★ We defy the odds ★

-·=»‡«=·-

- Elements -

Taehyung's POV

I hate how quiet it sounds in this palace. After the words flee my lips, Soros just stares, and I wish he'd say something that would replace the silence that drowns me. I can hear my ears ringing, but I wonder if that's from the heavy nightmare I woke up from.

"I can tell something's changed," Soros says barely above a whisper and I struggle to catch it with the ringing in my ears. I do manage to, however, letting my eyes widen for a small second. "Tell me what's wrong, son." I do. Soros is the only God I can truly confide in without worry about secrets.

So, I take some steps back, gathering myself away from the throne of his. "Son?" I nod, meeting those dark irises of Soros'. They're black, but somehow they're lighter than they usually are. If that makes sense. They're not the darkness of nothingness, that's only when he gets upset or mad.

When I'm decent ways away from both Jungkook and Soros, I stand, closing my eyes and calling forth my magic. "Ice, lend me your power." As instantly as the words flee my parted lips, the element is called forth, bubbling up in a spiral pillar to my right. Directly to my right. "Water, lend me your power."

The exact same thing happens with water. I don't have to open my eyes to know where the element is. It's behind me. It's closer to ice, on my right side, but slightly behind me. If we were going off directions, it would be southeast. "Darkness, lend me your power." And it follows, spiraling upwards with great power directly behind me. South.

"Smoldris. Jungkook. I ask that you lend me your power. Fire, come forth!" It does. Again, I can tell by the heat that rises southwest. It's behind me and towards my left side, but it's there. I can see the light through my closed eyes. Soros and Jungkook are both silent, but once my next magic is evoked, they'll be making some noise.

I don't think Jungkook is aware of my newest abilities.

"Imperos. Jimin. I ask that you lend me your power. Air, come forth!" I can feel the breeze as it spirals west, directly to my left. Now, Jungkook gasps, loud and in shock. I can feel Soros stir because the atmosphere has shifted a bit. I don't hesitate, I continue. Despite calling forth five magic elements, I don't feel a strain like I should.

"Spiris. Yoongi. I ask that you lend me your power. Spirit, come forth!" At the demand of the power, it appears, igniting something through me. It feels like it's given me life, repairing my soul in some way. I feel lighter. I feel like a weight is gone. It spirals northwest, now in front of me and towards the left.

"Illume. Namjoon. I ask that you lend me your power. Light, come forth!" It does, blinding me even though my eyes are firmly shut. I can see its light directly in front of me. It's north. I take a deep breath, feeling the magic elements swirling within me. I can feel them flowing through my veins.

It's like they're supposed to be there.

"Oria. Seokjin. I ask that you lend me your power. Earth, come forth!" It brings life to the circle of elements. I can feel it. The motherly aura floats around me, most likely extending towards Jungkook and Soros. I can smell the grass and the flowers, hear the birds. Now that I concentrate on my powers, I can smell and hear all of them.

"Volta. Hoseok. I ask that you lend me your power. Lightning, come forth!" It strikes the ground around me, but again, I don't have to open my eyes to know it's spiraling directly around me. There are elements in every direction, forming the circle. Only then do I open my eyes, and the terror I initially felt was gone. Instead, it's replaced with a soothing feeling. Calmness. Security. Hope.

My friends surround me, even if they aren't present.

"Taehyung," Soros says breathlessly, standing up from his throne. He towers over me easily, but the elements hold their places. At this moment, they aren't just magic powers. They aren't just elements. They're guards. They're protectors. I can feel their intentions. Their intentions to protect.

"No one has ever possessed all the elements before." I nod. I know. I'm the first to do so. Which is why I'm confused. What made me so special? "There's never been a prophecy that spoke about a human possessing every element. There's never been a fortune told or a sign." I blink.

"For once, Taehyung, I have no answer to give you." I don't know whether I should be happy about that, or worried. These elements bring no harm to myself or my friends, so I guess I should be happy. But it still doesn't explain my nightmare. That's a warning.

"That's okay," I breathe, letting myself relax entirely in my circle of power. "I didn't expect one. I just wanted to make you aware that this has happened. I can now control all the elements. There's no strain. There's definitely no pain. I feel weightless. I feel relaxed. I'm not tired either." Soros meets my gaze that reflects the light from directly in front of me.

He doesn't look worried like I expected him to. He looks happy. He looks proud. "Good," He says with a smile, "I'm glad, son." My heart races in me. I smile too, turning my attention to Jungkook who stands there awestruck. He holds so much love in his eyes that it makes my heart clench. He's amazing. My cupcake.

"There's also something that's happened with Jungkook." Jungkook blinks in surprise, washing away the mesmerizing look in his eyes and stealing a glance at Soros. The God of Darkness hums, turning too. "Go ahead, Cupcake. Show him what you can do."

He nods, meeting my gaze for security and reassurance. I give it to him. Then, he closes his eyes, centering himself, and letting out his strongest power. The wings of the Phoenix emerge first, then the body, then the head. The fire engulfs him completely, burning so brightly I can barely make out his figure.

I know that despite being in the center of the fire, he's not burning. The Phoenix, however, somewhat comes to life, flapping its majestic wings once then letting out what sounds like a roar. It's deep and powerful, and damn Jungkook, you're gifted.

