Surprisingly for Taehyung, he wasn't the first person to wake up among the group. Instead, he was the second. The moment he opened his eyes, he immediately spotted Jungkook, who was sitting on one of the logs and was staring ahead blankly. From his view behind the angel, he could see all six of his wings folding into one another slowly.

Taehyung held his cheek when he remembered how Jungkook had punched him square in the face just moments after they reunited. Well, with the current circumstances, the darkness gem bearer didn't think it was right to call it a reunion.

Groaning, Taehyung stood up from his position on the ground. He glanced around and saw the rest of the team still fast asleep and curled into different positions. The Crowned Prince's eyes then landed on your sleeping figure.

Your knees were bent and arms curled to give you a position of a sleeping baby, some strands of your silver hair stuck to your cheeks. Yeontan was lying down next to you, one of its three heads' mouth open with a tongue hanging out.

Taehyung smiled at your sleeping figure, finding the way your cheeks flushed and long eyelashes tip the skin of your face a bit... cute at most. Then, when he noticed your lips tremble as you shivered in the cold, his smile instantly dropped.

Taking off his jacket, Taehyung carefully draped it over your body. You shifted a bit in your position and tucked the clothing closer to you. For a moment, the darkness gem bearer remained in his squatted position and just stared at your face. After a few seconds, the prince gently brushed away some of your hair from your face with his fingertips.

Taehyung's eyes widened when he realized what he was doing. He immediately retracted his hand and clasped it against his mouth as the heat rushed to his face. The darkness gem bearer sighed loudly as he sat there and stared at you.

Remembering the purple mist that swirled around your wrist, Taehyung fell into deep thought. He didn't have that much knowledge when it came to the guardians but knew that they were sort of clan who trained in secret locations — well, they were secret until his Father found out and had them all killed.

All except Sky, who somehow made it to Earth safely. Now that Taehyung thought about it — how did you make it to Earth? He racked his brain and thought hard. You obviously were of Helian descent because of the purple mist but for some reason you didn't know.

Taehyung continued to think. Before he could try and connect the dots, however, he heard the shuffling of feet behind him. Turning around and spotting Jungkook silently strolling across the team's campsite, the prince remembered what exactly he was going to do.

"Jungkook," Taehyung groaned as he grabbed his knees and stood up. Leaving his snake head staff on the ground, he sprinted towards the angel. "Hey, Jungkook."

Jungkook halted, his back still facing Taehyung. All six of the angel's wings flapped once has he exhaled loudly through his nose.

Taehyung ran up behind Jungkook and stared at his back for a moment. Although the angel was just standing there, it felt like he was watching him walk away. Despite him literally being inches away, it felt like he was too far away for him to reach.

And although Taehyung knew this was fault, he felt both sorrow and dread start to boil at the pits of his stomach.

"Jungkook," Taehyung repeated in a whisper. "Can we talk?"

Jungkook say anything. Instead, he turned slowly until Taehyung could see the angel's side profile, blue iris staring back with a burning glare. It wasn't the reply the prince had been hoping for, sure, but at least he received some sort of acknowledgment.

"Listen to me," Taehyung spoke through gritted his teeth, unaware of the reprimanding tone he had used. "I know you're mad and I understand."

Jungkook completely turned around with his eyes narrowed at Taehyung. He paused and stared at the angel's face, realizing that it was the first time he had seen him so angry.

Taehyung sighed loudly. He knew Jungkook. The angel would rarely showcase his anger but when he did...

Exhaling loudly through his nose, Taehyung stepped closer to Jungkook, who instinctively stepped backwards. "But please hear me out—"

"Hear you out?," Jungkook snapped, his eyes slowly shifting to their Seraphim form. Taehyung flinched at his sharp tone. "When did you ever hear me out, Taehyung?!"

Taehyung was silenced by this. It made him think of how he had been treating Jungkook and everyone else so far. Shaking his head, his reply came dry. "I've always listened to you."

"No, Taehyung. You've never listened to me. Not even once," Jungkook hissed back as white mist started to swirl around his hands. "You've been shutting me out for so long and now I've stopped knocking. Can you blame me for that? Huh?"

Taehyung opened his mouth to reply but ended up pursing his lips into a thin line. Not knowing what to reply, he ended up shifting his gaze to the ground.

Jungkook took this as a sign to continue. The angel released a sarcastic laugh. "You know what, Taehyung? When you make your plans, you just do it. Why don't you try and look at everything— everyone around you before making a move?!"

Taehyung remembered Shay, who had told him the exact same thing back in his royal coronation. He remembered the way you said the same thing too just the night before. It made the prince think again, if there was anything wrong with all the risks he had done for the sake of everyone's safety.

"If you don't have anything to say then get out of my sight," Jungkook snapped, his voice laced with venom. Taehyung flinched at how his tone reminded him so much of King Michael.

Just like all those times back in the palace, Taehyung felt powerless. He slowly backed away and watched as Jungkook's figure grew smaller and smaller until he was only a silhouette in the day. Once out of the angel's earshot, the prince immediately grunted in frustration and tugged on his dark hair.

"You look frustrated."

Taehyung turned around and followed the source of the voice. He saw Namjoon standing near the bonfire, a shadow casting over his face. The earth gem bearer's purple was messy with strands sticking out from all over the place.

"It's a beautiful morning," Namjoon yawned and closed one of his eyes. He used his fist to rub on his eyelid. "Why are you so frustrated?"

Taehyung didn't say anything. Instead, he glanced at Jungkook, who was once again sitting on the farthest log and was staring ahead blankly. The prince sighed.

