#i also have many thoughts about his bio mom i named her opal but i will probably never design her cause she walked out on steve and atticus | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kimvvantae · 5 years

Text

Umbra; 12

➜ being ruled by an ancient commandment, your sole purpose is to serve. you were born to protect the king with your life, tied by an everlasting oath; you are nothing but a shadow, a silent and insignificant being. he appears to you like the sun, the warmest and brightest star in the sky, and gives you a chance to live. it is then that your entire universe starts to orbit around this sun, and you decide that you are truly willing to die for him.

pairing: King!Taehyung x (f) hybrid!reader

genre: royalty au, fantasy, angst

warnings: descriptions of violence, blood and death that might be triggering.

word count: 14k

A/N: here is the greatest umbra chapter so far to make up for the looong wait. as always, after finish reading you’re invited to stop by my inbox and let your opinions uwu enjoy!

➜ Chapters: check up masterlist in bio!

I stared at that strange woman in silence, completely shocked.

My mother?

I analyzed her features carefully. She was a dragon hybrid, there was no doubt of it. She was probably the oldest dragon I've ever seen; people from my race usually don't live long, for we either die serving our masters or giving birth. But that woman? Although her appearance did not indicate it clearly, I could feel that she has lived long. Two entire cycles, perhaps?

And her appearance…

Her hair color was slightly darker than mine. We were around the same height. Our skin color was the same…

I could see myself looking at her.

My mother?

Ehmerald stared at me with hopeful eyes.

But if she expected it to be a heartfelt meeting, she was wrong.

I could not forget the fact that she invaded my mind and kidnapped me - nor the fact that she was the apparent leader of a rebellion that just attacked the Capital with evil energy. We had no emotional connection. I never wished to know anything about my parents, and I lived my life very well alone. She couldn't just expect me to cry, hug her and call her mom.

My expression turned into stone.

“The entire truth?” I said, voice as cold as ice. “Then where am I?”

“Inside the Baïkarh forest,” Ehmeral was quick to reply. “This is the base of our organization.”

I looked around again. There were many hybrids, and my sharp ears could hear more voices throughout the forest - thousands of people. They were quite smart. The Baïkarh forest is almost impenetrable, for it is protected by trolls and dryads, spirits of the trees. But how did they manage to convince these spirits to let them settle here? As far as I knew, spirits of the forest are holy and pure, they would never let these murderers in. Perhaps they managed to devoid all these beings as well? Just the thought of it made my blood boil in anger.

However, I couldn't just start a fight right here, although my instincts were begging me to do so. I was in the core of the rebellion and had to use this chance to know everything about them. That was the best opportunity I would ever have.

“Why did you bring me here?” I proceeded to ask, trying to control the anger on my voice.

“Because it was about time to let you know about everything,” Ehmerald said. “Jungkook told me about the things you did.”

I turned my head and glared at the rabbit-boy. He was still as pale as paper.

“He did?” I said, unable to control my aggressiveness.

Jungkook flinched.

“Don't blame him. Jungkook was just following my orders. Therefore, he did no harm to your friend; she is safe at the palace. As Jungkook already explained, he just used the bracelet to call your attention.”

“How long have you been observing me?” It was time to glare at her instead.

Ehmeral sighed. There were many mixed emotions on her eyes, but mostly joy and guilt. “It will be better if we talk with more privacy. All of you, back to work!”

The crowd around us started to dissolve, although with some hesitation.

“More privacy? Why should I go somewhere alone with you? You didn't hesitate to invade my mind, what else could you do?” I immediately stepped back, fists tightened.

“Y/N, I just did that because I needed you to be here. You wouldn't come willingly, would you? Moreover, I was not aggressive nor saw anything on your mind.” When Ehmerald noticed my body was still tense, she sighed. “I am not locking you here. You can go away if you want; none of us would be able to stop you anyway. Or… you can stay and listen to me.”

“And why would I do this?”

“Because I have the answers you want. I have the truth.”

I hesitated.

I have been wanting to know the truth for so long. I remembered about Taehyung's promise - he said he would tell me everything he knew. But… could I trust him?

Could I trust that woman?

The answer was clear in my mind: I could not trust anyone. And because of that, I decided to listen to her. I would listen to her version of the facts and his. Then, maybe I would know in which version to believe in.

Although Taehyung already had more credibility with me. That woman conjured obsidian soldiers and tried to kill him, someone I actually had an emotional connection with and cared about. Her, otherwise?

I exhaled to try to calm my nerves.

“And what truth would it be?” I finally asked.

Ehmerald seemed satisfied. She started to walk slowly away from the clearing, expecting me to follow her, and I had no other choice but do so. Everyone had obeyed her order, so we were considerably alone.

“The truth about our race. About our past. About the History of the world,” she started, voice serious. “The truth that they have been trying to hide for thousands of years.”

She stopped in front of a great rock in the middle of the forest and stared at it. I stared too, slightly confused.

“Tell me, Y/N,” for some reason, I didn't particularly like to hear her saying my name. “What do you know about the so called Dark Years?”

I furrowed. Where this conversation was leading me to? “It was the era when our race ruled. We… we almost annihilated mankind.”

“Well, this is a lie.”

I almost gasped.

“What?”

“Y/N, keep in mind that everything you know is a lie.” Ehmerald was way too serious and, for some reason, I felt my inner temperature decreasing. “That story they told you… about dragons being evil, elves coming to establish the peace and punish us - that is all a lie, a lie so well built that has been carried for millennia.”

She stepped up and passed her hand on the surface of the great rock. When she did it, I finally realized it was not a simple rock; it was actually the ruin of something old. A building, maybe?

The rock had some things written on it, along with drawings, so old that it was impressive that these drawings survived for such a long time. Some of the things written were in long forgotten languages, but after analyzing more carefully, I recognized the dragon language as well, what made me widen my eyes slightly.

“Magic is one of the most important aspects of the Universe,” Ehmerald started. “It keeps the balance and can be molded on our will. Humans and hybrids can learn magic, but us, dragons, are born with it inside of us. Because of this, our race was a part of the Council, millennia ago.”

Ehmerald pointed to the gravures on the surface of the rock. The drawings were old and unrealistic, but I recognized the form of dragon.

“We did not rule by ourselves. Dragons, elves, fairies and mermaids were part of the Council, for we were the only races naturally born with magic inside of us. The Council was formed because humans were always starting battles and wars, and it was necessary to settle peace in the world. The Council was supported and cherished. There were no divisions such as kingdoms, and the lives of millions were not put on the hands of a single man. They used to take decisions wisely. For a long time, the world lived in peace because of them.”

I analyzed the surface of the rock as she spoke. Written around the gravures were actually songs and poems cherishing the Council she was talking about. There were also many names… the names of the dragons which were part of this Council. Hundreds of names. For how long this Council existed?

“Each of the four races had one specific task. The dragons, as the strongest race, had the duty to protect. The elves were the wisest, so they were peacekeepers and would usually speak for the Council. Fairies took care of everything regarding nature. The mermaids which were part of the Council would make accords to keep the peace between the people of the land and the people of the sea.”

I felt goosebumps as she spoke… it was almost as if I could feel the soft breeze of ancient times caressing me. Voices whispering. I could almost hear conversations, people taking decisions. Laughter and cheers of thousands. Times of peace.

Why all of that felt somehow familiar, even though it was the first time I heard about it…?

“The world lived in peace for a long, long time. No wars, no poverty. The Council members were different from the Kings and Queens of our days; they worked for people, they were not saw as better or superior. Only the ones that proved to be honored and strong enough could bear the responsibility of being a Counselor.” Ehmerald had a faint smile on her lips. Perhaps she could feel the breeze of the past, just like me? “But… things started to change.”

Her smile vanished.

“Not everyone supported the Council… some of them wanted to possess properties. They did not accept to be equal as everyone else; they wanted to rule. They wanted to be better.” Ehmerald's hand dropped to her side, fist tight. “But to be better, they needed to be stronger than the four races… and this is when the dragons have fault.”

I blinked, confused. “What did they do?”

Ehmerald sighed. She pointed to a particular name on the rock - the last name on the list. Opal.

“This was the last dragon of the Council. She is our direct ancestor, our Mother.” Her voice sounded bitter. “One of these people that wanted to end the Council understood that they had to be stronger than us, dragons. And to do so, they needed to know our powers. Our language.” Ehmerald sighed. “This man was called Merlin.”

“What?!” I exclaimed, shocked. “Merlin?! But - he is a hero!”

