Happy(early) Birthday, Malleus!

otherworldly ~ coraline!au (pt.3)

PAIRING ~ jimin x reader

GENRE ~ horror/thriller

WORD COUNT ~ 20K

SUMMARY ~ when you discover a tiny door in your home that leads to a much better version of your own life, it seems too good to be true. little do you know, the man posing as your boyfriend may be a lot more dangerous than you care to admit. and he is not intent on letting you leave.

WARNINGS ~ profanity, ANGST, relationship struggles, kidnapping, general creepiness, guilt tripping, spiders, violence, mentions of starvation, minor body mutilation, insects, restraints, blood, rats, non-graphic body horror, slight gore, needles/impalement, referenced medical horror, slight injury, jimin is a creep, dub-con kiss.

A/N ~ thank you for your patience!! I hope you like it :)

PART 1 PART 2

The floorboards aren’t enough to ground you. Not when your heart is about to pound out of your rib cage, shaking hands scrabbling for purchase on something solid, something real.

How does one ground themselves after crawling out of hell?

Keep reading

Eyes on Me

✂ Pairing: Cat! Childe x Female! Reader

✂ Word Count: 1,2k+

✂ Trigger Warnings: -

[Edited]

Do not re-upload my writing to another website or use it without my permission.

***

So this is a weird triangle love story featuring Kaeya, MC, and cat! Childe, except… not really. Childe is still a little shit here, tho and the yellow tabby is Aether and I imagine they’re fighting like in Golden House.

Keep reading

Wealth, Fame and Power? Perfection.

Summary: SAGAU but you're from a historical manhwa. Part 1

Warnings: NO BETA WE DIE LIKE CREPUS

The mansion was crowded. Noise of chatters can be heard from here to there as they talked about all sorts of topics you can think of. They were the people of power. Both against and the one who supports the Duchy/Dukedom

The ones who supports the Duchy/Dukedom celebrated the return of the rightful heir, the one who will be a part of the royal family in the future, as they were engaged with the crown prince/princess.

But the ones against them were in rage. How dare they come back? Did the assasins they sent wasn't enough? Did the royal family helped them? There were so many questions in their mind, still thinking about their own selfishness.

There are people who are neautral. The ones who wants to watch the ongoing fight come to an end. “Who do you think will win?” An old woman asked the other who was beside her—a countess.

“For me, It's the duchess/duke.” The countess answered proudly “It's not about how many people are on their side but it's how smart and powerful they are. Sure, the opposing side has more numbers of men but remember, the duchess/duke has the royal family's support.” she added, chuckling at the mere idea of the duchess/duke starting the chaos.

“They can basically do whatever they want!” The noble woman sighed as the countess laughed at her own statement, stopping when they heard the announcement.

“The Duke/Duchess— Y/N of the L/N clan has arrived! Pay your respects!” Everyone got on their knees and bowed their head down, even the ones against them couldn't do anything. not when you feel their eyes shooting ice cold daggers at everyone under them. The true power of the next heir of the duchy/dukedom and the next in line for the throne.

“Amazing... They've completely got all silent!” Venti screamed. But not too loud, just enough for the other three to hear. “Is our God also a God here?! What kinds of vision you think they have?!” he excitedly looked at Zhongli, who was busy looking at you. “I don't know...” He answered. “But one thing's for certain. We need to show are God that we're better than them! Better than those sneaky humans wanting to have a fight with our God! MUAHAHAHA” Venti laughed scarily, making Albedo and Ei look at him with a shut-up-bard-we-didn't-ask face.

But deep down, they knew Venti was right. You have everything and you can get anything in this world, as you were the one in control here, looking at how you made those humans shake in fear under your ice cold gaze, making them feel your authority.

So they looked at each other one more time and nodded, signalling to make another plan and that this won't work.

You're not safe in here.

They need to get you out of here.

You have more power in Teyvat.

And the people here are far too weak to protect you.

So they'll give plan b a go.

taglist: @chibikiibielle @dapperishere @under-a-starry-night @zhongchi14 @ognenniyvolk @callmemeelah @irethepotato @bardisipatos @uchihaeirin @chaosinanutshell @thatgoodolswitcharoo @lotterymology @aykolovescats

Special taglist: @nicebonescomrade @is-very-sad @i-put-the-yan-in-polyandry @white-like-dis @willowedwisteria

Cry Me A River | Masterpost

— summary: forever is just an illusion, nothing lasts forever. don’t make me a promise that you cannot keep. please...it’ll break my heart

— pairing: bts x reader

— genre: angst, slight fluff, poly!au, mafia!au, arranged marriage!au

— status: ongoing

— word count: 150k+

— warnings: (triggering topics! please read at your own discretion) childhood trauma, mental abuse, physical abuse, child neglect, manipulation, gaslighting, violence, mentions of assault, implied sexual assault, hurt and comfort, divorce, emotional neglect, minor character deaths, kidnapping, some emotionally unstable scenes

↳ there will likely be more specifics in certain chapters. just know that this series highlight some things that can be triggering to some

— please don't go into this thinking it'll be a light read. don't estimate the warnings

— if you happen to read this series despite the warnings and if there are certain chapters you wish to skip rather than reading because of the warnings, feel free to send me an ask if you ever wish to know the gist of certain chapters and i will gladly catch you up so you don't get confused on anything

one. the breaking | you tried so hard to be enough

two. the lie | a house made of cards, they lived in your beautiful fairytale

three. the promise | if you told them about the darkness inside of you, would they still look at you like you're the sun?

four. the gentle heart | keep your heart warm, no matter how cold they have been to you

five. the void | no matter how many times you read a story over and over again, it always ends the same

six. the puppeteer | father wanted perfection, you fell in love with disorder

seven. the trial master | the only way to get rid of a buried memory is to face your past

eight. the scarlet drop | you can wipe someone's tears but not their memories

nine. the game of chess | everything's burned down into flames and all that's left is you right in the center, unable to escape

ten. the abuser and the bystander | it hurts just as much knowing someone could have stopped it all but chose to stand by and watch instead

eleven. the thorns of a rose | loyalty means to have full allegiance and faithfulness owned by a duty, a pledge, or a promise. and the reapers' loyalty lies much deeper than that

twelve. the black rose | he loved you once, so hard, but taehyung has no right to begin caring for you now

thirteen. the broken | once someone's been taught to stay quiet their whole life, how do they learn to scream and shout for help?

fourteen. the hurting | you can break something in two seconds but it will take forever to heal

fifteen. the cruel and the fool | nothing hurts more than trying your absolute best and still not being good enough

sixteen. the second choice | an illusion of free choice, it will always be namjoon in the end

seventeen. the liar | hoseok lied about choosing you, namjoon lied about leaving you, but the biggest liar of them all is you

eighteen. the frightened ones | drowning in the middle of the sea means being blind and not knowing who is on your side and who wishes to pull you in deeper

nineteen. the snakes | you're left on your own to save your own self

twenty. the watchers | sometimes to not protect is the best form of protection

twenty-one. the apologies | how many apologies have you heard in your lifetime? too many to count

twenty-two. the pawns | when pawns are used well, they are the soul of the chess. you might as well take advantage of what you’re given

twenty-three. the unprepared | no one is ever prepared to be broken, even if they think they are, and breaking again and again does not make you numb to the pain

twenty-four. the reckless | in the face of danger, you run right into it

twenty-five. the habits | you are a weapon and weapons do not weep

twenty-six. coming soon...

— in the spring

su-ho x gn!reader

genre: lovers to enemies to… lovers

warnings: swearing, fighting, insulting, that's all i think!

synopsis: you think suho is a stuck up prick who thinks he’s better than everyone else, and never miss an opportunity to tell him so.

author’s note: aouad break i need some suho! also tumblr had the audacity to delete half of what i'd written so i had to... rewrite it... anyways here u go!

“Move.”

Suho’s voice, unmistakably so. You heaved a deep sigh and turned around to face him. He stared at you coldly, but you didn’t budge. Your crossed your arms and leaned on the edge of the doorway to the classroom.

“Do you know how to be polite? You son of a bitch.” you asked calmly, in contrast to your choice of words. He took a deep breath but didn’t respond.

“I asked you to move.”

“You call that asking?”

He walked past you, making sure to shove your shoulder as he did. You scoffed but bit your lip to hold back any words that you felt the urge to spit in his irritating face. You turned around. “Lee Suho.”

He paused and turned around. You flipped him off with a smile, before walking out. Whispers spread around the classroom, before instantly silencing the moment Suho turned back around. People were glad you and Suho weren’t in the same class— It was enough with him and Seojun already. The boy heaved a sigh and walked to his seat, sitting down and sorting out his things calmly.

You walked through the corridor of the school and people made way for you. There always had to be three, right? The three most attractive people in the school. Lee Suho. Han Seojun. And, well, you. It wasn’t self-proclaimed. People had just seemingly silently agreed that it was true between themselves. And of course, the three of you had to have some sort of grudge towards each other.

Rumors always spread in high-schools, but even more so when they concerned the most popular students around. There was a ranking, too. They were organized, in their odd way— You had to give them that. From what you knew, there was a top three of rumors on why you and Suho hated each other.

1. You were jealous of each other. (Ridiculous. Suhon would never hate someone over something as trivial as popularity. He didn’t care whatsoever. Did these people know nothing about him at all?”)

2. Your friendship with Seojun had to do with it. (That also was completely untrue. You knew about the reason why Seojun treated Suho this way, but didn’t even agree with him on the matter. Therefore, that rumor was false as well.)

3. You and Suho used to date. (…)

Well. To anyone concerned, you disliked Suho because he was an annoying, stuck-up prick. That was it.

Suho disliked you because— He didn’t owe anyone an explanation, did he? He scoffed to himself at the thought of it.

Break time came around and you stretched in satisfaction. One of your friends pushed your chair as they walked out of the classroom, making you laugh and thrown a punch in their arm. You packed up your stuff and left the classroom.

You came to an abrupt stop at the sight of someone very clearly standing in your way. Suho. You were the only one in the classroom, now, and he had no business being here. Which could mean he wanted to talk to you for some reason.

“What?” you asked, looking at him. He had his usual cold expression with a slight glare.

“Apologize.” he said, “For flipping me off in the classroom.”

“And why should I?” you scoffed, before crossing your arms and leaning against the doorway, “Would you rather I do it here where no one can see so your precious little ego isn’t hurt?”

He sighed.

“Why don’t you apologize first, then? For not telling me shit when we broke—”

“Quiet down.” he cut you off. You scoffed and walked past him.

“Whatever. Later, smartass.”

“Hey, smartass. Not everyone understands maths like you do.” you sighed, propping the side of your face in the palm of your hand with a slight pout, “None of this makes sense to me, and I hate when things don’t make sense. I’m pissed off, now.”

“You look…” Suho trailed off, and his expression seemed to have lagged between his usual stone-face and a slight smile. He settled on pursing his lips and chewing on the bottom one instead. “… Pretty cute, for someone who’s pissed off.”

You laughed and let your head fall onto the table to hide your grin. “Stop it. You sound stupid when you try to be romantic.”

“I’m not… trying, though.”

“I guess you just sound dumb in general?” you teased lightheartedly. You looked up and realized his cheeks were tinted pink. You smiled and tilted your head, whereas he turned away to look at whatever was so interesting on the floor before muttering something nearly incomprehensible about continuing your homework.

“[name]. Wait.”

You stopped in your tracks and instantly regretted it. No matter how much you tried, you couldn’t help but still listen to him when he spoke. So you turned around to look at him.

“Let’s talk.”

You crossed your arms. “About?”

He started walking towards you at a slightly alarming speed before grabbing your arm and pulling you along as he walked through the hallways of the school. “Us.”

You could’ve shook his hand off, punched him, insulted him, anything really. But you didn’t say a word, letting him guide you to wherever it was he wanted to go. And this place ended up being a small garden hidden next to a tiny park barely anyone ever went to. The flowers there looked pretty, and even prettier when you thought about the fact that you and Suho were the ones to grow them. Now there was color everywhere, with the sun shining on the flower petals and the breeze passing by.

