#and my god petrichor is the most beloved scent of all time

[eggmeralda]

I could never get sick of the rain. there would never be a time when it starts raining and I'm like "oh I wish this wasn't happening now :(". when it's cloudy I get bored after a while and wish it could be sunnier. when it's sunny for too long and I crave coldness and cloudy skies. but it could be raining for like 2 months straight and I still would wake up and be like "OMG IT'S RAINING 💙" every morning. even if I'm out and it starts raining unexpectedly and I have no umbrella and I have to walk home and I'm wearing my shoes that are so worn they're basically socks at this point so they don't protect me from puddles in the slightest, yeah it's inconvenient but at least it's raining <3

bonus points if there's a thunderstorm

[tartagilicious]

counterparts.

→ synopsis | hurt after hearing the person you’ve grown closest to has been withholding the truth you’ve been searching for, you seek him out to know just what else about your relationship had been a convenient lie.

→ genre | angst.

→ word count | 1300.

→ ib | je te pardonne by maître gims

→ note | angst my beloved <3 I hope yall like being hurt because I sure like doing the hurting >:D i spun this to be kind of a romance-esque story, but at the end of the day, you can view it platonically as well! just a reminder in that case, i write from the traveller’s pov, but the traveller is meant to be you and not the canonical person! / art credit to nanogons on twitter & a very thank you to @seerie for one again being my beta reader !!

✧･ﾟ: the day you meet again, rain runs from drooping leaves.

petrichor. a deep voice calls from within your memory as you walk. the scent left by rain is a rather unique combination of natural chemicals, slightly different to each region depending on the plant life that most thrives there.

as if to prove his point, you remember the man stopping to pluck a glaze lily from the earth, dotted with the same gentle smell. an innocent enough gesture. yet as you took the flower from his gloved hand, an abrupt sense of belonging crashed through your chest.

but the scent grew cloying over time. easily, even, with dainsleif’s tales of the old nation of khaenri’ah, and the archon’s ties with your missing sibling. that same fragrance of rain is rotten in your nose as you walk, the ball of tension in your throat doing little to keep you grounded.

because suddenly, your thoughts drift back to him in every stray moment. every past conversation is taken apart with a careful hand, yet is still unskilled in pulling out the lies you want to find. no matter what you do, you know that in the familiar stalls and cloudy reflections of shop windows will remain memories of zhongli, as hard as you may try to keep your eyes averted from them.

you find him with ease, the notion of knowing him so well curling in your stomach. but you choose to give yourself the benefit of the doubt; while a man of substance, it’s not hard to discern what zhongli’s hobbies may be.

it’s a lie and you know it.

there was only ever one place he chose to go to on days like today, anyway, where the clouds hang low and dark in the sky. they cast a temporary shadow over the world, the greenery and water mingled in a soothing dance with the air.

the ambience is lost on you as you climb the stairs of the pavilion, turning towards the veranda with rocks in your boots. he sits behind a thin screen that hangs down to block the rain, back turned to you. there’s a golden pot of tea next to him that still steams.

“___, it’s nice to see you.”

you haven’t said anything yet, but it’d be foolish to assume he didn’t hear you coming. your chest feels heavy as you try to take casual steps forward.

“you as well.” the words come out in a mumble as he finally turns towards you, eyes clear of suspicion. but, you’re sure not to mistake this as trust — zhongli must be aware of the bittersweet reunion between you and your sibling, regardless of his status of retirement.

“i hadn’t been expecting you.”

a small smile quirks his lip as he raises a hand, silently calling to a member of the waitstaff. a brief recount of your sudden arrival is all that’s needed before he places an order of your favourite beverage — a pot of sweet herbal tea you’d shared many times before.

you bite back your words and nod your thanks.

there is no barrier between you, not that there ever has been — you are alike in your positions of rebirth, and share the sentiments that come with leaving something cherished behind. but as you settle into the chair across from him, he can’t shake the notion of a strong connection beginning to sever.

“recently,” he clears his throat softly, naturally in a way only he can manage. “how have you been fairing?"

“i.. could have been better. but, that’s just how it’s been lately."

zhongli nods. his eyes do all they can to ease your tense figure from a distance, gentle as he says, “…after this all, i hope you’re alright.”

somewhat unbeknownst to you, his words are truthful. while aware of the situation on your mind, he is prepared to withstand any reaction you might have; whether you choose to forgive him or would rather never see him again, it is nothing he doesn’t see coming.

but the moment you pale hearing those words, he almost reconsiders.

“so i guess it's true?” you pause to let the waitstaff place a teapot in front of you, decorated with the delicate purple leaves of a wisteria tree. zhongli takes note of the way you put aside your gloomy expression to send the member a comforting smile while they pour your beverage, reassuringly easing the tension they must inevitably feel interrupting such a situation.

he’s looking into the depths of his tea cup when you try to meet his eyes again. you may be alone once again, but the awkwardness has not disappeared.

“…don’t you have an excuse?” your hands wrap around the warm cup in front of you, your eyes jumping from one place to another, not in panic, but disbelief. zhongli sees the way your words affect you, the bitter poison they must taste like after holding them in, the anxiety in knowing that he may be just the type of person you hope he isn’t.

he pauses for a few moments, the pattering rain insistent on the overhang not far from you. but he will not ever be the one to deny you the luxury of the truth.

“no.”

he states his answer simply, deliberately taking a sip of the tea that has long gone cold in his cup. in that moment, zhongli would use any means necessary to avoid seeing the heartbreak in your eyes.

“it was a contract.” he says, finally placing the cup down and breaking the defining silence. your eyes find his quickly.

he wants to tell you. tell you what? that you have every right to be angry with him for hiding the information you seek? that despite the horrible and deceiving man he’s become, he’s begun to realise that he wants you to be there to forgive him? there is little within the scope of reality that he is truly capable of hiding from you, and he curses the world every day that it has to include this.

“i sincerely apologise.” zhongli’s voice is low, the retired god seen nowhere in the regret that lines it. “but i cannot break a contract, not even for you.”

zhongli has always been a meticulous man; his suits are ironed in a specific way that he prefers to handle himself. he will talk about operas for hours if not prompted to stop, yet will only ever attend showings at one theatre. he is the same with the agreements he makes, steadfast and reliable in everything he does.

you only wish he could make an exception just this once.

words are jumbled in your throat, different scenarios and endings fighting to come out on top — you want to say something. there is no reason to give into the satisfaction that would come with walking away. yet when you open your mouth, your words escape you.

what do i want to say?

you walk away only when you’ve convinced yourself that it must be better for both of you this way, to separate yourself from the idea of him so you can finally see the entirety of him.

as your figure disappears below the veranda’s stairs, zhongli feels little. he knows there should be a cold bite, a flicker from deep within him that only comes when someone may never return, yet there is not even a moment of hesitation. he reminds himself that he should be prepared to see to whatever conclusion you reach.

silently, he pushes the cup in front of him to the centre of the table with the intention of leaving it to be collected. instead, he can’t help but notice how it rests next to its companion in the set, designed to be the counterpart to yours.

the artist had clearly intended the two to symbolise night and day, yours painted a deep purple complimented by an old wisteria tree — his, however, remains a golden colour, and contains the image of a blooming glaze lily.

he tears his eyes away, fighting against the fear of you, too, leaving for good.

[zintranslations]

Kaleidoscope of Death, Ch. 132

Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu Link to Chinese / Novel Updates

Chapter 132: By Day, By Night

After hanging up, Lin Qiushi got out of bed. He went to the living room to check on the door and television, making sure both those things were still the same as they had been during daytime yesterday.

After that, Lin Qiushi left the apartment in a hurry. Halfway out he even got a call from Wu Qi, asking why he wasn't at work.

"There's something I have to do." Lin Qiushi was already in a car and had honestly completely forgotten about going to work. He tried to wheedle: "Ask for time off for me."

Wu Qi, "okay, how long should I ask for?"

Lin Qiushi, "half a year?"

Wu Qi, shocked, "…half a year?? Are you planning on resigning?"

Lin Qiushi glanced at his watch, not thinking of work at all.

"Or yeah, you can just resign for me."

Wu Qi seemed like he had something to say, but whatever words were on the tip of his tongue never made it out—he only sighed: "Fine, I'll get time off for you. If there's something going on you've got to tell me, alright? Don't carry it all on your own."

