Taehyung sits at the head of the oval table, surrounded by stacks of papers and books. To his right sits Jungkook, who reads whatever it is his guardian was reading, glancing up at him from time to time. I assume it is to direct a thought to Taehyung, as the Aamon nods at random intervals.
To Taehyung's left sits his personal advisor of the Lycan Courts, a Were who had been the previous Alpha's advisor. He seemed to be a patient old man, pointing out random phrases on the things Taehyung was reading before explaining them to him.
After careful discussion between the three, Taehyung finally reaches for a pen and signs the bottom of the page. He hands it over to another Were who stands behind him. The Were nods and leaves.
It has been a month since Taehyung inherited the role of Alpha of the Asian Lycan Courts after he'd inadvertently killed the previous Alpha in battle. She'd been killed in the fight between Taehyung and Lucifer, one of the many lives lost in the historic battle.
"Your Highness."
The three of them look up, though my eyes are still concentrated on Taehyung. His rise to power as the Alpha had not been accepted unanimously. Taehyung was not even a Were for one thing, and him juggling the responsibilities of both Aamon and Alpha could severely affect his judgement in decisions sensitive to the Weres. Some members of the Lycan Court had attempted to riot against him, but since Jungkook - the true incumbent, as son of the previous Head - had accepted Taehyung's rule, the other Weres were bound to follow.
It was a plus point, I suppose, about unquestionable loyalty.
"The Parliament has arrived."
Taehyung nods, putting his pen down. "Send them in."
He was slowly starting to get the hang of things as Alpha. The Court Advisor, Sikyung, had been extremely accepting of Taehyung's ascension and did his best to guide him when necessary. Jungkook was also doing a good job as Proper Representative. His presence mellowed down a lot of doubt and distrust other members had of Taehyung.
And Taehyung himself was not that bad a ruler.
He was a lot more compassionate than Erina had ever been and that had worried me for a time, but he was beginning to develop his own clever style of ruling and appeasing the Lycans. I dare say that they were even beginning to like him.
Taehyung looks up just then, straight at me. I was on the second floor balcony overlooking the whole meeting room. As a non-Were and non-Alpha, I would not be allowed to sit with them in Parliament.
He grins at me, perhaps an act of comfort, seeing how stressed I looked since I was so far away from him. It was true. Taehyung was too far for me to just grab and go in the event of an explosion or the like.
And it stressed me out.
He still looks like a five year old, despite the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He was giving me a headache.
His focus shifts when the twin doors facing him open and the nine members of Parliament enter.
"Your Highness," they greet.
"Gentlemen," he responds, nodding in their direction to signal them to sit. The five year old I see in him is suddenly no more, as the grin is wiped off his face, and the innocent look in his eyes is replaced with that of steel. "Report."

"I did pretty okay, right?"
I glance up at the rearview mirror to see Taehyung chewing distractedly on a piece of licorice. He leans against the passenger door, staring out the window.
"I mean," he continues. "It could've gone worse."
And he was right. Taehyung had the tendency to make the worst case scenario the most likely scenario.
"You did great, Mama," Jungkook says, momentarily pausing his mobile game to twist around in his shotgun seat to grin at Taehyung behind him.
"You've done this for a month," I say, repositioning the mirror as we stop at a traffic light. 
"I know," he answers. "But I'm not a Lycan. I might be making decisions sensitive to the community, you know?"
"That's why you have me!" Jungkook cheers.
"Jungkook, sit properly," I scold, eyes on the traffic light turning green. I push him to sit upright. "I can't concentrate if you keep moving about."
"Is it hard to drive, Jin?" He innocently asks.
"Not so much as the car is confining," I mutter, stepping on the pedal.
"Would you rather be shifting?"
"I would."
"I could drive for you."
That produces a pretty quick and blunt 'no' from me and Jungkook pouts, concentrating on his game once more.
Silence descends us, and the drive to the hotel is for once peaceful. 
Taehyung is a lot quieter these days; presumably since his thoughts keep him busy. Even as he stares out the window now, face blank and expression relaxed, his thoughts are a loud buzzing sound due to the mess of ever-growing responsibilities on his shoulders.
I turn the bend that leads us straight to the hotel drop-off point, following the car in front. Immediately, our car is surrounded by the plethora of guards constantly by the Aamon's front, back and side.
Taehyung is ushered inside quickly; he doesn't spend much time out in the sun in the concrete jungle of LA.
I leave them be, exiting the car as Jungkook follows from behind, eyes still on his phone. The valet catches the keys I throw at him.
"Go on ahead. I'll catch up."
"Where are you heading?" Jungkook asks, immediately torn on whether he should follow me or Taehyung.
"Bar. Thirsty."

I sit at the hotel bar, idly stirring my drink as I rest an elbow against the wooden counter top. The bartender keeps giving me concerned glances, which I ignore. I was on to my second bottle of Jack Daniel's and I suppose he was worried I would drink myself into stupor. He needn't worry. I was the son of Satan. There's wasn't much I couldn't tolerate. 
Besides, it was alcohol. It was sin. It would nourish instead of cause drunkenness. For me, at least.
Taehyung's meeting with the Lycan Parliament had gone without a hitch, thankfully. The Parliament always insisted on meeting at least once a week to keep the Alpha up to date on the Weres of their countries, as was tradition. And despite how busy Taehyung was, despite the number of assassination attempts on his head, he would always make the effort to come and listen to their queries and worries.
He was showing himself to be too easy.
What if some members of Parliament decided to step on his head? What if they took advantage of him? He was Aamon after all. Taehyung was annoyingly kind. He would sacrifice himself for others in a heartbeat.
"Everything alright, dude?" I look up to see the bartender wiping shot glasses as he stares at me in concern. A human, by the smell, and a pretty naïve one, by the look of innocence in his eyes.
Dude. So casual. So offhanded.
Western and Eastern culture really were light years away from each other. The inhabitants of Earth continue to amaze me.
"Yeah," I answer, throwing the shot back. 
Worrying for Taehyung was giving me wrinkles.
And I couldn't even age.
"Only fools drink that much alcohol on a Tuesday night."
I give myself the liberty of a half smile. A little conversation I had with Taehyung about fools replays in my mind. Perhaps I'd never think of the word the same way again. I refill my glass, and the bartender this time places a hand against mine, catching the shot just before I am able to throw it back again.
"Dude." It sounded like a pretty condescending tone, but he's looking at me with a hint of curiosity in his blue eyes. "It's none of my business but -"
"The alcohol won't kill me," I sigh, pulling my hand away from his hold. "I'm Russian."
"You don't look Russian," he murmurs, in a tone that dares me to think he's that stupid. And I wouldn't put it beneath him. I've been carrying the Asian look for the past fifty years.
"I am every race of the Earth, for I walk each land as I please."
That settles it. The bartender rolls his eyes, heading back to his original place. I think for a moment that he's left me alone, but he keeps on walking, right to the staff phone mounted against the wall.
"I'm not gon stop you if you want a drink," he says, placing the phone against his ear as he studies me. "But I ain't gon let a man kill himself before my eyes." He starts to dial a number, and I silently fume. 
It was security. I *really* didn't want any attention, especially not at a time when the hotel was already suffering from an influx of security guards so large, they'd probably send a platoon to deal with my drinking problem. I had enough on my plate as is.
"Alright, alright." I finally drop the shot, slamming it against the counter. "I'm going."
Trust a human to be able to put Lucifer's son in his place.
And he gives me a smile, lips stretched so wide, I'd expect them to tear down the middle. "That's the way," he praises, hanging up the phone. "Now get on your way and grasp life by the collar. There's only so much alcohol can fix."
Unfortunately, my problem couldn't be fixed with *any* amount of alcohol. In fact, my problem dealt with alcohol so badly that he'd knock himself unconscious at the first bottle of whiskey.
I leave the bar, putting my hood up just because.
Almost immediately, I am met with the *stench* of a million different species and wards in the condensed space of the hotel. With the Aamon housed within these four walls, security was so high that the whiff of magic became a gagging smell, enough to hackle my nerves. Every specie was mentally waging against the other in a show of power, and with each Court trying to win the Aamon over, there was so much magical tension in the air I could almost taste it.
Of course, everything I felt, no one else could. Hypersensitivity to your surroundings could be a real curse at times.
I cover myself within my cloak of invisibility, being seen only to those of my kind. Almost immediately, it was as if another veil had been lifted over my eyes, the busy lobby becomes more packed, as the Djinn of the vicinity are suddenly all too visible. They hum their acknowledgement of my presence but say nothing else.
I move, skimming over the surface of reality as I shift from one place to another. It is a special trait of Djinns. The threads holding the universe together were like stepping stones for us. We could alternate between any reality we wanted.
As someone who's lived several significant millenia, there isn't much I haven't seen. I move, feeling space and time morph before me as I head to my destination.
And am halted right in my tracks with a jarring thud that feels a lot like slamming face first into a concrete wall. I flinch, needing a second to refocus before I slam my shields down. Something had stopped me mid-shift. And that had to be something extremely powerful.
I am ripped from the ground, suddenly airborne as I feel myself force-shift. What was going on?
Reality warps before me once more, this time in a dizzying pace of urgency that barely has me holding on to my own form before I solidify. It takes me a moment to realise where I am before I am falling.
"Jin!"
I hit the carpeted floor on all fours, scrambling to stand, only to duck once more as a fireball flies my way.
"What's going on?" I yell, ignoring the full-on ruckus and state of emergency the Aamon's suite was in. The room, so recently restored to full luxurious glory, looked like Katrina had paid a personal visit. Walls had been torn down and furniture was everywhere it was not supposed to be. The Aamon's bodyguards, trained to take down the worst of monsters, were cowering behind what makeshift shields they could find. No one was moving to attack. Why?
Jungkook manages to army crawl towards me, hair singing with a near miss of a fireball. I reach over to pinch a tiny flame burning the top of his head like a candle, and he grins his thanks, despite blood trickling down his temple.
A large section of the wall before us suddenly cracks and falls, before flying towards us. We jump out the way, parting just as the slab of concrete crashes where we crouched half a second earlier. "Where's the danger?"
He doesn't say anything, only pointing somewhere to my left.
I turn to look, just in time to see Taehyung being somehow thrown out the kitchen, eyes wide in panic and confusion. I instinctively move to catch him, but Jungkook pulls me back.
We crash into each other in a tangle of limbs.
"Don't!" He yells. "Don't get hear him!"
I don't waste much time, only hurling Jungkook off me, running towards Taehyung. But Jungkook stops me again, this time in full wolf form as he stands before me to block my way.
*The danger!* His voice practically screams in my mind, rushed and panicked. *He's the danger!*
"What?" That couldn't be. It was obvious that Taehyung was *in* danger, not a danger. But Jungkook proves me wrong, as I see from over his shoulder, Taehyung produces another fireball and hurls it our way. I grab Jungkook by the scruff of his neck and jump, just as the fireball crashes and burns the ground we had stood on.
"What's wrong with him?"
*If I knew…*
"Well, what happened to make him like this?"
*Uhhhhh…*
Two guards jump overhead, crashing into Taehyung. The three of them tumble to the floor, before Taehyung produces a powerful burst of energy that sends them flying. Jungkook shifts back to human form and we move again, mostly to lessen our chances of being hit. 
Taehyung's attacks seemed wild and unrestrained - very unlike him.
"We were going through some gifts," Jungkook starts.
"By whom?" The floor at our feet begins to quake, and we jump out the way once more. A column of fire erupts from the floor, hitting the ceiling and setting off the sensors. Water rains down on us.
"Pardon?" Jungkook says, pushing the bangs off his eyes.
"Who sent the gifts?"
"We don't know. The pile of presents keeps growing day by day." Ever since Taehyung's *very* dramatic coronation four weeks ago, he'd been receiving lavish gifts from multiple Courts and individuals trying to woo him over to support their cause. Back when we were part of a boyband, gifts were something of a normalcy. Yet the massive pile Taehyung received upon formally becoming Aamon could put even the most dedicated fans to shame.
"Didn't you *check*?" I seethe. Along with being amongst the most powerful beings in history, Taehyung also received the great pain of being an extremely large target. Those who didn't want to his boots wanted him six feet under. It wasn't that great a life.
"We did!" Jungkook argues, sounding meekly offended. "But there are a lot of gifts."
"So what happened?"
"Taehyung was opening a box. It looked like those you put rings inside and -"
Jungkook pauses to duck, just as Taehyung literally flies our way. It looked like he'd been thrown, but there was nothing near him. I couldn't even detect a trace of a spell.
"Inside was a ball," Jungkook continues, as Taehyung lands like a sack of potatoes a distance behind us. "It looked like a marble. And then Taehyung dropped it."
"And?" I asked, because Jungkook's tone really hinted finality. That and Taehyung was starting to get up.
"And then this happened!" Another burst of energy hits the two of us, and we are sent flying.
I slam against the adjacent wall, while Jungkook has the misfortune of flying straight out the balcony window. I scramble to catch him. A fall of this height would kill him.
I teleport, winking out of existence momentarily as I charge through the surface of space and dimension. Realities and worlds run by me as I force myself to quicken my pace before literally jumping off.
I wrap my arms around Jungkook's waist as we freefall momentarily, before we wink right out.
"JIN!"
I bite back the profanity. 
Taehyung was somehow messing with my powers, meddling with the flow of energy I obtained from his Court. I'd managed to teleport, but I didn't get to reach my destination.
In fact, this was the literal opposite of my destination. Taehyung had somehow managed to pull us higher than the original distance we were falling and instead of falling fifteen storeys, he'd doubled the height.
The impact would splatter Jungkook against the pavement like a bug against the windshield. He wouldn't survive.
"Hold on," I murmur, gritting my teeth as I tighten the hold I had on him. I feel him twist, turning to face me as he wraps strong arms around my neck.
I let my human form waver. 
I could do nothing with this body. I was too small, too light, too defenceless. At least in my true form, my wings could save us. Granted, our fall would attract a lot of attention, but that was better than killing Jungkook.
The human illusion falls away, as I feel my wings literally burst out my back from my own panicked pace. I feel my features change, feel my form widen, lengthen, strengthen. I know my face must look completely different now, as Jungkook stares up at me with wide, frightened eyes, before he forcefully closes them, tucking his head beneath my snout.
With a hand against Jungkook's back - I was large enough to hold him in the palm of one hand now, I give a mighty flap of my wings.
Our descent is jarringly halted as my wings catch air. I shoot upwards, heading back to the hotel suite we were unceremoniously thrown out of.
*I'm going to throw you.*
That makes Jungkook open his eyes in alarm, staring up at me as the wind whips his hair back and against my face like a whip of sorts.
*What.*
I ignore the question. We were nearing our destination.
*Brace yourself.*
I shoot right past our suite, needing to make a wild loop before I could make such a rough u-turn. I burst through the windows and steel barriers, the intricate designs of the balcony unable to contain my massive frame.
I drop Jungkook against a sofa, the speed I was going at surely making the impact feel like he's just gotten hit by a moving car, and continue my hurtle towards the only person standing - Taehyung.
I see him whirl around to face me, his eyes still wide with panic. He brings his hands up, and a wall of fire suddenly erupts before him, completely obstructing my view. 
I switch to my other form as I speed towards him. I feel myself become incorporeal, my solid form giving way to nothingness, as my cloak of invisibility as a Djinn veils me. I burst through the wall of flames, feeling the momentary blinding wave of pain from the fires of Hell, before I shoot right through. 
Taehyung cannot see me in this form - very few beings in existence could, but for a microsecond, I was pretty sure he was staring straight into my eyes. There is the familiarity of his face - his wide eyes, his long bangs, his parted lips - yet there is still something very odd about the look in his eyes. It seemed to me like his gaze was piercing straight through my soul. Like he could see something no one else could.
And then I shoot straight into him, straight into his body, latching myself against his soul.
Pitch black greets me, before I am looking at the world through Taehyung's eyes.
*Taehyung! What's going on? I leave you for five minutes -*
*Possession.* He sounded restrained.
*That's impossible. The Aamon -* I am stopped when I feel a pain against my gut. It felt like someone had hit me with a sledgehammer. I nearly fly right out of Taehyung's body if not for his soul grabbing onto me and keeping me in place. *What was that?*
*I told you. Possession! You don't have much time until -*
Then something latches against my waist, strong, clammy arms wrapped around me, and I am literally thrown right off my feet, ripped from Taehyung's hold, and hurled right out of his body.
I fly momentarily as I solidify into a human form and crash into the adjacent wall.
"Jin!" I can hear Jungkook pretty clearly, but I can't see him.
I couldn't focus on anything, in actuality. It looked like my sight had yet to return.
And then things are in high definition once more, and Jungkook has me by my collar, pulling me into upright position. 
"What's wrong? Are you okay? Is Taehyung okay? What -"
*Possession,* I reply straight into his mind. Jungkook blinks momentarily, caught offguard.
*How?*
*We'll think of that later. Can you distract him?*
*Yes, but -*
*Distract him.*
I don't waste any more time with explanations, shooting past Jungkook again in incorporeal form. Jungkook catches up quickly enough, going right through me in wolf form. He charges full speed towards Taehyung, roaring loud enough to shake the walls of the stronghold.
And Taehyung whirls around to face him, that same somewhat-panicked-somewhat-vapid look in his eyes. His movements were careless, clumsy. He brings an arm up to call forth a burst of fire, of which Jungkook manages to dodge. His fingers are splayed, crooked in awkward tension. Why hadn't I seen it before? 
Taehyung had always been careless and clumsy, but only outside the battlefield. He moved with the grace of drunkard, but when on the offensive, he knew exactly the movements he'd need to execute to call forth his powers.
This wasn't Taehyung. At least not the one I knew.
Jungkook manages to get near him, knocking Taehyung to the ground as he tackles him from the side. And as Taehyung lays splayed against the ground, he starts twitching, before breaking out in full convulsions.
He was fighting - fighting with whatever it was that was inside him.
I take the opportunity while it's still there, and dive straight into him.
Again, I'm met with pitch darkness, but a new sensation greets me. I was on *fire*. 
In fact, *everything* was on fire. Taehyung was fighting with his spiritual intruder by lighting his inner self alight in hopes it would drive them out. It wouldn't harm him, since these were his flames, but they would be a party on any others.
Like me.
Even if I was an offspring of the King of Hell himself, these fires were still fires. And they responded to Taehyung, not me.
I wasn't going to last long in here.
"Taehyung!" I call. "It's me!"
"Who is it?" 
And I freeze. That was Taehyung's voice, alright. But it wasn't Taehyung.
No way it was him. I knew that underlay of power in that voice.
"Who's there?" I roar, letting the ripple of power leave my metaphysical form. "Show yourself!"
"Why, Jin," the voice muses, faking hurt. I fight to keep focus. The flames were starting to *really* be a distraction now. "It is I. The Aamon. Are you not familiar with my voice yet, bodyguard?"
I try to pinpoint where the voice was coming from, but it seemed to reverberate from everywhere. And the worst thing was, I couldn't locate Taehyung's soul either. Was he alright? Did he win?
"What do you want with him? You should know he is untrained. He won't be able to obtain everything you desire."
"Oh?" It is indescribably discomforting, knowing that this wasn't Taehyung, that this wasn't the person I knew that I was speaking to, yet hearing his voice, his familiar lilting laughter that was echoing all around. "I think the Aamon has given me *exactly* what I wanted."
A burst of energy - strong, ruthless and powerful - hits me straight against my chest. The pain that hits me is a new wave, a familiar force that has me nearly blinded before I manage to recover myself.
At least I know where the power was coming from now. 
I turn to the direction of the energy source, focusing hard enough until I see that familiar shimmer of condensed power. Of my kind.
"Show yourself."
"As you wish," not-Taehyung hums.
And then the darkness around us starts to give way, illuminated by a bright light that felt anything but warm and comforting. I resist the urge to squint away from it. 
The light starts to slowly morph into physical form, becoming tangible and opaque, until it becomes a form that is almost human.
And what I see makes my rage escalate.
"Good evening, Big Brother."
"Lilith."
Just like that, the flames all around me extinguishes.
And Lilith, sometimes known as Amodeus, or Lust itself, stands before me, smiling demurely amidst the pitch black as if she gave off her own light. The youngest of the Seven Sins, of my ten siblings, looks at me like she expects a kiss and hug. And perhaps if the circumstances had been different, I would've done exactly that.
But the circumstance that I was seeing right now - with Taehyung basically held hostage in her petite arms, staring up at me with wide panicked eyes as he knelt on his knees, an arm twisted painfully behind him while she had a hold on the back of his neck - did not warrant a warm reunion.
"What are you doing here," I breathe. If one of the Seven Deadly Sins was here, that would mean more were to come. It would spell trouble for everyone.
She tilts her head at me in a show of innocence, and the hold she has on Taehyung's neck tightens. She was getting jealous.
"Can't your baby sister come to see you?"
"Lilith, let him go. You know it's not your place to kill him." I try to sound diplomatic. Despite not being the Sin of Wrath or Envy, Lilith had the tendency to throw spectacular tantrums that would regularly result in her destroying everything she had her hands on. And with her hands full of Taehyung, I did *not* want that.
"But he attacked me!"
"That's because you *intruded his physical body*."
"I wouldn't know," she sniffs. 
And she was right - technically. As the Sin of Lust, Lilith was a succubus - a demon that feeds off the energy of others. And the only way she could do that was to enter the soul of another being and feed off their life force. Sharing a body with another inhabitant was not a new concept to her.
"He is untrained, Lilith. He doesn't know the ways of our kind yet."
She sniffs again, a habitual crinkling of her nose that was a way she gauged the emotions in the air. "But he's the Aamon."
"I know."
"And you've been hanging around him, haven't you?"
"Yes."
"So why haven't you been teaching him?"
"I've been busy."
Lilith raises a dainty eyebrow at that, but says nothing.
"Let him go. Let him go and he'll listen to what you have to say."
And she frowns in confusion at that. "Listen? I didn't come all the way-"
She was distracted. And just like I'd taught him, Taehyung took the opportunity when presented to him. I just wish that it wasn't *now*.
He lets off a burst of power, strong enough that it fully ejects Lilith and I straight out of him, careening us out into the physical world. I grab on to Lilith's hand - firstly, because that would stop her from running away while I was distracted and secondly because it was instinct. She was still my sister, despite the trouble she brought along like extra baggage.
Yet she still somehow slips from my fingers, turning incorporeal as her translucent form flies here and there across the four corners of the now sufficiently ravaged living room.
"Get down!" I scream. 
Lilith was panicking, going haywire at the sudden ejection. The Fifth Aamon may look weak, but he was not a force to be reckoned with.
The first person she hit would be her next victim of possession.
A guard scrambles to catch Taehyung who has fallen to the ground, as the others look around wildly, armed and at the ready to fight an enemy they couldn't possibly catch. Lilith wouldn't even be visible to them.
I see her hit corners of the walls and then bounce off like a pinball machine as what little spells and incantations that have held throughout the onslaught keep her contained. I was beginning to regret putting on so much protection. She was going to hit someone, and soon.
Sure enough, Lilith careens straight into one of the guards and latches on to his soul, effectively possessing him. It shouldn't have been so much a worry if it hadn't been Louis.
Louis the vampire.
The colour of the European vampire's eyes changes immediately. He would've been a much easier individual to control than the Aamon.
"Jungkook!" I bark, not even daring to take my eyes off the vampire. "Take Louis down!"
If it had been any other guard, I would've been met with hesitation. Louis was a longstanding member of Taehyung's protectors and the other guards simply didn't like me. But it was Jungkook. If I told him to jump, he wouldn't even ask how high.
Jungkook - shifting to wolf form - makes a move to tackle him to the ground, but the vampire is faster. He charges towards Jungkook and meets him head on, the sound of them crashing against each other similar to that of breaking bones, and Jungkook is sent flying.
The other guards start moving at that, recognizing the sudden threat and trying to at least contain the vampire into a smaller space to be able to contain him. But Louis was simply too fast. I could barely keep my eyes on him before he suddenly attacks me.
He manages to claw me across the face before I whisper a spell, covering the distance between us with a wall of fire that throws him back. I really didn't want to kill a man like him, but I wouldn't hesitate to hurt him bad if he so much lay a hand on Taehyung.
Aaaaand it looks like I've jinxed it, because Louis is literally thrown against the guard trying to drag Taehyung away. Crap.
They land against the ground in a tangle of limbs and soon become a further tangle as the guard - a powerful mage in his own right - starts wrestling with Louis in effort to keep him from Taehyung. The other guards start moving, and are soon piling atop Louis to keep him from moving. Bad idea.
"No, no, no," I yell. "Get off him!"
Too late. Lilith's invisible form passes through the bodies like water through a sieve, and then latches her self on to the guard at the very top of the pile. Rosé the Faerie starts convulsing right then, vested with enough magic in her being to fight a possession should it happen. 
She tumbles to the ground just as Louis roars and literally throws the guards off him.
"Where is it?" He roars, looking wild, panicked and honestly pretty deranged - a far cry from his usual charming demeanor. He turns to me, looking ready to tear my head right off. "Where is it?!"
"Rosé," I answer, just as she is thrown against him. Looks like Lilith was winning the possession.
But it didn't look like Rosé was going down without a fight. At least in terms of decibals. 
She is screaming spell after spell and though they might've helped if she was in full control of her body, she wasn't and the spells were starting to cause serious damage to the room and all its inhabitants.
I duck just as a spell is thrown my way, proceeding to army crawl towards Taehyung while the other guards tried to deal with her.
*Taehyung, wake up!* I could literally see him against the ground, face down and just a small distance away from Rosé. If I could just grab him and keep him safe -
*I AM awake!* Taehyung's sudden answer jars me. I thought he was unconscious.
*Why the hell were you pretending to be asleep?*
*Because I don't have the energy in me to fight another possession! If that little demon gets in my body again, I won't be strong enough to stop her once she starts attacking you with my powers.*
*You're the only person who could possibly fight a possession from a person like her. Get her to do it again.*
*Are you INSANE!* Taehyung is yelling loud enough for his voice to echo in my head and ring in my ears. *Were you not listening to everything I just said!*
*I was. Now it's your turn to listen to me. That's not a normal possession. That is the daughter of Lucifer right there. The only way to catch her would be for me to pin her down while she's possessing another body. A normal being cannot take the full weight of two of Lucifer's children in them. They'll just explode. But you can.*
*How do you know I won't explode?* He is understandably hesitant, starting to twitch in his physical body. A sign of nervousness.
*Because you're the Aamon.*
*That does NOT sound very convincing.* 
*Taehyung, I was in your vessel a minute ago!*
Taehyung is suddenly up and wide awake, springing to his feet as he directs a burst of energy towards Rosé, who is kept busy throwing spells and being physically thrown around the room as she struggles with Lilith inside her.
The concentration of Taehyung's energy clears the floor, attracting Lilith's attention. Rosé whips her head around so quickly I'm pretty sure a normal human would've just broken her neck.
"Oh my God," I hear Taehyung whisper. "That is creepy."
And Rosé charges towards him, her body looking like a ragdoll dragged across an asphalt floor. I stand my ground, waiting for Lilith to exit the body so I can catch her.
But for once, I miscalculate.
Jungkook intercepts her, clamping his jaws against Rosé's waist before he hurls her back. Lilith exits the Faerie's body and latches herself against Jungkook's soul.
. . .
Jungkook's half demon blood was *not* going to take the possession well.
He roars, the sound alive with pain, anger and confusion. The boy was eight. He wouldn't be able to control himself well. He starts thrashing about; his massive size and fully extended claws and fangs making all the other guards hesitate.
"Where is the threat now?" I hear a guard murmur.
"In the wolf child," I answer, keeping my voice low as a massive hint.
And I suppose the guards collectively understand as each one lowers themselves to the floor, armed and posture ready for offense.
Taehyung is the only person standing, as he stares at Jungkook in frozen horror.
"Jungkook?"
And the boy has suddenly stopped thrashing, staying completely still as if Taehyung's voice was a pause button. And then he turns his head, staring directly at Taehyung.
The Aamon takes one step back.
"Move!" I yell.
The guards all start running towards him as Jungkook takes a powerful flying leap towards Taehyung. The boy's jaws are wide open and ready to dig deep into someone's flesh.
He crashes into Taehyung and I hear the Aamon scream as he falls.
"Jungkook, no!"
Words fall on deaf ears as he lands atop Taehyung's chest just as the Aamon directs a burst of power against him. It throws the boy off, but it doesn't stop him. Jungkook is charging at the Aamon again as Taehyung gets up and runs. Another guard intercepts Jungkook but he throws him off with one powerful sweep of his massive paw.
If I didn't do something, Taehyung was not only dead, he'd be dead in many pieces.
I wink out the room, grabbing for my stash of weapons and wink right back. I was gone for five seconds at most, yet things seemed to have went from bad to worse. Three guards lie against the ground bleeding and looking near death as the rest warily surround Jungkook, who has one paw against Louis, restraining the vampire against the carpeted floor.
I whisper a spell and clap my hands together, producing a sonic boom that blows everyone off their feet, Jungkook included. It manages to distract everyone and in the confusion, I throw the weapon in Taehyung's direction.
*What is it?* He doesn't even glance at the weapon, concerned eyes still on Jungkook.
*Silver dagger.*
*Are you crazy? We want the demon out, not Jungkook's soul!*
*You aren't strong enough to fight him off in your state. Use the weapon if necessary.*
We are interrupted by another roar, as Jungkook battles three guards at once.
*Why isn't she leaving his body?*
*My hunch is that Jungkook is keeping her in. His half demon heritage might be to his advantage.*
*Is that good news or bad news?*
*… I have no idea.*
Another roar as Jungkook has managed to breach through the line of guards and charges towards Taehyung. 
Lilith had *got* to get the hint that she was just confusing and scaring the Aamon.
Panicked in the moment, Taehyung calls forth a wave of fire to protect himself. The flames envelop him in a bid to shield him from the massive wolf, but it doesn't even seem to stop Jungkook. I watch the pair of jaws clamp down on the flames and I start running.
If those fangs plunged into Taehyung's head or neck, that would be the literal end of him.
I plunge straight into the flames right after Jungkook, feeling tufts of fur at my fingertips just as Taehyung starts screaming profanities. I grab on to the fur, just as the fires start roaring, growing in response to the Aamon's sudden lack of control. Jungkook was going to be roasted alive at this rate.
I twist, tightening my hold on Jungkook. This was going to be an ugly throw. I feel my feet hit the ground, using what little momentum I had to hurl the boy to the side like some sort of massive frisbee.
The flames suddenly extinguish and my vision is clear. What I see is no relief.
"FfffffuuuuuuuuUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK!"
Looks like Taehyung had gotten his tresses stuck in Jungkook's jaws and I'd evidently hurled him along with the wolf.
"Use the dagger!" I yell, just as the both of them slam against an adjacent wall. Jungkook didn't look intent on letting go. His jaws were *this* close to Taehyung's head.
*The silver will hurt him!* I hear his vicious reply in my mind. He is a squirming mess, clutching on to his scalp before Jungkook could rip all the hair off his head.
*Then he will kill you!*
*Not gonna happen.*
His grip on the dagger tightens, and he twists.
I'd expected him to plunge it against Jungkook's chest, but he doesn't. No surprise.
Instead, he swipes the blade against his hair, slicing through the locks clamped between Jungkook's jaw. His head hits the ground with a painfully audible thump and he lets out a violent burst of power that throws both him and Jungkook away from each other.
Taehyung slams into a table while Jungkook manages to catch himself before he is hurled out the balcony.
The Aamon is scrambling on all fours as he looks up.
"Jungkook, let her go!"
Lilith leaves the body this time in a powerful burst, heading for the strongest source of power she could find - Taehyung. She slams straight into him and I run after her. I couldn't let her take control of the Aamon again. Taehyung was weakening and once he loses control of all that power, all the forty legions of heaven and hell would be at Lilith's beck and call. Not wise.
I let myself go incorporeal, and leap straight into Taehyung's body.
"LILITH, CALM DOWN!"
"I AM CALM. IT'S JUST THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS PANICKING."
"You've been trying to take over the Aamon's body. Of course he's going to panic!"
"Well, I'd expect him to at least be diplomatic and listen!"
I hide a frustrated roar. With Lilith nearing a temper of her own, yelling at each other would get us nowhere.
"If I try to get you an audience, will you stop trying to possess everyone?"
"I am NOT TRYING TO POSSESS EVERYONE. The constant ejection had me confused!"
"Yes, yes," I murmur. "The Aamon -"
And there it goes again. The moment of distraction.
Another burst of power hits us, and we are forcefully ejected from Taehyung's body. I latch on firmly to Lilith this time. I was not going to allow her to go crazy again.
We are thrown against the ground in a tumble and tangle of limbs, Lilith somehow landing atop me.
"See!" She screeches, turning to face me without even moving to get off my chest. "What did I tell you! He keeps on attacking me for no reason!"
"Lilith, how many *times* must I explain to you -"
And then my little sister is practically ripped off me by a pair of really large, really strong jaws that clamp around her abdomen. I scramble to stand, just as she slams against the adjacent wall and the Were that had grabbed her slams her against the floor in turn, two giant paws on each of her tiny shoulders. She is immediately surrounded in full circle by the multiple bodyguards Taehyung had at his beck and call. She looks blankly up at them, like she cannot understand the treatment she is getting.
"Stop!" I start. "She's -"
"Let her go." 
I turn to see Taehyung pushing himself off the ground, drenched with sweat and shaking from exhaustion. The ejection must've taken more power than I'd thought. Jungkook is immediately by his side, allowing Taehyung to use his massive wolf form to pull himself up.
"Your Highness," Louis steps forward, practically frothing at the mouth from spite. "Let us deal with this intruder. You are -"
The Aamon holds up a hand, and the vampire immediately falls quiet.
"She came to speak to me. It was I who overreacted. I wasn't used to her way of…" Taehyung pauses right then, needing a moment to close his eyes and collect himself. "…saying hello."
"That's right!" Lilith pipes in. "I wouldn't have had to go all crazy if -"
"Lilith!" I bite, glaring at her. She shrinks under the gaze, as she usually does when she annoys me.
A quarter of the guards turn to me, questioning and accusatory looks in their eyes. Those who don't turn to me already have it in their thoughts.
"Warlock, you are familiar with the intruder?" A Were, part of the Court Taehyung had reluctantly inherited, points the question at me.
"Warlock?" Lilith repeats, the amusement plain as day in her tone. I give her another glare to shut it.
"Bite your tongue, intruder." Another guard points a weapon at her, a weapon that would ultimately do no good for someone of her power and status. "You are lucky the Aamon lets you live."
Lilith crinkles her nose again, staring down the length of the gun pointed at her. "You are lucky *I* let you live," she pouts, before turning to Taehyung. "I beseech you to get them off me. I mean no harm."
I didn't think Taehyung would be dumb enough to believe her. She'd just ripped the stronghold of a suite to shreds, breached right through the multiple protection spells and wards we had around literally every corner of the room and had breezed through Taehyung's shields like they weren't even there.
She was a danger to everyone.
"Let her go. I will speak to her in private."
…Then again, Taehyung was known to surprise me every day.
The full force of his guards turn to him, similar faces of unmasked disbelief on their faces.
"Your Highness -"
"Do you defy me?" The question is quiet, almost whisper soft. It is not a threat. Taehyung was too wholesome a person to throw his title around to get his way. But the guards knew, firsthand, the strength of power Taehyung could produce. It was a question.
Would they heed his orders or go against him?
And even in his weakened state, even as he struggled to stand, leaning heavily against Jungkook, with his face pale and his hands shaking, Taehyung was not a force to be reckoned with.
"Never, Your Highness." Louis turns to Lilith, who is only grinning up at him despite the hulking form atop her. "We shall wait outside your door."
The only thing Taehyung does is nod, and with a final glare at the smiling Lilith, they shuffle out, shutting the door behind them. 
Lilith jumps up as soon as the final guard leaves, running towards me with her arms wide open.
"Azazel!" She singsongs, making a flying leap as she crashes into me and wraps her arms around my neck. "It's been too long."
I don't move. Given the right incentive, Lilith could charm her way into oblivion, deviating from the topic until it becomes long forgotten.
"You attacked the Aamon," I point out.
"I did," she hums.
I reach behind my neck to forcefully get her arms off me.
"Lilith, how clear must I make myself? I swore myself to the Aamon's Court. Attack him again, and I won't stop to kill you."
"You wouldn't," she challenges with the exact same annoying singsong tone she does when she knows she will get her way.
Though he says nothing, Jungkook is staring at our exchange with very confused eyes and the message I see in them is clear as day. I suppose it wasn't too late for family introductions.
"Jungkook, Taehyung," I start, turning to them. "This is my younger sister."
Lilith turns to them, the smile never lost on her delicate features.
"Charmed, I'm sure," she greets, extending her hand towards them.
If she was expecting a handshake, she was sorely disappointed. The Aamon is taught to be basically untouchable and Jungkook in wolf form wasn't moving. 
She holds her hand out for perhaps fifteen seconds, waiting expectantly as she stares between Taehyung and Jungkook.
"Oh!" She suddenly says, patting her hands against her cheeks. "Where are my manners?" 
I don't move as she takes two steps forward to cover the distance between Taehyung and her, before she cups Taehyung's face in her hands and rests her lips against his. Jungkook's eyes widen, but I supposed he's seen energy transfers between Taehyung and I often enough that he doesn't freak out.
She breaks the energy transfer, looking up at Taehyung as he looks back at her in quiet surprise. He is replenished, standing on his own two feet now as he stares my sister down and gauges what he was supposed to do.
"…thanks."
"The honour is mine. I think you look better with short hair," she giggles. "Guardian of the Forty Legions of Heaven and Hell. Strange that you've never visited."
That puts me back on track. "What are you doing here, Lilith?"
And the light returns in her eyes and she turns to me, massive pout on her face. "Daddy wants your help."
"No." I don't even need to hear the rest of it. If Lucifer was finding me after all the ruckus he's caused at the coronation, my answer would most definitely be no.
"Azazel, at least hear me out!"
"If it is regarding that monster, nothing is worth listening to."
She begins tugging at my arm. Somehow no matter the millenia that pass, Lilith seemed to stay permanently childish.
"Jin, hear her out."
I look up to see Taehyung staring unsurely at my sister, a strange look in his eyes.
"She's come all the way."
"Taehyung," I respond. "That fiend who attacked you --"
"Is still your father."
That stops me in my tracks. I blink, unsure I've heard right.
"Just hear her out."
I close my eyes. The headache was already coming.
"What's the problem?"
Lilith looks up at me, and then at Taehyung, and then back to me.
"The factions of Hell are disintegrating. Beelzebub organized a Coup d'etat in secret and is working his way up the hierarchy. We need the Aamon back in Hell."
I fall quiet as I stare at her, stare deep into her green-gold eyes created to entrance, charm and seduce. I try to find the hint of a lie.
"I'm not lying to you," she says, voice whisper soft. "We've lost many soldiers as is."
I look up, at both Taehyung and Jungkook staring back at us in confusion.
"I think we will need to sit down for this."

