That night was a nightmare for Rei because she had no idea what Jungkook's reaction would be to spending some time alone with Taehyung after their constant fights, especially when the younger was sure that the relationship between Rei and him was more than real. But the night was harder for the boys upstairs since the maknae was constantly moving and whining in his sleep which Taehyung could only assume he was having a nightmare but he couldn't wake the younger to avoid causing more psychological damage, so he could only bare with it as he tried to gently rock Jungkook in his arms to calm him down.
It took Taehyung a couple of hours to get the boy to sleep peacefully again, holding him like a baby with his head tucked in the older's neck, a hand wrapped around the younger's waist as their legs intertwined under the covers. His breathing was regular, small puffs of air hitting Taehyung's skin and he felt his eyes sting as the thought of having his baby back in just a couple more hours was keeping him from joining the younger to sleep and he tried his best not to cry from happiness and frustration and relief all at the same time.
The alarm he set on his phone rang loud and clear as soon as the clock struck 10 AM. He was startled out of his sleep, hadn't even realized when he had slipped into the dream world, too lost in his train of thought about how they were going to proceed with the plan as well as worrying about Jungkook's safety through it all that before he knew it, he was already asleep.
As soon as he pressed the Stop button on his phone, he stretched his numb limbs, gently shaking the younger awake only to be greeted by soft whiny whimpers of "Five more minutes." as he turned to the other side, pushing his bum into Taehyung's side and the older couldn't help the chuckle that left his lips.
"C'mon, Kook. We have to see CL Noona. We can't be late, baby." Taehyung said in a gentle voice as he tried to tame down the stray locks of raven hair on the younger's head and Jungkook nuzzled further into the warmth of Taehyung's hand, mewling in satisfaction, making the older laugh out loud. "What's gotten into you? You were never this clingy." But then he remembered it wasn't really Jungkook.
It took another ten minutes to get Jungkook to wake up completely and take a shower to dress up for the big day. He chose a pair of black, ripped jeans and a black, plain t-shirt to go with his Timbarlands as he topped it off with his gray beanie. Taehyung had already gone downstairs to his and Rei's bedroom to find the girl already dressed up and ready to go; red long sleeved shirt and a pair of black ripped jeans hugged her body snuggly as she chose to wear her favorite pair of red sneakers. He gave her a good morning kiss and jumped into the shower as quick as possible and dressed in his favorite loose, gray sweats and a black hoodie as soon as he was done.
Meanwhile, the Queen was busy doing the preparations for the big event happening later that day with the help of the only person needed to execute the spell, Aotaki. The twin mirrors were placed on easel stands, connected together and facing the single bed in the middle of the room, restraining straps decorating the sides and bottom of the bed for safety reasons. The short sword resting on the velvety royal cushion on CL's desk, waiting to be put into action. The Queen was pacing through her office, walking alongside the windows, impatiently, waiting to see the members walk in through the front door as Aotaki rehearsed the process in her head, going over all the steps she had to go through.
Ever since she was transformed and kept her distance from the group, she only kept in touch with two people who she deemed helpful: Hoseok and Queen CL. She apologized repeatedly about her wrong doings and promised with her life to help the others fix her mistakes. She kept Hoseok by her side for guidance since she was still new to the whole vampirism thing and the boy helped her without a question since they were the closest in the group.
It was hard for him to not mention Jimin in the few weeks they were together since the older loved them both equally and was fond and supportive of their relationship as they both confessed their crushes to him first before the older convinced them to confess to each other.
***
But in the short weekend they spent in Tokyo, Hoseok let it slip unwillingly when they were having diner in the small, average studio CL provided them, sitting cross-legged on the round, flower patterned cushion, sushi securely held between the chopsticks as he said, "You know, Jimin is just as miserable as you are, so why don't you just get past it and make up?" He watched the piece of sushi fall back onto the small plate in front of Aotaki as her eyes snapped up at Hoseok.
