“I swear. I’m not crazy. It just happened as soon as the three of you left me. Water, I saw water splurging out of my bare hands!” Those sentences escaped from the lips owned by the panicky stricken of the dark silver haired Seonghwa gate keeper. His eyes widened its size while his hands shook unbelievably as he attempted to explain his discovery. He wished he could do it again to prove them right instead of having their wary eyes on him.

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence.” Changsub told Minhyuk. There was a trace of hesitant in his words because he was not the kind to believe things easily. As the fellow was relatively close to him unlike any other palace workers back in Navillera, he decided to give Minhyuk’s statement the benefit of doubt.

The conversation was held in their room after they came back from their trip at the forest and had their dinner. The prince was about to head out of his room when he heard the male calling his name and began to spill out a sudden confession of having dual element much like the Crown Princess of Iseung. Ruffling his hair at the news gained from the lad, he paced in the room to and fro.

“Hyunsik, we need to tell Hyunsik about this. And I have a good feeling he knows this day is coming.” Changsub walked towards the door once he spoke but apparently the mentioned prince seemed to overhear the talk, seeing that his figure was behind the door he just opened.

The face put up by the two princes of different lands were nothing but full of seriousness. So it was not a surprise for the single gate keeper to fidget on his spot on the end of his cot while they discussed something over by the window. There were creases forming on their foreheads, constant nod and shaking of heads from time to time. Minhyuk lowered his gaze from the two figures, feeling out of place.

“Minhyuk,” Hyunsik called lightly and gained his full attention within seconds. Glancing at Changsub, he gestured the brown haired prince to do the talking, continuing the discussion which included Minhyuk. “Do you know how prophecy works?”

Minhyuk’s eyes squinted as he obviously understood how prophecy worked. He had always seen them words written from the past, predicting the future of some sort. He also knew about the Navillera’s prophecy too thanks to Sungjae rambling about it in fascination after the jousting event occurred. That aside, his answer to the question was a nod.

“So, we think it’s the best for you to know about Hyunsik’s study on these writings too. Tell me what you can conclude upon first glance.” He was offered a stanza of ancient words verbally since Hyunsik did not bring along his journal. He did not expect the conversation to happen.

Fear not the unforeseen welcoming

They are the people you are seeking

Searching beyond the crystal blue for its wonder

Unveiling sparkles of ash which makes one ponder

Knit its power together underneath the teak

Thus hope appears once moon at its peak

“Are you saying that we’re involved in this prophecy? But we’re no one but voyagers on this land.” Minhyuk said after much thoughts and heard Changsub sighed. “Honestly, I didn’t believe it at first. But look at the connection. This is the very reason why I sneak out of the room in the mornings.”

“And discussed it without me.” Minhyuk added instantly. He felt slightly neglected once again nonetheless, he somewhat realised the reasoning. He would not understand the discussion anyway. He was not born fortunate to learn a lot of things other than keeping the palace ground safe from intruders coming from the main gate.

The bedroom was filled with silence as the white noise getting on their sides for the next five minutes and Changsub gazed at Hyunsik who apparently remained quiet. The only thing he said while being in the room was calling Minhyuk’s name and the prophecy. The quietness was a result of being on his train of thoughts. Lines connecting the dots in his mind because from the last time he skimmed through the words, it was the fourth line he puzzled of.

Prince Hyunsik’s eyes tore away from the starry night sky and made its way to a mirror stuck on the wall in front him. The line banged on his consciousness as if trying to tell him something he managed to slip off from his grasp. The gaze then immediately landed on Minhyuk’s wondering eyes, only then his small eyes opened wider and looked back at the mirror once again.

“Sparkles of ash.” He whispered which made the two males to focus their attention on him. Hyunsik repeated the three words again as Prince Changsub brows furrowed, almost connecting in confusion. “Why are you repeating those words?”

However, Hyunsik opted to keep it to himself when he suddenly stood up from his seat and shifted into his butterfly form before flying out through the window, leaving a trail of light silver dust-like sparkle behind him. Changsub followed the fellow prince’s direction and saw he never actually left them just yet. He signalled for Minhyuk to see him floating right outside their window. Flying back into the room, the prince returned back to his human form.

A bright knowing smile occupying his face once he stood still on his new spot, opposite the mirror where it reflected his figure with the help of the light shining in the room. Hyunsik spun on his heels and tugged confused looking Minhyuk off the bed before instructing him to shift into his butterfly form as well.

At first he did not understand why the instruction was randomly given. It had been a while since the last time he shifted into that insect form too yet Hyunsik seemed to have his way with words in assuring him. Thus, there he was following his words and Hyunsik told Changsub to observe it closely before he too changed back into flying mode.

Changsub shook his head, trying to decipher what was going on in front of his eyes with two pair of silver wings floating and appearing to chase one another. It was when Hyunsik’s lighter shade of silver wings came nearer to his sight with Minhyuk trailing behind he realised the message.

