— 2 —

 

 

           Screaming rips through the air, smoke fills the village. Daeun can’t breathe, she gasps, and pants as she runs, desperate to get away. Her heart beats fast, her legs hurt, the cold stings. She looks back at large, black wings and eyes like the void. It screeches and roars. She clutches the necklace close as tears fill her eyes; her chest heavy as she chokes out her sobs. She screams for her mother, her father. For anyone.

 

“Excuse me? Are you alright?”

 

Daeun shakes her head and looks at the woman behind the counter. She clears and forces a smile. “Y-yes,” she lies and sets all of the items down. It was a few miles walk to get to another town. But it’s not a big one. Their stores sell the normal but it doesn’t seem they had any maps.

 

“Is this all for today?” Daeun responds with a quiet nod before setting down some gold. She nods politely before taking her things and leaving the store. She sighs once outside, setting her bag down and rearranging her belongings. 

 

“Did they have a map?” Kai asks as he approaches her and she shakes her head.

 

“No, we’ll have to head to a major city.”

 

“Well...if I remember correctly, there is a large city to the East. It homes Jimin’s temple.”

 

Daeun offers the bow and sword that he had requested she buy. Kai secures the bow to his back and sword to his hip as the human resumes organizing her things. The dragon had changed out of his robes, back at the house, and opted for some black leather-like armor and tunic.
 

“Kai,” Daeun speaks up as they make their way out of the village and down the road. “I have a question.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“If all of the High Priests have these pendants that can awaken the dragons...why have they not used them earlier?”

 

“To...be honest with you, I don’t know much about the pendants, other than they’re needed to unseal us,” Kai admits as they walk. “I didn’t think to ask Kyungsoo…”

 

“Maybe we...can ask Jimin’s?” She offers as she holds onto the straps of her backpack. “Who are they?”

 

“Yoongi and the last time I saw, he had an apprentice named Taehyung,” the dragon explains. “They’re both lesser dragons, like Kyungsoo. I suppose they will be able to explain at least some of it to us...will you be alright for the journey?”

 

Daeun nods as she clings to her father’s walking stick. “I...I don’t think I’ll be much use in a fight but I can cook.”

 

The dragon shakes his head. “You can leave any fighting or hunting up to me. I may have been sealed for a long time but I do believe I retain my previous abilities.”

 

“S-so you were a well-trained warrior?”

 

Kai chuckles a bit. “I did not actively go out to fight. Mind you, I have fought in my fair share of wars but I knew enough to protect my temple.”

 

“What about your high priest?”

 

“Oh, no. High priests don’t fight. They’re there to help keep the temple up and running if you will. Listen, Just tell me if you’re getting tired and we will rest.”

 

Daeun shakes her head. “I-I’m okay for now. I wish they had an inn or something, though.”

 

The dragon stops to look at her. “Are you getting tired?” he glances at the sun that starts to set. “We should find a place to settle down for the night.” The girl begins to argue but her body betrays hers; screaming in fatigue. She sighs and rests her head on her stick, nodding. He looks around for a moment before seeming to spot something. He grabs her hand and begins to lead the tired girl toward what looks like a cave. “Hold on, I’ll make sure it's safe.”

 

Daeun nods, watching as the man enters with his sword drawn. Only a few moments pass before she’s called inside. Once inside, she sets her bag down and pulls out her bedroll. As she lays it out, her mind begins to wander back to the village. She thinks about the large, winged creature and the glow of its eyes. Her mother used to show her old stories about a large black dragon and his lesser that, in the past, terrorized the world. She also spoke of other dragons that protected people. Good ones like Kai. 

 

“Kai, can I ask you something?” She speaks up and crawls into the fur blankets of her bedroll. 

 

“Of course.”

 

“Why were the four dragons sealed alongside Zitao?” 

 

The dragon rests against a rock, keeping his sheathed sword over his lap; his hand resting on the hilt. “The woman who sealed us...everything was hazy but we were part of a ritual. With her powers, she wasn’t able to seal just the individual...dragon.”

 

“Just Zitao?”

 

“Yes. So...we all agreed to be sealed, for the safety of all humans,” He explains. “I don’t know where the necklaces come into play, though.”

 

“What about the minor dragons? Kyungsoo? Yoongi and Taehyung?”

 

“She only sealed the higher dragons, all five of us. When we meet Yoongi...perhaps, he’ll know about the necklaces,” Kai looks out at the cave entrance. “Get some rest. We still have a few days' journey to the temple.”

