Afterlife || (OT7 X Reader) ✓

19: Heavenly Curse

1362 AD

The sky was turning dark with the clouds, indicating that it would rain very soon. Hoseok smiled at his wife as he approached her who was folding the clothes slowly in front of the balcony. He sat beside her and started helping her with it. "Haemosu, you shouldn't strain yourself in this time. Take a rest and don't work a lot." He said and she passed him a soft smile.

He slowly moved his hand to her belly and caressed it. "Your parents are waiting for you patiently, precious. By Heaven's grace, we hope you will be born healthy," Hoseok mumbled and Haemosu giggled at her husband. He smiled at her and stroked her belly while she admired her husband.

But her smile faded when she noticed a man standing at the doorway of their hut across the courtyard, smirking at them darkly. She gulped and stood up. Hoseok followed her actions and turned his head around only to be frightened of the person.

"Who are you?" Hoseok questioned and heard him chuckle. "Where is Princess Haeguk, priest?" He asked, a tone so dangerous that it even scared an angel like Hoseok.

"Who are you?" He repeated again, hiding his wife behind him. Taehyung watched him and smirked, "Where is the youngest Princess of Kaesong, priest?" he questioned again, walking inside and looking around the place.

Hoseok felt the dark aura radiating from him. He sensed something wrong from him. "Get inside the home, Haemosu. Don't come out until I say otherwise," he instructed Haemosu but she shook her head.

"I won't leave you alone." She whispered and he gritted his teeth, glaring at her. "Understand. You are carrying our child. I have to protect both of you," he whispered, eyeing Taehyung who halted in front of the holy tree without paying attention to them.

Tears built in her eyes and she bit her lips before turning to get inside the home but Taehyung threw a spade on the door, causing her to gasp when it stabbed right next to her face on the door.

"Stop! Who are you? Why are you doing this?" Hoseok screamed, watching his wife in horror and then back at Taehyung who chuckled darkly.

"I am Kim Taehyung. The mighty Emperor of the East." He said with a lopsided grin and pointed his finger at Haemosu. "And you, did I allow you to move from your place?" He asked while she shivered in her place, sobbing silently. Hoseok frowned but his eyes were twitching because of the terror of Taehyung.

"Let us go, please. I beg of you," Hoseok said, kneeling down in front of him and hanging his head low. His wife mirrored his actions and bowed as well. "Please, Your highness. Let us go. We didn't do anything wrong." She whimpered.

"One of Kaesong's spies informed the King that she was here. Where is she?" Taehyung queried in a firm tone. "They are not here. You can check the place. They left after the marriage." Hoseok said, pressing his lips together, praying to the Almighty that he helps him and his wife to get out of this trouble.

"They? Marriage? Speak clearly, priest." Taehyung demanded with an expressionless face.

"General Jeon, Princess Haeguk and their loyal servants. They were here. I had to conduct their marriage and they left immediately afterwards." Hoseok admitted and heard a laugh. He looked up and watched Taehyung laughing, throwing his head back. He stopped laughing, his smile draining from his face as he glanced at Hoseok darkly now. "What?"

"They are not here. They left after the marriage-"

"Whose marriage?" Taehyung asked, slowly scrubbing his shoes, walking to the high platform of the balcony where Hoseok and Haemosu were kneeling.

"General Jeon and Princess Haeguk."

Taehyung smiled and nodded at Hoseok's words. The corners of his eyes turned red and he patted Hoseok's shoulder. "Have you realised what you have done, priest?" Taehyung asked and bent down, his face hovering between Hoseok's and his wife's face. "Since you destroyed my future with my love," Taehyung mumbled, sending a shiver run through Hoseok's spine. He looked to his right side as Taehyung's left hand was still gripping his right shoulder.

While Taehyung leaned forward to his ears and whispered, "I should destroy yours." A loud screech was heard and Hoseok gasped. He turned around, eyes in the same level as Taehyung who turned to look at him with a dark smile.

Taehyung stood straight and a loud gasp was heard again, this time followed by the noise of the blade. Hoseok's eyes watered, scared to look to look at his left side. He slowly turned his head and noticed Haemosu bleeding through her mouth.

Hoseok cried at the sight of her, holding her stomach, her hanbok drenching with blood, the wound of the sword clearly visible through the torn piece of cloth. She stared at Hoseok one last time before closing her eyes, falling backwards but Hoseok held her in her arms, shaking her while crying loudly.

"No! Please! Haemosu! You cannot give up! No way! Please! Lord! Please save them!" Hoseok choked on his tears, trembling while shaking Haemosu but she wasn't responding anymore.

Taehyung watched them with a blank expression and turned around, putting his bloody sword back in the scabbard. He started walking but heard Hoseok's wailing, causing him to halt. "Kim Taehyung!"

Taehyung didn't turn back but didn't walk forward either, waiting for him to speak. "You made a heavenly angel angry! You must face the consequences!" Hoseok screamed and Taehyung turned his head back to look at him glumly.

Hoseok furiously glanced at Taehyung. "I should never use lord's power on humans selfishly but I put the darkest curse on you. Today is the 16th day of the sixth month of the year of Metal Ox and Water Tiger. You will have to suffer in agony for 661 years, and only after then you will fulfil your reason for taking the life of my wife." He seethed through clenched jaws, tightening his grip around the lifeless body of his wife in his arms.

The sky was turning dark even in the broad daylight. The clouds were overcast over them, streaks of lightning followed but loud thunder shuddered the place. None of the two men looked dazed or scared by natural calamity.

Warm tears streamed down the angel's face but his burning eyes contrasted to his usual personality. An angel was angry and even nature was scared as it thundered loudly above Hoseok's head in the sky.

"Just like how you stole the beat to my heart, your own will stop beating this instant. No death for you yet no heartbeat. You'll be living like a corpse for 661 years. You will watch generations after generations of yours perish, die and wither, but you aren't allowed to shed a single tear over their loss because you will be the sole cause of your own pain, Taehyung." Hoseok put a curse on the mighty King of the East.

Taehyung stared at him with no emotions in his eyes and slowly smiled mockingly. "I think your curse will be useless, priest. Because if she isn't here beside me for all these years then I would rather have my heart stop beating in itself." He said. Hoseok passed him a questioning look. "What?"

"I won't watch my generations perish because I want to start my future generation with her. And only her." Taehyung voiced out and Hoseok gently placed Haemosu on the floor and stood up, giving a look of bewilderment to Taehyung. "661 years? I could spend a lifetime worth more time if in the end, I get to have Princess Haeguk as my reward. This would be more of a blessing than a curse, priest. Thank you."

Hoseok blinked his eyes, his anger dying down replaced with a look of disbelief at the king's words. "You are crazy." Hoseok murmured. Taehyung chuckled, shaking his head and looking at him,

"Don't blame me, love made me crazy."

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Favourite chapter so far. Doesn't even have the main characters in it but Taehyung's words are top notch. I'm amazed with my brain.