Chapter Text
Jungkook nudged the locket a little, trying to get it into a better position to draw the next rune. The modern lockets were pleasant to the eye but very impractical, their surfaces too small to allow for any of the more serious enchantments. Which, okay - he knew modern necromancers didn’t need more space than the lockets provided. Their rune knowledge ended with the basic runes and a few elemental combinations, and it wasn’t difficult to get those on the lockets, small as they were. Jungkook, however, was working on something much more advanced, and he was struggling. He kept his runes as tiny as possible, but no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to fit all of them on a single locket. He was forced to use multiple in the end, and that, in turn, required a connecting spell, which meant he had to draw even more runes.
He let out a frustrated sigh when he ran out of space yet again, blowing a strand of hair away from his face as he leaned back in defeat. His head bumped against the couch behind him, and he closed his eyes. He was on the living room floor with a number of lockets and a snake skeleton lying on the table before him. He’d been working on a new ward the entire morning, and he was slowly but surely losing his patience and his mind. This was the first advanced project he’d undertaken using nothing but runes, and he kept thinking how it would have been miles easier if he’d had access to the lockets from 300 years ago. Granted, he had brought a few of them from the Stronghold, but he didn’t want to waste them on what was essentially a practice ward.
“Maybe you should take a break?”
Hoseok leaned over him from where he was sitting on the couch, his lips curled upwards.
Jungkook blinked up at him. “No, I almost have it.” He rubbed his forehead, his eyes flickering back to the locket he was working on. It was the third one, the first two already finished and connected.
“You said that an hour ago,” pointed out Taehyung. He was sitting on the same couch as Hoseok, facing him as they played a weird card game Jungkook suspected they’d invented on the fly. “And two hours ago, and-”
“Well, it’s true now .”
“Is it?”
Jungkook didn’t deign the question worth a response, sitting up straighter and shaking his hand. It hurt after so many hours of drawing, but he could – and would - still push through, wanting to be done with the third locket as soon as possible. He pressed the tip of his rune pen to its surface, envisioning the next rune he needed to draw.
At this point, he was about two-thirds done with the third locket, and he was looking at at least another hour of work, maybe more. He wasn’t about to admit as much to Taehyung and Hoseok though, knowing they would insist on him taking a break, and he didn’t want to stop so close to the finish line. Every single time one of his roommates had forced him to take a break in the past, he'd gotten sidetracked, and it'd always taken him much longer to finish what he’d been working on than it would have otherwise.
He leaned closer to the locket to take a better look at his handiwork, having to pause for a moment to readjust the silver locket around his neck when the chain dug into his skin. It was surprisingly heavy and very uncomfortable to wear, but Jungkook couldn’t bring himself to put it down, worried the magic wouldn’t hold and Byungho would escape.
It’d been a few weeks from his capture, and Jungkook was no more ready to deal with him than he’d been before. His chest tightened with panic when he so much as thought about confronting him, the dread almost too much to bear. But he knew he was going to have to do so, and soon. He wasn’t handling having him around his neck 24/7 that well, the weight of the locket a constant reminder, as was the stench of death Byungho’s soul gave off. He could sense it, having to put no small amount of effort into ignoring it. It was like a fly buzzing around his head day and night, and his frustration was slowly but surely building up. He couldn’t remember when he last slept through the night without a nightmare jolting him awake, and the exhaustion was getting to him, heightening his anxiety even more. At this point, he wasn’t sure how much more he could take.
His roommates hadn’t said anything about it yet, but Jungkook knew they weren’t going to keep silent on the matter forever. It was obvious that they’d noticed the effects of Byungho’s presence on him, shooting him worried glances when they thought he wasn’t looking. Seokjin went further than that, feeding him numerous varieties of tea and squeezing a potion or a crystal into his hand almost every night.
So yeah, something had to be done about Byungho, and preferably soon. He’d stewed in the locket for a few weeks, and Jungkook couldn’t wait to close this chapter of his life and be done with the traitor - for good .
“I’m not sure I believe you,” said Taehyung.
“That sounds like a you problem.”
“Okay,” said Hoseok, putting down his cards before leaning over Jungkook again. Jungkook wasn’t sure what his intentions were, but he wasn’t surprised when the light witch grabbed his hand, gently prying the rune-pen out of his grip. “You’re almost worse than Namjoon,” he remarked.
“ Almost ,” agreed Taehyung, grinning at Jungkook from the other side of the couch.
Jungkook rolled his eyes. He wasn’t worse than Namjoon. That was impossible.
“What are you working on anyway?” asked Hoseok, throwing a cautious glance at the charms and the snake skeleton on the table. It clashed with the encouraging smile on his lips, and Jungkook let out a sigh, leaning his head back and twisting his neck a little to get a better look at the light witch.
Hoseok asked questions about necromancy sometimes, and while Jungkook could tell his curiosity was genuine, he suspected the light witch found his magic a bit morbid. Jungkook couldn’t begrudge him for that. He was a necromancer, and he dealt with death, which was a lot more final and scarier now than it’d been back in his own time. It was understandable to fear it when you’d lived your entire life in a world where the dead rarely came back.
Knowing that, Jungkook tried not to take his cautious approach personally. While a bit frustrating, he knew his roommates were trying and that it would take time for them to get used to having an ancient necromancer around. Besides, they had responded to it better than he’d anticipated they would, and only Seokjin seemed to be really uncomfortable with his magic. Not that he’d ever admit it - he was trying his hardest to hide it, acting as casual and unbothered about it as he could, but Jungkook picked up on his discomfort anyway. He didn’t miss the troubled glances the healing witch shot at his enchantments, and he noticed the shadow passing over his face when Jungkook talked about his magic. He tried to keep any signs of necromancy away from Seokjin as a result, not wanting to unsettle him. He knew it wasn't the best solution long term, but he wasn't sure how else to deal with it. He’d tried to talk to Seokjin about it once, but they didn’t get far, Seokjin pretending the problem didn’t exist. Jungkook had decided to leave it be after that, hoping that giving Seokjin a bit more time to adjust would fix the problem.
The others had a much easier time accepting his magic. Jimin and Taehyung were casual, their attitude towards Jungkook’s magic more or less the same as it'd been back when they’d thought he was a kitchen witch, and Yoongi and Namjoon were curious, Yoongi in a subtle way, and Namjoon… much less so.
It was nice to have someone to talk to about necromancy, especially when they got what he was saying without him having to go to great lengths to explain it. Yoongi’s magic was similar enough to his that he could understand and relate to it with only a little extra information, and he understood the inner workings of it better than anyone else too. Namjoon was just smart , connecting the dots and creating full pictures in his mind much faster than Jungkook thought possible. He asked questions too – lots of them – and made detailed, extensive notes. Initially, Jungkook had been a bit worried that he’d lose them, and someone else would see them, but Namjoon had assured him that even if he had, no one would have been able to open his notebook without his permission. Considering the strong magical charge it was giving off, Jungkook had had no troubles believing him, and he’d promptly buried the issue after that.
“I’m making a ward,” said Jungkook. His eyes fluttered closed when Hoseok brushed his hair off his forehead, and he had to resist the urge to lean further into the touch. “I can show you what it does when it’s finished.”
Even after his secrets had been revealed, the relationship between him and the coven hadn’t changed much. It could be argued that there had been another shift, but it'd been a subtle one, and for the most part, there were barely any deviations in his roommates’ behavior. The divide that used to exist between them had disappeared though, as had the distance. They felt closer now, more approachable, and he wasn’t sure if the reason for this change was on him or on them.
It was probably on him.
The secret was out, and it was difficult not to feel close to the only people who knew something so fundamental about him. They were the only witches he could be completely honest with, and the only ones he could talk to about his magic and his past. Well, some of it, at least. He still wasn’t ready to discuss the Downfall itself, and his roommates understood, avoiding the topic completely.
They were the only witches he could be himself with, but their relationship hadn’t progressed much beyond that, and Jungkook couldn’t help wishing that it had . Unfortunately, there was fairly little he could do about it - or to be more exact; fairly little he dared to do. This entire coven business was still new to him, and most of the time, he felt like he was stumbling around blind, unsure how to act and worrying he was doing the wrong thing. It’d be easier if he could trust his roommates to tell him when he messed up, but even though they’d been decently communicative since the incident with the department heads and Jimin, Jungkook sometimes still struggled to take their behavior at face value.
It was a work in progress.
“If I ever finish it. These lockets are too tiny,” he said, nudging the locket he’d been working on further up the table.
