Chapter Text
Bang Chan - Following Felix's death + The following night ...
A splash.
That was the first thing Chan heard before rushing forward to the bow of the ship. He looked down and saw nothing but never ending darkness. He was about to jump into the water after Felix but was pulled back by an arm.
He was shoved to the side as a group of ship crew walked towards where Felix once stood.
“I need to go after him!” Chan cried. He tried to walk forwards before two pairs of strong arms wrapped around him.
“Sir, you cannot go after him. It is far too dangerous.” A man stated.
You do not understand, my job is to protect him. Were the words that remained in Chan’s head.
Chan collapsed to the floor and began to weep like he never had before.
It cannot be true. He was not gone. He could not be.
If only I ran after him. If only I stopped him earlier. If only I grabbed him quicker. If only I jumped in after him. Chan thought over and over again.
What was he going to tell the King and Queen? That he could not protect their son as he promised.
The world became a blur. Many people rushed around Chan. No one dared to look at him.
“Man overboard!” A voice shouted.
Felix was not just a man. He was the light of the world. The sweetest being to ever exist.
Chan kept his gaze locked on his feet. He couldn’t bear looking around at all the prestigious people you were requested to attend the funeral. Chan knew everyone here only attended in pity.
Pity for the people who know Felix.
Pity for the people who truly adore him for his bright personality. People who got to know him. People who feel an emptiness in their chests where Felix once held the spot.
Did anyone here besides Chan himself and Felix’s favorite assistants know that Felix adores the flower gardens even though he is rarely allowed outside? Did they know that he loves sneaking into the kitchen late at night and making desserts to surprise the servants with? Were they aware that Felix’s favorite childhood stories were the ones with blood-sucking vampires? Was anyone aware how much Felix means to Chan?
He was not just the prince Chan was assigned to protect. He is his best friend. He is the sunshine of his life.
When the officiant began reading aloud the letter the King and Queen wrote, Chan felt nothing but hatred bloom for the two of them. Yes they were almost a second family to Chan, he could not help but question why they decided to continue with their journey rather than attend the funeral of their own son to show their support. It was almost as if they did not care at all.
The one bright thing in our lives –an angel, a drop of pure sunshine– was now long gone beneath the waves and you can’t even attend his funeral. Chan thought to himself.
No matter how much pain they caused Felix, he needed his parents here. By his side.
The funeral officiant read aloud a practiced and pre-written statement. Chan winced. How fake. He thought to himself.
Chan excused himself halfway through reading his speech. He was not capable of speaking about Felix without picturing those beautiful brown eyes and soft freckles.
He walked towards the woods, found a tree to hide behind and wept.
Bang Chan’s heart felt heavy.
The one person he vowed to protect was dead.
His hand clutched his black suit. Looking around, he saw the clock was about to strike midnight.
He staggered toward the door, and started his walk to the neighboring forest.
It had been a legend that evil roamed the forest at night, which Chan had forgotten about in all of his mourning.
The bright moonlight that felt everlasting shone down upon Chan’s face as he stepped over twisty tree roots. The wind was quite strong and started to push leaves onto him, but he persisted. Stumbling through the thick branches and giant trees, he felt his body getting heavy.
Looking up ahead at the path before him, he saw a pair of glowing eyes. The bright moonlight behind the creature just illuminated the eyes even more heavily. The silhouette of this creature seemed to have scruffy fur surrounding its sleek body. Pointy ears seemed to turn towards the sound of Chan’s breath. He rubbed his eyes quickly and realized that his mind wasn’t creating any hallucinations. They started to increase in size. It was coming closer.
In all of his worrying, he had forgotten about himself. He remembered the words he shared with his prince earlier that week.
“Chan, please remember to take care of yourself. Sleep for at least 6 hours, and don’t wander off into that forest. I don’t want to lose you. Please stay with me.” Felix demanded.
“Of course my prince, anything for you.” Chan reassured, oblivious to what would happen later in the week.
The eerie branches closed in on him, as he realized he had disobeyed orders from his prince once again. After losing his grip on Prince Felix’s clothes and disobeying his prince’s orders, Chan didn’t know what to do with himself. His head started to spin. He wanted to run and save himself. But what was the point? He was no longer Prince Felix’s guard. So he let the creature scratch him. The sharp claws pierced through his chest, leaving huge gashes where blood poured out by the gallon. It was painful, but only painful for his body.
