Shine Bright Like A Diamond 

Chapter Twenty Nine

“My favorite flower is the rose, colored in white. I know the red ones mean love, but that is so blind.” Ha Yi said as she walked a little ahead of Dong Wook. The Prince watched her walk on in slight amusement, his eyes following the very flow of her walk. She was so small, so adorable, and it was almost like he could wrap his hand around her and pocket her, so he could hide her from the world and all the pain. But the reality was that they were walking down a path of darkness and the place they could end up in, was still uncertain. “Although I never really understood the meaning of a white rose- they just always seemed so neutral to me,”

“You’re very talkative now,” Dong Wook commented. He didn’t know anything about flowers, but he didn’t want to let her know that. One thing was for sure though; flowers did not grow in the underworld. It was a completely different realm from anything that he had seen.

Ha Yi paused and looked over her shoulder towards him, “Huh…oh.” She looked at him with those large eyes of hers, turning her body completely. There was uncertainty shinning in them, and it really got to his heart, “Is that bad?” she asked, almost looking embarrassed at her babbling.

Dong Wook chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s adorable really,” he honestly said. His focus once more to the dark world around him- the air was stifle, cold, and so was the very ground and anything that he touched. It was like ice. There was no beginning, and no ending, and he could hardly see past ten feet of where they had first entered, to where they were headed.

“Oh,” For a second Ha Yi looked at him surprised before blushing and spinning her body around once more, and kept walking. But now she was humming softly to herself and Dong Wook wished he had never pointed out how talkative she had started to be. He already missed her incessant babbling. He had not noticed until the silence settled once more how anxious and uncomfortable he felt being in a place that he didn’t know or understand. His pulse was fast, and his throat was dry.

Dong Wook and Ha Yi had been walking for three days straight now. In that time he had learned that she is a very passionate person when it came to love and romance. He also learned that she was like a rose that had been bruised reputedly over time, but still remained beautiful. But the fact that even through heartbreak she remained so strong, so radiant, reminded him of himself. He liked her so badly already. But ahead of them all he could see was darkness and it worried him. All his thoughts seemed to struggle to focus on anything for one time, and before he knew it, the darkness had his attention once more.

Where were they going exactly?

How deep in the darkness had Death taken Seung Hyun?

“How much further are we going to have to go?” he asked. Ha Yi turned to him, a solemn look in her face. Hope had stayed silent all the way through, simply flying and leading them in like their guiding light, but nothing more.

“This pit hole can go on forever, to tell you the truth. And it’s only until that we reach a certain point- and only then, will an entrance reaper will come before us.” Ha Yi said, “They can either give us a test, or they can kill us on the spot. It all depends on the of luck that we get,”

Dong Wook frowned, “But we didn’t come here to die, so tough,”

“Tough?” Ha Yi looked perplexed by Dong Wook’s choice of word. He simply smiled at her, and both of them continued to follow Hope through the darkness.

Back at the dark castle, Dami was setting her own rules down and just her mere presence had made the ones that were hoping to court her younger brother, Ji Yong, to back off. She had snapped and ran them off. There was no way that she was going to get mated with just anyone, especially not any of these boys. Also, it had not been the agreement. They were demanding to see Ji Yong and still wished to have a chance with him- but she denied them that right. It made everyone mad.

It fell hard on the dark castle, as no one dared come visit now, but Dami was also terrorizing her own brothers enough that they would stay in their dungeon a lot more than anything. So long as everyone stayed in the place she wanted them in, everything was okay. Dami by nature has always been a territorial person, and one of the things that she was always hard on was that everyone respect her family.

She didn’t care if she had to snap at her own family to get her way- but she rather they be angry with her than to have anyone else hurt them. This was the only way that she knew how to bring anyone together or at peace that mattered. But that didn’t stop the dark castle from feeling cold and empty. It didn’t brighten the place to how it used to be. It seemed as if with the absence of Ji Yong the dark castle itself had fallen into a sleep of its own- and lingering silence remained.

