The quiet moments in life never really last. The life of a hunter was not meant to be simple, especially not on the brink of war...  and it seemed in their world, a war was always brewing.

     MARCH 20th - The first day of Spring.                                                                 8:15 P.M.

     Namjoon stood silent, staring at the inferno that consumed the castle, his silhouette cast a contrasting darkness against the blinding flames. Sparks launched into the air from each crackle of the fire, fizzling out as they floated off into the night sky, only to rain back on them as ashen drops. The amber glow swallowed the whole backdrop like some beautiful tragedy.

     Taehyung stood next to him, arm wrapped around his brother, holding him steady. Jimin held a ripped cloth to his forehead, dabbing the blood from the gash under his hairline. He had run back into the castle to retrieve his laptop and was nearly cooked alive when a beam fell on him, trapping him. If it hadn't been for Seokjin's quick reflexes, he would surely have perished.

     Jungkook closed his eyes, taking Seokjin's hand in his own, as they stood off to the side in shocked awe.

     They were crestfallen, covered in sweat and soot, watching as the home that had welcomed them for so many years now lay in ruin. Every picture, every book, every memory burning beyond control. The flames hummed with a dark magic they knew they couldn't quell. All that was left of it now sat in Jimin's laptop, tucked into the charred knapsack that dangled over his shoulder.

      No one could speak, they could only watch in horror as the fire raged, taunting them. The castle gasping for her last breaths as the heat consumed her, strangling every last ounce of life from her walls.

     Their concentration remained unbroken until Hoseok zoomed up the driveway and screeched to a halt behind them. He abruptly flung open the car door as he stared at the flames that flickered about in his pupils, "What the hell happened?"

      Namjoon took a deep breath, shuffling over, "Contact Yoongi, tell him we'll need to be staying with him for a while."

     Hoseok couldn't remember which pocket his phone was stuffed away into, patting himself down several times before realizing it was sitting on his passenger side seat. He drew the phone up to his ear, only to pause as the castle moaned out one last final cry, a harrowing death sonnet that sent chills through them all. The structure toppled under the immense heat; the trusses crashed down upon the debris, sending a cloud of blackened smoke into the sky.

     Jungkook gasped as the smoke cleared, where stood the once eminent dwelling was now just a heap of rubble.

     The castle had... fallen. 

     All that was left by morning's light were smoldering wooden embers that burned vividly red amidst piles of rock as Namjoon kicked at it. Every ounce of him defeated. There was no sifting through this mess looking for spared mementos, everything was reduced to ash. He hung his head, saddened. How oddly convenient that the two resident witches had been away when the blaze started, the only two that could have cast a freezing spell to stop it.

     Namjoon had gone to visit the council the previous night, a ritual that seemed to be all too familiar of late; far too many of his days were preoccupied with politics. The chaos of the gods' had spilled into the crevices of existence, each passing sunrise only a reminder that it soon would bloom into commonplace. There was no stopping what was about to happen, there was only preparation.

     "This was a warning, no one is safe," Yoongi feared.

     Namjoon could only nod. Suddenly their vast property seemed minuscule, the focal point of prominence lessened to unimaginable incertitude. It was a sobering feeling, they were now 'touchable'.

     "You can stay at the estate for as long as you need to, I mean it's not being used for anything else," Yoongi put his hand on his leader's shoulder and squeezed.

     Yoongi had inherited Simatra's estate. Upon hearing her son, Jihoon, had been killed, she leapt off Journey's cliff and was swept into the ocean below, found days later washed up on the beach, dead. The estate was a castle in its own right, complete with a pool, immaculate gardens, and an underground bunker. On the surface, it was a welcoming family home set amongst the rolling hills of Thorncrest, a city as pompous as the name suggested. In the shadows, it was a fortified compound, anticipatory of an impending doom that suggested the vampires knew what the future held and had prepared for such.

     Namjoon sighed.

     Even the garden and gazebo were not afforded escape from the wrath of evil deeds. Taehyung's prized plants and newly sprouted seedlings were now just blackened spots coloring the soil with gloom. Yoongi scanned the area, he knew Taehyung would be heartbroken if he were to see the sight before him, his once fully-bloomed botanical wonderland was now just a sad, barren wasteland.

     "What creature would be so heartless as to torch a garden?" Namjoon bemoaned.

     Yoongi did a double-take as he locked his gaze upon one single, solitary sprout that had somehow survived. He bent down to scoop up the pathetic little plant, careful not to damage the roots as he wrapped it in a handkerchief. If ever there was a shred of hope, this was surely it.

     "We should go," Namjoon glared at the plant in Yoongi's palm as he trudged over to join him, "No sense in being here."

      "They won't get away with this," Yoongi announced, watching as Namjoon opened the car door.

      "The castle may be destroyed, but believe me... my faith is not," Namjoon assured him as he took one last look around the grounds, "They brought the battle to our doorstep, but I'm bringing our victory to their graves."

     MARCH 25th

         Simatra's estate had much of the same set-up as the castle, just a few less bedrooms and a more compacted layout. The bottom floor housed a very lovely theatre room with an enormous screen that spanned the whole front wall. Jimin had already managed to cast his favorite MMORPG onto it, stating that he and Taehyung needed a stress reliever and gigantic gameplay was just what the doctor ordered. Down the hall, there was the lab, gym, and lower library. Taehyung nearly passed out when he entered the library, it was two stories; filled top to bottom with glorious books of all kinds... one such book that caught his attention was a vintage first edition of Brahms' 'The Mysteries of Firefly Island.' There were only five of them in existence and Taehyung had only seen one briefly at the Supernatural museum in Russia. He couldn't wait to dive into what other treasures were hidden away in its mahogany shelves.

     The main floor above was the typical living areas; family room, kitchen, dining room, and study. The master bedroom which Yoongi told Namjoon he could take was situated in the back corner. The top floor were 4 bedrooms that Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung, Seokjin and Jungkook occupied. There was also an attic where Simatra stored an abundance of oddities; she was a collector of many things, from antiques to clothing to medieval weapons. Hoseok had spent the first day up there, acquainting himself with the spoils of an exuberant old woman, finding a few things to decorate his new room with. 

     Yoongi claimed the servant's quarters just beyond the garden. It was quiet and calming, the flowers and plants helped to clear his mind. He had Taehyung to thank for that, all the time he spent in the castle gardens had rubbed off.

     The new house was not the castle, but it would do for now.

     Taehyung set the sprout that Yoongi had rescued, on the workbench in the garden shed. He searched through the variety of empty pots for one to rehome the little mugwort into, settling on one adorned with flowery accents. He palmed a handful of soil and placed it in the pot, wiggling his finger around in the middle to make a hole to bury the roots.

     "There you are my little miracle," Taehyung carefully packed it down and backed up to admire it.

     "Is it gonna make it?" Yoongi asked from the doorway as he leaned against the jamb.

     "It made it this far, I think its a fighter." Taehyung glanced over.

      Yoongi grabbed the watering can from the hook and walked over to the sink, "Muggie should be our mascot, we could use a symbol of hope."

      Taehyung smirked as he watched Yoongi fill the can and walk over to hand it to him.

     "Thanks," Taehyung gave the plant a light sprinkle and set the can down, picking up the pot and walking over to the windowsill, "We need a nice sunny spot for you."

      He pushed several dead plants aside and blew the desiccated beetle carcasses off the sill, making room in the