“Can’t you use something else?” asked Taehyung, gesturing at Hoseok to remind him it was his turn. To Jungkook’s disappointment, the light witch pulled back, picking up his cards again. A small crease appeared on his forehead as he contemplated his next move, and Taehyung used his lack of attention to shoot Jungkook a knowing look. Jungkook rolled his eyes. He knew the green witch was needling him on purpose, and he didn’t appreciate it.
Rolling his shoulders, he sat up straighter. “I could,” he said. “But the enchantments would break down a lot faster.”
He picked up the locket again, absently twirling it in his hand. Different materials could be used as a surface for runes, but some were more suited for it than others. Metal originating from places with a high concentration of peripheral magic was the best for peripheral runes, and it was even better when it was properly processed and treated. All the right materials and methods were used on the modern lockets, even if they were infuriatingly tiny, which wasn’t surprising. Metal work was in the domain of animation witches, and their knowledge hadn’t been lost.
He glanced at the locket around his neck. Silver was the second best material, to be used when the best wasn’t available.
So, to answer Taehyung’s question, Jungkook could use something else, but it’d require a lot more maintenance, and he didn’t think it was worth it. It was better to push through, frustrating as it was.
“Ah ah,” said Hoseok, grabbing at Jungkook’s hand without looking away from his cards. He missed, trying again one more time before giving up and placing his palm on Jungkook’s shoulder instead. “You need to take a break,” he said. Jungkook had half a mind to resist, but then he sighed, placing the locket back on the table. It was hard to regret yielding when the light witch beamed at him, gesturing at the cards. “Do you want to join for a round?” he asked.
Jungkook glanced at the cards, then nodded. “Sure,” he said. “Why not.”
Unfortunately – and predictably – one round turned into two and then three, and by the time they were done playing, Seokjin and Jimin were finished making dinner. The former stepped out of the kitchen to call for them, and Jungkook didn’t miss the cautious glance he threw at the skeleton and the lockets. The look encouraged him to clean his things from the living room before joining the others at the table, and after dinner, his roommates demanded his participation in board games. As such, he didn’t get the chance to resume his work again until late into the evening.
When he finally sat down at his desk with the charms and a rune-pen in hand, about to pick up from where he left off, he was almost given a heart attack by the cat. She meowed at him from the shelf above his desk, and he glared at her once he made sure his heart wouldn’t give up, trying to decide if he dared to work on the ward while she was here. She had a habit of turning herself into an even bigger nuisance when he was doing something important, and he wouldn’t put it past her to ruin his hard work just because she could – and because she enjoyed torturing him, obviously. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she copied him, her tail swishing back and forth. “If I give you a treat,” he started, “would you leave?” The cat stared at him for a few seconds before letting out a succession of low grumbles, which was answer enough.
“Fine then.” said Jungkook, unceremoniously lifting her from the shelf. Ignoring her annoyed hiss, he carried her to the door. “To Yoongi you go. And just so you know,” he continued as he left the room, closing the door behind him with his foot, “I’m buying you a collar and a leash.” The cat hissed again, none too happy with his promise. She brought it on herself though. There would be no need for any of that if she wasn’t such a menace . “Or maybe a cage.” On second thought, that might be an even better solution. He could hang it off his window and watch her stew as he worked.
He knocked on the hedge witch’s door with his elbow, not hesitating to push the cat into Yoongi’s hands as soon as he opened the door. Yoongi, used to Jungkook throwing the cat at him by now, didn’t even flinch as he took her. Cradling her in his arms, he rubbed under her chin as he cooed at her. His gesture soothed her, and she purred, shooting Jungkook a judgmental look before pointedly turning her head away. Jungkook rolled his eyes, catching the amused twitch of Yoongi’s eyebrows as he did so. “What?” asked Jungkook.
“You should be nicer to Shadow.”
“ I should be nicer to her ?”
Yoongi’s lips twitched upwards, but he didn’t reply, slipping back into his room. He left the door wide open, and as usual, no lights were on in his bedroom. Jungkook entered it carefully, making sure not to step on or bump into anything. At this point, he wondered if he should start carrying a lamp on his visits to Yoongi’s room. Then again, maybe he could just conjure Hoseok’s light ball.
At least Yoongi kept his bedroom tidy, and the danger of him tripping over something and breaking his neck was minimal. If he didn’t count the cat, of course. She was always a little too happy to be under his feet.
Thankfully, she decided to stay in Yoongi’s hands today, so it seemed there were going to be no unwelcome surprises. Jungkook could still hear her purring when he reached the desk, awkwardly feeling around for the lamp he knew was there. His fingers trailed over what he assumed was a book spine, a pen, and finally stopped on the lamp, its surface cold against his skin. Lifting it, he shook it a few times to turn it on, blinking as its light blinded him. He was about to place it back on the desk, when he heard something rustle behind him, and he paused.
“Please tell me you’re not giving the cat a treat to reward her for terrorizing me,” he said, even though he knew that was exactly what Yoongi was doing. He enjoyed pitting the cat against him a little too much for comfort, and the cat enjoyed harassing him way too much for comfort.
Jungkook put the lamp down before turning around, watching with lifted eyebrows as Yoongi fed the cat a treat and she munched down on it. Both the hedge witch and the cat maintained eye contact with him throughout the ordeal, and they both looked irritatingly smug about it. “I’m giving her a treat for being a good kitty,” said the hedge witch, patting the cat on the head. She responded by rubbing her head against him, closing her eyes in contentment.
Jungkook pursed his lips. “ Asshole ,” he said, referring to both of them.
The hedge witch shot him an amused look, letting the cat down. He swept her fur off his clothes before lowering himself to the floor next to the bookcase, motioning for Jungkook to follow his example. Jungkook didn’t have to be told twice, and he plopped down next to him, pulling his knees to his chest as he tried to find a comfortable position. He wasn’t surprised when Yoongi scooted closer, reaching for his hand and lacing their fingers together. His skin was cold, and Jungkook squeezed his hand, tucking it closer to his body in an attempt to warm it up. Yoongi squeezed back, and Jungkook adjusted his position a bit, so it was easier to lean his head on the hedge witch’s shoulder.
The silence that followed was pleasant, and Jungkook soon found himself dozing off. The silences were a regular occurrence with Yoongi, but they never felt torturing. They’d be suffocating with some of his other roommates, but with Yoongi they were relaxing, the hedge witch a calming presence at his side. He liked them, but they had their downsides too. For example, he'd been so exhausted lately that he tended to doze off during the first lull in the conversation. The hedge witch didn’t hold it against him, letting him sleep without ever bringing it up, but Jungkook held it against himself .
“How are your wards coming along?” asked Yoongi after a while, and Jungkook blinked, yawning as he tried to shake off the sleepiness. He raised his head and sat up straighter, rolling his shoulders in hopes that moving a little would help him wake up.
“Not well. I keep getting distracted,” he said. “As you know.” Really . Yoongi interrupted his work as much as his other roommates did, more so when he was in the mood. “And so do you .” He pointed at the cat, and she took it as the invitation to join them, tucking herself under their hands. “Seriously?” Jungkook lifted his eyebrows at her, and she purred to get her point across, rolling to her back. Yoongi gave her an amused look and a few scratches she enjoyed but didn’t deserve, and her purrs grew louder.
Jungkook shook his head at both of them before looking away, his eyes absently trailing over Yoongi’s desk and the shelves above it. As usual, everything in the hedge witch’s room was tidily put away, and Jungkook sleepily studied the collection of cat toys on the lowest shelf before his gaze stopped on the skull one shelf higher. It stared back at him with its empty eye sockets, and he tensed at the reminder. “Listen…” he started, not entirely sure what he was going to say before the words rolled off his tongue. “Would you come with me to the Deadlands? To sink Byungho?”
Silence followed the question, and he winced. He probably shouldn’t have asked that.
He wasn’t ready to deal with Byungho, but he knew he couldn’t stall it for much longer, and he acted on the fly. Dealing with him would be much easier if one of his roommates came with him, and Yoongi was the obvious choice. He was a peripheral witch, and he could withstand the Deadlands much better than any of his other roommates could. Still . It was probably a little too much to ask. It wouldn’t be dangerous, not when he was with him, but the hedge witch likely wouldn’t see it that way. Jungkook remembered how Yoongi talked about the Deadlands every time the topic cropped up, and he knew hedge witches of modern times feared them. And rightly so too. They could no longer rely on necromancers for help if they got stuck, so they had to make sure they didn’t get stuck in the first place. “I know what I’m doing-” started Jungkook, trying to explain that he’d never suggest it if he’d thought the hedge witch would be at any risk at all.
Yoongi cut him off before he could finish speaking. “Jungkook,” he said. A moment of silence followed, and then: “I’ll come.”
