As he grew older, the only significant discovery he made was that certain people, or perhaps one individual in particular from their era, were helping them. They were all powerful, influential alphas, although their real gender was strictly hidden. It's possible they were connected to our kingdom, but that was as far as he could get. Despite his efforts to uncover more, he found nothing beyond this. It felt like a miracle that he even uncovered this much information.
By the time he turned 20, it was time for him to pursue higher education. He initially enrolled at a university in his kingdom for his bachelor's studies. However, his parents had different priorities for him.
The plans were in full motion for his twentieth birthday, which marked the official coming of age for the second prince of Alyssum. This was an especially exciting, possibly dramatic occasion, considering his well-known penchant for the ostentatious. The vast hall of the palace, which had been decorated for the event, was humming with bustle. Glistening golden drapes fluttered from the tall windows, catching the light from the crystal chandeliers. In a flurry of activity, attendants made sure that every last detail was taken care of. Their tense expressions revealed how much strain they were under, one minor slip-up could spell disaster because perfection was required.
By his side was Jake, his childhood friend. They had grown up together, nearly inseparable. Despite his infuriating habit of being a constant annoyance, he remained Jihoon's closest friend the only one who knew all his darkest secrets. Admittedly, some of those secrets were rather... unsavory, but we'll leave that for another time.
"Seriously, why do I have to be here? It's your birthday party, not mine, yet here I am, stuck with you," Jake whined, shaking his head like a sulking three-year-old who just had his candy stolen.
"Shut up and stop whining before I lose my patience and castrate you in front of everyone," Jihoon snapped, already fed up with his endless complaints. Jake had his coming-of-age ceremony two months ago, and it's not like he wasn't just as annoying then. He was just taking a little revenge—he was a complete nuisance back then, and nothing seems to have changed.
Jake's eyes widened in mock horror, and he quickly covered his crotch as if to shield it. "H-how cruel! How can you even think about killing my future offspring?" Here we go again. The drama was about to begin.
And so he began to ramble on about how inhumane and cruel it would be for Jihoon to "destroy his legacy," lamenting the loss of something he's far too proud of though we all know exactly what he's referring to. Jihoon rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore his annoying existence as best as he could. No one in the room paid them any attention; they were used to their antics by now. Besides, it's not like they could say anything. After all, he was the prince of Alyssum, and Jake, being the son of the kingdom's minister, holds a status second only to the royal family.
With his father as the kingdom's second-in-command, Jake and Jihoon naturally grew up close, inseparable, and used to being together in moments like these—whether they wanted to be or not.
"Your Highness!" A maid rushed over to them, her voice urgent. "The King and the Minister have requested your and his lord presence immediately."
Jake and Jihoon exchanged a quick, confused glance. It was unusual for them to be summoned like this. A silent question passed between them .... had one of them done something to cause trouble? But from the looks of it, that wasn't the case.
"Alright," He replied, his tone measured. "We'll see the King and the Minister. You handle things here," Jihoon instructed, nodding toward the preparations. She quickly acknowledged the command with a nod before Jake and Jihoon made their way toward the King's office.
Jihoon couldn't help but feel a knot of unease tightening in his stomach, and he could tell Jake wasn't much better off. He was never good at hiding his nerves. As they walked, he nudged him from the side. "You didn't get caught fooling around with another omega this time too, did you?" Jihoon asked, giving him a sidelong glance.
"What? You think I'm some kind of animal, always pouncing on omegas?" Jake retorted, clearly offended.
Jihoon pressed my lips together, exhaling loudly before replying bluntly, "Yes." He didn't give him a chance to respond, pushing open the grand wooden door. The door was beautifully carved with intricate patterns of flowers and elegant calligraphy, adorned with the same precious jewels that decorated much of the palace.
Stepping into the office, the air felt heavier. Jake followed closely behind him, both of them unsure of what was awaiting them.
It wasn't just the King and the Minister waiting for them. Jihoon's mother, along with his brother—the Crown Prince—and the Minister's wife were also present. The tension in the room was palpable.
"Come, sit here, you two," Jihoon's father instructed, his voice cold and unyielding. He had never seen such an expression on his face before. He was usually a shining beacon of warmth and brightness, but the seriousness he wore now was unsettling for both Jake and Jihoon. It was the first time they'd witnessed him like this, and it sent a chill through them.
As they settled into their seats, the tension in the room intensified, thickening the air around them. No one spoke. Jake and Jihoon exchanged nervous glances, trying to gauge the gravity of the situation. Jihoon's father exhaled heavily, and he sensed that whatever the reason for this gathering, they had seriously messed up.
