CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

The Truth

IT WAS THE FEELING of dread settling in the pit of his stomach that roused Kyungsoo from his sleep. His chest heaved up and down with every deep breath he took as he tried to calm himself and clear his thoughts. His wide alert eyes swept his dim surroundings and one glimpse at the glass windows of the cabin showed him the early beginnings of the dawn.

Out of all the Guardians, Kyungsoo was the one with the most sensitive senses, always attuned with his environment and to the people around him. He could sense danger before it comes with the help of his Earth Spirit.

The gears in his mind churned before it clicked inside his head, the reason to the dread filling him down to his bones.

He can’t feel the presence of their princess anymore.

He sprung up from his bed and woke the other Guardians that were in the same cabin as him. His heart drummed wildly against its cage as he raced out the door and towards Haeyoon’s cottage. He was never wrong when it comes to his gut feelings but just this one time, he hoped against all odds, that it was a terrible mistake on his part.

The door swung open and he felt his heart skip a beat when the room was empty.

“Where is she?” Suho’s worried voice came from behind him and Kyungsoo could tell that Haeyoon’s absence also registered in the other Guardian’s bond, albeit a bit later than him.

“She’s gone,” he spoke through gritted teeth.

Suho forced down the lump forming in his throat as he looked at the other eleven Guardians who were silently staring at the dark empty cottage. Trepidation rolled off them in waves, fear for Haeyoon’s life gripping them in a choke hold.

Before anyone could wallow further in misery, Suho said, “Gather the others, Sehun, we have a change of plans.”

The Wind Guardian did as he was told.

No one dared to speak until Yoongi, Myungsoo, Jiyong and the Hunters came. They were all wearing the same tensed expression as the Guardians.

“How the hell could this happen?” Yoongi asked no one in particular as his blood boiled in a mix of anger, frustration and worry for his sister. 

“Do you think that the Tainted Ones have the Princess?” Jiyong said and it made the tension around them grew thicker.

Myungsoo looked around at the sorcerers and said, “Where’s the human boy?”

Yoongi perked at that and his eyes widened as realization struck him. “He’s…not in our cabin when Sehun woke me up.”

“It was a trap,” Mark gritted with narrowed eyes. “Taehyung was a bait and we’re all dumb enough to trust him.”

“Damn it,” Jackson raked a frustrated hand through his hair. “And now we don’t know where to find Haeyoon.”

“What are we going to do now?” Kai asked, “Are we still going to push through the original plan and ambush the palace?”

“I don’t know,” Kris answered, “I mean, we’re not sure about the Oraculum’s involvement with Magos, it’s just a theory.”

“Then what’re we going to do now?” Luhan pressed, “We can’t waste time.”

As the sorcerers tried to think of a way to figure things out and find their Princess, an owl perched itself on the window sill near Kyungsoo.

The bird’s big round eyes glinted against the pale early morning light as it cocked its head and made a cooing noise, as if calling for Kyungsoo’s attention. The Earth Guardian raised a curious eyebrow at the animal and when his dark eyes made contact with the owl’s yellow ones, a message was passed between them.

Once done, the bird spread its beautiful russet wings and flew away, leaving a rather speechless Kyungsoo.

“The Oraculum has the Princess,” he announced to the group which made everyone halt. “The theory was true.”

“How can you be so sure, D.O?” JB asked.

“Because it was a message from the Princess herself.”

* * *

The cold hard ground against her side was the first thing that registered in Haeyoon’s hazy mind as she regained consciousness. Her eyelids peeled open and she was greeted with the dimness of the place she was in. Pushing herself off the dusty stone floor, she tried taking in her surroundings illuminated by several large torches lining up the dark walls.

She was in some sort of a grand hall with high ceiling and towering walls cloaked in shadows. The whole place sent chills running up and down her spine.

“Where am I?” she whispered to herself and before she could take a step away from her spot, the double-door on her far left side that she had yet to notice, flung open.

Her head whipped to the source of the sound so fast she thought she would break her neck, her eyes wide in alert and defense.

Three tall dark figures wearing black cloaks advanced towards her and she instinctively recoiled, arms at her side and ready to attack. She watched them warily with narrowed eyes and as they got nearer to her, the light from the torches washed over their faces, one of them having that familiar face that sent her insides twisting in ugly fear and anger.

He’s the same man who attacked them at their school and the same man who dared use Taehyung to bait her.

