The air was tense in the ship. Everyone could tell there was some kind of argument going on between Jeongguk and Taehyung as they were both oddly quiet and not talking to each other at all. Namjoon had asked Jeongguk to give sometime to Taehyung and he just looked at him then walked away. Jimin tried to get Taehyung to open up but the elf brushed him off saying he was tired. While Jeongguk seemed pissed, Taehyung looked worried.

At least they had been putting up good fronts as they visited the other kingdoms. If their eyes happened to meet coincidentally, Jeongguk always looked away first while Taehyung's gaze lingered for another second before turning away. Luckily, no one they visited noticed the weird tension between the King and his supposedly right-hand man.

Finally, they reached Fionesta, the last kingdom on their list. It was a very calm nation, always kept to themselves and they were known for the most powerful spells and enchantments. If they needed to know what kind of spell they should cast for a problem, even a child from Fionesta could answer. Fionesta held every spell to ever exist, and they were also trusted with keeping the forbidden spell-books locked and secure. Namjoon had plans to try and find something for Taehyung's memory as all their previous attempts have been a failure.

They were set out on their tour of the town first. Everyone gathered eagerly to at least get a glimpse of the returned King. Elves around there were more well-off and a little posh, so Taehyung felt more like a circus entertainment than the usual idol treatment he'd get in that situation. He waved to the younger ones and stopped to talk to a few elderly. Everyone else watched with calculating eyes as if they were trying to pinpoint all his strengths and weaknesses, making him feel a lot more uncomfortable than he already was. Just something about the place didn't sit right with Taehyung.

In a calm and quiet area as such, even in the presence of two powerful kings, it wasn't a surprise that the bloodshot scream metres away got to everyone's ears. They all snapped heads towards to producer of the cry. Taehyung, curiosity getting the best of of him rushed in its direction, his entourage and Fionesta's royal family following. As he approached, he began to get a clear view of what was getting everyone so riled up.

"Everyone stand back!" a guard from Fionesta yelled, getting ready in defensive mode. Saphia's guards also stepped up to help.

In front of them was some kind of black glob looking beast. It had no eyes or arms or mouths unless it was to morph one out. It began picking up civilians and just throwing them to the side or kicking them. Destroying houses and anything that came in it's way. The guard yelled out some kind of command and immediately they all split into four groups and began to charge. Some went in with physical weapons, other began to combine up their magic and shoot it towards the thing.

"You're highnesses, we must find safety," an attendant said to them all.

"She's right," Yoongi said to Taehyung. "Leonava will stay back to help."

"No, you're coming with us as well," Namjoon said. He turned back the carriage that had already come, Fionesten royalty boarding up first.

Namjoon nudged Taehyung to go in but he couldn't keep his eyes off the thing. He watched as none of the guard's approach was successful as they were knocked out of their breath and shoved to a side by the beast.

"Our men!" Taehyung yelled, pushing Namjoon away and walking to one of the guards that had fallen to help him stand up. He looked around and saw the rest of Leonava also not listening, trying to get everyone to safety. Jeongguk was building up ice walls around it but the beast just kept tearing it down.

Each wall he built up, the thing kept destroying it. Jeongguk looked around and spotted Namjoon beside Taehyung. He ran over to them, still not giving up on those walls as they at least served a good distraction.

"That's dark magic, isn't it?" Jeongguk asked Namjoon.

"Seems so. Looks like a buniclo, it'll destroy everything in its sight," Namjoon said, now also not being able to look away. The remaining guards gave up trying to kill the buniclo and helped Jeongguk build up barriers as backup was still on the way.

"What the hell is that?" Hoseok screamed running up to them. He had forced Jimin, Jin and Yoongi to board onto one of the carriages.

"Dark magic," Jeongguk answered.

"Oh fuck no. Only dark magic can destroy dark magic," Hoseok grumbled, raising his hands up to shoot some berms at the thing even thought that basically did nothing.

"We have to trap it in something," Namjoon mumbled, trying to think of what can be powerful enough to capture the buniclo, but nothing in immediate reach came to mind.

Taehyung watched as more men got beaten up and he couldn't take it anymore. Only dark magic? So be it, he thought. He began to step forward but was stopped as a hand grabbed his wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jeongguk asked, the other hand still up trying to make ice traps that would usually capture the enemy.

"Your highness,  the carriage is here. You should leave," Hoseok said and Taehyung turned his head around.

"Listen to him," Jeongguk forced, tightening his grip on Taehyung's wrist.

