72. Remorse
As a kid, Jin hated hide and seek. He was never fond of the idea of concealing yourself in the tightest of spaces even though you'd be found eventually. He didn't like squeezing into small spaces and holding his breath. It always gave him the feeling that the walls around him would eventually close and squish him flat.
So when Jin saw you gesture at everyone to hide with a stern expression on your face, he was filled with the feeling of dread. He was gripping Emily's waist tightly that time, afraid of losing sight of her.
However, their location forbid Jin and Emily from hiding together. Instead, he gave his girlfriend a quick glance as she hid in a bush with you and Yoongi. He bent his knees and hid his trident under his legs before hiding in another bush. In times like these, the water gem bearer was glad that he was flexible.
Jin still felt anxious due to the leaves surrounding him. He took deep breaths as the footsteps of the Helian soldiers crunched behind him. Tranen's king then heard soft slapping and saw both Emily and Yoongi clamping their hands over your mouth.
Emily turned around and met Jin's eyes, just a soldier leaned on a tree with Jimin on the other side, the thunder gem bearer trembling as he covered his mouth with both of his hands. The protector nodded at him reassuringly, a small smile on her face as she mouthed an It will be fine, don't worry.
Jin honestly didn't know why he felt so terrified at the moment. Maybe it was because he was reliving his childhood fear of hiding in small spaces from the monsters threatening to devour him. Or maybe it was because he was currently hiding from the soldiers of Vrede's most cruel and bloodthirsty kingdom. Either way, he was glad that Emily was there to reassure him.
When the soldiers finally left, Jin released a breath he didn't know he was holding. Leaves ruffled as he stepped out of the bush. He shook his head, blonde hair fluttering as he ran a hand through it, grip tight against the body of his golden trident.
"Why," Jimin spoke breathlessly once everyone was out of their hiding spots. Electricity was sparking around him. "Why are there soldiers here?!"
"Taehyung must have told them."
Turning towards Yoongi, Jin saw the fire gem bearer's eyes flashing a bright orange, teeth gritted and hands balled into fists. Holly was perched on his shoulders, humming as it stared at its owner.
Jin sighed loudly at the thickening tension in the air. Glancing around and spotting a very distressed looking Emily, he immediately approached her.
"Hey," Jin whispered and placed a hand on Emily's shoulder before squeezing it to hopefully comfort her. "You alright?"
Emily looked up at Jin, eyebrows creased and eyes filled with worry. Sighing, the protector slid her hand up her arm and grabbed the water gem bearer's hand. She squeezed it, the sensation warm.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Emily whispered, a small smile now on her face. Her expression soon shifted as she frowned. "I'm... just really anxious. There's something about this place that makes me feel so—"
"Afraid?," Jin mused with a smile. Emily faced him with a stun expression as he pulled his girlfriend closer. "Hey, it's okay. I'm afraid too."
Jin slowly wrapped his arm around Emily's shoulder and gently kissed her temple. He slowly tucked some strands of her brown hair behind her ear. She looked at him softly, expression solemn.
"We're all afraid, Em," Jin whispered as he stroked Emily's cheek. "But if we stick together, we'll be fine. I won't let anyone hurt you, okay?"
Emily went silent for a moment and stared at Jin before smiling back. Her grip on his hand tightened. "Thank you, Jin."
"Guys, look over there."
Hearing Hoseok's soft voice, Jin turned around to face him. Seeing the air gem bearer's heart-shaped smile and pointed finger, he followed his glance and spotted a dark cave nearby. Shivers ran down his spine as he felt an ominous aura surrounding it. He shrugged it off.
"Hoseok's got the idea," You spoke as you nodded at Hoseok, who winked at you playfully. Jin laughed a bit at Yoongi's disgusted expression. "We need to hide and come up with a plan to sneak past the soldiers. They probably have a base here too."
"Sky is right," Namjoon coughed before running a hand through his purple hair. "We can't be rash."
Soon, the whole team were trekking towards said cave, leaves crunching against everyone's shoes. Jin held his trident and walked closely behind Emily, eyeing the area to lookout for uninvited guests.
