Chapter 37: Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

"Just send Jimin to the dungeons for now." Taehyung firmly said, trying not to loosen his tears in front of the two Dukes.

Yes, Jimin and him are best friends but he is also the King of all races. He should not be swayed by personal feelings. Although he did that a lot of times without any control.

"Are you sure about your decision, Taehyung?" Seokjin asked, lips parted in surprise. The young king closed his eyes and nodded slowly.

"Aren't you gonna forgive him at least?" Hoseok asked in hope for Taehyung to change his mind.

"Would Namjoon even agree to that?" Taehyung gulped down his saliva. Not that he was afraid of Namjoon, he just knew Namjoon too much. They've been together since the vampire race started and created. On top of that, both of them experienced up and downs more than anyone else's.

Taehyung was disappointed at himself for sending Jimin away. He couldn't handle such though that he would punish his own best friend and send him to his demise by his own hands even though he can release him at any moment right now. But Jimin hurt a soulmate, worse killed a soulmate.

He stood up leaving the two Dukes inside the room. His head spinning as another flashback flashed inside his head.

[flashback]

1,000 years ago

(before Taehyung became the King.)

"How could you, Taehyung?" His best friend cried out on his knees. "How could you betray me?"

"I didn't betray you, Jimin." Taehyung hissed back.

"He's a human for fuck's sake, Taehyung! How could a monster like you be with her?!"

"W-What? Monster?" Taehyung's heart broke and his voice cracked. "Jimin, how—"

"Taehyung!" Jimin yelled at the top of his lungs, tears flowing down his cheeks. "P-Please..."

With Taehyung watching Jimin, he cringed at the thought of his best friend thinking of him as a monster. He never wanted to be a monster. Everyone can think of him that way, but not Jimin—his own best friend.

"Please give her back to me." Jimin begged, trying his best to convince his best friend but Taehyung just shook his head.

Taehyung didn't move an inch as he watched his best friend pulling out a knife. Not just a knife. But a knife where vampire hunters used to kill vampires—it was a silver knife. He wouldn't even doubt that Jimin had it with him since his parents are vampire hunters.

Closing his eyes, waiting for the pain, nothing came. His eyes slowly shot open to see his best friend spurting out blood from his mouth. The young vampire's eyes widened and a gasp left his mouth before catching Jimin his arms. His eyes travelled at the metal length penetrated through the middle of Jimin's stomach.

"Namjoon!" He screamed at Namjoon who aimed his sword at Jimin's back. The sword even went through.

"What did you do?" He trembled, trying to stop the blood but it was too useless.

"He needed to die for you to have Hanisha, Taehyung."

Taehyung looked up at Namjoon and gritted his teeth before fixing his eyes back to his best friend who was dying in his arms while coughing out blood.

"Jimin-ah..." Taehyung's tears fell down, gripping the body of the dying human.

"Taehyung-ah..." Jimin said bitterly, and even in his death, he managed to hate Taehyung for stealing her away from him.

"Namjoon! Do something!" Taehyung begged.

"I'm sorry." Namjoon said heartlessly. "This is for your own good. He is destined to die anyway."

"Destiny, my ass!" He growled at Namjoon who was only nonchalant, and looked back at Jimin in his arms.

"Please, Jimin-ah. Please stay with me." He sobbed, pleading, and was about to pull out the sword until a hand stopped him.

"Are you going to let me die?" Jimin hissed, gripping the sword. Taehyung gasped at the sight of his hands bleeding from gripping the sharp area.

"Idiot." Jimin chuckled bitterly. "I'm a human. I-If you pull it out, I might die due to bleeding."

"Jimin-ah! It's not time for you to joke around!" Taehyung cried.

"I'm not joking, Tae." Jimin smiled, still, his heart is full of anger and disappointment. "I'm going to die anyway. Isn't it my destiny?"

No. Taehyung believes that death is not in Jimin's destiny. In fact, he doesn't believe in destiny.

You are going to live even if we have to flip the world upside down just to change your destiny. Taehyung mentally cried.

He couldn't let Jimin die like that. Jimin has so many things to see. He is still young, and is still a nineteen year old human who has a lot of things to experience and dreams to achieve.

Taehyung can't let Jimin die like that.

"Jimin-ah. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He cried, knowing how Jimin will hate him for doing something Jimin hates. Taehyung doesn't care if his best friend will hate him for the rest of his life. As long as he is alive and well, then that matters to him.

Without any hesitation, Taehyung smashed himself onto the neck of his best friend, biting the flesh of his skin.

You need to live, Jimin. Taehyung cried.

[end of flashback]

Tears fell down on his cheeks, trying his best not to remember such memory again that made his own best friend regard him as a monster. He needed someone to fix the hole in his heart—sounds selfish but yes, he needed Ha Na.

Without any hesitation, he speeds up and stopped in front of Ha Na's bedroom door but just stared at the door knob for a moment. He debated whether he should do it or not but at the end, he ended up knocking, waiting for Ha Na to open.

As soon as Ha Na opened the room, she was greeted by a pair of arms tightly embracing her with love and worry. She just got out of the shower and it startled her to be greeted like this.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing?" Ha Na gasped, and tried to pull away but Taehyung didn't even budge.

"It's weird that you call me Your Majesty." Taehyung frowned, still his arms are around the petite girl. He snuggled on her neck. "I want you to call me Taehyung."

Ha Na sighed and just let Taehyung do what he wants.

"But you are the king." She said softly as possible making Taehyung pull away, and gripped Ha Na's shoulders with his big hands. His eyes bore a hole through Ha Na's eyes and just momentarily stared at her.

"For once," He paused, and sighed. Ha Na noticed the vulnerability state of the vampire in front of her. She noticed the sadness and pain in his eyes. "Can you not treat me like a king?"

Ha Na's eyes widened at the person in front her who sounds as if he was begging for her while Taehyung looked at her with softness that you could feel love bursting throughout the room.

"I just wanted to be with you as a man today, and not as a king." Ha Na's didn't say anything and pressed her lips into thin line.

"I want to be here with you as your man." He restated tenderly as Ha Na’s heart fluttered. He pointed at himself. "After all, this man is yours."

He added, lovingly. "I belong only to you today, and for eternity."

RISEN

Written by Hannah (daddiehoseok)