Earth ???
10:00 pm
November 2, 2020

'If I was your soulmate, I wouldn't hesitate to fight for you, darling.'

V's words echoed in (Y/N)'s head, repeating over and over again as she walked to her temporary hideout: a rundown motel. There, a lazy teenage boy chewing a gum while casually scrolling down his phone on the front desk quietly murmured "welcome" the first she entered a couple of hours ago. The boy didn't bother asking for identifications at first— all he cared about was the money. Though, the real highlight of this place was its defective security cameras that aren't connected to anything; it was nothing but an illusion to scare off people who has malice intents.

It was a perfect place to stay... for now.

The area was secluded, devoid of any other high ranking supernaturals that's part of the underground world. But of course, she still wouldn't let her guard down too easily because those damned soulmates of hers have connections everywhere.

With her face stamped onto the Black Market for 5 billion won, surely, someone would come to try to take the bounty for themselves.

Although the thought of supernaturals with all types of ranks and powers going after her frightened her, especially since she no longer has automatic access to powers, she knew there was no time to mope off.

Walking to the entrance of the motel, with bags of food she got from a nearby convenience store on her left hand, she glanced at the paper on her right.

It was V's number.

"Call me if you need anything," he said, lips playing a sly smirk, "and I mean anything."

She didn't bother asking why he was so adamant on helping her. She needed to leave and it pained V that they didn't spend enough time.

The more (Y/N) thought about him, his words, which were surprisingly wise, became stuck in her mind. Based by his expressions, it was painfully obvious that V is experiencing the pain of a missing soulmate— that he didn't have to option to even be with his soulmate. She has yet to fully understand this emotionally. Even on the other world, it was hard to give herself to another human being and when she finally did, the unthinkable happened. (Y/N) isn't ready to move on. She still misses her Doyoung— she still misses all of the boys on the other world.

"You look troubled," the teenager on the counter commented as she enters the motel lobby. "Watcha thinking about miss?"

"Nothing you wouldn't understand kid," she responded flatly.

When her eyes landed on him, a flickering blue light blinded her vision. She stumbles a step back, confused on what it was, but as it kept disappearing and reappearing, (Y/N) realized that it was the second ability she unraveled trying to activate. (Y/N) called it "open book": the ability to read a living being like an open book upon eye contact. The difference between then and now is that it's not operating properly.

'Park Jisung,' she managed to decipher some words, 'Fuck... I can't read anything else about him.'

"You don't know if I'm really a kid," he slyly replied as he crossed his hands over his chest. "In our world, we never assume how old a being is. Don't cha already know that miss?"

"No. You could say I'm not really from around here," she awkwardly smiles. For a second, the weights from her shoulder felt lighter.

"Mm I sensed that. You don't have the typical aura that people have around here. Which parts did you come from? You don't have to answer that if you feel uncomfortable..."

"You're right, I'm uncomfortable answering that," (Y/N) said straightforwardly.

"No worries," he waves off. "I'm bored. Like really bored. Sorry if I'm rambling, but I haven't talked to another living being for days and I feel like I'm going insane."

"Why did you get this job if you know that you aren't going to talk to a lot of people?"

"What else? Money. It's the only thing I can do anyways. I'm not even going to lie, I'm lazy as fuck. Well I'm not really lazy, I just enjoy doing nothing. Sometimes, I wished I had the power to shape-shift so I can turn myself into a caterpillar so all I do is eat a lot, sleep, and wake up beautiful."

For the first time in a while, (Y/N) laughs genuinely. "That doesn't make sense. If you could shape-shift, can't you just turn yourself to a beautiful person right away?"

"You're right..." Jisung taps his chin with his index finger. He ruffles his hair and whines, "Anyways... working here makes me feel... safe. It's a dangerous time right now. If you're not affiliated to any groups or have not bonded with your soulmate, you're an easy target because no one can protect you but yourself. As you can guess, I'm not powerful."

"If I may ask—"

"Yes you may," he cheekily smiles.

(Y/N) chuckles. "Why aren't you in one?"

"Ah..." he scratches the nape of his neck, "a group that my soulmate is in actually offered me to join them, but I haven't given him or them an answer. In a matter of fact, I haven't even bonded with my soulmate. I don't— I can't share everything about my life to him, to them; I'm not ready to give myself out to anyone just yet."

