"BLOODY PEARLS" ~TK

23

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In Serene Sea~

Mingyu made his way back to the kingdom finally, fearing for his life due to the presence of vampires the whole way back to the sea. However, he was spared and left unharmed by them, much to his relief.

But as he went under the water he got shocked by the changes of the kingdom. Gone were the once bright and spirited surroundings. The absence of mer-children playing was like a stark contrast to the usual joy and life that once filled the place.

After few minutes of swimming under the water he finally arrived at the castle, he saw Edric was engaged in conversation with several elder mer-people outside the castle walls.

As Edric spotted Mingyu he  immediately approached him, his initial concern apparent as he looked around to see if the king was with him or not but when he saw no one was behind Mingyu he tensed. With a curious look, he inquired, "Mingyu, where is his majesty? I don't see the king with you."

A sigh escaped Mingyu's lips as he lowered his head and spoke in a hushed tone. "I couldn't bring him back with me," he admitted. "The reasons why the vampire king is keeping him there in the castle were a mystery to me. They just sent me back without providing any explanation."

Edric's expression furrowed with a mixture of confusion and anger. "The vampires were the one attacked on our kingdom all of a sudden," he pointed out. "King Jungkook just went to battle them as the king. But now, without any apparent reason, why are they persisting in holding him captive? It doesn't make any sense."

This unexpected turn of events left Edric puzzled and frustrated. He couldn't comprehend why the vampires would act so inexplicably, holding King Jungkook in their castle without any clear explanation.

As Edric was about to talk further Jimin approached them from behind interrupted the conversation between Edric and Mingyu. "Mingyu, you've returned? What about our king? Where is Jungkook?"

A deep sigh escaped Mingyu's lips  again as he addressed Jimin. "Prince Jimin, I apologize, but I was unable to bring him back. That damn vampire king, Kim Taehyung, is holding King Jungkook captive in the vampire castle, and they sent me back without him."

Jimin's eyes widened in surprise as he responded, "Are you saying they've kept him captive without a valid reason? They can't hold the king of another being as a prisoner without providing any clear justification?"

Mingyu chimed in, "I know but I'm uncertain about their motivation for holding him captive. Some guards barged into the dungeon where we were being held, paid no mind to King Jungkook's protests, and whisked me away. Then they left me here on the shoreline of our sea, and they disappeared."

Jimin flicked his eyes toward Edric, who was lost in thought, and quickly snapped him back to attention. Edric, pulled from his thoughts responded with a bewildered "Huh?"

Jimin's voice took on a firm tone as he spoke to Edric. "Enough is enough," he declared. "We must take action right away."

Edric raised an eyebrow, expressing a mixture of confusion and frustration. "First, we lost our former king, then the vampires attacked us out of the blue, and now they're keeping our ruler imprisoned in their kingdom without any apparent justification," he lamented. "Honestly, I'm completely at a loss about what to do right now."

Jimin sighed, frustration visible in his voice. "We can't just stand idly by and allow this situation to unfold without taking any action, can we?"

Just then, Mingyu piped up, "Uhm, Prince Jimin, I have something to say," interjecting into the conversation.