Jin watched from the deck, arms hanging off the side as he stared at the beautiful mix of brown and green colors. Even from high up above, you could see the citizens of Lucht flood around Hoseok, who was doing tricks with the air and putting on a show. He smiled, knowing how much the air gem bearer had changed despite their short time together. Compared to the fearful and doubtful man that Hoseok was when they first man, he was now confident, turning into an icon of hope for the Luchtians.

At this time, Jin looked behind and observed the others. Jimin, the only other person on board who had basic knowledge on how to captain a ship, was handling the wheel, with Namjoon, who was handling the statistics of the ship's altitude and aptitude (once again, it proved how the earth gem bearer was the second smartest in the group, right behind Hoseok) after Jungkook accompanied you to the ground — much to Yoongi's dismay because the fire gem bearer wanted to accompany his girlfriend but was told by Namjoon that he had to stay in case the ship would be attacked, after all he had the best offense after Taehyung.

Jin frowned, noticing that Emily was out of his line of sight. Before he could wonder where she was, there was a commotion from below and he saw the Luchtians cheering whilst Hoseok was slowly levitating back to the balcony, since they were next to the castle, angled so they could watch everything. Ah, they were going to leave soon.

"One down, seven to go," Jin nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Emily, who had actually standing next to him and was also observing. She turned towards him, lips curving into a small smile. "What? It's like you've seen a ghost."

"I just didn't see you there," Taking deep breaths, Jin pressed his hand to his chest and tried to calm his heart. "Were you standing there the whole time?"

Emily shifted her big eyes towards Jin, staring in silence and chewing on her bottom lip. There was a bit of awkward tension between the two before the girl replied, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah... I was."

Jin wasn't a genius when it came to reading other people's emotions — in fact, his Sagittarius horoscope actually states that he was horrible at analyzing people, which was true — but he was more than a hundred percent sure that Emily wasn't in the best mood. Turning away from the scene of Lucht, he leaned his back on the ship's railing and crossed his arms. "What's wrong?"

Emily tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"It's pretty obvious that something is bothering you, Emily," Jin craned his neck backwards, letting the cold wind blow across his face. "I may not be good at reading people but I can tell that your mood is rock bottom right now. What are you thinking that flushed away the happiness of Hoseok reclaiming Lucht?"

Emily fell in silence, once more, this time staring down at the ground, watching Hoseok waving from the balcony, whilst Luchtians groaned at the idea of him leaving. "What if something is bothering me?"

"You can tell me," Jin smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll help as much as I can."

Emily sighed, turning around and imitating Jin's position. For a while, the two shared a moment in each other's company, making Jin wonder if he had said something or if he seemed too pushy towards her. He thought otherwise when she spoke. "This... what is this?"

Jin cocked his head, frowning at how Emily towards him and herself with a finger, like the two of them were an object. "Emily? What are you trying to say?"

"I'm... I'm just confused, Jin," Emily released a breath she didn't know she was holding in, making Jin feel a lot more nervous than he should be. "What do you think of me? Do you really like me as much as I like you? Those kisses, do you only respond out of pity? Did you initiate the kiss in that plane out of pity, too? I... Do I even deserve you, Kim Seokjin?"

Since Emily brought out Jin's full name, he knew that she was dead serious. Still, the water gem bearer's heart sank at her words and he found himself blinking rapidly. Even with his ability to control water, he struggled with holding back his tears. Were his efforts not enough? Was he lacking when it came to expressing himself? Or maybe, was she doubting herself?Those thoughts swirled in the whirlpool of Jin's mind as he faced Emily, face void of any emotion. "You're right, Emily. I don't like you as much as you like me."

Of course, Emily was stunned by Jin's words, eyes already pooling with tears until he stepped forward and gently held both of her hands. "Because I love you so much. I can't even find the words to describe how I feel towards you. I'm sorry if my wordless confession was unclear to you or if I made you feel like an object for my own pleasure. I swear to the heavens and all the stars above, I love you with all my heart, Emily, even though you doubted me, even though you're a minor and some people might consider me as a pedophile—"

"I'll cut you right there, Jin," Emily laughed and pressed a finger on Jin's plump lips, giggling at the contact. Then her expression shifted, smile fading. "I should be the one apologizing to you. I never should have doubted your love. Trust is important in every relationship and I'm sorry for not having any in the beginning."

