"Hyung hyung!" Baekhyun's desperate cries echoed in his ears even as he was bent backwards and laid onto the altar, black ropes wrapped around his wrists and arms. "No please! Hyung!" His brother's cries were getting fainter now, someone dragging him away. Good. He thought. He did not want him to see this. His wrists were untied, pulled to either side of his head and strapped down onto the cold unforgiving stone. 

The priest stood over him, looking grief stricken as he drew the sacrificial knife from his belt. "Priest." He called softly, tensing slightly against his restraints. The holy man looked down at him, a tear slipping down his wizened face. "Will it hurt?" He asked, a trace of fear trickling into his voice. The priest gritted his teeth and bowed his head. "I will make it painless." He murmured, hand going to the boy's hair. "Will my brother be taken care off?" He pleaded, relaxing into the man's touch. "He will." The priest nodded sadly. 

"Get it over and done with old man!" The King roared and the priest curled his fingers tighter into the boy's hair, baring his slender throat. The people cried out in fury. "He's done nothing! Return our healer!" The king's greedy eyes trailed over the boy's pale body clothed only in a thin tunic and banged his fist down upon the arm of his throne. "Get it done!" The priest looked deeply into the boy's eyes as he sighed and his eyes fluttered shut. "Make it fast." He whispered. The man pressed a kiss to his hair and whispered. "May the gods welcome you into their midst Yixing. You are a good boy." 

Yixing's body tensed when the cold blade pressed against his throat but there was a uproar before the priest could cut down and he heard swords being drawn. "Release the boy." A cal