"Get up, Hanaan."
The young initiate opens his eyes in sleepy confusion as I force him to sit up. Jungkook is already wide awake, pulling a sweater over his head as he stares at me.
"What?" the young initiate groans.
"What's going on?" Jungkook prompts.
"We're leaving."
"What?"
"It's too early for training!" Hanaan whines as he plops back down on the bed, throwing the blanket over himself.
"This is not training," I growl, as Namjoon finally enters the bedroom, his important items packed in a small briefcase. I rip the blanket off Hanaan, who only curls into himself in protest.
"Jin?" Jungkook calls, as he stares pointedly at my badly burnt limb. "What happened to your hand?"
"Nothing that I'll die from."
I know the answer confuses Jungkook further, but he says nothing as Namjoon pulls out his shoes from under the bed and helps him put them on.
I concentrate on Hanaan, the stubborn initiate who refuses to even get up.
"I don't have time for this," I seethe, before grabbing Hanaan by the armpits and carrying him against my chest. The initiate reflexively wraps his arms around neck and and secures his legs around my waist.
"Where are we going?" Jungkook asks as Namjoon fetches Hanaan's shoes for me.
"Your Court."
"Why?"
"Because it's safer there."
"But what about Taehyung?"
"He'll stay here. He needs to get work done."
Jungkook's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "But we can't just leave him."
"Jungkook," I maintain eye contact as I hold out my injured hand towards him. "Trust me."
The little one only stares at me, before turning to Namjoon. Namjoon himself says nothing, but stands by my side, a hand on my shoulder in quiet support. Jungkook glances down at my hand before he looks up at me again.
"But… Taehyung?"
"Please."
He takes my hand, and I immediately shift us out of there.

"I don't understand," Jungkook mewls, kicking the ball against the wall. "Why do we have to stay here?"
"Jungkook, this is your Court," I remind him.
"You know what I mean," he answers, kicking another stone. "Why does Taehyung have to stay in his Court all alone?"
"I want to go home," Hanaan adds in. "This place is boring."
"Taehyung has a lot of work to do," Namjoon soothes, infinitely more patient than I was.
"I thought I was supposed to sit with him and watch him do work," Hanaan says.
"Taehyung just needs his privacy."
"You keep saying that," Hanaan stares directly at Namjoon, almost in challenge. "I think you're lying." He turns to me then, that same steel in his eyes. "Something is wrong with Taehyung. I can tell."
"How?" I challenge.
Hanaan turns around just then, throwing a burst of power forward. The ball of fire explodes immediately before fizzling out on its own. The young initiate turns to me, hands on his hips. "Because my power isn't working. It's not stable. That means something is wrong with Taehyung."
I sigh, crossing my arms over my chest. I needed Taehyung to deal with this one. "Taehyung's not well," I attempt to explain as vaguely as I could.
"He did something bad, didn't he?" The young initiate guesses.
"No," I attempt to pacify. "Every person, at some points in their life, will make mistakes. But that doesn't necessarily make them a bad person. We learn from our mistakes and move on with our lives."
Hanaan tilts his head up at me. I can practically hear the little gears turning in his head. "What are you prattling on about, Old Man? Tell me the truth."
Headaches. I feel headaches around this young child.
I glance at Namjoon, mentally passing the baton to him.
"Taehyung is learning to move on from a mistake he made," Namjoon says. "And he needs privacy and quiet to do that."
"What did he do?" Jungkook asks.
"Nothing that he cannot move on from," Namjoon explains.
"Can he fix it?"
"Maybe. Who knows? Taehyung just needs his time alone for now. We'll go home when the time is right."
"In the meantime, training will continue," I say, watching the already loud frowns turn even louder. "Taehyung needs our help more than ever now. It would be a good time to get stronger."
"You told me I'm still a kid," Hanaan says. "What happened to letting the adults handle things?"
"Times change, Hanaan. You may need to fight for survival a lot earlier than I anticipated."

I run across the open fields, Jungkook at my tail. One tends to forget that an already fast Lycan gets even faster once they become a vampire. I screech to a halt just as Jungkook appears before me in wolf form, Hanaan riding on his back.
Fangs bared, Jungkook lunges towards me. I duck, avoiding his jaws just as Hanaan throws a round of Hell's fire straight at my face. Just like how Taehyung used to be, Hanaan is much more comfortable attacking using the powers of Hell than Heaven.
The round of fire feels nothing more than a smack in my face, but I continue lying on the ground, as Jungkook hovers over me, growling while Hanaan stares over his shoulder.
"Good job," I praise, as both Jungkook and Hanaan start to relax. "But never let your guard down in front of an enemy."
The expression on their faces change, as I let my power run down to the soles of my feet, and kick Jungkook against his chest.
Both of them are sent flying, Hanaan screaming his head off. I get up just as Jungkook makes a swift and safe landing, Hanaan holding on to his back for dear life. I throw a light burst of power in their direction, and Jungkook moves to evade. I start throwing more at a faster rate, and I suppose both start getting the point of the game.
Jungkook charges towards me, evading each burst of power thrown his way. Hanaan starts throwing his own little bursts of power towards me, which don't have enough traction and stability to actually reach me. I see the frustration in his eyes as he calls on for more and more power.
Finally, Jungkook is near enough that I have to pause again to avoid his jaws. I call on to a shield just as his entire body slams against me, and I falter back a step.
I throw a round of power at them. They are near enough to be hit point blank, but Hanaan does something I don't expect. He catches one of the little balls of power with his tiny hand and I watch as the power is absorbed into him, before coming back out onto the palm of his hand a different colour.
Hanaan throws it, and it hits me against my shoulder, strong enough for me to lose balance. Jungkook takes the opportunity to chomp down on my injured shoulder before literally hurling me across the field.
I land solidly on my two feet, seeing both Jungkook and Hanaan staring at me from a distance away. That was quite a throw.
"You lost."
"I was downplaying my powers."
Caine stands beside me. He'd probably opened a portal and appeared right at that moment to chide me again.
"You lost to two nine year olds."
"Hi Caine," Jungkook greets as he comes to us, in human form this time as Hanaan follows from behind.
"Hello, Jungkook. Greetings, Hanaan. How's training going?"
"Tiring," Jungkook coughs.
"It's nearly sunrise."
"We've been training since sundown."
As if a testament to how exhausting training has been, Hanaan yawns.
Caine turns to me. "Really, Azazel. They are children."
I pay him no heed as I pass Jungkook and Hanaan their bottled waters, which they quietly drink.
"Head inside and help Namjoon with dinner," I tell them. "Shower before eating."
Both say nothing, but move according to instruction and get back to Jungkook's Court. I watch as the both of them disappear before I turn to Caine.
"I still can't believe you lost."
"Shut it." I take his hand, making us both shift out of there.

I stare at the destruction around the once pristine mountains of the Swiss Alps. Once majestic and a powerful symbol of strength, the Court of Taehyung's Parliament now lay in absolute ruin, being destroyed from the inside by a blast so powerful, it had cleared the nearby forests.
"This place held itself high for thousands of years. The number of spells lining these walls was enough to turn an angry spirit solid. It is nothing but ruin now," I hear Caine murmur.
I remember what Namjoon had once asked me a month ago, about Taehyung having too much power. I'd answered Namjoon confidently back then. Taehyung would need as much power as he could find. He had enemies left and right and he needed the power to be able to defend himself and carry out his duties.
But now? Did I still believe he needed this much power? Enough to destroy his own Parliament's Court in a burst of anger?
It should have been impossible for him to be able to even hurt his Parliament. The Aamon's power simply does not work against them, who are responsible to keep his rule stable and in check. It should have been impossible for an Aamon to destroy this place, which had housed the three Aamon's before him, and had been powered with magic so strong that it basically kept his Parliament immortal.
It should have been impossible for this to happen. But it did.
The amount of power Taehyung had in his system right now was dangerous. He had a significant portion of my power, held a position as his own Parliament and was powered by the support of the previous Aamons and God Himself. Namjoon was right. It was too much.
And it was because of this that I'd decided to separate Taehyung from everyone else. I'd barely survived the blast that had destroyed his entire Parliament's Court. Hanaan, Jungkook and Namjoon wouldn't stand a chance against the sheer strength of his power.
I couldn't risk it.
"Are there any traces of survivors?" I ask Caine as he starts walking around the vicinity of the blast.
"You'd have to have insane levels of power to be able to survive this," Caine says.
"Did he kill his Parliament?"
Maybe I would have known - and been able to do something - if I hadn't shifted myself so quickly out of there when Taehyung's blast had hit me. I've fought many wars and sustained many injuries, but the amount of power Taehyung produced then frightened even me, and I'd simply left.
Caine scans the surroundings, a critical eye on everything he saw. "Azazel, I'm not even sure I would survive this blast." He looks me in the eye, both serious and wary. "I see no traces of a living being here."
"You are not answering the question."
"Every being leaves behind traces upon their departure. A scent, a bone, a hint of a soul. There is nothing here."
"So there is a chance they survived?"
"Or Taehyung managed to obliterate every single trace of their existence."
I am quiet at that, slowly processing his words. "Can he do that?"
"I don't know, Azazel," Caine answers, sounding frighteningly morbid despite his calm demeanor. "It should be impossible for him to even lay a hand on them. But Taehyung's been doing things I didn't know possible. I don't know the extent of Taehyung's power. Not anymore."
I stare at the palm of my left hand, the hand I'd reached out towards Taehyung to try stop him from losing control of his power in front of his Parliament and he'd exploded.
That same hand had been ripped to shreds during the blast, destroying the very essence of it, making it impossible for me to properly heal the limb. Ugly burn marks decorate my palm now, stretching halfway up my elbow in a vine-like pattern that created raised ridges.
I clench my hand into a fist.
Somehow, all those warnings play in my mind. The warnings from Lucifer, from Caine, from Pan and Lilith, from Ezekiel and even Astaroth.
How being with Taehyung would be dangerous, not only for the both of us, but for the world at large.
Had they all been right? Was this destruction what they foresaw?
Caine reaches the other end of the clearing, directly across from me as the both of us murmur the same spell, raising our hands in the air as the rubble around us starts moving. Particles of dust, soot and ash hang in the air, slowly morphing into their original physical forms. Wood, concrete and steel start shaping themselves into familiar objects, some morphing with others to create bigger forms, some being swallowed by others. Caine and I were trying to piece this entire structure back together.
It wouldn't return the magic destroyed, and it wouldn't change anything, but it would provide us the necessary answers as to what happened during and directly after the blast.
Slowly, piece by piece, brick by brick, the Parliament's Court starts returning. It would be a slow and tedious process, but Caine and I had time.
The rocks start reforming, rumbling loudly as familiar landmarks start appearing again. The castle slowly forms, standing as tall and as majestic as it used to.
Our magic spreads, fixing the forests and mountains ravaged by Taehyung's power. The greenery returns, the mountains fix themselves and even the snow falls back into place.
I stare at the scenery. It looks the same, but it doesn't feel like how it used to. There is a lack of magic in the air, the spells and incantations that had been previously holding the place together gone, now leaving behind nothing but void emptiness.
Caine comes to my side once more, and together, we enter the castle.
We reach the meeting room, the place where the Parliament would always gather to hold their discussions. Caine murmurs a spell, and the memory contained within these four walls comes to life.
I watch as the scene changes, watching myself standing behind Taehyung, who faces his Parliament.
"I owe you nothing!" Taehyung yells.
"We are your Parliament. Without us, you *are* nothing."
And then there is an explosion of light. I hold my hand up, squinting my eyes as I see myself run forward, grabbing Taehyung by his arm.
"Taehyung, no!"
And then I see myself immediately let go, screaming in pain as I hold on to my injured hand. The limb looks burnt to a crisp and I see myself glance at Taehyung, calculating what to do, before I shift myself out of there. Taehyung literally bursts from power, the light he produces becoming so bright that I see nothing else.
And then the light slowly dies, and I put my hand down.
Taehyung is standing amidst a barren field, his power clearing the area the size of a few football fields. There is nothing before him, behind him or around him. The Parliament are gone without a trace, as well as any hint of the entire Court.
I see Taehyung look up, glancing around him in horror as he rests a hand against his mouth.
"What have I done?" I hear him whisper, as his eyes shine with tears. Taehyung drops to the floor on all fours. I resist the urge to reach out to him. This was just a memory, a recollection of the past that wouldn't change no matter what is done.
But I feel the guilt rising in me as I stare at Taehyung. I shouldn't have left him. I shouldn't have abandoned him.
Taehyung screams just then, a scream of anger, frustration and grief. Another round of power leaves him in a ripple, travelling far enough to destroy the trees and mountains in the distance. I watch as he sobs.
"What have I done?" he screeches, his tears running down his face. "I can't do this. I can't do this anymore!" And then there is quiet, broken only by Taehyung's sobs. "I don't have the answer. I don't even know what I'm searching for."
Caine moves a step forward, eyes on Taehyung. "Who is he speaking to?"
"I don't know," I answer honestly.
"You're not real!" Taehyung suddenly screams, pushing himself off the ground to stand and let loose a blow of power aimed at… nothing. "You're not real to me! You're not!"
He takes several steps back and falls, landing on his behind. Taehyung is panting now, his hands pressed against his eyes.
"Has his condition always been this… severe?" Caine quietly asks me.
"I… I don't know. I've never seen him like this."
Taehyung suddenly stands, a look of determination in his eyes. "The only reason you exist is because I allow you to. You won't get in my way of doing what's right!" He pauses again, as if the voice only he hears is answering. "I'm trying!" he yells. "I'm trying to find out what that is!"
And then Taehyung stills, his posture immediately wary, as if he feels danger coming.
He turns around and there is Yoohwan standing behind him. I myself am immediately on edge.
Taehyung stares as if he's unsure whether the sight before him is real at all. He slowly backs up a step, eyes never leaving Yoohwan.
"Yoohwan? What are you doing here?"
"You called." That was definitely not Chaos speaking through him. This was Yoohwan as is.
Taehyung takes another slow, wary step back. "I apologize. I didn't mean to."
"You didn't call out to me. You called out to Chaos."
"That thing inside you? What does he want? Why do you allow it to share your vessel?"
"I made a deal with Chaos a long time ago. I needed to save some lives."
"You let yourself be a host in exchange?"
Yoohwan nods.
"Don't you see what Chaos is doing? He's destroying everything around him and putting others in danger."
"Is that Chaos, or is that you?"
The answer shocks Taehyung, who mentally backs into a corner.
"What?"
"Look around you, Your Highness. Look at what you've done."
"Are you trying to justify what Chaos has done?"
"I'm not. But your power, it threatens the balance of this world. You are too strong. You are a threat to Creation and a threat to Chaos."
Taehyung only stares at Yoohwan, who takes one step closer.
"If you are not stopped, you will destroy much more than this Court of yours."
"Who's telling you this? Chaos?"
"Chaos was the creator of the cosmos, and your power rivals his. Your very existence aggravates Chaos's power. He will respond by trying to equalize the power on this Earth - even if it means destroying you."
"What bullshiit are you talking about?" Taehyung growls. "Why would he even need to destroy me?"
"You don't get it. You're too strong, Your Highness. One day, you will destroy this world."
"I won't!"
"Look around you. Look at all this. You're halfway there."
"So why would Chaos want to destroy this too? He knows about the prophecy, doesn't he? He knows the lives that will be lost if the Earth is destroyed."
"Your power, Your Highness. It is tied too much to the Afterlife. If you destroy this Earth, you would destroy the souls that reside here with it. Your soul would turn black. And a blackened soul -"
"- loses all traces of its humanity," both Taehyung and I finish the sentence. I'd told Taehyung this before, a warning when he'd attempted to agree with the Vampire King and the Sovereign's original proposal.
"He's trying to do you a favour," Yoohwan continues.
"Either I die… or everyone else dies."
"It doesn't have to be this way." Yoohwan takes a step forward, and reflexively, Taehyung takes several steps back. "You can avoid this catastrophe by reverting to your original power levels. You didn't use to be this strong, Your Highness."
I see Taehyung struggle to answer, the conflict apparent on his face. "I… I can't."
"I can't control Chaos. The longer he resides in me, the less control I have over my own body. This will probably be my only warning to you before Chaos completely takes over me. Your Highness, you have to make a choice."
Taehyung is staring at Yoohwan, completely silent. "What happens once Chaos completely takes over you?"
"I will die. And Chaos will have full access to my body and my powers."
"I can separate you." Taehyung suddenly offers. "I can separate you and defeat Chaos."
"You cannot defeat Chaos," Yoohwan stresses. "No one has ever done so before."
"You just told me I rival him in power."
"But not experience."
Taehyung studies Yoohwan, and I somehow know that he's about to drop a bomb on him. "Your brother really misses you."
"My -" Yoohwan falters, for once, looking away from Taehyung.
"He wants to save you, but he doesn't know how."
"Leave my brother out of this."
"He thinks the only way he can stop you from hurting everyone is to kill you. It's tearing him up inside."
Yoohwan shifts his attention to Taehyung again. "Even if he doesn't kill me, it will be better for me to die."
"Why?"
"Because Chaos is the only being controlling my powers. I risk killing everyone if he leaves me."
Taehyung is quiet again, staring at Yoohwan. "You're just like me."
"Excuse me?"
"I said you're just like me."
After a moment of silence, Yoohwan chuckles mirthlessly, looking away from him. "Perhaps." The smile quickly drops off his face though, as he turns back to Taehyung again. "This will be the last conversation we have before either, or both, of our deaths. If you -"
"I won't let you die."
Yoohwan is staring ah Taehyung, almost gauging whether he's serious.
"I won't let your brother lose you."
"You place everyone else at risk."
"Then I'll find a way to save everyone."
"By sacrificing yourself?"
"By destroying Chaos and making everything right again."
Yoohwan seems to not know what to say as he stares at Taehyung, before the expression on his face softens slightly. "I feel like I could really like you had the circumstances been different."
"What will you do now?"
"I'm trying to keep away from civilization while I still have control over this body. The lesser people around, the lesser people Chaos can -"
Yoohwan stops, completely freezing, almost as if someone has pressed some kind of stop button on him. I stare in wary anticipation. This couldn't be good.
"Yoohwan…?" Taehyung prompts.
And then Yoohwan suddenly lurches forward, falling to one knee as his body starts to tremble. He looks up at Taehyung, and one can see his eyes clouding over.
"Your Highness," he gasps. "Run."
Taehyung doesn't need to be told twice, as a Seraphim appears behind him and grabs him, before flying off.
A black mass suddenly reaches out and grabs him by his leg. Taehyung screams, just as he is pulled downwards, ripped out of the Seraphim's hold, and slammed against the ground. He gets up to see Yoohwan being entirely engulfed by the black mass.
"Yoohwan, wake up!" he yells, just as the black mass lunges towards him. Taehyung dodges by throwing himself wildly to the side. Another Seraphim appears, using its sword to slice through the mass reaching out towards Taehyung.
"Yoohwan!"
The mass spreads again, this time swiping Taehyung against his side. It leaves him flying, before he lands against the ground again. Taehyung calls for another Seraphim, who appears by his side and grabs him before taking off.
We watch as Chaos reaches for him again, before another Seraphim slams its staff into the ground, producing a ripple of power that hits Chaos straight on. Taehyung reaches skywards, calling for the clouds to fall towards the ground.
I see nothing for a few moments as the clouds act as coverage, before Chaos clears the ground.
Taehyung is gone, and so are the Seraphim.
The memory spell slowly fades into nothing, the entirety of the Court being restored once more, the blue skies above us being replaced by concrete ceilings.
"What the Hell was that," I hear Caine murmur to himself, before he turns to me. "Did you know about all this?"
I shake my head in denial.
Taehyung, the threat to Creation? The destroyer of worlds?
It couldn't be.
"I have to leave." I turn around to walk off, only to be stopped when Caine grabs me by my arm.
"Azazel. You must consider Yoohwan's warning."
"Bullshiit," I answer, ripping my arm off his grip. "Chaos has no business dealing with matters of Creation."
"You know the end is nearing. The Apocalypse is coming. And if it has anything to do with Taehyung's power -"
"How dare you insinuate that Taehyung is the cause of it," I growl. "Taehyung has given *everything* in his role as the Aamon."
"You are acting blind to the signs."
"Taehyung is *not* the cause of the Apocalypse," I say. "It was Chaos that started these chain of events. It was Hanaan's arrival that aggravated these fears."
"We just saw Taehyung possibly kill his Parliament by *accident*. If what Yoohwan says is true and Taehyung's power rivals Chaos, then chances are, he is the cause of the Apocalypse. Hanaan's appearance is a sign that Taehyung's rule is coming to an end."
"Then why did you ask me to kill him? You told me that Heaven only saw danger in Hanaan. Would it solve anything if I killed him now?"
"Would you try?"
I was about to answer that I would - that I could simply get up right now and go and kill Hanaan. But I realise that couldn't. I wouldn't.
I wouldn't be able to kill Hanaan and Caine knew it too.
"Not even to save Taehyung?" Caine continues, staring unflinchingly at me.
I look away from Caine. I couldn't answer him.
"The future is uncertain, Azazel. We don't know for sure what will happen, but we must know when and how to minimize the risks."
"Then what do you want me to do?" I bite, turning to him in anger. "Kill Taehyung? Kill Yoohwan? Defeat Chaos? Tell me what's your bright idea now?"
"The orbs are clouding over, Azazel," Caine reveals. "The Apocalypse is eminent at this point. You must choose a side."
"What side is there, Caine?" I'm exasperated as I speak to Caine. "The side that allows Chaos to continue his destruction? The side that will kill Taehyung and hope for some reason that Yoohwan is telling the truth so you won't feel bad about killing him? The side that believes that a nine year old child is somehow the harbringer of an unknown evil? Tell me, Caine!"
"I'm trying to help you," Caine seethes. "The matters of this Earth are no concern of mine, yet I risk *life and limb* to help you and Taehyung. But if Taehyung is the cause of the Apocalypse like Yoohwan hints, then we must choose for the greater good!"
"And what if Chaos is lying? What if the only reason he wants to kill Taehyung is so he can do as he pleases to this Earth without anyone being able to stop him? What then, Caine? Who will stop Chaos?"
"You would risk it?"
"I would!" I yell. "I will not give up on Taehyung just because some maleficent being claims that he's a problem."
"Look around you! Look at what Taehyung has done! Who else must die in order for you to take this threat seriously?"
"I *am* taking this threat seriously," I answer. "But I'm not giving up on the people I love just because of some random warning!"
"Your love of Taehyung will destroy all of humanity!"
"And whose fault is that? I already warned you of the dangers in a relationship between Taehyung and I. *You* wanted to take the chance. *You* believed that it would work. *You* triggered the prophecy that the Sympathizer Opens Humanity to Defeat!"
"You have the power to change that! You know where this could lead!"
I take a step forward, the warning clear on my face. "My love for Taehyung will not change. Know that I would rather watch this world fall apart than allow you to hurt even a hair on his head."
"You are selfish."
I snarl in his face. "I am a demon, Caine. I don't care for humanity."
"So what happened to redemption?" Caine asks. "Isn't that what you've been fighting for all this while? A second chance? A chance to go to Heaven?"
I am quiet at that.
"If you can save humanity, if you can just defeat *one person* -"
"Taehyung said he'll focus on destroying Chaos. I will follow his lead."
"You cannot defeat Chaos!"
"If what Yoohwan said is true, then I don't need to defeat Chaos. Taehyung will."
"You honestly think Taehyung can defeat the First Creation?"
"I believe in him. As you should."
Caine only stares at me, exasperated. He slowly looks away, shaking his head in disbelief. "I always knew love would make you blind. I didn't know it would make you stupid too."
"Will you help me?"
"Defeat Chaos? How? We were never designed to defeat him."
"We could try."
"Only a fool tries when he knows he will fail."
I wait for Caine to make up his mind.
"I will help you. But at the first sign of trouble, at the first sign of Taehyung losing control, you must agree to end him."
"What happened to the prophecy being written?"
"Azazel."
The look in Caine's eyes tells me he has no more room for games.
"Alright. At the first sign of the Apocalypse, I will kill Taehyung."

I shift to Taehyung's Court. The tracing spell I placed on him years ago was supposed to make finding him easy, yet Taehyung was so predictable that it made the spell mostly redundant. Taehyung wouldn't go anywhere beyond his Court. It wasn't that he had nowhere else to go, but he knew better than to leave the safety of his Court and put others in danger by being in the outside world. He'd at least been taught that well.
I watch as Taehyung trains on his own.
I know for a fact that Taehyung has been willfully and purposely withholding the full extent of his power. He fears others getting hurt, and he fears losing control again. Maybe he isn't afraid to show off every once in a while to prove a point, but I've seen Taehyung endure unnecessary beatings when he could have easily destroyed the opponent in the blink of an eye.
Taehyung is too merciful and too wary, to the point where he wastes his own potential and risks even more unintentional outbursts of power because he refuses to allow the full extent of his power to be used.
And as I watch him train, this belief is only proven true.
I watch as Taehyung reaches for the skies, calling the clouds forth to gather above him. The rumbling of thunder fills the silence as he makes a pulling motion, immediately forcing rain to fall heavily. He makes a motion, and the rain suddenly stops midair, droplets suspended in time before Taehyung suddenly lights himself on fire with Hell's flames and lets it spread in a powerful burst that ripples in the area that surrounds him.
I watch as Taehyung stamps one foot against the ground, creating a crevice that forms from under his feet, travelling vertically until it hits a mountain in the far distance, cracking it in half. Taehyung lifts his hands, bringing them together as I watch the mountain in the distance crumble to dust.
He starts pulling lava out of the crevices in the ground, pulling it higher and higher up towards the sky until it resembles a tidal wave that's about to crash down on him. His outstretched hand tightens into a fist, and I see the wave of lava slowly start to solidify, hardening into rock again.
Taehyung shoots the hardened lava with a blast of Heaven's power that is strong and concentrated enough to make it crumble to the ground once more.
"You never fight like this."
Taehyung glances over his shoulder, staring directly at me as I walk towards him.
"Yes I do."
"No," I point out. "You train like this, and you flex your power like this. But you don't fight like this. Why?"
Taehyung makes a gentle motion, and immediately the giant crevice on the ground realigns itself and disappears. "You know why."
"Assume that I don't."
Taehyung finally turns to me.
"You have the power to change the weather, to destroy mountains, to call on to the powers of Heaven and Hell. Yet you barely use them in a fight."
Taehyung stares at his raised hands, which shake quietly. "I'm losing control, Jin. The voices in my head are too distracting."
"Why did you choose to hide it from me then? I was here for you. I could've helped you."
"I *did* tell you."
"Yesterday! You told me for a whole month that you were fine."
"I thought I could deal with it on my own."
"Could you?"
Taehyung looks away.
He knows the answer. He's already lost control twice in two days. He could have killed a lot of people had his lapse of control been worse.
"I don't see you losing control right now."
Taehyung's hands tighten into fists as he looks up at me. "I don't have to fear killing anyone when I'm practicing on nonliving targets."
"How will you improve if you don't push yourself?"
"And what if I end up killing the people I want to protect? What would the whole point of my powers be?"
"The whole point of your powers is to act as the Aamon."
"And I might end up killing everyone for doing exactly that! You don't understand what I'm going through, Jin!"
"Then help me understand!"
"How? I don't even know what I'm going through!"
Both Taehyung and I are left staring daggers at each other, each with our own steam to blow, before Taehyung closes his eyes, sighing as he takes a step back.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs, his voice shaking slightly. "I haven't seen you in a day. I miss you, but I'm stressed with so much and I… I just don't know anymore, Jin."
"Taehyung, I saw you destroy your Parliament's Court. You ripped it to shreds. Because you were angry."
"I didn't mean to."
"I know. But we cannot ignore the fact that it happened."
Taehyung stays quiet. Perhaps he doesn't know what to say, perhaps he doesn't have anything to say. I come closer to him, resting my hands against his cheeks.
"I want to help you. Truly, I do."
"I know."
"But I'm blind and clueless right now. I fear for you, for the people around you."
Taehyung smiles slightly as he looks up at me. "Is that why you took Hanaan, Jungkook and Namjoon away from me?"
"You knew?"
"I saw it in a vision. You'll be safer in Jungkook's Court."
I smile in return. "They miss you."
"I know."
"They keep wanting to come home."
"Keep them there, Jin. It'll be better."
"You're not mad?"
And the little smile stretches a tad bigger as he chuckles. "Why would I be mad? It's for their own safety. I don't even know when I'll lose control again. Who knows who I might kill."
The smile slowly drops off my face as I stare at Taehyung. "Taehyung, answer me truthfully. Did you kill your Parliament?"
The smile disappears off Taehyung too, as he only stares back at me. "What?"
"Caine and I went to your Parliament's Court. There was no evidence that anything was alive there." I reach over to tuck a lock of hair behind Taehyung's ear. "I need to know if you killed them."
Taehyung is staring at my hand instead, at the scars that decorate it due to the injuries I sustained from Taehyung's power. He takes my hand, holding it gently as he twines our fingers together. "I did this, didn't I?"
At my continued silence, Taehyung looks up at me.
"I have to tell you something," I hear him say.
"Anything."
"The visions are getting stronger. You were right. The Apocalypse is coming."
"What do you see?" I ask.
"A great battle."
"Between Yoohwan and you?"
Taehyung shakes his head.
"It's Hanaan and me, fighting to the death. Hanaan is… not doing well. I think it's clear what the vision is trying to say."
I stare at Taehyung. I know what it's saying. And I get what he's trying to imply.
"Will you kill him?"
"No." Taehyung's answer is immediate, confident and commanding. "I'll find a way to save him. I'm not gonna give up."
"It will drive you to ruin, Taehyung."
"It won't."
"Taehyung," I stare into his eyes. He doesn't look like he'll change his mind. "I can't lose you. You are *everything* to me."
"Then help me," Taehyung practically pleads. "Help me solve this. Help me fight this. Help me save everyone."
"My love, *no one* can save the entirety of Creation. It's just not possible."
"I know," Taehyung answers. "I know I can't do it alone. That's why I'm asking everyone to help me. Please believe in me, Jin. I can do this, but I can't do it alone."
I attempt another argument, another option, *anything* to change Taehyung's mind, when I suddenly realise what he just said.
"Everyone?"
"I asked for help," he says, as he rests a hand against my cheek. "From the other Courts."
"Why?"
"Jin, if you've been seeing what I saw… you would want to call on to even your father. Chaos will cause a reign of destruction beyond what everyone has ever seen. He will use powers that will wipe Creation clean."
"And you still think you can fight him?"
"What choice do I have?"
"But what does Hanaan have anything to do with this? Why will you fight him instead?"
And Taehyung pauses, almost freezing where he stands at the question. He doesn't want to tell me.
"Taehyung."
He looks away, taking a step back.
"Why are you hiding it from me?" I ask as my arms drop to my side.
"I'm not hiding it from you. My visions are not definite. I need to change them to avoid what I see."
"What did you see?"
At Taehyung's continued silence, I step forward.
"Tell me."
"In every vision I've seen so far," he starts. "In *every single one*, Hanaan fights against me. There is so much blood and destruction around us. I see the people we know dead or dying."
"How did Hanaan get so strong? He's just an initiate."
"He joins Chaos's side."
I feel my face turning slack from shock. "What?"
"Hanaan will fight for Chaos, and the opposing sides of the Aamon's power will weaken me."
"Why would he -?"
"I don't know. But he will, and that's why you have to take him away from me. Chaos is attracted to my power. Keeping Hanaan away from me will at least lessen the chances of Hanaan being influenced to join Chaos."
I nod my agreement.
"You have to take good care of Hanaan," Taehyung implores. "Make sure he stays away from me. Train him to be stronger and push him to be the sort of leader we'd want him to be. If anything happens to me, he's the only hope for the Aamon's Court now."
"Nothing will happen to you."
Taehyung gives me a small smile. "We're just being careful. Please go. Don't leave Hanaan alone for too long."
"What about you?"
"I'll be here. There is nowhere else for me to go."
"What if Chaos attacks you while you're alone?"
"I'll call to you for help. I'll be fine."
I wrap Taehyung in another hug. I don't want to lose him.
"Since when have you been so affectionate," he muses.
"Since the thought of losing you becomes a possibility every passing day."
Taehyung reciprocates the hug, burying his face against my shoulder.
"There are bigger things than the both of us," he whispers. "If it comes to it, please make the right choice."
I part the hug, whispering a blessing incantation as I rest my lips against his forehead.

"Faster, Hanaan!"
The young initiate screams as he ducks, my blast of power missing him by a hair. He pushes himself off the ground, running as he attempts to conjure enough concentration to call on to his power. I watch as his hands start to glow, as I throw a spell at him, making the ground below him explode.
It throws him back, and Jungkook runs forward in wolf form to catch him mid air with his teeth, catching the initiate by the hem of his jacket. I throw another round of power at them, making them both fly this time. Hanaan lands roughly on his side, bouncing once before he scampers up.
"Concentrate!" I bite, as I come towards him. "We won't always be by your side in battle. Fight for yourself!"
He glares up at me, clutching his shoulder tightly. He suddenly throws a burst of fire at me, perhaps hoping to catch me off guard. I catch it with one hand, destroying the fire as I tighten my hand into a fist.
"Who will you save being this weak?" I growl, conjuring my own ball of fire. I throw it at him, and he scrambles back to avoid it. It lands at his feet, maybe two inches from his toes. Fear starts creeping up the young child's eyes as he stares at me wide-eyed and panicked.
This was the one, wasn't he?
This was the one who would join Chaos's side and then call on to the Apocalypse. This was the one who would fight Taehyung, potentially killing him.
This was the harbringer of destruction.
Jungkook suddenly barks loudly, interrupting me from my reverie. He is standing protectively in front of Hanaan, facing me.
*Jin, enough,* I hear him say in my mind. *You're being too hard on him.*
Hanaan is still sitting on the ground behind him, sobbing loudly as he wipes at his falling tears. I can tell that his shoulder is injured, probably sprained as he looks up at me fearfully.
"Get yourself patched up. Training will continue once you're done."
Hanaan nods, getting up as his body shakes from the strength of his sobs. He heads back to Jungkook's Court, aided by one of Jungkook's men.
Jungkook doesn't move from his position. He still looks ready to jump me if he needed to, and honestly, I couldn't blame him. I watch as he shifts back to human form, his gaze worried and hesitant.
"What's wrong?" he asks me. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"No you're not. None of us are. Maybe you'll feel better if you talk about it?"
I find myself calming at his words. "I'm worried," I confess.
"About Taehyung?"
"About everything."
"Will worrying change anything?"
"No."
"Then why worry?"
I chuckle mirthlessly as Jungkook comes to me, standing by my side as we start walking.
"Do you think about Taehyung?"
"All the time," the little one answers as he holds my arm in both hands and leans against my shoulder. "I miss him. I want to see him."
"You never asked to go back," I point out.
"I know."
"Why?"
"Something's wrong with Taehyung, right? You won't tell me but I can feel it. Just like Hanaan."
"What do you feel?"
"I feel his fear of his powers. His worries for the future." He straightens then, letting go of my arm to look at me. "Something is about to happen, right?"
I stare at the little one. I don't know whether I should keep hiding it from him. It tires me, but I don't know how he'll take it. Jungkook is a child. Although he is always expected to act like an adult, his thinking, logic and deduction skills will always be that of a child.
"We're reaching the end of times, Jungkook. Taehyung is gearing himself for a battle so big we don't even know whether there will be any survivors."
I watch as his expression changes as he takes in all this information.
"Are we going to die?"
"I don't know. We might. But if we're going to go down, we might as well go down fighting, right?"
"What does Taehyung have to do?"
"He has to defeat the First Creation, a being that aided God in creating the cosmos. And if needed, we'll have to help him fight."
"Is that why you're being so tough on Hanaan lately?"
"I'm sorry, Little One. I didn't mean to. Taehyung is afraid that if he doesn't survive, Hanaan won't know how to rule as the Sixth Aamon."
"But you'll be here."
"What if I don't survive the battle? What if you don't survive? I'm trying to teach everything Hanaan needs to know before it's too late. I don't even know whether Taehyung's Parliament will be there for Hanaan."
Jungkook is quiet as we reach the backdoor entrance to his Court.
"Don't worry, Jin. We got this. Taehyung will win."
Right, I think to myself, but at what cost?

Training has ended, and the four of us sit once more at the dinner table. Jungkook is back to being animated again and Hanaan quickly matches his level of energy. I quietly watch, sipping vodka as Jungkook smashes his fist against the rounded end of his spoon, sending his ravioli flying in the air. The little one gets up from his seat, mouth wide open as the pasta lands straight in his mouth, to the applause of Namjoon and Hanaan.
"That's so cool!" Hanaan cheers. "Do it again!"
"You know you can't do this in piblic," I say, putting my glass to the side.
"Exactly why we're doing this in front of you," Jungkook points out.
"Do it again, Jungkook!"
"Okay, but this time, you try throwing the ravioli!"
Hanaan nods in excitement, retrieving a piece of ravioli from his plate before he gets off his chair, backing up a few steps.
"Be careful," I warn.
"What's the worst that could happen?" Hanaan says, before he hurls the pasta like a baseball. Jungkook immediately moves to try catch it, his mouth already wide open as he positions his body.
At the last moment, I murmur a spell, making the tiny piece of rectangular pasta morph into a litre of water.
Jungkook squeals in surprise when he is instead hit with water, immediately becoming drenched to his toes. "Hey!" he yells, grinning wildly.
Hanaan erupts in laughter, clapping like a seal.
"That was so funny!" he cheers. "Did you do that, Jin? Can you do that to me?"
"I did, but don't expect me to do it again. We'll soil the carpets at this rate."
The young initiate immediately sulks, but stops when Jungkook shifts to wolf form and starts shaking himself dry. The droplets of water splatter everywhere, including on me, Namjoon, Hanaan and our food.
"Jungkook, stop," Namjoon says goodnaturedly, as Hanaan starts laughing again.
"Ah," I say, staring into my glass. "You got your fur in my drink, Jungkook."
Jungkook shifts to human form again, mostly dry, save for his hair that's slightly damp. "Oh, sorry. Maybe you shouldn't make people wet in the middle of their meal next time."
I smile in amusement as I use my pinky finger to extract the little piece of hair out of my vodka.
"How come you're always drinking alcohol, Jin?" Hanaan asks. "Are you suffering from addiction?"
Namjoon snorts loudly as he holds in his laughter. I point him a glare before shifting my attention to Hanaan.
"I'm a demon, Hanaan. Few things can sustain me." I lift my hands slightly as Jungkook's assistants start clearing the table since we've stopped eating.
"Like alcohol?"
"Strong alcohol," I correct. "And caffeine and meat."
"That sounds unhealthy."
"Which is exactly why I'm a demon."
Hanaan seems to be thinking for a bit before he asks the next set of questions.
"Will you go to Hell?"
"I routinely travel to Hell. It's where my family is."
"Are you immortal?"
"No."
"What happens when you die?"
"I disappear."
"Is Hell really hot?"
"Yes. No more questions."
"Last one!"
"One," I warn.
"Does alcohol taste good?"
I catch Namjoon giving me a look. He has a message in his eyes that's pretty clear.
"No. It's disgusting. Never drink it."
"Then why do you drink it?"
"Because I'm a demon."
Hanaan wrinkles his nose. "Can I try?"
I deliberate for a few moments. "One sip," I say, ignoring Namjoon's look of sheer disbelief.
"You won't like it though," Jungkook grins. "It really does taste disgusting."
I hold the glass out to Hanaan, who inches closer across the table, his face alight with curiosity. He peers into the glass and appears to take a whiff, before he grimaces and sits back down.
"It smells like pee," he points out.
"It definitely does," I say, sipping the drink again.
"Why do you like it?"
"I don't like it. It just gives me sustenance."
"Oh, I understand," Hanaan nods as he shifts into a proper seating position while we are served dessert. "I used to do that too."
"Do what, Hanaan?" Namjoon asks.
"Eat just to survive. I used to sift through trashcans to find a meal for the day. Sometimes, I'd have to eat grass and clay since I couldn't find anything good to eat. But now I don't have to anymore!" As he speaks, his dessert is placed on the table. It's ice cream and brownies. "Can I please have white bread instead? Plain."
The young initiate still brings his habits from his past, like his palate for simpler, traditional foods.
"If you don't try new foods, you won't know whether you'll like them or not," Namjoon says.
"I don't need to know whether I'll like them or not because I already know what I like," Hanaan hums, as he is passed his plate of plain bread.
He opens his mouth to take a bite, when he suddenly gasps aloud, dropping his food.
"Hanaan."
The three of us are already moving when Hanaan's eyes cloud over, turning completely grey - just like Taehyung when he has a vision. Jungkook already has a hand on the initiate's shoulder when Hanaan moves to rest his hands against his own ears, and screams.
The scream throws us all back in the literal sense. The glass, plates and window panes around us explode. Our hands move to cover our ears, the decibels Hanaan was hitting enough to send me near hysterics. Namjoon falls to the floor. As the only human amongst us, the sound must have been excruciating.
I come to him, whispering a blocking spell that lessens the damage to his delicate ears.
I turn to Hanaan again, just as the screaming increases in pitch, drawing cracks against the walls, and more of Jungkook's members of Court hurry in, only to practically fall to the floor in pain.
"Hanaan, wake up!" Jungkook yells, shaking his shoulder with his one hand while his other hand is pressed against his ear. "Hanaan!"
And then the screaming stops, and Hanaan falls to the side, right into Jungkook's arms. I stare, bewildered, as Jungkook stares back at me with the same expression on his face.

