Jimin stared at Illusia, bright yellow eyes boring into her dark orbs, fangs bared as he growled loudly with his nails digging into the concrete ground. The enchantress was obviously stunned by how he was acting just like an animal and he himself didn't know why he was doing this, why the gem's abilities came with him growling and hissing like a wild dog. Still, the thunder gem bearer couldn't ignore the fact that there was a newfound power surging inside him, so strong that his limbs trembled at the sensation of electricity flowing in his veins.
What had been the cause of this? The realization? The anger? Jimin didn't know the reason why but to be frank, he liked it. He liked the intimidated look on Illusia's face. He liked feeling powerful.
"What's wrong, Illusia?," Jimin smirked, eyes glinting with mischief. "Afraid?"
Jimin's words seemed to have snapped Illusia back into reality because now the enchantress was scowling, eyes burning with fury. She raised a hand to her chin, pointing two fingers in the air. "Nonsense! I shall not be intimidated by the likes of you!"
Illusia swiped her hand, wires breaking away from the ground and charging towards Jimin, who dodged it by jumping high in the air, barely securing the safety of his feet. Another wired aimed to skewer him through the abdomen but he avoided it and smoothly rolled on the ground. Sitting up, gritted his teeth and clasped his hands together, bolts of electricity shooting towards the enchantress.
Using the wires to shield herself from the lightning, Illusia failed to see Jimin pouncing at her with sharp claws and bared fangs. The two collided and crashed to the ground, rolling over the tangled wires. During this, Kaeva watched in silence and glanced at the wires pinning her to the wall, trying to think of a way to free herself so she could assist Jimin. She then had an idea and started to wriggle.
Jimin, partly blinded by his rage, started to repeatedly punch Illusia in the face with inhumane speed, all while growling right at her face, electricity sparking in the air around them. Then, there was a gust of wind with a bit of purple mist, and suddenly he was on top of Namjoon, lips cut and cheek swollen.
Pausing, Jimin stared at the now whimpering Namjoon, his mind failing to process what exactly he was looking at. Still, he lowered his hand, expression turning soft. "Namjo—"
Jimin was struck at the chest, both feet kicking him in the air and making him land on his back as he grunted in pain. Then Namjoon — no, no, this was Illusia in disguise — stood up and slowly walked towards him, fingers snapping as the wires followed their movements, an evil smirk on his face. "Ha, just when I thought you've fully conquered me, I have once again found your weak spot. Let's see if you can go against your closest friend, Park Jimin."
The wires snapped at Jimin like whips and he had to repeat the fact that Illusia had shape shifted into Namjoon in his head to prevent himself from hesitating to fight back. Still, he couldn't bear the thought of fighting or hurt one of his dear friends, so he dodged them, trying to find a way to defeat Illusia without going against his own morals.
"What's wrong, Jimin?," Namjoon, no, Illusia cackled loudly, gripping one of the wires and pulling off the ground, making it look like a lasso. Jimin remember Hoseok's story about Markus, the former ruler of Lucht, who also had a similar weapon. "Why don't you fight me? Or are you a coward?"
Jimin stood up, teeth gritted and fists balled in anger because of the situation he was in right now. In those moments, he came into a realization that the person he was facing would never be Namjoon and scolded himself for actually hesitating to fight back. His eyes returned to their powerful yellow glow as a low growl rumbled in his throat, electricity crackling around his arms. He then remembered the super speed he had achieved whilst running to the forest. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. Fast, think fast.
"You're not Namjoon," Jimin breathed as he smirked, fangs poking out of his upper lip, electricity starting to spark under his feet as well. "You won't fool me."
The next second, Jimin broke into a sprint and was so fast that Illusia could not even see him, so she couldn't prepare herself for a punch in the face. Due to this, her spell faltered and she was no longer disguised as Namjoon, making the thunder gem bearer smirk victoriously. He continued to land punches, making the enchantress wobble in her place. When she tried tripping him with a wire, he remembered some of his martial arts training and flipped in the air, wrapping his legs around the woman's neck before smashing her to the ground.
