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"A fairy without wings?" Yoongi snorts, cracking open the lid of a wooden loot box with an iron crowbar. He peers inside just for a second, to check that everything looks as it should do, and then closes it back up without thorough inspection. "What's next? A mermaid without a tail?"

In the corner of the room, a leak is collecting into a wooden bucket. The drip soundtracks Jungkook's occasional grunt from all of his heavy lifting, a metronome to their already monotonous task.

"Stranger things have happened," Jungkook shrugs, lugging over another crate for Yoongi to stack against the wall. A thin veil of sweat covers his skin, dirt smudged on his cheeks, hair damp from his exertion.

On his back is a white shirt that needs a wash, but looking presentable is the least of his concerns. A waistcoat hangs open, unbuttoned, with a small watch tucked in the pocket. The glass is cracked, but the hands tick on regardless.

His own hands are dirty with mud, and a thin red string is tied around his wrist. The ends are frayed, a single knot tied on the loose end.

There used to be four. Two knots on either loose end. With every new season, one unravels. Only a matter of time until the fourth and final ceases to exist.

Yoongi doesn't look much better. Shorter in stature than Jungkook, his age shows in his eyes—not for smile lines, or a narrow gaze, but for the wise aura that prevails whenever he's in conversations with Jungkook. His eyes are so dark it's hard to tell his pupil from his iris, but there's comfort to be found in the all encompassing blanket of Yoongi's attention.

They work together well. Men of few words, it's rare for conversations between Jungkook and Yoongi to last more than a few rounds of back and forth. Suits them both perfectly fine.

"Oi—Kook, Yoongi—C'mon," Park Jimin quietly hisses from the hallway, peering into the decrepit shell of a room they had been tasked with organising. Loot from previous voyages, they aren't even really organising it. Just making it easier for Hoseok to actually comb through when the ship returns.

It had been assumed that the voyage would continue on far beyond the Barter Isles—a protected trading zone— but a member of the crew had returned yesterday on one of the smaller vessels with news of a bounty to rival that of a star: a flightless fairy.

Glancing over his shoulder, Jungkook is nonchalant in the way he nods, grunting before getting back to work.

Caramel blonde and ever so ethereal, you'd be forgiven for thinking Jimin is as sweet as he looks. He's soft, yes. Tender when needed. But he's stern when required. People prefer not to fall out of favour with him—after all, wouldn't you rather the sweetness of a strawberry than the sharpness of grapefruit?

Impatient, Jimin doesn't have time for Jungkook's attitude. Not today. "No, now. They're back. Docking up now."

Silently looking over his shoulder once more, Jungkook's dark eyes are wide. He'd heard a commotion a couple of minutes ago, but just assumed it was Beomgyu being Beomgyu. Had completely forgotten he was on look-out duty.

This is not good.

"Now?!" Jungkook asks, rubbing the rag resting over his shoulder across his face, clearing it of sweat. The dirt remains. "I thought they were carrying on? Thought we had another two weeks, minimum?"

"Must think she's too valuable to keep at sea," Yoongi supposes tapping Jungkook's shoulder as he walks past. "C'mon. Stables."

On a secluded island to the north of the mainland islands, known to most as The Wastelands, they're well protected here. No one ventures this far north unless they are actively trying to get a cannon fired in their direction—or worse, dragged to the bogs that devour anything and everything that voyages through their path.

The Wastelands are a safe haven for the pirates of Caspartine. An old Manor house is their home on land while they're docked up in the bay, the original inhabitants of this place long gone.

According to local folklore, it was once a hub of enchantment before the War of the Rogues sent magical creatures into hiding.

That was a good hundred or so years ago, now. Any magic left in The Wastelands is simply that—wasted.

The Caspartine is the flagship of the pirates who reside here. It boasts the most impressive sails and is a feat of engineering that Jungkook knows must have been built with the aid of at least a little magic.

There are smaller ships that subsets of the crew travel on for various voyages and shorter tasks, like heading off to the Barter Isles to trade for food and fabrics.

Jungkook, Jimin and Yoongi rarely ever board The Caspartine. More often than not, they're relegated to Bangtan.

Bangtan is a far smaller ship, but Yoongi likes to think it gives them an edge. Is faster. More agile as it surveys the water. Painstakingly painted black during the spring by Yoongi himself, it creeps through the oceans like an omen. They only really use it for trading, but you wouldn't know that by looking at it.

For now, though, while half of Bangtan's crew are aboard The Caspartine, hunting a fallen star, Bangtan sits in the bay, anchored in place.

Tossing his rag down onto the wooden box he'd been about to stack, Jungkook follows his seniors.

Though he's been with the pirates for eight months now, Jungkook is still their freshest face. He hasn't quite worked his way up in the ranks to be calling the shots.

Criminals and convicts, The Capsartine pirates are a real pain in the ass to the Kingdoms that surround The Wastelands.

Far smarter than the Kingdoms would like to believe, the Wasteland pirates have created a monopoly on these waters. For the right price, they'll do anyone's dirty work. They're above the law.

Or at least they are within their realm. Venture a little further North, and it's a different story. They're wanted by at least three other Kingdoms for a list of crimes too long to even begin to count.

Still, they remain protected by their affiliations. Can hunt out magic freely, 'cause the elite don't wanna have to do the hard work themselves. Will capture fallen stars, fairies, kelpies, whatever. If it possesses magic, it can be sold for a pretty penny. Enchanted sprouts and weeds even have a place on the market.

