Doctor Demon

*Present*

Magrod was now grim. He watched the poor girl who was being treated for her injuries by the doctors. Slowly prowling out of the room, he headed back to the corridor where Junho, Miyoo and Minyoon sat. He was in deep thought about the Butterfly Priestess.

There was no doubt this woman was the reincarnation of the Priestess. She had the same aura and appearance as Ailee which only meant she had reincarnated.

But where was the Prince? Why was he not there?

"I'll have to find him before the Brethren get their hands on him," he muttered. Just then, his thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of three other people.

Siwan, Jiwoon and Soobin rushed towards the family, looking very worried. Magrod decided to leave, giving the family some space. As long as Miyoo's grandfather was there, everyone was safe anyway. 

I'll go and check up on our demon friend, he decided and vanished. 

"What happened?" Siwan asked Hobin. "How did Jina end up like this?"

"She had an accident," Minyoon said when Hobin did not speak. "The doctors are treating her now."

The door to the emergency room opened and a doctor came out.

"Doctor, how is she?" Junho asked. 

"She's fine but still very much injured," the doctor told them. "She'll need at least a month to recover from her injuries. But otherwise, she is fine."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Hobin, who was quiet all this time, closed his eyes. A huge burden had been lifted from his heart and the news of Jina's state was reassuring to him. Siwan was also hugely relieved. His heart was in a pandemonium ever since he heard that Jina was injured. It was hard not to feel worried for the girl he was in love with even if she was now with his brother. The lingering feelings were a little hard to get rid of.

He sat next to Hobin and patted his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked. 

"I'm fine," Hobin muttered but he was lying. He was not fine. Burying his head in his hands, Hobin was still troubled.

"I don't know what I'd have done if anything had happened to her," Hobin said in a tone so low that only Siwan could hear him. The others were gathered around, talking to the doctor.

"Hobin…"

"I nearly lost control, brother."

Siwan was confused for a moment. Lost control? What did he mean?

But Hobin was scared. Not simply of losing Jina but rather what would happen if that day ever came. He did not call the Hwang's immediately after Jina's accident. In fact, he called them two hours later.

"Hobin, what are you hiding?" Siwan demanded.

"I...After I brought Jina to the hospital, I was feeling agitated. Seeing her like that made me snap and something in me was torturing me. So after she was wheeled into the emergency room, I went to the washroom in my cabin. And…"

He trailed off but Siwan was alarmed. Suddenly, he stood up and rushed towards the second floor where Hobin's office was located. Junho noticed him leaving and frowned.

Siwan raced towards Hobin's office and burst open the door. His eyes widened in shock at the sight.

The whole place was trashed as if an earthquake took place. Everything was broken to pieces while the papers were ripped apart as if by an animal. The couch was overturned and the pillows were torn to shreds. Inside the washroom, the light bulb had been annihilated. The sink was ripped off from the wall and smashed to the floor while the tiles were broken as if someone had hit them continuously with a bat.

But Siwan knew this was all done by a single person. He could not believe what he was seeing.

"What the hell happened here?"

Startled, Siwan turned around and met Junho's eyes. The old man was not surprised but rather calm and composed as if he had been expecting something like this.

"Someone probably broke in-" Siwan was trying to lie but the old man raised a hand.

"The truth," he demanded. "Tell me the truth. I want to know how Hobin is able to do all this?"

"You know?" Siwan gasped.

"I know about his powers. I also know that he's not fully human. Now…"

He stepped forward, studying the large claw marks on the walls. "Tell me what you know," he said. "Everything."

Siwan was debating with himself. Should he tell Hwang Junho about this? But why was he interested to know about Hobin?

Suddenly, Siwan was protective. "Why do you want to know about my brother?" he asked. "How do I know that you won't reveal his secret to the world?"

"I already know that he can read minds and also that he feels nervous whenever someone is doing a holy ritual around him," Junho revealed. "He did this before, didn't he? Break things down like this?"

Siwan slowly nodded. He was not sure how Hwang Junho knew all this but it seemed that the old man was well aware of Hobin's situation. Slowly, he narrated the stories of Hobin's childhood along with what happened on the night Wang Taehee was executed.

When he was done, Junho was in deep thought. It was just like he thought. Hobin had demon blood in him.

"You... How far are you willing to go to save your brother?" he finally asked.

"I'll do anything!" Siwan firmly said. "As long as my brother can live a normal life, I'll do anything!"

He was stating the truth. A hard determination was visible in his eyes and Junho had to admit that Siwan came a long way from the spoiled child he once was. 

"Tomorrow night is the only chance we'll get to determine what Hobin really is," he said. "And for that, I need someone who knows him well. I was about to use Jina for this but she's injured so you'll have to do as I say. Can you do it? It'll be a painful ritual for him."

"R-Ritual?" 

Siwan was frowning. What sort of ritual? Why was Hobin going to be subjected to something like that?

"Your brother might not be human," Junho pointed out. "Not fully at least."

"I won't let you do any ritual on my brother!" Siwan protested. "That's ridiculous! My brother is human! What else will he be-"

"Both of us know very well that there are things out there which aren't human and the thing that killed your father all those years ago is an example," Junho pointed out. "You saw him being dragged away by an invisible force, did you not?"

"I...I did…"

Siwan was no longer sure what was right or wrong. He just wanted to make sure that his brother and the woman they loved were safe. It all sounded ridiculous. Not human? Other beings' existence? He was a doctor and believed all that was nonsense!

But the memory of his father being dragged away by an unseen force was still fresh in his memory. Even though he had assured himself that Danny had killed himself that night, he knew that it was nothing but a false assurance. Kang Danny did not kill himself.

"Fine," he agreed. "But if anything happens to my brother, I won't spare you."

He glared at the old man, not caring about being polite. Junho was not offended but a little impressed by Siwan's determination to save Hobin. 

"He'll be fine," Junho affirmed. "But whatever you'll find out during this ritual, don't let it waver your faith in your brother. Because he doesn't just need you for the ritual. He'll need you more afterwards."

The old man gently patted Siwan's shoulder and left. Siwan stood there, numb and confused. Was his brother really not a human being but something else? Did that affect their bond at all?

His mind wavered back to the day his mother brought Hobin home.

...

"Aunty Bosung is no more," Doyoung had told him. "And this little guy has no one in this world so we'll be taking care of him as his mother and brother."

"Brother?" Little Siwan echoed and glanced at the baby in her arms. A tiny pair of black eyes was peering from it, staring at him. Their eyes had met for a few brief seconds and Siwan thought that he saw the baby smile. Did Shinho also smile like this when he was born?

  He stood quietly for a while before turning around to go back upstairs. 

"Where are you going?" Doyoung asked.

"To bring my toys of course!" Siwan replied. "And a blanket. He'll also need a crib to sleep in. You have my baby crib, right? It's in the storage. I'll help the servants to take it out. After all, I can't let my brother sleep on the floor, can I?"

Doyoung was stunned. "You...you'll accept him as your brother?" she gasped and smiled.

"Of course he's my brother! I will love him like my own brother. Nothing will ever change that."

….

"That's right…" 

The memory of Hobin's first meeting with him was playing in his mind, strengthening his determination. It was his own sort of protection charm which kept his mind sane. Whenever he was sad or depressed, he only recalled the day Hobin first smiled at him and everything would be at peace again. 

"We're brothers," he told himself. "And nothing can change that."

I'll do anything to save him, he decided.. "Anything."

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