"Welcome to level 9: The Final Level!"
Taking deep breaths, they crossed through an invisible membrane, only to be found themselves in a completely different dimension, bright, nearly blinding surroundings which demanded a few rapid blinks from their visions to adjust properly.
They all were already stood on a circular podium, and before they could analyze the settings all around appropriately, a big, flashy hologram screen popped right in the middle.
"What the heck?! We only get single lives for this level?" Taehyung whisper-shouted, running his hand through his dark hair.
"That means, our blood, sweat, and tears, our efforts to save our lives, all went in vain?!" A clear disappointment was laced in Yoongi's voice. "Ha, I can't believe it!"
"We need to be extra careful from now on." Everyone nodded at Moon's advice although it seemed half determination and half nervousness.
Without providing them any time to process anything else as always, the ground trembled. As soon as the holographic screen faded, the surroundings transformed drastically. And when it did — there was a collective gasp.
Into the harkened light of day, into the blessed blue, comes the silhouettes that were born of shapen light. And to the eyes, the adjusting eyes, to the brains still processing the freshly brightened hues, appears doors and windows with wood lintels, timber-framed roofs which thick smoke releasing from the smoke holes, a sort of village-town.
They were taken aback to found their clothing changed into some royal ones — long tight black waistcoats hugged their bodies, perfectly complementing their curves, which were richly embroidered in silver thread, with a brilliant red sash across from right shoulder to left hip. Loose cloth breeches bloused over long boots with the tops turned down and draped over their shoulders like cloaks, paired with a deep crimson greatcoat which itself was covered in dense gold embellishments that depicted the same colors as their eyes when they uses their superpowers. Stylish black veils secured each of their faces underneath.
"What's this?" When Jimin was untying the veil that covered his face, he was stopped by Jin who grabbed his forearm almost surprisingly. "Don't."
"If our faces are already concealed then it may hold some purpose, so let them be."
After agreeing on exactly what Jin had suggested, they moved further, the streets were converting more steep and meandering, with an irregular width, and between the streets were vivid small shops which were barely covered, the vendors buzzing their lungs out, trying their best for the sales, the bargaining noises of the buyers were no less either. The place was crowded as people wandered back and forth, some looked like tourists, while the others were peasants and local village people. The goods varied from fruits, clothes, accessories, furniture, weapons, to even pawn shops.
"Everyone stick together, we might lose each other in the crowd," Moon commanded, her narrow eyes still observing the place in detail.
Hoseok and Bee didn't have to have permission as they were already intertwining their hands and adhering to each other like glue, gaining looks from the seven others.
The team moved as one, earning strange looks from people all around due to how they were wearing very attention-grabbing clothes and veils.
As they were exploring through the narrow alleys, Namjoon couldn't help his habit but walk touching the different things to his sides like a child, that's when his eyes landed on a carpet which actually possessed a very detailed and ornate appearance, being made out of lustrous purple wool stitched together in such a way that it forms all manner of interesting patterns, series of abstract symbols printed along its surface, with flame-like intricates on its top and bottom.
As he brushed his fingers against the material of the carpet, golden specks of dust swirled in the air and then everything happened within the blur of the moment.
"Whoaaa-" The carpet sent Namjoon flying around, complete panic was evident on his features as he ducked almost unanticipatedly when the carpet rushed under one of the open shops.
And there was all chaos.
All the other eight voices' screamings sounded mumbles to Namjoon's ears as gusts of winds were hitting him directly in the face.
The people were alarmingly splitting all over across the way gravity power holder traveled.
Namjoon finched when the carpet flew over two people due to which one of them bumped into the other, throwing the piece of smoked fish in his hand cramming into the other's very shocked, and partially open mouth, almost choking him to gut.
"Haha, tasty, isn't it?"
Namjoon crossed over, grumbling an abrupt 'sorry' behind.
"Hey! Where are you taking my necklace?! Give it back, you bloody thief!" A salesman's hollering voice faded behind as an expensive-looking pearl pedant got stuck at one of the carpet's corners as it dashed by and went soaring along with it.
"Aaah!" Namjoon's pupils grew wide as his eyelids fluttered briskly when he saw the way to ending into a wall up ahead.
Bam!
And he collided with the wall, the carpet donating his body to the ground as he fell on his face first, in fact, worse, into a muddy pool.
Almost stumbling again, Namjoon gained his composure taking the support of the nearby wall, his palms supporting and slightly massaging his hips.
"Are you okay?" No one couldn't really tell if they were worried or amused upon seeing him squishing his now swollen cheek.
"Namjoon hyung, sorry but you're literally resembling a choco steamed bun." Along with Jungkook, all of them burst into fits of laughter, to the point that they were sobbing into tears.
Contrarily, Namjoon didn't get angry or upset, instead, he was at a loss of words after what just happened as the deathly embarrassing scene replayed in his head.
Namjoon had almost done with wiping his face clean when poor screams were heard in their ears.
As the nine pairs of feet quickly sprinted towards the source of the noise, they discovered that a poor serf who was carrying a valuable ceramic vase on one of his shoulders was now bowing, begging to spare his life, just because his fragile shoulders couldn't bear the weight and his legs gave up and the vase shattered.
"Do you know how precious that was?!" A soldier snapped right at his face as if he had committed a sin. "You can't reimburse for it, even if you gather the savings of your entire life!"
"I-I'm s-sorry." The penniless worker continued to bow at him, to the point that his lean back looked like it might break the spinal cord inside.
All nine gazed at the site with a mixture of shock and pity.
"What did you just say, to spare you? Ha, alright, then pay me the pennies for the loss you've caused, and I'll let you go." The former soldier said, crossing his arms over his chest as a devilish smirk formed on his lips.
"P-Please, please forgive me. I don't have anything. I can barely manage two meals a day, how can I compensate?"
"Oh, you can't?"
"Then we have no option left, die!"
The next moment, the poor man was dragged through the streets by a handful of his hair as he cried incapably.
The shocking fact was that no one was willing to help him, no one was even looking at his miserable state even after seeing the brutality as they just passed by.
"We have to help him," Moon stepped out forward when her wrist was instantly clutched by Taehyung.
"What...what are you doing?" Her tone sounded startled as she stared at him with skeptical eyes.
"I think it's better to not interrupt."
For a moment, there was silence. It would be a white lie if they weren't stunned by Taehyung's statement.
"What?! Do you even understand, what are you saying?!" She stormed, her brows raised as deep disappointment fueled in her system.
"Yeah I know, but I think it's prominent to let ourselves out of the matter as we already aren't surely safe."
Moon glanced at the other's, demanding a response. But she was more than dismayed when the seven just kept their head low, clearly showing they were going with Taehyung's decision this time. While Jimin just squeezed her shoulder in some assurance which she couldn't actually comprehend.
"C'mon, drink this," Harshly pulling up the weak man to his feet by his hair, the soldier opened the lid of an earthen pot of water as he handed it to the man.
"Why are you still frozen? I said, drink it!"
Without having the guts to rebel, the poor worker was forced to drink the water.
"You. Jump." The soldier gestured towards a common man who just stood nearby chilled in terror.
Violent coughs erupted from the feeble serf's mouth when the former jumped on his stomach due to which the water rose up to his gut and he choked. A fresh stream of tears break out of his eyes which were now bloodshot.
"You survived it?" The monstrous soldier sounded mocking as if playing with someone's life was as similar as playing with a toy.
"Taehyung, leave me," Moon tried to free her now reddened wrist from his hold, her voice raging with anger.
"Please cooperate, I'm doing this for our own sake." As Taehyung replied coldly, he looked as if all the humanity had been sucked out of him.
"Taehyung, let me go, please... He will fuckin' kill him!" She literally pleaded, but to no avail as he and the others just stood, flinching their eyes away from the awful scene.
Taehyung, Taehyung, Taehyung, the pleas for this one name were repeating many times within just a few minutes. But he didn't budge.
And the cries of the poor, helpless worker ceased to an end as a sharp spear right passed through his heart and he breathed for one last time.
Moon stopped struggling under his grasp as she dropped on her knees to the ground, her face void of any expressions.
"Taehyung, you're the worst mistake I've ever made."
Author's Note:
Oh Tae, what have you done??
Anyways, sorry for the late update. I got busy with my life lately so there will probably be weekly updates from now on. Hope you'll understand.
And I know the scoreboard made by me wasn't that illustrative but the actual one they were seeing in the game definitely is lol.
I hope you like the chapter. Thank you for reading.
Have a nice day/night! Take care, stay safe~
Purple you 💜💜💜