And Dami could feel it- she was not sure how she could even understand it- but she did. Because she could also see it in her brothers- and her parents- everything was so listless.

The king himself felt powerless, and let her do anything that she wanted. Usually her father would argue with her- but damn, this was ridiculous. And yet, no one could do anything about it. The depression that clung on was enough to suffocate.  

So it was up to her to do something, but she was not sure how.

The thing was that Dami was still trying to make sense of things that were going on in her mind. There were flashes of memories that made it feel like she had really not been sleeping for all these years, but she didn’t quite understand how everything seemed so familiar if she had been asleep.  If she had not been sleeping, then what had she been doing all these years? She certainly did not find any of the changes in the dark castle to be familiar, but the outside functioning, new technology world seemed to make so much sense to her.

But sadly enough not her own home.

Not the Dark Castle that seemed to long for the presence of the heir.

So she decided to go see her younger brother- Kwon Ji Yong- for the first time since she had woken up. It took some time to find Ji Yong’s coffin in the sea of black coffins of past grandfathers, and grandmothers, and great aunts, and great uncles. It was odd, how large the family sleeping was, but understandable in the world of the vampires. After all, they lived for a long time and death never came to them unless killed. When you lived for so long you needed a rest that resembled an eternity- it helped to ease away the pain that life was.  

She had to wonder if any of them were even alive anymore, but in the back of her mind she knew the answer. They were all alive, just sleeping. When she opened Ji Yong’s coffin, she took her time to take in the dark color of it and ran her fingers through the smooth surface. This was the moment that she would see the heir of the castle. Carefully, she opened the lid, and slid it to the side.  She was left breathless at how beautiful her brother still looked, despite being pale, dry of blood, and being there for a couple of days.

He was gorgeous.

So….

Then she frowned, another memory crossing her mind. It felt like she had seen him before. A sense of Déjà vu so strong hit her, but she was not sure what it meant. Reaching her hand out, she softly ran her fingers on the soft swell of cheek, and down to his chin. Her eyes going to the pale pink and blue mix of his hair, down to his icy pale skin, and pouting pale lips- No, he looked like someone she remembered, but it wasn’t who she was thinking about.

“You’re dreaming aren’t you, Ji Yong?” she softly asked, when she could see the rapid eye movement that was happening under Ji Yong’s eyelid. She smiled at the sleeping beauty, before she sighed. “I feel like I have just been taken away from a completely different world and brought here. But all I understand is that you lost your mate, and I know how you feel,” she shook her head and reached for the lid once more, closing it as she did. “Sleep well,”

She still didn’t know what her father was thinking, but she knew this was as much peace as Ji Yong was going to get in his state. It was better that he stayed asleep, roaming the dreamland for all it was worth. Even if he fell into a nightmare in search for his mate, at least in his active mind Ji Yong would be safe, and in time everything will be well.

She certainly didn’t feel any more heart ache like she used to, but she still felt like something was missing. But something was telling her that she could find it again, given time.

But just how much time was there?

“Dream well, little brother. You are going to need it,” she whispered as she moved to leave Ji Yong in his rest. She had other things to figure out- if she was going to help bring her brother’s mate back to him, as well as discover her what she has been doing the past few years.

Back in the Abyss, Seung Hyun and Hye Yoon had gotten to talking until they had finally come up with a compromised decision. Seung Hyun still wanted to escape, but to do that, he was going to need her help. There was no way that Death was going to simply let Seung Hyun enter the second path without interfering, so it was up to her to distract him. And by the time Death figured out what was going on, she would be heading out onto the world, to help Seung Hyun in whatever state that he ended up coming back to earth in.

The one thing that Hye Yoon kept to herself was that she hoped that Seung Hyun would become unborn- as selfish as that was. That way she would vanish from this cruel world along with him. She just didn’t want to live on without Dami by her side. She wanted to disappear as well and go with Dami! Either way, one of them would come out getting what they wanted. She knew that Seung Hyun’s determination was strong and that just might be what pushes him over the edge to the other side, but she was not so sure what it would mean in the end.

