[Yoongi]

The room that Seokjin used as his study was dark except for a lone lamp, which stood at one end of the room. The atmosphere inside the room was eerie. The walls were covered with a number of shelves, mostly stuffed to the brim with books and a few ancient objects of importance here and there. There was a central mahogany table, strewn with maps and several other documents and a high backed chair behind it. Yoongi’s thin frame was slumped in the chair, leaning back against it, his face faintly illuminated by the light of the sole lamp.
“Where are you, Jin…How do I find you?” Yoongi had his eyes closed. “Why can’t I figure it out?”
“Hyung…” 
Yoongi did not show any response to Hoseok’s voice. 
“Yoongi hyung…” Hoseok walked over to the mahogany desk and sat down on it, facing Yoongi.
Yoongi seemed to register his voice this time and he looked up at Hoseok, his eyes still giving the impression that his mind was somewhere else. 
“Huh?...Hobi…What is it?”

“Hyung…The Occulis…” Hoseok whispered.

Yoongi let out a deep sigh. “Yes…that…Oh hell…I’ve been so caught up in trying to find Jin…I couldn’t do anything to help-…”

“Hyung, the children are back safe.”

Yoongi stared at Hoseok, blinking with a blank face. “What?” He sat up straight, looking at Hosoek now with narrowed eyes. “What do you mean?!...Did Namjoon-…”

“No Hyung!...By the time we passed the orders to Namjoon and before he could even get his men ready…apparently, someone else came to the children’s rescue.”

“Someone else?!...What do you mean?” Yoongi asked, his voice perplexed.

“I went to talk to the children myself.” Hoseok gulped and looked down.

“And?” 

“And…I don’t know what to tell you…They say there were three men who came to save them.” 

“What?!...Three?!” Yoongi’s eyes were narrowed and his face was contorted in utter bewilderment. “Just three against all of those rebels?...Rebels who could defeat our soldiers and take away the children? Hobi, are you crazy?” 

“Hyung! If it were just the children, I might have said they were making this up…coz, psychic or not, they’re just kids. But their guardian. The boy says the same.” Hoseok said.

Yoongi sank back into his chair, his eyes staring off into space. “What the hell is happening in this dominion?...What the hell…”

“The children say…They say all three were pretty like princes from fairy tales… One of them was really tall and he could make golden flames from his hands-…” Hoseok shook his head, apparently baffled at the words that were coming out of his own mouth. “Another one,  shorter than the other two, but he fought like a god, who dealt with half the rebels himself, breaking them apart like toys.” 

Yoongi stayed silent, listening to Hoseok.

“And the third one, who seemed younger than the other two, who had a beautiful innocent face…but this was the one who killed the rebel named KiYoung.”

Yoongi’s sharp intake of breath made Hoseok look up at him.
“Did you say…KiYoung?”

“Yes, hyung…why?” 

Yoongi stayed silent. Another page from the book of memories that always tormented his thoughts, came back to him. There was no way from keeping it out of his mind.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Seokjin shi, you can’t give in to your father’s command. If you don’t stand up for her, who will?...We both know Shirina wouldn’t have done something like that...not…not knowingly.”

“It doesn’t matter, Yoongi.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t matter? She’s your wife!...Jin!”

“It’s been proven that she’s guilty. We both heard her confession, Yoongi…I can’t do anything anymore…She confessed to her crime. I have no way to save her now.”

“So what, we’re just going to watch her die?!” 

“No…I’m going to end her life myself.”

“What?!...Jin…wh-what did you…d-did I…did I hear wrong? Did you just say that you would-…”

“That’s all I can do for her, Yoongi. I can’t save her. If I try to take her and run away, father will hunt us down. You know that we can’t run from my father’s eyes. And they will keep me alive and make me watch as they kill her…as they kill her as painfully as they can. I’m not going to let that happen. She chose her death, Yoongi. She chose this. I told her not to confess and she-…All I can do is end it for her, without giving her any pain.”

“Jin…”

“I’m doing it because I love her, Yoongi.”

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“Hyung?”

Yoongi was pulled back out his thoughts by Hoseok’s voice.

“Hyung are you okay?...You look like you are sick.” Hoseok moved forward and put a hand on Yoongi’s shoulder.

