Chapter Text
PART 1: THE ISLAND
The air is thick; a heavy fog settles along the ruins that make up this tiny island.
Park Jimin is perched against the windowsill of the dilapidated building he has learned to call home. No glass separates the interior from the harsh surroundings, though this isn’t unusual in such a horrid place.
He stares out towards the ocean, watching as the angry waves crash against the only dock on this god-forsaken land.
In the distance, a ship fights against the tides. Its weather-worn sides have seen better days. The deck is empty, with not a soul in sight. Most of its inhabitants are caged well below the deck, hidden from the outside world until the ship finally reaches its destination.
With a flash of lightning, the black clouds above finally rupture, coating the surrounding area with acid rain.
Jimin scurries further inside the building, careful not to let the rain touch his bare skin.
He’s been here long enough to see the devastating effects it has on the human body.
He draws his jacket closer around him, his eyes lingering on the boat.
There’s a whisper of change in the air.
Jimin just hopes he manages to survive it.
⏾⋆.˚
The rain lets up by the time the ship is finished docking. The waves continuously crash against it, violently rocking both dock and boat back and forth with each thrust.
The high-pitched sound of an alarm rings out in the air. The inhabitants of Sahmiah Island have ten minutes to meet in the one undamaged building near the shore. Those who are spotted outside after that time limit are shot on the spot. Many don’t survive their wounds. Those who do wish they hadn’t. Medicine is scarce and empathy is nonexistent on this island.
Jimin stops at the open doorway that leads to a tiny room and moves aside the thin, worn fabric that hangs as a makeshift door.
The inside of the room must have been grand in its prime. A large oak desk sits in the middle, with a cushioned chair tucked into it. One leg of the desk is significantly shorter than the other three, causing the objects on its surface to slide near the edge. The chair is worn with age and use. Scratched leather clings to it, desperately holding onto a fate already sealed.
But the chair is comfortable despite its appearance. At least, that’s what Jimin surmises considering it’s where he finds his friend, Namjoon, most of the time.
Like clockwork, Namjoon is hunched over a stack of papers, furiously scribbling his thoughts down before he forgets them. Namjoon’s dark hair has grown in the nine months since he arrived on the island. Strands of soft brown hair hang in front of broken glasses, though he doesn’t seem to notice as he continues scribbling away.
Jimin leans against the concrete archway and watches with a smile on his face. He hadn’t known what to think of Namjoon when he first arrived. The alpha had caused a lot of heads to turn his way, curiosity and jealousy seeping out of the island’s prisoners.
Namjoon had exuded a confidence that was only dwarfed by his dominance. Jimin could practically feel the other alphas’ desires to gain a person like Namjoon in their group. On an island such as this one, it is through dominance and sheer strength that a group can survive without worry.
Loners never survive long on the island, and smaller groups tend to be swallowed up by the larger gangs that roam around the land. There’s a hierarchy on the island, much like society; but here, dominance alone is what ensures an alpha remains on top. And none have managed to reach that level quite like the leader of the largest gang on the island: Yu Sangwoo.
Namjoon came close, but he was uninterested in the politics of the island. Sangwoo had tried to convince Namjoon to join him and become his right-hand man, something most alphas on the island would kill for. Power and security are powerful things, whether on this island or in society.
But Namjoon had seen Sangwoo for the man he really was and had politely declined his invitation.
Politely, Jimin thinks fondly. Only Namjoon would maintain his sense of self in a land with no rules.
Jimin’s not entirely sure when Namjoon joined his own group of misfit alphas. He has a sneaking suspicion Seokjin was behind it. One day, Namjoon was someone Jimin would never consider approaching, and the next, he was someone Jimin came to rely on.
There are only two people undeserving to be on this decrepit island. Two alphas who are too kind and good to be tossed away like trash into such an unspeakable place: Namjoon and Seokjin.
Both arrested for seemingly unreasonable “crimes”. Jimin never understood why Namjoon was there. Every time he saw him, he couldn’t see the evil that simmers beneath the skin of most of the alphas in this place. Namjoon was poised, intelligent. It didn’t make sense that he would end up a prisoner of the island.
