Chapter XI "House of Darkness"   

"I'm lying on thebed alone, but I can't sleep." ~ iKON '#WYD'   

There was nothing that will get it to stop. He wanted to have the noise, the colors the enhancing of his taste buds and his touch senses. There was no way to get it to stop, it was all over. No one was a black hole, no one and he refused to ask Minyoung and Junhoe for help. It was their fault that he was stuck in this train of madness that seemed to be accelerating fast.

“Hey are you sick, you don’t look too well?” Yugyeom asked, his warm hand being pressed into his forehead as he flinched. The simple touch was like a peek into his emotions. The boy jumped back in shock as Jungkook tried to forget the feeling of love and worry all mixed in one.

“I’m sorry, I just saw a really horrific movie and I’ve been very jumpy at everything,” he spoke softly. Jungkook didn’t want to worry Yugyeom, all the boy does is worry about him and nothing more. Heck he was about to cancel his date with Minyoung when he started getting insane with all the colors and the noises.

“Well, have something sugary, leave all the lights on and put on some music. You might get paranoid, if anything, Minyoung and I should be nearby so I can come and keep you company if you get to scared,” he whined with a very annoying and teasing voice, as if he was Jungkook’s girlfriend.

Jungkook felt himself getting amused, even if he does hate when Yugyeom acts like this. Jungkook was glad he didn’t have to divert the attention from himself, Minyoung was doing that all on her own. It was weird, he kept thinking and he kept worrying if Minyoung would do anything to Yugyeom.

Deep down, he felt like she wouldn’t be that type, but then again, they had hurt him badly already. They had toyed with his memories and even kidnapped him, they took him away when he didn’t even want to be taken. He didn’t like any of it, but he didn’t know why he isn’t fully convinced yet that they are a full on thread and that he needs to get them away from Yugyeom.

After all, he didn’t want Yugyeom to be hurt like they hurt him. Both times were equally painful and both felt like it was the end of the bridge for him. He just needed to stay away from them, and it’s been working quite lovely the past few days. It was barely Friday and everything was making him contemplate if he should rip his hair straight out of his head.

He had made some progress through. He may look like the casual jerk who thinks is too good for the world, or your daily idol who is trying to hide from the public because it was still spring and he was wearing sun glasses.

The color wasn’t as vibrant then and it was faint enough that he could ignore it most of the time. He tried to stop himself from even touching another person, their emotions seemed to transfer and he wasn’t too happy knowing when a smiling person was suffering and was beyond sad. Then came the head phones, sure, the sound was more enhances and he can barely tolerate two notches above mute but it was something. They helped block all the thoughts, all the contemplation and everything a simple human could think.

He nearly panicked when he bumped into a person. He held his breath as his jaw clenched, ready to feel everything they felt. It was like embracing a drop in a roller coaster. But it never came.

"Jiwoo-ssi," he spoke under his breath. The girl looked at him, her ears grasping the soft spoken name. She smiled softly, her delicate hand brushing a golden lock of hair to the back of her ear as the rest was tied up.

Her face was normal, apart from the slight makeup. The cloud of color he kept seeing was very faintly coating her cheeks. He contemplating taking off his sun glasses, feeling like he’d come off as rude but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t risk seeing all the colors.

"Jungkook-ah, how are you?" She spoke, her words spoken softly and audibly. Her rich blue eyes were no longer there, even with shades he could tell that the color wasn’t the normal sapphire blue. Instead there was a foggy white cloud, as if a tornado was glimmering in her pupils. He tried shaking off the thought, and the moment he did her smile twitched slightly.

"l could be worse. By the way, sorry I didn't get to greet you properly the other day." He spoke as he remembered the other day. He didn't know why he was so comfortable engaging in conversation with her, part of it was because that day he had to pretend to not even notice her.

She could be just like the other two, just like Junhoe and Minyoung. He kept telling himself not to think about it, that he was normal and his life was simple. He worked a simple job, went to a simple university and was plainly simple.

"It's fine, I wasn't making the best impression either barging in like that. Well it was nice seeing you again," she spoke, her softly covered lips flinching slightly at the effort of trying to smile. Jungkook nodded, gripping the straps of his bag before pushing through and walking to class.

He kept thinking why her head was so empty. He's been driven to the verge of insanity trying to block all the thoughts, all the colors and all the noise. But she was like a black hole. He saw hardly any color and her head was blank. The only think he could hear was her spoken words, and he didn't know if he should continue questioning it.

