The Escape

The Art of Fire

I love you.

I’m sorry.

That was all Ryeowook had left for his family, written neatly on a piece of parchment that rested on his desk.

He sat down on the bench where he and Kyuhyun had also met up the last few times. He felt a little nauseous and unspeakably weak, making him wonder how he was supposed to make it through a proper escape in this state. He had repacked his backpack a few times throughout the day and the final version still didn’t leave him satisfied, but he knew that there wasn’t anything else he could do about it. At least he had remembered to bring some extra food and his medicine, both of which were securely fastened in a scarf that he held in his arms.

The night air felt comfortably cool against his burning skin and Ryeowook wished that he could take off at least his black coat, but he knew better than to follow this desire.

“I really thought you wouldn’t come.”

Ryeowook flinched and quickly looked up at the silhouette that graciously stepped out of the darkness. “Me too,” he answered eventually, remaining seated. The rest of the night would cost him enough of his strength and energy, there was no need to unnecessarily spend himself already.

“You don’t look good.” Kyuhyun sounded careful, bringing a small smile to Ryeowook’s lips.

“I don’t feel good either. But that’s what I’m here for, isn’t it?”

After a brief moment, Kyuhyun nodded. “Are you ready?”

“Almost. I just have one more question: are you really a vampire?”

“You don’t believe me?”

Ryeowook looked away, his throat tight with conflict. “I want to, but… I used the time to read about vampires. You’re so… different.”

“So you want proof.”

“Is that too much to ask for?”

Ryeowook turned back to Kyuhyun and this time, he wished that it was daytime and that he were able to see the other’s face clearly, wanting to read in it. He tried to find answers in the other’s eyes, but way too soon, Kyuhyun looked away.

“Let’s get you out of this place first. If you still don’t believe me afterwards, feel free to run right back in. But our escape is the only proof I can offer you until we arrive at a sufficiently safe place.”

The young prince clenched his teeth, this not having been the answer he had expected. How could Kyuhyun turn down such a simple request? He had promised to give answers to everything, why didn’t he do it now?

He took a deep breath and pushed away the doubts and his learned need to question everything, then he rose to his feet. “Lead the way.”

Kyuhyun glanced at him, something like victory seeming to crossing over his face, then he turned around and went back into the direction he had come from. This time, Ryeowook followed him.

Too soon, they reached the end of the rose bushes and cherry trees. Ryeowook knew from memory that this was one of the places that had a comparably short distance to the outer wall—but still too far to cross it without being noticed. His heart sank at that realization and he felt like crying.

“Get on my back.”

“What?”

Kyuhyun crouched down and glanced over his shoulder. “Get on my back. You wouldn’t make it to the other side unseen, but I can.”

“Are you saying that you can even turn invisible?”

Kyuhyun let out a quiet chuckle. “You wish. I can’t turn invisible, but I can run fast enough. And believe me, I’m also strong enough to get both of us over the wall without problem.”

“You can’t possibly be serious.” Despite his words, Ryeowook found his heart beating faster with adrenaline and he took a step closer. Kyuhyun just smiled at him, so he hesitantly did as he was told, holding on tighter when Kyuhyun instructed him to.

“Good. And now whatever happens, hold on tight. Squeeze as much as you have to, but don’t you dare let go of me, okay? Close your eyes if that’ll make you feel more comfortable.”

Ryeowook could only nod. His heart hammered against his rib cage that was pressed to Kyuhyun’s back, the other’s closeness unexpected. A somewhat earthy scent filled his nose.

A trembling rose inside him and he held on to Kyuhyun even tighter to suppress it, taking a deep breath to prepare himself—

And suddenly, everything was a dark blur. Too fast. Impossible! Too light, too high!

And then, there were houses around him and somehow, they were standing. His heart and breath raced while his eyes were wide open, tearing from the speed at which they had just travelled.

“You can let go of me for now, you know?”

Ryeowook could only shake his head. Let go? How?

