Chapter Text
It shall be then,
when the moon is full and
the summertime breezes have come to a stop,
the sun and the sea will collide.
A battle shall mark the beginning of
An era of reign more powerful
Than that of the dragons.
♕
The heat has never felt so cold before, and that, in itself, is a recipe for calamity.
Hyunjin’s shirt is beyond drenched, driblets of sweat pacing down his neck. His muscles are begging for him to stop, and his lungs scream that they’re just about to give in. But the prince, in all his stubborn glory, takes Fatigue right by the collar and tells it to piss right off.
Hands are shoved into the air one after the other. Hyunjin lets sizzling of flames nip at the tips of his fingers like it always does. Because the more it hurts, the stronger the firepower. He follows it up with a swing of his fists and lunges a kick, landing with his right foot forward and his left foot back. The brick ground, hot from the sun, scorches his bare feet. It hurts a little, but it’s one of the things Hyunjin likes about training in the courtyard--the tingling sensation under his feet is felt with every step. Because heat is one of Hyunjin’s closest friends, he welcomes every opportunity to feel it. So even though the bricks are prickly hot, he plants down his two feet. Except, just as he draws his hands back to their beginning position, the fire he’s been controlling simmers to a feeble flare.
Ugh.
Another set of flawless moves and yet all Hyunjin gets are pathetic, weakened flames. It’s unacceptable. It’s ugly, it’s cold . An ache in his leg reminds him that his body’s begging for a break, and for a moment, he actually considers it. But despite the desperate pleas of his limbs, he takes a sharp breath and prepares himself to start again.
One, two, and--
“You’ve been at it for six hours straight, Hyunjin.” a voice interrupts. Hyunjin twists his head and there’s Seungmin, son of the King’s most trusted advisor. Seungmin, who, despite being a servant to the royal family, doesn’t hesitate to look at Hyunjin like the prince is the most stupid thing he’s seen all day.
Hyunjin scoffs and rolls his eyes, turning his back on his assistant. Taking a breath once again, he takes a match from his pocket and strikes it to spark a flame. In seconds, the flame is transferred from the match to his own fingertips. Before, however, he gets the chance to amplify the fire and direct it somewhere with a powerful push, it’s blown away by a shrill gust of wind.
“You very well know that you’re forbidden to disrupt me in the middle of training,” The prince narrows his eyes, piercing a glare directly at Seungmin, who chocks a grin.
“I am,” Seungmin answers, approaching the sweaty boy, “but I’m not disrupting you right now. I’m merely reminding you that your training schedule has mandatory breaks. You see, yours has been due for four hours already. You know your flames get weak when your body gets fatigued, and by the looks of it, you’re way past your limits.”
Seungmin’s right and Hyunjin hates it. Somehow, Seungmin is always right when it comes to pestering the prince. And while it is technically Seungmin’s job to ensure that he’s kept in check, Hyunjin wishes that the other boy wasn’t so damn good at the job.
“My flames? Weak? That’s quite the joke.” Hyunjin waves his hand. “All this sweat is simply hindering the flames. You should know that water isn’t good for it, you scholar. And I’ll have you know that my body doing just fine, thank you very much.”
With one swift kick in the knee, Hyunjin is sent towards the brick floor.
“Ow!” he rubs his calf, furrowing his brows at Seungmin. “What on earth did you do that for?”
“Clearly your muscles beg to differ with your statements. Any other moment and you would not have even budged. But who cares, right? Also, you claim that your fire hasn’t worn out much, so why don’t you show me?”
Hyunjin rolls his eyes and ignites a match again. The flames transfer to his hands and--
Swoosh.
“Hey!” Hyunjin stomps his foot. “That’s unfair. Stop exhausting my flames with your wind!”
Seungmin raises his eyebrows and looks to the side. “It’s a rather breezy day. Don’t go blaming it on me.”
“It is not! You’re a cheat, Kim Seungmin.” Hyunjin’s voice is indignant, but his smile is ever-present.
“Am I, Your Highness?”
Hyunjin gags. “Disgusting. You know I loathe it when you call me that. It’s mockery when it comes out of your mouth.”
“I know,” Seungmin laughs and places his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “so come take a break. Freshen up and eat a little. You said something about sweat hindering your abilities? Wipe it clean, then.”
