Dark Desire

FOURTEEN

"Jimin." Taehyung's voice interrupted his spiraling thoughts. It had softened now. "Forgive me, I did not mean to alarm you. My intention here is not to threaten, but to help. Stay here and restore my collections to their former glory, and you need never deal with that man again. I will make certain of it."

Jimin's fear slowly melted into astonished gratitude. He had been desperate to leave Namjoon's clutches for ages but never knew how until now.

"I...I don't know how to thank you," he stuttered. "Just being able to focus purely on my passion has been my dream for so long."

Taehyung gave an approving smile. "Good. Then we shall begin preparations right away..."

Over the next hour, as the morning sunlight dappled gently on the stone floor of the veranda, Taehyung discussed his expansive collection of weatherworn sculptures spanning the grounds. Hanging on his every descriptive word, Jimin felt his own excitement stir. Each piece Taehyung described sounded more intriguing than the last. He itched to begin studying them and bringing them to life again through his restorations.

After they had finished eating, Taehyung regretfully announced he had some urgent business to attend to in the city. "But please, explore the estate and familiarize yourself with the pieces. And let Yoongi know if you need absolutely anything for your work."

Jimin bid Taehyung a polite farewell, watching pensively as the sleek black car disappeared down the winding driveway lined with thick oak trees. He turned to Yoongi with bright eyes. "Well, I suppose I should start assessing the condition of the sculptures before I draw up my full plans for restoration."

"Of course. Let me take you on a complete tour of the grounds," Yoongi offered.

Over the next few hours, Jimin wandered the sprawling lawns surrounding the palatial home with the taciturn butler, taking pages of notes on each sculpture. There were  larger than life warrior statutes, abstract work, and intricately carved diving falcons. Every new discovery left Jimin more impressed by both Taehyung's eclectic tastes and his commitment to restoring these works.

After surveying a sculpture of the Greek goddess Artemis with her bow drawn mid-hunt, a question suddenly sprang to Jimin's mind. "Yoongi, do you happen to know why Taehyung is so fascinated with collecting all these sculptures?"

Yoongi shook his head. "I'm afraid those are matters my employer prefers to keep private. I simply manage the staff and the estate."

Jimin sighed, a flicker of disappointment washing through him. Another mystery surrounding the enigmatic man. As they rounded a corner, a set of dark oak double doors at the end of a hallway caught Jimin's eye. The handles were carved into intricate serpents with glittering emerald eyes.

"What's behind there?" Jimin asked before he could stop himself, curiosity getting the better of him. He reached for the polished brass handle.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," came Yoongi's sharp voice behind him. Jimin froze. "That area is strictly off limits to all staff. Mr. Kim's orders."

Chagrined, Jimin quickly stepped back. "Oh. Yes, of course."

Yoongi eyed him sternly a moment longer. "Come along now, let me show you to your work room."

As Jimin set up his tools in the spacious studio, the image of the imposing double doors lingered in his mind. Why were they so securely locked? What secrets lay hidden behind them? Shaking off the fanciful thoughts, Jimin reminded himself to focus on the task at hand.

After a dinner of delectable homemade kimchi jjigae, Jimin decided to call it an early night. As exhaustion finally caught up with him, he settled into the plush bed with a contented sigh. From his window, he had a clear view of the long driveway leading up to the mansion, with its imposing gate guarded on either side by two carved mythical beasts. By the glow of the full moon, he watched Taehyung's sleek black vehicle glide silently up the drive and disappear into the house's underground garage.

Musing over the day's events, Jimin kept returning to niggling feeling that something about his new benefactor seemed eerily familiar. That honeyed voice. Those sharp, elegant features. And those feline golden eyes that glinted as if with centuries of secrets...

A startling realization sent Jimin bolting upright in bed, his pulse suddenly racing. Maybe he had being right. Although, the fiery accident seven months ago had left no survivors. The DNA reports had confirmed it. But despite the impossibility, Jimin could no longer ignore the suspicious signs mounting around this man.

Determined to get some answers, Jimin slipped silently out of bed and donned the first clothing his hands touched. Hugging the walls, he crept towards Taehyung's wing of the house. Yoongi had conveniently pointed it out to him earlier that day while giving him the tour. Even at this late hour, he could see slivers of light emanating from Taehyung's study. Steadying his shaking breath, he crouched out of sight in the shadows just outside.

After what felt like an eternity, Jimin finally heard approaching footsteps. Taehyung emerged in the hallway, whistling lightly under his breath as he loosened his tie. Jimin swallowed down a gasp. He was blind back then but if he closed his eyes and remembered the feel of Taehyung, this man was nearly a mirror image of his late love, from his strong brows to his lips. As Taehyung entered his bedroom, Jimin darted noiselessly behind him, hiding just around the corner by the door.

Through the crack in the doorway, Jimin watched with bated breath as Taehyung began undressing, letting his shirt slip to the floor. And there it was a jagged, disfiguring scar on his chest, evidence of someone who had been burnt so severely by fire.

Jimin clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his cry of dismay. His body began to shake as suppressed sobs threatened to escape. It was him! Taehyung had returned as this unfathomable, dark phoenix of a man who now hid beneath lies and secrecy. Overwhelmed, Jimin wobbled silently down the long corridor until he collapsed against the wall, sinking helplessly to the floor. Hot tears spilled down his cheeks and splashed onto his trembling fists.

How was any of this possible? How could fate resurrect his lost love as this unfathomably wealthy and dangerous stranger with a hidden past? Jimin leaned his head back against the wall, looking out with bleary eyes at the vast night sky penetrating the darkness with a billion glittering stars. It seemed the man fate had once stolen from him had now returned under the most bewildering of conditions. But Jimin harbored no more doubts – that was his love, his Taehyung. Behind the disguises and deceptions, it had to be him.

Wiping the streaks of tears from his face, Jimin forced himself to stand, staggering the rest of the way back to his room. Sinking into the silken sheets, his mind spun feverishly with the evening's shocking discoveries. Whatever game Taehyung was now playing at, Jimin was more determined than ever to call his bluff and have the man acknowledge their true past together. He had lost Taehyung once before. He refused to lose him again. Not when they had finally been reunited across time and death itself...

Exhaustion finally seeped into Jimin's bones as the adrenaline began to fade. But just as he felt himself drifting off into an uneasy sleep, the image of the emerald-eyed serpent door handles from that forbidden room kept flashing back into his mind.

"What in God's name are you hiding, Taehyung?" he whispered in the darkness before the strange dreams pulled him under into their vivid depths.

Thank you so much for reading