Jimin noticed how Illusia's eyes were glassy, almost as if she was going to cry any second. He was currently sitting on top of her, legs still wrapped around her neck, and grinned sadistically as he summoned a ball of electricity over his palm. "Who is the coward now?"
However, before Jimin could deal the final blow, wires wrapped around his chest and raised him high up in the air. He growled and attempted to literally claw his way out but more wires pinned his arms, completely trapping him. Panic started filling his system when a thick wire tightened around his neck, making him wheeze in order to breath.
Illusia was standing below Jimin, giving him a mischievous smile as she balled her hand into a fist, the wires around his neck tightening even more. She was massaging her neck, which was red and bruised. "Let's see who."
Jimin had tears in his eyes because he was literally losing his breath, both throat and chest burning due to the lack of oxygen. He once again attempted to raise his hands but the wires forbid it. Black spots were appearing in his vision as he continued to wheeze, already tasting something sour in his mouth.
Just as Jimin was about to close his eyes in defeat, the wires around his neck loosened and he fell to the ground, landing smoothly on his feet as he grabbed his throat and desperately inhaled air. Looking around in confusion, he saw loose wires on the wall, one of them falling to the ground. Turning towards Illusia, his eyes widened when he realized that Kaeva was choking the enchantress with her wooden staff, leading to his release.
"Jimi—," Kaeva was hit across the face with Illusia's elbow before she could say Jimin's name. The female dancer stumbled a bit and wobbled in place but thankfully, she recovered quickly enough to defend herself, spinning the wooden staff in her hands as the enchantress charged at her. "Take the crown!"
Jimin was confused for a moment until he saw Bliksem's crown on the ground, resting a few feet away from where Kaeva and Illusia were at. He immediately ran towards it but was halted when a wire coiled around his foot, tripping him, the crown brushing against his fingertips.
In a fit of rage, Jimin slashed the wire with his claws and freed myself. After remembering a certain scene from Lightning Thief, he clasped his hands together to form a lightning bolt, clutching as he stood up and faced Illusia. However, there was one problem, and it made him pause.
There were two Kaevas.
Jimin clicked his tongue, knowing that Illusia had shape shifted into Kaeva during those few minutes when he had turned his back. Now, he was staring at two Kaevas fighting each other with bare fists, the wooden staff on the floor, with absolutely no clue of which one was the real Kaeva or not. He watched them silently, trying to find a clue, the lightning bolt crackling in his hand.
"Jimin!," The first Kaeva screamed before dodging a punch from the second Kaeva and pulling at her white dress, making them both fall to the ground. "Illusia is trying to fool you! I'm the real Kaeva—"
The first Kaeva was silenced by the second Kaeva, who slapped her across the face. She looked up, red hair messy, strands sticking to her sweaty cheeks, eyes bright yellow yet dark. "Don't listen to her, Jimin! I'm the real—"
"Shut up! You're making things more complicated!," The first Kaeva snarled and harshly tugged on the other Kaeva's hair, making her scream in pain as she tried getting herself free. Instead, her arms were pinned and now she was forced to face Jimin. "Jimin! Kill her before she decides to do anything!"
Despite the command, Jimin stayed still, trying to contemplate and figure out who really was Kaeva. His head was spinning and he was internally cursing at himself for being in this situation. He looked closely at the two women, trying to find a clue to solve their problem but for the life of him, there was nothing he could see. Groaning in frustration, he watched them both brawl, fearing that if he doesn't think quickly, the real Kaeva would be killed and Bliksem will be lost for good.
Jimin finally realized the weight of the situation and racked his brain, trying to put himself inside the shoes of both Namjoon and Hoseok, the smartest of his friends. If they were here, what would they do? His attention was caught when he heard grunting and saw the two Kaevas still fighting, rolling on the ground and pulling on each other's hair. He rubbed his temples, the stress overwhelming him.
"Jimin! Do something!"
"Don't listen to her!"
"No! Ignore her and listen to me!"
Think fast, Jimin, think fast. Closing his eyes, he thought back to the city of Bliksem and the interior of Kaeva's house. The strange food, the ornaments, the paintings and the books. Surely, there was something there that only Kaeva knew, something not even the illusionist could figure out.
