[FANTASY AU]
My breath hitches as a twig snaps somewhere in front of me, finally bringing me back to my senses.
Where am I?
I wonder looking around, noticing that the sky is now pitch black illuminated by a few stars.
When my gaze returns back to...
"There you are!" A familiar voice shouts, the pair immediately turning around.
"Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!" He says, clearly relieved that his friends are alive and well.
"Sorry about that Tae," EunAe says, "we would've reached out, but we couldn't call our backup."
With an apologetic look on her face, she pulls out a broken whistle from her pocket, the same one Taehyung gave them when they first met.
"That's alright. I'll make you guys another one, a much better and stronger one." He says, flashing them a boxy smile.
"How is it that you guys keep disappearing?" He asks.
The pair exchanges a glance.
In order not to put anyone else in danger, the pair had decided to move on and find another place to lay low, perhaps in a cave, but they were not expecting for the griffin shifter to find them.
If he can find them...
"What happened?" Taehyung asks after a while, noticing their cuts and bruises.
"There was a fight." Is all Namjoon says.
"I see." Taehyung says with a nod.
"We need to talk." EunAe says. "But not here."
Taehyung agrees, looking at the surrounding trees.
"I know a place we can go to." He says. "Follow me."
The boy leads them through a narrow path in the forest until they reach a cave.
After walking for what feels like an eternity in darkness, they finally reach a clearing, a tree at the center of the cave.
"How is this even possible?" EunAe asks in amazement.
"Don't know," Taehyung replies, "but it's the safest place I know. No one knows about it."
Nodding, the three of them sit down.
Taehyung goes near the base of the tree and pulls something out, handing it to the pair.
"I got it just this morning while I was searching for you." He says, the pair smiling softly at the boy.
"Thank you Tae." EunAe says.
"I'm starving." Namjoon adds, quickly taking the food.
"So what happened?"
"I was taken," EunAe begins, "by them."
"Wait, you met them?"
She nods.
"Have you met them?"
"Only through rumors."
"Do they have a name?"
Taehyung shakes his head.
"Not that I know of."
"How did they find us?" She questions, mostly to herself.
"That day," Namjoon begins, "when I got captured the first time, the sellers said that they'd contact them, but I didn't know what they meant at the time."
"This isn't good." Taehyung says, a hand to his chin. "If they got to you, it means that they have been watching you for a while. They know who you are."
That's what the pair was afraid of.
"It's only a matter of time before they come for you again. And they will not stop until they get what they want."
"And what exactly is that?"
"Freedom." Namjoon answers. "With no strings or weaknesses attached."
His gaze is cold as he says it, his hands wrapping tightly around the mug containing his herbal tea.
"They want to go back to the time when shifters were free. The time before the bond."
"This is bad." Taehyung says, his usual optimism absent. "There have been rumors for a while of shifters disappearing. Now we know why."
"At least now we have an idea of what to expect." Namjoon adds.
Taehyung nods in agreement, the trio falling into a heavy silence as they sink into their thoughts.
"So, do you guys have a plan?"
"I think we should go back." EunAe says, standing up.
The boys look at her in surprise.
"What?"
"I wasn't the only one they took. There are others."
"We have to help them as well." She says. "Who knows how many other people they've taken."
"Are you sure you want to go back?"
"Positive."
Namjoon and Taehyung exchange a glance.
"If we are going to help them, then we're going to have to be better prepared." Taehyung says.
"We better head back then," Namjoon says, offering her a hand, which she gladly takes, giving him a grateful nod.
The sky darkens as the trio makes their way home, Doryu and his wife patiently waiting for them on the steps.
Slipping his hand out of hers, Namjoon takes a step forward, determination coursing through his veins.
"I'm ready to finish my training."
Doryu smiles at that.
"About time."
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Hello lovelies! It has been a long while hasn't it? I'm so sorry about that. I've been meaning to update for a while now but I hadn't been able to. I started a new job and my schedule has been hectic, so I'm still trying to set up a routine of sorts to get back to writing.
It's been a while so I hope this chapter is okay. Please bear with me as I get back into the story. >~<
On the bright side, I have planned the rest of the story ahead so it should be easier to update from now on, hopefully at least once a month for sure.
If you're still here, sorry about the wait and thank you reading 💛
