Y/n's eyes went wide as soon as she saw the crow transform into a man. Well, not because she saw a crow turn into a human; she has even seen dragons turn into humans. But as soon as she saw the face of the man, her blood ran cold.
"Tieran?" Y/n whispered shakily with mixed emotions of fear and anger.
The same shining blue eyes, the same sharp jaw line, the same pink lips, the same flawless skin, and the same perfect nose with a perfect bridge-just like his. But there was one difference in the hair: instead of white-blonde, it was pitch black, and it had a little mullet.
The guy tilted his head just like a bird and blinked a couple of times. "Young lady master asked Chester, to pass on the message that he had summoned you to his office." The raven spoke from a third-person point of view.
Y/n knew that this was the crow who always sat on Tieran's shoulder. But why do they both look exactly the same? If the hair colour wasn't different, someone would definitely think that this is the white-blonde, heartless monster.
Y/n looked directly into the raven's eyes, trying to discern something. But there wasn't any evilness, just a hint of gentleness in the raven's eyes as he blinked slowly. Even though the appearance was the same, the raven's behavior was far from the white-blonde monster. He bowed his head and talked with respect, never talking while looking into her eyes, just like her maids did when she was the young lady of this mansion.
Chester moved away a little from the doorway, gesturing y/n to go and meet his master. Y/n closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She hated this. She didn't want to meet that monster, but she needed answers. She needs to find out what happened to her Jungkook and where he and the other weredragons are.
As soon as y/n walked out of her room, Chester started leading her to his master's office. Y/n slowly followed the raven, even though she was familiar with every inch of the mansion where she lived from the moment she was born. As she walked through the halls, past memories filled her head. Chester was leading her to her own father's office.
Chester stopped in front of the heavy wooden door and knocked on it. As a reply, a small "come in" was heard from the other side, sending shivers down the girl's spine.
Her father's office had changed so much since the last time she saw it. But the wooden table and the huge leather chair were the same ones her father used. The person she hated the most was sitting in that chair. The usual smirk played on the white-blonde's face. He played with a dart in his hand.
Chester pushed y/n gently inside a little bit before closing the door and leaving. Y/n gulped the saliva in her mouth and walked into the room. The last thing she wanted to do was be alone with this man in a room. If we talk about the truth, y/n was terrified. But she didn't show it because Namjoon once told her that showing someone that she was scared was more dangerous than being scared for real. So she walked into the room while looking around like she didn't care or wasn't nervous at all. She was surprised when she saw all the things in that room. Just how much does this man hate dragons? y/n thought. Everything in that room was related to humans' defeating dragons. And almost everything in that room was made of gold.
"Humans are the highest creatures in this world. Others are always second, or they are not allowed to even exist." Tieran's blue eyes met with y/n's. He got up from his seat, walked in front of the table, and leaned against it. "Those pitiful creatures should disappear from the world." he said further while playing with the dart in his hand. Suddenly, he threw it, and it went near y/n's ear, making her heart almost stop. Y/n turned her head back and looked behind her when she heard the dart hitting something with a thud sound. The dart, which was pierced through a dart board with a picture of a red dragon, was still shaking because of the speed it hit on the board.
"Why are you doing this?" y/n spattered while turning her head towards the man. "Why am I doing this?" He repeated. "Well, honey, it's in my blood. Didn't I tell you that I came from the Pendragon family? It's a very old lineage, my lady. We are dragon hunters. That was what my great-grandfather did; it was what my father did; and it is what I am doing now." He said it with a proud smile on his face.
"Our family was powerful; we weren't even second to the empire but your father. I needed that power. And I got what I wanted. Then I killed your father and got his power." Tieran said with a victorious smile on his face. "So it was you?" y/n said with a voice dripping with venom.
"Of course it was me. When I killed him I thought I had everything I needed, but it wasn't enough. Then I got to know that Mr. Lee had a daughter. Many people didn't respect me and accept me because you were still here. They began to think you were the new successor in the Lee family. So, I started to think about what I could do for this. I had two options. One was to kill you, and the other was to marry you."
