So Li

My head is dizzy and I clutch my head in pain as every tiny noise is amplified and my memories continuously attack me. My eyes are clamped shut and the pain searing through my head caused me to bit my lip to ease the pain. I was sitting on the wooden floors of the studio, my hands by my head and someone just in front of me, wrapping their arms around me.

I let out a gasp of shock as my ears ring upon hearing the door swing open and ruthlessly hit the wall of the studio. My eyes shoot open and I turn to see the same female grabbing Dong Ho. With my fast reflexes (thanks to the power my dad had given me), I grabbed the dark sleeve of Jun’s shirt and pulled him in, grabbing my sword that had fallen a foot away from me as I collapsed. As her sword grazed Dong Ho’s neck, my sword was right by Jun’s.

“Let the Founder of Lee go.” She pulled Dong Ho closer and I realized how tired he seemed. His eyes were pleading me to save him as he willed me to let him go. My hold on Jun’s neck grew tighter with determination.

“Not when you have the heir of Shin Group in your hands,” I sneered, my voice wavering as my head continued to pound with pain. Jun’s hands held onto the arm I had, wrapped around his neck to restrict his movements.

“Just let him go.” His deep voice commanded and the female, surprised, shot a questioning look at the male I held hostage in my arms. The both of us were still seated and rooted to the floor from my earlier headache and it made it hard for him to move without having me hurt him in some way or form. Little did they know, how hard it was for me to move at this point. My energy was dying out, just like the blue in my eyes. It was fading away slowly, but it was still fading. “She won’t hurt me.”

After the female checked again, she pushed Dong Ho harshly to the ground as I did the same and quickly pulled Dong Ho up and along. The female immediately inched after me and was getting dangerously close. Pulling Dong Ho protectively behind me, I pulled my sword out and allowed it to hit the mirrored wall behind me. The mirror cracked into various of pieces and I turned my sword, my power evidently dying out. Though my power was weak, I had managed to get the pieces out and twisted, pointing at the female and Jun.

Jun was right beside the female, if not- a little in front of her. I flung the broken pieces of mirror at him and with his sword at hand, he breaks the pieces into small pieces. Like tiny drops of rain, the pieces fall and hit the ground.

By the time he finishes, Dong Ho and I have bolted.

I don’t know where I am, but all I know is that we’ve both away from them. I was left breathless, my head still spinning as I leaned against the brick wall of a building, trying to compose myself. I, then proceeded to take a few more steps before stumbling right into Dong Ho’s arms and letting our eyes meet.

“The book... do they have it?” I question as I pull away from him.

“They don’t. It was most likely a ploy to get you to surrender and join them.” He wipes a drop of blood from his lips as he stares at me. “Li, what are we going to do? The pocket watch- I lost it to them. We can’t travel any further into the past, nor can we travel back to the future. Li?” He repeats my name seeing how unresponsive I was.

“What do you think we can do now?” I seethe at him, my hands curled into fists. He’s surprised by my reaction. “There’s nothing left I can do, let alone we. I’ll just have to finish up my part and protect you to the very end. Once I die, it’s all up to you.”

“Li, you’re not going to die-.”

“I’m tired of doing this.” I snap at him. If my eyes could change color according to my mood, my eyes would resemble a bright red color. “I’m tired of having to run and hide constantly, having to carry the heavy burden death looming overhead for me.”

“We have to stick together, Li. Nothing will happen to us.” He tries to comfort me by drawing me into a hug and I can feel the sticky red liquid touch my cheek as the space between us disappears. Unfortunately, this only fuels my anger as I push him away.

“Says you.” I spit out. “You’re not the one holding the sword here. You’re not the one who realizes the actual consequences.”

“You’re merely just protecting me.” The one sentence that caused me to explode.

“No, you don’t know anything.” I sneer at him. “Don’t you understand by now? Protecting you is killing me.” I draw in a sharp breath. “Basically, I’ll have to die protecting you.”

“Li, don’t say that. Please, don’t.” He gently tells me with a hint of desperation in his voice as he holds onto my arms. “That’s not true. Instead of thinking of such depressing thoughts, why don’t we plan things out?”

My head hurts even more as I listen to him speak of a possible plan and I feel as though, I’ve been suffocated. The air around us is heavy and thick and all I can comprehend from his long ramble was, “I really need you.”

“Of course you need me.” I scoff, bitterly laughing. “If I’m not here, there’ll be no one to protect you- am I right?” He’s taken aback by my words and stays silent, only making matters worse. I grab the collar of his tattered shirt and pushed him against the brick wall, pure rage taking over. “Tell me- why am I always protecting you?! Why are you making everything so hard for me? Why is everything Jun said, exactly right?” I ask hysterically, my eyes burning with tears. “Why am I always protecting you and why do you even bother with someone like me? We’re both people of different status and you’re obviously someone who should not be mingling with the likes of me. So why?”

He stays silent and I inhale, taking a deep breath before letting go of him and slowly backing away. I’m left breathless and I hurry away, leaving him to follow behind slowly as we weave our way through the dark streets.

