Chapter XVII "House of Shields"   

"Your attitude says that everything is wrong," ~ iKON 'What's Wrong?'   

The following morning, Yugyeom went on a movie date with Minyoung and Jungkook simply staid home.

There was a deep desire clawing at him to call Jin, to talk to him for a bit longer, to feel the warmth and assurance he felt around him because the feeling was still there. But he didn’t, he refused to do it so soon. Should he say something? He wondered, but before he could truly answer that himself, there was a knock on the door.

Junhoe and Sehun walked in, they looked fine. Sehun looked like he was okay and he was calm, which seemed like a good sign to the boy. He felt even more relaxed when Sehun did what he does best, search in the fridge to eat whatever his senses think is delicious. He was safe, that’s all that mattered.

At the thought of that, Junhoe snapped is head towards him. His eyebrows scrunched in confusion as Jungkook forgot his thoughts were an open book to him.

“So, the bond,” Junhoe spoke, his tone slightly concern. He wanted to push aside the subject and ask Jungkook when Sehun was not too close by.

“Yeah, care to explain because I never knew it would be physical,” Jungkook spoke, his body falling onto the couch as Junhoe sat next to him in another chair. Sehun mumbled something, but the cake in his mouth was not making it clear.

“No offense, but, I thought you aren’t supposed to eat chocolate,” Jungkook spoke innocently, not wanting to straight forward tell him chocolate is poison to dogs.

Sehun bent over laughing, his hand clasped on top of his mouth to stop him from spitting the cake. Junhoe wrapped his arms around his torso as he leaned back in a fit of laughter.

“He’s still human at one point Jungkook,” Junhoe mumbled, his voice weak as he had a hard time catching his breath. Jungkook felt embarrassed, he wanted to go hide up to his bed and hide under the sheets.

“It’s fine, so bonds,” Sehun spoke, his smile still there but he had calmed down from his high of amusement. He pulled off his hoodie, and pushed up the sleeve of his gray baseball tee. “There are different bonds, the one I have looks like this,” he spoke as he pointed to three sets of rings that cuffed around his arm. One at his wrist, then above his elbow and the last on his bicep, they had different designs.

“Sehun is a wolf that is bounded to Minyoung and me, the bond is physical through the mark. They were tinted with our chakra, that’s how he gets bounded to us. The bond you will have with Jin is essentially the same thing, but a little different,” Junhoe spoke, his voice soft and warm.

“Technically, it’s never been done between a Mortal Phoenix and a Master Phoenix, but we assumed that it will be just like the bond between a being and a Master,” Sehun spoke, pulling down his sleeve as he went back to scarfing down the cake.

“Unless you say no Jungkook, the bond will be performed. A mark with your blood and chakra will be tinted on Jin’s skin and one on your skin of Jin’s blood and chakra,” Junhoe spoke as he pulled a familiar red leather book to show him the mark. It was Minyoung’s sketch book, the one she used to tell him the story of the Phoenixes.

Jungkook thought about it a lot, even if he was aware that Junhoe could read his every doubt and questions. He didn’t care at this point because he’s never been good at hiding his curiosity. He examined Sehun’s marks, all three rings had a different design. One looked like water and the other like fire, but the third one, the one on his wrist was different.

If the fire one bounded him to Minyoung and the water one to Junhoe, who did the third mark belong to? Who was it connected to?

“You won’t attend the burial tomorrow, no one can see you just yet. Sehun will keep you in the arena until it’s time to reveal your existence. Tonight, Minyoung and I must head back for some of the trials, you should come too,” Junhoe spoke, Jungkook could already tell that everything that was inside Jungkook’s head, he heard. But he decided to ignore it, and Jungkook wondered why he chose to ignore that out of all his thoughts and questions.

The feeling returned later that day. It never left but, it came back stronger than ever. He was resting, feeling everything become stressful and having been sleep deprived, he wondered into sleep. Only to be meet with a nightmare.

 In his nightmare, he saw a boy, his hair was pitch black and his eyes, entirely, were like black holes. His smile reflected pure madness and evil. It reflected everything related to darkness. In his pitch-black eyes, that seemed like black marvels, he saw Sehun’s wrist mark glowing white. As if the boy himself was staring at the glowing mark.

He woke up to a knock at his door as the bird in his wrist chirped. His glass eyes blinking as he detached himself from the boy. The bird hovered, his icy beak diving it to brush against Jungkook’s cheek before it sat on the boy’s head. It sung a soft tune that eased the boy and he fell slightly at ease.

He never brought it up. He wanted to say something but he didn’t know how. He tried to go with the flow, thinking about going back to work and how he’d see Sooyoung after the weekend ended. He was seated behind the masters, and he never felt so out of place.

