[Chapter XXIII]

God of the Dead

As Hongbin slept, the other three sat outside in the living room. Hakyeon was staring at the man, who was staring angrily back at Jaehwan for some reason. The atmosphere within the room was heavy and it made Hakyeon, who was caught in the middle of the two, really nervous.

“Don’t look at me like that Wonshikkie-ah. You’re going to make me blush.” Jaehwan joked and placed both his hands to cover his face from ‘embarrassment.’

“Don’t joke with me, Lee Jaehwan. Why are you here? And you brought this with you,” the man named Ravi said as he pointed at Hakyeon.

“What? Hakyeon-hyung wanted to see Taekwoonie, so I brought him here. What’s wrong with that?”

“What’s wrong? Don’t you know that bringing humans to the Underworld is against the rules? Are you out of your mind? How did you get here in the first place?” Ravi continued.

“With this,” Jaehwan took the keys out of his pocket and dangled it in front of Ravi’s face.

“How did-“

“I stole it, duh.”

Jaehwan smiled and stuck his tongue to tease the other. Hakyeon knows that Jaehwan can be quite playful at times but was this really the situation to be joking around? It seems that the two that sat in front of him knows one another but it also seems that Ravi, wasn’t very pleased to see Jaehwan here. Hakyeon could only guess what may have happened between the two of them.

“Anyways, this is Ravi or just call him Wonshik,” Jaehwan finally introduced the man to Hakyeon in a light-hearted tone.

“Hello,” Hakyeon greeted with a bow.

“Hmph,” Ravi snarled at the both of them, obviously not welcoming the stranger in his cabin.

“Don’t worry. Our Wonshikkie is just a grumpy child like always. Aren’t you?” Jaehwan leaned towards Ravi to ruffle his hair.

“Stop that! Don’t touch me!” Ravi smacked his hands away. “Stop joking around. Get to the point. Why are you here?”

Jaehwan sighed.

“Gosh, weren’t you paying attention at all just now? We’re here to look for Taekwoon. Where can we find him?”

“And what makes you think that I’ll tell you?”

“Please. I really need to find Taekwoon. I have to tell him… I have to apologize for everything.” Hakyeon pleaded.

“Even after breaking him to shreds, you still have the nerves to come to say you’re sorry? What if you’re lying to me? What if you just came to hurt him even more? Don’t you think you’ve already done enough damage?” Ravi felt furious just looking at Hakyeon that he continued to throw harsh words at the latter.

“No. You’re wrong. I… I really regret it. Everything! I don’t know what I can do to make things better but I just know that I need to apologize to him. He’s always done so much for me yet I didn’t even realize it until recently. I only thought about myself and didn’t know how much I’ve actually hurt him. I want to at least tell him that I’m sorry,” Hakyeon suddenly began to cry. The guilt pained him much more than before. His heart felt the weight and it hurt, so much that it was suffocating him.

“And what if he doesn’t want your apology?” Ravi asked.

“It doesn’t matter. Not anymore. I just want him to know. I didn’t mean everything I said in the past. I would never want to break up with him. I lied about wanting to return as just friends. I was just so… stupid at the time and I’ve been living with these regrets.”

“Can’t you at least help this poor kid?” Jaehwan asked for Hakyeon, who couldn’t stop his tears and stuttering to continue his words.

Ravi scratched his head, not knowing what to do to stop Hakyeon from crying. He could tell the boy was in a mess of his own.

“He’s changed, you know. The Taekwoon that you know of before, isn’t the same anymore. He’s different… Too different.” Ravi said.

“What do you mean?”

Ravi sighed again.

“After you broke up with him, he came back to the Underworld in rage. He grew violent, angry, and upset so often about everything and everyone around him. He’s also the new Ruler of the Underworld after taking over the throne. He wasn’t originally interested in it when he was in the human world but because he came back with no choice left, he took over. But became a merciless heir. More so than his father. He has zero empathy for anyone who tries to defy him. Because of that, his powers have grown rapidly from his rage during these past five years and he’s now the strongest there is in the Underworld. Not even myself can stop him. I’ve tried but he’s even turned me away.”

