The Black Prince & The White Prince

Black Dungeon

*Fair warning that torture is part of the theme of the few chapters ahead for Baekho so if you don't want to read our baby tiger being tortured, please skip ahead, thank you*

###

A sudden wet sensation stirred Baekho's senses awake. It made him cough and choke as it came unexpected in his unconsciousness. He couldn't open his eyes, feeling some sort of fabric over them but at least he could feel himself breathing. He tried to move but felt his movements were restricted. He was on his knees with his arms apart being held up by chains. He wheezed and felt shivers running down his pained body as he realised he was shirtless. His body felt tired and heavy but his mind was awake now. The only place that actually felt sore was the back of his neck. He could remember what happened.

He had passed out right before the sword was brought down to his chest. He wasn't sure how he was still alive and why wasn't he killed but somehow the situation felt familiar to him. He heard footsteps accompanied with a metallic noise dropping onto the ground. He gulped, unsure whether to talk or stay quiet. The footsteps came closer and he felt skin against his chin, dragging it's nails along it as it let go again.

"You sure are damn lucky," he heard a female voice said. It was familiar but he felt as though he hadn't heard it enough to know whose voice it was. He just had a feeling he heard it before. "To think the sword would hit a freaking watch instead of you. I thought things like that only happens in movies and books."

Watch? He tried to search his memories for any watch in particular until he recalled. He had put on the pocket watch that the maid handed to him since it was from Minhyun. It was within his armor after all and in fact, he could feel the weight of it from his neck now. He felt a finger dug against his skin and pulled the fabric away from his eyes. He frowned at the sudden brightness stabbing at his eyes but peeked them open slowly. The place he was in wasn't the brightest either so it didn't take him long to adjust. He could clearly tell he was in some sort of dungeon torture chamber place.

"Eyes up here. Remember me?" He heard the voice again and whipped his head up to see a lady standing ahead of him. It took awhile to recognize her but the smirk on her face wasn't easy to forget. After all, it was one of the last things he saw before passing out.

"You... What's going on?" He finally found his voice to ask. The lady chuckled and shrugged.

"What, you ask? You see, after my father tried to kill you and fail because of that stupid watch, he decided to bring you back. So, congratulations to you. You're officially the king's play toy," She said with a mocking tone and a sinister laugh to boot. Baekho gulped, unsure if this situation was closer to being brought back by Minhyun or being kidnapped by Ren. Either ways, he didn't like the turnout. He thought he was dead. At least, he should have been.

"Where's Minhyun?" He asked, trying to ignore whatever the lady had said before. She was annoyed, of course, that he was ignoring her and asking questions.

"My brother. Is dead," She said coldly, walking up to him. She squatted down to his eye level, glaring into his eyes.

"No. He's not. He can't be," Baekho stuttered, feeling the cold seeped into his bones. He tugged at the chains, making rattling noises. "He's not dead! He's not!" She slapped him. Hard. He gasped as his head turned with the impact.

"Accept it and maybe you'll find your time here much easier to bare with. After all, the one who is going to torture you isn't me. You should be proud. Being able to get all the attention from the king himself." Her cold face turned even colder as her smirk crept up again. Baekho couldn't look her in the eye and could only feel his body shaking out of denial. There was no way Minhyun was dead. No way. He didn't want to believe it. She sighed and stood up. "I don't really care whether you believe it or not. Just know you're never going to be able to go back to your old life."

She walked out from the dungeon, leaving him alone to cry at the sound of his heartbreak. He shook his head and mumbled to himself, denying the fact that Minhyun was dead but he could remember the coldness of the other's body. The way it went limp. Everything in that moment replayed in his head and he cried his heart out.

"I love you." He could still hear Minhyun's voice and confession.

"No. You idiot. Why did you leave me? Why did you have to tell me that then?" He sobbed and struggled, feeling his chest weigh down on his body. He didn't know how he was going to live on, knowing the other was gone. He had nothing left. Nothing to hold onto.

The door opened again and the king walked in. Baekho didn't even bother looking up. He didn't even feel alive anymore. He should have just died then. He wouldn't have had to suffer like this. He would have been with Minhyun. Together in heaven or hell. Anything was better than this because this... this was worse than hell.

"What a disappointment," the king said as he dragged a chair and placed it in front of Baekho. He took a seat and used his foot to push his head up. Baekho's face was a mess with tears and snot. "What ever did you see in that child of mine, I wonder."

"You'll never understand! I love him more than you ever did and will," Baekho cried, trying to scowl but he couldn't stop the sadness that tugged at every inch of his soul. He couldn't care more or less that he was talking to a king now.

The king didn't say anything but he swung his foot, giving Baekho a sharp kick on the jaw.