"I should warn you before we enter."

Taehyung kept his fingers locked on the doorknob. Hoseok arched an eyebrow, curiosity peaking at the sudden change in Taehyung's tone.

"They've probably already sensed your presence," Taehyung said. "Your scent. No matter what, stick by my side."

"What's this about?" Hoseok asked. When he received no response, he sighed defeatedly. "Fine. You can't leave me in the dark for too long, though."

Taehyung pushed the door open, and with his free arm, pushed Hoseok behind him. Multiple pairs of eyes shot the front at the door's opening, and Hoseok almost jumped in surprise at their sudden presence. Then, shouts began to erupt from the crowd, ones that began to rush towards Hoseok at lightning speeds— expressions filled with rage and fury.

"So this is where the glorious Prince has been hiding this entire time?!" Hoseok heard one of the shouts as Taehyung brusquely moved people out of the way. "Lounging around the comforts of the Purebloods' palace while we suffer the consequences of your actions!"

"That's enough," Taehyung's eyes began glowing orange, his hands slowly becoming engrossed in an ember flame. "Make way, or I will make you."

They scurried at the sight of the flames, though did not refrain from casting dirty looks and shouting profanities at Hoseok. Feeling overwhelmed, Hoseok remained silent, letting Taehyung lead him to the opposite side, where Yoongi was waiting for him. Hoseok watched Yoongi go, confusion evident in his features, though he turned to follow Yoongi through his eyes. Upon meeting Hoseok's gaze, Yoongi smiled and nodding once breezed past him.

Yoongi calmly strode to the middle of the room, and with a simple clear of the throat, silence fell the room, to which Yoongi smiled wider.

"Welcome to our home," Yoongi bowed slightly. "There are enough rooms in here for all of you. I would like to report the success of our retrievals, and while there were some casualties, it was not in vain."

Casualties?

Hoseok turned to Taehyung, who only nodded grimly. "Your father ordered invasion onto the vampire side of the city. They were forcefully removing vampires and tearing them apart from the humans that they lived with. You were aware that humans and vampires intermixed in the vampire side of town, correct?"

"Well, yes, but my father just stormed to the other side and started killing vampires?"

"Not just vampires, Hoseok," Taehyung answered. "He murdered his people as well. Anyone on that side of the city was instantly deemed a traitor. You understand, don't you?"

"Those were innocents," Hoseok whispered, his mouth running dry. "All of them were."

"Guess a father will do anything for their child," Taehyung smiled, though the smile never reached his eyes. "Either way, the innocents had to pay the price. Yoongi tried saving as many as he could, but for some of them, it had been too late."

"Yoongi?"

That's what made the most sense. Hoseok had been here four a couple of days— almost a week now, and this was the first time he'd seen so many species in one place. Is that why there were so many people— a mixture of vampires and humans Hoseok could now presume, given what he was told, here at the palace? Had Yoongi decided to go and try to save some of them from his father's wrath?

At first, he didn't think that he could truly accept that his father had done this, mostly because it would also mean that Seokjin had also participated. Even though Seokjin did have antipathy towards the vampires, he wouldn't raid their side of town, much less take innocents captive and killing them. It wasn't like Seokjin to do so. Hoseok didn't think his father was capable of such cruelties either, but it was hard not to force himself to open his eyes.

His father had never told him any history relating to the war. All he told was that a truce was made, and that was the end of the wars. The Purebloods were giving him the resources to find, process, and essentially relive information that was distant past. If his father couldn't even bother to teach him why the First War started, how could he trust that his father was an honorable man?

"Are you going to give the King back Jung Hoseok?" someone asked. Yoongi straightened, lips pressing into a thin line.

"Jung Hoseok is one of us." Yoongi continued. "As long as he is under my care, I expect no one to cause him any trouble. It is not his fault that his father decided to initiate war. He's innocent."

"Why didn't his father break the treaty?" someone else yelled. "You did nothing but take what was yours!"

Yoongi sighed, saying, "It is the human selfishness and insatiable thirst for greed that has led us here. For those with human partners, Yeonjun has tried his best to heal them without requiring Turning. However, there were some that have been Turned, and unfortunately, some that will not make it because of their injuries. For now, you are all to remain here. We'll be bringing food for the remaining humans and fresh blood for the vampires."

"He's great, isn't he?" Taehyung whispered in Hoseok's ear. "He's got everyone paying attention to him; he's telling them how he helped them and how we are now giving them a place where they'll be safe. He even defended you.

For the first time since Hoseok's arrival to the palace, he was rendered speechless by Yoongi— in the best way possible.

Talking to the crowd was someone that was genuinely interested in helping those around him. It didn't matter if they were humans or not. He was treating everyone as an equal, offering aid and services to the needy, and making sure that they continued to remain safe. While it made sense that Yoongi would stick up for Hoseok because he was being taken against his will, Yoongi didn't have to defend him, especially now with Hoseok's father committing war crimes against their people.

"Yeah," Hoseok managed to mumble as he continued to watch Yoongi continue to address the crowd. "I didn't think he...had it in him."

"Had it in him to be nice?" Taehyung chuckled. "Hoseok, he's always been nice. You've just been too hung on your father's words to see it for yourself."

"He told me all of you were abominations," Hoseok murmured, pursing his lips. "That one day, we'd be able to get rid of you guys and truly live."

"And now, Hoseok?"

Taehyung's eyes glimmered with curiosity, enough for Hoseok to stop looking at Yoongi. He turned to Taehyung and thought, a concept that had always been influenced by his father's words. He thought long and hard, knowing that he couldn't just base it on what his father would say because Hoseok now knew more about the Purebloods than his father had ever known.

"If the Purebloods case to exist, so does the vampire race," Hoseok finally said. "Innocents' lives would be taken. I don't think I would ever forgive myself for that, no matter what wrong you all have committed."

