It's 3am and here you have over 11,360 not proofread words, so I am really sorry for the typos!

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The Death has taken what was promised

The sun was about to rise above the horizon, when dark, heavy clouds covered the whole sky from the east to the west. A loud bang was heard, and a white lighting the ground the moment Jongdae's horse stepped on the Western shore. Although the night was fading, the world in the West was only getting darker, as no light was able to get through the darkness that was brought by the Prince. The ground was breaking under the horse's hooves, and the air was vibrating from electricity running through it. The darkness was swallowing everything on its way, proceeding forward along the prince, as if they were best friends marching together. Chasing after the prince and his black horse, the darkness seemed to be one with them; the only thing visible were Jongdae’s violently purple eyes, and hops of energy that was floating through the air. There was a rain of lightning hitting the ground, trees, rocks, anything on their way, everything that was surrounding the prince.

Jongdae stopped the horse, breathing heavily, as they reached the crossroads. He looked both ways, and tightened his grip on rein, and a low growl left his throat.

There it was, a massive, stone gate, as old as time, with faces of the first kings engraved on both sides, and two spiral dragons guarding the entrance. Everything was old, grey, almost black, stained with mud, dirt, rain, and time. Everything but one  thing. Right in front of the gate, on a small courtyard, stood a golden monument of The Queen of the West. Of Hyuna.  He looked once again in the direction of Kyoto*, the capital city of the West, and narrowed his eyes. He could spot high towers of the castle in between the wave of green fields, surrounded from the south by the mountain range. Kyoto. Home. A place he should be missing, loving, and caring about. But right now, the whole city was a place he wanted to burn to the ground, destroy every piece of it, kill every person there. He longed to hear the cries of dying children, screams of their mothers, and see blood of their fathers run down the streets he had never gotten a chance to walk.

A shiver ran down Jongdae’s spine at the thought, but the boy was too far gone. Somewhere at the back of his mind he knew he should not wish for such things, think of such actions, but living a life of a prisoner left a mark on him, and at that moment, standing on the crossroads, having to choose whether to go and save his brother, or go and kill the queen, he did not want to hold back. Something snapped in him, and all Jongdae could see was black. His heart was darkness, and so was his soul. His soul, that was almost scattered to piece, and the blood in his veins turned rotten. Jondgae was angry, and anger he became. He felt something wet on his hands, but when he quickly looked down on them, there was nothing, his hands were dry. However, he could feel the thick blood of all the people he had to execute, and kill, for his mother’s entertainment. He felt it on his hands, could taste it on his mouth, and suddenly, the whole courtyard around him filled with dead corps of officers, castle workers, traitors, and thieves. Those he killed directly, those he put a spell on, and those he poisoned. He looked around, unmoved. He looked each person in the eyes again, and a small smile appeared on his lips. Then, amongst the white sea of the dead, he saw two bodies that seemed too familiar.

One was of Nana. He swallowed, as the scene behind her body changed, and Jongdae was nine again, sitting in the first row of his beloved nanny execution.

The wind was blowing, moving the Western flags up on the walls, and disturbing the gathering. Nana was standing in the middle of the court, tightly chained to a wooden piled. In front of her, and only a few meters away from Jongdae stood a tall man, dressed in an armor. To his right sat his father and his mother, the woman with a sick smile on her face. A small, old official read the quilt, a piece of paper that was nothing but a pack of lies, and when he was done, the soldier lifted a massive grey bow, braced the bowstring, and the moment he was about to let the arrow free, the queen stood up and stopped him. Everyone looked at her confused, but her eyes were locked on Jongdae’s. “My son will do it,” she exclaimed, and sat down. Everyone gathered looked at the young prince, terrified and with sympathy. No one argued with the queen. Nana started screaming, but Jongdae ignored her. He looked at his father, but the man seemed powerless. More than that, he seemed afraid. So Jongdae stood up, walked to the soldier, and extended his arm to take the bow. “Are you sure you can do it, little prince?” the man asked softly, but Jongdae’s eyes narrowed. “Call me that again, and you will be the next person I’ll put an arrow through.” So the man let out a sigh and having given the boy the weapon, he stepped aside. The little prince looked repeated the older’s action, and struggling slightly with the massive bow, he looked the woman in front of him in the eyes, and saying a silent apology, he let out the arrow. Nauem’s lips froze in a dead scream the moment a purple arrow stoke her heart.

“My mind is playing tricks on me,” he mumbled and looked at the other boy. A familiar body. A body too thin, too pale, but somehow firm. A body with hair as white as snow, eyes the color of clear water running in the rivers in the mountains. A body with a mark.

Jongdae frowned, not understanding why he was seeing a body of a living person. Moreover, it was a person he did not have that much to do with. He was never caught with Xiumin during the day, and whatever happened during the night, stayed in the darkness.

Even him. He was born in the darkness, and in darkness he stayed.

Jongdae did not like what he was seeing in front of him, he did not wish to see Xiumin’s corps in front of him, not with all the people he killed. So a lighting fell down from the sky and hit the white corps. Electricity travelled from one body to another, and they disappeared just as quickly as the bodies appeared.

Jongdae looked down on his hands again.

They were clear.

So he looked up once more, this time in the opposite direction to the gate. The second road he could have taken was narrow, with trees guarding the entrance to Aokigahara*. A chill ran down his spine at the thought of entering these evil woods, but that was the way to curing his brother.

So Jongdae fastened his horse, guiding it toward the road leading into the furthest depths of the forest covered mountains, but before he disappeared in the wilderness, a rain of lightings fell front the sky, and destroyed the golden statue of the Queen that was standing at the entrance to the capital.

Jongin was sitting in the darkness of his room, waiting for the first rays of sun to fall on his face. That was how he always knew a new day approached. The life of a blind in a castle was quite lonely. There were a few people assigned  to take care of him, but the older he got the more he neglected the help. There is only so long that you can let others dress you, comb you, wash you. He used to spend most of his time either in his room, where he felt safe, or in a library, where he could hide from everyone. He could not read, nor write, but being surrounded by books calmed him. Sometimes, Sehun would find him sitting in the corner of two books shelves, with what he learnt where adventure and geography books, and maps, and the younger would read to him. And Jongin would sit there, smiling to himself, as he was looking into the direction of a window, imagining the view. Sometimes, at times when Sehun was not with him, when he was left alone, or at nights, he felt as if there was someone else with him. A spirit, or a ghost. At the beginning he was scared, but then he started dreaming about someone. About a small boy, with beautiful, smiling emerald eyes, chestnut hair, and a smile that always made Jongin feel safe. With time, he learnt the boy’s name, Kyungsoo. As time passed, Jongin grew to see Kyungsoo more often. He put the name and face to the spirit he so often felt next to him. The young prince used to see the boy only in his dreams. But not being able to see at all, he started dreaming all the time.

