A Wish Made in Vain

Hae-ah woke up feeling unusually out of sorts, his head hurt and his muscles ached. After sitting up, he was hit with a small dizzy spell and had to take a few moments to breath and try to get the darkness dancing at the edge of his vision to subside. Once it did, he shakily stood and began getting dressed. He usually would have used something as small as a little headache to try and get out of work, but he knew from experience that all his grandmother would do was give him some medicine and send him on his way, knowing that it wasn't as bad as he dramatised it to be.

He rushed down the stairs, his headache making him take longer than usual to get ready, making him late. The young half demon grabbed some medicine for his headache before quickly teleporting to the hotel in a poof of grey smoke.

"You're late." Devil King's voice rang out the moment he appeared in the breakroom.

"Sorry, I wasn't feeling well this morning and it took me a little longer to get ready." He explained as he bowed in apology.

The older man's expression morphed from annoyance to worry, which confused Hae-ah, he had noticed how Devil King was always a little overly attentive when compared to how he treats other monsters, but this was just a headache. "What's wrong? How bad is it?" The demon asked

Hae-ah shook his head, letting out an awkward laugh. "It was just a headache, I took some medicine at home so I should be fine in a little bit."

The older monster nodded and cleared his throat, trying to pretend he wasn't just overly concerned for the boy. "Okay, make sure to get some breakfast before you start work." He finished before heading out of the room.

"Will do." He called, turning to set his stuff down and grabbing some fruit out of the breakroom fridge.

As the day went on, Hae-ah's condition progressively worsened, his headache never went away and what was once a dull ache that was easily ignored, was now an almost sharp pain that resounded with every step he took. He had just finished bringing up a guest's luggage and was headed back down to the first floor when he was hit with yet another dizzy spell, this one strong enough to make him stumble and fall, hitting his head against the luggage cart, knocking him out cold.

Hae-ah slowly woke to someone shaking his shoulder gently, groaning as he became aware again. His illness had only gotten worse while he was out, gaining the addition of feeling both extremely cold and extremely hot at the same time, leaving him shaking, miserable, and sweaty.

"Are you okay young man?" A soft, deep voice asked.

He opened his heavy eyes, trying to focus on the blurry face in front of him and just barely being able to recognize that the person in front of him was a middle aged man. "What happened? Where am I?" He asked softly. He couldn't remember why he was here or what he had been doing, his fever making it hard to string his thoughts together.

"You had passed out in the hall, I found you and brought you to my room. I already called the front desk and they said they are sending someone up, so try not to move so much." The half-deity looked around in confusion, before quickly sitting up when he finally was able to gather his jumbled thoughts and recall what happened. He groaned as another dizzy spell hit. "Woah, watch it kid. Your fever is really high and you hit your head pretty hard when you passed out." The man explained holding him upright as he leaned forward, almost falling off the couch.

Just then, a loud knock sounded at the door. The man guided Hae-ah to lay back before standing and answering it. Devil King rushed into the room, quickly kneeling in front of the ill boy. "What happened?" He asked.

Hae-ah didn't trust himself with responding, still focused on taking deep breaths from his dizzy spell, his eyes kept firmly closed. Luckily, the man spoke up for him. "I found him completely passed out in the hallway, he was running a high fever and his head was bleeding. I think he might have hit it when he collapsed."

Devil King's face only grew more worried as he felt the sick demon's forehead. "Hae-ah, can you open your eyes for me?" He asked gently. Hae-ah complied, slowly opening his eyes to look at the older demon. "Good, do you know where you are?"

"The... hotel?" Hae-ah croaked.

"That's right. How are you feeling?"

The half-demon snorted. "Like shit, everything hurts."

The older man smiled at the demon's sass. "I figured as much. Why didn't you tell me you were this sick?"

He groaned. "I wasn't this sick this morning. It really was just a headache, but it kept getting worse as the day went on. I was gonna finish with the last guest and go on my break. I guess my body decided it wanted one right then."

"Well, let's get you back home, maybe your grandmother will know how to help. Think you can stand?" Devil King asked, trying to hide the worry and fear that gripped at his heart.

Hae-ah nodded and tried to sit up, but almost immediately another dizzy spell hit and his arms gave out. "I don't think I can actually."