"Have you ever heard of the ancient poem Divine Comedy by Dante Aligheiri?" Taehyung nods at my question, while Jungkook - expectedly, since he was only eight - shakes his head.
"The story about Dante's descent to Hell," Taehyung answers.
I nod, lightly pacing the room as Jungkook and him stare at me from the bed they are sitting on. "Dante wasn't just an ordinary poet. He was a clairvoyant, and an extremely powerful one too. His poem was based on the visions he saw one night when a previous coup d'etat had happened in Hell and resulted in an uncapped release of dark magic on to the Earth. This was around seven hundred years ago. Are you getting me so far?"
Both nod.
"In his first poem, Inferno, Dante describes with accuracy the levels of Hell in existence. There are Nine Circles: Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Violence, Heresy, Anger, Fraud and Treachery, with Hell being essentially ruled by one person."
"Our daddy!" Lilith pipes in.
I nod, mostly to give her the attention she was seeking.
"But there are multiple people below him who rule the Nine Circles of Hell. Just like how a continent can be governed by one individual, but still have the states governed by others. These are like the levels of Hell, each grouped by sin. The nearer you are to the centre -"
"The bigger your sin?"
"Very good, Jungkook," I nod. "Each of my siblings rule a circle."
"What did you rule, Jin?" Jungkook asks, even raising a hand like a school child.
"As the oldest amongst my siblings, I basically ruled over each one and reported to my father. Anyways, it's a very complex system, held in part by the Aamon."
Instinctively, I look up at Taehyung, who was looking more worried by the second.
"The Aamon's part in all this was that he maintained stability. As a neutral being, he ensured the right soul entered the right Circle and that the soul was punished for only his own sin and kept both the levels of Hell and its rulers in check."
"So why does it say Forty Legions of Heaven and Hell?"
"Because there are further levels inside the Nine Circles that total up to forty. And the Aamon basically oversaw them all."
"With the Aamon gone," Lilith adds in, "the basic system of check and balance is, well… gone. There is no control. Beelzebub, our second sibling, is working his way into the inner Circles with his army. Once he reaches the center of the Circle, the hierarchy will be ruined."
"What's so bad about that?"
Now that question, I hadn't been expecting. I stare back at Taehyung's wide, curious eyes and I wonder momentarily if he was taking a jab at us.
"Lucifer is not technically the best leader…is he?"
Such an innocent question. And yet the answer would be so complex.
I instinctively turn to my sister, who is seated against the edge of a table, her feet swinging off the edge.
"Your Highness, you have to understand the complexity of Hell. Lucifer was made King of it for a reason. Overthrowing the current ruler would create massive shifts in power that would ultimately affect Earth and Heaven."
"Besides," I add in. "You don't know Beelzebub. If he manages to overthrow Lucifer, then there is no knowing the limits he would test."
"Why?" Jungkook asks in turn.
"Because," I explain. "That is his Sin. Envy. He will never be happy knowing that there exist beings more powerful than he."
"But I know Lucifer," Taehyung starts to point out. "I know that his ascent to Earth will trigger my battle with him once more, and if I lose, Judgement Day will basically come. If his son can take him out for me, why not? And who's to say your sister isn't lying, Jin? You told me that going down to Hell untrained would kill me. And now suddenly your sister comes begging me to help right after we defeated Lucifer when he has all the reasons to kill me?"
Well. I hadn't expected Taehyung to be the one casting the doubt.
"I'm not lying to you," Lilith says. "My twin brother Pan is fighting to keep Beelzebub's forces at bay from overtaking our Circle. My sisters Leviatha and Mammon's Circles have already been conquered. They hide in the Center, healing with my father. The genocide that is occurring between the inhabitants of Hell has gone beyond anything we imagined. Why would I lie about something like that?" Her voice is starting to go shrill as she gets defensive.
"And why not? Isn't it in your nature to lie to the People of Earth?"
"And isn't it your job to protect us, Aamon?" Lilith has hopped off her table, stalking towards Taehyung before I keep a grip on her arm to pull her back. "For countless millenia, the Aamon before you have given life and limb to protect the stability of Hell, Heaven and Earth. Guardian of the Forty Legions of Heaven and Hell! Is it not your title?"
"Lilith, enough," I say, attempting to calm her.
"If you don't help us, no one will. No one *can*! Only the Aamon has the power to keep the Hereafter at bay. Only the Aamon can speak to souls. Only the Aamon can seek help from the Heavens. Only the Aamon can call on the fires of Hell and use them at his discretion."
"ENOUGH!"
I hadn't said that.
Taehyung is standing, facing my sister as he levels his stare at her. They are almost the same height. Was Lilith tall or was Taehyung tiny?
"I am only a guardian. The Aamon must stand on neutral ground. You know me picking a side will automatically throw whatever little stability you have left out the window. It is not my duty to interfere."
The words hang heavy in the subsequent dead silence. Lilith was slowly getting warmer and warmer under my touch, the clearest indication of a tantrum coming.
"I'd always assumed Ezekiel was wise," she starts, her voice whisper soft as she stares Taehyung dead in the eye. "For three millenia, he ruled with little conflict he couldn't solve. But I was wrong. He left behind the biggest mistake when he passed his power down to you."
"Tell me something I don't know," Taehyung answers, ice cold gaze just as level as hers.
Lilith ignores him, whirling around to face me.
"I have to return to Pan. Our forces are losing." And amidst the childishly haughty aura that is an almost permanent fixture on her face, I see a sliver of fear. True fear, one that we as children of Lucifer did not feel on a regular basis. I realise that she was telling the truth. 
She places a hand against my cheek.
"Should Beelzebub somehow breach through to the center, you *must* find a way to contact the Angels. Have them smite everything. *Everyone*. No ruler is better than a ruler like Beelzebub. Then ascend as your rightful place as King of Hell."
My heart reaches out for her. We were demons, true, and we were the direct offspring of Lucifer himself. But we were still family. 
I hold on to the hand she has against my cheek, bringing it to my lips as I kiss her wrist softly.
"Do *not* lose." Because losing would be the end of things, the end of too many things and the start of the worst revolution of the Hereafter.
She says nothing, only giving me a quiet smile before disappearing completely.

