It was late afternoon when Sana was done with her classes of the day. She was feeling a bit tired even though she hadn't been doing much other than sitting throughout the lectures and taking some notes when needed. Though she did go to the daycare a few hours ago, to check up on Sojun and feed him his lunch; but that wasn't even an exhausting task to begin with. 

"Babe, wanna go to the library and study with me?" They were walking out of the lecture hall when Mina tugged Sana's arm and offered cheerfully. 

The idea sounded really nice and it was definitely something she needed the most considering how fast their finals were approaching. However, she had some other priorities, Sojun, so she couldn't just go ahead with the tempting offer. "I'm not feeling that well, Babe. Sorry! We'll study together some other time, hmm?" She pleaded, giving puppy eyes to her best friend so the girl would let her off. 

"Huh? You're not feeling well? But you looked perfectly fine in the morning!" Mina frowned and immediately checked her best friend's temperature from her neck and forehead. "Your temperature is also fine."

"I didn't say it's a fever!" Sana murmured, inwardly panicking, not knowing what excuse to make. No one other than Baekhyun and herself knew about Sojun, and it would be quite tough to coax Mina with any false excuse regarding her relationship with Sojun - and honestly Sana didn't feel like telling Mina anymore lies, she'd already been feeding her best friend with more lies. Thus, she'd rather keep the matter of Sojun as a confidential one.

At that particular moment of panic, Sana felt someone pushing Mina's hold away from her gently, and that same someone had now flung his arm around her shoulder to bring her close to their side. Baekhyun. "Yah, Mina, are you that dumb? I bet you know now that couples do some intense exercise during nighttime. Sana's tired because of that." Sana made a mistake of gaping and looking at her husband at that moment, because the smirk he let out while speaking of such things had made her stomach churn in fluster even though his words were nothing but false, "I kept her awake the whole night." He added again, as if his previous words weren't enough. 

Mina didn't gasp as dramatically as she would've hadn't Baekhyun indirectly mentioned about her and Sehun, but she did gasp slightly anyway. "Oh…I get it! Omo! Okay, you can go back home and rest. Oppa, I hope you let my friend actually rest when you two return home, okay? I'll be leaving now!" With that, the blushing and giggling Mina trudged off to the other direction. 

Sana turned towards Baekhyun and jabbed his arm that was still holding her. "Did you really have to provide that many unnecessary and false details?" 

The man didn't react to her physical attack, he merely led them towards the daycare and rolled his eyes, "But you have to agree that it was the fastest way!" 

"I know but- uggh whatever!" She didn't feel like starting an argument with him - for some stupid reasons, her head was still stuck in the words he'd told her this morning, his intense gaze when he uttered those determined words, and she most definitely couldn't get over the wild butterflies he had successfully launched into her tummy since then. Now, she didn't have it in her to say anything to him. She and her tummy wanted to rest. 

Despite being intent on not saying anything to him, Sana couldn't help but to feel the need to ask him if everything was alright. She could feel something had changed within a snap of a moment and that the male walking beside her was stiffening up more and more by each passing moment. Her stomach churned again, but it was for some different reason now, it was due to fear of something going wrong.

They were finally in front of the daycare by the time she mustered up the courage to ask Baekhyun what was wrong. "Baekhyun? You… you seem tense. What happened?" 

The male in the question remained still for a few seconds, only his clenching jaw was proof that he was still on earth but was deeply distracted or disturbed by something. "I can't... seem to connect with them." After taking a long silent break, he answered vaguely.  

"Whom?" Sana's frown deepened hearing his answer. A sudden realization struck her like a bolt, her eyes widened in horror as she assumed what he could be talking about. And if that wasn't enough, she couldn't even see any of his old friends - those reptiles anywhere near the vicinity, whereas they were supposed to be here and protect Sojun from any harm. "S-Sojun! Did something happen to Sojun? Where are t-those snakes? Oh God!" She didn't know how she could reach this conclusion, but seeing how Baekhyun went silent and how he didn't protest at all, it seemed like her guess was spot on. "I'll go look for him!" Taking a huge intake of shaky breath, she announced and dashed inside the daycare immediately. 

"Sana! Wait! Damnit!" Baekhyun was brought out of his contemplating reverie when he saw Sana making a run inside the daycare without bothering to take him along with her. She didn't even stop for a second despite hearing his shout of warning. This woman was seriously going to be the end of his sanity. Cursing to nothing in particular, he also chased after her, hoping that she wouldn't be trapped into any more life-risking situation by moving about alone without thinking much. 

When Sana managed to be inside the daycare, everything seemed neat and clean, there were kids some of whom were sleeping, some were playing and some were crying. But amongst all those little souls, she couldn't trace Sojun no matter how much she looked and called for him.

"Excuse me, I request you to stop screaming, you are scaring the kids! If you're looking for someone, just tell us the name!" One of the helpers from the daycare interrupted Sana as she was frantically looking for Sojun. 

"Yeah, I'm looking for someone. S-Sojun, a small four years old boy, I left him here this morning. H-He was wearing a blue shirt and blue pants. He's about this tall. W-Where is he?" She managed to calm down a bit and asked the helper woman. 

The woman frowned, "I don't remember taking in anyone named Sojun today. But wait, let me check today's register!" 

"Yes, yes, do so, please! I registered his name today by myself!" Sana nodded and followed behind the woman. 

"Sana!" That was the exact moment when Baekhyun also managed to catch up. He huffed as he came to stand behind her. Somehow, his features were also slightly twisted in what anyone would've noted as worry. 

