The End of Us! [JK x Reader]

Chapter Twenty Four

I swallowed hard "I... I can handle it... to give my mother justice, to save Jungkook and everyone I can do this" I said, my voice firm

The King's expression remained grave "Even if it kills you?"

I took a sharp breath, nodding "Even then"

A long silence passed between us

Then, the King exhaled, his gaze flickering with something unreadable "You're just like your mother, ready to destroy whole world, even yourself, to save your love"

The weight of his words settled over me like a crushing force

My mother had sacrificed everything for love... her throne, her power, even her safety. And now, here I was, standing in her place, ready to burn everything down for the same reason

For love... For Jungkook...

For the life that had been stolen from me

For the justice my mother never received

I met the King's gaze, unflinching "Then tell me how to control it"

His glowing eyes flickered, unreadable "Awakening your Celestial power is not as simple as unlocking a door, Y/N. It is dangerous. The Devil's energy in your blood will resist it, fight against it. If you are not strong enough to wield both, you will tear yourself apart"

"I don't care" I said, my voice steady "Tell me what I need to do"

For the first time, something like a sad smile touched his lips "Very well"

With a wave of his hand, the palace trembled, and the glass-like floor beneath my feet began to shift. The constellations reflected in it swirled and reformed, revealing something hidden beneath. A vast chamber, illuminated by a single golden flame

"The Trial of Ascension" the King said, his voice echoing "The only way for you to awaken your Celestial power is to face what lies within"

I stepped forward, peering down into the chamber. The golden flame pulsed, as if calling to me

"What do I have to do?"

The King's gaze darkened "Survive"

And before I could react, the floor vanished beneath me

I plummeted into the light

The moment I hit the ground, a shockwave of energy surged through me. The chamber was endless, a vast space of swirling gold and silver, and yet... it felt suffocating

Then, a voice echoed through the void

"What are you?"

I stiffened. The voice wasn't the Celestial King's. It wasn't even one voice, it was many, layered upon each other, shifting like the stars above

"Are you Celestial?"

A figure emerged from the swirling light. A woman... no, not just any woman... My mother

I staggered back, my heart pounding "No... you're not real"

The illusion of my mother smiled, gentle, yet haunting "You wear my blood, my light. And yet, the shadows cling to you"

A second voice rose, deeper, colder

"Or are you Devil?"

From the other side, another figure stepped forward. A man cloaked in shadows, his piercing eyes burning into me

The Devil King

But not the one I knew

This version of him was younger, crueler. His aura was suffocating, pressing against me like a thousand unseen hands