"You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine." Hanaan is already moody, extremely agitated by everyone's concern over him. Sikyung had arranged for human doctors to come over and oversee Hanaan's condition, much to the initiate's rage and refusal. The initiate did not react well to this sort of attention and it showed in his moods.
"You were out for almost a full minute," I continue, as Hanaan makes himself comfortable on his bed. Across the room is Jungkook's bed, the young child already fast asleep and unbothered by our conversation.
"I told you, I'm *fine*!" he shrieks, thumping himself against his pillow as he hugs it to his chest. I pull up the blanket to cover his tiny form as he lies on his back to face me.
"I know you're fine. We were just concerned."
"Stop treating me like a baby," he bites. "It's annoying."
"No one is treating you like a baby," I say as I sit myself down on his bed. "I don't have patience for babies."
Hanaan is still glaring at me, hoping I might somehow die from how hard he stares.
"Taehyung used to get like that."
And the glare is immediately gone, replaced with unabashed curiosity as Hanaan's eyes somehow become impossibly larger.
"He did?"
"Before Taehyung really became an initiate, he'd have random bursts of power, just like yours. Maybe not as strong as yours, but they were similar."
"I'm stronger than Taehyung?"
"In comparison," I answer. "One day, Taehyung's eyes turned grey, just before a concert. It was the first time it had happened, and he saw the future. We call it a 'vision'."
"Was it a good vision?"
"Aamons, or their initiates, do not receive good visions. Taehyung saw a future he had to change. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know he had to change it then, so he allowed it to happen."
"What did he see?"
"He saw the Seraphim attacking our concert and killing a lot of people. He thought it was maybe just a dream."
"What's a Seraphim?"
"The Aamon's Angel bodyguards. They'd been sent to kill Taehyung. Taehyung survived, but a lot of people didn't."
"A lot?"
"A whole lot."
Hanaan is quiet, contemplating.
"So what did you see in your vision, Hanaan?"
He looks up at me, turning over to lie on his side. It makes his cheek squish against the pillow.
"If you speak about a bad dream, you'll speak it into existence," he murmurs.
"At the pace we are in right now, we must know what to expect."
Hanaan frowns, curling deeper into his pillow.
"It wasn't a good vision," Hanaan confirms.
"How?"
"An Angel spoke to me. He told me I was going to hurt a lot of people soon. He showed me how I'd do it," he answers, voice barely above a whisper. "There were bodies on the floor and lots of screaming. I was so strong." Hanaan reaches a hand out slightly to stare at his fingers. "My small hands became so long."
"What happened in the end?"
"I killed Taehyung," Hanaan whispers. "And then I killed everyone else." He turns to me, expression troubled. "Will it really happen? Will I really do that?"
"I don't know. But it's a future we have the chance to change. Don't worry so much about it."
Hanaan doesn't answer, and I don't expect him to.
"I'll tell you a secret, Hanaan."
"What?"
"Do you know what I am?"
"A demon."
"Not just any demon. I am the heir to the kingdom of Hell. I am Azazel, Lucifer's son."
Hanaan is quiet, staring up at me as he turns to lie on his back again.
"I'm destined to fight Taehyung in a battle so large that it will bring down the Heavens and give rise to Lucifer."
"Are you a bad person?" Hanaan asks as he fiddles with the edge of his blanket.
"Inherently, yes. Because my father is the King of Hell, I am, by nature, a bad person."
"Am… am I a bad person?"
I chuckle. "That's a question for you to answer on your own."
"Why will you fight Taehyung?"
"I don't know. It's just a prophecy that might one day come true. But I don't believe in it. I think if you work hard enough, you can change your destiny."
Hanaan listens quietly.
"Visions and prophecies act as warnings for the future. But they are not promises. Your own destiny lies in your own hands."
"What if you can't change it?"
"It doesn't matter if I can't change it. At least I tried."
I glance at the time. It's well into sunrise.
"Rest well, Hanaan. A new day awaits." I whisper the slumber spell under my breath, and watch it take effect on the young initiate. Hanaan's eyes close almost immediately, and he is snoring lightly within seconds.
I stare at the young child's sleeping face.
Somehow, even in slumber, Hanaan looks angry. Perhaps it is in the shape of his brows, or the permanent pout of his lips. It's strange that he's joined Taehyung's Court only a month ago, but seems to fit right in. I find it difficult to imagine the Court without him.
And yet I must, because this young initiate really was prophecied to end the world as we knew it. Even Hanaan had seen it for himself. He would fight Taehyung and kill him.
But why? What would make him do it? Hanaan favoured Taehyung greatly - he was probably Hanaan's favourite person after Jungkook. What would happen that would make him change sides like that?
But did it really matter?
Did it really matter that Hanaan would change sides? I made an oath to protect Taehyung and Jungkook at all costs. I'd proudly exclaimed that I would kill anyone that would hurt a hair on either of their heads and now I'm faced with the possibility that this young child would kill Taehyung in the near future.
I'd prattled on and on to Hanaan about being able to change the future and our destinies, but now that I'm faced with a threat this big, could I do it?
Could I kill Hanaan to save Taehyung?
I stand.
Of course I could do it.
I've killed many more innocents before I joined Taehyung's cause. I've razed villages to the ground, tortured souls and started mayhem that has left thousand to suffer. This single child was nothing in the grander scheme of things. I could save Taehyung and Creation at large if I stopped the Apocalypse.
There were two possible sources of the Apocalypse now - Hanaan and Chaos. Taehyung had already made up his mind to destroy Chaos and save Yoohwan.
Perhaps I could save Taehyung and kill Hanaan.
I let the dagger hidden inside my being fall into the palm of my hand.
It would be easy. One clean, quick slice across the neck would result in a pretty painless, quiet death. The slumbering spell wouldn't even make him aware what was going on until it was too late.
One quick slice. That was all it would take.
For Taehyung.
I come forward, dagger at the ready as I rest it against Hanaan's neck.
Just one, clean swipe.
I catch from my peripheral vision the bedroom door open, and Namjoon stands there, a hand on the door knob.
Fcuk. Had I been so preoccupied with my thoughts that I hadn't noticed the sound of his footsteps?
Namjoon stares at me, eyes wide as I straighten, not even trying to hide the dagger in my hand.
"Jin," he says, voice whisper soft from shock.
"Namjoon." I let the dagger be absorbed into my palm again.
Namjoon stares very pointedly at my now empty hand. His face is deliberately emotionless. He calms down very quickly. It's something I've always found impressive about him. "Come outside. Let's talk."
Once more, Namjoon carries the aura that he always had, even before we debuted together as BTS. Namjoon - the natural leader one instinctively listens to. I follow him out.
I shut the door behind me as Namjoon starts walking. I fall in step beside him. For a few moments, we are completely silent.
"You're not gonna ask me why?" I say.
"You'll tell me anyway," he answers. "But if you really wanted to kill him, you wouldn't have stopped even if you saw me."
Namjoon was right. I hesitated. I wasn't even sure if I'd wanted to do it.
"I remember you once told me that you wouldn't kill the child. What made you change your mind?"
"I realised what's at stake."
"There's always something at stake. Let me guess, the Apocalypse, right?"
"How do you know?"
"It's all you talk about. The Apocalypse coming. Killing Hanaan will change this?"
"It might."
"Aren't you going against everything Taehyung believes in? Everything *you* believed in?"
"I know," I answer. "But it's different this time. Hanaan is prophecied to kill Taehyung and I - I just can't let that happen."
Namjoon only listens quietly. He doesn't rally on any sides whenever there is conflict within the Court, and I found that incredibly useful for us, especially since Taehyung and I regularly had polarizing views. Even now, even when I was about to kill Hanaan had he not intervened, he continues acting as the pacifist.
"You really think killing him would change anything?"
"I don't know."
"I don't have the power to stop you if that's the decision you choose to make. But you're aware for yourself what that will lead to."
"I'll protect those who matter to me at all costs."
Namjoon pauses for a moment. "You choose the lesser evil."
"I don't care what the lesser evil is. As long as I can protect Taehyung."
"But you hesitated, didn't you? You couldn't kill Hanaan."
It's my turn to be silent as Namjoon stops walking to turn and face me.
"You know that it isn't the right thing to do. That's why you stopped."
"I'm weak," I growl.
"You're not. You changed your mind and you're finding another alternative - a safer one, a better one that doesn't involve hurting Hanaan."
I process Namjoon's words as he studies me.
"And honestly, I'm thankful that you stopped. There has to be another way."
Namjoon rests a hand on my forearm, squeezing it reassuringly. "You don't have to kill Hanaan. Things will work out, Jin. They have so far."
I stare at the ring on his middle finger.
"Where did you get that ring?"
Namjoon pauses momentarily, confused before he looks at what I'm staring at. "This?" He lets go of my arm to study his hand. "Taehyung gave it to me. For protection purposes, I guess."
Protection, huh? Why hadn't I thought of that?
"It must be stressful for you to be human when we're in battle."
"You have no idea," Namjoon muses.
I allow myself to reciprocate the smile. "I'll one-up Taehyung's gift."
Namjoon only gives me a quizzical look as I murmur a spell, fetching some items from my stash of weapons hidden away in another dimension.
The items starts to solidify above me, and I catch them before they hit the ground.
"What is that?" Namjoon asks, as I pull back the slide to check the barrel.
"I think you once said that you'd be fine going into battle with a gun."
Namjoon nods.
"So here's two guns."
I pass both of them to Namjoon, who instinctively weighs them against his palms.
"You can handle Sig Sauers, right?"
"Of course I can," Namjoon answers. "But how do I use this? There aren't any bullets?"
"Bullets will run out, and don't hurt non-humans that much. These guns are powered by spells. They'll never run out of bullets, and would really hurt the non-humans."
"How much hurt?"
"Think of a bullet the size of a tennis ball -"
"That's a cannon."
" - that's able to also explode upon impact."
"Jin, that could kill someone."
"Precisely why I keep these things hidden far away."
"And you're just giving them to me?"
"No. I'll definitely take these things back one day. If we survive the Apocalypse."
"What if we don't survive?"
"The guns are enchanted to be destroyed at my death. A weapon like this would be risky in the wrong hands."
Namjoon nods his agreement. He points the gun to the side, positioning himself as if he's about to pull the trigger.
"How good is your aim?"
"Bullseye every time," Namjoon replies, as he relaxes his position and turns to me again. "But thank you. I hope I'll be able to use this to aid your cause."
I smile tightly in reply. I don't even know what my cause is anymore.
"How's Taehyung?" Namjoon asks, as he pockets the weapons.
"He's fine. He's mostly training."
"Does he know about Hanaan?"
"Of course he does. We talked about it."
"He doesn't want you to kill Hanaan."
"Taehyung would rather die in battle than kill anyone."
Namjoon smiles tightly. "So how long will Taehyung have to stay away from us?"
"Until the time is right. Until he's ready."
And Namjoon's creases his forehead in confusion. "Until he's ready for what?"
That was a good question.
Until he's ready for what, exactly?

I hear footsteps running down the hallway and I look up just as Hanaan practically hurls the door to my study room open and runs to me.
"Jin, Jin, Jin!" he yells, tugging at my arm to pull me away from my books. "You have to come!"
"Hanaan," I scold. "It's rude to barge into people's rooms."
"Come!" Hanaan shrieks as he pulls me to stand. "Come down and see."
I follow him from behind as the young initiate practically runs down the hallway, down the steps and into the guest room. I enter just in time to see the initiate run into Taehyung's arms as Taehyung catches him and reciprocates the hug.
He's cut his hair. The long locks that fall over his shoulder are gone, and the short hair and bangs from our BTS-era days are back. Somehow, they bring back memories. A time where our biggest worry was not having a hit song. Who would have thought we'd be where we are now.
Taehyung looks up at the sound of me entering as Hanaan parts the hug. I stare at Taehyung, with Caine standing quietly behind him, unsure whether this was a good sign.
"Jin," Taehyung smiling widely. "I've missed you."
"Hey," I greet somewhat blankly, as I come to him and give him a brief kiss. "What are you doing here? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Taehyung answers, just as an excited shriek from behind me distracts us.
"Mama!" I make space just as Jungkook practically slams into Taehyung in excitement. "You're here, you're here!"
"I am, baby," Taehyung groans in reply, the hug from his little one too tight.
"I've missed you!" Jungkook grins as he unwraps himself. "And your hair!"
"I've missed you so much more. How have you been doing? How have all of you been doing?"
"We're fine, Taehyung." I turn around to see Namjoon enter, and see Taehyung's eyes light up.
"Rap Monster," Taehyung teases just as Namjoon comes forward and grabs his hand, before they bump shoulders in greeting.
"You look different," Namjoon muses. "Did you cut your hair or something?"
"Or something," Taehyung chuckles.
Namjoon takes a step back to stand by my side.
"How's the Court?" he asks.
"Work has been put on hold," Taehyung confesses. "I've mostly spent my days training with Caine."
"You have something to tell us, don't you?" I say.
And the smile disappears from Taehyung's face as he sighs. "Yes. I'm calling for a meeting between all the Courts. And I need all of you to be there."
"Me too?" Hanaan says.
"Yes, Hanaan. You too. If I don't make it out of this fight alive, you will have to succeed me immediately. It's time you learnt how to carry out duties."
The initiate frowns, leaning against Jungkook's leg.
"Will I be a representative of my own Court?" Jungkook asks.
"Yes. You'll attend with Sikyung."
"What's it about?" Namjoon asks.
"It's about Yoohwan," Taehyung says. "And Chaos."
"You're asking for armies?" Jungkook asks.
"No. I'm asking for support. And opinion, before I make a choice."
I glance at Caine, who has been completely silent throughout.
*What does he have planned?* I ask him.
*Something that won't make you happy.*
"I need all of you to be there because your opinions carry weight to me. Even you, Hanaan. This will be the first meeting in history involving PETRA and the Courts worldwide."
"That's a lot of people," I say under my breath.
Taehyung nods. "And with so many people in power present, there will be a lot of conflict. I'm putting out all the stops to try avoid this."
"Have you found Yoohwan?" I ask.
Taehyung shakes his head.
"The orbs have clouded over," Caine finally speaks up. "Every single orb in Adam's care has turned grey. The future in uncertain."
"What does that mean?" Namjoon asks.
"Orbs are things that contain the story of every single person," Jungkook explains. "From start to finish."
"And the fact that the finish is now unclear," Caine continues, "is a major cause of worry."
"Why?"
"It means something major will happen," Taehyung explains. "Something serious enough to affect all of humanity."
"It makes finding Yoohwan impossible," Caine says. "He will only appear when he wants to make his presence known."
"Where do you think he'll appear?" I ask.
"Congested areas. Areas full of life and movement. Damage that would make the biggest impact."
"Risking exposure to humans," Namjoon says.
Taehyung nods. "I'm trying to reach him. But all I've got to depend on are my visions, and hope it'll come as a forewarning."
"What about the Sovereign? Would he be able to find Yoohwan?"
Taehyung shakes his head. "My relations with the Sovereign are not at a good place right now. If we need to talk, we'll talk at the meeting. I need all of your help to pull this off."
I glance at Namjoon. As someone who once worked with a peace-keeping organization, he would know best.
"What do you think, Namjoon?"
"Of course I'll help. But it's going to take a lot of work. And I don't know whether Yoohwan would appear amidst all this."
"So how fast can you plan this?"
"Have all the Courts been informed?"
Taehyung glances to me.
"They will be," I say.
"Then two days would be enough."
"Two days?" Caine exclaims. "There will probably be hundreds of people in attendance. You'd have to coordinate their arrival, have crowd control and security. Not to mention many of the Courts already hate each other."
"Two days," Namjoon repeats. "But I'll need PETRA's help. And the Seraphim."
The Seraphim?
Collectively, we turn to Taehyung, awaiting his approval.
"Consider it done," Taehyung says.
"Busy days ahead," Caine murmurs, a hand against the bridge of his nose as he closes his eyes.
"Great!" Hanaan cheers. "It's boring here."

"I take it back," Hanaan cries, arms raised as he leans against me. "I want to be bored again. I want to be bored!"
I muse him, lifting him up by his armpits and carrying him against my chest. The young initiate immediately rests his head against my shoulder and arms around my neck, thoroughly drained from the day.
"I'm so tired," he groans.
I sort through the cards on the table again, all arranged in a circle as I support Hanaan against me with one arm.
"This circle is too big," I point out.
"Thirty five dignitaries have confirmed attendance," Namjoon reminds me.
"Forty two." I look up just as Taehyung appears with Caine, coming out of a portal that stands beside Jungkook. "The Hunter's Association have confirmed their attendance." He throws me a stack of cards which I fluidly catch, each with the seal of the Hunter Courts of the seven continents. I arrange them on the table, adding on to the size of the circle as Taehyung and Caine disappear again into another portal.
"The North American Hunter's Court cannot sit beside my Court," Jungkook points out, lifting his card up. "I don't think they're over the fact that Hector got killed."
He puts the card down beside Taehyung's Court.
"The other Courts are already talking about Taehyung's favouritism towards your Court," Namjoon says. "I don't think you should be seated there." He reaches over, taking Jungkook's Court card and places it at the other end of the circle to Taehyung's card.
"You think I should be directly facing Taehyung?" Jungkook asks.
Namjoon deliberates. "You're right," he agrees, taking the card again. "That's a seat of power too."
I make the necessary hopping motion to raise Hanaan higher up against me, since the young initiate is already in slumber and slowly sliding off my chest. "Tanya should be sitting there then."
"No," Namjoon disagrees. "Tanya should be sitting by Taehyung's side."
"The Sovereign should be sitting beside Taehyung, right?" Jungkook quizzes.
"But the Vampire King has a higher social status than the Sovereign," Namjoon says.
"The Sovereign should be by Taehyung's side," I agree. "The meeting involves him very heavily. The Vampire King can sit beside the Sovereign."
"Tanya should sit on Taehyung's other side," Jungkook says. "If we're asking for their help, then the recognition should at least be there."
Both Namjoon and I nod, and I shift the cards again.
"I think Jungkook should be sitting directly across from Taehyung," I say. "Jungkook can also act as necessary crowd control when needed. The circle is large."
Namjoon takes the name card and positions it accordingly. "We have twenty one other names whose attendance have yet to be confirmed." He glances at the stack of papers stapled together that were to his left. "And some messy Court alliances we have to respect."
"So long as the North American Victor sits nowhere near us, I'll be fine," Jungkook says.
"Then we'll just group everyone by species," Namjoon suggests.
"No," both Jungkook and I say at the same time.
"The Courts literally hate each other," Jungkook murmurs.
"And they tend to argue over who has a higher authority to make decisions in their people's names."
"Alright, no problem," Namjoon says, as he rearranges the cards, glancing momentarily at the information in his papers.
"Taehyung will only return with more names," I point out. "I'm gonna put Hanaan to bed."
"Can I go to bed too?" Jungkook mewls. "I'm so tired."
"Are you alright with the seating arrangement?"
The young child nods.
"Come. You need your rest too."
Jungkook hop-skips towards me, clinging on to my arm as I turn around and head to their shared bedroom. The walk is silent, broken only by occasional yawns from Jungkook and Hanaan's snoring.
We enter the bedroom and I immediately place Hanaan on his bed, tucking him in while Jungkook tucks himself on his own.
I straighten, glancing at Jungkook who already has his blanket tucked up to his chin. "Good night, Jungkook." I prepare to take my leave, when I hear Jungkook call me.
"Jin," he says. "Jin, come here."
"What is it?" I come to him, wondering if he needs anything.
The little one instead pats his bed. "Talk me to sleep."
I chuckle, but heed to his request, sitting down on the bed as Jungkook turns to lie on his side, a hand against my knee. I start carding through his hair and I watch as Jungkook's eyelids start becoming heavy. Moments like these make me remember that he's only nine.
"Will you miss this?"
I pause, wondering if he's sleeptalking. But Jungkook isn't asleep just yet.
"Miss what?"
"All this. This will all end once our fight with Chaos begins."
My hand falls away and rests against Jungkook's side.
"I've come to terms with the fact that some of us will die."
"Don't say that. We survived bigger things."
"I have …a bad feeling about it."
"Why?"
Jungkook turns to lie on his front and look up at me. "I don't know. I can just feel it in my guts."
I smile slightly, attempting to calm him. "Things will turn out alright. Have faith."
"But what about Hanaan?"
"What about him?"
"I know you tried to kill him the other day."
If I had a heart, it would stop beating as I stare at the little one looking up at me.
"You keep thinking I'm a heavy sleeper."
I attempt to calm myself by smiling. "I'm sorry."
"Why'd you do it? "
Should I tell him? Would he understand? I don't want to keep things from anyone anymore. "Because Hanaan is prophecied to do some really bad things," I whisper as Jungkook quietly twines my hand in his. "I want to protect you before anything bad happens."
"We all do bad things some days," he whispers back, as he reaches his other hand towards me. I lean forward to rest my forehead against his. "It doesn't make us all bad."
I close my eyes. "I don't know whether I can change it."
I know Jungkook doesn't understand what I'm talking about, but I feel him wrap his arms around my neck as he hugs me.
"It's going to be okay," he says. "It always turns out okay."
I open my eyes, straightening as Jungkook's arms fall away.
"You know that if anything happens to me -"
"I'll die. I know. I'm only alive because your blood keeps me alive. If you die, so will I."
"What if I do end up dying? What about your Court?"
"Sikyung will be the next Alpha. I've already written it down in my will."
I force a smile in amusement. "You made a will?"
"I'm Head of my Court with no heir in sight. I need a will."
"You're nine."
Jungkook smiles in turn. "Literally no one cares about my age except you and Taehyung. Taehyung made a will too, in case anything happens to him and Hanaan."
"Really?" I muse. "Who has he written as successor?"
"That's a secret only he can tell you."
"I won't force you to tell if you don't want to." I reach over to sweep his bangs to the side. "Good night, Jungkook."
I lean down, whispering the prayer of blessing as I rest my lips momentarily on his forehead.
"Promise me you won't try to hurt Hanaan again?" he whispers as I straighten.
"Not even to save you or Taehyung?"
"I don't want to lose you again."
"How does that have anything -"
"I don't want to see you be a monster again."
I pause. I don't know what to say to that. "I'll always be Jin to you," I finally say, as I pull his blanket up to his chin. "Right?"
But Jungkook doesn't say anything, and I don't force him to.

I return to the meeting room to see Taehyung sitting at the table, a book in hand while his other hand rests gently on Namjoon's open laptop. Namjoon and Caine are just about to step into an open portal when I stare at them questioningly.
"I'm borrowing Caine for a while," Namjoon announces unnecessarily.
"Where to?"
"PETRA."
"… You're going to meet the Head of the organization you turned your back on," I point out. I know Namjoon lacked common sense at times, but even this seemed stupid.
"Yes. Which is why I'm borrowing Caine. See you."
Caine has the audacity to wave at me as they leave, before the portal disappears completely.
"Didn't you have a say in that?" I ask Taehyung, who's staring at the laptop screen.
Taehyung only shrugs. "I'm not the boss of them."
"You're our head of court. You technically are."
"Ha ha," he murmurs, under his breath, obviously unamused.
I come to my side of the table, continuing Namjoon's work. The circle will only grow bigger over time. I'd probably have to conjure up some kind of spell in order to fit everyone in the room.
"You've finished meeting with all the Heads?" I ask conversationally.
"No," Taehyung replies, not looking up from his book and the laptop screen. "Namjoon said it was an emergency. I'll continue later."
I nod, continuing my work in silence.
"The version of events in the book and in the files Yoochun sent me are different."
I look up at Taehyung, who is quizically glancing back and forth between the laptop screen and his book.
"What?"
Taehyung holds up the book he's reading and I read the title. 'A Conclusive Study of the Anthrax War.'
"What are the differences?"
"Yoochun's reports say that his father instigated the war and was killed by Yoochun. The book claims that his father died valiantly in battle, killed by the witch who started the war."
"No surprise," I say, turning back to my work.
"What? Why?"
"That's how internal politics work. If the followers have any reason to doubt their leader, wouldn't it only create opposition?"
"But Yoochun is lying to his people."
"Sometimes lies are better than the truth. If Yoochun had revealed the truth, it would've caused further conflict. I would understand why Yoochun would want to lie about his father."
Taehyung is quiet. He doesn't agree, but he doesn't have a rebuttal. After a few more minutes of silence, he gets up, placing his book to the side and comes to me. He stares quietly at my work.
"Where's your seat?" he asks.
"I won't be in attendance. I'll have to oversee the meeting from afar."
"I'd prefer to have you there with me."
I glance over my shoulder to look at him, seeing him leaning lightly against me. I feel myself relaxing considerably at his close proximity.
"I will always be here with you."
Taehyung only smiles quietly.
"I had a vision the other day."
"Another?"
I feel him nod his head against my shoulder.
"Another future you have to change?"
I hear Taehyung chuckle mirthlessly. "I always have to change the future. That's the whole point."
"What did you see?"
"I didn't see a clear future " he answers. "Gabriel came to me."
"Gabriel?"
"The Archangel," Taehyung clarifies. "It was such a strong vision… I thought it was real."
"What does he want?"
"He says if I don't stop now, Heaven will rain down us."
It takes me a moment to process what those words mean, but when they do, I turn to him. Taehyung straightens to look at me, a somewhat lifeless look in his eyes.
"What?" I'd heard him clearly. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know, Jin," Taehyung sighs, rubbing his hand against his forearm distractedly. "There are too many warnings. I can barely -- I can barely process one before another hits me. I've been having so many visions that I don't even know what to change anymore."
There is a quiet feel of growing power in the air, an almost tangible static-like electricity that warns me of an oncoming attack. Taehyung is too stressed. He's about to lose control again.
"Ever since Hanaan came into the picture, the future keeps getting more and more fcuked up - every possible future scenario hits me like a warning, like every single decision we make will still lead us to our doom."
I rest my hands against his shoulders, attempting to look into his eyes, though Taehyung is staring off into the distance.
"Hey," I murmur, attempting to soothe him, "hey, calm down. You know the future is not concrete. We can still change it."
"I know." The electricity in the air increases in response to Taehyung's inner turmoil. "That's what I'm trying to do, but the visions keep coming."
"Taehyung, stop. Please. You're going to lose control again. We can do this together, but not if you keep getting angry and hurting those around you. Be rational. Be calm. Look at what we're trying to do. We're trying to save the future. But if you lose control, there will be no future."
Taehyung turns to me, staring deep into my eyes, processing my words.
"I'm here for you," I say, "we're all here for you. But only if you allow us to be."
The electricity in the air dissipates and I close my eyes, sighing deeply, needing a moment to collect myself. I open them again to see Taehyung still staring at me.
"Are you scared of me?" he asks, voice whisper soft.
"No. I'm scared of you hurting others without meaning to."
Taehyung holds out his hands, staring blankly at his open palms. "Everyone's scared of me."
"That's not true," I point out.
"Even I'm scared of me." Taehyung looks up at me just then, and the look in his eyes makes me silent. It makes my heart ache, and I don't even have a functioning heart.
I hold both his hands in mine, squeezing them tightly.
"I know I have too much power. I know I'm just putting others in danger. But I'm scared. I'm scared of my enemies, I'm scared of not being able to protect everyone. I'm too scared to even pass this power on because what if the next person is someone worse than me?"
I pull him close to me, listening patiently. "You have too many fears."
"I'm so tired, Jin," he says. "I'm so tired of this fate, of this life, of this responsibility."
"I'm sorry," I automatically answer.
"But I can't give up, right? Because I'm the Aamon. Everything rides on my shoulders."
I don't answer. I don't have an answer and no answer would satisfy Taehyung anyway. So I lean forward, kissing him.
Taehyung is slow to reciprocate, but he wraps his arms around my neck as I pull him closer by his waist. I want to kiss all his pain away. I want to touch him till he forgets his anguish. I was not made for selflessness nor empathy, but the only thought in my head right now was to take all Taehyung's pain and transfer them to me.
I would gladly take the pain and suffering Taehyung was going through if it meant he'd be happy again, but know someone like him would never truly be happy if there was a single Creation on this Earth feeling an ounce of pain.
Because that was just who Taehyung was - selfless and empathetic. And he was passing these qualities to me, whether he was aware or not. I wonder briefly if what Caine said was true - that Taehyung was saving me, giving me human-like qualities that made me… less demonic.
I feel myself bump into the table behind me and switch our positions, before lifting Taehyung to sit on the table. Taehyung breaks the kiss, glancing around him.
"You're gonna jumble up your cards."
"Tell me why that's the least of my worries."
He says nothing else - or rather can't, because I've claimed his lips again. I feel him smile into the kiss, and for reasons that make absolutely no sense, feel my heart flutter more than it ever has the millenia I've been alive.
"I want to bed y0u," I growl. "Severely."
"What, like go to sleep?" Taehyung smiles coyly, feigning innocence as he tilts his head to the side.
I take his hand and shift us, landing right on top of the bed of Taehyung's bedroom in Jungkook's Court. We land horizontally, bouncing softly against the mattress.
Taehyung bursts out in laughter, finding amusement in the act and for a moment, time stands still for me. The love of my life - there really is no other way to put it - is happy, even if momentarily. It seemed to be more than enough for me.
Taehyung pushes himself up to loom over me, a smile playing on his lips. "Tell me how you always manage to cheer me up without even trying."
"Talent," I answer.
"Or spells."
"Or a combination of both."
Taehyung chuckles in amusement, before he leans forward and kisses me. I feel my hand travel up his leg and rest against his waist, before going up under his shirt. He is as warm as the summer season, as welcoming as the sunshine after a rainy day and as soothing as a warm cup of tea.
"You're going to wrinkle my shirt," he hums.
"Should I get you a new one?" I tease, already reaching up to it. "Or maybe I should take it off for you."
"Namjoon and Caine will be back soon and wonder why we're gone."
"Off on business."
"Business," Taehyung repeats, laughing again. "We're planning the largest gathering of Heads of Courts in history and we're off on business."
I reach up, placing a gentle kiss against his exposed neck and feel Taehyung freeze. I place another kiss lower down his neck, at the crook of his neck and shoulder, before moving down to his collar bone. It protrudes so obviously. Taehyung has lost significant weight.
I let his shirt slip over his shoulder before I lie my head back down on the mattress, staring up at him. Taehyung ceases any banter this time, kissing me as I pull him close. I his shirt completely and let it fall to his elbows. Taehyung's hands move just as quickly, pulling my sweater over my head before he throws it to the side.
The feel of his bare skin against mine feels nothing short of pure ecstasy. I want to hold on to this moment for as long as I could.
And then I feel it.
The power shift. The feel of my own power depleting, automatically transferring itself to the higher energy source, to Taehyung.
Lilith's warning rings loudly in my ear.
*Taehyung will only grow stronger the longer he is with you.*
*The action will go in reverse*
*All that power in one individual is dangerous*
The searing pain of a headache hits me and I wince, pushing Taehyung away.
"Jin?"
I sit up as Taehyung backs off.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I say, looking up at him as the pain subsides into a dull thud.
"It wouldn't be nothing if -" I silence him by resting my lips against his, but Taehyung pushes me away this time.
"Stop," he scolds. "What happened?"
"I said it was nothing."
"Don't try to bullshiit me."
I sigh internally. Taehyung wouldn't drop this even if his life depended on it.
"Accidental power transfer," I say, pulling Taehyung's shirt up to cover him again. "I'm… not as strong as I used to be."
I physically see Taehyung relax, resting his hands against the bed as he studies me in concern.
"Because of the battles you've been fighting?"
"Yes," I say, letting the lie seep seamlessly from my lips.
"I'm sorry," he whispers.
"Don't be sorry. I'll get stronger again. In the meantime, power transfers are…risky."
I see him smile lightly. "Okay. I understand."
I return the smile, resting a hand against his cheek. Taehyung leans into it, and I chuckle. "Don't worry."
"Not worried," he answers. "Just…"
"Insecure?"
He winces, as if the word was somehow insulting to him. "A little bit."
I take my hand away as Taehyung straightens and prop my arm against my leg, before I lean my chin against my palm. "What do you doubt?"
"Remember the prophecy?"
I smirk. "Which one?"
"The one where we fight to the death."
The smile drops from my lips. "Oh."
"I keep thinking you'll leave me," he confesses. "So the prophecy won't come true. Aren't I selfish? I'd rather let the Apocalypse happen than lose you."
"I would never leave you."
"Maybe I'll leave you."
I raise an eyebrow. "Would you?"
Taehyung smiles again, although there is no joy in it. "So then you'd rather fight me to the death than have us apart?"
"I'd rather change the prophecy."
"I keep getting asked what I'd do if it comes to it, you know? Would I still fight you if I had to? To save the world?"
"Would you?"
Taehyung is quiet for a few moments, and I see his eyes shine with the threat of tears. "But you are my world," he says, a tear falling off his face as he tries to maintain his smile. "What is there to save if I don't have you?"
I straighten, reaching for him. "Taehyung."
But Taehyung gently yet firmly pushes me away. He wipes at his cheeks. "And that's exactly the problem. I can't put you before the world at large. I can't keep placing you first. I'm… I'm compromising on my priorities."
I reach for Taehyung again, and this time, he allows me to touch him. I wipe at his tear tracks. "I'm sorry you have to think like that."
"Am I a bad person?"
"You're asking the son of Lucifer whether you're a bad person?"
And Taehyung chuckles mirthlessly, running a hand through his hair as he throws his bangs back. For a few moments, he is quiet. "No matter what happens," I hear him murmur. "we do what we have to do."
I don't ask what he means. I'm almost scared to know.

