A/N: Sorry to keep everyone waiting, I hope you don't hate me too much for the last chapter! But I really hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think :)
As always, comments and feedback are much appreciated.

Edit: Little side note here because I didn't realise until I looked back while working on a future chapter, this chapter ended up being 21 pages long. I don't tend to post chapters as long as this so I hope you enjoy the longer length! xD

The short walk from the portal to the palace felt like the longest walk of Leeteuk’s life. He had never been to the dark realm before and what should have been a visit filled with wonder and curiosity, was instead filled with fear, sadness and worry. He glanced at the guard ahead of him and tears fell from his eyes. The main guard was silent as he carried Kyuhyun’s lifeless body in his arms. Kyuhyun’s arms were crossed over his stomach and his head rested comfortably against the guard's shoulder. To people around them the prince’s current condition could have been passed off as a state of unconsciousness, but the lack of colour in Kyuhyun’s skin, matched with the blood and his rather obvious wounds, proved otherwise.
A total of three guards surrounded the angel, with a fourth guard carrying the young prince home. The three guards surrounding Leeteuk remained unfazed once they had realised the angel posed no threat to them or the realm, they lead him silently towards the palace with no restraints or bindings but kept a close eye on him just in case he were to suddenly try anything. But Leeteuk was the furthest from a threat that he could be. The bite mark on his neck left by Kyuhyun had stopped bleeding but had left a dark red stain on the angel’s sweater. He was weak, exhausted and heartbroken from seeing Kyuhyun in the state he was in and nothing in his mind was telling him to resist any of the guards. Besides, he needed to see the king. As they approached the palace every person they passed, both vampire and demon alike, dropped to one knee and bowed their head in respect for the prince. Though nothing had yet been announced of Kyuhyun’s death the people of the dark realm were quick to figure out something was wrong.

In the meeting room, King Kim, Heechul, Hangeng and a small selection of guards waited anxiously for the guards to return. They had been notified that Kyuhyun had been found and that he had several injuries but they had yet to inform the King of the young prince’s death, choosing to announce it in person out of respect. Junsu entered the room quietly from the side door, giving the king a small smile before he took a seat on one of the chairs by the window. Heechul paced up and down in an attempt to calm himself but everybody in the room could see the frustration and anger on his face. When the doors to the room opened Heechul stopped suddenly and everybody looked up, frowning when one of the guards stationed at the door stepped into the room. The king stood from his seat and gave the guard a small nod to speak.
“My lord, the guards have returned,” He said bleakly before he bowed his head and stepped aside.
The room was silent as the main guard carrying Kyuhyun stepped into the room with his head lowered and when he finally looked up toward King Kim and Heechul he frowned.
“I am sorry my lord. We were too late to save him” he muttered hopelessly. King Kim’s eyes widened and tears began to fill them as he stepped closer and motioned to lay Kyuhyun down. The guard nodded and knelt down before laying Kyuhyun down carefully on the soft rug.
“How?” King Kim asked in a shaky voice and the guard shook his head.
“I’m not completely sure. We got to him too late, he was already gone.”
“No!” Came Heechul’s voice from behind his father and when the king turned around Heechul had dropped to his knees, his face wet with tears. “He can’t be dead. He’s my little brother.” Hangeng silently wrapped his arms around Heechul’s shoulders and hugged him tightly but when Heechul suddenly broke free and stood up, Hangeng stood up before he silently left the room. “Who did it? I’m going to kill them!”
“There was an angel with him. He hasn't said much since we found them, we don’t know what happened.” The guard muttered as he rested Kyuhyun’s hands on his stomach before he stood up and bowed his head. After a couple of moments, the rest of the guards entered the room and Heechul’s eyes widened when Leeteuk was led into the room. “We also found this, my lord,” the guard spoke softly and pulled out the blood-stained knife, making Junsu tense in his seat.
“I don’t understand” King Kim muttered as he took the knife and inspected it silently. Heechul walked forward and stood beside Kyuhyun’s body before he looked towards Leeteuk.
“Leeteuk, what happened?” he asked and Leeteuk shook his head as he blinked tears from his eyes. “Guards, this man is Kyuhyun’s fiancé. I don’t know what happened but Leeteuk would never harm my brother, let alone kill him. He is no threat and shouldn’t be treated as such. Leeteuk please, we need to know what happened.”
Leeteuk looked at Heechul sadly as he walked past the guards and over to Kyuhyun. Heechul walked over to meet him, sensing how weak he was before he wrapped an arm around the angel’s waist in time for the older man’s legs to give way beneath him. Leeteuk gave Heechul a small smile in thanks and when they were standing beside Kyuhyun, Leeteuk dropped to his knees and moved Kyuhyun’s head to rest on his legs.

The king looked on in confusion as Leeteuk ran his fingers through Kyuhyun’s hair before he signalled silently for Junsu to come over.
“I can find out what happened, my lord. I’ll get him to talk” Junsu said with a smirk but when he approached Leeteuk, the angel cradled Kyuhyun close to his chest and shook his head.
“You stay the hell away from us. You did this! You monster!” Leeteuk cried out and before Junsu could take another step Heechul was standing protectively between them, his fists clenched by his side and his fangs bared.
“Junsu, what does he mean by that?” Heechul growled as his tail thrashed behind him and before anybody could move or speak Heechul raised his fist and punched Junsu hard in the face, knocking him to the floor. “If you did this, I’m going to kill you!”
“Heechul stop!” King Kim shouted and looked between Junsu and Heechul before he looked at Leeteuk. “Guards, leave us. Nobody is to enter this room or leave unless I say so, do you understand?” he asked and the guards bowed their heads before leaving the room and closing the doors behind themselves.

