---
The morning light filtered through the cracks in the ruined stone structure, casting long shadows across the cold ground. Kaira woke to the faint sound of movement. Blinking away the haze of sleep, she saw Jungkook crouched by the entrance, sharpening his sword with precise, almost mechanical movements.
“Do you ever rest?” she asked groggily, pushing herself up.
He didn’t turn. “Not when danger lurks.”
His voice was calm but carried an edge that made her uneasy. She stretched, wincing as the chill seeped into her bones. “I thought you said we were safe here for the night.”
“For the night,” he emphasized. “Daylight changes nothing. The Demon King’s spies don’t rest, and they’ll track us soon enough.”
Her stomach twisted at the mention of the Demon King. The name alone sent shivers down her spine, evoking images of darkness and death. “How do you know so much about him?”
Jungkook finally looked at her, his gaze shadowed by something she couldn’t name. “I’ve crossed paths with him before. He is not a foe you can underestimate.”
“And yet you’re willing to fight him for me?”
His jaw tightened. “Not for you. For the oath I took.”
Kaira frowned, his coldness stinging more than she cared to admit. “Why did you even take such an oath if it’s so burdensome?”
For a moment, his expression softened, a flicker of something vulnerable breaking through. “Because once, long ago, I believed in something greater than myself.”
She didn’t press further, sensing the weight of his past was too heavy to unpack in a single conversation. Instead, she stood and brushed off her cloak. “Where do we go now?”
Jungkook sheathed his sword and slung it over his back. “There’s a village to the north. We’ll need supplies. But we can’t stay long—it’s not safe for you.”
Kaira nodded, though unease prickled at her. The mere thought of stepping into a village filled her with dread. She could already hear the whispers, see the accusing glares.
The descendant of witches. A cursed bloodline.
They set off through the forest, the sunlight doing little to warm the icy tension between them. Kaira found herself studying Jungkook as they walked. He moved with an eerie grace, his every step purposeful, every glance calculated.
Yet there were moments when his guard slipped, and she caught glimpses of something deeper—something human.
“Do you ever regret it?” she asked suddenly.
He glanced at her. “Regret what?”
“Living forever. Being bound to this... curse.”
Jungkook’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Every day.”
His honesty surprised her. “Then why keep going?”
He stopped abruptly, turning to face her. “Because to stop would mean to fail. And failure is not an option.”
Kaira held his gaze, her heart aching for reasons she couldn’t quite explain. Before she could respond, a rustling in the bushes drew their attention.
Jungkook’s hand flew to his sword, his body coiled like a predator ready to strike. Kaira froze, her pulse pounding in her ears.
From the shadows emerged a figure, cloaked in tattered robes. The man’s eyes were wild, his face gaunt and hollow.
“Please,” he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. “Help me.”
Kaira stepped forward instinctively, but Jungkook’s arm shot out, barring her path.
“Stay back,” he ordered, his tone harsh.
The man collapsed to his knees, his body trembling. “They’re coming,” he gasped. “The shadows... they’re coming.”
Jungkook’s eyes narrowed. “Who sent you?”
The man looked up, his eyes glistening with terror. “The king,” he choked out. “The Demon King knows where you are.”
Kaira’s blood ran cold. Before she could react, the man let out a strangled cry, his body convulsing violently. Black veins spread across his skin, and his eyes rolled back in his head.
“What’s happening to him?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Jungkook didn’t answer. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back as the man’s body twisted unnaturally, a dark mist rising from his chest. The air grew heavy, and a chilling voice echoed around them.
“You cannot hide from me, healer.”
Kaira clutched Jungkook’s arm, her nails digging into his skin. “What is that?”
“The Demon King’s mark,” Jungkook said grimly. “A message.”
The mist coalesced into a sinister shape—a pair of glowing red eyes, burning with malevolence.
“Surrender yourself, Kim Kaira,” the voice hissed. “Or watch everything you love turn to ash.”
The figure dissolved, leaving behind the lifeless body of the man. Kaira stared at the scene, her mind racing.
Jungkook’s grip on her arm tightened. “We need to move. Now.”
She stumbled after him, her heart pounding. “Why does he want me so badly?”
“Your blood,” Jungkook said without looking back. “It’s the key to his power. If he gets to you, there’s no stopping him.”
Kaira’s legs felt like they might give out, but she forced herself to keep up. The forest seemed darker now, the shadows deeper and more menacing.
“What happens if he finds me?” she asked, though she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.
Jungkook hesitated, his silence speaking volumes.
“You don’t have to protect me,” she said, her voice shaking. “If it’s too much—”
“I’ll protect you,” he interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Even if it costs me everything.”
The weight of his words settled over her like a heavy cloak. For the first time, she saw the depth of his resolve—the unyielding determination that drove him.
But beneath it all, she sensed something else.
Fear.
Not for himself, but for her.
As they pressed on, Kaira couldn’t shake the feeling that their fates were bound by more than just an oath. And in the distance, the crimson eyes watched, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
---
YOU ARE READING
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐎𝐀𝐓𝐇 || 𝐉𝐉𝐊 ||
Fanfiction"ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴜʀsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴏᴍᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴜғғᴇʀ-ᴏᴜʀ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴏᴀᴛʜ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴇᴛ ᴜs ɢᴏ." ᴊᴇᴏɴ ᴊᴜɴɢᴋᴏᴏᴋ, ᴀɴ ɪᴍᴍᴏʀᴛᴀʟ ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴏᴜɴᴅ ʙʏ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟʏ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴏᴀᴛʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴋɪᴍ ᴋᴀɪʀᴀ, ᴀ ʜᴇᴀʟᴇʀ ᴀᴄᴄᴜsᴇᴅ ᴏғ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜᴄʀᴀғᴛ, ᴀʀᴇ ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ʙʏ ғᴀᴛᴇ-ᴀɴᴅ ᴀɴ ᴜɴʙʀᴇᴀᴋᴀʙʟᴇ ᴄᴜʀsᴇ. ᴀs...
