-Shinhye’s POV-

This is a sick joke!

After all that has happened, after all our efforts to wipe out the purists, we still had to go through the loss of Sehun’s parents. What was next? I hated the Guardians for doing this to us…to Sehun. We leave for a couple of minutes and something so tragic unfolds. It is true what they say. Happiness is fleeting, but misery is always lasting. Why couldn’t it be the other way around? I am happy as long as I was with the nobles, knowing that together, we can make the impossible attainable, but with matters like this happening, I don’t think our situation could get any worse than it was. Everything’s turning into a nightmare.

I thought I finally found happiness when Taemin told me what he knew about the incident in Hwajae, that I wasn’t or anything. It was fine by me to have been able to take the physical abuse that had been inflicted on me from day one in Elyxo. I may be able to take being apart from my little sister for this long and bear with the pain she also carried, I could take that and more, but losing harabeoji and Sehun’s parents was another story. It was beating me from the inside and I could feel everything falling apart.

I walked around the vicinity of the palace, trying to inspect the extent of the damages made. I was able to restore the fallen gables piece by piece using my abilities and I’ve also tried to figure out what those burnt matters that were left were. I didn’t have any difficulty distinguishing the gift I’ve made for the empress. It brought tears to my eyes when I remembered how gracious she was when receiving it. She even told me then that she wanted to keep it in their bedroom chamber. I restored it to how it was before with just a little cleaning. Now, I was busying myself with how I would rebuild the castle. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I think I could manage with the help of the others.

It was how I kept myself busy for the past two days. While everything lay in ruins, I tried to fix them so I could take my mind off Sehun. He was in pain and beyond that. He was inconsolable at the moment and after the burial ceremony of his parents the previous afternoon, he locked himself inside one of the rooms that weren’t burned. He had never emerged from it once. I was worried to death hearing him talking to his parents though they couldn’t hear him. The previous night, I knew he’d been thrashing the room. I could hear all the loud sounds of wood breaking and things being thrown against the wall. He hasn’t been eating since the incident and I could only hold onto Suho oppa’s words. I pulled him from death, but I never eased the pain that came with living.

“How are you holding up?” that familiar deep voice said to me from behind.

I whirled around and faced Chan Yeol, looking haggard as well. We were all sleepless, trying to tend to matters and keep things going the way they should. The emperor’s brother, a good trustworthy man that cared very much for Sehun and the nobles, took over the governance for the time being until Sehun is in the right condition to decide. He took that off our hands and now, our only problem was to fix matters emotionally and tend to the castle. A lot of people from the village came to help, showing their respect for their late leaders.

“I’m fine,” I told him with a half smile. “How are you and the guys?” I reached over and touch the ring under his eye. “You look tired.”

“So do you.” He ruffled my hair. “Take it easy, alright?”

I looked down, pain surging into my chest area. “This…this is the least thing I could do to help Sehun. He’s been through too much having to watch his home destroyed and…his parents…” I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. “I can’t even comfort him when –” I cut myself short, breaking down once more in front of Chan Yeol. My hand flew on my mouth as I tried to suppress the sobs.

Just when I thought I’d fall, Chan Yeol held me close. “We all feel the pain, but you have to be strong for yourself and Sehun. It’s difficult, but we can all try, right?”

I nodded against him. “I’m sorry.” I wiped my tears again. “It just hurts too much watching you all like this.”

“We’re fine. Don’t worry about us. We’re here to help in the best way we can. Sehun will come around. Don’t worry too much, alright?”

“Thanks,” I said to him.

He gave me a light squeeze on the hand and shoved me playfully. “Why don’t you check on him?” he suggested.

I smiled, feeling a spark of hope in me. “I will do that.” I stepped back and turned around. “Thanks, Chan Yeol. You’re the best!”

I ran towards the palace and carefully stepped onto the stairs that led to the west wing which wasn’t affected at all. It was burnt in some areas as well, but it was sturdy enough to withstand the fire. I walked towards the corridor, feeling my heart racing as I neared the door to the room where Sehun locked himself in and finally, grabbed the knob. I tried to twist it quietly, expecting it to be locked, but then, it opened. I pushed the door in, half expecting it to be drenched in darkness, but it was bright. Everything was in order, but Sehun was nowhere.

“Sehun?” I called softly, not wanting to startle him or anything.

“Who’s there?” he demanded, the sound coming from the right side of the room where the fireplace was.

I looked to that direction and noticed a high-backed chair near it. I was honestly startled, but kept my mouth shut about it. “I-it’s me,” I answered.

“Oh…”He tutted. “Another one of the people of who will leave me.”

I swallowed hard, his words sinking in hard into me. I let it slide though. I didn’t want to cause further aggravation for him. “How are you?” I asked.

He chuckled bitterly. “You have to ask?” His tone dripped with sarcasm.

Okay. I was expecting him to be passive, but I was definitely not in for the hostility. “Sehun, no one meant for this to happen. I know how you feel, but –”

He stood up and kicked the footstool against the grills on the fireplace, cutting my statement short. He stood up and looked at me with bloodshot eyes. “Do you really?” He took a step forward.

