One eye after the other, Youngjae slowly opened his eyes. He just had the time to recognize the house he was leaning in to be Yongguk's one before a large -yet, not so large but seemed like for the weak boy- body came crash down over him.

“YOU'RE ALIIIIIIIVE!!” The someone who was hugging him screamed in his ear and he recognized the high-pitched tone Himchan does have when he's worried. Oddly, it seemed like when he woke up in the kids' house, but not completely. While his elder was still hugging him Youngjae scanned the room, rubbing the back of Himchan. That's when he saw him, a little back, they had eye contact, and Youngjae saw in the eye of the other that he felt relieved he was good. He smiled weakly to him and Youngjae smiled back.

“Of course he's alive ! He just black out you moron...and you call yourself apprentice doctor ?” Jongup laughed, wanting to annoy the girl-boy, but Himchan didn't give a about it, he didn't even heard him.

“Youngjae what happened ?” He asked to the peasant boy, after he broke his hug and grabbed him by his sides.

“What ?” Youngjae broke his eye contact with Daehyun, and felt a bit lost. He tried to remember what happened.

“We saw the beast about to kill you and it stop just before...” Slowly his memory came back and Youngjae wondered what he could tell or not. He knew he could to his friends, but there were other people around...

“It was...really strange. I screamed him to stop and...he did.”

They all watched each others surprised and a frown appeared on Daehyun's face. Youngjae watched them wondering, they were all acting weird. Then Himchan cupped his face as he used to do, to reassure him each time he had something scaring to announce him. So it never appeased the peasant boy but on the contrary it scared him even before he knew what it was about.

“Youngjae...you didn't screamed...anything...you were petrified.

– You...you didn't hear me ? ...and...did...did you heard him ? When he talked ?”

Another silence ; and Youngjae knew what will follow.

“It didn't talked Youngjae.” Himchan caressed the boy's forehead wiping away the drops of sweat which started to appear. Youngjae grabbed his arms.

“HE DID !! I'M NOT CRAZY !! HE EVEN SAID HE WOULD COME BACK TOMORROW!!

– Youngjae...” the peasant boy hated at this moment how caring his friends look like, they were thinking he had gone crazy, but Youngjae was sure of what he heard. Of what he felt. “...did it bite you ?” Youngjae's eyes started to wet that his friends didn't believe him.

“No...He...he just stayed still...and...he talked...I swear you he talked...and I felt like...complete...as if...as if...

– As if he was in your mind...” They all turned to the newcomer's voice, they recognized it as -even if they heard it only one time before- it wasn't a voice you could forget. Junhong was standing at the entrance door. He was wearing a Royal coat and his hair were now as white as the snow. They watched him amazed, the young mage was as tall as the front door and they all felt his power from where they were standing in the living. The mage was no more containing himself, and they could feel the difference. They were all impressed by the changing and the one to recover his mind first was Jongup.

“Did it...mind control him ?” Junhong turned his black eyes to the guard boy who flinched a bit under the pressure the young eyes were exercising on him.

“Not.” Junhong took a step inside the house, and they all watched him amazed he could, before they remembered where they were and that he already -even if it wasn't in his human form- been invited inside. “He simply connected their two minds so they could exchange what we call brain waves.

– Brain...waves ?

– They exchanged their thoughts and feelings. It was telepathy or mind reading/listening if you prefer.” Junhong explained. He wasn't used to share his knowledge and thought everyone knew what brain waves were. He should make a note for himself, that he will need to be more precise in the future.

“Why are you here ?” Yongguk who hadn't say a word since the start, said in a low and threatening voice. What he really wanted to ask was : Why are you here ONLY NOW ? Why didn't you protected Youngjae too ? He saw the mage shivering when he talked to him and he knew he had rode his mind.

“I came to warn you.” Junhong explained without watching Yongguk, he didn't want to. He couldn't. “The Royal guards are on their way to get Youngjae.

– What ?”

Junhong hadn't the time to explain as the guards were already here, bursting in the small house. They three men came stand in front Youngjae and grabbed him, putting him on his feet. Himchan had had to step away to not be crushed by them, and stood next Jongup grabbing his arm afraid. Jongup rolled his eyes and removed his arm from Himchan's hold who went to his best friend. Yongguk being more comprehensive than the young guard, put an arm over Himchan's shoulders, allowing him to snuggle against him.

“You have to follow us. Order from the King.”

They all watched Youngjae being taken while the young peasant asked them to help him with his eyes. He was scared. He should be proud that he -a poor peasant boy- was being called by the King himself, but after what happened he was more scared of why the King actually wanted him. Even if he had a light idea of what it could be.

Before they could exit the house someone put himself at the entrance and opened wide his arms to stop the guards.

