Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Nineteen

Minho fingered the locket in his pocket as he entered his home, shaking his head slightly. He wanted to throw it out the window, but he couldn't; it was important to Chan, and he didn't want to disrespect the man who'd been so kind as to give him answers. The only answers he'd gotten about the subject, really.

Felix and Changbin sat on the couch, cuddling, and he quirked an eyebrow but didn't say anything about it. As soon as they noticed him, however, they sprang apart. He chuckled softly under his breath; they were fools to think he didn't know they were dating. It was so obvious.

He wanted to know why they bothered hiding it, but then again, it was easier to just let them think he didn't know. He plopped down on the couch, hand slipping out of his pocket as he heaved a sigh. His roommates looked at him with quirked brows.

He waved them off, reaching for the TV remote, but Changbin eyed him, and lunged for it himself. "I am not watching your dumb cooking show!" he exclaimed defensively, and Minho scoffed.

"Then you can leave–" A startled gasp from Felix interrupted their squabble, and they both looked over to him as he typed away furiously on his phone.

"Lix...? What's up?" Changbin asked, letting go of the remote to sit closer to him, his face painted in worry. So obvious.

Felix cracked a small, relieved smile. "They found him."

Minho immediately tensed, eyes darting between the two boys. "Found... who?" He held his breath, and the other two shared a tense glance before Felix sighed and stared at him straight in the eyes.

"Jisung."

Although he'd expected the answer, it did not make it any easier to digest. His throat constricted, almost strangely, and worry clutched him in its iron grip. "Is he... is he alright?" Felix's brows rose, and a barely concealed, knowing smirk crossed his face.

He flushed and glared, though it was half-hearted and he knew it. Felix's smile softened and he nodded. "Yeah, he's alright." Minho exhaled, sinking back into his chair.

As he stared at Felix, grinning down at his phone in relief, he wondered if he, too, could overlook Jisung's... condition, and accept it. Accept him. It was obvious that his friend knew about his being a werewolf, and had known for a long time. If Felix can do it, why can't I?

He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head there; maybe, but... he was too scared, now. He wasn't entirely sure if it was because of the way Jisung had growled at him, or if it was because the boy had turned into this giant wolf, or even if it was because they hadn't spoken in three weeks and had left off at a bit of an awkward instance, but... he was scared.

The truth was, he didn't really know what to think anymore.

"Run!" The word flashed through his mind, sudden and unexpected. It was a simple, seemingly insignificant word, a word he heard every day, whether it be in real life, or on the Internet or the television... And yet, it held such meaning, such enlightenment in that moment.

Run. Minho felt stupid. So, so incredibly moronic – really, it was a wonder he'd even graduated high school – and he would have slammed his face into his open palm had he been alone. Tears welled in his eyes, and he sniffled, quickly rubbing at them to get rid of the evidence.

Jisung had never tried to harm him, and in his panic-induced frenzy, he'd failed to notice it. Had those men been a threat? Oh, god, had Jisung gotten hurt because of him? Was that why he was... missing? According to Felix, they'd just found him.

Soon the tears were unstoppable, and he bit down on his lip to prevent his sobs from escaping. He buried his face in his knees, trying to quell the shake of his shoulders, but despite his best efforts, he couldn't do it.

He wasn't sure why he was crying, really. He was just so overwhelmed with emotion, a thousand different things running through him. Remorse. Anger. Pain. Relief. All blended together, all working together in the flow of his tears, trekking down his cheeks.

To think that he'd almost believed Chan. Perhaps other werewolves were like that, but not Jisung. Not Jisung. He knew what had told him he'd been wrong, now. It was this piece of information; this fragment of the story he'd lost sight of. He'd found it again, now.

Arms wrapped around him, and he leaned into his friend, who patted his back reassuringly. "It's alright, Minho, it's alright." It was almost as though Felix understood how he felt; maybe he did; maybe he'd been in a similar situation when he found out about Jisung, too. That reassured him more than his friend's words, then. If Felix could overcome it, then he could, too.

He just didn't know where to start.

~#~#~#~#~#~

Hyunsik did not bend to his knees before the King. Perhaps, if he were a lesser vampire, he would have; perhaps he even would have been afraid. But he was not a lesser vampire, and he was not afraid of the man in the throne before him.

"Hyunsik." He straightened a little as the King uttered his name, an expression of exasperation and disappointment painted across his features. "Chief Commander Byungho has informed me of your... transgressions." To that, he could only shrug.

Chan's eyes narrowed on him, a soft flash of anger burning behind his crimson eyes; Hyunsik fought the urge to let his own eyes show. "You know Jinsun was to be brought to me." His anger escalated. "My plans have been ruined momentarily, because of you."

The other vampire, under the scrutinizing gazes of all of the court vampires present, smiled tensely. "I had a debt, Your Majesty. A debt that has been paid." He bowed slightly, but his monarch merely sighed.

"Alright, then. If I were to send you to kill the boy, now that you've disposed of my best fighters, would you?" Hyunsik's stare grew heavy and serious as he righted himself. He did not have to speak for his answer to be known. "Very well, old friend. You are very dear to me, Hyunsik – I will not execute you."

He turned towards Byungho and the handful of men behind him. "Chief Commander, take him to the dungeons until he changes his mind." The men nodded, and approached him. Even as they dragged him away – to the dungeons – Hyunsik did not resist.

A/N: Tbh I wasn't too sure what to write for this chapter, so I sat at my laptop staring at the blank screen for a while, but then I remembered what I wanted to do yEET we love my memory

Q: What do you listen to when writing emotionally-heavy scenes?

A: Homesick by Dua Lipa. Like idk what it is about that song, but everytime I listen to it while writing an emotional scene, the emotions just flow from my fingertips and hit me in the feels (which is saying something).

Lots of love,

~Junnie