"Where is Jeonguk?"

Hoseok had raced back to Brianna's shop the moment his vision ended. With no way of knowing just how far into the future his vision takes place, he'd been full of anxiety. He just knows that Brianna is bound to do something stupid if he doesn't get the situation under control, and he didn't need his vision to know it either.

Brianna is fiercely loyal, and protective of those she cares about. Often, at the detriment of her own well being.

What he didn't expect, however, is the score of rage-filled faces that greet him the second he bursts into the shop.

"He's been taken, " Brianna seethes. "He's already gone."

"I don't understand, " Jin growls. "I told him we were all in danger, why would he leave the shop? What the hell was he thinking?"

"Let's all calm down for a second, " Hoseok commands, sensing the tension in the room. "How do you know for sure he's been taken? He might be fine, we don't know for sure that the nephilim-"

"Brianna had a vision, " Yoongi reveals.

"Shit."

Hoseok turns to Brianna, who nods affirmatively.

"Shit!"

If the looks on everyone else's faces are anything to go by, they are just as panicked as Hoseok. With the exception of Yoongi, of course.

He stands there, calm and composed, eyeing each of the people in the room with a cumulative gaze. He'd been the one to convince Brianna not to go charging off half-cocked, using her vision to his definite advantage. She'd claimed that the nephilim is using Jeonguk as bait, a fact that Yoongi doesn't doubt in the slightest. Though mistreated, Jeonguk will remain alive until Brianna comes for him. 

And Yoongi has no intention of sending Brianna to his spawn so freely.

In the beginning, she'd been no more than a tool to him. She was someone that he could use to capture his quarry, his prey.

However, it's different now. She has become so much more to him than that. Truthfully, he isn't sure just how much more. But he does know that the idea of someone else touching what he now clearly sees as his is one that doesn't sit well with him, one that leaves a painful and angry feeling within his chest.

He can no longer deny that Brianna is someone important to him.

"We need to be smart about this, " Yoongi speaks up. "We can't just go rushing to the rescue."

"You're right, " Hoseok replies.

All eyes fall to him as he takes a deep breath.

"I had a vision too, " he murmurs softly. "And in my vision, Brianna and Jeonguk both die."

Jin and Brianna both look shell-shocked. Even if they wanted to argue with him, they know that there isn't any way they can. A vision never lies, after all.

Yoongi, on the other hand, splutters adamantly in denial.

"He wouldn't kill her, " he argues fiercely, "he wants to possess her, not kill her. He's obsessed, this is true, but-"

"Why do you keep defending him?" Jin snarls, interrupting the reaper defiantly. "You said the same thing back then, when you burst into the store in a frenzy and rescued Brianna! Clearly he is insane, how can he not be a danger to her?"

"I'm not saying that he isn't a danger to her, I'm just-"

"Defending him!" The genie growls. "Just how do you know him well enough to be so sure of yourself?"

"It's not like that Jin, " Brianna tries to intercede. "It's complicated, and you're not really being very kind right now-"

"He's my son."

Brianna watches in horror as Jin's eyes narrow, and even Hoseok begins to look at Yoongi with suspicion in his eyes. It isn't something that he has discussed at length with her, but somehow, she understands just how hard it must be for him to admit such a thing aloud. He hides his thoughts and feelings so well, but in this moment, she can clearly see the agony written so carefully in those normally lifeless eyes. 

This hunt can't have been easy for him.

Despite what everyone else thinks of him, and of reapers in general, Brianna knows that Yoongi does have a heart. She's seen that subtle, soft side of him, has heard him whimpering in the night due to nightmares that leave him sullen upon waking. He's clearly troubled by all of this, and even if no one else can see it, she does. Maybe a part of him hopes that as depraved as his son has become, he wouldn't stoop to murdering her, despite the fact that he's already murdered so many.

"So because he's your son you're trying to protect him? Were you lying about having hunted him all this time?" Jin explodes. "What? Were you planning to just hand Brianna over to him?"

"Seokjin!" Brianna exclaims angrily.

"What?" The genie yells in reply. "How am I not supposed to think that?"

"You're putting words in his mouth!"

"And you're being far too trusting!"

He reaches forward to grab her by the wrist with every intention of yanking her away from the now scowling reaper, but Yoongi responds by wrapping his arm around her waist.

Brianna is his woman, godsdammit, and he won't allow the ifrit to manhandle her so casually.

