Chapter Text
Jimin didn't believe in fairy tales. He sometimes wishes that the mythical creatures were real, however, like pegasi or werewolves and dragons. He liked movies where there were fantasy creatures, even though it was all computer animation. But that's where it ended. He lived in a town built upon urban legends and folklore. Stories about another dimension that is connected to the town. Stories that his mother told him right before bed to scare Jimin or to captivate him. It worked in the beginning, but once he grew up, he learned to ignore the childish tales.
Jimin has kept this mindset all the way up to his final year of high school.
Jimin relied on facts. He used science or in-real-life situations to put down the urban legends. He was a bit of a myth buster. Jimin would look into these legends and realize that everything always has the same cliche background. Husband cheats on wife, wife murders husband, wife proceeds to commit suicide and now the two haunt the local bridge. Yadda, yadda, yadda.
"There's a story," Jimin overhears one of his classmates begin talking. He's surrounded by a group of lower classmen, all listening intently. "That deep into the woods, the same woods that sit on the edge of town, there's a house and in that house, there's a witch. It's said that she can open portals to another dimension. Dimensions where ghosts, vampires, and werewolves rule the land. Or dimensions where kings and queens fight to conquer over a single kingdom. They say that if you find her and bring her a feather of the rare green tipped raven, she will grant you access to your choice of dimensions."
"What bullshit are you telling them this time?" Jimin asks, baffled by the ridiculous story that he just heard. "I mean, witches really Mingyu?"
The latter shrugged, "I'm just trying to have a little fun, Jimin, no need to be a joy killer."
That's when one of the lower classmen turned and looked at Jimin, "If you think it's bullshit why don't you go into the woods?"
Jimin scoffed and glared at the younger, "Because I don't have time to test out your silly little fairy tales."
"Or are you scared?" He retorted.
Park Jimin was not scared. Park Jimin was getting annoyed by this lower classman that was just testing his nerves today. He was trying to make Jimin look like a fool and there was no way in hell that he was about to let the kid have that satisfaction.
"Fine," Jimin huffs. "After school, I'll go into the magical woods of yours, find the house and prove your ass wrong."
"Uh, Jimin are you sure that's a good idea?" Mingyu asks, scratching the back of his head. "We have that project for Mr. Lee that we really need to start today."
"It won't be long," Jimin replies. "Besides, I already started my part."
The woods stood on the edge of town. They weren't far from the school, about a five-minute walk. They were dark with very little light even though the sun was cast overhead. Jimin wasn't scared, the worst thing he could run into was a wild animal if they even habited this forest. Jimin turned to the lower classman before speaking.
"I'll see you tomorrow, whether you chose to stay here and watch or go home is not my choice."
Jimin takes the first step without hesitation. The trees were tall, casting dark shadows on Jimin as he passed each trunk. Twigs snapped under his feet as he walked, leaves rustled at each movement he made. After about ten minutes of walking, Jimin looked over his shoulder, he couldn't even see the open road in which he came from. Jimin turned in a full circle and followed a small, narrow path that led deeper into the forest. Jimin hummed a small tune to himself to occupy his thoughts.
"This isn't too bad," He said aloud. "Kind of....relaxing. It's quiet out here."
He stopped when he saw a house. It was far away, but it was no doubt the house that Mingyu was talking about in his folklore.
"Guess he was right after all," Jimin mumbled under his breath and continued towards it.
A he got closer, Jimin was a bit shocked at how new it looked. It was much bigger than was he expected. Jimin thought that it would be a tiny cottage with a water wheel and purple smoke puffing out of the chimney. Instead, Jimin got a house that could easily be a mansion. It had tall windows and a beautifully trimmed garden with various exotic flowers and fruit trees. Now, Jimin was a bit more curious. He didn't know of any new locals that moved into a house in the woods.
Jimin breathes in the pungent roses, their scent unusually strong and gracing the air. There are flowers of different colors. Midnight purple and one bush of black roses with twinkling lights that resemble stars. Maybe a witch really does live in there.
Jimin reaches the door and he knocks. Three simple knocks that don't mean any harm. When Jimin gets no response, he knocks again, this time a bit louder and even rings the doorbell. He thinks that the house is empty, so when he hears the door unlock, Jimin panics a bit.
The door swings open and he's met with a young man. He looks slightly older than Jimin. It appears that he had just woken up from a nap, judging from the disheveled black hair and squinting eyes. He rubs his face and glares at Jimin.
"Can I help you with something?" He croaks out, voice deeper than Jimin expected.
"Uh," Jimin stutters. "Uh, sorry, I, uh, I think I got the wrong place."
"There's no one else within a mile, kid," The latter retorts, but his eyes suddenly narrow. "How did you find this place?"
Jimin takes a step back and nearly falls when the back of his heel slips onto the bottom step. He blushes bright red and averts his eyes. "Uh, sorry for interrupting your sleep. I'll, uh, I'll leave now." Jimin turns and speed walks the hell out of there.
Yoongi stood on the balcony of his palace. Vladis, the City of Fire, spread out before him. His city. His kingdom. Some lights were still on and he knew that those were most likely the brothels. He didn't like it, but Yoongi didn't exactly have a choice on forbidding the treacherous buildings. He stared ahead until his eyes landed on the Woods of Toridia. They isolated Yoongi's kingdom from the rest of Arystia.
He was glad to have been the heir to the throne.
Here, in Vladis, no one dares attack his kingdom. He did have neighboring lands. Taeyong was warden of Dalelry. He had a good relationship with him and often visited Dalelry on his way to the Beggar's Hole. Seungcheol was warden of Nuxvar. He hardly spoke to him but knew that he didn't need to worry about the Lord of Nuxvar. He tended to his own people and would much rather not deal with outsiders.
He only worried about King Ronel. Ruler of Plutus, the capital of Arystia. Yoongi had met the other king once. He had been invited to the wedding, seeing as he was close friends with his wife, Toiya. Yoongi had nothing against Ronel, but the latter saw Yoongi as a threat. Yoongi had promised him that he would not harm anyone as long as he was left in peace in his kingdom.
At the time, King Ronel did not know of Yoongi's four children. When he did find out, he was more angry than scared, for King Yoongi had something that Ronel will never have; dragons. Yoongi had four dragons who he considered as his own children. He had cradled the eggs in his arms before walking into the roaring fire. It was then when he found out that he was unburnt. The flames did nothing but grace his skin lightly. The next morning, once the fire had singed out, Yoongi was left with four baby dragons. Three boys and one girl. The girl, who he called Vasara, grew up to be the biggest out of the four. Drakon was next, then Volos. Leviathan was the smallest. He did not compare to his sister but Yoongi knew that he wasn't any less special.
"Can't sleep?"
Yoongi turned and was met his Hand, Hoseok. He had known him since before he could learn to speak. They had grown up together, in the palace, Hoseok's father was the Hand of the King to Yoongi's father. The Jung's had a special place in the Min's hearts. They were the last of each other's house. Yoongi's father had passed away two years ago and Yoongi was quickly admitted into the throne. He had faith in Hoseok, Yoongi knew that Hoseok's father had taught him well when it came to being the King's Hand. Hoseok specialized in battle strategies even though that was the job of Namjoon, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
Yoongi shook his head and saw Leviathan spread his wings as he settled into the courtyard below.
"I think those trips to that place you call Earth are beginning to get to you, my friend," Hoseok says.
Yoongi liked going to Earth. He made a home for himself there and liked how foreign it felt. The sunlight was different, it kissed Yoongi's skin softly and easily put him to sleep. He had the ability to create portals, though it was a power he only recently discovered, it wasn't anything special. He only used it to go to Earth. However, it's been a week and a particular Earth boy has not left his mind. The same Earth boy who had disrupted his slumber with unnecessarily loud knocks. The one who's silver hair matched the moon flower that bloomed in Vladis each summer.
"I actually think they help," Yoongi said. "It's different there. I looked into it and realized that they don't have kings or queens with absolute power. They have presidents or Parliaments and Congress. It's very interesting. But there is almost no safety in some parts of the world."
"Are you saying that you would like to live there?" Hoseok asked.
Yoongi shook his head and sighed as he stared at the horizon. Volos was circulating above the Woods of Torridia, looking for a late night snack, no doubt.
"They will never be welcomed there," Yoongi finally said. "Them. My children. In fact, none of us would be welcomed there. I am a king and I can't abandon my people to let them be conquered by some ruthless idiot that knows nothing about them. I've made a promise and a Min never break their oaths."
"I think it's time you rest, Yoongi," Hoseok cleared his throat. "Tomorrow we will hold a meeting of the Royal Council to discuss the upcoming festival that will be held in the town's plaza."
Yoongi said nothing as his Hand left the main tower. The king stayed there for a bit, simply gazing at the city below him, watching as his creatures circulated the air above. At night, Yoongi's dragons made camp in their own designated locations. Drakon and Volos slept in the Woods of Toridia, covered by miles of tall trees. Vasara chose to sleep on the plateaus of the Cybele Mountains. Leviathan chose to stay closer to the palace. The silver dragon slept on a tall hill near the castle. He was visible from Yoongi's window.
Yoongi did not fear for his children. He knew that they were all strong and could take care of each other. Though Vasara rests in the Cybele Mountains, Yoongi knows that no one would be foolish enough to even try to journey into the rugged and treacherous territory.
Yoongi retreated to his bed shortly after. He made the short journey from the tower to his chambers. The castle was quiet, the only sound came from Leviathan's powerful wings flapping outside. Yoongi likes it when it's quiet. There aren't sounds of steel against steel as soldiers practice on the fields outside or Taehyung casting the wrong spell and turning every grape on the bundle into a herd of sheep.
Yoongi walked into his bedchambers and was met with loneliness. Yes, he liked silence, but he hated forlornness. After his father died, Yoongi was left alone. He was the last of his family dynasty and if he was ever killed then his house would cease to exist. House Min was and still is a powerful family. Their name goes back centuries ago when Arystia was first being settled on. They were known for freeing slaves and bringing their kingdoms to peace. Yoongi is the First of His Name and he knew that he couldn't let his house die out. However, there was an issue. Min Yoongi was not attracted to women. He never was. This eliminated Yoongi's chance to ever having children.
The only children he would ever have were his dragons. Although it may sound silly, it is true.
Yoongi wanted to share his city with someone, but he knew that that would make him vulnerable. There'd be a weakness in his system and he was not used to that.
With news of Queen Toiya's pregnancy circulating the kingdoms, King Ronel would have someone to take his throne once he died. He has reassured the stability of his own house. Yoongi sometimes hated the fact that he was an only child, but he didn't have a say in complaining, seeing as Yoongi's mother died during childbirth.
Yoongi unclipped the cloak and let it fall to the group. He dressed out of his day clothes into his night attire. He looked out the window and saw Leviathan settling on the hill. The sea was dark, the giant silver moon reflecting off the rippling waters. Yoongi crawled into his bed and draped the silk duvet over him. He never realizes just how tired he is until fatigue hits him once Yoongi is in bed.
It doesn't take long for sleep to overcome him.
The Royal Council meets in the palace's Great room. Yoongi enters the room and everyone is already standing. His cloak billows as Yoongi holds himself with both authority and confidence. He walks towards the head of the table and nods, everyone takes a seat around the table. Yoongi rests his hands on his lap.
"The Royal Council is now in session," he says. "You may speak."
"Before we get into details about the festival," Lord Seokjin begins. "A raven arrived early this morning." Yoongi watches at the taller man pulls out a small scroll from his robes and passes it to Yoongi. "It appears that the Beggar's Hole is expanding, King Ronel will not allow it into Plutus' direction. This means that it is growing close to the Forbidden Land."
"And what do you advise I do?" Yoongi raised an eyebrow.
"Your Grace," Maester Jeongyeon spoke up. "If I may add, sending immediate help is too dangerous, seeing how close the Beggar's hole is to Plutus. However, sending supplies may be a bit better. Food, clean drinking water and maybe sending one of the healers to attend to their illness." She motioned towards Taehyung, Arystia's most powerful healer.
He nodded, "I have an apprentice, Chaeyoung, she's still learning but I think it will be excellent practice for her to be a part of the city's doctors."
"I can't just have you go alone," Yoongi said. "It's too dangerous because it's close to the Forbidden Lands and Plutus."
"General Jeongguk and I can assemble a group of men to assist them on their journey, my King," Lord Commander Namjoon said. The general nodded in agreement at the Lord Commander's words.
"I'll lead the team myself," The young general adds.
"Maybe," Yoongi began. "Maybe I can have Volos go with you."