Jin instinctively grabbed Emily's hand as soon as she entered the cave. Tailing behind her and seeing everyone else entering behind him, he swallowed as the darkness slowly enveloped the group. Footsteps filled his ears as they plunged deeper into the dark.
Now the darkness had completely blinded him and Jin's eyes were struggling to adjust to the absence of light. He tightened his grip around Emily's wrist as he gulped nervously. Again, the feeling of the walls closing on him returned. Ironic since he couldn't even see the rock walls.
"I can't see a thing," Jimin commented from somewhere far away, which really wasn't that good for Jin's nerves.
"Yoongi, could you light it up please?," Jin asked as he glanced behind him, hoping that he was looking at Yoongi.
There was a grunt from Yoongi, followed by Holly clicking its tongue, then the fire gem bearer snapped his fingers. A small flame lit at the tip of his fingertip and illuminated his face. Jin almost shrieked at the sudden paleness but swallowed it down his throat.
"Thanks," Jin whispered back and faced Emily, who he could finally see. He instinctively walked towards his girlfriend and wrapped a hand around his waist.
Emily hummed happily as a reply. Jin heard her strum the string of her bow as the group continued to trek inside the cave. He continuously felt a sensation of dread in his gut with each second that passed.
Then, it happened. It was all so quick that Jin couldn't even process what happened. Through the dim lighting provided by Yoongi, he saw the faint silhouette of an owl mask. Then he was struck across the face.
Once Jin stumbled to the ground regained his senses, he realized one thing — Emily was gone.
"Em!," Jin screamed and lunged forward after hearing Emily shriek in front of him. He ended up tackling the air and swung his trident around.
Yoongi suddenly released a loud shout behind him. The last thing Jin heard was Holly snapping its jaws in shock before he was consumed by darkness once more.
Jin couldn't even react when an arm pinned his neck, making him drop his trident. He heard your muffled voice from somewhere far away before he felt a hand clasp his mouth, nails poking the skin of his cheeks.
A female voice then spoke. "If you speak, you die."
The girl suddenly started to drag Jin deeper into the cave, making his eyes widen. He could hear the others struggling around him but the darkness forbid him from seeing anything else. Flailing around, the water gem bearer tried to wiggle himself free. One hand was used to try and pry himself loose from her grip. The other was behind his back, a water ball slowly forming over his palm.
Jin suddenly saw a bright light from the other end of the tunnel, which followed shortly after you screamed once more. Flicking his eyes towards the ground, he saw the shadow of both him and the female currently dragging him.
There was a moment of silence in Jin's mind as he thought of his next actions. After swallowing dryly and apologizing internally to this girl, he bit into the Helian woman's hand. She screamed and loosened her grip, making him tumble to the ground.
Jin tossed the water ball at the girl's face to distract her for a moment. Due to the limited light, he struggled to take his trident from the ground.
"You son of a bitch!"
Blood freezing cold, Jin turned and saw the Helian woman's shadow loom over him. He gritted his teeth and stood up, water circling around his arms.
It seemed that the little light provided by Jungkook had given everyone a chance to attack. Jin could hear his friends struggling around him and as much as he wanted to help, they only resembled shadows to him.
"Where is Emily?!," Jin hissed loudly and froze the water around his arms, forming spikes of ice, since he couldn't find his trident at the moment.
The girl scoffed loudly. Now that she was closer, Jin could see her penguin mask. The Helian reached down and pulled out twin swords from the scabbards tied to her legs.
"Brown haired archer girl?," The girl asked in a mocking tone, which made Jin grit his teeth. "I'm sure she's having fun playing with Choerry and her claws."
Jin released an angry scream before charging at the girl with a penguin mask. He flung his arm forward, the ice sharpening. The Helian barely dodged, strands of her black hair falling to the ground as the water gem bearer's iced hand struck the wall.
The Helian girl kicked the back of Jin's knee, forcing him to kneel on the ground. Taking slow and deep breaths, he stared at the ice and saw the reflection of the penguin-masked girl lunging at him with her knives, eyes glowing purple in the darkness.
An arrow zipped through the air, passing right in front of Jin's face. It collided with one of the Helian's swords, knocking it out of reach. The water gem bearer made brief eye contact with the wounded Emily before she was tackled to the ground by the bat-masked Helian, Choerry.
