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"Ignite the Ether Flame," The Air Descendent muttered, directing towards a flame pot with a diminutive flame in a very odd green hue. Hana's eyes glinted with the blaze the flame reflected despite being at the weakest state.

"Umm... Why don't we use some gasoline? The lamp must have run out of fuel," Hana suggested, as the thought hit her mind and the others gawked at her in silence. She bit her lip,  feeling awkward being the centre of their unaccommodating stares.

"You mean oil? We have wells of them. I will immediately order the guards to get some," Jimin piped in, popping his small figure out of nowhere, making Hana gasp and the three older ones shake their heads in disbelief. The younger threw a sheepish grin at the older Descendents and made his way to the perplexed earthling, maintaining a safe distance so his flaming aura doesn't harm her.

"Why don't you try it? Jimin will get the fuel and try feeding the flame," Yoongi professed and Namjoon and Jin looked at him, discombobulated. Hana nodded, her eyes not leaving the three men sharing indecipherable looks at each other, as if communicating with their minds.

"What the hell are you doing, Yoongi? Why would you want her to play with the flame?" the Nature Descendant whisper-yelled and the younger just chuckled, staring at the midget flame and the mystified eyes of the girl in front of them.

"Humans wouldn't believe it unless they see it. Flame lives on the ardour of the Descendant who carries it. Do you think she would believe it if we say our Majesty's heart should be ignited again?" Yoongi replied back, in a tone audible to just his elder brothers. 

"Majesty will know if we do something with his flame. He will get angered, Brother Yoongi. Let's not go that far, okay?" Namjoon tried to convince the Earth Descendant but the latter just smirked, nodding at Jimin who was warmly excited to help his brothers to retrieve the Ether Flame to its original state.

"Please don't stop me, Brother Jin and Namjoon. You know out of all the people in the realm, I am well versed with Earthling's characteristics and perceptions," Yoongi asserted, giving no chance for the two Descendants to argue with him. They ought to work in harmony and respect each other points of view and Yoongi could be right on his part since he had a vivid idea of the lifestyle of humans.

"Umm... Isn't that a good approach? I am not sure, I just wanted to give it a try," Hana intervened, unable to discern their sceptical glances and incomprehensible whispers. Jin was about to assure her that it would be nothing serious but stopped when Jimin walked in with two castle guards carrying small ceramic cans filled with oil.

"Why didn't we think of this before? Hana, you are very intelligent," Jimin appreciated the girl, leading the guards to the girl, instructing them to follow whatever Hana ordered. Hana smiled and held the smallest can in her hands. 

"It's because we know it won't work anyway," Yoongi thought in his head, silently answering Jimin's question. The four Descendants in the room had their gaze fixed on the girl who was still in second thoughts about her regular approach. 

"If it's that easy, it could have been done already," the thought lingered in her mind numerous times as she held the oil tin, about to pour the fluid into the flame pot but stepped back, letting out a small yelp as sharp corners of the flame pot tore her skin. 

"It's just a small cut," Hana spoke quickly as Namjoon stepped ahead to help her. Jin walked out of the chamber in haste to find the nearest herb with his senses as soon as he found her hand bleeding. Hana looked at Jin and then at Yoongi who gestured her to continue doing the task.

"Could it be a bad omen?" Jimin asked and Yoongi shook his head in negation, folding his arms across his chest and tapping his fingers on either ends of his elbows. The three descendants attentively watched the climatologist pour down the oil in the flame.

Silence 

Dead Silence

The girl stepped back, anxious to find no reaction to the uncanny flame. It was indubitably odd for a scientist to witness the mystical instances in front of her in reality. She leaned a bit to check the shape of flame but in a swift, her whole frame was flung violently to a corner of the chamber with the flame erupting with a dynamic force.

"Hana," Namjoon and Jimin rushed to the writhing body at a gallop. Jin just entered and ran to Hana momentarily, holding the herbs in his hands. Yoongi stood there in shock, gaping at the flame slowly diminishing to its original state.

"The flame never rose to that level for a long time," he thought to himself, his mind rewinding the incident that happened a few seconds ago like a broken cassette. He had never witnessed the flame blazing to such a length. 

"It's..it's...it's pain...it's..paining," Hana whimpered, the pain ripping her sanity apart, like a bee stinging sharp on traces of her whole skin. The sniffles and wails barricaded against her throat with the intensity of torment.

