I didn't know where I was, or how I got there. One moment I was warm and happy, the next, I was isolated and cold — I was beyond confused. The place seemed endless, with no walls or ceiling — like an unescapable abyss. I breathed heavily, as a light fog surrounded my body eerily, almost trapping me there. My eyes flickered everywhere for any source of light to lead the way out, but it was no use.

I called out for Taehyung, my voice echoing through the darkness, sending unsettling chills down my spine.

Where am I?

I didn't like this feeling — it brought back memories I didn't want to think about. I felt panic rise to my throat, and I exhaled deeply to calm myself. When I heard a soft dripping sound I moved towards it slowly, wrapping my arms around my body to shield myself from the cold air.

I got closer and noticed the drips weren't just water but a dark, deep red. A chill ran down my spine watching it fall into a puddle before me.

Then suddenly, I noticed a little flicker of light beside me, and I watched it as a scene appeared before me.

It was of a man with greying, shoulder length hair, and a robe made of cloth. He was painting a picture of a bunch of trees, but they were all on fire. The chaotic expression seemed to heed... death. I gulped nervously, for it reminded me of the painting I saw before the attack at the gala.

It's a warning.

Then, someone entered the room, a woman with white hair like the man, and an appearance so breathtaking, despite the wrinkles around her eyes and face. Her eyes were unlike anything I had ever seen, with several different colours mixed into one iris. They glimmered when she looked at him. "Darling, what have you been working on?" she asked, walking towards him with a soft robe around her body.

"Just a new painting." He replied, smiling warmly at her as his brush stroked the canvas.

The woman smiled, her eyes watching the painting in fascination. "I love your paintings, they seem to tell the most beautiful story." She said.

I tilted my head, listening for more.

That was when I saw a human appear through the door much to the lady's unawareness. The stoic demeanour lacing his features seemed to contradict the menacing glint in his eyes. It felt like memories of living in the town under Onavale were returning, as he held the knife above his head, then stabbing it through the her back.

I gasped in fear as I observed her body collapse to my feet. I watched the old man's face go pale, as he dropped his paint brush. The utter heartbreak in his features was too hard to watch -- I could feel every emotion he felt. That was when the human looked up and I could've sworn he was looking into my soul, for the dangerous look in his eyes felt almost real. 

Finally, the scene faded to a black dust and I was drowned in darkness again. I frowned in confusion as panic rose to my throat all over again — but this time it was much stronger. Then, before I knew it, I felt a familiar sound encompass me. Taehyung's low and soft voice calling my name brought me out of the darkness fully.

"Annie?" he asked desperately, voice laced with concern. "C'mon, wake up please."

My eyes flickered open, and I saw Taehyung's face in front of me. His eyebrows were furrowed with worry, and his eyes showed so much care I didn't know how to breathe or speak. I just watched him blankly.

"Oh, thank God." He breathed, a small, relieved smile forming on his face.

"What happened?" I asked quietly, the strange vision still playing in my head.

"It seems like you fainted. I was so confused." He said with concern, before pulling me into a random hug.

I froze in shock, and gently patted his back before he pulled away. It came off that I was not interested in the kind gesture. When internally, I couldn't help the discomfort from the warm fluttering in my chest. My brain went wild and I tried my hardest to not smile or even blush -- I dared not to show what I was thinking or feeling.

"It was the ring." I said softly, eyebrows furrowed with thought, trying to not think about what had just happened.

"The ring?" Taehyung looked at me with confused eyes. "What do you mean?"

I sighed, before taking his hand and gesturing to the ring. I had no idea whether Taehyung would think I was crazy or not, but he needed to know anyway. "I know this may sound crazy, but please believe me."

Taehyung listened carefully, but also with a bit of worry.

"I saw something... like a vision. First I was in a cold, black place and then I saw this scene. It had the same feeling of when you dream, but more eerie..."

Taehyung nodded.

"Then, I saw this scene. It was an old man, painting this forest of burning trees. I also saw an old woman, I think she's his wife and she walked in saying something about how she liked his paintings, and that they told a story or something." I said, trying to piece together what it was. "That was it. But this only happened because I touched the ring."

Taehyung sighed, eyes and face blank as he looked down at the floor. His lack of emotion almost made me nervous, I couldn't tell whether he was confused, angry, thinking. He was completely stoic and it was rather impressive considering the situation. Then his eyes shifted down to the ring for a moment, before glancing back up at me.

That's when Taehyung's eyes lit up in realization. "You said the old man was painting burning trees, right?"

I nodded.

He smiled slightly, and stood up all of a sudden, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. I almost tripped at his swift movements and I frowned at him. 

"What's the rush?" 

"There's something you might wanna see." He said with a serious tone, but his small smile never wavered. He led me back to the house and into another room — a small one I didn't even know existed.

The walls were cracking with age, and there were old cabinets on the right wall. It had a large open window that overlooked the city and the mountains. It was a stunning view and I couldn't help but stare for a moment in awe. However, as I looked around the room it seemed abandoned, unlike the rest of the house, which seemed kept.

