“It must indeed seem quite touching to you.”

Kyuhyun’s sire’s eyes went to Heechul, so icy that Ryeowook felt his heart freeze over and he tightened his grip on Jungsu’s hand, wishing he could squeeze it properly without having to be afraid to hurt his brother. Instead, he clenched his free hand as tightly as he could.

“And you are…?”

“Haven’t we already agreed that names aren’t of any importance today?” Her glare became even darker, but Heechul calmly continued talking, “After all, you haven’t revealed your name, your ashen friend there also has only been called by his profession, the royal family of course wouldn’t be called by name by an outsider…”

“Whatever. There’s no importance in knowing your name anyway,” she hissed, her eyes narrowing on Heechul with such a dark glare that Ryeowook feared Heechul might drop dead from the murderous intent. And who knew—with a power like hers, she might actually be able to do it!

“Ma’am, if his name is so important to you, why don’t you start with your name then?” Ryeowook asked and stepped forward, letting go of Jungsu’s hand in order to shield his brother. That same murderous glare hit Ryeowook and he instinctively reached for Heechul’s hand, grabbing his friend’s sleeve instead to keep himself from cowering under the glare.

Kyuhyun’s sire’s eyes followed his movement and suddenly, she laughed. “You’re such a child indeed. The youngest prince, shielded by everyone around you… From what I heard, even Kyuhyun-ah shielded you from our natural instincts—no wonder he couldn’t bear your company any longer. Who would willingly stay with such a baby?”

Actively avoiding the memory she was trying to trigger—how even did she know about that?—Ryeowook raised his eyebrows in feigned surprise, ignoring the anxious tremble that he felt on the inside. “A baby? I prefer being called a spoiled brat. Which reminds me! I was told that you and I have a thing in common: you and I always get what we want.” Letting go of Heechul’s sleeve, Ryeowook took another step closer to the fire, so close that the heat should have been uncomfortable, but it almost felt like those flames didn’t actually produce any heat, only comfortable warmth. “However, I do not intend to lose this status today. I am the youngest prince of Joseon, the spoiled brat who will get whatever he wants, no matter how ridiculous the wish and how unfitting for a prince.”

An urge to bow to her suddenly rose inside him, so overwhelming that his knees buckled and he only remained standing with great effort.

“Ma’am, if you wish to take over the royal family, you will first have to get past us,” Heechul’s voice came from slightly behind Ryeowook.

Kyuhyun’s sire’s lips curved into a grotesque smile, both evil and self-satisfied. “Maybe I do for the rest of the royal family. But not for this child.” Her hand darted forward and Ryeowook flinched, stumbling back, though he should have been too late, knew she would reach him. But she never got that far.

The flames roared higher, followed by the instant stench of burned flesh. Ryeowook’s knees went weak from an overwhelming surge of hunger, the vampire nature tearing at his insides with such violence that his vision shifted between red and black.

He bit down on the inside of his cheek, a different kind of pain and nausea adding to the dizzying need for blood. So many humans were around. So many better alternatives, so much easy prey! He had done it once, it would be so easy to do it again, to take what he deserved, to feed until the hunger was satisfied…

A hand pressed down on his wrist and Ryeowook’s knees buckled. He almost spat out the next heavy gulp of his own blood as he swayed, but somehow still stood, held up by someone. He came back to his senses and quickly glanced around to figure out where he had gone when the hunger had taken over and if he had missed anything important. The black and red robe in front of him revealed that the one holding him up wasn’t Heechul, and Jungsu was held in place there as well, looking back anxiously, but not allowed to approach.

Someone else screamed and Ryeowook turned his head, pressing himself closer to Hangeng—who else could hold him like this and know how to get him back under control so easily?—only to find Jihoon dropping his sword, the weapon landing with a too loud metallic noise. “How the hell?”

“The sword turned hot,” Hangeng muttered so quietly that only Ryeowook could hear him and he nodded in understanding, then frowned. ‘The sword turned hot’? What kind of sword just randomly turned hot? They weren’t that close to the fire anymore, so unless Jihoon had held it into the fire first, there was no reason why the sword should have become hot!

“How can this be?” the king mumbled in disbelief and Ryeowook glanced at him, but nothing much seemed to have happened on that side of the room. From the corners of his eyes, Ryeowook noticed that something had changed, though, and his eyes widened when he finally figured out what his father had referred to.

Kyuhyun’s sire was engulfed in a ring of fire, facing Kyuhyun, and only burned marks showed where the former wall of fire had separated the room. What kind of protective mechanism was that supposed to be?

“Your Highnesses,” Heechul suddenly spoke up and bowed towards the royal family, letting go of Jungsu as he did so, yet Ryeowook’s older brother seemed to be too stunned by Heechul’s change of behavior to react immediately. “If you do not mind, why don’t we take this conversation outside?”

“That rascal is still here, how can we leave!” Jeonghoon argued and sent a glare to Kyuhyun.

“I would love to get some fresh air.” Despite how casual his words sounded, a new wave of anxiety rushed through Ryeowook at the thought that this sounded like Heechul planned on leaving Kyuhyun and his sire alone in this room. How could this go well? Weren’t they setting themselves up for disaster? How could they leave Kyuhyun alone without any further protection! But Ryeowook also knew that Heechul probably had his reasons, probably knew more than the rest of them did, and he trusted Heechul to know what would be best in this moment. Hopefully, this wasn’t the wrong thing to do!