"Hana, Hana, listen to me. Look into my eyes," Jin pulled her frame on his lap, patting her cheeks as she vigorously squirmed in his hold. Hoseok held her legs with Jimin rubbing heat on her feet that were slowly changing to bluish purple.

"WHAT KIND OF GAMES ARE YOU PLAYING HERE?" 

A loud growl made everyone in the chamber tremble in shock. None expected the King to be wandering around the Palace Quarters and seeing him walk into the Flame Chambers would leave anyone flabbergasted. 

"What- What the hell happened to her?" Taehyung rushed, forgetting all the upbraiding he was about to roar at his brother. 

"Oh no! Brother Namjoon, call Sister Galen, quickly," Taehyung ordered in haste, noticing the girl turning breathless and pale, her skin transforming into a shade of light blue and purple. Namjoon communicated his message to his wife in his mind and received her reply in a snap. The Healer was dumbfounded at once but hurried towards the Chamber as she knew she was needed there at the earliest.

"We should not waste any time. Brother Jimin, hold her feet and induce the heat. She shouldn't turn purple-black at any cost. Brother Jin, apply the herb to her bleeding hands and Brother Hoseok, carry her. Brother, Namjoon, inform Sister Galen that we will be taking her to the nearest sanatorium and Brother Yoongi," Taehyung looked at the stone descendant and nodded.

"I will lead the way," Yoongi muttered, scurrying his steps with the others following behind.

All the while, Hana kept muttering muffled phrases, trying to expressing how excruciating the pain was, how crucifying the stings were all over the body but all the sound that rest could hear were her panting snivels and whines of suffocation.

It's killing me inside

It's hurting so much

You were the one who asked me to do it

Why are you not saving me from this harrowing pain?

"Hurry," Taehyung yelled, sweat trickling down his temples as he observed the girl puffing and shaking violently in Jin's and Hoseok's hold. Jin was continuously mumbling sorry every second, unable to see the girl dying alive in agonizing ache.

Someone is stinging me

They are stabbing me

They are stabbing me continuously.

Have mercy on me, please

I can't take it anymore

"Goodness! She is turning purple. Who gave the idea of playing with the flame?" Galen glared at the men who had their heads hung low in shame. Hana was placed on the bed, held by four nurses to keep her still for the medication.

"I never heard of a treatment since no one has faced this before. Brother Jimin, call Minerva. She could use some of her healing charms," Galen instructed and then ordered the other nurses in the room to bring her the potions that could heal the mutilated human.

"Human's blood shouldn't turn cold. Her breathing should be stable or else, she could die suffocating. We can't let her hibernate as her blood already started turning cold without being prepared," Yoongi expressed, trying to remember all the facts from the books that taught him about the world and lifestyle of Earthlings.

"I will heat the mattress," Jimin stated and Galen nodded, checking her pulse which was fading with passing time.

"I know," a voice made everyone turn their attention towards him.

"I think I know how to heal her," he spoke, holding the feet of Hana tenderly.

"What? Your Highness, you were only enlightened with the rudimentary aiding knowledge. It will not be of help since Hana belongs to another world and her condition is beyond control. If Minerva couldn't do it, we will have to call U-," Galen stopped when Taehyung raised his hand in the air.

"Brother Jimin, continue heating the mattress and Sister Galen, do the usual treatment while she is in the Ether Bubble. She was a victim of my flame's rage and hence, she needs to be healed under my aura," Taehyung explained and the others in the room were amused at his words. 

"Sister Galen, please do it quickly," Taehyung urged and Galen nodded, swiftly doing the required medication while Jimin warmed the mattress incessantly. Minerva arrived at the room and Jimin nodded at her. She forwarded a brown herb to Galen and started casting charms on the marred girl.

She was no longer wiggling, trying to take a breath for she already gave up, powerless to the numerous invisible spears piercing her body relentlessly. Flashes of her sister smiling while playing with her, eating a tub of mint chocolate, talking to flowers kept parading in her mind.

"Is it done?" Taehyung asked Galen and Minerva and the girls bobbed their heads in positive. He looked at Jimin and then spread his arms as a huge ball of green blaze surrounded the semi-conscious figure. The gleam was too radiant that Hana instinctively shut her eyes.

"It's working," Galen whispered as the purplish shade started turning pale, to a lighter shade of blue. The Descendants in the room heaved out a breath in relief and Taehyung didn't blink for once ever since he created a bubble of Ether energy around her.

