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neonacity · 1 year

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ARCANE : INIZIO | CH.7 | NCT DREAM X READER

Summary: When human deviants granted with the abilities of the legendary Arcana cards find themselves racing against devious forces, they are left to make a choice that might change the fate of the world itself: be the victims of the game, or become the masters of it themselves.

But will this war end with a crowned hero?

Or will it just create another mad villain?

*****

Note: This is the second book of Arcane. The happenings in this story is a prequel to the first installment which you can check in my Masterlist. Since the lore is highly dependent on the first book, I highly suggest you check it out first—otherwise, new readers might have a hard time understanding what is happening here. Expect lots of time jumps and flashbacks throughout the chapters.

Pairings: Dream 00’ Line + Mark x Reader

Trigger Warnings/Themes: romance, violence, torture, trauma, poly dynamics, suggestive themes, language, psychological, mystery, sci-fi. The concept of the tarot or Arcana cards will be loosely used throughout the series. Note that I am not a trained doctor so there may be some slips here and there about medical things. Again, this is a work of fiction and I am not implying any likeness between the characterization here of the boys to their real life counterparts. I also reserve the rights to all my work—I do not post anywhere else other than tumblr. Minors DNI. Please do not repost. I only publish my works in Tumblr.

Chapter Song: Before the Dawn | Evanescence

Previously > CH. 1 | CH.2 | CH.3 | CH.4 | CH.5 | CH.6

The soft, soulful notes of the grand piano teased the edges of your consciousness like the whisper of a lover.

You have no idea what time it is when you managed to open your eyes, but the first thing that registered to you as you stirred from your sleep were the beams of moonlight that pierced the darkness of your room. It took you a couple of quiet seconds to prop yourself up from your bed, eyes drifting towards the direction of the music as you tried to gather your bearings. Beside you, the glowing handle of the clock on your desk struck 2AM.

The cold feel of the floor seeped into your skin when you pulled the blankets off of you and finally swung your legs over the side of the bed. The hymn floating in between the cracks of your door was beautiful, but there was something about the way the notes danced around each other that made the deepest parts of your chest throb dully. For some reason, it stirred great sadness in you, so you didn't give it a second thought to pull on your night robe and step out into the hallway to find its source. You know exactly where to go… And in a way, who you will find at the end of it.

His back was on you the moment you stepped into the room. It was dark, with only the light of the moon peeking from the high window providing illumination to the almost empty space. It was enough for you, however, to make out his strong back contrasted by the graceful features of his profile. His lean fingers continued dancing across the piano keys and you decided to stop just on the edge of the hallway to watch him from a distance.

"Aren't you cold?"

You weren't surprised at all when he addressed you, his low voice braiding through the notes of the hymn he was playing. He still hasn't looked at you, but you still gave a slight shake of your head in answer.

"That's a very beautiful piece you are playing."

"Did I wake you up?"

"You did. And I think you did it intentionally, too."

The way the corner of his lips slightly curved into a small smile made you tighten your fingers around yourself. You wanted to reach out to him, touch his face, and pull him over to you all at once. You might as well have screamed your thoughts out loud because Mark finally turned to look at you, his gaze gentle and open.

"Come here?"

Your first instinct was to keep your ground, but the side of you that wanted him close got the best of you in a heartbeat. Stepping away from the shadows, you went straight to him, his arms already opening for you before you even settled beside him. You melted into his embrace, fingers treading through his hair as he pressed his nose against the crook of your neck. You frowned and closed your eyes at the contact, the heavy feeling that you didn't even know you've been lugging around for the past couple of days leaving your chest like smoke.

"Don't do that to me again. I thought you left me," you half whispered to keep your voice steady. You felt him sigh against your skin.

"I'm sorry… I needed some time alone."

"Do you hate me?"

Mark shook his head before letting you go just enough so he could see your face. You didn't even realize the tears brimming in your eyes until he reached out to catch them before they fell with his rough fingers.

"I could never hate you."

"But I…"

His smile fell a little as he gave a slight laugh.

"I admit the rejection hurt. I needed time to compose myself again. I wasn't really at my best when we talked so I had to distance myself a little."

"Mark, I'm sorry…"

The way his gaze probed your face now made a twisting tightness bloom in your chest again. It was the same way he had always looked at you, but now with a shade of honesty that he never had before.

"You shouldn't. You made me realize something after all."

Your throat felt tight, but you managed to speak.

"What?"

"That you love me. And that the way you also love the others doesn’t change that."

Your heart squeezed in your chest. You wanted to answer him, give him confirmation, but the way he looked at you told you that he didn’t need any of that assurance anymore. Instead, you leaned your cheek against the hand he raised to cup your face, eyes never leaving his. When he smiled at you again, you knew right then and there that the two of you will no longer be able to go back from all the pretending that provided you safety before. This was a man who had stopped himself from holding back because for the first time, he was finally standing in the same spot you’ve always been at.

For once, none of you are afraid.

“Are you back for real this time? I asked the others and they said you were gone for days. Nobody knew where you went.”

A look of recall quickly crossed his features at your question. He almost seemed a bit guilty, but you knew there was more to it than he was letting on. You could feel dread at the back of your throat, but waited for him to take his time to answer.

“I didn’t really leave because of our conversation. There was something I was trying to figure out.”

“What?”

“Who the traitor is behind all of this.”

You paused. Mark's gaze never wavered from yours and you could see the clear frustration from the set of his brows.

“Did you find out anything?”

“Not much. I could have done it easier with the help of my father but I—” he stopped, a hard look flashing in his eyes momentarily. “I know he is supportive of the Headmaster’s decision for all of us to go into hiding. He wouldn’t help me even if I beg him to. I was able to get access to some reports of the investigation that our family have been doing though. Whoever is coming after us must come from an advanced technology corporation. They—”

“It’s Cypher Institute, isn’t it?”

Mark froze in his seat, his gaze one of surprise before it morphed into confusion.

“How did you know that?”

“Jaemin and I snooped around in my father’s office while he was gone and someone called him about it. It was a coincidence. Was it the same Institute that you were able to confirm from your father’s side?”

The way Mark’s expression changed in just a matter of seconds slowly made an uncomfortable feeling bloom in your gut. It was what he said next, however, that really threw you off.

“My father is not aware about Cypher Institute.”

You frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“He had leads but none of the files I cross-checked had any mention of Cypher. And I looked at everything, I am sure of it. Whoever gave that information to your father is not from our family.”

The silence that wrapped the two of you was brief but heavy with meaning. There were so many questions that came to mind but it was Mark who managed to voice out the most pressing thing you couldn’t bring yourself to say.

“Do you know any other family that your father could be working with?”

You shook your head slightly.

“He does work with everyone. The Kim’s are one when he asked Mijeong to watch over me while I was in university, and I’m sure he also had agreements with the families of the other Masters. I’ve always thought that he shares a lot of his plans to your father though… Especially anything related to this threat. It was the Lee's who saved him from the latest ambush after all. It wouldn’t make sense for him to ask another family to look into things over your father…”

It took a while for Mark to finally say something as he processed that. Your throat felt dry, and you could almost feel your hand locked with his slowly grow cold.

“It would make sense. If he doesn’t fully trust my father.”

His words hung thick in the air. You didn’t know what to say, especially with him saying what you couldn’t put into words. There was something about Junho Lee that has always bothered you, but he is also Mark’s family and for that, you still provided the man a level of respect even from a distance. Still, you knew that one of your father’s reasons for trusting him stands on shaky ground—you just didn’t expect for the distrust to run this deep.

“Do you think… He can do that?”

Mark’s jaw tightened at the question. You could see the fight going inside of him so clearly that you almost felt bad for asking.

“He's a very ambitious man. I was still very young when I lost my mom, but I remember enough to know that he was never really the same after what happened. Still, he is the only other family that I have and…”

“And it is absolutely alright if you want to believe in him,” you gently interjected by giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Mark pursed his lips and he shifted his gaze away from you, his expression torn and pained.

Just like you, Mark’s life was greatly affected by what happened in the past. Fate dealt him bad cards, and for that you can’t really blame him for wanting to stand up for things he wants to believe in. You would do the same if you were in his place; choose to stand by your father before anything and anyone else.

It took a moment before he finally seemed to break from his thoughts. Gaze following him, he reached out for something in his pocket before finally offering his open palm to you. It was dark so it took you a moment to realize what you were looking at, but your lips were soon enough parting wordlessly as he moved to open the small blue velvet box he was holding carefully.

Lying nestled in black satin, catching the light of the moon, was a deep blue diamond ring framed with smaller clear gems on its sides. It looked ornate but well-loved, like a star that had fallen in the middle of a dark night. Your eyes widened as you stared at it, Mark’s silence in contrast to the sudden loud beating of your heart.

“What…”

“It’s my mother’s wedding ring. My father gave it to me when he told me about his plan of us getting married.”

“Mark… I…”

Your voice sounded so full of guilt, but he gently cut you off by pressing the box against your palm.

“Relax, I am not proposing to you,” he said in a tone that made you pause. “I told you that I understand where you stand now. I am not going to force you to do anything that you’re not comfortable with.”

You swallowed, but let him continue.

“But we can’t deny how dangerous it is right now. There is a traitor in our family and it could be anyone, including my father. I won’t blame you if you can’t find it in you to trust us right now, but my family can give you protection, regardless of who is the person who betrayed us. Even if it was him, I think he will spare you if we make him believe that you’re engaged to me.”

“What makes you think he will make an exception for me, Mark? If it really was him, and he was willing to sell the rest of the Masters, then he can betray anyone.”

“No. Not you.”

“Why?”

“Because I love you.”

The way you paused gave Mark the chance to really look at you, his eyes roaming your face. You were at a loss for words, and he used that as his window to continue with a gentle voice that made your chest hurt.

“My father can be ambitious and cruel, I admit that, but he knows how to honor love when he sees it. He was hit hard when he lost my mom, but I don’t think he is going to punish you and me for what happened. He will also gain nothing if he hurts you over us being engaged and making our bloodline stronger.”

“I hate to say this, but it’s the reality we’re living in right now,” he continued. “I can protect you if you choose to continue your life as a Master. It’s that or you move away and cut off all connections with us. Follow what your father has always wanted for you and live like a normal human.”

You slowly shook your head as the weight of his words fully sunk in. You’ve always known this… Everything Mark is saying right now have always been the choices given to you. Not once have you accepted them though, especially with your only other option being to exile yourself from the Family and never see any of them for the rest of your life again.

“So are you saying that we should… tell everyone that we will get married?”

Mark’s gaze dropped before he gave a slight nod.

“Yes. At least while we haven’t figured out who the real traitor is. If they see that we’re both onboard, I don’t think they’ll rush us to it. We can buy ourselves some time.”

You were quiet. Your eyes found the ring again, a testament to a different promise made years ago. After a moment, Mark reached over and closed the box before guiding your fingers to close around it.

“You don’t need to give me an answer right now, but I want you to keep it. Even if we won’t get married, you’re the only woman who I want to have it.”

Your thumb ran over the soft plush of the velvet cover. A few seconds passed before you felt him gently hold your chin to guide you to look at him again.

“I’ll do anything and everything just so we could get to the bottom of this. Whatever happens though, I want you to know…”

“That I will never ever betray you. My life is yours.”

Time seemed to have stopped, the same way your heart did. He looked at you with nothing but bare honesty laid out and you received it, unafraid this time. A cloud shifted outside, and the next moment, you two met in the middle, lips soft against each other. It was a simple kiss, but one that you knew was long overdue. When you pulled away, you whispered softly against him, only loud enough for him to hear.

“I know. I believe you.”

******* “Come in.”

You have barely raised your hand to knock when your father’s clear voice sounded from the inside of his office. The antic would have been amusing if this were any normal day, but instead you found yourself slightly hesitating before finally pushing the door open. He wasn’t looking at you when you stepped into his room, his gaze set instead on reviewing a stack of documents laid out across his table.

“Are you busy?”

It was a rhetorical question at this point, but still, the man’s lips twitched into a small smile as he finally looked at you from over the rim of his wired glasses. He looked unhurt, but the dark shadows under his eyes betrayed how his last couple of days have been.

“Even if I am, I will always have time for you, Princess.”

You didn’t want to immediately soften after that, but you couldn’t help the way your eyes shifted sideways as a reaction. Your father, of course, noticed, and chuckled as a response.

“So? Is there anything wrong?”

Your shoulders slumped a little before you answered. To be honest, you didn’t really plan for anything when you decided to see him today. All you know is that you’re glad to see him again after he had been in and out of the Academy for the past few days, especially since you haven’t really talked after your argument. The way his eyes sparkled behind his glasses now made you think that he already has an idea why you’re here, but the man kept his silence to give you the room to open it up yourself.

“I wanted to apologize… For some of the things I have said last time.”

“Apology accepted. I want to do the same, since I have realized why my decision warranted that kind of reaction.”

Immediately, it felt like a part of the heaviness in your chest lifted. You remained standing in your spot though, your gaze open as you searched his face.

“Did you change your mind? About me and Mark?”

A pause.

“No, my dear. My stand remains the same. And you?”

You didn’t hesitate to answer.

“No… I am still against it.”

He nodded, but didn’t say anything else to counter you. Your father can be as headstrong as he is, but he also knows how to draw boundaries, at least temporarily. What you said next, however, is something he definitely did not expect.

“Mark and I talked though,” you added as you tried your best to work through the lump in your throat. Ever since that night with him, you’ve sat with your thoughts to consider every angle of the situation. You still don’t have a decision, but it would be unfair to lie to your father about what has happened since.

“We… still do not have an answer right now. But we are considering things.”

It was quite hard to gauge whether he was relieved about it or not, but he gave you a slight smile after his pause of silence.

“That’s enough for me. Thank you, darling. Now, do you want to sit? I know you came here to tell me more than just that. At least try to relax a little.”

You hesitated only for a little bit before finally giving in and settling on the chair across his desk. Now that you’re closer, you could better see the lines on his face, proof that the last few days haven’t been easy on him.

“I found out who was after us. I heard it from a call… While you were gone.”

“I know.”

You shot him a guilty look.

“Are you mad?”

The question made him laugh. “Honey, I would be even more surprised if you didn’t snoop around to find out things on your own. Let me guess, did Mark come with you?”

“No. Jaemin did.”

“Mm. As expected from Mr. Na. That young man's loyalty to you is fiercer than his strongest fear.”

“Why is Cypher after us, Papa?”

You didn't know if he was taken aback by your straightforwardness or not, but the moment you asked, a shadow of emotion you couldn’t quite understand flitted over his features. It was fast, but it was enough for you to understand that he knows something more than he is letting on. At first you thought he would avoid the question, but then the light in his eyes shifted again, almost as if he was looking inward to himself.

"It's human nature to crave power. Cypher, unfortunately, is one of those willing to meddle with it."

"Do you have any idea what it is that they want from us? Even with what they have, it is impossible for them to tap into the abilities of the Arcana. Manmade resources have no chance against us."

The pause from him was loaded. The man leaned on his desk now, shoulders slightly slouched as he took off his glasses and pressed the bridge of his nose. You almost wanted to reach out to him, but he seemed on the verge of breaking at the slightest touch. A flash of uninvited memory took over you, and it was then you realized that you've seen him like this before. Once, a long time ago when you were younger…

Back when your mother died.

"I wish I knew. It's hard to go against an enemy without understanding how they could possibly hurt you, but I am sure of one thing. They're dangerous. If there's something even more powerful than greed, it's hatred, and Cypher… has both towards us. Whatever happens, we can't let them get to us. To any of you."

His words slowly sank like dull blades into your skin. There was something lurking behind his statements, a confession hidden in plain sight. You hated how you're piecing things together slowly, how you're realizing that there is possibly more to this than just going against an enemy.

"What do you mean about them hating us?" You asked softly now, your eyes set on him. Your father's gaze hardened as he continued staring at a spot in front of him. His silence was enough of an answer that you need.

"You… know these people. You know why they are doing this," you continued slowly. Your words seemed to have struck something in him, a look of pain overtaking him for a solid second before he finally reached for your hand.

“When the time comes, you will understand.”

“No, I don’t think I will. Why won’t you tell me everything?! I can help. You don’t have to carry this on your own.”