But he never told anyone. No one knew about it. He was blind, he did not need to be labeled a lunatic as well. He knew, that even in a place like his homeland, hearing voices was nothing good. And above all, he never truly knew, whether what he felt was not just a trick of his imagination. It must have been. He was blind. He never saw a face of his mother, father, or brother. There was no chance he could have ever seen that boy. And he was sure, he had never heard the name as well.

 Jongin frowned, as he did not feel the warm rays of sunlight on his face. The sun should be up already. And then he heard it. A terribly loud thunder, a sound freezing blood in veins, and a slight earthquake followed. He took a deep breath in.

“Impossible,” he murmured, and in that moment the door opened.

“Prince,” a familiar voice reached his ears, and he calmed a bit.

“Sehun!” he exclaimed, and stood up, “did you hear? Did you –“

“Yes, Jongin, I did,” the younger said, and the prince felt his warm hands on his arms, “I looked outside,” he whispered.

Jongin swallowed, “why are you whispering?”

“Because, I think it’s your brother.”

The moment the words left Sehun’s lips, Jongin felt the groud slip from beneath his feet.

“She said he’s dead. She said he was a traitor… she…”

Sehun let out a breath, “Jonign, I – I do not say Jongdae came back…”

The prince frowned.

“The Queen said he was dead. She said he was a traitor… you know, they do not bring traitors back…”

“But!” Jongin exclaimed, “I will tell my father, Jongdae is – “

“Yes, he is his son, but Jongin!” Sehun raised his voice a bit towards the end, “your father is dying! He does not know! He does not know about Jongdae!”

Jongin sat back, and his hands started shaking, “I do not believe it. I cannot. He is not dead. He cannot be. He cannot be dead,” he started mumbling.

“But he is –“

“NO!” the prince shouted, and a tear rolled down his face, “He promised! He promised he would come back! Jongdae is not dead!”

A silence fell between them, and another lightning .

“Why did you say, you thought it was my brother?” Jongin asked silently.

“What I meant to say, was that the storm brought his spirit back. Back home. I think… I think we have to let go, Jongin,” Sehun said softly, although he was close to tears himself. He neared the boy, and knelt in front of him, taking his hands into his own. “His spirit came back home. He found peace,” he murmured, trying to make both of them feel better.

“No,” Jongin replied, and a shiver ran down his spine, “this storm did not bring his spirit, Sehun. It brought something worse.”

“Mom! Mother!” Junmyeon was screaming, running down the hall searching for the queen.

The blood was boiling in his veins, and his mind was clouded. He spent the whole night locked in his bedroom with Yixing by his side, discussing the situation.

“What do we do, Yixing?” Junmyeon whispered, trembling slightly. Yixing smield sadly, and moved closer to his fiancé, putting an arm around him, and bringing the prince closer to him. He placed a soft kiss at the top at the younger’s head, and replied.

“Whatever you wish, my love.”

“He said Minseok was alive. Do you think it is possible?” Junmyeon whispered again, his eyes fixed on his hands. “It is Jongdae we are talking about after all. A storm bringer. He is a westerner! Can we even trust him?”

Yixing sighed, feeling powerless, “do we have any reason not to believe him?” he questioned softly.

“Yixing,” Junmyeon stated, “do we have any reason to believe him?”

The question stayed between them, hanging in the air between the pair of lovers, as if a massive wall separating them.

“Jun, you do not under- “

“No, you do not understand! Do you not remember what he did at the library?! He is an enemy!”

“Or is he?”

“What do you mean?” the prince asked confused, adverting his eyes from the floor to look at the other boy.

“Why would he be your enemy, Junmyeon? Your parents, and your culture taught you to hate the West, but do you, you yourself, have a reason to carry it on?”

“He almost burned the tree, and the library, and everyone… he could have destroyed everything,” the prince stated firmly, as if that was to prove his point.

Yixing smiled sadly again. “Junmyeon,” he took the prince’s hands in his, “Jongdae claims to have been meeting with your brother. I am not saying I believe him, but I did saw him leave the castle a few times. He would leave in the evening, and judging by his state, he was always coming back before the dawn. What if he is saying the truth, Junmyeon?”

“But what if he isn’t” the prince insisted.

“Junmyeon!” Yixing raised his voice a bit, getting annoyed, “are you willing to doubt it? After all, it is your brother’s life we are talking about. It’s Minseok’s life at stake here,” he emphasized, “are you really willing to –“

“You do not understand, Yixing,” Junmyeon spoke softly, taking his hands out of the older’s tight grip, “Minseok is dead,” he cried.

“How can you be so sure?” Yixing tried to reason, feeling hopeless.

“Because that’s what my father always said!”

“Your mother says something else!”

“My mother is blinded by sorrow!” he yelled, standing up. “She is not thinking rationally. He cannot be alive… he cannot be… if he were, he would have been found!”

“If he was dead, do you not think his corps would have been found as well?” Yixing retorted.

Junmyeon opened his mouth to say something, but then decided against it. He sighed, and sat down on the bed again. “I am so tired, Yixing. So tired with it all. I do not know what to think, or what to do. I feel so burdened with Minseok, with his ghost. I feel like even though he is not here, he somehow is. I wish my mother would look at me one day, without that deep sadness in her eyes, as if she wished she was looking at someone else. I wish my father stopped acting like I was a repay for some mistake, I wish… I wish everything was normal, Yixing,” he whispered, “like you. You are the only one who knows me like I am, who treats me for who I am, and who loves me for me… without any quilt or memory of the gone past.”

Yixing swallowed, saddened by Junmyeon’s words. He shifted himself and brought the prince in a tight embrance, the younger’s head resting on his chest.

“I like your heartbeat,” Junmyeon mumbled, wrapping his arms around the healer.

“Junmyeon,” the healer said softly, placing another kiss on the top of the prince’s head, “Junmyeon you cannot think like that,” he whispered, rubbing circles on the other’s back, “your parents love you more than anything. We will never know the pain that they feel, but instead of thinking of yourself as a replacement, you should think of you as their sunshine. And I know from a good source that this is what your parents think of you.”

Junmyeon chuckled, “and who exactly is that source?”

“Your mother,” Yixing smiled lightly, “I had a long conversation with her before he agreed to let me marry you, my love.”

“You did?” the prince asked confused, “you never told me…”

“Because there was no need,” now it was Yixing’s turn to chuckle, “me and your mother are actually really close, you know. I’ll tell you a secret, alright?” he whispered, lowering his head closer to Junmyeon’s, and when the prince noded expectantly, he smirked, “I think I became her favourite.”

“Favourite what?”

“Favourite everything,” he laughed, and Junmyeon’s heart melted. He loved Yixing’s sweet laugh, and dimpled smile. The sound felt like home, safety, and calmness. When Yixing laughed, Junmyeon felt like there was no evil in the world, as if the sun was never to set, and the night was never to come. As if the time was freezing.

“Do you know what I wish for?” Junmyeon mumbled quietly, afraid to disturb the moment.

“What my dear?”

