Prince's Gamble | HAOBIN

25. Insanity Goes Both Ways

After healing Zhanghao's stab wound with the healing spell and notifying the nurses that the surgeon's work had been most spectacular, Hanbin and Zhanghao headed to find out what had happened to Yujin. 

Walking to the throne room, Zhanghao felt around at his stomach where his wound had just been. The pain gone fully gone now, he pondered awhile of the reality of magic. Never before he had met Hanbin, would he have thought that there could ever be a such thing as magic, let alone have it be used on him. Yet, the world was full of surprises for one to find. 

Pushing open the doors to the throne room, Hanbin led Zhanghao into the throne room where the King perched on his chair, looking particularly tired. Nearing the King, Hanbin began to speak. "What have you done with my brother?" He asked his father. 

"That wretched brat—I sent him down to the dungeons where he'll rot until he feels enough remorse to rejoin our family." The King sneered. 

Hanbin stared before giving a mere nod in response, turning on his heel and walking out the room. Zhanghao followed him, "Where are we going now?" He asked. 

"The dungeons." Hanbin replied. 

As they approached a dark metal door, Zhanghao could only assume that the dungeons was definitely a place you wouldn't want to be in. Guards opening the door for them, Hanbin stepped through the door first, revealing a long dark grey staircase which led down. 

Zhanghao felt a chill run through his body as they walked further and further down, making him wonder if there was even any light at the bottom. When they finally reached the end of the stairs, Zhanghao's eyes were filled with the image of prison cells, each with metal bars which separated the prisoners from the visitors. 

Walking along the the aisle of cells, there was indeed one small window high up in each cell which let a smidge of light in for the prisoners. Zhanghao continued to walk behind Hanbin until he stopped in his tracks, turning to face the prison cell on his right. 

Inside the cell, sat Yujin, who still wore the black cloak he had entered Hanbin's room with. Knees bent to hold his arms that lay straight, Yujin looked up at the sound of movement. His eyes blazed with anger as he stared at Hanbin before turning to Zhanghao. 

"What do you want?" He jeered. 

Hanbin kept his expression blank as he spoke, "Why did you try to kill me? Don't lie." He said.  

Yujin didn't look to Hanbin and kept his gaze on Zhanghao, "I see I didn't shove my sword in you hard enough." He spat. 

"Don't look at him." Hanbin raised his voice, pushing Zhanghao behind him slightly, "Why did you try to kill me, Yujin?"

Yujin stared knives at Hanbin, "I want to be King. You fucking happy now?"  

Hanbin's eyes grew stern, "You sent the note at the start too, didn't you? Or did someone pay you? I'm not stupid."

As soon as Hanbin finished his sentence, Yujin's fury overflowed making him leap from the back of the cell, jumping onto his knees as he shoved a hand through the bars. Somehow, he managed to pull at Hanbin's ankles, tripping him over before he grabbed at Hanbin's collar and pulled him against the metal bars. 

"I'll kill you through these bars if I have to, so either leave or say your last words here." Yujin said through gritted teeth. 

"Hanbin, let's just go." Zhanghao said, pulling Hanbin from Yujin's grasp. 

Hanbin nodded, turning his back on Yujin as he followed Zhanghao out. "Stay here and rot, Yujin—you're fucking insane." Was all Hanbin said before they left Yujin behind the bars. 

—  

In two days, the next and final round would commence. Zhanghao's wound fully healed from Hanbin's magic, he returned to training as per normal. 

"You got stabbed in the stomach, lost a lot of blood, stayed in the hospital overnight, and suddenly you're completely fine again?" Gunwook listed in surprise. "Something isn't adding up here." He raised an eyebrow at Zhanghao. 

"I'm actually a superhuman." Zhanghao replied, sarcastically. 

Gunwook rolled his eyes, "I'm sure you are." 

Pushing his suspicion away, Gunwook continued to train Zhanghao as they normally did, practicing his sword combat with the added training of falling and landing skills. Making Zhanghao climb up rather tall objects, Gunwook had then made him jump in order to practice his landings perfectly. Zhanghao didn't know exactly when he would use it, but he did know that it was certainly making him very tired. 

After training, Zhanghao returned to his room, taking a quick shower before giving into the sleep that his body desperately needed. Closing his eyes, he fell asleep almost instantly. 

When Zhanghao attempted to open his eyes, they resisted at first before allowing him to squint at the open air around him. However, his vision was still limited as a black shadow narrowed it down to a only a small circle of what he would normally be able to see.

Looking around, his mind felt puzzled as all he saw in front of him were the fluffy grey clouds that toned the sky. Gazing down at his feet, he was surprised to see himself standing on a sort of glass platform which reflected the view of the sky around him. 

He was about to move when—for the first time before—his dream shifted and the scene began to change behind his eyes. Zhanghao felt his body falling as he lost control, pelting through the air as he headed for the hard ground. 

Inches away from hitting the earth, the dream changed yet again and his mind was filled with the image of Hanbin's panicked face. As Zhanghao spied Hanbin's worried expression he noticed the abnormal shards of glass or crystals that Hanbin seemed to be holding in his hand. 

About to walk closer to figure out what Hanbin was holding, Zhanghao stopped as flashes of red began to appear in his eyes. Something dripped down Hanbin's temple, Zhanghao's eyes widening when he realized what it was. Blood. 

Suddenly, blood poured everywhere until it was all over the floor, beginning to rise as images of people flashed in Zhanghao's mind. The boy from the round two, the boy who Zhanghao had pushed to his death in the lava—and Taerae. The blood was up to his shoulders now, about to start suffocating him as his thoughts whirred before stopping on one final person. Hanbin.