Jungkook swallowed. “Just like that?”
Yoongi responded with a pointed look, and Jungkook flashed him a sheepish smile.
Alright. Just like that.
Jungkook struggled to keep his hands steady as he brushed his hair, trying to ignore the nervous energy buzzing under his skin. He’d told Yoongi ‘ tomorrow’ when the hedge witch had asked when he wanted to sink Byungho, and now, on the morning of the said tomorrow , he was beginning to regret his decision. It was too soon, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to bring himself to face Byungho.
Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he put down the brush, turning on the tap and splashing cold water on his face. These thoughts would plague him no matter when he decided to do it. He doubted he’d ever be ready, so telling Yoongi ‘tomorrow’ had been a good move on his part. This way, he felt accountable and wasn’t as likely to back out.
“Morning.” Hoseok entered their shared bathroom with a bright smile on his lips. Too bright for the early morning hour, as usual, and Jungkook blinked at him, trying his hardest to return it.
“Morning.”
Hoseok closed the door behind him, leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest. He made no move for his toothbrush, hairbrush or the sink, and that, coupled with the fact that he was shamelessly staring at him, gave Jungkook a pause. He shot the other a questioning look, and Hoseok’s smile widened. “What are you doing today?”
Sinking Byungho .
Something stopped him from saying it out loud, and he frowned, confused at his own reaction. It wasn’t a secret, but he realized he’d rather wait until it was done before letting the rest of the coven know about it. It was partly his fear of failure and partly his desire not to talk about it at all. He’d prefer not to ponder the inevitability of having to face the traitor who had aided in the murder of his family any more than he had to.
Hoseok’s smile dimmed a little, a subtle, barely visible crease appearing on his brow. Great . Hoseok was way too perceptive for comfort. Jungkook quickly said: “I was planning to visit my friends.” Which wasn’t a lie. He planned to visit his friends first and sink Byungho in the afternoon or early evening, whenever Yoongi’d be ready for it.
Hoseok studied him for a moment, then nodded, his smile bright again. Jungkook relaxed despite himself. Okay . The light witch was willing to let it go. For now at least. “Anything important?” asked Hoseok.
Jungkook blinked. “Uh… no, I guess?” he said.
“Great!” Hoseok pushed away from the door and took a step closer to Jungkook, slipping an arm around his shoulders. Jungkook was used to it by now, and he instinctively leaned into his touch. Hoseok beamed at him in response. “How about coming with me instead?”
“Uh… Where?”
“You’ll see.”
Hoseok led him to the part of the academy Jungkook had never been to before, pulling him through a small entrance hidden at the side of the hallway and up the stairs to a tower. The academy boasted a number of them, and this one was one of the smaller ones. The walls were made out of yellow brick, washed out from age and the elements, and ivy grew along them, peeking through the small windows. The stairs were narrow, steep and wooden. Some parts of them were rotten, and Jungkook tried to be careful where he stepped as he climbed them.
The stairs ended in a small circular room. It was empty, its dented wooden floor layered with dust. A large window on one side was its only feature, and Jungkook shot Hoseok a questioning look when the light witch walked straight to it. “Come on,” said Hoseok, waving him over.
Jungkook moved closer, flinching a little when Hoseok climbed on the windowsill with practiced movements and jumped out. His head was still visible though, and when Jungkook approached the window, he could see the weathered roof below.
Hoseok was already moving away from the window, and Jungkook scrambled after him, tightly holding on to the window frame as he climbed out of the tower. They were high up, high enough that the fall from this height would probably kill him. Not detrimental in the slightest, obviously, but he didn’t feel like starting the day by dying, so he tried to be as careful as possible while climbing out.
He landed on the roof with a huff, still holding onto the frame as he gently tapped the shingles underneath him with his toes. He suspected magic was all that held them together, some of them chipped and others missing. The roof was a bit sloped but not enough to fear sliding off. Letting go of the frame, he inched forward, biting the insides of his cheeks as he resisted the urge to look down. The roof didn’t seem safe, and he was a bit worried it would give in under his feet.
He seemed to be the only one with those concerns though, Hoseok not bothering to soften his footsteps at all as he strolled to the left, placing a blanket on the part of the roof closest to the wall of the tower. He showed a similar lack of concern when he plopped down, motioning for Jungkook to do the same with a wide smile on his face. Jungkook walked over to him, but he did so slowly and tentatively, carefully lowering himself next to Hoseok. Hoseok raised his eyebrows. “Not a fan of heights?” he asked.
“Not exactly.”
“Oh. I didn’t think of that,” muttered Hoseok. He glanced down at the nature below them, then turned back to Jungkook.
Jungkook shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not a big deal,” he said. Really, his attitude towards heights was less fear and more a healthy amount of caution. “My sister pushed me off a tower once,” he said. “It was a shitty experience, and…” he peeked over the edge of the roof, looking upwards when the sight made him a little dizzy. “…I don’t feel like repeating it.”
When he turned his head to look at Hoseok, the light witch stared back at him with slightly parted lips. “She pushed you off a tower?” he asked, his eyebrows rising. “And you…” he paused, blinked, then pressed on, “…survived that?”
Jungkook blinked. “Well…” he said. “No?”
Things were different when you were (basically) immortal, and necromancers’ control over death had influenced every aspect of their lives. Death hadn’t been a taboo at all, and as a result, limits surrounding it had been a lot looser. That being said, Jungkook knew how much things had changed in the past few centuries, and he realized he should have been a bit more careful when he shared the more unusual parts of his childhood. Something like his sister casually pushing him off a tower was probably a lot to accept for someone who grew up in modern times. He grimaced a little, lowering his gaze. “Too much information?” he asked, catching Hoseok vigorously shaking his head with the corner of his eyes.
“No no,” said the light witch. “It’s just… it’ll take some time to get used to, I think.” He paused for a moment, then nudged Jungkook in the shoulder, prompting him to look up again. “Do you want some coffee?” He held up a metal bottle with runes trailing along its middle, and Jungkook blinked at it in surprise, not sure where Hoseok had pulled it from.
“Uh… Sure?”
Hoseok smiled at him before placing two mugs on the blanket between them, pushing one towards Jungkook. He poured coffee into both, its aroma hitting Jungkook’s nostrils and making him take a deep breath. Hoseok had dragged him here before he’d gotten the chance to drink coffee this morning, and he was ecstatic at the opportunity to do so now. Plus, Hoseok’s coffee was the best Jungkook had ever tasted, though the light witch still refused to share his secret.
“So, your siblings…” started Hoseok once the pouring was done and they were both cradling their mugs in their hands. He looked at Jungkook with a smile on his lips, his expression open, but Jungkook still hesitated, unsure if carrying on with this topic of conversation was a good idea.
“We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to,” the necromancer said carefully.
“No, I want to know,” said Hoseok. “It’s just…”
“Going to take some time to get used to?” Jungkook finished the sentence, his lips twitching upwards.
The light witch beamed at him. “Exactly!”
Jungkook snorted. “Well,” he said. “Death wasn’t a big deal for us, so we weren’t that careful with each other’s lives, I guess.” He absently tapped the rim of his cup with his finger, then took a quick sip.
What he said was maybe a bit of an understatement. Casual murder hadn’t been a taboo at all as long as the rules were followed. They hadn’t been allowed to cause any damage they couldn’t fix, meaning they had to be sure the necromancer they killed would be able to resurrect themselves or alternatively, that they would be able to resurrect them. The second rule was no torture. Quick deaths only. If the dying part lasted for more than three minutes they already crossed the line and were likely in a world of trouble. And the most important rule of all: they never, never , killed anyone who wasn’t a necromancer.
“I slipped poison into my sister’s drink for her stunt at the tower,” he said after a moment, even though he wasn’t entirely sure he should share that part.
“Uhuh,” said Hoseok slowly, his eyes wide.
“Does that freak you out?”
“A little yeah.”
Jungkook let out a nervous laugh. “Fair.” More than fair . And a good time to change the topic, probably. “How did you even find this place?”
Hoseok grimaced a little, taking another sip of his coffee as he looked up. Jungkook followed his gaze. The weather was great today, the sky blue and full of puffy white clouds. Jungkook absently traced them with his eyes while he waited for Hoseok to answer.
“Yoongi’s evil cat,” said Hoseok.
Jungkook blinked. Well. That was not what he expected. “ How ?”