Jin engulfed Emily in a tight hug, inhaling the scent of her hair. Still, in those moments of sharing their warmth, one word rang in his mind: relationship. They weren't exactly a couple yet and they weren't just friends either — more like something in between, which maybe, was the cause of Emily's confusion. He suddenly had a thousand words piling up in his head but his mouth betrayed him, blurting out something else instead. "Be my girlfriend?"

"What?," Emily's baffled remark made Jin freeze once he realized what he said.

"I meant...," Jin cleared his throat, trying to think of something to make himself look less embarrassed. He still had Emily's hands in his grasp and held them below his chin. "Be my girlfriend and I'll show you how much I love you. That way, you won't doubt me again. I'll prove that my feelings for you are real."

Emily's face shifted drastically from a blank pout to a bright smile, playfully punching Jin's shoulder. "Only an idiot would say no to that."

Jin's eyes sparkled at Emily's response. "You mean—"

"Yes. Come here."

Emily wrapped her hands around Jin's nape, pulling him closer until their lips finally met. Amongst all the kisses they've shared, this one felt different, more passionate. Maybe it was both of them were finally sure of their feelings or maybe because it was their first kiss as an actual couple — Jin wasn't sure but he was definitely enjoying it.

"By the way," Emily said the moment she pulled away, Jin's hands on her waist. "I'm not that much of a minor now. I turned seventeen in between all of this chaos. You aren't a pedophile, Jin."

That alone made Jin kiss Emily even more passionately.

-

Little five year old Taehyung bounced on the heels of his feet, skipping down the stairs of Hel's palace, his mother warning him of slipping and getting any injuries. A huge boxy grin was sprawled across his young face because he had just found out that Jungkook — his best friend, the prince of Hemel — had once again sneaked out of his kingdom with his mother in order for them to play. Although not much happened within the castle walls, Taehyung's day would always be made whenever he would have the time to play with his friends.

Running barefoot since the excitement made Taehyung forget his slippers, his soles grazed the rough texture of the rocky floor. Despite this, he squealed at the sight of two figures coming closer — one of a tall woman and another of a little boy, both with wings behind their backs.

"Kookie!," Taehyung exclaimed and pounced towards an unaware Jungkook, who made a small noise when he fell on the ground with a thud.

"Ouch! My wings!," Jungkook whimpered, blonde hair disheveled and covering his baby blue eyes. Taehyung whispered an apology and stood up, watching the young angel flap his tiny wings. They were small, white feathers short, making him look like a fairy. He then looked around, his teeth poking out of his lips. "Where's Kiana?"

"Kiana is on her way, Kookie," Taehyung grabbed Jungkook's hand, having a sense of responsibility towards him since he was two years younger. "Meanwhile, let's play hopscotch!"

"Okay!," Jungkook grinned, wings flapping in happiness. Taehyung giggled at him, thinking that his best friend was a cute little baby — indeed, he was. He turned towards the woman in a long white drape, hair just as blonde as his. "We're going now, mama!"

"Be careful, Jungkook... Still, I doubt that I need to worry, especially since you're with Taehyung," Jungkook's mother fished something out of her purse, which was revealed to be a baby bottle filled with milk. The young angel's eyes sparkled once it was passed to him. "Have fun!"

Jungkook hummed a reply since he had already started drinking the milk. Taehyung showed off his boxy grin and waved both at Jungkook's mother and his own, before he ran across the plains of Hel with his best friend. "Come on! Let's play hopscotch near Kiana's house so she won't have to walk far!"

The two were running across the plains of Hel when Jungkook's hand suddenly slipped away. Taehyung paused, turning around to see Jungkook standing alone, baby bottle held tightly in his hands, lips pursed into a thin line.

"Taehyungie," Jungkook spoke, giggling a bit and taking a drink of his milk, his little wings folding behind him.

Somehow, Taehyung felt a bit anxious. "Kookie?"

Jungkook grinned sadly. "Wake up."

Taehyung's eyes fluttered open, sweat dotting his forehead, taking deep breaths as his eyes slowly adjusted to his surroundings. He rubbed his temple, wondering why he would dream of that out of everything he could possibly have dreamt of. The memory was something he thought he had lost, something that was resting at the back of his mind. Still, the thought of Jungkook and him being so close before but having drifted apart ever since that incident...

Shaking the thoughts away, Taehyung realized that he was inside a room, which had wooden walls that reminded him of an interior of a cottage. He felt the soft cushions under him, squeezing the duvets in between his fingers, spotting the round window near him. It gave him a view of the bright blue sky and the fluffy white clouds.

