Chapter 16

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Fighting with 6 feral vampires known as shadow killers, none was being able to capture her or stop her, there was no hindrance. All on a sudden, a cowardly strike on the hind-neck with a baseball bat. Everything started to turn darker in that cloudy dim evening. Her legs lost balance, vision got blurry and slowly her slender exhausted body became weak causing to fall on the ground. She touched where she was striked. Slightly basic red fluid was overflowing from there, blood. All she could hear was her friends screaming her name while being kidnapped and a cheering devilish voice,
"Nice job, Felix."
That was the last thing she could register in her mind before passing off.

"Stop the van, stop it. Don't take them. Leave, leave my friends. I am the one you want, leave them.", Mera started shouting all on a sudden in her sleep.
Namjoon was watching outside leaning on the wooden door at the entrance of a large balcony. He almost rushed at the speed of light hearing her voice,
"Mera, Mera, it's me, Namjoon. Calm down baby, calm down. I'm here, look. Look I'm with you now."

Mera could reckon the voice and slowly returned from her subconscious mind. Then slowly she tried to open her eyes to wake up.

"Namjoon, where am I?"
"You're in our palace baby, the hospital discharged you on the day before yesterday."
"Namjoon, my friends... ", She almost spoke out her tears.
"I know darling, calm down. We're gonna find them sooner. I got to know they're all safe till now. So don't worry. You need to recover first.", Namjoon hugged her tightly wrapping her into his arms, keeping her head on his torso while caressing her head.

Mera sighed in frustration, crunching her eyes while pouting. She got the habit from her grandfather that whenever she was tensed and someone would try to calm her down, she would make such facial exhibition.
"Once you're ready, we'll show them with whom they tried to mess up."

"Namjoon, what about my parents? Won't they become anxious?"
"They've been temporarily obliviated about you. Don't worry, once we finish our job here, they'll be given their memories back about you."
"So, I have to stay here till we defeat the shadow killers, don't I?"
"Yeah. Wanna know an amazing fact?"
"Please."
"After centuries, you're the second human who's breathing so perfectly in our poisonous atmosphere. That means......yah! I'll bite on your eyes if you don't stop making them look like avocado seeds!"
"What can that even mean anything except the fact that I'mma metahuman?"
"No sweetheart, it means you're too powerful to get adapted to any kind of situation. So, don't ever feel insecure, be confident always about your own power. Believe in yourself. Remember what Norman Vincent Peale told."
"Faith power works wonders, yeah I know."
"Good girl", Namjoon kissed her forehead giving a merry look.

Mera's training started just after two days of her complete recovery. This time, Namjoon himself is training her, making sure she's faultless in every step and ready for anything bad or worse. This time, she has no time to gap between or take some rest as she has not much time to be prepared. It's the preparation she's taking for the last time before her battle, recovering each and every minor lacking and smoothening her skill. She is, after all, a perfectionist in every fight; no matter which is her battlefield: exam hall or death valley. Outside there, it was played Hole's Celebrity Skin in the speaker box,

Oh, make me over
I'm all I want to be
A walking study
In demonology
Hey, so glad you could make it
Yeah, now you really made it
Hey, so glad you could make it now
Oh, look at my face
My name is might have been
My name is never was
My name's forgotten
Hey, so glad you could make it
Yeah, now you really made it
Hey, there's only us left now

The telephone was ringing in the living room. Mera was rushing down to there from upstairs but meanwhile, Jin received it. She decided to stand in the middle.
"Kim's residence, who's this speaking please?"
"Long time no see, Jin.", a cocky voice spoke.
"What do you want, Harris?", Jin bit his oral muscles lowering his worn out voice.
"I wanna talk to the King."
"Just spit out the shit and get lost."
"You're not worth of taking my shit, are you? Despite being the eldest, your dad is handing the Kingdom to Namjoon. I feel so pity for you."
"That's none of your business, actually. We have our own ethics and rules which can't penetrate your dumbest empty-shell-like brain."
"Oh I see! Tell Namjoon to send the girl alone, without any kind of weapons or her friends will be thrown to the werewolf caves."
"How dare you threat us in this way!"
"She is the one we want, why does it bother you anyway?"

All on a sudden, Taehyung snatched the receiver,
"Just wait for her to be halved in one chop, we don't give a shit about your dumb threats!"
Saying this, he ended the call.

"Why do you always get panicked at his foolish talks?"
"Why do you make me feel like that? Besides, Mera is a teen girl, not a piece of flesh! We must keep her safe and sound."

"What are you doing here, Mera?", The King spoke all one a sudden behind her.
"Oh! My King! I'm sorry if I'm blocking your way", Mera bowed a little being startled at his sudden voice.
"It's okay dear, you're not. Would you mind having a chit-chat with me?"
"I'll be honored, my King", Mera offered a sweet smile.

They both came to the center part of the castle. It's huge, but the pindrop silence was indicating how lonely it is.  There were some portraits hung on the larger wall where the staircase got divided into two sides. The King was walking slowly, looking upward those pictures. Mera was wondering how larger a castle can ever be and how lonely they four are, living in such a huge but deserted place. In an old dusty phonograph it was playing The Beatles's While My Guitar Gently Weeps,

I look at you all, see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping
Still my guitar gently weeps
I don't know why nobody told you
How to unfold your love
I don't know how someone controlled you
They bought and sold you.

The king stopped walking in front of his wife's picture. They both remained silent for a while. Then the King uttered,
"Nikita, I don't know if reincarnation is real or not. I don't believe in these things, but you used to. I don't know why, I found this girl holding as same courage and enthusiasm as you had. Did you come back to save your kingdom again?"

Mera stayed silent, being touched by the words of The King. He left a long sigh, then started talking with the portrait again,
"You saved your kingdom once, letting yourself being eaten by those beasts. It wasn't yours to save. You could have run away, but you didn't. Why did you love me this much, huh? I would rather stay happy thinking you were safe and sound. No, you didn't give me that option to choose. Is this why they say love is toxic? Is this why we are afraid to have beloved ones and make our hearts harder than diamond? If you truly came back, why are you sacrificing yourself again, for a place which wants to kill you?"

They both stayed silent again. Then suddenly Mera broke the silence.

"My King, I don't know if the Queen is back or not, I don't believe in reincarnation. But, I'm willing to save this kingdom because I can't let the people down who are counting on me for their existence. It becomes my sole responsibility, thus. Please, wish me good luck.", she lowered her head a li'l bit, expecting a patt.

The King couldn't but smile at her act. He patted her head-top and said,
"May The Almighty keeps you safe and blesses you with all the mental and physical strength you need, along with the knowledge, sense and tactics.  Wish you best of luck. I'm earnestly counting on you."
"I won't disappoint you, My King."

On the way back from there, the King uttered,
"My son really has a great choice. You're glamorous just as his mother."

Mera hesitantly smiled at his comment, being amazed to hold the same taste of music as The King.

I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps
I don't know how you were diverted
You were perverted too
I don't know how you were inverted
No one alerted you
I look at you all, see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
Look at you all
Still my guitar gently weeps.


Author's note:
Hello everyone, sorry for the delayed upload again. My entrance exam is nearby so I was quite busy with my studies. I hope you all are safe and sound. Today is 16 October 2020, three days before it was our Jimin Oppa's birthday. So count it as a special update for both Jimin oppa and my birthday. Please consider giving a vote if you liked the chapter and thanks a ton for your cordial support reading my work. I love you all so much.

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