And she knew for sure that the two other men beside him are also members of the Oraculum who betrayed their kingdom.

Sudden resentment pulsed in her veins and she wanted nothing but to destroy the people who ruined her family and Lucere. Shaking with her unpredicted rage, she raised an arm towards them for an attack. However, an achingly familiar voice called her name, the sound bouncing against the walls of the hall and straight to her heart. It tore down her defenses and melted down the fury building up inside her, rendering her unguarded and defenseless.

“Haeyoon!”

A running figure emerged from the doors and passed the three intimidating figures who all bowed down upon his arrival. He was still clad in his school uniform with his reddish hair looking like a blazing fire against the bright flames of the torches. A gasp escaped her lips as her whole body tremble at the sight of him safe and unharmed.

“Oh my god, Jungkook…” her arm dropped at her side as she took in his handsome face.

He was her weakness, after all.

Jungkook’s body slammed against hers as he immediately enclosed her in a tight hug. His arms wound tightly around her slender waist, almost lifting her of the ground, as he pressed his face against the crook of her neck. She returned the hug with the same fervor and encircled her arms around his neck. Suddenly, Jungkook’s shoulder began shaking and Haeyoon felt warm liquid dripping on her shoulder.

He was crying.

“Shhh, Kookie, don’t cry,” she shushed him, caressing his broad back soothingly with her hands. “I’m here now, I’m going to get us out of here, okay?” she whispered against his ear while she tried to fight the urge to cry as well because she wasn’t sure if she can really do it.

Can she really save Jungkook and her friends from these Black sorcerers?

Pulling away from the boy, Haeyoon held his face between her palms and looked up at his glassy eyes. His orbs were swirling with emotions such as worry, fear, relief, and longing as he stared back at her.

“I promise you, I will keep you safe,” she said with a reassuring smile, her thumbs wiping away his tears. “I love you.”

Jungkook sniffed and cracked a genuine trusting smile, “Okay,” he nodded, “I love you, too.”

“What a heartfelt reunion,” a dark cold voice spoke and Haeyoon looked over Jungkook’s shoulder to see a new figure emerging from the shadows. He had a wicked grin on his stunningly handsome face, his long raven cloak billowing beneath him as he sauntered towards the siblings. “But I’m afraid I have to interrupt the two of you because we have to carry on our mission.”

The guarded look came back on Haeyoon’s eyes as she stood protectively in front of her brother. “Who are you?” she asked icily, “And what mission are you talking about?”

“Oh,” the man blinked as if he realized something. “Of course, you won’t recognize me because you’re still an adorable little infant at that time. I’m Leeteuk, the head of The Oraculum, once King Zardus’ advisers but not anymore,” he said with a careless shrug accompanied by a smug grin. “And these are Siwon, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun,” he gestured at the three other sorcerers in the room, “Members of the Oraculum like myself and I believe that you already met Kyuhyun here, he’s the one I sent to fetch you.”

“You’re all traitors,” Haeyoon spat out. “How could you betray Lucere?”

Leeteuk laughed at what she said as if it was a joke. “We did not betray Lucere, my dear Princess,” he said but the way he mentioned the word ‘Princess’ was with such contempt that made Haeyoon’s skin crawl. “We just came to a realization that we are serving the wrong king, although it was such a pity that not all of the Oraculum thought the same so we need to get rid of those who disagreed with us,” he said as if it was not a big deal.

“Zardus didn’t deserve the throne, none of the Saperians does,” Leeteuk continued, his eyes gleaming unfathomable darkness as he glared at her. “And it’s our mission to give the throne to its rightful owner, to the much more powerful sorcerer than Zardus.”

“And you think that Magos deserved the throne?” Haeyoon scoffed at Leeteuk’s twisted way of thinking. “He’s evil, and he deserves nothing but his own demise!” she snapped. “Can’t you see you’re all brainwashed by him?!”

In an instant, Leeteuk was right in front of her, his face morphed into such a dark and wicked expression that made Haeyoon’s breath hitched. Before she could even blink, the back of the sorcerer’s hand smacked hard against her cheek, the impact making her small frame fly to the other side of the room.

“Haeyoon!” Jungkook cried in horror and he was beside her in a heartbeat. He gathered her in his arms and pushed her long hair away from her face. A rather large bleeding cut was on her lower lip and for the second time in his life, Jungkook felt the unfamiliar boil of anger rise in his chest. The first time he felt such emotion was when they were attacked in the school and one of the Black sorcerers was strangling Haeyoon. He suddenly felt the strong urge to destroy something, to hurt someone, and there was a dull throbbing in the back of his head. 

