𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇'𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍┃𝐉.𝐉𝐊 ✘ 𝐊.𝐓𝐇 ✔

Part : 05 A Larger Cage

Taehyung lay on the cold stone floor, his body trembling with exhaustion and humiliation. The forced meal that Jungkook had shoved down his throat still weighed heavily in his stomach, a bitter reminder of how completely powerless he had become in the hands of the Fallen Sovereign. His wings, once radiant and proud, were now nothing more than fragile, limp appendages that dragged behind him, their celestial glow long extinguished.

The crimson barrier that had caged him for what felt like an eternity still pulsed faintly around him, a constant reminder of his imprisonment. He was weak, broken, and utterly helpless. His hatred for Jungkook burned hot within him, but his body no longer had the strength to fight.

Time passed in a blur, each moment blending into the next, until the sound of the chamber door creaking open once again broke the heavy silence.

Jungkook.

Taehyung’s body tensed instinctively, though he lacked the energy to lift his head. He could feel Jungkook’s presence filling the room, the oppressive weight of his power settling over him like a suffocating blanket. His chest tightened, and he struggled to breathe, his mind already bracing for whatever new cruelty Jungkook had in store for him.

Jungkook approached the crimson barrier, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement as he stared down at the broken angel who lay crumpled on the floor. The sight of Taehyung’s frail, trembling form brought a satisfied smirk to his lips, but there was something different about him this time.

Without a word, Jungkook raised his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, the crimson shield that had held Taehyung captive for so long began to dissolve. The dark magic that had once surrounded him vanished, leaving nothing but open air between them.

Taehyung’s eyes snapped open in shock. The barrier was gone. He blinked in disbelief, his mind struggling to comprehend what was happening. The shield---the one thing that had kept him confined---had disappeared.

For the first time in what felt like forever, he was free.

His heart pounded in his chest as he struggled to push himself up, his limbs shaking with the effort. Every instinct screamed at him to run. To get as far away from Jungkook as possible. But his body, weakened by weeks of torment and starvation, refused to obey. His muscles trembled violently, his wings fluttering weakly behind him as he tried to stand, but his legs buckled beneath him, sending him crashing back to the floor.

Jungkook’s smirk widened as he watched Taehyung’s futile struggle. His amusement was palpable, dark and twisted, as he took a step closer, his presence towering over the fallen angel. "What’s the matter, little angel?" he asked softly, his voice laced with mockery. "Did you think I’d let you go so easily?"

Taehyung’s breath hitched, his chest heaving as he glared up at Jungkook through bleary eyes. Despite his weakness, despite the overwhelming exhaustion that wracked his body, the fire of defiance still burned in his gaze.

Jungkook crouched in front of him, his dark eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction as he tilted his head slightly, watching Taehyung’s futile attempt to stand. "Don’t get any ideas," he murmured, his voice soft but filled with menace. "You’re still mine, little angel. There’s no escape for you."

Taehyung’s body trembled as he tried to catch his breath, his wings twitching weakly behind him. His mind screamed at him to run, but his body was too broken, too weak to obey. Every movement sent pain shooting through his limbs, and the suffocating air of the Shadow Realm made each breath a struggle.

Jungkook chuckled softly, clearly enjoying Taehyung’s struggle. He reached out and ran a finger along one of Taehyung’s limp wings, the touch light but mocking, as if to remind him of how far he had fallen.