Palace Of Illusions

27 | to defeat, to defy

"What is it?" Yoongi asked, his brow furrowed in concern as he examined the faces of the younger ones. He watched Jungkook, who looked tense, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, and Lisa, who wore an expression of confusion that mirrored his own. The air was thick with confusion as Jungkook finally broke the silence. "The Princess...isn't Jennie," he stated, his voice low, not knowing how to phrase the gravity of the situation properly. The words hung in the air, heavy and unsettling.

"What do you mean she isn't Jennie?" Lisa interjected, her eyes darting back and forth between the two men, searching for clarity amidst the chaos. Yoongi placed a firm hand on her shoulder, a gesture meant to calm her but also to signal her to hold her questions for just a moment longer. "She is Princess Jennie but... she is not Jennie. Jennie is not a human," he attempted to explain, his voice steady but laced with an unusual tension.

He let the weight of his words sink in, watching as confusion transformed into disbelief on Lisa's face, while Jungkook's expression hardened with determination. "Jungkook, be clear," Yoongi commanded, his tone brokering no argument. Jungkook took a deep breath.

"What I mean," he began, glancing nervously at the paintings that decorated the walls of the room, "is that Jennie is not a human. She is neither a cetusis nor a mix. She is possessed by Ceti"

Lisa's eyes widened in shock, her mind racing to process Jungkook's revelation. "What?How?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to grasp onto his words.

Yoongi squeezed her shoulder gently, calming her amidst the whirlwind of emotions. "Ceti, the divine spirit. Jennie is possessed by her. However...she doesn't act up often. In fact, it only happened twice, the second time being today," he said, his resolve hardening as he contemplated sharing the details.

"That explains it," Yoongi finally spoke up, his voice steady yet tinged with concern. "That explains why we are stuck in this cycle. As long as Ceti's spirit lives in Jennie, we'll be living in this cycle forever. Jennie's body can be killed, but Ceti's spirit is immortal." He explained, his eyes narrowing as he considered the implications of their predicament. The weight of his words hung in the air, thick with the gravity of their situation.

Jungkook, feeling the tension seep into his bones, held Yoongi's shoulder. "If Ceti leaves her body, will this finally end?" he asked, his voice laced with a mixture of hope and concern, desperately yearning for an answer that would bring them closer to freedom. Yoongi nodded, a flicker of determination igniting in his gaze.

"But it’s not as simple as that," he continued, a worry crossing his features. "We need to find a way to sever the bond between them. Ceti will not release her hold without a fight. We have to prepare ourselves for what comes next."

The group fell silent, the gravity of the situation settling heavily over them. Each one of them had not experienced the chaos Ceti could unleash, the way she twisted Jennie’s form.

"We should seek help from the elders," suggested Lisa, her voice barely above a whisper. "They may know of a ritual, something that could help us understand how to free Jennie without destroying her. But we must act fast; each moment we delay, Ceti grows stronger."

"True," Yoongi chimed in. "Today was a warning. What if Ceti decides to come out again? What if she harms someone else in her rage? Especially Jungkook. We can't let that happen."

With the sun rising outside, casting long shadows across the floor, they felt the weight of their mission settle upon their shoulders. They were not just fighting for Jennie; they were fighting for their own futures, the very essence of their lives hanging in the balance. "We’ll get through this," Jungkook declared, firm in his belief. "Together." And with that, they steeled themselves for the challenge ahead, ready to confront the darkness that Ceti embodied.

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