The garden where you’d first gotten together, in the spring around two years before. You hadn’t even step foot there since your breakup, one spring ago.

Suho stood in front of you, but averted his gaze. You took a deep breath.

“Speak.” you said, voice noticeably calmer than the one you used whenever you two would interact at school. “You wanted to talk. So go ahead. Speak.”

He looked at you.

“I apologize.” he said, and your throat tightened. There was a slight feeling of dizziness spinning in your head and you tried to focus. Suho swallowed thickly before exhaling. “I’m sorry I left you that day.”

That day.

“Suho, it’s fine to— to want to break up with me, okay? But can you at least tell me why? …Suho. Hey, Lee Suho! I’m out of your fucking apartment can you answer me already? Is it so hard to explain it to me?! Did I do anything wrong? Suho, seriously. Please. Just tell me. Lee Suho!”

It felt pathetic to even think about. But alas.

“I wanted to end things between us because at that time, so many things were complicated and I had no idea how I was feeling.” he said calmly, quietly. “I felt unwell, and I didn’t know my feelings towards anyone. It was to the point where I couldn’t tell if I liked or disliked you. So I thought it would be best to end things there.”

You looked away. You, quite frankly, wondered if Suho had any fear at all in this moment. Because what he told you could’ve very well earned him a punch in the face for the time it took him to explain. You were mad, because you’d spent all those nights since months ago thinking about whether or not you’d done something wrong. Thinking about whether or not there was a reason you’d missed. All those times, you blamed yourself, you cried about it like a kid, and then acted like you hated him at school. You were angry. And perhaps even angrier now that he had finally told you the reason. But you’d also been waiting for him to do that for ages. So the anger wasn’t as present as you thought it would be. Rather, you felt a bit calmer.

“Then how are you feeling, now?” you asked quietly, looking back up at him. He didn’t even blink or hesitate when he replied.

“I love you.”

You scoffed and brought a hand to your face, running it over the expense of your embarrassed features and stopping at the bottom half of it. There was blood rising to your cheeks and it felt too hot. “You fucking idiot, I meant how you feel in general— Fuck.”

He smiled a little at your state.

“Do I really need to say it?”

“It would make me happy.”

“… I love you too, obviously. I’m sure you realized I was just putting up a front when we talked at school.” you said, uncovering your mouth to take a deep breathe. Then you looked at him and he was smiling. You couldn’t help but grin. “Stop it. I know you’re making fun of me.”

“I’m not.”

You sat down on the bench with an exhale, and leaned back against it. Suho sat down besides you like he used to, and before any of you could notice, your hands were intertwined.

“We should take it slow, now.” you said, before staggering slightly, “I mean, if you even want things to… You get it.”

“Of course. Either way I wouldn’t have told you I love you.”

“O-kay, I got it the first time no need to repeat it.” you sighed and scoffed, turning away to hide the heating up of your face. You knew he was smiling because whenever he felt confident enough to tease you, your reaction was always his favorite part. His hand tightened around yours and it felt nice.

Things had changed, perhaps like the flowers around you two had. One spring passed, and you were back again.

Don't Fear the Reaper

Scream AU

pairing: taehyung x reader

genre: yandere, horror/thriller

warnings: murder, graphic violence, mature themes, obsessive behavior, sexual content

word count: 13k

summary/preview: Just a year since your brother’s brutal murder, bad luck seems to strike again in your once-peaceful hometown. It seems as if death wants to follow you as it finds its next victim in one of your school friends. The more the murders start to connect, you begin to wonder if it really could be just a copycat killer or if the wrong man was imprisoned.

quick note: this is very unedited so pls excuse any mistakes!! ty🖤

It had been almost a year since your brother’s death and you still couldn’t believe it was real. His bedroom door had been practically sealed shut, neither you nor your father daring to venture inside. The sight of his empty room getting dusty would have just made it that much more real - something the both of you didn’t need as the constant news coverage had done enough of that job already.

It wasn’t necessarily that you were so distraught over Seowon’s death that you couldn’t come to terms with it. He was your older brother, your own blood, but that didn’t mean the two of you had been the closest siblings. You would describe your relationship over the years as lukewarm at best. You loved him because he was your brother but you never truly felt like you knew him. It was also hard to mourn with news vans following you everywhere you went.

The part that was hard to believe was the way in which he had died. He had been found in the woods near your house with seventeen stab wounds. It didn’t make any sense. Your brother had been a star football player at your school, part of the popular crowd. He was well-liked amongst students and teachers. You didn’t think anyone had a bad opinion of him. It’s possible he had rivals especially in sports or romances but nothing that would warrant murder.

Initially, there had been a lot of speculation in the town and you had heard all the rumors, including the one where your father had killed him in a fit of rage. You knew it could never be true; your father had been devastated by your brother’s death. He had been emotionless before, but now he was just a shell of the man he was. And whoever said loss could bring people closer had obviously never met your father.

The truth was that your father had always been emotionally closed for as long as you had known him. Your mother had died from complications after your birth and though he had never voiced it, you knew that he had resented you for being the cause of your mother’s death. At times, you wished you had never been born because living with the guilt had been too much to bear especially living with a father who never forgave you for it. 

When the police eventually did find a suspect, you were shocked to say the least. Min Yoongi was a few years older than you and had already graduated when the murder weapon as well as your brother’s blood on his clothing was found. He had always been a serious guy and if you asked most people, they would say they had always believed he kept skeletons in his closet. You knew he was a bit of a recluse, but you never would have guessed he was capable of murder. The motive they came up with was that Yoongi had been jealous of your brother’s popularity and mixed with his own mental instability, things inevitably came to a day and he decided to act out his aggressions.

Many people wanted to know your side of it, whether you believed the story and whatnot. You had mostly stayed silent on the matter, unlike your father who had screamed at Yoongi in court and had to be dragged out of the room. You can still remember the stares you got from everyone that day - it was the same look you got from most of the town and your classmates. A mix of pity, curiosity, and judgment.

It was safe to say you hadn’t been looking forward to this time of year. The true crime fanatics had seemingly been ramping up their shenanigans, hoping to possibly find some clue that would connect more of the dots. The stares you always felt in town and at school hadn’t lessened and seemed to be picking up a bit more in recent weeks as the anniversary drew closer.

Which is why most nights, you would find yourself holed up in your bedroom where it was calmer. Much to your best friend's dismay, as she would always try to drag you away to some party or school outing. Haena hated it when you closed yourself off and didn’t believe in wallowing alone. In her eyes, it was as if your introvertedness was just a sickness that she had to cure.

The only person who understood your feelings was your boyfriend, Taehyung. He, too, was a bit of a homebody and didn’t mind staying in with you most nights. He did have more friends and liked to party, but he never pressured you to go out. Part of you believed he enjoyed having you all to himself that way and for some reason you didn’t mind it.

You don’t know how you got so lucky getting a boyfriend like Taehyung. He was so dreamy with dark black locks that were often tucked behind his ear and matching dark eyes that seemed to always be on you. He was an artist and could often be found wearing distressed jeans and sweaters with little splotches of paint here and there. He was extremely affectionate, always having to have his hands on you some way or another.

The two of you met in freshman year art class where you had quickly realized you had no business holding a paintbrush, much to Taehyung’s amusement. He would offer to fix up your paintings when the teacher wasn’t looking and was the only reason you ended up passing. It wasn’t until a little after that semester that the two of you started dating.

A low tapping interrupted your thoughts as you sat in bed, almost too quiet to hear over the television playing in your room. You got up to investigate, pulling your curtains open to see none other than Taehyung leaning up against your window using a ladder to get up here. You weren’t even sure if that ladder was yours but you were glad your window didn’t face the street where others could see.

You opened the window as you spluttered in shock, stepping back to allow him room to clamber inside. You held your breath as you kept an ear out to make sure your dad hadn’t heard his nosy arrival, eyes trained on the door like he would bust in any moment.

“What are you doing here?” You hissed once you had regained your composure.

“What, I can’t visit my girlfriend?” Taehyung pouted. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too but if my dad catches you-” “He won’t.” Taehyung cut you off, leveling you with his beautiful dark eyes as he leaned closer to you on the bed. “I’m stealthy.”

You breathed out a sigh, at a loss for words from his sudden close proximity. He reminded you of a tiger the way he stared you down like you were prey. You were so mesmerized by him you had missed him inching closer until you could feel his breath on your lips.

“Tae-” You tried to stop him but he shushed you, pressing his mouth to yours.

Taehyung was your first serious boyfriend and there hadn’t been a single dull moment in your relationship yet. For you, every new experience you had with him had been a thrill. But there was only so many heated makeouts you two could have before you knew he would want to do more. He understood you were inexperienced and was willing to wait but you wondered how much longer before he cracked.

As if on cue, his hand grazed your thigh lightly as if to test the waters. When you didn’t stop him, he grew more confident and raised it until it reached your hip, squeezing gently. You appeared calm on the outside but on the inside, your heart was racing.

He pulled back a bit to look you in the eyes, licking his lips as he smirked. “I can feel your heartbeat.”

Your eyes widened in embarrassment as you quickly sat up, covering your cheeks as you felt them heating. You had hoped it wouldn’t have been so obvious. Why couldn’t you just be normal? 

“Still so nervous around me after all this time,” He chuckled wryly, lifting a hand to remove the ones covering your face. His fingers caressed your cheek as he gazed at you. “What can I do to make you more comfortable, baby?”

“I’m sorry.” You breathed, feeling your heart skip at all the intense eye contact. “I just need more time.”

“Don’t be sorry. I told you I would wait.” He gave you a small smile, leaning in to give you another kiss. He brushed a hand through your hair before pulling away and making his way back over to the window.

You watched him begin his descent back down to the ground before an idea popped into your head. You don’t know where the sudden confidence came from but the sight of his retreating back made you want to try something.

“Taehyung,” You called out from the window once he had made it all the way down. He looked back up at you curiously, his eyebrows raised in question. “Something to hold you over for now?”

You didn’t wait for him to reply before you lifted your shirt up, exposing your breasts to him from down below. You waited a few nerve wracking seconds before pulling it back down, giggling nervously as you did.

His look of pure shock made it all worth it, preventing any possible embarrassment from flooding into your system. You could tell your stunt had rendered him speechless for a moment, if the choked sputters coming from him were anything to go by.

“I think you just made it worse.” He finally spoke, his voice deep and chilling. You laughed loudly, moving to shut your window closed.

*****

When you arrived at school the next day, the atmosphere was tenser than usual. You were used to people whispering around you but this was different. People seemed to be more huddled in groups. It was as if there was some unseen sinister presence that had arrived. You weren’t sure if you could just blame it on the seasons changing but there definitely seemed to be a chill in the air this morning.

A hand grabbing your arm on your way through the courtyard startled you, your heart jumping only to see it was just Haena. Her eyes were wide as she squeezed your forearm urgently. You could tell just by her expression that whatever was going on was serious.

“Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Your confusion was obvious as you watched realization dawn on her.

“You haven’t heard...” She paused as if trying to find the right words, biting her lip unsurely. “YN, some students were murdered last night.”

“What? Who?” The shock spread throughout your body like a numbness, your extremities feeling cold all of the sudden.

“Park Jimin and Yoon Iseul.”

You weren’t sure if any names that could possibly come out of her mouth would not come as a shock but this just floored you. Jimin and Iseul were the school’s power couple. Everyone was in love with them or wanted to be their friend. The correlation between their deaths and your brother’s wasn’t lost on you. Could it be a copycat killer? You didn’t want to think of the alternative - that Yoongi had been wrongfully imprisoned.

“That must be why everyone is acting so strange today.” You mumbled mindlessly, hearing the words coming out of your mouth but not feeling connected with them. “I just saw Iseul yesterday in sixth period.”

