CHAPTER 19
Everyone waited quietly as Sihyun guided Taeyang to sit down. The little boy hopped onto a cushion beside Muwon, swaying his legs cheerfully.
Then Sihyun clapped his hands once.
"Alright, now that everyone's acting like I called a funeral, let's calm down. I actually have a present for you all."
"Present?"
Dohyun blinked, looking at Taejin, who was equally confused.
"Wait—what?"
Taejin said.
"Did I hear that right?"
"A gift?"
Yuhyun raised a brow.
But Taeyang immediately beamed, tugging on Sihyun's sleeve.
"Dada! Me too?"
Sihyun chuckled, ruffling his hair.
"Of course, sunshine. You first."
From his robe, Sihyun pulled out a small cloth pouch and opened it, revealing six beautiful pendants—each one glowing faintly, their cores pulsing with a soft, gentle light. Gold and red intertwined within them like mist trapped in glass.
He held one up for everyone to see.
"I enchanted these with a single-use protection spell. Think of them as a magical get-out-of-death card. If you're ever in danger and I'm not there to save your dramatic behinds, this pendant will trigger and protect you."
Everyone stared, stunned.
Sihyun crouched beside Taeyang first and gently placed the pendant around his neck.
"There we go. One special shield for my little prince."
Taeyang smiled proudly and patted the pendant.
"It's warm."
"It'll keep you safe. Only once,"
Sihyun said softly.
Then he turned to the others and tossed one pendant to each of them.
"You all better wear it. No stuffing it in your pockets or using it to bribe someone."
Dohyun examined his pendant, impressed.
"You actually made these?"
"With my magic,"
Sihyun replied dryly. "Shocking, I know. Turns out I'm talented."
Taejin whistled.
"So what triggers the magic?"
"If someone attacks you with the intent to kill, the magic activates,"
Sihyun explained.
"But it only works once. Don't waste it trying to save a broken teacup."
Yuhyun looked down at his own pendant, then back at his brother.
"Why are you doing this?"
Sihyun met his eyes and shrugged.
"Because I can't be everywhere at once. And let's face it, you lot attract trouble like flies to honey."
His voice dipped for a second, sincere.
"Just… take it. You can thank me when it saves your life."
The room went silent for a beat, all of them clearly touched by the gesture even if Sihyun had delivered it with his usual sass.
Taejin cleared his throat.
"Uh… that's five pendants. Who's the sixth one for?"
Sihyun smirked.
"The king."
Everyone blinked again.
Dohyun leaned forward.
"The king? As in… the one who wants you chained half the time?"
"Yep."
Sihyun's expression was unreadable.
"He may be a paranoid bastard, but he's still Muwon's father. And Taeyang's grandfather."
Muwon looked at him, heart stirring.
"You really thought of everyone…"
Sihyun glanced away, muttering,
"Don't make it weird."
Yuhyun smiled faintly.
"You're so soft it's disgusting."
"I'll curse you."
"Please try."
Everyone chuckled, the tension finally easing in the room as they admired their pendants—each one a silent promise that Sihyun would still protect them… even from afar.
The royal hall was quiet that morning, bathed in filtered sunlight. Guards lined the sides as Sihyun entered, steps measured, robe trailing softly behind him. The king sat on his elevated throne, watching him with unreadable eyes.
Sihyun stopped a respectful distance away, then gave a short, rigid bow—nothing too deep, but not rude either.
"Your Majesty,"
he began, voice clear,
"I came to give you something."
The king raised a brow.
"Oh? A gift from the Demon Sorcerer?"
Without hesitation, Sihyun brought out the last pendant—the final one from his set.
"It's enchanted. Holds protective magic that'll activate if your life is in danger. It only works once, but it will act faster than any sword or shield."
The king studied the pendant as Sihyun stepped forward and placed it gently on a cushion offered by one of the servants.
"You trust me enough to give me this?"
the king asked, tone neutral but laced with a hint of curiosity.
Sihyun met his gaze coolly.
"I didn't say I trusted you. I said I'm giving this to you. There's a difference."
A faint twitch of a smirk touched the king's lips.
"You speak with no fear. You always have."
"I've lived with worse,"
Sihyun replied simply.
The king leaned back in his seat.
"Still, I accept it. And I thank you… for the gesture. But you must understand—this palace is not in danger, unless you break your promise and attempt to harm this kingdom again."
Sihyun didn't flinch, nor did he look offended. Instead, he just tilted his head slightly, expression unreadable.
"I haven't forgotten my promise, and I'm not interested in reminding you what I'm capable of. The pendant is yours. Do what you want with it."
Silence fell between them. The air carried a mutual, unspoken agreement—wary peace.
After a moment, Sihyun bowed again, this time even shorter than before.
"Good day, Your Majesty,"
he said, then turned and walked away, his presence fading down the long corridor without another word.
The King sat in silence, gazing at the softly glowing pendant. He murmured to himself,
"Such fire… I only hope it stays burning for the right reasons."
The king remained seated, eyes still fixed on the enchanted pendant left by Sihyun, when the heavy doors to the hall burst open.
The five royal elders entered in haste, their robes whispering against the marble floor as they bowed in unison. "Your Majesty,"
elder Baekjin said urgently,
"a royal shaman has come seeking an audience. He says the message is urgent."
The king's brows drew together.
"Send him in."
Moments later, the shaman entered, his white garments billowing slightly as he moved. His face was weathered, marked by years of divination and sacrifice. He bowed deeply before lifting his gaze.
"I bring a vision, Your Majesty. One I could not ignore."
The hall fell completely silent. Even the guards seemed to stop breathing.
"Speak,"
the king ordered, rising slowly from his throne.
The shaman nodded.
"I have seen the future… The kingdom—your kingdom—will soon fall into chaos. The sky will turn red, the rivers will dry, and blood will touch even the palace steps."
Gasps echoed from the elders.
The king's voice sharpened.
"Who is the cause of this? What leads us to destruction?"
But the shaman shook his head, distressed.
"That… I cannot see. The vision ends at a wall—dark and heavy. I can go no further."
The king's grip tightened on the arm of his
throne.
"Why?"
The shaman's eyes darkened.
"Because a Demon Sorcerer resides within your walls. Their presence clouds all vision. I cannot pierce the veil they cast."
The weight of those words made the hall grow colder. The king's body tensed, and his breath left in a quiet, trembled sigh.
"You're dismissed,"
he said, voice tight.
The shaman bowed again and exited slowly.
The moment the door closed behind him, the elders began murmuring anxiously.
"This must be about him,"
Elder lady Miran said grimly.
"He's already showing signs. The prophecy warned us,"
High priest Sangwook added.
"We must act now, Your Majesty. Before it's too late."
Elder Gunho said.
The king did not speak. His gaze dropped back to the glowing pendant left behind by Sihyun. The very same Demon Sorcerer now being spoken of as the kingdom's doom.
He clenched his jaw.
"Summon Prince Muwon,"
he ordered coldly.
A guard immediately saluted and ran out.
As the king stood silently, the elders watched him expectantly, sensing that the balance was beginning to tip. The only question was—toward salvation… or ruin.