° Chapter. 29

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That night, post falling into a deep sleep brought on to your body; you were subjected to the sine nomine visiting you in your dreams – bestowing their opulent presence upon you for the second time that day. You found yourself wondering within your subconscious – "Is this really a dream?" as they approached you in your imaginary world set back in your tiny apartment that seemed like you hadn't set foot inside in an eternity.

"You performed marvellously, (Y/N)" they greeted you warmly, sitting down beside you on your little couch as you smiled back into their face; admiring once again the colour of their mysterious eyes.

"I finally realised what it meant to be a domitor. To give life; never take it. I gave Yoongi the very thing he had been removing for years. And with life – also comes death. It was, in effect, his time to depart the world" you responded, seeing the sine nomine nod in turn at your words.

"How enlightened you have become since our previous encounter, (Y/N). We cannot tell you how proud we are of you. You made the right decision; for everyone involved – even though it may have been a painful one to make. The right decision isn't always the easiest one…" they paused, sensing your diffidence about the situation you currently found yourself in. "We suppose you're wondering whether or not this is a dream; as we're sure you know, Vampires do not sleep – therefore, they cannot experience dreams?" they asked, to which you nodded in agreement. "This is not a dream – rather, it is a way for us to communicate with you – now that we have established our eternal link. But, you'll be happy to know that as a Vampire-domitor hybrid; you can still sleep and dream just like you did when you were human. That is another fundamental difference between a Vampire, and a domitor that becomes a Vampire" they smiled to you, looking around the figment of your subconscious and admiring the scenes insides of your mind.

"I won't thirst for blood either, will I?" you asked, in reference to waking up as a Vampire and not feeling the slightest bit of weakness or hunger whatsoever.

"You will not need blood to sustain you – no. But; it will provide you with more omnipotence – should you feel the weakened state of your power draining the more you use it. However, we're sure we don't need to remind you that you DO have half of a regium Vampire beginning to grow in your womb" they placed one of their elegant hands on your stomach – both of you letting slight smiles grace your faces as you wondered how Jungkook would react upon you telling him that you were pregnant with his child. "It would be best for you to regularly nourish the foetus with blood as it grows; it will help to make it strong and healthy. And yes – the Jeon's synthetically manufactured blood will be substantial; you have no need to worry"

You breathed a sigh of relief, silently being thankful that you wouldn't have to worry about the well-being of the forming life inside you; even though you were slightly ambivalent about actually consuming blood willingly.

"I was wondering…" you began, tilting your head slightly as you looked to your hands placed neatly in your lap. "I was able to give life to Yoongi, which thereafter resulted in his natural death…but; when I touched Jimin…I was able to save him. Is he…is he still a Vampire? Or would my touch have turned him back to his original state before the change?" you asked nervously, wondering what the extent of your abilities might have done to Jimin and his pre-eternal life with Taehyung. The sine nomine looked to the ceiling, gathering their thoughts before trailing their beautiful sand-like eyes back to you.

"The humani generis Vampire, Jimin, still remains a Vampire – as you will see when you wake up" they gave you a pleased look, one that intrigued you. "With great power, comes great responsibility. And with great responsibility, comes great knowledge and control. The reason why Jimin was not reverted to his human form was due to the fact that YOU did not make it so. You wished for things to return to the way they were before he was afflicted; and with OUR help…it was done. We recognise that Jimin is a pure soul – Vampire or not. He risked his life for you, and he has our eternal gratitude" you took in their words, still feeling slightly overwhelmed as everything you had been subjected to was undoubtedly raw and unbelievable.

"Our time is almost up; we must soon part ways once more, (Y/N)" the sine nomine rose to their feet – their flowing blue robes just skimming the floor of your apartment as you stood up to meet them at eye level. Even just after you saved Jimin from his impending death; one thought circled you mind – and it still did in the current moment as your curiosity burned with intrigue.

"Wait" you spoke up, catching the sine nomine's attention as they turned around to face you; still with the same, heavenly smile they always wore. "Do…do you know what will become of Yoongi? I mean – is there such a place as the afterlife? Will his soul return to the Netherworld?"