Soros' eyes widen but his smile doesn't fall. Instead, he looks proud, extremely proud. "Smoldris predicted the signs," He says, standing from his throne to walk over to Jungkook. I watch as the Phoenix that engulfs him stands its ground, but it doesn't aim to hurt. "The day of our gifting of the wings, yours remained the same. Because your magic was already within you. You just needed to unlock it and ignite it."

Jungkook nods. He knows that now. "I know, Soros. I've found it." I smile, meeting Jungkook's gaze through the thick, bright flames. "Jungkook has also made another discovery, Soros," I say from my place in the middle of the circle. Soros looks at me, his smile only growing. "When this new power of his was unlocked, his heart was opened up to his magic."

And that's all Soros needs to understand my point. He laughs, breathless, and in shock. But his smile never vanishes. His face is lit up, and it's not because of the flames that stand before him. It's lit up with genuine happiness and pride. "Of course. I predicted it, didn't I?" He asks me, letting his eyes light up more.

I nod. He did. "Jungkook joins me, Soros. He's an infinite too." The atmosphere turns joyous and I embrace it. I like it when the spirits are high. I let the time pass for a little bit and embrace the joyous feelings until I must reveal the reality of my warning. I hate doing so but it must be done. I can't keep that from Soros or Jungkook.

"Soros," I say, catching his attention. He turns, still admiring the fact that the elements are powerful around me. "The real reason I asked Jungkook to call us in here was that I received a warning." Soros eyes, which had been bright and lively, darken into seriousness.

"What kind of warning?" I gulp, inhaling then exhaling deeply. "I had a nightmare tonight. However, it was too real to overlook. In my nightmare, Jungkook was screaming for my help, but I couldn't save him. The world kept shifting until finally, I was fighting what looked like a demon." Soros nods, listening.

"As the fight continues and as words are thrown around, he finally says something that catches my attention entirely." I pause, taking another deep breath. I can feel the elements grow stronger like they're trying to prove to me that good overpowers evil. "He said I killed my friends. I turned my back on them when they needed me."

"Because your power was too strong," Soros says for me, breathless and shocked. I nod slowly, not wanting to admit it. "He kept saying how much of a monster I was, and finally I just snapped to the point where it shattered everything in sight. It destroyed the world and I fell into hell. I became evil." Soros doesn't say anything, but oh how much I wish he did.

"Ozagi." I gulp. Oh no. "Ozagi visited you. Did he shapeshift? As in, could he transform into someone?" I nodded. He could. Jungkook. "It indeed was a warning. He knows about you. He knows what you can do." I gulp again. This can't be good.

"He's trying to make you worried. Your power is strong, yes, but he's trying to make you think you can't control it. You've managed thus far perfectly, Taehyung. You can control your power. You have better control of your elements, all of them, than some gods do." I blink but somehow I don't feel entirely convinced.

"Doubt is your worst enemy, Taehyung. Always remember that." It's true. The more I doubt myself the more I begin to believe that Ozagi may be right. I don't want to think that way, but what if he is? I remember what happened in the forest. I killed it. What if he's right? What if I can't control my magic powers?

"Taehyung," Soros says, snapping my attention from the ground to him. He doesn't look worried. He looks proud. He looks sure. "You'll know what to do in any situation you're in. You may think you're going to lose control, but you won't." I look at him, eyes pleading him to tell me how he can be so sure.

"How do you know that?" I ask. It's barely above a whisper but he hears it. "Because I know you, Taehyung. I know your intentions. You work on the side of good. You protect your soulmate, you protect your friends." I gulp. I almost lost it today. "I almost lost control today, Soros. When Jungkook disappeared under the bricks, I thought I lost him."

Silence falls between all of us. "I thought he died and I almost lost control of my power. I almost did." Soros shakes his head, meeting me at my circle. I look up into his eyes, but he just smiles. "If you ever feel like that again, take a deep breath, and remember who believes in you. Remember that you're powerful, but that Soros and every other god up here believes in you."

"Plus your friends do too, Taehyung," Jungkook says, smiling as the Phoenix flies around him. Hope washes over my skin and the elements swirl in my mind. I can smell the ocean, feel the warmth of the fire, hear the lightning hit the ground, and crackle. I can feel the light, embrace the cold of ice, smell the grass, and hear the birds. I can feel my spirit come to life and I can feel the wind breeze through me.

Then, I can feel the darkness bring a new day and ignite the new beginning. I can feel it's strength. They're right. Remember which side you belong on. Remember which side you fight for.

Doubt is my worst enemy.

"I believe in you. The gods believe in you. Your soulmate believes in you. Your friends believe in you." I look at Soros, feeling my elements grow stronger and spiral up higher. Soros smiles, extending his hand up and showing the stars on this night. They shine brightly, all of them.

"Don't limit yourself to the skies when there is a whole galaxy out there, Taehyung." And Jungkook agrees too, stalking over to me as the Phoenix swirls around him. I'm filled with hope, life, security. I believe. I need to. "The evil will grow stronger, Taehyung, but always remember which side you work on." I meet his gaze. I can see he knows something I don't.

He knows something is coming. And it's stronger than what we faced today.

"Remember," Soros says, grabbing the star I made for him and placing it in his giant palm. "Magic is believing in yourself. If you can do that," He laughs softly, letting his darkness spiral around him beautifully.

"Then you can make anything happen."

-·=»‡«=·-

What's coming? Soros knows more than he's telling Taehyung. What lurks for the seven? Will it be stronger than what they fought today?

And if so, what'll happen during the fight?

Will Taehyung truly lose control like he believes he will?

I purple you 💜

~Pisanthrophobia.