A/N:
Art certainly influences us. Usually, it causes a surge of thoughts and emotions running through our brains, bringing us to tears or laughter. It's hard to say if it's because some paintings are just so heinous that they just make people miserable, or there's a vicious past attached to them.
...
It was a peculiar landscape painting. Although it represented a starry night conducive to reverie, some of the elements of the landscape illustrated sharp features and contrasting colors. The dazzling, aspirating light of the moon drawn at the top right corner did nothing to illuminate the dark night. Many stars with the different blues of the night making the scene both grandiose and terrifying. The intense, thick black branches of the cypress adding an eerie touch to the general atmosphere of the painting. Behind the rocks, there seemed to be a sort of hidden face, contributive to anxiety, and boredom. It was indeed giving a dramatic outcome.
Taehyung picked up the painting, analyzing it.
"Doesn't it look strange?" Moon stared at it in bewilderment.
All of a sudden, multiple golden streaks of energy emerged out from the painting and engulfed Taehyung and Moon along with it.
While all the others were just remained standing there with their eyes open wide as saucers, their jaws dropped to the ground as they couldn't comprehend what their irises showed them.
Their minds couldn't process anything at the moment and the painting devoured their two beloved friends right in front of their bare eyes.
"Taehyung!! Moon!!"
They all began to search for them, shaking the painting, checking it upside down at every possible angle, shouting their lungs out.
"N-no way...t-that can't be!!! Taehyung, Moon!!" Bee screamed at the top of her voice as big tears started to well up in her eyes.
"Where are you??!" Jungkook couldn't hold it anymore and broke down as the salty liquid splattered down his cheeks.
"Why did you took that painting, Taehyung-ah? You shouldn't have done that!" Hoseok stuttered through his quivering voice which was full of disbelief.
A single tear squeezed out of Yoongi's eyes as he mumbled incoherent things through his trembling hands.
Namjoon tumbled down as his legs gave out followed by his fist meeting the nearby stone.
"This fuckin' painting swallowed them right in front of our damn eyes and we couldn't do anything!" Jimin shrieked, his hands pulling out his blonde hair frustratedly. His eyes were brimmed with tears, threatening to spill anytime.
Jin stormed off in a fury and fetched the painting from his hands and slammed it on the ground as he growled some unintelligible words.
But that couldn't help in anything. That couldn't bring their friends back to them. They wished they could pause or rewind what happened in a matter of few seconds. But they couldn't. That was the bitter truth that could not be denied.
They all had powers yet they felt powerless.
Soon the entire atmosphere that seemed to be pleasant turned into the one with all muffled sobs and shedding tears.
When Jimin lifted up his face which was buried in between his knees in despair, his gaze fell on a crumpled piece of paper lying nearby.
There was something scribbled on it in red bold letters as he grabbed it.
WARNING!
This painting is cursed. Don't meet the eyes with the face that is hidden in the painting itself, and if anyone does that, he will be trapped inside the painting immediately. Then no matter how much he will try, how much he will scream, no one can hear him outside.
The only way to escape there is to break its curse. There are three keys hidden here, that you have to find out on your own. When you'll be successful in gathering all the keys, a box will appear automatically which can only be opened by inserting all the three keys at the same time. Inside which, you will find out a magical liquid material. You have to pour that substance on the painting right under the sunlight. Only then will its centuries old curse break.
Remember one thing! You only have time till the sunset, once if the sun sets then you will not be able to do anything.
They gulped the lump formed in their throats as they slowly read the whole 'warning'.
"No...we can't just sit hand in hand and cry. We can't let ourselves be weakened. We have to be strong guys!" Bee said, her voice full of spirit.
"She is right. We have to get them out of there. We have to break the curse." Jungkook stated with the utmost determination.
Everyone agreed as they wiped out the tears that stained their cheeks.
"First of all, we have to divide ourselves into teams. Because there's not much time left for the sun to set." Hoseok suggested.
"I, Namjoon, and Jin hyung will go towards the east. Hoseok and Bee you'll go towards the north. Jimin and Jungkook you two will go to the south." Yoongi explained as he pointed in three different directions, probably guessing from the present direction of the sun.
"Alright?"
Everybody nodded in consent.
"Don't worry...Taehyung-ah, Moon. We'll be back soon and get you out from there." Jimin said, a lone tear slid down his cheek as he averted his eyes towards the painting for the one last time before they left.
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Every sprawling tree they passed under reminded of a watchful guardian. The trees lashed and crashed against each other like drum sticks. Huge roots spread-eagled the ground, twisting like the great backs of sea dinosaurs.
Suddenly, a strong tug knocked Yoongi down, a screech left his mouth as his body smacked against the cobblestone in the way.
The plants which once looked fresh and welcoming were now turned on them.
Yoongi's eyes glowed bright yellow as the colorful snapping dragons wrapped tightly around his waist, then slowly started to climb upward and wrap around his whole body, holding him in place.
He struggled against the plant, his body trashing in an attempt to rid himself of it. His palm balled into fists as he tried to generate electricity. His body emitted thundering sparks, his teeth clenched from the amount of force he was putting into it.
As soon as its thick stems that seemed about six meters long came in contact with the currents generated by him, they turned grey as they slowly unwrapped from his waist and fell limp on the ground. But still, his legs were captured within its stalk. His eyes landed on a stone that was lying within his reach, he crawled his fingers and grabbed it and sliced the stems with the sharp-edged stone and somehow freed himself.
On the other hand, the flowers that were about one meter tall began to sway in the air as if they were dancing angrily. Soon one of the jet-black flowers snapped out within spitting distance from them and before they could react, it sucked off Jin's head inside before completely closing itself.
Beep. Beep. Beep...one life lost!
His eyes gleamed pearl white faintly, his breath became unsteady as the flower choked him from inside even more tightly. His arms desperately waved through the air as his lungs started to gave upon him.
While Namjoon's eyes shone emerald as he rose up in the air. He began to pull that dangerous flora up in the air along with himself. As the flower lifted up destroying its own roots behind it, Jin's feet also left contact with the ground. He pulled it with every ounce of strength left in him, to the point that the deadly flower quickly turned brown and devastated into pieces. Jin slipped onto the ground, his eyes bloodshot as he tried to catch his breath.
The three of them gathered when a shiny golden key appeared in front of them, hanging freely in the air.
Author's Note:
Hello guys!! Finally, here's some action! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Have a nice day ahead! Take care and stay safe~
I purple you 💜💜💜