Remembering what had happened before passing out, Taehyung instinctively held his stomach, finding his shirt torn but skin in tact. He sighed, recalling how everyone was being captured and that one of the soldiers decided to spear him, knocking him out in the process. Still, his gut told him that everything was alright now, although he was completely unaware of Lucht's celebration just outside.

Taehyung wanted to exit the captain's quarters and find out what actually happened while he was out but at the same time, he was exhausted. Instead, he sat up, ruffling his brown hair with both of his hands, exhaling loudly and staring at the ceiling, mind clouded. He thought about his plan — heck, he had forgotten about it for a long while — and wondered if he still had to push through it or not. It was still possible but there was a great price in exchange of fulfilling it.

A presence, eyes boring into his skull. Taehyung felt it almost instantly. Stretching his arms and closing one eye, he turned around. He wasn't surprised to see K standing at the corner of the room silently, watching him with hawk eyes. Contrary to how she usually looked, her skin was pale and no longer purple, eyes softer. This time, she actually gave effort in making herself look human.

"What are you doing here?," Taehyung hissed, kicking the blanket off himself then rubbing his arms. He froze when K waved a hand, the blanket floating and landing on his lap.

"If you're cold then use the blanket," K spoke blankly, hiding her hand under her cape once more.

Taehyung went silent for a moment before he pulled the thick blanket to his chest. "You didn't answer my question."

K floated towards Taehyung, the tips of her feet brushing against the floor, and gracefully sat down next to him. With a snap of her fingers, her cape turned into a purple long sleeved shirt. "Have you forgiven Jungkook?"

Taehyung scoffed loudly, turning away and licking his lips in frustration. He glanced at K, who was sitting down with both hands folded on her lap, completely unaware of how her words stung the boy. "Of course, you came to me just to ask about Jungkook. Why am I not surprised?"

"Taehyung," It was unsure to the boy whether K was trying to be sympathetic or if he was just being scolded by the girl. Still, if K really did give effort in expressing herself, it wasn't really showing. Her voice was flat like a dead tone. "My death was not caused by either you or Jungkook. I am stating facts. You are not taking me seriously."

"Maybe if you stop talking like a fucking robot then I'd take you seriously!," Taehyung couldn't help but snap at K, who didn't even flinch, lips trembling and hands gripping the sheets tightly. He was baring his fangs, frustrated at how K couldn't even speak like she cared, as if she was someone irrelevant. "You know full well that your death could have been avoided if it wasn't for both Jungkook and I's ignorance! For that, I'm mad at him and myself for—"

"According to my calculations," K interrupted Taehyung, which only fueled the latter's anger, not at all moving from her position on the bed. "That is not a reasonable way of cutting all ties with—"

"Could you at least talk like you actually have emotions for once?!," Taehyung stood up, eyes dark and hands balled into fists. Purple mist was already appearing around his feet due to how angry he was at the moment. Then, he scoffed once more but this time it was sarcastic. "You know what? If you went through all that effort of separating from Sky and actually showing yourself to me, just to ask about Jungkook... Why didn't you talk to him yourself, huh?"

The salt was heavy in Taehyung's words and even an emotionless person like K sensed it from him. After a few moments of tensioned silence, she stood up, walking towards him slowly until their faces were inches apart. Taehyung was stunned by this for a few seconds until he looked away. "I have already analyzed the results of revealing myself to Jungkook, who does not know that I have returned in my spiritual form. It will cause a bigger conflict between you two."

"Do you think that ma—"

"And another fact," K stepped backwards, swinging an arm, her cape returning. "I did not have a choice. In order to return to the world of the living, I traded off my emotions."

Of course, Taehyung's eyes widened once he processed K's words. He opened his mouth then closed it, not sure of what to say. In the end, he turned around, back facing K's with both arms crossed over his chest. Somehow, at the bottom of his gut, he felt like he shouldn't trust her words but at the same time, he wanted to believe it. Pity? Anger? Now he had no idea what he was feeling.

Hearing no reply from Taehyung, K spoke. "Once again, have you forgiven Jungkook?"

"No," Taehyung replied in a heartbeat, the word slipping off his tongue. He was being dead honest, still having an underlying anger towards Jungkook. "You got your answer. Go."

