Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sung Su-ho is a loner. He lost his parents at an early age and was never able to relate well to his classmates.

He was always alone.

That was until he met "Beru", a "soldier" of his father, although he had no idea what that was supposed to mean, 

Beru explained, alot of things, Monarchs, Gates, and more things, to be honest, he didn't understand anything. Beru also explained that his father was the Shadow Monarch, the king of the dead.

He really didn't have to be remembering these things now, he was in the middle of a battle!

Leaping back into the air and hitting the creature in the face with the shadow-made gloves, The bird (Thing?) growled, trying to peck at his head to which he responded with a punch to the face, a few more and...

You have defeated the Star-Devouring Phoenix! 

Su-ho sighed tiredly, at his side, the one who was once one of the best shadow soldiers, celebrated the achievement of his young king.

He slowly approached the object left by the monster, it was a sphere with a kind of star inside.

— Is this what meant  "star-devouring phoenix"?

He took the item in his hands and examined it, a status window describing the item appeared in front of him.

Item: Eye of space time.

— Uh?

It has no classification or anything else, just the description and the name.

A space-time rift that allows the item's owner to travel to any time period desire. One Use item!

— This is... Interesting.

Su-ho thinks for a few moments, the phrase "travel any time period" Does that mean he could describe more about father if he asked to go back in time?The idea sounds good, although in a way it sounds selfish to him, after all, and thanks to several movies he has discovered that time travel has many consequences. 

But in a way he is curious, Beru has said that if father was (is) really powerful and he would like to see it in action, learn more about him.

While Su-ho is deep in thought, the item still in his hands begins to glow and a text window opens in front of him.

The eye of space time has received your order: teleporting to 20##

— What.

A light enveloped the entire place and seconds later, neither the small shadow nor the young man were present, only that sphere remained whose star inside had already gone out.

***

Once that light dissipated, Beru could finally see her surroundings. They were no longer in that thick cave where they were before. The ant looked around without seeing Su-ho who was supposed to be there.

AThe place looked extremely familiar but he shouldn't focus on that, he quickly began to examine the surroundings without finding his young monarch, increasingly panicking.

— Beru?

Hearing that voice he quickly turned around thinking it was Sung Su-ho.

AIt was a Sung, just not the one he expected.

— Why are you so small?

Sung Jin-woo Ask.

Chapter Text

— M-my... My king!

Beru immediately sheds a few tears of emotion and runs (flies) towards the monarch, rubbing his head against his cheek.

— Beru, what happ-?

Before Jin-woo can finish his question, Beru speaks again, visibly nervous.

— I'm so sorry my king! I failed your task.

Jin-woo looks confused although his face remains with the same neutral expression as always. 

— I lost Su-ho! You asked me to help him awaken his sealed powers and I got too far away from him, but it was more of a mistake on Su-ho's part because-

The monarch looks at his shadow while holding one of his strongest soldiers in his hands as if he were a stuffed animal, he doesn't understand what he is referring to.

— Beru, who is Su-ho?

— Huh? What are you talking about, my king?

Monarch and soldier look at each other for a while without understanding what the other means, a silence coming from Jin-woo's shadow draws both of their attention.

— You called me, my king?

Jin-woo's shadow lengthens and stretches into a humanoid figure, a dark ant kneeling at his lord.

— ...

— ...

— (Two Beru?)

In the presence of two equals, Jin-woo's shadow moves strangely, the rest of the soldiers are also curious about what is happening. 

— WHO ARE YOU?!

Both soldiers yell at each other after a few seconds.

— Both, calm down. Beru... Beru 2 you must explain something to me.

The small shadow stops looking at his larger version and stares at his monarch waiting for him to ask his question.

—Who is Su-ho?

***

Pain, that's mainly what Su-ho feels once he regains consciousness.

He doesn't know where he is, but he is definitely not where he used to be. He raises his head and looks everywhere to orient himself. 

— Beru, are you okay?

Remembering that he is not alone, he asks the air but gets no answer.

— Beru?

No answer.

— Urgh, I'll look for it later, right now I have to try to find something that tells me where I am. Either way he can use my shadow to get to me.

Su-ho thought he was somewhere else in the shadow dimension because of the darkness, but after a few minutes of walking...

— a park?

