Yunho and Jongho watch as Seonghwa downs two glasses of wine consecutively, already looking like he's about to crash down to the floor. The king smiles dreamily before he puts his face in his hands as he cries loudly, resonating through the garden in this calm and collected night.

As opposed to the situation of the night, the king is wailing as he waves his arms in the air, saying that he wished he could have stopped Akira from taking on the throne despite her feeling like it's her absolute responsibility to. Then he abruptly stops wailing before shaking Yunho then moving on to Jongho, saying that it's what she wanted and as a good husband, he wanted to follow her wishes because he loved her so much.

"But now we're going to die!" he exclaims, sobbing as he stands up, throwing himself to the bushes as he attempts to hug the plants. "We're going to die because I'm a stupid, incompetent, pushover husband!" Then he smiles, looking content as he turns around his body and lies on his back among the flowers.

"Are you sure those were his first two glasses before I came here?" Yunho asks Jongho, who's nodding his head as he sips his own glass of wine.

"He's a really lightweight drinker," Jongho comments as he watches Seonghwa bursting into a song, shaking his shoulders as he keeps lying on the bed of flowers. "One time in Nyla, one and a half glasses in, he was shouting at us because he said he needed more money to take care of his children. We thought he secretly got married and had like, actual children. Turned out he was referring to four stray cats that always went to him for food. After that he just," he clicks his tongue, "was knocked out."

"This is kind of, um," Yunho tries to find the right words, "contrasting to how Akira is, so it's weird to see him so... weak. Akira can take at least 8 and you can still catch her punching someone sober."

Seonghwa stands up straight, points his finger to the sky then sticks out his hips to the left. Automatically, Jongho and Yunho groan and close their eyes with their palms as the king starts to sway his hips from side to side while his finger is pointed upwards. The king then starts singing a song slightly out of tune, as he continues shaking his hips to the beat only he knows. Then he spreads both of his arms out as a finishing cue, before collapsing to the ground in a laughing fit.

"That is why we usually make him stay away from alcoholic drinks most of the time," Jongho sighs. "He always ends up embarrassing himself more while he's drunk."

Both of them get startled when Seonghwa suddenly springs up, eyes wide open before he picks himself up, making his way to the table where they are and sitting down, trying so hard to make it look as if he's sober.

"Enough about my pitiful life," his words are slurred. "Tell me," he slaps a palm to his chest, "about your lives. I want to hear them all. Right." He smacks his lips multiple times as he nods. "A good king needs to know how his subjects are doing, and that's what I want to be! A good king." He points finger towards Yunho. "You start first; you're my wife's childhood friend." He chuckles inwardly, "Did you know that I was so jealous of you at first, looking at how close you are with my Akira? But then I told myself that I can't be jealous, and now I'm glad that Akira has someone like you by her side. You!" He points his finger again to Yunho as he smiles. "I like you."

Yunho chuckles at how straightforward Seonghwa is to him when he's drunk, appreciative that the king holds no bad feelings towards him now. Unless... he's not fully truthful even if he's drunk.

"Your Majesty," Yunho offers, feeling amused that he's about to probably have a full on conversation with a drunk Seonghwa. "My life has been nothing of a deviation from Akira's. If you could say, we lived the same lives; wore the same clothes, ate the same food, fought the same people. The lives we've known were constantly either in the battlefield or among the confined walls of this palace."

The king hiccups. "How- did- my wife- lose- her ability- to see colours?" Then he wails again, lifting his hands to the air as he shakes them. "I feel sorry for her yet when she gained her ability back I wasn't there with her!" He hums. "See? I'm always never there for her, so I'm still wondering up to this day why she chose to marry me instead. You-" he hiccups as he gestures towards Yunho, "-look like a much better candidate."

"What is this self-realization?" Jongho mutters under his breath as he takes another sip of his wine.

Yunho only smiles. "I have no such feelings towards your wife, Your Majesty, so please rest assured. I don't know how many times I will have to repeat this, but I assure you that you are the best choice for her. I grew up with her and I've seen her go through everything, no one deserves to be by her side as much as you do."

