The Lunar Vanguard (SunSun)

Chapter 22: The Weight of Legacy

The hallways of the enchanted kingdom’s palace felt both familiar and foreign to Sunoo. The ornate decorations and magical ambience were reminders of a life he had been swept into, yet his heart felt heavy with the revelations he had just received. Sunghoon walked beside him, his presence both a comfort and a weight, as Sunoo struggled to process everything.

They found a quiet spot near a large window that overlooked the vibrant gardens below. The flowers seemed to shimmer with their own magic under the late afternoon sun, but Sunoo's heart was anything but light. He leaned against the cool stone, gazing out at the scene without truly seeing it, lost in a whirlpool of thoughts and emotions.

“Hey,” Sunghoon said softly, stepping closer. “You okay?”

Sunoo turned to him, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Sunghoon raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. He could see the turmoil behind Sunoo's facade, the flicker of uncertainty in his gaze. “You’re not. You can talk to me, you know.”

Sunoo sighed, crossing his arms as if to shield himself from the world. “It’s just… everything is happening so fast. I feel like I’m losing control of my life.”

Sunghoon’s heart ached at the sight of Sunoo so vulnerable. He stepped closer, hoping to offer some semblance of comfort. “I know what that feels like,” he said, his voice low and steady.

Sunoo smiled sadly, "I don’t know if you do, and I don't what you to feel like this ever."

“When I was twelve, my pack was attacked. I lost my family, my friends... everyone I loved.”

Sunoo turned to face him fully, surprised. He had heard Sunghoon’s past was troubled, but hearing it now, raw and unfiltered, made his heart ache for him.

“I was just a kid, alone in the woods, scared and lost,” Sunghoon continued, his voice thick with emotion. “I roamed as a lone wolf for what felt like forever. I was small, terrified, and had no idea how to survive. No pack agreed to take me in because I'm a true alpha. They all felt threatened by a twelve -year- old pup. I remember the nights when the moon seemed too bright and the shadows felt too close. I just wanted to belong somewhere, to feel safe.”

Sunoo felt a pang of pain. He had always seen Sunghoon as strong, but here was a glimpse of the fear and uncertainty that had shaped him. His mate has suffered a lot “How did you cope?” he asked quietly.

Sunghoon shrugged, a sad smile tugging at his lips. “I didn’t really. Not until Jay’s dad found me and took me in. Even then, I struggled for a long time to fit in. I didn’t know how to trust anyone. I kept thinking, ‘What if they find out I’m broken?’ ‘What if they feel like I’m a threat and kick me out some day?’ I always felt the urge to hide part of me so that I can be accepted.”

"What changed?" Sunoo asked.

Sunghoon smiled "You.. when you came into my life..." He paused, searching for the right words.
“It was like everything changed. For the first time, I felt like I belonged to someone. You made me feel whole again.”

Sunoo's breath caught in his throat,  A yearning deep within, a whisper of hope.
He always wished for a place to call his own, Yet never dreamed he’d become a home for another.

Sunghoon took his mate’s hands in his own delicately "What I mean, baby, is that even when it feels like you’re losing control and everything is slipping away, I’ll always be here, steady as ever, holding your hand just like I am now. I’ll support every choice you make, because the moment I laid eyes on you, you became my whole world."

Sunoo looked away, a shaky breath escaping him. His voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t… I don’t even know what to choose, Sunghoon. My whole life, I thought I was just… me. Just some kid, part of a pack, trying to find a family again.” He closed his eyes, pain tightening his features. “And now, suddenly, I’m someone else. I have a whole legacy… this kingdom, my mother’s… my mother’s life.” He pressed a hand over his heart, as if to ease the ache there. “It feels like I’m supposed to fill this role that she… she died to give me.”