“It’s all I’ve been hearing about this morning. How Iseul’s parents came home to the grizzliest scene you can imagine. They said Jimin was tied up and they found Iseul out- '' Her chattering stopped upon seeing the sick look on your face, her lips pressing together as if just now realizing who she was speaking to. You didn’t blame her though - you knew she was just in shock. “Well, you get the gist. Apparently a neighbor saw the killer run out of there wearing some kind of weird ghost mask. Now everyone’s calling them ‘Ghostface.’”

“I don’t understand why this keeps happening.”

At some point in the day, you were called to the principal’s office for questioning. This wasn’t strange, though, as everyone in the entire school was going through the same thing. The police figured their first place to look was at the school, which made sense.

They had asked you simple questions like how well you knew Jimin and Iseul, if you knew if they were in any drama at school, etc. You had answered honestly and as accurately as you could. To be honest, you hadn’t the slightest who could have done something like this. But you could sense the detectives figured you might have some clue as you had been around death before. They looked at you like you had some kind of ghost hanging around you.

You decided that going through your day like you always did was the best shot at getting through it, clinging to any shred of normalcy that you could find. And if that meant having lunch with Haena and her usual friend group, then so be it. The seven of you were sitting outside in the courtyard, the climate having warmed up a bit since this morning.

The boys were goofing off with each other as if nothing was wrong, which in a way comforted you. You needed to act like everything was okay or else you could feel your sanity start to slip. Eyeing Haena, she was chatting with Jungkook while throwing her feet in his lap. He was rubbing her lower calves and you couldn’t help but watch how comfortable they were with each other in public like this.

It gave you the courage to lean back onto Taehyung who was sitting behind you, his warm chest a welcome embrace. He responded by wrapping his arms around your front, not missing a beat as he conversed with Hobi about the quiz they took this morning.

“Did they ask you guys if you liked to hunt?” Hobi asked all of the sudden, the idle chatter dying down as you all knew he was talking about the police interrogations all students had to partake in today.

“Yeah, I just told them I liked to fish.” Jin barked out a laugh.

You wondered out loud, “Why would they ask that?”

“Because their bodies were gutted.” Hobi responded matter-of-factly, turning to Jin with a suspicious look. “Kind of like a fish.”

“Thank you, Hobi.” Taehyung spoke sarcastically and you could practically feel his eye roll from behind you.

“They didn’t ask me about hunting,” Haena frowned in confusion.

“You think a girl could have pulled off a murder like that? Yeah, right.” Jungkook chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows at her in a condescending manner.

Haena scoffed in disgust, pulling her legs off his lap. “That is so sexist of you. Plenty of women become serial killers - look at Aileen Wuornos.”

“She used a gun on her male-only victims. Not exactly the same.”

“Yeah, from what I hear Jimin and Iseul were barely recognizable by the time they found them.” Jungkook informed, seemingly undeterred by Haena’s annoyance. “The fact is that it would take a man to do something like that.”

“How do you gut someone?” Your voice trembled as you voiced the question, your curiosity getting the best of you. Taehyung tightened his arms around you and leaned his head on your neck, leaving a kiss there.

It was silent for a moment before Jungkook spoke up, “Well, you’d get a knife and start from the groin-”

“Jungkook, shut the fuck up.” Taehyung’s harsh tone left no room for argument and even made you tense up a bit.

“Didn’t you date Iseul?” You asked Jungkook.

His eyes lit up for a moment as he chuckled, “Yeah, for like two seconds.”

“Before she dumped him for Jimin!” Hobi chimed in. “Hmm, I wonder how the police would feel if they knew you were her lover scorned.”

“What, you think I killed her?” Jungkook laughed genuinely, shaking his head in disbelief. “I’m sure you would love to see me behind bars but I’m afraid I have an alibi.”

Haena rolled her eyes as Jungkook winked at her, fed up with his immaturity. “If you think I’m going to defend your misogynistic ass, you’re sorely mistaken.”

Jungkook watched her with a pout as she stood up to leave, gathering her books for the next class. “Come on, baby! You know I’m not a killer.”

She ignored him as she walked off, which led to him jumping up and following her to no doubt get back in her good graces. Those two had been on-and-off for a while but you would be lying if you said their shenanigans weren’t entertaining. He was a pig-headed jock and she was an artsy type. They didn’t make any sense but somehow they ended up together.

*****

You went home that day to an empty house and a note on the kitchen table, which both surprised you and somehow didn’t. You were used to your father skipping out on you with no notice but to leave a note? That wasn’t like him.

Got a lead for a job out of town so I’ll be gone for a few days. I’ll try to call but might not have service -Dad 

You supposed the message was emotionally detached enough to be from him but you couldn’t help the strange feeling you got from reading it. You knew he probably wouldn’t call or if he did, it would be just to let you know he was staying longer. He knew you didn’t expect much from him and probably preferred it that way. Weirdly enough, you did too.

Exhausted from the day, you threw your bag on the floor and collapsed on the couch. You flipped the TV on and surfed through the channels mindlessly before one with a news headline and familiar face caught your eye. It was a reporter that you recognized almost immediately - Kim Namjoon. He had covered your brother’s case extensively and even wrote a book about it.

“ This small but mighty town has been hit yet again with another gruesome homicide case. Two young teenagers were found brutally murdered in their own home. ” He spoke clearly, his dragon-eyes penetrating you through the TV screen. You had seen them in person and knew how deadly their effect could be. “ Authorities have yet to release any statement but we know now that no arrest has been made and the murderer could strike again. ”

“ Could it be merely just a coincidence that this month is the anniversary of yet another senseless killing? It has been only ten months since Min Yoongi was found guilty for the murder of Jung Wooshik, who was also a student at Woodsboro High. ” Namjoon continued, and you held your breath as you waited for him to say what you had been fearing. “ Many have made a few theories on what could be the meaning of this, including that of a possible copycat killer or perhaps a wrongful imprisonment. It’s safe to say the town of Woodsboro needs to stay vigilant on protecting its own. ”

You cut him off there, not wanting to hear any more. Namjoon had made it clear early on that he was doubtful of Yoongi being the killer and spent most of his news coverage with that perspective. You tried not to take it personally but there had been instances where it seemed like the reporter blamed you for what happened. You knew you weren’t directly responsible for Yoongi’s conviction but you couldn’t help but wonder if you should feel guilty. You had only told the truth to the judge, that you had seen Yoongi by your house the day your brother died. That your brother had bought some weed from him and that you had seen him leaving while your brother was still alive. What happened between then and when your brother was killed was completely unknown to you.

But your witness testimony along with the physical evidence found in Yoongi’s home and car had been enough to convict him. You can still vividly remember the expression on Yoongi’s face when the verdict was given, as though he hadn’t even heard the judge. You couldn’t help but be amazed at his absolute indifference to everything going on around him at all times. You had never seen him smile or get angry ever. He kept all his emotions inside and it only fueled to make you more unsure of him.

The sound of the phone ringing loudly next to you made you jump, hand laying on your chest to feel your racing heart. You took a deep breath before you answered, “Hello?”

“YN, I just wanted to check on you and make sure you got home okay.” Of course it was just Haena. You knew she worried about you especially when you were home with your father.

“Yeah, I’m okay. My dad’s left town apparently so I’ve got the place to myself.”

“Oh shit, really?” She sounded stunned by this. “Didn’t he hear the news?”

“Not sure. Although knowing him, he might have just wanted to get away from all the media craziness.”

“Do you want to stay at my place?” As if she could sense your hesitance, she continued in a more serious tone, “I know you probably think I’m being dramatic but I just don’t think you should be alone right now.”

“Okay.” You relented, agreeing that it was probably best to not be isolated and vulnerable with a killer on the loose.

You ran upstairs to pack some clothes for the week, unsure of how long you would be staying there. The thought occurred to you that you should probably let Taehyung know where you would be going just in case he tried to make another surprise sneak-in on you again. You picked up your phone and dialed his number. It rang one time before immediately going to voicemail, causing you to pull the phone back and look at it in confusion. It wasn’t like him to outright reject your call, so you tried again. This time it rang all the way through before going to voicemail. 

“Huh, that’s weird.” You waited for the automated voice to end and the beep to sound before leaving him a message informing him of where you would be tonight as well as Haena’s home number in case he needed to reach you later.

When you got to Haena’s house a little while later, you weren’t exactly sure why you felt uneasy all of the sudden seeing the police vehicle in her driveway. Her dad was Sheriff Lee and he had always been like a father to you, more so than your own father anyway. But just seeing his car again after so long and knowing he was in there was dredging up old memories that you had tried to forget.

Haena answered the door with a bright grin and pulled you inside excitedly. You already knew you were in for an eventful next few days, especially with her two younger brothers who were always loud and rambunctious. But oddly enough, you found that you enjoyed being around such a loving and busy household because that had never been your home experience.

You were greeted by warm hugs from Mrs. Lee before she quickly sat you down for dinner with a plate full of food. Haena rolled her eyes at her mom’s antics especially when she realized she was not included in this display of special treatment and would have to make her own plate. At some point, Sheriff Lee rolled in and you could tell by the tired lines on his face that this week had taken a toll on him.

He still greeted you with a smile and a pat on the head before joining you all at the table. Mrs. Lee brought her husband a plate and you couldn’t help but watch as he grabbed her hand to give it a kiss. The two of them had always been a sweet couple and what with your lack of ever seeing that growing up, you were always fascinated by them.

“How’s your father doing, YN?” Haena’s father asked.

“Fine,” You answered, rolling a cherry tomato around on your plate with your fork. “He’s actually on a work trip this week so Haena convinced me to come stay here for a little while if that’s okay.”

“You know you’re always welcome here, honey. You’re practically family.” Mrs Lee was quick to reassure you.

“Work trip, huh?” Sheriff Lee’s eyebrows were drawn together as he held a spoonful of stew in front of him thoughtfully. “Did he mention where?”

“Nope. You know how he is,” You answered honestly and he nodded.

Just then, the phone rang and Mrs. Lee got up to go answer it. You were about to go clean your dish when she came back into the kitchen and said, “YN, someone’s on the phone for you.”

You quickly went over to go pick it up, “Hello?”

“YN,” Taehyung’s deep voice came through on the other line, sounding hushed and slightly out-of-breath. “I just got your message.”

“Oh, yeah well I just didn’t want you to go worrying if you called me and I didn’t answer. Haena’s family is taking care of me.”

“Yeah? That’s good.” He responded, and you could practically picture him posted up somewhere like the cool guy he was. “Although, I wish I had answered when you called because I could have kept you company.”

“I’m sure you would have liked that.” You chuckled. “I don’t think my heart can handle another one of your window sneak-ins.”

“Well, I don’t think my heart can handle being away from you that long.”

“You’ll still see me at school.” You reasoned, rolling your eyes despite him not being able to see you.

“Yeah but that’s school. You won’t even let me kiss you unless it’s somewhere hidden.” You could practically hear his pout through the receiver. “Why don’t you meet me at your place sometime this week? I’ll cook you dinner and we can finally be alone together.”

You couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed at his sudden pushiness to get you alone. You knew if you agreed to meet him at your house that he would probably try to have sex with you again. As much as you wanted to take that step with him, you were scared.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, what with the recent murders and all. I think it’s probably best to stay in larger groups.”

“What, you don’t think I can protect you? I know I’m skinny but I’m strong.”

“No I know you can but it’s just not a good time right now.”

“Yeah, I know. You haven’t been yourself in a while.” He huffed into the receiver. 

You laughed sarcastically, unsure if he was being serious right now. “Yeah, sorry I’m not in the mood to have sex with you right now. I’m kinda still reeling over the deaths of our classmates.”

“I don’t mean recently. You haven’t been the same since Seowon died.” His words shocked you, not understanding where this was coming from all of the sudden.

“Uh, well that’s kind of what loss does to a person if you didn’t know. They change - drastically.” All humor was gone from your tone as you felt yourself getting annoyed with him.

“Yeah well it’s been a year since he died and you’re still so skittish around me. It’s like you think I’m some kind of bad guy.”

