Namjoon was sure that he had quite literally lost his mind.

When Medusa's venom had fully consumed him, it felt like she had pulled out his brain and stuffed something else in it. Namjoon could feel his bones shifting as the poison coursed through his vines. He could see himself run across the field in all fours as one command looped in his mind like a broken record— Kill Jimin.

Namjoon tried his best to fight it back. No matter how much effort he put into it, the orders would always echo in his mind whenever he was close to being free and it only caused him to fall deeper in control. He wanted to cry when he started to strangle Jimin and even with the short moment of him overcoming the venom, the only thing he could tell the thunder gem bearer was to run.

It only led to one possibility to save Jimin and that was to kill himself instead. When it came to this, Namjoon didn't really care if it ruined the prophecy of the seven wonders. If it was the only way to save the man he had given his whole life to, then it didn't matter if he lost his own in the process.

Namjoon thought it was ironic that his sorrow could break through the venom. He remembered seeing his own tears drip down Jimin's face as he was electrocuted. The earth gem bearer could still clearly hear his last thoughts— He loved Jimin so much and wished he had used that last moment to pour his heart out to him.

What Namjoon didn't expect was for him to wake up minutes later due to the sudden sting in his chest. Of course, the earth gem bearer initially thought that he had already ascended. Then he saw the corpses of Medusa and Belladonna and was sure this wasn't heaven.

Chim? was the first thing Namjoon mustered out, still in shock at how he survived a thousand volts of electricity. But when Jimin willingly gave him a kiss, suddenly nothing else mattered. Only one thing was important and it was the man in his arms, the one person he loved so dear.

And Jimin loved him back, he said so himself. For a moment, Namjoon considered the fact that he really was in heaven. Then again, they were probably just two fools in love.

"Taehyung and Jungkook are what?!," Jimin screamed just as the thunder rumbled from above and snapped Namjoon back into reality.

As the cold rain started to shower Namjoon, he turned towards Emily and Sangdol and tightened his grip around Jimin's waist. Yeontan was whimpering and shivering in between her legs.

Before Emily could reply, however, lightning struck the ground next to Sangdol, which caused to rear and panic for a bit. Namjoon lunged towards Jimin and shielded him with his body without hesitation. Thankfully, neither of them were hurt.

Namjoon noticed that Jimin's gem was flashing in between purple and yellow once more. He tightly grabbed the thunder gem bearer's wrist. "Jimin, we can't stay out here!"

"And that's exactly why I'm here!," Emily screamed, her voice nearly concealed by the strong wind. Namjoon figured that Hoseok's gem started to malfunction. "Hop on!"

Namjoon and Jimin made brief eye contact before they sprinted towards Emily. The ground continued to tremble again as the earth gem flashed purple. A large crack started to form on the ground in front of Sangdol, one that spanned so far out of view that it seemed like the whole world was going to split in half.

At that moment, Namjoon realized something. Since Jimin was unable to use his super speed, they were running at a normal pace. With the way the ground was cracking open like an egg, neither of them would make it— but there was one way.

"Jimin, wait!," Namjoon raised a hand against Jimin's chest, which made him tilt his head in confusion. If the situation wasn't so dire, he would internally screamed due to how cute he was. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do!," Jimin had a hand over his face to block the strong wind. "Why?"

"Bend your knees!"

Jimin's expression told Namjoon that he was questioning those orders but he bent his knees anyway. In one swoop, the earth gem bearer picked him up bridal style. "J-Joonie! What are you doing?!"

Namjoon gritted his teeth and nearly lost his balance on the shaking ground. Sangdol neighed nearby. Despite a malfunctioning earth gem, he felt that he still had his super strength.

As Namjoon started sprinting towards Emily, he eyed the ever enlarging crack on the ground. He noticed the area where Sangdol stood was higher than the place he stood. Thunder rumbled from above.

"Hold on!," Namjoon screamed as he neared the crack. His soles scraped across the edge as he jumped high in the air. Jimin was screaming, his grip around him tight.

It seemed like everything went in slow motion. Namjoon could hear his heart thumping against his chest— two, in fact, including Jimin's. He could see an endless stream of bubbling hot lava below as his feet did a cycling motion in the air. Emily was screaming through the rain, her long brown hair dripping wet.

Namjoon suddenly felt a force on his back and realized that lightning had struck the ground where he first stood. Then he looked ahead and was filled with horror due to one fact— he hadn't jumped far enough to reach the other side.

When Namjoon looked down at Jimin, who had his eyes shut and lips pursed in fear, he made a decision. He released a loud scream and used all his strength to throw the thunder gem bearer forward.

Jimin grunted and rolled on the ground next to Sangdol's feet. Namjoon sighed in relief, his smile fading when he realized that he was falling. He swung his hands forward and barely missed the edge.

"Namjoon!," Jimin cried loudly from above, his palms scraping the edge of the rock.

With a loud scream, Namjoon instinctively swung his clawed purple hand towards the rocky wall. He slid downwards for a few seconds, a mixture of pebbles and rain falling on his face. When the earth gem bearer stopped, he could feel the heat of the lava at the tips of his feet.

Namjoon didn't like the fact that he could still feel and see a bit of Medusa's venom within him. But, despite how it was a grim reminder of his almost death, he figured that the only way to get rid of those bad thoughts was to use it to his advantage.