"Emi—"
Jin yelped loudly when he felt his hand sting. The Helian woman stabbed her sword through the ice of his arm, its blade scraping the skin of his palm. Blood mixed with the consistency of the ice and gave it a dark red hue.
"The archer. She's your girl, isn't she?"
The penguin-masked girl leaned her face forward, her hot breath fanning Jin's cheeks. She smiled, exposing her pointed teeth, and the water gem bearer's face paled as he recalled what the inside of a penguin's mouth really looked like.
"After I'm done with you," She pressed the swords deeper into Jin's ice, one of the blade going through completely and wounding Jin's cheeks. "I'll make sure to give her a piece of my—"
The Helian woman paused when she noticed that water was crawling up the handles of her swords. Jin's eyes glowed a powerful blue as a low growl rumbled in his throat.
"Don't you dare touch her," Jin whispered and bared his pointed teeth. He shattered the ice around his arms and pulled backwards, the swords slipping out of the Helian's grip due to the water.
Jin wobbled to his feet and finally spotted his trident on the ground. Tossing the knives far to where the girl wouldn't reach, he used puddles of water to surf the weapon towards him. He caught it and froze the penguin-masked girl over the wall.
The Helian struggled to free herself from the ice, which was frozen over her limbs and torso. Gem flickering purple, Jin licked his lips and charged with his trident pointing forward.
"Jin, stop!"
A surge of light came and illuminated the area. Jin froze in his tracks upon hearing your voice, the tips of the trident already breaking through the ice and hovering just an inch away from the Helian woman's abdomen. He turned around and widened his eyes at your figure — disheveled silver hair, scratches on your arms and face, claw littering the blade of your katana and shield, a sign of battle.
Jin snapped his eyes towards the figure standing next to you. There was a tall woman with long jet black hair, lips small and face pale. She wore a furry wold mask, its mouth open and fangs placed over the Helian's forehead, red cloth over the top half of her face and only exposing her purple eyes. There were scratches on her arms and face as well.
"It's okay," You whispered whilst taking deep breaths. "We talked it out."
For a moment, Jin only stared at you with squinted eyes and a scowl. He turned around slowly and faced the penguin-masked Helian, who was still encaged in ice, piercing glare boring into his skull. His hands trembled as he had the strong urge to plunge the trident deep into her abdomen.
"Choerry," The girl with the wolf mask spoke, tone sharp as she glared at someone out of Jin's view. "Let her go."
A groan then a thud. Jin turned towards the sound and snapped back to his senses when he saw Emily on the ground. He immediately ran towards her, gem turning back to its natural blue color as he kneeled down, pants scraping the rock ground.
"Em," Jin breathed and helped Emily sit up. He winced at the scratches and blood covering all over her before he started the healing. Choerry glared at them from the side. "You alright? I'm so sorry I couldn't help out sooner."
"I'm fine," Emily sighed and squeezed Jin's arm, her expression stiffening as the water stung her wounds. "We just have to stick together, right?"
Jin couldn't help but crack a smile as he healed Emily, who was releasing small laughter now. Seeing bright light seeping from behind him, he turned around and saw Jungkook standing in between you and the wolf-masked girl, balls of light floating just above his shoulders.
After Jin healed all the others, which was honestly very tiring, they were lead into the deeper parts of the cave. Now they were accompanied by light provided by both Jungkook and Yoongi. Still, he kept Emily close, especially because Choerry and the penguin-masked girl were still giving them nasty looks.
"Sky," Jimin whispered. He was hugging himself, breath fogging in the air as he stood close to the warm Yoongi. Holly was sniffing the thunder gem bearer's hair. Namjoon stared longingly from the side. "What did you tell them?"
"I showed them this," You whispered and rolled up your sleeve. On the skin of your wrist was a Vredeian inscription that glowed brightly — Guardian. Ah, made sense. Still, Jin was glad that you stepped in before anyone could get even more hurt.
Jin was slightly blinded when more light came from another opening within the cave so shielded his eyes with his hands. Once his vision adjusted, his eyes widened at the sight before him.