The sine nomine gave you a perplexed look, "What causes you to question this?" they asked, peering into your eyes as if they could see right into your thoughts.

"Well…in my heart, I know that Yoongi was evil – there's no doubt about that. But – his brother, Taehyung…loved him very much, despite everything. Even though Yoongi had been so cruel to him, I think a part of Taehyung would be grateful to know what became of his brothers soul; be it damned or not" you whispered your last sentence, wondering if the dynamics of the close brother-sister relationship you shared with Taehyung would forever be affected by your actions on his brother. The sine nomine relaxed their facial features, raising a hand to your cheek to caress it gently as their smile reappeared in an instant.

"Our dear, sweet (Y/N)…" they almost murmured – such love and adoration pooling from their eyes that almost brought a tear to yours with how gloriously ethereal their words were to you. "You have a heart of pure selflessness; the Prince of the Eternal Kingdom chose his lover and future mother of his children well. In regards to your query…souls do not go to 'heaven' or 'hell' like you may already have assumed from the literary novels your world possess. Yoongi's soul will have transcended to a place similar to where you were – like a falsum paradisum…his own version of happiness. Whether that's just, unjust, good or bad…it's up to whoever knows of this to decide…"

You smiled at the sine nomine, knowing that you could return to reality with this information to speak of it with Taehyung. You knew that when you woke up, you would have a lot of explaining to do to everyone who was involved that night – not to mention you would have to speak of it to the King and Queen; Jeonju and Serrena, too. But funnily enough, you didn't mind that at all; as everything seemed like it had been put back into place, and you were finally ready to return to the arms of the one you loved most in the universe.

"Until we meet again" you bowed your head respectfully to the sine nomine; the sole creator of domitors.

"Until we meet again, (Y/N)" they mirrored your words back to you; before you seemingly drifted off like a boat along a calm ravine into another dream, waiting for the moment when you would finally wake up.

"Sweetheart? Are you awake?"

You heard Jungkook's soft, concerned voice call out to you, feeling what felt like a damp cloth being smoothed over your forehead as you opened your eyes to reveal Jungkook sitting at the side of the bed. You swallowed, squinting your eyes to focus on his face that was filled with worry and eagerness to finally speak with you once more. As you let your eyes adjust, you looked down to see you were dressed in an unfamiliar, baby pink night-dress; wondering who on earth owned it but not caring in the slightest.

"Good morning~" you smiled faintly at him, noticing that he had just been in the middle of washing your face with lukewarm water as you lay comfortably in his bed. Without any further words exchanged, and before you even got a chance to sit up properly under the covers, Jungkook immediately pulled you forward into his chest as his arms circled your body in an instant. You breathed a sigh of relief, nestling your face into the crook of his neck while you took in his natural scent – being able to smell everything about him much more potently since becoming a Vampire. "Jungkook…you have no idea how much I needed this" you smiled to yourself, feeling like you were in absolute heaven – home in his arms once more. For a moment as you both relished in each other's embrace, you thought back to the time when Jungkook had first placed his comforting hold around you in the privacy of his office. That thought alone, along with every single time Jungkook had made you feel on top of the world in so many ways imaginable, made you smile even more as you thought about how truly lucky you were to have someone like him present in your life.

"Thank goodness…you're awake. You're okay…" Jungkook murmured as his fingers tangled themselves through your hair with his hand that was resting on the back of your head. "I was…I was so worried. I missed you terribly" his whispered words in your ear were filled with endearing neediness as you smiled a little in confusion, pulling back from him to look into his face while the sunlight from outside poured in through the windows that shone on you both.

"I was only sleeping~ You've watched me sleep many times" you joked, putting your hand to his cheek and trapping it between your finger and thumb while your heart swelled at how incredibly soft and caring he was for you; despite you now actually being more powerful than he. Jungkook didn't yet know the reason for you being able to sleep, as you were a Vampire just like he was. But throughout everything that had happened, he had learned to accept things for how he perceived them with his eyes, for the present moment in time at least.

"You weren't just sleeping (Y/N)…you've been out for three days straight" Jungkook replied soberly – watching disbelief take place on your face. "Three days?!" you repeated his words in your mind, wondering how on earth you'd managed to sleep for such a long period of time. "I really must have outdone myself with these new powers, huh?" you shook your head, nothing being able to surprise you at this point.

