Black Swan (Kim Namjoon x reader)

Chapter 15

The move required an extensive amount of preparation. You thought that getting into a magical realm would be a piece of cake. You pictured that Namjoon just needed to go to that alleyway, hold up a card, and then a portal would appear. But unfortunately, with Etherio being on red alert and guards at every portal, you needed to go through a process to even open up a portal. Luckily, Hoseok is a social butterfly. Many patrons visit his bar, even those in authoritative positions. He cashed in his favor with some Kingdom officials and got them to open a portal for you and Namjoon in exchange for free booze for life. Worked like a charm.

Jungkook went back to your place and rummaged through the ruins to bring you anything that might be useful for you to start a new life in a new world. With Namjoon's magic barrier gone, the place appeared to have been wrecked. The police came by earlier and deduced that it was robbed but they couldn't find the family anywhere. Namjoon said eventually, the neighbors might file a missing person report for all three of you. The search would yield nothing and as time goes by, people will forget that you ever existed. It's a bitter sentiment, but it's sweet to think that at least your world would be safe.

The young boy came by later in the afternoon with a few suitcases. You thanked him. "But I don't think these clothes would be much help to me," you hummed, scratching the back of your head. "When I was there, I saw people wearing really weird European style clothing."

"Oh, that was just a random festival," he chuckled.

"It's one of those wasteful events to celebrate the Queen," Namjoon added as he gathered his stuff. He wired a blank expression. He must be having regrets about being involved. The knot in your stomach grew bigger. "Are you ready?" he asked. His eyes held an infinity.

"Um, yeah,"

His face softened. He walked closer to you, so close that you could feel the warmth of his arm. He reached down and grabbed your suitcases. You opened your mouth to protest but he looked away. "Remember, you have to be okay for this to work."

There it was again, the cruel demand. You swallowed back the tears and nodded. "I'm okay."

The clock struck the hour and on cue, the wall in Namjoon's apartment began to shift. Glimmers of lights emerged and soon, a black portal appeared. Now that you have a better look at it, it resembles a tornado. A spiraling loop that was both cold and hot at the same time. There was a sound of the gusting wind in it. Somewhere far away, you could hear a bustling city in Etherio.

"Oh hold on," Namjoon said, digging in his pocket for something. You expected a card for protection but when he grabbed your hand and placed a ring on your ring finger, you couldn't hold back a gasp. "It's for protection," he assured, a slight bit of annoyance in his voice. He never thought about getting married but when it actually happened, he thought it would be more meaningful than this. "Wear this and you'll be fine. No one will dare to touch the wife of the Magician." Wife, you repeated. A sweet word in such a twisted fate. You touched the cold ring and nodded.

The trip through the portal was shorter than your first experience. Free falling still made your stomach feel sick but along the way, Namjoon extended his hand for you to hold on to. His hands were softer than expected with certain rough edges formed from days of fighting as a young schoolboy. He gripped your hand tight as the landing approached.

It was early evening in Etherio. The blazing sun was in its descent over the city's horizon. Creamy orange and dusty pink swirled together to paint the sky. You've never seen anything quite like it. The two of you were outside the city. A forest opened up in front of your eyes. Rows of trees surrounded both sides of the dirt path. "I'll go get the car," Namjoon said. "You'll be okay."

You nodded at his back. It gave you some time to observe the city. Now that you weren't actively running from your demise, you got a good look at everything. If it weren't for the rising red moon, you would have thought you were back at home. Everything looked pretty much the same. Houses and buildings have modern architecture. People and creatures wore t-shirts and jeans. In your people-watching, you didn't notice a group of guards approaching. Despite Namjoon's protection magic, a girl wandering by herself was suspicious enough to draw attention.

"Excuse me, miss," a voice said from behind. It made you jump and you swallowed back any fear. The guards wore traditional armor, minus the helmet. They seemed out of place. "May we see your identification?"

"Um, yes, of course." You pulled out a booklet that Seokjin had given you earlier today. The guards looked through the paperwork and examined you up and down.

"Okay, miss Y/N," he said slowly. "It says here that you don't have any magic, but that's not the truth, is it?"

Your feet threatened to buckle, "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb, I can feel a magical presence around you." They took a step closer to you, their hands went up in an attempt to get a hold of you. "We will need to take you in for questioning."

Before they could touch you, a car screeched and got in between you and the guards. They held up their swords and prepared for battle. The car door opened and they instantly regretted that action. The Magician looked at them through his wild hair and it sent shivers down their spine. "What do you think you're doing with my fiance?" he growled.

The group straightened its posture. They glanced down at the ring on your finger and recognized the crest from Namjoon's family. "We're so sorry sir, we didn't know she was with you."

Namjoon put his arm on your waist and pulled you closer to him. "Now that you know, I suggest you leave her alone from now on."

"Yes, of course, sir!" With a final salute, they headed back into the city.

"How did you get them to do that?" you asked once you were safely in the car.

"It's my father's influence in Etherio," Namjoon answered. "He's a powerful politician and no one would dare to mess with him and his family. I guess that's the only good he has ever done for me." The infinity of sadness returned to his eyes. He drove the rest of the way in silence.