"Yoon-I mean, Your Grace," Hoseok spoke up for the first time since the meeting started. "The entire reason for this group being put together is so that you won't go yourself."
"And I won't be going," Yoongi said. "It'll just be Volos. I don't feel secure having them leave my kingdom alone. No one's ever done that unless I'm the one leading the faction. I would much rather have one of my dragons accompany you, just to ease my own worry."
"Then it's settled," Maester Jeongyeon said. "We assemble the group and send them off no later than the end of the week, does that sound fitting, Your Majesty?"
Yoongi nodded and shifted in his seat. He looked at Lord Seokjin, "Have you received any word from your messengers, Seokjin?"
The skilled manipulator grimaced and nodded, "The city of Nemery was conquered by Vane Tollus. He slaughtered anyone who didn't bend the knee, women, and children included. He's growing powerful, my King and he is just across the Emerald Sea. You must take careful precautions. House Tollus was never fond of your family, my King." Yoongi nodded, knowing all too well what House Tollus thought of House Min. Vane thinks that Yoongi's grandfather had murdered Vane's father, but it wasn't true.
"He's getting the people of Nemery to bend the knee, not by choice but by fear," Yoongi said. "Feel free to keep me updated on what he does, Lord Seokjin."
Seokjin bowed his head, "Moving onto the real reason that we called this meeting, the Fire Festival."
It's been almost two weeks since Jimin had gone to the magical house in the woods. He had confronted Mingyu about it and the tall boy was shocked that he actually found the 'witch's' house. Jimin thinks that maybe he should go back and maybe apologize for waking the man up.
"It wasn't a witch!" Jimin exclaimed the next day at school. "It was a guy!" A very cute one too. "And I woke him up and he asked me how I found the place."
"What'd you say?" Mingyu asked.
"I didn't say anything, I panicked and left!" Jimin groaned.
Mingyu shrugged, "Maybe he recently bought the house?"
"I don't know," Jimin frowned.
He had tried to forget about the sleepy man, but he couldn't. Jimin was more enthralled by the beautiful house and amazing garden. He had never seen flowers like the ones that grew in that garden. Jimin tried searching for them on the internet but came across dead ends.
Jimin sighed loudly. He hummed to himself to create some kind of noise in the quiet house. His foster mom isn't home. She hasn't been home for the last 2 days and Jimin would be worried, but then he remembers that this isn't the first time she does this. He doesn't even know why she fought so hard to have Jimin under her care if, at the end of the day, she wasn't there to even see Jimin.
The loud knocking at the door made Jimin perk his head up in alert. Jimin slowly slid off his bed and walked towards the front door. At this point the knocking had turned to loud pounding, making Jimin worry a bit.
"I know you're in there Hope!"
Jimin jumped at the loud and very angry voice that shouted through the other side of the door. The man even tried to look in through the windows. Jimin pressed his back against the door, feeling like this was the only way he'd be out of sight. Jimin squeezed his eyes shut when the angry man began kicking the door. The force sent waves of strong vibration into his back. He bit his bottom lip, wondering what Hope had gotten into this time.
Then, the pounding stopped. Jimin opened his eyes and tenaciously peered from the curtains to see if the man was gone. He was and Jimin sighed in relief. He went into the kitchen and grabbed one of the chairs before barricading it at the front door. Jimin considered calling the police, but then he realized that it would be no use, the man was gone, he may return but Jimin would simply not open the door.
The sound of glass breaking sends a cold shiver through Jimin's body. His feet stay glued to the ground and he forced himself to get moving. Jimin rushes into the kitchen and sees a burly man forcing his way in through the broken window. Jimin is scared but he quickly turns around and grabs a knife from the stand before turning on his heels.
"Get back here kid!" The man shouts.
Jimin skids a corner and races down the hall, his grip on the knife is tight and he knows his knuckles are about to turn white. Jimin is about to reach his bedroom when he's yanked back by his shirt. He yelps and is sent crashing into the floor. The knife flies from his grip and he nearly cries out at the loss of his only weapon.
The burly man looms over Jimin's face. Anger prominent on his features. He grabs Jimin by the shirt and lifts him up off the ground slightly forcing Jimin to smell his alcohol infested breath.
"Where's Hope?" He demanded.
Jimin closes his eyes and turns his face away, he doesn't want to give this man any information, but he mainly doesn't know where his foster mom is.
