'Heechul had to do what was best for everyone. Especially for Ryeowook.' Zhoumi explained.

He could see the looks of confused and perplexed plastered on Leeteuk and Donghae. He wouldn't blame them. He understood completely why they would feel the way they were feeling right now. Knowing the truth was definitely suffocating them. Especially when the truth was just...shocking. Especially when Ryeowook supposedly 'dead' story told by Heechul turned out to be fake and was actually planned by their own mother. They must have felt useless or betrayed. But he hasn't gotten to the full story yet thou.

'B-but..why would she...why would he...?' Donghae's face was pale as he uttered these. He was having a hard time comphrensing everything.

'What..do you mean for the-the best...?'

'Don't jump into conclusions yet.' Zhoumi reminded them. 'I told you that this was only half of the story.'

'Go on.' Leeteuk uttered quietly, urging for the latter to go on. He knew that there are so much more to learn.

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Ryeowook opened his eyes slowly as he look at his surroundings. He was laying down on a few, what he acknowledged as large leaves. Even without looking throughtoutly he could tell where he was. He had spend an awful lot of time in this place to recognized it even from the smell. He placed his right arm across his eyes as dizziness overtook him and he felt slightly naseutic. He heaved out a sigh of relief when that naseutic feeling went away. Slowly, he rose up and sat, his body leaning again the wall behind him.

No one had noticed that he had woken up. He realized this when he saw them continue chatting with thei backs facing him. His eyes wandered and look at them one by one when they suddenly stop. Landing on a particulare figure sitting at the farthest corner of the area. He felt his body shaking as he remembered what had happened earlier. 

Heechul had saved him.

But, he couldn't understand why.

Didn't the man hated him?

Apart of him was relieved that his brother, who had pushed him away so many times in the worst possible ways, said hurtfurl things to him had save his life from those people. It gave him a slight hope. That maybe, the older man did in fact cared about him. That maybe deep inside his heart, the older man had finally accepted him as his brother. However a part of him was terrified, that this was all just his imagination. That Heechul never cared. He just did what he had to do. Ryeowook felt his tears welling up. He was so tired. He wanted to know what Heechul was really feeling. He needed to know. Desperately.

If it wasn't for this incident, in all honesty, Ryeowook couldn't care less whether Heechul cared about him or not. He had long given up and had chosen to distance himself from the man as far as possible. He had accepted the fact that they would never get along. That Heechul would always hate him and he was bound to slowly start hating him too. However, when he was losing his consciousness, when he was being held so warmly inside Heechul's arms. Apart of his memory came. Those familiar hands made him remember many things about his older brother. What they shared together, what they did, all those fun they had together basically...everything. And the most important part of these newly gained memories was the promise. That's right. Ryeowook had remembered everything about his older brother including the promise that they had both made with each other.

So, it was not wrong for him to think so right ?

Ryeowook wanted to believe.

That this man called, his brother.

Loved him.

------

Ryeowook turned to his side when he felt someone nudged him. It was the oldest of the friterbies. Their leader.

'I think the time for you to know everything has finally come.'

'I will tell you everything you need to know.'

Ryeowook's eyes widen.

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'Your father and I. We knew that it was The Wise Man that kidnapped your brother. But there was so little we could do...because he has so much power and influence on our people and The Gaias. Only your father knew this but the others didn't believe him. They had so much faith towards The Wise Man plus there were no proof.'

'The day Ryeowook was found. It was not near the river, it was inside The Wise Man's chamber. Your father was so shocked. He told The Wise Man that he would expose him of his crimes but he can't....'

'But why would he kidnapped Wookie...?' Heechul asked. It was all too much for him to understand. He had always thought that The Wise Man was the most trustworthy person of the entire village. He was shocked to find out otherwise from his parents.

'And why can't father expose him when he found Wookie in that man's chamber??'

'Because he was threathened.' She responded with a sad look. 'Remember Ryeowook's curse?' Heechul nodded, grasping what his mother meant.

'Your father had been looking further into The Wise Man...his history..and everything about him basically and there were a lot of disturbing things that he found.' She then explained.

'What disturbing things?'

'He found that The Wise Man had been obsessed with The Terra of Demeter for years. In other words, he had been praying to that monster, worshipping him like he was his God.' Heechul was so perplexed he almost fell down. He finally understood everything.

'Mom..are you saying that...?' She could only nodded. Her heart ached.

'That was why he put that monster inside of Ryeowook's body. He needed a chamber and that chamber must be an infant so that thing can grow and gain strength until the day when it is fully ready, to be released outside into the world.' 

'And how is he going to do that...?' Heechul's eyes flung with horror as he managed to answer his own question.

