Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A few months had passed since Taehyung’s curse had been lifted. Spring was just over and merciless heat and thunderstorms took it in turns to shape the summer in Seoul. Both humans and elves enjoyed the lively and healing atmosphere of blooming nature in their own way.

Taehyung was an apprentice since almost six weeks now and Seokjin had been very patient with him so far. He always made sure to encourage Taehyung and give him all the time he needed. For now, Seokjin just helped him to perform some easy spells, like controlling objects with his willpower and telling them to fly through the room or letting flowers grow. Taehyung needed to get used to the feeling of magic bubbling freely inside of him without any restraints. But there were no more outbursts and no more qualms since he had been healed. He was on a good way of becoming a full elf and the others were proud of him, showing their love and appreciation every single day.

Learning magic like a toddler took its first steps, Taehyung was working hard on keeping up with his classmates at the elvish faculty of the SNU. His schedule was filled with elvish history, cryptography, elemental and basic magic, which are the beginner classes as a magical apprentice. After his first exam that would be in store for him in roughly two weeks, he would be allowed to enter the intermediate classes – if he passed of course. But for now, he had a test coming up tomorrow as an academic preparation for the exam. To say he was nervous was an understatement. He had no idea what he should expect and his magic still felt so unstable and moody when he tried to use it.

His mind didn’t stop worrying about tomorrow so he decided to watch the stars in the garden, like he always did when insomnia didn’t let him rest for the night. He was surprised to find Jimin and Jungkook waiting for him there, guiding him into their arms. They had expected that Taehyung would’ve come here so they decided to keep him company. Even all this time, it still felt so unreal for Taehyung to be part of a coven. The bond between the seven of them was blooming and the others always managed to calm him down. With Jungkook and Jimin being young elves themselves, they could understand Taehyung’s struggles the best. After watching the night sky together for a while, the three of them decided to spend the last hours before morning in the magical garden.

They were cuddled up in the tree house only minutes later, hugged by pillows, blankets and each other. Taehyung could smell the familiar scent of his loved ones and rubbed his face against the crook of Jimin’s neck, bathing in the comforting presence until he fell asleep to Jungkook’s beautiful humming.

“Rise and shine, little one. Time to wake up,” said a gentle voice and raised Taehyung out of his slumber. He pouted and shook his head, not ready to start the day yet. The pillows and blankets felt so cosy and Jimin was tightly snuggled against his chest, while Jungkook was spooning him.

“Looks like our babies had a little cuddle session without us,” commented another voice, deeper this time. Taehyung was finally conscious enough to recognise the voice as Namjoon’s.

“’m not baby,” Jungkook muttered and made Namjoon chuckle. Taehyung heard some rustling and yawning. “See? I’m up,” said Jungkook and received a morning kiss from his hyung.

“Yoongi just finished breakfast.” Oh, Hoseok had been the other voice. Jimin stirred in Taehyung’s hold. Apparently, that was enough persuasiveness for Jungkook and Jimin to get up. Showering Taehyung with loving pecks all over his face, he was also ready to finally open his eyes and look at his hyungs.

“Food?” he asked cutely, long curly hair tousled from sleep.

“Yes.” Namjoon helped him to get up and pushed his bangs away so he could place a kiss on Taehyung’s forehead. “Come on. Don’t let hyung wait.” He patted Taehyung’s bottom and shooed the three of them out of the tree house. Jimin was clinging to Hoseok, arms wrapped around the other’s neck. Jungkook was already hopping down the stairs, sniffling excitedly as if he could smell the food right up to their garden. Taehyung was surprised to find Seokjin waiting for them next to the big tree. He was wearing an oversized sweater and snug jeans.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Seokjin cooed and ruffled Taehyung’s hair. “I figured you had some trouble sleeping last night?”

“Morning, hyung.” Taehyung intertwined their fingers as all of them walked back to the mansion. He began to remember what was going to happen today and chewed anxiously on his bottom lip. “I’m nervous …”

“Because of the test?”

Taehyung nodded. He didn’t want to disappoint Seokjin. All of them did so well during their trainee years that it felt like his insecurity was stupid. It was just a test and he had been learning every day for two weeks non-stop, practicing spells and burying his nose into the textbooks.

“What happens if I don’t pass?” he asked.

“Then you will try it again. Remember that you can’t get expelled for failing a test or an exam. The only thing that might happen is that you need more time.” Seokjin gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand. “And you can take all the time you need, Taehyung-ah.”

“Okay, hyung.” His anxiety eased a bit thanks to Seokjin’s words. They were entering the house and walked down the hallway, the smell of Korean breakfast reaching their noses. Yoongi always cooked so well for them. One reason why Taehyung really liked Thursdays.

“Thank you for the food!” Jungkook shouted happily and sat down. Taehyung would never understand the youngest’s never ending appetite, but he thought it was adorable. He was definitely not alone with this thought. Jimin ran his fingers through Jungkook’s wild hair and wrapped it into a man bun. The youngest almost had the same length as Taehyung by now and they knew that it only meant more head scratches for the both of them.

“Eat well,” Yoongi said and looked over to Taehyung who took his seat between Namjoon and Hoseok. “You too, cub. Your brain needs the energy to work later.”

“Yes, hyung.” Taehyung grabbed the chopsticks and started to eat. No matter how alone he sometimes was with his thoughts in the middle of the night, being together with all of them kept him from listening to the anxious voice inside his head. Even though the curse had been lifted, his soul still needed more time to recover from all the years of suffering and isolation from his own kind.

“Should I pick you up after classes?” Seokjin asked after sitting down at the end of the dining table. “I have no appointment today and as long as there’s no emergency I can wait in front of the campus.”

Normally, Taehyung took the bus there and back, joining Seokjin at Epiphany to do his homework and try out new spells. Besides exorcism and curse lifting, Seokjin had to take care of boring paperwork and phone calls with healers and local authorities. He knew Taehyung wasn’t fond of watching this part of his job so he usually did it while Taehyung had classes at the university.

“Thanks, hyung. I usually take the north entrance, but there’s no place to park …”

“Hoseokie-hyung often picked me up at the west gate. It’s next to the faculty of geology,” Jungkook said with his mouth full of rice. “There’s a big parking lot.”

The campus of the SNU was so big, Taehyung had no idea, where the faculty of geology was, but the internet would help him with that. So far, he only knew his own faculty, the north library and the canteen, because his schedule had no big breaks in-between apart from lunch.

“How about I’ll wait there then?” Seokjin asked.

“Okay. But if I get lost, Kook-ah takes full responsibility.”

“Well, I’m just gonna let your name called out the whole campus then.” Seokjin smirked. “Or even better: ‘Mr. Worldwide Handsome looks for his little cub. He waits for you at the-” He couldn’t even finish his teasing as Taehyung’s ears turned red, making him laugh and choke on his coffee.

“Karma, hyung,” Yoongi said dryly and patted Seokjin’s back, while he put a piece of meat on top Taehyung’s rice. “Eat up. You’ll miss your bus if you dawdle any longer.”

“Oh.” Taehyung blinked and turned his head to look at the clock next to the window. It was already past eight. His first class would start in not even an hour and he still needed to shower, dress and get the bus in thirty minutes. He digged into his meal and filled his stomach in less than five minutes before he rushed upstairs and got ready for the day.

“Thanks for the food!” he shouted back and opened the door of his room. The guestroom was no longer for guests, but his own bedroom. He had got new furniture and decoration to give the room a more personal touch. Now there were paintings of his favourite artists hanging on the wall, a beanbag chair in the corner next to the window and a shelf full of books, games and plants. His wardrobe was now three times as much as before and he loved to dress himself up comfy yet fashionable. He quickly choose a simple outfit and walked into the bathroom to jump into the shower. His thoughts wandered as the steam enveloped him completely, wondering what he would learn today and how the test would look like. He knew there would be a theoretical and a practical part and he sure was more nervous about the second one. So far, he had learnt a few basic spells and earth and water magic. His elemental teacher had told him that both wind and fire were harder to control because of their non-physical state so it would be a subsequent teaching subject.

His classes were small. Only a dozen of other elves had started their apprenticeship in Seoul at the same time as Taehyung. All of them were obviously younger, but they didn’t judge him for his age after he had told them the reason of his late start. They all got along well enough to do group projects, but not close enough to spend their free time together yet. Maybe in a few more months, when all of them – Taehyung – would be comfortable enough around each other.

After showering and packing his backpack, he went downstairs and gave everyone a goodbye kiss before leaving the house. A part of him enjoyed this routine on every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On the weekend, he mainly studied and spent his time with the others, hanging out at their shops or playing games if they had a day off. Monday and Tuesday was always a full work day with Seokjin. So far, he didn’t join him on an exorcism mission, but he watched how he sometimes took care of cursed artefacts that were brought to Epiphany by some clients. His life was suddenly unspectacular again, but in a good way. It was domestic, stable and comforting. Something many people didn’t appreciate because they always had it and took it for granted. Only when it would be gone, you suddenly miss daily life.

Taehyung was happy to finally have a daily life.

He walked down the street and reached the stop a few minutes before the bus would arrive. Although the day had just started, he was looking forward to get picked up by Seokjin today. Maybe he would show him something new today. A new spell he didn’t know about, a new story he hadn’t heard yet or a new mission he hadn’t been part of so far.

But before that, he needed to focus on today’s test. It would be the first one and of course he didn’t want to fail. He needed to make Seokjin and the others proud. He wanted to proof them that he was ready to go a step further. He had been working so hard lately that any other result would feel like a waste of effort. South Korea was known for their hard-working students and tough classes and Taehyung could see how everyone tried their best in order to purchase their dreams. Taehyung would need top grades for being allowed to study exorcism or healing magic in the future. He knew it was still so far away, but once you would stop keeping pace with it, it would be harder and harder to reach the top.

The bus turned around the corner and stopped in front of him, opening its doors to let him step inside. Taehyung pulled out his earphones and plugged them into his phone. Some music would keep his mind occupied until he’d arrive at the SNU. He sat down and looked out of the window, watching the houses and trees passing by.

Once he arrived at the campus, anxiety returned as powerful as yesterday evening. Now there was no one who could take his hands, stroke his hair or tell him that everything was going to be fine. He looked at his phone, contemplating calling or texting one of the others to ask for some supporting words, but he decided against it. The voice inside of him told him that he was too greedy. He always took and took, but never gave anything back in return. The only thing he could do was showing them how well he was doing with his classes. The only thing he could return was effort and diligence.

While walking down the path that led him to the faculty of magic, he took a deep breath and tried to remember everything he had learnt so far. He saw some other elves training their magical light outside or performing some elemental spells on the meadow. One of them even managed to let some wonderful tulips grow around them. Another one use the water from a drinking fountain and let it flow through the air, as if gravity had been stopped. It was so fascinating to watch those talented young elves. Taehyung admired them for their confidence of practicing in public. The only place he felt comfortable using magic was either at home or at Epiphany. Was he weird?

But it was just a test. He would be fine, right? He had tried his best to prepare himself for this day, hadn’t he?

Oh, if Taehyung only knew that this test was just the beginning of his mind spiralling downwards …

Sometimes, things weren’t so obvious. They would start slowly and small, like a snowball rolling down a mountain, only to end up as an avalanche of problems that got too big for a young elf to be solved by himself …

Chapter Text

The clock hit four when Taehyung left the faculty of magic and breathed a sigh of relief. The test had been quite an adventure. The theoretical part wasn’t the real problem, though. Sure he hadn’t known every single question, but he thought he did quite well. The practical part however had been chaotic to say the least.

“I’m done …” he whispered exhaustedly to himself.

First, he had to control earth and water as the section of his elemental magic course. He had needed to let a daisy grow from a seed before he had been told to transport some water into a tea cup with his magic. The flower hadn’t bloomed completely and he had managed to spill half of the water on their way into the cup. The teacher had written down some notes on his clipboard before they had continued with the test.

Basic magic was everything that included controlling lifeless objects and changing their appearance. There had been three different levels of difficulty for him to overcome. The beginning was fine. He had just needed to change the colour of a plain white paper. Then, he had been requested to let the paper fold itself into a crane. You needed a good sense of imaginative power in order to do so and Taehyung took his time to make a pretty paper crane. It had taken most of his energy and willpower to accomplish the task, but he had made it successfully in the end. The last level had been impossible for him. He had had to let the crane fly as if it was alive. Taehyung had just managed to move it from the table, letting it fall miserably on the ground. The teacher had taken notes again and Taehyung had felt his cheeks burning from his failed attempt. This had been everything he was capable to do.

Now, it felt like his magic was sucked dry. Like aching muscles after a long run. His head hurt, but his homework inside his bag didn’t care about that. The only thing he wanted to do now was lay down and sleep for the next twenty-four hours straight. That sounded heavenly.

Taehyung walked through the campus, checking the signs at the crossroads to find the faculty of geology. Seokjin was probably already there and waiting for him. He saw a group of young elves passing by, talking loudly about something he didn’t understand. There was still a lot in this world he had no clue about, despite his age. He began to regret isolating himself for so long more and more.

“Taehyung-ah!” Seokjin’s voice pulled him out of his self-pity and waved eagerly at his direction. He smiled and raised his hand as well, quickening his pace so he could fall into the other’s embrace. “There’s my little cub,” Seokjin cooed and kissed Taehyung’s cheek. They enjoyed the comforting hug for a while, standing beside the gate and not caring about the few glances they were receiving.

“Hello, hyung,” Taehyung mumbled and gave him a peck. “Thanks for picking me up.”

“You’re welcome.” Seokjin patted his bottom as they finished their greeting. “How’d it go?”

“Okay … I think,” he answered and started to walk towards the car with his hyung. “There were some things I didn’t do well. It was too hard for me,” he admitted sadly.

“It’s alright. I know you’ve done your best and you’ve worked so hard for this test.”

That was right. But it was also a thing that irritated Taehyung. Despite all the learning and practicing, he still struggled so much. It felt unfair.

“Yeah.” Taehyung nodded. “I think it was enough to pass at least.”

Hopefully, he thought.

“I’m proud of you for using diligence.” Seokjin unlocked the car by pushing the button on his key chain. Once they sat down and closed the doors, Taehyung could feel himself relax. Seokjin fondled with his longer hair at his neck, knowing that Taehyung needed some time to rest properly, especially after such a hard day. He would love to drive him back home directly, but there was still work to do at Epiphany and he didn’t want to let Taehyung alone right now.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“I’m starving, hyung.” Taehyung placed one hand on top of his slim body to emphasise his empty stomach. He looked so much healthier than the first day they had met. Not so fragile and sick anymore. It made Seokjin happy to know his cub was healing from all the suffering he had gone through.

“How about we get some food on our way back?”

“Let’s get something for Yoongi, too!”

“What a considerate elf you are.” Seokjin chuckled at Taehyung’s red ears, knowing that the cub was always a bit shyer when it came to their second oldest. Taehyung had a lot of respect for Yoongi and their personalities couldn’t be more different. However, they loved each other so dearly it melted Seokjin’s heart.

After getting some spicy chicken for the three of them, Seokjin parked near their shop and locked the car once they hopped out. Taehyung was the first entering Epiphany. The doorbell above his head rang and the familiar smell of old books and stuffy air engulfed him like an old friend.

“…can wait here, if it’s possible,” were the last words he was able to hear being said by an unknown voice, shaped by countless cigarettes and age. Taehyung started to listen attentively and turned the corner. Yoongi was talking to a middle-aged man with a leather sling bag hanging from his shoulder.

“You can wait here, but I can assure you that he won’t give you any answers,” Yoongi responded and crossed his arms, seemingly not happy to have this kind of visitor in his shop.

“Hyung?” Taehyung frowned and walked to the counter. Yoongi’s features immediately softened. The bell rang again in the background, announcing Seokjin’s entering.

“Hey, cub. You can go to your hyung’s office. I’ll join you in a bit,” Yoongi said, suddenly redirecting the stranger’s interest.

“Oh! Does your coven have a new member, Min Yoongi-ssi?” the man asked and took a step towards Taehyung who was taken aback by the sudden question, not sure if he should answer it or not. Before he could come to a decision, he felt a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. Seokjin appeared right behind him.

“May I ask why you’re so interested in my coven, young man?” It had to feel weird for a human his age to get called ‘young’ by an elf who didn’t look older than thirty. Taehyung thought he’d never dare to talk informally to a human looking older than him. He lived too long pretending to be ‘human’ to change that perception overnight.

“Kim Seokjin-ssi!” the man exclaimed. “I’m a reporter of-”

Seokjin sighed.

“-The Seoul Newspaper. We know you didn’t want to answer our questions three months ago, after your spontaneous vacation. But I thought a visit can’t hurt.”

Taehyung knew exactly which ‘vacation’ the reporter was referring to. It had been the time they all had travelled to the island where they had found the soul crystals in order to lift Taehyung’s curse. It didn’t look like Seokjin was keen to give the reporter any information about that adventure.

“So you might already know that my opinion didn’t change since then,” Seokjin said and guided Taehyung to the counter. “My apprentice just came back from his classes and needs a break. We wanted to eat together, so would you please excuse us.”

“Your apprentice, huh?” The man raised an eyebrow at that, looking even more curious than before. Seokjin was everything but happy about that reaction and took a deep breath.

“Yes. Most elves have an apprentice during their long life, if you didn’t know that.” Seokjin mocked him a bit, trying to end this conversation and get this reporter out of his shop. It obviously wasn’t the first time this had happened.

“This one is for the books!” The man shouted. “Kim Seokjin, the greatest exorcist of our country, has an apprentice that will follow in his footsteps! These are great news!” He turned around, staring into Taehyung’s eyes. “What’s your name, young elf?” He was talking informally to him. Of course, most apprentices started shortly after their magic would have settled down so this reporter probably thought he was younger than him. Seokjin cleared his throat.

“Watch your tongue,” he said cautionary. “With this kind of attitude towards my mentee, I’ll no longer allow you to stay in my shop. Leave.” There was something in Seokjin’s voice with the last word that made Taehyung shiver. The reporter paled immediately and rushed out of Epiphany, stumbling through the door. Yoongi rolled his eyes.

“This man really has no manners. Those reporters are like hungry beasts, looking for some exposing articles they can write to feed their pathetic sensation mongering. Disgusting.”

“I’m sorry you were dragged into this conversation, little one.” Seokjin looked at Taehyung with an apologetic smile on his lips. “You okay?”

“Yes, hyung. It’s not your fault.” Taehyung lifted the bag with their food. “Can we eat now?”

His hyungs laughed at that. Yoongi gave him a proper kiss to say hello and the three of them walked into Seokjin’s office. However, Taehyung couldn’t stop thinking about the reporter’s words. He knew Seokjin was a famous exorcist, but he had never seen himself as his successor. Especially not after today’s test.

Speaking of it.

“How’d it go?” Yoongi asked as he opened the lid of the lunch box.

Taehyung explained him briefly what the test was about, nearly forgetting to eat if Seokjin didn’t hold the chicken right in front of his mouth every now and then. He had lost some of his appetite because of the stranger. He hoped there wouldn’t be any consequences. The man didn’t know his name so he should be fine, right?

“Don’t worry too much about it now.” Yoongi shoved the food into his mouth and patted Taehyung’s knee. “Tests aren’t so important. It’s more important that you understand the topic and look what kind of magic fits you best.”

“But I want good grades.” Taehyung pouted as he finished his meal. Seokjin chuckled at that, remembering how he had the same mindset back in his days. His family had pressured him to do well in school and everything under 90 percent had been fatal for him. He had never really enjoyed studying and cramming, but after he had decided to pursue his own goals, he had found new motivation. Not because he had wanted to have good grades, but because he had wanted to become an exorcist and help people in need.

“You know we’re always here to support you, little one,” he said. “If you need any help, just ask us.”

“I know, hyung.” Taehyung felt how something inside of him shook its head.

If you ask, it means you can’t do it yourself. You need to be more independent and show your hyungs that you are capable to be by yourself. How will you be Seokjin’s successor with that kind of attitude?

“Do you need to do some homework or did your teachers have mercy with you?” Yoongi asked.

“Take a guess,” Taehyung said with a defeated sigh, shaking the dark thoughts away. Sulking wouldn’t help him now. “But it’s only history and cryptography. Nothing too difficult.”

“Alright. Call us, if you need help.” Seokjin ruffled his hair and stood up, gathering the empty boxes and putting them back into the bag so they could throw it away on their way out. They normally let Taehyung do his homework alone in Seokjin’s office to give him some privacy. He was too anxious if someone looked over his shoulder the whole time and the others respected that. Jungkook had been similar back then so they didn’t question it.

Meanwhile, Seokjin and Yoongi sat down behind the counter of Epiphany and worked side by side on their laptops.

“You think he’ll beat himself up about the test?” Seokjin asked after a few minutes of silent working.

Yoongi thought about it for a moment before he said: “I think that’s basically unpreventable. Whatever the results will be, we need to assure him that it’s fine. He has a huge disadvantage compared to his classmates because of the curse and his past. I’m glad he seems to be open about his anxiety so far and doesn’t keep it to himself. We have to make sure it stays like that so we can keep him safe from his doubts.”

“I want to show him that magic is more than studying and theory. Maybe I’ll show him something fun and new on the weekend. To distract him from the whole uni and exam stuff.”

“Sounds good.” Yoongi smiled. “I think some distraction will do him good. Do you think about taking him with you during a mission?”

“Yeah … I actually want him to join me next time, checking how he’ll cope with it. Only if he feels ready, of course,” Seokjin said. “This might help him to figure out if he’s on the right way or not.”

“It’ll be tough for him. Exorcism is no joke and even I think it’s disturbing to see what a shadow can do to a human.”

Shadows were spirits of the underworld, the source of dark magic and their power. With each dark spell, one shadow would be released from that place, wandering on earth until they would find a vessel they could possess. Humans were easy targets, especially if their soul was damaged.

“I make sure to take care of him afterwards.”

“I know you do, hyung.” Yoongi looked him in the eyes. “You’re a great mentor. Taehyung is in good hands.” He leaned forward and sealed his statement with a kiss.

“Thanks, sweetheart.” Seokjin took the other’s hands, brushing his lips over the rough knuckles. Yoongi blushed a bit. No matter how many years would have passed, he would always turn into a small and shy elf around Seokjin. The oldest absolutely adored it.

Taehyung aggressively rubbed his temples to soothe the annoying ache behind them. He was staring at his history book for solid ten minutes now without actually reading a sentence. His eyes burnt and he knew he had to finish this before tomorrow. He took a deep breath and began to read the text out loud, helping him to understand the meaning of it. Finally, his brain seemed to function again, comprehending the words and context until he was done and ready to answer the questions.

One hour later, the last thing that was left was elvish cryptography. He knew Yoongi would have no problems solving those riddles and ancient writings, but what was the point if Taehyung couldn’t do it alone?

Suddenly, somebody knocked at the door and opened it slowly, looking inside. “You doing okay?” It was Yoongi. As if destiny wanted to test his perseverance with this inviting opportunity. He could just ask. Ask for help. Now.

“It’s a bit hard, but I think I can do it alone,” he said instead. He hoped he could to it alone.

“Alright. It’s already six so we’re slowly wrapping things up in here.”

“I’m probably done in half an hour. I can help you once I’m finished!”

“No rush, Taehyung-ah. Take all the time you need. It’s important to do things decently and not half-heartedly.”

“You’re right, hyung.” Taehyung nodded. His grades wouldn’t get better, if he worked sloppily. He needed to work harder.

Don’t be lazy.

“Good boy.” Yoongi gave him a thumbs up and closed the door again, leaving him alone. Taehyung looked forward to the weekend. Maybe he, Seokjin and Jungkook could play some video games. Or he and Jimin would cuddle the whole Saturday afternoon on the couch. Or Yoongi would take him for a walk along the Han River. Or Hoseok would play some badminton with him while Namjoon watched them through the windows of the greenhouse.

He knew his new life had just started, but he was craving for a break. His mind wasn’t used to all the studying. But maybe he was just spoiled and whiny. He already finished half of the semester. He could do it. He just needed to hold on just a little while longer.

Chapter Text

Once Seokjin, Yoongi and Taehyung reached their home, they were greeted by the smell of food and loud voices. Hoseok’s laugh reaching the front door made them all smile fondly. It seemed like the others were having some fun before dinner.

“We’re home, guys!” Yoongi announced and shuffled through the hallway with his slippers on his feet. Seokjin and Taehyung followed.

“Hyung! Taehyungie!” Jimin shouted and waved at them. He was sitting on the couch with his legs thrown over Namjoon’s lap. Hoseok was right next to them, holding a controller and staring at the TV. He and Namjoon were playing a car race game and looking at the ranking, Namjoon was far behind, bumping against a tree.

“I can’t believe you thought my car was yours!” Hoseok said with a wide grin on his lips. “It’s the third race.”

“Jimin told me!” Namjoon argued, making Jimin burst out laughing while holding his stomach, nearly falling from the couch. The scene ended with Namjoon taking revenge and tickling Jimin’s sides while Yoongi disappeared into the kitchen, probably helping Jungkook preparing dinner.

“Alright, give me the controller, Namjoonie. The game master has arrived,” said Seokjin and took a seat on one of the armchairs. Taehyung giggled and tried to help poor Jimin out of Namjoon’s arms, but ended up sitting on Jimin’s lap and receiving gentle kisses from both of them.

“How was uni, baby?” Jimin asked and wrapped his arms around him.

“It was okay, I think,” he answered. “I’m still not good at the practical part.”

“That’s fine. We know you tried your best.” Namjoon pecked his lips. “Don’t think about it anymore. Only tomorrow and you get a well-deserved weekend.”

“Okay.”

“Hyung’s right. There’s no need to bother your head about it anymore. Let’s relax,” Jimin said and even though Taehyung nodded, it was difficult for him to just forget about it and move on. He knew he could’ve done better today, but somehow it didn’t work out like he wanted to and that frustrated him. His anxiety seemed to block his potential and he knew he should work on that.

They watched Seokjin and Hoseok playing the game and ranting about each other like an old married couple before Jungkook announced that dinner was ready.

“Can you set up the table, Taehyungie-hyung?” Jungkook asked. Immediately, Taehyung was back on his feet and got seven bowls and plates out of the kitchen cabinet. He grabbed chopsticks for everyone and tried his best to not let anything fall down. Last time, a bowl had crashed on the floor but luckily, Yoongi did a quick repair spell and fixed the faux pas like nothing had happened.

