{12} 

“Where’s everyone running to?” Leah said absentmindedly as she watched the students rushed out of the front gate.

“I wish I knew, Leah.” Soah said while catching into a fresh set of black shirt and black fitting jeans.

“And… Where are you heading? It’s getting late and it’s not safe out there.” Leah asked, watching as Soah laced up her boots.

“I need to be somewhere else right now. Don’t worry, I’ll be safe.”

With that, Soah was gone in a flash.

“Putting her speed into good use, I see.” Leah mumbled to herself, staring at the spot where Soah was just a second ago.

Soah sprinted through the woods; it was a shortcut to Daehyun’s residence. She maneuvered through the trees skillfully and carefully.

As she neared Daehyun’s residence, she began to slow down and her nose was picking up a foreign scent.

Concern pulled Soah’s brows together, she was too distracted by her wish to reach Daehyun’s residence as soon as possible that she didn’t survey her surroundings. She scolded herself mentally, she should have been more careful. 

She pulled to a stop completely and perked her ears up, listening for any sound that might indicate that she was being followed.

Nothing. She let her eyes sweep through the woods just to be safe. Still nothing.

Assuring herself that she was being too paranoid, Soah continued on with her journey.

But something reached out to her amidst the darkness, pulling her back. A hand wrapped around her upper arm, jerking her backwards.

A pair of red eyes came into sight. But it had a body this time round. Clad in full leather and wearing a mask, the attacker’s red eyes shone even brighter in the darkness.

Soah’s breath caught in as an awful thought was beginning to take shape. She ignored the way her heart thumped and her pulse pounded in her ears.

“Who are you?” She couldn’t hide the tremors in her voice.

“Someone who’s here to cut your pretty life short.” Soah could hear the smile in the attacker’s voice as he traced a finger down her cheek.

The attacker grabbed her hair and jerked her head back, earning a yelp from Soah.

“Now, now, don’t be scared, my princess. It will be over soon.” This is it. Soah's eyes were clamped shut as she braced herself for what was going to happen next. 

The attacker flung her across the woods and into the pile of rocks that lay nearby. The sickening sound of bones cracking filled the night air upon her body’s contact with the rocks.

Soah lay limp on the ground, groaning softly. Her now bloodied right arm was holding her torso. Black dots clouded her vision and her breathing was ragged, she was losing her consciousness soon.

Soah fought against the heaviness that was dragging her eyelids down, she could rougly make out that the attacker approaching her.

He crouched down in front of her and cupped her jaw. He squeezed it to the point of pain. Soah winced from the tightness of his grip but she didn't have any energy left to struggle against his grip.

“Oh, how pathetic. The King’s Soulmate looks so pale and weak now. Looks like I don’t have to take much blood from you to end your life.”

He released Soah’s jaw and grabbed her wrist, bringing it to his face. He ripped his mask off and bared his jaws. Two white fangs descended and he sunk them into Soah’s wrist.

A bloodcurdling scream rushed out of Soah’s mouth. It felt like a thousand and millions of knives were piercing through her simultaneously.

“Get off her.”

Before Soah could catch a glimpse of the owner of the voice, she caved in to the weariness that was dragging her down. But she recognized the familiar energy that coursed through her before she passed out.

It triumphed in her like a second heart beat, keeping her alive and pulling her back from the edge of death. Daehyun came for her. 

···

“What the hell happened to her?”

Daehyun pushed open the doors to the medical room with his shoulder with Soah lying limply in his arms. Daehyun’s white sleeves were in a coat of fresh red.

“Get Doctor Frank here, now.”

Youngjae took one last glance at Soah before hurrying off. He knew that with the amount of blood she was losing, she required medical attention immediately.

Daehyun placed Soah down on the bed in the medical room gently and he kneeled down beside the bed.

Cupping Soah’s face, he whispered, “Stay with me, Soah, please. I can’t lose you too.”

“Sir, let me take over.” Doctor Frank said with a firm voice while striding into the room. 

Daehyun hurried up onto his feet and exited the room reluctantly after being told him that he had wait outside because the doctor had to perform a surgery.

Daehyun had a hand wrapped around his jaw and he was pacing non-stop along the corridor.

“What happened to her?”

Daehyun lifted his eyes up, gazing into Youngjae’s worried eyes. He was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't realize that Youngjae was beside him.

“Someone attacked her.” Daehyun mumbled. He wasn’t in the mood to answer any of Youngjae’s questions right now. He just wanted to make sure Soah was okay. 

“Did you see the attacker’s face?”

The door to the medical room opened just as Youngjae finished asking his question, a nurse peeked out from the crack.

“She needs blood.”

Daehyun nodded and went into the room after her, tossing Youngjae’s question out of his mind.

The nurse sat him down on one of the chairs in the room, poking a needle into his arm and drawing his blood out.

Daehyun had his eyes transfixed on Soah’s pale face. He could hear her shallow breathing and her faint heart beat, it calmed him down and assured him.

She’s going to be fine. He told himself.

“She just needs time and a lot of rest to recover, Sir. She has lost a lot of blood but the blood that we have taken from you will help her.” The Doctor must have saw the worry that lined Daehyun's face. 

Daehyun sat at the side silently as the doctor injected Soah with the blood that was taken from him. The doctor and the nurses left the room after they were done with the finishing touches, leaving Daehyun alone in the room with Soah.

Daehyun pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat down next to the bed. Daehyun gently took Soah's hand into his, lacing his fingers through hers and resting the side of his cheek on their intertwined hands.

He closed his eyes, feeling the familiar energy course through him. It was so much stronger now.

When Soah was in his arms after he had rescued her in the woods, the energy had trickled and filtered down to nothing but a dull thump in his chest. It scared him till no end.

He wanted to be in the medical room, he wanted to hear her heart as it beat steadily and strongly. He wanted to feel the energy fill up his entire being, firing him up and making him feel alive again. He wanted to feel her warmth.

It was until then that he realized how much he cared for her and how afraid he was of losing her.

“I couldn’t do anything to save them but now, nothing will harm you as long as I’m here, Soulmate.” Daehyun whispered, planting a soft kiss on the back of Soah’s hand that he was holding. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: 

I think this was the part that everyone was waiting for HAHA! Things are going to get better soon~ Thank you for showing this fic so much love, I'm still inadequate when it comes to writing ;-;