He wonders in confusion as he approaches the area, lively and colorful with people walking around as if nothing was happening.

— I definitely shouldn't be here.

He turns around and tries to leave but hands made of shadows hold him in place, not allowing him to move... But no one seems to notice.

— Is it him?

Unclear with her confused memories, he doesn't know much about her parents but Su-ho thinks he recognizes that voice.

— Yes!

And that voice too.

Turning around he sees the little ant made of shadows and a man who looks like him on the side.

Su-ho gasps at the sight of him as the little shadow "hugs" him.

— You... You are... 

Before he can speak, the other interrupts.

— First of all, let me ask, who are you? You know what, forget that question, it's pointless.

Although he doesn't know how (and he doesn't really want to know how) Jin-woo knows that this boy, this "Su-ho" is his son.

Even though it is weak, there is shadow power running around the boy and unless the title of "shadow monarch" can be held by more than one, he knows it is related to him.

— A better question would be, why are you here?

As he asks a question looking for an answer a bunch of shadows swirl around them preventing others from seeing their conversation.

Su-ho's eyes shine with panic (Fear? Excitement? Anger?) as he takes in much of the situation.

O Su-ho wants to ask many things but decides to be cautious, Beru looks at him waiting for him to make a move.

— wait, how did you know I was here?

— Easy, Beru told me about you and I sent my shadows to look for you all over the city, it didn't take long until one found you.

— (What should I start asking? About Mom? No, he wouldn't know anything about her disappearance...)

— I'll ask again.

— Why are you here?

Jin-woo asks, his eyes glowing in menacing purple mana.

For Su-ho, this is his father and his chance to find out more about him, for Jin-woo, Su-ho is a stranger.

Chapter Text

— My king, please wait!

Beru (the small one)  stands in front of Jin-woo in an attempt to calm him down a bit, even though he doesn't know him, he is still part of his family.

After seeing the anguish in the shadow ant's eyes, Jin-woo sighs and simply dissipates his power.

People continue walking around as if nothing had happened, until the man

turns around and sits on one of the park benches, waiting for his "son."

Su-ho quickly follows suit, he was supposedly transported here (against his will) to learn more about his family and his first impressions are not all that good.

— So... I don't even know how I got here..

— Great...

Jin-woo reaches out his hand towards his shadow and a hand materializes for a few seconds, handing over a bag with groceries and some drinks. Jin-woo, of course, doesn't feel hungry or thirsty, but after having threatened to kill someone from his future family, it's the least he can do.

 Minutes pass and neither of them seems to have a topic of conversation, Jin-woo's shadow reaches out to whisper something in his ear and opens his mouth to ask just as Su-ho asks too.

— Are you adopted?

— Could you give me some advice on how to handle the power of the shadows?

 ...

— What?

— What?

Apparently it's a Sung thing to make funny faces when something unexpected happens.

—How- how, how am I supposed to be adopted? We look a lot alike!

— I don't see much sense in how you were born, that's all.

Su-ho is even more confused than before by those words, was his father born from a tree or what?

Oh wait, did Su-ho travel so far back in time that he doesn't know things like this?

Su-ho clears his throat and sits up straight before trying to explain.

— Well when two people love each other-

Jin-woo looks at the other with a confused expression as if to say "that's not what I asked."

— That's not what you meant?

Su-ho asks embarrassed after having made a fool of himself 

—I'm definitely an adult, I don't need to be taught things that are seen in school.

— But if that's not what you meant, then what did you mean?

— Well, as far as I know there is nothing that can make a man pregnant.

Su-ho chokes on his soda at the answer, coughs a couple of times and looks at the other with a confused expression as if he didn't understand what he said.

— HUH?

— What? You asked.

— Ok, so, uh, why would you ask something like that?

Jin-woo looks at the other calmly, one of the advantages of the system is that at least he can no longer feel emotions like shame so he can say everything.

— I don't like women.

— But- but you always seemed so in love with mom..

— Who is she?

— Cha hae-in! 

Now it's Jin-woo who's choking on his soda. Did he hear right?

— Are you kidding.

Jin-woo literally turns pale at the revelation, of all the people he imagined he didn't expect to be with her.

— So I leave Jin-chul in the future?

Jin-woo says in a whisper with a blank look.

