Emily hissed angrily. The chilly air made her shiver and the cuffs around her wrists were starting to burn her skin. It didn't help that the Helian soldier "guarding" her had an uncomfortably tight grip around her waist. She could already see Jin's glares in her head.

Truthfully, Emily could beat the crap out of this perverted soldier if she wanted to but she didn't want the Helians to have a reason to hurt Jin. Since the water gem bearer's magic was being restricted, he couldn't heal. That meant there was a higher chance of him—

Emily didn't want that. She'd rather resist this Helian creep for hours and hours on end instead of having Jin get hurt because of her. Hearing the clinking of the arrows in her quiver, the protector groaned as her wrists continued to burn.

Even for Emily, she was impressed by Yoongi's bravery to stand up to the Helian like that. Especially when the fire gem bearer bit a part of the soldier's nose off, the protector was struck with awe. Although she was a fighter, that was a scenario she never thought of or wanted to put herself into— mainly because she hated the taste of blood.

Emily thought about how high the stakes were. With you and the wonders unable to use magic, there was no other choice but to follow the Helian army's orders. She honestly thought that General Jisoo was alright, since she wasn't as harsh, but she definitely wasn't going to set them all free for no reason.

Since Emily overheard Taehyung and Namjoon's conversation, she knew how much trouble they were in. At the same time, she was a bit pissed at being in a dungeon the third time since arriving at Vrede. She had flashbacks of the horrible cages of Lucht and felt a shiver run down her spine.

Emily looked around, her line of sight limited due to being in front. Sangdol was nearby, its hooves tapping the ground softly as it walked. You had your arms hooked around Taehyung's waist as your cheek was planted against his back. Taehyung himself was staring ahead but he would gaze behind him every now and then.

Sighing, Emily still couldn't figure out how you and Taehyung ended up kissing. For some reason, she couldn't see any romantic tension between the two prior to the kiss— or maybe the protector was just being overprotective, which was something she was aware of. Still, she was afraid that you'd get hurt again.

Emily heard a growl behind her. She didn't need to look to figure out that it was Namjoon. Truthfully, it was a bit strange to see the earth gem bearer turn... animalistic whenever Jimin needed to be defended. The information of Kern venom living inside him permanently was something the protector would never get used to.

Still, Emily understood. She too would do anything to protect those she loved, even if it meant losing yourself in the process. The cuffs burned her wrists. She hoped that it wouldn't leave any horrible marks on her skin.

"Are we almost there?," Jimin squeaked from somewhere behind. The icy cold silence turned awkward.

Emily was suddenly filled with dread. Although the stupid soldier's death grip on the protector's waist prevented her from turning around fully, she was able to glance behind her. Jimin had a hand raised and was cowering slightly at all the Helian soldiers glaring at him.

"It was... just a question?," Jimin mumbled and slithered behind Namjoon, who still had a low growl rumbling in his throat.

"We are close, wonder," General Jisoo replied with a flat one. Emily eyed the electric spear in her hands. "We will arrive in about half an hour."

"Really?," Emily squinted her eyes, her words spilling out of her mouth before she could think them through. "How are we sure we can trust you?"

Emily felt everyone's gazes shift towards. She was able to shake off the soldier's grip on her waist, finally, and marched towards General Jisoo. The protector why nobody stopped her, why everyone just resorted to giving her glares. Still, even when Jin's worried gaze fell on her, she didn't back down.

"You Helians don't have the best track record," When Emily stopped walking, she was standing right in front of General Jisoo. She glanced at Sangdol. "No offense, guys."

"None taken," You and Taehyung replied at the same time. Strange yet intriguing.

General Jisoo didn't say anything. She just stared at Emily with a dismissive gaze, the tips of their noses barely touching. The electric spear crackled in the Helian's hand, seemingly taunting the protector to attack its owner.

"A simple generalization," General Jisoo chuckled and put on a sly smirk that Emily wanted to slap off her pretty face. "A not so wise one either."

"The battles I've been on says otherwise," Emily spat. She was pissed at how General Jisoo didn't even react. "So unless you show me something else, you'd be another number proving my point."

General Jisoo just laughed and shook her head. She carefully raised her double edged spear and tapped the protector's shoulder with one of its blades. Thankfully, she wasn't electrocuted but she was weary of the fact that she could be.

"Is that what we are to you? Numbers?," General Jisoo still had that stupid cocky smile and fueled Emily's anger. "Protector, there's much more to the people around you than how their labeled in your spreadsheet."

Emily paused. For some reason, she couldn't think of any snarky reply to shoot back at General Jisoo. Instead, she stood there and spun her wrists. She felt her palms sweat when she heard her bow and arrows clink together.

"I suggest you stick around," General Jisoo tilted her head. She pulled back her spear and spun it in her hands carelessly. "Maybe then you'd see more than numbers."

Emily hissed. She hated how General Jisoo kept on a smug expression. Despite that, she knew that the Helian was right to a certain extent. Maybe she was judging people too harshly, maybe she needed to actually get to know them first.

When the soldier grabbed her waist once again, Emily finally had enough. She elbowed the soldier in the gut, which made him fall to his knees. The protector then raised her chained hands and struck the back of the Helian's head whilst kneeing him in the face. Everyone watched in silence as the soldier bled on the ground.

"I swear to God, if you touch me again—," Emily trailed off as the Helian soldier looked up at her with a horrified expression. "You perverted piece of—"

"Em."

Emily flinched when she felt someone grab her arm. She turned around and relaxed when she saw that it was just Jin, who had somehow been allowed to walk forward to her. The protecter figured that he was too insistent to be stopped.

"It's okay," Jin's tone was calm and soft, contrary to the burning glare he was giving to the bleeding soldier. "Come on."

Surprisingly, General Jisoo didn't say a word. Instead, she just waved a hand, the gesture being enough to tell the soldiers to stay put. Emily was glad, although she still didn't want to give her full trust to the Helian woman.

Once Emily was standing next to Jin, the group continued walking towards the kingdom. Only now did the protector realize that literally everyone stopped to watch her confront General Jisoo. She frowned— Was it even entertaining?

"Hey, Em," Jin still had a grip on Emily's arm, which made his wrists angle a bit awkwardly due to the cuffs. "You okay?"

Emily turned towards Jin. His blonde hair was messy, some of the strands covering his eyes. Sweat was dripping down his smooth face yet for some reason, his lips were still chapped and dry. The protector turned away before she could be caught staring.

"I'm fine," Emily attempted to rub her waist, which was aching slightly due to the soldier's grip. She failed because of the cuffs. "Don't worry about me."

Jin exhaled sharply. The way his expression changed instantly was a bit scary to Emily. "That soldier wouldn't let go of you, Em. God, if I wasn't chained like this, I would have pried his hands off you."