A few minutes passed and King Kim looked down at Junsu. Junsu’s lip was split open from where Heechul punched him but the blond remained calm in front of his brother.
“Junsu, don’t move. I’ll deal with you later” He muttered before he walked over to where Leeteuk and Heechul were kneeling with Kyuhyun. Leeteuk was silent once again but his tears were an obvious sign that Kyuhyun’s death had nothing to do with him.
“Leeteuk, talk to us. What happened?” Heechul asked quietly as he reached out to take Kyuhyun’s hand, holding it tightly. Kyuhyun’s hand was cold, stained red with his blood, and gave no resistance to Heechul’s tight hold. Leeteuk leaned down to press a kiss to Kyuhyun’s forehead before he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“It was Junsu and Jaejoong. They drugged us and whatever it was may have taken away Kyuhyun’s demon abilities for good, he’s not healing... The knife the guards found belongs to Junsu. He had it spelled so it would hurt Kyuhyun more than it could hurt anybody else” he mumbled as he ran his fingers parallel to the cut on the younger man’s cheek before he rested his hand over the stab wound on Kyuhyun’s abdomen “He kept us tied up, tortured Kyuhyun, made him feed on me and then…” he paused as a fresh wave of tears fell from his eyes. Heechul looked up towards the king and the king frowned as he glanced towards Junsu, who was still sitting on the floor but now had a small twisted smile playing on his lips. “I have to tell you something, but I'm going to need that knife.”
“Why?” King Kim asked and Leeteuk smiled slightly.
“That’s the thing, if Junsu was smart he would have figured out that something wasn’t right before he left us. He spent too long talking and not enough time making sure he finished what he started. Kyuhyun isn’t dead, but he’s running out of time.” Heechul looked at Leeteuk in confusion before he checked Kyuhyun’s wrist for a pulse and frowned when he couldn’t find one. “I know, it’s confusing but please, you need to trust me. It was all Kyuhyun’s idea, he used his magic, and if I can bring him back I will explain everything once he is out of danger. He’s running out of time, if I don’t do this now we really will lose him. Please, my Lord, I’m begging you.”

Without another word, King Kim handed the knife to Leeteuk before he took a step backwards and took a seat on one of the chairs. Leeteuk exhaled slowly and raised the knife to his wrist. Heechul raised an eyebrow when he noticed the skin on the angel’s wrists were covered with dark purple bruises and small cuts from where the handcuffs had cut into his skin, and when Leeteuk ran the knife over his wrist Heechul frowned.
“Is that a good idea?” He mumbled softly but when Leeteuk lowered his wrist to Kyuhyun’s slightly parted lips Heechul narrowed his eyes.
“Come on Kyuhyun, you've rested enough, I need you to wake up now” Leeteuk cooed but Kyuhyun remained still.
“Don’t you think this is all a little pointless?” Junsu asked as he sat on the floor further across the room with his arms wrapped around his knees, watching the interaction before he rolled his eyes. “Your precious prince is dead. He’s not coming back.”
“You were stupid enough to leave us alone when we were both awake, we had time to plan for every eventuality. You don’t know the half of Kyuhyun’s power” Leeteuk hummed in an almost mocking tone making Heechul smile proudly despite the situation. “Kyuhyun-ah, open your eyes baby. Come back to me.”

After a couple of minutes, Leeteuk frowned but before he could give up hope completely he felt Kyuhyun’s lips close around his wrist and he let out a relieved sigh when the younger man finally began to drink.
“I.. I don’t understand. What just happened?” Heechul asked as he let out a surprised laugh when Kyuhyun’s fingers gently closed around his hand and Leeteuk smiled.
“I’ll explain later, I promise. I don’t feel comfortable explaining it with him here” he spoke quietly as he motioned towards Junsu who was sitting across the room with his eyes fixed on Kyuhyun.
“Junsu. Do you care to explain yourself?” King Kim asked as he stood and walked over to stand closer to Junsu, but when Junsu shrugged and leaned back on his hands the king frowned.
“Not really. Leeteuk can explain later because I’m sure you’ll believe him over me, regardless of what I say” he replied boredly and King Kim looked down at his brother sadly.
“What happened to you? You are my brother but I barely recognise you anymore”
“Your love for him makes you soft, brother. I embrace who I am, I'm not ashamed of it”
“I am not ashamed of who I am and I am not ashamed of Kyuhyun. If my love for either of my sons makes me soft then I will gladly embrace that. I would rather be soft than heartless, especially towards my family.”

Leeteuk ran his fingers gently through Kyuhyun’s hair as the younger slowly drank. Heechul remained silent as he held onto his brother’s hand, his gentle grip helped to reassure the older prince that his brother was alive but very weak. When Kyuhyun finally stopped drinking and began to open his eyes Leeteuk let out a small sigh of relief.
“Hey, welcome back” He whispered, earning a small smile from the younger.
“What happened?” Kyuhyun mumbled as he moved his hand to the knife wound on his stomach, wincing at the pain. Leeteuk frowned and leaned down to kiss Kyuhyun’s head.
“Your plan worked. But don’t you ever think about doing anything like that again, especially without me to help you. This was a one-time thing, I’m not losing you again.” Heechul squeezed Kyuhyun’s hand tightly and blinked tears from his eyes before poking his brother’s cheek gently.
“I agree with Leeteuk. I don’t know exactly what happened or how you did that but if you do it again, I'll kill you” he pouted and Kyuhyun laughed, but when his laugh turned into a cough Leeteuk carefully moved the younger to sit up before he coughed again.
“Take it easy, Kyu. And Heechul, don’t make him laugh!” Leeteuk frowned. Kyuhyun smiled and wrapped an arm around his stomach.
“I’m okay. Help me up?” he asked as he looked up at Leeteuk but despite the angel disagreeing with Kyuhyun being on his feet already, he gave a small nod of his head.
“Be careful, you shouldn’t be moving around” He spoke softly and shifted to wrap Kyuhyun’s arm around his shoulders before helping the younger to his feet.
“I don’t think either of you should be moving around” Heechul frowned. Kyuhyun let out a pained groan when he moved and he clutched his stomach as fresh blood began to soak through his already bloodied top, further staining his fingers with his blood.

