★ Let's escape all this reality ★

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- Heavy heart -

Taehyung's POV

"We've got bad news," Drift says the minute we reach the headquarters and take a seat. It's been a long day of work, truly it has. We began at sunrise and it's not an hour after dark. Most of us are completely exhausted, out of magic power, and falling asleep spread out on the couches.

"What's up?" I asked, leaning forward with my elbows digging into my knees. I'm tired, but not as badly as the other Elementals are. "It's about Ozagi. You already know that he's related to Illume, but he isn't the god of the underworld- he's merely his helper." I hummed, staring at the hologram of Drift.

"Okay, so what about Ozagi?" I could see Drift glance around the palace, the white walls awfully familiar to me. He has to be in the training room, or in the throne room. "He's just commanded more creatures of the underworld to attack the city. You thought what you faced was a lot? Try doubling it, maybe even triple it."

I scowled, glancing at my friends who were already fast asleep. "How do we stop it then?" I could hear a sigh from his end, his hand running down his face. "I wish I knew, Kim. All I know is that there's more, and they're getting stronger." With a scoff, I nodded.

"Of course, the weaker ones always go first."

"Listen carefully," He said lowly, his tone serious and warning. "These creatures possess nothing but evil, and the stronger they get the more of a threat they'll become. You cannot underestimate them, any of them. They'll be powerful because evil has always been portrayed as powerful."

"But light overshadows the good, Drift. We're working on your side, the good side. You don't have to worry, alright?" I leaned in, lowering my voice. "I won't let them die, I promise. I can't bear the possibility that they could do it. I'll protect them, I swear on my life." Drift nodded, his eyes flickering away from me.

Why?

"You know, Illume isn't too happy with you," He said, laughing a bit. I nodded, rolling my eyes in annoyance. "Yeah, I would imagine so. Not my fault he's hiding things from us!" Drift nodded, finally looking at me. "He has his reasons, Kim. You may not understand them, but try to respect them." I rolled my eyes but kept quiet.

So we trust you with our lives and you can't trust us with your history? Fucker.

"Be careful out there, Taehyung. You possess the element of darkness, who knows when you'll lose control." That snapped my attention back to the hologram, my eyes narrowing in anger. "What did you say?" Drift sighed, shaking his head slowly. "I'm sorry, but it's true, Taehyung."

"Did you just assume that I'd lose control?" He kept quiet, refusing to meet my gaze. "How could you, Drift? I thought you believed in me, more than anyone else did! I thought- I thought you knew I could do it. Isn't that what you told me?" Silence. I felt anger boil in my veins, my eyes finding my hands. How could he?

How dare he assume I'd lose control of my powers? Sure, I'm new to it, but just because I possess darkness? Was this what it was about? Darkness doesn't mean evil, not always, so why do they keep assuming it does? "I don't know, Kim. I saw what you did today, you practically lost control."

"No," I spit out, my voice laced with anger and venom, so much that it surprised him. "If I lost my control, I'd have killed my friends and I would have destroyed that palace. If I lost my control, I'd do more than what I did to Illume. I have my magic under control because I believe in myself."

"Yet I can't say you can do the same." His eyes met mine, and for a moment it looked like he was angry. My fists clenched and darkness swirled around me, riding up my legs and arms and finally over my face. It spiraled over my facial features, surrounding me while I looked directly into Drift's eyes.

"Like it or not, Kim, you possess the power of darkness and that element alone isn't stable. Regardless of what you believe, good or evil, Soros is shunned away for a reason- reasons you have no business knowing." I was shocked, my eyes widening and jaw falling open. Did he really just say that?

"With darkness comes power, and with power comes control. Too much power can drive you insane, it can turn you power-hungry. That's why Soros isn't allowed to give only one human his magic power. Illume has forbid it from happening, and as far as you're concerned, Illume is in control of Soros." I felt this hatred build up within me, my eyes narrowing.

"You have no right to speak that way of Soros." My voice grew deeper, pooling with venom and hatred from Drift at this very moment. How dare he? "I have no right?" He asked, tilting his head, water floating from behind him. "Explain to me how I have no right." I clenched my fists even tighter, my knuckles turning white.

"You only know what Soros decides to show, and what he shows is his power. You believe that just because he possesses darkness, it makes him evil. Because the dark is always associated with evil, right?" I spat, pointing at him. "You're fucking wrong! Just because the light is bright doesn't mean it's always good, and just because the darkness is not the light, doesn't mean it's evil."

"Darkness means new beginnings, and we need darkness to appreciate the day, but no. You and everyone else in that goddamn palace believe that's he's evil!" I shook my head, darkness spilling from my fingertips. "I know who Soros is, the real him. I've only known him a month, yet he's told me more about himself than he's told you in centuries. So no, you don't know him."

"You don't know a thing about him, so listen to me very fucking carefully. When I tell you that you don't know Soros, it's because you don't." Darkness surrounded me, my eyes changing to black as I glared at Drift through the hologram. "I know for a fact that you don't know Soros as I do."

With a scoff, he answered. "And how might you know that?" I smirked, looking at the black rose hung on my necklace. "If you knew so much about him, you'd know where to find him." Drift's eyes widened, his body visibly tensing. "You'd know the way to get to his palace, but guess what? You don't."

I leaned in, letting my smirk widen. "Next time you wish to talk shit about my God, at least have proof to back you up. Until then, I don't want to hear a fucking word about Soros come out of that mouth of yours. Understood?" He couldn't respond, my head tilting and a fake smile replacing my smirk.