Putting on a relaxed act, Ryeowook squared his shoulders and, instead of minding the rest of his family, he turned towards Jungsu. “Hyung, will you come with me?”

Jungsu hesitated, then he nodded, but just as he took a step towards Ryeowook, Jihoon came forward and blocked the way. “Brother, don’t you see what they’re doing? How can you be so calm about these strangers? Look at how they brainwashed our youngest brother!”

Jungsu inclined his head and Ryeowook expected him to smile warmly, stunned when Jungsu’s expression remained serious. “I understand your worry. But right now, Ryeowook-ah must be my first priority.”

“How can you leave this situation!”

“Ryeowook-ah knows these people best—if he makes a decision in this matter, I will trust him.” Jungsu looked right into Jihoon’s eyes, then towards his other brothers and his father, before he turned towards Ryeowook. “Shall we go into the garden?”

Ryeowook’s eyes wavered, involuntarily going towards Kyuhyun as all the memories of their past meet-ups in the garden welled up inside him, but the other merely stared at his sire, his face tense. If only there was something Ryeowook could do to help!

“Let’s go,” Heechul said and started walking to the door.

Ryeowook turned away with a heavy, anxious heart and started walking as well. Jungsu caught up to him, but it wasn’t long before Jihoon pulled their brother to the very front, decisively leading the way. Once they were in the hallway, Ryeowook hung his head, not sensing his other brothers or his father following after them. Why had Heechul changed his mind so suddenly? Where did the urge to leave come from?

“Ryeowook?” Hangeng's nearly toneless voice came from next to him.

“Hm?”

“Where can you feed?”

Ryeowook raised his head to look at Hangeng, then he shook his head. “I—“

“No. I won’t risk it.”

Ryeowook opened his mouth to protest, yet no words came out and he eventually just closed his mouth again. Behind them, a number of footsteps revealed that at least some, maybe all of Ryeowook’s family were following after them and a glance ahead told Ryeowook that they were actually kind of close to one of the exits. So wasn’t this the last chance they had for who knew how long?

He nodded towards the next door down the hallway and just a few steps later, the two of them sneaked into the room: a study with countless scrolls lying scattered around the place as if someone had been interrupted in the middle of doing their research.

“Hyung, what about—“

“Don’t worry about anything else right now. Heechul is certain about what he’s doing—if he is, things must not be awful for us. Feed for now, we’ll see how we’ll handle everything else afterwards.”

But this was about Kyuhyun! Kyuhyun was in that other room, alone with his sire! Who knew what could happen! She had snatched Kyuhyun away from Ryeowook in a matter of seconds, they had been gone for even longer than that already! What if she used this chance of having gotten rid of all the vampires and forced Kyuhyun under her manipulation again, exerting even more power than before?

The arm that was bared and almost shoved into his face didn’t allow Ryeowook to think about this matter as the ever-present hunger rose inside him, rejoicing at the chance to finally have a willing prey, even if it wasn’t human. Ryeowook suddenly felt a little awkward, but he stepped closer to Hangeng and let his fangs grow, doing his best to be gentle as he took Hangeng’s arm, raised it to his mouth and started to feed. He almost moaned at the taste of the blood and his eyes closed on their own. Finally! His! Nothing to stop him! Fresh blood!

All care was forgotten as he drank faster, the warm red liquid bringing relief while also making Ryeowook realize just how hungry he was. He needed more. He needed all of it! Everything!

A slight pull on the arm made him hold on even tighter. No. His!

There was another pull, followed by a voice with an urgent undertone, “Ryeowook, stop.”

No! He—

Wait. Yes. Yes! He had to stop! That voice. That wasn’t the voice that usually commanded him to stop, but he still had to listen to it. He had to!

Another pull on the arm followed and while Ryeowook’s first instinct was to hold on even tighter, he managed to let go and finally pull back. He heard a slight wince and guilt immediately dropped in his stomach while he almost choked on the last mouthful of blood, the movement too sudden for him to swallow properly. He had acted too fast, too careless, too—

“We have to go.”

Ryeowook wasn’t even given the chance to take in those words before he was grabbed by his upper arm and pulled along. He wiped over his mouth with the inner part of his sleeve, grimacing when he realized just how messily he had fed. He had become so good at feeding, how could those few days of starvation have pushed him back to the beginning of his feeding journey!

A loud noise followed by a heat wave brought Ryeowook back to reality and he glanced over his shoulder. His body froze. Behind them, the conference hall collapsed in flames, the fire latching on to the wooden walls hungrily.

No. Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun was still in there!

He was pulled away. No. No! Kyuhyun!!!

Fresh air hit his face and another pair of hands pulled him back, holding him tightly even when he struggled, unable to break free once again. “Kyuhyun! KYUHYUN!!”

As if by a burst of energy, the fire suddenly took over the entire building, followed by a deafening noise as the entire roof collapsed. He had to get in there. Kyuhyun! Kyuhyun was still in there! What if he needed help?

But who could possibly survive a burning roof crashing down on them?

The thought was quiet, but it made Ryeowook’s world stop, its echo ringing through him. The ground under his feet swayed, then gave in and he fell and fell…

Kyuhyun… No… That couldn’t be… Kyuhyun couldn’t be gone… He was the master of fire… He could survive this, right? Right?