 

Daeun nods, too tired to disagree. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Today has been more than extremely exhausting and sleep seems to find her easily.

 

Staring at the flickering flames, Daeun tries to push down memories that threaten her. She’s slow as she chews the breakfast she had prepared for the two early in the morning. 

 

“Daeun?”

 

The girl shakes her head softly before turning it toward Kai. “Y-yes. I just…I had dreams.”

 

“Dreams?”

 

The girl shifts uncomfortably. “Memories….of the attack.”

 

“Ah,” Kai sighs, his expression seeming to soften.

 

“I’m sorry. We should keep going.” she stands up and quickly rolls up her bedroll; clipping it back on her bag. “We’ve still a long journey, we should keep going.”

 

“I suppose so,” The dragon agrees, standing as well. She watches as he puts out the fire. He puts a hand up to keep her from moving and slowly makes his way for the entrance. The dragon peers out into the snow and up at the skies. After a few moments, he motions for Daeun, beckoning her to join him. 

 

“It’s safe?”

 

“Yes, for now. I suggest we keep our hoods up regardless.” She nods and copies him when he pulls on his hood. Daeun stays close by his side, nervously averting her eyes toward the skies; dreading when she sees the now-familiar sight of dark wings. “S-so, may I ask you some more questions, Kai?”

 

“I suppose so.”

 

“Dragons don’t need to sleep. But what about eating?”

 

“Dragons need to eat, drink and breathe. The only thing we can go without is sleep…though, some dragons like the feeling of sleep and the dreams that come with it.

 

“What about you? Do you sleep?”

 

“No, not for a very long time,” Kai admits quietly, almost like it’s a bit of a sore spot. She decides to drop it despite her curiosity. The dragon may be kind to her but there’s something distant about him. Like he’s keeping everyone and everything behind a cold, frozen wall. She wonders what this Jimin will be like. 

 

Daeun could feel the difference in temperature almost immediately when they got to the border. The snow gradually thinned out before completely disappearing and instead, being replaced with something she’s never seen in person. Bright greens, dark greens, browns. So any colors that make her stop and stare. “The sky…” she whispers and hesitantly steps forward into the grass. “It’s so blue here and all this flora…”

 

“This is your first time out of snow, isn’t it?”

 

“Yes,” Daeun quietly admits. “How much further to the city?”

 

“We’ll arrive there late at night,” Kai says and leads the way forward. “I suggest you take this time to take off any extremely warm clothing you have on. You’ll get warm, fast.”

 

“Really?” The girl asks as she pulls off her fur jacket and neatly folds it into her bag. “Will it be like that when we head South?”

 

“It’ll be hotter. We’ll need to get the appropriate clothing because I imagine neither of us will want to wander around in our undergarments.”

 

Daeun chuckles a bit as they begin to travel through emerald trees. She can already feel the warmth and she’s suddenly eager to get a different change of clothes. And she’s eager to see such a large city. She’s only ever lived in the small little village, sometimes seeing the caravans that came through for trade. Kai and the girl both take off their cloaks as well as they walk; the dragon seems to already know where to go. As soon as they reach a clearing, her gaze is drawn to something in the distance. A large, towering city. Even from here, it looks massive; it seems to be divided into several districts. According to Kai, one whole district is dedicated to Jimin and his temple. 

 

Just as Kai said, they arrive late at night; even pushing past the time they’d usually fall asleep during the past two weeks. Other than Daeun’s questions about dragons and Zitao, they didn’t speak about much. She has her nightmares and all the dragon can do is wake her up and reassure her she’s safe. It helped at first but that only goes so far. “We’ll go and see the temple in the morning,” Kai offers. “Or…would you rather go now?”

 

Daeun shakes her head and looks around at the large, walled city. “I’m not worried about Zitao attacking us here. I think it’d be best for us to be fully rested.”

 

“I agree,” He nods and they both step into the warmth of the tavern. They approach the man behind the desk, seeming bored. “Hello, we’d like a room.”

 

“And how many days are you staying?”

 

“Just for the night,” Kai responds. 

 

“Two gold.”

 

As the dragon pays, Daeun scans the rest of the tavern. It’s pretty empty this late at night, with around three tables occupied. Her attention is pulled to a man in the corner, obscured by the dim light and a deep hood. Her brows furrow when she notices the two, red glowing eyes.”Daeun, let’s go.” She nods, finally tearing her gaze from the strange man. She follows the dragon to the right and up some stairs. As soon as they’re inside, he locks the door and sets his bag down.

