VILLAIN DIES | jeongcheol

two

"are you sure it was him?" jeonghan nodded, holding tightly onto the dark crimson rose that had just appeared in his hands the second he entered the training grounds. "look, i don't mean to doubt you but hannie, you've been plagued by the memory of him for years so how can you tell if it's really him or just another guilt-induced hallucination?" joshua asked, running a hand through his hair as he watched the guards train below them on the field. "and, besides, we all watched him die jeonghan."

jeonghan twirled the rose around his hand, its stem curling and forming a ring.

although he knew that what joshua said made the most sense, he couldn't help but feel as though choi seungcheol had been right there in the throne room with him.

but then again, how could a dead man suddenly come back to life again?

"you're probably right," jeonghan said, wearing the ring on his finger and sighing when it was a bit too loose on him. "maybe i just wanted someone to blame for everything that's been going on these days."

joshua gave him a pat on the back as the guards turned to the front almost uniformly and saluted the two figures that were just entering the field in that moment.

"at ease." the guards lowered their hands, the two boys looking up at where joshua and jeonghan stood. "your majesty," jihoon greeted, bowing down to jeonghan as everyone followed suit, even joshua offering a slight nod of his head. "continue!" his voice bellowed around the field, the guards quickly saluting him once more before returning to their personal training. "we'll be up in a bit!" jihoon said, soonyoung already making his way to the stairs.

as joshua turned to greet them, the flower in jeonghan's hands disintegrated. the prince's eyes couldn't help but follow where the dust flew towards, the remnants of the rose circling around before flying straight into the sky and out of his line of sight.

"your majesty, we've made these plans so far and if you'd like, we can go through the details with you now," jihoon said, jumping straight into business as joshua and soonyoung exchanged a hug.

"you may proceed." jihoon nodded, laying out a few scrolls that soonyoung had carried up with him.

although jeonghan nodded his head throughout jihoon's speech about how they could increase the efficiency of the patrols, he felt his hands tingling, traces of the rose still staining his fingers.

once they confirmed everything with the two heads of the knights, jeonghan excused himself, making a beeline for his room on the pretence that he felt drowsy. but when his doors closed, he rushed to the bathroom, running his hands in cold water and watching as the clear water turned black.

"so you did miss me."

jeonghan turned off the tap, hurriedly wiping his hands.

the prince made his way to his balcony, busying himself with his plants but finding that the more he tried to distract himself, the more his plants withered.

"you know you can't get rid of me angel."

"i already did." jeonghan knew that he shouldn't have responded. he knew that replying to a dead man's calls was basically an invitation for his ghost to cling onto him further but to him, what difference did it make from the years he had spent feeling guilty about a decision he had no choice but to make? "you're already dead seungcheol."

thorns began to grow on the plants that surrounded him, slowly making their way to him.

"how would you know that for sure angel?"

the thorns reached up to jeonghan's hands, the prince too preoccupied to even notice.

"because i was the one that killed you." the thorns pricked him, red jewels dripping from his fingers as a strong gust of wind blew past, his crown falling off his head and landing on the ground with a metallic clang.

the silence that followed wrapped jeonghan in its cold embrace sending shivers down his spine. he went numb, his senses dulling and making him feel as though he were trapped, slowly suffocating in the guilt-induced prison he had created for himself.

everything was cold, tiny red icicles forming on his fingers where his blood had gushed out from. his chest felt heavy, almost as if someone were pressing against him with their entire body weight.

"jeonghan!"

warmth returned to his body, heat radiating from the arms that embraced him.

"you're bleeding!" joshua exclaimed, chan soon rushing into the room and upon seeing the situation, calling upon the guards that roamed the palace to get a first-aid kit.

"it was him," jeonghan muttered as the skies slowly turned a murky shade of grey.

"who are you talking about?" joshua asked, holding jeonghan tightly against his chest.

"choi seungcheol." the sky darkened, thunder roaring as lightning crashed, striking a tree and setting it ablaze as if even mother nature herself could not tolerate hearing his name. the rain poured, the sky crying out and soaking the land in its tears.

jeonghan looked joshua dead in the eyes, muttering words he thought he never had to say.

"choi seungcheol is alive."

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