With a low growl forming in his throat, Namjoon climbed up the rocky wall and used his claws to keep himself balanced. Once he reached the top, he was greeted by the sight of a sobbing Jimin, who immediately pulled him up to safety.

"Don't do that, Namjoon!," Jimin screamed, both his tears and rainwater streaming down his face. He lunged at Namjoon and engulfed him in a hug. "Don't... don't make me think that I'm going to lose you again."

Namjoon's stone cold expression softened as he hugged Jimin back. Blinking rapidly, he sighed and felt the tips of his fangs graze his bottom lip. For a moment, he felt like he had lost himself to the venom again. That terrified him.

Before Namjoon could apologize, Emily screamed loudly from behind them. "Guys?! We have to go!"

Pulling away from the hug, Namjoon gave Jimin a smile before he gripped his hand tightly. His purple hair was matted against his forehead due to the cold rain. Sangdol continued to neigh and slam its hooves on the ground, which caused puddles of water to splash all around.

Namjoon grunted a bit as he grabbed Jimin and hoisted him upwards. Once he was secure atop Sangdol, he climbed behind the thunder gem bearer and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. Thunder continued to rumble from above.

"Hang tight, lovebirds!," Emily screamed, her voice muffled by the strong wind. Namjoon still heard it though and his cheeks flared red. "This will be a bumpy ride!"

Emily pulled on the leash and released a loud Heyah! as Sangdol neighed loudly once again. One of Yeontan's hands barked while the other two whimpered. Namjoon could feel Jimin shiver in the cold rain so he tightened his grip in hopes in sharing a bit of body heat with him.

"E-Emily," Jimin stuttered as his teeth chattered together. He held both of Namjoon's hands with his own. "Are Taehyung and Jungkook really dying?"

"Hoseok felt it, said Jungkook's hanging between life and death on the top floor," Emily fell silent for a moment, the sound of the strong wind and rain filling the air. "He brought Jin up there to hopefully save him."

Namjoon's eyes widened and he heard Jimin gasp in front of him. He looked up at the tower and at the thick mist concealing its upper half. As wild as the earth gem bearer's imagination was, he couldn't even imagine the horrors that were present to the tower team inside.

"And Taehyung?," Namjoon asked as a flash of light reflected on his face. The lightning didn't strike the ground this time.

Namjoon could hear Sangdol's galloping ring in his ears. Jimin was still shivering but he figured that it was no longer due to the cold. Emily glanced over her shoulder, the serious glint in her brown eyes making the earth gem bearer gulp.

"I'll explain later," Emily turned back ahead, her long brown hair chunky and dripping wet. "We have to find safe ground first."

Namjoon looked around desperately for shelter. The open field was strewn with corpses of Helian soldiers, large boulders and charred patches of soil. Puddles of water and blood littered every square inch of the area. Seeing that the only building in the area was the communication tower, the earth gem bearer knew that it wasn't an option.

"Uh," Jimin suddenly hummed and pointed a shaky hand to the right, his matted orange hair nearly covering his eyes. "What about over there?"

Following Jimin's gaze, Namjoon squinted his eyes and spotted a small roofed area at the side of the tower. He could barely see the silhouette of a few broken chairs and tables. Unsure whether it was a waiting shed or a snack area, he wondered why he didn't notice it the first time.

"If it's all we've got then it's perfect," Emily's teeth were gritted tightly. She tugged on Sangdol's leash and released a shrill scream. "Sangdol, hurry!"

Sangdol seemingly replied with a loud huff of breath from its nose before galloping faster. The raindrops were slanted in the strong wind with the ground still cracking. Thunder rumbled as lightning lit up the sky.

Namjoon dug his chin into Jimin's shoulder and tightened his grip around his waist. Despite the dire situation they were in, he thought about the two of them. He never thought he'd have the chance to embrace the thunder gem bearer like this, to finally have the right to call him his.

It seemed that those thoughts filled Namjoon for a long time because when he snapped back into reality, they were in front of the shelter. Now the earth gem bearer could see the area clearly— next to the broken furniture was countertop with a shattered glass surface. A vandalized signboard hung from above and was swinging wildly in the wind.

Namjoon was unsure whether the place was a snack bar or a waiting shed but to him, what mattered was the roof that could protect them from the rain.

After all three of them jumped off Sangdol, Emily tied the horse's leash to the pole next to the countertop. Namjoon examined some of the chairs and grunted when he found a barely usable one with a wobbly leg.

"Here you go, Joonie," Jimin's voice rang after a slight scraping sound was heard. Namjoon smiled and grabbed the chair that was handed to him by the thunder gem bearer.

"...Thanks."

Namjoon just stared at Jimin and temporarily forgot about the situation in hand. He didn't notice that the ground underneath wasn't shaking. He ignored how he was dripping wet and freezing cold. The earth gem bearer only had his eyes on him.

Jimin was sitting on his own chair with his arms wrapped around himself and legs swinging freely. His thick lips were evident and formed an unconscious pout. He wasn't shivering as much as he was a few moments ago.

Namjoon suddenly thought of Kaeva, who Jimin had left behind in Bliksem. As much as he was thrilled by finally being able to express his love to the thunder gem bearer, he wondered if things with her had been cleared up.

But Namjoon figured that Jimin had somehow clarified things with Kaeva beforehand. Their kiss wouldn't have been as passionate and as sweet if there still an unresolved issue.

