The cold wind bit at Dan-Bi's face as he stood amidst the chaos. His sword was drawn, but there were too many rebels, and his stamina was quickly waning.
He could feel the weight of their gazes, each one a silent challenge, but he had no choice but to fight. The sword in his hand felt heavier by the second, as though it were reminding him of the impossible odds he was facing.
But just as a rebel lunged forward, there was a sudden crash—a sharp, powerful clash of metal.
Dan-Bi's head snapped up in surprise.
A figure cloaked in black, their face hidden beneath a dark hood, moved like a shadow through the throng of rebels. His sword flashed in the moonlight, cutting through their ranks with ease.
In a few swift movements, the enemies around Dan-Bi were dispatched.
Before Dan-Bi could react, the figure was standing before him.
"Are you injured?" the figure asked, their voice low, but familiar.
Dan-Bi blinked. His heart skipped a beat.
It was him.
"Your Highness?" Dan-Bi gasped.
The Crown Prince stood before him, his eyes narrowed, face set in an unreadable expression.
"Don't just stand there like an idiot," the Prince muttered, grabbing Dan-Bi by the arm and pulling him to his feet. "We have to leave. Now."
Dan-Bi barely had time to register the situation before the Prince was dragging him away from the battleground, cutting through the chaos with an ease that left no doubt of his fighting ability.
Dan-Bi couldn't help but marvel. The Crown Prince, the man who had just ordered him to leave, was now actively saving him from the very danger he'd been sent into.
The Prince led him into the cover of a nearby forest, far enough away that the rebels couldn't track them. They stopped, catching their breath, the sound of heavy breathing mixing with the rustle of the wind in the trees.
Dan-Bi was still stunned. He wanted to argue—wanted to ask why the Prince was here, why he had disobeyed the King's orders. But the words didn't come.
The Prince, however, was sweating heavily, his usually perfect composure slipping for the first time.
"You should've stayed back," Dan-Bi said breathlessly, his voice hoarse from the battle. "This wasn't your fight."remember you sent me here?
The Prince shook his head, his usual confidence wavering for a split second.
"It is now."
Dan-Bi studied him carefully, his heart pounding.
"Why are you here?" Dan-Bi asked, his voice steady despite the chaos around them.
The Prince's expression softened for a fleeting moment. He looked at Dan-Bi as though something in his eyes had shifted, something he had tried to keep buried for a long time.
Before he could answer, a distant sound reached their ears.
More rebels.
"We need to go," the Prince ordered, urgency seeping into his tone once more. "Now."
The Prince and Dan-Bi found refuge in a nearby cave as the night deepened. Their breaths were heavy, and neither spoke as they caught their breath, the tension between them palpable.
Dan-Bi leaned against the wall, his hand resting on his sword, his thoughts racing. The Prince had saved his life. The Crown Prince—who had once treated him with little more than cold formality—had acted like a protector.
He had defied orders.
He had risked his life to save him.
Dan-Bi found himself unable to push away the conflict within himself. Was he only reacting to the situation? Or was there something more—something he couldn't understand?
The Prince, for his part, stood at the cave's entrance, gazing out into the night. His back was turned, but Dan-Bi could feel the weight of his presence.
"You're still here," the Prince said quietly, his voice low. "Why haven't you left?"
Dan-Bi blinked, caught off guard. He had been about to leave—he should've.
"I—" he hesitated, then spoke softly, "I think I owe you an answer."
The Prince turned, his eyes narrowing.
"You're welcome," he said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Dan-Bi's lips pressed into a thin line.
"I didn't ask for this," he said sharply, his voice laced with frustration. "I didn't ask for you to be here."
The tension in the air was thick.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then, as though caught in a moment of weakness, the Prince's gaze softened again.
For the first time, Dan-Bi saw vulnerability in his eyes.
"I couldn't just let you die out there," the Prince said quietly.
Dan-Bi's breath caught in his throat.
He wasn't sure if he could respond.
But before he could form words, the Prince closed the distance between them.
Without warning, the Prince leaned in.
Dan-Bi's eyes widened. He could feel the Prince's breath, warm against his skin.
There was no turning back.
But just as Dan-Bi opened his mouth to protest—
The Prince kissed him.
It was soft at first, tentative, but heated, a rush of emotions clashing together.
Dan-Bi's heart hammered in his chest as his thoughts scrambled. He wanted to pull away, to resist, but it was like the moment was too powerful, and his own body betrayed him.
He kissed the Prince back.
Dan-Bi woke in the cave, disoriented.
He sat up quickly, his mind racing.
What had happened?
Had it been a dream?
The memory of the Prince's touch, the kiss—they were still fresh in his mind, and his face flushed with the recollection.
He glanced to his side. The Prince lay there, eyes closed, a faint smile on his lips.
Dan-Bi swallowed hard.
This wasn't just some passing encounter.
It had changed things between them.
Now, he wasn't sure how to move forward.
But the Prince was already stirring.
He sat up slowly, stretching.
When his gaze met Dan-Bi's, there was a knowing look in his eyes.
"Are you ready to face the consequences?" he asked, his voice low.
Dan-Bi stood abruptly, brushing off the dirt from his clothes.
"We need to leave," he said quickly, avoiding the Prince's eyes.
He couldn't face this now.
Not yet.
Not until he understood what had just happened.