“Are you sure you want to go down this path?” she asked.

Seung Hyun nodded his head, “Incredibly sure,” he turned to her with sharp eyes, “I need to get back to Ji Yong,”

“This badly,” Hye Yoon scoffed, “I don’t even know why you promised Dami that you would look after me when you were planning this.” She said.

Seung Hyun shrugged his shoulders, “Partly because it’s what she wanted to hear, and also because, I know that you are going to be just fine,” Seung Hyun turned to Hye Yoon. She was his sister after all. IF he was not okay, then she wouldn’t be either “Dami is still alive, you know,”

Hye Yoon frowned, “How would you know?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. It’s just what I feel,”

Who cares how you feel at this point, Hye Yoon bitterly thought to herself but kept a neutral look on her face. She shrugged her shoulders, “Whatever. I am going to Death right now,” she said, looking out to the sea of darkness, and the multiple of heads of people.

The abyss was well and alive as many came out of slumber, and started to become active. There was singing, and many ways that underworld folks tried to entertain themselves with. The laughter that filtered every corner was diabolical. There were screams of both men and women alike, cries, and giggles of small children that chased each other around for fun.  

Seung Hyun and Hye Yoon went their separate ways.

As he was walking to where Hye Yoon had showed him where the path was, fear entered Seung Hyun, thick but he pushed through. Fear was clear in his eyes as he looked around him. All these underworld folks knew nothing about him and no one here was going to miss him. This place here and now was what he had once known as home.

And he was going to leave it behind soon- and he was not going to miss it.

Just Seung Hyun was making his way closer to his destination, where rarely anyone got near, a dark shadowed man walked past him. There were flames surrounding his body, and the shadow turned to look at him once, before continuing on his way.

What got to Seung Hyun was the image of the burning roses that seemed fresh as spring that sprouted out of the eroded ground going into flames before the man disappeared.

“Ha Yi,” he whispered.

It couldn’t be, could it?

No way.

Ha Yi and Dong Wook had come as far as they could. They were no longer allowed to move forward.  A reaper was now standing in their way. The reaper was tall, shadowed, and all they could really make out that it was living was its heavy and cold breathing- and the heavy smell of death. “State your purpose,” the reaper grumbled.

Hope flew in front of them then, taking its small human form. The reaper immediately recognized the small deity. “Please, we are here to see Seung Hyun,” Hope begged, but the reaper just laughed, before becoming serious again.

“Death has given specific orders that no one is to see him,” The reaper grumbled, “Especially you. Leave now,”

“He is my master,”

“He can do without you,”

“Please, we’ll do anything!” Ha Yi begged, looking up at the reaper pleadingly. Dong Wook moved to grab her and pull her back, but she proved to be strong and resilient. The reaper silently watched them. He was a gate keeper- and he rarely got to see anyone- specially two vampires trying to cross into the underworld. He was someone that stayed alive through the years by taking the lives of several that had tried to enter the Abyss before and failed. This was his chance to get more years and turn young again- so why not toy with them?

“Then you will have to take a test, and if you fail, your lives are mine,” The reaper hissed, curling his long bone fingers. Dong Wook felt a shill go down his spine and started to think things over again. He didn’t feel good about what the test could be, but before he could voice his concerns Ha Yi was already answering.

“Name it,” Ha Yi hissed in return, baring her fangs.

The reaper chuckled, before he threw his hands back, revealing a wide sea that suddenly appeared behind him, “The rules are simple little vampire, touch the water and your memories will be lost, now, how are you going to cross this sea without touching the water and coming to my mercy?” The reaper asked. “And fair warning, you will find that your wings are useless here, and a monster lives in those waters, so think wisely,” The reaper then vanished, but not without his echoing voice saying- “Oh, and crossing this river is the only way to enter the Abyss”

Both Ha Yi and Dong Wook knew that they were trapped.