“Darling, you don’t understand. They are not like anything we have faced before. I’m doing this to protect all of you.”

You were quiet as your mind ran a million different things at the same time. You could see the cracks in him, the dawning realization shaking your core in a silent, terrifying way. There are a lot of moments in your life when you don't agree with your father, but you love the man, and he has always been the epitome of someone you can rely on ever since you were young. It doesn't matter how big the problem is, he will always come swooping down to save the day. As you look at him now across from you, shadows and light bouncing off his tired face, you felt your heart break as you realized one thing. He is afraid just as you are. Unlike you though, there was an air of resignation in him, as if he already knew the fate waiting for him.

“Then why… does it feel like you are saying goodbye.”

The way that he looked at you made something in you break. You shook your head slowly, and he cupped your face with his hand to keep yourself from trembling.

“You will understand it soon. For now, all I wish is for you to trust me. I know it might be too much to ask, but I hope you can give me this.”

You were terrified. In that moment, you felt like a little girl again, afraid to lose the only family that you have.

“Only if you promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“You will not die.”

He paused for a bit before finally giving you a small smile.

“You have my word.”

You weren’t entirely convinced, but you took it, at least for now. Your father may not be perfect, but as much as he is flawed, he had always tried his best to never break his promises to you. You nodded now, your eyes falling to the piles of papers in his desk.

“What are we going to do now, Papa?”

His hand on your face lowered and your gaze landed on his ring as it caught light from the lamp on his desk. It was an ornate piece made with what looked like bronze, the simple band carved with intricate-looping patterns that are reminiscent of snowflakes. It was the only piece of jewelry that he had worn for as long as you could remember, on top of his wedding band that he never took off despite the death of your mother. For some reason, the ring looked different now as it shone against his skin. It looked regal in your father’s hand, yet at the same time... lonely.

When he spoke again, his voice was melancholy.

“When the time comes, you will know exactly what you have to do.”

******* “You know the view of the sunset looks best on the other side of the rooftop, right?”

Your head only slightly turned towards the sound of the voice that broke through your thoughts. Shrugging a little to yourself, you turned your gaze once more to the burning sky, eyes not really seeing the deepening colors there. You have no idea how long you’ve been sitting in the cold, but the freezing chill clinging to your skin gave you an idea of the hours you’ve lost track of.

“I know. I didn’t really come here for the view though.”

Soft footfalls started moving towards you in answer. The next thing you felt was the warmth of a cardigan going over your shoulders as your visitor dropped to the spot next to you.

“That makes one of us. I do like the view here. Can I join?”

You raised a brow but grabbed the edges of the jacket to wrap the material tighter around you. “You’re already here. Will you leave if I ask you to?”

“Nope~”

The way you could almost hear his smirk in his voice couldn’t stop you from smiling a little. You gave a light-hearted sigh before finally turning to look at him.

“Why are you here, Haechan? Shouldn’t you be resting in your dorm? You just finished training with the others, right?”

“When I can finally have some alone time with you? You do realize how hard it is for some of us to get your time, right? Either you’re sulking on your own or you’re being hogged by my cousins—”

He wasn’t able to finish what he wanted to say as you raised your hand and knocked your fist on top of his head. Haechan jokingly flinched and massaged the spot you just hit, a smirk on his face.

“Did you just come here to harass me?”

“Did I lie? All I’m saying noona is that I’m a Lee too. What does Mark and Jeno have that I don’t have?”

You looked at him dead-panned before giving an answer.

“Height.”

The way his face dropped made your lips twitch. It was taking you everything not to dissolve into laughter with how hard he scowled at you.

“Okay, Princess, listen here. Mark-hyung is literally a centimeter taller than me. Don’t be mean.”

That was the last that you could take. Unable to help it, you finally gave in, your laughter bursting as you curled in on yourself to keep yourself from snorting. You could almost feel his frown deepening without even looking at him, the awareness of it only making you wheeze harder.

"I do know what I can do that those two dorks can't though," you heard him say quietly after he let you have your moment. When you finally gathered yourself again—cheeks pink from the cold and the laughing fit—he was looking at you softly. The sunset was kissing his skin, making him look as if he was glowing. The corners of his lips lifted as he angled his face a little to the side to watch you.

"I'm the only one who can make you laugh like that."

The way your heart jumped made you immediately forget what you thought was funny just seconds ago. Your relationship with Haechan has always been different… Mark is loyal, Jeno is secretive, Renjun is subtle, and Jaemin is passionate. Haechan has always been straightforward with what he wants, but unlike the others, his intensity can sometimes be impulsive, like an open flame ready to spark into a larger fire at any moment. It was in his nature—The Magician, as the master of chaos, is the one force in the Arcana that constantly straddles logic and madness, next to The Fool itself. He is designed to want you in a different intensity from how others feel ever since the Arcana chose him as its Master.

It's because of this that you have always tried to hold back more when it comes to him. And so when he pushes, you pull back, not because you feel any less for him, but because the idea of you two meeting in the middle has always terrified you.

That, and you know that whatever feelings Haechan has for you at the moment might not be his own, but his Arcana craving for yours.

"You make me laugh just as hard as you can make me mad," you admitted finally, allowing your walls to break down just a little in front of him. Something flickered in his eyes though his smile remained.

"You always run away from me, noona. Why?"

"You already know the answer to that."

"What I know is that you like me just as much as you like the others."

"I do. But do you feel the same about me? Or is it your Arcana telling you that you want me?"

Your question made him stop. You watched as the smile slowly bled from his face, his well-kept mask slipping for a moment. Haechan is a good master of his own emotions, but this time you knew you hit a chord.

"I can do anything for you. Destroy worlds… and build new ones if you want me to,” he said, his voice serious.

"I know. But that is not answering my question."

"Then what—"

"Will you feel the same if I am not the IL Matto, Haechan? Will you still like me if I’m just a regular human?"

The way his eyes hardened a little at the very thought of you living a life as a normal mortal admittedly made your heart break a little. You've always known this, of course… but hearing his answer now in his silence did not make it easier. When it seemed like he didn't know what to say next, you took it upon yourself to take his hand gently. He immediately wove his fingers with yours, his hold tight that it felt like he was giving you his reply through it alone. This time, it was you who smiled at him to try and give him comfort.

“I know how much you like me, but I can’t accept those feelings if you’re not even sure yourself that they’re your own. It’s unfair for me to give you an answer and take your free will from you, Haechan... I can’t do that, at least while you still can’t answer that question.”

He looked so lost and in pain that for a moment, you could see the chubby-cheeked boy who had always ran after you when you were younger. It made you want to pull him in for comfort, but you settled on giving his hand a squeeze instead.

"Hey. Don’t feel bad about it, okay? It’s fine. I like having you around, just like this. If you want to do anything for me though, then just promise me one thing."

He still seemed torn, but he managed to give an answer anyway.

"What is it?"

"Never stop making me laugh. You're right. You’re the only one who can do it."

******* Kun kept his eyes steady on the flickering flame of the candlelight in front of him. The room was quiet, but there was a different tinge of melancholy that was lingering in the air as the Headmaster sifted quietly through the papers in front of him. The ticking sound of the grandfather's clock in the room was deafening to him, like a death call waiting for its final drop. It was a reprieve when the door finally creaked open, revealing Taeyong on the other side of it. Kun waited for him to join his side, giving the man the liberty to break the suffocating silence.

"We just finished the final round of trainings, Sir. We’re gathering all the data before giving them to you."

"How are the kids?"

"They have improved a lot. They’re not at their full potential yet, but they can definitely control their abilities better now. They will be able to hold a fight… should the need arise."

"They don't have to. They only need to defend themselves,” the man said evenly. “Have you heard word from Doyoung?"

Taeyong paused before giving an answer.

"Yes. He has confirmed that it is most likely Junho Lee who is working with Cypher."

The man's hand froze ever so slightly as he moved to pick up a paper from his desk. His face was calm, but there was something about the set of his lips that made Kun and Taeyong surreptitiously exchange glances.

"I appreciate you working with the Kim's, Taeyong. He's probably watching me very closely, so I needed you to do the job."

"Do you want us to get rid of him?" Kun's voice was quiet but steady when he asked the burning question. The Headmaster shook his head, his eyes hooded by the shadows from the flickering candle.

"No. Not yet."

Kun's jaw clenched ever so slightly at the answer. His morals tell him to take the man's word with no question—follow him with blind loyalty like he has always done—but he couldn't bring himself to do it now, not when everything seems to be crumbling around him. From the way that Taeyong was holding himself beside him, shoulders stiff and face set, he knows that the other Legacy shares the same stand.

"With all due respect, Sir. I would like to understand why," he finally decided to ask after gathering enough courage to speak again. The man peered at him from behind his glasses, curious, but not seemingly surprised by his question. He didn't know if it was just a trick of the light, but he thought he saw the shadow of a smile on the other's lips before he finally moved to cross his hands together.

"You and Taeyong always had the right to ask. The pair of you just do not give yourselves the full credit you are due."

For a second, Kun felt oddly like a child being gently reprimanded by a parent. Gathering himself again, he decided to press more to get answers.

"We do not understand why you're protecting Junho. He betrayed you. He betrayed all of us."

"I am not protecting him. I am protecting the Family… From him."

The look of silent confusion from him and Taeyong was not lost on the Headmaster. The man, on the other hand, seemed set and collected as always.

"Cypher is already a formidable enemy on their own. They will wage war on us soon, there is no doubt about it. Going after Junho now will only split the Family more—and we are currently at a disadvantage of not knowing who else within our network has decided to side with him. If he finds out that we know, we'll just be pushing ourselves in a corner. The Lee's have resources, and having those used against us is the last thing we need."

"So we will just let him do whatever, then?" Taeyong asked this time.

"No. When the time comes… And you will know when—you will have to take him down. Even his own son should he decide to betray my daughter."

The way the man said that so evenly without batting an eye made Kun and Taeyong's blood run cold. The Headmaster is a kind, rational man that oftentimes, people forget how cunning and ruthless he can be in his own ways.

"For now, I want to keep him alive. After all… He might still become useful in the future."

Both men stared at him, though none decided to speak up this time. Wordlessly, he picked up a thick brown envelope from his table and offered it to the two. Kun and Taeyong looked at each other before the former took it silently from his hands.

"When that time comes, my daughter will be the first person to know what best to do with him," the Headmaster continued as he leaned back on his chair. "Just the same as she will know what to do next once things start to unfold. When the moment calls for it, give her that envelope. It will help her."

Kun's fingers tightened on the edges of the bundle he was holding. There was a heavy feeling that had started to weigh on his stomach, similar to the one he had when the man talked to him first after his quick absence.

"Are you leaving, Sir?"

A shadow of something quickly glossed over the man's expression. It was so brief, but it was enough to give Taeyong and Kun the answer they hoped they wouldn't have to hear ever.

"There are things that only I can do in this fight. So yes… I would have to leave my daughter. For a while," he said, his eyes moving from one young man to the next. Maybe it was the darkness and the shadows dancing in the room, but in that moment, the Headmaster saw in the pair two other young men who stood shoulder to shoulder in this room once, many decades ago, promising their allegiance to the Arcana. The memory made his chest constrict with a mix of emotions—pain… longing… and sadness for what was and what will never be again.

He let the memories linger for a few more seconds before finally giving the two a small smile.

"I know I have already asked for too much from the both of you, but if I can have one last request… I hope you two can put her and the Family's best interests at heart while I am away."

"Consider it my last request as IL Giudizio."

******* Your footsteps echoed softly in the hallways as you made your way back to your room. Tucked loosely by your side are a couple of hardbounds, titles you decided to sneak out of the library in this unholy hour because you were already out of reading material. It's been weeks since most of the student body have been sent back to their homes, leaving Rosewood silent and vacant. Since then, you’ve tried to take comfort in the stillness surrounding you by keeping mostly to yourself and out of everyone's way.

You have already turned the last corner to your room when your phone suddenly vibrated in your jeans pocket. By the time you managed to pull it out and check your messages, you were already at your door, one hand wrapping around the knob while you tried to open the message notification. You have barely caught Mark's name on your screen when a gasp was suddenly torn from you as someone grabbed you by the arm, the motion causing the books you were holding to tumble to the floor. Your eyes grew wide as your back made contact against the wood, your elbow grazing the cold knob of your door as you were pushed against it. Your first thought was that you were being attacked, but a different kind of shock gripped you when you realized what exactly was happening.

You didn't really need to see him to know whose lips were pressed against you the next second. Even in your confusion, your hands automatically gripped the front of his shirt as he held you close to him. He was holding you so tightly that it took you a moment to guide his face back so you could see him better. Dark eyes met yours, hooded by his windswept, messy hair as you searched his face. The warmth of his breath fanned your lips and his fingers only dug deeper on your hip bones as if he was afraid that you will push him away.

"Jeno, what—"

"I need you. Now."

Four words. That was all it took for you to pause and for your heart to stop in your chest. You held his gaze for a second longer before grabbing his hand the same time he reached out to turn the knob behind you. Wordlessy, you pulled him in, leaving nothing but the sound of your door closing in the empty hallway.

*******

A/N: This took a while because I simply could not put my thoughts into words properly. Enjoy!

Taglist:

@effulgentfireflies, @kasperneo, @lostlovesoul11, @byunniebaekhyunnie, @smolpeyy, , @dearj43, @bettyschwallocksyee, @babyksworld, @yongboksfreckles, @user103843, @lovehowdream, @glitching-wren, @jhornytrash, @coconuttiez8d, @negincho, @stopeatread, @ellatizw, @huangberryyy, @wonyofanclub,

Untaggable for some reason: @renjunsflower, @coconuttiez8d

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flurrys-creativity · 1 year

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Devotion

Pairing: Ten (NCT) x Fem!Reader; Genre: Supernatural AU, SMUT, hints of horror at the beginning; Rating: 18+, nsfw, MDNI; Warnings: darkness, being imprisoned, being chained up, witch Ten, unprotected sex, making out, grinding, riding, marking; Wordcount: 1.668

Summary: You saw it - no - him. Every night in your dreams. You saw him, spoke with him, touched him. He seemed to know exactly what was happening while you stumbled through the dark. Yet you were drawn to him. Enough to fulfill any request that spilled from his lips.

A/N: This is my second idea for my own collab, which resulted in me abandoning the first idea to finish this one... but no worries the next one will be written too! ANYWAY the inspiration for this was Ten’s Birthday MV and that fricking hat with the veil

Darkness. Nothing else surrounded you at first. It took several moments before you noticed a slim trail of light. You turned towards it and slowly moved through the dark, being pulled towards the light like a moth to a flame.

A door creaked open in front of you, showing a mostly empty room. One small window towards the ceiling of the room let some light into it. Though the light got disrupted by the bars in front of the window.

You walked further until you stood inside of the room. The door shutting down behind you with a loud bang. Alarmed, you turned back around and grabbed the doorknob, trying to open the door again. The door rattled but didn’t budge despite the force behind your tries.

You looked down to your hands with a frown, feeling panic rise inside of your chest. After another fruitless try you dropped your hands to your side and leaned your head against the door. Your breathing turned irregular and you closed your eyes, hoping to calm yourself down again. When you opened your eyes, you noticed shackles around your wrists, attached to chains that led into the middle of the room.

With every pull against the chains they became shorter and shorter, pulling you further into the room and at one point down to your knees.

You grabbed the chains and pulled at them again, groaning from the strength you put into it. Your hands slipped from the chains, palms getting cut from sharp edges of them.

Blood dropped on the floor, sizzling upon contact. Little smoke clouds raised from the floor and obstructed your vision.

You blinked several times and waved a hand in front of your face, halting as you appeared to be free again, standing in one corner of the room. Your eyes slowly wandered to the middle of the room, seeing a figure crouched down on the floor. Chains surrounded the figure and a wide brimmed hat with a black veil covered most of the figure’s features. The chains clattered loudly within the room when the figure moved.

Your breath hitched and the head of the figure snapped into your direction. “You came again”, a melodic voice filled your head. You frowned and shook your head, unsure whether you just imagined the voice just now.

“I’m quite surprised by your devotion.”

“Devotion?” You crossed your arms in front of your chest, feeling a shiver running down your spine. “I don’t even know where I am.”

The figure chuckled and offered you a hand, beckoning you to come closer. When you didn’t move the hand dropped again, followed by the clicking of a tongue in disappointment.