 

“Kai,” she speaks up, also setting down her things.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Does Zitao have…high priest as well? Like you?”

 

“Yes, all high dragons do,” Kai replies. “Why do you ask?”

 

“Do you know where he is or what happened to him?”

 

“Luhan?” The dragon stops to think for a moment. “No, to be honest. He disappeared after Zitao was sealed.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

Daeun smiles tightly and shakes her head, sitting on the bed. “I was just curious…I should get some sleep.”

 

“I’ll keep an eye out,” Kai announces as he takes a seat on the window sill. “We’ll leave for the temple at noon.”

 

The human nods and settles into the sheets. She glances at the door, trying not to think about that man from before. After a few deep breaths, Daeun shuts her eyes and pulls her knees up to her chest. Between the heat of the room and the softness of finally being in a bed instead of a bedroll, sleep finds her quickly. 

 

Daeun has never seen something as grand as Jimin's temple before in her whole life. Stairs that lead up to the large, marble building; columns line the front. Two giant doors greet them, easily pulled open by Kai’s strength. She wonders why the doors to their temples are all so heavy and if it’s for some sort of defense. Kai holds it open, allowing her to enter first. The inside is just as beautiful as the outside, if not more so. It’s warm, with a hint of rosemary. The pinewood-like scent reminds her of her mother and her heart drops. There are gorgeous, intricate designs and swirls carved into the structure; giving it an elegant appearance. Columns also line the halls, on each side. Kai leads them forward and into a large chamber. It’s mostly bare aside from some things like sticking out. The first thing that catches her attention is the dragon statue. Like Kai, it’s holding its head up high with its eyes cast on the ceiling. When Daeun looks up, she stares at the stained glass above that allows the rays of light to shine through. The glass seems to depict a dance of sorts. While they have no features, it’s clear to see that they are two men. One with medium black hair and the other man has shorter, light hair, both with robes that are white and flowy. It’s absolutely beautiful.

 

The other thing that catches her attention is the incense holder at the base of the dragon’s feet. Then there’s the white fur mattress with a variety of pillows all around it. She’s so enthralled with it all, she almost doesn’t notice when two figures step out of a side room and approach. “Kai, is that you?” one of the men says. He’s a short man with messy and platinum-colored hair. The other man is a bit taller than him, his hair shorter and dark. “It’s about time you woke up.”

 

“And look who’s talking,” Kai laughs. “I think this is the first time I’ve visited where you weren’t sleeping.”

 

“Deep, selective meditating,” The man corrects. The two men, like the stained glass art, wear white robes, embroiled with cold swirls similar to the ones on the columns. They wear no shoes or other sort of clothing. 

 

“Whatever you want to call it, Yoongi.”

 

Yoongi chuckles and motions to the other boy. “You’ve met Taehyung, I believe.”

 

“Yes, once before,” Kai smiles when Taehyung bows. “It’s a pleasure to meet you again. Are you still Yoongi’s apprentice?”

 

“I am, yes! It’s an honor, Kai.”

 

“A few more hundred years and he’ll be ready to run this temple,” Yoongi explains and looks to Daeun. “And who is this?”

 

“Daeun, she’s a human traveling with me,” Kai introduces.

 

“Hello,” Daeun greets quietly, bows as well now. 

 

Yoongi smiles at her but it disappears when he looks back at Kai. “And why are you traveling with a human girl? Better yet, why are you awake?”

 

Kai sighs. “I guess he hasn’t been this way…Zitao is awake.”

 

The color leaves Yoongi’s face. “Zitao…?”

 

“He attacked my village and killed everyone,” Daeun whispers. “I ran and took shelter in Kai’s temple. Um…I unsealed him with some necklace my mother had.”

 

“Ah…” Yoongi sighs. “Right, the key.” He takes a necklace out from under his robes and raises it up. 

 

“Jimin has one too?”

 

“All dragons do, even Zitao,” Taehyung replies. “But how did you get it, Daeun?”

 

“Kyungsoo gave it to her mother, in case Zitao returned,”  Kai explains. “When she…died,” he glances at her briefly. “She gave it to her.”

 

“We’re going to unseal the rest of the dragons, starting with Jimin.”