"You know why, Hobi." She said, grabbing the glass of orange juice from the table to take a sip.
"It's unbelievable how stubborn you two are." He shook his head, tutting at your response before he went silent, focusing on his food.
"I know you want us to be happy again but I don't know if I can forgive him yet." She continued, picking up pieces of rice to rearrange them on her sushi.
"Do as you wish, Aotaki. It's not my business." Hoseok said, changing the subject right after.
***
"Everything is ready, right? You know what you have to do?" CL asked as she paced between her office and the door, two guards dressed in all black, sunglasses over their eyes and Bluetooth headsets in their ear as they took positions on either side of the doorframe, watching over the room intently.
"Yes, Unnie but there is quite a big risk here. This is a difficult spell I have to execute and from what I've read only the masters in the Thaumathurgy discipline can do it successfully and even though thankfully it is my discipline, I'm just at the beginning. The only spells I did were simple restraining ones that required enough power and energy as they were and this one is a lot more complicated and draining. I just... can't promise I can get him out of this alive." Aotaki explained, fidgeting while trying to avoid eye contact with the Queen, feeling guilty all of the sudden since it was mainly her fault for messing things up so badly.
"You're telling me that there is a big chance he could die?" CL asked surprised by the news, stopping in her tracks to glare at the other. "You better get this right or so help me, you'll join Chanyeol the second his heart would stop beating." She threatened, her heart jumping at the thought of losing the youngest kindred she has grown so attached to over the years.
She couldn't afford losing one of her kindreds. Especially Jungkook who was like a little brother to her. She raised him since he was fifteen years old after his parents were killed by the rival clans who wanted nothing but to cause sorrow to their people, and he and Taehyung were best friends, so they took him into their family.
"I hope you know what you do because it would be a pity to lose you as well." She looked at Aotaki with sad eyes.
"I'm sure. I managed to get my hands on some interesting Thaumaturgy books while Hoseok and I looked through the museums and learned a few tricks that will help me do the spell perfectly. At least technically." Aotaki nodded, sighing as different scenarios of the outcome of the whole situation came into her mind, all ending in the same awful way that she prayed wouldn't come to reality that day.
"We'll talk about that another time. Now, just make sure you do the right thing and don't tell them about the risk of this spell. We don't need to alarm them for nothing." The Queen waved a hand dismissively just in time as the doors opened to reveal Taehyung walking alongside Jungkook, holding his hand as Jin and Rei walked behind the two, worried looks imprinted on their faces as the other hyungs stood silently at the side, not knowing how to react in a situation like this. And above all, they were too scared to even talk out loud, afraid they might say something stupid that might scare Jungkook into refusing the spell.
They stopped a few feet away from the setting, Jungkook frowning as he looked around confused, pausing mid-yawn before he looked back at Taehyung, eyes questioning the older.
"Hyung, what's all this?" He looked around, his eyes landing on the single bed and mirrors before he saw the blade and he started to panic, squeezing the other's hand painfully tight. "W-what are you gonna d-do to me?" He felt his eyes stinging because he was convinced they were going to kill him. "H-hyung!" He screamed and the tears glistening his eyes finally dropped to his cheeks.
"It's okay, Jungkookie. Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise." Taehyung reassured the younger, smiling bitterly since he had his own doubts about the outcome.
"Noona." CL felt the fear in Jungkook's voice as he looked at her pleadingly. He was confused. It was hard to witness his insecurities come to life since he was known to be fearless and confident in anything he said and done but at that moment it was like he was second guessing everything in his life.
There was a moment of silence as Jungkook tried to will down his tears before he was guided towards the bed, a hand tugging the blue denim jacket off his shoulders. The maknae took a seat on the middle of the bed, looking down at his hands, playing with the rings he had on his index fingers and feet dangling softly off the edges.