King Kim watched Kyuhyun carefully from the moment he opened his eyes to the moment that Leeteuk helped him stand. He wasn’t sure what had happened between Kyuhyun, Leeteuk and Junsu and he wasn’t sure how Kyuhyun was alive but one thing he knew for certain was that he was grateful for Leeteuk being there.
“Guards!” King Kim called out and the door to the meeting hall opened before one of the king's guards stepped inside with a small bow.
“Yes, my lord?” he asked but when he looked towards Kyuhyun his eyes widened in surprise “Prince Kyuhyun, you’re alive!” he exclaimed.
“Unfortunately” Junsu grumbled under his breath but everyone in the room heard what he had said. King Kim frowned and turned to his guard.
“Go and fetch ZhouMi, now! Tell him it’s urgent. As of right now, the palace is on lockdown. Nobody is allowed in or out without my permission! And if Jaejoong steps foot in this realm, kill him where he stands!”
“Right away my lord” The guard nodded and bowed his head before making his way back out of the room. Kyuhyun staggered over to where Junsu was sitting on the floor as Leeteuk supported the majority of his weight. There was a small trail of blood being left behind as he walked as the blood dripped from his fingers and onto the floor. The concern was obvious on Leeteuk’s face and when they stopped close to Junsu the older demon smirked and stood up.
“My lord, you really are remarkable… but you don’t look so good” he spoke softly in a mocking tone and Kyuhyun couldn’t help but smile. He pulled his arm free of Leeteuk’s grip and moved it from around the angel’s shoulders so he was standing on his own but when he swayed on his feet Leeteuk frowned and held onto the younger’s arm gently.
“I’m going to make you regret everything you’ve done to hurt Leeteuk and I. And for what you did to my mother” Kyuhyun growled as he bared his fangs to Junsu, who simply rolled his eyes.
“Look at you, you’re barely standing and you think that you can threaten me?” Junsu laughed and stepped forward but before he could take a second step he froze on the spot.
“Even like this I'm stronger than you” Kyuhyun snarled and Junsu let out a pained whimper before he dropped to his knees clutching his head. Heechul watched from the side of the room and couldn’t help but smile when he realised what was happening. Both the king and the older prince had witnessed this power on the day that Kyuhyun’s light magic had manifested but unlike that day, when several guards died, Heechul was in no rush to stop his brother from hurting Junsu and as conflicted as he was, neither was the king.
“What are you… How?” Junsu gasped but when a sudden burst of pain shot down his spine he screamed. Kyuhyun smirked as he focused on the older demon, his eyes glowing a pale shade of blue.
“You see, uncle, you aren’t the only one who can inflict pain. The difference is, I don’t need to rely on a knife.” Junsu looked up at his brother pleadingly but King Kim only sighed.
“I’m sorry Junsu but you brought this on yourself.” Upon hearing his father's words Kyuhyun smiled before he focused the rest of his energy on Junsu. The older demon cried out in pain one last time before he fell silent as the pain became too much and he lost consciousness.
King Kim walked over to Junsu and knelt beside his brother before he checked for a pulse and let out a small sigh.
“Is he dead?” Heechul asked and when the king shook his head Heechul couldn’t help but frown. “Shame. Come on Kyuhyun, we need to get you to ZhouMi, you’re bleeding pretty bad. You too Leeteuk.” Leeteuk glanced at Heechul and, noticing the angel’s confusion, Heechul smiled. “ZhouMi is our medical chief. He’s taken care of Kyuhyun his whole life. He’s the best at what he does so you don’t need to worry”
“Good. Kyuhyun, baby, lean on me” Leeteuk smiled but he frowned when Kyuhyun failed to respond. Kyuhyun closed his eyes and clutched his stomach tightly. The wound on his stomach was bleeding heavily again and blood began to pool at his feet as a result. The events of the past week had taken a heavy toll on the young prince and the amount of blood he had lost as well as the amount of energy he had used via his light magic left him exhausted.
“Give me a minute” Kyuhyun mumbled quietly. He swayed a little on his feet and finally stepped forward but before anybody could react or speak another word, Kyuhyun collapsed to the floor.

****

Conflicting reports of Kyuhyun’s death quickly spread throughout the realms. From the moment the young prince was carried through Abaddon to the Palace, demon's fled into the human realm to spread the word of the prince's demise. Without waiting for an official word from King Kim, and the palace, many demons scattered and word spread of an incident that had resulted in Kyuhyun’s death. Some rumours that were spread involved a fabricated story that an angel killed the young prince but no matter how many rumours were spread, they all ended the same way. Prince Kyuhyun was dead.
Through these rushed reactions word soon reached the Palace in Araqiel, devastating Emperor Lee and Sungmin as they waited to hear anything about Leeteuk and Kyuhyun’s whereabouts.
A short time later new rumours and stories had begun to circulate throughout the realms, contradicting the previous rumours of Kyuhyun’s death. Both Emperor Lee and Sungmin had tried countless times to get into contact with Leeteuk or Kyuhyun, in an attempt to discover the young princes’ fate, but the lack of reply from both men did little to settle their minds.