“And for certain perspective he really is. Their hero, and our murderer.” I could hear the hatred on Ehmerald's voice, the deep crimson of her aura. “Merlin seduced Opal. The Council did not go against it; what problem a marriage between a dragon and a human could represent?” She scoffed. “They had many children. Half human, half dragon.”

“Dragon hybrids,” I whispered. So, that is what happened? I was always told that my race existed because dragons raped human women in the past…

“In those years, Merlin learned a lot about the dragons and our magic… until he mastered our language. Not only that; he was the first person to use magic in wrong ways. He was the first to absorb energy from Helheim. Merlin got so strong that no one could overpower him… not even Opal and other dragons.”

The breeze of the past suddenly got colder… a chilling cold. Instead of laughter, I heard screams of fear and pain.

“Merlin taught other humans and created an army of mages. Their first step was to kill all of the dragons in the Council. They were the strongest, so without the dragons, it was easy to completely destroy the Council. They settled a new government, separating the continent in five parts; the Five Great Kingdoms of our days. But it was not easy. Many wanted to be rulers too, so that is when the First War of the Clans happened. The world was drowned in battles again.” Ehmerald crossed her arms, her eyes still glued on the rock. “After the five clans managed to win the war and take control of the kingdoms, it was time for the second step.”

“And what it was?” It was quite a stupid question, for I already knew the answer.

“Annihilation. Genocide.” The atmosphere felt even colder now. “The first race to disappear was the fairies. They were completely extinct. It would be unwise to try to kill the mermaids, because they are too many, so a war happened between land and sea. In result, the mermaids undid all the accords and decided to isolate themselves deep in the oceans; as long as they didn't intervene on the issues of the land, they would not represent any danger. The elves… they couldn't be killed. So, instead, Merlin and his people found a way to lock them back in Alfheim.”

“They didn't ascend on their free will…?”

“No. They were expelled from Earth. The elves were victims, just like us. And the dragons…” Ehmerald hesitated before continuing. “They were hunted until the last one of them was killed. What lasted was Opal's children… and this is when our curse begins.

“These new Kings and Queens wouldn't be so easily obeyed if the world knew about the genocide they promoted. Loved leaders are more respected than feared ones. They started to spread all the lies we know today, lies that took thousands of years to be made, so well made and believed that many don't even question them. They put the dragons on the role of villains. They made everyone believe that elves were deities, beings similar to gods, when in fact they were just another race that suffered. The good elves ended the Dark Years in which the bad dragons ruled. They got rid of all the evidence of the truth; books, temples and old buildings, the songs and poems people used to sing. In the meanwhile, hybrids were put as unholy beings, inferior to humans. And us, dragon hybrids… we were still too powerful to be killed. We were still useful. We were put in the 'holy role’ of guardians.”

I felt as if the ground was slowly crumbling under my feet.

“Why?” I whispered weakly.

“To have us under their power. To make us submissive. They made us believe that our ancestors were murderers, that we were dirty with innocent blood. They indoctrinated us so deeply that many of us died in the name of Kings, treated like slaves… no, treated like animals.”

Ehmerald looked at me in the eye, and I could see the hatred on her eyes.

“We were the guardians of the world, but they made us believe that we are nothing but shadows.”

Her sentence felt like a blow in the stomach.

For a moment, I felt dizzy. I didn't know what to do with all this information. It meant that… my entire life was a simple lie? I have been used? Not only me; all of my brothers and sisters.

I remembered all of the punishments, all the humiliation. I always believed that my role as a guardian was an honor. I always believed that I deserved all the suffering because my ancestors were monsters and I was a monster myself. I thought that I didn't have rights, that I didn't deserve recognition, that I couldn't let myself have bonds with people and care about them. I believed that a dragon hybrid does not deserve any happiness. God, I was willing to be sacrificed when King Taejun died…

All because of a lie?

A part of me still struggled. Why should I believe this woman anyway? She could be just lying to me. But something deep inside of me felt the pain of her words… something ancient and caged. Something that awakened that day, when Taehyung offered me a chance and I took a decision for the first time in my life.

It was the pain of my ancestors.

These voices I heard in the back of my mind sometimes were not mine. They were of my ancestors, trying to whisper the truth. Trying to make me understand.

She wasn't lying.

“Although the lie was spread, they couldn't hide the truth from everyone. They forgot to destroy things like this,” Ehmerald said, pointing fo the rock in front of us. “There are still some proofs hidden. Documents. Stories going from generation to generation. But they know about it, too, and they try to shut our voices so the truth will keep unsaid. Many have died because of it.”

I suddenly remembered of what Jungkook told me - his entire village was burned down… he said his parents used to tell stories about the dragons. So, they were killed because they knew the truth…

“I… I was not like you,” Ehmerald's voice was quieter now. “I was not trained to be a guardian. My only duty was to procreate. Just like all the rest of us, I thought it was a sacred duty. I did not understand that what they were doing to me was not right… however, it took me a long time to get pregnant. I did not impregnate when I reached my full dragon adulthood. So, during most of my life, instead of getting rid of me, they decided to keep me as a healer in Niflheim.”

“What? But… the probability of dying when you impregnate after the adulthood is too high,” I said, eyeing her suspiciously.

“I thought it was true, too. But I worked as a healer at Niflheim and started to notice something wrong. I helped so many women to give birth… all of them were perfectly healthy, during their entire pregnancy and after they give birth. But when they told me to leave the room…” Ehmerald closed her eyes for a moment, having bad memories. “They would always tell me to leave the room. And when I came back… they would be dead. Always. Not even one of them survived. How could it be right?” She shook her head slightly. “This is just a stupid excuse. Women are naturally stronger than men because we are born to bear the pain of carrying a child. How could these dragons die that way? I just found out the truth when I got pregnant.” She then smiled and looked at me.

“Who… who is my father?” I asked hesitantly.

“His name was Jaejoong. He was Athena's dragon-guardian.”

My blood went cold.

No.

“J-Jaejoong?”

Ehmerald nodded softly. She had a faint smile on her lips - and because of that, slowly, I felt as if a knife was being buried in my heart. “It… it wasn't supposed to happen. I should impregnate from another man. But Jaejoong…” she chuckled softly. “He was far from being sweet, but he cared about me. Jaejoong was the strongest guardian of his generation. It simply happened.”

I knew it. I knew he was the strongest of his generation.

I tried to control my nerves once again.

“That’s when things started to change, Y/N. I should not feel anything towards you; I was just 'accomplishing my duty’. But I already loved you. I was not supposed to love, but I did. And I finally realized how wrong things were the night you were born.” Ehmerald stared at me again. “Do you have any idea of how special you are?” I frowned. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect anymore. “Y/N, you were born during a Red Moon. I am sure you know what this means.”

Yes, I knew.

A Red Moon is a rare astronomical phenomenon. During a Red Moon, magic becomes stronger.

“I was sure everything with me was fine. I had a normal and healthy pregnancy. But, when you were born… I finally found out. All those women were killed after giving birth. It is their way to control our race, to make sure only few of us will live. They make women give birth and they kill us afterwards so we won't make too many children. And they tried to kill me, Y/N, but I managed to escape. But I was too weak… I was severely hurt. Even today, I am not fully healed of the injury. I am not as strong as I should.”

“And you left me behind.” I said, and I couldn't hide the pain in my voice anymore. “Why did you leave me there? Why did you leave me to suffer, to believe I was nothing but a shadow?”

In that moment, Ehmerald's eyes were filled with tears. She approached one step. “And I will always regret this, my child. But… I did not know you were alive. You are a female born during a Red Moon. You are too powerful. All these years, I… I thought they have killed you the day you were born, and all these years I thought it was my fault, because I was not strong enough to save you.”

Ehmerald gulped, dried her tears.

“I… spent days wandering through Baïkarh about to die. But the dryads helped me. They took me to this place, the rebellion, and they took care of me. They told me the truth. Since then, I have been working. I am the leader of the rebellion today, but I was not the one who created it. This rebellion exists for more than one hundred years now, but it has never been so strong because of all of our efforts. We spreaded the truth; we told hybrids that they are not inferior, we gave them hope. We have an army of more than twenty thousand now; some are here, some are in disguise inside cities. After all these years, we can finally free hybrids. We can avenge our ancestors.”

When Ehmerald looked at me with that gleam on her eyes, I knew something bad was about to come.

“And that's when you become important,” she stepped closer to me. “Our people has been mistreated for centuries. The best way to restore peace is to establish the Council again. Only during that time we had peace and justice. And in order to make this-”

“You need to kill the King.” I interrupted her.

Ehmerald just nodded.

“The Kim Dinasty has been the cruelest ever since they took the throne. It is about time to take the power out of them and give it back to the rightful owner.”

