We Are Only Seven - Chapter 7

We Are Only Seven - Chapter 7

Fandom: BTS Characters: OT7 (Devil!Namjoon, Demigod!Seokjin, Wizard!Yoongi, Angel!Hoseok, Werewolf!Taehyung, Gumiho!Jimin, Vampire!Jungkook) For a visual representation check these >>> VMinKook & NamJinSope Warning: Heart break, crying, mention of battle, killing, death, suicide, panic attack. Word Count: 1.9k Words

Summary: In a world ruled by humans, the other worldly, non-humans are in hiding. But how long will it last this way?

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10  [Complete]

Yoongi stood in the rain, unable to move a muscle. He had been looking at the sky until Hoseok’s figure disappeared in the darkness of the night. He couldn’t believe he had been caught when he was so close to achieve his goal.

“How dare you dreamt of a bright future?” He felt his conscience asking him, “After everything you had done, did you really think you could turn back from your sins?”

“Why? Were my mistakes too ugly to be forgiven?” Yoongi asked back.

“You are a monster. You’re true place is to dwell in the darkness.”

Yoongi closed his eyes shut. He felt like he had stabbed his friends in their backs. But he was feeling all the pain instead. This pain in his heart was something worse than that of any physical one.

Yoongi looked at his wet white shirt. He laughed at the irony of it. The day he decided to wear white, was the day it revealed the blackest part of himself.

Slowly he walked back to his basement. The place that had been used just for experiments were turned into a home to Yoongi by the most unexpected people. But now, it suddenly felt just like a basement once again.

He looked around it. Things were just the way he had left them a few hours ago. But everything inside Yoongi seemed to have changed. He felt a sudden urge to change his clothes into his older ones. As if wearing something dark again would undone the damage and bring Hoseok back.

Even so, he got changed into one of his black outfits. Then, he went to sit at the very corner of the room where his desk was. The floor was freezing. But Yoongi didn’t seem to mind.

Yoongi buried his face in between his knees. Tears began to fall abruptly. He couldn’t stop them. For the first time since his grandfather died, Yoongi let himself cry.

Namjoon woke up in the middle of the night as he heard something. When he listened carefully, he found out that someone was sobbing. Namjoon walked towards it and saw Yoongi sitting at a corner with his head buried in his knees. His whole body was shaking.

Namjoon hesitated but decided to ask him instead, “Is everything… Is everything alright?”

Yoongi’s head slowly rose from his knees. He looked at Namjoon and shook his head. Namjoon noticed that Yoongi’s hair was wet and his eyes were puffy and red, suggesting that he was out in the rain and had been crying for quite a long time.

Namjoon sat beside him. But he didn’t ask Yoongi anything. After a few minutes, Yoongi, himself, broke the silence, “Can I ask you something very personal?”

“Yeah!”

“Why were you casted out of heaven?”

Namjoon was surprised by this sudden approach towards his deepest, darkest secret. But for some reason, he wanted to share it with Yoongi. Yoongi was the kind of person who would understand.

“Well, it’s because I had rebelled against the Gods and Goddesses’ order.”

“But why? What did they ask you to do?”

Namjoon exhaled out a heavy breath. Then, he began to tell it from the beginning, while Yoongi listened like an attentive student learning from his master.

“The world and everything within were practically created just for Humans. But you see, Gods and Goddesses aren’t always right. They make mistakes too. The difference is that they can erase them easily.

“One of those mistakes was creating the giants. The huge creatures with so much strength but a little to no brain at all. They had been a huge obstacle to the humanity since the beginning of time. So, Zeus decided to eliminate them all.

“That’s what the order was exactly. We, angels, were to kill them off from the surface of the earth. That time, I was made the leader to complete this task with my fellow angels. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“How could I? They wanted me to kill the whole race of giants just for the convenience of the humans. But in my eyes, they were just as important as humans were to this earth.”

Namjoon stopped there. He couldn’t go any further.

Yoongi nodded, “So the Gods favor them too?” By ‘them’, he basically meant the OHA.

Then, Yoongi slowly unbuttoned two of his shirt buttons and showed Namjoon what he had been hiding there all this time. Namjoon couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of that cursed mark.

“I’m going to reveal something about me which you might find surprising.” Yoongi began in front of the boys.

“I used to…” Yoongi hesitated. He glanced at Namjoon for assurance. Namjoon nodded for him to continue.

Yoongi cleared his throat, “I used to work for the OHA once.” There were some shouts of disbelieve. But nobody complained. They seemed rather curious to know more of the story.

Yoongi got the confidence to continue. Everyone believed everything he told them. In short, what Yoongi said were these:

Yoongi was an orphan raised by his wizard grandfather, who had taught him how to control magic. But he, too, died early, leaving Yoongi all alone in this cruel world. The ‘Master of Shadow’ used to be a close friend to his grandfather. So, after his death, the Master took all of Yoongi’s responsibility.