“So…” said Hoseok, turning his head to look at him. “It was my first year at the academy, and I was minding my own business, practicing my magic in the practice room, when I looked through the window and saw Yoongi’s cat on the roof of the tower. And a few hours later, when I finished, it was still there, so naturally, I assumed it was stuck.” His words were emphasized with gestures, and Jungkook had to fight back laughter as he nodded along, already suspecting where this was going. The cat was a true menace. Seriously .
“Let me guess,” he said, “she wasn’t stuck.”
“Oh, she definitely wasn’t stuck,” said Hoseok, shaking his head. Jungkook didn’t miss the few flighty glances he directed at their surroundings, and he instinctively copied him. One could never be too careful when it came to the cat, not with her habit of showing up out of nowhere when her presence was least desired. Once they were both done inspecting their surroundings for the danger (none seen, thankfully), their eyes accidentally met, and they looked at each other for a few moments before bursting into laughter.
“We’re both traumatized by the cat,” observed Jungkook after he managed to calm down enough to speak, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. Truly .
“And rightfully so,” said Hoseok, still wheezing.
“Okay, so what happened next?”
“I searched for a way into the tower to save the cat, and that’s how I found this place.” He motioned around, and Jungkook nodded.
“The cat can be surprisingly useful sometimes.”
“If only it wasn’t also evil ,” muttered Hoseok, his eyes darting around again. “It jumped into my face when I tried to get it down. I almost lost my eye.”
Jungkook snorted. Well . That sounded familiar. “She does that, yeah.”
“Did it ever do it to you?” asked Hoseok, raising his eyebrows at him. He looked a little skeptical, which was a bit frustrating, but Jungkook supposed, also fair. The cat could behave herself surprisingly well when she was in the mood, and his roommates appeared to be under the – false – impression that she liked him. Her stalker tendencies didn’t help to build his case, and neither did her occasional cuddly moods.
“She tried . And she tries to trip me at least once a day too.”
“She’s evil.”
“She is.”
There was a short pause, and Hoseok propped his hands behind his head as he looked up at the sky, his expression turning thoughtful. “I didn’t know how evil the cat was back then,” said Hoseok. “I thought it was just scared, you know? Me being a stranger and all. So, I kind of… caged it with my light and took it back to Yoongi.”
Hah. That was hilarious, but also, Jungkook was starting to see why the cat disliked Hoseok as much as she did. Jungkook wished he could have seen it.
“I didn’t talk to Yoongi much before that,” said Hoseok. “And the incident didn’t make him like me any more, let me tell you.”
“I can’t imagine he liked the way you treated his cat, no,” said Jungkook, barely holding back his laughter as he pictured the hedge witch’s reaction. He wished he could have seen that too.
Hoseok, on the other hand, didn’t bother trying to stop himself, bursting into laughter. It was infectious, and after a moment or two, Jungkook gave in too, joining him.
“He definitely didn’t,” wheezed the light witch once he somewhat calmed down, and Jungkook shot him an amused look, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.
For the next few minutes, they sat in surprisingly pleasant silence, slowly sipping their coffees. Hoseok observed the world below them, and Jungkook watched the sky, not daring to look down for more than a couple of seconds at a time. “You're good with heights,” he noted. Hoseok was easily spooked, but he didn’t seem even a little apprehensive right now, acting as at ease as if they were sitting on the ground and not several meters above it.
Hoseok hummed, his expression contemplative. “Let’s say it’s not that dangerous for me.”
Jungkook frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Have you ever heard of light travel?” asked Hoseok.
Jungkook racked his brains for a moment before admitting defeat and shaking his head. It probably had something to do with Hoseok’s magic, and Jungkook realized, with a pang of discomfort, that he didn’t know all that much about his roommates’ magic. He was familiar with Yoongi’s for obvious reasons, and to a lesser extent with Seokjin’s, but he was mostly in the dark when it came to everyone else’s. He knew the general, well-known, information about their affinities, and the little details they’d shared with him in the past, but beyond that, he was more or less clueless. Maybe he should take a page out of Namjoon’s book and start asking questions and making notes.
“I can create portals with my light,” said Hoseok, shrugging his shoulders. “There’s an extensive magical theory behind it - you can ask Namjoon about it if you’re interested. I’m sure he’ll explain it better than me.”
Jungkook blinked. “Wait, really?” That sounded impressive, and now that Hoseok mentioned it, he remembered hearing about elemental witches that could manipulate their elements in that way. There’d been a Choi back in his time who could create a portal with her fire. Jungkook had never seen it, but his sisters had discussed it once.
Hoseok raised his hand. “There are limitations,” he said. “I have to be able to see the exit point, and I’m the only one who can use it. I can’t teleport anyone else.”
“Still impressive,” said Jungkook, and Hoseok beamed at him in response. Jungkook smiled back. “So,” he started after a few moments, “if you were to fall off the roof…?”
“Yes.”
“You can create it that fast?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever try?”
Hoseok laughed, wiggling his eyebrows. “Are you planning to put me to the test?”
“Should I?”
Hoseok just laughed in response, taking another sip of his coffee.
They went their separate ways a few hours later, waving goodbye to each other at the bottom of the tower. It was time for lunch by then, so Jungkook made his way to the dining hall, joining his friends at their usual table.
He was a bit relieved that only Seoyoon and Chinsun were present today. Sanghun was a bit too perceptive for Jungkook’s liking, and he had sniffed out that Jungkook and the coven were courting soon after it had happened, forcing the entire truth out of him. His disapproval couldn’t be more obvious, and while he didn’t try to talk him out of it, he’d clearly taken it upon himself to monitor the situation, bombarding him with questions every time they met. He was nowhere near as skilled at pulling information out of him as Hoseok, but his behavior was growing more and more bothersome. Jungkook knew he was worried, and he couldn’t begrudge him for it, but that didn’t mean his needling wasn’t frustrating, and he wished he would stop.
Seoyoon and Chinsun had noticed something was up too, and they probably knew it was connected to his roommates, but they hadn’t asked and Sanghun hadn’t let it slip yet. Jungkook knew he should probably tell them. They wouldn’t approve, and they would worry even more than Sanghun, but they were his friends, and he was already keeping too many secrets from them. It was hard not to feel guilty for adding to them, but he didn’t know how to broach the subject, and he kept putting it off as a result. The longer he procrastinated, the harder it was to come clean.
The guilt ate at him every time he was in their presence, but it was more subtle today, his decision to sink Byungho an ever-looming presence in his mind. He barely said anything during lunch, too lost in his own thoughts and worries. Chinsun and Seoyoon noticed his silence, shooting him questioning looks, but they didn’t pry.
Jungkook followed them to Jade Hall after lunch, and they worked on a hair growing potion until late afternoon. The potion was difficult to brew, and it kept him sufficiently distracted, but he still excused himself a few hours earlier than he would have any other day. His decision to sink Byungho had been an itch at the back of his mind since yesterday evening, and the closer the day came to an end the more nervous he became. Soon, he could no longer stand the anxiety, and he knew it wouldn’t go away until he dealt with the problem. It was a good sign that he’d made the right decision to get it over with as soon as possible, for his sanity’s sake if nothing else.
When he entered the living room, Yoongi was sitting on the couch, surrounded by musical sheets. Jungkook didn’t get the chance to take a closer look at them, the hedge witch moving to clear the table and the couch as soon as he noticed his presence. “Take everything you need for the Deadlands.” he said, not waiting for Jungkook’s response before shoving the sheets into his bag and getting up. He walked into the hallway without saying another word, and Jungkook blinked in confusion before following after him.
He didn’t know what Yoongi had in mind, but he did what he was told, grabbing a rune-pen from his desk before packing a few dried leaves of the tree of the wicked and some rosemary. He didn’t need them for the trip, in theory , but he’d rather be over-prepared than under-prepared. The rune-pen was for emergencies, and the leaves would aid him with focusing his magic. He was going to burn them before passing over to the Deadlands.
After he collected everything, he opened the wardrobe where he kept his necromancer tools, pulling out the rope of the damned. He measured half a meter of it, cutting it off at the mark before meticulously inspecting the runes for mistakes or signs of fading magic. Once he was sure there weren’t any, he placed the rope in his backpack and returned to the living room.
Yoongi was already there, and so was the cat, unfortunately, rubbing against his leg as soon as he came close enough. He shot her a suspicious glance, wondering how likely it was that she would try to trip him the moment he moved again. Concluding it was very likely, he picked her up and gave her a stern look, quietly telling her to behave herself. She let out an innocent meow, pressing her head against his hand. Yeah . She had definitely intended to trip him. He glared at her, and Yoongi shot him an amused look before stepping closer to scratch her between the ears, making her purr.