"Make no mistake, " Yoongi spits furiously, "I have every intention of killing him. I would never allow him to get his hands upon my woman. But this is more than that. He's killed countless people, and all with the intention of claiming Brianna as his own. Because of me, his life has been living hell. Because he is the son of a fallen angel he has never known a moment's peace. But for whatever reason, Brianna is someone that he cherishes. That's how I know he won't kill her."

"Except you went and ruined that for him, " Hoseok argues. "In my vision Jeonguk tells the bastard that you've slept with her, and because of that he feels betrayed. That's why he kills her."

For a moment, Yoongi looks absolutely stunned.

"What did you think would happen when you started fucking the object of his obsession?" Seokjin cuts in, aggravated by the look of surprise on the reaper's face. "Sane people don't do the things that he's done, you had to know that he wouldn't handle that very well."

"That's enough!" Brianna shouts.

Everyone turns wary eyes to face her, flinching at the sound of her raised voice. It isn't often that the seer raises her voice like that, and the frown on her face is an uncommon thing as well.

"You're all being incredibly thoughtless and harsh, and I'm sick of hearing you bash Yoongi! Yes, his son is fucked up. Yes, I'm in danger because of it. But has anyone stopped to think about how Yoongi feels?"

"Brianna, " Seokjin murmurs softly, "we're just worried about you…"

"I know, " she replies, gentler this time, "but it's my right to be worried about Yoongi, especially since no one else seems to be willing to put themselves in his shoes."

"That's really not necessary, " Yoongi replies, floored. "It's not like what they're saying is wrong. I should have-"

"Stop." Brianna commands, lifting her hand in the air to halt the reaper's self-deprecating comment. "Right now, all that matters is that Jeonguk is in danger, and we are bickering amongst ourselves instead of figuring out what to do next. It isn't like Yoongi asked for his son to be a basket case, and despite how much it has to hurt to know that he has to kill his own child, he's been fully on board since day one. So maybe instead of blaming Yoongi for something outside of his control, or getting upset at him for a choice that he and I made together, we should work together to come up with a plan to rescue Jeonguk!"

"You really didn't have to defend me like that."

Brianna fixes Yoongi with a look that says "drop it", but the reaper is seemingly nothing if not stubborn.

" I mean it. They're right. I put you in danger by pursuing you, and I should have thought about that before I started this… thing between us."

"Do you regret it?" Brianna questions.

Her voice is soft, but her eyes are anything but. She stares at Yoongi with a look that is equal parts apprehension, and curiosity. To be honest, she's wondered what she is to him, wondered where this pseudo relationship will take them. She's tried desperately not to think too deeply on it, just as she's tried to keep from feeling anything for the enigmatic reaper. But, she can't say that she's been successful on either front.

She isn't sure if it's love, per se, but she definitely feels something for the man beside her. And whatever it is, it certainly isn't a platonic feeling to say the least. He's dear to her. She can admit that much. And the idea that she might not mean as much to him is one that saddens her to no end, though she's tried to prepare herself for that inevitability.

"I feel like I should, " he replies solemnly, "but I can't bring myself to, no."

"Good, " Brianna returns, "because I don't either."

Her words bring Yoongi a measure of comfort that he was not expecting, and when she snuggles closer into his chest, he does not shy away. She is warm, and that warmth touches a piece of him that he'd long since thought dead and buried. His little seer makes him feel things, makes him want things that he hasn't wanted in such a long time. And he isn't sure just how to feel about it, or what it is that he should do.

On the one hand, he wants to pull her close, and never let her go. But on the other, he fears the emotions that she brings to light. Both for himself, and for her. Would it be kinder, he wonders, to distance himself from her now? Should he push her away, before it is too late? Or cling to her, in the hopes for a future he knows they cannot have?

What started as lust is quickly spiralling out of his control, morphing into something else entirely. And he knows the signs for what they are. Yoongi is falling in love.

"I want you to know that I don't blame you, " she tells him quietly, fingers drawing idle circles into the fabric of his shirt as she speaks. "And I'm sorry that you have to kill your own flesh and blood. I know it isn't my fault, not really, but it's hard not feel as if I'm partially to blame."

Both hands upon her shoulders, Yoongi pushes her away just enough to look her in the eyes.

"Don't, " he commands seriously. "Nothing about this situation is your fault. Even were you not involved, the end result would be the same. If anyone is to blame, it's me."

