"I'm sorry, your highness, I have failed you. The girl now has the fire gem bearer."

"...Nonsense, general. This is all part of the plan... but, I will admit that I would have preferred it if you had killed the bearer."

"I am terribly sorry, your highness."

"You contributed to the gem's activation, which has satisfied me enough. There will be no use of collecting the gems if their powers are still sealed."

"...What about the other bearer, your highness? She is close to him as well..."

"...You know what to do, general."

-

"I don't understand, why did he save us?"

Yoongi was on the bed, his treated leg supported by a thick pillow. You were sitting on a chair next to him, glad that Jin had agreed to your proposal of switching bedrooms.

"I honestly have no idea, Yoongi...," You scratched your cheek and stared at your watch, its glow still fading since Jin just left the room a few minutes ago. "At least, we were able to escape, right?"

"Yeah, but...," Yoongi tried to adjust his position but he failed with a groan. You immediately helped him sit up, then he hugged the nearest pillow he saw. "Why? His gem is grey, isn't it? He doesn't know that he's a wonder so why would he help us? Didn't you also mention that you're on the police's watch list?"

"Both of us are, Yoongi," You stated matter-of-factly and giggled when Yoongi gave you a glare.

Still, you thought Yoongi was right. Why would Jin help you two of all a sudden, especially during a police chase? It made no sense to you, even more so after you found out -- through small talk with Jin -- that he was from a family of politicians. Thus, he had a good upbringing and was, well, rich.

Two possibilities came to your mind as you massaged your temple. First of all, Jin could know about his powers and he saved you and Yoongi because he knew that they were... like him. Second, and you hoped it wasn't right, Jin could be at the enemy's side, ready to kill you both at any moment, and was actually after Yoongi's gem.

You were hoping that the first option was right.

"We shouldn't trust him," Yoongi said, his face expressionless. Even though you've only been with him for a few days, you could tell that he was the kind of person who couldn't express his feelings well.

"Yoongi...," You carefully squeezed his arm, being careful not to hurt him. "I know that you're doubting Jin right now, I am too, but we should at least return the favor. I mean, he did help us. We would be in jail right now if he didn't."

Yoongi just stared back at you for a while, his grey bangs falling just below his eyebrows. Then, he sighed and averted his gaze towards the ceiling. "One percent."

You scrunched your eyebrows together. "What?"

"One percent. That's how much trust I'm willing to give Jin," Yoongi said, in a tone that meant his decision was final.

You leaned on your chair, torn between trusting Jin. Yes, he did help you and Yoongi, but he was also like that mysterious character in a novel, who just appeared out of nowhere to assist the main characters, just to end up being one of the bad guys. You knew you were stereotyping but you still didn't know what to think.

Both you and Yoongi turned around when the door creaked open, revealing Sam, whose hair was now combed back. He smiled as he slowly stepped inside the room.

"Miss Sky," Sam bowed deeply, one hand behind his back and the other on his abdomen. "Master Jin would like to speak with you in the kitchen."

"...Tell him that I'll be there in a few," You said, then Sam bowed before leaving the room in a flash.

Silence filled the room as both you and Yoongi digested Sam's words. You were thinking of why Jin wanted to talk to you, besides the fact that you were complete strangers to him and maybe, just maybe, he wanted to know more about you two.

Yoongi, on the other hand, was thinking the exact opposite. His teeth were gritted, his gem glowing in and out, as well as his eyes. He didn't know what Jin wanted with you but he was sure that it wasn't a good thing.

You stood up without a word, knowing that Yoongi would try to stop you if you said anything. However, when you did, Yoongi grabbed your arm. His eyes were glowing just a light shade of orange, his hand radiating a heat that was... comforting.

"Yoongi," You said softly. "Please."

"Sky... if he does something," Yoongi breathed out and you swore that there was smoke coming out of his mouth. "Scream."