One pair of hands let go of him and Ryeowook vaguely felt a new set of hands holding him, yet seeming so very far away, like they were touching him through a hundred layers of clothes.

Kyuhyun…

People were yelling from far away, their voices barely registering in Ryeowook’s mind. None of them were the one voice he was longing to hear, the voice he had barely heard that day because she had been talking all the time, she, that stupid…

But wasn’t she dead as well? So hadn’t she succeeded? Kyuhyun would be with her forever.

“Kim Ryeowook! Park Jungsu! Get away from those people right this instance!”

“I will not leave Ryeowook alone! Can’t you see that he needs us right now? He doesn’t need your lectures, Father, he needs to rest!”

“He returns and that wandering dog sets part of my palace on fire! He will get lectures however I see fit.”

“Cho Kyuhyun.” Ryeowook had barely raised his voice, yet he could feel all eyes turning to him right away. He fought his way back into a standing position and fixed his eyes on his father with a deep, bottomless hatred. “His name is Cho Kyuhyun, not ‘wandering dog’.”

The king stayed uncharacteristically quiet and Ryeowook thought that he could see some form of fear and respect in his eyes. He shook off Jungsu and Heechul from his sides, raising his chin a little higher. “My king, with this day, I am defecting from my role as the youngest prince of Joseon.”

“Don’t be silly.” Nervous laughter made the king’s voice tremble, but Ryeowook’s eyes stayed cold, his heart frozen over.

“I’m not silly. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t return to court: I have become like sahakja-nim, I’m sure you understand what I mean, don’t you?”

All the blood drained from the king’s face and he stumbled back a few steps. “How? How could you…”

“How do you think I survived a lethal disease? I should have died half a year ago, so whether I’m here or not shouldn’t make a difference anymore.”

“Ryeowook, what do you mean, you’re like our historian?” Donghae asked, but neither Ryeowook nor his father answered him, merely staring at each other.

Another part of the building next to them collapsed under the fire and that overwhelming sadness came knocking on Ryeowook’s numbed heart. He swallowed hard against it and lowered his head, unable to uphold his icy glare. “I only have one last request from my king: let me go. Let all of us go. I assure you that you will never have to hear from us again.”

“Ryeowook—“

Two people gasped and from the corners of his eyes, Ryeowook noticed something that made his head shoot up and turn towards the burning building. A silhouette was unmistakably moving and Ryeowook felt hot, then cold, weak from relief, then fear. He glanced at Heechul and Hangeng who looked relaxed and he immediately wanted to cry.

Hangeng met his eyes and flashed him an apologetic smile. “We tried to tell you, but I don’t think you could hear us,” he explained in a low voice.

Ryeowook turned back to the fire, immediately stepping closer to it now that he had the certainty that this person had to be Kyuhyun, but he came to a stop after just a few steps. Kyuhyun had hardly reacted to him in the great hall, yet he had apparently turned against his sire who had been manipulating him. What state was Kyuhyun in? Whose side was he on? Or could it even be that his sire was also alive, had she maybe fled into the other direction?

“Father, there’s someone in the building! We have to save them!” Donghae exclaimed.

“It’s too late, my son. There’s no way for that person to come out of the fire—and no way for any of the guards to go in without dying.”

Oh, so suddenly ordinary citizens were important? Ryeowook clenched his teeth to keep himself from saying that out loud, swallowing the bitter feelings.

“But father, we can’t just stand by and watch! We have to—“

Donghae’s protest stopped when the fire parted and Kyuhyun walked out slowly, eyes immediately assessing the situation. Ryeowook clenched his fists to keep himself from running up to Kyuhyun and hugging him, wanting to pretend like everything was normal and good—but things were far from normal.

This time when their eyes met, the icy coldness from before seemed to be missing and hope immediately flared up inside Ryeowook. Had Kyuhyun just been pretending? Was he actually himself? But no, that wasn’t right, he should already be by Ryeowook’s side if he wasn’t being manipulated, so what was going on?

Kyuhyun stepped down from the burning building slowly, the flames closing behind him. Something was off about the way he was walking, but Ryeowook couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was and Kyuhyun’s carefully schooled expression revealed nothing.

The guards who had to have joined them when they escaped the burning building finally started to move and tried to corner Kyuhyun, but a murderous glare kept them at a distance, though they continued to circle him. With neither haste nor worry, Kyuhyun approached Ryeowook who held his breath, eyes fixed on the fire artist, wishing and praying to all the deities that Kyuhyun would recognize him, react to him, finally show that he was okay! Maybe the manipulation had fallen off him when his sire had died? If she had died? What would he give to have Heechul’s or Hangeng’s power in that moment!

Without making eye contact, Kyuhyun walked right past Ryeowook, then came to a stand close to him, his achingly familiar scent making Ryeowook’s knees weak with relief. Was it normal for someone’s knees to become week so often in just a single day?

The guards circled all four vampires and Jungsu and Ryeowook frowned in confusion, taking a step to the side and lightly touching Kyuhyun’s arm to get his attention, jumping when he was flicked off and shoved back behind Kyuhyun.

What was he supposed to make of that? Was Kyuhyun trying to protect him? Kidnap him? Do with him all the things that his sire had planned? Shield him? What was this supposed to be?