Lin Qiushi made a noise of agreement, expression still pensive.

The car continued on, and over an hour later, it arrived at where Lin Qiushi wanted to go. Lin Qiushi got off, went upstairs, and knocked on the door—every motion done in a single smooth breath. The truth was, however, that these few simple motions were only possible after extensive emotional preparation done during the car ride.

The door he knocked on opened after a bit, revealing a beautiful middle-age woman—it was Ruan Nanzhu's mother.

Because before they'd entered the door, Ruan Nanzhu had taken Lin Qiushi home. Now Lin Qiushi had a clear memory of where Ruan Nanzhu's old house was. Coming here this time was simply to confirm one thing…

"Hi Auntie," Lin Qiushi greeted politely.

"Hello." The woman watched Lin Qiushi with curiosity and asked, "is there something I can help you with?"

"I wanted to ask, do you know who Ruan Nanzhu is?" Lin Qiushi asked carefully.

"Ruan Nanzhu?" The woman's tone of doubt sent Lin Qiushi's heart sinking, and the question on her face only grew stronger. "Sorry, I don't know who that is."

"Then do you know Ruan Baiye?" Lin Qiushi brought up another name—this was the name of Ruan Nanzhu's older bother.

"Baiye? He's my son…" Mama Ruan said. "He's not home right now, but he'll be back later tonight. Are you looking for him?"

Lin Qiushi, "ma'am you…only have one son?"

Mama Ruan nodded as the way she looked at Lin Qiushi got stranger and stranger. Which was fair. Suddenly coming to her house and asking questions like these, Lin Qiushi didn't seem like a normal person at all.

Lin Qiushi had no idea what else to say either. After bidding Mama Ruan goodbye, he rushed back downstairs and hurried off to another location.

Ruan Nanzhu's existence had been completely wiped. There was nobody in this world named Ruan Nanzhu, not even to his parents, and even Obsidian, the organization that he led, had stopped existing…

This time, Lin Qiushi's destination was Li Dongyuan's White Deer.

When he arrived at White Deer headquarters, Lin Qiushi discovered that the building that once belonged to White Deer was now commercial offices, labeled with the name of XX Bank. Lin Qiushi was standing in the doorway contemplating how to sneak upstairs when he saw a familiar face leave the building. That person was wearing a suit and speaking to someone beside him; judging by appearance alone, he was that baby-faced Li Dongyuan that Lin Qiushi knew.

Seeing this Lin Qiushi hurried forward and called, "Li Dongyuan!"

Li Dongyuan's feet stalled, and he glanced in Lin Qiushi's direction. With eyes both cautious and distant, he asked, "who might you be? If you'd like to discuss something please book an appointment with my secretary first."

"I—" Lin Qiushi said. "Do you know me?"

Lin Qiushi lifted an eyebrow and didn't speak. His expression though, gave Lin Qiushi an answer—he did not know Lin Qiushi, and even thought Lin Qiushi's question odd.

"You don't recognize me?" Lin Qiushi also couldn't quite convey how he was feeling just then.

"Should I recognize you?" Li Dongyuan smiled a smile that wasn't quite a smile as he scanned Lin Qiushi up and down.

Lin Qiushi suddenly recalled something else. He said, "then do you know Zhuang Rujiao?"

Li Dongyuan didn't answer, and still seemed unfamiliar with the name.

"What about Jin Yurui?" Lin Qiushi tried again.

"You know her?" Li Dongyuan's smile, however, faded. "You're one of hers, then?"

Lin Qiushi could finally be sure why some people didn't exist in this world—because they were still alive. If they still survived in the world outside the door, then they did not exist inside this door. Both Li Dongyuan and Jin Yurui were dead, so they had new identities inside this door.

And, those who had died inside the doors aside, the people who were competely unrelated to the doors did not seem affected by this rule at all. They existed both inside this door and outside it, and had nothing to do with living or dying.

"Is there anything else?" Eyeing Lin Qiushi, who was deep in thought, Li Dongyuan lifted his chin with a cold expression. "If there's nothing else why don't you take your leave? This is a place of work."

Lin Qiushi took one last look at him before turning to go.

"Who is that?" the person standing beside Li Dongyuan asked as they watched Lin Qiushi leave.

"I don't know," Li Dongyuan said. "Looks kind of familiar though. Never mind, bring me that data and let me confirm…"

Lin Qiushi left White Deer headquarters and glanced at his watch. It was already twelve noon. An idea surfaced in his mind, and Lin Qiushi got out his phone to book a roundtrip flight for C City the next morning.

There were some matters he wanted to confirm in C City; it was already too late to go today, so he could only hurry there tomorrow morning and try to make it back in one day.

Fact of the matter was, Lin Qiushi didn't want to try spending the night on an airplane. Hell knows how terrifying that would be.

After taking care of lunch at a random spot in town, Lin Qiushi returned home and took a nap. As he thought about what would happen later that evening, Lin Qiushi thought he wouldn't be able to sleep. But in fact he slept quite well, passing out the moment he hit the bed. When he woke it was already five in the afternoon. Chestnut sat by his side, meowing, looking to be hungry again.

Lin Qiushi got up and, after fixing up some food for Chestnut, called some delivery for himself. He ate while watching TV.

He saw the trailer for Tan Zaozao's new movie. From the language of the advertisement, Lin Qiushi figured out that Tan Zaozao had already won the award. The award-winning movie was exactly the same as it had been on the outside, only the director was a different person this time and not Zhang Yiqing.

This world was so very similar to the world that Lin Qiushi lived in, but there was one fundamental difference—Ruan Nanzhu, the person Lin Qiushi most wanted to see, was not here.

Good thing that was so, actually. This door, for a lot of other people, would likely be of insurmountable difficulty. Like Zhuang Rujiao. Or Cheng Yixie for that matter. That was because here, they could once again see their most beloved person…

The night deepened, and Lin Qiushi got everything ready.

Around ten in the evening, it suddenly began to rain outside.

Water came down as if tossed from a ladle, washing clean the earth scorched dry by the sun. Lin Qiushi stood by the window, watching as passersby scampered home along the sidewalks until only streetlamps were left on the empty streets, with only the occasional car passing by.

Chestnut fell asleep sprawled out on the couch. The atmosphere grew quiet. Some senseless program played on TV as a queer sort of silence began to crawl out inside the house.

Lin Qiushi smelled petrichor. He used to be quite a fan of this smell, until he encountered a particular door. After that, this tainted scent of rainwater became something a lot more unpleasant.

The hour hand turned bit by bit, and twelve o'clock was nearly here.

Lin Qiushi sat in the living room, as if a spirit waiting for the death god's verdict. The switch from day to night came, and the clock hanging on the wall finally began to ring: ding dong, ding dong, ding dong…Twelve chimes heralded in another world.

The moment it became twelve, someone was immediately knocking at his door once more. Backpack on, Lin Qiushi came to the door, and through the peephole saw a woman standing on the other side, smiling at him.

He remembered the woman's name. It was the NPC hidden among the crowd in the Sister's Drum door, Xu Jin.

"Hurry up and come out already," Xu Jin told Lin Qiushi. "Come out already, my sister's coming to find you."

Lin Qiushi didn't open the door. He heard a soft noise from the window, however, and when Lin Qiushi turned, he saw a figure pressed against the glass.

It was a person with all her skin stripped off, her body a mess of blood and flesh from head to toe. The bloody face pressed against Lin Qiushi's glass and her mouth split open, showing Lin Qiushi her stark white teeth. It looked like she was trying to open up the locked window, and judging from her motions, she seemed close to succeeding.

Opening the door looked to be the only option right now. Gritting his teeth, Lin Qiushi twisted open the door handle and faced Xu Jin, standing on the outside.

Xu Jin clearly knew what Lin Qiushi was worried about, and began to chuckle.

"How could I bear to hurt you?" A pause, as her gaze lingered on Lin Qiushi's backpack. "My diary is still in your hands. Did you give it a good read yet?"

Lin Qiushi, "…" Why did he feel like he was being teased?

But there wasn't time for him to worry about that, because Xu Jin's sister was about to come in though the window. Xu Jin grabbed Lin Qiushi by the arm and ran. The two made their way down the hall and came to the elevator.

