[ Chapter XXXV ]

No Longer…

Finally, Hakyeon has obtained the other half of the Moon in which his mother had left him as her final gift. The Chapel activated in response to Hakyeon’s tears and sincerity as the Goddess of the Moon’s descendent and revealed the Moon to him.

Hakyeon has never thought that his mother had such an unpredictable past. He wished he had cared more about her when she was still alive. He could feel his mother’s warmth while holding onto the piece of the Moon in his palms. As its warmth spread throughout his body, and tears streamed down again. It was as if he was holding onto his mother one last time.

The three of them returned back to the cottage to show Ravi their findings and to Ravi’s surprise, this other half of the Moon gave off a different feeling compared to the one that Taekwoon has. This piece of the moon was rather warm as if it was alive and welcomes anyone who approaches it. Taekwoon’s piece, on the other hand, was cold despite being stored in a hot bathhouse for many centuries. That piece rejected all except Taekwoon after its wielder became stronger.

The piece of Moon lays dormant in Hakyeon’s palms. It was warm but nothing more.

“So, um… how does this work?” Hakyeon asked.

“Hmm… I’ll see if any of my powers can activate it,” Jaehwan suggested.

“Wait,” Ravi halted him, “what if it hurts you?”

“You worry too much about it. I’m the only one who’s a God here in this room, so I’m the only one who can try anyways until Hakyeon gets his powers.”

Ravi stared at Jaehwan silently but was obviously concerned for him.

Jaehwan took the piece of the Moon from Hakyeon and started to channel his own powers to activate the hidden mechanisms inside the Moon. Jaehwan’s powers of lightning started to wrap around the piece and the Moon began to glow intensely. But then…

“Ow!” Jaehwan yelled.

The Moon rejected his powers. It gave Jaehwan a shock and stunned him for a second, then went back to its dormant state. Laying warm and unmoving in Jaehwan’s hands. It seems that the Moon did not like Jaehwan’s powers.

“Are you okay?” Hakyeon was worried.

“Yeah. It just stings… a lot!” Jaehwan whined. “I guess I got rejected. Oh well. But I think you need to give it a try after all. The Moon was revealed to you because you’re the son of its keeper and it seems to take a liking to you while you were carrying it all the way from the Chapel to here.”

Jaehwan handed the Moon back to Hakyeon but nothing different happened. Hakyeon didn’t know how to channel his powers as a Demigod like Jaehwan did and so, the Moon remained the same in his palms.

The four of them were stumped on how to activate the Moon and decided it was best to just continue on with their training until Hakyeon was able to awaken his hidden powers. It was only safe that they took it slow and not rush in activating its powers. Patience was a virtue. Ravi and Hongbin also went back on their studies while Jaehwan started to help Hakyeon train through their battle simulations.

“Just because you’re my friend, it doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you!” Jaehwan taunted jokingly.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Hakyeon laughed.

The two battled one another time after time as part of Hakyeon’s training. Jaehwan would use some of his powers against Hakyeon so that the latter would be used to it. The feeling of fighting a God was different from fighting against another human. Hakyeon’s agility improved tremendously thanks to Jaehwan’s help and dodging God’s lightning each day. It was tiring at first but Hakyeon’s stamina improved as time went by. The two continued their hard training throughout the days, but neither of them truly knew what it was like to feel tired. They were having too much fun.

Hakyeon and Jaehwan used to run around Pinewoods with the other children in town as they were the older brothers of the neighborhood.

*   *   *   *   *   *

 “What are you looking at?” Hongbin asked.

“Huh? Nothing…” Ravi replied and went back to his studies with Hongbin.

The two that were having fun outside distracted him and that it almost reminded him of his past.

With Jaehwan.

*   *   *   *   *   *

 “Should we take a break? You look tired,” Jaehwan tries to catch his breath after slowing down from their battles.

“A bit. Let’s take a break,” Hakyeon replied while he was still out of breath.

The two lay down on the deck in front of the cottage and stared at the vast gloomy night sky. It was dark and eerie as usual but they no longer mind it. Slowly but surely, they have gotten used to staying in the Underworld.