****

Hangeng walked slowly through the human realm with his head down and his hands in his pockets. It was raining heavily and the young man's clothes were dripping as he walked but he couldn’t find it in him to care. After the guards had returned to the palace in Abaddon nobody had expected to discover that Kyuhyun would be dead. Hangeng had left the palace without a word when Heechul had pushed away from him. He may have been Heechul’s boyfriend, and the palace his home for several years, but he didn’t feel like he had the right to be there in that moment. Kyuhyun had become like a brother to him in recent years, despite his low standing within the palace the young prince always treated him like a real person instead of someone who was only around to serve the palace.
As he walked he found himself on the familiar street close to Kyuhyun’s apartment and when he wrapped his fingers around the keys in his pocket he sighed. A flash of lightning lit up the sky and Hangeng frowned before deciding to take shelter in Kyuhyun’s apartment until the worst of the storm had passed. He opened the main doors and headed for the elevator before pressing the button for the floor he needed. He was thankful for the building being quiet and nobody being around in that moment as he exited the elevator and made his way to Kyuhyun’s door. After turning the key in the lock Hangeng’s hand hesitated on the handle before he finally opened the door and stepped inside.

It had been a few days since Hangeng and Heechul had been to Kyuhyun’s apartment and discovered that something was wrong. Hangeng’s stomach turned when he remembered his reaction to the damage in Kyuhyun’s apartment. He didn’t believe Heechul when he had expressed concern over his brother’s welfare and a wave of guilt washed over him as he walked through to the living room. The rain had hidden the tears falling from his eyes but now the rain had stopped he had become aware of his tears.
“I’m sorry, Kyuhyun. Please forgive me” He whispered to himself before he took off his soaked jacket and left it on the floor. He looked around the apartment and frowned but as he bent down to begin picking up the items off the floor, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

To: Hangeng
From: Heechul
Message: Hannie where are you? You need to come home. I can’t explain right now but Kyuhyun is alive. Call me when you get this!

Hangeng blinked in confusion as he read Heechul’s message and he perched on the end of the sofa as he hit call and raised the phone to his ear.
“Heechul, what do you mean Kyuhyun is alive? I saw him, we saw him” Hangeng mumbled when Heechul answered the phone. When he spoke his voice broke but he ignored it and wiped his eyes.
“He used his magic and Leeteuk’s blood brought him back. Leeteuk will explain everything soon. Hannie, I’m sorry I pushed you away earlier, please just come home.” Heechul pleaded before Leeteuk’s voice in the background took his attention away from the call for a moment. “Kyuhyun is in surgery, he’s critical but ZhouMi is positive that he will pull through.”
“How is Leeteuk holding up? I’m at their apartment right now, the rain here is bad so I came to wait it out. I’ll bring some of their things when I come back”
“He’s a mess, he won’t admit it but I can see it on his face. Get home as soon as you can, I don’t like dealing with this without you by my side”
“I’ll be home as soon as possible, I promise. Tell Leeteuk to stay strong, if ZhouMi says that Kyuhyun will be okay, he’ll be okay. I’ll let you get back, I'll see you soon.”
Without another word, they ended the call and Hangeng slipped his phone back into his pocket. He didn’t know how Kyuhyun was alive but he wasn’t going to question it for a second, it was the best possible outcome and the young man counted it as a blessing.
Hangeng stood from the sofa and pushed the bookcase up into its normal position before he picked up the items scattered around the floor and set them back down on the shelves. He carefully picked up the photo frame of Kyuhyun and Leeteuk and put it down on the table as he made a mental note to replace the broken glass and frame before Kyuhyun and Leeteuk came home. He spent around ten minutes tidying up the living room of the apartment but when he remembered the wine on the rug he frowned.
“I hope they didn’t like that rug” He grumbled to himself, deciding he didn’t have time to attempt to get the stain out before he returned to the palace. He reached down and picked up the two halves of Kyuhyun’s glasses and frowned. “Need to make sure he has some before he wakes up” he mumbled. Hangeng looked around the apartment quickly in an attempt to find Leeteuk’s phone but instead found Kyuhyun’s phone on the floor in the living room. He slipped Kyuhyun’s phone into his pocket as he made his way into the bedroom and grabbed a bag before he packed some clothes for both Kyuhyun and Leeteuk, along with any essential items they might need while they were away from home. He noticed Kyuhyun’s necklace laying on drawers beside the mirror and he walked over and secured it safely around his neck. As he was about to leave the bedroom he caught sight of Leeteuk’s phone on the nightstand.
“Ah, there you are” he hummed and leaned over to slip it into the bag with the rest of their things.

The apartment looked tidier by the time Hangeng was leaving to return to the palace but it wasn’t yet ready to be lived in again. He walked over and picked up the blanket thrown over the sofa before he raised an eyebrow at the book hidden underneath. He knew just by looking at it that the book wasn’t from the human realm. It looked magical and otherworldly. Hangeng recognised the inscription on the side to be in the ancient scripture from Araqiel and after a moment or two he set down the now-folded blanket and picked up the book.
“They might need this” He put the book safely into the bag and gave a small nod. “I’ll come back later and finish cleaning this mess up” Hangeng hummed to himself as he looked around and swung the bag onto his shoulders before he looked out of the window, smiling to himself when he noticed the rain had begun to let up. He left his jacket in the apartment and grabbed the umbrella from beside the door before heading out and back to the palace.

****

Leeteuk was curled up on a chair in the waiting room of the medical wing of the palace as Heechul paced back and forth anxiously. Not long after Kyuhyun had collapsed ZhouMi had arrived in the meeting room with a team of his best clinicians. After checking Kyuhyun over they discovered he was bleeding internally and wasted no time in rushing the young prince into surgery, fearing his injuries could worsen if left for too long.

