A/N - Here's the celebration of getting my stolen dog back hehe

Massimo didn't trust Taehyung at all, not one bit.

He's heard it all from Shay's daily ranting and knew how the prince had left his only sister behind in the clutches of their abusive father for Macht knows why. He was a traitor, someone who would use anything to his advantage, nothing more and nothing less.

In all his years in Hel's laboratory, Massimo learned what kind of legacy Taehyung had left behind. Lost Prince; it's what all the Helians, whether they believed him to be a traitor or a hero, called him. He had disappeared into thin air with unknown intentions.

Massimo was one of the Helians who had deemed Taehyung as a traitor. During his training, he made it a personal goal to take it upon himself to teach the prince a lesson. The memory of Shay sobbing secretly in the middle of the night made him grit his teeth in anger.

It was still crystal clear, the memory in Massimo's head. He remembered Shay requesting for a team from her father, resulting in the formation of the Great Six. He remembered seeing the rest of the team for the first time. He remembered standing in a row in the throne room as the King of Hel gave them their one purpose, their one goal — Find the wonders. Find Taehyung Bristene and bring back the gem he wrongfully stole.

Yet here Taehyung was now as a member of the Great Six. Massimo couldn't understand why King Michael had simply let the prince back into the kingdom with no consequences whatsoever. It didn't sit well with him at all.

Massimo watched silently as Hel's gates opened with loud screeching. Clouds of dust gathered on the ground, making the bone shards glisten. Once the gates fully opened, a row of Helian soldiers were revealed, each of them bowing down formally.

"The King of Hel and all Helians welcome you back," The general in front loudly greeted Taehyung, who bowed back in a very elegant and formal matter. "Prince Taehyung Bristene."

Glancing at Shay and noticing her expression of fury, Massimo sighed, his hands turning into metal as they balled to fists. He could feel the princess' anger through the aura around her. Seeing her upset infuriated him to the core.

The Helian fighting ship slowly entered the kingdom of Hel, its wings folding in order to not scratch the gates. Massimo watched in silence as the ship sailed across the air. The city was as dark as he remembered, the illumination only coming from the glowing lightbulbs from each house.

At first, Massimo wondered why they entered via the main gate and passed through the town instead of using the forest path behind the kingdom. Then he remembered that Taehyung had given a tip of the wonders possibly using the main gate and that due to them being a few days behind, they'd standby. The King of Hel loved confrontations too. No, he relished it.

Hel was split into four districts, each one harboring a different specialty. District Een, which specialized in trade, was first and located just behind the main gate. Houses were built into the rocky walls and connected to each other with narrow cemented bridges that could barely fit two people. Below was a dark pit, a collection of cliffs that never seemed to end.

Massimo looked to his left and saw rows of trade shops. He squinted his eyes at a tall circular shaped building with a shop at each floor that spun slowly like a clock's hand. There were four bridges per floor, lines of Helians occupying each one. He glanced at the stall sign that read Buy, Sell and AUCTION!

To his right, Massimo heard a Helian merchant call out a Get your cold ice cream here! as he rang his little bell. Rows of children ran across a bridge and to the man, cheering as he scooped little balls of ice cream and placed them in bowls. He thought of his sister, and how she loved the Screaming Berry flavor. All the other Helians stared up at them as they passed.

Even though they were high above the District, making it impossible to hear the Helians below, Massimo knew that they were talking about Taehyung. Some were happy, some angry, he could tell by their expressions.

Massimo turned towards Taehyung, who was glancing around District Een with an unreadable expression on his face, cape fluttering behind him. He scoffed loudly at the prince's figure before noticing that Shay was staring at her brother blankly. He sighed at the tension.

"Massimo," Medusa whispered, making Massimo turn towards her with a raised eyebrow. The snake enchantress flicked her tongue. "What do you think of the Lost Prince?"

Massimo groaned. "Unlike you, I actually have suspicions against Prince Taehyung."

Medusa chuckled as she glanced at Taehyung, purple eyes seemingly sparkling. Massimo felt his stomach turn. "I don't think he's that bad."

