"Goodbye is just a sad way of saying hello."

-Anonymous


Stories.

Every human on Earth has one.

We tell them around campfires to scare little children, we tell them to each other when we are recounting our day to loved ones, we tell them to our children as we lay dying, telling them of "the good old days". Stories are never ending. Every story ever told has been documented and taken note of somewhere.

Stories are the essence of human existence. We learn from them, we fear them and most importantly, we remember them.

Everyone has a story.

And if your story is great,

It is remembered forever.

You were determined to make your story great. You were determined that no matter how many hardships you faced, no matter how hard things got for you, no matter how many mountains you were forced to climb...you would always be the hero of your own story.

However, hero's are not always what we perceive them to be. When we are young we imagine heroes in shining armor or red, flowing capes....but as we grow older....we begin to see that heroes come in every shape and size...Firemen, Policemen, Soldiers that serve in war for us to protect our rights.

Those brave men and women that put their life on the line for us are heroes...they save lives with their actions and their bravery...

But sometimes, we fail to see that we, ourselves are heroes.

For everyday that we live is a small victory, every step we take, every decision we make is a victory in our lives.

Sometimes, it hurts us to show our weakness, to put ourselves out there for fear that we will be rejected and hurt by those around us who do not understand us. We so often sell ourselves short....but there is a small amount of courage in all of us....you just have to find it and hold onto it.

Which is what you were struggling to do in that exact moment.

After you had put on the bracelet, it had lead you to the cellar of the palace to a small, hidden door. On the way down, Yoongi had managed to rally everyone up, telling them of your situation. They all immediately jumped into action, arming themselves with swords and daggers, preparing for anything they may come up against.

You were extremely grateful to them for coming with you....just knowing that you were not going back into the darkness alone was enough to ignite the small spark of courage in your belly.

But as you all approached the familiar "throne room" that Anubis had forged with his weakening powers, you slowly began to feel every ounce of courage dwindle away.

Once you went in, there was no turning back.

You jumped as a warm hand made contact with your shoulder, causing you to turn and lock eyes with the dark-headed man behind you.

"Do not fear, Y/n." Jin started with a smile. "We are all here to protect you...should you need protecting."

You sent him a nervous smile, nodding your head politely.

"Thank you."

He grabbed your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

You turned your eyes back to the room at the end of the dark hall, bright candle light emitting from the large entrance, voices echoing off the walls.

Slowly, you began to walk closer to the room, your heart pounding in a familiar sense of dread and fear.

You stopped once you reached the door frame, taking a few seconds to allow yourself to regain your composure.

"Are you hiding, pet?"

Your breath hitched at the deep, gravelly voice that sounded from within the walls of the false throne room.

You remained silent, trying your absolute best to control your breathing and heart rate.

"Come now, there is no sense in hiding. I could smell you from the moment you went underground."

With one last deep breath, you took a few steps forward, walking into the room which you had come to despise with a fiery passion. In that moment, you just wanted to run back up to the castle, out of the darkness that had once again managed to encase your being.

The air was bitter and thick as you stared at the smirking monster in front of you.

You wanted to scream.

You wanted to kill him.

You wanted to do anything but look at him.

No longer had Anubis taken on the form of Taehyung with his boyish smile and dirty blond hair....Now he stood before you as an entirely different man with jet black hair and bright blue eyes.

Yoongi.

Your Yoongi.

"What is happening?" You ignored Yoongi's voice from the back of the line, eyes fixated on the god in front of you, trying your best not to be amused by Yoongi's perplexed expression.

"Y/n," You shuddered as your name fell from his lips, his gaze piercing yours as his smile widened. He knew how you felt about the Dragon King and he was using it against you...trying to make you weak and submissive. "I have missed you."

"Y/n!"

Your eyes snapped up to Taehyung's figure, gasping as you took in his state. He sat, chained to the golden throne by his wrists, his robes torn and red with blood that dripped from open wounds on his shoulders. Black and purple spots littered his face, leaving you to assume that Anubis had taken pleasure in roughing them up.

Jimin sat in a throne beside him, also chained and beaten, his brown eyes looking at you in shock.

Forgetting about your surroundings, you subconsciously took a step forward, only to have your arm grabbed, pulling you backwards into a solid chest.

Jin's features were covered in confusion and curiosity as his gaze flashed between the two Yoongi's the only differences being in their clothing and the color of their eyes.

