Im really sorry for the long wait! I'll probably be able to update much more frequently now. Thanks for waiting! 💜 Also thank you SO MUCH for 30k reads!!!! I never thought I would get this far. :)

XXXIX: Jungkook

Tonight, I have another nightmare.

I'm back on the battlefield, Lucius holding me in his viselike grip, murderous face grinning down at me. His knife gleams in the moonlight, the silver shining as if already covered in blood. When I scream, he only laughs, digging his knife in deeper. Every time Lucius cuts me, his face changes from Jimin, to Jin, to Taehyung.

I wake up in cold sweat, clutching the blanket to my chest. My breathing is erratic, and the light that filters in through a nearby window pierces my vision. Groaning, I roll to the side, blinking my eyes. I reach out my arms, seeking out the warm hands and gentle words that greet me whenever I wake up from a nightmare.

But there's no one beside me.

Of course there isn't. Memories cascade into my head, and I want to push them back as I remember Jimin's cloth, and Taehyung's sad eyes looming over me. How he kissed me so gently before making me face the handkerchief drugged with chloroform.

The separation.

The feeling is worse than I ever thought possible. A part of me wails for the piece it's lost, crying out from the sharp pain. The soulmate bond is stretched thin, and I can feel an ache in my heart. All the happiness I had felt being with Taehyung throughout the years is washed away, replaced by the immediate pain of loss.

I run a hand over my mark, calling on it for comfort. Remembering the ghost of Taehyung's touch as he used to kiss it every night. How we would cuddle afterwards, lost in each other's warmth. Would we ever be able to do that again? Be so carefree without any of the darkness that now looms over us?

I'm so deep in thought that I don't hear the bedroom door being opened, and a familiar silver-haired figure hesitantly enters, holding a bowl of broth in his hands. It's only when he sets the broth down with a soft clink on a table that I look up. I immediately regret it when I see those silver eyes; the same ones which had assisted in my drugging.

"You―you―" I back away from him like a scared animal. Jimin takes a step towards me, but stops when he sees that my back is pressed against the bed frame. The sickeningly sweet scent of chloroform still taints the air, and I want to cower away from it.

"Jungkook, please listen―" I ignore Jimin's pleading and jump out of bed, rushing past him to the door. There's a long wooden corridor stretched out before me, and I slip on the polished oak before getting back up and running down the stairs. Downstairs seems to be a kitchen, and Baekhyun is there, stirring something in a large pot. He looks up when he hears me coming.

"Oh hey Jungkook, I―"

I'm out the front door before he can finish. My bare feet are cold on the stone porch while I look around in wonder, taken, for a moment, by the mesmerizing landscape.

Taehyung wasn't lying.

Beautiful flower fields stretch out as far as the eye can see, surrounded by crystal lakes. In the distance, tall mountains stretch up to the sky, their snow-covered peaks high enough to touch the heavens. The sky is a clear blue with a white cloud floating here and there. The sun's rays are muted, as always in the vampire world, casting a warm glow on the land. All in all, it's a picturesque place, fit to be on the front of a fancy postcard.

But it might as well have been a frozen wasteland.

Because Taehyung isn't here.

Running through the flowers, I distantly hear someone calling my name. But I block it out as I search the green landscape for some kind of exit. Some way to get back.

The door.

Taehyung had said that this place was connected to the kitchen door. Which meant all I needed to do was find it. But it's soon clear that that's easier said than done. In all four directions, flower fields seem to stretch endlessly, and there's no sign of an oak door.

My foot gets caught in a clump of daisies, and I almost stumble before steadying myself. There's a rectangle of green vines right ahead of me, and even in my frantic state, I have to admit that this is an odd place for vines. What do they have to grow upon? And was that concrete peeking out from beneath the leaves? I can also see stone steps in front of the vine-covered structure, barely visible in the tall grass. As my mind clears from the drowsiness, my eyes widen. 

Concrete.

Steps.

Odd place...

DOOR.

I stumble over to the presumed door, parting the vines that must have grown on top after all the years of abandonment. Sure enough, the familiar oak wood is visible underneath the green leaves, and I'm beside myself with triumph and happiness. I can feel the soulmate bond getting stronger from just being close to a gateway back.

I brush away the vines encircling the door handle, feeling the cool metal beneath my palm. I feel like crying with joy. Finally, I would be able to go back to Taehyung. This door is my ticket back to Armad. With this, I am finally able to go back home. All I had to do was turn it.

... But what for?