"Everyone knows that your opinion is biased, Medusa," Belladonna answered with an innocent grin, Massimo still hearing the venom in the little girl's voice. She rocked on her heels, vines coiling around her arms.

Scoffing, Medusa smirked. Taehyung glanced at over his shoulder and at her. "I know."

Massimo gritted his teeth, glare burning into the back of Taehyung's hands. It was so obvious, he told himself, the prince was trying to charm Medusa. What's worse was that she was falling for it. His blood was boiling in his metal arms and suddenly, he had the urge to push the Lost Prince off the fighting ship's deck.

Knowing that he'd definitely lose a fight against Taehyung, Massimo the way calmed down. Instead, he pulled Medusa by the arm. "Don't you see? He's trying to manipulate you."

"Massimo, calm down," Belladonna giggled as Medusa rolled her eyes and pushed Massimo while whispering a Nonsense under her breath. "The Lost Prince is on our side, isn't he?"

"The twerp is right," Amino spoke suddenly, both his arms clasped behind his back. His expression was stern as he stared ahead, the fighting ship still passing through the district. "The Lost Prince is our ally now. Do not accuse him unless you have solid evidence for your claims."

Massimo scoffed loudly with gritted teeth. He faced Taehyung, who was staring ahead now. Shay glanced at Massimo with furrowed, her frustration caused by her brother's presence evident in her eyes. To be quite frank, he was frustrated as well.

It didn't take long until the fighting ship reached the heart of the kingdom, where Hel's royal palace was located. Massimo looked ahead and saw a polished city, buildings made of smooth marble. The houses were no longer connected by bridges, instead they were supported by solid ground as foundation. The roofs were spiked upwards, a purple flag of Hel's logo placed on each one.

Helian nobles were walking underneath, watching in silence as the fighting ship passed above them. Their silky purple robes curled around their bodies, falling to the floor in a gentle touch. The noble children were wearing little robes as well but it was short enough to expose their feet. Gold bracelets were around the nobles' wrists, the number signifying their status.

Seeing this, Massimo realized that both Shay and Taehyung had no golden bands around their arms. He figured that the royal family didn't need such a display of status. Glancing at Belladonna, he saw a single gold band glisten on her wrist.

Massimo turned around when he felt the fighting ship halt. They were hovering just in front of the royal palace's entrance, which was an open archway instead of a gate. The arc was marble, etched with a snake skin design, giving the illusion that the reptile was curling above them. A Vredeian inscription was written on the marble — Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here.

At each side of the entrance was a statue. On the right was a statue of a Helian soldier on one knee and a hand on his chest, the spear in his hand upright. The arc's snake head was coiled around the spear's body, its purple eyes facing forward, as if warning travelers of what lies beyond the archway.

On the left was a statue of a Helian woman soldier who was also down on one knee. Her curly dark hair was flowing out of her helmet and on her shoulders, hand placed over her breastplate. The other hand of the statue was holding onto to the snake's tail, which coiled around her wrist.

Massimo looked down when he felt the floor of the fighting ship vibrate under his feet. He stepped towards the railings of the deck and saw a platform opening underneath. Shifting his gaze upwards, he glanced at the palace courtyard and sighed.

"Not much has changed," Taehyung spoke suddenly with a flat voice, making Massimo think that those words weren't meant to be said out loud.

"Well, what did you expect? Something better?," Shay snapped before rolling her eyes, arms crossed over her chest.

"I expected something worse," Taehyung glanced at Shay with dark eyes, his expression stunning the princess for a bit. The prince then stepped on the railings of the deck before jumping off, cape fluttering as he left behind a trail of purple mist.

Shay gritted her teeth in fury as she bent down on one knee. A thin purple sphere formed beneath her feet. She flew off the deck and followed Taehyung to the ground. Belladonna giggled and tugged at her vines, which wrapped around her waist like a harness. The little girl released a squeal and followed the princess' actions.

Massimo sighed. He and those who couldn't jump off the deck without breaking a bone sprinted down the stairs and off the platform. A gust of wind blew as the fighting ship rose and flew back to the main gates.

