2 1/2 chapters before the war! Are you excited? I'm excited. Finally time to get into the teà🍵🍵

XXV: Taehyung

12 hours later

The silver mask lays in my drawer; forgotten, unused.

But still alive.

The metal seems to yearn and stretch in my hands, wanting to dig its way into my skin. Wanting to become a part of me. I took it off long ago, hating the way that it clung to my face like a leech, sucking me dry of any emotion other than bloodlust. People wondered why my mask hadn't melded to my face yet, considering that I was the best fighter Bloodcrest had seen in a century. That was probably because I took the damned thing off every moment I was alone. If I had kept it on for my whole stay at Bloodcrest, no doubt that I too would have become a steel-hearted killer by now. Just like my fellow classmates. But even I couldn't deny that the mask held an essential part of my soul. It felt somehow right in my hands, and I hated the feeling more than anything.

"You should wear it," A voice comes unexpectedly from behind, and I turn around. Yoongi stands there, face filled with mild curiosity as he glances at the silver mask.

"I don't want to," I reply gruffly, shoving the mask back in my drawer. Foolish of me to ever even bring it out.

"But you should," Yoongi says, seating himself on a chair at the entryway of my room. "It signifies your power, prestige. Becoming a Mask is no easy task. Take pride in it."

I whirl on him, twenty years of torment evident in my eyes. "Take pride in it? Pride? You want me to find pleasure in killing innocents mercilessly? The endless massacres? When I kill, I kill with a purpose. Not because some high-ranking centurion ordered me to. A Mask is no more than a murder tool. I want to be more than that."

"And you are. No one will deny that," Yoongi's calm voice placates my anger. "But it's foolish to let those feelings override your sense of judgement." He nods towards the drawer. "That silver mask is part of a Mask's soul. Even I know that much. Force it off, and it won't give you back as much power as it could. To truly use some of its abilities, you have to put yourself into the mask. Embrace it Taehyung, at least for the duration of this war. We need our leader at full power."

"I know that," I sigh. "Am I being selfish Yoongi? I'm trying to do everything so that the past doesn't repeat itself... but it's getting hard. So hard. This mask and the monster are almost the same. They feed on death, blood, and the sufferings of others. I don't want to become like that."

"As long as you keep your devil side in check, nothing like that will happen," He says with confidence that I wish I had. "Even if so, it will probably take the monster more than a century to gain full control. We have plenty of time to plan―"

"I don't have that long," I interrupt. "The barrier won't last another 100 years. I can feel it. I'm losing the battle. More than that, I'm afraid―afraid that wearing the mask will only speed up the process."

Yoongi is silent for a minute, slowly taking in this new information. His mouth tightens into a grim line. He's been my stalwart friend for so long, that he can clearly see how much this is affecting me. But now is hardly the time to be obsessing over my worries when we have a war looming on the horizon. Before he can voice his concerns, I cut him off.

"No matter. We should focus on one problem at a time. Right now, our first priority is winning this war. Am I right when I say that all the soldiers have assembled in the forest and will be ready for attack by dawn?"

"Yes sir," Yoongi immediately snaps into military position, the earlier alarm in his eyes cleverly concealed. "10,000 troops from every corner of our territory. They're ready for your orders at any moment. 10 troops are still left on the eastern border in case Shadow Valley would be sly enough to launch a sneak attack."

"Excellent," I let myself savor the small step forward. "And the humans? Have you evacuated all of them from London?"

"Most of them... but there are still some left. It's hard to convince them to leave their homes without revealing the reason."

I nod. "Good enough. The rest will have to cope with the circumstances. We can try and move some of them while the war goes on, but that can't be our main priority."

"It shouldn't be," Yoongi agrees, "But it's still important. Just think of the stories that the mortal news would make up if hundreds of humans are killed in the midst of battle! I have to give it to them; humans have quite the imagination."

I smile a little at the thought. "Of course. For once, those systems will work to our advantage. For all they know, vampires are still mythical creatures of the night. There's been scattered attacks around their world, but many are still very dubious that vampires are the cause. Those thoughts will work very well with our plan."

Yoongi snorts quietly. "200,000 years. They've had 200,000 years to figure out what creatures are real and what are not. I wonder what they would think if they knew that most creatures they deemed to be purely fictional actually exist. Humans never cease to surprise me with their lack of perception."

"It's not all their fault," I remind him. "Most of us want to go undetected by the mortal population. We can't have humans unearthing our secrets and ruining all that we've worked for. That would be disastrous."

Yoongi nods. "True enough. Gods forbid, if they ever learn our ways with weapons and building, they would start their mass production unit, and soon every human will be armed with the highest quality steel. They would pose a danger to our survival. If that happens, we would have to kill them all, which would be really messy and tiring. I've always liked humans. It would be a shame to have to eradicate them."

"Careful," I warn, "You're forgetting that Jungkook is still human. I'm not going to let you simply wipe out a race that my soulmate is a part of. Besides, humans have their uses."

"From how things are going between you two, I would say that he won't be human for much longer," Yoongi says with a sly smile. I hit him on the arm, and he backs away, hands raised for truce. I sigh.