But Hope was determined to help them find a solution.

The horizon before him was clear now, after walking for what seemed hours, and Seung Hyun started to run to it. He had no time to waste. The path in front of him was tempting, and ringing of freedom. He needed to escape, and if he was going to do it he needed to do it now. He just knew that Ji Yong would be on the other side, and he was desperate to get there. He could nearly anticipate it! The thought of getting to be with Ji Yong, and hold him once more kept him going, and never second guessing his decision.

 As he was running, Death flew down towards him, throwing his hands out and blocking his path. Seung Hyun came to a halting stop. Deaths blue eyes were narrowed, and his fiery red hair was on point. He looked extremely angry, but Seung Hyun didn’t care. He would fight death if he had to. But he was going to get through.

“Where do you think you are going!” Death demanded.

“You knew,” Seung Hyun smirked, “Of course, you always know everything, you always did,”

Death flinched, but didn’t relent in his stance. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that Seung Hyun knew that he kept an eye on him all the time. But he couldn’t help it, despite everything—Seung Hyun still meant a lot to him.  “Seung Hyun, please.”

“I told you I was going to find a way out of here to get back to Ji Yong, there is no way that you can stop me,”  Seung Hyun stomped his foot, much like a five year old.

“Actually, I can,” Death said, narrowing his blue eyes, but he hesitated and Seung Hyun saw it. He took his chance, and pushed past Death, nearly making him fall over. The red haired man gasped, and tried to chase after the blue haired reaper, but stopped when he came to the edge of the path, and watched with fear and a heavy heart as Seung Hyun was swallowed into it. There was no turning back once you were on the path. You would have to travel the entirety of it to the end, or lose your life. “So foolish, so foolish,” Death muttered to himself, closing his eyes, “Just like me, but more reckless, like the younger me,” he smiled.

“You clearly love him, why don’t you go after him,” a voice behind him said.

“He’s made his choice,” Death answered without thinking, before his mind registered the voice and he spun around. “Life,” he hissed, wide eyed, and scared that he was going to get a heart attack. It was rare for him to see Life, deep down in the Abyss.

“Hello,” The man frowned at him.

Death shook his head and stumbled back, until he fell on his , “What…what are you doing here!” he glared, pointing an accusing finger to Life.

“I wanted to see you,” Life childishly says, pouting at the same time.

Death stares wide eyed, before baring his teeth, “Urg, you oaf! Go away! You are not welcomed here!”

“Why not?” Life asked, “Aren’t we just the different sides of the same coin?”

“No we’re not!” Death pouted crossing his arms. Life smirked once more as he crouched down low to meet Death’s gaze.

“Then why did you create Seung Hyun in my image?” the white haired male asked, tilting his head a little to the side when Death tried to look away from him. There was a blush on his face and it was just cute. “Yes, I always knew about him, I always knew where he was. But I sort of hoped that you would let go of your whimsical childishness and let him be…maybe he shouldn’t exist?” Life raised an eyebrow. Death flinched away.  

“I…you always knew? Hah, but my little Hyunie is nothing like you. He’s his own self,” Death determining said, looking once more towards the path. “There is no way that you can judge his life to be anything similar to yours, not even his own being. He’s all mine”

“You’re in a way proud of him, aren’t you?”  Life softly asked, bringing his hand up to brush some of Death’s red hair away from his eyes. Death turned to look at him, and then he looked away. “But he is not yours, I know. That is why you let him go…”

“After a few days of thinking over it, yes I am proud, and I hate that you are right” Death sighed, “but I can never be like you. I can never be as great as you. This is probably the stupidest thing I have ever donw,” Death sadly looked down, and shook his head. He hugged himself and didn’t really want to think about the fact that Life was so close to him.

Life looked at him questioning, “Oh Death, why would you ever want to compare to me? I’m a beautiful lie, but you, you are the painful truth, and that makes you special to me,” Life smiled softly, “Your one of a kind,”

“Really?” Death asked, with complete disbelief.

