"Your Majesty, the prisoners are here," the head royal guard announced.

The double door of the King's chamber opened, and Yoongi, Jihoon, Jimin and Jeongguk were met with Taehyung, Namjoon, SeokJin and Hoseok, along with His Majesty sitting on the bed.

The black King and his mates stood before the King, and sentries forced them to kneel. Heads bowed, they awaited their final verdict.

"Guards, open their shackles," Jeong Ho ordered in a faint voice.

Guards obeyed and opened the shackles hanging around their wrists. With eyes filled with hope, Yoongi and his mate glanced confusedly at Jeong Ho.

"You all are thinking right, I'm not punishing you," Jeong Ho paused, and Yoongi and Jimin's eyes widened. A sigh of relief escaped from Jihoon's mouth, and Jeongguk muttered in shock, "Really?!" A small smile lines his lips. Jimin nudged an elbow on the youngest's forearm and gave him a side eye.

"But instead you have to give something in return, " Jeong Ho completed while glancing at Yoongi.

Yoongi quickly realised the situation, he straightened his shoulders and stood like a King out for a negotiation before he nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty. If it means maintaining peace and protecting the lives of my brothers, I can offer you anything in my control and power."

Jeong Ho hummed, "I'd like to have half of your troops as soon as possible," he stated in a raspy voice.

Yoongi's eyebrows crinkled up in a confused frown, "As much as I agree to offer you that, I'm curious about the reason for this urgency."

"SeokJin," Jeong Ho glanced towards SeokJin and gestured for him to explain further.

SeokJin nodded before he explained, "Your Majesty, the greatest enemy of our race is here. THE SHADOW WOLVES ARE HERE," he paused and gave them a moment to take the new information.

"What?!" Words slipped out of Yoongi's mouth in the form of a shocked whisper as he watched with wide eyes. Jimin's brow furrowed deeply, as if trying to process the information.

Jeongguk's eyes were wide and unblinking, staring at SeokJin as if trying to comprehend the enormity of what he had just heard. With mouth hanging, Jihoon shifted on his feet as the memories of the war and bloodshed flashed in front of his eyes.

The air around the room felt charged with an unsettling silence. Taehyung, Namjoon and Hoseok watched silently, with tense looks on their faces as SeokJin explained the situation.

After a moment, with a commanding yet tired voice, Jeong Ho spoke again, "So tell me, do you agree, Yoongi?"

A flicker of hope ignited within the Black King as he recognised the sincerity in Jeong Ho's eyes, "I agree, Your Majesty. But how are we gonna defeat them?"

Jeong Ho again glanced at SeokJin and SeokJin explained, "Your Majesty, we all are aware of the fact that the Kim Clan and the Min Clan are the potential targets of the shadow wolves but, the person they're after is His Majesty," SeokJin paused while gesturing towards Jeong Ho's before he continued, "If the respected Late King of the Min Clan was present here, he would've also been the subject of revenge."

Yoongi nodded while humming, "So, you're telling me they're coming after His Majesty. And after conquering the Kim Palace they'll come for us and then towards the next Clans?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," SeokJin answered.

"Then we need to hurry," Yoongi added, his gaze darting towards Jeong Ho.

Jeong Ho hummed, "Yoongi, I've already sent a letter to your mother about the whole situation. You need to go back and handle things there."

Yoongi nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty. I hope to meet you again with my armed forces. I'll take my leave now," he said while bowing. The three men behind Yoongi followed their King's action before they all started to step out of the room.

The room again fell silent as anxiousness lingered on their faces. Taehyung cleared his throat before he spoke with hesitation, "Father you should rest now, we'll leave."

Jeong Ho nodded and lay on his back. Bulter Kwon soon entered the room and Taehyung further asked, "Butler Kwon, what about the antidote?"

"Fortunately we managed to find the Foxglove flower, and it is being prepared, Your Royal Highness," Butler Kwon answered.

"That's a relief."

"That's a relief."

