SECOND LIFE ; [윤정한 x 최승철]

1 : The Princes

In the Kingdom of Lirei, on August 8, 1395, a young prince and successor to the throne will be born. The current Queen, Queen Seung was in labor, while her husband, King Cheol was out to fulfill his search, make a discovery, and find some treasures.

"Your highness! The long search is over. There is a group of Merpeople over there!" The person with the telescope said. The look out at the top of the ship.

King Cheol smirked as he thought that he hit a jackpot. He knew that the merpeople were real. "We hit a jackpot, Youngbin." He smiled like he won a grand prize. Well, discovering that mermaids are real is already a grand prize for him.

The merpeople noticed them. "Your highness!" A mermaid screamed for her highness with fear. King Han, who's busy with his wife and queen, immediately turned his head towards the mermaid.

He then averted his gaze towards where the mermaid is looking at. A ship!

"Merpeople, go!" King Han ordered and every merpeople swam right into the water in an instant with their full speed.

King Han immediately took his trident and made use of its power. "My queen, swim back to our Kingdom, now!" King Han ordered his wife who immediately followed and swam as soon as she can. She's still pregnant with the Kingdom's heir. She can't bear to lose her child.

King Han destroyed the ship that King Cheol was in before getting into the water. He doesn't want to harm anyone, but he needs to protect his people. That's what a King should do.

"Shit! Get the life boats!" King Cheol ordered and everyone in the ship immediately followed and prepared the life boats they have prepared.

King Cheol went back to the Kingdom with madness. "Your highness! The Queen has delivered a young healthy baby boy." A maid inside the palace said, but seems like King Cheol didn't care at all. All he cares right now is the discovery he made and the disaster it caused.

-

"Where is Cheol?" The queen, Seung asked. She's now holding her first baby. The heir of the Lirei, Choi Seungcheol.

"I already informed him about the safe delivery. He went to his study room." The head of the maids answered and bowed at her highness.

This isn't new to Seung after all. But, how could Cheol miss this moment where he could've hold onto his baby boy? His heir to the throne?

Despite the sadness that Seung is feeling, she's still beyond happy because she's now holding her new world. Seungcheol's existence overshadows her pain that her husband caused her to feel.

"You won't grow up like your father, right?" Seung asked her newborn. Although it couldn't answer his mother's question, but Seung is a hundred percent sure that her son would never grow up like his father.

-

October 4, 1395. The heir of Oceana was born. Everyone was delighted when it was a baby boy.

"Yoon Jeonghan, the Prince of Oceana!" King Han declared and proudly showed off his baby boy.

"I'm glad you're here when I delivered our baby," Jeong said and looked at her baby boy. The best thing that ever happened to her.

Giving birth to her Jeonghan is the best thing. "I will always be here in the most important occasions. You're my number one priority." Han replied and kissed Jeong's forehead and then played with their newborn baby.

-

Years has passed, and the merpeople were never seen again on the same spot where they were spotted by King Cheol.

Over the years, he's been hunting the merpeople down, without even paying attention to his own family.

Seungcheol grew up with almost no father beside and present for him. He's also not getting along that well with his cousin who's a year older than him, Rowoon. His cousin on his mother's side.

"Can we play, Rowoon hyung?" Seungcheol asked the older. He's referring on the sand castle at the seashore. There are no guards around them because they have nowhere to go anyway beside the seashore.

Rowoon ignored the younger and walked away without any words, but of course the young Seungcheol ran after him. "Hyung!" Seungcheol called out for the older cousin, but the older turned his head on Seungcheol angrily.

"Don't bother me again!" Rowoon pushed Seungcheol to the water without even realizing it.

Seungcheol couldn't keep up with the strong waves, so he was dragged into the middle of the ocean. He's slowly drowning! "R-Rowoon hyung!" Seungcheol struggles with the water. He can't swim.

Rowoon who doesn't know what to do, he ran away. "H-Hyung help!" Seungcheol shouted but Rowoon chose to be a deaf despite Seungcheol's shouts for help.

It has been imposed to him that he wanted the crown. He must want the crown and the throne. If there's no Seungcheol, then he will own the crown one day.

Seungcheol felt hopeless. The 8-year old boy accepted his fate of dying without even having the chance of serving his people.

The hopeless Seungcheol suddenly felt arms were wrapped around him. He's slowly losing his consciousness but he saw a glimpse of the person who saved him from drowning. Was it really a person?

It was a boy with a long blonde hair. He's also around Seungcheol's age. Seungcheol's vision gets blurry every second and he then realized he was brought to the seashore.

"W-Who are you?" Seungcheol still managed to ask, but the blonde-haired boy just smiled. "Seungcheol!" Seungcheol recognized the voice and it was the voice of his Mom, sounding so worried.

"Oh dear Lord, my son! What happened to you?" Queen Seung asked continuously, but Seungcheol's gaze remained on the sea.

The boy who saved him immediately left the scene and all Seungcheol could see was a glimpse of a tail.

A sky blue sparkly tail.