"After you passed out, mother and father arrived – along with Chaewon and Hyeja. They've been here ever since. My mother and sisters insisted on taking care of you while you've been out; but…I couldn't bear to leave your side. I – I wondered if you'd wake up at all. None of us knew what was happening, I –"

"Shh, come here" you hushed him as you pulled him back into you once again, cradling his head into your neck with your hand as you stroked his hair. Seeing Jungkook so vulnerable brought about a calming stillness in your heart that ultimately reduced you to feeling such delicacy. You and he both knew that he had come a long way from being a cold hearted, feared Vampire and businessman alike; and Jungkook wouldn't have wished for it any other way.

"It's okay – everything's okay now" you kissed his forehead gently, before Jungkook raised his head to allow his lips to meet yours – inviting you in for deep, longing kisses that were well overdue. Jungkook proceeded to rhythmically mould his mouth with yours; kissing you with all the neediness and passion he possessed within him – not being able to stop his search of feeling your lips against his once more as his hands cupped your face. The past three days had been most excruciating for him; not being able to hear your voice, see your smile – or just even to see you candidly look into his face as he talked to you. As his tongue slipped past your lips to intertwine with yours, Jungkook thought about nothing else other than he was the happiest being alive; despite everything that you'd both been through. In many ways, it felt like he had been dragged to hell and back; but none of it mattered now – for you were back where he had always needed you, right by his side.

"Jungkook…" you whispered his name into his mouth with Jungkook showing no signs of stopping his display of affections. "I have to let you and everyone else know about something. Something…something very important that affects us all" you managed to get your words in edgeways as Jungkook ceased his kisses, smiling to himself at just how mysteriously you were able to constantly make him fall even more in love with you every single day – over and over again.

"…is it about – the baby?" Jungkook took you so far aback with his words that you almost smacked your head off the headboard of his bed.

"What? How did you know?!" you widened your eyes defensively, as you didn't yet get the chance to tell him.

Jungkook let a wry smile unfold on his face as he pressed the palms of his hands to your stomach, his eyes getting bigger and glowing with excitement that almost made your heart melt like vanilla ice-cream on the hottest of summer days to see paternal longing radiate from him. "When you were still outside with Yoongi and the others – when he gave me those five minutes before he would call back, I rang my mother to ask her advice. She told me that she and my sisters had sensed the formulation of the cells in your womb. Had I not been so distraught over the whole Yoongi situation, I would have cried with happiness. (Y/N)…I'm – I'm so happy, you have absolutely no idea…" his words trailed off as you both smiled at each other – feeling the tiny wings of butterflies along with the forming cells in your stomach flutter about like there was no tomorrow. "I never thought I'd see the day that I'd find someone I love as much as I love you…which meant that I would never have imagined that the thought of being a father would reduce me to tears of joy. And it's all…it's all because of you" he whispered, trying his hardest to hold back real emotional tears as you laced your fingers with his on the bed. "Everything is alright – isn't it? Mother said she could still sense the life inside you but, I need to hear it come from your lips…" Jungkook yearned to know as he was afraid that the change and your few moments of death would have caused you to miscarry the life you had both created inside you.

"Everything is fine – it's still there, for I can feel everything that's happening inside my body since…since becoming a Vampire" you patted your stomach, watching him bite his lip and let a sigh of relief pass thereafter. "You won't be able to feel anything yet – but soon, in a few months…you'll be able to feel for yourself!" you whispered excitedly as the both of you proceeded to giggle and stare into each other's eyes like a pair of love-struck newly-weds. Of course, you had instilled every single emotion under the sun upon Jungkook ever since you first touched him. But, there was certainly a difference between having emotion; and feeling emotion. Jungkook thought of you as being not only his sun, his moon and all of his stars in the galaxy combined – but as the only woman who caused him to shatter all of his exterior guards to let you inside and show him what true love actually felt like. And right then, as you both stared into each other's eyes with hope for the future – you were once again giving Jungkook a new feeling; the feeling and excitement of being a future father.