Emily watched as Jin inhaled a shaky breath. Throughout their time as a couple, the protector has never seen him this angry. It was scary, how he looked like he could murder someone without any sort of remorse, especially because he was always so calm.

"I just," Jin sighed and shook his head, his grip on Emily's arm tightening. "I just wish I could have done something. I'm such a shitty—"

"Do not finish that sentence, Kim Seokjin," Emily snapped after realizing what Jin was about to say. The water gem bearer stared at her with wide eyes. "I may not have much experience when it comes to this but I know one thing."

Emily paused when she felt someone's gaze on them. She glanced behind her and decided to ignore the grinning Yoongi who was lazily giving them both a thumbs up.

"You are my boyfriend," Emily's tone was soft yet stern. "And the best one I will ever have."

Jin's face turned blank until his cheeks and ears turned a bright cherry red. He grinned, which made his cheeks puff and eyes crinkle. Emily hated how the sight made her want to coo out loud.

"I, uh—"

Jin was obviously at a loss for words. Emily thought it was ironic, since he was always so confident about himself and what he had (like her). She found it endearing, how he had a duality that made him even more lovable.

"You're— a great girlfriend too," Jin grinned as the tips of his ears turned to an even brighter shade of red. "Even more than I could ever ask for."

Emily smiled and stood on her toes. She planted a soft and gentle kiss on Jin's full lips. Once finished, the protector caught sight of the water gem bearer's stunned expression and laughed at how he acted like they haven't been dating for months.

Jin just opened his mouth but no words were spoken. Emily could basically see his mind shut down as he just stood there like a dumbass. When he finally spoke, it seemed like his face was still frozen.

"You know," Jin smacked his lips together and made a small puckering sound. "I really want to hug you right now but..."

Emily looked down at Jin's chained wrists and sighed. After a few minutes of walking side by side and noticing that the soldiers were strangely ignoring their conversation, the protector came up with an idea. It was slightly embarrassing but she was willing to do it for the water gem bearer.

All Emily needed was the timing since she definitely couldn't do it while they were still walking. In those few moments, she looked around once more. You and Taehyung were silent now, only the sound of Yeontan's breathing could be heard.

Namjoon and Jimin looked like their shoulders were glued together. The earth gem bearer wasn't growling at the soldiers anymore, instead he was whispering things that made the thunder gem bearer giggle loudly.

Hoseok still had that evident frown on his face, which was something Emily was not used to seeing. Jungkook was standing next to him. The angel had on a bunny smile as he seemingly tried to cheer up the air gem bearer.

Yoongi was just carrying Holly. The fire gem bearer stared at the little dragon quietly with a small smile. Somehow, Emily felt bad for him. She felt like he was currently suffering most out of everyone.

Suddenly, the group stopped walking. Emily raised an eyebrow and faced General Jisoo, whose back was facing hers. The Helian woman had a fist raised in a gesture as a soft breeze blew in the silence.

That was Emily noticed the gate. It was something she hadn't seen before, which made sense since the group used a hidden path to sneak and out of the kingdom. This gate had a similar design to the kingdom's main entrance except this one eerily had sharpened bones at the tips of its metal bars.

Emily eyed General Jisoo, who walked forward a few steps and conversed with one of the guards by the gate. Seizing the opportunity, the protector whipped her head towards an awfully quiet Jin. Due to this, the arrows in her quiver fell out.

"Jinnie," Emily's voice squeaked as Jin turned towards her wide eyes. She felt her cheeks flush a bit. "Raise your arms."

Jin squinted his eyes at Emily for a good second before he complied and raised his chained arms. The protector as she bent downwards and slithered in the water gem bearer's arms. She then leaned on his chest and smirked.

"We can't hug right now," Emily looked up at Jin and laughed at the flustered expression on his face. "But this will do."

Jin just stared at Emily with a slightly parted mouth and wide eyes. His arms were just hovering in the air as the protector waited for any sort of reaction. Although her back started to ache, she still put on a smile. A minute passed, then another and another. 

Now Emily was worried sick about how unresponsive Jin was being. Did she end up literally breaking her boyfriend? "Hey, Jin? Are you okay?"

Jin still failed to respond but he did blink slowly, which made Emily release a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Yeah, I think."

Emily couldn't help but laugh. She leaned in closer, her head only reaching Jin's neck due to their height difference. Although the protector could feel a lot of (judging) gazes on them, she didn't care.

When Jin suddenly grabbed her waist, Emily stiffened a bit in shock. She felt the water gem bearer dig his chin into the crown of her head. This seemingly made the protector melt in his arms and she felt nothing but comfort.

"I love you, Em," Jin's voice was muffled. Emily was slightly tickled by how the water gem bearer's chin vibrated on her head.

Still, Emily smiled. She reached out her chained wrists until she could grab Jin's hands and squeezed them tight. "I love you too, you giant goofball."

Jin grinned and started to leave small kisses on Emily's cheeks. The protector laughed, both because of how ticklish she was and how happy she felt. Someone fake gagged but she didn't bother to check who it was.

"Ew, affection! We say boo!"

Confused, Emily craned her neck and turned around. Yoongi was sticking out his tongue between his lips and had his hands shoved in his jacket pocket. Using the cloth of the inner pocket, the fire gem bearer made a hand puppet. Holly, now awake, was resting silently on his shoulders.

"Yoongi?," Jin asked as a crooked smile slowly grew on his face. Emily was just as confused. "What are you doing?"

Yoongi didn't reply and stared blankly at Jin for a few good seconds. Then he started to move his hand puppet slowly, its mouth synced with his voice. "PDA, boo! Boo!"

After a while, Yoongi himself started to laugh, which then caused both Emily and Jin to burst into laughter. The protector was so amused by the fire gem bearer's antics that he didn't notice how everyone from her team were also laughing.

Emily thought it was pretty weird for them to be laughing right now, especially because they were all in what was definitely a near death situation. Still, she thought it was necessary— After all, there was nothing wrong with having a little bit of hope.

"Wonders."

Emily's smile faded when she recognized General Jisoo's voice. Turning around, she spotted the Helian woman staring at them with pursed lips. Two tall guards were standing at each side, which made the general look even smaller. The protector's eye twitched since her expression was screaming— Y'all really have time for this bull?

Huffing, Emily pushed herself closer to Jin, who tightened his grip around her waist. General Jisoo squinted her eyes at them as a few seconds of thick tension passed. Only Sangdol's neighing shattered the ice.

"We are now about to enter Hel's royal grounds," General Jisoo clasped her hands behind her back and held her electric staff vertically. "And from this point upwards, we shall split up."

"What?," Taehyung hissed from atop Sangdol, who neighed in similar protest. "General Jisoo, that was not a part of our agreement."

