Caution!

The following contains dark themes. Self loathing and suicide are present in multiple chapters. This story gets lighter as it progress, but be advised that the beginning is rather dark.

Current chapter has depictions of Paranoia, implied child neglect and abuse, reference of torture, as well as psychological distress. Please be warned.
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A few weeks before Kim Lee Hyu woke up...

"Did you hear?"

"They say that the fourth prince is hurt"

"He's just looking for attention, I bet that in a day he'll just suddenly feel better"

The servants gossiped with one another, some even holding malicious smiles on their faces. It was horrendous behavior, insulting a child, a child who was deadly hurt, yet they insult him like it was nothing.

Sora is a patient man.

After all, being a priest required a lot of patience, especially when dealing with (shitty)nobles. He was patient even when others cursed at his face, yelling insult after insult, Sora would just smile. It almost seemed like nothing could break his peaceful tranquility. But Sora was never patient with people who harmed children.

He understood those who did it by accident, or those who were simply defending themselves. After all, many children could easily overpower normal commoners with just a little bit of mana training.

But anyone who willingly, knowingly, harmed a child? Sora might be a priest, but he isn't afraid to use the power of light and shove it down their miserable throats.

That said, the blond was barely tolerating a single person in this forsaken palace, if it can even be called that. Sure on the outside it was as magnificent and as luxurious as any other of the palaces, but the inside showed a different picture. It was better than anything a commoner could live in, but for nobility? For royalty? It was insultingly bare.

Where the rooms, the hallways even, of each wall in the other palaces were lined and decorated in gold, this palace had barely any. There seemed to be mold in certain corners, not too moldy thanks to a certain butler's hard work, but still moldy. It was called the Abandoned Palace for a reason after all.

The vases, although clean, look old in a second hand in a way. Everything seemed like it was just the extras of the other palaces. If not that, then it looked like it could be bought somewhere down the markets, not a single obviously valuable item in the line. Even the candles they used were something even a low ranking noble would use. Which was bullshit since Sora knows that royals are even more materialistic and would rather be caught dead than use such cheap materials.

It was such a hallowed palace, obviously abandoned.

Sora will give credit where credit is due, the head butler did a good job, and the place looked better than what he expected.

From what he's heard from other healers, deputy butler Diland has thankfully made the Opal Palace more livable, someplace a child could stay in without getting poisoned by mold or something.

It's a shame the only other sensible person in this place has only been recently added in here. They should have sent the butler to this place long before.

But the horrid state of the palace isn't what actually angers Sora, it's the neglect that the other servants have so obviously done. Sora isn't blind, he might not have the full picture, but even he could see that the only other servant who seems to give a damn about the literal dying child is the head butler.

It must have been the will of Kāin that had brought Sora so near the Opal Palace. That had made the priest get a false alarm and made him be in the royal castle that day.

Had he not been there, he isn't sure the youngest prince could have lived. Sora couldn't even do [Scan] due to the boy's ruined body. The priest needed to heal it until the prince was stable enough to be scanned. It was truly frustrating, how long it was taking for the boy to wake up, for the boy to heal, yet it was only expected.

Children often take longer to heal, their young bodies still too weak and unable to bare the weight of a blessing. Meaning, what should have taken only a few day, has been taking weeks to do.

Anyways, it's been a week since he first arrived, and Sora was barely keeping his mouth shut. The servants in this palace seem to be unable to hold their tongues. If he cut it off, maybe they'll shut up.

"The fourth prince is just a little attention seeker, he probably hurt himself so that people would pity him" a servant, a maid that strangely had a ruby headpiece said to her fellow maids.

Sora's patience was about to snap.

"Really, he should just do all of us a favor and die already" the ruby-wearing maid added, a malicious smile on her face.

Sora walked away, stomping through the halls with a purpose. Maids and butlers made way for him, wary of the blank expression on the normally smiling priest. The priest's blue eyes searched for his target, locking in once he found him. He walked to the butler, with hidden anger in his eyes.

"Father Sora, how may I help you-" the deputy butler started, only to be cut off by the angry blond.

"Deputy Diland, gather all of the servants. I must talk to them" Sora commanded, rage in his voice as his face scowled.

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"Good noon your highness, this one has prepared lunch for you" was the first thing Kim Lee Hyu heard when he woke up.

The white-haired boy turned to Diland, the butler bowing at him in greetings. Kim Lee Hyu held back a sigh, how annoying. The first thing he sees when he wakes up is that faker, it pisses him off. Green eyes turned to the rest of the servants behind the head butler before he nodded in acceptance.

Kim Lee Hyu watched as the servants carefully placed an overbed table, gently laying the food in front of him. The prince couldn't help the slightly confused look on his face. A green-looking soup, that smelled of herbs, a drink that looked brown, also smelling of herbs, and a couple of bananas. It looked like it was meant to help him heal.

He picked up the banana, inspecting it critically. There doesn't seem to be any discoloration, not even a bit of mold. Smelling it, there wasn't any foul odor. Kim Lee Hyu quickly did a [Scan], yet there didn't seem to be anything wrong with his food. How odd, they didn't serve him spoiled food this time around.