Since then, all Yoongi knew was hard work. He was never allowed to rest, never allowed to fail and most importantly, never allowed to give up. Yoongi grew up to dislike the ‘Master’, but didn’t dared challenge him.

After the formation of the OHA, the ‘Master of Shadow’ willingly joined the company to work on the Supernatural beings and expand his power. Yoongi had to join with him as well.

At first, Yoongi willingly worked for them too, doing all the research works and even hunting some species occasionally. At a point, he was appointed to experiment on an angel. And this angel was Hoseok’s friend, for whom Hoseok had come down to earth.

After some days of regular meeting with the angel, Yoongi started to take a liking for him. They eventually got close and became friends. When Yoongi learned that the angel’s wings were the last ingredient the OHA needed to acquire whatever their evil target was, Yoongi decided to help the angel escape.

Meanwhile, there was a rumor circulating throughout the facility that the only Gumiho they had been experimenting on had died. And before death, that Gumiho had foreseen a future. It was such that the downfall of the OHA would come by an angel’s hand.

So, instead of running away, the angel decided to tear the company apart so that it could not hurt any more creatures. But the OHA was wicked. They found out about their plan.

Unfortunately, the angel had to take his own life to stop the OHA from using his wings. And Yoongi had no other option but to flee.

Yoongi finished the narration of his story and sat down on his chair. The mood of the room grew much more depressing. Namjoon walked up to Yoongi and patted his shoulders with both hands.

“Since then, I dedicated my life on this mission. That’s why, I was so desperate to find an angel and a Gumiho. That’s why, I asked Jimin to look into the future.” Yoongi said, his eyes ready to tear up any moment, “I’m sorry for keeping this away from you, guys. It was a mistake. And now, Hoseok has left.”

Yoongi buried his face on his hands and once again started to sob. Jimin quickly came to give him a hug, while Namjoon kept patting on his shoulders.

“Don’t worry!” Jimin said, “I’m sure Hoseok will come back to us again.”

Momentary silence, everyone was thinking; Yoongi was still questioning his past, Jimin was getting ready to protect the members, Jungkook was missing Hoseok and Namjoon was making a plan.

Suddenly, there was a howling of a wolf from above the building. Jimin’s heart skipped a bit, “Taehyung!” he called.

Not a moment was lost. All of them went to check on Taehyung, who had gone to check on the wizard a while ago. What they found there was surprising and horrifying at the same time.

The door to the prisoner’s room was wide opened. A big black wolf lied in the corner of the room being curled up and shivering. The ‘Master of Shadow’ was nowhere to be seen.

Jungkook and Jimin went straight to the wolf. Jimin tried to calm Taehyung down saying all the comforting words he could come up with while Jungkook ran his hand on his black fur. It took much time to finally bring Taehyung back to himself again. He, then, returned to his human form.

“I’m sorry.” Taehyung wiped a tear from his face, “I couldn’t stop the wizard.”

“Oh dear!” Jimin exclaimed, “Did he hurt you?”

Taehyung nodded like a little child and added, “The door was already opened when I came here. When I tried to stop the wizard, he did something crazy to my brain.”

“Mind control!” Yoongi informed, “He’s a master at that work.”

Taehyung nodded again, “Yes, you’re right. I was under some kind of mind control thing. I felt like I…I was back at the laboratory again. I was chained up to their walls. I…I was locked up.”

“Ssh, baby.” Jimin whispered as Taehyung grew agitated. “You’re not at the facility anymore. You’re here, with us.”

“I’m so sorry.” Taehyung said once again, “I wish I could… I could change my mind. I always feel trapped inside it. It’s suffocating.”

“Don’t apologize.” Namjoon said, “It’s not something you did on purpose.”

“But one thing doesn’t make sense.” Yoongi said, “How was the door opened? The spell I put in there, it couldn’t be broken by anyone from the inside.”

“Maybe the ‘Master’ bewitched Taehyung to do it?” Seokjin suggested.

“But…” Yoongi was about to say something when Namjoon called everyone, “There is a note.”

Namjoon read out the note left by the ‘Master’ aloud, “All thanks to you, Min Yoongi, for doing the hardest job of locating an angel and pushing it away into our trap on your own. I hope you don’t regret the decision that you had made two years ago of betraying and working against the company.”

“No!” Yoongi let out a cry of agony.

“They caught Hoseok, didn’t they?” Jungkook’s voice cracked.

Jimin asked, “What do we do now?” while Taehyung kept shaking his head in refusal.

“We need to make a solid plan to rescue Hoseok.” Namjoon said.

Everyone kept suggesting whatever they thought right that should be done. But none of the plan seemed reliable enough. They could never fight hundreds of guards and wizards of the OHA all alone. They needed more people and strength.