Distressed, Ryeowook looked at Heechul and Hangeng, hoping to get answers, but the other two were a lot more focused on Kyuhyun, not sparing Ryeowook a single glance. If even they needed time to assess the situation, just how difficult had things become?

“Guards, seize them!” the king commanded and yet no one moved.

“But father, Jungsu-hyung and Ryeowook-ah are with them,” Hyukjae voiced out carefully.

“If they’re colluding, they must be seized as well.”

“No.” Jungsu’s voice was calm, yet determined. “I am still supporting you, Father, but I cannot turn my back against Ryeowook-ah either. So I’m asking you to let him and his friends go. If leaving is the better opportunity for him, then so be it. He said himself that he will make sure not to return and not to stay nearby; he also would never betray us. So please let them go.”

“Yes, father,” the twins joined in. “Ryeowook-ah always just spent all his free time at the hospital anyway, he was never planned to succeed the throne and never wanted to do so either. So where’s the harm in letting him go? He’ll live happily wherever he is.”

“He also won’t annoy you during big decisions anymore and you can freely do what you see as right without having someone argue with you.”

Thanks, hyungs. Ryeowook grimaced inwardly when all his negative traits that he had displayed in court were brought up, but he made a submissive expression on the outside. He once again tried to step past Kyuhyun, catching the other’s arm when he was almost shoved back again. “Let me do this. Trust me,” he said gently and smiled at Kyuhyun, merely receiving a glare in response. But when he tried to step past Kyuhyun again, he wasn’t held back.

Ryeowook only walked forward a few steps until he stood right between Kyuhyun and the guards, then he sank to his knees and kowtowed before his father, momentarily grimacing when he realized how much his knees hurt after having spent hours in that position. “My king, I humbly ask for your permission for us to leave the country. I promise on my name and my royal status that I will not appear before you, his Highnesses, the Queen, or any descendants, nor will I betray the crown or make a move for it. I promise that I will keep my loyalty by not mentioning my origins or anything related to them and only praise this country upon being asked if my king allows me. I am begging for your permission to leave as my life depends on it.” Were there any more strings he could pull to convince his father? What else might he want to hear to let them go? Or shouldn’t his status of being the (former) youngest prince of Joseon and the fact that his father had already lectured him for such a long time be enough to be granted permission?

The silence heavily weighed down on him, but he didn’t dare to move even his pinky, only listening to a few feet shuffling, to breathing, to the rustling of clothes and leaves when a light wind ran through them, to the crackling of the fire…

“Scram.”

Ryeowook closed his eyes, feeling both light with relief and heavy from the final farewell that had to take place under such unfortunate circumstances.

“Scram and never show yourself again. You will get half a day to leave, if we still find you, you will pay with your lives. All of you.”

“Father—“ Jungsu started to protest, but Ryeowook cut him off.

“Understood, my king. Thank you for your mercy.”

“And leave the court’s jewelry. Rise, then scram.”

“Yes, my king.”

Ryeowook sat up and calmly started to undo all the accessories that the servants had so carefully put on him earlier, feeling a little lighter with each piece that came off. After the first few pieces, someone approached him from behind and started to work on the pins in his hair, hands shaking a little. It was only when even the last piece had come off, that Ryeowook rose to his feet and smiled at his brother. “Thank you, your Highness.” He bowed his head respectfully as it was expected of him from his new status.

“Ryeowook-ah—“

Ryeowook shook his head, briefly meeting Jungsu’s eyes with a warm smile, then he went back to Kyuhyun’s side, ignoring the other’s murderous glare that was fixed on Jungsu.

“Ryeowook-ah, catch!” Hyukjae called out and Ryeowook spun around just in time to find a small bundle flying towards him. He reached out to catch it, but another arm darted before him, catching the object with a metallic clang, feeling it briefly, then handing it over. Ryeowook took it, finally recognizing it as Hyukjae’s money pouch that was well filled.

“Thank you, your Highness,” he called back and bowed his head again before turning to the fire artist by his side. “Thank you for catching it, Kyuhyun,” he added quietly, then started to walk, putting the money pouch into a pocket on the inside of his robes.

The guards surrounded the four vampires as they left, one of them staying behind to keep Jungsu from also following. It was only when they reached the exit of the court that an opening was formed and they were given permission to leave court grounds, entering right into a crowd of people who most likely wanted to find out why there was smoke coming out of court. Ryeowook grabbed the fabric of his sleeves to keep himself from looking back and to stop the new wave of anxiety that washed through him from showing, wishing he could take Kyuhyun’s hand instead, but after the initial reaction, he had a feeling that this type of physical contact would not be appreciated.

For the sake of upholding his family’s reputation, Ryeowook raised his head and kept his expression neutral. The people around them made space on their own, turning eerily quiet as the four vampires passed, and Ryeowook had a strong feeling that Kyuhyun was the main reason for this. Even though he did pity the people who were most likely subject to Kyuhyun’s icy glare, Ryeowook was also grateful that it made their exit so much easier.

Hyung, do we have an escape plan? he thought once they had left behind the crowd of on-lookers

Heechul glanced over his shoulder and nodded, then he looked up into the sky. “We should hurry a little, though, I think. Do any of you know a short-cut to the harbor?”

