twenty one;

1529.11.7Wilderness South of Suwon, Korea

It was one hour until the ceremony. Zero had control at the moment, basking in what's left of the sun that began to set. Their parents had already decided that morning who would be appointed primary.        And to say the least, Hongjoong wasn't happy about it. 'It's going to be okay, we will get through this.' 'Easy for you to say. You aren't going to be the one that is forced to hide while I live our life.' 'Relax. Mom and dad wouldn't have chosen me if I wasn't the true night-walker.' 'I doubt that. They chose you because you're the favorite.' 'No. They chose me because I can lead. I can hunt. I act with my thoughts, not emotions. As father said; I'm level-headed.' 'That's it—you act. None of it's real, it's all a front. You're just afraid you'll disappoint father.' 'And you're not afraid at all to disappoint him.' Hongjoong placed an invisible barrier between himself and his other half—something that would soon be torn away from them once the ritual was over. This was their own sense of privacy from the other, a place where they can think without the other knowing what. He had to do something to stop this, otherwise he'll be cast to the side for the rest of his life. His only freedom being of a full moon, and maybe during heats. He will be second for everything, while Zero gets all the credit and attention. The unpredictability of their rare nature suddenly swapped the wolves control, Hongjoong now being control of the body. As if the gods were sending him a message. A message to stop it. He pulled himself from the ground. Half of an hour until the ritual. He was running out of time. Hongjoong took one look at the hill that led to their den before taking off in the opposite direction. 'What are you doing?' Zero's words rang in his ears, the wall set between them beginning to crumble slowly. 'Hongjoong, where are you going?!' Hongjoong raced to an area that is forbidden for them to wander. A field littered in tall stems showcasing dark purple blossoms. Wolfsbane. 'Are you crazy?! You're going to kill us!' 'One tiny little petal won't kill us.' Zero finally got a peek of what his counterpart was thinking. 'Hongjoong, you can't do this! Our parents picked me! You can't just change the ritual!' 'Then why are you so worried about what I'm doing? What else have you been hiding from me?' Zero scrambled to take over control while Hongjoong stood them inches from the 'death flower'. 'Joong, don't do this. Dont take this away from me.' Hongjoong grew angrier. 'What about me? You've taken everything from me! Our own brother likes you better!' 'Let me take over, or step away from the flowers.' Hongjoong wasn't letting Zero take over, no matter how hard the latter tried. 'Joong please!'

"I poisoned us with wolfsbane. It wasn't enough to make us heavily sick. Somehow.. it counteracts with the spell. Or the effect it has on us messes with it. But I was gambling at that point, I wasn't even sure if it would work in my favor. And it did.." Eunha was listening intently, all judgement pushed to the side while her mate came clean about a part of his past he never shared with anyone. "I lived my life as Zero. I never told anyone, and no matter how hard he tried to.. full moon's don't just let us talk sanely." Hongjoong couldn't bear to look her in the eyes, the shame he's carried all these years was the weight of a mountain. "I was so afraid to be left as a ghost, I was willing to let Zero be that ghost. And the worst part is... I don't regret it, Eunha." She didn't know what to say. She's never had to battle someone sharing the same mind and body. All she could do was listen and softly caress his hand. "I don't regret it one bit. And that makes me feel ashamed. I should regret it. It was rightfully Zero's life. I took it away because I'm selfish." Eunha reached to cup his cheek, raising his gaze to meet hers. "You were fifteen. Being selfish is being a child, because you were a child. It might not have been the moral decision, but for you—in that moment—it was the right decision." "Then why do I feel so guilty? Even after three-hundred years?" The corner of her mouthed twitched into a small smile. "Because you're human. Because you care." Her hand traveled to his hair, playing with the dark strands. "Because you're a good person, not a perfect one." Eunha sat up on her knees and crawled closer to him, almost curling up in his lap. "That was a tedious situation. Both of you had every right to want to be in control, to live a normal life—not watching as a bystander. You aren't a horrible person for wanting that, and Zero isn't either." "Zero joined Soojin because of me. He'd rather side with the person responsible for the death of our family, than side with me. And I completely understand why." Hongjoong tried to look away but she didn't let him.        "He has every right to be angry. But his actions as of lately are unacceptable. There has to be a reason he left. Something he was offered in return, because I don't believe he would go without some sort of deal. Which means he needs Zero just as much." He pushed his emotions to the side and listened to her, since she was the only one of them speaking logically. "Maybe he can't compel either of you because you're made from his blood. But having an insider gives him reliable information, unless Zero is playing mole."       "Unfortunately.. he's harbored a lot of hatred and jealousy towards me over the years. I don't think he's..." The hybrid trailed off, his confidence in the other was broken years ago. "But I'm still not sure what he has that Zero-"        Hongjoong's face fell before he could finish his sentence, only because he had answered his own question. "Joong? What is it?"        "It's not something he has right now, but what he would obtain with his help." Eunha still wasn't sure what the hybrid was referring to. "It's you, Eunha. If he helps Soojin, he gets you."