“You're not about to take him anywhere without me!” Youngjae watched Daehyun touched. There were no words to explain how grateful he felt toward the boy.

“How dare you ? It's an order from the King himself !

– I won't allow anyone, even the King, to hurt him!”

The guards pushed aside the priest boy, who fall on the floor while the guards dragged Youngjae outside. They threw him on a horse and the peasant boy not used to it didn't dare to move as he was afraid to fall. They rode their horse, and one of the guard came sit behind Youngjae still too afraid to make any move between the guard arms. The horse started to move and the peasant boy screamed gluing his back to the guard behind him. Seeing the young boy that scared by a so little matter only earned a chuckle from the guard and they continued to walk toward the Castle.

Daehyun felt angry hearing Youngjae screaming, why the guards didn't want to understand he was afraid ? They better let him on his feet, it wasn't like the peasant boy would escape. The blonde boy ran after them. He grabbed a pebble on the ground which he threw to the guard's back head. That one stopped his horse angry and turned to the young boy, earning more scream from the peasant boy being dizzy the horse itself that fast.

“YOU!!”

One of two other guard had went done his horse and punched the blonde boy who fall back on the dirty ground. The guard came above him and grabbed his throat but the priest boy under him only smirk to him. “Now, you have to take me too...and not only me.” The guard rose his eyes to see three other boys, weapons in arms, ready to fight him. The guard was sure he would win over two of them, but he felt something from the taller, that if he dared touch his friends, he wouldn't let him alive. The guard sighed and the other who was free laughed. The guard went back on his horses, and the boys had to walk fast to catch the horses quick and huge steps.

Before he turned to other side, Daehyun made a victory sign to Youngjae while Yongguk was helping him to get on his feet. Youngjae chuckled and made the sign back to him. This time when the horse moved he didn't screamed and managed to control himself. The quarrel between them had been forgot as he realize how stupid it had been. Now he needed him, Daehyun had been here for him and he felt in security. Even it he didn't know what was waiting for him he doubt it to go all nicely.

Last time someone had been dragged to the King this way, it was because the man had put the city in danger, and in the end the man got burnt. Did the King knew the creature had come to get him ? But was it Youngjae's fault insofar ? Youngjae knew he couldn't lie to the King, so he simply told himself he just wouldn't mention everything the creature said.

“WE NEED HIM.”

“I finally found you...”

What was the meaning of that ? Was he really the reason why the creatures attacked ? Was he too what the witches were searching for ? So in the end everything was his fault, even if he didn't know why they were after him ? Would he be killed for putting the city in danger ? Even if it wasn't intentionally ?

Youngjae started to panic, when he felt a hand on his own. He watched who it was and Daehyun did his best to walk same speed as the horse. He watched him and Daehyun rubbed the back of his hand with his thumb smiling to him. That smile. It appeased the young boy the whole ride to the Castle.

Yongguk remembered he had come here so much time, hoping he would perceive the Prince. For the first time, he finally, crossed the barrier and was walking in the little court. They entered the Castle and there was a big corridor. Daehyun had still Youngjae's hand in his own and they all watched amazed around them. All the furniture were so beautiful and shining. Most of it was white or blue. The colors of the Royals. After walking a while in that big corridor appeared a huge door, the guards opened. They were there. The King and the Queen.

As they were sitting on huge chairs, the boys deduced this room to be the Throne Room. Yongguk watched around, but there were only the King, the Queen, the Royal guards and them. No sign of the Prince. Maybe their case wasn't enough important for him to be here. It's a bit disappointed that he put a knee on the ground. They were all on their knees in front the Royals, their eyes glued to the ground. Them a bit back while Youngjae was alone on his line in front them. The King dismissed the three guards and Junhong who had followed the group came stand next the King. They didn't understand why he was but hadn't the time to think further about the mage condition as the King started to talk.

“What is your name ? Talk Peasant !

– Youngjae Your Majesty.

– Youngjae...” the peasant boy's heart beat fast and he blushed. Hearing the King pronouncing his name was something incredible he would had never imagined, or even dreamed, to happen one day. “I heard by my men you got attacked by one of the creature.”

Youngjae nodded and the whole guard aimed their weapons at him. He watched them afraid and panicked, and so did his friends. One of the guard approach him and Youngjae closed tight his eyes, he knew his time had come. While he did so the King talked.

“When a human is bitten by a creature, he's subjected to a great danger, for himself and his entourage. We don't know the consequences and I don't want to take the risk.”

The guard rose his weapon above Youngjae's neck and before any of his friends, and mostly Daehyun, could make a move, Junhong was quick between the peasant boy and the guard. He opened his arm wide to not scare the guard, for him to not think he would attack him, but to show he only wanted to protect Youngjae. “He didn't get bitten.” He talked to the King, the same way he had talked to the boys earlier. They all watched him amazed and offended he dared talk to the King like this. But the last one didn't seem to care about it.