It's a dark trade, but it pays well.

"If they're back already, they can't have even reached Barter Isles before turning back," Jimin considers as Jungkook follows him to the stables. "I'm surprised. I thought they'd carry on. Try and find that damn shooting star."

"She might've been poached already," Jungkook theorises of the star, but doubts.

Taking on the appearance of a human once they hit land, fallen stars are an oddity amongst the magical and the mortal. Their hearts—which is really just their core, of which their human form is morphed around—are eaten by witches for beauty, and by humans for immortality.

It was the falling of the brightest star in the sky that sparked the War of the Rogues all those years ago. She was never found. Remains the stuff of folklore. How a star so huge could be concealed defies the logic of even the most powerful of sorcerers.

And so as soon as a star is seen shooting across the sky, her fall inevitable, pirates all across the realm scramble to be the first to find her.

"Or maybe the Star's already gone into hiding," Yoongi counters. "Either way, it was a dumb fuckin' idea in the first place. A fairy is still a good pay day. Nothing to turn your nose up at."

Hunted down and sold to dust dealers, Fairies are a delicacy. The dust from their wings is harvested for the elite and used in all sorts of lotions and potions.

After a few seasons, their wings will always wilt, before crumbling altogether, which makes it an expensive and incredibly lucrative business. A fresh fairy is always good for business, and their resources can be stretched much further than a star's.

"A fairy would have no business being down by the Barter Isles," Jungkook argues, unhooking the latch into the stables, where Yeonjun and Beomgyu are already getting the horses prepared for the carts. "Fairies never venture out that far."

"They also normally have wings," Yoongi replies, unhooking a saddle from its perch. "Maybe she's an old one. Y'know, a veiled fairy."

A protective measure put in place by a powerful witch during the War of the Rogues, veils concealed magical creatures to those without magic.

Wings were hidden. Tails appeared like legs. Third eyes were invisible. Any sign or indication of magic was simply erased to the naked eye of a non-magical being. Veiled. It's the only way magic was able to survive.

Of course, magical creatures could always see through it.

Over time, once the war had simmered and life was restoring some sort of balance, the veils lifted.

Just one veil remains over the realm.

It drapes over the eyes of anyone bearing even the smallest fragment of magic in their bones.

Other than subtle variations from family to family, all mortal beings without magic have deep dark brown eyes. It's always been that way.

If eyes are windows to the soul, then it's apt that a creature with such a dark past has eyes to match.

Those with magic have rich, tapestried histories, and their eyes reflect that.

Sage-eyed wizards and maroon-gazed fauns are often found roaming the same forests, greeting another with a warm blink. Siren's have eyes of gold, luring men to their rocks whereas mermaids have deep purple eyes to match their tails and the seaweed they swim amongst.

The remaining veil that sweeps the realm hides the true colour of magical creatures' eyes from humans.

Green-eyed kelpies dwell in stables with regular stallions. Their veiled eyes fool non-magical people onto their backs, and win them easy victims to drag down to the seabed with them.

Slowly, but surely it will fade just like all the other veils that have slipped over the past few decades.

Jungkook shakes his head. "Veils wore off fifty years ago. I haven't heard any reports of veiled fairies in my lifetime. They don't exist anymore. If doesn't have wings—and doesn't have a dealers tag to suggest that maybe she used to have wings—then she ain't a fairy."

"Yeah, but you also said they're never normally out by the sea," Yoongi reminds him. "Maybe she's an outcast from the olden days. They can outlive humans, right? Maybe she's just super old."

"Fairies don't work like that," Jungkook dismisses. "They travel in packs. Being an outcast isn't really a thing. Unless—"

Cutting himself off, Jungkook shakes his head. Knows that no matter what he says, Yoongi will argue against him.

"Unless what?" Beomgyu calls over, not caring to hide the fact he was listening in. With a little straw in his hair, he looks just as dishevelled as the rest of them.

One of the youngest on the team, Jungkook should technically be Beomgyu's senior—but the kid's been with pirates since he could babble. The entire reason he's not allowed out on voyage is because they care for him like a little brother. None of them want anything happening to him.

"Nothin'," Jungkook grunts, gently stroking down the nose of a jet-black horse. With a little tuft of hair that sits unruly on the top of his head, Jungkook likes to think they're kindred spirits in the way. Both have big brown eyes that could never tell a lie.

Luckily for Jungkook, horses can't talk. Who knows which of his secrets could be revealed if it did.

Slipping a bridle over the horse's muzzle, Jungkook knows that the stallion is the only one here who has any clue about who he is. In a way, he's a friend. A confidant.

Lying is a lonely sport, and Jungkook's been playing for eight long months. It's getting tiring. He's fatigued.

"Nah, go on," Yoongi encourages. "Unless what, Professor Fairy?"

"Get fucked," Jungkook laughs, the mere idea of being well-versed in fairy lore embarrassing for any pirate. "I just remember stories from when I was younger. I mean, the memories are patchy. Can't really remember it as such—"

"Just spit it out."

Pausing to glare at Yoongi, Jungkook rolls his eyes. "Apparently, if a fairy does something bad—and I mean, killing a village of kittens, kinda bad—it can affect their wings."

"Oh?"

"Something to do with their heart," Jungkook shrugs, dismissing the folklore. "It's all connected apparently, a fairies heart and their wings. That's where their wings form, like a seed, I guess. Wings sprout from the heart. Anyway, not important. If a fairy's heart is corrupted, it directly impacts the wings. If she's without wings, and alone, then... Well then, you might be right. She might be dangerous. Might have a corrupted heart."