"Really?" Seonghwa beams, his eyes shining under the moonlight. "You think so?"

"I know so, Your Majesty. And I believe Her Majesty thinks the same way considering how she chose to accept your proposal right away."

"Do you think..." Seonghwa's head drops down, his chin touching his body. "...that she regretted it?"

Yunho's eyes flick towards the king as for once, he stops his continuous answers. He stays quiet, and only then Seonghwa starts talking again, his lips pouting.

"You think that she regrets it, don't you?" he utters slowly, looking like he's sobered up by the thought alone. "You know her longer than I do..."

"You're really drunk, Your Majesty. Let me escort you to your room and you may enjoy the rest of your slumber for tonight," Yunho stands up, attempting to hold Seonghwa's arms to help him too. He doesn't answer the king as he signals for Jongho to help him on the other side.

Seonghwa slaps Yunho's hands away, giggling. "All of you look down on me, don't you? You-" he hiccups, "-regret seeing your childhood friend marrying me, don't you? I'm talking about you, not Akira."

Yunho stares at Seonghwa before saying in a grave voice, "If I were to be honest, then maybe I do regret seeing her get married to someone like you."

"General," Jongho utters in disbelief over Yunho's reply, thinking that the general is joking, but there's not a smile in sight.

As Seonghwa looks like he's been slapped really hard across the face, Yunho continues, "I can't lie; I do regret seeing her get married to you, because she seems to only be hurt even more when she's trying her best to live. And you," he stares at the king, "you know yourself too. I've only known Lucida my whole life, and to see a stranger stepping on the throne; you can't blame me for feeling this way. Even more for a servant like me who has served the country for all he can remember."

Jongho looks at Yunho, in which the latter is trying hard to remain expressionless. The general then slowly touches the king's arm, picking him up.

"So you hate me, just like the pact looking to topple me down from the throne... Tell me Yunho, are you the mole involved in initiating the attack..." Seonghwa trails off, mind spinning as he tries hard to stay conscious. The alcohol is already starting to shut down his system. "Akira doesn't regret it, but you do." He chuckles slowly, "I know. I deserve this punishment. I don't deserve her. I don't deserve the throne. I don't deserve anything in this life." He wobbles for a bit before he almost crashes to the ground, but Yunho holds him firmly. He mumbles for one last time, "It should've been me. I should be the one lying on that bed unconscious." His head lolls to the side, completely knocked out.

Jongho looks at them from the side, slightly feeling awkward now that Yunho has mentioned his true feelings. Being a yellow blood for his whole life he knows; people like them rarely get the chance to verbalize their feelings. They are always silenced by those who are of a high status, making them think that their opinions and feelings never mattered.

So to hear someone like Yunho saying things like this casually to Seonghwa, a crimson-blooded person, a king, makes him silently impressed.

Yunho stares at Seonghwa who has fainted in his arms before he sighs, helping to support the king.

"That's what I thought before I saw how much you're trying your best," Yunho says. "I thought that I regretted seeing my childhood friend getting married to someone who only seemed to know how to hurt her, but this wasn't even your fault. I wanted to blame everything on you, but after seeing her with you, I realized that we're all the same. We're only people still haunted by our blood colours. Your Majesty," he breathes in, "I hated you so much to the point that I thought that I could reject Akira's offer to become the general and stand on the opposing side instead. I wanted to rebel for once in my life."

Jongho blinks slowly, watching as Yunho carries Seonghwa on his back. "So do you hate him or do you not?"

Yunho chuckles. "Not anymore. I find it so hard to hate him; he just has this attitude that makes you feel as if you're making a sin if you ever hate him." With Seonghwa on his back he turns to Jongho as he shrugs, "Plus, I don't think it's in my blood to hate someone like him."

---

"Are you absolutely sure that you'll be fine?" Hongjoong asks as he stores away the dagger that he's bringing together.

"I repeated it at least a thousand times today alone," Wooyoung deadpans, rolling his eyes as he tightens the saddle on his horse.