The area inside the cave was bigger than Jin could have ever expected. In front of him were rows of wooden tables and chairs that looked handcrafted down to the curved details of their feet. A wool rug was on the floor. The water gem bearer stared at its furry texture and at the bear head staring back at him with bared teeth.
Torches were screwed into the walls, giving the place illumination. Bookshelves stood at one side next to the biggest couch and Jin saw one girl sitting cross-legged in front of one of the shelves. Her mask was behind her head, the owl face staring back at him.
The other side had a handmade wooden ladder that lead to the second floor, which was concealed from Jin's vision. Just below the ladder was a bigger shelf that housed multiple weapons. From where he was standing, the water gem bearer could see spears, knives and star-shaped blades.
Next to the shelf of weapons was a metal worktable, metals, wood and screws littered over the tabletop. Another dark haired girl was sitting behind the table, eyebrows creased together as she slowly put together a weapon with a pair of pliers. Since it was only a pole base, Jin couldn't tell what she was making.
In the center of the room, right in the middle of the rug, was a wooden round table that stood out amongst everything else. On top of the table was a large map of Hel, Jin assumed, with four knives stabbed at its corners to keep it in place.
The wolf-masked girl stepped forward and turned towards the group. Jin held onto Emily's waist protectively. "Girls, position yourselves."
Jin heard the other girls shuffle as they walked towards the wolf-masked girl, who he figured was their leader. The girl with the book and the mechanic also stepped forward. Now all eight Helian women were standing in front of the group in a line.
"My name is Olivia," Olivia, the girl with the wolf mask, spoke softly. Her eyes were still sharp as she scanned Jin and his team. "And we are LOONA, a rebel group residing in the forests of Hel."
Rebel group. Jin sighed in relief. Even though they were all attacked and nearly killed at one point, he was glad that they weren't part of the Helian army. At least their plan wasn't a complete failure.
"Are we sure we can trust them?," Namjoon whispered from behind Jin, arms crossed over his chest and eyebrows creased together.
"This is Hel we're talking about," Jungkook whispered back and ran a hand through his blonde hair. His next words came in a matter of fact tone. "Everyone here is sly... natural liars who won't hesitate to manipulate."
The Helian with a penguin-mask suddenly stepped closer and this time Jin pointed his trident forward with gritted teeth.
"Those are some big words from the likes of a Hemelian like you," She scoffed loudly, Jungkook's eyes widening at her words. She pointed at Jin, who raised an eyebrow at her. "He tried to kill me!"
"Chuu," The girl with the swan mask, who was also the mechanic, whispered and gripped Chuu's forearm. "Stop it. You're making things worse."
Jin wanted to retort and say that Chuu had tried to kill him and threatened Emily at the same time but he didn't want to add fuel to the fire. Unfortunately, Yoongi had stepped forward as well, fists balled and pointed teeth gritted. Holly was growling as well.
"I'm sorry but who attacked us in the dark?," Yoongi snapped, eyes glowing orange. "Why wouldn't we fight back?"
"You lot nearly breached into our hideout. Every single one of you has a weapon!," The girl with the deer mask and antlers in her dark hair growled back. "Why wouldn't we attack?"
"Oh, that's it—"
"Everyone, quiet down!"
Your voice boomed loudly and bounced off the rock walls of the cave, silencing everyone. As all the heads turned towards you, Jin saw your trembling figure as you took deep breaths. The water gem bearer stared at you for a moment.
Jin's eyes widened when he saw your eyes flash purple briefly. Emily gasped next to him and tightened her grip on his arm.
"We can't just keep fighting while the King of Hel prepares to destroy two planets! We don't even know if we have enough time to beat him!," You screamed angrily and scraped the blade of the katana against the floor. Everyone stared at you with wide eyes as you walked towards Olivia. "Listen. You guys don't trust us and we don't trust you. But can we please at least try and talk this out?"
A silence then fell. Jin glanced at Emily, who stared back at him with wide eyes and a slightly opened mouth. He then faced you and saw a very stern expression on your face.
Ever since Taehyung switching sides, Jin noticed that you have been working a lot harder as the guardian. The mere fact that you had nearly stayed up all night studying maps was a surprise to him. He was glad that you were stepping up your game but at the same time, he wished that you weren't being too hard on yourself.