Hakyeon could only imagine how Taekwoon might be feeling at this moment, having no one by his side. Yet, here Hakyeon was, with Jaehwan as well as Ravi and Hongbin who were inside the cottage, waiting for them to finish their training before dinner time.

Die. You don’t deserve them. You’re a monster. A sinner. You shouldn’t have been born.

Hakyeon jumped from his spot immediately as the voices in his head suddenly returned. His darker side was calling out again, waiting to come out.

Die. Destroy them. Destroy everything around you and turn this world upside down.

“No. Stop,” Hakyeon covered his ears trying to mute the voices in his mind.

“Hakyeon?” Jaehwan jolted from his spot and saw that Hakyeon was starting to act strangely again. “Ravi! Hongbin! Come out now!’

Ravi and Hongbin heard Jaehwan’s call and rushed outside immediately. They were terrified to see that Hakyeon was slowly warped around by the darkness. They haven’t encountered Hakyeon’s dark side in a while and was not prepared for it.

“We need to stop him now before it’s too late!” Ravi warned and started to cast his binding spells in order to seal Hakyeon in place.

“Please. Just… go away,” Hakyeon pleaded painfully to himself.

He was losing control over the voices in his head and his heart felt as if it was beginning to burn painfully. Just then, his chest began to glow.

The light of the Moon pierced through his clothes in response to the darkness that suddenly appeared around Hakyeon. Hakyeon has left the Moon in his pocket as safekeeping no matter what he was doing.

“Look!” Hongbin pointed at Hakyeon’s chest.

‘The Moon, it’s responding,” Ravi said.

The Moon started to glow intensively and surrounded Hakyeon with light, dispersing the darkness around the boy. The rays of light danced around Hakyeon’s body, helping both his heart and mind feel warm and at ease.

No. Go away! Stop it! This light… take it away from me…

Hakyeon’s inner self was screaming in pain. The light from the Moon was hurting the darkness that has been lurking within Hakyeon since the first day they have arrived in the Underworld.

Before they knew it, the dark aura that was eating up Hakyeon, disappeared.

“It… protected Hakyeon,” Jaehwan’s eyes widened. “What’s this about? Is it because you’re finally getting stronger?”

“I don’t know…” Hakyeon responded while trying to grasp his mind back to reality. It was the first time he was able to make any sense of what was happening after almost being consumed by the darkness. The darkness within him didn’t take over this time.

“Maybe we can try activating it again this time?” Jaehwan said.

“I’ll try.”

Hakyeon focused all his energy into the Moon but once again, it did not respond. Nothing triggered the light that it had emitted just minutes ago.

Jaehwan scratched his head.

“This thing is more stubborn than Kong,” he said.

“Ya!” Hongbin yelled.

Just then, Jaehwan thought of something.

“Hey, why don’t I just give you some of my powers instead? Maybe it just needs a kick start for this thing to activate for you?” he suggested.

“Huh? You can do that?”

“Mhmm. Gods can give humans or other Gods a few their own powers but of course, no one does it since it’s stupid. Everyone wants all the powers for themselves after all but it’s definitely doable.”

“I don’t agree with it. It’s too dangerous,” Ravi interrupted them.

“You’re seriously such a worrywart. Stop frowning. Don’t worry about it,” Jaehwan ignored Ravi’s warning.

“But… what if you transfer too much of your powers to Hakyeon? Both of you will be in danger,” he persisted.

“Wait. If I’m putting you in danger too, I don’t want it,” Hakyeon backed up.

“Ignore Wonshikkie. If I say it’s fine, it’s fine. Trust me,” Jaehwan continued.

Ravi did not look pleased with Jaehwan for ignoring his warning.

“But…” Hakyeon was still unsure.

“No buts. Let’s just do it!”

The four of them found a small open area in the fields for the transferring ritual to begin. Ravi and Hongbin stood by for assistance. Jaehwan began to cast a barrier around him and Hakyeon. He slowly brought out his own powers and it was making its way into Hakyeon’s body.

