Swan Lake {skz fanfic}

chapter nine • miroh I

" 𝕋𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕒𝕪 𝕓𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟. 𝕋𝕠 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕. "

{- ???

The group had finally finished preparations and it was the night they'd be sneaking into the kingdom with the help of some of Hyunjin's friends. As they approached the first gate, all was well, climbing in through a low window and avoiding the guards before sneaking to the back of the first house. Hyunjin double checked everyone had followed before turning to knock in the code he was told to. Immediately, the door opened, Minho being the last to pile in. A single candle illuminated an unfamiliar face and Hyunjin's as they muttered to each other and graciously greeted each other. Keeping his voice low, Hyunjin then turned back to everyone else and saying a few things that Minho wasn't quite paying attention to. Eventually, they all turned in for the night after Chan sent a message to his friend in the castle. They'd be hiding out for the day before the second night where they'd sneak into the knights quarters through a passage not too far from Jeongin's home.

The morning and afternoon went by with no issues, however, the evening was a different story. Someone aggressively began to bang on Jeongin's door and wouldn't let up until Jeongin answered. When Jeongin answered the door, it was a pair of guards with expressionless faces. Minho and the others hid in the other room, listening closely. "Jeongin. We know you have Hyunjin and other refugees in your home." One guard said. Minho physically tensed before he and the others decided to make a break for it through the side door. They were unfortunately intersected however, as there were five more guards outside the side door, waiting for them. They were trapped and someone had snitched them out. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The eldest man spoke, baring the insignia of captain, but Minho felt sick just by looking at his sinister and twisted smile. Hyunjin carefully handed the bag that Felix was in to Han, before smiling challengingly at the man, one hand on his scabbard and the other calmly on his hip. 

"Try me, I dare you." To which the Captain took in stride as he charged forward, but instead of charging at Hyunjin, the Captain dodged him and went for Han. Before Minho could do anything, Han was down, a slash straight through the heart. This in turn initiated fighting all around as Jeongin had joined the fight to assist Chan and Hyunjin. Minho couldn't see Seungmin, his eyes were too full of tears, but he heard his voice clear as day. "He used Goblin's steel! I-I can't heal it!" Minho's heart felt as if it had ruptured in his chest. Han was barely holding on, his skin had gone pale and his eyes slowly starting to fall closed. Minho pulled the man into his arms immediately, tears never once subsiding. "J-Jisung." Minho was barely able to utter through his sobs. Han didn't say a word, instead he smiled and weakly placed a hand on Minho's cheek. "Please J-Jisung, you- you can't die, I-I can't lose you, not when I just found you!" Han still didn't say anything, but Minho continued to hold him until his last breath, his tears growing heavier by the minute.

"Jisung, no, I can't- I didn't even get to tell you-"

It's all your fault. You killed him. You did this to yourself. 

You did this to yourself.

***

Minho woke abruptly from his nightmarish slumber, his face still wet with tears.  It was three days before the groups preparations would be well planned enough to sneak into the kingdom. They still needed to confirm with Hyunjin's friend from the inside, since Chan's friend had already responded. It was three days before the day that seemed to be stressing Minho out the most and his dream had only made it worse. Minho was struggling to wrap his head around one singular thought. The past week since Hyunjin had been healed, there's been tension between Chan and Seungmin, lots of training, and a lot of full force planning so that they were thorough. Ofcourse they had many backup plans for situations like the one Minho had dreamed about, but he still felt an excessive amount of dread because it involved ... Han. At the thought of the other, Minho immediately climbed out of the spare cot he'd been lent, glancing over to see Chan sleeping on a chair in the corner and Felix sitting just outside the door, staring out into the snowy night. Minho sighed, used to seeing his brother awake at night, as it was the only time he was really allowed to feel like himself.