PERFIDY || Taekook

Espoir

Onyx’s Royal Scouts have been lurking around Ataraxia for the past week. Jimin heard their horses running back and forth across Onyx’s border, close to the cottage in which he lives. Jimin and Taehyung’s cottage was located closer to Onyx’s border than the others. Only three or four would be closer than theirs, right next to the border, and they were abandoned. The people who used to live in them are now dead, victims of war. The cottage they occupied is hidden behind a fallen tree that conceals most of it, shielding them from possible suspicions. 

He spent the past week with his heart in his throat, afraid that someone might actually cross the border and start searching inside Ataraxia itself. This fear comes true one day, as he sits on the old, worn-out couch of the cottage he occupies and hears the scouts’ horses way closer than before, inside the unruled territory.

Jimin spent the past week worrying for Taehyung, his heart never at ease at the thought of the omega that is probably in some sort of prison and getting tortured. Images of Taehyung getting beaten up, kicked, and burnt would flash before his eyes whenever he let his mind wander to what Taehyung could be doing out there, in Onyx. Ataraxia has been a warzone for too long, ever since they were kids. They saw the people of their pack fall to their death one by one, some by the king of Onyx, and some by the king of Azurda.

Azurda and Onyx, during Jeon Byungho’s reign, would kidnap members of their pack, betas and alphas, and torture them until they gave in to the king’s orders to fight alongside them, even if most of them died in the process. Jimin saw so many people of his pack members fall dead before his eyes, killed by the sword of Azurda’s king, Jeongguk’s father, and eventually, Jeongguk himself and their soldiers. Ataraxia was a bloodbath for way too long, only recently had it calmed down, and he could not imagine his brother going through the same thing.

He feels his heart twisting with worry every time as he recalls the sound of swords tearing through flesh, the soldier’s screams as they fall dead and the loud clashing of the swords. He is sitting on their couch, curled in on himself with a bronze cup in his hand, filled with warm liquid that is rapidly getting colder, a frown etched on his face because he cannot get the mental image of his brother with wounds on his body out of his head. He takes a deep breath like always, letting the air flow inside his body and calming his restless heart.

His thoughts are interrupted when he hears men’s voices outside his cottage. The voices are not too close, but had it been any other day, he would make out what they are saying, but the strong wind has muffled their conversation. He usually hears them at such a distance, so he stays still until he hears their voices get louder and closer.

Jimin rises off the couch, his eyes wide with fear as he moves on the tip of his toes, inching closer to the window that doesn’t give him a view of the border, which is blocked by the fallen tree just outside his door, but it makes him hear the commotion outside better.

Jimin hears the roars of the scouts, communicating with each other over a large distance. He figures they have scattered over a large surface area to explore it better. He hears their horses’ hooves repeatedly hitting the ground as some walk and some run. The omega feels chills running up and down his spine upon hearing how close they are.

“I found something!” Jimin hears someone yell, his voice sounding near, “There’s a trail over here!”

He feels his heart drop.

He takes a deep breath and blocks his scent, his eyes frantically searching for something to cover himself with. His eyes land on the dark purple tablecloth and reaches for it instantly and wraps it around himself, shielding his identity from anyone who may notice him. Jimin gulps as he grips the window frame, and with a deep sigh, he jumps over it and out of the cottage.