"Another question," K chimed, making Taehyung groan in frustration and run both hands through his hair. "Do you like Sky?"

Taehyung was definitely taken aback, the question catching him by surprise. He turned his head slowly, his back still facing K, internally debating whether he should answer that question or not. It took a moment until he decided to face the door once more, K's expression becoming a mystery to him. The question itself was difficult to answer — Taehyung didn't like you but he didn't exactly hate you either.

So what was the truth?

"Listen," Taehyung licked his lips anxiously, fingers digging into the sleeves of his jacket. "If you're just going to tell me that Yoongi—"

"What about me?"

A heart attack. Taehyung tried to not make it obvious that he had jumped in his skin but he still failed to hide the fact that his eyes had widened slightly. Somehow, because of being too absorbed in the situation, he didn't notice Yoongi open the door and enter the room with a questionable expression. Glancing behind his shoulder, he was stunned when he realized that K was gone.

That sneaky little neuke—

"You're awake," Yoongi said slowly, shutting the door behind him quietly. He leaned on it, one foot against the wall, eyes squinted as he glared at Taehyung. "Why were you talking about me?"

Taehyung said the first thing that had popped up in his mind which, to him, was an absolutely stupid decision. "It's none of your business."

Yoongi clicked his tongue, shoving both of his hands in his pockets and walking towards Taehyung, who was stepping backwards as a response. "Stay away from Sky."

Taehyung scoffed, amused by Yoongi's motive, nearly spitting right at the fire gem bearer's face. "Wasn't it clear to you that I have no promises regarding that?"

In all honesty, Taehyung expected Yoongi to do anything but charge at him and grab him by the throat, eyes burning with fury, flames engulfing his fingers. Even though Taehyung was slammed against the wall, he didn't let this bother him and tightly held Yoongi's collar, purple mist appearing around their heads.

"Don't play stupid with me," Yoongi hissed, eyes fiery orange, although he made sure that the flames wouldn't hurt Taehyung in any way. "I've seen the way you look at her, we're the same."

"What the hell are you talking about?," Taehyung snapped, shifting his hand and grabbing Yoongi's wrist instead. Truthfully, he was speaking without thinking. "I don't like Sky that way."

"Bullshit," Yoongi slammed his free hand against the wall, which turned charred black upon contact with his palm. "It's pretty fucking obvious in my point of view. You might be the first wonder Sky met and you might have saved her life but I'm still her boyfriend."

Taehyung had to think deeply because of Yoongi's words. He always had difficulty figuring out his own feelings and right now was an exception. Heck, Jungkook was better at reading him, to the point that he didn't need to read his mind to figure out what he was thinking. He licked his lips once more, now doubting himself. Did he really like Sky? Was it true?

He couldn't. He shouldn't. Taehyung knew that it would spoil his plan instantly.

"If you think that I'm planning to get in between you and Sky's relationship, I'm not," Taehyung spoke calmly and closed his eyes for a few seconds, burying away his anger and finally understanding. "I'm not, alright? There's a thin line between being a decent man and a complete klootzak and I know that I'm right in the middle... At least, that's what I think. You must hate me."

"...I don't hate you, I'm just being careful. I love Sky way too much to take any risks."

"I know."

Yoongi pulled away in silence, lips pursed into a thin line, eyes returning to their normal brown shade. He rubbed his hands together, Taehyung rubbing his own neck in return. "You didn't deny what I said."

"Would it matter if I did?," Taehyung replied a bit sarcastically. "Besides, don't you think you're jumping into conclusions or maybe being a bit too jealous? I'm just trying to protect Sky, that's my job."

Taehyung was trying to convince himself as well.

"No, that's Emily's job," Yoongi raised an eyebrow, tapping his foot on the ground in a rhythm. "You're just one of the wonders—"

"Like you?," Taehyung's clap back silenced Yoongi, who was indeed debating if he should burn the other with his flames or not. The darkness gem bearer then stepped forward and reached out a hand, which Yoongi stared at in confusion. "Arguing like this will get us nowhere. Why don't we make a deal? I won't get in your hair if you stop assuming that I'm trying to steal Sky from you every second. In return, if you let go of Sky or the other way around, you won't be bothered by whatever I decide to do with her."

Taehyung assumed that he had gotten his trait of bargaining instead of violence from his mother or maybe it was a natural way of thinking for a prince like him. Then, he paused when he realized what he just said because once again, the words had slipped out of his mouth before he could think them through. Why did he say that?

