48 YEARS LATER :

"Its been a month!! A whole goddamn month! Am I the only one who is seriously astonished at this??" Jimin banged his fists on the table, standing up, "There has been no contact at all! As kidnappers, they should have asked for ransom, informed us or hell, announced it to the world! Capturing the Kim Heirs is a feat, but no. We got nothing."

Adora sighed for the nth time, "If what Arissa and Joseph confessed last week is true, then it is a good news I think."

Hoseok sat still, his leather shoes restlessly moving, "Speculation." He turned on his chair and went to stand by the glass wall overlooking the city, "They also admitted that by this time some form of communication should have been shared by them to let us know they are okay."

Turning to look at all his brothers, Adora and Yoona gathered in Anya's office room, he tensely said, "The management is prepared for this. We have no major upcoming projects. Looking from this aspect, I can say that they did choose the time which was most convenient, but-"

"-but for the life of me I cant understand why they had to go get themselves kidnapped." Jin completed Hoseok's statement.

Jungkook was sitting to the extreme left, away from everyone. The past month had brought a colossal change in him. Each passing day without having any information on Anya and Suhan had agitated him completly. He could no longer keep his Vrâg's appearance at bay.

Still now, he was wearing shades, hiding his black eyes from the people in the office.

His voice too was never stable, so he whispered what he wanted to be heard in a volume that the hybrids could catch, but not the humans.

Hearing him, the expressions of everyone underwent a subtle change.

That of shame directed at themselves.

"It has something to do with us." Namjoon conveyed what Jungkook had said, agreeing with him, "Otherwise they would not have executed a plan without informing us."

"Michael has been evasive." Adora said, "Do you want me to meet with him? He has been hinting at it."

That information made several heads turn her way, perceiving which, she sheepishly shrugged, "I forgot to mention that I guess."

"Ughhh." Jimin face palmed. Important information always seemed to slip this girl's mind.

Yoona shifted from one heel to the other, her gaze falling on almost everyone except Jin, "The coronation is next month. All of you are slated to go." When she saw everyone acknowledge it, she ventured, "Lee Dong Wook might know something-"

"No." Yoongi and Taehyung said at the same time.

Taehyung was another hybrid who was mostly kept sedated. His need for Anya's blood had grown to a problematic limit, making him have bouts of time where his Vrâg would dominate, refusing to go back.

The Vrâg, thankfully only seemed interested to be in Anya's room, or trailing behind Arissa. If Tae was taken away from these two places during that time, his violence would maybe, result in someone's death.

His predicament was truly concerning. So much so, that more than just having the satisfaction of knowing both siblings were safe, it was imperative for the stability of Tae. Any news, could help in calming him.

For the past 6 days, his Vrâg had emerged. It was only when it felt exhausted that Tae could leave the house.

Yoongi stood up then and directed his query towards Yoona, "There were two people requesting to meet with Master repeatedly regarding some investment issues. I asked you to have them brought in today, are they here?"

Over the course of the month, Yoona had fully understood the Hybrids, who by themselves had matured and held their responsibilities in a very professional manner.

Talking to them, one could not ignore the commanding and calm aura they had, their intimidation affecting any humans from approaching them, even in the continued absence of Anya and Suhan.

Yoona replied, "They are waiting. Do you want me to bring them here?"

"Ah, no. Direct them to Suhan's office. We'll go meet them."

As soon as Yoona agreed and went out, Jungkook got up from his seat and shut the door closed. Taking off his shades, he restlessly prowled in the space, "We have a plan, right?" splintered voices only made Adora wince a little.

Namjoon saw the wince, and kept staring at her, until she looked back.

"What?" a beat of pause, "What!!" she asked when she saw his calm gaze refusing to let her go.

"You will be meeting Michael." Joon casually told her.

"Huhh???? Wait wait wait! Just now, did you not ignore it completely?"

Patiently, Joon explained, "We were going to ask you to seduce him to a-"

"WHOA!! WHOA WOLF!! Hold it RIGHT there!!" she held her arm out, stopping Joon.

Jin and Jimin rolled their eyes, "Here goes her dramatic ass again." Jimin muttered.

"Seduce?? Seduce!!!"