"Jungkook-ah!" The simple voice was so loud, it didn't feel like it was being shouted from a block away. He forgot to turn his music back on, that usually blocks a lot of the outside thoughts that wonder in, that's why Jiwoo's words sounded like they were screamed right to his ear.

"What is it?" He simply asked, a brow cocking slightly as he begun to hear it. She was out of breath from running but he could hear her complaining. Her own mind questioning if she should ask him for this favor or not. Her own thoughts battling as they wondered if he's willing to help.

So much for a black hole, he thought. Everything was back. Jiwoo's cheeks were tinted a very pale yellow. It could no longer pass as blush; it was a dense cloud of color hovering on her cheeks.

"I need to deliver something to Junhoe, but I don't know where in campus he might be. Can you help me?" She asked. Her eyes turning back to normal, they were a bright sapphire that matched well with her golden blond hair.

He gulped, unsure that he'd want to go near Junhoe. Everything has been very confusing, he didn't know what to believe or what was real. And so, something about this felt wrong. It was like the black hole he was sure was there, suddenly disappeared and ate it self. No, something was up.

He felt it, he was sure there was this surge of uncertainty and doubt hugging him tightly as Jiwoo looked at him. He felt this need, the longing to get away, to ask for help because a wicked feeling was slowly creeping up at him.

"I don't think I can help. I'm really late, I don't know what class he has at the moment nor where to find it. Sorry Jiwoo-ssi but I have to go," he spoke, his words spoken carefully so she doesn't land a 'but' in the middle. He turned around and continued walking. He told himself to clear his thoughts, he begun to think about Paradise. He remembered there will be a new shipment of guitar chords that he'd need to sort out.

He kept thinking about work. About the music sheets. About repairing that boy's guitar neck and before he knew it, he was in campus. His chest fell at ease but there was still this weight to it, as if something was off. As if something bad was near. He felt his heart sink the moment he saw Minyoung talking to the blond guy who he clearly remembered turning into a wolf.

The source of negativity didn't come from them. Regardless of how much he doubts them, how much he refuses to believe them and is angry at how they hurt him, they have never been able to make him feel this unsafe. It was something else, it was like what he felt back when he talked to Jiwoo. This shiver up his spine that just made him think, something is wrong.

He felt a shock wave throughout his body. The soft vibration of his phone was more powerful now. And it kept on making his entire body feel the wave of vibration from one ring.

"Jungkook-ah, I need your help. I'm in the roof gardens of the biology building." He sighed heavily, Yugyeom didn't even take biology, why would he be there? He shook his head, not knowing what trouble Yugyeom could have found himself in that he'd be hiding in the green house.

Jungkook was aware that his class would start in ten minutes, but there was something about Yugyeom's message that made it feel urgent. His friend is always helping him out, it would only be fair of Jungkook helps him out of a deep trouble.

The moment he touched the handle of the door that lead to the roof garden, the feeling returned. It was this uncomfortable wave of danger that embraced him all at once. Something was definitely wrong. He bit his lip as his brows were knit with confusion. He pondered if he felt Yugyeom at trouble since he bumped into Jiwoo.

"Yugyeom-ah," he called softly, his voice softer than normal considering he hears his voice ten times louder since Wednesday. His head phones plugged in as the volume was as loud as he could withstand it.

His eyes widen the moment he saw him. His body was against one the opaque and snowy glass walls. His eyes closed and his body motionless. His head resting against the pot of a baby red tomato plant.

"Yugyeom?" He whispered frighten as his entire body unfroze after a few second and he rushed to him. His hands out to cup the boy's face. His black hair was messy, as if someone had grabbed it softly. Jungkook felt a knot forming on his throat as a painful cry wanted to claw out of his throat. He felt a hot breath against his thumb and he realized Yugyeom was asleep.

"Humans are so weak, he fell asleep so fast with our little mind trick." A voice echoed inside his head. The soft velvet voice of a blond and blue eyes American girl who was softly mocking him.

"What did you do to him?" He asked, his voice growling and snapping at the girl. She looked at him from the other side of the green house. Her tall body fallen in a chair as her arms crossed against her chest. A petite but sinister smile molding her lips.

"Nothing, I put him to sleep. I'll be tempted to do more if you don't answer a few questions correctly and comply with a few demands." The innocent and pure image she can give off was nowhere to be seen. Jungkook clenched his jaw, feelings his eyes harden as they clenched his tears. What in the world did she want from him?

