[Ren’s PoV]

“Guys, I was right,” I stated, stumbling out of the room on numb legs after hours of talking to the guilt ridden male who was willowing in sadness in the room.

“About what?” called Baekho, following me up the stairs as I moved to go check on JR, since the twins hadn’t reported to any of the three of us in the past few hours.

“He is Jonghyun’s brother,” I stated smiling, “Also, I’ve discovered that he knows where both the book of Earth and Water is, he told me that he had yet to give it to their uncle…that he hid it away from the man.”

“So, even if…if…” whispered Mi Young.

I nodded solemnly, continuing her sentence, “So, even if Jonghyun passes away…there is still hope.”

She looked at me sadly, right away noticing the tears in my eyes as I moved up the stairs at a faster pace, wanting to get beside JR as soon as I possibly could. I had felt more comfortable being at his side, I felt more hope that way – I felt as though it would be more likely that he’d survive if I was by his side for some reason.

“Are you sure you can trust him?” questioned Baekho, raising an eyebrow.

I shrugged, “We have to give him a shot though…I mean, I’m pretty sure we can trust him…he really does look like he is getting eaten up with guilt.”

“He could be a good actor,” stated Baekho.

My eyes narrowed, “I feel as though even the best actors could not look that apologetic.”

Baekho paused to think of it, nodding in understanding, “I hope you are right.”

“What do you want us to do then?” questioned Mi Young.

“The only thing we can do, let him out of the room…” I whispered, “If he comes straight to where I am with JR, we know he’s truly guilty.”

“Or trying to kill JR again,” responded Baekho, earning a glare from me as I raised my hand to hit him.

He flinched away, “Alright, alright, I’ll trust you on this one, your highness.”

I smirked, moving forward. Upon seeing me, the twins moved from where they were sitting beside Jonghyun’s bed. I quickly sat on the edge of his bed though, taking his pale and cold hand in both of my own, my eyes glued to his pale, sweat covered face. The muscles in his face looked relaxed, he looked as though he was very, very peaceful.

I blinked back my tears as I felt the bond growing weaker and croaked out, “Release Minhyun now.”

The duo nodded, moving down the stairs cautiously – closely followed by the twins who were confused about what I was saying about releasing the man who had poisoned the man I did in fact love. I felt my heart pound in my chest, harshly beating against my ribs as I thought of losing him. I closed my eyes tightly and let one of my tears fall, not caring as it rolled down my cheek before falling from my chin, landing on the barely elder male’s palm.

I felt myself trembling as I peered at his limp body in sorrow, praying for his awakening.

“C-can I come in?” questioned a nervous Minhyun.

I looked up and quickly wiped away my tears as I peered at him, not wanting to make him any guiltier than he already was, “Y-yeah.”

“He’s faded a bit…” whispered Minhyun, plopping down in the chair beside the bed, staring at the limp form of his sickly older brother – well, the male who had been ill when he was a baby and was still relatively ill.

“H-he has,” I whispered nervously, “but it’s not your fault.”

“You may think that, but your friends do and I do as well…” whispered Minhyun, “I know I poisoned him and that his being in this condition is not anyone else’s fault but my own.”

I nodded before whispering, “There are shadows around you, do you know that?”

He looked up at me in shock, but nodded, “I know they are there, but I didn’t know that you could sense that they were there as well.”

I hummed, “I don’t see them, I can just sense the darkness around you…I-I don’t even know how, since I’m currently powerless at this point in time.”

Minhyun hummed and whispered, “They are connected to the seed that was planted within me.”

“What seed?”

“The shadow’s seed, once it’s there  it is there,” muttered Minhyun, “There is no way to get rid of it…it’s an effect of the tear – or so my uncle said…but how many trustworthy things have happened with him involved?”  

I hummed, resting my head against Jonghyun’s hand, pouting slightly, “Yeah…I’m sure that there is a way to cleanse you though, some way to mentally cleanse yourself of the shadows.”

Minhyun hummed, sighing a little, “I hope that there is…”

“I’m sure that there is,” I responded, smiling encouragingly at him.

He smiled back at me with a hesitant but honest smile before the both of us fell into silence.

Hours later, Minhyun and I sat on the floor of the room talking casually, trying hard to think of a way to remove the darkness’ grasp on Minhyun, we were trying hard to come up with something – however, any idea Minhyun got would be wiped away. We expected the culprit of the sudden loses of ideas was the shadow, trying hard to keep its grip on the male – his uncle trying hard to keep him as his puppet. However, we were both brought away from our little experiments by the pain filled groan that reverberated through the room.

