Pants escaped her lips as Dawn dodged another blast from Beomseok. She has taken a lot of hits from him, but so was he from her. This had been going on for too long. She just wanted to end this once and for all.
"Haven't you had enough?" The Witch panted, glaring daggers at the Black Mage, who just spat out blood to the side and smirked cockily.
"I could do this all day."
Dawn let out an irritated sigh, then conjured up a shield as Beomseok started his assault again, hoping to catch her off guard, but she was ready. Her arms moved quickly as if dancing, deflecting the attacks as they kept hitting her shields. But she knows they were futile. She could sense his frustration growing, as he couldn't land any solid hit on her. She could see his patience was wearing thin.
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"
But you just said you do this all day?
His patience grew thin, seeing that their fight was going nowhere.
But then a wicked idea appeared in his mind when he caught a glimpse of the five adventurers just in time, defeating the Dragon. He grinned evilly at the meddling witch and said, "If I could not win against you, then maybe I could've with them."
Dawn stood still for a moment. His words were not making sense in her mind until she saw him turn away from her and look at something from a distance. Following his gaze to see the boys gathered around, checking each other's injuries and unsuspecting of danger coming for them.
She inhaled sharply when she finally realized what he meant. He was going for the boys...
Her eyes snapped at the Black Mage, who had conjured a crackling purple and black energy in both hands. "NO!" She screamed in distress, throwing herself heedlessly at the range of fire.
She felt what seemed like a bolt of lightning slamming straight into her body, sending her crashing down onto the ground.
"... wn." "... awn." "Dawn!"
She heard muffled cries and calls for her name, which seemed to get louder by the second, along with her heavy breathing. Her vision became blurry. Her body was heavy and sore, and her ears were ringing loudly.
"Dawn! Are you okay?" Squinting her eyes, she managed to focus on the pair of whiskey-brown eyes looking down on her.
"Beomgyu..." She rasped, ignoring the sounds of protest from the others as she sat up. "Your brother's an asshole." She muttered, but was heard by the others, who snickered.
However, her relief was cut short when she saw another similar blast that she received heading in their direction. "No...!" She tried to move, but her muscles refused to listen to her commands. After that, everything felt like it was in slow motion.
She watched with horrified eyes as the bolt of magic was about to hit Beomgyu on his chest when Taehyun appeared. He took the blast head-on, letting out a loud grunt in pain and then collapsing unconscious to the ground.
She stood there, unblinking. She still wasn't strong enough. She let another friend... Another family got hurt. How pathetic. And she was told that she was supposed to be the most powerful Witch.
A spark of anger ignited when she heard the manic cackling of the person she was beginning to despise. Slowly, she looked up at the floating figure with eyes turning bright shades of red.
"How brave yet foolish of him... But then again, what would you expect for the Sorcerer of the group?" Beomseok sneered, letting out a delighted cackling. His joy aggravated her so much that she almost wanted to choke him to death.
"I would expect this much from him because he is brave and not selfish, unlike you cowardly bastard who hides behind his army of puppets." Dawn sneered back as she went up to the air, facing him head-on.
"Coward!? You dare call me coward!?" He hissed, eyes igniting in irritation. "Don't call me a coward! What kind of coward can easily get ahold of the mind of the King and make him do my biddings!?"
She watched as the aura surrounding his body grew stronger. Her eyes widened as she realized he was about to unleash another deadly blast, and it's for Beomgyu. Again.
At that moment, Dawn knew she couldn't make everyone happy. She couldn't protect everyone... She has to choose.
The regretful thought crossed her mind when she glanced at Beomgyu, who was desperately trying to heal Taehyun.
I'm sorry, Beomgyu... I can't give you what you want.
As if the Healer heard her thoughts, she saw him lift his head up and look into her eyes. The look in his eyes... There was sorrow and anguish... But there was also a resolution. It seemed like he, too, had given up the notion that his brother could still be good... That he could still be given a second chance to live the life that he deserved.
She could see the tear forming in his eye as he smiled weakly. "Just please, try to keep an open mind until the end. But if it all ends with what I'm hoping it wouldn't be... It's not your fault." And a tear rolled down his cheek.