"Ah, you brought guests." Anubis' happy tone instantly dropped. "No matter, the more the merrier I suppose."

A low growl sounded from behind you as Hoseok took a step forward.

"Enough!" He yelled. "Give us the princes."

Laughter sounded throughout the large room, sending shivers down everyone's spine. He seemed far too happy....it was unnerving.

"Do you think you are really in the position to make orders, stargazer? Why would you want to save their lives anyway? Weren't you trying to poison Taehyung just a few days ago? What difference does it make if I kill him now?"

You did your best to hide your shock, not giving Anubis the satisfaction of knowing that he had managed to surprise you.

Hoseok swallowed hard, lowering his head at the undead god's words.

"I did as you asked." You stated boldly, taking a step forward. "Now keep your end of the deal."

His eyebrows raised in amusement at your new-found courage and boldness. He was clearly enjoying every moment of this and just knowing that made you want to throw a brick at his smug face.

"I think you have forgotten one, small detail, pet." He said with a quiet tone, his body moving closer to yours as he brushed a loose strand of hair from your face. "I still need a vessel."

Your eyes widened, heart beating loudly in your chest as panic rushed over you.

You let out a loud scream of protest as two arms wrapped around you from behind, holding you in place and pulling you off to the other side of the "throne room".

You struggled underneath the strong grip of what you assumed was an undead slave that was currently hindering you from ripping Anubis' throat out.

The rest of the boys were also being held in place by one of his many rotting slaves, their struggling every bit as useless as yours.

Your blue eyes watched as the chains fell from Taehyung's and Jimin's bodies, no longer binding them to the large thrones in which they sat.

Your mind began racing with worst-case scenarios, you felt like you were going to be sick from whatever cruel plans Anubis had for the two of them.

Two identical swords were throne at their feet, catching their attention for a brief moment before they both looked back up to the undead god before them.

"Pick them up." Anubis ordered. "Tonight I will have my vessel."

Taehyung's eyebrows furrowed in anger, his foot kicking the weapon away harshly as he sent a hard glare to the raven-haired man.

"I will not play your game." He stated.

"Nor will I." Jimin agreed, his foot also kicking the weapon.

A heavy sigh left the god before them, an almost smile pulling on the corners of his mouth. He seemed to be enjoying their disobedience...which made you shudder.

"Oh you will," He said. "Or else I shall kill the goddess."

You gasped as a cold metal was suddenly pressed against the skin of your neck, Aten's voice resounding in your ear.

"Stay still."

You swallowed hard, trying your best to look brave for the two men in front of you.

Taehyung stared at you longingly, you could tell by his eyes that he was struggling with inner turmoil...he had no idea what to do in that moment and you couldn't blame him...it was you or his brother....

"Taehyung.." You called after him, forcing his eyes to land on you. "I'll- I'll be okay."

His jaw clenched at your statement, squeezing his eyes shut momentarily.

You couldn't have known that he wasn't going to simply allow you to die...you couldn't have known that he would choose you over his brother....you couldn't have known that he was going to pick up the sword.

Anubis' smile only widened at the young royal's actions, clearly he was quiet pleased with the way things were turning out...in his favor.

You struggled against Aten's grip as hard as you could manage without cutting your neck.

"Taehyung!" You cried loudly. "Don't you dare do this! He's your brother!"

The knife against your throat suddenly got closer, slicing the skin of your neck, forcing you to be silenced once again.

"Leave her alone!" Jin yelled from across the room, his body pushing hard against the undead man that held him so tightly.

Aten ignored the man completely, his grip on you only tightening further.

Anubis stood between the two princes..eyeing Jimin curiously.

"I wonder which one of you is going to win." He said, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

Jimin's chest heaved beneath his shirt, heavy breaths escaping past his lips as he glanced between you and his brother....a defeated look in his eyes as he too, bent down to collect his sword.

You wished that you could do something-anything to make this all stop, but there was nothing you could do but watch....you felt useless, weak and stupid...all you could do was wait and see which brother managed to kill the other.

Taehyung swirled the sword around in his hand, giving Jimin an apologetic look.

He didn't want to do this.. He didn't want to kill his brother...but either he fight...or you die....he couldn't even bare to think about it. A life without you in it...A day without your laughter or your smile..no. He had already lost you once, he wasn't going to do it again.

