The four witches sat around the table. Frustration was on their face. One of the witches couldn’t stop pacing in front of the board. He kept swinging his chalk from time to time, probably thinking of something serious.

“Now what?” Seunghyun, the turquoise head said.

“We do nothing.” Said the other.

“Something is wrong.” The blonde man mumbled.

The prediction was wrong. The blonde man didn’t think that the hidden one was so fast. Two crystal had broken. It was another crystal of the friends named as Kim Yesung, and the second was one of the trio redeemers crystal named as Kim Kangin.

“Dang! Even Ryeowook’s crystal had a big crack!” The blonde man kicked his chair.

“He can’t do that at the same time!” Said the blonde man again.

Bang! The blonde man stopped pacing. All of them freeze on their position. They knew whose crystal had broken. That crystal was their turf card and without that crystal, they had to work hard to win the crown over the friends and the trio redeemers. They couldn’t control them as much as they wanted. If they didn’t have memories, it was easy to control them, just like them controlling the folks; also it was easy to build some strategies.

“The sandman has wakened up.” Daesung whispered to himself.

“Prepare yourself for the war.” Jiyong shouted.

“He’s the one who has done this.” He continued.

Once again, they freeze on their position. They didn’t see that coming. They forgot that the friends were the loyal servant of the mage. The mage, their biggest enemy, had come back.

***

Heechul backed off from Kangin’s body. The body shook violently in sudden. Heechul was terrified, thinking it was the side effect of his potion. He couldn’t brew wrong potion, could he? He lost his memories for several years, so it could?

“What happens?” Yesung chirped behind his older brother.

“Did you give him a wrong potion?” Yesung panicked.

“No! I didn’t!” Heechul defended himself, but Yesung could hear his uncertainty on his words.

“What’s that?!” Yesung shouted; making Heechul felt guiltier.

“No, hyung! Look at that!” Yesung forced Heechul to look where Kangin was.

There was a thick blue smoke coming from nowhere, surrounding Kangin’s body. The thick blue smoke sipped through his body, decreasing time to time until nothing left.

“Is that his soul?” Heechul asked in confusion.

“Come to think of it, Sungmin didn’t give me any crystal ball.” Yesung said, checking every inch of his body if the small crystal ball was hidden under the cloak.

“Wondering why I didn’t need the crystal ball?” Said someone with cracking voice.

“Kangin-ah!” They said in unison.

Heechul was the first one who hugged him. Yesung joined him with awkward hug, he couldn’t help it. They hadn’t met for nearly five decades. But family was family; you could feel the natural feeling, the feeling where you got only from them who are blood related with you. They were drowning with their own tears of happiness. Kangin broke the group hug after minutes had passed. He gestured to Heechul and Yesung to get up. They walked around the road, probably catching up what they had missed. Kangin was their commander on the war. Just like Ryeowook, Kangin was one of the trio redeemers. Kyuhyun was the one who invented that name. The trio redeemers were they who sacrificed themselves to save everyone. Kangin got that name when he gave all of them other chance to live.

“So… What’s the reason?” Heechul broke the silence between them.

“I can watch over you. I can watch over the witches. Secretly.” Kangin said casually through mind gate.

“You’re basically a ghost?” Yesung snorted.

“Yeah? I haunted Sungmin all the time.” Kangin smirked at Yesung who gave him his short middle finger.

“You planned these? In the form of soul?” Heechul joined the connection, sarcasm laced on his words.

Kangin only stared at him with ‘what do you think?’ face. He chuckled at Heechul who rolled his eyes, and Yesung was still with his short middle finger.

“It’s called conspiracy behind the conspiracy itself, brother.” Kangin sneered.

The mind gate was closed. Heechul was the first who was out of the line, while Yesung was the last one who was out the connection. They had deep frown on their face. There were absolutely some things on their mind.

***

Kangin had planned it all. Kangin had decided. When he gave them other chance, he had to plan it well, and he had to think it well. What did they lack in? What did the witches lack in? What did they excel in? What did the witches excel in? Kangin had to think it all in a narrow time. Kyuhyun had joined his plan this time. Fortunately, Kyuhyun was not that stupid to do anything careless to save Ryeowook.

“What’s next?” Kyuhyun asked to Kangin.

He had finished waking them up from death. Kangin sat silently with Shindong on his left and Sungmin on his right. He had thought the plan while Kyuhyun gave them breath to live.

“Come here.” Kangin said.

Kyuhyun sat in front of him, beside Leeteuk’s frozen body. Kyuhyun sneak his hand to feel Leeteuk’s pulse. He sighed when he felt the pulse didn’t strengthen from the last time.

“He will wake up soon, don’t worry.” Kangin assured him.

