Night Prince

Knocked Out

A/N: Some descriptive gore in this chapter. Do tread carefully and skip the *** if needed! Enjoy the read!

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Fire.

Everywhere he turned, all he could see was the engulfing amber flames that threatened to lick their bare flesh. Smoke filled their lungs, choking them and burning them; the strong stench causing their eyes to water even more – as though their eyes weren't already stinging from the thick smoke.

Coughing uncontrollably, Ri Jeong Hyeok tightened his hold around his sister as he desperately searched for an escape from literal hell.

"Oppa...I'm scared." Cho Hee whined fearfully between her coughs.

"B...breathe Cho Hee. We'll be fine. Keep your head down." Jeong Hyeok urged his little sister, keeping his arms encircled around her tiny frame protectively. 

Doing as her brother said, Cho Hee used her nightgown that was stained with snot to cover her mouth and nose. The heatwaves around them only continued to grow in strength and the siblings were at the point where they were sure they might die.

That was until the ground below them caved to reveal an opening. An opening that would be their saving grace. And the one who opened the secret passage was none other than their eldest brother, Ri Mu Hyeok.

"Quick! Take cover here!" Mu Hyeok scrambled out of the small hole to drag his siblings over to safety.

The young lad had gone crazy searching the whole castle for his siblings and was absolutely relieved that they hadn't been eaten by the flames. Outside, the war raged on with no indication that it would be ending anytime soon. But to the eldest heir, his siblings' safety was of the utmost importance.

"Hurry. The walls won't hold with the fire." Ri Mu Hyeok rushed them along the passageway leading to the outside of the castle.

The siblings stumbled together, with poor Cho Hee occasionally tripping over the tiny rocks on the ground. Eventually, Mu Hyeok decided to carry Cho Hee as they rushed out of the castle, only for them to hide behind a crate of oranges.

It was a gory sight to behold. People were being slain right in front of the royals' eyes and dead bodies littered the castle grounds. Pools of blood stained what was once the pristine grounds of their home, thickening as the fight raged on.

Ri Jeong Hyeok felt nauseous watching the scene before him until Mu Hyeok forced him to look away.

Patting his younger brother's cheek, Mu Hyeok spoke firmly, his eyes holding unrestrained desperation along with his usual fighting spirit as he studied Jeong Hyeok. "Protect dewdrop, arasseo? And most importantly, stay alive."

"Hyung, stay with us." Jeong Hyeok begged with all his might when his brother took a step towards the fight.

He really should have begged harder back then...

Trembling hands grasped onto his brother's wrist pleadingly as the younger prince willed him to stay. Cho Hee's sobs filled the blood-stained air as the brother's eyes met for the last time.

"I love you both. Whatever happens tonight, know that I am an extremely proud brother."

Just like that, Mu Hyeok tore his hands away from Jeong Hyeok's and joined the fight, leading the rebels away from his siblings. But losing Mu Hyeok to the rebels was certainly not as heart-shattering as when Cho Hee got caught by one of them.

It only took a moment of separation when they tried to find a new hiding place. But that moment would always be one that Ri Jeong Hyeok would loathe himself for because he should have protected her better. He promised Mu Hyeok that he would protect Cho Hee yet, he failed. In every sense, it was their late brother's dying wish too.