“Uh… Where are we going?” asked Jungkook once Yoongi headed to the door. The hedge witch shot him a look over his shoulder, but that was the only reply he got, and Jungkook gave up trying to pry the answer out of him. He’d find out soon enough anyway.
He wasn’t surprised when Yoongi led him to the basement, and as they descended the narrow staircase, Jungkook absently wondered how large the basement was. He’d only been down here three times, once after the incident with the department heads, once at the blueblood gathering in the Bone Room, and one more time after that, and he’d used different stairs each time. He looked around to see if he recognized anything, unsurprised to find nothing familiar in his surroundings. He was gaining a newfound appreciation for peripheral witches’ sense of direction, really . All walls in the basement were made from stone, and there were no carpets, windows, paintings or other objects one could use for orientation. Every hallway was plain and looked exactly the same as the last one, and while Jungkook had initially tried to memorize their path, he had to admit defeat after a few minutes.
He wasn’t sure how long they were walking by the time Yoongi stopped, but it had to have been at least ten minutes or so. The hedge witch slipped through the unassuming door on their left, and Jungkook followed suit, the cat still in his arms. He would have locked her into his room if Yoongi hadn’t been there, but as he had been, Jungkook had had no choice but to take her with them. He let her down now, and she jumped on the nearest armchair, curling into a ball.
Jungkook waited until the lamps on the walls were turned on before taking a look around the room. It looked like a common sitting room, but with an obvious peripheral touch to it. The floor was covered with a plush carpet, and a huge fireplace stood on the opposite side of the room. A few coffee tables were strewn around, surrounded by a number of violet couches and armchairs. A little stove was pushed into a corner next to a sink, and a huge collection of mugs and jars with herbs stood on the table next to it. The witches who used this room hadn’t hesitated to make themselves at home, and Jungkook’s gaze slipped over the discarded cardigan on one of the couches, the notes on the nearby table, and a scrying mirror on the armchair further inside.
“We won’t be disturbed here.” said Yoongi, plopping down on the nearest couch. Jungkook glanced at all the evidence that the room was often in use as he joined him, wondering what made him so sure. He contemplated asking, but before he could say anything, the door opened, attracting their attention. It was Haewon with her raven in tow, the latter of whom naturally flew over to Jungkook with a delighted caw as soon as he saw him.
Jungkook let out an exasperated sigh as the bird landed on his shoulder, but he still rubbed his beak in greeting. He hadn’t seen the raven in a while, but he suspected that had more to do with his roommates keeping the windows closed than with the bird getting tired of stalking him. The raven cawed again, flapping his wings, and Jungkook patted his beak to calm him down.
Haewon hesitated on the threshold before stepping in, carefully closing the door behind her. “I heard you reserved the room.” She nodded at Yoongi, and the hedge witch nodded back, his expression unreadable. “I have to talk to you about something, but I assume now is not a good time.” Her eyes flickered to Jungkook, and he stared back at her without acknowledging her words, weighing his options. He still hadn’t talked to her about what she knew. It had no longer felt like a necessity after all the new developments with his roommates, and he was nothing if not a chronic procrastinator. He could confront her now, but having to get rid of Byungho was stressful enough, and he didn’t know if he wanted to add more to his plate. Then again, he might not get the chance to do so again for a while, and the unfinished task was going to bother him now that he’d been reminded of it.
“What do you know?” he asked, deciding he might as well go for it. His wording wasn’t as clear as he would like it to be, but Haewon understood what he meant right away. She froze, returning his gaze with a guarded expression on her face. She hesitated for a few long moments, considering his question and how to respond to it, and then she let out a soft sigh.
She sat down opposite Yoongi. “I thought I imagined it at first,” she said after a few seconds of silence, crossing her legs as she leaned sideways. “I have to admit it was partly why I agreed to do the second testing.” She paused, her eyes flickering to the cat still napping on the armchair. “The cat is yours, isn’t she?” The steady, sure way she asked the question suggested she already knew the answer, and that confirmed what Jungkook had already expected. She knew everything , and there was no point in lying to her.
“I bound her soul to her body, yes,” said Jungkook slowly, refusing to acknowledge the cat as ‘ his’ . She wasn’t - Yoongi could have her.
Haewon hummed while she studied him, her gaze steady as she drummed her fingers on the side of the couch. “I’ve sensed your magic before,” she said after a pause. “On some of the wards.”
“Probably,” acknowledged Jungkook. “I used to do a lot of maintenance.” Or better said; he’d been forced to do a lot of maintenance by his mother.
Haewon nodded, hesitating for another moment before shooting straight to the heart of the issue. “And you’re here how?”
Jungkook paused. “I fell through one of those arches in the Jun territory.”
There was another pause, a longer one this time. Jungkook stared at Haewon, but unfortunately, a good poker face seemed to run in the family, and he couldn’t read her any better than he could read Yoongi. Her eyes were sharp as she stared at him, but they didn’t tell him much, and he could glean even less from the neutral expression on her face.
“We couldn’t determine how old Shadow was,” she said after a while, glancing at the nuisance in question. “But,” she continued, “we agree she was most likely born a few years before the Downfall.” There was a question in her voice, and Jungkook wondered what was stopping her from asking it directly.
“Yeah,” he said, not elaborating any further. He still couldn’t talk about the Downfall, not even with his roommates, and he’d prefer it if he wasn’t asked any uncomfortable questions about it.
Thankfully, all Haewon responded with was a short; “I see.” Silence followed, she and Jungkook quietly studying each other, and then she said: “You’re a Jeon.”
“Yes.”
“What are you going to do about that?”
Jungkook sighed, shrugging his shoulders. He was no closer to making a decision on the matter than he'd been when he’d first arrived at the academy, and he wished he didn’t have to decide at all, that he could just forget about the entire thing. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible, and he knew he would have to settle on something eventually, whether he wanted to or not.
“What are you going to do about that?” Jungkook returned the question, lifting his eyebrows in challenge. The Mins had the most to lose with a reappearance of a Jeon heir, and they both knew it. It didn’t seem like Haewon had told anyone at the academy about him so far, but that didn’t mean that she hadn’t told her family. He couldn’t help wondering how many witches at the Min territory knew about his existence, and how many were already scheming against him. Dread rose in the pit of his stomach at the thought, but he pushed it down, refusing to entertain it. There was nothing he could do about Haewon’s knowledge at this point, and stressing out about it wasn’t going to help.
“I didn’t tell anyone if that’s what you’re wondering,” said Haewon. “And I’m not going to.”
“Really?” asked Jungkook, unable to keep the skepticism out of his voice.
Haewon’s gaze was steady as she met his eyes. “I’m not your enemy,” she declared, her voice matter of fact. “And neither is my family.”
“ Really ?”
Yoongi hadn’t offered any input so far, but now he cut in. “Yes,” he said, prompting Jungkook to look at him. “We’ll step back if you want us to.” Jungkook stared at him in silence, unsure how to respond. Yoongi stared back, calm and sure about what he was saying. And well, Jungkook believed Yoongi wouldn’t lie to him, but even so, he struggled to trust him on this. The Mins were the hedge witch’s family, and even Yoongi could be biased when it came to family.
“Yoongi’s right,” said Haewon. “I understand where your distrust is coming from,” she continued, slowly standing up from the couch. “But I would appreciate it if you didn’t judge us based on the actions of one of our ancestors. You should see the situation for yourself first.” With that, she turned around and walked to the door, pulling it open. “Have a good day,” she said.
Jungkook didn’t have the smallest clue how to respond to that, but there was another, more pressing matter at hand. “Haewon,” he said through his teeth, “ the raven .” The bird in question was still sitting on his shoulders, showing no signs of planning to follow his master out of the room.
Haewon’s lips formed a wry smile, her eyes flickering to the bird. “He’ll find his way back,” she said.
“That’s not the point…” started Jungkook, but she left before he could finish the sentence, and he let out a groan. One of these days, the Mins and their pets were going to make him snap, seriously .
He leaned back, ignoring the annoyed caw the raven let out at his abrupt movement. “You don’t believe us,” observed Yoongi after a moment. Jungkook turned to him, regretting it when he realized the hedge witch was giving him the Look . Its new version was more comfortable than the old one and Jungkook didn’t usually mind it, but right now, it was impossible not to find it a bit unsettling. He hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak, realized he didn’t know what to say, and closed it again with a sigh.
Yoongi reached for his hand, pulling it into his lap and lacing their fingers together. He didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t have to. It was obvious that he understood Jungkook’s predicament and wouldn’t push the issue, giving him space to figure it out for himself.