His mind was in a whole other world. A world full of grief. Not for himself, but for Felix. If Felix was here, then he would be at the castle. The nighttime guards would have taken over, and his shift would have just ended.
Wait, that's not right.
He… would be in bed? What time did he leave? Where was he? How did he let this happen? He was the best guard in the land, serving the one and only Prince Felix-
Oh. That’s what happened? Right? Everything was flashing before him, all a little off. It seemed right at first. But with a bit more time you could see how everything was off.
The memory of Felix and him leaving and walking around the town? Wrong. Felix never left the castle. He wasn’t allowed to leave in general. That memory was just him and Felix walking down the hallway with the maids and butlers lining the halls. The memory of playing out in the castle gardens with Prince Felix in flower fields full of the beautiful edelweiss? They were fields of wilted chrysanthemums that not even the gardeners bothered to take care of anymore.
What Chan thought was the most insane thing about all of this, is that there was a new figure. Chan hadn’t seen him before. His face felt overly familiar. But he was everywhere. Every memory of Felix has included this man. His regal stance and tall figure seemed intimidating yet soft. His medium length hair seemed far too perfect for someone so discrete. Chan wondered if this was the man Felix described in his dreams being too beautiful for this world. Hiding in the shadows. Staring. How could Chan have overlooked this? It was his job to protect and watch over Felix. But for this grown man to be around his prince without his knowledge?
It was strange.
Very strange.
He finally snapped his mind back to reality where he was bleeding out on the ground. Helpless. Maybe he should have called out for help? It was too late for that, though. His chest felt tight, maybe the creature punctured his lung? What did it matter anymore? There was now only one thought left in his mind about his current situation.
He deserved it.
Bang Chan - The following morning ...
Bang Chan awoke to see a pair of tiny eyes staring at him this time.
“Oh, good morning friend! Be careful, your body hasn’t fully healed.” The creature said, grabbing a ladle and pouring a generous helping of soup into two bowls.
One of these bowls was then given to Chan, who hesitantly accepted it. He once again remembered his sweet prince’s reminder.
".Chan, take care of yourself"
Reluctantly putting the bowl to his lips, he started to slurp up the soup.
“Oh wow, this is just amazing! Thank you friend!” Chan exclaimed.
“Aha, of course! As a fairy residing in this forest, it’s my job! Please call me Changbin.” The tiny fairy, now named Changbin, did a little twirl and bow.
Changbin then took the now empty bowl from Chan’s hands, and dumped it in the sink.
“Oh, would you like me to help clean?” Chan asked, rising from his seat. He was then pushed down by Changbin and landed with a thud.
“No, don't move! The ointment won’t work if you’re up and moving, I can do it myself easily!” Changbin fussed, lightly hitting Chan until he laid back down.
“Uh, then how should I thank you? Is there anything I can do to repay you for your kindness Sir Changbin?” Chan inquired.
“You can listen to what I have to say. Listen, you were attacked last night by a creature. You were pretty lucky with this encounter Chan, this could have ended up worse. Then again, it could have been much better…” Changbin sighed and sat on a nearby chair.
“What do you mean? What was I attacked by? How bad was this?” Chan asked, with each question brought more worry on his face.
He finally looked down at his body. The huge gashes were now replaced with scars that perked out of a tightly wrapped bandage. His body was a little sticky and red, most likely from the blood that dried. His chest was a tinge sore and would ache when he moved too fast.
“Didn’t I ask for you to just listen? Anyways, the creature that attacked you was a werewolf. But unlike the other unlucky folk, you didn’t run. Got a reason? Did you just not think to run?” Changbin inquired.
“Oh, uh, I guess I was kinda lost in my thoughts…” Chan murmured, looking off in another direction.
As Changbin continued to stir a pot of soup, standing next to a burning fire, Chan tried his best to remember what occurred last night. He vaguely remembers wandering into the forest surrounding the kingdom. He was unsure why he would do such a thing, he was well aware of the dangers that lingered throughout the dense woods.