“I-I’m…I’m okay.” Yoongi’s breathing was coming fast and hoarsely. 

“Hyung, you don’t look okay-…”

“Hobi, tell me the rest of it…KiYoung…The boy who killed KiYoung…”

“Yes, hyung…” Hoseok took a pause for a few seconds, looking down at the ground. “He…He is supposed to have killed KiYoung in a one-to-one fight. KiYoung, the rebel whom our soldiers have sought over so many years and failed-…many of our soldiers have died at that beast’s hands. And this boy…he is supposed to have killed him. The children say he killed him with one hand-…though, they’re obviously making that up. And another thing!...Now I don’t know whether I’m crazy or whether the kids were trying to make a fool out of me…this boy…he is…”

“What?”

“He’s a hybrid…who is…immune to silver.”

“What?!” Yoongi’s head shot up and he looked at Hoseok with a stunned face. “A hybrid…who’s immune to silver?...I haven’t heard of anything like that in the history of hybrids till date…That’s impossible.”

Hosoek let out a loud impatient sigh. “Hyung, to be honest…my mind is ed up right now.”

Yoongi remained silent for a while before he said, “The Oculis’s guardian. You said you talked to the boy too?”

Hosoek seemed to lighten a bit at the mention of the boy. “Yes!...Hyung, I didn’t just talk to him. I knew you’d want to speak with him. I have brought him here to the castle.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Seokjin woke up and his eyes moved around the room he was in. His eyes opened wider in surprise, as this wasn’t the cellar he had been in for so long. He was in a room with a high white ceiling, white walls and he realized it was daytime-… possibly dawn-…since a cool light entered the room through the tall windows. The windows were shielded from view by wispy curtains, in a shade of warm blue, strung with sparkling sequins here and there. 
Even as his eyes fell on the silver bars that were placed around the large bed on which he had woken up, Jin felt a strange sense of relief waking up here instead of the place where he had been earlier. 

He was looking around the room, taking in the various cupboards, the furniture, and the warm colorful general theme of the room, when his eyes fell on a figure he had overlooked till now. The boy was lying back against a slowly swaying arm chair, his eyes closed, but it was evident that he was awake. 

“Wh-where am I?... Why did-… why did you move me? What is this place?” Seokjin asked, sitting upright on the bed. 

“I have my own questions first.”

Seokjin stared at Sehun, while the latter still kept his eyes closed. 
 
“Questions?” Seokjin asked, confused. 

“Yes.”

Seokjin stayed silent and waited for Sehun to talk. 
Sehun slowly opened his eyes but his gaze was upwards, as if focused  on nothing. 

“Did my sister ever know a vampire named KiYoung?” Sehun asked, his voice low. 

Seokjin’s head shot up and his eyes widened in shock. 

“K-K-KiYoung?!”

“Yes. Did she know him in some way?” Sehun asked. 

Seokjin was breathing hard and looking down. He swallowed and looked up at Sehun, opening and closing his mouth, unable to form a reply. 

“I’ve been told by several people who used to know our family that-…” Sehun’s jaw tightened as he took a pause before continuing. “-That I resemble my sister. That… my eyes are exactly like hers.”

“They’re not wrong…” Seokjin whispered. 
 
“KiYoung said he recognised my face. I can’t think of any other explanation.”

“What?! How did you-… where did you meet KiYoung?!”

“Did Shirina know-….did you know KiYoung?” Sehun asked, turning his head towards Jin for the first time.

Jin remained silent, his eyes averted from Sehun.
“Tell me!” Sehun said, his voice louder this time.

“Or else what? You’ll kill me?...You can’t do that.” Jin said, his voice low and desolate.

Sehun got up from the armchair and walked over to stand in front of the silver bars that separated Jin from him. He curled his fingers around the silver bars and gripped them tight.
Jin looked up at him and slowly the edges of his lips moved up in the faintest smile.

“All that you know is from rumors, Seung-…Sehun…all your hatred…if you knew the truth, you would have been a different person.” Jin said.

“Did you kill my sister or not?” Sehun asked, his voice almost a whisper.

“Yes.” Seokjin said, closing his eyes. “But-…”

“There’s no place for ‘but’ after that.”