Brianna nods, though Yoongi can see that she doesn't really believe him. With a sigh, he releases her, allowing her to fall back upon his chest with resignation.

"Do you know why I have to kill him?"

He feels rather than sees the shaking if Brianna's head.

"Not really, " she replies, "though I assume it has something to do with the simple fact that he exists. I don't understand why though. Why would the God's be so cruel?"

"A long time ago, " Yoongi reveals, closing his eyes as he speaks, "the God's were not Gods. During this time, the world was ruled by Seokjin's kind. Back then, the God's were just exceptionally powerful immortal beings. Beings who didn't wish to bow the knee to anyone, no matter how fiercely the Genies demanded it."

Astonished, Brianna pays close attention to his tale.

"Everyone was immortal in those days, " Yoongi continues, "and magic flowed freely, was intimately tied with the land itself. But, when a handful of immortals overthrew their Genie masters, and claimed godhood for themselves, they were quick to realize that the same could happen to them. Their solution? They created the weave."

"I thought the weave was the source of magic, " Brianna murmurs.

"No, " Yoongi clarifies, "the weave is a construct designed to block magic away from the world. The Gods hoard that magic for themselves, but their creation is also flawed. Without exposure to magic, humanity began to change. This is where mortals began. But, the mesh of the weave is not strong enough, and sometimes a little magic seeps through. This is especially true in areas with overwhelmingly tragic histories. In these places, sometimes, an immortal is born."

Fascinating as her lover's tale my be, Brianna begins to wonder just how this ties in with his original question. She doesn't doubt him, though it is all an awful lot to take in. And she can't deny that he has piqued her curiosity. But still. What does all this have to do with the reason behind his task, or the Gods' cruelty in assigning it?

"This is why angels were created, " Yoongi finally reveals, "to legitimize their claims of godhood, and to carry out their will. We were meant to be perfect, mindless puppets, with no free will of our own. But, again, their creations were flawed. As it turns out, one cannot create sentient life without the development of free will, a fact that wasn't made clear to the Gods until it was far too late. When the first angel fell for the sake of a mortal woman, his defiance enraged the Gods. In retaliation, they bound him with shackles of a magical nature that forced him to carry out their will, no matter how he felt about it. As a result, they forced him to kill his own wife, and the progeny within her belly, for no reason other than spite."

"That's awful!" Brianna cries.

"The Gods are awful beings." Yoongi insists. "Cruel and obsessed with their own power. Nothing else matters to them. As far as they are concerned, everyone else in the world are no more than ants. Pests to be exterminated, or spared, as they see fit."

"So, they're forcing you to kill your own son just to what… hurt you?"

"Pretty much."

"That's terrible!" Brianna exclaims.

She'd always assumed that nephilim were sentenced to death because of their abilities, not that she ever agreed with their fate. But this? This is horrible.

"But then, if that's the case, how come they allowed your son to live for so long?"

Yoongi's eyes flicker open, and his mouth settles into a firm line.

"They didn't." He replies. "I was compelled to kill him before he was even born, same as every other reaper. But my will is stronger than most, and the Gods found it difficult to control me. Impossible, even. So when I chose to disobey, and abandon my pregnant wife, the Gods locked me away in the abyss. They hoped that it would break me."

"So what changed?" Brianna questions, pulling away to gaze quzzically at his tightly drawn face. "Why hunt him now? Why did they release you?"

"They released me to hunt him down, " he replies openly. "And I agreed to it because he has grown malicious and unstable. He's killed far too many people to justify his existence."

The air between them falls silent, and strained.

There's more to it, of course. But it feels somehow wrong to mention his wife to Brianna, of all people. Really, he's far too calloused to care about the lives that the boy has taken. What it really boils down to is the fact that his progeny has become a disservice to his late wife's memory. 

And this is a sin that Yoongi cannot forgive.

"So what do we do?"

The small group of immortals is gathered around Brianna, each weary and somber. The shop is filled with a heavy melancholy, and a hopeless sort of feel.

Brianna's question is one that everyone present has been pondering, and yet they are no closer to an answer than they'd been hours ago, when the knowledge that Jeonguk had been taken was first brought to light.

"You know that Jeonguk wouldn't want you to sacrifice yourself for him, right?" Seokjin says to the seer.

"I know, " she replies, "but we can't just leave him in the nephilim's clutches."

"We can't do anything without a plan, " Hoseok argues. "Especially since we know he won't kill Jeonguk until you arrive."

