"My name is Captain Jeon Jungkook. I'm here to kidnap you."
The Eros is said to be the most powerful jewel of the seven seas, able to control the spirits of the water. Though many scoff at the legend, there are those who will do anything for its pow...
"You can both stay here until the trial tomorrow," the king said, nodding to Hoseok to open the large crystal door in front of you.
Hoseok happily opened it up, revealing a single dormitory room with four bunk beds that jutted out of the walls like shelves. Each bed had a red blanket and single pillow, along with a folded pair of black robes you had seen the other sirens wearing. The room was completely empty otherwise.
"Welcome to the most boring room in the caverns, incarnates," Yoongi said, monotone.
"Yes," Hoseok agreed, "but once the trials are over and you get your wings, you can get upgraded to a wonderful single suite."
"Unless you're found guilty and sentenced again to eternal reincarnation," Yoongi added.
You turned around to face the king.
"Can you tell me about the trials?" you asked. "It's a blood trial, isn't it? Is it the same ritual Jimin did on me the first time, because even though it wasn't that bad, it was still quite uncomfortable..."
The king raised his hand to stop you, matting his eyebrows. "What do you mean, the first time? Who's Jimin?"
You looked at Taehyung and Seokjin momentarily. Seokjin had one eye squinted, suspicious and confused at the same time. Taehyung chewed his lip and turned his head away before you could see his full expression.
"H-he's the first mate of the ship, Your Majesty," you replied, suddenly nervous. "The reason I was brought aboard the ship was to point them towards the Eros. They slit my arm to open the spiritual world and take them to... well, here."
You showed him the faint scar on your arm from where Jimin had cut you open so many months ago. The king touched your arm with a soft, gentle hand, looking at the mark with alarm. He motioned for Seokjin to come and look as well.
"What do you see?" the king asked him.
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Seokjin stared at your arm for a long moment, eventually shaking his head.
"Nothing," he said. "Her blood has been sacrificed, but I can't see any of her marks until after the trials."
You stared at both of them blankly. "Um... I'm sorry?"
Seokjin ignored you and raised his head to turn to Taehyung.
"Taehyung," he commanded. "Explain."
Taehyung gave a calculated exhale, licking his lips before speaking.
"Captain Jungkook's heart was set on finding the Eros," he said, "and his brother, Jimin, is an astrologer who realized the way to find it was to reopen the spiritual world again. To do that, they needed to sacrifice the blood of a descendant of one of the Guardians."
You still didn't understand some of that, but you didn't interrupt.
"The Guardians were released from their duties nearly three hundred years ago," the king said. "That must have been quite a task to track down."