After a few more delicate moments of long awaited reunion between you and Jungkook, you had proceeded to insist on going downstairs to finally be able to share all of your information about everything that you had witnessed. As much as you were nervous to reveal to his entire family of what happened, you knew that it was something you had to do – not just for you or Jungkook; but for the knowledge that would be used to better the world as you all knew it. Alas, Jungkook had since grown into an even more overprotective boyfriend – despite you both being Vampires, despite him knowing that your ability to protect yourself far outweighed anything he could ever do; he insisted you stay in bed to continue resting, before he left the room to gather his family to come and listen to what you wished to say. Since no one was able to provide anyone with factual truths or answers to what had truly happened with you, Jungkook and the others found themselves left completely in the dark. As much as Jungkook wanted to stay and keep you all to himself within the confines of his bedroom; he itched to know the truth; as did everyone else.

In less than five minutes, Jungkook returned with Serrena and Taehyung following him into the bedroom to greet you; Serrena immediately rushing to your side to embrace you tightly, while Taehyung hopped up on the other side of the bed to sit cross-legged beside you; the same, goofy-Taehyung smile adorning his face as always. Initially, you wondered why the rest of his family weren't with him, along with desperately hoping to see Jimin up and about. Alas, Taehyung informed you that Jimin was also resting since the fateful night in another room in the Manor; essentially putting your worries at ease.

"I'm sure – as you're now a Vampire…" Serrena's eyes gave you a glistening look, one that was mixed with regret of how your form came to be and hope at the same time as she sat down on a chair that Jungkook pulled from his study desk, "…that you can sense that the others are in the Manor. We didn't wish to bombard you with all of us asking questions all at the same time. For that reason, my dear, we unanimously decided upon just myself and Taehyung paying you a little visit" she took your free hand in hers, rubbing her thumb over your knuckles lovingly.

"Thank you" you replied, feeling grateful that you didn't have to face an audience of curious, fellow Vampires in the end. "…but, there's also someone else here – he's outside, is he not?" you looked over to the door, sensing Namjoon's presence standing just outside Jungkook's bedroom. It was then that Serrena proceeded to explain to you that after they had arrived, and after Jungkook had carried you upstairs to his bed; Hoseok and Seokjin (still unconscious at that time) were taken by Jeonju in the helicopter to a secure place - to be detained for questioning. However, Namjoon had requested to be allowed to stay in the Manor until you woke up – for he wished to be judged for his sins by you, and you alone.

"His sins?" you repeated her words, watching her nod as you found your heart feeling sore and heavy that he wished for such a thing. "He was under Yoongi's control – as were Seokjin and Hoseok. Perhaps, with emotions fully intact, they can become better people; or Vampires, rather" you said to yourself, before looking up to Jungkook who stood against one of the wooden posters of his bed.

"Tell Namjoon to come in too; there's no need to stand outside like an outcast. Tell him to come on in" you smiled in a flat line. Before everything that had occurred, Jungkook wouldn't have let Namjoon come to within an inch of where you stood. But upon seeing him act so selflessly valiant towards you on the night of Yoongi's passing, he had since changed his opinion about the young rogue. Jungkook nodded his head, before walking over to the door and opening it – motioning for Namjoon to join you all as he stood off to the side of Jungkook at the foot of your bed.

"Uhm…I'm relieved to know that you're okay, (Y/N)" Namjoon mumbled and fiddled with his fingers, not quite knowing what to say or how to address you, as he looked into your eyes that had since magically turned back to their original pigment before your change. "Her eyes must be similar to that of regular Vampires when they feed or fight; only altering their pigment when our bodies return to that primal state" he concluded.

"You and I will talk more after, Namjoon. But for now; I'd like you all to listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you – for what I'm about to say will most likely change the history books of anything relating to domitors…for I – when I was killed by Yoongi, came face to face with the one who created domitors and placed them on earth. A being called; sine nomine."