Three hours passed before ZhouMi finally stepped out of the operating room and by then King Kim had joined his oldest son and Leeteuk in the waiting room. Leeteuk was sleeping but when he heard Heechul speak ZhouMi’s name his eyes snapped open and he sat up before a wave of dizziness hit him.
“How is he? Can I go and see him?” Leeteuk asked as soon as ZhouMi came into view but ZhouMi only smiled and shook his head softly.
“Not just yet I am afraid. We stopped the bleeding and tended to the rest of his wounds but even though he is stable right now, the next couple of hours are critical. I want to keep him sedated for now. I know if he is awake he will try to move around too much and could tear his sutures. You can see him shortly when he is out of recovery.” ZhouMi spoke softly and Leeteuk nodded. One of the main things Leeteuk noticed about ZhouMi, aside from the man’s tall and slender frame, was the way he spoke. The older man articulated each word he spoke perfectly, unlike the majority of others in the dark realm.
“My lord, I have to speak with you about Kyuhyun’s injuries. Can we please speak privately?” ZhouMi asked as he stepped closer to the king but before he could speak, Heechul spoke.
“ZhouMi, whatever you have to say to my father you can say in front of Leeteuk and I. I imagine Leeteuk already knows what you’re going to say anyway…” Heechul sighed as he shared a glance with Leeteuk, who simply frowned.
“Heechul is right” King Kim sighed before he took a seat “You can speak freely.”

ZhouMi let out a sigh as he pulled one of the chairs to sit opposite King Kim, Leeteuk and Heechul. Leeteuk was sat with his legs pulled up with his arms wrapped tightly around them.
“Kyuhyun has several substantial injuries. The knife wound to his abdomen was the worst. The knife had pierced his liver. It had clotted but when Kyuhyun moved around, the clot moved which caused the internal bleeding, but” ZhouMi paused before scratching the back of his neck “My lord, Kyuhyun has a bite to his neck and it isn’t small. The size of the puncture wounds suggest a large amount of force was used”
“Junsu bit him. Fed from him” Leeteuk spoke in a quiet voice and Heechul’s hands balled into fists.
“I’m going to ing kill him” He growled as he stood up and King Kim frowned.
“Heechul, sit down, let ZhouMi finish” He warned and Heechul let out a heavy sigh before he sat back down and ZhouMi continued.
“He has a large cut on his forearm and a cut to his cheek that I can only assume are a result of Junsu’s knife. His wrists are bruised, he has a large cut on his lip and scratches on his neck opposite to the bite. Whatever Junsu’s reasoning behind this, he made sure to inflict a lot of pain and damage on Kyuhyun.” ZhouMi looked towards Leeteuk and frowned sadly. Leeteuk was resting his chin on his knees, his eyes were closed as a stream of tears flowed freely down his cheeks.
“Also, my lord... After taking a look at Kyuhyun’s CT and MRI scans I detected two small dark areas of his brain around his motor cortex and cerebellum”
“Brain damage?” King Kim asked and ZhouMi nodded.
“There is a possibility, yes. But we will not know to what extent until he wakes up”
“He didn’t hit his head though” Leeteuk mumbled “His light magic?” he asked and ZhouMi nodded.
“I think so, yes.”

Leeteuk knew about Kyuhyun’s injuries but hearing ZhouMi list them off one by one suddenly made Leeteuk realise just how much Junsu had hurt the young prince, and how lucky he was to be alive.
“Leeteuk, are you alright?” ZhouMi asked softly but when Leeteuk silently shook his head the taller man walked over and hugged the angel gently “I can take you to see him if you want. Hopefully, it will help put your mind at ease. He is doing alright but he is very weak and it might be difficult for you when you see him.”
“Why would it be difficult?” Heechul asked and ZhouMi turned to face him.
“We are keeping him intubated, for now, to help him breathe easier and to take some of the strain off his body while he heals. He is heavily sedated so it would not be wise to extubate him until the sedation is lowered in a day or so.”
“Intubated?” Heechul mumbled and Leeteuk sighed heavily as he wiped his eyes.
“He has a tube down his throat, hooked up to a machine to help him breathe” He mumbled before he released his legs and slowly stood up. “I want to see him.”
“Of course, Leeteuk. But before we go in, is there any way you can access blood from Araqiel? What you told us about the drug they gave Kyuhyun seems to be true. He is not healing as he should be, which is why the knife did so much damage. The blood we can give him is not enough to help him heal and replenish the blood he has lost, even at a normal rate”
“He needs angel blood?” King Kim questioned and ZhouMi nodded.

The combination of both demon and angel blood in Kyuhyun’s body was a part of what kept the demon prince strong and allowed him to heal at a faster rate than most other people. The demon blood currently being transfused into Kyuhyun’s body helped a little, but without angel blood in his system Kyuhyun would remain weak and his recovery would be painfully slow or worse, he simply wouldn’t recover.  

“I’ll call Sungmin and see if I can go and pick some up.” Hangeng’s voice came from the doorway before he stepped into the waiting room. He had arrived just moments before but had heard enough to know what was needed. Heechul looked up with a small smile.
“I would come with you, Hangeng, but I’m not leaving Kyuhyun” Leeteuk spoke softly and Heechul stood up.
“I’ll come with you, Hannie”
“How? The light realm is protected from demons, Kyuhyun is the only exception. They’ll never let you through the portal” Leeteuk shrugged.
“Given the circumstances, I think the least of anybody's worries right now is Heechul in the light realm” ZhouMi spoke calmly before looking at Hangeng. “Just tell Emperor Lee that Kyuhyun needs that blood and the only people I trust to bring it to me are you and Heechul. He is a part of both realms, they cannot abandon him right now.”
“I will. I brought you some things from home, Leeteuk. Clean clothes, your phones. I didn’t know what you would need. Oh and I found a book on the sofa, it looked important so I brought it with me.” Hangeng said as he set the bag down on the floor beside where Leeteuk was sitting and handed him Kyuhyun’s necklace. Leeteuk smiled, silently thanking Hangeng before Hangeng smiled at the king.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, my lord, I promise” Hangeng spoke softly as he bowed and looked to Heechul. Heechul wanted to see his brother, to see with his own eyes that he was okay, but he trusted ZhouMi more than most people and he knew Kyuhyun was in good hands.
“Tell my little brother to stay strong” Heechul smiled as he squeezed Leeteuk’s shoulder gently before he and Hangeng silently left the room.

