That night, Yun Ki went to bed, with a smile tugging at the ends of his lips.

He shimmied under his satin blanket, rubbing his feet together, to create some warmth.

He cupped his own face to feel it heated up against he pads of his fingers.

He almost couldn't recognise the whistles that had left his lips as he left Soojin's chamber and entered his own.

He runs a finger over his lips, ones that were no longer peered shut in a straight line.

He was beaming, as he curled into a side, allowing his ash grey mane to take up majority of his bed.

He couldn't believe the words that had left Soojin's mouth.

All his wants and desires were coming true.

He'd even thought of his Mother, remembering an incident when she'd forced him to settle down just for an heir and here he was, settling down with the girl he loved, who wanted to bear his seed.

Things were calm, a little heated yet, calm.

Especially when a subconscious part of Yun Ki's mind was being preoccupied with thoughts of his scheming twin.

With the want to bring in a new life into the world, Yun Ki's need to protect his own would grow stronger and the urge for his brother to usurp the throne, would grow heavier.

It was tiring, really.

Constantly living under the threat that the ones you loved would be found the same way his mother was discovered, decapitated.

Yun Ki had understood early on that if Yong Sun could go to the extent of killing his own mother so ruthlessly, he, Min Yun Ki, never mattered at all.

His manipulative counterpart would slander the body of every man that stood before Yun Ki, protecting him, if it meant climbing his way to the top.

Yun Ki never mattered to Yong Sun.

He was like a piece on a chess board, waiting to be kicked or flicked off the checkered board.

It was Soojin, who had become a vulnerable part of him.

Hands on her would be the last thing Yun Ki could tolerate.

If him imagining Yong Sun touching Soojin brought his blood pressure to an all-time-high, him claiming her all he way, was disastrous.

Soojin was the jewel he'd have to protect, even if it meant having his own head severed from his thorax.

It was blood worth a sacrifice.

Yun Ki shrugs the unhealthy dark thoughts that had found a way into the crevices of his head, late at night.

He needed to be stress-free.

He needed to start taking care of his health, for his produce to be healthy.

Plus, the apples of his cheeks grew red every time he thought of how hard him and Soojin would have to try, to conceive an heir.

He lets out a sigh, thinking of how he'd have to down a whole plate of oysters tomorrow, just for precautionary sake.

————————

Loud bouts of whines are heard from a man's mouth, as he's held down by Yong Sun's foot, over a log of wood.

The back of his head quivers as Yong Sun's weight over the man's back, specifically between his shoulder blades, increases.

"It's such a shame that this Kingdom doesn't own a Guillotine yet..Gah, it'd be so easier to execute someone, without having to exert manual labour.." Yong Sun laughs, digging the heel of his foot further into the man's pale naked back.

"W-Why are you doing this…I've always treated you as my little Pri—"

"Shut it..Shut that darn foul mouth!" Yong Sun barks, bending forwards to clutch the man by his long black mane.

Mane that had grown greasy, much similar to the dainty walls the 3 men found themselves surrounded by.

The small wet room was lit by 2 candles, affording the prison-like cell an orange glint, a reflection being cast by the struggling man's black mane..

"You've always been such a honeypot. Seokmin is this, Seokmin is that and look at you know, Seokmin is under my dirty shoe, squirming like a bug waiting to be squished.." Yong Sun spits over the back of his head.

From the corner of the room, a tremble emits from a third man's quivering lips.

"H-Hyung-nim…please..d-don't." The young boy cries, holding his knees to his chest as he cries in them, not wanting to watch what was happening.

Yong Sun tuts out loud.

"Ah Ssibal, this one is here as well. I'd forgotten his existence. Yah, drag yourself here.. ppaleun!!"

The younger boy's ears perk up at the low growl and threatening glare that reaches him.

He wipes the ends of his mucus dribbled nostrils with the back of his sleeve.

"Come here.." Yong Sun calls, extending his arms, wringing them to usher the shaky boy-like-man, towards him.

The feeble man waddles towards him as Yong Sun wraps a heavy arm around his shoulder, the pads of his fingers curling around his arm, digging into his skin.

"He's so adorable, isn't he Seokmin?" Yong Sun cradles the man's cheeks, pulling them.

"Agh, he's uglier than me, however.." He spits, booping the crying man's big nose.

The man who'd been perched against the log of wood is banging his forehead into the log of wood.

"Don't you dare do anything to him, Yong Sun.." He screams, trying to set his hands, that had been tied behind his bare back, free.

Yong Sun retracts the load he's applied on Seokmin's back, clutching his stomach to let out a big laugh.