When Jimin remembered a certain item, he opened his eyes grinned. He tightened his grip on the lightning bolt as it crackled against his palm. "Kaeva!"
Both Kaevas turned towards Jimin, which was something he had absolutely expected. Stepping towards them slowly, he observed the two girls, noticing that they both stared at them questionably but the other had more panic evident in her eyes. He wasn't sure if that was something he could use to identify the real Kaeva so he decided to stick to his plan.
"Fire is bright, fire is hot," Jimin's teeth were gritted, eyes glowing powerfully yellow as the ground beneath his feet burned due to the electricity surging through him. The two Kaevas looked baffled. "Water is fluid, water is cold."
There was a moment of silence, only Jimin's footsteps and crackling electricity resounding in the room. One of the Kaevas, he couldn't even tell if it was the first one or not anymore, had her ears perk up like that of a deer's, eyes widening in realization as her jaw dropped. The other Kaeva stared, still confused. "Earth is firm... earth is strong!"
Jimin paused, the smile on his face growing once he met Kaeva's yellow eyes and he knew, he was now looking at the real one. He stepped forward once more, glare shifting to the fake Kaeva, who was looking back and forth between the two in confusion. "Air is frigid!"
Kaeva smiled brightly before replying. "Air is invisible!"
"What the hell are you guys saying?!," The fake Kaeva, no, Illusia screeched angrily, making Jimin officially conclude that she indeed was the imposter.
Jimin noticed that the wooden staff was on the ground next to him so he used his foot to pick it up and tossed it towards Kaeva, who caught it with ease and used it to choke the imposter. Whilst Illusia tried getting herself free, the thunder gem bearer stepped in front of her, lightning bolt ready in hand.
"You think this is over, Park Jimin?," Illusia, who had removed the illusion from herself, chuckled darkly, drops of blood dotting the corners of her mouth. "Once you kill me, you'll catch the attention of the rest of the Great Six. It means death upon you and your friends."
"Shut up," Jimin hissed and harshly grabbed Illusia's hair, eyes burning with absolute rage and anger. He stared at the lightning bolt in his hands and watched it crackle, his glare returning to the enchantress. "Your words won't fool me or anyone else."
Jimin plunged the lightning bolt deep into Illusia's chest, just as Kaeva released her in order to avoid herself from getting shocked, literally. She ran towards Jimin, who had also let go of the enchantress, and the two watched as the illusionist shook violently at the electricity surging through her body. The dancer whimpered at the cries that came from Illusia and the thunder gem bearer pressed her face to his chest so that she wouldn't watch the gruesome death.
Finally, it ended, Illusia's limp body landing on the ground with a loud thud. Jimin stared at the enchantress, flinching at how her body was charred and black, blisters covering every inch of her skin. She then slowly faded into ashes, which fluttered in the wind, creating an illusion of flower petals spinning in the air. He tapped Kaeva's shoulder, the dancer looking up just to see it before it completely disappeared.
"Is it over?," Kaeva whispered, still clutching the wooden staff in her hand.
Jimin massaged Kaeva's cheek with his thumb, doing his best to reassure her. "Yeah, yeah it is."
"Thank God," Kaeva spoke after a few moments of silence, the two staring at each other in the eyes. She then slipped out of Jimin's grasp and bent down to the ground to pick something up. It was Bliksem's crown in all its glory, the silver body glistening, along with the yellow stone in its core. "It's about time we crown the rightful king, don't you agree?"
Jimin stared at the crown, his eyes turning glassy the moment he realized that he had successfully freed Bliksem from its ruler and was about to bring the city back to its former glory. He was no longer afraid of the responsibility that awaited him as king, instead he was excited and looked forward to seeing Bliksem through the perspective of a ruler. So, he carefully took the crown from Kaeva's hands and smiled brightly as he placed it on his own head.
Newfound power stung from Jimin's hand as it shot throughout his veins, making him shiver and look down at his gem, which was glowing even brighter than he remembered, the inscription of king now etched into its yellow core. The dark clouds outside faded, finally letting light bask the city of Bliksem, some Blikseians coming out of their houses to watch the sight. However, despite this, there was still a certain darkness in the city and Jimin frowned at this sight from view of the window.