They sat there in comforting silence for a while, and then Jungkook, remembering why they were there in the first place, carefully pulled his hand back and stood up. “We should do what we’ve come here for,” he said, decisively pushing his unruly thoughts about the Mins away. He had more important things to deal with right now, and he could revisit the Min dilemma at a later date.
Yoongi nodded, and Jungkook leaned down, lifting his bag on the table. The reminder of what was to follow sent a wave of anxiety through him, and he rolled his shoulders, trying to curb it the best he could. Stressing out about it wasn’t going to help him, and he needed to keep his mind as clear as possible.
He could do this. He could do this.
“Do you need help?” asked Yoongi.
“Can you start a fire?”
Yoongi didn’t reply, but he got up from the couch, making a quick detour to the door to lock it before walking over to the fireplace.
Jungkook opened his bag, carefully pulling out the leaves and the rope. He wrapped the latter around his waist before carrying the leaves over to the fireplace, stopping next to Yoongi. He didn’t have to wait long for the hedge witch to get the fire going, and he threw the leaves into it as soon as it was big enough, watching them burn. The smell wafting from the fireplace as they turned to ashes was strong and somewhat earthy, mixed with a faint wisp of something rotting and burning, and Jungkook scrunched his nose in distaste. He’d always disliked the smell, but this combination of leaves would help to focus his magic a little, and that was what mattered.
“Okay,” said Jungkook when Yoongi got up, the hedge witch’s eyes locked on the burning leaves. “Let’s sit down.” He gestured to the couches, and they both sat down, shoulder to shoulder. Jungkook took a few deep breaths, straightening his spine as he closed his eyes. “Do you still want to do this?” he asked, just to make sure.
“Yes, Jungkook.”
Jungkook could detect no doubt in Yoongi’s words, and he nodded, slowly exhaling. “You’ll feel like you’re falling,” he warned, wanting Yoongi to be prepared. Granted, the other was a hedge witch, and it was possible that hedge witches felt something similar when looking into the Deadlands, but Jungkook wasn’t sure, and he thought it’d be better to share too much information than too little.
He waited for a moment to see if Yoongi was going to say anything else, inhaling through his nose and focusing on his magic when he didn’t. The process of passing over to the Deadlands was a bit different than usual this time around since he had to pull two other witches with him, but it wasn’t difficult, the magic surging through him as he reached for their souls. He breathed through another wave of anxiety and repulsion as he touched Byungho’s, ignoring the rushing of blood in his ears as he tried to concentrate on the feeling of falling instead. Once it passed, he forced his eyes open, blinking at the weak grey light. The Deadlands sprawled before him, and a weird sense of peace fell upon him at the sight, his shoulders slumping. He was at his most powerful here, and everything was going to be fine .
Yoongi was standing next to him, unnaturally still and tense as he looked around, his eyes trailing the river and the desert in the distance. “Are you okay?” whispered Jungkook in his direction, receiving a nod in response. He wasn’t entirely convinced, but Yoongi didn’t show any serious signs of distress, just apprehension, so he let it go.
The cat joined them as well, obviously , sitting in the sand next to Jungkook's feet with her tail swishing back and forth. A caw sounded from somewhere nearby, and Jungkook searched for its source with his eyes, disappointed but not surprised when his gaze landed on the raven. The bird was sitting on top of a pile of rocks next to the river, observing them from a safe distance. Figures .
They were standing a few meters away from the Pool of the Damned, where the river water gathered before moving toward the seventh arch. It was pitch black, and it looked bottomless, more void than water. Jungkook still remembered the nightmares he’d had after seeing it for the first time. The seventh arch, peeking through the thick fog in the distance, made the sight even eerier, and Jungkook pushed his hands in his pockets, fighting back a chill.
Taking a deep breath, he gathered the courage to look to his right, toward where Byungho was trying to catch his balance on the edge of the pool. Jungkook had dropped him there on purpose, trying to erase any advantages the traitor might have over him. When their eyes met, Jungkook bit his tongue hard enough to hurt, barely stopping himself from clenching his jaw. If he discounted the greyness of death, Byungho looked just like he had centuries ago; young , and still wearing his necromancer clothes. His hair was long and tied at the back of his head, and his facial features were a bit asymmetrical, making one side of his face look like it was sagging.
The fact that he had not aged suggested he’d died soon after the Downfall, and really , Jungkook could have told him that would happen. Daesong had never intended to let him live, and Byungho would have known that if he hadn’t been so blinded by his hatred of necromancers and their magic.
The traitor stood frozen, shaking ever so slightly as he stared back at Jungkook. Jungkook could see no contempt in his eyes, and no hatred either, just caution mixed with something he couldn’t interpret. “Jungkook,” said Byungho after the silence dragged for a while, and Jungkook ground his teeth together, his muscles tensing as blood rushed in his ears. The anxiety was still there, but it'd been drowned out by the anger, pure, hot, and all-consuming. It washed over him in waves, burning everything it touched, and he could barely keep it at bay. He wanted to see Byungho sink to the bottom of the pool. He wanted to tear off pieces of his soul first and watch him as he suffered. He wanted…
“What are you waiting for?” Byungho’s voice was soft, and his lips stretched into a smile as he continued to stare at Jungkook with steady, unsettling eyes. It was a self-depreciating smile and seeing it on his face was unexpected enough to give Jungkook a pause. He’d expected a snarl, mean words, maybe even violence, and Byungho’s uncharacteristic response threw him off kilter.
Pressing his lips together, Jungkook pushed down his anger, struggling to keep his mind clear as he weighed his options. Byungho hadn’t reacted how he’d expected him to, and his calmness and the lack of insults suggested it might be possible to just sink him without further conversation. It would be the smartest thing to do, both for his mental well-being and his safety.
Unfortunately, Jungkook didn’t feel like being smart.
He felt like self-destructing.
Yoongi must have sensed that, or he sensed his anger, because he moved closer to him, close enough for Jungkook to feel the warmth of his body. His presence settled some of the overbearing fury and dread simmering inside of him, but he was still unable to do the smart thing. He did try though, he truly did. He tried to keep the words back, but they rolled off his tongue anyway. “Do you regret it?”
He studied the changes in Byungho’s expression with focus, watching as something passed over the traitor’s face. His smile never wavered, and he asked, with the same soft voice as before; “If I say I do, do I get mercy?”
Jungkook tried his best not to visibly react, but he wasn’t entirely sure he succeeded. “I think you know the answer to that.”
Byungho stayed silent for a moment, his expression eerily calm, and then he, instead of answering his question, asked one of his own; “Do you know what Daesong did to me after it was over?”
Jungkook pressed his lips into a thin line, wanting to tell him that he only cared if he suffered, but Byungho spoke again before he could say anything. “He walled me inside the deepest part of the Golden Manor and left me there to rot. He knew he couldn’t kill me, but he thought he could get rid of me if he kept me away from other witches.” He paused, his voice much quieter as he continued. “He forgot about the rats.” There was another pause after that, Byungho staring at him with dark, bottomless eyes before declaring, his voice barely above a whisper: “Of course I regret it. But we both know it isn’t going to change anything now.”
Jungkook narrowed his eyes as he considered his words, and he realized, with no small amount of surprise, that he believed the traitor was telling the truth. He believed that Byungho regretted the role he’d played in the Downfall. His change of heart could have been brought on by what Daesong had done to him afterwards, or – less likely - by him realizing he’d been in the wrong, but either way, it didn’t matter. Byungho was right about that. What had been done had been done, and nothing could bring Jungkook’s family back to life. Nothing could bring hundreds of other Necromancers back to life. Byungho could do nothing to absolve himself, nothing to make it all better. His regret was useless, and it did nothing to douse Jungkook’s anger and hatred.
Besides, it wasn’t like the traitor had magically transformed into a better person, not when he’d gone on murdering other witches after the Downfall. He was clearly still rotten to the core.
“I killed him, you know,” said Byungho after a few seconds of silence.
Jungkook blinked. “You killed who?”
“Daesong. I waited around, possessing rats and other vermin, until the power in the protective amulets ran out, and then I killed him. It took years, but I did it.”
Jungkook pressed his lips together, unsure how to respond. Good for him? If he was telling the truth, that was probably the single thing he’d done right in his life, even though there was zero chance his reasons hadn’t been entirely selfish. Jungkook wasn’t sure how to feel about the news, but he supposed that, if Byungho wasn’t lying, Daesong had gotten a small percentage of karma he so desperately deserved, and that was better than nothing.
Byungho stared at him for a while longer before tearing his gaze away, his eyes reflecting the seventh arch in the distance. “I tried to get Dal too, but I couldn’t,” he said. “He preserved the magic in the amulets.”
