Hoseok: That's why they call me Master, sweetheart. Now it's your turn. Say it.
Yoongi: If you want my help that badly, you need to give me something in return. Something I can't get anywhere else...
Namjoon: If they want to take you back, they have...
The anger from your memories brought strength back to your bones, and the ache in your muscles numbed.
And more than that, your curiosity drove you.
Hoseok was feeding you, training you, and pushing you to your limits.
...But why?
You dropped down from the tree, starting back the way you came. But before you could take more than three steps, a ghost sprung from the trees.
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"Amateur," Taehyung said, clutching his knife. "You think I can't tell a difference between a noise from the sky or from the earth?"
You bent your knees. "I wasn't sure you could hear anything over your ego."
"You should talk. You act like everyone here owes you something just because your precious little brother is in prison. Guess what, princess? We don't work for you. We're not obligated to help you."
"You hate the emperor and his guards. We have the same objective."
He hissed through his teeth. "Our objective is to work as a force to resist oppression on behalf of all citizens. Your objective is to protect your own personal treasures. What are you going to do? Snatch your criminal brother out of prison and live to die of treason or starvation?"
"He's not a criminal."
"Not my point."
He twirled the knife between his fingers, not taking his eyes off you.
"Master Jung always says that pain is a good teacher," he said. "But it seems he's not willing to teach you what you need to know."
You dug your heel into the dirt. "And what do I need to be taught?"
His fingers gripped around the handle once more, his arm dropping down to his side. "That we aren't beneath you. You're beneath us."
He lunged.
You jumped to the side, twigs digging into your bare feet. You round-housed him in the chest, sending him back for a moment. He grunted as he stepped forward again, raising the knife to strike. You dodged to the side, but not fast enough. It grazed the skin on your shoulder, tearing at your robe. You kicked out his knee. As he stumbled to the side, you sprinted into the forest.
The trees showed no mercy. The roots grabbed at your toes as you rushed past. You could feel the blood starting to drip from your shoulder, reminding you that you could lose a lot more if you stopped.
Taehyung followed close behind, his quick and quiet footsteps threatening to take over at any moment. You turned hard, scraping against the trees in the process. You could hear him breathing. Panting. Ready for the kill.
You turned hard once again, only to face a pathway blocked by a mountain of rocks. You leaped for it, sticking your bare toes in the crevices. You scrambled up the rocks, reaching a third of the way up before finding a suitable position to look back. Taehyung was still on your tail, cautiously climbing up the rocks after you.