“We can’t lose time.” Yoongi said finally, “If the OHA has his wings they will grow more powerful and defeating them will be impossible.”

“Then, what do you suggest we do?” Namjoon asked.

“I’ll go alone.” Yoongi said.

“That’s stupid.” Jungkook said, “We can’t even imagine facing them all together and you’re talking about fighting them alone?”

“I’m the one who’s responsible for this. So, it has to be me.” Yoongi further argued.

“But we can’t let you go without a plan.” Namjoon said rather boldly.

Yoongi nodded at him, “I think, I have one.”

My Masterlist

Tag List: @bts-ruu​,

Bitter-Sweet

Fandom: BTS

Pairing: Jungkook x Female Reader

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I refused to get up from my bed. Or should I say, I was unable to do so. Because I was going through the worst period cramps this month. I am very pain sensitive. So whenever I had bad cramps, it always made me cry my eyes out.

"Aren't you going to have your breakfast, sweety?" My sister asked while gently patting my head over the blanket under which I had taken my refugee.

My phone rang and I whined in annoyance. My sister brought it to me and said, "C'mon! Your bunny's calling you."

I pulled my hand out of the blanket and took the phone in. My sister left to avoid hearing our cheesy conversation.

"So, no good morning for me today, love?" I could imagine the pout forming on Jungkook's lips.

"No!" I said shortly.

"Have my baby girl been crying?" The tone was a little bit alarmed.

"Yes!" I said again.

It didn't take too long for Jungkook to understand the matter. And nothing much was needed to be said. He was on my doorstep already.

Ding Dong!

"Look, who's here?" My sister called from the living room.

Despite the pain, I walked out of my bed, my blanket still wrapped around me. As soon as Jungkook saw my miserable state, he pulled me into a warm embrace and I sank into his huge muscular body.

"I've brought you dark chocolates, love." Jungkook whispered softly and kissed me on my ear.

Minutes later, we were squeezed in the couch, blanket covering the both of us, my head resting on Jungkook's chest, biting onto my chocolate every now and then, while Jungkook hummed on to an ost of 'The Goblin' being played on the TV.

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My Masterlist

‘Demian’ by Hermann Hesse - Book Review

Genre: Psychological/Spiritual

Rating: 4/5

Summary: When Sinclair, as a child, first experiences the dark side of the world apart from the bright side he grew up in, he realizes there must exist a balance between the two worlds in his life.

My Opinion: This book literally got me hooked since the first chapter. The writing style is so breathtaking that I had to stop reading from time to time. The first chapter called us all out. How can we call ourselves the people of light when we sleep peacefully at night knowing that our neighbors are out there, suffering in the dark? Throughout the whole book, the aspects of the world and humans are all divided into the two worlds; that is the ‘bright world’ and the ‘dark world’. But of course, one cannot exist without the other. With this mindset, the writer had presented a beautiful coming-of-age story. Another point I noticed worth mentioning is that the learning process from one’s inner self other than what the world has to offer. This way, we can grow as a person with full freedom. Even though there were things which were a little obscure to me, I still enjoyed most of the book. It had taught me things about myself which I was too afraid to admit. Somehow, I found this book to be a life-saver. I still think it is not for everyone though. Some people might find it a little disturbing while others might fail to connect to the moral concepts of it.

Confession Time: I would have probably never read this if I didn’t know that the ‘Wings’ album of BTS was based off this book. And I’m glad that I did because it is one of my favorite albums by them. Being a person who likes to interpret double meanings and metaphors in arts, I found the references of this book throughout their music videos, short films and songs really amusing.

Characterization: I loved the characterization of Sinclair. But about Max Demian, I’m not a hundred percent sure. Sinclair is a relatable character. I, too, can relate to him in terms of his way of distinguishing the good and evil. Another thing about Sinclair I also find in myself is that he’s a bit pathetic. One way or the other, he is always clinging onto someone, be it his parents from the ‘bright world’ or his friends from the ‘dark one’. I loved the fact that when he found himself surrounded by complete despair and evil, it was love that had drawn him back into the world. I loved the author’s way of describing Max Demian, His appearance was so appealing and haunting at the same time. It totally suited the character that he represented.

Quote: “If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us.”

Ghost Town

Fandom: BTS Pairing: Hoseok x Female Reader

“I’m not taking any of your shit. Come down at once.”

Hobi could be really stubborn at times. I wondered what he wanted from me now. Didn’t I tell him how upset I was today?

“Ta da!” Hobi exclaimed with joy showing off the new bicycle he had bought.

“You want me to go with you at this hour?” I asked in the most annoyed voice possible.

Hobi didn’t seem to mind at all. He nodded his head with utmost energy and with the brightest of smiles on his lip.

“It’s 3 o’clock!” I shook my watch on the wrist in front of him.

“So, what? It’s not everyday I make a request. Now, c’mon!”

