Chapter 30: Awakening Echoes

The night was silent as Taehyung pulled his car into the hidden underground base. The cool darkness of the tunnels wrapped around him like an old friend, the low hum of security cameras tracking his every move. He stepped out, shutting the car door with a quiet thud before walking toward the entrance.

The guards at the gate bowed their heads slightly, recognizing their king, but Taehyung barely acknowledged them. His mind was elsewhere—calculating, planning. He needed to set things in motion before leaving for the next phase of his plan.

As soon as he stepped inside, a familiar figure leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed, watching him with sharp, knowing eyes.

"You're back," Yoongi said, pushing off the wall with a lazy smirk. "Took you long enough."

Taehyung scoffed, rolling his shoulders. "Had to tie up some loose ends in the city. Call Rose and Kai. I need them here now."

Yoongi studied him for a moment, then nodded, turning to leave. But just before he could step away, he hesitated, brows furrowing slightly. He turned back, staring at Taehyung with something close to confusion.

"Hey... before I go—your older brother. What was his name?" Yoongi asked casually, but there was an odd sharpness in his tone.

Taehyung blinked, caught off guard by the question. Without thinking, the name rolled off his tongue effortlessly.

"Seokjin."

The second the name left his lips, something inside him shifted. His breath hitched, his chest tightening as an unfamiliar weight pressed against him. He hadn't even paused to think—he had simply known.

Yoongi's gaze sharpened. "See? Since you remember your past life, maybe you should stop torturing Jungkook like this."

Taehyung stood frozen, a strange numbness spreading through his limbs. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. What did he just say?

Before he could process it, Yoongi turned on his heel and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Taehyung standing there, rattled to his core.

His grip tightened at his sides.

Yoongi had tricked him into revealing a truth he hadn't yet shared with Jungkook.

He remembered. He remembered everything.

And now, the weight of that truth was pressing down on him more than ever before.

Moments later, Rose and Kai arrived, their eyes filled with curiosity and concern. They stood before Taehyung, awaiting his orders.

"I called you both here for a reason," Taehyung began, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his mind. "I will be leaving the country for a few months to settle some business. Until I return, you two will be in charge of all operations. Handle everything as I would. I trust you both."

Rose and Kai exchanged a brief glance before nodding in unison. "Understood, boss. We'll make sure nothing goes wrong."

Taehyung's gaze hardened. "Good. I'll also be announcing this to the rest of the members soon. Be prepared."

Without another word, he turned and walked toward the meeting hall, his footsteps echoing in the silence. The storm inside him raged, but he kept his composure. He had a plan to execute, and nothing—not even the ghosts of his past—could stand in his way.

Yoongi was already waiting for him by the exit when Taehyung was done. He spared him a glance before stepping outside into the night.

"Drive to your apartment," Taehyung ordered as he slid into the passenger seat.

Yoongi stiffened, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel. "My apartment? Why?"

Taehyung smirked but didn't answer immediately. He simply leaned back, gazing at the dim city lights beyond the windshield.

"Just drive, Yoongi."

Yoongi let out a frustrated sigh but did as he was told, the tension in the air thick with unspoken questions.

Taehyung's departure had begun—but the real mystery for people around him was what he was planning next.