— Who?

— Nothing. 

They both know something is wrong, they can't say what it is but there are one of two options.

1.- Su-ho was thrown into an alternate timeline or

2.- Su-ho's presence in the past is already shaking things up.

Even if they are only two possibilities of preference, they should resolve these problems in another place where people do not see them as strange for looking at nothing like fools.

Chapter Text

Still in the park and both lost in their thoughts, Su-ho doesn't even notice when his father simply disappears and leaves him alone, well, now what should he do? He has no idea what he can do.

Also, has his father always had a tendency to leave without warning? 

***

Jinwoo didn't think much about things, he simply exchanged positions with one of the shadows near the association, many thoughts swirling in his brain and he can only think of one thing

Why abandon someone you love? Even though the system has absorbed most of his emotions, he still feels like a teenager in love when he's around Jin-chul, so I haven't felt like his future

"We are Koreans, I guess that was an impediment for us to be together" It was his first thought that he also dismissed as quickly as he thought. Even if that was the case, he was an S-rank hunter! No one had the right to tell him who he could or could not love. (No one, exept his mother, but she support the relationship.)

So, he starts thinking of other possibilities other than that, one of the ones he thought of (and the one that terrifies him the most) is that Jin-chul has been seriously injured and that is why they are not together in the future.

To avoid that (and other possibilities) he has to protect his boy like a knight defending his princess (Beru made that comparison a while ago, now he can't stop thinking about it)

Without realizing it, he is already in front of the room where he knew Jin-chul was (his shadows told him about that) he knows that he is working and that he should not interrupt. He knows he is giving a lecture about the increasing number of gates that have been opening, but he also feels scared, he needs an answer about what he thinks so, without caring much, he enters the room.

— Hunter Sung.

Go Gunhee is one of the first to notice that Jin-woo has entered the room, followed by everyone else who notices and looks at him.

— May I ask what are you doing here?

He ignores him, goes straight to Jin-chul and takes both of his hands in his, squeezes them gently and asks, without any shame.

— Let's get married.

Silence hits the place and even the birds chirping outside the window seem to fall silent. Jin-chul's face goes from extreme seriousness to embarrassed red with incredible speed. 

— Jin-woo! What?

Not having a clear answer, he becomes sad. He had already mentally prepared himself for rejection but it hurts more than he could have imagined. He doesn't realize that the other boy's reaction is because of the situation in which he thought of saying that.

— So it's a no?

He looks down sadly at the rejection but Jin-chul squeezes his hands to get his attention.

— Jin-woo, Of course I want to marry you...but, ugh, can we talk about this later? I'm working...

“Oh,” Jin-woo realizes, he was so confused that he completely forgot where they were.

And so, Jin-woo leaves as quickly as he arrived.

— May i say, congratulations on your engagement?

Gunhee quickly jokes about the situation.

— Sir, please don't say anything.

Chapter Text

This "Korea" was not what Su-ho remembered, everything looked so similar and yet so different, starting with the fact that he was nobody here. He was not a hunter, nor a civilian, he was not even a registered person! A nobody, just like in his original timeline before he met Beru.

—"(Where am I?, Beru told me that he had come here, but I have no idea where he is.)"

In front of Su-ho, a building stands before him, he doesn't recognize it and doesn't know what it is, but it reminds him of the Hunters Association building in his timeline.

Before Su-ho can continue thinking, a voice calls out to him. Well, didn't call him.

— Hunter sung!

He lowers his gaze to look at the person in front of him, someone who looks familiar but he don't know. 

— Ah... I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else.

Bright orange hair that makes it look golden, reminds him of someone but he doesn't remember who.

— No problem. It's nice to have someone so pretty talk to me, even if it's unintentional. - He says, ignoring the thousands of eyes watching him from his shadow. But he's not lying, it's nice to have someone cute talk to him even if he's a nobody in this place.

— `Stay away from our queen.` - A shadow, not his shadow, says.

— ("our Queen?" That means that... What?!) -Shocked, he looks at the person in front of him from top to bottom, the last time he saw her, his mother had blonde hair and above all, she was a woman.

 — Uh... Thank you? And, I apologize again. - He bows in apology, before turning around and going back the way he came. 

