Tao threw his jacket onto his bed before he followed it and collapsed into the mattress.  Lunch was an utter disaster, and only after training until late into the evening did Tao finally clear his head enough to think. From what he heard, the crowned prince had wanted to throw Luhan out of the castle, but Prince Sehun objected, causing the two to end up in a fight. Yet, that story, he decided, was far from the truth. The way Prince Jongin looked at Luhan and the way Luhan looked back at Prince Jongin was so intense that Tao knew there must be hidden mysteries behind the two. It didn’t help that Jongin’s apology came out as more of a snarl, and Prince Sehun once more lost his composure. Tao had to pin him so he couldn’t hurt the crowned prince, before Sehun gave up and dragged Luhan out of the dining hall.

Tao was extremely worried, as both the royal family’s bodyguard and their friend. The two princes, even if they had many differences, never fought. Jongin, being the elder of the two, always treasured Sehun and gave everything for him, while Sehun would die to protect Jongin without a moment’s hesitation. But today, when Sehun caught Luhan looking at his brother and his brother looking back at Luhan, he could feel jealousy and hatred slowly oozing from Sehun’s direction. But before Tao could think anymore, he promptly removed his sword from the sheath as he stood up, pointing it at the open windows of his balcony, eyes alert.

“Come out. I know you’re in here.” Tao’s eyes narrowed, observing his surroundings carefully. When the intruder didn’t come out after a while, Tao decided to use force as he laced his voice with magic. “Reveal yourself!”

“No need to be so tense,” Tao was surprised to hear the voice answer back in the language of magic, but even more surprised at the fact it was coming from behind him. “And nice sword. I judge you know of its powers, the sword blessed with the power of the heavens, but cursed to be the source of destruction.” And before Tao could move, the sword was knocked out of Tao’s hand and put back into its sheath.

“Who are you?” Tao asked. While he knew he was no opponent for the intruder, he still took a fighting stance to at least attempt to protect himself.

“Relax” The voice said, and Tao turned to see a stranger dressed completely in white sitting on the railing of his balcony facing the sea. “I’m not here to fight. You can say I’m an old friend of yours.”

Tao relaxed. Creatures of magic are not like humans as they have no reason to lie, and this one’s no different. Yet, Tao scoffed, mind pausing at the word friend.

“You are no friend of mine” his tongue clicked, “I was orphaned as an infant and abandoned at the footsteps of the castle, where the only people I know and consider my friends are the royal family and my master.”

“In your past life,” the creature mused, eyes staring into the distance, which instantly caught the young boy’s attention.

“Who are you?” He asked again. Curiosity grabbing hold of him as he walked closer to the balcony.

“You will remember soon enough.” The stranger sighed, “My name is Kris, and until you remember, treat me kindly.”

Before Tao could stop the tall blond man in white, Kris let go of the railing and fell backwards towards the sea. Instantly rushing to the sight, instead of seeing a limp body falling or splattered against the rock, he saw no trace of the existence of the strange man at all. But a voice lingered in his head.

“A storm is brewing, Tao.”

And as if on cue, the sound of thunder and flash of lighting greeted him as he looked over the sea.

~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~

Luhan struggled against the pair of strong arms that bound him against Sehun’s chest, but soon gave up, and replayed the day’s event in his mind again. He had so many questions.

After an uneventful lunch, Sehun had pulled Luhan into his room and placed him on the bed, kneeling to stare into Luhan’s eyes.

“Please don’t hurt me,” he had said, “I love you, even if I just met you, I love you more than anything in the world.”

Luhan didn’t know how to reply at the time, so he just stared at Sehun blankly.

“Everytime I see you looking at him, and him looking at you, I get so jealous. I become angry. My heart is in pain every time you don’t look at me.” Sehun had continued, “He may be the crowned prince, he may be more perfect and charming than I am, but he will never love you more than I do.” Water soon began falling down Sehun’s cheeks from his eyes, and Luhan wondered why. “Please don’t hurt me, be with me, and stay with me. I love you, and loved you at first sight. I won’t ask for you to love me back unless you choose too, but don’t love him.” Luhan didn’t know the meaning of hurt, love, nor jealousy, but he nodded regardless, not liking the contortion in Sehun’s face as he said the words.

