❝Ash on an old man's sleeve

Is all the ash the burnt roses leave.

Dust in the air suspended

Marks the place where a story ended.

Dust inbreathed was a house-

The walls, the wainscot and the mouse,

The death of hope and despair,

This is the death of air.❞

-T.S. Eliot

⚠️ If you are not comfortable with the topic of death, especially death by burning, please DO NOT read this chapter. You have been warned.⚠️

VII: Taehyung 

The stench of death hovered in the air, curling around everything and anyone surrounding it.

The flames devouring this city weren't from any normal fire.

Only a vampire could make fire rise this high and aggressively.

It was the starting of a war, whether we wanted it or not.

"The attacks are getting worse," Yoongi muttered to my right, staring at the city ablaze. "Even Shadow Valley has taken it too far this time." I nodded gravely, taking in the mass destruction around me.

Flames licked at the iron frames of buildings and devoured everything in its path. As we watched, the spire of a skyscraper fell with a horrific crack, crashing down on the already fire-burned pillars and towers on the ground. Embers flashed and fell, turning the sky into an orange firework show which no one wanted to watch.

So much like the devastating fire 300 years ago...

Screams echoed around us, as throngs of people fled the city, each carrying only the bare necessities with them. Most had only the clothes on their backs, as they ran with blackened feet towards the fleeting hope of escape. Any stragglers left were devoured by the hungry flames, dying screams fading away into nothing as the blazing monster barreled down the streets of what used to be one of the bustling capitals of the human world.

None of them saw us.

None of them could see us.

We were the only people walking towards the ongoing holocaust, while everyone else was focused on saving themselves. Or more specifically, what was left of themselves.

I crouched down, making sure that my sleeves were rolled up, before stroking a piece of the raging fire beside me with my hand. My emerald chain bracelet glowed eerily in the firelight, reflecting the light and making small green shadows dance on the orange flame.

Part, I told the flames. Part and let us through.

Immediately, the flames obeyed my command, clearing a way through the burning wreckage straight into the heart of the city. Even though I held a grudge against my power, being a pyrokinetic came in handy sometimes.

The inferno rose higher and higher all around us, feeding off the bodies of the human dead, and climbing towards the heavens. The stench of burning flesh and blood was so overwhelming that I had to cover my nose with my cloak. Half-dead people were trying to make their way through the blazing heat, eyes pleading for help and mouths open in silent screams that no one could hear. I opened my mouth to say something to Yoongi when—

"What are you doing here?" A voice came unexpectedly from below.

I looked down, to find a girl about six years old staring up at me, not seeming to mind the flames which were causing chaos and mass-destruction all around her. Her raven black hair was covered in soot, and her bag of a dress fell loosely to her ankles. Bloodied, blistered feet peeked out from underneath the canvas bag, staining the ground below with crimson drops of blood.

But what really caught my attention was her face.

Half of her face was burned away, skin peeling at the edges. Raw pink flesh, shining in the light of the fire, stared back at me, contracting every time she moved her mouth. Where her left eye should have been was only a gaping black hole, swimming with lice and other insects, who were slowly eating away at her face, swallowing the rotten flesh one bite at a time. Her mouth was filled with blackened and misshapen teeth, grotesquely forming into a smile as she looked at me.

She cocked her head, waiting for my answer.

"What are you doing here?" She repeated, stepping closer to me. Yoongi covered his mouth, no doubt taking in her deformed figure with wide eyes. I kneeled down in front of her, so that I was staring right into her good eye. She looked back defiantly.

"Little girl, do you know who I am?" I asked, carefully watching her face for any reaction. If she could see me, that meant something by itself. I had to confirm my suspicions.

"You're Taehyung." She said simply, fiddling with her small thumbs. "Kim Taehyung. The King of the Vampires, and leader of the Sirius Clan. But why are you..." Suddenly her voice turned chilling, and her intact eye flashed, almost as if she was becoming possessed. She gripped onto my shoulders with surprising strength, nails digging into my tunic. "You. Kim Taehyung. You breathe fire, yet you cannot embrace it. You know power, yet you shy away from it. You crave love, and yet..." She shook her head slightly, letting go of my shoulders. "You are afraid of it. Why?"

