Briar Rose - Taekook

Chapter 47

I honestly have no time to edit this, so the quality is probably really bad. Anyways, sorry for the long wait! :)

XLVII: Jungkook

Complete mayhem.

That's what follows.

Bloodthirsty howls of specters start to fill the air as soon as the monster finishes speaking, and the Shadow Valley soldiers draw their scims, preparing for attack. The monster looks casually over his shoulder at the mob of black shadowy figures approaching, and sighs.

"Well, I suppose our time together is ending. A shame, really. I have many more things I would...  like to know about you, Jungkook. Taehyung never told me much about you. Perhaps we can talk about them at a later time."

The monster releases his grip on my locks of hair, taking a step back. Never breaking eye contact with me, he spreads his black wings, taking off into the lurid sky. I watch as he circles above once, before flying east towards the burning sections of Shadow Valley. I don't even realize that I've been clutching the ring on my hand so tightly that the silver band has cut into my skin. The moonstone softly glows against my palm.

And skies... the kiss. How different it was from when Taehyung kisses me. His kisses were filled with love and affection, and I always felt safe in his arms. I craved his kisses, even the ones dripping with dominance. The monster's kiss was all lust and no love. Cruel. It was impossible to believe that such different kisses could come from the same pair of lips.

I'm roughly jerked from my thoughts, when howls and yells of soldiers start to fill my ears. Specters rush down the street like a black wave, so close to me that I can touch them. Their shadowy arms reach forward, and I remember their ice cold touch with a sickening jolt. I snatch the dagger from my belt, sure that I'm about to be overrun by the horde of specters rushing at me. If I was going to go down, I might as well take a few specters with me.

But nothing comes.

I look around, and while I see that the specters are attacking all the Shadow Valley soldiers, they aren't swarming around anybody from Armad. In fact, they part around us as if we are a disease, not sparing us a glance. Jimin and I trade confused looks from across the battlefield, before we both realize that this was an unseen advantage. There is no time to be questioning why. Nothing is stopping us from attacking them.

Without a second thought, I plunge into battle, not caring that I only have a knife to defend myself. The specters don't seem to be able to attack me anyway, only hissing as I run a blade through their neck. The monster's comments about Taehyung has left me boiling with anger, so I channel those emotions into steely efficiency, further enhancing my fighting. In no time, my dagger is covered with wisps of shadow.

"Here, Jungkook! Catch!" Jimin throws something to me, and it takes me a moment to realize that it's the bracelet. It shimmers strangely, turning into a long scimitar in midair, and I catch it by the hilt. It's perfectly balanced in my hands, and I turn to the nearest specter, slashing it through its neck. It's hard to feel mercy for these creatures, knowing that they would have killed us without a thought if they could attack us. Just like they did to hundreds of Shadow Valley soldiers.

I give myself some time to look around, satisfied in seeing that my friends have joined the fight. Xian and Hoseok battle back-to-back, scims whirling in a deadly motion. Both are great fighters, but they seem to do even better as a team, and I don't miss the shy smile that Xian sends Hoseok. Hoseok shouldn't have worried about Xian not liking him. The boy was already whipped.

"Jungkook... do you hear that?" Jimin materializes by my side, and I jump. 

"Hear what?" I try to concentrate on my hearing, but all I can hear are the yells of soldiers and the occasional hiss of a specter when a sword finds its mark. But as all that fades into background noise, I realize that there's some other sound in the air. A sound I didn't recognize before.