"Go on inside, but watch out," Xu Jin said. "There are other things that want you dead."

Lin Qiushi asked, "what about you?" He recalled that Xu Jin didn't have a very good relationship with her sister.

"Me?" Xu Jin’s eyes curved up in a sudden smile. "How do you know that I don't want you dead?"

As soon as she said this, the skin on her body began to fall off patch by patch. The startled Lin Qiushi rushed into the elevator and pressed a number.

Xu Jin was chuckling again, and though her laugh was bright like silver bells, her terrifying appearance struck a sharp contrast.

Even though she now looked scarier, she didn't seem keen on pursuing Lin Qiushi.

The elevator started. In theory, Lin Qiushi ought to be safe, but that weird sense of danger once again assaulted the top of his head.

Lin Qiushi looked all around him, and when he spotted a certain something hanging in the elevator, goosebumps appeared all over his body. He'd spotted behind him, on what should have been an empty elevator wall, a huge black picture frame. There was nothing inside the frame, but the frame was pointed at exactly where he was standing.

Lin Qiushi reacted swiftly, hitting the button for the floor closest to him. At the exact same time, black water stains began appearing on the white paper inside that frame. First there was only one drop. Then it began spreading on the canvas paper.

He watched as the shape of that stain began to look more and more like a woman. It dispersed across the canvas and, in a short amount of time, managed to coat the entire large canvas.

Luckily it was then that the elevator reached the nearest floor. Lin Qiushi immediately took off, and the moment he cleared the elevator, a pair of pale white hands burst out of that canvas paper, searching around like it was looking for something to grab hold of.

Lin Qiushi was currently on the sixth floor. The moment he was out of the elevator he turned for the emergency exit right next door, bounding quickly down the stairs.

It was dim in the stairwell, with just enough light to see the path beneath his feet. Lin Qiushi ran down two stories before feeling something was off. He took a closer look, and discovered that he'd been turning round and round on floor six.

The stairs seemed to have become a mobius strip—up, down, backward, forward, it all came back to the sixth floor.

Lin Qiushi's feet screeched to a halt. He took in his surroundings, and noticed, on the white stairwell ceilings, little black spots of water appearing. That chilling stench of rain too was spreading through the air.

The thing had found him. Lin Qiushi made an executive decision and left the stairwell, stepping out onto the hallway. But back in the hall, Lin Qiushi discovered that the corridor had underwent a terrifying change: black frames hung on both sides, and inside each frame was a human head with its expression all twisted up. As for the ceramic tile floor, there was now a new carpet, thick and black—the pattern on it looked the same as in a door they'd encountered before.

Lin Qiushi looked up and saw, on the other other end of the hallway, another painting hanging. That painting was a woman in black with a long, sharp hat. Her eyes were half closed, but it felt like she was staring right down the hall and meeting Lin Qiushi's eyes.

Lin Qiushi wanted to leave the hallway, but when he glanced back, he found that the stairwell he had just came from had disappeared. The length of the hallway too seemed to be slowly shortening; Lin Qiushi could sense the painting of the woman getting closer and closer, closer and closer…

At that moment, a drop of water fell onto Lin Qiushi's forehead. Lin Qiushi gave it a wipe, and realized that it was blood. On reflex he looked up—a black hole had appeared above his head without him noticing, and blood was dripping from its edge onto his head. A pair of black eyes glimmered faintly in the dark, and then right after, a pair of pulpy, bloody hands reached out of the hole for Lin Qiushi.

Lin Qiushi's instincts were to back away, but the strange thing was, the hands stopped when they got to him. As if a miracle, he sensed no animosity from this pair of hands.

The hallway was still getting shorter and shorter, as if it were becoming a cage keen on trapping Lin Qiushi inside. With a clench of his teeth, Lin Qiushi reached up and grabbed the fleshy mess of those hands, and then felt a sudden force as he was brought out of that shrinking hallway.

"Aiya, looks like you can't manage without me after all."

The voice belonged to Xu Jin, but from appearance alone, he couldn't tell it was her at all. The skin on her body was completely gone, leaving only scarlet flesh and blood. She was grinning brightly at Lin Qiushi, and the contrast between her smile and appearance was strange, but Lin Qiushi didn't find it scary at all.

"Thank you," Lin Qiushi said to her.

Xu Jin didn't speak. Her gaze instead leaped over Lin Qiushi to look behind him.

Sensing something, Lin Qiushi too twisted around, and spotted on the other end of the darkness a pair of glowing red eyes.

"Meimei, my sister."

The owner of those eyes was also a skinless monster. She didn't have any legs and could only walk on her hands, but that didn't mean she was slow. She glared at Lin Qiushi with vitriol and bared her teeth; like a hyena hunting its prey, the sheer amount of hatred in her eyes was strong enough to materialize.

"Why did you betray me?" she said. "Do you like him that much? Since you like him so much, why don't I keep him here for you?"

Xu Jin tilted her head, and also smiled.

"But Jiejie, even if you did that, I still won't like you."

After that, she told Lin Qiushi to run, and threw herself at her sister. The two monsters clashed and tangled together.

Lin Qiushi got up and sprinted in the direction of the light. By the time he reached its source, he found that he'd already escaped from the apartment building, and was standing in the yard of the residential block.

It was still raining outside. Lin Qiushi pulled an umbrella out of his backpack and slowly pushed it open, stepping out into the curtaining rain.

The rain came down in sluicing torrents, and the streets were completely empty, with only water splashing along the ground. The rain ought to have been noisy; but at a time like this the loudness of the rain only made the world sound more silent in comparison.

"Help me—help me—"

There was a sudden cry for help. A silhouette came stumbling out of the rain, and Lin Qiushi could just make it out: she was a pitiful-looking young woman, staggering through the rain in a long dress. It looked like she was being pursued by something, and when she spotted Lin Qiushi standing not too far away, it was like she'd found an oasis in the middle of a desert—she came running immediately.

"Help, help!! Please, I'm begging you please help me, something wants to kill me…" She fell to the ground, looking up pathetically at Lin Qiushi. "You're also someone going through the doors, right? So am I, this door is so scary—"

Had this been reality, Lin Qiushi would've definitely helped the young woman up by now. But at this stage he wasn't moving, and a light furrow had appeared between his brows. The truth was, he found the person before him a bit familiar—more specifically, everything that appeared at night now was familiar, and he was certain he'd seen this person somewhere before.

"Mister, mister." The woman collapsed in the rain saw Lin Qiushi unmoved, and slowly crawled forward. She wiped at the rainwater on her face and said, shakily, "I know a safe place, and I can bring you there. Do you want to come with me?"

Lin Qiushi said, "do I know you?"

The woman said, "we met once in the door, and you even helped me out." Her lashes lightly trembled, looking vulnerable as anything. "But I didn't deserve that mercy, I still didn't make it."

"We met inside a door?" Lin Qiushi now found the shape of her eyes familiar. "Which door?"

The woman approached Lin Qiushi, saying, "you know, that one."

As Lin Qiushi watched her, he suddenly spoke: "There's something behind you."

The woman halted.

"A giant picture frame," Lin Qiushi said. "She's here."

The woman wheeled around in fright, but when she didn't see anything behind her, she suddenly realized that Lin Qiushi had recognized her. What had been a pitiful expression immediately went cold.

"It's been a while," Lin Qiushi said, "Yang Meishu."

The woman chuckled coolly.

"You still recognized me?"

Lin Qiushi shrugged. "I didn't want to, but I can count the people who wanted me dead on one hand. Since you're not a ghost, you must be somebody who hates me…"

He paused, and quickly announced, "she really is here."

But Yang Meishu didn't believe him. She said, "do you really think I'm that dumb? You've fooled me once already, you think you can do it again? I—"

As she spoke, getting more and more agitated, she felt a sudden breeze behind her. Yang Meishu glanced back, and found the woman in black standing right behind her. The woman's white face was impassive, and in her hands was a black picture frame that she swung right at Yang Meishu.

Yang Meishu knew this was likely it for her, and a terrible scream came out of her mouth. Right after she screamed, she became a portrait in the hands of the woman; soaked from head to toe, her expression bore both fright and a lively, vivid resentment.