For a few moments, Su-ho realizes that his shadow is looking at him, looking at him but not in a friendly way, as if he were a threat.

— "What the- Beru, who is he?" - He whispers, expecting a response from his fellow ant, but instead, the one who doesn't know who is he answers.

—"Our queen, Woo Jin-Chul... Just because you share blood with our king doesn't mean you can talk to our queen.

—"Our queen is sacred, nothing and no one can touch it without the king's permission. And you don't have it."

Su-ho is really... REALLY confused, if his father was the "monarch" of the shadows and his mother was married to his father, then she should be the "queen" but, why did the shadows refer this man as "Queen" 

he wasn't a woman! How could he be a queen?

***

Jin-chul is puzzled, just a few seconds ago he mistook a stranger for Jin-woo, but in his defense, they did look pretty similar! It wasn't until the other boy lowered his head that he noticed it wasn't Jin-woo.

As if that strange compliment about his beauty was weird enough, as soon as the man said that he could feel something in his shadow, something that was not kind.

Whatever it was, now he had to find Jin-woo, show up at his office, propose to him in front of everyone, and then leave, and now he's not answering his calls! He  should have a conversation with his boyfriend (now fiancé) about when it's a good time to confess.

Jin-chul's shadow steps forward, at first it was strange but now he recognizes that they are shadow soldiers that Jin-woo placed to guard him. His shadow guides him, they know he is looking for Jin-woo and they are leading him towards him, very soon, he has already forgotten the strange encounter he had a few minutes ago.

Chapter Text

Su-ho was sitting on a bench in a remote park, although he tried to register as a hunter again, he was not registered as a civilian, so the association not only did not accept him, also, almost called the police claiming that he had stolen an identity.  But he wasn't even mad about that, he was just upset because he had traveled back in time to meet his father and now he was avoiding him! He was getting bored.

— God, I just want to talk to him and he's been avoiding me all this time, is it so hard to get him to pay attention to me?

— Young monarch, you should understand that this "Sung Jinwoo" is not your father, yet.

— He doesn't even know you, how do you expect him to tell you everything about himself if he doesn't know who you are?

— That's the point! He didn't even let me introduce myself.

— ... hey, other beru

— what do You want, sasaeng-a?

— Did you- did you just call me an illegitimate son?

— Oh My monarch, now I understand what Igris meant when he said I exaggerated my phrases too much.

If he still had his physical body and it wasn't this floating black spot with antennas, he would definitely hit himself, he didn't remember how many words he had remembered from watching so many soap operas with Princess Jin-ha.

— Korean novels are the best! Princess Jin-ha said they were 100% real, I'm using the vocabulary that everyone uses.

— I don't think novels are the best option for learning about human language.

Before he can continue speaking, Su-ho feels a tap on his back to get his attention and when he turns to see the person, he is surprised.

Grey eyes, which he knew very well.

// When I was writing this I got confused, the wiki says that Jin-ho has GREY eyes, but in the anime he has BROWN eyes, in the manga he has BLACK eyes and in the game he actually have grey eyes... What the heck? I think i'm daltonic. // 

— (Uncle Jin-ho!)

— (¿¡Prince?! )

— (Prince?)

Su-ho's shadow shakes erratically from side to side, as if he were fighting not to get out, eventually, he stops moving.

— Oh, sorry, I mistook you for someone else, it's just that from behind you looked quite similar.

Just like his uncle, a little younger, of course, but he still remembers those eyes, after all, they were the eyes that raised him throughout his life and the ones he knows best.

— Sorry, I better go, sorry for the inconvenience.

Su-ho wants to stop him, he wants to hug him even though he knows that this person in front of him is not his uncle, and he doesn't know him.

— It's not a problem, I was already confused with someone else again today.

— Ah, that's kind of sad.

— Yes, I'm already used to it. 

He tries to start a conversation, his father doesn't want to see him and talk, at least he could talk to people he knew and maybe they would give him some useful information.

— I'm Su-ho, they were waiting for me to meet someone but I think he left me standing in the end.

— I'm Jin-ho, it's a pleasure to meet you, I apologize again for confusing you with someone else, it's just that you looked a lot alike.

Su-ho tries to say something else, but a voice echoes in his head, not angry, but tense, as if trying to warn him of something.