Namjoon never truly talks about his past and what brought him here. But Jimin has a feeling he pissed off the wrong people; the type of people who have the power to silence those they disagree with.
Seokjin, on the other hand, was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, in the eyes of authority, an alpha is guilty until proven innocent.
And no alphas are innocent.
Jimin shifts his gaze past Namjoon, towards the couch that sits just behind the desk. Seokjin’s fluffy black hair peeks out from the moth-eaten blanket that’s draped over his wide shoulders. He’s facing away from the room, and Jimin snorts when he notices a disgruntled Yoongi buried between Seokjin’s gangly arms.
Yoongi is the other member of their little group. Even now, a year and a half after Jimin arrived on the island, Yoongi is still a mystery to him. His dominance rivals Sangwoo’s, though most wouldn’t realize it unless they did something to piss him off. He’s often withdrawn and disappears for days at a time, but he always returns, and when he does, he usually has something for a member of their group. Sometimes it’s extra food he’s mysteriously managed to snag; other times it’s a gift, like the blanket that currently wraps around him and Seokjin.
A scar runs down the right side of his face; a jagged red line that cuts through his right eyebrow down to the top of his cheek. That’s all Jimin can see poking over Seokjin’s shoulder. And though Yoongi may look like he doesn’t enjoy the cuddles Seokjin freely gives him, Jimin knows that he secretly craves it. Yoongi would never admit it, but Jimin sees the way he makes himself available whenever Seokjin gets overwhelmed with something. Jimin notices the unspoken care when Namjoon gets lost in his own head. He feels the comfort that Yoongi exudes by just sitting next to him in silence when Jimin’s past shows up in his nightmares.
Yoongi may seem withdrawn from life on the island, but Jimin knows it’s all just an act. Yoongi cares too much, too deeply. And that scares Yoongi — or at least, that’s what Jimin thinks.
“Another group already?” Yoongi asks, his voice rough and raspy as he interrupts Jimin’s thoughts.
Jimin nods and approaches Namjoon, who is still writing. “The ship just docked. We better start moving.”
Namjoon startles when Jimin runs his fingers through his messy hair. He looks up at Jimin as Yoongi works to wake up Seokjin.
“We need to head over to the Hall.”
Namjoon’s head tilts slightly, a habit of his when he’s confused.
“More alphas already?”
Jimin hums in response.
“But that’s the second time in less than a week,” Namjoon muses. “The frequency is increasing.” He jots something down on his paper. “Are they escalating?” he murmurs to himself. “What are —”
“Namjoon,” Yoongi quietly interrupts Namjoon’s running thoughts. “You know what happens when we’re late.”
“Oh,” Namjoon grimly nods, “of course. Sorry, I just…”
As Namjoon’s thoughts trail off, Seokjin finally sits up and stretches, releasing Yoongi from his grip.
A second alarm echoes throughout the island. The four of them freeze for a moment and lock eyes. The arrival of new prisoners is never fun. Oftentimes, it ends in bloodshed as the newbies try to establish their dominance in a new land.
“C’mon,” Jimin sighs, scratching at the thick iron collar that sits around his neck, “we have five minutes left before they bring out the guns.”
Seokjin is the first to move, resigned to their fate, his shoulders drooped slightly, as they usually do on a day like today. Jimin wanders to walk next to him, and Namjoon and Yoongi quickly follow behind them.
Jimin peers up at Seokjin and can’t help but feel a bit concerned. Seokjin is classically handsome, but Jimin can see the worry lines that seem to have made a permanent residence on his face. He sees the exhaustion that has settled on Seokjin like a second skin. The island is wearing him down, and as much as Jimin wishes he could help, he knows that ultimately there’s nothing he can do. As much as he would miss him, he hopes that Seokjin becomes one of the lucky alphas that are selected to leave the island.