"Are you mad at me?"
I look up from my book, glancing at Taehyung as he stares himself in the mirror. He runs a brush absentmindedly through his locks, now grazing his neck instead of falling against his back. I suppose Lilith was right. He looked better with short hair.
"No," I say, turning back to my book.
"You've lied to me before." 
I place my book aside, knowing he won't drop the topic anytime soon. I get up instead, and head for the balcony, resting my elbows against the railings as I stare out the night time view. I hear Taehyung tail me, and feel him standing by my side. The wind has picked up in the busy night of the city, and his bangs fall into his eyes.
"Do you think your sister was telling the truth?"
"She's lied to me before," I say, throwing his words back at him. "But I don't think she was lying. She doesn't have much reason to."
"I should help….shouldn't I."
"You have no obligation to help. You're the Aamon. You must remain neutral."
Taehyung is quiet for a while, and I know that he is hesitating. I wait for him to speak.
"Are you going?"
I shake my head.
"But if it were my family… I'd still want to be there."
I turn to him completely. "Enough. I swore myself to your Court. My duty is to protect you."
He has those involuntary puppy dog eyes on, staring up at me with that quiet frown that could mean a million hidden things and yet mean nothing.
"I'm sorry."
It was my turn to frown.
'For what?' I'd wanted to ask, until I am interrupted by Taehyung suddenly gasping. He freezes, and I see his eyes clouding over until they are grey in totality. It was a sign that he was having a vision.
This aspect of his power was still a part he'd yet to control. Taehyung seemed to fully shut down whenever a vision hit him no matter the time and place, a very real danger when we were in the battlefield.
A vision also meant a new responsibility. Something major was about to happen that the Aamon must stop in order to change the future in his vision.
I keep a strong hold against his forearms in case he collapses again.
And the vision is over, Taehyung's eyes reverting back to their normal colour and his legs give way.
I catch him and the both of us fall to the floor, Taehyung leaning against my chest. He is gasping and already drenched with sweat.
"Jin?" His hands are shaking as he grips onto me.
"I'm here."
As far as visions went, this was the worst aftereffect of a vision I've seen on him.
I give him a moment to collect himself before I push him off me to look at him. He still looks dazed.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he says immediately. "Just another vision."
"What was it about?"
And he hesitates. 
I my head to the side, waiting for an answer.
"She needs our help."
It takes me a moment. Lilith.
I knew from the start that she wasn't lying, but an 'I told you so' would do nothing to help Taehyung right now. I rest my hands against his cheeks, holding him steady as I gaze into his eyes.
"What did you see?"
I hear the rush of his thoughts, so conflicting and quick that they become a static buzz. And as I stare into his eyes, I catch it.
The stench of fear.
I whisper an incantation, flashing his own memories against mine. Taehyung's vision clouds my mind and for a moment, I see nothing.
Then the loud flashes start. Everything is in fragments, but I catch enough to know what was going on - what was about to go on.
A civil war. In Hell, of all places.
I let go of him, ending the onslaught of his memories, exhaling as I do so.
I suppose Taehyung misreads that as something negative. He bites onto his lower lip right then, looking wildly like a lost child rather than the powerful being that he was. 
"I'm sorry." He leers towards me, impossibly wide eyes looking to swallow me into their gaze. "This is all my fault."
I stand, pulling him up as I do so. Taehyung takes a moment to keep himself steady, but I keep a firm hold on him. 
I hated when he did this. Hated when he blamed himself not because he was Aamon, but merely because he was Taehyung, the Taehyung I knew who would always blame himself.
"It is not your fault."
"Beelzebub only started overthrowing Lucifer because he knows he's weak. From his fight with me."
"Taehyung, Lucifer made the choice to -"
"And I didn't believe Lilith. She must've been so desperate to come to me."
"*Taehyung*, Lilith -"
"And because I said no, you can't help her! Because you're sworn to my Court!"
"Taehyung!" I clasp his face between my hands again. I needed to shut him up. "It's *not* your fault."
He was quiet, but all the noise came quite clearly from the depth of his gaze. Such expressive and soulful pair of eyes were a danger for a being of his status.
And as I watch, I see the frightful sheen of liquid catch light in the twin orbs. To my own horror, a set of tears start to trickle down his face, framing his increasingly gaunt cheekbones.
"Stop it," I breathe, knowing my voice has gone whisper soft. "Why do you do this to yourself?"
He shakes his head, and the act makes another set of tears fall.
"I'm sorry. I must be the worst Aamon -"
"You are *not* -"
"Hell is my responsibility. I couldn't -"
I did the only thing I could think of in that rushed period of time, pulling his face forward and planting my lips firmly against Taehyung's. The argument expectantly dies right then.
I kiss him. I don't know what makes me do it, but I do. 
I kiss him fierce, I kiss him angry. I let him know that his beliefs frustrate me. I did not believe them, so neither should he. 
His lips taste of salty tears and his cavern tastes of his mint toothpaste. He smells of vanilla and his touch reminds me of wilting flowers.
I part the kiss just as suddenly, and Taehyung looks up at me in alarmed confusion. 
"If I did not have faith in you," I start, "I would have left you long ago. So have faith in yourself. Just as how I have faith in you."
It takes him a really long time to blink, as he tries to register what I've just said. I rush through, taking advantage of his dazed state.
"I need to leave for a while. Things in Hell don't look too promising. You must -"
"You're going back there." 
I nod, trying to ignore the disbelief in his tone. 
"But I thought -"
"I'm aware of what I just said two minutes ago, Taehyung. But I have to go. You'll have to stay here."
And there it is again. The onset of fear. His pale skin going paler. The warmth of his cheeks beneath my hands turning to ice. His heartbeat picking up.
"You'll be fine," I try to comfort. "I wouldn't leave you if I knew you wouldn't be able to survive without me."
"But -"
"Listen, Taehyung. You have Jungkook and your plethora of other guards. The Victor is at your calling. The Lycan Courts will give up their lives for you. The Sovereign will come running when you need him. And you're strong."
His eyes widen. I belatedly notice that he hardly blinks when staring up at me. He could a hold a stare with barely a flinch.
"You're the strongest person I know," I rush. "You may be clumsy and your powers don't always work in your favour, but considering the amount of training you've had, you're doing spectacular. So I know you'll be fine."
"It's not me I'm worried about."
"Then what -" I catch it mid-sentence. I feel myself frown, feel my eyebrows come together. 
It was me. It was me he was worried about, over himself.
And this was something about Taehyung that I would never understand: how, even when the odds were stacked against him, even when the world was against him, even when half the population was out to kill him, he would always, always put others before himself.
It was not even a one time thing. He would consistently place himself in the line of danger for others' safety.
I could never understand this.
Perhaps it was because I was the son of Lucifer, born from a shard of his soul, so I was in essentiality, him. But I'd walked the Earth for centuries, millenia even, and no singular person had ever been this selfless - not prophets, not messiahs, not activists.
"Why?" The question pops out my mouth before I can even stop it. Why? Why would someone of his power, of his status, of his importance be this foolish, be this kind?
"You've sworn yourself to stay by my side." The hard set of his eyes returns, replacing the fear I'd seen practically swimming in those orbs. It was always so amazing to see how quickly his emotions changed. "So I'll stay by yours. I'm coming with you." 
"No. You're not trained." Despite being impressed by his bravery, I had to face the facts. Taehyung has never been to the Hereafter. An Untrained, Aamon or not, descending into Hell would die halfway through the journey. It was one thing for a body to be without a soul, it was another for them to accustom themselves to the change in environment. Not to mention the fire of Hell sent most rabid with pain anyway.
Taehyung could not come.
"The descent would kill you."
"Then you can teach me." Other than his selflessness, Taehyung's stubbornness was another aspect of him I'd never seen as much in others.
His stubbornness could break open the skies, and I've seen him do it in the literal sense of the word.
"I'm Aamon." And he was starting to throw the title around as if it solved more problems than it caused. "The vision was mine, and you know I only get visions if I need to alter the future. I have to come along because I have to *change it*. You know that, Jin."
"Taehyung, it's *dangerous*. Hell is not a place one would go to for a holiday. I'm not going to put you in danger."
"Teach me," he repeats, as if I hadn't heard him the first time. "You've done it before."
"Taehyung, I am a descendant of the creator of Hell. Hell's effects on me are nothing compared to the average soul."
"Take me. I was partly responsible for this. And it's also my job, isn't it, as Aamon?"
And I might as well be speaking a foreign language, because his mind is set.
I hide a sigh. 
"The Victor won't be very happy that you'll leave his sight."
He crinkles his nose, his obvious 'I don't give a ' face on. "That won't stop me. The Victor doesn't own me."
"Yes, but you owe him."
"Not by being a caged bird."
I raise an eyebrow at that. "Is that what you view yourself as? A trapped animal?"
He shrugs. "It isn't far from the truth."
I refrain from saying anything. "The guards are already wary enough of me after Lilith's visit. Do you honestly think they'll be alright with me taking you to Hell of all places?"
I am answered with a frown then, his lower lip jutting out his mouth as he crosses his arms over his chest. The urge to kiss him then returns.
"I won't feel good leaving them in the dark." He looks up at me, his lashes brushing against his bangs. "Their Heads will punish them again."
"They would," I nod. Lower figures always answered to their Heads, and strict disciplining was an effective way of ensuring loyalty never wavered. At this point, I was done lecturing Taehyung about his massive amount of empathy.
"I'm going to tell the Victor." As far as ideas go, Taehyung was notorious for producing bad ones. "That way, no one would get in trouble for my leaving. I mean, the Heads would be pretty upset, but technically the guards wouldn't get in trouble, right?"
I nod again. 
"And no one would be stupid enough to attack a Head, right?"
"….right."
"Then that settles it," he grins, as if all was right in the world right then. "I'll request for the Victor's presence tonight. That's enough time…right?" His face changes again, and the smile is gone. He is back to being concerned, being apprehensive and fearful. But I knew the worry wasn't for himself. They were for Hell, and all its inhabitants.
Who else would even think of helping people like us, if not for Taehyung? 
Time did not work in the Hereafter the same way it did on Earth. One could be gone from Earth for a day, and return to a year passing. Likewise, a month could pass on Earth and time had yet to even tick by in the Hereafter. The Aamon held time-grounding powers for instances he'd have to travel between the worlds, but again, Taehyung was not trained. We could be gone from Earth for centuries while still fighting the Civil War down below.
The mess he'd leave behind, and create in his departure would be astounding.
"Of course," I say instead, nodding along.
And he runs back inside, I assume to make God knows what kinds of preparation for our journey.

"Absolutely not."
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting that answer. Taehyung however, looked like he hadn't, so he looks up petulantly at the Victor, who is staring most unamusedly at us with his arms crossed.
"I'm not seeking permission," Taehyung calmly answers, his eyes practically shining with defiance. "I am only informing you."
"And as your guardian and protector, I am informing you that you shall not go."
Taehyung crosses his arms in turn. "I am the Aamon. Like it or not, it is my duty to protect the souls of Earth *and* the Hereafter."
The Victor narrows his eyes at him. "Since when have you been so accepting of your role as Aamon."
"Since the son of Lucifer himself is trying to take over Hell, and all the other worlds along with it!"
I almost blink, belatedly realising that Taehyung was talking about Beelzebub and not me.
"And where did you get this information from?"
"His sister."
The Victor raises an eyebrow, a very loud gesture, coming from someone as stoic as he.
"The daughter of Lucifer, who came and possessed the *Aamon*  and attacked my hotel barely two days ago, seeks your help in defeating her brother, who wishes to take over Hell from the hands of his father…who you defeated last month."
"Yes!" Taehyung nods, obviously not getting the suspicion in the Victor's tone. "Is that so hard to understand?"
"No," the Victor answers, his barritone voice an unamused drawl as he turns to me. "It is crystal."
"The Aamon is untrained. He has never descended to Hell, and his inexperience may bring him danger. That is why I must go with him."
"Your words bring me no comfort."
I couldn't blame his suspicion. Right now, the word spreading around was that I might be a double-agent. The Victor knew who I was, knew my relation to Lucifer and had sworn himself to secrecy. However, even to him, believing the story that Taehyung brought forth was pure lunacy.
I was the gateway to Lucifer's uprising over four weeks ago. I was the Prince of Hell, destined to inherit my father's throne. I was the brother to the being that attacked the Aamon, and I was the one who stopped him from attacking her. Taehyung had everything to lose if he helped me and I turned out to be a betrayer. His death would open the door to Lucifer's victory, give me unprecedented access into the Aamon's Court and so much more.
I was not to be trusted, and even I knew it.
"Your trust in Jin is not important to me," Taehyung butts in. "And I know your faith in me is near negative. But I am still Aamon. I have a job to do and you can't stop me."
The Victor is quiet - a feat in itself, since Heads were rarely ever rendered speechless. Taehyung rarely ever threw his weight around. 'Humble' wasn't really the word for it. It was more like he was trying to outrightly deny any responsibility from his title.
However, ever since Hael's very sudden and frankly terrifying visit six weeks ago, something in him had changed. He was slowly coming to terms with the fact that, whether he liked it or not, he was still Aamon, and since he was already stuck with it, he might as well try while he still could.
It was resignation, in essence.
"Then you shall bring a council."
It takes me a moment to register what he's just said. A council. Another party.
"It would be at your own risk," I warn. "A fundamental rule you must already be familiar with is that souls in the Afterlife do not leave. There is no such thing as resurrecting the dead. Taehyung and I are Azazel and the Aamon. Hell is essentially our second home. But to bring a soul that comes from Earth, who is attached to a physical body with no power or knowledge of the Afterlife, would be killing him. No soul has ever returned from the dead."
"Then this mission shall be at your own risk, Taehyung." The Victor turns to him, obviously very displeased, but knowing he had no power to stop either of us, even if he was a Head of his own Court. "I close both eyes and ears to any discussion we've had of this. If you do not return, then we shall assume your death. All alliances you've formed shall automatically die and your successor will be actively sought out. If you do return, then you shall be allied with my Court, as you once were."
Taehyung nods. "That's fair."
"I give you three years, exactly from this time, place and date. Once you do not return, your funeral will be announced."
Taehyung glances at his watch for good measure, staring a moment too long to memorize what he sees. "Got it," he says, looking up. "Hopefully, we won't take that long."
And then, finally, the Victor turns to me. "I do not trust you, Djinn, but Taehyung does, hence I entrust you with the Aamon's safety. You shan't be too keen to know what awaits you if you disappoint me."
I bite my tongue, swallowing the urge to give him some kind of scathing remark, but truthfully the Victor was already being nicer than he could possibly ever be. I could give him leeway for this time.
And just like that, the Victor leaves, slamming the door behind him.
"Well," Taehyung starts, turning to me with a Cheshire grin, "that went well."
"Quite," I bite back, staring at the closed door. I glance at him, seeing the look in his eyes. And I find myself mellowing.
Taehyung was scared. By the look in his eyes, he was downright terrified. And yet, he was still doing this. He was still going down to Hell to try solve a problem he had no idea of solving. He didn't even know if he'd survive the descent to Hell and he was still going to do it anyway.
"I'm sorry."
His head whips up so fast that it is almost a blur.
"I'm sorry you have to solve problems like these."
He blinks a few times, and I wait for the words to dawn.
And then he smiles - small, painful, awkward.
"I'm the Aamon," he says, looking away as he fidgets with his fingers. Again, it's like he's trying to remind me. "It's what I have to do."
I come to him, sitting by his side. I sit close enough that our elbows brush. "No. You don't have to."
Again, he turns to me, the resignation in his eyes so clear now.
"You could've allowed this to happen, and turn a blind eye to everything. But you're still helping. So thank you."
His eyes widen. I wonder how a twin pair of orbs could be so expressive.
"It was wrong of my sister to accuse you of such things. Ezekiel made no mistake. It is the power who chooses the successor, and he knew your capabilities. Do not doubt yourself."
He blinks. "Wow. You *can* be nice."
"Don't count on it," I say, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.
"So when are we leaving?"
"*I* am leaving now." I get up, retrieving my jacket and emptying my pockets on the dressing table. There was honestly nothing I had on me now that could help in the Afterlife.
Yet.
"But -"
"I know what I said," I say, looking at him through the mirror's reflection. "I need to retrieve some things in Jerusalem. You stay here and say your goodbyes if you want. I'll come back and retrieve you later on."
"How do I know you won't just leave me behind and head to Hell?"
Dang. He caught me.
I slip on my jacket, before coming to him. I hold a hand out, and he wordlessly places his hand on my open palm. I push his sleeve up, whispering an incantation as I draw a symbol above his wrist with my thumb. The spell glows a bright purple for a bit, before melting into his skin.
"A lasso spell," I explain, before he asks. "It will pull me to you, wherever either of us may be. I'll be back in two hours."
I don't wait for his reply, teleporting away to get my things done.

"Don't be foolish," I argue, brandishing the blade against the air, "The effectiveness of this potion on a blade -"
I don't even get to finish my sentence, as the massive pull against my very form starts and I am literally hurled backwards through continents and across seas, being forced to shift before I lost my head hurtling through space.
I land against the marble floor of Taehyung's suite, slamming against the ground like a bird against a window.
"Wow," I hear Taehyung murmur. "That is some lasso spell."
"Of course," I answer as I pick myself off the floor. "I made it."
I look around, surprised to see Taehyung's bedroom empty. Most significant of course, was the lack of the little one always stuck by Taehyung's side.
"Where's Jungkook?"
"Upset. He left."
"Where to?" I tend to forget that despite his massive size, Jungkook was only eight after all.
Taehyung only shrugs. "He was upset that I wasn't bringing him. I didn't want to put him in danger, but he can't understand that."
"Do you want me to speak to him?"
Taehyung finally turns to me, small smile against his lips. "You're being awfully nice today."
"I've known Jungkook for a long time."
"Are you worried that I won't return?"
I keep quiet, not expecting the question.
"You'll always have the ability to return, right? But what if I can't?"
"The Aamon has always -"
"The *trained* Aamon."
"You have me by your side," I answer curtly, finally setting the briefcase I had in my hands down on the bed. "I would never leave you behind."
"What is that?" He asks, staring as I work the locks and open the case.
"Not many weapons work in Hell. But the ones that do, pack a punch."
He doesn't say anything, only watching as I take the items out.
"Come here," I call, extending my hand as I use the other to sift through the items. Taehyung obediently comes, placing his hand in mine. I pull him closer, using the proximity to place a necklace around his neck.
It was made of steel, little balls of metal connecting together to create an army-style necklace. Instead of a dogtag hanging off of it, a vial half the length and thickness of my pinky finger rests softly against Taehyung's chest.
"What is it?" He asks, holding the vial between his fingers.
"The blood of Jesus."
He gives a small shriek, immediately taking the necklace off simply to stare at it from an arm's length away. "You have his *blood in a vial*?"
"I called in a favour."
"You called in a favour from *Jesus Christ*?!"
"Hush, Taehyung," I say, taking the necklace to put it back on him. "Messiahs and Prophets are eternally without sin. Their blood cannot touch a demon without causing them massive damage. The vial should protect you against Hell's heat, if you don't automatically shield yourself."
He doesn't say anything this time, only staring at the vial like it offended him.
"This blade is made from an Angel's Tears." Taehyung looks up again, staring at the stark white dagger I held in my hands. "Anything Holy will instantly incapacitate an inhabitant of Hell." I sheath it back in its leather casing, handing it to him.
"Where did you get the tears from?"
"It was said that when Lucifer fooled the Angel into swallowing a piece of his soul, she cried for forty years and forty nights," I answer, distracted by all the things I had in the briefcase. I was never going to find anything at this rate.
"Your… mother?"
I nod.
"This blade was forged from her tears."
Again, I nod, leaving him with his thoughts.
I find the final item I was looking for - a piece of black silk, cut the width and length of a bandana. I fold it in half into a triangle, before rolling it up lengthwise and tying it around Taehyung's wrist.
"What's that?" His tone already implied that he wasn't looking forward to the answer.
"My angel wings."
*"Angel wings?"*
"Did you forget that I was birthed from an angel, Taehyung?"
He shakes his head, looking like a wounded five year old.
"Why are they in the shape of a cloth?"
"When I was born, my Angel-half was pretty apparent. Amongst the things I had were four wings instead of the average two - a pair from the demon in me, and a pair from the Angel I was birthed from."
"Lucifer didn't like that," Taehyung guessed.
"No," I corrected, giving him a half smile. "He loved it. Whatever was Holy in me was a source of power for him."
"How?"
"Lucifer feeds on the Holy and pure, leaving behind corruption and evil."
"He… ate your wings?" He looked so horrified. It was so amusing.
"Amongst others. He tore them off and ate one. The other, he chose to keep."
"And mould into cloth?"
I laugh. His innocence was transcendental.
"For fear that I would experience the pain of his feeding again, I would tear my own wings off each time they grew. The feathers were a sort of hindrance, I'd noticed, to the demons. They did not touch them and when they did, burns would appear all over their bodies. It made many fear me, even as an infant, and that was how I got the idea to use my feathers."
I cannot properly explain the myriad of emotions playing on Taehyung's face. 
"What are you thinking of?" I ask. "Your thoughts are buzzing very loudly."
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For assuming your hate for your dad was simply because he is Lucifer."
I raise an eyebrow. "It is."
"I know. I mean… It just never crossed my mind that there was a reason beyond that. It somehow never came to me that he was abusive."
"Abusive?" I muse. "I was his favourite. I was treated like royalty, even from him."
"But you said he tore your wings off." Taehyung is getting confused again. It is apparent, by the little putelant pout he has on, by his eyebrows coming together down the middle and by how he unconsciously leans forward towards me.
"It is the way we were taught. To always obtain the opportunity when we see it. To take advantage before anyone else does. Lucifer saw my wings, saw the power in my angel side, and took the opportunity."
"You don't hate him for it? For tearing your wings off?"
"To say that I hate him just for that would be childish. I have a long list of reasons why I'd appreciate seeing his dead head on a plate. However, allowing my brother to rule the throne is not an option."
"Because he symbolizes jealousy."
"Because he is Beelzebub," I correct. "And I know enough of him to know that he should never be a ruler of a realm like Hell."
"So who would be a better ruler? You?" The question is innocent, worded in a careless way as Taehyung stares at me.
I only shrug. "Right now, the Ruler of Hell is Lucifer, as it has been since the beginning of time. Best to keep it that way."
"Why?"
I sigh. I was starting to get tired of all his questions. "You'll know when you meet them."
I slam the briefcase closed, moving to stand.
"Are we leaving now?"
"Yes. Get ready."
"How will we go?"
There is the sudden sound of running footsteps, and the both of us turn to face the closed bedroom door. It expectedly burst open, and Jungkook runs in, eyes wide.
"Wait!" He screams. "Don't go yet!"
And he stops a distance from us, resting his hands against his knees to catch his breath. One must wonder the distance he ran in order to lose his breath so much.
It takes him a full ten second just to stand there and pant, before he straightens, flashing that signature winning grin at us.
"I have something for you." And then he comes to Taehyung, taking his hand to tie something around his wrist, before coming to me and doing the same.
I stare at the leather bracelet.
"It's enchanted," I point out. It was powerful magic. And it was black magic, by the stench of power it gave off.
He nods. "From my Court. I had a meeting with the Asian Lycan Council and my mother's stash was given to me. Technically, they should belong to the reigning Head, but Taehyung isn't a Were, so he can't inherit anything. And I'm the incumbent, so they gave everything to me."
He looks mighty proud of himself, so I keep the conversation going.
"What are they supposed to do?"
"To you, nothing. But to me, they provide a stronger mental connection than our telepathic bond. It tells me your location… and if you're still alive."
Taehyung looks up at him the same time I do, and I bet the look in our eyes is similar.
And we watch, as the grin on Jungkook's face finally falters. The sadness in his eyes is suddenly so prominent.
"Please be careful."
Taehyung comes forward, wrapping Jungkook in a hug as the young child buries his head in his guardian's shoulder.
I stare at the two.
It might just be the last time we saw Jungkook. Taehyung could somehow be trapped in Hell. I could possibly be killed in battle. And Jungkook would just be left here, alone - without the person he grew up with - in a place he is barely familiar with, with a Court he is set to inherit despite his young age. It must be just as painful on him as it is on Taehyung.
They finally part the hug, and Jungkook looks up and I see how his face is wet with tears. Strange how I've never seen him cry before this.
And then he runs to me, and probably for the first time since I've known him, wraps his arms around my neck, pulling himself close as he practically envelopes me in the hug.
"You too. You stay safe too."
"I will."
He parts from the hug, looking at me through his tear-stained cheeks. I reach up to wipe them away.
"In our departure, you'll have to be representative of Taehyung's Court, as well as yours. You're only eight, but you are wiser beyond your years. You can do that, right?"
He nods, attempting his very best to look brave.
"I believe in you. You'll be fine without us."
"But you'll come back…right?"
"I shan't make promises I can't keep. But we'll try our best to return. In the meantime, don't make rash decisions."
He nods, childishly wiping at his tears. 
I don't know what makes me do it, but I reach forward, placing a soft kiss against his forehead. I whisper a blessing incantation, letting the warmth of the spell envelope him.
He smiles as we part.
"Be good."
"I will," he says.
I step away from him, signalling Taehyung forward.
"We have to go now."
"How?" He asks again, coming to me.
"Usually, I'd just teleport," I explain, taking my white silk gloves out of my pocket and slipping them on. "Past Aamons would do the same. But seeing as you're untrained, we'll have to go the old-fashioned way."
"Which is?" Both ask.
"Jungkook, stand behind Taehyung, won't you?" I ask instead, ignoring their question.
Jungkook heeds without further question.
"The Aamon has the ability to ascend or descend with his full physical body - an impossibility for all other beings - me included."
"So?" Taehyung asks.
"So I can't transport a full physical body when I myself won't be physical. And you don't know how to get to Hell without destroying the whole hotel."
"So how will we get to Hell?"
"Like this."
I place a hand against Taehyung's shoulder to keep him steady, before quickly plunging my other hand straight into the middle of his chest. The glove allows me to go straight through clothe, skin, muscle and bone, and grab on to his soul.
Taehyung gasps aloud, immediately keeling over, my hand on his shoulder keeping him steady.
His soul fights against my hold, and there is the familiar tingle of his power, greatly lessened by the gloves I had on.
"Jin?" It is Jungkook, sounding hesitant and fearful as he fights to keep Taehyung standing.
Taehyung screams right then, activating the full force of his powers to instinctively fight against me. I had probably two seconds before his guards descended on us.
The ground starts to shake in response to his calling, and suddenly he is enveloped in blue flames, the fires of Hell in his control encasing him in their protective bubble.
There was no time for benignity now, and I pull violently at his soul, feeling it slip out of his body. I immediately morph my form to become incorporeal, latching on to his soul just as Taehyung's physical body drops lifeless and soulless against Jungkook.
The full force of the guards descends into the room. Too late, since the Aamon's soul was not in his body right then.
And I also had to deal with the fact that Taehyung's soul was currently going haywire, not being used to the freedom from a physical body. I had to move before he escaped my hold.