"Crowned Prince," General Jisoo's tone was soft and so was her smile but Emily could tell that she was anything but amused. "We simply agreed that none of your companions will be put in harm's way."

Taehyung hissed once more, which sounded more like a growl. He only calmed down after you massaged his shoulder with your free hand. Yeontan was sniffing the air but one of its heads still looked asleep.

"While I accompany the Crowned Prince and the Guardian, the rest will be brought to the dungeons by my men," General Jisoo smiled as everyone gasped. Emily noticed that Namjoon didn't look as surprised. "Not to worry, they will be safe there."

Emily didn't need a lesson from Bill Nye the Science Guy to know how much of a lie that was. Then the possibility of being in individual cells dawned on the protector and she found herself pressing her body closer to Jin's.

General Jisoo started to walk towards Sangdol and Emily eyed her every movement. She then offered a hand to Taehyung. "If I may?"

Taehyung squinted his eyes at General Jisoo, who still kept that frozen smile on her face. Emily expected the darkness gem bearer to actually ignore so when he grabbed the Helian woman's hand instead, the protector was left in shock.

With a hop, Taehyung's feet landed on the ground with a soft tap. He then grabbed you by the waist and hoisted you downwards until you were standing next to him. Emily instantly noticed the darkness gem bearer intertwine his fingers with yours.

You then turned towards Taehyung, who gave you a stern nod of approval. With a solemn expression, you faced General Jisoo. "May we at least speak to our friends before we part?"

General Jisoo nodded without hesitation, a fact that surprised Emily. "Go ahead."

You and Taehyung glanced at each other again. Emily stared as you stepped forward a few steps and loudly cleared your throat. "Guys... we have no idea what will happen once we meet King Michael."

Taehyung turned away at the mention of his father.

"But," You put on a smile that should have been reassuring but instead it made Emily feel more nervous than ever. "We'll see each other after this, okay?"

Emily was suddenly overcome with emotion. The realization that this could be the very end of it all suddenly dawned over the protector and she found herself crying. She sobbed quietly, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Sky?," Emily's voice croaked a bit. She felt Jin's grip around her waist tighten. "Be careful, okay?"

You just stared at Emily for a bit. The protector could understand your shock, after all she herself couldn't remember the last time she cried. "I will, Em. I promise."

Emily nodded as you gave her a sad yet reassuring wave. Sangdol's leash was passed over to a soldier whilst Yeontan whimpered on top of the horse. Taehyung whispered to his dog before both he and you were whisked away by General Jisoo.

But before you and Taehyung could leave everyone's line of sight, Jungkook screamed loudly from behind Emily. "Tae!"

Taehyung froze and slowly turned towards Jungkook, whose chained wings trembled slightly. The darkness gem bearer didn't say anything, instead he just stared at the angel with furrowed eyebrows.

Jungkook put on a big bunny grin. "See you later, yeah?"

Taehyung smiled at that, the unfamiliar boxy grin taking Emily by surprise. "See you later, Kook."

With that, you, Taehyung and General Jisoo walked out of the group's line of sight. Emily sniffled and used the back of her hands to wipe away the tears on her face. Jin didn't say anything, instead he massaged her waist reassuringly.

"Men," One of the soldiers suddenly spoke up and turned towards the group with a stoic expression. "You heard the General's orders, yes? Bring them to the dungeon."

Surprisingly for Emily, nobody retaliated but she figured it was because the soldiers were now pointing their spears at everyone. As the group marched towards the dungeons, the protector caught sight of you and Taehyung, who were standing in front of the opening palace doors.

"Get moving," A soldier snapped, which forced Emily to turn away.

Emily glanced around as they started to walk. Since the army made them pass through the royal village, she saw rows of fancy houses decorated with painted marble. Helian nobles were gathered around and murmured as they watch them get escorted to the dungeons.

At one point, a Helian from the crowd started to boo loudly. Then the rest of the nobles joined in. Emily exhaled loudly through her nose at all the hateful words that filled her ears. Jin's grip on her tightened.

Emily looked up. She saw more Helian nobles standing on their balconies, some even using small binoculars as they watched them like they were some kind of spectacle. The protector her teeth at all the gazes on them.

At one point, some of the Helians on the streets stepped closer to the group. Emily glanced at her side and saw a snobbish looking Helian woman with a fur coat wrapped over her. Her make up was so thick that she looked like a powdered rice cake.

"So these are the people Crowned Prince Taehyung left the kingdom for?," The Helian woman squinted her eyes and puckered her unnaturally red lips. "Doesn't look like much to me."

Emily nearly spat at the Helian woman's face but a few reassuring words from Jin calmed her down. She glanced at the others and spotted Jimin, who strangely wasn't affected by all the words being thrown at them. The protector was struck with sorrow when she remembered his former status as an idol.

"Look! One of them is already tainted!"

Emily didn't need to look to know who they were talking about. She kept her gaze at the couple and noticed that Jimin's expression changed. Seeing the dark look in the thunder gem bearer's eyes slightly terrified the protector.

"Huh, you're right. Such a savage brute."

"Might as well work him to death in some arena, right? Winning bets will be all he's good for."

The next few minutes were a blur. Suddenly, Jimin wasn't in Namjoon's arms. Emily watched in both shock and awe as the thunder gem bearer tackled a Helian man close-by to the ground. Screams of panic erupted from the crowd.

"That's right!," Yoongi screamed loudly and sounded a little too enthusiastic. "Beat that fucker's ass, Jimin!"

"Yeah, what he said!," Emily screamed as well. She caught sight of Jin's wide eyed expression. "What? He deserved that."

Jimin was sitting on top of the Helian man, pinning him to the ground. He was continuously punching the man with his chained fists, his eyes burning with rage. Yeontan was barking loudly.

Although Emily enjoyed the sight of the Helian getting his ass beaten into a pulp, she was still taken aback by this whole thing. Jimin was one of the calmest in the group and rarely showcased his anger. Yet, with a few insulting words directed at Namjoon, the thunder gem bearer snapped.

Emily understood, really. She knew she'd do the same if anyone even tried to harmfully lay a finger on Jin.

"Say it again, punk. I dare you!," Jimin slammed his metal cuffs on the Helian's face, which made blood splutter out of his nose. "Then I'll be the savage brute you should watch out for."

"What are you lot doing?," A Helian woman frantically screamed in the crowd. Emily gagged at how her face resembled plastic. "Get that animal off my husband!"

Emily grunted as soldiers pushed passed her. They lunged at Jimin, who was still angrily flailing his limbs around, and pulled him away from the bleeding Helian. He was tossed at Namjoon, who caught the thunder gem bearer with a growl.

"You lot sure are feeling brave," The Helian soldier now in charge, who Emily figured was the highest ranking lieutenant, pointed his gun at the couple. "We can shoot you guys down if we wa—"

Namjoon bared his sharp teeth, which caused the soldier to pause. Emily laughed at how much the Helian was trembling. "Go ahead and try."

