Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Thunder struck the sky.

Jisung slowed to a stop, turning to face the Vampire King as all the vampires on his trail froze in their steps. His sharp eyes caught the disbelief streaked across his features, and then the rage. Everything was silent – more silent than even the stillest night – and then it exploded in a myriad of sounds and movements upon two uttered words.

"FIND IT!"

Chan's voice bellowed over the plains, aggressive and furious. The swarm of vampires turned tail and ran until they'd reached the Crimson Castle, the horde breaking apart so some could go around it instead.

The Vampire King's gaze lingered on him, and even he felt chilled under that look – it was a look that said: I'm not done with you yet. And then he was gone, as though the wind had picked him up and whisked him away.

Jisung stood there, dumbstruck, for only a handful of moments before sense returned to him. He wouldn't waste this opportunity; he was truly starting to believe that the Moon Goddess really was on his side.

He turned around again to face Minho, whose shoulders slumped in relief. Their eyes met, and he knew that if he were in human form he would have been paralyzed on the spot, too relieved to move. Instead, he bowed his head, still staring up into the human's eyes.

Minho looked over to where Chan had previously been before he seemed to steel himself, quickly climbing back atop his back. As Jisung rose to his full height again, his gaze met Jeongin's, and he nodded his large head slightly in acknowledgement; he couldn't even bring himself to be angry about the fact that they'd come back for him.

Without further delay they turned around and bolted across the clearing, back into the shady cover of the tall, swooping trees.

~#~#~#~#~#~

Minho's heart rammed in his chest as he ducked close to Jisung, clutching his fur tightly in balled fists. He felt much safer, calmer, now that he was so close to him; his cheeks reddened at the thought, and he exhaled softly, slowly lifting his head.

It was an amazing view; trees sped by them like a river of green weaving itself around them, the dirt an endless blur as the wolves dashed between trees and rocks, momentum never faltering. Finally, they slowed, and Minho blinked; he couldn't remember how much time had passed since they'd first entered the forest, but it must have been quite a bit since they'd already arrived at the camp the others had set up.

Hyunjin jumped up from where he'd been sitting, fully clothed again. He rushed over to meet them, eyes wide and anxious, hair tousled as though he'd continuously combed his fingers through it.

Minho slid off of Jisung's back, legs wobbly as his feet came into contact with the ground. He stumbled, trying to shake off the numbness that spread through his limbs. Strong arms steadied him, and he looked up, only to quickly avert his eyes.

Once he felt steady enough Jisung let go of him, and Hyunjin quickly marched up to them, pulling the wolf in for a hug. "Never," he said, though his voice was thick with emotion, "Command me to leave you behind like that again."

Jisung nodded and patted his friend's back before he pulled away, face serious again. "Where's Felix?" Hyunjin's face fell as he nodded solemnly, reaching for a pack, handing it to Jisung.

"This way."

Jisung quickly shrugged on the clothes, and Minho kept his eyes to the sky until they all started walking. He trailed behind them, nerves bunching together in his stomach, dread falling upon his heart. He swallowed thickly, limbs now as heavy as lead as Hyunjin lead the way, pushing aside branches that shielded their friend from view.

The sight that met him made his heart drop to his stomach. His face paled, and Jisung's sharp intake of breath was very noticeable, even to his dull human ears. Felix looked much, much worse than he had within the castle.

He was barely breathing, now, and his face was paler than pale – it almost looked like a vampire's complexion. His own breath hitched in his throat, and he tried to swallow back the lump that formed there, but he could not.

His eyes welled with tears and he quickly averted his gaze, unable to take the sight of it anymore. Changbin remained knelt beside him where he lay in a bed of leaves they'd created, holding his hand, unmoving. He didn't even look up at them when they arrived, and Minho truly could not blame him.

He imagined Jisung in that position, and his heart lurched as though it was being ripped in two. He shook his head; he wouldn't think about that, because that wasn't his reality. But it was Changbin's.

And it was his fault that Felix was there in the first place.

His hands bunched the fabric of his shirt as he squeezed his eyes shut; now that they were out of harm's way, all the memories he'd tried to suppress came rushing back to the surface. They were good memories, but now they were painted in the deep crimson of blood and guilt.

He risked another glance at his friend, and a tear slipped from his eye.

It should be me instead.

A/N: If I'm honest, I really didn't like this arc of the story, I feel like I ruined it, ngl XD which might be why I've been so slow in writing, constantly deleting and re-writing chapters ugh

Q: Does the band you're in do covers? If so, which ones? (courtesy of LilMeowMeowXD)

A: Why yes, yes it does. The thing is, though, is that my band changes twice a year; September and February (technically June as well, but I skipped the summer season this year). There are typically three performance groups to choose from; last September I did Green Day, and then in February I started in a new group with Motown (so like... Jackson 5, Fontella Bass, Stevie Wonder etc). Right now I'm actually participating in two bands, R&B/Funk and ACDC. So you could say there is a wide variety of songs XD

Lots of love,

~Junnie