Not a single one of the pirates have ever come across a fairy without wings, mind you.

It goes against a fairy's moral compass to do harm. Historically, it's been easy to poach them for this very reason.

Their biggest virtue is their biggest vice. Too trusting. Too believing in the good in people.

But there ain't no good in pirates. Not if a lucrative pay day is involved. Their hearts are like coal, and their morals ain't much better.

It's why no one dares to come too close to The Wastelands.

Surrounded by a thick border of trees, the manor house has remained in remarkably good condition, given the circumstances. Some of the crew reckon it must have enchantments on it, while the rest don't care to think too deeply about it. 

It was in the pines where Jungkook was first found by Jimin, eight months prior. Beaten bloody and blue with no recollection of how he got there, he was chained up in the basement for a week until the crew was convinced his amnesia was genuine. All he had were the clothes on his back, and a red string tied around his wrist. Remembered his name, and how to survive, but little else.

The easiest solution would have been to throw him to the bogs, but the Wasteland pirates were in need of fresh meat. 

See, for the past year, ships have been going missing. Enough men and loot to have caused substantial damage. It's why they're hellbent on getting that damn star, and also why they're not risking losing the loot of a fairy.

And so this is Jungkook's home, for now.

Memories of his previous life splinter through occasionally—like recollections of fairytales from childhood, or maybe recipes when he's in the kitchen—but nothing solid. Nothing of any substance.

Jimin often wonders if his attitude problems are something he was born with, or something they nurtured into him. Either, he's right at home in this ragtag group of rogues. They're better off having him here.

Beyond pines is a sandy cove where they dock their ships, and it's where they're headed now.

They'll unload the ship, then get on with the job they've just paused. Won't waste their time fucking around with fairies, no matter how curious they are.

"Corrupted heart? Capable of murder? Just my kinda woman," Yoongi smirks, leading his horse out of the stables. "Hurry up, Kook. Let's go."

In the old, narrow scullery adjacent to the manor kitchen, there's a commotion.

Not for any obscure, nefarious reason, but rather just for the joy of being surrounded by friends. An old dining table takes up most of the room, uneven chairs spread evenly around it. There are seven of them: the crew of Bangtan.

Though they're happy to join in on voyages on The Caspartine, they'd much rather be on Bangtan, and choose to eat together when on land. Some of the other pirates don't like it, which is why The Caspartine captain likes to assign the members to different jobs at different times, but he can't deny they work well together.

"Was fuckin' insane. Never seen anything like," Taehyung exhales, taking a sip on his ale. Their dinner plates are scraped clean, Jungkook finishing off what was left on Jimin's, as the members who had been out on voyage recount their stories. "Y'know you hear stories of dokkebi bul, but seeing it yourself? Man, that shit? Really is magic."

Dokkebi bul is the stuff of folklore: fairy dust that creates pathways of light in the air. Lures people in. Is one of the reasons fairies were poached to the extremity that they were after the war. Were blamed for all and any sign of magic leading soldiers astray.

Jungkook's expression is stern as he listens in.

"Ship almost fuckin' crashed," Namjoon adds. "Sneaky fucker was using her dokkebi bul to lead the ship right into the rocks of a barren island. If Seokjin hadn't realised, we'd have been at the bottom of the fuckin' sea by now."

"How the fuck did he manage that?" Jimin asks, reaching across the table to pour some of Taehyung's ale into his own glass. "Thought their light was supposed to entrance anyone who looks at it? Seokjin's deaf, not blind."

Sitting directly across from Jimin, Seokjin smirks. Jimin's right. He's not blind. Read his lips perfectly. Shrugs, then holds up his arm in swan formation to flex his muscles.

For as long as Jungkook's been with the pirates, Seokjin's hearing has been impaired. The result of standing too close to cannons for years upon years, it was a gradual loss until one day it all very abruptly stopped. The crew have developed cues and gestures to communicate. It isn't perfect, but it's far better than it used to be.

"You're telling me you're stronger than a fuckin' magical being?" Yoongi laughs, not buying it for a second. Reckons that Seokjin must have just fallen asleep at the helm. Steered them off course accidentally.

"Nah, it was weird," Taehyung admits, toying with the cork that had been keeping his ale fresh in its dark brown bottle. "I think she was trying to call for help. There was, like, this ache in my chest. I knew we had to get to her."

Jungkook's brows harden as he nibbles on his bottom lip, arms folded over his chest. He might not know much about what it's like to be on the receiving end of a fairy's magic, but he knows that whatever they're describing is not it.

"Very romantic," Yoongi teases. "When's the wedding, oh valiant knight in shining armour?"

Tossing the cork at Yoongi, Taehyung laughs. "Would rather die than associate myself with a fairy."

Jungkook breathes out a small laugh from his nose and nods. "You and me both."

"Anyway," Yoongi dismisses. "Did you see her eyes? She veiled? Could that be why you can't see her wings?"

Jungkook has to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

See, humans have this curious way of thinking they understand how magical beings work, and it's always proven wrong. Regardless, the proof is ignored.

Veiling is not a choice; it's a remnant of magic most beings aren't strong enough to break. Even if they wanted to reveal their eyes to humans, they wouldn't be able to.

"Her eyes are brown," Taehyung shrugs. "So they're veiled, at least. No idea what colour fairies eyes actually are, mind you."

