Humanity's corruption had been tested the day the Cumals first touch the world. Everyone is reminded of the way the inky smoke formed in the sky as the large beasts fell. Their bodies identical to humans but their faces a cold black, eyes mocking the suns color of red. Every one speechless, every part of the world realizing their fight with each other shouldn't had been with themselves but with their God, Joseph.

Had he been disgusted with humanity's pettiness? Had he decided he should wipe them all out to create people in his image? Merciful. Loving. Grateful. But what God would do that to his people? Jongin wondered. The whole world wondered. 

Perhaps they Cumals were in sync when they picked up their first human to kill, bones crushing by their hands. It sounded as if the whole world screamed together but still silence was the most powerful sound. Jongin doesn't remember which one he heard first but he do remember the sound he heard last: terror. 

His people screamed for their king to protect them. But how could he protect them when the only thing he felt was a defeated heart? How could he save them from Joseph's wrath? He was nothing more than an alpha king who gained privilege because of his family's history. He was a burden. 

-

"Return to me." Jongin whispered into his omegas hair as he hugged him as if it was the last.

Kyungsoo laughed. "I will, idiot. It's only two weeks," he reassured. "I'm the Kings Alpha mate, it's my duty to be strong just like you or maybe even stronger."

"You could never be stronger than me."

That comment earned Jongin an unpleasant frown. Kyungsoo pulled away from the hug. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, furious. "Because I'm a omega, I lack strength?"

Jongin sighed. This was an argument Kyungsoo loved. Omegas weren't appreciated in no ones stories, nor in Jongin's. He appreciated his mate but he considered it insulting that Kyungsoo honestly believed he was an equal to an alpha. He didn't make the rules nor the story. He just wished Kyungsoo didn't try to rewrite everything the world knew. "You're tough for an omega but you still don't understand your place."

Kyungsoo eyes widen, anger the only color in them. "Understand my place? How dare you say that! Stop with that traditional bull, Jongin. Your opinion is based off stereotypes. I can't believe you just think of me as someone who's supposed to submit to you."

"I think it's sad you question my love for you. I do not just see you as a object, please believe me. But--you're an omega, whether you like it or not, you're not expected to carry the strength i have as Alpha because that's how it's always been. You're strong, no doubt. But when will you stop comparing yourself to an Alpha?"

Kyungsoo grew up wishing he wouldn't mate with a self righteous jerk who thinks he's better than him. But he mated with a king...what did he expect? He wanted to believe Jongin was different but he continued to prove that belief as false. "I'm leaving. My crew is waiting for me." 

Kyungsoo, as the Kings mate, is expected to play a role in politics. Whether it's small or big, they must do that. Thanks to an omega from twenty years who fought for that right. Kyungsoo had been asked by his husband to go visit Lydia to speak to the kingdom's king to discuss foreign policy. Jongin only asked Kyungsoo because he had more important things to do regarding politics, according to him. 

"Can I at least get a kiss before you leave for Lydia? You're going to be gone for two weeks, I can't help the fact I will miss you."

Kyungsoo zipped his black jacket up, ignoring his pitiful husband in back. "You can kiss my ," he told him, opening the door of their bedroom. "For the next two weeks, think about what you said to me and realize how you've hurt me more than loved me. You don't realize what you have until it's gone."

Jongin frowned. What did that mean? "Baby, what-"

Before Jongin could respond, Kyungsoo was gone, longer than he should have been. 

-

He watched the city from his balcony. There was no children playing in the streets. There was no mothers making pie to fill the daily life smell. There was no fathers returning home from long days of labor. Everyone stayed inside their homes, too scared to come out. The Cumals left shortly after they first stepped on his kingdom. It had been three months and life as he once knew was over.

According to his loyalsman, other kingdoms attempted to fight the Cumals but they've failed. They wouldn't die. Not even power could kill them. Jongin just waited for them to come back so he could die. What kind of king was he? He hadn't given his people no hope; he just hid in his castle and ignored their cry for bravery from their king. 

He couldn't be there for them because he didn't have his mate by his side. Jongin finds it impossible to rule without him. He finds it impossible to function without Kyungsoo. 

He tried to leave to go look for his omega but they've had countless encounters with the Cumals. Too many of his men were killed in the process, he can't risk it anymore until there's a better plan.

Jongin was a sorry excuse for a King Alpha. He couldn't even save his mate. 

What if Kyungsoo was already dead? What if he had been killed by the Cumals? Jongin cried with those questions burning in the back of his mind. 

"You should stop thinking so much." Jongin turned around to only see one of his loyalsman with a stern expression.

"How could i not?" 

Sehun shook his head. "You're crying," he watched his king eyes widen. "You cry so much that you don't even realize you're crying."

Jongin gave a pitiful smile. "Im so pathetic."

"That you are," Sehun shrugged. "Your people are out there suffering and your mate is out there without his Alpha and you're sitting here crying." 