"Joonie?," Jimin spoke suddenly, which halted Namjoon's attempt to grab his hand just for the heck of it. "Look."

Namjoon turned around and honestly expected Jimin to be staring right at him with his sparkling eyes. But when he noticed that the thunder gem bearer was facing the field, he curiously followed his gaze.

For a moment, Namjoon wondered why Jimin was just staring at the battlefield— then he saw it. The ground where he stood was untouched. Just a few inches from where he stood seemed to be a line of cracks that stretched out of his view.

"The effects of our malfunctioned gems doesn't affect this area," Jimin glanced at down at his still flickering gem. "I think this is a border?"

"I noticed," Namjoon turned towards Jimin and noticed that his hooded eyes looked doe due to the orange fringe matted over his eyes. "It's like the tower is being protected... But this doesn't make any sense—"

"I think it does."

Hearing the female voice, Namjoon turned around. Emily stood there with crossed arms, both bow and quiver slung across her back. Her wet brown hair was tied into a lazy bun.

"I have a theory about Taehyung," Emily stepped forward until she was standing next to Namjoon. Her gaze landed on a bolt of lightning that struck the ground. "When I was training to be a protector, I was briefed about all the gems."

Namjoon glanced at Jimin, who had an obvious of expression of worry on his face. Then he turned back towards Emily, who seemed to have fallen deep into her own thoughts. He noticed that her wet leather jacket was tied around her waist.

"Among all the information I learned, one of them stuck to me," Emily whispered slowly, her voice suddenly filled with dread and sorrow. "The darkness gem. It's the only one that has the ability to corrupt its bearer and other gems as well."

The fact that Emily was telling Namjoon and Jimin this despite them already knowing didn't sit well with the earth gem bearer at all. He felt his heart thump against his chest and felt like he was going to hear the most dreadful news so far.

"I think," Emily sighed loudly and clenched her teeth. "I think your gems are malfunctioning because of the darkness gem. The tower is being protected by it too. And Taehyung... he—"

Emily was cut off by a loud crash just a few feet away from them, a few chunks of rock and a large cloud of dust flying towards them. Namjoon attempted to shield Jimin with his own body but was halted when he was flipped instead.

Namjoon's eyes were wide as Jimin sprawled his body on top of him, thankfully small pebbles bouncing off his back. The thunder gem bearer's burning eyes said it all— I'm going to protect you this time.

Once the dust cleared, Namjoon coughed before he scanned the area. The storm had turned more intense with thicker drops of rain falling from the sky and lightning bolts striking the ground in a much quicker pace. For some reason, the earthquake stopped.

Namjoon looked down at his brown gem and then at the huge crater resting just a few feet away from them. He glanced down at his gem, which was now in its normal brown color. Sangdol neighed softly behind them. Yeontan was shaking away the water on its fur and was sitting atop the horse.

"Get behind me," Emily strummed the string of her bow, an arrow wedged between her fingers. Her stern expression told the two bearers not to protest.

Namjoon, feeling that he had control of his gem for now, stepped in front of Jimin in a protective stance. After draping his jacket over the thunder gem bearer to protect him from the rain, three slowly walked towards the crater.

For once, Namjoon didn't think it was wise for them to walk towards a crater which had God knows what inside it, especially after what had happened so far. Still, as Jimin's grip on his arm tightened, he figured that it was the only thing they could do at the moment.

Namjoon was amazed by the laws of perspective. The crater looked huge back in the shed but now that they were standing in front it, he realized that it was merely the size of a kiddie pool.

"What's in the—"

Jimin was quietly shushed by Emily, who placed a finger over her lips. She slowly stretched the string of her bow and aimed an arrow inside the crater. When Namjoon heard shifting of rocks, he balled his hands to fists.

Namjoon had thought of a lot of possibilities. Who was in there? The remaining member of the Great Six? Shay? But out of all the scenarios, what came was something he didn't expect.

Emily peered into the crater carefully. Then she lowered her weapon with wide eyes. "Sky?"

Huh? Before Namjoon could process that, Emily leaned slightly into the hole and pulled someone up. Only when he spotted the silver hair did he realize that it really was you.

"God, Sky!," Emily grunted as you were completely hoisted up from the crater. The protector scanned you from head to toe and shook her head. "What happened to you?"

Namjoon looked closer and gasped at your current state. Large gashes were on the calf of your right leg and shoulder with blood seeping onto your leather jacket and shirt. There were scratches on your cheeks. Your silver hair was disheveled and clumpy due to the rain.

"How," Jimin paused and squeezed his grip on Namjoon's arm. "How did Sky survive that fall?"

Namjoon slowly craned his neck upwards and at the visible part of the tower. Seeing as there were no holes in the brick walls, he could only assume that you had fallen from way high up, possibly even the top floor— and Jimin was right, how did you survive that fall?

"You guys have to go," Your breathing was shaky as you gripped your shoulders and wobbled to your feet. "Go before he comes!"

Namjoon didn't like the sound of that. He slowly ran his hand down until he could grip Jimin's waist tightly. Thunder rumbled overhead.

"What do you mean?," Despite trying to keep a sharp tone, Namjoon could tell that Emily was worried. The protector was wildly shaking your shoulders. "Sky, who?!"

Before you could reply, a shadow suddenly casted over the two girls. Namjoon gulped nervously at how the shadow had the shape of large wings and slowly looked up. Jimin had a death grip on him now.

