|Ch.114

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In a small temple where Nabi was the god being worshipped,a small soon to be priest kid was running in the hallways.

"Where is the high priest?! Somebody saw the high priest?!",The kid's earbleeding voice shook the halls of the temple.

"He is in the lake down the temple! Do not disturb him!",Somebody from the great hall answered to the cries of the little kid.

The kid did not seem to mind his warning as he dashed towards the backdoor of the temple. Behind the temple was a forest that belonged to the temple grounds. Following a footpath made by rocks,he saw a lake with cold mist surrounding the entire lake area. Within the mist of haze,the kid saw who he came for. A man calmly sitting inside the lake water with closed eyes. It was almost a serene sight with such a beautiful toned physical appearance of the high priest of the temple but it would have been perfect if not for the black burned marks around his shoulders.

The kid almost forgot what he came for seeing the black marks.

"Gabriel?",the high priest called him out sensing the presence behind him,still with his closed eyes.

The kid closed his gaping mouth before clearing his throat,"High priest! The god has woken up from the slumber! The grand priest from the high temple is announcing the news through out the kingdom!"

The high priest's shoulders went stiff all of a sudden.

"And the news of the arrival of Pendragons is also circulating everywhere!"

".....is that so?"

"Yes! High priest,what should we do?!"

The high priest smiled,"Give me my robes and the blindfold"

Gabriel saw the whitet robes of the high priest near his feet with a red see through blindfold. With respect,he gathered all the belongings before handing over them to the high priest.

The high priest wore his robes and covered his eyes with the blindfold before standing up from the lake. He walked out of the lake like a prince in a fairytale.

"Gabriel,lead the way towards the grand Hall. It seems like there might be a guest awaiting for me today"

The kid took the lead before walking towards the temple. When they reached the grand Hall where people 'worship' Nabi in order to live,they saw a red eyed man waiting for them just as the priest guessed.

"A Pendragon",Gabriel whispered in astonished tone as if he had never seen a Pendragon in his life before.

"Gabriel,why don't you go and play? Hm?"

Hearing priest's words,the kid immediately understood that he needed to give them an alone time. He would surely make sure that no one would disturb his high priest and his friend's conversation. Running out of the hall,he closed the door shut.

The hall fell into a silence as the red eyed man stared at the statue of Nabi on the alter. "...did you really believe she would come back if you do this? And what is with the blindfold?"

The priest removed his blindfold revealing his crimson eyes. "Seriously,what the heck do you need? I was just fine by myself,brother Namjoon! Just leave me be"

"This job does not suit you Jungkook"

Jungkook,who had been playing the role of high priest,rolled his eyes. "Oh you don't get to tell me what suits me or not. Just what do you want?"

"She's woken up. Gaara is announcing that to everyone. She is still alive"

Jungkook,"...."

"....what do you plan on doing?"

Jungkook,"I don't know. What do you want me to do?"

Namjoon sighed knowing he is going to risk his life at the hands of his own little brother. In his family,no one,not even the rational Yoongi would do what he is going to do. But if he does not do it,their lives would come to an end pointlessly. "I....I am joining Ashen"

Namjoon spoke the most hardest words through his gritted teeth and expected an instant lashing out from Jungkook but the result was even scarier than he thought. The silence. Jungkook was silent. The blank gaze was more terrifying than his madness. Maybe this IS what he truly looks like when he is seriously mad?

"You....",Jungkook mumbled under his breath. "What did you just say?"

Namjoon felt all his calmness leaving the door hearing the calmness of the other. "Jungkook,this is not about picking a side. You have to understand this. It's not about the kingdom anymore. This is about our family. This is about US! We have no luxury to pick a side right now. If it's about kingdom,you know damn well that I would never hesitate to choose Nabi"

Jungkook's dead eyes looked straight past Namjoon's soul. "So....now this is about Ashen and Nabi?"