— (Our prince.If you hurt him even a little, you're dead.)

— (I thought I was your prince? After all, I am the son of your king.)

— (Our prince, one who is not you.)

— (This is so weird...)

Su-ho thinks, but doesn't say anything, he wants to spend more time talking with his uncle, but it seems he has other plans, because he quickly says goodbye and leaves.

Su-ho thinks, he already met the "queen" and the "prince" both of whom are close to Jinwoo's friends, so...

How long will it take him to find his mother, apparently the shadows refer to them with a title, beyond that he wants to see his mother again, he is curious 

But, first of all, he should resolve the issue of not being a registered citizen. Or a person, in any case. 

Chapter Text

Su-ho has had some terrible days, but this one takes the crown of all, and that's saying something.

He grew up as an orphan, which was fine; at least he had people who cared about him, like is uncles. He didn't have any friends growing up, but he dealt with it and didn't complain.

Now, is in the system know where and he didn't know who to turn to Home. (By the way, his father was too good at hiding.)

Inside he wonders if he should even make the effort to try to return to where he came from, after all both places are the same.

The night was getting closer and closer and the air was starting to get colder, some people were returning from work and others were going out to work, a question crossed Su-ho's mind.

— Where the hell am I going to sleep? - 

This was definitely not Su-ho's day.

***

When he first met Su-ho as a child, Beru immediately decided that he would protect the young prince even if his life depended on it, When Jinwoo asked him to seal Su-ho's powers, Beru suffered, seeing his young prince to whom he swore loyalty so lonely hurt him.

So when he was given the order to guide and protect the young monarch Beru he felt happy, but he didn't understand why Suho was so frustrated about not being able to see his parents, of course Beru suffered when his mother died at the hands of the corean hunters, but then he devoured her and used his strength to fight them.

He didn't understand much about family, the series he watched with Princess Jin-ha didn't exactly show a good family relationship, Beru's concept of "family" was different from humans'; in some series, people of different blood were called "family."

Beru knew that this place was not even close to what he remembered, because as far as he knew his king and Jinchul only knew each other through work. He remembers, his king was very much in love with cha-hae-in, But here he didn't seem to be interested in her.

Even if their king recognizes Su-ho as his son, there is a chance that Su-ho will not recognize him as his father, because he is his "father." But Beru knows that he is not "his" father. So, the ant asks himself.

Can he become Su-ho's family?

 The ant has no idea how they could return to their own time, so they'll be stuck here for a while.But even if they did, the same problem would still, Su-ho thinks that he has no one to lean on, so Beru will become that support person (ant)!

But he have another question, what is a family?

In his ignorance, Beru doesn't notice Su-ho's concern about not having a place to sleep and goes to ask the person he knows best about his doubt.

...

Jinwoo is sometimes intense about things, first he stormed into his fiancé's office and told him they're getting married without any proposal, As far as he knows, a marriage proposal is made in a romantic place with a date and a ring, so there he is, searching for the best tourist spots for marriage proposals.

While he's looking for that, several of his shadows are looking for halls where the wedding will take place, others are looking for weeding planners, and a few more are looking for outfits for the special day that doesn't even have a date.

In his intense search for a perfect place he forgot everything about his supposed son and what is supposed to happen in the future, it is not until a small black spot materializes in front of him, it is the smallest beru.

"My lord, I would like you to heed my call". - Those words put Jinwoo on alert, so much so that he looks away from the screen and looks at the ant with curiosity. For Beru to call him "my lord" instead of "my king" must have been something serious; even a small thing like that meant a lot to Jinwoo.

— What happend, Beru? —

"What is a family?"-And of all things, that's a question he never thought he'd be asked. 

—Why are you asking that now? — Before giving a concrete answer, he is curious about why the ant is asking that.

"It's for the young monarch, I want to-" - before he could finish speaking the other beru approaches suspiciously, obviously frustrated by his presence.

"Speaking of him, where did you leave him? I thought you'd be closer to him than to our king."

"Ugh, I just had a question to ask my lord, I think he was looking for a place to eat or something."

— Beru, you don't leave him on the street, right? -Jinwoo looks at the computer clock, he doesn't need to sleep But normal people definitely need it.

Beru doesn't respond until a few seconds have passed.

"Oh."