The bull demon gave him a slightly pained smile. "That's fine. Don't push yourself, I've got you." He gently lifted his son, one arm under his knees and the other under his upper back, tilting back slightly to adjust the sick boy so he was leaning against his chest. He then turned to the man still standing by the couch watching them in concern. "Thank you, I should get him home now."

The man nodded and opened the door for them. "Of course. Feel better soon, okay kid?" He called as they walked through, then closed the door with a quiet click.

Hae-ah hid his face in the older demon's chest in order to hide his blush. "This is embarrassing. You're carrying me like a child."

Devil King snorted. "You are a child." He said plainly as he began heading to one of the supply rooms, so that he could teleport without risk of guests seeing.

Hae-ah looked up at him offended. "I am not, I'm an adult, and a half deity I'll have you know."

The older demon tensed slightly but covered it with an awkward laugh. "I'm sure your grandmother would be upset if she heard you were going around telling people that."

The sick boy pouted, going back to leaning his head heavily against the demon's chest. "I don't go around telling people that, she told me not to so I don't, but this is an exception." He explained as his eyes began to close again, exhaustion setting in once more. "Besides, we've known each other long enough and judging by the fact you aren't surprised, I'm assuming you already knew?"

Devil King nodded, trying his best to ignore the boy's deteriorating state as he pushed the door open with his back. "Yeah, I knew." He said softly, knowing Hae-ah was already out again, as he let the door close behind them and teleported outside of the shop.

The moment they entered, the peddler rushed over. Already scanning her unconscious grandson for any injuries. "Mawang-nim, what happened."

"He collapsed in the halls, a guest found him." He explained.

The goddess of mercy sighed as she moved his hair out of his face. "Oh, my boy." she spoke softly before turning her attention to Devil King. "We should lay him down, I'll lead you to his room."

She guided him upstairs and into the sick boy's bedroom. Hae-ah shifted slightly as he was placed on the bed, but didn't wake up. The peddler gently placed a hand on his forehead. "He's running a really high fever."

"He was complaining of a headache this morning but said it was fine. When we woke up at the hotel he complained of dizzy spells, and muscle aches. Hit his head when he collapsed too."

The female monster became even more worried when he listed off the symptoms. Easing the coat of the boy's uniform off before letting out a gasp. "No." She whispered.

Woo Hwi immediately moved forward to look at the boy himself, he looked pretty much the same as he had looked at the hotel. His gaze traveled down to Hae-ah's arms, both had bright red rashes covering his skin in blotches from the elbow up, disappearing behind his tank top. "What is this?" He asked, shocked. "Do you know what he has?"

The peddler nodded and shakily stood. "Let's talk outside. He needs to rest."

Once the two were back downstairs and seated at the table in front of the store's entrance, Devil King repeated his question. "What does he have? Is it bad?"

The peddler took a deep breath and nodded. "It's back."

"Huh?"

She closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead. "His illness when he was little, that almost-" She stopped herself. "It's returned."

Devil King let out a nervous scoff. "You can't- you can't be serious."

"I wish I wasn't." She replied quietly, looking up at him, her eyes filled with sadness.

He quickly stood. "So, after everything Queen Mother went through, after everything we went through. Now that it's all finally calming down, you're telling me that my son-" The peddler shushed him as his voice rose to yelling. Devil King began again in a whisper. "That my son is dying and all her efforts, all her suffering, it was all in vain?"

"I wish it weren't true, believe me. I wish it with everything I have, but I know what it looked like, and his symptoms are exactly the same as they were. It's worse this time though. When he was a baby, it took months for the rash to start. Now it's begun on the first day, I don't know what happened but his illness isn't just back. It's much, much worse. He doesn't have much time left."

"No, No! There's got to be a way. There has to be, I can't just let him die! Not when I finally got him back! I'll do anything, please."

"There's nothing we can do." The peddler said sadly.

"There has to be!" Devil King yelled.

"Like what!?" She snapped, she may be the goddess of mercy but that doesn't mean she will take being yelled at and disrespected kindly. "What can we do? Feed him the souls of children again? You know what happened to Queen Mother!"

"I don't care if that happens to me!" He yelled, tears streaming down his face. "I can live a billion painful lives if it means he'll be okay!"