As my eyes scanned the room, my gaze stopped and I gasped quietly when I noticed the same painting from my vision hanging on the wall. I didn't what to feel other than shocked. It was unreal, seeing the very painting from the vision I had just moments ago.

"Is this it?" Taehyung asked, his gaze deciphering my reaction, before he went to stand beside me.

I nodded, my eyes observing the detail and beauty within the painting. The strokes of paint that made up the fire that swallowed the trees, and the darkness that overtook the sky. It was rather dramatic, how the fire destroyed everything in its path. It felt thrilling to look at. As my eyes studied the piece, it eventually lead to the bottom right corner, where the signature of the artist was.

Coré.

I frowned in curiosity. "I've seen this name before."

Taehyung's gaze followed mine as he stared at the signature. "Coré was the Order's painter back in the early days. He did all the paintings that are within headquarters." Taehyung explained.

This was his painting room. I thought to myself, the famous painter of Onavale was once in this room a thousand years ago. That's when I started to notice the paint splotches across the floor and the hints of his insanity -- and his creativity. Yes, the room was rather old, but the beauty and memory it held was still present. 

I went closer to the painting to look at it in more detail. "If he was merely a painter, why did I see a vision after touching the ring?"

Taehyung's sighed, eyes filled with determination, thinking deeply about this. "Perhaps he crafted the ring and his soul is connected to it or something." He chuckled and shook his head at his theory. "Never mind, that sounds incredibly stupid."

I shrugged. "That makes sense actually, but... why is there a woman?"

Taehyung frowned, before his eyes looked back to me in curiosity. He was clearly overthinking this, too. "What did she look like?"

"She looked older, with white hair. But her eyes... they were very different, they were like mixed colours."

Taehyung's eyes softened at what I said, before he spoke again. "From what I heard, Coré was one of the first people involved in the building of Onavale and the Order, so he could've been close with Opal before she died. It might've been Opal in the vision."

"But what doesn't make sense is that he was supposedly a traitor during the Black War, and was executed." He said thoughtfully.

"What do you mean he was executed? What did he do?"

Taehyung sighed. "I'm not 100% sure, but I believe he was trying to help the humans win."

I nodded. "And Opal... when did she die?"

"She died an old woman, when the first seven Gems were created."

I looked down in thought. None of it made sense. Opal was murdered in the vision and Coré had to watch this. "Then why was Opal murdered in the vision?"

Taehyung's eyes widened in shock. "What? She was?"

"By a human." I said bitterly.

Taehyung looked over into my eyes. "That doesn't make sense,"

"I know, but that's what I saw." 

"What was Coré's reaction?" Taehyung said softly. 

I breathed shakily as I walked over to the painting, tracing the lines of fire made by the oil paint. The fire swallowing the trees reminded me of the chaos and destruction that destroys one's self. One's humanity. 

"Heartbreak." I said gently.

Taehyung sighed and spoke even softer than he did before. "Why do you think that the two people in the vision were Coré and Opal?"

I turned to face him. "I don't know, maybe the ring is trying to tell me something. Like a message?"

Taehyung tsked and sighed. "Annie, it's a ring. It doesn't have thoughts."

"I don't know, but clearly there's some kind of a magical shit going on here, and it makes no sense." I replied rather sarcastically, making Taehyung chuckle softly at my bluntness.

"We'll figure it out, but if you have any more visions or other experiences of "magical shit" please let me know, alright?" He laughed a little at his words, but his tone and eyes displayed total sincerity.

These feelings that I had every time Taehyung looked at me, spoke to me, it was so foreign I didn't know what to do. The small ache in my chest, the fluttering in my stomach made me want to punch myself.

The fact I didn't know what was wrong with me pissed me off to no end.

Yet at the same time, I liked the feeling of being pulled away from the numb darkness that trapped me for so long. The anger and guilt that shackled me to which I saw as inevitable. But it seems Taehyung was loosening those chains and shackles — it was thrilling.

"Juliana?" Taehyung said softly, pulling me out of my thoughts.

As my eyes gazed into his gorgeous ones, he smiled gently. "It's late, we should find the others."

I nodded, and we left the room.

As the two of us found the guys, we didn't say one word to another, it felt awkward. My fingers played frantically with each other, and the silence killed me. The silence didn't help my thoughts, as they were most definitely not quiet.

All I could think about was the vision.

Why that vision? Why did I see Coré? What was his importance other than just a painter, or perhaps close friends with Opal?

There had to be something more to this, and I knew there was. But I needed to stop think about it. Yet the ruthless way the human stabbed the woman and the heartbreak Coré felt was all too familiar to me. I could feel the memories re-enter my mind, but I tried my best to push them away — otherwise I'd drive myself into the hole. 

For now, I needed to focus on the present. 

[A/N]

Yes, your notifs aren't crazy. Maybe my delusions are, but we don't talk about that-

Im back, anyone miss me? Because I missed you guys a lot 😭

Feel free to ask me any questions and I will do my best to answer them :D

Thank you for reading, don't forget to vote and share with your friends! 

Byee 💜