Yeah. Figures.
“If you’re telling me this because you think-”
“I’m not.” Byungho looked back at him, his eyes just as dark and bottomless as before. There’d been some emotion in them at the beginning, but it was gone now, leaving behind an eerie emptiness. “I just thought you might want to know.”
Well. He thought correctly, though Jungkook refused to admit it. He suspected Byungho knew anyway, motionlessly staring at him as he waited for his next move. “Why stay in the Veil?” asked Jungkook after a few moments.
“The Weaver.”
The Weaver ? Well. That tracked, actually. Byungho had met her when he’d been alive, so he’d known she was waiting in the Deadlands.
“She fed parts of Daesong’s soul to soul eaters and sank what was left,” said Byungho.
Jungkook blinked. What? She’d never mentioned that to him. She’d always seemed regretful about the Downfall, but she’d never given him the impression that she’d been furious enough to do anything about it. She never seemed angry when the Downfall was mentioned, just regretful and pragmatic. Then again, it had been centuries for her. Her fury might have been as all-consuming as Jungkook's once before it had faded over time.
The monstrous wooden figurine of her that the traitor had been carving in the tunnels suddenly made a lot more sense.
Byungho watched him with knowing eyes. “She did the same to Dal.”
Jungkook lifted an eyebrow, detecting an inconsistency in his tale. “You said you couldn’t kill him because he preserved the magic in the amulets,” he pointed out.
“Yes.”
“ So?”
He watched as Byungho’s eyes left Jungkook’s face, moving down, and down, until they landed on the cat . Jungkook followed his gaze, and so did Yoongi, his expression impossible to read. The cat pretended she didn’t notice all the attention on her, nonchalantly licking her paws. Okay, what the fuck? “I think you’re going to have to explain,” said Jungkook.
“Desolation,” said Byungho slowly, “got into Dal’s good graces.” Yeah, no surprises there. The cat being a two-faced liar and a traitor was nothing new. “And she managed to pry the amulet off his neck a little before he died.”
Jungkook blinked, looked at the cat, exchanged a glance with Yoongi, looked at Byungho, then looked at the cat again. “ Really ?” The cat meowed, smug as ever, and Jungkook sputtered. Whatever he’d expected, it wasn’t that .
He hesitated for a moment before leaning down and pulling the cat into his arms. She let out a disgruntled meow but didn’t try to resist, and Jungkook lifted her in the air, looking into her eyes. She seemed even less impressed by that, and her swishing tail suggested her patience was running out. “I’m sorry for calling you a traitor,” he said. The cat’s tail paused, hanging still. “I’ll buy you treats.” The cat’s eyes narrowed, and Jungkook quickly let her down, fearing he was about to get a claw to his eye. She let out a meow that could be either annoyed or pleased before returning to licking her paws.
Jungkook stared at her for a second or two longer before shooting a glance at Yoongi, unsure what he made of the whole thing. The hedge witch met his gaze with a calm expression on his face, his lips twitching upwards, and Jungkook wondered if this was a surprise for him at all.
Jungkook turned back to Byungho. “Anything else?” he asked, his voice cold.
Byungho stared at him with empty eyes, not saying anything. A no then. Jungkook paused, pursing his lips. “Do you know anything about the other bodies in the tunnels?” he asked. They had nothing to do with him, and he wasn’t sure he should get involved at all, but the mystery of their existence bothered him, and he found himself contemplating it a lot more often than he should.
He’d entered the tunnels one more time after the incident with Byungho, wanting to see if he could do anything about the witch whose body the traitor had possessed last. Unfortunately, it’d been too long since the soul link had been cut, and he’d been unable to find the soul no matter how hard he searched for it. He’d gone as far as to enlist the help of the Weaver, but even their joint efforts had failed to bring results, and he’d had to give up. The witch had either moved on, or his soul had been eaten by soul eaters. Jungkook hoped it was the former, but given the current state of the Deadlands, he acknowledged the latter was, regretfully, far likelier.
He'd stored his body next to the other bodies in the tunnels, feeling guilty despite knowing there was nothing he could do. Still, if he’d caught Byungho just a little bit sooner, maybe he could have brought the witch back. It was hard not to feel responsible given the circumstances, and he had to force himself not to think about it too much or the guilt would eat him alive.
After a thorough discussion with the coven, Namjoon had written a letter to the kitchen witch department head in the witch’s name, letting her know that he had decided to return to the human world. The witch hadn’t been close to anyone, and no one seemed to have found his abrupt departure unusual. And yes, Jungkook and the coven probably shouldn’t have meddled, but no one had wanted the inquisitors to return to the academy to investigate the witch’s disappearance. The possibility of them finding anything was miniscule, but one never knew and considering what they suspected the inquisitors’ past plans for Jungkook were, the risk was too great.
Anyway, Jungkook had taken another look at the bodies Byungho hadn’t killed when he’d been down in the tunnels the second time, confirming that some of the later ones were recent – dying as little as a year ago recent. They couldn’t have been academy students since someone would have noticed they were missing by now, but their existence left a bad taste in his mouth, and the entire situation worried him more than it should.
“I’m not the only butcher at the academy,” said Byungho.
Jungkook lifted his eyebrows, unimpressed. “That’s all?”
“I don’t get involved in other people’s business.”
Well, that was profoundly unhelpful. Jungkook pressed his lips together, wondering if there was any way to get him to talk. If he tortured him, maybe. He could follow his initial plan and feed pieces of him to soul eaters. But… He glanced at Yoongi. He didn’t know what kind of a reaction the hedge witch would have if Jungkook tried to go through with it, but no matter what, Jungkook didn’t want to show him this ugly, vindictive side of him. Besides, the urge to hurt Byungho had lessened during their conversation. It was still there, his anger burning hot under his skin, but it wasn’t as strong as it’d been at first, Byungho’s behavior having sated it somewhat.
And it wasn’t like Byungho wouldn’t suffer at all. A few centuries of drowning in the Styx was bound to be a severely unpleasant experience for him. Jungkook reached toward his waist, untying the rope of the damned. “Are you going to resist?” he asked, unsurprised when Byungho shook his head. “Then sit,” said Jungkook, waiting until the traitor did so before stalking closer. All the fight seemed to have left Byungho a long time ago, and the possibility of something going wrong at this point wasn’t high, but Jungkook still wasn’t going to risk it.
He kept one eye on Byungho as he tied the rope around his ankles. The traitor stayed still for the entire ordeal, his head turned toward the grey sky above them. He knew he’d never see it again, so he probably wanted to drink it all in for the last time. It was more than he deserved, but Jungkook let him.
Once the rope was tied around the traitor’s ankles, Jungkook carefully inspected the knot to make sure it would hold before getting up. He gave Byungho one last look, then threw the other end of the rope into the river. The runes lighted up for a moment, and then Byungho was pulled into the deep black water, disappearing from their sight in seconds. The last thing Jungkook saw before he was gone were his closed eyes and an almost serene expression on his face.
Finally, it was over.
Jungkook opened his eyes. He was back in the basement room, and he took a deep breath as he reached for the locket around his neck, clasping it in his hand and basking in its emptiness . It was great to no longer have Byungho’s soul so close to him, and he pulled the locket over his head, discarding it on the table. The relief was immediate, but he couldn’t enjoy it for long, exhaustion falling over him like a heavy blanket now that the traitor was gone, and with him, the adrenaline. He rubbed his eyes, then leaned back with a tired sigh.
He turned to Yoongi after a few moments, studying his face. “Are you okay?” he asked. The hedge witch had seemed alright in the Deadlands, and he seemed fine now, but walking the Deadlands could be a lot, especially for someone who had never done it before. Jungkook still recalled how drained he’d been after his first visit, and he’d gone over with his much older and more experienced instructor. He’d slept for 16 hours straight after it, and Jia had brought him a steaming cup of herbal tea when he’d woken up, which was a rare act of kindness for her.
Yoongi shrugged his shoulders, and Jungkook frowned, slowly getting up. He grabbed the cat from where she was purring on the armchair and placed her in the hedge witch’s lap. She immediately curled into a ball, purring louder, and Yoongi absently scratched her between her ears. Jungkook observed them for a few seconds before walking to the back of the room, toward the table with the herb collection. At the beginning of his studies, he’d been fed a variety of herbal teas each time he’d visited the Deadlands to help with the side effects, and he decided he might as well try to brew one for Yoongi now. Try , because he’d never brewed one himself, and he had neither the recipes nor all the ingredients, probably. But it shouldn’t be too difficult. He was a kitchen witch, he remembered some of the ingredients that had been used, and above all, he knew what he was trying to achieve and was armed with a number of Seokjin’s recipes for medicinal teas he should be able to adjust. He probably wouldn’t be able to create anything super effective, but what he made should be better than nothing. Hopefully .