"I am sorry, brother." Taehyung stated with a heavy look in his eyes.

"No," Jimin countered, raising his sword into the air. "I am."

With those last two words the brothers struck into action, swords meeting each other with brute force and harsh blows.

The sound of metal upon metal was all you could hear as you watched the two of them, desperately trying to convey a message with your eyes, desperately trying to get them to see reason.

Maybe if you just leaned forward a bit and let the knife on your throat take your life.....maybe they would finally come to see reason.

Taehyung grunted as he swung his weapon at Jimin, only for the latter to block it with his own metal weapon and send a blow to his brothers side, earning a loud groan of pain from the dirty blond.

His hand met his injured side as he doubled over, trying to regain his breath.

He was bleeding.

Jimin looked at his brother with sorrowful eyes before moving his sword to send the last blow to him, but Taehyung was quicker than the younger and he managed to move out of the way just in time, his own weapon slicing through the fabric of Jimin's robes, cutting him on his thigh.

The priest hissed in pain, before once again attacking Taehyung.

You couldn't stand to watch the scene anymore so you went into defensive mode.

You moved your foot back harshly, stomping on top of Aten's foot as hard as you possibly could, stunning the man behind you long enough for you to push yourself out of his hold and begin running towards the two princes.

"Stop it!" You shouted desperately, your lip trembling. "Please stop!"

Your words seemed to hold no kind of power over the two of them though, as both men completely ignored you, continuing to try and murder each other.

You gasped in pain as your hair was gripped and tugged back by Aten, an angry look on his features. His knife shimmered under the candlelight, causing your stomach to twist and turn in fear. You really managed to make him mad.

You weren't surprised when a hard smack was delivered to your left cheek, sending your head sideways, your hand reaching out and cupping the tender skin of your face. You were pretty sure he had just held back his anger substantially, he could have broken your jaw if he wanted to and you knew that.

"I grow tired of you, wench!" He roared, raising his hand in the air once again, preparing for another blow. "It's time I teach you some mann-!"

You couldn't stop the loud scream that left your lips as a long, metal blade suddenly ripped through his heart, sending a slight spray of blood to pour out of the wound.

Aten's face was covered in shock and pain, his eyes staring ahead of him at the god he once worshiped, who only stood with his arms crossed smiling.

The evil high priest opened and closed his mouth, probably trying to call out for some kind of assistance from the "great god". But no words managed to escape him, only a loud moan of pain as the blade was pulled from his chest, sending his body to fall limply on the ground in front of you.

Your chest moved up and down rapidly from your heavy breathing, eyes tearing away from Aten's body and onto your savior.

Jin stood with widened eyes, his hands shaking and covered in blood as he dropped his weapon onto the ground, his brown eyes boring into yours.

He couldn't believe what he had just done. Jin was a man a peace. He had never intentionally hurt another living being in all of his life...he had never even picked up a sword to brawl....but when he saw that-that monster lay his hands on you and hit you.....it was as though a sleeping beast awakened in him and he could not stop himself from breaking free of the undead man's grip, grabbing a sword and running him through.

You rushed to your feet as you watched Jin's face begin to pale over, his eyes becoming glassy.

You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, giving him a small amount of support where he stood.

"I-I didn't mean to.." He stuttered out, his eyes remaining on the body in front of him. "I didn't- I didn't mean to k-kill him."

You nodded your head in understanding, placing your hand on his chest in hopes that it would remind him to breathe.

"I know you didn't." You reassured him.

Loud, slow clapping filled everyone's ears, catching their attention....and yours.

Anubis stood over Aten's body, a large smile present on his handsome features as he took in the blood and carnage that surrounded him....He enjoyed seeing people suffer...even if it was his most loyal servant.

"My, my" He hummed, eyes moving to Jin's. "What a splendid mess you have made, my friend."

You could feel the dark haired man beside you tense up, his eyes filling with tears.

"I-It was an accident."

"Accident or not," Anubis barked. "You killed a man this night....and murder....is an act of evil."

Your own eyes widened at his statement, your body moving to stand in front of Jin in a protective manner. You had completely forgotten about his royal heritage...He was Taehyung's cousin, which meant that he was royalty....which mean that....Anubis could use him as a vessel.

"Don't you dare touch him." You growled.

Anubis hummed in response, his fingers brushing your chin seductively.