ZhouMi pulled his lower lip between his teeth for a moment as he watched the pair walk away. Despite his calm expression ZhouMi was anxious. He knew that Heechul and Hangeng would be successful in bringing the blood that Kyuhyun needed but a part of him still worried over the prince’s health. He let out a breath to help himself relax before he turned back to Leeteuk and smiled.
“Shall we go and see Kyuhyun?” He asked softly and Leeteuk nodded his head. ZhouMi rested his hand on King Kim’s shoulder before he spoke again. “My lord, do you want to see him now or wait until he is awake?” King Kim sighed and shook his head as he raised his hand to pat ZhouMi’s gently before he stood up.
“I’ll wait. Thinking he was dead earlier, seeing him collapse” he paused and closed his eyes for a moment. “I trust you, ZhouMi, more than anybody else. I know I can leave him in your care. Keep me updated and when he’s awake I’ll be right here. I need to go and see if Junsu is awake.” The king’s face hardened when he spoke Junsu’s name. He still wasn’t sure of everything that had happened over the last four days but until Kyuhyun was awake and Leeteuk was strong enough to explain everything, Junsu was to be kept locked up and nobody was allowed to see him.
“I understand, my lord. Do not worry. It will be a couple of days before he is awake but you can come and see him any time if you change your mind” ZhouMi smiled as he gave the king a bow before turning to Leeteuk and motioning towards the door. “Follow me, Leeteuk.”
Leeteuk followed close behind ZhouMi as the pair walked through a set of doors and down a corridor. There was a nurses station set up in the middle of the large corridor and several doors leading to private rooms surrounding it. Each private room had its own bathroom and as Leeteuk glanced inside of an empty room he noticed a large sofa off to the side. Leeteuk and ZhouMi passed various staff members as they walked closer to Kyuhyun’s door but none seemed phased by the angel’s presence.
“Do not worry. There is only one member of my medical team who feeds on blood but he is not a threat to you as he only consumes animal blood. You will meet him when we go inside” ZhouMi smiled upon noticing the way Leeteuk looked at his staff.
“He’s looking after Kyuhyun?” Leeteuk asked and ZhouMi nodded.
“He is keeping an eye on our young prince until I return. So soon after surgery, he cannot be left alone.” Leeteuk nodded in understanding and breathed deeply when ZhouMi opened the door and the pair stepped inside.

A steady beeping and the sound of the ventilator were the only sounds to greet Leeteuk when he walked into Kyuhyun’s room. Kyuhyun’s bed was propped up at a slight angle with machines on either side. His temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate were all displayed on a monitor on the wall.
“Take your time, it can be a little overwhelming” ZhouMi spoke softly before leaving Leeteuk’s side and walking over to where one of his junior doctors was making notes. Leeteuk stepped closer to Kyuhyun’s bed and wiped his eyes. The flexible tube placed down Kyuhyun’s throat came out of his mouth and was secured in place with a strap fitted around his head, two larger tubes were attached to the end and were connected to the ventilator. Kyuhyun’s chest rose and fell steadily but it was obvious he wasn’t fully breathing on his own. Several small pads were secured on his chest with the wires hooked up to the screen, monitoring his heart.
Leeteuk stood by Kyuhyun’s bedside and gently took the younger man’s hand. Kyuhyun had bandages around both wrists and a larger one wrapped around the cut on his forearm. The large cut left by the knife had been cleaned and sutured to allow it to heal. Small wound closure strips had been used to close the cut on Kyuhyun’s cheek in an attempt to minimise scarring but the bruising was obvious. The bite mark left by Junsu on Kyuhyun’s neck had been cleaned and bandaged but traces of blood were beginning to soak through the dressing. The worst of the young prince's injuries was hidden beneath a large bandage pressed against his abdomen but it was the one bandage that Leeteuk couldn’t see. Two large blankets were pulled up just above Kyuhyun’s stomach to keep him warm.
“Oh, Kyuhyun…” Leeteuk mumbled softly as he reached up to gently run his fingers through Kyuhyun’s hair. “I wish I could do something but, for the first time in my life, I don’t know what I'm supposed to do.” He ran his eyes over Kyuhyun’s body and frowned sadly. On the back of his right hand was a needle attached to an IV line, secured in place with a strip of tape and used to administer fluids and medication. There was a second needle inserted into the bend of his elbow, secured with tape and hooked up to a second IV line to supply Kyuhyun’s body with the blood he needed. On his left hand was a pulse monitor secured over his index finger causing the machine beside his bed to beep steadily.
“I know it is a lot of wires and machines but do not worry, Leeteuk, they are all to help Kyuhyun recover” ZhouMi spoke softly. He walked towards Kyuhyun’s bed with a clipboard in hand before clicking his pen and slipping it into the pocket of his waistcoat. “Leeteuk this is Jaehyun. If for any reason I cannot be here to watch over Kyuhyun, Jaehyun will take over.”
Leeteuk took his eyes off Kyuhyun for a moment to look at the man in question. Jaehyun looked a similar age to Kyuhyun but something told the angel that he was much older than he looked. His skin was pale and his lips, along with his eyes, were a deep red contrasting to his short jet black hair. He was wearing black trousers, a white shirt and a grey tie along with a long white lab coat with an ID badge hanging off the pocket.
“It’s nice to meet you, Leeteuk” Jaehyun smiled and when Leeteuk noticed the sharp fangs hidden in Jaehyun’s mouth he glanced at ZhouMi.
“Do not worry, Leeteuk. He is the only vampire I know who has never fed on human blood. Both you and Prince Kyuhyun are safe in his care. But I promise I will be here as much as I can be.” Leeteuk nodded and gave Jaehyun a small smile as he pulled a chair over to the side of Kyuhyun’s bed and sat down before he took the younger man’s hand in his own.