Y/n felt shivers running down her spine. Marry this guy? She would rather die. Tieran keeps speaking, "I came to this mansion looking for you. In the beginning, I was planning to kill you because it would be easier, but when I saw your picture in your living room, I changed my mind. You were so damn beautiful. I wanted to meet my future wife, but suddenly she went missing." Tieran said with a fake sad voice.
Now y/n understood why the red dragon suddenly took her to the hidden island. Jungkook knew what was on the way and did everything to keep her safe. To save her from this monster. Jungkook kept her between his arms to keep her safe.
"Then I met you again, when that bastard took you back to town to buy things you needed. You looked as beautiful as ever, princess. I wanted to take you with me, but that's when I saw that dragon walking toward you. I almost heard my blood singing, sweetie. I felt something blooming inside me. Then I realized it. It was my yearning to destroy them and show my power to the world. Thanks to you, I found out that those disgusting creatures were still alive. Thanks to you, I found my new target."
Yes, this all happened because of her. The weredragons were captured because of her. Now Taehuyng was dead because of her. Jimin, Hoseok, Jin, Namjoon, and Yoongi got caught because of her. They drowned in a pool of blood because of her. She was the reason for Jungkook's current condition. SHE was the one who destroyed their lives. This majestic creature had to look pathetic in front of humans because of her. They were so kind to her, but look what she did to them.
"Princess that basterd-"
"JUNGKOOK, his name is Jungkook." Y/n spat angrily, making Tiran stop talking. "And don't call me that. I am not a princess, and I am definitely not your princess. Only my loved ones are allowed to call me with pet names." Y/n's anger took over her fear.
Tieran's eyes went dark. The joyful expression on his face turned into anger in seconds. He pulled back from the table and walked towards y/n. He expected her to flinch and move back, but to his surprise, she didn't. ' He was always second to my father. He was afraid of the Lee family, ' y/n kept repeating it in her mind. Tieran walked dangerously close to y/n. He touched her long hair and started playing with it. "Such a big mouth you've got there. Bet they can bring heaven and hell together." He purred and kissed the hair in his hand.
Y/n pulled her hair from his hold harshly. Disgusted by the man's action.
"Well, I won, didn't I?" He said while walking back to the table and sitting on the leather seat. "I found you. I sent hundreds of ships just to find where that hidden land was located. I found it too, didn't I? I found and defeated the dragons too. yeah? So I won this game. You know what? It is so hard to destroy a weredragon or make them powerless. There are only two things that can defeat a dragon; one is gold." He said while pointing at the things in his office. Now y/n understood why he was obsessed with gold.
"The other thing is that it is so rare. All the people thought they were extinct, but guess what? I got one." He took his walking stick from the corner of the table and tapped it loudly on the floor. With a loud roar, the bookshelves behind him moved to the side, revealing a cave.
Y/n never knew that there was a place like that behind her father's office. She heard someone breathing loudly. The cave was pitch black. Y/n couldn't see anything. Y/n felt a wave of heat hit her body as soon as the bookshelves moved to one side. She heard loud footsteps and growls. Then three pairs of orange-colored eyes came into y/n's view. Y/n looked at Tieran, who had a calm expression in his face, and then at the orange eyes. Y/n knew that whoever the creature was in that room was slowly approaching them. While snarling, three heads appeared from behind Tieran. One came from the left and the other from the right, while one came above his chair. Three heads snarled again at y/n, showing their teeth. There were flames dancing in the corners of their mouths. Suddenly, it charged toward y/n but got pulled back by the heavy chains around their neck.
Something dripped from it's mouth, making a puddle of thick black liquid next to y/n's feet. She backed away a little. It was the venom that made Jungkook weak. It was the venom that made Jungkook almost lose his life. It sent him through so much pain. Y/n looked up and glared at the creature. The beast was covered with thick black fur.
Y/n knew this creature. She has seen it, somewhere. Then she remembered she saw it in a book in Namjoon's office. Oh, now she remembered it was a "Cerberus".
