Mai was starting to get tired of holding Taehyung's hand.

The boy wouldn't let go! His long fingers were wrapped around hers, and while they were soft and comfortable, his strides were long and purposeful, and it felt like he was dragging her, especially since she was still in her fancy but not that practical dress.

Yoongi had disappeared, which to Mai thought good riddance, but the shadows in the forest were unnaturally dark, making her uneasily wonder where he really was. After about a minute of walking, Taehyung seemed to ask himself the same question. He took his bottom lip between his teeth and abruptly stopped, his eyes flailing around.

"Tae?" Mai raised an eyebrow at the blonde man, whose gray eyes were still flicking all over the place. He didn't respond at once, but Mai knew he heard her, because he squeezed her hand for a moment.

There was silence, and then he spoke up.

"I can see the thread to the meeting," he murmured, his voice soft and slightly confused, "but I can't see hyung's thread."

Mai furrowed her eyebrows. She still couldn't see the 'meeting' thread or whatever it was, but she knew she would be able to see Yoongi's because of the fight they had earlier. He had been invisible (HOW, though, Mai didn't even try to fathom) but she had been able to see his gleaming amber magic around him.

She unfocused her eyes and tried looking around, to which Taehyung looked at her in both amusement and confusion.

"Ah," Mai stopped, the glowing orange thread suddenly materializing in her vision, "found it."

"Huh?" Taehyung spoke after a heartbeat of silence, gaping at her, "you can see the threads? how do you even know about them?"

Ah, so Jimin hadn't explained that to Taehyung. It didn't take Mai long to relay it to the blonde prince, but he didn't look happy or relieved.

Instead, he looked a little angry.

His hand tightened around hers, but he didn't say anything, just finally pulling away and scrutinizing the spot Mai had gestured to, looking for the string himself. "I-" Taehyung pouted in thought, rearing back, "that's the thread to the meeting, though. What color-"

In that instant, a force slammed violently into Taehyung, the shadows concealing them perfectly, the shove making Taehyung yell and stumble, crashing into Mai who leapt away, alarm shooting through her. What just-

Taehyung had a knife in his hand instantly, though he was still on the ground. Mai quickly fumbled for her own, but the silky layers of her dress got in the way, making her attempt completely ineffective. She finally gave up, not wanting to stick her hand under the flared skirt and instead rushed to Taehyung's side, glaring all around, looking for the attacker.

"Are you okay?"

Taehyung held up a hand and stood up, sighing. He let the arm holding his knife drop and he made an annoyed face- not scared, or furious. Just mildly annoyed.

"Kook, I swear, one of these days, I'll take your eye out for this,"

Kook?

Blue-green eyes flashed in her mind.

"Jungkook?" Mai's mouth spoke of her own accord, laced with confusion. What did- wait, did Jungkook do this?

As if in response to her question, a familiar chuckle resounded behind her, making both Taehyung and Mai whirl around in sync only to be met with a person dressed in all black, muscles rippling even in the shadows, his brightly colored eyes the only splash of color in the darkness. He grinned widely, showing front teeth too big for his mouth, almost making him look like an innocent child. Almost.

The glint in his eyes said otherwise. It was dangerous, predatory- it matched his muscled form, his pushed-back hair that exposed a tantalizing strip of forehead. 

DaMN it, he's hot. 

Mai narrowed her eyes as Jungkook opened his mouth to speak. "Caught me, huh, pretty lady?" He sauntered forward into a patch of moonlight, his features suddenly illuminated.

Pursing her lips, Mai rolled her color-shifting eyes, ignoring the small twinge of uneasiness in her mind that Jungkook could now see them clearly. "What're you doing here, Jungkook?"

Taehyung just watched the exchange silently, his eyes taking in everything that happened in front of him with a restrained sort of regard. The wheels in his mind seemed to be turning, trying to figure out where this all was coming from. He was putting the puzzle pieces together.

A single look at Taehyung wouldn't give you the impression he was as clever as all the people in his kingdom were supposed to be. But now, Mai could see exactly why he was born into his kingdom- he was thinking, thinking fast, and (if Mai's suspicions were right) thinking correctly.

