"My name is Captain Jeon Jungkook. I'm here to kidnap you."
The Eros is said to be the most powerful jewel of the seven seas, able to control the spirits of the water. Though many scoff at the legend, there are those who will do anything for its pow...
A/N: Attention! I just added two more chapters after Chapter 8, PULSE and RIVALS. They were supposed to be between CLOSER and STORIES, but somehow, I skipped over them in post. They're up now, so go back to Chapter 8 and start from there! :D
If you already read them, LET'S CONTINUE!
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FINAL DAY
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You were shaking by sundown.
"You're going to cut yourself open before the ceremony if you keep trying to chop vegetables like that," Taehyung said, noticing your hands.
You dropped the knife, holding your face. You shut your eyes tight, wishing you were back in your room. You wanted to wake up in your bed, make your father blueberry pancakes for Sunday brunch, and then curl up on the sofa with embroidery and talk about current art exhibitions.
Warm hands covered yours, pulling your hands away from your face. Hesitating, you finally opened your eyes to reality - where Taehyung was standing in front of you holding a gentle smile on his face.
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"Don't be so nervous, dove," he coaxed. "I promised to protect you, didn't I?"
You swallowed, your mouth dry. "What's going to happen?"
"To you? Nothing."
"But the spirit world... what does that even mean? You and Jimin --"
"We understand that reality is more than it seems," Taehyung said. His hands tightened around yours. "Jimin has been called by the spirit world for some time. He knows what he's doing."
"And you?" you asked. "What connection do you have?"
His eyes shimmered again, like the sun reflecting off the waves. "When I lost my fiancée, I wondered if I could ever find her again. In the depths of my grief, I searched for a path to the afterlife to find a way to hear her speak one last time. I saw fortune tellers and psychics, priests and hypnotists."
He stopped, licking his bottom lip. Your heart pounded.
"Did you hear from her?" you asked, holding your breath.
He gave a light smile, shaking his head. "The dead are dead. Separated by bodies that can't reach us here. But, at the same time, I learned that there was a different world than our own. A world desperate to be connected again. Drowned out by man's own ideas of morality and purpose, the spirit world has been lost and exiled. Do you know what happens when it's connected again?"
You shook your head. He leaned forward, so close that you could smell the scent of rum and lime on his breath against your neck.
"Redemption," he whispered.
"Am I interrupting?" a voice asked from the stairway.
You turned to Jungkook's frown. Taehyung stepped away from you, putting his hands in his pockets and giving a nod of acknowledgement.
