Ch.42
Was it really so hard to be left alone? Yoongi could feel his eye twitching the longer he walked around the forest with three idiots following closely. They were supposed to spread out, yet they never did. Hoseok was convinced he was needed in case Yoongi got into any more trouble. It happened once and now he wouldn't let go of that. But having a talkative elf wasn't as bad as having a cheerful merman join them. Together they were completely idiotic and the worst part of it was that they were best friends. That just meant that they were constantly bouncing off the same ideas. It was awful to endure for the more serious vampire. He wanted to kill demons and put Jungkook in his place.
That didn't feel possible even though it was their entire mission. Not once did Yoongi think Jimin's presence would help either. All the fairy did was joke around, poke fun, and encourage terrible ideas for Seokjin. Hoseok was supposed to be the smart one, but Yoongi had a hard time believing that. He seriously questioned how he ended up getting stuck with them. He was positive Seokjin and Jimin would have at least gone their own way. Turns out that wasn't the case. Now that they were all reunited, they stuck together like glue and that included refusing to leave Yoongi alone.
They wouldn't even listen to him when he told them to go away. They didn't listen when he was subtle or blunt! It seemed to only make them want to stay more. Yoongi could tolerate Hoseok and enjoy Jimin's presence at times (mainly when Taehyung was around). As for Seokjin...he was an odd one. Correction, they all were. It almost hurt Yoongi to be associated with them. He didn't want the demons spotting him next to these three fools. The worst part about it was that they continuously pestered him on every little thing. He wanted this over with already.
"Yoongi, Yoongi, Yoongi!" Jimin bounced from rock to rock as they crossed a river.
"Please slip." Yoongi sighed.
"I heard that!" Jimin shouted.
"I wasn't being quiet."
"Yoongi, it wouldn't kill you to lighten up a little." Hoseok crossed his arms. He stared at Yoongi with a pout as if that would change anything.
"And it wouldn't kill you to cross the river already! It's not even that deep!" Yoongi huffed. He was the first one across and it was irritating how much the others took their time. Jimin was messing around, Hoseok was scared, and Seokjin...that animal. "Seokjin! Don't you dare touch the water!"
"And why not?" Seokjin questioned. He was crouched down on a flat rock, watching the little fishes swim by. "I'm just like them!"
"That's the problem. If you turn into a fish on us, then we're ditching you." Yoongi spared no mercy with his words. He earned himself a glare from Seokjin and a sad look from Hoseok. It wouldn't take long for the elf to start whining which just made Yoongi want to run for it.
"You say all this stuff to sound tough YET you stay with us. Want to know why?" Jimin finally joined Yoongi on the other side of the river. The vampire could have rolled his eyes at the question. He knew nothing good would come out of answering it. It would probably be something stupid anyway. "Because you love us!" There it was.
"No." Yoongi gritted his teeth. "Because Namjoon and (F/n) would like all of you to remain alive."
"And because you love us!" Jimin continued.
"Aw, I love you too, Yoongi." Seokjin smiled.
"I don't love you!" Yoongi stomped his foot. He hated this conversation so much and it didn't help that he was getting flustered. Jimin had an annoying smirk on his face that made Yoongi's eye twitch. How dare he be so amused? The fairy's teasing eyes only made Yoongi aware of how hot his face felt. He doesn't care for them! He cares for no one, but himself and that's it!
Yoongi was set on his answer, doing his best to show all of them that he didn't care if he hurt their feelings. This was the least of his problems. Right now there were bigger things to take care of and for some reason they were acting like this! It all stressed the vampire out of his mind. He wanted to rip his hair out and leave them all to suffer. However, he stayed put and dealt with a merman sticking his tongue out at him. Seokjin decided to take back his love due to Yoongi's outburst. It didn't matter to Yoongi although it did bug Hoseok. Not to mention, Jimin finding new ways to get under Yoongi's skin for his own entertainment.
"Hey now...we're working together with you for a reason. We want to bring peace to this island and break the curse. All while proving a point to Jungkook that dark creatures aren't evil just because of where they come from and what's said about them." Hoseok frowned. He fiddled with his thumbs as Yoongi let out another sigh. "I know Jimin's teasing can be a bit much, but I mean it when I say we care about you. I can confidently speak for everyone when I say that you're our friend. It never mattered to us that you were a creature of the dark." It frustrated Yoongi the longer he stood silent. Hoseok was right.
"...guys...I'm sorry." Yoongi pursed his lips. "I've been stressed out due to the circumstances and have been taking it out on all of you. It's not fair and it only proves Jungkook right. I should cut off bad habits...not continue them."
"You're also stressed out because you're here while (F/n)'s fighting demons all by herself." Jimin proceeded to make kissing sounds to mock him.