"I would like to have a conversation with Sister Minerva and Brother Jimin," The agitated King announced as he walked out of the room when the aura was stable enough to support her without his presence and the couple followed his steps.

──  *.☽ .* ──

"I suppose you remember my previous words about your responsibility in concern to the Earthling," Taehyung simmered, sipping a glass of grape wine served by one of the royal servants. Minerva's lips trembled, being at a loss of words. She looked at her husband who was trying to search for the best possible reason to convince the Majesty.

"I don't remember granting her permission to the Flame Chambers. Well! I must appreciate the audacity of the girl to go to such lengths when she was warned in advance," Taehyung muttered, clenching his jaw and tightening his fists, recollecting the chaos in the sanatorium a few moments ago.

"Your Highness, it wasn't the case. Minerva has nothing to do with this," Jimin defended his wife, standing to his promise of protecting her from every possible obstacle she faces. He couldn't afford her leaving the palace or the realm under the minimum to no protection.

"I agree. Sister Minerva has nothing to do with this but then, the human was her responsibility, regardless of Sister Minerva's involvement in her imprudent activities," Taehyung snarled, his voice turning an octave higher, resonating aloud in the whole chamber.

"I am sorry, Your Majesty. Please forgive me for this time. I will make sure to keep an eye on her and will not let something like this happen again. Please grant me a second chance," Minerva pleaded, her eyes welling up with tears and Jimin was quick to hold her back.

"I can forgive you this one time," Taehyung spoke, in a calmer voice than before and the couple's eye beamed in joy.

"But then, I can't afford any other accident in the Palace. I banish the human from the Palace. She can reside anywhere else in the realm," Taehyung further added, dropping a bomb in Minerva's heart. She looked at Jimin and shook her head.

"Your Majesty, it was a grave mistake, I understand but she has nowhere to go. Sister Galen couldn't figure out the proper way to send her back to her place. She needs to be under proper care and leaving her by herself in the realm far from Palace could put her at risk," Minerva expressed her concerns, praying a million times internally to appeal to the King.

"We will have the Royal guards protect her all day and all night if that's the concern. As I have mentioned before, I don't want to cause a ruckus in the kingdom with the fast few years being already hectic to us," Taehyung declared and Jimin closed his eyes, anger gushing through his veins, seeing his wife in tears and helplessness.

"So, you are caring about the realm now, Taehyung ah. You were always absent to the gatherings, the festivals where the people yearned to see you, to know your well-being. Do you even know why she is here? Do you know why the world on the other side is dying? Don't you think you contributed majorly to their condition?" Jimin confronted, spitting out his wrath and Taehyung sighed.

"They polluted their world and they are facing it," he spoke, feeding himself the same words to ease his guilt for a long time till today.

"But that's not totally their fault. All of that wouldn't have happened if you had control over yourself, if you have not succumbed to your weaknesses, if you have not given up on your responsibility," Jimin spat at him, forgetting all the honorific. Minerva held him, bobbing her head in negation.

"You are talking to the King, Brother Jimin," Taehyung rumbled.

"I was once your friend as well. But then, I was, right?" Jimin chuckled to himself, throwing a painful smile at him, that stabbed the King's heart for some reason.

"If Hana resides outside the Palace, then we shall do the same. My wife and I will walk out of the Palace and live with her," Jimin proclaimed, encircling his arms around Minerva's shoulders. Taehyung stayed silent, gathering thoughts to settle on a peaceful approach. 

"There's no need of that. Neither do you both need to walk out of the Palace nor does the earthling need to stay out of the Palace," Yoongi spoke, walking inside the chamber and bowing once to the King in respect.

"It wasn't Hana's fault. It was mine. I was the one who insisted on her pouring the oil into your flame pot. The flame never blazed high even when we poured fuel before so I thought it would be harmless," he explained and the King nodded, his eyes stealing a glance of Jimin comforting his wife by rubbing her back.

"The flame blazed as she could only turn out like that because of my flame's rigour. But then, it still returned to normal, right?" Taehyung remarked and Yoongi shook his head in negation.

"I just visited the Chamber a moment ago and......," 

"The flame glowed"

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A/N: I guess it's been really long but I have a reason to disappear and sorry to keep you waiting. I have some issues going around and that was also the reason why I didn't check out the message board and the DMs. I will soon be active once everything settles. 

Hope you like the chapter and stay safe, everyone!!