Luca paced back and forth atop a plush ottoman. In the overcast skies she appeared blacker than normal, the white fur on her paws just as bright as the sun trying to force it's way through the clouds. Grey sat on a comfortable armchair three feet away, staring outside the gargantuan glass window that offered a shameless view of Paris. She sipped on tea and finished her breakfast.
"If I let you do this," Luca said, "then there are lessons you must learn."
Grey took a nibble of her croissant, pleasantly surprised at the chocolate filling. "Such as?"
Luca stopped pacing, sitting on her hind legs before Grey's teapot. "The characteristics and behavior of Dark souls."
"I'm listening," said Grey. Every now and then she would sneak a look at the busy city. People walking down the streets, the gorgeous yet aged architecture. It felt like in this city traveled back in time.
"As long as the hellfire courses through Jin, he does not have a moral compass. He acts on free will and his desires only. That may be a silver lining for you, seeing that he can at least make the conscious choice not to hurt you."
Grey said, "Free will can't be that bad. I use it. Amelia uses it."
"Yet, your intentions differ. You and Amelia respond to urges to help others. You understand kindness or acts of service. Jin does not receive these messages. He physically cannot. Every good emotion: generosity, humility, and the rest are few and far between. He may accidentally save someone, but that is only an accident. The Dark are too callous to perform good deeds."
"So he's insensitive to others. Selfish," Grey said.
"Yes, and they also tend to adopt a cruel nature since they lack remorse for the suffering of others. Remorse is sympathy, and sympathy expresses care, which translates into a positive emotion he does not register. Understand?"
She nodded, putting her plate atop a stack of magazines on a small, glass table. Licking the chocolate off her fingers, she beckoned for Luca to continue with her free hand.
"I express all of this to say, if you plan on appealing to his past feelings for you, the approach is useless."
Grey's eyebrow twitched. "How useless are we talking?"
"His reception to love has turned off. The affection you plan to give him will not have impact. Actually, he may assume you are only following him. Stalking him, more like."
"And sexual advances?" Grey asked.
Luca blinked, flustered. "I am not sure he would let anyone get that far considering he cannot feel them."
"See, that's where I don't believe you." Grey crossed one leg over another.
Luca's head tilted. "I think it unwise for you to give him your body if he cannot give you his heart," she said.
"That's not my plan, okay?" Grey reddened, holding her hands up. "I just think there's a way to evoke his past self closer to the surface. He didn't choose the Dark. Hellfire took over his body. If there's a chance he could come through it, I'm going to take it."
"While you do that, offer him something of value so that he will listen to you." Luca's tail curled around her body.
Grey asked, "What do I have to offer?"
"Namjoon and I agreed on something that we do not actually have with us on this trip, but if you perform well enough, Seokjin will think it's in your pocket."
:::
Namjoon leaned over the back of Grey's styling chair, resting his chin atop her head.
"I can't believe I'm letting you do this," he said, staring at them both in the sizable mirror that filled up a portion of a wide alcove before the bathroom.
Grey smiled. "It has to be done."
Jungkook entered the suite, clearing his throat. Amelia trailed him, slowing her gait when she took in the scene. Namjoon, hovering over the woman of the hour. More like, the woman of every single hour every day since forever. Her crush made silly faces in the shared reflection, Grey laughing at all of them.
Amelia watched Jungkook's eyes narrow. The bodyguard stood at Grey's side, raising the papers he had in his hand to the light. "Let's get serious, shall we?"
Grey's best friend went further than that, positioning herself in front of the mirror. Grey and Namjoon met her eyes as she crossed her arms.
"Move," she told the Intellect. "She needs to hear this."
Namjoon hesitantly detached, the wheels in his head gearing up and spinning to life. Amelia saw it, knew he would reach the correct conclusion in the next few seconds. And as he did, he measured her calmly and took another wary step back. A third and fourth even as Amelia looked away.
Jungkook hid his grin, shooting Amelia an appreciative glance as the ex-Vogue intern squared in on Grey's features. He concentrated on his part of the assignment.
"This," he said, "is Jin's calendar. Every year around this time, he conveniently attends a show at Palais Garnier and invites the most productive employees and higher-ups of KSJ Industries to join. That's where you're going tonight."