Taehyung was in the center, staring up at the inscription on the archway. His hands were in his pockets, cape and hair flowing as the wind blew. "I assume that Father wishes to summon me in the throne room?"

"Shay too," Animo spoke, making Massimo glance at him. His sharp jaw was clenched, dark hair matter over his eyes. "He wants to see both of you."

Shay looked up, numerous emotions flashing in her eyes at Animo's words. Massimo saw shock then anger and lastly fear. She did her best to mask it with a stern expression, however, which he perfectly saw through.

"Let's not keep the King waiting then," Shay hissed and walked passed Taehyung. Nobody questioned Animo's words. He always had secret conversations with the King.

Massimo gritted his teeth and watched Taehyung trail behind Shay. Belladonna slid across the ground with her vines and started asking questions to the prince, who nodded back at her respectfully. Rows of guards stood at each side and bowed formally as they passed.

"You suspect Prince Taehyung," Animo spoke from next to Massimo, who watched with a mixture of disgust and horror as Medusa joined Belladonna in questioning Taehyung. Shay was watching them silently. "I do not blame you for that."

Massimo scoffed loudly. He turned towards Animo, who was giving him both a side-eye and a frown. "It's obvious that he—"

"Go easy on the accusations, Massimo," Animo said before Massimo could finish his sentence. They walked passed the archway, a feeling of dread washing over him for a split second. "You are aware that insubordination is not a light sentence, yes?"

"But—"

"Strategically speaking, the Lost Prince being an ally is more advantageous than him being a foe," Animo continued as they walked across the courtyard.

Massimo eyed the numerous plants and bushes surrounding them like a maze. He saw Belladonna's venus flytrap sniffing the blood orchids. "And what if the Lost Prince turns out to still be our enemy?"

Animo paused for a bit. He crossed his buff arms over his chest and sighed loudly. "Then we'll have to deal with it when the time comes."

The idea of giving Taehyung the freed to do whatever he wished for a moment of time did not sit well with Massimo at all. However since Animo himself thought it was best for the team, he had no other choice but to follow his orders.

Massimo was sure that Shay wanted to kick Taehyung off the team the moment he appeared. But she couldn't, not if the King wished for him to stay. He glanced at the princess, sighing in worry at how disoriented she looked.

Taehyung suddenly halted, everyone else following his actions. Massimo glanced ahead and noticed that they were standing in front of the palace steps. The gates were just a few feet away, pulsating with a deep purple shade, etched with the image of a snake charmer sitting, its snakes' eyes glowing as it welcomed guests.

"Lost Pri—," Belladonna attempted to speak, only to be shushed loudly by Taehyung. Massimo and the rest glanced curiously while the soldiers continued to bow down.

Taehyung slowly raised a hand and placed two fingers in between his lips. He then whistled loudly, the sharp tone piercing through the air.

The rest of the Great Six, apart from Animo, glanced at each other in confusion before a little furry Poneranian dog came running at the speed of light, a trail of dust left behind as it continued to do so. It had dark fur mixed with a chocolate hue, snout small and teeth tiny yet sharp. Medusa calmly ducked as the small animal jumped towards Taehyung.

For a moment, there was chaos. The soldiers immediately stood up and pulled out their weapons. Belladonna screeched with her venus flytrap. Massimo honestly didn't care even if the dog ended up biting Taehyung's head off. Shay, strangely, was calm.

However, contrary to everyone's expectations, the dog landed right into Taehyung's arms. The prince smiled as all three of the dog's heads licked his face, tail wagging wildly.

Belladonna screeched and hid behind Animo's tall figure. Massimo was more stunned at how someone as composed as her was freaking out at a little dog. "W-What is that?!"

"Relax, Belladonna," Medusa spoke calmly, her snake tongue flicking. She was twirling strands of white hair around her fingers, eyes hooded and smug. "It's just a three-headed dog."

"His name is Yeontan," Taehyung hissed and continued to pet Yeontan in his arms.

One of the dog's heads was nuzzling against the prince's neck, the other two growling at the Venus Flytrap on the floor. The plant was snapping its jaws.

"Get that thing away from my dog," Taehyung snapped and curled inwards, hugging the still growling Yeontan close to his chest.

