books scattered like bones. She lit a small fire, the flames flickering weakly. Her brother curled against her, his body trembling.
Outside, voices echoed faintly, carried by the wind. Jungkook's voice was sharp, urgent. "Y/N! Please!"
Her breath caught, her heart pounding. She rose, moving to the window. But the shadows swallowed their figures, their footsteps fading into silence.
She pressed her forehead against the glass, tears burning her eyes. "They're close," she whispered. "But they don't see us."
Her brother clutched her hand. "Do you want to go to them?"
She shook her head, her voice trembling. "They don't want us anymore."
Days blurred together. Hunger gnawed at Y/N, exhaustion weighed
her down. She led her brother through the ruins, her knife clutched tightly in her hand.
The boys searched nearby, their voices echoing through the streets. Jungkook's voice cracked, raw with desperation. "Y/N! Don't leave us!"
She froze, her breath catching. Her brother looked up at her, his eyes wide. "They're calling for you."
Tears blurred her vision. "They're too far," she whispered. "We can't reach them."
She turned away, her body trembling. The boys' voices faded into silence once more.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the ruins, Y/N and her brother were ambushed. A group of scavengers emerged from the shadows, their eyes cold, their weapons sharp.
"Look what we have here," one sneered. "A girl and her little brother. Easy prey."
Y/N's chest constricted, her breath catching. She pushed her brother behind her, her knife trembling in her hand. "Stay back," she warned, her voice shaking.
The scavengers laughed, their footsteps heavy. "What are you going to do? Fight us?"
Her brother clung to her, his eyes wide with fear.
She raised her knife, her body trembling but resolute. "I'll protect him. No matter what."
The scavengers lunged. Chaos erupted. Y/N fought desperately, her knife flashing, her body trembling. She slashed, stabbed, screamed. Her brother cried out, his voice raw with terror.
Finally, the scavengers fled, their laughter echoing through the ruins. Y/N collapsed, her body trembling, her breath shallow. Her brother clung to her, sobbing.
"You saved me," he whispered.
She held him close, tears streaming down her face. "I'll always save you."
Far away, the boys heard the echoes of the fight. Jungkook's body tensed, his bow raised. "That was her. I know it."
Namjoon's jaw tightened. "Move. Now."
They ran through the ruins, their footsteps heavy, their voices sharp. But when they arrived, the scavengers were gone, the silence heavy.
Jungkook's voice cracked. "She was here. She was fighting. And we missed her."
Jimin sobbed, his voice raw. "We're too late. We're always too late."
Taehyung's voice was gentle, his smile faint. "Keep searching. Don't stop."
The group pressed on, their grief heavy, their resolve stronger.
Y/N sat in the ruins, her brother curled against her. Her body trembled, her breath shallow. She had fought, she had survived, but the weight of guilt and exhaustion pressed down on her.
Her brother looked up at her, his eyes wide. "Do you think they'll find us?"
She swallowed hard, forcing strength into her tone. "I don't know. But we'll keep moving. We'll keep surviving."
He nodded, his lips pressed together in determination. "I trust you."
Tears burned her eyes, but she forced them back. "Then we'll make it."
The boys searched endlessly, their footsteps echoing through the ruins. Jungkook's voice was hoarse, desperate. "She's out here. I know she is."
Namjoon's jaw was tight, his eyes hollow. "We'll find her. We have to."
Jimin sobbed quietly, his voice raw. "We pushed her away. We blamed her. And she saved Taehyung."
Taehyung's smile was faint, his voice gentle. "I repeat, Don't let her think she failed."
The group pressed on, their grief heavy, their resolve stronger.
Y/N moved through the ruins, her brother's hand clutched tightly in hers. Her body trembled, her breath shallow. She had survived scavengers, she had survived the infected, but the weight of guilt pressed down on her.
Far away, the boys searched, their voices echoing through the ruins. Jungkook's voice cracked, raw with desperation. "Y/N! Please!"
She froze, her breath catching. Her brother looked up at her, his eyes wide. "They're close."
Tears blurred her vision. "But not close enough."
The silence swallowed their voices, the distance heavy.
And as the night stretched on, heavy and unending, hope flickered fragile but alive.