"Blue," Namjoon replies from across the table, reaching for another bread roll from the basket in the middle of the wooden slab. "Something, something, sky, something, something, clarity. S'all I remember."

"You'd think it'd be something more exciting," Jimin laments. "Gold would be cool."

"Sirens," Namjoon interjects. Has read up on pretty much all magical beings in the realm. Is fascinated by it all.

"Purple?"

"Witches."

"Red?"

"A few things," Namjoon shrugs. "Red eyes usually mean blood lust, so you got your werewolves, your vampires, your banshees. Apparently it won't be long until the veil is lifted. It's the last of the ancient protections to go."

"How long do you reckon?" Jimin curiously asks, to which Namjoon just shrugs and pushes his glasses a little further up his nose.

"Could be years. Could be months—but I tell you what, I for one am not looking forward to it."

"Why not?" Hoseok laughs. Namjoon loves studying magic. They all would have expected it would be like Christmas had come early for him.

"Imagine it," he exhales as he shakes his head. "Find out your bestfriend is fuckin' werewolf? Or that the woman you're in love with is a fuckin' siren, and has been swindling you this whole time. There's more magic hiding in plain sight than any of us know."

That isn't quite true.

One of them knows exactly how much magic is in this room. Is aware of the enchantment around the dinner table that protects their conversation from the prying ears of any pirates walking past the room. Knows that there's just a touch of fairy dust in their ale, and that none of them will be suffering from a hangover tomorrow because of it.

"If any of you fuckers turn out to be fuckin' fairies, I'll eat my own foot," Jungkook laughs, passing a fresh bottle of ale across to Taehyung.

"That's if you even have a foot," Namjoon teases. "Maybe you're a secret mermaid."

"Ah," Jungkook cheekily grins, taking a swig on his drink. Those big, brown, honest eyes of his sparkle under the low light of the candles. "That's right. You caught me."

"It's not a request," Jimin tells Jungkook the next morning, when he defiantly refuses to do as he's told. Hardly a surprise. He doesn't think Jungkook has ever followed instructions without complaint. "Order from the captain."

"Well tell him to ask someone else."

"Like who?" Jimin laughs. "The Caspartine is heading back off in search of the star. You just need to keep watch while we get Bangtan ready—"

"The others are more than capable enough. I've got shit to do. I can't be babysitting some random—"

"It's your job, Kook. Do it."

"No."

"There's a reason why you're stuck here while the rest of the crew are out doing the fun stuff," Jimin assures Jungkook. "They know what they're doing. "

"I know what I'm doing," Jungkook grumbles, annoyed that he's having to clean up messes he's not even allowed to join in making. He wasn't there when they caught the fairy, he should have to be the one keeping watch over her. It isn't fair. "Get Beomgyu or Yeonjun to do it. I can help with the ship."

"You've been here all of five minutes," Jimin reminds him. Eight months is no short amount of time. Not by any stretch of the imagination. He is, however, the most recent addition to the fold. Jimin only reminds him 'cause he knows it pisses him off. "The kids don't question their authority for a reason. Should learn from them."

"It's 'cause they're pussies."

"No, because they know better," Jimin laughs. "You'll end up in the fuckin' bogs if you keep that attitude up."

Realistically, Jungkook knows Jimin is right. He really shouldn't be so bratty about things, but they've interrupted his schedule. Never likes it when his plans of action are thrown off course.

Towards the west of the island, the bogs are not to be messed with.

"Bogs'd be lucky to have me," Jungkook grumbles, as if the idea of ending up there doesn't scare the shit out of him. The Wasteland pirates' reputations precede them. Infringe on their territory, and your body'll end up in the bog, or at least the rumours would have you believe.

He half thought it'd happen to him when they found him. Was out cold for two whole days. It's a miracle, really, that he's still around. He knows he shouldn't take it for granted.

Sighing, Jungkook shakes his head. Knows that Jimin was forced to keep watch on him when he was found. Knows that it's about time he returned the favour.

"Fine. Just let me finish what I'm doing, alright? She can survive just fine down in the basement for an hour or so."

Surprised, Jimin thought it'd take a lot more persuading. "Deal."

For all of his complexities, Jungkook is tirelessly curious. A fairy without wings isn't something you come across every day. He'd never rest if she was shipped away to a dust dealer before he got the chance to scope her out.

"She got a name?" Jungkook asks just as Jimin turns to leave.

"The fairy?" Jimin asks, as if he needs to. Nodding, Jungkook doesn't give a sarcastic remark, even if he'd like to. "Pia."

"Pia?"

"S'what I said, isn't it?" Jimin says. "She's not talking much, but Joon told her he'd gouge her wing stems from her back if she didn't play ball, so we got her name, at least."

"That's fuckin' barbaric," Jungkook snarls, lips upturned at the mere thought of such a gruesome act.

Even when wings wilt, their stems remain like roots beneath the skin. Are connected to the heart. To pillage wing stems would almost always end in death.

"Pirates, not peacekeepers," Jimin reminds Jungkook as he finally exits the room, and heads off to see how the preparations are coming along. Not ones to waste any time, Bangtan is heading towards the Barter Isles in the morning. It'll take about two weeks, depending on the tides.

From there, a dust dealer will be found, and the fairy will be traded away. Easy money.

Shaking his head, Jungkook quietly mutters, "Yeah, and don't I fuckin' know it."

Damp and cold, there's a mustiness to the basement that always revolts Jungkook. While the rest of the manor house has stood the test of time, there's something sinister about the rooms below land. The soil on the island isn't good for building. Whoever made this place had to dig down deep. There's an entire city beneath the manor.