-

Now that you were paying more attention, the hallway was longer than you first thought. There were also multiple paintings on the wall, each different in its own way. You stared at the beautiful mixture of colors, patterns and creativity.

"Starry Night by Van Gho," You read a random nameplate as you passed a painting composed of dark colors, swirls and what looked like a tingue of yellow.

Then, the painting at the end of the hallway caught your attention. The way it was lighted and positioned made it look like a center piece in a museum, so you walked towards it to take a closer look.

It was a self-portrait of a family of three. The tall mam, father of the household, was standing tall and proud, a thick beard covering his chin. The mother was sitting on a chair next to the father, pearls adorning her neck, and a beautiful headband on her brown hair. The little boy in the center, wearing what looked a formal school uniform, was no doubt to be Jin. Although, you almost didn't recognize him because of his glasses and chubby cheeks.

For some reason, even though Jin was smiling in the painting, he didn't look happy.

"My mother is a beautiful woman, isn't she?"

You jumped when you heard a voice behind you and turned around with so much force that you thought you gave yourself whiplash.

Jin was standing behind you, glasses sitting at the tip of his nose, making his eyes stand out. He was wearing a black long sleeved turtleneck, which was complimented by his frilly pink apron. He was smiling, his eyes on the painting, one hand occupied by a white rice scooper, which he was holding close to his lips.

"You must be wondering where mother and father are," Jin walked towards you with a light chuckle and you just stared at his face. "They're taking care of a business proposal in France, so they won't be back in a few months. You and Yoongi can stay as long as you like."

You continued to stare, then Jin placed his hand on the small of your back, which made you shiver a bit because of the touch.

"Would you mind coming into the kitchen with me, Sky? I prepared a decent meal for you. Don't worry, I already told Sam to send some to Yoongi as well."

Your head spun as you were lead to the kitchen, which was blinding white. You honestly expected everything but to be served a meal by Jin. Wasn't he the master of the household? Which meant that Sam should be the cook?

As Jin assisted you in sitting down, you looked around. The kitchen alone was as big as your bedroom in the orphanage and the dining table was twice as long as your bed. You touched the chair, which was made of glass, and looked up at the chandelier that was hanging a few feet above the table.

You turned towards the kitchen and saw Jin's blonde hair bobbing up and down from behind the counter. After a while, there was a ding of a bell, then Jin walked in with a tray of food.

Jin was smiling all throughout, even when he placed the tray in front of you. When he raised the silver cover, you were greeted by a plate of roasted chicken and fried rice, its smell intoxicating you. Together with it was a glass of wine, and a small plate of what looked like lemon jelly.

"Eat up," Jin was now sitting across you, his chin resting on his hands. "You must be hungry."

Even though you were extremely hungry, you still remembered your table ethics and ate with ease. Your eyes widened at the taste, since it reminded you of the food you ate in the orphanage.

"This... is really good," You said and shot a smile at Jin, who nodded at your approval. "Thank you."

Jin cocked his head a bit, his bangs falling over the rims of his glasses. "You're very much welcome, Miss Sky."

You took a sip of the wine. "There's no need to be formal with me, Jin, really."

Jin chuckled and silently watched you eat. As he did, you thought of why he was being so kind to you and Yoongi. Was he planning something? Or... could he just be a kind person at heart?

"Jin...," You muttered as you set your utensils on the plate. Since you were so hungry, it was as if you sucked up the food with a vacuum. "Why did you help me and Yoongi?"

Jin's smile faded upon hearing your question and you wondered if there was something wrong with what you had asked. His eyes flicked towards the table and his lips curled down to a frown.

"...You two were in trouble, so I decided to help," Jin said in one breath and you could tell that he didn't want to say any more.

For a while, you were silent, then you nodded slightly. Could it be that he didn't know that you and Yoongi were fugitives? "Thank you..."

Jin smiled the same smile he had on the painting.