I had to take out my own bicycle and took off with him. It felt like as if I was running away from my home. Running away with my lover to a strange place. No! I actually felt like the opposite. I was running away from the strange world to my home.

“Let’s speed up, shall we?” Hobi called from ahead of me.

“Yeah!” I shouted back, now enjoying every minute of it.

Then we were peddling faster and faster. Around the familiar city with the familiar houses and street lights. But with no people around it, it felt like a complete new place to me. It felt like we were roaming around a thousand years old town, home to only the dead spirits.

“Hobi!” I shouted through the strong wind, as I felt my mood lifting, “Thank you very much!”

In reply he just said, “Oh, shut up!” and sped up even faster ahead of me.

My Masterlist

This Jimin

This Jimin is sweet. This Jimin is precious. This Jimin is adorable. I must protect this Jimin.

Dweller of the Dark

Fandom: BTS Pairing: Jimin x Female Reader Genre: Mystery/Horror/Angst Warning: Jimin and the reader are step siblings, gothic atmosphere, mention of car accident, death, slight swearing, scary mannequin figures, nightmares, questionable behaviors, mention of bullying, anxiety, insanity, murder, blood, heartbreak and a never ending sexual tension in the air. Word Count: 5k Words Note: This is a fictional piece based on Jimin’s ‘ID: Chaos’ photoshoot. Some contents of it are disturbing. Please, read it at your own risk.

Summary: You are adopted by one of the richest couples of your country at the last stage of your teen years. At your new home, you meet a silent and reserved boy of your age and become attracted to him instantly. But they introduce him as your step-brother.

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I stood in front of the huge stairs I saw before me. It still felt like a dream when I was told that I had been adopted. I had spent my whole life at the orphanage. I saw all of my friends getting adopted one by one until I was the only one left of my age. But now, when all of my hope of being adopted was left far into the past and when I was counting my days till I was 18, I learned that I was finally being called to live with a family. Standing in the middle of their huge mansion, I realized they were much richer than I could ever comprehend.

The old couple came, after a few minutes, and started to introduce themselves to me. They were Mr. and Mrs. Park and I was to call them by that name; not ‘mommy’-daddy’. I was to learn about their etiquette and manners, their way of clothing, eating, walking, basically everything one needed to live.

I realized they were being very formal to me. So, I decided not to have my hopes up on their affection. I reminded myself that I was going to be 18 in a few months. Then, I would be able to leave the house to go live by myself, the way I wanted to.

While I was getting acquainted with my new adoptive parents, I noticed a boy, about my age, standing above the stairs. He was leaning on the railing and looking directly at me. When our eyes met, he didn’t bother to look away. Instead, it felt like he was looking at me more intensely than before, as if he was reading me like a book.

Mrs. Park observed us for a few seconds and cleared her throat. My attention instantly came back to them. Then, she called the boy to come downstairs.

“Lovely,” she called, but it wasn’t a loving tone at all, “Come down and introduce yourself. Don’t you know, it’s bad manners to eavesdrop?”

The boy walked down the stairs slowly while his gaze was still on me. I had looked away from him in fear of disappointing the elders. But still, I couldn’t help catching a glance of him staring back at me every now and then.

The boy stood in front of me but didn’t say anything. Instead, Mrs. Park said, “This is Park Jimin, our only son.”

Son? I was shocked at the revelation. He looked much younger to be their son. But why the fact that he would be my step brother was bothering me more, I couldn’t understand.

I noticed that the boy was wearing a peculiar all black outfit. He raised his hand in front of me to shake mine. He was also wearing peculiar black gloves in his hand.

His mother saw me hesitating and informed that it was for medical purposes. He was allergic to the sun and required to wear black at day time to block the sunlight. I nodded and took his hand. I didn’t know if it was my imagination but I felt like he squeezed my hand a bit before letting it go. The boy left without saying a word to me.

Then, Mrs. Park told me something I didn’t expect, “You see, Jimin is an only child and he gets very lonely at times. So, we decided to adopt a son last year. But he was killed in a car accident.”

“I’m so sorry.” Automatically came out of my mouth.

Mrs. Park nodded and said, “I hope Jimin likes you as much as he liked his brother.”

I was given a huge room decorated uniquely all for myself. I was relieved to be alone since I came into the mansion. I decided to sleep early being exhausted after the long journey from the orphanage.

As soon as I went to bed, the thought of Jimin squeezing my hand for a split second came to my mind. Then, I thought of how strange his features were. His jawline was sharp but with chubby cheeks above. His eyes looked tired but pleasant with dark brown iris. And his lips were so puffy and pink.

From the next day onward, I started to have busy days. I met my governess and she handed me a routine I was to follow for a week. I was appointed for many lessons such as sewing, table manners, history, speaking etc. I was told to eat separately until I learned my basic lessons on behaviors. I didn’t even meet my parents let alone Jimin for a whole week. My new home felt like hell to me already.