“For who? You?” I couldn't help but scoff. “I heard about your plans. You are the chosen one, isn't it?”

“No. You are.”

I was about to say something, but as I heard those words my mind went blank.

“What?!”

“It used to be me, but it was before I knew you were still alive,” I could see that Ehmerald was choosing her words carefully. “We don't want monarchies anymore. Enough of Kings and Queens. Unfortunately, fairies are extinct and the elves are far from our reach, but we still exist. During that time, they would choose the strongest of the dragons to fulfill the role of a Counselor… and it currently is you. You are a well trained female. You were born during a Red Moon. The strongest of our ancestors were also born during Red Moons… Y/N, you are the chosen one.”

I could just stare at her, speechless.

Ehmerald must have saw it as a good sign, because her smile widened.

“I have been waiting for this moment ever since I found out you were still alive. My child, I heard about what you did… Jungkook told me how you stood for the hybrids at the palace. Not only that; we found some hybrid kids some hours ago. They said they were freed because of an angel… it was you, isn't it?” She looked at me with pure pride on her eyes. “You understand our situation. You are able to fight for all those who can't with your power. This entire army - they're all at your disposition. If you give them any order they will-”

“This is ridiculous.”

Ehmerald was taken aback. “W-What?”

“This is ridiculous,” I repeated, stepping away from her. My expression showed everything I felt: confusion, disbelief and revolt. “You want to put me as the leader of this… this Council? I'm not stupid. This is the same thing as a Queen.”

“But more members will be added as we restore the Council-”

“You don't even know me,” I interrupted her again. “This is the first time we meet. How can you just put me as a leader? You don't even know if I'm trustworthy. This is not how a leader should be chosen.” I scoffed again, unable to control the aggressiveness in my voice. “You just want to use me. Since you're not so powerful, you want to put me where you wanted to be. I'm just a puppet, another piece of your game. You just want to use me the same way I've been used my entire life.”

“Y/N, that's not true-”

“And how hypocrite can you be?!” It was my turn to speak. “You're saying how these humans from the past were cruel, killing the Council members using wicked energy, but then you do the same?! You tried to kill the King using obsidian soldiers… how many people you sacrificed to-”

“We didn't do it.”

I was found speechless again.

“Of course it was. The cursed rock, the shapeshifter and now the obsidian soldiers - it was all you.”

“Shapeshifter? What are you talking about?” Ehmerald frowned.

“The wolf that has been observing us-”

“Jungkook was my spy at Capital. He has been observing the King and you. Y/N, I don't know what you're talking about.”

I stood still there. Ehmerald really seemed confused.

“Stop pretending! You were also the person that attacked my mind that night. Who else could be powerful enough to attack me like that?!”

“Y/N, I understand that all this information is shocking, but I don't know what you're talking about. The only time I ever entered your mind was to knock you down, and I was only able to do it because you were severely weakened. And the obsidian soldiers - it is a mystery to us as much as it is to you. Do you really think I would sacrifice someone to conjure them? Do you think I would use the type of magic that condemned us millennia ago? I'm sure you can feel how my aura is free from any type of evil magic!”

Her question was almost useless, because I couldn't feel anything unnatural coming from her. No reminiscents of Helheim. She was clean.

If the rebellion was not behind the attack with obsidian soldiers… if the shapeshifter was not on their side….

Then who was it?

But I could not think of it at the moment. This rebellion didn't try yet, but they wanted to kill Taehyung - and this I could not forget.

“You are crazy. You're all crazy.” I said, stepping away from her. “Don't follow me.”

I turned around before she could say anything else, disappearing in the forest.

I don't know how much time it has passed.

The forest was damp and terribly hot, but I couldn't care about the temperature. I could see that it was evening, however I did not know how much time has passed since the attack. I doubted Jungkook would be able to carry me to Baïkahr so fast, so two days, probably?

My medallion has disappeared. Taehyung and everyone at the Capital must've had no clue of my whereabouts. My first instinct was to fly my way back to the Capital...

But, for some odd reason, I didn't.

I distanced myself from the rebellion's camp after walking hours through the forest. It was hard to localize myself inside Baïkarh; the natural magic of the forest is so intense that it makes your senses dizzy. I could even smell the faint scent of something similar to pollen in the air. There is a reason why people said that Baïkahr was the entry to Alfheim.

Many animals crossed my way, but none of them represented danger. Animals can feel what I am. Not only that; the spirits of the forest can feel who has bad intentions and who does not. Because of it, they let me in peace.

And if these spirits let the rebellion settle here… it meant that they also could not feel anything evil from them.

This made me think.

Everything Ehmerald told me was too overwhelming. It meant that the History of the world was a lie. It meant that… my sole existence was a lie. All the things I held onto, all the things I believed and fought for… it was all a lie.

Just lies.

They made me believe in lies. They made me think I was unworthy of respect and mercy, they made me think I should die for a man that never cared about me - because King Taejun never cared about me. The same way King Hugo did not care about Hoseok, and King Satoshi did not care about Yuta…

How many of us died during all these centuries? We died thinking that we deserved it. We lived our sad and painful lives thinking that men that did not care about us were the center of our Universes, the ones we should fight for. They killed innocent women. They punished us for simply existing - and we submissively thought that we deserved it.

And what she told me about my father. Jaejoong...

I've never been so enraged during my entire life.

It was deeper than rage. It was hatred.

As a hybrid, it was impossible to simply say I couldn't understand the rebellion after hearing the truth. The world deserved to know the truth; hybrids had to be freed. But what she said was still madness - the chosen one? I was nobody's leader.

And she still wanted to kill Taehyung.

I couldn't let that happen. Not because it was my duty, but because I had feelings for him. I knew Taehyung in a way that none of them did; he was different from his predecessors. He was fair and good and-

Or perhaps you're just being carried away by your feelings.

What if my perception was distorted because of my feelings for him? Taehyung was the first person that showed me some type of kindness - well, the first person after Yoongi and Chuu. What if he was someone I refused myself to see? Taehyung was always mysterious, always doing things I couldn't understand. But he said he would tell me the truth…

What truth?

What I still didn't know?

What should I do from now on? Go back to the palace… but what would I do then? Demand my answers and…? Keep being his guardian? I couldn't do that - not after everything. I refused to be a guardian anymore. But staying with this rebellion was also out of question. They wanted me as a leader, and this I couldn't be.

I sat in an old trunk and held my head. I felt so confused it made me dizzy. Too much information - it felt like someone threw a brick on my skull.

“What do I do?” I whispered to myself - a strangled cry, almost inaudible.

“Well, sitting here and complaining is not an option.”

I gasped and immediately lifted my head as I heard the voice, my hand instinctively searching for the hilt of the sword on my hip, just to remember I was disarmed.

But when I understood what was in front of me, I calmed down.

A dryad looked at me with crossed arms, leaning casually on her tree. She looked like a young human woman: incredibly beautiful, her long hair the color of soil, comfortable in her own skin even though she was completely naked. Her appearance could not fool me, though; I knew she was much older than it seemed, judging by the size of her tree. Her eyes reflected wisdom and some kind of evil playfulness.

(Dryads are known for fooling people by seducing them just for fun, so I could understand that evil playfulness).

“Why do you look surprised, drákon? I don't see powerful beings like you walking around my forest everyday. Of course I would want to talk a little,” she said, tilting her head to the side and smirking.

I straightened my posture. Drákon. It's been a very long time since I heard someone calling me like this. “What do you want?”

The dryad giggled. “Oh, there is no reason to be so suspicious of me. I don't play with females, even though you are very attractive. And, besides… I can see that your heart is already someone else's.”

Your heart is already someone else's.

My shoulders fell, and I felt my cheeks getting hot. It meant that… my heart was already Taehyung's?

“Gosh, I don't see a face like this in centuries. Are you suffering because of love?” The dryad giggled again, endeared. “It's okay, little one. Unfortunately, we can't choose who we fall for.”

“But I'd rather not fall for someone that might be my worst enemy,” I whispered weakly.

The dryad’s face softened. She sat by my side by the trunk; she smelled of the soil right after it rains and dew.

“We heard you talking to your mother,” she said softly, making me remember that this place was in fact full of dryads and this one was the only brave enough to appear.

“You spread the news very quickly,” I said sarcastically, what made her laugh.

“Of course. It's been some time since something interesting doesn't happen.” The dryad looked at me with seriousness on her eyes despite her faint smile. “You got to know the truth of the world. It is sure shocking.”

Silence fell over us for some seconds. “Do you remember the times of the Council?”

