Ryeowook ran. His lungs hurt, his legs felt like they were about to give in, his heart was racing so fast it was painful, but he ran. Anxiety, fear, and adrenaline pushed him, leaving him unable to stop until he pushed through the front door to their home, only halting at the ladder, almost collapsing over it.

He was panting, dizzy, his legs gave in. No. No! Kyuhyun was here. He was certain about it!

Ryeowook fought his way up, coughed, winced at the pain in his lungs, then pushed himself further. Up. Up! He had to get to Kyuhyun! Kyuhyun! Nothing else mattered in that moment!

He pulled himself over the top, fought himself back onto his legs and stumbled into the doorframe. Kyuhyun was there! He had been bent over the bed, but he turned around when Ryeowook finally managed to somewhat catch his breath.

“Kyuhyun, I…” Something about the other’s expression was weird… No matter, Ryeowook thought to himself and, taking a wobbly step into the room, spoke before his barely collected train of thought could dissipate, “I have to go back to Joseon. I know you said that I can’t see my family again, but if I don’t, a war will be started!”

“Okay.”

No questions?

“You and I will need to leave as soon as possible.”

Kyuhyun tilted his head a little as if trying to figure something out, but then he nodded. “Yes, I agree.”

Ryeowook frowned, his chest heaving a little less than before. “You… agree?” What kind of response was that? The feeling that something was fundamentally wrong sank heavy into his anxious heart, making his chest feel tight all over again.

“Yes. I too will leave.”

“Leave… to where? You’re not coming with me?”

A smirk played on Kyuhyun’s lips. “No, why would I?”

“What?” The word was barely a whisper. The floor seemed to slip from underneath Ryeowook’s feet and he stumbled back as if he had been hit, his back meeting the doorframe, leaning against it for support, the slight pain from the collision barely registering.

“Did you really think this would last ‘forever’?” Kyuhyun laughed in mockery and turned around, continuing what he had done before.

Ryeowook’s mind was spinning. What was happening? “Maybe not forever… but you said… you still said yesterday… and this morning…” … that you love me. He suddenly felt naïve for even just wanting to say those words. Had Kyuhyun just played with him? No, that couldn’t be! What about the past months? What about all their nightly talks? What about the tears, the nightmares, the conversations, the trust, the smiles?

“And you believed me? You’re truly no more than a child.”

Ryeowook shook his head, trying to get rid of the dizzy, lightheaded feeling and think more rational. But his country was about to go to war with China! He had to act now!

“Kyuhyun, this isn’t the right time for games. Please. You said we’d be in this together, you can’t leave me right now.”

“I said I’d stay by your side until you have everything figured out. Don’t you? You know how to feed, how to use your power, how to navigate as a vampire… What else do you need my guidance for?” Kyuhyun turned around and shouldered his bag in the same motion. “Now if you’ll excuse me? I’ll be leaving first.”

Ryeowook took a quick step to the side, blocking the doorway. “No, I will not excuse you!”

Kyuhyun came to a stand after a few steps, tilting his head to the side with a bored expression. “And what do you intend to do? Ah, you know what? I don’t even care. Either you move out of the way or…” He raised one hand and a small flame lit up over it instantly.

Ryeowook’s eyes widened and the blood froze in his veins. “You wouldn’t…” he whispered, unable to wrap his mind around what was happening.

“Try me.”

The smirk deepened, then Kyuhyun turned his wrist and a wall of fire shot forward.

Ryeowook jumped back and quickly moved to the side, but his sleeve still caught fire. Panic shot through him and he tried to beat the fire to make it stop. Why didn’t it stop? Why didn’t it stop! He wrestled his way out of his outer robe, halting for a heartbeat when Kyuhyun calmly stepped past him and left without even looking into his direction.

The scorching heat reminded Ryeowook of his more pressing problem and he finally finished taking off the robe, then he raced into the living room and let the lost piece of fabric fall into the fire pit, quickly taking a few steps back. He glanced at his skin that looked about as burned as it smelled, the sleeve of his undershirt only starting further up.

Kyuhyun had used his power against him.

Ryeowook took a few steps back but, not finding anything to sit on, simply sank to the ground, staring at the small fire in front of him.

Kyuhyun had used his power against him. The old, ever-mocking Kyuhyun was back, only that this time he wasn’t on Ryeowook’s side and his humor turned against Ryeowook. Kyuhyun had never raised his hand—let alone, his power!—against him. He had promised that he would never do that!