Hakyeon’s heart sank at hearing the pain he’s caused which made Taekwoon change so much in merely five years. His love and friend appeared cold on the outside at first but he knew well that Taekwoon was gentle on the inside. But because of his mistake, the gentle Taekwoon he once knew, no longer exists. Taekwoon is now the new God of the Underworld, that rules the dead and the living of Hell.

Those that defy the new Ruler would be punished severely. Ravi who was once by Taekwoon’s side, helping him time after time, was also cast aside. When Ravi tried to confront Taekwoon, Taekwoon attacked Ravi despite being his only friend in the Underworld. He no longer trusts anyone around him. He has now shut himself from the rest of the world as he sat alone at his throne, watching and ruling those who reside in the Underworld from a distance.

“Then we should just leave and forget ever coming here,” Hongbin finally woke up and overheard the entire conversation.

“Hongbin-ah! Are you okay? How’s your head?” Hakyeon rushed up to assist the younger one who was still stumbling a bit as he made his way out into the living room.

“I’m fine. But if this Taekwoon is so violent, there’s no use in trying to persuade him. We should just forget it and go home before it’s too late,” Hongbin said.

“But… I can’t do that,” Hakyeon told him.

“What if he tries to kill you too?!!” Hongbin became frustrated just as he imagined it to happen.

“Then… it’s what I deserve…”

“Are you crazy? Did you really come all this way to get yourself killed? What about your dad? Who’s going to watch over him if you’re gone as well? And… what about me? You’re supposed to be my personal bodyguard, watching over me, and staying by my side… how can you…”

“Hongbin-ah…”

Hakyeon was shocked to see how upset Hongbin sounded. He never thought that the younger cared this much about him. Hongbin has only demanded things from Hakyeon, telling him to do this and that, but never showed any signs of affection for his so-called ‘bodyguard’.

“There, there. Nothing will happen to Hakyeon-hyung. I’ll make sure of that,” Jaehwan finally got up to comfort the two.

“And how are you so sure about that? You don’t even know how powerful Taekwoon has become,” Ravi got up right after.

“You forget who I am. I’m the heir to the God of the Heavens. I may have been living in the human world for a while but my powers have only increased,” Jaehwan replied with confidence.

“Ha! If you’re so powerful, you wouldn’t have abandoned these two in the forest, leaving them to die. You only know how to run away when things get tough, like always. You haven’t changed one bit.”

“What? I was only caught off guard. I haven’t been in this creepy world for a long time. I just have to get used to it again. It seems to suit you very well though since you’re always so gloomy!”

Ravi growled at Jaehwan’s remark.

Hakyeon and Hongbin forgot about their own argument and saw that the other two were bickering amongst themselves even more. They have no idea why the two didn’t seem to get along but Hakyeon knew he had to stop their fighting before it gets worse.

“Um! Please Mr. Kim, I just want to know how to find Taekwoon. It doesn’t matter what happens afterward. So, please tell me,” Hakyeon said.

“Ugh. Just call me Ravi. Don’t be too formal with me. It’s disgusting.”

“Right. Sorry… Ravi.”

“Are you really so sure you want to confront Taekwoon though? He’s seriously changed so much that it might even surprise you. He’s not the same. Not anymore,” Ravi warned.

“I understand.”

Ravi looked into Hakyeon’s eyes and could see how sincere the boy was being. It didn’t seem like Hakyeon would stop pestering him either if he didn’t bring the latter to see Taekwoon.

“Fine. I can bring you to his mansion but… not now. Not when you’re so weak. You’ll be devoured by the darkness the moment you step outside unless you strengthen yourself somehow.”

“Huh?”

“He means that the moment you step outside this swamp, you’ll be leaving the barrier that Wonshik set up to protect you guys. Once you’re outside, the darkness will follow your scent like last time and prey on you. The Underworld is filled with souls and evils that wander around to mess with people’s minds. They look for that perfect opportunity to possess anyone who is weak and take control of their body,” Jaehwan explained.

