★ You are not alone ★

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- Official training -

Taehyung's POV

"Not the only seven?" I asked breathlessly, a huge wave of emotions spilling over me, my body and mind engulfed in a sea of never-ending feelings. Anxiety flashed through me, as did fear and confusion, a bit of anger and a hell of a lot of shock. He nodded slowly, taking a seat upon his throne.

"Three hundred and twenty-one," He spoke, voice deadly calm, almost too calm. I froze, ice forming around my ankles and trickling up my calf, leading towards my knee and thigh. "What?" I asked weakly, feeling dizzy suddenly, my body feeling as though I was swaying back and forth. "Three hundred and twenty-one humans before you seven."

"All dead?" I had to ask, had to clarify my suspicions even if I didn't want to know the truth. "All of them dead." I almost fell to the ground, my magic catching me right before I could, tendrils of black magic holding my waist up while the ice formed a block I could lay on. "Over the course of seventy years, we've gone through three hundred humans."

"You say it like we're toys, experiments even." Soros flashed a sad smile, eyes shimmering with sadness and grief. "It's practically what you are." I gulped, finding absolutely no power within me to push myself off the ice, my back pressed directly against the cold, hard surface.

"Can..." I paused, trying to form the sentence my heart and mind seemed to be asking, "can you explain everything to me?" I asked cautiously, seeing a tinge of fear sparkle through Soros' eyes, breath hitching, soon releasing a deep and heavy sigh. "I'll tell you, Kim, but only because you're an Invincible."

I merely nodded, propping myself up on my elbows, darkness encasing his large frame. "Seventy years ago, Illume found out about the God of the underworld, the devil if you will." He began, leaning his forearms on his thighs, eyes meeting my own. "We've always known about him, but never paid attention to his activities."

"Us gods aren't associated with evil-doing, even myself. Sure, I'm darkness, but I don't practice evil, dark magic." I nodded, knowing well enough that Soros wasn't evil, far from it, actually. He sighed again, closing his eyes. "Seventy years ago, the God of the underworld began to form an army."

"An army that could potentially wipe the world clean." I froze, eyes widened, lips parted in utter shock. "We began to scout out humans we thought were fit to possess our power, humans that were capable of saving their own race." He played with his fingers, his gaze focused on the ground.

"The first group didn't even make it past the first stage," Soros spoke, clenching his fists. "The first stage is possessing magic power." I wanted to faint, my vision beginning to fade as my head spun. "The next group was nearly the same, only one making it out of the initial stage of the power transfer."

"He too didn't make it much longer." I shook my head, my mind racing, heart thumping loudly in my chest, so loudly I could hear it within my ears. "This continued until we finally managed to find a group that made it up to the simulation training." I leaned forward, finally finding the strength within me to push myself up.

"They didn't take it seriously." I frowned, staring at the ground as he explained death after death. "There's a certain reason why the gods don't allow me to pour my magic into one human being," He said after a pause, staring down at his clenched fists, a vein popping out over the back of his hand.

"Twenty years ago, I found a human that I strongly believed was capable of becoming a true Elemental. Of possessing my power and being able to use it properly," He said, flashing another sad smile, his eyes holding a deep sadness. "And I was right. He could possess my power, he was strong enough to."

"But as he grew as an Elemental, his hunger for power grew as well. He wanted all the power and magic to himself, to rule over the world rather than save it." I met Soros' eyes, standing up and walking towards him. "I gave him chance after chance to better himself, to make him see what he was doing wrong."

"But eventually I got angry and I took matters into my own hands." His tone shifted, all emotion draining from his voice. I gulped again, suddenly feeling an intense wave of fear course through my veins. "I poured all the magic he wanted, craved, and he couldn't take it. My magic power, it's strong, stronger than the other gods' powers."

"And, standing before me, he dissipated into thin air." Soros met my gaze, hands clenched tightly into a fist. "I killed him." I felt a wave of darkness surround me, my eyes never leaving Soros'. I didn't cower, didn't scream, didn't move. I held my ground, my eyes focused on the god of darkness.

"Do you think you're to blame?" I spoke, voice calm, eyes focusing on Soros. He seemed to freeze, eyes widening just a bit. "Do you not believe I am?" I shook my head, taking a step forward, the darkness engulfing my small frame. "No," I spoke with so much certainty it surprised me.

"Kim, don't walk closer to me. I'll kill you, my magic is too strong!" He warned, my feet taking me forward, a smile twitching up upon my features. "How can you be to blame?" I said, feeling the darkness invade my body, surrounding me, coursing through me. "How can you tell yourself it was your fault for his actions?"

"How can you be to blame when he asked for his own fate?" I shouted over the darkness, letting it seep into my veins, feeling the power surge through me. I shut my eyes, continuing to smile, using my heart to display my intentions. "As you said, he wanted the power. He wanted to turn evil, to destroy the world before the God of the underworld could."

"Yet when you showed him just how much power he needed to do so, he was killed," I spoke, the darkness power continuing to seep into my veins. "How are you to blame," I paused, the magic clearing from around my body within a second, being pushed to the side, darkness magic swirling around legs, waist, and arms.