-

'By killing Ryeowook.'

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Leeteuk was trembling by the time Zhoumi had finished his story. For years, he would have never thought or expect or to even see the things that Heechul had went through to protect everything..and everyone. What is more worst is that for years they had been fooled by The Wise Man. No. He had been fooled.

He had never felt so..useless.

Apart of him was angry that his parents trusted Heechul more than him, the eldest of the siblings. However, apart of him understood why they had chosen Heechul rather than him. Even though Leeteuk has great leadership and firm principles, Heechul was stronger on the inside. No matter how painful something is, he would be able to take it all in and handle it like it was nothing. Heechul would be able to pull off something like that and him? He knew that he would have ever done it if that responsibility was thrown at him. And even if he did, he knew that he would have never come out of his room and would just fall further into darkness. Forever depressed.

For the first time ever, he admired Heechul.

So so much.

-

Leeteuk looked to his side and saw how Donghae had gone so pale it was almost as if he wasn't breathing any air at all. Leeteuk wanted to comfort the younger man but decided not say anything as he was afraid that would make things even worst.

'My father knew of Ryeowook's condition that was why he was also chasing after Ryeowook.' Zhoumi added more to his story. Both of them had stayed quiet up to this point. Too drained and too perplexed to comment anything. This time, they had chosen to listen. Something they had been failing for years. They couldn't see how Heechul's behavior was actually a cry for help. A sign that something was definitely wrong.

'He wanted to use Ryeowook's against your village since we don't possess the powers your people has.' Zhoumi continued.

'Heechul has been constantly seeing him to ensure that he wouldn't do anything to Ryeowook since he found out that Ryeowok was actually alive and living inside the Enchanted forest. That was why he was always missing from your eyesights.'

'What do you mean?' Leeteuk asked. 'And how did he found out where Ryeowook was?'

'It was my fault.' Zhoumi looked down. 'I accidenty revealed to him when I was talking about your village with him...I'm sorry...' He had always felt guilty towards Heechul for his clumsy mouth and now to them.

'It's done so forget it.' Leeteuk merely responded. 'Go on.' He then told Zhoumi to continue.

'In order to keep Ryeowook safe...Heechul had...Heechul had to fulfill every demands from my father.' Zhoumi's voice trembled a bit as revealed this.

'Just say that they were not good things.' Leeteuk and Donghae nodded. They didn't want to push it out of Zhoumi. In truth, they were afraid to hear it from his mouth because knowing how evil King Rubius is, it must have been something terrible. If they knew the details they won't be able to forgive themselves for not being there for Heechul. For letting him suffer alone for years. Ever.

'One of the things was giving my father that remedy...' Zhoumi looked catious as he uttered this.

'What remedy??' Donghae finally spoke after a long silence.

'Please don't blame Heechul...he had to what he had to do...it was either the black remedy or Ryeowook.' Leeteuk and Donghae could guess what Zhoumi meant at this point. But they kept quiet. They knew it wasn't Heechul's fault. 

'A form of black magic that was able to break your barrier...the barrier that was protecting your village...' Zhoumi continued.

'He had to because Ryeowook's seal was broken when two of our guards penetrated him with a sharp gold blade.'

'They went looking for Ryeowook inside the Enchanted forest and Heechul found out from the creatures there...the friterbies if I'm not mistaken...'

'It was either Ryeowook or the black magic.'

'At least we could fight and win wars but if that monster inside of Ryeowook took control over his body...nothing would be left....'

'So why would there still be people wanting to kill him?' 

'Terra of Demetor.' Zhoumi only said. Leeteuk and Donghae nodded, finally understanding everything. All the dots has been connected.

'Heechul probably realized this to that's why he went out looking for Ryeowook after he went back to that Echanted forest.'

Donghae and Leeteuk remained quiet. They didn't know what else to say. They were just so lost.

'Look I know you're depressed and everything but right now is not the time for that.' Zhoumi said rather strictly.

'Now is the time you should be focusing on winning a war and destroying that Wise Man because I'm sure by now he knows that his plans has been revealed.'

'Now is the time to fix everything.'

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'Chu..chullie hyung.....'

Ryeowook cried as he approached the older man. His whole body trembling and he was having a hard time breathing.

'Don't give me that look.' Heechul merely said. His eyes looking else where.

'You know I hate seeing you cry.'

Ryeowook said nothing further as he hugged the older man, sobbing and trembling like there was no tomorrow.

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Double update! ;)

Please leave lots of comment. Hee.

Btw this story can't wait to finish this story.

Thanks for reading!

P/s: Do check out my other Ryeowook centric fics ;)!