“You’re visiting me every sweet night”, the voice told you, “brightening my dull imprisonment ever since they threw me into this hole. Yet you never remember.”

“How- how long have I been visiting you?”

The figure contemplated your question. “A while.”

“Why?” You bit on your lower lip, fingernails digging into your arms as the frustration overwhelmed you. “I don’t understand! How can I be here?”

The figure chuckled again, the chains rattling once more. “What do I get when I tell you?”

You cried out in frustration and slumped down on the floor, running your fingers through your hair. Tears welled up in your eyes and you silently sniffled. “Wha- what do you want?”

Out of nowhere you got slammed to the ground. The figure hovered above you, holding you down and in place. A scream got stuck in your throat as you stared up into their face, pure white eyes meeting your gaze.

“Help me!”

You swallowed harshly, not able to tear your eyes away. “How?” You watched the eyes turn from stark white to a warm brown, the figure appearing a lot more human now. Despite being pinned down and not knowing this person you didn’t feel threatened. Instead you saw past the eerie tension around it and discovered a young man - an incredibly handsome man.

He smiled softly and caressed your cheek with the back of his hand. “I need a marked spot outside of these walls for my ritual to work.”

“Ritual?” You still laid underneath him, feeling his defined body pressed against your own. Even though he didn’t use any force on you, you didn’t dare to move at all. Instead you just continued to stare at him.

“I’m a witch or wizard or whatever our kind gets called nowadays”, he explained simply. “The tenth in my family and probably the last. Unless…” He didn’t finish his sentence. Instead he shrugged with his shoulders and looked at you meaningfully.

“So you have the magical power to perform rituals that will teleport you of some sorts?”

Ten pursed his lips. “You’re taking this information quite well. This time around.” Hope sparked within his chest and it took him every ounce of sense to hold back and not mess up. Not like the last times you had visited him in your dreams. Determined, Ten sat up and pulled you with him, looking at you intently. He still hadn’t figured out how you found him despite your power since neither of you knew each other. At least when it happened the first time. Though he had a feeling his familiar - a cat - had something to do with this.

You bit on your lower lip, a wave of guilt hitting you, as you thought about how disheartening your other encounters with him had to be for Ten. You didn’t even want to think about the countless times you possibly freaked out or instantly refused him. Hesitantly you glanced at him, taking his lean figure in.

New determination flooded your mind and you turned towards him. “You said you needed a mark outside these walls. Do you have it with you and I’ll just get it out of here?” You looked around inside the dark room. “However, I'm able to get out of here again.”

Ten took a deep breath and straightened his back, eyeing you warily. “Close.”

You got on your knees and placed your hands on your thighs, hoping to show your willingness to help him this time. A slight shiver ran down your back when he gently touched your lower arm, his fingers ghosting over your bare skin up to your shoulders and back down to your hands.

He pulled you closer to him until you straddled his lap. His eyes travelled all over your face, trying to catch every single reaction you showed. Carefully he dropped his hands to your hips, circling his thumbs at the hem of your top. “I need you”, he whispered, his tone edging on desperation. “I want you.”

Your insides clenched around nothing while your heartbeat sped up and your breath got caught in your lungs. You wanted him too.

As if he read the desire in your eyes, he pulled you closer to him, pressing your core against his hardening length. His fingers slid underneath your clothes and ghosted over your skin. He licked over his lips, mouth open as he wanted to ask for your permission but the words got stuck within his throat.

Painfully slow you leaned forward, getting ever so slightly closer to him. With one last tentative look between his eyes and his lips you closed the gap. Your breath got caught in your lungs, feeling his soft lips pressed against yours.

What started as a careful and tender kiss grew more and more desperate and rough with each passing second. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pressed yourself as close to his body as possible. Your hips started grinding down on him, eliciting soft moans from the both of you.

Before you even knew it, the two of you had thrown your clothes somewhere into the room, leaving your naked bodies with only air between them.

Your mind focused on the pleasure, his dick rubbing against your core, his hands caressing you with utmost adoration combined with the coldness of his shackles against your skin and his lips leaving a trail of red marks along your neck and collarbone. Even though the hard ground felt rough against your knees, you didn’t wish to stop grinding down on him. No, you wanted even more.

One of your hands travelled along his chest, making Ten shiver with the feather light touches. Until you reached his hard cock, pumping it almost leisurely before you aligned it with your entrance.

Your head rolled backwards with the stretch you felt from sinking down on him. Your mouth hung open and soft moans filled the air.

Ten slowly thrusted into you, meeting your own movements with precision and hitting your soft spot every single time. He wrapped his arms around your torso, holding you tight and increasing the sensation of his thrusts with the limited space for you to move.

You held onto his shoulders, nails digging into his skin as you felt the knot building inside your lower stomach. Your moans turned higher with Ten increasing his pace, thrusting more deeper and harder into you now. Your walls clenched around his dick, sucking him right back into you whenever he pulled out.

Only after Ten pressed his thumb against your clit did you reach your climax. Your legs trembled uncontrollably while you saw stars in the dark. A string of incoherent begs left your lips as Ten helped you through your high, finishing himself shortly after with the way your walls continued to milk him.

You collapsed against his body, trying to catch your breath. A thin sheen of sweat covered your bodies and the cold air made you shiver. Ten gently caressed your back, making you drowsy. It became harder and harder to keep your eyes open even though you tried fighting against it. “I still don’t know how to help you”, you mumbled against his neck, inhaling his calming scent.

Ten chuckled softly. “You already did. When you wake up at home, I’ll be there with you.”

Taglist: @xavi-in-kpopland

#supernatural collab #thrill me chill me fulfill me #kwritersworldnet #kdiarynet #wkcnet #kvanity #ten #nct ten #nct smut #ten smut #devotion #one shot #kpop #idol

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ifuleaveme · 29 days

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i'm jude or jay. i have hyperfixations on random things that change randomly. i'm a closeted(in the real world) bi trans man and have no friends!! thiam are my absolute favorite ship. i am a nerd and um yeah

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peanutbutterthenjelly · 3 months

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Other than my family, basically all I got keeping me here is kpop and an unhealthy obsession with fictional characters from tvshows.

#thai bl #supernatural #bts #monsta x #seventeen #kingdom #nct #onewe #last twilight #earthmix #destiel

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sexygrass · 1 year

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬. | NCT

synopsis: When Samantha goes back to her hometown to collect the necessary ingredients to break a curse placed on her. only to meet the person who she witnessed him dying over and over for the past 10 centuries due to another curse - a soulmate curse -. many things happen, new feelings bloom and many die. death looms around her, but would she, the villainess find her once epic love at last? would she finally breaks the curse and cut the damn loop and have her happy ending or would she fail in saving him from her and her family's history?

genre: smut, supernatural AU, soulmate au, vampires au, werewolf au, Sub/Dom dynamics, angst, mention of traumas, mention of torture, deaths of some characters, and blood, explicit language, fluff, mature content, sadism, lots of killing, and many plot twists.

A/N: this book is inspired by the series of

cast:

Guide to the Werewolves' Abilities and Weaknesses:

Guide to the Vampires' Abilities and Weaknesses:

Guide to The Originals' Abilities and Weaknesses:

Guide to The Hybrids' Abilities and Weaknesses:

1|2 |3 |4 |5 |6| 7|8 | 9 | 10

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thatsatricky1 · 1 month

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𝐀𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 || ‘𝐃𝐨𝐯𝐞’ Chapter III

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: Abandoned. After going through hell and back together, she was left there to fend for herself. Y/n felt as though they’d left her in the dust at the facility. A facility that had taken young gifted children raising them in secret. The eight of them had been taken as children and grown up together at the facility and just when it they had the chance of escaping they made one crucial mistake, leaving her behind in the dust. One big mistake they hadn’t forgiven themselves for, and she would make sure they’d never forget it.

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Nct Dream ot7 x Reader.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Angst, Fluff, Mystery, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller, Trauma, Weird Humor.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Angst, Abandonment, Tension, Trauma, Verbal fighting

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 5,2k+

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: This does not depict an accurate picture of Nct Dream and this is strictly fantasy/fiction for entertainment purposes.

It was like looking at a ghost from their past. Yet it wasn’t a ghost. Y/n was inside their apartment standing in front of them in the flesh. Her facial features the same besides a slight mature look to it.

Her once long natural coloured hair was now cut and dyded a mossy green. The opposite of what the facility allowed.

She also was no longer stuck wearing the facility uniform they’d all been forced to wear day in and day out. One that had no wrinkles or crinkles, always perfectly fitted to the person wearing it. The outfit she wore was foreign look to them on her since it was the first time they were seeing her in anything besides the uniform.

She wore a green tank top lined in white, an x white strap linking the bottom of it, paired with washed out grey blue ripped baggy jeans with white sneakers. Her midriff exposed something that wouldn't have been tolerated in the facility, but she was no longer there.

“Y/n. You…” Donghyuck being the first to speak yet he was at a loss for words. He’d been thinking of this moment since the day he’d left. The day he’d be able to speak to her again, yet all the words he’d thought over, couldn't, no wouldn’t escape his mouth.

“Nice to know you still remember my name.” Y/n hummed out disinterested, walking further into the living room but keeping her distance from the others who watched her closely, so close, thinking if they looked away she’d disappear.

“Oh by the way, you should really make sure to close your apartment door properly next time. You never know who could walk in.” She taunted lightly watching their reactions.

“You escaped.” Donghyuck finally forced words out of his mouth, a sharp inhale through the nose once her gaze landed slowly onto him. He’d hoped to see those warm inviting eyes once more but was met with a calculated stare instead. As if he was being perceived like a stranger, a danger.

“You mean the facility? Oh yeah, after the whole 31st of October thing I was on heavy lock down, around a year. First in isolation then in ward C. Even with the whole lock down thing I managed to get out after a year.” Y/n revealed her time back in the facility nonchalantly with a shrug, keeping her emotions in check.

“You were put in ward C?” Renjun asked, his face scrunching in worry at even the thought of her being located on that wing of the facility.

Wing C in the facility was the area with the strictest rules, punishments being thrown around for the slightest mistake and did not allow even an inch of freedom.

“That was the least of my worries.” Y/n managed to get out before looking off to the side to keep the memories at bay and away from her mind, trying to keep her body relaxed, composing herself.

“I escaped a year ago, been on the go since.” The boys shifted at her words knowing what that had felt like. It had taken them months of constantly moving to keep the facility off their back before they settled in Seoul.

“How did you-. How did you manage to escape?” Mark asked from where he sat, afraid to move and cause Y/n to retreat. As if dealing with a wounded animal.

“That’s a long winded answer that is none of your concern Mark. What’s with the matching outfits? Is it your guys thing? I mean back in the day we were practically forced to match.” Y/n sharply responded but diverted the conversation in favour of pointing out their accidental matching outfits.

Jisung shifted once again in his seat, swallowing even if his throat felt dry at the thought of the uniforms they’d worn back then. His mind reeling at remembering the feeling of the uniforms material that had hugged his body back then.

“Unintentional, we were in a rush after finding out our place had been broken into.” Mark replied truthfully, not entertaining her obvious jab at them. Knowing fully well the jab could have been a lot more pointed and harsh.

“Ah, I see. Sorry about the whole power box and lock thing. Well I guess the lobby too.” Her apology obviously held no true endearment.

“You did that?” Jaemin asked out, he knew it had been her but it also meant her abilities, the ones that were barely there when they’d left had most likely developed in their time away from her.

“Oh that’s nothing Jaemin, that’s just a sliver of what I’m capable of. Like I said beforehand I was in lock down, meaning I was being put to use every single moment that was deemed necessary.” Y/n answered yet her tone held no true emotion as if not needing them.

It was clear to everyone in the room the girl they’d left in the facility had changed. Developed. Most likely for the need to survive.

“You found us.” Chenle was the one to talk this time. Her gaze moved slowly away from Jaemin to land on him now, a tilt to her lips at his words.

“Of course, I’m surprised you’d choose to hide in plain sight. Somehow genius of you all but also quite stupid. Then again the facility doesn't know how you tick, how you all think.” She replied with her manicured fingers moving to tap at her temple in a motion to show how she’d found them. She’d remembered what they wanted, lusted to have once free.

“All that matters is that you got out, it’s all we wanted.” Donghyuck tried explaining how they all felt only to be met with a laugh from Y/n, who moved a hand to cover her mouth, the other holding her stomach as if she’d just heard the funniest joke come from his lips.

“I’m sorry I don’t think I heard you correctly. It’s all you wanted? If that were the case I would have been out of the facility more than a year.” Y/n glowered at Donghyuck who’s eyes widened at her behaviour.

“What? You expected me to go running into your arms Donghyuck, cry against your shoulder confessing how hard it was without you all? How much I missed you all?” Y/n berated them as she slowly moved forward until she was inches from him staring up at his face, close enough to count his familiar birthmarks. Making sure not to lose her temper like she had back at the lobby.

“I’m not here to rejoice with you about my freedom, I’m not here to rekindle our lost friendship, and I am certainly not here to join you in whatever fruitless effort you’re all making to live normal lives. There is nothing normal about us.” With each sentence she moved her hand closer until she dug her pointer finger against his chest, pressing into it.

Though her words were harsh, the feeling of her touch grounded him, having missed it. Swallowing down her words like it was sand, scratching its way down his throat.

“It was a hard decision to leave you there Y/n, but we couldn’t stay there.” Mark’s voice brought the two out of their stare down as her sharp gaze left Donghyuck in favor of burning through Mark’s.

“You think I wanted to stay there either? You know the fun part, I learned when you all left. The ironic part was that you’d left a minute before I got down to the entrance.” Y/n managed to hold back on snapping at Mark, in favor of revealing just how short their exit had been from her arrival.

Renjun held back a noise, guilt swirling through him at the realisation just how close they’d been to leaving with her. He’d been so focused on his pocket watch that day he hadn’t even thought for a moment to wait just one minute more. His flight had kicked in too fast.

The boys let the information sink in. The sick truth of just how close they’d been to seeing her that day, to leave with her. Mark letting his head drop slightly, hands squeezing shut at the fact he’d decided for the group to leave.

“It’s the past now Y/n, you have a whole new future ahead of you now. Here in Seoul… with us, like before but free.” Donghyuck snatched her attention again, his hand moving to wrap around her wrist gently where her perfectly manicured nail was still pressed against his chest. Warmth seeping through him at finally getting to touch her.

Though it didn’t last long as she tugged her hand away, his grasp slipped because of his gentle hold. Donghyuck holding back a wince at how she’d moved away as if his touch burned.

“Did you not understand my prior words? I’m not interested in rekindling whatever sort of friendship we once had, nor will I be here to play pretend on having some sort of normal life.” Y/n emphasizing her words to get it through Donghyuck’s head, who in turn shook his not wanting that.

“You can’t just drop our friendship Y/n not after all the years we spent together. You have a chance of a normal life now, please just try to understand that.” Donhyuck’s voice on the verge of sounding like a plea.

“Our friendship.” Y/n started to speak as she stepped back into his personal space “Was destroyed the day you left and didn’t look back, didn’t even try to come back for me.”

“I came here not to lead a life beside you all, I came back to get a look at the people I once trusted my life with, the ones who let my life crumble with one action.” Her words burned more than then if she’d used her ability to burn him where he stood, he would have preferred to get a third degree burn than hear her words.

“Please Y/n you have no idea about the regret and guilt we all feel. We know what we did was wrong. We always said it was us eight against the world until the very end, we meant that. Please stay.” Donghyuck begged, his lips quivering, eyes filled with unshed tears.

“If you truly felt guilty you would have come back for me. You didn’t. None of you did. And I naively waited day in and day out for that day to come. But if you really feel guilty I hope it festers in your souls ‘till you take your last breaths.”

“Y/n! Enough.” Mark protested at her choice of cruel words. This was not their Y/n.

Y/n stepped back from Donghyuck not bothering to pay Mark attention, there was a time she would have, she would have listened to him even if it meant diving off a cliff, but those times were long gone.

Donghyuck in a second of panic takes a step forward afraid she’d disappear once again. Y/n’s hand moved to push lightly against his chest, his hand trapping her wrist tighter than last time at her touch, yet she didn’t rip her hand away this time.