"Everything is gonna be alright. You don't have to be scared, Jungkookie. Aotaki is here to make you healthy again, okay?" CL gave him a little smile and she was relieved to see the younger nod gently, believing her words.
"I'm gonna need you to take off your shirt before we start." Aotaki smiled gently at the younger boys, seeing the confused expression that took over his features, his eyes narrowing to glare at her, urging her to give him the explanation for her intentions. "Oh, don't worry. It's not like that, you child." She rolled her eyes as she laughed at him and it was nice to see him do what the old Jungkook would do in Aotaki's presence: roll his eyes and huff at her joke.
He took a quick glance over the room where his friends and family were, looking at him with warm, loving eyes that told him everything will be alright and in one swift movement he gripped the hem of his black t-shirt and pulled it over his head, letting it fall gently next to the bed as he watched Rei's reaction. She was looking at her feet, playing with the hem of her shirt to ease off the anxiousness. Jungkook felt his heart break all over again but he finally understood that he was living in a lie the whole time and soon everything will make sense again.
"Now, please, lie on your back." Aotaki ushered, walking along the bed to tie his hands and legs to the bed's restrains before she took out a syringe filled with 20ml of a transparent substance that Jungkook only assumed was gonna help him sleep through it whole. "You'll only be awake for like 10 minutes after I give you this shot. Everything is gonna be okay, Jungkookie. Trust me." She smiled down at him, rearranging a strand of his hair to move it out of his eyes.
"Okay. Thank you, Noona." He nodded, his eyes glistening with fresh unshed tears as he nibbled on his bottom lip. "Can I talk to Tae hyung for a bit after you're done?" He asked in a hushed voice.
"Of course." Aotaki nodded, taking off the cap to reveal the needle and gripped his biceps to gently insert the needle and carefully administrated the substance, slowly.
As soon as she was done, she waved a hand towards Taehyung, ushering him to come near the bed, next to the younger. The redhead male rushed to get to the other's side, his fingers gently interlocking with Jungkook's as he gave it a little reassuring squeeze. His heart was pounding in his chest from the rush of emotions running around in his body; the fear he felt by only thinking about the possibility of the younger not waking up from his sleep, and the intense love he had towards his best friend was overwhelming him enough to have his eyes watering.
"Don't cry, hyung. I'll be okay." Jungkook smiled up at him, letting out a little sniffle as his own tears ran down his temples, disappearing into the soft raven locks.
"I know, baby. I can't wait until all of this is over, so we can go home and play some video games." Taehyung chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood and earned a soft giggle from the male restrained to the bed.
"Yeah, me too. I love you, Taetae." Jungkook smiled brightly up at him as he sighed, starting to feel his head lighter by the second and he knew the anesthesia was kicking in and soon he would be off into dreamland.
"I love you too, Jungkookie." Taehyung said as he leaned down to press a gentle kiss on the younger's forehead.
"I feel so sleepy, hyung." Jungkook mumbled between yawns, struggling to keep his eyes open.
"Go to sleep, Kookie. I'll see you when you wake up." Taehyung smiled, the tears threatening to spill as he saw his maknae close his eyes and he couldn't stop himself from leaning in to press a gentle kiss to the younger's lips before he retreated to Rei's side, pulling her into a hug to hide the hurt in his eyes.
Aotaki went to check his pulse and his reflexes as soon as they noticed the younger ceased any movement besides the even pattern of his chest raising and falling with each breath he took. After getting the confirmation that it was indeed safe to continue the procedure, Jungkook being already in a deep sleep, Aotaki moved the easels to be directly next to the side of the bed, turned downwards to reflect on the younger before she went to uncover the backs of the mirrors to reveal the spell.