Jin stared at him, Jungkook knew the older boy had realized there was something wrong.  The thing that he hated more is that Jin, Minyoung and Junhoe could tell Jungkook was being bothered by something, and no one cared to mention it. It was like they didn’t want to touch the subject, the topic of the boy consumed in darkness that appeared in his dreams.

He mostly kept to himself, not thinking and not speaking. He rarely even looked at Jin, and it was mostly because the boy needed the warmth and assurance that drown him whenever he saw the older boy. Aside from that, he went through both days of the trials quietly, hardly paying attention to what was being said and who was being accused of what.

He felt guilty that he couldn’t attend Jiwoo’s burial that morning. She attacked him and tried to hurt him and his best friends, but he still wished to have paid his respects. Jiwoo wasn’t a bad person, she was just consumed by greed and powers, she was corrupted.

He wanted the day to end quickly, mostly because that feeling was biting his neck so much, he felt uncomfortable even moving. So, when the time came to hear the verdicts in the arena, he nearly ran out of the hall.

Entering the said arena was like entering a stadium as the team who was going to play. A single dark tunnel with a bright light up ahead, where hundreds of people speaking could be heard. Jungkook’s heart pounding against his chest as he felt Junhoe’s warm hand on his shoulder.

“Keep your head low for now,” Minyoung whispered, taking the spot at the other side of him. He nodded as he could see Jin up ahead. The older turned around and smiled softly, putting his heart at ease with one simple gesture.

There was a lot of voices as the council paraded towards the center of the arena, everyone leaning in with anticipation.

Jungkook looked up briefly, and immediately noticed they all had a similar typed cardigan, it was plain gray everyone had a distinct color patch that was sown on their cardigan, right on top of their heart.

“Attention.” At the simple command, given at the same time by all five Master Phoenixes, the entire arena fell silence. Jungkook saw only the light dirt and sand that worked as the floor before the verdict began in a language Jungkook can decipher with a delay.  He wondered how he could decipher that language at ease when it was one he never recalled learning or hearing.

“Through the first case, Jungkook against the Ice, the myth of the Mortal Phoenix has been confirmed true. He is here, his parent is the ice and I ask you all to hold your whispers,” Minyoung spoke, her voice echoing loud and shutting down what sounded like chaos.

Jin took a step forward and Jungkook was pushed slightly forward by Minyoung who stood behind him, shoulder to shoulder with Sehun and Junhoe.

The same verdict was spoken, and Jungkook didn’t care about trying to decipher what was being said, since he already knew what the verdict was. Until he heard Jiwoo’s name being spoken, his eyes widen and ears chirped up.

“As you are aware, we had a burial for Nimbus of the Sky this morning, and its time you hear the cause of her death. Nimbus moved The Japanese Coalition without the Academy’s consent and refused to go back to her position. She is found guilty of harming a human, severely injuring a light warrior and almost kidnapping the Mortal Phoenix all because she was consumed by darkness. The only solution was death,” the woman with gray silver hair spoke. Jungkook felt bad that the Master of Wind had spoken in the matter of Jiwoo’s death. It was clear she was hurt, even if her voice was soft.

“Nimbus was working with dark beings, trying to find the icicle but stumbled on the Mortal Phoenix. The trials, The Japanese Coalition against the Breaking Dawn Academy resulted in the other four members being cleared of fault. They were tricked and feed lies and knew nothing about Nimbus switching over to the darkness nor the Mortal Phoenix. For safety measures, they will remain in campus and the Japanese Coalition will no longer exist,” the roaring voice stood out, a voice that Jungkook could tell was from the Master of Fire.

“For the fallen warrior Nimbus of the Sky, daughter of the wind, and warrior of the light. Who had fallen in darkness, let’s hope she finds peace in her next life,” a girl with silvery purple hair spoke, her words soft and powerful.

The arena fell in silence, a silence that was preserved for only a few seconds. There was a roaring thunder like sound, and something fell in the middle of the arena. It was a long javelin. It was purely black and was emitting a black smoke.

The feeling sunk so low into Jungkook’s stomach, he psychically stumbled back.  

“Nimbus was killed!” An angry and distressed voice echoed in the arena. Jungkook breathed heavily as he looked at how much black fire was emitted from the weapon that was still stuck on the floor.

Jungkook didn’t know what was going on, all he saw was that everyone surrounded him. Minyoung, Junhoe and Sehun all boxed him in and next to them, stood the rest of the beings. He felt his heart race as he saw a few figures falling from the sky and landing right in front of them. Jungkook felt his heart stop when he saw the boy in his dream, standing tall and with clenched fists. His eyes were completely black, like in his dream, the only thing he saw that was different was that there was a black mark tinted on his temple.

“She was, for breaking the law,” Junhoe spoke, almost spatting his answer as the boy smiled wickedly. Jungkook noticed that the arena was slowly emptying, the students were filling out in less chaos than their expressions read.