"Why... why hasn't Bliksem fully recovered?," Jimin choked out, fingernails digging into the still dusty windowsill and teeth gritted in frustration. "Wasn't it enough? What else do we need to do?"
"We need to power up the generator," Kaeva spoke softly from behind. Jimin turned around to face her and saw the anxiety written all over her features as she clenched her jaw, a hand placed over her mouth. "It's my job to and... Jimin, I can't. It's been so long since I've last danced and, and I don't think I—"
Jimin stepped forward and held both of Kaeva's hands, squeezing them as he gave her a warm smile. She stared back at him with wide eyes, lips trembling a bit. He understood why she was so overwhelmed since the weight of Bliksem's faith was on her shoulders as well. He knew exactly what had to be done. "Kaeva... we can do this. Together."
Kaeva was silent for a while until she squeezed Jimin's hands in return, smiling brightly, eyes a bit glassy. She then stepped back and slightly raised her skirt, bending her knees as she bowed, some strands of her red hair falling to her face. "It is my honor to dance with the King."
"No," Jimin bowed back, remembering his knowledge of contemporary dance and it seemed like an eternity since he had last practiced it. Despite his rusty memory, he still remembered bits of it and decided to let his body go with the flow once they start to dance. "It will be an honor to dance with you."
With a raised hand, Jimin stared at Kaeva, waiting for her to respond. Once she finally grabbed his hand, he pulled her closer and gently held her waist as their hands linked. They stared at each other for a moment before swaying to the silent music, gracefully spinning as they danced only to the sound of their heartbeats. The wires on the ground should have made it more difficult for the two but not even that could stop them from passionately dancing.
To Jimin, dancing was his home, it gave him pleasure and comfort, reminding him that despite all that went on his life, he could still find happiness in the smallest of things. He and Kaeva were perfectly in sync and he noticed how fluid the female's movements were, almost as if her limbs were made of water itself. They continued to spin, carefully, precisely, as sparks began to appear beneath their soles.
Jimin's hand slipped away from Kaeva's waist as she spun on one foot, twirling around slowly before spinning in place and landing back in his arms, as he gracefully dipped her, her red ponytail barely touching the ground, arm extending, back arching. Pulling her back to him, their chests touched, noses brushing, hot breaths fanning each other's cheeks. More electric sparks crackled in the air.
Shifting his hand to the other side of Kaeva's waist, Jimin felt her do the same to his other shoulder and now they were standing side by side. Moving forward, their feet tapped against the ground in a rhythm, following a symphony only they could hear, movements perfectly synchronized. It made him notice that her frame was smaller than his, limbs shorter along with her height.
But, Jimin realized that he and Kaeva were one and the same. They were both dancers who were popular amongst the community, yet not even their fame could lead them to their true happiness. They were both regular people blessed with magical abilities, regular people who never wanted a supernatural destiny, regular people who wished to be free. Now, however, Jimin knew that he wasn't dancing alone, that there was someone who felt the same way he did, someone who understood him. That made him happy.
Kaeva tapped her foot, bringing Jimin back to reality when he realized that she had pranced so he caught her by the waist and spun her in a circle. At that moment, everything went in slow motion and he unconsciously studied her face, taking in her button nose, her smooth white skin and feline eyes, which came with piercing yellow irises. Due to this, he didn't even feel the electricity surrounding them, the bolts striking the walls, lighting up the wires to make them glow and finally, powering up the generator.
Just as Jimin and Kaeva's dance ended with the female dancer's hands on his chest, the two heard a crackle and saw the generator light up, just as the electricity around them started to spark. A bright light appeared as the generator lit up, temporarily blinding both, and there was what sounded like a loud explosion from above.
Jimin's eyes finally adjusted to the sudden brightness and his eyes widened when he saw a powerful bolt of electricity shoot from the generator's tip and through the tower's ceiling. He ran to the window, dragging Kaeva with him, and fully opened it, just in time to see Bliksem finally revive. Light was now seeping through every nook and cranny, revealing the green grass and colorful buildings. The sky turned blue as white clouds appeared, the water of the town square's fountain sparkling under the sunlight. One Blikseian, Jimin wasn't even sure how he could see him from so far away, stomped out of a small house with a weirdly curved instrument in hand and started playing music. It took a while until the rest of the citizens followed and celebrated the liberty of their city.
