The Seven Wonders | BTS

80. Calm

Taehyung didn't think he had the best memory— or maybe it was because he chose to suppress a lot of thoughts at the very back of his mind— but he was positive that District Drie's fields had nothing but burnt trees and grass. So when the mist cleared and he saw an abandoned wooden cottage standing right in the middle of the area, he was confused.

For one, Taehyung had been gone for years so unknown changes in Hel were inevitable. However, he was positive that there wasn't anyone who lived in District Drie, especially after the Botanical Gardens were burned to the ground by his Father— so what the heck was this?

Taehyung glanced at the signboard you had been staring at before you entered the house. The purple snake coiled around a sword; it was the logo of the guardian. Hel's Crowned Prince wondered why such a signboard was located in his kingdom, after all the Temple of the Guardians was hidden in the tall mountains of Aarde.

It made Taehyung think. He wasn't sure which kingdom the guardians originated from, but the clan sharing a bit of their history in Hel wasn't impossible. The darkness gem bearer looked up at the house. Something sinister was present— an aura that irked him, told him that stepping inside was dangerous.

Taehyung stepped forward but was stopped by Emily, who walked right into his path. The protector crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

For a moment, there was silence. Taehyung glanced at the slightly open door ahead then back at Emily. "Inside the house."

"This is Sky's one chance of finding out more about her past," Emily exhaled loudly through her nose. Taehyung squinted his eyes at her. "I am not going to let anyone ruin it. You've hurt her once and I am not going to let you do that again."

Taehyung sighed. He understood why Emily was acting— after all she was right, he did hurt you and everyone else in the team— but he couldn't help but feel frustrated at how she was acting like a brick wall in between you and him.

"Emily, I know that you don't trust me," Taehyung stared at Emily and gave her a piercing glare with his single dark eye. "But if there's one thing that's true, it's that I'm just as concerned for Sky as you are."

Emily raised an eyebrow at Taehyung once more, the skeptical look still on her face. It urged the prince to continue.

"There's something sinister about this place," Taehyung whispered when he felt everyone's stares bore into the back of his hand. The breeze was cold against his skin. "It irks me. Sky is alone in there. She might get hurt."

Emily fell into silence for a moment. Taehyung could tell that she was thinking about his words, maybe even considering it. He just stared at the protector, who shifted her eyes away from his face.