Beauty and the Monster-A Namjin AU story

Chapter 7

After dinner, Seokjin walked down the hall to the marble staircases, Jimin and Jungkook by his side. They were wonderful companions.

"I don't get why you're all being so kind to me," Seokjin had this on his mind, "you're just as trapped here as I am. Why not escape?"

"Now now," Jimin would shake his finger if he had one, "the master's not as terrible as he seems. Somewhere deep down there's a prince...of a guy who's just waiting to be set free."

Namjoon? Seokjin thought, seriously?

"Taehyung mentioned something about a west wing..."

"Never you mind that," said Jimin sternly, "Off to bed, alright?"

"Okay. Goodnight." he trudged up the stairs as the teapot stood at the bottom.

Jimin gave him "the look". "Straight to bed."

As soon as Jimin was out of sight, Seokjin changed direction and dashed up the stairs. The west wing was far too mysterious for him not to investigate. Besides, what if it held the secret of the castle? Or better yet, the way to escape?

The door to the west wing was golden with a polished ebony handle. Seokjin examined it with caution, scanning the space up and down, and then turning behind him. What he was doing was forbidden. He had to be careful. He could not sit and play good boy, though. He'd get in there.

He swung it open, bracing for an attack, a scream, the slash of a bloodied claw. Nothing. It was as still as the night outside. 

Seokjin walked in with slow, deliberate steps. If he breathed too loudly, if he stepped the wrong way, it could betray where he was. Just because he could not see the beast's fearsome yellow eyes, it did not mean he wasn't there.

In the dimly lit space, he noticed an oil painting on the stone wall. It was a picture of a man who wore regal clothes and a proud expression. His jet black hair neat, his eyes stone cold, he looked every inch a...prince. Or, he would, if it wasn't for the claw marks running up and down the picture.

He pressed onward to the end of the room. On the balcony sat a table holding a glass case. Inside the glass case held a scarlet rose. It glowed dangerously afloat. There were a few dead petals on the bottom, charred and gray.

Why would the castle try to hide this?

Seokjin held his hand out and let his fingers delicately touch the surface of the case. He barely traced the surface when-

"What are you doing here? What did you do to it?"

Namjoon stormed into the room and grabbed his shoulders. Seokjin jerked back in shock.

"I did nothing!" he insisted. 

"Do you realize what you could have done? You could have damned us all!" A fleck of spit landed on Seokjin's face as Namjoon roared, "Go! Get out of here! Now!"

He didn't need to be told twice. Abandoning his caution, he sped past Namjoon and swung the door open. He took the stairs two steps at a time.

Meanwhile, Yoongi and Taehyung were playing chess on the stairwell. Taehyung was winning. Yoongi insisted he was cheating. Their game was interrupted by Seokjin flying past them down the staircase.

"Sir! What you you doing?!" Taehyung yelped.

"Getting out of here," Seokjin replied with determination. He pulled his cloak off the hanger, who desperately tried to pull it away from him.

He pulled the door open and rushed out into the snow. He had to trudge through the grounds to reach the stable. As he galloped away, he heard the faint yells of Taehyung and Jimin in the background, begging him to return, insisting it was dangerous outside.

Seokjin did not look back, not once.

He was finally past the gates, traveling through the woods. The snow fell heavily, impairing his vision, but he pressed onwards. The foliage grew thicker the farther he went. The snow fell heavier. He could not stop. He could not-

A howl in the distance.

His insides turned to ice.

Wolves.

Philippe, recognizing the brays, sped away with such a force that it threw Seokjin off his back. He called for Philippe to return, but he was long gone.

He heard paws scuffle rapidly. When he glanced behind him, there they were. Fur bristled, their claws and fangs at the ready.

Seokjin ran.

Tripping over rocks and branches, struggling to keep up the pace. His short, ragged breaths turned the air into a cloud of freezing cold. When he could run no longer, he picked up the longest tree branch he could find and swung it at their heads.

Just then, he heard a heavier scuffling of paws. He looked ahead.

Namjoon was towards the wolves on all fours. Seokjin jumped in surprise, but was soon back in action. While he attacked the wolves with his branch, Namjoon let out a mighty roar and threw himself into the pack, biting and clawing at them.

One wolf bit into his shoulder-hard. Namjoon howled in pain and shook the wolf off of him. It crashed into a tree, dazed.

The pack retreated with their tails between their legs.

Did he just save me? Seokjin thought in wonder, Him?

He trudged over to thank him, but before he could, Namjoon collapsed on the ground. His blood turned the pure white snow to crimson. His breaths were heavy and pained, and when Seokjin looked closely, he could see tears glistening in his eyes.

"Namjoon," his voice was hesitant. "I can help you home. But you need to stand up for me."

He whined in response.

"Please. I can't help you if you don't stand up."

Namjoon rose slowly and steadied himself on Seokjin's shoulder.

This is the most human I've seen him...

"Come on, Namjoon. Let's go to the castle."

They walked through the woods together. Namjoon slipped in and out of consciousness, but he would not fall. Not now.

"And Namjoon? Thank you."