The walls were a bleached white, almost camouflaging the clay and marble statues.

Like the statues the columns in the entryway were lined with scratch-like cracks.

The entryway wall was dark and tall, and oddly lit with a single lamp attached to the building’s exterior. The paint was flaky under Taehyung’s curious touch, and some broke off and fell to the damp grass below.

Taehyung sighed. This wasn’t the right place, was it? The building looked like a run down, once overachieving, church. Large double-doors were shadowed by the columns and for all Taehyung knew, they were locked.

Thunder clapped and he jumped, looking up into the misty, clouded and fading wisnasky. A particularly petrichor scent began to fill the weighted air. Taehyung pulled his jacket closer around him and frowned, shivering as a fat drop of water fell sharp on his cheek. If it was going to rain, it wouldn’t hurt to try the doors.

Taehyung forced his aching legs forward, step after step. He began to notice that he couldn’t fell his toes anymore. As he made his way onto the small steps, Taehyung froze. A breeze ruffled his exposed hair and churned his empty stomach. Thunder boomed, accompanied by lighting. Taehying’s eyes widened as he saw the faces clawing for him behind his eyelids.

He darted to the top of the steps and threw the door open, locking it behind him.

his lips, the boy turned fast to examine his surroundings. Taehyung held his breath, feeling his heart beat fast and hard in his chest. Taking a step forward, he let it out. His footsteps echoed pleasantly in the wide - and empty (thank god) - room. Too frightened to cry, Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut, willing for the lump in his throat to diminish. Thunder clapped hard and rain plummeted the roof.

It was too dark to see anything but looking shadows and lumps, some darker than others. Taehyung felt the sickening damp wall beneath his palms and backed into it, pressing his back against it hard. Taehyung’s eyelids were as heavy as the bag he strained his arms to set on the cool floor. There must not be any insulation left in this building...he could feel the cold air practically blowing up his back. It was blowing up his back. Taehyung sighed, looking down to see a muffled shadow of a vent.

Taehyung blinked, and reached down. Sure enough, the air was coming from the vent. Uneasiness rushed over Taehyung’s tired mind and he snapped awake. What kind of abandoned church still has working air conditioning?

Taehyung let out a nervous chuckle. I mean, it's not like he has anywhere else to stay...Taehyung shook his head. He’s thinking too hard.

Shuffling back to the wall, he stubbed his toe through his barely working sneakers. Taehyung swore and let out a small, griddled laugh at himself.
Suddenly a light shined bright to the right of Taehyung and he jumped, scampering to the opposite side of the room. He bit his cheek hard, holding his breath as a person entered the room with a flashlight, dripping water off of a raincoat.

Taehyung squinted, hiding behind whatever that is that's in front of him, holding the metal tight. The man muttered loudly as he struggled to remove his jacket. The man hung it on a rack that was illuminated by the flashlight. As the man came closer, Taehyung could hear what he said and see that it wasn’t a flashlight he was holding. It was some sort of glow-in-the-dark stone.

“The children better not have messed around in the kitchen…” The man sighed, his voice dying and his handsome face contorting slightly in confusion.
Taehyung saw what he was looking at...his bag. Taehyung shrunk back into the shadows. This man was odd, and Taehyung didn’t want to know what he meant by “children.” He didn’t want to be caught, dead or alive.

“...” The man looked up and shined the light around, “Hm...Tyberius! What did I tell him about leaving his things about.”

The man shook his head, picking up the bag with ease. Taehyung watched curiously as he strolled to the darkest corner of the room. The man murmured,
“Descensus facilis Averno est…”

Suddenly there was a door, illuminated by the stone's blueish light.
“...what the-” Taehyung whispered.
The man turned as if he had heard him. Taehyung shrunk back once more, but by the time his heart allowed him to look back, the light and the man was gone.

Taehyung blinked, now blanketed in the darkness. Taehyung knew he was tired...but he also knew he didn’t just imagine that. Taehyung took a deep breath and cautiously walked towards the dark corner. His shaking hands were out before him, guiding him away from obstacles. Taehyung’s knee hit the wall before his hands did, and he jumped back, hands gripping behind him for balance, and coming in contact with something sharp and cold.

Taehyung retracted his hand, feeling a sting tear through his nerves. Taehyung sae the fuzzy outline of his hand, and though he couldn’t see it, he could feel the sticky wet of thick blood form in his palm, and trickle to his sensitive wrists. He clutched his hand to his jacket, breaths quickening. What if those things found him now? What if they weren't satisfied with Vanessa’s blood?