"You little sh*t!" Yoongi erupted, his entire body turning bright red. It was painfully obvious with how pale Yoongi normally is. Hoseok and Seokjin held back their laughter while Jimin had no problem bending over in a fit of giggles. He was risking his life for a few jokes!
"He has a point, Yoongi. I saw you get all worried with her earlier. You grabbed her and were like 'are you hurt?' and ignored us!" Hoseok snapped his fingers at the realization. A gasp left Seokjin and it only pissed Yoongi off more. "You have feelings for (F/n)!!"
"I have news for you, Pal! Get in line!" Jimin added.
"You're all saying the most ridiculous things! I do not have feelings for (F/n) whatsoever! The only reason I was attentive to her is because I know how the prince feels towards her and this is her first time fighting so many demons on her own. It is nothing like you all imagine." Yoongi wished he sounded convincing. It certainly didn't look like it with his face still bright red.
"Sounds almost reasonable..." Jimin rubbed his chin.
"Except you almost tried to kill me when you found out I kissed her!!" Seokjin pointed out. That immediately shocked Hoseok and Jimin enough to choke on air. Yoongi felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"T-That—"
"You kissed (F/n)!?" Jimin whined. He looked around like a child ready to cry about how unfair it was. "I get you've got this hot merman thing going, but you!?"
"W-Well, I almost kissed (F/n)!" Hoseok stammered, gaining eyes on him. "D-Don't ask!"
"Forget about this conversation!!" Yoongi yelled with his entire chest. It was the loudest they had ever heard him be. The three creatures flinched but were quiet after the demand. A few nervous glances were exchanged at first. Teasing Yoongi any more about this might set him off even more and he was at the end of his rope.
Maybe this time they'll stay quiet. Yoongi hated how much he blushed in front of the others. It was embarrassing, but also so incredibly frustrating. There's no reason why the mention of you should get him reacting this way. If anything, it should be you getting all red while he flirts and teases with you! Except he has toned it down after accidentally teaching you black magic. He preferred not to get kicked in the crotch again. But Yoongi's point still stood! Jimin just might get himself punched for the little stunt he pulled. Hoseok and Seokjin were way too quick to jump on the idea. Although they were intimidated by Yoongi, that didn't stop them from picking up the conversation again in hushed whispers after crossing the river.
"You really kissed (F/n)?" Jimin asked.
"I needed to in order to speak her language," Seokjin answered, unaware of the way Yoongi's eye twitched. He could hear them clear as day talking behind his back.
"I don't know. That sounds kind of suspicious if you ask me." Hoseok hummed.
"So you didn't do it romantically is what I'm hearing?" Jimin came back with another question.
"No. If I wanted to be romantic then I would have taken her swimming," Seokjin stated. "(F/n) has helped me a lot and for that I'm so grateful. If she ever chooses to pursue anything with me, well..."
"Well what?" Hoseok sounded panicked.
"You totally have the hots for her too!" Jimin's voice got high. "I knew it!"
"I'm not blind, Jimin! But I'm also not going to pull any moves the way you do," Seokjin said.
"Yeah, yeah. You're just gonna let your face do all the talking!" Jimin remarked.
The others weren't blind either. Seokjin had no business looking so ethereal all the time. Then when he's in water in his true form? Forget about it. It's a miracle you went after a human instead of the gorgeous merman. Which reminded Yoongi that all this talk about getting your attention was fruitless. Had the guys forgotten that you were suffering from losing your first love? It wasn't a breakup, you watched him die right in front of you. There's nothing more brutal than that so where did these three idiots think they are going to get by looking handsome and saying a couple sweet words to you? Yoongi shook his head, trying his best not to get pulled back into the conversation about you. It would only prove their suspicions right and Yoongi refused to acknowledge any sentimental feelings towards you.
For now, Yoongi let the three of them spout their nonsense. He would rather focus on leading them to another demon and hopefully that would whip them all back into shape. It was nearing the evening now from the looks of it. The sun was slowly inching closer to the treetop's, attempting to hide away and pull out the night. Yoongi knew that the five of you weren't going to fight late since the demons would only grow stronger. Although Yoongi's power would increase as well, it wasn't a risk worth taking knowing the light creatures beside him would be significantly weaker up against the creatures of the night. The three behind him were talking less and less the more they walked into the forest.
