The Fallen

IV : CONSPIRACY

Taehyung loved the way Illenium shone at night.

The lamplights glittered off the rendered glass walls of the upper levels and created a shining affect that could be seen for miles around - some said even all the way to Enniko. The special care taken in the architecture and design of Illenium had always been admirable to him. The way that the builders had ensured that the foundations and lower levels of each building was still beautiful, despite just being made from regular sandstone. Only the upper levels of the taller buildings were made from glass paneling, crafted for ease of observation, flight, and landing. The craftsmanship that went into the city was remarkable. It glowed, no matter the time of day, no matter the weather - Illenium was always shining.

Taehyung's wings opened and curled around him, protecting him from the cool wind. He knew he'd have to go back inside soon, but he wanted to feel like he was in control of his own fate, just one last time before the morning. Before the war would officially begin and his life would be handed over to those with the power to chose where he'd go and what he'd be doing. He pursed his lips. Not even Jin could tell him what the actual cause of this war was, and he was one of the Seven. He was an Arch Angel, one of seven with the highest position of power in their world below the General-Commander. All he'd tiredly relayed to him and Namjoon was that there was some kind of disagreement between the General-Commander and the Demon Emperor, regarding g territory disputes and provocation. At the very least, Taehyung could see the frustration in Jin's face, so he knew that his brother wasn't pleased about them going to war without just cause either.

Taehyung just couldn't understand why so many of his comrades were excited by the prospect of killing, violence, and death. He didn't see, and had never seen, why the demons were their enemy. Their races were cousins of sorts. How could they not be, with their shared physical traits and similarities? The reason for their animosity was a mystery of the past, never confirmed, only speculated at.

"Taehyung?"

He heard Namjoon's voice softly call for him from the ground below.

"Jin's home. Come inside."

Taehyung called back that he would. He took one last look over the city, a lingering glance up at the starry sky, and glided the short distance from the roof to the ground, landing in the courtyard by the side-door. He tucked his wings in and headed inside, plucking an apple from the fruit bowl he passed.

His brothers were in their living room. Namjoon sitting on his desk chair, spun to face the broader room instead of the desk, while Jin was wingless and sprawled over the chaise-lounge with an arm over his face. covering his eyes.

"Long day, Jinnie?" Taehyung asked with a small smile, which widened when Jin replied with a tired, whining grunt.

Namjoon huffed a short chuckle at their elder brother's dramatics. "Jin. You said you had important news."

At the drop of amusement in Namjoon's expression, and the seriousness to his tone, Taehyung raised eyebrow and made himself comfortable on the low-backed armchair across from Jin, letting his wings ruffled until the were comfortable. He watched silently as Jin's chest raised and fell with deep breaths and he pushed himself up, wiping at his tired face with his hands before running his fingers through his dark brown hair. Taehyung could see the tired bruising under his eyes, the lines of exhaustion in his face. He wished there was more he could do to help his brother, but he was apparently not suited to governance - which suited him fine since the thought of living cooped in an office all day made his skin crawl.

"Yes, I do," Jin answered, his gaze heavy and landing squarely on Taehyung. "It's about your posting, Taehyung."

Taehyung stiffened at that. He glanced at Namjoon, who seemed as upset by the news as he did.