Chan’s mind was unable to stop wandering back to the thought of Felix. Where was he? Was he doing alright by himself? Could they meet again? These worries started to consume his mind until he shook it all off. Chan knew his best chance at getting information was asking the only person with him now.
“Sir Changbin?” Chan called, Changbin looked up from where he was dropping what seemed like potatoes into the soup. “Do you perhaps know anything about a prince that– went missing?”
Changbin settles the ladle down on a stool before making his way towards Chan and sitting cross legged in front of him. “You mean Felix?” Changbin adds, tilting his head to the side.
“How do you know his name?” Chan asks, defensively.
Changbin looks confused, like Chan was supposed to be aware that he knew Felix’s name. “Well, I suppose a lot of people know him. He is the prince after all. Although, something is not right. He shouldn’t have died.”
Chan swallows, unsure how Changbin would know of such information, considering the fact that the public have not yet been informed about Felix’s passing. “How do you know that?” Chan asks again.
“I and many others have been informed about his death. You were with him, no?” Changbin explains. When Chan nods, Changbin asks “Was anything out of the ordinary? Was he, say, acting differently than he usually does?”
Felix was acting strange, not himself. He was not nearly as cheerful which was not normal for someone like him. Chan assumed it was because of the nightmares, also taken the fact that Felix had woken up quite on edge. “Yes, actually. He woke up acting differently. I suppose it was a result of his nightmares.” Chan states.
Changbin’s soft, sympathetic smile drops into a questioning frown. “What do you mean by nightmares?” Changbin asks, a seriousness in his voice Chan had not heard from him yet.
“Felix told me he has been experiencing these nightmares and visions.” Chan explains, gesturing to his head.
“How long has he been experiencing these?” Changbin inquires.
For as long as I can remember. Chan remembers Felix telling him. “He said he’s been feeling them for as long as he can remember.” Chan answers.
Changbin looks off to the side, as if he is thinking deeply about something. “He shouldn’t have been experiencing nightmares. Angels do not cause such things. The visions either, that’s strange. What I don’t seem to understand is why he died so early, the angels are not able to end someone’s life short unless absolutely necessary.” Changbin speaks.
“He, um, also felt as if he was being watched. Like a strong presence had been following him all the time.” Chan adds.
Changbin seems to freeze in place, his shoulders visibly tensing. “Felix was watched by angels, that is a given fact. He was set to become one. He shouldn’t have felt someone watching him, for so long as well.”
Realization seems to hit Changbin immediately. “What is it? You’re scaring me.” Chan questions.
Changbin turns his face back towards Chan “I believe that Felix’s death was intentional. Someone arranged it.”
The thought of someone wanting to kill Felix causes a wave of nausea to hit him. “What? Why would anyone do such a thing?” Chan asks, more to himself.
“I am unsure. The real question is who wanted him killed. I highly doubt the angels would do such a thing.” Changbin states before pausing for a moment. “How did Felix die?” Changbin continues.
Chan’s heart aches thinking about what happened on that ship. He swallows before saying “He was a little on edge when we left the palace. We were heading towards the West on a ship. At one point, he just walked towards the front of the boat and jumped in. I tried my best to grab him but I was not quick enough.” Chan explains, tears starting to well in his eyes.
“Do you believe he had any reason to throw himself overboard?” Changbin asks, cocking his head to the side.
“Not that I am aware of. It was almost as if he was being lured in. Although, I am not sure what that could possibly be.” Chan responds.
Changbin listens attentively before getting lost in thought again. The wave of realization hits Changbin yet again. “Lured into the ocean…” He thinks out loud.
Chan pauses to think. He remembers Felix asking him if he heard something. At the time, Chan was not able to hear whatever Felix was hearing. It was not the first time Felix had asked him that either. Felix had asked the same question days prior. That time asking if Chan had heard a voice singing softly. “He told me he heard a voice and asked if I had heard it as well. He said that right before he fell.” Chan whispers.
Changbin seemingly puts the clues together smoothly before asking “You’re saying, he was led into the water by a voice?”
Chan nods.
