Thank you so much for 3k !!!!💜💜 A scene in the video above is kind of what happens in this chapter. It's in Japanese, so sorry, but the video quality was good, so I chose it. Not all of it is relevant, but you'll see which parts are. About 1:17 to 1:44.
XVII: Jungkook
"Specters."
Shadow spirits. My grip on Taehyung's hand becomes crushing, and he squeezes back reassuringly. "Where?" My voice is a hushed whisper.
"All around us. Don't," he warns when he sees me going for my bracelet. "Don't get a weapon. Don't run. They'll only attack if we do that. Just follow my steps and walk calmly."
Even though every bone in my body is telling me to run, I follow Taehyung's directions. I match him step for step as we wind through the twisting alleyways. Shadows seem to detach themselves from the walls as we pass, following us through the darkening city. I clutch onto Taehyung's arm as I see ghostly shapes flit past.
"You're doing well Jungkook," Taehyung whispers into my ear. "Just a few more minutes." Dark shapes seem to be coming from the other end of the alleyway, vaguely humanoid, but walking in a jerky way which tells me that whatever they are, they are far from human. As they get closer, I think I can see their shadowy arms; only wisps of blackness barely visible in the dark. They reach out to us, long misshapen fingers beckoning. I close my eyes in terror.
I feel Taehyung abruptly turn left, down yet another backstreet, throwing off our pursuers. But not for long. Outraged shrieks follow our tracks, and I think I hear the rustle of shadows on the ground.
"Damn. They found us, didn't they?" Before I can blink, Taehyung turns around, scimitar gleaming by his side. He whips his scim through the neck of a spirit right behind us, just before his shadowy fingers can touch my shoulder. The specter gives an unearthly scream as his head plunges to the ground. Seconds later, the head―along with the body―sinks into the stone and disappears.
"We have to run. That scream was probably a call to every specter in London. Now would be a good time to get your sword ready. Always aim for the neck, and don't let them touch you!" Taehyung grabs my hand and pulls me along as we run through the streets of London. Many times, I hear the scrape or growl of something behind us, but I don't dare turn around. I let Taehyung navigate the streets, putting all my strength into outrunning whatever was chasing us. We turn around so many corners that I don't know where we are anymore and my legs burn from the strain.
Finally, we seem to come to a dead end. A high brick wall prevents us from going any further, and the sounds behind us grow increasingly louder. Taehyung mutters something and turns around, pushing me protectively behind him. I quickly take the bracelet off my wrist, watching as it turns into a leather grip double-bladed sword in my hands. The balance is a bit off, but it would have to do.
Peeking out from behind Taehyung, I stifle a scream. Those shadowy figures we saw in the alleyway walk towards us in their masses, their movements slowing as if they know that now we have nowhere to run. Their eyes are total blank holes, but I got the feeling they could see us just fine. They break into ranks, steadily filtering into the alleyway in wisps of shadow. More watch from the top of nearby roofs, like spiders, watching our every move.
Suddenly, three of them break out of line and run towards us, ignoring the disapproving hiss of their leader. Two of them head towards Taehyung, but one looks at me, no doubt thinking that I would be easier to overcome. And he's right. As he lunges, I swallow down my intense fear and try to shove my blade into his chest. My sword hits its mark, but does absolutely no damage as the specter's shadowy body simply parts around the blade. How had Taehyung defeated the specter back in the alley? Aim for the neck.
"Watch your left!" Taehyung shouts, as he ducks beneath a shadowy arm. I sweep my sword in an arc to my left without looking. A hand closes on my wrist, and sharp cold numbs my arm to the shoulder. But then my blade strikes his neck, the hand is gone, and an eldritch scream pierces the air. I stumble backwards from the touch, feeling as if I've dipped my arm into a bucket full of snow.
Instantly, Taehyung is back at my side, sending me an expression full of worry. I grimace in pain, but give him a thumbs up to show that I'm alright. He nods, and I think I see something flicker on his face in the moonlight. Black scales, maybe? But I don't have time to question it.