“I don’t ever want to see your faces again, my curiosity has been satisfied.” Y/n decided, Jeno standing up from the ground now in silent protest.

“You can’t leave.” Jaemin spoke from beside Jeno, still sat on the ground, eyes determined, entwined with his words.

“Quite hypocritical of you to say, is it not Jaemin? If I remember correctly you had no problem doing such a thing.” She bit back, yet her tone was neutral as if she’d come to terms with it a long time ago.

“Did you go to the beach?” The sudden question came out of nowhere causing Y/n’s composure to falter as she looked over at Jisung who stood up from the couch.

“Yes.” Her voice came out cautiously.

It was her second day of freedom from escaping the facility when she’d arrived at a random beach, something she’d longed for since the day she’d seen a video of one from the facility's old television. She remembered how the cold water felt brushing along her ankles, the smell of salt that later stung against her nose and the way the sand felt between her toes.

“Was it all you’d imagined it to be?” Jisung asked another question slowly walking over.

Y/n’s hard touch against Donghyuck’s chest softened as she thought about the beach, a look of longing crossing her face at the memory. Wishing she could experience the first time she’d gone to the beach again.

“And more.” She responded, her voice dropping to a whisper, a look of melancholy in her eyes.

“What was the best part?” Jisung continued his questioning as he gained pace nearly in front of her.

“Everything.” She breathed out, continuing “The wind pushing through my hair, the smell of salt, the sand that had been under my feet, the way the water flowed around me and the realisation I was no longer stuck.”

“How many times did you go?” Jisung pushed for further information gently, hand slowly rising to lightly brush against her elbow.

“Once.” Wrong question, unlucky for Jisung as it caused her to focus again as she stiffly continued “When you’re on the run you can’t afford to take the time for your wants just your needs.”

“You don’t have to run anymore, stay here, stay with us, with me.” He responded gently, his hand moved to hover over her waist but dared not to touch and intrude her personal space.

“You have no idea. The facility was up in chaos at losing all seven of you, yet with time you’ve become just a side mission to regain. But me? They’ll never stop looking. Escaping was freedom, but I’m never truly going to be free from them.” Her response hurt, it proved that she was still being searched for feverishly.

“We can still try.” Jisung rebutted, determined. Y/n letting a soft amused smile appear that didn’t quite reach her eyes as her free hand lifted to hover over his cheek. Jisung pushed his face against her palm, eyes fluttering shut finally feeling her familiar touch.

“I will try, but not with you all.” She answered bluntly, smiling, falling just like how her hand fell from Jisung’s face, his head tilting at the sudden disappearance of her soft hand.

“I want you all to feel it, what it feels like to have hope coursing through your veins only for it to be ripped out of your grasp and burned.” Her intentions were nothing but brutal yet justified.

Y/n moved her hand away from Donghyuck’s chest, his hand tugging at her wrist but she managed to break his grasp once again. Taking a step back.

“Don’t, Y/n. Don’t leave us.” Chenle who’d kept quiet this whole time spoke up, tears falling freely for anyone to see.

“It’s a little too late for me to leave you all, when your the ones who left me.”

With that she turned away from the seven men, intent on leaving with that but stilled open hearing the next words to come from behind her.

“I won’t let you leave like this.” His words sent an amused smile onto her lips, casting a glance over her shoulder.

“And how would you stop me? Your ability is useless in terms of trying to stop me from leaving, what are you going to do? Heal me?” Her words mocking Renjun who’d been the one to speak.

“Go back to watching your movie Renjun, go back to forgetting my existence that you all so easily were able to do the past two years.” Satisfied with her words she finally moved away from the living room. Renjun wondered how she had known the movie had been his choice, then again she seemed to always know those sorts of things even now.

The seven watched her fingers disappear down the hall, each wanting to follow after her yet it was as if they were glued to their spots, not able to chase after the one person they’d been so desperate to have back in their lives.

It was silent, Donghyuck and Jisung standing side by side while the others were still across the room. Everyone had to process what had just happened.

Jeno stood there, body stiff, muscles tensed as he watched her figure disappear, not being able to get a word out just like the crosswalk, it was happening all over again. Just as the last part of her turned the hallway corner his body snapped into motions running. His shoulder bumped into Jisung on his way, Donghyuck having to catch their younger off-balanced friend.

“Y/n!” Jeno yelled out in distress at losing her again, not knowing if he’d ever have the chance to see her again, to know she was okay, alive.

Rounding the corner still in a sprint only for the front door to click shut right in front of his face. Body slamming into the door messily having not slowed down.

Letting his head lean against the door for a split second, but this time he didn’t give in. He didn’t give up. Grabbing the door handle swinging it open almost violently, his eyes immediately found her figure walking down the apartment hallway.

Y/n leisurely clicked the button for the elevator, humming in satisfaction at the doors opening straight away for her, stepping in and clicking the ground floor without a second thought.

Her body leaned against the mirrored wall of the elevator as she watched the metal doors slowly close, just a gap left when two hands grabbed at the gap pushing against its weight. Body tensing as she figured out whose hands it was.

The elevator doors sensor automatically opens the metal doors revealing the person attempting to get in. Jeno.

“You can say you don’t want us, you can give up on us. But we aren’t giving up on you. I will forever regret leaving you that day, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try to make it up to you.” Jeno’s voice is full of determination, set in his ways.

“Either get into the elevator or leave, I have somewhere to be.” Y/n ignored his words, face hiding any emotion from his prying eyes.

Jeno’s jaw clenching at her unforgiving nature she’d developed. He knew he deserved it but he’d be stupid to let her walk away. To loss her a second and final time. Taking a second to breath he let his hands drop from the elevator doors to step inside.

Y/n tilting her head at his actions, watching him. Calculating his motives. He couldn’t help but let his mind wonder back to the days she looked at him with pure trust. Desperate for the day she’d look at him like that again, to see her eyes shine and twinkle.

“Where do you need to go? I’ll drive you there.” Jeno asked moving to stand next to her side by side.

Y/n holding back a laugh at this, moving her head slightly to be able to glance at Jeno who was already staring at her. She raised an eyebrow to show her amusement.

“You got your driver's license, how’s you manage that?” Y/n asked rhetorically not actually wanting to know.

“We went through a lot to get where we are, one of those things was driver's licenses. Though it took a while.” Jeno answered anyway before adding in “Where do you want me to drive you?”

“I don’t want you to drive me anywhere. You already know that.”

“And you know that I want to drive you to wherever you need to go, it’s safer than walking by yourself.” Jeno replied stubbornly.

“Don’t overstep Jeno, I will only warn you once.” Her response hurt but Jeno tried his best to ignore the pain in favour of watching her.

Their conversation had lasted the amount of time needed to get down to the ground floor, the elevator doors opening up at its slow leisure pace but Y/n had enough of a view to see what awaited them outside the elevator, a small tick of a smile on the corner of her lips.

Moving forward without a second though, Jeno having to process her actions seeing as the door hadn’t even fully opened. Y/n once the gap was open enough when through it and manicured gracefully through the small crowd that had formed to get into the elevator.

Jeno’s hand had flown upwards to grab at her, his fingertip brushing gently past her back, too far when she’d squeezed through the doors. Letting out a groan once the elevator doors opened fully, noticing the small crowd wondering what so many people were doing leaving work early on a Friday.

His body pushing forward moving through the crowd as his eyes scanned the apartment complex lobby managing to find Y/n by her green hair. Her head turned to send a smirk his way as she slipped out of the building.

Jeno pushed open the door five seconds later, the door not having closed properly as he’d caught up, hands flying to hold the back of his head as he realised she was nowhere in sight. Looking in all directions, sighing knowing fully well she was most likely watching him hidden away.

“I’ll find you, I’m going to prove to you that we need you, that you need us. Like it was supposed to be two years ago.” Jeno whispered to himself not wanting to draw attention to himself, anyone could be listening in.

Y/n knew it wasn’t a good idea to be in public, her emotions could snap at any moment. Abilities and high emotions never mixed well. It was the quickest way of losing control of her abilities yet her body moved as if on autopilot until she stood in front of a familiar store.

The Atiny Cafe.

Taking a deep breath in through her nose before releasing out her mouth slowly she regained her composure before grabbing the door handle and pushing her way inside, the bell ringing above her head just like the day before. Her gaze going upwards watching the vintage bell sway, distracted.

Yunho who’d been taking his apron off as his shift for the day ended looked up, a large puppy-like smile on his face noticing who’d shown up. Scrambling to tie his apron back around his waist.

“What are you doing? Weren’t you just telling me how glad you are that your shift is over?” San asked from where he leaned against the barista counter, the cherry red head wondering what had gotten into his friends head.

“What no I didn’t, go back in the break room and tie your apron properly, I’ll take one more customer.” Yuhno dismissed his friend and collegues words with a wave of his hand. Moving to check his hair in the window’s reflection before standing in front of the order counter.

San raised an eyebrow at his actions before looking over at the new customer who’d walked in before letting out a noise of realisation. He’d found out about the girl that had captured their second giant of their group's interest from Wooyoung.

“Oh the green haired chick is here that’s why.” He voiced out his thoughts causing him to earn a warning glare from his giant friends, causing San to hold his arms up in mock surrender before moving to go to the staff room.

“Hey Yuhno.” Her sudden sentence caused Yunho to nearly jump out of his skin, whipping his head around to face her having been distracted by San.

“You’re back! Uh, welcome back. What can I get you?” Yuhno’s smile turned soft, a warm and cozy atmosphere enveloping the two young adults.

“The same as yesterday but instead of the muffin, surprise me with something else.” Y/n replied relieved to finally get to think of something else today that didn’t include a certain seven guys.

“Sure, You can pay the same as yesterday.” Yunho replied as he started pressing her order into the system, taking her cash but before he could ask if she wanted the change back this time her manicured nail was already tapping on the tip jar.

“Right, I’ll bring it over when it’s ready.” Yunho explained like last time, having to hold back a fond look at her actions.

“Mm, does it include a chat again or is that an extra charge?” Y/n playfully asked, nails tapping against the counter absentmindedly.

“That’s free of charge, I’m feeling generous today.” Yuhno jokingly responded, finding it easy to be comfortable in her presence.

Y/n not replying this time instead she nodded, smile glued to her lips having not needed to force it this time as she turned to go to the booth she’d deemed to be her spot when visiting for the time being.

It hadn’t taken long for Yunho to go over to her table, placing her order down in front of her and slipping into the opposite side of the booth. Watching her take a sip of her drink first, finding it to be just as satisfying as the last time he’d watch her try his drinks.

“Can I know your name this time?” Yunho asked not even realising how bold his question had been until it had already slipped past his lips, ears reddening slightly.

Y/n sending him an amused smile past the rim of her cup. Setting it down she pondered over it allowing time to pass just to make him scrum a tiny bit.

“What’s your favourite type of bird?” Her out of place question caused Yunho to blink back at her.

“Pardon?”

“Your favourite bird. What is it?” She questioned again, her eyes shining, having fun.

“Doves, doves are my favourite type of bird.”

“What a surprising answer. You know doves stand for peace, love, new beginnings, fidelity, luck, prosperity and… freedom. It also is the bird that represents Aphrodite in Greek mythology or well in Roman mythology it’s Venus. There’s a lot more to them but I won’t ramble.” Y/n explained the meaning humans had put behind doves.

Yuhno listened, almost enamored by her words, her knowledge of the bird. Glad he’d chosen that one.

“How about this? You can call me dove, for now.” Y/n offered as she grabbed a cookie off her plate breaking it in half.

“Okay.” Yuhno nodded not minding the fact she had yet to give her name, the nickname was just as welcoming compared to not having anything to address her. But also because he couldn’t help but think the nickname suited her.

“Great, so Yuhno tell me how your shift went, maybe also why you are still working?” She asked while holding her hand out to give him one half of the cookie in her hand.

“Of course you noticed that.”

“I notice quite a lot of things, it’s just in my nature.”

Yunho moved to accept her offer, taking the piece of cookie while going into a terribly explained excuse of why he’d decided to work longer not wanting her to know it was because of her to begin with.

Y/n took her time walking back to her currently temporary residence. She’d decided to go to a hotel for once as she wasn’t going to be around for long. Hotels were more expensive and more likely to be looked into in their search for her. Usually she’d rent out a room somewhere for a while instead, but this time since it was a shorter time period than usual she’d decided against renting out a room.

Taking light steps towards the hotel she wasn’t as paranoid as she’d been attentive on her way there, not seeing anything suspicious in that time frame. Y/n made her way past the automatic doors into the lobby ignoring the plain and dull music they played over and over again.

Deciding to head straight to her room, taking the stairs instead of the elevator not wanting to be reminded of her latest conversation with a certain pink haired man. Getting to the fifth floor in no time and grabbing her key card from her jean pocket.

Getting inside, only letting her body relax properly when the door clicked shut, leaning against the door. She stared off into space in a daze replying the events that happened today.

It hadn’t gone like she wanted it to, she wasn’t exactly sure what she had wanted and would continue not to know. There had been so many things she’d wanted to say to each of them and all of them together but she couldn’t stand to be in the same room as them longer.

Y/n had to make peace with what she’d gotten in that little meeting they had instead, not wanting to do it ever again. Sliding down the door to give her legs a rest she wrapped her hands around herself as if to protect herself from the world, a habit she’d developed to make herself think she was safe.

With a groan, her head flew back gently knocking against the wooden door now very aware of the fact in her haste to leave the boys she’d forgotten her hoodie. Y/n had taken it off when she’d waited for them at their apartment having felt stuffy with it on. That hoodie was a good one too, oversized for fashion but mainly she’d bought it for comfort.

“I’ll get a new one some other time.” She muttered to herself, there was no point in crying about the hoodie she wouldn’t get back any time soon or ever.

Her eyes traveled over her hotel room, even though she had room service and cleaners the do not disturb sign was always placed on her door handle outside preferring to grab the food from outside the door and clean up after herself, untrusting of people being where she’d sleep. Making her bed was something burned into her mind since she was a child, it would feel wrong letting someone else do it anyway.

Her eyes stopped at the desk where a plastic bag sat, her lips twitched knowing what was inside it. She’d bought it after all. It was hair dye. A habit she’d developed as a way to continue moving by unnoticed, unfamiliar to those around her.

She’d already had the plastic bag sitting on the desk for two days now, having wanted to change her hair colour two weeks ago, not having gotten around to it. But this would be a welcoming distraction.

Later when the sky was dimming she stood in front of the desk hands untying the knot of the bag to pull out the dye. Scowling down at the colour choice now. A lot of bleach as she prior wanted to go for white, now her thoughts flew to a particular person who currently had said hair colour.

Shutting her eyes knowing fully well it would be a waste of time popping down to the convenient store at this time of night. She’d just go through with dying her hair white and lather on a different colour on top later on when there was time.

Not noticing the frost travel over her window as she walked past towards the bathroom to get started on doing her hair, knowing now was the time to do so as she would not be graced with sleep. All the while thinking of the seven people she didn’t want in her mind.

Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: @rotinyzen @wonyoungmywife @snflwrhaerecs4u @thegreenlynx @serinebsblog @delululi @bubusebu @hanniehq @bunnychui @molensworld @morkiee

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haepii · 1 year

Text

Metanoia | NJM (01)

(n.) the art of changing one’s perspective

Pairing: Na Jaemin + Fem!Reader

Genre: Werewolf!AU, Supernatural!AU, Fantasy!AU, Romance, Drama, Angst

Series: Main Navi, Neo Culture Pack Series Masterlist, Limerence, next part

Warnings: Violence, Gore, Mentions/Use of Weapons (I.e., swords, daggers, knives), Mentions of Blood, graphic depictions of Murder/Blood, Werewolves (if you don’t like it, leave), Mentions of bones cracking/breaking, Mentions of witches/witchcraft, mentions of vampires/fae, mentions of werewolves (duh), Jealous/Controlling Behavious (I do not condone these behaviours in real life, but obviously this work is pure fiction and so are the characters in it even if they are based off real people), dark themes, mentions/depictions of trauma/symptoms of PTSD/Anxiety/other mental illnesses, angst, mentions of superpowers/witchcraft/etc. (for anyone who has beliefs against this), reader has feminine qualities and fem pronouns/descriptors

WC: 9.6K

Taglist: @peepsibo @seajae @thesunsfullmoon @suhappysuho @traint0tokyo @niinjo

NOTE: for the readers of Jisung's series, I thank you for all the support but I must advise that this series takes a much darker route from Part 1 so PLEASE read this series at your discretion. This series includes much darker themes that some of the other series do and takes on a more tragic tone, please DNI if any of the warnings above trigger you, for parts with more graphic depictions there will be excessive warnings and warnings during the parts where it gets excessively dark.

