chapter ten : The prophecy unveiled

                                    

                                          

The air in the royal archives was thick with dust and mystery, as if the ancient scrolls and tomes held their breath, waiting for this very moment. Jungkook and Taehyung stood at the entrance, their footsteps hesitant. It wasn't often that they found themselves in the deepest corners of the castle's secrets, but something had drawn them here.
"The prophecy..." Jungkook murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "It has to be here."
Taehyung glanced at him, sensing the weight that rested on the king's shoulders. The search for the second half of the Avatar Stone had grown more urgent in recent days. The castle was buzzing with rumors of unrest in the kingdom, whispers that a great storm was coming—both literal and metaphorical.
Jungkook reached for one of the shelves, his fingers brushing over the faded spines of ancient texts. His hand paused on a particularly worn-out scroll, its edges frayed with age. He pulled it out carefully and unrolled it on the nearby table.
Taehyung leaned in, his eyes scanning the delicate script. It was written in an old dialect, one he barely recognized, but the images painted in ink were clear: two figures, each with a glowing stone at the center of their chests, standing before a swirling vortex of elemental forces.
"The Avatar Stone," Jungkook said, pointing to the glowing stones on the figures. "It's real."
Taehyung's gaze flickered over the scroll. "What does the rest of it say?"
Jungkook frowned as he struggled to translate the old language. "It talks about a great trial—something that will test the bearers of the stones. The two halves are powerful alone, but when united, they are unstoppable." He paused, his brow furrowing. "But it warns of darkness... a force that will seek to destroy the bond before it can be fully formed."
Taehyung felt a chill run down his spine. "What kind of force?"
Jungkook's expression darkened. "It doesn't say. Only that it will come from within."
The words hung in the air between them, heavy with implication. Taehyung's heart pounded as he tried to process the meaning. "From within... does that mean one of us?"
Jungkook shook his head. "I don't know. But whatever it is, we have to be ready."
Taehyung's mind raced. The bond between them—their connection through the Avatar Stone—was powerful, but it wasn't invincible. If something, or someone, was coming to test it, they needed to be prepared.
"There's more," Jungkook continued, his eyes scanning the rest of the scroll. "The two bearers must face the trials together. If they falter, the power will be lost, and the kingdom will fall into chaos."
Taehyung swallowed hard. "So it's not just about finding the second half. We have to... prove ourselves worthy of it."
Jungkook nodded, his jaw clenched. "Exactly."
The weight of the prophecy pressed down on them both. It was one thing to have the power of the Avatar Stone, but now, the stakes were higher than they'd imagined. Their bond wasn't just a key to their powers—it was the key to the future of the entire kingdom.
As the realization sank in, Taehyung felt a surge of determination. He had come this far, and despite the challenges they had faced, he wasn't about to back down. Not now.
"We'll face it," Taehyung said firmly. "Whatever the trials are, we'll face them together."
Jungkook looked at him, his expression softening. "Together."
For a moment, the gravity of the situation faded, replaced by the quiet understanding between them. They had already overcome so much—trust, doubt, fear. Whatever trials lay ahead, they would face them with the same strength they had found in each other.
As they left the archives, the sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the castle. But there was a new tension in the air, a sense that the storm they had feared was drawing closer.
And deep within the heart of the kingdom, something stirred—a force that had waited centuries for this moment.
The prophecy had been set in motion, and soon, Jungkook and Taehyung would find out just how far they were willing to go to protect their bond, their kingdom, and each other.