"It's a ballet, so I think we'll go for a softer, regal look," Amelia chimed.
Namjoon took a seat at the edge of the bed. Grey could see him in the mirror's reflection. "This is really a gamble. We can't guarantee he'll be there, but tell her what else you've found, Kook."
"It's not really what I found," Jungkook said, "It's what I do. Jin always reserves a box. I called to see if that same suite was reserved, lo and behold, someone's bought it."
"Which, again, may not be Jin," Namjoon added.
"But if it is," Amelia interrupted, "work your damn magic. All fifty shades of it."
Jungkook raised an eyebrow at her. Grey smiled kindly. She said, "Ignore her, please."
Vanity and Luca waltzed into the master bedroom, a row of garment bags floating behind them. The clothes gently laid on the bed, no one touching them or placing them down. Luca most likely held them up with her magic.
"I'll be honest," the Queen said, "I was expecting us to stop at one of our residences in the countryside, not in the center of the city."
Namjoon said, "It would take too much time to commute. Plus, we need to be around the action."
Vanity shrugged. "Well, I do like this place anyway. Excellent service."
"Thank you, it's mine," Namjoon said.
Amelia choked, bringing the attention back to her. She waved their concern away casually. "Sorry, I just, a piece of dust, you know?"
Namjoon frowned. "I'll talk to my staff about that later."
Vanity smirked. "You asked for couture, and I delivered."
Amelia, still recovering, jumped up and down clapping excitedly. "Can we see them?"
Luca meowed in response. One of the five garment bags lifted from the bed. Vanity unzipped it, revealing a plume of red feathers at the bottom, red beading and lace nearly outmatched by a pale mesh where skin stole the show. The neckline was nonexistent, plunging all the way down to the waist, two strips of cloth holding the entire bottom half up.
Grey glanced at Amelia, who had her neck craned back in surprise. "That would like nice if...," Amelia shook her head. "No, that wouldn't look nice anywhere. I tried to find a place."
Vanity giggled. "These are Aelith's choices. When she had my body she splurged on gowns while Rowan was away."
"Open the second one," Namjoon tried. Amelia nodded in agreement. The second bag drifted to the center of the room, Vanity obliged. This selection was black from head to toe. Vanity put her finger on her chin.
"What do you think of this one?"
"It is rather provocative," Luca said.
Amelia cocked her head to the side. "It is not the gown, but the lady who wears it."
"Isn't Grey supposed to be evoking nostalgia?" Namjoon asked. "She's a little... innocent."
But Grey shook her head. "I think it can work. If Jin doesn't feel anything old, maybe he can grow interest in something new."
"This is pretty dark," Jungkook said, leaning on the counter next to Amelia. "Can you pull it off?"
"Am I really that innocent?" Grey asked.
Amelia scoffed. "No. They just treat you like a little flower."
"You will have to give the performance of a lifetime," Luca warned, "but I see your logic. Piquing interest can only work in your favor."
"I can do it," Grey said.
"How fitting," Amelia smirked. "Your first ballet and you get to be the black swan."
"Next stage of the plan," Namjoon announced, gathering their attention, "is sending you in with someone that can keep you safe."
"I'll be your date," Jungkook said.
Grey smiled, unsurprised. "Of course."
"Yoongi will be with you too. He'll just blend into the shadows, help you find a way to get into Jin's box." Namjoon wrung his hands together, enjoying his own plan. "Everyone else will be spread around the city looking for a sign of the artifact. Sound good?"
"Yeah, yeah, sounds good," Amelia said, focusing on Grey. "Time to give you wings."
:::
Jungkook straightened his bowtie in the mirror of his room. In a distant corner, Yoongi threw on a black coat. Their shared silence was cordial, neither of them quite looking one another in the eye. Taehyung sauntered in slowly, his gaze darting from man to man before he quietly shut the door behind him.
The Beast asked, "Any of you want to trade places tonight?"
"Not a chance," Yoongi said, ruffling his black bangs. Taehyung looked to Jungkook. The youngest only laughed.
"Oh come on," Taehyung said, falling onto the bed. "Don't leave me, please."
Yoongi replied, "If you weren't so unpredictable, you would have been invited."
"You're only going because you're good at disappearing," Taehyung said.
Jungkook bit his cheek to keep from smiling.