Taehyung wouldn't be happy to see me back. He may even be angry at me, based on how much trouble he went through to get me here. I could almost imagine his face if I burst into his office, how he would only stare at me stonily as I hugged him. At best, he would have me dragged back here, and all my efforts would have been for nothing.

My grip on the handle loosens, and I find myself hesitating. Do I have it in me to risk his disapproval? It's a silly question; I should be able to risk anything to be able to get out of here. To be back with him. But the thought of Taehyung being mad at me... Being disappointed in me...

A feeling of anger boils up in my chest, though I no longer understand who it's directed to. Jimin, for drugging me? Taehyung for letting him do it? Or perhaps it was for the monster, who had caused this mess in the first place. My feelings are a jumbled mess, and I no longer understand if I want to go or not. I stand frozen on the stone steps, while my mind has a battle with my heart. Just this once, my mind seems to have a chance of winning. What was the point of going back only to be pushed back again?

I feel a light pat on my shoulder, and turn to see Jimin. He stands a mere two feet away from me, hands awkwardly shoved in his pockets. He's biting his lip so hard that I'm afraid it's going to bleed.

"Are you okay? You've been staring at the door for five minutes now." When I don't answer, he sighs, running an agitated hand through his silver hair. "Listen, I know what I did was wrong. You have every right to be mad. This is the second time I've drugged you. You may never be able to forgive me, but―"

"It's alright," I say, cutting him off. "I know why you did it. You had to follow Taehyung's orders. But that doesn't mean I have to like it." It seems pointless to stay mad at Jimin when he was so reluctant to do it in the first place. I let my fingertips brush the handle one last time before I pull my hand back. There's no point, anyway. Jimin follows my gaze.

"You're not going?" He doesn't sound surprised.

"I'm too much of a coward to go," I say, plopping myself down on the grass and burying my face in my hands. I hear Jimin sit down next to me. His presence is comforting as he drapes an arm across my shoulders. "I'm afraid of what Taehyung's going to say when he sees me. Will he be annoyed? Mad? Definitely not happy, I'm sure."

"Jungkook, Taehyung could never be annoyed to see you," Jimin says gently. "Certainly not mad. He'll probably be elated, even for a moment. He loves you. And that's the exact reason he's making you go away. He wants to protect you."

"He's spent his whole life protecting me," I wipe a stray tear from my cheek. "Why can't he let me help him for once? Especially at the time that he needs it most."

"It gets impossible to bear after a while," Jimin murmurs. "Seeing everyone you love get hurt. His parents were killed, Lucius is dead by his hand, and I can't even start to guess what he felt when you were at the doors of death. He's just lost too much, Jungkook. You can't blame him for being overprotective."

I suddenly feel a pang of guilt that I hadn't thought of that sooner. Taehyung had no family left, save for Lisa and his ever disapproving grandfather. I couldn't even begin to imagine what he suffered through when his parents died. To me, Lucius had only been an enemy, but for Taehyung, he was his blood brother. He must have felt some pain from Lucius's death. My voice wobbles when I speak next.

"Hyung, do you think he's going to be okay?"

Jimin takes a long time to answer, twirling a dandelion in his hands. The breeze blows away the white puffs of seeds, but he barely seems to notice.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat anything, Jungkook." He finally says, and I nod. "Truthfully... I don't know. I've never seen the monster in action; only ever heard stories about it from Hoseok. And the stories themselves were never pleasant. Taehyung doesn't like to talk about it much, not even to me. But if he feels the need for you to go away, it must be bad. In all the years I've been with him, I've never heard him so urgent as the time he called me and Baekhyun to his office to discuss plans for your escape. To be honest, I'm not sure how long he'll be able to last."

The words send a chill up my spine, even in the warm sunlight of the meadow. To think that an unknown darkness was destroying my soulmate from the inside out... that idea was too horrible to imagine. But I force myself to face it. How else would I ever be able to help Taehyung if I first can't accept the facts?

"I'm sorry. You probably didn't want to hear that, did you?" Jimin peers at me, concerned.

"No... I'm glad you didn't sugarcoat anything," I say, "I needed to hear all of that. And... there's no way to stop it?"

Jimin fiddles with the grass stalks in his hands. "Like I said, I don't know all the exact facts. You should probably ask Hoseok or Lisa when they come. I can't imagine that Taehyung will let them stay at Armad for long, with the monster's rising so close. Especially since he's already evacuated you."