I stiffened, not knowing how to answer the question. But before I could open my mouth, the little girl gasped, as if in intense pain, and started trembling, wrapping her arms around herself for comfort. She looked at us as if we were strangers, and I saw her eyes start to fill with sparkling liquid.

"I-I want my mama." The little girl cried, tears starting to drop from her good eye. "Mister, have you seen my mama?" Yoongi looked puzzled at this sudden change, but I knew exactly what was going on. I motioned for him to stay silent, and he nodded. The girl looked around frantically, clutching at her sack of a dress.

"Mama!" She screamed, turning towards the conflagration behind her. "Mama, where are you?" Without a second thought, she turned and ran into the flames, her bloodied feet leaving stains of red liquid behind on the cobblestone streets. Yoongi started to follow her, but I held an arm out to hold him back.

"A Revenant," I muttered, staring at the retreating figure of the girl, now hazy with smoke and fire. "A soul back from the dead."

"Revenant? That little girl?" Yoongi repeated. "But why was only half of her face charred?"

"Because she was only half dead. The rest of her soul stayed just long enough for her to deliver a message. Once its purpose was over, it shriveled up and died, along with the rest of her body. Then her mind became confused, resorting to the person she most trusted: her mother. But now she's gone. Either killed in the flames, or by brain damage. There's no point in going after her."

Yoongi sighed, gazing at the raging fire before us. "She was so young..." he whispered. "I wonder what happened to her parents?"

"They're probably dead. Judging by her clothes, they weren't a well-off family by any means."

I turned around, spreading the massive black wings on my back, and shaking them to get rid of the fine layer of soot coating it. "Come on," I said, not looking back. "Let's go Yoongi; there's no more reason to stay. The city's too far gone for us to save it."

Yoongi didn't reply, but thrust his hands into the ground, muttering a few words, and levitating off the ground, though it took some time for him to gain balance. "You have it easy Taehyung," he muttered. "Levitating takes much more work than flying."

"It probably does, but it's much harder to maneuver through the large cracks in mountains. One wrong move, and you're a messy splat on the wall."

If under any other circumstance, we would have laughed, but the destruction around us was enough to distract us from any source of happiness. Flapping my wings to get the blood flowing back into them, I took off, with Yoongi following close behind.

☆☆☆

We flew wordlessly through the darkening sky, filled with smog and haze from the fire down below. As we got farther and farther from the city ablaze, it faded into a tiny red speck in the distance. It looked so innocent and pretty, masking the horrors which lay underneath like a beautiful veil. The first stars started to appear in the navy blue sky, shining brightly like they had no care in the world.

That's wrong. My brain told me. The stars shouldn't shine so brilliantly. People are dying! They should at least have the decency to conceal themselves until the horror has passed. They haven't changed, have they, those stars? Even 300 years ago, on that fateful day, they shone just as brightly -- I growled, trying to clear my head.

"Taehyung?" Yoongi asked from below, and I hummed in response.
"Are you alright? After seeing the fire I mean."

I turned to look at him wearily. "Why wouldn't I be? I have no reason to fear flames. I'm a pyrokinetic Yoongi, or have you forgotten that?"

Yoongi shook his head. "No, I haven't forgotten that, but..." he hesitated, and I knew what he was going to say the second before opened his mouth. "But your parents..."

"My parents are dead, Yoongi." I interrupted bluntly. "And nothing's going to change that. I have to concentrate on the future, not something that happened hundreds of years ago. I have to forget..." My voice cracked, and I looked down. I still didn't trust my words with such a touchy subject. Yoongi seemed to get that I needed a moment, and wordlessly stared ahead.

It started to rain, not heavily, but rain nonetheless, the crystal water droplets hitting my wings lightly with every flap I took. I shook off most of the water, but more kept coming, replacing the ones that fell down onto the ground below. I could only hope that this rain would be enough to extinguish the flames devouring the city miles away. I also hoped that they would be strong enough to wash away the streams of salt water which ran down my face at steady intervals.