At her hysterical question, Joon just kept sitting coolly, waiting for her to let it out.

"I am NOT seducing that creepy old man! Not even for Anya!"

Hobi sighed hard and let his head drop on the table with a thud, tired by this unusual family he was part of.

"We only suggested that you may have to seduce." Joon uttered every single word separately, his fists clenched over his thighs, "Now that you have got an opening, you don't need to. You can directly go."

Understanding him, Adora nodded, "You have questions? And you need his scent, otherwise you would not want to physically go meet."

Taehyung nodded, "In one of my Vrâg fits, I remembered something. Checking up on it, Peter confirmed my hunch. He needs some confirmation. If Michael is involved in this somehow, he will carry a particular scent that may help us in this conjecture. Its worth checking out."

"Okay, and then?"

Hobi spoke with head still on the table, "And then, we can have someone with good brains infiltrate. Has to be a hybrid."

Adora raised her brows, whistling, "Well, that's dangerous."

Joon shook his head, "No. If we are right, it has to be a group of scientists funded by a private cell. They might be researching Vrâgs."

Adora was concerned when she heard that, "If that is the case then a Vrâg going there will be a disaster. Not to mention I have no idea of how you will manage to infiltrate."

"We have a plan. If it is confirmed, before going in, we will be able to confirm if Master and Suhan are present there." Jin replied, his right had flicking his wristwatch to note the time, "Having one of us there will be good."

A knock sounded before Yoona poked her head in, "They are ready for you."

Rising from his chair, Jimin nodded at Yoongi before glancing back at Joon, "Hyung? Can you take Taehyung home? Hobi and Jin Hyung have a shoot and that Vrâg brat needs to help Adora understand what she needs to ask."

Joon was taken aback, "You want me to drive Taehyung home?"

"HEAVENS NO!"

"No!"

"What??"

Joon looked confused at the voices when Hobi sighed again from the desk, "Joseph is waiting. He was only asking you to supervise him home. No one will ask you to drive!"

Right when he stooped speaking, Jin's irritation directed itself towards Hobi, "Can you quit sighing all the time!?!? Your morbid detachment from this world is NOT welcome with us!"

Hobi lifted his head to pin Jin with his reptilian gaze, "Its either my delusion of nihilism or me going into a rage similar to what happened at the Gala. Decide."

Grumbling at the comeback, Jin stood and walked away, while Hobi sighed again.

Ignoring the rest, Yoongi and Jimin started walking towards the door along with Joon and Taehyung when they heard Jungkook in the background, asking Adora for her real name to get a reservation made.

"You don't know till now? Too spaced out these days Panther."

Jungkook growled.

"Okay fine. Its Cho Mi-Ra."

Hearing her, Yoongi and Joon suddenly came to a stop, Taehyung bumping into Joon's back. Jimin noticed the hold up and wanted to complain when he saw Yoongi shaking his head with that look.

Joon meanwhile turned back and asked in a faraway voice, "Mira. . .?"

Adora looked up at him, "Are you kidding me? Even you did not know??"

Joon felt a little out of sorts, forgetting to reply back, when Jimin tugged at his suit sleeve, "Hyung? I really don't want Tae to stay away from home for a long time."

Successfully distracted, Joon nodded and directed a parting smile at the others, before walking away.

Yoongi and Jimin waited for the elevator, and sent Tae and Joon off, then turned to walk toward Suhan's room.

Jimin cocked his head to one side, "What is wrong with this investment?"

"Nothing is wrong with the investment. I just don't want these people to cross our paths." Yoongi replied, "I want them gone before she comes back."

"Ah." Jimin made a sound of understanding, as they reached the door, "Whose?" he asked simply.

"Joon's." Was Yoongi's crisp reply before he opened the door and went in, "Sorry to have kept you both waiting." He smoothly said to the two older people, who in turn looked at him in surprise.

Jimin looked normal, but Yoongi's hybrid appearance fascinated them. In this world, it was only Kim Anya who had made their hybrids so high profile and different in both status and personalities.

The older man and woman collected themselves fast though and greeted them back, "No of course not dear, we just arrived."

Walking forward, Jimin warmly greeted them by shaking their hands after bowing to show his respects, "I believe you are here about a house property regarding my Master? An old beach house?"