"Who is the Head of the Asian Faerie Court?"
"Lim Yu Fei," Hanaan answers my question as he tucks a lock of hair behind his ear. I straighten his tie again before smoothing out his lapel. This would be Hanaan first official introduction as an initiate to Taehyung's Court before all the Heads present. His first impression was going to matter heavily.
"And where is he seated?" I ask.
"Fifth left from Jungkook," Hanaan replies. "He's the one with a scar across his eye." The young initiate had memorized all the Heads of Courts a day before today's meeting, staying up hours and hours, with Caine routinely testing him every hour. I'd say he was doing good - he'd only thrown twelve tantrums so far.
"Although you are not expected to speak or participate in any way, you must remain attentive to every conversation. Watch how they speak and learn how they treat each other. If anything happens to us, you will be expected to lead, even if you have to do so alone."
Again, Hanaan nods. As a still functioning human child, the initiate is exhausted from all the hours spent memorizing and physically and mentally preparing for today's event. And as evidence to that, he yawns, wide and loudly enough for Namjoon to look up from his papers.
"Do not yawn in the presence of the leaders. It shows weakness," I remind Hanaan.
"The meeting shouldn't last more than two hours, Hanaan," Namjoon attempts to soothe. "You can head straight to bed once it's over."
Hanaan only nods as I straighten and shift my focus to Namjoon. "Is everything in place?"
"Jungkook is with Tanya to coordinate security. Taehyung is positioning the Seraphim and Caine is overseeing the guests' arrival. Everything's proceeding as planned."
I glance at my watch. We have forty seven minutes before the guests start entering the meeting room. Hanaan is scheduled to enter last, while Taehyung would enter first. The time in between was the riskiest throughout the entire event, because security would be overseeing their safety, as well as crowd control and the arrival of the guests. One small misstep could cause an all out war.
At exactly t-minus forty five minutes, the walkie talkie on the table by Namjoon's side comes to life.
"I'm about to open up the roads." Caine's voice comes through.
"Affirmative." Another voice - Taehyung's - answers. "The Seraphim are in position."
"My agents have surveillance and are ready." Tanya's voice sounds right after Taehyung's.
Namjoon takes the walkie talkie, bringing it close to his mouth. "Jungkook, is the footage coming through?"
"Yes," Jungkook's voice replies. "Every camera is functioning."
Namjoon sets his laptop, immediately connecting it to the projector that displays every camera angle in the city against the white screen.
It had been Namjoon's decision to have the meeting in the affluent district of the City of Singapore. The tiny island meant that the meeting would be easily accessible to everyone, and the public setting of the meeting, smack in the middle of malls and hotels, meant that no Head would be brave - or dumb enough - to cause a scene.
It was smart in theory. In practicum, the sheer presence of the public at large, with the meeting being at the apex of human activity, meant a lot of headaches and anxiety in planning and executing this. The whole Singaporean society was at the threat of a massacre if something went wrong. There was simply too much buzz going on around us for me to focus properly.
Namjoon had rented out an entire office building, filling it with security in the form of PETRA agents and Seraphim in human form. Four entrances were available for the guests to enter in order to not congest any single entry point - the main entrance, the staff entrance, the side entrance and the helipad on the rooftop.
Each entrant would be screened for weapons by the PETRA agents and then for active spells and incantations by the Seraphim. Each Court was given their own separate green room which limited their entourage to only four people. Every single corner of the building had a security camera that would be overseen by Caine, Namjoon and I while the meeting was running.
"Open up the roads," Namjoon speaks into the walkie talkie.
"Affirmative," Caine replies.
We watch from the security cameras as several human-form Seraphim move the road barriers blocking the main entrance of the building. Thirteen Heads would be arriving by car, ten by helicopter, twenty two by teleportation or portals and the rest would be by secret side entrances throughout the building. Each of them would be hosted by a different pair of security before they'd make their way to the green room, and then to the meeting room on the twentieth floor.
Cars start streaming in, and I watch as Heads of varying Courts leave the vehicles and enter the building.
"The helicopters are landing," Tanya suddenly sounds from the walkie talkie.
"I'm sending the Seraphim up," Taehyung replies.
"My men are waiting on the rooftop," Tanya confirms.
Each Court has a separate path to their green room in order to not unexpectedly clash with another Court. We'd had to memorize every single blueprint of the building in order to be able to execute this. The Courts could not meet unless they were in the formal setting of the meeting room.
"The Guests of Honour are arriving," Caine suddenly speaks.
True enough, on one of the screens, the Vampire King and the Sovereign step out from one of Caine's many active portals in the building, speaking indistinctively to each other.
They are immediately greeted by the Seraphim and the PETRA agents, who lead them to their rooms.
And this is how it continues, watching as every guest enters the building and is then brought to their respective rooms. Namjoon dutifully checks off attendance. The event could not start unless everyone was here.
"We have one more Court not yet in their green room," Namjoon speaks up after half an hour of tallying faces to names on paper.
"Who?" I ask.
"The Asian Lycan -"
"Oh, me, me!" The walkie talkie lights up with Jungkook's voice, before we see the only empty green room door burst open and Jungkook runs in, waving his arm wildly. "I forgot I was a Head of Court!"
I smile to myself as I watch Jungkook wave to the security camera. Sikyung, Jungkook's Official Advisor, comes in after him.
"Taehyung, they're all in position," I say this time, into the walkie talkie. "You ready?"
"Let's get it. Open up the portals, Caine."
"Fifty seven portals, coming right up," Caine replies.
I watch as the portals appear in the green rooms, each leading to the meeting room. Taehyung steps in first, taking his seat. The Heads of Court, seeing the signal given by the Aamon, follow through, each heading to their assigned seat. Movement is slow, since seating fifty seven people takes time. Jungkook sits across from Taehyung, while the Sovereign and Tanya sit on either side of him. Taehyung looks confident yet guarded, as he patiently waits for the Heads to settle down.
As they are all seated, Taehyung rises, and the Heads follow suit.
I turn to Hanaan, who stands beside me, staring silently at the screens.
"You ready?" I ask, just as Caine appears beside me.
Hanaan nods.
"We're opening Hanaan's portal," Namjoon says into the walkie talkie, informing Taehyung, Tanya and Jungkook. They don't reply. They have their Bluetooth earpieces on, but can't speak due to the presence of the Heads. But all three nod slightly in acknowledgement.
Caine opens up the portal. He stands to Hanaan's right, while I stand to his left. Hanaan walks forward first.
"Introducing His Highness, the First Heir Apparent of the Aamon's Court, Mohamed Hanaan Khan Sarwani, accompanied by Azazel Morningstar, Heir to the Kingdom of Hell and Caine, Son of Adam, the First Aamon."
Multiple pairs of eyes immediately look up. Hanaan's seat is on the twenty first floor balcony, overlooking the meeting down below. Wordlessly, Hanaan takes his seat on the lone chair, designed to look like a throne. Caine and I stand on either side of him, looking down at everyone. Even though their faces are emotionless, the calculative look in their eyes is apparent. The Son of Lucifer and the Son of Adam.
"Thank you for your attendance on such short notice," Taehyung begins. "You may all sit."
Both Caine and I take a step back as Taehyung starts his commencement speech, our positions replaced by two Seraphim who will act as Hanaan's bodyguards. We enter the portal, shifting back to Namjoon.
"Everything's in place," Namjoon announces as Caine shuts down all the portals. "Tanya, Hanaan, Taehyung and Jungkook, if you can hear us, tuck a strand of hair behind your head."
Taehyung's speech is unhindered as he confirms Namjoon's instructions. Tanya, Hanaan and Jungkook do the same.
"I'm turning on the audio devices in the room," Namjoon announces. "You guys might hear a sharp keening in your ear before it settles."
Namjoon reaches for the switch, and I critically watch for Hanaan's reaction. But I'm worried for nothing, as none of them even flinch when Namjoon turns it on.
Taehyung's voice fills the room. I slowly sit as he continues talking.
" - so there is reasonable cause to believe the destruction Chaos will cause will be great."
"How will we know the authenticity of your claims?" A Head speaks up. "We have never seen, nor heard of this 'Chaos' you speak of."
At Taehyung's signal, Tanya presses a button on her open laptop. The screen behind Taehyung lights up, showing the footage Tanya had shown us prior - that of a massive black mass swiping over several PETRA agents, before the video cuts to static and then returns to show all those agents dead on the ground. Another video is shown, that of Taehyung and Caine's fight against Chaos on PETRA's island.
"The footage was taken by agents of PETRA," Tanya speaks up. "And I am ready to testify regarding its authenticity."
There is general murmuring around the table, as many Heads start discussing with one another regarding this news.
"Matters like these are beyond our responsibility as leaders of our Courts."
"Chaos has the ability to affect the life of every single living being on this Earth," Taehyung continues. "And based on my visions, he will cause a catastrophe greater than you've ever seen *or* heard."
"How do we avoid it?" Jungkook prompts. Although he knows the answer, Jungkook is required to pretend that he doesn't. He cannot know more than the other Courts.
Taehyung signals to Yoochun, who starts speaking.
"Right now, we are aware that Chaos has taken possession of my brother Yoohwan, the only current Heir to my Court."
"How is that so?" Another Head asks.
"I assume you are all familiar with the events of the Anthrax War." At the general nodding of those in attendance, Yoochun continues. "A very large, contributing factor to our win was the aide my brother received from Chaos. My brother agreed to let Chaos reside in his body while Chaos controlled his powers."
"If this is an issue brought forth because of your brother, why have all the Courts been gathered to settle it?" the Victor says.
I bite my tongue. The Victor was still bitter over what happened to his Court when Layla had killed everyone.
There is further murmuring between the Heads, as there is general consensus with the Victor.
"The Victor is right. You cannot expect us to fight for your cause if this was your sole doing," another Head agrees.
"Did you not listen to what the Aamon has just said?" Yoochun bites. "Chaos will cause a *catastrophe* that will affect us all!"
"Because of *your* brother's actions, we will all suffer! Why pull us all into this?" the Asian Faerie Head points out.
Yoochun slams his hands down on the table, standing to yell, just as about half of everyone in attendance stands and starts yelling too. The argument rises in crescendo, just as Taehyung's eyes turn white, and he lets forth a burst of harmless power.
"Enough!"
Everyone is silenced, slowly getting back to their seats as Taehyung's eyes revert back to normal.
"We are here to *discuss*, not to argue," he warns. "The Aamon's Court acts for every soul in existence, not just one particular species. The actions of Chaos will affect everyone on this Earth and if we *die* because of lack of action on your part, rest assured I will hold you accountable in the hereafter!"
His voice has risen to a yell, the final word echoing loudly in the meeting room. Taehyung is rarely angry, but I would say that he looks ready to hurl anyone out of the room if needed.
"I did not manage to answer His Excellency, the Asian Lycan Alpha, Jeon Jungkook's question. Chaos was the First Creation. I cannot even define the amount of power he has. I fought him momentarily and even then, I'm not sure I can win. I don't know if I can stop him alone." Taehyung takes a moment to stare at everyone, enunciating the importance of their attendance. "Chaos will strike again - and I know he will. He will not be merciful, and he will not hesitate to destroy those that stand in his way."
"What does he want?" another Head asks. "If it is money or status he desires, perhaps we may provide the same."
"I don't know. And frankly, I don't care. His actions so far seek to only prove that he is here to cause trouble. And he must be stopped. Right now, Chaos has tied himself to Yoohwan. The Sovereign of the Vampire Courts, His Excellency, Park Yoochun has suggested that Yoohwan is killed."
"Will it work?" A Head asks.
"There is no guarantee," Yoochun answers for Taehyung. "But it is worth a shot. The Aamon, His Highness King Kim Taehyung has agreed to help me under his terms."
"If the Heir Apparent of the Vampire Courts has tied his soul to Chaos, there is a chance that destroying Yoohwan's soul will destroy Chaos as well."
"Then you should do it, Your Highness." Several Heads voice their agreement. "If destroying a soul can save us -"
"It's not easy," Taehyung interrupts. "Getting even close to Yoohwan was impossible when I fought him. Chaos guards Yoohwan closely."
"Then we will send men," Jungkook offers. "Men that will aide you in this fight."
"The last time we sent men, you returned them to us in pieces," the Head of the European Lycan Court points out.
"You sent men to me to try win my favour," Taehyung says. "Now you can do it for your own survival." He pauses momentarily, sighing. "I don't know whether destroying Yoohwan's soul would even work. If it doesn't, Chaos might roam free, inflicting even more damage on everyone."
"Do you have a second opinion, Your Highness?" Yunho asks.
"Yes," Taehyung answers. "I fight Chaos to the end."
There is silence from each and every member of the room, as they all stare at Taehyung.
"If I manage to separate the ties Chaos has to His Excellency, the Heir Apparent, Yoohwan, I would be able to fight Chaos on his own."
"But you just mentioned that you don't think you'd be able to stop him on your own."
Taehyung smiles slightly. "That's why I need your help. I need armies that will be strong enough to at least distract Chaos. His flow of power will be weaker and I might have a chance of defeating him."
"And what if you don't defeat him? What then?"
"Your Highness," Yoochun speaks up, "with all due respect, your plan is too risky. Destroying my brother's soul while it is still tied to Chaos seems to me to have a higher chance of success."
"I agree," a Head says. "We don't know how long this battle between Chaos and you would last, Your Highness. It would be better for you to strike the soonest you can."
"It would involve him killing an innocent," Yunho disagrees.
"Many more innocents would be killed if this is not dealt with swiftly."
The murmuring starts again, and many Heads start getting into deep discussion amongst themselves.
"I would be more willing to volunteer my men if this is the option taken."
"As I."
"As I!"
"How will we know when Chaos will strike?"
"We don't," Taehyung confesses. "I've tried to locate him and Yoohwan, but they remain hidden. I think they'll continue to do so until the time is right."
"We cannot just sit around doing nothing."
"No," Taehyung says, turning to face the Head directly. "Yoohwan and Chaos are matters that fall under my responsibility. I said I needed your help, but only as a distraction. I don't want anyone to put their lives on the line for this."
"But if we lose -," Jungkook starts.
"We will not lose," Taehyung interrupts. "I will ensure that the power vested in me will not go to waste." He looks up, addressing everyone in attendance. "As mentioned prior, I need your help to defeat Chaos. I need your men to fight with me."
"We will offer you our best men," Jungkook says.
"As will we," Tanya adds on. "Along with our best weaponry."
"The Vampire Courts are already indebted to your aid," Yunho starts. "We will offer as many men as you need."
Slowly, more and more Heads start offering aid, though some offer none at all.
"What will your plan of action be, Your Highness?"
"Wait for Chaos to appear," Taehyung answers. "Then fight him."
"Will you destroy him?" Yunho asks.
"Destroying a soul is not easy for me. I've never done so before and frankly, the only person who has is Lucifer himself. That's why I fear it won't work."
"But you think you can fight Chaos to the death?" Another Head says. "What if you die halfway? Who will defeat Chaos?"
"I will not allow Chaos to win." The look in Taehyung's eyes is that of steel. "I promise you. I will defeat Chaos, even if it means causing Heaven to rain down on us."
I bite my lip at Taehyung's words. That sounds a lot like allowing the Angels to come down and obliterate everything.

The meeting has ended, and most of the Heads have left. Taehyung sits at his seat, speaking with the Sovereign again.
I am reminded of what happened the last time they'd met. Taehyung had very nearly killed him, if not for the Vampire King, Caine and my own intervention. A round of Hell's flames had been directly thrown at the Sovereign due to Taehyung momentarily losing control of his powers. Vampires were already extremely susceptible to fire, and to have fire from the pits of Hell thrown point blank at him… I shudder to think of the repercussions if he'd died.
And right now, it doesn't look their relationship is improving either.
"You risked the status of my Court by revealing what you just did."
"Reveal what? You confessed on your own. I would've been happy to have kept the fact a secret."
"Now the entire world at large will know that my younger brother may be the cause of a catastrophe."
"They would have known anyway!" I stop a slight distance away from them. I calculate the best time to interrupt. "You know fair well that the Courts have the right to know and have a say in this matter."
"I could have handled this on my own," Yoochun growls.
"If you could've handled this on your own, you wouldn't have sought my help!"
Feeling something staring down at me, I glance up and see Hanaan staring from the balcony one floor above us. He is standing, leaning heavily against the railing as his rests his cheek against the nest of his arms.
I hear Taehyung continue his tirade of words.
"I'm risking life and limb to help you. I called forth this meeting to listen to opinion and find the best course of action. The amount of power Chaos has in his hands is *unprecedented* and you care about social status?"
"I would have preferred if this was settled privately," Yoochun growls. "I have long tried to hide the truth of my father's actions from the world in order to safeguard his legacy. My brother -"
"There is no point hiding the truth," Taehyung interrupts. "People will only find out one day, and the only thing they'll realise is that they can't trust you."
I look away from Hanaan, turning to Taehyung. That was a really powerful blow.
"I only want to safeguard my family's legacy."
"You can safeguard it by being the hero that fights for his people, not for his reputation."
Yoochun is quiet, and I take the cue.
"Taehyung. Tanya is awaiting your presence to start the debrief."
Both look up at me.
"Jin," Yoochun greets, taking a step back from the argument.
"Tell her I'm coming," Taehyung says as he moves to stand.
Yoochun stares at me, and I stare back.
"You saved my life."
"His Highness, the Vampire King did most of the work," I say, as Taehyung positions himself next to me.
"Still. Thank you." And then he shifts his focus to Taehyung. "Taehyung. Forgive me for losing my temper once again. You must understand my worry. I cannot allow the position of my Court to take a beating. The safety of my community depends on it."
Taehyung says nothing, only smiling tightly as the Sovereign leaves. His smile quickly disappears though, as he sighs quietly, looking away to stare into the distance.
"Congratulations on the success of the meeting," I say, speaking directly to him.
"That was considered a success?" Taehyung muses, looking up to smile at me.
"Everyone left with their heads intact. So yes, it was a success." I come to him, planting a soft kiss against his lips. "I've seen smaller meetings go up in flames."
"Let me guess," he says. "These meetings involve your father?"
"Something along those lines. So you've made your decision."
"Not me," Taehyung corrects, as he turns to the front, "the Heads have."
"And you'll honour it?"
"Of course I will."
I study Taehyung's reaction, crossing my arms over my chest. "They decided that Yoohwan should be killed."
"I know."
"And his soul destroyed."
"… I know."
"You know what will happen to your soul," I warn.
Taehyung turns to me this time. "I know."
"Yet you'll still do it?"
Taehyung falls quiet for a few moments. "What other choice do I have?"
Jungkook comes in just then, eyes on Taehyung as we turn to him. "Mama, Tanya says she has to leave soon. She asks you to hurry."
"I'm coming," Taehyung says, before he glances at me. "I gathered the Courts to make a choice, and the choice has been made. We'll proceed from there."
I want to believe him. I really think I do. But I don't.
Taehyung would never make that sort of decision. He would never carry out such an act.

I sort the cards out on the table, Caine staring quietly.
"What are you doing?" he finally asks, after a long bout of silence.
"I'm trying to figure out an alternative."
"An alternative to what?"
"I don't know."
Caine comes forward, picking up the card that says Prophecy No. 3: Hanaan's battle with Taehyung. "You're trying to find a way out of the Apocalypse. One that won't hurt anyone." He places the card back where he took it and points to the card labeled Prophecy No. 1: Taehyung's battle with Jin. "This is the card with the most dangerous outcome."
"I know," I say.
"If he loses, then it's the end of the world as we know it."
Caine picks up Prophecy No. 2: Taehyung's battle with Chaos. "This, I assume, would be the safest route. If he wins, of course."
"Taehyung told me he received a vision telling him the Angels would come down if he lost to Chaos."
Caine's eyebrows furrow in displeasure. "Oh my."
"And then we have this," I say, picking up the card that says 'Conflict No. 2: Taehyung's Parliament MIA?'. Caine takes it from me.
"Why is this a worry?"
"If anything happens to Taehyung and Hanaan, the only place the power would revert to would be the Parliament. And they're either missing or dead."
"The Aamon line would still continue."
"How?" I counter.
Caine opens his mouth to answer, but he stalls at the last minute. He doesn't have an answer either.
"This is my current worry," he says instead, pointing to the card that says 'Conflict No. 1: Taehyung's power surge'. "His sudden increase in power, his current state of mind and his lack of control could potentially mean that he *is* the cause of the Apocalypse."
"That would explain why the Angels said they'd destroy him if he lost to Chaos. But there is another issue." I pick up the card in question, handing it to Caine.
"Hanaan will join Chaos?" He looks up at me. "Are you serious?"
"It was a vision Taehyung saw. Multiple visions, in fact. Hanaan's decision to join Chaos will split the Aamon's power, weakening Taehyung."
"That's why Heaven ordered his death."
"But Taehyung won't allow it," I say, as Caine puts the card back.
"No surprise," he murmurs. "So what's your plan of action?"
I consider for a few moments. I had some rough ideas in my head, but when it came to it, I honestly had none. "I don't know."
"It doesn't look like there will be a way out. Unless, of course, you consider killing Hanaan."
"He's the only initiate of the Aamon's Court. No other heir has appeared and with the Parliament gone…" I turn to Caine. "The other Aamons never talked about this?"
"With the Orbs clouding over, there's no way for them to actually see what's going on. But the power shift is in the air. Even Heaven is anticipating the Apocalypse."
"They don't know what happened to the Parliament," I say.
"Not that I'm aware of. But like I said. The feel in the air is different. They know something major is happening, they just don't know what." Caine gives a cursory glance to all the cards laid out on the table. "Would Taehyung really consider destroying a soul? He knows the consequences…right?"
"He's aware," I confirm.
"Would he actually do it?"
"I don't know."
Caine spends a few more moments studying the cards on the table. "Chaos is responding to Taehyung's power. It hints that he sees Taehyung as his equal. If we could coordinate our attacks to compliment Taehyung's, we might have a chance at defeating him."
I stare at Caine, giving him the leeway to have the gears turn in his head.
"If we can just keep Hanaan away from Chaos," he starts. "And lure Chaos forward to a place where it would be possible to attack him at once."
"You really think Chaos can be destroyed?"
"Every Creation can be destroyed. That's the whole point of mortality." Caine turns back to the cards. "We already know what to anticipate. Conflict coming from Chaos, Hanaan and you. For now, the easiest way to keep Hanaan safe is to keep him away from all this. Chaos is an entity that we only need to destroy. So now it all boils down to you." Caine shifts his focus to me. "Whether you really would fight Taehyung."
"Why would I even fight him?" I ask rhetorically.
"Maybe because it's the oldest prophecy amongst the ones we have here right now. The Son of Lucifer fighting against the reigning Aamon."
"I would never hurt Taehyung," I stress.
Caine picks up a card, passing it to me. The Sympathizer Opens Humanity to Defeat.
"You think something bad would happen even if I refused to fight him?"
Caine only shrugs as I place the card back on the table. "Taehyung was right. There's just too many prophecies. What is there to change?"
We stare at all the cards, now strewn all over the table top. Time was ticking, and the Apocalypse was coming.
Could we do the impossible?
I'm reminded of something as I turn to Caine again. "You told me that Taehyung has something planned. Something that won't make me happy."
"Ah." Caine is quiet, still staring at the cards on the table.
"So are you going to tell me or not?"
He looks up to me then, his demeanor calm yet guarded.
"Taehyung has already made up his mind from the start. He knows what he's going to do."
I stare at Caine. What did that even mean?
A knock on the door makes us look up. The door opens to reveal Taehyung standing at the doorway, a hand against the doorknob.
"Taehyung," Caine greets. "Is your meeting over?"
"Yeah," Taehyung answers. "Tanya gave me this." He holds up something that looks a lot like a keychain with a carkey attached to it.
"What is that?" I ask.
"It's an alarm that gives out signals to other users if the little button is pressed. Quaint, right?"
"What is its function?" Caine continues.
"Tanya gave this to each Head of Court. Since Yoohwan is currently untraceable, the alarm will act as a signal to the rest of us should he be found."
I take the device from him, studying it critically. "There's a camera built in here," I point out.
"And a GPS and an audio device. It might be useful in the near future."
The word 'near' riles me somehow as I pass the device back to Taehyung. It only acted as a reminder that our days were numbered.
"Be careful," I warn him.
Taehyung nods, pocketing the device. "Where are Jungkook and Hanaan?"
"They already left. I sent them back to Jungkook's Court," Caine explains.
"I see..." Taehyung turns to me then. "Send me back home?"
"Your Court?"
"Where else?"
"Alright." I come to him, and Taehyung turns to Caine. "I'll see you soon, Caine."
"Hopefully not too soon."
Taehyung smiles tightly in reply as I take his hand and we shift.
We land in front of his Court, and Taehyung stares up at the building. I take a few steps forward, expecting him to follow. When he doesn't, I peer over my shoulder towards him.
"Do you feel it?"
I pause, turning around completely to face him. "What?"
Taehyung's eyes turn white as he suddenly lights up with power. "He's here."
An explosion of power appears from behind me and I whirl around just as the black mass wraps around my waist and yanks me back. I hear Taehyung scream my name as I slam against the ground, the black mass spreading as it covers my entire upper body, going up to my nose as it binds me. Whatever the black mass is, I feel it nullifying my power, trapping me within it as both my own power and spells fail.
I hear footsteps and look up to see Yoohwan standing by my side. Where had he come from?
"Let him go!" I hear Taehyung command.
"I will not hurt him." The voice that comes from Yoohwan's lips is most definitely not him, as he stares calmly at Taehyung.
"Convince me otherwise," Taehyung bites, as two Seraphim appear behind him, slamming their staff against the ground in warning.
"If I had wanted Azazel dead, I would have killed him long ago."
That does little to appease Taehyung, but he calms his power down, the colour in his eyes returning as he stops glowing.
"I know who you are."
"Who am I?"
"Chaos. The First Creation."
"And I know who you are. Kim Taehyung. Destroyer of Creation."
It obviously strikes a chord with Taehyung, who stares angrily.
"You must know why I am here."
"You're gonna tell me to give up and die?" Taehyung sneers. "Or are you going to tell me that you'll kill me?"
I hear the smile in Chaos's tone. "You must think I am malevolent."
"You haven't proven otherwise."
"I am neither benevolent nor malevolent. I only exist."
"Bullshiit. I've seen the prophecy. I've heard Yoohwan's warning."
"But do you know why?"
"I don't need to know why," Taehyung bites. "So long as you're endangering Creation, I'm obligated to stop you."
"Am I the one endangering Creation? Or is that you?"
Taehyung bites the bait, lighting up in anger as he throws a blast of power forward. The blast is strong and large enough to destroy the path it travels, creating a parting against the ground. The two Seraphim move along with it, their weapons at the ready to strike.
I don't know if Taehyung has forgotten, but I'm right in the way of his atttacks.
Yoohwan - or perhaps Chaos would be a more accurate name - doesn't move, despite the gigantic mass of power heading his way. He lifts up a hand just as it is about to hit him, and the power slices itself into two, missing the both of us.
The Seraphim drop down from above, one with its staff raised over its head to strike. Yoohwan barely moves, but the black mass expands to catch the staff just before it hits Chaos, before it travels, wrapping itself around the Seraphim.
I watch as the Angel lights up, before exploding and disappearing completely.
I stare. Chaos had just destroyed a Seraphim while barely even moving.
The other Seraphim suddenly attacks from the side, swiping Chaos with its staff. Chaos catches the staff with Yoohwan's bare hand, before he clenches his hand into a fist, making the weapon explode. He extends a hand towards the Seraphim, the black mass extending from his fingers in five sharp points to pierce through the Seraphim's frame, destroying it.
Taehyung stares at all this in suppressed anger and disbelief. He doesn't move where he stands, knowing he cannot attack any further and expect to win.
"What do you want," I hear him say.
"To speak to you. Without outside interruption."
"I'm listening."
"The cosmos is falling apart. The outside universes have been destroyed completely and the destruction is Earth-bound. The Apocalypse will not need to happen if this is the rate things move at."
"Why should I believe you?"
"I created the very Earth you stand on. What reason would I have to lie?"
"Every reason!" Taehyung bites back, moving several steps forward. "We are prophecied to fight each other to either the Earth's destruction or our own. If I don't defeat you, I won't be able to stop the Apocalypse from coming. Why would the universe destroy itself now? What would the point of our fight be?"
"Two entities of extreme power reside on this Earth, throwing the scales off balance. You and I cannot stay in this universe at the same time because the Earth will deteriorate. I want to save this Earth as much as you do."
"Then why did you do what you did?" Taehyung attacks. "Why did you attack us at PETRA? Why did you kill all those people in Romania?"
"The safety of my vessel was compromised. I reacted accordingly."
"Yoohwan doesn't want you doing this."
"I act for the needs of Creation, not the whims of one. You have caused enough trouble on this Earth. Now you put the entirety of Creation in danger because of your power."
Taehyung falls quiet, and I know he is considering Chaos's words.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I see no need for a battle when this can be settled amicably."
Taehyung is letting his guard down as he takes another step forward. "How?"
Then Chaos moves, holding out his hand as the black mass whips out of his back, heading towards Taehyung. They wrap themselves around Taehyung's wrists, and he is pulled taught.
I panic, attempting to break free of the binds once more.
"Hey -" Taehyung starts, just as another extension of the mass wraps itself around his neck and waist.
"I separate your soul from your vessel," Chaos explains, as he raises his hand, lifting Taehyung higher up in the air. "And allow you to rest in Heaven. You're tired, aren't you?"
Chaos lifts his other hand, and another vine-like extension of the mass starts creeping up Taehyung's legs.
"Chaos, don't do this!" I hear Taehyung yell. The vines wrap around him, immobilizing Taehyung as I can only stare helplessly. And then Taehyung is fully engulfed by the mass, disappearing completely as even his form is hidden.
Fcuk. Taehyung was in trouble yet here I was, lying against the ground as if paralyzed.
*Taehyung!* I throw the thought wildly towards him. *Remember, you rival him in power!*
There are several seconds of tense and terrifying silence, before I see the mass start to glow, as if a light source was trying to pierce through.
The light source soon becomes too much for the mass to take, and it explodes in a burst of power that hits me like a sledgehammer. It makes the binds around me weaken, and I take the chance, successfully morphing into my demon form and break the binds. I shoot off the ground, going skywards as Taehyung appears below me, glowing like a light bulb this time, angry with power.
Chaos stares up at us, Yoohwan's calm face offset by how pitch black the entirety of his eyes were.
I watch as Taehyung gathers power in his hands. A globe of light starts to morph, just as Taehyung raises his hands over his head, ready to throw it.
A portal suddenly appears by my side and I stare as it suddenly moves.
Caine?
It swallows me in the blink of an eye, and I catch Taehyung throw the massive ball of power at Yoohwan, before he too, is swallowed by the portal. I see him look up in bewilderment, his eyes still glowing white before anger overtakes him.
"Caine!" he roars.
We land against hard ground, and I feel the familiar tingling sensation in my core as I morph to human form to save myself. Taehyung has pushed himself off the floor before I've even collected myself. His entire form has stopped glowing and his eyes are back to normal.
"What the FCUK do you think you were doing?" he yells, coming to Caine before he roughly pushes him. Caine falters, taking a step back in surprise. "I had him! I could have defeated him!"
I stand, seeing Adam, Ezekiel and Sobekneferu standing around us.
"Fifth Aamon, enough." Adam speaks up, the depth of his voice resonating in my chest.
"Taehyung," Ezekiel says when Taehyung ignores him. "It was we who called you."
Taehyung turns to him, still seething with anger. "What?"
"We cannot let your battle with Chaos continue," Adam says. "Heaven has declared it so."
"I'm sorry?" Taehyung turns to him, his face frozen in disbelief. "Are you interfering in my rule?"
"This no longer falls under just your rule," Adam continues. "This concerns the fate of all of Creation."
"So now it's about the fate of all Creation?" Taehyung bites. "Where were you when Lucifer ascended? Where were you when Beelzebub waged war in Hell? Where were you when Layla threatened to destroy me?"
"Taehyung," Sobekneferu attempts to soothe, "the odds this time -"
"The odds have always been bad!" Taehyung yells. "Things have always been at risk. But you choose to interfere *now*?"
"Taehyung, I told you the Orbs are clouding over," Caine says. "Every single Creation now could perish."
"I know," Taehyung answers. "That's why I have to destroy Chaos, right?"
"You cannot destroy Chaos." Adam has spoken again, the finality in his tone ending all future argument. "As the First Creation, the power Chaos holds is too risky for you to destroy."
"Chaos is already destroying everything." Taehyung attempts to argue anyway.
"*Chaos* is not destroying everything. *You* are."
A fuse blows in Taehyung's mind as he stalks towards Adam. "Why does everyone keep saying that?! I'm not the one trying to destroy the status quo. I know, okay. I *know* my control isn't concrete but I'm trying my best. Chaos is literally out there threatening Creation and this becomes *my* fault?"
"Chaos has only lived peacefully amongst Creation since the dawn of time. Your power has destabilized the delicate balance. You are too strong!"
"I'm trying to solve this issue!" Taehyung argues. "If I can just destroy Chaos -"
"Did you not hear me?" Adam's voice suddenly increases in volume, and he lights up with power, a stark golden light that exudes out of his form, blinding me as I take several steps back. "You cannot destroy Chaos! You will end the products of his power. You would end the cosmos!"
"Enough!" It wasn't any of the Aamons who had yelled that. I look up to see Caine standing protectively in front of Taehyung, bodily blocking him from his father. Adam calms his power almost immediately at the sight of his son, the glowing stopping.
There is tense silence for several seconds as both Adam and Caine have a staredown. But Adam backs away, turning around and walking forward before he stops.
"There will be no more such risks," he says, eerily calm despite his previous outburst. "The good of those at large must come first. Thus, I formally mark the end of your rule as the Fifth Aamon. You will be stripped of power and will reside in Heaven from this moment on."
"What?"
There is collective shock, not only from Taehyung, but from Caine, Ezekiel and Sobekneferu.
"Who are you to do this?" Taehyung yells.
"Adam, this is not the way," Sobekneferu argues. "The Fifth Aamon has the right to act in his own capacity."
"You don't know whether Taehyung might be able to solve this in his own way," Ezekiel adds in. "God chose Taehyung to continue his rule, even when the Archangels and his Parliament objected."
I want to add in a word, but know this is beyond my status as a demon. I bite my tongue.
"No." There is an element of power in Adam's tone, as he turns to us again. "As the First Man and the First Aamon, I cannot allow you to put Creation at risk. Even if you choose to fight Chaos, the damage you would leave behind would be unimaginable. I will not allow it."
"You're not the Aamon anymore. I am. And I have the right to fight for Creation too. This is *my* responsibility."
"Things would revert to normal if you would give up your power," Adam counters. "No Apocalypse, no battle, no lives lost."
"Who told you that?" Taehyung challenges. "God? Chaos? As an Aamon, you should know - when has our rule ever been easy?"
"When there is a chance of saving Creation, you take it," Adam growls. He turns to Caine. "Take Taehyung to his Heaven."
"You can't do this to me!" Taehyung is fully screaming now, refusing to budge an inch. "You don't know whether it will work! You're gonna place the entire burden of saving the world on my nine year old initiate!"
"You have no choice. This is the decision I have seen to be the best out of all the options we have."
"You really think I would listen to you just like that?!"
"Of course not," Adam levels. "But you have no way of returning to Earth."
The revelation strikes Taehyung hard, and he turns to Caine, the disbelief and desperation evident in his eyes. "Caine -"
"Take the Fifth Aamon away and bring Azazel back."
"Caine, please," Taehyung pleads. "You know I can't stay here. Not now. Not like this."
"Caine," Adam warns.
Caine steps forward, a hand against Taehyung's forearm.
"Caine, I can't just abandon everyone. Caine, please."
I see Caine stare into Taehyung's eyes for a few long moments, deliberating what to do. Whatever he's searching for in Taehyung's eyes, he seems to have found it as he closes his own as if he's bracing himself.
"No."
I feel my nonexistent heart beat out of my chest as Caine lets Taehyung go and turns to his father. "I don't think you're doing the right thing."
Anger seeps into Adam's face, and so does power. There is a definite feel of electricity in the air as Adam's eyes go completely white, the colour seeping into his braids that spill like wire across the floor. He is practically glowing like the sun.
"You dare defy me."
It's not a question. It's a statement.
"I have only obeyed you from the moment I was born. Let me make my own choice this one time."
Taehyung is staring at all this wide-eyed and panicked. Both Sobekneferu and Ezekiel glance at each other, hidden messages in their eyes.
Adam explodes with power, lighting up the Heavens. Caine calls for a portal, and it appears by Taehyung's side.
"Caine, NO!" Taehyung screams, just as the portal moves and swallows us both.
We fall against the ground and Taehyung sits up, panicked. Caine has brought us to Jungkook's Court, and we land near the open training fields.
Lightning suddenly travels across the skies, thunder cracking so loudly that it feels like it's rumbling under our feet.
"No, no, no, no, no," Taehyung breathes as the once pristine, clear skies darken with threatening storm clouds. They block out the sunlight, the lightning travelling from cloud to cloud before it explodes again dramatically, a testament to the conflict going on in Heaven.
"No!" Taehyung screams, falling to the ground again. Rain seems to suddenly slam down on us, falling with such weight that I can barely see a distance before me. "Caine!" Taehyung screams with anguish, disbelief and frustration. I hear him sob as his body shakes with the extent of his tears. I can't do anything. I don't know if I should.
There is no way to save Creation now without doing some form of harm to those involved - to Caine, to Taehyung, to myself and even to the public at large. I don't know if this is really the end.
"Mama! Jin!" I look up to see Jungkook running towards us, dressed hastily in a rain poncho. "What are you doing here? Come inside! Get out of the rain!"