Lin Qiushi took the opportunity to run further away. The woman didn't seem intent on chasing after him either, only watched him go with an icy gaze.

The rain came down in torrents, and Lin Qiushi was completely soaked. In such a strong rain, the umbrella was practically useless. As he ran, he fished out his cell phone and sent Ruan Nanzhu a text.

How are things on your end? After some thought, Lin Qiushi added: I'm fine over here, don't worry about me.

After the text was sent, he didn't get a reply for the longest time. It wasn't until Lin Qiushi found a place to hide from the rain that the message notification dinged, displaying four simple words: I'm good, don't worry.

Seeing the message, Lin Qiushi huffed a bitter laugh. Because how could he not know? Had Ruan Nanzhu truly been alright, the text would not have been so short. Ruan Nanzhu had trained his way through so many doors, so god only knew how many malicious NPCs and dead people from the inside he would meet at night. From what Lin Qiushi understood of him, if he had everything under control, he would've definitely sent a message first asking about Lin Qiushi's situation. Now, even his text message was so short. The situation on his end could not be good.

He wanted so badly just to be by his side—Lin Qiushi clenched his phone and thought bitterly. Whatever he had to experience would be fine, as long as he could be by Ruan Nanzhu's side.

[Ch. 131] | [Ch. 133]

[potassium-pilot]

Prompt 20: Petrichor

I’m in over my head, he thought, I know nothing of the Convocation other than what I learned in school; my creations seem so minimal compared to the Emet-Selch; they’re all taller than I am- I know height has nothing to do with it, but it’s still intimidating. Am I truly worthy of the seat of Elidibus? Am I really the Emissary?

“Do you smell that, young Elidibus?”

He turned his head behind him and noticed a woman. One of the members of the Convocation he met, but which one?

“Y-you’re…the Azem, is that correct?”

“I am, just like you are the brand new Elidibus. Now, do you smell that?”

Elidibus stared down at his lunch that he chose to eat outside on the steps at the back of the Bureau. “Oh…if the scent of my lunch offends, I apologize…”

“Your lunch neither offends my senses, nor is it what I’m referring to, Elidibus. We’ve had a dry period for some time, have we not?”

The weather was far from his mind, but he answered, “Yes, I…think so. Why?” Azem sat down next to the young one and replied with yet another question, “Have you ever noticed that scent that comes before rain after it hasn’t rained for so long?”

Why is she asking me this, he thought. Is this a test? “Uh…no, not really.”

“Hm. You should, young one. One of the gods put in quite a bit of work into making the rain as pleasant as possible. It adds a spice to life to notice the small things.”

He gathered a strange first impression of the Azem, but decided to take a whiff of the air, try to gather what she means. To his surprise, there was indeed a difference. “It’s…sort of earthy…”

“You’re right. It’s a pleasant smell to me, although some have their preferences.”

Elidibus took a moment and asked, “Is this some advice for how to deal with the Convocation?” Azem chuckled with her mouth closed, then responded, “No, friend, I’m just making conversation. You seemed so nervous in there.” Never had he felt more grateful for his red mask as he blushed at the thought that someone would notice such a thing. “The first day is odd, isn’t it?” she asked him.

“I don’t know about odd…but I must admit, I feel a bit…” he didn’t want to finish, but the phrase he was avoiding was ‘out of place”.

“Wanna know a secret about the Emet-Selch?”

That piqued his curiosity. “Uh…will that be all right?”

“Sure, so long as you keep it between the three of us.” Elidibus nodded at the agreement. He watched a wry smile form on the Convocation member’s face. “He’s a sucker for strawberry candy, and he bugs me to bring some home every time I leave Amaurot on my missions.”

His eyes widened at the thought. “Really?” She nodded. “He’ll deny it, but he’s obsessed with it.” Elidibus made a thoughtful hum. “Now what do you like?”

“Me?” he pointed to himself.

“Is there someone else here?”

“N-no…I…” he felt confused as to why she would care, making him hesitate. “I…I like that one concept, that card game…”

“Ah, you’re a gambling man. I see… you and I will need to play one night. I’ll show you some of the cheap tactics I picked up on my travels. You can help me clean out my friend, Hythlodaeus.”

The young man smiled. “What of you, Azem?” She smiled back. “I love to dance. When the Emet-Selch, Hythlodaeus and I go to the park, Hythlodaeus always takes me to see the musicians nearby, and I drag him into dancing when the Emet-Selch inevitably runs to avoid it. There’s another secret for you to keep.” Elidibus chuckled slightly.

“Ah, finally, a laugh.”

“S-sorry…”

“Nothing to be sorry for; I just like knowing that you’re capable of letting loose for a bit.”

He nodded. There was a moment of silence before he asked her, “Azem, is there anything I should know about the Convocation?”

“That we’re all flying by the seat of our pants.”

He stammered at that remark. “I-I beg your pardon?”

“My young friend, confidence is key to being a member of the Convocation. Quite frankly, there’s something new everyday, and it’s impossible to create a real standard for how we handle things. We have our protocol, but as much as they complain about me skirting it, they have also conveniently avoided protocol themselves.”

“But-but we’re supposed to lead our people, keep our society thriving…”

“If that’s how you keep looking at it, you’ll be that nervous every single day for the rest of your tenure.”

He blinked.

“Yes, we’re leaders, and we do, in fact, lead, but there’s no trick to being a Convocation member. There is simply being one. Bring ideas to the floor, engage in debate, do your reports and other paperwork, and go home. You’ll feel much more fulfilled at the end of the day if you remove the unnecessary pressure.”

He contemplated her words.

“The next time we go to the floor, I have an idea about revamping the concept submission process, make it more streamlined for easier processing. Could I…ask for your support, Azem?”

She pretended to ponder, then told him, “Tell you what; I’ll support it…if you can beat me at a game of cards.”

“What?!” he exclaimed in disbelief.

“Those are my terms. Do you accept them?”

“Is that…that can’t be protocol!”

“It’s not, but I should tell you how the Lahabrea got me to support his idea to reconstruct the Akadaemia Anyder.”

BOOM

The thunderclap roared over the Bureau of the Architect, and the rain slowly followed suit.

“Seems like a good time to play in my office, don’t you think?”

He still felt befuddled by the idea that any one of the Convocation of Fourteen should be anything close to him. That they were anything like him felt foreign. They’re leaders of Amaurot, creation masters; how could they be as clueless as the Azem claims them to be?

“Or would you prefer to sit alone in the rain? Because I will be returning inside to listen and watch it from the comfort of my dry and warm office with my meal. I would be pleased for the company, but I will leave that decision to you, young Elidibus.”

She stood up and as she said she would, she turned around and walked inside the Bureau. Elidibus sat there for a moment, realizing just how little he liked to get wet, but still wasn’t sure what to think. Finally, he rose from the stairs himself, and opened the door to return inside himself.

He walked down the halls to locate her office, passing each door, trying to see if there were any that he could peek through, but many were closed. Lahabrea…Igeyorhm…Nabriales…Emet-Selch… and last, but not least, Azem, the only open door. Before young Elidibus could enter, he heard a voice behind him.

“Ah, good afternoon, Elidibus. Were you hoping to speak with me?”

Emet-Selch approached him from behind. Elidibus turned to meet his gaze, despite being hidden behind a white mask, and answered, “Oh, no sir. I was hoping to speak with Azem. She invited me to lunch in her office.”

“Did she now?” he asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice. He took his shoulder and told him, “Come.” The two entered her office together, the Emet-Selch clearing his throat to get her attention. It worked, but she didn’t pry her gaze from the window.

“Hades, use your words”, she teased.

“Helios, are you corrupting this young man?”

That got her attention enough to turn around. Indeed, the young Elidibus stood at his side, a shoulder in the Emet-Selch’s right hand. “He informed me you asked him to lunch with you in here.”

“Oh, Hades, there’s nothing to corrupt. He’s quite stalwart for someone so young.”

“What has she told you, young man?” Before he could answer, she piped in with a teasing, “Nothing of import. Certainly not about how you beg me for strawberry candy when I leave the city.” Hades gasped and stumbled his words, “I-you-guh-I most certainly do not!”

“Uh-huh” she taunted, “Nor how you try to bring home near every stray cat you meet.”

