Tainted Fate (Chanjin/Hyunchan)

Chapter 54

The older's voice though stern, his lips held a smile gentle smile for his mate. It calmed Hyunjin down, almost magically. Well, it was truely magical how Chan always saw right through him. Sometimes, Hyunjin even questioned if the older could read his mind.

Hyunjin returned his smile.

"Priest Hwa, you seem disturbed. What is it? Our kids said that everything is in our favor. There is nothing to worry about right?"

The soulmates turned their attention to the High Priest who stood in front of the royals, his eyes closed, brow furrowed and cane softly but repeatedly tapping on the ground.

Everyone held their breaths as they waited for him to respond to King Jinyoung's query.

And when he finally did, Hyunjin felt his breath snatched away from him in horror.

"The outcome of wars and the alignment of starts can never be predicted beforehand my child. Time is in no one's favor. It is as fickle as waves. It might disappear into harmless ripples and soon get forgotten, or it may rise into tsunamis to become the symbol of ruination. And I am afraid this time the waves might bring destruction yet again. For the darkest hour has returned."

"Destruction...darkest hour? What do you mean?" Changbin questioned in utter worry.

"History shall repeat itself." The High Priest finally opened his eyes, and his eyes held the truth of every word he spoke.

"Priest Hwa Ro we don't understand. We are prepared, so...all of sudden-"

"No preparation can stand against Fate Minlee. Destiny has once again designed for the evil to turn the blessing of our Goddess into blood. And with that blood the moon shall be tainted red again."

"Blood moon." The words slip out of Hyunjin's quivering lips in a whisper, as he clenched his fingers tighter around Chan's hand.

"But the red Moon is not supposed to appear in at least a few more months! How is this possible?" Jisung exclaimed.

"The evil always finds a way to twist the course of fate my dear. The red moon wasn't supposed to appear 9 years ago as well. Your parents must have told you about the Kangs utilising some dark ancient scriptures to bring about the bloody hour before its time on that ill-fated night?"

"Yes we are aware about that. But what is hidden within those scriptures that has power even against the Moon Goddess?" Chan asked.

"We all are the Goddess's children. She loves us all dearly and our souls make up particles of her divine light. And when hundreds of her beloved children are put through great suffering, the shine of that light diminshes and looses its strength as well. Those scriptures, written within its dark pages are the words that state that the evil who brings about darkness on its own kind, that not only surpasses cruetly but redefines it, shall taint his own eyes cunning, vicious green and taint the beauty of the moon red with the blood of her own children. The Empire of the Kangs have always been ruled by tyrants. Their people had always been their slaves not citizens. And with the voices of their victims silenced, their crime had been hidden from the rest of the world for many years until recently. The ruthless killings of their own people preformed by the Kang King then and the Kang prince now is all a part of their wicked ploy." Priest Hwa Ro explained.

"When...when will the b-blood moon strike?" Hyunjin finally spoke through the shakiness evident in his voice.

"Tonight." The Priest replied.

Suddenly, the door of the court room burst open making everyone turn around in surprise.

A young man with crumpled uniform and dirt covered face stood at the entrace, his hand clutching onto the door knob as his chest heaved as if struggling to intake air. He attire gave away the fact that he was neither a guard or soldier nor a servant.