“Thank you for the food, cub,” Seokjin said as Jungkook placed the pot in the middle of the table together with some kimchi and salad. He gave the youngest a sweet kiss and a pat on the bottom before he sat down. After everyone took a seat, they digged into the food.

“Hyung nearly broke our cash register today,” Jimin told them with his mouth full of ramyeon and cheeks puffed like a hamster. Namjoon choked on his food as he was exposed.

“It was stuck!” he defended himself. “I just tried to open it.”

“With your fist?”

“It was persistent.”

They laughed at that, listening to each other’s events of the day until all of their stomachs were filled and the pot empty.

“I got an invitation today,” Yoongi said after everyone else had talked about their day. “It’s for an auction tomorrow for old magical relicts and books. The tickets were given a private party, but one of them can’t attend tomorrow so they’ve asked me to join.”

“Oh. It’s been a while since you’ve been at an auction, hyung,” Namjoon said with raised eyebrows. “You think you’ll purchase something?”

“I’m not sure yet. The relicts are top secret so far so nobody really knows what’s going to be auction off tomorrow. I guess I have to decide it spontaneously.”

“Don’t buy another cursed stone tablet as last time,” Seokjin told him in a scolding but also amused tone. “I don’t want to evacuate the whole shop again.”

“That was a onetime thing, hyung,” Yoongi tried to convince him, but Taehyung could see the look Seokjin was giving Yoongi. “Fine. I’ll keep an eye on that.”

“Thank you.”

Jimin and Hoseok were responsible for washing the dishes so the rest of them was able to enjoy the last bits of the evening. It was already nine o’clock and Taehyung needed to wake up early tomorrow. Therefore he excused himself and walked upstairs to his room. The others wished him goodnight and relaxed in the living room with some cup of tea.

“Is hyung feeling okay about the test?” Jungkook asked to everybody around, sitting comfortably snuggled next to Seokjin. Namjoon and Yoongi were occupying the couch, legs crossed and mugs in their hands.

“I think, he’ll be fine in a few days. He’s not used to examination stress and studying,” Seokjin said.

“He’ll need some time to know himself better. His magical light is a lot more stable than before and he definitely makes progress,” Yoongi added and sipped his tea. He and Seokjin were able to experience Taehyung’s improvements the best out of all of them and they always made sure to praise him and give him enough reassurance. He just feared that it wouldn’t ease Taehyung’s anxiety like Yoongi hoped it would. It seemed like not even Taehyung himself knew what caused his desperate need to work harder and harder.

“And about exorcism?” Jungkook’s question caught Seokjin quite off guard.

“You didn’t talk with him about that yet?” Namjoon asked after a few beats of silence. Seokjin sighed and leaned his head against Jungkook’s shoulder.

“Not really. I’m a bit scared to be honest,” he admitted. “Taehyung has read about some of my exorcisms in my work journal, but reading about that is completely different than experiencing it by yourself. I didn’t want him to join me while he’s already stressed because of the test, but now, I can’t continue with those excuses. That’s why I decided to ask him next time I’ll go on an exorcism mission.”

“Maybe you should talk about it beforehand,” Namjoon said and put the cup on top of the coffee table. “Ask him if he has any questions and explain him how exactly you handle your clients so he gets an idea of your job.”

“That’s a good plan.” Seokjin nodded. “I guess preparing him can help the both of us. Thanks, Joonie.”

“No problem. I just thought that Taehyung would like to talk with you about it before he can decide for himself if he feels ready or not.”

“You have to be careful, though,” Yoongi interjected. “Your answers to his questions might scare him off even more. Try to explain it in a way that doesn’t euphemise exorcism, but helps him to understand the whole procedure.”

“I will. He needs to know the unpleasant part of this magic, but even more the importance of my job. Protecting people from the darkness and fighting Shadows can sound heroic, but you need to have a strong soul in order to do it.”

“I trust you, hyung,” Namjoon said. “I’m sure you’ll prepare him well. The first time won’t be perfect, but he has you to take care of him.”

“That’s right.” Jungkook hugged Seokjin sideways. “Don’t worry too much. You’ll get wrinkles.”

“Excuse me?” Seokjin gasped and lifted his head, staring at Jungkook with a shocked expression. “I just wanted some comfort and suddenly my own cub is telling me, I’m getting old.”

“You are old.” Jungkook giggled and kissed Seokjin’s pout away. “But still the most handsome elf in the world.”

“I’ll let that slide,” Seokjin said in a playful warning tone. “Because you’re cute.” He poked Jungkook’s nose.

Namjoon cleared his throat. “I think, I’ll check on Taehyung. Maybe he wants a cup of tea as well.” He stood up and stretched his tired limbs.

“Good idea. I’ll see if Jimin and Seokseok-ah are done with the dishes,” Yoongi said and left the living room area. Seokjin and Jungkook watched how the others gave them some privacy and grinned at each other.

“Looks like our flirting scared them away,” Jungkook said.

“Cowards.” Seokjin pulled him into his lap. “And now let me spoil you a bit, bunny.”

Namjoon carefully knocked at Taehyung’s bedroom door and was a bit surprised to actually get a response.

“Come in,” he heard Taehyung’s muffled voice and opened the door.

“I didn’t expect you to be awake,” Namjoon said. Taehyung was sitting at his desk with a book in front of him and a marker in his right hand. It certainly wasn’t a novel the cub was reading.

“Oh.” Taehyung looked like he had an apology on his tongue. “I just wanted to prepare myself for tomorrow’s classes.”

“Didn’t you finish your homework already?” Namjoon frowned worriedly. Did the universities lift their expectations and workload again after Jimin and Jungkook had finished their apprenticeship?

“I did, but … I just thought a bit more effort can’t hurt.” Taehyung chewed on his lip, unsure how else to soothe the feeling inside his heart. He wanted to make up for today’s test.

“It’s amazing to see how ambitious you are about school, little one,” Namjoon said. “But you’ve already worked so hard. You had a test and did your homework. Your mind needs a break to process everything.” He sat down on the bed. “Do you realise that you’re about to overwork yourself?”

“Am I?” Taehyung blinked and stared at the opened page in front of him. His eyes had difficulties to focus on the words. “But wouldn’t I be better, if I work too much?”

“You can’t force your mind or magic to learn faster and faster. Everyone has their limits. Learning how to study is more about efficiency than quantity.” Namjoon patted on the free spot next to him. Taehyung joined him on the bed and felt how the other was running his fingers through his hair. He sighed at the relaxing sensation that spread through his body.

“What if my magic is just weak? Because of the curse …” Taehyung mumbled.

“Your magic had been confined for so many years and it definitely needs time to harmonise with your soul again. But that doesn’t make it weak. Actually, your magic already showed you how strong and willing it is to let you live for so long despite the curse. There’s no need to feel ashamed of your magic. You’re doing just fine.”

“I just think … that I need to prove myself.”

“Can I ask why?”

“I don’t really know.” Taehyung looked down, watching his feet playing with the soft carpet. “You all tell me that it’s okay and that you’re proud of me, but I can’t be proud of myself somehow. I can’t give myself that appreciation …”

Namjoon knew that Taehyung always longed for the coven’s praise and love. But he thought it was because he simply enjoyed the positive attention, just like Jimin did. He didn’t expect that it was because Taehyung was unable to give himself this love. He knew modern society conditioned most people to crave for feedback and affirmation through others instead of yourself.

Carefully, he wrapped an arm around Taehyung’s shoulder and pulled him closer, resting his chin on top of Taehyung’s head that was now lying on Namjoon’s shoulder.

“I fear that this is something your hyungs can’t fix so easily,” he said. “Gaining self-esteem is an inner conflict with yourself, your mind and soul. The only thing we can do, is supporting you on this way. But I can give you some advice that had helped myself when I was younger.”

“Can you please tell me, hyung?” Taehyung sounded so young and vulnerable. He was ready to take any help that would make the voices inside his head shut up.

“Don’t define yourself through your grades. Don’t compare yourself to others. Defeat the fear of failure inside of you. Life is all about falling and standing up again. It’s okay to fall. You always have our hands that help you up again,” Namjoon said. “It’s not easy to do those things, but as long as you try, it’ll help you to become a stronger person. A confident little elf.” He kissed Taehyung’s temple.

“Thank you, hyung … that really helped.” Taehyung smiled and nestled against Namjoon’s side, enjoying the soothing affinity. “It’s hard, but I want to give it a try.”

“That’s my cub.” Namjoon showed him his dimpled smile Taehyung always loved to swoon over. They cuddled a bit more until the first yawn was escaping Taehyung’s lips.

“Tired?”

“Yes …”

Namjoon chuckled and began to tuck him in. “How about I ask Seokjin if you can go home tomorrow directly after your classes? You can rest a bit then. I’ll see if one of us can come home early and keep you company, alright?” he asked while pulling up the blanket up to Taehyung’s chin.

“Okay.” Taehyung’s eyes were already closed, eyelids too heavy once they were down.

With a goodnight kiss on his forehead, Namjoon turned out the lights and let the cub drift into dreamland. Once he’d closed the door and walked downstairs back into the living room, Seokjin and Jungkook were long gone, probably inside one of their bedrooms. Hoseok, Jimin and Yoongi were still awake.

“You took your time,” Yoongi commented. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah. We’ve talked a bit, but he’s asleep now,” Namjoon said and joined Hoseok on the couch. “We was studying when I came in. I think he really beats himself up because of the test. I hope my words helped him, though.”

“You’re good with words, hyung.” Jimin smiled and looked upstairs as if he could see Taehyung sleeping through the wall. “I’m sure he can sleep well now.”

“I’ll ask Seokjin tomorrow if Taehyung can go home after school to get some rest. Do you think you can go home early tomorrow, hyung?” Namjoon looked at Hoseok. “Jimin and I have a big delivery in the afternoon so we can’t close the shop earlier.”

“As long as Jungkook is fine with taking care of Daydream alone for the last couple of hours, I should be able to come home after four,” Hoseok said.

“That’d be great. Thanks.”

“The same to you. Taehyung always opens up to you. I’m glad he has you as his hyung.”

“He has all of us,” Namjoon emphasised. “And we’re all nervous about him joining Seokjin on a mission, but that shouldn’t stop us supporting him on his way.” He noticed how Yoongi took a deep breath after he had said that. “The first step is always the hardest.”

“You’re right.” Jimin nodded.

After their talk and a quick glance at the clock, the four decided to go to bed as well. It was getting late and they all had a busy Friday ahead. A lot of things would happen this weekend and even though they had thought they would be prepared, they didn’t expect things to go downwards so fast after that.

Chapter Text

Taehyung got out of his seat as the bus arrived at the campus. He turned the music off and plugged out his earphones to pull himself back into the real world. The drive to SNU always was a time for a little bit of daydreaming. Mostly, he imagined himself living in a cottage with the rest of the coven, learning spells and magic like it had been done in the past without the whole academic part. He knew there were countries that didn’t require elves to learn the theoretical part at university, but just from their mentor directly. The systems were different all over the world, but South Korea was famous for their academic strictness and dedication, both regarding elves and humans. It was their culture and he was proud to be part of such a diligent society.

Once he stepped out of the bus and took a few steps away from the crowd rushing through the entrance gate, he saw a familiar face coming closer. Taehyung frowned as he recognised the reporter from yesterday. The sling bag was now joined by a camera that was wrapped around his neck with a strap. He smiled at Taehyung, but Taehyung couldn’t smile back, too surprised by the sudden encounter. Behind the reporter, there were a couple of more people with microphones and phones in their hands.

“Hello! You are Kim Seokjin’s apprentice, aren’t you?” the reporter asked and pulled a business card out of his pocket. “My name is Park Minhyun. I’m from The Seoul Newspaper.”

Taehyung grabbed the card and stared at the logo of the local newspaper agency. Meanwhile, the other reporters had joined them and circled around Taehyung, their recording devices pushed under his chin.

“Eh … okay?” He remembered Seokjin’s reaction and took a deep breath. “I won’t answer questions regarding Kim Seokjin, I’m sorry,” he told them politely and was about to escape the uncomfortable situation, when Park Minhyun wrapped his fingers around his upper arm.

“We want to ask you some questions. We’ve been waiting here all morning! What’s your name?” he asked and lifted his camera to take a photo. The flash blinded Taehyung and he turned his head away, meeting a recorder that was shoved in front of his mouth.

“When did you start your training?” another reporter asked.

“How old are you?” Another one. Taehyung began to sweat. His ears rang.

“How does it feel to be the apprentice of the best exorcist South Korea’s?”

“What does your magical light look like?”

Taehyung felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“How are you doing in school?”

“Did you join him on a mission yet?”

“Please give us some answers.”

The grip around Taehyung’s arm was tightened and so were his lungs. His breathing was shallow and way too fast to be seen as healthy. His ears felt sensitive. His skin tingled and he could hear his pulse knocking like a madman against his skull.

“I … I don’t …” he started, but it was hard to press any words out of his mouth. With the power of his flight instinct, he pushed himself out of the circle and ran through the gate. He bumped into a few students as he sprinted down the path, but he couldn’t care less right now.

He was having a panic attack. He knew this feeling. It creeped up his throat and there was nothing he could do to stop it from happening.

The next thing his brain was able to process what that he locked the door of a bathroom stall and sat down on the closed toilet seat lid. His fingers clutched at the business card that he was still holding. He closed his eyes and tried to remember Yoongi’s words. His hands were shaking badly.

Focus on my voice, cub. You are safe. Take something in your hand and look at it.

Taehyung opened his eyes again and stared at the crumbled card in his shaking palm.

Try to remember every edge of it. The colour. The weight. The texture. Focus on it.

He played with the wad of paper and used it like an anti-stress ball, squeezing it occasionally.

Very good, little one. Now take a deep breath for five seconds.

He inhaled. At least he tried to. His lungs burnt from the lack of oxygen and permanent exercise.

Now hold it for five seconds. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Exhale.

He hiccupped when the first tears dropped on the floor, but he didn’t stop counting in his head and continued to stare at his hands.

He repeated it a few more times until he finally managed to gain control over his body back. His lips were dry and his bones seemed to weight twice as much as before. He put the business card into his pocket and checked his phone. He had been hiding inside this stall for over fifteen minutes. His class would start in less than five minutes and he wasn’t even in the right faculty.

With wobbling legs and exhausted mind, he got out of the bathroom and walked to the exit of the building. No reporters within sight. Taehyung gulped and hurried to the faculty of magic. Being late wouldn’t make a great impression and his professor of cryptography was very strict when it came to punctuality.

Taehyung was so busy rushing to class that it didn’t occur to him to check his phone, which received several messages on silent from his coven mates that were more than worried about his well-being.

“Shit, he doesn’t even pick up,” Yoongi cursed as he tried to reach out for Taehyung for the third time this morning. They had all felt the panic through the magical bond that connected all of them. Even though the feeling had vanished by now, they knew Taehyung had been alone to deal with it, which was unsettling for Yoongi. He was at the other end of Seoul in the middle of an auction. It was impossible for him to drive to the SNU within the next hour.

He looked at the group chat and saw how everybody discussed what they should do. Seokjin was ready to call the university if he wasn’t in the middle of a cursed house purifying right now. It was really bad timing.

Not even ten minutes later, Hoseok had typed a quick message into the chatroom that both calmed Yoongi down and made him even more worried about his little cub at the same time.

Taehyung just called me! His teacher has sent him home after he collapsed on his way out of the lecture hall. He asked if I can pick him up since Seokjin-hyung is on a mission. I’m on my way now! Hoseok wrote.

Thank God, they finally got an answer from Taehyung. He wondered what had got the poor little elf so worked up, though. Hopefully, he would tell Hoseok what had happened. Yoongi was so scared that he had missed something that he should’ve been able to prevent in the first place. There were signs that Taehyung was overworking himself, but Yoongi had been sure that it didn’t get out of hand. Had he been wrong?

He sighed and put his phone away, knowing that Hoseok was taking care of Taehyung and that he didn’t need to worry for now. Going crazy wouldn’t help anyone at the moment and he should keep calm for Taehyung’s sake. Stability and support was everything Taehyung needed right now.

Taehyung was sitting on a bench in front of the faculty of magic when Hoseok arrived. He was staring at his feet, arms wrapped around the backpack that was resting on his lap, looking like a boy who had just been scolded for his behaviour.

“Taehyung-ah!” Hoseok called and ran the last metres to the bench. “Are you okay?”

“Hello, hyung.” Taehyung smiled tiredly. It looked like he didn’t sleep at all last night, but Hoseok clearly remembered him looking rested this morning. “I’m sorry I didn’t reply to all of your messages … I forgot about the bond when I rushed to class.”

“It’s fine, pumpkin,” Hoseok said and sat down next to him, fingers running through Taehyung’s hair before he wrapped his arms around the other’s shoulder. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Instead of talking, Taehyung fished the wad of paper out of his pocket and gave it to a very confused Hoseok.

“They were here this morning, waiting for me.”

Hoseok unfolded the business card and stared at it with a frown on his face, lips turned down.

“A newspaper reporter?”

“He was at Epiphany yesterday and wanted to talk with Seokjin. Hyung didn’t tell him anything, but now he got interested in me and mobbed me with his colleagues,” Taehyung explained and leaned against Hoseok’s shoulder. “They’ve asked so many questions and he … he grabbed my arm so I couldn’t escape and they shoved their mics and phones in my face to get any answers.” He choked. “I … I got scared and my chest was starting to hurt.” Taehyung buried his face into his hyung’s neck, legs now thrown over the other’s leg. Hoseok pulled him close, arms wrapped securely around Taehyung’s torso.

“Oh, baby …”

“I … I was able to run away, b-but the feeling didn’t go away. A-and …”

“You had a panic attack?” Hoseok concluded and received a nod against his neck. “I’m so sorry, cub. It was not right from them to hassle you like that. They had no right to do so.” He kissed Taehyung’s head and rubbed his back, comforting him with his presence as much as he could. It hurt his heart to see Taehyung like this, especially after all the process they had made over the past few months. He didn’t have a panic attack since March.

“I felt so weary after that … I rushed to my classroom, because I didn’t want to be too late, but then I got dizzy in the middle of the lecture and wanted to catch some fresh air …” Taehyung took a shaky breath. “I collapsed on my way outside and my teacher told me to call my mentor or somebody of my coven to take me home. He told me I should rest.”

“He’s right. Panic attacks take a toll on the body and you were already exhausted from yesterday’s test and all the stress that came with it. There’s no need to feel sorry for needing a break after such a hard week,” Hoseok said. “You won’t have classes until next Wednesday so you can rest well now and don’t worry about your classes. Both your magic and your body deserve some downtime.”

“Okay, hyung.” Taehyung sniffed and lifted his head. “Thank you for picking me up.” He kissed him on the lips. “Is Jungkook okay with managing the shop alone?”

“Of course he is, don’t worry. He even did it for a whole month a few years ago when I visited my parents,” Hoseok chuckled. “But speaking of him.” He pulled a little box out of his jacket pocket. “He told me I should give this to you. He wanted to do it by himself, but he said now would be a better timing.”

“What?” Taehyung looked thunderstruck at the obvious ring box in his hyung’s hand. He knew that humans gift each other rings before and during a wedding to get married, but that wasn’t part of the elvish culture. Elves were naturally polyamorous and lived in covens with their partners.

He opened the box and looked at a simple silver men’s ring with a tiny engraving on the surface.

05.03.2020

The day when he had officially joined the coven.

“Woah …” Taehyung marvelled. “B-but why?”

Hoseok suddenly lifted his left hand and showed Taehyung his own ring. The same silver but with a different date on it. Taehyung never noticed that they were all wearing the same ring.

“He loves to give us presents. It was his idea to craft a ring for all of us as soon as he was done with his apprenticeship. It was a thank you for all the love and support we gave him over time. There’s no spell hidden inside the rings, which is good since you’re already wearing the protective amulet I gave you back then. Too much magic on your body is not good and they can sometimes even clash against each other,” Hoseok explained kindly and helped him to put on the ring. It fit perfectly.

“It’s still amazing,” Taehyung said. “I have to thank him when he comes home!”

Hoseok smiled at him. “Are you feeling better now?”

“A lot better. But I’m still tired …”

“Then let’s get you home and tucked in, alright?”

They stood up and Hoseok helped Taehyung to walk to the car. He played with the ring on his finger with a smile on his face. Despite his terrible morning with the reporters and the panic attack, he knew that there was always a familiar hand that reached out for him. Maybe he shouldn’t be so anxious about the upcoming exam and his sooner or later hands-on experience with exorcism. Maybe his fear of the unknown was the real obstacle he had to jump over. He could work on that. Finding a solution of how to erase his fears finally sounded like a goal he could grasp somehow. Fear had always been the cause of his insecurities. If he could learn how to be brave, his life would be a lot easier.

Once home, Taehyung immediately fell asleep in his bed. Hoseok made sure to wake up for lunch so they could eat something together and watch TV. It was a nice and relaxing afternoon and Taehyung even felt energetic enough to play some badminton in the garden with his hyung. The morning was long forgotten and it just felt liberating to not think about homework or studying.

The two elves were now lying on the grass, Hoseok’s head resting on Taehyung’s thigh as they caught their breaths.

“I really needed that.” Taehyung panted.

“Exercising?”

“That too. But I meant some distraction. I love to talk with you guys about my thoughts and worries, but sometimes I just need to do something else that makes me forget all those things,” he said and listened to the wind flying through the tree tops.

“Sounds like Yoongi and Jungkook.” Hoseok giggled. “But Yoongi distracts himself with more work and Jungkook hits the gym for hours. Only after emptying their batteries, they’re ready to talk about their struggles.”

Taehyung loved to get to know the others more through those kinds of conversations.

“And how do you cope, hyung?”

Hoseok looked at him, then back to the sky, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“I try to think about the positive things. But if that doesn’t work, I seek comfort from either Jimin or Yoongi. Jimin for cuddles, Yoongi for words.”

“I get that.” Taehyung smiled. “Jimin’s cuddles are so good. And Yoongi’s voice always makes me feel calm and safe.”

“We complement each other very well because of our different personalities. I think that’s why we work so well together as a coven,” Hoseok said. “The fact that you fit in so perfectly makes me think that it all might be destiny. All seven of us together …”

“Really?” Taehyung blinked. “I have the feeling I only receive but never give anything back …”

“That’s not true, pumpkin.” Hoseok turned his head again, looking him in the eyes. “You give so much. Even now. You give me an ear to listen, a partner to play with and to feel comfortable with. We’re growing and learning because of each other. That’s our dynamic.”

Taehyung thought about those words. He never perceived himself listening to the others as giving something back. Maybe Hoseok just said it to not make him feel guilty.

“It’s so different from what I know …” he mumbled. “I probably need more time to fully get used to it.”

“Take all the time you need, cub.” Hoseok pushed himself up and stretched his arms. “It’s getting late. Are you up to help me prepare dinner? You’re freed from dishwashing duty then.”

“Sounds good.” Taehyung smirked and stood up as well.

They walked back into the house and checked the fridge, deciding what to cook for the group. Some spicy fried tofu with rice and gimbap sounded good.

It didn’t take them long to prepare the food as the sun was slowly setting. Taehyung was about to set the table when Jungkook opened the front door.

“Wah! I smell food!” he exclaimed and sniffed the air like an eager bunny. Jungkook followed the smell into the kitchen and spotted Hoseok and Taehyung in there.

“Welcome home,” Taehyung said and greeted him with a happy kiss.

“Are you feeling better, hyung?” Jungkook asked and eyed him from head to toe.

“Yes. Hoseok took care of me and your present made me feel a lot better.” He showed Jungkook his left hand and wiggled with his fingers, making the other grin brightly.

“Nice! Do you need any help with the food?”

“We’re almost done, bun. You can slip into some comfy clothes and wait, till your hyungs are back from work,” Hoseok said and gave him a peck on the cheek.

“Okay!”

The rest of them followed shortly afterwards with Yoongi and Seokjin being the last ones. After Taehyung had assured all of them – especially Seokjin – that he was fine, they went to the dining area and started to eat.

“I swear, I’m going to sue the whole newspaper agency if that happens again,” Seokjin grunted as he took a big bite from the gimbap.

“Let’s change the topic,” Jimin said as he sensed the tense atmosphere in the air and turned his attention to Yoongi. “Did you buy anything from the auction, hyung?”

“Just one thing.” Yoongi had his mouth full of rice and pointed to his bag in the hallway. “A scroll.”

“Scroll?” Jungkook raised his eyebrows. “What does it say?”

Yoongi just shrugged. “That’s what I want to find out. It’s a relic from China so I have to check some Chinese elvish cryptography in order to translate it.”

“Sounds like workload,” Namjoon commented. “Don’t pull all-nighters like the last time, hyung.”

“You say that every time.”

“And you ignore it every time.”

“Exactly.”

Taehyung and Hoseok chuckled at their conversation, silently agreeing with the fact that all of them might be different, but share the same heart.

“Be a good example for the cubs,” Seokjin said and stuffed his mouth full of tofu, muttering something that nobody was able to understand so Yoongi just nodded and received some ramyeon from the side. Taehyung couldn’t remember cooking noodles for dinner. A look to Jungkook however was enough to know the origin of the food. The youngest often made himself some ramyeon if his endless stomach wasn’t filled with one meal yet.

A normal, chaotic dinner was the perfect cure for the day, Taehyung thought. This and Seokjin’s comforting hand that ran its fingers through his curly hair, giving him the casual affection he needed for today.

Chapter Text

Taehyung was absolutely ready for the weekend. He slept in until 12 o’clock and heated up the lunch Jungkook had prepared for him in the morning. The rest of the coven was at work, but Seokjin had told him that he didn’t have to come to Epiphany during the weekend because of his schedule. However, being alone in such a big mansion could be very lonely with no one else taking the day off. After playing some games and relaxing a bit, he decided to take a shower and visit Seokjin and Yoongi at the book store.

The bus was stopping nearby the pedestrian area and it didn’t take him long to reach Epiphany. Fortunately, the shop wasn’t crowded – and no reporters in sight either – when he walked through the door. Only a female elf was skimming through an old book that she had pulled out of the shelf. Taehyung walked to the counter and spotted Yoongi with his glasses resting on the tip of his nose. The scroll he had bought yesterday was spread out on the desk.

