The screams were breaking through the shell of Jin's skin, piercing his heart with needles that pumped more adrenaline into his body. Hoseok was screaming something, Jungkook throwing his cape off and trading it for armor. Namjoon was helping Jimin out of his layered outfit, both of Jin's diplomats fumbling with each piece. And Jin stood silent through it all, knights leaping around the halls and yelling out commands. Some tried to talk to the prince, only he didn't take it well. Or at all, for that matter. He was too zoned to absorb what was happening. Any of it.

Even Kim Taehyung ended up at the castle, and he was wearing gear identical to Jungkook's. Jimin and Namjoon were quick to become the same way, but there were only so many sets of knight attire they could spare. Jin opted to remain in his casual wear, rushing out to follow the others. He had no words to say, no thoughts to express. This was all on Hoseok now, and the man was barking orders to anyone who had ears to listen.

"Jin!" Hoseok's voice said, and Jin snapped out of his daydream as soon as he heard the distress. "You can't fight, if you're injured or worse, we don't have a next in line."

"Jimin and Namjoon-"

"Are your ambassadors, not your replacements. Stay here and watch over us. We're going to need you more than ever after this."

Hoseok took his knights and gathered them around, Jin not realizing he was hyperventilating until he went to the armor and weapons being passed around. The knight handling them glanced up, and even from behind the helmet, Jin could tell he was baffled. Jin snatched a sword away and went over to Hoseok, the commander peeking up and trailing off in the middle of his speech.

"My people need me now," Jin said, his voice strained. "I've hid long enough. It's time for me to be a true leader. The leader who rules by example, the one who leads my knights into battle. Let me do this, this is my choice, not yours. If something happens to me, I'm putting Namjoon in charge with Jimin next in line behind him." Jimin and Namjoon peeked up at that, but they didn't voice their concerns. Jin stepped forward and got closer to Hoseok than he anticipated, but in the heat of the moment, he didn't care if it was improper. "Please."

At his murmur, Hoseok paused. It was an awkward silence for several seconds, and then, Hoseok sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He put his helmet on, motioning to where the gear was still being handed out by fellow knights. "Let's lessen the risk of you getting hurt, yeah? Go put armor on. We need to move, and now. We don't have time to waste, let's go!"

The rest of the knights agreed and charged into battle with Hoseok, the commander spewing a battle plan as they went. Meanwhile, Jin practically threw on the armor and tightened it around his body. He leapt out of the castle and was quick to catch up with Jimin, running by his side while Hoseok kept leading their attack into the town. The commoners were hiding either inside their homes or outside of the kingdom, and the knights were the only ones left.

Even from here, Jin could make out the armor King Sebastian was wearing, along with his commander, who had her helmet off as she swung her sword at the ones who dared come near her. Jimin let out a battle cry as he ran at Sebastian, Jin screaming his disagreement, but it was far too late.

His kingdom was overrun with knights and horses from the north, who were likely building their resources for much longer than Shadowcrest. Jin prayed that he wouldn't pass out from the stress and shock of it all, and he and Hoseok went after Jimin while Namjoon covered them with Taehyung.

"Jimin!" Hoseok shouted, Jimin slashing his way through the knights blocking him from the king. The king hopped off his horse and joined the dozens who were invading Jin's home. A cloud of fury surrounded Shadowcrest, and Jin found his hands forming into fists as the enemies gathered, ready to invade his land.

"There's no time, we need to get the leader!" Jimin shouted back, slashing an opposing knight's leg, right above where the armor protected.

"Hang on-"

"Don't fucking argue with me on this, Hoseok!" Hoseok shut his mouth at Jimin's harsh words, and the ambassador sprinted off toward the king.

"God dammit, Jimin won't be as trained the king," Hoseok said, thwarting an attack with ease. It almost made Jin jealous.

"Then come on, don't let him fight alone."

Although amazed by Jin's sudden call to action, Hoseok accepted and followed Jin toward the king. Adamma was defending him, slashing down anyone who dared come near him. Jin pushed by the ones charging, Hoseok finishing them off to spare Jin the pain of causing more violence. They went forward and called out for Jimin, but of course they got brushed aside as if they were nothing.

Jin leapt over dead bodies and bit back his nausea, Jimin finally making it to the king only to engage with Adamma. She chuckled as she dealt with him, and the fight didn't last long. Jimin was outmatched by the more experienced fighter. Jimin wasn't a bad fighter by any means, but Adamma carried an elegance that took Jimin off guard. His armor got dented from the sword strikes, and eventually, she found a weak spot and exploited it. She sliced her sword through his shoulder, Jimin howling in pain.

"Jimin!" Jin screamed, sprinting over and knocking into Adamma. Jimin held the sword in place and cut open his hand because of it, but it caused the blade to remain sunk inside his skin. Blood poured down his side, Jimin gasping for air. Grime stained his face, as did a carmine shade trickling down his lips and cheeks.

Jin stood in front of him, protecting him from Adamma and Sebastian. They were staring him down as the chaos broke out all around them, Hoseok coming over and defending Jin and Jimin as well. The king of the foreign nation glared at his adversaries, clutching his sword and preparing to strike. Jimin kept fighting despite his injuries, swinging at Sebastian only for him to easily block it.

Adamma grabbed her weapon, which was still inside Jimin's shoulder, and yanked it out. He screeched and fell over, Adamma slashing up and cutting his cheek. The gash ran from beside his lip to up under his eye, narrowly missing the socket needed to blind him. He fell back and held his face in his hands, Hoseok attacking Adamma while Jin peered at the king.