Namjoon felt his throat close as he swallowed dryly. Above them was the figure of a winged man flying just overhead, its dark wings spanning to an unimaginable width. It was terrifying to see said silhouette move across the mist, especially with the fear that is clawed hands could snatch Jimin any minute.

The figure landed on the other side of the crater, its feet lightly tapping the ground as it did so. For the first time in this journey, Namjoon felt an extreme sense of fear. There was something about the large black wings and curled horns that intimidated him greatly.

"Joonie?," Jimin squeaked. He was shivering under Namjoon's jacket, some drops of water flowing down his arms. "What is that?"

Namjoon studied the figure before them and wondered if this was the unseen member of the Great Six. He scanned the person's figure, at their dark hair, sharp fangs and pointed black nails.

Then Namjoon noticed the leather eyepatch the man wore, along with the embroidery of Hel's logo on his jacket, and was struck with shock. Once he spotted the inky black gem on the man's finger, he gasped audibly.

"That's," Namjoon's voice nearly cracked. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "That's Taehyung."

-

Among all the scenarios branched out in your mind, none of them had the possibility of hand to hand combat with Taehyung. Now you were staring at the darkness gem bearer in horror, deep chuckles rumbling in his throat as his claws clicked together in a rhythm. You kept your katana steady and tried to hide the fact that you were shaking.

"Uh, Cloud," Yoongi whispered slowly. Holly was whimpering at the sight of Taehyung on his shoulder. "Was it really a good idea to piss him off?"

You stared at Yoongi for a while and realized that he was in a fighting position— hands balled into fists and hot blue flames engulfing him. After thinking for a bit, you sighed.

"It's the only way to get Jin to Jungkook," You whispered before facing Taehyung, whose wings flapped slightly behind his back. Behind the prince, Jin and Hoseok were hesitating to approach the angel. "What are you waiting for? Come at me!"

Taehyung smirked and revealed the pointed tips of his fangs. He slowly licked his bottom lip, the action making you swallow dryly. The prince then slowly placed a hand on his chest and bowed formally.

"Your wish is my command," A purple color swirled in Taehyung's dark eye until it formed a single dot as an iris. "Guardian."

In that instant, Taehyung pulled the staff he had been setting aside and aimed it right at you. Expecting to be pounced at, you were stunned when the snake head's eyes glowed brightly before a powerful purple laser beam shot forward instead.

You glanced at Yoongi, who had no trace of fear on him despite the current situation. Without hesitation, you put all your strength in pushing the fire gem bearer and his pet dragon away. Then you raised your shield and braced yourself.

Yoongi called out your name loudly in a panic just as the beam hit your shield. The force threw you backwards and out of the doorway, across the dark room and through a wall before you landed on a set of stairs. Grunting, you felt your torso throb in pain.

With a blurry vision, you looked up and realized that you were hanging off the stairs' railings. Your shield was stuck in between the steel bars. Glancing down, you gulped at the dark bottomless pit below.

You slowly angled your body and swung yourself for a bit. After gaining enough leverage, you switched off the magnet of your wristband and jumped to the stairs below. Once you regained your balance, you turned on the magnet again as your shield slammed on it.

With the katana's blade scraping the edge of your shield, you braced yourself for an attack from Taehyung. You took deep yet shaky breaths. Although you couldn't see or hear the darkness gem bearer, you knew he was just around the corner.

You then heard a sound, the familiar clicking of Taehyung's sharp nails. Trembling, you tried to face the source, then you realized that the way it echoed made it impossible for you to distinguish where it was coming from.

When you saw dust fall on your shoulders, you were filled with dread. You gulped and slowly looked up, horrified to see that the stairs above you were shaking. There was thumping, followed by more clicking and cracking of rock.

The following events seemed to happen in slow motion. You gritted your teeth at the pain of your wounds and jumped across the stairs, just as there was a loud crash behind you. With your shield raised over your head, you felt pebbles bounce off the metal.

You looked up and screamed when Taehyung suddenly came to view with his giant wings. Upside down since he was clung on the ceiling, he smirked mischievously before pouncing and swiping his claws towards you.

Scrambling to your feet, you were barely able to raise your shield. The sharp sound of nails scraping against the metal made your ears ache as Taehyung continued to swing his claws at you.

When you finally found an opening in Taehyung's pattern, you swung the shield and slammed one of his hands towards the wall. He screamed in pain, which sounded very animalistic, as his wrist made a horrifying crunch.

Truthfully, this was the last thing you wanted to do. Among all the ways to snap Taehyung back to himself, fighting him was the least thing you considered. But seeing his pitch black eyes and malicious grin, you knew that there was no other way.

With a heavy heart, you aimed your katana forward. Taehyung merely tilted his head and grabbed the blade, hissing as it cut his palm. He then pushed it, which caused the handle to hit you in the chest.

You suddenly had difficulty breathing and stumbled for a few seconds. Taehyung then grabbed your neck with a hand and slammed you hard against the brick wall, both shield and katana clattering on the stairs.

"Foolish girl," Taehyung hissed, his pointed fangs grazing his bottom lip. He leaned in until your faces were merely inches apart, his hot breath fanning your cheeks. "You really think you can beat me?"

Despite how you were literally losing air, you spoke out softly with a hoarse voice. Clawing at the prince's hands, you maintained eye contact with him. "T-Taehyung, snap— snap out of it."