“Then, what should we do?” Hongbin asked.

“Get stronger. That’s the only thing you can do,” Ravi answered him.

“I can help Hakyeon-hyung since you’re a Demigod. Maybe we can unleash that hidden power of yours finally,” Jaehwan suggested.

“Wait- you’re a what?!” Ravi was astonished.

“He’s a D.e.m.i.g.o.d. Demigod. His mother was the Goddess of the Moon and his father is a mortal. So it makes him only half a human and the other half, a God,” Jaehwan said as if it was so obvious to tell from the outside.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ravi couldn’t believe it. The weak and fragile boy who only knew how to cry in front of him is actually half a God and not to mention, the human friend that Taekwoon befriended and loved for so long…

“What about me?” Hongbin asked.

“Hmm… maybe Wonshikkie can help you with witchcraft. He’s an expert at it since he’s no longer a God,” Jaehwan suggested.

“What makes you think I’ll help you guys?”

“Because I say so,” Jaehwan gave him an intense glare suddenly, making it hard for Ravi to refuse somehow.

“… Fine.”

Training for both Hongbin and Hakyeon began almost immediately. Ravi had strengthened the barrier across the swamps so that they could train properly without getting interrupted. Ravi was teaching Hongbin witchcrafts and spells while Jaehwan was trying to help Hakyeon in his training.

But the problem was, Hakyeon was still unable to find his own ‘potential’ powers of being a Demigod.

“What if I’ll never awaken these powers?” Hakyeon said as he was trying to catch his breath after a few rounds of training with Jaehwan.

“Don’t worry too much about it. It is very sudden to awaken them. We can’t rush it. Just keep on working hard.”

“But-“

Suddenly, a loud boom came from the cottage. The two ran back to the cottage to see what caused the commotion.

“Dammit! Stop trying to destroy my place, would you?” Ravi shouted at Hongbin.

“Well sorry! It’s not like it’s my fault that the portions of these potions are a bit off. I didn’t think they would cause such a huge explosion, okay?” Hongbin talked back.

“Like I said, follow the recipe and stop trying to alter it when you’re still new to this. It’s fine if you used that much of the spells when we’re outside but not here! Have some control, would you?”

“If I don’t test it here, how will I ever get used to it when I’m actually in a pinch?”

“You-!”

Ravi and Hongbin were bickering at one another and fighting like usual. The two seem to be getting along despite how it looked. Although Ravi was very reluctant to teaching Hongbin at first, Jaehwan insisted that he helped. Ravi couldn’t refuse Jaehwan’s demand for some reason even though it seems like he doesn’t like Jaehwan at all.

Hongbin was also a rather quick learner. He was already smart to begin with and he treated the arts of witchcraft and spells like it was science. He learned them very quickly, even surprising Ravi, who was his mentor. It seems that Hongbin had the potentials to obtaining such skills and he was determined to mastering them in a short amount of time.

Seeing that Hongbin has improved so much, Hakyeon felt disappointed at himself for not making any progress like the younger one. He’s been training day and night with Jaehwan, yet nothing was different. He only felt more and more tired. It feels like no matter how much he did, it was futile.

“Let’s take a break,” Jaehwan said. He could see that Hakyeon wasn’t in the mood to continue.

“Right.”

“Don’t worry too much about it, okay? It’ll all work out in the end. Trust me. Plus, we’re safe here as long as Ravi’s barrier is up. Just be patient and take your time.”

“But, I’m just worried. None of these so-called powers of mine have shown up and even Hongbin have learned about magic faster than me. What if I never awaken these powers?”

“Then, we’ll find another way. There’s nothing that’s impossible in my dictionary. We can make things work out. One way or another. I just know it!”

“You’re really positive you know that, Jaehwan?”

“Haha. Yup! I am. But you should also believe in yourself. You really want to find Taekwoon, right? If you want something badly enough, I’m sure you’ll get it,” Jaehwan gave Hakyeon a smack on the back and grinned widely, “chin up!”