An exaggeration, admittedly, but Jungkook thinks two floors would be enough. By the time he gets to the fifth and final floor, he's feeling claustrophobic. Is part of the reason he didn't want to watch guard. Wishes they'd switch the hostage holding room to one of the higher basement storage rooms instead of the chambers below.

Flint-lined, the walls are uneven and haphazard, but were made with a certain skill-level not often seen these days. There are flecks and grooves on the stones, which mean nothing to most. For those who know how to read it, it tells the story of the people who built this place.

Jungkook lets his fingers trail along the indents as he walks down the final corridor. Understands enough to know that the creators would disapprove of how their home is now being used. Laments a quiet apology. Promises, "I'll make it right, one day."

A small spark momentarily blazes just ahead of him; new markings etching themselves into the flint. It's not the first time it's happened, but it always startles Jungkook regardless.

There's magic in these walls. Relics remaining from ancient times.

And as the pads of his fingers lightly run over the new words, Jungkook feels his heart ache.

It's okay. You're doing your best.

Pausing for a moment, his head dips down, chin to his chest as he shakes it. Doesn't think he's doing his best at all.

These stones were infused with enchantments hundreds of years ago. Thousands, even. Whoever is replying to him right now is long gone.

As much as he hates venturing down this far, it's sometimes the only thing that makes him feel sane.

The thick wooden door that closes off the final chamber is bolted shut from the outside. It's strong despite the damp, but Jungkook knows it wouldn't take much to break though it.

The flickering flame torch he'd been carrying down with him is hitched to the wall. He needn't use firelight. The entire place is hooked up to electricity. Jungkook just prefers it.

He also knows the lights in the final chamber are harsh. Stark. He doesn't want to flood the room with such exposure. Would rather keep himself to the shadows.

Hooking his finger beneath the grip of the barrel bolt, Jungkook slides it from the catch. The sound of metal clanging against itself is the first indication to whoever is on the other side of the door that they're about to have company; the creaking as he pulls the door open the second.

Wedging the door open with a wooden block, he leaves the torch in the hall. Lets just a flicker of light lick its way into the room. Won't let it reach the back walls. Will keep himself shrouded in enough darkness to keep up with the status quo.

"Door open?" A saccharine voice hums from the darkest corner of the room. "You not scared I'm gonna fly away?"

Smirking, Jungkook shakes his head. There's something new in the room. A girl, yes, but that's not it. The magic. That's new. Different.

"With what wings?" He replies, resting his back against the wall just beside the door. He ignores the damp. Doesn't look in her direction. Just looks at his hands. There's barely enough light to see anything, let alone her. "I've had those chains on before. Good luck even trying to walk away."

"You?" She laughs. "What did you do to end up here, huh?"

There's something about her voice, Jungkook thinks. It's like silk. Satin. Glides over his body and sinks down his skin. Wraps around him like ribbon, before crumpling into the floor.

Odd.

She speaks again. "Get yourself in trouble?"

Once more, no matter how many pretty bows her words tie around his waist, they slip out of form and pool by his feet—just like her pretty little song had failed to captivate Seokjin earlier.

"Could say that," Jungkook replies as the sensation of her voice flutters down to the floor.

Though it's not visible, Jungkook can practically see the magic she's using. Pink. Pleasant. Pathetic, and unable to penetrate his own, far stronger defences. Still, pretty nonetheless. Entanglement. Not a standard fairy charm, that's for sure.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?"

"Do what?" she replies, the outline of her figure briefly illuminating as the torch in the corridor crackles.

"Entangle," Jungkook simply states.

Her quick tongue falters, as she realises she's been caught playing a game no fairy would ever play.

Fairies are good. Honest—or at least as honest as they can be. To entangle is to manipulate. Goes against their intrinsic values.

"Pirates got your tongue, Pia?" Jungkook smirks, now. Feels vindicated that his previous assumptions are being proven correct. He doesn't know what she is, but knows she can't keep up this ruse forever. "Go on. Use that voice of yours. Lie to me. I wanna see how convincing you are."

Her silence prevails for a moment longer, until she finally speaks without enchantments.

"Smarter than the rest of them, aren't you?"

Jungkook isn't any smarter than the rest of them, but he is stronger. Less easily swayed by low-level magic.

He wasn't the only one, though. Seokjin had steered them clear of the rocks. Was unaffected by the so-called-dokkebi-bul, but Jungkook realises it was never fairy dust drawing them in in the first place.

It was her voice.

He ignores her question. Instead, he taunts her. "What happened to your wings?"

As if you ever had any in the first fuckin' place.

"Curse," she flippantly replies, knowing there's no point in embellishing anything. She's been caught. Only a matter of time until he figures out what she is.

"Convenient," Jungkook snorts. "Who cursed you?"

"Don't know."

Pia is many things. Deceptive. A fantastical actress. Convincing. Conniving.

But without the veil of entanglement, she's a terrible liar. Even if the truth is never offered to Jungkook, she'll never be able to swindle him in the way she does with others.

"So you were just minding your business in the middle of the ocean, when you were cursed out of the blue for no good reason?" Jungkook joins her dots together, and draws a conclusion that resembles something a lot like horseshit.

"Sounds about right," Pia replies through gritted teeth.

"Weird," Jungkook hums. "I thought fairies hated water?"

