THIRST || BTS

Prologue: I

KIM SEOKJIN:
The progenitor prince

— Sanguine Beginnings —

Centuries ago, in the prosperous kingdom of Tenebria, there lived a charming, gentle prince blessed with unfathomable beauty and a divine voice of the purest silk- his name was Kim Seokjin.

Ever since he was but a small boy, Seokjin's mother, Eri Kim, would strum her favorite tunes on her old wooden lute and sing the softest of lullabies to help him fall asleep each and every night. Her smooth, velvety voice danced in the calm air like spring flowers twirling in the wind as she plucked each string with a gentle smile splayed on her soft, pink lips. These moments meant everything to Seokjin- and of course, he wanted nothing more than to be musically talented just like his mother.

After some time passed, Eri even gifted him his very own lute on his 9th birthday so she could teach him everything she knew. Ever since getting his very own musical instrument, little Seokjin would craftily sneak away from many of his private royal lessons- especially swordsmanship- and would hide from his instructors who eventually gave up looking for him. After escaping from his princely responsibilities time and time again, he would always hole himself up in his bedroom to practice the many songs that Eri taught him, sometimes in the company of his childhood best friend, Namjoon.

To Seokjin's dismay, his father, the mighty king of Tenebria, Lord Jaesung, was not so supportive about his only son and sole heir to the throne being passionate about the arts, a waste of time in the king's opinion. Jaesung could not fathom why his very own noble child would choose a musical instrument over the future of his very Kingdom- the thought enraged him.

Seokjin's love of music and rejection of his princely responsibilities eventually created a tragic rift in the king and queen's relationship. Once a loving married couple, the pair quickly grew to resent one another because of their starkly contrasting views on how to raise their son. Accompanied by many silent tears, the prince would often be dwelling in his own world, making music and softly singing to songs in his bedroom to block out the stormy arguments his mother and father would have almost every night.

Eventually, Jin matured enough to realize that their relationship has wilted like a dead rose- all because of his love for music- or more plainly, because he wasn't deemed worthy enough to be his father's successor. While the thought of becoming a "worthy" king one day never piqued his interests, the looming cloud of insecurity followed him around like a dense fog. After so many years of being compared to his own father and having to carry the weighted expectations to achieve greatness and valor in the same way his father did, Seokjin was torn between his dream and his destiny.

After reaching the age of 14, however, Seokjin was continuously drowning in medical diagnoses. He often sorrowfully observed the children of the nobles playing around in the courtyard from the highest window in the central tower where his room was located. All he could do was watch his young friends have fun without him as his once strong bond with them faded over time. It was sad to think that he would never be able to run freely alongside them again.

Being as sick as he was eventually forced him to isolate. Prolonged exposure to sunlight or extreme temperatures would give him horrible symptoms, and his immune system simply couldn't handle the slightest inconvenience without shutting down. The loneliness he felt as a consequence of his illness only grew with time, until eventually he started to lose his optimistic shine. The signature glow that could light up an entire ballroom.

Just when Seokjin's situation couldn't seem to get any worse, the Church of Evelia publicly shunned the 18 year-old prince for his disease and outwardly accused him of being cursed and sacreligious; however, the honest truth was that the boy was only fighting a fierce battle with his very own body as well as his fragile human mortality.