Jongin would have slapped Sehun before the Cumals came, but he knows his loyalsman is right. "What the am I supposed to do? Everytime I try to go find Kyungsoo, my men end up dead. I can't--I won't risk it. I just can't," he defended. "The people don't believe in me anyway, I'm ed either way."

Sehun sighed, he did that a lot around Jongin. "What do you think we're here for? We're here to protect our king, to lay our life for you. What kind of king places his loyalsman before his mate?"

"You know who else will die if we go out there to look for Kyungsoo?" He shouted. "Me! I'm going to ing die and Kyungsoo will be left without a mate, without his husband. I have to find another way!"

"Kyungsoo would have way more respect for you if he knew you went out there and fought with your men by his side , dying by his side, just because your love for him is just that strong," Sehun reasoned. "You think if my mate was out there with those things, I would sit here trying to figure a plan? No, you go out there and risk everything because your love for Kyungsoo conquers the fear you have for the Cumals."

Sehun's comments struck a nerve. He was right. Jongin made excuses to make himself feel better about not leaving his kingdom, praying Kyungsoo would return, all because he was terrified of the Cumals. They were black figures with red eyes who killed anything that moved. Jongin remembers one of his loyalsman body being ripped in half as if he was nothing more than a piece of grass. Unfortunately, he saw that sight a plethora of times. His fear of the Cumals only grew as time grew.

"I won't go back out there. I won't do it. We'll figure something out."

"What if waiting is the wrong call? What if Kyungsoo is already dead?"

Jongin ran his fingers through his jet black hair. "Leave."

Sehun left with no respect for his friend that he once admired.

-

The rain soaked inside his boot, his toes feeling the rushing water. The storm had been upon him since morning, making it more difficult to find food. However, he still looked with the help of his servant, Baekhyun.

The two had been searching for more than hour. They should had given up but they knew by nightfall, their stomachs would not be able to keep quiet. It would only get harder to find food as the rain continued to grow because all the wild life was hiding.

It would have been easier to transform into his wolf but Kyungsoo was too weak to do so. He hadn't had a proper meal since he visited Lydia. He thinks that was a few months ago but he lost track. 

After the Cumals came, Kyungsoo crew was slaughtered. He remembers the day they destroyed his life. He told his crew to go enjoy themselves in the city, not knowing the Cumals target would be in the heart of Lydia. Kyungsoo felt responsible for their deaths but he couldn't mourn because he had to be strong for his last crew member, Baekhyun

Baekhyun praised him often, always admiring him for his strength. He even told Kyungsoo he wished to be like him one day so Kyungsoo had no choice but to set an example. 

Baekhyun didn't know when he fell asleep, Kyungsoo cried his heart out.

"I think we should just head back to the cave." Baekhyun called out. 

Kyungsoo tried to wipe the rain from his face but failed. "No, we have to find something. You have to eat."

"No, we both have to eat. But the storm is only getting worse. It's really dangerous out here. And what if those things find us." Baekhyun eyes shot open while watching Kyungsoo run towards his target.  He followed, trying to forget the pain his back felt. He was getting weaker.

Kyungsoo pulled out his bow and arrow from his back, his fingers pulling back into fire as his left eye closed to get a better view of his pray. A squirrel who was once lively was now dead on the ground with a arrow in his body. Kyungsoo went through the following trees to pick up his dinner. He was always good at archery. Him being married to the King of Zera, he was able to afford to have the best to train him. It all worked out. 

Kyungsoo smirked at a out of breath Baekhyun. "Now we can go back to the cave."

They did. Baekhyun somehow managed to make a fire. The wind was swirling around them but after it calmed down, he was able to succeed. 

They found the cave weeks ago after being roofless for so long. Baekhyun thinks living in castle has made him forget where he had come from but that wasn't the same for Kyungsoo. He too was raised poor but he never forgot the struggle his mother endured. No matter how much he received being the Kings mate, he would never forget his past. 

Kyungsoo watched the fire instead of eating. He felt himself numb. "Do you think about him?" He heard Baekhyun ask. It surprised him that his servant was getting personal but he didn't mind.

"Every ing minute."  

"He'll come for us, I know he will."

Kyungsoo eyebrows connected. "You take me for someone who needs their Alpha? How do you know if he is in state of trouble and  needs me? I'm fine. I'll return to Jongin on my own. I won't wait for him."

Baekhyun stayed silent before saying, "Jongin is way too prideful for you to get back to our home on your own.He would want to be apart of your return somehow."

"Yes, because Jongin thinks I'm incapable of taking care of myself. I'll ing show that idiot that I don't need him."

"But you can't deny you don't miss him."

"I don't."

Baekhyun sighed. "You and Jongin are the same. You guys are too prideful to admit you both need eachother. You're so in love with Jongin that it's incomprehensible. Stop pretending you don't care. You can be strong and still care. You're not strong for an omega, you're just strong. It's okay to cry."

Kyungsoo took in the words but just smiled. "That bastard Jongin. What are you doing right now?" He wasn't really talking Baekhyun but to his husband, hoping he heard his worry.