I felt a shiver run up my spine as I turned to look at the bed in excitement to see JR shifting on the bed, looking as though he was trying hard to wake up, but his body would not permit him to do so.

“Do you think he’s getting better?” questioned Minhyun, his voice low and worried.

I smiled at him happily and nodded, “The bond is surprisingly growing stronger.”

“He’s a lot stronger than uncle believed him to be,” muttered Minhyun smiling faintly, before sighing, “He’s a lot stronger than I’ll ever be.”

“Don’t think like that,” I stated.

“Why?” questioned Minhyun, looking at me doubtfully.

“If you think like that, it’ll become true,” I responded a smile on my lips as I peered at him happily.

He smiled faintly, “I hope you aren’t right.”

I smiled, “Or you could start thinking more positively.”

He shrugged, “I deserve to be weak, to die…for all the wrong I’ve done without questioning it…”

I raised an eyebrow and whispered, “Well, if you plan to die sometime soon, wait until after Jonghyun wakes up, because surely he’ll want to see you.”

Minhyun hummed.

Hours had passed before we heard a groan escape from Jonghyun’s lips, his eyebrows furrowed and his nose scrunched up as his eyes flickered open, slowly glancing around the room. I automatically turned my attention away from MinHyun, who was meditating in hopes of getting rid of the seed of darkness, however as soon as he heard his brother’s voice, he perked up and looked towards the bed in fear.

“Minki…” whispered Jonghyun, his voice barely audible as he reached out for me, happily taking my hand upon my being at his side. He hardly squeezed my hand as he fought to bring it to his lips, kissing the back of it, “I’m sorry for failing.”

“You didn’t fail because I am well,” I whispered, caressing his sweat covered cheeks as he coughed, sounding a bit choked as he did so.

“I’m glad.”

“There is also someone here that wants to see you,” I whispered before side stepping and revealing Minhyun to Jonghyun and Jonghyun to Minhyun.

I smiled as Jonghyun whispered, “Minhyun-ah, please come here.”

The younger male – out of the two – stepped forward and into his brother’s view, gasping as Jonghyun enveloped him into a tight hug as he whispered out, “I’ve missed you.”

“You hardly know me – even though we are connected by blood…”

Jonghyun smiled and whispered, “I’ve missed you either way.”

Minhyun looked at Jonghyun in silence for a couple of minutes before enveloping the barely elder male in a tight embrace, whispering out, “I’m sorry Jonghyun…I’m sorry…”

“How long was I out?” whispered Jonghyun.

“Roughly over two days,” I stated, taking the towel from a nearby bowl and wiping the sweat off Jonghyun’s brow

“Then there is no time to rest...” whispered Jonghyun, pushing away from Minhyun and collapsing back down onto the surface of the bed – too weak to support himself.

“You need to rest,” stated Minhyun, “Hyung, you need to rest so that eomma and abeojis deaths don’t happen in vain, arasso?”

Jonghyun smiled and nodded, “Alright…I guess if I have to.”

I sat in silence, “The others don’t trust Minhyun yet.”

“I’m a bit wary,” whispered Jonghyun, his voice raspy and his heart pounding harshly in his chest, whispering, “The darkness still shrouds you, he still has a big pull on your mind, so until we terminate that little bond, you will be forbidden to hear any top secret information…you will not receive my full trust – despite our being brothers…”

Minhyun nodded solemnly, a bit upset over the fact his own brother did not trust him completely yet, but then again, he guessed that it would be normal considering that he had only been with them for a few days and he had done nothing but make them all concerned – not for him but for each other. He had done nothing other than make it impossible for them all to trust him right away.

“So, who is going to look for the location of the temples?” whispered Minki.

“I will tomorrow – if you give me enough water tonight, I should be able to move around tomorrow and look for it in my father’s office…” stated Jonghyun.

“I know where the other two books are hidden,” whispered Minhyun, “They are pretty nearby, I could take you to them.”

I nodded in thanks while Jonghyun whispered, “They will stay here…you and I will go – that way I can guarantee that they are safe.”

“Aye…” whispered Minhyun a bit solemnly again.  

I eyed Jonghyun in concern and he smiled at me, before turning his attention elsewhere, conversing with his brother, trying to connect the missing pieces of the memories he saw. 

So...yeah, here is another chappie. I would've posted it sooner but I've spent the past thiry-or-so hours sleeping, not straight of course, but off and on since I'm currently fighting off the flu.

Again, please forgive me for this chapter being just as random and rushed as the last...