Additionally, I wanted to mention the release date of this series being so far from Limerence. As some may know, I have just completed my senior year of highschool in the last few weeks, so the writing of this first part took place over months and months in the background of schoolwork/final exams. I once again want to thank you all for the patience you've had for this series finally being released.

Without further commentary, enjoy the teaser and get ready to step back into the weird and whimsical world of the Neo Culture Pack. If you haven't yet read Jisung's series, it is recommended you read it first (as this is a series of series, and this series is the second in reading order, interchangeable with Kalon (Mark's series). However, as of right now I plan to release them in seperate stints (or after I've released 5-8 parts of this series), so pretty much how I did the release of Jisung's on its own. – Grace <3 :)

Ten Years Earlier…

“Jeno!”

Jaemin yelled, searching the remains of the pack house, as he waded through the bodies of massacred pack members that lined the floors beneath his feet. His hands were covered in blood, and he could not recall whether it was his own or somebody else’s, but he felt determined to find Jeno. Something inside him told him that his twin brother was still alive.

Images of the moments before flashed in the young boy’s mind. He remembered everything; his mother’s kiss to his forehead as she hid him in the attic, the desperation in her voice when she told him not to leave until she came to find him, and her cries for Jeno when she’d desperately left to reunite the twins amidst the Slayers’ attack. The irony of it all was, perhaps, that his mother never had the chance to return to him and lead him out of the attic. Instead, Jaemin staggered out of the attic when he realised he was alone.

Now he found himself in the kitchen, defeated and alone, he now prayed by some miracle of the moon goddess that his brother was alive. “Jeno… it’s me, Jaemin. We’re alone, we don’t have to hide anymore.”

A loud creak sounded, and out from the pantry stepped Jeno, who ran to his brother and hugged him tightly. There was a long silence before Jaemin pulled away and Jeno dared to ask with a dread-filled tone. “Where’s Mother?”

Not being given the chance to form an answer, Jeno felt his stomach sink when the sound of wary footsteps filled the room. The elder of the two, Jeno, barely had time to pull the young into his former hiding place. Jeno didn’t register the voice at first, the only sound registering in his ears was the pounding of his heart.

“Jaemin? Are you in here?” The voice was distraught and broken, just like they were. Clinging to the hope of a familiar face. Chaeyoung continued into the kitchen, clutching at her wounds, praying by some miracle of the moon goddess that she was not alone. She also prayed that she was not sinking into insanity, that Jaemin’s voice was not a trick of her mind or desperation.

It was only when she came into the eyeline of the boys, tears streaming down her face as she collapsed against the side of the stone countertop, clutching at her thigh. She must’ve been hallucinating, she’d lost a lot of blood, but she could swear on the last inch of her life that she’d heard Jaemin’s voice. As if it was her last hope, she let out a final mumble. “Jaemin… please tell me you’re here… I don’t want to die alone.”

The younger brothers rushed forward out from the pantry, and into the debris-littered kitchen to their eldest cousin, the daughter of Beta Min. Their father was the Alpha, their uncle the Beta, and three of them, the twins and their cousin were to be the future of the Blood Moon pack. That was until the massacre. Throwing their arms around her, they let her sob into their shoulders, both Jeno and Jaemin grateful that she was with them.

“We’re the only one’s left…” Chaeyoung sobs out, partially with relief that she was not alone, partially with sorrow that their family was mostly dead, but mostly with fear. It was only them now, Chaeyoung had only freshly turned 18 and was set to begin her travels to find her mate. The twins were learning to phase into their wolves, not even older than 10. “We’re no longer safe here. We need to leave.”

Jaemin does not hesitate to ask, but instead looks to Chaeyoung for any answers she may have. “Where’s our mother?”

At the mention of her Aunt, Chaeyong closed her eyes tightly, in an effort to keep the blood scene from her mind. She recalled it all as clear as she’d seen it with her own eyes. How, in her final moments her Aunt, the twins’ mother, had made her promise to keep them safe. Their mother had made her niece promise to find them, go as far away as possible and to never return. “I found her in your father’s office… she’s–”

Jeno cuts off that sentence, not wanting to hear it for himself. Sadness filled his voice. “You don’t have to say it. We know.”

There was a long and sad silence that overcame the group, but the feeling that they would never be able to return here made Chaeyoung find her courage once again. She was the first to speak, and her voice had taken on the same tone of her aunt’s when she’d told her sons that she would come back from them. For some reason, it made the brothers trust their cousin more than they ever had. “Look… I have a friend, the alpha of a pack not too far from here. It's only a few days’ journey, but it's not an easy one. He’s the only one I am certain will take us in with no questions asked, but I need you to listen to me. Can you boys do that?”

They nod, and without question, turn to listen to her. She pauses for a moment, shifting her bleeding leg slightly. With a pained voice she mumbled out. “I need you boys to phase… and follow my lead.”

The journey had taken weeks, weeks of fighting off hunger, hiding from rogues and running for their lives. Chaeyoung was right when she had said it would not be easy. Not for her or the boys who followed her in their small wolf forms. Yet, here they stood, at the entrance to the Neo Culture pack house. She registers the scent before she registers the commanding presence of Taeyong before her.

The smell of citrus and jasmine filling her nose from the young man, freshly 18 standing on the stairs as he looks at her with the same glowing eyes. She didn’t care what would happen to her, or that her dress was tattered and her hair was wet and dripping onto the marble tiles beneath her, she only cared about the Beta standing on the stairs with the blue glowing eyes, who smells like citrus and jasmine. She instinctively finds herself moving towards him, letting go of the two boys who clung to her. They met in the middle, colliding like magnets as she looked up at him, only uttering one word with the utmost happiness in her voice. “Mate…”

Eight Years Later…

A silence fell over the Dominyen royal court. Queen Iseul barely hid her sobs, as her husband, King Minhyung spoke over the crowd of the twelve Dominyen Noble houses and their lieges, the slayers who did their bidding against the werewolf packs on their lands. “Prince Baekhyun has been found guilty of the murder of Lady Eunbi, his Erasthai and betrothed. It is according to our ancient customs that he must be sentenced to death to pay for his most unforgivable crime.”

Your breath hitched as you turned to your father from your smaller throne two rows down from his and your mother’s seats at the head of the court. Feeling the calming hand of your Novicitai, Yeona on your arm you turned to face her, yet her efforts to block out the overwhelming betrayal and grief your mother felt, combined with the fear of watching her only son’s execution was all in vain. Your stomach sank at the thought of having to feel the moment your brother died, the brother you held so dear. The brother, who for many years had been the reason you’d never have to face the burden of the crown, and the reason you’d never have to place duty over love. Baekhyun, your brother would be sentenced to death and you would have to watch his execution before your own eyes.

The court remains silent as Yeona looks to her mother, who stood beside your own mother, a soothing hand on her shoulder. She grips your hand like a soothing vice and whispers into your ear. “You cannot look away. If you do… they’ll all know.”

The marble floors of the royal courtroom open and a platform rises, holding your brother in chains with his head against a chopping block and the executioner with his pure Dominyen silver axe. Your eyes fill with tears as Baekhyun remains still. Your father speaks with authority over the court once again. “May justice be served.”

Your eyes remained transfixed on a single spot on the marble tiles, not looking at the execution but not looking away. You grip Yeona’s hand with such force that your knuckles are white and her hand is purple. As the executioner raises his axe, tears fall from your cheeks. The nobles are on the edge of their seats, some with opera glasses pressed right up to their eyes, others watching in shock.

The axe lowers, you jolt slightly, feeling the fear then the piercing pain as if the sword had sliced through your own neck and chopped off of your head. Your mother lets out a cry that shatters the silence in the court before she is ushered out by her Novicitai, Yeona’s mother. You raised a hand to your neck, the feeling of your brother’s death still lingering in the back of your mind. Your eyes avoid the scene of the floor being lowered once again, before your father speaks.

“It is with the best interests of our realms at heart, that I present to you my heir, Princess (Y/N), the council’s delight and the future Queen of Dominyens.” You rise from your seat, dropping Yeona’s hand as you step forward onto the balcony before you, eyeing the hundreds of nobles and representatives. Within moments, they all bend the knee to you, swearing their loyalty to you as your father’s successor.

Two Years Later, Present Day…

“Three months? Three months! Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Yeona grumbled, shaking you awake as she entered your room. Crossing over to your dresser, she began to pull out all of the clothes she could stuff into your duffle bag, while you got up from your bed. You’d supposed the near two years of running had been in vain, judging by the bare walls of your room in the college share house you’d manage to manipulate your way into.

“You’d think after two years they’d stop.” You could feel the waves of Yeona’s stress wash over you, and it ate at you. Her feelings slowly ebbed at you, as if your stomach was a sinkhole and it was gradually collapsing on itself. The curiosity ebbed at you, and you couldn’t help but ask, your voice no louder than a whisper. “Rogues or Guardians?”

“They’ll never stop, you’re too important, you know that. It's only Guardians, nothing we can’t handle.” Her voice sounded strong, and hid her emotions well. If you didn’t have the ability of feeling and influencing the physical and mental pain of others, you’d never have guessed her inner turmoil. Either way, her efforts to conceal her emotions would be in vain, after all, she was bonded to you as a Novicitai like her mother was to your own mother. Her emotions were your’s, as your’s were her’s.

“Baekhyun was important…”

Yeona paused her movements, and turned her attention from the array of her silver weapons in front of her to you, as you packed all the essentials into her purse. You could feel the hesitation, the mental pause before she stammered over her words. “Baekhyun was… well, he didn’t align with their values.”

“... and we do?” You looked at her, almost challenging her for a moment. For once you wanted to stop running, the whole reason you agreed to leave was not only because you feared the crown, but you feared the institution itself. The institution, under which your father so willingly watched and forced his wife and daughter to watch his own son publicly beheaded for a crime that… he may not have committed. You could tolerate the arranged Erasthai pairings, and the fanfare… but the killing, the public executions of family members. You drew the line at that.

If you thought about that day long enough, that feeling still lingered. The excitement of the nobles, the horror of your mother, the blade slicing through his neck, the fear… all of it. There were still nights when Yeona had to wake you from the nightmares, or face seeing them herself through your mental bond. You needed to leave, there was no other option.

Snapping you out of your thoughts, Yeona spoke with her usual calm and reserved voice but she now moved with more urgency as the Guardians outside were growing in numbers and it would be increasingly difficult to escape as morning drew closer. “I don’t, you do… and if you don’t, it doesn’t matter because they don’t care who you are as long as you can be who they want you to be.”

“Do you remember our drills?” She asks, handing you your duffle bag, which was stuffed to the brim with every personal and essential item you had. You tried to recall all the times Yeona had awoken you in the night, it was on random nights, but each time it was the same.

Get to the car, stay low, lock the doors, and wait for Yeona. It was clear her regimented training to be your sworn protector, and a Guardian still played a major factor in her personality. She always had to keep you on your toes, and keep herself fit. You still remember the jobs she’d gotten as a vet science student and a vet nurse. Funnily enough, animals never really seemed to like Novices, Guardians, or Slayers for that matter. They only seemed to like royal Dominyens. You’d supposed wherever you found yourself next would be the same. You’d be enrolled in high school, playing the role of a quiet loner and keeping a low profile. Yeona would be your older sister and ‘legal’ guardian as your parents were abusive, out of the picture, dead, or some other cover story. It was the same every time.

“I remember.” You answer with a small nod, pulling on a hoodie, and chucking its hood over your head. Yeona nodded, handing you your duffle and her purse. You could feel the pressure she felt, or more accurately, placed on herself. She gave you a small reassuring smile, though deep down you knew it was only for her benefit. “Good. It’ll be okay, alright? No pressure, but if they even suspect it’s you, we are totally fucked.”

“Right, no pressure.” You let a small smile come onto your face, trying to ease the situation. Yeona sighs and looks at you. You don’t feel it at first, but underneath all that tension, there is the flicker of amusement that you always manage to pull from her in moments like these.

She opens her arms slightly with a small giggle as you hug her tightly. She mumbles into your hair, as she squeezes you tight. “You need to remember what we’re running from to remember why we’re running in the first place. I promise you, this time will be different. No more running.”

“I know.” You say, the sweet moment you had just shared taking on a sombre tone. She’d always say there’d be no more running, and though you appreciate the sentiment, you just knew it couldn’t be true. She’d say this everytime, and everytime it would end the same. It is an endless game of cat and mouse. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Stay safe.” She mumbles into your hair, and you can feel the anxiety coming off of her in waves, and you can’t help but take the edge off. Slowly feeling her anxiety calming, you gather all of the stuff you’d carry down to the car parked in the alley below. The alley littered with Guardians.

No pressure, you’d thought to yourself, as you slung your duffle over your shoulder and Yeona’s obnoxiously large purse over your arm. Opening the door to the hallway of the boarding house, you slowly began to walk down the stairs. It was early morning, and you knew for a fact the only person who would be awake was the creepy gamer across the hall. It was dead silent, and in a way peaceful. Yet, this peace provided you no relief to the gut feeling that plagued you every time you had to run.

Maybe it was the rush of knowing Guardians wait in the alleyway just down the stairs and out the back door. Maybe it was the fact that Yeona had never pulled off one of her schemes against more than three Guardians, and by the way she felt, you knew there were more. Yet, maybe… deep down, you knew this would be the last time you’d ever see Yeona, because maybe it wouldn’t work this time, and maybe you’d have to admit defeat and face your duties. That thought felt like stabbing in your chest, the thought of having to give up Yeona, who in many ways, was like a sister to you, who’d been through so much for you. You couldn’t let this plan fall through, not this time.

You walked down the last few steps, and made it to the back door with relative ease. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Yeona out the window, preparing her distraction. Gulping down the lump in your throat, you headed out the door, and down the path to where the old car, an early 2000’s Toyota Camery, Yeona had bought a year back had been parked. Opening the passenger side door, you get in, and the second you close the door, you lock it and shove the bags you’d been carrying into the back seat. Out of anxiety, you tighten the strings of your hoodie as Yeona ran over to the car.

Opening the door, and jumping in she locked the car, before you could even blink she had her foot on the accelerator. She looked mad, yet you continued to stay low in your seat, for fear of being seen, or being identified by the guardians. “They had samples of me too. They’re upping their game.”

You knew what this meant. Typically, royal Dominyens were bound to a Novice, or Guardian, who became their sworn protectors, like a friend or, better put, a sibling. This bond was called a Novicitai, expanding both from the physical aspect and to the mental. The bond had used to be common back in ancient times, when werewolves were savage creatures and blood witches had yet to be overthrown by elemental witches. However, as the supernatural world began to evolve into its modern form of diplomacy, the council, the bond had almost entirely faded out with evolution.

After Baekhyun’s execution, the Novicitai bond between yourself and Yeona had been unlocked. Through this bond, there were times where Yeona could see through your eyes, and into your mind without being born with your power. Among other things, she could feel your emotions, and channel your power if you were injured and needed her protection. Without the bond, the blood of a Dominyen royal was needed to activate this, thus the need for a blood sample. Your stomach sank.

Yet, it was not Yeona they were after. They were after you and your gifts granted to you by the Goddess Athena at birth, was both a blessing and a curse. The power to heal both physical and mental wounds at the expense of your own health made you powerful, but your power to feel the emotions and pain of others made you unstable. In many ways you were a powerful, but unreliable successor to the Dominyen throne.

“Good news is, there was a coven of slayers annihilated recently by a wolf pack in a town only a few hours from here. I could get you set up at the high school in that town, and there’s a university in the town over.” Yeona paused her words. She seemed optimistic enough about this prospect, and even though your eyes were shut from fatigue, you still felt the warmth of her optimism flowing through you. She continued in an even more positive tone. “If we up our game… the wolf pack might not even notice we’re there. We could be normal and make friends. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yeah… but how would we up our game?” You ask, noticing how she seemed to hesitate over your question. She knew the Guardians had upped their game, and had begun finding you two in increasingly shorter time spans of previous interactions. At first it took eight months, then six, five and four. Now it only took three months.