“I would never bring such a pest into our home!”

“Right, now what will you tell Locus when we get home? She’ll be just the saddest cat we’ve ever had.”

He growled, shot his gaze to Elidibus and told him, “Everything she tells you is an absolute lie.”

“Only when it’s convenient for me to be telling the truth will he say I’m telling it, or so I’ve noticed.”

“Helios, you’re impossible!”

“I love you too. Now you better not have eaten lunch without me. I’ll excuse dear Elidibus here, but you?”

“I would never. Come, Elidibus, take a seat.” The young man nodded and took one of two seats in front of Azem’s desk.

“Um, Azem, when did you want to play that card game?” Elidibus asked meekly.

“Ah!” She pulled out a deck of cards and answered, “I’d like to finish my meal, then we can get started.”

“You’re not teaching him that ridiculous card game.”

Helios shook her head at her beloved, “I don’t have to. Why, he told me himself he loves card games.”

“Do you?” Emet-Selch asked the new member incredulously. “Uh, yes, sir, I do.” Realizing how this could be taken, he blurted out, “I-I don’t usually play it when I’m working, but-but I was asked to play with her for a work reason.”

“Oh dear…” Emet-Selch rubbed his temples and asked, “I think I know what she’s doing. All right, young one, what did you want to bring to the floor?”

Something within him sparked. That such a powerful creator could possibly listen to someone like him made him feel so honored. “Well, sir, if I may, there’s been many complaints about the process for submitting a concept, and I had an idea for how to streamline it, make it easier for employees to process submissions, and if you’ll hear me out, I think we can make it work”, Elidibus rambled excitedly.

“Hm”, Emet-Selch thoughtfully hummed, “You are correct that many do have trouble with their concepts being input. Long wait lines, a filing system that needs updating…not a bad idea.” He turned his head towards Azem and asked, “But why are you making him play cards for this?”

“I need to see him play now that he’s told me he likes this game. Besides, he may have your support, but I still have my terms.”

“Such are the dealings of our Azem; you truly wish her to be your role model, young man?”

“Role model? I’m simply his coworker.”

“Well, I’m glad you would deny the mantle. It might be better for someone who actually performs his duties to teach him the ropes.”

“Ha! I do my job well, thank you. It’s just not pencil-pushing.”

Emet-Selch shook his head. “Whatever will we do with you?”

“The better one is ‘what will you do without me?’”

“Work, probably.”

She scoffed at him, and told Elidibus, “I’m ready for that game now.”

“Deal me in as well.”

“My stars, Hades- you would play cards at work?”

“We’re not exactly working now, are we?”

A smile formed on her lips as she shuffled the deck. “Not quite. Don’t worry about him, Elidibus, it’s just me you’ll need to beat, not that it’s hard to beat our Emet-Selch at cards.”

“Hmph, slander, my love.”

The three played a good round. Azem gave him a run for his money, but he ultimately succeeded in the end, and received her full support for his proposal. Not that it mattered; she would have supported him anyways, but she enjoyed seeing the young man go from the nervous wreck he started his day as to a more relaxed version of himself, one that realized he was among peers, and not masters.

“There, he won. Are you happy, Helios?” Hades asked annoyedly.

“Quite. Thank you for a good game, my young friend” Azem complimented.

“Now come, Elidibus; it’ll be better for us to discuss this without her influence.” Hades stood up and walked out of her office to go next door. Elidibus stood up, ready to follow him as he requested, but then stopped. Without turning around, he asked her, “Would it be all right if I came back to eat with you tomorrow?”

She grinned. “My friend, anytime I’m in Amaurot, you’re more than welcome here. I’d rather you here than outside in the rain.”

He smiled and said, “Thank you.” Elidibus walked out of her office and moved himself from her office to the Emet-Selch’s.

The day went by without much clamor, then Elidibus gathered his things and left the office for the day. As he walked outside, the humidity left from the rain slicked his skin. It felt sticky, not his favorite sensation. Then he remembered the conversation from his lunch with Azem.

He took a deep breath, and embraced the earthy scent that blessed the city of Amaurot.

[bangtanbae100]

Something’s Fishy (Jungkook x Reader) Part 9

Pairing: Reader x Jungkook

Genre: Fluff, angst, au (A lot of appearance from other members too)

Description:Your policy of ‘i don’t know, i don’t care’ certainly benefited as you were hired to manage the popular group BTS on a mysterious trip of utmost secrecy. Unfortunately, what you discovered on accident was too great to be ignored. But the boys needed your help to solve their predicament and save their beloved maknae. Will you stick by your worth and help them or be a snitch and tell the world a terrible secret?

Gosh I had a hard time writing this part. But it was all worth it. Romance, suspense, perhaps death? Hehe…read on….

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4 Part 5  Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9

It was the thunder that startled him back to consciousness.

He felt incredibly fatigued, as if he had been lifting bricks all day. He tiredly stared around the dark room, eventually recognizing it to be the one he shared with his hyungs. Outside, a storm ravaged, pelting against the windows like bullets. The cold began seeping against his skin, sending him shivering. It was only when he shifted his body did he notice an arm snaked across his chest, gently hooked on his right shoulder. He turned to his side to see a figure sleeping soundly beside him. He couldn’t make out who it was, but with the scent of petrichor was also a whiff of a familiar lemon shampoo.

Jungkook’s heart began doing awkward little thumps at finding you sleeping by his side. Your face was buried at his neck, so it sent frissons of shivers every time he felt your breath against his skin. He was so worried that you would wake up that he tried slowing down his breathing. But then he noticed that you were curled up against yourself, having given up most of the blanket to him. Very carefully, he pulled up the blanket around his waist and began covering you up, but the movement caused you to shift closer to him, sending your lips softly caressing his skin. His arm froze midair, as his eyes widened at the intensity of the sensation, making the hairs on his arms stand on end. His heart did some crazy jarring movements so hard it hurt his chest. After a considerable amount time spent regaining his senses, he tried again, this time successful. But as he began to pull his arm away, his fingers accidentally caught on a few strands of your hair. You made a small pained sound, this time definitely awake.

‘Kookie?’ You called softly, in a voice drunken with sleep. Jungkook did an internal cheer when he felt you reflexively tightening your hold on him.

‘Did I wake you?’ Jungkook whispered, in which you lifted your head.

‘Jungkook, you’re awake? Oh my god!’ Without thinking, you tackled him into a hug, sinking your body into his. Jungkook was surprised at the force of which you were holding him, almost afraid to let go. He rested one hand against your hair, stroking it gently, when he felt your body slightly shaking.

‘Y/N, what’s wrong? Are you alright?’ he asked, almost inaudibly. The question only made you cry harder, grabbing the back of his shirt like an anchor.

‘I thought you were dead,’ you croaked, your voice hoarse. ‘You turned so pale, I could almost see the bones under your skin. I was so worried about you.’

He pulled you tighter against him, touched by your words. ‘It’s alright,’ he murmured. ‘I’m okay now.’

You pulled away from him, sniffing. Jungkook tutted at your disheveled face, and wiped your tears with his thumb. ‘There, there. I didn’t know you cared so much about me,’ he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

You grumbled, clearly embarrassed. ‘Namjoon hates me so much right now. I practically had to beg him to let me take care of you.’

Jungkook frowned, displeased with the notion. ‘They didn’t do anything stupid right? Like accusing you out of nowhere?’

‘They have the right to,’ you shook your head. ‘I have no idea what my grandmother was thinking. She was so set on hating you guys. I shouldn’t have brought you guys over to her house.’

Jungkook mulled over your words, his concern about your grandmother resurfaced. ‘But it wasn’t your fault, you know that,’ he said firmly. ‘I won’t ever blame you, so don’t you go and hit yourself over this.’

Neither of you could make out the other’s features very well in the dark, but as a bolt of lightning flashed by, it illuminated your face, and in that instant Jungkook could see in your eyes how much the words mean to you.

‘Come here,’ Jungkook whispered, holding you against him once more. ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if it was like this from the start?’

He felt you squirm slightly under his touch, evidently still mortified whenever he teased you. ‘You’re impossible. Your hyungs would kill me if they ever find out about us.’

‘They won’t,’ he stated firmly. ‘They wouldn’t dare hurt anything I hold dear to my heart.’