She nodded. “Yes. I was still just a bud, but I remember very well.” Her gaze was distant, eyes that saw ancient memories. “My sisters did not need to hide in Baïkarh back then; we were everywhere. The fairies would always stand up for us and protect us. These were good times.” She smiled softly. “Can you hear them?”

I could. Just like before, I heard distant laughters, female voices singing lightheartedly. I could almost see those female figures running around the trees, playing hide and seek, smiling and talking.

“After the fairies were killed, there was no one to fight for us. We are not strong creatures. Because of it, we were forced to live here in Baïkarh. This is the only place a dryad can live in peace… we have full control of the forest. No one can enter without our permission.”

“You confuse those who enter here to protect yourselves?” I questioned softly. She nodded.

“There are secrets here that no human or hybrid should know.”

“But you let the rebellion get inside. There are thousands of people now.”

“They respect the limits we demanded. Besides… if they want to establish the old way of things again, then there is no reason to be against them.”

“You support this?” I was quite shocked.

The dryad looked at me in the eye. Her serenity was so intense that I could even feel myself calming down slowly.

“I have lived many centuries already, little one. Perhaps when you reach my age you'll be able to understand me. I saw more suffering than happiness during my life, and I know how your race was the most punished. What they are trying to do might not be ideal, but it is the first time in more years than I can count that I saw something that can finally free us.”

“But… they are aiming to kill someone innocent. They are preparing for war. It's going to be a bloodbath either way.”

Of course - I did not know if Taehyung was really innocent, but a part of me held onto that wish tightly.

“Then you have to do something about it. You're the person that can see things from both perspectives. You can stop this war before it even starts.”

I took in her words.

The dryad leaned slightly closer to me.

“Can't you hear them, little one?” She whispered. “Can you hear their voices? These are your ancestors. They are watching you intently.”

Again - I could hear them. Their voices floating in the air around me. I could hear the echoes from millennia ago; somehow, although many centuries made us part, I was still connected to them.

“They are waiting,” she continued. “Because, after so long, someone is able to break the cycle. You can break the cycle. You can make things different. You can finally give some rest to your ancestors that have been suffering endlessly.”

We sat down in silence. I could hear the sounds of the forest - small animals running, birds chirping, insects flying or crawling, the wind touching the branches and leaves above. I could hear the voices. They were unsettled, angry.

They yelled for justice.

I nodded softly.

“I don't know exactly what to do,” I said quietly, “But I'll try to do something.”

The dryad smiled again. That playfulness was back. “Gosh! The last person I talked to was a young woman, too.”

I frowned. A human entering so deep in Baïkarh? “When was it?”

“I don't know,” she shrugged. “I am a tree, so yesterday for me might be ten years. She was in deep pain. Because of it, me and my sisters helped her.” she sighed, frowning her brows. “Sometimes I wonder what happened to her…”

I nodded softly, not really paying attention to what she was saying. It might be small, but talking to her made some things feel clearer inside of me.

“I have to go,” I got up from the trunk.

“You are young however wise, little one. Not only the ancestors, but also the living are counting on you. Me and my sisters give you our blessing.”

I bowed my head respectfully. “Thank you.” I was about to turn around, but stopped midway. “By the way, what's your name?”

She smiled and tilted her head. “It is Rubra, little one. Come back here any time. Although your heart is taken, we could still have some fun…”

Instead of falling to her charms, I turned around and started to walk again. Rubra was right. Complaining like a little kid would not take me anywhere.

It was time to do something.

It took me some more hours to find the rebellion's camp again.

As I approached and people started to notice me, they would immediately stop anything they were doing - forging weapons, cooking, running around with papers that looked like maps - to look at me. It still felt strange; I was not used to be the center of attention. Especially not this kind of attention. They looked at me with such respect…

Now, I could understand why Jungkook had that reaction when he realized I am a dragon. I could understand the things he told me; Jungkook for sure was expecting me to be a rebellious leader like Ehmerald… not a submissive guardian. But, like the angry and rebellious person he is, he couldn't explain things to me clearly, spitting all of his anger instead.

I wasn't angry at him anymore.

But Jungkook still didn't know it, because he literally flinched the moment he saw me approaching.

The young man widened his eyes, avoided my gaze. Everyone around us was suddenly silent, watching what was about to happen in expectation.

I looked around for a moment.

“Your sister,” Jungkook frowned in confusion when he heard me saying quietly but strongly. “Heejin. She is here, right?”

The rabbit-boy seemed surprised that I still remembered what he told me about himself and his sister's name. He nodded.

“Take me to her.”

Jungkook did it without complaints. He guided me through the camp - and, again, the people that crossed my way would stop to watch in silence.

After some more moments, Jungkook showed me a particular giant tree.

And there was a girl sitting, leaned on the trunk, rolled up in covers.

I would have guessed she was Jungkook's sister even if he hadn’t said anything; their resemblance was obvious. Same fair skin, same black hair, same dark-grey rabbit ears and even their eyes and lips had the same shape. Heejin was some years younger, though.

And she was… simply sitting there.

A blank expression, staring into nothing.

Jungkook approached her slowly, as if he was scared that if he moved too brusquely he would break her.

However, he was the one looking fragile.

“This is Heejin,” he said in a weak and quiet tone. The sadness and love on his eyes as he stared at his sister was heartbreaking.

I approached, too, and crouched down in front of her carefully. “How long has she been in this state?”

“Ever since I found her, one year ago,” he said. “She… she doesn't do anything. She doesn't speak, doesn't move, doesn't interact with anyone. We have to clean her and feed her. It's almost like-”

Jungkook choked on his own words, but I knew what his unsaid sentence would be. It's almost as if she's dead.

I sighed. Heejin's eyes were staring directly at me, but she wasn't seeing me. She didn't even blink. Expressionless, motionless.

Trapped inside her own mind.

Carefully, I place my hands on each side of her head.

“What are you doing?” Jungkook asked, confused and worried.

“Don't worry. I won't hurt her,” I reassured him before closing my eyes.

Her mind offered me almost no protection.

Shattered. Destroyed and hurt.

I pushed a little bit further-

A dark place. My steps echoed around me. It was endless - endless darkness. Pitch black.

I heard a sob.

Finally, I recognized the figure of a girl crying. She was hugging her own legs, sobbing uncontrollably. Small and fragile, hidden in the farthest corner of the mind.

Slowly, I crouched down and touched her shoulder.

She turned around, startled, her eyes wide. Tears still trickled down her puffy cheeks.

“W-Who are you?”

“I came to help you.” I tried to keep my voice as serene as possible, afraid to shatter her consciousness even more. “You've been suffering a lot.”

Heejin nodded weakly.

“There are people that can help you out there.”

She shook her head vehemently, grabbing her legs even tighter. “N-No. They will hurt m-me!”

“Nobody will hurt you, Heejin. You are safe. And your brother- he misses you.”

Heejin looked confused for a moment, but then she remembered. “J-Jungkook? Is he out there?”

I nodded encouragingly. “Yes. He is waiting for you… and he won't let anyone hurt you anymore.”

I saw her conflict. But the mention of her brother made a spark of hope glow on her eyes.

She nodded almost imperceptibly. “Okay.”

I smiled and placed my hand at the top of her head.

“Heejin. Wake up.”

I opened my eyes and retracted my arms.

For some moments, Heejin still looked the same.

But, slowly, her eyes focused.

She frowned. Blinked once, twice.

She looked around.

“Jungkook…?” She called quietly, voice hoarse, when their gazes crossed.

He was barely breathing.

I stepped backwards to give them some space. Jungkook's eyes were impossibly wide and glowing with tears. Slowly, a big smile - the biggest I've ever seen him opening - adorned his features until his eyes almost closed and two crystal tears trickled down his cheeks.

“Heejin!”

I felt myself smiling, too, as Jungkook embraced her small body in a tight hug; Heejin still looked confused, but hugged him back with her thin arms. He was really crying now, sobbing uncontrollably. How long this young man has been holding back these tears? How long he has been acting strong, trying to ignore his sadness and loneliness, wondering if he would ever talk to his only remaining family again? How long he has been holding onto bad feelings only?

Jungkook was finally letting it all out now - and this time, it was due happiness. I was seeing a glimpse of the real Jungkook: a kind-hearted man.

It also took me some moments to realize the small crowd gathered around us. They watched in awe, chatting between each other. “How did she do that?” “She awakened Jungkook's sister!”

“My child, how strong are you?”

I immediately stood up again and turned around as I heard Ehmerald - that strange woman that was still too hard for me to see as my mother. She had some hesitation on her gaze, but mostly admiration. I couldn't understand this woman that barely knew me but seemed to care about me so much…

“We've been trying to heal Heejin since Jungkook brought her… and you did it in the blink of an eye,” she said.