" Come now, pet you of all people should know the rules by now." He purred. "If a royal commits an act of evil...I am free to do with him as I wish."

Before you could even get the words out of your mouth, he god in front of you had disappeared and the man behind you began to cough and seize violently, his hands clawing at his throat as he struggled to breathe or find any sort of relief from the agonizing pain that began to fill his body to the brim.

First, he couldn't see.

Then, he couldn't hear.

And then....he couldn't feel anything at all.

Anubis blinked his eyes multiple times, trying to get used to the new way he saw things. There was so much color now...everything was so much brighter...he could get used to this.

By now, the two men behind you had finally stopped brawling with each other, both of them running over to inspect the scene before them.

"Oh no." Jimin's voice came out breathless. "He did it....He found a vessel."

A bone-chilling laugh escaped Jin's lips as he straightened his posture, eyes scanning over his hands as he wiggled his fingers happily.

Dread poured over you as you watched him admire his new body... He won....He managed to get a royal to commit an act of evil...just like he wanted.

"I'll admit," Jin's smooth voice started. "I had rather hoped to get one of the heirs, but I think I will be quite happy in this vessel...besides, I can always kill the two of you."

His eyes shot over to Taehyung and Jimin as an evil smirk graced his lips.

"Leave him alone." Taehyung growled lowly at the god.

Anubis raised his eyebrows.

"You seem to forget who you're speaking to."

Taehyung shook his head.

"I know exactly who I'm speaking to. You know as well as any of us that Jin is not an evil person, so leave him!"

Anubis merely rolled his eyes at his request.

"And why on earth would I choose to do that? hm? He is royalty and not at all bad looking. I could get used to seeing this face for eternity."

Taehyung clenched his jaw, his eyes meeting yours for a brief second before moving his gaze back to the god in front of him.

"Take me instead."

Your eyes widened at his words, hands reaching out to grab his.

"What are you doing?" You scolded.

He merely gave you a small smile before turning back to the god, who watched him with piqued interest.

"You?" He inquired.

Taehyung nodded.

"I am the only one in this room who deserves to be trapped for all eternity...and besides, I'm already the Pharaoh...you would have so much power in your hands with me as a vessel. Leave Jin alone....take me instead....please."

"Do you realize what you are asking for mortal?" The god inquired.

Taehyung only nodded.

Anubis only smiled widely, nodding his head..

"Very well, I suppose it would save me time on having to kill you."

You watched.

You watched as a black mist emerged from Jin's mouth and shot into Taehyung's.

You watched as Jin fell to the ground unconscious.

You watched as Taehyung gave you one last "I love you" before beginning to shake violently just as Jin had done before.

You didn't want to believe it. You wanted all of this to be some kind of terrible nightmare that you would wake up from at any moment.

This could not be how the story ended, this couldn't be the way that it was supposed to be... every ending was supposed to be happy, you were supposed to save everyone and beat the bad guy.....That's how it was supposed to be....

But that is not how it is.

Taehyung stood tall now, his once playful, brown eyes now filled with only evil....dark and powerful evil that terrified you.

He shook his head, rubbing his temples before turning back around to face you.

You choked on your unshed tears as you looked at him.

His bruises were gone now...skin flawless and untouched, you assumed it was from a god inhabiting his body.

It felt like a punch to the gut to see Taehyung look at you the way he was in that moment. You had always admired his eyes...they were filled with mischief and playfulness, they were so soft and raw...they always managed to show his emotions even when he would not. His eyes were honest...but the way they looked now.... made your heart break.

"Well, now that's all settled." His baritone voice filled the tense air as he stared at you. "It's time for The Bonding."

You immediately shook your head, taking a few steps backwards in fear, tears beginning to blur your vision. So many things were happening so fast...it was hard for you to comprehend anything that your body was doing...you were basically running on autopilot.

"N...No!" You screamed, stumbling over Aten's body that lay on the ground, fear lacing your voice as Anubis advanced to you.

"Don't be like that, babygirl."

You flinched at the use of the nickname... Now that he had access to Taehyung's brain he knew everything that the young prince knew...including the way that nickname affected you. Knowing that he was using your own feelings against you only made you more angry with him.

He outstretched his hand to you....giving you a large smile.

"Come away with me, Y/n." He breathed. "Bond with me...be mine for all of eternity...I can give you everything you ever wanted....everything you have ever needed...all you have to do is say yes....submit to me...bow to me."