"S'why I was on a rock and not in the water," she replies, mocking Jungkook as if he's dumb. Realises how intelligent he is. Is resorting to juvenile tactics to belittle him. Everyone has a pressure point. She just needs to find his. "Maybe you are just as dumb as the rest of them—you don't feel like the rest of them, though."

Across the room from her, she can't feel him in a physical sense, but just like Jungkook knew her magic was corrupting the room, she knows there's something not quite human about him, too.

Jungkook's jaw tenses. So smug in knowing she was full of shit, he almost forgot he was full of it as well.

"You're different, aren't you?" She quietly asks, her voice beguiling even without enchantments.

"I'm not the one in chains," he sternly replies, reminding her that she's in no place to be asking questions.

"But you were," she reminds him of his earlier statement. He once was in these chains. She wonders how he was found. Wonders what colour his eyes are.

Before Jungkook can think of a response to derail her train of thought, a clatter sounds along the hallway as a light switch is flicked on.

"Jungkook?" Jimin's voice calls up the hallways. "You in there?"

"Yeah," Jungkook calls back. "It's all good. I—"

As Jimin approaches, holding a basket of food for Pia, he's none the wiser of the growing tension. He flicks the lightswitch into the final chamber. Bright light floods into the room, saturating everything with a sharp, cold hue.

"You're gonna set this place on fire one day," Jimin tuts, walking on past Jungkook and into the room. "Just use the lights like a normal person."

The ceiling is domed, a chandelier hanging from the central point. Far more spacious than Jungkook recalls, the furniture is well-kept despite the moisture. It should have been wrecked years ago—but the enchantments on the room keep it protected. Beside Jungkook is a desk, with a stack of old books in a language none of the pirates have ever cared to learn. There are antiques and relics all around the place.

The far corner is the most interesting of all: a four-pillar bed, with deep green drapes. The chains are secured into the wall beside them, allowing for whoever is being kept captive to at least have a decent sleep. With no windows, the room is nearly always in darkness.

Perched on the bed, heels to her ass, knees up by her chin and arms wrapped around her legs, Pia sits in a somewhat subdued position. The dress she was found in barely covers her body, but Jimin hasn't had a chance to look through the old wardrobes yet to find something more appropriate. Long dark hair drapes over her shoulders, curled and brittle from the harsh sea air. Her eyes are on Jungkook; watching him like a hawk.

He isn't looking at her, but at Jimin. She's surprised by his stature. Hadn't imagined him to be so tall, nor so broad. The sides of his dark hair are cropped short, but there's enough length for his fringe to tickle his brows. Studs glitter up his earlobes, and his lips have been adorned with two pretty rings. He's not the standard rogue pirate she's used to seeing, that's for sure.

Leaning on the desk, he's locked in debate with Jimin. She's not listening to the conversation they're having. Is too busy trying to work Jungkook out.

He glances over at her quickly for no real reason, just as a natural consequence of speaking about her right in front of her face. Brows hard and furrowed, a thick ridge sits between them, a state of annoyance on his handsome features.

Everything kind of just stops. 

Jimin's voice, the ticking of the clock on the wall. Silence. All she can hear is her own heartbeat.

It thuds like a crashing wave, simmering down before roaring once more.

She wonders if Jungkook can hear it too, or if his heart is doing just the same.

He straightens his posture. Doesn't take his eyes off her, though his head does tilt as he tries to figure her out. Knows that he's giving himself away, but it doesn't matter. He's only ever heard folklore about her kind.

'Cause he wasn't kidding.

Fairies don't spend time near water, and her eyes confirm it.

Instead, her eyes are golden; a shade so striking, Jungkook finally understands how her voice is so commanding. His eyes rake down her body, to check for signs to confirm she is what he thinks she is—and then he clocks the thin silver chain wrapped around her ankle, a small bell affixed to it.

A curse is chained to her body. Something she wasn't lying about—except it's not wings that have been concealed. It's a tail.

He's not surprised to find her eyes surveying him, too.

'Cause there's a red string tied around his wrist concealing what he is, too.

She clocks it. Smirks.

See, Jungkook's eyes are as dark as midnight to Jimin, and Yoongi, and anyone else who looks his way. Like a moonlit sky, his eyes shine and shimmer, but it's not because of how dark they are.

It's because his natural eyes are so strong, speckles shine through the veil, like stars in the thick blanket of night.

Brilliant and blue, Jungkook's unveiled eyes give away exactly what he is.

Unlike her anklet, his bracelet was voluntarily tied. Not a curse. A charm. A concealment of his wings.

Where are your wings? She silently taunts, mocking his own questioning of her.

Luck had been out of her grasp for weeks. Months, even. But Jungkook, and his bright blue eyes, seem like her very own lucky charm, now.

It's leverage. A way for her to manipulate him, even if she can't use her magic against him.

"Kook?" Jimin says, for what must be the fifth time, cutting the tension with a blunt knife. It prevails. "Hey. Kook. Stop gawping."

"Hm?" Jungkook grunts, turning to face Jimin.

To Jimin, Jungkook's startled eyes are big and brown, just like they always are.

He doesn't have a fuckin' clue.

All very quickly, Pia begins to learn that she isn't the only liar within these walls.

Nodding down towards the plate, Jimin begins to list off the food.

"If there's anything she can't eat, you'll have to let me know. Can't be wasting food on a fairy."

Nodding, Jungkook doesn't verbalise a response. Just glances back across to Pia. The diet of a fairy isn't too far off that of a human.

Has no idea what her kind eat. Men, he thinks.

"Gyu'll take over the night shift in a couple of hours."