“How do you know that ?

– He said the creature didn't bite him.” Then Youngjae wondered since when he had been eavesdropping their conversation.

“Maybe he lied-

– He didn't.” And now, the mage had just interrupted the King, and it was going weirder and weirder.

“How can you be sure about that ?

– I am...the creature only talked to him. I believe he gave him a message to deliver to you.

– Peasant!” Youngjae rose his head and noticed the guard had went back to his place and Junhong was back to the King's right side. “Did the creature talked to you ?”

Youngjae nodded making his eyes back to the ground, and he heard the King whispering for himself. “How is that possible. Aren't you a simple human ?...” Youngjae gulped hard and he hoped no one noticed it as there was a dead silence in the room. He knew everyone in the room was asking themselves the same question and he started to wonder about his nature too. He started to be scared he wasn't a human. Then what would he be ? But the creature called him 'young human'...He didn't know what to think.

“What the creature told you Peasant ? Talk.

– It...he said he wanted us to help him.

– Was it the only thing it said ?”

And here came the time, Youngjae nodded but felt like everyone knew he was lying. How dared he lie to the King ? He felt ashamed of himself, but he was too afraid of what the King would do to him if he said it to him.

“I finally found you...”

“Is he telling the truth ? Isn't he hiding something ?”

This time, even if he didn't want, he couldn't refrain himself to raise his head and to watch the young mage. He felt like his friends behind him had disappeared, and that he was left alone in the room. Just he and the blues eyes of the mage. Not even the mage, just his eyes. So it was the feeling when someone was controlling your mind ? It didn't hurt but even if he tried his best, he couldn't watch away. He couldn't even blink his eyes. And he knew.

He knew the mage knew he hadn't said everything. He was ransacking his mind. Youngjae wanted to scream him to stop, to not tell the King. He begged him mentally to not tell it. He wished at the moment he could know what the mage was thinking. He knew the mage hated him as he must hate all the kids of the city, like Daehyun told him. So it was stupid for him to think he would stay silent about what he found out. When Junhong broke their eye contact, Youngjae fall on the floor out of breath. He hadn't notice he had been slowly standing on his knees, nor that he had hold his breath the whole time. He felt empty and . The mage hadn't simply rode his mind, he had also hunt for a special memory...and now Youngjae was really scared.

Junhong took a deep breath when he broke the eye contact to watch the King and he watched back the peasant boy in front of him. Youngjae watched afraid, his eyes turning back to black and his mouth opening slowly. “He's saying the truth.” He couldn't believe what he was actually hearing. “I think the creature will come back tomorrow to get his answer and I also think it simply took the first human it found to convey its message.” Youngjae couldn't believe it. The mage was lying for him. He was protecting him. But why ? Why would he do that ? He questioned the mage in his mind, but he didn't gave him any answer. Nor any sign that he heard him. Then the mage turned to the King.

“We have to help the creature.

– I'm the one to take that decision young warlock.

– You asked me to give you advise about magic. It's what I'm doing. We have to help the creatures. It's very important.

– I'll think about it on my own. We're talking about risking my men life.” The King made a sign to dismiss everyone and the guard put the boys on their feet and pushed them toward the exit. It was a simple hazard but Youngjae caught the Queen's eyes on them. She was smiling. Not a simple one, but a warm one you give only the people you care about. He hadn't the time to think further about it as the door was being closed. One of the guard kept pushing him and they all followed the mage.

So the mage was working for the Royal. An adviser of magic ? Since when ? Yongguk kept wondering about the mage since he saw him entering his house. To say the truth, Junhong had never left Yongguk's mind since he saw that little boy being kicked out his house by his own mother...

They walked the same corridor, in the other way, but instead of going outside, they climbed a big and white stairs. Will they be imprisoned for the time the King to think what he will do with them ? But … weren't the dungeons in the basement of the Castle ? It would be logical for it to be there. So why were they climbing stairs ?

It's their mind full of question that they kept following the young mage, not daring to say a word. Finally, they reached a big room with a king size canopy bed, recovered with white and beautiful tissues. The guards left them alone. So here they were. In that room which seemed to belong to a Royal, and not even tied up. They all seemed out of space here, and without glancing at them even once, the mage walked toward the closets. When he opened it, Yongguk recognized the Prince's coat and mask being hanged in and he understood this was the Prince's room...

Junhong grabbed a white dressing gown, which looked so soft it must had been made with Silk. He turned to the group who was still standing in front the door. He met Yongguk's eyes and watched away shyly, blushing. Yongguk watched him amazed and it was like his brain didn't want to work. And compared to earlier, Junhong's voice came out really shy, soft and weak.

“I think it's time for the truth to be told...”

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