“Got bored at home?” Yoongi asked and pushed the spectacles up with his ring finger. Taehyung grinned sheepishly and gave a nod of assent.

“Is hyung in his office?” he asked.

“Yeah. He’s on-call duty this weekend, but no mission so far. How’re you feeling?”

“A lot better. I slept well and I’m happy I don’t have to worry about my classes for a while now.” Taehyung pointed at the scroll. “Got anything yet?”

“Not really. I’m still trying to figure out the language that had been used. There’re so many different writing styles. I probably need a whole week to solve this one here.” Yoongi sighed.

“You’re working hard, hyung.” Taehyung walked around the counter and gave him a hug from behind, resting his chin on top of Yoongi’s head since the older elf was sitting down. He felt how Yoongi patted his hands and gave his knuckles a gentle kiss. Comforting warmth was embracing Taehyung’s body.

“Thanks, cub.”

“You’re welcome.” He squeezed him shortly before targeting Seokjin’s office. He knocked two times before opening the door.

“Oh! Hey, Taehyung-ah,” Seokjin said and stood up from his chair. His work attire always was elegant and neat. A grey patterned suit with a white shirt and a dark blue tie around his neck. It was a complete different look from his casual wear, which mostly contained an oversized shirt or sweater and comfortable trousers.

“Are you busy, hyung?” Taehyung asked and closed the door behind himself. Seokjin shook his head and greeted him with a peck on his lips.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes. Sleep helped a lot.” Taehyung closed his eyes as Seokjin ran his fingers through his fluffy hair.

“That’s good to hear, sweetheart. I actually wanted to talk to you yesterday, but because of the incident, I figured that it’d be better to postpone it,” Seokjin said.

“Anything important?” Taehyung faced him again, albeit the hand never stopped caressing his head.

“Quite so, but nothing bad. I had a talk with the others and sought some advice from them,” Seokjin began and the two of them took a seat on the couch. “You were so busy with the test and school in general that we barely had time to talk about my job properly. I know you have a lot to catch up on, but I don’t want you to forget how exciting and thrilling magic can be. And because you’re my apprentice, it’s important to talk about exorcism and the way I practice it. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I thought about it from time to time,” Taehyung said but decided to leave out his anxious thoughts. The reporters had asked if we had joined Seokjin on a mission yet yesterday and it had reminded him of the unknown fear inside of him. “It’s a very important but dangerous job and I researched a bit about it.”

“Oh, really?” Seokjin was positively surprised to hear that from his cub.

Taehyung nodded. “I looked up some articles in the university’s library. There’re not many exorcists in the world. Spiritual magic is, next to healing magic, the most difficult level an elf can achieve. Only elves with the ranking E for excellent or T for talented are allowed to practice it after their apprenticeship. Therefore, only five percent of the elvish population in South Korea had chosen this way. And even less had managed to build up a reputation over time. However, because of the slowly increasing number of dark elves during the last decades, the need of exorcists is strong.”

“That’s true. Dark elves summon shadows and put them into lifeless objects or set them free from the underworld so they would look for a host they can possess.” Seokjin leaned back and crossed his long legs. “Being close to those shadow spirits can be very risky if you don’t know how to deal with it. They search for weak and quivering souls.”

And that was the reason why fear was such a big issue in this job. You needed to be confident and brave to fight against those spirits. Taehyung gulped and rubbed his sweater palms over his thighs.

“H-how was your first experience, hyung?” he asked carefully.

“It’s been a long time …” Seokjin frowned as he tried to remember. “I think I passed out.” He chuckled.

“For real?” Taehyung stared at him with big eyes. He would’ve thought that Seokjin had handled it quite well.

“Yep. My mentor woke me up after everything was over. It took me a while to get used to it, but spirits are so interesting and fascinating that my interest in them overshadowed any fear. And now, I know my abilities and have no reason to be scared anymore. I know the dirty tricks of those things so nothing can shock me anymore.”

“You’re so cool, hyung …” Taehyung marvelled. “I wish to be like you.”

“I feel flattered, but please don’t wish for that.” Seokjin smiled and patted Taehyung’s knee. “There’s no need to compare yourself to others with such a beautiful soul and handsome face.” He flicked Taehyung’s chin and made him blush. Seokjin could be such a flirt and the suit wasn’t helping with Taehyung’s buzzing heart in his chest. Now was not the time to swoon over your boyfriend, Taehyung thought.

“Do you think, I can deal with watching an exorcism?”

“It won’t be pretty, I can tell you that. And howsoever you’ll react, I won’t judge and I won’t scold you. First times are scary. But you’re not alone. I’m always there.”

“Thank you, hyung. I needed to hear that.” Taehyung smiled and leaned his head against Seokjin’s shoulder, enjoying the comfort. Maybe he was overthinking the whole thing. Exorcism couldn’t be that bad if he told himself that it would save people from suffering. It was a good deed and Taehyung wanted to be a good elf.

They cuddled a bit until Seokjin decided to distract Taehyung a bit from the dark side of magic. The cub needed something to have some fun. A new spell that would make him laugh.

“Would you like to see something new?” Seokjin asked.

“Of course!”

“Did somebody show you how to let flowers sing yet?”

“No. Oh my God, hyung! Is that possible?” Taehyung looked at him with big round eyes and mouth agape. “Show me! Show me, please!”

Seokjin laughed. “Alright, alright, little one. Hyung’s gonna show you a lovely magic trick.” He stood up and grabbed one of the potted flowers from the windowsill – the window was still showing the illusion of a traditional Korean garden – and put it onto the coffee table. It was an orchid with lilac petals, the same colour of Taehyung’s magical light.

“It’s partly absorption magic combined with art magic,” Seokjin started to explain and raised his hand towards the flower as he sat down again. “With absorption magic, you learn how to create a connection between yourself and the object or living being. With art magic, you can create illusions, colours, sounds and much more. So, if my magic connects with this flower, I can use art magic and …” He focused on the blossom and let the magic flow through his fingers right into the flower. Suddenly, a beautiful light voice was filling the room. It was soon joined by other voices coming from the rest of the blossoms. They sang a few notes, harmonising with each other like an angel’s choir.

Taehyung was astonished at the sweet melody the flower was singing. It sounded like a textless lullaby that could lull everybody to sleep.

“Woah … that’s amazing,” he said and turned his attention back to Seokjin. “I want to learn that, too! Please, teach me, hyung!”

“It’s intermediate magic so it’s not that easy to practice. Once you’ve passed your exam, you’ll get to choose your classes and decide, which one you like to take,” Seokjin said. “If I remember correctly, you have two intermediate courses.”

“So I can learn art and absorption magic soon?” Taehyung beamed, but Seokjin’s expression made his bubbling excitement disappear. “I can’t?”

“Well, for exorcists, it is required to choose defensive magic and absorption magic. Art magic is not part of an exorcist’s apprenticeship. I only learnt this trick from Yoongi. It’s the only kind of art magic I’m capable of.”

It made sense. Why should an exorcist study art magic and waste their time with those gimmickries? Learning how to defend yourself from shadows and connect your magic to another living being or object on the other hand was quite handy. Taehyung’s shoulders slouched at the realisation and a pout was formed with his lips. Seokjin looked at him apologetically. The blossoms had stopped singing.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Maybe you can ask Yoongi to teach you some art magic?”

“No, it’s fine.” Taehyung tried to smile. He was Seokjin’s apprentice, not Yoongi’s. He needed to focus on his own studies. He wanted to be an exorcist. There was no time to study art.

“You sure?” Seokjin pressed him on a bit, tilting his head to make sure he was able to read Taehyung’s expression properly.

“Yeah. It’s a pity, but I understand the reasoning behind it. Still, thank you for showing me, hyung. It was really pretty!”

“You’re welcome, little one.” Seokjin kissed his cheek and put the flower back to its place. “Do you want to-” He was interrupted by the ring tone of the office’s telephone. “Sorry.” He sat behind his work desk and answered the call. “Kim Seokjin, exorcism and curse breaking agency. How may I help you?”

Taehyung was quiet and watched how his hyung wrote something on a memo pad. His expression was serious and he furled his eyebrows while listening to the caller.

“Yes, that’s possible. I have to ask some questions in advance so please answer them honestly.” Seokjin rolled the pen between his fingers. “What’s her name and age?” He wrote something down. “And when did the symptoms start?” He checked the calendar on his desk. “I understand. Did you inform a healer yet?” A pause. “I can do that, yes. I’m working together with a very experienced healer in Seoul. He’ll take good care of your mother. I will call him immediately and see, if he has time. Otherwise, I would inform the hospital to send some medics to your house. Neither they, you, nor other persons should enter her bedroom. Is that understood?” Seokjin teared the memo off and stood up with the handset still pressed against his left ear. “Good. I’m on my way.” He ended the call and took a deep breath. Taehyung’s heart jumped.

“A mission?” he asked even though he already knew the answer.

“An elderly woman got possessed by a shadow after she has touched a cursed object a few days ago. Her son just called.” Seokjin looked Taehyung in the eyes. “Do you want to join me? You don’t have to, if you don’t feel ready yet. You can wait with the family members outside until I’m done, if you want. It’s your decision.”

Taehyung bit his bottom lip. He’d never feel ready to face an exorcism, so it didn’t matter if he would do it now or later. He needed to destroy the fear inside of him. There was no need to be scared. Seokjin would protect him. He knew that.

“I want to come with you, hyung,” he said eventually. “I trust you.”

Seokjin smiled and Taehyung could feel that his hyung was proud of him.

“Alright. Let me collect my equipment and hope that our dear healer feels up to join us.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and searched for the right contact. It didn’t take long until his call was being answered. “Hey, hyung! A new mission, are you in?” A satisfied grin was displayed on his lips. “Perfect. I’ll send you the address. Taehyung-ah joins us today. See you later!”

Taehyung had only met the healer once during a check-up after the death curse had been lifted from his soul. He was happy to finally meet him again. He liked Sejin.

The drive to the client’s house felt quite tense for Taehyung. He wasn’t sure what he should expect once they’d arrive. He tried to remember the explanations in Seokjin’s notebook and looked over his shoulder to the back seat. Seokjin’s bag was lying there with the equipment.

“You okay, cub?” Seokjin asked as they were stopping in front of a traffic light. The streets were quite busy for a Saturday.

“Just nervous.”

“Whenever you feel like it’s too much, you can leave the room. See it more like a trial day within your apprenticeship. There’s nothing you can do wrong.”

Taehyung nodded and turned his attention back to the crossroad in front of them. He wondered, if exorcisms were as brutal as they were portrayed in horror movies. Those directors had to get their ideas from somewhere, right?

A few minutes later, they were parking the car next to a single-family home with a tiny garden in front of it that was split in half by a gravel pathway that lead them to the front door. Taehyung carried the bag while Seokjin adjusted his collar and rang the bell. They waited until a voice was coming out of the speaker.

“Hello?”

“Hello, is this Park Yoonjae-ssi? Here is Kim Seokjin.”

“Oh! Yes, yes. Please, come in. I’m opening the door!” the male voice said a bit in a rush and the door began to buzz. Seokjin pushed the door open and Taehyung followed him into a small entrance area with a second door. They slipped out of their shoes and waited, until Park Yoonjae appeared. Taehyung gulped and Seokjin lay a hand on his back and drew slow circles.

“Deep breaths, Taehyung-ah.”

“Y-yeah.”

The door was opened and a young man was standing in front of them. He was welcoming the two elves in the house. He had short black hair, looking like he had just come back from his military service. His age would fit that assumption. His eyes were sunken, exposing the fact of not enough sleep in the last few days.

“I’m so glad you came, Kim Seokjin-ssi.” They shook hands.

“Well, it’s unusual for my job to make appointments,” Seokjin said with a faint smile on his lips. “Thank you for taking care of your mother’s health in advance. Healer Kim Sejin-ssi should arrive in a few minutes. We will take care of everything from now on.”

“Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would’ve done, if I-” Yoonjae choked a bit with watery eyes and turned his attention to Taehyung, who bowed politely.

“This is my apprentice. He will observe today’s exorcism, if that is okay with you.”

“Hello. My name is Kim Taehyung.”

They were exchanging a quick handshake as well and fortunately, Yoonjae had nothing against Taehyung’s presence. He quickly explained that his mother had been on a field trip with her friends in the forests, where they had found an old shrine. His mother had touched one of the old stone statues and hadn’t been the same ever since. Seokjin nodded occasionally while listening to the story.

“Can you tell me, where this shrine is? It would be beneficial to take care of this cursed object to prevent any future accidents. There might be more than just one.”

“I’m sorry. Only my mother might know that, but she’s … well … not responsive anymore.” Yoonjae looked to the ground. “Please help her …”

“I will,” Seokjin said firmly.

“Your mother is in good hands,” Taehyung added with a proud smile, satisfied how Yoonjae’s shoulders relaxed a bit. He thanked Seokjin again and guided them upstairs. Taehyung’s heart was throbbing strongly against his ribcage and his hands were beginning to sweat. They stopped in front of a closed door.

“Please wait for Kim Sejin-ssi to arrive downstairs. Nobody but him should enter this room until I say otherwise. Are there any other persons living in this house?”

“M-my wife. But she’s at work,” Yoonjae said.

“All right. Because of my past experiences, I normally recommend all residents to leave the house during an exorcism. It’s hard to listen to a loved one’s agonies. Once you showed Kim Sejin-ssi this room, please wait outside until we come out.” Seokjin turned to Taehyung. “If you think it gets too much for you, you can always join him.”

“Yes, hyung-nim.”

They waited until Yoonjae was walking down the stairs before Seokjin pointed at his necklace. A see-through crystal was attached to it.

“This contains a protection spell against possessions. The one Hoseok has given you back then works similar so we are both safe. Never forget to wear your necklace before entering the room of a possessed person or object.”

Taehyung nodded and they stepped inside. The room was stuffy. It smelled like the air hadn’t been changed for a while. The bed was on the left side with the headboard positioned against the wall and two bedside cabinets on each side. The furniture in this room was traditional and ornate.

The old woman was lying in the middle of the mattress, body covered with a thin blanket and head resting on the pillow. She was seemingly asleep.

“Shadows’ only predators are elves,” Seokjin said in a hushed tone. “It’s important to make sure the possessed person can’t move so the spirit can’t harm the body or attack us. Even though we can’t be possessed, they can still hurt us.” He took the bag out of Taehyung’s hands and approached the bed. Taehyung didn’t dare to look away from that woman’s sleeping face, expecting her eyes to open every next moment and jumping at him with a horrifying scream. Seokjin pulled four seeds out of a pouch and put them next to her limbs. Suddenly, thick vines grew out of the seeds, wrapped themselves around her wrists and ankles and attached themselves to the bed.

“It’s easier if the bed has bars so I can use cuffs, but with a bit of earth magic, this technique works quite well, too.”

“W-what will happen, if she awakes?” Taehyung asked nervously, still keeping a distance between the bed and himself.

“Something … bad. It depends on how strong the shadow is, but it’s never pleasant. It pulls you into a dark place and tries to reach for your soul. Do you want to leave the room?” Seokjin asked as he pulled some gloves out of his bag. Taehyung was about to say something, when a sudden knock made him jerk.

Sejin opened the door. A pair of round glasses on his nose, his broad shoulders covered by a white gown and polished dress shoes stepping inside the room. He was even taller than Seokjin or Namjoon.

“Long time no see,” Sejin said casually and closed the door behind himself before spotting Taehyung nearby. “Your first time today?”

Taehyung nodded, too afraid to use his voice. Sejin smiled sympathetically and ruffled his hair. It helped little to lessen his fear of the unknown. Sejin put his own gloves on as well and walked to the other side of the bed, talking with Seokjin about the situation. Taehyung couldn’t understand how they were being so chill with the knowledge that the shadow could wake up every next moment.

Sejin checked her vitals and wrote something down before taking a step back. That only made Taehyung more anxious than ever.

“You can start,” Sejin said, but Seokjin waited a bit more, giving Taehyung a last chance to leave the room before the ugly part of the procedure would start. However, Taehyung felt like he had no control over his body anymore. Something inside of him wanted to get the hell out of this room, but no words left his mouth. His last chance went away.

“Shadow,” Seokjin began to speak in an elvish language.

The woman opened her eyes. No. The thing opened its eyes that showed nothing but white.

Taehyung was not prepared for what was now happening in front of him. This was nothing compared to any horror movie he had ever seen. This was more terrifying than everything.

“Wake up.”

A noise came out of the woman’s throat that sounded like the screeching of tires against asphalt. Her whole body convulsed and tried to break free from the tight grip of the vines. Taehyung had to cover his ears because of the painful noise.

Suddenly, a black substance was spreading over the whole room, starting at the bed. It looked like tar, dripping down the slatted frame and covering the floor. Neither Seokjin nor Sejin moved away.

“H-hyung?” Taehyung’s words were swallowed by the never-ending screech. Her vocal chords had to be so close of just ripping apart like strings of a violin. The black mass came closer and closer to him and pushed him into one of the corners of the room. He stopped breathing when the substance reached his shoes. Nothing happened. It even went up the walls and covered the ceiling, but all three of them were unharmed by it.

It was just an illusion. It was just an illusion. It was just an illusion. Taehyung repeated those words like a mantra inside his head.

“You don’t belong here,” Seokjin began to speak again. “Leave this body and return to the underworld.” He put one of his hands on her chest, the other on top of her forehead. The woman stopped screaming and the painful silence made Taehyung dizzy. Now, he knew why Seokjin had passed out during his first experience with an exorcism.

“I will destroy you!” The spirit shouted, a female voice mixed with an inhuman caw. Taehyung choked on his breath when the woman suddenly lifted her head and stared at him with those white empty eyes. It was just an illu- “I will kill everyone you love. Nothing will be left from your coven than a puddle of blood. I will eat from your fears and anxieties like a parasite. It’s so delicious!”

Taehyung felt like he was getting sick, but the spirit didn’t care. It formed the woman’s lips into a grotesque wide grin. It was just an-

“Give me more!” she screeched again. “More! More! MORE! MORE!”

Taehyung’s knees gave out. He was about to fall into the darkness around him, when a sudden pain erupted on his left cheek.

One second later, he stared at Seokjin’s face. The room looked like nothing had happened. No tar on the ground, walls or ceiling.

“Baby, hey,” Seokjin whispered and gently rubbed Taehyung’s cheek he had just slapped. “I’m so sorry, but I had to pull you out of the shadow’s illusion as quickly as possible.”

“W-wha … what?” Taehyung’s throat felt dry and sore. His eyes wandered around and spotted Sejin leaning over the bed. His magical light was shimmering around the woman’s body, who had a tired smile on her lips. She was weakly holding one of Sejin’s hands.

“It’s over,” Seokjin said. “The shadow is gone.”

“Her body is exhausted, but otherwise, she’s stable,” Sejin announced. “I can take care of the rest. Look after your cub, Seokjin-ah.”

“Thanks, hyung.”

Taehyung felt how he was lifted to his wobbly feet and brought out of the room. Finally, Taehyung was able to get some oxygen into his system. Seokjin had one arm tightly wrapped around his shoulder.

“On a scale of one to ten, how terrifying was the illusion you were caught in?” Seokjin asked as they sat down on the topmost step of the stairs.

“Ten? Eleven?” Taehyung noticed how bad his hands were shaking when Seokjin was intertwining their fingers. Hot tears were rolling down his flushed face. He knew he would never be able to forget this face. It had burnt itself into his skull.

Seokjin pulled him closer and kissed his temple.

“Shadows can create illusions of our greatest fears, but you have to know that the things you saw and heard weren’t real. It wanted to scare you.”

“D-did she talk to y-you, too?” Taehyung asked.

“Yeah. But I’m not afraid of their words anymore. Because I know they mean nothing. It’s just their pathetic attempt to deceive us.”

“It was so scary, h-hyung,” Taehyung sobbed and buried his nose into Seokjin’s neck. “She said she will kill all of you!”

“The spirit is gone now. Nobody is going to hurt us. Everyone is safe.”

Taehyung knew that, but the shadow’s words made him realise that there was always a possibility for the others to get hurt or worse. An accident. An assault. Nothing Taehyung was able to control and that terrified him.

“I don’t want to lose you, hyung,” he cried. Seokjin tightened his hold, both hands now wrapped around Taehyung’s shaking body. It felt like it was absorbing all the comfort and warmth like it had been touch-starved. Like the first time when he had met the coven on the cold winter night.

“I’m here. I will always be here. And everyone else as well. Namjoon. Hoseok. Yoongi. Jimin. Jungkook. We’re protecting each other. We all love you.”

“I love you too, hyung.” Taehyung took a shaky breath. “I feel so bad … I … I don’t know …” He rubbed his chest with his palm. “It hurts.”

“Your soul?”

He nodded and Seokjin gently pressed his hand against Taehyung’s sternum. A white light was shining between their bodies and Taehyung closed his eyes at the bright energy that was spreading through his whole body. It relaxed his muscles and made him breathe slower. Pictures of memories flashed in front of his eyes of him playing games with Hoseok and Jungkook, him cuddling with Jimin on the couch, him watching Namjoon talking to his plants, him eating lunch together with Yoongi and Seokjin. So many good memories. So much love he experienced during the last months.

Taehyung wasn’t sure how long this moment lasted, but when Seokjin retrieved his hand and shared with him a gentle kiss on the lips, he felt a lot better and more collected.

“Are you up again?” Seokjin asked.

“Up?”

“Your soul had dropped from the pain. That can happen if it got attacked like this. Connecting with the bond helps to make it heal better,” Seokjin explained. “But I only did some damage control now. I want to make it better than my teacher did back then and give you proper healing time. Let’s go home.”

“What about the woman?”

“Don’t worry about her. She’s in good hands with Sejin by her side. I’ve finished my job here.” He caressed Taehyung’s left cheek with a sad frown. “Does it still hurt?”

“No.” Taehyung shook his head and finally managed to smile again. “You pulled me out of that horrible place. You did the right thing. Thank you, hyung.”

“I’m proud of you, little one. I’m happy to have such a wonderful apprentice like you.”

They stood up and walked down the stairs. When they exited the house and informed Yoonjae about the successful exorcism. He bowed several times with tears in his eyes before running back into the house and promising to transfer the fee within the next few days. Seeing such a relieved face made Taehyung realise that the world needed elves like Seokjin.

He was their light, keeping the darkness away.

Chapter Text

Once Taehyung and Seokjin arrived at home, the two elves made themselves a cup of coffee (for Seokjin) and hot cocoa (for Taehyung). Taehyung’s hands were still shaking a bit, so he was glad when Seokjin took both mugs and walked through the hallway until they had reached the patio door. The magical garden embraced them with comfortable warmth and the twittering of birds. It was such a wonderful place, Taehyung thought every time he looked around. They walked over the bridge, watched by a couple of fishes in the koi pond that surrounded the little island with the Chinese pavilion.

“There we go,” Seokjin said and sat down with the two mugs. Taehyung joined him and took a careful sip. The sweetness on his tongue soothed his mind a bit. He felt safe here and so far away from the terrible things he had just encountered. He was glad when this week would finally find its end.

“Thanks, hyung.”

“How’re you feeling?”

“Better. Safe.” Taehyung had his fingers wrapped around the cup. Despite the warm weather, his hands were ice cold. It was probably from the shock, he figured.

“Mind if I tell you a story?” Seokjin leaned back, his hand finding the back of Taehyung’s head and fondled with his hair. The young elf always was eager to listen to his hyung’s tales. Seokjin continued, when he saw the other’s curious eyes. “When my magic showed itself and allowed me to look for a mentor, I had no idea which way I should go. Normally, I just go with the flow, drifting through life as a carefree elf. That was, oh my, almost 300 years ago. So of course, the daily life in Korea was completely different back then and there were jobs which no longer exist in today’s society. Confucianism was a big thing and I grew up with its ethics. Things like love, sincerity, equality, morality and wisdom were the goals of life of humanity and elves. We didn’t see a difference in our race and lived peacefully in an isolated kingdom. I wanted to stay loyal to my family’s roots and create medicine.”

“Like Jimin’s magic?” Taehyung asked.

“Exactly. My family was well-known for their potions and provided health for our town. It was quite common during that period for sons and daughters of elves to have their parents as their teachers. But I didn’t even have a chance to start my training …” Seokjin took a nip of his coffee.

“What happened?”

“My father and mother had received a present from a client in gratitude for a potion. It was a goblet. A shadow had lived inside of it. As soon as you touch it, the shadow will possess your soul and body. My mother was dying with the spirit sucking out her soul. My father was desperate and asked an exorcist for help. That’s how I met my mentor.”

“He destroyed the shadow?”

To Taehyung’s surprise, Seokjin shook his head.

“The shadow was too strong, probably strengthened by a dark elf’s blood. It was connected with her soul that, if the shadow was killed, my mother would’ve died as well.” Seokjin looked at him. “Sounds familiar, right?”

“My death curse …” Taehyung let his hand brush over his chest where his heart was throbbing. “You said I’d die too, if you would’ve tried to destroy it.”

“Yes. We didn’t know about the soul crystals or any other chance. So my father had to make a decision: Kill the shadow and my mother, or let the thing possess her completely and give her a slow and painful death.”

“Your father chose the first option …?”

Seokjin nodded. “It was better to not let her suffer any longer. But it broke my father’s heart. And mine as well.”

“But why did you want to be an exorcist? Weren’t you frustrated that the elf couldn’t help your mother?” Taehyung asked with a frown and was even more confused, when Seokjin shook his head again, this time with a smile on his lips.

“I was furious. I punched him in the face and yelled at him to do his job and save my mother from this thing. He let it happen without defending himself. Once I lost my energy, he sat down with me and let me cry. He told me about his job and how much sorrow and grief he had seen as an exorcist. But he also told me that he loved his job. Because he was able to diminish the pain and give people hope. He knew he couldn’t save everyone, but that was the wrong perception. Exorcists could save so many people. He said, all my efforts are worth it, if I can save one soul that would’ve died without me. Because one soul is indefinitely valuable. And to be honest, when I saw you for the first time, I remembered those words clearly in my head. When I was able to lift the curse and did something, my mentor couldn’t do, I knew that everything was worth it.” Seokjin’s hand wandered from Taehyung’s back to his cheek, stroking the skin with his thumb. “Because I’ve saved a beautiful, indefinitely valuable soul.”

