July 4th, 1689

Summer in Galatea felt like a long, hazy dream filled with melancholic music, admiring glances from strangers you'd never see again, and a sense of longing for the unknown.

Standing at the edge of the castle's balcony Jimin had recently constructed, she listens to the chirping of the crickets hidden away in the forest below.

The air smelled of sweet gardenias and rain.

Above her, a crescent moon hung in the sky.
Images of red eyes and scattered bodies flash through her mind and she shakes her head, turning away from it.

Standing a few inches from her is Jimin, his now burgundy hair is pushed up exposing his forehead and his white tunic is loosely tied as it hung open, exposing his bare chest.

He levels her with a lazy smile as he approaches her.

Slipping his hands around her waist he tugs her into his chest. She goes without a protest.

He inhales deeply, content and he places a kiss upon her bare shoulder.

"I love you Ye Rin" he hums, she feels the vibrations of it from his chest.

"I've loved you from the moment I set eyes on you in those woods all those years ago. It was meant to be, fate brought us together and now we'll never be apart".

Her stomach churns in discomfort as she stands there stiffly, neither returning the hug nor responding to his words.

From over his shoulder, she spots movement within the bedroom.

Taehyung stands by the stone fireplace, the fire behind him crackling and volatile as it whipped back and forth letting small embers float out of it occasionally. He's watching them with that starved look in his eyes.

The goblet in his hand bends from the pressure and if she's not wrong, his eyes appeared.... glassy?

Jimin is still mumbling words she doesn't care to hear, slowly he begins swaying tugging her along with him.

He's humming now, and she hates to admit it but his voice was a pleasant melody when he sang.

He'd spend hours singing to her at night while she feigned sleep.

It was ironic really, that a voice that sounded so gentle one would think it belonged to an angel, was that of a monster who had ripped people to shreds out of sport and pure boredom.

"Just let me love you
Since the creation of the universe,
Everything was destined
Just let me love you"

It's painful, the realization that she's truly stuck with him. It makes her chest ache in a way she wished would kill her.

Taehyung turns away from them, facing the fire as finishes his drink.

A thought blooms in her mind as she stares at his back. One that is albeit risky, could be the key to her salvation.

And as Jimin pulls away from the embrace and looks into her eyes with pure adoration, she finds that she doesn't care about the consequences if her idea were to fail. What's the worst that could happen?
He'd kill her? She scoffs as she tugs out of his arms roughly and walks towards the bedroom.

He could be the way out, she thinks as she meets his suffocating gaze.

Hazel eyes filled with longing and torment, condemned to watch the one things he loved most in the arms of another for eternity.

🌙

It starts with subtle glances.

Anytime Taehyung would look at her, she would return his gaze with a smile.

It catches him off guard and he looks away abruptly.

Then the small touches here and there, a gentle brush of fingers against his cheek as she pretends to wipe a nonexistent mark off of his face.
Shoulders brushing against each other as they walked by each other in the hallways.
The way their thighs would press against each other as she sat beside him on the spacious couch in their living quarters.

Jimin had paid no mind to them, seeing how painfully oblivious he was to his own cousin's infatuation with his "one true love" made it all too easy.

She would ask Taehyung to accompany her on walks through their garden and go out into town with him.

She could see how easily smitten he was and it makes her want to laugh in his face.

The final straw in her act is when they sit together in the garden's wooden gazebo watching the sunset.

The golden hues of the sky color the sea before them in glittering oranges and pinks.

The flowers around them sway along with the gentle sea breeze.

She chances a glance at him only to find that he's already watching her intently.
Suppressing a shudder she doesn't hesitate to lean forward, a move that takes him by surprise.
He's hesitant, eyes darting back towards the house where Jimin was digging around somewhere before he places both hands upon her shoulders and holds her in place.

"Ye Rin" he sighs, "we can't do this, it's wrong".

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she feigns hurt.

"Wrong? What do you mean?"

"I mean, you belong to Jimin. I can't betray him like that".

"I don't belong to anyone" she hisses as forced tears begin to form in her eyes.

Taehyung's eyes widen in shock as he reaches forward to wipe them away.
She pulls back immediately and he puts his hand down clearly hurt.

Sniffing dramatically she reaches for his hand, gripping it tightly.
"I don't love him".

His head snaps up and his eyes harden, "what are you saying Ye Rin?"

Her stomach sinks as panic settles in, I need to say the right words or he'll be suspicious.

"I mean," she clears her throat "I can't love him because there's someone else" she sighs as she looks away.

A hand grabs at her jaw roughly and turns her face towards him. His hazel eyes are bleeding forth red as he sneers at her.

"Who is it?"

She manages to draw out more tears as she reaches both hands up to his face and pulls him close.
Placing her lips against his she feels him stiffen before relaxing into it.
He pulls her to his chest as he kisses her frantically, hungrily.

She's sick to her stomach but pushes those feelings down.

She was close to finishing her plan.