 

“Ah…normally, visitors would undergo the tradition to show respect for the-”

 

“Yoongi, we should skip the tradition!” Taehyung insists. “If Zitao is really back-”

 

“I-I don’t mind,” Daeun interrupts. “I’ll undergo this tradition, out of respect.”

 

The other dragon looks to Kai, who just nods. “Follow me then.” Yoongi leads her to the altar, toward the fur mattress. “Please, remove your bag and boots.” As soon as Daeun removes them and sets them to the side, the high priest extends his hand. When she takes it, he helps her onto the mat. “It’s an easy process. You’ll lay down…and sleep.”

 

“Sleep?” She asks in confusion, laying on her back. She rests her head on one of the pillows. “I’m sleeping?”

 

“Yes.” Yoongi puts out the rosemary incense and waits. As soon as Taehyung approaches, he hands him a small box. The high priest opens it, pulling out a different type of incense; golden, like the pillows around her. She watches as he lights it, that rosemary scent being replaced by the smell of sage. “This will help you. When you lose consciousness, you will visit Jimin in his dreams.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes. Now…close your eyes, relax, and take three deep breaths,” The high priest says, his voice growing softer and quiet. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, resting her hands on her stomach. She’s not sure she’s ever been more comfortable like she’s resting on a cloud. And as soon as Daeun relaxes, her body feels that way. Lightless, like a feather, floating and weightless. There’s warmth around her. Everything's foggy and clear all at the same time. She feels safe and…at home.

 

But faster than it came, it all changes. That fog grows dark, thick, and heavy. It fills her lungs, causing her to try and couch it out. It scratches like claws ripping through flesh- her eyes water and when they open, there’s nothing but white. Daeun breaths heavily as her eyes dart around. It’s unfamiliar. It is until the mists separate and reveal her nightmare. Her village, black and charred, flames burning and billowing into the gray sky. A thunderous roar and screams rip through the air, filling her with dread. She tries to cover her ears but it’s stuck in her head. She stands in her old home, falling wood and debris around her; soot and ash corrupt the air. “Why?!” She shrieks. “Why am I here again?!”

 

“You must be so tired,” A voice echoes. “Why don’t you rest for a while?” Daeun looks around but she can’t tell where it’s coming from. She puts her hand on her face and tries to stay calm. 

 

“Oh gods, oh gods,” She quavers.

 

“Why are you afraid?”

 

Daeun shakes her head as she makes her way to the door. She doesn’t want to look up the stairs. She can’t. The human swallows hard before she slips past the splintered wood and out into the snow. She looks down at her bare feet as it sinks into the white and frowns. She should be cold and yet she’s not; in fact she feels no temperature at all. She hugs herself tight and looks up to the sky, expecting to see that dragon. But he’s gone. Clouds rush by unnaturally, the moon fully visible. “Why are you screaming, child? What has you so scared?”

 

“C-can’t you see this?!” She shouts. “It’s…it’s a nightmare!”

 

“A nightmare…?”

 

“All this fire and death! I-I want to leave! P-please, I can’t relive this again!”

 

“Relive?” The voice asks in confusion. “...I don’t know what you are talking about.”

 

Daeun looks toward the mountains, toward where Kai’s temple is. She needs to go there and get to safety. Maybe there she can think clearly. Rubbing her arms, more for comfort than warmth, she hesitantly approaches the snowy path. A scream escapes from her as the beast almost appears from thin air. It lands hard on the ground with a loud thud, the impact causing her to let out a cry and fall back. Her eyes fill with terror at the dragon’s roars. Scrambling to her feet, she stumbles backward and turns toward the town hall. 

 

“Oh…what is this?” The voice gasps. “What is all this horrible fire and smoke?”

 

Daeun’s heart beats so fast it threatens to rip from her chest. Her legs grow heavy as she tries to run in the deep snow. Panic fills her as large footsteps rapidly follow suit; close behind her. She lets out a cry as she slams her shoulder into the wooden doors. They swing wide open and she tumbles inside. Her foot manages to hit against one of the pillars. The human tries to ignore the pulsating pain now in her ankle as she quickly limps forward and toward the office doors. The large dragon snarls and tries to bite at her through the doors; just barely managing to miss. Tears begin to stream down her cheeks and her chest tightens. But she doesn’t slow down, she can’t. 