Leeteuk sat in silence for the next thirty minutes. He was holding Kyuhyun’s hand and listening to the steady beeping of the machines but his eyes were closed and he was perfectly still. After Kyuhyun had collapsed Leeteuk had almost forgotten about the bite mark on his neck, as his mind was too focused on the younger man, but the wound was beginning to throb and ache. ZhouMi had dismissed Jaehyun shortly after the pair had arrived in Kyuhyun’s room, choosing to monitor the young prince himself, but when he noticed Leeteuk’s neck he frowned.
“Leeteuk, let me clean and dress the wound on your neck and bandage your wrist,” ZhouMi spoke softly as he set down a small bowl of water, a cloth and a bandage on the table behind Leeteuk. It wasn’t a question he expected an answer to but when Leeteuk nodded, ZhouMi smiled.
“Your wrist stopped bleeding on its own, so that is good.” ZhouMi wet the cloth and gently wiped away the blood from Leeteuk’s neck and when the wound and the skin around it were clean he grabbed the bandage. “You need to rest and take things slow for the next few days but you will be alright” ZhouMi smiled as he fixed the bandage in place on Leeteuk’s neck before he wrapped a bandage gently around the angel’s wrist. When he was finished ZhouMi squeezed Leeteuk’s shoulder.
“You’re different from the other demons I’ve seen and met” Leeteuk mumbled quietly and ZhouMi let out a soft chuckle.
“And you are quite different from the angels I have met in my life so we are both rather surprised today.” Leeteuk smiled as he brushed his thumb across the back of Kyuhyun’s hand and looked up to meet ZhouMi’s dark brown eyes. He didn’t have red eyes like the majority of demons Leeteuk had met and his teeth looked as normal as Leeteuk’s own. ZhouMi was a demon that Leeteuk wasn’t used to.
“Why aren’t your eyes red? If you don’t mind me asking”
“Not at all. My eyes are brown and I do not have fangs like our beloved prince here because I do not consume blood, I do not feed on others. I survive on food, just like you, like a regular human being.”
“Anyone would think you were human because you don’t look like a demon at all”
“I am an Incubus” ZhouMi smiled softly but his smile faltered a little when he noticed Leeteuk suddenly looking uncomfortable. “Do not worry Leeteuk. I have no ill intentions toward you or Prince Kyuhyun, you have my word” Leeteuk gave a small nod as ZhouMi spoke but before he could speak again Heechul poked his head into the room.
“ZhouMi is as straight as those wonderfully long legs of his” Heechul grinned as he stepped into the room and came to a standstill at the bottom of Kyuhyun’s bed. “Meaning he’s straight for the most part but only into guys when he decides he wants to make out with one. Isn’t that right, ZhouMi?”
“Aish, Heechul you are never going to let me forget that, are you?”
“You’re an amazing kisser, why would I ever let you forget it?” Heechul chuckled as his tail swung playfully behind his body before he gave Leeteuk a small smile. “Don’t worry, there’s nowhere in the realm that is safer for you or my brother unless it is in ZhouMi’s company. How is he?” Heechul asked, his voice suddenly sounding serious, and ZhouMi smiled.
“He is stable. There is not much we can do now but wait. We will know more when we wake him up in a couple of days” He paused and his smile faulted “Heechul, why have you not left for Araqiel yet?” he asked and Heechul sighed.
“Hangeng is on the phone to Changmin, one of Emperor Lee’s guards, he is trying to convince Emperor Lee that I wouldn’t be a danger. We’re leaving the minute they allow me access.”
“Make sure you do, your brother needs that blood as soon as possible” ZhouMi mumbled as he adjusted the IV in Kyuhyun’s hand before running his fingers gently through the young prince’s hair. Heechul leaned against the bottom of the bed and looked at Leeteuk before he sighed.
“Leeteuk you should get some rest, you look exhausted.” Leeteuk gave Heechul a small smile in return but shook his head.
“I’m not leaving Kyuhyun. If anything were to happen and I wasn’t here… I could never forgive myself. I want to be here when he wakes up.”
“Leeteuk, go with Heechul, get some rest. Doctors orders.” ZhouMi spoke softly, “I am keeping Kyuhyun sedated for another couple of days while his wounds begin to heal so you do not need to worry about him waking up while you are gone. He is stable, he just needs to rest and heal. You are no good to anybody in your current state. Even if I were to wake Kyuhyun up today you would be in no condition to take care of him. I will send for you right away if anything changes, I promise.” Leeteuk let out a small sigh of defeat as he gave a small nod of his head. He couldn’t argue, mainly because he didn’t have the energy to, but he also knew that ZhouMi and Heechul were right.
It had been days since Leeteuk had slept properly, he was still weak from blood loss and the toll the past week had taken on him was obvious.
“Let me know the minute anything changes”
“You have my word, Leeteuk. Kyuhyun is in the best hands. Nobody is allowed in this room without my say so, I will not leave his side while you are away”
“Thank you, ZhouMi” Leeteuk murmured before he squeezed Kyuhyun’s hand gently and stood up. “Keep fighting, my love” he whispered as he leaned down and brushed his fingers through the young prince’s hair before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead “I promise I'll be back before you have even realised I left. I love you.”