‘Yah, Jeon Jungkook. Are you okay?’

Jungkook rustled a little at the sensation of a crowd around him, still heavily drowsy. He opened one eye to find his hyungs circling his bed, all staring at him. He flinched, instinctively trying to hug you tighter around him to shield you, but he found his arms empty; you had sneaked out in the wee hours of the morning when he was sound asleep.

‘W-What’s going on?’ he muttered, his mind still have asleep.

Namjoon crossed his arms together. ‘Well, he’s clearly fine now,’ he said half sarcastically.

‘Jungkook-ah, how are you? Feel better?’ Hoseok nudged his arm, his voice dripping with concern.

He sat up, smiling at them in assurance. ‘Of course I am. I have the best hyungs, don’t I?’

Jimin suddenly came forward and tackled him into a bear hug. ‘We were so worried about you, you know!’ he wailed. ‘Yah, don’t scare us like that again, okay? Or I’ll hide all your video games.’

‘Ah, hyung,’ he whined, although he was secretly happy that his hyungs cared for him so much. ‘You’re overreacting.’

‘You think you can go tonight?’ Jin asked.

At that, Jungkook immediately remembered the plan. They had less time now that he had just regained his consciousness. ‘Where’s Y/N?’

‘She went out really early. Maybe to sort out for tonight,’ Taehyung answered.

‘Or maybe she went out to her grandmother’s to plan how to hurt Jungkook a second time now that she failed,’ Namjoon added sardonically.

Jungkook frowned at the words. ‘Hyung, you can’t possibly believe she’s guilty, right?’

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ he loomed over the younger. ‘You tell me.’

Jungkook’s body tensed at the statement, but Jimin quickly rebuked Namjoon’s words. ‘Hyung, I don’t think this is a good time.’

‘Well, will it be a good time to say it when Kookie’s dead?’ Namjoon countered reproachfully, clearly not swayed.

‘She’s innocent,’ Jungkook stated with gritted teeth, trying to contain his fury. ‘She doesn’t know the truth.’

‘How can you believe someone so easily? We’re the strangers here. The longer we stay, the more dangerous it’ll be,’ Namjoon spat.

‘Namjoon, stop it,’ Yoongi intercepted, clearly displeased with the two arguing. ‘You’re getting out of line. We should be thankful Jungkook got better.’

‘Yeah… yeah we should,’ he sneered. ‘Until someone gets poisoned again.’

He angrily fled from the room, leaving a pregnant silence in his wake. Jungkook slumped his shoulders, feeling the fight going out of him and a terrible sense of guilt replacing it. He was torn between defending you and placating his hyung, a situation he had never been stuck in before.

‘Jungkook-ah,’ Jimin peered underneath his face. ‘It’s okay. Namjoon hyung’s just frustrated he let something happened to you. He’s just upset.’

‘He’ll cool down soon,’ Hoseok assured, although he looked worriedly towards the doorway.

‘Hyung, Y/N’s innocent,’ Jungkook said, desperate for someone to believe him.

 ‘We know, we know,’ Jin assured, sitting beside him. ‘You know Namjoon. He’s just looking for someone to blame. I’ll talk to him soon. Don’t worry too much.’

Jungkook merely nodded, but inside him apprehension began to crawl.

You ran back home excitedly, almost sprinting in the process. Your heart felt light at your success, and couldn’t wait to tell Jungkook everything. You practically stumbled inside the house in your haste.

‘Jungkook!’ You called out excitedly. ‘Where are you?’

He peered out of his room at your voice, and you couldn’t help the relief flooding your system at how much better he looked compared to yesterday. ‘Y/N?’

The others had also converged at your presence. You immediately gathered them over, excitement bubbling out of your words.

‘I did it. I found a truck that could take us to the port. And a boat would be waiting there. I can operate it well enough to get us where we need to go. It was super easy getting these things!’ You exclaimed.

‘Really?’ Taehyung exclaimed. ‘Y/N’s the best!’

You suppressed the feeling of pride swelling in your chest. ‘We’ll leave at dusk. The trip will take around 45 minutes. I made sure no one knew.’

The biggest smile was etched on Jungkook’s face. ‘Thank you, Y/N. Really, thank you so much.’

You mirrored his emotions. ‘It’s the least I can do.’

 As soon as dusk fell your group began slipping out of the village towards a waiting truck. Your paranoia had increased since the incident and even though getting there by boat from the start was easier and faster, you didn’t want to risk your grandmother knowing. Luckily, most people were indoors around the time so all of you managed to leave unseen. After 15 minutes of walking through an old road you arrived at the vehicle, hidden beneath a camouflaged plastic.

‘Alright, people. Get in,’ you twirled the key in your hand.

‘Are you sure you can drive this?’ Hoseok asked, already worried.

You chuckled. ‘Relax. I’m gonna go real easy on this one. Just sit back and enjoy.’

Honestly, you did have experience driving, but the rural roads were so bad most of the ride consisted of everyone bouncing around in their seats. Jungkook who was riding shotgun was hanging on for dear life, his face tinged green. Jin and Taehyung collectively cried out in pain when they hit their heads after a particularly nasty bump.

‘Sorry guys,’ you called out. ‘There’s a lot of potholes over here.’

‘This feels like Dubai all over again,’ Yoongi groaned, clutching his heaving stomach.

Mercifully, the truck finally rolled in at the port. It was eerily silent at night, when operations had ceased. Thankfully, a close connection of yours agreed to wait and lend out his boat that was big enough to fit eight of you. He waved at you from the far end of the port, signaling that the cost was clear. You ordered the others to exit the truck, and greeted the middle-aged man.

‘Thank you for this,’ you said gratefully at him. ‘I’ll make sure to take care of things.’

‘It’s no problem,’ he shook his head. ‘But I hope you’ll be careful. Where are you heading anyway?’

‘That’s…,’ you paused, realizing that even you weren’t privy to the information. ‘I can’t say. But we promise we won’t do anything illegal,’ you looked over at them. ‘Right?’

‘We won’t,’ Jungkook said firmly, heading over. ‘It’s like a visitation trip.’

You translated the bit to the man, and he nodded. ‘Okay. I’ll be around here just in case you need help. But I hope you won’t. It’s going to be a tad tricky to explain to the rescue team. You can handle the boat well, right?’

‘Yeah,’ you nodded confidently. ‘You’ve underestimated my skills.’

The large man only laughed heartily. ‘You should go now. The weather forecast is great, but who knows what’ll happen.’

You beckoned the others to follow you both to the dock. The average-sized vessel was already prepared, calmly bobbing with the current of the sea. You let the boys get in first, before hopping on board, checking the engines and controls. Once satisfied, you flashed a thumbs up to your friend. ‘She’s all good!’

‘Alright,’ he loosened the ropes that anchored the boat. ‘Be careful!’

You pulled on the lever, and the engine roared to life. The sound was a bit too loud than you expected, suddenly breaking out in the silence, but thankfully no one came to check. You bid a hasty goodbye to your friend and directed the boat out to sea. Only after the dock was a good distance behind did you allow yourself to breathe.

‘So, guys,’ you spoke. ‘Where exactly are we heading?’

Jungkook quickly came over and showed a photo on his phone. ‘This cove. Do you know where it is?’

You immediately recognized it. ‘The Singing Cove. Yeah, it’s pretty famous around here. But there’s only rocks and the sea there. What are you trying to find?’

He only gave a mysterious look. ‘I’m meeting someone there.’

You didn’t know how to respond to that, so you kept your eyes on the water. The mood quickly turned dark with apprehension, as if the boys were nervous about something. You tried hard to suppress the uneasy feeling and continued to steer the boat. Finally, the cove came into view, a dark looming mass of rocks, with a gaping entrance. The massive size combined with the darkness emitted a sense of foreboding. Nevertheless, you guided the boat carefully into the mouth of the narrow inlet, looking out for unsuspecting sandbars. Once you were sure the coast was clear, you turned off the motor.

‘We’re here. Well, as here as we can. So where are those people?’

The boys looked as though they were trying to avoid your eyes, which struck you as strange. But Jungkook calmly went over to the back of the boat. He stood at the edge and only looked back once.

‘Now.’