 

The human slams the doors shut behind her, wasting no time in finding the trap door and trying to pry it open. She keeps looking over her back as she tries to force it open. More screams escape her when massive claws smash through the doors and reach inside. She begins to tremble when the trapdoor won’t budge. She shrieks and with the very last pull, it flings open. Just as the dragon’s hand appears from above, Daeun jumps inside. She lets out a grunt when she lands hard on her other ankle. “Gods!” She gasps, her hand pressing on the hurt foot. Daeun jumps, her head snapping up at the hole she had come from. She stares at the giant, unblinking void-like eyes. It’s glowing but this close-up, it almost looks more like smoke. Her lower lip quivers as she presses her palm against the cold ground. She takes ragged breaths, gritting her teeth through the pain; pushing herself backward away from the beast. “You’re not real,” she whispers. “None of this is real.”

 

“...No, it’s not.” The voice speaks up, just as quiet as her own voice. 

 

As soon as she’s from the prying gaze of the beast, she uses the cave wall to help her stand. Daeun sniffs and quickly wipes away her own tears. After taking a few deep breaths, she begins to limp forward. 

 

“I don’t understand what’s going on.”

 

“I-it’s a nightmare,” Daeun responds sluggishly.

 

“This isn't right..this isn’t supposed to happen.”

 

She keeps her palm pressed to the cave wall, using it as a crutch. “Who…who are you?”

 

“Jimin.”

 

“The dragon of air and healing,” Daeun recalls.

 

“Where are you going, child?”

 

“K-Kai’s temple. Will you be there?”

 

The voice is quiet for a moment. “Yes. Come and you’ll be safe; I can help you leave this nightmare.”

 

Daeun lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you…”

 

“I will be waiting.”

 

The human quickens her pace. She needs to leave this place as soon as possible.

 

Just like in the past, she climbs up and ends up behind Kai’s statue. Daeun doesn’t look for the dragon this time, trudging as quickly. It takes her longer than before and the lack of any dragon sounds makes her increasingly nervous. She looks over her shoulder as she pushes on the giant doors, forcing them open. She winces in pain but keeps pushing, barely managing to slide herself inside. She can see the purplish-blue bruises starting to form on her skin. Daeun freezes when she sees a figure. Tall, adorning black robes with his back turned to her. She swallows hard and makes slow steps toward them. “A…are you Jimin?” she asks, flinching at the echo. When the man says nothing, Daeun continues to approach; stopping a few feet away. “H-hello?” Once again, she receives no response. Her hands tremble as they slowly reach out. Her fingertips touch the soft fabric and she almost feels herself relax. 

 

“I’m awfully sorry to disappoint you, my dear…” Daeun’s brows furrowed in confusion as the voice takes a new shape. It’s no longer soft and warm, cold and emotionless instead. This man spins toward her and his hand tightly grips . She lets out a wheeze as her eyes grow wide. This man stares at her with black eyes, his skin tanned and his hair equally as dark as his robes. She grabs onto the dragon’s arms as he lifts her off her feet. “I’m afraid Jimin’s consciousness is asleep and will remain that way for a very long time. Perhaps forever.”

 

“W-who…”

 

“Who am I?” he chuckles. “We’ve met before, human. But I suppose you only know me in my dragon form. My name is Zitao.”

 

“You…what did you do?”

 

“I disguise my voice to lure you here, of course. You know…we’ve met before.”

 

“We…we have?” Daeun asks in a strangled voice.

 

“Well, maybe not you but…your ancestor.”

 

The human looks at him with confusion. Before she can question him further, his hand tightens around . She squeals as she tries to struggle, clawing and kicking at him. But it seems to do nothing, not fazing him in the slightest. She can feel his hand growing tighter and tighter, threatening to crush her. Tears once again trickle from her eyes. “T-this isn’t real,” She tries to remind herself. 

 

Zitao hums, tilting his head as he watches her. “It may only be a dream…but I’m going to make sure you never wake up.” He leans in close and slowly smiles. “You’ll be trapped here, in this nightmare, for eternity until your body in the real world begins to fail and decay. Without this…human, the other dragons won’t have anyone to-” Zitao lets out a sudden roar of pain and forces him to lurch forward; dropping Daeun. 

 

“That’s not the way you treat a lady, you know.” Daeun looks over toward Kai’s altar and spots the figure that stands in front of it. His hands are raised, light almost beige magic swirls around. A beautiful man, his tan skin having an almost slight glow to it. Despite his eyes being dark, they’re still so bright, clear, and kind. His platinum-colored hair is short, falling neatly and perfectly. Silvery earrings dangle, having a slight shine to them from the light shining through. He looks almost angelic. She immediately recognizes him from the stain-glass. 

