"I've suffered worse, but out of all the things I could have been taken out for, I had not expected silver to be at the top of the list."

Hoseok could hardly smile at Jungkook's words, his lips molded into a permanent frown. It had been two days since Jungkook had been shot with the arrow, and he was still in bed, recovering. His skin was full of life now, his chest rising and falling slowly, and his eyes had taken on their natural color. Hoseok's hand was neatly bandaged, rendering his hand somewhat useless, but keeping him out of harm's way.

"Remind me next time not to have silver near any of us," Jungkook continued. "Can't believe you aren't immune to it. Aren't you some sort of god?"

"Good to know your comedic ability remains intact," Hoseok mused, frown still etched onto his face. "I didn't even realize you were a comedian."

"Usually, I'm not, but near death experiences count for special occasions," Jungkook grinned, sitting upright. "How's your hand?"

"Better," Hoseok shrugged. "Yoon told me not to make any efforts on it for the time being. It's a miracle he let me out of sight. I think he's afraid I'm going to leave."

Jungkook raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"

"I don't know," Hoseok admitted, sighing softly. "A part of me wants to go find Seokjin while the other part wants me to stay put— to treat this as if it's not my business anymore."

"It is your business."

Hoseok grimaced. "My thoughts exactly."

As much as Hoseok wanted nothing to do but move on, he knew better than anyone that he needed to recover. Recovery was the most important thing that he could be doing, and right now, he hadn't been doing a lot of it. He'd thought that by being like the Purebloods, he wouldn't be susceptible to anything, but as it turned out, he'd fallen victim to the one weapon he'd unwillingly helped create. It was a delicious irony that Hoseok could not let escape, and as much as he wanted to forget it, it plagued his mind. Still, Seokjin was someone Hoseok needed to get closure with eventually.

"Then why are you trying to convince yourself that it is not?"

This time, the sound of Taehyung's voice pierced through the echoing walls, stunning them both. Taehyung walked in slowly, letting Hoseok and Jungkook watch him go them. He was holding a tray full of glasses— no doubt animal blood, but Hoseok took it gratefully, downing it as if it were sweet nectarine, even though his former human self wouldn't be able to stand the metallic, iron rich taste of it.

"This moral diet is not doing me any favors," Jungkook grumbled as he sulkily took the glass from the tray. "Why do I have to succumb myself to animal blood when we have plenty of access to human blood?"

Taehyung chuckled. "If even a sip of human blood passes through Hoseok's lips, Yoongi will have my head. Only the Moon what sort of powers could bloom in Hoseok once he's tasted the finer things in life."

"I bet he'll be the most bloodthirsty out of all of us," Jungkook declared, ignoring Hoseok's dirty look. "You know how hungry the Purebloods get. Watch Yoongi and Hoseok start a tradition where they play Russian Roulette on the world, but instead of bullets, it's cities, and whichever cities it falls on, that's where they'll drink."

Taehyung snickered, adding, "The cities will cease to exist as soon as they land on it. They'll make it a competition on who can drink the most humans in a single night."

"I'm sure that is what Artemis is afraid of," Jungkook mused. "How many humans would you kill at once, Hoseok?"

Hoseok's mouth slackened at the question as if the answer was obvious. "I don't think I'd kill any human."

"Jungkook, you can't ask him that," Taehyung chastised, laughing. "The human world hasn't hurt him enough for vengeance. Do not worry, Hoseok. Once your hatred for humans cement, that number will inevitably go up."

"You're telling me you don't even want to kill Seokjin?" Jungkook hummed, staring pointedly at Hoseok. "Taehyung killed everyone in his village. I only wish I could have killed your grandfather. Oh, that reminds me. I'm first in line to murder your father. Well, after you, of course, should you wish to kill him too."

To Hoseok, the concept of knowingly killing what he used to be was bizarre. To Taehyung and Jungkook, it was normal, but Hoseok assumed it was because they'd had centuries to hate the humans. Taehyung had the most reason out of everyone— and he'd killed them, just the same as Jungkook, who was betrayed by the people he thought could protect his family. Sure, Hoseok had been killed the person he thought had loved him, and his father had been behind the reason why he'd remained a single child and the reason why his mother had been notably absent.

