Outworld Mission

1 - The bad faith

The Crown Prince stood in the shadow of a towering tree, his eyes fixed on his mother as she cradled the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. The infant, a boy, was the son of a slave-Ji-hyun, a woman who had once been the closest friend to Queen Jisoo, his mother. Ji-hyun had come from the Kingdom of the Moon, the same kingdom where she had escaped from her king, carrying with her a child destined to hold immense power.

The world of Epiphanea was as vast as Earth itself, lying at the crossroads between Venus and Earth. All humans in this realm were renowned for their striking beauty, and it was a world where royalty held not only grace but formidable power. The five kingdoms of Epiphanea were ruled by five kings, each wielding an elemental force of immense strength:

North, ruled by King Minho, commanded the power of fire.

South, ruled by Queen Jisoo, held dominion over ice.

East, ruled by a monarch who commanded the winds.

West, whose king controlled water.

Moon, home to two powerful moons, a blue moon and a mystique green moon, both capable of healing and gathering cosmic energy.

These kingdoms were bound by their elements, yet their stability was fragile. The arrival of a child, one possessing the ability to wield all five elements, would be seen as a catastrophe. Such a being was believed to bring imbalance, even ruin, to the realm. And so, King Minho, the ruler of the North, had summoned his most trusted confidant, Taehyung, to eliminate the newborn threat before it could cause devastation.

It was said that this child, born of a slave, was a gift from the heavens to the Moon Kingdom. His parents had hidden him in a magical portal just as the world began to tremble with his arrival. Ji-hyun, carrying the child in her arms, had traveled to meet Queen Jisoo in secret, knowing that they would have to take action. But they were not alone. The Crown Prince Seokjin, the son of Minho and Jisoo, had followed his mother, sensing the impending danger.

Seokjin possessed an extraordinary gift: he could see the future through the eyes of those around him. And as he gazed into the eyes of his mother, he saw only darkness-the death of both his mother and her best friend, Ji-hyun. His heart ached with the knowledge of their impending fate. He knew that he had to act, to save them at all costs.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Queen Jisoo met with Ji-hyun. The child was passed from one set of hands to the other. Ji-hyun, knowing the gravity of the situation, placed the baby in a snow basket, a gift from her homeland, and handed it to the Queen. "This child must survive," Ji-hyun whispered, eyes filled with sorrow.

Queen Jisoo nodded grimly. She opened a portal to another world, her hands trembling as she prepared to send the child away.

At that very moment, Seokjin felt the heat of an approaching danger-a wind that burned with the intensity of a thousand flames. He knew, with certainty, that Taehyung had arrived, sent by his father to eliminate the threat. Seokjin gripped his sword tightly, the fire within him flaring. He was no stranger to battle. His bloodline was powerful, a fusion of the elements of fire and ice. But even his strength was nothing compared to the power of the bearer.

As Seokjin stood watching, the baby, cradled by his mother, was thrown into the portal. A flash of fire streaked across the sky, and Seokjin, instinctively, reached out with his powers, directing a beam of fire toward the child. The beam sliced across the baby's cheek, leaving a small, yet significant, mark.

Seokjin's intention was not to harm the child, but to protect him. The cut would serve as a signal, a connection that would allow him to track the bearer, no matter where the portal led. There was something about this child, something that called to him. Seokjin couldn't explain it, but he knew he had to protect the bearer from whatever fate awaited him.

As the portal closed, a wave of scorching wind hit Seokjin's face. He spun around, his sword drawn, ready for battle. Taehyung, cloaked in black, stood before him, the flames of his fire magic already swirling around him. The battle between ice and fire was about to begin.

"Your Majesty," Taehyung sneered. "You don't know what you're doing. Stay out of this."

Seokjin's eyes narrowed. "I don't take orders from anyone but my father," he replied coldly. "But I will take your life if necessary."

A tense silence hung in the air before Seokjin's blade met Taehyung's flame. The two clashed in a storm of fire and ice, each trying to overpower the other. The flames that swirled around Taehyung were powerful, but Seokjin's black fire, a rare and potent element inherited from his father, was unstoppable. The black flames burned hotter than anything Taehyung had ever faced, and with each strike, the balance of power shifted.

The battle raged on, but Seokjin knew he couldn't keep this up for long. His heart ached as he saw his mother, Queen Jisoo, struggling to hold her own against Taehyung's fire. She was weakened, the ice of her powers unable to fully stand against the heat of Taehyung's flames. He had to protect her, no matter the cost.

In a desperate move, Seokjin summoned his own ice powers, forming a shield of crystalline ice around his mother. With a swift motion, he slashed at Taehyung's flame, extinguishing it with a burst of black fire. Taehyung, stunned, stepped back. Seokjin stood tall, his body radiating with a fierce combination of fire and ice.

"Enough!" Seokjin's voice rang out. "Leave now, Taehyung. This battle is over."

Taehyung hesitated, his eyes filled with frustration. "I will not leave without completing my mission, Prince Seokjin."

"I said, leave."

Seokjin's sword flared with an intensity that caused the very ground to tremble. But just as Taehyung raised his own weapon, Queen Jisoo stepped forward, her ice powers surging. She froze Seokjin in place, stopping him from striking his uncle.

"Mother, no!" Seokjin shouted, his voice strained with emotion. The ice was slowly encasing him, binding him in place.

"I cannot let you kill him," Queen Jisoo said, her voice filled with sorrow. "Taehyung is still my friend."

"Mom, stop!" Seokjin cried. "You're killing yourself. Please! Don't do this!"

But Jisoo's gaze remained firm, even as her energy began to wane. "Taehyung must live, Seokjin. For now."

With a last, desperate plea, Jisoo turned to Taehyung. "Go. Please, leave. Now."

Taehyung stood still, his heart torn. The woman he was meant to kill was begging him to leave, sacrificing herself for his life. With a heavy heart, Taehyung vanished into a cloud of red smoke, leaving the battlefield.

As the last trace of him disappeared, the ice around Seokjin shattered, and he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. His mother collapsed beside him, her energy drained. Ji-hyun rushed to her side, tending to the Queen's wounds with the healing magic she had learned.

Seokjin's heart ached as he saw his mother, so strong and regal, now vulnerable and exhausted. "I can heal her," Ji-hyun said, her voice gentle but firm. "But I'll need energy from you, Your Majesty."

Seokjin nodded and placed his hand on Ji-hyun's shoulder, transferring some of his strength to her. As Ji-hyun worked to heal Queen Jisoo, Seokjin couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. He knew the bearer, the child he had just protected, was destined for something far greater than anyone could anticipate. The power of the five elements coursed through his veins, and Seokjin knew that one day, their fates would intertwine once again.

Once the Queen's eyes fluttered open, she whispered softly, "Where is Taehyung?"

"He's gone," Ji-hyun answered, looking at the Queen with sorrow. "He left to fulfill his mission, but we must leave, my Queen. The danger isn't over."

Jisoo nodded weakly, but her mind was already focused on the task ahead. "We need to take the child to the Moon Kingdom. It's the only place where he will be safe."

Seokjin nodded in agreement. "I'll protect him. We'll go together."

As the group made their way to the Moon Kingdom, their journey would take them through trials and dangers, but Seokjin's resolve was unwavering. His heart was bound to the bearer, a child he barely knew but felt an undeniable connection to. And as they disappeared into the moonlit night, Seokjin's thoughts lingered on the child, and the strange sense of destiny that bound them both.