Kyuhyun nodded. His eyes travelled to the frozen body beside Leeteuk. His black bangs covered his closed eyes. His small and thin lips sealed into straight line. The red color had gone into pale one. Track of cuts were all over his body. Oh, how he wanted to cry to see his lover.

“Listen to me, Kyuhyun-ah.”

“You need to rewrite the prophecy, and give it to Leeteuk. That’s what the witches wanted. After that, you can save Ryeowook in your own way. Then, Leeteuk will be the ruler of Castelmare, while Ryeowook is his son. Leeteuk will hide the old prophecy in the castle. You know, the young witches haven’t known about the old prophecy, and they haven’t known your power yet, they will think that you will die when you save Ryeowook. Sungmin will wake you up when Leeteuk is on his weakest point. You know what to do next.” Kangin explained.

“Who is the controller?” Kyuhyun asked.

“Sungmin and Shindong. Shindong will control their memories, and Sungmin will be the watchdog.” Kangin answered.

“What if they’re far from each other?” Kyuhyun threw another question.

“The aligned star. Sungmin will control them, so they are on the same track with the aligned star.”

Kyuhyun stood up. He picked Ryeowook’s body from the ground.

“What about you?”

“I will be joining them soon. Leeteuk will do the execution.”

Kyuhyun stared at him, ready to ask another question. Kangin was kind enough to cut the staring competition with an answer to the unheard question.

“My soul will be wandering free instead of in crystal ball. I will be watching them. Don’t you worry child.” Kangin said.

“I guess that’s a deal?” Kangin said again, louder this time, because Kyuhyun had walked further after hearing his explanation.

Kangin smiled, seeing Kyuhyun’s fingers forming ‘okay’ sign.

“Make the prophecy as hideous as you can!” Kangin shouted.

Kyuhyun turned around to face the three wizards.

“You will come with me, right Sungmin-hyung?” Kyuhyun said to the little man beside Kangin.

Sungmin who was confused shook his head. Kangin laughed and pushed Sungmin to where was Kyuhyun going.

“Be careful! Don’t ever say anything about this. Just pretend that this is not our plan.” Kangin warned.

“You do know that Jiyong has his ears all over Castelmare.”

***

Kyuhyun threw the swan feather to the ink bottle. He had written the last words on the fake prophecy. He read the content of the fake prophecy. The main purpose of the witches was still there, to be the ruler of Castelmare. But the focus was different. He wrote about the crown had a magical power. The young witches would really think that the crown held great power. They wouldn’t know about this. They were just other witches who continued what his ancestor had done. They joined the war without knowing their purpose on the war except for the prophecy and the position as the ruler. They didn’t know that their ancestors real purpose was to kill two innocent persons, the purest soul and the unknown greatest ruler. Killing them was like killing two birds with one stone. The witches would rule Castelmare, and they didn’t have any competitors to be the eternal leader.

The twist was no words, one eighty degree from the real one. He still wrote about their story, but he added some extras. Like the trio redeemers, hell it sounded ridiculous, but why not? He must hide the truth among the lies. He erased Ryeowook story as the purest soul, because the witches’ ancestor first target was Ryeowook.

The old witches knew about the old prophecy. They wanted the purest soul as their guidance to lead them to the greatest ruler of Castelmare. No one knew who the greatest ruler of Castelmare was. No one knew who had the same characteristic of what the prophecy had said. People assumed that it was Kyuhyun who was the greatest ruler since he was on the crownline.

That was why the purest soul was important.

They searched all over Castelmare, and found someone who matched their description of purest soul. Ryeowook’s parents, who got the news earlier than the arrival of the witches, had built an emergency door to the castle. But still, they discovered Ryeowook’s ability at the age of seventeen.

Now, their focus should be the crown, the friends, and the trio redeemers. The first target was Kyuhyun, as the mage. It could lessen his worry over Ryeowook, though Ryeowook was still on their list. At least he wasn’t on the top of target, just like when he was young. He poured the red wax on the back of an envelope, and stamped it. He stood from his chair. He was ready to meet that Jiyong, who was famous with his red-orange long hair.

***

People in Castelmare gathered on the road when they heard a loud explosion. The location was somewhere they didn’t know. The golden sand from the explosion covered every corner of Castelmare. They were confused what had happened.

Three men sneaked out from the crowd. They hid under their black cloak.

“Ya!” Someone said from their behind.

They stopped in a sudden. They looked calm outside, but the mind gate was on chaos. Everyone was busy giving instruction, cursing, and shouting to stop.

“Stop that! You are going to destroy the main gate!” A loud voice interrupted them.

They sighed contentedly. It was just Sungmin. They were paranoid, afraid of being discovered early by the witches.

“Where is Shindong?” Kangin said.

They walked together again to the horses.