Both Taehyung and Namjoon simultaneously added before awkwardly meeting each other's gaze and clearing their throats. SeokJin felt the awkwardness and gestured Namjoon to exit the room along with him. Hoseok and Taehyung followed.

The double doors closed, and all four of them now stood in the hallway, stealing awkward glances at one another and expecting anyone to break the silence.

"Hoseok, let's get going," Namjoon glanced towards Hoseok before walking forward.

"Where?" SeokJin asked as both Namjoon and Hoseok started walking.

Namjoon glanced over his shoulder, his dragon eyes now dull and clouded, but they carried a determination. He replied, "Hoseok's taking Y/n back to the human world."

After a solid moment of necessary silence, SeokJin spoke, "Did you find a way?" His face was carefully constructed by a mask of nonchalance, as if he didn't care enough about Y/n's departure, but his eyes betrayed him. They were wide and pleading, as if a silent scream trapped behind a facade of forced composure.

"Yeah. In the end, we asked His Majesty," Namjoon paused, but Hoseok completed his sentence, "Should have done that in the first place," to which SeokJin hummed and added, "I'll join you."

Namjoon and SeokJin exchanged glances before Namjoon nodded, and the three of them started to leave.

"Meet you later, " SeokJin said and Taehyung nodded while taking his steps towards his quarters.

Namjoon moved first, his jaw set and his eyes narrowed. All hints of pain were now gone as he was determined to save Y/n from the upcoming catastrophe. Hoseok shuffled forward, his gaze darting nervously between Namjoon's back and the hallways.

SeokJin followed from behind, distracted, his steps were slow and small. He couldn't believe that this might be the last time he's seeing Y/n. The thought crumbled his heart, but looking at Namjoon's determination, he silently realised that this was the best way to keep her safe.

Namjoon's steps halted and he spoke, "Hoseok, meet me near the Delonix tree. According to His Majesty, the amaryllis flower that connects the portal lies somewhere near. Find it before we reach," Hoseok nodded before taking his steps towards the royal garden.

Both Namjoon and SeokJin entered the guest room and saw Y/n peacefully sleeping on the couch. SeokJin's eyebrows twitched, and he confusedly glanced at Namjoon, "What happened to her? Why is she lying like that?"

Namjoon remained silent and averted his gaze towards the floor.

"NAMJOON I ASKED YOU SOMETHING!" SeokJin exclaimed.

"SPELL OF SILENCE!" Namjoon exclaimed in response, "She's under the Spell of Silence."

SeokJin gazed at his brother in utter shock, his jaw slightly hanging before he grabbed him by his collar, "ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID?!" He added while gritting his teeth.

"Hyung-"

"Do you even realise what you did?!" SeokJin blurted in a low register.

"I do- " Namjoon replied and tried his best to remain calm but SeokJin interrupted him again.

"NO! YOU DO NOT! YOU DON'T FUCKING UNDERSTAND!" SeokJin half yelled and the nerves on his neck popped from anger rushing in his body.

"I DO! I UNDERSTAND. AND I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. I KNOW YOU LIKED HER! Way before... I-I did. I know, b-but please get a grip on yourself," Namjoon exclaimed while the last sentence came out as a plea from his mouth.

SeokJin's grip on his collar loosened as he retreated his hands backwards. His eyes slightly widened as he watched Namjoon speak further.

"What if I die, we die? And we cannot make it back to her? What do you want, let her wait for someone to arrive from our land for her whole life?" Namjoon explained and SeokJin turned his gaze towards Y/n, his eyes turning glossy.

SeokJin moved towards Y/n's sleeping figure and kneeled down alongside the couch. Releasing a sigh, he thoughtlessly stared at Y/n as if trying to capture every little detail of her features. A tear rolled down his cheek as his hand gently caressed her head.

Namjoon watched from a distance. His jaw clenched, a muscle twitching involuntarily, biting his lip, he tried to hold himself down to not burst into tears, "Hyung, let's go," he said in a muffled voice.