“If you want, I can show you the regressing years of Seung Hyun’s life as he walks down the path, to his unborn,” Life offered, reaching his hand out to Death. Death looked at him slightly shocked, before reaching for his hand.

He wanted to see.

Seung Hyun was not sure of where he was anymore. All he knew was that he felt completely alone. There was nothing around his surroundings, but the more he walked something new seemed to follow. The place itself was hard to explain, but it felt as if he was wadding through thick water. His vision flickered back and forth.

Seung Hyun suddenly saw a bright flash of light behind him, and he turned around to see what it was, but there was nothing.  There was nothing but light, and it seemed to beckon him to go backwards.

Seung Hyun felt like going back, but he knew that he had to keep going forward. There was no way that he should go backwards. Hye Yoon told him that he only had the years that he had to get through this, and if other beings, even older than him had become unborn, what chances did he stand? He knew that and still he decided to come.

He just knew that he was going to get through this! No, there was nothing telling him that he was going to get through it. He just hoped on his own that he was going to get there. So he decided not to look back anymore, and he tightly closed his eyes as he kept running forward. He tried to keep his mind away from any other distractions that might come around, and kept running.

But with his eyes close, his hearing became acute, and he could hear things. He could hear a voice that was suddenly telling him things. It was telling him how they were going to enjoy his years, how his life was so tasty and precious to them.

The things the voices kept saying, disturbed him so he opened his eyes. But when he opened his eyes, the light was still there.

Seung Hyun paused in his running, taking deep breaths. Air seemed hard to get into his lungs though, and it was starting to hurt to breathe.

We will get you…

 They were messing with his mind!

Seung Hyun looked left, and right, but there was nothing there. Nothing but darkness, up and down- but he felt like he was being squeezed and for the life of him, he could not understand what was happening.  Focus, he told himself, focus for Ji Yong, and with that he got back to his feet, pushing on. But after the first five steps, he felt his feet tangle on nothing, and he fell face first, unable to protect his face by using his hands to stop the impact- his body was getting heavier- like led.

What’s the matter…can’t keep going?

We’ll take your years…

Seung Hyun hissed, and got to his feet once more. He felt rage enter him as he started to run once more, until the dirt road in front of him, started to become like cement- and soon it turned into a road…Seung Hyun’s head turned to the sky, where he saw a flashing light- and fear entered him.

He ran faster, but as he looked on, it was like a world was appearing in front of him, everything going in reverse, from ruins to reconstructed things- as if things were going back- new. And then it dawned on him—his years were slipping from him and the world around him was it up- becoming young once more while he too, started to become younger…

Trembling a little, he decided that there was no time to waste; he had to find the opening to the other end!

Hye Yoon made it to the surface, with a frown on her face. There were tears in her eyes. After she and Seung Hyun had parted ways and she had told him where to go, so he could leave- She had ran to Death to try and distract him. But Death knew! He knew what they were up to, and when she tried to further stop him from going to Seung Hyun he told her something that she was not expecting.

“Did you know, that the underworld of the abyss houses many kinds of beings- not just dead ones.” He had said, “That is how Dami was here- and now she has returned to her body to the surface world. I doubt that she remembers you, but don’t you want to go to her?”

“I’m sorry Seung Hyun,” she cried to herself. She had selfishly, and trustingly had said yes that she wanted to go see Dami, but before she could take her words back- she was on Earth. She was near the castle- and she could sense Dami, but that didn’t matter right now. What got to her now that she was here, so close was the fact that she had betrayed someone that should have also been important to her.

She had betrayed Seung Hyun all for her own heart.

And it made her feel shame.

“I ed up!” Hye Yoon kicked a bucket in front of her, making several people turn to look at her questioningly. A man behind her started screaming about her disrespect for his things, but instead of hearing him out she walked away. She felt bad. She needed to find a way to help Seung Hyun, before it was too late, but what could she do?

What?