But fortunately, my governess was taken ill and I got some free days to spend without any lessons. One such day, I decided to explore some territories of the house.

I came to an empty room with some mannequins in it. They were all dressed in matching outfits. I got inside to get a closer look at those. As I was about to leave after finding nothing much to look at, I saw Jimin standing between me and the door.

I yelped immediately. Then, I tried to give some valid reason for my presence in that room. “I was lost.” I said.

Jimin nodded and said, “It’s not surprising to be lost in this huge mansion.” My eyes were opened wide. It was the first time I heard Jimin speak and his voice was definitely not what I had imagined. It was high pitched and I dare say, angelic.

Jimin went to one of the mannequins and fixed its mask. I noticed that other than those masks, Jimin was wearing the same clothes as the mannequins. I was curious to know its purpose but couldn’t muster up the courage to say so.

Jimin looked at me for a while as if reading my mind. Then, he said, “I, myself, dress them every day.”

“Why?” I tried to ask, but my voice sounded scratchy. So, I cleared my throat and asked again, “What are these?”

“These?” Jimin asked, raising his eyebrows, “These are the memories of my dead siblings.”

Dead siblings? But I thought he had lost only a step-brother. I didn’t want to interfere with their family issue. So, I didn’t inquire about the matter. Instead, I habitually said, “I’m sorry for your step-brother. I heard what happened.”

“But I’m not.” Jimin casually said while fixing the mannequins’ clothes.

Another mysterious answer. I decided to take my leave without diving into an unwanted conversation. So, I said, “I forgot that I had some homework left. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go.”

I got out of that suffocating room as soon as Jimin nodded.

That night, I had the weirdest dream. I saw myself in that mannequin room again, surrounded by more mannequins than there originally were. I tried looking for the exit, but there wasn’t any. Suddenly the figures started to move. They started to crowd around me. I kept screaming in fear but there was no sound coming from me.

Then, the scene changed. I was in a dark room with a window at the ceiling. The large moon was throwing its light, but not enough to illuminate the room. I tried to get up. But I was chained to the bed by both of my hands. I tried to get rid of it by force. Then, both of my hands got sliced up.

I woke up with cold sweat. My room was dark just like my dream. As I kept panting, my eyes got adjusted to the dark and I could make out my surroundings clearly. I looked at my door and saw that it was open. I couldn’t remember keeping it open before going to bed.

Without thinking much about it, I walked up to it and closed the door and afterwards came back to my bed. I lied on one side and forced my eyes shut to go back to sleep.

Then, I felt someone sitting beside me on the bed. I looked through the corner of my eyes and saw that it was Jimin. I sat up right away.

“Don’t be afraid.” He said softly, as if entering someone’s room while they sleep was no big deal, “It’s just me.”

I stammered, “How d-did you come…come to my room?” This time, I remembered clearly to have locked my door before I came to sleep.

Jimin smiled, “I have my ways around the house.” Then, he stood up and poured a glass of water from my bedside table. He sat down much closer to me again and handed me the glass.

I was questioning his sanity at that point. I didn’t dare shout out to call anyone for help. My room was on the furthest corner of the house. So, it was possible that no one would hear me anyway. Even if they did, they would definitely side with their son over me.

“Take it.” Jimin now took my hands and placed the glass in between them himself.

My hands were shivering. But I still managed to gulp down the water. Jimin carefully caressed my hair and whispered, “You can rest all you want. The governess won’t show up anytime soon.” Then, he smiled in a way that gave me Goosebumps.

He took the empty glass from me and put it back at the table. He looked at me and said, “Now, go straight to sleep like a good girl.” He patted my head a little more. But he was still sitting by my side.

I didn’t know what to say or do. I sat there dumbfounded for a long time. But I noticed something different in Jimin. He was not covered in garments from his head to toe. He was in his night clothes; a beautiful loose white satin shirt showing his bare chest.

With the change of clothes, his attitude seemed to have changed as well. He looked more free and mischievous now contrary to his bold and short spoken self of the day.

I also noticed tattoos on him; which I found surprising considering how much of a rule maniac these people were. There was one on his neck which said ‘Tailor of Chaos’ while another a little lower above his chest called ‘Artemis’.

Jimin finally got up and said in an offended way, “I’m sorry, I thought you might want a company.” Then, he abruptly left.

Next day I was asked to have breakfast with the family. When I arrived at the dining room, Mr. Park announced that I should join them in every meal from then on. The conversation at the breakfast sounded lifeless to me. Jimin was back in his all black outfit covering most of himself. With that, his serious attitude was back as well. Looking at him, I felt like the Jimin from last night was just my imagination.

Few more days had passed since my nightmare. I didn’t have any weird encounters with Jimin anymore. I saw him every now and then. But he never said a word to me. He passed me like I was invisible. If I had thought that nothing could go wrong till I became 18, then I had never been more wrong in my life.