The specters start to advance, fueled by the death of three of their kind. If one specter could make me feel so much cold pain, I never want to find out what this whole army could do. But it seems as if we have no choice. We have a back to a brick wall, and our only exit is blocked by a horde of murderous shadow spirits. I'm just getting ready to swing my sword, when Taehyung taps my shoulder, actually smiling down at me.
"Tell me, Jungkook, how do you feel about a little bit of flying?" I gape at him, thinking that he's lost his mind. That is, until I see that his huge midnight black wings are out, feathers glistening in the moonlight. He grins, pulling me close to his chest and securely fastening his arms around my waist. Without even waiting for my answer, he bends his knees and launches up into the air. The powerful gust of wind from his wings knocks every specter in the front row back, where they dissolve into shadows with a furious hiss. I scream, holding onto Taehyung's shirt for dear life as we shoot through the sky.
"I won't let you fall. Just don't look down." He says, tightening his grip on my waist while I bury my face in his shoulder. I hear the wind whistle in my ears, and my locks of hair fly. I risk a peek behind, and from my vantage point, I see Taehyung's wings clearly. They maneuver the sky with surprising agility for things so large, and cut through the air like knives. Behind us, the specters have given chase, their gaping eye holes fixed on us as they follow like a swarm of vampire bats.
"They're gaining," I gasp out, and Taehyung curses. "Hold on!" I hang onto him desperately as he spirals through the sky, wings folding so that we drop down like an arrow towards the Thames River. At the last possible second, he swoops up again, barely avoiding crashing into the London Bridge. Only his unmatched nimbleness saves us from striking the stone. My heart leaps to my throat, and my hands feel clammy from gripping onto his shirt.
Luckily, the specters weren't as agile in their movements, and five of them crash headfirst into the water, where they disappear below the surface. The rest swarm above the river, calling out to their fallen comrades in vain, before regrouping and continuing the chase.
Those few extra seconds was all Taehyung needed to put on a burst of speed. We leave the specters howling for blood in the distance and shoot towards Hyde Park. The few mortals who were in the park gape as we hurtle downwards, their surprise quickly turning into fear when they see a big feathery shape flying down from the sky. Most of them shriek and run away, leaving us an easy path to the door.
Flapping his black wings two times, Taehyung alights on the ground, and I shiver in relief as I realize that there is solid ground underneath my feet. I turn to look at him, and we stare at each other, wanting to say so much but with so little time.
"Go," Taehyung pushes me lightly towards the door. "Get in there before the specters arrive. They can't cross the boundary. You'll be safe there."
I was halfway to the oak portal when I realize that he wasn't following. My eyes widen. "You're not coming?" When he shakes his head, I run back to him, grabbing onto his arm. "Why? We'll both be safe in there!"
Taehyung reaches out a hand to caress my cheek, and the small feathers on his cheekbones glisten in the fast approaching moonlight. His raven hair shines an inky black, complementing the steel in his eyes. But his tone is soft when he speaks. "If I'm gone, who will be there to protect the mortals? Once the specters realize that I'm no longer here, they'll start killing all the humans they see. I can't let that happen."
"But there's so many of them," I say, "And only one of you. You can't possibly fight them all without getting hurt, or... " I can't bring myself to say it. "Please. Let's just run away. You said it yourself. They can't hurt us if we cross the border."
"Run away..." His eyes flash, and for a minute, I see him as others must ― deadly, and ruthless. A vicious vampire. "I've spent my whole life running away," he says quietly. "I ran when my grandfather came to visit our home. I ran when my parents were killed. I even ran when Hoseok came to ask me to join the Sirius Clan. But I can't run. No, I won't run. Not anymore." His gaze meets mine, and I see a lifetime of heartbreak in them. "Because now, I have something I want to protect. Someone to guard with my life." He leans in closer to me, and I feel his scales against my cheek. They're softer than I thought. "And that's you."
