Healing Castle | TXT Fantasy Novel ft. BTS

39 - Taehyun

Taehyun finds himself in a theme park. A castle looms in the distance along with colorful, medieval houses. The roller coasters are in full effect, twisting in the power of the sunlight. The theme of mythology surrounds him and the members, as they settle down near a flower garden complete with statues of the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. The bright, technicolor colors of the garden are so different from the comforting, earthy tones from Elinia. Taehyun's vision blurs. But he quickly blinks to recover and further takes in TXT's surroundings.

Everland. He's been here many times when he was a child, though he's never got the chance to visit after becoming a trainee. After entering Seokjin's home, he can reach the conclusion that Everland seems to be connected in a mystical way to Elinia. Perhaps it's the enchanting element—the imaginations and dreams of the visitors. Perhaps a decade ago, he visited these grounds with his parents.

Mom, Dad. I know you're watching. Let me make you proud.

The cheer of children follows the grumbling of the rides, but something is wrong. The cheers seem withheld in some way. Even the atmosphere is chilly despite the weather. The bystanders watch the rides and take pictures with their smartphones, but their expressions are dim. They stand as if held by some sort of spell.

Taehyun recognizes the enchantment as Jin's. He must be holding the people in Everland hostage. The disease of the Black Mage is spreading even out of Seoul, and the Resistance is nowhere to be found. It seems Topaz and his team have been overpowered, and it will be up to TOMORROW X TOGETHER to make the final attack against the Mage's best ally—Kim Seokjin

And Taehyun's sharp eye finds him among the flower garden. He stands beneath a statue of Aphrodite, wearing a black suit. He also sports silver trimming on his coat that stands out with a few strands of highlight in his hair. He's handsome and charming.

But now Taehyun knows he wields thorns sharper than knives. He may have comforted him throughout the difficult trainee period, but he'll have to pay for what he's done to the citizens of this country. Who knows just how many thousands are affected under this spell?

Taehyun quickly follows Soobin's command to get into formation. TXT's leader calls out Jin's name, enough for a battle to be waged.

Taehyun swears he sees Jin give a sad smile, before forming a staff in his hands. It's a smaller version of the Black Mage's weapon, with an amethyst gem on top. He waves it in the air, and soon a huge tornado comes barrelling down at TXT. It upturns the roses and other flowers, causing the atmosphere to turn into a floral disaster. Taehyun smells the saccharine scent of petals as he runs out of the way of the spell.

He feels his newfound power cascading into his veins. When he uses his wand, he manages to materialize a frozen meteor that catapults down from the clouds. It heads straight toward Jin. A one-way path toward destruction.

Jin teleports out of the way. And the statue of Aphrodite is destroyed in its place.

Taehyun is shocked at the new powers of the members. Huening Kai manages to expand his sword to thrice the usual size, and he attacks Jin with strikes that are as fast as a rogue's. Yeonjun's daggers receive the range of a mage. When he strikes the air, the cuts move forward like glowing, sentient beings through the garden.

Of course, Jin dodges the attacks by teleporting and deflecting with dark blue auras.

Soobin is able to stand his ground and launch arrows in a continuous stream, not even having to stop to reload arrows. It's a true hurricane of archery, but Jin seems to predict the pathways and always teleports in the right space to avoid being hit.

Beomgyu's power is perhaps the most breathtaking of all. He's able to form a little ship by his side, jumping inside as its captain. The ship floats in the air and can shoot little missiles and huge bullets toward wherever Beomgyu aims. Jin has a bit more issue dodging the attacks, but he still manages to escape unscathed from the barrage.

Taehyun glances around. The bystanders seem to be frozen still, but they aren't panicking—not in the same way as the fans did in the Seoul Olympic Stadium. They simply move away, making sure to be out of the path of the boys' abilities. Another enchantment?

Taehyun's next ability is a chain of lightning that flashes across the garden, incinerating all the greenery in its path. It explodes near the feet of Jin, sending her flying. Taehyun's heart pierces with immediate regret.

But in the air, Jin levitates like Grendel and interlocks his hands. He releases a dark mist that covers the entirety of the garden. It's thick in Taehyun's throat, causing him to cough endlessly. Everything between his lungs and tongue burns with acid.

"Finish it!" Soobin yells, somehow finding the air to speak.

Taehyun peers through the mist. He interlocks his fingers like Jin did. And instead of a dark mist, a hurricane of ice forms around Jin. The shards spin as if stuck in a blender, and Jin doesn't teleport away.

He takes the attack, soon falling. Then, Yeonjun leaps to complete the job. He slashes out to send a flying X toward Jin. When it makes contact, the sound of an explosion follows. The mist disappears, and Jin lands right where they found him—near the broken statue of Aphrodite.

The bystanders all wake up. They look toward the destruction and scream. They run from the shredded flowers, the marble statues and fancy decorations that have been obliterated by the epic battle.

Taehyun can only look toward Jin. It seems the spell has been broken, but now all he can think about is whether their idol is okay.

Taehyun rushes near his side. He checks his pulse. Still beating, and his chest still rises and falls with breath.

Jin looks straight into his eyes. His honey irises become wet. "I'm sorry."

His last words before fainting make Taehyun's heart burn with anger, sadness, and regret. But when he looks back toward his team members, who are also rushing forward, he knows he made the right decision.

He knows his parents would've been proud of his choice to fight. 

A/N: Healing Castle is coming to an end soon! What were your favorite parts? Thank you all for reading and supporting this book. Whether in the past, present, or future, you make my dream of becoming a full-time writer more and more possible.