Many times, on prisoner intake day, there is at least one alpha considered “rehabilitated” enough to rejoin society. Jimin knows after what he’s done, he would probably never be able to leave, but for someone like Seokjin - someone sent here on false pretenses - surely, he should be able to escape this place. Every time they call an alpha’s name, Jimin hopes, for Seokjin’s sake, that he is called.
Perhaps today will be his lucky day.
⏾⋆.˚
“The Hall” is what the guards call the main building where the alphas gather. Jimin thinks “The Cells” is a more apt name for it. The room is quite large, though it feels tiny with all of the alphas packed inside of it.
On one side of the room stands the beta guards eyeing the prisoners suspiciously. They are dressed uniformly, with black cargo pants tucked into military-grade boots. Their surnames are displayed on the back of their forest green jackets and the logo of a snarling wolf rests against the right side of their chest.
Jimin never quite understood why the Sahmiah guards used a feral wolf as their symbol. There were stories of old that claimed humans could turn into wolves at will, but that was merely an old wives tale. There had never been any substantial claims about it actually happening.
Jimin thinks they use it more for the irony than anything else. Society claims that alphas are aggressive predators, so they become caged in by those bearing the marks of something that resembles them. Something beastly.
Opposite the guards is a large cell secured with thick metal bars that corral the alphas together. Jimin feels as though the cell gets smaller and smaller with each new intake of prisoners, because despite a few rehabilitated alphas being selected to leave Sahmiah Island, even more seem to join it.
Jimin and his friends generally stick towards the far corner, away from the attention of the guards and as far as they can get from Sangwoo’s gang. There are some mid-size groups that generally fill in the middle, some looking worse for wear while others appear eager to see the newest inhabitants on the island.
Sangwoo and his gang are situated towards the edge of the bars closest to the door where the new prisoners will be dragged through. A smaller cell is situated between them and the door, and that is where the new alphas will be led once they have gone through the prisoner intake process.
Just outside the Hall is a “store” where alphas are able to gather their rations for the week and take their dose of medicine, administered through a shot. The guards claim it is to protect them from each other by taming their primal instincts, but Jimin thinks it’s all bullshit. If anything, the alphas become more aggressive once they get the shot, though that might just be because of limited food rations.
Jimin has been lucky to not get attacked after picking up his rations, though he’s heard the awful noises of alphas ambushing those less fortunate. In that way, Jimin can understand why having a bigger group to stick with on the island is crucial. It’s important to have someone watching your back at all times.
Alphas can’t be trusted after all.
A gunshot rings out, followed by the thump of a body.
Someone didn’t make it to the Hall in time.
The first time Jimin witnessed that happen had scarred him. The poor alpha had one foot inside the Hall when the bullet pierced his chest. Jimin still sometimes pictures the pain that had flickered across the man’s face before he had fallen to the ground. He remembers the sound of gravel moving as the alpha’s body was dragged away from the Hall. At night, it still sometimes haunts his dreams.
Though nothing is as painful as the nightmare that brought him to this island in the first place.
Now, he tries not to think about what happens to those who don’t reach the Hall in time. He won’t become like those other alphas. He’ll survive, and maybe one day, even he will be reformed enough to rejoin society.
The heavy door finally opens once all of the alphas are contained, and the sound of heavy chains dragging against the concrete floor echoes throughout the Hall. Jimin’s nose twitches when the faint scent of something that resembles cedarwood permeates the air.
It’s strange, the scent. When society started becoming more distrustful of alphas, they were forced to wear scent blockers so that the rest of the population wouldn’t feel so uneasy around overpowering scents. Now that he is collared, his scent is naturally blocked, but though the new prisoners haven’t received their new collars yet, they should still be wearing blockers. He can’t even recall the last time he noticed another alpha’s scent.
He turns towards his friends, confused. “Do you smell anything?”
“You mean other than the stench of men who’ve opted not to clean themselves enough?” Yoongi lazily drawls as he leans against the wall.
Seokjin snorts at the comment.