When Seungmin tosses a fresh towel at Hyunjin, the prince snatches it mid-air with a nod of his head to express gratitude. The two then make their way inside the castle and towards The Lesser Hall, which, to be completely honest, really doesn’t seem ‘lesser’ at all. It’s a step below The Great Hall, which is the place for council meetings and parties, but The Lesser Hall holds its own dignity in the way its velvet curtains and glass chandeliers feel comforting and humble, without losing its grandeur. It’s not exactly the designated place for eating, but Hyunjin loves to sit by the windows and gaze at the exquisite view of the palace garden. He thinks it’s quite therapeutic, watching the birds and butterflies sail across the assortment of shrubbery and flowers.
So that’s right where he sits, on the ledge of one of The Lesser Hall’s big glass windows while Seungmin goes to fetch a snack for the both of them. From afar, Hyunjin sees Gau, the palace dog, jumping around the potted plants. The maid handling the pooch looked like she was about to give up with the way her shoulders sagged in defeat to the large beast. The clouds, tinted pink, hang over the garden and watch the scene unfold as they pass by the garden for the final time that day. And in silence, Hyunjin only sits and observes, waiting by himself.
If he were to ignore the agonized screams of his muscles (they were way beyond their capacity for the day), then this whole ‘sitting-by-the-windows-and-watching-the-outside’ thing would be quite the dream. But the lingering pain in his limbs reminds the prince that there’s still a lot more to do before the clock strikes twelve. For a second, he envies the clouds. They were done for the day, heading home to the horizon.
Footsteps approach behind him, but Hyunjin keeps his eyes fixated on the outside. He doesn’t turn around until Seungmin taps him and holds out a plate of black bean noodles, but it’s only when the smell of the meal tickles his nose does he realize just how starving he is.
In a flurry of seconds, the dish is devoured.
“Wipe your mouth,” Seungmin sighs, “have you forgotten your many years of learning royal etiquette or are you just being ignorant?”
“Being ignorant,” Hyunjin answers, taking the napkin from his friend’s hands. “Must I really practice royal etiquette in front of you? Come on, you said it yourself earlier. I was at it for six hours straight. I’m famished! Let me off the hook.”
Seungmin digs his chopsticks into his own plate of noodles, gracefulness exercised. “I’m only joking around. You do know that with me, you’re allowed to let down whatever front you put. It’s not like I don’t know all your embarrassing secrets anyway.”
“Right,” Hyunjin rolls his eyes. “Well, I’m going to be training again after this. What’ll you be up to?”
Seungmin looks up in thought. “Ah, well. There are a couple things I need to attend to pertaining to your documents. After that, I’ll be heading over to the courtyard to ensure you take breaks. Frankly, I still don’t understand why you like to be reckless with your stamina.”
“When I begin, I just don’t feel like stopping.” Hyujin states as-a-matter-of-factly before taking a swig of tea. “It’s a dangerous mindset, but it’s helped me master my art.”
“It is a dangerous mindset. Anyway, I’ll be there to make sure you don’t exhaust yourself too much.”
“Thank you, Seungmin,” Hyunjin bows his head.
Seungmin shakes his head as if to say ‘don’t mention it.’ He finishes up what’s left of his noodles and his tea before taking Hyunjin’s plate and cup. “I’ll take these to the kitchen. You can go on ahead to the courtyard, I’ll drop these off.”
“I can’t train right after eating. I’ll go with you. Didn’t you say you needed to work on my documents? You always take care of my things. I’ll help you.”
“I mean, I do get paid to do your stuff for you. But sure, I won’t turn down help. Let’s go,” Seungmin stands up, carrying the empty dishes.
♕
The library is one of the many prides of the Bora Palace. The high ceiling, littered with gorgeous paintings of the night sky, allows for towering shelves to keep the opulent collection of scrolls and books safe and warm. In the center of the grand, almost majestic, wooden shelves lies a posh marble desk. And right behind it sits Felix, the second-born son of the royal family, jotting down words by his lamp. The candlelight flickers softly, and in the palace library, it’s the only thing that can be heard besides the gentle flipping of pages.
That is, of course, until the door bursts open and a clang of boots shatters whatever silence there was before.
“Yo, Felix!” a scruffy boy calls out, waving as he holds the huge wooden door of the library. “You done with your studies?”
A pair of grizzly brown eyes shoot up from behind a book. “Jisung, what did I tell you about barging in the library when I’m indulging in my research?”