The cool breeze brushed against their skin as they weaved their way through the trees. Tall wooden pillars were scattered around with their long heavy branches hanging above them. Some branches reached up into the sky with bright little blooming flowers. Other branches sunk low with their leaves drooping down like green curtains. There was no pure silence in the forest. It was full of life as they constantly heard a bird chirping or even the familiar squawk of a crow. Not to mention, the crunching of dead leaves beneath their feet every time they took a step. The soft pounding of the dirt felt almost rhythmic, a background tune that got interrupted by an eerie echo. All their heads turned in the direction of the sound and for a moment it felt like the world had gone quiet.
Yoongi narrowed his eyes, trying to spot something in the distance. He held his arm out towards the others quietly telling them to stay put. He could tell the others didn't want him to do this all alone. They suspiciously looked around as well. Most of all, Jimin didn't want to do nothing. His hands balled into a tight fist as he got light on his feet, more than ready to just fight any demons that crossed his path. Hoseok pulled out an arrow from his satchel, readying it in case a demon finally decided to come out and play. However, nothing prepared them for the sheer size of the monster. They felt the ground rumble before spotting the demon crawling rapidly towards them. It went through the trees in its shadow form yet it was the size of a house.
"Holy crap." Yoongi took a step back. "Scatter!"
The others didn't have to be told twice. Yoongi bolted to the side, skidding across the dirt and falling onto his side. He kept his grunt low as his eyes scanned where the others had gone. Hiding from the demon would do them no good when it was a literal giant shadow. It was only going to grow stronger as the sun went down. Yoongi clicked his tongue as he saw Jimin in his small form flying through the thick foliage for cover. Hoseok was behind a tree shaking like a leaf. He tightly held onto his weapons with wide eyes. Great. That's when the vampire spotted the merman running straight towards the demon. What is that idiot doing!? Yoongi wanted to scream as he turned himself into a bat, flying over to the tree where Hoseok and Jimin hid.
The vampire didn't have a clue on what the merman was trying to do. How could he think running straight towards the demon was a good idea? Did he even have a plan? All it did was stress out Yoongi more than before. He flew over to the high branches where Jimin stayed. Seeing the bat made the elf freak out until he realized it had to be Yoongi. He clutched his chest as if were having a near death experience. Jimin flew over to the bat with a growing smirk. Having Yoongi be his size made things a lot more fun and interesting in his eyes. Though now was no time for Jimin to be snickering! Yoongi smacked Jimin with his wing, not caring about the fairy's complaints.
"Listen to me! What is Seokjin doing!?" Yoongi hissed.
"He's a better fighter than you think. I bet he's got a plan." Jimin rubbed his cheek.
"I-Is Yoongi talking to you? What's he saying?" Hoseok glanced up above.
"He thinks Seokjin is dumb for running at the demon."
"He did what!?" Hoseok screamed. He was struggling to stay still after hearing that. He was panicking as is and hearing his friend ran towards danger headfirst was making him lose it. "He only just learned how to walk!!" He cried out.
"Pull yourself together!!"
"Yoongi says you need to pull yourself together!" Jimin informed the elf. Hoseok just whined, crushing his weapons even tighter in his arms. "Come on! If (F/n) can toughen up and fight demons on her on then so can you!"
"But has she fought ones of that size!?" Hoseok retorted.
"He's a lost cause." Jimin huffed. Yoongi would roll his eyes in this form if he could. He turned away from them to stare off at the shadow.
It was hard to tell where Seokjin had gone, but it was clear he had done something the moment the demon let out a screeching roar. The three of them froze up as the shadow decided to stretch upwards rather than head towards them. It no longer had interest in chasing after the three, making all of them wonder what kind of stunt Seokjin had pulled. Yoongi wasted no time flying up above the treetops to see where the demon was now heading. Jimin looked at Hoseok with a shrug before flying up to do the same. The elf called after them but being abandoned seemed to motivate him to run in the direction of the demon as well.
Yoongi flew at a quick speed compared to the fairy. He left the other far behind as he skillfully avoided getting touched by the raging demon. It was thrusting long solid tendrils into the air. A long thick tail was connected to the demon as it pushed itself off the ground. There Yoongi could see its tail was coming from the water. He swooped down, eyes spotting the pink scales moving in the lake. Seokjin entered the water for strength. It was the environment he was most comfortable in and the demon seemed to consider it its home as well. Yoongi made it by the edge of the water before transforming back into his human form.
"Seokjin! What do you think you're doing? Do you even have a plan!?" Yoongi shouted. He cupped his hands around his mouth in hopes the merman would hear. He had to. But Seokjin only dove under the water, leaving the water still as the demon turned itself to face the lake.
"It's going for Seokjin!" Jimin dropped down to the ground at his large height. He knew he couldn't remain small for the fight. It didn't take long for Hoseok to catch up, panting lightly as he looked up at the demon.
"I don't think my arrows will do us any good." Hoseok pulled it out regardless.