Turning her attention back to Jungkook, she raised her eyebrows as he bounced on his toes like a hyper child. "Same as you guys! Jin hyung left me to go talk to Joonie hyung, so I had to find my way here on my own. Decided to give my favorite warrior a little scare~"

Mai tensed at the word warrior. How did Jungkook know about that? She glanced at Taehyung, but he was still staring straight ahead, lost in his own thoughts. The Mistev must have seen the unease on her face, because he hastily clarified himself. "I mean, it's not really a secret, you know? Your eyes are like a dead giveaway- they don't look like a fake, temporary spell, they look real. Pulsing with magic. Unique. And besides, my parents are some of the most superstitious out there, I've heard this story a million times. Jin and I were talking about it when you ran-"

Jungkook was nervous- Mai could tell. He was rambling, rubbing the back of his neck, pursing his lips- honestly, it was kind of adorable. A complete contrast to his outside appearance. His childish smile now seemed to fit on his face. Mai couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at his lengthy explanation, earning a bashful and yet pleased look from said Mistev.

"Ah, sorry," he sent her a flashing smile, "I went on a rant, didn't I? Hey, Taehyungie hyung, the threads here are-"

"Cute," Mai muttered at Jungkook's steady stream of words, so quietly she thought no one heard- but the hand wrapped around her own suddenly tightened, pulling her closer with a quick jerk, the fingers rubbing circles on her knuckles in a practiced, seductive manner.

Jungkook was talking about something, but Mai couldn't focus on him when Taehyung's fingers were sliding up and down her arm to the silk that held her dress across her shoulder, gripping and then letting go, teasingly rubbing and then drawing away, lazily circling and then turning rough. He pulled at the cloth, making Mai shift uncomfortably to the side. His deep, overly husky voice said something, but again, Mai wasn't listening. She considered ripping herself away, but that would just alert Jungkook to what the idiot was doing and that she was bothered by it. Jungkook seemed okay, but Mai really didn't need another flirty, idiotic boy bothering her.

Not that she wasn't completely enraptured by Taehyung at the moment.

It was strange, how much of an effect Taehyung had on her. But he was just so multi-faceted, it was beyond interesting. It really didn't help that he was one of the most attractive, seductive men Mai had met in her entire life. Every touch had her flickering with sparks. If anyone else had been doing this, she wouldn't have reacted. Like, what was so special about someone touching her arm?

But goodness, when Taehyung did it, Mai couldn't help but feel hot and bothered. 

She bit her lip and saw the blonde prince looking. 

He swallowed harshly, Adam's apple bobbing, and traced something on her skin firmly with his nails, four letters appearing in his wake, but Mai didn't dare look. She fought the urge to glare at him, finally- subtly, as well- pulling her hand away. She glanced at Taehyung from the corner of her eye, only to find him smirking, though he wasn't looking at her. 

She really wanted to strangle him. 

"So, hyung, lets get to the meeting before Namjoon shreds us to bits!" Jungkook finally finished, throwing his hands wide. Mai couldn't help the giggle that left her lips at the blue-eyed boy. He was sweet and earnest, his eyes wide. She kind of felt bad for not listening to a word he said, though. 

At her laugh, Jungkook beamed even wider, shooting her a small wink. She made a face at him, which made him snicker a little bit. 

It was odd. Hardly any words had been exchanged between them, but there was just this aura around Jungkook- it was similar to what she had felt around Hoseok. He was just so open and sweet, acting like a well-meaning friend. 

Yeah, sure Mai, fRieNd. 

Taehyung huffed, narrowing his sharp gray eyes her in both a challenge and a question. 

You really want to play?

Mai gritted her teeth and let out a shaky breath, ignoring the rush of heat down her spine. Good GOD, why was it that everything he did made her feel this way? 

A smug smirk grew on Taehyung's face at the sight of her looking away, clearly trying to take control of her expression. 

Mai had to remind herself that this was probably how Taehyung got girls to jump into bed with him. It was obvious, the way he held himself and the way he subtly used his body language to make her feel weak at the knees. 

Throwing her head back, she glared vehemently at Taehyung. There was absolutely NO WAY she was going to be another one of his conquests. This was getting ridiculous. 