Jisung closes the door gently and shrugs. “Um, not to do that?”
“Yeah. Get out,” Felix hisses, putting down his pen. The boy in front jumps a little bit, but turns around anyway.
“Sorry…” Jisung mumbles, clutching the cloth bag he’d brought with him. But before he can open the ridiculously large door again, a chuckle resounds through the room.
“I’m joking. When ever were you not allowed to come here? What brings you to the library anyway?” the freckled prince questions, shutting his book.
Jisung smiles once more. “You know exactly what time it is, Lixie boy! Check the clock!”
“Oh!” Felix exclaims, glancing at his pocket watch. “Hold on a bit, I’m in need of an outfit change. I can’t spar in trousers.”
“Gotchu.” Jisung flings the bag in his hand and directs it towards the prince, who grabs it in slight shock. “Put those on. It’s time for the Jilix Face-Off!”
Felix walks toward one of the library’s empty rooms and begins to change. “What’s a Jilix?”
From outside, Jisung hollers, “You know. If you put ‘Jisung’ and ‘Felix’ together, it’s Jilix . How is it that with all your studies, you couldn’t even figure that out?”
The prince pops his head out. “Why not Fesung?”
“You tell me! ‘Fesung’ sounds like ‘fetus.’ Even worse, it sounds like ‘feces’. It’s dumb, bro.” Jisung folds his arms as Felix heads out of the room in full sparring gear.
“What do you mean ‘bro’?”
“Bro. Short for brother. Felix, hello ? We’re in the 10th century. Keep up with the times!”
“Royals have to be formal, you know! Why not ‘kins’? Like kinsman .”
“Whatever floats your boat, dude.”
“What in the world is a dude ?”
Jisung slaps his hand on his head. “You know what? Let’s stick to ‘kins’. You’re killing me, kins.”
“I could really kill you, kins. In sparring,” Felix chuckles, earning a playful shove.
The two boys saunter off towards the palace courtyard, despite the fact that the stars have already come out to play. Night sparring was always an enjoyable thing for the two; it was something to take their minds off their respective duties. Felix has always looked forward to it. Thursday night sparring was practically routine to him, which was why the look of shock was evident on his face when he discovered that someone had beat him to using the place.
A sizzle echoed in his ears.
“What are you doing here, Hyunjin? It’s my time for the courtyard now,” Felix grunts, watching his brother let another flame fly in the air.
“Prince Felix, with all due respect, the palace courtyard had not been booked prior to the arrival of His Majesty,” Seungmin replies defiantly, adjusting his spectacles.
Jisung takes a step forward. “The hell? You well know that we use the courtyard every Thursday.”
Seungmin doesn't bat an eyelash. “And you well know that the palace rules state that all the facilities are first-come, first-serve. I’ve checked the schedule for the courtyard today, and there isn’t a single name that has blocked off the time right now.”
“That’s BS! This is literally, Felix’s home, so what makes you think--”
“Enough!” Hyunjin growls. The fire he’d been controlling dissipated into smoke. “All this bickering is interrupting my training! And you well know that you are forbidden to interrupt me!”
“That only applies to people outside the royal family. Come on, Hyunjin. You’ve been here all day,” Felix pipes up. “Pack your stuff and go. It’s late.”
“Is the time of day ever an excuse? You should know better than ever that all my time must be invested in practice for the duel. It’s quite insulting, actually, that you spend all your time cooped up in the library studying. What, do you think you’re so great that you can easily defeat me?” Hyunjin glares directly at his brother.
Felix turns his foot and begins walking the other way. “Let us leave, Jisung. Perhaps we can use the training ground in the barracks. Your father should allow us to spar there. I am clearly wasting time here.”
“God, does hothead over here ever get tired of being so irritating?” Jisung grumbles under his breath, turning to follow the younger prince.
Hyunjin grabs Jisung’s shoulder. “What did you say to me?”
The captain clicks his tongue. “Nothing. I said nothing.”
“Hyunjin, stop. Get back to training,” Seungmin interrupts, voice stern. In seconds, Hyunjin shoves Jisung towards Felix and grits his teeth, glare sharpening.
And as they go their separate ways, the moon only observes, quietly hanging above the courtyard.
♕
A week later, Hyunjin finds himself pacing around the gardens.