“The roofs.” Kyuhyun’s voice was cold, like he could barely tolerate having to side with Heechul and Hangeng, but neither man seemed to mind it, only glancing at each other, then suddenly turning around a corner. After making sure that no one was nearby, Heechul was the first to leap up and Ryeowook could hardly refrain from letting his mouth hang open. Kyuhyun had climbed and jumped over walls with him, of course it should be no problem for any of them to jump on buildings! And yet… Wasn’t that too high?

“Ryeowook, do you want me to wait and help you if you can’t get up on your own?” Hangeng offered in a gentle voice.

“No. You get up first,” Kyuhyun ordered, his tone becoming even icier than before.

“Kyuhyun, you’re—“

“I don’t care.”

Kyuhyun’s and Hangeng’s eyes met and Ryeowook could almost feel the air between them become static, so he quickly raised his hands. “It’s okay, I can try to go up right now. I’m a vampire now, too, so I can surely do it, right?” He had absolutely no idea if he could really do it or how much strength he’d need to make it to the top of the roof safely, but if necessary, Heechul was already up there—and had looked very gracious as he leaped up.

“No, you—“

Not listening to Kyuhyun’s protest, Ryeowook took a run-up and jumped. For a moment, he felt like he was weightless, flying, and yet… He wasn’t high enough! He had still underestimated how much strength he’d need!

Just as that realization sank in, someone suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled, catching him when one of Ryeowook’s feet got hooked on the ledge of the roof, making him stumble. Just moments later, two dark shadows landed on either side of them, one a little more graceful than the other. Ryeowook immediately turned towards Kyuhyun, worried when he saw the other stumble, one of his arms twitching before he carefully put on his icy act again.

“What’s—“

“Go,” Kyuhyun cut him off, leading the way this time.

Ryeowook glanced at Heechul and Hangeng, but the latter merely shook his head and nodded into the direction that Kyuhyun was heading into. Ryeowook’s worries grew and the certainty implemented itself that something was definitely wrong. What had happened in the short time that Kyuhyun and his sire had been alone? This looked like something a lot more fundamentally wrong than just exhaustion from probably using his power too much.

Ryeowook followed along, though, by far not as steady as the other three since he wasn’t used to this kind of terrain and still couldn’t quite figure out how much strength to use for his jumps and when even a single step might be enough to cross from one roof to the next.

Somehow, they seemed to indeed get close to the harbor without being seen. Then again, who would constantly watch the roofs to see if people were running on them? On second thought, Ryeowook realized that it wasn’t even all that strange that no one seemed to take notice of them.

They slowed down and Ryeowook properly caught up to Kyuhyun, a little surprised to find Heechul and Hangeng keeping a slight distance. Should he also not stay this close to Kyuhyun? Were the other two holding a grudge? Was him staying so close to Kyuhyun dangerous?

His worries were interrupted when Kyuhyun suddenly jumped down, so Ryeowook followed, much more clumsily than Kyuhyun, barely keeping himself from falling. Heechul and Hangeng also jumped down, looking a lot more graceful, and Ryeowook sulked a little. He was the prince, he should be the one looking graceful!

Heechul took over the lead and they hurried through the narrow alleyways until the harbor opened in front of them, people going on about their daily activities until they stopped to stare at the four men. Ryeowook glanced at Kyuhyun by his side every so often, grateful that the harbor wasn’t too crowded, but still Kyuhyun’s gaze seemed to grow even darker and more tense. And maybe Ryeowook was mistaken, but couldn’t he smell Kyuhyun’s blood a little too strongly? Or maybe a lot too strongly?

“We’re running late,” Heechul announced from the front and sped up even more, not allowing Ryeowook to dwell on his thoughts as he instead had to keep up with Heechul while keeping up a human act and not accidentally moving at vampire speed while also dodging the people around them.

Not too far ahead of them, Ryeowook spotted a ship with a royal flag and his blood ran cold at the memory of that small cabin that he had forcefully occupied during his stay on that ship, but he quickly pushed all the thoughts away, not allowing himself to think them, to remember them, to feel them.

Even though they were only running at human pace, Ryeowook slowly felt exhaustion seeping into his body, starting at his legs and his lungs and he mentally cursed the fact that he was anything but athletic. He should definitely make it a goal to move a lot more whenever they settled down again—and, while he was at it, he should probably also put an effort into testing his abilities properly!

But that wasn’t important just then!

Finally, Heechul slowed down, but he was still walking rather fast, glancing over his shoulder. “Ryeowook, are you ready to pull the royalty-card if necessary?”

Ryeowook nodded, trying to catch his breath and ignore the sharp pain in his sides. “Wait, what?”

“We might need a little bonus to get on the ship.”

“Oh, I see… Where are we going to?” And why did it have to be a ship? Of course the answer was obvious, but Ryeowook felt slight nausea settle in his stomach at the thought of stepping on a ship again so quickly.

“Shanghai—if we manage to get on that ship over there.” Heechul nodded towards a rather large ship not too far away, a ship that its sailors were currently untying from the dock. With the speed at which they were working…

“Shouldn’t we hurry even more?”

“How can I risk you looking as out of breath as you are? Wouldn’t that seem very unprincely?”

Ryeowook nodded, unable to argue further since Heechul seemed to have thought everything through well enough. But at the same time, he watched the sailors and their routine movements, unable to help the thought that they might not be able to get on that ship. The thought evoked a mix of fear and relief and Ryeowook reminded himself that he wasn’t on his own this time: Kyuhyun, Heechul, and Hangeng were by his side, they would certainly make sure that nothing happened to him!