"You stabbed me! You freaking stabbed me!"
We were currently still skimming between worlds, shifting from one place to another as we head for Hell. Or rather, I was trying to.
Taehyung hadn't stopped nagging for the past half hour, even taking the liberty to hit me in his incorporeal form.
For someone who's just left his body for the first time, he was taking this quite well. Well, right after the initial freakout had tired him out.
"Are you listening?! You stabbed me with your hand! I'm dead! I'm heading to Hell because I'm dead and you killed me without warning!"
Another smack to my head. I was trying really hard to not give him a scathing, since I needed to concentrate.
"I didn't kill you. That's what the gloves are for. They can extract souls without harming the body."
"Well, it still hurt. Like. *Hell*!"
"Yes, but your body is unharmed. It will make returning to your body easier."
I knew he still wasn't satisfied with my explanation, but he's either tired out or he's run out of words, because he falls quiet.
"Get ready. We're arriving."
"Hell?"
I nod. I reach out for his hand, feeling him latch on.
"Don't let go. If I lose you, you'll be stuck in Limbo."
His hold suddenly strengthens. I jump, pulling him along.
The landing was jarring. 
Taehyung's instinct, seeing all the carnage, fire and suffering, was to bolt. It was normal. One never truly gets used to Hell unless you are born and bred here. And that was the point.
Hell was punishment for sinners. You aren't technically supposed to get used to a place like this.
I keep a tight hold on his hand, just as we hit the ground.
I hear him gasp again, and he moves closer to me, his chest brushing against my back.
"Jin… this is your home?"
"Stay close to me." 
Security was put on high since the coup d'etat, and the guards freely roam the palace grounds. To me, their forms are nothing. I was raised amongst them and many other inhabitants of Hell, so they are as familiar to me as the average man.
But to Taehyung, whose eyes are usually veiled against the things I see, the sights must have been pretty terrifying.
"Come on," I say pulling him along. "We have to move."
Taehyung is completely quiet. For a while, his wide eyes dart here and there, staring at passing demons, complex passageways and the occasional view out the castle windows.
We turn the bend - heading straight for a dead end.
"Jin?"
"Portal," I answer, casting a quick spell into the air. 
The slight shimmer in the air reveals its location and we jump through.
For a moment, we are enveloped in darkness.
And then I belatedly realise that it was *supposed* to be dark. Darkness was his domain.
I whisper a spell, enveloping Taehyung and I, and the darkness disappears.
"Azazel."
The being sitting at his throne looks down at us, three pairs of eyes staring at the two human-shaped creation the probable height of his hand.
"Lucifer," I murmur.
He rises then, pushing himself off his throne and the act makes the very air around us quake, as if the purity of the power that he was shifts in order to maintain his form.
He takes a step forward and Taehyung clings on to me.
"I see you bring a guest." His voice booms spectacularly well amongst the invisible walls of his cavern. He takes another step forward, and the ground shakes.
"Welcome, Aamon."
Another step, and he is suddenly our height, human in guise and form and smiling charmingly as he studies Taehyung.
"…to my humble abode." He puts out a hand to shake, and Taehyung doesn't even need my prompt this time.
"Ah. Yes. How I could I forget?" He hums, withdrawing his hand. "The Aamon is too pure for foreign touch." He makes a point to stare at Taehyung's hand grasped tightly in mine, and then looks up at us, that annoying smile still on his face.
"You don't need to be so fearful of me, Aamon. It was I who enlisted your help, and in return for agreeing, I shan't attack you here in Hell."
"Why should I believe you?"
He raises an eyebrow, looking exactly like the snake he was when he fooled Eve into eating the Forbidden fruit.
"I may be the epitome of sin, but even I do not break my vows, Aamon. And besides, you have already defeated me once. I am still recovering from that."
He takes a step back, looking over his shoulder into emptiness.
"Children, greet your brother. And his guest."
The beings lurking in the shadows suddenly move, and we are greeted by the sight of them flying in their true forms overhead. Each take a nosedive, shifting to human form as they land.
I had to be impressed. They were actually taking Taehyung's terror in consideration. But then again, the Aamon cannot work under fear. His powers do not react to pressure, only willpower.
The one closest to me runs with his arms wide open, enveloping me in a quick hug.
"It's good to see you, big brother."
"As you, Pan," I return the greeting, resting a hand against his cheek.
"Welcome home."
"Taehyung," I start, staring at my siblings, most of which I haven't seen in over two thousand years. "You once said that you would like to meet my siblings." I peer over my shoulder to him staring at my siblings with caution. "Here they are."
"You've already met me, Your Highness," Lilith greets, smiling warmly as she steps forward. "My name is Lilith, youngest of Lucifer's children. This is my twin, Pan." Pan, a splitting image of her, nods in Taehyung's direction. "I apologize for the suddenness of my previous visit. And thank you for agreeing to help us."
"I am Abaddon. Sin of sloth."
"And I am Leviatha."
Taehyung blinks at her.
"Lilith told me you and Mammon's circles were conquered. Are you rested?"
"Leviatha and I are healing well, Your Highness. Thank you for asking."
"He is the Aamon?" Astaroth stares at Taehyung with a look of slight disdain. "He looks thirteen."
"Astaroth," Abaddon clips. "He must be at least sixteen."
"Well, the third Aamon ascended at fifteen," Lilith reminds them.
"Yes, and he was killed at nineteen," Astaroth adds in.
"Ah."
Taehyung looks on, his eyes darting from one person to another.
"Children," Lucifer clips. "Now is not the time for banter."
"Yes," I say, agreeing with my father for once. "Have all your Circles been conquered?"
Astaroth nods. "Beelzebub was careful and ruthless. It seemed he sent in spies in each of our Circles to ensure victory. I would've been impressed if it wasn't my *throne* he conquered."
I shake my head in disbelief. "And neither of you were aware of such treachery? His spies could've been here for centuries and you would not have noticed."
"We would've noticed sooner had the Aamon been here to help," Lilith quips. "But Ezekiel fell sick so suddenly and then his successor -"
I shoot her a glare, silencing her.
"How long did Ezekiel stop visiting?" Taehyung suddenly asks.
"According to the time here, it would be seven centuries," Lucifer explains. "Ample time to get under our noses."
"But I've only been Aamon -"
"Time does not work the same way here, Your Highness," Pan says.
"According to our time, it has been six centuries since you ascended as Aamon."
Taehyung's eyes widen at Leviatha's words.
"There are two Circles still standing," I speak up, suddenly aware of my missing siblings. "How are they holding up?"
"Belial is currently waging against Beelzebub," Lucifer informs. "We're not sure how long they will fight."
"And you're not out there helping him?" Taehyung prompts, looking a combination of outraged and confused. "The rest of you are here. You can help him fight."
My siblings exchange looks, while Lucifer only looks on in poorly hidden disdain.
"I heard that the current Aamon is untrained," Astaroth hums. "But I never thought…"
"A rule I implemented when I created the Nine Circles of Hell," Lucifer starts. "Was that the rulers do not interfere with the other Circles for fear that something like this would happen."
"But something like this *did* happen," Taehyung argues. "He is your son. Your brother."
My father shakes his head, the slight smile on his lips. "You do not understand our nature, Aamon. Once I allow leeway, my children will never stop at this. This war will wage on till all of eternity."
"We will only fight against ourselves," Lilith adds in. "And our armies are weak. We will only hinder Belial in our bid to help."
"And I suppose cowering here while Beelzebub gains power of all the Circles is a better alternative?"
I swallow the need to give Taehyung the side eye. It was dangerous waters he was treading on.
"It is the unfortunate option," Lucifer answers.
"Then you are a fool," Taehyung bites, finally stepping forward. "You'd rather let your other children battle him alone than help and you enlist my help to solve your family affairs when I know close to *nothing* about Hell."
"Now is not the time for arguments," I interrupt, hoping to break the tension before these two powerful forces erupt. I turn to Lucifer. "The Aamon has a point. We can't expect Belial to fight Beelzebub alone and win when he's already defeated the most of you." I turn to Taehyung. "But Lucifer and Lilith have a point. Leaving now would not only be dangerous, it would be useless. We have to make do with what we have."
"And what do we have?" Astaroth murmurs, arms folded over his chest.
"Lucifer, for one thing. The Aamon, for another."
"I never imagined you to be a stickler for positivity, big brother," Abaddon points out, hands on her hips mostly to annoy me. Two thousand years of not seeing each other and she is still exactly the same.
"When you have positivity rammed down your throat every day, it tends to get to you."
"Is there something I'm not getting?" Taehyung innocently asks, blinking his whirlwind lashes at us.
"No," I answer, while the rest of my literal God-forsaken family answers with a collective 'yes.'
"Enough of this," I say, turning to Lucifer. "What's your plan? With every moment of Beelzebub's victory, his army will grow larger. As we're located in the center of the Nine Circles, we'll probably be trapped from all angles if they close in on us. That is if his spies haven't turned your own people against you."
"We fight," Lucifer says simply. 
"That's it?" It is Taehyung's turn to speak again, and he looks at Lucifer like the crazed demon my father was. "That's your plan? Wait for him to attack and then fight till one of you declares defeat?"
"Yes," Lucifer nods. "It is the only plan that could possibly work."
"Surely you have Plan Bs and Cs."
"Your Highness," Lilith tactfully interrupts. "The ways of our world do not work like yours. Diplomacy is not… possible in Hell. There is only fights to the death."
"And what if Beelzebub wins? What if he takes over all the Nine Circles?"
"That's why we have you, Your Highness," Mammon points out. 
Taehyung only blinks, not getting it.
"The Aamon is tasked with maintaining equilibrium and peace in the Hereafter," I explain. "Should the scales shift out of balance…"
"The Aamon restores order," Lucifer finishes. "By all means necessary."
"And what does that mean?"
"It means the Aamon will be tasked with destroying Hell, and creating a New one," Astaroth says, crossing his arms as he stares Taehyung down.
"Destroy Hell?"
Astaroth looks away right then, and I knew the frustration he was feeling towards Taehyung makes him want to lash out.
"Your Highness," he starts, voice practically dripping with sarcasm. "Pray tell, did Ezekiel teach you *anything*?"
"I've never even met him."
"And you're his successor."
"The unlikely one."
Astaroth turns to me right then, the scowl on his face loud against his human face. "How are we supposed to fight when the Aamon doesn't even know the basics of Hell?"
"Astaroth," Mammon gently scolds. "The power chooses the successor. Besides Ezekiel had warned us about corruption in the Aamon's Court. Perhaps the power knows what it's doing."
Taehyung turns to me at that, question already in his eyes.
"The Aamon does not look like he does."
"What do you propose?" Lilith prompts. "We teach him?"
And we see the expression change in Astaroth's face, as if a lightbulb has just lit up over the top of his face. He smiles right then, a sly look, before turning to our Father. "No. We train him."
Lucifer only raises an eyebrow in reply and I swear Taehyung's pale skin goes ten times paler as he stares at my brother.

"Tell me again why you think this is a good idea?"
"I don't," I curtly confess, arms crossed against my chest as I stare at him staring right back at me. "But Astaroth is right; you've never tested your powers in Hell."
"And the best person to test it against would be with the youngest daughter of my immortal enemy?"
At that, Lilith's smile spreads into a Cheshire grin.
"You know," she says. "Ezekiel was never this fun."
"Lilith," Pan reminds her. "This is no time for games. The Aamon has already defeated Daddy. You shouldn't take him lightly."
"Oh be calm, brother," she hums. "It will be fun. Right, Your Highness?"
Taehyung doesn't say anything, but the look on his face was enough of an answer.
"I don't even know if my power will listen to me in Hell," he points out. "I don't even know if it will *work*. In case you forgot, Lucifer supercedes me here."
"Nonsense," I disprove. "You are the Aamon. You will always have a constant flow of power."
"Yes, but I'm in Lucifer's stronghold, FYI."
"All the more reason to test it out," I say. "We're starting."
"*Jin* --"
Taehyung doesn't get to say a word more, as Lilith calls forth a burst of power which slams into him and sends him flying.
Pan and I back away from the galdiator arena, heading to the audience seats, where the rest of my siblings sit.
"How long do you think he'll last?" I hear Abaddon ask Leviatha.
"What makes you think he'll lose? He's already won against Daddy."
Right then, Lilith calls forth one of her soldiers, a monstrosity of a demon that starts clawing its way out of the ground. Taehyung screams at the sight, ducking at the last moment to avoid a column of fire that rages his way.
"It could be he won out of pure luck," Astaroth adds in, leaning his head against his propped up hand as we stare at the Fifth Aamon, Guardian of the Forty Legions of Heaven and Hell, run screaming. "What do you think, brother?" He asks, turning to me.
"Taehyung has the ability to stay calm in dire situations. It will allow him to think and get his act together enough to think of a solution."
"JIN!!!!!!"
"He doesn't look very calm," Pan observes, his head tilted to the side as Taehyung dodges another round of fire, still screaming my name.
"You seem to really take a fancy to him, 'Jin'," Mammon teases, grinning as she turns to me.
"Was it not prophesied that I be with him?" I lean against my seat, allowing myself the very rare luxury of letting my guard down. Few places allowed me to do so, and being amongst my siblings, back in Hell despite how much I despised the place, I felt my tension easing somewhat.
Even if we did have Beelzebub and his army at our tail.
"LILITH, THIS IS NOT FUN!!!"
Lilith's cackling laughter can be heard even at this distance.
"Yes," Mammon agrees. "But it looks like you're going beyond the prophecy."
I remain silent, staring at Taehyung stumble around the arena.
"He doesn't look like he can function without you," Astaroth points out.
"Then he must learn."
"And you don't look like you want him to function without you."
I turn to him this time. Astaroth looks as bored as he always does when he's not fighting or torturing souls.
"I can see from how protective you are of him, how you allow him to be so dependent on you."
"You have fallen for him."
"Beings like us are not created with the ability of selflessness," I say, denying Pan's words.
"You were birthed from an Angel, brother," he answers. "Perhaps you have abilities we do not."
I look away from him. I did not travel all the way to the Underworld for a lecture.
"Look," Mammon suddenly points out. "I think the Aamon has a plan."
Perhaps if Mammon's definition of 'plan' meant 'run recklessly without direction', it would have been. I doubted if Taehyung could even spell the word 'plan' in English. He was just --
I catch myself. I was doing exactly what Astaroth had said.
I was allowing him to be too dependent on me. I was doubting his ability to think for himself. He could do this. It wasn't like I hadn't been training him to - 
And Lilith's soldier suddenly devours him, slamming its wide open jaws against the ground Taehyung stood on. It rises, closing its jaws as bits of soil rain down its mouth.
My eyes widen. I feel my nonexistent heart skip a beat and I'm on my feet before I can stop myself.
"Taehyung!"
The demon makes a very obvious swallowing motion, before roaring victoriously.
"Whoops," I hear Leviatha singsong.
"Is that it?" Astaroth quizzes, sounding bored and uninterested. "Is that the end of the Fifth Aamon?"
"Did I win?" Lilith is staring unsurely at her demon, almost as if she can't believe the battle was over just like that. "Is he… is he dead? Daddy will surely kill me."
We are all left staring at the thirty foot long serpentine demon, who looks completely satiated from its sudden meal. No one moves, almost waiting for something to happen.
And it does.
The demon roars again, but it sounded nothing victorious.
Rather, it sounded like it was in pain - wild with it. It starts thrashing about, its whole body slamming against the ground as if everything - from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail - was alive with pain.
Lilith is left staring strickenly at her demon, confused and unable to comprehend what was wrong. 
The demon gives one final roar, body arched upwards, almost like a wolf howling to the moon. And then it goes completely, eerily still.
It suddenly relaxes, slouching its back as it stares at Lilith.
Something changes in it. I'm not sure what it was, but suddenly it is pretty clear this wasn't the same demon we were looking at. The feeling is mutual amongst my siblings, and I see Lilith take a very hesitant step back.
"Horace…?" she calls to her demon pet.
And then it attacks her.
I hear gasps of shock and sounds of confusion. It was her soldier, supposedly unquestionably loyal to her. A lower demon would not find it physically and mentally possible to attack its Ruler.
Pan yells for her, scrambling to stand.
Beside me, Astaroth straightens, leaning forward as he rests his chin against his palms.
"This is an interesting turn of events."
The demon roars once more, brandishing its tail like a whip as it slams it against Lilith. She screams - more out of shock than pain - as she is thrown across the length of the arena.
Ever the protective twin, Pan roars in rage, foregoing his human form to reveal his true demon, and flies straight into Lilith's wayward soldier. Horace turns to face him at the last second, jaws open wide.
If it was trying to eat Pan, that wouldn't work. Pan simply won't fit in its mouth in his demon form.
Instead, something else happens.
The demon roars, and a massive stream of blue fire erupts from its mouth, completely engulfing Pan in the flames.
"Horace doesn't have the power to breathe fire," Astaroth uselessly points out.
"Why are the flames blue?" Leviatha quizzes.
"Because they are Taehyung's flames," I say, eyes on the demon.
But it is strange. Blue flames meant Taehyung had control over Hell's fire. It was obvious, as I stare at the stream of fire Horace was currently using to attack. But the Taehyung I knew would never intentionally attack a person who wouldn't seriously cause him harm.
Taehyung would rather run screaming than use his powers to defeat someone who wasn't a serious threat. He knew his control over his powers wasn't good enough. 
He knew Pan and Lilith wouldn't kill him.
And since when did he have the power of possession?
I jump, shooting up skywards before I morph into my demon form. I hurtle towards Horace, who belatedly faces upwards to stare at my plummet. Its jaws are still wide, and I hear it inhale, ready to burn me with Taehyung's flames.
I switch forms at the last second, becoming incorporeal and head straight into it.
Pitch darkness greets me. Unlike most supernatural inhabitants of Earth, demons rarely ever put up mental shields, and I took Horace's to my advantage.
I sense Taehyung's presence, I latch on, and I shoot straight out the other side.
He solidifies into human form at the same time I do, and we land in a tumble.
Behind us, Horace gives one final screech, and I see Taehyung stare at it over my shoulder. It falls, landing against the ground.
I turn to stare, arm still tight around Taehyung's waist.
"Did I… did I kill it?"
A distance away, Lilith rises, pushing herself off the ground as if the fight had well and truly exhausted her. "Don't worry, your Highness," she giggles. "It will take a lot more than mere possession to hurt my Horace."
She turns, her eyes surveving the damage they'd done, before she spots her twin. She screeches his name, running to him while I faced Taehyung once more.
"How did you do it?" I ask, not sure why my voice had gone whisper soft.
He blinks those wide, innocent eyes at me.
"I don't know," he answers, voice equally as soft. "I'm tired, Jin."
I kiss him, letting my energy flow to replenish him. He feels weakened in my hands, as I hold him close against me.
Even as a spirit, Taehyung was amazingly powerful. I'd never seen an Aamon commit possession, never heard of one being able to do it. Granted, trained Aamons had powers over all the inhabitants of Earth, Heaven and Hell, so controlling a demon would've been nothing.
But Taehyung… His power was something new. To possess a demon of Hell and then have his power manifest in the demon's form was something even I couldn't do.
I part the kiss, and see that Taehyung's eyes are far off, blinking blankly.
"Are they okay?"
"Yeah. They're fine."
"Jin… I nearly killed them."
"It doesn't matter. They're all right."
He looks up at me, and those damned puppy dog eyes are back in full force. "You don't understand. I don't know what I was doing. I couldn't stop myself. I could've seriously hurt Lilith and Pan."
Trust Taehyung to be the one concerned over the children of Lucifer.
"It would take a lot more than a demon and some fire to kill us, Your Highness," Lilith joyfully reminds him, standing behind me while Pan's arm was slung over her petite shoulders. It didn't look like he needed the support, but then again, experiencing the true heat of Hell would've been quite a memory.
I pull Taehyung up to stand, just as a mental calling makes me turn to my siblings. It's still a very new sensation to me - being able to hear my siblings after the multi millenia that have passed since I made the decision to leave Hell. Perhaps coming back to help had been akin to accepting my role here once more.
"Daddy's calling," Lilith announces.