Taehyung went silent for a moment and just stared at you with a blank expression. Then he threw his head back and started to laugh loudly. "You are unbearably idiotic."

Raising his other hand, Taehyung traced a line down your cheek with his nail. You took deep and desperate breaths while glancing at the weapons lying on the stone steps. The wristband made a low beep and your shield moved slightly.

"You really think you can bring him back?," Taehyung smirked evilly, purple mist circling in pitch black eye. His grip on your neck tightened. "The prince you knew is long gone. Soon his soul will be mine and your friend will be no more."

Twisting your other hand, you tried to slam your wristband on the wall in order to activate the magnet of your shield. You could still breathe but you didn't know how much more of this you could take.

"After I tear you to pieces, I'll pick off the rest of your team one by one," Taehyung enunciated each word, his tone sharp and menacing. His sharp fangs looked ready to bite your face off. "Then nobody will be around to stop Father. He and I will rule the universe."

Despite the current situation at hand, you ended up laughing, which sounded just like choked cries due to the tight grip on your neck. Taehyung raised an eyebrow, a small smile on his face as he tilted his head.

"You find this amusing?," Taehyung's Vredeian accent was strong, his voice become more distorted with each word he spoke.

"Hilarious actually," You smiled and felt the grip on your neck loosen ever so slightly, which gave you the opportunity to breathe. Taehyung looked as if he was anticipating your next words. "You... act like gaining Taehyung's permission is such a big feat."

Taehyung's dark eye was sparkling with curiosity. From behind him, your shield clattered slowly against the rock. The magnet of your wristband continued to beep.

"If you really are as powerful as you say," You felt your lips curl into a small smile at the thought. The sudden confidence was here again, something you never knew you had. "Then you would have taken over Taehyung without his consent."

Taehyung's expression suddenly darkened, a frown replacing the cocky expression he had on moments ago. Truthfully, you would have been terrified, but instead you were glad because this was exactly what you wanted to see.

Ignoring the sharp claws threatening to pierce through your throat in any given moment, you continued. The magnet was beeping and ready. "Which begs the case— who is the stronger one here? You? Or Taehyung?"

"Silence!," Taehyung's voice boomed, his eyes burning with rage. "You know nothing of power, you frail girl!"

Seeing that Taehyung was extremely focused on your face, you took this opportunity to swing the shield towards the magnet of your wristband. The shield scraped across the ground and you smiled as it flew towards you.

What you didn't expect was for Taehyung to stop it before it could reach you. You watched in horror as purple mist wrapped around your shield, which trembled violently at its closeness to the magnet. Even your katana was floating behind him.

You could do nothing as Taehyung smirked mischievously before tearing off your wristband with his claws. Eyes glued to your weapons, you gulped when the darkness gem bearer merely tossed the shield, katana and magnet away. They fell down the seemingly bottomless pit and out of your view.

"You have the blood of a powerful Helian flowing in your veins," Taehyung hissed and aimed his snakehead staff to a nearby wall. He suddenly shot out a laser beam and created a large hole in it. "Yet here you are. So... helpless— so human! You are unworthy to be part of a lineage of power!"

Taehyung stomped towards the hole in the wall, his grip around your neck as tight as ever. You wondered why the prince didn't take the chance to just kill you from the beginning, especially because you were currently at his mercy. He could just slit your throat on the spot and nothing could be done about it.

But then you realized something— Maybe Taehyung was still in there. Maybe he was trying to fight the corruption. It was a pair of nice thoughts that were instantly thrown out the window when a cold breeze suddenly hit you.

In that moment, you realized two things. First, Taehyung was dangling you outside the tower through the hole, half of his feet scraping the ragged edges of the brick wall. You could see the thick mist wrapping around the tower below you and with all the floors you and Yoongi passed, you knew— it was a far drop.

Also, Taehyung's malicious smirk and dark eyes said it all. Whoever it was you were looking for was gone, now replaced by this merciless and bloodthirsty monster. His wings folded behind him as he laughed.

But this didn't make you lose all hope.

"Weaklings like you," Taehyung's sharp teeth and horns were terrifying up close. "Only deserve death."

"Do it then," You tightly gripped Taehyung's arm with both of your hands, the thought of falling down hundreds of feet sending goosebumps to your skin. Despite that, you smirked. "You don't have the balls."

For a moment, it all went as planned. Something flashed in Taehyung's eye, a deep sense of regret and horror towards his actions. He was crying, a single tear streaming down his cheek, yet his expression remained blank as a slate. You heard his breath stagger as he turned away.

You were about to shout at Taehyung to fight the darkness, that he was much more than the gem's puppet. Before you could, however, the prince smiled at you. In a split second, you were falling.

It all happened so quickly that you couldn't even scream. Thunder rumbled close by as the cold rain showered you. Your body spun in circles as you flailed your limbs, surroundings completely concealed by the thick mist.

You were close to losing all hope, both for the universe and for Taehyung. Now that you were falling to your death without any weapons or anyone to help, it seemed that the only thing you could do was close your eyes and accept your fate.

Lightning struck, the sudden brightness blinding you for a bit. At the same time, the light reminded you of Jungkook, who was hanging between life and death on the top floor. Whether Jin could heal him or not, you hoped for the best.