-

Later that evening, when everyone else was asleep, Jin was in his bedroom, staring at his reflection through the mirror. He'd been sitting there for the past hour, just... staring.

In his hands was a framed picture of three little boys, all with the same height, looking like triplets because of the identical hairstyles and clothes. Jin brushed his fingers against the glass and smiled at the memories he had with those boys.

"Hey, Jin, when we grow up, we should all dye our hair blonde!"

Jin smiled and ruffled his own hair. "I did... I wish that you've seen that I did..."

There was a reason why Jin had saved you and Yoongi but when you asked him, he just couldn't have the guts to tell you. Those two... reminded him so much of his two best friends. Well, former best friends.

Jin, Ross, and Foy. They were the best of friends, inseparable like a cluster of grapes. They had spent a good chunk of their childhood together and there wasn't any part of their lives that each wouldn't miss out on.

Out of the three, Jin was the eldest, so he felt a strong sense of responsibility and protectiveness towards the youngers. This was one of the reasons why he had learned to cook, since he was the father figure of the group.

Ross was from an orphanage and he would constantly sneak out to play with them. His parents had died in a fire and so he was admitted into it. Jin and Foy served as his parents.

Foy was from a regular family of three. He, his older brother and younger sister were happy with their outgoing parents and to them, Jin and Ross were just an addition to the family.

Jin, on the other hand, wasn't always... rich. He used to belong to a normal family, one that saved just enough money to get by the day. He... used to be very close to his parents, almost as close as he was to Ross and Foy.

Then, everything changed when his father was elected as a senator.

"Congratulations, Jin!," Foy had told him the day the results of the elections were announced. "You're officially a politician's son!"

"I'm not exactly happy about it though..."

"Why not?," Ross, the most positive out of the three, cheered. "You're going to be rich! That means more stuff and more hapiness! Maybe you could buy my orphanage and replace the rude chef!"

"...Ross, it doesn't work that way. My parents are going to be busy all the time and I'm going to have to get into politics as well. I... might not be able to hang out with you guys for a while."

Jin still clearly remembered Ross and Foy's expressions after he said those words. They were pained yet both of them still managed to smile.

"It's okay, Jin. You'll still be our friend."

"..."

Promises are meant to be broken.

"Damn it, Seokjin," Jin scolded himself when he noticed a tear drop fall on the framed photo's glass. "Don't cry, you fool. Getting rid of them was for the best..."

Jin's hands shook, his lips trembling, mad at himself for letting out his emotions. He was a professional and he wasn't supposed to be feeling anything. All the connections he had were purely for the sake of business.

Who needs friends if you have money? That was the twisted way of life that Jin grew up to believe.

When Jin glanced at the photo in his hands, he gritted his teeth. He didn't need any more reminders of the two. He had to get rid of it.

Jin punched the glass with force, shards and drops of blood flying as he did. Tears were streaming down his face, not out of sadness, but of anger.

When Jin lifted his fist, his eyes twitched when he saw the cracked glass, which only covered his own face, completely avoiding Ross and Foy's smiling faces.

Just when Jin lifted his bleeding fist again, a voice came from the door: "Master?"

Sam was standing in between the doorway, a lantern in one hand and a towel in the other. He had no expression whatsoever, his wide eyes glancing back and forth between Jin, his blood and the glass shards on the floor.

"Sam, how many times do I have to tell you? Knock before you enter my room," Jin wiped away his tears with his sleeve, putting the acting skills he gained from some workshops to the test and acted as if nothing had happened.

"Master, I heard something shatter, are you al---"

"I'm fine, Sam," Jin swung open the closest door and took out a first aid kit. He pulled out a bandage and wrapped it around his bleeding hand. "I just dropped something. I'll take care of the mess."

For what seemes like a whole minute, the master and the butler just stared at each other. Sam has been Jin's butler for years, and the latter knew that he would figure out the truth, no matter how much he tried to act.