“Ryeowook!”

Ryeowook blinked, slowly raising his gaze from the embers—when had the fire gone out?—in time to find Heechul bursting through the door, his hair still open for his role as a fortune teller, a waft of incense surrounding him so strongly that it could be dizzying—Ryeowook hardly noticed it this time. The flowers and honey snacks that Ryeowook had dropped off with Heechul in his panic because Kyuhyun had disappeared were safely in the Heechul’s hand. Shortly behind him, Hangeng also entered, his normally calm face in turmoil.

A moment later, Heechul was already crouched down next to Ryeowook, placing the flowers and snacks off to the side, fussing over him, his speech rushed. “What happened to your arm? Where is Kyuhyun? Was he the one who did that to you? I swear, if that was Kyuhyun’s doing, I’ll find that little bastard and make him beg for his death!”

“Heechul,” a gentler voice interrupted and Ryeowook turned his head lightly, finding Hangeng standing beside him as well. The other held out a hand that Ryeowook could only stare at for a moment, trying to figure out which arm to lift before he finally managed to decide on his non-dominant, unhurt arm, allowing Hangeng to pull him up. “What happened here?”

Ryeowook shook his head lightly. “I don’t know. It was so strange. But I have to go.”

“What was strange? Where do you have to go?”

Ryeowook could only shake his head again, the memory of what had happened playing in his mind without him wanting it to. He tried to push it away and focus on the task at hand—on stopping a war from breaking out—but apparently, his mind was very determined that Kyuhyun’s strange behavior was the more important problem.

“Take a deep breath,” Heechul’s voice interrupted his thoughts. Ryeowook did as he was instructed, feeling so shaky that he wished he could sit down again. “Okay, now try to put it into an order. What happened today? Why do you think there will be war soon?”

“Our historian found me on the market. I shouldn’t have left Kyuhyun’s side, I—“

“No self-blaming in this house.” Heechul nodded towards the sitting area and Hangeng led them over. There, they made Ryeowook sit down once again, then Hangeng excused himself. “Okay, your historian—which historian, by the way?”

“From court.”

“He found you and then?”

“He said I have to come with him back to court. That he’s like me. He doesn’t want the throne, but he wants the recognition from my father that he’ll get for bringing me back. And he’s working with someone else… If I don’t come with him, he’ll send a messenger to announce that China is holding me hostage, which would start a war between these two countries…” Suddenly, another thought crossed his mind: if their historian was like him, then could this be the reason why he had never felt comfortable around him?

“Yes, that can absolutely be,” Heechul answered, taking Ryeowook’s healthy hand into his own. “But don’t go alone. Hannie and I are here for you. Now what happened with Kyuhyun?”

Ryeowook shook his head. “I don’t know… None of it makes sense…”

He tried to replay what had happened, showing Heechul everything through his memory instead of trying to put it into words. At one point, Hangeng pulled him out of this replay when he carefully put some towels drenched in cold water on Ryeowook’s hurt arm, making the younger one clench his teeth against the sudden pain that shot from his arm all through his entire body. Meanwhile, Heechul relayed the information he had gotten to Hangeng.

“It was the man in the red robes with silver embroideries, wasn’t it?”

Ryeowook nodded, blinked, then startled. “How do you know?”

“He came to me earlier today, asking about the fire artist who he heard would perform and asking for someone with your description, telling me that he’s looking for the Prince of Joseon who had been abducted. I told him that I have no idea what he’s talking about, but it was very obvious that he didn’t believe me. If he’s indeed a vampire and served at court, it’s not all that surprising why he asked me out of all people and why he refused to believe me,” Hangeng said, his voice calm despite the situation.

“Now what do we do? Kyuhyun is gone. And he was so strange! His behavior doesn’t make sense at all, he promised to never hurt me, especially not with his power!”

“What you showed me almost looks like someone brainwashed him.”

“Yes, it—“

Brainwashed. Manipulated. The historian was working with someone.

Kyuhyun’s sire!

No. No, that couldn’t be! The chances were way too slim! For what reason would the two have met and work together? How should they have figured out that they were most likely looking for the same people? What could possibly prompt them to cooperate?

“Ryeowook, I understand that you and Kyuhyun don’t want to talk about this, but… what about his sire?” Heechul asked carefully.