"I need to get going. I have work to accomplish. Nice talking to you, God of Water." With that, the hologram was gone and I was left alone, my eyes staring at the wall ahead of me. I clicked the buttons on the coffee table, watching as the map appeared alongside the red dots.

So far, we've managed to wipe them all out, killing each of them. Yet, I knew that this wasn't the end. It's the first wave that's the easiest, the next ones always get harder. There's more coming, and we must be ready for it. I clicked the buttons again, watching as the map disappeared and my eyes found the coffee table again.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair and standing up. I walked away from the silent living room, stealing one last glance at my exhausted friends. Guess we won't be returning to the palace tonight. Which means, this is my first night truly back on earth, in the city I grew up in.

Did my parents miss me?

Why would they, though? They hardly remembered my existence half the time, and when they did it was just to scold me about business-related work and why I was failing my university classes. I sighed, glancing at the stairs and deciding to go up the floors.

Until I reached the rooftop.

I took a step onto the roof of the building, the cool night air hitting my skin and blowing my hair away from my face. I sighed, looking around, my dark magic still circling over my body. Thoughts of my family filled my mind, and a part of me deep inside wanted to know how they were right now.

Was it possible that they missed me?

I sat on the rooftop for a while, letting my legs hang over the edge while my palms pressed to the brick. Sometimes, I wanted to know what it felt like to have a family that enjoyed your company, one that wanted you around and loved you for you. Sometimes, I wondered what it'd be like if I had a family I could love.

I looked ahead, seeing the skyline with the stars shining above the buildings. It had to be around eight right now, most building lights still shining brightly. There were people still working, the city wasn't asleep yet. Cars passed on the roads beneath me, traffic forming on the highway, like always.

I sighed, shaking my head and standing up. "I'm so going to regret this." It was pointless, and honestly a waste of time, but a part of me desired to know. A part of me needed to know. I stood on the edge of the building, glancing back at the door to the stairs, my gaze lingering for a while.

Then, with another shake of the head, I jumped off.

My wings allowed me to soar, darkness masking my figure in the night sky. It surrounded me, protected me from the lights that were bright enough to expose my location. People would fear me if they saw what I was now, and I didn't necessarily want that to happen.

I found myself heading straight for the house I grew up in, the house I made every memory in, good and bad. Most of my childhood is foggy, mainly because I couldn't say I truly had one. From my teenage years and up, my life was just a roller coaster and it's just continued to be that way.

I flew above the two-story luxury home, slowly descending to the ground and letting my wings disappear. My darkness spiraled around my arms, my feet planting themselves on the ground. The lights were on, and from the uncovered windows I could make out the silhouettes of my family. I could see my siblings, and I think I could make out my mother in the far left.

I crouched down, hiding behind the bush and staring into the house I once called my home. The dining table was seen, a majority of the formal living room able to be seen through this window. My father sat at the large sectional, feet propped up and reclined back while he watched a show on the TV. He was smiling.

My brothers were at the table, sitting down and talking, laptops positioned to the side of them. My sister was talking to my mom, who was standing in front of the sink in the kitchen. They were laughing, I knew from the way my mom's shoulders bounced up and down and the way she shook her head.

They all seemed to happy...

Did they even notice I was gone?

I turned away from the window, flying up towards my bedroom- at least, what used to be my bedroom. The room was dark but the window was open, surprisingly enough. I was allowed in, my hands reaching out to grab the window sill. I pulled myself in, looking around my untouched room.

The closet was closed, the bed was made, the desk was unused. My laptop was on it, exactly where I left it. Books were piled on the floor, mostly from my business classes. Papers were positioned on my desk, the pencil I used the night before everything happened still remaining upon them.

Yet, on my bed was something that wasn't there to begin with. It was a picture, several actually. There was a giant picture of me, a year ago on my birthday. I was smiling, but as I stared at it, I could easily tell it wasn't real. Beside it were smaller pictures of myself and my family members, and finally one family picture- the only one we really had.

"In loving memory of Kim Taehyung," I whispered, fingers running over the picture frame, my eyes scanning over the paper over and over. In loving memory. They think I'm dead... they think I died... I shook my head, feeling tears pool in my eyes. Would they even be happy if I appeared at the front door, alive? Would they embrace me in a hug and tell me they were happy to see me?

I could hear footsteps coming up the stairs, my darkness growing a bit as I rushed to the window and jumped out. My wings prevented me from falling to the ground, but I was able to turn back to see the light in my room turn on then right back off. I was back on the ground, looking into the window that displayed the living room and kitchen.

My mother and sister were still in the kitchen and my brothers were at the table. My father had gone upstairs, it seemed. Where were my other two sisters though? Working? I shook my head, letting my hand slide over the bottom of the window, feeling the cold glass.

I found it in me to smile, letting a tear fall down my cheek. With a heavy heart, I forced myself to turn away from the window- from the family I wasn't even truly a part of. I stepped away from the bush and took a step forward, feeling my tears escape from my eyes and stream down my cheeks.

My life- whatever it used to be- was gone, and the role I play now is all I have. I didn't look back, I just kept walking, sobbing silently into my hand as my darkness, ice, and water swirled around me. Sometimes, I wonder what I'd be like to have a family, one that I could be myself with and proud to have.

I flew away, heading in no particular direction, not having a destination set in mind. I just flew, letting my emotions run freely as I managed to blend in with the darkness. I let myself fly, just soar in the sky with nowhere to go, with tears streaming like waterfalls.

Sometimes, I just wanted to know what it would be like to be loved by my family.

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Poor Taehyungie. He just wants a family and he was never truly given one. );

I purple you 💜

~Pisanthrophobia.