“Donghae!” Heechul shouted. The prince rides past him, fluttering his hair and clothes.

When Donghae realized that Eunhyuk was nowhere in the safe house, he immediately got to his horse and rode away. He knows that some of them followed him, but he did not care.

~

He touches the wall, searching for some kind of leverage to get himself up, but it is smooth. He tries the gate, the knobs, anything. He finally finds something, and he steps on it. He almost slips, but his bad arm grabs ahold of something. With a loud yelp, he uses it to lift himself up. He keeps telling himself to keep going. Don’t stop. Keep climbing. Each labored breathing equals a foot higher from the ground.

“Look! That’s Eunhyuk!”

The people cheered. Eunhyuk shakes his head from the vertigo.

“Eunhyuk! Eunhyuk!”

He makes it to one of the guards’ lookout, and he climbs over. He lands unceremoniously on the floor. He feels uneasy by the absence of soldiers or guards.

Eunhyuk forces himself up. He does not believe he is invincible. Behind him, the king’s army stood rigidly under the sun’s wrath. He forces himself up, and ducks when an arrow whizzes past his ear.

“Stop!” He shouts at the soldiers. “I’m on your side!”

He shows his face to the people. Then he takes off his shirt, and unwrapped the bandages on his wound.

He never felt so alone in his life. Standing here, facing this many people.

“Listen to me!” He calls to the people. He wasn’t even sure what to say yet.

Heechul was right. The people will listen to him.

He turns his back to the audience and points at his wounds. Then Eunhyuk faces them again.

“You are all here to seek a better future,” Eunhyuk begins. “I know what you have been going through. I was there with all of you. I stole from the rich to help out, but we all knew things would not change without doing anything.”

The people are all ears.

“In the recent months, I have the privilege of meeting our prince,” Eunhyuk continues. He hates how his voice is resonating, but he continues to strain his throat. “Lee Donghae, the next person to be king, is not like his father. He cares deeply for all of you, and wants to change this kingdom for the better.”

The people are starting to murmur.

“Please don’t think I betrayed you.” Eunhyuk swallows. In the very back, he thinks he sees Donghae’s familiar face. “I still very much despise the current king, but Donghae is different. He is kind, brave, smart. He is all the things this kingdom needs. So please, in honor of me, lend your support to him. Back him up, and he will raise all of you.”

The people are cheering now.

“Long live the Crown Prince!” Eunhyuk shouts, raising his fist in the air. He feels his heart soar.

“Long live the Crown Prince! Long live the Crown Prince!”

Lee Donghae, I did it, Eunhyuk rejoices in his mind. I did it. And I love you.

He spots Donghae in the crowd and smiles at him widely. He points at him, and the crowd lifts him up above their heads. Donghae laughs happily, his head tilted back to watch the sky.

Then he feels his world turn upside down. There is screaming, and suddenly he sees the beautiful blue sky.