“Hyung …” Taehyung put the cup on the table and wrapped his arms around Seokjin’s torso, pressing their hearts together.

“His words had opened my eyes. He might’ve not been the greatest exorcist in Korea during that time, but he had a good heart and always did his best. I was proud to be his apprentice. He taught me more than exorcism. He showed me how precious one’s life can be and that there is always light, even in the darkest places.”

Taehyung smiled, thinking about the six beautiful lights that pulled him out of the darkness that had swallowed him.

“Thank you …” he whispered.

“What for?” Seokjin raised an eyebrow as he rubbed Taehyung’s back, feeling the other’s breath against his neck.

“For being my light.”

“Oh.” He smiled, proud and happy before he tightened his grip a bit and kissed Taehyung’s temple. “You’re welcome.”

They cuddled for a little while longer, coffee and cocoa only lukewarm by now, but they didn’t care. Taehyung could feel how his soul was healing from today’s incident.

They were back in the house, watching TV, when Jimin stepped through the front door with a loud huff, surprising the two of them. It wasn’t even five o’clock, too soon for Jimin to come home.

“Cub?” Seokjin asked and turned off the TV. “Did something happen?”

Jimin entered the living room area with such a cold expression on his face that Taehyung got goosebumps. He stared at them, took a deep breath and went upstairs without saying another word. Taehyung was beyond perplexed.

“Hyung?”

“He’s angry.” Seokjin said. “But more at himself than somebody else.” He sighed. “Namjoon and Jimin probably had an argument.”

Taehyung had never seen them have an argument or yell at each other before. Of course, people who lived and worked together had to have some arguments from time to time, but Taehyung would’ve never guessed that Jimin could look so intimidating.

“Don’t worry. Jimin normally needs some time alone to calm down before he talks about it. You can knock at his door in about ten minutes, if he hadn’t come down by then. Let’s prepare him a snack while we wait,” Seokjin said calmly and walked into the kitchen.

“Oh … okay.” Taehyung followed him with an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He didn’t like to see his loved ones fight, no matter if it was serious or not. Seeing Jimin like that hurt him in a way he hadn’t been prepared for. It was no wonder. Taehyung didn’t have experiences with handling conflict. The only time that was close enough to an argument was the moment when he and Jungkook had been scolded for separating from the group without permission during their travel to lift his curse. He had felt horrible after that and Seokjin had to soothe him even hours after that. Taehyung had to admit that his heart was sensitive to negative emotions. Being empathetic wasn’t helping at all.

“Jimin’s scary if he’s angry,” he muttered and received an affirmative hum from Seokjin.

“Probably the scariest in our coven. When he and Jungkook had joined us after The Great War, we fought a lot. Jimin’s personality was clashing with mine and he had been incredibly protective of Jungkook. He wasn’t used being one of the youngest and thought we wouldn’t take him seriously because of his young age. He didn’t open up about his own problems for a very long time, focusing only on Jungkook’s well-being and not his own. Thankfully, a few longer talks with Hoseok and Yoongi have helped to let him be a cub. He had forced himself to be strong and destroyable until he’d reached his limits. He still wants to be alone after an argument, but he has learnt that he can talk with us to receive comfort,” Seokjin explained as he put some instant ramen into the boiling water on the stove. The food was almost done, when Taehyung heard a door being opened upstairs, followed by floppy footsteps. Jimin’s head peeked around the corner. His hair was ruffled, probably from tossing and turning on a pillow.

“Hey, hyung.” Taehyung gave him a smile and opened his arms, waiting for Jimin to come closer. With a happy jump of Taehyung’s heart, Jimin shuffled into the embrace and hugged him.

“Hey, baby bear,” Jimin said, voice sounding a bit rough. “Sorry, if I startled you earlier.”

“It’s okay. Can I ask what happened?”

“First, you need to eat,” Seokjin intervened and finished the meal by placing a fried egg on top of the noodles. “Here you go.”

“Thanks, hyung …” Jimin took the bowl and the three of them sat down at the dining table. He mixed the egg with his chopsticks and began to eat. After he had swallowed a few bites, he sighed, seemingly calmer than before.

“I snapped at Namjoon,” he confessed. “He destroyed one of my jars with dried orchid petals …” He pushed his hair back.

“I’m sorry, Jimin-ah,” Seokjin said. “Did Namjoon apologise?”

“Of course. The thing is, the glass only broke. Namjoon knows a simple repairing spell so I’m sure it’s already fixed as if nothing has happened. I just … I felt on the edge the whole day and I don’t know why. When I heard the glass shattering, I snapped before I could even stop myself. Namjoon looked so shocked and then I felt embarrassed at myself and angry and …” Jimin groaned loudly and pushed more noodles into his mouth. Taehyung patted his back.

“I’m sure he understands your reaction when you explain it to him,” Taehyung said. “Everyone can have a bad day.”

“I need to apologise to him.” Jimin leaned his head against Taehyung’s shoulder. “I should go back to work. It was so unprofessional for me to just leave. I know better than that.”

“Finish your meal and I’ll let you go,” Seokjin said and patted Jimin’s knee.

Not even ten minutes later, Taehyung and Seokjin were alone again. And another thirty minutes later, Jimin sent a photo of him and Namjoon cuddling behind the counter to Taehyung’s phone. The message made him smile. He was relieved that the two of them were able to solve the issue quickly, wishing he could tackle his own problems as easily as they did.

“Hyung?”

“Hm?” Seokjin turned his attention away from the TV.

“Can you … Can I …” He wasn’t sure how to start his request. “Is it bad, if I won’t join you on your next missions? I just feel like I need some time to process today’s exorcism before I’ll see another one.”

“Oh, of course it’s not bad.” Seokjin shook his head. “I understand that, little one. Fear can be a really tough obstacle to overcome. Needing time is absolutely fine.”

“Thanks.” Taehyung smiled sheepishly, glad that Seokjin always was so understanding and thoughtful. What a great mentor he had.

“Do you have any requests for me about what I should teach you next? Jobwise, I mean.” Seokjin asked.

“Maybe about cursed objects? That’s not so scary compared to possessions.”

“Good idea! There are a few books about it in my office at Epiphany. We can go through them together on Monday, if you want. And I can tell you a few of my own stories and experiences.”

“That’d be great, hyung!”

It was reassuring for Seokjin that Taehyung didn’t give up on exorcism despite today’s encounter. Maybe Yoongi had been too protective and worried about Taehyung. It seemed like he was doing fine. However, something was nagging him in the back of his mind. Something, Seokjin wasn’t able to grasp and lay his finger on. Therefore, he decided to have a talk with Yoongi tomorrow in order to find what he was missing. Yoongi always managed to help him out with those kind of things.

Sunday was a peaceful day for humans and elves. Epiphany was closed on that day, but both Yoongi and Seokjin used that time to do some boring paperwork and clean the shop calmly. Taehyung was staying at home, playing with Jimin and Jungkook who often took the Sunday off since Taehyung had joined the coven, probably wanting to spend more time with him. They were all toying with the idea of taking a regular day off every week to have some bonding time as a coven. They had been working so much in the last decades that it had been such a routine to work almost every day in the year. With elves not aging after the age of thirty, they had way more energy during their whole life than a human would have. And because of the post-war period and South Korea’s economic boom, everyone had been working hard since then. Taking a step back and concentrating on your own family or coven seemed to be a more prominent trend during the last years.

Seokjin took a deep breath as he finished his last report. Yes, he wanted to be a good hyung for everyone, especially the cubs. They didn’t experience the life before The Great War. Their life started with constant fear, running and hiding and continued by being dragged into a hard-working society during their trainee years. Even though Namjoon and Hoseok hadn’t pushed or pressured them, society had done. They deserved to rest and enjoy the safety in today’s world. All of them.

He stretched his limbs and stood up from his chair. When he left the room, he found Yoongi staring at the scroll on the desk behind the counter, several books spread out in front of him.

“You’re getting a stiff neck like that,” Seokjin said as he approached him. Carefully, he cupped Yoongi’s neck and began to massage the uptight muscles he found there. Yoongi groaned and removed his spectacles before rubbing his tired eyes. Yes, they’re all working too hard, Seokjin thought.

“Are you done or is it time for lunch?”

“Both. It’s already past two. You need a break, Yoongi.” Seokjin helped him to get on his feet. “Let’s go into my office.”

After opening the lunch boxes, grabbing their chopsticks and sitting next to each other on the couch, they lapsed into comfortable silence. Sometimes, Hoseok had joked about them being telepathic, because they often didn’t need much words to understand each other. Seokjin’s and Yoongi’s minds connected really well.

“How was the mission yesterday?” Yoongi asked eventually. “The cub was a bit quiet during dinner.”

“It was as good as can be expected under the circumstances,” Seokjin answered. “The shadow had been playing with his fears, but I was able to get him out of it before he could have another panic attack. Sejin took care of the rest once I was done. Taehyung and I talked about it until I made sure he was out of the woods. He was pretty shaken, though. I drove home and walked into our backyard with him. It helped with Jimin’s and Jungkook’s nightmares so I thought this place could calm him down as well.”

“Did it work?”

“Yes. It was a good sign when he started to talk instead of hiding himself and his thoughts away.” Seokjin took a bite from his kimchi.

“I’m waiting for the ‘but’.”

Seokjin sighed. Yoongi really knew him too well. “But, I have the feeling I’m missing something. Something important.”

“Do you think he’s hiding something?” Yoongi asked.

Seokjin chewed on his bottom lip and tilted his head. “I don’t think so. I mean, he probably feels more anxious than he sometimes admits, but I’m aware of that. It’s more like I see something in the corner of my eye but can’t move my head.”

“He just experienced his first exorcism and you both had been very nervous about this. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed by all these emotions that you can feel through the bond and by yourself. Maybe not only Taehyung felt on the edge, but you as well, hyung,” Yoongi said.

“Maybe …”

“I’m pretty sure, actually. You always try to be the best mentor for Taehyung and not show any signs of uncertainty or nervousness in front of him. But I know you long enough to look behind that persona of yours. You might be the oldest, but that doesn’t make you invulnerable. I think the thing, you’ve been missing is yourself.”

There was silence hanging in the air. Seokjin stared at his lap, fingers playing with the end of his tie. Yoongi was only a few years younger than him, which is almost nothing if you live up to 800 years. They were both wise, but in their own way. What Seokjin couldn’t see, Yoongi could.

“I’m thinking so much about how I can do better,” he began and leaned forward, arms now resting on top of his knees. “How I can be a better mentor, a better hyung, a better exorcist. I forgot myself.”

“I know you hate to show weakness and helplessness in front of the others, but this is a part of you. An important part, hyung. A part I love about you, because we can connect through it. Because love is showing each other vulnerability by choice. Remember when Jimin was always pretending to be powerful and fearless in front of Jungkook and even us? I’ve said the same things to him, I’m telling you now. So if you talk with us about your struggles, it means that you trust us.”

“I trust you. All of you.” A single tear slipped out of Seokjin’s eye. “It feels like everything is just too much right now.”

“Seokjin.” Yoongi opened his arms and waited until Seokjin rested his body against him. “It’s okay. You’re doing really well with everything. We’re proud of you. You’re a great hyung. A great partner.” He gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Yoongi.” Seokjin smiled. “Thank you.”

“No problem. I’m always here for you.”

Chapter Text

The week was passing by way too quickly in Taehyung’s opinion. When Seokjin had been on a mission, he stayed at Epiphany and either studied the new books he had received or helped Yoongi in the bookstore area. He had been able to distract himself from his classes and almost forgot that he had taken a test the week before.

Wednesday and Thursday pulled him back into university and reminded him of the struggles he had to face during class. When he had been younger, he was known to be a social butterfly. His extrovert past-self had helped him to find friends quickly and fit into any groups. But now, he felt disconnected from his classmates. Apart from small talk or group work during class, he was mainly by himself. It wasn’t that the others excluded him purposely. It was the huge age gap between them. Those young elves had been born in the 1980s and experienced a complete different childhood. Their interests were much more about things on the internet, on TV or pop music. Taehyung knew about these topics, but he never associated those things as a passion or hobby. He didn’t know any slangs apart from those he heard in movies or Korean dramas, nor was he keen to hear the gossip of elvish celebrities. Therefore, Taehyung was a lone wolf in his classes, but since he had a lovely coven to come home to, he didn’t really mind. It wasn’t ideal, but he was okay with it.

It was Friday when Taehyung got the test results. He looked at the top right on the first page of the test.

59% (S)

S was ‘sufficient’. He had passed, but barely. This wouldn’t be enough to be an exorcist in the future. He would need to study a lot more in order to have better results. His grades might not be important for Seokjin, but for the university, they were proof of his effort and abilities.

It wasn’t enough.

When his last class ended, he shouldered his bag and typed a quick message on his phone, telling Seokjin that he would stay in the library with some classmates to do his homework and study. It wasn’t a complete lie. There were some of his classmates who worked on their stuff together. Taehyung would just not sit at the same table, but Seokjin didn’t have to know that. It was nobody’s fault and forcing himself to be friends with people he didn’t share common interests with and acted so differently wasn’t an alternative.

The library of the faculty of magic was modern, but small. It was the smallest library on campus. Taehyung greeted the woman behind the counter at the entrance area with a polite bow before he walked up the stairs to the study area, the result of his test lying heavily inside his backpack.

After finding a quiet place, he pulled out his books and started to do his homework. Maybe he wasn’t the smartest or most talented in the class, but he surely was diligent. He worked hard and put lots of energy into his studying in order to keep up with everyone else.

His stomach began to growl as he finished his homework and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was time for dinner. Quickly, he sent a message into the group chat and told everyone to not wait for him. He knew they wouldn’t like the idea of him staying so long, but he couldn’t help but feel stupid about the test. He knew nobody would think any less of him or scold him for his grade. They loved him. But he couldn’t love himself yet. He was angry at himself, just like Jimin had been last weekend. But he couldn’t just scream or cry this feeling out. It was stuck inside of him. It was a part of him. He had worked so hard for this test, but it still wasn’t enough. It was frustrating.

It was almost eleven o’clock when one of the library staff came to his desk and asked him kindly to go home since they would close this building in a few minutes. Taehyung’s eyes hurt from staring at so many books for way too many hours. He had revised his test and looked up for some help to improve his magic. Some sources had said that the reason for weaker magic could be an emotional obstacle like anxiety, fear or stress. That would explain his blockade during the test at least.

With a sigh, Taehyung packed his things together and walked down the stairs. It was dark outside and his stomach was hurting from hunger. He had skipped dinner without a second thought, Taehyung noticed.

“Hey, little one.” Namjoon’s voice caught him off guard. The older elf was standing next to a light post, showing him a gentle and dimpled smile.

“Hyung?” Taehyung blinked. “What’re doing here?”

“Picking you up, of course.” Namjoon chuckled and pulled him into a hug. Taehyung melted into the other’s chest. “I know when the library closes and you didn’t answer our messages.”

“Oh.” He completely forgot to check his phone from time to time during his cramming. “I’m sorry.”

“You look tired, cub.” Namjoon caressed Taehyung’s cheeks with his thumbs before placing a kiss on his forehead. “Did you eat dinner?”

Taehyung shook his head, feeling embarrassed for his lack of self-care. He was starving, but the guilt inside his guts had stolen his appetite. Namjoon made a disapproving sound and studied the other’s features.

“Are you doing okay? Is something bothering you?” he asked carefully.

“Got my test back …” Taehyung mumbled, looking at his suddenly very interesting feet. His eyes and nose began to sting. “I only got an S, hyung,” he said. “I barely passed …”

“Oh, Taehyungie,” Namjoon cooed and wrapped his arms around him. “We don’t care about your grade. And it’s good that you passed! Congrats, cub!” he kissed his head, but that only made Taehyung sob loudly. It felt so wrong to get praised for it. He didn’t do well. He’d never be able to be Seokjin’s successor like this. He wasn’t worth to be Seokjin’s apprentice-

“Stop!” he suddenly cried out and pushed himself closer to Namjoon.

“Taehyung?”

“Please, make it stop!” Taehyung shouted again. “I don’t want to feel like this! It hurts!”

“Hey, hey …” Namjoon rubbed Taehyung’s back and squeezed his neck in order to calm him down. He’d never seen the other so emotionally wounded. Taehyung was crying for help. Taehyung cried to be saved from his inner darkness and something made sense now. The reason why Jimin had been feeling off, why Seokjin had been so restless and why Namjoon had the urge to look after Taehyung today.

Taehyung had been sending cries for help through their magical bond.

“You’re okay, baby. I’m here. Hyung’s here,” Namjoon mumbled into the other’s ear. “Please believe my words. You’re a wonderful person and life is not about grades and studying. You’re pushing yourself so much, because you don’t allow our words to be real. You’re afraid of accepting our support because you’ve never experienced it. You’re in a new situation, a new life. It’s okay to stumble and fall. Because we’re always by your side, helping you up.” Namjoon tightened his grip a bit. “You still have so much time. There’s no need to rush like humans do. I know you lived around them for so long, but their perception of time is not yours. Take a deep breath with me.” Namjoon inhaled and waited, until Taehyung followed his directions. “Very good. And now, exhale.” Their shoulders relaxed against each other. Namjoon guided him through the breathing exercise until Taehyung calmed down. The poor cub looked even more exhausted now.

“Hyung …”

“I’m here. There is no need to work yourself up. You passed this test, because you’ve worked hard. I’m proud of you for trying your best. And I’m also proud of you, when you rest. I love you, little one.”

“I love you, too …”

They exchanged a short, but sweet kiss. Taehyung’s heart was feeling better now. The voice inside of him wasn’t gone, but at least it had stopped pulling him into its dark mindset for now.

“We’ve saved a meal for you. Let’s go home and eat.”

“Okay.”

At home, Taehyung was greeted by the rest of them. Everyone, except Seokjin. With a frown on his face, he looked around the living room.

“Where’s Seokjin?”

“He got an emergency call from a client in Busan and needed to go after dinner,” Hoseok explained with a sad expression, obviously not liking the other’s busy schedule either. The whole coven wasn’t a big fan of Seokjin always having on-call duty after his regular office hours. They could feel how their quality time as a group was suffering from it. And since Taehyung was his apprentice, it was more prominent than ever.

“Oh …” Taehyung nodded. “When will he come back?”

“Probably not before tomorrow evening,” Yoongi said with a deep sigh, thinking about last week’s conversation. He could see how Taehyung’s eyes shifted a bit before he was told to eat something by Namjoon and Jimin.

“Is hyung alright?” Jungkook suddenly asked, looking at Yoongi and Hoseok. The two older elves exchanged a quick look.

“He has a hard time right now,” Yoongi said eventually.

“But he likes his apprenticeship, doesn’t he?”

Jungkook’s question surprised them.

“I think so?” Hoseok raised an eyebrow and looked at Yoongi. “It’s mostly school work that makes him struggle. At least, that’s what I can see.”

“He probably pressures himself too much because of the high expectations of becoming an exorcist, especially as Kim Seokjin’s apprentice. Those assholes of reporters just contributed to his worries,” Yoongi said.

“I wish we could help him better …” Jungkook pouted and snuggled against Hoseok, inhaling the soothing scent of the other’s body odour. They were always amazed how well Jungkook was able to be compassionate. His empathy was a six sense.

“He’s going to be okay, bun,” Hoseok said and kissed his temple. “Taehyung just needs more time to adjust to his new life.”

“When you notice something off, you can always tell us,” Yoongi added. “You have a great intuition.”

“Okay, hyung.” Jungkook smiled. “Thank you.”

As soon as Taehyung finished his really late dinner, the clock hit midnight and it was time for everyone to go to bed. They exchanged goodnight kisses and headed to their respective rooms. Taehyung slipped into his pyjama, brushed his teeth and crawled under the blanket. He was tired and knew that he would fall asleep the second he dared to close his eyes. But he didn’t want to sleep yet. He needed to do one thing yet. Therefore, he grabbed his phone and unlocked the screen.

“Hey, hyung,” he said into the speaker after dialling Seokjin’s number. Even though it was late, Seokjin picked up after the third beep.

“Taehyung-ah! You’re up late,” Seokjin said. His voice sounded tired as well, probably worn out because of the long drive to the South end of the country.

“Yes. I was in the library till the end. Namjoon picked me up.”

“Oh. I hope you didn’t skip dinner?” It was asked with an almost warning tone, but one of the concerned type, not the angry one.

“I ate after Namjoon and I got home. The others told me you’re in Busan right now.”

Seokjin sighed. “Yeah.” Taehyung could imagine how the other was running his fingers through his hair. “Apparently, three family members are possessed by a shadow and they don’t know which object caused that in the house. They were about to move out so all old things in the attic and basement had been collected and touched. I have to go through all boxes in order to find the object and purify it. I’ll try to come back home tomorrow evening, but I can’t promise that.”

“Take your time, hyung. I wish I’d be there to help you.”

“No worries, cub! Any specific reason why you’re calling me?”

“I … I got my test results, hyung.” He paused for a moment. “I passed.”

“That’s great news, sweetheart!”

“But I only got an ‘S’ … I studied so hard for it …”

“You really did,” Seokjin said confidently. “But sometimes studying in books and in theory has its limits. You might understand how things work through a book, but in practice, it’s much harder. Because every elf and every type of magic is different.”

Seokjin had a point. He did well in the theoretical part, but not in the practical one. What he needed to do is practice magic, even though it drained his energy much quicker. His magical stamina was very low. It would be difficult to strengthen it.

“You’re right, hyung. Maybe I can work more on the spells we do in class.”

“That’s my boy.” Seokjin chuckled. “Performing magic is strenuous, but it makes you stronger. Don’t overdo it, though. Or I’ll tell Yoongi to keep an eye on you,”

Taehyung giggled. “Okay, hyung. Thank you.”

“I’m proud of you, little one. Try out some new spells and experiment with your magic. I bet that’s a lot more exciting than reading all those books, am I right?”

“That’s true. I’ll try it out tomorrow!”

“I’m glad you called, Taehyung-ah. Sleep well!”

“You, too! Goodnight, hyung!”

Taehyung ended the call and took a deep breath. The others had to help him out again and again since he had started his apprenticeship, but they never once complained about it. Hopefully, he would adjust himself soon and find a routine in his days. With all his ups and downs, it was hard to balance his life.

He was about to turn off the lights, when somebody knocked on the door. Surprised and curious, he told the person to come in.

“Jungkookie?”

“Hey, hyung.” Jungkook had a shy bunny smile displayed on his lips as he closed the door and joined Taehyung under the blanket. “Can I sleep here tonight?”

“Sure.” It wasn’t the first time, either Jimin or Jungkook (or sometimes both of them) spent the night with him cuddling and snuggling in the bed. “Trouble sleeping?” Taehyung asked and brushed over Jungkook’s hair, playing with the tips.

“Nah. Just missed you.” Jungkook threw one of his legs over Taehyung’s hip and put his head on the other’s chest.

“Missed me?” Taehyung was confused to hear that. How did he miss him if they were living together? “How come?”

“You’re here, but you’re not here,” Jungkook tried to explain. “Sometimes, when we watch TV or play games, you space out. It feels like you’re more in your head than in reality.”

“I’m sorry, Kook.” Taehyung pecked his hairline. “I just have a lot in mind lately.”

“Do you want to come to the gym with me tomorrow?”

Taehyung chuckled. “That’s not my way to get some steam off, bunny.”

“Then what’s your way?”

This question was unexpected. Jungkook was good in asking the right questions today because of his good perception.

“I think … being alone?”

“Does it help?”

“Not really. It sometimes gets worse when my thoughts spiral downwards,” Taehyung admitted with a shrug.

“But talking helps, right?”

“Yeah … I figure,” he mumbled.

“You’re like me then.” Jungkook relaxed in the other’s hold and closed his eyes. “When we talk with our hyungs, we feel better. It’s a hyung thing.” He giggled.

“Are you sure?” Taehyung closed his eyes as well, slowly lulled to sleep by Jungkook’s warmth and whispers. He could feel how the other nodded with his cheek squished against Taehyung’s chest.

“Yep. I feel better now, too. Success rate 100%.”

Taehyung grinned.

“Goodnight, bunny.”

“Goodnight, hyung.”

Chapter Text

The next day, Taehyung wanted to try out Seokjin’s advice and began to practice some spells. Yoongi was the only one at home at the moment, working on the scroll in his office, while Taehyung was in the basement. It was the safest area, both for an elf and for any furniture. Although Yoongi had said that he wanted to work only until noon in Epiphany because there weren’t many customers during the weekend, Taehyung knew that he just didn’t want to let Taehyung be alone at home.

The two of them had just finished their lunch together, when they split up to work on their own projects today.

“If you need any help, ask hyung,” Yoongi had said and pointed at the office door.

“Got it.”

With that said, Taehyung stretched his fingers and started with his training. He warmed his magic up by letting his lilac light flew around the room. The yellow sparks danced around the core. It helped him to loosen up his mind a bit and focus on his magic.

There were a few things inside this room that were used for magical tasks. A caldron next to a table full of potions and herbs, shelves with stones and crystals, plant pots with soil, water bottles and much more. But the most interesting thing right now was a fist-sized ball right under a threshold that went up until it almost reached the ceiling. Jungkook had once told him that this worked like weightlifting for magic instead of muscles.

“You control the ball with your magic and let it fly up. Hoseok enchanted it with a spell which makes it hard to move it. It’s useful for the first few years during your apprenticeship, because it helps you to visualise your power and magical strength,« Jungkook had said, but of course he didn’t tell Taehyung which height was normal for a beginner. He probably knew that Taehyung would’ve beaten himself up by trying to keep up with the others.

Now, Taehyung knew how to move objects with his magic good enough to give it a try. Once his magic was touching the ball, it felt like he was holding a huge rock. The ball slowly floated above the ground until it reached three centimetres before Taehyung had to stop. The ball landed on the ground with a thud. His head hurt.

“Okay … maybe I start with something else,” he mumbled to himself and started to let all kinds of objects fly through the room.

After a while, he changed the colours of some petals and tried out some more difficult tasks he had learnt in class. At the end of practicing basic spells, he tried out the ball once again. This time, he only reached two centimetres.