Namjoon followed Taehyung's gaze and his expression lit up when his eyes landed on Jungkook. The earth gem bearer exhaled loudly. "Give him time. I'm pretty sure that he won't listen to anything you say right now. He will when he cools off—"

"Why are you doing this?," Taehyung's piercing words made Namjoon pause.

But Namjoon didn't quite understand his tone. He furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head a bit. "Why am I doing what?"

"This!," Taehyung's eyes widened when he realized that he had raised his voice. The prince whispered a curse word under his breath. "Why are you being so kind to me? Why bother? It's not like I've earned it yet."

Namjoon stayed quiet and just stared back blankly. Taehyung felt his fists tremble as he sucked in a shaky breath. His wounded eye stung and he blinked rapidly, feeling tears threaten to spill out from his left eye.

Taehyung stared back at Namjoon, both anticipating and dreading his reply. Even in the early morning, the air was cold as it brushed against his skin. Despite that, he felt heat within himself, a burning flame that was willing to burst any minute.

"You know," Namjoon finally spoke, dimples appearing on his cheeks as he smiled. "I can't say I agree with what you did... but I can't say I don't understand either."

Taehyung blinked at the response he did not at all expect. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Well, what makes you say that?"

Namjoon read Taehyung's expression and sighed a bit. He stepped closer to the prince and crossed his arms over his chest. "I know what it's like— to feel helpless, to think the only way out is to isolate yourself from the world."

Taehyung didn't know what to say to that. Instead, he nodded hesitantly and hoped he didn't look awkward.

"When I was in jail—," Namjoon laughed a bit and ruffled his already messy hair. He looked up at Hel's rocky ceiling. "After my mother and sister passed... I thought it was best for me to be locked up in my cell forever. How can you hurt someone you care about if you lock yourself away from the world, right?"

Right. Taehyung almost said that out loud but decided to keep his mouth shut instead. He bit his lip and fiddled with his fingers as Namjoon continued to stare at the sky.

"But I realized something during our adventures together," Namjoon faced Taehyung with a smile that caused his dimples to show and eyes disappear. "Before all this, I was living my life like some kind of hermit crab. I had found my shell and chose to live there for the rest of my life."

Namjoon sighed loudly as Taehyung fell into deep thought. He thought about how he had reacted to his mother's death. The young prince had locked himself in his room for weeks and didn't let anyone— not even Shay in.

"But just like every other hermit crab out there, I decided to leave that shell and venture out to find a new one," Namjoon glanced behind him. Taehyung followed his gaze and saw Jimin asleep on the floor, his body curled into ball. "And now I've found the perfect one."

Taehyung glanced at Namjoon then back at Jimin as he put two an two together. It made him think about you and if he ever had a chance to make it up to you. Just the thought of failing you a second time filled him with sorrow.

"Taehyung... I remember what you told me back in Aarde," Namjoon's words shocked Taehyung, since didn't remember what the hell he had said at all. "You went back to the kingdom for your sister, didn't you?"

Taehyung sucked in a breath and observed the thoughtful expression on Namjoon's face. The prince then nodded slowly and felt his chest tighten. For some reason, he felt strange, uncomfortable even.

"I understand why you did it," Namjoon nodded back meaningfully. He stepped even closer to Taehyung and now stood right next to him. The earth gem bearer was still staring at Jimin. "But like I said... I don't agree with how you did it."

Taehyung finally found his voice. He glanced at Namjoon and whispered. "Why not?"

"I know that you think shutting people out would prevent them from getting hurt— I mean, that's what I thought too," Namjoon paused and seemingly fell into deep thought. "And I know you'd do anything to survive too. It's the kind of instinct people like us have."

Before Taehyung could stop himself, he had spoken out the first thought that had entered his mind. "People like us?"

"People that had nobody else to rely on but themselves," Namjoon replied and shifted his gaze to Taehyung's face.

Taehyung thought about it— how he only had to rely on himself when he traveled to Earth alone, how there were so many times when he wanted to give up, so many times that he would sitting somewhere and staring into empty space with his loneliness eating him up alive.

Then Taehyung remembered when he walked into your orphanage for the first time. He saw groups of children eating and playing together, not all aware that their world is in jeopardy, not at all aware that they would perish the next day— and he wondered when was the last time he had ever felt that happiness.

Taehyung had a flashback to all the moments he had spent with the team. There was loud laughter over dinner due to Jin's dad jokes. Jimin had his Single Men Club shenanigans which, now that he thought about it, was more amusing than annoying. And there was the beautiful you, who never failed to light up a room.

The prince remembered how he had held your hand back in Greta's deck and at how he had hugged Jungkook back in Hemel. To Taehyung, the smallest of touch was scary, painful and cold but in those moments— they weren't. Instead, they were warm.

And at that moment, Taehyung realized something — he did feel happiness. When he was with the team, he was happy.

But that wasn't the only thing Taehyung had realized. He looked back up at Namjoon, who was once again staring at Jimin's sleeping figure. With a deep breath, he spoke.

"You're right."

Namjoon's eyes widened as he looked at Taehyung, who still kept a straight face. "What?"

"I said you're right," Taehyung hissed a bit and enunciated his words. Namjoon didn't say anything, instead he stared with the stunned expression still on his face. "...You're right about a lot of things, actually."

Taehyung glanced around the camp once again. Jungkook was still seated but now his wings were spread open. You were still in the same sleeping position you had moments ago. He smiled at your round cheeks.

"For so long, I've been shutting people out," Taehyung whispered slowly, his smile dropping as he thought of Shay. "I just... didn't want anyone else to get hurt."