“I’m sorry if my trauma has ruined things for you but no one is making you stay with me. If you need it that badly then you-” 

“Stop. That’s not what I meant at all.” He huffed angrily, taking a pause to gather his thoughts. “Listen, I don’t want to make you upset. I know it’s hard to see right now but I’m just feeling insecure. I want to make sure we’re still okay.”

At your silence, he let out another sigh. “I’m gonna let you go now. Please don’t be mad at me. I love you.”

He didn’t say anything after that but he stayed on the line, and you knew he was waiting for you to say it back. Hoping for you to say it back. And as pissed off as he had made you, you hated the idea of going to bed mad at him. So you conceded, for now.

“I love you too.”

*****

When you arrived on campus the next day, you spotted Namjoon standing near his usual news van. He was dressed smartly in an olive sweater and gray slacks, his glasses making him look more like a university student than a reporter. He was busy sorting through some papers, probably brushing up on his notes before he did his next broadcast.

You felt compelled to speak with him, especially after everything that had been going on recently. Over the past year, he had reached out to you multiple times for a comment and you always declined. The only time you had spoken in-person was after the court case had ended and it hadn’t been the most cordial moment.

“YN, this is a surprise. What can I do for you?” Namjoon raised his eyebrows at you, a mix of curiosity and something else you couldn’t quite pick up in his expression.

“I wanted to talk to you about Min Yoongi.”

“Okay.” He spoke slowly, glancing over at his camera crew who were standing a few feet away. “I’m guessing this is off the record?”

“Yes, please.” You paused, trying to think on how to start. “I know you probably don’t think very highly of me.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, you wrote a whole book on how my witness testimony was the reason an innocent man was imprisoned.”

“Yes. I still stand by that.” He responded honestly, crossing his arms over his chest.

“So what, you think I’m a liar?”

“You painted a picture that made him look like a killer. I think you were so desperate for all the media coverage and court trials to end that you picked him as a scapegoat.”

“Have you talked to Yoongi?”

“Many times. He admits to selling drugs to your brother but that’s all.” The look on his face told you just how in-depth their conversations had gone. Namjoon was a very detail-oriented man.

“Then how do you explain the blood on his clothes and the murder weapon in his home?”

“His roommate testified that he came home high with no blood on his clothes. Someone else planted all that evidence and framed him.” The way he spoke of Yoongi was almost like they were close; he clearly felt very strongly about clearing his name.

“Why are you so adamant on proving his innocence? Did you know him?”

“Why do you care what I think?” Namjoon’s face screwed up as he seemed to grow more irritated with you. This was the real emotion you expected to get from him, behind the friendly facade he tried to put on with you. “You got what you wanted, didn’t you? Yoongi’s life is ruined, he’ll never see the light of day again.”

“That’s not what I wanted.” Now, it was your turn to look confused. “I wanted justice. I told the judge exactly what I saw that day.”

His lips pursed as he thought for a moment, processing your words. “Yes, I knew Yoongi. We weren’t exactly friends but anyone who knew him knew he was harmless. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Harmless and yet he sold drugs to teenagers?” You regretted it as soon as it came out your mouth. You knew it was a low blow and you didn’t truly care that he did that anyway but you needed to cling onto some semblance that you made the right call.

He hummed as he searched your face for a moment, “Why are you asking me about Yoongi all of the sudden? You’re not so sure anymore, are you?”

“No, Yoongi murdered my brother.” You weren’t even sure if you believed yourself at how weak your voice sounded.

“These murders are related, aren’t they? The killer’s still on the loose.” He sounded almost triumphant as he marveled at your recent revelation, the cogs in his head working on overdrive. You had just confirmed his biggest theory yet despite your best efforts not to.

Now was a good time to leave. You weren’t sure what you had hoped to get out of this interaction but it wasn’t this. You had been avoiding the truth for a long time but it was catching up to you. 

“Goodbye, Namjoon. Always a pleasure.” He didn’t respond as he watched you move to leave, his lips moving as he quietly murmured to himself. Despite his dark calculating eyes following your every move, you knew that he was in a different place conjuring up his next news broadcast.

*****

Halfway through the school day, it became apparent that Principal Choi had not shown up nor called in sick. After multiple attempts to reach his home phone, one of the administrators called the police to do a wellness check. And what they had found upon entering his home had been what everyone was fearing.

The news of Principal Choi’s death spread through the school like wildfire and you could tell the staff struggled to hold themselves together while keeping the students organized. A few police officers arrived at the school to work with the administrators on figuring out how to go about letting the students go home.

You were in the library with Haena and Jungkook when a pair of boys came running through your section and drawing the attention of everyone nearby. One was screaming in an exaggerated manner and the other was wearing the infamous Ghostface mask and chasing the former. You could tell they were just playing a prank but you didn’t see how anyone could be making fun of the situation right now.

“What is wrong with people?”

“Are you kidding me? Look at this place, it’s like Halloween.” Jungkook threw his head back and laughed.

“Stupidity leak!” Haena berated him, whacking him in the head with her notebook.

You shook your head at him, deciding to just ignore his comment. “Have you guys seen Taehyung around?”

“You mean after you gave him blue balls? No, his heart’s broken.”

“Jungkook,” Haena elbowed him hard, causing him to grunt.

“He said that?” You were shocked that even Jungkook knew about your lack of a sex life but should have known that boys would talk just like girls did.

“Of course he did. The guy’s crazy about you.”

“What guy’s crazy about her?” Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Taehyung leaned over you from behind to kiss the top of your head, causing your heart to do a flip.

“Keanu Reeves, of course.” You mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Haena at her swift coverup, causing her to give you a wink.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?” Taehyung whispered in your ear and held your hand as he pulled you out of your chair. Haena ignored Jungkook trying to get her attention as she watched you follow your boyfriend to a more secluded area. 

“I’m really sorry about what I said before - it was way out of line. I’ve been a little out of sorts lately with everything going on.” He sounded vulnerable as he spoke, and you couldn’t help but feel your heart tug at his remorseful face. He had always been the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. “I just want us to be okay again. I want my girlfriend back.”

“I’m still your girlfriend,” You rolled your eyes playfully, squeezing his hand in yours. “But I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel insecure. I know I’ve been acting different for a while and it wasn’t fair to you. I guess I just haven’t been dealing with my trauma very well.”

“That’s not your fault. You don’t need to feel bad about how you grieve.” He reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind your ear, a soft expression on his face.

“I haven’t been grieving at all - that’s the problem. It’s like my emotions have been shut off.” You sighed, shutting your eyes as his hand moved to caress your cheek. “I can’t keep hiding in my room forever. I need to move on.”

When you opened your eyes again, Taehyung was watching you carefully with his mouth pressed shut. You wished you could read his mind. There was more you wanted to say but you found it hard to find the words, so you decided to let your actions speak by leaning forward and kissing him deeply.

You could tell he hadn’t expected you to make the move by the way he froze but he quickly recovered, pulling you closer with his arms settling around your waist. You pressed yourself to him as he leaned against the bookshelf. This was the most hot and heavy you had ever been in public and you could tell he was enjoying it, not wanting to part from you for even a second.

When you did eventually pull away, you felt brave enough to ask, “Will you meet me at my house later?”

You felt him tense up in shock yet again but couldn’t see his face as you were leaning on his chest. You dared to look up and see him looking at you with wide eyes.

“I thought you wanted to stay at Haena’s.”

“I changed my mind.” You shrugged, feeling giddy as his face lit up. “You’ll protect me from any bad guys, right?”

He pulled you in again, wrapping his arms around you tightly and resting his chin on the crown of your head. You had never felt safer.

“I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Taehyung has always been careful and thoughtful about how he treated you. His touches were gentle and soft; you couldn’t imagine him hurting a fly. Maybe it was just his artsy persona but you had always known him to be a deep, considerate person. He was meticulous about every detail, whether it was his art or his life. Sometimes it seemed like he truly believed life was art; a painting that was ever-changing and inspiring.

You were a masterpiece in his eyes. Something to be cherished and never tarnished. That was why he wanted to keep you safe from the evil in the world. He knew that life had already not been fair to you. But he believed it was his job to prevent any further wrongdoings from coming into your life. He wouldn’t hesitate to destroy anyone who would even try to cause you harm.

It was when you were laid out on your bed looking like an angel, Taehyung felt like he was truly going to Hell. Surely God was coming for him because he had stolen an angel and kept her all to himself. You had given yourself up to him and you didn’t know it yet but he would never let you go. How could he?

The only word to describe it was heaven. Having you in his arms like this, touching parts of you his hands had never dared to before - it was pure bliss. He wanted to stay like this forever. There was nothing out there for either of you. Everything you both needed was right here, in each other’s arms.

He had lost count of how many times he made you come undone before he had even entered you. This wasn’t his first time but it may as well have been with the way he struggled to not fall apart almost immediately. You were his weakness and at the same time you were the only thing keeping him together most of the time. He didn’t care how old you both were - you were it for him.

You had always imagined your first time would be like a dream, full of romantic candles and roses. The reality of it was much different, more natural, and yet you found it to be better than you could have ever imagined. You felt like one of Taehyung’s paintings as his lips and fingertips caressed you everywhere, molding you into one of his perfect creations. You were his muse and you had never felt so beautiful.

It was a night of passion and love; the perfect embodiment of your relationship. Whatever rocky period you had been going through before was long gone and you almost couldn’t believe you had ever wanted to delay this. This was where you needed to be. You knew you probably sounded like a naive teenager, but you didn’t want to think of anyone else in this way ever. You only wanted Taehyung.

“I’ll always love you, YN. I’ll never leave you.”

*****

The next day, you were on your way to your locker when you spied Haena waiting for you. You tried to act indifferent to Haena’s wide eyes looking you up and down as you approached her. It was as if she was trying to find some kind of visible evidence on you.

“So?” You knew she wanted to know what happened last night, but you weren’t ready to spill so soon. 

“So... what?” You acted ignorant as you opened up your locker, reaching for your math textbook.

“Oh come on, I’m dying here! Spill.”

“Okay, okay.” Laughter bursted out of you, your resolve crumbling before you could even try to build it up. “We, uh... did it.”

“More details, please.” She rolled her eyes at your vagueness.

“It was really sweet. He made us a nice dinner and then we...” You cringed, not knowing how to talk about it without sounding corny. “I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Well, did it hurt? Did you come?” You nodded to both questions honestly and her eyebrows raised as she became more intrigued. “How many times?”

When she saw you counting on your fingers higher and higher, she blew a low whistle. “God damn. Good for you, girl.”

“I feel like he set the bar pretty high. Is it always like this or is he just really talented?”

“Well, it depends. Jungkook is usually pretty good but sometimes he’s too drunk or lazy and then I end up doing most of the work myself.”

You pursed your lips in thought, “Doesn’t he go down on you before?”

Her eyes widened as she opened her mouth in shock, “Can I borrow him?”

You smacked her on the arm as she laughed, linking arms with you as you both made your way to class.

“Oh, by the way, Jungkook’s having a party at his house later.” She mentioned nonchalantly as she popped her gum in her mouth.

“What about curfew?”

She shrugged, “I don’t think they’re being too strict about it. It’s probably safer that we’re all together anyway.”

You still looked convinced, so she added, “But if you’re really worried, we can just stay over at his place. His parents are out of town.”

“Does your dad know?” You glanced at her curiously.

“God, no,” she laughed, shaking her head. “He’s working a night shift so he’ll be busy patrolling. And I’ll just tell my mom we’re staying at yours.”

“Okay. We can go.”

“Yeah?” She looked surprised, a bright smile painting her face. It was infectious as you found yourself smiling back at her and nodding. She bumped shoulders with you, wiggling her eyebrows as she leaned in, “Hmm, I like the new you. She’s fun.”

You were surprised how easy it was for you to agree to the party. Maybe last night gave you more confidence to just live a little. All you knew was the old you would have opted to stay at Haena’s for another night in and you didn’t want to be stuck in your old ways. You owed it to yourself and everyone you loved to move on.