I start to say something, but he cups my face in his hands. "Listen to me, Jungkook. You need to go back. I'll be fine, I promise. Just trust me." I remember the piercing coldness of the specter's touch, their gouged out eyes, and can't understand how Taehyung thinks he's going to be able to kill them all.
But I don't ask. Instead, I hug him, wrapping my arms around his waist and nuzzling my face into his neck. His body tenses for a second, before relaxing and gently pulling me into his chest.
"Please," I murmur, my voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. "Please keep your promise. Don't die." Taehyung laughs, but it's a sad laugh, the kind you make when you don't want the other person to worry.
I hear the blood curdling shrieks of specters getting closer and closer, but I don't want to pull away. I don't want him to leave. Finally, Taehyung gently pries away from my arms, hand lingering on my face for just a split second. "Go. I'll hold them off, but you have to go." His tone doesn't leave any room for argument.
He spreads his massive wings, taking off into the night sky with a powerful thrust of his feathers. I watch him until he's just a speck in the distance, flying high over the clouds. I see the specters coming in from the north, most following Taehyung who leads them westwards towards the Tower of London. But three of them detach themselves from the group, their hollow eyes fixed on me.
Run, Jungkook, run!
I turn on my heels and dash towards the door, painfully aware of the three shadowy forms chasing me. I grab the door handle and pull, just as the first specter lands on the grass a few feet away. All at once, I hear a voice inside my head, deep and soft at the same time. It wasn't a sound so much as a feeling, pulling at the edges of my consciousness. But there's something wrong with this voice, something diseased at the core.
"You think you can run, child? You think you can evade us?" The voice cackles, and I resist the urge to fall to my knees. "Perhaps you can, if you choose to go through the door. But will your soulmate be as lucky? Will you simply leave him to his fate for your own safety?"
All three specters are now just a mere five feet away from me, but they make no move to attack. They simply watch me through their blank eyes, like a hunter looks at his prey. Come on Jungkook! A small part of my mind says. Turn the handle. Go in. You'll be safe! Do it!
But I can't. It's as if my feet are frozen to the doorstep. No matter how much I try to move, they don't budge. I whimper as the specters start to circle me, their white eyes trained on my form. I can see the shadows coming off them in waves, and their powerful hands with jagged black nails. Even with my sword, I don't stand a chance against one of them, much less three.
"Yes," they whisper in chorus, sensing my defeat. "Give up. We shall give you a quick death. Perhaps we may even spare your soulmate. That is the only mercy we can offer." Shuffling forward, they extend their ghostly arms, while I stand paralyzed at the doorway. "Come, come."
Suddenly, a dark shape hurtles down from the sky, and I catch a glimpse of black feathers shining silver in the moonlight. The figure moves so fast that for a minute, I wonder if it's a peregrine falcon. Then my eyes widen as I realize who it is.
The specters look up just in time to see Taehyung draw his scimitar, fangs bared into a snarl. Their growls turn into frightened shrieks as he slices his scim through the neck of the lead specter, who immediately wastes away into shadow. The second specter howls in fury, rushing towards Taehyung in a blur of black, nails extended. He ducks beneath the shadowy arm, and takes off the head with one clean stroke before the specter can retaliate. The last spirit seems unsure of what to do, but when he sees the blade covered in the black oil-like blood of his comrades, opts for fleeing the ground in a wisp of shadow with a threatening hiss. Don't think I'll forget this, mortal, His voice whispers in my head. Your soulmate will die for your insolence. I'll make sure of it.
Taehyung doesn't take time to celebrate the victory as he rushes towards me and grabs my arm. About 50 feet away, more specters are streaming down from the sky like arrows, and even from here, I can see the murderous rage in their eyes. He turns the handle and yanks open the door, so that we're bathed in the otherworldly light.
"Go!" Taehyung yells, pushing me inside. I want to tell him to be safe, to be careful, but before I can, the door slams shut and I'm left on the cold kitchen floor of Armad Castle. My head rings with the violent howls of specters, but the only noise here is the dripping of the tap, and the ping of the pinwheel moving to black.
I'm alone.
What the specters look like:
Bye! :)