Chapter 30

Woohyun had been driving since 4 hours straight expecting to come across the bar that Sungjae mentioned, but luck just wasn't on their side. Instead of coming across some kind of habitat, they just came across acres and acres of wild green forest with rugged roads.

"The Key isn't destroyed, is it?" Sunggyu asks few hours later, his voice tired and defeated. Everytime he shuts his eyes, he has been getting dreams of the Key asking him to come after it. His head hurts everytime he gets up from his usual nightmare, it's as if the Key was punishing him for his wrong decision.

"All of us think so" Woohyun replies slowing down the car's speed "Jin is the one with the proper answer."

Sunggyu lets out a broken sigh "I just feel like giving up and go to rest and never wake up." he confesses, hot tears stinging the edges of his eyes. His fever had climbed up 2 degrees since they left the house and his fighting spirit had reduced simultaneously.

Woohyun takes a deep breath and stops the car to a halt. He looks at his lover's face with a soft expression "Gyu listen to me and listen to me good" he says as he takes Sunggyu's hand into his owns and gives it a gentle squeezes "We're going to win this battle and for that I need you strong." 

Sunggyu gnaws his lower lip and wills himself to calm down. He takes calming breaths and opens his eyes to stare at Woohyun "I'm trying my best Woohyun, but every new battle---it--it weakens me."

"Gyu--- you gotta fight-- fight for me--for us." Woohyun says in a pleading voice. 

Sunggyu shuts his eyes and nods. They already had gone through so much, put people around them through so much, and giving up now would be so foolish. Moreover he'd fight with anyone to be with Woohyun, even if it meant fighting a death battle with the Key.

"Jus--just lead me through all this." 

"Always" Woohyun inclines forward and drops a chaste kiss on Sunggyu's temple. Resigned to find this Jin real soon, he starts with the drive.

After an hour or so of driving, a small apartment comes into Woohyun's view and he heads in that direction. When he stops in front of the apartment, he doesn't even have to get down before the roof of his car is pressed down from a weight and an upside down face is hanging down his window side.

"Prince Woohyun. I'm surprised you found me this soon."

Woohyun is kind of surprised that this lady knows him but he keeps himself from opening his mouth. The woman, however, is already standing on her feet in vampirstic speed before Woohyun gets the chance to open his mouth.

Woohyun isn't sure if this lady is Jin or not, because her attire definitely didn't give off any kind of 'witch' signal to him. She was dressed in a tank top with a knee length jumper over it, her straight blonde hair were barely reaching her shoulders and she had light make-up on her face. 

She gives Woohyun a smug smile, like she knows what Woohyun was thinking.

"So you finally reached me, congrats. I'm Jin and I believe you need my help, Sungjae informed me so."

"Sungjae informed you?" Woohyun asks in surprise. He left Sungjae as a prisoner under Hoya's care, he makes a note at the back of his mind to contact Hoya and talk to him about this. 

"Yea. Now, that you finished observing me, shall we get inside my house?" she sneers, making Woohyun feel guilty to judge her.

"Er--yea, sure." Woohyun replies with a sheepish smile.

____

"Isn't there any other way?" Woohyun isn't happy with the information provided by the witch at all.

"Except for letting Sunggyu die? No." Jin simply answers.

They were in Jin's guest bedroom, Sunggyu resting on the king sized bed and Woohyun sitting beside him on the bed's edge. Jin was leaning against the door frame, which was opposite to the bed, with her hands inside her jumper's pockets.

 As predicted by Woohyun, the key was not destroyed; albiet, it would take another two weeks for the key to renovate itself. After Sunggyu's touch, the key was emotionally connected to Sunggyu and was taking him through the same pain it was suffering. 

But even after they re-locate the key and Sunggyu hands over the key safely to Woohyun, Sunggyu would still have nightmares about the key and each passing nightmare might weaken his health.

As a reminder of his mistake Jin said. 

Woohyun remembers how emotionally exhausting the nightmares are for his boyfriend, sometimes life threatning even. The emotional bond between the Key and his boyfriend needed to be broken but it was only possible at the cost of Sunggyu's death. Well, not death exactly, since he would be re-borned; but death of him from this life.

"What about his memories?" Woohyun asks, a bit nervous.

"Sunggyu's soul will be in a new body which means he'll lead a new life; so no memories of this life will be retained."

Woohyun feels scared that his Sunggyu will not be able to recognise him after the re-birth and Woohyun would have to live watching Sunggyu happy in other's arms. 

The sacrifice would be worth it though, if his boyfriend gets to lead a normal life again. If the happiness of his boyfriend came at the cost of his own, then so be it.

"N-n-no" Sunggyu croaks, eyes closed and beads of sweat forming on his forehead, as quick hot breaths escape his nose.

Woohyun runs his hand through Sunggyu's hair and tries to calm down his boyfriend "Just a nightmare babe---c'mon---you gotta open your eyes--hey, hey, it's alright" he says soothingly; he waits as his boyfriend's harsh breathing slowly comes under control and his eyes slowly open up.

Woohyun kisses Sunggyu's forehead "We've almost won the battle" he whispers softly. He then turns to Jin and gives her a grateful smile "Our kingdom will never forget your contribution towards this."

"Oh you better not, dear Prince" she quips with an amused smile. 

"Hyun--what?" Sunggyu asks with difficulty, totally confused by the conversation at hand.

"The key isn't destroyed, babe. A little bit of patience and a little bit of effort, then you will lead the normal life you ever wanted" Woohyun kisses his boy's temple.

The relieved smile that he gets in reply is what makes him more confident about his decision.

Hello guys, it's your co-author. I'm so sorry for this short chapter but im trying my best to bring this fic to completion. My writing is so bad as compared to clearlyonfire and I'm sorry for that. The ending is just few chapters away btw. Lemme know your opinions and thoughts :)

P.s: will edit it later ❤