You had foolishly fallen into a sense of false security, not necessarily forgetting about the horrors your town had been cursed with but just for once not having it in the forefront of your mind. You had felt closer to your boyfriend than ever before and now you were ready to be more adventurous. It wasn’t until later in the day did that bubble of excitement pop.

When the classroom door opened to reveal Sheriff Lee, the students around you immediately began whispering to each other conspiringly. You wondered what it could be this time around as he whispered something to the teacher before turning back to face front with a serious expression. Your teacher’s eyes landed on you as she waved her hand, “YN.”

Everyone around you hushed as you gathered your things with shaking hands, making your way to the front of the room quickly. The air out in the hallway felt different, less suffocating. It somewhat helped your rising anxiety.

One look at Sheriff Lee gave you a new perspective of this man who had practically raised you. He wasn’t that old, only early 50s, but the stress he had put under with his profession had aged him. He had tired bags under his eyes, worry lines on his forehead, and sprouting grays here and there. He had always been handsome and you could tell he would continue to age like wine. But that didn’t change how sad it made you to see him in this state.

“YN, I’m afraid I have some bad news. There was a report of a car that wrecked on the side of the road just outside of town.” He spoke slowly as he relayed the information, the consideration from him not lost on you. You were trying to process it all while still not understanding why he was telling you this. “It was your dad’s car.”

Your heart stopped as you clutched your school bag in your hand. Thoughts were going wild in your head as your breathing became erratic. You didn’t know what any of this meant. 

“What, um... is he dead?” Your tongue felt disconnected like your brain was just on autopilot.

“No one has seen him yet.” He sighed, a deep frown etched across his features. “I know you said he was leaving for a work trip but have you spoken to him at all since he left?”

He was aware that your father wasn’t known for contacting you at times like these, but you understood he still had to ask. “No. The last time I saw him was the night before he left.”

He nodded as if he expected that, giving you a small smile. “Well, we’ll keep looking. In the meantime, I want you to stay out of your house in case there are any clues to where he could have gone. And it’s probably safer that you’re not alone right now.”

“Okay.”

It seemed like he wanted to say more but clearly was out of his depth when it came to comforting someone. It wasn’t like he could make any promises about finding your dad because the truth was he was most likely gone. You had dealt with enough loss that you knew this feeling well. You gave him a matching small smile, albeit weak but you hoped it would appear encouraging.

“Thank you, Sheriff Lee.”

*****

School ended early that day, mostly due to the fact that half the staff had called out in fear of receiving the same fate as Principal Choi. It was strange that they even had anyone come in at all but you figured the police had already suspected the killer was at the school, thus being their best bet at finding them. Everyone was on edge as if Ghostface was still lurking in its shadows. Which technically, he probably was.

You had already started to go through in your mind which students in your school could have done it. There were a few stronger girls in your class who could have had the physical power to do it, but they were all too nice or non confrontational. There were plenty of bully-like guys that could fit the description, but you had a hard time truly seeing any of your classmates being involved in such gruesome scenes. It’s just that all the victims had one thing in common: the high school. It only made sense that all suspicion would be pointed here.

Eventually, you gave up trying to figure it out because you were only going in circles in your head. The police would figure it out. Tonight was supposed to be fun and you were sure the killer wouldn’t be brave enough to attack a whole group of teenagers. There was strength in numbers and you felt safer this way.

As you and Haena made your way up the driveway, music could be heard blasting from inside. You weren’t even that late but it seems the party was already in full swing. There were a dozen football players and cheerleaders lounging in the main room when you walked in, most of them unknown to you. Haena greeted a few people in the hallway and you followed her into the kitchen as she searched for some refreshments. 

“It’s about time you guys showed up,” Jungkook yelled from where he was standing by the snack table.

“I see you guys couldn’t wait to get started,” Haena eyed where Hobi was pouring beer down a funnel into Jin’s mouth.

“Well no one told you guys to arrive fashionably late,” Hobi replied, high-fiving Jin before switching places with him. Haena rolled her eyes, moving on to talk to Jungkook on the other side of the room.

“Hey, have you guys seen Taehyung?” You asked, leaning against the countertop island.

“He was in here earlier. I think he said something about going outside for a smoke,” Jin informed, not taking his eyes off where he was pouring.

You briefly wondered how you had missed him if you had just come from the outside but shrugged it off. He had to be around here somewhere. You ventured out into the main room and plopped down on the couch. The music had been turned down a bit as they were going back and forth trying to decide what movie to watch. For some reason, the genre they had settled on was horror which was in poor taste in your opinion. At least it was entertaining to hear them argue about who usually survives in a horror movie.

A hand on your shoulder startled you, looking up to see Hobi standing there with the telephone. “Phone for you.”

You held in your confusion as you got up to take the call in a quieter area. “Hello?”

“YN, it’s Namjoon.” Of all people who could be calling you, he was probably the last one you would suspect. “Are you guys okay?”

“Yes, why wouldn’t we be?”

“I’m guessing you haven’t heard yet.” He sighed and your heart thudded in your chest, unable to speak as you willed him to continue. “Sheriff Lee’s dead. They found him strung up on one of the field goals in the football field.”

You almost dropped the phone, a stuttered gasp being the only sound you could make for a moment. 

“Oh god,” you finally spoke, your hand coming up to cover your mouth. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“Is Haena with you?” He asked quickly, trying to distract you.

“Yes.” Swallowing, you covered your other ear as the voices in the main room started getting louder. How were you supposed to tell everyone? You were surprised you were even still standing.

“Stay with her. If I were you, I wouldn’t leave that house. ”

You were still so in shock from the news about your Haena’s father that it suddenly dawned on you that he had figured out where you were without you ever telling him. 

“How did you know I was here?”

“Someone reported a large gathering of students at the Jeon house on the scanner. I had a feeling you would be there.” His answer was a shock to you, not expecting anyone to know about the party as it was out on the edge of town.

“O-okay, I better go warn everyone...”

“YN?” You held in your breath as you waited for him to continue, unease crawling into your system at his pause. “Be careful.”

For him to sound so concerned for you only heightened your paranoia, quickly walking back into the main room where everyone was. Jungkook was sprawled out on the couch now along with Jin and Hobi, throwing his head back at something the latter had said. You shakily placed the phone back on the stand.

“Jungkook, I need to talk to you.” You were surprised your voice was so steady, his big eyes meeting yours as he took in your expression.

“Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” He joked, standing up to meet you behind the couch.

“Kim Namjoon just called me,” You felt your stomach flip as you held the back of the couch for support. “Sheriff Lee was murdered.”

You had tried to be discreet about it but your shock must have garnered enough attention, gasps sounding around the room as they all picked up on what you had revealed.

“Holy shit, I’m getting out of here.”

There was a chorus of responses as people started to make themselves scarce, clearly not in the mood for a party anymore. The only ones that stayed were Hobi and Jin, either not concerned enough about the killer or not brave enough to leave the house. You weren’t sure which group you belonged to but you knew you had to find Haena. You looked up at Jungkook, who was staring at the carpet with a serious expression on his face and biting his lip.

“Where’s Haena?” It was like he almost didn’t hear you until you shook his shoulder. “Jungkook?”

“Um, she went to get more beer-” He blinked a few times, waving his arm behind him. “Garage.”

You walked quickly around the house, trying to find the correct door to the garage. When you finally did, it was pitch black save for some light coming in from the opened garage door. You almost turned back as it was clear there was no one in here before something made you stop. There was no noise, no movement but you felt like something was in here.

Your hand sought out the light, switching it on and blinking as it flicked a few times before brightening up the room. Your gaze flitted around, almost giving up before you saw something dark and red that made you flinch backwards. 

There was a piercing scream and you felt the ground beneath you move, your ass hitting the wooden step hard. It wasn’t long before thundering steps came behind you, stopping as they hit your back. Your ears, seemingly filled with water with how muted everything seemed, caught a few more gasps and screams. Hands gripped you under your armpits, pulling you up over the steps and back into the hallway.

After that, everything was a blur of commotion. You were vaguely aware of people yelling around you but it wasn’t until Hobi crouched down, waving his hand in front of your face that you felt alert again.

“I think she’s in shock,” He relayed to the others.

“YN?” Taehyung’s voice sounded from the other end of the hallway, his expression bewildered as he approached quickly. “I heard screaming.”

“Jesus, where have you been Tae?” Jin asked.

“Having a smoke,” Hobi moved out of the way so Taehyung could kneel before you, bringing his hands to your cheeks and analyzing your face closely. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“Haena...”

“Go find Jungkook,” Tae instructed the older two.

Hobi groaned, “Why do we have to keep splitting up? This is what the killer wants!”

Jin smacked him behind his head, angling his head towards your shell shocked figure. “Shut up, would you?”

The two of them walked off, bickering quietly as they went. Taehyung sat with you silently as you stayed in the same position, wiping away any tears that escaped. You stared at the floor as your mind raced with a million thoughts, not a single one sticking long enough for you to linger on.

How could this happen so fast? You had just seen Haena in the kitchen talking to Jungkook. Everything was fine. You couldn’t have been gone from her for more than thirty minutes and yet so much had changed. It didn’t make any sense.

First Sheriff Lee, now Haena. The killer was getting closer. No, the killer was already here. It couldn’t have been Jungkook, Hobi, or Jin. They had all been with you.

But...

“Taehyung?” He looked up at you, surprised to hear your voice finally. He leaned in, reaching a hand out to brush your hair back but you shied away. He reared back in shock, his expression confused as he met your suspicious one.

“What?”

“You were... smoking? For thirty minutes?” Your voice was unsure as you questioned him, sounding stuffed up from all the crying.

“Yes, wh-” The sound of screaming from outside interrupted him. You shot up from your spot, running towards the front door where it came from. “Wait, YN! Don’t!”

You ignored him as you threw open the door; you needed to stop any more evil from happening. You had already lost so much in your life. Enough was enough.

The sight of Hobi’s bloody body laying on the front steps had you freezing in your tracks, feeling Taehyung’s chest collide with your back a moment later. The two of you stared in shock before you became aware of the violent tussle happening further out in the yard. It was hard to make it out but it looked like Jungkook and Jin were fighting. What the hell had happened? You were guessing this was Jungkook’s fight-or-flight response to finding out about Haena.

“Stay right here,” Taehyung spoke softly to you as he brushed past you, walking around Hobi’s battered body and approaching the two other boys with a calmness you didn’t quite understand.

The further he went out, the harder it was to make out who was who especially as they moved between bushes and trees. You felt anxious and stupid as you just stood there, your feet itching to move out and help them but not knowing if it was a smart idea.

“YN,” A voice coughed out from below you, a gasp escaping as you fell to your knees where Hobi was laying. You had been so distracted by the fight that you almost forgot he was there.

“What happened?” You asked urgently, grabbing one of his hands and squeezing.

He choked a bit, blood spraying out onto his lips and neck. “Don’t trust them.” He gave your hand one last squeeze, meeting your eyes as if to make the message stronger. You watched in concern as he closed his eyes, chest rising and falling rapidly. He was still alive but he wasn’t doing well. He needed medical care immediately.

“YN! Get inside now!” Your head flew up to see Taehyung underneath Jin, the two of them fighting over something shiny and sharp-looking between them as what looked like Jungkook was passed out next to them.

Your gaze flew back and forth from them to Hobi’s unconscious face, trying to figure out who to believe. You took a deep breath and ran back inside, locking the door behind you as you ran for the phone. You hit redial, hoping it would direct you to Namjoon. You never thought you could ever cry with relief at hearing his voice.

“YN? Are you okay?”

“Namjoon, tell the police the boys must have snapped or something, I don’t know. But Haena’s dead and we need help.” The words flew out of you so fast you weren’t even sure what all you said, hoping you got the message across as you huffed.

The line went silent at that, and you held your breath as you waited for a response. But there was nothing - just dead air.

