"Creating scenes as always my Queen" another voice said from behind the pharmacist making Jimin sigh in relief, he wasn't the center of attention anymore.

"Speak of the devil, I hope you listened to every word I said Crown Prince" she declared, trying to pick yet another fight with him.

"Please, nothing I haven't heard before" Jungkook rolled his eyes. He put a hand on Jimin's shoulder to get his attention, not knowing it was already on him. Jimin turned to the Prince hoping his feelings of pity didn't show, he knew he failed when the man's eyebrows knitted.

General Jungkook is definitely not someone I should be feeling bad for, but I must admit, this scene must be humiliating.

"You should hear this everyday if it were up to me, while sitting in a cage" the Queen pushed, really adamant on hitting sore spots.

"I didn't think you missed my flames so badly" Jungkook said and everyone gasped. It appeared that word had spread about the incident so everyone knew what he was referencing, but he simply shrugged in response to their reaction.

"This is no way to speak to your Queen Jungkook! His Majesty will be hearing about this!"

"I don't want to speak to you at all. Now I would like to engage in a private conversation with my pharmacist" he replied, his chest puffed with no ounce of hesitation in his voice. Jimin was torn between being stubborn with the Crown Prince, or getting himself out of the Queen's sight. He chose the second option and bowed quickly, walking behind the other.

"Of course you're leaving without being excused, again. Queen Jieun died too soon to teach you any manners-"

"That's enough!" a new voice interrupted, and upon hearing it everyone bowed out of respect to their King. The old man held his arms behind his back as he was followed by two of his counsellors, his face sported an angry- or almost disappointed expression, but his tone was authoritarian. "Queen Sunmi you have overstepped all sorts of boundaries! This is not the behavior of a Queen" The King continued.

He was dutifully castigating the woman for her childish demeanor, when a low hissing sound was heard amongst the people in the area. It was deep and chilling, Jimin turned to the source and was met with the Crown Prince's piercing gold irises and steam coming through his parted lips. "Oh no..." he whispered quietly.

"My son. Contain yourself" the King tried to reach Jungkook with his voice but the young man's bulging temple were proof that he wouldn't succeed. All he cared about was the woman in red right in front of him and all the ways he could suck the life out of her. He took one step closer to the Queen, it was short and experimental, just to study everybody's reactions.

"My Prince, please do not take another step" Jimin calmly suggested, discreetly bringing an arm behind his back. There are no competent guards around, at least not for the strength General Jungkook is exhibiting. At this rate, he will end up killing his own people. With a swift movement of his finger, he drew water from the fountain at a small distance away and kept his eyes set on the Prince. 

Jungkook caught a glimpse of ice blue from the corner of his eyes, the very ice blue he saw that in that peaceful night as Jimin created the crystal flower for him. He tried to let that calm him down but to not avail, the rage inside him was only building up stronger the more he looked at the proclaimed Queen. 

"My Prince-"

In the span of a second, the Prince ran past Jimin and towards the Queen with a cloud of fire coating his hand. I will kill her, I will kill her and she will die a very slow death. Jungkook thought, clearly aiming for the woman's heart as she screamed in fear. 

Guards stood in front of her as human shields, but they fully knew they couldn't block an attack like that. His teeth were gritted, his jaws clenched, the only thing he hated at that moment aside from the Queen was the restraining matter forming around him at once.

His hand stopped a few inches away from the red dress, a few inches from her still beating heart. He was immobile. White rock was wrapped around his legs up to his middle, making it impossible for him to move other than extending his arms further. Still nothing.

"Please forgive me my King for displaying my element as well, but I felt the need to intervene" Jimin bowed while his eyes went back to their regular brown. 

"You're forgiven, I must thank you for your initiative" the King said and shook his head at the two members of his family, before walking back to his quarters. 

"Can you please carry the Queen to her room" Jimin asked the trembling men since she had passed out in terror. The two guards nodded and asked the court ladies for permission before taking the Queen away.

Jungkook's arm was now resting lip by his side, the fire extinguishes and his Hanfu sleeve ruined from where it burned. It's expensive to be a Pyre with anger issues, Jimin thought.