"Though you do have a point about the steel. My Bloodcrest centurion would have said the same thing. You would have made a good Mask, Yoongi. You sound just like one," I say, and he looks stunned for a moment, before shaking his head. "Being a Mask isn't for me. I wouldn't fit the role."

I tilt my head. "Because you don't like killing?"

"Because I'm afraid of losing sight of myself. You said it yourself; you didn't like how the mask tried to make you into another person. Most people... when they go into Bloodcrest, they never come out quite the same. I've only heard rumors of the place, but they're enough to convince me to be thankful that I was never chosen to attend. I can't imagine what it must have felt like for you."

"It was... a new experience," I say after a moment's hesitation. "A valuable experience, but one that I never want to do again. Never."

He nods, gaze shifting to my arm that's still covered in bandages. "How's your arm?"

"A bit sore, but nothing I can't handle. I'll be able to hold a scim perfectly by tomorrow." I say, and obvious relief lights up in Yoongi's eyes. "Good. I'll leave you, then. I'm sure you have other things to do rather than sit around talking to me."

He starts to walk out, but he pauses when he gets to the doorway. Turning around, he gestures towards the drawer where I kept my mask.

"Think about what I said about the mask, Taehyung. I know that you hate it, but maybe it isn't a bad idea to put it on." With that, Yoongi slips out of the room before I can answer.

I watch his retreating figure, his words echoing in my head. Yoongi knew how much I loathed Bloodcrest, so if he was wanting me to wear the mask, there was always a good reason behind his words. I wanted to listen to his advice... but the consequences―

Jungkook. I should find Jungkook. Perhaps he could help me.

Walking through the corridors, I finally stop at the door of his room. Opening the door to his bedroom, I'm surprised to see the bed empty and the sheets cold. He must have not come back here yet. But then, where was he?

"Where's Jungkook?" I ask a nearby servant, who's folding some clothes. She directs me to the reading room, at the other end of the castle, bowing once before scuttling away. As soon as I enter, I see his form on the couch near the window, a blanket thrown over his small frame. I immediately feel better from being close to him.

He's fallen asleep on the couch, a book still in his hands. His head is nestled in some pillows, and his legs are drawn up to his chest protectively. The white robes he's wearing makes him look all the more ethereal, like an angel that has fallen down from the Great Above. His rosy cheeks are tinted red from the cold, and black hair falls onto his forehead like a wreath.

And this man is my soulmate.

My soulmate.

Mine.

No one else could claim him.

I carefully pick him up, conscious that any slight jostle would wake him. He mumbles in his sleep, turning over so that his head is resting in the crook of my arm. I carry him out of the reading room, debating whether or not to take him to his room, or my room. The first stars of twilight are just beginning to blink into view, and deep indigo is spreading across the sky like a thick blanket. My arm sends a dull ache through my body, reminding me that the wound is still there. I need to rest it as soon as possible.

My room it is.

Twisting the doorknob, I enter the bedroom, snapping my fingers to let the soft glow of lamps illuminate the room. I lay Jungkook down on the bed, making sure to pull the thick covers over him. His hand twitches, but he doesn't wake. Looking down at him, I couldn't help but think that it was a cruel inkling of fate for us to be put together. He deserved so much more than a soulmate who was swimming in darkness. The only consolation I could give was that he wasn't mated to be with Lucius.

I knew Lucius. I knew the consequences of what would happen if Sirius lost the battle. Not long after my rejection, Lucius had acquired... a taste for young boys. Many frequented him in his barracks at Bloodcrest. It was disgusting to say the least, but there wasn't much to be done. The centurions never really cared about what we did after training hours, so those deeds were never punished. Sometimes it was even encouraged.

I also knew what would happen if Lucius ever got his hands on Jungkook. He would rape him, most likely more than once. Then he would use Jungkook as a courtesan in his castle until he got tired of him. If Jungkook was lucky, he would get killed in the process. If not, he would be sold as a slave, beaten, and then killed. The choices of punishment if he misbehaved were endless. If he was a vampire, perhaps things would be a bit better. But enslaved humans were the lowest of ranks, and were treated no better than trash. Even though I had outlawed that type of slavery in the Sirius, many clans still practiced it. A pretty boy like Jungkook would fetch high prices almost anywhere, and I clenched my teeth at the thought of him being bought by some buyer who's only thought was of brutal sex.

As I watch his sleeping form, I notice how his eyelids flutter ever so slightly as he breathes, and the dark of his long eyelashes framing his eyes. His face is so serene, so beautiful. A face that one can make only if they have never experienced heart-shattering pain. I want to keep it that way. For his sake and mine.

I then look down at the drawer which holds the mask. Slowly, I grip the golden handle and ease it open. The mask inside glints back at me, the polished silver hiding its true nature like a veil. I take it in my hands and examine it.

The mask would give me power. And I would need all the power I could get to defeat Lucius. It would send a message through the enemy ranks that I was no ordinary soldier, but a Mask that had survived Bloodcrest. The mask could ensure that Jungkook could still live without pain. It may speed up the rising of the monster, but that was a risk I was willing to take.

And in a split second, I make my decision.

I put on the mask.