Royalty| Hyunlix| Minsung

Light mixing with darkness

The pursuit through the dark forest was relentless, the group weaving through the dense trees, their breaths ragged in the cold night air. Han was always just out of reach, darting between the shadows with a swiftness that made it seem as if the darkness itself was carrying him away. But Chan, Changbin, and Seungmin refused to give up, pushing themselves to the edge of their limits.

After what felt like an eternity, they cornered Han at the edge of a cliff, where the rocky terrain sloped downward into a vast, foggy abyss. There was nowhere left to run. His back to the drop, Han's chest heaved as he eyed them warily, his entire posture tense as though he were prepared to leap if it meant escaping.

"Han, stop!" Seungmin called out, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace. "We're not here to hurt you! Just listen to us, please!"

Han's eyes darted between them, suspicion and exhaustion weighing heavily on his features. "Why are you chasing me?" he asked, voice hoarse. "I told you to stay back."

Chan took a step forward, his gaze steady. "Because we care about you," he said quietly. "There's something you need to know."

Seungmin took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully as he began to explain everything—the truth about Han's lineage, his connection to I.N., and the past that had been hidden from him. As Seungmin spoke, Han's expression softened into confusion, then disbelief. He had always felt there was something different about him, a part of his soul that seemed foreign in a realm where he should have belonged, but to hear it confirmed left him stunned.

"So... I'm a prince?" Han said, his voice a mix of wonder and sorrow. "Why did no one tell me?"

Chan stepped closer, his expression softening. "We didn't know. None of us did, Han. But we want to help you now. We can go back together, to the dark kingdom. You don't have to be alone anymore."

Han's gaze lingered on his friends. He still felt the fog of uncertainty, but he trusted them. With a small, hesitant nod, he agreed. Together, they began their journey back to the dark kingdom, the weight of truth resting heavily upon them all.

Elsewhere, Lee Know faced a different kind of struggle. He was surrounded by dark knights, their black armor glinting menacingly in the dim light of the barren battlefield. His sword clashed with theirs, sparks flying as the metal met with vicious force. He had been fighting for what felt like hours, his muscles aching and his breath shallow. Sweat dripped down his forehead, mingling with the dirt and blood staining his skin.

A knight lunged at him, swinging a heavy axe. Lee Know barely dodged the attack, rolling to the side and using his momentum to slash upward, slicing through the knight's exposed arm. But as he rose to his feet, another knight struck him from behind, the blade biting into his shoulder with a searing pain. Lee Know gritted his teeth, staggering back as the injury burned through him, blood seeping into his clothes.

He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out. But as the knights closed in, something deep inside him refused to surrender. With a defiant yell, he surged forward, pushing through the pain and fatigue, his sword a blur as he parried blows and struck back at his attackers. When the last knight fell, Lee Know dropped to his knees, clutching his wounded shoulder and breathing heavily. He had survived, but barely.

Back in the dark kingdom, the atmosphere was filled with an anxious stillness. Hyunjin sat beside Felix's bed, his eyes tracing the delicate petals of the flowers that had bloomed around him, their soft fragrance filling the room. It had been days since Felix fell into his deep sleep, and Hyunjin's heart ached with every second that passed.