But only two humans had really damaged his life. Seokjin, someone he'd grown up loving and was intent on marrying, and his father, the false King. Apart from that, Hoseok doubted that he could get revenge on Artemis, who was one of the Twelve. But his people hadn't done anything wrong. At least, the people he thought he was supposed to rule over.

Did that mean Hoseok wanted to kill them?

It was a hard question to answer.

He felt that he should, considering Seokjin killed him without hesitation. He'd used Hoseok's emotions against him, and because of it, Hoseok was out of the loop for almost four years. His body had grown, he'd grown older, but in his head, he was still the same person he was before. Perhaps it was that the hatred hadn't cemented yet. Hoseok knew that he was at his tipping point, but he was unsure what would fully push him over the edge.

Something told him he didn't want to find out.

"We should hold off on that one," Hoseok murmured. "I haven't even seen my father yet. Not after everything."

"You should terrorize him," Taehyung suggested, earning murmurs of agreement from Jungkook. "Appear and disappear in front of him. Just run past him. Sit on his balcony window. I've heard he still lives in the quarters of the palace and that he sits on the throne that no longer belongs to him. Can you imagine that? Years later and he still acts like he holds all the power."

"It's pathetic," Jungkook chuckled. "I feel sorry he was your father. That monster should never have had children."

Taehyung's lips parted into an 'o', "Hoseok, how many half siblings do you have? Five full-blooded siblings, but half-siblings...I think the only one that knows is Yoongi. Yoongi and Yeonjun."

"I remember Yoongi mentioning urns," Hoseok said, suddenly remembering. "He might still have them. I'm not too sure."

Jungkook smiled mischievously, his eyes glinting with an idea. His eyes flitted to Taehyugn, who seemed to draw onto the same idea, and they both looked at Hoseok, who only looked at them confused. After looking at them blankly, Taehyung and Jungkook simultaneously sighed, shaking their head at Hoseok's cluelessness.

"We should go see how your father's doing," Taehyung finally spelled out. "Do you not want to see him? It's been years since you've seen him."

"If he sees me, there is no telling what he would do," Hoseok stammered. "What if he tries to kill me? How am I supposed to defend myself if he tries something? And Jungkook, you're still hurt. Hell, I'm still hurt."

"Tae's doing fine," Jungkook pointed out. "The boys aren't here right now. They're gone doing their usual family bonding time."

Hoseok cocked his head to the side. "What?"

"Yeah," Taehyung sighed dramatically. "They meet up at least once a month. They stopped doing it after a while when you passed away, but they've recently picked it up again. Usually, Jungkook and I go hunting, but we can't do that when you have never even consumed human blood, so the next best we can do is explore your family lineage, Jung."

"I wonder what they look like," Jungkook said excitedly, already standing up. "Well, we won't get to see their appearances but maybe your father has a collection somewhere of photos. I wonder if they'll have your nose. Maybe your eyes."

"I think the heart shaped lips are part of the Jung hereditary traits?" Taehyung asked. "Come to think of it, I do not think any one of us even saw any of your siblings. I feel I would have remembered their faces by now. No, we did not associate with the Jungs until Hoseok was of age, but by then, Hoseok was already an only child."

Jungkook's eyebrows furrowed. "Well, we should know what some of them look like. Hoseok remembers that he had siblings. We should know what at least. Maybe it's in one of Yoongi's books."

"Okay, maybe we should stop," Hoseok said, frowning. "You're making my head hurt. I do not remember how. My full blooded siblings look like, and I was not alive during the time that my half siblings existed. I know nothing about this."

Jungkook nodded. "Yeonjun knows. He's the one that made it happen. We can ask him after they return. For now, we must take the tread up to the palace." Upon seeing Hoseok's unconvinced gaze, Jungkook added, "This is the first outing for us since your return. All three of us. We have to do this, Hoseok."

Taehyung murmured his agreeance, saying, "You are part of the family now. We must do this. It is tradition. You cannot back out."

"Jungkook's still injured," Hoseok protested weakly, though it was mostly Yoongi's sentiment before he had left. "If something happens, we won't have the Purebloods to protect us."

Taehyung smirked, his fingers suddenly lit a fire, the embers of it causing Hoseok to jump in surprise. "I promise you, Hoseok. We do not need the Purebloods for what we are about to do. I have heard tales of the ashes of the dead being the access to their lives. Are you not curious?"