"My light dust won't be enough to take something of that size down..." Jimin held his palm up, specks of light beginning to swirl in his open hand.
"My dark magic won't harm the demon. D*mn it." Yoongi gritted his teeth. "So what is Seokjin going to do?"
"I'm telling you, he's a lot stronger than he lets on. If anyone is capable of taking this demon down out of all of us, then it's going to be him." Jimin nodded confidently. Hoseok and Yoongi would sure like to trust him on that. Mermen were higher on the light scale after all. The two of them looked back at the demon, preparing themselves to fight with what they had anyway. They wouldn't solely rely on Seokjin if he was as good a fighter as Jimin says he was.
The three of them nodded silently at each other, knowing exactly what to do. The first to act was Hoseok. He ran closer to the side of the demon, quickly pulling out three light dusted arrows and aiming them. He released the arrows with all the strength he had. An echo rang in the air the minute they were released. Hoseok hadn't aimed for anywhere in particular when the demon was such a size. They struck into the side of the demon, bright specks of light scattering on it. The creature didn't appreciate the attack one bit. It was growing angrier with everything that was being done to it, but they couldn't let the demon win this battle.
"Keep shooting arrows! The more light in its system, the easier it'll be for me to do some damage with my magic!" Jimin instructed. Hoseok nodded, readying more arrows to throw.
Jimin took this as his chance to get closer to the demon. A risky move, but he didn't want to turn himself smaller just to fly. He grabbed onto a tendril and pulled himself upward with all the strength he had. Hoseok made sure to avoid pointing the arrows low to keep Jimin safe. The fairy made it onto the back of the creature. It seemed unaware of his presence due to it focusing on Hoseok's attacks. It growled at Hoseok, hating how many arrows packed with light dust had struck it by now. It was enough for Jimin to start his next move. He formed a white flower in his hand, making sure it was glowing brightly before placing it onto the demon. It took a few seconds for other flowers to grow, creating a small patch that stung the demon. It roared to feel itself weaken even by the slightest bit.
The more it resisted however, the stronger the flowers became. They sunk their roots into the demon, vines spreading around the body rapidly like rope. Jimin smirked as the tendrils became restricted by the light vines, leaving it unable to move. Though maybe Jimin should have thought about getting off the demon. It was trying to shift its form because of the light infecting it, but couldn't. Jimin found himself stumbling as the demon tossed him off its body so high up. A scream left Jimin to be thrown into the air. He panicked, but turned himself small to save himself with flying. His small body spun in circles when he felt himself get caught. Jimin was curled up into a ball when he peeked up to see Hoseok smiling at him.
"I survived!" Jimin relaxed in Hoseok's hands.
"Barely. But we're doing great." Hoseok chuckled.
The two of them looked at the demon that was ripping off the vines only for new ones to form. The flowers on its back were growing larger, spreading around to create a bigger garden. It was sucking the strength out of the demon. Jimin and Hoseok were proud of themselves. They just needed it to stop struggling so much. That's where Yoongi came in. He stared the demon right in the eyes with a small smile. He knew his dark magic would do no good, but he was capable of one thing that would serve him well. Yoongi locked eyes with the demon and immediately his pupils thinned. He put the demon in a trance, having it lower its guard and let the light continue to eat it up. Considering the size of the demon though, it would take far too long. So Seokjin would use his magic to kill the demon once and for all. Being in the water helped him muster all the strength he could as he headed up to the surface. The water started to pull itself back to create a large wave of light.
It only took a simple command from Seokjin to have the water crash down onto the demon. It burned the demon automatically. Steam escaped the dark creature as it melted and got completely swallowed by Seokjin's magic. It left Hoseok in awe to see the demon killed in an easy single stroke. Jimin turned himself back into his large form to properly celebrate. The large creature that had roared into the sky like a monster was gone. Jimin and Hoseok cheered as they ran closer to the edge of the water, jumping around as Seokjin swam closer to them. They would have hugged him if he weren't wet and had his legs back!
"I can't believe we killed a monster demon!" Hoseok jumped up high.
"Look at us! Two supposedly weak creatures of the light absolutely destroying it!!" Jimin flexed his arms.
"Guys...where's Yoongi?" Seokjin asked with a frown. Suddenly, Jimin and Hoseok froze in complete silence. They hadn't seen him for some time now. And with the huge light show Seokjin put on...
"Oh god, did we kill Yoongi!?" Hoseok brought his hands to his face. He was already breathing quickly and pacing around.
"What do you mean we!? It was all Seokjin!" Jimin pointed at the merman.
"Me? No way! I would never hurt Yoongi! I swear!" Seokjin promised, but Jimin and Hoseok were far too gone to reason with. Especially the lightheaded elf.