A few seconds of tense silence passed. Emily tried to make out the current situation all of them were now in— guns and spears pointed at their faces with anti-magic cuffs on them. They could all be killed on the spot and nobody would be able to stop it.

But instead, the soldier simply lowered his weapon. This caused the same Helian woman to scream again with her annoyingly high-pitched voice. "What are you doing?! Just shoo—"

"Shut up, lady," The soldier replied calmly and faced the woman, who was helping her bleeding husband stand. "King Michael ordered us to keep them alive."

"Alive? Why? What are they even doing here?"

"My son is right. King Michael only wants to purify all of Vrede with Hel's expansion. It is merely putting things in order."

"Precisely. Their goal is to fight for future colonies? A lost cause."

Emily gritted her teeth after hearing these words. She couldn't believe how blinded these Helians were by their King. With everything the team went through just to make it to Hel, the protector wanted to scream all their hardships at them.

Unexpectedly, Jungkook beat Emily to it. The angel's eyes were burning with fury as he screamed, the braces of his wings trembling as he attempted to spread them. "A lost cause? You fools really think that all we've done is for a lost cause?!"

Jungkook's anger caught everyone by surprise because just like Jimin, he was one of the people in the team who were good at controlling their anger. Yet here the Hemelian prince was, chained up and braced as he shouted in fury.

"King Michael has done nothing to bring order to Vrede," Jungkook's tone remained constant despite his raised voice, which sounded a lot more intimidating. "All he's done was bring chaos not just to this planet but to the universe as well."

Emily observed the Helians around them. They were staring at Jungkook and were surprisingly listening attentively to him, although some of the nobles were just rolling their eyes at the angel's words.

"Your Crowned Prince," Jungkook's voice suddenly softened but he still kept that stern expression. "He suffered so much under the hands of the king you're all so proud of."

Emily could hear the pain in Jungkook's face. It looked like the angel would break into tears at any moment but he was giving it all to hold them back.

"And he left to make things right, to make sure that he'd put an end to King Michael's tyranny," Jungkook clenched his jaw, which made the veins of his neck pop. "Yet all of you, every single one of you thought of him as a traitor."

A traitor. Emily thought about the events of Taehyung suddenly switching sides, only for them to find out that he was forced to by his father. As expected, none of them took his return that well. Now that the protector thought about it, however, she realized that he did everything for their sake— and not his.

"So much corruption, so much violence is happening all around you," Jungkook scanned the crowd of Helians, his piercing blue eyes making some of them look away. "Yet all you nobles... all you privileged citizens turned blind when it came to the flaws of this damn kingdom."

This made Emily wonder if the citizens were aware of Jungkook being Hemel's Crowned Prince. Based on the way the Helians stared with both disgust and intrigue, it was unlikely.

"Doing nothing even when you have the ability and resources to do something," Jungkook enunciated each word and Emily could hear his anger reach its peak. "Is as good as being dead."

A deadly silence came after that. The Helian crowd just stared at Jungkook, who was heaving in deep breaths of frustration. Emily glanced at the soldiers and noticed that their weapons were slightly lowered. Sangdol and Yeontan were both silent as well.

"To add to that," Hoseok spoke suddenly, that upside down heart shaped smile still plastered on his face. "We all risked our lives to get to where we are so a bit of appreciation would be nice."

Emily could no longer feel all the eyes on them. With Hoseok's words, the Helian crowd started to murmur to each other. Before any of them could reply to Jungkook's lecture, however, the head soldier finally stepped forward and spoke.

"Alright, show's over folks," The head soldier waved his gun around and made the Helian nobles step backwards instinctively. "Keep moving, wonders."

Nobody retaliated. Emily and the rest continued to march within the circle of soldiers. This time, the Helian nobles started doing their own thing, although some of them still had their eyes on the team. Jungkook was still steaming with rage, it was obvious through his still trembling wings.

Emily had no idea what was in store for them, other than dark and empty jail cells that is. She was sure that the stakes were much higher than ever now, especially after what happened in the town.

Still, Emily was filled with determination. She already bet all her trust on you and Taehyung and believed in one thing— They were all going to get out alive, somehow.

-

You hated to admit it but you were in awe. Although you've been inside Hel's palace before, General Jisoo had taken both you and Taehyung to the back entrance of the royal building. Now you were inside an unfamiliar yet breathtaking area that almost made you forget about how much your lives were at stake.

Golden laced carpets were a deep red color that reminded you of the horizon you and Emily used to watch every night back in the orphanage. The walls were painted in a purple hue that was a lot lighter than you imagined. Framed photos of other Helian royals were hanging on each side of the walls.

You glanced down at your chained wrist and realized that you and Taehyung were still holding hands. Glancing up at the darkness gem bearer, you saw that he was just staring ahead silently. General Jisoo herself wasn't speaking a word.

In the silence, you worried about the rest of the team. Your gut was twisting and you felt like General Jisoo's absence was a bad thing for your friends. The soldiers could do anything they want with them.

You shook your head and prayed to yourself for their safety. Wanting to find a distraction, you stared at the portraits once again. When you spotted an old Helian ruler who looked nearly identical, you had to pause and squint your eyes.

Since you standing still halted Taehyung from moving as well, he turned towards you with a worried glance. "You okay, Sky?"

You hummed as a reply and noticed that you couldn't hear General Jisoo's footsteps anymore. Taehyung was standing next to you, which was telling of his overwhelming presence.

"Who is this?," You tilted your head at the portrait— same eyes, lips and nose. It was scary how this person resembled Taehyung so much. "You... look just like him."

Taehyung didn't say anything for a moment. You wondered if you insulted him in some way and was about to apologize when he spoke. "My great grandfather, King Leo... He was know to all as the King Leo the Compassionate."

"Compassionate...," You trailed off and stared at Taehyung's face this time, the similarities still very eerie to you. When the darkness gem bearer suddenly turned around, you looked away.

"Mother read me stories about him when I was a child," Taehyung's Vredeian accent was thick and for some reason you found this attractive. "He cared for the people even more than himself. Yet despite his kindness... He was my age when he joined Macht's angels."

At that moment, Taehyung closed his eyes and clasped his hands together, the action slightly tugging your wrist. It took you a few seconds to realize that he was actually praying. Although you weren't familiar with Vredeian or Helian religion, you decided to pray alongside him anyways.

Taehyung didn't say anything after that. You felt like there was more to his similarities with King Leo the Compassionate but the way he frowned told you that it was something you shouldn't bring up for now.

"In Helian religion, we strongly believe in the theory of reincarnation," General Jisoo finally spoke from behind the two. "The same souls resurfacing in the earth through different forms after decades, centuries even."