"There were twelve of us," One of the girls spoke up with an extremely soft stone. She wore a pink butterfly mask and stood next to Olivia, both arms hugging herself.
"Gowon," The girl with a Pisces resembling mask whispered slowly.
"It's okay, Jinsoul," Gowon smiled.
The other girls gasped when Gowon pulled her mask off her face, wavy black hair bouncing as she did. She had a small face, doe eyes and full lips. Her pale skin made her naturally rosy cheeks stand out.
"We decided to raid the castle once," Gowon slowly rubbed her arm. Her lips were trembling, purple eyes shaking. "We needed more weapons. At the same time, we were so angry... so... thirsty for bloodshed and—"
Gowon paused. She turned towards Jinsoul and gave her a meaningful look before turning away.
Jinsoul pulled her mask off her face as well. Like Gowon, she had doe eyes but they were slightly slanted. Her bottom lip was full, top lip thin. She ran a hand through her long black hair before she sighed deeply.
"We came as twelve and left as eight. None... none of us know if they're even alive or not," Jinsoul paused and smacked her lips together. "Point is, we've lost people."
"We've lost one of ours too," Jungkook spoke, his gaze fixated to the floor. The rest of the team glanced at him knowingly.
"Then you understand us," It was Olivia's turn to remove her mask. Jin gasped a bit at the scars that littered on her cheeks. "I am terribly sorry for attacking your group. Please understand that we were defending our home."
"We understand," Hoseok nodded, a big heart-shaped smile plastered on his face. He tapped the glass of his goggles. Jin knew that it was starting to become a habit. "I'm pretty sure we'd do the same. Right, guys?"
You nodded at Hoseok, just as everyone else did. The atmosphere got lighter. Still, Jin could feel Chuu staring at him with a burning glare that made him tighten his grip on his trident.
"Wonders, protector and guardian," Olivia continued. She put on her mask once more, an expression of relief crossing her face. "We request for help. Please help us retrieve the others... dead or alive."
The team glanced at each other and had mixed reactions at Olivia's request. Both you and Namjoon gestured at the others to regroup. As everyone formed a circle, Jin felt like they were a football team huddling mid-game.
"Did they really just ask for help after we almost killed each other?," Jimin whispered in disbelief, his figure small next to the tall and muscular Jungkook.
"We have to think about this practically, Chi—," Namjoon cut himself off. He glanced at Jimin for a split second before looking away. "There's a Helian base just outside this cave. There are a lot of soldiers. If at least one of them escapes and informs the King, we're as good as dead."
"Namjoon is right," You spoke with a light nod, strands of your silver hair falling to your face. "It's eight versus... hundreds? Even if we do get to beat them all, we can't risk anyone escaping."
"So we fight side by side with— what's their name again?"
"They're called Loona, Yoongi," Jin replied swiftly. Yoongi nodded back.
"How are we sure that they aren't going to kill us after we help them?," Hoseok spoke from the other side of a very strangely quiet Jungkook. His words made Jin think.
"It's simple," Emily strummed the string of her bow. She had a very stern expression on her face. "We don't let them."
And with that, Jin found himself hiding behind yet another thick bush in Hel's forest. This time, he didn't feel as terrified as he was just a few moments ago. He figured that it was because now he was on a mission, one that made him more anxious than scared.
Jin recalled the plan. Namjoon and Jungeun, the girl with the owl mask, had come up with a formulated plan by combining LOONA's knowledge of the forest and the team's use of powers. It was carefully planned and perfectly detailed. They could not afford a single mistake.
Pushing through the leaves, Jin glanced at the Helian base. Huge purple tents were nailed to the ground and he thought it was ironic that the soldiers didn't even try to hide since the color stood out amongst the trees and bushes. A bonfire was lit in the middle, around five soldiers circling it and laughing as a small chicken-like animal was roasted over the fire.
Jin was glad that your estimate of a hundred soldiers was an exaggeration. According to Vivi, the girl with the deer mask, there were only about twenty Helians in this makeshift base.