If your death meant Jungkook's revival and Taehyung's return, then it would be okay. That thought brought a smile to your face.

In those moments, memories flashed in your mind. You recalled you and Emily sneaking out and frolicking across the orphanage's garden as little kids. You remembered Taehyung saving you from the Ignis. You remembered dashing across the streets of Seoul on Yoongi's skateboard.

As you recalled all the precious moments spent with the team — like touching the clouds with Jungkook, joking around with Hoseok at the captain's wheel and laughing with everyone else over dinner — you realized one thing. For so long, you had been searching for a piece of your past in order to find your family. In reality, you already had one.

Something inside you awakened and it felt like your chest had burst completely. Taehyung's words rang in your mind— You have the blood of a powerful Helian flowing in your veins. Although this should have been a revelation, you felt like you already knew ever since entering that house.

You balled your hands into fists as mist encircled your wrist. Power coursing through your body, one thought rang in your mind— I am the guardian of the seven wonders.

Curling your body into a fetal position, you screamed as a purple forcefield slowly formed around you. Thankfully, you were successfully able to protect yourself before crashing into the ground. Hearing the rocky floor shatter underneath, you gritted your teeth.

You weren't sure if you had blacked out for a few seconds or not. Now you were laying inside the crater you had created, the forcefield around you fading. The cold rain drops dripped on your face as you stared at the dark sky above.

Sitting up, you rubbed your slightly throbbing head and looked around. The crater was about ten feet deep and rainwater was starting to pool around you. Sighing, you stood up and paused when you caught reflection in the water.

Your eyes were glowing a powerful purple, the color standing out in your pale reflection, silver hair loose and wet as it stuck to your face. There were tears all over your clothes, the wounds on your shoulder and leg red and throbbing. Long story short, you looked like a mess— yet you felt powerful, as if you could shatter the twin moons with a single punch.

Purple mist was swirling around your hands. You stared at it in both awe and shock for a few seconds before a familiar voice rang from above.

"Sky?"

Looking up, you squinted your eyes through the rain and caught sight of a familiar female figure. Emily was knelt down on one knee, her long brown hair clumpy due to the rain. She was staring at you with wide eyes, an arrow in between her fingers as she held her bow.

There was a moment of silence. You figured that Emily had caught sight of your purple eyes. She said nothing about it but you could tell that your best friend was questioning what she just witnessed. You stared back, not really knowing how to break the ice.

Emily smiled warmly before she reached out a hand. In that moment, you nearly forgot the fact that you had almost cracked your skull open on the ground. Instead, you were glad to have a best friend as understanding as her.

You grabbed Emily's hand and grunted as she pulled you up, the leg wound still throbbing. Her expression instantly shifted to one of worry. "God, Sky! What happened to you?"

Taking deep breaths, you didn't need to check yourself again to know how much of a mess you were. Looking around, the first thing you noticed was the couple standing a few inches away. If the situation wasn't so dire, you would have been overjoyed by the sight of Namjoon gripping Jimin's waist protectively.

At that moment, you were filled with dread. You looked up and swore that you could see the silhouette of Taehyung's wings in the mist. Breath hitching, you realized how terrified you actually were.

"You guys have to go," You spoke with a shaky breath and turned towards Emily, who had her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "Go before he comes!"

"What do you mean?," Emily looked both worried and afraid due to your choice of words. She shook your shoulders. "Sky, who?!"

As if on cue, a shadow casted over you and Emily. You didn't need to look to know who it was and trembled at the flapping of wings overhead. As nails scraped across the ground across the crater, you saw horror strike Namjoon and Jimin's faces.

You gulped dryly and put on a brave face before turning towards Taehyung. He was down on one knee, long sharp nails tapping the ground in a rhythm. A playful smirk on his face, his single pitch black eye boring into you. The prince's wide wings flapped once behind him.

Jimin spoke with a trembling voice but it was so small that it only sounded like whispers. What you did hear was Namjoon's horrified voice saying: "That's Taehyung."

"No fucking way," Emily whispered next to you, eyes widened in disbelief. Her grip on your shoulder tightened. "But, he— Jungkook—"

You stared at Emily, your expression making her whisper another curse word under her breath. Sighing, you prayed to every possible god that Jin could somehow revive Jungkook.

"Interesting," Taehyung chuckled and rose to his feet. "Someone as fragile as you should have died from that fall."

"Guess I'm tougher than you think," You gritted your teeth as purple mist swirled around your wrist. A dark light glowed in your palm before a katana made of pure energy formed, the tip of its blade stabbing into the ground.

Emily glanced at your new weapon with wide eyes before looking up at you with a smile. She strummed the string of her bow and faced Taehyung with burning eyes. You realized by her poise that she was intending on fighting by your side.

"Before you tell me to leave because it's too dangerous," Emily spoke before you could even open your mouth. "I've trained all my life to protect you. I'm not backing down."

You didn't want Emily to get hurt and would honestly prefer fighting Taehyung alone but her expression told you that she wasn't going to listen to whatever you were going to say. Instead, you sighed and spun the sword in your hand, its blade now pointing at the prince.

"I see," Taehyung merely tilted his head, that sick grin still on his face. His nails clicked together as he curled his fingers under his chin. "So you've finally unlocked your Helian powers? Now I deem you as my worthy opponent."