Yeona frowned, looking out at the motorway ahead of you. “I’ll have to think about it. You just focus on getting some sleep, okay?”

With a pat to your knee she continued down the motorway, and for some reason you just knew everything would work out. It had to, you’d put your life on the line for two years, and you, much like Yeona, thought it was time to enjoy your newfound freedom. Besides, what was a climb without enjoying the view?

The sun flooding in from the car windows lured you from the depths of sleep. Yeona didn’t notice you were awake for a few moments, before she mumbled out. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

“Morning.” You smiled softly, shifting up in your seat so you could see your surroundings. To your surprise, Yeona was pulling into a roadside diner, one of the ones that served the greasy but hearty breakfasts, and what she really needed, coffee. You didn’t notice it at first, but her fatigue hit you like a tsunami, and you had to brace yourself for a moment. “Woah, Yeona, let me.”

As you reached your hand out to give her some energy at the expense of your own, she softly caught your wrist. Shaking her head, she gave you a stern look. She was always like this, stern but meaning well. “No, not when you’re on an empty stomach and not when I’m driving.”

“It’s just energy.” You say with a small laugh, taking the hood off of your head and rolling up the sleeves of your hoodie.

Yeona shook her head, pulling the handbrake of the car and looking over at you with a worried look. “Energy that you need, too. After you eat, I’ll let you do it then.”

“Okay.” You sigh, pulling yourself from the car. You’d deny it to Yeona, but stretching your limbs felt amazing. You walked slowly to the entrance of the diner, Yeona having already made it into the restaurant in the first place, most likely to get a booth. Walking through the door, and sitting across from Yeona, you find her already drinking from a pot of coffee she’d ordered.

“You better look at the menu, she’ll be coming back to take our order soon.” She gives you a small smile, and you can tell she immediately feels better after drinking her coffee. It’s as if she didn’t even need the energy you so readily offered to give her. “Also, I’ve already enrolled you in the highschool there, so they’re expecting us to get your uniform this afternoon.”

“That was quick…” You let out a breathy laugh, reading over the menu as you did.

Yeona looks up from her own menu, as she mumbles out, careful not to have any prying ears of potential other supernatural creatures listening in. “I’ve been planning this move for a few weeks now. The annihilation of that coven was inevitable and their extinction has not yet been registered with the council. Technically, we could pose as the holders of their territory for a while. It’s a somewhat long-term solution.”

Most of the time, you trusted Yeona with this sort of thing, but something about this wolf pack felt off, like something big would happen that would change everything, and you didn’t think you wanted anything to change. You liked things the way they were. “I know you call these shots… but I was meaning to tell you that I think this whole overlapping territory thing with the werewolves… they’ll eventually notice. It’s too risky.”

“If we blend in then maybe… it’d work out.” Yeona raises her mug to her lips and takes a long sip of the scalding coffee.

“Blending in hasn’t been doing much good for us these past few times.” You try to reason, and though it is out of concern, you sense Yeona’s sadness and betrayal at the fact that you don’t seem to fully trust her on this.

“Well, maybe we’d blend in more if you made friends, and you’ll be able to at this new place. The office lady, Mrs. Min said that they have a very welcoming top student and sophomore head girl to give you a tour on your first day tomorrow.” She tries to sound convincing, but you don’t get the chance to respond before the waitress is walking over.

“G’morning ladies, what would y’all like to order?” She asked, her voice laid on thick with the ‘customer service’ persona she was presenting.

“Bacon and eggs please.” Yeona gave the girl a tight-lipped smile. It was clear she wanted to keep interactions with the waitress to a minimum, and you thought it best to follow her lead. You supposed it was because you still weren’t far enough from any overlapping territories with your location.

“Make that two.” You added with a soft smile.

“Anythin’ else?”

“Uh… maybe another pot of coffee.” Yeona suggested, looking at you for any confirmation. You nodded enthusiastically and turned back to smile at the waitress.

“Comin’ right up!” The girl smiled, and walked off back to the kitchen.

Yeona turned to you as silence fell over the near empty diner, with the other patrons being an elderly couple down the other hall of booths, and a truck driver sitting at the counter. “This will be a good start for us. I promise. Plus the flat I rented out is a major upgrade. It’s just a matter of finding a job now.”

A silence falls over the pair of you in the minutes it takes for your food to be delivered. You can almost feel Yeona’s emotional drain. As you began to eat your greasy but hearty breakfast, it didn’t even cross your mind to break the peaceful silence that befell over your booth. Now that you came to reflect on it, you were both sick of running.

The anxiety of always being found and having to skip out on normal teenage girl experiences had left you without anything to enjoy. All of this running, hiding and keeping a low profile–in many respects–had been for nothing. Part of you felt that, maybe you didn’t get to have those experiences because you were, in fact, not a normal teenage girl. You never could be from the get-go, because you were not a mortal, and no amount of wishing you were would make it so. Yet, you wanted to be.

The harsh reality you faced was that you wanted to be mortal, human, and free. Oh, to be free. You’d do anything for the privilege of being free. Free from the running. Free from the fear of being taken back to the gilded cage you inhabited by the people who wouldn’t stop looking for you. Lastly, you wanted to be free from the anxiety you felt every time you closed your eyes, for your fear of the nightmares that plagued you.

You couldn’t help but air the thought that constantly plagued your mind every time you moved again. “What if we have to run again?”

And, just like every time, Yeona placed a soothing hand on top of your own and looked deep into your eyes, and with a grave tone she gave you a reassuring smile; “I will make sure that we won’t have to.”

“I can’t believe I agreed to ask one of the Min twins so that we would be able to spend time together at this stupid dance tonight.” Jeno’s expression was painful, his voice may have been even more painful. Though most teen boys would froth at the mouth to even snag a date with one of the hottest twins in school, neither Jeno nor Jaemin seemed to care. Hana gave the muscular, much larger boy a scathing look. The dance tonight was supposed to be fun, but at the daunting thought of having to deal with one of the Min twins the entire night… he was filled with dread. “What? They’re insufferable.”

“That’s one word for it.” Jaemin scoffed out in agreement. While these girls were insufferable, they were still highly attractive, and many would say that it was almost expected for Jeno and Jaemin to ask them in the first place as the hottest boys in school, and respective captains of the Basketball and Wrestling teams.

“You guys are being mean. Micha and Nari are lovely.” Hana took a long sip of her black coffee, sinking into the cardigan she had wrapped around her as Jisung wrapped his arm behind her seat. Though she still wasn’t fully recovered, no one could deny how much progress she’d made, enough for Nayeon to allow her to go to the dance that night.

“No, because for once I agree with the twins.” Ryujin spoke, her mouth full of scrambled eggs and bacon, but nonetheless understood by the group at the breakfast table.

“I agree with Hana.” Renjun did not even need a moment to think of his stance now that the topic of discussion was on the Min twins and not how Hana was recovering or even the mere topic of mates. Though everyone knew that the topic of mates was… touchy for Renjun, the normally calm Beta had never found his mate, as far as the pack knew. Though, anytime the topic was brought up, he’d grow distant.

“Your opinion is irrelevant, you always agree with Hana.” Ryujin stated, as if she was the judge in a courtroom. Before Jisung could even move to defend Renjun, the feisty Beta pointed her finger at him. “Jisung, before you even say it we know you’re Switzerland and are, therefore, irrelevant in this conversation.”

“They’re nice to my beautiful and amazing girlfriend. So, they’re fine by me.” Jisung turned to Hana with a smile, who turned back to him for a moment, her coffee mug now resting on her knee, that was now propped up to her chest as she sat at the table. She gave the much taller boy a small peck on the lips.

“Irrelevant! He’s pussy-whipped.” Ryujin once again spoke as if she was the deciding factor on relevance, but then feigned vomiting with a vulgar gesture as her best friend once again leaned in to kiss Jisung, which had left Chenle laughing hysterically like a dolphin, even if his first instinct was to react the same as her.

“Fine! What makes them so terrible?” Jisung teasingly smiled at Ryujin pulling Hana closer to him as he spoke.

Simply enough, Ryujin gave him her answer. “They’re bitches.”

“To who?” Hana replied, as if it was a way to defend the Min twins who were not there to defend themselves. Even when everything she was told about someone was negative she still tried to see the best in them, even if it meant going against her best friend.

Ryujin’s expression had changed at that moment. No longer did she look like she enjoyed speaking to Hana as much as she’d done in the moments prior. She looked hurt and her expression resembled that of a kicked puppy. She could long hold in her thoughts, so they tumbled out in her overly-emotional rambling. “Me! And they’re far dumber than me, too! Any conversation of substance with them is about boys and gossip. Beyond that, they’re as shallow as a kiddy pool and they’re only care in life is when they’re gonna get their next mani-pedis. Oh! And they talk in sync and it makes me want to fuck myself gently with a chainsaw.”

“That just about sums it up.” Jeno agreed with a short laugh, scruffing Ryujin’s hair slightly, earning him a glare from her.

“We’re in for a painful night.” Jaemin agreed, even though it was his idea to begin with. If he was anyone else, Jeno would have probably punched him by now. Too caught up in their fates, neither Jaemin nor Jeno caught the incredulous look Hana had given Ryujin.

“Don’t look at me like that, Hana. We all knew I never was Mother Theresa. Even before… I became a werewolf.” Her voice was pitiful and almost whiney in tone, before it changed into a laugh, and she was consumed with giggles. She had to take a moment to compose herself, before raising her hands as a sign of peace, trying not to offend her packmates. “Sorry, I can never take myself seriously when I say it...”

Hana’s expression does not change, instead she sighs and takes another long sip of her coffee, before she speaks again. “Well… I form my own opinions on things.”

Sometimes Ryujin had to admit Hana wasn’t the easiest to be best friends with. She was perfect and every flaw Ryujin had was magnified when she was placed next to Hana. She would never be smart enough, never have a boyfriend perfect enough, never fit into the pack where she was clearly unwanted. Those were her deepest, darkest thoughts. She’d never air them, of course, Areum wouldn’t allow it. Or… maybe Areum would, after all, her sister seemed to have a clear favourite in Hana over herself. Nevertheless she opts for a light-hearted smile. “Well… clearly you’re not a totally unreliable source, since you have us.”

The drive had been long and quiet, with a thick yet comfortable silence. The once sunny morning had turned into a rather grim and rainy afternoon. As the beat up Toyota Camery drove down the lush and green highway, you found yourself watching the raindrops race down the window.

Out of nowhere, Yeona had broken the silence, just as she took the nearest exit off of the highway. Her focus still on the road, her proposal sounded more like an order than it did a question. She didn’t bother asking your opinion on the matter. “We’ll head over to the school tonight.”

“Okay.” You sigh. It had always become like this between the two of you when you had to move. Probably because every time you had to outrun them, you’d always swear it was the last time, though that statement never seemed to age well.

The drive only seemed to near an end as you began to see the mountain range in sight, shrouded in thick fog, and covered in dark green, lush trees. You could almost smell the earthy pine and rain from inside the car, and it seemed to enthral you for no apparent reason. Yeona could feel this excitement that had suddenly brewed within you.

It wasn’t long until she had turned down a side street, and pulled into a small parking lot, filled with other cars, most of them trucks, one camper van parked next to another truck. This town seemed to be the retiree’s dream, as you’d gathered from the walking distance of most places to this one apartment building.

Yeona pulled the keys from the ignition and smiled slightly at the humble apartment building before you. “Welcome to our new home.”

Yeona soon got out of the car, and made her way to the reception desk that sat behind a small sliding door. This building was not student accommodation, like your previous places had been, it was long-term rentals that were across four blocks of units with a central courtyard. It was humble, but nice. It didn’t take long for Yeona to walk out with the keys to the new apartment, and despite the raindrops setting into her hair, she yanked the door open and sat down in the drivers’ seat. “What are you thinking?”

“That this town isn't half-bad.” You turned to her with a small smile.

“Me too.”

She returned your smile, and then glanced back at all of your stuff littering the back seat of the car. You looked at her, and despite your mental fatigue you gave her a smile. “Where to now?”

“Well, the building manager had said that we should try Benny’s Beans cafe just a short walk down the main street.” She answered over the sound of the rain droplets slapping against the windshield and windows.

“And then?”

She lets out a sigh, knowing this would be the lesser of the two you would want to do. She knew you well enough to know that people, specifically people’s emotions, were bound to come in-clutch with school life. Ironically, it was something you wanted to avoid, feeling the emotions of others knowing you could not fix it, as mortals did not take kindly to things they did not understand. Specifically, the abilities you and others like you possessed. “We still need to go down to the school to finalise your enrolment and get your uniform all sorted for tomorrow.”

“Let’s do it, then. The school, then the Cafe.” You sighed, the dread filling you as Yeona started the car. It was going to be a long trip to the school, and you couldn’t shake the feeling of dread and excitement that had built inside you. It was a feeling that could only be described as impending doom, but maybe it wasn’t doom, because you did not feel damned. You only knew something was coming towards you, steadfast and at top speed.

The drive to the school was silent, rainy, and long enough that it had come to a slight sunset. It was hardly 5pm, but it was clear the town was ready to kickstart the evening early. One thing that was clear to the both of you was that this town had no night life, and the school dance was on that night. From the girls in pretty dresses to the boys, who had their hair slicked back and wore dress shirts. It was clear that the teens of the town had an event on, happening to fall at the same time as you were getting started. Maybe that is what you were dreading, the school dance that meant you’d have to pass your future classmates on your way to the administration office.

With a sigh, you found yourself getting out of the car before Yeona, and heading over to the main building. You turned back to the car, the slight drizzle of raindrops had begun to soak into your hoodie, that you impulsively zipped up to your chest. Raising your eyebrows you yelled out at the car, hoping she’d hear you from the piece or scrap metal that was her Toyota Camery. “Well, aren’t you coming?”

With a sigh, she gets out of the car, crossing her arms over her body, and her leather jacket now collecting the small raindrops that rolled down from her shoulders, not quite absorbing into the jacket. Her voice holds a level of caution and authority that she had only ever used when she felt you were in danger. “Let’s go.”

Her voice alone had told you everything you needed to know. This school was not entirely safe, and coming here was a definite risk, when you hadn’t had much of a chance to start ‘blending in’. At the wave of conflict that washed over you from her, you knew that she felt it was essential for this to be done today. Otherwise, the school would suspect you, and the prominent presence of a very powerful werewolf pack in this town, in every facet of its community, meant that she had to ensure all went smoothly.

“We’ll have to keep this brief.” She says with a curt voice, before smiling at some passers by, a couple of teenagers who were dressed to the nines. You could feel their excitement and butterflies, knowing from that alone it was most likely their first school dance.

Your eyes fluttered around the groups of people, landing on one particular large group. You saw the group, only about twelve dance-goers, and the rest being family. You could feel the annoyance of a few members of the group, and the complete love and adoration of a pair standing slightly off to the side. A girl in a sparkly blue dress, and a very tall, lanky boy with golden brown hair wearing a button-down shirt and dress pants. However, their feelings were short-lived in your mind when Yeona began pulling you towards the administration office.

“Hi, dears. You must be Yeona, called earlier is that correct?” The plump middle-aged office lady smiled. She was dressed in a bead-embellished blouse and wore a deep brown lipstick coupled with cheeks that were heavily coated in a pink cream blush. You noted that she too would be joining in the school dance festivities after you’d been and gone.

Yeona gave the woman a smile and a nod, holding you close by the arm, and though you sensed her unease, she still rubbed soothing circles on your forearm with her thumb. “Yes, thank you so much for taking the time to organise (Y/N)’s emergency enrolment.”

“That’s not a problem, Hon. I know how hard it is in a situation like your’s. I’ve organised our head girl, Hana, to give her a tour first thing tomorrow. It’ll be a later start due to the dance, it should be all on the school’s app.” The woman gave you a warm smile, before handing a small flyer to Yeona, and gesturing to the QR code as she mentioned the school’s app.

Yeona gave the woman a nod and tucked the flyer into her pocket. “Right, thanks for reminding me. I’ll have to download that.”