“It might tingle a bit but don’t worry. It’ll be over before you know it,” Jaehwan reassured.

“Okay…”

Jaehwan directed the transfer of his powers into Hakyeon’s body. The lightning that Jaehwan emitted was seeping into Hakyeon’s entire body.

Hakyeon could feel the sting of power from Jaehwan’s lightning but it didn’t hurt. He has endured the lightning while training with Jaehwan this entire time so he’s gotten used to it as time went by.

“This should be enough,” Jaehwan slowed down the transfer and was about to stop. But it didn’t.

“What the-“ he couldn’t pull back his powers from transferring over to Hakyeon’s body for some reason.

“What’s wrong?” Hakyeon asked.

“Something isn’t right. It isn’t stopping.”

“Damn it! I knew this might happen. You need to cut off the energy now!” Ravi yelled at them.

“Easy for you to say! It’s not working!” Jaehwan yelled back.

Ravi tried to approach and interfere with the transfer but he was bounced back by the powerful lightning that was growing more intense as the power transfer continued.

The power was so intense that it began to weigh down Hakyeon’s body, and it was beginning to hurt. The waves of lightning continued to flow into his body and he let out a painful cry.

“Ahh!!”

“Hakyeon!” The three yelled.

The atmosphere fell silent. The transfer of powers came to an end but the consequences were too great.

Both Jaehwan and Hakyeon fell unconscious.

For four days, both of them fell into slumbers and Ravi and Hongbin could only watch over them in hopes that they would wake up eventually.

Ravi sat next to Jaehwan’s bed and constantly going back to check up on the older. The two of them were bickering since the first day they reunited in the Underworld but Ravi was concerned.

“What kind of face is that?” Jaehwan finally woke up and saw a worn face on Ravi, who was slouching next to him.

“You! Are you crazy?!” Ravi scolded. He sighed. “Nevermind… how’s your body feeling?”

“Hmm? Nothing unusual. Just sleepy that’s all. How’s Hakyeon?”

“He hasn’t woken up yet.”

“I see. What’s with that face? Where’s the scowling faced Wonshikkie that I know of go to?”

“This isn’t the time to joke around. Don’t you know what happened? You…” Ravi’s voice was fading out.

Jaehwan sighed.

“I know… I’ve lost my abilities as a God. Oh well,” Jaehwan said uncaringly.

“Oh well? Don’t you know that means you’ve lost all your powers? You’re nothing more than a mortal now! And… you won’t be able to go back to the Heavens either!” Ravi yelled at the sight of an uncaring Jaehwan.

“It’s not like I wanted to give Hakyeon all my powers. It seems like the Moon was acting as some sort of catalyst and stole my powers during the transfer. It’s nothing to worry about. I almost thought this might happen anyways.”

“You knew? Then why did you go with it? Why didn’t you stop it? You didn’t even listen to me!”

“Wonshik-ah. I thought you hated Gods.” Jaehwan looked at the worried Ravi. “I thought you hated me.”

“I-“

Jaehwan placed his arms to cover his eyes, but it was obvious that he was crying as tears seep through and fell from his cheeks.

“You know. I’ve always regretted it,” Jaehwan’s voice broke out. “About what happened. To be honest, I wanted to lose my powers. I wanted to be human. I’m tired of being a God; tired of being the heir to a throne I’m not interested in. I’m tired of being separated from you.”

Jaehawn grabbed onto Wonshik’s arms tightly but obviously trembling nervously.

“I have so much I want to tell you, but I was too afraid to say it. Wonshik-ah, won’t you hear me out? Won’t you give me another chance?”

A/N:

Fun Fact #8 -  The playground in which Jaehwan, Hongbin and Hakyeon discovered in the last chapter is the same playground that Taekwoon use to go to all the time before meeting Hakyeon when they were still a child.

Fun Fact #9 - The next chapter will finally reveal Ravi and Jaehwan's past as our second side story of this series. Aren't you curious about what happened? Also, I hate that I can't add a new tag... 

Fun Fact #10 - I died after Hakyeon's KRATOS trailer.... goodbye world. (I'll still update from the Heavens XD)