Taehyung reached for a pillow, tucking it under his head. "So seriously, why won't any of you trade? Let me take Grey, you both enjoy a night off."
"I said no," Yoongi said again, putting a single earring into his ear. "You're being awfully persistent, Taehyung." To Jungkook, Yoongi said, "And you're being awfully quiet."
"What do you want me to say?" Jungkook asked, sliding a rose into the tiny pocket over his chest. He adjusted the part in his hair while staring into the mirror.
Yoongi put his hands on the sink's rim. "Both of you like her, don't you."
None of the men moved, each of them caught in their own game of chess; too guilty to admit they, too, were on the board. Silence bled through the bedroom, gaping and far too noticeable. Someone had to close the wound. Surprisingly, it was Jungkook.
"Are you asking me that because you like her, Yoongi?"
The Wraith swallowed, shifting his weight to his other hip. "She picks who she picks."
Jungkook checked himself out in the mirror one final time before twirling to Yoongi. "Do you remember when retrieving the sword was your lone goal?"
"It was all of our goals," Yoongi said.
"No," Jungkook countered, shaking his head, "not after I met her. Grey knows that. Maybe that gives you your answer."
Yoongi grimaced. "What are you trying to say, Kook?"
"Nothing." He strode past a shocked Taehyung and hostile Yoongi to the door. "I just think it's interesting. She knows that I care. No one can say the same for you."
Taehyung said, "Brothers shouldn't talk like that."
"No," said Yoongi, smiling a bit. "Let him think he can keep up."
Jungkook's serious face broke, a small smile playing on his lips. He left before it could grow.
It was about time they'd gotten that off their chests. Besides, they would always be brothers. They were running out of time to be rivals.
:::
Amelia and Vanity squealed over their masterpiece several times before actually calming down. Grey only smiled, storing this confidence for later. The Queen leaned on one of the bedposts. Amelia leaned on the sink's rim before the mirror, admiring her own handiwork. Both women could not take their eyes off their little embodiment of dark and wild.
Amelia threw her arms up in the air. "I don't care what Luca said. Seduce that man."
Grey laughed. "I can't. It won't work."
Vanity cleared her pretty throat. "There are many ways to seduce a man, you know."
Amelia gawked, Grey's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" Amelia blinked.
"What?" The Queen timidly glanced out the window, her fingers playing with the bedpost's woodwork. "I can think sinfully too, you know."
Amelia clapped twice, gesturing towards Grey. "Then why don't you educate our little she-devil?"
"I suppose I could," Vanity said, smirking. Grey swallowed, unsure of what was coming next.
The Queen pointed a finger to her temple. "Get inside his head. Tell him what he wants to hear, whatever makes him want to listen more. Make him think he remembers you. Not his feelings for you, but what you could be. For him and only him."
Grey found herself lost when Vanity spoke. Her voice was still beautiful, a mixture of kindness and authority, but when her words registered it felt like each one kissed a spot on her face.
Vanity said, "Intrigue can carry someone in the Dark a long way. Aelith used men for entertainment, and even if she could not love them, she admired something they did. That allure creates an entrance."
Grey nodded, standing from her spot and sauntering towards her backpack near the door. She pulled out the First King's journal, flipping through the beginning pages. Vanity skipped over, ogling the pages.
"Hello Rowan," she said.
On the nearest blank page, the book wrote.
Hello sister. Hello Grey.
"Hi," Grey said. "Everyone is going to search for the artifact tonight. Can you tell me what it is?"
A few seconds. Then: My pieces are worthless to them if they cannot touch them. You must be in attendance.
She wasn't sure how to say it aloud, but she forced it out.
"I can't. I have to get Jin back."
Solis burns his soul alive.
Grey didn't speak, hoping for more.
He is trapped. Seokjin prays for me when he thinks Solis does not hear.
"Please," Grey said, "Just tell me about the next artifact."
As you wish. The next piece of me rests in my blade.
Grey slammed the book shut, her heart heavy. "Do you have that?"
Vanity nodded slowly.
:::
Who was she?
Grey decided she was going to be what this garment brought out of her; an enigma, a calm yet raging ball of fury that writhed and curled and grasped yet contained an elusive quality that rivaled black smoke. She was Dark in spirit, quieting the sunlight that yearned to offer a smile, replacing it with moonlight that glimmered over lakes and streams--silent, but too bright to go unnoticed.