There it was again, that quiet, dark chuckle. “Do you believe me now?”

“What…”

How did letting go work again? Did he just have to think about letting go? No, his limps didn’t do anything.

Somehow, there was a hand that was much more skilled at coordinating his body and a moment later, Ryeowook found himself sinking to the ground, solely held up by that same hand in time before he could fall completely. With nothing left to hold on to, he couldn’t suppress the shivering that took over his entire body, making even his teeth chatter.

“Hey, are you alright?”

“I just need a... need a minute.”

Those gentle arms moved him a little more until Ryeowook was leaning against something, Kyuhyun sitting next to him. The prince pulled his legs closer, hugging the bundle with food that he was still holding, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

“What do you have in there?”

“Where?”

“There.” A hand appeared in his vision and patted the food package.

“Oh. Just some food. Rice. Kimchi. An apple. My medicine.”

“Did you bring some water?”

“Yes.” He vaguely remembered having put a bottle with water in his backpack. But was it still in there? “I think.”

“Okay. Then we’ll definitely get through the night. I will have to go into town on our way from time to time and still have some food that we can take along.”

“You have to go into town?” Sudden panic rose in Ryeowook and he finally turned to watch Kyuhyun who responded to his gaze calmly.

“Of course. I can’t have you starve, after all, and I too will have to feed. And using you for that when you will clearly need your strength obviously won’t work out. Are you ready to continue?”

Kyuhyun got up and held out a hand for Ryeowook who gladly took it, allowing the other to pull him up. His legs still felt a little weak and his stomach was doing funny things, but by that point, that was probably related in part to his disease and overall manageable.

“Remember, we have to be as quiet as possible now.”

Ryeowook nodded, suddenly wondering if they hadn’t already been too loud by talking, but before he could ask, Kyuhyun turned his back to him and started to walk. The prince followed closely behind, adrenaline clouding his fear once more. He tried to step as quietly as possible, but he could still hear his own steps—unlike Kyuhyun’s. How he wished to be able to walk just as quietly!

When they passed an alley that Kyuhyun had just vaguely glanced into, Ryeowook couldn’t help but look more properly, squinting into the darkness, afraid that he might find someone looking back at him—but everything remained quiet and unmoving. He looked ahead again, quickly catching up with Kyuhyun.

The shivering somehow still hadn’t stopped, so Ryeowook wrapped his coat a little tighter around himself. He listened into the darkness, trying to pick up the sounds of any soldiers patrolling. Wasn’t there something rustling towards his left?

He glanced into the direction but saw nothing, yet his heart was beating fast. Turning back to the front, he found Kyuhyun seemingly unworried, walking close to the houses’ walls, but doing nothing else that would indicate that he was escaping. With a prince!

Suddenly, Kyuhyun held up a hand and moved even further into the shadows. Ryeowook followed his example, at the same time stepping closer to Kyuhyun. He held his breath, but couldn’t hear anything aside from his fast-beating heart.

Was this the end of their escape? Was one of the guards close? Had that guard maybe already heard them? What should they do if they got caught? Did Kyuhyun have a plan for that, too? They couldn’t just outrun them, could they? No, the guard or guards would definitely alarm everyone else and any attempt to escape would be in vain!

They stood that way for endless seconds until Kyuhyun turned his head, a small movement that seemed huge after standing completely frozen. “Did you hear anything?” Kyuhyun whispered and Ryeowook shook his head lightly. “Good, then they didn’t hear us either.”

Despite his fear of being discovered, the prince was tempted to ask if there really had been anyone, but he remained silent. They were outside court, they had basically flown over the court walls. By that point, Kyuhyun could tell him that he came from a land where the trees were pink and the sun cast rainbows wherever it shown and Ryeowook would believe him.

“We’re getting close to the city wall. Behind it, there’s a short uncovered stretch that we’ll have to cross before I can let you down again, alright?”

Ryeowook merely nodded in response, yet he couldn’t help but think that this was probably better than expecting him to be able to run.

