CHAPTER 67
Then—
A gust of wind.
A shimmer in the air.
Without warning, Vanyul appeared behind him, arms wrapping around him tightly, almost desperately. Sihyun flinched, caught off guard. His body stiffened, but he quickly relaxed, putting on the front he always wore with the older sorcerer.
"...You came,"
Vanyul whispered, voice low and filled with restrained emotion.
"I said I would,"
Sihyun replied quietly, avoiding direct eye contact.
Vanyul held him tighter for a second before leaning in, his lips brushing against Sihyun's ear.
"I couldn't feel your magic for days,"
he murmured, voice trembling slightly.
"I thought something happened to you. Were you hurt?"
From the shadows, Yuhyun visibly tensed. He clenched his jaw, already knowing where this might go. Beside him, Muwon didn't move—his eyes, however, burned with silent intensity as he watched Sihyun closely.
Sihyun forced a small smile, his tone light.
"No. I just… fell ill. My magic was weak. That's probably why you couldn't sense me."
Vanyul sighed, the relief in his expression palpable.
"I thought they might have… done something to you. I was ready to burn this place down,"
he said, half-joking but entirely sincere.
Sihyun looked away.
"I didn't want to lose you, Sihyun,"
Vanyul added softly, his voice carrying emotion he rarely exposed.
In the shadows, Dohyun and Taejin exchanged a glance, uncertain.
Yuhyun's eyes slowly drifted toward Muwon, trying to read his face. Muwon didn't speak, but his hands had balled into fists at his side, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. His eyes never left Sihyun.
Sihyun, standing still in Vanyul's arms, gently reached up and patted the older sorcerer's hand around his waist.
"I'm fine now,"
he said, his voice calm,
"So let's talk."
Vanyul finally loosened his grip just enough for Sihyun to turn around and face him.
Vanyul's arms dropped from Sihyun's waist as he took a slow step back, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Sihyun looked at him earnestly, his voice steady yet soft.
"Let's stop this, Vanyul."
Vanyul tilted his head, an amused smirk playing on his lips.
"Stop what, exactly?"
Sihyun met his gaze without flinching.
"This plan to destroy the palace… the humans. All of it. Let's stop fighting them. Let's try… reasoning with them. Living among them."
Vanyul blinked, visibly surprised for a moment.
"Reasoning? With humans?"
He let out a dry laugh, taking a slow step to the side, circling Sihyun.
"You want me to reason with the same species that slaughtered your kind? Our kind? Have they fed you well enough to forget what they did to your mother? To us?"
"I haven't forgotten,"
Sihyun said firmly, turning to follow his movement.
"But I've learned that not all humans are like the ones who murdered her. Some… some are different."
Behind the pillars, Muwon's chest rose and fell deeply. His gaze remained unblinking.
"Different?"
Vanyul repeated, his smile growing colder.
"So they've fed you their lies, paraded you like a tamed beast, and now you think you're one of them?"
"I'm not one of them,"
Sihyun said, his voice cracking slightly.
"And I never will be. But I'm also not someone who wants to keep killing. You… You can come stay here. With us. You'd be protected."
Vanyul let out a sharp laugh that echoed across the courtyard.
"Protected? Do you hear yourself?"
he asked, stepping closer.
"Sihyun, you think they're protecting you now—but the moment your usefulness ends, they'll chain you again, lock you away, or worse. You're only safe because they need you."
"No, that's not true,"
Sihyun replied, voice rising,
"I—!"
"You what?"
Vanyul interrupted, expression hardening.
"You love the prince?"
Sihyun faltered, his lips parting—but he said nothing.
Vanyul's eyes narrowed.
"They didn't just feed you. They broke you."
"That's enough,"
Sihyun said lowly.
"I asked you here because I wanted to give you a chance. I didn't come to fight."
Vanyul stepped back, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
"You sound just like your brother now."
From behind the columns, Yuhyun scowled. Taejin murmured,
"This is going badly."
Sihyun drew a breath, steadying himself.
"That was the past, Vanyul. I'm tired of holding onto it like it's the only thing keeping me alive. We can move on. You don't have to be alone in a cave, surrounded by rage and dust. Come with us. We can make something new—"
"Do you really believe that?"
Vanyul asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"Or are you just saying what they want to hear?"
Sihyun looked down for a moment, then back up, eyes glowing faintly gold.
"I believe it. And I want you to believe it too."
Vanyul's expression finally shifted—his smirk fading into something unreadable. His eyes flicked over Sihyun's face.
"You've changed."
Sihyun nodded.
"Maybe I have. Maybe it's time you do too."
The two stared at each other, the air between them heavy with unsaid emotion.
Silence stretched between them like a thread pulled too tight. The moon hung heavy above, casting pale silver across Sihyun's face.
Then softly, Sihyun broke it.
"…You're right, Vanyul."
Vanyul blinked.
"I love the prince."
Vanyul's jaw clenched almost imperceptibly. He tried to smile, but it was hollow, forced.
"I even told him,"
Sihyun added, voice firm despite the sadness in his eyes.
"I wanted you to hear it from me. Not anyone else."
Vanyul looked away for a second.
"You're not joking?"
Sihyun shook his head.
"I'm not."
A flicker of pain passed through Vanyul's face—so quick it almost seemed imagined. Then, his eyes began to glow.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A fiery explosion ripped through one of the palace buildings near the east wing. Flames burst into the sky.
Screams echoed as maids and servants ran for safety. Guards scrambled, yelling for water, magic barriers flickering into place.
Sihyun's head snapped toward the flames, stunned.
"Vanyul! What are you doing?!"
Vanyul's voice was sharp, wounded.
"You think you can stand there, say that, and pretend we're all fine?"
From the shadows, Muwon lunged forward, furious, but was yanked back by Dohyun and Taejin.
"Let me go!"
Muwon growled, his eyes burning.