Healing Castle | TXT Fantasy Novel ft. BTS

5 - Beomgyu

Beomgyu wakes with a start to the sound of Taehyun's scream.

He's only heard him scream like that once before. It was during the week of their debut evaluation. They had just received the news they needed a reevaluation. As a team, they were at their lowest point. When Taehyun found out, his mask of calm slipped a bit. He quickly excused himself to a secluded break room.

No one else heard, but Beomgyu was just outside the door. He'd planned on knocking, trying to give him comfort even though he felt like breaking from pressure. Alone, Taehyun had screamed with such anguish that Beomgyu's stomach filled with acid. What scared him was how Taehyun was always the most composed one. The earth's balance slipped beneath his shoes.

The scream sounds the same, if not even more desperate.

He runs to the hall and finds that Soobin, Huening Kai, and Yeonjun are there with eyes wider than saucers. The living room is surrounded in a thick, gray fog. "Stay here!" he shouts out. Then he runs through with his teeth clenched and eyes darting everywhere, looking for Taehyun.

Believe it or not, he's been taking up some kickboxing. Their bodyguard, Peter, has taken him under his wing. He's always been a bit of a fighter, although everyone tells him that they love his sweet side the best. But right now, he's ready to kick a million punks—or whoever played this prank so close to Christmas. How dare they ruin a good holiday with his team members.

The practice sessions with Peter come back to him. He realized his mind has power. He must get in the right frame of mind to manipulate his muscles and limbs. The formations and attacks that he never knew were possible can come naturally only then. In the thick fog, he'll have to focus more than usual.

Kick!

Wrong form, Beomgyu!

Why the heck did you pivot in that direction?

But the hours and hours of training couldn't have prepared him for the absolute mess that finds him in the living room. Taehyun has collapsed to the floor. Beomgyu's heart sinks into his stomach. He begins to gasp for air, but the air feels heavy and toxic, sour on his tongue.

The living room's light has been stolen—as if a vortex sucked it all up without any effort. Instead of finding the usual table in the center of the room, Beomgyu's eyes find a whole different being.

He recognizes the monster straight away. The Black Mage is one of the most powerful beings in MapleStory. He doesn't remember too much of the game's lore, but all he knows is that the Black Mage is the cause of all evil in the game's universe. He is incredibly powerful, and only the most skilled players even have a chance of beating him. He is scary to look at even through a screen, painted in two dimensions.

Here, he's more terrifying than Beomgyu's most real nightmare. The monster is dressed in all black from head to toe, with a hoodie and flowing silks that suck up shadow. His form is hovering, cold power radiating from every inch. He's so tall, his head almost touching the ten-foot-high ceiling. His dress is detailed in gold and red, and his eyes are a bright yellow that somehow gives the opposite feeling of gold.

Loss.

Pain.

Loneliness.

Beomgyu feels all sorts of pain that he went through as a trainee. When he wrote "Maze in the Mirror," he felt lost, but now the emotions are amplified. The Mage erupts all of his deepest pain within him. And now he isn't surprised that Taehyun is passed out. Quivering, he almost crumples to his feet, only catching himself on the couch's armrest.

The Black Mage gives him one look, and Beomgyu's body immediately turns away as if in instinct. But he can't ignore his best friend. He runs over to Taehyun to help him to his feet, attempting to drag both of them back to the hallways.

"Go away!" Beomgyu yells, in the harshest tone he can muster. It comes out more like a squeak.

The Black Mage simply laughs. The sound is like an orchestra playing a discordant chord, equal parts pain and fury. Beomgyu's scream joins the other members'. In his arms, Taehyun shakes awake and lets out another violent shout. The five boys press against each other in one shivering huddle. Beomgyu closes his eyes. They stay like that for a long time until the laughter eventually fades. When Beomgyu peeks, he catches the Mage disintegrating while the mist is funnelled away through the windows, walls, floor ceiling.

The room returns to its usual light. Like the Black Mage himself wasn't here two seconds ago. But all the panic of him showing up is still there. Along with the other members, he collapses into the hallway. They stay in a huddle until their manager knocks on their door, calling out that he retrieved breakfast. Even then, they gasp from the sudden break of silence.

Beomgyu's breathing is so quick, as if he performed two sets of concerts in a row. Those yellow eyes... they'll be stuck in his memory for eternity.

A/N: there's the intro chapters! Hope you guys are looking forward to the rest!