The Hanes Enigma

Chapter Nine - Hybrid's Persecution

Calon Driscoll

I don't remember the exact moment I lost myself in here. I know it was far before Yoongi ever graced this prison's hallways, possibly around the time Hoon was brought in. I may not remember when, but I know exactly why: Nangmi. When Uffern was infected by Park's for the last time, she was my shelter. We'd been friends at Pharaway but never once considered anything more. That night, though, I saw her in such a different light. She was angry. Maybe, for the first time since I'd met her. She was angry because the Parks were so self-righteous, they thought it within their rights to massacre a street for no reason, and then get rid of the town to such an extent that it didn't even appear to exist in the first place. I'd never seen such passion before, certainly not related to me. Her parents were unsure at first, they didn't mind their daughter being friends with a demon, both of us having been pushed together as the only fourteen-year-olds at Pharaway, but dating one was a completely different matter. But, once Nangmi puts her mind to something, there really is very little you can say or do to stop her. And for some reason, they decided that I was a nice enough guy. We moved in together, still too young to know what we really wanted from life, but old enough to realise that, whatever it was, we wanted it to happen to us together. I tried to make her get rid of me a couple of times, of course. I would never be able to give her the family she so longed for; I would always struggle to get jobs because of my species; I'd pull her down at every step of her life. And yet, despite my attempts, there we were talking about marriage. She just didn't care, she never has.

It was when we visited her cousin, that my eggshell of safety first began to develop cracks. He worked for the Theasphreyei's and had done for years; he was greatly trusted. This was before their borders closed up completely from the rest of the world, so they even allowed me, a demon, to stay there for a while. I thought the universe was beginning to treat us fairly for once. Nangmi's cousin had taken me outside to "chat". As she didn't have an older brother, he presumably felt it was his duty to make sure my intentions were good. Perhaps, a few years too late, but I still appreciated the gesture. We talked about her best interests, her never listening to anyone if it wasn't what she wanted to hear. I promised him that if there had been any chance of Nangmi having a better life without me, I would not have been there. I loved her with every inch of my being and I think he understood that. We hadn't been walking for long when we heard the frantic whispers. We should have minded our own business and turned around then and there. But, we didn't. We stayed still, not creeping up to hear more but not moving away as we should have. The voices came closer. We heard Park Beom arguing about the Theasphreyei child and we heard Kerokeis paying no mind. "The queen has decided we no longer require her help." I remember wondering who she is. I didn't find an answer. Nangmi's cousin had stepped on a twig and almost immediately lay lifelessly with an arrow sticking out of his chest. The men ran over and a knife was held to my throat. "What did you hear?." I lied. I told them I hadn't heard anything and that we were just walking. Park tied my hands behind my back and told Kerokeis it was "just in case". Days later, I'm sitting in a cell, unsure if I'd ever see Nangmi again. Even when she tried, I didn't let her. I was never going to leave and she needed to find someone else. Maybe, even someone who could give her that family she'd dreamt of. We were still young, only just into our twenties, she could start again easily enough. But, she didn't.

Maybe, I shouldn't have agreed to see her again. Maybe, I shouldn't have let her bribe the guards and allow us time together alone. Maybe, I should have tried to hide how much I'd missed her. But, I couldn't. As ever, she had me wrapped around her finger as soon as she stepped into the room and later had herself wrapped around me. I didn't complain; it had been almost a decade. I don't even regret it now as fists collide with my skin and calloused hands pull at my clothes and hair in an attempt to keep me standing. All that is running through my head is the fact that I didn't fail her and I never would have. I can give her the family she's always dreamed of. I am giving her the family she's always dreamed of. She's pregnant. She's having a child. We're having a child. I barely even register the pain of the floor rising to my face or boots burying themselves into my stomach. I don't even notice that it's stopped until Yoongi pulls me back into a sitting position.

"Hyung? Are you okay??" His voice is panicked but I just grin. "Yah! You look fucking masochistic. Are you good?."

"Nangmi's pregnant." I bite my lower lip, trying to suppress my happiness until I'm alone and can be as embarrassingly mushy as I want to without anyone seeing.

"They would have killed you, hyung. And yet, you're ju-" His glare falls and he now gazes at me, shocked. "But, she's a faerie."

"Why do you think they were beating me up?" I huff out in annoyance, the pain beginning to make itself known now the adrenaline is fading.

"Shit." Yoongi gapes at me, sliding down the wall until he is sitting by my side before handing me a cloth for my bleeding nose.

Ryong perches on a crate in front of us, watching intently. "So is Calon part of your gang now, too?" He cocks his head.

"This isn't a gang, kid." Yoongi sighs and I get the impression that they've had this conversation many times before.

"But..?" Ryong nudges the elder's knee with his foot.

"But... Yes, he's in." Yoongi smiles slightly but my face falls. I didn't agree to this.

"Yoo-"

"Shut up and just accept it." He looks me straight in the eyes and I almost see a little of Nangmi in him. He knows what he wants and he'll make sure he gets it. He won't give in. "We help each other anyway. People are going to think you are whether or not you hang around us."

I sigh, thinking about the pros and cons. The guards clearly don't respect me anymore anyway. Maybe it's time the whole lone-wolf act came to an end. "I guess so... Thank you for making sure my kid still has a dad."

Yoongi beams at me but then his smile waivers slightly. "They really have something against hybrids, don't they?"

"Clearly..." Ryong furrows his brow, looking down at the dirt-ridden floor with something behind his eyes that I had never seen from him: genuine hatred. "I'd be surprised if they even let her give birth. They'll kill it before its even opened its eyes."

~~~~~

Hey, peaches!

I feel like I've been writing a lot about non-bts related characters recently. I hope you don't mind!! It will go back to bts soon, I promise. Actually, very soon... I'm sure everyone can sense to Tova drama that's coming up.

I may have already asked this, but who's your favourite couple? Mine keeps changing. At first it was Brykook (coz kookie), then it was Yoonmin  (coz.. yoonmin), but then Kaiseok took over, but now I'm kind of loving Tova! I'm just confused, basically...