"Why are you helping me?" he couldn't help but ask, wary at the rather nutritious food.

Kim Lee Hyu isn't blind, he knows that as gross as the food might be, he needed to eat it. After all, his stomach was not used to eating after 13 days- actually, he doesn't know how many days he's avoided eating since he passed out so food that was nutritious but not that heavy was perfect for the current state of his body.

It's the perfect meal for a patient. But Kim Lee Hyu wasn't a patient, he is a prisoner. Meant to be tortured, and punished for his sins. Hmm, but then again, they did need him alive. If he died, his punishment would be over, his soul would be gone to oblivion.

'And your sure he'll go somewhere happy?' Alexander asked, emerald green eyes glossy with unshed tears.

'Of course, I can grant your wish all for the price of your soul' equally as green eyes replied, something mocking, something like scorn in the other's eyes.

Kim Lee Hyu knows that he'll be gone once he dies, no more reincarnation, no chance of revival. Obliterated for all of eternity. They need to keep him alive, no wonder they're treating his unhealthy body.

"-your highness has been in a coma for the past month, as such your body is not yet ready for any solid, or heavy food," Sora said, which made Kim Lee Hyu realize he hadn't been listening.

Hmm, so that was the (fake) priest's explanation. It makes perfect sense, after all, he's been asleep for-wait a minute-

"I've been what!?" Kim Lee Hyu yelped out in surprise, shock evident on his small face.

The white-haired boy couldn't help it, a month!? He's been sleeping for a month!? If he thought he had been wasting his time during his first thirteen days, he surely had no idea just how much time he could waste. But seriously, they let him sleep for that long without even a nightmare?

Then again, they were probably busy trying to fix the wreck he did with his body...

"But why would they take care of me for that long?" he muttered to himself out loud. The boy was thinking far too deeply to even realize he had said his thought out loud.

Kim Lee Hyu was so deep in thought, that he hadn't even noticed his servants' (+priest) expressions. If he did, he would have seen their shared looks of pity, and in the case of some, shame.

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Kim Lee Hyu was feeling utterly bewildered. The boy thinks he might even feel confused. His torturer seems to enjoy mockery, enjoying watching the shame in their victim's eyes. Cause what else is the reason why his torturer has been using the fake Diland to feed him food in his own bed?

"My apologies your highness, this is the last of your meal, I promise" Diland comforted him, yet he still held that damned spoon, filled with bland soup.

"Your highness this one knows that it tastes awful," Sora said beside the fake, trying to coax Kim Lee Hyu.

"However, please bare with it and soon you will be well enough to eat whatever you want" was the blond priest's promise, a comforting smile on his face.

Kim Lee Hyu sighed, begrudgingly eating the food. It wasn't that bad in all honesty, better than eating dirt out of desperation, but it wasn't that good either. That wasn't what was making Kim Lee Hyu feel so listless, no, food would never make him act like this. Instead, it was the strange scenario he seemed to have landed in. It's been some time since he's been imprisoned for his crimes.

The prince had learned from Sora after he stopped freaking out, that he was so injured that it had taken a month before he was stable enough that they could use [Scan] on him. That was also around the time he had first woken up. Kim Lee Hyu had mourned the lost time of his possible escape, yet eventually calmed down. Regrets do nothing, only action does. Ever since he woke up, he's been treated like a sickly patient.

They were treating him like he was fragile like at any moment he could break. He isn't even allowed to leave the bed without assistance!

Sure, Kim Lee Hyu knows that he has a deadly sickness that can't be cured, but that's old news. Besides, he has lived perfectly fine despite it, ironically dying before his sickness could even get to him. But that wasn't the weirdest part.

No, the weirdest part was the servants. They were being oddly nice! They haven't once looked at him with dismay, disgust, or even anger. Sure, he can still see flashes of those negative emotions from time to time, but it seems like they were actually hiding it this time around.

Not only that, they've been serving him properly, not a single poison attempt in sight, or even giving him moldy food. It was strange, and frankly, that only increased his paranoia.

While it was annoying that his sickness was revealed, this does mean that he didn't have to hide it anymore. Meaning that the servants have been washing him now that he had nothing to hide. Ugh, he doesn't want to remember how the servants treated him during that time.

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Kim Lee Hyu stood up, he was dirty and he wanted to take a bath. He was going to walk to his bathroom when Diland stopped him. The man suddenly rushed to his side, hovering close like he was prepared to catch the prince if he fell.

"Your highness, how can this one help you?" Diland asked with a smile, hands slowly but gently helping him from nearly stumbling over his own two feet.

"I'm going to take a bath" Kim Lee Hyu replied, lifting his head to look up at the butler. "Am I not allowed to?" he couldn't help but ask.

"I won't take a bath if I can't " he adds on, remembering to keep up the obedient act. Even added a little hesitant smile to really sell it.

Ah, maybe his torture doesn't want him to take a bath, he should have thought of this. However, Diland only shook his head.

"Your highness can take a bath anytime he wants, let this one prepare your bath for you," the fake said as Kim Lee Hyu let out a small ahh.