"What do I want?" She asked, her voice high pitched and a little sweet before it was completely overtaken by a much darker one. "I want you to tell me why can you read thoughts and see moods." She commanded, her body standing up from where it was and it felt like it was over towering him, even from so far way.

He felt small, he felt trapped. He felt everything he had felt when he was in that room stuck with two vampires who wanted nothing but his blood.

"I don't know," he spoke through the clenched teeth. His hand gripping tightly Yugyeom's arm, hoping the boy will wake up. He his lips, not knowing how to answer the question, even after Minyoung and Junhoe's explanation of this mortal Phoenix crap.

"Mortal Phoenix?" She asked, her eyes scrunching as the words were dragged and filled with confusion. It only took her some time for the wheels to turn and click. Jungkook wondered if he should even be thinking, she could clearly read him like an open book. He knew that was a bad thing though, having her know everything they told him, everything he refuses to believe.

"I don't know, just leave us be," he spoke, his voice was filled with fear of what she would do. Fear of what will happen to Yugyeom. His voice was delicate and it almost made Jiwoo feel like leaving him be, but she knew she couldn't do that.

She knew Minyoung and Junhoe all too well to realize the boy was living proof that the myth was correct. She didn’t need to question him, see his blood nor have him drink chakra. He was everything they believed was impossible and he couldn’t just let that be.

Jungkook flinched, seeing her smile hysterically that he wondered if she was insane. If that simple girl he recalled seeing was even there.

"If you are a Mortal Phoenix, I can't just leave. Hanbin was right about your existence." She smiled to herself, her eyes tracing back and forth across the floor as if she was reading something. Excitement clearly in her voice as she looked at him with a new set of eyes, eyes of defiance. "I'm sorry but you won't be able to see your boyfriend when he wakes up, you’re coming with me no matter what." She spoke, the words wicked and dancing of her poisonous lips. Her smile curved wickedly as Jungkook felt a dark energy emitted from her.

Jungkook felt his body being pushed against the glass wall. His heart racing as fear itself was pumping adrenaline throughout him. Jiwoo ran to him so fast he didn't even notice. He could see the tornado in her eyes again. Her hand was tightly gripped into his forearm that it was a little painful.

"You're not taking him anywhere." A wash of relief rushed in at the sound of that voice. Jiwoo was thrown off him, faster than he felt the voice finish the sentence. A familiar set of red burning eyes stared at Jiwoo, and a pair of bright turquoise pupils stared at him deeply. The white and gray wolf was right next to him, as if assuring him everything was fine now and that it won't let anything get near him.

"Think again, I'm done being nice." Jiwoo spat, dirt covering her golden hair and staining her dark jeans. She clenched her jaw as she stood up, dusting the sleeves of the navy blue hoodie. There was a gust of wind from the slightly ajar windows.

In that instant, the charcoal black snake peeked from out of Minyoung's sleeve. The wind was cold and sharp; it was mostly swirling around Jiwoo but Jungkook could tell that it was fierce. The snake, in a ball of fire transformed. Smoke was being released as the snake had stood tall and sharp, in the form of a reaper scythe.

"Jiwoo, you know the council has been on your dam tail for a while right. I saw your darkness, especially when Hanbin turned." Minyoung spoke, her words hard and angered. She had a smug look on her face of despite as Jiwoo raised her arms and the air suddenly gor feistier. It was as if she was controlling the wind, having it swirl at her will.

That power in itself had carved a very malicious countenance as Jiwoo only shrugged Minyoung's statement off. She cocked her head and suddenly the wind stopped, everything was placed at a halt and there was only silence.

"I don't really care about the council. I was never accepted in, I was never good enough but at least I get to prove it now, by killing you." Jiwoo spoke, her wicked words dancing on her lips. She didn't look like someone who was out to kill anyone. But the moment Jungkook saw the look in her eyes, that smug smile that widen, he knew she had one goal, and it was to kill.

Funfact, even if it isn't really that fun I'm a freshman in College currently writing this and editing this chapter in between my hour breaks in between classes. I'm currently sitting in a chill area in one of my scienee buildings counting down the clock so I can head upstrais to class.

Hope you liked the chapter, and the next one will be slightly trikcy due to the amount of actions I want to try and incorporated. Thanks for reading, have a good one!