"Tell me, kid!" The man roughly shoves Jimin onto the floor, causing pain to erupt onto the back of his head.
Jimin makes an attempt to fight back. He kicks the man and is freed momentarily. Jimin scrambles to reach for the knife but a tight grip on Jimin's scalp makes him cry out in pain. The man's fist connects with Jimin's cheek. He can feel the hot tears forming in his eyes as blood stains the corner of his mouth. Jimin wants to scream for help, but his voice seems to die in his throat. The man kicks Jimin's stomach twice before straddling him, keeping Jimin trapped under him.
"Don't lie to me kid, I know you know where Hope is," The man continues.
Jimin coughs, "I-I don't kn-know where sh-she is." His voice is weak and barely audible.
"Bullshit!"
Pain flares across Jimin's face as he takes a second hit on his cheeks. Hot tears start pooling from his eyes. He wants to leave, he wants to desperately be away from this man.
"Where is she!" He hits Jimin again.
Whatever Hope did, this man was angry about it and was now taking it out on Jimin. It was unfair but then he realizes that Jimin would much rather prefer this be him than Hope taking the hits. But it doesn't stop Jimin from hating this entire situation.
Then the man wraps his hands around Jimin's neck. The smaller man's eyes widen as he feels the pressure. He tries to breathe but chokes on nothing. Jimin's hands claw at the older man's, but they do not budge. He is staring down at Jimin with malice.
I'm going to die .
I'm going to die .
Oh God , I am going to die .
Jimin's lungs scream for air and the man's hands only tighten their grip. Then, Jimin remembers the American movie Miss Congeniality. He recalls her talent and how she had demonstrated some techniques for self-defense. SING.
Solar plexus
Instep
Nose
Groin
With all his force, Jimin drove the heel of his hand upwards towards the man's nose. He hears a loud cracking sound and the man howls in pain. He releases Jimin's throat and the smaller man gasps for air. He clutches at his throat momentarily and then quickly reaches for the knife. However, the bigger man lunges for Jimin. The smaller man's fingers wrap around the hilt of the kitchen knife and he turns.
Then time turns to molasses.
Jimin has the tip of the blade pointing up. The man jumps on Jimin and the knife impales into his chest. Jimin's heart races as he realizes what he's done. The man falls limp on top of Jimin. The smaller man can feel a warm liquid seeping onto his shirt and Jimin knows that it is blood. The man's mouth fills with the red liquid and he coughs, red splattering on Jimin's face, he cries out. His own blood runs cold. Jimin shudders and pushes the man off of him. The man's shirt is soaked in red. His eyes are devoid of any life and Jimin begins to panic. It was an act of self-defense but Jimin is still scared. He stares at the man, eyes wide and heart beating a mile a minute.
"No," He croaks out. "No, no, no, please, no." Jimin reaches out to the man tries to find a pulse in his neck. He presses his ear to his heart but finds no heartbeat. Jimin's eyes begin to water and hot tears begin to stain his cheek. His hands and clothes are covered in blood. Blood that didn't belong to him.
"Oh my god," Jimin gasps. "Oh my god, no, no this can't be happening. This can't be real." Jimin roughly shakes the man. "No! Please wake up! Please, I'm sorry!" His vision is clouded with tears and he pulls the knife out. The blade, from bottom to the tip is soaked in red blood. Jimin gasped and dropped the knife. It bounced onto the floor.
He wasn't sure whether he should call the police or no. If he did, he'd no doubt get put in jail. He had murdered a man. He wanted to call the police, but he didn't want to get hauled away like some criminal. He wasn't a criminal. He'd never done anything wrong in his entire life.
How did everything go wrong so fast?
Jimin wiped the tears from his cheeks and balled his fists. No, he was not going to go to jail. He rushes to his bedroom and grabs a duffle bag from the back of his closet. Jimin looks down at his hands and sees that they're stained with blood. He inhales sharply but bile rises in his throat. Jimin runs to the bathroom, clutching his stomach and retches as he empties his stomach into the toilet bowl. Tears sting the brim of his eyes. The feeling was atrocious. Jimin wipes his mouth and cries out before choking on a cough. He stands up, knees weak but Jimin balances himself with the walls. He walks towards the sink and washes his hands. He rubs at his face, eager to wash the other man's blood away. Jimin wishes that he can take a shower and scrub away the blood of the other man, but he's running short on time.