Taehyung glanced at Emily, who had a stern expression and her teeth gritted in anger. Then he looked behind you and you assumed that his gaze was on Namjoon and Jimin. He put on a bored expression, seemingly disgusted by the very sight of them.

"Let me correct myself," Taehyung raised a clawed hand as purple mist swirled around his wrist. "You are the only worthy opponent."

Your eyes widened when Emily suddenly screeched. Turning towards her, you were horrified to see your best friend levitating in the air with a thick cloud of purple mist around her. Jimin and Namjoon released different pitches of screams out of your view. From the corner of your eye, you saw them floating as well.

Turning around completely, you barely caught sight of Emily, Namjoon and Jimin being thrown across the field. You attempted to run towards them but was blocked by a tall purple forcefield instead.

"Not so fast," Taehyung chuckled deeply. He licked his lips again, a lustful glint in his dark eye. "We still have business to take care of."

You glanced at your friends, who were looking back at you with worry, Emily the most terrified among the three. Gritting your teeth, you faced Taehyung with a burning glare. A burning anger was inside you, fueled by how the darkness gem was staring back at you so mischievously.

"Fine then," Your eyes glowed a powerful purple as you pointed the katana's blade forward once again. "Let's finish this."

Taehyung smirked at you before he jumped in the air. He did a flip in the air and aimed his feet towards you. Imagining your shield, you raised an arm and formed a forcefield you. The prince merely bounced off of it and landed gracefully on the ground.

Just before Taehyung could stand, you charged at him with your katana. Slashing it forward, the prince clashed it with his staff, which seemed to create a purple spark between the two.

You gritted your teeth angrily at how Taehyung was looking at you so smugly, as if he was going easy on you. Grabbing the blade of your katana, you pushed the weapon downwards, which caused the prince to bend down due to his grip on the staff.

Using this opportunity, you elbowed Taehyung in the face. The prince stumbled backwards for a bit. You spun on your good foot and released a battle cry as you slashed your katana at him.

However, you paused when you noticed that Taehyung had crumpled down on the ground. The prince wretched in pain as he coughed out blood. His wings were curled and trembled behind him.

Your expression softened as you put down your weapon. With gentle steps, you walked towards Taehyung and slowly knelt in front of him. "Taehyung? Hey... you okay?"

Taehyung didn't reply, instead he continued to gag out blood. Realizing that this was because the gem was trying to take his very soul, you felt a mixture of anger and sorrow towards him.

But those thoughts were instantly thrown out the window when Taehyung started to laugh. You stared at him in horror as he slowly turned towards you, fresh blood still dripping down his chin.

"You," Taehyung paused and laughed some more, his pointed fangs dipped in red blood. "Are so gullible."

Taehyung raised a hand and purple mist instantly surrounded you. Katana clanging on the ground, you wriggled in place and grunted when you failed to free yourself. Every time you tried to move, the only thing you felt was pain.

So you couldn't do anything, even as you were levitated high in the air. Taehyung flapped his large wings and flew upwards with the same pace, his fingers wriggling as the purple mist swirled.

"You care about the prince so much that you are willing to risk your own life for his safety?," Taehyung tilted his head with a wide smirk on his face. You felt the mist crawl up to your neck. "Touching... yet stupid."

You glanced at Taehyung's black wings and suddenly had an idea. It was horrible, you knew, but unfortunately it was the only way to free yourself. After all, you still didn't have full control over your Helian abilities.

"Now tell me, guardian," Taehyung slowly turned his hands, the grip around your neck tightening. You were kind of tired of being strangled more than twice in one day. "Who can help you now?"

You cracked a small smile as your eyes glowed. Purple mist started to form around Taehyung's wings. "I can."

After whispering an apology to Taehyung under your breath, you clenched your hand into a fist. The prince screamed in pain as one of his wings snapped into an awkward angle. You grunted as you were released and groaned when you hit the ground hard.

You pushed yourself up and glanced at Taehyung, who was still writhing in pain. Raising your hand, the katana pierced through the air and landed in your palm. Thunder and lightning rumbled from above.

For a moment, you just stared at Taehyung and once again wished that you weren't in this kind of situation with him. Before you could approach the prince, however, he raised a finger that made you halt.

"Impressive," Taehyung smiled as he stood up, his bloody left wing hanging loosely on his back. "For someone who had just discovered their Helian powers, you have pretty good control over it."

"This can be a lot less painful," Your jaw trembled as you spoke angrily with each word enunciated. The rain continued to pour from above. "You just have to free Taehyung."

"You're still going for that?," Taehyung cackled deeply, the blood still caking his mouth and chin. He tilted his head innocently. "He's already gone. What hope do you have left?"

"A friend once told me to always have hope," The cheering of Luchtians rang in your mind as you spoke. Your katana's blade shined as you held it tightly. "And I'm getting Taehyung back."

Taehyung stared at you for a few seconds and you wondered what exactly was going on in his mind. Did he think of you as foolish? Or was he trying to come up with some sort of battle plan against you? Whatever the thoughts were, it made him laugh.

"Good riddance then," Taehyung said simply before charging towards you, the eyes of his snake head staff glowing.

As Taehyung jumped in the air with his staff raised high up, you formed a purple shield over your arm. You could see his face distort in pain whilst his wounded wing twitched. Kneeling down on one knee, you braced yourself as the two weapons clashed.