Kyuhyun continued to walk, but Ryeowook noticed that he seemed to be more tense than before. Was this just the next crucial part or the most crucial one?

He hurried to stay close to Kyuhyun, scanning the area whenever they crossed any streets, but still, he couldn’t see anyone. The occasional darkening of their surroundings when the moon was covered by clouds didn’t help either.

The city wall was almost right in front of them when Kyuhyun motioned for Ryeowook to stand still. Kyuhyun leaned his head back and looked into the sky, seeming to calculate something, before he waved Ryeowook closer and crouched down.

The prince climbed on Kyuhyun’s back, holding on tightly right away. “When the moon is covered again, we will leave.”

Ryeowook nodded, feeling strands of Kyuhyun’s hair brush against his face and the other’s tense body against his. Combined with the scent and the mere knowledge of their proximity, Ryeowook suddenly found himself questioning why he had been uncertain about his decision in the first place, but then he shooed those thoughts away with the reminder of his upbringing. How could he just exchange his family for this?

“Ready?” Kyuhyun whispered and Ryeowook felt his heart both sink and fly.

“Ready,” he confirmed and held on a little tighter, closing his eyes this time.

Kyuhyun rose to his feet, slowly still, took the first few steps, hesitated—then sprinted. Ryeowook felt like he was flying. Gravity pulled him down, yet Kyuhyun moved up, up, then a moment of weightlessness…

Ryeowook nearly lost his grip on Kyuhyun when they landed, but another hand held him in place, not giving him the slimmest chance to slide until they slowed down. The young prince opened his eyes to the gentle sound of rustling leaves, surprised to find himself in the forest that surrounded the capital.

Kyuhyun came to a stand and Ryeowook’s legs untangled themselves on their own, nearly giving in when he tried to stand. His arms and legs hurt from the exertion and one part of his upper arm where Kyuhyun had held him in place also felt a little sore. He hadn’t even realized how much strength Kyuhyun had apparently used to keep him secured in place.

Ryeowook turned around. The high walls that surrounded the capital rose high from the ground not too far away and the thought that he had just been on the other side him as sheer impossible.

“Is this a dream?”

“What makes you think that?”

If this wasn’t a dream, how was it possible that he was on the other side of the city walls? Without any protection? Of course, Kyuhyun was there, but… not his maids. Not any of the royal guards. No one who should be by his side was there.

“Nothing.”

Ryeowook turned around and found Kyuhyun looking back at him. A surge of excitement and adrenaline rushed through him and he couldn’t fight the smile that appeared on his lips. “We made it out.”

“Of course we did.”

“How often have you done this already?”

“In general or to the capital specifically?”

“Both?”

“Let’s go. We shouldn’t waste any time standing around.”

Ryeowook nodded, but he couldn’t resist one more glance back toward the city, wishing he could see more of it. With newfound resolution, he turned to Kyuhyun who led the way without needing any confirmation that Ryeowook was ready.

“So, for the capital… I can’t even count that. Every night that I came to see you, of course, but more often already after the spring festival ended and the city’s regular nightly curfew started.”

“Did I make you late because of the hospital?”

“Oh no, that’s not it at all. Helping out there meant that I wouldn’t have to sneak in but only out.”

“Hey!”

Kyuhyun laughed softly and something inside Ryeowook seemed to bloom at that sound, spreading through him with tender warmth. “Of course seeing you was also a very nice part of working at the hospital.”

Ryeowook huffed but didn’t resist when Kyuhyun’s fingers gently wrapped around his unbruised upper arm, helping him navigate in the near blackness that seemed to get darker the further they walked.

“How can you walk so unconcerned?”

“Don’t forget how many times I’ve already walked this path. I have better eyesight, better hearing… We’re creatures of the night, basically.”

“Huh? But you walk around so easily at daylight.” The passages that Ryeowook had read regarding vampires being unable to walk during sunlight rose in his memory, but Kyuhyun laughed them away.

