Donghae agreed to help. Not because he’d decided to forgive. Not because he’d chosen love over revenge. No.

Because he couldn’t decide.

If he left Eunhyuk to die, one option would forever be closed. If he helped Eunhyuk live, Donghae could still kill the other in the future… if in the end revenge triumphed. Donghae wanted to keep his options open.

Once upon a time, innocence shone in his heart… Once upon a time…

Kyuhyun could tell something’s odd with Donghae. Yet he couldn’t ask for more. Time was running out… fast…

Jipiek nyzelik qie visqzy bliqsk srorak

Sirek. It took years for someone gifted to master.

With the demon’s eagerness to unlash all magic potential in Donghae, it took only two days.

Looking down at Eunhyuk lying in his bed, helpless and weak, struggling to cling to life in the thick mist of poison, for the first time in his life, Donghae felt at an absolute supremacy. He’s someone with power, authority, high up on the throne overseeing everything, everyone. It felt great. It roared in his chest. Donghae breathed in, closed his eyes to make sure he’d remember this moment.

When Donghae opened his eyes again, they were met by those of Eunhyuk. Abruptly, Donghae’s breathing halted in the middle. Something took his breath away…

Firstly it was… Eunhyuk’s… striking beauty. The closeness to death couldn’t do the tiniest to shroud it. Rather, the vulnerability fueled its brightness. Yes Eunhyuk’s complexion was pale. But it only made him look painfully like a marble sculpture, perfect to the point it’s confusing to tell whether he’s real. There had to be a great sculptor who carved such a perfect face at the first place. His skin’s white, dreamily, deludingly transparent it seemed one could glimpse the flame of life inside. Every time the flame wavered, it plucked the chords in one’s heart so hard it ached and wept, twinging to keep the flame going.

The second thing was this annoying, tingling feeling under his skin Donghae couldn’t ignore. There’s something with Eunhyuk… which was out of place… which made Donghae shiver…

There’s something…

Donghae frowned. What? Why?

……

The calm.

The calm radiating from inside Eunhyuk made Donghae feel small. Annoyed, Donghae pressed his lips together. In front of someone who could take his life, in front of death, Eunhyuk was not a bit shaken. Instead Eunhyuk’s demeanor displayed no fear… but readiness to embrace whatever outcome. It annoyed Donghae.

At that instant a flashback hit him. That kind of calm was not alien to Donghae. During his very first encounter with Eunhyuk; when Eunhyuk pushed for the origin of Donghae’s magic; when Donghae thought Eunhyuk was about to finish him, Donghae calmly closed his eyes, ready to embrace his fate.

It’s still vivid in Donghae’s memory, what Eunhyuk’s eyes were like during that encounter. There were frenzy waves in those eyes, raging, eager to engulf anything.

It annoyed Donghae. Since when did he lose the calm? And since when did Eunhyuk acquire it? Did Donghae lose it to Eunhyuk? Or did Eunhyuk take it from Donghae? While he’s struggling to comprehend, he heard his own labored breathing. The rhythm’s jarred. He’s clenching his fists. Furious waves were starting to build up inside him. Since when did those capture him?

What’s going on exactly?

……

“Are you not afraid?” Donghae demanded.

That soft gaze of Eunhyuk, added to that subtle smile lingering at the corners of his mouth, painted the answer already. Slowly, Eunhyuk shifted his gaze away from Donghae… to the ceiling, as if he’s talking to himself. “Donghae… I’ve dedicated my whole life to avoid this day. I’ve sinned in every way, betrayed in every way, conspired in every way, killed everybody along the way… to make sure I won’t get killed.”

“In my eyes, everyone’s plotting to kill me. I trusted no one. Yet I blamed no one either. Like me, they’re merely trying to survive. If they’re evil, I outperformed them. I outperformed my cousins, my siblings…”

Since no idea when, Eunhyuk’s smile had faded into bitterness. “And my best achievement… was beating my own twin… Lee Hyukjae…” Tears glistened in Eunhyuk’s eyes. “Hyukjae… he's always stronger, always better… always a threat… He would have been perfect, unbeatable… if he didn’t trust me…” Eunhyuk paused… and bit his lip.

……

“… Donghae… I killed him. I… I… With my own hands… I killed Hyukjae. I thought… then… the nightmare would be over…” Eunhyuk took a deep breath, to ease the pain at the back of his throat.

Gently Eunhyuk shook his head before continuing. “But no. If anything, the nightmare only grew more haunting. I can’t help shaking every time I recall Hyukjae. When he died, the shock, hurt, anger, grudge… in his eyes… I see them every single night. Vividly. Even now, I remember how his blood on my hands felt like…”

At this moment, Eunhyuk turned his head to look at Donghae. “You must think I’m evil right?”

Eyes on Eunhyuk, Donghae was speechless, given such a question at such a moment. Evil… It just didn’t go with the image in front of him now…

For a long while, their gaze was fixed on each other…

“Come closer.” All of a sudden Eunhyuk whispered. And Donghae was surprised to find himself lean down next to Eunhyuk naturally.