Waking up with screams entering their ears were not something they ever anticipated in their whole life. Springing up from his lying position instantly, Changsub jumped off the bed only to open the door of the room to see people walking around in fast pace. Some chose to fly to the desired location. Rubbing his eyes at the scene, he walked back inside to wake Minhyuk up from his deep sleep. After the discovery from yesterday’s episode, the fellow energy drain by lots and same applied with the Iseung prince.

“What is going on?” Changsub asked a familiar looking palace servant walking by. Bomi craned her head back to see the prince staring at her, waiting for an answer before she sheepishly smiled. “It’s the Moonlight Dance Festival day.”

“Is screaming really necessary?” It was Minhyuk who questioned it with semi-closed eyes, still drowsy from being waken all of the sudden. The girl shrugged her shoulders and gestured at the box in her hands where the utensils taken from storage area. “We’re very sorry for the noise but everyone always this energetic when the festival day arrives.” She bowed after apologising and went off.

“Well, we don’t see that every day.” Minhyuk admitted with a chuckle and saw Changsub nodding, smiling. The light feeling evaporated in a blink of the eye though when they saw Hyunsik among the crowd, running towards their direction. Stopping right in front of the two Seonghwa, the Iseung prince panted before regaining the energy to deliver the news.

“She usually wakes up upon first shake. Why among all day, it has to be today? Can it be any other day?” Hyunsik told orderly yet in reality he was anxious when he discovered the Crown Princess being to act according what they assumed would be the so-called prophecy.

“Shouldn’t you expect all things to fall today? You said yourself, the day when the moon at its highest peak is today, during the Moonlight Dance Festival.” Changsub hastily voiced as the three of them made their way out of the palace ground without gaining any suspicious glare from the people surrounding them. Hyunsik had to make a white lie to the King and Queen before leaving about Chorong too so he could not help but to feel antsy about the situation he was in.

“I do expect it but theory is just a theory. What are we going to do now? People will talk if the Crown Princess is not at the event to do the opening ceremony and first dance.” The dark silver haired prince told them as he looked back while talking to make sure no one heard of the exchange.

“If I know any better, we have to find a cure to make the princess regain her consciousness. Usually that’s what people do when someone is sick, am I right?” Minhyuk said his opinion as his figure walked in the middle of the line they formed while their feet brought them to the village centre, unknowingly. “A cure. That makes sense but where and how?” Hyunsik messed up his own hair in annoyance. His wise self was not working with him which was very inconvenient.

“It is stated in the prophecy. We need to find the teak tree. Maybe we’ll find the actual answer there.” Changsub threw in his assumption into the conversation and Hyunsik groaned. He stopped walking which was easily copied by the other two. He rolled his eyes before massaging his temple. “Teak trees are everywhere on the land, Changsub. We can't just find it just like that.”

“Then, we should start looking instead of standing in this bustling village centre. People are eyeing on us very weirdly.” The Seonghwa prince mentioned cleverly and walked pass the Iseung prince before breaking into a run, shifting into his dark brown with a hint of orange pair of wings. Minhyuk patted Hyunsik on his back, giving him an assuring bob of the head and followed Changsub’s action seconds later.

The three of them ventured out through the less dense part of the forest. Their first destination was the river they visited the day before. There, they went back on their two feet to catch their breaths. Releasing a long exhale, Minhyuk found the ground a lot more comfortable than standing which he sprawled on with no second to delay.

“I hate how we literally have no plans for this.” Hyunsik admitted in between his pants before situated himself at the tree stump Chorong made yesterday. Glancing from Minhyuk to Changsub, he saw the prince’s gaze stuck on the stream. He was about to call out for the fellow but the male conveniently turned his body.

“Has anyone on the island ever go up there before?” Changsub mentioned before pointing upwards where he assumed the water source would be. Hyunsik put on his thoughtful expression, lips pursed to further visualise an accurate answer. Shaking his head, his shoulders slumped once he realised the indirectly made plan. “We’re not going up there, are we? Look at Minhyuk.”

“If the prophecy turns to be real, we need to reach the peak of the mountain before the festival starts.” The one with brown locks on the head voiced the strategy at last before seeing Minhyuk lifted his body off the ground. He swept pieces of leaves which managed to hang on his clothes and looked at the two princes. “We don’t have a lot of time before that happens so let’s get moving.” He suddenly took charge and walked.

“Wait, we’re walking?” Hyunsik’s eyes widened, exchanging his view from the walking-away Lee Minhyuk to the other Lee in the group. “I know. It’s not the best since we can always fly but news flash, walking takes less energy than flying. Let’s get going.” Changsub noted knowingly and shouted for the oldest male’s name before jogged towards him.

The soft gush of water running down the hill entranced the mind of the one who recently claimed to possess dual elements. He was smiling as his legs moved along the stream with the two princes trailing by his sides, eyes wandering around their surroundings since they needed to take note for any strange things that might lurking with them. Taking breaks from time to time was also included in the expedition.