“I see. Although it is highly unlikely a siren has the ability to lead Felix into the water. He’s protected by the angels. Unless, someone else who has stronger abilities than the angels went against their powers of protection." Changbin utters.
Changbin rises to his feet quickly before saying “I need to find someone who might have an idea on who might have been responsible for Felix’s death.”
When Changbin turns on his heel and starts walking towards a bench, Chan stands up. He stumbles for a moment and says “Let me come with you.”
Changbin turns around abruptly “You need to heal. You are injured. I can handle this.”
Chan wants to accompany Changbin on his journey because Felix is his best friend and he wants to find who was responsible for killing the sunshine of his life. The urge for revenge creeps up his neck. “Please, I need to find who did this.” Chan pleads rather than suggests.
Changbin sighs, “Alright. As long as you are capable of walking I suppose you should be able to accompany me.
As soon as Chan starts walking towards Changbin a rustling of leaves and breaking sticks cause both Chan and Changbin to whip their heads around. A large wolf-like dog slowly approaches them from the darkness of the woods. Changbin walks past Chan and approaches the animal. Before Chan can assume the animal is dangerous a cloud of dust appears and the dog is gone.
A handsome man now stands before Changbin and Chan. Changbin gestures the man over before wrapping him in a tight bear hug.
“What brings you here? You do not visit often.” Changbin smiles, ruffling the man's hair.
Chan noticed that the man has very soft features and light brown hair. The man huffs before fixing his ruffled hair. Changbin waves Chan over and introduces him to the man. “Bang Chan, this is Kim Seungmin. Seungmin, this is Bang Chan.” That name suits him very well, Chan thinks to himself.
“Pleasure to meet you, Bang Chan.” Seungmin smiles as he bows.
“Pleasure to meet you as well. But please, call me Chan.” Chan smiles.
Seungmin’s smile falls as he turns to Changbin. “Hyung, there is a problem.”
Changbin looks worried. “What do you mean? What problem?” He asks, frantically.
“A soul has gone missing. Rather, an angel.” Seungmin explains.
Changbin gasps and turns to Chan.
“Is it Felix?” Chan asks.
“Yes, him. I assume you were his knight. I have been informed about you.” Seungmin states.
“So Felix became an angel, and now he is missing?” Changbin inquires.
Seungmin nods. “Yes. First, it was unusual that he died but he found his way to the other angels. Last night I got a report that an angel had escaped the Land of the Guardians. Not one person has seen him.” He elucidates.
“I do not understand. How has no one seen him? He is quite noticeable.” Chan adds.
“That is what we are trying to figure out. I have been searching all night with no luck. He is not in the underworld and no civilians have seen him throughout his kingdom. I figured I would search the forests during the day.” Seungmin exhales.
This confirms Chan’s theory about believing Seungmin perhaps is a hellhound.
“We were actually just about to go search for someone who might have an idea on who arranged Felix’s death.” Changbin adds.
“Arranged?” Seungmin asks, in shock.
“We believe someone arranged his death. Although, we are unsure why.” Chan explains.
“That makes sense. I have a strong feeling he is being held somewhere by someone else.” Seungmin announces.
“What makes you think he’s being held by someone else?” Changbin asks.
“Well, no one can seem to find him and what reason could Felix have to hide? I am usually quite good at discovering scents of lost souls but I can’t seem to pick up on his. It is as if he vanished off the face of the earth. Someone has to be holding him because they don’t want him to be found.” Seungmin elaborates.
“That makes sense, but are you sure it is not Minho messing with you again?” Changbin asks.
Chan wonders who Minho is and why Seungmin has such a dislike towards him when he says “Although I strongly hate Minho and he has a history of affecting my duties, I doubt this was him. Why would Minho of all people hold Felix captive? Plus, he is always either worried about or spending time with Jisung.”
Jisung? Who’s Jisung? Chan asks himself mentally.
“Ah, good point. Okay, we can discuss this further on our journey to find Felix.” Changbin announces with a clap.
“You want me to accompany you guys?” Seungmin asks quietly.
“Of course we do.” Chan assures him.
“All ready to go?” Changbin calls as he fills a bag with fruits and bottles containing various shimmering liquids.
Chan nods as he and Seungmin follow Changbin towards the forest's exit.