With teary eyes, Jimin smiled as he watched the Blikseians cheer and dance and sing with so much joy, which he didn't see at all when he first entered Bliksem. He could see children dancing, women singing and men playing instruments as they chanted a common tune. It was such a glorious sight to see that it warmed his heart to the very core.
"Bliksem is free," Kaeva spoke from next to Jimin and held his shoulder in comfort. "Thank you."
Jimin turned towards Kaeva, suddenly remembering her words while he was still trapped in Illusia's spell. She thought of him as someone special. He wasn't sure if she had said that out of desperation to free him or if it was the truth but hearing that brought a smile to his face. He held Kaeva's hand with a tight yet gentle grip. "Actually, I should be thanking you, Kaeva. I don't think I could have broke out of the illusion if you haven't stepped in to save me."
Kaeva released a light laugh before shaking her head. "It had to be done. Sometimes the hero needs saving too, doesn't he?"
"But you're the hero," Kaeva was stunned by Jimin's words so she faced the thunder gem bearer with wide eyes, their yellow orbs glowing as brightly as the stone on Bliksem's crown. Jimin looked into the horizon of the city, the soft wind blowing strands of his orange hair away from his face. "Not only did you help me break out of Illusia's spell, you helped me defeat her and you're also responsible for keeping Bliksem as a whole without cracking under all that pressure. Honestly, Kaeva, without you there would be no Bliksem. You're the true hero, really."
Silence. The two stared at each other for a while until Kaeva finally laughed, eyes turning into crescents as she did. Jimin wasn't sure whether it was sarcastic or not but he enjoyed the sight of her laughing so genuinely and suddenly, he wanted to be responsible for humoring her, for causing her to laugh even more. It was a wild thought that came to him after what they just went through but still—
"Jimin!"
A booming voice of a male, accompanied by the loud slam of a door, halted Jimin's thoughts and made him attempt to stand in front of Kaeva with a protective stance as a first instinct. At first, he was confused by so many figures entering the generating room at once but the moment he saw a winged man flying towards him, he suddenly realized who they were. It was too late, however, since another shadowy figure came in and he was tackled to the ground.
"You did it, Jimin!," Jungkook cheered, all four limbs wrapped around Jimin as his wings flapped wildly in excitement, giving him the strongest and nearly unbearable urge to sneeze. "You saved Bliksem!"
"We always knew that you could do it," Namjoon's voice was cracking since he was currently sandwiched in between Jimin and Jungkook but he still made it a point to rub the thunder gem bearer's arm as a sign of congratulations. "Good job, Jimin."
"Thanks guys, really, but— Can you two get off me? I can't breath," Jimin wheezed right before the two other club members stood up and mumbled their apologies. After hugging them, Namjoon turned around and faced Kaeva, who was watching silently from the side.
If there was one thing Jimin noticed about Namjoon and Jungkook, it was that they had a certain glint in their eyes whenever they faced Kaeva and he wasn't really sure if that was a good thing or not but since he trusted them, he knew it wasn't for any bad intentions. He watched Namjoon slowly approach Kaeva with a straight face, Jungkook eyeing him with a similar expression. His next words were gentle, which obviously caught the female dancer off-guard. "Hey, uh, thanks for helping Jimin out."
"Yeah," Jungkook spoke up, his tone entirely different from what he used when speaking to Jimin, wings now folded and pressed to his back
"...No need to thank me, really," Kaeva replied shyly, a small smile tugging the corners of your lips.
Jungkook then snickered, his next words coming with a mocking tone. "I doubt that Jimin could have done without you."
"Hey!," Jimin whined, earning laughs from Jungkook, Namjoon and even Kaeva. The air was light when more footsteps shuffled forward.