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” he confessed, “I wish I could look into your eyes, that are brighter, and more beautiful than the millions of stars on the cloudless sky on the coldest of nights. I wish I could listen to your laugh without no end, a sound more beautiful than any musician can create. I wish I could look into your eyes until I drown in them. I wish… I wish we could stay like that forever, frozen in time, so no one would disturb us…”

“Then your wish shall be granted,” Yixing whispered, smiling even wider, and closed the space between them by pressing his lips on the younger’s. “Welcome to our forever, my beautiful prince.”

“Can you hold me?” Junmyeon asked, “for a little longer?”

“As you wish, my price,” Yixing smiled, “as long as you wish.”

Yixing lay the boy in his arms down, and a moment later adjusted himself, bringing the prince closer to his chest. They were lying silently on the bed, looking into the flames in the fireplace. Yixing closed his eyes, and almost fell asleep to the steady rhythm of Junmyeon’s breath, and his heartbeat beneath his hand, when the prince decided to speak again.

“Should I take the risk of trusting Jongdae?”

“What is the worst thing that can happen?” Yixing mumbled.

“I do not want to… get hurt, I guess…”

“This is just a part of life,” Yixing replied, drawing soothing circles on his fiancé’s palm, “give him some credit. He is really broken, and was never shown the right way. Maybe that is what he needs? Just a little trust.”

“He said he would not be here for our wedding,” he mumbled, “that he would bring Minseok.” Yixing hummed, signalizing he was still listening, “I think we should postpone the wedding,” Junmyeon declared, and Yixing’s eyes snapped open.

“I -,” the older started, but was at loss of words.

“My love, do not take it the wrong way,” Junmyeon pleaded, “I do not wish to cancel it. Just postpone. So many things has been happening lately. With everything that is going on… I am not sure the wedding would be at hand.”

Yixing sighed, but did not say anything.

“Yixing, say something, please.”

Yixing smiled sadly, and cupped Junmyeon’s cheek, “whatever you wish, my prince,” he whispered, and junmyeon groaned.

“Love, do not be like that!”

But Yixing was not listening anymore. He closed his eyes, and embracing the prince tight in his eyes, tried to fall asleep.

But falling asleep with an uneasy heart is hard.

“You said anything I wish,” Junmyeon whispered, playing with Yixing locks, “I wish you were not angry with me. I wish you could try and understand me. I wish I was not so afraid of losing you. You are the most precious thing in my life. I wish you knew how much I treasure you, treasure us, and our very own forever. You are my stars, and universe, Yixing. I love you more than the moon loves the sun. I would do anything for you. Anything you ask. I would walk on fire, swam across the Endless Sea, fly over the Death Valley. Anyth –“

“Do not leave me,” Yixing mumbled, and Junmyeon slightly jumped, expecting the boy to have been already asleep. “Do not do anything stupid, Junmyeon. Just promise not to ever leave me.”

Junmyeon smiled lightly, placing a hand on Yixing cheek. He ran a finger over the older’s closed eyes, and his lips.

“I will never leave you, Yixing. I will never leave you, my love. There is no force on this Earth that could take me away from you. I will be by your side until the day you tell me to leave.”

“I always thought that a wedding in April would be better,” Yixing mumbled softly, and Junmyeon chuckled, “but that is it. I will not wait any longer.”

“I do not want to wait, as well. We will get married in April, even if the world was ending.”

Yixing hummed, and tightened his grip around Junmyeon’s waist, “I love you, my prince,” he mumbled.

“I love you to, my sunshine.”

“Junmyeon, my dear, what happened?” his mother’s voice stopped his erratic train of thoughts. He shook his head and faced his mother.

“Mother, we need to talk,” he declared, moving into a massive room full of books, with a huge desk in the middle.

“Oh? Is everything alright?” the woman asked, closing the door behind her son and sitting by the fireplace.

“I was talking with Yixing. We need to postpone the wedding.”

The moment he said it, the queen gasped and paled.

“Junmyeon, my son, what, for the love of gods, happened? What do you mean?!”

“Mom, calm down. We are not cancelling,” he tried to calm her down, “some…. Things happened, and we need to postpone it. Please. I beg you mom, listen to me,” he begged, hoping his mother would understand. This once.

“Junmyeon, I- I do not underand. What is going on?”

Junmyeon sighed. What was he supposed to tell her?

“Prince Jongdae left at night. He will not be able to make it to the wedding.”

“And?” the queen questioned, “is some westerner the reason you want to postpone the wedding?!” she raised her voice.

“It is a long story, mother. Please, respect our decision, that is all I am asking of you.”

His heart ached, he wished he could tell his mother, tell her about Minseok, that he might be alive. But that was to remain a secret.

“Junmyeon,” the queen whispered, carefully placing a hand on her son’s cheek, “my baby, my little angel,” she kept on whispering, and looking in her eyes, Junmyeon felt sadness taking over him, “are you sure everything is alright?”

“Yes, mother,” he replied, forcing a smile. He took the woman’s hand in his and placed a soft kiss at the top of it, “please, do not worry.”

“My little angel, my sweet boy,” she sighed, “I will do as you ask, you know I only want the best for you, you know that, right?”

“I do mother,” Junmyeon smiled sadly, “I do. Thank you,” he said, bowed and left the room.

The queen, now left alone, fell to the ground and silent tears started running down her face, while her heart was slowly breaking into pieces. In her pain and sorrow, she failed to hear the door open again.

“My love!” Jack exclaimed, running towards his wife, “Elsa, what happened?!”

“The stars, Jack,” the woman whispered, “a few stars fell from the sky tonight,” she explained, and burst into tears. The man’s breath quivered, and he quickly brought the woman into his arms. “He’s dying. My little snowflake is dying.”

It was dark. There was no sound. There was no movement. The only thing disturbing the air was his own breath. Jongdae kept moving forward into the depths of Aokigahara, a place also known at a Sea of Trees. The most fearful forest in the whole land West from the sea. People said many things about this place, and there were many rumors floating around, even in the castle, as it was surrounded by it from the north. It was said to be a place of the dead, that there was a curse put on this place, that it was a home of monsters and witches, that black magic had its roots in this place.

Jongdae had problems breathing, as the air was very thick and it stunk. Everything around him was rotten and dead, the ground, the flowers, the bushes. There was not a single living creature, or thing there. He lost track of time, and with a clouded mind it was hard for him to focus. He did not know how much time had passed since he entered the woods, whether it was afternoon, evening, or maybe still morning. All he knew, was that the Ravens’ quarters were rumored to be in these forests. He prayed for those rumors to be true.

After many more hours of wandering, at the brink of endurance, with heavy eyes, and slow breath, he saw it. There, in the distance, at the edge of the cliff, were ruins. Old, dark, and terrifying. They filled the prince with the feeling of anxiousness, doubt, and horror. Everything around them was black, the trees, the mountain wall, the broken rocky road leading up to them. Everything was touched by death and destruction. The closer to the ruins, the less trees there were around, and upon looking up at the sky, a gasp escaped Jongdae’s lips. The sun was already setting. He had to hurry. So he left his horse to rest, and taking a sword that he was always carrying under a saddle, he entered the walls.