"...I understand, Master. I am terribly sorry for bothering you at this time of the evening," Sam said slowly, giving one last glance at Jin before closing the door.

At that moment, Jin had realized something. You and Yoongi... were both reminders of Ross and Foy. The presence of you two itself was a grim reminder of his lost friends.

Jin decided. He was going to get rid of the two of you, first thing tomorrow.

-

Somewhere far, far away from where you and Yoongi were sleeping soundly, he was walking in a dark alley, away from the people, away from the world.

The bearer of the gem of darkness had a twisted way of entertaining himself. He would force a random stray animal to inhale his purple mist, then solidify it, making the said animal explode from the inside. He always laughed at the guts and blood that would fly around after every explosion.

Maybe spending years wandering around alone had turned him insane but nobody really knew why he thought making poor animals explode seemed fun to him.

Right now, he was... playing with a cat, which had already inhaled his purple mist. He was solidifying it slowly, so the cat would cry out in pain from time to time. This made him giggle.

"Let go of the poor cat."

He looked up to see a woman standing next to him, the purple vortex fading behind her.

"What do you want from me, K?," He said before releasing the cat, which ran away from him instantly. "If you're here to try and convince me again---"

"I don't care what you say," K pulled down her hood, revealing her silver hair and purple skin, lips as black as the night. "I will keep coming back until you decide not to push through with this stupid plan of yours."

He growled, baring his fangs, his black eyes turning purple. He charged and grabbed K by the throat before lifting her off the ground, his nails digging into the skin of her neck. "I am sick and tired of people telling me that I can't do what I want to do. You are all stupid, especially you and J---"

"Th-Think about it," K was struggling to breath but she didn't dare use her powers on him. As if it would work, anyway. "What will you gain from the success of your plan?!"

His evil-sounding cackle rang through the alley, then he smirked at K before licking his lips to mock her. "What will I gain from this, you ask? Let's see... power, vengeance... and a whole planet to myself."

K's eyes flashed a dark yellow for a few seconds, which only happened when she was really angry. She grabbed his arm, returning the pain by scratching him with her nails. "You are just like him... it makes me sick."

He gritted his teeth and growled at K's face, before throwing her down to the ground. "Don't speak of him. Ever."

K stood up, purple mist dancing around her fingers. She was in her battle position and was now willing to inflict unspeakable pain on him. He was doing the same across her.

"You challenge me to a fight," He grinned, the gem on his ring glowing brightly. "Even though you know that I can kill you before you even blink."

"You can't kill someone who is already dead."

He clicked his tongue, knowing that this fact was true, but still summoned purple mist from his hands. His nose was already bleeding but he didn't care at the moment.

"Look at you, your body is still rejecting the gem's abilities. That's because it doesn't even belong to---"

"Shut up!," He screamed before throwing a purple ball of energy towards K, who deflected it with a forcefield. He fell on his knees, feeling woozy all of a sudden.

"Your plan will backfire, I'm sure. All you have to do is surrender the gem and---"

"No," He cut off K with a sick laugh, blood now flowing down the corner of his mouth. He was slowly and truly turning insane, K could see it in his eyes. "This gem is mine. It will not fall into the hands of anybody else, even if it means my death."

-

A/N - ^ how to be Jake pls

So I gave you guys a glimpse of Darkness' plan (and his insanity) sooo did you guys pick up the hint I dropped? :D

What about Jin? Is he good or... we'll see ;)

GOOD NEWS THO!! ENIGMA (YT) IS BACK!! I am currently working on Chapter 11 and hopefully it will be up by this weekend. For more information regarding why I was gone for a month, check my latest comment in Chapter 10!

Anyways, if you huns liked this chapter, please vote, comment and a follow would be loved! Thanks for the support huns! Please anticipate Chapter 9~

Also, all these chapters are unedited so please ignore the typos~

EDIT: T7W IS #621 IN FANFICTION I AM SCREAMING THANKS SO MUCH HUNS OMG