In a few days, it would be the day that he’d been anticipating ever since he’d heard about the prophecy . The day that would determine the fate of the days after. The day of The Duel. The day the heir of the throne would be decided.
Even the gentle swaying of the lilypads floating on the pond couldn’t calm the prince down.
Something had to be done, and quick . Rigorous training, no matter how hard Hyunjin wishes it would, could not change the fact that for some reason, his flames were becoming weaker and weaker. And with a few days left before the biggest turning point in his life, Hyunjin's anxiety only made it worse.
He bites down on his fingertips.
Desperation claws at the boy as he searches for something, anything, to bring him peace. The greatest teacher that Hyunjin had ever read about once said that the fire within him would flow best with his mind at peace. But how, where would he find stillness amidst all the unrest?
When Hyunjin stumbles upon the palace gazebo, the answer becomes clear.
The gazebo. Of course. He vaguely remembers a time when none of this crap about prophecies and thrones and kingdoms and stupid, weakening flames ever mattered. Fond memories of his childhood days flashed before him, the sound of laughter just barely echoing in his ears. He remembers the time when playing with fire here, in this very gazebo, was the only thing that needed his concern. Playing with fire and--
"It's almost time, isn't it?"
A voice snaps Hyunjin out of his trance. Someone had beaten him to the gazebo. Hyunjin falls back and makes himself comfortable amongst the foliage, from where he could see two figures having afternoon tea in the place that he was supposed to go.
"It is." That deep voice couldn't be mistaken for anyone else's.
"Felix, my son," the queen starts, cupping Felix's face in her hands. "Do your best, alright? Do your best and make your father proud."
“What the hell are you doing?” Hyunjin demands angrily, clenching his fists as he reveals himself from hiding. The flames atop the candlesticks flicker.
Queen Nayeon furrows her brows. “Hyunjin, dear, settle down. What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” Hyunjin scoffs and points an accusing finger at the sight before his eyes. “What’s wrong? You have the audacity to ask me what’s wrong while sitting prettily with my brother. Remember when you used to come to my room, too? Oh wait. Since we got here, you've never stepped foot in my room, not even once."
"Hwang Hyunjin, you will not talk to your queen like that," Queen Nayeon orders firmly, expression hardening.
"See, that's the problem. Here you are, pampering your other son while nobody in this palace gives a single damn about me! Nobody ever gives a damn about me. What's wrong? Maybe I should ask you, Mother. What is wrong? What on this godforsaken earth is wrong with me, that you've suddenly dropped all care?!"
“Brother, calm down!” Felix yelled, sending a splash of water on the flaring flames of the candles on the table.
“Can't you just shut the hell up for once?!” Hyunjin screams, and for the first time in his life, fire emerges from the raging prince’s hands. He's never created his own fire before. His eyes widen at the sight. It’s scorching his hands, but it does not hurt one bit.
“HYUNJIN!” The queen shouts. “Put those flames away right this instant!”
Felix rushes towards the blazing prince, sending a flurry of water droplets in the direction of the flames on Hyunjin’s hands. But the fire does not exhaust, and his brother only grows more irritated.
“God, mom! I don’t understand!” Hyunjin cries out, holding out his blazing hands. “Why do you have to look at me like I'm a monster? I don’t understand! Everything changed between us when you took your place as queen, when you heard about that goddamn prophecy!"
“That’s not it--”
“SO WHAT IS IT?!” Hyunjin thunders, the flames gnawing at the fabric of his suit. “I’m your son, too!”
And in that moment, the flames spin out of control. In a sudden, they tip out of Hyunjin’s hands and spill onto the ground. His whole arms are ablaze, fire hugging his limbs like a sleeve.
“Brother, stop it!” Felix exclaims, sending a gush of water on the tickling flames.
But they don’t stop coming.
It takes only a few seconds for Hyunjin to realize he can’t control the inferno. It takes only a few seconds for Hyunjin to steal a glance at his mother, whose horrified face only feeds the pit of misery in his stomach. Her screams of terror echo in his ears at the same time a tear slips past his face.
So maybe they’re right. He’s a monster, after all.
Suddenly, Hyunjin can feel the heat--all of it. The flames start to prick his skin. It's hot. It hurts. Above all else, it's too much. Though Hyunjin knows that panic is the last thing he needs, he begins to do it anyway.
A shriek of agony escapes his mouth.
‘I don’t know how to stop it, please, just stop!’
And then, the world fades into black.