Kangin had sat on the random horse. He didn’t have any horse, and he didn’t want to walk to Kyuhyun’s mansion. Lucky him, the people gathered on the road, and the horses were left far from them. Took the horse, or walked forever to the mansion.

Heechul sat on his horse. He glared at Yesung who was ready to sat behind him. He kicked his horse, so he was beside Kangin, leaving Yesung behind.

Yesung sighed and walked to the other random horse. Kangin was right. Took the horse, or walked forever to the mansion. He didn’t prepare his weapons to fight with the witches. The safe way was to steal the horse, and to be with them all the time. You could die, and no one would know.

“On his way to Kyuhyun’s mansion.” Sungmin said.

“Heechul hyung!” Sungmin said, cutting the mind gate.

Heechul caught the small crystal ball. He eyed the green smoke crystal ball. Heechul knew whose crsytal ball was that. He didn’t say much when Sungmin threw the thing.

“You knew where to find him, right?” Sungmin teased.

Heechul put the ball inside his pocket. He wore the hood of his black coat, ready to ride his horse faster than the wind just to meet that person.

***

Ryeowook knew that someone had followed him ever since he passed the border of West Castelmare. Being trained well for over decades, he kept calm. He hopped off from his horse, finally resting after days riding horse. He slid his black cloak along with his clothes. He sighed when the cold breeze caressed his bare skin.

He sat among the rocks on the river. The cold water relaxed his tense mucles. He lost counts of how many days he had passed in the journey. He wanted to find that man. But now he lost his focus. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to know more about himself more. Who is he? What is his connection with the friends? Who is this friends? And many more. Stories about him always appeared in his mind. Or was it his long lost memories?

Ryeowook woke up when he heard the sound of splashing water. He caught a suspicious shadow, walking to his direction. Ryeowook was unarmed. He was in the middle of rocks and in front of him was waterfall. There was no way to escape.

Ryeowook felt his feet trembled, when the suspicious shadow turned out to be the red cloak man. Despite being afraid of what would happen to him, he stared to the big dark brown eyes. The man smiled at him before turning him around. Ryeowook struggled in his embrace. He wanted to see his face rather than the waterfall.

“Don’t.” Kyuhyun said to Ryeowook.

Ryeowook stop struggling. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms. He met him, in reality. He felt stings of tears fell from his eyes.

“I’m here. Please, stop crying.” Kyuhyun hugged Ryewook tighter.

Ryeowook sobbed louder. Kyuhyun buried his head on the crook of Ryeowook’s neck. He trailed small kisses to the long neck to reduce his sobs.

“Your presence makes me cry, silly.” Ryeowook said between his sniff.

Kyuhyun chuckled at the answer. Ryeowook never failed to amuse him from the very first time he met him.

“Why are you here?” Ryeowook asked.

“I want to meet my lover, of course.” Kyuhyun answered nonchalantly.

Ryeowook nudge his stomach, hardly. Kyuhyun winced in pain, releasing him accidentally. Ryeowook pulled the hood of his red cloak forcefully. His jaw fell when he saw Kyuhyun’s face. The white skin was shining under the moonlight. His plump lips looked kissable. His straight brows furrowed.

Kyuhyun hugged Ryeowook, blocking his view.

“I will go if you’re like this.” Kyuhyun whispered.

“Then go.” Ryeowook said.

They fell silent. They knew, neither of them wanted to go.

“I don’t want to.” Kyuhyun chirped.

Kyuhyun cupped Ryeowook face. It was no use avoiding Ryeowook. Ryeowook would see him one way or another.

“I’m in a bad mood these days.” Kyuhyun said.

Ryeowook blinked his eyes several times. He didn’t know where this conversation led to.

“Sungmin-hyung had met with Yesung hyung. And Heechul-hyung will meet that horse soon.” Kyuhyun frowned.

“I want to be with you too.” Kyuhyun pinched Ryeowook’s cheek.

“Then, come with me?” Ryeowook offered although he didn’t really sure of his offer.

“Soon, my love. I promise.” Kyuhyun said that line again.

“I don’t understand all of these. Please, give me a clue.” Ryeowook pleaded.

“Soon, my love. I promise.” Kyuhyun said, hooking his index finger on the sapphire necklace.

“Just enjoy it, for now.” Kyuhyun continued.

Ryeowook wanted to protest, but his lips were sealed by the delicious plump lips.

***

What have I done? What have I written? I kept losing my focus on this story T^T Please everyone reminds me the focus of the story! I thought that my story was flat. I need your ideas to color up my story. Comment and upvote? Sorry for the late update, because I was busy with my essay and final exams. But don’t worry, I will update regularly because I will graduate soon from my university! WOHOO!!!~~~ BYE BYE CALCULUS! XD