Red String (Series #1) \\ Ateez ✔

live alive [𝗘𝗡𝗗]

THIRD POV

"He's inside,"

A woman nodded to the guard as she walked inside the white, murky room.

The white walls of the space enclosed a lonely figure, seated on the bed with an air of resignation. His gaze remained fixed on the window as if searching for something long lost, never averting even when she entered.

"Your Majesty... How are you?" Her voice broke the silence, words tinged with a melancholy that mirrored his own.

There was no response from the latter, his silence a heavyweight in the air. Undeterred, she pulled a wooden stool closer, seating herself behind him.

A slight grin curved her lips, the cold one as always.

Of course, it's Park Seonghwa. What more does one expect?

"If you are going to announce someone's death, speak ahead." As if knowing her intentions coming here, he spoke without emotion, still not facing her.

"I'm not here to announce anyone's death, Your Highness. I am here to tell you that Jongho's wife gave birth to their second child and Hongjoong finally took after his father's footsteps. He is now the official First-Ranking General of the Kingdom."

It probably took multiple seconds before Seonghwa finally registered the information before he chuckled, not a humorous one, but a dry one.

"Everyone seems to have gotten their happy ending." Unlike some who were given tragic ones.

"Yes, Because they lived up to their promise, Seonghwa, they continued with their lives and made sure everything would run smooth," Luna interjected, her voice tinged with a mixture of ache and sorrow. "The palace was thriving, the people are content, and your legacy lives on through them," She continued, her words heavy with weight.

"But is it enough?" Luna questioned softly, her gaze searching his face for any sign of hope amidst the darkness that threatened to consume him. "They've pledged to carry on your vision, to keep the flame of hope alive even in the darkest of times," She continued, her words choked with emotion. "Those boys in the palace love you even if they would have to lose a bone, they would've done it for you in a heartbeat. All this time, they've carried the burden of your absence, shouldering the weight of a kingdom you abandoned,"

Time and time have passed, and it's the moment to end the facade, to face the truth that has been hidden for far too long.

"Don't you think it's time now, Seonghwa?" She continued, her tone pleading as she reached out to grasp his hand. "The kingdom needs its true king, and you... need to reclaim your rightful place on the throne."

Seonghwa's eyes remained fixed on the horizon, yet, a deep sense of sorrow crept into his heart as he listened to her words.

27 years have passed... and all he did was intoxicate himself to the phantom of his death.

27 years since he recovered from the memory-altering spell, and he remained stuck on the white walls of the mental hospital.

27 years of being deemed insane and longing for his long-deceased lover.

For years and years, he remained imprisoned within the walls of his own making, a prisoner of his own sorrow.

His heartache had been a relentless tide, washing over him and It had consumed him, making him incapable of fulfilling his duties as the rightful ruler of the kingdom. Instead, he ruled for what seemed so fleeting, before the darkness consumed him wholly before everyone no longer had the chance, but to let their King silently step down.