"No! Spare Beomgyu and I shall reveal all!" Soobin crumbled. Though they just met Beomgyu, they could not afford the death of another innocent fairy for one wrong decision, even if that meant they would have to yield a secret.
Lady M's lip curled in contempt, triumph mingling in her expression as she ordered her men to get a map for Soobin to mark the location. At long last, she had what she came for. The Tree of Life would soon be hers.
She grabbed the map and thrusted it into Soobin's trembling hands. "Time runs short," Lady M hissed. "Mark the location at once and ensure I make it there with haste."
𓃭 ༺♡༻ εïз
The interview with Nati0nal Ge0graphic magazine had ended exceedingly well for Taehyun. His photographs of Beomgyu and his findings around their habits were a smashing success. Editors were sure that these contents would grace the upcoming issue.
When Taehyun returned to his Ark, anticipation swirled in his smitten heart at the thought of Beomgyu's welcome after the interview wearied him. He was oblivious to any foul play.
The man called out, yet no cheerful greetings from the pixies echoed as usual. Doubts permeated his breath, he quickened his pace, alarm mounting with every step. "Beomgyu? Hueningkai? Where are you?" Still, none answered his calls.
His exhaustion faded as concern arose. The feeling of dread coalesced into cold certainty– something was amiss.
He ended up finding his home in disarray– though no assets were lost, every single one of his crew members had fallen into enchanted slumber, meanwhile Beomgyu was not among them. Panic rose in his chest as he searched the whole space, finally detecting a clue– a delivery box, hosting an empty gas canister. Rage and grief warred within him.
He found Hueningkai in the kitchen and grasped at his shoulders, shaking in a vain attempt to rouse him from this cursed dormancy. "Wake up, Kai! I need you!"
The little pixie stirred, blinking sleepy eyes. "T-Taehyun?" Confusion filled his gaze. "Tell me, Kai, what happened? Why were you all napping? Is it because–" The man showed him the gas container.
Hueningkai gulped as his eyes trained at it, distress breaking through the fog of awakening. "We received a delivery with strange gas. It filled the air while you were away. We breathed it unknowing until it was too late..."
"And Beomgyu?" Taehyun dreaded the answer yet dared not leave the question unasked.
Hueningkai wept, guilt and sorrow mingling in his soft voice, "I think they're lured away under false pretenses... That delivery man in disguise was probably hired to steal our fairy..."
Taehyun's heart shattered into a thousand pieces. He collapsed to his knees, horror carving lines about his eyes. To his shame, he found himself blaming his own carelessness. If only he had foreseen the danger, Beomgyu would not be held captive, facing peril all by themselves.
"I am so sorry we failed in our duty to protect Beomgyu." Milly and other pixies broke into tears when they woke up to their conversation.
"But how did he know where we are?" Taehyun tried to recompose himself in the most logical way if he was to rescue his fairy.
"A pin! There was a pin with a GPS chip under the kitchen island!" Milly shouted before teleporting to bring the said pin to the man within seconds. As expected, neither Taehyun recognized the object.
No one had visited the Ark recently except–
That realization hit him like lightning.
"No way! He won't do this to me!" Taehyun held his head in denial.
𓃭 ༺♡༻ εïз
The Ark landed in a hurry. Anger got the best of Taehyun, realizing Yeonjun had betrayed him and exposed their location. His fists clenched at his sides, trembling with fury as he stormed to Yeonjun's office, pulse pounding in his ears.
How dare he? After all they had been through– promises of loyalty and friendship, in business, in private life, Yeonjun would so casually hand them over to villainy.
He threw open the office door without knocking, Yeonjun startled in his chair. Before a word could be uttered, Taehyun's fist collided with his jaw, sending him toppling to the floor.
"Traitor! " Taehyun growled. "How could you?" He tossed the metal pin right at Yeonjun's face and the older dodged it with all his might. "Wait, stop! I can explain!" He shielded himself from more attacks with a file holder.
Taehyun paused. Explain? What excuse could possibly justify such a vile act?
Yeonjun warily raised himself to a seat. A bruise already bloomed upon his cheek, and his lip was split. "I was going to arrest Lady M! I figured out She has my fairy.!"
"Lady M!" Taehyun grabbed Yeonjun by the collar, lifting him from the chair. "So you bastard used my fairy as bait? Beomgyu has been taken by that bitch. If any doom passes, their blood shall be on your hands."
"It was the only way I could gather enough evidence for an arrest warrant!" Yeonjun protested. "Listen, Taehyun. It's all covered in my plan and I never meant to hurt any of those fairies. Once the sun hits, I will pay her a visit with the cops."
Though Yeonjun's claim of intending arrest brought reasons, Taehyun did not think sitting idle would save Beomgyu from evil's clutches.
"So what do I do? Just sit and wait? Leaving Beomgyu to suffer at her hands while we debate strategy?" His hands clenched into fists again. "I need to know where that bitch was."
Yeonjun frowned, "Wait, you mean to confront her yourself? That's suicide!"
"I care not for the cost," Taehyun replied bitterly. "Beomgyu's rescue is the only thing that matters now." The image of his fairy sobbing alone left him frustrated.
"Taehyun, don't do anything rash! Remember you have a curse-" This time it was Hueningkai who tried to halt his impulse.
"Isn't that a greater option? A fierce lion against a villain." He cut in and the pixie looked at him with wide eyes, shocked at his bold conclusion while Yeonjun was confused by their discussion.
Perhaps in that beastly shape Taehyun would find a strength like none other.
𓃭 ༺♡༻ εïз
With hands that shook, Soobin meticulously marked the location on the paper. Each stroke of his quill was a stake through his heart, yet he dared not falter.
"You will also need a fairy to open the gate." Soobin said, after the path was unfolded by ink.
"Is that so? Very well, and that shall be you. Note that your fairy friend will accompany us as insurance."
With that being said, Lady M commanded her inferiors to ready supplies for the journey. However, just as her men set out, she heard loud roars and angry shouts, punctuated by crashes of breaking wood.
To her alarm, a massive lion had appeared at the entrance of her manor under the glowing moon. His lips pulled back in a bone-chilling snarl as he slammed his sharp claws against the heavy doors, seeking to break through.
The lion that emerged from darkness might be feral and untamed but it had a purpose– to rescue his love.
Hueningkai prayed that the curse for once, would work in their favor.
YOU ARE READING
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗸, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆 - Taegyu✔️
Fanfiction✧*°࿐Taehyun, the reclusive biologist, expected to study elegance, not a shy, clumsy fairy tripping over the hose while watering his flowers, and obviously not one that discovered his ugly secret. As for his Ark, he had only one rule- 'When the sun s...