I'm staring out the window, at the raging winds that have descended. The wind blows with ferocity as it flings pieces of furniture, trees and debris around. The howling is so loud that it sounds like banshees screaming. Rain pounds on the window panes, sounding like stones pelting against the glass.
Something definitely isn't right.
"What happened?" Jungkook asks as Taehyung dries his hair with a towel. We are all gathered in the kitchen, seated around the island.
"Caine is fighting with his dad," Taehyung answers simply as he receives the warm cup of green tea from Hanaan.
"Adam, the First Aamon?" Jungkook clarifies as Hanaan passes me a cup as well. I mouth my thanks.
Taehyung only nods.
"So is this thunderstorm because of them?" Namjoon asks.
"I don't know," Taehyung sighs. "It might be."
"Or it might be the power imbalance."
I see everyone but Taehyung look up at me.
"What power imbalance?"
"Me," Taehyung speaks up, placing his cup on the island. "I have too much power that it's making the Earth fall apart."
"Stop saying it like that," I argue.
"I'm saying it like it is!" Taehyung finally turns to me. His eyes are bloodshot and his hair is still damp. He looks nothing like the feared being rivaling Chaos in power.
I catch Hanaan taking a step back, wary of the shouting.
"Chaos and I have the same amount of power and the cosmos can't take it. Either I die or I destroy Chaos."
"So destroy Chaos," Jungkook says.
"Adam doesn't agree. He told me to stay up in Heaven and Caine stood up for me. Now they're fighting because of me."
"But you always stay in Heaven."
"Forever. Adam wanted me to die and pass down the power to Hanaan. I couldn't… He's just not ready."
I only see Hanaan gulp nervously. He doesn't say anything else.
"So as long as both Chaos and I reside on this Earth, it will continue to fall apart." He glances to the window. "It might even be starting already."
There are a few seconds of stunned silence, before Hanaan speaks up.
"So what are you going to do now?"
"Move to a less crowded location. I anticipate this battle will start soon."
"Will I fight with you?"
"No. You are my only successor. If anything happens to me, you'll be in charge. The Sixth Aamon."
"I don't want you to die." Everyone in the room turns to Hanaan, who is staring at Taehyung. "I don't want to be the Aamon anymore. I wanna go home."
"What are you talking about, Hanaan?" Taehyung says, half distracted and half irritated. "This is your home."
"No. I wanna go back to Pakistan."
"Back to being a beggar?"
"Yes!" Hanaan yells, a tantrum starting. "I don't want to fight in a war! I don't want to see people get killed!"
"No one is dying," Taehyung states, turning this time to face Hanaan. "The only thing you need to do is stay safe."
"I don't wanna do this!" Hanaan whines, stomping his foot against the ground. "I don't want to be an initiate! I just want to be Hanaan!"
"Quit it, Hanaan," Taehyung bites. "I'm not in the mood."
"I wanna go home!" Hanaan shrieks, shaking his fists.
"Hanaan," Taehyung warns. "I'm under enough pressure as is. I don't need you to -"
"I wanna go home, I wanna go home, I wanna go home!"
"SHUT UP!"
The build up of power in the air is evident as both Hanaan and Taehyung stare each other down. I step in between them as I push Hanaan behind me.
"Taehyung, calm down. Being angry won't solve anything. He's just a kid. He's allowed to be scared."
Taehyung looks away, inhaling deeply as he closes his eyes and runs a hand through his hair. "You're right," he says, opening his eyes to look at Hanaan. "I shouldn't have lost my cool. I'm sorry."
"No!" Hanaan yells in answer, peering from behind me. "I hate this place, I hate this responsibility and most of all, I hate YOU!"
The initiate turns around to stomp off, and for a few seconds, there is only tense silence in the kitchen.
"I'll go after him," Jungkook says, already moving.
"I'll come with you," Namjoon agrees. The both of them leave, only Taehyung and I in the kitchen.
Taehyung groans loudly, resting his head against the marble countertop. "I've done it again, haven't I?"
I stare at him for a moment before asking. "What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean," he answers, straightening to stare out the window. "My initiate doesn't want to be an initiate anymore."
"Taehyung, he's a kid."
"- and Caine is probably dead up there."
"Caine was cursed to walk the Earth for all eternity. He won't die."
"Eternity is coming to an end," Taehyung says, turning to me. "Because I am alive."
"Don't say that."
"How else should I say it?" Taehyung muses. "Maybe Adam was right. Maybe Chaos is right. I just need to die to set things right."
"Taehyung," I attempt to say, as I come towards him.
But Taehyung holds up his hand, rejecting any form of comfort.
"I know what you're going to say. You've said it a thousand times over."
"If you die, so will any chance you have of saving Yoohwan. You said you wanted to save him."
"I know what will happen, Jin." Taehyung looks away, reaching for his mug of green tea. "It's not like I haven't thought of this." I watch as he holds on to the mug, his gaze far off. He doesn't drink it.
"Do you want to die?"
"Does anyone want to die?" he asks me instead. "Everything I need is right here," I hear him whisper. He finally moves away from the island and walks to the sink, before dumping the green tea and washing his mug. "I've looked at it from every angle. I've thought of every possible solution. The truth is… there isn't one. At least not one that won't jeopardize the safety of humanity."
"If we work together -."
"No." Taehyung finally shuts off the tap and places the mug back on its rack. He turns around to face me, hands resting lightly against the sink. There is a quiet, calculating look on his face. "I don't want you fighting with me."
It takes me a moment to truly process his words. "What?"
"I want you to stay and protect Hanaan. And Namjoon and Jungkook too."
"You'll need my help," I argue.
"You'll only distract me."
"Taehyung, you can't defeat Chaos alone."
"I won't be alone. I have the Seraphim and the other Courts. I can't risk losing you."
"But you can risk losing the members of Court who will fight for you?"
I regret the words the moment they leave my mouth. To make things worse, Taehyung says nothing, only staring back at me emotionlessly.
"You're right," he finally says. "I should do this alone."
"Taehyung, no -"
He walks off, heading out the kitchen as I grab for him, catching him by his arm.
"Taehyung, don't do this. Let me fight with you. I made a promise to protect you. I want to protect you!"
Taehyung stops in his tracks, before turning to face me.
"I have to stop being selfish," he says. "I've caused enough trouble."
"How can you say that?" I argue. "We're in this together. We can solve this together. We've *always* done it together."
"I've made up my mind. Stay here and protect the rest."
"You're being stupid! Listen to yourself!"
"I am listening to myself. I'm listening to all the versions of myself."
I mentally take a step back, staring at Taehyung as I gauge what I hear. "The voices in your head have been telling you otherwise," I murmur.
Taehyung says nothing, and I feel my anger rise. "You're listening to the opinion of imaginary voices in your head?!"
"They make sense."
"They're not real! They would never make sense!"
The annoyance becomes apparent on Taehyung's face as he breaks away from my grip.  "I can save everyone! Isn't that what we've been trying to do all along?"
"What's your plan then?" I counter. "Tell me and prove me wrong!"
"If I tell you, then you'll try to stop me! I'm not stupid, Jin. I know your ways!"
I stare at Taehyung in disbelief. I couldn't process whether he was serious.
"Are the voices telling you to keep it a secret? Do you know how dangerous that is? That you, as Head of your own Court, refuse to tell me what you're about to do?"
Taehyung is quiet again, knowing I've cornered him.
"Tell me what you plan to do, Taehyung. Please."
Taehyung seems to deliberate for a few seconds, but ultimately turns around and starts to walk away again. I grab for him, catching him by the wrist this time.
"Don't walk away from me!"
He pauses, but doesn't turn around.
"Tell me what you're going to do."
"Kill myself."
The answer freezes me down to my toes as I stare at the back of Taehyung's head.
"They're right. All of them. One day, I'll lose control of my powers and end up destroying the Earth, and all the souls that reside here. If I just stop existing, maybe things will turn out okay. Maybe I can even save Yoohwan."
"What if it doesn't work?" I find myself whispering. "What if Chaos was lying?"
"You heard what Adam said. I don't think they'd be lying together."
I don't know what to do. I feel the despair creeping up on me as Taehyung's hand slips out from mine.
"Jungkook needs you. You are the only parent he's ever known. Hanaan needs you to learn from. You know only you can train him best."
He turns to look at me, the look on his face telling me that he's made up his mind.
"And I need you, Taehyung. You are the reason I'm here. You give me reason to carry on. If you leave me -"
"You'll have Jungkook. And Hanaan. And Namjoon. They need you."
"But *I* need you."
"There are things bigger than the two of us. We have to make the right choice."
"Taehyung, *please*."
I see him falter for a moment, his eyes shining brightly.
"I have something to tell you." Taehyung takes a moment, almost needing to collect himself before he drops the bomb. "I know the Parliament is dead. I know. I killed them. The moment I ended their lives, the moment I took their powers, Chaos started moving."
"You killed them?" The shock makes my voice go whisper soft as I stare in disbelief.
"I didn't mean to. I lost control. I never planned this."
I don't know what to say. The shock has basically rendered me speechless.
"I took their powers. I didn't mean to. But just like Judas, they just… came to me. The reason Chaos is moving so fast now is because of me. I am the threat to Creation not just because I throw the scales off balance… but because I am a danger to everyone. Even my own Parliament couldn't stop me."
Taehyung stares at me, perhaps anticipating that I blow my top or something. But I can't move. I can't even think of words to say.
"I'm sorry I hid it from you. I didn't know how to tell you. I was afraid -"
"It's okay."
Taehyung pauses again, almost hesitant.
"We can't change the past. But we can change the future. It's what we've been doing since the day you became Aamon." I step forward again, placing a hand against Taehyung's cheek. "I'll fight with you, Taehyung. But stay with me. Stay alive."
I watch as he studies me, all the emotion he feels evident in his eyes. Finally, Taehyung takes a step back and my hand falls to my side.
"I'm tired, Jin," he whispers. "I need my rest. Good night."
And Taehyung leaves, walking out of the kitchen without even looking back once. I stare at him as he goes. Something childish and irrational in me begs him to turn around and stop - maybe look at me and change his mind. The larger part of me wants to go after him, grab him by his shoulders and maybe shake some sense right into him. Another part of me wants to just reach out and slap him - hard enough to maybe paralyze him so he won't do anything stupid.
But I don't move. I stare as he leaves and goes out of my sight.
I don't know what to say. I don't even know what to do.
A strange feeling stems from my chest, a dull, powerful ache that slowly grows. I hold on to the counter by my side, attempting to steady myself. But the pain grows, like a massive weight is slowly resting on my chest, crushing my ribs and slowly taking the air out of my lungs.
It made no sense. I didn't need to breathe to survive.
I clutch at my chest, gasping now as I fight for air that I don't need.
Panic and confusion makes me fall to my knees as I grip the marble counter for dear life. The pain seems to creep up my throat and weigh down on my shoulders now.
I thump at my chest, demanding air to enter. My throat is closing in on me and I crumple to the ground, leaning heavily against the island. I know what's happening - I've read about this kind of thing before, but I'd never, not in a million years, would think that this would happen to me. Me, of all people.
I was having a panic attack, the first in the many millenia I've lived. I know how to deal with this because I've read them up in books before. I know what it looks like and what the signs would be. I know how to calm someone if ever I saw one and needed to intervene.
But I'd never, not in a million years, think that I would one day suffer from this too.
I close my eyes, taking in deep shuddering breaths. This was a lot easier to read up on than actually experience. I refuse to let my body defeat me. I rest a hand against my neck, knowing that it was perfectly fine, yet still feeling my throat clog up my airway.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Focus on five things I can see. Four I can touch. Three things I can hear. Two I can smell. One I can taste.
I feel myself calming down, and my breathing slowly goes back to normal. I am winded, surely. And still out of breath. But I'm breathing - and not feeling like I'm being suffocated.
I open my eyes once more.
I'm getting weaker and weaker by the day. I'm not sure if it's because I'm spending too much time here or that my power flow simply isn't returning to normal.
I know what's making me panic and I know there isn't anything I can do. I'm not sure Taehyung will change his mind this time and I can't tie him down to a chair to stop him.
Taehyung is much too strong now.
I pause for a few moments, before pulling myself up to stand. I'm shaking at the effort, and find myself resting heavily on the marble counter as I regain my breath.
The thought of losing Taehyung, no, the *fear* of losing Taehyung was strong enough to drive me to my knees and knock the wind out of me. I'm pretty sure his death would leave me comatose.
But Taehyung is right.
I hate to admit it but this was the safest option we had. The power in Taehyung wasn't going to just disappear. It was in him and who knows how long it would stay.
Taehyung was too strong, and too dangerous. If his death would save all of Creation and prevent the Apocalypse, so be it. It would be for the greater good. The greater good must always come first.
And yet I feel the tightness in my chest returning, the weight on my ribs robbing me of the air my body suddenly demanded. Taehyung was my trigger. I was so attached to him that even the possibility of losing him numbed me to my toes, froze me where I stood, and basically rendered me useless.
I needed Taehyung. I *needed* him to stay alive, to be by my side. To remain with me forever. But I know he couldn't. I know he shouldn't.
And the thought of it rips me to pieces.

I walk down the currently empty hallway, heading for Taehyung's room. I've collected myself and think I've gathered my thoughts enough to at least be able to speak to him, maybe tell him what I feel and maybe, hopefully change his mind.
I couldn't lose him. I was just too scared to.
I round the bend to Taehyung's bedroom, and I pause when I see Namjoon standing outside, leaning against the wall directly by the bedroom door. His arms are crossed and it's obvious he's listening intently when he looks up at me, a finger against his lips.
The bedroom door is slightly ajar. Taehyung's door is always shut. I come forward, standing just out of view, and peer into the room.
Taehyung is sitting on his bed, and Jungkook sits before him on the floor. His arms are wrapped around Taehyung's waist and his face is pressed against Taehyung's side as the little one sobs loudly. Taehyung shushes him patiently and quietly, running his hand continuously against Jungkook's head.
His sobs rack his entire frame, hitching his breath and choking him as Jungkook seems to only wail louder into Taehyung's waist.
"My baby, it's going to be alright," I hear Taehyung say again and again. Without even hearing the previous conversation, I think it's obvious what Taehyung was talking about prior to this. I watch as Taehyung hunches over, right by Jungkook's ear, and whispers something to him.
I back off, taking a step back as I turn around and walk the way I came.
I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to see this and acknowledge it because I didn't want to recognize that this was reality. I didn't want to fall into mental weakness again.
I see Hanaan's and Jungkook's shared bedroom door wide open before me. I guess Jungkook will be sleeping with Taehyung tonight. Something makes me move towards it, to maybe check up on Hanaan, and see whether he's alright. I am near enough to the bedroom that I'm able to see inside pretty clearly.
Hanaan is sitting up in bed, staring intently out the window across the room. The winds are still screaming and the hail that hits the glass pane makes it sound like someone is pounding against it, demanding to be let in. I don't fear the glass breaking. This entire Court was armoured to the teeth.
I take one step into the bedroom. Was he scared of the noise and weather?
"Hanaan?"
He turns to me, eyes sharp and wary.
"You okay?"
The both of us turn our heads to the window again when a sound distracts us. We stare as frost starts to cover the window pane, travelling inwards from the window sill before the window is covered with a sheer layer entirely of ice.
I take another step forward, just as cracks start to form, right on the window pane. My instincts are practically screaming at me as the cracks spread across the glass.
*Run, run, run!*
And then the glass explodes inwards, showering us with shrapnel just as the black mass enters. It moves like shooting, jagged arrows, slamming into concrete walls and embedding itself deeply before pulling the rest of its weight in.
I grab Hanaan's hand just as several of those arrows slam against the wall behind him, missing him by mere inches.
"My shoes!" the initiate yells as we break into a run, me pulling him along.
"I'll buy you new ones!" I yell back, just as the wall behind us where his bedroom should be explodes and covers us with dust. Hanaan screams this time, tripping over his own legs before I grab him by his waist and lift him off the ground.
I round the bend just to see Taehyung and Jungkook run out the room, Namjoon behind them.
"Evacuate!" I yell, directing the instruction explicitly to Jungkook. "Get your members of Court out of here!"
There is a roar from behind me as I watch Taehyung light up with power and throw a blast of energy at what's behind me. The four of us run, Hanaan still clinging on to me for dear life.
"Jungkook, take everyone and lead them to safety along with the rest of your Court," Taehyung instructs.
"But -"
"No buts!" Taehyung practically screeches just as another explosion sounds. I know Hanaan is staring at whatever it is going on behind us and I hear him suddenly whimper in fear.
Jungkook reverts back to his wolf form without even missing a step, just as I throw Hanaan atop his back. Jungkook howls, calling for the other members of his Court loudly enough for the sound to reverberate in our chests.
We round a bend, only to see a dead end before us.
"Why does this place have dead ends?!" Taehyung yells in disbelief.
I call forth a spell, feeling it grow in my hands just as I throw it. It hits the wall, making it explode and exposing us to broad daylight.
*Sunlight*, I hear Jungkook say in my head.
Taehyung reaches for the ceiling, making a crude pulling motion. The sunlight outside immediately disappears, replacing itself with dark as pitch black as midnight. I spare a glance at Taehyung.
*I didn't know you could do that.*
*Neither did I.* I hear him answer. "Jump!" he commands, just as we reach the edge.
He jumps first, holding on to Namjoon's hand. Jungkook and Hanaan follow closely from behind, the young initiate screaming as he falls. I risk a glance behind me.
Chaos is getting closer, its black mass seeming to only grow despite the enclosed space, acting like some kind of incinerator that destroys everything in its path. Some irrational part of me suddenly remembers that this is Jungkook's third Court he's moved into the past two years. Looks like he'll have to move again.
Chaos suddenly exudes one hell-bound roar, jolting me back to reality. I watch as a humanoid-shaped head stretches itself out of the mass, seeming like it wanted to escape. The way it thrived and moved about made me entranced, and I find myself staring despite the very real possibility of death. The head opens its mouth, as if readying itself to scream.
An arm slowly appears, seeming as if it belonged to the head. It has its whole arm outstretched, reaching towards me.
'Help me!', it seemed to scream. 'Help me please!'
I take a step forward.
Was someone there? Did someone need help?
I move as if entranced, knowing that I was most definitely stepping towards my doom.
"JIN!" The scream is loud enough to shatter through my reverie, and I glance over my shoulder, looking down to see Taehyung staring up at me. Jungkook, Hanaan and Namjoon are gone, probably already led to safety. "WHAT THE FCUK ARE YOU DOING?! JUMP!"
I glance back to Chaos, only to see the mass charging towards me. I jump.
Taehyung stares back at me as I feel myself freefall. His arms are stretched towards me as if about to catch me before he glances behind me.
And then I feel myself lurch forward, my entire being lighting up with pain as my descent is stopped halfway. The black mass sticks out of my chest, a jagged edge that impales me, and makes me hang suspended in the air.
It suddenly rips me back, straight into the Court again and I'm only left staring as the expression on Taehyung's face changes in an instant, the anger and rage returning before he lights up with power.
"JIN!" I hear Taehyung scream just as I am dragged back into the Court and lose sight of him. I slam against the ground, Chaos pulling itself out of my chest as it wraps itself around my legs and starts dragging me across the floor. I am so winded that I don't even move.
"Chaos!" I force myself to look up just in time to see Taehyung land against the once pristine carpeted floor. "This is not his fight. This is ours! Let him go."
The Seraphim start falling from the sky, landing harshly on their own feet. They move without instruction, attacking Chaos with their weapons just as Taehyung deals one powerful blow towards it. I feel the winding around my legs fall away as Taehyung runs to me.
"You okay?"
"Yes," I answer, pushing myself up into a sitting position.
"Can you move?"
A roar above our heads has us looking up, before ducking again almost immediately as we cover our heads. Chaos strikes from above, the force of its movements destroying the walls around us and showering us with debris.
"We have to get out of here," Taehyung yells.
I nod in agreement. "I can still fly."
"Can you fly back to Jungkook and the rest?"
"Chaos will just follow us."
"Not us," Taehyung clarifies. "You."
I turn to him. Just behind him, I see the Seraphim battling Chaos. It's a losing battle.
"You need my wings to fly," I remind him.
"I can keep this battle on the ground."
"Taehyung, this is insane. We can't win like this. We have to get out while we still can."
"It's only going to follow us."
"We can call for backup!" I argue. "The device Tanya gave you -"
"I'm not going to endanger everyone like this."
"This wasn't the decision made at the meeting! You agreed that you would call for help if needed."
"Yoohwan is in there and he's still alive. I can sense him. If I waste any more time, he might die and Chaos will get stronger! Yoohwan is the only thing holding back its power."
"If this is how it is when it's weaker, how the fcuk would it be unrestrained?! We can get out of here and gather our forces to fight. We'll fight Chaos on our terms!"
"Yoohwan will die, and then no one can stop Chaos."
I don't reply, instead staring directly at Chaos. The entity seemed to be growing in size and height before my very eyes, soon becoming much taller than this entire Court. The shadow of the being falls on us, making Taehyung turn around.
It takes a moment for him to really crane his head up to process the full size of Chaos now. We look like mice compared to it.
"What the *fcuk*," Taehyung breathes, just as Chaos slams a massive form against the Court.
Taehyung ducks immediately, just as I throw a shield around us. The form slams against my shield, pushing Taehyung and I into the ground as I struggle to hold my shields up.
"This is madness," I hear Taehyung murmur as he looks up. We can't even see the sky anymore as Chaos encompasses the shield. "I'm not going to solve anything like this."
I see him light up with power, his eyes turning white once more before he lets loose a burst of power that has me looking away from the blinding light. I open my eyes to see us standing on barren land - not only has Taehyung moved Chaos away from us, he's also cleared the entire landscape. We are now fully exposed to Chaos, with little to no hiding spaces to protect us if things get worse.
"I want you to go."
"I'm not leaving you."
Taehyung turns to me this time. "I'm gonna hit him with the strongest blow I've got. I can't promise I won't hurt you."
"I know what you're trying to do," I say to him. "You're going to sacrifice yourself."
"I can save Yoohwan," he argues. "And I can save everyone."
"There's no guarantee it will work! What if it doesn't and you won't be here to stop it?"
"And what if it does?"
The calmness of his tone strikes a chord with me as I grab him by his arm. "Taehyung. You can defeat him. You're strong enough and you know it!"
"My power will destroy *everything*."
"I would rather have this Earth razed to the ground than lose you." I know I'm practically begging as I look him in the eyes, but Taehyung doesn't budge.
"I wouldn't."
I feel my heart drop as Taehyung lights up, his eyes turning white and the temperature on his skin skyrocketing.
"Taehyung. Please."
*I have to make the necessary choice. I love you.*
And then he moves, slamming a hand against my chest.
The force of it blinds me with pain as I'm literally sent flying. I feel hands grasp me on both arms and look up to see the Seraphim, flying me away from Taehyung.
I turn back to him, the shock of it all rendering me speechless. Taehyung stares back at me, getting increasingly smaller as the distance between us grows.
Taehyung's strike against me chest has frazzled my magic, disrupting the power flow and I can barely move - let alone shift out of there. I know he's done so on purpose, but I didn't know he could hurt me like this.
I can only watch as Taehyung turns his back on me, shifting his attention to Chaos.
This couldn't be happening.
Chaos moves, falling upon Taehyung just as he seems to burst with power. It looked like a tsunami was falling on a lightbulb. How could he survive something like that? How would he get out of there?
Chaos slams into him, and the light source disappears.
"Taehyung, NO!"
There is an explosion of power as both entities meet. I stare as they produce a mushroom cloud that hits the skies, the explosion spreading as it destroys everything in its path.
I am unable to move as the explosion does not seem to stop spreading, the light it exudes seeming to match the sun. Caine had once spoken about the extent of Taehyung's power. He'd mentioned that he'd doubt whether even he would survive a blow from Taehyung.
The ripple of power moves closer and I'm left wondering whether I'd survive it at all.
"Azazel, get down!"
I don't even have time to blink when a portal opens before me, Caine charging out and slamming into me. I'm forced to the ground as he activates his shields just as the explosion hits us.
The sound - the definite roar of power, the screams of the wind and the intense heat from the fire throws me, and I curl deeper into myself, pressing my hands against my ears. Was this power Taehyung or Chaos? Would he survive this? Could *anyone* survive this?
The barrage of power does not stop, seeming like an entire avalanche of light and fire was continuously hitting us and driving us to our knees. Even Caine, splayed on top of me, was showing signs of wear.
And then just as suddenly, the avalanche stops.
I look up just as Caine gets off me.
"Are you alright?" he asks, holding his hand out to me.
I stare at him in quiet horror. I don't take his hand because I'm busy staring at his face.
"Did Adam do that to you?"
Caine instinctively touches his cheek, where a diagonal gash has sliced his face in half, cutting through his left eye to just below his right ear. Not only that, but Caine looks beaten and bruised, his knuckles purple, his shirt torn and bloodied and his usually perfect hair in disarray.
"Don't worry about me." He turns to where the explosion had stemmed from, where Taehyung and Chaos were standing moments before. "The one person we should be worrying about is Taehyung."
There is an ache in my chest, a tear that seems to split me in half as my power signals that one of my sources of power is failing. The panic in me rises, catching in my throat as I realise what this meant - that my position as a member of the Aamon's Court has changed.
The power source has been shifted.
"You feel it too, don't you?" I hear Caine say. "You know what this means."
I push myself off the ground. Pain fills every inch of me, both physically and mentally. I couldn't lose Taehyung. I refuse to lose him. I run towards the source of the blast, ignoring the pain that blinds me with every step I take.
The screaming winds have ceased, and the clear blue skies have returned. There is no more roar of thunder or flash of lightning. No hail, no storm. Nothing. There is only peace.
The threat is gone.
"Taehyung!"
I see two humanoid figures on the ground, both completely unmoving. I run towards the one nearer to me. It was obviously Yoohwan. The heir is asleep, but fully exposed to the sun. I take off my jacket, throwing it over his face before I run to Taehyung who lies several feet away.
He is on his side, his hair covering his face as I kneel before him, turning him to lie on his back.
"Taehyung," I breathe. "Are you okay?"
I push the hair off his face, seeing that his eyes are open and his pupils stark white. He's blinded himself. White veins creep out of his eye sockets, running against his skin like spider legs.
I rest my lips against his, throwing my power forward in an attempt to heal him. My power hits a blank wall, an empty space that only tells me that there's nothing to heal.
I straighten, staring at his vapid face to try find signs of life.
"Taehyung, wake up," I whisper. "Wake up."
*Jin!* I look up, hearing Jungkook's voice resonate in my mind and the charging of his paws as he runs towards me. I look behind my back and see him in wolf form coming my way. The sun light is directly on him, and the young child has smoke coming off his form as he burns under the natural light, but he ignores it.
He shifts back to human form just as reaches me, falling to his knees.
"I heard him," he says, his voice whisper soft in shock as he stares at Taehyung. "I heard him say it." He reaches for Taehyung's shirt collar, clutching it in both hands before proceeding to shake Taehyung in anger. "Wake up!" the child screams. "Wake up!"
Taehyung's head lifelessly snaps back and forth before I stop him. "Jungkook, no!" I yell, swatting his hands away. The skin on the child's hands are burning and peeling away from exposure to the sun.
"How dare you!" Jungkook screams, face now red with rage. He reaches for Taehyung again but I restrain him, wrapping my arms around his chest just as I hear several figures run towards us. I look over my shoulder just as Sikyung throws his coat over Jungkook, shielding the child from the sun. "You promised you'd be here for me! You promised you'd take care of me!"
The young one is fully sobbing now, writhing in my arms as he tries to escape my hold.
"You said you loved me but you still left!"
"Jungkook -" I start.
"You left me! How am I supposed to live?! What do I live for?!"
"Jungkook!" I yell again, attempting to shout some sense into him. But the little one is only screaming now, screaming and screaming and screaming in pain, agony and disbelief. He stops only to take a breath, and then continues his expression of grief.
My shirt is wet with his tears and Jungkook's nails have torn my skin, but he does not seem like he'll calm down any sooner. I hear another pair of footsteps coming towards me, and see Caine resting a hand against Jungkook's back.
Jungkook unexpectedly throws his arms around Caine, sobbing straight into his chest.
There is tense silence as more footsteps start sounding from behind me as more people head towards us.
Sikyung kneels on Taehyung's other side, staring at him.
"Is it for real?" he asks, before looking up at me. "Is he really gone?"
I reach for Taehyung, resting two fingers just below his ear.
There is no heartbeat, there is no sensation of moving air, there is no line of power directing him to the Afterlife. There is no soul in this vessel.
I turn to Caine, seeking confirmation on his part.
"Taehyung has ascended to the Afterlife," he says. "Permanently."
There is collective shock and murmuring coming from behind me, and I look over my shoulder to see that the rest of the Court have gathered.
Hanaan stares at Taehyung. Namjoon stands beside him, and the rest of Jungkook's pack surround them. No one says anything, no one does anything.
Almost collectively, we wait for Taehyung to suddenly sit up, gasping for breath and looking around in confusion. But that will not happen. Not this time.
Slowly, Namjoon crouches, resting his weight on his heels. He rests a hand against his mouth, a clear expression of shock and disbelief on his face.
Hanaan comes forward, hesitant footsteps leading him on. He stops just beside me, staring down at Taehyung. He's frozen in shock, mouth slightly open as his breathing starts getting heavy. He suddenly falls to his knees. He is completely soundless as he stares stoicly at Taehyung.
"What now?" I hear him whisper.
I turn to Caine. I don't know who else to turn to, literally and figuratively. As one of the few beings older than me and more experienced than me, I only had him to refer to when things went beyond me. Caine had been the Other Advisor to Taehyung when I wasn't in the loop or wasn't experienced enough.
Caine would have the answers. He always did.
"I don't know," he says.

I close the door behind me.
Caine had singlehandedly rebuilt Jungkook's destroyed Court with the power of his magic. The entire landscape is back to how it was before the fight, which is odd and somehow terrifying, as Taehyung still remained lifeless and unmoving despite the normalcy of our surroundings.
Taehyung had been laid down on his bed in the room he used as his own in Jungkook's Court. He is completely at peace, his hands placed lightly against his stomach. His eyes are closed this time and you can almost believe that he's sleeping if not for the frightening paper white colour that was his skin.
Jungkook is at the bedside, a hand reaching out holding Taehyung's. The child has cried himself to sleep, his upper body resting on the bed while his legs are splayed against the floor. He refuses to be moved. Jungkook hasn't left Taehyung's side for a moment.
"Has the Vampire Sovereign been contacted?"
"Not yet," I answer, leaning lightly against the door. "The Heir Apparent isn't awake yet."
"Who is supervising him?"
"Namjoon."
Caine glances over his shoulder this time. His wounds have healed. He studies me for a moment. "You trust him?"
"Taehyung trusts him."
The answer is enough, as Caine shifts his gaze to Taehyung again.
I come forward, coming to the bed.
I stare at the hand holding on to Taehyung's. Taehyung and Jungkook used to be the same skin tone. Now Taehyung is the colour of snow.
"Is he really - ?" I find the sentence catching itself in my throat. I can't even say it out.
"I can't go up to Heaven for now," Caine answers anyway. "I wouldn't be able to check." He is quiet for a while, before continuing. "But there is no soul in there. Not a trace of magic, not a hint of the Aamon's power, nothing. Taehyung's soul has departed. I'm sorry."
"He has survived worse than this."
"It doesn't change anything."
I force myself to look away from Taehyung and face Caine.
"So what now? A sixth Aamon? Is Hanaan the Aamon now?"
"The power hasn't made its choice," Caine replies. "The Parliament will be informed when the next Aamon has been selected."
"The Parliament is dead. The blast killed them."
Caine takes a moment to process this. "All of them?"
I nod, as he responds by slowly closing his eyes, needing a moment to collect himself.
"The Parliament are the only entities controlling the Aamon's power."
"New ones can be elected."
"How?" Caine answers, opening his eyes and turning to me. "The Parliament Taehyung killed have been around since the time of the Second Aamon. Who else would be competent enough guides?"
"Competent?" I shoot back. "Those people killed the Third and Fourth Aamon. They tortured and enslaved initiates and weren't above killing innocents to further their agenda. Someone like Taehyung had to come along sooner or later to stop them."
Caine doesn't answer, or rather, changes the subject. "The future Aamon has no Parliament, no Court and no trained initiates."
"Taehyung made it." I remind him.
"Taehyung had a Parliament to limit his power, a Court to control his power flow and initiates who helped filter out the deadliest of his outbursts. The future Aamon will have all that power inside him with no cap."
Hanaan.
The prophecies. Could they still come true?
A knock on the door has us shifting our attention.
"Jin," Hanaan says, peeking his head into the room. "Namjoon said I should tell you that Yoohwan's awake."

I stare as Namjoon helps Yoohwan sit up in bed, placing pillows behind his back to make him comfortable. Hanaan is by my side, leaning heavily against my leg as he wraps his arms around my waist. He'd refused to leave, and I saw no reason to force him to.
"Your Highness," Caine acknowledges. "Do you know where you are?"
"Where's King Taehyung?"
"Dead," I answer. "He gave up his life to save you. I need answers from you about how he did it."
After the initial shock wears off his face, Yoohwan analyzes me with a careful eye. "You're Jin, aren't you? The one Taehyung spoke of."
I nod, hiding my curiousity about what Taehyung had told him.
Yoohwan slowly looks away, a far off look in his eyes. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault."
"I don't need your apology. Taehyung chose to save you. He made his choice. But I need to know how he did it."
After a bought of silence, Yoohwan shakes his head. "I don't know. I was fighting off Chaos's control, holding it back. I thought I was about to die. And then Taehyung appeared before me. He said he could save me. He placed his hand on my chest, hit me with some kind of power and I suddenly lost it."
"Lost it?" I repeat.
"I was knocked unconscious. Next thing I know, I'm here."
Caine looks over his shoulder to me, a very certain and clear look in his eyes. He then comes forward, towards Yoohwan and kneels before him.
"Your Highness, permiss to examine your chest."
At Yoohwan's wary approval, he s the top few buttons of Yoohwan's shirt, exposing the Heir Apparent's chest.
I stare.
A white scar lies in the middle of his chest, slightly raised, the size of someone's palm. Caine only takes a glance at it, before covering Yoohwan up again.
"I know how Taehyung did it."
I rest a hand atop Hanaan's head distractedly. "How?"
"He's locked the Heir Apparent's power into his core. It separated Chaos's connection and severed whatever power links Chaos had with him."
I stare at Yoohwan, who is buttoning his shirt up again as he stares at Caine.
"What does that mean?" the Heir Apparent asks.
"It means that your power will remain in stasis. It will not deplete nor grow. And Chaos cannot touch you anymore because the Aamon has locked your core in." Caine straightens, his gaze unfocused. "Do you know how strong you must be to permanently do that?"
"How strong?"
Caine shifts his focus to Hanaan, who had asked the question. "Even I cannot do that."

I watch as Jungkook shifts in his sleep, slipping off the bed to fall into a sitting position on the floor. He rubs at his eyes, pushing his hair off his face. I come to him, taking a seat on the bed and face him.
"How are you feeling?"
The young child still looks dazed, not quite awake yet. But he rests his head against my knee, staring at Taehyung.
"Did he wake up?"
"I don't think he'll ever wake up again," I quietly answer, and see Jungkook's eyes gather with tears as he presses his face against my leg. I feel the moisture seeping through the fabric of my pants and rest a hand against the top of his head.
"I don't know what to do," I hear him say.
"Grieve," I answer. "Grieve and cry as much as you need."
He looks up at me, resting his chin on my knee. "And you?"
"If I start grieving now, I'll never stop. So I'll make sure everything is in order. And then I'll grieve."
"Does your chest hurt?" he mewls. "Mine just feels like it's about to explode." He shifts again, his cheek resting on my knee this time. He still stares at Taehyung. "It feels like it's being ripped apart. I want to die."
I reach over to wipe a tear away. "Who will inherit your throne?"
"Sikyung," he sniffles.
"The pain will pass. The sun will rise again."
"I don't want it to," Jungkook answers, finally breaking into a sob as more tears trickle down his face. "I don't want to live without Taehyung. I need my Mama."
I feel the catch in my throat, looking away to collect myself. This was not the time.
Jungkook sobs loudly, not even bothering to wipe his tears away as he holds on to me, sobbing his young heart out. "I want my Mama," I hear him say. "I want my Mama."
I pull him closer to me, and Jungkook rises to rest his weight on his knees. I hug him tightly, letting him cry into my shoulder as he wraps his arms around my waist. Sobs wreck his frame, and Jungkook breathes like he's choking on air.
"Taehyung is alright. He's resting in Heaven. You know he's tired."
"I want him here!" Jungkook wails. "With me!"
I allow him to sob for several more minutes before I let go of him. Jungkook instinctively falls back, sitting on the floor as he wipes at his tear and snot streaked face. He looks up at me, his face swollen and beet red. "What will you do now?"
"What?"
"You said the only reason you stayed was because of Taehyung. What will you do now?"
I know Jungkook is staring at me fearfully, afraid that I'll leave or maybe do something stupid.
"I don't want you to go anywhere," he whines.
"I'll be here. I need to oversee a lot of things. It'll take a while."
"And then after?"
"We'll see how things go."
The answer will not appease Jungkook, but it's the only answer I have right now.
"You haven't fed in a while," I say, changing the subject. "How are you feeling? Are you thirsty?"
Jungkook shakes his head. "I'm not in the mood."
"You're grieving. Your appetite will be affected. But you still have to eat. You're still Head of your Court. An Alpha has to be strong, right?"
Looking almost forlorn, Jungkook nods. He crawls forward, reaching for my hand. I watch again as he opens his mouth, his fangs suddenly extending, before he chomps down on my wrist.
There is no pain as I watch Jungkook settle into a more comfortable sitting position, fitting himself between my legs as he presses my wrist against his mouth. He drinks like he's parched, and I know I've lost the number of days he'd gone without feeding.
His back is pressed against my stomach, and I feel him lean his head against my arm. I position my arms to rest against his shoulders, enveloping him in a hug of sorts.
There is so much to do, so much to face in the coming days.
The announcement of his passing, the funeral, the ceremony. The search for the next Aamon, the initiation, the training. Everything that I've gone through with Taehyung, I'll have to do it again without him. Everything that I could do because I had him by my side, I'd have to do without him.
Jungkook suddenly whirls around, letting go of my hand. He looks up at me, the panic and worry evident on his face.
"Jin?" he prompts, his voice slightly slurred as his fangs retract into his gums.
I stare at the silver blood stains against his lips, wiping them with my thumb.
"Jin?" he repeats, shifting his position to face me. He raises his hands, resting them lightly against my cheeks. He wipes at my falling tears away with gentle of his fingers.
"Jin," he says, one last time, before his own eyes fill with tears. He leans forward, resting his forehead against mine. I close my eyes as I draw in a shaky breath. I don't have time to grieve.
I straighten, as Jungkook leans back, staring at me in concern.
"I'm alright," I say, holding on to his wrists.
"You don't look alright," the little one points out.
"I am alright." I push his hands off my face, though I don't let go of his wrists. "So are you."
"But I'm not alright," Jungkook answers. "And it's okay to not be alright. Taehyung said -" He pauses, a catch in his throat. "Taehyung says it's okay to feel things."
"He's right." I give the little one a smile. "You're allowed to feel things. Feelings make you… who you are. They make you 'you'. They make you human."
"They make you... alive?" Jungkook prompts with a hesitant smile.
I laugh, but feel a tear escape my eye. "They make you alive."
"What do you feel, Jin?"
I take a moment to gather my thoughts. "Sad. Scared. A little angry."
"Me too."
"Confused. Wary for the future."
"Me too."
"But we've made it through many calamities."
Jungkook sniffles loudly. "Yeah, but this is like, the worst thing that's ever happened to me."
I have nothing to offer but a smile. "Calamities pass. You are a strong Alpha."
The little one leans forward, hugging me tightly, and I return the embrace.
We part and he studies me with a kind eye. "You're strong too."
"Aren't we all?" I tuck a lock of hair behind his ear. "I have things to get done. Do you want to do them with me?"
Jungkook shakes his head. "I want to stay here for a while. With Taehyung."
"Take all the time you need." I lean forward and rest my lips against his forehead, whispering a blessing. "But move forward when you can."
I get up to leave, and shut the door behind me. I don't look back. I don't want to see Taehyung.
I look up to see Caine standing right outside, leaning casually against the wall.
"You were crying." It's not a question. It's an observation. "I didn't know you could cry."
"Were you waiting for me?" I ask, ignoring the statement.
He nods in answer. "I have something to discuss with you in private."
I nod, signalling him to follow me as I head to the conference room. Caine trails from behind.
"When will you inform the public of his passing?"
I am quiet as I round a bend. "What if he returns to his vessel?" Taehyung's vessel had once been soulless for three months as we'd travelled to Hell to fight Beelzebub. What if this was the same thing? What if he needed to return?
"The Aamon's Power would've kept his vessel protected. There is nothing in there, Azazel. Not an atom of power left."
"Taehyung has surprised us before."
"Would you wait for his body to start decaying then?"
We head down the stairs to the lower ground floor, passing by several of Jungkook's men.
"How long would that take?"
"Azazel," Caine warns, unamused.
"I just want to be sure."
"You are finding excuses to deny reality."
We reach the entrance to the conference room, and I key in the multiple passwords in order to gain access.
"I'm not denying reality." I push open the door to the entrance, waiting for Caine to step through before I shut it behind me. "I just need to make sure."
"You have never experienced loss before," Caine says, pulling a chair out to take a seat. "It's understandable that you wouldn't know how to grieve."
"I mourned for Merriham," I answer.
"You hated Merriham. And he turned out to be alive. It is not the same concept."
I say nothing, taking the seat across from him. "Do you not feel grief?" I ask, truthfully curious.
"No," Caine confesses. "I will see Taehyung again in Heaven. What I do feel is fear. We don't know the steps to take after Taehyung's departure."
"What is it that you needed to speak about?"
He leans heavily into his chair, resting his elbows on the armrests. "I have my suspicions on certain things."
"Like?"
He is quiet for a few moments. "I don't think the affairs with Chaos are over."
I stare at him, processing what he's just said. "Taehyung destroyed it."
"Taehyung did not destroy Chaos. He defeated Chaos. With no Court, Parliament or proper initiate, there's a chance that all that power will be inherited by the next Aamon."
"You think that Chaos will attack again."
"I know it will. The battle with Taehyung was because of his sheer amount of power. If that power is present again in the next Aamon -"
"It'll just start another battle."
"And we don't know whether the next Aamon would be strong enough to fight him."
"Then the cycle will just repeat itself," I point out. "Chaos can't go around continuously killing the next Aamon."
"The power has to be split apart," Caine says. "It might happen naturally, but if it doesn't, the Aamon must take it upon himself to do it as quickly as possible."
I consider his words. "Do the rest of the Aamons know about this?"
Caine shrugs. "I won't be up in Heaven for a while."
I don't press on. Caine had done many favours, not just for me, but for the Aamon's Court in general. He'd protected Taehyung against the one person he'd been fighting to win favour of, and I respected him for that.
"What should we do?" I ask instead.
After a period of silence, Caine sighs. "We have no choice but to wait for the power to make its choice. We can only move forward from there. You should probably notify the Courts of Yoohwan's presence. And Taehyung's death."
It is a stab against my chest as I rest my cheek against my propped up hand.
"The funeral preparations must also be in order."
At my continued silence, Caine prompts me. "Azazel." I shift my focus to him. "We may grieve. But we must move on. You must remember that we are all that is left of the Aamon's Court."

