Chapter 5

Hwayoung could see the runes beginning to glow on Kyungsoo’s arms as he ran, the ground shifting underneath his feet, hurrying his steps. The rain was pouring, drenching into her cloak, though with the rain came wind. It was easier to control than to summon, and she willed it to push behind her back, giving her more momentum.

Even with her power, though, the white haired boy seemed to know his way around exceptionally well too, and he was swift. She wasn’t sure if he was even using whatever power he had — he hadn’t when he fought the men — and he had already been fast then. She could only hope that she and Kyungsoo were enough to catch him.

He was a blur as he sped past the buildings, turning abruptly down alleys that Hwayoung herself didn’t recognize. This was dangerous — she didn’t dare raise her voice and yell at him in fear of guards finding them, but at the rate they were going, simply chasing him wasn’t going to end up well. They’d lose him at the rate they were going at.

“Continue chasing him,” she yelled at Kyungsoo, hoping he would hear. He didn’t turn around to look at her, though he yelled back a barely audible, “Why?”

“I’m going onto the rooftops!”

His reply was drowned by a clap of thunder, so she wasn’t quite sure if he agreed with it or not. Whatever it was didn’t matter, because Hwayoung wasn’t going to drop the plan for the prince’s opinion. She was the one who knew the Second Sector better, after all.

There was a long-hanging roof near the next turn, and it was possibly the fastest and easiest way for her to go up without using too much time or too much energy. It’d be easier to follow them from the rooftops and she could gain more distance in less time.

She watched as Kyungsoo sprinted after the boy, his cloak tearing in the wind and the ground shifting beneath his feet as he moved. She couldn’t deny that it was a fascinating sight, though the moment they disappeared, Hwayoung snapped into action.

The overhang of the roof wasn’t too hard to grab, and with the momentum she’d already gained from running (and the strongest gust of wind she could summon beneath her feet), she flipped onto the rooftop.

The shingles seemed to move beneath her feet, unsteady, though Hwayoung didn’t linger in the same spot for long. The roof slanted upwards steeply, and after being washed with rain, it was also slippery under her feet. Still, as long as she had the wind behind her back, she could never really fall hard.

It wasn’t long before she reached the more even rooftops. Most of them were completely flat, easy to run across. She made a sharp turn towards the alley where she had seen Kyungsoo and the boy turn into. If she was fast enough, she could corner him before he could even reach any of the main roads.

The rain beat into her face, each droplet a small sting. Her hood had fallen off sometime along the way and her hair was sticking to her face in an uncomfortable manner. Still, Hwayoung was thankful for the rain because it brought wind (and it kept the guards away).

It wasn’t long before she could see both the boy and Kyungsoo — the former was a dead giveaway with his hair color, exposed by the rain, and Kyungsoo himself was also very obvious, a blur of darkness and the earth moving strangely beneath him.

If I go after two more rooftops, I’ll land almost directly in front of him or close. Do Kyungsoo will be blocking the other way, so…

She quickened her pace. Three more buildings and she’d be at a safe distance to jump.

A strong gust of wind carried her forward. Hwayoung didn’t give herself time to think — she’d hesitate too much if she did — a moment later, she’d flipped down over the side of the roof, a far enough drop that would’ve broken a normal person’s legs.

It was risky even for her, and she was halfway to the ground, struggling to summon the sufficient amount of wind to soften her fall, when she realized that she’d underestimated the distance she’d had to jump. Her left leg hit the ground hard, the impact sending a painful jolt up her whole body. The next step she put onto her left foot stung like hell, but she could see the white haired boy coming her way. Gritting her teeth, Hwayoung pulled out her first dagger.

She saw his eyes widen the moment he saw her, skidding to a step a couple meters away. Kyungsoo followed behind shortly, and he, too, stopped.

She saw the boy back a couple steps away from her, only to turn back, expression turning into panic, hands clenching into balls beside him as he eyed both her and the prince. Hwayoung leveled her weapon at him, hoping that he couldn’t tell she her foot was injured. She’d seen him fight — even if he was at a disadvantage, that didn’t mean he couldn’t run — she’d be the weak link out of her and Kyungsoo if he was going to run again.

He stood in the middle of the two of them, chest heaving and breathing roughly. She could see the recognition flickering across his face — he’d seen her eyes, even through the rain — and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he knew who Kyungsoo was too.

For a long time, the only sound was the sound of the rain hitting the ground until she finally took a step towards him. It took all of her self control to keep her expression stoic even when her weight landed on the left side of her foot. He raised a hand in a threatening gesture.

“Don’t come closer.” His voice was a lot more confident than Hwayoung remembered it sounded with the group of men, though it still had a melodic ring to it. “I don’t know what you want with me, but—”

“You’re Marked, aren’t you?” Hwayoung lowered her dagger so that it wasn’t pointed in his direction. It didn’t seem to placate him at all.

He pressed his lips together, eyes darting back and forth nervously between the two of them. Hwayoung could almost see him plotting his escape route, and desperately, she wracked her mind for something else to say that would either lower his guard or  at least delay him for a bit.

“Just let me leave.” His knuckles were white from how hard he’d been clenching his fists, mouth set into a straight line and meeting her gaze wearily. His white-blonde hair was dripping, hanging in messy strands down his forehead. “I’ve heard of you a lot. Windwalker, right? I don’t know what you want to do with me, but you’re mistaken. I’m not going to be able to do it. I don’t fight.”

Hwayoung tilted her head at him. “What happened with those men back there?”

He visibly stiffened, and as he was facing her, she saw Kyungsoo move forward ever so slightly.

“I had no choice.” His voice was quiet, and he took a step towards her this time. “Let me pass. I