The old man smiled back, "That's right, allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Lee So Hyun and this is my wife, Lee Soyeon."

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NAMJOON :

Mira. . . Mira. . . Mira. . .

These days Joon had a hard time keeping his Vrâg in check. He had been hiding his struggles from his brothers but had thought of letting Seokjin know.

No one was okay when Anya disappeared, he especially was not.

An acute anxiety had broken him, every night he would wake up sweating from an unknown nightmare. A gripping sense of loss tormented him everyday, a sentiment which was amplified in his Vrâg.

Unlike Tae or Jungkook, his Vrâg had been pretty docile and quite for the first two weeks of absence, but lately, its aggression had sky rocked tremendously, to the extent that sometimes, he himself was afraid of it.

Communication between them had never been a problem, but his Vrâg had, in the absence of Anya, started speaking things that he did not understand.

He did not want to understand.

Every time it spoke, a fear, an extreme horror coloured him, making him unable to talk or work. Something that told him to stay away.

Joon had successfully pushed these feelings aside, because he saw what was going on.

His family needed him to be steady. Not just his brothers, but even Joseph and Arissa were starting to worry right now. He was one of the three hybrids who had analysed everything and acted when Tae recalled his memory.

He was the one who had to plan everything along with Jin and make the arrangements. At such a crucial time, he could not fall apart.

His worry and panic for Anya being gone would have driven him insane but thankfully he had his brothers, Peter, Arissa, Joseph to protect as well. He needed to guard the life Anya had given him and the people in it who loved him.

The family that he loved as well.

That stabilized him. It gave him the strength to not fall into mindless depression and to rationally try to find her.

But the last few days, his Vrâg had been strangely, afraid.

And its fear was amplifying its distress, its worry, its longing and mostly. . . its obsession. Yesterday was the worst.

During the night, he had felt like taking a run around the grounds to shake of the anxiety, when his Vrâg had started screaming in horrible grief after seeing the full moon.

It had left Joon shaken to his core.

"Hyung? Are you okay?" Taehyun's voice brought him out of his musings.

"Hmm? Yes. I am. We have reached?" Joon looked over at Tae, finding that faint black lines were undulating and disappearing under his skin.

"It wants to emerge?" he asked Tae with concern. Tae's Vrâg was getting out of control.

Taehyung smiled in a mocking way, "It is not taking her absence well. Its afraid. All it keeps saying over and over again is that it wants to find his Little Fairy. That he promised to go back to her."

Joon frowned.

"Don't ask." Taehyung swiftly stopped him, "I have been asked by Yoongi Hyung to not dwell on it."

Joon recalled the Gala. Both Tae and Hoseok had become abnormal in their human forms just due to the influence of their Vrâgs. Joon nodded and did not ask anything more, but he himself kept thinking if what he was feeling was something similar.

Mira. . .

This name was stirring his Vrâg badly. And he did not know if he should pursue it or drop thinking about it.

Maybe, he thought, he should also let Yoongi know.

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OFFICE :

Yoona escorted the couple out. Jimin and Yoongi waited until they left, after which Jimin lightly bounced to his feet, taking his contacts out.

He reached Suhan's desk and jumped to sit on it.

"These two people . . . from Joon's past?" he asked lightly.

Yoongi nodded.

"The house So Hyun kept in pristine order, why did you deny them permission for tearing it down? They are part of our hotel chain. Something in the house?" Jimin picked up Suhan's paperweight and played with it as a ball.

"Bodies. Remains if you may."

Jimin bobbed his head, "Thought. So." He said absently, "Then I'll send someone to take care of it or are you waiting for Suhan?"

"Waiting."

In a sing song voice, Jimin replied back, "oooo-kayyy"

The snowglobe like paperweight oscillated between his hands, as he skilfully juggled them he kept concentrating on his task, not looking up, "How bad is it?"

Yoongi inhaled deeply, "Bad. Joon must not remember. It will overwhelm his personality to make this birth, this human side of him to completely disappear. Just like Jungkook, his past self will kill this birth's human."

"So? Jungkook's fine." Jimin shrugged.