Then Yoongi spoke up. "It wasn't your fault."

Neither of us knew what to say to that, so I just nodded wearily.

But deep down, I knew that it was. If I had been a bit quicker, stronger, faster, I could have saved them. If I hadn't nagged Lisa to go on a midnight adventure, and stayed home like a good child then... then... the future may have been different. All because of my stupid tricks and games...

"Don't," Yoongi interrupted my mental battle. "Don't think like that. It was not your fault. No one could have prevented it."
I stared at him. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

He snorted. "I've been by your side for more than a hundred years Taehyung. I know you well enough to know what you're thinking sometimes, especially when your emotions are so strong it's literally coming off you in waves. I also know that you'll stop at nothing to protect the people you love. That's one thing I admire about you."

An image of Jungkook suddenly flashed in my mind, his beautiful face wreathed in smiles. If anything happened to him... I would probably tear down every Clan in the world to try and avenge his death. What Yoongi said was true; I did get fiercely attached to the people I love. And that was one of my strengths as well as my greatest weakness. I chuckled to myself, hating how vulnerable I felt in that moment. How could one person make me feel so full, after eons of emptiness?

"We're nearing Blackcliffe," was all I said, motioning towards the mountains ahead of us. Their jagged black peaks were silhouetted against the moonless sky, snow capped mountain tops glowing white. These cliffs had been the death place of many human mountaineers, but if you could fly, it was a pretty easy task to get through them. Provided that it wasn't during a snowstorm.

Yoongi nodded in satisfaction. "The door should be simply around these mountains. We're almost home." I gave him an amused smile. "You're just happy that you can see Jimin again, aren't you?"

Yoongi blushed a light shade of pink, which was most unlike him. Usually, his face was stone cold and impassive, but his soulmate's name could do wonders. "Well, can you blame me?" He defended himself. "Jimin is a naturally pleasant person to be with. And after the horrors of today, I'm going to need some pleasure in my life."

"Of course you do," I agreed. "You worked hard today Yoongi. Thank you." He waved off the compliment, but I could see that he was proud underneath his stony facade. Stifling a smile, I stared straight forward at Blackcliffe mountains. But my mind was elsewhere.

To be honest, I envied Yoongi and Jimin's relationship. They both understood each other's feelings, and loved the other very much. You could see it in their eyes when they looked at each other.

But Jungkook and I weren't like that. Yet.

I got the feeling that Jungkook didn't really know what to make of me. Even though that was completely natural, given that he was kidnapped and brought to Armad, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. I had expected him to at least feel a small piece of the bond, but he could feel nothing. Perhaps it was because he was human, but he didn't seem to be able to feel the excitement and happiness I got from just being around him.

Sighing, I tucked in my wings and flew downwards to avoid crashing into the tall peaks of snow covered rocks. Patience, I told myself. You can't expect Jungkook to love you right away. Take it nice and slow. He'll warm up to you eventually. But when was eventually? I was tired of waiting; It had been 300 years already, but now it seemed that I would have to wait a bit longer.

With a start, I remembered an excerpt from a poem I had read in a foreign place called "The British Library."

I had mistakenly stumbled across this place when looking for my soulmate in the human world. The large airy windows and hundreds of books reminded me a bit of Armad Castle, so I decided to take a look inside. Once there, I had found a book of quotes which interested me. Especially one quote in particular by this human writer called T.S. Eliot:

❝Who then devised the torment? Love.

Love is the unfamiliar Name

Behind the hands that wove

The intolerable shirt of flame

Which human power cannot remove

We only live, only suspire

Consumed by either fire or fire.❞

Consumed by either fire or fire. I had quickly shut the book and put it back on the shelf, but that still didn't stop my hands from trembling. From then on, I had been even more careful around my powers, not wanting to send the whole Castle up in flames.

But T.S. Eliot had been right about one thing.

Love was torment.

And it seemed that Fate was not letting go of it anytime soon.