You faced Taehyung, who was just silently staring at the wall. He seemed to be deep in thought and his silence only drew out worry from you.

"My father told me that when Crowned Prince Taehyung was born," General Jisoo faced Taehyung with that still frozen smile. "The word of mouth was that he was the reincarnation of King Leo the Compassionate."

"People believe want they want to believe. They only said that because we looked alike," Taehyung mumbled under his breath. Somehow, those words alone seemingly put an end to that conversation.

"Guardian," You flinched a bit at General Jisoo's sharp tone when she suddenly called for you. Taehyung gripped your hand tightly. "Do you believe in reincarnation as well?"

Seeing the warm smile on General Jisoo's face stunned you for a bit but you couldn't help but feel wary at the back of your mind. Taehyung was facing you know, that solemn expression still plastered on him.

"There are a lot of different religions back in Earth," You stared up at the portrait once more and thought about Taehyung as Hel's king. "But... like Taehyung said, people believe what they want to believe."

You pondered for a bit. Taehyung and General Jisoo both stared at you, intrigued.

"When it comes to reincarnation, I guess to me it depends on the evidence," You stroked your cheek with your free hand. "Proof, you know?"

"Well said," General Jisoo nodded. She spun the electric staff in her hand and strapped it behind her back. "Crowned Prince, Guardian... we must not keep the king waiting."

"Right," Taehyung awkwardly cleared his throat. He cocked his head at you with a stoic expression. "Let's go."

You didn't say anything and let Taehyung drag you away. Honestly, you were surprised at how gentle General Jisoo was towards you both. She wasn't shoving anyone or forcing either of you to keep walking. Instead, the general just let you do as you wish.

It was strange to encounter a kind Helian within the army. You figured at you were judging your own kind too much, after all the rebel group LOONA were one of the nicest people you've met in this journey throughout Vrede.

Your own kind. Although it's been a while since you've found out, you still couldn't believe that you were actually Vredeian— Helian especially. All this time, you've thought of yourself as just someone who wasn't that important, someone who couldn't fit in.

Despite that, it still wasn't reassuring. Now you feared the power within you and was afraid that you'd end up losing control of it one day. This made you realize why Taehyung kept leaving— he didn't want to hurt anyone.

"Sky," Taehyung suddenly spoke with his rumbling deep voice.

You looked up at Taehyung upon hearing your name. He was just looking straight ahead with furrowed eyebrows. "Y-Yes?"

"Father will probably try to convince you to join his side," Taehyung spoke sternly with a clenched jaw. "He'll entice you. He'll try everything to win you over."

You swallowed dryly. The very thought of King Michael recruiting you made shivers run down your spine. "I'll never join him."

"I know," Taehyung gave you a small smile, although he still looked very worried. "But the more you resist, the more he'll attack. Don't listen to anything he says."

You nodded. Truthfully, you didn't think King Michael have anything useful that might convince you otherwise. Still, you knew that Hel, especially their King, was full of surprises. With that in mind, you braced yourself for every worst case scenario possible.

"Also," Taehyung spoke again and this time he was rubbing his nape awkwardly. You tilted his head at him. "In case things go... wrong, Sky, I just want to—"

Taehyung trailed off instead, his next words becoming garbles as he chewed on them. You just stared at him. "What was that?"

The two of you stopped walking. You were so caught up in Taehyung's expression that you didn't notice the throne room's entrance just a few feet away. Neither did you see General Jisoo stand frozen when she spotted someone waiting in front of the slab doors.

Taehyung took a deep breath. "I want to say that I—"

"Took you long enough."

Hearing the familiar voice, both you and Taehyung turned around. Shay was leaning on the throne room's doors with her arms crossed over her chest. There was a cast wrapped around her wrist. You couldn't help but shiver a bit as the princess glared at you with burning eyes.

"Shay," Taehyung's tone was definitely meant to be a whisper but he said it out loud instead.

Shay flicked her eyes at Taehyung and stared at him for a good few tense seconds. You swallowed dryly and felt the room get chiller. General Jisoo was standing silently, her eyes glued to the princess' figure.

"Your presence is required here, brother," Shay's tone was flat, her eyes close to dead. "Do not make father wait any longer."

Turning away, Shay faced the doors and knocked on it slowly. You could see the obvious disappointment in Taehyung's face as he looked down at the ground sorrowfully. He sighed and balled his free hand into a fist.

"C-Crowned Princess!"

It took a while to process that General Jisoo was stuttering. You raised an eyebrow at the sight of the general with sparkling eyes and a wide grin on her face. The way she stood with clenched fists reminded you of an anime heroine.

General Jisoo caught sight of everyone's stares and immediately regained her calm poise. She cleared her throat and smiled. "My name is Shin Jisoo, general of the third—"

"I remember you," Shay crossed her arms and tilted her head, some strands of her dark hair falling over her face. "We sparred before for your training."

For a while, General Jisoo remained silent. You could almost see her mind shut down. "I appreciate that, Crowned Princess. I... would like to take this time to thank you for teaching me all I know. Without your guidance—"

General Jisoo paused. Her smile faded as she stared at Shay, who was drumming her arm with her fingers to form a confusing rhythm. The princess wasn't responding to the general's words, instead she just looked dazed.

But instead of being insulted, General Jisoo whispered under her breath. "She's so quiet now."

You faced Taehyung again. The darkness gem bearer was still staring at the ground. Although you couldn't see his expression, you knew that he still was full of sorrow. It made you feel bad, how his bond with his sister was close to being torn completely.

"If you're done," Shay turned around once. This time, she gently pushed the doors open. "We must meet father. He has been waiting for too long. General Jisoo, please remain outside the throne room."

General Jisoo nodded without a word. She stood aside as the guards from inside the throne room pulled the doors open. You squinted your eyes at the sudden brightness and wondered if the area really was shining with gold.

As the trio entered the throne room, you stared at the draperies hanging around the area. You spotted the fire-bowls on the ground and suddenly thought of Yoongi. It made you wonder how the others were and prayed that they were alright.

You jumped a bit when the doors slammed behind you. Suddenly feeling an overwhelming presence from both sides, you realized that you were standing between Shay and Tae. The mere aura of the royal siblings made you want to wither.

"Ah, welcome."

King Michael was sitting on his throne, a leg crossed over the other and both hands planted on his knee. You eyed his figure and shivered a bit at how he had similar features with Taehyung. The crown on his head had seven stones, although only the one in the center glowed with a faint purple hue.

"My lovely children," King Michael's smooth voice was chilling, terrifying even. "And the guardian."

"What do you want?," Taehyung hissed through gritted teeth. Shay glanced at him but didn't say a word.

"Didn't General Jisoo tell you?," King Michael slowly stood up and stepped down the stairs leading to his throne. Only then did you notice the two guards standing on each of his side. "I just want to chat."

