Sacrifice

Chapter 14 : Dear Friend

You poke your head inside the room to find a large empty space. It's evident this room was saved for galas and dances because there isn't much in it to begin with. The main floor is almost unscratched, its dark oak wooden panels placed intricately in a herringbone pattern. The walls are rather bare, but there isn't much need for decorative items. There are intricate gold detailings hand-painted onto the smooth surfaces, curling into delicate swirls and flowers, almost as if the lines were dancing gracefully with each other. The room is easily spacious enough to accommodate hundreds of people dancing around freely.

"Did you and other princes ever attend an event in here?" you ask curiously, trying to imagine what this room would have looked like in its liveliest state.

"Once," Heeseung nods, smiling softly as he recalls the distant memory. "It was such a pleasant night – all laughs and smiles. I can't even remember half the people I talked to because there were so many guests. But it was fun meeting everyone and dancing the night away with the other princes."

"That sounds like a wonderful time," you smile up at the prince as he begins to lead you out of the ballroom and down another corridor to what you presume will be the library.

"Although, if you ask the other princes, they might have some different stories to tell," Heeseung adds thoughtfully after a moment of silence, glancing down at you to crack a playful smile.

"What do you mean?" you ask and the prince simply chuckles to himself.

"There might have been some alcohol involved that night. But I'm not one to hold alcohol well so I think the night might have been over-glorified in my perspective."

"Really? I didn't peg you as a lightweight," you giggle.

"I bet you also didn't peg Sunoo as the prince who holds his alcohol the best," Heeseung hums.

"No, I did not," you muse.

This time, as Heeseung leads you to the back of the main building and stops in front of another pair of double doors, there's a gut-wrenching feeling gnawing from within you. The doors themselves are made of the same oak material as all the other doors, but somehow, in your eyes, they look darker and heavier.

"Something doesn't feel right with this room, Heeseung," you whisper hesitantly, reaching a hand out to trace one of the door's handles.

"You feel it too?" he hums before placing his hand atop yours. You nod, looking up to meet the prince's worried gaze. He takes a moment to scan both of your eyes and frowns when he sees the negative emotions swirling around in your irises. Heeseung wishes nothing more than to lean down to kiss away all your stresses, but he can't bring himself to do so when he's certain his expression mirrors yours. "Well, there's only one way to find out," he sighs before finally giving the handle a gentle push.

The innards of the handle click sharply before the door creaks with a long groan, pushing open slowly to reveal the interior of the library. In any other circumstance, you would have marveled at the impressive size of this library. But your gaze instantly scans the room and picks up on the rows and rows of empty bookshelves.

"All of the books are gone," Heeseung murmurs in disbelief. The prince rushes into the room and walks down the endless rows, scanning the shelves desperately in hopes of finding at least one remaining book. But the small sliver of hope in his gut gives out the further he walks.

You, on the other hand, venture hesitantly toward the center of the vast library. It was briefly concealed from the room's entrance, but you can tell judging by the tops of the bookshelves and how they're positioned, that there's a large opening at the middle of the room. Perhaps it was a designated reading and studying area for anyone who wanted to use the library's space. But the sight that greets you at the opening is not something you were expecting.