"No, no! Yoongi can't be dead! We were all being friends earlier and Namjoon is SO going to kill us for making his best friend see the light! I can't believe Yoongi just died on us! This wasn't supposed to happen!" Hoseok was already lost to his rambles. It wasn't helping ease the anxiety Jimin and Seokjin felt. "I-I'm too young to die! I also haven't kissed anyone before! Where is (F/n)??"
"How about you leave that poor girl alone?" Yoongi spoke up. The three creatures turned to face the vampire in shock. The pale man pushed his black hair back with a sigh, tired of how idiotic his friends could be. He obviously hid from the magic released by Seokjin. Yoongi turned himself into a bat and hid inside a tree for safety. Honestly, he would have kept watching them scream since it was kind of funny until Hoseok started being a pervert. At that point, Yoongi knew he needed to get that man to slow down.
"You're alive!" Hoseok gasped.
"I never died." Yoongi crossed his arms.
"Seokjin's not a murderer after all!" Jimin dropped to his knees in relief.
At the sight of Yoongi living and breathing, Seokjin felt himself get teary eyed. He grabbed onto the gravel on the ground to pull himself out of the water as fast as possible. He couldn't just stay in the water when the vampire was right there. It startled Yoongi to feel the wet merman wrap his arms around his leg. It took him off his balance, causing him to fall backwards. That didn't feel great at all. Yoongi groaned, but it got worse when Seokjin crawled higher up to hug Yoongi on the ground. Jimin and Hoseok surrounded him, making Yoongi just want to disappear.
"Thank goodness you're not dead!!" Seokjin cried out. He was holding Yoongi way too tight.
"Let go of me!" Yoongi gritted his teeth. Pulling Seokjin off was too difficult for some reason. "Don't make me wish I was dead!"
"I'll never hurt you!" Seokjin promised, peppering Yoongi with kisses on his head.
"Kill me now!" Yoongi kicked his legs.
"Make room for the hug!" Hoseok opened his arms.
"Yoongi deserves a big hug from all of us." Jimin nodded.
"Please, no. Stay the hell away from me! NO!!" Yoongi couldn't escape them if he tried. He was getting hugged against his will and worse yet, getting kisses on his head as if he were some pet cat. These people make him want to turn against light creatures. They're lucky he won't.
*~*
The crowd of people had returned to yelling at the council. Either complaining about the rations or getting frustrated with how long they've been cooped up in here like animals. Would they rather get torn to shreds outside? This would be enough to shut them up, but only temporarily. What were the council supposed to do against the creatures? The reminder that the council members were only human was causing the villagers to lose their patience. Somehow it made their respect for the council lower. The only one they were left to rely on was you. Arla insisted that you would find a way to make this all go away. Naturally, the villagers didn't like the idea, but they had no other choice. It was the same fight over and over again.
Aletta felt like she was losing her mind as she watched it play out in front of her again. The same scene was giving her a headache. It was difficult to tell when these people would grow tired. At this point, she was almost feeling embarrassed for them. They would never quit bothering the council no matter how many of the same old answers they got thrown back at their faces. Aletta was ready to start ranting to her friend, but Verona had fallen asleep a good while ago. She knew better than to wake up her sleeping friend. Not only because Verona hated being woken up, but also because pregnant women needed their rest. It's a miracle Verona managed to fall asleep with how loud everyone was and the crowded state of the council building.
Witnessing it all made Aletta want to scoff. She crossed her arms tightly as she looked around the room. Mrs. Bauer clung onto her husband in the corner of the room. It was a sad sight to see and one that made Aletta feel so guilty despite having full faith in the fact that you did nothing wrong. Aletta doubted that Florian's mother would ever see it that way. Eventually Aletta had to look away and her eyes unfortunately landed on the worst person in the entire world or in this case, this small island they were forever stuck on. Elias was the new target and he wasn't doing anything of importance. He was simply being a waste of space but spotting him made Aletta realize that she hadn't seen her sister for some time.
Where was Agatha? Her heart jumped, beating a lot faster than it had a second ago. Aletta sat up to take a closer look around the room. The realization that her sister was missing caused a rush of panic to run through her entire system. No matter how many times she looked around the room, she couldn't spot Agatha anywhere. No one was allowed to leave the council building. How could she have possibly escaped? Aletta's eyes remained wide, hating the feeling that built up in her chest. She may not get along with Agatha like she used to, but still...she wanted her sister safe in the building at the very least. Where could she have gone?