I flinched inwardly, but maintained my ground, watching as he leaned on the backrest of the chair he vacated. It wasn’t the time for us to fight. I wasn’t going to let that happen.

“You’re leaving, too, aren’t you?” He smirked. “All according to your plans which do not include me.”

It had changed and I wasn’t even able to tell him about it.

“Now tell me that you know how it feels!” he shouted.

“Is that really what you think?”

“Umm and appa promised to be there for me no matter what, but they left me. Why couldn’t I have died with them when this is what I have to face?”

I shook my head. “Don’t think that way, Sehun-ah,” I pled.

He sneered again. “Really, Shinhye? And how should I think? I’m going to have to go through something this painful once you leave me. How many times should I go through this? Tell me!”

I didn’t speak. He wasn’t the only one who felt the loss, although I would admit that it probably hurts more to be in his position. Still, we all knew how it felt. I’ve lost harabeoji just as much as Suho oppa did and the demise of his parents wasn’t a different matter at all. I’ve lost my father, too. My sister and I had been gone from each other’s side for too long and I somehow lost her to this world as well, but I don’t blame anyone. I don’t understand why he had to bring it up like that even if I wasn’t leaving anymore.

“You can’t, because you don’t!” He stepped closer to me. “Like my parents, you are going to leave me as well because you don’t know how it feels to be alone. You don’t know the feeling of losing and even if you did, you’d still choose to –”

That did it. I lifted my hand, the last thing I wanted to do, and struck him soundly across his cheek. I eyed him indignantly. “I lost my dad, too, my friends and the world I’ve known when I came here to Elyxo. I lost my home, Jinhae! I lost my dreams no matter how mundane they were when I got here, the trust that I once had on the things around me and even to myself. I lost you all when I was in Hwajae.” I jabbed a finger at him. “Don’t go telling me that I do not know that because I felt it over and over again, Oh Sehun!” I told him, matching his tone and resentment. “You might have lost your parents and lost some more, but I had to go through it over and over again, so don’t act as if you’re the only one!” He just makes me so angry.

Sehun looked at me in shock, unable to move. I saw remorse washing over him as his eyes lingered on me.

I calmed down. “You’re not the only one who lost the emperor and the empress. If anything, we should be helping each other get over the loss and rebuild the castle together. I’m sorry for all of this. I didn’t mean to shout at you, but you’re just pushing it. The wounds are fresh and painful. I know that, but you don’t have to shun everyone who’s trying to reach out to you. We only mean well for you.” I sighed and turned away, wiping my tears. I can’t believe this was how it turned out.

I was about to go out when he took another step towards me. I paused momentarily when he did, willing to accept his apology if ever, but wordlessly, his hands s around my waist, hugging me from behind. He held on tightly to me, burying his face on the crook of my neck.

“I’m sorry…” he murmured against my neck. “I’m deeply sorry for having to say that to you. Please forgive me.”

I raised my hand and touched the side of his face. “I’m not angry.”

“You should be.”

I unclasped his hands on me so I could turn around, but he held on tightly.

“Don’t leave me,” he said frantically, sounding distressed.

I fought the laughter that bubbled from my throat. “I’m not going anywhere,” I assured him and tried to face him even as he squeezed me too tightly against him. “Sehun, I can’t breathe.”

“Oh.”

He released me, but I held onto him, slinging my arms around his nape, standing on my toes so I could reach his lips. I’ve missed him. He immediately met me halfway as he firmly wound his arm around the small of my back, planting a brief kiss on my lips. He pulled back, his brows knitting together.

“You mean that?” he asked.

I nodded. “I understand perfectly. No need to apologize.”

He kissed me again and hugged me tightly. “It just hurts too much…” He shook as he cried silently on my shoulder. It tugged at me, having to watch him like that when he tried to be strong for the both of us all the time.

I led us both to the divan by the window. It was nearly nightfall and until then, he still didn’t have anything to eat. I held him close to me, soothing his back as we sat down. We stayed the way we were until he fell asleep on me. I leaned against the arm rest of the divan, staring at the ceiling, thinking of things.

Though he was heavily weighing on me, I just embraced him to me, not minding it. If it was his way to find peace of mind then it was fine by me. He should get rest, I never want to see those dark rings under his eyes again. He accused me of leaving him. If only he knew, but this wasn’t the right time to tell him. He might think I did it out of pity. I would never do that. I didn’t know exactly how he felt at the moment, but I was afraid to read through him, scared of what I might find. All that mattered was that I’ll always be by his side and I could never leave even if I wanted to.

-D.O.’s POV-

After Sehun came around, we’ve all decided to go to Genro, my home.

I breathed in the air, feeling my lungs expand in euphoria. It had been a while since I’ve last come to Guhwana where my family lived and the last time had been spent writhing in pain as I tried to retrieve the ring. Its overwhelming strength got me overwhelmed, but the worse was over. We were safe in Genro and opposite to what the other nobles thought, it wasn’t such a dangerous place anymore. I opened my eyes, filling my sense with the familiarity that surrounded me, the scent of pine which was native to Genro. Though the sun shone brightly in the sky, the shadow of the river still loomed, making the whole surroundings gloomy. It was just too bad that we had to reside on the darker half o