"S'fine," Jungkook quickly says. "I'll take the night shift."

"But—"

"I'll take it."

Jimin is miffed for a moment, but knows that he shouldn't take Jungkook being willing to do menial tasks for granted. "Suit yourself."

It's not because he wants to be in this room. In fact, he'd rather be anywhere but here.

He just knows that the second Beomgyu steps foot in here, her voice will be wrapped around him like a snake, and he'll be bending to her every whim.

The only people who can be down here are him and Seokjin. They're the only ones unaffected by it—but to reveal that would be to reveal the truth about what Jungkook is.

Whatever he's gonna tell them has to be convincing. Doesn't even know how to bullshit his way out of it.

"Want me to grab the light?" Jimin asks as he heads to the door.

"Nah," Jungkook shakes his head. No point. "She's eating. Keep them on."

"Sure thing," Jimin nods, then looks back to Pia, a love-drunk smile on his face, "Let Jungkook know if you need anything, Pia. Anything at all."

The way he lingers, grin lopsided and eyes shaped like hearts, is unusual even for someone as well-natured as Jimin.

"Anything?" She sweetly hums, voice laced in something that isn't quite seduction but definitely isn't harmless. "How about he takes these chains off me?"

"Sure—"

"Absolutely fuckin' not," Jungkook harshly snaps. "I just heard Hoseok call down for you. Go. I'll keep watch."

Confusion wraps around Jimin's features for a moment, unsure of what just came over him, before he nods. "Yeah. Of course. Catch you later."

When Jimin leaves, Pia's stare on Jungkook is hard. Unrelenting.

To be treated like a house guest is borderline cruel, given the circumstances. She knows she's only here until they ship her off to a dust dealer, or until she figures a way to escape—which would have been piss easy had it not been for the man currently staring her down.

Sure, she could just get Jimin, or one of the other piss-weak motherfuckers to do her bidding, but she doesn't know how strong Jungkook is. Can't risk taking things too far. Not yet.

"Well?" She snarls once Jimin is out of earshot, vocalising the question she'd taunted him with earlier. "Where are they?"

Folding his arms, Jungkook leans against the wall once more. Shrugs. "Maybe I did something truly heinous. Maybe they've crumbled. I am a pirate, after all."

Fairies, in their very nature, will rarely ever do anything considered 'bad.' He's playing pretend, just like she is.

He's wearing a concealment charm around his wrist, much like there's a concealment curse around her ankle. His was voluntary. Hers wasn't.

"Bullshit," she hisses back.

His concealment will last until the seasons change once more. Four knots once secured the string in place. With each passing season, a knot has unravelled. One, two, three seasons. There's only one knot left, and once the season changes, his time with the pirates will be up.

He'll be forced to return home—which really isn't that far away. If the pirates bothered to learn anything about The Wastelands, they'd realise it was once an island full of fairies.

You see, Jungkook was never attacked when he showed up bloody and bruised. Those wounds were self-inflicted.

And he never forgot who he was.

He was just hiding it.

Jeon Jungkook is heir to the throne of a Kingdom that hides in the forest between the beach and the manor house. Humans don't realise, because enchantments guide them to a path that takes them no more than five minutes to cross—but an entire city dwells within the woods.

The inhabitants? Fairies.

Jungkook? Their prince.

Last spring, after a fight with their parents, Jungkook's teenage sister left the safety of their Kingdom and hasn't been seen since.

That's why Jungkook is entrenched with the worst of humans right now. He detests pirates, but they're exactly the kind of people he needs around him.

While they're out on voyage, he's searching for signs of his sister. Always offers to go on trade runs to dust dealers on the Barter Isles. Looks for his sister in every doorway. Speaks to every firefly he encounters. Begs them to guide her home.

It's been eight months, and he's heard nothing. Not a whisper. Not a peep. Not a buzz.

But with a new captive comes another chance to head to the Barter Isles; to get intertwined with the dust runners. He'll keep Pia's secrets, 'cause he needs them just as much as she does.

"If you were really what you claimed to be, you'd know exactly who I am," Jungkook shrugs.

He's the spitting image of his father, who in turn looked just like his. In the drawing room of this very manor hangs a picture of a distant relative of Jungkook's. If any of the pirates actually ever paid attention, they'd have realised a long time ago that something about Jungkook didn't add up.

This house should be his. The enchantments in the hallway flints belong to his ancestors.

He doesn't care about any of that, though. He just wants to get his sister home safely. Is happy in their Kingdom. Quite honestly would rather never step foot into the mortal realm again after this ordeal.

"We both know I'm a fraud," she replies, not caring to keep up the pretence. "How the fuck am I supposed to know who you are?"

"'Cause that's the first rule of impersonation," he laughs at her foolishness. "Know your enemy."

"My enemy are fuckin' pirates," she snaps right back. "I couldn't give a shit about fairies. You know how close I was to getting free of this damn concealment curse? How close I was to finally getting back to my life? And then your stupid fuckin' pirate friends had to go and ruin it all."

One more boat. That was all she needed to break her curse. A hundred souls on the ocean floor, and in exchange, the seawitch who'd cursed her would break the anklet. Give her back her tail. Let her go home.

See, Jungkook's not the only one who's trying to find his family again. Cut from different cloths, their motivations aren't all that dissimilar.

"Look, I don't give a shit," Jungkook says all rather dismissively. "You could be a saint, for all I care—but you're a siren, and we both know the price that'd be on your head if they knew the truth."

