A/n: hi its author-nim~~ just wanted to say sorry for updating so unregularly throughout this book. I can tell my busy schedule has made my writing... not very great... but after I (hopefully) graduate I will make sure to update more frequently. Ok, bye-bye, that was my TED talk, stay safe, stream Butter, purple u 💜

"Yoongi... Yoongi wake up!"

The king of the Styx groaned when Jimin shook him into awareness by his shoulders.

"J-Jimin?" He mumbled. "You- you made it? Oh, thank Zeus."

The king looked paler than he did the day before, if that was possible, and it seemed as though merely keeping his eyes open was already costing him more energy than his frail body possessed.

Jimin helped the man sit up, giving him a hurried smile that Yoongi tiredly returned, until his lazy eyes landed on Jimin's bloodied hands and clothes.

Jimin quickly jammed the key into the lock of Yoongi's chains to free him, exhaling a breath in relief when it sprung open.

"Jimin..." Yoongi muttered, peering through his drenched hair as heavy rain poured down from the sky. "What... what did you do?"

"Dont worry yourself Yoongi," the prince said, sliding the king's wrists and ankles out of the chains. "You just focus on getting on your feet."

Jimin snaked his arm around Yoongi's waist to lift him up.

"Jimin..." the king murmured, immediately resting his full weight on the prince as his legs were far too wounded to stand on.

Jimin dragged Yoongi onto his back and tucked his arms under his legs in order to carry him.

The village was dark and quiet apart from the thunderous rain, and though the many torches and lanterns attached to the houses had all been put out by the stormy weather, Jimin could still see exactly where he needed to go.

"Soon we will be safe Yoongi..." he whispered as he ran towards the shed where Taehyung was being held, his feet digging deep into the muddy ground with each step. "This will all just have been a scary nightmare... I promise."

Jimin burst past the door of the shack with all his courage, only for his heart to drop to his stomach when he was met with a sight that would haunt him forever.

The prince snapped his head away. His breath hitched and his body froze.

"Vile creatures..." Jimin whispered through gritted teeth, tears building at the brim of his eyes.

The prince carefully slid Yoongi off his back, sitting the sleeping man down in the corner of the shack, before quickly returning his attention to Taehyung.

He swallowed thickly, his heart pounding beneath his chest like a mighty calvary.

Taehyung lay on a bed made of hay bales in the middle of the room. He was naked, bruised and beaten, and so terribly malnourished Jimin could see the outline of his skeleton.

They had only been held captive for four days, but Jimin had known all along that those four days without food could've been fatal for his dear friend.

"Tae..." he whispered, reaching out with trembling fingers to stroke the side of the man's sunken in face.

"Tae, please - please wake up," he begged with quivering lips. "I know you must be so very tired, and I understand my friend I do, but we have to leave. You would break Yoongi's frosty heart if you didn't wake up... he's lost without you, you know that, right? Both of us are..."

Jimin sniffed, gently petting the boy's matted and disheveled red hair.

"Remember the pact of our youth Taehyungie..." he whispered. "None of us shall ever be left behind... please open your eyes."

Jimin knelt down and hung his head low, weeping softly when Taehyung remained unresponsive.

Had he been too late? He wondered, his heart clenching at the thought.

The prince sniffed, balling his fists with a growing rage.

Had he he truly been too late?

"Jiminie..."

Jimin's eyes sprung open when he felt a bony hand fall on his soaked hair.

He looked up to see Taehyung's lidded eyes staring at him, a weak smile decorating his pale face.

"Are you-- are you real?" The prince asked, his voice hoarse and squeaky.

Happy tears streamed down Jimin's already wet cheeks as he was overcome with emotions he didn't think he could still feel.

"Yes, yes I am here, I am real Taehyungie..."

Taehyung chuckled softly, his cracked lips curling as he reached for Jimin's hand with glossy eyes.

"Oh Jiminie... I knew you would find a way to save us..."

The red prince's tired eyes drifted over to the king of the Styx who sat lifelessly in the corner of the room.

He released a choked sob, his eyes blowing wide as he tried to lift himself up, only to fall back down under his own weight when his weak arms gave out.

"Yoongi," he breathed, reaching out like a drowning man.

Jimin brought Taehyung's arms down, cupping the redhead's face with a reassuring smile.

"He's okay Taehyungie... or- he will be, at least. All of us will be safe soon, I promise."

The prince gave his friend the loaf of bread he'd brought with him from Sejin's house, placing it in Taehyung's lap with an unsure expression as it had been soaked by the rain.

"Will this-- will this be enough, Tae?"

The red prince gulped when he looked at the bread Jimin had given him. "Jiminie..." he whispered with a dry throat. "I won't be able to fight them all on my own... I am simply too weak..."

Jimin nodded. "I know... but at least eat this. It's better than nothing, and perhaps it will allow you to walk."

Taehyung reluctantly brought the piece of bread to his lips, beginning to eat as though he'd forgotten how to do so.

Jimin stroked his friend's shoulder and gave him a comforting smile until more than half of the bread had disappeared inside Taehyung's stomach, shrill shouting from outside suddenly making both men perk up.

"HE ESCAPED! THE PRINCE OF DELOS KILLED SEJIN'S FAMILY! FIND HIM! QUICK!"