Hoseok was curious, but the fear that they would get caught was far greater. It wasn't nearly enough time for them to venture out into the world, even with Taehyung being able to use his abilities to the full. Hoseok was a disadvantage to them as long as he didn't consume human blood, and Hoseok didn't want to be placed in a position where he would have to. The fear of seeing his father again was also too much to bear, and as much as it excited Taehyung and Jungkook, Hoseok had to admit he was terrified. Though his father always lurked in the back of his mind, willingly seeking him out was something Hoseok wasn't expecting himself to do.

He'd never formally talked to his father about anything he did. Logic was telling him that he should go see his father, but his body was also telling him to stay put. He didn't want to make Yoongi more than he already would be. He hadn't even wanted to go to the family reunion, much less Namjoon, but Yeonjun had assured them that they would be fine. What was the worst that could happen if they were to go?

"Do we know where Seokjin is?" Hoseok asked. Taehyung nodded. "Where?"

"He's nowhere near the palace," Taehyung informed. "Outskirts. He will not be returning to the palace. The guards will be no problem because they will be unconscious as soon as I take their oxygen. If there were any appropriate day to contact your father, it would be today."

"It is completely up to you," Jungkook said. "It must be scary to go see him after years. I cannot tell you what the future will bring, but I can tell you that if he dies before you two can speak, you will spend the rest of eternity with unanswered questions. You will be unsatisfied."

Jungkook was right.

"At the first sign of trouble, we depart," Hoseok said. Grins of excitement lit Jungkook and Taehyung's expressions. "I mean it."

Taehyung mock saluted, the grin still plastered onto his face. "Perfect. You won't regret this. No one will now. Nothing will happen."

Looking at Taehyung and Jungkook's faces, Hoseok could almost believe them.

Almost.

🩸

"I am blessed beyond imagining to have you here after years of postponing our tradition."

Yoongi could only smile at his mother's comments, swirling the cocktail with his finger. He knew it was imprudent to do so, but in his mother's signature cocktails, he'd always preferred to stir them. Ambrosia and blood usually never mixed together in drinks, and Yoongi found that stirring them together created a blood orange mixture that gave him the best of both tastes. Blood was already sweet to him, but combined with ambrosia, it gave it just the right kick that left Yoongi's body buzzing.

Jimin wrinkled his nose at the action, and Yoongi only stuck his tongue out in return, purposefully drinking the glass as loudly as possible. This only further annoyed Jimin, and it took less than a second for the drink to magically disappear from his hands, falling onto the table with a loud clang and spilling onto Yoongi's clothes. Namjoon masked a laugh at the action, and Jimin's eyes receded back to their regular color as he innocently took a sip of his own glass, ignoring the way Yoongi was suddenly death glaring at him.

Yoongi stared at Jimin intently, having an eye battle, mostly to see if Jimin would rise to the bait. It had taken less than ten seconds for Jimin to flash his eyes green, lips curling into a smirk as he welcomed any sort of challenge on Yoongi's behalf. Yoongi's eyes morphed purple and Jimin cursed, the glass suddenly becoming too hot for him to handle touching. The liquid in the glass had turned into nothing but boiling water, and Jimin hissed as it fell onto his lap, feeling the sting of the above average temperatures. Yeonjun turned to Namjoon, who continued to stay out of it, making the occasional remark to Yoenjun every now and then.

"Is there not a day in which the two of you do not mess around at the dinner table?" his mother, Selene, sighed, quickly refilling the glasses with a wave of her hand. With another wave, the stains on both Yoongi and Jimin returned their clothes to their former glory. Hecate only laughed, enjoying the scenery at hand, while Yoongi rushed to defend himself, happily throwing Jimin under the bus. "Children, we are here to celebrate. To feast, over our successes, and how close victory is."

"Victory will be when the Gwan line is finally restored," Hecate said, taking over Selene's words. "Victory will be when those who have wronged us finally get what they deserve. But true victory will lie when each of you live happily ever after with your soulmates for the rest of eternity."