Heechul jogged a little further, but since Hangeng remained calm, Ryeowook also continued to walk, watching and listening as Heechul called out to two sailors who were just arriving at the gangplank. “Gentlemen! Please wait a moment, will you?” The two sailors glanced at Heechul, but then didn’t pay him any further mind. “Gentlemen, please wait with pulling up the gangplank. My friends and I would like to journey with you.”

The sailors finally looked at him, but they didn’t stop their work immediately. “We don’t take passengers.”

“If you let us on, we will pay you well. We can also help work.”

“What can you work? Look at you, do you have any experience on the sea?”

“I do. I grew up on the sea, I know how to help.”

Surprised at this new information, Ryeowook glanced at Hangeng, but the other’s expression didn’t reveal whether Heechul was saying the truth or just making something up on the spot.

“Anyway, we don’t need any useless hands! If we did, our team would be full of women.” The two sailors laughed and Ryeowook’s expression darkened, suddenly much more inclined to just miss that ship and look for a different option.

“It’s fine if you don’t need the hands, but how about the money? If you let us journey with you, we can provide you with currency for Hanyang or Shanghai—whichever you prefer.”

The two sailors looked at each other, seeming to waver in their firm response, before they made up their mind. “We’ll ask our captain about it!” one of them said, his expression triumphant as if he had just come up with a masterplan.

“I’d rather have one of you two stay,” Heechul replied and their expressions immediately fell, growing unwilling.

“How important do you think you and your friends are that you can order us around like that?”

“I’d like to think of myself as important enough,” Ryeowook replied calmly when he was finally in human earshot, his head held high, his walk slowed to give off a more princely air.

The two sailors turned towards him and their jaws almost hit the floor as they stared, giving Ryeowook a sense of satisfaction. Maybe he didn’t wear any jewelry, but his clothes were still luxurious enough to make his position clear.

Not sparing those two a further glance, he turned towards Heechul, putting on the same arrogant air that many royals and high officials had. “What’s taking so long? I thought I was clear in my instructions?”

Heechul’s eyes twinkled with amusement even though he kept his expression neutral in every other way, bowing his head. “I apologize, your Highness. These two gentlemen wouldn’t believe me when I explained that I came on your order.” Not that he had ever actually said such a thing…

Ryeowook kept an amused smile off his face and instead ran his eyes up and down the two sailors, raising an eyebrow in dissatisfaction. “Gentlemen, you say—yet I see nothing gentleman-like about them.”

“Y-your Highness! We beg your pardon! Of course his Highness and his servants may travel with our humble selves! We will arrange the best rooms for you and your company!” the sailor who had been speaking to Heechul before was quick to assure Ryeowook, shooing his colleague away.

“With how you disregarded my servant, I’m not sure if I am willing to take this cheap option anymore.”

“Your Highness! Your Highness! It would be an honor if you could travel with us! We will assure you that our journey will not be lacking in any regard! We will provide you with the best food and the best entertainment!”

“I’m not looking for entertainment; I’d rather you leave me alone.”

“That too, that too! Your Highness, we, your subordinates, will do whatever you ask of us!”

Ryeowook gave a curt nod and turned to Heechul who got the signal and boarded the ship first. Kyuhyun was next and when he turned to the sailor, the poor man quickly scrambled away from the gangplank. Ryeowook was the next one who crossed the gangplank, momentarily afraid to misstep and fall, but then he was already on the other side, accepting Heechul’s hand as he stepped over the threshold, making room for Hangeng.

“Your Highnesses, please follow me,” the sailor said and hurriedly, almost clumsily in his apparent fear, made his way to the open door that led to the inside of the ship.

Halfway there, the captain met them, kowtowing before Ryeowook, unbeknownst making the former prince feel conflicted. “Your Highness! I apologize for my men’s rudeness! Thank you for wishing to take on this journey on our humble ship! We will be at your service at any time and we will assure you that we will do our utmost best to guarantee you a smooth and comfortable journey!”

“Please rise, captain. I only wish to be roomed for the time being; everything else can be taken care of tomorrow,” Ryeowook said decisively.

“Yes, your Highness!” The captain rose and ordered the sailor who had remained by his side to hurry inside and make sure that all the preparations were finished as quickly as possible.

Heechul took over the conversation, giving Ryeowook the chance to study Kyuhyun calmly for the first time since they had left the great hall. Kyuhyun still wore that icy cold expression, keeping everyone around them at a distance, but Ryeowook could also spot signs of exhaustion on the other’s tense face. And there was one more fact that he couldn’t ignore any longer: the scent of the other’s blood was too strong. He ran his eyes over Kyuhyun’s body, but he couldn’t spot any obvious injuries. Except—

“Please follow me.”

The hint of understanding settled in Ryeowook as he turned away, feeling Kyuhyun’s eyes on him but ignoring it. The four of them were led inside and towards the left where the captain explained something about the rooms, yet Ryeowook could only half-listen, his mind preoccupied. When he suddenly had to pick one of the rooms, he simply picked the one that seemed less smelly, catching an explanation that the other room that had been demanded would be ready soon, maybe they’d even be able to clear two rooms, then the four vampires were finally left alone.