He once again forgot that his torturer is a roleplayer, a very serious roleplayer. Kim Lee Hyu nodded obediently, pointing at the bed to signal he wanted to sit while waiting. He didn't flinch (as badly) this time around, letting himself be picked up so he could sit on his bed.

The green-eyed boy watched as Diland commanded the servants to prepare the bathroom, finishing quickly. Once again, Kim Lee Hyu let himself be picked up by the imposter, who brought him to the washroom.

Kim Lee Hyu felt excited to take a bath, cause he honestly felt so dirty. He got in, happily sinking into the water, before realizing something that made him shocked.

The water they bathed him in was actually warm instead of the freezing cold water they would usually give him. What was this? Where is his ice-cold bath that usually left him freezing and in pain?

(His body hated the cold so much, forcing him to burn more, hurting him even more. It tried to help warm him up, but it just hurt him instead.)

Diland was nearby Kim Lee Hyu, watching over him so that he didn't get hurt.

"This one asks his highness if he would be alright with letting himself be washed by the other servants," Diland asked the boy. Kim Lee Hyu didn't say a word, still surprised, and only nodded his head.

If he thought the warm water was odd, then the servants' attitudes were even stranger. For some reason, they were oddly gentle with him. They haven't scrubbed him hard to the point that his skin began to bleed, they didn't just pour water without a care if he drowned. It was odd.

"His highness's skin is so smooth and soft, this one feels great full that his highness has let me wash him" a servant to his left, probably a teenager, gratefully told him.

"Of course, his highness has soft skin, the Gods must have blessed him with his ethereal beauty!" another complimented. Kim Lee Hyu only stared at them like they suddenly grew a second head.

"Please close your eyes, your highness, we will be pouring water to wash your hair," one of them said. Kim Lee Hyu didn't understand why everyone kept telling him what they were going to do before doing it.

Everyone was so weird.

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It really is just his luck that his torturer is a roleplayer, seriously. What was up with this pampering? Did they want to get Kim Lee Hyu to calm down? To stop being so annoying while they tortured him? Maybe this was all a plot to make him drop his guard. So that he'll stop being so vigilant so that the punishments they give him will hurt more.

Kim Lee Hyu didn't trust a single part of this farce. Didn't even bother hiding his distrust in their peculiar behavior. At least Sora, the caretaker (and observer) that his punishers have assigned, wasn't all too bad. Kim Lee Hyu had never met the priest before, so he was a new face whom the boy had no expectations of. That meant that he didn't feel weird due to the frank OOC behavior of everyone else.

The man was nice, nicer than anyone (who wasn't Diland) ever was in this life, so maybe that's what made him follow the other's instructions so easily.

Kim Lee Hyu sighed again, it was weird to say this but he's been feeling bored nowadays. After everything that's happened to him, the peaceful days have felt odd. Much like everything else has.

During these couple of days, he's wondered if he actually was in punishment. Sometimes he thinks that he had somehow returned to the past. But that was just wishful thinking, after all, they would never give him the chance to save his father from his fate.

Kim Lee Hyu knows that his life as Alexander Oriel is the most painful moment of both of his lifetimes. That the trauma he had from the world had never truly faded. It had taken so long (too long) to open his heart to his brothers, it took even longer after his parents had died. He knows that his heartaches haven't healed. That he wasn't perfectly okay. But his world, the world he worked so hard to save, was the world he had been the happiest.

Kim Lee Hyu wanted to go back to Earth, to his home country, to Korea.

To his family.

Yet he couldn't. He still hasn't made proper contact with his punishers or even found a way to communicate with his loved ones.

Ah, he shouldn't be thinking about this right now. He really should stop spiraling back to thoughts like these. Kim Lee Hyu had to focus. But how could he focus when his punishment was so boring? He sighed again. The boy can't seem to stop sighing, like how he can't help the distrust he feels. Green eyes continued to look around the room listlessly, looking lifeless.

"Well done your highness!" the priest suddenly said with a clap, snapping Kim Lee Hyu back to reality. In Diland's hand is the empty bowl, which once held the bland soup.

"This one apologizes, but his highness must now take his medicine," Sora said apologetically.

The blond was weird in that way, always telling Kim Lee Hyu what the priest was going to do. Almost like he was asking for the white-haired boy's consent. Which was stupid, since no one here would actually care enough to ask him that. Nonetheless, Kim Lee Hyu nodded and obediently drank the equally as bland medicine.

Life was really boring during peace.

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Fun fact, the name 'Kāin' for the God of Light and Life in this story is inspired by the Hawaiian God 'Kāne'.

I didn't want to use the actual name, since I felt like it would be disrespectful to add it, especially with the future plans I have involving the Gods ;)

Good news, I'm no longer grounded since I've been on such good behavior!!! Ren will take down the previous 'Notice' chapter. Ah, but some weeks I might not update (like last week) due to all my schoolwork ;(

College sucks ;(

Hi Ren here, finished editing this chapter since Alex was too lazy to finish it. Sorry if the chapter seems scatterbrained, neither of us is good at concentrating lmao :P

Timelines might seem wonky since other characters' POVs might be from the past. Only Kim Lee Hyu will have the nearly permanent present time frame.