A spark flickered in her eyes, it's as if in that moment she connected with him. It was odd to feel sympathetic for someone she'd never met. (Y/N) forgot that it was normal to experience emotions other than anger or the thirst for power; (Y/N) had been so absorbed on acting as Black Mamba that she'd forgotten who she truly was. She journeyed through this change, not on calm seas, but in storms that would engulf so many. It's been so long she'd seen the light, a day where the clouds doesn't cover the blue sky she loves.

"How about you? Are you in a group?" Jisung questioned.

"No... my story is quite complicated." (Y/N) stood up, ready to leave, but Jisung stopped her.

"We have a long night ahead of us."

She smiles at his cute attempt of making her stay.

"Like seriously, by this time, it's completely dead."

"Fine," she huffs. "And to satisfy your curiosity... unlike you, I've already given myself to someone... but..."

"But?"

"We we're separated. I don't know when I'll see him again."

"Is he your soulmate?"

She looks at him with teary eyes. "I considered him to be, but the universe had other plans. I'm starting to believe that we were never meant to be... and if him and I never talk again, I at least wanted him to remember that I am changed by who he was and what he meant to me."

"Damn..." Jisung murmurs. "That's deep."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to trauma dump you."

"No don't say that. I asked in the first place. I was just surprised that's all. If you said that you considered him to be, does that mean he wasn't your true soulmate?"

(Y/N) was confused for a moment. She does consider Doyoung as her soulmate, but in this world, that was already decided for you. Biting her lips, she reluctantly said, "no... he wasn't my true soulmate."

Her heart ached, she wanted to break down and cry, but she had no one whom she could lean her shoulder on.

"I'm sorry that you feel that this happened to you," he says apologetically and looks at her with an understanding gaze.

"No, you shouldn't feel sorry. You don't even know me."

"Do I really have to know a person before I can tell what they really feel?"

Sighing, (Y/N) nods her head. "You're right."

"Hey tell you what, wanna watch a movie with me? I got some really good ones that I've been wanting to watch but didn't wanna watch alone cause that's depressing. Let's forget about soulmates and shit and just focus on us." Jisung wiggles his eyes brows up and down. "C'mon, what do you say?"

(Y/N) smiles. "How old are you again? Because you look awfully young and I don't want for people to mistaken me as someone who's dating you."

"Ew, that's gross. But I'm 218. Now c'monnnn."

"Damn you're a grandpa."

"Hey that's considered young in my species," he scoots over his seat and propped his phone on top of the reception desk.

"Fine." She groans in defeat and sat next to Jisung. "What's this movie about?"

"Just watch!"

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It was nearing 1:00 am in the morning.

Jisung's head was resting on top of her shoulders, his eyelids struggling to keep open while (Y/N)'s mouth opened wide, yawning to keep herself awake. Realizing that she had been awake for a whole entire day without resting, the adrenaline that was pumping through her veins, the rush that kept her from harms away, began vanishing all at once. All she felt was nothing but exhaustion and soreness.

"Jisung... I'm going back to my room," she sleepily said, hands softly stationing the boy's head on top of the desk. "Goodnight."

He grumbles in response, saliva already trailing down from his lips as a snore made its way out of his nose.

As she walked to her room, (Y/N) suddenly leaned against the wall, the floor beneath her swaying in circular motions. The fatigue was hitting her all at once. And without her supernatural capabilities of self healing, she began feeling everything.

The soreness came first.

Her muscles cramped together, each ligament twisting and churning. She stifled a scream as she looked up at the ceiling, hoping for everything to go away— hoping to just go sleep so when she wakes up in the morning, everything that happened was just a nightmare.

(Y/N) mustered the courage to stand, to keep walking, but then the pain came in flames. It was hotter than Seokjin's fire, hotter than her own. And it took every single fiber of her body to keep herself from ripping the bracelet and finally feel that rush of power stitching back her body to its original state.

'No,' she thought, 'not yet. I'm not giving up yet.'

After all that she'd gone through in less than a day, she had almost forgotten to be a human.