Medusa glanced at Belladonna, who was still cowering behind Animo, glaring purple eyes glaring at the three-headed dog. Sighing, the snake enchantress picked up the Venus Flytrap by its stem and tossed it at the little girl, who caught it in her arms.

Massimo had a million questions in his head, one of being how and why the brooding and seemingly emotionless Prince of Hel owned a lightning-fast three-headed Pomeranian that looked ready to tear any threat to pieces with its little teeth.

"So, brother," Shay suddenly spoke, making Massimo turn towards her. She glanced at Yeontan for a moment before looking away with rolled eyes. "You are aware that the presence of this... animal is forbidden in the palace, yes?"

Taehyung stared at Shay in a short yet meaningful pause. Massimo could sense the tension between the two increase with each passing second. It was almost as if a circular brick wall was forming around the royal siblings.

"Not everyone has the luxury of disobedience without consequence," Shay trailed off, becoming lost in thought for a few seconds before she scoffed loudly. Massimo sighed since he knew exactly what she meant.

"Sometimes the results are worth the risk," Taehyung whispered as all three of Yeontan's hands started sniffing his face. He glanced at Shay with dark eyes. "Sister."

Shay's eyes widened, her stunned expression soon turning into a scowl. Her next words came in a whisper, eyes drooping. "Of course it is."

A silence came. Massimo was sure that he had had enough. He had never seen Shay so disoriented before and he knew that it was because of Taehyung's presence. Stepping forward, he was ready to speak his mind.

Yeontan then turned towards Shay and barked happily. The princess froze.

Taehyung raised an eyebrow and glanced at Yeontan, who was still wagging its tail happily at the sight of Shay. The dots seemed to connect in the prince's head as he stepped forward, his other hair brushing the hair away from his eyepatch. "Pet him."

"I don't want anything to do with—"

"Sister, you and I both know that is a lie," Taehyung spoke softly, although his voice was still dripping with venom. All of three of Yeontan's heads were sniffing Shay's figure, it's black tail wagging wildly. "You already know that Yeontan won't bite. Pet him."

Shay swallowed dryly. She started scratching her forearm, the skin turning cherry red as she continued the nervous action. The princess glanced at Massimo, who just shook his head, not knowing what to do or say.

Taehyung just stared at Shay meaningfully and Massimo couldn't tell if he was trying to reassure her or reprimand her. Hands shaking, the princess slowly extended her hand and pressed her palm on one of Yeontan's head, ruffling his dark fur.

Massimo expected a scowl or even a dismissive smirk. He was not ready to see Shay show a very sincere box-shaped smile, one that he had never seen in his time as a member of the Great Six.

For a moment, everyone just watched in complete silence as the two continued to pet Yeontan. Taehyung was smiling as Shay ruffled the dog's heads. Massimo glanced at the other members of the Great Six, all of them looking more confused than surprised.

The gates suddenly swung open, the royal siblings reacting instantly. Shay pulled Yeontan into her arms protectively and spun around, Taehyung standing in front of her with his teeth gritted and staff pointing forward.

The poor general broke into cold sweat at the sight of Taehyung's glowing staff pointing right at his face. Still, he bowed formally at the prince. "T-The King's throne room ready for the Lost Prince and the Crowned Princess."

Taehyung slowly lowered his staff and glanced at Shay, who continued to pet an already whimpering Yeontan. "Tell Father that we will be there."

Nodding, the general stepped into the darkness of the palace. Massimo was silent as Taehyung turned around with purple eyes and bared pointed teeth, every single person who met his gaze flinching inwardly.

"If you value your jobs and your lives, you will keep quiet about everything you have seen today, even from my father," Taehyung's sharp voice boomed as all the soldiers faced him. He glanced at Yeontan, the dog tilting its three heads at him. Shay blinked. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lost Prince."

Taehyung then glanced at around, his eyes landing at Medusa's smug expression then at Massimo, who squinted his eyes at the prince. "Medusa."

Medusa's ears perked up like a deer seeing headlights, her snake tongue flicking and eyes glowing. "Yes, my Prince?"