Taehyung exhaled through his nose. His eyes burned with rage. "What is there to talk about?"

King Michael chuckled. He raised a hand as purple mist fluttered around his fingers and swirled in the air. You instinctively held your legs when a strong gust of wind suddenly blew from behind. Turning around, your eyes widened when you spotted three garnished wooden chairs.

"Sit," King Michael ordered with a stern expression.

Both Taehyung and Shay sat down immediately, yet their movements were so gentle that their chairs didn't even squeak. You followed and felt your legs tremble a bit as you sat. The overwhelming presence of the royal family was suffocating.

Then King Michael smiled. You found his instant change of expression disturbing. He snapped his fingers and a chair appeared behind him. After sitting down, the Helian king spoke.

"Would any of you like a drink?"

You were about to question King Michael's words when purple mist suddenly exploded in front of you. A table appeared after the mist faded, along with a bottle of champagne and three wine glasses. This made you realize how powerful the king was because not even Taehyung could make things out of thin air.

"I, uh, don't dri—"

"Say yes," Taehyung whispered from next to you, his gaze still fixated at King Michael. You stared at him questionably. "Just drink."

A bit terrified by Taehyung's expression, you reached out for the bottle of champagne. Before you could touch it, purple mist wrapped around the bottle and lifted it. You watched the sparkling champagne pour into your glass.

At first, you thought Taehyung was doing this, then you remembered that he was wearing anti-magic cuffs. You glanced at King Michael, whose hand was raised with purple mist encircling his wrist.

It was silent as the champagne was poured into all three wine glasses. Once the bottle was set on the table, you attempted to reach out to drink. Then you noticed that Taehyung and Shay weren't moving at all, instead they were staring at you like you were doing some kind of crime.

"Drink," King Michael's voice boomed. Only then did the Bristene siblings reach out to sip from their glasses.

You were honestly very disturbed by this whole situation. Taehyung and Shay were like robots who only moved based on King Michael's words. After taking a small sip from your glass, you frowned a bit at the taste and placed it back on the table.

"Now," King Michael crossed his legs and smirked. "Let's chat."

You swallowed dryly. Taehyung and Shay were unfazed by King Michael's terrifying aura, which made you realize how much of a common situation this was to them.

"Guardian," You jumped a bit at King Michael's tone. He stared at you expectantly and somehow his mere gaze was pressuring. "What is your name?"

You felt Taehyung's grip on your hand tighten. Sucking in a deep breath, you replied with a (hopefully) stern voice. "Sky."

King Michael tilted his head. He then chuckled and leaned on his chair, which squeaked slightly upon his movement. "How amusing. You really have no clue?"

Your eyes widened a bit at King Michael's words. Legs trembling slightly, you turned towards Taehyung, who was staring at you with a worried expression. The prince looked like he was dying to say something but for some reason, he held himself back.

"I've never met my parents before... Your Highness," You mentally scolded yourself for saying those words out of instinct, especially when King Michael hummed in satisfaction. "I don't know anything about them."

Taehyung suddenly started tapping your hand with his fingers. You turned towards him with scrunched eyebrows and became even more confused when he didn't speak. Instead, the darkness gem bearer just shook his head. The vagueness of what he was trying to say frustrated you.

"Well," King Michael stroked his chin. Although he was far away, you could see the evil purple glint in his eyes. "Would you like to find out?"

You just stared at King Michael in both confusion and shock. All was silent as Hel's king snapped his fingers to reveal a folder coated in purple mist. It slowly flew towards the three and landed on the table. For a moment, you froze and just stared at the name written on the front— Xu Suyin.

"Go ahead," King Michael grumbled a bit. "Read it."

Your hand trembled as you reached out to touch the folder, which was surprisingly smooth to the touch. Feeling both the Brisetene's burning gazes on your face, you slowly flipped the folder open. What greeted you was a photo of a Helian woman with long silver hair identical to yours. Xu Suyin, Helian magical and guardian candidate. Status: Deceased.

Taehyung started rubbing circles on your hand with his thumb. You figured it was an attempt to comfort you, which was working but at the same it made you shiver a bit more. Swallowing hard, you scanned the nearly chicken scratch text of the woman's description.

"Suyin was one of Hel's greatest weapon developers," King Michael spoke as you continued to read the folder's contents to yourself. "Our best weapons were made with her blueprints."

You thought about your ability to create weapons from random objects. Suddenly it made sense that you had that power and you realized that it wasn't a guardian thing at all— it was the earliest version of your Helian powers.

Still, you thought about Suyin— your mother and why she was working for Hel all this time. It made you question if you really did belong in a lineage of evil. Taehyung was still staring at you, his gaze boring right into your skull. Was he judging your ancestry? Or was he just worried?

You gulped and continued reading. All the information was making your head spin. Suyin belonged to a bloodline that produced powerful guardian candidates and despite being one of the top choices, she remained in Hel. It made you wonder if this decision was related to you and your father.

"I am quite sure that you already had an inkling of your mother's identity," King Michael swiped his fingers as the file's pages suddenly flipped. "But what about your father?"

Honestly, you didn't expect much when it came to your father. After much thinking, you figured that Jiyang was just someone who looked like you. So when the pages flipped to a collection of discretely taken photos, you felt your heart stop in your chest.

A variety of photos were clipped onto the page with small pins. Your hand trembled as you took one of the phots and stared at it. The picture was of a familiar cottage surrounded by healthy grass and colorful flowers. Suyin had her back facing the camera and was watering a patch of tulips near the front door.

The next photo was of Suyin and a little girl planting flowers in the same area. You stared at the child's silver hair and finger combed your own. A lump formed in your throat as you released a shaky breath and scanned the other pictures.

You stared at the picture pinned to the center of the page and felt your chest tighten. In it was a man with blonde hair carrying the same child, Suyin standing next to them with a smile. They were inside the cottage now but the three figures could be seen through a window.

Remembering the drawing you found on the fridge, you slowly pulled it out of your pocket and compared it with the photo. You gasped at how it perfectly matched— even how your father, despite having the blonde hair of a Hemelian, had no wings.

You had a flashback of your conversation with Jungkook as the dots slowly connected in your head. Jiyang was a Hemelian born without wings— the prince said. Ashleya's words echoed in your mind as well— You look just like him.

Somehow, even though you were overwhelmed by all this information, you couldn't cry or speak. Instead, you tried to process the most crucial of it all— Your mother was Helian but your father was Hemelian.

"Now, you, my dear, are quite the peculiar case. Daughter of a wingless Hemelian and an elusive Helian... Teetering on each side," King Michael stood, his steps slow and gentle as he walked towards you. "Troublesome, isn't it?"

You couldn't breathe properly. Somehow, with each step King Michael took towards you, it seemed like your lungs were giving out as well. Something was stirring in your gut, a burning emotion you couldn't describe.