“Hello? Namjoon?” You tried again, pulling the phone away before you realized the line was dead. Someone had cut the lines. “Shit.”

Just then, a sudden banging could be heard from the front door followed by desperate shouts of your name. You ran over to it, ready to unlock the door when you hesitated with your hand on the lock.

“Who’s there?”

“YN, let me in! Hurry!” The urgency in Jin’s voice made you throw open the door, gasping when you saw him covered in blood with a knife in his hand.

“Jin, what-”

“Don’t let him in, YN! He attacked me!” Jungkook suddenly appeared behind him, a deep cut on his cheek that hadn’t been there before. 

You looked between Jungkook and Jin, trying to decipher who to believe but not finding any conclusive evidence. To be honest, when you saw them out in the yard before, it was hard to tell who had even started the fight. And now seeing them both with blood on them, you felt at a loss. All you knew was people were dying and someone had cut the phone lines. You didn’t know who you could trust.

“Fuck, I can’t.” You slammed the door as quickly as you could, locking it again. The banging and shouting continued.

“Help me! He’s gone crazy!”

You stood there for a few moments, palms still on the door as you willed your racing heart to calm down. Tonight had been nonstop crazy and you couldn’t remember the last time it was at a resting rate. Before you could turn around, a pair of hands landed on your shoulders and ruined any chance of your heartbeat slowing down any time soon. You shrieked as you turned around, not expecting to see Taehyung standing behind you. 

“Shh, it’s just me.”  He shushed you, putting his hands on your shoulders to calm you down. 

“Wh- how did you get in here?” You hadn’t seen him outside just now.

“I came in through the back. Are you okay?” He checked over your body, fingers brushing over the visible skin on your face and arms.

“I’m fine but Tae, where have you been all night?” Your exasperated tone caught him off guard, a somber look coating his features as he regarded you. “I’m getting really freaked out.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to run off like that. I’ve just been trying to protect you.” His words didn’t make any sense but you weren’t thinking clearly enough to dissect what he meant.

The banging grew louder and Taehyung moved to open it. The roles were reversed this time as you shook your head at him, silently urging him not to let anyone in. Your fingers gripped the sleeve of his sweater anxiously. He turned to look at you, his hand coming up to cover yours on his arm.

“It’s okay. You can trust me.” He nodded at you with a small smile, and you released the breath you didn’t know you were holding.

The door swung open to reveal Jungkook standing there looking out of breath, but his face lit up when he saw you standing there with Taehyung. A grin broke out across his face, “The gang’s all here!”

You could only watch in confusion as Jungkook stepped in in the same move that Taehyung backed you up with him. Jungkook shut the door behind him looking gleeful as ever. You looked at Taehyung who had a serious look on his face but you recognized a glint of something in his eye, almost like he had just won a bet or something.

“What’s going on?” You asked, stepping back cautiously from them. The energy had changed drastically and you didn’t like it one bit.

Taehyung eyed you like you were a scared animal, holding his hands out as if to placate you. His gaze was locked on yours and you almost felt like he could read your thoughts, anticipating your next move before you could even do it.

“Surprise, YN.” Jungkook smirked at you, looking far too elated right now to have just lost his girlfriend.

Your eyes flitted back and forth between the two of them before you spun around, racing toward the kitchen to find something you could defend yourself with. Although you had no proof, you knew it was them. Taehyung and Jungkook were the killers. You didn’t have time to feel heartbroken and betrayed. Your only thought right now was survival.

Before you could get far, arms wrapped around your waist and yanked you back towards a firm chest. You eyed the knife block longingly - so close. Taehyung held you tightly to his front, turning the two of you around so you were backed up against the counter. Jungkook leered from across the room looking like a dangerous predator.

“Why are you doing this?” You cried, hot tears streaming down your face.

“I already told you. I’m protecting you.” Taehyung explained as if it was the most obvious thing.

“By killing all my family and friends? You’re fucking crazy!” Your voice grew louder, unable to feel shy about getting angry despite being caught in a murderer’s arms.

Taehyung was a murder. Your soft, loving, artsy boyfriend was a cold-blooded killer. This was a nightmare; this couldn’t be real.

“Yes, I am crazy, but only for you. I would do anything for you, YN.”

“You’ll never get away with this.”

Jungkook chuckled, “Tell that to Min Yoongi. You wouldn’t believe how easy he was to frame.”

“What did you have against my brother?” There was a lot to unpack here but this was the question you had been wondering for a whole year.

“Your brother wasn’t the picture perfect star quarterback everyone believed him to be. He had a bad habit of date raping girls from other schools, including my cousin.” Taehyung answered for you, the lack of eye contact with him making him hard to read if what he was saying was true.

“You’re lying,” You hissed, trying desperately to break out of his arms.

“Why are you defending him? He was never nice to you.” Jungkook reminded you, his eyes calculating and cold. “Face it, YN. Your brother was a bad apple who got what was coming to him.”

“What do you have to gain from this?”

“Well, naturally, I wanted his spot on the team.” He grinned at you, flashing a perfect set of teeth. “It wasn’t hard for Taehyung to convince me once I realized what a piece of shit he was.”

“And Haena?” You glared at Jungkook. “How could you kill your own girlfriend?”

“I can’t take credit for that,” He nodded towards Taehyung behind you and you felt your body go still. “You saw me. I was here the whole night.”

“Wrong place, wrong time.” Taehyung added, leaning his head on the space between your shoulder and your neck. “But I won’t lie. I hated sharing her with you all the time.”

“You’re okay with him murdering your girlfriend?”

“I liked Haena but she didn’t get me. She didn’t get you either.” Jungkook approached the two of you slowly, dark gaze zeroed in on your anguished expression. He reached out to caress your face, causing you to tense up as Taehyung straightened behind you. “You’re too good for her.”

“Jungkook.” Taehyung’s voice was rough as he motioned with his head towards another part of the kitchen. The two shared some sort of unspoken communication as something dawned on the other boy.

“Oh yeah! We got a surprise for you, YN.” Jungkook’s voice grew louder and more excited as he walked towards the hallway closet door. “You’re gonna love this. It’s a scream, baby.”

It didn’t take him long to retrieve what he was looking for, your eyes almost bulging out of your head as you saw who it was. “Dad!” He was tied up with tape around his mouth and a nasty cut on his forehead.

“See, YN? We got it all figured out, don’t worry.” Jungkook began, pulling the knife from his pants and stuffing it in your dad’s belt. “The cops are already onto him and now the evidence is all over him. Just one more thing to do.”

Leaving you no time to react, Jungkook pulled a gun from behind his pants and aimed it right at your father’s head, shooting him dead. You couldn’t help the scream that tore out of your lungs. You felt cold all over, like your body had disconnected from your brain. Vaguely, you registered Taehyung’s arms holding you steady as your knees buckled.

“He deserved it, YN.” Taehyung spoke so plainly about the murder of your father like it was just a harmless prank he had pulled, “He didn’t appreciate what he had. Deep down, we all know he blamed you for being the one that survived. He never loved you the way a father should.”

The harsh reality of his words hurt. It was like he was looking into your soul, into your deepest darkest feelings that you had tried to keep down for so long.

“We did you a favor.” Jungkook added, his dark stare penetrating you where you stood behind the kitchen island. “And he makes the perfect suspect, triggered by your brothers’ death anniversary, then goes on a killing spree and finally kills himself with the sheriff’s gun. It’s like it was meant to be.”

These two were insane, no doubt about it. They had seen too many scary movies and now they felt like they were invincible. You could practically feel the adrenaline running through Taehyung’s veins.

“And now what? I’m next?”

“Of course not,” Taehyung laughed, switching you around so that he cornered you into the kitchen counter. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to your forehead, ignoring your deep cringe. “This has all been for you, baby.”

“Now, we finish what we started.”

Faster than you could blink, Taehyung swung at Jungkook, causing him to keel over. Red started pooling through the side of his shirt as he coughed into his hand, staining it with blood. You couldn’t believe your eyes.

“Tae, what the fuck?” Jungkook grunted, holding his side as he looked up at Taehyung in shock.

“I changed my mind. I don’t need a sidekick anymore.” Taehyung sneered, a venomous look on his face. “Thanks for all the help, buddy.”

Jungkook fell to the kitchen floor and Taehyung moved on top of him, stabbing him a few more times for good measure. In his bloodlust frenzy, he failed to notice that he had turned his back on you. Not only that, but the gun in Jungkook’s hand was now within reach of you.

You wasted no time in falling to your knees to grab it, quickly standing up and aiming it at the back of his head. Taehyung froze, still not facing you but somehow already figuring out his mistake. It was a foolish move on his part but he wasn’t exactly thinking clearly.

“Don’t move.” You spoke clearly, trying to keep your hand steady.

He didn’t listen to you though, moving slowly and carefully as he got off of Jungkook. He turned around with his hands raised, eyes wide as he stared at you. “YN, don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

“I said don’t move!” You yelled, your fingers trembling. You had never even held a gun before and now here you were aiming it at the love of your life.

“I know you don’t understand right now but you have to know: I did it all for you. So that we could be closer. I never meant to hurt you.” The sight of him inching further set you off, giving you the motivation you needed to pull the trigger.

“Goodbye, Taehyung.” You closed your eyes, not wanting to see the image of the light draining from his eyes.

It was over.

*****

Months later, you were relieved to find that life had seemed to calm down after that horrible night full of evil and bloodshed. You had suffered and lost so many people you loved. Much like a year before, only this time you felt somewhat hopeful for the future. Death couldn’t follow you around anymore like a bad curse; the evil was dead and gone from your life. It was the only thing keeping you going.

That and having a positive influence in your life, like for example Namjoon. He was the first to find you there at the Jeon house after getting your phone call but never receiving your message due to the phones being tampered with. You were lying on the kitchen floor, covered in blood and still in shock over everything. He had been so helpful, urging you to call 911 on his cell phone while he checked to see if Hobi and Jin were still somehow alive - which by some miracle, they were. They had sustained serious injuries and were lucky to be alive, each spending quite some time in the hospital and then physical therapy after that. You visited them almost every day.

It had been hard, dealing with the survivor’s guilt. Losing your entire family, best friend, and boyfriend (even though he had been the cause of it all) had done some serious damage to your mental health. And despite all the therapy you had been receiving and would continue to receive, you knew it would never completely be healed. But that was okay. In your mind, you deserved some kind of scar from the whole ordeal since you hadn’t suffered any physical injuries. Several of your friends were dead or badly hurt - you could deal with it if not for yourself, then for them.

The best part about it was being able to exonerate Yoongi. To finally be able to see some emotion from him on the day the judge ruled him not guilty had been life changing. Yoongi had always been such a calm guy and never blamed you for the year of his life wasted behind bars. You wanted desperately to make it up for him but didn’t know how you possibly could. Namjoon assured you that you had done enough but the guilt never seemed to go away.

Namjoon and you had started to develop more of a friendly relationship, something you had never expected to come out of this. But after all the conflict was gone, it was much easier to see each other’s point of view. And the truth was, he had always been right.

“Got any plans this weekend?” Namjoon asked as he poured some sugar into his coffee before taking a sip.

“Not sure,” you began, taking a breath as you thought it over. “I got invited to an end-of-year party but I’m not sure if I should go. Feels too soon.”

“Oh, you should definitely go. It’s not as soon as you think.” He responded encouragingly, sounding like a big brother.

“I just don’t see what there’s to celebrate about.” You shrugged, meeting his gaze.

“There’s plenty to celebrate! How about surviving a tragic murder spree, exonerating an innocent man, finishing up a school year?” You didn’t look convinced, so he tried again, “Come on, I think it would be good for you to get out. You shouldn’t stay in that big house by yourself all the time.”

“You sound like my therapist.” You rolled your eyes at him, stirring the tea in your cup mindlessly.

“Well, you sound like a petulant child.” He chuckled.

You opened your mouth to retort, eyes flying up to look at him when something in the distance caught your eye. Your body felt cold, frozen up as you stared at the familiar figure. Dark black mop of hair covered his face, baggy sweater and jeans on his frame. You blinked a few times but he didn’t move at all. It didn’t make any sense. 

