elpis. +seunghyun
Seunghyun brings another bite of food up to his lips, enjoying the smoothness of his tongue if not to distract himself, and sighs. Minwoo is a mess when it comes to cutlery, that much Seunghyun is certain of. At least he’s a cute mess, Seunghyun has to admit.
The prince pouts in the slightest when Minwoo rejects his offer of help, shoulders slumping in the bratty way that was most common when he was a child. “I try to be a good friend and you say no,” he sighs, teasingly smiling at the vampire. The smile on Minwoo’s lips is fake, forced, and Seunghyun has to keep himself from staring at the lips that had so readily been against his just moments beforehand.
It seems like the kiss had just happened, but at the same time it feels as if it were centuries ago. Maybe it was meant to happen forever ago, but Seunghyun knows better than to think thoughts like that. Thoughts like that are dangerous, and do him more harm than good.
He eats with a slight downturn of his lips, mood taking a turn for the worse, and occasionally sips at the drink set in front of him by one of the magical servers. In a way, being tended too reminds Seunghyun of court. The impending doom reminds him of court, too.
He doesn’t even blink when everything disappears, a fruit disappearing from his fingertips, and he sighs, leaning back and gazing towards Minwoo. “Your right,” he drawls, tired, “We should leave.”
He stands up, frown deeper with every movement of his body, and submits himself to the inevitability of whatever the hell his father has in store for them. He knows he won’t like it, but at this rate he knows he doesn’t have a choice. He never had a choice.
in a way, minwoo is somewhat relieved when the feast disappears. he no longer has to worry about his inadequacy when it comes to cutlery, nor about having to suffer loss of face. everyone will in here—the vampire is started to wonder whether this game is designed to do exactly that. perhaps it’s futile to struggle against it, perhaps there is no way he is going to win this game. but he will try valiantly anyway, and so no one can blame him.
but he’s not foolish enough to think that the maze will give them any respite. surely he has some sort of advantage over the humans—stronger, faster, more durable than their ragdoll bodies will ever be. but he’s a lazy predator, hunts with lust as a weapon; finds himself above clawing tooth and nail at his victims. a sophisticated killer, he thinks himself, but that will not help him in the bowels of this maze.
he wishes he were alone. where before, seunghyun’s presence was a comfort, it now reminded him of the faults in his code—this wasn’t meant to happen. that feeling had been familiar to him once upon a time perhaps, but now he doesn’t have any room left in that rotten core of his.
and the worst is that he knows that if something were to happen, he’d go back. he’d go back for seunghyun, and risk his immortal soul for him.
this is not who he is meant to be; he’s selfish, playing those around him for his own gain; wealth, entertainment, power. an ruthless predator, stalking between humans and naturals alike, taking what he wants with little care for others. and yet seunghyun—
he can’t voice any of this. doesn’t want to lose face to the faery he’s in l—he has feelings for.
so instead he takes a few steps, focuses on the sound of grass crunching underneath his shoes, the sweeping mist rolling over the field. wishes he could make out where to go, what’s close by; but he can only heart he panicked noises of the other pawns in this game. ❝where to go?❞ he wonders. ❝lead the way.❞

