Everyone in the room stood motionless, watching intently the girl's actions. Taehyung was still holding onto Rei closely as if she was his security blanket and Rei couldn't be happier because she needed an anchor herself, having to witness her best friends performing dangerous magic on each other. Hoseok was standing next to an emotionless Yoongi as he held Jimin's hand tightly, relieving his stress through gently squeezing the younger's finger in a continuous pattern while Seokjin and Namjoon were the only ones who looked somehow put together, their hands cupped in front of their crotches, looking straight at Jungkook with serious expressions on their faces. They were the eldest, so they had to show courage even though they were probably the most scared ones, knowing how much the raven haired boy really meant to them.
When Aotaki walked towards the Queen's desk to pick up the short sword, CL was already sitting behind it, hands intertwined next to the artifact and watching Aotaki intently for any misstep or mistake she might make and the sight alone was making the poor girl nervous to the bone, acting twice as careful as she was before.
She took the short blade in her hand, walking back towards the younger lied on the bed and started carving the four symbols that were drawn on the backs of the mirrors on each of Jungkook's limbs, the droplets of blood trailing down his skin to leave small stains on the bed's covers.
The most important part, and the deadliest, was the upside down star she had to carve over the younger's heart, ultimately sinking the blade through the middle of the star, as careful as she could to avoid cutting through an artery that could kill the boy instantly. It helped that she had a medical background and the tons of books she had to look over for the past few months, cardiology-related because by now, she could draw the human heart with the details of an architect.
She drew the outlines of the star carefully, the blood smugging the edges and smearing over his skin as it slipped over the outlines of his abs and over his ribs to meet the sheets. Calculating in her mind the distance between the lines to find the exact center of the trapeze where the tip of the blade had to rip through the skin, she pressed the blade on the point she chosen and slowly pushed it to break the skin, feeling it rip through his muscle as she struggled to keep as still as she could to avoid causing any damage to his heart.
Everyone was looking at the scene with wide eyes, their hearts in their throats as they held in their breaths, afraid that even by blinking they could disturb Aotaki and mess up everything.
As the books told Aotaki, the blade had to be kept in his heart through the whole process, it acting like a magnet to attract the black magic she had previously used on him. The connected mirrors, creating the illusion of a bigger one, were there to keep Jungkook's spirit in his body and in case it wanted to leave its owner, the artifacts were to attract and trap it within the mirror, making the job easier to return it to the body. If it were to happen. From what she read, there were rare cases.
She walked behind the mirrors, looking over the words she had to recite and without a second thought, she started chanting them out loud, her eyes darting at the maknae from time to time to check if something might go wrong.
The spell had to be chanted five times before the knife had to be removed just as carefully and treating the wound with a healing spell Aotaki had mastered a long time ago. Just as the wound closed up without leaving behind any scar, she made sure to check his pulse again and the relief washed over her face with a deep exhale when she felt the slow rhythm of the blood pumping through his veins. The only thing they had to do now was wait until Jungkook woke up. If he were to wake up.
The book said that the psychological damage was almost inevitable, only the strong and willing to fight it could get past it and no spell could heal them then. It was up to the victim to fight for its life or choose to be in a permanent coma until the other would take mercy on him and end his misery.
"It's done, his heart is beating again and his pulse is regular. Slow but it's there. Now, it's up to Jungkook to finish it." Aotaki announced, moving back towards the Queen's desk to place the bloody sword on the velvety pillow waiting in the middle of the table.
"Uhm, can we take him home?" Taehyung asked, unsure of what to do or how to even react at the moment.
"You can but make sure to have someone by his side at all times in case he wakes up." Aotaki explained, "He'll be waking up in a state of shock and you must be there to help him get through it." She continued and they all nodded, understanding the situation.
"Alright. Take him home safely and call me as soon as he wakes up." CL said, dismissing everyone.
Taehyung was the one to carry Jungkook in his arms with the help of Jimin as they headed towards their van, gently setting the younger on the backseat with his head resting in Jin's lap. The ride home was fast and before they knew it, they were tucking the maknae in his bed, the others taking turns in watching over him with Jin being the first to take the lead.
The only thing they had left now was wait.