Nyx || ATEEZ OT8

29| The truth is yours to tell

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3,300 words

𝐒𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚

The air in the room shifted as if a cold wind enveloped around his shoulders where he was resting his head on the bed. It had him flutter his eyes open as he carefully moved his hand that was holding around the fairie prince's with a comfortable heat. He slowly lifted his head from the soft surface.

But Seonghwa did not turn to look at the woman standing just behind him.

"Such a clever boy," she purred, but to Seonghwa it sounded more like mocking.

He listened to the sound of scraping furniture across the floor before she supposedly sat down.

"I know you have my tears kept somewhere hidden among all your magical objects and potions. Do not try to fool me. Why did you not use them then if you knew they would help?" the phoenix asked bitterly.

So tart, it made Emma sigh almost dolorously. It might be reasoned the weariness of keeping 8 deadly princes within the same castle, but to Seonghwa it seemed more fitting as to be of how no one was following her evil plans.

Although, her answer to him was short, "I simply did not think of the same solution as you, Seonghwa."

The phoenix twisted his body around with angry eyes staring right down at where she was sitting, "You're lying," he said matter of factly as he still remained his own pridous posture, "Have you been looking into the future again? You knew that I eventually would figure out to use my own tears to heal him."

His words had her quiet. Well-known eyes stared up at him and for a moment Seonghwa felt as if he was looking at someone else.

Seonghwa pursed his lips and pushed the weird feelings out of his head, "Why do you want us alive? What can possibly be so important that you would rather none of us die? I know you are no stranger playing with death."

Emma's eyes followed the movement of his own sight fleetingly trailing across prince Yeosang's body before returning to the sorceress again. Her expression did not change when her lips started moving with unsettling information: "The eight of you have been chosen to make a change in the world."

A second of silence passed before Seonghwa let out a mockery of a laugh, unbelieving of whatever nonsense she was pulling at him, "But you cannot tell us what it is you want us to do? Do you not realise this is madness?! Keeping us from knowing what exactly you want from us but still locking us up inside those grandiose walls. We will never get to the same terms when we are this different - if that is even the purpose of all this! We are nothing but danger to each other and if I must be truly honest with you, that should by far be proved now," his chest heaved and sank as he pulled on the air, "So what is it that you want from us - that you so- so desperately want us all alive for? We might all die before we do what pleases you."

"I..I cannot tell you, Seonghwa. The purpose of this will not come to happen if I tell you the solution. Please believe me just once."

Her fingers clutched the fabrics of her deep green dress and Seonghwa might have trusted her on this if it had not been for Yeosang still laying there in pure agony.

"I can't believe you," Seonghwa growled as he inched closer to Emma, "Yeosang had nearly died- is still growing weaker every passing second. He has to get out of this castle; you must undo the spell!" The prince pierced her eyes, "If you truly want us all alive then you have to break the curse before it will be too late."

"Or.." she started, leaning in closer herself, "You could feed him enough of your tears to keep him alive, hm?"

Seonghwa's gaze fell down onto the pointer finger tapping his chest before he raised it to meet the cunning smirk growing on Emma's face.