One night I woke up from my disturbed sleep. I could clearly hear people singing downstairs. It was the kind of singing we hear at the church when people sing hymns together.

“What time is it?” I thought. I checked the clock on my bedside table and saw that it was 12:07 a.m. I was curious. So, I got out of my bed to check out what was going on.

At the last few steps of the stair I stopped promptly. There were almost a hundred people gathered in the living room, facing the window. The huge velvety curtains were drawn and the full moon of the night shone brightly at their faces. All of these faces bore the same expression, singing the same syllables at the same time.

Never in my life had I experienced anything such as this. I was too surprised to move. But I didn’t need to stand there for too long because someone already grabbed my waist and pulled me into a dark corridor.

A scream out of fright wanted to leave my mouth. But the person grabbed my mouth tightly, not letting a single sound escape. I was pinned to the wall and so I couldn’t move. As I calmed down, I saw it was Jimin again. His gaze was intense in my eyes. He put one of his fingers to his lips to show that I was not to make a noise. I nodded slowly to indicate that I understood. So, he let go of his hand grabbing onto my mouth.

He peeked at the living room to check if they had noticed us. He was relieved to see that the other party was unaware of our presence. He looked back at me again. His piercing look sent butterflies inside me. I was still pressed between Jimin and the wall, our chests going up and down as we breathe in union.

Then, Jimin’s hand slowly ran through my arm to hold me by the wrist. He pulled me slightly and led the way upstairs. I followed him without any hesitation. We finally reached the very top in front of the door to the attic.

The attic was filled with some old furniture and they were quite dusty. Jimin gestured to me to sit on a clean stool, still not saying anything aloud. I understood that we were still not safe to make noises. So, I sat down as quietly as I could.

Jimin had his attention outside, putting his ear closer to the door to hear what was going on. I sat there staring at his slim but seemingly strong figure without knowing what else to do. He was in his night white shirt again, showing his bare chest and looking extremely attractive for me to look away.

After what seemed like half an hour the singing stopped. There were faint sounds of footsteps, the front gate opening and vehicles starting. Silence again. Then came the clear sound of footsteps in the second floor corridor and the locking of the door. Everything suggested that Mr. and Mrs. Park had gone to bed after the guests had left.

Jimin stayed silent for a few more minutes. Then, he said, “Alright! They’ve gone to bed. As far as I know, this sleep will last until tomorrow evening.”

I still remained quiet because I didn’t know how to react just then. Jimin came closer and stood before me leaving only an inch of space between us. I looked up at his face. He smiled; which was very rare of him as I didn’t see him doing that these days after the night intrusion incident.

He bent a little forward and said, “Do you want to go out with me?”

I nodded almost immediately. It had been a month since I came into this house far away from the nearby town. And I wasn’t even allowed to leave, not even to take a walk outside. In my knowledge, I had never seen Jimin going out as well. How could he? He was allergic to the sun!

We sneaked out through a door I had never seen before into the tangerine garden at the backyard. It was larger than a regular backyard. In fact it was huge. We could be lost at this place if we weren’t careful enough as to where we were heading to.

We were walking side by side in the moonlit light. Our arms were touching for a split second every now and then. Finally, Jimin said out loud, “Can I hold your hand while we walk?”

Blood rushed to my face immediately. Hesitantly I nodded. I was glad about the fact that he was at least asking me before going for the hand directly. After how he had entered my bedroom while I was asleep, it was possible for him to grab my hand without my concern.

After some moments, Jimin asked, “Why are you so quiet?”

“I...I don’t know what to say.” I replied.

“But I know, you want to ask something. Why are you hesitating? You should know by now that you are free to talk to me about anything.”

So I decided to ask, “Who were they?”

“So straight forward! Alright! I’ll allow it.” Then, Jimin chuckled, “They were my parents’ family and friends.”

“What were they doing?” I asked directly once again. I didn’t have the patience to wait.

“Well, you see,” Jimin continued, “It is a kind of ritual, very traditional and ancient. They do it at full moon every month to show their devotion to the virgin goddess of the Moon, Artemis.”

“I don’t believe you.” I said as I found it hard to believe. But the mention of Artemis sent a shiver down my spine.

“Oh!” Jimin said, as if he was shocked, “Didn’t you know we are in a cult?”

I stopped walking and my eyes grew larger at his unusual reply. Jimin started to laugh. I shook my head. He was probably messing up with me.

But his face grew serious again. He looked at my eyes for a while. Then, his gaze travelled to my lips and stopped there. He whispered, “Can I kiss you?” while still staring at my lips.

My own attention went to his puffy red lips and I nodded. Jimin slowly came forward and kissed me softly. He pulled away a little but again pressed his puffy lips on mine, this time going harder than before. My hands were running through his soft fur like hair while he held me firmly by the waist.