All at once, chaos erupted. The boys immediately jumped over towards you, holding you back. At the same time, to your horror, Jungkook jumped overboard into the sea below. You were thrown off your senses in the early seconds, but regained them soon enough to fight back.

‘What are you doing? Let me go!’ You yelled.

‘Sorry, Y/N,’ Hoseok gritted his teeth, clearly not enjoying it as well. ‘But we can’t risk you doing anything stupid.’

‘Hey, it was Jungkook who jumped, not me!’ You protested, trying to wring your arms free. ‘Are you crazy? He could be dead by now!’

‘Just stay calm. We know what we’re doing,’ Yoongi said, struggling with your legs.

But calm was the furthest thing from your mind right now. Your heart was crippling with worry for Jungkook and confusion for the ongoing situation. Seconds passed and Jungkook still hadn’t surfaced, which almost made you crazy.

‘You guys are so going to regret this,’ you said fiercely. ‘I’m giving you a chance to let me go. I don’t want to hurt any of you.’

‘I’m sorry Y/N. But there’s six of us and only one of you. You’re staying here no matter what,’ Taehyung said.

You immediately proved him wrong by expertly twisting your body, surprising Hoseok and Namjoon by slipping out of their grasps. You kicked Yoongi in the stomach, enough to make him stumble back. Jimin immediately rushed to rein you in, but you ducked out of his way, making him sprawl in the middle of the boat. The boys were clumsy with the unexpected turn of events, and you made use of the distraction to head over to the spot where you last saw Jungkook. You gulped at the inkiness below, unsure of its exact depth.

‘Y/N, no!’ Hoseok yelled, coming towards you. Before he could grab your ankle, you dived headfirst into the cold uncharted waters.

The coldness of the water shocked your nerves, and for a brief moment you were debating on the level of foolishness you were willing to go for this man. You couldn’t even see you hand in front of you. Just as panic began to grip your body, your eyes caught a figure at the bottom of the sea, lightly glowing with a silver light. You quickly swam in the direction, and was awed by the fact that it was Jungkook, clamly floating in the dark, as if waiting. He seemed to sense your presence, and you saw his eyes bulged when he saw you approaching. He quickly swam over to you, holding your shoulders, trying to telepathically yell at you for such a stupid move.

You couldn’t exactly answer, and Jungkook urged you to swim back up. But you resisted, insisting to stay. Unfortunately, you felt the need to breathe rising very quickly. Meanwhile Jungkook, even distressed, didn’t seem to have a problem with that. He sensed your struggle and after a furious internal debate, closed the gap between the two of you, and placed a kiss on your lips.

You totally weren’t expecting such action. His lips felt soft and silky, as if unreal. He didn’t put too much pressure, as if hesitant with the move. He pulled out at the exact time the urge to breathe overtook you, and water gushed into your lungs. Miraculously, instead of drowning, you felt instant relief. The water mixed with your blood as easily as oxygen did, and a look of utter confusion filled your features.

‘Pabo-yah. I thought I told hyungs to not let you follow me,’ Jungkook said, his anger muffled by the water.

You were less articulate. ‘W-What…how can I…who are…?’

Jungkook looked conflicted. ‘There’s something you must know about me. I’m not… totally human. I’m actually descended from-,’

He was cut short when a mass of glowing creatures approached you both. You gasped, disbelief in your eyes. At first they seemed like mist, but as they neared you can make out the details of their appearance. They skin was entirely silver-colored, which gave off the soft glowing hue. Their similarly white hair were wild and unkempt. They have enormous orbs as eyes and sunken cheeks. From the waist up, they were naked human torsos, but sprouting down from there were powerful trunks of fins, their bluish scales gleaming in the dark, the elegant tips swaying back and forth hypnotically. You stared at them in amazement, only having heard of them from childhood stories and old wives’ tales.

‘Sirens,’ you breathed the word, reveling in their presence.

The one who led the pack carried with him a silver staff. Jungkook approached him and bowed respectfully, and you assumed him to be the leader. The leader acknowledge the greeting, placing a skeletal hand on his head.

‘Welcome, child,’ it said, in a voice so clear and pure it made you gasped. You weren’t expecting such a voice from a severely garish form. The language was unlike anything you’ve heard before, a melodic lilting manipulation that glided through the water. The leader seemed to hear the noise, and focused on you for the first time.

‘And what is a scraggly human doing here, trespassing on our sacred reunion?’ He asked, instantly suspicious.

Jungkook quickly pulled you over behind him. ‘She means no harm, Elder. In fact, she has been helping me to come here. I implore you to grant her presence. I vouch for her on my blood,’ he said, speaking in the same tone to the siren.

The siren was wary, but he granted his permission. ‘We have been waiting very long to meet you. I sense the aura of the sea very weak around you, child. You have been careless.

Jungkook bowed his head, as if ashamed at the admonishment. ‘Forgive me, Elder. I have been unable to visit the sea as often as I wanted.’

The leader shook his head. ‘Is your illness getting worse?’

Jungkook nodded. ‘I have to rely very much on the salt crystals you provided, but it has not been very effective. I cannot go for long without them.’

‘That is because you have neglected your origins. Child, you know your responsibilities. You are a part of us. Your ancestors cannot survive far away from these waters, as much as they were able to walk on their feet. The same goes to you. The sea is part of your blood. Once you abandon it, it will not be so forgiving.’

‘What must I do, Elder? My life…it just won’t permit me,’ Jungkook asked, and you sensed a hint of desperation in his voice.

The siren went closer to him, running his palm over Jungkook without physically touching him.

‘Your fate is doomed, my son. Your voice, the legacy you inherited from us… I feel it turning against you. Unless cured, your voice will become fully sirenic, and it will have the same powers as ours.

‘You mean…,’ Jungkook stammered.

He nodded. ‘Everytime you sing, it will beckon weak-willed humans to their deaths.’

‘What?’ You shouted, unable to watch the exchange in silence any longer. ‘You must help him, then.’

The leader looked at you curiously. ‘You understand us?’

Jungkook was staring at you in disbelief as well. ‘You heard everything?’ he asked.

You looked alternately at the two. ‘Well…yes. I heard everything.’

The leader swam towards you, an unreadable expression on his face. ‘Only humans who have resisted death by our voice are permitted to understand our language,’ he murmured, encircling you. ‘How did you survived?’

‘That’s ridiculous,’ you replied. ‘I never even knew you existed until now. I didn’t believe in you.’

The siren stopped in front of you. ‘A skeptic who lived…much interesting.’

He peered into your eyes, his swirly orb-like eyes fastening yours in place. You felt strangely calm and peaceful. Slowly, your vision narrowed into a tunnel, and at the end of it a scene unfolded: A tiny boat struggling against a roiling sea, where a man held the hand of a woman desperately. She seemed to be in the throes of pain, her face tight with the struggle and beads of sweat lining her forehead. In the distance, an eerie melody seemed to blend in with the roar of the storm.

‘Come on, sweetheart, you can do it,’ the man said firmly, his voice hard with resolve.

The woman screamed out once, and didn’t move again. The cries of a baby replaced it. The man yelled out both in anguish and joy, and picked up the newborn in his arms. The baby’s powerful voice seemed to chase out the storm little by little, until eventually the sea turned calm, and silence descended.

You felt a tug at the back of your mind, and was unceremoniously yanked out from the scene. Jungkook caught your form as you stumbled backwards, disoriented. The siren however, was unfazed. In fact, his interest in you seemed to increase.

‘Much fascinating,’ he murmured. ‘The first sound you heard as you were born was the song of a siren. And not just any siren.’

He turned towards the rest of the pack, and one of them stepped forward. He looked much younger than the Elder Siren, his skin slightly more bluish than the rest. He looked at you with wide disbelieving eyes, as if not fathoming your existence. He wanted to get closer to you, but the Elder’s hand stopped him halfway.

‘Marina… is that you?’ he breathed in wonder.

You stared at him, questions threatening to spill out from your body. But you only managed to stammer. ‘I’m Y/N. M-Marina was my mother.’

His face distorted into a look of yearning and sorrow. ‘You look so much like my beloved. I can see her in your eyes.’

‘You… you knew my mother?’ You asked.