Taehyung's eyes widened, and he stopped chewing. "J-Jiminie?"

"Keep eating," Jimin ordered, his expression turning stone cold. "We have to hurry."

The ravenhaired prince returned to Yoongi's side to lift the man on his back again. "Can u stand?"

The prince of Athens looked unsure, but he was able to sit upright, and his jaw dropped when he saw his own gaunt legs and bony toes.

"THE KING IS GONE AS WELL! CHECK ON THE RED PRINCE!"

Taehyung visibly shuddered.

He stuffed his mouth with the last piece of bread, getting up from the bales of hay and wobbling on his feet the moment he did.

"I... I can walk," Taehyung said after finding his balance, limping over to Jimin and Yoongi with a pained expression.

Jimin took a few steps backwards, before charging forward and kicking against the door to let it swing open and fall off it's hinges.

Taehyung gasped at Jimin's sudden display of strength, but the redhead could barely make a comment on it, before his attention was already stolen by entirely something else.

The savages were running for their lives, screaming and crying out to the gods as they were being butchered by the dark knights that had been surrounding their village for days now. The darkness was filled with pain and agony, the town slowly turning into a bloodbath with death and sorrow around every corner. Men, women, children, one by one they were being slaughtered, none of them standing a chance against the ruthlessness of the shadows.

"By the gods..."

Taehyung stood completely petrified for a few seconds, until he frantically began to pull at Jimin's tunic. "J-Jimin... Jiminie we must run! Come quickly before they see us!"

Jimin however, did not share his friend's fear. "They won't attack us..." he said calmly, carrying a soft smile as he stared at it all. "They are on our side, Taehyungie, trust me."

Taehyung gulped, his brows knitting together as he slowly looked back at the harrowing scene. "T-they... those things... are on our side?"

Each time a savage was slain, a new dark rider was made from it's corps, fuelling the small army of nightmarish creatures as it slowly ate away at the entire town.

"Let's go," Jimin said, sighing deeply. "It is best of we do not stick around..."

He tightened his arms around Yoongi's thighs and hurried towards the edge of the village with Taehyung faltering right behind him.

"W-where are we going?" The redhead asked, struggling to raise his voice over the defeaning sounds of turmoil and distress.

"I know where they are keeping the demigod!" Jimin yelled as he looked over his shoulder. "I have to know for sure whether he can be saved or not..."

Jimin panted, running as fast as he could with a sleeping Yoongi on his back and the demigod's face flashing before his eyes.

His charming bunny-smile, the wonder-filled look he gave everything he saw, his doe eyes filled with diamond tears when he thrusted an arrow deep into Jimin's chest.

Jimin inhaled sharply as the painful memory returned to him.

You could leave without him...

"N-no... no, I can't leave without him he needs to end this- this darkness... he is our only-"

End this darkness? End the first time in your life when you can actually see? Leave the demigod, he is all that stands in your way to greatness.

"Jimin!"

Jimin turned around as swiftly as the wind when he heard Taehyung cry out to him.

Three of Sejin's men were holding him pinned to the ground with a sword by his throat, looking deranged as though they'd been possessed by demons.

"Release him you fools it's over!" Jimin roared, stomping his foot against the ground and waking Yoongi up with his anger.

"Kneel or your friend dies!" One of the men yelled at Jimin, pressing his sword firmer against Taehyung's skin.

"Perish you bastard!" Yoongi roared, jumping off Jimin's back to attack the men with nothing but his pure rage.

One of Sejin's men immediately came forward, easily overpowering the injured king by shoving him into the mud.

"Tae please!" Jimin screamed, seeing his perfect plan crumble before his eyes as he stood powerless to save his friends. "You have to transform!"

Taehyung's trembling pupils darted from Jimin to Yoongi and back in a panicked manner.

"I know what they did to you can not be put into words Tae..." Jimin yelled, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. "And I know I could never understand your pain right now but I need you to fight! Don't let them win Tae... show them that the future king of Athens is no goddamn prey!"

The red prince inhaled deeply through his nose. He looked terribly unsure, and terribly afraid, but as he filled his lungs his body began to tremble, his facial structure changing and slowly morphing into something unrecognizable.

His eyes rolled back into their sockets as he convulsed and spasmed out of control, a dark and ominous growl crawling out from deep within him as he began to claw at the muddy ground underneath. The sound of bones cracking and popping into different places made Sejin's men take a few steps back in fear, and Taehyung snarled as though his reasonable mind had now completely slipped away.

His slender fingers, that Jimin often found himself jealous of, grew longer until his nails were sharp as daggers, and his hands and feet had become giant, dangerous claws.

Bloodred fur began to grow all over his body, and his usually dark eyes flared a golden yellow that burned brightly like the sun's glare.

He was twice the size of a horse, his teeth sharper than the pointiest blade. And he emitted a mighty roar that shook the earth more than a stampede of a thousand antelopes.

Jimin looked to Yoongi, who was staring at the therianthrope prince with a dropped jaw, as though ever single question he had ever asked himself about the prince of Athens, had now instantly been answered.

"Tear them apart Tae..." Jimin whispered, a tear rolling down his face as he smirked proudly at the giant red lion his friend had become.

"Send them all to the Underworld."