You proceeded to tell them everything that had occurred from the moment Yoongi bit you – from start to finish. As you sat in Jungkook's bed, you noticed the amazement, shock and awe painted on everyone's faces around you; especially Taehyung as he soaked up your knowledge like water to a dry sponge. You explained about your endeavour in falsum paradisum – the false paradise; how you were surrounded by them all, including your brother. You spoke of the sine nomine, describing them as best as you could; which seemed to capture the attention most of Serrena and Taehyung. "Sine nomine…I've heard that name somewhere before…a very long, long time ago…" Serrena thought to herself, knowing that it must have come up in conversation way back when domitors were first discovered by her fellow royal Vampires. You went on to explain how the sine nomine informed you of you essentially being a Vampire-domitor hybrid…and how now – you possessed a link between the sine nomine and yourself that fed you vast amounts of information in a short space of time. Which in turn, allowed you to act in the ways in which you did.

"I won't thirst for blood, and I will still sleep and dream just as before. But, the sine nomine told me that blood with replenish my strength faster, so…" you trailed off, wanting to speak of the life inside you that also required blood; but you wanted to keep the fact that you were pregnant just between you, Jungkook and Serrena – for now at least.

"Mmmh – I had suspected as much" Serrena hummed. "While you were sleeping, we hooked you up to an IV of manufactured blood in the hopes that it would help you come round quicker – thank goodness we had the sense to do that much" you smiled at her words, looking down at your arms to find no needle marks or bruising, as you thought to yourself; "Ah…Vampires heal quickly; that's a definite plus" you smiled once more.

"Jungkook told us of how you tricked Yoongi – how you let Jungkook feed from you to give him his strength.  I suppose you knew it would work from being able to feel your own blood in your body…simply marvellous. You're one of us…yet much more capable and powerful" Serrena's voice was both astonished and impressed as she squeezed your hand tighter. "Thank you for saving my son, (Y/N). I…I felt so useless, not being able to help any of you. But it looks like you didn't need anyone else's help, (Y/N). And I; am forever in your debt" the Queen lowered her head as a means to thank you, before you looked to Jungkook to see him smiling at you most lovingly – being even more grateful that you had saved him not only from weakness in death, but in every possible way that a soul could have been saved indefinitely. In that moment, as touching as it was, you couldn't help but feel bittersweet – knowing that Taehyung was left without a brother after you gave him the gift of life. But as you turned to look Taehyung in his eyes, all you were met by was the face of a Vampire who adored and admired you in countless ways. Even though you had a hand in the natural passing of his brother, Taehyung was and would forever be eternally grateful for you being the reason why Jimin still lived on earth by his side.

"I never got to thank you, (Y/N)…but, Jimin lives because of you. I know you might feel like I think differently of you because of Yoongi…but; I beg that you don't feel that way" Taehyung took your other hand in his as his eyes became somewhat tearful. You returned his gaze; remembering what the sine nomine had told you about Yoongi – and you clasped his hand tighter as you opened your mouth to speak.

"I just want you to know, Taehyung…the sine nomine told me that Yoongi; his soul…his soul is somewhere safe. In a place that Yoongi perceives as happiness" you paused, watching Taehyung try to blink away his tears as the open wound that was his unforgiving, merciless brother still pained him to no end. "I think, in the end…Yoongi was truly sorry for everything he had done. But, I think he was most sorry for what he had caused you. Taehyung; Yoongi's soul is most likely in a place where it can be at rest – with the image of you and your mother and father there to keep him company for forever and a day." you laced your fingers with his, as you observed a single tear trickle down his soft cheek.

"Do you really think so?" he asked in a small, gentle voice; raising his eyes to look deep into yours – a pitiful, hopeful smile on his face that made your heart beat faster.

"Yes, Taehyung. I really, really do" you replied, hoping that your words would be able to offer Taehyung a little consolation; to allow him to move on – just as Yoongi had passed from the world you all lived in, into the next.

"To err is human, to forgive; divine. With great power, also comes great responsibility and control" you said, turning your head to address everyone in the room. "That's what the sine nomine told me. And that's how I'll use this power to help bring peace and tranquillity between Vampires and humans. Wherever problems arise, I want to be the one to defuse them. I don't ever want a repeat of what happened the other night. Life…life is precious – rogue, human and Vampire alike. Yoongi was too far gone, but I want to be the one to stop a Vampire before they ever reach that stage again." You vowed before them all, seeing Namjoon look at you as if you were an angel, descended from the heavens above.