Most of what seemed to have been a great and massive building in the past, was now destroyed. There were only parts of walls left, staircases were half burnt, half eaten by bugs, in places of windows were only holes. There was nothing left of the old glory. Jongdae sighed, thinking of how the building must have once reflect the state of the whole kingdom. Proud, and vain. Now, the building was a ruin, as was Jongdae. He clenched his fists, and looked around, looking for any sign of an entrance to undergrounds. He was slowly walking around, searching for any door left in the wall, when he stepped upon a loose piece of wood in the floor that cracked. He frowned, and pressed in the same place once again. Intrigued, he looked around, and upon grabbing a massive piece of rock, he threw it onto the floor. The wood cracked, broke, and its pieces fell inside. Jongdae smirked, and in a few kicks enlarged the hole in the floor, so he could fit. But there was one problem. Going down would be easy, but what about going back up? But the prince did not get any time to think it through, as the wood started cracking beneath his body, and the whole floor collapsed. Jongdae hit the ground with a massive force that knocked the breath out of his lungs. He started coughing, tasting blood in his mouth, and after a few moments of lying on the floor, too paralyzed by pain to move, he gathered himself and stood up. He sighed a sigh of relief upon realizing that the collapsed floor created a provisional stairs, a mountain that would help him reach the door later on. Calmed by this thought, he raised his sword and frowned. There were torches burning on the walls. His heartbeat quickened, as he started looking around, searching for someone, or something, else. But there was no one there, and it made Jongdae even more anxious and terrified. He quickly grabbed the torch in his free hand and started chaotically looking for what he came for. The place was a mess. There was dry blood on the walls, many shelves covered in spiderwebs, with countless jars, and boxes, with the most unearthly things inside. There were a few tables, knives stuck in many places, and what seemed like a rotten body parts. Jongdae felt sick from the sight and smell, his hands were shaking. He ran towards the shelves, and trying to touch as little as possible he started looking for Kyungsoo’s eyes.

“Green, green, green eyes,” he kept mumbling, throwing each jar that was not what he was looking for to the ground. Suddenly, he stumbled upon an old box, with a weird, but strangely familiar looking sign on it. As if some kind of a bird.

“A phoenix,” he whispered, and something clicked in his mind. He did not understand why, but he felt a strange urge to take the box with him. So he put it in the pocket of his capote, and kept on searching.

He was getting further and further from the main area of the room, disappearing into thicker and thicker darkness. The light of the torch was less and less efficient, as the space around him suddenly became incredibly wide, and there was no other source of light anymore. He looked around panicked, and could not see the hole in the floor through which he had fallen anymore. He took a deep breath, as he realized he got lost.

“Green eyes, green eyes, green eyes,” he kept on repeating over and over again, making himself stay focus, and not panic. And there it was. A small crack in the wall, that was leading to another room. Jongdae fearfully crossed it, and walked inside. The room was small, filled with only a few shelves and a long table by the wall. Quickly casting a look at the shelves, Jongdae spotted what he came for. There, at the bottom, covered with spiderwebs, stood a jar filled with something red, and it that liquid floated two emerald eyeballs. The prince grimced upon taking off the spiderwebs, and almost let the jar fell to the ground as he realized what was the red liquid. Blood. A small scream left his lips, and he quickly moved his hand with a sword to cover his mouth. The sound of his voice travelled around the room, than outside, and it sounded like bells in this nothingness. His heart was banging against his chest, as a shiver ran down his spine. He pressed the jar to his chest and threw himself at the crack, wanting nothing more than to leave this room, and the dungeons, but he suddenly stopped, frozen in place. His heart was beating so fast, he felt as if it was to explode, and there was a loud scream at the back of his throat, threatening to escape any minute.

Scuff.

Scuff.

Scuff.

Jongdae slowly, with a soul on his arm, turned around, and the blood in his veins froze. There, at the end of the room, on the table by the wall, he saw a move in the shadows. Not giving it a second thought, knowing better than to play with dark arts, he ran out of the room, the torch falling to the ground, the fire extinguishing. Jongdae was running in the darkness with the jar tightly hugged to his chest, hoping to find a way out. He heard a laugh behind his back, and fastened. But he tripped, and fell to the ground. He felt a hot breath on his neck, and a touch on his arm, but when he quickly looked around, there was nothing there. He swallowed, as he heard the laugh again, and started running again. At last, he noticed a faint light of the outside, and recognized the place that he had fallen into. He quickly jumped at the mountain of broken wood, and rocks, and upon making it to the front door of the ruins, he fell to the ground, feeling exhausted.

The door behind him closed with a loud bang, and a few ravens left the tall tower built in the side of the mountain.  Jongdae crawled to his horse, and after finally managing to sit on his horse, they left the place in a blink of an eye.

Jongdae had problems keeping his eyes open, he was beyond exhausted. His hands and legs were trembling, he had problems breathing, and his head was aching. He was somewhere in the middle of a forsaken forest,  hardly able to see the stars on the sky to guide him to the castle. The prince hid the jar and the box in a pocket under the blanket that was hunging over the animal's back, put a hand on the horse’s neck, and leant forward. A shadow of a smile appeared on his face upon feeling the warmth of the animal.

“Take us home,” he whispered, and let the horse lead the way.

Sehun was walking down a dark corridor, yawning. He was deadly tired after the whole day of running around the castle. He was also nervous because of the things he overheard. It was hard for the boy to decide what was more terrifying,  the information he learnt, or what would happen to him if someone learnt he had eavesdropped. He stopped, and leaning against the wall he looked outside the window, into an uneasy night.

The sky was covered with clouds, only so often letting the moonlight through. The wind was blowing strongly, pulling trees from the ground. The young boy looked around the garden. A few trees were already lying on the ground, with long roots sticking up to sky. And there was one, Sehun’s least favorite one, glowing in the moonlight.

The cherry tree.

Sehun made a disgusted face, and the wind blew stronger. At the same time, a lightning stoke, and Sehun backed away. He let out a sigh, and was about to head to his room, when something caught his attention. There, at the  borderline of Aokigahara, something moved. The boy frowned. Nothing ever moved there. Not the trees, not the shadows. Not so close to the border. But then it happened again, and Sehun gasped upon seeing a horse with a rider exiting the woods. A lightning and hit the ground next to them, and in fading light, Sehun saw a face.

A face of the dead.

A shiver ran down his spine, and his heartbeat quickened. Forgetting about everything, he threw himself forward, and ran as fast as he could down the corridor outside, and then through the fields to the back gardens to the border with the forest. He stopped at a small hill, observing the two shapes in front of him. The horse was dark and massive, a horse he knew very well. Its rider had his face hidden in the animal’s neck, his hands were covered in cuts and scrapes. And then, the rider lifelessly fell from the horse and hit the ground, landing on his back. Sehun could not believe his eyes.

