Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Forty-Three

Felix glared up at the vampire who startled him out of his thoughts with a loud bang against the silver bars of his cell. His concentration had slipped away, and, just like that, Changbin was gone again.

Sweat dripped down from his temples, his eyes narrowing in and out of focus as his headache grew stronger and stronger with each passing moment. "We told you it's no use. You can't reach your pack as long as the Grand Wizard's magic is in place."

He hated their smug, ethereal faces as they snickered at him from where they were safe on the other side of those damned silver bars. Though, he wasn't sure if he even would've been able to fight either of them in his current state; he barely had the strength to stand anymore.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten anything substantial; all he'd been given was gruel, once a day. He missed meat. Meat. He blinked, shaking himself of the thoughts before his stomach committed itself to growling; they were slowly driving him crazy.

He bet they knew it, the twisted bastards.

"If you wouldn't be prepared to fight him at full strength, stop taunting him." Hyunsik didn't look much better himself. His face was sickly pale – not the typical glow of a vampire's skin – and dark circles lined his eyes.

They were starving him even more than they were starving him; it grew worse with each passing day. Hyunsik told him it was to convince him to go out and kill Jisung – because, clearly, the Vampire King couldn't do it himself.

The two guards, however, still had the common sense to be scared of him; Hyunsik was not someone to mess with. In all his time in that cell, even he'd learnt that much.

They left quickly, leaving them alone in the musty dungeons. Felix never did get used to the putrid smell. He snarled after them, though they couldn't see him now. He turned to face Hyunsik, leaning his head back against the humid stone wall behind him.

"They're coming," he mouthed to the vampire, who closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He rubbed his forehead, easing the crease that had been there for days now.

"That's not good."

~#~#~#~#~#~

Minho, for the first time in a while, did not have any strange, disturbing dreams that night. His eyes fluttered open, only to widen as he came face-to-face with Jisung, mere inches away.

He blinked, eyes widening as his cheeks heated. He rolled away as quickly as he could, flailing for a moment when he got tangled up in the blankets he'd used to keep the chill out; it had been a cold night. Almost strangely so.

Changbin was already awake; he was leaning against a tree, face set in a mask of cold rage. His lips were pressed thin, eyebrows seemingly stuck in the same weary, concerned expression. "What's wrong...?" he asked softly, to which the wolf looked up for a brief moment before his eyes flitted away.

"Felix managed to communicate with me last night." His voice was terse, lips quickly reverting back to that thin line. Minho's eyebrows furrowed and he tilted his head, struggling to free himself from the heavy wool blankets.

"Really?" His heart lurched slightly. "What did... what did he say?" His eyes were wide as he stared at his friend expectantly, waiting for an answer to come.

"He told us not to come." He shook his head. "As if he thinks I'm just going to leave him there." A bitter smile twisted his lips as he shook his head again. Minho's eyes flickered down towards the ground as his shoulders slumped.

This was all his fault, he knew it.

"We should get going." He looked over his shoulder just in time to see Jisung rolling up the last of the blankets – they'd been packed mostly for the humans' benefit, and he felt slightly guilty that he hadn't even put them away – with Jeongin's help; when did they get up?

"We only have four days to get there." There was hidden urgency in his voice; if the mood between the four of them hadn't been gloomy before, it certainly was now. Only four days.

~#~#~#~#~#~

Jeongin eyed the rest of his companions as they walked. He couldn't remember how long they'd been walking across this forest, but, frankly, he didn't really care about that.

He wanted to know why they were walking here, of all places. Every shadow made him jump, memories he longed to forget rising to the surface. He still felt as though he knew the smell of this forest, every tree and shrubbery, every twist of the winding path.

That was not the case; he did not know this forest anymore.

But what scared him most was the dead, eerie silence that plagued these woods. He didn't know if Changbin or Jisung noticed it – Minho certainly didn't – but there were no small woodland animals scurrying about, no birds chirping their gleeful songs.

Goosebumps rose up along his arms. He wrapped them around himself, eyes darting over every minute detail, ears straining to hear any sound. His magic reached out, a tentative screen creeping around him, and yet he felt nothing there.

It was almost like the trees weren't alive, either.

He swallowed thickly, debating whether or not he should tell Jisung. He gnawed on his bottom lip; what if they got suspicious? His shoulders hunched together as he eyed the new alpha. What if they killed him?

He sucked in a tight breath and shook his head. No, they wouldn't kill him; they wouldn't, would they? His eyes flickered towards the ground. They weren't like the others. Then again... he never would have thought that they would have tried to kill him, either.

Moon Goddess knew he'd be dead already if it weren't for Hyunsik.

That was why he had to save him – repay the favour. Hyunsik had taken him in, even if he wasn't a vampire, even if he was an outcast that would bring him nothing but trouble, and he'd never asked for anything in return. He was like the father he'd never had. He'd always been so happy to have someone that he never asked questions.

He never asked how Hyunsik knew him, or how he knew where he was or how he knew that he was in grave danger that night. He never asked why he chose to help him. Truthfully, he'd always been afraid of the answer. He was afraid of ruining what seemed like a perfect life where he didn't have to hide or pretend.

Now that life had been ripped away from him.

A sudden movement in the thin veil of magic he'd cast around them sucked him back into reality with a gasp. This caught the attention of both Changbin and Jisung while Minho eyed the other two, clueless.

"Jeongin?" Jisung asked, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

With an ashen face, Jeongin's words came out shaky, voice quivering with every breath. "We're not alone." And he knew who was coming.

A/N: Turns out I didn't go to Pride, my periods decided to like yEET me off a building :,)

Q: What's something you love that most people would find weird to like that much?

A: Stationery. Idk if it's because I'm a writer or what, but I love stationery. Buying new pens, highlighters, notebooks, paper... it fills me with such joy and I love using them?? Like bRUH it's kinda weird but idc :3

Lots of love,

~Junnie