Namjoon gently placed a hand on Taehyung's shoulder and squeezed it. This time, he didn't flinch or react.

"But now I realize that I've been pushing away not just those I care about," Taehyung closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. He saw a mental image of him and Jungkook laughing as they did the royal walk in Hemel. "But those who care about me too."

Taehyung crossed his arms and rubbed them. He could still feel Namjoon's stare boring through his skull. It still felt like his chest was about to burst any second. The prince could feel himself shaking.

Despite what Taehyung was feeling, he continued. "I don't know if I could ever make it up to you and the rest of the team. I'm really trying but... I don't blame anyone if they don't."

"Give them time," Namjoon's voice sounded hoarse. "You're our teammate and friend. I'll sure they'll forgive you, one way or another."

"Thank you," Taehyung gave Namjoon a small smile as the latter returned the look and nodded. The earth gem bearer tapped his shoulder twice before shaking it an attempt to comfort him.

Then, Taehyung wondered if this meant that Namjoon had forgiven him. It seemed like a long shot but he couldn't think it wasn't a possibility.

"Shay, your sister," Namjoon's mention of Shay made Taehyung raise an eyebrow at him. "How is she?"

Taehyung's smile was replaced by a frown. He thought about Shay and flinched at the memory of him almost killing her after the darkness had consumed him. The prince hoped that she had safely received his letter. That way, maybe she'd understand, even just a little bit.

"I tried to fix things between us," Taehyung spoke with a small voice which was barely enough for Namjoon to hear. "And for a moment, I thought I did but—"

Turning away, Taehyung blinked rapidly when he felt his eyes sting again. Namjoon's grip on his shoulder tightened.

"After our Mother died and Father became the way he is now, I promised Shay that I'd stay by her side and protect her no matter what," Taehyung licked his bottom lip, which was starting to become dry. "The first time I left Hel, I tried to take her with me but she said no. This time, I was so close to convincing her but— I messed up. Badly. I— I had to leave before I could do anything worse. I'm pretty sure she hates me more than ever."

"And how do you know that?," Namjoon asked, his head tilted slightly. "Did she say it herself?"

Taehyung paused and almost came up with a snarky reply when he realized that Namjoon was right yet again. "Well... she never said it out loud. But it doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

"I'm sure Shay doesn't hate you," Namjoon's tone was soft and comforting to Taehyung. "She's your sister. I'm sure she cares about you a lot."

I wish. Taehyung almost said that but the hopeful smile on Namjoon's face made the darkness gem bearer nod. He sighed and continued to rub his arms when he remembered what the earth gem bearer had mentioned moments ago.

"Hey Namjoon," Taehyung's words received a small hum from Namjoon. He reached up to his face to scratched the thread of his eyepatch. "I'm... really sorry about what happened to your mother and sister. They— You didn't deserve that."

Namjoon's eyes widened once more as he faced Taehyung, who immediately avoided eye contact. Then, he smiled. "Neither did you."

Taehyung smiled at that. He nodded at Namjoon, who returned with the same gesture. The prince no longer felt his chest tighten, instead there was a certain warmth within, a certain comfort that he hadn't felt in so long.

"Oh man, am I starving!"

Following the voice, Taehyung raised an eyebrow when he spotted Jin, who was now seated. The water gem bearer yawned loudly and stretched his arms, which caused his shirt to rise slightly and expose a bit of his stomach.

"Is that really what you'll say the moment you wake up?," Emily woke up right after and spoke with a yawn. Her long brown hair was ruffled and messy.

"What? I'm hungry!," Jin laughed and noticed both Namjoon and Taehyung staring at him in silence. He smiled, his face still puffy. "Good morning."

"Morning," Namjoon and Taehyung spoke at the same time before glancing at each other.

Soon, the rest of the team had woken up. Emily and Namjoon went out hunting for food once again and the next hour was spent by eating more grilled meerkats around the campfire. This time it was quiet. For some reason, Jimin didn't initiate a group conversation.

After everyone had packed up and drank some water courtesy of Jin, the team trekked away from the makeshift campsite. Taehyung could tell that every single person in the team was glad to walk away from the forest, leaving behind both their fears and illusions.

Taehyung squinted his eyes when he noticed the silhouette of District Drie's tower up ahead. Glancing at the team behind him, he sprinted forward for a minute before coming to a stop. His feet scraped the edge of the cliff, a pebble falling down a hundred something feet below.

"For a second there, I thought you were going to jump," Hoseok's laugh was warm as he stepped ahead. When the air gem bearer saw how high the cliff, his face paled instantly. He backed away. "I— that's a really far drop."

"Hoseok can fly but he's afraid of heights?," Jimin giggled a bit, his eyes turning into crescents. Taehyung could see Namjoon literally melt behind him. "That's funny."

Taehyung leaned in slightly to peer closer to the tower. The silhouette of the building was tall and thin, its roof pointed up at the sky. He looked down. There was thick white mist circled around the tower, preventing him from seeing whatever was below. Still, he could see the shadows of birds flying within it.

"Hey, uh, Taehyung," Hoseok spoke nervously with a shaky voice. "I think you're leaning a little too close."

Taehyung turned around. Just before the prince could tell Hoseok that he was not stupid enough to do something like that, his foot slipped at the edge of the cliff. Both Sangdol and Yeontan panicked.

You gasped at this and screamed. "Taehyung!"

To Taehyung it seemed like it was all going in slow motion. It's as if he was slowly falling from the cliff and was being accompanied by little pebbles and specks of dust. The prince wasn't sure if anyone was reaching out to him— he wouldn't be surprised if nobody was.