“You broke the law, yet you are here,” the boy spoke, sarcasm and insanity almost physically embodying his words. Jungkook recalled Jiwoo saying something along those lines when she was fighting Minyoung, the one line that paralyzed Minyoung in the entire fight.

“Law states that a Lieutenant can call for the judgment of death upon someone who broke the law-”

“Spare me the reminder, I know your laws,” the boy interrupted when someone begun to justify Jiwoo’s punishment.

“What do you want?” Jungkook felt his hands turn cold when he heard Minyoung speak her voice so cold it made his body shiver slightly.

“I want the soul of my one true love Nimbus,” he spoke, his wicked smile spreading wide as the rest of his friends laughed. They laughed and it wasn’t even a joy laughter, it was a laughter that emitted negativity and fear.

“Don’t try to fool anyone, we all know who the love of your life really is. Why do you want my daughter’s soul dark one?” The Master of Wind asked, her words were a little harsh and angered. Jungkook almost forgot the masters were in fact there.

“Like I said, she is the love of my life. It is just so heartbreaking to know she was killed unfairly,” the boy spoke, sarcasm and amusement bubbling up inside him and was released as that wicked laughter.

“You’re going to try and put the soul in another vessel, aren’t you?” Minyoung spoke, her words icy cold.

“Yes sweetheart, why else would I reclaim that annoying girl? She has more information than you think,” he spoke, letting his smile fall and his black eyes fell on Minyoung.

The two entered a deep stare off, and there was nothing but silence. Not even the wind made any noise and it was terrifying. Everyone just waited to see who would move first, who would speak first, who would give in first.

“Nimbus’ soul is already in the river of amnesia, there is no purpose for you to go fish it out,” Minyoung spoke, breaking the staring contest.  

“Oh well, we’ll just go for the back-up plan,” the boy spoke, his voice rough and sarcastic. Jungkook felt his heart stop when those dark marvel eyes looked at him directly and winked, as if hinting at something. As if hinting that Jungkook knew who the boy was talking about.

“Yugyeom,” he whispered, gasping as he realized that exact moment who the back-up plan was. The only person who spent time with Jiwoo, who probably heard her plan right before she died, and that was Yugyeom. They had contact, that’s why she was able to lure him into a trap.

“You will not,” Minyoung roared, her voice drowning in anger as her feet burst into flames. At the sound of her words, the boy took a slight step back, the wicked smile staining his face. Junhoe and Sehun held tightly onto her arms, they knew the girl was a second from pouncing and attacking.

“The soul of Nimbus, otherwise, we’re taking that boy,” he spoke, his words reaching into pure evil and insanity. Jungkook felt his blood boil as his heart begun to raise, they can’t hurt Yugyeom, they just couldn’t.

“Lieutenant, we can’t give them the soul,” the Master of Wind spoke, her voice stern and slightly in disbelief that Minyoung was thinking about it. That Minyoung was even giving in to having the dark beings have the precious information because she wanted to protect Yugyeom.

“She has to, that boy has her love,” Sehun spoke, his voice snarling almost as he stared at the dark being with the eyes of a predator. He wanted pin the dark being to the ground, feeling the boy’s blood between his fangs for even thinking about hurting Yugyeom, for even targeting the human Minyoung loves.

Jungkook felt his heart stopped when he saw a twitch in the pitch black eyes of the dark being, as if slight pain emitted by them when Sehun said Minyoung loved Yugyeom. As if the fact hurt him, as if he was not expecting it.

“Ah, so you found the second love of your life, did you forget the first one so soon?” A girl spoke. She sat on the ground, paying with the sand, which only gave her a darker energy. Her eyes were just as black, but her voice seemed even more lost in a pool of darkness. Her comment made the rest of the dark beings’ chuckle, no, they cackled. But Jungkook could see that the main boy was forcing his amusement.

“The first one is rotting underground,” Minyoung spoke, her voice sarcastic and her comment making the group of dark beings laugh even more.

“Well then, as your laws state, once a being falls in love with a human, they must be protected at all cost. You don’t want to be breaking the law, do you?” The boy taunted, his voice high pitch and mocking the audience as if they were little kids.

“Very well, you may take the soul and the memory that is still left inside,” the voice of the Master of Fire roared softly within the crowd. Jungkook looked back, and noticed the five masters simply running off, leaving the scene.

Jungkook wondered why they even left, they were supposed to protect them. They were supposed to be all mighty and powerful to stop the attacks of darkness, but they left. Why?

“Oh, do I detect my new brother?” His black marvel eyes landed right on Jungkook, and there was a deep fear bubbling in his stomach. Brother? That boy was no brother of his, Jungkook knew that much.

“You are no longer part of this family Hanbin,” someone spoke, not letting the boy talk nonsense.