“I'm just helping a friend,” was all I said.

Ehmerald watched me in silence for some moments. “I'm surprised that you're back,” she said. I was aware that everyone around us went silent, paying attention to our conversation, and she was aware, too. “Did you think well about what we talked?”

“Yes.”

And that was true.

I did think well about it. About everything.

My entire life, I used to believe that my master - King Taejun - was my purpose in life. He was the reason I would wake up every morning. He was my sun, the center of my particular solar system. After he died, my sun became Taehyung.

But I have changed.

I was not just an insignificant planet wandering through the Universe, always needing a sun to orbit around. I finally understood.

Taehyung wasn't the center of my solar system…

I was.

But I was not the only important thing. In my particular solar system, there was my family - Yoongi and Chuu. There was Jungkook. There were my ancestors, waiting for me to finally free them from their suffering. There were all these people around me, all the hybrids, the ones I have learned to care about, the ones that, just like me, deserved freedom - deserved to know the truth.

There was Taehyung.

And there was still an endless Universe surrounding me, full of planets I didn't know and didn't understand yet. An entire Universe to be discovered.

Some things were still right. Being a guardian was indeed in my blood, just the way my ancestors were the guardians of the world. I wanted to protect and fight for what was right.

But I couldn't stay hidden in the shadows anymore.

I was not just a shadow.

I was my own sun.

“Will you accept our offer?” Ehmerald asked, hopeful. It seems that everyone else held their breaths, waiting for my answer in expectation.

I stared at Ehmerald right into her eyes.

“No.”

Everyone gasped in unison.

“What? But, Y/N- after everything I told you?” Ehmerald stuttered.

“I didn't say I wouldn't help,” I cut her, speaking louder so all of them could hear me. Silence reigned above the crowd again. “Someone once told me that if you have the power to change things yet you chose to do nothing, then the fault is also yours.”

I made sure to send a significant look to Jungkook. His puffy face was surprised as he heard me speak.

“So, yes, I will help. But it will be on my terms.”

Ehmerald seemed uneasy. “And what are your terms?”

“You want me to kill King Taehyung, and this I can't do.” Murmurs of disapproval crossed the air. Again, before Ehmerald could say something or their chatter became too loud, I walked at heavy steps to the center of the clearing where they could see me better.

“Listen well, all of you,” my voice echoed loud and clear. They immediately went quiet again. “You really think that killing a King will solve all of our problems? It won't. It will just lead us to a war.”

“We are ready to fight,” someone said, being accompanied by murmurs of agreement.

“But this is a war you can't win. Ëlv'en has the greatest army of the entire continent. Not only that; if a war really begins, Ëlv'en will call the allies. It is Vanaheim, Nidavellir, the Islands of the West and many more - and not to mention the Royal Mages. They usually don't get involved directly in conflicts, but if they do, then it's over. Do you really believe that twenty thousand men with no formal training will stand a chance against Ëlv'en and its allies? A war for you means suicide.”

The silence around me was morbid. Thick, almost palpable.

“Killing the King is out of question. Even if you kill the entire Royal Family, the military will take over and this you can't win.” I made sure to look right in the eye of the people around me. “Besides, what you're planning will lead nowhere, because what you want is revenge, not justice. Simply putting the blame in a single man without even knowing if it's really his fault is not fair. I am the only person here that actually knows the King, and I can say he is not the monster you all think he is.”

And I hope I am not defending him for nothing…

“And what do you plan to do?” Ehmerald was the only brave enough to ask.

“I will go back to the Capital. I won't tell anything about the rebellion or your location, and you won't make a move until I say otherwise. I might not be the leader you all expected me to be, but I am the only one that knows what we're dealing with - and I want freedom and justice as much as you do, but I believe that we can achieve it with no deaths. I just hope you can trust me for now.”

They looked at each other in silence.

I knew they had no reason to believe me at all, but I was right back them: they feared me. They respected me. The single fact that I am a dragon seemed to be enough for them.

But no one had no chance to say anything when a young man entered the clearing running, ignoring anyone around, breathless and with hurry covering his features.

“Lady Ehmerald, one of my ravens is seeing something…”

“Calm down, Hyunjin,” Ehmerald said, the boy finally stopping to recover his breathing. “Explain it properly.”

“Something happened in Athena,” he said. “There's a big commotion going on. The King's about to make an announcement.”

A cold shiver ran my spine.

Something told me bad news were coming…

“Show me,” Ehmerald ordered, and they immediately left the clearing at a rapid pace. I followed them, as well as many other hybrids.

We followed Hyunjin and Ehmerald until they stopped in front of something I didn't recognize immediately - a copper basin filled with a thin layer of water. Many people gathered around the basin, quieting down to hear whatever Hyunjin has to show us.

The boy closed his eyes, visibly calming down and relaxing his muscles.

He touched the thin layer of water with his fingertips.

At first, nothing happened - but the water fluttered. It took some moments until the images on the surface of the water became clear: an aerial view of the front square of Athena's Royal Palace. Hyunjin's raven view. We noticed when the bird landed somewhere near the palace.

The front square was crowded and it rained. The entire scenery seemed to be painted in a somber shade of grey. We saw it when the familiar face of King Hugo appeared at the front doors…

A face distorted with pure hatred.

“My subjects, I come in front of you now as my soul bleeds in pain.” King Hugo's deep and powerful voice echoed. It sounded distant to us, however I could imagine the impact his voice caused in all these people there. Just like his face, his voice overflowed anger and deep pain. “The Royal House is mourning. Today, my older daughter Serena, the heiress of Athena's throne, was found dead.”

A collective gasp - both in Athena and around me.

“My daughter was murdered,” he continued, his voice failing and husky. King Hugo indeed looked shattered in a way I've never saw before. “And we already know who are the culprits.”

Before he even spoke again, I already knew that something was extremely wrong.

“Ëlv'en sent a murderer to kill our princess!”

The collective gasp was even louder now.

“What?!” Ehmerald exclaimed.

“This is… this is wrong,” I stuttered. It couldn't be serious. “Ëlv'en has no reason to kill Athena's princess…”

“This was found woven in the murderer's clothes,” Hugo lifted his hand, showing Ëlv'en's military symbol in all directions, so everyone could see. The chatter between the subjects there became louder and angrier. “We accepted their Entourage here months ago. We offered them our hospitality and trust - but this is what they did! But this time, we won't accept their insolence. They have committed the worst of all crimes. This time, Ëlv'en will pay.

“I challenge King Taehyung for a combat.”

I almost couldn't breathe.

The crowd in Athena roared.

“We will be waiting for these cowards at the Colosseum until tomorrow's sunrise. If they don't show up, then it means war. It is time to end their supremacy over the continent; we won't bow down anymore. If we win the combat, then King Taehyung and the entire Kim House will have to die. Ëlv'en has awakened their worst nightmare! They asked for war - and war they will have!”

The crowd roared louder than ever.

Hyunjin almost passed out, exhausted. The image dissipated from the water.

“You did well, Hyunjin.” Ehmerald said, patting the boy's shoulder. “Now, go and rest.”

Everyone around me went silent.

“That's impossible.” I murmured to myself. “Taehyung would never do this. He's not stupid. Why would he want to kill King Hugo's daughter…?”

“I also don't believe it was King Taehyung,” surprisingly, Ehmerald said. She had a somber gaze now. “Someone is trying to throw one kingdom against the other.”

“Who?”

She looked at me seriously.

“The same people that attacked the Capital using obsidian soldiers.”

Another shiver.

Who were these people? Why were they doing this?

King Taehyung and the entire Kim House will have to die.

“I have to go,” I said hurriedly.

“What- why?” Ehmerald questioned.

“Didn't you hear? King Hugo challenged Taehyung for a combat. He needs me.”

“You still want to help him, Y/N?” The woman in front of me seemed almost offended. “You still want to be his slave?”

“I am nobody's slave.” My fists tightened. I noticed how some people decided to step away from us in fear when they heard my tone. “You don't understand. I'm doing this because Taehyung is a good person.”

Ehmerald seemed about to answer, but then she looked at me as if she finally realized something. And I saw… pity in her eyes.

“My child, he seduced you.”

“What-?”

“That's what he wanted, don't you see?” She stepped closer and I stepped behind to keep a distance. “He made you fall for him to keep you loyal.”

“You are wrong.” I wanted to punch her at this point.

“Y/N, King Taehyung is engaged to Princess Sana. Don't you understand? He's going to marry her. He's just using you. What will you be? His secret prostitute? Because Princess Sana is the one he'll marry, not you. Don't let him use you like this!”