Jungkook went rigid and Haeyoon felt it. Her eyes searched his face and she was shocked to see his irises flickering between dark brown and blood red. She saw that frightening crimson color twice; first on the hospital and second at their school during the attack.

“Jungkook!” she called to him as she cupped his face void of any emotions, hoping to snap him out of whatever it was. “Jungkook!”

A few more seconds had passed before the boy blinked and returned to himself. He was slightly panting and disoriented.

“Are you alright?” Haeyoon asked as she his cheeks.

Before Jungkook could open his mouth for a response, Leeteuk beat him to it.

“Of course, he’s alright,” the sorcerer said, “It was just his true nature showing. If it wasn’t for that stupid seal, our mission had been long accomplished by now.”

Confused, Haeyoon’s brows pinched together at what Leeteuk said.

“Which bring us all here now, right?” Siwon piped up. “Why don’t we get rid of the seal already?”

“Always impatient, Siwon,” Leeteuk smirked before turning towards Haeyoon and Jungkook. “But you’re right; it’s about time that the seal be removed from our Prince.” 

“What are you talking about?” Haeyoon asked in alarm as foreboding crept up her body. She had a bad feeling about this.

“If you’re thinking that there’s no other way to remove the seal, you’re wrong,” Ryeowook told Haeyoon with a smirk.

“How can you be so sure that I will do what you want?” Haeyoon narrowed her eyes at the four sorcerers as Jungkook helped her up to her feet. “Have you forgotten that I am the Princess of Lucere?” She didn’t know what compelled her to threaten four evil sorcerers with her powers that she hadn’t completely mastered yet, but at this point, she wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

“Well, have you also forgotten that we have the upper hand in here?” Leeteuk said to her with a mocking grin.

As if on cue, another five figures clad in black cloak entered the hall and each of them had one person tailing behind them.

Haeyoon gasped as soon as she realized who the other five persons were. They are Jin, Jimin, Hoseok, Namjoon and Taehyung.

“Do you remember them, Princess?” Kyuhyun asked in a taunting voice. “Aren’t they your friends?”

The five boys mechanically stepped in front and her heart ached as she stared at their blank eyes and faces void of any human emotion.

“What did you do to them?” she growled lowly as her fisted hands shook at her sides.

“Why ask if you already know the answer, Your Highness?” Kyuhyun said in a humorous voice. He was surely enjoying tormenting Haeyoon.

“Humans are really easy to manipulate,” one of the five new comers said with a dark chuckle.

“I can only agree with you, Kangin,” Leeteuk said before clapping his hands once with dark twisted excitement in his voice as he spoke, “So, let’s start the ritual of removing the seal now, shall we?” he then pulled a sleek sharp dagger out of nowhere before striding towards the siblings. “Oh, and before I forget, may I remind you that with just wrong move on your part, it will be the end of your friends over there.”

Haeyoon never felt so trapped and useless in her life.

* * *

“Are you sure about this?” Luhan asked one more time Yoongi one more time as he sat on a chair in front of him.

While the others were gearing up for the first phase of their plan, Yoongi had the sudden crazy idea to pull Luhan aside and try the mind-link again. There was this nagging voice inside his head telling him that there was something in his sealed memories that would be a help to them.

“Yes,” the young Gieldan gave a firm nod. “We both know that there’s a reason why my memories were sealed and whatever it was, I have a feeling that it would help us one way or another.”

The Telepathic Guardian took a deep breath and said “If we’re going to do this, we should do it all the way,” Luhan gave him a determined look. “Whatever it was hidden in your memories, we need it now more than ever and I need you to stay with all throughout the process, you get what I’m saying, Suga?”

A look of uneasiness flashed across Yoongi’s face, his skin turning paler than usual at what Luhan was trying to imply. He could still remember the excruciating head-ache he suffered the first time they performed the mind-link and he could already feel every cells in his brain protesting at the inevitable pain looming over him. But he knew better than to let his fear get the best of him. 

“I’ll try my best not to…faint on you,” he said with a grimace, humor lacing his tone, making Luhan crack a small amused smirk.

“You ready?” Luhan poised a palm over Yoongi’s forehead, prompting the latter to close his eyes.