“No …” He whined and got into a huff with a followed frustrated groan. He tried it again.

And again. Pause.

And again. Pause.

And again. Pause.

He gave up, when the ball had stopped moving at all.

“Fine!” he shouted like a stubborn kid and continued with his elemental magic training after another small break. It was four o’clock already. He wanted to be done before the rest (and hopefully Seokjin as well) would come home today. The water inside his half-finished water bottle began to move as he tried to control it. Carefully, he let the liquid float out of the opening. His hands were shaking slightly. It was difficult to control something without a clear shape, but he managed to pour it into a plant pot without making too much of a mess on the way. He would clean the floor once he was done. Then, he tried to suck the water out of the soil again, palm hovering over the pot as if he wanted to bless it. Slowly and unsteadily, a few drops came out of the soil and floated up to his hand.

He had just managed to bring up ten drops, when his head was starting to hurt too much and he had to discontinue the task. The water fell back on the soil and was soaked up. He needed another break. The clock was ticking in the background.

It was five when Taehyung finally managed to pull some of the water out of the soil and back into the bottle. It wasn’t everything, but that was all he could do right now.

After drinking the water he had put back into the bottle, which had been a huge mistake (it tasted like dirt), Taehyung wanted to try something new. It was annoying to do things he couldn’t do well. Didn’t Yoongi tell him that his magic was supposed to be good at controlling water? If water wasn’t his element, maybe the opposite would be easier. They didn’t learn wind and fire magic so far so he couldn’t know if he was good at it or not. Seokjin had encouraged him to try out new spells so he thought he should give it a shot.

“Last try for today,” he said to himself and placed a candle in the middle of the room on the ground before laying his book in front of it to look up the instructions. He was practicing for only four hours now – three, without the (in his opinion) ridiculous amount of breaks –, but it was completely different than studying theory. His stamina was really bad when it came to magic. He paused so many times in-between his training that it felt like he barely did anything.

For beginners, the book said it was better if there was already fire to work with, so Taehyung grabbed some matches, kneeled down and lit up the candle. He smiled a bit, remembering the magical candle in Namjoon’s and Jimin’s shop that had fulfilled his dream of finding his home. Fire had saved him from his curse, maybe it would be the right element for him.

He took a deep breath and focussed all of his magic into his hands, ready to project it on the small dancing flame in front of him.

He wasn’t prepared for what was happening as soon as his magic connected with the fire.

The flame was exploding to a gigantic fire, flames licking at the ceiling as the candle collapsed right onto his book. Taehyung’s heart stopped. He immediately retrieved his hands and crawled backwards.

“W-what?”

The fire didn’t stop raging. It was like the flames had eaten up Taehyung’s magic and were using it on their own now. His book was burning. The ceiling right above the fire was turning black and the temperature was rising frighteningly quickly.

Taehyung had no control over the fire.

“Hyung!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, eyes widening when the flames touched the carpet Taehyung was sitting on. “Hyung! Help!” Taehyung could feel the heat coming closer and closer, stalking through the room like a beast. He pressed himself against a big object, probably a shelf or cupboard, when he heard how the basement door was thrown open and crashed against the wall. Hurried footsteps followed.

“Taehyung?!” Yoongi called, voice filled with concern. “Cub! What’s-” The words were stuck in Yoongi’s throat as he entered the room and was greeted by the inferno. “Oh my God.”

Without wasting any seconds, he raised both of his hands and the fire began to shrink. The flames let go from the ceiling and carpet until they were back on the mess that had been the candle. Then, the fire died completely and Yoongi took a deep breath.

“What the fuck happened here?” Yoongi asked and rushed over to Taehyung, whose back was still pressed against the shelf. There was clear panic in his eyes and Yoongi carefully kneeled in front of him. “Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”

It was hard to differ from Taehyung’s general trembling if he was shaking his head or not.

“I … I j-just wanted t-to practice, h-hyung,” he stammered. “B-but the fire … I-I couldn’t control it.”

“Fire magic works different than water or earth magic.” Yoongi frowned. “You didn’t learn this element in your classes yet, right? Fire is the last element to learn because it’s dangerous.”

“I just thought … because I wasn’t doing well with water magic … that maybe the opposite would be easier for me.” Taehyung faced the ground, ashamed of his failed attempt of taking care of himself. “I’m sorry, hyung.”

“I know it can be frustrating to learn the same spells over and over again, but that’s because you need to understand how your own magic works and how to control it. Fire is very delicate. If you put too much magic into the flames, you lose control,” Yoongi explained and helped Taehyung back on his feet before he took care of the chaos in the room. With some repairing magic, the book, candle, carpet and ceiling were as untouched as if nothing had happened. Yoongi sighed, obviously not satisfied with what had happened in here.

“What would you do if I weren’t here today?” he asked and drew his attention back to Taehyung. “Please, don’t do this again. You scared the hell out of me.”

“I-I’m really sorry, hyung.” Taehyung bowed deeply with attitude. A couple of tears landed on the ground because of it.

“Why would you think that-” Yoongi’s scolding was interrupted by a sudden noise upstairs. Hoseok and Jungkook seemed to be back. “We’re talking later. I bet the others could feel that something happened here. Let’s go upstairs.”

“Okay …” Taehyung nodded with heavy guilt in his stomach and followed Yoongi out of the basement and down the hallway. Both of them were surprised to hear Hoseok’s raging voice in the living room.

“I swear, I’m gonna press charges against her!” Hoseok shouted.

“Hyung, please calm down,” Jungkook pleaded and tried to grasp his arm as he followed him walking circles in the room. “What she did was wrong and it was right to kick her out of the shop, but you have to stop working yourself up.”

“She harassed you, Jungkook-ah!”

“And I told her to stop and was about to tell her to leave when you suddenly snapped and didn’t even let me finish taking care of the situation alone!” Jungkook shouted back before he even spotted Yoongi and Taehyung entering the room.

“What’s going on with all of you today?” Yoongi asked with a deep frown. Yes, they fought sometimes or got into an argument, but it got unusually more prominent in the last couple of weeks. Seokjin feeling on the edge, Jimin snapping at Namjoon, Hoseok being so furious and even Yoongi had just caught himself losing his peace for a second.

“A customer dared to cross the line and took photos of our cub without his permission! She was about to touch him if I wouldn’t have intervened!” Hoseok explained loudly and with a temper Taehyung had never seen on him before.

Jungkook sighed. “It’s not the first time young women or high-school girls come into our shop because of our looks. We know that and we have a strict rule of not taking any photos inside,” he said much calmer than Hoseok. “But there was one woman, probably in her mid-twenties, who ignored that rule. I noticed the sound of the camera of her phone and told her to delete the pictures. She tried to persuade me by flirting so I was about to ask her to leave the shop when Hoseok came and snapped at her.” He looked at Hoseok. “You’re normally much more collected and professional, hyung. What happened?”

“What happened?” Hoseok was about to begin a new raging monologue, but Yoongi stopped him with a single clap. Taehyung jerked at the loud noise.

“This will lead to nothing, guys. Seok-ah, let’s go outside. And you two” he pointed at Taehyung and Jungkook “rest a bit. Look out for each other.”

“Yes, hyung,” Jungkook said and waited until Yoongi and Hoseok were out of sight before he loosened his tie and looked at Taehyung.

“Should we go into my room?” he suggested. “I need a hoodie and comfy sweatpants.”

Taehyung nodded, the shock of the fire still tickling in his bones. At least his trembling had stopped. The two cubs went upstairs into Jungkook’s bedroom. It was tidy and decorated with a guitar in the corner, some paintings on the wall and a framed group picture of all seven of them on the desk. Taehyung waited until Jungkook changed into more comfortable clothes before they lay down on the bed.

“What a weird day,” Jungkook groaned. “Why was Yoongi so shocked? Did something happen before we came home?”

“Huh?” Taehyung was surprised at Jungkook’s deduction. “How did you know?”

“I saw it in his eyes. And I could feel panic flow through our bond just before we parked the car.”

“I did something stupid …” Taehyung confessed with a sad pout on his lips. Jungkook turned to the side so they were facing each other with their heads resting on the pillow.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah … hyung saved me, but he sounded really angry.”

“Yoongi’s only angry, if one of us is in danger. It’s his form of showing concern,” Jungkook said and shuffled closer. Their fingers touched. “Was it scary?”

“I panicked.” Taehyung chewed on his bottom lip for a while. “I lost control because I was scared. I feel like an idiot …” He had been so fixed on making progress and getting better that he forgot about the dangers of magic like a naïve child.

“Your magic can feel if you’re unsure or anxious. It’s like an animal. You have to earn its respect by showing who’s in control. Confidence is the key.”

Taehyung was everything but confident in his actions. He was craving for approval and affirmation. He really was still a child, even after all these years. He didn’t like responsibility, he was scared of many things, he was weak and he had little knowledge about magic and the world outside. He didn’t live for 110 years. It felt like he had escaped reality for so long, longer than his actual life within this world.

“Maybe I should look for a human job …” he muttered.

“What? Why?” Jungkook’s eyes widened, obviously shocked by Taehyung’s statement.

“Because that’s what I did for more than fifty years.”

“But it didn’t make you happy, hyung.”

Jungkook was right. These jobs had been nothing more than a diversion and financial source. He didn’t put any passion in it or gained any sort of happiness or fulfilment from it.

“You love magic,” Jungkook continued. “I can see how you soak it all in like a sponge. Your eyes were sparkling when you visited our shop for the first time.”

“I know …” But something still felt wrong. “And what about you and Hoseok?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes playfully. “I have no idea what’s wrong with him today. Maybe he didn’t sleep well or just had a bad mood. He normally has a lot of patience, but today, the smallest things worked him up. He could hear him cursing downstairs in our assembling room the whole morning!”

“You think Yoongi can help him relax a little?” Taehyung asked.

“Yes. While Hoseok is being Yoongi’s battery, Yoongi is his calm anchor. He knows exactly what buttons he has to push so that Hoseok calms down again.” Jungkook yawned and threw one arm over Taehyung’s body. “I’m sure they’ll talk it out before dinner.”

“Are you tired, bun?”

“Hmh.” Jungkook nodded in agreement and took a deep breath, shoulders relaxing as soon as he exhaled. Taehyung smiled gently and pulled him to his chest. Jungkook turned around, giving himself the role of the small spoon before he closed his eyes.

“Let’s take a nap,” Taehyung whispered and felt his own exhaustion from today’s training. Their hyungs would wake them up when dinner would be ready. Until then, they could rest and cuddle a bit.

“Are you feeling better, Seok-ah?”

“Much better.” Hoseok sighed and felt Yoongi’s finger running through his hair, gently massaging his scalp. “I’m sorry for all the shouting and raging, hyung.”

“It’s fine. Everyone has bad days.” Yoongi was pecking his cheek. “Let’s get back inside. Jimin and Namjoon will come home soon and I need to prepare dinner.”

“Let me do it instead.” Hoseok gave him a smile. “As a thank you for dealing with my weird mood.”

“Let’s do it together.” Their finger intertwined while walking through the garden. “After we check on the cubs.”

“Why do you think did Taehyung try out fire magic without supervision?” Hoseok asked, but saw the other shrug silently.

“I still want to talk to him about that,” Yoongi said eventually as they entered the house through the back door. “I don’t know if I reacted correctly. Maybe I should’ve been firmer … but he was already scared enough and the last thing I want is to upset him.”

“I bet he already learned from that experience. Fear won’t let you forgive mistakes easily.”

“Yeah …”

They walked upstairs after entering an empty living and dining room. When they found Jungkook and Taehyung sleeping soundly in Jungkook’s room, they couldn’t resist but to smile.

The cubs were okay.

Or so they had thought.

Chapter Text

It was in the middle of the night when Seokjin pushed the house key into the lock and opened the front door. The lights were long out, presenting him a silent and sleeping house. His limbs were heavy from the long drive and he decided to not leave the bed tomorrow until lunch.

After grabbing his slippers and warming up some food he found in the fridge, he ate in the dim light of the lamp above the kitchen counter and scrolled through his phone. Namjoon was the last person he had texted with today, updating him on the things that had happened during his absence.

Seokjin thought about Taehyung’s fire incident. He didn’t want to scold him as well and he was sure that Yoongi had already explained to the cub how dangerous fire magic could be. But this didn’t stop him from feeling guilty. Seokjin had told Taehyung to try out new spells, not expecting him to try them out alone and without checking the risks, though. Learning through try and error was a good method, but when it came to magic, it could lead to carelessness. He thought Taehyung would try out some harmless spells or ask Yoongi about the singing flowers.

He also remembered Namjoon’s last message. Namjoon assumed that Taehyung’s anxiety was wandering through the coven’s magical bond. He had a hunch since Taehyung had been so devastated about the test results. Jimin’s snapping, Seokjin’s restlessness and now Hoseok’s reaction. It was subtle, but it was influencing everything single one of them. Taehyung stressed himself so much and Seokjin couldn’t understand why. They had talked about it and it seemed like the cub was on a good way, albeit at a slow pace. What was he missing?

Seokjin raked his fingers through his hair and sighed. Was he feeling so worried because of Taehyung or were these emotions his owns? Having a new coven member wasn’t as easy and smoothly as he had first hoped. It changed their dynamics. They were all experiencing something new inside of them. Everything was still fresh and sensitive.

After his midnight meal, Seokjin climbed up the stairs and did his bedtime routine before he checked every room to make sure his boyfriends were safe and sound. When he reached Taehyung’s bedroom, he carefully slipped through the door and approached the bed. Only a mop of frizzy hair was sticking out of the duvet. Seokjin sat on the mattress and caressed Taehyung’s head, placing a gentle kiss on top of it. Taehyung stirred, a raspy sound escaping his throat as he was woken up by the touch.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Seokjin whispered with an apologetic smile. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Taehyung mumbled something that could have been a simple groan or a ‘hyung’. He moved his head, half-opened eyes looking at Seokjin.

“Just wanted to check on you.”

“Hyung-ah …?”

This time, Seokjin understood the word and nodded. “Hyung’s back.” He leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Sleep now, little one. It’s very late.” He was about to stand up and leave the room when fingers grabbed the hem of his pyjama. “Cub?”

“Stay …” Taehyung’s pulling was weak but persistent. Seokjin chuckled. “Please …”

“Okay.” He quickly slipped under the cover and was embraced by Taehyung’s warm body hugging him like a koala. “Goodnight.”

Only a few minutes later, both of them were fast asleep, holding each other close and enjoying the comfort each of them radiated. Seokjin would move mountains for the sake of his loved ones. He was so happy to have those six wonderful elves by his side.

The next day, Namjoon asked Taehyung to take a walk with him. The weather was nice and it had been a while since he visited the Han River. Seokjin was at home, resting from his business trip with the others. After all this time, they had decided to take a mutual day off to have some coven quality time (which was recommended once every month by the Ministry of Elves, but got harder and harder to maintain within such a hard-working country).

Namjoon noticed that Taehyung was carrying his camera with him, taking photos of the esplanade with sparks in his eyes. The camera had been a present from Yoongi for his first day at university. The case looked old-fashioned, but the technology was quite new so that Taehyung had plenty of possibilities to play around with it.

“I want to take a picture of you, hyung,” Taehyung said and pointed at a bench. “Can you sit there?”

“Sure.” Namjoon sat down and looked into the camera lens with a bright dimpled smile. Taehyung took the photo and showed it to him.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

“It looks good!” Namjoon patted his shoulder. “Did you know that you can enchant photos or cameras? You can create illusions that’re visible on the photo.”

“Really?” Taehyung’s eyes widened and suddenly Namjoon noticed the same excitement he had seen a long time ago when Taehyung had been introduced into the magical world through the six of them. But the fire inside his eyes died as quick as it had appeared. Namjoon frowned.

“Taehyung-ah?”

“Ah, sorry.” Taehyung shook his head and smiled. “I just thought about something, but it’s not important.”

Namjoon didn’t really believe him, but didn’t want to push him either. Maybe the voices inside Taehyung’s mind were back. He didn’t want the cub to overthink again and work himself up so he decided to keep going. A distraction would do them both good.

“Did Yoongi ever tell you, how we met?” Namjoon asked, receiving an answer with a shake of the head. “That was a long time ago. The two of us were the first to come together within this coven. Seokjin and Hoseok joined later, followed by you three cubs,” he began. “I just turned into a full elf and The Great War was raging through the country. I tried to not stay at one place for too long so I sold herbs and tea as a traveller. Yoongi had a similar idea back then. He worked as a translator for ancient spells and created illusions at different hideouts for elves who needed a safe place to stay.”

“Woah … hyung’s amazing!” Taehyung said with raised eyebrows.

“He really is.” Namjoon smiled at the memory. “We met in Ilsan when he was fleeing from a few elf hunters and got hurt by a thrown dagger.”

Taehyung made a pained expression.

“I found him bleeding and unconscious in a dark alley and treated his wound with some healing herbs I was carrying with me. The wound was infected and Yoongi quickly developed a fever so that I needed to look up for some potion recipes that I could use to help him. It took me a sleepless night, but in the end, I somehow saved his life with it.” Namjoon took a deep breath and felt how Taehyung reached out for his hand. Their fingers intertwined as they walked farther along the waterfront.

“We were both incredibly awkward when he woke up,” he continued. “I explained to him what happened and something just clicked. We worked well together as a team to escape any hunters and dark elves. At first, it was more of a companionship, but over the time of shared pain and suffering, we understood each other more and more. Finding somebody who accepts you for who you are and stays loyal by your side means a lot for both of us. To be honest, we pined for a really long time, not talking about the change of our feelings because we had been scared to destroy the friendship we were having. But after we had been nearly killed during an assault of dark elves, we realised how precious the other is.” Namjoon sighed. He was proud of Yoongi and himself. They had taken the next step and formed a bond of compassion and devotion. Something both of them had been scared of because of the seriousness and vulnerability. Loving someone meant to give up your safety of not getting hurt. But it also opened your heart to receive love and affection. Namjoon had stopped fearing and questioning their relationship a long time ago. He trusted each of them with his life. And it wasn’t a scary thought. Instead, it was pure confidence in his coven.

Namjoon looked over to Taehyung as he didn’t hear any response to his story. The cub had a frown on his face, looking like he was in pain. Alarmed by the expression, Namjoon put a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder and gently squeezed the muscles.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Taehyung blinked a few times, obviously trying to focus on his surroundings. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry.” He looked at his feet. “My head just hurts a bit …”

“Did you drink enough?” Immediately, Namjoon was in caregiver mode and guided him to the next bench. “Sit down. Hyung’s gonna buy you some water.”

“It’s fine. Really,” Taehyung said. “I probably overexerted myself yesterday. It feels like … sore muscles but instead of muscles, it’s my magic? Does that make sense?”

Namjoon slightly chuckled. “I understand what you mean. Water will still help, though. There’s a shop right over there. I’ll be quick.”

“Okay, hyung.” Taehyung smiled. “I’ll wait here.”

With a bag of two water bottles and snacks, Namjoon came back a few minutes later and sat down next to him. Taehyung thanked him with rosy cheeks, feeling flattered because of the caring gesture.

“Your previous comparison was quite accurate, the more I think about it,” Namjoon said. “You can train your stamina and strength with practice, but it’ll need time and rest.”

“It seems like I’m not the most patient person.” Taehyung sighed and took a sip from his water.

“Impatience is a very human characteristic because of their fast-living society and short life-span. I can hear them saying ‘this year was over so quickly!’ every December. They want to do and finish more and more within a short amount of time. They crave for quick success.”

“Me too,” Taehyung shyly admitted. Namjoon put his arm around him to pull him closer, smelling the faint scent of Taehyung’s … no, Seokjin’s shampoo. “Because I lost so much time due to the curse. I feel like I have to catch up with the world around me. I’m like a time traveller coming from the past.”

“I admire your experience with the human society,” Namjoon told him, surprising Taehyung with this statement.

“Why?”

“Because you can relate to them like no other elf I know can. Your knowledge is precious and your experience working with them is very important for your personal growth. Your view on mortality and fugaciousness can help you to connect with people. It makes you special, Taehyung-ah. I know the differences between elves and humans because I read about it, but you lived it. Keep those memories close to you and don’t think it was a waste of time.”

“I never thought like that …”

“Does it help you?”

Taehyung nodded. “A little, yes. It doesn’t solve my magic problem, but maybe I can accept my own past with those words …”

Namjoon placed a kiss on his temple. They were doing process with every talk.

Baby steps.

“Come on, little one. Let’s go home.”

They were surprised to find the rest of the coven together in the living room as they had just come home from their walk.

“Did something happen?” Namjoon asked.

“Something good actually.” Yoongi looked absolutely satisfied and stretched his aching limbs in his seat. “I finally managed to translate the scroll.”

“He was about to tell us about it,” Jimin added with sparkling eyes.

Namjoon sat down on a wing chair with Taehyung on his lap. “I’m all ears.”.

“It’s a spell,” Yoongi began and spread out the scroll on the coffee table. “It’s from a Chinese elvish tribe that doesn’t exist anymore. That’s why it was such a pain in the ass to find out what those words here mean.”

“Don’t keep us on tenterhooks, hyung,” Jungkook whined. “Tell us about the spell!”

“Relax, cub,” Yoongi playfully scolded and leaned back, savouring the teasing. He would definitely celebrate this with a fine whiskey in the evening. “It’s a spell to lift somebody’s confidence and courage. It should be able to project its power into gem stones or tea,” he looked at Namjoon and Hoseok. “But nobody tested it and there’s no guarantee that my interpretation is accurate enough.”

“But it’s still amazing!” Hoseok cheered. “This could help many people if they’re nervous before important meetings or other stressful events! It could be a bestseller before entrance exams and job hunting season.”

“If that is allowed nowadays,” Seokjin intervened. “I’m not sure if this spell would fall under the examination law.”

That was true. Some magical items and spells were strictly forbidden in order to not cheat or distorting the students’ academic performance. It was allowed to use things that calm you down or lessen your anxiety, but since this new spell wasn’t registered yet, it was hard to tell.

“It takes months for a spell to be registered and officially allowed to be used,” Jimin said and crossed his legs.

“Exactly.” Yoongi nodded. “But as far as I can assess, the spell is pretty harmless. Neither the body nor the soul would be influenced by it. It’s a purely mind-focused spell. Therefore, they shouldn’t be any problems during the magical review of the spell.”

The coven talked a bit more about the spell’s usage with Taehyung listen to them curiously, staring at the scroll like it was the answer of existence.

Nobody noticed his behaviour.

Nobody noticed that this spell was targeting many of Taehyung’s problems that would vanish just like that. He would be confident. He didn’t need to be scared of exorcisms anymore. He could help Seokjin. But it would take so long until he would be able to use it and his exam was in ten days. Ten days.

He remembered the conversations with his hyungs …

Defeat the fear of failure inside of you.

He needed to destroy the fear inside of him. The Shadows would make use of his insecurities again. The awful words were still burned inside his head …

I will kill everyone you love. Nothing will be left from your coven than a puddle of blood. I will eat from your fears and anxieties like a parasite.

Those things would stand no chance if he would be confident enough.

The obstacle of improving his magic would be gone.

Taehyung needed that spell. He would be able to practice with a positive mind. He would be able to give his best during the exam. He would be able to not get tricked by the Shadow’s illusions.

Tonight.

He’d try it out tonight. Yoongi said it was harmless. He should be fine.

Everyone was fast asleep when Taehyung tiptoed down the hallway at two o’clock in the morning. He reached Yoongi’s office without any problems and slipped inside. It was dark, but Taehyung was afraid to turn on the lights. He used his phone to see his surroundings. The scroll with Yoongi’s notes was lying on the desk.

With a racing heart, Taehyung approached the desk and unfolded the paper. At the bottom of the page, he could see the final translation written in elvish. He knew that you needed to touch your chest if you wanted to use a spell in yourself so he placed his left palm right over his heart before he began to whisper the words.

Nothing happened. No tingling fingertips, no light, no warmth.

He tried it again, louder this time.

Goosebumps covered his skin when a shiver ran down his spine. But he could still feel no difference. It didn’t seem to work.

Was his magic too weak?

He knew this had been a stupid idea. What was he thinking? Things wouldn’t get solved so easily. There always was a catch.

Taehyung sighed and left the room. It looked like he would need to do the exam without the sweet taste of confidence. He shrugged with his shoulders. What was he scared of anyway? It was ridiculous. Fear was ridiculous.

He walked back into his room, not caring about being quiet. He got under the covers and closed his eyes. Tomorrow started a new week. He should not think about what had happened in the last few days.

He was fine.

There was absolutely nothing to be afraid of. Nothing.

Chapter Text

Taehyung felt great. A little bit of a headache, but that wouldn’t stop him from joining Seokjin in his office today. He got out of the bus and crossed the street without looking left and right. A loud honk scared the birds on the transmission tower away as a loud tyre squeal echoed with the buildings. Taehyung stared at the car to his left that slammed on the brakes right in front of him. Only one metre more and he would have been hit. Taehyung’s pulse was calm.

“Do you want to die?!” the driver yelled at him through the open window and honked again so Taehyung would move away from the street. There were traffic lights nearby, but why should he take a longer way to get to Epiphany if he could just cross the street right here? Taehyung walked to the pavement with an apologising bow towards the driver. He didn’t intend to scare him.

Once he reached the shop and saw Yoongi talking to a customer, he knocked on Seokjin’s office door and stepped inside.

“Morning, hyung.”

“Ah, good morning, little one.” Seokjin smiled at him. “I prepared some things for you. Let me show you.” He stood up and pulled a box out under his desk. Taehyung curiously looked at him and sat down on the couch.

“What is that?” he asked.

“Some items for practicing basic magic,” Seokjin answered as he opened the lid. Inside the box were several little feathers, cloths and toys. “Let’s try some transformation magic, shall we?”

Taehyung nodded happily. “Okay, hyung! I’ll try my best!”

“Feathers are the easiest objects to transform because of their little weight and flexible structure. Try to transform them into petals.”

With that, Taehyung started his training under Seokjin’s supervision. Sometimes, the older elf had to answer some calls or e-mails, but apart from that, he wanted to give Taehyung his undivided attention. He wanted to be a good mentor for his cub.

“You did really well!” Seokjin praised him while ruffling his hair. “Let’s try the last toy. I want you to transform it into a candle. This task is a bit harder, but I’m sure you can do it.”

