To The Edge Of The Sky| VMinKook

Chapter 15

Taehyung's heart raced as he locked eyes with the man standing before him, a mixture of disbelief and anger coursing through him. Jungkook stood at his side, his eyes narrowed into fierce slits that glared at the alpha, a storm brewing within him. 

"You know him?" Taehyung finally managed to ask, his voice trembling slightly as he gathered the courage to speak. His heart raced in his chest, each beat echoing in his ears as he focused intently on the person before him, searching for answers that seemed to elude him. The question hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions and a whirlwind of thoughts racing through his mind.

Jungkook's expression darkened as reality crashed down around them. "Jungkook! That's Jeon Jungkook—the boy who killed our king! He's the one who killed your father!" The words hung in the air like a heavy pall, suffocating the room in an oppressive silence that felt as though it could swallow them whole. 

Shock rippled through the gathered onlookers, their faces pale with a mix of disbelief and horror. Memories of that fateful night flooded back to them—dreams turned into nightmares, waves of anguish flooding their hearts as their eyes fell upon Jungkook, the very embodiment of their collective sorrow.

Jungkook stood frozen, a look of utter confusion etched across his face. His eyes, usually so vibrant, now appeared hollow and lost, haunted by the ghosts of forgotten memories. As though caught in a cruel web of his own mind, he struggled to make sense of the tumultuous emotions surging within him. Each heartbeat reverberated painfully, blurring the line between reality and the fragmented recollections that haunted him. With every fleeting thought, he felt as if he were teetering on the brink of an abyss, yearning for clarity but finding only darkness.

"W-What? How do you know?" Chen stammered his voice a mixture of surprise and curiosity. He turned to the lost boy, his eyes narrowing as he tried to decipher the expression on the child's face. The lost boy stood there, hesitant and vulnerable, a hint of confusion flickering in his wide eyes as he glanced around, clearly unsure of what was happening. The air was thick with tension, and Chen could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on them.

That fateful night, we pursued him relentlessly upon our return to the king's court. The air was thick with tension as we stumbled upon the scene, where chaos had unfolded. There, amidst the scattered debris, we discovered a bloody footprint—an unmistakable sign of the violence that had transpired. It became clear that he was armed, wielding a knife that glinted ominously in the moonlight, accompanied by the formidable army of Awakhic at his back. 

At that moment, it was evident that he had betrayed the king, a reality that pierced the hearts of those loyal to the crown. The gravity of his treachery weighed heavily on the atmosphere as he extended a hand in greeting to Park Jihoon, the cunning lord of Awakhic. Each word that slipped from his lips reverberated like a dagger, aimed at haunting a specific individual who remained silent yet deeply affected by the revelation. The betrayal cut deeper than any blade, marking the night with a sense of foreboding that would linger long after we had left.

"N-no, that's not the truth!" Jungkook exclaimed, raising his hand as if to shield himself from the accusation.

The tension in the room thickened as his voice trembled with emotion. "The truth is that you killed the king," he continued, his gaze unwavering as he pointed at the figure across from him. "You betrayed the very person who extended a hand to help you when you were at your lowest. You hurt the one who saved you from your own despair." His eyes shifted towards Taehyung, who sat with his head bowed, a picture of desolation.

With a deep breath, Jungkook pressed on, his voice filled with fervor. "We may not fully understand your motives, but your cruelty towards someone who only sought to protect you is unforgivable. The pain you have inflicted on the one who wanted nothing more than to see you smile—it's incomprehensible. Taehyung trusted you and defended your fragile existence, and what did you do in return? You shattered his life. You took away everything he lived for and replaced it with an unending nightmare from which he can never awaken."

A heavy silence filled the air, punctuated only by the silent heartbreak that enveloped them. Each was unaware of the other's inner turmoil.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," the accused stammered, his voice shaky and uncertain, confusion etched across his face like a storm cloud. He shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the accusations, his brow furrowing deeply as he tried to process the gravity of the situation. "I remember meeting Taehyung, yes, but what you're saying — I have no idea what you mean!" 

His protest was cut short as Soho interjected sharply, his tone dripping with disdain and fury. "Your lies will not absolve you of your crimes!" he thundered, every word packed with a sense of justice that threatened to erupt. "Do you remember that you hail from Awakhic? Or perhaps it has slipped your mind that you are an omega bound to the young king, Park Jimin, son of Jihoon?" 

Soho's voice dropped to a menacing whisper, each word an accusation that hung heavily in the air. "Park Jimin is the architect of the attack on our kingdom, the very catalyst behind why Jiyong is relentlessly pursuing Taehyung, seeking revenge for what was taken from us. And let's not gloss over the fact that you played a pivotal role in the capture of Taehyung's brother, leaving him to die in the shadows, just like so many others who fell victim to this cruel game."

As those harsh words echoed in the room, a deep, visceral pain coursed through Taehyung. It was as if the wounds of his past, long hidden and carefully buried, were being ripped open all over again. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks, their warmth a stark contrast to the coldness that gripped his heart. He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to block out the haunting memories that surged forth, each recollection striking like a dagger aimed at his already battered soul. The anguish of lost moments and shattered dreams flooded back, overwhelming him as he struggled to reclaim his composure amidst the emotional tempest.

"Taehyung's brother?" Sehun's eyes widened in surprise as the realization struck him. He struggled to comprehend the gravity of the situation. 

"Yes, Kim Hoseok," Sunwoo confirmed solemnly, his voice steady despite the tension in the room. "He was taken captive on the very same night that the king drew his last breath. It was Jihoon who orchestrated it, and Jungkook was there to witness it." 

Sehun's mind raced as he processed the implications of Sunwoo's words. "I don't know who these people are... Taehyung—" Jungkook began, turning to Taehyung with urgency in his tone, wanting to give him the chance to clarify the situation, but before he could finish his thought, a sudden shockwave of realization swept over the room. The atmosphere shifted, leaving everyone frozen in their seats, grappling with the weight of the revelation.

Taehyung slowly opened his eyes, the world around him consumed by an all-encompassing darkness. As he adjusted to the shadows, his lips parted slightly, revealing sharp, glistening fangs that emerged with an unnerving elegance. Wisps of dark smoke coiled around his hands, swirling as if they had a life of their own, hinting at the power that coursed through him. He stared intensely at Jungkook, taking a cautious step closer, the air between them charged with an unspoken tension.

"Why?" was the only question that escaped his lips, raw and filled with emotion. Black tears streamed down his cheeks, leaving streaks against his pale skin. The sight was haunting, a mix of sorrow and confusion tugging at Jungkook's heart.

"T-Tae..." Jungkook started, his voice trembling as he struggled to find the right words. But before he could finish his thought, the ground beneath them began to tremble, a deep rumble that echoed ominously around them. 

Taehyung's feet hovered inches above the surface, untouched by the chaos beneath him. A deafening crash erupted, the sound reverberating in the air, and in an instant, Jungkook found himself tumbling violently to the hard ground, helplessly grasping for balance amid the chaos that surrounded them. The scene was surreal, a clash of darkness and desperation as their worlds began to unravel.