Before anyone could say anything, Jake suddenly blurted out, "I-it's not my fault! It was his doing! I didn't mean to put a snake in Jimin's shirt; Jihoon forced me to! I'm sorry too!" He cried like a wounded animal, desperately trying to justify himself. Jihoon's mouth fell open in shock. What had he just done? A snake? In his brother's shirt? He didn't even know anything about this!
"W-what are you talking about? Me forcing you? Why are you putting the blame on me? Father, it wasn't me! This idiot is lying, I swear!" He shouted back, his voice rising with a mix of anger and panic. He was furious at Jake for dragging him into this mess.
"No, he's the one who's lying! He forced—" Jake began, but Jihoon cut him off, gripping his collar tightly. "Stop it, you idiot! Why are you doing this?"
"Hahaha, this is too funny! You actually put a snake in my shirt just because I mentioned Jihoon and You two act like a married couple!" Jimin laughed along with the others, their amusement echoing in the room. Jake and Jihoon stared at them, utterly dumbfounded.
"It's too funny and embarrassing! Did you see their faces?" Jake's mother mocked, laughter spilling from her as tears formed in her eyes. Their mouths hung open in disbelief.
"What do you mean? You didn't call us here because we got into trouble again?" Jihoon stammered.
"What? You can't possibly think that putting a snake in someone's shirt is serious enough for us to gather like this. You two have done much worse!" the Queen said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.
Jihoon felt his face flush with embarrassment; he wished he could just disappear. He shot a glare at Jake, who was avoiding his gaze. He would deal with this traitor later.
"Then why did you call us here like this?" Jake asked, the question hanging heavily in the air.
The atmosphere shifted back to serious as their expressions turned grave. "Well, we think it's time," my father began.
"For what? Don't tell me you're going to marry us off to each other!" Jake blurted out suddenly. "What? No way! Eww, I'm not marrying this ugly pig!" He exclaimed, making a disgusted sound as he looked at Jake. "Hey, who are you calling a pig? You're the real nightmare!" he shot back.
Before Jihoon could defend myself, his father interjected, "Enough! This is serious. And don't worry, we don't want more trouble on our heads." His simple yet direct insults stung, cutting through the tension in a way that made them both straighten our posture. They didn't want to complicate things further.
Jake and Jihoon grew serious as They sensed the weight of whatever their parents were about to tell them. The minister sighed, taking a moment before speaking. "As you know, both of you have come of age, and it is time to prepare to lead this kingdom alongside your brother as his closest advisors." His hazel eyes fixed on them with a cold, almost chilling intensity. There was no emotion in his gaze, only a stark seriousness. Jake and Jihoon exchanged a glance but stayed silent. Speaking up at this moment didn't seem wise.
The minister continued, "What we're about to discuss is not just about the future of this kingdom, but about the survival of all humanity."
Confused, they both glanced at each other. Jake broke the silence. "What do you mean by the survival of humanity?" he asked, while Jihoon swallowed nervously, feeling a strange foreboding. He couldn't shake the feeling he was referring to the prophecy.
"I might be wrong," Jihoon ventured hesitantly, "but is this connected to the demonic alphas and the prophecy?"
The room grew tense, the atmosphere almost suffocating. Jake's parents exchanged a grave look before Jihoon's mother finally spoke. "You're correct, Jihoon. This is about them," she said, her voice laced with authority. "I know your efforts to uncover the truth about these alphas have come up short, but today we will reveal part of the truth. Not all of it—because finding that truth will be your duty. We will only guide you."
As she spoke, his mother's aura filled the room, her alpha presence overwhelming. The scent of hyacinth—the same scent Jihoon had inherited from her—flooded the space, but while his carried calm strength, hers exuded pure authority. Even his father, usually composed, flushed slightly, clearly affected by her pheromones.
Jihoon couldn't help but roll his eyes. What on earth was this old man thinking? Now was hardly the time for him to be getting flustered over their bond, especially in the middle of such an important conversation. Shaking off the distraction, he refocused his attention on his mother, knowing this moment was far too crucial to lose focus.
"From your search, you've likely discovered individuals who supported those alphas—and yes, they were from our kingdom," the queen began, her voice steady but strained. "Why from our kingdom? That's a question we can't answer right now, as frustrating as that may be. But those individuals were sent to aid the alphas in their fight against a great evil. Unfortunately, none succeeded." Her hands clenched tightly, her knuckles white from the effort to suppress her growing anger.
