CODE : SURVIVAL (BTS X READER)

The chaos of the maze still clung to their minds, leaving an eerie silence among them. Each of them stood motionless for a moment, catching their breath. Y/n could see the fear still lingering in their eyes, but also a quiet resolve. They had faced their deepest fears—and survived.

Jungkook was the first to break the silence, his voice shaky. “Did that... really just happen?”

Yoongi rubbed his temples, clearly still processing. “What the hell was that?”

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Namjoon said, scanning their surroundings. The mall—once calm and lifeless—now felt like a living thing, groaning under the strain of its own destruction.

Suddenly, a loud rumble filled the air. The ground shook beneath their feet, and the sound of crumbling concrete echoed through the hall. Dust began to fall from the ceiling, and the walls groaned in protest.

“We need to move!” Y/n shouted, already pulling Jimin by the arm. He blinked, his confusion fading quickly as he nodded, following her lead.

The mall around them began to collapse in earnest, walls cracking open, ceilings caving in. The group ran, the sound of destruction chasing them with every step. They barely made it past a collapsing support beam before it crashed to the floor, narrowly missing them.

“Go, go, go!” Hoseok shouted, his voice filled with urgency as they sprinted toward the nearest exit. The mall’s collapse quickened, like a countdown, each second more dangerous than the last.

Finally, they burst through the doors and out into the cool night air. They all staggered to a stop, panting heavily, the rush of adrenaline slowly fading. The city was eerily quiet, the sky above them now dark with the promise of night.

Jin collapsed onto the grass, his body too exhausted to keep moving. “I can’t… feel my legs…”

The others soon followed, finding spots to sit or lie down. Y/n sank onto the grass beside Taehyung, her chest heaving as she tried to steady her breathing.

The sky above was clear, the stars twinkling faintly. For a moment, the world seemed peaceful. The chaos they had just escaped felt distant, as if the mall’s collapse had shaken them out of the game, if only for a brief moment.

“Do you think we’re safe?” Jungkook asked quietly, breaking the silence.

Y/n looked up at the stars, her thoughts turning inward. “I don’t know… The game never gives us peace for long.”

A soft chuckle escaped Hoseok. “Not much of a reassurance, huh?”

Y/n turned to him, meeting his gaze with a small smile. “I’m just being honest.”

The silence that followed was comfortable, despite the weight of their situation. They were together, and that gave them some measure of strength.

“We’ve been through a lot already,” Namjoon said, his voice softer now. “But we’re still here. And that means something.”

Y/n nodded, her gaze lingering on the stars. “Yeah. We’re still here.”

They all lay back, exhaustion settling into their bones. The night stretched out above them, calm and vast, offering a momentary reprieve from the madness they’d just endured.

“Tomorrow,” Yoongi said quietly, his eyes already closing, “we face whatever comes next.”

Y/n let out a soft breath, the night air cool against her skin. “Yeah. Tomorrow.”

The stars above twinkled softly in the dark sky, their light bathing the group in a gentle, calming glow. But as peaceful as the night seemed, Jin’s voice broke the stillness.