Out of desparation Tae wracked his brain. What had that man said? The sound of a drop of his blood hitting the floor meshed with the attacking rain hitting the top of the building and echoing. Taehyung shuddered. He was wet and cold and scared out of his ing mind.

Was it...

Taehyung's airway opened and suddenly he could breath a lot easier.

He gasped the words, "Descensus facilis Averno est," the syllables thick and tasting like metal in Tae's mouth. To his surprise the door emerged once more and he didnt hesitate in opening it and rushing inside.

The entrance disappeared in a flash and he strained his eyes in the gently lit, soothingly different atmosphere. At his feet, where his soggy shoes left puddles, was a rich galaxy of grey and black marble tile. Ornate silver candleholders adorned the porcelain-like walls.Exodic plants tinted blue and violet were landscaped around a large mosiac image of an angel bleeding into a cup. Gold blood. Taehyung flinched.

"Where am I?" He murmered to himself, coming closer and running his over a feintly glowing plaque at the bottom of the wall.

It read: The angel Raziel, whos blood we cherish, for running in Nephilim veins is the key to freeing the world of danger...

Taehyung blinked, but when he went to read it again it looked like a bunch of letters put together. Latin? What?

Groaning, he looked up at the large chandelier, perched way up into the ceiling of the room.  It's glass twinkled and knocked against one another in warm gold flashes while it turned slowly, vibrating as a door slammed on the second floor, above the silken covered staircases.

Taehyung stood there watching dumbly as a boy took a sharp turn and stomped down the stairs extrememely fast.

The boy lurched to a stop infront of Taehyung, only just noticing him, his grey eyes flashing wide in momentary suprise.

Taehyung froze, "...Hello..."

The boy opened his mouth, but closed it a second later. He wrung his hands, his gaze darting along Tae's figure.

"Who are you?" The boy finally spoke.

Taehyung opened his mouth to explain, his head nbowing slightly, but no sound managed to find its way out.

He cleared his throat, "I'm-"

"The owner of this bag a presume?"

The tall man from before strolled over to Taehyung's left side. In his frail-looking hands was Tae's duffel.

Taehyung nodded.

"I knew it wasnt Tyberious's from the lack of daggers," The man said plainly, with a soft look in his eyes. "What are you doing here in the Brookyln Institute?"

Taehyung's eyeswidened slightly, "This is the Institute?"

"The one and only Brooklyn Institute," The man handed his duffel back to him with a small smile turning his slight mustache upward.

So this was the right place afterall...

"Can you protect me here? Am I safe?" Taehyung asked, scanning the windows, half-expecting those faces to be sneering down at him.

"Dont worry, kiddo... You're safe in here." The man wrinkled his brow and his pale blue eyes were gentle with worry. Taehyung glanced at the boy, who turned his head away.

Taehyung mulled it all over in his head. Vanessa's letter had said to come here. And for all he knew he was supposed to stay here until he rotted into the wood because the rest of the instructions dont make sense...

Taehyung rubbed his eyes, already having tears formed to moisten his eyelashes.

"Hey now... You dont worry, okay? Lets get you into some dry clothes," The man cautiously touched Tae's shoulder, looking at the younger boy for the first time, as if only now noticing him. The kid turned and began climbing back up the stairs he had descended. As the man led Taehyung up behind him he called the youngers name.

"Kit?"

The boy reluctantly turned around.

"Ty isnt used to new kids and being apart from his sister. Dont think about it too much."

The boy shot Taehyung a look and scoffed, turning on his heels and marching to his room. Without a backwards glace at Taehyung, he slammed the door shut. Tae held on the the railing and stared at the door.

"That's Kit. He's got a bit of a temper I'm afraid." The man wiped his glasses with an old hankercheif, smiling warmly at the younger.

Taehyung shuffled awkwardly.

"Oh! Pardon me, I'm the second head of the Institute, Henry Sinclaire." He put his glasses back on, though they looked dirtier than before and stuck out his hand.

Taehyung took it with a small grin. This man was amusing.

"Taehyung," Taehyung bowed his head, and shook his hand. Henry's smiled widened, crinkling up his wrinkles.

"Well then, Taehyung, lets get you a room. You must be tired.You can rest here tonight and tomorrow if you're comfortable you can meet the others."