Taehyung ignored the headache. This would be the last magical practice today and he could relax after that. He already did so well today. He could do that.

And he really did. After the second attempt, the toy slowly turned into a white candle. Not the prettiest one, but a candle nonetheless. He grinned proudly at the result.

“I did it, hyung!”

“You’re doing progress, cub! I’m proud of-” As soon as Seokjin looked at him, his expression did a one-eighty. “Taehyung-ah!”

“Huh?”

“Your nose is bleeding. Oh dear.” Seokjin quickly transformed one of the items into a tissue and carefully pushed it under Taehyung’s nose. “Did you hit your head before?”

“No. It’s fine, hyung. This can happen sometimes.” He couldn’t understand why Seokjin looked so scared. It was just some blood. Nothing to be afraid of.

“It definitely shouldn’t,” Seokjin sternly said. “Especially while using magic. Was it too much? Does your head hurt?”

“Only a bit.” Taehyung checked if his nose was still bleeding. Yes, it was.

Seokjin sighed. “I’m sorry for pushing your magic. It went so well today, I didn’t thought it would cause damage, sweetheart …”

“Don’t be sorry, hyung!” Taehyung exclaimed and squeezed his upper arm. “My magic is just weak. That’s not your fault.”

“You’re not weak, little one.” Seokjin fondled with Taehyung’s hair at his neck. “I want to make sure you’re healthy. I can ask Sejin, if he has time for an emergency appointment.”

“You really don’t have to. I’m sure it’ll stop bleeding soon.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that it bleeds at all,” Seokjin countered and walked to his desk to call the healer. Taehyung knew that no argument could satisfy Seokjin at this point. The tissue was completely soaked by now. Seokjin gave him a few more while talking with Sejin on the phone, asking if they could come to his clinic. Taehyung sighed. He really didn’t want to make Seokjin worry.

One minute later, Seokjin left the office with his arm protectively wrapped around Taehyung’s shoulders. When Yoongi spotted them, Taehyung saw something flaring up in his eyes, but it was too quick to figure out what it was.

“What happened?” Yoongi asked and approached the two of them, gently cupping Taehyung’s cheek to inspect his nose.

“Nosebleed …” Taehyung mumbled.

“I’m bringing him to Sejin. If somebody asks for me, tell them I’ll be right back.”

“Sure, hyung.”

“Thank you.” Seokjin gave him a quick kiss before walking to the front door. Taehyung was close behind him and opened the door, when Yoongi’s voice made him stop.

“Do you want to tell me something, cub?” he asked out of the blue.

“What?” Taehyung turned around with a frown. Yoongi had his eyebrows raised, waiting for an answer. “No. Nothing, hyung.”

“Taehyung-ah!” Seokjin called from outside, interrupting the intense look Yoongi was giving him. Taehyung was confused. Why was Yoongi looking at him like that? Eventually, he turned around and left the shop to follow Seokjin to his car. He could think about it later.

Sejin’s office was as typical as any other doctor’s or healer’s room could be. A few plants here and there, the familiar vertical blinds in front of the windows and big shelves full of books nobody else would understand. Taehyung’s nose had stopped bleeding as they arrived and parked the car near the clinic. Once Taehyung’s name was called he and Seokjin stepped inside the office. Sejin checked him all over and carefully wiped the blood from his nose. Taehyung had allowed Seokjin to stay in the office during his examination so the older elf was standing next to him.

“There you go.” Sejin gave him a smile. “I’ll take a look at your magical core now, okay? It might tingle a bit, but it won’t hurt.”

Taehyung nodded and watched, how Sejin positioned his hand on Taehyung’s chest. It really tingled, almost like little ants walking over his skin. His eyes met Seokjin’s.

“You’re doing okay?” Seokjin asked like the worried hyung he was.

“Yes, it doesn’t hurt at all.”

“Well,” Sejin said and pushed his glasses up after he finished his examination, “looks like you have a mild case of core fatigue.”

“What does it mean?” Taehyung asked.

“It’s like an inflammation of your magical core. This can happen because of stress or sudden overworking for example. I would recommend to not use magic for a whole week so your core can heal properly. It’s very sensitive right now. Practicing magic could damage it in the long run. I’ll give you a medical report for your university in case you need one.”

“But my exam is in two weeks.” Taehyung pouted. He wouldn’t be able to prepare himself properly.

“Then it’s even more important to rest well so you have enough energy and stamina to do well in the exam,” Sejin said and turned to Seokjin. “I would also recommend to not take him to an exorcism since it causes a lot of stress.”

“Of course, hyung. Thank you.”

“I will also give you a prescription for an anti-inflammatory. I’m sure Jimin has an appropriate potion in his assortment.” Sejin scribbled something unreadable on a sticky note and gave it to Seokjin. Taehyung sighed, annoyed by himself because of his body.

They said goodbye to each other and got back in the car. Seokjin thought for a moment before he looked at his cub.

“Let’s go back to my office. You can rest on the couch and I buy us lunch, alright? I’ll text Jimin to bring you-” His phone rang. “God dammit, can’t I take care of my baby without a fucking client calling me?” he cursed with a followed frustrated huff. Taehyung rarely heard him cursing. He saw how Seokjin took a deep breath to calm down and answered the phone. Even though he stayed neutral on the phone, Taehyung noticed the stressed expression on his face. When Seokjin was done and started the engine, he rubbed over his tired eyes, craving some coffee.

“You’re working too hard, hyung …” Taehyung said.

“I’m not the one with core fatigue, though.”

“But that doesn’t mean that you don’t need a break. You were already busy before having an apprentice.”

Seokjin sighed. “I know … But I can’t just ignore a person’s life like that. Being an exorcist means a lot of sacrifices. Especially time.”

Taehyung looked out of the window. Was that the future he wanted to have? Help people, but sacrificing his private life, sharing less time with his boyfriends?

Seokjin only stopped the car near the shop to let Taehyung out before heading to his client. Taehyung kissed him on the lips to say goodbye and walked back to Epiphany.

Yoongi was surprised to see him coming back alone.

“Where’s Seokjin?”

“A client called,” Taehyung said and saw how Yoongi looked not happy about that. He muttered something Taehyung couldn’t understand before he asked about his visit at Sejin’s clinic. After a brief explanation, Yoongi crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.

“You can go into Seokjin’s office and rest there for a bit. I’ll buy us some lunch. Any wishes?”

“Chicken?” Taehyung looked at him with big puppy-eyes, knowing exactly that Yoongi couldn’t resist to say yes.

“Fine. No need for that button eyes, little guy,” he chuckled and waited until Taehyung walked into Seokjin’s office. “Oh, cub … what’s got into you …?”

Yoongi looked up from his laptop just after he had finished eating lunch together with Taehyung, when he heard the familiar doorbell of the shop, expecting a new customer. He smiled when he spotted Jimin instead.

“Hey, hyung,” he greeted Yoongi and lifted the little paper bag he was holding. “Seokjin called me to bring Taehyung some medicine. He got a core inflammation?”

“Yeah …” Yoongi stood up and glanced at Seokjin’s office. “I know why, but it’s not my job to confront him.”

“You want to wait until he does it on his own, right?” Jimin rhetorically asked and remembered this technique from the past. Yoongi had never exposed the cubs’ mistakes, but wanted to give them a chance to realise on their own that their doing would have consequences. Even though he didn’t know what Taehyung had been up to, he figured it was better to not interfere.

“Yep.”

“Does Seokjin know?”

“I fear not. If so, he would’ve told me and confront Taehyung,” Yoongi said and crossed his arms. He had known Taehyung’s shenanigans since this morning, when he had checked on the scroll which he had enchanted with a protection spell. If somebody would have touched it, Yoongi could see it. And he did. Lifting confidence wasn’t a dangerous spell, if it even worked at all. Taehyung was still a beginner and Yoongi could bet that he had unintentionally used up all his magical energy for using it on himself. It would fade in a few days, probably tomorrow.

However, this was not the main issue Yoongi thought about. He wanted to understand why the cub thought it would be a good idea to use this spell without permission. They had all talked with him to lessen his anxiety and help him to not fall into a dark hole again. Yoongi had been sure Taehyung was listening and taking the advice seriously, so why? Was he that stubborn? Did they have to support him more to make him feel safe? Yoongi wanted to make sure that Taehyung was feeling comfortable and trusted the whole coven.

“Hyung?”

Jimin’s voice brought him back.

“Ah, sorry … The medicine, yes … Taehyung is in Seokjin’s office.”

“I know when you’re worried,” Jimin said and took one of Yoongi’s hands, playing with his fingers. “Remember that it’s been only a few months since his magic has been freed from the curse. That’s nothing compared to an elf’s lifespan. Maybe he’s not the only impatient among us.”

Yoongi sighed. “You’re right … Your hyungs want to see him get better so quickly that we ignored our own advice.”

“Let him do mistakes and learn from them, but it’s alright to step in, if he might hurt himself. Let him explore his magic and interests.”

“Jimin-ah, do you think-” Yoongi stopped himself, shaking his head. He was becoming too anxious. “Never mind.” He smiled.

“You and Seokjin take good care of him. We’re proud of you,” Jimin said and pecked his lips.

“Thank you, little one.”

Yoongi watched how Jimin knocked on the office’ door and stepped inside. He took a deep breath and sat down behind the counter again, checking his phone. He frowned as he saw Seokjin’s message telling him he might be late for dinner. Maybe Taehyung was not the only one, Yoongi should fret about.

“Hey, buddy,” Jimin said when he entered the room. Taehyung was lying on the couch with his phone held over his head to watch a video. Jimin guessed it was a let’s play according to the music and sound he was hearing.

“Jimin-hyung!” Taehyung grinned at him and sat up, phone forgotten. “Are you bringing me my medicine?”

“Yep.” He put the bag on top of the coffee table and pulled out a little vial filled with pills. “This helps your magical core to rest well and gain its energy back. You’re probably going to be tired after taking it so it’s the best you swallow one pill after having a meal. You can take a nap then.”

“Thank you.”

“I know how you’re stressing yourself because of the upcoming exam, but don’t worry too much, okay? Don’t be scared to fail.”

“I’m not scared, hyung.” Taehyung said it with such obviousness. “Why should I?”

Jimin was taken aback, blinking a few times before he responded. “Oh, okay. Right.” He frowned for a second and said: “Of course. There’s no reason to be afraid.” He smiled and caressed Taehyung’s hair. “It’s good to hear that you don’t worry about it anymore. You work hard and give it your best shot. That makes us really proud.”

Taehyung’s cheeks flushed a bit. “Thanks.”

“I have to get back to Namjoon now.” He gave him a kiss. “Be a good boy and rest well. Take a pill and nap. We see each other in the evening.”

“Have a good day, hyung-ah.”

“Ah, you’re too cute.” Jimin giggled and squished Taehyung’s cheeks. “My baby bear.”

Jimin said goodbye to him and Yoongi and left the shop. Taehyung took one of the pills and swallowed it with some water before he continued to watch the video on his phone. He yawned a little while later, noticing how the medicine really made him sleepy. After putting his phone away, his fingers played with the amulet Hoseok had gifted him back then. He stopped. Why was he wearing it? The thought of magical protection sounded ridiculous in his mind. What was out there that could harm him? Shadows? He wasn’t afraid of them. The others probably overreacted because they worried so much.

Taehyung opened the little clasp at his neck and shoved the amulet inside one of his pockets. Maybe the spell had really worked. He felt braver. He felt fearless.

Chapter Text

The amulet was shoved into the drawer of Taehyung’s bedside cabinet in the evening before he went to sleep. He wasn’t allowed to use magic for a whole week, how should he practice for the exam now? He had no idea what he should do during the next days. Yoongi had said during dinner that he would stay home with him, but he had to work and Taehyung didn’t want to bother the older one with his boredom. With a sigh, he looked up the ceiling of his bedroom and tried to find some sleep.

As soon as the others went to work the next day, Taehyung decided to spend some time in the garden. Even though it was summer anyway, Yoongi’s spell was keeping the weather warm and steady out here. He was fascinated how magic could change the size of a room, no matter what was happening around it. Magic of time and space sounded very complicated, but it opened so many new opportunities. Small flats could be so much bigger on the inside, but the rent wouldn’t increase. Art magic seemed to be very diverse, Taehyung thought. But it made sense. Art could be many things from music to paintings to fashion. As long as the mind could create it, everything was possible.

He walked to the tree house, but didn’t go upstairs. Instead, his thoughts about this place gave him an idea. Even though this was outside, it was still some kind of an enchanted room so there had to be an ending, right? A line where the illusion ended.

Taehyung sneaked to the trees and bushes that surrounded the whole garden. Why did he never think about it? Would there be an invisible wall? Or something else? He wanted to know. Therefore, he pushed his body through the covert and left the meadow, swallowed by the unknown territory. Immediately, his whole surroundings turned darker as the sunlight wasn’t able to fight its way through the tree tops. Taehyung looked around and could see nothing else than a deep and dark forest. It was like he was trying to look for some secret places in a video game, but found nothing more than a big picture than had been used to create an infinite background. The trees looked real, but there was something about them that didn’t feel right. Taehyung frowned and took another step forward. His body was tingling as if tiny needles were poking his skin.

The normal Taehyung would’ve turned around at this point and asked Yoongi about it, but the new Taehyung was fearless and there was nothing that would stop his curiosity.

Suddenly, he noticed it. The something that was bothering him. The trees were all the same, copy and pasted. He walked forward and lifted his hand, trying to touch one of the tree trunks. The tingling intensified and changed into a more aggressive buzzing around him. It sounded like he was in the middle of a beehive. White noises filled his mind and lured him deeper into the darkness.

He continued his way, still not able to reach the ending of the illusion, but the noises got louder. He looked back to where the garden was.

Nothing.

He was completely immersed. This was interesting, Taehyung thought. The illusion had decoyed him into the infinite forest of nothingness with no visible way to escape. The constant noises were a bit annoying, but otherwise, Taehyung felt fine. He smiled.

“This is so cool,” he said out loud and walked even deeper into the woods.

Yoongi typed the last page of his current translation project into his laptop and took a sip from his ice coffee. After stretching his limbs and saving his document, he let his thoughts wander around for a bit. He had secured the basement door with a spell so Taehyung wouldn’t get into mischief. Even with raised confidence, he should still have some common sense and not use his magic like he was told to. Still, Yoongi couldn’t deny that he was feeling nervous about the whole issue. The others didn’t seem to notice the change yet. Seokjin was so tired yesterday evening that it was little wonder he didn’t pay attention to the others like he normally would do. There definitely was a coven meeting due for all of them. They needed to discuss Taehyung’s behaviour in order to understand why he had used this spell. He was sure Taehyung knew it was not okay, but the reason why he did it was the real issue. And Seokjin couldn’t continue like that as well. He was overworking himself and that wasn’t fair towards the coven, especially Taehyung.

Yoongi stood up and left the room. It was almost lunch time now and he wanted to check on the young elf before preparing their meal. After searching every possible room (and looking up the closed basement door just to be safe) he opened the patio door and walked into the garden.

“Taehyung-ah?” he called, receiving nothing but bird twittering. Yoongi checked the greenhouse, then the pavilion and eventually the tree house. No cub in sight. That was not good. He had found Taehyung’s phone earlier in his bedroom so he couldn’t even call him. At this point, Yoongi was starting to get nervous. Taehyung would’ve told him if he left the house, wouldn’t he?

“Shit … where are you, little one?”

An idea stroke him. He rushed to the tree house and grabbed one of Taehyung’s hair ties that were flying around everywhere in this house. Once he was back on the ground. He closed his hands around the object and mumbled a spell.

“Find your owner and show me the way,” he muttered under his breath and let the hair tie float through the air. It was bustling around for a bit before approaching the forest border. Yoongi’s eyes widened as the hair tie flew past the bushes and into the grey area of his illusion.

“Oh no …”

Taehyung raised his eyebrows when he noticed that the buzzing noise got louder. He followed the sound, not able to hear his own steps anymore because of it.

One step.

He touched one of the trees. It felt cold and oddly hard. Not like wood, but something else he couldn’t name.

Two steps.

His eyes began to hurt, his surroundings got darker and blurrier. Taehyung had no orientation left. This was so exciting.

Three steps.

Everything was dark, the noise loud and so close.

Four steps.

He stepped on asphalt. A sudden light blinded him.

Five steps.

A loud hunk penetrated his ears. Taehyung stared at the headlights of the car that was dashing up right to where Taehyung was standing, namely in the middle of a highway.

Yoongi didn’t waste a second as he grabbed Taehyung’s collar and pushed him back into the forest. Taehyung made a choked noise and saw how the car and the street disappeared with a snap.

“TAEHYUNG!” Yoongi yelled and pushed the other against the ground while he was sitting on top of him. He was panting, heart pounding in his chest because of the panicked sprint he had turned in to prevent Taehyung from breaking through the illusion. He had almost been too late …

“Oh. Hey, hyung.” Taehyung smiled at him and Yoongi would’ve lost his mind if he didn’t knew that the cub was under a spell. “I wanted to check out the forest.”

“Yeah, I figured,” Yoongi panted and got up, helping Taehyung up and not letting go of his hand. He was trembling. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“I’m sorry, hyung.” Taehyung looked down, walking side by side until the noises from the street disappeared completely.

A few minutes later, the two of them were back in the garden und Yoongi finally dared to let go of Taehyung’s hand. He turned around to face him properly.

“I will ask you again: Do you need to tell me something?”

“Huh?”

“And where is your protective amulet, Taehyung-ah?”

“Oh … it’s in my drawer. I didn’t think I need it anymore.”

Yoongi sighed. “I waited for you to tell us the truth by yourself, but it seems like the spell messed up with your head a little too much.” He crossed his arms. “You used the new spell I translated.”

“Ah, yes.” Taehyung nodded. “That’s true … It was so tempting to try it out so I can make use of my magic properly without any blockades.” He wasn’t afraid of the consequences by boldly telling Yoongi the truth. Why would he? “Did the spell work?”

“Of course, stupid! Look at you.” Yoongi was shocked. Normally, people could feel the change by themselves. This spell seemed to be more powerful than he thought it would be. “It raised your damn confidence a lot more than I thought. Spells are more intense if you use them directly onto your body, but even that-” He stopped, frowning.

“Hyung?”

“You got nearly hit by a car a few minutes ago and you just smiled at me as if nothing had happened. You put Hoseok’s amulet away that’s supposed to protect you. This is not about confidence.” He looked Taehyung in the eyes. “This is about fear. You didn’t freak out about the nosebleed yesterday. You’re unable to feel fear anymore …”

“Oh.” Taehyung blinked. “But isn’t that good? Now, I can help Seokjin without being scared of those shadows. And I can write the exam without being afraid to fail! Namjoon had told me to fight my fears so didn’t I won?”

“Oh, cub …” Yoongi groaned and took both of Taehyung’s hands. “You twisted the meaning of his words. Yes, fear can hinder us to use our full potential, but fighting your fears is about growth and experience. Winning a hurdling by erasing the hurdles doesn’t make you win the race. Fear is important, because it keeps us alive. If you don’t fear danger, consequences or even death, you won’t live a long life.”

“But I feel so much better, hyung …”

“I believe that. But the spell will fade very soon and then, your fears will come back at full force. They will make you realise what you have done. You can’t live while being constantly enchanted.” Tears welled up in Yoongi’s eyes. “I made a mistake by not interpreting the spell correctly. I thought, it wouldn’t be dangerous for you so I didn’t confront you directly. You needed to realise your own mistake and I wanted to give you the chance to grow. But everything turned out to be much more serious.” He began to sob. “If something had happened to you, I would’ve never been able to forgive myself …” If he had been just a few seconds too late in the forest, nobody knew what would’ve happened to Taehyung. Yoongi shivered at the thought.

“H-hyung …” Taehyung joined his crying and buried his nose into the other’s neck. “I’m so s-sorry! I just want to be a good student! I’m feeling like I lose myself more and more and I don’t know how to stop it. It’s … it’s weird, hyung!”

“You’re afraid …”

“I-I don’t know.” Taehyung sniffed and felt Yoongi’s comforting hand rubbing his back. “But it makes me sad. I try to listen to your advices and it helps, but there’s something inside of me that feels so helpless.”

And scared, Yoongi mentally finished Taehyung’s sentence.

“Everything’s gonna be okay, little one,” Yoongi whispered and kissed his wet cheek. “We find a solution. Together.” He could feel how Taehyung nodded against his neck and so Yoongi tightened his grip a little to give Taehyung the security he was craving right now.

They had just parted, Yoongi brushing the tears from Taehyung’s face away, as his phone rang inside his pocket. Their emotional turmoil seemed to have spread through their bond.

“It’s Seokjin,” Yoongi said.

“Can you tell him to come home? I want to tell him.”

Yoongi gave him a gentle smile and picked up the phone. “We need a coven meeting this evening, hyung,” he told Seokjin before letting the other speak. “Our cub wants you home. He needs to tell you something.”

“I figured,” Seokjin said through the speaker. “I’m on my way. What about the others? They’re spamming the chat because of the whole panic we felt earlier.”

“I’ll try to calm them down. Nobody’s hurt, but we need to discuss some things with all of us present.”

“Of course. See you in a bit!”

“Bye.” Yoongi hung up and intertwined his fingers with Taehyung’s. “Let’s prepare some food before Seokjin comes home. I need some distraction right now or I’m going crazy.”

“Okay.”

As soon as Seokjin arrived at home, he rushed out of the car and struggled to get the key into the lock because of the nervousness buzzing inside of him. Yoongi and Taehyung greeted him in the dining room with the food set on the table.

“Hello, hyung.” Taehyung gave him a quick hug. Seokjin took a deep breath and checked his apprentice all over to make sure he really was okay.

“Let’s eat first,” Yoongi said when he approached Seokjin. “We’re safe and sound.” He took Seokjin’s hand and kissed the knuckles. “You’re shaking, hyung.”

“Sorry, I just … I’m … I’m confused.”

“That’s fine.”

“We cooked some pasta! Let’s eat,” Taehyung said and walked to the table. They needed a clear head to talk about this issue and Seokjin calmed down a lot after he saw them unharmed at home.

After they had finished their lunch, they cleaned the table and sat down on the big couch in the living room, whereas Yoongi decided to pick the wing chair so he could look at them properly.

“Alright. I’m ready for some answers,” Seokjin said and leaned back.

Taehyung cleared his throat. “Two days ago, I used the new spell on me to get more confidence.”

“What?” Seokjin’s eyes widened before they snapped back to Yoongi. “You said it was harmless. Why did I feel this panic then?”

“I made a mistake,” Yoongi calmly explained. “It would’ve been harmless if my interpretation of the spell was right. But it’s not.” He sighed. He did that a lot these days and it bothered him. “I found out about Taehyung’s secret yesterday morning when I checked the scroll. I had a feeling Taehyung would get curious, but I hoped he wouldn’t do it. I tried to handle it like I always did with Jimin and Jungkook.”

“Let them learn from their own mistakes,” Seokjin added.

“Yes. However, I didn’t expect the spell to have a different effect than I thought.”

“What does the spell do?”

“It erases fear,” Taehyung answered and gained Seokjin’s attention. “It’s like I never felt fear in my life. I just … I can’t grasp the feeling. For me, it feels great, but Yoongi said it’s dangerous.”

“Of course it is!” Seokjin exclaimed and squeezed Taehyung’s knee. “Fear is essential, sweetheart.” He frowned, wondering why Taehyung would do something like that and rather enchant himself instead of talking with them. “Why …?”

“It seems like we often explained fear as something negative or hindering, especially after he experienced his first exorcism and met a shadow. Something that uses fear to attack humans and elves.”

“Without fear, I can be a better help,” Taehyung mumbled. “I’m sorry …”

“Is this why you had a nosebleed yesterday?” Seokjin frowned. “Using advanced spells as a beginner is way too dangerous for one’s magic.”

Taehyung simply nodded.

“Do you want to know what happened here while you were at work?” Yoongi asked.

“Yes. I need to know.”

Yoongi took a deep breath and explained today’s incident in the forest. Taehyung was quiet the whole time, noticing how Seokjin’s grip tightened. He put his own hand on top of Seokjin’s to calm him down. It hurt to see him like this.

“So, yeah …” Yoongi said after he’d finished. “Now you know.”

“How did I not notice …?” Seokjin ran his fingers through his hair when he suddenly widened his eyes. “I’m a bad mentor, right? I broke your promise, Yoongi! I promised to take care of him …” He broke out in tears. Why did he fail like this?

“Hyung, no!” Taehyung shouted. “You’re a good mentor! You’re just really busy!”

“That’s no excuse, cub …” Seokjin choked and tried to stop the tears.

“It isn’t, but that doesn’t make you a bad mentor,” Yoongi interjected. “Still, you try to handle both your normal work schedule on top of teaching Taehyung exorcism and help him practice his magic. Of course you can’t handle that. You need to slow down, hyung. Having an apprentice means that you have to sacrifice some of your working hours for him, not add those hours to your normal workload.”

“You were so stressed yesterday, hyung.” Taehyung pouted. “I could see that you wanted to take care of me, instead of going on that mission.”

Seokjin sighed with a stuttering breath, lungs still a bit cramped because of the crying. The soothing rubs on his back from Taehyung helped him to slowly collect himself again. When he looked up, he saw Yoongi’s features soften.

“It’s not your fault. We both were struggling and that’s okay. I will always be there to support you, hyung. So don’t think you have to do everything alone. We also took care of Jimin and Jungkook despite the fact that they were Namjoon’s and Hoseok’s apprentices. Because we’re a coven. Because we’re their hyungs.”

“Is there a way to solve this whole thing somehow?” Seokjin asked.

“We already did the first step by talking. But we three aren’t in this alone. We can’t do this alone. That’s why we have a meeting later. I want to know how everyone is feeling, if somebody is struggling with something and needs help. We’ve tried too quickly to go back to our routines despite the fact that we have a new little cub,” Yoongi said.

“Hyung’s so sorry, cub.” Seokjin turned to Taehyung and opened his arms, hoping that the other would accept the apology. With a relieved smile, Taehyung leaned into the hug and was embraced by Seokjin’s strong arms.

“Me too, hyung-ah.”