For a moment you considered his proposal.

If you said yes... You would be in a world away from reality....a place where you could have anything you ever wanted...you would never feel any pain or sorrow ever again... You could just be away...happy.

But that isn't true, is it?

You wouldn't be happy...because you wouldn't have Taehyung....

Sure, the real world sucked....but that's a given..that's what makes the world...the world. But you had never been one to run away from anything....you liked a challenge and that's what living was...a challenge. It was a beautiful challenge created for people strong enough to endure it.

And you were strong enough.

"I said no!" Your voice came out stronger this time, almost all fear leaving your tone.

Anubis' eyebrows furrowed in anger, his hand shooting out in a dramatic fashion, causing everyone in the room to slam into the walls of the great room you stood in.

Of course he would use his powers. Typical.

"I have tried being nice," He growled. "But I am no longer asking. Bond with me, or I will kill all of them. I will rip them all into pieces. This is your destiny. I am your destiny. "

Your face remained neutral as you took a step closer to the young god...eyes never leaving his own.

"Taehyung."

The single word seemed to catch him off guard, the calmness in your tone surprising and infuriating him at the same time. Why did he suddenly feel weak? Why was the voice in his head suddenly so loud?

Babygirl.

He let out a loud growl of pain as he covered his ears, the royal's voice booming throughout his brain.

He shook his head furiously, his eyes moving back to yours as his hand gripped your wrist.

"Say it!" He barked. "Say you submit to me, or else they all die."

Loud protests of the men surrounding you filled your ears, but you never took your eyes away from him.

"Taehyung." You repeated, your hands resting on his chest as a single tear trailed down your cheeks.

Babygirl.

Anubis released a loud, guttural scream as he doubled over, the voice growing louder and louder. He couldn't take it it was like shell shock. He couldn't hear anything other than the same nickname blasting through his head. It was painful, it was annoying.

It seemed as though he was weakening, all of the boy that were once pinned against the wall fell down to land back on the solid ground.

"Shut up!" He shouted to the air, fists pounding on his head. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

You slowly reached your hand up to take his, intertwining your fingers and holding them in front of you, your other hand reaching behind his neck and tangling in his dirty blond hair.

Anubis watched with wide eyes as you slowly leaned in, your lips inching closer to his until they were ghosting over his own.

You paused for a single moment, allowing his name to slip past your lips again.

"Taehyung."

With that last word, you crashed your lips onto his, heart thumping out of your chest.

His eyes widened farther as the voice in his head grew louder and louder, until it was completely surrounding him and he no longer had control of anything that was happening...

Taehyung's arms hesitantly moved to wrap around your waist as his lips began to move against your own, his eyes shutting in bliss as your sweet taste invaded his senses.

Tears began to fall freely down his cheeks as he kissed you more passionately, holding you tighter against him. You were the only person he had ever loved....the only person he had been so raw, so open with. You were a special case to him...the way you shined in darkness, the way you brought life into his dark world...the way that you taught him to love.....You were his everything...you were his miracle.

You slowly pulled away, relieved to see the real Taehyung staring back at you... his eyes back to their original state of innocence.

He slowly rested his forehead against yours, his arms pulling you closer as he nuzzled your nose with his.

"Babygirl."

A quiet sob fell from your lips as you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him impossibly closer to you.

He petted your hair as he cried into your neck, his firm hold on you never once wavering.

"I love you." He stated. "I love you so much, Y/n."

You nodded your head, wordlessly saying that you understood.

A large, sad smile graced Taehyung's features as he slowly pulled away from the embrace, both of you staring at each other adoringly.

"Always remember that, babygirl....always."

Your eyebrows furrowed as you opened your mouth to speak.

But no words could form in your lips...

Because before you could even make a sound

Taehyung had grabbed the sword from earlier

and ran it through his own stomach.

A/N,

THAT WAS A LONG CHAPTER (and it wasn't even that good. I'm sorry 😢😢 I'll try harder to do better.)

DDAENG!

On a side note...I'm really gonna miss this book.

The next chapter will be the last in this book...and then it will be onto "Dynasty".

Please continue to support me through the next book, even if sometimes it may seem boring or just downright bad...I would really appreciate it.

I love you.

I adore you.

I purple you.

I'm out.

-Max