She remembered how Namjoon growled for the first time and asked how she knew about that creature. That was the first time she saw the fear and unease in the calm dragon's eyes. Namjoon pulled the book away and closed it before she read it. But she still remembered a few lines she saw by accident.
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Beware all people and souls, for you can't escape.
At the gate of Tarturas, Cerberus awaits.
No foolish being would dare enter it's gate.
Or else approach an inevitable fate.
If you dare enter, you are in for a surprise.
A surprise that will lead to your untimely demise.
Do not dare stare into it's glowing orange eyes.
Not following this advice would make you unwise.
This monster loves to feed upon the flesh of humans and the power of dragons.
It's cruel as it's siblings that leads one to ruin.
He's Hades' loyal watchdog that guards the gates
of the underworld, where Cerberus awaits.
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"I see that you recognize him. Well, unfortunately, gold and a Cerberus can only weaken a dragon. It can only prevent a dragon from using its abilities and powers. There isn't much difference between a pathetic dog and a dragon when they lose their abilities." Tieran laughed mockingly.
No, he was wrong. Y/n knew he was wrong. Dragons were strong even without their abilities. Her Jungkook was strong, and her weredragons were strong. It's just that this man played dirty and took an opportunity when the dragons were weak.
"Let's stop talking about those things and come to the main point. I called you here because I wanted to inform you of something." Tieran said while sending his long, thin fingers through the thick fur coat of the three-headed hellhound. His blue eyes started to shine with mystery.
"You should get ready for your marriage, sweetie." Tieran looked directly into y/n's eyes. "W-what?" y/n stuttered. "Your marriage, sweetheart." Tieran repeated while smiling sweetly at y/n as evil flames danced in his eyes. "With whom?" she asked stupidly as her mind went blank. "Who else? Of course, it's me. I wouldn't let such beauty go to waste. And it would keep me happy whenever I remembered that I stole everything from that Asgorath." Tieran said.
"What? No, I would kill myself rather than marry you." Y/n almost screamed.
Tieran got up from his seat with a calm expression on his face. "I knew that this would be your answer." He said while slowly walking near y/n. "But did you ever think what would happen to those friends of yours? They are still in my custody. What will happen to them? Especially, what would happen to that Jungkook of yours?" He raised one eyebrow "Ohhhh, I see. He hasn't told you about that." He walked closer to her.
"That basterd kept that away from you? I am quite surprised." Tieran grabbed y/n by her hair and yanked her towards him, making her flinch with pain. "So he never told you what this mark means?" Y/n felt shivers run down her spine as she felt cold, thin fingers brushed the skin behind her ear.
Y/n knew that this mark was important to Jungkook. He almost treasured and cherished it while leaving butterfly kisses on it. Jungkook always used to nuzzle his face into the crook of her neck on that side. He always said that it was his mark on her skin, but he never explained further what that mark meant.
Tieran let her go and grabbed her wrist, taking it closer to his face. His eyes shined with anger as he stared at the pack mark. "So even the alpha accepted you as his pack member but never explained what's going on?" He let her go while making her more confused with his words. "Have you ever wondered how all these marks suddenly appeared on your skin?" he said.
When y/n didn't reply, he continued. He pointed her ear. "This mark shows a strong nexus, a bond he built between you two. It's a really strong bond, honey. A really strong one. It's strong enough that Jungkook will die if you die. So, which means if I kill you, your lover will die eventually."
Y/n's eyes widen. Her stomach flipped with fear. She was confused and lost. Why? Why did Jungkook form a bond like that with her? Why did he always have to put his life in line when it came to her? Why didn't Jungkook tell her anything about it? Jungkook kept many things away from her, but why this? Why was he ready to give his own life for her? Y/n suddenly felt angry. She wished Jungkook was selfish. She had a lump in her throat. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Y/n's head started to spin, giving her an unbearable headache as her head was a mess.
"You know what the craziest thing is? If I killed you, he would die. But if I kill him, you won't. If he dies the bond mark on your skin will disappear along with the bond. This mark shows that you clearly own that beast. Well princess I really don't like when other people touch my things. At first, I was furious to see this mark on your skin. I was a little late to claim what was mine. So I can easily kill him and get back what's mine."