Okay, she had nothing against Taehyung and his habits. People were welcome to do whatever the hell they wanted with their lives. Just because they made bad decisions- yes, Taehyung, BREAKING HEARTS INCLUDED- didn't mean that they were bad people. She could already tell Taehyung wasn't a bad person. He was kind and he took care of her and he cared. 

But acting like this with HER was not allowed, especially since she really needed to oh, what, SAVE THE WORLD. She really didn't have time for this, even though she was tempted. 

"Yeah, Jungkook, good idea," Mai jerked her chin at the Mistev, trying to give Taehyung the most irritated vibes she knew were possible. Jungkook grinned at her, suddenly feral and sharp again, before letting his features soften. 

"I always have good ideas,"

Mai snorted. "You sound like Jimin."

Jungkook opened his mouth to retort before a voice rang out from behind both of them. 

"THAT'S CUZ HE'S ALWAYS COPYING ME, THE BRAT,"

Mai couldn't help the smile on her face as she whipped around once more to come face to face with five men, four of them whom she recognized. Jungkook just snickered at the outburst, barely turning to face the pink-haired man who caught him in a headlock just a moment later. 

Okay, where the heck did he come from?

Looking around and seeing Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, and a tall, white-haired man she didn't know, Mai's eyebrows furrowed further. 

Where the heck did ALL of them come from?

And why are they HERE?

Judging by the looks of relief and satisfaction on both Taehyung and Jungkook's faces, though, it soon became apparent that the 'meeting' they all were going to had come to them. 

"Ah, so we meet again," Mai looked up and was met with playful blue eyes, black hair, and broad shoulders. She couldn't help the snort that escaped her as she raised an eyebrow at Jin, who was grinning down at her. A shout sounded out from the side and the two of them looked at Jungkook and Jimin, who were now on the floor, wrestling each other.

Seokjin shook his black hair out of his eyes and raised an eyebrow in exasperation at the tussling men, shooting Mai a look that clearly said: 'Now do you see what I have to work with'? She shot him an amused glance. 

His lips twitched up into a small smile. 

Hoseok bounded over to her with a bright smile, pulling her away from Taehyung and beaming. Mai couldn't help but grin back at him, his attitude utterly contagious. 

"You've been doin' okay?" he chirped, acting like he hadn't seen her in ages when really it had only been 45 minutes at most. She rolled her eyes at the attention, but her smile refused to drop. 

"Yeah, Hoseok, I'm fine," she snorted before halting in her words and shooting a small glare over at the orange-eyed Oceier behind him who was watching them, eyes nothing if not hostile, "cept' your friend over there needs to learn some basic manners."

"Oh, f*ck off, woman," Yoongi snapped, glaring at her with an equal force. Mai refused to let what Yoongi had done go, and he didn't seem intent on apologizing either, and so they were at a stalemate. Hoseok looked between the two in bafflement.

"You guys know each other?" he asked, to which Mai hesitated, then nodded once, only deigning a sharp jerk of her head. Yoongi did the same. 

Hoseok, noticing the obvious tension, did not ask for details. 

Mai's attention flicked to the shorter man beside him, whose arms were crossed over his chest as he glared at her in suspicion, observing every exchange with narrowed eyes. Seokjin made his way over to Yoongi and began talking to him quietly, although the latter only responded with a series of scoffs and snorts, so Mai could only imagine the conversation was not going well. 

So there were seven men in the clearing along with her, but Mai only recognized six of them. Her rainbow-hued eyes searched for the one she did not know in the dark. They finally landed on the tallest of them all, his hair seeming to be blanched, devoid of color, although she couldn't tell if that was because of the moonlight (that being the only source of light in the clearing), or if it really was white. He wore black clothing underneath a pure-white robe decorated with orange markings that were similar to the ones Yoongi had scribbled onto his arms. She couldn't see his features properly, but he was watching her interact, much like Yoongi was, except with a thoughtful expression. His eyes seemed to glow as they observed her. 

They were orange. 

That thought alone made Mai slightly uneasy, considering Yoongi's malevolent attitude and the fact that almost everyone she had come across seemed to hold Oceiers with a sort of careful regard. 

Everyone seemed to be talking to each other, chatting, as if they were still at the party and not in the middle of a dark, creepy forest. It was all quite strange- no one seemed to be bothered whatsoever. Mai, on the other hand, was incredibly weirded out, but everyone (Yoongi excepted, of course) seemed to be protective of her- it was the subtle body language, really. Hard to explain, but there. 