"Spoken like a true Vampiric Queen…" Serrena thought quietly, watching everyone else in the room nod at you – being astonished at just how poised and powerful your experience had helped you to become.

"Your encounter with the sine nomine will be written in scholar's books, just as the history of our kind has been recorded since the dawn of our time. Your name will be whispered by millions for years and years to come, (Y/N) – the Vampire-domitor hybrid" she smiled, watching you blink gently as you inclined your head out of both respect and gratefulness. "The future Queen of the Eternal Kingdom" she smiled, knowing that you probably wouldn't believe her in the slightest if she were to vocalise her thoughts right then and there, but she was being deathly serious. Serrena knew that the time would come when she and her husband would have to pass the throne down to Jungkook; and she couldn't have been happier or more proud to pass her title of Queen to you, in turn. But for that moment, Serrena decided to allow you to get over the shock of everything that was already occupying your hands; as you had more than enough to go around without her adding in the fact that once your child is born; and once you and Jungkook join together in Vampiric matrimony…you and Jungkook would then reign as the King and Queen of the Eternal Kingdom.

An hour or so filled with more talk of what you had witnessed passed; when finally, you had relayed any and all pieces of information to the Queen to pass on to the others. Taehyung was the first to leave the room – letting you know that he was going to check in on Jimin, hoping that he would be awake to tell him of your own awakening. After he left – you, Jungkook, Serrena and Namjoon remained; as you looked up to Namjoon to address him directly. While you let your gaze fall upon him, Namjoon felt like a spotlight hotter than the surface of the sun had just been placed on him. He didn't know whether to let you speak to him first – or whether he should just drop to his knees and begin begging you for forgiveness. But before he could even string together a coherent train of thought, you spoke up.

"You're not like the other two – Seokjin and Hoseok. And you're certainly nothing like Yoongi was – despite being bound to him. If I may ask…is there a reason as to why that is? Why did you go along with everything he was subjecting you to, until this happened? Even before my skin came into contact with yours…what caused you to shield me in the moments leading up to my death? Who were you before becoming a Vampire?" you asked him directly, remembering how he protected you from the brunt of Yoongi's force that caused him to be flung out of the living-room window.

Namjoon swallowed hard as he cast his eyes to the ground, knowing that there was no better answer he could give you, other than the truth. He looked up, glancing at the smiling face of his Queen and the stern, pensive face of his Prince, before staring back at you, ready to open his heart so you could judge him fairly – and however you saw fit.

"Yoongi had turned me, Seokjin and Hoseok during the months before he murdered your parents. He was a lecturer at my University – and that's how he knew of my existence" he began, feeling nervous at the thought of revealing things he wished to suppress for the rest of his life. "In the beginning, I knew nothing of what he was doing or why he was even scheming anything at all. It wasn't until he was captured and imprisoned that I found out that he killed two humans – almost killing a third…which were your parents and younger brother. I…even though I was bound to him; I resented being a Vampire. The thirst for blood, the inhumane way Yoongi forced me to feed while I was still natum lamia…I hated it. I had a family who loved me…and the most beautiful girlfriend who all still assume that I'm missing and most likely dead. I was majoring in Philosophy and forensic psychology at the best University on a scholarship I obtained through studying hard…I had such a bright future ahead of me…" you winced at his words as you truly felt Namjoon's pain of having absolutely everything taken away from him through no fault of his own.

"What did you do during the thirteen years that Yoongi was imprisoned?" Jungkook asked, taking the words right out of your mouth as the Prince wished to probe the rogue's mind and thoughts further; to try and paint a better picture of the type of being Namjoon truly was.

"For around four years, I spent them wallowing in a pool of my own self pity – only ever taking the last few drops of blood that Seokjin or Hoseok harvested from some poor, unsuspecting soul. I didn't want to – but I didn't know what else to do to suppress the hunger at that time. I felt trapped – I felt like a monster."

As Serrena listened to his words, she found herself thinking that – although he had been turned into a Vampire by Yoongi, Namjoon seemed to have kept some of his human emotions intact. It wasn't common, but it certainly wasn't unheard of for a humani generis to have some basic emotions remain even after being bitten.