I barge into the room, stalking forward. Both Yoohwan and Namjoon look up, and perhaps sensing the tension, Namjoon gets up to bodily block me from coming forward any further.
"Jin," I hear him whisper. "Calm down."
"I am calm."
"No, you're not. You look like you might murder someone."
"I won't." I push him to the side, continuing my walk forward till I stand before Yoohwan.
The Heir Apparent says nothing, only looking up at me.
Namjoon is quickly by my side, wary to stop me if I do something stupid. But he is a human. How could he ever stop me?
"You hosted Chaos in your body for nearly a decade. You must know more than anyone else about it. Tell me how to stop it."
Yoohwan says nothing, still wordlessly staring back.
"Chaos will probably return once the next Aamon is chosen and we must know how to stop him. Tell me."
Namjoon has placed a hand against my elbow in warning.
"I don't…" Yoohwan starts, before seeming to choke on his words, and look away. He needs a moment to collect himself, but I'm still staring as I wait for an answer. "Chaos doesn't have a weakness."
"Every Creation has a weakness," I growl.
"Not Chaos."
I lunge forward before I can stop myself, grabbing the Heir Apparent by the collar of his shirt and lifting him up to put him inches from my face. "Listen, you royal *brat!*"
"Jin, stop!" Namjoon's voice is tiny and far off as I deliberate whether it would be worth it to hurt this vampire.
"Taehyung died to stop Chaos from hurting anyone else. Now there's a chance it will only come back and wreak more havoc. Stop your lies and tell us how to stop it."
"Jin," Namjoon warns, his voice low and stern. "Let him go." I can see from my peripheral vision what he's pointed at me.
The guns I'd given him.
"Calm down and let the Heir go."
I slowly lower my arms, until Yoohwan is seated against the bed again.
There is tense silence between us. I don't let go of Yoohwan's collar, Yoohwan hasn't said or moved an inch and Namjoon still has the weapon pointed at me.
"Possession," Yoohwan finally says. "Killing the possessed while Chaos is in total control of the vessel will weaken it." He looks up at me, completely serious. "But it won't defeat it."
I finally let to of him and see Namjoon's arms relax.
"How does that work?" I ask, demanding an answer.
"If Chaos has full control over a body, it becomes physically and mentally part of it. If you kill the vessel, it will be like ripping a limb off of Chaos's form."
"How many possessed vessels must I kill to defeat him?"
Yoohwan is staring back at me like he's gauging whether I'm serious. "The number of lives you would have to take -"
"Name them!" I roar.
"Jin," Namjoon warns. It distracts me enough for me to shift my focus to him. "This wasn't Taehyung's goal."
"If Chaos is not stopped, history will only repeat itself." I turn to Yoohwan, knowing my anger is building. "We will lose a lot more than some possessed vessels."
I leave, knowing that if I looked at Yoohwan any longer, I would explode. It wasn't his fault. My emotions were just…haywire.
I hear soft running footsteps from behind me, and glance over my shoulder to see Namjoon shutting the door behind him.
"Hey. You good?"
"I'm fine."
"If you need to talk -"
"I'm fine, Namjoon. Everything is a lot to take in and I just need -" I pause. What did I need? What would end this crippling pain inside me? "Some peace."
Namjoon stares at me, studying my expression, gauging what to do. He finally looks away, a calculative look on his face. "Stay here," he says.
I squint my eyes at him. "What?"
"Stay here. I've got something to show you." And then he runs off, and I'm left staring.
I consider, for a while, whether to wait, or simply leave him.
But Namjoon's footsteps echo loudly to my sensitive ears. The man really was running to wherever he was heading. I decide to wait.
And then Namjoon is soon running back to me, an envelope in hand.
"Here," he says, passing it to me.
I take it, staring at the familiar handwriting.
'The Last Will and Testament of Kim Taehyung.'
It's Taehyung's.
I look back at Namjoon, who stares wordlessly.
"Taehyung gave this to me. He told me only to tell you when the time was right."
"He *gave* this to you? When?"
"Yesterday."
I look back at the envelope. I am almost shaking in disbelief.
"Taehyung told me about his plan to die. He knew there wouldn't be another way."
I shift my focus to Namjoon.
"He thought of everything, and we calculated the risks together. And Taehyung just saw that losing his life was the smallest risk he could take." Namjoon places a hesitant but reassuring hand on my shoulder. "I know you're in shock and I know you're angry. I don't want you blaming yourself or feeling like there's a massive burden on your shoulders, and Taehyung wouldn't want you to do that either. He tried to simplify his affairs after his death as much as possible. He told me to hide this from you in case you disagreed but… I think you deserve to know that even towards the end of his life, Taehyung always thought of you." The hand he has on my shoulder drops to his side as he backs up a few steps, his hand on the door knob. "Take a few moments to read it. I think it'll help you."
Namjoon heads back in Yoohwan's room again, and I am left standing outside alone. The envelope in my hand feels almost surreal.
Why had Taehyung done this without me? What did he have to say that he couldn't say to our faces?
I head to my room, shutting the door before I sit down on my mostly unused bed. I stare at the envelope again, holding it in both hands this time.
A piece of Taehyung - a reminder that he was real, that he walked with me, laughed with me and cried with me. That he was an entity that stayed by my side. And is now no longer here with me.
I open the envelope, letting the letter fall out.
Taehyung's handwriting fills the papers. I realise that the will is a few pages long. I'm left holding on to it, my heart in my throat.
The feelings of anxiousness seem to slowly return. I somehow dread reading the letter, although I hold it in my hands.
I see no reason to dread it. It is just some pieces of paper. It would do me no harm. My mind keeps telling me this, but my body does not seem to cooperate.
I force myself to calm down, taking in a deep breath before I finally start reading the will in my hands.

This is the last will and testament of I, Kim Taehyung. This will is to take immediate effect upon my death, with the appointment of Kim Namjoon as my executor. I state my instructions below:
That my ward, Jeon Jungkook, shall be given total control over all my personal properties. He may do as he pleases with them. In the event where he is incapable of obtaining capacity, the properties shall be given in trust to Jeon Sikyung.
That my most trusted allies, Azazel Morningstar and Caine son of Adam, shall continue to be Official Advisors of my Court, to guide the future Aamon and any possible future initiates.
That my good friend, Kim Namjoon shall be given the position of Official Representative of the Aamon's Court should my initiate be incapable or the Sixth Aamon be unable to be in attendance of any meetings.
That my blessed one, Mohammed Hanaan Khan Sarwani shall continue to be under the care of my members of the Court, be it so whether he becomes the Sixth Aamon or not.
That my other half, Azazel Morningstar shall become legal guardian of both Mohammed Hanaan Khan Sarwani and Jeon Jungkook until they attain legal age, or emancipation. I instruct that Azazel raise them with love, kindness and patience, much like how he has been showering them with the same prior.
That no state funeral be held in event of my death. I instruct that my body will be cremated and my ashes spread so as to lessen the chances of possession.
That no coronation ceremony be held for the Sixth Aamon, for his or her safety. I instruct that notifications in the form of letters being given out to the relevant Courts and organizations be sufficient.
That these members of my family, though not being related by blood, stay together as a unit and continue to love and protect each other. I instruct that they be made aware of how much I love them, and how much I am indebted to all the sacrifices they have made for me. They have made my short time on this Earth worthwhile, and they are the greatest blessings I have. I instruct that Jeon Jungkook and Mohammed Hanaan Khan Sarwani be hugged and kissed daily and reminded of how valuable they are. I instruct that my heart and soul, Azazel Morningstar, live his life in goodness and be made aware that the love I had for him was topped only by the need to stop the Apocalypse. I instruct that my trusted ally, Caine son of Adam, know that his father spoke of him in the highest regard, and once defended him unflinchingly when the other Aamons spoke ill of him in Adam's presence. I instruct that my leader from my younger days, Kim Namjoon, be given the freedom to learn, practice and act in his own capacity and not be deterred by fears of lack of ability. Namjoon may have made some mistakes in the past, but he is still the wisest and kindest human I have ever known.
Lastly, I instruct that my family knows and understands that the decision I took to end my life was done after much consideration. This was the only way to save everyone and minimize risk. This decision was not influenced by anyone in any way or form. I ask that they grieve for me no longer than seven days. Much work is to be done.

With endless love and a heavy heart,
Kim Taehyung.

I sit in my room, suddenly consumed by a loneliness that I cannot fully describe into words. I fold the will, sliding it back into the envelope before I stare once more at Taehyung's writing on it.
I remember scolding Taehyung for a time because of his penmanship. A leader must write in cursive as a sign of good upbringing, I'd said. I'd forced him to practice writing in cursive for hours every day, just so he could get it right. Taehyung had screamed at me, and I'd screamed at him and Jungkook had cried because he didn't like us fighting.
I run a thumb over the writing.
It is ridiculous that even his cursive has now become so sentimental to me.
Caine was right. I didn't understand the process of grief and I don't think I will anytime soon. Everything hurt. The thought of a future without Taehyung was like a physical blow. Now that I'm alone in my room, not distracted by the need to carry out duties, the sadness seems to return.
It is a sadness like no other, riding on your chest, slowly pressing the air out of you and shoving your heart in your throat. It is a physical pain, a pain that demands that you acknowledge its presence and suffer under its power.
I place the envelope to the side as I lean back and lie on my bed. I'm staring up at the ceiling as I feel the sensation return - a quiet panic that eats at me, a desolation that seems to render me breathless. I close my eyes, concentrating on collecting myself.
I push back the sensations of panic, of anxiety and fear. I had much to do. I couldn't afford to stop now.
But the pain ignores my thoughts, the ache returning until it feels like my very breath is being ripped out of me. I force myself to sit up, thumping my chest several times. I refused to acknowledge any weakness on my end. I had gone through worse suffering than this. I could pull through. I could move beyond this.
But how?
"Jin? Jin! Jiiii-in!"
I force my eyes open. It's Hanaan.
"Jin, where are you? Jiiiii-iiin! Jin, I need you!"
The young child is noisy, stomping his way through the corridors as he continues calling for me. I hear several members of Court make noises of disapproval, but ultimately no one corrects him out of respect.
I get up, grabbing the envelope.
Hanaan needed me.
Maybe to tie his shoelaces, maybe to pour a glass of milk, maybe to help him reach for something on a shelf, but he still needed me. He still needed me to be here for him.
It is a somewhat minute purpose, but it is purpose nonetheless.
I reach for my door knob, leaving the room and heading towards him.
"Hanaan!" I bark as soon as soon as I see him. The boy flinches violently, whirling around to face me with wide eyes. "The people in this house are still grieving. You must be expected to at least lower your volume."
"But I called for you and you wouldn't come!"
"I'm here now. What do you need?"
The young initiate's lower lip juts out of his face as he looks up at me. "I want to go to sleep but I don't want to do it alone."
"You were fine sleeping alone before."
"Well, I never had a humongous shadow monster break through my bedroom window and kill my mentor before."
He had a point. "Go sleep in Taehyung's bedroom. Jungkook is there."
"I don't want to sleep in the same room as Taehyung," the young initiate whines. "It's scary."
I hide a sigh. "Must I be the one to accompany you? Why not Namjoon or Caine?"
"I don't trust Caine and Namjoon isn't strong enough to fight off monsters." Hanaan's voice is slowly rising in pitch as he stomps his foot several times on the ground. "Please, I just want to sleep. I haven't slept in two days."
"I have work to do, Hanaan."
The young initiate makes a high-pitched squeal of protest as he raises his arms towards me, demanding to be carried. "Please."
"Hanaan, over the next few days, there is a very real chance that you'll become the Sixth Aamon. You must act the part and not throw tantrums around like a child."
Hanaan breaks into tears this time, frustrated at my lack of empathy. I feel myself give in despite, and lift him up by his armpits. He throws his arms around my neck, resting his head on my shoulder. He is quiet almost immediately, tucking his head against the nape of my neck.
There is not much else to say or do, so I bring him to Jungkook's room and lay him on his bed.
Hanaan is wide awake as I straighten, looking up at me as I fix the creases on my shirt.
"I thought you said you were tired."
"I didn't say I wasn't. Tuck me in."
I shift my focus to him, and Hanaan stares back fearlessly. I don't understand where this unnecessary ego came from.
I reach for the duvet, pulling it up so it covers him up to his chest.
"Sleep."
"Why are you so harsh," I hear him whisper. I pause momentarily, unsure what to say or do.
"What's that in your hand?" He points to the envelope I hadn't noticed I was still holding on to.
"This is…" Should I tell him? Did I have a reason not to? "This is Taehyung's Will."
"What's a will?"
"A letter you write before you die. Like your final set of instructions to the world."
"Does anyone even listen to them?"
"Sometimes. When the will is about inheritance."
"What's inheritance?"
"The things you leave behind when you die. You'll be able to choose who you want to give it to."
"Am I in it?"
"Yes. Do you want to read it?"
"I can't read Korean."
"I can read it to you."
"Like a story book?"
"A weird one."
But Hanaan still nods, and turns over to lie on his side. I sit down on the bed, as he rests a light hand against my knee. "Do I read the whole thing or just your parts?"
"The whole thing."
I slide the will out of the envelope and begin reading. Hanaan is completely silent, his gaze far off as he listens without a word.
"With endless love and a heavy heart, Kim Taehyung." I fold the will again, turning to him.
"So that's it?"
"Yes."
He is quiet for several moments, before turning to lie on his back again. "So you'll take care of me forever?"
I lean my weight against my hand as I study him. "I don't know. I don't know if I'm the best person to do that."
I watch as he fiddles with the duvet, staring up at the ceiling. "I don't know if I'm the best person to be the Aamon," I hear him whisper.
"I thought you said you needed to be the Aamon to whoop my @ss."
"I'm pretty sure I can do that without being the Aamon."
I feel myself smirk at his unintended cockiness. "No one is born perfect. Taehyung became the Aamon by a twist of fate."
"Yeah, but he's dead now."
"The point of life is not to live forever. Taehyung saved billions of lives, not just here, but in the Afterlife as well. He sacrificed so much to ensure the safety of those around him and was one of the most selfless people I know. I've been alive long enough to oversee the rule of every Aamon in existence and by far, Taehyung's was the greatest."
"Why do we have to live for people?" the young initiate asks, pouting slightly. "Why can't we just live for ourselves?"
"Because that's what life on Earth is about. Being the best person you can be."
"I don't want to live for others."
I consider explaining again, before deciding that it's not worth the effort. "You'll understand when you're older. Now close your eyes and sleep."
He sighs, stretching slightly before he hugs the duvet to his chest and turns to his side again. I watch as he settles himself in before he goes quiet.
"Taehyung called me his blessed one. No one has ever called me a blessing before."
I watch as he pulls the duvet up to his chin.
"Back in Pakistan, they always said we were replaceable. So we should work hard or become trash. And trash gets taken out." Hanaan curls into himself, his eyes half closed. "I once had a best friend. He fell sick one day and disappeared. I never asked where he went but I heard the big brothers call him trash. I know they killed him."
Hanaan takes a moment to rub his nose distractedly. "And then Taehyung came and told me I was going to be somebody. An Aamon who people would look up to, listen to and respect. A leader who had power not only here but in Heaven and Hell. He defended me and taught me all that he knew. I wasn't trash after all."
He sniffles loudly, rubbing at his increasingly red nose. "I knew he'd have to die for me to be Aamon. I just didn't think it would happen like this."
He wipes at his eyes, hiccuping slightly.
"Being sad ."
I rest a hand against his arm in comfort. "I know."
Hanaan lifts his head up to look at me. "Can I hug you?"
I stare at the young initiate, at the tears collecting in his eyes and his nose that has turned red. "Okay."
He pushes himself up, wrapping his arms around my waist and buries his head in my chest.
*I instruct that Jeon Jungkook and Mohammed Hanaan Khan Sarwani be hugged and kissed daily and reminded of how valuable they are.*
"You're not trash." I wrap my arms around his tiny frame. "We'll be okay."

"Do I have to go?"
"You don't have to," I answer as I tie my hair up in a loose ponytail. "But it would be good if you do."
"Why?"
"Because it's Taehyung's funeral. It will be the last time you see him."
The pout on Hanaan's lips intensifies as he sits on the office chair, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Jungkook will be there."
"As his own Head of Court," he points out. "He won't want to play with me."
"You are the probable Sixth Aamon. You won't be allowed to go out in public much after this. You'll miss the colour of the sky."
"I know what the sky looks like."
I hide a sigh. I was trying to honour Taehyung's will by being infinitely more patient with Hanaan, but it is tiring.
I come to Hanaan, kneeling before him as I look him in the eye. "Look. Namjoon as representative of the Aamon's Court has already said we should all attend. The funeral won't last an hour."
"I don't want to see people burning Taehyung. It will hurt him!"
"Hanaan, Taehyung is up in Heaven enjoying his rest. The vessel we are about to burn is empty."
I stand as Hanaan prepares for another argument. "But it's still him!"
"It's not him," I say, as I take his hand. Hanaan follows along as we head out the room. "Caine will maybe take you to Heaven one day and you'll see Taehyung."
"Not too soon, I hope." Caine is waiting outside, arms crossed over his chest in a fashion similar to Hanaan's. Namjoon waits beside him. "You only get called up to resolve issues."
"Are our guests here yet?" I ask.
"Yes, they are waiting at the roof top," Namjoon answers. "It's snowing."
"It's the Swiss Alps. It's always snowing."
"Yay, snow ~," Hanaan quietly cheers.
"I mean the fire won't burn as well in this weather," Namjoon continues.
"Oh," I say. "Don't worry, we're using flames from Hell."
Namjoon doesn't even flinch as he rolls his eyes. "I don't even know if you're joking anymore." Caine cackles in amusement. For a moment, all is good and light.
"Shall we go?" Namjoon asks.
"Yes," Hanaan answers. "Let's get this over and done with."
Caine conjures a portal before us, and the four of us step through.
After exchanging the contents of the will with everyone, Namjoon had made the decision that we should return to the Aamon's Court to avoid any possible conflict that might arise from members of Jungkook's Court. I'd agreed, knowing that in a way, despite Jungkook being Taehyung's ward, we were overstepping our boundaries in choosing to stay and grieve there.
Caine had shifted us to the Parliament's Court, since Taehyung's had effectively been destroyed in the fight against Chaos. I'd proceeded to plan for the funeral almost immediately, respecting Taehyung's instructions the best I could. Only six guests had been invited: the Vampire King, the Sovereign, Yoohwan, Jungkook, Sikyung and the Victor. Their men stood near them, but refrain from getting too close to us.
Everyone looks up towards us as we step out of the portal. No one says anything, nor makes a move in greeting.
In the middle of where we were gathered was the pyre. It is decorated in such a way to seem like Taehyung was sleeping on a massive bed of delicate leaves and flowers, the firewood totally hidden from view. He is exposed to the open air, dressed in a black turtleneck and jeans. Thanks to spells, he has not decayed even slightly despite the length of time between his death and the funeral, and merely looks asleep.
It is still, somehow, unbelievable that's he's gone.
Namjoon, now the representative of the Aamon's Court, steps forward.
"I thank you for your presence," he starts. "Each and every one of you played an instrumental part in the late Fifth Aamon His Highness King Kim Taehyung's life, hence it would only be fitting that you would be here to witness his final journey. Taehyung carried out his duties to the best of his abilities, and to none of our surprise, he died a noble death, sacrificing his life for those he was duty-bound to protect. Taehyung died so we could live, and we are grateful for his sacrifice, and know that there is no greater reward for him than the reward of the Heavens. Thank you."
Namjoon pauses momentarily, just as a gust of cold wind blows towards us, flinging his hair into his face. He takes a moment to tuck it behind his ear. "We shall proceed with the ceremony."
Namjoon takes a step back as I come forward towards the pyre.
I call on to my power, pulling straight from Hell instead of the Aamon's Court. It responds readily, a powerful throbbing of excitement that courses through me. I raise my hands, calling on to fire that immediately ignites the pyre. The flames quickly become massive, reaching towards the sky, roaring loudly as a testament to its strength.
I see through my peripheral vision the vampires take a wary step back.
The flames climb higher and higher, and the ashes from the pyre rise skywards as well. They are like little specks amidst the vast endless horizon, and for a moment I can't help but realise that this is all that's left of Taehyung. Everything we've gone through, all the moments together, all the near-dying escapades, now reduced to nothing but memories. It is both grounding and terrifying.
I kill the flames which vanish in an instant. The pyre is now gone, and so is Taehyung's vessel.
The eyes that stare at the spot where the pyre was are all dry. As leaders of communities, a show of strength was of utmost importance to those around you. Leaders cry in private, not public.
I sigh, closing my eyes momentarily. There is a shift of movements around me. It is the signal that the formality of the event has ended.
"Azazel."
I look over my shoulder, glancing at the Sovereign. I turn around to face him out of respect. "Your Excellency."
"I want to apologize for your loss," he starts. He looks… pained. I assume it's no surprise. Yoochun had watched over Taehyung for many years. "I had refused to allow Taehyung to save Yoohwan but I realise now that the grief of losing him would've driven me to ruin. I can only imagine the pain you are going through."
He holds out a hand towards me. "Thank you for saving my brother, for saving the Heir to my throne. I am greatly indebted. Any favour needed from the Aamon's Court, any at all. Please do not hesitate to find me."
I stare at his outstretched hand. "The Aamon's Court is always open to diplomatic relations," I say, repeating verbatim the phrase Taehyung had always used. I look up at the Sovereign. "I never wanted to save your brother. I would've gladly let him die if it meant Taehyung's safety. But Taehyung made his choice. What's done is done. I don't deserve your gratitude."
The hand falls away. "I understand your anger."
"I'm not angry. Don't misunderstand me. But I do not wish for your favour. Taehyung's dead anyway. It won't bring him back."
I glance to the side, seeing the Victor talking to Hanaan. Alarm bells immediately go off in my head. "Excuse me."
I walk away from the conversation, to stand closely by Hanaan's side. I place a hand on his shoulder for emphasis as Hanaan looks up at me.
"Jin," he says, as the Victor straightens from his kneeling position to be eye level with me. "This is the Victor of the Hunter's Court."
"I know," I replied. "We've been introduced."
"Jin," the Victor greets, "I was just speaking to Hanaan about how great a person Taehyung was."
"He already knows."
The Victor replies in a tight smile. "I offer my condolences. Taehyung was a child I raised since infancy. It very much feels like I'm at my own son's funeral."
"I know," I reply again. "I was the one who gave him to you."
I see Hanaan look up at me, the curiousity in his eyes. He has been taught to not speak to members of other Courts and the Heads know better than to approach him. The Victor had done this on purpose, trying to attain the same benefits he had with the Aamon's Court when Taehyung was under his wing.
"I am very much adept at raising future leaders," he continues. "A young child of this age must be very tiring for you."
"On the contrary, Hanaan is an easy child. He is a valued member of the Court."
Taking the hint, the Victor starts to close the conversation. "I wish the best for the future of the Aamon's Court."
I nod my thanks as he walks away. I glance at Hanaan, who stares at the Victor.
"So that's Taehyung's daddy?"
I place a finger against my lips as he looks up at me again. "There is a time and place for such topics."
I take his hand, leading him to the side where Caine stands idly. Hanaan is pouting again - he still doesn't like being told what to do. "What's that in your hand?"
Hanaan opens his palm, showing what he has to me. It's a piece of candy.
"Where'd you get that?"
"The Victor gave it to me. For being brave."
I hide a sigh. *Caine, can you deal with him,* I mentally signal to him.
"Can I see that?" he asks Hanaan, as the young initiate turns to him.
Hanaan dutifully passes him the candy, and Caine puts on a good show of pretending to analyze it. "Oh, this has pork in it."
I watch as Hanaan's eyes get wider as he stares at Caine. "It does?"
"It says here that it contains pork gelatin. Are you a practicing Muslim? Would pork be alright for you?"
Hanaan shakes his head, his lower lip jutting out sadly.
"Then you shouldn't be taking this," Caine kindly reasons, placing the candy on the ledge by his side. "We'll get you halaal ones when we have the time."
Hanaan only nods as I leave them to it and walk off.
I glance quietly at my surroundings. Namjoon is speaking to the Vampire King and Sikyung while Jungkook speaks to Yoochun and Yoohwan. The Victor lingers with his men.
The silence of the funeral is broken when I hear Hanaan's speak up.
"Hey, what's that?"
I follow where his hand is pointing. Up in the evening sky, seven tiny specks which were some obviously very large, very far off objects were hurtling towards us. I take a moment to stare, attempting to analyze the objects.
"What *is* that?" I hear Jungkook say.
Before I can say out a proper answer however, the objects are suddenly much, much closer than they were. I realise they're going to slam into us.
"Get down!" I grab on to Hanaan, throwing us to the left and fall against the ground. I hear other yells from around me as everyone moves to avoid getting squashed. Something lands against the space we had been standing, landing heavily enough to leave cracks against the cement. Multiple other loud sounds of landing sound from around me and I look up in alarm and confusion.
Seven Seraphim, in their massive true forms, stand at random around us. For a moment, no one moves, staring at the Aamon Guard in disbelief. Then the Seraphim take out their weapons, slamming one end of their staff against the ground several times. It produces a sound that is not unlike a pounding drum. For several long seconds they make this war-like rhythm. And then they stop completely, and eery silence greets us.
Hanaan and I push ourselves off the ground, getting up as Caine comes to us.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," we answer. I turn, almost instinctively, to Hanaan, who clings on to Caine in fear and confusion. Almost everyone is staring at him. As a possible successor to the Aamon throne, only he would have the power to call on to the Seraphim. He, or another initiate. Or the Sixth Aamon.
"It wasn't me," he whispers, voice soft with fright. His eyes suddenly cloud over, going completely white for a moment as a vision hits him. It lasts for two seconds before his eyes return to normal and he stares at something behind me. "It's Chaos!"
I whirl around just in time to see the black mass ready to fall on us like a massive wave.
*Caine!* I practically scream in my head.
*I KNOW!*
The both of us move, calling for spells that conjure a forcefield around the entirety of the Aamon's Court just as Chaos slams into us. It hits the forcefield like a sledgehammer, the force of it shaking the entire foundation of fhe building, making us drop to our knees.
This didn't make sense. Taehyung was dead. There was no power to rival Chaos. Why was it still here?
The guests have started to panic, particularly the Victor.
"What is going on?" he roars. "What trap have you pulled us all into?"
"It's not a trap," I snap, shifting my attention momentarily to him. "At least, not from our side."
"Look out!" the Vampire King yells, just as another wave of impact from Chaos lands against our shields, and I feel the cracks against them.
I drop my shield, weakening our protection, but call for power from Hell. I send a blast of Hell's flames towards Chaos, the power exuding from the palms of my hands, and ballooning into explosions that cover Chaos's entire form.
"We have to get out of here," I say as I turn to Caine.
"Where?" he replies. "Where would Chaos not follow us to?"
"Why are the Seraphim here?" Jungkook butts in. "Does Chaos have control over them?"
As he speaks, the Seraphim suddenly rise towards the skies, going through the forcefields like they aren't even there. Individually, they start attacking Chaos with blasts of Holy power, pushing it back and slowing its attacks.
"What's going on?" I yell, turning to Caine again. "If those Seraphim aren't under Hanaan's control and aren't with Chaos, then who do they belong to?"
"Someone must have sent them."
"Who?" I demand. "Who has control over the Aamon's Court to this degree?"
"What are you, an owl?" Caine bites. "I don't know! Can we concentrate on surviving this onslaught first?"
I nod. Finally, something we could agree on.
One final blow against Caine's shields and it cracks, effectively destroying what little protection we had against Chaos. Almost in horror, we watch as Chaos falls upon us.
I call on to more power, bracing myself for another hit.
One of the Seraphim move, bodily blocking Chaos from us as it illuminates itself with Holy power. Chaos is undeterred, wrapping itself around the Angel. I stare as the light surrounding the Angel intensifies, before the Seraphim self destructs in an explosion of power, pushing Chaos back.
I stand. Seraphim do not have the capacity to think for themselves. There's no way that the Seraphim could've randomly chosen to do that.
I feel someone grab me by the arm. "Azazel," Caine says as I turn to him. "We don't have time to stare in awe. There are Heads of Courts that must be escorted to safety."
Right. "Have Namjoon the Heads out. We'll distract Chaos."
Something slams against the ground before us, an extended part of Chaos latching itself onto the roof.
"Go, go, go," I urge, pushing Caine away from me.
Multiple other extensions of Chaos's black mass hit the roof, and I hear distinctly, the First Creation roar.
Caine opens the portal, leading the guests through.
Chaos is using its power to destroy the Court, as portions of the castle fall apart. The roof is starting to shake as the foundations of the Court give way. Fcuk. I don't know how many times I've had to rebuild this place.
I call on to more power, hitting Chaos with a blast as I attempt to stop its attack.
"Azazel, let's move!" I hear Caine call.
I've thrown everything I had, everything I've ever fought for, for Taehyung. I invested everything in him - my time, my energy, my money and my love. I lost him and I'd refused to grieve. I'd tried to carry out his will to the best of my abilities.
And yet I cannot even have a funeral for him without being attacked.
I cannot even cry for him without seeming weak. I cannot even protect those he cared for without them being in constant danger.
Anger fuels me now as I gather both the powers of Hell and the Aamon's Court in me. I throw a round of power towards Chaos, hearing it roar in response.
I couldn't even have a *day's worth of peace* without Taehyung's murderer showing its face.
"Jin!" Jungkook screams for me. "Jin, we have to go!"
I hear him running towards me and I feel him grab on to my shirt.
"Jin, this is not the time!"
"Then when?" I roar in answer.
There is suddenly a cracking noise beneath our feet, a powerful swaying of the entire Court that clearly signals that the structure is disintegrating.
"Jin!"
"Go!" I turn and start running the moment the floor starts to give way beneath our feet. Jungkook is immediately beside me, keeping pace when he suddenly disappears. He's fallen through the cracks and I immediately reach for him, managing to catch him by his wrist before he falls any further. His weight slams me against the ground, but I don't let go of him.
"Jin!" he yells again, staring up at me in panic as his body hangs precariously over the edge.
"I got you," I growl, attempting to pull him up.
"No, behind you!"
I look over my shoulder, seeing Chaos moving to hit us. I do the best thing I can do in that moment, pushing myself over the edge, making both Jungkook and myself fall about sixty feet.
Jungkook screams as I glance up just as Chaos slams into the spot where we were a second ago. The rooftop is basically half gone, and more of the Court is falling apart due to Chaos's attacks.
I shift my focus back to Jungkook and the fact that we were currently hurtling towards the ground. I shift to demon form, feeling my wings explode out my back as I catch air and take flight.
*I told you I got you,* I say to Jungkook as he wraps his arms around my neck. I head skywards, moving as fast as I could so we could catch Caine before he closes the portal.
"Watch out!" he practically screams into my ear.
I turn to where he's looking, just as Chaos slams into us.
It completely throws me off, and I land hard against the rooftop again.
I'm winded and take a moment to collect myself. Jungkook has hit his head pretty hard and doesn't move. I shift back to human form to make myself a smaller target.
"Jungkook!" A tiny voice yells. "Jin!" It had to be Hanaan. Why hadn't he been brought to safety?
"Jungkook, get up!" I say, shaking him roughly as he turns to lie on his back, blinking hard as he attempts to refocus. "Let's go!"
"Jungkook, Azazel! What are you waiting for?" We shift our focus to see Caine standing at the mouth of the portal, Hanaan by his side. "Move!"
Both Jungkook and I push ourselves off the ground, running for the portal. I see Caine's eyes widen behind us as the wind suddenly picks up. My senses scream that something is heading towards us.
I whirl around, seeing something that stops me dead in my tracks.
A gigantic ball of power hurtles towards us, illuminating its path and radiating enough heat to burn skin.
Fcuk.
*Fcuk, fcuk, fcuk, fcuk.*
A purple blast of power suddenly moves from between Jungkook and I, hitting Chaos's ball of energy head on. Instead of countering the power with its own, it splits the power into two, creating some sort of chasm that makes it breeze right by us, but obliterates everything surrounding us.
I feel my heart in my throat as I stare at the clearing. It had been strong enough to deflect Chaos's power and redirect it head on.
I turn to the source of the power and see Hanaan practically glowing, his eyes as white as the snow-capped mountains in the distance. His power is almost tangible as even his hair, clothes and the air around him start to radiate power.
He moves forward, making a punching motion with his left hand.
What comes out of his fist can only be described as an explosion of power so strong that it throws him back, leaving his tiny frame and multiplying in size over a hundred fold as it slams into Chaos.
Chaos practically disappears as Hanaan's power hits it, and the roar of anger and pain fills the sky.
It lasts but a few moments, as Hanaan's body hits the ground and he doesn't get up.
"Let's move!" Caine's voice breaks the silence as he swiftly picks Hanaan up and runs into the portal. Jungkook and I spare a moment to share a glance, the look in his eyes mirroring mine.
There is nothing left to say as we run into the portal right after Caine.
Namjoon's concerned face meets us from the other side.
"Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah," Jungkook answers for me as he slows down to a halt, resting his hands against his knees as he collects himself. Sikyung is by his side immediately, a hand against Jungkook's back in concern.
"Is everyone safe?" I ask, directing it to everyone present. It looks like Caine has all transported us to the same place.
"What happened back there?" Yoochun asks, as Namjoon comes to Caine to take Hanaan from his arms. He places Hanaan on the sofa, lying him down. The child is still unconscious, but breathing normally.
I take a moment to glance around at our surroundings. I have no idea where we are.
"Chaos found us," Caine replies.
"I thought you said Taehyung dealt with it," the Victor accuses. "Why is it attacking again?"
"We don't know," Namjoon answers, attempting to calm any escalations. "Taehyung defeated Chaos but he didn't destroy it. Whatever Chaos decides to do from here on out has nothing to do with the Aamon's Court."
"It was specifically *because* of the Aamon's Court that Chaos started attacking in the first place!" the Victor shoots back. "If that being starts spreading its destruction on civilization -"
"With all due respect," the Vampire King interrupts, stepping forward to stand between Namjoon and the Victor. "We saw for ourselves what happened there. Chaos attacked unprovoked. It may be that the Honoured Representative is telling the truth."
"We tell no lies," Namjoon confirms. "The Fifth Aamon is dead and the Sixth has yet to be chosen. Everything that has anything to do with the Aamon has been destroyed - the Parliament, the Courts, the ruling Aamon itself. There is *nothing* left. What else could Chaos destroy?"
"The scales still aren't equal." We turn to Yoohwan, who has spoken. "There is still too much power on this Earth."
"What power?" Yoochun asks.
"Power that rivals Chaos. Taehyung may be dead but that power is still here, hanging in the air like clouds. It is almost tangible."
"Chaos would be reacting to destroy it then," Namjoon concludes, the gears in his head working quickly.
"The power is not even here," I growl. "It's not in me, or Caine, or the initiate! The Sixth Aamon has not been chosen yet, so why is it attacking us?"
"Because where else would the Aamon turn to but his Court?" Yoohwan continues, calm despite the escalating tensions in the room. "Think about it. The Aamon's Court is the only place the Aamon would turn to - it is the only place the power could revert to. Chaos is not targeting the Sixth Aamon. It's targeting the Court."

I stare at Hanaan's sleeping form. He has not moved an inch since he was laid down on the bed. It's been nearly twenty four hours since he collapsed after fighting off Chaos. I am not too worried. Taehyung would sleep for days on end whenever the power took over to protect him. I don't expect Hanaan to be so different. We were just lucky the power hadn't gone haywire on us.
I am however, worried that Chaos would find us again.
The Earth was small, and Chaos was nearly omnipotent. He would catch us. It was just going to be a matter of time.
"He's gonna wake up, right?" Jungkook quietly asks. He sits on the sofa on the other side of the room, staring directly at Hanaan.
"Yes. He'll be alright."
"How long will it be before Chaos finds us again?"
I shift my focus to him, slumped over as he leans his head against the armrest.
"I don't know. Hopefully some time. I don't think he knows we're here."
Jungkook doesn't reply. As I stare, I notice his eyes suddenly catching the light, before some tears trickle down his face.
"Hey," I say, immediately coming to him. "What's the matter?" I kneel before him, placing a hang against his.
"Nothing," he says. "I'm just sad. Taehyung is really dead now. There is no turning back."
I smile slightly, squeezing his hand in what little comfort I could give.
"We can't even grieve in peace."
"We'll grieve when all this blows over," I promise.
"Will we even survive?"
A knock on the bedroom door has me distracted, as I straighten. The Heir Apparent opens the door, a hand against the doorknob.
"Forgive my intrusion. Is everything alright?"
"Yes, Your Highness," I reply, shifting my attention to Yoohwan. "Thank you for the hospitality."
"Just call me Yoohwan. And it's the least I could do," he answers. "Stay as long as you need to. The castle is empty save for Yoochun and I."
"Rest assured we will be leaving soon. It's too dangerous for us to stay here for too long."
Yoohwan nods in understanding. "I know you're worried Chaos might find you."
I am quiet at his words. "With all due respect. There is nothing you can do to help us."
"My Court will give you all the aide necessary."
I smile tightly in return. "Thank you."
He leaves, closing the door behind him just as the portal opens by my side, and Caine walks out, back from sending the Victor and his men back to their Court.
"A bit amusing, isn't he?" he muses.
I hide a sigh.
Caine comes towards Hanaan's sleeping form, bending over to rest a hand against Hanaan's forehead. He holds it there for a few moments, a far off gaze playing on his face before he straightens, a small smile playing on his lips. "He'll be alright. A few more hours and he'll be awake." He turns to Jungkook. "Don't worry too much. Lucky the Heir Apparent likes us, huh? Free accommodation for a while."
"The longer we stay here, the bigger the danger we put them in. I want to leave by tomorrow."
Caine shifts his focus to me. "Do you think it's true?"
"What's true?" I ask, not turning to him.
"What the Heir Apparent said."
"I see no reason for him to lie. And I see no other explanation for Chaos's continued attacks."
"That would mean Chaos is targeting you and I as well. It would be trying to dissipate whatever remnants of Taehyung's power is left."
I stand, turning to face him. "What if the next Aamon inherits all that power? Wouldn't it just be another vicious cycle?"
Caine is quiet for several moments. "I don't know."
"Chaos is fighting an impossible cause. It doesn't make sense to keep destroying the Aamon's Court if all that power will only be inherited by the next Aamon."
I see Caine cross his arms over his chest as he studies me. He knows what I'm about to propose.
"The only way to end this is to destroy Chaos."
"Its powers are beyond ours."
"It can be defeated. Yoohwan mentioned -"
"Yoohwan didn't defeat Chaos."
"Neither did you," I shoot back. "Destroying Chaos is the only option we have left. We can't let Chaos continue doing this."
"Destroying Chaos would throw the scales off balance," Caine argues.
"We don't know that for sure."
"Would you take the risk?"
"Would you rather die?" I snap.
We are interrupted when there is another knock at the door. Namjoon comes in, innocently staring at us as he shuts the door behind him.
Caine shifts his attention back to me. "I cannot go against Heaven," he says in a low murmur. "I cannot risk it."
"Heaven doesn't care for us, Caine. It took me this long to realise that they don't give a *fcuk* about us. They never aided us and I don't expect them to change. It's time we abandoned our goals of redemption because they're never coming true. It's time we just do what we can to stop Chaos from hurting anyone else."
"But there are *prophecies* -"
"Fcuk the prophecies! There are so many out there that it's impossible to tell which might come true. None of them helped Taehyung and none of them will help solve this issue."
I watch as he closes his eyes. I know Caine is seriously considering.
"Your offer for me to stay in a castle in Hell is still open right?"
I break out in a smile, laughing lightly. Caine opens his eyes, dropping his hands against his side. He's smiling too but it's not very amusing.
"You know there is very little chance of us surviving, right?" The smile has fallen off his face as he looks at me.
"I know," I murmur. "But we need to try."
I glance at Hanaan, still slumbering despite the noise Caine and I made. It made no sense to fight for this Earth. There was nothing it could give me and nothing I could take from it.
But Taehyung died so everyone could live to see another day. I turn to Jungkook and Namjoon, both sitting side by side on the sofa, quietly watching us.
Even if I had nothing to go on for, there were others who did. And maybe that was enough for now.