Of course, Mai was apparently invaluable to this place, so that would make sense. 

Tearing her attention to whatever foolishness Jimin and Jungkook were up to, she watched keenly as the man she did not know (Namjoon, she realized, as that was the only person everyone had mentioned but she had not met) plucked at the air delicately with long fingers, twisting and curling something in his hands before muttering something quietly, bringing his fingers up to his mouth, breathing lightly on them, and then letting whatever was trapped in them go. 

Instantly, a fire began to flare in his palm, making Mai's eyes widen. 

She inched backward as the clearing went silent.

All eyes were on Namjoon now, whose face was illuminated with the strong, burning light of the fire cradled in his hand. As Mai had expected, he was downright gorgeous, with carved, masculine features, a clever look in his sharp eyes, a small smile pulling at his full lips. 

His hair was indeed white, almost unnatural in its shine. It didn't seem dyed, but rather like all the color had been leeched out of it, little by little. The roots of his hair were utterly white, like he had been born with it, while the tips still held a slightly darker color. 

The aura surrounding him was peculiar too. His strings weren't a typical orange, but rather flashed brightly in many shades in the warm spectrum, with the occasional hint of green or blue hidden in between them. He held himself with a clear sort of power, of authority, and Mai was left marveling even though she didn't even know him.

His eyes locked with Mai, and he burst out into a smile. 

And suddenly Mai could not breathe.

Oh MY GOD HIS DIMPLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!

Yes, indeed, this man had dimples- deep craters in his face that just accentuated the sweetness of his smile through his almost imposing demeanor. Mai had to stop the squeal building up in her throat at the sight of them, and it took a LOT of force. 

"So it's true, then," his voice was low and yet bright, carrying undertones of honey and charisma as he spoke. His orange eyes never left Mai's. "The Warrior's actually here."

No one answered- that question didn't really need an answer. Everyone could see it just by looking into Mai's color-changing eyes. 

Well, Mai thought grumpily, thinking back to a certain mint-haired man, mostly everyone. 

"Apparently," was all she said, still thinking about the entire ordeal. WAS she the Warrior? It was hard to deny it anymore, honestly. She had these weird eyes, after all, and everyone was taking it so seriously it was almost ridiculous at this point. So perhaps she really was the Warrior, or whatever, but she still thought that whoever had chosen her might have lost a few marbles along their way in life. SHE, a Warrior. A savior. It was quite ridiculous, if she said so herself. She was just a regular college student. 

Pursing her lips, Mai threw a look at Yoongi. He had been completely justified in not believing her. 

She didn't quite believe it herself. 

Namjoon seemed to sense all the thought from behind her answer, because he didn't press further. "Well, I assumed so as soon as I noticed the World Thread had been warped." At this, there was a collective moment of uneasy shifting at these words. The World Thread? What in the name of holy starfish was the World Thread?

"Really?" it was Yoongi who spoke this time, his eyes bright with curiosity and interest, "the World Thread? So it can actually be manipulated?"

Mai, evidently, was looking as lost as a fish yeeted into a tree, so Namjoon quickly tried to answer her unspoken question as he answered Yoongi. 

"As you know, the World Thread is what connects all the dimensions, although there has been a lot of speculation surrounding it. It's the one thread that cannot be tampered with- all those who have attempted it have died trying. I sensed it being twisted a few days ago, but I thought I must have been mistaken. Evidently, I wasn't, because she's here, and I don't doubt she is not in any circumstances from Aericra." Namjoon tipped his head at Mai, who, after a heartbeat of expectant silence, quickly nodded in affirmation. 

She appreciated being fed this information now and not being slapped in the face with her ignorance later. She felt respect building up in her for Namjoon, and quickly. He seemed to know things- maybe he could help her get answers. No one yet had even tried to help her in this regard, but maybe he would. 

"So she really is the Warrior," these words, surprisingly, came from Hoseok, who looked slightly deflated for half a second before brightening up, his normal persona back. Mai held back a sigh. Yes, she was disappointing, but to throw it in her face like that?

