infinity || minsung

"arrival"

chapter eight
minho

I've been thinking about this for years, imagining how it'd go down. I thought I'd be afraid, I thought I'd second guess myself, that I'd want to walk away. However brave Jisung thinks I am, the Volturi are ancient and strong beyond belief. I don't think there's enough room in my body for that kind of fear.

One thing I didn't think I'd feel, though, is anger. A kind of petulance. As I see the building that conceals the Volturi's lair, I want to kick it. Just kick it. Knock over a flower pot or something. It isn't smart to go in feeling like this, it would only hurt our case. But I don't know how to manufacture respect for something I only see with disgust and hatred.

Shouldn't have thought that either.

Felix, Seungmin and I stop in front of the building, staring up at it. We exchange glances.

"For the record," says Seungmin, "it's been kinda fun. Maybe we can go to see the Triangle for real after this."

"I'm never getting in a boat again," I say.

"The boat was a total success," says Felix. "But you're right. The journey wasn't as miserable as I thought it would be." He slings his arms over our shoulders. "You two are fuckin' extraordinary, you know that?"

Abruptly the tall doors in front of us split open, and two guards in long black cloaks look down at us.

"State your business," one says.

I take a step forward. "We're here to see the Volturi."

"For what reason?"

"To report a breach of the law."

They move robotically to the sides, staying out of the glare of the sun. We step inside and take off our disguises. It's just a hallway, high regal ceilings but otherwise normal. One of the guards opens a door and disappears down a dark flight of stairs. The other waits for us to go ahead, and then walks on our heels like we're a group of preschoolers.

The staircase is unlit and claustrophobic. It descends for what feels like miles, and then shifts into another hallway. And then a staircase up. I just stare at the guard's back and mock his stupid underground labyrinth in my head.

The guards go ahead and crank a hulking lever on a wide, medieval-looking door. Felix has fallen to the back of the pack, gravitating farther away from us. His hand is in his pocket, I can hear his thumb tapping against the screen of his phone.

I give him a look. He winks as he pulls his hand out of his pocket.

The guards heave the door open, and a bright, lavish corridor appears in front of us. Blue and white checkered tiles on the floor, the busts of past and present Volturi members carved into the creamy walls. The ceiling is a high arch, crystal chandeliers glittering above our heads.

The hall ends in a massive, circular room with guards to all sides. The ceiling is made entirely of stained glass, each pane telling the creation story in pictographs. It fills the space with muted colours, just enough sun that every vampire in the room is shining specks of silver.

On a raised portion of the floor sits a long wooden desk. Marcus is on the left, Caius on the right, and Aro is in the middle, facing us. He looks up from his book and his old burgundy eyes focus on mine. He's only confused for a second, and then his lips split in a wide smile, folding creases into his papery white skin.

"What is this?" he wonders. "Lee Felix and Kim Seungmin, I've not seen your faces for over a decade."

"Two," says Seungmin.