Massimo internally barfed while Taehyung chuckled. He stepped towards Medusa with crossed arms before leaning into her ear and whispering. Shay scowled at the sight.

Taehyung pulled away with a small smile as Medusa smirked. "Bring Yeontan there and hide him from the palace guards. Make sure that nobody will see him."

"Yes, my prince," Medusa repeated with a bow and faced Shay. The princess glanced at Yeontan and hesitantly handed over the dog to the snake enchantress, who walked out of Massimo's line of sight afterwards.

"Sister," Taehyung faced Shay, who was still staring at the direction where Medusa had walked away to. "We must not keep Father waiting."

Shay went silent for a moment. She turned towards Taehyung and Massimo was surprised because for the first time since the prince's arrival, she did not look at him with fury. "Yes, we must not."

And as Taehyung and Shay disappeared into the palace, Massimo figured that maybe he could give the Lost Prince a chance.

-

You've lost count of how many awkward meals you've been in since riding Greta and today's early breakfast was no exception.

Truthfully, after Kiana had given you a long explanation of her, Taehyung and Jungkook's connection, you just wanted some good food. However, the tension was so thick that it wrapped around your neck and suffocated you.

You weren't sure where the tension was coming from but it was enough to silence everyone on the table. As you took a spoonful of brown rice, you glanced at the rest of your team. The first thing you noticed was Jin chewing on his steak like an alpaca.

Next to Jin, Emily was calmly picking on her vegetables with a fork, although she did glance at you every now and then. Yoongi was feeding apple slices to Holly, who snapped its jaws noisily. Hoseok was currently reaching for the plate of rice. Jungkook was drinking a glass of juice with his eyes closed, fingers gently wrapped around the goblet. Indeed, a prince.

You turned towards the most disoriented of the group — Namjoon and Jimin.

Jimin was usually the noisiest eater in the bunch. He would always induce laughter from the team either by slurping his soup or bursting into laughter at Jin's jokes. This time however, the thunder gem bearer was staring at his food blankly.

Namjoon wasn't much of a talker but if the tension didn't forbid it, he would always sure to break the ice during meals. Now he was one of the quiet ones. You raised an eyebrow as you realized that the earth gem bearer was staring at Jimin.

It was obvious that the tension was creating a brick wall between Namjoon and Jimin but you didn't want to pry into it just yet. Wanting to break the awkward silence, you faced the angel and spoke. "Jungkook."

Jungkook paused, a spoonful of food hanging halfway into his mouth. He smiled as he set down the food. "Yes, Sky?"

"Given your, uh, past experience in Hel," You trailed off for a moment as the thought of Taehyung flashing through your mind. "What's it like there?"

There was a moment of silence and you watched as Jungkook's expression switched into shock, then sorrow and finally relief. He leaned backwards, his wooden chair squeaking as he did. "It's... dark. Really dark and barren."

Everyone faced Jungkook and you were glad that the tension had shattered, even just for a moment. Still, it was strange to see the angel without his signature white wings.

"Hemel is very bright in nature, I am sure you all know," Jungkook smirked, showing off his bunny smile. He stretched his arms behind his head and you couldn't help but notice his tone arm muscles. "Hel is the complete opposite. They have no light, no clouds, no sky... All they had were rock walls that surrounded them from every corner and rivers that would burn your skin."

Jungkook then trailed off, his gaze shifting to the floor. You looked at Emily, who was next to you. She looked just as worried as you were.

"The memory of my first visit to Hel is still fresh and vivid," Jungkook sighed nostalgically, blonde hair swaying downwards as he looked up. "Mother and I would use a transport pod to travel and we'd be concealed by Miss Ashelya's magic. It's strange, yeah? The Helians used to welcome us Hemelians with open arms..."

Then, Jungkook's eyes widened. It was as if he had a realization at that very moment. Somehow, you did not feel good about his expression.

"Everyone... you must be careful."

Jungkook's eyes were wide with worry, making you and everyone else nervous. He leaned forward, fingernails scraping across the table's surface.

"Hel... is a dangerous place."