I can’t tell how long our kiss lasted. But when he let go, I felt an urge to pull him back again. Then, Jimin said something which didn’t make sense to me. He said, “I'll give you a chance to run away right now.” His voice sounded dead serious which kind of scared me.

So, I said instead, “Please, let’s go back. You’re scarring me.”

A few more days passed. Jimin started to act distant in front of his parents again. And I didn’t make any move either. I was too embarrassed about the night’s incident in the tangerine field.

However, when his parents had gone out and not to be returned for the next two days, Jimin made the first move. He came to my reading room while I was reading a book. I noticed that today, he was wearing an all-white outfit contrary to his black one. Seeing him, I put the book aside.

“Hi, Jimin!” I tried to sound as normal as I could.

“I have something for you.” He handed me a bag.

I looked inside and saw that there was a lump of white clay that is used to make sculptures. I gasped in excitement, “How did you know I like to make sculptures?”

Jimin sat down on a chair beside me and shrugged, “Your Governess told me.” So, he had been inquiring about me all this time while ignoring me all the same.

“Can I try it now?” I asked, not wanting to waste a single minute.

Jimin smiled at me and said, “I don’t see why not.”

Jimin sat across the floor watching me attentively as I did what I liked to do best. Making big and small figures with clay was something I found comforting. It had been my escape in my earlier days at the orphanage.

I asked him how he got them and he informed me that his step brother liked to play with clay as well. I remembered about the accident Mrs. Park had mentioned and how close Jimin was to him. I asked him, “Do you miss him?”

“Who?” At first Jimin looked confused, then he seemed to understand whom I was directing the question to, “Oh, no! Not really. I barely remember him.”

“But I thought you liked him.”

“If I’m being honest, I despised him. That’s all.” Jimin said it so casually as if he wasn’t talking about someone who was dead. I was taken aback. I didn’t expect that answer at all.

Jimin seemed to understand it from my expression. So he further said, “He used to mock me a lot. He never called me by my name. Instead he liked to call me a ‘girl’. He seemed to enjoy calling me that.”

“I’m really sorry for that.” I said.

Jimin let out a chuckle, “Don’t be. Because all I heard was him calling me pretty and beautiful.”

“I don’t think you should despise him for that though.” I said, “You see, it’s only natural for him to be jealous of you. You were probably someone he had always dreamed to be.”

Jimin looked at me so earnestly that I wondered if I had said anything wrong. Then, he said, “Wow! I’m surprised by your take on the matter. How come I’ve never thought about it like that?” I shrugged and continued to do my work.

“So, tell me,” Jimin asked, “Are you jealous of me?”

I shook my head and said, “I’m not. But…” I stopped there. I thought of confessing the thing that had been nagging me for a while.

“But?” Jimin urged me to continue.

“I’m more uncomfortable about the fact that you are my step brother.” I finally let out the burden.

“Why?” Jimin asked, as if he didn’t get it.

I decided not to answer. Because by then, I had realized that it would be impossible to explain to Jimin why siblings shouldn’t be sexually attracted to each other.

I was preparing my bed to go to sleep early when I heard a knock on my door. I opened it immediately thinking it was Jimin and so it was. But there was an expression in his face which I had never seen before. It was fear. He barged into my room and closed the door behind.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

Jimin kept shaking his head and mumbling something under his breath. He was sweating and his movements suggested that he was worried. I tried to calm him down. I said, “Hey, Jimin, slow down. Would you like a glass of water?”

Jimin sat down on my bed promptly. Then, he looked at me and said, “You should have run away when I gave you the chance.”

“What is he talking about?” I thought.

Jimin continued, “Tonight is the night. There will be no exception. They will come. They will take you. They will…” He couldn’t finish and started to shake his head fervently.

I went to sit beside him, “Who are coming?”

“You remember the rituals, right?” He asked. “The real event is tonight. It’s a lunar eclipse. Artemis is waiting for a soul, a soul that belonged to a virgin.”

“That’s enough, Jimin!” I said. I was wondering if Jimin had actually lost his mind.

Jimin shook his head in desperation, “I’m not making this up. They had been doing it for a long time. They did the same to my previous siblings.”

“What did they do exactly?” I asked, trying to keep up with the nonsense conversation.

“They killed their earthly bodies. They called it a sacrifice for the Moon goddess.” Jimin stopped for a while and said it almost in a whisper, “Tonight, it’s you.” In the dim light of my room, Jimin looked like a lunatic.

I said, “Please, Jimin. I beg you to stop. You’re scaring me.”

“Don’t you understand, it is something you should be scared of.” Jimin screamed at me. I was too stunned to say anything anymore. This time, I was sure that Jimin was not in his right mind.

Jimin suddenly realized what he had done. He buried his head in his hands and started to cry. Seeing him in such a vulnerable state was painful. I desperately wanted to comfort him, to say something to make him feel safe.