"I've been doing the research you requested, Hecate," Yoongi said, igniting looks of curiosity from his brothers and Yeonjun. "What? I was not going to tell you anything until I had concrete findings. What I have confirmed now, though, is going to make it all achievable."

"What are you waiting for?" Namjoon asked, crossing his arms in interest. "You almost always include me in your searches. I am a bit offended you did not reach out."

Yoongi smiled. "This was something I had to do on my own. You would have been little help."

"He's only saying that because he asked me to help him," Jimin responded smugly, earning a dirty look from Namjoon. "What? Envious that he finally asked me for help?"

Namjoon's eyes flashed red, and Jimin yelped. The blood in his drink had separated from the ambrosia, and landed itself promptly on Jimin's head, dousing him. Blood trickled down Jimin's face, and the indignant Pureblood that he was, he licked the blood that he could with his tongue, all while figuring out a way to approach Namjoon. Ultimately, his gaze flickered towards Yeonjun, and with his eyes vivid green, he gestured towards Namjoon. Yeonjun slapped the back of Namjoon's head, immediately bursting into apologies.

"I forgot that you can still compel Yeonjun to do what you wish him to," Namjoon grumbled. "I'll kill you for that, mark my words."

"Children, please!" Selene chastised, reverting everything back to normal. "Yoongi was about to tell us something very important. The next one that utilizes their abilities to mess around the dining table is going to be turned into a statue."

The three brothers, and Yeonjun, turned to her in disbelief. Selene nodded, standing her ground as she looked at each of them. Grumbling, they all retreated back to their usual selves, the threat of misbehavior only a breath away. Satisfied, Selene turned her attention back to Yoongi, who cleared his throat, before starting once more.

"I have found the solution to our problems," Yoongi announced. "I discovered it on my own, but I had Jimin help reinforce my findings. He had no part in the initial findings, so you may let your jealousy rest, Namjoon. You know you are the only one that contributes to the research itself."

Namjoon nodded, glancing smugly at Jimin. Jimin bit the inside of his cheek, eyes flashing green though he did nothing, as the threat of being turned into a statue still loomed present, so he turned away indignantly.

Yeonjun just watched with interest.

"The research had to do with my ability," Yoongi said, taking a small sip of his drink. "Auntie asked me to explore the depths of my ability, and how reversible decisions could be. She asked me to figure out if it was possible to restore what was once written in stone."

They all held their breaths.

"It is not."

They all groaned.

"However," Yoongi began, spiking the interests of everyone at the table. "This conclusion is limited to my abilities. When Hoseok drinks human blood, whatever his gift may be, may change the answer to this question. Onto greater news, I have all the confidence in the world that the ability of Hoseok will rival that of gods. This comes as no surprise because as I have continued to explore my abilities, I have realized that mine also rival gods. I have written it off as the blessing of being mother's first son, but I digress."

To that, he received scoffs and glares from his other two brothers.

"I do not wish for Hoseok to unlock his ability yet," Yoongi continued. "not because I don't want to know how we can fully restore the Gwan life, but because I don't know how much that will tip the balance of the universe. I personally, do not care whether the scales tip in our favor, but I do not want to give Artemis a reason to kill him."

"I told you the decision for Hoseok to drink human blood is his and his alone," Selene remarked. "Though I understand your sentiment."

"So then, what is the solution to our problems?" Yeonjun asked, voice dripping in impatience. Yoongi held a finger up as if to silence him.

"I will get to that."

Jimin scoffed. "Yoongi's always had a flair for the dramatics."

Yoongi smiled, casually answering, "Is there any other way to reveal answers, brother? A flair for the dramatic has always made the revelations much more savory."

Selene shook her head, though her expression was nothing but content at what her son had said. Hecate also hummed in agreement, happily taking a bite out of her almost finished meal, while listening intently. Once Yoongi knew he had everyone's attention, he spoke once more, this time, excitement notable in his voice.

"Fate is a strange thing," Yoongi said. "I have found that there is no way to permanently erase something from existing. Therefore, the need to bring something back is almost futile. To bring it back would mean to alter reality, and that is out of my jurisdiction. Centuries ago, I managed to erase the Gwan line from existence, or at least, I thought I did. When I went back to my research, I realized that the way royalty was set up here, was through a symbol. Those who bore the royal symbol were meant to rule. Clearly, the Jungs do not possess this mark. I would have seen if Hoseok had it."