"Beelzebub and his armies have breached through the Final Circle."
We are all quiet as we stare up at Lucifer. He sits on his throne, eyes closed and fingertips resting lightly against his temple as if hit with a massive migraine.
Taehyung crosses his arms against his chest. He doesn't seem as worried as I'd expect him to be, but then again the gravity of the situation would probably not be an easy thing to wrap his head around, especially since he never has seen Hell in full brutality. "What are we going to do now?"
"There is nothing we *can* do, Your Highness," Astaroth murmurs. "The only thing left is to fight, and hope we win."
"And what if we lose?"
"Beelzebub will be the new ruler of Hell," Abaddon explains.
"And you shall be tasked to destroy it." Our attention shifts once more to Lucifer, who had spoken. He stands, coming down to our level. "And I shan't let you destroy all I've worked for."
Taehyung takes an involuntary step back at the threat.
"Beelzebub defeated the others quicker than I expected." Lucifer starts to pace. It is a strange sight to watch my usually confident and cocky father seem so… nervous. His seven children and the Aamon stand around him. I bet we all had equal faces of disdain.
"Place the guards near the gate." Lucifer starts barking orders as he moves. "There is only one entrance and one exit in the Center. Have Belial, Pythius and Merriham retreat and then close the gates. Any demons coming in are to be killed on sight."
My siblings nod, instinctively moving to heed his command.
"But it's not the only entrance."
And Taehyung's sudden voice makes us all pause in step. We turn to him.
"Jin and I teleported here."
"Taehyung," I interject. "The only reason we could teleport was because we were never from inside Hell. If Beelzebub is in Hell -"
"Is he though?"
"What are you implying, Your Highness?" Astaroth murmurs, for once, not looking like the very sight of Taehyung was an annoyance to him.
Taehyung turns to Lucifer, who has fallen silent.
"I don't think Beelzebub is with his armies. He's worked so hard to defeat all the other Circles, but he doesn't need to defeat yours. The only person he'll have to defeat is you. Isn't that right?"
"Yes," Lucifer answers, narrowing his eyes at him as he gives him rapt attention. "Defeating me will make the whole structure of Hell fall into his hands."
"Then he won't waste valuable energy fighting your demons. I don't think Beelzebub would be so reckless in this battle. He knows the stakes and the danger of depending on the only entrance to the center." He turns to me again. "What if he isn't with his armies? What if he's waiting somewhere for a signal to teleport directly here with a portion of his demons? What if he's already here, hiding in plain sight?"
"Impossible," Lucifer retorts. "I would know."
"Would you though?" There is no challenge in Taehyung's words. Only doubt. "Did you know about Jin sneaking in to your palace to gather information? Your palace is huge. It's completely possible that Beelzebub -"
My father slams his hand against his armrest, the sound echoing amongst the walls of the circular room. Instinctively, I pull Taehyung behind me.
"Hear him out, Daddy." Lilith's voice comes from behind me. "He has a point."
"Aamon." My father is staring directly at Taehyung with a look he generally saves for when Angels pay Hell a visit. "Guardian of the Forty Legions of Heaven and Hell, Seer of the Past and Future, Protector of Lost Souls."
He takes a step towards us, and the echo of power ripples from his form, casting goosebumps against my skin. Taehyung would've felt much, much more.
"It will do well for you to watch your place in a world where the laws of your land do not apply. You have no experience in Hell, nor in leadership, nor in being Aamon."
"Then why am I here?" Taehyung's answer, spiteful, vindictive and challenging, surprises us. Even my father looks surprised enough to fall silent. "Why am I standing in Hell before the King and all his children? Why did your daughter seek my help, why did your son risk so much to bring me here? I am the Aamon, like it or not, you need me. I defeated you once. You may be the King of Hell, but I have equal standing, so you will *listen to me*."
I can't believe I miss it, but Lucifer moves.
He has his hand fisted against the collar of Taehyung's shirt as he pulls him close.
*"You will know your place, child."*
"I know mine." Taehyung is strangely calm as he looks Lucifer in the eye. I would wonder where he got the sudden bravery from, but I was too preoccupied with the possibility of my father eating him alive. "Do you know yours?"
I hear little gasps behind me, and quietly, Astaroth says "wow."
Lucifer finally uncurls his fingers from Taehyung's collar. They stand eye to eye, neither moving to break contact.
"So what is your plan… Taehyung."
That makes Taehyung freeze. In fact, it makes all of us pause momentarily. Was Lucifer, Sovereign ruler of all Hells, being of infinite power of the Underworld, actually opening the floor to suggestions? 
"Well?"

"We can't let ourselves concentrate on the gates. It would be too predictable for Beelzebub to enter through it. Since Lucifer is the main target, I think we'll have to focus on protecting him."
"I am able to fight on my own, Aamon," Lucifer sneers.
"Yes. And Jin and I defeated you, if I remember correctly." Taehyung barely blinks as he stares up at my father and the crudeness of his statement makes Astaroth snort as he holds in his laughter.
That produces a scowl from the King of Hell, but he does nothing more.
"Continue."
"Beelzebub had spies in all the Circles that probably allowed attacks to be more systematic and efficient. I think you should assume the same here." Taehyung glances at me, a telling look in his eyes.
At that, Lucifer nods. "I don't rule out the possibility that his demons may lie amongst mine. Seven centuries is a long time for things to go unnoticed."
If Taehyung realized the jab against him, he says nothing.
"Exactly. So I suggest, we spread out. Three of us will meet the armies coming through the gates head on."
"I shall go," Abaddon volunteers. She turns to Mammon and Leviatha, who nod along. "We shall bring our armies."
"Daddy would be safer hidden," Lilith suggests.
At that, I nod. "I'll stay with Daddy."
"Then I'll stay with Lucifer too," Taehyung adds in. "We work better together." He lets out a sigh then, running a hand against his arm from nerves and suddenly seeming a lot older than his teenage years. "Hopefully we'll be able to stop him."
"The rest of you will spread out," Lucifer continues. "Should Beelzebub's armies manage to break through, or his spies start attacking, they must be countered quickly."

"What happens to people that die in Hell?"
Lucifer had ordered our leave not long after, seeking an audience with his generals and commanders. When it came to his dictatorship of Hell, he was secretive to us in the extremes. A necessary precaution, I suppose, when your offspring are as power hungry as you are.
"They cease to exist," I answer.
I catch Taehyung frown from my peripheral vision. Of course my answer won't satisfy him. I reach for another book from the top shelf. We were in the Grand Library of my father's castle, and I needed a brush up of the number of spells I knew and could efficiently use here.
"But isn't the Afterlife considered… you know, your final destination?"
"It's supposed to be." Book in hand, I walk back to the reading desk. Six books would be sufficient for now. "Beings here, demons and souls alike, are immortal." I sit down, making myself comfortable as I grab a book from my pile. I glance at Taehyung, who is sitting curled up against the love seat as if he is about to fall asleep anytime.
I wouldn't blame him if he did.
"Being immortal means you cannot die a natural death, but you can still be killed. Spirits and demons that are killed become nothing. They are wiped off all worlds."
"That sounds frightening."
"To become nothingness… Perhaps." I fall quiet as I start flipping through the pages as Taehyung continues to stare at me. His questions wouldn't be done so soon.
"What happens if a ruler of one of the Circles is killed?"
"I'm not sure. It's never happened before."
"And if it does?"
I pause. I didn't really have an answer to that. "One of my siblings will probably inherit the Circle, but that would be… complicated."
"Why?"
"Because it would encourage the others to try expand their scope of power too."
"Like take over the rest of the Circles."
I nod. A spell on a particular page has caught my eye and I try to memorize it the quickest I can before another round of questions starts.
"Jin?"
It takes me a moment to reply. "Yes, Taehyung?"
"What if I die here?"
I look up at him. He is staring right back at me with those soulful pair of eyes so unfitting for an Aamon. "To be honest with you, Taehyung, you'll probably cease to exist too. Your body on Earth will start to decay and the power will choose a new Aamon."
"And you?"
"I wouldn't be any exception. I too, will become nothing if killed."
"That's not what I meant." Taehyung uncurls himself from the sofa and sits up, still staring unflinchingly back at me. "I meant what will happen to you, if I get killed? What will you do? Where will you go?"
I look away from him, focusing back on my book. I was nearly done.
"Truthfully, I'd probably be dead as well."
"How come?"
"I promised to protect you, didn't I? Your last breath shall be mine."
"That's not a very comforting thought," I hear him murmur. 
I hide the smirk as I turn to him again. Looks like I wouldn't get much reading done with him in the room anyway. I hold out my hand towards him, and after a moment's hesitation, he gets up from the loveseat and heads toward me. He places his hand upon my open palm and I pull him closer to me.
"Are you worried you might die?"
Predictably enough, Taehyung shakes his head, his lips shaped in an aesthetically pleasing pout. "I'm worried about who might be the next Aamon."
I raise an eyebrow, surprised, to say the least, of his answer.
"Why?"
"Because I might probably die here?" He muses. "Mammon said the power chooses the next successor. What if it chooses someone like me again? What if my successor is as lost as I am."
I squint my eyes this time. I wasn't really getting what he was at.
"An untrained, unreliable -"
I hide a sigh. "Taehyung. Enough."
The pout deepens, till his lower lip is almost jutting out comically. "Jin, I'm serious!"
"The power only chooses someone it deems capable."
"Well, the power must be pretty darn stupid if it thinks I was the best initiate when it had a whole court behind it," he mutters.
"And were you not listening when Mammon mentioned corruption going on in the Aamon's Court?"
"Leyla would still be a way better Aamon than I would," he says, mentioning the supposed heir of the Aamon throne, until the power had breezed right past her onto Taehyung.
"She would only be a puppet."
"Well, I'm a caged animal, so what's the difference!"
I only stare at him, allowing him to cool off on his own. The scent of anger would attract demons.
He sighs not long after, visibly deflating as he leans his hip against the table beside him. "What if I can't defeat Beelzebub? I don't want to destroy Hell. I don't want to kill anyone."
"This isn't the prophecy. You don't have to -"
"Yes, I do," he interrupts me. "I have to change the vision."
"But you don't have to do it alone. We'll all be helping."
"And what if I can't return?" He murmurs. "What if I'm stuck here forever."
"You won't be."
"How do you know?"
"Because."
"Jin!"
"Because!" I suddenly stand, making Taehyung flinch as he takes a step back. He bumps into the wall behind him, trapping himself. I see his eyes widen, his lips part, hear his heartbeat pick up, and automatically feel my anger dissipate. "Because we'll make the universe work with us."
And then he blinks, a slow, wary and confused action. His lashes seem to dance against the artificial lights of the room.
"Sorry," I hear him quietly say.
It is my turn to sigh as I look away from him. 
It wasn't his fault. I knew it wasn't his fault. The stress on Taehyung's slim shoulders was just growing day by day and there wasn't much he could do about it. He could be stuck here, he could die here.
And the only reason he'd insisted on coming to Hell was because he wouldn't let me fight alone. This was my fault to begin with.
Taehyung can be as scared and as hesitant as he wants to. He had every right to be.
"I'm just…" he continued. "Scared."
"Would it make you feel better if I said I'd die for you?" I offer, giving him a wry smile. He glances up at me and returns it halfheartedly, but shakes his head all the same.
"Jungkook," he says, sounding between a sigh and whisper. "He's going to be devastated."
"He is a strong child. He will survive. His pack will protect him."
"I would leave behind so much chaos."
"The Victor gave you three years. That's three years to prepare themselves to an age without you. You know they will manage." I sounded incredibly selfish in my rebuttals. But I wasn't.
It was just Taehyung, being his incredibly selfless self as per usual.
My train of thought is interrupted when Taehyung looks up at me, the angle allowing the tiny gold ring around his iris suddenly seem a lot brighter.
"And you too."
I blink.
"I'm worried about you."
I smile. So like him. "I'm fine, Taehyung. This is my home."
"I thought you hated it here."
"I do," I chuckle. "But I will protect this place with all I have, because I owe this prison that much."
He leans heavily against the wall behind him, gaze far-off. "What if you die in this battle?"
"I probably wouldn't. Beelzebub has no reason to attack me. His sole target should be Lucifer." At his silence, I raise an eyebrow. "Is that what you're worried about? Me dying?"
He doesn't answer, and I take a step closer as I stand before him. I lean forward, a hand resting against the space above Taehyung's head. I use my other hand to tilt his chin in my direction. He has nowhere else to look at but me, and I stare into the depth of his black orbs. 
Is it strange to say that this teenager before me, this unwilling Aamon, this childish performer, this endless troublemaker, gave me a sense of purpose?
I wonder if this pair of orbs are enchanted. They certainly seem so to me.
"Worry not, Aamon. I will be careful."
He says nothing. I have always marveled at how Taehyung carried the look of innocence on his face. He was Aamon, Guardian of the Forty Legions of Heaven and Hell, Protector of Souls, Seer of the Past and Future. And yet he looks like he could trip on his own two feet on flat ground.
And perhaps that was an advantage. People kept underestimating Taehyung, but his power was only growing. Courts never saw him as a serious ally until he singlehandedly defeated Lucifer. No one had expected Taehyung to even make it to his coronation alive and now here he was, battling demons in Hell just weeks after defeating Lucifer. His face could become the greatest asset he had.
And that same face holds that same look of worry it always has when it came to me. He was going to get wrinkles on his forehead at this rate.
Another advantage that stupid permanent look of innocence brings him - the instinct to be protected. And perhaps when it came to that, I was the most frequent victim.
"Jin."
It takes me a second to respond to him. "Hmm?"
"What… What are we?"
I blink this time, taken off guard. And I notice the close proximity between us. Taehyung's face was probably two inches from mine. I lean away from him, dropping my hands to my sides.
"What do you mean?"
He crosses his arms against his chest, looking insecure and confused, instead of angry.
"I mean… what are we?"
"The Aamon and his Parliament, son of Lucifer."
He gives me a wry smile, as insincere as his laughter that follows soon after. The look in his eyes make me assume he thinks that what I said was a joke.
"Why are you with me, Jin?" He finally says, the expression on his face pained. "I mean it. Why are you by my side? Why do you continue to stay with me when I have nothing to offer you? You told me your kind aren't able to feel empathy. But you have nothing to gain from me. So why?"
"I was birthed from an Angel." Astaroth's words ring in my head. "Perhaps I have abilities they do not."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Perhaps I want to stay by your side."
And he falters. "Why?"
I look once more into his doe eyes; eyes which a mere four months ago, were as black as night - now rimmed lightly with gold as a sign of his power and status. I glance at his cheeks, once cherubic and rosy, now gaunt and sunken. I focus on his lips, a far cry from the pinkish hue they once held - now ravaged and chapped from constant lack of hydration, stress and a habit of chewing on his lower lip when he was nervous. It was a good question. Why? "I don't know."
My train of thought is interrupted when I physically feel something slam into the mental walls of my mind. The pain is as real as any other wrecking ball slamming against you and I take a moment to recover. I hide the flinch, but this close to Taehyung, nothing would escape him.
"What? What's going on? What's wrong? Is everything alright?"
"It's Beelzebub." I notice my voice is actually shaking. I must be as pale as a sheet. "He has killed Merriham."

"This makes no sense." Lucifer's voice is a low, dangerous grumble that shakes the floor we stand on. He sits on his throne in true form, far too angry to hold on to any guise.
My siblings and I are all quiet. We are all in shock. Beelzebub had actually killed Merriham. A brother against a brother. A sin against sin.
"We have to assume he's at the Final Gate now." Astaroth is uncharacteristically mellow. Perhaps now we were really starting to understand the full gravity of the situation. Beelzebub would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Nothing would be sacred to him. Not even family.
"Its so strange though." We all turn to Pan, whose face was red from crying. "Lilith and I were the first to be defeated. We were unprepared and outnumbered. Beelzebub had all the opportunity to kill us."
"But he didn’t," Lilith hiccups, wiping childishly at her own tears. "He allowed us to retreat. So why would he kill Merriham? What did he have against him?"
"Beelzebub did the same to me," Mammon adds in. "He injured me - greviously - but he let me go. What difference would Merriham make?"
Taehyung turns to me. "You told me Merriham shared a Circle." His tone is respectful and hesitant. "What about Pythius?" He looks up at Lucifer. "There is a chance that he escaped… right?"
"Of course!" Lucifer snaps, voice as loud and as sharp as thunder. Taehyung flinches from shock, taking a step back, but says nothing. "Defeating the ruler of a Circle would not only destroy the complex hierarchy of Hell, it would collapse the entire system!"
"Maybe that's why Beelzebub didn't kill any of you. He didn't want to rule over an unstable Hell," Taehyung starts, treading as lightly as he could. Lucifer says nothing. He keeps clenching and unclenching his fist, continuously extinguishing a small flame dancing on his palm. "I know you're angry," Taehyung points out, staring at him. "But moving in anger will only blind you."
At that, my father scoffs. "Believe me, Aamon. I am not blinded. I know exactly what I plan to do once I get my hands on that conniving son of mine."
He gets up right then, taking two gigantic steps forward as he morphs into human form, standing before us.
"Let Beelzebub come to me. The rest of you shall fend off the armies. I shall fight him, since that is what he desires so much."
"Daddy, that does not sound wise," Leviatha starts.
"You'll be walking straight into Beelzebub's trap," Taehyung adds in. "I had a vision of your fight with Beelzebub. You lost. He will have something up his sleeve."
"You're also weakened from your previous fight, Daddy," Abaddon reminds him. "Beelzebub would use that to his advantage."
"The purpose of your vision is for the future to be changed. I shall change the outcome."
"Daddy -" Lucifer raises his hand, interrupting me. 
"I seek all your cooperation to get into position immediately. If Beelzebub wants a war, I shall give him a war."
Taehyung turns to me again, the distress on his face obvious. I shake my head. Nothing would get to Lucifer when he was like this. 