"Do I really have to stay here?" Jungkook implores. "I want to stay with you."
"Yes," I answer. "There is too much danger being near us."
I'd shifted Jungkook back to his Court. His men had survived Chaos's attack that had killed Taehyung, but there was no guarantee they'd continue being that lucky. Chaos was targeting the Aamon's Court. Jungkook placed himself in danger by simply being near us.
"You're the Alpha of your Court. You must stay here with your men."
"I don't want to be away from you."
"Would you rather be dead?"
"Yes."
I watch as his eyes shine with tears again. Despite my nature, despite who I was, I find myself softening as the little one cries silently.
"I'm sorry. I don't want you to die, Jungkook. I lost Taehyung. I can't lose you too. You'll be safer here. Away from us, in case Chaos finds us again."
"But how will I find you?"
"You won't."
A sob finally breaks through the little one, and he hides his face behind his hands. My nonexistent heart breaks seeing the young child suffer such pain and anguish.
We'd decided that staying at the Sovereign's Court was simply out of the question. Placing a bounty on another Court's head was much too selfish, even for me. We were shifting to a secluded location far away from society to lessen the number of casualties in the chance of an attack. There were many precautions we were taking, and separating Jungkook from us was one of them.
"I'm sorry," I say again, resting my hand against the back of his head in a half hug. "There's no other choice."
Jungkook suddenly throws his arms around me, burying his head against my chest. He sobs, the sound muffled as he presses his face against my shirt.
"I made a promise to Taehyung to keep you safe. This is the only way I can do it for now."
I feel him nod, and after a few moments, he pushes himself away from me. His eyes are swollen, and his nose is bright pink. He sniffles loudly as he wipes at his tear tracks.
"I know it's going to be hard," I say. "I know you won't find sleeping alone appealing." As I speak, Jungkook's tears return, his lips downcast in a loud frown. "But Taehyung loved you enough to make me promise to keep you safe even after he died. And I love you enough to make sure that happens. Even if it means avoiding each other for the time being."
"Okay," he sobs. "Okay."
I cup his face with both my hands. "Chaos won't get to you so long as we're apart. Please just be patient for a while."
He nods and we hug for one last time.
"What if you don't survive?" I hear him murmur.
I stay quiet. The both of us know that due to the nature of his vampircy, Jungkook would die if I did. The blood in my veins kept him alive. The magic that powered me, powered him as well.
"Then say hi to Taehyung for me."
"Dying wouldn't be so bad then."
I rest my lips against his temple before we part once more.
"Be careful," he says, parting the hug again. "I don't want you to get hurt."
"No promises, baby."
He frowns, and proceeds to hit me against my chest. I force a smile to calm him.
"Taehyung may have had my heart, but you have my blood and power running inside you. You are precious to me, like the soul I so wish for. I will always protect you."
Jungkook only stares in surprise. I was never one for such words.
"So if protecting you means staying alive and staying away from you, I'll do it. Will you do the same?"
Jungkook nods almost hypnotically.
"Good. I'll see you soon."

The portal opens, and the four of us step out.
Hanaan, ever the vocal whiner, is the first to say something.
"I hate it."
Namjoon stops beside him, arms crossed over his chest. "Wow. This is… slightly unnerving."
"You've seen the First Creation attack us and this is what you find unnerving?" I muse.
"This is a cemetery." Namjoon's voice is so deadpan that I find myself smiling.
"I noticed. This is Calverton, second largest cemetery in the world."
"Are we going to be sleeping amongst dead bodies?" Hanaan asks, still frowning loudly. "On the grass?"
I don't answer, instead raising my hand as I quietly murmur a spell under my breath. A rectangular hole appears in the ground, revealing a set of stairs that lead downwards.
"Wow!" Hanaan cheers, immediately and brazenly heading straight down the stairwell.
Namjoon glances over his shoulder at me, and I signal him to proceed. He follows behind Hanaan, as Caine stands by my side.
"How many of these places do you have hidden around?"
"Globally, ten. But they were never designed to house Creation."
"Then what for?"
A crash that was the obvious sound of something shattering against the ground breaks the silence.
"To keep precious artifacts."
Caine grimaces, and the both of us make our way down the stairs. The entrance automatically shuts behind us, leaving us in momentary darkness before lamps light up the vicinity. The stairs leads into an underground bunker, walls lined with various items that extended into several rooms. Something lies shattered on the floor, and Hanaan is already reaching for another item on the shelves.
"Was that precious?" Caine asks, staring pointedly at the shattered fragments.
"Everything in here is irreplaceable." I stare at Hanaan, who feels the weight of my gaze and turns to face me, grinning innocently.
I murmur another spell, immediately hiding everything on the shelves from view, just in time before Hanaan is able to reach for something else.
"Hey!" Hanaan says indignantly.
"We aren't here for games, Hanaan. Until Chaos shows his face again, we'll be here for safety."
Hanaan frowns again, but keeps his hands to his side. "Sorry," he mumbles.
I come to the table in the middle of the room, clearing the yellowing papers strewn on top. I cast another spell, and food conjures itself on the table, an assortment of fruits, meats, snacks and drinks. Hanaan cheers again as he runs and grabs the first apple he manages to get his hands on, biting into it.
Namjoon doesn't move, staring at the food before he glances up at me.
"There is enough food to last you comfortably for at least two days. There is a restroom, a bathroom and a library for entertainment. Everything you need is here."
I see Namjoon catch on very quickly.
"Jin -"
"There are powerful incantations surrounding the place. Nothing can get in without me allowing it to."
"Or out," Namjoon continues.
"You'll be safer here."
"You're locking us all in."
I pay no heed of the accusatory tone of his voice as Hanaan stares at me in disbelief.
"Not us. Just you and Hanaan."
I see their mouths open in protest and argument, but I quickly shoot them down. "There is no guarantee that I can keep you safe if you're ever caught up in battle with Chaos. At least here -"
"You can't do this!" Hanaan yells.
"It will be for just a few days," I say. "Until this all blows over, until Chaos reaches a compromise or is defeated -"
"You're abandoning us!"
"I'm not."
"Jin, there has to be -"
"SHUT UP!"
My voice is stunningly loud in the enclosed space and I regret my outburst the moment it left my lips. I close my eyes, forcing myself to calm down before I open them again. All three of the members of Taehyung's Court stare back at me in a mixture of shock and concern.
"I'm not imprisoning you," I say, slowly and calmly. "I just need you to stay here and stay safe while Caine and I settle matters. I can't guarantee your safety if you're outside."
"What if you die out there?" Namjoon says, voice wary yet still holding on to his anger.
"The magic holding this place together will fall apart at my death."
"That's not what I meant."
"The only thing that matters now is keeping the members of the Aamon's Court safe. Hanaan is a high risk target and you are fragile. It would give me peace of mind to have you two away from the battle field. I will take no more arguments on this."
I shift Caine and I out of there, before any more conflict rises. We land right outside the cemetery, under a large oak tree that shaded us from most of the public eye. I sigh, running a hand through my hair as Caine quietly studies me.
"What?" I finally say, turning to him. "Do you disagree with my decision?"
"You're scared," Caine says simply.
"Oh gee, what gave it away?"
Caine ignores the snide remark, instead turning to stare at the rising sun over the horizon. "The days will only get worse over time. Do you have a plan of action?"
I pull something out of my pocket, the device that Tanya had given Taehyung to alert the other Courts of an attack by Chaos. Caine stares at it, before looking up at me in confusion.
"I have a plan. But it'll take a lot of effort. Are you with me?"
"Do I look like I'm with anybody else?"
I wonder why it takes a threat of this scale to get the Courts together. Taehyung had dreamed of a world of peace, safety and harmony. Where people could live as they pleased without a looming sense of danger at every turn. I was sorry he had to die for his dream, but that dream didn't have to end at his demise.
I could make it a reality too.
I press the button.

*You've what?*
*I said I locked Hanaan and Namjoon somewhere safe.*
*Oh, I heard you,* Jungkook replies, his voice echoing in my mind. *Did they agree?*
*It was for their own good.*
I watch carefully as the expression on his face darkens oh so slightly.
*You don't seem too pleased.* I say, working amongst the papers strewn all over the desk. I pick up the one I was searching for, passing it to Caine.
*Because I'm not.*
*You don't think it was the right thing to do?*
*Leaving them unprotected?*
*Hanaan is the only initiate we have. And Namjoon is HUMAN.*
*Send them to me.*
*No. I will not endanger your Court.*
Jungkook spares a glance at me from across the table, before shifting his attention back on the screen. It was enough to show me his disdain.
"How many men do you need, Lady Tanya?" the Vampire King directs his question to the Head of PETRA. The screen mounted against Jungkook's meeting room wall is broken into smaller fragments as the Heads hold on online meeting with regard to my call. Caine, Sikyung, Jungkook and I sit around the table, staring and figuring out whose turn to speak would come next.
*You tried to do the same thing with Taehyung. He was defiant till the end.*
*They're not Taehyung,* I argue.
*They are his successors. Don't be surprised if they act like him.*
"How many can you offer?" Tanya replies.
"If I may so interrupt," I cut in. Both Tanya and Yunho nod their permission, and I continue. "I don't want anyone within striking distance of Chaos. We may think we're fast, but confidence will cost us. Further loss of life should be avoided at all costs."
"Then I will provide you with a disposable army."
It wasn't the Vampire King who had said that, it was Yoohwan. I bite down the urge to turn to Caine in confusion. What in the world did that mean?
"The best way to deal a striking blow on him would be to kill whoever Chaos has possessed," Yoohwan continues. "I will put my army at the frontlines and we will pray Chaos makes the mistake of possessing them. You will be free to destroy them as you please."
"Your Highness," Caine interrupt, leaning forward towards the camera. "We should not be so careless with the people under our rule."
"Respected Advisor. This is my contribution to your cause. We must put forward what we can for to ensure our victory."
*He's crazy,* Jungkook murmurs, sending the thought to me directly.
"Your offer is duly noted," Tanya says, breaking off whatever argument that might have been. "I note the appearance of the Aamon Guard on our last encounter with Chaos. Can the Aamon's Court provide a brief overview on their position?"
"The Seraphim are protectors of the Aamon, his Parliament and his initiates. With no active members of the Court present, the Seraphim are under no one's control. We cannot guarantee that they will be on our side."
"And if they are not?"
"You will leave the battlefield," Caine answers. "The presence of the Seraphim would change everything."
"We would be admitting defeat."
"No. Caine and I will continue the fight. The rest of you will be lead to safety."
There is a moment of silence from everyone on the call.
"May luck be on our side," Tanya finally breaks the silence. "Is there any other pressing matter that must be addressed?"
"No, Lady Tanya," I reply. "Thank you."
She nods in acknowledgement. "I will be ending this meeting. Goodbye and thank you."
The screen turns blank, and for a few moments, there is silence.
I turn to Jungkook. "You didn't say a word the entire meeting."
"There was nothing for me to say." His answer is swift and deadpan as he rises, Sikyung following him.
"Of course there was. You are the leader of your Court. Your words carry weight."
"Not everyone takes that into consideration."
I raise an eyebrow at his reply. "Are you angry?"
"No." He pushes his chair in, preparing to leave. I rise, my focus entirely on the young child. "I don't have the time to be angry."
He starts to walk off, leaving the room while the three of us stare. I turn to Sikyung. "Could I have a moment with him in private?"
At his signal, I leave, going after my young ward.
I see him walking down the hallway, taking a sharp right to head down the stairs.
*Jungkook, stop.*
I know he's ignoring me, so I decide to lose the hassle and shift. I appear directly in front of him, making the young child freeze in his tracks before we are nearly nose to nose. He backs up a step, glaring at me.
"What is it?" he says.
"Why are you angry?"
"I'm not angry." He starts to walk away again, until I pull at his wrist, making him turn to face me.
"Speak to me," I command. "I want to listen."
"That's the thing about you," he bites, forcefully pulling his hand out of my hold. "You claim you listen but you never do."
"What are you talking about?" I say, squinting my eyes in confusion.
"You do this to everyone. You only hear what you want to! You always act on your own. Taehyung faced the same problem with you!"
"I'm only doing what's best for everyone."
"You're acting in your own capacity again. You always think you know what's best and never give anyone a chance to prove themselves!"
"That's not true," I counter.
"You killed Taehyung's power during his coronation because you thought he'd lose control. You actively go against Taehyung's instructions in his will and lock Hanaan and Namjoon away. You don't even think I'm worthy to join you in battle!"
"If I leave you all unprotected, you could die."
"And that's the only thing you think about us," Jungkook says. "Weak, inexperienced, burdensome."
Something snaps in me as I grab on to the collar of Jungkook's shirt in a fit of anger, shaking him slightly. "I do this because I care!"
"No, you don't!" Jungkook screeches, grabbing on to my wrists as he attempts to push himself off.
I let go, and Jungkook stumbles back. "What do you think I would do if I lost you?"
"You already have!"
I stalk forward, ready to give him a few pieces of my mind, when a loud, piercing screech goes off in my head. The intensity and sudden sound makes me drop to my knees in shock. I hear Jungkook scream in pain as I press my palms against my ears, attempting to block out the keening in my mind.
There is the sound of thunderous footsteps heading towards us as Jungkook's cry alerts his men of trouble. I can hear everything around me clearly, yet this screaming in my head continues before, just as suddenly as it started, it stops.
I look up, just as Jungkook sits on the ground, thoroughly dazed. Several of his men help him stand. Sikyung comes forward while Caine appears by my side.
"Are you alright?" Sikyung asks his Alpha.
"Did any of you hear that?" Jungkook asks instead, ignoring the question.
"Hear what?"
"The screaming."
There is a moment of silence, before Sikyung answers. "Only yours."
Jungkook finally looks up at me, the confusion and shock still apparent.
"I better go check on Hanaan and Namjoon," I quietly murmur, intending to shift out of there.
"Let me come with you," Jungkook steps forward.
"No. It's -" I find myself pausing. Our argument was going to come full circle.
"Go," Caine encourages. "If there is no danger there, there might still be danger here. I will protect the Court."
I am ready to argue when Caine continues.
"Jungkook is not part of the Aamon's Court. Chaos may opt to not harm him, and he'll be able to protect you. It will be better than going alone."
I know he has a point, but I'm not happy. Jungkook comes forward and I take his hand, before we shift out of there.

We appear at the cemetery, between the neatly aligned tombstones. Jungkook falters for a moment, nearly losing his balance over a low grave before he rights himself. He instinctively pushes his bangs off his face and glances skywards.
And freezes where he stands.
I wordlessly follow his gaze, craning my neck upwards.
Seven Seraphim float ominously in the skies several hundred feet above us, in terrifying Angel form. They do not move, with their weapons held tightly in their hands.
It definitely wasn't a good sign.
"Have they been here this whole time?" Jungkook quietly asks.
"Not when I left."
I take several cautious steps forward, afraid they might attack out of the blue. When they don't move, I signal Jungkook to follow me and together, we head towards the secret bunker.
"Jungkook, you're here!" Hanaan cheers, immediately running to him and throwing his arms around Jungkook's waist.
Namjoon stares quietly at Jungkook and Hanaan's little celebration, before shifting his focus to me.
"Why are you here?"
"There are Seraphim present above us."
"Chaos?"
"We don't know."
"Are we moving again?" Hanaan asks.
"Not yet," I answer. "I just wanted to check on you."
"We're fine," Hanaan says. "You were gone for less than a day."
"Yes, but -"
Something massive, something very strong and powerful slams against the ground above us. It shakes the bunker, and I look up in alarm.
"An earthquake?" Namjoon quizzes.
Before I could answer, it happens again, this time sending hairline cracks running over the ceiling. Hanaan loses his balance, clinging on to Jungkook. Namjoon reaches into his back pocket, taking out one of the guns I'd given him. He positions himself, ready to shoot at the enemy.
"Should we run?" he asks.
I signal everyone to get closer to me. As they move forward, the pounding hits us with a renewed intensity, collapsing our ceiling.
Everything else happens in a flash.
Hanaan screams, as a slab of concrete falls upon him and Jungkook. Namjoon suddenly disappears and something heavy slams into me, knocking me down.
There is perhaps a moment of silence, the shock ringing in my ears. There is nothing but pitch black and heavy weights. We are all buried underground.
Hanaan's cries break the silence, his sobs immediately calling us to attention.
"Namjoon!" I call, craning my head up the best I could. I want to shift, but I'm very wary that my movements will cause further collapse and injure him. I can't see ahead, behind or beside me due to the rubble. "You okay?"
"Yes," he answers, sounding like he's trying to push something off.
"Don't move," I warn. "I'll get us out of here soon. Who's bleeding?"
"Me," Jungkook answers, relatively calm. "My foot is squashed."
"Me too," Namjoon groans. "I'm pretty sure my hand is broken."
"Hanaan?"
"He's okay," Jungkook says. "I got him."
I take a moment, resting my head back against the ground. "I'm gonna blow us all out of here."
"We're going to be exposed to whatever's up there," Namjoon says.
"I know. I'll shift us out as soon as I can, but be ready to fight. Are you listening, Hanaan?"
"Yes," the young initiate sobs.
"Get ready." I call for power, murmuring spells under my breath as I feel them coursing through my veins.
The explosion of power goes off beneath us, immediately throwing us all skywards, along with all the rubble, earth and broken pieces of tombstones. I shift to demon form as we fall, spreading my wings out as I catch Hanaan, Namjoon and Jungkook mid-air.
I'm highly aware that there is a fight going around us, but am unable to dodge when a Seraphim inadvertently slams into us.
It throws me off course and I hurtle towards the ground, landing hard on my back as I protect all three from the impact. Even then, I hear Namjoon roar with pain.
Humans were frighteningly fragile.
I call for another spell, encompassing us in a bubble of protection as I shift back to human form, rolling on my front and push myself off the ground. I glance at the battle going on a small distance away.
It's Chaos, at war with the Seraphim. The Angels don't seem to be winning.
"Get up," I breathe, turning back to everyone. "We have to go."
"My leg is still healing," Jungkook says. He manages to push himself up though, hopping weakly on one foot.
I can finally see his leg clearly. He hadn't been exaggerating. His foot, along with everything below his right knee, is absolutely crushed, bits of bone sticking out of his leg as he bleeds profusely.
Namjoon is fairing better, but it isn't his hand that was broken, it was his left shoulder. His arm hangs limply against his side.
Hanaan is practically unscathed, save for a bruise above his right eye.
"Come on," I say, extending a hand towards him. "Let's get out of here."
The young initiate reaches out to me, when something attacks the forcefield. It is strong enough to completely destroy it on impact, and I turn to face it just as an extension of Chaos slams right into Jungkook and I, who had been the only ones standing.
We are thrown in separate directions, and I land hard a distance away. I look up immediately, scanning my eyes for Jungkook. The little one is far from me, lying against the ground completely unmoving. He is hurt but he is safe, out of Chaos's way for now.
I shift my attention to Hanaan and Namjoon. This is where the problem will lie.
Chaos moves closer towards them, gearing itself to attack. It almost seems to know that these were the weakest in our group, and takes its time. Namjoon scrambles back, and unfortunately for Hanaan, he is frozen where he stands, looking up at Chaos in fear.
"HANAAN, MOVE!" I push myself off the ground as I call for a round of fire. I throw it forward, and the flames of Hell balloon out of my hand, hitting Chaos straight on. It distracts it only momentarily, but enough for Namjoon to push himself off the ground, grab Hanaan and run in the opposite direction.
*CAINE!* I throw the thought as loudly and as widely as I could. *Caine, I need you to get them out of here!*
I curse the silence I am met with. Chaos has started chasing after Hanaan and Namjoon, like a tsunami riding towards the land. Namjoon has turned around several times to shoot at Chaos with his gun, to little effect.
I realise that Chaos has chosen its targets. And it isn't going to stop until its goal has been achieved.
*Caine, listen to me. Chaos isn't going to stop -*
*Azazel.*
Caine's thought, loud and rushed in my head, has me pausing.
*Azazel, Chaos is here.*
I feel my heart drop to the ground, the shock rendering me momentarily breathless.
*Chaos is attacking the Lycan Court. I cannot help you.*
But Chaos was right here.
What was going on? How is this possible?
Namjoon loses his balance, tripping over something before he lands hard. He screams in pain, having hit his injured shoulder. Chaos looms overhead, and I call on to more power, gearing for another attack.
Hanaan stares up at Chaos, the panic evident in his eyes even from this distance.
More Seraphim fall from above, one landing straight on top of Chaos before self destructing. It is a good enough momentary distraction and I shift, appearing before Namjoon and Hanaan.
"Are you okay?" I ask Namjoon, immediately kneeling before him.
"I'm bleeding a lot," he answers, "but I'm fine."
"Let's get out of here." I rest a hand on Namjoon's good shoulder, while my other extends to Hanaan again. I'm ready to teleport.
"What about Jungkook?" the young initiate shrieks.
"I'll come back for him."
"You can't leave him!"
"I said I'll come back for him!" I yell, hoping that my tone will make him move.
"NO!"
The temperature around us suddenly sky rockets, and I feel the skin on my back start to boil. I whirl around to face Chaos.
A ball of power, as large as the Seraphim surrounding us, hurtles towards us.
I panic, conjuring the most powerful shield that I could within that short period, before the blast slams into us, shattering any protection I'd created, and throwing us all back.
I am thrown for the second time that night, though I land harder this time. The skin on my hands and face is burnt, and I feel the remnants of that power eating me up. I was lucky I'd taken most of the blow because Hanaan and Namjoon most definitely wouldn't have survived.
The power has winded me, and I lie horizontally for a few moments, dazed at the intensity of the attack.
The skies and the ground around me is filled with smoke and the smell of burnt leaves, the roar of fire still audible as I stare up at the clouded skies. I'm wounded internally and I'm not sure I have the strength to fight back.
I turn to lie on my side, the very action lighting me up with pain.
Battle cries sound from above as the Seraphim continue to adamantly fight. They should be distracting Chaos for a while longer.
My eyes scan the surroundings, searching for the both of them.
Namjoon is already getting up. He's miraculously unscathed save for soot and his already bleeding shoulder. Before him, Hanaan stands, a symbol of defiance despite the fear in his eyes.
*Hanaan,* I throw the thought to him. *Hanaan, you have to fight. You can do it.*
Hanaan glances at me for perhaps half a second, before he looks back at Chaos.
I force myself to stand. Pain lights me up from the top of my head to my toes.
*If you don't fight back, we'll all die. Right here, right now.*
I sense a change in the wind, at the amount of power present. It is a buildup so quick that my senses start going into overdrive. It gives me goosebumps, leaves a bitter, almost poisonous taste in my mouth.
Hanaan has started to glow with power, his eyes lighting up the night. The rubble around him starts to float, going higher skywards, as the wind picks up. Chaos reacts to the change as well.
If anything, he grows larger, expanding in size and quietly exuding his own light that, though was not as bright as Hanaan's, tasted twice as threatening.
The Seraphim attacking Chaos suddenly turn still, almost frozen where they remain suspended in the air. They disappear in a flash of light, before reappearing behind Hanaan and Namjoon, stamping their weapons into the ground several times before they position themselves in the offensive.
Chaos suddenly roars, the sound splitting the skies in half as he suddenly falls forward upon Hanaan, Namjoon and the Seraphim, like a breaking wave that was about to slam onto the surface of the ocean.
The light exuding from Hanaan intensifies, until he is merely one glowing mass just as Chaos slams upon them all.
"HANAAN!" I yell in panic. "NAMJOON!"
There is suddenly a massive explosion of light that illuminates the night skies. The explosion seems to make Chaos flinch as it straightens, roaring once more. The light disappears, and Hanaan is lying on the grass, unmoving as he is half supported by Namjoon.
*DO YOU NOT FEAR?*
The sudden unfamiliar voice that is practically screaming in my head freezes me where I stand. As Namjoon looks up in panic, I know he hears it too.
*DO YOU NOT FEAR THE POWER IN THE AIR? THIS TOXIC, VIRULENT POWER THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY?*
The more he speaks, the louder he gets as I press my hands against my ears. Chaos grows again, slamming extensions of itself into the ground as it props itself up. I stare at him but I don't understand what he is, what he's doing. He just seems to be asserting dominance.
*DO YOU BASK IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS EARTH CONTINUES TO FALL SO LONG AS YOU WALK? DO YOU NOT FEAR ETERNAL DAMNATION FOR YOUR SELFISHNESS?*
*I do not fear.*
For a moment, I panic. I know that voice. It's most obviously Jungkook. I turn to where he stands, before Hanaan and Namjoon, his arms spread wide as if to physically block them from any of Chaos' attacks.
The panic in my heart turns to full blown fear as I realise the danger he's putting himself in.
*Jungkook, don't,* I beg, sending the thought to him.
But Jungkook doesn't move. He's standing with his legs spread wide, his injured leg shaking slightly from the still healing wound. He stares up at Chaos, his gaze determined. One can almost smell the fear radiating off of him, but Jungkook is resolute.
"I'm not scared of you," Jungkook says in a harsh whisper.
Incredibly, Chaos pauses. He seems to calm at Jungkook's words. He shrinks, looking no larger than the Seraphim behind Jungkook. I watch as he stretches slowly, reaching for Jungkook.
"I am not afraid," Jungkook repeats, clearer and louder now. "Leave my family alone!"
*YOU ARE NOT FROM THE AAMON'S COURT. I WISH YOU NO HARM.*
"Say that to the innocents you've killed," Jungkook practically spits.
*I WISH YOU NO HARM.* Chaos is stretching closer and closer towards Jungkook, its limbs extending almost in curiosity. *I WISH YOU NO HARM.*
"Don't hurt my family," Jungkook repeats. "They're all I've got."
*WHAT WILL YOU GIVE TO PROTECT THEM?*
I realise the trap the moment he'd asked.
"JUNGKOOK, NO!" I scream.
"Anything," Jungkook answers, oblivious to my warning.
The permission has been granted.
Chaos lashes out, moving in the blink of an eye as he suddenly wraps his limbs around Jungkook's form. The little one can't even scream as he is grabbed from where he stands, literally ripped from the air.
Namjoon moves, managing to grab on to Jungkook's hand and attempts to pull him back. But his human strength is nothing compared to Chaos.
I yell out a spell, making the rubble around me float in the air as I wildly throw them at Chaos. The Seraphim have started moving again, lashing out and focusing on the limbs that have Jungkook, attempting to slice those parts of Chaos away.
Jungkook shifts to his Lycan form, immediately growing in size to try escape. He thrashes wildly, somehow managing to get his snout free. He starts biting Chaos, attempting to rip some flesh out and cause enough pain to escape. He shifts back to human form when this doesn't work, trying to wriggle free.
But Chaos is the first Creation, with strength beyond compare. He makes a sharp pulling motion, and Jungkook is ripped away from all of us, screaming hysterically as he is swallowed right into the black mass of Chaos's form.
For a tense moment, there is absolute silence. Jungkook is gone, completely disappeared. The Seraphim have stopped moving. My spell has died away. Namjoon stares stricken at Chaos.
Chaos rises, producing a loud, powerful roar before it recedes at the speed of light, and Jungkook appears where Chaos had stood.
No one moves.
We are all fearful of what is to come.
"Jungkook," Namjoon calls, hesitant and wary. "Jungkook, are you okay?"
Jungkook opens his eyes, smiling loudly and takes one step forward. The colour of his eyes is pitch black.
"NAMJOON, MOVE!" I yell, just as Jungkook raises his arms up before pulling them back down in a swift motion. A giant burst of power leaves him, getting larger the further it moves.
And it's moving towards Namjoon.
Namjoon stares wide-eyed in panic. What can he do? Where can he go?
I murmur another spell, calling on to more power. I throw it at Jungkook, hoping to distract Chaos enough to be able to shift Namjoon and Hanaan away. But Chaos is fast, and he counters my blow with his own. It hits me head on as I fall against the grass and see the power about to hit Namjoon.
Fcuk. I couldn't save him.
Namjoon puts his arms up as he cowers, infeasibly trying to protect himself. The power hits him point blank and for a moment, I look away.
It is an act of cowardice, and an act of denying reality, but I cannot help myself. And when I force myself to look back, I don't believe what I see.
Namjoon is still standing, his arms still up to protect his face.
A bubble of power surrounds him and Hanaan. It cuts through Chaos's power, holding on strong despite the immense strength of the blow.
When Namjoon realizes he's still alive and unharmed, he slowly lowers his arms. He is just as shocked as I am, seeing Chaos's power moving around him but not at him. He realises pretty quickly what's going on.
I see him glance at his hand, at the ring on his middle finger.
It's still there. The ring Taehyung had given him.
The burst of power is over, and Namjoon is still standing, unharmed but very confused.
Chaos realises this as well, and he roars, a mighty sound coming out of Jungkook's mouth. He moves again, taking a step forward and makes a punching motion. A humongous ball of fire heads towards Namjoon. This time I don't know if he can take the blow.
A portal suddenly appears by my side and Caine reaches out and grabs me, pulling me in. I fall against the ground as he closes the portal and opens up another one. This time, Caine runs straight through it, and then reappears with Hanaan slung over his shoulder and the other arm wrapped around Namjoon's waist. All three of them fall against the ground, sprawling amongst each other's limbs as the portal closes.
"Thanks, Caine," Namjoon pants, as Caine untangles himself and stands.
"I've only provided a temporary solution," Caine answers as he dusts himself off. He turns to me as I pull myself up into a sitting position. "Jungkook," is his one-worded sentence.
"Chaos has him," I answer.
"How?"
"Jungkook offered himself."
"Why?" There is an element of disbelief in his tone. I can't blame him.
"He said he'd do anything to protect us," Namjoon quietly explains.
Caine is quiet for a moment, processing Namjoon's words, before he turns around. "SHHIT!" he roars. His voice echoes loudly in the empty air.
Then Caine turns back to us again, expression once again calm.
"Chaos attacked the Lycan Court not long after you left," he says. "He was waiting to ambush us."
"But Chaos attacked us too," Namjoon says.
"So now we know he can split himself up into separate entities. But how did he find you so quickly?"
"The ring," I say, turning to Namjoon.
Namjoon blinks in confusion. "This ring?"
"Taehyung gave Namjoon the ring. It has a portion of my power in the gem, but I think Taehyung placed some of his power too."
Namjoon takes the ring off, staring at the gem.
True enough, the gem isn't solid red anymore. It is a mixture of purple as well.
I look away. The last remnants of Taehyung's power is in that ring. Even in death, Taehyung was moving to protect those he cared about the best that he could.
Caine takes the ring, inspecting it with a careful eye. "You're right," he says, giving the ring back to Namjoon. "Traces of the Aamon's power is in there. That would explain the Seraphim."
"The Aamon Guard?" Namjoon clarifies.
Caine nods. "It would confuse them. They think you're the Aamon. You're the one who has been controlling them all this while. Even if you didn't realise it."
Namjoon is quiet as he slips the ring back on. He stares at the ring almost in quiet disbelief.
"Try it," Caine encourages. "Call out to the Seraphim."
"But I don't -"
Five Seraphim suddenly fall from the sky, slamming against the ground all around us, weapons at the ready. They stand tall enough to break through the ceiling of trees above us, their heads unseen from the foliage.
"Useful," Caine grins.
"The ring will protect you," I say, pushing myself up to stand. "But it also acts as a beacon for Chaos. That would explain why he found us so easily in the bunker."
Namjoon's face goes pale at my words, and the Seraphim disappear.
"What about Jungkook?"
I turn to Caine, and know he's staring right back at me.
"We must inform his Court."

Sikyung looks back at me, his face stricken, though he says nothing.
"I'm sorry," I say. "I couldn't protect him."
Sikyung puts up a hand, asking for silence. It is only the two of us in the meeting room. Caine and Namjoon are on the move. The ring is much too precious now to leave behind, but much too dangerous to sit in one spot. So Caine and Namjoon are moving, teleporting from one destination to another with no place in mind, only to hope that it will buy us time before Chaos strikes again.
I do as instructed.
Sikyung is silent, his eyes closed as he processes my words.
"Jungkook has always done all he could to protect you," Sikyung starts. "He placed himself and his Court in danger so many times, just so he could protect the Aamon's Court. And you couldn't protect him?"
"I'm sorry," I say again, only for Sikyung to shake his head, asking for silence again.
"The Asian Lycan Court has sacrificed so much for the Aamon's Court. Time and time again, our men were killed, our Court destroyed, our safety compromised just so the Aamon Court could flourish. We asked for nothing in return. *Nothing*. Now we have lost our Alpha."
"The Aamon Court will compensate you handsomely -"
"And what will that money do?"
Again, I force myself into silence.
"What will your next move be?" Sikyung asks instead.
"Save Jungkook," I say. "Defeat Chaos. That's it."
"And if you cannot save him?"
I don't answer. I can't answer because there is no answer. None that will satisfy anyone.
"We have aided you countlessly," Sikyung says. "We have lost so much as a result. I ask for nothing in return, only that you leave the Court and never return. The alliance between our two Courts ends here."
I nod my head in understanding. Sikyung had all the rights to be mad. He could do as he pleased.
"I have one last matter to discuss with you," I say.
"Proceed."
"Jungkook is still alive, and that means his power as Alpha could still very much take effect even with Chaos inside him. I ask that you replace him as Alpha as soon as possible."
"Will he survive?" Sikyung asks.
"He might. Yoohwan survived," I remind him.
"And Taehyung died," Sikyung reminds me in turn.
"I promise you that I will do all I can for Jungkook. I want him to survive. I want him to come back to you. But I cannot promise you anything."
Sikyung solemnly nods. "Goodbye, Jin. May the circumstances when we next meet be better."
I get the signal and I shift out of there.

"Eat," I say, pushing the bowl of oatmeal towards the young initiate. He doesn't move, nor even acknowledge my presence. He stares out the window, at the dense woods surrounding us.
"Hanaan," I call him again. "You'll need all the energy you can get."
He slowly turns to me, staring at his bowl. "I'm not hungry."
I drag the chair opposite him out, taking a seat as I rest my elbows against the table. "Listen to me. Chaos will find us soon and we have to be on the move. Running will sap you of your energy and you need all the energy you can get. Eat."
Hanaan looks up at me then, his eyes surprisingly cold. "I hate oatmeal."
I stand, quickly enough that the chair behind me falls over. I pick up the bowl of oatmeal and hurl it across the room. It slams against the wall, shattering into pieces as the chunks of oatmeal slowly slide off. Hanaan doesn't even flinch as I stalk off, running my hands through my hair.
I am in a whirlwind of emotions and I know Hanaan is too. We'd just lost Taehyung and now we've lost Jungkook and there is no guarantee that we'll even make it out of this alive. We couldn't grieve because we didn't have the time and we couldn't rest because we had to be on the move.
We are exhausted, mentally, physically and emotionally, but there is nothing we can do.
I walk away, knowing that my anger is irrational and Hanaan in no way deserved to be on the receiving end. I walk to the other end of the cabin, sitting down on the bed as I fight to control myself. My hands are shaking not only because I am traumatized and angry, but also because I am near collapse. I have hit my mental limits and I fight back the feelings of panic and anxiety that would surely incapacitate me.
I close my eyes, grounding myself as I force myself to calm down. I have been through much, much worse.
"Jin?"
Hanaan's voice, sudden and small and quiet, breaks through the silence of the cabin. I don't know if I'm hallucinating, so I pay no heed.
"Jin?"
The voice is louder this time, clearer. More demanding.
I open my eyes. "What is it?"
"Can I have roti?"
"Yes," I answer, getting up and heading towards him. Hanaan is still seated on the dining chair, his legs hanging off the ground as he stares at me. "Why didn't you mention you wanted bread in the first place?"
The young initiate only shrugs as I whip up a spell that makes a French loaf appear before him. Hanaan takes it, tearing off small portions of the bread which he slowly eats. His gaze begins to unfocus again, and pretty soon, he is in his own world.
I stare at him from where I stand, my arms crossed against my chest as I lean my shoulder against the wall.
Hanaan looks… small.
I'd complained about Taehyung being young and naive as Aamon and observed how nine year old Jungkook dealt with his surroundings, but now seeing Hanaan, he seemed to be on a level of his own.
The child is painfully, painfully innocent. He is too child-like and rides on emotion more than Taehyung ever did. He is so small, not just in size, but in movements and mind. The gravity of his role as possible future Aamon, as target of Chaos, seemed to be too much for him.
And as I stare, I see the light catch Hanaan's eyes. They shine like the starry midnight sky, before they spill over, trickling down his cheeks like rain.
The young child doesn't move, adamant on eating his bread as his tears flow, spilling over his chin, falling on his food and his shirt. I stare for a few moments, before I come forward, picking the chair off the floor and sit before him once more.
I study him, knowing there is not much I need to say. Slowly, I reach over, placing my hand against his. I squeeze it in reassurance.
Hanaan responds by sniffling very loudly, before he wipes at his tears with his arm. He stuffs another piece of bread in his mouth, chewing silently. He says nothing and doesn't look up at me, but he squeezes my hand in return, acknowledging my comfort.
And for the time being, that is enough.

"How are you guys holding up?" Namjoon asks.
I cast Hanaan a sideways glance. The young child squats with a stick in his hand, drawing patterns against the sand. I reposition the phone against my ear. Telephones are much too loud and high pitched for my sensitive ears. "Hanaan is adapting. He's eating and sleeping well. Yourself?"
"We just finished meeting with Tanya. We met with the vampires yesterday."
"That's slightly derogatory."
"Is it?" I hear the slight amusement in his tone. The loudest emotion however, is still exhaustion. "I apologize. We met with the Vampire King, the Sovereign and the Heir Apparent yesterday. Did you know the Vampire King has younger siblings?"
"I've heard of them. But they are kept under secrecy. Maximus and Stephanie, right?"
"Yes, but you won't believe who they are."
I allow a small smile to play in my lips. "So the plan has been finalized, I assume?"
"We're at the final stages. I'm coordinating with Tanya."
My smile fades at his words. "Namjoon," I say. "You don't have to do this. You don't have to fight for us."
"Would you rather I drop what I'm doing and let the world crumble before me?"
I'm quiet at his words. Namjoon is never one to speak harshly, so there is extra venom in his tone. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize. I know you're worried because I'm a human. I'm sorry if I've been holding you back."
"No. You've been an instrumental part of the team. I worry if I can't protect you. How's your arm?"
"Getting better. Caine heals it daily."
"That's good to hear."
"You never answered my question though."
"What question?"
"How are you holding up?"
I lean back against the bench, staring towards the horizon. Hanaan plays at the water's edge now, the waves tickling his tiny feet. He suddenly turns to me, a big grin on his face.
"It's cold!" he yells, pointing at the waves gently lapping his toes.
I smile in answer, and Hanaan turns to the front again.
"I'm doing the best I can."
"We'll see each other soon, Jin."
"I know."
"We'll defeat him. And save humanity."
Namjoon hangs up just as Hanaan comes forward, a large conch shell in his hands.
"Look, look!"
I force a smile, leaning forward to feign interest. "What have you got there?"
"I don't know, but isn't it beautiful?"
My smile this time is natural as Hanaan places the shell on my open palm. "It's a conch shell."
"A conch shell!" Hanaan marvels.
"If you hold it against your ear, you'll hear the ocean."
"I can?"
"Try it."
I watch as Hanaan cautiously places the shell near his ear, and watch his face light up in surprise.
"I hear it, I hear it!"
"Cool, right? Now go put it back so a hermit crab can live inside it."
Once he does as told, Hanaan comes back to sit by my side on the bench.
"I love the beach!"
"Have you never been to one before?"
"No. There's so much I haven't seen!"
His statement is a sudden, stark reminder of what is to come, and what opportunities Hanaan will be robbed of. It is somehow staggering and grounding, and it saddens me that this marvel and sense of wonder must end soon.
"There won't be much left to see if we lose to Chaos."
If anything, the statement deflates Hanaan pretty quickly. "Will we have to fight Jungkook?"
"That's not Jungkook. It's Chaos controlling him. Jungkook would never hurt us."
"What if we lose?"
"We will die." I don't see a reason to beat around the bush. Hanaan needed to know the truth.
Sadness creeps in Hanaan's eyes as he pouts. "But my life has just begun."
"I know." There was nothing we could do about it. Some of us were going to lose our lives going into this battle, and some of else would lose our sanity. This seemed to be the life the Aamon was expected to flourish in, a life of hardship and pain and misery. It is the life Hanaan has been chosen to become part of and unfortunately for him, there are no takebacks. I stare out into the ocean, at the sun that has just begun to set over the horizon.
"Where are we heading now?"
I take a moment to ponder. "Where do you want to go?"
"Ummm, I want to go to Egypt! I want to ride a camel and see the pyramids."
I hold my hand out to him. There is no harm musing him for the time being. "Let's go."