Namjoon cleared his throat abruptly, and Jimin smirked knowingly, taking an innocent sip of his glass.

"So this means..."

Yeonjun's eyes widened.

"For there to be true royalty, the Gwan line must still exist," Yoongi smiled triumphantly. "My abilities erased them, and the fates transformed it. It is no longer known as the Gwan line. Rather, it has adopted a new name, but if my conclusion is correct, the symbol should still be the same. Once we find, the real heir to the throne, we can have them take over the reign, and once they are placed in their rightful place, the universe will be as normal."

Namjoon's lips parted in astonishment. "So, what was once undone is transformed into something new. Fascinating. That makes our objective a lot easier. Have you any clue how the symbol looks?"

Yoongi grimaced. "I will have to scour my history books for that one, but once we know what it looks like, it won't be long until we find them." He looked at Yeonjun. "This also means that your soulmate never disappeared. Once their line is restored, the lineage will work to restore what was once lost, and eventually, your soulmate will be among them."

"That is most wonderful news!" Hecate clapped her hands in excitement. "All is not lost!"

"If my soulmate can come back from the dead," Yoongi said, smiling. "Then Yeonjun's soulmate can exist. We have to locate the newest version of the Gwan line."

Before anyone could say anything else, a sour presence tinged the room. Yoongi huffed in annoyance, his eyes flashing purple as he recognized the aura anywhere. He willed himself to stop speaking, knowing that Artemis hadn't been there to hear what he was already speaking, but would be hearing everything that was spoken from here on out.

Artemis walked into the room, a strangely nonchalant expression on her face. She looked around, eyes falling on each of the kids, disdain growing for each of them, and the fury outlining in her features as her eyes locked with Yoongi's.

"Artemis," Yoongi greeted, his voice anything but delightful. "What a surprise. For a second, I feared you might not show."

"But how could I ever miss dinner with my nephews?" Artemis said, her voice lining with sarcasm. "I see there is no chair set up for me. Should I get myself one?"

"There's no need," Selene interrupted, eyeing her coldly. "You may leave. You are not welcome here."

"It's the first time my nephews have come to the Moon to have dinner," Artemis remarked innocently. "After Hoseok's passing, things seemed to fall apart."

Yoongi's jaw clenched. "Do not speak of him. You have no right."

"Oh, the way your mother had no right to turn Hoseok into a Pureblood?" Artemis snapped, anger becoming visible in her features. "How is he, by the way? I have not seen him in such a long time."

"Perfect," Yoongi answered, without missing a beat. "It seems we'll be together for all eternity. I should bring him to you someday, introduce you to him. I'm sure you'll appreciate who he has now become. How's your son?"

To that, Artemis looked confused. "My son?"

Yoongi smiled snidely. "What was his name?" Yoongi pretended to think. "Ah! Kim Seokjin. The son who was unsuccessful in everything despite you giving him a helping hand. The man I managed to steal my soulmate from. I'm sure he's doing just wonderfully throwing the country into the ground with his insanity. I would have thought you would take better care of your children."

"That's no way to speak to a goddess," Artemis said coldly, only eliciting a smirk from Yoongi's lips. "Kim Seokjin is not my son."

Yoongi's eyes lit up. "Ah, my apologies, dearest aunt. I forgot Kim Seokjin was merely a pawn for your disastrous games. You could never have a son, much less make a man half-God, despite having no previous qualifications to receive such an honor."

Artemis marched up to Yoongi. Sensing it was coming, Yoongi immediately stood, turning to face her. She towered over him menacingly, but Yoongi did nothing at it, continuing to stare at her unrelenting. His eyes were now a prominent purple, lips turned upwards into a sneer, and the tip of his fangs slightly peeking out. He wasn't scared of her— Artemis knew it, which made any advance Artemis tried doing completely useless. Now that Yoongi had Hoseok, nothing would stop him from quarreling with a goddess, no matter how reckless it could seem.

"You have nothing on me now, Artemis," Yoongi seethed. "If you are not here to apologize for your millennium of cruelty, I suggest you leave. You are disrupting a very harmonious family reunion, and unfortunately, you're the estranged member. Every family has one, and luckily, the role has fallen to you. Take it and go."

