Chaos.

It's not until this very moment as we race out the throne room does realisation cement itself in the pit of my stomach. Jimin's betrayal, the image of his body crumbling to the floor-- an execution. Yves standing up against her mother, disobeying her orders. The barrier being broken, the sphere corrupted. So much had happened it was hard to keep up, my mind rushing to pick at the seams. The feeling of a hand slipping into mine has me snapping back to reality.

"Come on!" Yves' shout has me looking her way instantly, and I'm quick to catch up. Not once does her hand slip from mine.

My heartbeat pounds in my ears, erratic. Trying desperately to match their fast pace, I will my legs to keep pushing. The sound of hurried footsteps racing down halls fills the air as we dodge around corners, careful of the cracks in the floor. It was all happening so quick. I could've sworn it was just a second ago the first tremor happened. By the time we created a distance from the throne room, hell bent on reaching the second gate, we were already running out of time.

"On your left!" Commander Chanyeol's shout has me snapping back to reality just in time to dodge a heavy blow. A large man flings his axe down on me, just barely grazing my hair. The motion of me ducking  has Yves' hand slipping out of mine.

They were everywhere already. With every hall we passed it was as if they were multiplying, men clad in dark cloth speeding past our visions like shadows. Eden's Archers shot arrow after arrow at Jennie's men, the guards patrolling the halls only hours ago now fighting for their lives-- striking down their dark-clothed enemies. If it weren't for Chanyeol and his guards I probably would've been dead by now. Yves included.

Actually, that might not be true. She seemed to be handling herself surprisingly well for a princess.

When the unfamiliar man regains his footing and realises I dodged his blow, he looks back at me with an insidious snarl. Before he can do anything, however, Chanyeol's spear is piercing through his back not even a second after, directly in the middle. The spear pushes through his chest and appears on the other side, its tip just mere centimetres away from my face. It unnerved me to know that the blades on their weapons were that sharp, sharp enough to pierce through bodies like clean cuts. Nonetheless, for a moment my breath hitches and all I can do is stare back at the mans dead eyes. Before I can dwell on it, Chanyeol's ripping his spear back out and helping me to my feet.

"We need to keep moving!"

For a second I hesitated to take his hand. I just saw that same hand drive his spear through someone's chest, deadly. When the sound of grunting and metal clanging against metal reaches my ears, however, I snap out of it.

He didn't need to tell me twice.

Taking his hand, he flings me up like I was weightless. Stumbling over my feet for the briefest of seconds, I hurry after him.

I'd never felt more hopeless than I had in this moment. Watching Chanyeol and his guards slice down Jennie's men, manoeuvring themselves with such refinement, I couldn't help but stare in awe. They were professionals. In any other situation I would've felt sick to my stomach, because in what world is it normal to be 'pro' at killing people?! This isn't normal, not one bit!  But realistically, I knew better. I knew better than to criticise them when death was literally knocking on the doors to this castle, consuming the halls. The sound of a man crying out draws me from my thoughts immediately.

"Commander, we are wasting time- AGH!" I recognised him. One of the four guards who accompanied us out of the throne room. Before he had time to finish his sentence a dagger is being pushed into his chest, silencing him instantly. I notice the way Chanyeol falters, the way his eyes blow wide for the briefest of seconds. And then he practically growls, his face washing over with pure purpose. I could only begin to assume why.

When we left the throne room there was four guards with us, Chanyeol included. Now there was only two.

Turning to face his remaining guard, me, and finally Yves through the crowd-- he calls out to us over the commotion.

"We are almost there! Just a little further!" He pauses to swing his spear out, colliding directly with an enemy head. He grunts. "We must close that gate!"

I wasn't sure how much time had passed. How long we spent pushing our way down these halls, narrowly avoiding being hit. Paintings were hanging from their hooks, antiques broken against the floor in small shards of glass. The chandeliers above our heads were shattered, unlit candles toppled over and rolling across the cracked, marble floor. By the time we finally do reach the familiar hallway leading to the gate room, Chanyeol's armour is already splattered in blood.

The remaining guard turn towards him.

"Go! I will hold them off! Take them to the-- AH!" He's cut short. Before he can finish his sentence, a dagger flies through the air and collides with his shoulder-- inches away from his neck. I don't miss the way Chanyeol's eyes flash wide but before he can help him up, the man shakes his head with a hiss. "Go!"

Some part of me almost felt disrespectful. All these men around me were fighting for their lives and I didn't even know their names.

Chanyeol hesitates for the briefest of seconds before nodding his head, grunting a frustrated "Aish!". Turning to face me and Yves, he motions for us to leave.

"Go! I will cover you!"

All I can do is nod stupidly. Sparing a look with Yves, we don't waste another second. Racing down the hall I narrowly avoid yet another sword that comes life threateningly close to my face.

We're almost there, Y/N... don't stop now!

But of course, nothing good lasts forever.

I must have had tunnel vision. So intent on reaching the door I miss the heavy body that comes barrelling towards me, catching me off my balance. A tall, older man snarls down at me with his crooked teeth-- hilt of his sword pressing painfully into my hip. Yves realises a second too late that I wasn't following her. Turning to look for me I don't miss the way her eyes blow wide, the way her face washes over in panic. But I'm given no time to focus on her when the man speaks, his hot breath mingling through the cries around us.

"And where do you think yer' going, huh?" His breath smelled rancid. I can't stop the way my face screws up, nose scrunching and all. When he turns his sword so its blade just nearly grazes against my skin, I close my eyes on instinct. Only nothing comes.

I snap my eyes back open when I feel my body being torn away, the mans rough grip no longer encasing me. Instead I find myself stumbling back into Yves, her arms wrapping around my waist and tugging me so my back presses tightly into her chest. I don't have any time to focus on the feeling of her warmth. Don't have any time to focus on the way a breath of relief slips from her lips, just brushing against my ear. Instead my eyes stay trained on the sight before me.

I didn't know how I didn't see her before. How I didn't see her approach us, sword swinging with such sickening precision. The man who barrelled at me only moments ago now falls to the floor, his face washing vacant. And then I look up at my saviour.

Jungeun.

I just barely make out Chanyeol's figure racing towards us. His face washes over in a mixture of emotions when he sees Jungeun, but her attention stays on me and Yves. A breath of air I didn't know I was holding falls from my lips, my body relaxing into Yves' hold. Before I can bask in my relief, Jungeun grunts.

"Come on. We are running out of time."

Trust Jungeun to show up when it mattered most. I wondered where she was, why I didn't see her in the throne room with the rest of us. Looking back at her now all I can do is stare.

She saved my life. As if reading my mind, she shakes her head.

"Save it for later. Move!"

We didn't need to be told again. We run.

It felt like an endless cycle. Jennie's guards flying at us guns-a-blaz