"I'm not talking to you," Hongjoong shoots back, tilting his head towards Yeosang. "I'm asking Yeosang." Then he turns to the palace doctor, forehead creasing as he reassures, "We'll try to go back as soon as possible, so just... hold on in the palace while we figure this thing out."

Yeosang nods as he chuckles. "Sure. Be careful on your way to Estar and the mountain. All three of you," he looks at Wooyoung, "you, especially."

"Are you implying that I have no idea how to take care of myself?" Wooyoung utters.

"It does seem so," Mingi says before pulling together his horse. "You worry us a lot, sometimes."

"I'll be fine, really," Wooyoung replies, stretching out his arms before hitting his chest. "I'm pretty resilient you know. Something as small as this shouldn't be disturbing me too much."

"Yeah, pretty sure that someone was crying all night yesterday after finding out about the news," Hongjoong says under his breath before he heaves himself up his horse.

Right after Mingi revealed what he knew to the others, despite Wooyoung feeling somewhat troubled by the fact that there is a possibility for him to find his parents, they had agreed to search for them as soon as they could. The condition of their kingdom is getting worse even in the span of a few days after San's change, and it doesn't look like he'll stop anytime soon. To avoid further damage, they decided to find the people that could help them pull back the king from his distorted perception of the world now.

"Here's some basic medical needs in case you run into some mishap," Yeosang shoves a back full of supplies towards Mingi, "though I really do hope that you wouldn't be needing them."

"Thank you." Mingi takes the bag from Yeosang, "We'll try to take a road that's shorter, but I'm scared that there might be some keepers holding us back. I'll assess the situation then."

"So you mean you have no plan on which road we're taking, exactly?" Wooyoung and Hongjoong simultaneously turn to look at Mingi with worried looks.

"I'll see what's suitable when the time comes," Mingi says nonchalantly, oblivious to how pale Hongjoong and Wooyoung have gotten.

"Oh we're doomed. So doomed!" Wooyoung exclaims dramatically before Mingi hits the back of his head shutting him up.

"We're not doomed, I just need to map it out while we're actually on the road," Mingi says. He looks at the sky, sighing, "You can't even tell whether it's day or night now, and the people outside the palace surely noticed something is wrong."

"Everything is just so gloomy," Hongjoong mulls. "I really hope this track will lead us to a solution."

"You guys will, so you better get going," Yeosang reminds them, hands sweeping and ushering them to keep going. "Don't worry about me with San." Although there's a slight tremble in his eyes, "I just hope he won't do anything spontaneous while all of you are gone."

Wooyoung grimaces before hopping onto the horse behind Mingi, deciding to become a pillion instead. He doesn't think he'll be in the right state of mind to maneuver his own horse, now that he's about to embark to a place that might witness the reunion of him and his unknown parents. He's probably going to end up guiding the horse into a ditch because he's too busy thinking about the possibility of meeting his long-lost parents.

Still, it's only a possibility. Like Mingi said, no one has heard of them ever since they moved out of Estar, and although it hurts to be thinking about it, there is a chance that they might not be alive at all.

As soon as they pass the archway to exit the palace, some of the stones crumble that Wooyoung and Mingi instinctively flinch, while Hongjoong stops to pick the stones at the part where it looks like it will collapse any minute.

The archway is old, but it has stood the test of time and weather for so long, so it feels weird to him how everything suddenly becomes worn. As he touches the stones, he gasps and his horse neighs before retreating, both of them surprised to see that black engulfs the whole archway, looking like it's seared with lava.

"We better hurry, it's getting worse," Wooyoung states.

Without needing a second command, Mingi and Hongjoong whip the reins, directing the horses to gallop as fast as they can, away from the palace that's starting to follow the fate of their ruler. So far, San hasn't done anything spontaneous, except for trying to change his lifestyle that is 'fit for a king' like him. But they can't let it be for too long; they know that things will get out of hand once San decides on something completely on his own.

"The kingdom, the palace, the king are changing!" Wooyoung shouts against the wind. "What kind of disaster are we heading to?"

"If only I know the answer, I'd deal with it right away," Mingi replies, shouting as he whips the reins, their horses galloping through the forest.

