Shekel

“Run, you hear? Run and don’t look back.”

The words are still fresh on his mind as he runs for his life.

The darkness of the night makes it impossible for him to see clearly and he doesn’t want anything more than to use his power -but no, it would give away his position in an instant. And the sacrifices (because he refuses to think ‘deaths’) of the others will only be in vain.

But oh, how he wants to just stop and let the wind take him away, to brush his hair back in a gentle caress and brush away all of his fears.

That’s exactly what happens –and by the time he’s aware of it, it’s too late.

The pain comes too sudden, but only after noticing the wooden spear protruding from his chest.

The last thing he sees before falling to the ground is a pair of deer eyes hidden in the darkness of the forest.

They are asking for forgiveness.

Then comes the darkness… 

Sicham wakes up gasping and touching his chest to confirm that yes, it was just another vision.

Another vision.

When this fact registers in his mind, tears gather in his eyes. The dormant ache in his heart awakens once again. A hand finds the way to his long tresses and soon he’s being comforted by the warm arms of his hyung. The tears fall, anyway.

“Shhh,” Yafeh hyung whispers. “I’m sorry, Si-ah. I’m so sorry.”

Sicham’s tears continue to fall. Yafeh hugs him tighter; burying his face into the younger’s neck to stop himself from crying. Like always, it doesn’t work.  

The oldest of the three gets up from the warm sheets they are tangled in, only given away by the rustle the silk sheets make.

He is silent on his way the fountain, the only sound heard is the echo of his bare feet when touching the cold floor. By the time Sharm saw his reflection in the fountain (beautiful face, knowing pained eyes, stoic expression, tense shoulders), there were already ripples disturbing the water, as if something had made contact with the liquid not long ago.

With a firm hand, Sharm submerged his water in the fountain until it reached his wrist.

“Show me,” he asked.

Seconds later, an image began forming.

It was the boy from their vision. His sharp, handsome features were marred by the scared look on his eyes as he ran through the forest. There were trails of tears wetting his cheeks, and his hands were clenched in fists.

In the vision, they had seen everything happen from the boy’s point of view. But now that he was seeing it with his own eyes, he recognized the boy.

Ruah

The youngest one of the four princes.

Sicham let out a strangled cry from Yafeh’s embrace when the name came out in a whisper.

Sharm forced himself to watch how a wooden spear appeared out of nowhere, protruding from the boy’s chest.

Ruah took a final breath before falling to the ground. Dead.

The image changed.

Now, there was absolute darkness in the crystal clear water.

Moments later, Sharm noticed the person under the water. It was a beautiful boy, reaching out for someone to take his hand, to save him –but there was no one. And so the boy (Mayheem, his pain-stricken mind supplied) continued to sink down into absolute darkness.

The water turned crystal clear again.

Through the tears accumulating in his eyes, Sharm noticed the shining coin gleaming among silver coins at the bottom of the fountain. He picked it up with trembling fingers.

Once again, it begins… 

Shekel - golden coin in Hebrew

Sicham - Joy (Hebrew)

Yafeh - Beauty (Hebrew)

Sharm - Charm (Hebrew)

Ruah - Wind (Hebrew)

Mayheem - Water (Hebrew)