We stand on the rooftop of the castle, a vast open space that many millenia ago, was used for friendly duels between us siblings and Lucifer. Each and every time, my father would defeat us.
And here we are today, waiting for another duel to happen. I only hope the outcome would be as per usual.
For a few moments, the world is enveloped in silence. Even Taehyung is uncharacteristically quiet. He fiddles with the tiny vial of blood hanging against his neck, his gaze far-off. 
He would be so vulnerable. The unlikely Aamon, no experience in Hell and no experience battling demons. If he was killed here, that would be the end of him. The end of his life, the end of his soul, the end of the Fifth Aamon's reign. Could he survive?
I forcefully look away from him. No. I shouldn't allow him to be so dependant on me. Taehyung had exceeded expectations time and time again. He's defeated the Seraphim, survived multiple assassination attempts and had emerged victorious in the prophesied battle against Lucifer. He was fully capable.
Another violent stab against my mind. I wrap my hand against the hilt of the sword by my side.
Lucifer doesn't move, but his posture tenses. He says exactly what I was thinking. "They've made it in."
Taehyung and I turn to each other.
"The blade I gave you." He nods, already holding on tightly to the gleaming white dagger. "Use it."
The eternal midnight sky is suddenly set ablaze, a spectacular purple and pink hue that reminds me of sunsets back on Earth. A coalition of screams and roars pierce through the silence and Taehyung swallows loudly. I note how many of the battle cries sound a lot nearer than where the gate actually is.
We'd been right. There were spies lurking in the Center.
"What's going on?" Taehyung whispers, eyes bright as he stares at the lilac sky.
"Hell burns bright in conflict," I explain.
"Looks like the battle's begun," Lucifer murmurs.
And the ground beneath us literally explodes, throwing the three of us upwards. I instinctively reach for Taehyung, grabbing on to his hand before my father and I both change into our true forms and hit the skies.
We were blinded momentarily from the fire, soot and dust that filled the air. Lucifer swipes his hand before him, shifting the air around us to clear our vision. The dust clears like a ripple effect.
"What was that?" Taehyung asks amidst violent coughs.
"A combustion spell," Lucifer answers him, staring down at the castle - or what remained of it. "Pretty powerful, by the looks of it."
"There's no way anything could've survived that," I observe. 
There is nothing left of the castle. Everything has turned to dust, and the magnificent structure it once was is but a teeming pile of fire and debris. The power of that spell couldn't have come from one individual. It was far too strong and with the castle itself enchanted down to its toes, one spell could never have been enough to destroy it so completely.
If there *were* any survivors, they wouldn't be on our side.
*Jin. I can feel them.* 
Taehyung's hold around my neck tightens. I survey the land below us, unsure what he's talking about.
*Who?*
*The Seraphim. They're here.*
*Taehyung, that's impossible. The Seraphim -*
Taehyung screams right then, staring to my left. I follow his gaze and immediately fold my wings in.
We fall, narrowly avoiding the sword that swipes over our heads.
I extend my wings, catching flight again as I swerve to avoid another attack. The tip of the sword grazes my tail, enough to cut me but I use it to my advantage. I make a U-turn, slamming my tail against the Seraphim.
Either the Seraphim were getting wiser or I was getting careless. It grabs on to my tail, its free hand still grasping on tightly to its weapon. It raises the sword, ready to impale us.
I swear under my breath.
I couldn't attack with Taehyung against me and I could drop him if I move too quickly.
Then an explosion of fire suddenly hits it from the side, and the Seraphim is thrown. Lucifer tails right after it, his own weapon at the ready.
*Oh my God. Lucifer just saved us.*
*He tends to do that, as long as you return the favour.*
Lucifer battles with the Seraphim, the sound of his roars loud despite the din that was their weapons clashing against each other.
*Jin, we should -*
I shake my head. *Lucifer's moving too fast. You can't strike the Seraphim without hurting him.*
"That's not what I meant," he breathes, voice no longer echoing in my head. "That Seraphim wasn't the only one."
*How many more are there? Can you detect them?* He shakes his head this time. I glance momentarily at him. He is as pale as a sheet and was actually starting to shiver. Was he that frightened? *What's wrong? Are you alright?*
"I… I think your brother is challenging my Court."
I turn to him. It was one of those instances that I was effectively rendered speechless. Taehyung stares right back at me, quiet panic in his eyes.
"My flow of power isn't as smooth as it usually is. It's like… there's a sieve."
*Why would he be attacking your Court? If he kills the Aamon -*
*The power transfers to another individual. But if he takes control over my Court?*
I fall silent. Technically speaking, the Parliament controlled both the flow of power and the Aamon. Although controlling the Aamon was an impossibility at this point, being able to control the Aamon's strength was going to be a huge issue for us, particularly here and NOW. *What are you going to do?*
*I guess I'm going to have to fight him.*
"WATCH OUT!" The both of us look up at my father's warning, just in time to see a headless Seraphim hurtling our way. I manage to dodge it as it hurtles to the ground, however another Seraphim - head still upon its shoulders, takes the chance to attack.
I meet my sword with the being's, the resounding clang of both our weapons meeting in battle ringing in our ears. It moves astonishingly fast, and I struggle to catch up with it as Taehyung clings on to me for dear life. The Seraphim finally lands a successful strike that, had I not used my own arm to protect him, would have sliced Taehyung in half clean through.
Taehyung lets out a powerful burst of energy that should have knocked the attacker back, but instead only throws my flight off balance.
"Jin, I can't fight airborne!" He practically screams in my ear as I struggle to steady myself.
*We're going to be easier targets on the ground.*
He doesn't answer, only tightening his hold against my neck. I hear him gasp and I whirl around, just as the Seraphim shoots a beam of energy straight for us. I swear under my breath. He was too near to dodge.
The beam goes straight through my wing, tearing against the stretched skin.
"HOLY CRAP!"
Taehyung is screaming before we'd even started falling, but there was no way I could keep myself in the air with a torn wing. We fall as I cocoon my wings around Taehyung to protect him.
I crash against the rubble of the destroyed castle, creating enough dust on my rough landing to momentarily hide us.
*You need to hide.*
*I can fight!*
*Taehyung, the game has changed. Seraphim in Hell are a greater danger to you than Beelzebub would be.*
*Jin, we're already here. If we don't -*
He leaves his sentence hanging, suddenly staring wide-eyed at the space behind me. I whirl around, looking up.
"…Oh my God," I hear him whisper, voice quiet from shock.
The sky above us has torn in two, and a portal the probable size of a football field gapes open. The collective sound of a million screams filters out of the hole and I convert to human form, pulling Taehyung's hand as I force him to move.
"What is that? What's going on? Where are we heading? Why are you in human form?"
"That," I start, breaking out in a full run. "Is the sound of an army approaching."
"Beelzebub's army?"
I nod.
"And we're running away?!"
"Taehyung. Things are getting way too dangerous."
"But your dad-!"
"Is fully capable of handling himself," I continue. I finally stop, whirling around and placing strong hands against Taehyung's shoulders. They feel so tiny under my hold. "Listen to me. Stay on the ground. Stay small. Stay hidden. Fight if you need to. Don't let the Seraphim touch you and stay *away* from the armies."
"*Jin!*" he starts again, in what very obviously sounds like a childish whine. "You can't just keep me hidden."
"I can and I will." I find myself shaking him as I level my gaze. "Beelzebub's armies are Feeders, Taehyung. They devour souls and are attracted to power." I see his eyes widen as understanding dawns on him. "You can't be airborne, and I can't keep staying on the ground."
He nods, a hard set in his eyes. "I got it. Go." The steel in his eyes hints that he has an underlying idea that I won't like, but I have no time for questions.
"Survive."
"You too."
I revert to my demon form, wing healed and fixed, and take off to the skies. I glance back for a moment to see Taehyung breaking out in a run, before the rubble of the castle hides him. I hope he would at least try to stay away.
I turn back to the skies, feeling the echo of power as my father calls to me.
"Concentrate on the portal."
"Can you deal with the Seraphim?" I ask him.
"Of course I can. It's your brother I worry about."
I allow the liberty of a half-smile. "How nice of you to care for Beelzebub."
The coalition of screams reaches its crescendo and the portal hanging above our heads is suddenly obstructed by a black mass.
One large, thriving, screaming, coagulated mess.
For the second time in many, many years, I am rendered speechless. "Is… is that…"
"Taking control of eight Circles gives him the strength of eight Circles," Lucifer answers my unfinished question. He pauses momentarily to consume a piece of Seraphim he has torn off. 
I stare up at the portal.
The swarming mass keeps growing in size, until it seems to have broken the portal's surface retention, and literally bursts with demons and souls that pour out of the portal like water from a shower head. The sight is disgusting. 
"Have fun," I hear my father muse.
"You've got to be kidding me."
I raise my sword, just as the first demon slams into me. I am thrown back as I simultaneously slice my sword through its torso. It falls towards the ground, still roaring. The next attack is an onslaught, five demons attacking at once. I shoot upwards, missing their claws by inches. I whisper a spell, a ripple of fire leaving my form and engulfing the demons in my short vicinity. 
Of course that does nothing to slow their pace down, and the next group of demons replaces the ashes of the previous demons. I swipe my sword again, focusing on the larger demons as the smaller demons crawl themselves up my limbs.
I roar, exuding another burst of power that momentarily jolts them enough for me to get myself free.
"There are. Too. Many," I growl, knowing my father would hear me even if he was in the Ninth Circle.
"Eat up," he says, just as he literally hurls the head of a Seraphim towards me. I move slightly to the left, growling as I look up at him.
"You know I don't eat Angels."
"Ah. Of course. Family does not eat family."
"We have to close the portal," I say, ignoring his snide comment. "Before Beelzebub actually pops out of that."
"Now why would you do that? I look forward to seeing Beelzebub."
"Daddy!" I snap. "He has eight Circles behind him. You have one!"
There is a sharp pain that shoots up my ankle, and I am distracted momentarily. I swipe my sword against the demon gnashing on my leg, just as Lucifer tears through another Seraphim.
"What I'm more curious about is these Angels in Hell," I hear my father murmur. "No Aamon has brought Seraphim here. Not least the Fifth."
"Taehyung didn't call them here. He suspects someone is trying to take over his Court."
"And that someone would be…?"
"Beelzebub."
Lucifer pauses to chuckle. "If Beelzebub wasn't against me, I would be impressed with his battle strategy."
"Daddy." Another demon charges at me, this time the serpentine shape and form hinting pretty clearly which Circle it was from. It widens its jaws, roaring and threatening to swallow me whole. 
"If Beelzebub does somehow take control of the Aamon's Court," Lucifer explains as I dodge the demon, stabbing my sword against its underbelly as it moves. Its innards fall towards the ground like rain. "Then the Aamon should not be affected. The Parliament only advise the Aamon, not control him."
"Yes, but everything the Parliament controls, he will as well! Like the Seraphim!"
"Oh."
"OH?!"
"What else do you expect me to say?"
I growl, suppressing my temper as I grab on to the serpent's tail and spin it over my head twice, before hurling it at another group of charging demons.
"You have the *worst* battle strategy!"
"I was defeated by a seventeen year old who can barely hold his powers in check," he answers, obviously hinting at Taehyung. "What do you think?"
I growl, using the momentary anger to bash a demon's head to pulp between my hands. Another gets ahead of itself, striking me with its claws against my face. I breathe fire, burning those in short proximity.
"I have a plan."
"What is it?" 
"I'm heading to the Aamon's Court."
Lucifer physically pauses, before he glances at me. "You think you will find Beelzebub there?"
"I'm not sure. But if he takes control over the Court, this battle will get a lot messier."
"If he is there, you must bring him back here."
Taehyung's vision flashes past. "I know. Keep the Aamon safe."
He snorts, avoiding a blow from another Seraphim before slicing it in half. "Keep the person who defeated the King of Hell safe."
I shift.

I land in Switzerland, high up in the Alps mountains. Nearly two hundred years ago, receiving a vision of the coming of world wars, Ezekiel had shifted his headquarters here, a notoriously neutral country throughout both the first and second World War. It was as secluded as a place on Earth could be, though I could count with my fingers the years the Fourth Aamon had spent here.
Ezekiel tended to spend long periods of time in the Hereafter, since an influx of civil wars, plagues and famine towards the turn of the nineteenth and twenty century kept him busy.
It was said that in his absence, corruption in the Court worsened. Ezekiel died from poisoning by one of his own members of Court. One does not forget the death of the Aamon, especially those in the Afterworld. The Aamon's soul leaving his body is said to send ripples of power that can be felt down to the lowest pit of Hell and the highest throne in Heaven.
Ezekiel himself, had thrown what must have been the equivalent of a fit as soon as he reached the Heavens. Unsatisfied with his death, he demanded a recant of his Parliament and since he'd already done so much in his life, God had obliged by nullifying the powers of the expected initiates.
That was the power that subsequently chose and settled in Taehyung. 
Taehyung was basically Aamon because the previous had thrown a tantrum. Truly, he was Ezekiel's successor.
The grounds of the castle hidden just below the mountain top are quiet. I maintain my incorporeal form. Though I see nothing, the stench of power hanging in the air proves Taehyung right.
Demons were here.
I enter the castle, moving through the walls.
There is no fighting, no blood, no bodies. No hint of a battle, just mere silence.
I descend downwards, knowing the upper floors of the castle are just for show and would always remain empty. When I was acquaintances with Ezekiel, the interior designs of the abode would always be a source of great pride to him.
The lower I go, the thicker the scent of power, till it almost suffocates me. What is there? What was so powerful?
I reach the lowest floor and the scent is so thick that it feels tangible in the air. Was this the Aamon's true power?
Sitting around the Oval table are the Parliament, a delegation of twelve greying men and women, who oversee the pews below them. Nine initiates sit at the benches. 
For a moment, I am confused. Had Taehyung been wrong? Where was the stench coming from? Why were they holding a meeting in total silence?
Invisible to all eyes, I move closer.
Everyone is frozen, sitting on their seats, unmoving. They stare at their hands against their laps. They are tense, they barely move. Their expressions are set in stone, masks of hidden terror veiled thinly under their neutral expressions.
Beelzebub is here. I can smell him.
He is invisible, just like me.
And then I feel a power slam into me. I lurch forward, already changing back to demon form as I roar. My brother appears behind me, in the same form as he roars right back.
Immediately the space between us shrinks - the both of us were far too large for the room to take. He slams into me and I fall, landing against the marble altar.
The presence of demons finally breaks the spell on the members of the Court and they move, lurching out of the way.
"Go!" I command, moving to stand. "Get out of here!"
Beelzebub lands against me, slamming against my chest. Our combined weight and the force of his landing finally makes the marble crack beneath us, and we crash to the floor. 
The members of Court start running, evacuating the room as they throw signals I can't read at each other.
"Big Brother!" Beelzebub exclaims, leering close enough that I see the veins throbbing against the whites of his eyes. "How nice of you to drop by! It's been a long while since I've seen you."
"I can't say the same," I murmur, directing a blow against the middle of his chest. It catches him off guard and sends him flying. He lands against the pews, destroying them from impact. I move to stand, as Beelzebub picks himself up. "Daddy isn't happy about all the trouble you've caused him."
"A strange phrase coming from the one emancipating himself from his own father."
"I was never proud of him," I answer, unsheathing my sword from my back. "But you've crossed the line, Beelzebub."
I see my younger brother reach behind him for his own sword. His posture is lazy, shoulders sagged, sword pointed towards the ground. Did he not think I would kill him?
"Attacking our younger siblings, conquering their Circles. Trying to control the Aamon's Court. Killing your own brother!" I point my sword at him. "When will you be satisfied?"
Beelzebub only stares back at me, until he finally smirks. "Until Hell is mine." 
He charges, raising his sword as he readies his attack. I catch his sword with mine, pushing it upwards to push him back before I swipe him against his side. Beelzebub dodges, lunging forward as he calls for a spell.
The force behind that spell creates an explosion between us that has me backtracking, momentarily blinded by the sparks. He uses the moment to attack again and I skip back, as he drives each and every charge towards me.
Was Beelzebub getting stronger or did I need some serious brushing up on my swordplay?
"What made you come back, Big Brother?" He taunts, managing to strike me across the face before I could dodge. "Suddenly grew a heart and cared for your family?"
"I have always cared for the family," I bite back. "What made you stop?"
I murmur a spell, slamming the full force of the incantation straight into Beelzebub. It is a numbing spell. Theoretically, it should slow him down.
Beelzebub lunges forward again, and I mentally put my shields up. The force of his strike forms hairline cracks against the metaphysical protection and he stares down at me, grinning much like a Cheshire.
"Do you like my new strength?"
"You conquered the Circles," I uselessly point out. Lucifer had forewarned me about this. Problem was, I was so used to Beelzebub's own level of power that seeing him that much stronger felt… surreal.
"And ALL THEIR POWER!" He suddenly makes a lifting motion, as if he is singlehandedly lifting something heavy from mid-air. The ground around us begins rumbling, its shaking and roaring making it seem as if the Earth was a hungry predator.
"What are you doing," I mutter, focus split between him and the ground shaking so badly that soil was beginning to rain down from above.
"I control Eight Circles," he answers, Cheshire grin on his face. "My control on Hell supercedes Lucifer's."
The ground below us erupts, a column of fire shooting up from beneath our feet, straight up towards the ceiling. It knocks me skywards, throwing me straight out the castle.
I manage to catch myself mid-flight before I careen into the distance. I stare at the flames. The column of fire had shot straight *through* the Aamon's Court, engulfing it in a gigantic column of fire. The raging fire is so powerful that it is actually *roaring*.
I feel my skin begin to stitch itself together as it heals the massive burns throughout my body. Those were the flames of Hell. Beelzebub had called for fire all the way from Hell. 
He wasn't the Aamon, nor was he Lucifer.
I could only hope all the members of Court had escaped in time.
I feel my anger rise again. Beelzebub wasn't going to stop. He was going to destroy everything until there was nothing left to go against him.
He'd already killed our brother, conquered Eight Circles, destroyed the Aamon's Court and pretty much took control of it.
I had to kill him.
"Beelzebub!" I roar, eyes roaming the mountains. I was going to wrap my hands around his throat and rip it out and enjoy it. "Show yourself!"
I see something move inside the column of fire, a moving form that stops mid-air to stand at my level. I squint my eyes at the form.
The flames part, Beelzebub's grinning face greeting mine. He is unharmed by the flames. He was gaining more power as the King of Hell.
The Aamon's Court was his. He only had one Circle left to conquer before he became the sole ruler of the Underworld.
"I'm right here," he answers, before making a throwing motion, hurling the column of fire straight at me.
I make a move to dodge, veering sharply to the left as the flames miss me by a beat. And I watch as the column of fire splits into two, suddenly coming alive with snake-like agility as it rounds the bend and begins chasing me. 
"What the hell," I breathe, rapidly descending as the fire chases after my tail. I hear Beelzebub's laughter behind me. The first coil of fire wraps around my ankle, quickly working itself up my leg as it roasts my skin, seeping quickly into my bones. I won't take much time to describe the pain my body was suddenly alive with.
The second coil quickly follows the first, this time working up my body much more quickly. It wraps around my wings, making me immobile as I crash to the ground.
I whisper a spell, emitting a powerful burst of telekinetic energy from my body as I free myself. I shoot back up towards the sky, letting the magic in my system heal my damaged body.
Beelzebub stays inside the column fire. Wise for him, I suppose, since the fires of Hell do not hurt those who rule over them. I don't take a moment to hesitate, hurtling straight into the fire, slamming against Beelzebub as I force him out the protective flames.
The look in his face is priceless, seeing as to how I'd willingly gone into contact with the fire. He didn't know I'd been with Taehyung the moment traces of his powers as future Aamon had first developed, back when his control of the power was near negative. Fires of Hell were nothing new to me.
Now that he was in close enough proximity, I impale him straight through the chest with my sword, my other hand against his neck keeping him in place. The surprise on his face heightens, as he glances down at my sword sticking into him, before looking back up at me.
"Surely you don't think this is enough to stop me."
"Knowing how stubborn you are, of course not," I answer. "This is just to keep you still."
I see him blink, the confusion on his face evident as I open the portal before me. He glances behind himself, sees the portal and instantly the expression on his face changes. He turns to me, roaring as he begins thrashing under my hold.
"Where are you taking me?!"
"To the person prophesied to defeat you."