Yoongi, on the other hand, was unbothered so he grabbed Taehyung's hand in a tight grip. "Fine. That won't happen in a million years, Taehyung."

Taehyung found himself smirking and murmured under his breath. "We'll see about that."

Footsteps stomped outside, catching the attention of both Yoongi and Taehyung. They swiftly let go of each other's hands, just as the door swung open and revealed a grinning Jungkook, accompanied by Hoseok, Lucht's crown resting on his... black hair? Taehyung recognized the crown immediately because of how he studied about the kingdoms before.

"I still can't believe that you assigned the general as the King while you're gone," Jungkook said in disbelief, grunting as he folded his wings so he could enter the room. When he finally did, he sighed in relief and spread his wings, nearly hitting Yoongi across the face.

Hoseok shrugged, rubbing the back of his nape as his lips curved into a smirk. "The general is a good guy, Jungkook. You saw how he begged me to kill him because of what he had done, despite how he was under Markus' control. Besides, the crown is with me so there will be no chance of— Oh? Taehyung is awake?"

Jungkook followed Hoseok's gaze, his eyes sparkling once he realized that Taehyung was standing there awkwardly, a hole on his shirt but no signs of injuries. "Taehyung, you're alright!"

"Don't touch me," Taehyung hissed, raising a palm, a bit taken aback because Jungkook's actions reminded him of his dream.

Jungkook frowned at Taehyung's actions. Just when the angel was about to shoot out a sarcastic remark, he noticed Yoongi standing at the corner of the room with a bored expression. "Yoongi? What are you doing here? I thought you were accompanying Jimin and Namjoon."

It seemed like Yoongi was thinking of a reply because it took him a while to respond. He glanced at Taehyung then nodded lightly. "I was checking on Taehyung and found him awake. We spoke for a bit. You know, like friends do."

Taehyung raised an eyebrow at Yoongi, who just shrugged. He was a hundred percent sure that Jungkook didn't buy it and it was obvious in his expression. Wait, he can read Yoongi's mind. He already braced himself for a few words from the angel himself.

"Well, that's good," Hoseok, even with his marvelous IQ level, hadn't caught onto the tension surrounding Taehyung, Yoongi and Jungkook. "At least you two are finally getting alo—"

Suddenly, Hoseok screamed loudly, shocking Jungkook so much that his wings straightened. Both Yoongi and Taehyung jumped a bit too.

"Hoseok, relax! It's just me!," You giggled and squeezed in between Hoseok and Jungkook's shoulders, appearing into Taehyung's line of sight.

"You're such a scaredy cat," Jungkook shook his head, trying to calm his beating heart.

"Says the one who screamed with me."

"Shut up."

"Taehyung!," You exclaimed, Taehyung facing you instantly. Pushing through the others, you made your way to him, standing on your toes to get a good look at his face. Taehyung was speechless and so was Yoongi. "Are you okay? I'm sorry that I wasn't able to protect you."

"You don't have to apolog—," When Taehyung caught Yoongi's burning glare, he changed his expression, hardening it, pushing you away lightly. "I'm fine."

You smiled, crossing your arms and staring at Taehyung in amusement. Yoongi shuffled towards you, holding your waist and pulling you close. Taehyung's stomach flipped at the sight but he couldn't understand what that was supposed to mean. You clasped your hands together, catching everyone's attention. "Well, now that Hoseok has Lucht under his possession, it's time for us to head to the next kingdom!"

"Which is?," Yoongi was staring at you with so much fondness but unfortunately, you were looking away. It was fortunate for Taehyung, though.

"Aarde," Taehyung mused, recalling the geography of Vrede's map. "The kingdom of rock, one that has a very similar culture to Lucht. Although, the situation there is a bit... worse. In other words, we have to give Namjoon a heads-up."

"How worse?," Hoseok asked a bit frightfully.

"The war within its own kingdom level of worse. When I was there a few years ago, there was an underground rebel group. I'm not sure if they still exist," Taehyung shrugged, everyone else's eyes widening at his words. "But, hey, I don't think that's a big deal."

Maybe. It was all up to Namjoon, anyways.

-

A/N - Submission of  fanart for the fanart contest ends in five days! Please send me your art through my twitter account! I've already received amazing art (most of them being of Jungkook omg) but everyone has a chance! Good luck to you all! Though, I might change the prize? Maybe hm

Up next: The team makes it to Aarde!