“YN? What is it?” Namjoon waved a hand in your face, distracting you from whatever it was you just saw.

“Huh?” You asked, blinking at Namjoon before glancing back at where he stood before. Only now, there was nobody in sight. You cleared your throat as your gaze fell back on the man before you, “Uh, nothing.”

“You looked like you saw a ghost.” He laughed, eyebrows furrowing at you in a concerned manner.

“Yeah, right.” You shook your head. There was no such thing.

I’ll always love you, YN. I’ll never leave you.

*****

A/N: i'm baaaack! ngl i'm proud of myself for getting this one done bc it was a whopper. i really hoped you liked it! scream is one of my fave scary movies so i've always wanted to make an AU for it. ty for reading and pls lmk what you think!!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* YOU HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER, LET’S SEE WHAT’S INSIDE! *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

salutations: NEMESIS (part three of my SAGAU fic)

content: spoilers of mondstadt - inazuma archon quests, yandere content (?), heavy religious themes, god!reader, violence, angst/no-comfort, imposter!au, mentions of injuries and gore

penpals: @creation-magician , @creatorofstars , @victoria1676 , @I-chaan, @pyromaniam , @sweet-seraphim , @h3apm3ch4n151m , @heehoe, @moon--kitty, @yukete , @ognenniyvolk , @strawberrychan0 , @sarahyumiko2 , @o-zqq, @saving-for-xiao , @korou164, @dontmindmeherevibing, @lovearchon , @04mitsuba50, @shrynkk , @izumiii-san , @scrumptioussongobservation, @megsthings, @migirizuki , @ashphorny, @zexeq

note: it’s finally here !!! as always, thank you again for liking my other sagau fics :>>> enjoy my fellow comrades !

part one | part two | beloved creator masterlist ! | teyvat’s penpal service !

before the news of an imposter has been spread across the continent, everyone in teyvat was celebrating the arrival of the divine creator.

as the most devoted acolyte, zhongli had to see for himself if the news was true — so when he finds out that the divinity decided to visit the city of prosperity, he had to make sure to be the first person to welcome the creator.

so why does he feel… hesitant?

“...zhongli, is that you?” the divine creator asks with a sweet smile, eyes brightening at the sight of the consultant. “my, my, you’ve grown so well!” they exclaimed, cupping his cheek with their hand, paying no mind to the way he stares at the assumed “creator” in confusion.

“..your grace?” he calls out.

they giggled. “of course it’s me! you know me don’t you, my sweet rex lapis?”

he noticed how so many people were watching them, whispering words of devotion and gratitude that their grace had finally decided to appear in teyvat once more – and that the consultant of the wangsheng funeral turned out to be their supposedly dead archon as well.

with how.. familiar the creator is, how could he not believe that this isn’t his divine creator?

despite doubts still sprouting in his stomach, the retired archon slowly puts one knee on the ground, bowing down to the creator, who smiles menacingly kindly.

“your grace, i welcome you to liyue harbor.”

with how… considerate the creator is, how could he not believe that his grace is afraid of their own creations?

despite doubts still residing in his stomach, the retired archon slowly brings out his polearm, shoulders tensed from the sudden command of his creator, who's barking orders about getting rid of those disgusting hilichurls as they hid themselves behind his back.

“your grace, i’ll make sure they will be dealt with swiftly.”

with how… perfect the creator is, how could he not believe that his beloved divinity doesn’t want imperfections?

despite doubts growing stronger than ever, the retired archon summons his adepti in the raiden shogun’s residence as servants try to fulfill every single order from the now angered creator.

“your… grace, i’ll do my best to kill the imposter for you.”

now, zhongli could only watch as his city crumbled from his yet another mistake.

“it’s such a shame that you’re no longer considered as one of their acolytes now,” childe says with a fake sigh, hiding his grin at the sight of the retired archon’s terrified look on his face. “but i suppose that’s what you get for letting our divine creator suffer from your people and believe that ridiculous imposter that fooled you all. who knew the so-called most devoted acolyte would dare to try and kill the creator with his own hands?”

zhongli quickly looks at childe, eyebrows furrowed. “you’re a foolish man for believing an imposter like them, would you like me to remind you that the real creator is here?”

the harbinger looked unphased, his lips twitching upward. “the real creator? you mean the same creator who doesn’t do anything at all but lay down on the most comfortable sheets inazuma has to offer? the same creator who abuses servants and doesn’t bat an eye on those who beg for blessings? i’m done pretending that there’s nothing wrong with them–”

“the creator has their reasons–”

“despite seeing so many signs, you still refuse to believe that you’ve been fooled.” childe snarls. “and here i thought you’d know better.”

childe then glances at where osial is, chuckling to himself at the sight of ningguang and the qixing trying everything they can to take down osial once more. if only they knew that the overlord of the vortex’s wife is currently on her way too..

“tell me, morax. have you seen your so-called creator bleed?”

“maybe i can forgive you and your pathetic city… when you’re on your knees and beg like the filthy dog you are.” you said with a grin.

ei trembles, slowly going down on her knees and lays her head down on the cold ground.

“forgive me, your grace, for i have sinned.” she whispers, closing her eyes in dread. “i was blinded in fury for not seeing you as who you are, i was foolish for believing in an imposter who claims to be the creator, and i was cruel for trying to execute you in front of my people’s eyes.”

you stared down at the trembling archon with narrowed eyes.

“how pathetic,” you spat out. “how pathetic of you to assume that i’d forgive you so easily after your worthless begging.”

ei lets out a shaky breath, her head still lowered to the cement floor. she doesn’t care about the fact that some of her people are watching, all she cares about is you accepting her even if forgiveness is out of her reach.

“show me where that imposter resides.” you demanded.

you didn’t have to ask twice.

the woman looks up, pointing at her residence without maintaining eye contact with you. “they’re in my palace. they’re unaware of your arrival, your gra–”

without letting the archon finish, you started walking towards the tenshukaku with the golden wolflord following behind, summoning more rifthound skulls to ambush more of inazuma city’s citizens along its way.

every step you take brought more memories of what you did in the electro nation. memories of you helping out yoimiya bringing fireworks as you try to keep your hood up, memories of you chasing after thoma after he declares that whoever’s the last one will pay next dinner, memories of you being found out after a shogunate removes your hoodie, and memories of the raiden shogun ready to execute you with everyone watching in glee.

you did not forget the memory of spotting a person watching by the entrance of the tenshukaku, grinning as they wear your face.

as soon as you found yourself standing in front of the palace, you gripped your sword tighter.

“leave me be,” you said to the golden wolflord. “you may continue helping your rifthounds, but refrain from killing anyone. i prefer to handle the imposter myself.”

the nameless king bows for a moment before taking his leave, ready to cause more destruction to the people of inazuma city alongside its archon.

you slowly touched the doors of the palace, taking a deep breath. this is it, this is your chance to finally bring justice and ki—

“hm, i’m impressed that you’ve made it this far.”

without hesitation, you immediately turned around and pointed your sword at the person talking behind you, eyebrows now furrowed at the sight of a copy version of you grinning menacingly.

“it really was interesting to see those archons being so… desperate for their creator’s attention to the point where they’re all willing to kill someone. you should use that as your potential – if you can kill me, that is.” they said with a hum, unphased by the fact that your sword is close to their neck.

“you really are underestimating me.” you retorted, your other hand that wasn’t holding your sword clenches into a fist. “all the more reasons to kill you, i suppose.”

the imposter continues to grin, summoning their own sword as well before pointing it at your neck. “i’m sure celestia would love to see you once i’m done with you, your grace.”

you copied their expression, eyes glowing more golden than before.

“if i were you, i’d pick an archon and start praying, sweet copycat.”

it only took an hour before the destruction finally stopped.

it only took one single sound before every single creature stopped ambushing the cities of their land, slowly returning to their abodes and areas alike as the citizens watched in confusion and relief.

it only took one strong strike until the battle between creators had ended.

much to your surprise, the imposter wasn’t harder to fight than you expected. although there was a lot of damage taken in the tenshukaku, it ended where you hoped it would be; with the imposter beneath you scared and helpless.

“impossible,” they murmured, dropping their ruined sword in defeat. “how? celestia said i’ll be able to live! they said i will be able to rule the world! THEY SAID I’LL BE JUST AS STRONG AS YOU AND—!”

“how pitiful,” you commented, copying their grin that was once held before the intense fight. “it’s a shame that you oh-so desperately accepted such a false offer. do you even remember what you look like before, copycat?”

the imposter didn’t respond, looking around the place in panic as they mumbled out hushed whispers of repeated words.

you then gripped their face, causing them to yelp in pain. “now that you’re done playing as me, what should your punishment be?” you ask, raising your sword as they cry.

“should i just feed you to the golden wolflord? cut your head off and show it to inazuma that you don’t bleed gold? or perhaps go for a more violent method and make sure death goes slowly for you?” the imposter shudders in response, still unable to respond.

you rolled your eyes. they were so confident that you wouldn’t be able to kill them off, yet here they are.

“very well then,” you then let go of their face, fixing your grip on your sword. “i’ll just stab you to death instead.”

without letting the imposter try and protest, you instantly stabbed them straight in their heart, causing them to gasp out and held onto your sword in hopes of removing it.

“this is what you get for pretending to be me.” you said, pulling your sword away from the imposter’s body.

just when they thought it’s over, you proceeded to stab them at the same spot again. “this is what you get for ordering everyone to chase after me - even when i didn’t do anything wrong.”

another stab. “this is what you get for taunting me and watch me almost get killed.” another stab. “this is what you get for thinking that you won’t face the consequences.” another stab.

you continued to tell everything the imposter did as you stab them again and again, ignoring the way their blood splatters your armor and the way they try to stop you from your endless stabbing.

it ended a few moments later as they slowly fall limp, causing you to stop yourself from stabbing them once more as you watch them pass away.

finally.

finally you’re free.

you slowly stood up from the ground, ripping your sword off from the imposter’s corpse as you look at the destruction you’ve caused.

you can only hope that the creatures you’ve grown to care for aren’t doing too much destruction on the cities.

you then noticed the electro archon standing nearby, still refusing to maintain eye contact with you. “… your grace, i’ll make sure your room is—”

“i have no reason to live with people who have done nothing but try to kill me as if i’ve done something wrong.” you interrupted in a monotone voice, ignoring the way the woman looks heartbroken from your response. “i’m sure you and others can understand.”

the woman tries to come up towards you and protest, only to stop when you backed away.

“please let me go.” you took a deep breath, now realizing the injuries that the imposter slashed on you. “i just want to go back to my home..”

ei quickly noticed your now weakened state, causing her to now look at you with worry and panic. “your grace, i need to take you to the healers—!”

“don’t try to touch me.” you strictly said, focusing on your breathing. “i’m… i don’t need your help.”

the archon felt helpless, watching as you call out the golden wolflord, causing a brown portal to appear, followed by the giant wolf coming out from it to retrieve you.

“your grace, please…” ei begs. “stay with us - let us make up for everything. we were all fooled by the imposter—”

“what’s there to make up for?” you ask, keeping your sword away. “how could i forgive you after everything that happened? how could i forgive you after everything you and your people did to me? i didn’t even do anything wrong, i just wanted to—”

suddenly, you started coughing out golden blood, causing the archon to immediately come up to you alongside the nameless king - who snarls at the woman coming towards you.

you stopped her from coming towards you, shooting her a glare.

“send the other archons my warning. if they ever - or if anyone tries to find my location, i’ll make sure they’ll be punished and will send every single monsters to them.”

you then hold onto the wolf. “consider this as a goodbye, raiden shogun.”