Taehyung blinked when he felt a hand grab his arm. The darkness gem bearer had to squint his eyes to confirm if the person who had saved him really was Jungkook.

Jungkook glanced down, which made Taehyung follow his gaze. He gulped when he realized that he was hanging right at the edge of the cliff, his feet dangling in the air. The mist still blocked his view of whatever was down at the bottom, yet he imagined spiked rocks that would skewer him like barbecue.

"Grab my hand," Jungkook's voice came flat, his expression blank, yet he reached out his other hand towards Taehyung.

Taehyung stared at Jungkook's hand, which was large but smaller than his own, before grabbing it. The angel hoisted him up with a grunt as all six wings flapped behind him.

Just as Taehyung stood on safe ground, he turned towards Jungkook and opened his mouth in attempt to thank him. However, the Hemelian walked away the moment he faced him.

Taehyung sighed while Namjoon walked up to him, a look of worry etched on his face. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Taehyung hesitantly raised a hand before he awkwardly pat Namjoon's shoulder. The prince turned around and walked towards Sangdol, who was still neighing out of worry. Yeontan whimpered and jumped in his arms. "I told you guys, I'm fine."

You released a grateful sigh that Taehyung failed to notice. "How long will it take for us to get to the tower?"

It took a while for Taehyung to realize that you were actually talking to him. Turning towards you, he saw your tied silver hair, strands of it flowing in the cold wind. The very sight of you made the Crowned Prince's throat dry.

"Two days, at most," Taehyung replied after much thinking. He glanced at the cliffside again and at the tower's tall silhouette. "But we can make it in a day if we hurry."

Sangdol neighed. Taehyung ran his hand through the horse's flaming mane before attempting to hoist himself up. Then, he looked behind and saw the girls of the team conversing with each other, weapons in hand.

Taehyung is looked down at Yeontan and the dog nodded at him with all three of its heads. He sighed. "Sky, Emily."

Hearing their names, both Sky and Emily faced Taehyung with contrasting expressions. The protector had her eyebrows scrunched together in obvious suspicion while the guardian had no expression whatsoever.

"You two should ride on Sangdol," Taehyung's words made everyone face him with a mixture of shock and confusion. "It's a long way down."

A silence fell. Taehyung turned away and feared the expressions on the others' faces. With his gaze still fixed to the ground, the prince heard someone step closer. Then, there was a thump and Sangdol neighed.

"Come on, Em," You wobbled a bit when Sangdol moved a bit under you. Taehyung pet the horse to calm it down. "You heard what he said."

Emily narrowed her eyes at Taehyung before she mounted Sangdol and sat behind you. Hel's prince wrapped the rope of his horse's leash around his hand. And before he could staring walking, he heard you call out his name.

"Taehyung," You spoke and Taehyung turned towards you to meet your smiling face. Part of the rope was also wrapped around your hand. Yeontan was also resting on your lap. "Thank you."

Taehyung couldn't help but smile. He tugged on Sangdol's rope and the horse marched. "You're welcome. Let's go."

-

You honestly imagined horseback riding to feel very painful, especially towards your legs and lower body. However, the moment you sat on Sangdol's saddle, you were surprised at how comfortable it was. Still, you couldn't help but feel paranoid about falling every now and then.

When Taehyung offered you and Emily to sit on Sangdol, you were more happy than surprised. Maybe it was because you had woken up with sore legs for some reason— yeah, that was probably it.

You looked ahead. Taehyung was holding Sangdol's rope as he walked straight down the rocky path, which according to the Helian prince led to the bottom of the tower. Staring at the back of his head, you could see the leather strap of his eyepatch hidden just under some strands of his dark hair.

"Sky," Emily had both of her hands on your shoulders, slender fingers digging into the cloth of your leather jacket. "Don't you think Taehyung is, I don't know... strange?"

You scrunched your eyebrows and attempted to face Emily, only to see the strands of her long brown hair flowing in the wind. "What do you mean?"

"Well, first of all, his whole shenanigans of siding with us, then Hel, then back to us!," Emily whispered, although her voice was right next to her ear. "It's confusing, both mentally and emotionally."

"...You're right," You whispered back and faced Taehyung again. The darkness gem bearer had been glancing over his shoulder and at you but he turned away before your eyes could meet. "But you saw how he helped in the forest, right? Maybe he's trying to make it up to us? You did hear what he told Jungkook..."

"I don't know, Sky," Emily sighed. You could feel her press her cheek on your back. "I wouldn't trust Taehyung so much if I were you."

You pursed your lips into a thin line as another silence fell. The team continued trekking down the rocky road and you couldn't but feel worried about how steep it was getting. Emily now had her arms tightly wrapped around your waist.

Sangdol himself was struggling. You could hear the horse's hooves scrape against the ground in a slight panic. The animal was only calm because would stroke its head every now and then.

"Wait," Taehyung suddenly stopped walking and pressed a hand on Sangdol's neck.

You were about to question what Taehyung was talking about until you followed his gaze. The team was nearing the bottom of the rocky cliff but just ahead was a thick layer of mist that clouded everyone's vision. Yeontan was just sniffing the air on your lap.

"I don't feel so good about that," Jimin whimpered slightly and hid behind Yoongi, who was just petting Holly silently.

"Hoseok," Namjoon spoke and faced Hoseok, who gulped loudly. "Can you do something about the mist?"

"This mist looks really thick...," Hoseok trailed off as he stared at the mist. "But I'll try."

