Apocalypse ✦ Nomin

70

⊱ ───── { Jaemin } ───── ⊰

Jaemin appears in the corner of a dark room in which a single light illuminates a small area in the center of it. Within that area resides a rectangular wooden table with papers lying askew all over it. Someone stands on the long side, opposite Jaemin, hunched over with their face hidden.

Jaemin takes a single step closer, and although his step is practically silent, the individual at the table snaps their head up towards him. He inhales deeply as his nose raises slightly in the air. His eyes abruptly open to reveal that they are pure white and void of pupils or irises. His features are soft and cute, but the moment his lips part and the corners of his mouth curl up into a wicked smile, Jaemin feels a chill run down his spine. The demon bears his teeth, showing off a perfect set but with two sharp fangs doubled up on both sides of his mouth.

"Angel," the boy with an impossibly deep voice utters out, stunning Jaemin even further. He abruptly darts at Jaemin at an inhuman speed. He grabs his biceps and slams him into what feels like a stone wall, harshly. He, once again, breathes in the scent of Jaemin, this time brushing his nose against his neck as he gets far too close for the man's comfort.

"You smell...different than most angels..."

"I-I'm not dead," Jaemin stammers out as he tries to wrap his head around what was happening.

"No, you're not...But that's not all..." the boy murmurs, "How did you get here?"

"Xiao sent me," he speaks promptly, "He said you could help me."

The boy cocks his brow, very clearly intrigued by this response.

"Is that so?" he asks in a manner which sounds as if he is asking a rhetorical question rather than genuinely wanting an answer, "What are you here for?"

Jaemin watches as the demon tilts his head slightly and awaits for his reply.

"My friend was taken. He's trapped here somewhere and is being held captive by Yuta. I need your help finding him."

"Oh?" he chuckles, "And what makes you think you'll make it there? I mean...the odds of you surviving are-"

"I know my odds," Jaemin says as the muscles in his jaw tighten.

The boy chuckles once again before releasing Jaemin from his grip.

"Tell me more," the boy requests as he turns and walks back towards the table.

"Huh?"

"It's strange that Yuta would target your friend like that and personally keep him captive unless you've done something equally personal to him. So...what did you do?"

Jaemin furrows his brow and slowly approaches the boy. He finds it hard to figure out how exactly to explain what he had done and why Renjun was in his possession.

"I...I ran away with his son..."

A faint gasp could be heard from the demon.

"Oh my...you're the angel boy that stole Jeno's heart...You're Na Jaemin," he speaks in an amused tone as opposed to a shocked one, "No wonder he took your friend: you convinced the antichrist to abandon his duties for you."

"I didn't convince him to do anything. He made that choice on his own," Jaemin retorts bitingly, "He didn't want to obey his father, anymore, so he asked me to go into hiding with him."

"Is that so? Huh...Can't say I'm surprised. Anytime Jeno's loyalty is put in question, the truth is twisted in a way that makes Jeno sound like he's thinking of the bigger picture, and if not, then you and Taeyong are the reason for his betrayal," he explains, "I typically only trust Xiao to tell me what's actually happening. Granted, his testaments of what's going on are usually either in the form of rants or him gloating about his plans, but they're still more realistic than the twisted versions that circulate Hell."

Jaemin ponders this thought for a moment before responding:

"I know I shouldn't be surprised, but somehow I am."

The demon chuckles lightly as a cute, heart-shaped smile forms on his lips.

"Yeah, funny how stories get twisted here based on bias. Jeno can never do wrong," he speaks casually, "But let's get back to the real reason you're here. You expect help from me, right? Do you have a plan?"

Jaemin lowers his gaze down to his feet.

"Um...well...no. Not exactly," Jaemin admits with a sense of embarrassment.

The demon sighs deeply as he shuts his eyes for a moment.

"So you knew your odds of surviving this mission were slim, and you didn't bother to come up with a plan so that you don't set your failure in stone? You might as well walk in screaming for Satan to take you and kill you on the spot," he lectures Jaemin.

The pink haired man slowly approaches the table with a sort of hesitance as he neglects to answer the boy. As he nears the table, he glances down at one of the books in front of where the demon was standing. He notices that the pages have raised dots on them, and it slowly clicks in Jaemin's head why his eyes were white.

"You're blind, aren't you?" he confronts the demon, "How are you supposed to help me if you can't see?"

He chuckles and shakes his head ever so slowly.

"Don't mistake these eyes as a sign that I'm not competent enough to help you. I may not be able to see, but I can...well...let's just say I can sense things," he replies.

Jaemin's brow furrows at this vague claim. He finds that he can't help but feel indescribably off-put by it.

"What does that even mean?"

"I think what you mean to ask is what can I do, and the answer is I can get you from here to your friend very easily without getting caught. What happens after you enter into Satan's lair is something you have to handle on your own. He has the place on lockdown. The only way in or out of the room you're looking for is through a single door, and I'm more than positive he's in or near that room at all times."

"So...if he's nearby at all times, how am I supposed to get in and out without him knowing?" Jaemin asks.

"Theoretically, you can't. Not unless there was some sort of distraction," he answers promptly as he places his large hands on the tabletop and leans toward towards Jaemin.

"What kind of distraction?" he prompts the demon.

"Something severe enough to coax him to leave and check on things, himself."

Jaemin takes his bottom lip between his teeth and thinks hard on this. He racks his brains for a good plan to lure Jeno's father away long enough to get in, get Renjun, and make their escape, and soon enough, an idea pops into his head.

"I think I have a plan," he announces, causing the demon to smile once again with his heart shaped lips.

"Do you?"

"Yeah, I think I do," he confirms, "Can you help me find my friend? I'm ready."

The demon smiles even wider as he nods lightly in acknowledgement.

"As you wish," he hums, "Come along."

As he strides away from the table and towards a door across the room, Jaemin follows. A thought crosses his mind about the demon boy that he hadn't quite fully become aware of until now.

"I never caught your name," he blurts out as the demon places his hand on the doorknob.

He raises his head and pauses a moment in place.

"Sungchan," he answers, "Jung Sungchan."