Act. 8 | Stray Kids Imagines

[always find you]

[From the world of 'Clover Prince'.]

Hyunjin didn't know what made him do it, but he let his heart overpower his mind, which was screaming at him to go back to the burning palace. Back to you.

Panic had taken hold of his heart, mind, and soul, and he'd long forgotten how to breathe as he searched for your white cloak amid the chaos. It was his fault. He knew this would happen. A year of peace was all it took, but it was bound to occur. After all, Chansung would not stay true to the treaty signed between them.

He knew that, yet he failed to act sooner. And for that, he blamed himself.

Guilt that was a mere shower became a raging hailstorm when he finally spotted your figure, leaning on Minho for support. The sight made the world around him, with all its mayhem, nullify into silence.

Of course, Minho would find you first. He should've been grateful for the head of the guard, but he only felt a searing pain in his heart.

He couldn't even be there to help you.

In a fit of muddled emotions, he reared his horse and sent it sprinting into the shadowy woods. Deaf to Minho's calls, he only wanted to get away from it all — from the relentless reminders of the disappointment he was. He wanted to get lost, perhaps it would ease the ache in his heart for hurting you.

So, he wandered around the forest until his horse gave out and the sun bid the world goodnight, only to dismount and stare glumly at the nonchalant moon.

Frustration surged through his blood and he cursed loudly, kicking some fallen sticks and watching them scatter. The night veiled his outburst, which he let the trees and the ground be the victims of.

As if he wasn't going through enough, Hyunjin felt something warm and thin slip from his fingers and his eyes widened instantly. He didn't have to look at his hand to know that his fourth finger became empty.

"No!" He gasped and dropped to his knees, patting the ground to find his ring. "No, no, no, please!"

The weak moonlight was doing the merest to help him, and his vision seemed to be as fuzzy as his thoughts. His frustration became a hot stream of tears, rolling down his cheeks generously as he cursed his fate. After a while of a fruitless search, Hyunjin slumped against a tree, weakly hitting its bark with a loose fist as he let himself drown in his sorrows.

Not only was he a failure of a prince, but a husband too. Oh, how he wished the earth would drag him under right then.

"Hyunjin?"

His breath hitched. Hearing that voice was like clarity amid the chaos. A hand pulling him out of the water. He sniffled but said nothing.

You stepped toward him carefully, catching a glint of metal amongst the grass and crouching to pick up his ring. "Did you drop this?"

You didn't hear an answer from Hyunjin as you came to sit before him. You were utterly confused as to why he was out there on his own but guessing from his tear-streaked cheeks, it was a serious matter.

Gently, you took his hand in yours and slipped the ring onto his finger, not failing to notice the small scratches strewn over his skin. More worries began nipping at your heart.

Hyunjin was avoiding your gaze, occasionally sniffling as he stared at the dry blades of grass. You sighed. "We've been looking for you."

The truth is, Hyunjin couldn't bring himself to look at you. As much as he wanted to. He felt like a child. Shame plagued his mind. How could he dare to face you after all he'd done?