“Jongdae,” he whispered, and a moment later, after having regained his consciousness, he rushed towards the prince, “Jongdae!” he exclaimed, “Jongdae!”

The boy on the ground slowly opened his eyes, and upon opening his mouth, a stream of blood ran down his cheek.

“Hello, Sehun,” the prince mumbled, “it is good to see you.”

“But…” the boy started, but he was at loss of words, “you… you are dead,” he whispered.

Jongdae chuckled, but it came out as a cough, with a few drops of blood staining the grass, “everything hurts, so I think I am pretty much alive.”

Sehun frowned, and slowly and carefully put his arms beneath the prince, “let me take you to the castle. You need treatment,” he said in a quiet voice, nodding towards the horse.

“No!” Jondgae almost screamed, but it only caused another attack. When he finished coughing, he sighed, “no one can know I am here, Sehun-ah, please,” he pleaded.

Sehun smiled slightly, “do not worry, my friend,” he whispered, “you are dead to everyone in the castle. No one will know.”

“Please, hide my horse,” Jongdae mumbled, his eyes quickly becoming too heavy to keep them open.

“Do not worry, I will take care of him. Go to sleep, my prince,” he whispered with a soft smile, and Jongdae was swallowed by darkness.

Jongdae woke up to a really nice smell hitting his nostrils. He felt something soft wrapped around his body, and under his head. He felt warm, and comfortable.

Something was off.

He slowly opened his eyes, and blinked it confusion at the familiarity of the place. He heard wood cracking in the distance, and saw candles lightened up in a few places. He felt something move next to him, and when he looked to the side he was met with a sleeping face of his brother. A gasp escaped his lips, and then he heard a shuffle. His head snapped in the other direction, and was met with a smiling face of Sehun, who was sitting in a dark chair. Next to him on a table were seated two bowls of still hot soup. Upon realizing there was food, Jongdae’s stomach decided to remind everyone about its existence. Sehun chuckled, and Jongdae blushed slightly in embarrassment.

“Hello, Jongdae,” the younger greeted him quietly and took one of the bowls in his hands.

“Hello, Sehun,” the prince replied confused, as the other sat next to him on the bed and stirred the soup, “what am I doing here?” he asked, and Sehun stopped his movements. He looked at the older confused, and sighed.

“You should eat first, Jongdae. You were exhausted, and wounded when I found you. Please, eat,” the blond whispered, bringing the spoon to the prince’s mouth.

“I can eat on my own, Sehun-ah,” Jondgae declared, but opened his lips, allowing the other feed him.

“I know, Jongdae-ah,” Sehun replied softly, and there was a pleasant pain in his chest, as if his heart was about to burst out of his chest. Jongdae was alive. So he kept on silently feeding the prince, enjoying the calm moment.

Everything felt so incredibly normal to him. They were warm, comfortable, there was fire burning in the fireplace, Jongin was calmly sleeping on his bed, Jongdae was there. They were all safe. They were all alive. Sehun often wondered if, whether specific things were different, they would get to build a normal, healthy friendship, and would be able to hang out, and just sit by the fireplace, read, laugh, talk. He often wished for it.

“Sehun,” Jongdae whispered, when he was done eating, “thank you. Thank you,” he said, and bowed his head.

Sehun was shocked. Jongdae was a prince. And princes do not bow to anyone.

“My prince!” he exclaimed, standing up, “please, do not bow to me!”

“Sehun?” Jongin’s half asleep voice interrupted them, “Is Jongdae up? Is he alright?” he questioned, sounding terrified.

Jongdae’s heart skipped a bit. He swallowed, looking at his brother’s young, and soft face. He was beautiful. His little prince. His priority. He swallowed loudly, as the thought of what he had done entered his mind.

He sold his little brother for someone else’s life.

“Jongin,” he whispered in a shaky voice, and placed a hand on the younger’s face, “Jongin, I am so sorry.”

But Jongin was not listening. The moment he heard his brother’s voice and felt his touch, he threw his arms around the older’s form, and hugged him tightly. “She said you were dead. She told me you died!” he cried, “Jongdae, what has been happening with you?! What is going on here?!”

A tear rolled down Jongdae’s cheek, but he quickly wiped it up.

“I have done something terrible, Jongin,” he whispered, “I am so sorry. I am so sorry, NiNi,” he cried, and the younger prince smiled upon hearing the almost forgotten nickname.

“Tell me what happened, Dae,” he smiled lightly, trying to make his brother feel better. However, in contrast to what he had thought, using the older’s old nickname now felt foreign on his tongue. It did not fit anymore.

“I found the way to bring your sight back,” he whispered, and both of the younger boys took deep breaths in.

“What?” Jongin whispered back.

“There is a way to bring your sigh back,” Jongdae cleared his throat, “but in order to do that I had do make a few deals.”

“Deals?” Sehun asked, not liking the sound of it.

“Lately… many things happened. You cannot tell anyone,” he warned, looking at both of them. When the two nodded, he continued, “and before I tell you the whole story,” he stopped to take a breath in, “please, try not to hate me too much for what I have done,” he begged, hanging his head low.

Suddenly, he felt a warm pair of hands wrap around his, and when he looked up he saw a smiling face of his brother, “there is nothing in this world that could make me hate you, Jongdae.”

“I wish it was true,” the prince thought to himself, but then tightened the grip on the younger’s hands.

“When I was on my way to the North, I was caught in a terrible snow blizzard. I would have been dead if it had not been for that boy. He seemed to have been some kind of a servant and a prisoner at the same time, I would say. I started visiting him at nights, not wanting to stay in the North. At the same time, I learnt something interesting. Something about you,” he said, tugging on his brother’s hands, to signal he was talking about him.

“Me?” Jongin asked confused.

“Your blindness,” he said, “it was not caused by the North.”

Both Jongin and Sehun gasped.

“Are you saying….?” Sehun mumbled, and Jongdae nodded.

“What I learnt from prince Junmyeon suggests that there was someone else who wanted to put our kingdoms at war. Then, there was… an accident, and your mother…”

“Our mother” Jongdae corrected him, confused, “why do you say ‘your mother’?”

“Because Jongin,” Jongdae swallowed, “Hyuna is not my mother.”

Silence fell upon the room, as the youngers tried to process the sudden news.

“She is a witch, who put a spell on my mother. I started wondering…” Jongdae whispered, not sure whether he should voice his thoughts, “I started wondering whether that arrow with which you were blinded… was not meant for me.”

No one dared to say a word. Jongin ran a hand through his hair, breathing faster and faster.

“Jongdae,” he cried out, “Jondgae, this is impossible. It is one of the Northerners’ tricks, they tricked you! You cannot believe them! This is not true!” he yelled.

“Jongin,” Jondgae said calmly, which was a surprise for him. He was probably too tired with everything at that point, to show any more emotions, “it is not a trick.”

“It would all make sense,” Sehun whispered, and the two princes looked at him.

“What do you mean, Sehun?” Jongdae asked.

