The Cold Curse | MarkHyuck

Chapter 36:

Mark falls asleep from the immense pain he received from Jisung. He wouldn't answer anything that Jisung asked him, causing Jisung to hit him even more. He even got to know what drowning felt like as Jisung would plunge his head down a tub of water if he disrespected him once again.

Mark stayed in the basement, wanting to escape but he no longer had the strength to break out of the chains.

The day rises as Jisung comes downstairs, entering the basement as he sees Mark still asleep. Jisung grabs another tub of water, splashing it on Mark's face. Mark wakes up, feeling frustration, annoyance, and anger all at once.

Mark breathes out with a frown, being tired from all of this.

"Good morning... who are you again?"

Jisung asks sarcastically even if he actually didn't know his name. Jisung walks behind Mark, giving Mark's shoulders a harsh squeeze as Mark winces in pain. Jisung scoffed at how weak Mark was, feeling dominant over him.

Jisung loved the feeling of giving terror to the people he most likely hated.

"So... Do you want to answer my questions in a more respectful way? Or do you want an injury?"

Mark had no choice but to answer him respectfully but he won't answer the questions that will probably include sensitive information about Haechan. Mark sighs, nodding at Jisung's question. Although, Jisung found it unclear since he had two questions and Mark only gave him one answer.

"... Which question did you say 'yes' to?"
"... The first one, your majesty."

Mark felt disgusted when he addressed Jisung like he deserved to be called respectfully. Jisung faces Mark, giving him a smile that expressed his appreciation for respecting him. Jisung, then, slowly admired Mark's attitude towards him.

Jisung completely knew that he forced Mark into giving him "respect".

"So... what's your name again? Hmm?"
"... Mark."
"Oh! You're from the other side of the world! That's interesting. That's probably why you didn't show me respect earlier... Where are you from?"

Mark didn't want to answer but he was afraid that Jisung would hurt him again. Mark knew that Jisung was too strong. His strength was horrifying for him.

"... Hmm? Won't you answer my question, huh?"
"... I'm from Vancouver..."
"... Are you scared of me, Mark?"

Jisung asks and even with a sincere tone, it still sounded threatening to Mark. Jisung gives Mark a cold stare as he raises an eyebrow at him, forcing Mark to give him an answer. Mark tried to not look at him but he gave up and nodded as a response to Jisung's question.

"Well... At least you are scared of me. Those people who aren't most likely will end up dead and if you are scared of me then there's a chance that you won't disobey me, right?"

Mark nods again, in fear of Jisung hitting him harshly.

"If you don't disobey me, you'll most likely stay alive. Good luck with that."

~

Haechan walked back and forth, worried with whatever must've happened to Mark. It's been a day already and Mark hasn't come home yet. Haechan bites his bottom lip, figuring out where Mark could be. He couldn't even sit still or have a peaceful time alone because he feels that something not right is going on.

Haechan sits on the couch to just breathe as he was still bothered by the fact that Mark wasn't at home.

"... Damn it- Mrs. Areum?"

Haechan called Areum's name as her attention was caught by Haechan's alert tone. She noticed that Haechan looked unsettled with being alone in the living room. Haechan has done nothing but roam around Jaemin's house, only thinking about Mark.

"Do you know where Mark is?"
"... I don't know, your highness. Didn't he come home from the store yesterday?"
"He didn't... and I don't know where he is. I'm honestly losing my mind and I don't even know what to do to find him!"

Haechan nervously blurted out, his heart beating faster with every word he said.

"... Maybe you can ask Renjun, your highness. Maybe he has a mirror shard that can show where Mark is..."
"... You're right. I should go ask him. Thank you, Mrs. Areum."

Haechan respectfully bowed down to her before quickly running to Renjun's room. Renjun was asleep as he wanted to heal quickly from being too drained to even do any basic action. Haechan enters Renjun's room, busting the door open as the loud noise immediately awakens Renjun from his deep sleep.

Renjun turns his head to look at Haechan, squinting at him.

"I can't find him. Please help me, Renjun."
"... Your highness... What?"

Renjun was quite confused as he just woke up, still half-asleep.

"Mark... I can't find him. He hasn't come home since last afternoon and I'm starting to think that... there's something wrong."

A tear drops from Haechan's eye down to his cheek.

"Please, Renjun. I can't lose him. He's my only hope... I love him... I love him so much-"
"It's going to be alright, your highness. We're going to find him... We're going to find him, Haechan."

That was the first time Renjun ever called Haechan by his first name and also even hugged him but Haechan didn't even care about it. Renjun never thought that he would count Haechan as a friend when Haechan already did that since they started working together.

At that moment, Renjun knew that he protected the right prince.

~

"You're still going to dodge my questions about you and Haechan, aren't you?"

Jisung scoffed in annoyance, kicking Mark's side harshly. Jisung had placed so many bruises and wounds on Mark's body that Mark didn't know if he's going to still make it out alive. Mark's vision was completely blurry, he can't even see when Jisung's about to kick him again.

Mark felt so hopeless, taking the pain wholly in every violent impact Jisung gives him. Mark felt like he was going to faint, only for Jisung to splash a tub of water at his face. Jisung knew that Mark was going to give in anytime but he wanted Mark to suffer in so much pain that it will make Haechan want to die.

But for some reason, Jisung's excitement in hurting Mark repeatedly turns into a different type of "excitement".

Even if Mark's vision was blurry, he saw what was happening to Jisung. Mark, with full respect, looks away from him. However, this didn't stop Jisung from repeatedly hurting him.

This was the first time Mark was ever hurt like this, he even felt like he wanted to die because of this certain event but his dream of being happy with Haechan motivated him to stay alive.

Jisung crouches at Mark's level, glaring at him in the eye.

"So... You think you're special now? Do you think you're special now, Mark?"

Jisung was indeed talking about the situation he had earlier. Mark tried to look away from both Jisung's gaze and his "excitement" but Jisung was too unforgiving that he clutched Mark's jaw to make him look at him. Mark closed his eyes, not wanting to know what would happen next.

"You know... I might've just figured out why you and Haechan both have a different connection."

Mark gulped nervously, wishing that Jisung will tell him the wrong reason why.

"Did he do this to you?"

Jisung asks him as all that Mark felt was his lips brushing against Jisung's.

Mark didn't like it. He wanted to go to his only home.

He wanted to see Haechan again.