Jake and Jihoon exchanged uneasy glances, but neither of them interrupted as the queen continued, "This great evil has been working in secrecy, slowly destroying humanity from the shadows. And the real heroes of our history—the ones who sacrificed their lives to protect humanity—did it all for one purpose: to ensure the birth of the greatest and most powerful alpha, the one foretold in the prophecy to be a king."
Her expression hardened, and the tension in the room became palpable. "We don't know if this alpha has been born yet, but our intelligence suggests he might be living in the Kingdom of Wisteria. This alpha could be our ally—or our greatest enemy. If he's the one from the prophecy, it means the end is near. We must prevent that or risk the prophecy coming true."
Jihoon looked at his mother, still struggling to fully grasp what she was implying. "But how does this concern us?" He asked, needing clarity.
"Because it's our duty to stop him—or to bring him to our side—so that we can face the true enemy, the real destructor," the queen replied, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
Jake leaned forward, intrigued. "How will we know if this alpha is the one from the prophecy? And who exactly is this 'real' evil we're supposed to fight?"
"That's why we've gathered you all here," Jimin, his older brother, answered, his voice laced with gravity. "In three years, you will be sent to the Kingdom of Wisteria, but not before you've undergone intensive training. As for the true monster—the real threat—that's something you'll have to uncover. And you'll need to stop the alpha in question, because all signs point to the Kingdom of Wisteria as the root of this chaos. Especially its royal family."
"But... why us?" Jihoon stammered, the weight of the task pressing down on him.
The minister's wife, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. "Because it has always been members of our royal family who have supported and stood by these alphas. You are part of a legacy that stretches far beyond the borders of Alyssum. It's in your blood to face this."
"I know it's difficult to understand the full scope of this situation," Jihoon's mother said, her voice softer now but still weighted with urgency, "but the real reason we must ensure this alpha isn't the one is because... the last demonic alpha who died spoke words that didn't match the prophecy."
That revelation sent a chill down Jihoon's spine. He'd spent years studying the prophecy, every word etched in his mind, but now they were telling him that the final alpha had said something different?
"W-what?" He stammered, confused and disturbed.
The queen's eyes darkened as she recalled the words. "His last words were not of the prophecy we've all come to know. He said, 'Our duty is finished, and now the birth of our king shall bestow itself upon us. Everything we've done has been for the survival of humanity... but revenge, when it comes for us, will show the true taste of venom.'"
Jake and Jihoon froze, the weight of those words sinking in. This wasn't just about stopping the prophecy or even about saving humanity. There was something darker at play, something that even the prophecy hadn't revealed.
"Revenge?" Jake muttered, as if tasting the word for the first time.
"Yes," the queen said gravely, "and that's why it's crucial to find out who this alpha is, and what role he truly plays. Because if we're wrong, and he's not the one foretold, we may be facing an entirely different and unknown threat. One that seeks vengeance, not salvation."
Jihoon swallowed hard, trying to process everything. The mission had shifted, and the stakes were higher than we could have imagined. Not only were we fighting against a prophecy—we might be fighting against the fury of those who had been wronged by it.
It was clear there was no option but to accept our fate. "We will do what we can to stop this," Jihoon said, though his voice wavered. "But... what happens if we fail?"
His hands trembled as Jihoon awaited an answer. The silence was suffocating, the weight of it pressing down on him. His anxiety grew with every passing second. Finally, his father broke the silence, his voice direct and cold. "If you fail," he said, his eyes locking onto Jihoon, "something beyond the wildest nightmares will unfold. This is not just a fight between humans. It's a battle involving beings from heaven and hell."
His stare silenced any further questions, the gravity of his words hanging in the air. Jihoon understood there was no room for doubt or hesitation.
"As it stands," he continued, "your training begins in a week. It will be unlike anything you've ever faced—harsh and cruel. Prepare yourselves mentally for what's to come. It's time to grow up and face this reality."
King's blunt words hit hard. The unease in his chest grew, because Jihoon knew they weren't telling them everything. There was more to this story—something darker, more dangerous, lurking beneath the surface—but he couldn't press for answers. Not now.
Jake and Jihoon both nodded, responding in unison. "Yes, Your majesty!"
The moment they left the meeting, the weight of everything crashed down on him. Jihoon's excitement for the birthday party he had looked forward to all year vanished. The celebration around him felt hollow, distant, as if he were watching it all from behind a glass wall.
"It's getting complicated now," He muttered, the tension gnawing at his thoughts. His future no longer felt like his own, and the uncertainty of what lay ahead was more terrifying than he could have ever imagined.