Seokjin looked up at Sehun.
“Hate me all you want. If that gives you peace. I can’t hate Shirina’s little brother even if I try.” He said and smiled.

Sehun let go of the silver bars and turned his back to Jin.

“Do NOT try to patronize me…I won’t fall prey to the lies that my sister did. I’m not good like her.” 

“Then why didn’t you kill my brother?...Or Taehyung?” Jin said. “You knew that would have given me the most pain. That would be the one thing that broke me. And you almost killed Taehyung  in his childhood-…but you didn’t. You couldn’t bring yourself to do it, could you?”

Sehun turned to Seokjin and he had a scowl.
“What is this, some kind of pathetic drama?...I’m not some bad guy who turns out to be good in the end. I told you from the very beginning why I didn’t… Kill Jungkook-…because I want a share in his power. And as for Taehyung, I don’t really care if he lives or dies.” Sehun said and came closer to the cage. His eyes did not meet Jin’s. “ENOUGH rubbish. I’m not interested in silly talks with you…You said I don’t know the truth, right?...So, what IS the truth?...I know how my sister died. But why?...Why did you and your father murder her?”

Jin flinched at the word ‘murder’ and turned his head away.

“Speak.”  Sehun said, his features becoming rigid and harsh. 

“I can’t tell you…”

“Do you want to see how Taehyung is?”

Jin’s head shot up at the name.
“What?! Taehyung?! What do you mean?!”  He got up from the bed and came to stand next to the bars, just maintaining a few finger’s distance.
“Do you want to see your little Taehyung?...Do you want to see if he is fine, healthy and happy-…or not.” Sehun said, without a blink, his eyes focused on Jin’s face.

“Yes! Please show me-…I want to talk to him! How is he?!...Please-…”

“Then tell me the truth. And I’ll show you how your Taehyung is.” Sehun said.

Seokjin’s face fell. He closed his eyes and breathed out a frustrated sigh.
“NO! I can’t-…”

“Fine, don’t. Meet you later.” Sehun said and turned, starting to walk to the door.

“Sehun!...Please! One glimpse of Taehyung-…why are you being so stubborn?” 

“See ya.”  Sehun had reached the door and reached for the door knob.

“I’LL TELL YOU!”  Jin shouted. He sat down on the large bed and sighed, hanging his head. “I’ll tell you…” 

Sehun withdrew his hand from the door knob. He slowly turned and walked back to the cage.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest and focused a piercing gaze on Jin.

“Begin.” 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Jimin walked to the large doorway that led to the court room and the two guards who were standing on the two sides of it, stiffened. They bowed low to Jimin and stayed that way. This meant that they would stay that way until he walked in. Jimin nodded and walked in. The guards then closed the door behind him. The interior of the huge hall was almost dark, except for a few torches that lit up the central portion of it, towards which Jimin now walked. He glanced at his reflection in the glass windows that he passed on the way, his eyes landing each time on his silver head. He had lost count of how many times he had done this, compulsively, even after Sehun’s assurance that there wouldn’t be a single tress of brown left. He gulped and straightened the collar of his jacket as he walked on and the four figures standing at the center came into view. Jimin’s eyes became squinted automatically, spotting Yoongi, Taehyung and Jungkook. And another boy, who seemed unfamiliar to him at the first glance, but the next moment, a spark of alarm ran down his spine. It was Luhan, the guardian of the Oculis. The boy was seated on one of the chairs beside the central table. Yoongi was standing, some distance away from him and was turned towards Luhan. Taehyung was seated opposite Luhan and was now talking to him. Jungkook was standing next to Taehyung, his arms crossed in front of his chest and if the panic felt by Jimin due to Luhan’s presence here was felt by Jungkook as well, there was no way to know it from his face.
Jungkook must have been there, as being Taehyung’s Clypeus, he was supposed to be beside Taehyung at any such meeting.

When Jimin reached the table and stood some distance behind Yoongi, the latter turned a little, showing he perceived his presence but did not look at Jimin’s face. Jimin was about to say something but Yoongi turned back to Luhan.

“So you’re sure that the kids weren’t hurt physically?...Coz that should be our first priority, before anything else.”  Taehyu