[CONTENTID1] Ten [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]

You burst into your room and yank out the suitcase from its hiding place under your bed. "Stupid, stupid," you curse at yourself as you rush to your closet and begin ripping clothes off the hanger. How could you have let yourself get so comfortable? It's unlike you to be so sloppy. How could you have let one measly little teenager get under your skin?

You angrily shove handfuls of clothes into the suitcase before glancing around the room for the rest of your personal items. Besides your textbooks and a few notebooks, there aren't any. You spin around in a wide circle, but the room is as bare as before you inhabited it. This is more like you—never leave any trace.

Then you remember the mini fridge. You wrench the door open and stare at the ice rose on the top shelf, one petal missing. You cradle it in your hands and stare at the perfection of the delicate ice. You've never seen a diamond in real life, but you expect that this is what it would look like. The coldness of the ice seeps into your hands, burning the skin. No man has ever given you flowers before. How could you have let yourself accept this? How could you have gone so soft?

You move your hands away quickly and watch as the rose shatters into a thousand little crystalline pieces. The shards land on your feet, but you kick them away with cold indifference. Then you spin around to finish your haphazard packing. A knock on the door makes you jump in surprise. You ignore it and continue to shove things in your suitcase. But in your haste, you had forgotten to lock the door, and your intruder barges in.

"Sooyoung, leave me alone," you growl, emptying out your dresser. She doesn't respond. Annoyed, you whirl around, "Seriously, Sooyoung, I—" You stop in your tacks at the sight of Kim Taehyung in your doorway.

"Hey, ___," his eyes are blank and his expression unreadable.

Adrenaline shoots through your system, making the hair on your arms stand on one end and your palms sweat. Despite your exhaustion, the power surges in your chest, preparing you for the upcoming battle. You hold your ground for a few moments and stare at him evenly, trying to show no fear, "What are you doing here, Taehyung?"

He his head to the side, "I wanted to talk to you."

You glance wearily at his hands, ready to unleash your power at the first sight of danger, "You're really stupid, Kim Taehyung, for coming here alone."

"What are you talking about?"

"Isn't it a stereotype to have such an airheaded wind mage?" you ask, subtly sinking into a defensive crouch, "I mean, your senior members are out of the city and your fire mage is down. Do you really think the three of you can take me?"

"Seriously, what the hell are you talking about?" Taehyung heaves a sigh in exasperation.

"You might be a full circle, but divided, you're nothing against me," you continue, not letting your guard down for a second, "Are you trying to distract me?" You demand, suddenly suspicious, "Where the hell is Jung Hoseok?"

"He and Jimin are going to the hospital with Jungkook," Taehyung impatiently says, "Why are you acting like this, ___? I don't want to fight you. I just want to talk."

"So talk," you shoot back with narrowed eyes.

"Wait, stop packing. Where are you going? How can you just leave like this? After you just saved Jungkook's life?!"

"I've stayed here for too long… There's no place for a dark mage here," you mutter, deciding that he is harmless—at least for now. Your energy is depleted, but you can still take one little wind mage, no problem. You turn back to your dresser and yank open the top drawer—then freeze at the sight of an oversized white tee sitting innocently on top of the pile of clothing. You brush your fingers over the soft cotton, and for a second, you imagine that you can feel the heat of Jungkook's skin through the thin fabric. Alarmed, you throw the shirt on the ground, kicking it away to land on top of the shattered ice fragments.

"What are you doing?" Taehyung exclaims, confused by the fit you threw, "So you're a dark mage. So what? What's the big deal?

You still at that and whirl around to face him, "So what? Are you kidding me, Taehyung? I'm a dark mage! Does that mean anything to you?"

He stares back, "Nothing."

"Are you seriously that stupid? I could kill you with a flick of my wrist! How does that not scare you?"

His eyes darken a shade. Then he's rushing forward, grabbing you by the arm, "Come with me."

"What? Where are you taking me?"

He ignores you and pulls you to the end of the room and slides open the window. The thick stench of smoke enters the room at once, choking you. You clap a hand over your mouth and nose, coughing loudly.

"Stop it, Taehyung!" You shove at the tight grip on your wrist and move to slam the window shut.

A hand on your waist stops you in your tracks. You still entirely at the feeling of Taehyung's arms around you as he gathers you up in a tight embrace, crushing you against his chest. His skin is several degrees warmer than yours and you can feel his heartbeat against your ear. When has anyone ever held you like this?

You're so distracted by the sensation of a warm body against yours that you don't notice him climbing out the window until it's too late.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter