Archive of Our Own

“Ugh, why did we have to choose such a cold day for this?” Jeongin pulled his beanie tighter over his head, his hands bunching the sleeves of his jacket around his fingers as they left the bus. His voice was slightly muffled through the mask pulled over his nose.

Seungmin blew into his hands to warm them up and sighed. “Each day in January is this cold nowadays - I mean, we could wait until it gets warmer but-”

“Nop, then the winter magic will be gone,” Felix interrupted him cheerfully and hurried across the street after looking for any cars. Seungmin and Jeongin followed. “I don’t know, of course, we can come back once it’s warmer but it was freezing when I came into the castle for the first time and I think you have to see it in that light too. Oh, and did I say already that the forest is so beautiful in the winter?”

Seungmin chuckled, his steps splashing through the muddied snow of the street. “Only about three times.”

“Buut,” Jeongin hurried to walk beside Felix, looking at him with big eyes. “You said there was another reason we should come with you this time.”

“Don’t tell me you believe that these stories are true,” Seungmin huffed. “There are no such things as ghosts - I only told you that to scare you.” Their shoes crunched over the snow-covered field path and Felix pulled his shoulders to his ears, pulling his mask down to warm his hands up with a few breaths. He didn’t answer.

Seungmin’s steps quickened until he was walking on Felix’s other side and he looked at Felix with a frown. “Lix?”

“You’ll see once we get there,” Felix answered, forcing a smile on his face and walking faster. “It sounds strange but I spent my Christmas Eve here and I wasn’t lonely - like...at all.” 

He didn’t know how to tell Seungmin and Jeongin about the princes, he just knew that he wanted them to meet each other. The five ghosts that helped Felix over his lonely Christmas - that still was lonely even though he texted Seungmin and Jeongin each day of the holiday period and called his parents as often as he could - and the two best friends that had helped to turn his first semester abroad into a memorable one, despite the virus raging through the country.

Apart from that, he needed to see if the princes were okay. He needed to know if he was being paranoid or if his dreams were connected to what would happen - or had happened - inside the castle.

Jeongin hummed, his frown deepening. “You’re being awfully secretive, hyung. And how can you not be lonely in a- well, in an abandoned castle?”

“It’s difficult to explain, okay?” Felix breathed out, shaking off his nerves and looking ahead on the path that now led into the forest. The snow sparkled everywhere around them, untouched by any cars or footsteps. The air blanketed in winter’s frosty silence. 

New Year’s Day had passed and it would take another week until the new semester started. Seungmin had returned from home four days ago, Jeongin two days ago and Felix had been delighted to not be alone in the dorm anymore. 

He hadn’t gone back to the castle after spending Christmas Eve and the morning of Christmas Day with the princes, but each night that followed his last visit was filled with dreams. Most of them were pleasant, pictures of how Chris would bring them together in front of the huge fireplace, pulling them down from where they were floating in the air until they were all cuddled up with each other, soothed into sleep by Chris’s quiet, calming voice that would tell them fantastic stories; or scenes where they would run through the castle, their laughter filling the air while they chased each other in a game of Hide and Seek. Jisung was the last to be found and Hyunjin and Changbin were more than happy to pull him out of his hiding place with gleeful shrieks. It ended with them all back at their safe place again, the four brothers lying around Chris in the blanket nest, everyone touching at least a small part of him as well as staying in contact with each other.

But there were also the bad dreams, fueled by what Felix had seen when Hyunjin and Jisung had led him into their safe place.

Minho and Changbin, sprayed with purple blood as they fought against a creature three times their size, with over-dimensional claws and a head with skin like slate. Changbin’s rage, the glow of his red eye trailing like fire as he rammed his spear into the creature’s head.

But it didn’t do much, only anger it further.

And then, they had to flee, running through hallways and halls of the castle as walls broke behind them, stones crashing to the ground and the bestial roar of the demon following them while it tore down the castle they had once lived in.

Chris, supported by Hyunjin and Jisung as they fled the castle into the forest. Blood was running down his side and face, and he had trouble keeping up with his brothers, the wound in his right thigh causing him to limp. The desperation in Hyunjin’s face at seeing their eldest so wounded, so broken down.

During the last three nights, these dreams had repeated themselves, again and again until Felix had woken up with a scream, drenched in sweat because he swore he had seen how the demon had killed Chris .

No.

He shook his head. He was being paranoid, the princes were okay, they could hold their own against this demon. Hyunjin, Jisung, Changbin, and Minho would be able to protect Chris.

But what if they wouldn’t?

“...lix?” A pair of fingers snapped in front of his eyes and Felix stopped, blinking quickly. “Huh?”

Seungmin stepped in front of him, pulling down his mask so Felix could see his worried frown. “Okay, seriously. Are you okay? You totally spaced out on us.”

Felix glanced at Jeongin who looked at him with the same worried expression. “You seem to have something on your mind,” he said, hugging himself and shivering slightly while glancing around. “Something...big.”

Shaking his head, Felix pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m okay, no worries.” He continued walking. “Come, the castle should be right in front of us.”

Jeongin and Seungmin exchanged a gaze but followed him quickly. The sun hid beneath grey clouds, the trees turned into black skeletons, their naked, bony fingers reaching like they wanted to pluck the light from the sky.

A few minutes later, the forest opened and the castle appeared in front of the boys.

They stopped, both Seungmin and Jeongin gasping softly. Felix wondered if he had held the same look of wonder on his face when he had seen the castle for the first time.

Like on the naked trees around it, the snow had settled on the roofs of each tower and the main building, covering the growth of moss and the dirtied stones. The silence was soft like a worn, fuzzy blanket, broken only by the faint howling of the wind and the distant screeching of ravens atop the towers. Felix could see them flying through the sky, sharp black silhouettes against a dirty white backdrop. 

“It’s beautiful,” Seungmin whispered. 

Felix glanced at him and grinned, fighting the shiver that threatened to overtake his body. “Even more than in the pictures you’ve shown me as you told me about it?”

“Pshh.” Seungmin waved him off and Jeongin stepped forward, his eyes big and sparkling. “Wow… Pictures can’t- ah, it’s different to see it like this then only on pictures. Pictures can’t take in the atmosphere of a moment.”

He glanced at Felix and smiled, his eyes narrowing. “But you do make gorgeous pictures, hyung.”

Seungmin hummed, nodding. 

“Awe, I’m honored. Thank you.” Felix beamed at him and turned towards the castle again, walking over the stone bridge towards the broken door. “Be mindful where you step, alright? Especially in the main hall, there’s a lot of stuff lying around.”

“As one would expect from a century-old castle,” Seungmin huffed, but they both followed closely behind them.

Once Felix had wedged himself through the splintered wood of the entrance door, he held it open so that both Seungmin and Jeongin could enter safely. 

“Sheesh, it’s dark in here,” Jeongin whispered and pulled out his phone, turning on the flashlight. The beam of light cut through the dusty darkness and Felix fought a shiver again.

Something was different.

Maybe it was the weather that let barely any light shone through the dust-crusted windows, maybe it was the way the yawning darkness of the castle seemed to shout its own silent scream.

The dark atmosphere chilled Felix to the bone.

His friends didn’t seem to realize; both began to walk slowly through the hall. Seungmin’s flashlight had joined Jeongin’s and together, they looked around in awe.

“Guys,” Felix whisper-called, walking quickly to catch up with them. “Stay close to me.”

Jeongin glanced at him and smiled. The light of his flashlight danced on his features, painting them with shadows. “Ah, there’s nothing that could happen to us here, hyung. It’s just an old castle.”

“Still.” Felix sighed and took each of their hands into one of his own, looking around. “We...shouldn’t take any chances.”

Seungmin watched him and frowned. “Lix, you look disturbed. Should we leave again?”

Yes, coming here today was a horrible idea!

“No.” Felix shook his head and pulled them towards the huge staircase in the middle of the main hall, fighting the feeling of eyes on the back of his neck. “It’s okay, I’m just- just being paranoid.”

“If you mean…” Seungmin’s hand squeezed his own and they ventured on.

Felix stood still, blinking.

No, this couldn’t be.

The floor of this hallway should be destroyed, Felix remembered clearly how he fell through it when the princes saved him from the demon-

Yet what he was seeing were the same wooden boards, covered with the same carpet like on the stairs, all intact. Even the dirt lying around was the same as it had been.

“Oh my gosh.” Seungmin rushed past him and stopped in front of a painting, the first painting on the right side of the hallway. Chris’s painting. 

Jeongin joined him and both looked up at the stunning painting of the crown prince. “I wouldn’t have thought that the princes of that time were this beautiful,” Seungmin whispered with awe and Jeongin nodded, continuing. “This painting is so well made...so realistic.”

Numbly, Felix stepped forward and passed them, only glancing up at Chris’s painting once before he moved on to the next ones. The wood beneath his feet was sturdy although creaky, just like the first time he had set foot in here and saw the princes’ paintings for the first time.

What had happened? Had he just imagined falling through the floor and ending up somewhere entirely different?

Had he- imagined his encounters with the princes?

“Hey Lix, do you know who this is?”

He turned around slowly, blinking at Seungmin and Jeongin who had moved on to Minho’s portrait.

Minho’s sword glistened with purple blood, his rage and his flying hair, the diamond on his forehead glowing as he screamed and threw himself against the demon.

Felix shook off his thoughts and swallowed. “Prince Minho.” His voice was rough. “These...these five,” he pointed towards the other paintings in the hallway, “they all had been brothers. Chris was the oldest and the crown prince.”

Jeongin nodded and turned to watch the other paintings with little huffs of awe but Seungmin came closer to Felix again, the flashlight of his phone blinding Felix. “So you’ve seen these before… Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

Somewhere in the distance below them, wood cracked and splintered, accompanied by a low, dangerous howl.

In the silence that followed, Felix heard the ravens’ calls from outside, like cawing laughter.

All blood drained from his face and the hairs on the back of his neck bristled with the feeling of eyes watching him. “We shouldn’t have come here today,” he whispered, staring at something behind Seungmin.

The darkness was alive.

Seungmin frowned. “Hey, what do you mean? It’s not like-”

“Hyungs!!”

Jeongin’s terrified call reached them moments before the howling started, closer this time.

Felix stumbled back, pulling Seungmin with him in a moment of horrifying clarity. “RUN!” On his way back to the staircase, he grabbed Jeongin’s wrist and pulled him with him too, fear consuming his mind.

He didn’t need to look behind him to know that the demon was coming closer, the howling had swelled into a deafening screech.

With a yelp, Jeongin lost his balance and the three of them tumbled down the marble stairs until they came to lay in a heap at the bottom.

“Felix!”

Even though every bone in his body hurt and there was surely something that had been broken by the fall, Felix scrambled to his feet at the call and he could have cried in relief. “Minho!”

Minho was flying towards them, lowering himself down until he was kneeling beside the fallen boys.

“Who-” His eyes snapped to Seungmin and Jeongin.

“They’re my friends, they don’t-”

Minho nodded, lips pressed into a thin line and he stared behind them. “We’ll talk about that later.” A solid, firm hand helped Felix stand securely, and then, Minho turned towards Seungmin and Jeongin who both stared at him with big eyes.

“Oh gosh, ghosts do really exist,” Seungmin mumbled to himself in a disbelieving whisper.

“Yes, and now you have to get away,” Minho snapped. “Changbin and Hyunjin can’t hold him off forever, and without Chris-hyung, we’ll have to run to our hiding place!”

Ice-water dosed Felix’s body in sudden coldness as they started to hobble behind Minho. “Wait, what happened? Why ‘without Chris-hyung’?”

Minho grit his teeth, glancing behind them where the howling and screeching had turned into noises of a battle, and Felix could discern screams of rage that sounded like Changbin. “I’ll explain it all - don’t worry. Now- Jisung!” he called suddenly and all three boys flinched as Jisung dropped through the roof of the hallway they were running through. His silver hair was flying, both his swords in his hands. They were saturated with blood and Felix quickly reached out to take Seungmin’s and Jeongin’s hand again.

The princes used to be warriors in their lifetime and splashed with blood, their eyes burning with eternal fire and their uniforms flying in invisible currents, they were a terrifying sight to see.

Jisung’s gaze found Felix’s and he smiled grimly. “You’ve chosen an extraordinarily shitty time to come back, human,” he grit out and sheathed his swords.

“Scolding can be done later,” Minho interrupted and whacked Jisung on the head. “Now, we have to get back to safety!”

And further, they ran, with Minho leading the way and Jisung floating behind them, Felix pulling Seungmin and Jeongin to run faster even though his own limbs hurt like hell. 

“How long can Hyunjin and Changbin hold him off?” Minho called as they rounded another corner.

Something horribly loud crashed to the ground above them, paired with loud and angry screeching that shook the air around them and Jeongin whimpered in utter fear.

Felix pulled him closer, tucking him against his side to give at least the illusion of safety while his thoughts were running around each other in circles, moving faster than his feet flew above the ground.

“As long as we need - I think,” Jisung answered, grim determination in his voice. “He’s particularly nasty today, but… they will lead him away shortly so the fight will not take place here any longer.”

Minho glanced back and took one look at Seungmin and Jeongin. “Yes, I think that will be appreciated.”

Felix pressed his lips together, trying to run faster despite the pain in his hip and knees and various other places. “Why- I thought the demon wouldn’t bother me anymore?” he huffed.

“You knew of this thing??” Seungmin whisper-shouted incredulously, but Minho’s stern look shut him up.

“Yeah, we had made it clear that he wouldn’t bother you anymore but now that you have two new people with you…” Minho trailed off, looking ahead again. The route they were walking became a bit more familiar, it was the same at which Jisung and Hyunjin had led him to the safe place of the princes.

“Well. Standard procedure,” Minho continued. “We heard that someone had entered the castle but since Chris-hyung was out, we couldn’t watch all that closely. We had only seen that it was you and then we assumed it would be okay and we would be getting you later on - but once the demon started his hunt, we knew we had to get you.”

Stones crashed again behind them and the ground shook, enough to bring the three boys into a stumble. Seungmin fell to his knees with a surprised shriek. 

Jisung cursed, looking behind them. “Oh, this everfucking asshole.” His amber-golden eyes were burning, but his expression softened marginally as they focused on the three boys again. “Come, not long and we’re safe. He can’t get us in our resting place.” He reached out to help Seungmin from the floor again.

Seungmin stared at Jisung’s hand after he and Felix had pulled him upright again. “Why can I touch you?” he wondered, fear momentarily forgotten.

The hint of a smile touched Jisung’s lips. “Because I chose to help you. Now-” He glanced back again and ushered the group forward. “No time to rest here.”

“He’s right,” Minho bit out. “Our brothers may be skilled fighters but-”

The growling howl of the demon interrupted him, and Felix’s eyes widened. That didn’t sound as far away as he had hoped it would…

“Jisung, take the younger one - quick!”

Felix only had a second to wonder what Minho meant before an iron arm closed around his waist and he let out a shout as the grip pressed down on his bruised ribs. 

“Hey, what the-” Seungmin exclaimed next to him, and in the next second, Minho rose with both Seungmin and Felix in his arms.

The surroundings blended into each other as Minho started to run , rushing past Felix’s eyes so he closed them and pressed himself tightly against Minho’s side, trying to breathe past his injuries. Adrenaline, fear, panic, and pain mixed into an intoxicating cocktail that numbed his thoughts and he hoped Jisung and Jeongin would follow.

“-lix, hey, we’re here, we’re safe.”

“Shhh, it’s okay, we’re here for you.”

Slowly, Felix came back to himself, eyes opening when he felt the cold touch of two hands cupping his cheeks.

Jisung smiled at him, his formerly burning eyes now warm with worry. “Hey. It’s okay, don’t cry. Your friends are safe here, same as you.” He leaned forward and pressed a cold kiss to Felix’s forehead and rose to his feet. “Hyunjin- and Changbin-hyung will join us in a bit.”

Jeongin pressed against Felix’s side, head leaned on his shoulder. “Thank you for saving us, uh…” He trailed off, unsurely looking up at Jisung.

Jisung glanced at him and grinned. “Prince Jisung is my name. Pleased to meet Felix’s friends - even if it’s under less than desirable circumstances.” His face darkened.

Seungmin who had been sitting on Felix’s other side straightened. “So… you’re the princes that once lived in this castle? We’ve- seen your portraits.”

Minho walked past them. “Yes, we are. We- Hyung, I told you you should stay down!”

There was only one person that Minho called ‘hyung’.

Ice doused Felix in freezing numbness once again as he heard Chris’s hoarse voice. “Don’t go all commando on me now, Minho.” A cough.

Felix gasped and freed himself from his friends’ grip, stumbling to his feet and over to the other side of the room.

Chris was sitting on a bed, his legs covered by a thick blanket. His upper body was naked, and like this, Felix could see the dozens of wounds on his skin, the gashes and bite marks, the bright red blood that slowly dribbled down the sides of his torso. His upper arms were covered in blood-soaked bandages that were slowly falling off.

Chris’s lips were a pale lilac, a bruise stretching from his jaw to his hollowed-out cheeks, and tears started to burn down Felix’s cheeks. “Chris…”

Emerald-green eyes turned towards him and Chris stretched out an arm with a weak smile. “ Pixie . C’me here.”

With a sob, Felix stumbled forward until he was kneeling on the bed, carefully hugging Chris and feeling his arm come around his waist, pulling him closer. His touch was cold, too cold to be that of a human, but he was solid, solid and there , even if he was so horribly hurt…

Felix allowed himself a moment of crying into Chris’s shoulder, the fear of running from the demon and the fear for his friends finally catching up with him.

“Would not have thought you would come back to see me like this,” Chris eventually whispered into Felix’s hair.

“I’m- I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, I-” Felix heaved in a breath. “I’ve dreamed about this happening, I-” Distress made him bite his lip and shook his head again, whimpering because he didn’t know what to answer.

Chris cooed softly. “Hey, it’s okay, you’re safe here-”

“No, it’s not.”

Chris tensed.

Felix flinched, drawing back and looking back to his friends. 

Hyunjin and Changbin had appeared in the room. Hyunjin collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily. His quiver was empty, his bow missing. His uniform was sprayed with purple blood, the diamond on his forehead cloudy with dirt. “Oh my everfucking goodness, this fucking asshole…” he panted into the ground.

Jisung hurried to his side, shocked with worry in his face.

Changbin turned to Felix and Chris, continuing after his words of entry. His right, red-colored eye was still blazing with angry fire, his body drenched in the blood of the demon. “He’s still hunting after us, hyung.” His eyes were set on Chris and Felix, his mouth a hard line. His fingers were tight where they held his spear. “He’s dead set on finding him.” His eyes landed on Felix and Felix shrank back from his burning gaze. This was a warrior that had just returned from the battlefield, not the friend Felix had come to know in Changbin.

Chris grit his teeth, his arm tightening around Felix’s shoulders. “Then I’ll bring us away. He can’t leave the castle.”

“Hyung, no!” Hyunjin called, rising to his knees with Jisung’s arm around his shoulders. “You’re- bleeding out on us here and if you teleport anyone away now, we could lose you once and for all!”

Felix blinked, swaying from the shock of the news. “But- didn’t you say-” He shook his head. “Why? I don’t understand this!”

Chris bit his lip and let go of Felix once Changbin came to his side and leaned his spear at the wall next to the bed. He grabbed a small chest before floating on the bed next to Chris. Felix moved back to let Changbin treat Chris’s wounds, hugging his arms around his bruised middle.

Minho breathed out angrily. “Jisung, come,” he said. “We both still have our weapons and more strength - we’ll see if we can steer him away.” He glanced at Seungmin and Jeongin who had huddled together and looked at them with big eyes. 

Jisung nodded grimly and turned to Hyunjin. “Go rest with Felix. We’ll be back.”

And in the blink of an eye, both Minho and Jisung were gone. 

Felix glanced at Changbin and Chris before leaving the bed and hobbling towards his friends again. They were soon joined by Hyunjin who draped himself over Felix’s shoulder, barely solid enough that Felix could feel his touch but not the weight of his body.

“Okay, can- can someone please explain this?” Seungmin asked with a shaking voice. “What- what is going on?”

“To be honest, we don’t know much about that either,” Hyunjin answered tiredly, his eyes closed. Felix had never seen him this exhausted. “Normally, the demon gives up on hunting the people that enter the castle after we claimed or saved them but ever since Felix entered the castle…” He shook his head. “And for the last few days, he seemed… I don’t know, he always called out that he would all kill us before the one that would save us would come back.”

Felix’s chest hurt. “Is- is that how Chris got this hurt?” he whispered.

Hyunjin nodded against his neck. “He surprised us. And before we could get hyung away, he…” He didn’t continue, choosing instead to look up and study Seungmin and Jeongin. 

A sad smile pulled his lips apart. “I’m sorry you guys had to get to know us like this. I don’t know how much you know, but… We had once been princes in this castle.” He moved his hands and sparkles trailed after his fingertips. Jeongin’s eyes followed the movement with shocked awe.

“Chris-hyung,” Hyunjin motioned behind himself, “is our eldest. Then comes Minho-hyung who had brought you here, then Changbin-hyung with the spear, then me, Hyunjin, and then Jisungie.”

Seungmin allowed himself a quick smile then motioned towards Jeongin. “This is Jeonginnie, I’m Seungmin. We’re… Felix wanted us to come to visit this castle because it looked cool and he wanted to show us something.”

“I’m assuming this something- or someone - was you?” Jeongin continued.

Felix nodded with a sad smile. “You wouldn’t have believed me if I told you from the start that it was ghosts that I wanted you to meet.”

Hyunjin’s minimal weight pulled away from Felix’s shoulders and got replaced with the barest touch of a cold hand and the see-through body of another ghost floating next to them.

It was Chris and his sight shocked Felix. Each time he had visited the castle, Chris had always been the strongest, had been the one that had stayed solid the longest, only to be able to calm Felix down and touch him.

But now he was as see-through and untouchable as the other four brothers sometimes were and Felix thought this was a sign that his strength was rapidly dwindling.

“It is nice to meet you,” Chris said, smiling towards Seungmin and Jeongin who stared at him with big eyes. “Please excuse me being this...weak, but, well…” He sighed, looking at Felix. “This past week, he had been talking about you,” he whispered. “And… how…” He stopped, gripping his head with a pained grimace.

Hyunjin frowned, pulling Chris upright again with ease. “Hyung, you shouldn’t be up like this. You’re losing your strength.”

“And- what was this- this monster?” Seungmin looked towards the door behind them and shivered, absentmindedly caressing his left arm. There were no doubts that Jeongin and him must be carrying some bruises too.

Hyunjin’s face darkened and he looked at them again. “We’re cursed to live with the abomination that once was our father in this castle - until we’re either able to kill him or he kills us. Like this, we’ll either be set free to finally rest or that monster will be set free to freely roam the world.”

The blood drained from both Seungmin’s and Jeongin’s faces.

Not long after their conversation had ended, things went downhill.

“Hyungs!” With a burst of gold, Minho and Jisung appeared in the room again, their faces full of naked panic. The growl of the demon was coming closer and fear seized Felix.

“We have to leave. Now!” Minho swept forward to pull his arms around Seungmin’s middle, Jisung doing the same to Jeongin who clung to him readily.

“Why?” Felix called. “Wh-what’s-”

“The demon has found us, idiot!” Jisung shouted and a moment later, he had swept out of the door, closely followed by Minho and Seungmin who clung to Minho like a lifeline.

“To the forest!” Chris called after them before doubling over with a cough. Changbin grabbed him securely and cursed but before he could say anything, Chris interjected again. “And no fighting him.” His voice was firm and even though the magnificent, five-pointed crown on his head was missing, Felix still thought he looked all like the prince that he was. “We have to get away - that’s our priority now.” He glanced towards Felix. “No harm should come to them.”

Changbin glanced over then nodded, his mouth set into a firm line. “Yes, hyung.” He grabbed Chris in a supporting hold and off they were, rushing out of the door as fast as the wind.

“Alright.” Hyunjin stepped forward and put his arms around Felix’s middle. His grip was solid and cold. “Hold on tight - I’m not as fast as Minho-hyung, but you could still become dizzy.”

Felix scoffed despite his raging fear but did as he said and slung his arms tightly around Hyunjin’s neck. “Thanks for the warning, my prince.”

They were the last ones and Felix had no idea which route the others had taken. Had they left the castle? Were they safe? Were they okay?

Surroundings were rushing past him, hallways, paintings, stones blurring to one undefinable mass. 

You shouldn’t have come here, you shouldn’t have come here, youshouldn’t-

Behind them, stones crashed, wood splintered, and something huge rushed past Hyunjin in a blur and Felix screamed.

The demon’s roar filled his ears, his mind, and he felt his grip slipping, Hyunjin’s body becoming translucent and-

“Felix! NO!”

Felix’s arms slipped and he fell, tumbling to the ground and crashing into furniture, stones, wood, and then he fell, fell, fell-

Horrible pain greeted Felix as he opened his eyes again.

The heat was unbearable, as well as the stink of coal, sulfur, and chemical fires. He coughed, doubling over with the pain.

Gigantic claws closed around his torso and lifted him into the smoking air and Felix screamed, tears running down his face.

And as he opened his burning eyes, he came face to face with the devil.

Or someone Felix would describe as the devil, but it most likely was the demon that had been torturing Chris and his brothers all their ghostly existence.

Its head was huge, crowned with two crooked horns and skin as thick and hard as slate. Its eyes were burning fire pits, its mouth a slit in the deformed head with horribly pointed, sharp teeth. Smoke was rising from its mouth, a steady growl filling the air around Felix. It vibrated in his bones, was all he could see, hear, think.

“ And to think you were the one they protected, ” the being rumbled, its voice echoing around Felix. Its grip tightened around his ribs and he could swear he heard something in his ribcage crunching. The pain was everywhere, he couldn’t breathe - 

“ Tiny, puny human - and you shall be the one to save them? ” A laugh that crashed down on him like an avalanche of stones and Felix wanted to die.

But then, Chris’s hollowed-out face appeared in his mind again, the terrified expression on a blood-splattered Minho, Hyunjin’s exhaustion and his missing weapons, the hard and yet fearful look in Jisung’s golden eyes, the fire that burned in Changbin with which he would protect his brothers until the end…

He grit his teeth, digging through the layers of pain and fear that the demon had buried his thoughts in, and forced his eyes open again, staring at the huge face in front of him. 

“I won’t let you- kill them!” he shouted, breaking off as the demon tightened his grip again.

The being laughed again and more stones crashed, rumbled, brought everything around them down. “ And what will you do against it? I shall kill you with the snap of my hand! ”

Within the span of a moment, the pain and the world and everything around Felix faded.

From a place deep within him, a light started to rise to the surface, bright and warm and untainted. It spread, shone brighter and brighter, healing the pain in his ribs until it reached the very tips of his fingers.

Trust, a voice spoke to Felix. It was a child’s voice, calm and bright and cheerful. Trust in me and you shall be saved.

“LEAVE!” he screamed, stretching his shaking hands out towards the face of the demon. 

The light broke out of his fingertips, shining brighter, brighter, brighter until it blinded him.

With a horrible, deafening screech, the demon let go of Felix. But he didn’t fall.

He was filled with white light, and over the demon’s screech, Felix heard the laughter of children, of birds, singing.

“Leave now,” he said and he didn’t recognize his voice anymore. It echoed with the strength of a thousand angels. “Leave now and go back to the pits of Hell where you belong. The curse is broken.”

The demon’s screech swelled into a deafening roar and stones began crashing down around them before the demon disappeared in a surge of fire, sulfur, and smoke.

Felix turned around, still floating in the air. He left the castle as the walls broke down and turned to the forests, searching for the lights of the brothers.

There they were.

Five lights, one of them slowly fading. Two other bright lights shining next to them.

“He is gone now,” he said with that voice that wasn’t his own.

The light of the third brother swept forward but the first brother stopped him, his fading light reaching out. His voice carried through to Felix.

“Thank you,” and his voice was filled with such tears and gratitude that Felix wanted to break down at his side and tell him it was okay.

But instead, he sank to the ground slowly.

“You all...are free now.”

He closed his eyes and passed out.

Felix woke to golden light around him.

Seven faces were bowed over him, more than one shining with tears.

“He’s awake again!” Seungmin exclaimed and at an invisible sign, six of them moved back a bit until Felix could concentrate on the one face that was now close to his own, its respective body bowed over Felix’s head.

Chris.

His hands cupped Felix's cheeks and he was smiling, looking so alive, so much better than when Felix had seen him when they arrived in the castle. Tears were running down his cheeks and his touch was warm, like the touch of a real human. 

“You saved us, Felix,” he whispered. His green eyes were sparkling, the magnificent, five-pointed crown back on his head and glistening in the golden light.

Felix slowly raised a hand and placed it over Chris’s. “So you can- rest now?” His voice was hoarse like he had screamed for hours on end.

Maybe he had. 

His memory of the last few minutes was hazy.

“Yes, we can.” Chris leaned forward and placed a kiss on Felix’s eyebrow, lingering for a few seconds. His tears dropped down on Felix’s face and they were warm.

He drew back and Jeongin helped Felix to sit up again before he looked around at the five princes around him. 

All of them looked relieved, grateful, but also so tired.

“So you… you will be leaving us now?” Seungmin asked from behind Felix where he was helping to keep him upright, his voice trembling slightly. Every bone in Felix’s body ached.

Jisung nodded and the others moved back to let him move at Felix’s side.

Felix grasped his outstretched hand and held it tightly. It was solid, and warm like Chris’s touch. 

“I should have asked for more time to get to know you better,” Jisung whispered. The harsh lines on his face had disappeared and now his face looked as young as he had been when he had died. A smile full of regret pulled his lips apart. “But… in the short time we had, I found out all I needed to know. You’re a great human, Felix, no matter what I may have said.” Jisung leaned forward and hugged Felix tightly and the same, deep-rooted sadness took hold of Felix again as he put his arms around Jisung, tightly grasping the back of his uniform jacket because he knew that this would be the last time he would be able to hold him like this. 

“The fact alone that you were our savior should have told me this,” Jisung whispered into Felix’s ear. “Minho-hyung saw how you conquered the demon and-” He broke off, then shook his head and pulled back, interlacing Felix’s fingers with his own. He was smiling. “Continue to live your life, Felix, with your awesome friends.” He looked at Seungmin and Jeongin and his smile broadened. “Take care of him,” he said to Seungmin.

Seungmin nodded and from the hitch in his breath, Felix knew he was holding back tears. But his voice didn’t shake as he answered. “Always - have done since we got to know him.”

“Hey!” Felix reached back and lightly hit Seungmin on his thigh. 

Seungmin huffed, gripping Felix tighter. “Don’t hit me, brat! Who brought you home and made you cookies when we found you drenched in mud after your first time here, huh?”

Felix rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you did. And I love you for it.” He turned and smiled cheekily at Seungmin, trying to fight the sadness.

Jisung chuckled and rose. “Farewell, Felix.” He turned towards his brothers, his smile turning softer, bashful. “I don’t know what will wait for us on the other side, but… I’ll wait for you, hyungs.”

With a wave, he disappeared into golden particles.

Felix had to fight against the urge to cry and looked towards Hyunjin as he stepped forward and kneeled next to Felix. 

Guilt appeared between the immense relief in his expression and he took Felix’s hand in his own. His touch, too, was warm and solid. 

“I’m so sorry I let you fall,” he whispered, bowing his head forward until his hair hid his beautiful green eyes. “I- I couldn’t-”

Felix shook his head and straightened up until he could tuck a strand of Hyunjin’s long, blond hair behind his ear. “No, none of that. Be happy it happened like this - now, you’re free. Now you can rest again.” He let his hand fall to his side again, smiling softly.

Hyunjin huffed and bowed forward until he could envelop Felix in a tight, warm, and all too comfortable hug. It made Felix yearn for something he couldn’t have, for all the princes to be humans and his friends.

“Stay safe out there,” Hyunjin whispered. “Don’t get yourself killed. Be careful, but…” He drew back, fixing Felix with his beautiful eyes and a smile so warm it hurt to look at. “Live your life to the fullest while you can. I thank you so much for saving us, for setting us free - I knew all along that it was you. That you were the one we were waiting for.”

“Hyunjin…” Felix whispered, overwhelmed. He couldn’t hold his tears back anymore and they were running down his cheeks silently. 

Hyunjin tutted quietly, raising a finger to thumb the tears away gently. “Don’t cry. We’ll all be watching over you.” He turned to look at Jeongin and Seungmin and his smile became painful. “I wish we could have spent more time together. You seem like wonderful people and…” He shook his head, breaking off his sentence before moving forward and embracing first Jeongin, then Seungmin. “Be safe. Take care of each other, don’t let anything happen to each other.”

Jeongin huffed. “We would never.”

“It’s always us who get Felix out when something happens to him.”

“Hey!”

Hyunjin laughed with them and then he stepped back, exchanging a look with each of his brothers.

“Wait with Jisung,” Changbin said fondly. “We will find you - it won’t take long.”

Hyunjin nodded with tears sparkling in his eyes. “I’ll wait for you, hyungs.” He turned to Felix. “And to you...farewell.”

With a wave, he was the next that disappeared into golden particles.

Felix shook his head and rubbed his eyes to make the tears go away. “Oh Gosh, I’ll be a mess by the end of this…”

Minho laughed fondly and Changbin stepped forward and carefully pulled Felix up until he was standing, leaning on Jeongin and Seungmin.

“But you’ll be a mess that helped lay us to rest,” he said, ruffling Felix’s hair and grinning at Felix’s half-hearted protest. His eyes had changed again, both were back to the dark brown that Felix had seen on him the first time he had met Changbin. His face was softer, the harsh lines of the warrior had disappeared to make way for the young adult he should have been.

Felix looked at him with a pout, the sadness stronger than the painful throbbing in his ribs. “I’ll miss you.”

Changbin shook his head with a small smile. “And how we will miss you, believe me. But…” He stepped forward and placed a hand on Felix’s heart. Even through his jacket, Felix felt the touch, solid like Hyunjin’s and Jisung’s had been.

“Don’t let this keep you from living, okay? We know you’re only as young as Jisung had been when we died - don’t waste your life away thinking about us.” Changbin leaned closer and brought Felix into a hug, and Seungmin and Jeongin because they were holding Felix upwards. 

Felix clung to him and pressed his eyes together, desperately trying not to cry again.

“We already have been dead for a long time, Felix,” Changbin whispered. “We were caught here, between death and the afterlife, and you helped us move on. We found peace thanks to you.” He drew back and looked at the three boys, smiling warmly. “May you find your peace in life too.”

He stepped back, away from Chris and Minho too before he looked at them.

“Go,” Chris said with a smile. “Hyunjin and Jisung are waiting.”

“We won’t take long,” Minho promised.

Changbin nodded. “I’ll wait for you, hyungs.” Then, he turned to the three boys again. “Farewell, Seungmin, Jeongin - and Felix, our savior.” He raised his hand in a wave and disappeared in a cloud of golden particles.

Minho looked at Chris and stood with a huff, delicately rubbing at his eyes. “Seeing them saying goodbye to you guys doesn’t make it any easier…even though I’m happy we’re finally free.” He walked over to the three boys and caught Felix with a surprised huff as he threw himself against him.

Regardless of his injuries, Felix didn’t want to wait until Minho came close enough to hug him. He clung to Minho, savoring the feel of his solid, warm body and burying his face in his neck to hide his tears and the quiet sobs.

Minho laughed quietly and carded his fingers through Felix’s hair. Felix didn’t know when he had lost his beanie. “Awe, is there someone who will miss me?”

“Idiot,” Felix mumbled. “Of course I will miss you.”

“Thank you for saving us from that- beast,” Seungmin said, his voice hoarse. “I wish-” he broke off, shaking his head with a laugh. “I’m repeating what the others said, but I wish we could have gotten to know the ghosts that helped Felix through his Christmas a bit better.”

Jeongin nodded, smiling with shining eyes. “I don’t know, but you guys seem so cool and- now that I’m not terrified anymore, I wish we could have had more time with you.”

When Felix drew back, he saw the blinding smile on Minho’s face and the way his eyes were sparkling. “Thank you, guys. We- we will watch over you - please take care of each other, okay? And make sure that you don’t get into trouble. Or else…” He raised a finger in a mockingly threatening manner. “I’ll have to come and whack you over the head for pulling me from the afterlife again just so I can save you.”

Felix grinned through his tears. “Who knows, if that’s what it takes you to- ow! Okay, okay, I never said anything!”

Minho huffed and pulled him into a hug again. “In all seriousness, please stay out of trouble,” he whispered for only Felix to hear. “Enjoy your life and...find your peace.”

Felix nodded and pressed himself closer to Minho, trying to enjoy the last few seconds he got to spend with him.

Coldness took over as Minho let him go to embrace Seungmin and Jeongin too and he watched as Minho crouched in front of the still kneeling Chris. “Don’t take too long, hyung,” he said softly.

Chris reached up to touch the sparkling diamond on Minho’s forehead, letting out a bright smile. “I’m sure the kids will make sure you’re not bored while you’re waiting for me. Go.”

Minho stood again, taking a step back and waving at the three boys before he disappeared into a cloud of golden particles.

Chris was alone with Felix, Seungmin, and Jeongin.

He stood and turned his head to the golden light above them. He smiled, rolling his head gently.

“Being free is a weird feeling,” he whispered, staring somewhere Felix couldn’t see. “All I’ve known for so long were this castle and my four brothers, but then you came.” His green eyes focused on Felix and he stepped forward until Felix had to look up to meet his eyes. 

“And now…” His hands cupped Felix’s tear-stained cheeks and the sadness inside Felix was overwhelming. He trembled in Chris’s grip, biting his lip to stop the sobs from escaping.

“Hey. Pixie …”

Felix shook his head and threw himself at him, burying his head in his chest and trying to fill his head with the way it felt to hug Chris when he was warm, solid, and there like a real human being. “Don’t call me that,” he whispered and his voice broke. “I- I may not be able to let you go otherwise.”

Steps crunched on the frozen ground and a gentle hand landed on Felix’s right shoulder. “But you have to, you know that,” Seungmin said, his voice soft.

“Of course I know, asshole.”

“Hey!”

Chris chuckled and threaded his fingers through Felix’s hair and for what felt like minutes but easily could have been half an eternity, they stood like this, Felix tightly curled around Chris and Jeongin and Seungmin hugging him from behind.

“You know,” Chris started eventually. He had been combing through Felix’s hair for the last minute or so and it was so relaxing that Felix never wanted him to stop.

“When Hyunjin said you would be the one we were waiting for… I was doubting it at first. I didn’t want it to be true because that would mean we would have to say goodbye to you almost immediately after we met you. And,” his fingers halted. “Believe me on this, Felix, when I say that in all the centuries I’ve lived, I have never met a person with a heart like yours. A person who I would give the world for so they could be happy.”

Felix snorted and pulled back a bit to look up at Chris with a pout. He heard Jeongin chuckling slightly. “Now, you only say that to make me feel better about letting you go.”

Chris’s eyes widened. “Absolutely not, I'm telling the truth! But…” He hesitated. “I do want you to be happy without us. You said you’ve dreamed about what happened today and… I don’t want any harm coming towards you. All nightmares only ever do is harm people.” He stepped back and cupped Felix’s face in his hands again, his gentle touch warming Felix’s winter-frozen skin. “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for us today, I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful hours I got to spend with you. And...be sure that I’ll be watching over you. Always.”

Felix was openly sobbing now, 

Chris stopped himself before saying more, tilting his head and looking down Felix’s body. “Before I go...your ribs. You must have gotten hurt a lot today.”

Seungmin snorted. “Which is kind of why he needs us to stand.” But both Jeongin and him helped Felix to pull off his thick winter jacket and open the zipped sweater he wore underneath.

Feeling Chris’s hands on his naked skin under the sweater was strangely intimate, but the heat that soon started to radiate from his hands and spread out into Felix’s entire upper body was more than a bit uncomfortable. Felix leaned forward, his hands fisted in Chris’s garments, teeth grit together to not let out any sound even as it got unbearable and he had to fight back flashes from the demon holding him in his iron hot grip. 

Chris whistled quietly. “I’m extremely surprised you’re still standing. These...at least a few of your ribs must have been broken.” The heat died down to a more comfortable level until it disappeared entirely and Felix slumped against Chris, panting.

“Oh, Pixie …” Chris hugged him close, placing a gentle kiss on his hair. “I will miss you, but know that I- that we all will always be there, watching over you.”

Felix shook his head and hugged him again. “Farewell, Chris,” he whispered.

A few moments later, they let go of each other, and Seungmin and Jeongin stepped forward to hug Chris for the last time. 

“Let me give you one last present before I go,” Chris said to Felix and took the crown from his head. One of the jewels, a tear-shaped diamond, fell into his waiting hand and he handed it to Felix before stepping back.

And before the boys could protest, he raised his hand in a wave, grinning briefly at the way they were all staring at him in shock. “Farewell, my friends.” His smile rivaled the golden light around him and then he too disappeared in a cloud of golden particles.

The light died down and Seungmin, Felix, and Jeongin were alone, outside the destroyed castle in the night-darkened forest.

The diamond in Felix’s hand was warm and real and Felix stared at it in shock.

“How- did he just-” Seungmin stared at the diamond too before shaking his head and looking around. “Ah… let’s find the way back. We need to see if there’s a way to get back to the dorm again. And...” He glanced at Felix. “Get some warmth into us...maybe watch a movie or so…”

“Do you think there’s still a bus going?” Jeongin’s hands gently guided Felix’s winter jacket back around his shoulders and the two led Felix through the forest while quietly conversing with each other. “We shouldn’t stay alone tonight…”

Felix’s mind was miles away.

He was staring at the tear-shaped diamond, wondering how it didn’t disappear and expecting it to each second that passed. It had come from the crown of a ghost, damnit!

But the diamond stayed warm and solid in his hands and eventually, Felix gulped and buried the hand that was holding the diamond in his jacket pocket.

The princes were gone.

He would miss them...but they were free now. Free to be happy in the afterlife.

*~*

The tear-shaped diamond glistened against Felix’s sweater, held by a simple, silver necklace.

Four weeks ago, the semester had started and today was the first day the university would hold on-campus classes with more than five people again. To say Seungmin and Jeongin were excited would be an understatement.

“I’m so done with online classes, I swear,” Jeongin huffed as they were walking to their first building. It was the first warm day of the year, warm enough to ditch the jackets and leave the house in only a sweater.

Felix grinned and hummed in affirmation, elbowing Jeongin lightly. “Nothing like meeting the other people in your class in person, amirite?”

Seungmin hit him on the shoulder but even with his mask on, Felix could tell he was grinning. “Yeah, nothing like meeting people who would gossip about you the whole day if they could. I’m sure people have already found time to talk shit about the way we’re dressing or some other bullshit.”

They entered the building and continued chatting on their way to the next class. Most of the hallways were empty, but the next one they turned into wasn’t and Felix stopped, thunderstruck.

On the other end of the hallway, there were three students, boys - men? - standing, talking to each other. They were clothed in black, the tallest who wore a black beanie with bright blond hair spilling out at the sides, threw his head back with a laugh, and the sound carried over to where Felix was standing.

Memories assaulted his brain.

Chris, doubling over Felix’s curled up form with his full belly laugh as Jisung talked about how Minho and him had pranked their horse owners.

Changbin, his deep, charismatic voice vibrating with a giggle as he recounted how he used to hide from his sword-fight teachers.

Jisung’s slightly annoying but cheerful high voice as he scared Felix while he was floating above Felix, below the ceiling of the room.

This couldn’t be.

This was a hallucination.

He was torn from his memories when the second guy - with dirty blond hair and a grey beanie plus jeans that accentuated his slim legs - plucked a few papers from the taller guy’s hands and sprinted down the hallway towards Felix.

“Yah! Han-ah! I need that for the next class!” The taller guy shouted and Felix thought he would have a heart attack.

That was Chris’s voice.

“Get it back if you want it so badly, hyungs!” the smaller boy said, pulling a frozen Felix with him and ducking into the next hallway.

This wasn’t real...

The next seconds passed in a blur and Felix barely had the time to hear Seungmin and Jeongin calling out for him before the strange boy had pulled him into the next room, closing the door quickly before turning to him, his eyes sparkling and his panting huffs speckled with giggles.

“Sorry for the assault but you were in my way and I had to get away - and you looked like you would drop at any second. Oh, and I like your hair and you looked cute so meh.” The guy pulled his mask down and beamed at him and Felix had to force himself not to stumble back.

That was Jisung. That was Jisung without a doubt - and he was a student at Felix’s university.

The guy - Jisung? - frowned. “Actually, you do still look like you’re going to faint at any second - do you need to sit down?”

“Actually...maybe,” Felix managed to get out and let himself sink to one of the chairs around them.

Then, his behavior caught up with him and he buried his face in his hands with a groan. Don’t compare other students to- to fucking ghosts. They were dead. They were gone.

“I’m sorry - you just look like someone I was once close to - like, extremely similar to them and…” Felix broke off, shaking his head. “It just startled me. Sorry again for being so weird.”

The guy blinked then smiled brightly, coming closer to drop to the floor in front of Felix, his legs crossing. “It’s alright. Hey, still nice to meet you. My name’s Jisung, but Chan-hyung and Changbin-hyung always call me Han, mostly when they’re angry but whatever.” He shrugged. “Oh, what’s your name?” He beamed up at Felix.

Felix shook himself out of his shock at hearing that he even had the same name and tried to smile. “I’m Felix.”

“Wah, your voice is so cool!” Jisung shot up again and ruffled through the papers he had plucked from one of the guys’ hands. “I’m sure we…”

Felix watched him, his thoughts racing.

Could reincarnation be a thing?

Maybe his connection to the five princes wasn’t as lost as he had thought.