"Being stuck in a permanent state of limbo, not much to look back on and not much to move towards," King Michael shrugged and put on an expression of fake sincerity. Then he showed a toothy yet eerie grin. "You're nothing but a blank canvas."

"Father!," Taehyung suddenly screamed, his making you jump. Shay flinched. He stood up and nearly knocked down his chair. "Sky is not—"

"Did I give you permission to speak, boy?," King Michael glared at Taehyung, who immediately sunk back into his seat. The way his shoulders slumped worried you. "Now, back to our blank canvas."

"That's... not true," You inhaled deeply. King Michael was standing a few feet away, only a table separating your bodies. His shadow loomed over you. "I have my role."

King Michael chuckled. "One that was handed to you. Take that away and then what?"

You clenched your teeth and felt your jaw tremble. No longer feeling any fear, you slammed your hand on the table and stood up, your eyes burning with both rage and determination. Taehyung was tugged a bit, his wrist still chained to yours.

"Say what you want," You glared at King Michael, who was literally staring down at you with squinted eyes. "I'd still go for it—"

"You are not sure of what you want," King Michael shook his head, the shine of his crown's gold hurting your eyes. "Which is why I want to make a proposition."

You squinted your eyes at King Michael. Knowing how almost everyone in the team was bargained for their gems, you knew that whatever deal he had up his sleeve was something that would only benefit him. Taehyung looked worried, yet he didn't say a word. Shay was staring at the table.

"Which is?," You replied carefully, tone a lot softer than you initially intended.

King Michael smiled. "Take that hard choice away from you."

For a while, your mind shut down as you registered those words. Now you understood everyone else's struggles while trying to reclaim their kingdoms. King Michael could read them all like an open book and knew exactly which pages to turn to. He knew how to tempt, to manipulate.

"The past doesn't matter anymore," King Michael tilted his head cockily. You heard Taehyung mumble from his seat. "It won't have to. See, there's nowhere else to go but forward."

Instead of replying, you maintained eye contact with King Michael. His gaze was terrifying and you felt like he would swallow your soul if given the chance. It was something that made you feel small, inferior even. You wondered how Taehyung and Shay adapted to being glared at like this.

"Don't you want that?," King Michael planted a hand on the table and leaned forward. "To not have to think about your enigmatic past holding you back?"

You inhaled sharply and was frustrated at how you couldn't deny King Michael's words. Although you hated to admit it, he was right. For so long, your unknown past has been chaining you to the ground. Even now, after finding out your origin— nothing changed.

"Sky, do you understand?," King Michael waved his fingers. Your eyes widened when the drawing suddenly flew out of your pocket and into his hands. "You are uncertain of who you are. You will always be."

The drawing floated in front of your face. You stared at the cartoonish stick figures and crayon colors for a few seconds until you spotted something at the bottom right corner of the paper. It was a signature, more specifically a name written in childish handwriting— Xu Zen.

You honestly had no idea why you didn't see that signature the first time. Still, you thought about that name. After pondering for a bit, you remembered how the orphanage had no files of you and only named you Sky for the sake of a name.

It all pieced together once again and now your head really was throbbing due to the overload of information— Xu Zen was your real name.

"You don't have to dwell on the past any longer, Zen," You winced a bit upon King Michael's usage of your actual name. The drawing folded and was shoved back into your pocket. "All you have to do is join me."

"Join you?," You scoffed, which sounded pathetic because of how shaky your voice was. "Why should I?"

"Because you will no longer suffer," King Michael's voice was dripping with venom, his each word stern. He leaned in closer. "Besides, a blank slate is not so bad. It can be molded into something better."

You found yourself thinking about the possibility. Becoming the stronger version of yourself was something you've always wanted, since you've always felt so lacking in every aspect especially as the supposed guardian. King Michael's stare bored into your soul.

"Sky," Taehyung whispered through gritted teeth, his grip on your hand tighter than ever. "Don't listen to him."

Although you could hear Taehyung loud and clear, it was like your mind refused to process his words. Instead, you stared at King Michael, whose hand was reached out for you to shake. Shay was staring, you could feel her gaze, but she didn't say anything.

"Zen, you have no idea how powerful you are," King Michael slurred, his Vredeian accent thick. "The first hybrid breed of Hemel and Hel... Imagine putting that to waste. What a shame."

Somehow, those words snapped you out of it. You stared at King Michael, who was still giving you that grin but this time you could see the malicious motivation behind it. Stepping backwards, you instinctively reached for your katana. Instead you gripped the air— Right, General Jisoo stripped you and Taehyung of weapons.

"Is that what you think of me?," You snapped and balled your hands into fists. "A weapon in disguise? Not that much of a blank state now, huh?"

King Michael's expression changed drastically. His smile was gone and he was glaring you with a look that would have instilled fear in you— if not for the sudden bravery that flourished inside. Taehyung released a loud sigh of relief.

"I don't care what you think. I'll never join you," You smirked a bit as you enunciated each word. A part of you tried to imagine how Kiana would react. "Because I know who I am."

You leaned forward and felt your abdomen flatten on the table's edge. King Michael squinted his eyes at you and despite his stoic expression, you could tell that he was frustrated out of his mind.

"I am the Guardian of the Seven Wonders."

A heavy silence fell afterwards. You wondered what King Michael, whether he was considering killing you or he was just trying to come up with something else to bargain. Taehyung tugged your hand and nodded at you gratefully.

"I see," King Michael replied simply, his voice lacking any emotion. He clasped his hands behind his back and sighed. "It seems I have no other choice."

You raised an eyebrow. Before anyone else could speak, someone tackled you from behind and slammed your face on the table. Your head spun. It all happened so quickly. Taehyung and Shay screamed as they struggled with guards who had tackled them as well.

When the chaos died down, you and Taehyung were no longer chained with each other. A guard pinned your waist and pressed a gun to your neck, the metal cold against your skin. You tried to fight back but was stopped by the cuffs binding both of your wrist.

You could feel blood drip down your nose due to how your face was slammed. Glancing around, you saw Shay in a similar situation as you, except that she was screaming to be let go. Her staff was laying on the floor a few inches away from her feet.

When you spotted Taehyung, your heart stopped. He was being held in the nape by King Michael, who was forcing him to look up by pulling his hair with his other hand. Again, you were disturbed by how the prince didn't even struggle. Instead, he stood still and kept a straight face.

"You know Zen—"

"My name is Sky," You spat loudly and tasted the blood that dripped down to your lips. Shay was still struggling.

King Michael laughed and tugged Taehyung's hair again, which made him release a groan of pain. "If only you agreed, things wouldn't have to be this complicated— Macht, Shay! Can you quiet down?!"