Another strong factor of this plan was the underground river located a few feet below them. Jin pressed his palms onto the ground and closed his eyes. He could hear the water current flowing below, which put a small smile on his face.
Jin's eyes snapped open when he heard leaves crunch behind him. He immediately crouched behind the bush as a Helian soldier passed by. Again, he recalled the plan and what he had to in case someone was nearby.
The Helian soldier whistled a tune and positioned himself in front of another bush. Jin squinted his eyes as said soldier started to unzip his pants.
Oh hell no. Jin immediately created a puddle of water under the soldier's feet. The Helian soldier, who failed to unzip his pants, slipped and fell. The water gem bearer used the blunt edge of his trident to knock him out cold.
Jin pulled the soldier's body and hit it behind a bush. He made sure to tie his hands and feet with rope that had been given to him by Jinsoul. He then glanced at the tree across him and gave a nod to Emily, who was in a bush across him.
Emily silently trekked across the bushes until he was standing behind a Helian soldier on guard. She then pulled the soldier backwards and used her bow to choke him before he fell unconscious.
You were then signaled by Emily. Tiptoeing towards another Helian soldier on guard, you froze when he suddenly turned around. You immediately rolled on the ground and sat behind a tree as the soldier glanced around. Heart thumping to your chest, you continued crawling away from his view.
Finally, when the soldier was in a position where nobody else could see him, you slammed your shield against his face and knocked him out.
Seventeen to go. Namjoon nodded at the sight of you knocking out a soldier and faced the two guards chattering just a few inches away from him. He flicked his wrists and opened a sinkhole on the ground. The earth gem bearer then closed it before their screams could reach the base.
Jin then glanced at Choerry and Olivia, who were hidden behind a few nearby bushes. He made a few gestures with his hands and the girls nodded. With no more Helians on guard, he watched the girls sneak into separate tents. Holly flew from behind one of the bushes and entered a tent. He was surprised that there were no loud screams but the little dragon's shadow aiming for the kill.
That left the seven Helian soldiers seated around the bonfire. Holly flew back to Yoongi and perched on his shoulder. Now it was all up to the fire gem bearer to seal the last part of the plan.
Yoongi took deep breaths and rubbed his hands together. His eyes glowed a powerful orange as he smirked and raised his palm. The bonfire's flame rose and formed the silhouette of a large dragon. The Helian soldiers screamed and ran into different directions.
Hoseok blew a small tornado and slammed two Helian soldiers to the ground, making them unconscious. Jimin punched the ground, electricity surging through the rock and stunning three soldiers. They fell to the ground with a thud.
Jungkook cracked his knuckles and walked out into the open. Smirking at the frozen Helian soldiers, he shot out a beam of light from his palm and blinded them. You then jumped out of your hiding place and knocked them out with your shield.
Jin exhaled as he and everyone else stepped into the Helian base. He spun the trident in his hands and placed it on his shoulder. "Jungkook, the plan was for us to stay hidden."
"Sorry, couldn't let them escape," Jungkook shrugged and rolled his shoulders.
"So, now that that's over with," Emily was strumming the string of her bow. She still looked excited because of the events that transpired. Jin laughed at this. "What now?"
"We go through the next part of our route," You announced and stuck your shield back onto the magnetic brace on your arm. "Cross the River of Redemption."
-
Home. What exactly was a home? Taehyung wondered if a house you grew up in was automatically considered to be a home. Hel's palace was nothing close to that. He felt no sense of comfort or relief standing in the center of his old bedroom. Instead, he felt a strong sense of dread, as if he was in a guillotine with the blade just brushing the skin of his next.
Despite how afraid Taehyung felt at the moment, he knew that he needed to be here. The mirror across him was clear, obviously polished clean in preparation for his arrival. He thought about the poor slave who was told to clean it. How much pain did they have to go through until the palace maintenance head felt satisfied?
Taehyung stared at his own reflection. He gently caressed his eyepatch, his fingertips running across its rough texture. The memory of his fight with Yoongi flashed across his mind. The prince growled loudly and slammed his fists on the mirror, glass shards falling as the skin of his hand bled.