"Why don't we just send the reaper instead?" Seokjin suggests. "After all, he's the only one who can kill the bastard."

Brianna scowls at her Ifrit friend.

Ever since earlier, he's been adamantly refusing to refer to Yoongi by name. And his lack of sympathy in regards to her lover still bothers her.

Beside her, Yoongi takes her hand within his own and squeezes gently. It's his way of telling her not to bother. Seokjin's attitude doesn't phase him in the slightest. Why should he care what the Genie thinks of him? It's enough that he has Brianna's support, even if he hadn't anticipated just how comforting that is to him.

"If anyone else shows up, or I fail to show up alone, he might kill Jeonguk after all." Brianna snaps. "Jeonguk is in this mess because of me, and he's an important friend. We can't take such a risk."

"Well we can't just send you into the lion's den either!" Seokjin shouts. "You know that I care about Jeonguk just as much as you do, but you're my best and first friend, you're too important to me for me to just sit back and watch you die!"

"Nobody is suggesting that, " Brianna counters harshly. Then, recognizing the manic worry in Jin's eyes, she softens. "You know that he'll sense the presence of anyone who approaches. We all would. I don't want to die anymore than you want me to, but we need to find a solution that leads to Jeonguk surviving this too."

Frustrated, Seokjin throws his hands in the air and stands to stomp away, only to return again with an exasperated look upon his face.

"We're not getting anywhere arguing in circles like this, " Hoseok interjects. "We took a break to calm down earlier, but it seems like everyone is still riled up."

"I agree, " Brianna concedes. "We need to approach this calmly, or else we'll never come up with a plan."

"So what we need, " Yoongi speaks up, "is a way for me to approach without him sensing me."

"Is there even any way to masque an immortals signature?" Seokjin cries. "Because I've never even heard of such a thing!"

Suddenly, Brianna recalls something that has her sitting up a little straighter, a lightbulb flashing behind her eyes.

"Yes you have!" She exclaims. "Remember the first time the nephilim came to the store? We all thought he was mortal!"

For a moment, shock replaces the angry look on the Ifrit's face.

"You're right, " he murmurs in surprise. 

"Is that a common ability for a nephilim?" Hoseok asks, turning to Yoongi, who shakes his head.

"No. That's not an ability that any immortal possesses, at least, I've never heard of such a thing." Yoongi elaborates. "If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it was likely a witch's charm."

"Are witches actually capable of creating such a charm?"

Brianna's disbelief, and the surprise in her voice, are to shared by both Hoseok and Seokjin.

"I mean, " Hoseok speaks, "I know witches are capable of creating some pretty crazy charms, but that seems a little far fetched."

"I've met witches capable of crazier feats, " Yoongi insists. "And it would be worth digging into, wouldn't it?"

In truth, though no one seems to realize it, he doesn't want Brianna to die any more than anyone else does. Despite it all, she's become important to him. In a way that he could not have anticipated.

"Unfortunately, your spawn killed the only witch that Brianna and I actually knew." Seokjin reveals.

Brianna's shoulders slump in defeat. She'd all but forgotten about that. Marie would have been more than happy to help, after all, she'd always harbored a bit of a silent crush on the young werewolf. But, as most of them are nearly xenophobic towards the other immortal races, it might prove difficult to enlist the aid of any other witch.
 

The bell above the door suddenly chimes, alerting the small group to a new arrival.

Frowning, Seokjin stands to greet what he assumes to be a random customer. He's fairly certain that he'd locked that door, but supposes he must have forgotten after all.

"I'm sorry, " Seokjin announces, eying the man waltzing ever so casually into the shop as he speaks, "we are closed today."

The man before him is lithe, with perfectly coiffed hair in the darkest shade of black that Seokjin has ever seen. Between the well-tailored suit adorning the man's slender build, and the cold, impassive look on his face, this stranger projects an aura that radiates danger. 

"I saw the sign, " the man speaks, voice surprisingly low.

It's deep, rich timber doesn't seem to match his beautiful face. But it does lend extra credence to Seokjin's impression of the man.

"If you saw the sign, then why'd you come in?" The Ifrit retorts derisively.

The intruder ignores Seokjin for a moment, eyes glancing about the store, seemingly taking stock of his surroundings. He runs a languid finger over the surface of the counter, deep in thought, before finally opening his mouth to speak.

"I have reason to believe that she can help me." He replies, nodding his head into Brianna's direction. "And maybe, I can be of some assistance as well."