"An answer fit for a Prince," Taehyung hummed, tone approving. "You're changing, Hoseok. Good. Now come on, you're to go to Yoongi's private chambers for dinner. We should get you there as quickly as possible."

Hoseok took one last look at Yoongi, who seemed too transfixed on the others to notice Hoseok's eyes on him. With a nod, Hoseok walked with Taehyung up to the chambers, the knowledge that now, in this palace, he wasn't alone. People were here— different species all because of what his father had done all in Hoseok's name.

But what good was Jung Hoseok's name if he couldn't even defend those that would someday fall under his rule?

🩸

"Hecate, you have to get Selene to understand."

Hecate only scoffed at Artemis's words, continuing to pick fruits from her garden. She took a careful look at her assortment, and with eyes sparkling with mischief, took a golden apple, biting into it. She hummed in glee at the explosive, sweet taste in her mouth, energy bursting throughout her body. Artemis rolled her eyes and took the apple out of Hecate's hands.

"Hey, that's mine!"

"I'll give it back if you listen to me," Artemis countered, which only put Hecate in an even more sour mood. "Come on, Hecate. The war between the humans and the vampires has already started. The humans don't stand a chance."

"You took my son's soulmate through those humans!" Hecate snapped. "What makes you think I'm going to help you with anything? Faithfully, I served by your side, happily accepting every single one of the rules you imposed on us, only to have my child suffer for it centuries later. That human wiped out an entire bloodline—"

"— Through Selene's child's help!" Artemis interrupted, only earning a dirtier glare. "He was the one that made the change. He was the one that ruined your son's chance at love."

Hecate's eyes began to glow. "The Moon sees all Artemis, and She knows that if it weren't for you punishing Selene's kids, none of these things would have occurred. The children are innocent."

"They're as innocent as their mother is, Hecate," Artemis huffed impatiently. "They're going to cause humanity's downfall. I don't want to interfere—"

Hecate burst into a cackle, momentarily rendering Artemis speechless. Artemis watched as Hecate continued to be burst into giggles, laughter that only hurt Artemis's ears. She winced, covering her ears as Hecate continued to double over in laughter, to which Artemis had no idea why Hecate was doing so. Did she find the downfall of humanity to be a laughing matter? It couldn't be, not when Hecate's children were humans themselves.

"You don't want to interfere?" Hecate finally asked, her laughter slowly dying down. "Hear yourself. You don't want to interfere. If that were the case, then why did the First War start? Why did the climax of the First War cause humanity's biggest loss? Why is humanity battling for the second time now? Your actions."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to insinuate that it's my fault?"

"You can act all innocent, but we all know it's true," Hecate singsonged. "Each of Selene's children had their soulmates, gifts from their benevolent mother, and you took that away from them, making them nothing more than lowly humans so that they could easily be killed off. Hardly a fair punishment when it was their mother who had sinned. Then you involved my precious son and me to your charades, and now look at what has happened."

"I would think you would teach your son to side with the humans than to betray his own kind," Artemis spat, angrily squeezing the golden apple she'd taken from Hecate. Hecate eyed the destroyed fruit wistfully before turning to gather some more.

"I taught my son that family comes first," Hecate hummed, "His family is with Selene's children. That is where his loyalties will lie, even in the midst of human war. That, Artemis, is my final stance. So now, I will not help you. Not when you brought this onto yourself."

At the very least, Artemis had counted on Hecate to be more rational, but it seemed as if Selene had succeeded in having Hecate join her side. Stupid Selene, always one step ahead of Artemis, and now it seemed that no one would be on her side. She'd been expecting Hecate to side with her as she had all the other times, but now that the circumstances had changed, Artemis knew that Hecate would no longer be the ally she once was.

They didn't understand what they were saying. All they were concerned about were their children, something that Artemis would never understand. Selene had been gifted everything she could want, was made a Goddess, and she still committed sin, producing three children that should have never been birthed into existence. Then, Hecate herself had sinned, but as she was already a Goddess, Artemis's complete counterpart, Artemis had to let it slide.

Was it Artemis's fault that Hecate's child had been caught in the crossfire? Not at all.

"Then there's no choice but to interfere," Artemis said tightly. "If I do not, humanity will fall."

Hecate shrugged. "You will join because you want to. Not because it is necessary."

"You know not what you speak," Artemis hissed. A smile broke through Hecate's lips.

"If Selene's eldest child claims his soulmate, Selene will have won," Hecate answered. "She will have beat you at your own game. Everyone knows how nasty a god becomes to keep their ego intact. I cannot even begin to imagine what you must be feeling after two defeats."

"You dare talk to me in this way?" Artemis bellowed, to which Hecate only continued to smile. "Me?"

Hecate nodded. "Of course! I promised Selene to give her some of the fruits from my garden. Now, I must take my leave. We have much to catch up on."

They just didn't understand. None of them did. None knew what sacrifices the Gods had to make to ensure that humanity kept on living. No, they were throwing that sacred duty away, all for their children, that are the same reasons that the human world would be destroyed. Their children, stealing away the key figures of the human population, and they expected Artemis not to retaliate?

That couldn't be.

"You've forced my hand, Selene," Artemis whispered, looking upwards. "And you will not like the consequences."

All Artemis had to do now, was wait for the perfect moment to strike. 

a/n: slightly later update but bear with me! i think now things are starting to progress a lot faster (which is great in my opinion), just as well as things are starting to become more complicated. 

thank you for wishing my niece a happy birthday! she doesn't know how to fully read yet so she definitely has no idea what this platform is but she turned 5 and had a unicorn themed party! i love her so much, she got all the rights in the world <3

thank you for 6k reads too! you guys are literally so amazing i would love to hug all of you <3