It was a difficult escape to make, but Agatha could rely on her creature friend to help her out. Staying at the council building proved to be too suffocating to stay. She couldn't even talk to her friend in front of everyone there. She had a lot of things to say to the creature for its behavior with Elias earlier. Way to traumatize someone! Agatha sighed heavily to herself, moving away from the council building as much as she could. She didn't want to be spotted near there only to be brought back in and questioned intensely.
"We need to talk." Agatha stopped moving, narrowing her eyes on the creature that swirled to the front of her. It turned itself into its human form, smiling back at Agatha. "What were you doing with Elias? That was so gross!"
"My bad. I didn't mean to make you jealous." The creature giggled, causing Agatha to scrunch her nose. She definitely didn't feel jealous. "His energy was just so delectable that I couldn't help myself."
"Well, learn to. Elias is bad news anyway and not worth anyone's time." Agatha crossed her arms, yet that just seemed to excite the creature even more. Visible shivers appeared on the creature's skin. Agatha scoffed, stomping her foot on the cobblestone ground. "What did I just say!? Gosh, you are so useless these days! Acting like you care about me, but really you're so quick to switch your focus on someone else! What happened to helping me? You haven't done anything to change my life. Actually, you've only made it worse and separated me further from everyone at the village—"
"Now, now. Let's take a deep breath and calm down before we jump to such conclusions!" The creature placed its hands on Agatha's shoulders. "I never meant any harm."
"Of course." Agatha rolled her eyes. "So is this somehow my fault? Am I misinterpreting something?"
"No, Sweetie. You're just getting distracted and not focusing on what truly matters. We both haven't...our goal was to destroy (F/n), remember?"
"Mission accomplished. The whole village hates her! But...Florian is dead. I never wanted that." Agatha shook her head, feeling her eyes sting as she thought about her crush. It didn't take much to get her eyes to water and that frustrated the creature. Despite holding Agatha's face in its hands, she wasn't focusing on them.
"Agatha. Don't drift away."
"This wasn't what I wanted..." Agatha sniffled. Her shoulders started to bounce as she cried harder. The creature rushed to her in its shadow form, wrapping itself around her. "N-No! Get away from me! I'm done!"
The alluring aura of the creature was no longer working on Agatha. She could only felt emptiness inside of her. Nothing of what she's done has worked in her favor. If anything, she felt as if it was only doing worse damage. Losing Florian was the worst part of this. Agatha continued to cry against the creature's wishes. It was loud enough to catch your attention as you walked around the forest. A sharp cry that turned your head towards the village in worry. Without thinking, you ran straight towards the place in worry that demons were attacking the council building.
"You are not done. We've only just begun!" The creature screeched at her. Agatha shook her head once more as she saw the creature stare at her with empty black eyes and a distorted mouth. The rest of its body was like fog while it's bust and up was solid. It tightly held onto her, frightening Agatha just as you arrived.
You ignored any hints of exhaustion that you felt. There was no time for resting if someone was in danger. Running through the village to find the source of the scream wasn't too hard. However, seeing it was Agatha made you pause. You didn't know how you felt about seeing her again, although those emotions could be sorted out later. The demon holding onto her immediately made you spring into action. It needed to leave her alone! Bringing your hand up, you shouted a spell and shot a few light beams at the demon. Right away, it screamed and hid behind Agatha.
"(F-F/n)...you can see it?" Agatha swallowed hard.
"It's a demon, Agatha! What are you doing out here?" You shouted as her entire body tensed up. Hearing the word 'demon' leave your lips came as a shock to her. She had never seen one and didn't know they could have looked like this.
"A d-demon?"
"Don't listen to her. Now is our chance to destroy her like we always wanted." The demon hissed.
"But—"
Agatha couldn't get another word in. Your presence clearly intimidated the demon and it pulled the lowest move it ever could. It forced itself into Agatha's chest, finding any way to enter. She was far too weak to deny it and it all shocked you. Never did you expect it to happen so fast. Not only that, but you were so lost as to what the relationship between the demon and Agatha could be. She could see it and seemed to know it well. They had to have a deal of some kind. It said to destroy you like they always wanted. How long have they been plotting such a thing? Suddenly, the heavy pressure against your chest when you were around Agatha made sense.
Watching the demon take over was a frightening sight. It vanished inside of her until none of its remains lingered outside of its new vessel. The way Agatha stood no longer felt like her. Whatever was inside her was completely in control. It stood differently and her entire expression changed. Despite having the same face, it almost didn't look like her. The Agatha you knew was gone, but she had to be in there somewhere. Balling your hands into fists, you prepared yourself for any move they could possibly make.
"Ah...we finally get to meet." The demon cracked its neck, smirking at you. "It took us some time to get here."
"Leave her body alone." You scowled as you formed small spheres of light in your hand. They began spinning rapidly above your palm, growing hotter by the second. "I'll make you leave by force."
