Sixteen - Walk on Memories

When Hyun came to realize that there is something wrong with Chanyeol, long before he remembered his identity as the Moon Child, he brushed it off as an imagination. When he realized that his relationship with Chanyeol was not blood related at all, he practically gaslighted himself that it is normal. That his feelings for him were normal, despite the fact that he was once Chanyeol’s guardian, and the latter became his when he was reborn as a Daevric Prince. It is normal, he told himself repeatedly.

But now, with Chanyeol standing in front of Cepherean races, claiming him as his lover, his soul mate, his twin flame (whatever that might mean), everything Hyun thought he knew, and everything he told himself to believe in, had started crumbling down.

It dawned on him that Chanyeol is not the person he let everyone else believe he was. The fire in his eyes, his beast form, the sheer dominance of his voice—everything about him reeks power. A power that no one, not even gods possess.

Arnkai and Chanyeol talked about him as if he wasn’t there, listening to every word they sputter. The gigantic phoenix morphed back into Chanyeol’s familiar form, and with a bitter tone, he said—

“Unless you know how to restore his Celestial powers and awaken it inside him, then Briar, the White Dragon will die after his lifetime as Hyun Ryu.”

Having enough of being ignored, Hyun stepped in between the Astral Child and the Daevric King, eyes glaring daggers at the latter.

“I am right here, Chanyeol. Look at me and tell me what in the heavens are you talking about.”

Hyun Ryu knows that despite calling him by his birth name, the Phoenix Prince is not the same man he raised back then, or maybe he is him, but he is also something else.

The Daevric King’s gaze softened when it turned to him, the shift on the emotion itself made his heart jump. “Forgive me, but we will talk about this later, my prince. For now, I will deal with these people myself, and I will come clean to you.”

“What—”

The last thing he remembered was Chanyeol’s large palm coming in contact with his forehead, and his consciousness was out of him.

Arnkai watched as the Moon Child lost his balance, but Chanyeol’s strong arms caught him by his waist before Hyun fell. Effortlessly, Chanyeol bent down and swept him off the ground, putting the weight of his lower half on his other arm by placing it under Hyun’s knees.

“Arnkai,” Luhan’s voice sliced through the silence. “What is happening?”

As the Sun Child flanked his cousin, the latter grinded his jaw, taking a deep breath. “We were wrong about everything, Luhan. We misunderstood everything, especially who the Phoenix Prince is.”

Arnkai met Chanyeol’s fiery eyes and said, “The man before us is not the omen of Cepherus. His real name is Caecil, the Phoenix, the creator of Cepherus.” He turned his gaze to his cousin and to the people standing before the Phoenix, “In our world, we call him the Sun Celestial. Luhan, he is the one who chose you to be the Sun Child.”

Arnkai knew that the truth would shake the whole world, especially Luhan’s, given his history with Chanyeol. But this is the truth, and they must face it head on.

“And the Daevric Prince is…?”

Arnkai looked at Chen who asked the question, “Baekhyun, Baek Ahn, Hyun Ryu, whatever name he had taken in this world doesn’t matter. Because just as the Phoenix said, his real name is Briar, the White Dragon. He is Caecil’s counterpart, and in our world, he is the Moon Celestial himself. That is why the moon was drawn to him, that is why there was no Moon and Sun Celestial in the Cosmos when we went there. The supreme beings are here in Cepherus, living with us.”

***

Hyun could feel his head throbbing before he could open his eyes. The first thing he saw was the familiar canopy of his bed, followed by the nostalgic scent of candles Chanyeol had placed by his nightstand. The soft silk robe grazed his body, and the thick duvet shielded him from the cool breeze of the wind that came from his window.

Sitting up, Hyun tried to remember what happened last time he was awake. His blood literally boiled when he remembered that Chanyeol made him sleep before he could even confront him.

With that in mind, Hyun didn’t even check how he looked and just jumped off the bed and went straight through the open ceiling-to-floor window. He jumped and spread out his wings, eyes glowing in search for the person with the most concentrated moonshine on their skin.

He saw him in the west wing, on the throne room, sitting on his throne and other people, (Cephereans, he assumed) standing before him. Hyun zoomed in on that part of the castle and ignored the now-awakened Daevric soldiers guarding the said place.

“Your Highness, the King specifically said that no one is allowed to interrupt the meeti—”

“Shut your trap and open the door before I turn you into ashes.” He hissed, unaware of the white glow on his eyes.

“Y-Yes Your Highness!”

The gigantic door to the throne room opened, followed by the announcement of his arrival. Hyun barely gave their ‘visitors’ a glance as his eyes locked on Chanyeol’s. The said man narrowed his own pair upon seeing how he arrived in only one thin robe covering his body, but Hyun didn’t know that. He paraded on the red carpet, his pale right shoulder and clavicles exposed. His thighs peeks through the slit as he walked barefooted, signature broad black wings dragging on his back.

When he reached the end of the stairs, about a few feet away from the king, Hyun finally opened his mouth, “I seek audience from the King. We need to talk.”

“Why did you leave your room dressed like that, my prince?”

“I could care less if I walk here , Chanyeol.” The prince irritably hissed. “We need to talk. Now.”

“The Cephereans and I are in the middle of a discussion—”

“A discussion that should have included me.”

Chanyeol visibly sighed, “My prince, I promise to tell you everything later—”

Hyun didn’t let the king finish and just turned to their audience, especially to Chen and Luhan who both were watching his and Chanyeol’s interaction. Both seemed lost at what’s happening, but Hyun was not in the mood to even explain. He was the one who needed explanation here.

“The king and I have private business to talk about. Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun called the king’s right hand, “Please our guests to the east wing and prepare a meal for them.”

Kyungsoo was next to him in an instant, “How about the soldiers, Your Highness?”

“Include the soldiers, we have enough food.”

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol warned his cousin.

“Apologies, Your Majesty. I have to remind you that you made it an absolute law to follow the prince’s commands and not yours, however absurd they might be.”

Chanyeol sighed on his throne, and Kyungsoo bowed to him and the prince. He then guided the Cephereans out of the throne room much to Hyun’s delight. When there was no one left in the throne room but him and Chanyeol, Hyun turned to the king, brows raised and arms crossed.

“My prince—”

“Who are you?”

Hyun’s eyes twitched when the man just stared at him. “The Chanyeol I know might be immature at times, but you, and the power I see in you. You’re not him.”

What happened next was something that never happened with Chanyeol, proving to Hyun that his hunch was correct. But even so, it didn’t help much with the fact that Chanyeol moved so fast that he was gone on the throne and was in front of him the next second. One of Chanyeol’s arms wrapped around his waist like a vice grip, his other hand tilted his chin up so that their eyes were locked on each other’s.

Hyun tried to escape from the grip, “What the—”

“—Look at me.”

“I will do no such—”

“My prince,”

“Stop calling me that you are not Chanyeol—”

“Briar.”

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