I could just stare at her, mouth ajar.

“I am leaving now,” I repeated, my voice low and menacing. “For your own well being, I'll pretend you never said this.”

Everyone around me stepped away and I heard many gasps and exclaims as I started to shift into my dragon nature. The pain of wings growing, the sound of my cotton shirt tearing apart in my shoulder blades, all of my senses becoming sharper, the air around fluttering because of my power.

It was the first time I shifted into my dragon nature in front of others.

I was not ashamed.

“I will try to find out what's going on. Whoever is trying to start this war for sure will be against the rebellion,” I said loud enough for everyone to hear. “Again, I ask you to stay here. I will come back as soon as possible.”

I did not wait for them to say anything; my wings extended and, with a strong gust of wind that made everyone's clothes and hair wave, I flied up until I was above the top of the trees, going higher and higher.

The sun was beginning to disappear in the horizon. King Hugo said he would wait just until sunrise. If I flew fast enough, I would be able to reach the Neutral Zone where the Colosseum was placed…

Taehyung's life depended on this.

Mine depended, too.

Because Kings don't fight battles. When King Hugo challenged him, he wasn't exactly challenging him.

Combats are a way to prevent wars. Instead of millions of soldiers dying in the battlefield, two soldiers are chosen to fight - a mortal fight where one of them will inevitably die. A champion is chosen.

And it is a millennial tradition that the chosen champion is always the King's dragon-guardian.

Nervousness hit me for the first time.

If everything went wrong, I would have to fight against Hoseok…

And only one of us would survive.

“If you lose today, Y/N, we will have a war. And all of it will be your fault.”

My eyes snap wide. I feel sweat forming on my hands due to nervousness.

“Do you want to live knowing millions of people died because of you, Y/N?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“So, what do you have to do?”

I inhale deeply, controlling my nerves. It is no time to be nervous. It is no time to be scared.

It is no time to fail.

“I must win, Your Majesty.”

I can slightly see my master nodding his head. “Good. Then you know exactly what to do.”

With this, the King leaves me by myself.

I lift my head and tighten my fists. My master put all of his hopes on me, and I can’t let him down. I won’t. I will prove to him, to Counselor Gilliard and to the whole court that I am the best guardian the King of Ëlv’en could ever have.

I inhale and close my eyes momentarily.

When I open my eyes, the heavy doors open echoing a loud sound and I walk forward with determined steps.

When I enter the Colosseum, my opponent is already waiting for me, standing in the center of the arena. He is way older than me, an adult dragon, much more experienced, much taller. I'm not sure if I'll be able to win, but my master's words echoes in my mind. I will fight with all of my forces, all of my power.

My opponent is Athena's dragon-guardian - the strongest in ages.

His name is Jaejoong.

The sun was almost rising when the glass dome appeared ahead.

The Colosseum was built in the Neutral Zone - a small island right in the center of Mitras, the greatest lake of the continent, so great it was mistaken as a sea centuries ago. The Neutral Zone is used in times of war, a place when enemy kingdoms can meet. It is also a disarmed zone. The only ones that can use weapons are the champions. I could already feel the presence of many people inside the grey building, the place so familiar to me. I've been there several times. The situation around the continent has always been worse than what most of the population thought. During the past decade, the danger of wars exploding suddenly was great - all of them prevented by the combats.

From far, I could already feel Hoseok's presence, and I knew he could feel mine.

But the person I was looking for was nowhere at sight-

“Where have you been?!” Was what I heard the moment my feet touched the ground.

Counselor Gilliard radiated anger, hurry and nervousness, his old face even more distorted and ugly than usual. Behind him, soldiers and other counselors stepped closer as well, however some decided to keep distance as they stared at my wings, hesitant.

“Where is Taehyung?” I questioned sternly before Gilliard could say anything, what made his face distort even more.

“Who you think you are to pronounce His Majesty's name out loud?!” The old man exclaimed, outraged.

“Just answer my question. I don't have enough patience to deal with you right now.”

The old man looked more shocked than ever. I always kept my head down around him, although my hate towards that man existed since the day we first met; I would not do it anymore.

Slowly, his expression became darker, the mask of self-control hiding his true feelings. He has always been like this. So well controlled, so well calculated. “His Majesty did not come. He has many issues to deal with at the Capital, including the royal wedding that cannot be delayed anymore.”

For a moment, I went speechless.

The royal wedding?

Of course, I could understand that Taehyung had many problems to deal with, since the Capital has been attacked just a few days ago and now he was under accusations of murder. But…

Something wasn't right.

Challenged kings always are present to witness the combat. It didn't matter that he had a wedding soon, it could be delayed considering the current circumstances.

And…

Taehyung knew it was a mortal battle, right?

He knew I could die fighting, right?

Did he authorize the combat even then…?

“It does not matter. Because of you, we were about to face a war. How dare you disappear like this?! And you even got rid of your medallion!” Gilliard stormed. “If you survive, what you must do, you'll be severely punished. Now come on, the sun's almost rising! The combat must begin!”

Gilliard grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into the Colosseum, being followed by all the others. Finally, I noticed that General Namjoon was one of them - as it was traditional of the current general to be present on this type of event. Our gazes crossed quickly, and what I saw on his eyes was much different from what I was used to; no aggressiveness, no despite. Instead, I saw some type of grief.

Because everyone knew these could be my last moments.

Immediately, the assistants started to put the armor in me - the ceremonial armor, which I only used in “special” occasions. They tightened straps and leashes to the point it became painful until the complete armor was at place, handing me also a shield and a sword.

When they left, I was alone with Counselor Gilliard in the room. The same room I’ve been with King Taejun, the moments before the fight when he would speak some words to me.

Gilliard wasn’t supposed to be the one doing this.

Hoseok was just at the opposite side of the arena; I could feel him close. Nervousness hit me all at once. After the combat with Guardian Jaejoong many years ago, Athena and Ëlv’en never had such a harsh situation again, so no combats were claimed. I never faced Hoseok in a real fight, but I already knew how strong he was - dare I say, even stronger than Yuta. Hoseok had an angry fire burning inside of him all the time, and he used his strong feelings to fuel his powers. Definitely wouldn’t be an easy fight.

However, that’s not what made me hesitate.

I always provoked Hoseok, saying that he could not stand a chance against me in a real fight. We were anything but friends and all of our interactions were aggressive. I always tried to keep him away because I knew what we would have to do sooner or later in our lives. But, in the moment I was about to face him in a real mortal combat, I finally realized: I didn’t hate Hoseok. He was truly annoying, but I had no reason to hate him. I didn’t want to fight a brother of mine. After everything I’ve learned, I wanted nothing more but for him to know the truth, too, to be freed from this curse that haunted all of us.

I didn’t want to fight him and I wouldn’t fight him.

“I won’t do this.”

Counselor Gilliard seemed shocked. “What?”

“I said that I won’t do this.” I turned around and faced him, fists tight. The sole reason I even stepped inside and let them put the armor in me was that I knew I would have to fight to get out of here. “Something’s wrong. Taehyung should be here. I don’t see why he would even accept this challenge when he clearly is not the culprit. What is going on?”

“Do you think you have the right to refuse?” I could almost see his face fuming at this point. “If you simply go away, a war will begin!”

“And who will stop me?” I stepped closer to him menacingly, making Gilliard step back. His face went pale. “You?”

He gulped.

This was the moment of my mistake.

Perhaps discovering the truth made me too arrogant. I thought that no human could defeat me - especially Gilliard. How could that old, thin man fight me? How could he be stronger than me, faster than me, smarter than me?

I turned my back to my opponent.

And, before I could act, I felt a slight sting in my upper arm - a small gap in my armor, too small for a blade to penetrate.

Gilliard was holding something I've never seen before. It looked like a tiny glass tube with a needle attached to its tip.

“What is this?”

An ugly, mischievous smirk appeared on his decrepit face.

With rage taking control of my actions, I pushed the man backwards violently until his back shocked against the wall, my forearm pressing his neck so he could barely breathe. “What is this?!”

Gilliard let a strangled chuckle past his dry lips. “It's a v-very interesting mechanism. It p-permits me to… inject fluids directly on the bloodstream through the needle.”

Confused, I stared at that strange thing on his hand again.

Inside the small glass tube, there was… the reminiscents of a greenish liquid.

No.

An overwhelming dizziness almost made me lose balance.

Gilliard coughed when I let him go and massaged his neck. The room seemed to be twirling, my limbs felt weak.

“You bastard!”

Was all I could groan between gritted teeth before I completely lost balance and fell to the ground.