Ryeowook met his eyes. “Kyuhyun’s sire’s power is manipulation.” His voice was hardly more than a whisper, but he could see the instant understanding in Heechul’s eyes.

Heechul and Hangeng looked at each other and a long time of silence passed.

Kyuhyun had left. He had turned against him and left. His sire had most likely found him.

His worst nightmare had come true!

And now Kyuhyun wasn’t with him. And Ryeowook wasn’t with Kyuhyun! Just when he needed Kyuhyun the most. Just when Kyuhyun needed him the most!

But he had to meet the historian. He had to stop a war! He’d never be able to live with the knowledge that hundreds of people would get killed if he didn’t go back to Joseon with the historian!

But he also had to find Kyuhyun! They had to be together. Especially in this moment!

“Ryeowook,” Heechul’s voice was gentle but filled with determination. “Didn’t the historian say that he’s been working with someone? Did he say for how long he was or is working with that person?”

Ryeowook shook his head with a frown. “So you think that this isn’t it? That maybe… that maybe not only the historian plans to go back to Joseon with me…”

She loved to acquire things. And people.

What if…

Ryeowook’s eyes met Heechul’s, an immediate understanding flowing between them.

“We’ll come with you.”

Ryeowook quickly shook his head. “You can’t. The historian said that I have to come on my own, he won’t permit anyone else.”

Heechul shrugged. “Then we need a plan.”

☆ ☆ ☆

Ryeowook’s legs and lungs still hadn’t fully recovered from the long sprint earlier and the anxious feeling still hadn’t subsided. They had a plan. Heechul and Hangeng had forced him to feed until he was more satiated than he remembered ever having been before. And still…

What lay ahead of him? How was Kyuhyun doing? How fast would they meet again? What sick methods was Kyuhyun’s sire testing on him? How were they supposed to get Kyuhyun away from his sire for a second time? This time, she would certainly be even more prepared, so didn’t that mean that it would be basically impossible to get Kyuhyun away from her this time?

Kyuhyun…

Ryeowook’s heart ached at the thought of him, at each memory, and he couldn’t think of anything or anyone else. What did it matter what would happen to him, Kyuhyun would certainly be tortured in one way or another! So how could Ryeowook worry about himself?

“You came.”

He had already arrived?

Ryeowook met the historian’s gaze, but he kept his lips sealed tight. The historian bowed respectfully, as did the other people who were waiting behind him. Still behind them, a ship with the royal flag of Joseon was waiting for them to go aboard.

“My prince.” The historian bowed his head and motioned towards the ship.

Wretched hypocrite!

Ryeowook held his head high as he crossed the remaining distance, walked over the slightly wobbly plank and on the board, ignoring the other servants who were lined up, waiting for his arrival. The historian was shortly after him, leading the way inside and into one of the rooms there.

Ryeowook’s heart sank even further when he saw the precautions that had been met: the normal wooden bed had been exchanged to one made of steel and sturdy ropes had been prepared at the sides.

“I apologize, my prince, but I hope you understand that these precautions are necessary, especially taking in your nature.” The historian’s tone was as friendly as ever as he motioned towards the bed. Ryeowook placed his bag near the head end and didn’t protest when the historian tied his wrists to the bed poles. What use was his protest? He didn’t know how to fight, he couldn’t risk escaping anyway, and even if there was a slim chance for him to succeed against those odds, the historian was most certainly stronger and more skilled at fighting than he himself was and he couldn’t risk any bystanders seeing their fight. If only, Kyuhyun had been there… He would have known a way to get out of this situation…

With a kind message goodbye and to let the servants positioned outside the door know if Ryeowook needed anything, the historian left, closing the door behind himself. Outside, he instructed the servants not to go inside under any circumstance unless it was directly ordered by himself, giving some reason that Ryeowook did not bother listening to. Once it was quiet, he gave a light tug at the ropes that were uncomfortably tight, but they didn’t even move.

What about Kyuhyun? He was just as locked up, though most likely more mentally than physically, wasn’t he? Was he at least physically okay? What sick ways was his sire making up to torture him?

Outside, orders were called back and forth and eventually, the ship seemed to start moving. Faint light came through the wooden beams, its twilight draining the room of color.

This would be a long journey.

Brief heads-up: The next chapter will take a little longer again because I need to take care of some real life matters first.

Thank you to my lovely commenters! You guys really keep me motivated <3