Your Divine Grace {NamJin}

seventeen

"It's finally over," Sungkyung sighed, staring down at the sticky, rancid, hot blood that covered his sword. Seokjin gulped, staring down at the lifeless corpse that once moved with vigor and vitality. Nothing in his life could've prepared him for that strange, wild, hallucination-like night such as the one he'd just endured; where nothing felt real, yet the pulsing of his veins and the pounding of his heart told him it was all a work of nonfiction. All he was truly aware of at that moment was the sharp blade of air he breathed in, piercing his lungs and stinging the back of his scorched throat. The cold wind seemed to be flowing all around him, pushing his fatigued body back and cooling the webs of sweat on his face.

"I'm sorry for any trouble I caused you...as well as Yejun, Jinmo, and Baekyeol."

"No matter now," Seokjin whispered, shaking his head. "It's all over."

"Not exactly..."

"W-What do you mean?" Seokjin said, lifting his head up to glare into Sungkyung's eyes.

"It's not really fair," Sungkyung began once more, "that Jinmo and I get to live, while good people like Baekyeol and Doyoung lost their lives. Sure, Yejun's dead, but he's killed so many other people -- their emotions and character, I mean. Just so he could live high and mighty, he killed so many innocent people by burrowing into their minds and controlling them. His hands aren't just stained with blood. They have the dignities and honors of good men on them too."

"I can't imagine ever being under someone's control like that," Seokjin murmured, still in a half shock. "To have your integrity stripped away from you in the way you all did, but be forced to keep living. You don't even want to live anymore...you've died on the inside."

"Seokjin-nim, there are fates worse than death."

The two remained quiet for what seemed like an eternity, letting the wind speak through the rustling of leaves on trees and the messy folds of their dark, long hair.

"Seokjin-nim."

"Yes?"

"I think...I think I'm going to leave the palace. I've done enough here, maybe more harm than good. There was a time that I was here, unknown to you, that I really followed in that nasty, pathetic excuse of a human being's footsteps, and after tonight's events, I must atone for my sins in some way."

Seokjin's eyes watered, to his surprise. He hadn't known it, but he had already grown attached to the man in front of him -- hell, he might've forgiven him for all that happened that night. He thought of him as a companion, someone he could help, someone he could talk to, someone to ease the loneliness.

"Will you ever come back, Sungkyung?" he said, shakily pronouncing his words.

"I don't know. I may never come back to this place, it may never be the same. I may never be the same. But...I'll never forget you, Seokjin-nim, and I'll never forget what you've done for me."

"Neither will I, my friend," Seokjin smiled, sadly accepting his decision with a heavy weight on his heart, his soul, his very being.

Sungkyung bowed towards Seokjin, letting his hair fall from his shoulders. He wiped the blood off his katana on the black cloak that still covered his slim, fit body. Carrying it casually by his side, he ran off in the direction of the wind towards the perimeter of the palace.

Seokjin looked around him at the sleeping bodies, shaking his head as if to swing away the incessant tears that fell from the burning suns of his eyes.

"Why...why does this keep happening to me..." he cried, falling onto his knees and curling into a ball. "As soon as things are finally okay, I'm left broken and alone. Always fucking alone. All my friends are gone and dead and I'm alone!"

The wind howled once more, as if trying its best to console the regent king. However, with its crying song came even more emptiness, rattling what dwindling hope Seokjin had left.

Taehyung and Seonbi led the dark, narrow path through the winding forest that separated the mountain castle and the palace; Seonbi held her sleeping child in her arms, and Taehyung's arm was wrapped around her waist while Hoseok silently followed. Hoseok focused more on discerning the path before them than anything; the light of day was approaching quickly, but it was still too dark to see anything on the ground in fine detail. A rock or tree root could easily hide itself among the bushes and ferns and trip either the noble, his beloved or the doctor himself. The palace began to glow softly from the distance, reassuring the trio that they were almost there.

"Hoseok-sshi, did you ever write that letter to Yoongi-sshi?" Taehyung asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"O-Oh, um, no, I didn't," Hoseok murmured, wanting to enjoy the silence of the coming morning.

"Why not?"

"It seemed more appropriate to wait until he came back, you see. I'd rather talk to him about it in person."

"Understood."

Seonbi looked back at Hoseok, then down at Rinji, smiling as a curious inquiry sprouted in her mind like a plant from fertile, wet soil.

"If you were to have a child, Hoseok-sshi," she asked, "would you like a boy or a girl?"

Hoseok was almost taken aback at the question. It was a good, honest question that would've come up at some point had he spoken to his significant other about it, but it seemed to be a question that never truly crossed his mind -- and if it did, he never really gave it much thought. He'd cross that bridge when he got there, he presumed.

Now, that bridge was in the distance, along with the outline of the golden, shining palace.

"Well, I never really thought about it...but I suppose a boy would be nice. Take up the medical profession, follow in his father's footsteps."

The thought of teaching a son his medical expertise made Hoseok smile.

"I-I mean, of course, if he wants to follow Yoongi-ah and become a guard or go into the Hwarang, then I'd support him there too. I'd just be really scared for him...going out there and fighting and dying...but I'd support...somehow..."

"Hoseok-sshi, you're worrying about a son that doesn't exist yet," Taehyung laughed, making Seonbi laugh as well. Hoseok blushed, trying to hide his emotion.

"No matter what he does, I'll support him. So long as he grows up to be a good, honest, diligent man."

"Like his father," Seonbi smiled, nodding at Hoseok.

"Of course," Taehyung nodded, approving of the compliment. "Like his father, Yoongi-sshi."

"Oi!"

The trio laughed together genuinely, seeming to forget the terrors of the night that had just passed, although it felt as if it occurred ages ago.

"Hoseok-sshi, I'd like to ask of you a great favor," Taehyung said, looking over at his beloved. "Seonbi and I have been talking about this and we think this is best."

"What is it?" Hoseok asked, almost immediately fearing the worst.

"You've looked after us for a very long time, Hoseok-sshi, even before I became pregnant with my child. You've helped us, guided us, and even went out of your way to save our precious daughter, " Seonbi smiled. "For this, it would be a great honor to us if you would continue to look after Rinji as her godfather."

Tears began to well up in Hoseok's eyes, and he struggled to keep them at bay while using almost all his might to not scream "yes" and possibly wake the baby. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he nodded his head, unable to find the words to thank the couple for keeping him in their thoughts.

"Hyung," Taehyung smiled, placing his free arm around Hoseok's shoulder. "Thank you for all you've done for us"--

The three immediately stopped, mouths agape, jaws dangling and expressions mortified. They finally reached the gate of the palace, where a field of apparently bloody corpses scattered the ground and their visions.

"Don't thank me just yet," Hoseok said, opening the palace gates. "Take Rinji to her rooms. If you can find someone to care for her in your stead, do so and meet me back at the infirmary. We have work to do, and not much time to do it."