3

"Uh..well then, thank you." Jungkook said as he stood up.

"It's my pleasure." Jungkook heard the professor say as he left the room.

Jungkook looked at his watch. Fuck. He had an hour to go back to the hotel to get his suitcase and catch his flight. 

He barely made it to the airport in time, but thankfully he caught his flight and arrived back to Busan safely. As soon as Jungkook arrived home, he went to his room, closed the door and opened the book.

After an hour, Jungkook closed the book not registering that he was holding his breath until he let out a long breath. Jungkook laid back on his bed, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes before he bolted up from his bed. He rummaged through his closet until he found a piece of white fabric at the very back. He then went to the kitchen, filled a bowl with water and grabbed a candle.

Afterwards, he ran to the living room, removed everything from the coffee table, then he put the piece of fabric down and aligned the bowl of water and candle next to each other. He lit up the candle while kneeling across the big window of the living room.

Jungkook knelt down, intertwined his fingers together and rested them on top of his chin. He closed his eyes after he took a deep breath.

Oh, my God

I'm not praying for my own sins

Oh, my God

I'm praying for the dead sins

Merciful, you are-

Jungkook stopped mid prayer, shook his head and then began again.

Hello, dear God, I tried to follow what the book said, but it didn't seem sincere. I know I've never prayed before because I know that even if I pray nothing I want will ever come true. I've already lost everything I love, so what's the point of praying.

Jungkook felt his cheeks getting wet.

To be honest, I'm not even sure if I believe in you or not. But for my mother I'm willing to try this stupid faith thing. In the book it said that people originally prayed to you for dead loved ones, for you to take care of them in the afterlife, in hell. They prayed for the dead who sinned so much while alive.

Jungkook was now aware that he is crying.

I know that my mother was a sinner, so I ask you not spare her because after all everything has consequences, but I ask you to have some mercy on her. I don't know if that's possible, but can I atone for her sins?

Jungkook felt a shiver travel from the base of his spine to his scalp. Suddenly, his mother's voice echoed inside the room. Jungkook didn't dare open his eyes afraid that his mother's voice would disappear. He could hear her say the words she's always said while she was alive : I'm okay Jungkookie, if you are, I am.

She always would say these words while she caresses his hair, and Jungkook knew he was hallucinating but he swears that he could feel her hands lovingly caressing his cheeks and wiping his tears away.

"Thank you." Jungkook whispered to someone, to something he didn't know.

_

Next thing Jungkook knew was the loud alarm almost breaking his eardrums. He clumsily turned it off. Lazily, he wore his clothes and took the bus to university. As soon as he arrived, he was met by the loud chatter of students.

"Jungkook!" Jimin's voice came from behind Jungkook. "Where did you disappear to these past few days?"

"I went to Seoul for my thesis." 

"Oh, you are really taking this seriously!" Jimin was sarcastic. "Did you find anything interesting?"

"Not really." Jungkook lied as they both walked towards their classes. "I have a question. Who would you say is more faithful, you or Taehyung?" He asked after Jimin nodded.

"I would say Taehyung. He pries twice a day while I pray once a week." 

"I see." Jungkook pondered. "Also, do you believe in the Death Curse?"

"I will have to pray five times today in order to not be cursed." Jimin said ominously. "For over 600 years, anyone who tries to write anything about the Great War suddenly dies in a fire with what he wrote, so it's safe to say that it's true."

"Do you also believe that it is a sin to do such a thing?"

"Yes. Whoever tries to side with the God of death is a sinner." Jimin said with a frown.

Later that day, Jungkook found Taehyung in the cafeteria. He didn't waste time before he started questioning him.

"So when you pray, what do you feel?" Taehyung looked at him, suspicious.

"Nothing in particular. Just that I've done my duty towards the Gods."  

"Don't you feel like you're connected to the God you're praying to or like very emotional?"

"I'm a believer not delusional." Taehyung eyed Jungkook. "I mean all the stories of seeing Gods or whatever are just fiction."

"Ok."  

Maybe I was delusional.

_

The night was dark, the moon hidden behind grey clouds as if it was about to rain. The mist covered even the light poles making the streets barely visible. But although the earth was calm and quiet, the heavens were under chaos.

"Your highness, what happened?" A tall man with a long white robe said respectfully as he knelt before a throne. The man in the throne stood up and slowly walked towards the kneeling one.

"Namjoon, no need to kneel every time and also just call me Hoseok. I've been saying this for centuries." Hoseok said, a blinding smile shining upon his face. Namjoon stood up. "Did you feel it too?"

"A new strong energy came out of earth as if a God was birthed." Namjoon was furrowing his eyebrows

To be continued...

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