A Ghost's Wish [MxM]

57. A Monster

Yonsu's lips split into a grin, and he laughed. "Gods... I had feared it was a nightmare. But you do remember... so it must be real. It must be true. I held the pieces in my hands."

He looked down at his bloodied hands, then flicked his eyes up, focusing on Draco. "Do you remember as well?"

Oliver and Draco remained quiet, watching him unravel.

Yonsu snickered and ran his bloodied hand over his face. "I thought I was doomed when the fires consumed me. But when I opened my eyes again, I found that I had returned to a world where magic was stronger than before. I thought my wish had come true. But things are skewing out of my control, and you are the vortex of that change."

Yonsu cocked his head. "You two have meddled incessantly.. changing half-remembered things. Lately, I feel like I'm constantly looking into a splintered mirror. Glimpses of clarity between a mass of distorted cracks... I thought my wish had come true. But I think I understand now." 

He snapped his head straight again. "You stole my wish."

Oliver felt Yonsu's killing intent, and it was saturated in madness. Different from before... as if his mental stability had deteriorated over time. 

Oliver's arms were bleeding from his last attack. He didn't have the energy to fight, but he didn't let Yonsu see. He lowered his stance, ready to defend. 

 "You're the one who had the shards, not me," Oliver said.

"If my wish were granted, I would be sitting on a throne with unimaginable power."

Oliver sneered. "Maybe you were unworthy of making a wish."

Yonsu shook. "It was you. I spent decades preparing for it, throwing the continent into war to find the pieces... but you stole it." 

He paced a little and yelled, his eyes reddened with anger. "You dare steal from me when I offered you a fair deal!?"

"Deal? My death in exchange for a half-cocked promise not to harm the other kingdoms? That's not much of an offer, Ravager." Oliver's voice was low.

Draco turned toward Oliver with a complicated expression. "What are you talking about?"

"Does your lover not know of your great noble sacrifice?" Yonsu sneered and then addressed Draco. "I wanted power, and he feared the repercussions on you and the other kingdoms."

Oliver clenched his fists but did not respond.

"If he dies the way I choose, then I will take over Bierze and leave the other three kingdoms alone," Yonsu explained.

Draco turned a dark look toward Oliver. "And you believed him?"

"I didn't believe he could grant peace... but I did believe that he could have torn the continent to shreds. I took a risk and prayed for the best possible outcome for you." Oliver said quietly. 

Draco turned a growl toward Yonsu. He leaped forward with his claws and raked them over Yonsu's cheek. Yonsu cried out and jumped back to avoid Draco's second attack. 

He glared at Draco as he held his cheek. "Out of everything shifting in my mind, you have caused me the most... confusion. The dragons were extinguished... the last of the dragon line died in the Rucrean raid. I killed him myself."

He then snarled at Oliver. "But you knew a Lyrell still lived! Another red-eyed beast was storming the battlefield, and you never told me about his existence! You led me to believe I killed all of the dragons."

"Like I would tell a monster like you about Draco." Oliver laughed coldly as he picked up the discarded spear. 

Yonsu looked between the two men and cackled. "Monster? Me?" Yonsu stepped back a little further and grinned at Draco. "I am simply a King yearning for power to help my people overthrow their oppressors. In my eyes, the bloodthirsty ghost and the mad Dragon King are the true horrors of the world."