"Where did you know my parents from? So you're a mortal who managed to live for centuries? How did you do that? Or were you once an immortal then reincarnated and retained your memories?"

Jungkook presses on despite having no reply, "and how did you enter the underworld when you're alive? Why didn't the guards catch you? How can you come and go as you please when you're not of my father's blood? Oh my Zeus, or are you really related to me?"

"No," Taehyung finally replied and he was trying to recall who he finds Jungkook similar to. Taehyung is not referring to his looks but his eagerness. No...not exactly, more like an innate curiosity, a sort of brightness, which Taehyung could not find within himself to dislike, is kind of like...

"Here we are!"

Taehyung looked up to see Jungkook had led him to the front of the auction house. It is a building with a gold and red exterior. A large number of guests are entering it, mostly there for the auction happening in a short while.

"Why are we here?" Taehyung asked. Is it not too much of a wild leap that he would find the scroll at the upcoming auction?

"There's someone I know here who might know where your scroll is," Jungkook said. "This auction house not only has treasures in the form of artifacts, but also trades information for a price. We just have to ask the right person."

"Your highness, child of King Hades and Queen Persephone, heir to the underworld, welcome," greeted a nymph, a species born naturally attractive with melodious voices and are favoured by business owners when they hire customer service staff.

Another nymph greeted Taehyung, "Oh, esteemed guest, it must be your first time here. We never forget anyone who visits our store."

"Please follow us and our auction will start soon." The nymphs led Jungkook and Taehyung inside the store and there are even more personnel bustling about carrying wares, food, drinks, and leading customers along the wooden walkways.

Lanterns emitting warm light hang from the beams and Taehyung saw all sort of customers such as demigods, dwarves, faefolk, and witches, and then a familiar face.

Standing a few feet away from them is Yoongi, the child of Morpheus. He is beautiful as always no matter what, of course, as is Jungkook and all other Gods, but yoongi does not look too well.

Yoongi's eyes are barely focused, his hair was flattened on one side and sticking up on the other, his clothes are wrinkled and his shoes mismatched. He looked like he had slept for days and just woke up.

He is conversing with the staff accompanying him, "when is your manager coming?"

"I am afraid he will only be free after the auction, your grace."

Yoongi shook his head, "that will not do, bring him to me now."

If Taehyung wasn't sure something was wrong before, he has no doubts now. Yoongi is as gentle as a lamb and rarely demands from or inconveniences others.

"Um, your grace, it is really not..."

"Yoongi," Taehyung called.

"Taehyung?" Then Yoongi was beside Taehyung in a moment, gripping his wrist tightly, eyes awake and desperate, as if Taehyung is his lifeline.

"Why are...no, library, the library, I need to go there...Taehyung, help me."

"Hey dude, chill," Jungkook intervened, grabbing and prying off Yoongi's hand from Taehyung's, who had flinched at the contact. A god's strength is no joke.

"Apologies," yoongi mumbled as he withdrew his hand immediately. His focus is still on taehyung and he had barely registered Jungkook's presence.

"Tell me what's wrong," Taehyung said, his tone sounding curt as usual but Yoongi can tell that there is concern in his voice.

"I can't here. I will in the library but we have to go now," yoongi said, eyes flicking to Jungkook and to the other customers near them.

"Not now, I am looking for something and after I have it, I'll bring you to the library. I promise, Yoongi, but you have to wait—"

"No! You...you don't understand," Yoongi frazzles, then he pulls Taehyung with him up the stairs, rounding corners until they arrived outside an empty room at an end.

Once they stepped foot inside, yoongi shut the doors, "Jimin's missing."

"What? When?"

Yoongi continues, pouring out what had happened in a single breath, "two days ago. He just disappeared and never came back. The attendants in his home said he went for a walk in the forest surrounding the area and did not return, and you know the condition he is in, I am worried sick."

The god's eyes turned red from anxiety, "I went to the forest and he's not there. I've been trying to find him through dreams but there's just too many and none of them had news of Jimin. Then I recall seeing in a dream that there is a scroll which can trace anyone, even gods.

I wanted to go to Athena's palace to find either Namjoon or you to ask if it is real and if Athena's library has it. Both of you weren't there and I came here next. If anything happens to Jimin, or if he h-hurts himself, I...I can't...we have to hurry."

Taehyung took a moment to process it all, and a wild idea flashed by his mind, "you weren't able to find him directly in the dream world?"

Morpheus' family are able to enter the dreams of a sleeping individual if they are physically beside them. However, there is another way, which is for a God of Sleep to bond themselves to an individual and they will be able to enter that person's dreams from anywhere.

"No...I couldn't. It was as if he had disappeared or that something is blocking me off from sensing him."

Which was why Yoongi had freaked out and abandoned his duties, spending every moment to try all means and ways he knows of to find his lover.

A feeling of dread creeped up Taehyung's spine. He said, "a copy of the scroll you are looking for indeed exists in Athena's library. It is a collection of powerful spells older than you and I, extremely rare, and it is no longer in the library."

Taehyung's heart ached for his friend as he witnesses the god's eyes lighting up with hope and then dying out again.

"Where is it?"

Taehyung took in a deep breath, "I do not know and I am here to find someone who knows if there is a second copy. I am also trying to find it for the same reason as you."

"...to find someone?"

"Yes, to find Namjoon, who went missing the day the scroll was gone from my home."

- a/n -

Who or what exactly is Taehyung and his relationship with Namjoon? Why does he call Athena's palace his home?

Stay safe and healthy 💗

- rsv (resha)