“Before I found you yesterday –“

“When?!” Jongdae screamed, terrified. No. That was impossible. He could have not been sleeping for two days. He did not have time for that.

“Jongdae, calm down!” Sehun ordered, “Focus!” Jongdae took a deep breath in, but his hands were shaking. Sehun decided to ignore it for now, and continued quickly, “before I found you I had happened to eavesdrops, and… Jongdae, the moment the queen came back from the North she told everyone that you were dead. Which obviously you were not. You father fell ill, he started daydreaming, he had high fever, he was asking for you in his sleep, and was constantly repeating someone’s name…”

“Who’s?” Jongdae asked, but his heart was already giving him an answer.

“Hyeoyeon,” Sehun whispered, and the prince swallowed.

“She is my mother,” he replied in a whisper, as if afraid the walls in the castle had ears.

“The queen wants to declare a war,” Sehun continued, “she wants to start a war with the North again. She is going to use your death as an argument. She also mentioned… she mentioned someone else, a name of a boy, however, I have no idea who that boy is.”

“What name, Sehun, tell me the name!” Jongdae urged, some weird fear taking over him.

“Minseok. She mentioned him as a way to weaken the North. She said that the country would not be able to fight a war with the Royal couple was in mouring. What does it mean?” he asked, and looked at Jondgae confused, as the prince suddenly went pale.

“She knows about Xiumin,” he whispered.

“Xiumin?” Jongin asked, “I do not understand… what are these names?!”

“Xiumin is the name of the boy who saved me from the blizzard,” Jongdae explained absentmindedly, “Xiumin is Minseok. Minseok is the lost prince of the North.”

“Are you suggesting…” Jongin wanted to ask, but the thought seemed to cruel for him.

“That our queen has something to do with the disappearance of the prince, your blindness, and the whole mess we are in right now?” Jongdae laughed darkly, “this is exactly what I am suggesting.”

“But, Jongdae!”

“I am sorry, Jongin,” Jongdae growled, his dark aura coming back, “but the witch needs to die.”

“No!” the young prince shouted, “Jongdae! Jongdae, think of what you are doing! She is your mother!”

“She is nothing,” Jongdae said in a low voice, “nothing, Jongin, but my worst nightmare.”

“What happened to you?! Who are you and what have you done with my brother!?” Jongin yelled, pushing Jongdae on the chest.

“Jongin,” Sehun said softly, “do you remember, when we were younger, you would always ask me to bring Jongdae to play with you. Do you remember that?”

“Seriously, Sehun? What is your point?!”

“Please, my prince, tell me. Do you remember?” he asked again, in a calm voice, which seemed to be calming Jongin down a bit.

“Of course I remember.”

“And do you remember all the times you wanted me to bring Jongdae so he could read to you?”

Jongin nodded again.

“And do you remember all the times we were looking at the sky at night, counting the stars, and you would ask me to bring Jongdae to count them with us, because you never believed me when I was telling you there were millions of them?”

The same reaction.

“Do you remember when you would always ask me to bring Jongdae after you had a nightmare, so he could protect you?”

Jongin swallowed.

“And do you remember what I would always say?” Sehun asked the last question, and it seemed to be dripping with sadness.

“You would always say that he could not come, because he was busy,” Jongin whispered, and Jongdae’s heart broke.

“He was being kept under lock all these years, Jongin. The queen locked him out on his fifth birthday,” Sehun explained in a soft, quiet voice, “he was never busy. He just was not allowed to see you. Because of the queen. Because of your mother.”

Jongin’s lips were trembling, “she would not do it,” he whispered weakly.

“Jongin,” Jongdae mumbled, “this woman told you I was dead. Do you still think she would not have done what Sehun just told you?”

“But Jongdae,” Jongin whispered, “she is my mother. Like you are my brother. You cannot kill her. I beg you.”

“Jongin. I will kill her. And nothing will change my mind. I am going to kill her, stop her wicked plan, and right now, I am going to ask you to help me.”

“Help you?! Are you mad?!” the boy shouted, “Would you really expect me to help you kill my mother?!”

“Oh, no. I would never ask something like this of you. I want you to help me stop the war, and save yourself.”

Jongin hummed, “you said you know how to bring my sight back.”

“I do.”

“Then tell me, my dear brother, how would you do it?”

“I made a deal with a dead…”

“A dead?!” Sehun gasped.

“If I bring him his sight back,” Jongdae decided to dress the deal in more pleasant words, “and bring him to you, his friends would heal you.”

“A dead?” Jongin fleered, “you made a deal with a dead person? Do you even hear yourself?”

“Kyungsoo said –“

Jongin gasped, and Jondgae looked at him suspicious, “what did you just say?”

“Kyungsoo?” Jongdae repeated, “why are you -?”

Jongin swallowed, “let’s pretend for a moment that I do believe you. That Kyungsoo, is he a rather short boy, with chesnut hair, and emerald eyes?”

Jongdae felt a shiver ran down his spine, “how do you know him?” he whispered.

“This is not happening,” the younger murmured, “I have been… I have been kind of meeting with him,” he explained.

Jongdae tightened his fists, “what?” he asked angrily.

“But not like that!” Jongin quickly exclaimed, “in my dreams. He has been appearing in my dreams, and then I think it turned into some kind of a daydreaming, because I kept on constantly feel someone else’s presence. It is… it is really hard to explain.”

Jongdae sat there, beyond confused, not really understanding a word that his brother had just said, just hearing a loud banging in his head.

“Jongin,” Jongdae’s voice was pleading, “I beg you, come with me. There is one more person I need to save. I promised Kyungsoo I would bring you to him, I… I do not even know what is happening anymore, I am so tired, please, help me here,” he begged, taking his brother’s hands in his again, and bowing his head so low that it touched the younger’s wrists, “I promise you, you will get you sight back. Just please, help me. Come with me.”

Jongin was sitting silently.

“Alright,” he whispered finally, “I will help you.”

“Take Jongin to the stables,” Jongdae ordered, and Sehun nodded, “I have one more thing to do, and I will join you as soon as possible. Be ready.”

“Jongdae,” Sehun said, putting a hand on the prince’s arm, “are you sure this is the right way?”

“This is the only way,” he replied, and grabbing a bow that Sehun had brought him, he left the room.

He was clothed in a long, black cloak, with a massive hood. The clock midnight, and the castle was deserted. There was no one wondering the corridors, no one cleaning the stairs. Jongdae did not even have to hide in the shadows. There was nothing in the whole castle that would stop him. He had the bow ready, with an arrow meant for one person. The purple diamond in the arrow was glowing in the moonlight. He neared the queen’s office, took a deep breath, and was about to enter, when he heard a strange voice.

“When I checked upon him before coming here, he was almost dead.”

“Almost!?” the queened replied angrily, “what does it mean ‘almost’?! We need him just dead! It has been over twenty years! He should have been dead years ago! Why is he not?!”

