𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇'𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍┃𝐉.𝐉𝐊 ✘ 𝐊.𝐓𝐇 ✔

Part : 03 The Dance of the Spirit

Taehyung stood before the towering doors of the throne room, his hands clenched at his sides as the weight of the citadel pressed down on him. It had only been a few hours since his last encounter with Jungkook, but something about the summons felt different this time. The air was thicker, the shadows deeper, and the silence in the hall unnervingly heavy.

He had tried to shake off the anxiety that gnawed at him since stepping into the Shadow Realm, but it clung to him like a second skin. Every corner of this place was alive with dark energy, pulsating with power that seemed to creep into his very soul. And Jungkook... Jungkook was at the heart of it all.

As the doors groaned open, revealing the vast expanse of the throne room beyond, Taehyung hesitated for a moment. His thoughts raced---did Jungkook know? Had he sensed something? The Fallen Sovereign had seemed disinterested in him earlier, treating him like just another servant, but the memory of the way Jungkook's crimson eyes had lingered on him... there was something unsettling in that gaze.

Pushing the thoughts aside, Taehyung stepped into the room, trying to keep his breath steady. He had to play his role, stay hidden within the dark spirit's disguise, and not give anything away. The mission depended on it.

The room was exactly as he had left it---massive, cold, and filled with the same flickering violet light. And there, upon his dark throne, sat Jungkook. His posture was languid, one arm draped casually over the side of the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He looked as if he hadn't a care in the world, his eyes half-lidded as though lost in idle thought.

But the moment Taehyung entered, those crimson eyes snapped open and fixed on him.

A shiver ran down Taehyung's spine, but he kept his expression neutral, bowing his head in a gesture of deference as the other servants had done.

"Come closer," Jungkook said, his voice a low command that rippled through the air like silk over steel.

Taehyung obeyed, his footsteps soft on the stone floor as he moved toward the throne. His heart pounded in his chest, and a thousand thoughts raced through his mind. Why had Jungkook summoned him? What did he want?

He stopped a few feet from the throne, keeping his head bowed, trying to keep his movements as neutral as possible. Yet he could feel Jungkook's eyes on him-sharp, assessing, like a predator studying its prey. Every second felt like an eternity as the silence stretched on, heavy and oppressive.

Then, without warning, Jungkook's lips curled into a slow, amused smile.

"I want you to dance for me."

Taehyung blinked, lifting his head slightly to meet Jungkook's gaze. Had he heard him correctly?

Dance?

For a moment, he wondered if he had misunderstood. But the look on Jungkook's face---the lazy smirk, the dark amusement gleaming in his eyes---told him otherwise. No, he hadn't misheard. Jungkook had indeed asked him to... dance.

Taehyung's mouth went dry as confusion swirled in his mind. A dark spirit? Dancing? The very idea seemed absurd. What kind of entertainment could such a thing possibly offer? Dark spirits were silent, twisted beings, their forms warped by the shadows. Their movements were slow, deliberate, and unnatural. How could they... how could he... possibly provide any kind of amusement through something as graceful and fluid as dancing?

He stared at Jungkook, disbelief etched across his face, his mind scrambling for an explanation. Perhaps this was some kind of cruel joke? Or a test of loyalty? Either way, the request made no sense.

"What's the matter?" Jungkook asked, his voice dripping with mock concern. "Don't tell me you've forgotten how to move."

Taehyung flinched slightly at the words, realizing that he had been standing there too long in silence. His heart pounded harder, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the situation. Why would he ask this of me?