“No,” Jimin responds as he glances around the room. Everything is in order; the guards are where they usually stand and the alphas are growing more raucous as the new guys are dragged in. “It smells different…like cedarwood.”
Namjoon raises a brow. “Cedarwood?”
Jimin’s head swivels towards the door when the scent grows stronger. He can’t see over the swarm of rowdy alphas that are currently jeering at those entering the building. But something is pulling him towards that door. He’s smaller than most of the alphas on the island and though that has sometimes made life harder for him, it allows him to push through the heavier bodies that block his view.
“Jimin!” he barely hears Namjoon hiss as he ducks under another set of arms that are reaching out towards the newcomers.
Finally, Jimin reaches a spot that’s close enough for him to see those entering the building. There are five alphas chained together, their backs facing towards the full cell. The two in the front are quite large. Their muscles bulge out of the grey jumpsuits that seem too small on them. Jimin is standing close enough to Sangwoo to hear the low growl. He already knows that Sangwoo will force them to submit before they can try to claim any power on the island.
The next two alphas are about the size of Seokjin. Tall with lean muscles, though neither really stands out to Jimin. Which leads his gaze to the final alpha. Though he’s also quite tall, he’s scrawnier than most of the others in the room. His brown, shaggy hair messily hangs near his tense shoulders. Jimin can’t explain it, but he knows that this is the alpha that smells of cedarwood. Worry fills Jimin’s mind and he doesn’t understand why. Why does he feel a pull towards this alpha he doesn’t even know — someone who is most likely a criminal?
The strange alpha flinches when a guard roughly grabs a hold of his arm, but he quickly composes himself. Jimin glances around, hoping no one else noticed. The weak do not survive long on the island. If the elements don’t kill them, then one of the other alphas on the island might.
Unfortunately, it seems the alpha on the end has caught the attention of quite a few. When the guards force him to turn around so that they can secure the heavy collar around his neck, whistles and catcalling fill the air.
The man is beautiful, even Jimin can’t deny that. Strong brows frame tired, brown eyes that lock on Jimin’s for just a moment, and yet it feels as though the world quiets in those few seconds. One instant where it seems like everything inside of Jimin settles into place. It’s something he’s never felt before; something he wants - no, needs - to explore more of.
And then that moment ends as suddenly as it came and the alpha has been moved towards the last station where he is chipped, just like all of the other alphas who came to this island before him.
Jimin is pulled away from the bar then, as more of Sangwoo’s gang push towards the edge of the cell, trying to claw at the newest alphas.
“That bitch is mine,” he hears Sangwoo growl, and dread spreads throughout him.
Because Sangwoo’s gaze is focused on one alpha, and that strange, fascinating alpha does not stand a chance against someone as dominant as Sangwoo.
It is in that moment that Jimin resolves to protect this alpha, no matter the cost.
⏾⋆.˚
The world has turned grey. Life moves on but Taehyung is still stuck in a singular moment that changed everything. He doesn’t feel the hands that tear him away from the scene, nor the cuffs that dig into his too-thin wrists.
He doesn’t feel the piece of glass pried away from his hands nor the bruises that layer on top of old ones.
There’s only a film of grey in front of his eyes, and at the very edge, a splash of crimson. It will never fade away - the guilt that will haunt him for the rest of his years.
It should have been him on the floor.
The holding cells are grey as he awaits a trial that never happens. The ship that contains him holds no more color than the sea that carries him away from society. But always, just in the corner of his sight is that dreadful color that stains his hands and tarnishes his soul.
He barely feels the chains that strap him to the other inmates before him. It’s not until a harsh hand with a rough grip grabs a hold of him, that Taehyung startles out of the haze. Sound begins to filter back through his ears and he realizes he’s surrounded by alphas shouting every profanity their peabrains can think of.
It’s not as if Taehyung hasn’t heard it all before.
The room he’s in is as grey as the rest of the world. His gaze roams across the room, taking in the dreadful surroundings. Until time freezes and a hint of hazel peeks through that terrible, terrible lack of color.