Everyone watched Hoseok as he walked towards the mist with slow and careful steps. The air gem bearer inhaled deeply before his goggles over his eyes, the leather strap making a loud snapping sound against his face as he did so. Sangdol's flame tail wagged behind you.

Hoseok opened his eyes, which were now glowing in a powerful green color. You watched in awe as the wind started to swirl around his feet then he levitated in the air slowly. He then raised both of his palms and twin tornadoes started to form in front of him.

You swore that Hoseok released a Hell Yeah! but weren't sure because of how loud the wind was. The air gem bearer then pushed his hands forward and both tornadoes slammed into the thick mist. His hair was fluttering, along with the loose strap of his goggles, but there was a huge heart-shaped smile on his face.

Sangdol neighed loudly at the sudden gust of wind, along with Yeontan's barking and Holly's growling. The horse neighed and reared on its hind legs. Due to the sudden shift of balance, you weren't able to hold onto the rope— you, Emily and Yeontan instantly fell off.

Despite the strong wind that nearly swept everyone off their feet, Jin used water to slide himself and caught Emily right before she could hit the ground. You heard her arrows clatter behind you.

Since it all happened quickly, you couldn't shift your position and ended up falling face first. You tossed Yeontan towards Jungkook, who caught the dog while flapping his six wings to balance himself. On the other hand, you expected to break your nose or even chip a tooth against the floor.

Instead, you landed on something soft and heard a small groan from underneath, along with something caging your back. At that moment, the wind stopped.

You took a second to realize what— who exactly you were on top on. When you felt your fingers dig into cloth, you looked down, eyes meeting Taehyung's. For a moment, your breath hitched in your throat and the darkness gem bearer stared back in the silence.

There were mere inches in between you and Taehyung's faces. Hel's Crowned Prince had both hands locked around your waist in some sort of protective gesture. You stared at his purple eyes and felt his warm breath fan the skin of your cheeks.

You then realized how weird and awkward it was getting so you stood up. Glancing at Taehyung, you reached out a hand and gestured at him to stand.

Taehyung's eyes flicked to your hand before he grabbed it tightly. You grunted as you pulled him up to his feet. Before you could say anything, however, the prince spoke first. "Are you hurt?"

You opened your mouth to reply but took a moment to process Taehyung's words. "Shouldn't you be more concerned about yourself? I fell pretty hard."

"I'm fine," Taehyung looked away and pet Sangdol, who just neighed lightly at the touch. Emily groaned and rubbed her shoulder behind him. "Sorry about that, Sangdol usually doesn't get this worked up."

"Oh my goodness— I'm so sorry!," Hoseok's feet tapped against the ground as he landed. He pulled off his goggles and revealed wide eyes before a crooked smile appeared on his face. "Too strong?"

"Too strong," Emily and Jin spoke at the same time. They were still on the ground, probably resting.

"Hey, at least the mist is gone," Yoongi was trying to be enthusiastic, although his voice was lacking any sort of tone. Holly nodded on his shoulders.

Following Yoongi's gaze, you saw that the mist was indeed gone. Now you could see the barren plains of the cliff's bottom, the floor equally as rocky and rough as the ground you were standing on. Barely in your line of sight was the foundation of the tower, which merely looked like a tall dark silhouette in the distance.

"Joonie!"

Hearing Jimin's scream, you turned towards him and gasped. The thunder gem bearer was kneeling next to Namjoon, who was curled on the ground with his face contorted in pain. You noticed that Taehyung's eyes widened too — and was that a look of worry on his face?

Jin instinctively kneeled down next to Jimin and inspected Namjoon. He immediately noticed that the earth gem bearer was clutching his leg. "What happened?"

"I— I don't know," Jimin stuttered, his voice etched with panic. There was electricity sparking around him as he flailed his hands. "He just fell to the ground in pain and— Oh God, Joonie!"

"Jimin, calm down," Jin said softly and held Jimin's shoulder, although the thunder gem bearer was still filled with panic. "I think Namjoon sprained his ankle when he fell. It's okay, I'll fix him right up."

As Jin started to heal Namjoon's ankle, Hoseok stepped forward with a seemingly guilty expression on his face. "Damn, man. Sorry about that."

"Don't blame yourself, Hoseok. I should have fallen better," Namjoon chuckled as Jin helped him stand. The earth gem bearer raised his leg as he but his lip hard.

"I've healed Namjoon's ankle but he's going to need to rest his foot in order to recover," Jin grunted and you assumed that it was because of Namjoon's weight.

You gasped a bit when Jimin slipped himself under Namjoon's other arm and supported him as well. The purple haired man glanced at the thunder gem bearer with wide eyes as he smiled. "I've got you this time, Namjoon."

Despite the pain Namjoon was feeling, he was still able to put on a dimpled smile. The sight of it made you warm, especially because you knew what was going on between them.

You stared at Taehyung, who was glancing at both Namjoon and Jimin with an unreadable expression. Wondering what exactly was going on in the darkness gem bearer's mind, you opened your mouth to say something but was cut off when the prince spoke first.

"Namjoon will have to be on Sangdol for the meantime."

Everyone faced Taehyung. You raised an eyebrow and anticipated his next words.

"That way, he wouldn't add stress to his injured foot by walking," Taehyung stroked Sangdol's head once more. From where you were standing, you could feel the hear of the flame horse's tail as it wagged. "Since Namjoon obviously can't ride himself, I can—"

"I'll do it instead!," Jimin suddenly screamed, his face flushing when he realized how loud his voice was. "I— I can be the rider. If you let me, I mean."