“’As I’ll ever be’ is a really cliché answer but I’ll say it anyway,” the Gieldan puffed out a tensed breath, “Yeah, as I’ll ever be.”

The next thing Yoongi heard was the harsh sound of metal clashing against another metal. He opened his eyes and he instantly recognized the place he was in.

It was the dark grand hall in his memory once again.

And he was standing on the same exact spot where he lost consciousness last time. From where he stood, he got a good view of the intense on going fight between two powerful looking men: King Zardus and Magos. The younger version of him was hiding behind the same pillar like last time.

Wanting to get closer to the scene, Yoongi took a step forward which was immediately followed by a sharp pain piercing through his skull.

“, here it comes again,” he hissed, one of his hands flying to clutch on the side of his head. Despite the pain, he kept on stepping forward.

Bear with it, Suga. You can do it.

Every step that took him closer to the center of the hall was getting heavier and heavier like his feet were laden with lead, weighing him down. Not to mention the increasing pain in his head, everything was as torturing as the first time. However, unlike before, he noticed that he can see and hear more clearly and the head-ache was a bit more bearable than last time and it gave him the drive to push harder. He didn’t dare take his eyes away from the scene unfolding before him like a fantasy movie.

“I’m just wondering,” the Black sorcerer who he was certain was Magos spoke mockingly, “The Queen must be giving birth to the Prince as of the moment.” His double-edged sword clashed against the King’s Sword of Light and they stayed in that position for a moment, their faces close to each other.

“That is none of your concern, Magos,” Zardus grunted as he gripped the hilt of his weapon harder, veins bulging from his neck and hands.

The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife and Yoongi held his breath because the current scene was something new to him. The pain in his skull was still there, still unrelenting but he poured all his focus to the next words uttered by the two men.

“Oh, of course it is,” Magos let out a mocking laugh, “The Prince is my concern and will never be yours.”

Zardus gave an almighty with his sword against Magos that made the latter tumble away from him. “Don’t you ever talk about my son again, you bastard!”

A sudden maniacal laugh erupted from Magos. “Is he really your son, Zardus?”

The momentary lapse in King Zardus’ defense due to shock and confusion was palpable and Magos took it as an opportunity to attack with his nasty black magic.

Yoongi stared in disbelief as the King took the blow with a little too late defense from his own power. Zardus was caught off guard and was down on his knees the next moment as he clutched his chest on one hand with his sword on the other. He was clearly in pain but he didn’t let it show on his face.

These were the moments he didn’t catch before and the more the whole thing unfolded before him, the more his skull ached. His hands were on either side of his head as if it would prevent the pain from splitting his brain in halves. Black dots started appearing in his vision as his skin was covered in thick sweat.

Come on, Suga, just a bit more.

“I know,” Yoongi rasped to Luhan who was speaking at him through his mind. “I know.”

“What madness are you talking about?” the King growled as he glared up at the Black sorcerer. “The Prince is my son.”

Magos took agonizingly slow steps towards the Light sorcerer, almost mocking in its own way. “I beg to differ, Your Highness,” Magos said with a sly smile. “Because the night that you’re away on a mission with your faithful Guardians, I’m certain that I was the one who slept with our sweet and beautiful Queen Maya,” a mocking look of ecstasy danced on his face, “And, oh, how wonderful that night is.”

“Stop with your nonsense, Magos,” the King snapped, his chest heaving up and down in contained anger and physical pain. “The Queen would never do that.”

“Of course she will,” Magos said with a crazy look on his face. “Especially when it’s your face she’s seeing on me.” He let out another lunatic laugh when it all finally sank on the King. “Just a tiny trick, my King, and I was able to make an heir of my own with the Queen.”

“I-impossible,” Zardus croaked and he seemed to lose his soul and strength right then and there. The look of devastation that fell on his face was coupled with his disbelief.

Yoongi can’t believe it, too.

Jungkook is Magos’ son.

“Argh!” Yoongi doubled over in pain as he fell forward, on the verge of losing his consciousness. “Luhan,” he gasped, “I don’t think I’ll last any longer.”

Endure just a bit more, come on!

A blood-curdling scream from his young self echoed through the grand hall and Yoongi craned his head with much difficulty to see that Magos had struck the King on the chest with his black sword. He yanked it out before bending down to say, “Are you still certain that the Prince is your son?” The evil smile he wore on his face was so vicious. “Because I hate to disappoint you, Zardus, but he’s my flesh and blood. He’s my heir and another bearer of the Thirteenth Spirit.” He threw his head back with an evil laugh.