To feel the light and the dark— to have a full range of emotions that wasn't just anger and lust for control. She forgot the feelings of happiness and compassion, remorse and regret, until she'd met Ji— Taehyung in this foreign world.

'Am I really thinking about that guy right now??'

With shaky hands, (Y/N) took out a business card from her pocket. It was a gift that Taehyung had given her before departing. Although, she couldn't understand how this a was gift or why she accepted it in the first place. The card was embedded in red ink, with Taehyung's full name in the center and underneath was a writing: Your wish, my command.

(Y/N) sighed, her lips cracked and dry.

Then, timed to perfection, she heard heavy footsteps behind her.

"Black Mamba," a masculine voice called out.

'Oh I'm really starting to hate that goddamn name.'

Reluctantly, (Y/N) turns her whole body around, partly disappointed that it wasn't Taehyung who shows up before her, but a man who stands 7 feet tall. His muscles are so big it looked like it hurt to move and head bald enough that she could see her own wary reflection. She tried to stand straighter, but the pain began burning hotter.

"I feel like I'm cursed or something," she says, lips playing a small smile. "Tell me sir, have crows landed on your head?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You know, cause crows love shiny things."

"Is that your attempt of intimidating me?" The man raises a brow, scoffing at her weak appearance.

"Nah, not really. It's just the first thing that popped in my head."

"Are you really Black Mamba that everyone has been talking about? You look weak."

(Y/N)'s mind raced with various thoughts on how she could beat him, but there was none. She doesn't know how to control her powers nor even activate them with this damned bracelet. Her instincts screamed at her to fight him, destroy him like how she destroyed the others, to at least try to defend herself, but her body was nowhere its original condition. (Y/N) clenched her fists, ignoring the sharp pain that shot up her whole entire body.

He took a step forward and she took a step back.

She could feel an ungodly amount of energy radiating from his body, raw power that threatened to crush her and take her hostage.

'He must be one of supernaturals that wanted to claim Namjoon's bounty,' she thought. Desperation clawed at her throat, but refused to give in to fear. 'I just need to know his powers. Focus (Y/N). Just foc—'

Instead of moving, she froze.

She truly is still a human.

Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing louder and louder, each beat acting like the seconds in a stop-watch counting down her impending doom.

(Y/N) saw it coming.

But without her powers, with just her own brain at hand, all she could do was stand there, paralyzed by fear.

Time seemed to slow down as he closed in one her, his body lunging forward with a fist slicing through the air.

'You're never going to see Doyoung again.'

The impact was nothing she had ever experienced. She belittled herself as she kept relying for her powers to activate and thinking 'if I have it right now...'

If.

The thoughts of what she can do to this man's frightened her.

Agony exploded in her ribs, radiating outwards in a continuous wave. She was lifted off her feet, the force of his blow, his fists covering the majority of her abdomen, sent her propelling against the wall. The sensation of flying through the air was disorienting, and for a brief, surreal moment, she felt weightless.

Reality came crashing back as she hit the ground, hard. The air was knocked out of her lungs, and she lay there as her organs began failing. Gasping, every attempt of movement was met with searing torture, her muscles refusing to obey her commands. Tears of frustration and fear welled up in her eyes. Her mind was in a chaotic swirl of helplessness and terror and his steps were getting closer and closer, she tried to hoist herself up from the ground, arms trembling beneath her.

"Pathetic," he grumbles, his voice a deep menacing growl. "This is the great Black Mamba?"

In that moment, as he raises his foot on top of her chest, all she could do was close her eyes and pray for it to be over quickly, but it never came.

Her vision, which was slowly drifting away, caught a glimpse of another man standing behind this giant, hands pressed against its back.

What caught her attention was this man's eyes.

They weren't black, per se.

They were more of a deep, grayish brown that imitated black in the light. It reminded her of someone so familiar that she mistaken herself to be dead, that she was finally back.

And as her eyes became heavier.

Her powers finally activated.

Name: Kim Dong Young

Age: 24

Code Name: Doyoung

Occupation:
————

Powers/Kind:
————

Power Rank: ————

Soulmate (s): ————

Then everything went black.

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A/N

Finally trying to write again! Sorry for any gramatical mistakes and such.

— France 💛