왜...?(Why...?) Hyunjin x SKZ

.9._Whispers in the Dark_

Whispers in the Dark

Disclaimer:
English is not my native language, so please excuse any mistakes.
There may be some swearing, though not much.
The phrases or texts between '_____' are their thoughts.
=> If you're uncomfortable with these elements, please consider not reading.

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The night had settled heavily over the pack's house, a thick blanket of shadows pressing against the cold stone walls. Hyunjin lay in his bed, eyes wide open, staring into the darkness above him. The moonlight barely crept through the narrow slit of the window, casting a pale, ghostly light that stretched across the room. His breaths were uneven, shallow, as if the very air around him had grown too thick to inhale.

Sleep eluded him, slipping through his fingers like water. Each time his eyes began to close, the darkness would close in, and he would see him—his father, King Hwang—looming over him like a specter from his nightmares. The sharp sting of the past flooded his senses. His father's cold, unyielding gaze, those piercing eyes that seemed to see through him, always filled with disdain and anger.

A memory surfaced, unbidden and unwanted, gripping his mind like a vice.

Hyunjin was ten years old, standing before the throne, his small hands clenched tightly at his sides. The grand hall was filled with silence, save for the soft whisper of the courtiers and the distant flutter of banners above. King Hwang sat upon his throne, his face a mask of cold fury. Hyunjin could still feel the sharp ache in his cheek where his father's hand had struck him, the burning shame of being so small, so powerless in front of the entire court.

"You are weak," his father had said, his voice a low growl that seemed to echo off the walls. "You disgrace our bloodline with your softness. A prince must be strong, unyielding, not some sniveling child who cries at the slightest pain."

Hyunjin had tried to hold back his tears, to swallow the sob that clawed its way up his throat, but he had failed. He remembered the laughter of the courtiers, the mocking sneers of those who were supposed to respect him. But worse than all of that was the cold, relentless stare of his father, a gaze that bore into his very soul, branding him as a failure, a mistake.

His body tensed as the memory played out like a cruel theater in his mind. Even now, years later, he could feel the phantom pain in his cheek, the sting of tears in his eyes. He shifted restlessly in bed, the heavy blankets feeling like chains binding him to the past.

Hyunjin squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to block out the images, but they only came faster, one after another, like a relentless tide. The moments blurred together—the cold, empty halls of the castle, the harsh lessons, the punishments meted out without mercy. His father's voice, always in the background, a constant litany of criticism and cruelty. He remembered the times he had been locked in his room for days without food, as punishment for some perceived slight or failure. The hunger, the thirst, the desperation that clawed at his stomach until he was sure he would lose his mind.

His breath quickened, his chest heaving as if he were drowning. He threw off the blankets and sat up, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst. He ran a trembling hand through his hair, his skin slick with sweat.

He needed to get out. Out of this room, out of this prison of memories. Hyunjin swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, his knees weak, barely holding his weight. He felt like a child again, small and helpless, standing before his father, trying so desperately to be brave.