Seokjin wiped the fallen tear from the back of his hand and nodded. He stood up and, with the blink of an eye, SeokJin and Namjoon, along with Y/n, teleported themselves towards the royal garden.

The sudden strokes of lightning marked their entrance, and Hoseok advanced towards the Gumiho brothers, "I found it!"

Namjoon nodded and the three of them stepped towards the Amaryllis near the Delonix tree.

Nestled in the heart of the royal garden, unlike its human world counterpart, the Amaryllis was bathed in an ethereal glow. Its petals shimmered with an iridescent light, shifting through a spectrum of colours that defied description.

Namjoon, who was carrying Y/n in his arms all along, kneeled down near the sacred flower and gestured towards SeokJin.

SeokJin understood the gesture. He lifted Y/n's hands and brushed her fingers with the flower petals. The magical flower pulsed with an otherworldly light, its energy pulsating through the air.

"The portal has been opened for her," Namjoon declared before he stood up, his arms trembling as he carefully shifted Y/n into Hoseok's arm.

"It's time you leave," Namjoon said, in a voice rough with emotion. He wished he could stop time, hold onto this moment forever, but the time was ticking, and Y/n was slipping through his hand.

"I'll accompany them," SeokJin interjected, making Namjoon glance at him unexpectedly, "I was the one who bought her among us, let me take her back safely, " SeokJin completed.

Namjoon sighed and slowly nodded in agreement. Bidding final goodbyes with Namjoon, Hoseok, and SeokJin, crossed the royal garden and exited the castle from the back door.

The last golden rays of the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of bruised purple and fiery orange. Gumiho and the hybrid, along with a human in his arms, crossed the forest, their steps slow and careful.

A certain unpleasant smell grew stronger with each step they took, leading them through a thicket of gnarled, ancient trees that seemed to claw at them with their skeletal branches. Finally, the air shimmered and distorted in front of them, and the portal hung in the air like a suspended painting.

"Go," SeokJin added while glancing at Hoseok.

But before Hoseok could answer, a raspy low voice spoke from behind them, "In a rush?"

SeokJin and Hoseok glanced over their shoulder and saw a silhouette. A huge silhouette. Its fur was as dark as the moonless night that seemed to absorb the light around it, as if a void had been brought to life. Its limbs were long and powerful, ending in claws that were digging into the ground beneath.

It was the Shadow Wolf. Gumiho's worst nightmare. They were the creatures born of darkness, fueled by negativity, and driven by a hunger that could never be satisfied.

SeokJin and Hoseok's eyes widened when they saw it smirking, showcasing its huge dagger-like teeth.

"Leave! Leave!" SeokJin exclaimed in nervousness as he pushed Hoseok towards the portal.

"Not so easily, " the shadow wolf mockingly added before he produced a guttural snarl that seemed to resonate from the depths of hell. Then, with a burst of speed, he launched himself on SeokJin.

In terror, Hoseok stumbled and Y/n almost slipped from his grip. But he stabilised himself again and ran towards the portal while SeokJin, who had now morphed into his Gumiho, shielded them.

After several attempts of dodging the blows, the Shadow Wolf landed a bone-jarring thud on SeokJin's abdomen, its immense weight driving SeokJin's Gumiho to stumble backwards. The compelling force was something so strong that SeokJin felt first time in a while. He gritted his teeth in fury before recovering within seconds.

But the beast was already marching forward towards the portal. SeokJin was quick enough to hold him from the back by grabbing his neck and landing him on the ground with a massive thud.

With a final glance at SeokJin, Hoseok succeeded in entering the portal. Within milliseconds, the portal vanished into thin air, and SeokJin finally turned his attention to the beast, who was now on his feet.

With an orangish gust of energy swirling around his palm, SeokJin walked forward but before he could release it, three arrows, one after the other, hit him on his back. He stumbled on his feet, his back muscles stiffening and squeezing in sharp pain.

He morphed back to his human, his eyes reddened with tears of excruciating pain, and he fell to his knees with a thud before his body slammed against the forest floor.

✧