HOUSE OF TRAITORS [hyunlix]

SIX

The smell of the sulfur and moisture was suffocating. Almost as much as the thought of losing him again. Hyunjin could barely see the strange signs painted on the floor or the fluids that spilled from the clay bowls on the ground during the fight, if you could even call it that. To say he was mad at himself was an understatement...

"Ah, Hwang Hyunjin," the King spoke to him, "I must say I'm disappointed. I had great plans for you and the rest of your bunch. Now, I have no choice but to kill you. Starting with the fools who tried to breach the south gate, of course."

Hyunjin growled at him. The way the old man moved back at instinct brought him some satisfaction, but it did nothing to lessen the ache in his chest.

Hongjoong, who still was pointing his sword at the King, followed the man with his weapon. The King finally looked at him again. He furrowed his eyebrows and squinted his eyes.

"Now... Aren't you Kim Yonghwan's kid?"

"You don't deserve to say his name."

"I can't believe this... Honestly, kid, your father would be shocked to see what you're doing. He was very devoted to this country, even if he got some things mixed up in the end..."

"You killed him."

"As I said, he got some wrong ideas. It was very unfortunate."

"Shut up!"

Hongjoong was so angry he was shaking. There were tears of fury in his eyes. Hyunjin couldn't judge him, when he was straining his ears to see if he could hear his Angel somewhere out there.

In a move full of desperation, Hongjoong has thrown himself at the King. The two figures, who stood by the old man's side until now, barely raised their hands to use their magic, when blinding green light filled the room. As it faded, Hyunjin saw Seonghwa with his hands raised and Hongjoong with his sword at King's throat. The two other witches were nowhere to be seen. Two scorching marks were left on the walls.

"Alright, boy," the King said, "I think that's enough. You showed how upset you were, not it's time to be rational."

"Upset?" Hongjoong questioned quietly.

"There's no reason to bring chaos to this Kingdom. Let's say you do the right choice and let me go. I'll let you and your friends live too. Or they will die for nothing."

"Hongjoong, don't listen to him!" Seonghwa shouted out.

A hooded person appeared again right next to him and the witch struggled to fight back, not being able to summon the flames with the enemy so close to him.

"Come on, Hongjoong," the King continued, "there's no need to make it difficult. Just admit defeat or they will end up like your father."

The Captain of the pirates acted like he wasn't there. He entered some odd state and was stuck, unable to make a move. Hyunjin wanted to scream but then he saw another witch materialize in the room. It all was happening so fast but Hyunjin saw it like in slow motion - Hongjoong's hand faltered.

For fucks sake.

He was back on the battlefield. There was no time to calculate. Every second mattered. There was just one difference between him now and a year ago. Back then, he would've chosen to survive. He would bend and live no matter what it costed him. He would agree to the deal and run.

Now, he didn't know if it was the war that changed him or Yongbok, or maybe Minho hyung. Maybe even the talks of revolution with Kim and the Princess. He didn't know why or when, but he changed and survival wasn't enough.