"Then I'll get all the facts from them," I say. "There's bound to be something that might be able to help Taehyung. Even the smallest scrap of information is welcome."

"You're certainly determined, I'll give you that," Jimin says, his lips curving into a smile. "But you won't be able to work on an empty stomach. Baekhyun says he made some food. He's being a bit nicer than usual, so we should probably take advantage of that. It's not everyday that we have the luxury to wake up to a non-grouchy Baekhyun." Brushing off the grass on his pants, Jimin stands up, offering a hand for me to take. After a moment, I grab onto it, letting him haul me up.

As I look at the door one last time, I can only imagine what Taehyung is doing. For the first time in five years, there's a feeling of loneliness in my chest. Like an essential part of me is missing. How easy it would be, to just turn the handle and go in. To reunite with Taehyung and refuse to go back. To ignore his wishes and stay by his side. 

But I don't.

XXXIX: Taehyung

The castle seems colder without Jungkook.

I suppose I'd gotten used to seeing his face when I turned a corner, or how he always found a way to snuggle onto my lap while I was working. His presence gave a spark of light to this otherwise dark place. Now, the whole castle seems to be feeling the loss, and a breeze blows mournfully through an open window.

Focus, Taehyung.

Five vampires stare at me expectantly from around the reading room, waiting to understand why I had called them here. I can't waste any of the precious time I have left.

"I need to talk to all of you," I start. "Dark forces are gathering. And their gathering can't be stopped. We don't have much time left, so listen closely."

"Dark forces... you mean Shadow Valley? I thought we signed a peace agreement with Xian," Namjoon says, and I shake my head. "No, not Shadow Valley. Something... else. Something worse."

"What he means is that there's another danger approaching. And we should all be prepared for its coming," Hoseok adds helpfully, shooting a glance in my direction.

"Yes, thank you Hoseok. But you all should do more than just prepare." I lick my lips preparing to deliver the news. "I want you to leave. Every single one of you." Gasps echo from around the room, and Hoseok's eyes stretch wide open. Even he hasn't expected this. After a moment, Jin raises his hand, and I gesture for him to speak.

"But why? What can be so bad that we all need to evacuate? If there's a danger coming, I understand why you took Jungkook away, but everyone here is an experienced fighter. We can fight off any enemy."

"Not this one," I say, and Jin frowns. "This is my trouble alone. I can't have any of you mixed up in this. That's why I need you all to go." I look at all the gathered vampires in the room in turn. "It's not safe for you here anymore."

"So does that mean you're going to be here alone?" Jin asks, and I nod. Shaking his head, he opens his mouth to argue, but Yoongi beats him to it.

"Taehyung, that's crazy," He says, and I can see he still hasn't figured out what's really happening, despite what Hoseok told me. "I know how good of a fighter you are, but this is complete suicide. If this enemy is as bad as you make it out to be, how can you possibly fight it off alone?"

"That's my problem, not yours." I tell him, and I can that he's less than satisfied with my answer. But that's all he'll get from me. When he starts to protest, I make my voice cold, pulling out the Mask that lives within me. "That's an order, Yoongi." He looks momentarily stunned, before hesitantly nodding. I rarely ever raise my voice, especially not to him. The whole room seems a bit shocked, and an uneasy silence descends upon us.

"Where should we go?" Namjoon asks, breaking the silence. "Any specific place you have in mind?"

I shake my head. "Your separate homes in the Sirius clan, my childhood home, the human world, I don't care. Just go away from me." After a slight pause, I add, "It might be a good decision to stay in the Sirius. I don't know how safe the other clans will be." Namjoon raises an eyebrow, but doesn't try to argue.

I see Lisa staring at me closely, head cocked to one side. She knows about the monster. Perhaps better than anyone else in the room, even Hoseok. I sent her to Armad before she could see the full scope of it, but she saw enough for it to be permanently engraved in her mind. There's no doubt that she'll be able to put two and two together before the end of the day. Which gave me even more reason to hurry.

"How will we know when to come back?" Jin asks, his furrowed brow the only indication of his disapproval.

"I'll reach out to all of you when the time comes," I promise. Jin seems to relax a little, but not much.

I give a wave of my hand. "If there's nothing else anyone wants to say, then you're all dismissed. Make sure you're all gone by the end of today. And... I'm sorry that I can't fully tell you what the danger is. It's better for you all that way." I see many sympathetic and somewhat confused glances directed at me, but I force myself not to meet them. There were no answers that I could give them. I hear Namjoon talking to Jin in urgent tones as they leave, and Jin takes time to give me a hug. I return it.