Shay immediately stopped struggling and took deep breaths. She wordlessly nodded and stood still as the guard aggressively pressed the gun to her neck as well. You stared at the princess.

"Let go of them," Taehyung spoke through gritted teeth. "I don't care what you to do to me. Just let them go."

"Playing the hero?," King Michael grinned mischievously and suddenly let go of Taehyung's hair. Then he hit him across the head. "Pathetic. Even after everything I've taught you, you haven't learned."

"Oh, I have," Taehyung's eyes were glowing a bright purple, which surprised you because he was still chained. "No thanks to you."

King Michael sneered loudly. At first, you thought he was going to hit Taehyung again but instead he grabbed him by the face and forced to glance at you and Shay. You could see how terrified the prince was, his whole body was trembling.

"If you're so confident in what those stupid humans taught you," King Michael hissed. Taehyung yelped a bit at the tight grip on his face. "Then let me give you a simple choice."

Taehyung glanced at you but you turned away. You felt like someone wrongfully meddling in a family drama. The prince should have been more worried about his sister Shay instead of you.

"On my word, those guards will shoot your sister and your precious guardian," King Michael's tone was heavy with mischief. Taehyung's eyes widened. "Now, son, I want you to choose who to save. Simple, yes?"

You couldn't believe what you just heard. Glancing at Shay, you saw the most horrified expression you've ever seen on her face. But again, the princess remained silent. Instead, she stared at her father in utter disbelief and shook her head slowly.

Taehyung looked the most conflicted he's ever been. He was glancing back and forth between you and Shay as cold sweat dripped down his face. The prince looked as if he could burst into tears in any given second. His jaw was clenched so hard that the vein of his neck was popping.

"What's wrong, Taehyung?," King Michael chuckled teasingly. "Can't choose?"

Taehyung didn't reply, instead he shut his eyes tightly. You felt anger boil in your gut as you watched the whole scene unfold. The prince was suffering so much with the choices presented before him and yet King Michael just laughed at his pain. How could a father be like this to his own children?

You felt something snap inside you, something more than a fiery emotion. Suddenly, you felt like your insides had exploded. Your back arched as it throbbed in pain. Something was prickling just underneath the surface of your skin.

And then you felt it— power unlike any other. You glanced at one of the wine glasses on the table and caught sight of your reflecting. Gasping, your eye color was shifting, both pupil and iris shrinking into a single purple yet the rest of your eyes remained white. It reminded you of Jungkook's Seraphim form.

Wait. At that moment, you realized what was happening. Smirking, you screamed loudly and ignored the increasing pain on your back. "Hey, King Michael!"

King Michael turned towards you, his cocky expression suddenly disappearing. Taehyung did the same, his eyes widening when he saw how your eyes changed. Shay was still silent but she was staring at you as well.

"You forgot to consider something," You tilted your head and felt something inside you burst for one last time. The pain in your back spiked. "Taehyung doesn't have to choose."

With a loud scream of pain, you felt the skin of your back tear open as hot blood spluttered behind. Six feathered black wings sprung out of your back and hit the soldier pinning you, knocking him to the ground. You wobbled and fell to your knees at the sudden addition of weight.

The Helian soldier scrambled to take his laser gun and shot at you. Thanks to your newfound instincts, you ducked and raised your wrists as the laser pierced right through the chain of your handcuffs.

You stared at the metal crumbling around your wrists and shrugged at the terrified soldier. "Thanks, I guess."

With a smile, you raised a hand and recalled Taehyung's training advice. Don't think, just feel. A faint purple light glowed in the air and formed a crystalized diamond shaped pattern. You lowered your hand and the formation slammed onto the poor soldier before dissipating into mist.

You turned around and felt everyone staring. It was all silent as you and the rest tried to take in what was going on. Taehyung was staring at you in shock but there was a small smile on his face, almost as if he looked proud. This atmosphere was shattered by King Michael, who hissed loudly with a grumble.

"Guards, take care of the hybrid!," King Michael aggressively tugged Taehyung by the chains of his cuffs. "Now!"

You took a few moments to scan the area and the situation. Without counting the soldier who was still pinning Shay, there were six armed Helians dashing towards you. Flying wasn't an option, especially because you couldn't even stand properly with these wings.

Ironically, you were literally left to your imagination. You watched in silence as the soldiers surrounded you and aimed their laser guns. Taking a deep breaths, you spread your wings and waited. Six laser beams pierced the air towards you in seemingly slow motion.

You bent your knees. Although you definitely couldn't fly, you knew how to at least keep yourself in the air for a few seconds. So when the laser beams were close enough, you spread your wings and jumped high in the air.

Looking down, you watched in amazement as the Helian soldiers somehow ended up shooting each other instead. Your joy was soon extinguished when you fell to the ground flat on your face, the wings making it even harder for you to stand.

Your eyes snapped open when you heard Shay scream— "Brother!"

Looking up, you saw King Michael just disappear into the back door of the throne room whilst pulling Taehyung by his cuffs. As the door slammed, you turned towards a very worried Shay, who was for some reason still being pinned by the fearless soldier.

You made eye contact with said soldier, who immediately let go of Shay and ran. Maybe as not fearless as you thought. With a loud sigh, you stepped towards the princess and formed a familiar katana in your hand before swinging it downwards.

Shay shut her eyes and braced herself. When nothing came, she opened her eyes and was shocked to see her handcuffs sliced into pieces. She looked up at you and just stared, her eyes screaming with confusion and questions.

"Go," You said simply and made a mad dash towards the throne room's back door. Not even bothering to open it, you just destroyed with an explosion of purple light.

Shay stood frozen for a few minutes to register everything that just happened, from her own father threatening her own life to the guardian being a hybrid of Vrede's two rival kingdoms. Not knowing what to think, she simply turned around and walked out of the throne room.

"Crowned Princess?," General Jisoo's voice snapped Shay out of her daze. "What happened? I heard the commotion... Are you hurt?"

Shay looked up at General Jisoo, who worriedly scanned her body up and down. She gripped her electric spear tightly and looked ready to fight anyone who came out of the throne room. This made the princess realize that she left her staff inside— but right now, that was the least important of things.

"General," Shay just let her thoughts spill out and no longer minded if it was the right thing to do or not. "You have access to the dungeon, yes?"

General Jisoo tilted her head. "Uh, of course I do, Crowned Princess. It is one of the perks of being—"

"I need you to do something for me."

-

A/N - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME I OFFICIALLY TURN 19 TODAY!!! Im so old omg i was 15 when i started writing t7w ;;

anyways pls consider this first ever 11k Unedited monster as my give to you lovely readers!!!! very short note cos im currently in uptc rn to watch Bohemian Rhapsody sooooooooooo pls look forward to the next chap!!

im pretty sure yall expected sky to be a hybrid right lol and yeah her real name is Zen BYE