He looked down, as if ashamed. ‘Yes, though for many years after that I wish I had not. She was the most beautiful human I have ever seen. I wished to make her my bride, but her mother suspected my intentions and married her off to your father. She never knew my existence, but every day when I see her stroll across the seashore I ached for my unrequited love. But soon after she never came to the shore anymore, and my terrible feelings yearned for her so much I sang for her. Not a song of death, but merely enough that she would yearn to go to the sea so I could lay eyes upon her face once more. Alas, I had no knowledge of her pregnancy, and her spirit was weak with carrying you,’ he looked at you with immeasurable regret in his eyes. ‘Forgive me, child. I had no intention of befalling you with such sorrow.’

You were already weeping at the tale, your tears dissolving with the sea. Jungkook clasped your hand in his, trying to channel you some sort of comfort.

‘How…how was she?’ you hiccupped. ‘What was my mother like?’

‘Oh child,’ he sighed, his voice soothed with the memory. ‘She looked just like you. Her hair as fine as sea silk, flowing down until her legs. She had a beautiful voice, one that the wind carried well into the night until it reached my ears and caused tears in my eyes. Her laughter rang like the twinkle of the stars, bright and untouchable. She was my only love, and I punish myself every day for causing her early death.’

You knew you should fill with rage, your mother’s killer right in front of you. You knew you should say deep-wounding words, but the sight of his miserable and sorrow filled form, you found yourself not having the heart to add more suffering on him. So you swallowed bitterly, and gingerly took his hand.

‘Thank you for telling me these things. I never really knew,’ you said softly.

He lifted his head, pure gratefulness settling on his sunken cheeks and filling his lightless eyes. ‘Oh, my sweet child. Thank you. Thank you so very much.’

The Elder Siren stepped forward once more, taking over. ‘I believe we still have a problem at hand. We might be able to tame your voice, but without a whitestone, it would be useless magery.’

‘What is a whitestone?’ You asked.

‘A rare sea gem. It can withstand our magic and store it for a long time. If I can imbue it with a spell, it might be able to help Jungkook.’

You reached into your shirt, taking out the locket underneath. ‘This might be just a wild guess, but it couldn’t be this, could it?’

The Elder placed a palm underneath the gem, softly murmuring under his breath. The gem started to glow, faintly at first, but gradually stronger. The inscriptions burned against the light. The Elder’s wide eyes bulged with astonishment, mirroring everyone present there.

‘The whitestone,’ Jungkook said, barely able to contain his excitement. ‘How can this happen?’

‘I-I told you,’ you turned to Jungkook. ‘The man my father saved. He gave this to him.’

The whitestone floated away from you, into the grasp of the Elder. He rubbed his finger across the surface a few times, as if gleaning its secrets. ‘It belonged to our child, your grandfather,’ he gave the semblance of a smirk, like he knew all along.

‘My grandfather?’ Jungkook asked, perplexed. ‘He was the one in the story? He was here?’

‘So he had. He came here to request a stop to the sirenic legacy among his human descendants, something beyond our capabilities. So he left this with you,’ he said, pointing towards your direction. ‘Just when our child needed this the most. You have come full circle, your fates have intertwined.’

Your gaze and Jungkook’s met, absorbing the impact of the words. ‘Then….with this he can get better? He can sing without causing people to be suicidal?’

‘Essentially, yes. But the sea still claims him as its own. He must still pay respect to it, otherwise we might be of no help to him in the future. Do you understand, child?’ He looked at Jungkook sternly.

‘Yes, Elder. I will make sure.’

The Elder then began to sing, a haunting inhuman voice much like the melody you heard that dragged you out of bed. One by one, the others began joining in the harmony, creating a chorus of sounds that triggered images in your mind: happiness, wealth and infinite wisdom. If you had been on land and heard this you would be very tempted to throw yourself into the sea, but here it merely caused you to stare in wonder. Their voices came together and swirled, taking an almost vague form. It danced around the pack, tickling their ears and blowing at their hair, passing by you and Jungkook, before being sucked into the center of the whitestone, where the unnerving harmony finally ceased.

‘It is done,’ the Elder announced. ‘I believe this belongs to you,’ he handed it over to Jungkook.

‘Thank you, Elder,’ he accepted it, wearing it around his neck. Suddenly, he pulled you in for a fierce hug. ‘Thank you, Y/N,’ he whispered. ‘You saved my life.’

You returned the favor, holding him tightly against you. ‘Now you owe me some.’

He laughed, a delightful sound even underwater. ‘Many thanks to you, Elder. And the family. I’m forever in your debt.’

The Elder nodded. ‘Depart now, child. I believe she won’t be able to breathe underwater for much longer.’

Jungkook seemed to be struck to a realization, and quickly grabbed your hand. ‘We will leave now. Goodbye!’

He bowed respectfully, which you mimicked, and began to swim upwards, holding you in his arms. Just as you were about to reach the surface, you feel the effects of his kiss wearing off. The water felt alien in your body, like some sort of poison. Sensing this, he swam even faster. You gasped for breath as soon as your head broke the surface, coughing out the last of the salt from your mouth.

‘Jungkook! Y/N!’ Hoseok’s distressed voice broke the silence, and the others clamored to grab you both out of the water.

‘Yah, we almost went crazy! We thought Y/N was dead! We couldn’t find her. Jin hyung was soaked to the bones,’ Taehyung rapid-fired the encounters they experienced on board, as everyone began discarding their jackets and putting them over your freezing ones.

‘Give them to Y/N,’ Jungkook told Jimin and Namjoon, who were about to give theirs to him. ‘I’m fine.’

You on the other hand, was shivering like crazy. The cold night seeping into your bones, and you hugged the jackets close to your body, trying to draw in their warmth. After the fuss ceased, they began targeting Jungkook for information, in which he voluntarily filled them in. They all listened in amazement as he recounted the meeting, ending with your crucial role.

‘So basically, without Y/N, I’m dead. So can we all agree that she’s not the enemy here?’

The others looked pointedly at Namjoon, who was trying to make his lanky body small. Jungkook gestured towards you, and he relented. He went towards your small, jacket-clad form and hugged you awkwardly.

‘I’m sorry. And thanks,’ he said, and smiled. You sensed his sincerity and pinched his deep-dimpled cheek.

‘Aigoo, Namjoonie. It’s okay. You only owe me like, a few boxes of fried chicken.’

The others burst into laughter, including Namjoon. He patted your head and nodded. ‘That can be arranged.’

‘Oh guys, we might not need Y/N to steer us back,’ Jungkook suddenly said.

The next thing they knew, the boat was gently moved towards the direction it came from. You peered into the water, and saw the bluish siren guiding the boat with his hand. He looked up and smile, his eyes looking like two submerged stars.

‘What’s his name?’ you asked aloud.

‘Samir,’ Jungkook replied. ‘He’s going to be the next chief.’

You and the crew drifted out in the open sea like that, and without the roar of the boat you could fully appreciate the beauty of the frost filled sky and the equally calm sea underneath it. You felt a sense of accomplishment and happiness. Jungkook had scooted next to you, each enjoying the other’s silence.

Finally the port came into view. You couldn’t make out the figure of your friend, but thought he had retired into one of the many control rooms while waiting for your arrival. But you felt Jungkook beginning to tense. He stood up and gazed hard towards the port.

‘Wait. Something’s-,’

At that exact moment, the port burst into life. Lights and sounds came together to form an orderly chaos. Bright white lights was shone at your boat, and harsh voices began telling you not to fight. You suddenly realized something, and threw yourself to the side of the boat. ‘Samir, go!’

The siren had picked up the trouble quickly enough. He just barely managed to escape when a net was thrown right where he had been before. Someone yanked you from the edge, pinning your hands behind your back and your head to the floor of the boat. You could see the others had received the same treatment. It was no use to struggle. The burly men forced you to your feet after a thorough weapon inspection, and dragged you to the docks. You were thrown carelessly to the ground beside the boys, who groaned in pain at the harsh treatment.

A pair of feet stopped right in front of you. Filled with despair, you lifted your head, meeting your grandmother’s hard, disappointed gaze. Before you could speak, she announced her verdict.

‘You have been caught in the act of conspiring with the devil. According to the laws, you will be put to trial and are punishable by death.’

She looked towards her cronies.

‘Take them away.’