Turning around, Jimin faced the other members of his team and scanned everyone to check on their condition. At first, everyone looked fine, all with bright smiles on their faces, until his eyes landed on you, Yoongi and Taehyung. You had a purple bruise on your cheek which looked faded, most probably thanks to Jin but he wondered why it hadn't completely disappeared. Yoongi had no scratches on his face but the leftover drops of blood on his cheeks told him that he had injuries. Taehyung had a dried blotch of blood on his upper lip and it didn't need a genius to figure out that it was due to a nosebleed.
"Are you guys alright?," Jimin asked, failing to mask the worry in his voice.
"We're fine, Jimin," You said with a smile, Yoongi clutching your arm in a protective grip. Again, you didn't react to this, which made Jimin frown in confusion. "You don't have to worry about us, alright?"
"What about the masked assassin?," Kaeva questioned whilst she walked towards Jimin, who instinctively linked his fingers with hers. Jungkook and Namjoon glanced at each other for a moment before smiling a bit.
"She tried to kill Sky," Everyone faced Jin when he replied sadly, his eyes fixated to the ground. Emily rubbed his back to reassure him, whispering words of encouragement. "I enclosed her with ice but she somehow broke free. I know that I shouldn't blame myself but I felt like I could have done more."
"Then she traveled all the way to the tower to attack us," Yoongi gestured towards you with a cock of a head before he clicked his tongue in irritation. "She was such a pain in the ass. I doubt we'd still be standing here if the others didn't come to help. After that—"
"She fled," Taehyung said simply while sniffling, face void of any emotion, both hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.
"She fled?," Jimin repeated, a bit confused by Taehyung's words.
"After Bliksem's tower came to life, she teleported away," Emily mused, a smirk appearing on her face as soon as she ended her sentence. Slinging her bow over her back, she crossed her arms over her chest. "She must have been alarmed by the fact that Bliksem was no longer under Hel and feared the thought of being over numbered so she left, a bit cowardly, if I do say so myself."
Nobody noticed that Taehyung was glaring at Emily.
Jimin sighed, knowing full well that the masked assassin was definitely going to come back to create more conflicts soon. Still, he wondered who she was and why she was so intent on killing you since it would make more sense if one of the wonders were targets. It made him think if there was something deeper, something happening that he wasn't aware of and would probably explode in their faces in their future.
A voice from the window, Hoseok's, shattered Jimin's thoughts and made him face the air gem bearer, who was leaning towards the glass and looking ahead. "Jimin, I think you need to see this."
Jimin glanced at Kaeva for a moment before he slipped away from her grasp and walked towards Hoseok. Looking through the glass, his eyes widened when he saw the still celebrating Blikseians now surrounding the tower, dancing as they circled around it. "What are they—"
"They want to meet you," Hoseok chirped, making Jimin look up to face him, the crown tilting a bit on top of his head. "The Blikseians have realized that they have a new king and they want to meet him."
"The throne room is upstairs," Kaeva spoke as she walked into the scene. "You should show yourself to them. I can help translate i-if you want me to, that is."
Jimin stared at Kaeva, who was fiddling with her fingers, cheeks tinted pink as she chewed on her bottom lip. He thought about it, how he was finally going to introduce himself as Bliksem's king to the Blikseians. However, unlike how he initially felt, he was no longer nervous and instead, he looked forward to it. Glancing around, he saw his friends giving him smiles of encouragement, joy blossoming in his heart at the sight. "Let's do it."
-
Jimin's speech about self-love, confidence and dreams brought most of the Blikseians to tears, even earning some from you and Emily. He still couldn't believe that the citizens had accepted him wholeheartedly, that to them he was their hero. It warmed his heart, made him realize that there really was more to him than being a singer and dancer. He was now Bliksem's king, the rightful owner of the throne. King Jimin, he recalled how the people had chanted it after he had ended his speech, it had a good ring to it.
For reasons Jimin couldn't fathom, however, everyone was taken aback when he had announced that Kaeva would take his place as Bliksem's ruler whilst he traveled with his friends to the other kingdoms. He didn't know why it was so shocking to them, after all she was the only one deserving of the throne, other than himself of course.