"Good luck." The demon giggled as its lips curled into a strange smile. It was hard to believe a human was making such a face.
It leaned down before running at you at full speed. Raising their hand, it was immediately covered by a shadow only for a sharp blade to appear. You thrusted the light at the demon, but it successfully dodged each of them. It was moving way faster than any human could and jumped higher than what was possible. You took a few steps back as the demon aimed its sharp arm right at you. Your mind scrambled to think of a spell that would actually work. Light magic would be best to kill the demon and hopefully leave Agatha unharmed.
Unfortunately, you couldn't come up with a light spell quick enough. The best you could do was teleport in a different location nearby. You watched the demon come crashing down, striking its blade into the road. The stone in the ground was disturbed and no longer intact once the blade was removed. Slowly, the demon turned its head back to look at you with that creepy smile it possessed. The expressions felt like it was taunting you. At the same time, you could see how your quick spell to evade the blow got under the demon's skin.
"Are you not going to put up a fight because I'm in her body?" The demon questioned just as it thrusted its other arm out to create a giant sharp blade. It licked its lips now that it was wielding two.
"That's not the case..." You frowned. Now was the time you wished Jungkook had taught you more light magic. He had you grow a solid foundation for the basics, but you couldn't produce a sword of light like he could. But right now wasn't the time to be thinking of him.
"She wanted you dead, you know that?" The demon tilted its head at you. "She absolutely loathed you and the way you forced yourself into everybody's lives. Everyone automatically had to be kind to you because you're the poor orphan girl. You have all of them rushing to be your friend and make you feel special...are you proud of yourself?"
"Not once did I ever make a friend for not having parents..." You couldn't believe your ears. "The friends I have are because they reached out to me and didn't want me to feel left out. They're kind people. That's all it was! And I'm sorry if Agatha saw differently, but I was never rude to her. I don't understand why she hated me so much."
"Because you took so much from her! Her sister would rather spend time with you, her friends turned to you and forgot all about her, not to mention her love for Florian. Something well known to them and yet look what happened?" The demon was getting back into a fighting position.
"Agatha, I need you listen to me. We can talk about it all together. I never once wanted to make you feel unloved and unwanted. If anything, I would have been so grateful if we could be friends," you spoke out. The demon growled at you, not liking the fact that you weren't even addressing it directly anymore. "Agatha, please."
"She's not here anymore!!" It screeched at you. Ignoring it only made the creature charge straight towards you.
This time, you were more prepared to create a shield of light. You struck your hand forward as the demon hit the barrier. Part of you was stunned you reacted so quickly. You were so used to freezing during moments like this, but you stood your ground. Trembling, but you remained on your two feet. The demon wailed when it hit the shield. It stumbled back, panting heavily as it glared at you. Seeing Agatha with dark burns on her skin messed with your head a little bit. It was hurting the demon in her. Not her actual body. The smoke leaving her body was unsettling, but you continued to remind yourself of the truth.
"Get out of her body now!!" You yelled as you shot a bolt of light at the demon. It struck right in her shoulder, nearly knocking her down to the ground. This time black fog was leaking out of her shoulder due to the injury.
You swallowed hard, continuing to wrack your brain for more light spells to perform. Anything would do. Though as you attempted to create a larger bolt of light, the demon took its chance to have a swirl of black water head in your direction. You stopped the spell to duck but some of it landed on you anyway. It ate holes into your clothes and left burn marks. But feeling it on your skin caused you to cry out in pure agony. It was as if the black water was forcefully trying to enter your pores like a bug digging into your skin. It made you feel as if your skin was on fire, leaving you painfully tense.
"Not so fun when it's you, is it?" The demon taunted in a playful tone. You stared up at Agatha, hating how her eyes looked like vacant black holes. Her skin was significantly paler, allowing you to see the blue veins in her. You didn't want this demon in her any longer. Who knows what it could do?
"I'm not done yet." You felt warmth in your hand waiting to be released.
"Neither am I..." The demon stood in a strange position. Moving dark bubbles were forming around the demon, slowly growing larger into big puddles of murky water in the air. You took in a breath as you did your best to focus. There was no way you were going to let this demon win.
"Lux inspiratione!!" You held your hands outwards as the demon returned its own wrath. The water headed straight towards you as light began to swirl out from your hands. It wrapped around your arms quickly, growing hot enough to feel like the sun. It roared as it rapidly struck through the dark magic of the demon's. Suddenly, the smug look on them vanished and was replaced with fear.