"You have experience in horseback riding, Jimin?," Jungkook tilted his head, mouth slightly open to reveal his bunny teeth.

"W-Well, I once trained for my role as a knight in a movie," Jimin stuttered a bit. Namjoon was staring at him with a wide eyed expression that soon turned into a smile. "So it's not really—"

"Alright, Jimin," Taehyung nodded once and you noticed that he was looking directly at Namjoon. "I'll leave Namjoon to your care."

Jimin looked nervous but he still put on a smile. He then mounted on Sangdol with ease, thus proving his expertise in horseback riding. With the help of Jin, the thunder gem bearer pulled Namjoon up.

"Hold on tight," Jimin grinned and tightly wrapped Sangdol's leash around his hands. "You wouldn't want to fall again."

It took a moment for Namjoon to reply. He only did after locking his arms around Jimin's waist. "Already have."

Jimin bit his bottom lip as his cheeks flushed red. With the help of Taehyung, who still stood next to Sangdol just in case, the horse started to move forward.

Soon enough, you and the team started to walk across the barren field. You unsheathed your katana and held it tightly, throat dry as you prepared yourself for any more monsters that might jump out.

There was still a slight layer of mist in the area which gave your view a foggy texture. You could see the silhouettes of dead trees as they rose from the ground like thick and dark veins in the air. Dry leaves crunched under your feet as you took slow and careful steps.

"Why does this place look so," Jin paused so he could find the right word. He was clutching his trident tightly in his hand. "Dead?"

"This area was called Hel's Botanical Gardens. All of the flowers and trees had been planted by my great, great grandmother," Taehyung was the only who didn't look as nervous as everyone else. He wasn't even holding his snake head staff, instead the weapon was just strapped to his back. "And before it was a communication tower, the building was a sightseeing area where you could view the whole kingdom from the top floor."

"So kind of like a tourist spot then?," Hoseok asked. He was using air to blow away some of the dead leaves on the ground.

Taehyung nodded and you could see the sorrow flash in his eyes.

"What happened?," Jimin asked from atop Sangdol. Namjoon was leaning on his back.

You stared at Taehyung, whose expression instantly changed to one of fury. The darkness gem bearer's eyes lit purple as he balled his hands into fists. Anger and frustration was literally surrounding him like a dark aura.

"Father thought it was stupid for Hel to have a beautiful garden this used to be. Said it made the kingdom soft in both image and nature," Taehyung spoke through gritted teeth and enunciated each word. "He had the army burn the area to the ground. All the hard work put into planting and taking care of all those plants— Shay and I watched them turn to ashes."

A silence fell, especially because Taehyung's voice had cracked at the mention of Shay. The darkness gem bearer then sighed loudly before he turned towards the group with a blank expression.

"We must hurry," Taehyung reached out to stroke Yeontan when the dog whimpered slightly. You figured that the animal had sensed its owner's sadness. "If we do not destroy the portal in time, Father will do the same to your world."

You glanced at Emily, who shrugged at you. It was obvious that nobody really knew how to react to what Taehyung. With that, the team pressed on.

It seemed like a few hours have passed but you and the rest were still stuck on the barren fields. The tower's silhouette didn't seem like it was nearer at all— instead it seemed farther away. Your feet started to throb but you endured the pain and kept walking.

"I don't understand," Yoongi panted and bent down to hold his knees. Holly tilted its head. "We're not going anywhere."

"Yoongi's right," Jin huffed and stretched his arms. You noticed how long his body was— both torso and limbs were like sticks. "We've been walking for ages but we're nowhere near the tower."

"The mist tricks the eyes. It changes the form of perspectives," Taehyung continued to walk forward. You were honestly impressed by his endurance. "Sometimes, what seems to be near is far or vice versa. In other cases, it does not affect perspective at all."

"Interesting," Hoseok stroked his chin as he floated a few inches off the ground. You wondered why Jungkook didn't use his wings to his advantage but figured that it was just as tiring. "So this signboard that is seemingly in front of me is actually—"

Hoseok was cut off when his face slammed into the signboard he had just mentioned. The air gem bearer fell to the ground with a loud thud and you could barely hold in your laughter at his reddening forehead. Jimin, on the other hand, was laughing loudly.

"Let me repeat what I just said," Taehyung coughed, which almost sounded like he had choked on his own laughter. He looked down at Hoseok. "In other cases, it does not affect perspective at all."

"I heard you the first time," Hoseok groaned and rubbed his forehead as he levitated to his feet. "Why is there even a signboard in the middle of nowhere?"

You faced the signboard and squinted your eyes hard as you tried to see through the mist. The shade of purple on the wood intrigued and you stepped closer to get a better look.

When your eyes finally adjusted, you gasped. Painted on the signboard was a purple snake coiled around a sword, its fangs out and ready to strike.

"Sky, that's...," You weren't even surprised when Emily suddenly appeared next to you. Following her gaze, your eyes landed on the matching snake symbol engraved on your shield.

As if on cue, the mist cleared. You looked up and gaped at the house that stood behind the signboard. It looked a standard cottage, its walls and foundation all made of dark brown wood, which had dry vines crawling up to the pointed roof. Dead flowers and bushes littered the floor around the house. In front of the door was a small step of stone stairs.

"Taehyung?," Namjoon spoke from behind Jimin, his arms still locked around the thunder gem bearer's waist. "Was this house here before? And how did it survive the fire?"

"I... have no idea," Taehyung was looking up at the house as well. "There was a gardener before but I'm not sure if they lived in this area..."