Jimin whimpered and crawled back behind Jin, the prince taking Jimin's sword and becoming dual-wielded. "You won't hurt my people."

Sebastian motioned to Jimin with the tip of his sword. "I already have. Bitter much, Ambassador Park? I think I struck a nerve. What's wrong? Don't like being called a pi-"

Jin suddenly swiped out and cut Sebastian's gloved hand. The gloves weren't thick enough to stop the cut from breaking through, blood gushing out and staining the leather fabric surrounding his flesh. Sebastian hopped back and hissed at the ache, Jin letting the king's blood drip down his blade.

"You say anything bad about my ambassador one more time, I will fucking kill you, do you understand?" Jin shouted, Sebastian chuckling and twirling his sword around.

"Why aren't you killing me now?"

"You're the king of the north, you could be useful to me. If you aren't, then no promises I won't make you wish you were dead for all the deeds you've done." Jimin wobbly stood, his face a mix of blood, sweat, and tears. "Anything you want to say to Jimin, you say to me instead." His ambassador gazed at him, standing by his side and holding up his fists as if that would make a difference against swords. He didn't ask for his sword back, and Jin didn't offer it. Mostly because he didn't want Jimin to fight anymore. "I failed you once," Jin whispered to Jimin, who went still upon hearing the words. "Not again."

Sebastian snickered at the sentiment, kicking up dirt while Adamma and Hoseok were still engaged in a grueling battle. "You think you can defeat me? A king?"

"Of course I can."

Jin grit his teeth, Sebastian tilting his head and bursting out laughing at Jin's stance. "You can barely hold a sword right. What makes you think you can defeat a king?" Sebastian asked, his tone like a dagger, his mouth practically spitting out the words. And despite it all, Jin planted his feet.

"Because I'm a king too."

The world froze as soon as Jin said those words. Jimin was gawking at him, Sebastian mocking him, Adamma and Hoseok ignoring him to continue their duel. Jin himself was the one who was frozen, stuck in the moment. The words flew by his lips before he could approve them in his mind, but it was too late to take them back. Jin wasn't a king. Only he was, and he knew that deep down. He knew by saying the words, he had to accept that his father was gone. On top of that, he had to accept the responsibilities that came with it. The responsibilities he was pretending he didn't already have.

Jin wasn't sure if he was a true king, or if he was a prince playing pretend, like he was a kid again. However, there was one thing Jin was certain of. He was going to be called King Jin from then on. Perhaps the strangest part of it all was that he was okay with that.

"If that's true, then come fight like you're a king," Sebastian said.

Jimin held him back, groaning at the effort. Jin brushed Jimin's hand off and charged forward, clanging his sword off of the king's while he swung his spare sword around. It only bounced off the man's armor. Sebastian retaliated by pushing him back. Jin jolted, his steps mismatched. He almost fell, each breath he took taking more strength than the last. Jimin called out to Jin, but he forced the voice to go in one ear and out the other. Now was no time to die.

Swords flew in the air, a copper taste flooding into Seokjin's mouth. He drank it in, realizing it was blood only after Sebastian cut through the sleeves under his armor. Jin gasped as more cuts littered his flesh. He was sure there was more blood on his body than skin, his feet struggling to match his opponent's speed and agility. Sebastian swung. Jin blocked. Jin swung. Sebastian blocked. It was a game of back and forth, the two performing an elaborate dance to survive.

Jin and Sebastian clashed for almost an entire minute. Jin got some hits, Sebastian got some as well. However, it ended when Sebastian knocked Jimin's sword away. Jimin went to grab it, but Sebastian kicked it into the crowd while Jin recovered from the blow he suffered. Jimin grit his teeth and held his open wound, Jin panting and trying his best to attack with the sword he had left. It didn't work.

Sebastian cut the sword away. In the process, a gash formed itself on Jin's wrist. He yelped from the pain and held it out of fear he'd bleed out. It was a vital spot, and if Sebastian got the other wrist, Jin would be a goner in mere minutes from the blood loss. Even now, Jin didn't have long. Jin gulped and glanced at his dropped sword, but Sebastian kicked it behind him.

Adamma and Hoseok were still in combat, but both of them were heavily injured. Hoseok's helmet was destroyed, his armor falling off his body. The rest of the crowd around him were mixed. Some were Shadowcrest, others were the enemy. Luckily, there wasn't a clear victor. Of course Jin would prefer it if his side was winning, but he'd rather ambiguity than the north coming out on top.

Jin backed up when Sebastian raised his sword, pointing the tip toward him. Jin raised his hands, Sebastian snorting at the sight. "You will never be a king. Not to yourself, not to your friends, and certainly not to your people," Sebastian said, clicking his tongue as Jin accepted his fate. However, the universe had different plans for him. Another figure dove into Sebastian, and at first, Jin thought it was Hoseok based on the wrath radiating from the stranger. But it wasn't Hoseok. It wasn't Hoseok or Jimin. It wasn't Taehyung or Namjoon or Jungkook.

Sebastian coughed out blood as the cloaked man stood, picking up Jin's sword and pointing it at the king. Even from there, Jin could see the smirk resting on the new man's lips. Sebastian's eyes were wide, his skin going two shades lighter than normal as he took in the sight of the victorious figure above him. "Maybe he doesn't seem like much, but he is a king." He paused, turning back to stare at Jin. "My king."

Yoongi.