"When he wasn't strong enough?" I asked, tilting my head to the side, fingertips black, blue, and dark blue. Soros' eyes were wide, his lips parted open in shock, eyes scanning over my smaller frame. The darkness seemed to form something behind me, something I could barely make out from my peripheral vision.

Wings.

"He was strong, but not strong enough. Like you've said before, it takes more than strength to succeed here," I spoke, the wings made of dark magic attached somehow on my back and through my body, allowing me to use them as I pleased. "He lacked other strengths, physical being one."

"Yet you say you're to blame for his death?" I was flying above the ground in a heartbeat, my eyes meeting Soros' perfectly, his mouth agape and his face filled with shock. "You aren't to blame, Soros. He simply wasn't strong enough to handle your magic power."

"You're the human I've been searching for," He spoke, standing up, my wings pushing me up higher to meet his eyes again. "Despite you possessing three powers, you're still able to accept more power." I nodded, flashing a smile. "Because your magic isn't just through your veins, it's inside your heart."

"I found another one," He said, smiling, his eyes seeming to light up in a way. I smiled too, a little confused but happy, happy to see him smiling so brightly. He laughed, sitting back down, my body being pushed towards his throne. "Kim," He said, leaning back against his throne, eyes closed.

"The gods, they're not horrible beings. Their intentions may seem cruel and heartless, but if you stop and look at our point of view, you'll understand the need to push you so hard." I hummed, wings disappearing, dark magic swirling around me.

"A month is all you have before the God of the underworld sets his army free. That's an army of over ten thousand being set free into the human world. Not just in Korea, or in China, or in England, it's all over the world." I tensed up, nodding slowly, even though he couldn't see it.

"If you want to survive then you need to understand that this, your training, isn't some game. You may look like superheroes now, but honestly, you'll be nothing if you can't stand a chance against the weakest enemy out there." I nodded again, finally seeing his eyes open.

"We have hearts, trust me we do. We grieve of the ones we've lost over the years, and we can't afford to see more humans like you disappear from this world before they've been given the chance to do something great." I frowned, finding his words hitting my heart a little harder than I wanted them to.

"So, try your very best. Even if you've hit a point where you think you can't improve, think again. Keep trying, keep pushing yourself. That goes for you and your teammates." I kept nodding, trying to process the information. "Kim?" I hummed, looking up to meet his gaze, his stone-cold eyes softening yet again.

"Befriend your teammates. I know you don't like people, I can already tell from your actions. I know you've probably had your fair share of experiences with them, but for the sake of your life and theirs, befriend them." My lips formed a perfect line, my heart racing.

"Teamwork can take you places, trust me. Working alone is good, but working with a team is even better." I considered his words, sending another nod his way. "Try, Kim. Try your best and try to make friends. Look out for them."

"Soros?" I asked, finally breaking my silence. He hummed this time, leaning his head on his palm, elbow resting on the armrest on his throne. "Teach me your magic." His eyes widened, darkness swirling around him. "I get what's it's like to be an outcast, to be looked at differently."

"I see you in me, and I know you see me in you. You're alone, astray from the rest of the gods for whatever reason. I get it. I know what it's like to be looked at as some outcast, and I know you know the feeling too." I met his gaze, flashing a small smile. "And I know how much you want a human of your own to prove to them that your magic isn't dangerous."

"I want to be that human, Soros."

He smirked, darkness swirling around him faster and with more power. "You think you can take it, Kim?" I smirked too, eyes flashing with excitement. "I know I can, Soros." He chuckled, his chuckle sending a vibration through my chest. With a smile, he stood up, tendrils forming around his hands.

"I suppose you have a point, Kim. Considering how you're the only one in over thirty years to see my magic as more than just darkness. To see it as something beautiful, meaningful." He began, his eyes lit up, a smile stretched upon his features. "I guess it only makes sense to give you my magic."

"Kim, I'll ask this once and only once, so choose wisely." I waited, sitting upon his throne, looking at the God ahead of me. "Do you believe you can withstand my power? My full power?" I didn't hesitate, standing up and nodding quickly. "I believe I can."

"Good," He spoke, darkness surrounding him, eyes turning as black as night. "Because the dark magic that you possess right now isn't even a fourth of my own power." I felt shock run through my body, my eyes widening ever so slightly. "And your body needs tons of training before you can even possess half."

"So, when we do we begin training?" I asked, hearing him chuckle, his eyes turning even darker which I didn't believe was possible. "We have roughly thirty minutes, think you're up for a quick lesson?" I smirked, nodding again, cracking my knuckles. "Absolutely. Bring it on, Soros."

"Then let your official training begin."

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Soros and Taehyung are bonding more as the days progress. The truth about the real reason for the Elementals is slowly being set free. Taehyung is the first to learn more about the whole situation.

Will he share it with the rest or keep it to himself?

And what did Soros mean about finding another one? (:

I purple you 💜

~Pisanthrophobia.