"Let me go, Jeongguk. God knows how much more that thing will destroy. Saphian guards are spilling blood out there, I can't just watch," Taehyung said and Jeongguk didn't budge.

"Do you realize the consequence when everyone finds our?" Namjoon asked and Taehyung nodded.

"Let him go," Namjoon finally said and Jeongguk's grip loosened just feeling surprised it was Namjoon who said it. It became easier for Taehyung to pull back his arm and he ran towards to beast.

"Move away! That's an order!" he yelled at the remaining guards. The guards, confused, stopped their attacks and stepped away. Taehyung gathered up an energy ball and hit it towards the buniclo, getting its attention. The beast stopped attacking the housing and went after Taehyung.

"Fucking hell, Taehyung! Move!" he heard Jeongguk yell and build up more walls between the beast and Taehyung, but of course, it was went right through it.

Taehyung did move, but not behind. He began to rise up from the ground. A black mist formed around him and a gush of wind blew all over, getting his clothes and hair to fly every which way. Black markings sprouted from his neck and all over his body. He raised his hand to both his sides and black flames flickered from them. He brought his hands together and combined the flames.

Just as the beast was about to reach Taehyung with an arm it created, Taehyung aimed the flames at the thing and let go. A large explosion was heard and random chunks of the glob-like beast flied around randomly. Just a gooey and slimy black substance. Taehyung fell back to the ground at a much faster pace, collapsing to his knees immediately. Zorock had made it look so easy, but he was still glad he managed to pull it off.

The king breathed heavily, ready to fall to the ground but a pair of arms held him up. The last thing Taehyung saw before it all went black was Jeongguk looking at him worriedly.

•—•—•

Taehyung woke up again in an unfamiliar room. He had to get adjusted to the dim lighting as he looked around the room. It was a circular room with walls made of stone, glowing and sparkling like they were enchanted.

"Taehyung," a quiet voice called out to him. Taehyung got up searched for the owner of the voice but all he saw was the empty room.

"Taehyung," the voice said again. It was a female voice. A little low and raspy.

"Over here," she said and Taehyung spun around and finally saw some more light coming through a window. He ran to look through it, a gasp leaving his lips at the sight. He was so high in altitude, everything looked minuscule. Like random patches of village and greens.

"This is your new life," the voice whispered in his left ear. Taehyung snapped his head to look around but there still wasn't anyone.

"Don't worry. Your lonely mind filled with all your darkest thoughts will get you before the hunger does," the voice whispered now in his right. "Go ahead, try to use magic. It's useless here."

"Who are you?" Taehyung finally spoke.

"Oh you don't know me. No one knows me. No one wanted me to be remembered. No one wanted me. Just like how now no one wants you. There's a comfort in that. I'm not alone."

Taehyung shook his head, spinning around in circles trying to find some kind of reasonable explanation for all of this. A hidden door, a speaker, an earpiece or magic. Whatever the fuck it was, Taehyung needed it to end.

"This is our fate, Taehyung," the voice said and Taehyung finally realized who it was. The first princess that had taken victim of the curse, locked in a tower to die by herself.

"No," Taehyung said. "No," he said again but louder. The voice kept whispering more and more words but they all came in at once, sounding like utter gibberish messing up Taehyung completely. He covered his ears with his hands and crouched down, wanting to scream more but he his voice was lost. Soon, he felt out of breath, more desperate for that than trying to get rid of the sound. He tried, he tried so hard to get some oxygen into his lungs but he couldn't.

Thank god it was just a nightmare.

Taehyung lunged forward and sat up, gasping as he finally felt like he could breath again.

"Hey, hey, you're okay. Steady," a much more calmer voice said and rubbed his back. Taehyung's breathing calmed down as he took deep breaths in and out. He looked at Jeongguk and nodded. They both just stayed in silence for a moment, letting Taehyung calm down.

"Dark magic... so that was all the curse?" Jeongguk asked carefully.

"Um, no," Taehyung answered and wet his dry lips. "That was all me. I did that, on my own will. I- uh, I accepted the darkness within me, I guess. This is a part of me now."

Jeongguk took in a deep breath. "Okay."

Taehyung cocked a brow. "Okay?"

"I don't know what else to say to you," Jeongguk said with a blank face.

"I don't know, something like we need to get rid of it? Rid of me? Before I pose some kind of threat and become Zorock?" Taehyung began to list.