“Oh yeah, it takes a short while at first, but sunlight is no problem for us. Right after we are turned, it will affect us strongly and it will seem too bright for our newly sharpened senses, the sounds during the day may also sound too overwhelming, but we all grow used to that eventually. Once the turning process is complete, we can walk around at night and at day, but nighttime will always be more comfortable.”

“How long does that take? I thought it would be short…”

“The core part is short and we’re not conscious during a good part of it. But it takes a few more weeks or months of adjusting to everything before we can fully fake being humans.”  

“A few weeks…”

“It may sound a bit long to you right now, but believe me, the time will pass in the blink of an eye.”

“And you’ll be with me.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t have offered this path to you if I wasn’t willing to support you and stay by your side.”

Ryeowook glanced up from the ground and at Kyuhyun’s face, wishing he could see more than a mere silhouette. Warmth spread through him and slowly, he was beginning to understand what this feeling meant.

 

 


A/N

Hello everyone! I hope you're doing well and staying healthy, especially in these trying times!

I know that I don't interact with you much, but I just want to let you know how much it motivates me to see your comments. Seeing you enjoy the story and get immersed in it so much that you give me feedback gives me the motivation that I need to keep on writing these days, because I know that there are people out there reading this, people whom these updates mean a lot to and who are looking forward to them.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you very much! I appreciate you.

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!
Evelyn-Everdeen
shortened A/N chpt. 31: Even though belatedly, I did my best to research a proper quote for Kyuhyun's fan that fits into the era where this story takes place. "Wherever you go, go with all your heart" is attributed to Confucius and will be used from now on

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
drunkbluestar
#1
Chapter 44: Hello, author. I was away from AFF for a few months and when I came back, the first thing that I noticed was The Art of Fire is completed. I rushed to read the last three chapters and as always, your writing never disappoints. I am very glad that Ryeowook and Kyuhyun got the happy ending that they deserves. Thank you for writing this amazing piece and finishes it neatly! A very beautiful story.
ElloryQueen
#2
Chapter 44: I finally got around to reading these last two chapters, and it was such a nice ending! I'm glad they were both able to find peace in themselves, or at least for the most part. Thank you for continuing this story until the end, it was worth it!
KagayakuHoshi #3
Chapter 44: Beautiful! I have loved this story from the beginning, I’m a little sad that it’s ended… but thank you so much for writing such an amazing story <3
yuinatsuko127 #4
lovely story!
the_fictitious
#5
Chapter 43: New beginnings....and wookie's other power maybe?
misspunky29
#6
Chapter 43: Awwwwwww am so happy we are slowly and nearly having Kyuhyun back!!!! But on the other hand, I think Ryeowook is still a bit afraid to tell what happened to him while Kyuhyun was manipulated by his sire. It will take time but am sure Kyu will be able to make Wookie speak about it(since English is not my first language, I may have misunderstood that part but I think Wook is still affected by what happend) And I soo want Hangeng and Heechul to stay with Kyu and Wookie !
ElloryQueen
#7
Chapter 42: This is so exciting! I really love stories where one of the love interests has to "fight" for the love of the other. I know it's not really the same, but it's going to be so interesting to watch Ryeowook thaw that frozen glare of his. Like it would be so sweet if this current Kyuhyun starts having feelings for Ryeowook more than protection, and that is what gives the old Kyuhyun the path to take control again.
misspunky29
#8
Chapter 42: Ohhhhh can't wait to see Ryeowook helping Kyuhyun so he could have control of his body again. Like Kyu is still there but the manipulation that Kyuhyun sire did is really deep it will take a while before we see the Kyuhyun that we all love
Katalex_
#9
Chapter 41: Huwaaaaa ryeowookieeeee😭😭😭😭
the_fictitious
#10
Chapter 41: Omooo andwaee!!! But you, unnie, how you make my heart break but keep me hooked enough to want more, the greed for more makes me consume in madness, yet still I wait patiently, like a madman in my head, for the next chapter :")