You stared at the house's door and noticed a circular glass window on it. Glancing behind, Emily nodded and gestured at you go and explore the house. One part of you was thrilled; this was your one chance to learn about yourself. On the other hand, you didn't want to waste any time, especially because—

"If it's to know more about your past," Jungkook suddenly spoke and interrupted your thoughts. You turned around and met the Hemelian's blank expression. "Then it isn't a waste of time."

You stared at Jungkook for a while and smiled at him gratefully. Everyone else was giving you the same expression, as if saying the same thing— Go ahead, discover yourself.

Turning back towards the door of the house, you wondered what exactly it was. Were you looking at a guardians' den? Or some sort of safe house for the guardians? If so, you wondered why this building had been located in Hel, out of all the kingdoms available.

You knew that there was only one way to find out. With slow steps, you slowly walked up the stone steps and towards the door. You slowly took deep breaths before using the sleeve of your leather jacket to wipe off the dust on the window.

Using both of your hands, you cupped them next to your face and squinted your eyes as you peered into the window. You couldn't really what was inside the house, except for what seemed like the silhouette of a table and some chairs.

You remembered what Kiana had told you and wondered what the guardians were like. Surely, they were braver and stronger than you were. Maybe they already knew that the universe had chosen them to guide the seven wonders. At the same time, you wondered where they were— why out of all the candidates, you were chosen. It almost felt like there had been no other choice.

Pressing your hand on the door, you expected it to be locked. So when the door suddenly opened with a loud creak, you were given a big surprise and almost fell to the ground.

"Hello?," You spoke hesitantly into the darkness of the house's interior and your voice echoed back. "Is anybody here?"

Despite receiving no reply, you stepped inside. The floor made a strange sound against your feet and paranoia filled you at the possibility of falling through the ground. You stepped carefully as the wood continued to creak below you. A lone lightbulb was swinging quietly from above.

You shut your eyes tight when the room was suddenly filled with light. Turning around, you saw Emily standing at the doorway with her hand pressed on the light switch. Strange— there was still electricity in the place.

Glancing around, you took of your surroundings. You sneezed loudly at the dust covered area and eyed the kitchen— a single table and three chairs, one of them on the floor and missing a leg. Shards of ceramic were on the floor, along with dried flower petals and stems. Water stains were evident on the wooden floor.

You stepped into the kitchen, the shards crunching against the soles of your shoes. On the countertop was a group of half-diced rotten vegetables strewn over a wooden chopping board, a knife resting right next to it. However, the pots, pans and all the other kitchen utensils were placed neatly in their respective cabinets.

The fridge looked just like the one back in the orphanage, except it had way more dust and rust. Due to the rotten stench coming from inside, you didn't dare open it. However, what you did notice was the lone picture stuck to the door with a banana shaped magnet.

You carefully took the picture and glanced at the other fridge magnets before studying it. On the crumbly piece of paper was a child's drawing, you could tell by how cartoony and out of proportion it was. There were three smiling stick figures; one of a small child with stringy silver hair and two larger ones as parents. At the background was a replica of the wooden cottage, along with grass and flowers on the ground.

This made you look down. More drawings were on the ground, one of them even under your foot. You picked up that drawing and saw a sketch of the same snake logo on your shield once again. Squinting your eyes, you wondered what had happened to all the guardians who used to live here.

As you folded the drawing and put it in the pocket of your pants, you thought to yourself — It's like everyone had left the house in a hurry... but why? You then remembered the vision you had off the temple and the bones, along with Taehyung mentioning the fire, as a theory entered your mind.

It was almost as if you could hear the screams of fear and pain in your ears as you imagined it all. You hoped, no, prayed that you weren't right.

You suddenly felt a presence behind you. Sighing, you didn't need to turn around to know who it was. "There was another reason why I was chosen to be the guardian, isn't there?"

It took a while until a reply came. "You were the only one left."

Your eyes widened because you had expected to hear Kiana's voice. Turning around, your eyes landed on Taehyung, who was leaning on the doorway with crossed arms. "What?"

Taehyung stared at you with his single dark eye in a few moments of silence. Then, he exhaled loudly through his nose and stepped towards you. "One of the reasons why you were chosen was because you were the only one left."

"Only one left?," You released a dry laugh as you processed Taehyung's words. The darkness gem bearer stared back in silence. "What happened to the others then?"

Taehyung's gaze was glued right to your face. At that moment, you realized how close he was with your chest almost bumping into his. "When Father found out that the magic prophecy told of a guardian being chosen this generation, he was furious."

Seeing that Taehyung had paused, you dreaded what he was going to say next. It felt like the pits of your stomach was starting to bubble.

"He had each and every guardian candidate hunted down and killed," Taehyung said slowly, his tone and expression stern. "And didn't spare anyone... not even the children."

You couldn't believe what you were hearing and slowly snaked a hand up to your head before shaking it. Taehyung didn't say anything. You assumed that he was giving you time to absorb it all.

"I was one of the only guardian candidates left."

Looking up, you saw Kiana slowly materialize from next to Taehyung. The darkness gem bearer followed your gaze, his eyes widening when he spotted the Helian magical. You stared at her silver hair and tan your hands through your own.

"I was only able to hide long enough because my parents decided to train me here in Hel instead of sending me to the Temple of the Guardians," Kiana sighed as she put on a sentimental smile and folded her hands over her abdomen. "That is, until King Michael found me in Hemel with Jungkook..."

Kiana trailed off, a sour expression slowly spreading across her face. You were filled sorrow at the memory of her death. Taehyung himself looked away and stared at the wall.

"What King Michael didn't know," Kiana started and you looked up at her in anticipation. "Was that there was one guardian candidate on Earth— you."