What resulted was a sonic boom accompanied by a bright flash of purple light. The force was so strong that the ground beneath your feet cracked and formed a semi-crater that spanned almost until the front of the tower. You were thrown back far and rolled on the ground with a loud yelp.

However, Taehyung had appeared before you could stand. He pinned you to the ground with purple mist and threw the katana off your hand. The prince knelt down next to you and tilted his head, dark fringe swaying as he did so.

"Aw, look at you," Taehyung cupped his chin with his hand and smiled menacingly. The staff in his other hand shifted into a blade. "So helpless, just the way it's supposed to be."

You tried to use some of your Helian magic on Taehyung but no matter how much you tried, in only strained your brain. The purple mist forming around your hands simply faded into the air. You couldn't move at all either.

"Though, I can say that you gave a fight," Taehyung gently ran the tip of his blade down your neck. It barely pierced through the skin. "A very impressive one, in fact."

You tried to glance next to you to try and spot your friends but it was like your neck was screwed to place. Instead, you were forced to face Taehyung.

"You've definitely made it to my list of worthy opponents," Taehyung flipped the blade in his hand once before raising it high in the air, its sharp tip facing you with a glint. "Think of this as a lesson— Don't mess with Hel."

Lesson. Your eyes widened when an idea suddenly popped in your mind. Unsure whether it was going to work or not, you screamed out your first thought as Taehyung swung the knife down.

"Lesson three!"

Taehyung paused, the blade brushing the cloth over your chest. He looked at you questionably with his eyebrows scrunched together.

"Lesson one is expression and lesson two is contact," You smirked when you noticed that Taehyung's expression was starting to shift. "Don't you want to know what lesson three is?"

"No," Taehyung whispered, his tone filled with despair. "No!"

You flinched when Taehyung tried to stab you again. Instead, the blade paused right over your chest once again. The prince's hands were trembling, his wide eye no longer as pitch black as it was moments ago.

This urged you to continue. After taking a deep breath, you spoke. "I know you've been suffering all your life and God, I can only imagine how much pain you've gone through."

Taehyung's eye twitched as he stumbled backwards, the blade clattering as it fell to the ground. He grabbed his head and started to scream in pain. At that moment, the purple mist pinning you to the ground faded away. A bolt of lightning struck the ground a few feet away.

"And I know that the world can be horrible, trust me!," You struggled to stand due to your aching leg wound and nearly lost balance when the wind around you strengthened. "But giving in to the darkness and bringing destruction to the universe isn't the answer!"

Taehyung screamed again. His wings suddenly turned to purple flames before they extinguished instantly. You hoped that this was a sign— maybe he was fighting back. Maybe he was close to finally being free.

"All your life... You've been staying in the shadows for other people. To bring out any chance of light," Your own words made you tear up. Taehyung was staring at you and could see the real him looking back. "And I'm here to tell you that you don't have to anymore."

You observed Taehyung for a bit. He was listening, you could tell by the way his gaze was focused on your face, but his expression was a mixture of sorrow and confusion.

"It's okay to step out," You flinched at the tight grip around your neck as the purple mist slowly solidified. "After all... Your light has always been just as bright."

Taehyung's mouth was hanging open, his pointed fangs still tinted in red blood. His expression was different now— instead of malicious cockiness, you saw someone begging for help, someone who wanted to come back.

"So here's lesson number three, strength," Your feet scraped across the ground, the wind's force nearly knocking you down. Summoning the purple katana in your hand, you stabbed its blade into the ground. "My first example... Taehyung Bristene."

"Shut up!"

Taehyung sudden scream made you pause. He laughed and slowly stood up, a hand still pressed to his head. You noticed that his leather eyepatch's strap had snapped during the chaos and now it was laying on the ground. This gave you the perfect view of his closed right eye, which had three scratch marks running across it.

"You know nothing about me or what I've been through. You haven't seen what I've seen!," Taehyung hissed through gritted teeth. You couldn't help but stare at his scarred eye as he coughed out blood. "It's too late now. He's already gone because I am—"

"Tae!"

You had to blink multiple times to process if you really did hear his voice through the pouring rain. Turning around and glancing over the figures of Emily, Namjoon and Jimin— you spotted two silhouettes standing in front of the tower's entrance.

Jin looked extremely tired. His blonde hair was disheveled and cheeks flushed to a cherry red. Taking deep breaths, the water gem bearer's eyes were swollen and dull. Jungkook's arm was slung over his shoulder. The angel looked just tired and was clutching torso. A huge hole was on his shirt but the stab wound was gone.

Thank the gods. You smiled and stared at Jungkook, whose blonde hair was matter over his forehead. Sighing in relief, you turned towards Taehyung, who was staring at the Hemelian with a blank expression.

Slowly, Taehyung blinked. His dark eye was shifting back to its normal purple color but his sharp fangs could still be seen as he spoke.

"Kook?"

-

A/N - HE LIVES yay but did this rlly bring Tae back or 🧐

Credits to hotricebowl for taesky's dialogue again!! I swear she comes up with the best stuff

ANYWAYS sky received an upgrade by unlocking her Helian powers!!! there was so much action and tension in this chap that i myself was tense while writing this lol

that was 9k unedited words btw and i apologize for typos!! not rlly much to say cos i'm rlly pumped for this arc BUT PLEASE ANTICIPATE THE NEXT CHAP it will be angsty.tm

See y'all in chap 86!!! Bye!!!!

Minjoon nation stays winning