DragonHeart | Minsung

XVII

Jisung stood in a large room. The walls and ceilings were high, decorated with various patterns and dragon sculptures. Along one wall of the room was a long dias with multiple seats for people.

It took him a moment, but he eventually realised that he was in the old counsel chambers of the castle. But why was he there? He couldn't remember. From what he knew, it hadn't been used in the past decade, not since the war began.

As he stood in the room, his attention was directed to to the large double doors when he heard them creaking open. He waited for them to reveal who was behind them, and eyes widened when he saw the man walk into the room.

"...papa? How..?" Jisung asked, but his grandfather never acknowledged him.

He was left even more shell shocked when a dragon came walking through the same doors. He was so large that he had to duck his head to fit, and his footsteps shook the floor.

Jisung hairs stood on end as he took in the sight. This dragon's scales were dark hues of blues and greens, and he had enormous spikes protruding from his head and down his back, leading to a bundle of them at the end of his tail. His red eyes looked like they could burn a hole through his soul, and one swipe from his talons or a strike with his tail would be his end.

"Where is the rest of the council?" The creature asked.

"I want to speak with you privately." Jisung's grandfather said, his tone stern.

He didn't look concerned about the fact that there was a dragon in the castle; he didn't even have a weapon on him. Something was wrong.

He walked closer to his grandfather, and the man turned to him. "What's going on?" Jisung tried to ask, but he was left speechless when he his body just passed right through his.

He wasn't really there.

"What is it?" The dragon asked, his deep voice sending shivers down Jisung's spine.

"Share your heart with me, Nelreir. It's time." He said in a firm tone.

"You know that I cannot do that." Nelreir replied.

The man was growing more agitated. "And why not?"

The air was growing tense. "Your life doesn't need saving, does it?"

"Imagine what we could do together!" His grandfather snapped. "I rule my kingdom, and you rule yours, but with that kind of power we could have everything!"

A rumble erupted in the dragon's throat; he was angry. "You're power-hungry, you always have been...and as long as you are, I will never share my heart with you."

His grandfather clearly didn't want to accept that answer, but he also would've had to have known that he couldn't force the dragon to bend to his will. The man, overcome by his anger, stormed out of the room, leaving through the large double doors that he had entered from.

Something was drawing Jisung to follow him, and that's exactly what he did, the doors slamming shut behind him.

Instead of seeing the castle hallway that was usually outside the council chambers, he found himself in a dark room.

"What will the spell do?" He heard his grandfather's voice say.

Jisung looked around until his eyes focused on him speaking with a tall man, their figures lit by moonlight coming through a window in the room.

The man, who he realized was a dark mage, went on to propose his solution to his grandfather's ordeal. He described a realm of shadows. They were hungry and vengeful, having been locked away for thousands of years. They'd serve the one that released them, looking for any escape for a chance to fullfill their growing needs.

The mage would order the shadows to infiltrate the consciousness of the kingdoms' people, including those most powerful. They'd suppress memeories, and install false ones to install fear of the dragons into them. This way they'd appease the wants of the dark mage and the King, while also quenching their own need for power and control.

"They need a soul to attach themselves to, and that's where you come in." He said, looking at another person in the room.

Jisung couldn't tell who the other figure was at first, but the face was illuminated as he walked further into the light. It was his father.

"Let's do this." His grandfather spoke, eager to go through with this plan.

The mage offered his hand out to the man. Jisung watched as his grandfather shook his hand first, and then his father, sealing the deal.

Jisung had little time to take in the scene before the light that illuminated them faded away, leaving him alone in the dark again.

He began to panic, still not fully understanding what was happening. Before he completely lost it, he noticed a light in the distance, and it drew him in. As he got closer, the light got larger, until it completely consumed him.

On the other side he once again found himself in a new location; a cave. The same dragon he had seen with his grandfather was there, along with a woman.

He walked closer to them, until he saw the woman's face, and what was laying in front of her. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes. It was his mother, and what he could only assume was his younger self.

"Please help my son..." She begged the dragon, tears already streaming down her face.

The creature didn't take much time to think. "I will not offer him my own heart...but my son's."

Another dragon, much smaller and younger than the other came forward. He noticed that he had markings similar to those of Minho, and that's when it all clicked.

It was Minho. These are memories.

"Conflict is upon us..." Nelreir continued. "But I believe that this union proves that we are not done."

Jisung could feel himself fading. His vision blurred and everything was getting dark again. He wanted to stay; to stay with his mother, and to get more insight, but he couldn't hold on.

He awoke to see Minho hovered over him while he lay on Hypatia's bed. All of a sudden everything came rushing back to him, and it all made sense. He was at Hypatia's home, with Minho, and that drink had clearly done something to him.

"Hey, are you back with us?" Minho asked, examining the prince's face as he came to.

Jisung groaned, his eyes squinting as they adjusted. "Yeah..."