Chapter Text
"NO!" San dives in front of Wooyoung as if on instinct. It's a perfect shot to the forehead and throws his head back, crashing into Wooyoung's before he collapses to the floor like a ragdoll. Wooyoung staggers back, desperately attempting to hold his body up, before his body gives out as well. In a panic, Seonghwa rushes to his side.
The bullet had passed clean through San's skull and penetrated Wooyoung's forehead, the both of them dead in an instant.
Seonghwa lets out a guttural scream as he drops his brother's dead body. He throws himself up from the floor to grip the bars of the cell, his claws ejected as much as possible and digging into his palms. Blood trickles down his arms as he continues to scream, all of his strength focused on breaking the bars. He's gone feral, unable to control himself, unable to think clearly. The only thing on his mind is tearing the guard's beating heart straight from his chest and sinking his teeth into it.
His blood is acidic. Yunho had already found that out. It's no surprise that the bars start to erode under his grasp, more and more until he's able to tear them off and hurl them at the guard.
"YOU MURDERER!" He bellows, diving toward the man at full speed and tackling him to the ground. He claws at his face, his attacks messy and desperate. As the guard reaches for his gun, Hongjoong steps on his hand. More and more pressure until he can feel the bones break beneath his foot.
"Self defense," he sneers. "It's completely legal. You had no right."
"ENOUGH!" Yunho cries, grabbing Seonghwa around the waist and throwing him to the ground. "If eye for eye, the whole–"
"Eye for eye is why I am the last living member of my fucking species," Seonghwa spits as he wipes the guard's blood from his face. "I hope you're satisfied with the genocide you caused."
"You still have me," Hongjoong offers, but it's not enough. He's not family. Seonghwa is alone.
"Everything I have worked my entire life for is gone." For the first time, there's emotion. Hot tears spill down his face and leave pale marks in their wake. His voice trembles as he speaks. "Everyone I have ever truly loved is dead. And you wonder why sirens eat humans. They are violent, unpredictable, greedy; They are a curse to this planet."
"You are human." Yeosang's voice is small and timid. "It's just a curse. You're one of us."
"I," he begins slowly, approaching the advisor with his claws at the ready, "will NEVER be like you. I will NEVER–"
Another loud bang and Seonghwa collapses.
He was out of control. He was going to kill Yeosang, possibly the others as well. His right to life can't be defended.
With a blank expression, Hongjoong draws a pocket knife from his shoe and stabs it into the guard's temple. He yanks it out with a sickening pop.
But Seonghwa is dead. The spell has been lessened, if not broken. Seeing the siren's dead body confirms that it was never love, that Hongjoong killed for no reason. He mercy killed on behalf of the person who murdered him and destroyed him.
Murder is the one sin that can never be forgiven.
"I love you," is all he says as he raises the knife toward himself. Mingi doesn't protest; He grabs Jongho and holds his head into his chest. He knows he can't stop Hongjoong. He just can't let Jongho see the same thing twice.
He squeezes his eyes shut so he can't hear the sickening plunge of the knife, the grunt it elicits from Hongjoong's throat, the thud as he tears the knife out and drops it onto the ground. He can't hear Hongjoong panicking, knowing he's made a mistake, before his eyes roll back and he hits the floor as well.
Five dead bodies in the span of ten minutes.
Inhaling deeply, Yunho turns and leaves the room without a word. The dungeon is silent.
"Your Majesty?" a guard calls from down the hall. "Are you alright? Did someone confess?"
"Please take me to the office."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Right away." She holds out her arm for him to hold before leading him up the stairs, down the hall to his study. She fetches a scroll and feather, then defends the doorway to offer him privacy.
To my kingdom;
I have failed you. I have been unable to prevent violence and death beneath my very hands. I do not deserve to rule a people I cannot protect.
The Jung Dynasty is no more. I leave my kingdom to my advisor, Kang Yeosang, and a friend, Choi Jongho. I trust that they will protect you far better than I ever could have. You will answer only to them and will not look for me following my disappearance.
Shall there never be blood on my land again.
Your former prince, Jung Yunho.
He sighs and presses the royal stamp onto the bottom of the page. It's final. He hands it to the guard and leaves silently.
"Your Majesty?" This time, the voice is Jongho's. He's shaking, eyes wild. "We, um… We called a doctor. There's nothing they can do. I'm sorry about San."
Yunho nods. He knew. No one can survive an injury like that. "Thank you. I'm sorry about Hongjoong."
"What do we, um… What do we do?"
"Jongho and Yeosang, report to my office and speak to the guard. She'll tell you what to do. Mingi, please follow me."
All three of the boys oblige immediately. Yunho leads Mingi up to the third floor, to his bedroom, to the balcony.
"Are you okay?" Mingi timidly asks. Yunho simply lets out a humorless chuckle and lowers his head.
"I can't stay here, Mingi."
"But you're the new king. You have to."
He shakes his head. "I don't care about the laws anymore. They've hurt us far too many times." With a deep inhale, he sinks to one knee. "I want to offer my hand in marriage one final time. I'm going to flee the kingdom. You can come with me or you can stay with the new kings."
Mingi is speechless. "I, um… The… The new kings?"
"I left everything to Yeosang and Jongho."
He can't leave Jongho. But he can't live where his first love was murdered just beneath his feet. He can't live among a people who've tried to kill him all his life.
Against his better judgment, he accepts the ring in Yunho's hands, slipping it over his finger.
"Yes. Please get me out of here."
Yunho's smile is bittersweet. "You don't have to say it back, but… I meant it when I said I love you."
"I didn't mean it when I said I didn't love you back."
"I know."