"No. Jungkook,we are all dying. We are dying from the curse. My family is dying right now. I can't watch this anymore"

Jungkook,"I'm not afraid of dying"

Namjoon,"What about me? What about Taehyung? Jimin? Hoseok? Yoongi? Seokjin? Ashen? Are we all mean nothing to you now?"

Jungkook looks like he was slapped with a hard truth he had never considered yet the stubbornness was still there. It was hard indeed,to choose between your siblings. Jungkook had always been the one to kill for his siblings. And now why does he have to do this?

Namjoon walked past Jungkook over towards the statue of Nabi. He stood infront of it gazing it over like he is looking at a stranger. "I thought I knew everything about my sister but....in reality,I knew nothing. You know....few days ago,I got some results of my investigations through out the past 8 years. The anti Pendragon organisation....the one who drove us out of the kingdom,the organisation we failed to destroy,I got to know about the true identity of the leader"

Jungkook looked back at him without a word.

Namjoon continued,"Everyone called him Emerald but we called her.....Hazel and now we call her....Nabi"

Jungkook felt like a bucket of cold water had splashed all over him. His whole body went rigid and stiff. The world seemed to have disappeared. "...what"

Namjoon looked back and smiled bitterly,"It was such a good plan. How long do you think she had been planning all this? She played us like a chess game. Placing us at the right place,she went straight for a checkmate. She made the whole society hate us. So when she makes the kingdom a hell under her palm,people would have no choice but to beg us to return. To save them. They would have no choice but to see us as their gods. People needed a common enemy and she became one in order to make us the heros. To release us from the curse"

Jungkook clenched his fists so hard that he felt his nails digging into his flesh. He remembered her childhood promise to her. She asked him to not hurt anyone because she would hurt them for him. She promised it. And she did that. She hurt every single person in this kingdom. Even as going far as trying to break the curse but how could he raise his hands to kill this little sister who promised to hurt others for him. The person he loves the most.

"Few days ago,I met Luca. He said something interesting.....no....not interesting but terrifying. Something terrifying and agonising",Namjoon spoke and his every word held an unspoken pain hidden. And for a second,Jungkook knew he should not be listening to Namjoon further more. The words he is about to hear.....might change his entire world. It might even collapse his mental state.

Namjoon's face turned ghastly pale as he opened his mouth,"Nine life times. He told me something like that"

The skin felt like a disgusting python to Jungkook. The words did not please him at all. "What do you mean?"

"Nabi regressed nine times. She went back in time nine times. She witnessed our gruesome deaths nine times. She collected our bodies nine times. Total of nine life times. Ten including this if she fails. And she would still go back in time if she fails. She has fallen into a dark pit where she would never be able to escape. Not unless we release her. We are her shackles"

A buzzing sound went off inside Jungkook's head. "You are lying",the words seemed like Jungkook was trying to convince himself rather than accusing Namjoon. The tremble in his voice was so obviously painful.

Namjoon just stared at Jungkook without saying a word.

"....who else knows this?",Jungkook finally asked after a very long silence.

Jungkook had not moved an inch ever since he heard Namjoon's last words. He stayed where he is without moving a muscle as if he is afraid he might collapse into pieces if he moved.

"You,me,Luca......and Taehyung"

It was then he noticed Taehyung's presence at the entrance of the door. It had been almost 8 years since he last saw Taehyung. The mage had changed just like him. He had grown his hair until his waist which is now in a high pony tail. The old fashioned long robes he liked to wear had not changed though. But nothing surprised Jungkook at the moment. Not even the red eyed little girl in Taehyung's hands. Not even how the girl mostly resembled Taehyung. Not even how protectively Taehyung held the girl in his arms like it was his daughter.

"Hey",Taehyung greeted him with a slight awkward nod. "My daughter,4 years old",he mumbled. "Gloria Pendragon"

Jungkook's silent eyes gazed at the kid with no words. The kid had burnt marks on her little hands.

It's settled now. It was painfully obvious where is Taehyung's position in the upcoming war. And boy,does Jungkook have an option now? After knowing the whole truth about Nabi's regression?

Ashen had secured three Pendragons to his side now. What would happen next?

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