“Thank you!” Sehun’s eyes had brightened as he saw Luhan nod, “Thank you!” He said again as he pulled Luhan to his chest, hand on the back of Luhan’s head as his own rested on Luhan’s shoulder. “You don’t know how happy you make me. I promise to treat you well, to protect you, to love you, to cherish you…” Sehun’s words had slowly faded to Luhan. He did not know what he agreed to, but he liked how Sehun’s contorted face changed into a friendlier one, how his eyes lit up with vitality.

But the sudden clap of thunder woke Luhan from his memories as the memories of that evening changed to the one of Kai, floating in the water. The longing to be with Kai came back to him again, and he tossed restlessly against Sehun’s strong hold. Reciting a short spell in his mind, Sehun’s grip slacked and he slipped out of the boy’s arm. The sound of rain outside the windows once more brought him to that night months ago.

‘Do you wish to see him’ Kris’s voice echoed in his mind. Looking around rapidly, he saw a floating ball of soft blue flame swaying lazily by the door. ‘This is part of your original wish, is it not? The sea-flame will lead you to him.’

Turning back to see Sehun still sound asleep, Luhan placed his feet into the soft slippers prepared for him and walked with the light.  After passing several corridors and countless old paintings, the flame stopped in front of a particularly large ebony door.

Opening it, Luhan heard soft whimpers coming from the four-poster canopied bed. Rushing towards it, he saw the perfect boy wrapped in tangled blankets, forehead covered in cold sweat.

“Save me,” the dark haired prince whimpered in his dreams, “I’m afraid, I don’t want to hurt, I don’t want to die.”

Luhan looked at the boy questioningly, before placing a hand on the prince’s forehead. He retracted his hand as the heated skin burned his delicate hand.

“No, come back!” And before Luhan could react, a pair of burning yet strong hands pulled on his wrist as a pair of perfect ebony eyes shot open and stared into his own golden orbs.

“I knew you’d come” the prince said, his facial features softened as he pulled Luhan into his body the way Sehun did. Luhan felt the body below him calm as the erratic breathing slowed to a tranquil pace. “You’re finally here, my goddess…” Kai kissed the top of Luhan’s head, “I’m so happy you’re here…I love you…”

Godess? Luhan questioned in his mind. So Kai loved a woman and mistook him for her. It didn’t matter to him though, as long as he was with the prince. But something still bothered him.

‘Kris,’ Luhan tried speaking in his mind, ‘Can you hear me?’

‘Clearly, son of the sea.’ The monster’s voice answered him in his mind.

‘I have another wish.’ Luhan stated, confident in his decision.

‘Oh?’

‘I wish to understand human emotions.’ Luhan continued, remembering the different expressions in Sehun and Kai’s faces, the words jealous, angry, hurt, happy, afraid, and Love.

‘Are you sure?’

Luhan nodded vigorously. He needed to know.

‘And how will you repay me?’

Luhan honestly didn’t know.

‘Never mind. You will receive what you want. Instead, you will not only understand, but be cursed to feel such human emotions. Is that an agreeable term?’

Luhan wondered, but his curiosity ignored all warnings. ‘Yes. I agree.’

And as soon as the words left his mind, his head began to spin and he felt nauseous. His stomach twisted and his ears rang. But somehow, within all the pain, he felt a warm fuzzy feeling inside him as he realized his ear is once more pressed against the prince’s chest, the soft thumping of his heart coaxed Luhan to sleep with a soft smile.

Lightning illuminated the room as thunder followed quickly behind. Unknown to the two sleeping figures, a contorted face was illuminated behind the crack of Kai’s heavy ebony door, the light of the storm casting fearful shadows on the normally handsome features. Slowly entering the room, strong arms delicately lifted the sleeping Luhan off of Kai, before wrapping slender fingers around Kai’s throat. But as Luhan began to mutter in his sleep, the fingers left Kai’s throat and went towards the petite boy, gently the soft blond hair before carrying the boy away into the night.

~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~

Oh the wonderful comments, how I love them all. It makes me so happy to see all of your feedback for the story and fueled yet another chapter. I have to warn you, however, I will most likely not be able to update daily from now on as I'll be busy with life real soon, but consider this a compensation, this EXTRA LONG chapter =D. Enjoy! And I would love more feedback please! 

P.S.

Lukai fans, don't get too frustrated, lots of Lukai in a very near future

Hunhan fans, hopefully you're satisfied with the amount of Hunhan in the story, as it will be deminishing. Unless you convince me otherwise ;D.

Also, as I am fairly new at AFF, does anyone know if and how I can possibly request a cover graphic for this story? Thank you!