“Almost, meaning he was ‘bout to give out his last breath. Do’t worry, my dear,” a male voice chuckled, “our dear snow prince is dead by now. I gave him a poison. He drunk enough of it to kill him within a matter of moments. It was pretty bloody I must say. You should’ve seen him. Lyin’ on that floor like a fish out of water,” he laughed, and Jongdae’s insides twisted, “he was coughing blood, staining my beautiful floor. You own me money for that!”

“Poison? What poison?” the queen asked.

“How’m I ‘pposed to know? I ain’t no witch. I asked that one guy, and he made it for me.”

There was a silence for a moment, then the woman spoke again, “and what was the name of that guy?”

“Chen”

The bow and the arrow felt to the floor, making a loud noise. Before he got to react in any way, the door next to him burst open, he was lifted up by an invisible force, and flown inside.

“Well, well, well,” the queen laughed, “look whom we have here!”

“Ya!” the man shouted, “this is the guy! Chen!”

The queen seemed truly surprised, to which Jongdae laughed, “and who is laughing now, you witch?” he said, and felt a cold grip on his throat.

“How?” the woman hissed, “how is that possible?!” he screamed, throwing the boy against the wall.

“You are not the only one with secrets here, Hyuna,” Jongdae breathed out, “however, you are the liar who’s lies have been exposed,” he sneered, “I know the truth, you monster, I know everything!”

The woman looked as if someone slapped her. But she quickly collected herself, and Jongdae was hanging in the air once again, “then you shall take that truth to grave,” she threatened, and Jongdae felt air escape his lungs. He started opening and closing his mouth, trying to catch some oxygen, but that was impossible. He started kicking, and punching the air around him, but to no avail. And the he saw it. At the back of the man who was sitting comfortably, with a smug smile on his face, was a destroyed bow, and black arrows.

“You,” he managed to get out, before the room started going in circles.

“Stop!” someone screamed, and a moment later Jongdae was lying on the floor, coughing. He quickly looked around, and spotted his brother at the entrance.

“Jongin!” he screamed, “Jongin go away!”

“Mother!” the younger whined, as if not hearing Jongdae, “mother, stop!”

“Jongin, this has nothing to do with you, turn around and leave,” she ordered.

Jongdae quickly got up and ran across the room with a speed of a light, and grabbing Jongin by an elbow escaped through the door. He spotted pale Sehun leaning against the wall.

“Sehun!” he yelled, “Sehun, get Jongin and take him to the stables! Ready the horse and leave, run as fast you can! I will catch up!”

And having said that he threw his brother slightly ahead, and stopped to grab his bow and arrow. He stood at the entrance to the office, and looking the witch in the eyes, he let the arrow free.

Jongdae was laughing maniacally feeling the adrenaline rush in his veins, and hearing the arrows cut the air around them. They were running, him on Thunder, Sehun with Jongin on another horse. He felt free. Never before had he felt like this.

Finally.

He felt wind hit his face, mess his hair. The night sky covered with heavy clouds, and rain started raining. Jongdae felt as if the drops were washing away his whole past. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the surprised and pained expression of the man, as his arrow pierced his heart.

One revenge less on the list.

But now, that there were less and less arrows threatening to kill them, as they were getting further from the castle, new worry started taking over him.

Minseok.

“He is not dead. He cannot be dead. He cannot be dead,” he was repeating to himself, but at the same time could not get rid of the previous vision that was now clouding his mind.

But suddenly, a loud and terrifying screamed crossed the space around them.

“Sehun!” Jongin caterwauled, and it was one of the most terrifying sounds Jongdae had ever heard. He looked around, and a loud yell left his lips as well. He stopped his horse, jumped off of it, and ran back.

“Sehun!” he screamed, falling to the ground next to the pale body lying lifelessly in front of him. There were nine arrows sticking out of the younger’s back, and a pool of blood beneath him. “Sehun!” Jongdae screamed again, “Sehun, get up! Sehun, we have to go! Sehun!”

“Jongdae,” he heard Jongin’s weak whisper. He looked up at his brother who was still sitting on the horse, and gasped. The whole back of the boy’s white shirt was blood stained, “is he… is he dead?” he asked, and his voice was shaking.

Jongdae swallowed, and looked at his friend’s dead body. Sehun’s eyes were open.

“He has open eyes,” he replied instead, “should I close them?”

“I think we should… to let his soul rest. Let’s not make him suffer even more after death.”

“We are not safe here,” Jongdae stated, looking around, “ do you think you can lead the horse on your own? I will take Sehun’s body with me. We will bury him in a more suitable place.”

Jongin only nodded, his hands already looking for reins.

Jongdae silently, and slowly took the arrows out of the dead boy’s back. Then, he carefully took him in his arms, and there were tears in his eyes threatening to fall, as he remembered as only two days ago it was Sehun carrying him. He softly put the boy’s body on the horse, and upon adjusting the body to his, they moved forward.

“Let’s go through the southern bay. They will not look for us in there,” Jongdae suggested, but Jongin did not reply.

After a few hours of quite fast pace, when they reached the Air Bridge hanging above the southern bay, they stopped. Everything was so calm there.

“The sun is rising,” Jongdae said, but Jongin did not reply.

There was a sound of waves hitting the shore and birds waking up to life, a smell of salt in the air, and a feeling of warm breeze mixed with the first rays of the sun. A new day was waking up to life, and Jongdae was looking upon that beautiful scenery, with his dead friend in his arms, thinking of how much Sehun would love this place.

“Let’s bury him here,” Jongin whispered, “he loved sea. I think he will be happy here,” he said, and his voice broke at the end. Jongdae carefully laid the youngest on the sand, and neared his brother. Without saying a word, he threw his arms around the younger’s shaking form, and brought him into a tight hug. Jongin started shaking even more, and Jongdae felt hot tears on his shoulder.

“Do not cry, NiNi,” he whispered, caressing his brother’s hair softly, “Sehunnie would not like you to cry,” he continued, but his voice cracked, and a few tears streamed down his face, “let’s go,” he cleared his throat, and turned his face so that his brother would not feel his tears, “let’s let him rest.”

Jongin sat next to Sehun’s body, pulling him into his arms and keeping close to his chest, praying to hear his friend’s heartbeat, while Jongdae was preparing the grave. He found a long piece of wood, which he used to dig the hole, and later on they placed the body on it.

“He deserves a better burying,” Jongin mumbled.

“Sleep well, Oh Sehun,” Jongdae whispered, while closing the boy’s eyes, “he truly looks as if he was just sleeping,” he sighed, “he looks so peaceful.”

“Sehun-ah,” Jongin mumbled, “please, wait for me. Do not cross the river on your own, do not do anything stupid, okay? I know you are afraid of water. You are crazy. Only crazy people can love sea and be afraid of water at the same time,” he chuckled through tears, and extended his hand to touch the dead’s boy face. When he found it, he caressed his soft cheek, “wait for me. Before I join you, build a boat for us. One day, we will meet again,” he promised, and tears ran down his cheeks, “until then,” he cleared his throat, “until then, farewell, my dear friend.”