"Did you ever have a doubt?" Jimin scoffed, taking note of Mai's fallen expression, "Just look at her. I doubt even a spell made by the King himself could last this long without faltering. And she certainly ACTS like a Warrior," he sent her a cheeky grin, and Mai snorted quietly, thinking of how she had been a little bit of a fool the first time she met Jimin. Although, at least she seemed to have made a good impression. 

He's sweet, trying to cheer me up like that. 

Yoongi raised a single, thin eyebrow. "Hm, sure, a very sloppy, irresponsible one."

Mai let a breath of air hiss out from between her teeth as she tried to ignore the stinging retort, crossing her arms over her chest and rolling her eyes. "That's rich, coming from you."

The orange-eyed man snarled, striding forward but was quickly caught by Jin, who shook his head at Mai before turning to Yoongi. 

"Calm down," the Mistev huffed, although his smooth voice was filled with barely-concealed snickers, "AY, YOONGI, CALM DOWN!"

Jungkook stepped to the aid of his brother in front of the thrashing Oceier, blocking Mai from his sight. She caught the glimpse of an exasperated frown on his face before he turned back. "Hyung, can you not goad her like that if you're going to get this angry when she shoots you down?"

That was a good point. He was the one who always started it, so why did he get so damn irritated every time Mai said something back to him?

Yoongi stopped moving for a second and stared up at Jungkook, disbelief warring across his features, although Mai wasn't sure why. "SHE- well, she should know her place!" Seokjin let go of the Oceier, whose mint-green hair waved in an almost distressed manner in the wind. "You can't possibly think-"

"Hyung, just stop and think for a moment about it," Taehyung suddenly piped up, making everyone look at him, "she hasn't done anything to you, and yet the first thing you did when you met her was throw her out of a tree."

This was true- and it DID contribute to the snappishness Mai felt around him. She most definitely felt uneasy around him, a sense of distrust. he was just so angry all the time- it made her almost scared. 

There were a number of reactions to Taehyung's statement. Namjoon just gave Yoongi a look and facepalmed, Seokjin, frankly, didn't look surprised, Hoseok looked concerned, and the entire Mankae line looked very pissed. Yoongi opened his mouth to protest, but Taehyung just kept talking. 

"So MAYBE please understand if she's slightly snippy towards you- wait, actually, she's snippy towards everyone, I take that back-" Taehyung grinned at Mai, his statement lightening the mood somewhat, mostly because it was true, "-but just... calm down, alright? She's not from here, she can't possibly know anything. Just give her a chance."

There was a collective murmur of assent from everyone, sharped by an expectant look towards Yoongi from Namjoon. Both Oceiers stared at each other in a silent challenge before Yoongi backed down, sighing. 

Mai felt a surge of gratitude well up in her at everyone who spoke up in her defense. She couldn't lie and say Yoongi's words didn't hurt her, but what hurt her more was the fact that he somehow just hated her for absolutely no reason. She didn't know why, and, as Taehyung had said, it was his personal business. 

He had his reasons, perhaps. But it was a relief to know that now, perhaps, it would be better. 

There was silence for a moment before Hoseok spoke up. 

"And besides," his voice turned flinty for a moment before he turned to Mai, a thoughtful, careful expression in his open, golden eyes, "is she really IS the Warrior, we may as well start getting used to her."

There was a strange quality to his voice right now- Mai couldn't place it, but it sounded almost like he knew something, like he was waiting for just the right moment to speak. It still held that playful lilt, but there was something off about the way his eyes darkened, just a tiny bit as he spoke. 

"After all, who knows what'll happen next?"

A/N:

WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT INDEED.

I UPDATED WOOOOOOH I FINALLY UPDATED OH MY GOSH IM SO HAPPY

Im sorry guys I was kind of in a funk about this story for a good while BUT IM BACK SUCKERS and now you ain't getting rid of me HA

I've just been busy with other stuff about now 

My little sister got Covid and it was pretty stressful for all of us so please understand- we all got it and it was kind of scary tbh

But now we're all healthy and fine, thank god, and I'm BACK!

So yes, let's get to the good stuff.

Don't forget to vote and comment hehe :)

And check out my other book, Project: Ares, if you haven't already.

SEE YOU LATER, LOVELIES!

Your friendly neighborhood desi author,

-MyOwnARMY