astrocrats || l.mh x h.js

end + explanation

the... end?? honestly I was never expecting such a huge and positive outcome while I was writing 'astrocrats', it always flattered my heart when I read all the lovely comments you all left on the chapters :D I hope soon I can write as well as upload extra chapters focusing on ships that didnt have too many moments in the main story (as this story was mainly a plot story vs. a ship story)

anyways,, thank you for staying with astrocrats, supporting it, and enjoying the story so much !! <3

- suhyeon

2023 edit; here with some explanation for those still potentially confused !

Your beloved author suhyeon to the rescue! Let's break down some of the things within the story that stirred confusion!

/

Firstly, let's break down the past and present roles within the story.

There are the princes from 100 years ago, these princes knew they were mages, and trained with each other to harness magic. Magic during this time within Levanter was something forbidden, and punishable by death. Hunters existed during this timeline to fight against vampires, other forms of supernatural (like mages), and overall stop any form of magic happening.

So what happened 100 years ago? The princes were sold out by Seungmin, and sentenced to execution. So yes, Jisung's own father in this timeline killed him. The vampires were not killed, and instead just captured, where they escaped eventually. Hyunjin was never at the ritual, which is why he is roaming free when he encounters and talks with Seungmin.

100 years later, now in the present time, the princes are reincarnations, being able to sense a connection with the vampires, but having no memory of it specifically (since they were not the ones to live through it, but their previous selves).

Therefore, this generation of princes required the extra help/guidance of the lullaby that was taught to Jisung by his mother, who was in fact a mage. In the present timeline magic is not explicitly forbidden since it is a long-forgotten and purged power (due to the hunter from 100 years in the past). Therefore, hunters also don't exist anymore in the present, since there is no longer any need for them. (Which is why it's just the King and his army chasing after them into the enchanted forest, and not a squad of hunter like 100 years ago).

/

Expanding on the Great War (briefly mentioned in chapter 'drei')

It was an uprising vampire vs. humans war that happened during the present timeline, when the princes where very young. Vampires were feared creatures for centuries before they suddenly disappeared into thin air. They re-emerged as a growing race once more, and fought for power during the Great War before being usurped by a traitor hidden amongst the ranks of humans.

Our vampires (Minho, Chan, Changbin) did not participate in the war.

Since the Great War, they knew that there were vampires hidden amongst them, but it is difficult to tell them apart from a regular human. While vampires don't have the same type of magic as mages, they still are capable of some form of magic.

/

Jisung and Minho.

Now this one confused a lot of people.

During the present timeline when the princes are casting the ritual, Jisung beings to speak to seemingly Minho, questioning what will happen to him after they complete the spell, to which Minho replies back to him "So, what's stopping you?" (This is Minho's quote that's underneath his photo in the chapter 'null')

First we find Jisung within the ballroom, totally normal and no longer destroyed, with the other princes and the vampires together with him, though far away. And despite his calls, they cannot hear him, and Jisung witnesses them again be bitten by the vampires. Before looking into vermillion eyes; Minho's eyes. Here is the transfer from Jisung's mindscape to Minho's.

He finds himself in the outside fields of Levanter, and is now in Minho's memories from 100 years ago. He watches as Minho scales the wall of the castle, going into the room of his past self. This segment is split over a handful of chapters;

We get the first piece of this memory in chapter 'vierzehn', where the chapter starts 100 years ago, and is a scene where Jisung is writing a poem before feeling someone watching him from outside his window.

We get the third piece of the memory before the second, in chapter 'fünfzehn', where Jisung climbs the willow tree outside of the walls of the Levanter castle, and when he looks up into what he recognizes as his room, vermillion eyes meets his.

The chapter ends with the quote "I can't let you go." This is Jisung's response to Minho's question from chapter 'vierzehn', "What's stopping you"

We get the second piece of the memory in chapter 'sechzehn', where we see what past Jisung and past Minho talked about. The person who Jisung felt was watching him in chapter 'vierzehn' was revealed to be Minho.

While Minho is talking to Jisung, he is looking out the window, where he makes eye contact with someone outside (present Jisung who is in his memories), and talking aloud says "You just can't let me go, huh?"

Past Minho then goes to confront present Jisung (still within the memory scape). He tries to talk to present Jisung as though he was his past self, but realizes that the Jisung in the field is fully aware of what was happening, and knows that he is not his past self.
Meanwhile, Jisung is going through internal turmoil, trying to understand everything that has happened so far. It was traumatic for him to witness so much, to now stand alone in a field that looked like his home, but he knew that it wasn't quite right. So now alone and face to face with Minho, he confesses his feelings. It's a combination of what present Jisung feels about Minho, but is also influenced by the past reincarnations of himself that loved Minho.

The chance to finally tell Minho how he felt was the reason why he was drawn into the other's memories during the ritual, and now that he finally told the other how he felt, he was put back into reality. But just before the memory scape had frozen over, Jisung had heard the words Minho had said to him; "I love you too, Jisung."

/

Seungmin and Hyunjin.

Now I could explain this but... they will be getting a separate chapter(s) explaining what ever in the angsty-pinning-goodness is happening between those two. So stay tuned for that! <3

Hopefully this managed to clear up any confusion within the story! Please leave a comment if you have any questions and I'd be happy to explain! (As long as it doesn't contain spoilers for the future bonus chapters that will be written~)

XOXO, suhyeon