The forbidden forest

When Jungkook finally returned home, something felt wrong the moment he stepped through the front gate.

The garden was still beautiful.

The fountain still flowed.

The pond still reflected the sky.

Yet the house felt empty.

Cold.

Silent.

"Tae?" he called as he entered.

No answer.

He checked every room.

The bedroom.

The studio.

The library.

The kitchen.

Nothing.

Many of Taehyung's belongings were gone.

The clothes he loved.

His books.

His notebooks.

Even some of the photographs they had taken together.

Only traces remained.

Like a ghost of a life that once existed.

The workers informed him that the animals were being cared for regularly, but nobody knew where Taehyung had gone.

Jungkook immediately called him.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Every call failed.

Every message remained unanswered.

At first, he thought there had to be a mistake.

Taehyung would never leave without telling him.

Would he?

The next morning, Jungkook flew to France.

He searched everywhere he could.

Family offices.

Business headquarters.

Old apartments.

Favorite cafés.

Places Taehyung loved visiting.

Nothing.

Nobody gave him answers.

Some genuinely didn't know.

Others refused to speak.

It was as if Taehyung had vanished from the world.

Two months passed.

Still nothing.

No message.

No letter.

No explanation.

No Taehyung.

The uncertainty slowly destroyed him.

If Taehyung had broken up with him, at least Jungkook would have known why.

If Taehyung hated him, at least he would have understood.

But this silence...

This endless silence...

Was unbearable.

To escape his thoughts, Jungkook began traveling.

One country after another.

One city after another.

Anywhere except home.

Because home reminded him of Taehyung.

Every beach reminded him of Taehyung.

Every sunset reminded him of Taehyung.

Every song reminded him of Taehyung.

No matter how far he ran, the memories followed.

Soon, sleep became difficult.

The loneliness grew heavier.

And for the first time in years, Jungkook began drinking more than he should.

Not because he enjoyed it.

Because for a few hours, it dulled the ache.

One rainy night, after drinking heavily in a remote mountain town, he found himself wandering alone.

The streets disappeared behind him.

The lights faded.

The world became darker.

Eventually he reached the edge of a forest.

A warning sign stood near the entrance.

NO ENTRY.

RESTRICTED AREA.

Locals often spoke about the place.

Stories of disappearances.

Strange sounds.

Ancient legends.

Nobody entered after sunset.

But Jungkook barely noticed.

His thoughts were elsewhere.

On a beautiful boy with gentle eyes.

On promises made beneath foreign skies.

On a home that no longer felt like home.

And so, ignoring the warnings, he stepped into the forest.

The deeper he walked, the quieter the world became.

No cars.

No voices.

Only the wind moving through the trees.

Hours seemed to pass.

Or perhaps only minutes.

Even Jungkook couldn't tell anymore.

Then suddenly—

He saw a light.

A faint golden glow between the trees.

Jungkook stopped.

His heart began beating faster.

Because standing in that distant light was a figure.

Tall.

Familiar.

Unmistakable.

Someone who looked exactly like—

"Taehyung...?"

The name escaped his lips before he could stop it.

The figure turned.

And disappeared deeper into the darkness.

For the first time in months, Jungkook felt something stronger than grief.

Hope.

And without thinking, he ran after it.

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