“How will we divide the rooms?” Ryeowook asked, his eyes going back to Heechul. Somehow, he and Kyuhyun were standing in the middle of the room while Heechul and Hangeng stayed by the door, once again keeping a distance that kept on confusing Ryeowook. What was wrong?

“Naturally, Kyuhyun will stay with you. If things go well, Hangeng and I will get a room at a slight distance to give all of us some privacy.”

Ryeowook nodded lightly. “Thank you for taking care of all this, hyung.”

“You’re welcome.” Heechul sent him a warm and comforting smile. The thought crossed Ryeowook’s mind that he should probably ask about the details for their upcoming journey, but wasn’t it obvious? They were now leaving for Shanghai, then they would probably stop in Wuhan again before Ryeowook and Kyuhyun would indeed leave on their own, just like they had said they would.

A deep sadness filled him at that thought and he glanced at Kyuhyun, unsure what to do with this situation, where to go for help or reassurance, how to plan on if he didn’t even know how Kyuhyun was really doing, what was going on with his sire’s manipulation, how or if it would resolve…

“Ryeowook-ah?” Ryeowook looked back at Heechul who still wore that comforting expression that suddenly made Ryeowook want to break down, seek shelter in a warm, secure hug… “You did great out there with your royal act.”

“Thank you, hyung.”

Heechul inclined his head a little, then he turned towards Hangeng. “I think you and I should leave now, get settled, rest properly for a few hours… What do you think?”

Hangeng nodded, but Ryeowook immediately felt even worse. “I’m sorry for troubling both of you so much during these past few days.”

Hangeng shook his head. “Don’t worry, Ryeowook. Just rest well tonight.”

Ryeowook nodded and watched them leave, then he turned back to Kyuhyun. Their eyes met: one pair filled with concern, the other cold and exhausted, maybe even a little confused. Where was his Kyuhyun, the one who would look at him with warmth and love? Was he really in there somewhere?

“May I take a look at your wound?”

As if hit by a fist, Kyuhyun took a quick step back, eyes turning hostile, and one arm briefly rose to cover his stomach before he seemed to realize what he had done and let the hand drop. Ryeowook’s eyes darted down and this time, he was certain that he could see a slightly discolored patch on those black robes. They really shouldn’t have left Kyuhyun alone with his sire!

“Please? I won’t hurt you, I promise.” Ryeowook stepped closer to Kyuhyun who immediately backed up even further until his back hit the wall, but strangely, he still didn’t say a word. Had his sire even messed with his speech, had she given him orders to only speak when it was absolutely necessary? Had she hurt him for speaking? Or was it just a precaution that Kyuhyun himself had adopted? Or maybe he just didn’t think it necessary to talk to any of them?

Ryeowook raised his hands, hoping to seem less threatening as he took another step closer. Kyuhyun shoved his arm between them, flames shooting out, dancing over his hand, making Ryeowook come to an abrupt halt. And yet, the gesture somehow reminded him of a hurt animal, cornered, growling but not attacking, giving him a glimpse of hope.

“Did you forget? I’m a healer and worked in the capital’s hospital for long enough that I know a thing or two about treating wounds. I can help you if you let me,” he tried again, keeping his voice gentle while he took a step closer, then another. He was so close to the fire that he could feel its heat, watch Kyuhyun’s eyes growing wide, his flat, fast breathing... Ryeowook slowly moved one of his hands, intending to try pushing Kyuhyun’s hand out of the way, but right when he was about to touch Kyuhyun’s arm, Kyuhyun pulled it back, the fire going out at the same time, eyes narrowing into a glare all over again. But this was progress, right?

“Will you take off the robe yourself or should I?”

“I don’t want you touching me.”

“Well, I won’t stop pestering you until I can tend to your wound.”

“Get lost.”

“No. You’re hurt. Let me tend to your wound first, then I’ll keep my distance however you like, but I refuse to let you keep on bleeding.” For all it was worth, he didn’t even know if vampires could bleed to death! Though, taking into consideration for how long Kyuhyun had kept going with a wound to the stomach, he had either been stabbed so well that no vital organs had been hurt and he wasn’t bleeding too profusely, or a vampire’s body was just a lot more resilient than a human’s. “Please, Kyuhyun. I understand that this is probably difficult to you, but I promise that I won’t hurt you and I promise that I will stop pestering you after you let me tend to your wound. And I will not make any weird moves to abuse this situation.”

“Why should I believe you? Because of you, Min-noona is dead—she hated you from the bottom of her heart, so why should I believe that you were standing opposite her but not me,” Kyuhyun hissed, voice dripping with hatred.

Min-noona? His sire? Shouldn’t Kyuhyun address her differently? But also, if she was dead, then… Had the real Kyuhyun been able to take the reigns for long enough to kill her? Was he even shielding Ryeowook in this moment, making sure that the fire powers wouldn’t be unleashed against him?

“Think about it—I neither know how to fight, nor do I have a harmful power.” Kyuhyun’s eyes narrowed on him even more, so Ryeowook was quick to add, “And I also don’t plan to make any kind of ual move on you. No matter how much I treasure you—or the person in you—, I will not make a move on you against your will. Consent, remember? You showed me time and time again how important it is by living it and respecting my boundaries; I will not overstep yours either. The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to tend to your wound.”

“How do you ‘heal’?”