 

“Jimin,” Zitao growls. “You’re supposed to be asleep!”

 

The healing dragon glares at him, keeping his eye set on Zitao as he once again raises his hands. Daeun can feel herself get lifted off the ground and quickly move through the air. She’s gently set back down behind Jimin, protectively standing between her and her attacker. “I think it’s time you left, Zitao.”

 

The ark dragon takes a deep breath as if to calm himself. “Very well. I know this is your domain and you could easily subdue me here.”

 

“It must be why you resorted to dirty tricks.”

 

A sudden rip in the air emerges, like tendrils crawling from the void. Zitao glowers darkly at the two as he slowly backs up into the strange portal. It wraps around the dragon, swallowing him whole like a hungry maw. Jimin looks at Daeun and smiles softly at her. “You should leave…quickly.”

 

“I…I can unseal you,” Daeun finally manages out. 

 

Jimin looks surprised at that, completely facing her. “You can? You have the ability?”

 

“That’s why I came here…I mean in the real world, to your temple.”

 

The silvery dragon nods. “Then do it quickly. It won’t be long until Zitao realizes just how weak my state is,” he steps closer and sets his fingers to her forehead. “Close your eyes.” Daeun closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. The same feeling from before fills her, that weightlessness. The pain in her feet seems to disappear, along with the fear and scent of smoke. And as fast as before, Daeun can hear the soft chatter around her and the smell of rosemary. She lets out a relieved gentle sigh as her eyes slowly open. 

 

The three dragons now stare at her as she sits up. “Well?” Yoongi asks. “How was it?”

 

“It…it was a nightmare,” Daeun admits. “It wasn’t peaceful at all!”

 

“What?” Yoongi furrows his brows. “What are you talking about?”

 

“I…had that nightmare, the one about my village burning. This voice kept echoing all around me but he…couldn’t see what I saw,” she explains as Kai helps her up. “I don’t know what was supposed to happen but it felt…wrong and corrupted.”

 

“That’s not right,” The high priest mumbles.” you should’ve found yourself in a small, open temple in the sky, and…you should’ve seen Jimin.”

 

“I didn’t see anyone…except for Zitao. He hunted me until I was able to reach Kai’s temple. Inside, I saw him. Zitao, in his human form.”

 

“What? How is that possible?!”

 

The human shivers. “He had these…terrifying, dark eyes and he held me up by…my throat. I couldn’t breathe. Jimin…saved me.”

 

Kai crosses his arms and looks up at Jimin’s dragon. “Did Zitao somehow find a way to corrupt Jimin’s dream state…? This is a place of healing…why would he want to do that?”

 

“The same thing he always wants; to spread fear,” Yoongi remarks as he takes the necklace off and hands it to Daeun. “Here, we will get better answers if Jimin is awake.”

 

The human takes a deep breath and nods, trying to stop herself from trembling. The others take a step back. She steps forward and hoists herself up onto the altar. This statue is much easier to climb, even with her bare feet. She’s able to easily reach the chest of the dragon and firmly set in the feather-like symbol. Just like with Kai, the stone begins to crack and break away. She watches as the silvery scales appear from underneath. “Oh!” she gasps when she loses her grip; the part of the statue she’s clung to begin to crumble. Daeun lets out a short scream as she begins to fall, causing Kai to dart forward with his arms wide. She shuts her eyes tight as she waits for the impact of either the marble floor or the dragon’s arms. But when none comes, she opens one eye. They grow wide as she levitates in the air, wrapping itself around her like a blanket. Kai seems to have stepped back again, a look of relief on his face. Daeun looks around in confusion and that’s when she sees him. Jimin lets out a soft groan as he raises his hands and stretches. Just like in the art and as the priests, he wears the same robes. “My, it has been a while since I’ve stepped foot in my own temple,” he yawns. “Much less be in my human form…”

 

“U-um…” Daeun almost squeaks. “Can you…help me?”

 

“Oh!” Jimin looks up in surprise. “I’m sorry; I just didn’t want you to get hurt landing on this hard floor.” He hums as he waves his hand, again setting her to her feet. “Are you alright?”

 

“Y-yeah.” She looks up at him when he approaches her. He smiles and sets a hand gently on her cheek. If this were anyone else, she would be backing away. But there’s something trustworthy and healing about his eyes and voice.