"You know this isn't over right?" Artemis asked, tilting her head to the side. "As long as there has been no claiming, your bond is not solidified. I'm surprised you have waited." Her eyes lit in amusement. "My apologies. I forgot Hoseok still isn't a full-fledged vampire. He would have to drink human blood for that."

"I'll make sure you get front row seating at my wedding, Artemis," Yoongi taunted, not letting Artemis get under his skin. "And I'll make sure you watch me kiss my soulmate with as much passion as you used to give my moth—"

A sickening crunch stopped Yoongi in his tracks. Artemis's hand connected with Yoongi's face, slapping him with a force, Yoongi knew would have knocked out most of his teeth had he been human. His hand went to his face, bruising as it was the hand of a god, but he did nothing else, only remaining still as his mother rose up to defend him. While he didn't need his mother to get in between, it was a mother's wish to help their child, and considering Artemis had hurt him, Yoongi knew Selene wouldn't stand idly.

"Get out."

His mother's voice was firm, tense. Her hands were clutching onto Artemis's dress tightly, forcefully dragging her away from Yoongi. Artemis, surprisingly, did not fight Selene, her ego very clearly wounded. Yoongi watched her forcefully leave, before his mother rushed to his side, already pressing the glass of ambrosia to his lips. The ache in his face disappeared, and they settled down. Yoongi turned to his family, and grabbing his glass, he lifted it up, a grin on his face.

"To us," he proclaimed, acting as if nothing had happened, "and the inevitable success of our future."

They all raised their glasses, cheering loudly as they clinked their glasses together, downing their drinks as if there were no tomorrow.

The future was bright, and for as long as Yoongi remained alive, it would remain so.

He'd make sure of it.

🩸

Taehyung and Jungkook had been right.

Getting to his father had been the easiest part of the journey. The hard part came with him crossing into the room. His fingers held the doorknob so tight Hoseok feared it would break. His palms were sweating, doing no justice to his bandaged hand, which was no doubt riddled in sweat. Taehyung and Jungkook stood protectively behind him, giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

When he finally entered, he was disappointed to find the room vacant. He walked around idly, looking around the room that belonged to his father. He examined every nook and cranny, his fingers brushing over the urns that were so conveniently placed in order of death. Jungkook and Taehyung immediately went for them, counting them, before peeking inside them. His breath caught in his lungs as he noticed a picture of himself next to his father's bed, and he sat down on the bed, taking the frame with his fingers.

The person staring back at him was almost unrecognizable. It almost made him feel envy. The person in the picture had no idea how royally fucked his life was, and everything that would happen to him in the future. In that picture, Hoseok had been human, and now, he was the one thing he had sworn he hated beyond imagining.

It was the cruelest irony of them all.

What would his father think of him now? Hosoek could only imagine that he would not be over the moon about his transformation. Would Micah even be able to recognize him? The first time Hoseok had seen himself, he hadn't even been able to recognize himself, because he was different. His skin was devoid of blemishes, back at his youthful form, and his eyes weren't brown anymore. How would his father be able to tell who he was?

In a way, his father had to. Hoseok was the child that he loved the most, and the urns proved it. He had no desire to look through the urns yet. He knew if he did, he would be filled with so much emotion he would do something irrational because of it. If he saw his father, and all he felt was fury, Hoseok knew that the probability of his father leaving the room alive was slim to none.

At the sound of approaching steps, Hoseok turned towards the door. Jungkook and Tqehyung blended into the shadows, watching as the door opened, and in came Micah, sword in hand, ready to attack the thing that could be in his room. Hoseok's golden eyes met his and Micah, in his surprise, dropped the sword, looking at his son in shock. He stepped forward, and Hoseok continued to hold his breath, unable to keep his eyes off his father.

They were right— Micah did look old, far more than he should at the supposed age he was meant to be in. Agile, yes, but still old, and though Hoseok knew the most accurate representation of his father would be ashes like the ones he kept in store in the turns, he also knew this was the closest his father was going to be dead.

"Hoseok?"

