Chapter 26: A Ghostly Spectre
The fan glowed brightly as it swung down towards Taehyung. Taehyung closed his eyes and leaned over Seokjin's body, accepting his fate. His whole body felt hollow, and he sagged.
Right before the fan made contact, something else happened.
A huge power burst out, blocking the fan and forcing the Gu Wen to take a few steps back.
Taehyung opened his eyes, red and puffy from crying.
In front of him was a pale, floating spectre, the back facing towards Taehyung and Seokjin. The light went right through her as she hovered over the floor.
Her long silver hair was easily recognisable.
It was Jin Ying Hua.
The Gu Wen's face blanched as he stepped back a few steps in terror.
"You– !" he cried out.
Jin Ying Hua glared at him with the intensity of a thousand suns. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked at the Gu Wen as if he was some sort of rat.
She laughed mockingly. "Yes, me. How long has it been now since you last sealed me?"
The Gu Wen fell back onto his bottom, all refined aspects of him turned to dust as terror came across his face.
Jin Ying Hua stepped closer and closer.
"You lied to me. You were the one behind everything," she spat out, "You told me my brother was the one who killed me."
She raised one ghostly hand, gathering the dwindling powers of her Godhood, and slammed the Gu Wen into a partially collapsed wall. The Gu Wen reacted and nimbly kicked off the wall, destroying it in the process.
He drew out his fan once more and filled it with power.
"So what? I will just seal you again," he sneered, face twisting into a gruesome appearance. No longer the weak-looking advisor, but a cruel, vicious man who lusted for power.
Taehyung watched Jin Ying Hua in awe. So, her soul was still alive. Inside his mind, Jin Tai Heng stirred and watched his sister quietly.
Jin Ying Hua frowned. She had to finish this battle quickly. Her Godhood wasn't unlimited like Guan Gong's was, and she was spending too much on maintaining the floating island and saving an unique soul, trapped inside the man called Jin Tong.
She had always been sealed by the Gu Wen. Every time she escaped, he would find her; an never-ending nightmare of feeling trapped and unable to leave, of being a bird inside a cage. During this whole time, the Gu Wen fed her lies surrounding the true circumstances of her death.
Her rage propelled her to invade Jin Tai Heng's mind whilst he was sleeping, using up much of her power as well.
She had to spend the rest of her power wisely. That meant she had one full-powered hit.
Raising her hand once again, she gathered the rest of her power and charged towards the Gu Wen. Hiding the majority of her strength, she aimed for his head but actually struck at his legs, causing the Gu Wen to fall onto his back.
Finally, she lifted a pale hand and slammed him through several walls, knocking him unconscious.
Patting her hands, she turned around to face Taehyung.
"Too bad I can't kill that bastard," she remarked, a light expression on her face.
Taehyung struggled to come to terms with the fact that she was actually helping him out. But, he also thought, why couldn't have she let him die with Jin-hyung?
Jin Ying Hua glanced at his downtrodden expression.
"Your friend will be fine. I came out just in time before his soul flew away, but good job on unlocking it," she explained.
Taehyung felt a seed of hope bloom inside his heart. He looked at Jin Ying Hua with a shocked expression. With trembling fingers, he reached out towards Seokjin, touching his cheek lightly.
Jin Ying Hua watched his movements with a bitter look on her face.
"Your feelings for him moved me. I...wish I could have done the same with my brother," she said.
Taehyung looked up at her. Inside his mind, Jin Tai Heng watched his sister with a sad smile.
"He knows. A family bond like yours goes beyond words," Taehyung said, causing a relieved smile to spread across Jin Ying Hua's face.
Inside Taehyung's heart, he hoped that the family bond he shared with the rest of the members was enough to transcend even time and space itself, going across universes and multiple worlds and dimensions.
The strings of fate.
Jin Ying Hua closed her eyes, a peaceful look on her face. She had finally used up the rest of her Godhood, but at least she came to terms with her death. There was no more pain inside her heart. Guan Gong had died already; he was waiting for her on the other side.
She could join Guan Gong again. Finally, the star-crossed lovers would never separate again, hand-in-hand, joined together only in death.
Some say it was tragic, but inside Jin Ying Hua's heart, she was content. He had been waiting a very long time for her, and his heart had been tortured by the distance between them two.
But now, they could be together.
Slowly, her ghostly figure disappeared, turning into tiny particles of light and scattering.
"I hope your family will be reconciled one day, I truly do," Jin Ying Hua said, before completely scattering into a shower of beautiful sparks.
Taehyung watched her go with a complicated expression on his face. Jin Ying Hua, the unfortunate victim of circumstance and fate, had finally moved on from this world. Inside his mind, Jin Tai Heng slowly retreated.
"At least she is happy now," Taehyung said, trying to offer some form of comfort for Jin Tai Heng.
A groan sounded out. Taehyung's ears perked up as he turned around. Seokjin had stirred, beginning to wake up.
Taehyung's eyes lit up as he scrambled over to Seokjin's side.
"Jin-hyung!" he called, the delight and relief in his voice bursting out.
Seokjin opened his eyes. "Taehyung? Where is everyone?"
He struggled to pull himself up into a sitting position, Taehyung making sure to help his hyung settle comfortably.
Seokjin looked around in wonder. The magnificent jade palace had been completely destroyed. Above, the Heavens had finally taken away their dark clouds and tears, leaving weak rays of sunlight that shone upon the ruins.
"What happened? Why is there rubble everywhere? Are we doing a shoot?" he asked, scratching at his head.
Taehyung drank in the appearance of the Jin-hyung that he knew. His heart was overflowing. Carelessly, he flung himself into Seokjin's arms, wrapping his arms around Seokjin's neck.
These feelings overflowing Taehyung's heart were indescribable, but he sure would try to describe them. Joy, happiness and relief: finally, Taehyung had found the very first member of his family. Just when he thought all hope had been lost, it came back.
He clung onto Seokjin even harder, almost squeezing the life out of poor Seokjin, who could only pat him on his back awkwardly. Taehyung threaded his fingers through Seokjin's hair, staring up at the sky and thanking the Heavens.
Taehyung leaned down and whispered next to Seokjin's ear, "Thank you for coming back to me, hyung."
Seokjin gently patted Taehyung on the back. He had no idea what was going on, but Taehyung obviously needed his comfort. There was something about Taehyung's voice that was absolutely heartbreaking, as if he had been through a war that no one knew about.
"What's happening, Tae?" he asked once more, looking at Taehyung with a worried expression on his face.
Taehyung drew back. He smiled sadly.
"It's a long story."
Right before Taehyung could elaborate, his vision blurred and turned dark. Right before he fell unconscious, he heard the melodic bodiless voice say,
"Congratulations on the successful retrieval of the first member of BTS."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
noctifer
noctifer This is officially the very last chapter of the mass release, and marks the end of the first arc!
Today is also the last day of voting. I have to thank all you guys so much for all the support(now all 1000+ of you!).
Thank you for sticking by my side and feeding me with bombs. Let's work hard to support Tae throughout the rest of his journey!
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