Don't worry, Beomgyu... I will. It was the least I could do for you...
Then she turned her attention back to the evil twin, just in time to interfere with the blast again. But this time, she was unaffected instead of thrown down to the ground.
"What the...?!"
She winced inwardly at the unfamiliar feeling of the blast being absorbed in her body. But it wasn't painful. She wasn't just used to it...
She didn't have to look at Beomseok to see his surprised expression and the others who had seen her trick. She watched as the black energy ball in her palm slowly turned into a familiar red.
"What did you just do?" The Black Mage demanded stiffly, feeling a little uneasy.
"I just did what I should've done long ago. But your brother asked me to go easy on you. He didn't want you to get hurt." Her lips twitched into a smirk seeing the man turned red in anger."Are you saying that you've been playing with me the whole time!?"
"It wasn't as fun as you thought it would be, was it?" She gave a sickly sweet grin, showing him her teeth as she chuckled. "How does it feel being played at? What does your own medicine taste like on your tongue... Do you like it? I didn't peg you to be a masochist." She watched as his rage grew as he threw another attack toward her, which she just easily flicked away.
"Beomseok~ You never learn, do you?"
His wide brown eyes blinked in confusion and shock when the Witch suddenly disappeared in vapors of red. "What-" He didn't get to finish when he felt her presence to his left. But before he could dodge, his vision was suddenly flooded with scarlet haze, showing him a past he loathed the most, his worst nightmare.
She thought it was merciful revenge for what the Black Mage put him through, especially the five adventurers. But as she watched his memories unravel before her eyes, she felt pity.
She watched his life turn him into the cold and cruel person he was today. She saw him become consumed with hatred and spite. She watched the day he changed into someone else altogether. She saw how he transformed into a monster that no one loved, cared about, or even liked.
How cruel was this universe to a poor soul?
A lone tear fell down her cheek, feeling his pain, the loss, his loneliness. Darkness had engulfed his entire mind, and she didn't think she could help him change his mind. Too caught by her grueling thoughts, she didn't notice that his nightmares had stopped, but they still weren't out of his mind.
"Are you satisfied with what you see?" She heard him asking. She looked up when she heard something wrong with his voice. He sounded hollow. Cold. And weak.
A sharp air intake escaped her parted lips at the scene in front of her. Everywhere she looked, it was nothing but darkness. In front of her was a spotlight glaring down at the shackled and beaten-up Beomseok.
She knew it wasn't a memory. Because Beomseok looking straight into her eyes. He looked like he was trapped inside his mind, with nowhere to escape from the chains. The chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles, binding him to a wall.
"Am I pitiful enough to be spared?" He giggled, but it soon turned to a cough. Blood had dribbled down his lips.
"You're dying..." She said in realization. Her eyes surveyed his haggard appearance. His black, shriveled fingertips had caught her eyes.
"It's a small price to pay."
"Wasn't there any other way?" She found herself asking. Her eyes were desperately searching for something.
But he only let out a soft chuckle.
"If there's one, why should I choose it?" She only stared at him, dumbfounded. He was looking at her with a curious and almost amused gaze. "What you should ask is why I choose this method, Dawn."
"I don't understand..."
"You see, in this world. The Black Mages were always regarded like demons. They are feared as the monsters of this world. We're feared for having the power to bring destruction in the wake. They were hated because of being something they weren't even in control of. They were hated to the point they weren't allowed to exist..."
"But... that's not fair."
"When have life become fair for people like us, Dawn." Her head snapped to his, eyes hardening at the words he uttered.
"I'm not like you." She hissed quietly.
"Aren't you? You're strong, just like me. Maybe even more. This kind of feat isn't something ordinary witches could do. You aren't just a witch, by any means. Your power far exceeds most of those common witches... And that crown." She took a step back, suddenly feeling uncomfortable under his gaze. "That isn't like any crown. It's a symbol. You're meant to be a ruler, Dawn. How surprising is that?" His laugh boomed eerily in his dark domain.