With the agreement that night is the time that they will embark, Wooyoung helps to light up the fire in the lamp and holds it up. Mingi and Wooyoung are up front while Hongjoong trails behind, watching the lamp Wooyoung is holding as a guide. They storm past curious residents in town.

The residents whisper among themselves as they catch a glimpse of three of the young masters looking like they're in a rush to go somewhere. Some of them cry out to ask whether there is something happening to their kingdom, or whether it's the end of the world as it seems that the sun is no longer appearing to bathe them in its golden light.

They could only assure with words that they themselves don't believe in, shouting to them that they're hoping to return with good news soon. As soon as they are out of town, the further they get, the more unsettling the quiet is. The trees envelop them in more shadows, the animals giving them way to pass. If only they could understand what the flora and fauna are talking about, they would know that they, too, are worried for the condition of their kingdom.

They had allocated at least five hours for them to at least reach the foot of the Ilang Mountain where the wizard and witch are said to be residing, but with the adrenaline rush it all seems too short. As soon as the grand mountain appears in front of them, they stop their horses as they check the time. It's already almost 4 in the morning, and they can't be sure how long the climb up the mountain would take.

Nodding to each other, Mingi and Hongjoong whip the reins again, the horses guided to start their climb up the mountain. With Mingi guiding them, he looks out for any potential threat from wild animals, but it is as if the world is letting them pass without any threats. Their hearts beat faster the closer they get to the top, to breathe air a difficult feat for them as they slow down.

If they find nothing at the top, it would all be a waste, wouldn't it?

Not to mention that they will have absolutely no more ideas left on how they can resolve the situation.

Wooyoung leans slightly to the side to try and get a better view of the front, not knowing what they should expect. He gulps as he holds the lamp steadily, the glow just enough for them to see what's forward, supplemented by the glow from the waning moon.

Mingi stops his horse, and Hongjoong also pulls the reins to halt. All three of them wallow in silence for a few minutes, trying to take in what's in front of them. Mingi looks at Wooyoung over his shoulder, lifting his eyebrows up.

A single cottage house stands atop the hill, but in darkness. They see no light, but as Hongjoong is about to check for the time, one of the windows lights up. Staying mum, they wait.

Just like a miracle, the door suddenly opens and out steps an old man, stretching before he starts working for the day. He stands frozen in place seeing three uninvited guests coming to his isolated house, a fight or flight reaction activated. However as soon as he sees the young man holding a lamp near his face, he remains frozen not because of fear but wonder instead.

Wooyoung alights the horse as if entranced, walking towards the direction of the door. They might have never seen each other face to face that day, but there's no denying it.

The man looks like an older version of him, the wrinkles pronounced around his eyes but still as handsome as ever.

"You came," is all the old man manages to say. "You came." He doesn't have to say anything else because he already knows; that the young man who suddenly appeared in front of him is the son that he abandoned more than 20 years ago at the Nyla palace.

All the guilt comes crashing down to him as soon as his eyes rest upon Wooyoung's face.

Wooyoung has tears in his eyes as he drops to the ground in front of the old man, body trembling as he utters, "Why? After all these years, why?! You're still alive, yet you left your son under the care of strangers." He looks up as the old man crouches in front of him. "I just want to know the reason you decided to leave your son, and leave me hanging even when you're still here."

The old man looks defeated, and even though all he wants to do is get angry at the man, all he feels is pain and pity. Why is it so hard for him to hate the person that abandoned him years ago; what he feels like doing is to embrace the old man in his arms, shouting to him how much he misses him?

"Come inside first, it is too cold outside." the old man says. As he gazes upon the others idling behind, looking out of place, he almost exactly knows the reason why they had come looking for them. "You're not only looking for us, are you?" He takes Wooyoung's hands in his, asking him to stand up.

"You knew," Hongjoong says shortly. "You knew that we're going to come."

There is a silence as the old man takes a deep breath, sweeping his vision across the young men's faces.

"We expected you to, sooner or later." His eyebrows knit together as his forehead creases. "It must have started."