"You are not Zorock. You're nothing like him," Jeongguk said. "You protected everyone today, dark magic or not."

"Well Jeongguk I protect elves today and I hurt them tomorrow, no one knows, Zorock didn't. The curse is real and this is just the beginning," Taehyung said and looked away.

"Okay and? Taehyung you're losing yourself. Just because you found out about this fucked up curse doesn't mean all of a sudden your going to flip and turn into some psycho. Taehyung, I trust you. You have to trust yourself more."

Taehyung bit his lip and let Jeongguk's  words rest in the air for a moment. He tried to clear his mind but he couldn't and turned back to Jeongguk.

"How long will you trust me, hm?? Until I do something disastrous? Until–" Taehyung searched for the words and he found them. "Until I hurt you?"

"You would never hurt me," Jeongguk said in a heartbeat, sounding upset that Taehyung would even suggest.

"Did you not hear the fortune teller? How do you know, Jeongguk? How do you know?"

"I just do, okay!" Jeongguk bursted. "An-And even if you do, I don't care. I don't care Taehyung, I really don't. I know how to protect myself so stop being a fucking coward and just listen to me."

"What? What is it that you want to say?" Taehyung asked not actually thinking about giving Jeongguk the chance to speak but Jeongguk wasn't about to wait for it.

"You are who you decide to be. This isn't some motivational shit, its common sense. Yes people change, but not because some curse takes control of them and even if it does, you're not going to let it. Your hear me? You'll overcome this, and even if the whole world turns against you, I'll be right by your side," Jeongguk said, his voice becoming more and more soft as he continued.

"Really? You're not afraid you'll be wrong and then you'll have to face... whatever this is?" Taehyung asked, shifting his body so he could face Jeongguk.

"No," Jeongguk answered simply.

"Are you sure?"

"Taehyung, for fuck's sake, yes. I know you'll still be my Taehyung no matter what happens."

"Okay. I believe you. You're right," Taehyung said nodding. Jeongguk offered a small smile while nodding as well.

"So, that day... when you asked why else you'd want to be around me, did you mean..." Taehyung started, not knowing how he should phrase it but Jeongguk understood and nodded.

"Yeah, um, I did," Jeongguk answered.

"Cool."

"Cool? That's it?" the younger repeated not sounding so pleased.

"Huh? Oh. Oh. I just didn't think it would be appropriate given our situation and we were literally arguing three seconds ago so–" Taehyung began to ramble but stopped when he heard Jeongguk short laugh.

Taehyung chuckled and scooted closer. He hesitantly raised his hand and carefully cupped Jeongguk's cheek. Jeongguk gaze flickered from the older's lip's and his eyes until Taehyung leaned in close.

"You promise you won't leave me? No matter what? That you will take care of your safety?" Taehyung whispered.

"I promise," Jeongguk whispered with his shut eyes.

That's all Taehyung needed to hear before he connected their lips. Jeongguk didn't waste a second this time as he kissed back. Taehyung pulled him closer by his neck while Jeongguk's hand held Taehyung's face. They moved in sync as their lips danced together to a melody they have been waiting to hear for so long.

Jeongguk wanted to pull his body closer but he didn't want to make any of Taehyung's possible injuries worse. When they pulled away, the two came back from a few small pecks and then let their foreheads rest against each other. They  both smiled followed by a giggle.

"God what time is it?" Taehyung asked pulling away out picking up Jeongguk's hand instead.

"Like, 3 in the morning?" Jeongguk guessed and shrugged.

"Did you get any sleep?" Taehyung asked and Jeongguk shook his head.

"How could I when I didn't know when you'd wake up?"

Taehyung shook his head and smiled. "Idiot. You always pretended to be so tough and emo but look at you being so cute right now. C'mere," he said and made some room on his bed.

Jeongguk raised a brow at him but Taehyung didn't seem to change in position. Jeongguk sighed and climbed into the bed and Taehyung draped the blanket over them. Taehyung then pulled Jeongguk until he crashed into his chest and wrapped his arm around the younger's waist tightly.

"I'm sorry about my mood these past few days. The fortune really messed me up, but you were right. I was losing hope, literally what she told me not to," Taehyung said.

"It's okay, you realize it now so it's good. I'm also sorry for lashing out at you like that."

The two just stared at each other with dumb smiles for a while. Taehyung sneaked in another goodnight kiss before they both eventually dozed off.

—•
We're ending on a happier note today!

Stay safe! Social distancing!!!!!!!
Bye<3