He stares at his own reflection.
Jimin's cheeks are stained with tears and bruises begin to form on his face. His throat is red from the tight grip that the man had on Jimin's neck. He drops his gaze. No longer being able to handle staring at his own reflection. Jimin grabs a spare toothbrush along with a tube of toothpaste. He takes a hold of a few toiletries and stuffs them into his bag. Jimin then opens drawers and ransacks his closet. He packs up every single clothing item that he gets a hold of. The small man goes into Hope's room and turns the mattress upside down. Jimin rips into the fabric and easily finds his foster mom's secret stash of money. He doesn't even count it, just places it safely on the side of the duffle.
Jimin then goes back into the bathroom and searches for the temporary hair dye that he bought last Halloween. He shakes the aerosol can and proceeded to spray his hair. Jimin uses nearly the entire can. He looks into the mirror and sees that his silver hair is now black. Jimin goes back into his room and pulls on a hoodie.
He grabs his phone and dials the well-known emergency contact. Jimin bites on his bottom lip as he waits for the operator to answer. When they do, Jimin is left speechless, but he quickly finds his phone.
"Help me, please," He pleads.
The operator informs Jimin that an ambulance was dispatched and that by the police are on their way. Jimin hangs up. He must act fast. He grabs a pair of sunglasses and slips them into his face. Jimin then grabs his duffle bag and opens his window before throwing it through it. He crawls out of his room picks his bag off the ground before climbing the fence of his backyard. Jimin stands on the concrete floor momentarily. He breaths heavily. If he leaves now, he is no doubt going to become an enemy of the law, but if he doesn't leave, he'll end up being a victim of it. Jimin pulls the hood over his head and shoulders the duffle bag. He hastily walks away from his home and towards the woods.
Not once does Jimin look back.
He wants to call Mingyu, but Jimin knows that he'll most likely put his classmate on a suspect list. They will interrogate Mingyu for Jimin's whereabouts, but Jimin himself doesn't even know where he's going.
Regardless, Jimin finds himself walking into the woods. He walks and walks. His feet trudging forwards and all Jimin wants to do is collapse and cry. He had killed a man. Jimin had taken the life of another human. He wasn't sure if the man had a family, but now someone was left without a father, husband, brother, and son. He stares at his own hands, feeling like the blood is still on his hands even though he had washed it away an hour ago. When he looks up, Jimin realizes that he is standing on the edge of a clearing. The white house is staring back at him and Jimin is glaring at it. He didn't know that he'd end up here again.
Jimin knows that he needs to turn around and go in the other direction because he is bringing nothing but trouble. Yet, Jimin's feet carry him along towards the house. He shoulders the duffle bag and slips his sunglasses off. Two weeks later, Jimin is still baffled by the garden's beauty. It's ethereal and Jimin wants a small piece of it. He crouches in front of a flower bush and cradles one flower in his hand. It's a brilliant blue and almost glows in the shade of the house. Jimin breaks the stem and brings it closer to his face to smell it. Before it reaches his nose, Jimin watches as the flower loses its color. The blue subdues to a dull gray and then the flower withers. He drops the flower, feeling as if he kills everything he touches. Jimin moves his gaze from the garden to the house. The front door is slightly open. Jimin frowns and makes an attempt to peek in through the tiny crack. Curiosity gets the best of him and Jimin finds himself approaching the house. He knocks lightly, promoting the door to be pushed open a bit more.
"Uh, excuse me, Mister, we uh, met a while ago. I'm the one who woke you up." He said aloud, his voice strain from not speaking in the last hour or so.
When he gets no response, he ventures a little deeper. The house is a bit empty. The furnishing is limited to a single chair and neatly made bed. Jimin closes the door behind him and looks around, no one is home and by the looks of it, no one's been home for a while. Jimin wonders if the sleepy owner had turned tail and ran. The small man considers hiding out here for a bit, only until the owner comes back and kick Jimin out.
However, everything flies out the window when Jimin hears a loud swoosh sound. He feels a strong force pull him in and Jimin desperately tries to reach out something to ground him, but his fingers grab nothing but air.
The last thing he sees is a bright light, then everything goes dark.