The Cold Curse | MarkHyuck

Chapter 2:

When Haechan turned ten, his life was already changing. Mark even noticed that the color of his eyes were suddenly blue when it was dark and brown in the past. Mark and Haechan never separated because of their wonderful and pure friendship of five years.

Suddenly, Mark had to move back to Vancouver. His family wanted to spread their business all around the world. Their business was about healing all types of sickness.

This is when Haechan, a ten year old, learned how to say goodbye to the most loyal friend he currently had.

Since Haechan was a prince, he most likely had a lot of men guarding his path. This time, Haechan wanted to be with his parents and Jeno only. He was deeply sad when this certain day came when Mark had to leave their friendship because he had to.

"Do you really have to go?"
"... This sucks... Haechan, are you crying?"
"Well, what am I supposed to do?! Let you leave without showing any emotion when I don't even know when you'll come back?!"
"... Well, that sucks..."

Mark sighs as he pulls out a cloth from his coat, giving it to Haechan for him to dry his tears.

"... You know, I'll be back but maybe in a few years- When I'm old enough! I'll be back when we're old enough! So we can save the beautiful lady from the dragon!"
"Promise me that, Mark..."
"I promise you that, Haechan."

Mark says as his parents finally called him. Mark waves a sad goodbye at Haechan before he goes on the ship. Haechan was deeply sad because he'll never get to see Mark in years but he was glad that Mark promised him that he will be back when they're old enough.

That was the last time Haechan was still himself.

The day he turned fifteen years old, he became more reckless. His appearance changed a lot as well. It looked like Haechan was a different person. He also was becoming more reserved, more cold, and more expressionless.

That was noticed when he was playing around in the kitchen.

Jeno, the maid's son, wondered how Haechan changed because he was sure he never did anything wrong to him. He goes up to his mother, asking her about the sudden change in Haechan.

"Mother, is the prince alright?"
"From what I've heard, people think he's cursed."
"Cursed?"

He responds, not believing that Haechan is cursed. He turned to look behind him, seeing Haechan playing with fire. He ran to keep the fire away from Haechan of course.

It was his duty to protect the prince.

"Your highness, that's dangerous!"
"... I don't feel anything."

Haechan surprisingly responds, leaving Jeno shocked at how he said that he doesn't feel anything when Haechan's pointer finger was on fire. What's more surprising is that Haechan's finger wasn't even burning at all. The fire was just sitting there on the tip of his finger, waiting to be blown or just die out through time.

Haechan blew the fire off from his finger as he looked at Jeno blankly.

"Your highness?"
"I can't feel... anything."

Haechan bluntly says as his eyes wandered around the kitchen, exiting after. Jeno and his mother were both startled. How can Haechan not feel anything? How can Haechan not feel hurt? How can he not feel the intense heat of the fire?

There was only one way to find out.

He ran to his mother's bedroom, telling her that he can't feel anything. Any sort of intense emotion wasn't present as he just stared blankly at her. He was blank and his own mother can't even read his emotions.

"Mother, what is wrong with me?"
"Now, I do have to tell you the truth."

His mother said, sitting up from her bed.

"You were born with a curse."
"... With a curse? Well, what curse exactly?"
"The Cold Curse of Emotion. Therefore, you cannot feel anything at all."

His mother said as her son only nods. She was upset because she thought that if she kept this as a secret from Haechan, he might never change. But there he is, an emotionless teenager trying to know what is wrong with him.

"... Soon, you will become more different and more cold inside. I don't know how to stop the curse, my son."
"Well, I may become a monster."
"No, you're not! You're my son, Haechan! You will heal through time!"
"There is no cure to this-"
"But there is!"

His mother cried, convincing him that he will get rid of the curse through time.

"Soon, I'll be the monster of this kingdom. If I can't get rid of my curse, then you have to leave me now. I don't want to hurt anyone."
"... Do you really see yourself as a monster?"
"... I do because I can't feel anything."

The next thing Haechan knew is that his "supposed-to-be" kingdom was now moved to a different place. His mother followed his request which is to leave him because he somehow "fears" that he will hurt everyone he once loved. Although, his mother left the maid and her son with Haechan because she didn't want Haechan to be fully alone.

Five more years have passed and Haechan was already twenty years old. Of course he didn't know what the real world looks like since he distanced himself from it. He wasn't alone but he felt lonely because he's never talked to anyone.

Basically, his "clean" palace turned into an abandoned one.

There were no people living in that kingdom anymore since the king and queen already moved their kingdom somewhere far from Haechan. Through time, Haechan's appearance changed even more and he was feared by Jeno.

Haechan was extremely quiet and almost unnoticeable to the people around him.

The guards outside of the abandoned palace even called their job as "Guarding A Ghost" which made Haechan feel like he's a disgrace but he can't do anything about it. He kept every negative comment to himself only as he constantly watches himself if he's close to actually hurting the guards. He doesn't want to do that because he knows it's evil and selfish but this new self of him knows that he will most likely not feel any type of remorse about it.

He couldn't feel anything as he was referring to himself as a void of nothing.

As Haechan turned into a different person, Mark stayed as himself through the years. Now that he's old enough, his parents set him up with a rich bride even if he didn't want to marry yet. Mark escaped the wedding because he wants to explore the world instead and become a businessman.

Then, he remembers that he had a promise to a childhood friend.