Had she wiped all of the memories that connected them? No, Kyuhyun did remember him, so it seemed like she had mainly altered them, maybe erased some of them… Would they come back if the manipulation faded?

“It’s like… I’m giving you energy. You always—“

“Stop saying ‘you’!”

“Fine. He always said that it feels like a warm energy kind of… Flowing? And doing its job and then the wounds are gone?”

“What if you infuse harmful energy into me?”

Hadn’t this Kyuhyun listened earlier? “I can’t do that. I can only give you healing energy.”

“Then what if you take energy from me?”

“I can’t do that either?” Or at least he had never tried it, but it was certainly something he should pay a mind to in the future, if such a thing was possible! Maybe if everyone had this kind of energy, he could use the person’s own healing energy and guide it to the wound to help speed up the healing process? Then again, that kind of thinking was probably utopia, and this was definitely not a moment to try it out!

“Why should I believe you?”

“Because you mean too much to me. You, the Kyuhyun that might be hidden inside you, your body, too… I have no reason to harm you because harming you would only bring me greater harm.”

Ryeowook held Kyuhyun’s hostile gaze, didn’t look away even when his heart was breaking that this glare was directed at him, even when his mind tried to recall all the things Kyuhyun had just said to make him feel even worse, reminding him that he might not be able to help anyway, that this one wasn’t his Kyuhyun but the version that his sire had created…

“If you dare to make a wrong move, you’re dead. And everyone on this ship with you.”

Ryeowook nodded, fear sparking through him before he could suppress it, reasoning that Kyuhyun wouldn’t hurt him, that things would surely go well—they just had to! And he didn’t plan on making a move on Kyuhyun anyway, so there should be no need to be afraid.

Very slowly, Kyuhyun moved his hands and untied his sash, eyes fixed on Ryeowook who looked back at him. Kyuhyun simply let the sash fall, then he slowly took off his outer robe, his face twitching when he probably moved the wrong way. The outer robe also gathered on the ground and Kyuhyun carefully opened his undershirt as well, wincing when he removed the inner part.

Ryeowook clenched his teeth, resisting the immediate urge to touch Kyuhyun to find ways to relieve him of his pain, then he finally lowered his gaze. A sword wound glared at him, so deep that Ryeowook feared it had gone through all the way.

Kyuhyun swayed a little and Ryeowook instantly felt bad for just having stared for so long. “Let’s sit down.” Without waiting for an answer, he took one of Kyuhyun’s hand and sat down, pulling on the hand, surprised when Kyuhyun complied without any further protest. Just how much pain was he in? And how much pain had he been in this entire time?

With both of them sitting, Kyuhyun leaning against the wall in his back, Ryeowook let go of his hand and looked up once more, noticing the other’s exhausted and pained expression and a few drops of sweat. “I will put one of my hands near your wound because it’s easiest for me to heal it then, okay?”

“Just get it over with!” Kyuhyun hissed through gritted teeth.

Ryeowook nodded and turned his attention back to the wound. He very gently rested his fingers as close to the wound as he dared, but Kyuhyun still flinched, followed by a groan. Ryeowook pushed away the guilt that immediately rose inside him as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, thinking about the wound that he had just seen, then imagined it closing, first the parts deep inside, then slowly moving to the outside. Simultaneously, he transmitted a warm and steady flow of energy.

Exhaustion overcame him quickly, but he kept going, the scent of blood still too strong for the wound to have healed. He nevertheless peeked at the wound and his mental image shattered: absolutely nothing had changed! Was he doing this wrong? But wasn’t this the method that had worked all this time?

He gritted his teeth and ignored the exhaustion as he closed his eyes again, focusing once more of the mental image of the wound versus how he wanted that spot to look, imagining his energy fixing the wound. The ever-present hunger stirred inside him in a slight complaint of the overboard energy-usage paired with too few recent feeding sessions, especially ones that had stilled the hunger, but Ryeowook ignored this as well.

When the fatigue became almost overwhelming, he opened his eyes again, blinking a few times until he could focus on the wound. Hadn’t the bleeding become less? And couldn’t he see something in the wound, something that… that… he didn’t know what exactly it was, but it definitely had a lot more structure than before and looked a lot more whole.

But he was still so far from done!

He clenched his free hand against the wooden floor, unsure when exactly he had started using it as support, and this time stared at the wound. He couldn’t stop. He had to continue! He had to finish this! He could do it!

With new-found strength, he continued to let his energy flow into Kyuhyun, watching as the wound very slowly closed and everything inside regenerated itself, a somewhat cruel and fascinating sight. Ryeowook focused only on what he saw, letting it amaze him in its newness and strangeness.

Coldness seeped into him, starting from his feet and his free hand and slowly moving up, but he couldn’t pay it any mind as he watched the wound close. He could do this! He was getting there! The results became clearer and clearer! Yes. Yes!

His head started spinning and he couldn’t tell whether the ground starting swaying because of the dizziness or because they were on a ship and were leaving the harbor, but it also seemed irrelevant as he watched the wound finally close all the way.

Ryeowook raised his gaze to meet Kyuhyun’s eyes, faced with a range of emotions of which he could name none in that moment. “Now I’ll stop pestering you. I promise,” he whispered with a smile, letting his hand drop with great effort.

When he moved to get up, the floor seemed to open beneath him and he fell into black, velvet unconsciousness.