The both of us hurtle through the space and dimension, shooting out the portal like we'd just been shot out a cannon. We land against the ground like a sack of potatoes, in a tangle of limbs before Beelzebub gets himself off me.
He takes but one glance at the sky before he roars again, standing as he rips my sword off his chest.
"You brought me *back*?!"
"Surprise," I murmur, needing a moment to catch my breath. I don't understand the weakness I'm feeling. The shifting shouldn't have taken that big a toll. Healing from the burns shouldn't exert this much energy.
I catch Beelzebub moving from my peripheral vision, the rage as clear as day on his face. I see him raise his sword, see him about to strike the sword against my neck.
Would he do it?
I am unanswered when a column of blue fire literally slams into Beelzebub, catapulting him into the distance. I turn to the source of the fire, expectedly seeing Taehyung staring at Beelzebub with a combination of awe and shock, before he turns to me.
"*That's* your brother?" He yells at me. "He UGLY!"
"TAEHYUNG!" I snap, forgetting momentarily that verbal communication was impossible in this form. He immediately flinches, staying right where he is. Which was a good thing, because if he'd come any closer, I would've reached over and smacked him against his head. *I told you to stay hidden, didn't I?!*
He blinks, before pointing in the direction of my father who seemed to be fighting a losing battle with the armies invading Hell. "Lucifer needed help."
*Lucifer can *handle* himself!*
We are distracted when Lucifer suddenly roars, being struck from behind by a demon he hadn't seen coming, kept busy by all the rest of the demons.
Taehyung turns back to me, expression unchanged but thinking exactly what I was. "You were saying?"
*I'm here now. You have to go hide.*
"No, Jin. I'm already here. I need to help."
I groan in frustration, looking away momentarily to push myself off the ground. I might as well be talking to a wall. 
"BEELZEBUB!"
The both of us turn our focus skywards once more. Lucifer is hurtling towards Beelzebub, the look of rage on his face similar to Beelzebub's moments ago. He has raised his sword, and strikes it against Beelzebub's, who has raised it in time to counter the strike. The sound of both blades meeting on impact rings in our ears.
Taehyung finally runs to me, still staring up at the duel above his head. 
"Jin, the portal -"
I interrupt him when I grab him, encompassing his entire form in the space of one palm as I pull him towards me, my other arm raised as I absorb the blow from a Seraphim who had attacked from behind. The impact drives me to my knees, before I murmur a spell that blasts the Angel away from us.
I turn to Taehyung, livid once more. *Pay attention!* I bark.
"Sorry," he mewls, before something behind me catches his attention. "Jin." 
I look to where he's staring. Now that the focus of their attention was gone, the demon armies previously attacking Lucifer are everywhere. But they aren't moving. They are all frozen, seemingly suspended in mid-air.
Staring right at us. 
Beelzebub's Feeders had detected the presence of a soul. 
Of Taehyung.
I swear under my breath.
"Jin," Taehyung says again, voice whisper soft. "Why are they staring at us?"
*No sudden movements.*
"*Jin?*"
*They can smell you.*
"Do I smell good?"
*TAEHYUNG.*
"Well… do I?"
The first of the many demons surrounding us suddenly roars, quickly followed by the other demons until it sounds like a cruscendo of screeches up in the skies.
*How fast do you think you can defeat an army?*
"What?!"
*You heard me.* The screeching and roaring continues. They were starting their onslaught soon.
"Ummm, a few hours?"
One demon dives straight for us, immediately followed by the next and soon a whole sky of demons is heading our way.
*We're going to try break that record today.*
I murmur a spell, throwing lightning towards the armies. It splits them into smaller masses, but ultimately doesn't slow them. Taehyung gets the cue, and he calls forth a wall of blue fire that engulfs those too slow to avoid it.
I stick close to him, covering him from behind as we counter the onslaught. 
The numbers are staggering. Though Taehyung and I are powerful individuals in our own right, facing an army of this size would stretch our limits.
I strike a demon that has ventured too close to Taehyung, slicing it in half with my claws. Another manages to bite down on his leg before Taehyung burns him off.
"Jin, there are just too many," Taehyung murmurs. 
*Where's the dagger I gave you?*
"I… uh… lost it."
*YOU LOST IT?!*
"I can't concentrate without both my hands free!"
*So you lost something so powerful?*
"I can fight just as well without the dagger!"
I drop the conversation. I could nag for an hour, but the fact remained the same. The dagger was gone. 
The demons were small-fry compared to what Taehyung was used to facing, but even he was burning out.
I glance up at the open portal, still pouring excited demons out into the domain. *I have an idea.*
"What?"
*You need to be bait.*
I swear I hear him sigh as he burns another demon to smithereens.
"Aren't I always?"
*Head into the portal.*
"INTO the portal?"
*Trust me.*
He sighs again, much louder this time, as if he wants me to hear the complaints in the little burst of air. I didn't need to. I could see the thoughts just fine. "I do."
I shoot up into the air just as Taehyung slams his foot into the ground, emitting a burst of power that clears the vicinity around him. I glance back at him. He could do it.
Roars in the distance distract me momentarily, and I look to see Lucifer and Beelzebub still engaged in battle.
He could do it too.
I was starting to put so much faith in others that I was giving myself a headache. 
A Seraphim suddenly engages me, intercepting my flight as I screech to a halt. I dodge the blow it directs at me, immediately raising my sword to strike. It catches the blade between its bare hands, before directing a blow of Holy power straight at my chest.
It throws me backwards and I stretch my wings out to catch myself. The Holy power eats at my skin, though my mother's blood running in my veins stops the wound from getting any worse.
These angels were starting to really annoy me.
I tighten the grip I had on my sword as the Angel stares me down. Its eyes don't look as dead as they usually do. Strange.
I charge, distracting it with a combustion spell before I strike it with my sword again. It catches against its chest, opening a wound that shows nothing but emptiness inside. Somehow the emptiness of it catches me off guard.
The Seraphim takes the opportunity, impaling me with its sword.
I barely blink, using the close proximity between us to throw my weight forward as I lunge, impaling the Angel straight through and I bring the sword upwards, slicing the Seraphim in half.
The Angel falls, leaving its sword sticking out my chest. 
*Jin?*
*I'm fine,* I answer, pulling the blade out. I was lying. I didn't feel very fine. *Are you okay?*
*One of them bit me,* he confesses. *I have a chunk of flesh missing from my calf.*
*You'll be fine.*
*It doesn't hurt.*
*Numbing agents in the saliva. The only way you'd have realised is when you die.*
*Wow. Thanks.*
*Don't get bitten again.* 
*Behind you!*
I whirl around, just as another Seraphim materializes out of thin air, its sword already raised. I emit a burst of power that manages to hit it just in time, pushing the Seraphim back before the blow from that sword sliced my head into two.
*Can you sense them coming?* I ask him, hinting at the Seraphim who somehow kept reappearing.
*Barely,* he murmurs. *What happpened to My Court?*
*Destroyed,* I answer, charging at the Seraphim with my weapon.
*And the members of Court?*
*I don't know. I got them to escape, but Beelzebub destroyed the whole castle. I can't promise if anyone is alive.*
Taehyung is quiet for a moment, in which he produces a massive column of blue fire that he directs at the demons attacking him.
Another group of demons rains out from the portal, instinctively heading for the largest source of power, Taehyung.
*Jin, I'm heading towards you.*
*Give me a minute.*
*ONE,* he stresses, before he emits another burst of power.
I slice through the Seraphim that had charged at me again, heading immediately for the open portal. The size of it had decreased slightly since it had first appeared. Beelzebub was obviously focusing his energy elsewhere. Still, it was a feat.
The portal, like most others, operated on a push-and-pull mechanism. One must breathe in in order to breathe out.
Every time it breathed out, another group of demons would fall out. It would stop to recharge - hence, the need for it to 'breathe in'. It would be a risky game of calculation to shut it down when it was still working, but I didn't really have that in mind.
*JIN,* Taehyung's yell practically echoes in my mind. *ANOTHER ONE BIT ME.*
Still, the amount of energy needed to control a portal of this size must be massive. Beelzebub wouldn't be able to maintain it for long. Theoretically.
*JIN!*
I glance back at Taehyung down below, seeing the tsunami of demons surrounding him, climbing over each other to find a breach through his perimeter of defence. He looks like a drop of oil surrounded by an ocean of water. 
I let out a ripple of power, signalling my presence and letting the extent of my strength be felt. Beelzebub's demons, though they were Feeders, fed exclusively on souls. Power like mine wouldn't be appetizing to them, but it would be loud enough for them to stop what they were doing momentarily.
Enough time to distract them from Taehyung.
He takes the opportunity as soon as the mass of demons surrounding him turn to me, letting off a powerful explosion of blue fire that not only encompasses him but those within a half mile radius. The fire lights up the sky, decorated by screams of the demons being burned alive. 
The portal was still breathing in. I wouldn't be able to gauge when it breathed out.
The explosion of blue fire suddenly dies out and Taehyung suddenly shoots skywards, being propelled upwards by the blue flames wrapped around his ankles. The demons not completely fried by the flames quickly give chase, screaming in both agony and hunger.
*Are you sure you want me to head into the portal?*
I am about to answer, when I sense something heading my way. I look up, just as my father slams right into me, throwing me off balance.
"What the Hell are you doing?" I growl, immediately moving to throw him off me.
Lucifer suddenly reaches behind him, digging his nails into my shoulder as he throws me before him. I barely have time to understand what's going on as Beelzebub charges at me instead. I raise my sword to defend myself just as he pounds his sword against mine.
"What the -" Nothing else escapes my lips as Beelzebub begins moving to attack while I defend myself. Sparks fly from the moments our blades meet, my brother moving so fast I barely have time to lead offense.
*Azazel, move.*
I fold my wings in, falling just as Beelzebub swipes his sword above my head and my father throws a column of fire at him. Incredibly, Beelzebub only absorbs the flames into him, before firing it right back at Lucifer.
My father is thrown, much to my own disbelief.
Ruler of Eight Circles. My father was ruler of but one.
I spread my wings, catching myself as I begin moving again. I throw him a spell, distracting him from my father.
"Brother, you should have joined me when I extended the invitation!" he laughs, that same, excited grin against his face. "Look at me winning!"
"No thanks," I answer, keeping myself level with him. "I'd rather be on the losing side than win with yours."
And the expression on his face changes immediately, the smile gone and the same frightful darkness and rage Lucifer carried when aggravated against his features.
"Then just die!" He charges again, and I raise my sword. The thing about Beelzebub was that rage did not blind him - rather it empowered him pretty well into a crazed fighting machine. The impact of his sword drives me back. However, his rage didn't mean he was unstoppable. 
At the second strike, I drop my sword, catching his between my two palms. I twist, readying the spell against my lips.
*JIN!*
Taehyung. I'd somehow forgotten about him. 
Beelzebub doesn't even spare a second thought as he pulls his sword back, the blade slipping from my hands. He slices it against my side just as I yell out the spell, the ice coming off my breath working its way down his sword and up his arm, making the blade explode from the sudden change in temperature.
It is a powerful and enchanted weapon meeting an equally powerful spell, and the destruction of the sword emits a powerful burst of energy that knocks the both of us back.
I keep a hand against my wound. That cut was *deep* and the enchantment in it was going to keep it open and bleeding for quite some time.
I shift my focus to Taehyung, who was hurtling towards the portal at breakneck speed, the demons tailing him from behind.
*Jin?*
Not yet. He needed to be closer.
I speed towards him, feeling my wings fold against my back as I quicken my pace. The portal was breathing in. He still had time.
*It's me in!*
I slam into him, wrapping a free hand around his waist as I grab him away from the gravitational pull of the portal. The first demons shoot right in, still screaming as they head inside the portal. Most are moving too fast before they realise what was happening and those at the back become too near to make a U-turn bend to avoid the portal. The breathing in motion of the portal becomes a powerful vacuum charged up by the amount of demons entering the portal, strengthening the gravitational pull even further. Pretty soon, all the demons are in, the coalition of their screams sounding like an orchestra gone wrong. I throw in a combustion spell for good measure. It wouldn't defeat them. They were like army ants undefeated by pouring rains. But it would surely slow them down.
*We have to close the portal.*
*I know.* I press my free hand against my wound. Blood continues to pour out.
*You're bleeding.*
*I know that too.*
*JIN!* Taehyung's exasperation was not baseless. Portals weren't devices you could switch on and off at will.
To call on a portal of this size would already take a huge chunk of energy. To forcefully shut it off was going to be another story all together.
*What are you going to do?*
*One problem at a time.*
*Okay, so which problem are you going to address first?*
*To close the portal, we'll need shut the energy flow.*
*How?*
One way would be to defeat Beelzebub. However, with the portal breathing out any time soon, we didn't have the liberty of time on our side.
Another, more obvious way, would be to call on a power source of equal strength - or stronger - than the commander of the portal. With Beelzebub commanding Eight Circles, I don't think either I or Lucifer currently equalled him.
That only left Taehyung.
And I wasn't about to put his life on the line for something that would in all likelihood kill him.
*Jin?*
*I need you to stay on the ground.*
"What are you planning to do?" He hadn't projected the thought. His voice is dripping with worry and concern. I turn to him, properly facing him for the first time in my demon form. He looks unflinchingly back at me, the expression on his face equalling how he sounded. Wondrous, how he can look at me like that despite the frightening form I'm in.
*Don't worry about me.*
"Jin -" I let him go, watching him freefall momentarily before Lucifer dives and catches him. Both glance up at me momentarily before they shoot off.
I would never trust my father for my life, but I knew he needed Taehyung by his side. He'd keep him safe - for now.
I concentrate, calling on to my dormant power. I hadn't used this side of me for years - millennia, even. All those years of ripping out those wings had given me the unconscious ability to simply hide them, to hide the other part of me Lucifer was so proud of, of which made me so different from other demons.
I concentrate harder, feeling the dormant power, forcing it to awaken. I pull violently at it, feeling it respond to my call.
I feel my Angel wings burst out of my back, feel the pain of my body readjusting, the muscles tearing, the bones extending and the skin stretching. I feel the limbs morph, the feathers forming.
I call on to the Holy Power. 
The portal was beginning to breathe out. The demons hadn't started coming back out yet, but from the sheer volume that had previously entered, the exhalation would be a considerable force.
The power runs through my veins, the sensation as invigorating and as refreshing as an ice bath. Holy Power was easily something else. I condense as much power as I could, readying myself for the final burst of offense I could manage.
The sound of screaming returns, and I look up to see, once more, the massive amounts of demons readying themselves to leave the portal.
And I shoot, letting go of the condensed Holy Power as I direct it at the portal. The force of my own power throws me back, and with such power working in a place as UnHoly as Hell, its own strength multiplies. 
The burst of power shoots right into the portal, lighting up the sky with stark, blinding white light. The screams multiply - the pain of a demon hitting something Holy would mean them being fried alive. No demon would survive such a direct hit.
The burst of power not only destroys the demons, it collapses the portal as well, being unable to sustain the extent of power it is suddenly hit with.
It shuts off with the suddenness of a light switch, simply winking out of existence. I am left almost shaken, staring up at the empty sky. The demons were gone. The portal was closed.
That was one problem solved.
But a new problem has popped up.
All my energy had gone into that final burst of power. I was - for the countless times it has happened since I'd joined Taehyung - running on empty.
"What have you done…?" I turn to see Beelzebub staring at the skies as well, unrestrained rage against his face as he turns to me. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" 
He roars, guttural and loud enough to cause vibrations in the air. He charges forward, fangs drawn, claws out, heading towards me. I wouldn’t have much a chance to fight against him this time.
Still, I tense, positioning myself for battle. If I were to go down, I would do so screaming.
Beelzebub slams into me once more, driving his claws against my face and momentarily blinding me with my own blood. I am forced to backtrack, of which he takes the opportunity to drive his tail against my open wound. I literally feel my organs shift and I roar - mostly in pain.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE JOINED ME WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE!"
I somehow hear Taehyung screaming for me. Could he see what was happening from this high up?
"DO YOU NOT SEE THAT I WILL WIN?"
He erpunches me against my jaw, and I feel the bone crack.
"DO YOU NOT SEE ME BEING THE NEW KING?"
He grabs me by my throat this time, claws digging straight into my eosophagus.
"I TIRE OF GIVING YOU CHANCES."
He produces a sword I hadn't seen him holding - mine.
"DIE, BROTHER!"
The prophecy. 
Taehyung's vision was coming true. Beelzebub was going to kill me. Lucifer would go ballistic at my death and Beelzebub would take advantage of his blind rage to kill him too.
Beelzebub was going to be the new King of the Underworld.
He raises the sword above his head, readying to pierce it through my chest when I hear a command that literally silences all other noise in Hell.
"BEELZEBUB, STOP!"
Taehyung. No.
A burst of Power hits my brother and he screams, losing his hold on me and I fall, landing several hundred feet down onto the ground like a meteorite striking the Earth.
"Jin!" Taehyung is about half a mile away from me, ready as always to rush for me and check on my wellbeing.
"RUN!" I yell back, just as Beelzebub starts throwing bursts of powerful, condensed energy upon him from up above.
I see Taehyung throw himself to the side, protectively covering his head with both arms as he starts running. 
"Lucifer!" Was I dreaming or did Taehyung just scream out my father's name?
But Lucifer seemed to have heard him just fine, as he collides straight into Beelzebub, impaling my brother with his sword before the two of them crash to the ground.
Was Taehyung safe?
I shift my focus to Taehyung in turn, seeing him badly shaken and dusty from the aerial attacks - but alive.
*Are you okay?* I project the thought at him. Taehyung wasn't moving. He was still frozen in a protective position, as if wary of sudden attacks from around him. 
*Seraphim.*
*Where?*
And rising from the ground, right where Beelzebub had directed his bursts of power, were three Seraphim, looming overhead and around Taehyung like terrifying columns.
Taehyung was stuck.
He doesn't move, though his eyes dart rapidly between one Seraphim and another. He was calculating.
And then he suddenly directs a burst of power towards the ground, producing a quick diversion that momentarily hides him.
The Seraphim move, weapons moving so fast that they become a blur.
Taehyung runs straight out the dust cloud, three Seraphim immediately at his tail.
"NO!"
I reach out for him, the panic rising in my body almost blinding me. I feel my wound stretch and the pain that follows along with it nearly knocks me out. It feels like my guts are about to spill and I clutch desperately at my waist. If I died now, Taehyung would be stuck here without a way to leave. I had to at least get him home before dying, and not dying definitely meant keeping still so my organs didn't fall out.
But would Taehyung make it?
I see him run, the Seraphim at his tail. He turns back from time to time to shoot a burst of power at them, but they mostly manage to avoid his strikes undeterred. He wasn't using his power to its full capacity. Was I worried why?
No. Taehyung had full ability to hit them with a blast that would be enough to clear the ground we were standing on. He was being careful. He was calculating.
His panic would mean that his powers wouldn't be in full control. One wrong move and Lucifer could lose. We couldn't take the risk.
He suddenly stops in his tracks, facing up to the Seraphim chasing at his tail. If he was planning to surprise them, it backfired, when one of the Seraphim strikes at him with its sword. Taehyung manages to dodge, leaping out the way at the last moment. The sword wedges itself against the ground, still quaking slightly from the impact. He lands against his shoulder, hard enough that I hear him dislocate it as it clicks out of place, only for it to click right back as Taehyung scrambles to stand.
He brings his arms up as if he's flipped a table over, and the ground below the Seraphims' feet burst open, a column of fire reaching up and throwing the Seraphim skywards. He was clear - though momentarily.
He starts running again, and it takes me a moment to realise where to.
He was heading straight for Beelzebub and my father. What was he going to do? Did Lucifer and he have plans they hadn't informed me of?
"Lucifer!"
My father doesn't even look up from his battle with my brother, but he suddenly twists, putting Beelzebub in a headlock, facing Taehyung.
Beelzebub looks equally confused as I felt as he stares Taehyung down like he could easily reach over and kill the Aamon. What was Taehyung going to do?
He reaches for the tiny vial hanging against his chest, placing it between his teeth and I watch as he bites down into it. The blood splatters slightly against his mouth. He holds the broken vial between his forefinger and thumb.
Was he going to do what I think he's going to do?
"Sorry about this."
Beelzebub seemed to understand what he was going to do, and he starts thrashing in my father's arms, the sword he has in his hands - mine - he uses to impale Lucifer's shoulder.
My father roars in pain, but ultimately doesn't let go.
And Taehyung hurls the tiny vial at Beelzebub, which lands exactly against his forehead. There is a spectacular beam of light, as the holy blood of a Prophet meets contact with the heir of Hell. As a sinless being, Jesus would not even be able to reach close proximity of this part of the Underworld. His blood was reacting as violently as he would.
Almost immediately, the tiny droplets of blood start eating away at Beelzebub's flesh and he starts screaming. Beelzebub was burning like melting dry ice. Lucifer lets go of him, backing off. Beelzebub claws at his face as he moves several steps back.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" He screams. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
The ground beneath us starts to shake, just as Lucifer pulls the sword out his shoulder. Random geysers of fire start erupting from the ground. The sky is no longer pink but a startling yellow and orange that was a sign Hell was in full chaos. The battle was reaching its end. Hell in itself was gearing for a battle for power, a possible shift in system, and it was reacting, shutting down as it prepared for what might be a new successor.
If Lucifer or Beelzebub didn't end the battle soon, Hell was going to collapse into itself. Then it wouldn't matter who won, because all would be lost anyway.
Taehyung starts running again, heading towards Beelzebub. What was he planning now?
He throws his weight forward, and suddenly his solid form is incorporeal. He shoots himself straight into Beelzebub, and I hear my brother roar again.
Taehyung had possessed Beelzebub. He had possessed the reigning ruler of a Circle, the offspring of Lucifer, the very essence of Sin.
Taehyung had possessed him.
Beelzebub's body starts thrashing on the spot as he fights with the soul inside him.
What was amazing was that demons *did not have souls*. We were not physical in the sense that our form was permanent. We could not be possessed.
And yet here Taehyung was.
Beelzebub seemed to be falling into seizures as he fights to keep himself standing. I cannot help but stare. The sight is strangely amazing.
The air is filled with the smell of cooking flesh as my father straightens himself, his face a mask of pain as he holds on to Beelzebub's sword. He only stares at him - perhaps he was as entranced as I was.
"N..n…now!" Beelzebub slurs.
It sounded like Beelzebub. It looked and seemed like Beelzebub was talking.
But it couldn't be Beelzebub.
My father moves forward, accelerating towards him, Beelzebub's own sword clutched tightly in his left hand.
I thought my father would strike him with Beelzebub's own sword, but I'd thought wrong. In Lucifer's other hand, I finally notice that he held a blinding white dagger. My dagger, the one I'd given Taehyung and the one he'd lost in the battle. The one made from an Angel's Tears. The one that was toxic to all demon's touch but mine. It is tiny in comparison to the monstrosity of his palm, but I realize the smell of cooking flesh wasn't just coming from Beelzebub. It was coming from Lucifer too.
He hurls the tiny dagger forward like a javelin, and it hits Beelzebub straight against the middle of his chest, like a tiny pin impaling a doll.
Beelzebub's chest literally bursts open, his scream resonating through the skies. For a moment, his chest gives off its own blinding light and he falls to his knees. Then the light spreads to his whole body, till his entire form is engulfed in light, and it suddenly disappears.
Beelzebub drops face first against the ground, completely unmoving.
The shaking ground stills, and the orange sky is suddenly pitch black once more. The suddenness of it is so jarring that you wouldn't believe it was all real.
With the threat gone, I revert back to human form, still holding on to my side. My energy was spent. I couldn't heal this injury without at least a bit of rest.
Taehyung appears right beside me, immediately collapsing to his knees. He heaves momentarily, before he pukes out a thick, silver substance that just had to be Beelzebub's blood. 
He looks up at me, drenched with sweat and shivering violently. He smiles, once again trying to hide his weakness from me.
"We did it," he gasps. "Right?"
Lucifer shrinks down to human form - shirtless this time, as his chest was still one massive wound.
"I should hope so," he murmurs, as he comes towards him, slinging Taehyung's arm over his shoulder as he helps to stand. 
What a scene this was - both rulers of Hell, immortal enemies in nature - helping each other.
Taehyung is quiet, and I catch the flash of grey covering his eyes. He goes completely still, before he blinks, the colour of his eyes reverting back to normal.
He looks up at me and there is a look in his eyes that I'm not able to pinpoint before he looks away, glancing at Beelzebub's still form.
Another vision. What did see? 
"We have to go, Jin," Taehyung murmurs, as he leans heavily against Lucifer's side. "We have to leave."
Lucifer nods in agreement - another sight to see. "Hell isn't the most conducive environment to heal."
"The Seraphim," Taehyung starts, before he stops, closing his eyes in evident pain.
"What do you mean?"
He opens his eyes, and behind the obvious pain I see in them, there is a hidden pressure, as if he is trying with all his might to hold something back.
"I don't have the strength to control them," he murmurs.
The Aamon's Court had been destroyed. Beelzebub had been defeated. There was no one to control the Seraphim for the Aamon.
He places a hand against his chest, right over his heart, his face troubled. "Let's go back home, Jin. I want to see Jungkook."
At that, I nod. 
Lucifer helps me move closer to him, and I reach out a hand towards Taehyung. He holds on to it and I call forth my power.
I wasn't sure this would work.
Souls weren't designed to leave Hell. The only exception were Aamons and Taehyung wasn't even trained. He'd never done this before. 
I could only hope this works.
"Ready?"
Taehyung nods, saying nothing more. I feel the ground beneath us give way as I close my eyes, just for that fractional bit of extra concentration. I start to shift, feeling the surface of reality warp as we prepare to move between worlds, between time and space.
Maybe this *would* work. Maybe Taehyung's power was again, going far beyond my expectations. Maybe I could -
"WATCH OUT!" 
What was going on? Taehyung and I were already shifting. Did we have to head back? I couldn't interrupt a shift halfway.
"Azazel!"
My eyes fly open, my shields slamming down as I immediately put my defense up. Taehyung has moved before me, standing protectively in front of me as he calls for a wall of fire between him and whatever it was before him.
And a sword goes straight through the flames of Hell, impaling Taehyung straight through.
I feel Taehyung's body tense up and jerk forward slightly.
A Seraphim's sword tip pointed directly at me. I stare momentarily at its gleaming tip, before glancing back at Taehyung's back.
He is frozen in shock. His skin is pale and he's held his breath. Slowly, blood starts to spread around his shirt where the sword had impaled him.
*The sword,* I belatedly realise. *It'd gone straight through Taehyung's chest.*
The wall of fire protecting us extinguishes and I look up.
Just over his shoulder, just perhaps two feet before Taehyung, Beelzebub stares right back at me, his eyes no longer alive with anger and hatred, but completely dead with cold murder on his mind. He still holds on to the hilt of the sword.
I don't know why it hits me so late, but I can barely move.
A Seraphim's sword. Beelzebub had just impaled Taehyung.
Beelzebub jerks the sword back - a fractional movement that should not have been much danger. But Taehyung is still impaled against the sword, and he falls at the small action.
I finally move.
"NO!" I reach out for Taehyung, reach out to catch him as he falls. The sword finally leaves his body and blood as red as wine blooms against his chest, spreading like a virus against his shirt. My shock and panic cancels out the magic of the shifting and the both of us fall towards Hell once more.
I grab him by his waist as we fall.
I can see my father looming behind Beelzebub in full demon form, ready to attack. He strikes him, a lethal blow against Beelzebub's back that sends another shower of silver blood in the air. 
Already weakened, Beelzebub falls again.
Taehyung and I slam against the ground. 
I scamper up, immediately reaching for Taehyung as my other hand clutches at my wound. 
"Taehyung!"
He is ice cold from my touch, his breathing laboured as he bleeds out into the ground.
I cannot stop the profanities falling from my mouth as I place a hand against the wound to try calm the bleeding. Taehyung getting struck by a Seraphim was tantamount to Beelzebub getting struck by the vial. The Seraphim were designed for two purposes.
To defend or destroy the Aamon.
They most definitely weren't here for the former.
"Jin." Blood starts to trickle down the side of his mouth. The stab wound had punctured a lung. 
"I'm right here."
He reaches out a hand, placing it against the hand I had against his chest. He smiles, trying to calm me. "Are you okay?"
I understood right then. I knew what Taehyung's vision had been.
He'd seen Beelzebub impale me. He saw my brother attack me as we were shifting to leave Hell. He'd seen my brother kill me and he took it upon himself to stop it. He took it upon himself to take the blow.
"You're an idiot," I mercilessly whisper as I place pressure on his wound to stop the bleeding.
He laughs right then, giving me a smile that somehow lightens the melancholy of Hell, the intensity of the situation we were in. 
"I'm *your* idiot," he muses.
And then he chokes, coughing up blood as he paints his own face red.
Fear, true, raw, unrestrained fear finally starts to creep its way up my system. Taehyung had been hit by his one weakness and I didn't even have enough power in me to heal him.
I hear him breathe in, hear the rasps from a lung slowly filling with blood. "Taehyung."
"I'm okay." 
He looks up at me and he smiles.
He *smiles*.
Even when he is bleeding against the ground, greviously injured and in pain, his main thought is always me. It is always to quell my worries.
"Taehyung." 
My vision blurs as I look at him. His hand reaches out to rest against mine. 
"Don't cry. You're alright," he whispers.
Then the smile disappears. His hand suddenly goes limp, his eyes close and my fear seems to reach its peak as I grab my hand away.
No, no, no, no.
"Taehyung!"
My father lands beside me, shifting to human form.
I press my lips against Taehyung's, transferring what little energy I had left. Vertigo hits me and I struggle to fight the urge to pass out. I look to Taehyung.
Nothing.
"I'm sorry," I hear my father murmur. "I didn't move quickly enough to stop him."
I say nothing. Apologies would work no miracles here.
"The poison has to be extracted from his soil before it spreads. He's still alive. For now."
I turn to him. I knew that. The soul was still here. Taehyung's death would have destroyed the physical form we saw of him right now. But Lucifer would know that too. He wouldn't be one to point out the obvious.
He turns to me, and the look in his eyes is one I have never seen before.
"You're crying."
I blink, finally realising as I touch my cheek. Perhaps I was leaking. I don't cry. I am physically incapable of being empathic.
I was the essence of Sin and Hell, after all.
He blinks, before looking back to Taehyung.
"You must return him back to Earth. He won't heal properly in this environment."
"I can't. I can barely shift myself out of here - let alone Taehyung."
He turns to me again, glancing down at my hand I had tightly against my side. I was bleeding out a puddle against the ground.
"I owe him a favour."
"What?"
"I will try send the two of you back - but no promises."
"You can do that?"
"I am the King of Hell. In my domain, there is little I can't do."
Lucifer suddenly grabs me by the collar of my shirt, pulling me forward until we are nearly nose to nose. He is whispering several spells under his breathe, soft and quickly enough that I catch nothing, yet powerful enough that once again, the ground around us was shaking. The air picks up, starting to scream. Lucifer was exuding a power that seemed to ripple with strength. My very senses screamed with alarm and I fight the urge to slam my shields down to protect myself.
Lucifer ends his spell with a mighty roar, before he violently hurls me back. 
I am sent flying, feeling the suction power of a portal appear behind me before I am completely consumed by it.