Slowly… tenderly… Eunhyuk traced Donghae’s face contour with his fingers. They still possessed the power to make Donghae shiver. The touch of His Majesty still sent sparks flying in his body. Donghae had to summon all his willpower to fight the urge, which was tempting him to close his eyes and recollect moments when the two of them got a little too intimate…

“When we met, Donghae, I knew somehow karma had delivered you here. One part of me pressed me to kill you. Another part warned me against it. When you were near, the nightmare loosened its grip on me… Finally… Finally… there’s light leading the way out of the nightmare… Finally…” Eyes of Eunhyuk followed his fingers, which were lingering around Donghae’s lips. They kept reminding Donghae how it felt when His Majesty’s lips brushed against his.

Donghae never imagined this could happen… neither did Eunhyuk. Donghae’s thirst got the better of him. For the first time ever, Donghae took the move… tentatively… greeted His Majesty’s lips with his own. Those lips were as soft as ever, yet cold. Nevertheless they injected thrills into Donghae, causing his heart to race, his blood to boil, his nerves to jolt.

Totally out of the blue, the two of them shared a long, soft, wet, breath-taking kiss.

Donghae’s thirst was far from satisfied… when he sensed that Eunhyuk was pushing him away. For a moment, it crossed Donghae’s mind that he’s so going to save Eunhyuk… just so the two of them could continue the kiss…

Reluctantly, Donghae pulled away. He saw that Eunhyuk was smiling. That smile was… simply stunning. Sigh! Guess Eunhyuk just couldn’t help it. Mingled in the smile were traces of arrogance. You can’t resist right?

“You’re a death trap specifically designed for me. You’re a forbidden fruit specifically made to tempt me.” When these words were imprinted on Donghae’s mind, together with Eunhyuk’s stare, Donghae was as a loss.

And then focus of Eunhyuk’s eyes shifted. He’s no longer looking at Donghae… but somewhere far… somewhere unreachable. Bitterness soaked his voice. “I could choose to live in the grips of the nightmare… or to die. Only until I rubbed elbows with death this time did it dawn on me, what choice I should make. I’ve spent my whole life trying to avoid death, never have I really lived. Maybe this is how Hyukjae wants me to pay my debt… to live his life… to walk in his footsteps… and be betrayed...”

“Donghae…” Something had changed in His Majesty’s tone. Reflexively Donghae’s body tensed. It didn’t help when the next instant Eunhyuk fixed his eyes back on Donghae. “You will betray me.”

It muted all other sounds in the world. “You will betray me Donghae.”

……

During the whole time, Kyuhyun was in the very same chamber, silently listening in a corner. Upon hearing this he stood up, walked over to His Majesty’s bed and bowed. “Your Majesty, it’s about time. I need to have a word with Donghae.”

Eunhyuk looked at Kyuhyun, smiled a knowing smile and nodded. Nothing could escape His Majesty’s eyes. Eunhyuk knew what Kyuhyun wanted to tell Donghae.

Nevertheless Kyuhyun dragged Donghae all the way out of the chamber. Before he spoke, his glare made it very clear. I’m watching you Donghae. If you dare to lay a finger on His Majesty I’ll kill you!

Through clenched teeth Kyuhyun hissed. “His Majesty didn’t do anything! If you think you have the right to avenge your family on His Majesty, get your brain to know that you and your family owe me the bloody debt! You should know when you’re casting Sirek there’s hardly anything else you can do. Attempt nothing or I will bleed your blood dry and I mean it!”

Donghae tightened his jaw and returned Kyuhyun’s glare. He tried to maintain a defiant composure. Yet deep down in his heart Donghae knew it. His own Kingdom did engulf Kingdom Smyrna. And the same was done to them by Kingdom Omega. Who’s right? And who’s wrong?

“I’ve already agreed to help. I’ll stick to my words.” Donghae said. His reply was sincere. He really thought so at that moment.

……

When someone was poisoned, theoretically alchemists could always cure by cleansing the victim’s body thoroughly. In reality it’s a race against time. Either the poison claimed one’s life sooner, or the alchemist killed the poison sooner.

Deadly poison killed deadly fast.

Kyuhyun had done everything to slow down the pace of the poison. However to really save His Majesty, the poison needed to be completely eradicated.

And there’s one more complication when a magician was poisoned. Magic inside the magician would counter and reject the intruding alchemistic spell. Same would happen to Donghae’s foreign magic. Therefore both Kyuhyun and Donghae alone couldn’t help. The most efficient way was to use magic belonging to the same stream. Ironically if that person, Lee Hyukjae, was still alive, he could save Eunhyuk in an instant.

The only way to suppress magic in His Majesty’s body was… the dangerous Sirek. While Donghae was casting Sirek on His Majesty, Kyuhyun could use his alchemistic power to disintegrate the poison in Eunhyuk’s body.

Yet, Sirek would render Eunhyuk powerless…

……

Well… Things didn’t go according to plan. Later that evening, all three of them shed tears. At that fateful moment, tiles in the royal chamber gleamed blood…

----------------------------

A/N: Hello all, thanks for reading! *bows* One thing I want to say. I want to assure you that even though I'm on hiatus, even though it's taking long (sigh! really sorry!), I will NEVER abandon my fics! I will update until the end! They all are my babies I will NEVER abandon them!! *determined look*

A/N2: On the other hand, I do understand how it feels when a fic you're following is not getting updated regularly... Sigh...