"This older Hyung-nim is really funny! He's about to die and yet, he's fixed on saving his youngest brother..Ah, it's endearing.."

Yong Sun giggles a little, patting the weak man's back as they look over Seokmin's greasy body, purple gashes covering his spine.

"Yah, Yun Ki-ah.." He calls out, running a hand over his ash grey locks.

"You'll listen to me, won't you?"

"Of course you will, you're my shadow, after all.." He snickers.

Yun Ki is shaking his head no, wanting to duck down and save his eldest brother, from the shackles.

Tears are flowing past his cheeks, adding to the inflammation.

"H-Hyung…Please let Seokmin Hyung go..You-You can kill me instead." He pleads, sinking to his knees, wrapping his arms around Yong Sun's feet.

"Yun Ki, NO!" Seokmin roars, eyeing the boy who'd sacrificed every ounce of self-respect for him.

"D-Don't kneel before this scum..He deserves no place in Baekmin, Yun Ki!" Seokmin implores, watching the scene unfold, helplessly.

Yong Sun chuckles, watching the two men protect each other.

He claps in slow motion.

"How tear jerking a moment! Brothers willing to die for each other.. So disgustingly sweet!"

He eyes the two men, moth drawn to flames.

"Truth be told, I could kill both of you and sit on that darn throne but, that wouldn't be satisfying now, would it?" He questions, causing Yun Ki's eyes to look up at him curiously.

Had his pleading worked?

Was his Hyung's life going to be spared?

"Someone 's going to die, today.." The man standing proudly, exclaims, looking behind him, watching something glint in the light of the candle.

It's a silverware.

"Yun Ki ah, my pretty little lamb, won't you go fetch that for me?" He asks.

Yun Ki gets up immediately, willing to die.

He grabs the dagger from the corner of the room.

He hands it over to Yong Sun's outstretched arms, kneeling before him, neck flexed, all ready to feel the sharp edge of the blade over his epidermis.

It was alright, he thought to himself, his life wasn't worth much, anyway.

His eyes are peered shut, warm trickles of tears running down his cold cheeks.

He's holding in a breath, ready to let go as soon as he feels the cold metal pierce his skin.

And then.

He feels it, the blade, running over the corner of his neck, his palms are clenched.

Goodbye Eomeoni, he breathes out, as he feels light droplets cascade over his collar, drenching it.

Just when he's mentally prepared to ascend on his journey to The Great Beyond, he no longer feels the sting.

"This is no fun.." Yong Sun chimes as Yun Ki's eyes peer open, vision hazy from the weakness he's feeling.

He watches the edge of the dagger tainted in rouge as a puddle underlies it.

His eyes are flickering over to the man who lies tied and powerless, behind Yun Ki.

Yong Sun bends forward, meeting Yun Ki's line of vision.

He dips a finger in his cut, swabbing the pad of his finger over it, bringing it closer to his vision.

He runs it over Yun Ki's forehead, terrorisingly slow.

He dips in closer, lips brushing Yun Ki's twitching ear lobes.

"Yun Ki-ah.." He breathes out, cold air striking against his outer ear, stimulating a parade of goosebumps over his skin.

His voice is ominous.

Low toned and heavy.

"Take the dagger and kill Seokmin, at once!" He whispers, each word tantalisingly painful, accompanied with a bite over the tip of Yun Ki's paling ears.

"N-No…Hy-Hyung..!!"

——————

"Seokmin Hyung!"

Yun Ki wakes up in the lull of the night, chest heaving.

Droplets of sweat running down the nape of his neck, slimy coat of moisture coating his chest, as it glistens in the moonlight.

His heart hammers in his chest as his fingers dig along his neckline, digging and exploring the old scar that rests at the junction of his neck and shoulder.

It's old and wrinkled but, he can still feel his estranged brother's cold and slimy hands cascading over it.

He can still feel the bite of his brother's teeth into the tip of his ear as it twitches, covered with ash grey hair.

Most of all, he can feel the warmth of Seokmin Hyung's blood over his fingertips, even in the lull of the night.

And it's enough for him to know that how much ever he tries to soak his soul in incense water, it'll bear heavy, dragging along with it, a corpse of someone who loved him.

And that, will be a constant reminder that, Min Yun Ki's hands are dripping in the blood of his near and dear ones.

The nightmares were back.

Which could only mean one thing.

Yong Sun was stronger than ever and was working his way up, again.

--------------Korean Words Used-----------

ppaleun = faster.

Ssibal = shit (curse word).

Hyung-nim = dear elder brother.