He massaged his temples as he poured some water into the pot, placing it on the stove to boil. Deadlands hadn’t affected him at all, but the conversation with Byungho had. He felt… Well, he wasn’t sure what he felt, and that was the most frustrating part of it. The anger was gone – or, considering what Jimin had told him in the past, more likely back to hiding somewhere deep under the surface – and so was the anxiety. There was some relief at having dealt with Byungho, but mostly, he was just exhausted and kind of numb. He wanted to lie down and sleep for the next week or so, and he didn’t want to have to think about anything else.
He shook his head, trying to focus on the task at hand. They were in the part of the academy used by peripheral witches, so the herbs available were, thankfully , peripheral ingredients. He’d probably be able to make something with non-peripheral ingredients too, but given the nature of the problem, it wouldn’t be quite as effective. He carefully inspected the jars, realizing there was no sage or red basil, which would have been the best for this. There was mint, hibiscus, lavender, and chamomile though, and he should be able to do something with that.
He carefully measured each ingredient, trying to decide how to go about preparing them. He didn’t have the tools he needed, so he’d have to improvise. After a short contemplation, he crushed the hibiscus with his hands, placing lavender and chamomile in one of the mugs before pouring cold water over them. He let them soak while holding the mint above the fire in the fireplace, placing the charred remains of it in the tea infuser together with the crushed hibiscus. He then poured a little bit of water from the mug with the soaking lavender and chamomile leaves over it. The water in the pot had boiled by then, and he grabbed the pot off the stove, pouring boiling water over the infuser.
He was about to put it away when someone grabbed his wrist, and he startled so badly that he almost dropped it. He cursed, then looked at Yoongi, who had, of course , sneaked up on him again. Both he and the cat enjoyed doing that a little too much. The hedge witch’s lips twitched upwards at his reaction, and he carefully pried the pot out of his hands, pouring more water into it before returning it to the stove.
Jungkook raised his eyebrow in question, and Yoongi shot him a pointed – and slightly amused - look over his shoulder before moving to the table with the herbs.
Okay then. Point taken.
A few minutes later, they were both sitting down, each with a mug in hand. Yoongi’s contained the medicinal tea and Jungkook’s the holy basil tea the hedge witch had brewed for him. The raven sat on the backrest next to Jungkook, and the cat was lying on the couch between him and Yoongi, now finished with her nap. Jungkook shot her a warning look when he noticed the intense look she was giving the raven, but she ignored him, and he had an uncomfortable suspicion that another altercation was in the making. His exhaustion worsened at the thought, and he sank further down in his seat.
“I’m not sure this’ll actually help,” he said, gesturing at Yoongi’s tea. “I improvised.”
Yoongi gave him an unreadable look before taking another sip of the tea. “It helps,” he said, his voice matter of fact. He placed the mug on the table, and Jungkook nodded, hoping the hedge witch meant it.
“Your kitchen magic,” said Yoongi after a short pause, “how does it feel?”
Jungkook blinked. “Uh.” The question was unexpected but, he supposed, not completely out of the left field either. Since the truth about his origins had come out, he and Yoongi had discussed magic quite a few times, though they usually stuck to peripheral magic.
He bit the insides of his cheeks, pondering over the question. How did his kitchen magic feel? “Uncomfortable?” That wasn’t all there was to it, of course, but he supposed it was the closest approximation he could give. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was more used to necromancy or because his peripheral magic was more powerful, but he experienced all non-peripheral magic, including his own, with the same prickling discomfort. His kitchen magic didn’t bother him as much as other non-peripheral magic did, and for the most part, he could dismiss the discomfort it caused him.
“It’s not as bad as other witches’ non-peripheral magic,” he added. “It’s still a part of me, but I guess it doesn’t feel that pleasant?” He paused, then sighed. “I think I’m explaining it badly.”
Yoongi shook his head, and Jungkook failed to be surprised by the Look he gave him.
“Uh,” he said, fidgeting with his sleeves. “Is there a reason you want to know?”
Yoongi continued staring at him, barely blinking. “You’re the only halfling with both peripheral and non-peripheral magic I know,” he said after a moment, and Jungkook hummed. That was a bit surprising, but he supposed it made sense. The halfling combination in question had never been that common. Jungkook had always assumed it was a natural consequence of the general divide between the peripheral and non-peripheral witches, but while that had certainly played a role, he acknowledged that it probably wasn’t the only reason. Jia had mentioned something about peripheral and non-peripheral magic not mixing well once, which resulted in fewer halflings with both types of magic, but he couldn’t remember her exact words. He’d never lived like a halfling, so he’d never given it much thought before, and he had no idea how scientifically sound Jia’s theory was.
Yoongi broke their eye contact to reach for the cat, hoisting her on his lap. She purred, but her eyes were still directed at the raven, and Jungkook couldn’t help finding it a bit disconcerting. She better not try anything. He gave her a stern look in warning, but she ignored it. Yoongi scratched her between the ears before shooting Jungkook an amused look, and Jungkook rolled his eyes. Yoongi enjoyed - and encouraged - the cat’s awful behavior way too much. “Non-peripheral magic can be overwhelming for peripheral witches,” said Yoongi after a few moments. “I wanted to know if it was any different when it came to your own magic.”
“A little different,” said Jungkook.
Yoongi hummed, absently petting the cat. “Maybe that would change if your kitchen witch magic was more developed.”
Jungkook shrugged his shoulders. He wondered if his kitchen magic would feel different if that was the case too sometimes, but he didn’t believe he’d ever improve enough to find out. “Do you think it would?” he asked.
Yoongi absently petted the cat as he studied him. “Yes,” he concluded.
Jungkook nodded. “Is there a halfling who…” he started, but Yoongi was already shaking his head.
“Peripheral witches don’t get to choose.”
Well . It made sense that rule had stayed the same for the past 300 years. Peripheral witches were still rare, and he doubted many halflings would have settled for a peripheral affinity if given the choice. “Yeah,” he muttered. “But you seem to,” he started, pausing as he searched for the right words, “handle the non-peripheral magic well.” Yoongi was a peripheral witch too, and Jungkook was sure that he experienced non-peripheral magic the same way he did – with prickling discomfort and overwhelm.
“You get used to it,” said Yoongi, shrugging his shoulders. “And the potency of the peripheral magic at the Min territory is lower than it was centuries ago, while the non-peripheral populace is larger, so there’s more non-peripheral magic.” He paused. “This isn’t as new to me as it is to you.”
Jungkook pursed his lips. This was news to him. Of course, he’d tried to do some research into the state of things in the Min territory before, but he couldn’t find much. All the territories were rather private, but the lack of information about the Min territory was crossing the line into absurdity. It’d taken him uncomfortably long just to find out if the Mos and the Seobs were still Low Houses – they were, but he couldn’t find any information on whether or not the Mins had named any other Low Houses in the past few centuries. They were a High House now, so they could have done so if they wished.
It was a bit surprising that the non-peripheral part of the population was larger, and Jungkook wondered what might have caused it. It might have been something obvious, or there might be no specific cause. Maybe he should ask Namjoon if he knew anything about it, just to cover his bases.
The part with the lower concentration of peripheral magic was easier to understand, and it wasn’t unexpected. Quite the opposite, it was par for the course considering the necromancers had been exterminated 300 years ago and their highly advanced magic had died off with them. He hadn’t thought about it before, but looking back, the magic in the Jeon territory had felt a bit weaker during his visit. It hadn’t been super noticeable, and Jungkook suspected a few more centuries would have to pass before it was down to a significant degree. The Juns had disappeared a long time ago, but their territory was still brimming with magic, and he suspected the same would be true for the Jeons.
“You could ask Jimin for help.”
Jungkook startled. “What?”
“With handling the magic.”
“Oh.” He scratched his temple. “Yeah, maybe.” Jimin might have been able to help, but Jungkook didn’t want to make a big deal out of something so insignificant. The non-peripheral magic around the academy was frustrating but bearable, and if Yoongi had gotten used to it, then so could he. He was already handling it a lot better than he had when he’d first arrived at the academy, and only places with higher than normal concentration of non-peripheral magic were a problem now.
Yoongi gave him a look that suggested he knew what Jungkook was thinking about, but he didn’t call him out on it, and they finished their drinks in silence. After they were done, they packed up, returning to the Hall. The others would have to be informed about Byungho, though Jungkook wasn’t entirely sure he had the energy for that today.