All That Glitters is Not Gold (BTS X Reader)

Chapter 15

As we continued past Vacant River, Taehyung became quieter. I knew traveling so far from his home was going to bother him, but I didn't want to force him to talk to me about it. The story he had told me of Sehun and his princess still played heavy in my mind and I couldn't help but hope that the two had met each other in the afterlife and were living their happily ever after. The story of their love had made me think of Kai and the feelings I had for him. Did I really love Kai? Or was I just a silly girl with a crush? I just didn't know anymore. I hoped Kai had kept his promise and was caring for my brother. I would think about my feelings for Kai when I had the means to save Reese because right now he was the only one who really mattered.

Taehyung and Jimin continued to walk beside me as we made our way further along the path. I could hear Hoseok's occasional grumbles behind me, but chose to ignore them. He had been muttering and acting strange since Jin and Taehyung joined us. I didn't know what was going on, but I wasn't going to give into his childish behavior either.

The sun was hitting the horizon when the path curved into the woods and towards Departed Castle. I had been hoping to be past this place before sundown, but it's clear that was not to be the case. I had heard of the being that lives in Departed Castle several times, but I was unsure as to what he actually was. There were rumors, of course, but so far most of the people I had met along the way were completely different than the rumors made them out to be. I didn't want to think the same thing of the being in Departed Castle, but I couldn't help the shiver of fear that raced down my spine the closer we got.

As the path wound closer to the castle, the sun had fully set and the stars were starting to blink in the black velvet sky. With the sun no longer shining, I felt myself getting more and more nervous. Hoseok must have sensed it because he moved closer to me, nudging Taehyung out of the way. Taehyung shot him a glare but Hoseok shrugged, not paying any mind to the pouting siren. Jimin had taken my hand again and I could feel the fear coming from the anxious fairy. Although I had doubted Jimin in the beginning, he had proved to be incredibly brave throughout this whole journey and I was grateful for his steadfast loyalty. I squeezed his hand gently and he laced our fingers together, giving me a sweet smile in return.

Hoseok looked down at mine and Jimin's hand, his eyes narrowing in disapproval, but then reached for my other hand, mirroring the hold. I looked up at him and he shrugged his shoulders again. "I figured I could protect you better if I was close to you," he said by way of explanation.

Jimin narrowed his eyes at Hoseok. "Look Fireball. I am perfectly capable of protecting her," he spat out, his eyes filling with irritation when Hoseok just laughed at his words.

"Sure you are Sparkles," Hoseok replied, his words sarcastic.

I gave them both a look that shut them up right away, not wanting to be in the middle of one of their petty arguments. They knew I was over their ridiculous behavior. I wasn't going to put up with their arguing any longer. I heard Jin and Taehyung conversing in low tones behind us, mentioning something about blood. I turned in worry, making sure neither of them had been injured.

Taehyung held his hands up to show there were no wounds and Jin spoke up. "No worries sweet girl," Jin said. "We're just discussing the being that lives in Departed Castle."

I was confused by his words since the only being that I knew that had anything to do with blood was... "Are you saying the being in Departed Castle is a vampire?" I asked, my voice incredulous. Jin nodded and I found it hard to believe, which was surprising considering I was in the presence of a fairy, a dragon, an angel and a siren.

The path traveled right past the gates of Departed Castle and I stopped to look at the impressive stone structure. Composed of dark grey aged bricks, it looked like something from an old children's story book, the massive building beautiful though neglected. The ivy covered towers on either end were circular in shape, giving it an almost romantic feel and the massive wooden door was at least 20 feet tall. The windows looked dark, so dark that it was hard to believe that anyone lived there at all.

"Wow!" I breathed out, not wanting to speak aloud. "It's... it's beautiful." I heard Hoseok snort beside me and turned to look at him.

"How can you say the home of a ruthless bloodsucker is beautiful?" Hoseok asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Just because people say it's inhabited by a vampire, it doesn't make it any less stunning," I replied shortly, turning back to the castle, unable to tear my eyes away from it.

"You are correct Y/N. It is quite an imposing structure," Jin said from behind me, his husky voice close to my ear. "It reminds me of the palace in the heavens, although that one is white marble and gold and a little more well-tended."

I nodded, not sure what to say to Jin. I knew he missed his home dearly, but there was little that could be done about it at the moment. We had to focus on getting past Departed Castle and to the Dark Wizard if there was any chance of getting him home to where he belonged.

"My sincere apologies beautiful maiden," Taehyung apologized. "I have to agree with the dragon on this one. I truly fail to see the beauty of this creepy place. I keep waiting for bats to fly out of the tower and come swooping down on our heads."

Hoseok snorted. "See? Even Bubbles agrees with me," he replied, gesturing towards Taehyung with a thumb over his shoulder. Taehyung rolled his eyes at the nickname but said nothing in response.

Jimin spoke up, his sweet voice cutting through the quiet night. "I have to agree with you Y/N. There's something strangely lovely about it. As dark and bleak as it may be, it's still striking against the night sky."

I sent Jimin and Jin a smile but rolled my eyes at Hoseok and Taehyung in disbelief. "At least some of you are on my side," I replied, a dry tone to my voice.

"Don't worry doll," a voice behind me said. "I'm on your side too."

I whipped around and saw a dark figure, dressed all in black, leaning up against a nearby skeleton tree, his features concealed in the shadows. He examined his fingernails as though he was bored before pushing away from the tree and sauntering towards us. As he got closer and stepped into the moonlight, I was stunned by his gorgeous looks.

The handsome stranger had midnight black hair that hung over his forehead messily. His large doe eyes were the color of mahogany, but flashed red when they darted to me. His lips were perfectly shaped and currently set in a smirk. He was taller than me by several inches and had long, toned legs and a well developed torso that was barely concealed by his tight black shirt. His pale skin, although beautiful had silver colored lines streaking across it in an odd fashion, almost like a strange road map.

"I know I'm handsome doll, but you don't need to stare," the stranger said, stopping directly in front of me. "But I must admit you are the most beautiful creature that has ever appeared in front of me."

I wanted to step backwards as he reached out a hand for me, but I was transfixed by his changing eyes and beautifully sculpted face. He took a strand of hair and curled it around his finger, never taking his eyes off of me.

The stranger brought the strand of hair to his nose and inhaled, his eyes flashing red before rolling back in his head. "You smell absolutely divine," he uttered in a deep voice that held me captivated.

I heard Hoseok growl from somewhere next to me, but my mind was on the attractive stranger. He smiled at me and I could see the fangs on either side of his pretty mouth. I pulled myself together and stepped back from the stranger, suddenly filled with panic. "You're... you're a vampire," I whispered out, my voice coming out shakier than I wanted.

The stranger laughed and bowed slightly. "Jungkook at your service doll."