There was a revelation in my heart at that precise moment. I realized for the first time that I was in love with him. Even if he was an insane or a dangerous man, I didn’t care about any of it. All I cared about was being there with him, through everything.

I sat there silently while Jimin cried. This continued for a while. Then, Jimin came back to his senses. He looked at me with so much sadness in his eyes and said, “Can I sleep with you tonight?” I nodded.

We climbed on to the bed together, wrapped in a blanket. I placed his head on my chest while Jimin held on to me tightly like a scared child. I kept caressing his soft hair slowly. At first, I could feel him shaking slightly. But it stopped after a while and his breathing was even. I was glad that he was asleep.

I woke up due to the sound of people singing downstairs. I looked around me. My room was empty and Jimin was nowhere to be found. As I tried to get up, I realized that I was being chained to my bed by one hand. Suddenly Jimin’s warning rang in my mind. Maybe it was all true. These people were going to sacrifice me in the name of Artemis.

I started to pull my hand as hard as I could. The sound of the people singing was surrounding my head. This time, the song sounded more melancholic than the one I heard before. I pulled and pulled until my small thin hand came out of the binding of the chain.

I moved straight to the door. It was locked. “Shit!” I swore. But I remembered about the extra key on my wardrobe and went to get it. I threw away everything out of it in search of my precious key. When I finally found it, I opened the door as noiselessly as I could.

I headed towards Jimin’s room without any delay. He was the only one who would help me in this situation. As I reached his room, I found that it was just as empty as mine. Suspicion started to grow on me. Maybe, Jimin was one of them. Intentionally or not, he would hurt me as well.

At that moment, the singing stopped. I heard the opening of the gate and footsteps of people going out just like the previous night. Only now it sounded clearer as I was not in the attic. I wondered if their so called ritual was over. I decided to go check on it myself.

At the foot of the stairs, I found that most of the people had already left and the others were on their way to leave. I sighed. So, it was just a prank Jimin was playing on me. There was nothing such as the sacrifice to the Moon goddess, even if the rituals were true.

But what I saw next, changed my mind immediately. The reddish light of the moon was glowing on a bed placed near the window. Someone was lying on the bed surrounded by blood. I was horrified to find that that someone was Jimin, himself.

“Jimin!” I screamed as I ran to his bed. Some of them were glancing at me as they went out. But they didn’t seem to care about me at all.

Jimin hadn’t died yet. He squeezed my hand with a little force as I grabbed his. He looked at me with the same sad eyes that I had seen a few hours ago. His lips were shaking. He was struggling to say something. But not a single sound escaped his mouth.

“Stay with me, Jimin.” I said, while sobbing, “Stay with me, please.”

Jimin’s body gave a violent shake for a second. Then, it was still, announcing that he had left and no matter how much I pleaded, he was not coming back to me again. As the realization kicked in, I couldn’t cry anymore.

Mrs. Park came behind me and bent down on her knees to say, “My lovely boy! How brave of him to take your place in the sacrifice willingly. You mustn’t cry, dear. He made the right decision. He is now with the goddess and a part of her hunters.”

I remained quiet. My mind couldn’t bear the fact that a mother was happy to sacrifice her only son for the pleasure of a goddess. Then, Mrs. Park left.

I sat there motionless, all alone with Jimin for quite a long time. I found that his body had grown cold. I slowly leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his cold lips. I tasted and swallowed a drop of his blood from there. Then, I looked up to the blood red moon. I whispered, “I love you.”

After months of diligent labor, my greatest creation was made. Looking at the finished face of the sculpture, for the first time in a while, a smile grew on my face. It was finally done. Now, I could rest.

“Lovely,” Mrs. Park called me, “Are you done with your work?”

“Yes, mother!” I replied, “It’s all done perfectly. Come, take a look.”

Mrs. Park walked towards the face I had created and looked at it intensely for a long time, as if she had forgotten where she was. Finally, she looked back at me. I could see tears forming in her eyes.

“It’s beautiful!” she said, “We should have her in the living room.” I nodded in agreement.

Like I had imagined, all she would see in my creation was the face of the moon goddess, Artemis. Only if she had taken a much closer look, a look from her heart and not just the eyes. She could have seen the distinct features; the sharp jaws with chubby cheeks, the tired looking pleasant eyes and puffy lips.

It was the face of my Jimin. The Jimin who was no less in beauty compared to that of any mortal or God. The Jimin whose bravery was far better than the hunters of Artemis. The Jimin who was the representation of love in a human form.

Why would I be devoted to a mere goddess when I had already seen something much more beautiful in a mortal?

Mrs. Park made her appearance once more as I was showing no sign to break my attention from the sculpture. “Your sister has arrived.” She announced, “You have to welcome her.”

“I’ll be there in a moment.”

“Don’t forget to put on your best dress.” She reminded me for the millionth time, “You are allergic to the sun, remember?”

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