"I still don't understand why you chose me," Kaeva's words faded as she continued to speak, hands clasped behind her, skirt of her white dress fluttering in the clod and crisp wind. Both she and Jimin were currently standing on the wooden bridge that lead to Bliksem's port, where Greta was currently parked. The rest of the gang were already at the ship, leaving the thunder gem bearer alone with the female dancer. Tranen, Jin's kingdom, was their next stop so they were going to travel the seas this time.
Jimin laughed, eyes crinkling and turning into crescents, before he ran a hand through his orange hair. "I told you, didn't I, Kaeva? You're basically Bliksem's hero and you deserve the throne too. I'm sure you can handle it. Besides, since the Blikseians now know that you were basically powering up the whole city, they won't mind."
Kaeva responded with a laugh, fixing the tilted crown on her head with one hand as she did, and Jimin followed with low chuckles. There was a few seconds of laughing until it died out, leaving them in an awkward silence. Looking behind the girl, he saw the Blikseians watching them quietly and even though it was out of pure curiosity and respect towards him, he still found it a bit creepy.
"So... I guess this is goodbye for now, huh?," Kaeva spoke sadly, yellow eyes shifting to the floor.
"Hey, I'll come back, you know?," Jimin said lightly, trying to make the situation a little bit happier, although he was failing. A small part of him wanted him to stay in Bliksem but he knew that wasn't possible, not when they still had other kingdoms to claim. "It won't be that long."
Kaeva sighed before finally revealing her other hand, which she had hidden behind her back during their conversation. Jimin stared at the book that was handed to him in confusion and ran his hand through the smooth and colorful cover, taking him a few minutes to realize what he was holding.
Jimin's breath hitched in his throat once he read the title: The Legend of the Seven Wonders. "This is—"
"You never got to finish it," Kaeva interrupted before Jimin could collect the words stumbling in his mouth. Her fists were clenching her skirt and she was once again. "And... I was hoping that if you had that, you'd... think of me too."
Another silence. Jimin's eyes widened, his cheeks flaring when he processed what Kaeva said. His tongue was tied in his mouth and it took him a few moments to actually use his voice. "Kaeva, I—"
"You should go, Jimin," Kaeva turned away, strands of her red hair falling to her face as her nose scrunched. Jimin could tell that she was doing her best to not cry. "Your friends are waiting for you."
Jimin turned around, seeing that all of his friends, with the exception of Taehyung captaining the ship, were staring at him, waiting for him to come to them. Somehow, despite the distance, he could see the expressions of the other members of the Single Men Club. Jungkook was glaring at him, eyes squinted, nose scrunched, lips pouted and arms crossed over his chest. Namjoon had the same expression. It was as if their eyes were saying: If you don't give Kaeva a proper goodbye, we'll end you ourselves.
Of course, this confused Jimin because he wasn't sure if they were supporting him or not. Still, this lead to a decision in his part and, when he attempted to turn around once more to face Kaeva, he felt two small hands grab his face.
Jimin was about to retaliate until he felt a soft pair of lips press onto his left cheek. His mind shut down, going completely blank as he stared at Kaeva, whose face was nearly as red as a tomato's. She hid her hands behind her back again, eyes flicking towards him nervously. "You owe me another dance when you get back, don't you?"
Jimin touched his cheek, the sensation of Kaeva's lips still lingering on it. He then smiled before slowly grabbing the dancer's hand, making her flinch out of shock. Carefully, he lifted her hand and lightly brushed his thick lips on her skin, softly kissing it. Looking back up, he laughed a bit at her bewildered expression. "I guess I'll just have to come back sooner then."
"Just go," Kaeva retracted her hand and failed to hide the blush on her cheeks and shock in her voice. "You can't waste any more time when Vrede is at stake."
"Yeah," Jimin slowly stepped backwards, much to his dismay, his mind telling him to walk forward instead. Shaking those thoughts away, he hugged the book close to his chest and used his free hand to wave. "Goodbye, Kaeva."
"Goodbye, Jimin," Kaeva waved back, eyes teary but smile warm.
After continuously glancing behind his shoulder and at Kaeva, Jimin started walking towards the ship, where he could see Jungkook and Namjoon staring at him proudly. He shot them a thumbs up before staring down at the book, smiling when he remembered the first time he saw it. He then decided to flip through it and paused at the page of Bliksem, where he had left off.
