The rain hadn’t stopped.

When the others finally arrived, the fire at Jung Minho’s mansion was already dying. The sky wept harder than any of them did, as if mourning everything that was lost—and everything that had been endured.

Jimin was the first to spot them.

“There!” he pointed, breathless, eyes wide.

Jungkook was standing, soaked to the bone, his arms wrapped protectively around YN as she leaned into him—silent, eyes red, body still trembling with leftover panic and pain. The ruined mansion burned low behind them like a corpse finally giving up.

The members ran to them, their footsteps splashing in the mud.

“Thank God,” Jin muttered, reaching out but stopping halfway as he took in the sight—blood, soot, fire in her eyes and sorrow in her bones.

“Are you both okay?” Namjoon asked cautiously, his voice quieter than usual.

Jungkook didn’t answer at first. He just nodded slowly, his arms still tight around YN as if she might vanish if he let go.

“We’re alive,” YN whispered. “That’s enough for now.”

And for now—it was.

Back at the Mansion

They didn’t say much on the drive home. No one had the strength. They were all exhausted, physically and emotionally torn apart. Jungkook and YN sat in silence, their hands interlocked, both looking out the rain-streaked windows.

When they reached the Black Serpent mansion, the familiar gates opened.

It was still standing. Still safe.

Annie was the first one to run to them.

She had been in the hidden room the whole time, but as soon as the guards confirmed it was safe, she burst out in tears.

“Ynieee!” she cried and threw herself into YN’s arms.

YN knelt down and hugged her tightly, sobbing quietly again, this time from something else.

Relief. Love. The faintest flicker of hope.

“You’re okay,” she whispered, kissing her forehead. “You’re okay.”

Inside the mansion, the boys cleaned her wounds and Jungkook’s too. Jin helped patch her shoulder where a cut had opened again, while Yoongi silently handed over a towel, his eyes unreadable but soft. No teasing. No sarcasm. Just presence.

“We’ll talk later,” Namjoon said gently, his hand on her back.

“You don’t have to talk at all if you don’t want to,” Taehyung added, handing her a hoodie to wear.

“Just rest. That’s enough for tonight,” Jimin whispered, brushing her knotted hair back gently.

Hours later…

The house was quiet. Annie had fallen asleep curled next to YN, who sat on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her. Her eyes were open—but she wasn’t crying anymore.

Jungkook stood near the window, arms folded, staring out at the dark. She looked at him for a long second before speaking.

“You came back for me.”

“I always will,” he said without turning.

She nodded, her voice cracking—

“Then don’t ever leave again.”

He turned around at last, his eyes soft, his walls down.

“Never.”

The house had long since fallen into a deep, exhausted silence. The storm outside had calmed, but in their hearts, the storm still lingered.

YN sat by the window in Jungkook’s room now, knees drawn to her chest, a thin blanket around her shoulders. The moonlight spilled across the floor in silver streaks. She heard his soft footsteps before she saw him.

Jungkook entered quietly, not wanting to startle her. His damp hair clung to his forehead, his black shirt loose, his knuckles bruised. He stood there for a moment, unsure—then crossed the room and sat down opposite her on the floor.

For a long while, neither of them spoke.

Just breathing. Just existing in the same space.

Finally, it was YN who broke the silence, her voice low, almost a whisper.

“We both did it.”

Jungkook looked at her, eyes heavy with everything left unsaid.

“Yeah… we did.” His voice cracked softly. “We killed our monsters.”

Her fingers tightened on the blanket.

“I thought I’d feel free after. Lighter.” She stared out the window. “But I just feel… empty. Like… what’s left now? What are we without that fight?”

Jungkook leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes.

“I kept telling myself that ending him would give me peace. But it doesn’t. It’s just…” He struggled for words. “…it’s just silence now. And that’s louder than anything.”

YN turned to face him fully, her voice trembling.

“He took everything from me. My parents. My aunt. My childhood. I should hate him, and I do. But tonight, when I looked at him as he burned…” she swallowed hard, “…I felt like I burned too.”

Jungkook nodded slowly, his jaw clenched.

“Same.” His eyes glistened, but no tears fell. “When I pulled that trigger, I thought maybe I’d finally stop hearing his voice in my head. But all I hear is my own. Asking what kind of son kills his father.”

A tear slipped down YN’s cheek then.

She whispered, “The kind who had no choice.”

The room filled with the quiet hum of the night. Jungkook shifted closer, resting his forehead gently against hers.

“Maybe we’re not free yet,” he murmured, “but we’re not alone in it anymore.”

YN closed her eyes, letting herself believe it—for just that moment.

“No… we’re not.”

They stayed like that, two souls stitched together by shared loss and the promise that, somehow, they’d heal. Together.

The mansion was filled with an unusual stillness. Not the cold, empty silence of loss—but the tender hush of people who care, giving space, ready to help however they can.

Jungkook and YN came downstairs together, both looking worn, as if the weight of the night still clung to them. Their steps were slow, their hearts heavy. But as they reached the bottom, they were met with something neither expected.

The boys were waiting for them—Jin with a gentle smile and a tray of warm soup, Yoongi seated quietly but his gaze soft with understanding, Namjoon standing protectively nearby, Jimin and Taehyung watching with eyes full of worry and care, Hoseok offering a small, hopeful grin.

And in the middle of them all, Annie—clutching a small, handmade card between her tiny fingers.

“YN… Kookie… I made this for you.”

Her voice was sweet, but shaky, as if she could feel their sadness too.

She stepped forward and held out the card. It was messy—crayon hearts and stick figures, but in the middle was written in uneven letters:

“We are your family now.”

The sight of it made YN’s throat tighten. She knelt down, letting Annie wrap her little arms around her neck. Annie’s warmth, her innocent love, seeped through the cracks in YN’s broken heart.

“Don’t be sad,” Annie whispered, “I’ll protect you now.”

Jungkook crouched beside them, pulling them both close, one arm around Annie, one around YN. His voice was hoarse.

>l “We’ll protect each other. All of us.”

The boys joined them, creating a circle, no words needed—just the comfort of presence.

Yoongi, his tone unusually gentle, muttered:

“No more running alone. No more walls. We fight together now.”

Namjoon added, “And we heal together too.”

Jin placed the tray down and ruffled Annie’s hair.

“Come on, let’s eat. You two need to get your strength back.”

Jimin and Taehyung started making jokes—silly, clumsy, desperate to bring a smile to YN and Jungkook’s faces.

Hoseok ran off and returned with warm blankets, tossing them playfully over their shoulders.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, the mansion felt like home.

To be continued...