Sacrifice

Chapter 22 : A Drive down Memory Lane

The morning sun casts a harsh light over the training grounds, sharpening every shadow and edge. The snow crunches crisply under your feet as you shift back and forth, dodging and aiming under Jungwon's guidance. The prince's voice, usually calm and encouraging, carries an undercurrent of tension as he walks you through a series of defensive maneuvers. If your fingers linger long enough between moves, you can feel the tension building in his shoulders, and its trace is physically evident in the small wrinkle between the prince's eyebrows.

When you glance up at him, the corners of your lips tug into a faint frown. His gaze is focused but rather hollow. Your face is a mask of concentration, while Jungwon's mind is elsewhere, tangled in a web of anxious thoughts.

"That's it, beloved," Jungwon says, his tone more clipped than usual. His gaze flickers down to your feet, studying as you bounce your weight to and fro, creating small indents in the snow as you dig into the icy grass underneath. "Now, focus on your footing. Balance is key – you must engage your core during hand-to-hand combat."

Nearby, the other princes have formed small groups, their own training sessions a whirlwind of clashing fists and grunts of exertion. Jay and Sunoo spar with precision, their movements calculated and intense. Sunoo's agile frame darts around Jay's more grounded stance, each trying to outmaneuver the other with an almost desperate energy. Both princes are putting in their best efforts, but if one looks close enough, one can see the subtle hints that the older prince is exercising extra caution to save the younger prince from the full extent of his strength.

A few yards away, Sunghoon is a blur of frantic motion, constantly on his back foot as he dodges the relentless attacks from Jake and Riki. The two press him hard, their playful demeanor unable to mask the seriousness of their training.

"Come on, Hoon," Jake chuckles, feigning a jab that forces Sunghoon to shift to his wolf form to evade. "Stay alert!"

As if the youngest can sense the hybrid prince's oncoming protests, Riki launches a mock swipe that narrowly misses Sunghoon's ear. He chuckles, "Don't pout! We're only doing this to help you get better at shifting between forms."

Sunghoon growls, his eyes flashing with frustration. He lunges back onto his hind legs before leaping at the two taunting princes, knocking them onto their backs in one swift motion. Their three forms go tumbling into the snow, Jake and Riki wheezing when the air gets knocked out of their lungs at the hard impact. Sunghoon chuffs triumphantly when the two princes roll onto their sides with guttural groans. The snow beneath them is marred by their earlier scruffles, a testament to the intensity of their "training".

Jungwon glances over at the trio, a frown creasing his brows before his attention snaps back to you in surprise. You had taken advantage of the prince's temporary distraction to land a soft punch just under his sternum.

"Got you," you say, a triumphant grin resting on your face.

Jungwon can only find it within himself to return a meek smile. "You got me," he chuckles uneasily. And when he takes a deep breath, it's evident the weight of his concerns is pressing down on him unbearably. "Darling, we need to talk about you and Heeseung."

Your smile fades slightly, but you brush it off quickly. "Don't worry, Wonie. It was nothing. Maybe it was some newly discovered power of Heeseung's – to communicate and interact with people through his dreams."

Jungwon shakes his head, his worry plain. "It's more than that. I highly doubt it's a new ability that Heeseung suddenly picked up. We've been alive for centuries. We should have realized all of our powers by now." The prince's words weigh heavily in your mind. Deep down, you know he's right; but the larger part of you wants to remain blissfully unaware of the implications. "And even if it was a new ability," Jungwon continues, "We don't know the full extent of his powers, or what it means for you to be connected to him like this. This has never happened before—not even in your first life. This could be dangerous. Or maybe it's a warning."