Thunder is fast, thunder is loud. The word loud, however, had been crossed out by black marker's ink and was replaced by a single written word: us.
Thunder is us.
Jimin smiled, his heart skipping beats. He was definitely returning to Kaeva after everything ends.
-
Deep inside Hel's palace, in a room that contained a round table, sat four individuals. The masked woman teleported into the room, appearing before them quietly. Nobody had any reaction towards it and one of them simply looked out the window and into Hel's view of rock and darkness.
"I cannot believe that Illusia failed!," Shay whined after pulling off her mask and throwing it to the ground, the rest of the Great Six watching her trek the room in silence. "Father is furious! If he knew I was back, he'd have my head cut off!"
"Calm down, Shay," A woman hissed literally, her long tongue flicking as she spoke, green scales dotting her face, shoulders and hands. She inspected her purple tinted claws before shifting her snake eyes towards Shay, fangs poking from behind her upper lip, hair long and white. "You are making a lot of noise."
"Shut up, Medusa," Shay growled, Medusa responding with a shrug and a cocky smirk. "The only reason why you're so carefree is because you don't have your head in a guillotine!"
"That's what happens when you bite more than you can chew. Thw wonders were expected to be strong so you should have assigned someone else with her," A brown haired man mused from his seat, legs spread a bit inappropriately and fingers drumming on the table in a rhythm. He was shifting his fingers from steel to wood, experimenting with the sound it made.
"You're not helping, Massimo," Shay groaned and plopped onto her seat with a loud thud, both hands running through her hair in frustration. "How was I supposed to know that Illusia was going to fail? And if I did assign someone else, would it make a difference?"
"Please do not underestimate us, dear Shay," A teenage girl spoke softly and pressed the rose in her hand to her lips, hair as pink as its petals, eyes round and lips thin. Vines were crawling around her little body, clinging to her arms and legs, the thorns brushing against her skin. "We are your teammates, after all. Besides, everything happens for a reason. Maybe Illusia's death gave way for Taehyung's possible entrance."
Shay rolled her eyes at this and angrily slammed her hand on the table. Again, nobody flinched. "Do not speak of my brother in my presence."
"Belladona is right, Shay. There is nothing we can do now. Illusia was a casualty to our ignorance of the situation and now we have to do something about the wonders before they fully overthrow Hel," The man across Shay spoke, chin resting on top of his hands, hair thick and black, parted to reveal his forehead. His eyes were dark and heavy with a piercing purple color. "But, I assumed that you have a plan, right leader?"
The rest of the Great Six faced Shay in anticipation, making her sigh loudly and lean on her seat, making it squeak. She spoke after recollecting her thoughts, drawing invisible lines on the table with her finger. "Yes, Animo, I do. I figured out the order of kingdoms the wonders will pass through. It is the reverse order of their discovery, which means they are currently headed to Tranen, then Vlam, Hemel and finally Hel."
"Your point?," Massimo asked, still drumming the table with absolute boredom written all over his face.
"Tranen and Vlam have powerful leaders, but...," An evil smile slowly grew on Shay's face before she cackled darkly, making everyone face her questionably. She held her temple before calming down and taking deep breaths. "Our peace with Hemel has lasted long enough. Do you all agree?"
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A/N - 7k words! :o
This chap fully concludes Jimin's arc! Next up is none other than Jin's, which will merge with Emily's as I dwell more into their characters! Also, a clue for the kingdom's details: mermaids
What do y'all think of the Great Six? Made myself a villain squad that I love! Can anyone guess their abilities? And to answer questions, Shay is the masked woman and is also the leader of the Great Six!
I'm so sorry about my messed up schedule guys :( This week, I'll do my best to upload the next chap on a weekend to get it back on track! Again, I'm so sorry :(
We only have four arcs until the book ends! I can't believe it :,) Thank you so much for the support everyone huhu (also it might be more than 70 chaps in total because Tae's arc is gonna be long af but we'll see)
WARNING!!! Next chap has major major angst that will be vital to plot development so look forward to it! Haha
Wow long a/n lol see y'all in the next chap!! #BTSHOT100 #DNA1stwin