"Why did you do it" the Crown Prince said once silence settle around them, "Why did you use your element in front of everyone" he asked again. His eyes still held a bit of golden although faint, meaning he was trying to break the crystal from the inside. 

I wasn't going to let him kill the Queen and receive punishment, he may be banished or even executed. Why does he always put himself in situations that will jeopardize my objectives...

Jimin sighed and shook his head "I'm afraid Your Highness cannot break this with so little power" he replied, choosing to ignore his question. 

"Why don't you answer my question sir Park" he repeated.

"I was looking out for you my Prince, I would hate for you to carry the severe consequences of such a crime" Jimin replied and walked around to face the man, "Is there anything else you would like to know?" he asked, preparing himself to lie about the nature of the material he created.

But you told me that night that you didn't like to use your element in front of others... Jungkook thought. "No, just let me go" he replied.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that yet, Crown Prince. Your anger has not left you" he replied, keeping a safe distance between them.

"Let me go. This is an order." The Prince was becoming impatient it seemed, his violent side still on full display, and for a moment Jimin wanted to talk back. How dare he try to intimidate me when I just saved him.

"Please try to understand. I promise I will do so as soon as your element is under control again" Jimin simply said and sat on a stair. He waited for a few seconds, turning into minutes, all spent trying to read the Pyre's mood. Sometimes he would feel it spike up and others it would cool off again. 

"You can go if you want sir Park, I can stay in my chambers until I calm down" the Prince suggested and he shook his head.

"I may not take the risk. You're starting to seem stable again, I'm sure you'll be fine in a few minutes" he said and turned to the sunset.

Those few minutes passed, and as predicted the Prince regained his composure. Suddenly, the rock keeping him in place became softer then transformed into water and returned back to the fountain. Jungkook never failed to find it so mesmerizing to witness. 

"Now I will take my leave, if you'll excuse me Crown Prince" Jimin spoke up, the last few sparks of ice blue in his irises dying with the sunset. He nodded and watched the young man go, further and further until disappearing behind a corner. With a deep sigh and heavy heart, he walked to his quarters only wishing to sleep, not caring what the next day would bring.

---

"Your punishment has been set, Crown Prince. We decided that we cannot deny you the crown" One of the counsellors said at his trial in the throne room. A week had passed since the event where Jungkook tried to harm the Queen, and the counsellors were all along trying to find a suitable punishment for both of them.

"I will carry out my duty when the time comes, but I understand if you wish to send me away from the palace" Jungkook replied as he bowed on his knees. 

"You will not be sent away, Crown Prince Jungkook" The King decided to speak up. He was very angry with the Prince. He understood his frustration and irritation with the Queen because what she said was indeed all the more inappropriate, but he truly trusted Jungkook to be the bigger person. He believed his son was stronger than a few hurtful words and was disappointed to know he was not.

"I don't understand, what about Queen Sunmi?" Jungkook asked in confusion, were there going to be no repercussions to their actions?

"She was sent back to her maiden home for a while. She takes the blame for disrespecting the first Queen and yourself, so she is leaving the palace walls for a certain period of time" One of the counsellors explained and he nodded in understanding.

Well then I should be sent away too, why not? I could go back to my house and stay there. That would be great for me, Jungkook thought to himself.

"You, Crown Prince, will be staying in the palace. That will be your punishment" the King said again, boring his eyes into the Prince's. He knew exactly what his weaknesses were, and he used them properly making this decision. 

He watched his son's eyebrows knit, and nodded for further affirmation of his own words. "You will also be participating in all royal receptions, all royal festivities, and some counsellor meetings." the disappointment on his face was merging with his words, and Jungkook wished to disappear.

"Yes my King, I will do my best" he curtly replied, not trusting his voice to be stable if he said anything more. 

He walked back to his chambers, defeated. Was his father going to keep him around the people who hated him? Was the King really going to punish him by making him witness the very looks reflecting what people thought of him? He regretted every little step he took that day, each and every move he made against the Queen. 

He should have just ignored her. He didn't understand, he was so good at keeping his calm. He was known for keeping his blood cool even in battle, so why did she always find a way to get on his nerves so easily.

It wasn't just her.