Hazel eyes, small like the rest of the alpha behind those cell bars. But there’s a depth to them that Taehyung feels he could get lost inside, if he allowed himself.
He tears his gaze away. The world is grey. It has no room for any other color.
⏾⋆.˚
Taehyung rubs his wrists and watches as the guards exit the building. He hasn’t glanced back at the alphas that are trying to grab his attention. They peacock about, attempting to show off their pathetic dominance to the newest meat on the island.
Taehyung can’t wait to get away from all of them. There’s just too much alpha ego in this stifling room. Besides, he can take care of himself. It’s what he’s always done.
The one time he allowed someone else to care for him — well, he’s learned from that mistake.
So, he waits until the cell doors automatically release and then he books it out of that building before anyone can so much as approach him. He was told that he could claim his rations for the week in the room next door, but the thought of being confined for even a second longer sends him into a panic. So, he sprints as fast as he can, ignoring everyone and everything, and bursts through the door that leads him into a new kind of prison.
The air is cool against his skin, and the sun is hidden behind dark clouds, but Taehyung doesn’t stop running. Maybe if he goes fast enough, he can escape the crimson that follows him like a reaper. Always there, waiting for his eventual demise.
But for now, he forces one leg in front of the other and runs until it feels like his lungs are going to burst. He jumps over ruins he barely registers, and dodges concrete walls that have been overtaken by nature. He ignores the trees that are gnarled and twisted with rusty metal sticking out of their trunks. The wind guides him away from the chaos of his mind and he follows it blindly.
It is only once he reaches the edge of the island that he pauses. The water is choppy, as though it too is fighting a hidden battle only it can see. Taehyung screams as loud as he can. He yells at a god he doesn’t believe in and curses at the world that has always been so cruel. For one moment, he allows himself to be weak.
A tear slips down his face. Only one.
The mask he has learned to wear throughout his life resettles just as he hears the sound of approaching footsteps. He glances over his shoulder, back still facing whoever is approaching him. He’s not ready to face another challenge. But when has the world ever given him a break?
“You know,” a man with too much confidence says, “an alpha like you shouldn’t be out here all alone.”
“An alpha like me?” Taehyung slowly turns around to face this challenge head on.
There are four men standing in front of him, spread out just enough to make it difficult for Taehyung to easily escape. The biggest one is closest to him, and it’s clear by the way he’s standing that he’s the leader of their little group.
The top of his jumpsuit is tied around his waist, revealing bulging muscles through a too-tight tank top. His black hair is cropped and dark. Beady eyes hungrily stare down at Taehyung.
“You know,” the man smirks as he inches closer, “I thought the guards had made a mistake when they brought you here.”
The other three alphas remain stationary, awaiting orders like good little soldiers.
Taehyung subtly glances around. Old, dilapidated buildings in varying states of decay stretch towards his left. If he can just get past the leader’s goon that is standing in the way, he could easily escape.
He’s always been good at hiding when necessary.
“Is that so?” He turns his attention back towards the pompous man in front of him.
The alpha hums and stops about an arms-length away from Taehyung. This close, the man practically towers over him. Taehyung can feel the sheer power of the alpha’s dominance, and he knows that the man isn’t afraid to use it. There’s a glint in his eyes that sends a shiver down Taehyung’s spine.
Taehyung’s fingers twitch in anticipation. He’s never been one to back down from a fight, but even he knows he wouldn’t be able to escape easily if he doesn’t keep his wits about him.
“‘What were the guards thinking bringing an omega to this kind of island?’ I thought to myself.”
The other alphas laugh at the lame joke and Taehyung resists the urge to roll his eyes. If he just bides his time for a bit longer, he should be able to escape unscathed.
The man quickly reaches out and grabs onto Taehyung’s chin, forcing his head to turn to the side.
“You are the prettiest alpha I’ve ever come across,” he muses. A thick finger traces down Taehyung’s cheek. “Stay by my side and I will allow you to live a life most of the alphas on this island can only ever dream about.”