The meal ended shortly after Jungkook's ominous warning and you weren't really sure how to feel about it. Now you were in the hallway, wiping your hands with a towel after you had assisted Jin with the dishes.

You just stood there, thoughts flooding your mind. Namjoon and Jimin were the first to leave the table after the meal. Looking around, you realized that you were standing right in front of the door to Namjoon's room.

Namjoon always had the best ideas and you figured that he would be the best source of advice for their trip to Hel. Inhaling deeply, you pressed your hand on the door.

"Sky?"

You paused. Turning around, you saw Jimin standing just a few inches away from you, eyes wide and plump lips slightly parted. Stepping away from the door, you tilted your head at the thunder gem bearer.

"Uhm," Jimin fiddled with his fingers, hooded eyes flicking to the floor. His thick lips were unconsciously pouted. "What... what are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask Namjoon for a bit of advice regarding our trip," You spoke slowly and studied Jimin's uneasy expression. "You?"

Jimin paused for a moment and quickly licked his bottom lip. He was looking at you now. "I was just passing through."

Footsteps ensued as Jimin walked forward. You watched as he stepped carefully and avoided all eye contact. A gust of wind blew as the thunder gem bearer walked passed you.

"Is there something going on that I... and nobody else are aware of?"

Your words made Jimin freeze in his tracks. Squinting your eyes, you stared at his orange hair and noticed that they were starting to grow long.

"I guess you can say that," Jimin replied before you could say anything else. He turned around, eyes turning into crescents as he smiled. "I'm so sorry, Sky. I wish I can tell you, really, but... I can't. Not right now."

In that moment, you were hit with a realization. What the hell have you been doing all this time? You couldn't be of much help to Jimin because you had absolutely no idea what was going on with him. You realized that you had been out of the loop and had completely failed to understand your team.

You were the guardian of the seven wonders, chosen to protect and guide them with your life. Yet, you couldn't even do something as simple as comforting a friend. To put it simply, you had completely failed as the guardian.

And you were going to do something about it. Balling your fists, you were filled with a sudden sense of determination. You were going to make up for all the ignorance you've displayed so far.

"I'm sorry, Jimin. I had no idea," Don't usually do, do I? You wanted to say that but you kept that thought to yourself. Smiling, you walked towards Jimin and pat his shoulder. "You're right about Namjoon. I should leave him be. He needs the rest."

Patting Jimin's shoulder once more, you stepped passed him and eyed the door to Taehyung' room. Remembering the scrolls and maps on the table, you smiled to yourself.

"Oh and Jimin?," You grabbed the doorknob to Taehyung's room and faced Jimin, who was just looking at you with a stunned expression. "You deserve the rest too."

You slowly closed the door to Taehyung's bedroom as you stepped inside and was greeted by darkness. Feeling the wall until you found the light switch, you blinked a bit at the sudden brightness that filled up the room.

The scrolls and maps were placed exactly like how you had left them, which made you sigh in relief. Hel's map was on the table as well since you had returned it the other day.

You walked towards the deck to grab the red desk lamp when you noticed the closed notebook next to it. Shrugging, you placed the lamp on the table and switched it on before unrolling Hel's map.

For a moment, you just stared at the map and studied it. Tracing your fingers across the paper, you were determined to memorize the map and hopefully the right path that the team could take in order to safely avoid the army while at the same time being as quick as possible.

You paused when you felt your finger bump into something under the paper. Raising it, you squinted your eyes at the open envelope on the desk.

Hours of map studying, researching and an almost sleepless light later; you were sprinting across the hallway, nearly tripping as you slammed the door to Taehyung's room shut. Passing a confused Jin and stunned Emily, you clutched the map in your hands as you made your way to the deck.

"Hoseok!," You slammed the door open, making Hoseok shriek loudly out of shock, his sharp voice piercing your ears.

There was a silence as you watched Hoseok levitate in the air, struggling as he clutched onto the wheel's handles and tried to regain his balance. The air gem bearer soon floated to the ground and tapped his glasses casually.

"Sky?," Hoseok hummed, his expression telling you that you should not comment on what you had just witnessed.

"How long until we get to Hel?," You cleared your throat and unrolled the map, hearing some of your friends walk in from behind you.