Grunting in frustration, Taehyung glanced at his wounded hand. The blood dripped down to the sleeves of his snake skin coat as he used purple mist to create a bandaid. He stared at his royal costume and felt his silk cape behind him.
Taehyung gritted his teeth. Wearing his royal suit made him feel like he was shoved into a cocoon and forced to sprout out as a creature tailored to his Father's utmost satisfaction. Just a little more, he told himself, just a little bit more.
Truthfully, Taehyung hated how the situation turned out. If he wanted to take Shay away from the clutches of their Father, the only thing he could do was to come back. He wished there was another way, especially because of the look you had on your face — both disappointed and disgusted at the likes of him.
His room was unlocked for a reason. Taehyung hoped that if someone ever made the decision to enter his room, they'd see the map, the logs but most importantly the letter. He hoped that it would be found. He hoped that they'd piece things together. He hoped that they would understand.
Forgive me, please.
Taehyung recalled what King Michael had told him and Shay a few days ago upon their arrival. The whole kingdom of Hel would celebrate the return of their prince — his Father said it so happily, so proudly that it actually made him sick — with a royal ball just for your coronation.
Honestly, Taehyung didn't think such a thing was necessary but it was part of a weird tradition written down by his ancestors. At least it gave him an excuse to wear something other than his royal suit.
"Lost Prince."
Taehyung turned around and saw Massimo leaning on the doorframe of his bedroom with crossed arms. They stared at each other in a moment of silence.
"Is there anything wrong?," Massimo let himself into the bedroom, which honestly ticked Taehyung off, and glanced at the hairdresser's shattered glass. "I heard the glass shatter."
"I am perfectly fine, Massimo," Taehyung sighed and rubbed his throbbing wounded hand. He stood up from his seat and faced Massimo. "Any news on the wonders?"
Massimo's arms turned to metal, as if alerted by Taehyung's movement. Still, he kept his distance. "They have not been seen at the main gates yet but your Father stationed a few soldiers behind the palace as well."
Taehyung froze. His eyes widened as he curled his fingers over his mouth in a knowing stance and hoped that Massimo did not notice his surprised expression. He internally clicked his tongue at the news since the tip wasn't enough to convince his Father. Even though he knew that the team would make it through the base with no problems but he still hoped for the best.
"I see," Taehyung smirked and made sure that he gave Massimo a smug yet piercing glare. "I am glad to hear that."
Another silence came. Taehyung glanced at Massimo and felt him glaring back at with fury. The tension in the air thickened as the two continued to stare at each other.
"Are you now?," Massimo stepped forward, eyes burning with even more fury. Taehyung squinted his eyes at him. "Pardon my question, Lost Prince, but your history of switching sides does not make it easy to be sure."
Taehyung gritted his teeth. After all he went through and all the good things he had risked to get to Hel, he wasn't going to let this Roblox cinderblock ruin everything for him.
Still, Taehyung kept his poise and exhaled his anger out instead. He stepped forward and crossed his arms over his chest before glaring harder at Massimo, who was obviously taken aback by his actions.
"I apologize if that is how you feel," Taehyung smirked and tilted his head, dark fringe falling over his eyepatch. "But here is a question of my own: is you suspecting me the best course of action now? If anyone here needs to choose a side right now, it is you."
Taehyung chuckled, deep voice rumbling in his throat. He was amused by the confused yet alert expression on Massimo's face.
"Would you rather waste your time watching over me?," Taehyung licked his lips. "Or would you actually do your job and not let the wonders out of your sight?"
Taehyung then clapped once and released sarcastic laughter. He peaked at Massimo and was satisfied by how uncomfortable he looked.
"Or would you rather I do your job for you? I mean, that is why I am here, yes? Decisions, decisions."
"If you claim to better than my job than I am," Massimo didn't let a second pass as he replied with a fiery tone. "Then why didn't you kill the wonders in the first place? Which one of us was wasting time then?"
A silence fell. Taehyung gritted his teeth even more and clenched his jaw, eyes glowing purple. For a moment, he couldn't think of anything to say back, then he saw the banner of Hel's logo hanging on the wall behind Massimo.
"You do know how a snake hunts, yes?"
"I do. What does that have to do with any of this?"