Pia grits her teeth. Is practically snarling. The unpleasant side of a Siren that is rarely seen. He's only ever heard about it in myth.

Fairies really do stay away from the sea, and Sirens really shouldn't ever be on land. There's no tangible reason why they should ever meet. In fact, Jungkook would be surprised to learn if anyone he knows has ever met a Siren.

As soon as a mortal ear hears her voice, they're hooked. She can drag them wherever she likes, and if she's anything like the folktales claim, Jungkook would guess she quite likes dragging men down to the ocean floor.

It's why Pia lied.

It's not often that pirates are able to pin a siren down, and when they do manage it? Well, normally they want revenge for their friends who have lost their lives to the likes of her. No mercy is shown.

Fairies are kept alive. Aren't worth anything if they're dead.

If they had realised she was a siren, they'd have slaughtered her on the spot. Would have taken her teeth. Her hair. Her heart. Left her corpse to rot, then sold their bounty on the black market.

A siren's hair is woven into jewellery, providing wearers with a veil of beauty. Their teeth are ground into powder and taken as pills to extend mortality. Their hearts are eaten by women desperate for love, as it's believed a siren heart is the key to seducing whomever their heart desires.

Seduction isn't love, mind you, so it's a waste of a heart. Humans are too stupid and pig-headed to ever listen to reason, though.

The issue was that Seokjin was at the helm. Ever since his ears were decimated by the cannons, he's been relegated to the wheel. Can't sing the shantys like the others. Falls out of sync.

But it also means he can't fall victim to a siren's song. Not like the rest of them.

Any other crew, and their ship would have been swimming with the sharks. Seokjin saved them, whether he knows it or not.

"If you tell them what I am, I'll tell them what you are," she threatens, and Jungkook believes her. She absolutely would. "And then we'll both be chained up—the only difference is I can influence their desire. I'd be the one getting out of here alive. You'd be—"

"What makes you think I'm gonna rat you out?" Jungkook asks with the kind of nonchalance that would infuriate anyone trying to fight against him. It drives Jimin mad whenever he's like this. From the look on Pia's face, it pisses her off, too. Good. "Said it yourself, Pia. I'm smarter than the rest. You've got something I need, and I've got something you need. Why give it up?"

"You don't have anything I need," she spits.

She's fighting now just for the sake of it. She knows that all it takes is a momentarily stunned ear drum to break the trance she locks men into. She isn't as powerful as she likes to pretend she is.

"I've got the ticket to your freedom," Jungkook simply states. "And you've got the key I need to get into the dust dealer rings. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."

"Trust you?" she laughs. "You're asking me to trust you?"

"No. I'm asking you to work with me," Jungkook states. "You rat me out? I leave. I rat you out? They'll tear you to shreds. How long can you go without water? Huh? How long until you're nothin' but a pretty voice without any ability to entangle?"

Pia doesn't know how long she can be away from the sea for. It's never been more than a couple of days. There's merit to what he's saying, though. She's weaker without it. If he waits until she's parched, she'll have nothing to defend herself with.

Through gritted teeth, she hisses. "Fine. Have it your way—but if you even so much as think about double crossing me, I'll tear your wings from your back myself."

Jungkook smirks. Might not care much for her kind, but he likes her spirit. She's got conviction. Is determined. 

"I'll kneel for you and let you do it," he promises. "You have my word. I get what I need, I'll let you get out of this place alive."

"Just get out? That's it?"

"Fairies don't fuck around near water," he reminds her. "Whatever you choose to do after you're gone is up to you—but my advice? Go south of the Barter Islands."

"I think I know the seas a little better than you, thanks."

"And I know the routes Seokjin commands," Jungkook assures her. "You'll never steer him off course. If you could, you wouldn't be here right now, would you? So I think you'll find my advice is worth something, thanks."

The way he mocks Pia is unlike anything she's ever experienced before. Never has a man been this rude to her—but she never does she normally let them.

Realising just how affronted she appears, Jungkook sighs. "Look, I'll talk to the boys tomorrow about heading off towards the Barter Isles. Sooner we get there, sooner we can be out of each other's hair."

Though the idea of being sailed directly into the largest black market in the realm terrifies her, she knows that she royally fucked up. There really is no other way out. She's too far underground for her charms to lure anyone down and set her free, and it seems as if Jungkook's gonna make it his personal mission to keep her in check. Her only way out is by his side.

"If you fuck me over—"

"Pia," he interrupts. "If I fuck you over, who knows what would happen to my wings. Proving a point against you isn't worth that."

Reluctantly, she nods. Adds, "I mean it. I'll rip your wings to shreds if you try any funny business."

"I know," he nods as he retreats out of the room. Will put a charm on the door to muffle any noise, and another up the first staircase that will trick anyone who ventures down into having a fear of basements. He'll keep others away for their own damn protection, but also for his own insurance policy. "I'll be back in the morning. With any luck, we'll set sail at dawn."

As the door closes behind him, Pia can't help but notice how the thick chains around her wrist silently morphs into satin. She gives it a tug, and it proves to be just as strong as the iron, but not half as hard nor heavy.

Brows furrowed, she looks toward the door, and hears Jungkook call through that he's turning out the light.

He's met with silence, but it doesn't surprise him, for he's just recited a charm that prevents any sound from escaping the room—but not before he whispered another charm beneath the door that softened the shackles she's been confined to.

Jungkook is many things, but he's not a monster.

And as much as he knows Pia is many things, she's not a monster, either.

end of part one