Doppelgänger✔️

Sacrifice

"Why....why tell me this?" Taehyung stammers. He shrugs in recoil, hoping the demon would step away from him. It does with an accomplished smirk.

"I'm not sure what you mean Taehyung.." the demon says with a condescending tone. He side-eyes the grinning menace.

"I mean.....You're so powerful, right? Couldn't you just have your way? Complete the bond or whatever and left me ignorant to all of this...What's the point in telling me? ?" he asks and the demon chuckles.

"I've already told you...My satisfaction doesn't derive from your pain or suffering.."

"Liar..." Taheyung grits his teeth with the rebuttal.

The demon smiles. It steps around Taehyung to walk towards the bar with its hands tucked in the pockets of the trench coat. Taehyung watches it wearily, not moving an inch from where he stood tensed and trembling with emotion.

"Why would I lie to you?... We're practically family," it responds casually. As it propped itself to lean against the empty barstool, Taehyung scoffs.

" I don't believe you. I don't believe any of this...You could be telling me anything just to get your way..." Taehyung snaps but the demon remains passive, blinking with boredom as it usually did at Taehyungs curtness.

"Either way..." the demon beings with a shrug.

"A lie or not...there are few things that are fact. One, I'm here. Not going anywhere anytime soon whether you accept me or not. My blood in your veins will guarantee that. Two, You're going to accept me because you have no other choice. I told you the truth about our connection to push you in the right direction..to give you the chance to do what your grandmother didn't. A chance to undo what's been done."

Taehyung furrows his brow.

"What do you mean?"

With a smile, the demon turns its head to gaze through the windows at the people in the parking lot. Taehyung does the same, spotting Junseo and Jungkook further back and then Halmi and Mae engaged in a seemingly serious conversation. They both pause to glance back at the diner in his direction. Taehyungs expression softens when they turn away from him and he frowns.

He does a quick headcount, his eyes searching the lot for the other two members of his entourage.

"Jia and Jimin....where are they?" Taehyung asks, stepping towards the window.

"Unconscious. Fading....well one of them for sure. Your sister is just on the brink of another unfortunate event herself. Stress is such a dangerous thing for a woman in her condition.." the demon says. Taehyung stops dead in his tracks and turns sharply to face it.

"What did you just say?"

The demon regards him with a humored glint in its eye as it stood from the barstool to step towards him.

"Well Taehyung...As we speak, your sister is very close to losing yet another baby. She's a few weeks shy of her second trimester so it's common but unfortunately too common for her. I'm not sure if her heart could handle another loss...Who knows what ways she will internalize it. Especially with the way your mother handled losing your father..Grief has a way of destroying a person..."

Taehyung can't find the words. He's rendered speechless from this sudden news.

Jia is pregnant and has been during all of this.

And he had no idea.

"And then there's also your friend's condition...." the demon continues. Taehyung tenses as it takes a few more steps towards him, planting itself in front of him again as it had before.