“There’s still one thing that makes me anxious,” Yoongi suddenly said. “When the spell fades out, I’m not sure how your mind is going to react to the withdrawal. You … There is a chance that you get another panic attack.”

Taehyung smiles. “Even when I can’t understand fear right now, I know I won’t be alone if that happens. I’ll be fine.”

Unfortunately, Yoongi’s worried face didn’t disappear after his words. Taehyung couldn’t talk with them about his anxieties and fears under the spell. It was most likely that he completely underestimated the upcoming impact of those emotions.

Seokjin kissed Taehyung’s forehead. “Please know that I’m not angry at you. You made a mistake but so did I. What’s important now is that we learn from that to understand each other better.”

“Hyung’s right. We will always love you, little one.”

“Thank you.” Taehyung smiled and pecked Seokjin’s lips. “I love you.” He looked at Yoongi. “All of you, so much.”

Chapter Text

“You did what?” Jimin asked, perplexed by the news he just heard during their coven meeting. He had talked with Yoongi about this issue yesterday, but he would’ve never thought that Taehyung had used the spell on himself. Yoongi’s anxiousness was making sense now, Jimin thought.

Taehyung was looking at his feet. He couldn’t feel fear, but shame and guilt nonetheless. He apologised for the nth time this evening before he explained what had exactly happened today. After he was done, the others exchanged some looks.

“Maybe our advices made everything worse,” Namjoon eventually said and intertwined his fingers to form his hands into a chin rest, elbows on the dining table. “We were trying to help him and give advice without actually asking what you need to hear, Taehyung-ah. We all want to be equals in this group, but maybe all this support pushed us apart.”

“What do you mean, hyung?” Jungkook asked.

“I fear that our relationship with Taehyung became unbalanced, urging him to give us something because he received our support the whole time.”

“I wanted to help, too …” Taehyung mumbled. “But I didn’t know how so I thought … being more confident and independent would lessen Seokjin’s stress and your worries.”

“Oh …” Jungkook chewed his bottom lip. “I didn’t think about it like that.”

“Telling him that he doesn’t need to give us anything and that it’s okay to rely on us, doesn’t help as long as insecurities and doubt lingers into one’s mind,” Yoongi said. “We didn’t look at the big picture.”

“But what’s the big picture, hyung?” Hoseok asked.

“That’s the question.”

They looked at Taehyung, but he could only shake his head, not knowing the answer either. Seokjin looked his cub over, trying to search for something he couldn’t define. There were so many little dots inside his head, but it was too hard to connect them.

“This spell is much more dangerous than I thought,” Yoongi continued. “Suppressing insecurities and fear are the first steps to become a dark elf, swallowed by shadows. I will burn the scroll.”

“Hyung.” Namjoon widened his eyes. “You worked so hard on that.”

“True, but I don’t want that scroll in the wrong hands. Dark elves have a wide network and this spell could lure them into stopping at nothing or finding more followers. I’ll be more careful if I find more spells written in this language.” With that, Yoongi stood up and walked to his office, stopping just as he passed the living room. “One more thing.” He turned around and faced Seokjin. “Hyung. No more work on the weekends and no emergency calls after dinner.”

“But-”

“Hyung.” It didn’t sound threatening. Yoongi was pleading.

Seokjin sighed and turned his head to Taehyung, finding his hand and squeezing it. “Okay. I promise.”

With that, Yoongi left, heart now a lot lighter than before. The rest helped cleaning the kitchen and putting the leftovers from dinner into the fridge. Jimin hugged Taehyung from behind after they were done.

“Can I sleep with you tonight?” he asked, chin resting on Taehyung’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to be alone if the spell fades away.”

“Thank you.” Taehyung nodded and gave him a perfunctory kiss on the cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

When everyone was heading to bed, Hoseok was surprised to find Jungkook knocking on his door. Without the need to say a word, he lifted the blanket and waited until Jungkook crawled into bed and lay down.

“Is your head busy?” Hoseok asked gently and caressed his hair. Jungkook snuggled closer, sensitive nose buried in Hoseok’s neck. He always smelled like comfort.

“I don’t like the feeling in our bond,” he muttered. Hoseok kissed his forehead and wrapped his arm around him, humming in agreement. The bond felt sore from all the stress during the last couple of weeks.

“Me neither,” Hoseok whispered. “But as soon as we figure this out, it’ll get better.”

“I want to help Taehyung …” Jungkook whined. “But I don’t know how.”

“You’re so sweet, bunny,” Hoseok cooed. “I think Taehyung needs to find his place in here.”

“Huh?”

“In this world, but also in this group. He had been just cured from the curse back then and decided what he wanted to do. I fear that this is currently showing its consequences.”

“Hyung …” Jungkook lifted his head, eyes big and mouth agape. “You think he acted with precipitant to become Seokjin’s apprentice?”

Hoseok pushed a long strand of hair behind Jungkook’s ear. “When you and Jimin have joined us after The Great War, you waited around half a year before deciding what you wanted to learn. You tried out many different things. Jimin even joined Sejin for a while to see if the job as a healer would appeal to him. You two concentrated on your interests, on yourselves. Taehyung …” He sighed. “Taehyung was overwhelmed by all those good things that happened to him. Seokjin saved his life.”

“But why is he lying to himself?” Jungkook asked.

“I don’t think he realised it yet. Exorcism could still be the right thing for him, but he needs to find that out by himself, not by us or Seokjin.”

Jungkook closed his eyes, inhaling the familiar scent and enjoying the gentle affection he was receiving while he thought about Hoseok’s words. He couldn’t help Taehyung finding his own way and that bothered him. On the other hand, he could see that Taehyung talked with him about his worries. He opened up.

“Let’s go to sleep, cub.” Hoseok pecked his lips. “Hyung’s here.”

“Okay.” Jungkook smiled. “I’m also here for you, hyung.”

“I know.” Hoseok squeezed him. “Thank you.”

Taehyung woke up only two hours later with his pulse racing like he just finished the longest run in his life. The sound of the car honk and the blending light of the headlights were still flashing up with every blink. He could’ve died. Why had he done that?

He was shaking badly, hands looking for the switch of the bedside lamp to pull him back into reality. As soon as light flooded the room, he tried to calm down his breathing.

“Taehyung-ah …?” Jimin muttered half-asleep, woken up by the sudden brightness around him. When he spotted the shaky figure next to him on the bed, his eyes widened in shock. “Hey, hey …” He wrapped his arms around Taehyung. “Is the spell fading away?”

“H-hyung …!” Taehyung’s mouth was dry and his tongue cramped as he tried to form proper words. He was scared. The ugly feeling came back at full force with a nightmare exposing him to the raw memories of his last two days. Jimin tried his best to calm him down, but he called for the others nonetheless.

“You’re okay, baby bear,” he whispered. “You’re safe and sound at home.” Jimin carefully took Taehyung’s hands and brushed over the knuckles. “Can you list five things you are seeing right now for me?”

Taehyung looked around. He gulped to make his tongue relax. “L-l-lamp,” he stuttered.

“Very good.” Jimin smiled. “What else?”

“H-hyung.”

“Yes. Hyung’s here as well.” He was patient, not rushing anything in order to pull Taehyung out of his panicked headspace.

“D-desk … chair …” Taehyung took a shaky breath. “B-bed …”

“Good job, Taetae.” Jimin kissed his hands. “Does something hurt?”

Taehyung frowned and concentrated on his own body. His lungs were burning from the panic attack, but he could wiggle with his toes and move his hips without any sort of pain. He was unharmed. He was safe.

“No …” He shook his head, finally able to take his first deep breath. “’m not hurt.”

“Perfect,” Jimin said and brushed some tears from Taehyung’s cheeks. It wasn’t the first time he saw somebody having a panic attack. Apart from himself, Jungkook had suffered a lot from it because of all the trauma that had been caused by the war. Still, it had been a while since he comforted somebody like that and he was glad that he choose to stay close to Taehyung this night.

It knocked on the door just a minute later. Everyone else was there, worried faces, but calm enough to make sure Taehyung was comfortable with them coming in. They slowly entered the bedroom and checked on the exhausted cub.

“The spell is gone now, hm?” Yoongi said and caressed Taehyung’s neck, massaging the tight muscles.

Taehyung sniffed, but nodded. “I don’t feel good …”

“I know, sweetheart,” Seokjin cooed and kneeled in front of the bed to take a proper look at his face. “And it’s okay to feel however you’re feeling. It’ll go away in a bit.”

“Should I make you some tea, little one?” Namjoon asked.

“Yes, please …”

Namjoon stood up, walked downstairs and looked for the right flavour. He knew exactly what Taehyung needed right now, namely the tea he had brewed on the day they had first met. Peach tea.

When he was back in Taehyung’s room, the cub had calmed down significantly, head resting on Jimin’s shoulder and hands held by Seokjin and Yoongi.

“Hoseok-hyung? C-Can you open the drawer?” Taehyung pointed at his bedside table. When Hoseok opened it, he saw the amulet lying next to an unfinished book. “I put it away because of the spell …” Taehyung admitted. “Could … could you hang it round my neck?”

“Of course, baby.” Hoseok didn’t hesitate and grabbed the necklace before he wrapped the thin chain around Taehyung’s neck. “Here you go.”

“And here’s your tea,” Namjoon said with a dimpled smile and placed the mug on the bedside table. Taehyung immediately remembered the smell, eyes widening.

“Peaches …” he breathed. Some tears were welling up, but he didn’t let them fall. Instead, he smiled and took the cup. “Thank you …”

“How’re you feeling now, hyung?” Jungkook asked.

“Better.” Taehyung took a sip, memories of hope and warmth filling his body. “A lot better.”

They all heaved a sigh of relief. Their bond was tingling a bit because of the mutual support.

Taehyung looked up, facing Seokjin with an expression, the other couldn’t quite describe. In Taehyung’s eyes lay trust.

“Hyung, can I take the day off tomorrow? I think … I need some time for myself to figure things out.”

“Of course, Taehyung-ah.” Seokjin smiled. “Take your time.”

“Thank you.” He leaned forward and kissed Seokjin on the lips.

Yoongi felt something pop inside of him as if a knot was finally unravelled. Things would get better now. He knew that. Something inside of Taehyung had understood to reflect on a few things before he would make the next steps.

“Don’t worry about uni or work, little one,” he said to Taehyung. “That might sound cheesy, but listen to your heart. Things might look complicated, because your mind is thinking about so many different things.”

“Okay, hyung.” Taehyung nodded and finished his tea. “Please make sure that Seokjin-hyung takes care of himself and doesn’t work too hard.”

“Hey-”

“I will,” Yoongi interrupted Seokjin’s protest with a followed chuckle. “Promise.”

Taehyung decided to take a walk the next day. He needed to get some fresh air to clear his head and think about his future. Even though Yoongi had told him to not worry about university, he couldn’t help but mull over the upcoming exam next week. It didn’t feel right. His head was telling him to study, but his heart was aching for some freedom. He felt himself oppressed by his down decision. Was that the thing Yoongi had mentioned yesterday? But if he would listen to his heart, he would stop going to university and end his apprenticeship-

Oh.

Why did his heart want to stop his apprenticeship? Seokjin was a great teacher and being an exorcist was an important job. Taehyung wanted to help people.

But was he enjoying exorcism? It wasn’t easy and dealing with shadows wasn’t a pleasure, but if he could safe somebody’s life with it then …

Taehyung frowned. What was he missing? It felt like he could almost grasp it, but it would just slip through his fingers like sand. He needed help. Therefore, he waited at the next bus stop and drove to Daydream, knowing exactly who he needed to talk with.

“Hyung!” Jungkook was surprised as he saw who was entering the shop. He greeted him with a quick wave of his hand. “What’re you doing here?”

“I wanted to talk to you,” Taehyung said. Hoseok was currently busy counselling a young woman who was looking for some new ear rings. When he recognised Taehyung’s voice, he gave him his heart-shaped smile.

“To me?” Jungkook raised his eyebrows, round eyes growing bigger. “Why?”

“I have a few questions and I think you’re the best to answer them.”

“Oh. Sure! We can go downstairs.”

The two elves walked down the circular stair and arrived at the workshop. After grabbing chairs and sitting down, Taehyung took a deep breath and asked: “How did you know that this job was the right one?”

“Huh? You mean working at a gemstone shop?”

Taehyung nodded. “Yes. Why did you choose Hoseok to be your mentor back then?”

“Oh.” Jungkook blinked, obviously not expected to be asked this question. He remembered his talk with Hoseok last night and smiled. “Actually, it took me a while to find out what I wanted to do. With the war suddenly over, I was able to see a future in my life that wasn’t about hiding and running. When Hoseok and the others took us in and taught us about magic, we tried out many different things. Jimin visited Sejin a few times and watched him work. I was with Yoongi for quite some time and also with Namjoon.”

“But you choose Hoseok in the end.”

“Yes. Hoseok was as kind and helpful as the others. But when I watched him work and saw all those pretty gems and crystals, I was so fascinated by it. This job is about delicacy and beauty. I love to create new things an each stone is unique and powerful on its own.” His eyes sparkled and Taehyung had never heard Jungkook talking so passionately about something. “And I love challenges. My ambition is quite high so I knew I would need something that keeps me entertained. Namjoon’s and Jimin’s jobs are more about patience and calmness. Hoseok’s job however still keeps me struggling sometimes and I really enjoy that. Some stones are hard to connect with in order to insert the right type of magic inside. That’s why I choose to focus on insertion and heart magic.”

Taehyung was speechless. Jungkook was able to describe the reasons so clearly and confidently that he just noticed why he was struggling so much. It wasn’t just Seokjin’s magic that helped people. All of their jobs were important in their own way.

“I … I don’t know if exorcism is the right thing for me,” he mumbled. It was scary to say it out loud, but Jungkook’s reassuring smile was soothing his anxiety.

“What is the right thing, then?”

“I don’t know …” Taehyung sighed with his lips formed into a pout. “I mean, I was here and at Moonchild a few times, but never thought about it as a job for myself.”

“So what helped you decide that you will be an exorcist back then?” Jungkook asked, hitting the nail right on the head.

“I just … Without Seokjin’s magic, I would’ve died. I admire him so much that I thought, I wanted to be like him.”

“But, hyung, everyone admires Seokjin,” Jungkook giggled. “He’s amazing, not only as an exorcist, but as a hyung as well. But you shouldn’t do something to become like somebody else. Do something, because you want to, because you’re interested in it.”

“I don’t know much about magic … I don’t know what I want.” Taehyung lowered his head, feeling a bit silly for only focussing on one thing. Maybe there really was the perfect job for him out there and he just ignored it.

“Then maybe that’s the first thing you can do, hyung,” Jungkook said. “Not even half a year ago, your curse was lifted and your magic got free. Even Jimin and I needed many months to figure out what we want. Doing an apprenticeship as an elf is a big thing so you need to be sure about it. Taking your time is very important and helpful.”

“Wouldn’t Seokjin be sad, when I tell him about my doubts?” Taehyung asked.

“Of course not!” Jungkook exclaimed. “He’d be happy to hear that you wanna find out what you want. It also means he’s a good mentor if he supports you on your own way and helps you to find out if exorcism is the right thing or not.”

Taehyung smiled. His heart agreed to Jungkook’s words. Seokjin wouldn’t be disappointed but happy to help him. Because they were a coven and loved each other.

“Thank you so much, Jungkook-ah,” Taehyung said and leaned forward to give him a hug. “That helped me a lot.”

“You’re welcome, hyung-ah!” Jungkook pulled him into his lap as if he weighted nothing, making both of them laugh. “I’m glad I could help you!”

“I’ll go to Seokjin now and tell him about it.”

“Okay. Good luck, hyung!”

They shared a quick peck and with a much lighter heart, Taehyung rushed upstairs, blew Hoseok a kiss and left Daydream. He could feel that he was doing the right thing and it felt great.

Chapter Text

As soon as Taehyung arrived at Epiphany, Yoongi was raising an eyebrow at him.

“I thought you wanted to take a walk, little one?” he asked.

“I did.” Taehyung smiled at him as he crossed the room. “But I had some questions in my mind and Kookie helped me to figure some things out.” He looked at Seokjin’s office. “Is hyung here? I need to talk to him. It’s because … of the apprenticeship.”

“Oh.” The confusion vanished from Yoongi’s face. “Yeah, he’s inside.”

“Thank you.” Taehyung was about to knock on the door, when Yoongi put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently.

“I’m proud of you.”

“Huh?” Taehyung tilted his head, surprised by the other’s words. Albeit Yoongi didn’t continue and went back to the counter, his eyes exposed the meaning of his compliment.

I’m proud of you for talking about your doubts.

Taehyung knocked and entered the room. Seokjin was sitting behind his desk as usual, glasses resting on his nose and hair elegantly styled as if he was the CEO of an influential company. Taehyung knew he was even more than that.

“Hey, hyung,” he said.

“Sweetheart!” Seokjin stood up. “I didn’t expect you to come. You still need to rest, not work.”

Taehyung chuckled. “I’m not here to work or study,” he explained. Seokjin stopped and blinked a few times. It was funny to see how similar Seokjin and Yoongi reacted on the inside. They were both very caring elves and Taehyung loved to receive their affection. “I’m here so I can talk to you. Jungkook and I had an important conversation today and I think I discovered something about me. Something important.”

Seokjin smiled. “Let’s sit down.”

When they made themselves comfortable on the couch, Taehyung took a deep breath and did, what he had been insecure about the whole time: Dealing with his doubts.

“When I asked you to be my mentor back then …” he began, “I had no idea about magic and the meaning behind being an apprentice. I choose you because you helped me so much and saved my life with your magic. I admired you for helping people before I could even realise that magic in general can be used to help others, not just exorcism.”

“That’s right.” Seokjin nodded, carefully listening to his apprentice’ explanation.

“At the beginning, everything was so exciting and interesting, but when I joined you on that exorcism mission …” Taehyung stopped, remembering something. “No … I think my doubts already started when I looked at your journal on the first day. I was nervous and scared, but you all supported me and told me that it’s normal to feel like this so I didn’t pay much attention to those doubts. I thought they would disappear sooner or later. But when I entered university and learnt more about magic and all their different types, it felt like I have chosen something without looking at anything else.”

“You gave your heart not enough time to figure out what it really wants.”

“Yes.” Taehyung played with his fingers in his lap, searching for any signs of sadness or disappointment in Seokjin’s eyes, but he couldn’t find any of it. Only understanding and patience. “Your job is dangerous and difficult,” he continued. “Maybe I wanted to prove myself, I don’t know. The reporters made me realise what a big thing it is to choose your own path. I felt cornered by everything, even though I put myself into that corner in the first place.”

“Exorcism needs a strong heart and confidence in your own abilities. Herbalism needs patience and a calm mind. Every kind of magic has their own traits, strengths and weaknesses. Not every kind of magic is for everyone. It’s similar with human jobs. Some are good in science, others in caretaking and others in languages. We all have different talents and interests.”

Taehyung sighed. “I think I figured out that exorcism is not my kind of magic … I’m sorry.” It was finally out of his mind.

“There’s no need to be sorry, cub.” Seokjin caressed Taehyung’s hair at the back of his head, massaging the neck a bit. “Hyung’s very glad that you found that out. If exorcism is not something you want to practice and study further, I won’t pressure you. Figuring out yourself and your magic it part of becoming a full elf. You have a long life ahead, it’s okay to struggle and learn from that.”

Taehyung’s heart was throbbing inside his chest, moved by Seokjin’s words and relieved to receive so much understanding from his coven. Jungkook had been right, there was no need to feel anxious about Seokjin’s reaction.

“What can I do about university? I’m not sure about the exam next week … it feels like I’m not prepared for it,” Taehyung said, muttering the last words into his lap.

“This exam is every semester. It’s no problem if you do it in winter and take some more time. Since you’re still at the very beginning of your studies, it’ll be no problem if you change your mentor. There’s a reason why the university keeps things open and flexible at the beginning,” Seokjin explained. “We can inform them that you’re going to change your apprenticeship and want to begin anew in the following winter semester. That way, you have enough time to try things out and let your magic bloom without any stress or pressure.”

“That sounds good.” Taehyung smiled.

“Actually, I already have an idea that might help you,” Seokjin said and stood up, walking to his desk to open on of his drawers. Taehyung waited with curiosity vibrating inside of him. He could have a new beginning. No need to compare his magic to others, no reporters bothering him on the campus, no more fear to experience another exorcism.

“Ah.” Seokjin found what he was looking for and held a pamphlet in his right hand. “I knew I put it in there.”

“What’s that?” Taehyung asked as Seokjin sat down again and gave it to him. It was a flyer for a museum.

“It’s from the National Museum of Magic. They have many different expositions of magical artefacts and historical scripts, but also rooms focusing on different types of magic like elemental magic, heart magic, healing or exorcism. It gives you a very good impression what you can do with it and its purpose in this world.”

Taehyung looked through the pamphlet with big eyes. There was a photo of the earth magic room which looked like you were inside a forest. The floor was covered in grass, corners decorated with plants and flowers, while several plates with text were hanging on the wall, framed with ivy, probably explaining all the things that were possible with earth magic. It reminded him of the garden in front of Moonchild.

“I didn’t know museums can look like this,” he said, making Seokjin laugh.

“Museums have changed a lot in order to make it interesting for people of every generation. Namjoon loves this place. He goes there several times a year. I bet he would be absolutely thrilled to show you everything in every room.”

“Really?” Taehyung couldn’t wait to go there. This would help him to find his true passion and the best job for his magical light.

“Of course! You can ask him after dinner. I’m sure Jimin can manage the shop alone after lunch time so that Namjoon and you are able to visit the museum in the afternoon. It’s open every day until 8. You’ll have enough time,” Seokjin said.

Taehyung nodded like an excited child. “That sounds great, hyung! I missed having some quality time with Namjoon because of all the studying and incidents …”

Seokjin wrapped an arm around him to pull him closer. He kissed Taehyung’s temple. “Your mind and magic can take a break now. You’ve worked hard despite all the struggles you’ve faced. Hyung’s very proud of you.”

Taehyung blushed. It felt good to hear it again. They were all proud of him, making him happy and giddy with excitement. He turned his head and kissed Seokjin on the lips.

“Thanks, hyung,” he whispered against the other’s lips. “I think I’m doing the right thing now. I feel proud of myself, too …”

When their lips met a second time, Taehyung could feel how Seokjin’s mouth was formed into a smile. Seokjin pulled him even closer until Taehyung was sitting sideways on his lap. They cuddled and kissed for a while, spreading their love and happiness to everyone through the bond. Yoongi looked up and faced the door, a grin exposing his gums. A message popped up on his phone. Hoseok and Jimin had both sent a heart into their group chat to let them know they could feel it, too. Their coven was finally healing.

In the evening, Namjoon’s whole expression lit up when Taehyung asked him to go to the museum with him.

“Yes! Of course!” he exclaimed and nearly spilled his water all over the table. “Let’s go tomorrow! I need to take our delivery of herbs and supplies in the morning, but if Jimin’s fine with it, I can pick you up after lunch.”

“No problem, hyung,” Jimin said as he looked over to Taehyung and winked. “You two enjoy your museum date.”

Taehyung rolled his lips in to suppress a sheepish smile. The red tips of his ears exposed him anyway.

“Thanks, hyung,” he mumbled.

“Any specific reason for going on an excursion?” Hoseok asked.

Seokjin and Taehyung bandied looks before they explained everyone what they had talked about in Seokjin’s office today. Jungkook grinned knowingly, happy that he was able to help Taehyung with his advice. Nobody questioned Taehyung’s decision. They could feel how much better their cub was feeling right now. He was on a good way.

The next day, Namjoon picked up Taehyung at home before they headed to the National Museum of Magic near the centre of Seoul. It was the biggest magical museum in South Korea and many elves from outside come here to visit this place in order to learn more about their history and all different kinds of magic. In the past, only elves worked in there, but by now, humans also assisted them to prepare the rooms and organise big events.

“Two tickets, please,” Namjoon said to the young woman at the counter. He gave her a few thousand won and gave Taehyung the tickets while putting the change into his wallet. Taehyung was looking around the entrance area and suddenly froze when he lifted his head. It was a famous illusion in some well-known movies, where the sky could be seen instead of the ceiling. Nonetheless, it was an impressive sight in real life. Taehyung could bet that it would display the night sky with all its stars after sunset.

“Where do we start?” he asked while getting the tickets checked by a security guard. Namjoon smiled and walked with him to the little sitting area near the museum shop and café.

“The first floor is about the elvish history in East Asia. It’s like walking along a timeline of five thousand years. They show old scrolls, books, filmed interviews and documentaries. I bet you already learnt a few things in your class,” Namjoon said before he pointed at the stairs. “The second floor holds the rooms Seokjin told you about yesterday. Each room includes one type of magic.”

Taehyung nodded. He’d like to see the history as well, but it would probably be a bit too much for one single day if he wanted to pay close attention to all different magic types.

“Can we go to the second floor directly? I really want to see those rooms.”

Namjoon’s grin exposed his dimples. “Sure! Let’s go, little one.”

The rooms were bigger than he expected from the photo on the flyer. Each room was as big as the classrooms in university. You could sit on a bench in the middle while the walls were decorated with information and glass cabinets.

The room of fire magic made Taehyung feel a bit uneasy, because of recent memories. Red, blue and green flames were dancing around behind the thick glass.

The earth room made Namjoon smile the most. It was easy to tell that this was one of his favourite rooms. Speakers in each corner filled the room with forest sounds while ivy was covering most of the walls.

In the room of heart magic, there were several bracelets exhibited for the guests to try on. Each of them included one emotional state. Happiness, motivation, relaxation and excitement were currently available. Taehyung looked at Namjoon, silently asking if it was okay to try one out.

“Go ahead, cub,” Namjoon chuckled. “Choose what you like.”

Taehyung was already excited and happy, so he decided to put on the relaxation bracelet. As soon as it was wrapped around his wrist, he could feel, how it calmed him down. His mind took a breather from all those new information and impressions surrounding him. He was able to focus on just himself. It was amazing.

“That’s your magic, right? The type of magic you use to put emotions into your tea.”

“That’s right. Hoseok and Jungkook also use heart magic for a few items, but their specialisation is more on insertion magic,” Namjoon explained. “Insertion magic is in the next room.”