Pausing for a moment, the woman had positioned herself at her computer and began to type uncannily loud, akin to a receptionist. “So you are the legal guardian of (Y/N), correct?”

“Yes. I am her older sister. Bad family home, living together now. Court ruling a few months ago.” Yeona’s tone seemed to grow sadder, and knowing her performance you seemed to sadden your expression too, but not laying it on too thick as to be noticeable to the office lady.

“I am so sorry about your situation, girls. We’ll do our very best to be accommodating for your situation.” The office lady, or Mrs. Min, as you read from her name badge, had placed her slightly wrinkled hand atop your own.

“Thank you, Mrs. Min. I very much appreciate your kind words.” You gave her a small, sad smile, the best one you could muster, before pulling your hand out from under her.

The woman gave you a small smile. “It is a pleasure, my dear. So, uniform, timetable, textbooks and locker…”

The trip to the school ended as quickly as it had started, and by the time you had left, less students lingered in the parking lot, but the group from earlier remained taking photos from the school’s lookout point of the mountain range, the school itself sitting on one of the mountains that was smaller in front of the main range, where majority of the town was built.

Walking past the group to get to Yeona’s car, you felt eyes burn into you. Though you managed to ignore it, focusing more on how the wind blew hair into your face than the eyes burning into your side profile. It seemed as though you didn’t need to dread anything, all seemed well.

Even though the dread you felt had left you for the evening, a new onset of the feeling washed over you the following morning. This day seemed to arrive too quickly for your liking, but as you sat up, you saw your uniform, ironed and clean, hanging on your wardrobe door. You let yourself smile slightly, seeing a heart-shaped sticky note attached to the door, next to your hanging uniform.

Walking over to the wardrobe across from your bed, that was nothing special, just an ikea bed frame and mattress provided by the landlord. You pulled the note from the door, looking over Yeona’s loopy handwriting. “Gone for a job inquiry at the local vet clinic, breakfast and lunch are on the table, walk to school is short, and I’ll pick you up! - Wishing you the best of luck and much love, Yeona XO.”

You could feel the affection she put into every act of service she did for you. After all, it was her way. Placing the note back on the door, you pulled your uniform down from the wardrobe door and placed it on the end of your bed. Just like always you went through the motions of getting ready, having a shower, brushing your hair, doing some light makeup, and hiding the silver necklace you wore for protection beneath your school blouse.

Walking out into the open-plan kitchen-dining, and living area, you saw the steaming breakfast on a plate, next to a brown paper bag. Placing down your canvas tote on the chair next to you, you began to slowly dig into the feast before you. It was clear Yeona wanted to make sure you went to school feeling good, because she’d made your favourite, French toast.

Back when you still remained within the walls of the Dominyen royal palace, attending the Dominyen academy, and being a member of the Dominyen royal court, you could eat French toast for every meal if you desired it. However, after you’d fled your position within Dominyen society, French toast became a rarity. Now, you only had it when Yeona took the time to make it, or on the rare occasion Sunday brunches weren’t interrupted by having to run for your lives, or rather, your freedom.

You smiled down at the plate before you, seeing how she’d taken the time to get your favourite berry compote to go on top, with whipped cream and maple syrup. It made you feel all warm and happy inside, a feeling that had also become a rarity since your brother’s execution. Finishing up the affectionately made breakfast Yeona had prepared for you, you placed the plate and cutlery inside the dishwasher. Finally, you made a move to grab your lunch bag, locking up the small flat, before you made your way down towards the pedestrian sidewalk.

The walk down the main street of the town was peaceful, and quiet. You saw a few other students walking to school, all with umbrellas in hand, despite the morning being sunny with not a cloud in sight. Continuing your trek, you found yourself slowing as you made it up the walkway, bypassing the school’s parking lot. Glancing at your leather wristwatch, the time only showed it was 8:45AM, it was just over an hour until the day officially begun, due to the late start.

Though you made no attempt at rushing, instead, you made it to the administration office with plenty of time to spare. Pushing open the door to the office, you walked in, seeing Mrs. Min at the desk, with an overly peppy smile after a long night chaperoning at a school dance. “Oh! Good morning, (Y/N)! I take it your morning was good?”

“Yes, very, thank you for asking. How was your morning?” You gave her a soft smile, taking in the newly put up halloween decorations that littered the office, and probably the school halls too. The decorations alone were a sign that the days of summer were over, and that autumn was just beginning. You loved autumn, especially when it rained, it was beautiful.

“Oh! That’s wonderful! My morning was just fine, dear!” Mrs. Min smiled, eyeing you with a confused expression before continuing her formalities. “Hana will be here shortly to give you the tour! Did you want to stop by your locker first? You are quite early.”

“Uh… yeah. Is it okay if you give me some directions?” You were taken aback by her kindness, she was a kind woman. Old, but still kind, and it was obvious she was nearing her days of retirement. However, you did not think the woman would leave this town and trade it for a beachside one. Instead, it seemed that people who were born and raised in this town never left.

“Of course, sweetheart.” She gave you a small smile, giving you directions in a kind manner. Down the hall, and turn right at the doors to the auditorium. Your locker number was 364, and she took the liberty of writing down your combination for you.

You bid her a quick ‘thank you’ before heading out the office door and turning right away from the main entrance of the school. The hallways were practically deserted save for a few of the school’s star athletes who were finishing up their early morning practice. You could feel the slight pain in their muscles, as you passed two of them who were at their lockers, and eating Greek yoghurt from plastic pouches. Finally, you found the doors to the auditorium and took the right turn down the deserted hallway.

Your eyes scanned the locker numbers that were engraved on small, steel plaques overhead. 358, 360, 362, and finally, 364. You stopped, taking in the blue locker before you. You flung your bag behind you, so that you had more room to input your combination.Carefully, you read the numbers on the paper, inputting them and pulling the lock open. With a sigh, you looked over the empty locker, getting straight to work on loading all of your textbooks on the middle shelf, and hooking your bag onto one of the hooks on the bottom shelf. You looked around the locker and decided you’d need to decorate it with time. With a final glance at your new set up, you shut your locker, proceeding to lock it before heading back to the administration office.

The walk back to the administration office was short, but you noticed as time had passed, more students began to arrive. With some of them came the feeling of a severe hangover, and you knew it would take all of your efforts to block out the feelings of others throughout the day.

If there was one thing you hated about mortal school, it would be the constant feeling of teenage angst washing over you nearly every second of the day. You hated it, because you knew it was difficult to block out so many things at once, meaning the feelings would ebb at you until you were finally alone. It was both physically and mentally draining.

Once again you entered the administration office, seeing a girl with long dark hair that was curled in perfect waves that fell down her back. Holding the curls back from her face was a puffy velvet pink headband with beaded flowers and pearls sewn onto it. She wore her uniform to a T, with the exception of her tie which was the male version that hung loosely around her neck, and not the ribbon the girls wore. Lastly, her makeup was classic, with a warm pink blush over her cheeks and nose, and light brown, glittering eyeshadow, that was topped off with a classic nude blotted lip. She was beautiful, and aside from that, the gold badge sitting above the school crest on her blazer read ‘Head Girl’ in bold lettering. It was clear she was well-loved in this place.

“Ah! You’re back, and just in time. This is Hana, our head girl and your tour guide for this morning.” Mrs. Min smiles, as she looks back and forth between the two of you. “Hana, this is (Y/N). I’m sure you’ll make her feel welcome.”

“Of course! It’s lovely meeting you! Now, should we start over in the sciences and arts building?” She smiled, and you could feel her sincerity radiating off of her. She was a genuine girl, and you could sense it.

Since you didn’t know the school either way, you just gave her a short nod and a smile. “Uh… yeah sure… I don’t mind.”

Hana was nice, showing you around the school, telling you all the best spots to sit on sunny days like today, getting your school library card sorted and helping you find your classes. It was during her analysis of your timetable she sighed. “Well, it looks like that brings us to the end of our tour.”

She folded up your timetable and handed it back to you with a smile. “Don’t worry though, I’ll walk you to your first class since I have a spare. It’s English Literature for you, which isn’t as bad as it sounds. I have a friend in that class, his name's Jaemin. He’s super nice. You’ll have to join us all for lunch sometime!”

“Sure, I’d like that.” You gave her a small smile, your own voice much quieter than her’s, as she was more of an extrovert. She returned the smile as she stopped her walking outside a classroom door.

Before you turned to walk in, she gave you a sincere smile as she spoke. “Also! If you need anything, anything at all… please don’t hesitate to ask me, okay?”

Judging by her sincerity that you felt washing over you, she was kind and it was clear why she was well-liked. She was basically the perfect popular girl, everything many strived to be with seemingly minimal effort. “Thanks… I guess I’ll see you around?”

“Not if I see you first. Enjoy!” She nodded towards the door with a smile, which you returned before walking into your first class. The class all turned to you as you walked in, and while you didn’t dislike anyone you’d met so far, you disliked how the tour made you late for class. All their eyes burned into you and it made you feel queasy.

“Ah! You must be (Y/N). I’m Ms. Jeong, and it’s a pleasure to meet you!” She smiled, and turned her gaze out over the sea of students sitting at desks. She beamed when she finally spotted a spare desk next to a boy who didn’t take his eyes off of you, even after everybody else had turned back to their tasks.

“There’s a spare desk by the window. Since you’re coming so late in the year, I’ve prepared some extra credit assignments for you to do over the next few weeks. See me after class, yeah?”

“Perfect. Thank you, Ms. Jeong.” You gave her a small smile

“It’s my pleasure.” She returned the smile, and as you were walking over to the last spare seat, she continued with her lesson, speaking to her class about the use of intentional symbolism within a text.

The second you’d entered the room, Jaemin had felt his world shift. His eyes burned into you as he registered the strong smell of lavender, rain, pine and bergamot filling his senses. The scent made his heart race and mind go blank. He didn’t need to overthink this, or analyse it like he normally would. He already knew what was happening. It was imprinted within his soul from the moment he was born, and immediately he knew. He was meeting his mate.

However, something put him on edge, something that made his stomach sink, hands shake, and made him see red. The potent smell of wolfsbane and silver filled his senses, intermingled with your own. He couldn’t believe it at first, he refused to, but as you took your seat next to him, he knew his senses had not deceived him. The one person he would love unconditionally was the one thing he hated more than anything in the world. Anger had consumed him whole. What he didn’t realise is that you could feel it too, burning you as it washed over you in rough, unrelenting waves.

His emotions were impossible for you to block out, the burns of his anger feeling as though you were physically being burned. Your eyes welled with tears as your heart raced, because any attempts you’d made to block his powerful emotions were all in vain. The boy next to you did not once look at you. Instead his eyes burned down onto the paper in front of him, as his hands were a stark white, balled into fists as they shook slightly. You, on the other hand, stared at the clock with misty eyes, willing the tears in your eyes not to fall as you waited for the torturous lesson to end. However, he paid no mind to you, the only thing he could think about was your scent.

At first, he didn’t know what to make of it. After all, he had always vowed to himself to see whomever his mate was as everything he needed. Yet, as he sat there, inhaling the sweet scent shrouded in the potent stench of silver and wolfsbane, he couldn’t help but feel defeated.

Out of all things you could’ve been, from fae to witch, even a vampire… you had to be the one thing he hated most in this world. The one thing he’d kill for his own enjoyment if he so pleased… a Dominyen.

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thetypingpup · 1 year

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i love it when it's kun hours bc i too often have him at the back of my head 🤧 please, i still can't forget the vampire costume he had for his radio show kn 2021... the satiny shirt, the painted-on scar... just everything abt the long black hair era, too... 🥺

fuuuuuuuuck vampire!kun is really fucking hot. even just envisioning him biting your neck, the way he'd murmur in a deep voice thick with arousal that he can't wait to see how good you taste, before grabbing your waist, pulling you close, and just biting right into the flesh. and fuck the way he'd moan as he sucks your blood, as the taste of you coats his tongue and floods his mouth. i can forsee him getting a bit messy, letting a few drops of blood slip from the corner of his lips and drip down your neck, maybe leaving your clothes wrinkled beyond repair as he grips you. he'd be sure to lick you clean, letting his tongue trace the crimson trails of your blood all slow and sensual. and fuck if his hair is long, imagine his hair falling on either side of his face and brushing against your neck, the slight tickling sensation mingling with the absolute euphoria of his aphrodisiac venom coursing through your veins and making you moan against him. and he gets turned on by hearing you moan and maybe bites you again, harder, letting out a hiss as his fangs sink into the side of your neck again. fuck i can imagine him getting so turned on he damn near devours you, getting even messier. imagine the smooth satin of his white shirt getting stained with blood, blood dripping down the sides of his mouth and along his chin. he'd grab onto you even tighter, pressing his hard cock right against your leg. as soon as he's had his fill of your blood, he plans on devouring you in other ways.

#wayv hard hours #nct hard hours #wayv smut #wayv kun smut #nct smut #nct kun smut #2 things #1) try my luck is now a vampire song #2) im baaaaaaaack #the pup actually types #monsterfucking #tw monsterfucking #supernatural!au

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abelinthelandofnod · 2 years

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CHERRY BOMB CAS 🍒💥

@breastiel @agentgayngel

#hope tumblr doesn't put this through the shredder...#i'm rusty with posting art but i wanna do it more regularly #castiel #nct #nct 127 #spn #spn fanart #supernatural #castiel fanart #my art #kpop

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thejudgingtrash · 10 months

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neonacity · 2 years

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NOCTURNE: RENJUN X READER | CHAPTER 3

PAIRING: YANDERE! RENJUN X READER

NOCTURNE: A DREAMY PIECE OF WORK RELATING TO THE NIGHT OR DARKNESS IN GENERAL.

“And what if… It is the villain you fall for? What then?”

Genre/Warnings: minor character death, yandere/manipulative Renjun, cheating, abusive relationship dynamics/marriage. Smut. Oral (M receiving), questionable consent—Renjun is an incubus here, so he influences people, but nothing is truly forced. Minors, do NOT interact.

This is the third part of my Dark Fairytale series with Dream’s 00 line and exists in the same universe as Haechan and Jaemin’s stories (links below). Please read the previous chapters to understand what’s happening.

> CHAPTER 1 | CHAPTER 2

Orphic | Haechan x Reader | Royalty!AU

Nighted | Jaemin x Reader | Vampire!AU

Summary:

Renjun’s nature has always given him assurance over one thing: that regardless of which century or lifetime he lives, he’ll never run out of love and affection from anyone he sets his desires on. As a Gancanagh—a fairy born to seduce and claim mortals—he was designed to be the object of lust and want of everyone, which is why it felt like the universe was finally punishing him when he finally came across the only woman he could ever want, but never have.

"You have a wonderful rose garden, Ma'm."

Your eyes lingered on the walls of the flowering bushes that towered over you as you wove through the sprawling hedge maze. You have heard of stories about the beauty that is the Huang manor before, but no carefully picked adjectives could have prepared you for the level of majesty that stretched now in front of you. Even the woman walking just a few steps ahead seems to fall perfectly in the beauty of the moment, her steps light and graceful as she led the way deeper into the heart of the garden. The lady gave a soft laugh in response to your wonder as her own gaze also touched the lush blooms she passed.

"The first few buds were a gift from the former King. They are the exact same roses that the castle still has in their garden. He gave it to our family when Yun was born."

Your attention snapped back to focus at the mention of that information. You have been so engrossed in appreciating the beauty around you that for a good moment, you have forgotten the knot of nervousness that has been weighing heavily on your stomach since you stepped foot into the grand manor. When you started your day, it absolutely did not cross your mind that you would be spending it doing impromptu portrait work for the High Lady of this house—the very matriarch of the Huang family herself. Your nerves were absolutely frazzled when you got the invite, but of course your mother was only far too elated upon knowing the piece of news. And while you aren't that clueless about the possible implications of this stretch of an offer—especially after the night of the masquerade ball—your assumptions only served to make you even more on edge about this interaction.

"It will be such a great honor to use this place as the backdrop for your portrait then, Madam…" you said, your voice sounding a little bit more careful again. The lady seemed unconscious of it at the very least as she smiled.

"My youngest son, Renjun, was actually the one who suggested the idea. He has mentioned your wonderful work to me so I thought, why not invite you to do my portrait? I am due to have one sooner or later anyway."