Taehyung smiles ruefully and places his own hand atop the other alpha’s. The man must be feeling confident in Taehyung’s answer because he easily lets go when Taehyung guides his hand away from his face. Perhaps no one has ever said no to him.
“And if I don’t?” Taehyung quietly asks, discretely stepping to the left.
“No isn’t an option,” the man easily responds. He crosses his arms, allowing his muscles to bulge as he tightens them as though trying to intimidate Taehyung.
But Taehyung is a pro at dealing with pompous assholes who underestimate him, so he does what they always least expect from a “weak” alpha like him.
He swings his arm back, hand clenching into a fist, and rams his knuckles as hard as he can against the fucking asshole’s face. Before any of them can react, Taehyung books it towards the buildings as fast as he can.
He can hear them shouting in the distance, but he’s too quick for them to catch him easily. He weaves past broken walls and grabs a hold of vines that have crawled up one of the intact walls. Luckily, it holds as he climbs up and into one of the broken windows on the second floor.
The room he lands in is small and just as worn down as the rest of the buildings he’s seen so far. Decay and death haunt the winding walls as he races towards the next open window he can find. Another building stands a short distance away, and Taehyung doesn’t even think before jumping out the building and into the next.
He tucks his head and tumbles onto the ground, ensuring his shoulder takes the brunt of the impact as he rolls over. With a grunt, he stands back up and ignores that shooting pain that runs down his body.
Now that he’s put some distance between himself and those assholes, he should probably try to find a place to hide for the night. He can explore the island more tomorrow once he’s gotten some rest.
He can hear noises in the distance, the sounds of people laughing or fighting, but the building he’s in is silent. Dust motes float in the air as he passes through the various rooms, all decaying in some capacity. Some have holes in their ceiling, while the floorboards groan as if they could collapse at any moment in others.
Taehyung doesn’t want to be caught off guard, nor does he want to be cornered should anyone find him. He scopes the floor out, trying to determine the best option. Perhaps one of the corner rooms with a window that he could escape through would work best. Just as he’s about to reach the one room that still seems to have a door on this floor, he is yanked from the hall and comes face to face with —
Hazel eyes.
Taehyung freezes for just a moment, caught off guard once more by this bit of color, before his face hardens. He tugs his arm away from the alpha and tightens his fist, ready for a fight.
“What the fuck is your problem?”
The alpha startles and glances down towards where he had grabbed Taehyung’s arm.
“S-sorry,” the alpha stumbles over his words. “I just… I’m Jimin.”
Taehyung would laugh if he weren’t so on edge. The alpha - Jimin - is shorter than him by several centimeters, but he can tell that he’s stronger than he looks. His long blonde hair is partially braided with short strands framing round cheeks.
Jimin stares up at Taehyung as if expecting a response, but Taehyung remains silent. Unlike the other alphas he’s run into so far, this one seems… safe. Taehyung doesn’t trust it. He backs away, relieved when Jimin doesn’t move. Plump lips pout slightly at the lack of a response, and if Taehyung weren’t so on edge, he might even think the man before him is cute.
“I saw you punch Sangwoo,” Jimin finally says when it’s clear Taehyung isn’t going to answer. There’s almost a hint of pride in his tone. “He’s really someone you don’t want to piss off on this island. There are too many people wrapped around his finger.”
Taehyung shrugs, feigning nonchalance even as his heart beats faster. There’s nothing he can do about it now. Besides, that asshole deserved it.
“If you want, you could join me and my friends. We could keep you safe.”
Taehyung scowls. “I’m not some fucking damsel in distress.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it.” Jimin placatingly raises his palms up. “But you won’t last long on this island alone. You need people by your side.”
“I’ve never needed anyone before,” Taehyung responds, and the world is grey, grey, grey. “And I definitely don’t need anyone now.” His hands are stained crimson, a reminder of what happens to those he lets in. “So, fuck off.”
With that, Taehyung turns and races down the grey walls that crumble around him, away from the warm hazel eyes that offer kindness, and into the harsh colorless world.
Taehyung doesn’t need anyone.
Not anymore.