Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Ninety-Six

I suggest you skip to halfway through the music ^, to approximately 14:05, the songs in the second half fit much better, in my opinion ;)

The halls of the Crimson Castle were empty – too empty, if his gut feeling was any indication. His heart hammered in his chest, golden eyes remaining trained ahead of him, knowing that nobody would lunge out at him from the shadows.

The King wanted to kill him, himself, with his own two hands.

As unsettling as that thought was, it was also an advantage – he could only hope that their plan worked. He'd been antsy since Minho had left, worried about him as he quite literally walked into the lion's den, however... now there was a completely different type of worry coursing through his veins. He hadn't gotten a single message from him yet, and his bond felt weak, distant.

If something had happened to him – he wasn't sure what he'd do. The Vampire King had already killed them once before; he wouldn't let him do it again, not if he could help it. He followed his Mating bond, faint as it was, through the maze that was the Crimson Castle, his footsteps reverberating on the walls all around him.

The throne room was near the center of the castle, blocked from view by two heavy oak doors decorated with crimson gold – he briefly wondered why everything in this castle was so dark and red. He came to a full stop in front of the doors, Shifting back into his human form, quickly slipping into the clothes he'd brought with him.

Without another moment's hesitation, he pushed open the doors. Cold air wrapped itself around him the moment he stepped through the threshold and he stiffened, golden eyes flickering about the room until they fell upon Minho, slumped in a corner of the room. Eyes widening, he stepped further inside, heart lodging itself in his throat as worry pooled itself in his chest like an unstoppable dam.

The King had discovered his true intentions, that made things harder. Had he found out about the Mark yet?

The doors slammed shut behind him and he whirled around until he faced Chan, sitting motionlessly atop his throne. His crimson eyes burned with such an intense hatred that Jisung understood him – that very same feeling blossomed in his chest like a field of wildflowers every time his gaze settled on the man.

The man who'd taken his family from him, and then helped in doing so a second time. All for what? For someone who didn't love him the way he did? His fists clenched at his sides, his eyes sliding back to Minho, who was beginning to stir.

"Kim Jinsun... I wondered when you'd show your face," The King mused, sitting a bit straighter in his throne. "Running to your death a second time – really, you'd think you'd have learnt by now that it's futile." He stood, slowly, pushing himself up from his seat. "I am stronger. I am Eternal." His fangs flashed viciously as he walked down the steps of his dais slowly, one at a time.

"That's not my name," Jisung gritted out, golden eyes flaring as he stared the King down from where he stood near the doors despite the fact that every muscle in his body was twitching to run to Minho's side and see if he was alright.

The thought that he might've been harmed lit a rage like none other in his veins, one that would not be easily subsided. All the pain they'd gone through was because of this man – this monster. If he truly loved Minho, he would have let him go and be happy. The Vampire King had lived too long – it was time they did something about that, wasn't it?

Perhaps once the Vampire King was gone from the world the three supernatural species would be able to live in harmony with one another, ending the wars that had plagued them for centuries. No more death, no more fear – that was the perfect world, wasn't it? Sometimes he envied humans – they were so blissfully unaware of their world, of the chaos that stirred just below the surface of their own reality.