"I thought you would be a little different, but I guess I'm expecting too much." Dawn's tone had changed entirely as she had cut their conversation short.
"Huh?"
Dawn's face darkened as she turned to face him directly. "It looks like I have no other choice." She took a couple of steps closer to him. A frown was playing on her lips.
"What are you doing?" His voice was laced with a tinge of fear.
"I'm just trying to make everyone happy." She answered as she stopped in front of him.
"Who are you to decide that?" The Black Mage gritted his teeth, noticing his plan wasn't working.
"I simply wanted to grant someone's wish. But I guess I couldn't do it." Before he could react, as soon as her hand made contact with him, they were finally out of his mind and into the middle of the battlefield.
"Dawn! Where have you been?" Hearing the annoying sound of his lookalike, Beomseok glared at him and his friends, full of hatred.
"I tried to keep an open mind."
"And?" Beomgyu asked her with a hopeful glint in his whiskey-colored eyes.
"Even if I have a solution, it wouldn't make any difference." Dawn stated, instantly feeling bad seeing his hopeful expression wilted.
"Why not? Why can't you do it?" He looked so desperate and helpless.
"He's dying, Beomgyu. He's been accessing magic from a dark and powerful being. And in exchange for being powerful, he pays with his life." The Healer stared blankly at her, wishing whatever she was saying was a lie.
"But... There must be some other way than that!" He tried reasoning, his eyes fleeting to his brother, who looked like he had given up. Those exhausted and seemingly dead dark brown eyes were drilling holes into his whiskey-colored ones.
"There's nothing we could do but to give him a peaceful farewell, Beomgyu. I'm really sorry." The Witch's voice sounded heavy with guilt and sorrow, and her heart clenched painfully as his eyes immediately filled with tears.
The rest remained quiet, letting the boy process everything. He was so silent and unmoving that you'd be worried that he hadn't noticed their presence.
And then the moment passed when he raised his head to stare straight ahead, his face set in a cold expression. "We might as well just end his suffering right here and now."
"That's..."
"Please don't say anything," Beomgyu shook his head and pleaded pleadingly. "But can you please leave us alone for a moment? I need to talk to him at least once before he dies."
"Alright." Without waiting for any response, the four men and woman walked further away. Still, they kept their distance if Beomseok decided to lash out at Beomgyu.
"How are you feeling, Taehyun?" Dawn asked the Sorcerer, who had woken up as soon as he was set down.
"I'm fine. Beomgyu already healed me. I'm just a little sore." He reassured her, smiling, which she returned.
"So..." Yeonjun suddenly piped in, slotting himself in the middle of the two. "Cool outfit, by the way. And also your grand entrance earlier. Damn, I thought I was dreaming or something!" His outburst earned him several chuckles from his friends.
"Thanks..." The young woman replied shyly.
"I know, right? I really thought we were going to die out there." Soobin exclaimed as he easily joined in the conversation. "Looks like we'll always keep on thanking you for saving us. What would we do without you?"
The last part suddenly made her quiet, which was immediately noticed by the others. "Are you okay, Dawn? Did I say something bad?" The Archer fretted.
"No, it's not like that. It's just..." The Witch sighed before looking up at them. "Somewhere along the way here. I finally knew how I was mysteriously transported in this world." That earned her a bright smile, but she couldn't return it. "Turns out, it was my doing all along. My magic acted on my emotion. I wanted an escape, so my magic granted my wish."
"Wait, so you're saying your magic is the one that got you here!? You must be crazy powerful or something." Kai commented, making the other boys laugh at his awe.
"Yeah. It's also my way to get back home."
The sudden realization of their new friend leaving instantly made the atmosphere somber. "Can't you just stay with us?" The question made her look at the person who asked it. Seeing his melancholic eyes, she felt her heart squeeze in pain.
Can't she just stay?
『• • • ✎ • • •』
I'm sorry if you guys were expecting too much for an ending, but this is literally my first long fanfiction, so sorry for the disappointment 😞
My other story, a TXT Kang Taehyun fanfiction if you haven't seen it yet, was more like a one-shot story. But I find better than this 😅