The Siren's Curse ✓

Prequel: Jimin's Story

The day he arrived, Jimin immediately realized he was the oldest boy in the orphanage. He was wise for his age, carrying a sense of responsibility with him that even some adults would not take on. He saw how grimy, how cold and dirty the rooms were. He noticed how the adults who watched over them were filled with hatred and how they took their anger out on the defenseless orphans. As he spent a few days getting to know the children around him, he decided that he would do what he could to protect them and to keep them as healthy as possible in such poor conditions.

Though Jimin couldn't always shield them from the hands of those who ran the orphanage, he did comfort them and bring them hope. He assured the frightened kids that there would be a family that would come to take them in someday despite his personal doubts. If he noticed any child crying due to hunger, he would share his limited food with them. If they were scared, he'd stay up to comfort them.

Due to Jimin's brotherly compassion, the orphans would flock to him whenever they could. And Jimin held love toward each of them, but there was one particular boy who came to mean more to him than he thought possible.

His name was Jihyun.

Jihyun was frailer than the others. His frame was tiny and his cheekbones were prominent due to the lack of fat on his body. His hair was a tangled mess on his head and his lips were chapped. He was quiet, too - only coming to Jimin when the other children had dispersed to go to sleep. He wouldn't say anything to the older boy, but he would curl up beside him each night and fall asleep there, unknowingly warming Jimin's heart.

It was only when Jihyun had a terrible dream one night that he finally spoke to Jimin. He had jolted awake and broke the older boy out of his restless sleep.

"Are you okay?" Jimin asked quietly as to not wake the others.

The blue moonlight that seeped in from the window caught the tears on Jihyun's cheeks and made them shimmer. Jimin's brows knit together and he sat up, allowing the younger boy to do the same.

"Bad dream." Jihyun sniffled.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

At the question, Jihyun's lower lip trembled and fresh tears fell from his eyes as he shook his head. Jimin carefully brought the back of his hand up to wipe the tears from the fragile boy's cheeks.

"Sometimes I have bad dreams, too."

Jihyun's eyes sharpened as he looked at the older boy intently. "You do?"

With a nod, Jimin continued, "They can be pretty scary. But want to know something nice about them?"

Jiyhun nodded, his round eyes clearing up as he held onto every word.

"Bad dreams can't hurt you. They're not real and even though they're scary, they can actually make you stronger."

"Stronger?" Jihyun echoed with a frown.

"Yeah. Every time you face something scary in your dreams, you get stronger. That way when you wake up, you're ready to be brave in the real world."

Though Jihyun was so young, Jimin's words left a lasting mark on him. From that night on, whenever a nightmare came to him, he was able to wake with less fear. But more than anything, Jimin's presence was what soothed him.

After that night, the two stuck together like glue. Jimin never allowed anything bad to happen to Jihyun throughout the months that passed. He was always giving extra food to him and would lay his only blanket over the frail boy because one was not enough to keep him warm. Spending time in such a dreadful prison forged a bond between the two that was deeper than shared blood.