OUT OF EDEN | VKOOK

╔TWENTY-EIGHT╗

The small, rustled sound of a foot stroking the cold floor was perfectly heard within the house. A gun pressed against his own forehead, and his jaw was tightened.

The room was dark because it was already evening and all the curtains, windows, and doors were closed. Turning on the light was not something he bothered himself to do, but he still ignited a candle that he found on the kitchen island.

He had put it on the coffee table to see the pale features of the black-haired man before him, whose face was completely full of pain and fear. The duct tape on his mouth halted him from speaking, and his body was tied into a chair with ropes.

"So," he trailed, pulling the duct tape away from Ryan's mouth aggressively, and Ryan winced in pain. "What was the job I assigned you? I quite can't remember."

"T-Taehyung-" Ryan trailed; his eyes grew wide when Taehyung pointed the gun at him idly. "I'm not your friend or brother. Your life is in my hands, so call me with respect." Taehyung mindlessly said.

Ryan nodded aggressively. "Sir, it was just a big misunderstanding, and that's it." Ryan cowered, his body visibly trembling, and he struggled with the rope that had him tied.

"A big misunderstanding? Don't make me laugh, Ryan. You did the whole thing on purpose and tried to kill Jungkook—you tried to kill my husband, and now what'm I supposed to do with you?" Taehyung snapped, toying with the gun in his hand.

"But sir-"

"Shut up!" Taehyung snapped, slapping Ryan hard to keep him quiet. "I told you I want the heart of that guy, who appeared into my life in the form of a problem and deliberately tried to get the guy that clearly belongs to me. And the fuck did you do?" Taehyung gritted out huskily- his voice was screaming annoyance and danger, and his gaze was menacing.

Ryan paused, looking down.

"Ryan, I'm not here to play with you. I want that goddamn answer!" Taehyung snarled, pointing the gun to Ryan's eye, and Ryan trembled in fear.

"I told the same thing to the others, but those useless things kidnapped Jungkook instead, mistaking him for Ky because the house was Jungkook's, so technically it should have been Ky who would have gotten out of the house after their breakup," Ryan stammered, squeezing his shut together.

Taehyung leaned back against the chair and crossed his legs together. "And what happened next?" Taehyung's inquiry continued, and his absolutely deep and dangerous voice was making Ryan shudder in fear even more.

"I didn't want you to know about it. I didn't because I knew if he told you that he got kidnapped by me accidentally, you would be coming for my head, and that's why—that's why I decided to stop him from telling you by killing him." Ryan started to ramble, and although his words came out muddled, Taehyung was clearly able to understand him.

"And he thought I was the actual leader, and he thought I'm doing all this because I love Jennie, so I lied. I lied to hide your identity from him; some of the men sighted those five in the airport. They came here because they found out Jungkook and you were together once again, so I took it as a chance to kill Jungkook off-and-fuck. I'm sorry." Ryan broke into tears, lowering his head and breathing heavily.

"You know, Ryan, all of your attempts went in vain." Taehyung smirked, lifting his chin up with the gun, and they made eye contact.

Ryan started to struggle once again in fear, wanting to run away from there, but he cowered instead when Taehyung got up from the chair and gripped his chin, putting his gun on the chair behind him.

"Trying to get out of here is pointless- you're trapped right here. I have special plans for you tonight." Taehyung continued, and a grin that crept the fuck out of Ryan was on his lips.

"I'll burn you alive, along with this whole house. No one will find the killer, and if somebody does, I'll kill them as well. You'll writhe in pain for a few minutes until the smoke and fumes fill your lungs, and you'll die." Taehyung continued, the grin never leaving, as if he were having too much fun. He put on the duct tape around Ryan's mouth again, gripped his hair tightly, and yanked his head back.

"Everything will happen very fast, you won't even be able to understand what's going on. You will not have to wait, this evening, one of us will die. Just don't mess around. Sit still. Don't go anywhere. I have a little surprise for you." Taehyung grinned, pulling the packet of cigarettes and putting a stick between his lips. Although he was grinning, Taehyung's came out like he was crying and laughing at the same time, from deep to high, and then deep once again.

And those eyes. There was the only insanity shown within them—they were dark-hooded with a glint of the excitement of killing. Ryan stilled, his eyes wide and his heartbeat fast. Taehyung took the candle that was dimming the living room of Ryan's house from the coffee table and set the stick of health issues on fire.

"Perhaps you understood there's no point in trying to run away. This can explain why you're so silent." Taehyung started to talk again, and Ryan's eyes moved down to the duct tape on his mouth and then back at Taehyung.

Taehyung brought the candle closer and ignited the rope that was tying Ryan on fire. "I didn't want to get my hands dirty, but if I leave you alive, you'll become a threat to my mental health," Taehyung concluded, walking away and heading towards the window, putting the fire on the curtains too, and then everything that he found nearby.

Taehyung walked back to Ryan and started laughing out loud, seeing how the fire was increasing from the rope, and started to crawl into his body. The house was on fire as well.

Taehyung's laughter wasn't pleasant; it sounded evil and filled with craziness. It was as if he was giving all of his energy to laugh loudly yet harshly. He was enjoying too much seeing the face of fear and tears Ryan had shed.

"Where you are going to be tomorrow is a huge mystery now." Taehyung chuckled, turning on his heels, and started to walk, leaving the man crying in pain behind.

Taehyung pulled the stick of cigarettes out and blew the smoke out on his way outside the house.