Jungkook offered Grey his arm. She took it, draping her hand over his wrist.
Her straightened hair sprawled down her back, the top half slicked back and clipped with a black laurel adorned with obsidian gemstones and bursts of tulle. The gown had sleeves that began just beneath her shoulders, tight black mesh winding shimmering gems through her skin. The sweetheart neckline teasingly plunged just above her breasts, two dangling, onyx earrings swaying with each of her steps. She trained her face into seriousness, smoky eyes surveying the curious onlookers. When she discovered they were not her target, she slid her gaze away, basking in how they still watched.
A gossamer cape extended from the back of her dress, exposing her shoulders but fanning around her the second it caught hold of a draft. She and Jungkook descended the grand double staircase into the foyer; a couple up to absolutely no good.
Jungkook leaned towards her ear. "He won't be able to resist you."
"Thank you," she said, hiding the surprise in her gown by smoothing out her skirt. "How much time do we have?"
Jungkook checked his watch. "Thirty minutes before the show. Everyone will be getting seated soon."
"I'm going to look for him," Grey said, pivoting on her heel. Jungkook's cold hand in the crook of her elbow was chilly even through her sleeve. She only halfway turned to him. "Yes?"
His eyes drifted from her dark lips to the stardust around her eyes. "I should come with you."
"He will know you're here and think it's an attack. You can hurt him. I can't."
"Grey," Jungkook said, tightening his grip. "I don't want to let you go alone."
She blinked. "You're going to have to."
He swallowed, eyebrows furrowing slightly. But before he could react, his eyes flicked to a spot at the top of the marble steps, holding a beat too long. Grey followed his trail, her arm stiffening in his grasp as she locked eyes with Seokjin.
She swiftly turned back to Jungkook and whispered, "Go."
The bodyguard grimaced but released her, keeping his head down as he weaved through a crowd heading towards the colossal open doors. She rushed the opposite direction, holding her skirts as she shuffled beneath the staircases and into another room completely. Her hand fell over her heart as she took cover behind a statue.
You can't be nervous. Not now!
She tried to catch her breath, but each time she exhaled it clambered against her lungs and throat. People filtered from this part of the venue to fill their seats, and soon enough she was alone, still thinking about Jin.
"What are you doing back here?"
Grey jumped, whirling on Yoongi.
"Jin is out there," he said, cocking his head towards the direction of the auditorium.
She stammered, "I know, I'm just freaking out and I don't know why."
"I knew you couldn't handle this Dark thing," he said, shaking his head.
She looked to the floor. "Maybe I can't."
He frowned. "Are you serious? I was joking."
"You're not funny. That's maybe why I missed it," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her shoulder.
"Remind me to never be nice to you again," said Yoongi, glaring.
She smiled a bit, crossing her arms. "I was joking this time."
"Yeah, well you're actually not funny. So I didn't get it."
She rolled her eyes, freaking out a little less. "You're so rude."
He said, "I can't believe I'm choosing to serve the woman that insults me."
She bit back a smile, the reminder of her task far too heavy to any of this to matter. He must have seen the clouds darkening her expression because he said, "We'll get him back. Whether we kindly walk him out or drag him by his wide shoulders."
A laugh burst from Grey, a few wandering patrons turning their way.
Yoongi beckoned for her to follow with a hand. "Get back into character, Princess. You're going to the box."
Together, they reentered the Grand Escalier.
He led her through a series of corridors and a staircase until they came to a second floor. Yoongi disappeared at the top of the steps. Grey followed in his wake, stepping into the expanse of a marvelous hallway. Her steps were silent over the red carpet, but as she walked she stared upwards at the painted vaulted ceilings, the old golden chandeliers that carried the weight of centuries on their curved rungs.
Something told her that the room containing Jin was the only one with two guards before the door. From the time she'd gotten to this level they'd scrutinized her from a distance. As she crept closer, though, they paid her far more attention.
Sinking back into the persona that came with Aelith's gown, she stopped before them both. The one on her left held a protective hand before the door.
"Name, Miss?"
"Grey."
The man on her right drew a list that resembled a receipt from his coat pocket. After a good look up and down, he shook his head. "I don't see your name."