"And then what? Leave him without a parent again? What if one day he finds out that both his parents sacrificed themselves and committed the worst crime the heavens could think of in order to save him! How do you think he'll feel? If he even gets that far, what if he actually does become an evil spirit this time? You weren't there but he almost did before the deities interfered. Not to mention there is no way of escape now, I managed to smuggle him out with Soo Bo Ri's help, but this time? Once the deities know he's not only alive but still being fed children's souls, there will be no escape for him, and his fate will be ten times yours!"

Devil King fell to his knees in despair. "We- we can't do nothing. He's my son, I can't lose him again."

After a moment of hesitation, the peddler knelt down and hugged the man. "I know, I will try to see if I can find anything, but for now we should make sure he is comfortable."

When Woo Hwi calmed down and collected himself, the peddler stood and walked further into the shop. Returning with a bucket of cold water and a washcloth, handing them to him. "Here, watch over him while I try to see if I can find anything that will help."

He nodded and brought both items upstairs, carefully opening the door so as to not wake the ill demon. The bucket dropped to the floor with a loud splash as his gaze landed on the bed.

The peddler was beside him in seconds. "What is going on. I heard a crash and-" He broke off with a gasp.

"He's gone." Devil King whispered in shock.

The goddess of mercy slowly pushed past the younger man, heading to her grandson's empty bed. She spotted a note on the pillow and quickly read it. "That boy." She sighed in annoyance, turning to Devil King. "He overheard us talking, he said he doesn't want to be the reason his loved ones turn against the heavens so he ran away."

Devil King immediately pulled out his phone. "I'll inform Ms. Ma to set up a search party. We have to find him now."

"I'll go with you." She said, moving to leave the room, but Devil Kings hand on her arm stopped her.

"You're needed more here. When we find him, he'll still need a cure."

"Yes, of course. I'll begin searching right away." She headed out Hae-ah's room, but paused just outside the door frame. "Mawang, please find him. Bring him back."

Ms. Ma was able to contact P.K, General Winter, and a few other demons under his previous company to help. They had been searching for hours but to no avail. No one was able to find even the slightest sign of the boy.

General Winter sighed as he turned out of yet another alley, he was assigned with looking in the city where Hae-ah frequinted. So far he hadn't found anything, but he was determined and with each passing second, that determination only grew. While he didn't know the full details as to why this child was so important to the Devil King, he knew that the older demon wouldn't have asked her their help unless he really cared and when they had all met up to form a plan, the man looked more terrified than he had ever seen him before.

He turned down another alley, coming to a stop as he noticed a figure collapsed against the wall on the other side. He rushed over and knelt in front of them, gently moving the coat's hood to get a better look at their face. He sighed in relief when he saw that it was the very person they were looking for, sending out a quick text to inform everyone that he had found the child and would bring him to the shop.

He turned his attention back to the young demon in front of him. "Come on kid, wake up. Kid?" He became suddenly aware that not only could he detect no breathing sounds coming from the child, but he was way too cold. "No, no kid come on. I promised I'd bring you back. We found you, come on. Please." He tried everything he could to bring Hae-ah back but nothing seemed to be working. "Don't worry kid, I'll get you back home, they'll know what to do. They have to." He said reassuringly as he scooped the boy up and teleported.

Devil King was pacing back and forth in the store, he had quickly teleported back when he got the text from General Winter. It had taken much longer than he expected for the ice demon to show up, he had already sent the others home and now was left to pace impaitently. "What's taking them so long? They should be here by now."

"Hae-ah's probably being stubborn and trying to stay back, it may take some time." She explained, looking through a large book and trying her hardest not to fidget. She had not been able to find even a hint to a cure while they were out searching for the kid, but she refused to give up.

As if on cue, General Winter appeared in a puff of smoke, both Devil King and the Peddler running over to greet him. "He's too cold and- and he's not breathing." General Winter quickly explained.

"No." The peddler whispered, as she checked him over. "He's-he's gone."

"What? No, he can't be." Devil King carefully took Hae-ah from General Winter, easing himself down to the ground so that he could cup the boy's cheek. "Please, I can't lose you again. I just got you back. Please my boy, I was supposed to protect you, I was supposed to keep you safe. I'm so close to becoming a deity so we could be a family, so that we could be happy. I'm so sorry, my boy, I failed you." He cried as he cradled the boy in his arms.

The goddess of mercy quietly guided General Winter out of the shop. "Let's give him some time." She hesitated at the doorway, looking back at the father and son, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'm sorry Queen Mother, I wasn't able to change anything. Your wish was in vain." She whispered before leaving.