"About an hour," Hoseok eyed the map. "Why?"

You smiled to yourself, proud that you could finally brag. "I came up with a route."

-

"Sky, you're a genius."

Hoseok, like the smartass he was, found out that Greta had a stealth mode and safely parked it just at the outskirts of Hel's borders. The team was now trekking the forest located at the back of the kingdom quietly, aware that there was a possibility of Taehyung figuring out their strategy and telling his father.

Katana in hand, you ducked under a branch before turning towards Jungkook with a smile. "Jungkook, I'm not a genius."

The route was simple, really. After studying the map and piecing together details of the kingdom from Jungkook, you knew that the team's best shot was sneaking into the backyard undetected.

It was risky to walk around the kingdom in the open so when you saw a forest just near the edge of Hel's borders, you figured that it would be safer to trek through it. Just passed the trees was the River of Redemption which, after crossing through it with a boat, would lead directly to the backyard of Hel's palace.

"Jungkook is right, Sky," Namjoon spoke as twigs crunched under his feet. His mask was pulled down to his chin. You could still see how disoriented he was through his dimpled smile. "Without your route, we'd be walking in blind. Thank you."

You smiled to yourself, proud that you finally had done something useful for the team. Turning next to you, Emily gave you a warm smile.

"Do you have an approximation of how long it's going to take until we reach the palace?," Jin asked as he used his trident to move some branches away from his face.

You thought about what you studied for a moment. "If it all goes smoothly... a week."

"And how long do we have until Taehyung's dad decides to wipe off the galaxy?," Yoongi grunted as he swatted leaves away. Holly was perched on his shoulders, tilting its head at the new environment.

A silence. It was obvious that everyone was hit with the realization of a deadline being present but due to everything that had happened, track of time had been lost. This made you worry — What if the team didn't have a week to travel? What if Earth and Vrede were going to be destroyed by tomorrow?

Your thoughts were cut off when you heard loud footsteps. Looking behind you, your heart stopped when you saw that nobody was taking any steps. They were glancing around with a mixture of shock and worry.

"Sk—," You put a finger over your mouth, halting Jimin mid-speech. Crouching behind a bush, you gestured at the others to hide.

Being spotted by the Helians meant being spotted by the King. That was a risk none of you were willing to take.

Emily and Yoongi crouched down at both your sides, the protector armed with her bow and arrow. The fire gem bearer whispered at Holly to keep quiet. Namjoon and Jimin were across each other, both leaning behind tall trees. Jin, Hoseok and Jungkook were in some other bushes. Now you were glad that the angel had no wings at the moment.

Glancing at Yoongi, you noticed how nervous he was, teeth chattering and face paling. You understood what he felt, after all Hel was pretty terrifying. They were unfortunately the strongest kingdom in Vrede and the Helians won't hesitate to rip someone's head off if necessary.

You peaked through the bushes, trying to find the source of the footsteps, which were getting closer and closer with each passing second. Then a foot stomped just a few inches away from your face.

Nearly yelping out of shock, you were glad that both Emily and Yoongi clamped their hands over your mouth before you could make a sound. More soldiers passed by as the footsteps echoed just in front of you. The Helians were chatting casually and you could feel everyone tensing at the voices.

You glanced to your right and saw a soldier lean on a tree, making your heart stop once more. Jimin was right on the other side, both hands against his own mouth as he trembled. Namjoon was staring with a clenched jaw.

Thankfully, the soldier didn't notice Jimin's presence and left with all the others. Looking around, you made sure that there were no more soldiers in sight before you stood up and released a loud sigh.

"Why," Jimin was out of breath. He slid to the ground, electricity sparking around him. "Why are there soldiers here?!"

"Taehyung must have told them," Yoongi said with gritted teeth, nervous expression long gone and replaced with one of fury. His hands were balled to fists and eyes glowing a bright orange. Holly was purring on his shoulders.

You knew how it possible it was for Taehyung to have figured out the route but you didn't want to think of him at the moment. Instead, you looked around for a place to hide and plan, not wanting to encounter more Helian soldiers unprepared.