We’ve made a hideout in some part of Seoul. It’s not too far from how my home looks like and it’s definitely worse for one. I don’t mind, but my eyes continuously wander over to him, wondering if he was perfectly fine with staying at such a place. He sends me wary glances from time to time and I can tell he’s still wondering if I’m mad at him. I feel guilty and proceed to sit next to him, watching a bug skitter off into another corner of the place.

“What do you think about this place?” I ask, trying to make conversation with him. He smiles as he looks around the room.

“It’s alright. Whatever will shelter us for the time being. I can’t be picky at a time like this.” his fingers touch mine and he holds my hand. “Especially when I might lose someone important to me- and not just because it’s their duty to protect me, but because I sincerely love them.” I can’t help but smile at his words. “I hope you’re not still mad at me.”

“I’m not.” I answer. “My head was hurting way too much before. I’m feeling a bit better now. If I get some rest, I’ll probably feel even better.” He nods and wills me to sleep as I frown and do the same. After a few minutes, the both of us, leaning against the hall concrete wall, had fallen asleep.

I am awaken by a loud crash and it sounds as though the front door had been knocked down. It’s been a few days since we’ve made this place as our hideout as there were barely any places left in Seoul for us to hide in. Cursing myself for not quickly finding a new place to hide out in, I wake Dong Ho up (he’s a heavy sleeper).

The footsteps are loud and I usher Dong Ho into the closest room and close the door quietly behind us, shoving him into the wooden closet the room had. Voices were heard.

“Shin Dong Ho, Kim So Li- you guys can run all you want, but you can’t hide. If you knew what’s best for you, So Li, you’d join me.” His voice resonates throughout the place and I am frozen as it sounds as though the voice was getting closer and closer to the room we were in.

“What are we going to do?” Dong Ho whispers, his brows furrowed together with sweat beginning to dot his forehead. I stay silent for a moment and then I remember Alexander.

That weird ki- never mind. Man child. I can’t believe Sera even fangirled over him!

I pull the necklace out from my pocket, in which I was relieved to see. I hand the necklace over to Dong Ho.

“Just- open the locket when I tell you. Stay safe. You’re smart, I’m sure you’ll figure out how to use your resources wherever you go,” I whispered, his eyes meeting mine. “Wherever you go- I’m sure the people will be nice. Be sure to seek their help.” Breathless from speaking too quickly, I closed the closet doors as Dong Ho stared at me horrified at the thought of what would happen next.

“Good bye.” I whispered and an air of sadness was hung around the room as the door to the room was flung open to my surprise and Jun stood by the doorway.

“You can’t run any further, Kim So Li. Nor can he.” Though his voice mocked me, his eyes told me otherwise. Relief was displayed clearly in his eyes as his men shifted behind him, inching closer yet closer to me. The female was right by his side, her eyes narrowed at me, ready to attack at any moment and it dawned at me then- that it was Sera’s building neighbor, Ava.

Taking a deep breath, but refusing to move from the closet, I took a hold of my sword, holding it up in defense mood as the girl once known as Ava, sneered at me.

“She’s not ready to give in. I mean no disrespect, but to keep her alive would only pose as a hindrance to  achieve what we what.”

With that being said, I took a few slow steps towards them as I watched his men slowly back off. The only one inching forward was the female. Her eyes darted up and down as she analyzed every physical aspect about me and I lunged at her, leading to a huge mess as everyone came forward to attack me.

“Stop!” His voice bellowed as many of his men pulled their swords back. I was panting from the clear disadvantage I was at, my arm still in much pain from the wound I had suffered in a fight with “Ava” a few days ago. In a flash, the “Ava” disobeyed him and had drawn her sword out to attack me, hitting my sword countless of times as I barely blocked her attacks.

“Sun Hi, stop it.” The both of us kept our eyes locked onto each others, challenging one another. The female he had referred to as Sun Hi, gritted her teeth, refusing to listen to his orders. “Sun Hi, remember what I said about stepping out of line. What’s more important is retrieving the book from Dong Ho. Open the closet.” One of his men steps up and reaches his hand out to open the closet when I catch Sun Hi off guard and push her off of me, prepared to give her a taste of her own medicine and wound her (as well as distracting them momentarily). Unfortunately for me, my powers- which had yet to come to my aid, wasn’t activated as a sword slid into my flesh easily and I found myself mumbling one last word before succumbing to the darkness.

“Go.”

When they finally opened the closet, they found it empty.

Guess what? 

In the very end, I guess I did die protecting you.

Protecting You, Killing Me.

A/N: Alright, I'll admit this chapter wasn't the best xD. Neither was this story in general. :( It didn't go as planned, but I do plan on having a sequel for this story. THIS ISN'T THE END GUYS! (Well, it kind of is for this story and wow- this story is already a year old!) This story is pretty much completed and all that's left is for me to post the link of the sequel up! I still haven't thought of a story title, sadly, but it should be up... soon? Comment on what you thought about the last chapter! :D