“What’s the difference between those two?” Taehyung asked after he put the bracelet back to its place. He felt refreshed as if he had taken a good nap.

“Heart magic – like the name says – comes from the heart. You can project feelings and emotions into an object or also on another human in order to communicate without words. Insertion magic is about putting magical energy into a lifeless object. For example a spell of luck or protection. It’s more dependable on the elf’s skills to cast spells efficiently. Heart magic is a bit simpler since emotions are something you naturally know about. However, you need to have very good control about your emotions in order to project them successfully. It’s difficult to project happiness if you’re sad.”

Taehyung understood. “But isn’t in dangerous to consume things with heart magic?” he asked. “For example, you’re sad and put on this bracelet” he pointed at the bracelet of happiness, “in order to escape your own feelings. Isn’t that the same mistake I did with the new spell?”

“You’re absolutely right,” Namjoon said, proud that Taehyung learnt from his experience. “Every kind of magic is ephemeral, it doesn’t last forever. The spells have to be reinserted after some time. Heart magic doesn’t last that long, only a couple of months if it’s inside an object. Furthermore, your body isn’t able to always consume magic. At some point, artificial happiness won’t help you anymore. Getting addicted to those items is always dangerous so that the government only allows a certain …” Namjoon thought about a fitting word, “dose of magic that won’t cause addiction. South Korea is quite strict with its laws.”

“Is it possible to put love inside an object?” Taehyung asked.

“Some elves tried, but it didn’t end well. Love is too complex and too unique in its expression that it could be reduced into one emotion only. It’s also forbidden to do that. Next to love, you’re not allowed to insert negative feelings like depression, anxiety or pain. It was used during The Great War in order to torture prisoners and convicts all around the world. Thankfully, that time is over,” Namjoon said and entered the next room together with Taehyung. For humans, the war was already a long time ago, but for elves, time was different. Taehyung was still very young, but he grew up in the middle of war, which left a strong scar on his soul.

“That’s good,” he mumbled. “If somebody feels love, they know it’s real.”

“Yes.” Namjoon smiled and put an arm around Taehyung’s shoulder. They continued their way through the rooms and Namjoon didn’t comment that Taehyung almost rushed through the room of exorcism. He understood.

They had almost reached the end of the second floor, when they were entering the room of art magic. This room wasn’t a room. It was the forecourt of a shrine. Just like their garden, the whole appearance was changed into something else with the help of magic. Taehyung saw creatures that didn’t exist jumping over the roofs and a gigantic whale swimming through the air above their heads while the night sky was following it like a shoal of fish. Only a few moments later, day turned into night with sparkling stairs in the sky that slowly transformed into fire flies one by one. They swirled around Taehyung and Namjoon as if they wanted to greet the two elves. Taehyung was speechless. He walked into the shrine and saw transparent illusions of ancient hwarang, an elite warrior group of young men who existed between the fourth and ninth century.

“Woah …” Taehyung couldn’t close his mouth with all the impressions trickling down on him. There were paintings on the wall of the shrine. They moved. There was a couple dancing, a princess smiling and a dragon spitting fire.

“This room changes every few months,” Namjoon suddenly said, standing at the entrance of the shrine. “They invite magical artists from around all East Asia to show their talent and creativity. It’s always a pleasure to visit this room.”

“Hyung …” Taehyung breathed.

“Hm?”

When Taehyung turned around, Namjoon saw fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. Shocked by the reaction, he rushed forward and cupped his face. “What’s wrong?”

Taehyung shook his head and sniffed. “I just … it’s so pretty, hyung …” he sobbed. “This place, the illusions, the paintings. All of it!”

Namjoon smiled. “Art magic has many different approaches. Some enchant their cameras to create magical photos, some work in the film industry to create the effects … it’s much more intense than just projecting one emotion. Art magic creates a whole new experience, a new world.”

“This is it,” Taehyung said and let the last tear escape his eye. “When Seokjin showed me a bit of art magic, I caught myself wanting to know more about it and now this …” He looked around. “I love it so much … I want to create something as beautiful as this!”

“That sounds great, cub,” Namjoon said and kissed his cheeks, tasting the salty tears of joy. “Let’s look around a bit more in here, okay? Take all the time you want.”

“Yes!” He turned around to find some information about this exhibition when a thought flashed up in his mind. “Hyung?” He looked at Namjoon. “If I choose art magic … my mentor …”

“Yes?” Namjoon smiled at him, already knowing what the other wanted to ask him.

“Can I … can I ask Yoongi? I-is it possible for me to be his apprentice?”

“His illusions are very professional and probably his best skill next to cryptography,” Namjoon said before he added: “He’d be very happy to teach you all his knowledge.”

Taehyung’s eyes sparkled like those of a child. His boxy grin was brighter than ever, radiating happiness and excitement. His inner child was at peace. Namjoon would never forget this sight, keeping it deep inside his heart forever. Love really was too complex for any kind of magic. Love was magic on its own.

The most powerful and beautiful kind of magic.

Chapter Text

Taehyung’s magical core had fully recovered from the inflammation and he was able to practice again. Without the pressure of any classes, he was free to learn more about his interests and talents. He wanted to do something creative, something that could heal someone’s soul just by looking at his art. But when he researched about all those elves who worked with art magic, he realised how broad the spectrum could be. Some work in the music industry to visualise songs as soon as they would be played (Christmas markets had beautiful illusions) and others created enchanted rooms like Yoongi did with their garden at home and at Moonchild. However, he now knew that he didn’t need to specialise so soon. He could try all different kinds and decide later, which exact career path he wanted to go.

“Many art magic users are freelancers at the beginning before most of them find something stable and focus more on what they can do best,” Yoongi said to him when the two of them had a chat at home in Yoongi’s office. Taehyung hadn’t told him that he wanted to be his apprentice, but that wasn’t necessary. As soon as Taehyung had knocked on the door of his office, Yoongi knew why he was here. The thing that had nagged him for all those weeks was finally found. Taehyung was a creative elf that hadn’t explored this side of him yet and Yoongi knew this feeling far too well.

“You too, hyung?” Taehyung asked.

“My mentor taught me about cryptography, but she encouraged me to try out new things. Somehow, she could feel that I needed a magical outlet. Cryptography as more about theory and history so you barely use your magic. That’s why many of us either have a second job or hobby where we can make use of all the pent up magic inside of us,” Yoongi explained. “So I choose art and protection magic which were quite handy during the war. It took me quite a while to learn those things, but it was worth it in the end.”

“Is there a reason why you don’t do a job that includes art magic?”

Yoongi smiled. “Yeah, there is. I once tried to enchant some self-composed songs and sell them to companies. But I realised very quickly that it’s not easy to make a living out of it. The industry is very competitive and based on luck. Suddenly, the thing I liked turned into stress. My passion turned into work. I began to think about profit and not about the things I actually want to produce. That’s when I knew I just want to do it as a hobby without the pressure of a real job.”

Taehyung nodded. It was understandable. Having a creative job means that you have to be creative all the time. He chewed his lip.

“I’m a bit uncertain …” he sheepishly admitted. “What if that happens to me, too?”

“You have a huge advantage, cub,” Yoongi said. “Time is different now and you don’t need to worry about money or an upcoming war. Jobs and working dynamics have changed over the past decades and it’s not uncommon to have more than just one work. You can still be a magical artist. And when you have a creative drop, you can help me out in the shop. There’s nothing wrong with needing some variety in what you’re doing. Let hyung give you a hint: Don’t worry too much about all those ‘ifs’ in the future. Just let things come to you. There’s no need to worry about things that haven’t happened yet. Do whatever you want to do now.”

“I want to kiss you now, hyung.” Taehyung grinned, amused by Yoongi’s perplexed expression. He stood up and sat down on Yoongi’s lap. “Can I?”

Yoongi wrapped his arms around Taehyung’s waist, his way to tell him he accepted the bold affection. Taehyung thought it was cute how Yoongi rarely initiated physical touch, but never said no if somebody wanted to have him close. They kissed for a while, minds blank and only in the here and now.

“Can you show me your music, hyung?” Taehyung asked. “I know the piano in the living room isn’t just fancy decoration.”

“I haven’t played in a while …” Yoongi mumbled. “But yeah … I’d like to.”

They stood up and walked into the living room. The piano was in the corner next to the windows. Despite the lack of usage, not even a thin layer of dust was lying on the black painted wood. Yoongi took care of his neglected passion. He couldn’t remember why he had stopped composing or just simply playing music. Things got busy, he thought.

Yoongi stroked the fallboard that hid the claviature underneath and opened it before he lifted the wing shaped lid to reveal the strings. He had attuned it last winter when he had played some Christmas songs for the others. That had been the last time, he used it. Way too long than he might admit.

“Come here,” he said and sat down on the bench. Taehyung joined him with an excited expression. He was eager to listen to his hyung’s music.

Yoongi’s fingers slid over the keys, thinking about the right song. He knew multiples by heart at this point so it wasn’t easy to decide which one he wanted to play. In the end, he choose an uplifting ballad he had composed many years ago. It was the song he had written for Jungkook’s graduation ceremony.

Taehyung watched how Yoongi played with his eyes closed, foot tapping the pedals while his fingers danced over the keyboard with ease. The song played with the tempo and pitch. Soft and high during the verses, deeper and faster during the chorus. A few magical sparks were floating out of the piano like a firework as the song reached its climax. They didn’t notice how Seokjin came downstairs and looked at the two of them with a fond expression.

When Yoongi played the last note, Seokjin began to clap. They turned their heads, surprised to have a secret listener. As promised, Seokjin stayed at home during the weekends now and rested a bit. It felt good to have more free time and sharing some time with his boyfriends.

“I haven’t heard this song in quite a while,” Seokjin said. “How nostalgic.”

“Ah, thanks,” Yoongi said a bit taken aback. Taehyung could see how his ears got red.

“That was amazing, hyung!” he exclaimed and pecked Yoongi’s cheek, adding more blush to Yoongi’s face.

“Ah …” Yoongi was clearly overwhelmed from all the praise. “Anyway. So, yeah … that’s my music.”

“It’s really cool,” Taehyung said.

“Actually, I just wanted to come downstairs to tell you that Jimin tried to call you, little one,” Seokjin said. “He’s done with all his orders and wants to show you something.”

“Oh?” Taehyung looked for his phone in his pockets, realising he left it in his bedroom this morning. “I’ll call him back!” He stood up and hurried upstairs, almost tripping as he was trying to skip some steps.

“Careful, cub!” Yoongi shouted amusedly while Seokjin walked up to him and sat down next to him in front of the piano.

“You’ll be a great mentor for him,” Seokjin said.

“Do you think he’s on the right path now?”

“Yes. When I look at him, I can see the sparkle in his eyes that I’ve missed so much.” Seokjin smiled as Yoongi lay his head on his shoulder.

“Me too. He grew a lot these couple of weeks. I’m proud of him. And you, hyung.”

“Me?”

“You gave him the comfort and security he needed in order to find his interests and magic. You guided him really well.” Yoongi felt, how Seokjin placed his lips on top of his head.

“Thanks. Also for telling me to stay home. I really needed that,” Seokjin said as he inhaled the familiar scent of Yoongi’s shampoo. “I’d like to show you my gratitude.”

Yoongi smirked. “Sounds inviting.”

Taehyung dialled Jimin’s number and didn’t need to wait long until he picked up the phone.

“Hyung’s gonna kidnap you!” Jimin exclaimed before Taehyung even had the chance to greet him.

“What?”

“I’ll be home in around ten minutes. Get ready for a lunch date and a surprise,” Jimin said with a followed giggle which definitely exposed that he was up to something. Taehyung grinned.

“You’re making me curious, hyung.”

“Good. That’s part of the plan. See you in a bit!”

“Okay! Bye!” Taehyung hung up and opened his wardrobe to look for a nice outfit. Once he was done and checked the time, he rushed out of the room and went downstairs, finding Yoongi and Seokjin making out on the piano bench.

“Jimin picks me up for a lunch date! See you later!” he shouted casually as he walked to the front door and picked out his shoes. It wasn’t the first time he found them hanging on each other’s lips. He heard a muffled “have fun!” from Seokjin and left the mansion with perfect timing. Jimin was parking the car on the roadside in the exact same moment.

“Hey, my baby bear,” he giggled and pecked Taehyung on the lips as soon as he got into the car. “Did you have a good morning with your hyungs at home?”

“Yes. Yoongi played the piano for me,” Taehyung said with a grin.

“Oh, that’s great! I miss his music. You’re a great influence on him, Taehyung-ah.”

“You think so?”

“Of course! And now buckle up, we’re going to have a nice lunch,” Jimin said and started the engine. Everyone could feel how a hidden weight had been lifted from their bond since Taehyung had started to find his own path. It filled everyone with so much happiness and relief.

When they arrived at a café and looked for a cosy place to sit at, Taehyung couldn’t wait any longer and asked: “Will you tell me now, what the surprise is?”

Jimin laughed at that and grabbed the menu. “Patience, Taehyung-ah,” he said. “But I can tell you that it’s a nice shop I want you to show in this area. Namjoon and I talked a bit about your museum tour this morning and I want to help you, too.”

“Thank you, hyung …” Taehyung smiled at all the affection he had received so far.

“Thank me later.” Jimin chuckled. A waitress approached their table and gave them each a glass of water before asking what they would like to order. After that, they fell into comfortable small talk until the food arrived, talking about games, the news and other trivia. It was nice to have a break from all the magical stuff from time to time. Sometimes elves could be trapped in their own bubble filled with work and magic without thinking about other things. For Taehyung, it felt nostalgic since he had lived among humans most of his life.

When they’d finished their meals and paid – Jimin did when he had been on the toilet, that sneaky little elf – they walked around the pedestrian area. They weren’t that far away from Daydream, but Taehyung had never been here before. The alley was narrow and didn’t include any fancy dress shops or fast fashion labels, but old fashioned antique and supply shops. Suddenly, Taehyung realised that all stores were for magical purposes.

“Whenever I need new supplies for brewing my potions, I’ll come here. It’s like a little community,” Jimin explained grabbed Taehyung’s hand. “I thought you might be interested in this one.” He pointed at a shop called Brushstroke.

“Hyung …” Taehyung gasped. It was an art supply shop. A magical art supply shop!

“They have everything! Paint, brushes, tutorial books and much more.”

“Then let’s go in!” Taehyung pulled him towards the shop’s entrance and hurried inside, hearing Jimin’s laugh behind him. Brushstroke was looking like the chaotic atelier of a famous painter. Several paintings were portrayed on the walls, moving around as if they were alive. The smell of dried paint filled Taehyung’s nose.

“That’s so cool …” His jaw had dropped a bit, presenting him with mouth agape to the employee of the shop, who was currently busy sorting a couple of new books inside a shelf.

“Minghao!” Jimin called and waved his free hand that wasn’t occupied with holding Taehyung’s. The guy turned around, smiling. It was an elf with quite androgynous features, bronze hair and a pair of round glasses resting on top of his nose. Over his clothes was a colour speckled apron.

“Hyung!” Minghao smiled at him. His voice was light and somehow calming. He walked up to the two of them and greeted Jimin with a quick hug. “I didn’t see you since forever.”

“Yes, I’m sorry! My coven and I were really busy this year. But things settled down a bit and I wanted to show our new cub your shop.” Jimin put an arm around Taehyung’s shoulders to introduce him. Taehyung smiled sheepishly and bowed.

“Hello. I’m Kim Taehyung. 110 years old,” he said.

“My name’s Xu Minghao. I’m 98. Nice to meet you, hyung!” They shook hands. Minghao’s fingers were slim and delicate, perfect for a painter.

“Hao came to Korea after The Great War. He’s about to finish his apprenticeship soon,” Jimin explained.

“That’s right. My mentor owns the shop, but he’s currently back in China to look for some new ideas and art spells. I’m taking care of the shop in the meantime,” Minghao said. “What brings you two to our shop?”

“Taehyung-ah wants to study art magic and I want to help him try some things out. Can you recommend us something for a beginner?”

“Of course! I’d love to!”

“Thank you.” Taehyung couldn’t stop smiling while Minghao showed him all those possibilities. There were enchanted brushes that were able to project the image in your head exactly onto the canvas, or paint that would come alive and illustrate the painter’s emotions. He got overwhelmed by all those amazing concepts and ideas. He wanted to try out everything.

“What do you say?” Jimin asked eventually.

Taehyung stuttered a bit, not able to put his thoughts into words. “I … I’m … Everything’s so cool and I don’t know where to start.”

Minghao chuckled. “I know what you mean. There’s a beginner set with a small guideline book that helps you to learn the basics. Do you want me to show you?”

“Yes, please!”

“Someone is excited,” Jimin teased once Minghao walked away to get the set. He ruffled Taehyung’s hair. “Do you like it?”

“I love it, hyung! Thank you so much for showing me this!”

“Seeing you so happy is reward enough for me.” Jimin pecked his cheek. “Whenever you need something, Hao gets it for you.”

“That makes me sound like a drug dealer,” Minghao laughed as he came back. He was pressing a big box against his chest and carried it to the nearby table. “There we go.”

“Woah, what’s all this?” Taehyung asked when Minghao opened the lid.

“Brushes, paint, a few canvases and some supplies like a palette and an apron. Oh, and of course this book here. It really helped me back then before I started my art magic classes in university. It’s easier to work with something solid compared to create illusions out of nowhere. It’s a good start in my opinion.”

“Thank you, Minghao! I’d love to try this out,” Taehyung said.

“Great! Tell me how you’ve liked it when you come back.”

“I’ll do that!”

With that, they paid for the box and said goodbye to Minghao. Taehyung was grinning from ear to ear, eager to try out the set as soon as he got home. Jimin beamed, satisfied that he was able to support his boyfriend like that.

“The book says, I just have to think about a picture in my head and the brush will lead me,” Taehyung mumbled as he covered the tip of the brush with some blue paint and positioned it on the canvas. Yoongi was sitting next to him in his office at home and nodded encouragingly. Taehyung thought about this morning, when he watched Yoongi playing the piano.

“You can close your eyes if that helps you to picture it clearer in your head,” Yoongi said.

As soon as Taehyung closed his eyes, he focused on the piano and Yoongi’s fingers dancing over the keys. The melody was playing softly in the background. He could feel how the brush moved inside his hand. After a few strokes, Yoongi told him to dip the brush into the paint again.

“You’re doing really well,” he said to Taehyung, watching how the brush worked on the canvas and revealed what Taehyung was thinking about. What fascinated Yoongi was that it wasn’t an exact memory coming from Taehyung’s point of view. It was more like a scenery with both of them sitting on the bench with the camera capturing their profiles. More like Seokjin’s memory when he had spotted the two of them in the living room.

With the last stroke, Taehyung sighed and put the brush down. “It’s hard to focus on one thought for so long, almost like meditating,” he said.

“But you did a great job, cub.” Yoongi looked at the painting. Since Taehyung only used blue as a colour, it almost looked like it was sketched with a ballpoint. “I didn’t expect that you would draw yourself in it as well.”

Taehyung blushed. “I thought about how it would’ve looked like from the outside and I liked that idea a bit more than just my own memory. Do you like it?”

“I do.” Yoongi caressed his neck. “How about we put it on the wall over the piano?”

“For real?” Taehyung blinked.

“Sure. I want to remember my apprentice very first artwork every day.”

That made Taehyung flustered. He was Yoongi’s apprentice now. He found himself and his passion.

“Thanks … that means a lot to me, hyung.”

“Love you.” Even though Yoongi only mumbled those words, Taehyung could still understand him. He grinned and hugged him tightly until Yoongi began to groan.

“Love you too, hyung-ah.”

Chapter Text

“Do you remember, when you showed me the magical light, hyung?” Taehyung asked, when he and Yoongi had finished hanging up the painting and went back to Yoongi’s office.

“Of course. You were so curious about your own light, but it wasn’t the right time back then.”

“When you finally saw my light and watched me asking Seokjin to be my mentor, did you know it was a mistake?”

Yoongi sighed, thinking about the right answer. “Not sure. It definitely surprised me. I thought you’d choose Namjoon.”

“Were you worried?” Taehyung asked further.

“Not exactly. I trust Seokjin, so I knew he would never force you to do anything or puts you into danger. However, I didn’t really know your motives so I didn’t want to make assumptions and tell you what to do or not.”

“You’ve waited for me to figure it out by myself, right?”

Yoongi nodded. “It’s your own decision to choose which path you want to go. What we didn’t expect was your anxiety and fear growing so much during that time without us noticing. We were too focused on your stress in school that he forgot that there could be another source. Maybe our approach wasn’t the best way.”

“I think, I should’ve said something about how I need support and guidance,” Taehyung said. “I knew it would’ve been okay to ask and talk about it, but something stopped me … It still bothers me, how stupid I was. Especially, when I tried out that spell …”

“Anxiety does that to you. It poisons your mind. No matter how old you are, doubts can always intrude your mind. It’s difficult to decipher which ones are real and which not.”

They looked at each other silently for a few moments, reflecting on their thoughts in order to understand themselves better.

“Thank you for helping me, hyung,” Taehyung mumbled eventually. “And for protecting me from my own thoughts.”

“I have to thank you as well, cub,” Yoongi said. “For making us realise that Seokjin needed a break from his job. We would’ve continued like this and probably notice too late that we barely have time for each other. Living in such a society forces you to constantly think about work, money and success. Yet family, friends and time for yourself are so important. Our coven was healthy and our love never faded, but you helped us to appreciate this life more.”

Taehyung smiled sheepishly before he approached Yoongi and asked if he could cuddle up with him on the wing chair. Without saying a word, Yoongi opened his arms, inviting him into his personal space.

“I’m happy here,” Taehyung breathed as he closed his eyes.

“And we’re happy to have you here, little one.” Yoongi kissed his brow, pulling him even closer. “Hyung loves you.”

One month later, Taehyung entered Epiphany with a bright smile on his face. Yoongi was already there. He had just finished preparing the last details of the surprise for his apprentice. Seokjin was drinking coffee at a table that was normally occupied with a customer flipping through the book they were interested in. The shop wasn’t open yet since it was still early in the morning. Seokjin looked a lot healthier since he had stopped accepting missions during the weekend. He had more time for his coven now. Their bond was healing well.

“Hey,” Yoongi greeted him with his arms hidden behind his back. Taehyung walked up to him so he could give his hyung a cheerful kiss on the cheek. Seokjin’s followed whine pulled a laugh out of his throat. Taehyung sat down on Seokjin’s lap and clung to him with a satisfied smile carried on his lips.

“Will I finally be told why I wasn’t allowed to come here for a whole week?” he asked playfully, already expecting that his hyungs had prepared something. However, he couldn’t see any difference in the shop.

“Yes, little one,” Yoongi said and revealed the present he had been holding behind his back. The gift wrapping paper had little dabs of paint as a pattern. “But first, open this.”

“It was my idea,” Seokjin added teasingly.

Taehyung received the present and squeezed it slightly. It was flat and soft. Eagerly, he ripped the paper apart and stared at the brown piece of clothing. There was a letter lying on top of it.

For our little elf. From Seokjin-hyung & Yoongi-hyung.

He stood up from Seokjin’s lap and unfolded the garment. It was an apron.

“So you won’t dirty your clothes when you paint,” Yoongi explained. “Do you like it?”

“I love it!” Taehyung exclaimed and slipped his head through the loop of the apron. Without the need to say a word, Seokjin grabbed the strings and fastened them with knots behind Taehyung’s back. It fitted perfectly, the brown matching well with his warm eye colour.

“You look great, cub,” Seokjin praised him. He was fairly amused when the tips of Taehyung’s ears turned red. Even after all this time, he could still make him blush with only a few compliments. He hoped it would never go away.

“Thank you, hyungs,” Taehyung said.

“Alright. We can start with the real surprise then.” Yoongi clapped in his hands. Suddenly, a circular stair appeared right next to the counter. It seemed to come out of nowhere, but all Yoongi was doing was taking the illusional curtain away that had kept the stairs hidden behind it. He grinned at Taehyung’s open mouth.

“Woah …” Taehyung had to do a double take to register what he was seeing right now. We had been sure that this shop didn’t have a second floor. “Hyung, how-”

“Magic, sweetheart,” Seokjin giggled and gently pushed him towards the stairs. “Yoongi worked hard on it. Come on. Up you go.”

Like an excited child, Taehyung rushed upstairs and stopped with his eyes as wide as a saucer.

It was an art studio.

The room was bright with its wood parquet and white walls. A bunch of canvases of all different sizes was resting in one corner behind a brand new easel. There was a letter attached to it. When Taehyung came closer, he was able to read the message that was written on it.

I’m proud of you. –Jimin-hyung.

Taehyung got teary eyed and walked up to the desk that was in front of the window. He could see the pedestrian area from up here. Another piece of paper was lying on top of the desk.

I hope you can enjoy the sight from here, hyung-ah. –JK.

It didn’t take him long to spot the next message. Right on the windowsill were several plants bathing in the morning sun. The letter was stuck at one of the flowerpots.

This is peppermint. If you want some tea! –Namjoon-hyung.

Taehyung gently rubbed one of the leaves and smelled his fingertips. The refreshing scent of peppermint filled his nose. A lump formed itself inside his throat and his eyes stung from the overwhelming amount of support he was receiving.

He continued his way to a shelf full of paint tubes, brushes and other art supplies. Everything was neatly displayed. Taehyung read the last letter and failed to suppress a sob.

We love you! –Hoseokie-hyung.

“Hyu-” The word was stuck in his throat as soon as he turned around. Not only Yoongi and Seokjin, but everyone else was standing there, smiling at him.

“Surprise!” They shouted with open arms. That was the moment Taehyung couldn’t stop the tears anymore. He cried and sobbed loudly, immediately surrounded by the others who soothed him with their words and affection.

“Oh dear, my poor little baby,” Seokjin cooed and brushed the tears away.

“T-tha-thank y-you!” Taehyung hiccupped, burying his face into Namjoon’s chest, who held him close. He could still remember the first time they met. The cold winter night in the park, with Taehyung being too afraid to ask for help, touch starved and lonely. Now, half a year later, he had found his place and future.

Singularity wasn’t a stigma. It was the innocence of an inner child that had been waiting for this very moment, embraced by its loved ones, safe and sound.

The seven of them were always together, loving each other dearly.

Thank you so much.

END