Yoongi’s eyes rounded in shock when his young self revealed himself and bravely released a spirit arrow from his crossbow. It pierced Magos on his back, momentarily distracting and disabling him. It gave King Zardus enough time to get on his feet and summon his last remaining strength.

“I have made a monster in you, Magos,” King Zardus rasped out as he staggered up to his feet. “You’re a mistake I am responsible for.”

There was pain and deep regret flashed across his icy blue eyes. He treated Magos like he’s own son but he became too greedy for his own good. Zardus saw a lot of potential on the young sorcerer but he didn’t expect that he was actually raising a traitor and a beast.

With all his magic and the blessing of the twelve most powerful spirits in Lucere, Zardus summoned the most powerful seal that only a pure Saperian like him could perform, that even a sorcerer like Magos could not fight.

The sky rumbled with ferocious thunder and lightning as the earth shook with powerful quake in response to Zardus’ call. Sudden wind picked up around him as the atmosphere became charged with electricity.

Before Magos could even react, a crack crawled around the ground he was standing on and from those fire-spitting gaps, a large scorching iron chain emerged to wrap around his struggling frame. It twisted around his ankles, to his legs and thighs before slithering like a poisonous snake around his torso and limbs. It crawled up his neck and around his head, burning every skin it touched. The tortured desperate roars and screams that erupted from his throat were endless as the sealing process continued. The ground erupted again and this time, four thick iron sheets rose and came up on all sides of Magos’ chained body. It formed a bolted coffin around him and as a final step, another merciless iron chain that was larger than the first wrapped itself around the iron coffin, sealing the Black sorcerer along with his evilness. The casket was slowly swallowed by the fiery ground until it disappeared and all that was left on the stone floor was a big circle of embossed symbols that represent King Zardus’ seal.

The calmness that followed was so sudden it sent chills down Yoongi's spine.

“Is it over?” Yoongi asked himself in a shaky voice as he watched the King fell weakly on his knees once again, Young Yoongi running to his aid. As he continued to watch, Yoongi realized that the pain in his head seemed to lessen.

“Suga,” Zardus croaked as he lost gripped on the Sword of Light. The weapon tumbled on the ground before glowing in a bright white light and transforming into a dagger. “Such a brave little knight,” he had a proud smile on his face as he weakly lifted a hand to pat the child’s hair.

“K-king Zardus,” the child sobbed in fear. “I’ll a-ask for help,” he sniffed like the young child he was. “I’ll get fa-father.”

The child was about to get up and call for help but the King held him back. Zardus knew that he won’t last long and he needed to do something first before his time run out.

“No, Suga,” Zardus said. “Have you heard what Magos told me?”

Young Yoongi nodded tearfully, “Y-yes, Your Highness, is the Prince really not y-your son?”

Zardus smiled forlornly. “No one should know about it,” he croaked. “I’m sorry but I have to do this, I have to erase your memories.”

In a blink of an eye, Zardus had a palm on the child’s forehead and after a few moments, Young Yoongi’s small frame fell unconscious to the ground.

Yoongi gasped at the sight in front of him, finally knowing the truth behind his sealed memories; who sealed it and why. Along with that truth was the flood of his childhood memories, playing like an old movie in the back of his mind.

The seal on your memories is already broken, Suga. Luhan's voice told him.

“My son or not,” Zardus spoke solemnly to himself, “He’s still a child who deserves a chance to live a normal life. And it won’t happen if the people of Lucere discover that he’s the son of our world’s biggest traitor. I’m certain they would want to take away his life and I can’t make an innocent child suffer like that.”

Fatigue got the best of Zardus and his frail body slipped into the ground beside the child. He knew it would be just a few moments before his final breath.

Yoongi suddenly heard thundering footsteps approach the grand hall and he saw Myungsoo with his father and some of the Guardians hot on his tail. Myungsoo immediately knelt beside the King and Yoongi saw the utter confusion that crossed his face upon the King’s request.

“Seal the Prince’s spirit, Myungsoo,” Zardus said in a ragged voice and before Myungsoo could even ask anything the King cut him off, “It’s an order.”

Those were the last words Yoongi heard from the King before he was pulled back into reality by Luhan’s voice.

* * *