Hoseok catches my arm as he heads to the doorway, his gaze sharp and serious. His voice is low, so that only I can hear.

"I think that this plan is absurd, Taehyung. Do you think that we can't protect you? We'll do everything we can to stop the rising of the monster, even you know that much. I swore to follow your orders, but this is completely ludicrous. At least with us you'll stand a chance. To fight all this darkness off by yourself..." He just shakes his head. "That's a death sentence."

I gently pull away from his grip. "It's what I have to do. You of all people should understand. I can't have anybody else I love dying for no reason. Dying because of me. Let me do this, Hoseok. Let me be the one to protect you all this time. Please." He can see it in my eyes that I'm not changing my mind. Emitting a long sigh, he slowly removes his fingers from my arm. I nod in gratitude.

Hoseok suddenly looks much older than he did yesterday. The bags underneath his eyes are painfully visible. "Just... don't get yourself killed then, yeah? I want you in a single piece when I come back. And I'm not talking about just physically." In a louder voice, he adds, "Any message for Jungkook?"

I hesitate. "Tell him... to not worry. And that I'm sorry." The message barely scratches the surface of how I actually feel, but it had to be enough. Hoseok nods, finally making for the doorway. But not before he sends me one last look: one full of useless frustration, and a bit of hope. Hope for me to live. I break eye contact before I can fully indulge in his shared wishes. We both know how slim the chances are of me actually winning over the monster. And he doesn't even know about the deal I made.

Only Lisa stays. Before I can open my mouth, she speaks.

"I still think this is wrong, you know." Her tone is bitter, like it always is when she's worried out of her mind. "You shouldn't have to do this all alone. I know why you're sending us away. It's horrifying, the callous way you treat your body. Only the Great Above knows what our parents are thinking right now."

"They would be proud that I'm keeping my promise." I say, and she looks up. "You may not remember, but I made a promise to them. Right before they died. I told them I would continue to protect you even when they're gone. And now, look at you." I allow myself a small smile. "So beautiful, strong, courageous―"

"Of course I remember," Lisa murmurs, emitting a long sigh. "I just wish you didn't. I can handle myself without needing you to look after me."

"I'll always look after you," I suddenly remember all the childhood memories I made with her. "You're my baby sister. It's my job to make sure you stay out of harm's way."

She rolls her eyes. "Next time, make sure to protect Jungkook instead of me. It's the only thing you're good for." She bumps me playfully with her shoulder, but her expression soon turns serious again. There's a ring of truth in her words that both of us know is there.

"You should go now," I push her gently towards the door. "Get out of here."

Her hands grab mine with sudden urgency. "Fight the darkness within, Taehyung. As long as you can fight it, you stand in the light. Don't give up."

"I'll try," I say, giving her hands a squeeze. "Now, go." She looks back at me one last time, before heading out to rejoin the rest of the group. Distantly, I wonder when will be the next time I'll be able to see her again. Or any of them. Or Jungkook. I look away before the memories get too painful. Turning on my heel, I exit the reading room in the opposite direction, letting my body be engulfed in the shadow of the hallway.

I was already doused in shadows, anyway. Both in body and soul.

5 hours later

Everyone's gone.

The shadows seem to dance on the walls, stalking me as I walk swiftly through the winding hallways. No laughter resonates through this castle, no voices, no cries, no nothing. The eerie silence is deafening, and a cold wind sweeps through the now deserted castle walls.

I shouldn't be surprised. The revenant girl had told me this from the start. You can't stop it. The monster will take over eventually, and you will lose everything you love. You by yourself will never be able to conquer it. She was right. Skies, she was right.

Snapping my fingers to open the pair of glass doors leading to a balcony, I step out into the cool night air. The last dying rays of sun are just disappearing over the horizon, and the sky is bathed in an onyx black. Sighing, I let my elbows rest on the balcony rim, watching as the first stars blink into view. Tiny gems of impossible beauty that decorate the otherwise ink-filled sky.

But this calm, scenic view is deceptive.

For in my head, nothing is stopping the darkness tearing down wall after wall of the barrier I put between it and my mind. And I don't have it in me to fight it anymore. If I broke my promise, there was nothing stopping the monster from making my friends and family suffer more when it inevitably took control. And yet, goosebumps still run up my arms when I hear the dreaded voice. When I let myself sink yet again into the darkness. 

Time's up. 

What Taehyung's childhood home looks like: