JUNGKOOK
There's something wrong.
I can see it in my sister's face. I'd been with Rinei long enough to know— too long. All my brotherly instincts are telling me that something is wrong.
But why?
I'd thought the problem with Taehyung had resolved with finding the lake. That taking away his magic would cure him of his soulless persona.
But Rinei looks even worse than before. She looks deep in thought every single day, and that's only for the rare times I see her. She doesn't come to meals and I can barely get a chance to talk to her.
It had gotten so bad that Taehyung himself had gone to check on her earlier today, canceling everything he had for work.
But now it's night, and I hadn't heard anything.
"Jungkook."
I twist around to see Arlen. She tips her head curiously in my direction, her pale blonde hair alight by the glow of the full moon. She's dressed into her nightdress.
"What are you doing out here?"
"...thinking." I mumble. "Thinking a lot."
She comes next to me, placing her slender hands against the smooth stone railing of the balcony. Her eyes sweep across the city of Elven laid out below before fixing on my face.
"About what, angel?"
I hesitate. I didn't even know what to say.
But she knows.
"You're worried about your sister."
I glance at her in surprise. Her gaze has drifted back to the City, blue eyes like the clearest pools.
"I noticed she hasn't been looking well." Arlen murmurs, her hand brushing against mine. Her fingers slip into a firm grasp.
"You're wondering why."
"I just don't understand." I say quietly, sighing heavily. "And I don't even understand the entire part of it. She told me that his soulless side comes out during night— I heard that. But how does that even work? Like..."
"Like that."
...huh?
I follow her knifelike gaze, towards the balcony close to ours.
It's Rinei. And the broad shadow in front of her is clearly Taehyung. But something seems off about him— the way he holds himself, the way he's so close to her.
It's so dark that I can barely see, but even I can tell the aura coming off of him is more dangerous than the safe warmth of a lover.
It's him.
Arlen's eyes narrow. She could see better than I could, her vision cutting through the shroud of night.
"He's taking her. Against her will."
"He's what? Where is he taking her?"
"We'll find out. Come on."
My eyes widen when she motions for me to come closer, one of her slender arms spread to the side. Her eyes are still fixed on the shadowy silhouettes up there.
And my mind runs wild.
"C-Come on?! What do you mean come on?"
"It means what it means. Don't you want your sister to be safe?" She says sharply, her voice turning more urgent. "Jungkook, just hush and come here. They will leave soon, and the King is ridiculously fast. We're going to lose them."
I stutter.
I wanted to go after Rinei too, but like this? This was not what I had in mind at all.
"You're going to c-carry me?"
My voice turns even higher with the panic as I look down at the City. The Palace was set at least seventy feet above the entire City itself, for easier speeches and to establish superiority.
"We're jumping off?!"
"No, we're traveling through the trees." Arlen hisses, tucking a lock of ice blonde hair behind her ear. "That's what the King will be doing as well."
"I will keep you safe, Jungkook. So you have nothing to worry ab—"
My cheeks redden.
"It's not...It's not that."
She was going to carry me. But I was so heavy, and nearly twice her size. What if I brought the both of us down to our deaths?
Her tone turns impatient. "Then hurry and come. They're leaving."
I hesitate.
"But I—"
"I swear on the skies, Jungkook."
And before I can even finish talking, she wraps her arm around my waist and lifts me off the floor of the balcony. I can't even scream.
My arms struggle to latch around her shoulders.
She's so strong. What in the actual—
"Hold tight."
I blink.
Oh.
I'd forgotten she was an elf.
But I still can't stop myself from blushing. It just felt so awkward— so weird. I should be doing this for her, not the other way around.
Then she suddenly whistles— a low, impressed sound.
"Damn. He's even faster than I thought."
Why does she sound excited?
When I stare at her suspiciously, she turns her head to give me a breathless smile. Her blue eyes are glowing in the moonlight.
"Hold on really, really tight, angel."
"It's going to be a rough ride."
________________________________
RINEI
"Put me down!"
It was getting worse, by the night.
Tonight I'd woken up to him. The other Tae— and he had been the one to wake me. He wasn't even going through that short phase of blank Tae anymore before getting to the Forests.
This was bad. Really, really bad.
His arm tightens lazily around my waist. But his grip is iron— enough to make me lose my breath.
"Stop struggling."
He moves so fast. Even faster than the two nights before— much faster. The trees sweep past us until the dark green leaves just blur into one confusing mess.
And I'm so disoriented I can't even struggle properly for the rest of the way.
He'd literally swept me up into his arms the moment he'd forced me awake, and had pulled me out the balcony.
It takes less than a minute to reach the cottage.
He puts me down. My head spins with nausea, and the moment my feet touches the grass both my legs give out like paper under me.
I hear him laugh quietly as I struggle to catch my breath, crumpled on top of the grass and dew.
Psychopath.
Absolute son of a—
"You're cursing at me, aren't you?" He says amusedly, lowering himself down next to me. "It's written all over your pretty face."
I force myself to sit up. My head is still spinning and I feel like I might throw up any second, I manage to fix a deadly stare straight at his coy smile.
"Yes. Yes, I'm cursing at you. What are you going to do about it?" I hiss, shoving him away angrily. He barely moves, and that just makes me even more furious.
Being angry helps to hide my fear.
He had actually woken up like this tonight. The gap was closing so fast that the minutes were turning into entire hours.
How long.
How long until this psychopath completely takes over my lover's body?
He smiles sharply, like he knows exactly what I'm thinking.
"He barely has weeks— maybe days."
"Might as well say your goodbyes to him before it's too late, my love."
I lunge at him. But he makes no move to resist even as I tackle him to the grass, my fist raised above my head. My eyes are wide with anger, yet his is full of amusement.
Because he knows.
My hand trembles.
He knows I could never hurt him. Ever.
My curled, shaky fist slowly lowers. And a part of me wants to break down in tears at the sight of Taehyung's sweet, beautiful face, taken over by someone who I barely recognize.
"Just go away," I whisper. "Please."
"Go away."
The corners of his eyes soften.
"I can't."
His voice is quiet. Then in a second he gets to his feet, lifting me up from the ground like I weigh lighter than air. His eyes glitter at my hopeless expression.
"I'll take you back. You need to sleep."
I don't know.
I don't know what to do. I've never felt so utterly lost— this defeated in my life. I can't even see a single way out of this.
Then his head suddenly jerks upwards.
And I hear a familiar voice shatter the silence of the night.
"Oh wow."
"So you're the idiot ruining everything, huh?"
Jungkook.
It's my brother.