Upon listening to his brother, Jongdae could not stop his own tears from falling.

“I drew me, and I drew him, and a ship, and we were sailing to fight monsters in the far-away places! We will be pirates one day!”

“Farewell, Sehun-ah,” he whispered, “be the most fearsome pirate the Endless Waters has ever seen.”

Having said their goodbyes, they stood for a few more minutes, their tears shining like diamonds in the morning sun.

“We have to do it,” Jongdae said, and Jongin nodded. So Jongdae walked to the massive pile of sand next to the grave, and started throwing it inside the hole.

“Wait!” Jongin suddenly screamed, and Jongdae looked alarmed, “are there any flowers here?”  he asked calmer.

Jongdae let out a sigh, and looked around. There was something. He walked to the small glade, and looked at the small, blue flowers that were decorating the scenery.

“Forget me nots,” he smiled to himself, and picked some of them. “Here,” he said, giving half of them to his brother. Jongin thanked him, and when he neared the edge of the grave, he threw some of the flowers inside.

“He liked flowers,” Jongin said, as if feeling the need to explain his act. Jongdae only nodded, and continued feeling the grave with sand.

When everything was done, he placed the remaining flowers on the tumulus, and smiled, when he felt warm wind embracing him.

“Do not worry, Sehun. They will pay for it,” Jongdae made his own promise, and turned to his horse. “We need to go, Jongin.”

The two princes were walking through the Southern forests, nearing the Northern border. Their whole journey was silent, none of them feeling like saying anything.

“How did it happen?” Jongdae asked, “how did you make it to the room?”

“I teleported,” Jongin admitted, “Sehun grabbed me in the last moment, but I do not think he took it well,” Jongin chuckled, and Jongade joined him.

“He looked as if he was to vomit, when I saw him outside the office.”

And the silence fell upon them again.

“I am sorry,” Jongin said suddenly.

“What for?”

“Everything. That I yelled at you. That I did not believe you. She was ready to kill you. I am sorry.”

“Oh, it is nothing. I am just glad you are alright,” Jongdae mumbled, and pulled him brother into a tight hug again, “thank you for what you are doing for me. That you decided to help me. You are the only one that I have. Thank you.”

“I will always be by your side, Jongdae. You are my brother. Nothing will change that. You have done so much for me, I will never be able to repay you –“

“Be quiet,” he ordered, “there is nothing you have to repay me for. Just do one thing for me, please.”

“Anything.”

“If we succeed. If we manage to get you your sight back, please, smile more, and be happy. You deserve every happiness.”

Jongin did not reply, but hugged the older tighter.

After a few moments they returned to their silent walk.

“Can we get back on the horses? I feel a little bit tired,” Jongin asked, and Jongdae hummed in response.

“We are actually getting closer.”

It was late afternoon of a late March day. The warm rays of sun were peeping though the tree crowns, melting the snow that was gathered in this area. But then, they reached the point. Suddenly, it got darker, and colder. Jongdae slowed his horse, and took hold of Jongin’s.

“Now, be careful and quiet,” he whispered to his brother.

They were nearing Xiumin’s hut, and Jongdae’s heart was beating fastly against his chest. He wanted to jump off of the horse and just run to the door, burst inside as he happened to do a few times before, and make sure Xiumin was alright. But he could not. He had to take care of his brother.

“We will have to wait until sunset for Kyungsoo,” he told Jongin, who let out a surprised sound.

“Why?”

“Oh, my dear prince,” a third voice suddenly joined the conversation, and two horses let out loud noises, “I would not dare to keep you waiting,” a loud laugh vibrated in the air around them, and Jongdae felt a tight grip on his wrist.

“Jongdae? Who is it?” Jongin asked, afraid.

“Do not worry. This is Kyungsoo,” the older replied, rolling his eyes at the dead man’s ways.

“I must say, I am quite surprised,” the small boy laughed.

“Well, surprise, surprise,” Jongdae growled, “now move, I have a matter at hand –“

“You will not move any further,” Kyungsoo said, standing in their way.

Jongdae looked around, and managed to spot the very familiar hut in between the trees. But to his confusion, there was a massive wall blocking the entrance.

“Kyungsoo, what is that supposed to mean?” he growled, instructing his horse to move forward, but the dead in front of him tightened his fists, and the ground underneath them shook.

“I said, no one moves further than this point.”

“Kyungsoo, stop this stupid games!” Jongdae shouted, “I need to get to Xiumin!”

“First, I want my eyes.”

“Cannot we trade later?!”

“"Give it to me!" Kyungsoo shouted, "give me what you promised, or you shall not be granted entrance!"

"Move aside, you pile of corps!" Jongdae yelled, and his horse stood on two legs, as if getting ready to smash the boy standing on the ground.

Kyungsoo smiled sadly, "there is nothing inside that you might be looking for, Princeling."

Jongdae was violently shaking, there was dry blood on the right side of his face, sweat dripping down his forehead, and an urge to murder in his eyes.

"Jongdae," a small voice whispered next to his ear, "what is going on?"

"Stay quiet," Jongdae whispered back, but his eyes never left the dead in front of him.

Jongdae reached to the pocket that was hanging from the saddle and pulling out a jar, he jumped off of the horse, and tossed it to the blind boy in front of him.

"Move," he growled, "and let me in, you carrion."

"My prince, there is no-" Kyungsoo whispered, but Jongdae was not listening.

"MOVE!" he yelled, jumping forwards towards Kyungsoo and grabbing his throat with his hands, he tightened the grip, "Let. Me. In."

Lightning strikes twice

Kyungsoo let the wall fall to the ground, and the prince let go of him in an instant.

He quickly made his way to the door, and then the man’s words rang in his ears again. “You should’ve seen him. Lyin’ on that floor like a fish out of water”

Jongdae opened the door to a small, cold hut with one kick, and his breath got stuck in his lungs.

There was blood all over the floor, and in the middle of the room laid a pale body of Xiumin.

“Xiumin,” he whispered, shaking his head. This is not true, this is not happening, this is not happening. “Minseok!” he tried again, louder, “Xiumin…,” he mumbled, and then let out a sigh. There was no need in calling. It did not help with Sehun, it would not help now.

Jongdae slowly knelt beside the cold body, and swallowed, hot tears running down his face. There was pain frozen on the dead boy’s face, his eyes and lips were wide open, next to him, on the floor were scratch marks. Jongdae gulped.

And then he spotted it. A small, diamond vial. His vial. He took it, and held it tight. He placed the fisted hand to his heart, that suddenly felt too heavy for his weak state, and let out the most agonizing scream in his life.

And it burns like ice.

A/N

Hello there!

Wow, over 11,350 words! The longest chapter ever! Since it is after 3am, I am not going to write much, I just hope you enjoyed the update ~~ I tried to explain some things, I hope you are satisfied! Please, comment and subscribe ~~

With love,

badblood

*Aokigahara - a forest in Japan

*Kyoto - an old capital of Japan, literally means "capital city"