"I'm with the company," she said.
Before the man spoke, a voice whispered near her ear. Had she been paying attention to the guards, she would have missed it.
"They're irkans."
Grey sighed, narrowing her eyes on both of them. "I'm sorry our encounter had to happen this way. Yoongi," she called.
The Wraith manifested a few inches in front of her, dual blades drawn and spinning. The first guard made to shout, but gurgled instead as Yoongi's dagger drove into his throat. The second received his other dagger to the stomach. He keeled over, dark purple veins finally revealing themselves the more he bled out. Yoongi drew his weapon from the irkan's gut, face contorting into rage as he snarled, "Don't get blood on her dress."
Remembering Grey was there, he stepped out of the way, opening the door to Jin's suite. Grey sauntered in accordingly.
The chandeliers above dimmed for the show, the box's red walls fading to burgundy. The slow hum of violins filled the auditorium, slithered through every seat and occupied the box. Even so, she heard Jin's voice loud and clear.
"Who is it?"
His broad shoulders rested upon the back of his entire seat, his black hair perfectly tousled. Two silver earrings hung from his ears, and they gently kissed his cheeks as he tilted his head to the side.
"I'm waiting," he said.
Everything in her body quivered, but she held steady.
"To you, I am no one."
He glanced at her from over his shoulder. The most beautiful man she had ever cared for. His full lips were rounded in disappointment, almost irritation.
"I told you not to come see me."
"I don't take orders from you."
He did not break his stare, and from here she could feel it. How deep the hellfire infected him. There was a quality void of warmth and even identity. Simply a blank face. How soulless he had become.
"You're in need of discipline," he said.
She stepped towards him. "There was a time when you could have given it to me."
"Don't come any closer," he said, clenching his jaw. She listened, not allowing her reaction to seem like it questioned him at all. The girl in this gown was not flustered, just cautious. Jin stuck his head a bit out over the balcony. Seemingly satisfied with what he found, he did not meet her eyes. "Rowan might see you."
"Trying to protect me?" She said, taking another step forward.
He slowly stood, his eyes burning holes into hers. "I told you not to move."
"I don't care."
"Maybe I do," he said. He stalked closer; a black panther prowling towards another.
It was impossible, Grey thought. He couldn't care. She held her breath as his finger drew a line from the bottom of her rib to her hip.
"If anyone kills you," he said, "it should be me."
She reached for his jacket lapels, pulling him closer to her face. "Doesn't this get boring? Pretending to want me dead?"
He chuckled, a criminal caught red-handed. As quickly as it had come, it vanished, replaced with disinterest. "I know what you came here to do, Grey. You want to make me feel something. You think my past emotions will resurface if you bat your pretty eyelashes at me," he said, reaching a hand past her neck to the silk strands of her hair. He'd handled them as one would handle golden threads, delicately, as though one had never seen riches in their life. "There is no other reason for you to have followed me all the way here looking as beautiful as sin."
Though she didn't want to, she shoved his hand away. "No."
His eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"I came to personally offer you and Rowan my declaration of war. Because appealing to your sense of emotion, may not work, but that does not mean I will not try. You cannot feel me, but I will force you to feel my memories until the hellfire within you has to come out."
"It is so like you to fight the uphill battle," Jin scoffed. "Pathetic."
"Call it what you may, but I will say this fearlessly. Before you are Rowan's, or anyone else's, you are mine."
Seokjin cut the distance between them faster than she could blink. His hands wrapped around her throat. He barely squeezed, but it was the gesture that mattered. This was not a storm of shadows and wind. This was all him, ready to prove his point at any given second.
He was not hers. Not in the slightest.
"Why don't we end this now, hm?"
:::
(A/N) Perilous reader,
I finished a whole 15 page paper and 30% of another final paper. I have one more 10 page paper to go, one graduate exam, and two final exams for school. To all of those that have wished me luck, I adore you.
Today is my last day to be a teenager. I feel like crying lol. ENJOY YOUR YOUTH my darling friends.
Also, hope nobody dies in this next chapter LMAO
Next release: 12/9 (December 9th)
I know it's a long way away, I just need to ace my exams this week. Thank you, thank you, thank you for understanding. You're the best! (Don't forget about me!)
With love,
M