"Joon was not. He was too extreme. Too obsessed, attached only to her. He had no sense of bonds. If that persona awakens in his Vrâg, everything will be destroyed. None of us will be able to stabilize it. And this is our last chance."

Jimin kept playing with the weight, his speed increasing.

For some time, both of them were lost in their thoughts.

"Was his life birth bad?" Jimin finally asked in a low voice. His actions finally ceased when he heard Yoongi laugh.

"No one's was worse than ours." The jaguar replied.

Jimin jumped down from the desk, place the paper weight back in its place and went towards the door, preparing to go to his shoot. He paused at the door to whisper, "I am glad."

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NAMJOON :

Joon did not call Yoongi but he called Yoona. Reaching home, Arissa had been keeping herself busy in the kitchen, asking Taehyung to help when Peter had come to ask him some information.

Yoona had it, which made Joon make a call.

"If You are busy, call me back later." Joon told her.

"Thanks." Her voice filled with relief, "For some reason Suhan absolutely hates him. I have no idea why he feels jealous of him. he has been keeping their affairs on the back burner for such a long time that a lot of it has accumulated. I am just working to get it all taken care of by today because Yoongi said to have it all straightened for them to not come again." Yoona blabbed.

Someone that Suhan was jealous of???

"Who is this character?" Joon asked, amusement evident in his voice.

"Don't ask." Yoona said wearily, "He is an absolute gentleman with a good family. But somehow, he irks Suhan so much that he never allowed them to talk or have any dealings with Anya."

A chuckle escaped Joon on being informed of such petty behaviour. But then again, Suhan had always been petty.

"Joonie dear, you want something to eat?" Arissa asked from the kitchen. Joon nodded his head as he sat down on their dining table.

"Why would he be jealous? Over whom? Master? Why though? Suhan is her only brother." Joon asked with a laugh.

"Go ask him when he comes back." Yoona said, "Personally I am still in awe of the easy way you can talk to him. Suhan always scares me."

Joon knew that. That was Suhan's speciality.

To people who were precious to him, he was goofy, talkative, smart and protective. To people who were not his family? The guy was seriously intimidating.

"You said he is old?"

"Yep. A sweet old 77 year old Grandpa. Lee So Hyun."

The smile abruptly vanished from Joon's face, a buzzing starting in his ears. Without knowing why, Joon cut the call without any goodbyes.

That name, yet again affected his Vrâg, that hollow churning horrible sensation of loss making him physically nauseated. Sweat dotted his forehead as Joon put his head down on his arms on top of the table, trying hard to shake off the feeling.

"Here, have some!" Tae's spoke and absently placed the small bowl before going away.

Trying to distract himself, Joon grasped at any excuse, planning on shoving down whatever was given to him, when he froze all the way to his bone on seeing the dish.

In a bowl, grapes, strawberries, raisins, kiwi was mixed with honey and fresh cream. Along with another berry.

Joon stared fixatedly on it, black vines spreading over his neck involuntarily.

Blueberry.

Blueberry.

Little Fruit.

"You Dummy!"

Reaching for the fruit, the noises washed over Joon. He remained oblivious of it all.

As he picked up a blueberry, a searing pain coincided with his Vrâg's scream.

Dropping the fruit, Joon barely controlled the nausea that rose resulting from the raised tumultuous emotions of his Vrâg.

Hurrying towards his En suite, Joon dry retched in the basin, nothing coming out.

"SHUT UP!" he growled at his Vrâg with a ferocity he rarely used. For a moment, it became quiet. Then it tested Joon's dominance, suddenly finding his will much stronger than the Vrâg had ever encountered, it quietly went back to sleep, as suddenly as it had become agitated.

Shaking his head to dispel that ringing scream, Joon washed his face and lifted himself from the bent position to reach for the towel, when he caught a glimpse of his eye.

Frowning, he peered closer to the mirror, finding it the normal black.

But his heart thudded even though he wanted to deny it. Because for a second, his pupils were glowing a scarlet ruby red.

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A/N : That's all folks!

How did you like Joon's prequel?

Please do let me know.

Question : Food for Thought - between our cobra and jaguar hybrid, do you think they are equal, or one is slightly more dangerous/darker than the other?

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