“I may not be a light warrior, but I’m still ice, or did you forget?”

“Who could forget Hanbin of the Winter Night? But the fact that you betrayed-”

“Yeah, whatever, I didn’t come here to get preached the whole ‘betrayal’ crap,” he cut off another being, annoyance and mockery shaping his every word.

“You have more than one motive for being here,” Minyoung spoke, catching the boy’s attention once again.

“Oh sweetheart, you know me so well,” he responded with a sweet tone that was anything but sweet.

“What is it that you want then?” Sehun asked, his hand resting on Minyoung’s shoulder. His instincts kicking in, and his desire to protect Minyoung was kicking in with force.

“I wanted to meet the Mortal Ice Phoenix. Killing him isn’t part of my ‘to do’ list, but I just want to offer him a choice. A choice to join the side of power,” the boy spoke, again finding Jungkook’s eyes and when he did, his wicked smile reached his eyes. Pure insanity and evil consuming that smile.

“He’s made his choice,” Sehun spoke, his instincts causing adrenaline to pump out all his answers in a rush and with annoyance.

“He can still change his mind, you did, didn’t you dog?” Sehun growled, his eyes burning turquoise as his face harden. His anger slowly pooling out without much control.

Jungkook was thrown off with a delay. If he understood the language perfectly, he had just said that Sehun was once fighting with the darkness.

“You better watch it, you’re asking for a fight you can’t win,” Sehun snarled almost, his chest raising and falling heavily as Jungkook felt the feeling sink back to his stomach. The feeling of danger and urgency. It was more alarming. It was as if he was in that fire all over again and danger was the only thing he could feel.

“You’re the one who will lose, or did you forget what’s on your wrist? Be a good pet and fetch,” Hanbin spoke, and the moment those words were released, he willed the javelin on the floor to move. It was launching itself so fast and unexpected but it wasn’t aimed at Sehun.

The weapon cut through the air, aimed at Hanbin, the wielder.  

It took seconds for Sehun to react, but it took one second for Minyoung and Junhoe to realize the outcome of it all.

The invisible force, the urge to protect at all cost, had Sehun running forward in full wolf mode. Pain in his turquoise eyes, ready to be a shield. He growled, a howl that was painful to even hear as he jumped forward and all the dark being was doing, was smiling.

Jungkook felt his heart fall out of his chest when he saw it. But he felt himself falling when he saw Minyoung and Junhoe running forwards, trying to stop the sharp point from penetrating Sehun’s skin, protecting him.  

But by the time the wolf hit the floor, his gray white hair was coated in blood. And Jungkook had just seen how powerful the physical bond between two souls can be. It was strong enough that Sehun would give up his life to save a being that was consumed in darkness.

“Scythe, help,” Minyoung pleaded, the snake that coiled around her arm peaked out and bit down onto Sehun’s neck, the small head of the snake getting lost in the fur for a few seconds.

Jungkook felt his entire body shaken, he was angry and there was a deep desire to fight boiling in his blood. Adrenaline was the only feeling he could identify.

“You want a fight, I’ll give you one scum bag,” Minyoung growled, her eyes aching as she stood up and in a puff of smoke, the snake turned into the charcoal black reaper scythe she wields. She looked madden and completely ready to kill whatever was in her path. Jungkook realized this is exactly how she looked when Jiwoo tried to hurt him and Yugyeom during their fight.

“You think you are match for him,” a dark being laughed, his laughter only igniting anger inside of Jungkook further. Minyoung could, and no one said anything, already aware how powerful Minyoung was.

Minyoung moved fast, faster than anyone noticed. The being that laughed was simply knocked back, Minyoung having swing the staph of her weapon with enough momentum to knock the boy off his feet. No blood was drawn, even if she could kill him off in that moment, she was holding back. Drawing blood would commence a bloody battle right there.

“Yeah, because don’t forget, Hanbin still carries a punishment,” Minyoung spoke, and Jungkook could see there was a second of hesitant in Hanbin’s eyes.

Junhoe was busy trying to pull the weapon out of Sehun, and Jungkook felt his eyes stinging at the sound of the wolf whimpering. Seeing his eyes shut close as his nose quivered out of pain.

“You underestimate how much power the darkness gives us, it’s enough to end that punishment,” Hanbin spoke, a confident tone drowning in his voice.

“Then let’s test it,” Minyoung spoke through gritted teeth, her hand bursting into flames as Hanbin simply looked at the fire, not surprised or intimidated by it at all.

Hello! I apologize if you are angry with what I did, I had this planned since the beginning because of something else...I had no choice....you'll see why -^-^-

When I said this would be a long chapter I meant it considering it's almost 4000 words and my usual chapters are 3000 or less....hope you enjoyed reading and didn't get too bored

thanks for reading!!! have a great day!