I fall smack against the carpeted floor on my front, realising I've just splattered the carpet silver as I pull myself up. The bed is right by my side, so I use it as a prop, grabbing onto the bedsheets as I force myself into a semi-upright position with my knees still on the ground and my elbow supporting me.
Lucifer had successfully kicked me out of Hell, though I wasn't much surprised at that. It wasn't the first time he'd exiled me. It was Taehyung I was concerned about.
This wasn't the bedroom of the suite Taehyung used in the hotel. They'd shifted Taehyung to the stronghold of the Hunter's Court. Good.
I pull myself up higher, till my upper body is lying on the bed.
The room is dusty.
I needed to heal. In the state I was in, dying was a very real possibility. But there wasn't much that could sustain me in the state I was in.
I stare at Taehyung. He still wasn't awake. Had my father been powerful enough to actually send a soul out of Hell? Would Taehyung take a longer than time than I would to reach Earth? Would he even reconnect with his body? Was he even alive?
I reach for him, placing a hand against his arm. He is ice cold to the touch and it shouldn't come as a surprise since he was literally soulless.
Come on, Taehyung. Wake up. He couldn't die. Not now. Not yet.
The door literally bursts open, a cluster of guards entering with weapons in hand. I don't need to look up at them to sense the shock in their eyes before one of them signals to those outside the door.
"It's the djinn!"
I immediately hear a very familiar pair of footsteps running in. "Jin!"
Jungkook reaches me, a hand against my back. I know he sees me bleeding against the bed, because he sharply inhales before looking over his shoulder.
"Call a healer. NOW!"
It is strange to see him so actively take charge, but words don't reach me. A pair of guards comes forward, grabbing me by my forearms before dragging me back. I don't even have the strength to react as I am seated against the couch, immediately painting the leather silver.
Jungkook kneels in front of me as the warlocks surround me, ripping my shirt off to inspect my wounds.
"What happened?" the young child asks me, eyes glancing up and down my body. He doesn't touch me. The healers' fingers dance against my wounds, healing spells doing barely enough to stitch me together.
"The war happened," I gasp, feeling blood trickle from my lips as I speak. 
I hear a commotion coming from outside. I feel the Victor and Hector's presence before I even see them.
"Are you alright?"
"I don't know."
"You need sustenance, Jin."
I manage a chuckle, quickly stopping because the muscle spasms were tearing my wounds open. "Feeding on anyone in this state will kill them."
"….what about Taehyung?"
I glance at Taehyung's form, still unawake and completely unmoving. Had my father failed? Would Taehyung be stuck? 
More importantly, would he be alright? 
Would he die?
I feel the lump in my throat rise again. This was on me. This was my fault. "I don't know."
"Djinn!" 
I glance over my shoulder just in time to see both the Victor and his advisor enter the room. Now that I noticed, the room we were in was almost an exact replica of Taehyung's bedroom back in the suite. It wouldn't fool me, but perhaps it would fool an idiot like Taehyung.
My idiot.
Would he wake up?
The Victor takes one look at Taehyung before he turns to me.
"Why isn't his Highness awake?"
"You can ask questions later," Jungkook bites. "AFTER he's healed."
"Djinn," Hector starts, taking several unnecessary steps towards me. It wasn't as if I couldn't hear him just fine from this distance. "If you have, in any way -"
"Hector, shut UP." Wow. I was going to need to talk to Jungkook about manners again.
Then a ripple of power hits us, like a powerful gust of wind from the aftershock of an explosion. The power is as familiar as it is potent. It is a Holy being, a servant of the Lord, a freaking Angel making its descent into the tiny four walls of this bedroom.
No one in the room would be able to sustain the presence of a Holy being in such close proximity. 
The room is suddenly alight with light so blinding that everyone cowers, folding into themselves to shield their eyes. Jungkook throws himself in front of me, trying to protect me despite the smell of his cooking flesh. The child was literally half demon. The Angel's light was frying him.
I push him off me, grabbing him by his collar before I literally throw him over my shoulder. He lands behind the couch I am sitting on. That should protect him for now.
I lurch forward, ignoring the stabbing pain in my side and turn incorporeal, putting on the full offensive as I slam into it. The Holy presence freezes, its invisible outstretched hand reaching for Taehyung's body.
It moves before I can even react, wrapping its other hand against my throat to stop me in my tracks. Our eyes meet, and I see a flash of recognition cross its features.
I don't even have the energy to blink, let alone register who it was standing before me. The Angel reaches out, touching Taehyung's body and the accompanying burst of power throws me backwards.
The Aamon's power reacts to the sudden intrusion, and the Holy light is suddenly gone. I hit the floor in human form, and I immediately see Jungkook pop up from behind the couch, half his face badly burned from the Holy light. His eyes are wide, expression frozen in a mixture of fear and apprehension.
I turn back to Taehyung. Something was going to happen.
Something bad. 
And Taehyung attacks, his empty body putting on the offensive.
He doesn't physically move, or even wake up, but the violent stab against my mind that hits immediately drives me to my knees and I scream in pain. I hear Jungkook yell my name.
"Stay where you are!" I command.
Taehyung was reacting, but it wasn't positively. Though the body was but an empty shell, it was still the Aamon's shell.
All that power, usually contained and controlled, is finally unchecked. His body lets out a burst of telepathic energy meant to protect him in cases of mental strain, though the damned power had never been activated before this simply because Taehyung didn't know how. Now that the body was empty, everything was moving on natural instinct.
Instead of physically hitting those around it, the power simply locks us in place, freezing us where we were, numbing our bodies to the bone and wedging us in place like anchors.
To me, the feeling was tantamount to being slammed against a concrete wall and then having another concrete wall slowly press itself against you. I feel the crushing weight against every inch of my body.
To the others, to Jungkook and the guards, to the Victor and Hector, whose bodies only had a physical form and who only knew ties to this Earth, the pain must have astounding.
I scream again, feeling my wounds tear open, my blood drip from my nose and ears. My hands curl into fists and they dig into the carpet. No one else is screaming.
I am pretty sure it is because no one else can breathe.
If Taehyung didn't wake up soon, we were all going to die.
I push myself off the floor.
The wholly unnecessary effort that needed should've been enough for me to crack a hole against the ground. I don't know if Taehyung had powers to control gravity, but the pressure against my human ears seemed to support this theory.
I mentally call on to him, even though I knew there was no way his body could respond if there was no soul. I reach the bed, gripping on to Taehyung's arm.
If Taehyung didn't wake up soon, someone was going to die. I have no idea how far this power reached but there were civilians around us. Humans and innocents and busy cars and intersections expected in LA. 
"Jin." It is a tiny, quiet, strained gasp and I feel the young child's weak grip against my arm. Jungkook needed to breathe.
I glance back to him. 
Jungkook is on the floor, lying against his back with his other hand wrapped around his throat. He is turning blue. 
I look up. Everyone else is against the floor, unmoving.
Jungkook squeezes my arm and I am suddenly reminded.
He had given us tracer bracelets before we left. I'd placed a lasso spell on Taehyung before I forcefully took out his soul. Both should be locatable on his soul.
I throw my power forward, unsure the direction it should head but using traces of Jungkook's bracelet as a guide. I had to find Taehyung's soul and latch on before this attack killed us all.
I finally feel a click - like two ends of a pair of powerful magnets meeting - and I violently pull it towards me.
Taehyung's soul literally slams back into his body as he jerks in his unconsciousness. The pressure is suddenly gone and I hear those behind me taking gasps of air as they cough and drop to the ground in exhaustion.
Taehyung opens his eyes, sitting bolt upright.
"Taehyung."
His turns his attention to me, eyes widening as he realizes what he sees. 
I was still bleeding despite, and the carpet and bed were stained silver.
He lurches forward, immediately pressing his lips against mine and throwing his energy to me.
The sweet relief of power, of sustainability and health, fills me to my core as I feel my body stitch itself together. Taehyung's energy is like a drug, especially when I am so near death as I am now.
He parts the kiss before it weakens him and he studies me, eyes staring fearlessly into mine.
"You're alive," I whisper, because that's all I can think to say.
I'd seen the attack. Seen the severity of it on him. Knew, somehow, that he wouldn't survive.
Yet here he was.
He smiles, nothing more than a fractional twitch of his lips before he looks up, straightening as he does so.
I peer over my shoulder to see the Victor picking himself off the ground, as were Hector and the other guards. They all look visibly shaken.
"Your Highness," the Victor murmurs, trying his best to not sound as weak as he looked. "Welcome back."
I feel Jungkook pick himself off the floor, leaning heavily against my shoulder as he coughs, looking up at his guardian.
"Welcome home."
Taehyung says nothing.
Was he alright? Did he need anything? Was he hurting anywhere? Did he have another vision?
Taehyung is strangely quiet and from my own experience, a quiet Taehyung was a troubled Taehyung.
"I'm…." He starts, voice croaky. Was he weak? Did he need sustenance? Did I take too much from him?
All eyes in the room are on him, as Taehyung pauses to cough. "…really thirsty."

I shift back right in the middle of Taehyung's bedroom, somewhat surprised to see it empty, except for Jungkook asleep on his bed. I take a moment to scan the room before I head to his attached bathroom.
"Hey."
Taehyung lies fully clothed in the empty bath tub of his bathroom, quietly reading the report from the Lycan Court. We were back in his hotel suite, since a prolonged stay at the Hunter's Court would arouse accusations of bias. It has been two days since we returned from Hell, and the Aamon was kept busy keeping up with all the events and meetings he missed since he was gone.
We'd been gone for three months and the amount of work he had to catch up on has him on his feet constantly.
He glances up momentarily at me before he goes back to his reading. "Hey," he answers. "How was it?"
I sit cross-legged against the marble sink counter, patiently waiting for him to finish.
"Beelzebub has been driven back to his Circle. He has since relinquished power over the other Circles. Everything is back to normal. Lilith and Pan send their regards."
"Okay."
If anything has changed since we returned, it was silence. 
Taehyung had always been very chatty, a person who broke the quiet of the room with his incessant talking. Silence from him was easily a sign that something was wrong. And if something was wrong, all one had to do was ask before Taehyung would spill his troubles to you.
It has been two days since we returned. Taehyung had yet to even speak about the events of Hell and what happened after he got stabbed. I'd been the one responsible to fill in the Victor on what happened and make the report, and I knew he'd still want Taehyung's word on it.
But Taehyung kept himself busy and silent.
He suddenly sits up, finishing the report and puts it away. He reaches for the pen he has tucked behind his ear and reaches for another report which is of a different colour. It is the representative colour of his Court.
He starts writing for perhaps twenty minutes before he pauses.
"Ezekiel's headquarters were in the mountains, weren't they?"
"Yes." I would've merely nodded my head, but Taehyung hasn't even looked up from the report.
"The Alps?"
"The Swiss Alps."
He looks up at me just then, taking a moment to tuck a lock of hair behind his ears.
"Why did Ezekiel choose to make his Court so far up?"
"How did you know where Ezekiel chose to make his Court?" I counter. Taehyung had never been there. I'd never told him. There was no way he would know without outside knowledge.
"The Angel told me."
"The Angel?"
He nods, continuing his writing - an obvious signal he was done with the conversation. I push forward.
"What else did the Angel say?"
He pauses for the shortest moment before he continues writing. "My Parliament was safe."
"All of them survived?"
"Not the initiates. They, uh… died." Another pause. Taehyung was hesitant to speak of them.
"In the fire?"
Taehyung says nothing. His grip on the pen tightens. He isn't even writing anything.
"I'm thirsty. Can you get me a drink?"
I hop off the table and leave the bathroom, heading for the kitchen. The usual guards are all positioned in the hall, some playing cards, some watching the television on mute.
Lois the vampire is in the kitchen, drinking from a wine glass. He looks up as I head to the fridge and grab a carton of milk - the only other non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated drink in the whole suite besides water.
"How iz di 'Aamon?" His French accent is unusually accentuated. He is worried.
"The same," I answer in French, heading for the overhead cupboard to grab a mug and pour the drink.
"E worries us."
"I know."
"Is wolf child is also very worried."
"Did Jungkook say anything?"
"His Mama," Lois answers in French, his English vocabulary insufficient. "He smells very different. The same, but different. Something is not right with his soul. Metaphorically speaking."
I nod. I think we all knew that. I head back to the fridge to put the milk back.
"Hell has changed him."
I pause. I knew that too.
"In France, we have a saying. L'enfer est pavé de bonnes intentions."
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. I glance over my shoulder at him. "What do you mean?"
Lois merely shrugs. "His Highness is a kind soul."
I slam the fridge door closed, denting the metal lining as I do so. I knew exactly what he meant.
I move, my hand wrapped around his throat before I can even stop myself, my other hand still holding on to the mug full of milk. Lois barely flinches.
"Temper, temper, Demon," he murmurs, staring back at me. "No need to prove me right."
He was right. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I let go, taking a step back.
"His Highness has been to Hell and back," Lois continues. "Not for the sake of the Earth. Not to save the Underworld. Not to maintain world order. But for you. Always for you."
He takes a long swig from his wine glass, finishing the blood before he puts it away. "Where some seek God in churches, others seek the Devil in chapels."

"Here."
Taehyung looks up, smiling fractionally as I hand him his drink. "Thank you."
I sit against the edge of the bath tub as Taehyung drinks, before he puts it away and continues writing.
"You didn't answer my question."
He blinks, looking up at me again.
"Did the initiates die in the fire?"
He looks away again, but not before I catch the troubled look in his eyes. I reach for him, holding his chin in my hand as I make him face me.
"There are a lot of things you've been keeping to yourself."
"I'm fine."
"No you're not. Everyone's noticed."
At that, he frowns. "Am I that obvious?"
"Like an open book."
He turns away from me, continuing to write his report.
I let him write for a few moments before I decide to Hell with it, and step into the bath tub. Taehyung makes way for me, and I sit facing him.
"What's wrong?"
I knew something was wrong. We all did. But Taehyung was only keeping it to himself and for a time, I thought that I needed to respect that. Perhaps he needed his space. He was the Aamon and there are things that he cannot share with others. Perhaps it was a private matter. Perhaps he wanted to deal with them on his own.
But I realize that I didn't want him to. I didn't want him to suffer on his own. Taehyung was too selfless, too kind, too innocent to shoulder his burdens on his own. I wanted to be there for him. I still do.
I want to be his solace, the person to depend on.
If he sought the Devil, then I wanted to be his chapel.
"The initiates died because…" Taehyung starts, before he pauses. He finally tucks his pen behind his ear again and runs a hand through his hair. It makes the pen drop, but he doesn't seem to notice. He scrunches his eyes closed and bites his lips. "Because the Parliament needed to save me."
I don't understand, but I don't interrupt him.
"Beelzebub had control over the Seraphim when he took over my Court but when we defeated him, the Parliament regained control. They knew Hell needed help because you came to fight Beelzebub off. So they tried to send some but most of the Seraphim were already defeated in the battle. And when Beelzebub stabbed me, Lucifer needed power. He needed power to save me, and he needed a lot of it."
"So the Parliament took power from the initiates."
"They sacrificed their lives for me," Taehyung murmurs. "They sacrificed their life so I could survive. And even then, it wasn't enough to send me home. Lucifer had to ask for a favour from Heaven. They sent an Angel down to send me back to Earth."
That would explain the presence of the Angel back in the Hunter's Court two days ago. I school my features.
Lucifer going any distance to help anyone was already a feat on its own. Him seeking help from Heaven to help the Aamon would be written in future history books.
"Why am I so weak, Jin?" Taehyung's eyes are open, and he leans his temple against the rim of the tub. His gaze is far-off. "People had to die for me, Courts had to be destroyed, favours had to to be called just so I could make it back here alive." He looks up at me, the pain in his eyes giving me a physical ache in my chest. "Why am I so weak? Why should I be worth it?"
I am quiet for a few moments. Taehyung would need the reassurance, but he also needed to digest his own words. Why was he worth it?
"I was supposed to die, wasn't I?" He blinks at my question, but says nothing. "I saw you have a vision back in Hell. You knew I was supposed to die when Beelzebub stabbed me. You knew I wasn't going to make it. But you stepped in front of me anyway. You took the blow for me. Why?"
He shrugs. "I didn't want you to die."
"So you would rather die for me?"
"…yes."
"You're a fool."
"I'm your fool," he answers, though his expression remains blank. It is quietly unnerving.
"Would you do it for anyone else?"
"Yes." He doesn't even hesitate.
"Do you regret saving me?"
He finally looks up at me, and his expression hardens, as if the question itself was an insult. "No."
"Then perhaps they thought the same way. You are the Aamon, tasked with saving two worlds, maintaining balance and order and ensuring peace and safety for all. You are kind, selfless and powerful. They knew you are worth saving."
"But I couldn't even save them."
"Taehyung, you saved all of us. If you had failed and Beelzebub took control of Hell, the world as we know it would turn upside down. The number of lives that would have been lost would be astounding  Without a doubt, you are the most powerful Aamon I've ever seen. You gain powers through copying others, you absorb like a sponge and you have powers I've never seen in previous Aamons. You defeated Lucifer, you possessed his offspring and you defeated someone who not only took over your Court, but also controlled Eight Circles of Hell. You're untrained and you're still learning but you are *not* weak. You are anything but weak. And from how Lucifer and your Court have sacrificed so much to keep you alive, they believe the same. And they don't even like you."
At that, Taehyung laughs. It is but a chuckle, short and barely audible, but it is sincere and for a moment, the Taehyung I've known all his life returns.
"You're so cheesy, Jin."
I grin. I can't help myself. The only person I intend to live for, the only person I see myself dying for, the only person I seek solace and intend to be a solace to, smiles right back at me.
"Do you know where the initiates will go once they die?"
"Either Heaven or Hell, depending on their deeds."
"They didn't even pause to doubt saving my life."
"Isn't that exactly what you did?"
"They'll get into Heaven, right? They deserve it."
"You're the Aamon," I say and Taehyung falls quiet at that.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"You never answered my question."
"And that is…?"
"What are we, Jin?"
I raise an eyebrow. I hadn't realised the question was still on his mind.
"The Aamon and the Son of Lucifer."
"No," he giggles.
I play along with him. Taehyung was slowly unwinding, slowly relaxing and coming back to his former self, a side I would do many things to continue seeing. "Did you have something else in mind?"
"Taehyung and Jin. Inseparable duo."
"You forgot Jungkook."
He laughs, the sound like music to my ears.
"How could I forget. And Jungkook," he continues. "Our son."
"So does that make us a family?"
He hums, though it is merely for show. "I like the sound of that."
"Then we shall remain as such for all eternity."
He smiles again, looking completely satisfied by that simple sentence. I smile right back.
I think to myself the things I would do for him.
Anything and everything.
I was as much his fool as he was mine.

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Yall I spent a good five minutes trying to figure out where the Add Chapter button was. Also AFF keeps trying to censor weird words it's so annoying ffs