"Then, you should know this," Taehyung snapped and stepped forward once, his voice dripping with venom. Massimo flinched. "The snake always makes sure to catch their prey off guard. That is exactly why I took as long as I did."
Taehyung continued to step forward until he and Massimo's chests bumped. He could feel his wooden hand throbbing under the bandaid. The thoughts of his little sister Shay smiling and laughing crossed his mind.
"Anything... Everything I have done so far... It was for the greater picture."
"Would you say that it was worth it?"
Taehyung paused once more as the thoughts of you and the rest of the team filled his mind. He recalled bickering with Hoseok while driving Greta, escaping from Vlam's palace with Yoongi and all the dumb moments caused by the Single Men Club.
Finally, he recalled the warmth Jungkook gave when they hugged after being released from Hemel's dungeons. He remembered the warm smile you had on your face when he held your hand on the deck and gazed at the stars.
Was it worth it? Taehyung did not know the answer to that.
"Yes," Taehyung's throat ran dry at his own reply but he made sure that his voice wouldn't crack. "I am here right now, aren't I? I already sunk my teeth into this a long time ago."
As soon as Taehyung felt his eyes brim with tears, he turned around and walked towards his hairdresser. He slammed both of fists onto the desk and looked down at the sea of broken glass.
"I honestly do not care what you think of me," Taehyung whispered, his voice just loud enough for Massimo to hear. "There is no need for me to prove myself to you."
"At the cost of your kingdom?," Massimo snarled loudly. "Your very own blood—"
"Silence!," Taehyung screamed loudly, his gem flashing black and purple mist exploding around him. Massimo stepped backwards out of shock. "That is none of your business. Leave my sight. Now!"
Massimo looked like he had something to say but the furious expression on Taehyung's told him that he shouldn't. The door to the prince's bedroom slammed shut as he made his exit.
And that was when Taehyung felt something drip on his hand. He stared at the drops of water that continuously fell on his hands until he felt something flowing down his face. Through the shards of glass on his hairdresser's desk, he saw himself crying.
"Stop crying," Taehyung whispered to himself and wiped his tears with his sleeves. More tears fell. "I said stop crying you weak—"
Taehyung paused when he heard someone knocking on his door. Thinking it was Massimo, he stomped towards the door and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Did I not tell you to leave my si—"
Instead of seeing Massimo's lego like built, Taehyung was stunned to see Shay instead. She had her fist raised in a knocking and flinched inwardly at the sound of him raising his voice.
Taehyung felt even worse than he already did. Not knowing what to do or say, he quickly apologized to Shay and slammed the door shut.
Turning his back towards the door, Taehyung leaned on the metal before sliding down to the floor in a seated position. He ran both his hands down his face and mentally scolded himself for screaming at Shay of all people.
Taehyung blinked when something slipped under the door and into his bedroom, which was followed by the sound of footsteps fading behind him. Confused, he picked up the paper from the ground and read the note on it.
There is still time before dinner. You can use it. I won't tell Father. See you soon — Next to the neat handwriting was a drawing of a disfigured heart with two slits as eyes and a circle as a mouth. The words Hope Tata is okay were written next to it.
Taehyung laughed at how Shay used the nickname she had used on him when they were toddlers. In that moment, he realized that maybe this was all worth it. That at the end of the dark tunnel he'd see the light, the very reason why he decided to pass through the darkness in the first place.
Standing up, Taehyung smoothened the note and stuck to his wall. He stared at with a smile.
-
A/N - AAAAAAA FINALLY DONE!!! I'm so sorry for uploading this past midnight huhu I'm on vacay rn so I have a messy schedule haha
Anyways how's that wig of yours hehe to clarify, Taehyung is on the wonders' side! The contents of that letter will be revealed eventually uwu
I missed writing action so much huhu hopefully this chap's action didn't suck! Hopefully this whole chap didn't suck lol
Anyways after everything Tae and Shay are still siblings so have some soft sibling moments rip my heart
Lastly thank you so so much for being patient and supporting T7W all the way!!! Icb I'm so close to 1M reads I am literally screamin g
Please anticipate the next chap cos TaeSky's arc is filled with twists and turns! See ya later!
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