You were thankful that the woman was walking a little ways ahead of you, otherwise, she might have caught the way you paused for a breath as she mentioned the boy's name. It has been a good few weeks since that last dance at the ball happened, but the memories came flooding back to you quickly, almost by force. The pointed grip on your hips… The lilt of his lips as he smiled at you… The way his gaze ghosted over face… Every memory of him holding you that night crowded your mind again like an unwelcome visitor. Renjun has never touched or spoken to you in a way that is offensive or unacceptable to society's standards, but there has always been that shadow in the way he looks at you that has always triggered the primal need in your gut to flinch and flee. It was the reason why you've been elusive towards him for quite some time now, but lately, you felt that something has changed in the past few times you've been in each other's radius. You couldn't really put your finger on it, but it's almost like some switch has been flipped…

And now all walls that had been holding him back are gone.

"That is… very nice of him. Especially since he could have done it himself. My work pales to his craft if I must say… He is the best student in our class," you said softly, careful not to let any of your current emotions leak to your tone. Lady Huang seemed pleased at your comment as she gave a soft hum of approval before finally stopping her leisurely pace. You paused as well, and that's when you realized that the two of you have reached the heart of the maze, a clearing of considerable size with hedges of roses higher than the ones you've passed earlier. A fountain made of white marble was set in the middle of it, spewing water so clear that it sparkled under the sunlight.

"So I've been told. I've also heard a lot of stories about you from my youngest son… Which brings me to the second reason why I invited you here."

If you were apprehensive earlier, then you were absolutely petrified now. You have an idea of where the conversation was going, but your awareness did nothing to calm the erratic beating of your heart. Surreptitiously, you clutched the edges of the painting bag that you brought with you while waiting for the woman to finish. She was looking at you with softness in her eyes, an emotion that seemed so alien to you, having not received it before from your own parents.

"I am going to cut to the chase. Darling, I'm sure you know about my oldest son's preference towards you. Yun is very fond of you, and as his mother, I only want to give him happiness. If I may ask… And excuse me for my bluntness, but are you considering him to receive your hand, sooner or later?"

The heat that has overcome your whole face was swift and unforgiving. You ducked your head a little to your chest in a hopeless attempt to at least try and hide the redness of your cheeks.

"I… Lord Yun has not really… Talked to me about this."

It was not a direct answer, but Lady Huang is known for her persistence as much for her beauty. She took a step closer towards you now and took one of your gloved hands in hers.

"He hasn't because he knows you have a number of suitors. It is a well-known fact among the circle of debutantes. My son, unfortunately, is a very accommodating person, almost to a fault. I know he wouldn't want to step forward unless he knows that you have considered the others. But have you, my girl? I know it is not in my position to ask you this, but please give my heart some comfort. I only want my boy to be happy."

It must be the maternal instinct that she is honestly exuding, but something about the words of the woman tugged at your heartstrings. You know in yourself that you are not in love yet with her son, but the honesty and sheer care in her eyes made you want to yearn for something similar for yourself. You stared at her now, eyes bouncing over her graceful features, until something inside of you clicked. Slowly, you turned your hand so that you were holding hers instead.

"Lord Yun is a wonderful man, Ma'm… It would be such an honor for me… to receive his affections."

It was not a straightforward reply, but it was enough for the assurance that she was looking for. Lady Huang's face lit up, her smile so genuine that you can't help but return the gesture to her as she squeezed your hand gratefully. It was an intimate moment of woman to woman, a mother talking to a daughter. Despite yourself, you felt your heart soaring, as if you've finally found a safe space to land on.

"That eases my heart. Thank you. I promise I will not get in the way of your courtship, but I hope you indulge me for saying this early. My dear…"

"I am excited for you to be a part of the family."

******* "So? When am I going to have a sister-in-law?"

Renjun's voice was light and casual as he moved the knight piece over the chessboard calmly. Across from him, his older brother glanced at him with a slightly surprised look before bringing his eyes back to the game with pointed effort. He could almost taste the flustered emotions of the older male at the tip of his tongue, a bitter one that he swallowed behind his calm facade. A moment passed before Yun answered, the man's voice low and almost unsure.

"I have not decided yet. I am giving her time to consider her situation."

"Do you mean to say, you are giving her other suitors a chance to whisk her away from you?"

The sharpness of the truth in his words made the other man slightly wince. Usually, Renjun would toe around his statements for the sake of keeping up the facade of the perfect brother, but he has been incredibly impatient recently. For his own sake, he cannot keep back his own plans anymore just because of the cowardice of another person.

Yun frowned now as he moved a bishop across the board. It is obvious that he has become distracted, because Renjun easily ate the piece with his rook.

"I simply do not want to force myself on her. She has a lot of suitors and I want to make sure she has thought about it well before I offer her the question."

Renjun leaned his head slightly to the side before slowly leveling his gaze towards his brother. Now, he had never particularly hated the man before—he had done a pretty acceptable job of tolerating him in his opinion—but he also had never been fond of his personality as a whole. Yun is so… very much human. Always restricted by what society says is acceptable or not, afraid to inconvenience someone for the sake of being perceived as nice. They were qualities he had never understood, even as a Fae trapped in a human shell. It was irritating for him, how people can't just seem to claim what they desire.

"Did you not make a connection with her during the last Ball?" He asked innocently, his eyes skillfully hiding away his real emotions. The way the man turned red in the face in front of him almost made him puke.

"I… did."

"I think so too. I have watched the two of you from afar. I can't speak for her, but I think anyone with a working pair of eyes can see that there is some… interest there."

Yun looked at him, a hopeful look on his face.

"You think so?"

Renjun smiled charmingly despite the jealousy twisting his stomach into knots. It takes him everything not to lean over and tear the other man's heart off his chest every time he remembers how she looks at him, but he has to control himself… Because this is all part of his carefully plotted plan. For him to get to her, Yun has to tie her to their family first.

"Yes. Which is why I don't understand why you are hesitating. I applaud you, hyung, for giving her space. But don't you think it might also be sending her the message that you're… not really that serious about your intentions?"

A look of slight worry overtook the older Huang. Renjun internally smiled behind his casual mask, knowing full well that he had caught him in his web. He may be human now, but evne the strongest spell cannot entirely take a Gancanagh's power of seduction over words.

"That's not what I… I did not mean to…"

"I know... But it might be the message she is getting. I'm just saying," he shrugged as he pressed the dial on the chess counter to urge the other to make a move. Yun did, but barely, his hand moving his last remaining knight over the board in the midst of his distraction. Renjun's eyes dropped on the pieces briefly, before smiling secretly to himself.

"I have never considered that. Do you think I should…"

"Ask her? I don't know. Are you confident that you are the best of all the men vying for her hand?"

The silence that followed his question was brief, but loaded. Yun pursed his lips as a frown settled on his features.

"Yes. I am."

"There you go. I think that is the only answer that you need. I can't force you to do anything, brother, but personally…" he slowly lifted his own knight and rested the piece gently over a block on the board. "I think you will be the perfect pair."

The other boy was so distracted wading through his own thoughts, that he failed to notice how his King piece was taken by his last move. Renjun's lips tipped to the sides as he knocked it over effortlessly with his knight.

"Checkmate, by the way. Don't ever let your eyes off the game, hyung. Take it as advice from a man… to another man."

******* The way the sun reflected off the paper you were working on made you smile. You were sitting in the middle of the garden where you usually have your art classes, trying to finish off a quick practice piece using watercolors. It was a Sunday so you have the place to yourself, surrounded only by the gentle chirping of the birds and the soft rustle of trees swaying in the wind. Days like this are your favorite part of the week, because it is the only time you can escape your manor without your parents pressing about your activities. You were far too engrossed in the peacefulness of the moment that you didn't notice the gentle creaking of the gate separating the garden from the rest of the academy. Humming softly, you reached over to dip your paintbrush on your small palettes of color to continue your picture, oblivious of your surroundings.

"That is a very pretty landscape."

The sound of a soft voice from behind you made you suddenly turn around in surprise. It took you a good few seconds to gather yourself, the newcomer taking the chance to cross the distance to where you were sitting. Rising from your spot under the tree, your hands quickly gathered your skirts around you just in time for the man to finally stop at a polite distance from where you are. You were so stunned, that you forgot to give him your usual bow of greeting as he waited for you to speak.

“Lord Yun… Why are you…”

A slightly sheepish smile flittered over the man’s face at your question. He briefly looked away, before glancing at the ground in front of him.

“I visited your manor today, but your mother told me that you usually spend your Sundays painting. She said I might find you here…”

You didn’t give any immediate answer. Of course your mother told him where you are. Silently, your heart rate started picking up as your mind tried to go through the possible reasons behind his sudden visit. A part of you berated you for possibly overthinking, but you cannot deny the pressing feeling in your gut that made you fidget your fingers underneath the pleats of your skirt. Yun probably noticed, because for a moment, he looked actually guilty for showing up unannounced. However, a look of determination took over his features as quickly as the doubt came, and he took a moment as if he was gathering himself before he spoke again.

“My Lady… I do not want to make this longer than it should. I have told myself that I want to give you time to think over my offer, but recently, I have realized that I might lose you should I remain passive about my feelings,” he paused and took his hat, gripping its brim with his fingers. Unconsciously, your eyes shot straight to his face. You thought you felt your heart stutter upon seeing the genuine emotions that have overtaken his features.

“I have no wish of forcing myself on you, but I just want you to know that I adore you, and that I… I would wish nothing more than for you to accept my offer for marriage, if that is what your heart so wishes, too. I… will understand if you give me no for an answer, because a rejection will also be better than this silent dance I’ve initiated for quite some time.”

You were absolutely speechless. You knew what was coming, but it did nothing to calm down the erratic buzzing inside of your head. All of a sudden, it was like everything was happening all at the same time, similar to how one’s life would flash in front of someone’s eyes in the midst of a momentous occasion. Questions overlapped in your head, too quick and fleeting for you to catch and comprehend.

Do you love him? Will this make you happy? What will come out of this?

Will this save you…? Or will jumping into this be your ruin?

You don’t know how long you stood there. It must have taken seconds, maybe a full minute, but for you the moment felt like it lasted forever. Then, just when you thought your head would split from all the thoughts, everything stopped to dead silence, until your consciousness fixated on one thing.

No, you don’t love him.

But you can learn to do it… In time.

“Are you… Asking me to marry you, Lord Yun?” you asked softly, voice steady albeit quiet. Your question rendered him speechless for a heartbeat before he finally gave a nod.

“Yes, my Lady… I am.”

“Then perhaps you can ask me again… More clearly this time?”

The way his face changed from shock, to realization, then back to nervousness made you give the slightest of smiles. You did wait for him to politely speak again, however, your gaze on him more steady this time.

“Will… you marry me?”

The corners of your lips twitched as your smile widened. In that moment, you decided to embrace the uncertainty of it all and focused instead on how your fate will be changed from the point on. When he finally returned the smile, you knew you’ve made the right decision.

“Yes, my Lord. It will be such an honor to be your wife.”

******* “How cruel… Is the girl still alive?”

Renjun barely looked around from his position on the loveseat at the crooning voice that came from the open window. Below him, slumped on the spot on the floor between his legs was a woman, loose hair splayed messily all over her face. The flickering light from the fireplace barely illuminated the form of the girl that clambered from his windowsill, her expensive gown covered by a dark coat that allowed her to blend in the dark. There were no jewels that decorated her hair at the moment, but the unexplainable glow that clung on her as she walked casually over to the edge of his bed, directly across from where he sat, betrayed her affinity to the ethereal and the supernatural.

“Why are you here? Is the King not fucking you well enough that you had to climb over to my bedroom, My Queen?” he asked, voice steady even as his breath hitched from the way the girl bobbed her head slowly around his length. His visitor merely chuckled, unphased by the act happening in front of her.

“I heard the news. When is the wedding happening?”

Her taunting voice almost made him stop. He only stuttered for a second, but he took the moment to weave his fingers through the hair of the woman knelt in front of him and used the leverage to push her head deeper down his cock. The girl choked, sputtering from the way his length invaded her throat, but did nothing to fight it off. It was obvious from the way she limply slumped closer that she was too far gone to even bother. Instead of giving her mercy, Renjun—now irritated for having to do the work—tightened his hold on her and used his strength to move her head to his desired pace. Humans... They are always so disappointing in this regard. They are always so passionate and fiery at the start, but they break so easily and turn into useless dolls. Despite his discontent, a low groan left his lips now as his balls twitched, heavy and ready to spray his arousal down the column of flesh squeezing around his length.

“Not soon enough for my taste,” he said through gritted teeth as his pace turned even more brutal. A soft whimper came from the woman as her nails tried to find purchase on the soft rug under her. The Queen raised her brows curiously, ignoring the sounds. Renjun caught her expression and shot her a look before tipping his head back against the leather seat. With no warning, he pushed the woman’s head hard against him, her nose pressed against his lower stomach. A sound of pleasure escaped from deep in his throat as he unloaded himself inside her mouth until his juices leaked from her lips. He kept her there for a few more seconds while he rode his high before finally loosening his grip, the girl finally slumping right at his feet, unconscious. Eyes closed and head still tipped back, he waited for the current of pleasure to run its course throughout his body before he lazily tucked himself back inside his pants.

“If you came here to think that I would be upset about my brother’s upcoming wedding, then you’re in for a big disappointment,” he laughed softly to himself before finally moving his head again to train his gaze at the Witch Queen. The other slightly narrowed her eyes at him before realization dawned on them.

“You… told him to ask for her hand.”

He chuckled as he pushed himself out of his seat. Walking gracefully over the slumped form on the floor, he went to pick up the glass of whisky on the table by the fireplace and downed the golden liquid there in one go. He ran his hand through his hair as he watched the flames, untangling the knots that his earlier activities have caused.

“Of course, I did. I already told you, when a Gancanagh sets his eyes on a prize, we stop at nothing to get it. Surely, you must have already known that. It was how I captured your former lover in my web before after all.”

Renjun knew from the needles of cold that made the skin of his back prick that he had touched a nerve. It did not surprise him at all, not with the situation being the exact cause why she cursed him to be stuck in this human form. Instead, he simply smiled in satisfaction as the flames from the hearth threw shadows and light over the gentle features of his face that masked his true nature.

“You are playing a dangerous game, Piper. You will be putting a lot of mortal lives in danger.”

“That’s quite rich coming from a Witch Queen who cursed a whole kingdom to never-ending winter before. Now, my dear, do not act like you are any better than me. It was you after all who pushed me to do this. You are as guilty for what is yet to happen as I am,” he said as he turned slowly to face her. She was still only bathed in moonlight streaming from the open window, but it was enough for him to discern her expression from the shadows. Her face was blank, but the way her eyes burned couldn’t fool him about her real emotions.

“You must have thought I will come running around after her, trying to win her from my brother. That is foolish child’s game. Taxing and pointless. It might have worked on you when your King hunted you down, but a true hunter knows a better way how to capture their prey. You don’t seek them. You lure them right into your very own trap,” he crooned, voice as sweet as a siren’s call. When the light from the moon and the glow from the fire touched his face at the same time, they made his smile look angelic and terrifying at the same time.

“Family, as they say, is hard to escape. The moment she thinks she’s free from me, is the moment she becomes mine.”

*******

A/N: Yeah, so... It has almost been a full six months since I’ve updated this. I don’t know if anyone still remembers this story, but I had the sudden urge lately to jump into this plot again. So, here’s an update I guess.

Taglist: @negincho, @jhornytrash, @aaasteroidsky, @huangberryyy, @ashkuuuu, @cottonniebunnie, @jaehyunenthusiastsworld, @90sgatsby-jjh, @ryu-naa, @i-aecrysture, @mirathe2002, @yuxnan, @strawbunnyjaem, @pukupukupawpau, @terjeno, @glitching-wren, @camzpetite, @injeolmiee, @lostlovesoul11, @ellatizw, @bettyschwallocksyee

#yandere!renjun #yandere renjun #yandere renjun x renjun #nct yandere #yandere nct #nct yandere fic #yandere nct fic #renjun x reader #nct yandere x reader #nct dream yandere #nct supernatural au #renjun incubus au #renjun incubus fic #renjun smut #nct fantast au #yandere nct dream #fairy!renjun

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