Stay Gold

Three Paths, Three Decisions

Elizabeth's pov

My mind drifted off to Baekhyun, who was back at home and I had no reason to think he wasn't safe. The warlock was after me. Not him. The last letter he sent was just before we left Dawnspire, he was telling me that everyone in town was okay and that he, himself was getting better every day. He had mentioned that Sehun had come back home which made me so happy and relieved that he was back home safe, it made me miss him. No doubt he was probably trying to get to where I was, Baekhyun must have told him what happened by now. I just hoped that the town was safe from Taemin, his parents always heckled the townspeople for no reason. "Liz, you okay?" Hoseok asked, "Yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking." I answered, "About?" He looked down at me, "Baekhyun and Sehun." Jungkook looked at me puzzled, I forgot that I hadn't fully told everyone about Baekhyun and Sehun. "Friends of yours back home?" He asked, "Yeah... We got lucky, their mother really stepped in and helped Damian take care of me after what happened to our parents. Damian and I grew up next door to Baekhyun's house, we all used to play together as kids.. Sehun was on a trip when the golem attacked so he wasn't around. The last letter I had gotten from him was before we left Town. He told me that he was recovering well and that Sehun had returned safely. I just hope they don't have anymore problems with the Warlock while I'm gone." I sighed, brushing my hair out of my face.

"I'm curious about something.." Taehyung spoke up, "About?" Jimin asked, looking back at him.

"Elizabeth, why do you keep calling the Warlock, 'Warlock'? Why not his actual name? You never really explained why you do that. What's so important about not saying his name?" Taehyung asked, I didn't know how to answer that question without sounding so angry and upset.

I didn't want to snap at anyone about this but he was curious and I don't blame him for it, the only person who called the Warlock by his name is Damian. "Most people generally don't call warlocks or even witches by their name." Namjoon chimed in, "Why?" Jungkook quirked an eyebrow at Namjoon's answer, "Because most of the human population is superstitious. They believe that saying the name of a warlock or witch brings more bad luck in their life. Sometimes saying their name ends up summoning them through a series of rituals." He continued, "Is that why you won't say his name?" Taehyung looked back at me, wondering the same thing everyone else was. "I don't say his name because every time I have or someone around me has, bad things followed. It gives him power and satisfaction, he's a sadist. And he loves to assert his power over others and I absolutely detest men like him." I know took everyone by surprise but I didn't care, "Saying his name is giving him power, he's a narcissistic asshole who solely wants my brother for reasons I can't understand. He has a weird infatuation with him and Damian has made it very clear that he doesn't view him the way the warlock wants him too. And because of that, he's taken his anger and pain on everyone else. For that, I can't stand him. I hate him with everything I have in my body and I'm not going to let him continue to harass the people i love. Even if that means that I will die to save my brother, so be it." Jimin placed a hand on my shoulder as Yoongi looked at me with concern, I took a deep breath and calmed myself.

"Can we please talk about something else? I don't want to talk about him anymore."

"Yeah, I get it." Taehyung nodded. We continued walking, Jimin giving me a light squeeze on the shoulder. His eyes expressing concern and he wasn't the only one, I could feel Taehyung's eyes on me.

"Are we any closer to getting out of this cave?" Jin asked.

"We should be. The path leads us a little further down-" Yoongi came to a complete stop making all of us stop walking, "Yoongi, what's the matter?" Hoseok asked, "The cave is divided into three paths." When I looked around, I noticed that he was right. There were three different paths leading to different parts of the cave, it was odd because from the way the map looked there should have been one path to take.

"This doesn't make sense. These faces were not originally mapped on here. And from the path the map is suggesting, there is only one right one. Problem is.." Yoongi trailed off, looking down at the map and then looked up at the pathways ahead of us.

"Let me guess, the map doesn't tell us which one is the right one that leads out of the cave?" Jimin quipped, looking at Yoongi.

"You would be correct."

"How the hell are we supposed to know which ones are safe and the one that leads out of here or which ones are the dangerous and most likely will get us killed?" Jin furrowed his eyebrows, looking just as confused as the rest of us.

"How about this?" I started, turning attention to me. "We split up. Make teams to travel through the three paths. And if one of the groups finds their way out, they can send us some sort of signal or mark the path."

"And what about the ones that don't lead out of here and are dangerous?" Jin crossed his arms.

"Simple. We mark the cave walls with the way we came through that would lead us back this way if we're forced to flee." I finished. "That's not such a bad idea.. But not a lot of us have the ability to send signals." Taehyung chimed in, "You're right.."

"We'll just have to chance it with the teams. I think this will be the only way, besides Elizabeth and I are able to use magic to send signals. So can Jimin and Hoseok." Namjoon suggested, "What if whichever team I was on and if we found the right path that leads out of the cave, I can send a speck of light down the path's exit back to here? That way if any other teams were forced to come back to this spot the light would find them and lead them to me?" Hoseok's idea was good, I think it was a good one.

"I like that plan." Namjoon said.

"Me too." I nodded, Jimin gave Hoseok a small smile.

"Alright, let's do this." Yoongi nodded, "Does anyone have any objections to this plan? Speak now or forever hold your comments for later." Jungkook and I chuckled lightly at his words, when nobody spoke up, he nodded.

"Alright, now to determine teams."

"I call Elizabeth!!!" Jimin and Hoseok shouted in unison, I shook my head and smiled. "I'll go with Jungkook and Jin then." Taehyung smiled, throwing an arm around Jin and Jungkook, who smiled. "Then that leaves you and I, Namjoon." Yoongi put the map in his back pocket, "Let's move out." I hope that everything goes well and that we don't run into trouble.