"You're sure you want to join us?"
"Yes," Yoohwan calmly answers. "My brother's wife just gave birth to their first child. He must stay behind to defend his offspring from any attacks from the other Courts."
That isn't exactly what my question required answered, but since Yoohwan had made his decision, I do not prod him further.
I turn to Namjoon, who stands with us in an open field near where the Parliament's Court once was. I won't bother rebuilding it, since in all honesty, it was only going to be destroyed in the battle again.
"Do you see him?" I ask.
In the short span of several days, Namjoon had probably mastered control of the Seraphim, at a much faster, and much more adept rate than Taehyung ever had. Namjoon can see, hear and sense through the Seraphim, being able to control them at staggering distances that went even further than what my eyes could see. I don't understand how much power is in that ring, but it greatly aided our cause.
"No. But it doesn't matter. Chaos is attracted to the Aamon's power," he says. "And now that we're all gathered in one spot, he won't be able to resist attacking."
I shift my focus to Hanaan. "Stay back from the battle and stick to the plan. Do you understand?"
Solemnly, Hanaan nods. "Will Jungkook come?"
"He will."
"Will you save him?"
At the question, Caine turns to me. He awaits the reply as well. "We will."
"Promise?"
"Yes."
And then Caine turns back to the front. The answer does not satisfy him, but he knows better than to disagree. Hanaan however, looks hopeful as he holds my hand, leaning into me.
"I can't wait to play with Jungkook again," he hums.
The feel in the air suddenly changes, the evening sky turning dark grey as the thunder rumbles. Rain starts to fall on us, a heavy, merciless type of rain that limits your vision to only four feet in front of you. I call for a spell, creating a dome above as that protects us from the rain.
"What's happening?" Hanaan asks.
"He's coming," Namjoon warns. "I see him."
I glance down at Hanaan, who looks up at me apprehensively. "Go," I say. His hands slips out of mine, and he positions himself to stand between Caine and Yoohwan.
*Be wary of the prophecy.* I hear Caine's warning echo in my head. *There's still a chance of it coming true.*
*Make sure Chaos gets nowhere near him,* I answer.
*Do whatever it takes to stop him, Azazel. Whatever. It. Takes.*
I focus my attention to the front, straining my vision through the heavy downpour.
Whatever it takes.
The black mass starts appearing in the skies, a great, black spiral that looms ominously a distance away from us. The feel of power is massive this time, as Chaos makes his presence known. The sensation feels much like watching an elephant charge towards you. Even as you stare, unharmed and untouched, you can feel the magnitude of power heading your way. You can feel the pain you're about to be met with. Your expectation of death is high.
"Lord, if our victory is what You have so ordained," I hear Caine murmur under his breath, "help us achieve it, for we are nothing without Your aide."
The Seraphim start appearing at Namjoon's silent command, standing around us in a protective circle, their swords at the ready. In my peripheral vision, I see Yoohwan take one step forward.
The black spiral coagulates, forming a solid mass that is humanoid in shape. It drops down to the ground and I watch as Jungkook stands, staring straight at us. His eyes are pitch black.
*WHERE IS THE AAMON?* Chaos's voice practically explodes in our heads. *I SENSE HIS PRESENCE AMONGST YOU.*
Very, very silently, I hear Yoohwan chant something under his breath. I recognize it immediately. It is a dark, dark magic, one barred from the earth hundreds of years ago, with most, if not all of it practitioners slain to stop such magic from ever being common again.
Yoohwan raises his arm, and the earth starts to move.
There is a soft but incessant digging sound, like something is attempting to claw its way out. Pretty soon, the surface of the earth where the initiates were buried starts to break, and something pulls itself out.
It is not something, in fact. It is several somethings, a large handful, almost like an ants nest. Skeletons, with bones frail and disintegrating, pull themselves out the ground. Muscle, skin and clothes start to reappear on their bodies, weapons they'd been buried with reappearing on their hands. Faces start becoming as they once were, bodies moving as naturally as the living.
The vessels are empty - they are soulless and vapid - but they are very much alive. They march towards us, in numbers that probably totalled thousands, the bodies of these past initiates moving towards us like soldiers prepared to fight in battle.
A disposable army.
*Azazel,* I hear Caine say, almost cautiously. *What the actual FCUK.*
It is like nothing I've ever encountered. I have never seen or heard of such a power, much less believe it exists. Reanimation of the dead was a power deemed to be omnipotent, God-like and sacred. The dead stayed dead, no matter the spells and incantations cast. Possession was not impossible as it involved placing control upon a vessel, like borrowing another's clothes temporarily.
But this, this puppetry, this reanimation, this practically profane use of corpses, was in a Creation. In Yoohwan.
I now understand the fear that Yoochun had about his brother, how he'd been adamant on killing him when Chaos took over Yoohwan's vessel.
This power, in the wrong hands, could singlehandedly destroy all of Creation.
The zombie army positions itself between Chaos and us, fearless and oblivious to the amount of power Chaos radiates.
"He's not here," Namjoon answers Chaos. The Seraphim roar all around us, stamping their feet against the ground, signalling that they too, are ready for battle.
I let my sword fall out of my being, into my palm as I shift to demon form, growing in size and power.
I roar in a show of strength, the sound echoing amongst the mountains.
*HUMANITY MUST BE SAVED,* Chaos commands. *AT ALL COST.*
Collectively, as one moving entity, the army before us position themselves in the offensive, gearing for an attack.
"At your signal," Yoohwan says aloud.
Caine opens up the portals behind Chaos. Tanya's army appears on the other side, their massive, human-like weapons at the ready. Another three portals open by Chaos's side, the Vampire King and two other vampires on the other side of each one.
"At your signal," Caine repeats.
More Seraphim appear above Chaos, floating ominously in the air, ready to attack.
"At your signal," Namjoon confirms.
I stretch my wings, feeling them explode out of my back as I take flight. I pause above the battlefield, staring down at everything below. We had Chaos surrounded. There was a chance it could work.
I roar once more.
I watch as Jungkook stares up at me, the pitch black of his eyes an unfamiliar sight. At the sight of my size, at the sight of the army surrounding him, Chaos takes the bait, the black mass exploding out of Jungkook's back before it engulfs him completely. Looks like Chaos wasn't taking any chances.
Good. Then at least Jungkook would be protected from these attacks.
Chaos is suddenly humongous in size, roaring and radiating power.
*DO YOU THINK AN ARMY OF THIS SIZE COULD STOP ME?*
*GO,* I send out the signal, encompassing my entire being in Hell's fire before I freefall, straight towards Chaos. The impact of me slamming against Chaos feels much like a human being hit with a sledgehammer. It is jarring and traumatic, but I hear Chaos roar in pain, feel him react to the impact.
I use my hind legs to kick myself off. Chaos moves, gearing to attack me. An extension of his limb reaches out towards me, about to grab me when a portal appears by my side, moving and swallowing me to get me out of harm's way.
I reappear by Caine's side before Yoohwan sets his army lose. They do not make a sound, no yells or battle cries or cheers. Silently, they charge, weapons drawn. The Seraphim move as well, about twenty Angels attacking at once.
Chaos swipes at them, their attacks mere annoyances in comparison to his power. I take flight once more, flying overhead.
Chaos notices, sending a fireball of power in my direction. It fries several Seraphim that were in the way, but I manage to speed past it, before making a sharp, angular turn that sends me hurtling towards Tanya's portal.
*Ready your weapons!* I send the thought to Tanya.
Chaos is literally at my tail, mere feet from grabbing me and ripping me clean off the skies. I see Tanya and her men move, readying their weapons of choice, large, satellite-like devices strapped onto multiple jeeps and tanks.
"FIRE!" I hear her roar.
Collectively, the devices are , and a high pitched keening sound is produced. Several orbs of light are produced inside the satellite bowls, growing in size in a span of milliseconds.
I make another sharp turn, shooting straight up skywards to get out of the way. Tanya's weapons are fired, and several massive beams of power leave the portal, hitting Chaos straight on. It fully encompasses him, forcing Caine and I to contain the power in a bubble that traps both Chaos and the power inside. Even then, the power is strong enough to almost shatter our dome.
I hear Chaos roar in pain and it staggers back, evidently affected by the blow. I don't know what the hell that power is and I'll probably strive to find out if we survive this, but right now, I don't care.
Once the onslaught of Tanya's weapons end, Chaos moves again, swinging wildly as it easily shatters our bubble. The rain around us seems to intensify, growing along with howling winds and earth-shattering roars of thunder.
Chaos roars, reaching for Tanya's portal. I see it inhale, growing in size as it takes in a breath.
*CLOSE THE PORTAL!* I practically scream.
A burst of power leaves Chaos, heading towards Tanya and the rest of the PETRA agents. It completely fries whatever raindrops that have been caught into it, creating a thick fog of evaporating water. It limits my vision momentarily, but I manage to see, just in time, Caine close the portal, just as Chaos's power slams into the space where the portal once stood.
Caine will change the position of Tanya's portal as he sees fit, for the safety of those on the other side.
*We are moving.* The Vampire King's voice echoes in my mind.
*Go,* Caine responds.
The Vampire King's three portals reappear again, and I see familiar faces on the other side.
The youngest looking vampire, one who looked distinctly like Changmin from the same boyband the Vampire King and the Sovereign were from, moves first. He takes one step forward raising both hands as he freezes the rain mid-fall. Thousands, if not millions of sharp icicles hang in the air, suspended only by the will of that one vampire.
*I'd advise you to get out of the way, Azazel,* the Vampire King warns.
I immediately back off, as those sharp fragments of ice change direction, pointing themselves at Chaos.
All at once, the icicles move, impaling themselves straight into Chaos.
Perhaps if it were but a few icicles, it would have been nothing but a bother to him. But the sheer number, coupled with the intensity of the attacks, has Chaos retreating from the onslaught.
*Azazel!* the Vampire King calls again. *Ready your fire.*
The only female amongst the three vampires comes forward then, raising her hands before she squeezes them tightly into fists. The earth moves in accordance to her power, shaking violently and Chaos reacts by throwing a burst of power towards her.
Her portal suddenly disappears as Caine shuts it off, before reappearing again on the other side of the battlefield.
Chaos roars in frustration at missing his target, just as the earth beneath him cracks open. Lava gushes forth, exploding high into the air before landing on Chaos. It literally bathes him with lava, some of it even seeping into crevices it had appeared from. I am momentarily distracted by those on the ground.
Are Yoohwan, Namjoon, Caine and Hanaan alright?
But I see that they are untouched, with Caine holding up a wall of power between them and the ongoing battle that keeps them from harm's way.
The young girl moves again, and the lava on Chaos solidifies, holding him in place. I realise what she's doing.
"It won't hold him for long," she says. "Act!"
The other male vampire, the one who had formed the icicles, makes a punching movement forward. Immediately, an explosion of fire leaves his fist, hitting the hardened lava.
I follow his lead, throwing a continuous round of Hell's fire against the hardened mass of Chaos. I watch as the volcanic rock turns to metal at the intense heat of the flames.
It won't hold Chaos for long, but maybe, just maybe, it would weaken him just enough for us to win.
"Close it!" I hear the Vampire King yell. His eyes turn fully purple as he activates his telekinesis. Both he and the other female vampire move to contain Chaos inside the metal dome, as the other male vampire and I continuously hit it with fire.
The metal screeches terribly as it is shaped into a smaller space by the Vampire King and his female counterpart.
*Namjoon,* I call, wildly throwing the thought at him. *Get the Seraphim to move.*
And then the Seraphim are suddenly around us, wildly throwing blasts of Holy power at the metal dome, that slowly shrinks smaller and smaller.
There is no movement or reaction from the being inside. I can only hope that Chaos is too injured too move, and not gearing for an attack on all of us.
And then the metal dome suddenly bursts, an explosion so jarring that I'm momentarily blinded. I feel myself being thrown back and then sense a portal appear and move, before it swallows me.
I reappear at Caine's side, just as the explosion hits me once more, this time from Caine's angle. I immediately shift to human form and encompass us with forcefields, trying to lessen the blow, but the sheer force of it drives me back, dragging my feet across the ground.
"It's too much!" Caine yells, his arms raised protectively before him as he attempts to brace our shields with more power.
I attempt a spell, before I hear Yoohwan yell one out.
It immediately kills the explosion, and any other remnants of it. I nearly topple forward from unexpectedly having the crushing weight of power against me disappear. I look up and freeze.
The battlefield is empty.
Jungkook stands alone, the Seraphim and the zombie army completely vanquished from the sheer power behind that blast.
*DID YOU THINK,* I hear him breathe, the strength of his thoughts clearing away all of my own. *THAT YOU COULD WIN AGAINST ME?*
Jungkook takes one step forward. His mouth opens this time, Chaos's voice spilling out his lips. "I am the First Creation. As I create, I may destroy." The black mass spills out of his back, like massive wings on a tiny angel. "DID YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD WIN AGAINST ME?!"
The wings on his back move, like vines that have suddenly been given a life of their own. They move like spears, heading in different directions.
"Get back!" Caine yells, as those spear-like limbs move towards us.
I grab Namjoon as we throw ourselves to the side. The limb impales itself on the space we once stood, slamming itself to the ground.
A Seraphim appears, sword in hand, slicing at the limb, and managing to chop it off clean through.
I stare at the amputated limb. For a moment, it thrashes against the ground, wriggling wildly, before it disappears.
I look up, coincidentally meeting Caine's gaze. The same thought is projected in our mind.
*It's getting weaker.*
I shift my attention to Chaos. Jungkook is gone again, swallowed by the black mass.
*Tanya, you have an amplifier, yes?*
*Yes,* is Tanya's immediate reply.
*Get it ready.*
My Angel wings explode out of my back as I once again take flight.
*He's not omnipotent,* I send the thought to Caine and Namjoon. *He reacts to attacks, just not on the scale that we thought.*
*What are you proposing?* Namjoon answers.
*I want the Seraphim to follow my lead. I want only Tanya's portal to be open. And I want Yoohwan to take a step back.*
Chaos chases me at my tail once more, shooting bursts of power in my direction. I see Tanya and the PETRA agents getting ready. They are tweaking the satellite-like projection on their vehicles as I fly across the skies like a missile, avoiding Chaos attacks and grasps by mere feet.
The Seraphim start to gather behind me. They too move according to my movements, flying closely packed together but separating to avoid Chaos's attacks. I gather as much Holy power as I can in my hands.
*Ready?*
*Go,* is Tanya's one-worded reply.
I throw the power towards her portal, watching her and the other agents run back to avoid any chances of being hit. I veer sharply to the left, just as the Seraphim follow, shooting Holy power into Tanya's portal before they move out of the way.
The power hits the satellite head on, immediately being swallowed by the device, before lighting it up. I don't see what else happens as it leaves my line of sight.
The keening sound returns, before an explosion of Holy power leaves the portal. It is so large that it completely swallows Chaos, hiding his entire form under the light. I hear Chaos roar in pain, seeing him physically reach upwards to escape the attack. He grows in mass and size beneath the light, expanding to engulf it. Pretty soon he is as tall as a building, radiating fury and hatred.
*I SOUGHT TO DESTROY YOU FOR HUMANITY,* he bellows. *BUT NOW, I DO SO FOR PLEASURE.*
Instead of attacking me, or the Seraphim, or Tanya and the PETRA agents, as I'd anticipated, Chaos moves, reaching for Caine and the rest a distance away.
"NO!" I roar.
I throw another blast of Holy power towards Tanya's portal. The power is reflected again at a magnified scale, hitting Chaos once more. It doesn't stop him this time, as he sends a blast of power towards the four.
Caine opens up a portal, which immediately swallows the four of them out of harm's way. They reappear a distance away, though it seems like Chaos has anticipated where.
They are hit with a physical blow from the black mass the moment they leave the portal, sending all four flying. Caine bashes his head against a boulder, knocking him unconscious. Namjoon pushes himself off the ground, staggering slightly from the impact. He's injured and can't focus enough to fight back.
I shift, putting myself between Chaos and them.
"Chaos," I call, folding my Angel wings into my back. "As the first Creation, you know the sanctity of life. You don't have to kill those who bring no harm."
*I DO NOT HARM INNOCENTS,* he responds, growling at a tone which resonates in my chest. *I DO NOT WISH HARM UPON HUMANITY.*
"Then look around you!" I yell. "Look at what you're doing. Look at the harm you're causing!"
*I DO SO ONLY TO SAFEGUARD THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY.* Power gathers in Chaos's form, and I anticipate an attack.
"You have no guarantee of the future of humanity!" I argue.
*THE FUTURE I SEE IS CLEAR.*
And then he throws the power, a massive fireball of concentrated power, headed straight towards us. I swear under my breath, gearing myself to put up defences. I couldn't shift out of there and leave everyone behind.
Could I withstand that? Would we have a chance of surviving?
My shields are up, and I'm murmuring spells under my breath as I brace for impact, when I see someone run before me.
Hanaan stands between me and the oncoming attack. I don't have time to say anything when the burst of power hits us.
I anticipate pain, and ultimately, our doom, but Hanaan reaches a hand out, catching the humongous blast in his tiny palm. The power disappears at once, having being absorbed into his body.
"Hanaan -," I warn, ready to grab him out of the way.
But the young initiate moves on his own. He makes a throwing motion, and the entire blast, the size of Chaos in itself, leaves his palm and slams into Chaos.
Chaos screams - there is no other word to describe it - and disappears at the impact of his own power hitting him. The light finally subsides, and Jungkook stands on the battle field, the rage and pain evident on his face.
He roars in anger, and Chaos's voice returns. He is staggering to the side, clutching on to his chest. It is clear that he hadn't been expecting Hanaan's attack, and that he hadn't anticipated being in so much pain.
*THE AAMON,* Chaos growls.
"I'm not the Aamon," Hanaan responds.
Once more, the black mass explodes out of Jungkook's back, treacherous, vine-like limbs reaching towards us. I gather my own power, readying to hit back at Chaos, when Jungkook's body suddenly pauses, and the limbs stretching out from his back freeze in mid-air.
I stare at Chaos in Jungkook's vessel, who is, in both forms, completely unmoving.
It seems like he's frozen in time.
A sound starts to exude out of Jungkook's mouth, a low, menacing growl, and his body starts to tremble, as if he's trying to move.
I catch movement in my peripheral vision and turn my head to see Yoohwan with his arms stretched outwards, fingers splayed and body tense as he directs all his focus on Jungkook.
I see his fingers move discreetly, slowly forming a fist.
And Jungkook's body folds inwards. The limbs on his back forcefully crawl their way into his vessel, moving like static. Jungkook himself is trying to move forward, but is unable to.
It hits me then that this is part of Yoohwan's power. His control of Creation was not limited only to the dead. It encompassed the living as well.
How strong was this vampire's power?
"Azazel," I hear Yoohwan say through gritted teeth. He is sweating profusely, and his hands tremble as he fights to maintain his posture and control. "If you're going to do something, do it now."
I turn back to Jungkook, staring at the young child who has been possessed by Chaos. It is still Jungkook that stands before me, but it is only Chaos that I see.
*Do whatever it takes to stop him, Azazel.*
I draw my sword, letting it fall into my hand. I stalk forward.
Yoohwan finally forms his hands into fists, and Jungkook falls to his knees, veins popping out of his skin as Chaos tries to fight off Yoohwan's control.
"Jin!" It is a tiny voice behind me, and it belongs to Hanaan. His is a desperate plea, an insistent calling that I willfully choose to ignore.
*Killing the possessed while Chaos is in total control of the vessel will weaken it.*
"Jin, no!"
I stand before Chaos, who looks up at me in his kneeling position. His skin is nearly blue, and he trembles with every movement. His entire body is tense, as rigid as a statue but he shows no fear as he stares up at me.
*We must do what is necessary.*
I raise my sword, ready to strike, when someone appears before me.
Hanaan stands, facing me with the same lack of fear in Chaos's eyes. His arms are spread wide, as if he is adamant to bodily block me from Jungkook.
"Jin, no," he pleads. "You promised. You can't hurt him. Please. I'll do anything."
Those were the exact same words used.
Behind Hanaan, I catch Jungkook's lips stretch into an unnatural and terrifying grin.
The permission has been granted.
The exact same black mass starts to explode out of Jungkook's back, like gigantic spider limbs that brace themselves into the ground.
I know I don't have much time left. I do what needs to be done.
I strike, impaling my sword straight through Hanaan's chest, and then through Jungkook's.
"JIN, NO!" I hear Namjoon yell from behind me.
The expression on Hanaan's face, from determined and brave, turns into that of shock, fear and pain. He looks up at me, wide innocent eyes that clearly show his thoughts of my betrayal.
I plunge the sword in deeper, and he chokes, blood seeping out his mouth to spill down his chest. His hands move to rest against mine, wrapped around the hilt of my sword.
I look back at him, at this innocent child who has been nothing but the subject of Fate's torment. He has done no wrong, and yet is battered daily by his destiny.
Behind him, barely a foot away, Jungkook roars, Chaos's voice leaving his lips. The limbs behind his back move once more, and they slam against Hanaan's back. The young child lurches forward from the impact, Chaos being quickly absorbed into his vessel.
I twist the sword in my hand to create a more grevious wound, pushing the sword in deeper. I watch as black veins creep up Hanaan's face, slowly colouring the whites of his eyes pitch black.
*Please,* I find myself praying. *Please die.*
The limbs on his back disappear, signalling that Chaos has been fully absorbed into this young child's body. Hanaan's hand on mine has gone cold, and I watch as he closes his eyes. His hand slips off mine to fall against his side and he seems to go limp.
For a moment, I let my guard down.
"Hanaan?"
And then he opens his eyes, and they are absolutely pitch black.
He straightens, grinning wildly.
*HANAAN IS NO MORE.*
Hanaan's tiny hand is suddenly around my throat, massive strength behind the small limb. He squeezes, and my entire being is suddenly alight with pain. Chaos is crushing the appendage, threatening to separate my head from my body. I blindly clutch at his hand, attempting to pry his fingers off me.
With his other hand, Hanaan pulls the sword off his chest, making Jungkook fall against the ground behind him. He throws the sword carelessly to the side.
The force around my neck only grows, and I blindly call for power. I exhale a round of Hell's flames straight into Chaos's face, turning to demon form as I use my hind legs to kick him as strongly as I could.
Chaos doesn't even move, but the action does throw me back, enough to be free of his hold and get away.
I land several feet away, reverting back to human form, a light hand against my throat.
*Azazel,* Caine speaks into my mind. *The prophecy.*
Hanaan had joined Chaos's side. He hadn't meant to, but the damage is done.
Chaos has the strongest person amongst us. He has a claim on the Aamon's power.
*Get the Heir Apparent out of here.*
*You will be alone.*
*Momentarily. It's much too dangerous for him to be part of this battle now.*
I stare at Hanaan, at the young child who is practically no more. I reach for my sword and it flies into my hand, my gaze never breaking away from him.
*Namjoon, are you there?* I hesitatingly call out.
*Yes.*
*Do the Seraphim still respond to you?*
*Yes.*
*Call on to them.*
I position myself in the offensive, lowering my center of gravity as I point my sword towards Chaos. I had to end this as quickly as I could.
*YOU SPOKE OF THEIR INNOCENCE YET INFLICT SUCH HARM.* The rain finally stops, skies parting to reveal the full moon positioned right above Hanaan. *SUCH TREACHERY IS WHY THE AAMON'S COURT MUST END.*
The Seraphim appear by my side, ready to attack at Namjoon's signal.
*Grab Jungkook and move out of the way,* I send the thought to Namjoon.
*What about you?*
*I'm bringing Hell to the battlefield.*
The Seraphim attack simultaneously, sending blasts of Holy power towards Chaos. It distracts Chaos for only a moment, because Holy power was a component of Hanaan's power. The Seraphim move then, physically attacking Chaos with their weapons when one of them grabs Jungkook from behind him.
*I'll leave the Seraphim here,* Namjoon says, just as the Seraphim that had taken Jungkook grabs him, taking off with both of them to lead them out of harm's way.
I stare at Hanaan. It is now just him and I on the battlefield.
*WOULD YOU KILL THIS CHILD, AZAZEL?*
"To stop you?" I reply. *Yes.*
A light suddenly appears between us, shining so brightly that I hold up a hand to protect myself. Two Angels stand when the light disappears, staring back at me.
I know them. I'd fought them. And I'd killed them.
Archangels. Gabriel and Uriel. They have their weapons out, pointing them at me.
*Heaven ordains that no harm be inflicted on Chaos,* Gabriel speaks. More Angels appear behind them, though they are but angels of a normal tier. Each one though, is armed and ready for battle.
I feel the Seraphim mobilize around me, gearing for an intra-species attack.
"Heaven can fcuk off." I shift to demon form, throwing a round of Hell's fire at them. It engulfs them temporarily, and I charge, sword raised above my head.
I strike straight into the flames, hitting something immediately. Uriel's hand stretches out, catching my blade before I kick him hard with my hind legs.
The impact pushes him back, though not as far as I'd hoped. A Seraphim continues the attack, slamming itself against the Archangel.
The sound of the battle continues all around me, as the angels are now in full-scale battle against each other. There is no angel being idle, both the Seraphim and the Angels supporting Heaven moving in quick bursts of light.
I swing my sword at the next target, at Chaos who remains behind Gabriel. Gabriel's sword meets with mine, and we are soon in a duelling match, me gaining traction against him as I push forward with my attacks.
*What do you seek to achieve?* Gabriel asks me as he manages to graze my cheek with his sword. I flinch back, shooting a round of fire straight against his face.
*The safety of the Aamon's Court!*
*At the expense of humanity?* Gabriel roars. I manage to catch his sword this time before he manages to strike me, but the impact pushes me back.
I am suddenly hit with a potent power that throws me a distance, though I manage to catch myself before I am thrown any further. I look up and see that it was Chaos who had attacked, just as Uriel falls upon me from above, his sword raised high.
I call for a spell that creates a shield to protect me as Uriel strikes.
The impact of his sword meeting my shield creates shockwaves that ring in my ears and push me further into the ground.
I swear under my breath. Winning against Chaos was hard enough. Now having to fight two Archangels while I was at it made it impossible.
Uriel strikes again, creating cracks on my shield. I drop the protection, whispering a spell under my breath and throw a burst of power at him, before I shift.
I appear behind Chaos and strike with my sword, creating a long gash against Hanaan's shoulders. Chaos whips around, the rage lighting up his face before he switches forms and becomes a black mass once more. He attacks me with his limbs, hitting me square against my arm, leaving a gaping hole where flesh once was. I shift away, only to be met with Gabriel's sword.
I call for a wall of Hell's flames to protect me from the attack, and throw it forward as it engulfes Gabriel fully. He roars in pain as I take off, stretching my wings to go skywards.
Something wraps around my ankle, and I look down to see Chaos has reached up and caught me. For a moment, time is frozen still, almost as if Chaos has paused.
As if his power flow is weakening.
And then he starts to move again, pulling me down with ferocity as I slam against the ground. I hear several dull cracks that were the sound of my bones breaking upon impact as Chaos lifts me up again. I don't even have time to process pain as I'm left to stare at him, suspended in mid air and upside down.
It takes me a moment to refocus, before a blast of light from a Seraphim hits Chaos on the limb that is attached to me. It slices the limb clean through, and I'm left to fall several feet before I manage to recompose and take flight.
*Thanks, Namjoon.*
*Don't thank me yet,* is his clear warning. *We're nowhere out of the woods.*
*How's Jungkook?*
*Alive. Not yet awake.*
I don't reply.
I'm injured and getting weaker. I couldn't continue the fight forever. A miracle had to happen, and quickly.
I call for the flames of Hell once more, reaching straight from below ground this time. I pull desperately, knowing I could very well lose in a second of carelessness. Several attacks are made by the Archangels towards me, but I shift away in time.
I land on the ground, amidst the battle, evading several attempts on my head. I pull once again towards Hell, towards my place of birth, towards the original source of my power.
Hell's flames appear out from the ground, starting as a small flame but quickly turning into an inferno that has basically turned the entire battlefield into an oven.
The angels, Seraphim, Angels and Archangels alike, start to scramble. Hell's flames may not be potent, but in an inferno the size of a football field, even the angels will start to run.
They all rise skywards, until it is only Chaos and I on the ground.
Even with no eyes to stare, I know he is looking directly at me, his rage matched by the inferno around us.
*DO YOU NOT TIRE?*
*Do you?* I shoot back.
Chaos and I move at the exact same time. He grows in size and height as I throw a spell at him. I leap to the side as one of his limbs slam against the ground I'd been standing on, breaking the surface of the Earth from his sheer strength. He moves before I can pick myself up again, and I am hit with a burst of his power.
I am thrown, landing against the ground like a sack of potatoes before a round of Holy power is shot at me from above. I manage to call forth a forcefield around me just as the power hits. I look up to see Gabriel staring right back.
I throw him an offensive gesture.
Normally, I'd throw my own round of power back at him in retaliation, but I couldn't waste any more power. I don't even know how long I can keep these flames alight.
I push myself off the ground, ignoring the searing pain that covers every inch of my body and threatens to knock me unconscious. Chaos is already moving again, and I murmur another spell under my breath.
I don't have much to work with anymore. I am weak and sluggish. My power will not grow stronger and my body is nearing my limits.
I steady myself as I stand, my sword held in both hands now as I point it at Chaos. The spell under my breath starts to move, solidifying as my body starts to split itself into two.
And then four, then eight, then sixteen.
I continue multiplying until I completely surround Chaos. As one, I/we move, roaring in dominance as we charge. Chaos throws rounds of power at us, destroying several of us but ultimately leaving me unharmed.
Several of us take flight, moving with the Seraphim as Chaos roars his frustration
Individually, the copies of me fight without control. They are extensions of my mind able to think and act without prompt. They have my physical abilities and endurance, but will be perish at severe injury.
I never put this spell into action because there was no dire need to. I could always handle any situation on my own, even if it meant staring death in the face multiple times. It required too much energy and focus. This spell was only a testament of my desperation.
I don't know if I can win.
The flames around us power us, acting as both amplifier and protector. Chaos moves to attack us, but doesn't know who the real one amongst us is. And that gives me the leeway to attack as needed.
I step back from the onslaught, moving amongst the Angels from Heaven and the Seraphim. The Archangels are moving at a much faster rate, destroying the Seraphim easily. My own copies join in the fight, attacking where they can.
I had one final trick up my sleeve.
I turn the inferno around us up full blast, the flames reaching for the skies before I revert to human form, falling straight into the flames. The sudden fire has the Angels scurrying back to avoid them and for a moment, the focus shifts, pausing the fight.
I hit the ground, the flames harmlessly me. The earth I stand on is barren and dead, with only Chaos and I touching the ground. I murmur the spell under my breath, letting the power flow through my body.
I make a run for it, heading straight towards Chaos before I leap, turning incorporeal and enter its form.
I am fully expecting his defenses to be rock solid. Taehyung had once tried to possess a vessel overpowered by Chaos and was met with strong walls to keep him out. Hanaan is no different.
Chaos has put up a seemingly impenetrable defense, but I push through. I've been a demon all my life - possession was a forte.
The pain that greets me in my attempt however, is one that drives me to my knees. Chaos knows exactly what he is guarding himself against and his internal defences put up the necessary fight.
I somehow manage to push through, aware that I'm battered and bruised in Hanaan's vessel. I know I won't be able to last too long in here.
"Hanaan!" I call out, searching for him. I'm confident he's still alive and fighting back against Chaos in the ways that he could. "Hanaan, where are you?"
The young child appears, shackled to the ground in chains that are as thick as his limbs. He stands tall despite, the anger and betrayal apparent on his face. "I'm here."
I immediately come to him, kneeling against the ground as I rest my hands against his shoulders. "Are you okay?"
"You tried to kill me," he answers, barely flinching as he looks me in the eyes.
"I know," I say, squeezing his shoulders gently. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen."
At my words, the young initiate's face crumbles, and tears trickle down his face. "He's doing bad things because of me, right?" he sobs. "He's hurting people using my powers."
I reach up, wiping the tears away. "I'm trying to stop him -"
"I should have just died."
"- but I can't do it alone. Once Chaos takes full control over you, any chance we have of winning is gone."
I watch as the expression on the young child's face changes again.
"You have to fight, Hanaan, and free yourself from these chains. I'll be out there waiting for you."
I leave Hanaan's vessel completely, turning solid once more as I stand amidst the flames in demon form. With one full sweep, I kill them all, and I am suddenly left to gaze up at Chaos with no protection or concealment. I feel him shift his gaze to me.
As the only 'copy' of myself that was not moving with the rest of the copies, it was a dead giveaway that I was the real one.
Time seems to freeze as we stare at each other. I know for a fact that Chaos is currently weaker than he seems. He is moving slower, and his attacks are not as severe as they once were. He may have Heaven on his side, but I had Hell.
I shift to human form, challenging him to do the same.
Chaos takes the challenge, and Hanaan's small frame stands before me.
My sword is still by my side as I hold it tightly in my hand.
"Let's end this," I say.
Chaos smirks at my words, creating a dome around us, essentially locking everyone out. "Your pride will kill you."
"Good. It will kill you too."
A burst of light appears from above us, and I glance up to see Caine back again, standing at the top of the dome. He is fighting aggressively, having obtained renewed strength. He fights both the Archangels and the Heavenly Angels with bursts of power that are much louder than his usual fighting style. As he leaps to avoid a blow, I catch his eyes.
He stares right back at me, and I am confident I see a flash of gold in them.
And then he is gone, moving here and there as he fights, obliterating Angels left and right.
*Azazel,* I hear him send the thought to me. *Win.*
I shift my gaze back to Chaos.
"Do you know what would happen if you destroy me?" Chaos asks, his voice spilling out of Hanaan.
"The universe would right itself. It always has. You aren't special, Chaos."
Chaos moves in a sudden flash, dealing me a blow before I even realise what's happened. I whirl around to see him behind me, and immediately put up my defences just as he deals me another. I stagger back, maintaining balance before I throw a round of power at him.
Chaos catches it with one hand, using his other hand to strike me once more. For once, Hanaan's size was working to an advantage. He was faster, smaller and the blows the dealt were low and powerful.
I am thrown a distance away this time, landing hard.
"I could end you right now."
"Try," I answer, calling for fire as I push myself up. I fire multiple rounds at him this time. Chaos moves swiftly to evade each one before I call for a spell that locks his knees in place. He falls and I land him a blow that throws him.
The black mass explodes out of his back as he catches himself. Hanaan looks like a grotesque version of a black widow as the limbs bury themselves into the ground.
His feet touch the ground, and all the limbs on his back move to attack me. I put up my shields at their onslaught, forced to take several steps back at the strength they hit me with.
Chaos hits me with a blast of power as I'm distracted, effectively destroying my shield and throwing me back. I land horizontally this time, lying on my back as Chaos comes forward. I attempt to get up, but he throws another blow at me, injuring my chest and winding me significantly.
Chaos stands before me in Hanaan's form, stepping on my neck as he stares me down.
"I will show you mercy. I will kill you swiftly."
I stare at the young initiate's face, searching for traces of his conscience.
"Hanaan," I plead. "Wake up."
For a moment, nothing happens. Chaos increases the weight he has on my neck, threatening to snap it in half. I attempt to build power, to fight back or at least get him off me, but the response is sluggish. I can barely keep awake.
But Chaos pauses. Something is bothering him.
He looks away, a look of anger on his face as his hands ball up into fists. His eyes revert to their normal greenish colour as he turns to me. Something snaps in him as he gasps and steps back.
There is a sound from up above and I look up to see Caine destroying the dome with his bare hands. He moves, throwing a round of power at Hanaan, and the young child is thrown back a distance away.
Caine comes to me, helping me to sit up as I stare at Hanaan lying against the barren land several feet away. He is trying to push himself off the ground but can't. His body is convulsing, shaking with the effort of trying to maintain conscience.
"Are you okay?" Caine asks me. His face is suddenly in my view and I glance at him. His irises are gold-rimmed.
"How -?" I manage to stutter.
"I went up to Heaven for help. The Aamons are in conflict with the Angels. Taehyung is already starting a revolution and Heaven is compromised. I'm moving on Adam's borrowed powers." Caine explains all this in a rush. "We must end this quickly before it gets any worse."
Taehyung is in Heaven. He's safe. He made it.
More flashes of light occur above us and I look up. Caine is right. The Angels are returning. They cannot leave Heaven in conflict.
"We have the odds on our side," Caine whispers. "We must move before the scales change again."
Caine suddenly looks towards Hanaan, his eyes shining brightly as he puts up a shield before us. Right at that moment, we are hit with a blast with the intensity of the sun. I close my eyes, attempting to shield myself as I feel us being pushed back.
Caine is digging his heels against the ground, attempting to counter the blow, but is losing. I grab him, before shifting the both off us away.
The blast continues on before us, though we are a safe distance away. It literally obliterates everything in its path before Chaos stops, turning around to look directly at us. He knows exactly where we are.
I kill the cloning spell, feeling semblances of energy and power returning to me as I stand.
The skies above us have darkened, though they don't seem like an effect of Chaos's power. The state of the lightning and thunder hints to us off the conflict going on up above. Taehyung may be dead but he was still fighting for us the best he could.
He wasn't giving up up there and neither would we down here.
Caine and I move at the same time, as does Chaos.
Caine throws the first blow, a wild burst of power that hits the ground, throwing soil upwards. It rains down on us as I murmur a spell, turning the soil into large boulders which I throw at Chaos.
Chaos dodges the first few flawlessly, before deciding to not let his path be affected. He destroys each boulder that comes towards him head on as he moves closer and closer towards us. He makes a parting motion with his two hands, splitting the earth Caine and I stand on in two. It separates us, creating a massive crevice that only widens as the milliseconds tick by. He moves the boulders that he'd evaded, throwing them at us.
I shift away as Caine chooses to use his power to destroy them.
I reappear behind Chaos as I call for my sword once more, striking him against his back. Several of his limbs fall off, sliced straight through and Chaos turns to face me.
In the moment he'd looked away, Caine throws him a powerful blast that injures his back further. Chaos retaliates by roaring in anger, swallowing Hanaan's form completely as he covers him with the black mass.
I take several steps back, watching him grow in size before me.
Caine moves, impatient and itching to end the battle while he still had power. He raises the earth before us, raising it like a mountain that stands taller than Chaos, before he slams it down. I shift out of there in the nick of time as Chaos disappears under all the earth. I throw a large blast of fire at the mound, hoping to weaken Chaos.
But the mound suddenly explodes, Chaos breaking free.
"I'm at my wit's end," I murmur to Caine as we both evade the debris.
Caine is silent for a moment. "We don't know whether killing Hanaan will end this."
"It could worsen the status of the Aamon's Court. It would defeat our purpose."
Caine shoots a blast at Chaos before the both of us dodge the retaliation.
*I have an idea.*
*Does it involve dying?*
*It involves trying to stop Chaos.*
*I'm onboard.*
He holds his hand out to me, and I blindly take it. A portal swallows us both before Chaos can get to us.
We reappear by Namjoon's side, who whirls around in shock. Jungkook is awake, leaning against a tree. He is weak and disoriented.
"You will travel with Jungkook. I shall take Namjoon."
"Where are we going?"
"You're going to Hell," Caine replies in a rush. "I'm going the opposite direction."
"Are you crazy?" I bite, just as a monstrous roar sounds from a distance away. Chaos is coming. "I can't bring Jungkook to Hell and you can't -"
"Namjoon is a member of the Aamon's Court. Jungkook is the son of a demon. They will manage."
"Or they could die!" Just as the sentence leaves my mouth, Chaos's extended limb buries itself into the ground between us, halting all argument.
"See you, Jin. Bye!" Namjoon yells, running to Caine as the both of them teleport out of there.
I swear under my breath, but I have no choice. I have no idea what Caine has hidden under his sleeve, but I trust him. That should be enough.
I use my teeth to rip to wrist open before I run to Jungkook.
"Do you trust me?" I say, as I kneel before him. Weakly, the little one nods. He is still bleeding from the stab wound, from the injury I caused.
"Drink," I whisper to him. Jungkook doesn't need to be told twice, immediately sinking his fangs into my gaping wound. There is a loud sound of crashing above us, as Chaos destroys the trees in the surroundings.
I murmur as many incantations as I can under my breath, blowing them over Jungkook. "Get ready," I say. "We're going to Hell."
I shift the both of us out of there.