The potion I already knew so well… the potion to make me as weak as a human.

Gilliard chuckled again as, slowly, he approached. I could only see his feet.

“You were always so obedient, Y/N,” his voice made me shiver in disgust. Low, hoarse, evil. “I have to be honest. Seeing you finally stepping up for yourself is somehow a relief. I always wondered… how such a powerful creature could be so submissive? It was a delight to see you… obeying us like a trained hunting dog.” The familiar pressure seemed to be smashing my skull, bringing tears to my eyes. “But I saw the moment this rebellious little part of you was born. That day in the dungeons. I knew I shouldn't have let Taehyung talk to you.” He sighed. “Now, I have to clean the mess I made.”

Gilliard crouched down in front of me and our gazes finally met - satisfaction on his features as he watched me struggle to breathe, my limbs burning like fire while the potion ran throughout my bloodstream.

“Knowledge is dangerous. Keep the reins tight and the slave will think their entire life that they are blessed. But show them just a little bit of compassion… and this is what happens.” Gilliard shook his head slowly in disapproval. “I always kept your reins very tight, Y/N, but I knew that it wouldn't be enough. I tried to warn Taejun many times. We had so many chances to get rid of you, but he never listened. His stubbornness was what led him to his death after all.”

My heartbeat had increased, sweat flowing on my forehead. Hate was all I could feel. Red hate. “Y-You… you are the responsible behind Princess Serena's death?”

Gilliard's silence was enough of an answer.

My fists tightened.

“You incriminated your own K-King just to make me die in the combat?”

The smirk on his lips widened.

The dots connected as I stared at him.

I chose you that day to protect you, Y/N.

They wanted to get rid of you.

And everything started to make sense.

The cursed rock. The attack. I always thought they wanted to kill Taehyung, but he was not their target.

I was.

They were trying to kill me all along.

“W-Why?” I stuttered. “Y-You are condemning Ëlv'en. If I die here, Athena will win and they will rule the c-continent. You are betraying your own kingdom!”

The old Counselor clicked his tongue as if he was trying to explain something to an oblivious child. “There are more important things to protect than Ëlv'en's supremacy. But I already said enough.” Gilliard stood up again. “Take your sword and shield, Y/N; it is time to fight. I advise you to at least make some effort. It will be realistic if you bring Athena's guardian some struggle before he kills you.”

Gilliard left the room and locked the door.

I crawled, leaned on the wall and got up with struggle, my legs shaking, my breathing irregular and my vision blurry; I could barely move my wings anymore. My strength and powers were draining slowly. This potion is the only thing capable of weakening me. Before punishments, I always had to drink it, and it seems that injecting directly on my bloodstream made the effects spread faster.

How stupid I was?

I didn't stand a chance against Hoseok like this.

Desperately, I tried to reach him through our mental bond. However, this time, he blocked me so well that I couldn't reach his consciousness.

No. I couldn't stand it. I could not die like this after everything.

He had to hear me. If not psychically, then physically.

I took the sword and shield from the ground in time to see the heavy doors opening to the great arena.

And there he was.

Many meters away, at the opposite side, Hoseok entered the field. The red armor matched his hair, as well as his enormous crimson wings. His face was barely visible through the helmet, however his eyes seemed to be tearing me apart - vertical pupils, irises that seemed to be made of lava. Each step of his combat boots echoed. Hoseok's presence filled the Colosseum with raw power which I could feel deep in my bones. His entire form had a red hue, almost as if he was burning in fire.

It was the first time I felt scared of Hoseok in my entire life.

Trying to hide my weakness, I stepped inside the field as well. My grip around the hilt of the sword was not strong enough and I wasn't as confident as he was. The Colosseum was the same as always - incredibly big, a high glass dome above our heads. Despite the many seats around us, only a few people were present to witness the fight - Ëlv'en's and Athena's royal entourages, sitting in opposite sides. King Hugo was present. Taehyung was nowhere at sight.

A deep silence reigned around the place.

We stopped in front of each other at the very center of the field.

“That’s not how I expected our next meeting to be, Y/N,” Hoseok said and, despite the cold voice, like before, I saw something quick on his eyes.

Hesitation.

And something more.

I finally realized. Hoseok didn't hate me. Although our encounters were always anything but friendly, our aggressive banter was probably the only social contact Hoseok had with other people. He didn't want to kill me.

Perhaps I had a chance…?

“Hoseok-”

“The rules are clear,” I was interrupted by the referee's loud voice. “This is a battle in which the only acceptable result is the death of one of you. In case both of you end up deathly injured, the one who dies last will be the winner. All ways of fighting and magic are acceptable. You may start at my signal.” The referee walked back to his safe spot at the grandstand. “May the elves guide your souls to Valhalla… or Helheim.”

Hoseok was in position to fight.

All of my hopes died when I looked at his eyes.

It didn't matter if Hoseok had any type of strange affection towards me. He was a trained dragon, his brain worked the same way mine used to work. He had a duty, he would accomplish. Winning a combat was the best way to honor our “masters”. Nothing would stop Hoseok.

“Fight!”

He attacked.

I managed to block his attack with my shield. Hoseok twirled around, ready to repeat his attack and our blades shocked against one another for the first time, the impact it produced so strong that a gust of wind flew through the area and made everyone's clothes and hair waver. Hoseok brandished his sword in a series of strong and precise blows, forcing me to step backwards every time. I could still keep up with him for now, but my strength was disappearing by the minute. In my normal state I wouldn't even be sweating, but a few minutes into the battle I already felt tired. One second slower than him.

And Hoseok didn't even had started. He was just warming up.

When we were almost at the corner of the arena, Hoseok kicked my shield away; the iron object flew meters away, leaving my body unprotected. Before I could do anything, Hoseok twirled himself in the air and kicked my stomach with such strength that I could feel my guts being smashed. Just like the shield, he sent me flying backwards violently until my back hit the wall, making the rock structure behind me crack with the impact.

I fell.

My lungs weren't even working properly anymore. A sharp pain spreaded from the place he kicked; my vision was even more blurred. Hoseok approached me at heavy steps and dropped his shield - it was useless anyway.

“Are you just playing around with me, Y/N? When will you start fighting?”

I didn't answer.

A shiver indicated me that Hoseok was about to use his power. I saw the sword he carried take a similar color as the hue around him as he conjured a destructive spell. Not good. With more struggle than the usual, I managed to roll away from the attack the moment his sword hit the wall, metal crossing the rock easily in the exact place my head was one second before.

My entire body screamed in pain when I got up in time to block his next blow with my sword, the blade now shining with the same spell, however weaker than his. The friction of the conjured blades produced something similar to electricity, the sound echoing all around. Now, we were both holding our swords with both hands, we were more free to move around. And it was bad, because Hoseok wasn't even tired yet - and he was one of the fastest people I've ever known.

He was unstoppable. Attack after attack, he overwhelmed me. What should be something I could handle with ease became almost impossible; second after second, I got weaker. Even my wings seemed to be too heavy, my senses becoming as slow as a normal human's.

With another strong kick, he made me fly back, however this time I somehow kept standing. But Hoseok dropped his sword and all of my (slow) senses screamed. He was conjuring a spell between his hands - a ball of fire, his favorite element. If I were one second slower, I would have been incinerated; crouching down, my hands touched the floor and I conjured an earth wall in front of me - the exact moment Hoseok released that intense magic, a strong gust of fire that made the Colosseum shake strongly; my earth wall was ridiculous near his attack.

When it finally stopped, I was about to get up and take my sword again.

My eyes widened.

He was already behind me.

My vision went black when he punched my chin with such strength that, again, I was sent flying up. Hoseok extended his wings and flew towards me, making me shock my body against the dome until I heard the glass crack.

The acrid taste of blood invaded my mouth. His forearm was locked on my neck; I could barely breathe. I felt as if my skull was cracked somewhere.

“If you just defend yourself like this, I will kill you sooner than I expected,” Hoseok groaned, his face too close to mine.

Desperately, I searched for his eyes. I couldn't just let him kill me like this; but how could I say something? All this time, I didn't represent any kind of danger to him. Hoseok could kill me at any moment.

Why didn't he kill me yet, though?

Because he wants me to fight seriously, I realized. To him, the combat haven't even started.

So, if fighting meant I would still have a chance, then I would.

Reuniting all of my strength, I kicked him back so strongly that Hoseok had to leave me. I almost fell directly to the ground, but my wings worked in time and I managed to land, although clumsily. I was out of breath, my lungs weren't working well anymore - and I was sure I had at least two broken ribs. There was still some power inside of me. Not enough to overpower him, but enough to at least keep up fighting for some minutes until I could somehow penetrate his mind.