You furrowed your eyebrows at the information. "King Michael didn't know?"

"He didn't," Taehyung turned back towards you, the gaze of his eye boring into you. "Until you officially became the guardian. It was like you were put in Father's radar. Then he sent that Ignis and— you know the rest."

For a moment, you remembered the day you and Taehyung had first met. Him appearing almost right after Emily left and protecting you from those bullies— the memories seemed surreal.

"We're lucky that your parents sent you to Earth," Wait. You squinted your eyes at Kiana, who still kept her calm composure. "If not, we might not even have—"

"My parents," You whispered to yourself but your voice was loud enough for both Kiana and Taehyung to hear. "My parents sent me to Earth?"

"It's the only plausible explanation we have," Taehyung replied with a flat tone. Kiana flicked her eyes towards the ground. "You couldn't have travelled through space on your own."

You felt strange, like something within you was about to start. Taking out the folded paper in your pocket, you inspected the drawing again and noticed a few details you haven't seen before. The little girl in the drawing was holding a little toy sword. The mother had long silver hair that resembled your own. On the other hand, the father—

When your head suddenly started to throb, your train of thought had been interrupted. You couldn't hear anything except your own breathing. The surroundings started to fade in out, almost as if you were in a glitching simulation.

You covered your ears when multiple voices started to echo in your head, along with visions that flashed through your mind. A little girl giggled as she ran across a grass field, silver hair fluttering behind her.

Unsure if you were screaming or not, the pain was unbearable. The child was singing as she spun around with a flower in hand. She soon was picked by a woman with silver hair.

Was someone screaming your name? You weren't sure either. Chest tightening, you felt like you were going to explode in any minute. Joining the two was a man, his figure blurry. The three laughed in the midst of the garden.

Finally, it stopped. You felt no pain, no anger. Instead, you felt a sense of relief— until you realized that you were standing in that grassy field, in front of the wooden cottage, one that looked a lot better than the one you were currently in.

"Hello?"

You looked down when you heard a small voice. Kneeling down, you studied the silver haired child, who looked no older than five. She was rocking on her little blue boots quietly. In her tiny hand was an identical drawing you were still gripping tightly.

"Miss, are you lost?"

No reply came. You were at a loss for words— especially because you were staring at yourself.

"Sky! Get a hold of yourself!"

You were back in the cottage, once again surrounded by the horrid stench of rotten food. Looking up, your eyes landed on Taehyung, who had both of his hands cupping your face.

"Sky!"

He was the last thing you saw before your vision darkened.

-

"Are we there yet?," Belladonna whined as she pouted and cupped her chin with her hand. She was sitting in between Animo's legs. Her Venus Flytrap, on the other hand, was on her head. "And why didn't I get my own horse?!"

"We are not there yet, Belladonna," Massimo rolled his eyes as his horse neighed. "Don't you remember? We just left the palace a few hours ago."

"And to answer your other question," Medusa's tongue flicked as she spoke. A snake with skin as white as snow crawled up her arm and hung lazily around her neck. She pet the reptile with a smile. "You're too short to ride your own horse."

Belladonna's eye twitched. "Then give me a smaller one! Like— like a baby horse!"

"You mean a pony?," Animo spoke flatly, although he smiling cheekily at the fuming Belladonna. Massimo wanted to barf.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever that is."

"A pony is a small horse, Belladonna."

"Is it as small as her?"

"Shut up, Medusa!"

Massimo sighed as Animo, Belladonna and even Medusa continued to bicker. He looked around and saw Shay, who was sitting on her Red Flamed Horse a few feet away.

Sighing, Massimo slightly tugged on his horse's leash and it moved forward. He glanced at the charred skewers and oddly placed logs on the ground before situating himself next to the princess. "Shay—"

"How many soldiers did we lose in the cursed forest?," Shay asked quietly. She was staring at a pile of burnt wood— a used up bonfire.

"We haven't counted yet," Massimo replied after he realized that they were standing on a now abandoned campsite. "But around twenty or so."

Shay was silent for a moment. Massimo raised an eyebrow when she started to release a low chuckle. "They are close. I can sense it."

Honestly, Massimo was extremely worried for Shay. Ever since she discovered that Taehyung had left yet again, she had been more cruel, more heartless even. This made his anger towards Hel's Crowned Prince grow even more.

If Massimo had the chance to end Taehyung, he'd do it with his bare hands.

"We must not waste any time," Shay smiled as she gazed at the silhouette of District Drie's communication tower. "We'll catch them like the pests they are."

-

A/N — before I say anything, JEON JUNGKOOK IS BLONDE WE GOING ✈️ HEMELIAN JUNGKOOK AURUM Y'ALL HE LIVES

anywhos this was 9k unedited words again djaja i swear my chaps get longer and longer as i go (this is the final arc so yeah)

SO YEAH big things happened in this chap — HUGE char development for Tae + Minjoon and Taesky moments + a lil peak into Sky's past hehe I can't wait to reveal everything!! And the battle with the Great Six is so close AAAAA i'm excited af

I hope everyone will stick with me till the ending cos I have LOTS in store!! The ending i have in mind is literally the bomb one of my friends (u know who u are) already knows whats gon happen oho

also if you guys play Food Fantasy 🅱️lease add me my name there is Cheskaa99 thanks (I love Spicy Gluten she's hot)

Kinky

Thank you so much for your continuous support! See y'all in Chapter 80! (wow)

me when I found out that Hyuna and E'DAWN were dating irl we been knew bye

final note stan LOONA