Hoseok beat you to it. He pointed ahead with a heart-shaped smile, voice soft as he whispered. "Guys, look over there."

Following Hoseok's gaze, you spotted a dark cave just a few feet away, hidden behind some tree trunks and leaves.

"Hoseok's got the idea," You smiled and nodded at Hoseok, who winked at you playfully, making Yoongi put on a disgusted expression. Facing the others, you were a bit stunned at how they carefully paid attention to your words. "We need to hide and come up with a plan to sneak past the soldiers. They probably have a base here too."

"Sky's right," Namjoon coughed, his deep voice rumbling in your ears. He ran a hand through his purple hair. "We can't be rash."

With that, the group formed a line and slowly trekked towards the cave. You and Emily were both looking around with drawn weapons, making sure that no Helian soldiers were going to sneak up on the wonders.

For the first time in so long, you were satisfied with yourself. You actually felt like you were doing something for the team instead of being dead weight. Maybe one day, you can finally have the right to be called the guardian of the seven wonders.

Your back stung, like needles prickling the inner layer of the skin. Groaning, you thought nothing of it.

Since you made sure that everyone was safely inside the cave first, you were the last person of the group who entered. The sudden darkness shocked your eyes for a moment, making your head throb. Hearing the footsteps and seeing the silhouettes of the others, you continued walking forward and away from the light.

Once you were far enough, you were suddenly engulfed by the darkness completely and lost sight of your friends. Now you were worried — why weren't Jungkook or Yoongi providing any source of light?

"Jungkook? Yoongi?," Your voice echoed throughout the cave and your breath hitched when you realized that there were no more footsteps. "Em? Anyone?!"

You spun around slowly and kept your katana close to try and survey your surroundings. Taking deep breaths, you hoped that you wouldn't accidentally slice someone in the waist. For a moment, you were stabbing the air. Then the blade of your weapon scraped the rock wall.

With no hesitation, you found the wall and leaned your back on it, katana still pointing forward. You could hear your heart pounding against your chest as you closed your eyes and listened to your surroundings.

Don't be afraid — You kept telling yourself at the moment — Everyone is okay. You are the guardian. You will find them.

Your eyes snapped open when you heard footsteps followed by the crunching of pebbles. Whipping your head to the right, you swung your katana. Then the same noise came from the left and you faced that direction. It didn't take long for you to realize that the sound was coming from everywhere.

"Whoever you are," You spoke through gritted teeth and took deep breaths as the footsteps surrounded you. Reaching for the shield strapped to your back, you went into a battle formation in the dark. "Don't you dare hurt my friends! Show yourself!"

As if on cue, there was light. You hissed a bit, the light blinding you for a few seconds. When your eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, you gasped in horror.

Jungkook was across you, eyes wide, sweat dotting his forehead and an awkward smile on his face. His hand was raised, a ball of white light floating above his palm.

Next to Jungkook was a girl with long dark hair, half of her face concealed by a blue mask that the design of two fishes swimming in opposite directions, which reminded you of the gemini zodiac. Not the time. She had piercing purple eyes and a row of needles in between her knuckles, the tips nearly piercing into the skin of the Hemelian prince's neck.

"All those who dare trespass into LOONA's territory."

You didn't even get to speak before you felt a clawed hand latch at your throat, the nails pricking your neck. Turning to the voice's owner, you saw a woman with small lips standing next to you, purple eyes boring into your soul. She was wearing a wolf skin mask that concealed the upper half of her face.

"Shall die."

-

A/N - this is the most random and most unrelated note ever but I love Tom Holland/Peter Parker so much kfjsks AND INFINITY WAR WRECKED ME SO MUCH I CRIED

Anyways I'm so sorry for the late update ;; but my finals just ended so I'm free to write HUZZAH!! Icb T7W is 50k away from 1M reads jfjsjs i'm so happy thank you sooooooo much for the support

AND WHO ELSE STANS LOONA COS I DO

Lastly my dog who got stolen is home sooo have a pic of her

One question: what do you think of Taehyung now? Hehe

It's 2am here lol so Goodnight!! See y'all in the next update!!