"After that, I turned to books; studying about the world of Vampires as I had never known or heard of before. I learned about the Jeon family and the manufactured blood…but it was impossible for a rogue like myself to obtain it, as I risked blowing my cover…I was afraid of the punishment I might have faced. I spent so many years trying to find some kind of way to unbind myself from Yoongi's grasp…but I fell short every single time. When Yoongi began contacting Seokjin, Hoseok and myself via a private messaging server he made from the basement he was confined to…he had promised me that if I helped him capture you, that I would be free from his control. That I could return to my family; that I could live independently, just like before. I thought that if I went along with everything he said…despite how cruel it was; that I could have happiness once again." Namjoon's voice went as quiet as a mouse at the thought of how selfish he had been in pursuit of his own freedom and happiness. Yet – despite that, you nodded at him reassuringly, with a look on your face that said "I understand". Moreover, you knew from the sullen look of absolute sombreness on his features - the way his voice trembled with absolute crestfallen sorrow; that he was telling you no word of a lie.

You let a sigh of relief pass your lips, finally understanding why Namjoon was the way he was. "All he wanted was a normal life…all he wanted was to reunite with his family…I above all people know how that feels" you grimaced, before raising your eyebrows; giving Namjoon a look that caught his attention.

"You know that I have the ability to reverse the effects of Vampirism; right?" you asked, seeing everyone don a look of shock at your words. "Namjoon, I will never judge you for what you did; for you did the right thing when the time came. And although your moral compass began pointing in the right direction a little too late…it's always better to be late than to never arrive at the correct destination – don't you agree?" you asked with a soft voice as Jungkook knew exactly what you were suggesting.

"If you want to return to being a human – you'll only have aged thirteen years from the age you were turned at. You'll be able to return home to your family, you'll be able to live a normal life once more. All you have to do is ask; and I will give it to you willingly."

Surprisingly, Namjoon let a smile unfold across his face – letting you view his perfect dimples while he didn't hesitate to answer. "Had that been an option a few days ago, I would have jumped at the chance to do so. But…"

"But?" you repeated his hesitance with a quizzical look on your features.

"If you'll have me…and if no one has any objections, I wish to remain not as a rogue Vampire, but as a loyal Vampire to the regium by your side. I…I want to help you in your strive to restore peace; for as I'm sure the Queen knows, there are countless more out there like Yoongi who wish to see Vampires return to the old way of life. And I, for one – want to try and do everything I can to help stop that."

Long after Serrena and Namjoon had left the room to return downstairs, you and Jungkook both proceeded to curl up in bed with each other after you had a chance to shower and wash your hair. You now knew that, with you being a Vampire, you didn't need to commit to the same level of care that most human beings took part in to keep themselves clean and hygienic – yet you still enjoyed the feeling of refreshment you got from letting the hot water cascade down the contours of your body. Even as a Vampire, you found showers to be a magical place that allowed deep thoughts to consume you – something that was common, for humans and Vampires alike. In many ways, you felt your heart at ease; especially after your previous conversation with Namjoon, when you told him that he was more than welcome to remain by your side – but only, of course, if he began drinking the Jeon's manufactured blood and gave his word to never harm another life again. To your relief, Namjoon had erased your worries by telling you that Serrena had already let him have his first fill of the blood; and it satisfied him more than any drop of blood from a human could ever hope to achieve. One thing that remained unknown was the question of just how limitless your newly acquired abilities were, as you all had found out that you could ultimately reverse the effects of Vampirism - on top of having heightened senses and the 'normal' things that Vampires possessed the ability to do. You could still, of course, restore within Vampires their emotions; but further potential remained a mystery. And, to say that thought didn't excite you and Jungkook would have been the exact opposite of how you both felt; and the two of you were looking forward to figuring them out, together.

"Are you feeling tired?" Jungkook asked you, as he proceeded to gently press his fingers into the dimples at the small of your back; both of you having stripped down so the two of you could feel that naked, skin on skin contact that was indescribably so intimate and loving. You raised your head off his chest to look over at the clock on the wall, reading the time that let you know it was coming on 10:30pm.

"A little~" you replied gingerly, resting your head back down on top of him and yawning simultaneously.