Incredibly, Jungkook's descent to Hell was easy, look a smooth slide down into the pits of the Afterlife. I keep him close to me as his fangs slide out of my skin. I don't stop murmuring incantations, blessing Jungkook over and over, attempting to protect him from the flames of Hell. I fear for his life. The little one had descended with his full vessel. He wasn't the Aamon. He could very well burn and melt under my feet. But he holds on to my hand tightly, refusing to let go.
His eyes roam our surroundings, processing what he sees. He doesn't say a word, even when demons gather around us, curious of the sudden intruders. But he moves closer to me, hiding behind my back, his hand still tightly held in mine.
*I'm scared. It's hot.*
*Just stay with me. I'm here.*
"Azazel? What are you doing here?" The voice comes out of nowhere and I feel Jungkook flinch in shock. Astaroth appears before me in true form, before shifting to his human guise. He places his hands on his hips as he stares. "Who do you have there, the Aamon?"
"A halfling," I answer, pushing Jungkook further behind me.
"Halflings belong to Lilith and Pan," Astaroth points out, already sounding bored.
"This one belongs with me," I say, bodily blocking the little one from my brother.
Astaroth tilts his head to the side, suspicion and curiousity loud on his face. "What are you hiding?" He takes a step closer.
And an explosion forms from behind him.
It is large enough to destroy a good portion of Astaroth's Circle and paint the entire sky a searing yellow fire. Astaroth is thrown forward, straight into me. The three of us fall back against the ground.
"What was that?" Astaroth growls, his signature weapon - a spear his height - materializing in his hand.
I don't answer, looking at the mass that is slowly growing taller before my eyes. Astaroth looks over his shoulder, seeing Chaos, and freezes. The demons around us scurry back in panic.
Astaroth turns to me. He is absolutely livid.
"You brought your fight to my Circle?"
I hope Caine had a plan, because I definitely didn't.
Astaroth turns to face Chaos fully, shifting to demon form as he falls to the ground on all fours, and roars territorially. Chaos roars back, before swiping a limb to the side. It destroys the densely packed buildings around him and the demons roar in protest. Astaroth takes flight, signalling for his demons to gather and fight back.
I run forward, prepared to join the battle, when Jungkook pulls me back.
"Jin, I'm scared."
"I know," I soothe, acknowledging his teary eyes. "Just stay back from the fight. We'll end this as quickly as possible and get you out of here."
He nods, letting me go as I run towards my brother, shifting to demon form and taking flight.
I position myself by his side.
*Who is this?* Astaroth demands. *How has it followed you to Hell?*
*This is Chaos,* I answer. *The First Creation.*
Absolute silence, as my brother turns to me, all the words needed written clearly on his face.
*Why did you think this was a good idea?*
*I didn't.*
Astaroth curses, calling for power. He shoots a blast of power out of his mouth, hitting Chaos straight on. Chaos staggers back, and I watch, wide-eyed, as he falls into the structures behind him.
He was getting weaker. This was Caine's plan.
Chaos gets up, raising his arms before he shoots out a blast of Holy power towards us.
*Watch out!* I grab Astaroth, shifting away as the blast leaves a crevice against the ground.
Astaroth stares strickenly at the damage on the ground. The demons had moved fast enough to evade it and we're lucky there are no casualties. My younger brother turns to me. *You will end this quickly,* he commands, the venom practically dripping down his words.
*Help me end it.*
He nods once, before taking off towards the skies. He stops midflight, staring at Chaos before he calls for his demons. They gather below him, an excited coagulated mass itching to attack.
Astaroth starts the attack by throwing a blast at Chaos. I watch as Chaos dodges, suddenly moving forward very quickly. He extends his form, become longer and thinner as he moves in between the demons. He rises amidst them, retaining his original mass before he attacks, producing a mass of spikes that shoot out of his form. They impale many of the demons, though many more manage to evade it and scurry back to safety.
Astaroth and I throw a blast at Chaos, expecting a hit since Chaos is so near. Instead, Chaos disappears at the last moment. Both blasts of power miss, hitting us instead. Astaroth is thrown out of the skies while I manage to put up a forcefield that protects me from the direct blow. Still, I am weak enough to feel the stab in my mind as my forcefield cracks and ultimately perishes from the force of Astaroth's power. I'm getting too weak.
The blast dies away and I look up. The skies are empty.
*Astaroth, are you alright?*
*Yes. Where the fcuk did the massive thing go?*
"Jin!"
Jungkook's voice breaks the wary silence. I immediately turn towards him. Jungkook sounded panicked and distressed.
And then I see Chaos charging towards my young ward, moving at a speed that almost has my eyes miss. He towers over Jungkook, about to attack him at any micromoment.
*NO!* I blindly throw multiple bursts of power towards Chaos, each hitting him head on. But Chaos doesn't shift his focus and shoots a sharp, hard limb out towards Jungkook, intending to impale him.
Jungkook flinches, immediately putting his arms up to protect himself.
I shift, appearing before between them just as Chaos hits us. I brace myself. We are too near for me to hit back.
Something then appears before me, a shiny, almost transparent dome of light almost invisible to the eye. The moment Chaos touches it, his limb becomes absolutely fried, shrivelling and burning up upon contact.
I stare, wide-eyed and slack-jawed as Chaos screams in pain, staggering several steps back. The Hell was that?
I don't waste much time to think though, as I throw another blast of power at Chaos. I turn to Jungkook briefly.
*You alright?*
The little one nods, eyes staring dead ahead at Chaos.
"Jin," he says, voice as soft wa a whisper. "He's…smoking."
I turn to the front once more.
Chaos is hunched over. Thick, black smoke radiates off his form. Almost as if he were burning.
Astaroth lands by my side, eyes on the same.
*What the fcuk,* he breathes. *Is he not able to withstand Hell?*
The realization comes to me then. Chaos was the First Creation. He'd aided God in the creation of the galaxies and planets and held an insurmountable amount of power, so great that it superceded all other creation below him.
But Chaos was a creature of the Earth. He had created humanity to remain amongst them. He had not chosen to move towards the Heavens or Hell, because he was unable to.
He was bound to Earth and him being here in the Afterlife weakened him further.
Caine had realised this in the span of seconds, as we were about to lose the fight against him. Chaos had a vessel inside him, a vessel who was not the Aamon and would not be freely welcome in the Afterlife.
Both factors would contribute to his downfall.
Slowly, Chaos's form becomes smaller and smaller, until we see Hanaan's outline. The young child is suffering indescribably at being in Hell with little to no protection. He would feel the flames, and he would feel his body boiling from the inside.
Hell was meant to be painful.
I stare. There is not much I can do.
We can finally see Hanaan's face as Chaos's form recedes further. The skin on the young initiate's face is burning, producing the smell of cooked meat as the flesh that shows underneath turns brown. We can hear Hanaan's voice now, meshed together with Chaos's, and together, they are screaming in pain. His flesh begins to burn, and we see the bone of his skull being revealed. His teeth start to show as his lips burn away.
If Hanaan dies here, so probably would Chaos.
But Hanaan would die a very painful death, a death he does not deserve.
Jungkook finally breaks. "Jin, stop him! He's hurting!"
A portal suddenly appears to our left, and I turn, momentarily wary and confused. Caine was taking us back. The portal quickly moves, about to swallow us.
I move before I can stop myself, shifting to human form and running forward, placing a hand against Hanaan's shoulder. The portal is forced to swallow the three of us.

We reappear back where we'd left, and Hanaan collapses to the ground before me, twitching and convulsing violently. I stare once more. Jungkook has landed behind me, and from the noise I hear, Caine is relieved Jungkook had made it out of Hell alive.
There is further commotion and words are exchanged, before the shocked silence falls over everyone as they realise what they see.
I continue staring.
His skin has stopped burning, and is regenerating before our eyes, but the sheer pain of Hell had been enough to exhaust Chaos into stasis.
"You brought him back?" Caine quietly and solemnly asks.
I don't reply. The answer is before his eyes. I did.
I couldn't leave him there.
"Jin," Namjoon hesitantly asks. "What will you do?"
It's obvious what is to be done.
I call for my sword, letting it fall into my hand as I step towards him. Chaos looks unflinchingly back at me. It is still Hanaan's face he wears, but Chaos's rage and power are all I see.
I stand before him, the sword in hand.
"Would you kill this child?" he growls, his voice leaving Hanaan's lips. It's the second time he's asked.
I stare.
Of course I would. If Chaos survived, if he continued to roam this earth, he would continue to harm the Aamon's Court. He would hurt not only us, but the future generation of Aamons and initiates. If this imbalance of power between Chaos and the Aamon's Court continues, the earth would fall to ruin, unable to withstand the amount of power it holds. Billions would die a death that could have easily been avoided if this battle between us would just end soon.
I raise my sword, ready to strike.
Chaos stares up at me, the depth of his black eyes staring into my soulless vessel. He, who has killed the love of my life, eradicated the Aamon's Court and destroyed our lives as we knew it, lies against the ground in Hanaan's vessel.
The small, frail child is nine years old and has known nothing but torment. The entirety of the Aamon's Court rests against his shoulders, a destiny he now tries his hardest to run from. And now he must suffer for the benefit of those around him.
Such are the sacrifices ones born into such power are expected to make. Such is the punishment of being granted powers strong enough to destroy this earth. Such is the torture one who tries to run away from his destiny must go through.
I stare at my reflection through the black orbs.
It was me, wasn't it?
Hanaan was the exact reflection of myself - a reflection I refused to acknowledge.
At that moment, the black orbs disappear, and Hanaan's green eyes look back at me.
"Jin," he rasps, voice no louder than a whisper. He can barely move, still suffering from the ferocious burns covering his entire frame. Half his face is still gone, his entire left eyelid missing while a hole on his left cheek exposes his teeth. His skin is red and raw, and his once luscious hair has been practically burnt to nothing. The magic working to fix him is slow - a testament to how weak Chaos currently is. "Jin, it hurts. Help me."
And as I stare at him, something in me shifts, a change in my entire being that I cannot explain. The sensation fills my chest, and a sort of understanding comes to me. I find myself pausing, never breaking my gaze away from Hanaan.
Ultimately, my sword lowers to my side.
What is this emotion I am feeling? Understanding? Guilt? Sympathy?
"Jin?" Jungkook calls out, hesitant and wary.
"I can't do it." I find myself whispering in shock. "I can't hurt him."
The moment I'd said those words, Hanaan's eyes return to the same pitch black. The black mass explodes out of his chest, catching me off guard with the speed it moves, and the sheer height  it stands before me.
I take a step back in shock.
"AZAZEL, NO!" I hear Caine yells, before the black mass slams against me.
I expect myself to be thrown back, to be impaled by the limbs, or even be greviously injured. I expect pain, and even death as the limbs hit me.
But I receive neither. What I'm hit with is the black mass entering my being entirely, filling my body with its power. I immediately feel pain coursing through me, the pain that was my own power fighting for dominance against this intruder.
Chaos was trying to possess me.
"NO!" Caine is practically roaring in anger as I fall to my knees, struggling to keep Chaos inside me at bay. I fight the possession, but feel it creeping into my veins, into my muscles and limbs. I hear the familiar sound of Caine's feet hitting the ground, him running towards me.
I raise a hand I can't control, throwing a blast of power that hits him straight on. It throws him back a distance, into the trees out of sight. I shift my gaze to Jungkook and Namjoon, who look back at me wide-eyed, the fear clear on their faces.
"Run," I manage to croak out before my surroundings turn pitch black entirely.
I'm still awake and responsive, but I know that my focus has shifted internally. I'm stuck in my own body as Chaos has managed to take control. I swear viciously under my breath.
That's a second prophecy unlocked. The Sympathizer would open humanity to defeat, right?
I roar in frustration, feeling the shackles anchoring my limbs to the ground move. I had to regain control. Jungkook and Hanaan were out there, with little protection around them save for Namjoon and Caine. The longer Chaos was out there, the more damage he'd inflict, and the lesser the chance I had of regaining control.
I attempt to move again, but the shackles prove to be a deadweight. How did Hanaan manage to do it?
I call for my power, feeling the response to be sluggish and insufficient. I succumb to physically attempting to break the chains, but ultimately end up falling against the ground.
The anger rises in me, and I feel myself being encompassed in flames. The chains start to catch fire, but still prove too much for me.
I slam my fists against the ground, angry at my weakness.
How did they do it? How did they manage to break free?
"Chaos!" I roar into empty air. "They have done you no wrong! If you kill them, I will -"
I stop then. The words have caught in my throat, stuck inside and refusing to budge. The now familiar feeling returns. The panic consumes me quickly this time, hitting me like a wave that rips me off my feet. I close my eyes, scrunching my eyes tightly as I attempt to ground myself. Possessed, imprisoned and injured, I didn't have to add 'panic attack' to my growing predicament.
But the power my mental state has over me continues and I find myself keeling against the ground. The anxiety weighs me down, taking my breath away and destroying all thought process. I feel my breathing pick up as I hyperventilate. I didn't have to breathe and yet there seemed to be too little air in my lungs.
I couldn't help anyone.
I should just die.
*No matter what happens, we do what we have to do.* Taehyung's voice resonates in my head, so clear that it seems like he's whispering it right next to me.
Great. Could I add schizophrenic to my predicament list now?
But the suddenness of the voice , the familiarity of the tone and the emotions I had for the person manage to ground me. The panic attack starts to dissipate as I hold on to the words whispered in my head and I open my eyes, slowly sitting up.
Taehyung stands before me, staring at me through emotionless eyes.
I know it's an illusion - a mirage to the sheer desperation of the situation. My mind was grasping at straws, at anything that could provide relief.
But I welcome it. The desolation I was feeling seems to fade away as I look back at him. Relief returns in my chest, the weight of the world starting to lighten.
"I have to make the necessary choice," he says, his lips moving to match the words leaving his mouth. "I love you."
His last words to me. I was going to lose him again, wasn't it?
And then he closes his eyes, exuding a bright light as he starts to fade away. I find myself rushing to stand, reaching out to him.
I lost him once. I couldn't lose him again.
I run forward, feeling that the shackles are no more, and head straight into the light.
The light fades away and my vision returns. I'm back in my body, having momentarily regained control.
The first thing I do is look around me. Everything is up in flames, the fires of Hell the surroundings clean. The heat is astounding, and I immediately raise my hand to kill the fires.
I notice that my left hand is much heavier than my right, belatedly aware that I'm holding on to something. I look down, and see that I'm holding on to Namjoon by his shirt collar.
Out of shock, I let go, and he slumps against the ground, bleeding and burnt, but still alive. I immediately fall to his side.
"Namjoon," I murmur. "Namjoon, it's me. Wake up." I want to heal him, and I'm tempted to just throw my power at him to fix him, but his human states deems him too fragile. "Namjoon," I call once more, resting a hand against his cheek.
"Don't touch him!" I look up. Jungkook has his hands up in the air, waving strangely before I realise he's trapped in a dome of protection. Tears and snot fill his face as he screams, slamming his fists against the dome in a mix of anger and frustration. He sobs as he yells at me, unaware perhaps that it is me he's staring at, and not Chaos. "Don't touch him, you monster!"
I slowly rise. Instinctively, I search for Caine. Where is he? Is he alright?
Then I see him lying against the ground, a distance away. He moves haphazardly, attempting to push himself off the ground, but cannot, because he is too greviously injured. How long had I been out of it?
"Monster!" Jungkook screams again, the sound of his fists slamming against the dome loud despite the distance. "You're nothing but a monster!"
*A MONSTER,* the voice echoes in my hide, evidently not mine but Chaos's. *A MONSTER NOT WORTH SAVING.*
I call for my sword once more, feeling it fall into my hand. "Show yourself," I growl. "Show yourself and fight me."
It is easy to misread my actions to those looking, and Caine reacts by throwing a spell at me. I raise my sword as I use it to deflect the power. It hits me head on, pushing me back and frazzling my focus to maintain control of my body.
I look up. Caine has finally managed to stand, though he staggers significantly. He is bleeding across his right temple and left arm, and there is a very clear and severe burn mark right against his chest. He doesn't look strong enough to fight.
"Caine," I manage to utter. Chaos is starting to regain control once more, and I feel the loss of control in my movements, almost as if my muscles are jammed. Still, I fight to move forward, my sword still tightly held in my hand. "Caine."
The realization finally dawns on Caine as he stares back at me.
"Azazel."
I finally drop to my knees. My feet simply refuse to move no matter how hard I try. Chaos is taking over more and more bodily functions and pretty soon, he'll have me once more.
"Azazel," Caine says again, the dejection loud in his tone. "I can't fight anymore."
The words are a low blow, and whatever remnants of strength I have left are lost. I feel my body give way as Chaos's power creeps up to my neck.
Was this the end? Was this the final result of all our fighting?
Was this all we had fought for?
*Taehyung,* I say in my mind, directing the thought to no one but myself. *Taehyung, I'm sorry. I failed. I couldn't protect our family.*
Chaos's control creeps higher, rising to neck, creeping my cheeks.
*Jin.* The voice is sudden, unexpected and jarring enough to bring me momentarily back to attention. It is Jungkook, sending the thought to me. *Jin. We've come so far. We can't let him destroy this Earth. We can't let him win!*
With great effort, I manage to turn my head to Jungkook. He stares right back at me, sobbing loudly as he rests his hands against the dome.
*Jin,* he says. *I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.*
Jungkook is right. We've come this far. We fought this hard. We couldn't afford to lose. We couldn't afford to allow the future generation to suffer.
I raise my sword. I don't know where I suddenly have the strength to do it, but my hand shakes violently. I can't hold it up for long.
*Chaos,* I think aloud. *I will fight you to my very last breath.*
I watch as the expression on Jungkook's face changes in an instant as he realises what I'm about to do.
*Jin!* He starts screaming for me once more, clawing at the dome that imprisons him.
I turn the sword's point towards me, and hear Chaos roar in retaliation. The power he has over me multiplies, and it feels like boulders are being placed upon my limbs to keep them from moving.
*Azazel!* Caine yells in my head, panicked and afraid. *There's no guarantee it will work! You might be committing the same mistake as Taehyung!*
But Taehyung didn't make a mistake. He knew all along, didn't he?
We had to make the necessary choice.
I plunge the sword straight into my chest.
There is an explosion of pain, one that lights me up from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes. Screams fill the skies, coming from the likes of myself, Chaos and Jungkook. I feel a tearing against my back as Chaos attempts to escape me and evade the injury.
It thrashes in anger, convulsing and attacking as I attempt to hold it together. Sounds of the Earth tearing apart behind me only grow louder. The pain is like nothing I've ever faced. It is like a screaming in your ear - a grating of your teeth - a scalding of the skin at a severity that I could barely put into words.
*YOU SHALL NOT DEFEAT ME!* Chaos screams.
I pull the sword out of my chest.
I feel, very clearly, the grating of my ribs against the metal. Chaos screams once more. The very action intensifies the pain and for once, I nearly lose myself from the pain. I attempt to focus, but my vision goes hazy. I fight to keep myself upright.
*YOU ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO THE FIRST CREATION!*
I plunge the sword into me a second time and this time, the pain immediately blacks me out.

I open my eyes to surroundings as white and as spotless as a piece of paper. The white is soothing presence though, and I find myself quickly calming after the initial panic of being forcefully shifted.
For a moment, I stare blankly into this empty space. The tranquility and silence of the place is sudden in contrast to the battle I'd been fighting in in what felt like seconds ago.
I am peaceful, I am rested. For a few moments, the thought of the battle is behind me. I was here, and I was alive. That means there was a chance that everyone else would be alright. After all, if I could survived the injuries from the battle and come out relatively unharmed, I am confident they could too.
I hope we'd won.
I push myself to sit up. I hadn't noticed, but Jungkook is a distance away from me, sleeping soundly. I wonder why we'd been placed on the floor instead of makeshift beds. The room is completely barren and spotless save for the two of us in here. It is so white that I cannot differentiate the walls from the ceiling. I have no depth perception - I can't see if the room is as small as a storeroom or as large as a football field.
I get up, coming to Jungkook.
I call his name, attempting to shake him a few times. Jungkook remains dead asleep.
"Don't bother. He's crossing over. He'll come to us in due time."
I look up.
Caine has appeared, the warm, familiar smile resting on his face a welcoming presence. I give him a quick once over. Caine looks healed. Not a spot of blood or a slight graze rests on his frame. He has changed into a full white outfit. In fact, so have I and Jungkook.
"What happened?" I ask, slowly rising to stand. "Did we win?"
"Yeah," Caine grins. "We won. Your sacrifice was enough."
Enough?
I smile as well. The relief I feel is welcomed. After what felt like months fighting, to hear that we made it, that we won, that the earth is safe, is nothing short of bliss.
"The excess power has been stripped from both the Aamon's Court and Chaos in itself. Our battle has reshaped it accordingly. The universe has righted itself. The earth and all its inhabitants are safe."
"That's great. Where's Hanaan and Namjoon?"
"On earth."
At my confused expression, Caine laughs, a hearty, weightless sound of joy. "Azazel, don't you know where you are?"
When my expression does not change, Caine comes to me, his grin as wide as I've ever seen it. He places both hands against my cheeks. The pure excitement and joy he radiates is astounding. The man is almost vibrating from joy.
"Azazel. Welcome home, my brother. Welcome home."
I blink, staring hard at this man threatening to rip my cheeks apart. "Wha -"
"Enough, Caine." A voice comes from behind him, sounding just as amused as Caine felt. "Maybe he'll believe it when he sees it with his own eyes."
With the smile still plastered on his face, Caine moves to the side, revealing to me the person standing a distance away.
He is dressed in a white shirt and jeans, his hair being the same messy, slightly wavy look from the last time I'd seen.
"Kim Seokjin," he calls. "Azazel Morningstar. My Other Half. My Heart and Soul." Taehyung grins then, a sort of grin he used to be known for, one that shows the entirety of his teeth, making his smile appear box-shaped. I haven't seen that grin in a long time. "Hey. Aren't you gonna give me a hug?"
My heart practically leaps out of my chest, the joy that hits me purely indescribable. I stare at Taehyung, barely able to process the fact that I'm seeing him, much less understanding that he's here standing before me, arms wide awaiting my embrace.
"Jin?" he prompts.
"Give him a moment," Caine chuckles. "He's processing."
There is slight movement from right behind me. I glance down to see that Jungkook has just woken up. He sits up, rubbing away the sleep in his eyes. "Wow, that was some nap!"
"Jungkook," Taehyung gently calls. At the sound of his name being called, the little one freezes. He knows who had spoken. "I'm here, baby."
He looks up, his hands dropping to his side. His reaction is much quicker and positive than mine as his face practically lights up in excitement. "MAMA!" he practically squeals, getting up and running towards Taehyung. He makes a flying leap into Taehyung's arms and for a few moments, they are locked in embrace, Jungkook's face buried against the crook of Taehyung's neck. "I've missed you, I've missed you, I've missed you!"
Taehyung laughs aloud, hugging on to Jungkook tightly, his eyes misting over. "My baby, I've missed you more! You have no idea how much holding you like this means to me."
Jungkook parts from the hug, still grinning wildly. He turns to face me. "Jin!" he excitedly yells. "It's Taehyung! Can you believe it?" He turns back to Taehyung. "How did you do it? We thought you were dead! We had your funeral! We cried so many days!"
"Baby," Taehyung soothes, gently holding both Jungkook's hands in his. "I *am* dead. And so are you."
The news is jarring, and Jungkook stills, staring wide-eyed at Taehyung as he takes it in. "You're dead?" Jungkook whispers. Taehyung nods hesitantly, grimacing as he anticipates a meltdown from the little one. "I'm dead?" Again, Taehyung nods. Jungkook turns to me, before turning to Taehyung once more. "Jin's dead too?" More hesitantly this time, Taehyung nods, throwing a glance at me. "Are we in Hell?"
"No, baby," Taehyung immediately calms, chuckling lightly. "We're in the exact opposite of Hell."
Jungkook's wide eyes return again. "Heaven?" he asks, whispering softly, almost too afraid to even dream of it.
"Yes," Taehyung replies, matching his tone to Jungkook's to muse him. "That's exactly where you are."
Jungkook straightens suddenly, turning to me. His mouth is as wide open as his eyes. "Jin," he gasps. "You're in Heaven." Slowly, his own words hit him. "You're in Heaven, Jin." His smile starts to spread slowly, but soon stretches itself taut. "You're in Heaven!! You made it to Heaven, Jin!! You died and went to Heaven!!!" Perhaps in a display of pure, indescribable excitement, Jungkook screams a high-pitched scream, resting his hands against his ears before he runs to me, enveloping me in a warm embrace. "You did it!!!! You got what you always wanted!!!!! Your dream came true, Jin!!!! I'm so happy for you!!!"
Jungkook is in his own bubble of excitement. Nothing could contain him. He turns to Caine. "What about you, Caine? Are you dead too?"
"No, Jungkook," Caine laughs. "The rest of us survived."
"You did? And Hanaan and Namjoon too?"
At Caine's nod, Jungkook celebrates further.
"YAY!!!!!! WE'RE THE ONLY TWO CASUALTIES!!!!" Jungkook takes my hand, jumping on the spot from the uncontained glee. "Yay, yay, yay, yay, yay!!!" He turns to me then, noticing that I still had no reaction to any of this. His smile falls away immediately, and he calms, studying me while still holding on warmly to gently my hands. He tilts head slightly to the side as he examines me. "What's wrong, Jin? Aren't you happy?"
Gently, Caine comes forward, wrapping an arm around Jungkook's waist as he pulls him back. Jungkook lets go of my hands, and they drop to my side.
"Jungkook, you must understand that not everyone reacts to good news like you. This is something Jin has been dreaming about for thousands of years. Let him savour this moment at his own pace."
"But -!!"
"Can I show you your Heaven, my child? God designed it with only your happiness in mind."
"YES!" Jungkook shrieks in response. "What's in there?"
"Trampolines. Huge ones!"
Another full-on scream leaves Jungkook's mouth as he starts bouncing again. "Lets go, lets go, lets go!!"
Caine nods at Taehyung, who does the same in acknowledgement, before he turns to me, the same warm smile on his face.
"You deserved this, Azazel. Never doubt that." He winks then, before he and Jungkook disappear.
Both Taehyung and I are left alone in the room, and at my continued silence, Taehyung's grin lessens into a small smile. "Are you taking this well?" he gently asks. He crosses his arms against his chest, patiently waiting.
"What happened? Back on earth. Before I died."
"You stabbed yourself, remember? Your weakened state, coupled with your already bad injuries, caused you to pass on."
"And Chaos?"
"Destroyed," he muses. "But God -"
"Intervened again?"
Taehyung laughs this time. "You should be honoured. God has only intervened twice in the last six hundred years, both times for us. Chaos is an important element in the balance of powers on Earth. He prevents the other entities from gaining too much power. Like me."
I study Taehyung. He still maintains an element of excitement, waiting for the news to hit me. "And Namjoon and Hanaan? What about them?"
"They're okay, Jin. Caine has them taken care of. They're on Earth, safe and able to do as they please."
I look away from him, running a hand through my hair. My hand, that had once been obliterated due to Taehyung's attack, is completely healed. The skin is as smooth as porcelain.
"Why am I here then? If I'd died, I should be destroyed."
"You made a lot of sacrifices for humanity, Jin," he starts. "This is your reward."
"God gave me a soul," I continue. My unamused tone has Taehyung pausing, and his smile finally falls off his face.
"You don't sound too happy." He comes forward, standing before me. He reaches up, gently swiping my bangs away from my face. "Is it not to your expectations?"
"No," I say. "It's not that."
"Then what is it?" he asks, his hand falling to his side.
I stare at Taehyung. Everything about him is the same - but better. He is still Taehyung. He still smiles brightly and he still stands about two inches shorter than me. But his dark eye circles are gone. His cheeks are more filled now. The hollow look in his eyes is replaced with a bright light, a happiness and lightweightness that compliments his face beautifully. He blinks, and the light shifts, almost twinkling.
"Did it really take this sort of calamity to happen for Him to decide that I was worth saving? Did so many have to die just so I could prove myself?"
Mentally, Taehyung backtracks. The horror on his face is apparent. "Jin, no," he whispers. "It was never like that. My love, that's not -" He looks away, blinking rapidly as the twinkle in his eyes returns. He turns back to me, the tears threatening to trickle down his face. "I'm sorry you think like that. But it's not the truth." He reaches up to me again, before he pauses, taking his hand away. "You have always, always been redeeming yourself. Your guilt of your past sins was enough. But you went beyond that. You fought your destiny, you fought for humanity, you fought for me, for us."
I look away from Taehyung. Despite myself, I feel the emotion rise in me. My vision hazes over with tears.
"And you loved me despite who I was. You believed in me. You protected me. You gave me everything when I had nothing. You had nothing to gain but you still stayed by my side. You didn't have to do it, you didn't have to save us all. And this is the only reward God could give you. You thought you were saving yourself, Jin. But you were saving *me*."
I break, a sob escaping through my lips as my tears fall.
I'd made it. I'd made it. I'd redeemed myself. I'd saved myself from destruction. I was in Heaven, at the place where I thought it would be impossible for me to step into. I was here.
"You had to die to attain this reward," Taehyung continues. "I'm sorry it had to be this way. But you *did not attain redemption* because you died. You attained redemption because you tried your best. You were so selfless and kind and *so willing* to save humanity even though they owed you nothing."
I fall to my knees, overcome with emotion. I sob once more, loud in the silence of the room. The feeling of constriction in my chest returns, and I place a hand against it. But it is not a bad feeling. It is grounding - the pain tells me that this is real. That I wasn't dreaming.
Taehyung kneels to be on eye level with me. He is sobbing too. I see him reach out to me, but he hesitates once more.
"I love you," he sobs. "For all that you've done for me, and humanity. Your selflessness was beyond what you needed to do. But even if you hadn't, I still love you. I love you for who you are, for who you strived to be. I love you for loving me and accepting me for who I am."
When he moves to reach out to me, and finds that I do not react, his hand falls away.
"What's wrong, Jin? Why don't you touch me? I'm right here," he calls out to me. "We're safe now. No one can stop us here. No one can hurt us. We won." He finally places a hand against mine, squeezing reassuringly. "I would never leave you. Unless you want me to go."
I reach out to him then, enveloping him in a sudden tight embrace as I bury my head into his shoulder. He smells exactly as I remembered. I cry into his shoulder, at the loss of the weight of the world from mine. I thought I'd lost everything when I lost him.
But I gained so much more at finding him again.
"I love you," I whisper, as he returns the embrace. "And I would never leave you."
I'd made it. I was here - I was home.
Home with my family. Home with my other half, my heart and soul.
"JIN!!" I part the hug and turn my head to the source of the sound, as Jungkook and Caine reappear. The little one makes no mention of my face streaked with tears as he runs to us, dropping down to his knees before me. His arms automatically wrap around my waist as he looks up at me. "Have you SEEEEEEN my Heaven?"
"Not yet," I answer, sniffling lightly as Taehyung gently wipes my tears away. "How is it like?"
"MASSIVE!" he exclaims, then turning to Taehyung. "Mama, have you seen it?"
"I have," Taehyung muses. "Trampolines, right? Your TV is huge."
"Did you see the game consoles?"
"Of course. You can play as long as you want."
Jungkook's eyes get wider, immediately bright with excitement. "As long as I want???"
"Of course. It's your Heaven. You can do whatever you want with it."
Jungkook screams again, so excited that words can't quite explain it. "Being in Heaven rocks!!" He turns to me then. "What about you, Jin? Do you get a Heaven too?"
"Of course Jin gets a Heaven too," Caine muses. "He deserves the biggest one we have."
"What about you, Caine? Did you get one?"
Caine chuckles lightly. "Yes, Jungkook. I was offered to rest. But I still want to look out for the Aamon's Court down on Earth. I will rest when I'm ready."
I turn to Caine at his statement, seeing him leaning lightly against the wall, arms crossed against his chest. His explanation reminds me.
"I see the question on your face, Azazel," Caine says, smiling lightly. "Hanaan and Namjoon are fine - healthy and functioning. Their bodies have healed. Their minds will take some time. Hanaan is not the Aamon."
"The Sixth Aamon hasn't appeared yet?"
"Your boyfriend here destroyed the concept," Caine answers, tilting his head in Taehyung's direction.
I turn to Taehyung, not understanding.
"I started a civil war in Heaven," Taehyung answers, smiling bashfully as he scratches at the bridge of his nose. "Because I refused to support the Angels."
"You started a civil war in Heaven because you didn't allow Hanaan to get elected," Caine corrects.
"And I also didn't support the Angels coming down to Earth to support Chaos!" Taehyung argues.
"What did you do?" I ask Taehyung, curious.
"He did a *loooot* of things," Caine groans. Taehyung throws him a look, but it is one of light-hearted amusement.
"I fought with Adam," Taehyung replies. "I didn't want the power to pass on to Hanaan. I felt like he wasn't ready."
"Did you defeat him?"
Taehyung shrugs. "I had Pakal and Sobekneferu on my side."
"Mama, you're so cool!" Jungkook exclaims.
Taehyung turns to him, grinning. "Once that was done, I fought the Archangels. I refused to allow them to join Chaos's fight. But they outnumbered me and left. Then Caine came up to Heaven, asking for help. The Archangels said no and I went berserk. Adam let Caine borrow his powers."
"He was so busy," Caine comments. "I've never seen a dead Aamon as busy as he was. He even came down to Earth several times to look after you."
"You came down to Earth?" At Taehyung's nod, I stare in disbelief. "Spirits aren't allowed to -"
"He knows," Caine interrupts. "He just never listens."
"I followed you around, you know?" Taehyung grins, glancing at me and Jungkook. "From the moment you moved Hanaan and Namjoon into the bunker, I was there. Periodically."
"You saved us in Hell, didn't you?" I guess.
"I did. And when the two of you were arguing at your court. I wasn't there all the time. But I did what I could."
Jungkook's mouth forms a little 'o' in realization. "You were protecting us! You were everywhere."
"He was *everywhere*," Caine agrees, sounding very exasperated.
"Once it was clear what would happen to you two, I went back up to Heaven. I argued with the Aamons and the Archangels about the Aamon-line. I refused to allow it to continue." Taehyung's gaze becomes far off then, the grin on his face softening to a small, sad smile. "No one agreed with me, and they were all ready to fight me. But I said that even if they tried to stop me, I would move on my own. I told them I would fight until I destroyed each and every one of them. I wanted to protect all of you the best I could." Taehyung suddenly looks up then, shifting his focus to Caine. "Lucky for me, I had Caine on my side. We were a powerful duo."
"And it worked?" I ask.
"The Archangels were forced into submission. Taehyung was a force to be reckoned with."
There is no amusement in Caine's tone, nor is there any on Taehyung's face. The actions they'd performed and the decision they made must haunt them.
And then Taehyung turns to me, the smile on his face once more.
"So I destroyed the Aamon-line. Hanaan will be the last of his kind. There will be no more Aamons."
"What about the Aamon's duties?" Jungkook inquires. "Who will carry them out?"
"For now, the responsibility is shared between the four Aamons and Caine. But we will phase this out, until there is no need for an Aamon on duty." Taehyung sighs, relaxing his shoulders. "So there will be no Sixth Aamon. For the safety of everyone involved."
After a short silence, Jungkook leans forward, resting his chin against his propped up knee. "You must be so tired, Mama."
"It's fine," Taehyung smiles. "Now I know that my family's safe, my heart is at ease. No more running around."
"And no more causing civil wars," Caine adds in.
At that, Taehyung laughs. "No more causing civil wars. Everything has righted itself. And everything turned out okay."
I smile, studying Taehyung as Jungkook hugs him.
The unlikely initiate. The unwilling Aamon.
Taehyung had ended up uniting all the Courts on Earth for a common cause. He'd been Aamon for less than three years but he'd defeated Lucifer, past Aamons, his own Parliament and the Archangels. He'd saved humanity from destruction, postponed the Apocalypse, saved both Heaven and Hell and destroyed a ruling system that had been in place since the start of mankind. Twice now, God had made him His obvious choice. Lucifer had sent him aide when he needed it. Archangels knew of the height of his position and were aware that he was untouchable.
Despite all the odds stacked against him, Taehyung had somehow managed to not only survive, he'd come out victorious, the pinnacle of strength. The champion on top. The klutz with the higher powers on his side - the divine mess-up.
Jungkook and Taehyung are laughing between themselves as they joke and banter.
That's right. Everything did turn out okay.
Jungkook turns to me then, the laughter still playing on his lips. "So, Jin, are you ready to see your Heaven now?"
"My Heaven?"
"Yeah, Caine will bring us there, right Caine?"
"Of course."
I stare at both Jungkook and Taehyung, identical smiling faces looking back at me. I turn to Caine, who waits patiently.
"You don't need to. My Heaven is right here."
It takes him a moment, but once Caine realizes, he rolls his eyes dramatically. "Corny," he points out.
I shift my attention back to Jungkook and Taehyung, who both laugh aloud at my statement.
"Corny," Jungkook agrees.
"Pretty corny," Taehyung giggles.
I finally break into a grin of my own.
Here we are, a dysfunctional yet tight-knit family, sitting on the floor of an empty room celebrating our deaths. Two lives cut short much too early, and another who technically does not even belong here. To have survived the calamities we'd gone through and still be able to sit and laugh was a Heaven of its own.
I'd been chasing for Heaven all my life, but I'd failed to realise that Heaven was not a place. Heaven was a feeling, an emotion of your own.
I was in Heaven, and I'd been in Heaven all along. It only took my own death to realise it.
Heaven was wherever this family of mine would be.



 

End.

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So this is the closing chapter to the story and honestly, I'M AN EMOTIONAL WRECKKKKKKKKK. This fic saw me through my growing years and honestly, it was my solace when the world got too much. I've seen this baby grow with no direction in mind and I'm so happy with the destination.

I'm aware that the world is not a good place right now. The pandemic has changed our lives as we know it and some of us aren't accommodating as well as others. I hope this fic acts as a solace to you in the same way it did for me. I hope you're all safe and for those in adulthood, I hope you still have financial security and medical coverage.

Thanking you for reading my fic, and thank you for going through this journey with me. Each and every one of you is so precious to me.

Comment down below if you have suggestions for my next fic! Pairings? Themes? No promises but I might consider if I have the inspiration.

Once again, thank you and stay safe!