Jungkook thought deeply and realized that he has been on edge for a while now, ever since he came back to the palace. Or maybe ever since the Chuseok receptions? He couldn't tell but he knows that he was never truly at peace, there was always this gnawing anxiety that he couldn't get rid of. At first he blamed it on the itchiness but now that it's gone he can't really use it as an excuse. 

He discarded his clothes and stepped inside the bath, refusing to look down at his own body. He feared to see what else would have appeared on his skin by then. He felt the cool water swirl around his legs as he walked in, and mentally admitted it was pleasant to finally find himself away from the activity in the palace, just enjoying his time in silence and looking at the nature around him. 

I still feel the anxiety, why is it not going away? he asked himself with a frown on his face. Of course there was no way he could be left alone for an instant without something going sideways, and he was right. The mark on his chest was burning again.

Jungkook did so much research ever since he saw the black lines appear. The shape was unknown, he had never seen if before anywhere and wanted to at least know its name to look for the meaning, but he failed. None of the books in his study helped, neither did the ones at the royal school.

Jungkook even tried asking Jin whether he knew what it was by drawing it on a piece of paper but the other denied. Of course, he couldn't possibly show off what looked like a tattoo to just anybody, word would immediately spread about it and ruin him. So he was left to drink Jimin's tea every morning hoping that the skin-cleansing faculties would help get rid of the dark lines.

He was annoyed, frustrated. There goes another problem he had to take care of and he didn't even know how. He couldn't explain the mysterious tattoo, hell, he wasn't even sure if it was there or if he was hallucinating it. 

He pulled a hand above the water slowly, dragging it up his torso to where he knew the mark was, and feeling the slight bump along the lines. He wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible. 

TW⚠️ Self-harm ⚠️TW

The slight touch turned into a more aggressive rub, then soon became multiple scratches across his chest. His nails pierced his skin and drew blood in all directions. The water that was once cold became boiling hot. 

Jungkook didn't care about the pain, he just wanted the lines gone, so he clenched his teeth and continued injuring himself repeatedly before finally looking down. He sighed when he couldn't see a dot of black with all the blood running down his wounds. 

I would rather have ugly scars than this mark, I'm used to scars at least.

Just as he was closing his eyes to get some rest, he felt something crawl up his arms. Alarmed, Jungkook sat up straight, hissing at the burning sensation in his chest and witnessing another one of those unnatural occurrences. 

Water was climbing up from the bath onto his upper body, diluting the blood and washing it away before gathering around the wounds. He watched as the water formed into a blob and patched his skin back the way it was before he ravaged it. The mark remaining perfectly drawn.

It healed. Am I seeing this right?

"Is anybody here! Show yourself, whoever you are!" Jungkook screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice broken and unthreatening. He was desperate, but nobody replied to his cries.

OK ✅ Self-harm ✅ OK

Jungkook was not weak. He refused to feel or show vulnerability, so he pulled his legs to his chest and silently sobbed into his knees. He felt as though he was losing his mind, mysterious things were happening and he didn't even know if they were real. Was he insane? It would make sense given the circumstances.

If anyone came to know about the mark on his body, the first person to ruin his life would be the Queen, she would call him slave and a disgrace to royal blood. She would make his life a living hell and make all sorts of stories about him. He remembered what she said about her son and scoffed.

"I never even talked to the boy, how could I possibly scare him" it was true, in five years -almost six- the child was never within a 10 meter radius from him. Jungkook barely met eyes with his younger brother, let alone speak to him.

Where was he going to get his answers, he was tired of pointless research. He should find someone knowledgeable enough about such things but no matter how he thinks about it, he cannot risk giving away the secret. He must talk to someone he trusts. 

Silver hair.

Someone he trusts-

Blue eyes.

No, not Jimin. He'll use it against me, I can't hand him such leverage over me on a golden platter, he pushed his hair back in frustration. Yet, he cannot think of another name. 

He's the only one who could possibly figure out a way to help me. Doctor Kim will inform the King, and telling anybody else will definitely put me at risk. So many people hold some sort of grudge against me, I can't trust anyone.

"There is no other choice"

---

Hello everyone! How is your summer going?

This tattoo on Jungkook's chest is proving to be rather mystical. Don't you think?

Worry not, you will see what it looks like when the time comes. 

Until then, leave your thoughts about the chapter in the comments.

-Aida-