 

“I’m so sorry.”

 

“W-what?”

 

Jimin’s eyes suddenly fill with sorrow. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. That you had to relive your nightmare in my dreams…of all places,” he sighs. “My dreams are meant to be a safe haven for people…not that corrupted, horrible place.”

 

“Jimin, what do you mean?” Yoongi asks and she’s surprised by the lack of honors; like the ones Kyungsoo had used. Instead, he speaks to the dragon-like an old friend. “What happened?”

 

“Oh, Yoongi,” he shakes his head. “I’m pleased to see you again but…I’m afraid something corrupted my dreams.”

 

“...I see. That makes sense.”

 

“How come?” Kai asks.

 

“Daeun and you are the only ones who have visited for a whole year…” Taehyung reveals. “This woman went into the dream state to greet Jimin but when she came out, she was horrified. I guess she told all the townspeople about it and I guess it made them stay away.”

 

Jimin furrows his brows and looks around. When he spots the incense, he leans over and picks it up. He brings it to his nose. Before it even reaches his nostril, he suddenly retracts away from it in disgust. “Oh! Dragon’s bane!”

 

“D-Dragon’s bane?!” Taehyung gasps. “No, it’s rosemary!”

 

The air dragon hands it to Kai, who smells it as well. He shakes his head and groans. “No, definitely Dragon’s bane…but somehow mixed in with rosemary.”

 

Jimin puts a hand to his chin and closes his eyes. “Did someone find out this is how people are sent into my dreams and…corrupted it somehow? Taehyung, where did you buy this from?”

 

Taehyung shakes his head. “N-no one, my lord. I made it!” he insists. “But I swear, I had nothing to do with this!”

 

“I believe you, Taehyung,” Jimin reassures, gently patting his head. “Yoongi and I have known you since you were dropped off as a baby.”

 

“Someone must have found out you make the incense yearly and snuck the Dragon’s bane into your batch,” Yoongi offers.

 

“But how did you two not smell it? You’re dragons, aren't you?” Daeun asks. 

 

“Minor ones,” the high priest sighs. “Our noses are not as sensitive as theirs. Jimin would have noticed something was off immediately.”

 

“Kai didn’t?”

 

The dragon shrugs. “I”m never here. The smell of their incense is unfamiliar to me in the first place,” he says. “I thought it was weird but Dragon’s bane doesn’t hurt humans, so why not?” He looks toward Jimin. “Jimin, Zitao’s back.”

 

“...I know, ” He whispers and looks up at the stained glass. He slowly walks over to get a better look and takes a deep breath. “Jungkook hasn’t visited me for a year…”

 

“Since the corruption happened?” Kai asks and Jimin nods. “...Either the corruption stopped him or something happened to his temple to stop him from being able to communicate.”

 

Jimin puts his hands together and shuts his eyes. “Please let nothing bad have happened to you, my sun…”

 

“Son?” Daeun gasps. “He’s your child?”

 

Jimin chuckles and looks back. “No. Sun, s-u-n.”

 

“Sun…?” Daeun looks up as well at the glass again, now noticing the sun and moon behind the two. “The sun and moon…?”

 

“It’s a long story, honey, I’ll tell you about it on the way to Jungkook’s temple,” Jimin announces.

 

“Jimin,” Kai speaks up. “We’re…not going to his temple yet.”

 

The silver dragon deflates a bit. “N-no?”

 

“We’re going to Chanyeol’s first. I…look, I want to see if Jungkook is okay but…”

 

“Chanyeol is closer and on the way,” Jimin finishes for him. “No, I understand. I’m sorry, I let my emotions get the better of me.”

 

Yoongi nods. “That’s why Kai is the king of dragons, I imagine.”

 

“King?” Daeun asks in surprise. “You’re a king?”

 

Kai shakes his head. “Not…of humans. But I guess among dragons, I am.”

 

“He’s the oldest too,” Taehyung puts in. “My lord…you’ll be careful, right?”

 

Jimin laughs and grabs Taehyung’s cheeks. “How many times have I told you to stop calling me that, huh?”

 

“...A hundred and fifty-eight.”

 

“A hundred and fifty-nine, as of now,” Jimin says pointedly. “I’ll be fine. I may not be a battle prodigy like the other three but I can hold my own.”

 

“Say goodbye to your priests. We'll wait for you outside,” Kai says. After the priests bow to the dragon, he leads Daeun back out of the temple.