His father's tone surprised Hoseok far more than he had thought it would. Already, the tears were glistening in his eyes, though it wasn't out of sadness. No, how could it be, when his father had the saddest look on his face, his voice ringing with doubt and hope, and tears streaming down his face. If it would have been any other time, Hoseok would have believed it, but as he looked into his father's eyes, he couldn't see anything that portrayed the emotions he was giving. No, Hoseok couldn't be wanting to cry because of his father's sadness.

It was out of anger.

"Hello father," Hoseok greeted, his lips curling into a sneer. "Have you missed me?"

His father fell to his knees, body trembling, almost in fear. Hoseok knew it was all a hoax, but he let his father continue his antics, staring impassively at the man who had played a part in his death. The man, who had willingly killed every single one of his children, just so he could have more power. A man who deserved nothing but to rot on the ground. Hoseok didn't know what he was going to be feeling upon seeing his father for the first time in years, but he knew there was no love for his father in his heart.

All he felt was hatred. A deep, gut-wrenching hatred, that enveloped his entire body and clung to him like a tick clung to its prey, with his heart being the root of it all. He felt nothing for the man bawling in front of him. The old man was on his knees, unable to believe that his son, after everything he'd done, had still been alive.

It was pathetic.

It was sickening.

"Where have you been all this time?" his father asked, attempting to reach for Hoseok. Hoseok immediately put his hand out in an effort to stop him, and surprisingly it worked. "Hoseok? What's the matter with you? You've changed."

A cold smile graced Hoseok's lips.

To say Hoseok had changed was an understatement.

"I have two other trusted people with me, so I trust you will remain on your best behavior," Hoseok said, his voice unwavering. Micah looked around, unable to find anyone, but he nodded as if he could. "Good. Then perhaps, this will go smoothly. You can get up now, Micah. No one's falling for your acts."

Micah flinched at the usage of his name but he listened. He took a seat adjacent to Hoseok making sure he could look at Hoseok, who made sure to betray no expression on his face. His father deserved nothing from him, and he made sure to convey that.

"The King lives," Micah whispered. "The country will be pleased."

"The King is dead," Hoseok corrected. "I have no intentions of taking a crown that does not belong to me."

Hoseok didn't know whether the confusion on his father's face was authentic or a ploy to get Hoseok to trust him. Even then, Hoseok ensured he'd keep his guards up. He let himself fall for his father's tricks before. He wouldn't be doing it again. Not when it's cost his time and life too many times over.

"You've been dead for years, Hoseok," his father's voice wobbled. "Did you hit your head? You look different. Your eyes aren't brown anymore. You're different."

"I am not here to chat about my whereabouts over the last couple of years," Hoseok quickly informed him. "I do not want to exchange pleasantries with you."

"Then what are you here for, my son? "

Hoseok cringed at the usage of endearment, making it clear that any attempt to get on Hoseok's good side would not work. He folded his arms across his chest, glaring at his father with as much strength as he could muster, to ensure his father knew everything from here on out, would be run by him. Micah would have no role in how the conversation would play, and if he so much as tried, Hoseok would ensure the appropriate measure would be taken, even if they were to leave his father dead.

"It is time for us, Micah, to have a nice, long conversation."

a/n: a bit of family interactions from both sides, we love this! and ofc, the old classic cliffhanger (though i didn't do it on purpose, i just hadn't expected the chapter to be so long). new information was revealed, and we got ourselves a yoongi and artemis interaction out of it too! 

i had to make the title shorter here than on ao3 bc apparently there's a limit to characters and i passed them (lame), but it is still the same thing LNDSLKJFSD

i've got perfect, valid reasons as to why i haven't updated. one, because i've been doing lots of fests on ao3 so i've been busy writing there (and if you want to read those then you can always head to my ao3 user sopepathy). two, because mfm is close to its finish and it makes me so sad b/c i really don't want to let this fic go yet 😔😔😔😔😔

been working on mfm for almost two years, forgive me for not wanting to part ways with it BAHAHAHJAKLFSHG not like i don't have another just as complex fantasy thing lying around just waiting to uploaded, but SHHGHGDKJSFHG

how are you guys? i hope you're doing well <3 

i'm currently going feral over hoseok, but what is new? it is also very early morning so i need to head to sleep soon (so def lots of spelling mistakes or some sprinkled in there i only briefly skimmed) and also bc i was too busy thinking about hoseok to function <3

thank you for reading <3