I couldn't move.

Time stopped, it had to have because everything moved in super slow motion around me. Dizziness took me and I stumbled back until I hit a wall and slid down it. At that moment time sped up to normal as everyone rushed me, Taehyung leading the charge. He grabbed my hands and squeezed them hard which made me focus on him instead of sinking in the tsunami of thoughts crashing around my head. Even though I was nowhere near an open body of water I felt as if I was suffocating, drowning from the inside from the words unsaid.

"Baby look at me, look at me" Taehyung shouted over the clamoring of voices. My eyes darted over his face unable to zero on one feature, his pupils tried to follow mine to lock me in but too many people were hovering and speaking at the same time

My mom is alive.

"Ma-ri, I know this is a grenade but it's true, she's been alive all these years in a coma. She woke up on her own last night" Dr. Moon began explaining which encouraged everyone else to be quiet. "You have a million and one questions and in time they'll be answered, I promise, but right now I need you all to come with me."

"Where are we going and what about our mother?" Minji asked, "One of us has to stay with her"

"She's coming with us and we're going to my private research facility, there's someone you all need to meet"

In less than an hour Mi-kyung was ready for transport. Minsu rode with her and Minji was well enough to drive so Jimin volunteered to ride with her so that wasn't in the car alone and the rest of us piled into our cars. Dr. Moon led the way; we drove for a while to the outskirts of Seoul to a rural area full of farmland. From what I could see it was a small community with some modernization. My head rested on Jin's shoulder as he held my hand, our fingers weaved together like a basket.

The vehicles maneuvered up a winding road carefully until we reached a grassy area that spread for several meters then opened up to a leveled concrete slab with a 5-story building taking up most of it. We drove around the grassland, on a path that led to the facility. A parking structure came into view so we all followed Dr. Moon's luxury brand car into the underground garage. The transport van veered to the left as we made a slight right and parked in a line of free spaces.

Everything felt surreal, like I was having an out of body experience. I knew I was walking but I couldn't feel my legs moving. I knew I was breathing but I couldn't grasp the air inflated and deflated my lungs. I knew I was awake, but the moment felt like a dream.

I stopped in the middle of a hallway, halting Yoongi who was holding my hand. "What's wrong?" He asked

"I- how do I know this is real?" I stuttered "How-how can my mom be alive? She...she shot herself, I saw the life go out of her"

"It is real Ma-ri, we're almost there and then you can see for yourself" Dr. Moon said. I nodded and started walking again

A few more minutes of walking and a very quiet elevator ride down to the sub levels we arrived at a reception desk. A handsome older man wearing navy blue scrubs sat behind it looking studious with his glasses perched on his nose, the computer screens reflected in them. The man looked to his right and smiled warmly at us.

""

"" he tapped the desktop

""

Yoongi squeezed my hand then brought it to his lips, kissing my knuckles. I was shaking as we walked and before I knew it, we came to a stop outside a patient room. Minsu was standing against a wall with arms crossed over his chest and a short, skinny woman stood a few feet from him with her hands behind her back. Her hair was the color of iced teas and styled in a shoulder length bob. When her eyes landed on Minji and me I heard her take a sharp breath.

"Oh my... you are both gorgeous"

"Thank you" we replied in unison

"I'm Sienna Kobayashi, I'm your grandmother, your father's mother" she revealed leaving all of us speechless and dropped jaws

"Our grandmother?" Minsu questioned "Our grandmother is Joong-hee Choi"

"Technically that is true since she's married to your grandfather, but I am Won-Jae's biological mother"

"How come we never met you or heard about you before now?" Minji asked the important follow up questions

"That's a long story and I'll tell you another time, but you three need to come with me" she motioned for us to follow her as Dr. Moon opened the door "Thank you Sebastian"

The guys naturally stepped back when the four of us moved to go inside the room. The moment I stepped through it was seared on my brain. The walls were bright and pristine white, the smell was an odd mix of flowers and sterility, my palms were moist with sweat, so I pulled on my sleeves to absorb it. My mouth was dry no matter how much spit I swallowed, and my ears were warm and ringing. Goosebumps raised on my skin. My sister looped her arms through mine and our brother's, she was also nervous.

"We're here for you" she quietly assured me

Sienna pulled the curtain back revealing two hospital beds, side by side. My heart skipped several beats when my vision, blurred with tears I never felt form, set on a sight I never thought I'd see again, a sight I've only been able to see when I closed my eyes, my mother's smile.

"" my voice cracked. Minji slipped her arm from mine so I could get closer.

Her big, bright smile opened the floodgates, fat juicy tears spilled over the rim of my eyes. I ran into her arms, not believing that I wasn't dreaming. My eyelids were clamped shut as I sobbed

"" I chanted like a mantra. Her arms wrapped tightly around me, and her lips kissed my face repeatedly

"

All I could do was shake my head and hold on for as long as possible before I woke up and came face to face with the harsh reality. I knew this wasn't real no matter how much her voice convinced me, no matter how much my sleep deprived brain tried to trick me into believing I was actually hugging my mother after 11 years, no matter how much the familiar scent of her snaking up my nostrils tried to delude my senses into thinking this was real.

It's not real.

People don't come back from the dead, all the wishing, hoping and praying ever couldn't bring them back. I stayed in my dream state until I felt the tug of reality. Her fingers caressed the side of my wet face, her thumb acting as a windshield wiper on the hot tears streaming down my cheeks.

"" her other arm fell from my back, and I cried harder because I knew this was it. This ultra-lucid dream was finally coming to an end. I was about to wake up in Jungkook's bed, still sandwiched between him and Namjoon.

The loss of contact as I backed away hurt my heart in a way I have never known. With my eyes still closed I exhaled a big breath and put both of my hands over my heart, ""

"Baby please open your eyes" Namjoon's voice echoed "You are not dreaming!" a harsh grip on my shoulders combined with a rough shake forced me to open my eyes all too soon

Mi-kyung waking up with a loud and rough draw of breath and an episode of violent coughing caught my attention. Turning to my left I saw her body shoot forward causing my siblings ran to her bedsides, patting her back and holding her hands. I watched as she calmed down, her dilated pupils searching then shrinking when she saw her children.

"Minji, Minsu, what happened?" she asked allowing them to adjust the pillows behind her

"You fell and hit your head pretty hard, do you remember anything?" my sister answered. Her mother shook her head and said no and looked around to see a room full of people. When her eyes got to me, I saw fear flash within them, it was only then when I noticed all my soulmates and the doctor entered the room at some point.

"softly touched my ears. My eyes bugged as I slowly turned to the right. "Come here my sweet girl" Namjoon took two steps back.

"Mommy, are you... here?"

"Yes" her brown eyes glistened with unshed tears

I pinched myself as hard as I could, hearing Jungkook, Tae, Jin and Joon hiss and rub their legs in the same spot I grabbed on myself.

Finally realizing I was not dreaming I jumped into her arms again ""

"she kissed my cheek and sniffled.

"Carla?" Mi-kyung's voice was a raspy whisper "How? How are you here right now?" her face grew paler; she was nearly transparent with the amount of color that flushed from her skin. Confusion and guilt were also present in her expression.

"Because of you. You saved me" my face contorted in pure confusion as did everyone else's. Her memory must have been affected by the gunshot

"No, no she's the reason you died" I corrected my mother in a calm tone

She cupped my cheek again, I leaned into the affectionate touch and covered her hand with mine, "No, she isn't. She's the reason I survived"

💙I don't know what to say. How are you all feeling about this?