Heechul lead Leeteuk out of the medical wing and into one of the courtyards. It had only been half a day since Leeteuk was outside but the fresh cool air against his skin felt like he had been indoors for weeks. Heechul paused for a moment to let Leeteuk enjoy being out in the open but when several demons began to watch the angel, Heechul reached out to squeeze the older man’s arm.
“Come on, I'll show you to Kyuhyun’s room. You can sleep there and nobody will disturb you. Although I will apologise now, the reason that Kyuhyun’s apartment was always so clean and tidy is because all of his junk remained here when he moved” Heechul chuckled as he tried to lighten the mood but all Leeteuk could do was smile. Heechul kept his pace slow to stay close to Leeteuk as they entered the palace and made their way towards Kyuhyun’s bedroom. Leeteuk walked with his head down a little as he rubbed at the space on his finger where his engagement ring sat for just one night before it was so harshly taken from him. When they reached Kyuhyun’s bedroom Heechul pushed open the door and stepped inside before Leeteuk followed.

Kyuhyun’s bedroom at the palace differed greatly to his apartment in the human realm. The carpet and ceiling were black with pale grey walls and black curtains hung at the windows. There was a large king-sized bed along the back wall with purple sheets and pillows. Opposite to the door was a large desk with two monitors, a laptop, a keyboard and a mouse and beneath the desk was a computer tower that Leeteuk could only imagine being able to pick up due to its sheer size. On either side of the bed was a bedside table but one remained empty. There was a small lamp on the right table as well as a photo frame containing a photograph of Kyuhyun and his mother, a spare pair of glasses and a small box that Leeteuk knew to be Kyuhyun’s medication. A wardrobe and a chest of drawers lined the wall opposite to the bed with a large mirror separating the two pieces of furniture. There was a large bookshelf containing books, DVDs and games close to Kyuhyun’s desk and a large square purple rug in the middle of the room. The room was very different from the bedroom in their apartment but it was very obviously Kyuhyun's.
“Come in and make yourself at home, Leeteuk. This room is as much yours as it is Kyuhyun’s now.” Heechul spoke softly as he walked over to the drawers and opened the top drawer before pulling out a sweater and a pair of sweatpants. “The bathroom is through the door here” he paused and pointed at a closed-door that Leeteuk hadn’t noticed located on the other side of the wardrobe at the corner of the room. “Feel free to shower or clean yourself up and you can change into these when you’re finished. Just leave your clothes on the floor, Hangeng will wash them for you later.” Heechul handed Leeteuk the clothes and gave the older man a soft smile before he sighed. “He’ll be alright, don’t worry. My brother is a fighter, he’s too stubborn to leave you.” Heechul hesitantly reached out to hug Leeteuk and when he felt the angel lean into him his hug tightened.
“Thank you, Heechul.”
“There’s no need to thank me, you’re basically my brother in law now” Heechul smiled as he pulled back and bounced a little on his heels before his phone buzzed loudly in his pocket.

To: Heechul
From: Hangeng
Message: They will allow you to enter Araqiel just this once. I’m waiting at the portal.

“Ah, I have to go. It looks like I finally get to go and see what the fuss is about in Araqiel. Get some rest, Leeteuk.” Heechul smiled and Leeteuk nodded.
“Heechul... Behave, please? No teasing or threatening in any way. Remember that this is for Kyuhyun, he needs that blood” Leeteuk spoke softly and Heechul gave a nod of his head.
“Don’t worry, I'll be on my best behaviour. I’ll leave the key in the door for you so you can lock it when I’ve gone. I’ll see you when I get back.” Heechul left the room without another word and took off in a run towards the portal and where Hangeng was waiting.

Leeteuk set the clothes down on the bottom of the bed and immediately locked the door after Heechul had left. Despite the king, Heechul and ZhouMi all reassuring Leeteuk that he would be safe in Kyuhyun’s room a part of him still felt uncomfortable being there, especially without Kyuhyun by his side. Leeteuk pushed himself away from the door and pulled off his bloody sweater before throwing it down on the floor in front of the wardrobe. He set Kyuhyun’s necklace down on the desk and walked into the bathroom. A part of him wanted to shower but he didn’t have the energy. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and frowned. His complexion was pale making the dark circles beneath his eyes stand out like charcoal on freshly fallen snow. There was a large amount of blood dried along his chest where it had soaked through his sweater and stained his skin. He grabbed a cloth from the side of the sink and ran it under the water before he started to wipe away the blood. It only took minutes to clean up the blood but Leeteuk’s energy plummeted. He walked over to the bed and stripped out of his jeans before pulling on the sweatpants and sweater that Heechul had left him. Kyuhyun’s scent reached his nose and he wrapped his arms around himself for a moment and closed his eyes.
“I can’t do this without you, Kyuhyun, please come back to me.” He whispered sadly to himself before he climbed into bed and hugged one of Kyuhyun’s pillows to his chest. Everything about Kyuhyun’s clothes and bed smelled like the young prince. It brought Leeteuk a small amount of comfort but when he buried his face in the pillow and a fresh wave of tears hit him, his hold on the pillow tightened and his body shook as he cried.
After several short minutes, Leeteuk’s sobs stopped and his grip on the pillow loosened slightly. His eyes were closed and his body relaxed as he finally lost the battle with exhaustion that he had been fighting against for so long.