"No way – you can't be tired" Jungkook donned double chins as he looked down to you, seeing a small smile take place on your face. "You've been sleeping for three days~ You can't leave me for sleep just yet~" his voice was playful as he raised it slightly, your small smile forming into a huge grin at just how cute your boyfriend could be when he wanted to.

"(Y/N)" Jungkook spoke up again - this time, more soberly as his thoughts about you ran circles in his mind. "I just want you to know that, everything that happened on that night – everything that happened to you and how you came back to me as still the (Y/N) I fell in love with…that I couldn't be more proud of you. I…I don't think I would have had the courage to do everything you did, and I mean that without any shadows of doubt present in my mind" his words were dipped in the purest form of sincerity as you clung on to his body tightly; feeling love-struck tingles surge through you. However, something that remained in the back of your mind since that night pushed its way forward to your current thoughts, before you didn't hesitate to ask Jungkook about it directly.

"…when I was tricking Yoongi into believing I was bound to him; did you really think that…that I was going to kill you?" you asked – feeling him tense up a little in response as his nervousness became contagious.

"I'd be lying if I said no. I felt…I felt scared, I felt weak – and I felt so pathetic in that moment. But not because of the fact that I thought you would kill me" he paused as you turned your face to gaze into his deep, dark eyes.

"I felt that way because I wasn't able to stop Yoongi from harming you. I wasn't able to do anything for you. To be completely honest with you…the moment your heart stopped beating as you lay on the floor…I just didn't care whether I lived or died. Without you, there's no me; and I mean that with all that I am, (Y/N). I don't want to live in a world that you don't exist in – not then, not now, and not ever" he whispered gently, letting his lips fall upon your forehead, allowing them to linger there momentarily as he closed his eyes – remembering back to just how damned he felt when he thought you had truly left him.

You winced at his words, pulling yourself up so that you were resting your body upon your elbows, staring right into his beautiful face with your skin so delicately pressed against his. "It may have been the change that brought me back to the world, but – do you know how I was able to be so strong; not just physically, but emotionally?" you questioned him, observing him raise his eyebrows as he waited for your response. "You and I…we started out so polar opposite from each other; me a human, and you a Vampire. You were…cold and unemotional, whereas I was warm and amiable with mostly everyone I came into contact with" you both smiled, thinking about how much you and he had changed in such a short period of time. "Somehow, we've balanced each other out – don't you think? Like a compromise for the best of both worlds, for want of better words. I'm now a Vampire like you, and you're able to feel emotions, like me. The reason why I was able to endure everything, is because…is because I love you. And as I've said before, I believe that love is the most powerful thing in existence. Do you see that now?"

Jungkook gazed right back at you, feeling his Vampiric heart beat faster with each second that ticked by – almost causing him to become out of breath with the intensity of the emotions you managed to elicit from him. Since falling for you, Jungkook was able to see so many things much more clearly – as you opened his eyes, his mind and his heart to things he never knew he could experience. And although he regretted the way in which you were turned into one of his kind; all he cared about was his future with you, and the life you possessed inside you right at that moment. "I do. And I see you. I see our future…our children…our lives together; and, although I'm not a human…I'll gladly call myself the happiest man in existence. Because I'm looking at the only thing that matters most to me" he raised his hand to run the backs of his fingers along your cheek, as you noticed him almost tremble – as if something was worrying him.

"What's wrong, Jungkook?" you asked, placing your hand atop of his as he licked his lips nervously, blinking over and over while he opened and closed his mouth; trying to locate the words to communicate his feelings to you without stumbling like a deer on ice over them.

"…I had thought about how I wanted to do this for a little while now – wishing to wait until the perfect time arose to ask you. But – as you've taught me; life is a gift, and there's no time like the present…" you became terribly confused by his words as Jungkook placed two of his fingers underneath your chin, looking deep into your eyes as he swallowed one last time. So many things were flooding both of your minds – Yoongi, Jimin, the sine nomine and the future in general…but suddenly, none of that seemed to matter any more, as Jungkook concluded that life was for the living; and he wished to spend the rest of his, with you…right by your side.

"Will you marry me, (Y/N)?"

And you smiled. You just couldn't stop smiling.