Our weapons forgotten, the fight proceeded to be hand-to-hand. Since our bodies worked differently, the fact that Hoseok's body was slender by no ways meant he was physically weak; this man could destroy a concrete wall with his bare hands. My force could match his in my normal state, but in that moment, I had to focus not to scream in pain every time he landed a blow. Pain was much more apparent after drinking this potion. I shouldn't even flinch, however Hoseok already made me feel like a punching bag.

“What's wrong with you? Are you trying to provoke me?!” He groaned at some point. He was getting angry. “Fight for real!”

His anger grew and his attacks as well. All the time I was just trying to keep him away from me, making air spells to force him backwards so I could have even one second to recover my breath. Blood trickled down my chin, I was limping, and even the metal of my armor was smashed in some points. I was two minutes away from losing all of my powers definitely. This was leading me nowhere.

The royals above just watched the fight in silence. Judging by my state - bleeding while Hoseok was barely sweating - there was already a winner. A discrete victorious gleam covered Gilliard's eyes.

It just fueled my hatred.

“Hoseok- y-you have to listen to me…” I tried, unable to hide any of my suffering, which Hoseok saw with awkwardness. A guardian should never demonstrate pain, not even on their dying breath…

“It is no time to talk!”

More blows. Hoseok wouldn't stop until he saw me dead. This is exactly what I would have done before I met Taehyung. It did not matter that I was his partner, it did not matter that, by killing me, Hoseok would be decreasing the chances of our race to still exist. If his “master” told him to kill me, then he would with no hesitation.

It also didn't matter that I could see that this situation hurt him.

I could barely defend myself anymore; my arms were too weak, my legs shaking. I have never been so humiliated in a fight; just trying to defend myself stupidly and barely being able to do so. It was nowhere near close to the warrior I am. Hoseok wasn't even trying.

“Get up!” He yelled when I fell again. I could understand that he was confused. He didn't want to kill me so easily like this. “Get up now!”

A kick on my stomach that made me roll. I embraced myself and coughed, spitting blood. Being punished was nowhere close to this. All of my punishers were humans… I have never been beaten up by a dragon. Every punch and kick of his was ten, twelve times stronger than a human's.

Hoseok watched with a scowl on his face as I got up, shaking and stumbling. My nose was broken, my arm, my ankle, some ribs. Many cuts all over my skin. Drops of blood falling to the ground.

I sighed weakly.

“H-Hoseok-”

“Fight with me!” He yelled and attacked again. I could not even lift my arms anymore. “Will you just die like this? You're not even trying! Will you accept your death so easily?! Where is your honor?!”

I sobbed. “H-Hoseok-”

“Fight!”

“I c-can't-”

“Fight!”

I gasped loudly.

Silence.

My entire body was shaking. I… I couldn't move anymore.

Hoseok buried the sword deeper inside of me. I coughed, and my blood hit his armor.

With a grunt, he took the sword out and stepped back. I fell to the ground again, pressing the wound in my stomach with my hand.

“This won't kill you yet,” Hoseok said.

“The opponent can't keep fighting,” the referee said. “We already have a winner. Guardian Hoseok, execute your opponent.”

I coughed more.

Is this it? I would die in such a shameful way?

I couldn't even offer Hoseok a decent fight.

He looked down at me, and my blurry vision caught his hesitance again. He was disappointed because he thought I would've been better. And he was…

Was that sadness?

I would die after everything I went through? After everything I discovered? I would die without seeing Yoongi and Chuu one last time? I wanted to laugh. How stupid I was. In the end, I would be just another dragon dying in battle in the name of my king.

Taehyung…

I wish I would have seen him one last time, too.

I wish we could have the opportunity to sit down and talk as he promised.

I wish I could hold his hand again…

Hoseok started to lift his sword.

It was the first time I saw him showing genuine feelings. He didn't want to kill me, however his duty was beyond his wishes. I also wish I had some time to tell him the truth. What if Hoseok was also freed from this invisible weight that haunted me my whole life? What kind of person would he be if he knew all the things he could do - if he tasted freedom, just like me? Perhaps we could even be friends…

“I didn't want things to end up like this,” Hoseok whispered, so low that only I could listen.

If my brain was working properly, I would have said something meaningful. But everything I did was whisper his name again, nothing but a strangled cry.

Hoseok was about to decapitate me.

I closed my eyes tightly, helpless, and waited for whatever was about to come.

But the blade never touched me.

“I can't feel your power,” he said, confused.

“Guardian Hoseok, execute your opponent so we can finish the combat,” the referee repeated.

“I… I can't feel your power,” Hoseok repeated as he hadn't heard the referee, his brows furrowing in a bewildered expression. “What's wrong?”

Hope sparkled inside of me again. With all of my remaining forces, I tried to speak. “T-The pot-”

“Hoseok, execute it,” King Hugo's voice thundered around the Colosseum.

But Hoseok still seemed to not be listening. He analyzed me and blinked, looking very confused - until I saw when things made sense on his mind.

He widened his eyes slowly.

“You have been weakened.”

“Hoseok, finish this. Execute it,” King Hugo repeated, his patience going short.

“Someone weakened you before so you wouldn't be able to fight against me,” his arm dropped to the side. “That's… that's not fair.”

“Hoseok!” Now, the small crowd all looked at each other, confused. I couldn't see them, but I could hear their chatter.

“This is not a combat. This is an execution,” He concluded as if he couldn't believe his own words.

“Guardian Hoseok, I am telling you to finish the combat!” Hugo's voice was beyond angry.

I saw Hoseok sighing. He tightened his fists and, for a moment, I thought he would follow Hugo's order. But I saw his inner conflict. And, when our gazes met again I saw… resolve.

“No.”

A collective gasp.

“What?!” King Hugo stormed.

“Your Majesty, it was not a fair combat. Guardian Y/N was not in conditions to fight. We should wait until she heals, so we can have another fair combat-”

“Shut up!” With the corner of the eye, I saw Hugo getting up from his seat, furious. “You don't tell me what to do! I told you to execute it!”

“I- I can't do this, master,” Hoseok said. It was being painful for him to stand against his King for the first time. However, he didn't flinch. He just kept his gaze glued on mine.

“Execute it now, Hoseok! I am ordering you!”

“No. Executing someone that can't defend herself is unfair and dishonorable.”

“You just obey me! Execute it!”

For the first time, Hoseok looked up at King Hugo right in the eye - jaw clenched, fists tight, eyes burning.

He dropped the sword. The metallic sound echoed.

“Nothing is above honor.” Hoseok said. “Not even you.”

I almost could not believe my eyes.

“You will pay for your insolence, Hoseok!” King Hugo stormed again. He seemed about to explode. “This is high treason!”

“Execute me too, then,” I really could not believe my eyes. Hoseok took off his helmet and dropped it too. “I prefer to have an honored death than to keep living knowing I killed a sister of mine unreasonably.”

Everyone from both Entourages were talking at the same time by now, with King Hugo being the loudest. I heard steps of many soldiers entering the arena, coming closer to us.

Hoseok… he really went that far?

I looked at his proud, irrefutable figure. This man… he was stronger than I ever imagined…

At first, I thought it was my blurry vision. Or perhaps my brain stopping to work.

There was a huge shadow beyond Hoseok's head.

No… beyond the dome.

It was approaching.

The deafening sound of glass breaking all at once.

I had time to cover my eyes with my weak hands. People screamed, the soldiers looked up, confused, spears in hand.

Hoseok was shocked.

I looked as that gigantic winged creature screeched - a sound so terribly loud and disturbing that everyone had to cover their ears.

A… a white griffin.

The creature landed and looked around, sending a menacing gaze and grunts towards the guards that did no dare to step close.

And, riding the griffin…

“GILLIARD!” Taehyung yelled, his voice so loud and deep and menacing that the entire arena went silent. He got off Alpha at heavy steps, his entire aura glowing with anger. “What did you do?!”

I shivered. I never heard Taehyung talking like that. He was completely possessed by crimson hatred.

“King Taehyung, we thought-” the referee tried, his voice growing scared.

“You thought wrong!” No one was even breathing. “I did not authorize this combat!” Soldiers were slowly recovering their shock and approaching. “Whoever touches her will die!”

They immediately stopped on their tracks.

I wish I could have heard what happened next, but my brain was giving in. Too much pain to bear. I didn't understand what was happening anymore. I… I just wanted a silent place to sleep…

Sleep…

The last thing I saw before being dragged to the darkness of unconsciousness was Taehyung's figure hovering over me.

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