The Blood of Fate ✧ min yoongi ✓

𝐓 𝐄 𝐍

CHAPTER 10| LONG LIVE THE FALSE GOD

"I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't any, than to live my life as if there isn't a God and die to find out there is."
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MIN YOONGI

The atmosphere in the palace was chilly and dreary, and it was completely silent. I can't help but have the impression that spirits are just hanging out here. The hallways and even the empty, dark spaces had a constricting feeling about them. I noticed blood marks on the tiles beneath my feet that had been there for many years when I looked down. When I was a kid, this site used to terrify the hell out of me. But knowing that I now utilize this room for my own alone is actually very comical. After all, this was once the house I grew up in. Just a cemetery of eerie recollections now.

Like always, I stare at the flickering flames in the firepit while holding my cup of blood in my hand. The fire always seemed to comfort me in some manner. Possibly the warmth it provided? The illumination as it was the only Light I saw in many dark places? It amazes me of how something so peaceful can cause such havoc. In any case, it is the only touch I have left now.

My mind was preoccupied with memories of the past, when everything was ideal. I was a very happy youngster then, and I was pretty interactive, unlike now. Being by me was awful. I've always been afraid of unexpected stillness. A happy family was mine. Always feeling warm from my parents' touch. Maybe that explains why I have a strange affinity towards flames. However, having a contented family was reason enough to believe that nothing could make life any worse. At least, that's what I assumed.

~

Yoongi's father, Lord Hwan of House Min, was a man driven by an unquenchable thirst for power. For years, his mind was consumed by a singular goal: to rule the realm. The desire for the throne was not merely an aspiration; it was an obsession that gnawed at him day and night. He believed that his destiny was to lead and that the only path to achieving this destiny was through the elimination of the current ruler, King Tarek II Zebadiah.

King Tarek II Zebadiah was a formidable monarch, a ruler whose strength lay in his strategic acumen, the loyalty of his court, and his ability to command respect and fear in equal measure. Dethroning him would be no small feat; it required a plan that was as bold as it was ruthless and traitorous. Lord Hwan knew that he needed an edge, a power that would set him apart and give him the advantage he needed to outmaneuver and overpower Tarek.

Lady Mira, Hwan's wife and mother to Yoongi, was renowned for her abilities as an Oracle. Her gift of foresight had been a valuable asset to House Min in their wars and other dangers, guiding their decisions and shielding them from potential disasters. However, in Lord Hwan's eyes, her abilities represented something even more significant: a means to achieve his ultimate ambition. He viewed her not as a partner but as a tool, an instrument that could be used to pave his way to the throne and ablate power.

One night, as they dined together in the grand hall of their castle, Hwan's thoughts were not on the meal before him but on the dark resolve that had taken root in his heart. He watched Lady Mira with a calculating gaze, masking his true intentions behind a veneer of calm. The firelight flickered, casting long shadows that danced across the stone walls, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere.

"Mira, my dearest," he said, his voice carrying a false warmth, "your visions have always been a guiding light for us. I find myself in need of your counsel once more. Can you tell me what you see for our future?"

Lady Mira, ever dutiful, raised her soft eyes to look at Hwan. Her eyes mirrored the pallor of her hair and skin, appearing as pale white as snow. "Of course, my King, whatever you may command me to do, I will do efficiently," she says as she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift into the realm of visions. Her breathing slowed, and the room seemed to grow still as she delved deeper into her trance. Moments later, she spoke, her voice distant and ethereal.