🥰🥰

Fall Back in Love | jjk

> jungkook somehow grew a reputation of sleeping around on campus, leaving him lonely and inexperienced with relationships. so when you, his old childhood best friend moves onto campus, he discovers what a relationship can feel like as he finds himself falling in love with you

> jungkook x f.reader, childhood best friends,friends to lovers, slow burn, light smut, jealous! jungkook, needy!jungkook, mature, mentions of blood and fighting

Fall Back in Love drabble

wc: 17.6k (got carried away)

“why would we go on a date?” jungkook fought the frown that wanted to appear on his face. not again. this had to be the at least the third time this month he’s had the exact same conversation the morning after he slept with a woman he either got chatting to at a party or a local club. it was like every woman within a five mile radius had a meeting and collectively decided to sleep with him then never see him again afterwards. he didn’t want to seem pathetic, isn’t that exactly what the majority of guys his age wanted? in their eyes he had the perfect situation going on, constant sex when he wanted it with no strings attached. what he wanted to know however was how they dealt with the constant loneliness that occurred every time the hook up left? or the heartache that came when he saw a college couple walking around campus throwing their love in his face every morning at 8am? he tried not to be bitter, it was cute they found someone to spend their college years with. no he was bitter, so very bitter. he was a romantic at heart, so how did he get such a reputation that meant no woman ever wanted to even go on one date?

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— ᴛᴏ ᴀꜱʜᴇꜱ, ᴡᴇ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴ

✧ notes ; The Tsaritsa, Childe / Foul Legacy, Zhongli, Ei, Venti | Imposter AU ✧ warnings ; blood, graphic injury, electrocution

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Not Enough Anymore

warnings: slightly angst, jealousy, cursing, kissing (may contain spelling errors, I’m not a native)

summary: you found yourself desperate for Cheongsan’s love. You wanted to kiss him, touch him, hold him, declare your feelings for him. However, you decided to keep everything inside of you, thinking that it would be better than being rejected… until that day when the worst happened and Cheongsan’s best friend, Gyeongsu, found out about it.

____________

Being Lee Cheongsan’s friend was just not enough anymore.

That feeling was growing inside you more and more each day and you knew you shouldn’t feel this way. You shouldn’t love someone who definitely was incapable of seeing you romantically.

Cheongsan loves Onjo. Cheongsan loves Onjo. Cheongsan loves Onjo. You have been trying to repeat this sentence in your own mind as a mantra for eight months already.

It all started when you moved into the same building as Lee Cheongsan and Nam Onjo. And you soon found out that you three attended the same school as well. You just wanted distance from him, this platonic feeling would get you nowhere, but Onjo and him ending up becoming close to you and eventually your best friends.

The first contact you had with Cheongsan was when you were coming back from the convenience store and accidentally dropped everything because of your father messages on your phone about you being late. Cheong San was kind, he saw the mess on the floor in the hallway and offered his help, picking up the things for you.

Since you were in a hurry, you both didn’t exchange many words.

“Thank you!” you shouted without looking at him and ran off quickly, almost tripping over your own feet pathetically. What a shame!

Days later, Cheong San met you again since you were classmates. At first, he didn’t seem to recognize your face, but he soon figure it out when he heard Onjo introducing you as her new neighbor.

Yeah, you were supposed to be friends, but it all felt like living a love triangle. It was sad you couldn’t control yourself from staring at Cheongsan everytime he was distracted with something else.

You found yourself desperate for Cheongsan’s love. You wanted to kiss him, touch him, hold him, declare your feelings for him. However, you decided to keep everything inside of you, thinking that it would be better than being rejected.

Until that day when the worst happened and Cheongsan’s best friend, Gyeongsu, found out about it.

You two were doing an assignment together in the library and you fell asleep because of you lack of resting from the previous night.

“You haven’t getting so much sleep lately, have you?” Gyeongsu looked at you with great interest, curiosity vibrating from every particle of him. “Anyway, you said Cheongsan’s name during your sleep.”

Your eyes widened the instant you heard this.

“No, I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did! I’m not deaf.” Gyeongsu smirked. “You were like Oh Cheongsan, you’re so handsome and perfect, I love you so muuuch.” you stared at the boy angrily, he obviously was enjoying teasing you and his wicked smile started to make you feel nervous.

“Shut the fuck up!” you slapped him hard on his head.

Gyeongsu let out a low laugh, but you ignored him and finished some last details of the assignment just in time for the break to end.

When you two got back to the classroom, you noticed it was empty. You and him were the first ones to return.

“So… ” Gyeongsu started talking again. “You’re in love with Cheongsan, but aren’t gonna tell him?”

“He doesn’t need to know.”

“Really? I don’t think so.” you felt your throat go dry at the thought of the boy saying something to Cheongsan.

“Please, don’t say anything to him!” Gyeongsu looked at you surprised. He had never seen you ask him for anything like that.

“I don’t know… he’s my best friend, I can’t keep secrets from him.” the boy argued firmly.

“Yeah, but this has nothing to do with you.” you replied lowering your voice now that the classroom was already getting full of students.

“Let me tell him. Who knows, hm? Maybe you two… ?” the boy said suggestively, causing a sigh to come out of your mouth.

“Never. Cheongsan would never give me a chance… ”

“I would never what?” you heard a familiar voice and then saw Cheongsan coming closer, he looked from one face to the other, trying to understand the situation. “Hey, all right here?”

Before Gyeongsu could think of answering, you acted faster than him.

“Gyeongsu, please… ” you ignored Cheongsan’s question as you beg his friend, making the best to sounded sweet and cute to convince him. “Please… ”

“Ah… okay.” the boy moved closer to your ear to whisper the following words: “You don’t have to beg. I won’t tell him.” and then he walked away from you along with Cheongsan, who had a very confused expression on his face.

If Cheongsan insisted at least a little, would he still keep his mouth shut?

No, you're sure you couldn't trust Gyeongsu.

___________

Your fear was confirmed when you heard Cheongsan shouting your name at the end of class in the middle of the hallway, but you didn't stop to wait for him and walked faster. At some point, you were practically running from him.

He knows. Fuck, he knows...

You went down the stairs to the first floor and the main entrance as fast as you could, but you didn't go that far, because soon the boy reached your figure and stop right in front of you, preventing you from scaping.

"Why are you running away from me?"

"What? No, I'm not."

"I may not be the smartest in our class, but I'm not dumb, y/n." he smiled, finding your odd behavior very amusing.

"Okay, hm... then let's pretend...let's pretend you don't know."

Cheongsan raised an eyebrow, not understanding what you meant.

"Don't know what?"

"Stop it! I know that Gyeongsu told you!" you didn't realize that your voice sounded quite a bit loud, causing the other students to stare at the two of you.

"He said.... ?"

"That I-I like you, Cheongsan."

"You forgot this in class." Cheongsan was holding up your math book and you didn't hesitate to grab it from his hand. "Wait... what you just said? You like me... ?" Cheongsan obviously didn't know what he should answer, but what you hated most was what was described in his eyes. Surprise. Disbelief. Compassion. "I'm sorry, I... "

"You have feelings for Onjo." Cheongsan's attention fixed even more on you. "I understand that, let's just forget about today, okay?" you walked quickly past him and he didn't stop you this time, but you could hear him sighing and saying again "I'm sorry."

__________

It would be a huge lie if you said that things didn't get awkward between you and Cheongsan. Not that it was completely bad, but even the way you looked at each other was different.

"There's something else here." Anyone would say that.

All the time, you had the feeling that the boy wanted to tell you something, and it left you in a state of anguish, wanting to know what he was thinking. But a week after you proposed to him, you couldn't even imagine that Cheongsan would react and cross the line.

"What are you doing right now?" you had just showered and were getting dressed when your cell phone started vibrating. It was already late. Why was he texting you?

"None of your concern."

"Are you upsed?"

"Fuck off, Cheongsan."

"I just want to know if you're okay."

"I am fine."

It was your last message before ignoring him, however, Cheongsan did not give up easily. The boy insisted and soon you could see a picture of the two of you together with Onjo in the background glowing on your cell phone screen. Annoyed, you aggressively answered his call.

"What do you want?"

"Come outside."

"What?"

"I said come out here. I'm at your door."

"Cheongsan, it's already very late."

"Please. Come here."

You debated with yourself for a few seconds, but ending up not resisting.

How could you resist him?

You put a sweatshirt over the thin shirt you used to wear to sleep and after making sure you weren't inappropriately dressed, you left your apartment quietly. Cheongsan was standing right in front of your door and he stared at your face for a long time without saying anything. Several seconds passed...

"Cheongsan... ?"

"You are really very beautiful." your heart melted and sped up at his words.

"S-stop it!" You stammered pathetically.

"Sorry for not noticing it before." Cheongsan took steps toward you, breaking the distance between you both.

"Please... don't do this. " and before you knew it, he was close, too close. That wasn't right.

You put your hand on his chest to push him away, but it didn't work.

"I can't stop thinking about you. Ever since that day...I can't stop thinking about it, y/n." Cheongsan lowered his eyes to your mouth and you swallowed hard. "Keep quiet, I need to try something."

You didn't have time to protest or think about anything before his lips met yours, initially it was supposed to be an innocent kiss. You felt like you were going to fall, but Cheongsan held your waist with one of his hands. He was really kissing you. It was real. Not a dream.

He deepened the kiss, his hold getting tighter on you, his body dangerously close to yours, and soon you both were making out as if this was the only way to stay alive. So wrong. You were in your front door and anyone could see that scene.

"Cheongsan... " you pulled your face away from his, looking into his dark eyes.

"Good night, y/n. Have sweet dreams." Cheongsan seemed like he wanted to kiss you again so badly, but he didn't. So you pushed him away and quickly came back inside your apartment.

You sighed deeply. Your legs were wobbly.

________

The next day, Lee Cheongsan said that it was a mistake what he had done. That he had acted on impulse. Cheongsan made you cry by saying that he loved Onjo and could not like you back. It hurt too much to hear. It hurt you even more that Cheongsan acted as if nothing had happened. He had said that he couldn't stop thinking about you and kissed you like that, and now... this? What a asshole.

Onjo had noticed how awkward you two had been lately, avoiding each other as much as possible. She tried to bring it up whenever the two of you were in the same place, but it was the same response from both sides. Nothing. There was nothing going on...

You felt so tired, you didn't want that heavy atmosphere with Cheongsan anymore. You wanted to have him around you. Even if only as a friend.

So you decided to move on when a student in your class asked you out, maybe if you started to date someone else everything would be okay...

"Are you insane?" you were so focused on your book on the table that you got a big fright when you heard Cheongsan's angry voice coming into the library.

"Cheongsan, I'm trying to study."

"Are you really going out with that guy?" he closed your book on the table to have your full attention on him.

You bit your lower lip nervously.

How did he know that? You hadn't told anyone except for Onjo...

"Who told you that?"

"Answer my question first." Cheongsan demanded.

"Yeah, I'm going out with him."

"No, you're not."

"I'll go out with whoever I want!" you stood up from your chair and pointed your finger in his face. Slowly, Cheongsan's expression became lighter and he smiled a little.

"What are you smiling at, you idiot?"

"You look so small and so cute trying to fight me." his smile got larger, but Cheongsan cursed as he was kicked hard in his leg. This time, you were smiling in victory.

"Lee Cheongsan, you are a... " you couldn't finish the sentence because the boy took you by surprise by hugging you suddenly. A very tight hug. It was as if he was afraid that you were going to run and disappear away from him.

"Please, don't go out with anyone else." the boy whispered, keeping you tied in his strong arms, and although you didn't respond with words, you hugged him back and that was just enough.

____________

It turned out to be you and Cheongsan's secret that you met with him secretly almost every day at school. Deep down, you were aware about the reason he might wanted it that way, but you pretended not to.

Maybe you were just being used, but you enjoyed being with him too much to stop and think about it properly.

His lips and his touch were addictive. You felt safe in his arms.

Maybe Cheongsan could fall in love with you eventually. Maybe he will forget his love for Onjo. Could he fall for you? Be yours?

However, the most important thing at that moment, while the boy pressed you against the wall of a empty room and once again got lost himself in your sweet kisses, you knew that Cheongsan was only yours.