There was a flash within the village once it struck Agatha's body. She collapsed onto her knees as the burnt parts of her skin and clothes seemed to be evaporating before your eyes. The demon in her scrunched its face in pain, staring at you hatefully as you came closer. You made sure to be careful when approaching. The demon may be injured, but it could strike you at any second. Though you were almost positive that you had completed the job. All you needed to do was finish it off with one final move. You muttered a light spell, forming a ball of light in your hand as the creature hissed.
"I'll make it quick," You stated. "You should have never bothered to talk to her—much less possess her."
"...far too late for this lecture. Besides, she needed me. I helped her loneliness." The creature laughed in your face. Its smile was twitching, not wanting to express too much pain. You frowned at everything the demon had to say. "In her pathetic state, any demon or creature would have approached her."
"How dare you!?" You held your arm back, ready to burst the light onto the demon. But you froze when you witnessed Agatha's grunt and twitch. You could see hints of her coming out, doing her best to fight the demon in its weakened state.
"I-I'm not pathetic!" Agatha cried out. Her eyes had almost returned to normal only to become a dull black again. She shuddered uncontrollably in front of you and you had enough. She needed to be set free from this demon. You brought the ball of light down to Agatha, but it went wrong. The demon escaped the body at the last second. The light did nothing to her besides give her warmth and cleansing her of any remaining evil. But it was of no use. With the blink of an eye, the demon turned back around to pierce Agatha in the chest.
"AGATHA!" You screamed. Her eyes were no longer black, but they didn't carry the full life they used to. You dropped to your knees to catch her so she wouldn't fall onto the stone ground. Her breathing was harsh as she bled profusely from her chest. Seeing blood dribble down her chin was only reminding you of Florian. It was happening all over again...you lost it. Looking back up at the escaping demon that found it funny, you shot another light bolt at it. This time when it struck the demon, it exploded in a flash of light. The demon was no longer in sight after that. It was just you and Agatha now...but not the way you wanted. You looked down at her, watching her as she tried to stay calm and stare up at you. "Agatha, it's okay. I-I can fix this."
"No...it's o-okay." Agatha tried to smile at you. Her breaths were labored, making your heart tighten in your chest. You shook your head at her awful words. In what world would this be okay? "T-This is my punishment...I was selfish..."
"Don't say things like that!" You shouted at her. She could see your eyes growing teary which didn't help her. The lump in her throat was forming against her wishes. "I-I will try to heal you with light. Someone t-told me I could do it, but I haven't done it before."
"(F/n), no." Agatha's voice was soft. "...you mean well, but it's fine..." She gently touched your hand that was holding her so tight. It just made you want to cry harder. Tears rolled down her own cheeks, but she did her best to keep smiling. "For a moment, I felt a heavenly warmth...if once I go I feel that light embrace again...I t-think I'll be okay."
"B-But Agatha, you can't. What about Aletta? Your parents?" You tried taking your hand off to start your light magic only for her to cling onto your fingers. She didn't want you to and it had you trembling far more than you could bear. "Please! Let me help!!"
"You've done more t-than I ever could...y-you've always been so kind. A-And I h-hated you for no reason...I'm sorry. F-For everything I-I've done..." Agatha's speech was getting slower. She was doing her best to think and say the right words. You couldn't imagine the pain she was feeling. It ate you up inside to have her going through her worst in your arms. "T-The demon was right...I-I am pathetic."
"You're not! No!" You squeezed her hand. "Agatha, I never hated you. Not before all this had to happen a-and even when you lied about me to the village, I never wanted this for you! Why does your punishment have to be this?"
"Because." Agatha's lips were struggling to keep the smile. "You know, I-I bet I w-would have been happier if I h-h-had become your friend instead..."
"I forgive you." You hated this so much. You would have much rather have her stick around and given her another chance. But she didn't have much time. Soon Agatha's brave smile collapsed into a frown as she cried a little harder. Your forgiveness seemed to affect her as if she never expected it. Holding onto a grudge after this...you didn't have it in you. It only made you think back to what Namjoon had told you. Hate wouldn't serve you in the end nor would anger. Everyone always told you to stay kind and the way you are. They couldn't find it easy themselves, but you couldn't see it any other way. Especially not now.
"I-I'm trying s-so hard not t-to be scared...I d-don't wanna die..." Agatha admitted. "D-Don't leave m-me yet."
"I won't. I'm staying right here." You swallowed despite how tight your throat felt. Agatha was relying on the warmth from the light she had felt earlier to not panic. She had done her best to stay calm and that helped her not bleed out so fast. However, she couldn't hold out forever. Eventually, Agatha grew heavier in your arms and her body became limp. Now her eyes were fully dull and you closed them for her. Hugging her tightly, you cried heavily for Agatha. If only life didn't have to be so cruel.