“Thanks,” Hakyeon finally lets out a smile.

“How’s your training so far?” Hongbin asked Hakyeon.

Hakyeon shook his head, obviously showing signs of having no progress at all.

“Dinner is ready!” Jaehwan called out.

The four of them sat at the table for dinner. Initially, Ravi wanted to make the meals but something about his aimless cooking didn’t seem right to the rest and Jaehwan decided to take over. Whenever Ravi cooked, it looked as if he would burn the kitchen down which surprised the others that his house was still in one piece after all these years from Ravi’s explosive cooking skills. Jaehwan wasn’t a great cook but at least the food he made didn’t kill anyone yet.

Everyone was rather exhausted from their daily training to really talk during dinner time so the table was rather quiet.

“By the way, do you know about the girl named Kwon Soo-ah?” Jaehwan suddenly broke the silence and asked Ravi.

Right. Hakyeon has completely forgotten that Soo-ah was also taken to the Underworld by Taekwoon as well. He was so busy with his training and his thoughts of finding Taekwoon that he’s forgotten about her.

“I do. Taekwoon brought her here when he came back. What about her?”

“Do you know what happened to her? Is she okay?” Hakyeon asked.

“She was your fiancé right?” Ravi asked back.

Hakyeon nodded.

“She’s not doing so great. Unfortunately.”

Soo-ah agreed to follow Taekwoon to the Underworld, without knowing anything about the darkness that awaited her. She was dragged through the Forest of Nightmares as soon as she arrived and was frightened by the souls that lurked in the shadows. Taekwoon forced her to stay in the Underworld no matter how many times she had pleaded him to return her back to the mortal realm. She was scared. So scared to the point where she had nightmares every night that made her scream in fear and cry in her sleep. Taekwoon locked her up at a tower located amongst the darkest parts of the Underworld, the central cemetery and refusing to let her leave. Not once, since he locked her up there, did he visit her.

Taekwoon was trying to punish and take his anger out on Soo-ah for his own heartbreak and misfortunes. Rather than killing her, watching her suffer was his amusement and his way of seeking revenge.

Hakyeon never thought that Taekwoon could turn out to be so cruel.

Soo-ah was innocent.

What happened between Hakyeon and Taekwoon had nothing to do with her. She only fell in love with Taekwoon but never harmed either of them except herself. It was Hakyeon’s own insecurities and foolishness that brought him to make the decision of breaking up with Taekwoon.

He never thought that the reason why Taekwoon brought Soo-ah to the Underworld was so he could watch her suffer.

Hakyeon knew that he had to make things right again. Back to the way things were before. He has to save Soo-ah and bring her back to where she belongs. And as for Taekwoon, Hakyeon wanted to make amends and apologize. It no longer matters whether or not Taekwoon would forgive him but he knew that he could no longer sit around and do nothing at all.

A/N:

From here on out, I'll be sharing some fun facts about this fanfiction during its creation with you all in future chapters as well until the end!

Fun Fact #1: Jaehwan was originally supposed to be evil in this story. Because he's seen as a manipulatory for Conception theories but, I couldn't bring myself to doing that to our cute main vocal! So he's now the one who guides and aids the characters rather than trying to destroy them :)

Fun Fact #2: The whole 'Sun and Moon' idea wasn't in the original storyboard when I was planning this story but it came to me while I was falling asleep on the bus... 

Fun Fact #3: Hongbin didn't play a big role in the original plot either. He was supposed to be the new mayor of Pinewoods after Soo-ah's father left. But, I need more OT6 feels! (NBIN is my guilty pleasure)

How is everyone holding up with Kratos teaser images? I've been working on my fanarts for them, so updates for this fanfic might seem slow but actually, I have this entire story finished in the storyboard and waiting for it to be put in actual words :) 

Thank you for all the love and support! Don't forget to support VIXX for their KRATOS comeback! The last trilogy of VIXX 2016 Conception series. 

This fanfiction wouldn't have existed without all your support and VIXX!