"So? What do you say?" Tieran asked with a joyful voice. "I will leave those dragons of yours alone if you agree to marry me. Or I can easily kill all of you."
Y/n stayed silent without saying anything. She felt helpless. This man was talking as if she were an item someone could own. Oh, how much she hated him. But she won't let any of the dragons die or go through the pain. They always did everything they could for her. Now it was the time for her to repay them for all the things they did for her. Maybe this is a trap, but she didn't have any other choice. She balled her fists, digging her nails into her palm. "Fine, I will. But you have to promise me that you will leave the dragons alone." She gritted her teeth while glaring at the man in front of her.
Tieran clapped his hands, turning around. "Deal"
Y/n turned around to walk out of the room but stopped when she heard Tieran's voice. "This is crazy. Do you love that beast that much that you will sacrifice your life?"
Y/n didn't turn back, facing the man. But she felt his gaze on her. "He was there for me all the time, and I know that he will be in the future. Also, I would rather have a beast who treats me like a princess than a prince who doesn't."
Tieran laughed mockingly at her. "Tinkerbell has always been there for Peter. And peter, He chose Wendy. So why don't you do the same?"
Y/n laughed loudly. "There's been a place for him in my heart since we first met. He makes me happy in a way no one else can. He taught me how to love myself. He taught me how to love myself when he looked at me as if I were the universe and everything else was simply stars and planets. He taught me how to love myself when he kissed me so much that the taste of his lips was the only thing I could remember. He taught me how to love myself over and over again until I believed it was true. I chose him. And I'll choose him, over and over and over. without a pause, without a doubt, in a heartbeat. I'll keep choosing him. And most importantly, I AM NOT YOU." With that, she walked out of the room without looking back.
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As soon as y/n walked out of the office, she walked straight to her room. She knew that Chester was following her, but she ignored him and entered the room, closing the door behind her with a loud thud. Then she leaned against the door while breathing heavily. Suddenly, she started to hear a voice whisper inside her head, "Breath. You are going to be okay. Breathe and remember that you have been in this place before. You've been this uncomfortable, anxious, and scared, and you've survived. Breathe, and know that you can survive this too. These feelings can't break you. They are painful and debilitating, but you can sit with them, and eventually they will pass. Maybe not immediately, but sometime soon they are going to fade, and when they do, you'll look back at this moment and laugh for having doubted your resilience. I know it feels unbearable right now, but keep breathing again and again. This will pass. I promise it will pass." Y/n really didn't care from where those words came to her head. She didn't even focus on the voice but on the words, she closed her eyes and slid down the door to the floor and she let herself drown in them.
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There was a figure behind the window watching the whole scene happening in the office. The sharp eyes followed as the white-blonde man walked around the room. The figure swallowed the growl that formed in the throat as the white-blonde man went to the lady and grabbed her harshly. The sharp eyes glared at the three-headed beast in the room, with full of hate. The figure watched the lady leave the office of the man with eyes filled with sadness and many more emotions. The eyes changed color and shone brightly with anger. One of the heads of the beast snapped towards the window. But before anyone knew what was happening, the figure disappeared into the thin air behind the darkness.
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A man was walking in a dark, empty hallway in the mansion. He was wearing a thick black cloak that covered his face and his whole body. The only source of light was the small lamp in his hand, which barely gave any light. A necklace with a long purple crystal dangled from his neck. The man continuously looked around to see if someone was following him or if someone could see him. He suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway. Some dust fell on his shoulder from the wooden ceiling above, and then he heard the sound of footsteps from above. It looked like guards were on night patrol. It wasn't a ceiling above the stranger; it was just one secret tunnel located beneath the mansion. He slowly looked over his shoulder as his shining green eyes sliced through the darkness. Then he turned back and hurried his steps.
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The world was sleeping soundly while, embracing the darkness nature provided. But two people stayed awake, planning their next move. And the moon was hidden behind the clouds, allowing them to do their work. It looked like nature was in their side.