"I'm sorry, but there's no registration named Sojun in today's list. There must've been some misunderstanding!" The woman confirmed after checking the registration list more than once. 

"What? What's this bull! How can-"

"Sana! We don't have time to waste here. Come with me!" Baekhyun had enough of this useless confrontation since he knew whatever had happened to Sojun, these daycare people wouldn't be able to tell. So he dragged Sana out of the place without wasting more time. "Sojun's been most probably taken away." 

Sana's eyes snapped up at his face as if he'd just told her something outrageous - which was true in a sense, him saying something like that was really unbearable. "What the hell do you mean? Where's he? Oh God, did something happen to him? Answer me, goddamnit!" She was out of control now as she grabbed Baekhyun by the collar and demanded answers. She didn't give a flying about the fact that this man was a dangerous monster and he had enough capabilities to kill her within a second if he wanted to. Right now, she only needed to know Sojun's whereabouts and get him back safely. 

"If my intuition's right, then it's the leader of evil spirits who has taken Sojun. Seems like he has erased everyone's memories in the daycare regarding Sojun, he has even killed my reptiles without letting me get a hunch about it." Baekhyun murmured after a few long seconds. His features darkened as he uttered his next words, "As far as I know, he possesses almost similar abilities like me." 

Sana's heart dropped hearing that. Her fingers, which were a bit loose around his collar now, tightened their hold again, "You knew that leader was this strong, yet you didn't tell me anything! You left Sojun here, all alone, despite knowing that it could risk his life vastly! How c-could you! You're really a monster, Baekhyun! You have no heart! I know you didn't like Sojun to begin with, but I didn't know you could be this cruel to leave that poor kid alone amongst all these dangers lurking around him! You're such a selfish prick! I hate you!" She sobbed hard as her knees gave out, it was really hard to believe that Baekhyun could be this heartless. Sure he hadn't been the kindest one to be with, but somewhere in a small corner of her heart she hoped that he also had a soft corner inside his stubborn heart, she hoped he also had feelings like affection and benevolence in him. But who was she kidding? Maybe he was really the selfish and arrogant monster he'd always shown her to be. Maybe she had been foolish enough to try to keep reading between the lines into his attitude. 

And that meant, she was indirectly the reason Sojun had gotten kidnapped by that evil leader of spirits. Had she not blindly trusted this cruel male standing before her, she would've never left Sojun alone here. God knew what that leader was doing to Sojun. She would never ever be able to forgive herself if something happened to him.

Sana's legs refused to stand up but she forced herself to do so after barely managing to control her heart wrenching sobs. "Just tell me where I can find the leader. I'll bring Sojun back by myself." Wiping her continuously flowing tears, she demanded strongly, ignoring her cracked voice and blurry vision.

Baekhyun snapped out of whatever deep thoughts he was in, "No! It'll be like a suicide. Don't be stupid, Oh Sana." He immediately shook his head and denied.

"I didn't ask for your permission, Byun Baekhyun! Just tell me where I can find that evil bastard! I don't care if he kills me. But I'll save Sojun no matter what! I've promised Sooyoon to look after him!" Sana lost all the leftover patience she had in herself, so she yelled at the top of her voice, exuding unbreakable determination. Even if she didn't have much idea about the supernatural world, by now she had already realized that someone like that evil leader would definitely prioritize the soul of a monster's bride over the soul of a random little kid. That meant, she could surely offer her own soul in order to save Sojun. She knew it was a very huge step she would be taking, that even for someone else's kid, but she simply couldn't live with the idea that a little baby would lose his life due to her carelessness.

Baekhyun's hands went up to hold her by her shoulders, forcing her to look at him again, bringing her out of her flaring thoughts, "Listen, I'll be the one bringing Sojun back, I ing promise you!" He yelled at her face, holding the strongest and longest eye contact they'd ever shared. "So, just stop crying and calm down. Those tears don't suit you." 

"No, I can't trust you anymore! And I won't be able to calm down unless I see Sojun right before my eyes!" Sana beat back, eyes glaring at the male. 

Something akin to hurt flashed through his orbs when he swallowed her blatant words. But Sana was way out of her mind to decipher his looks. Baekhyun masked his previous features with his clenched jaw, "Sana, I promise you, Sojun will be there with you even if it means that I won't be there anymore. It's up to you now whether you trust me or not. Now let's go and get Sojun back." He solemnly told her, his voice cold but powerful, meaning each and every syllables he had uttered. 

And despite everything, something in Sana told her that he was going to keep this promise at all costs. 

                                    ______

Sana didn't know where they were going. She had been silently yet restlessly following Baekhyun for the past twenty minutes as he made his way through the streets of an old town near the city they lived. 

"Do you even know where we're going?" Sick of waiting and silently walking, the girl started a conversation. They hadn't talked ever since the last argument or whatever it was that they had back in the campus, but she couldn't bear the weight of suspension anymore. 

"Just shut up and stay close." The focused man murmured as he continued walking, not even sparing her a glance. 

It was another five minutes of tense walk when Sana could see traces of more stable establishments and life - wait, she was certain those deadly looking people weren't even alive. She'd seen enough of humans and spirits to now know how to differentiate between their appearance.

That was also the exact moment when Baekhyun stopped walking in front of her, only to step back and take Sana's hand into his dare she say protective hold, intertwining their fingers as if he was hellbent on not leaving her alone in whatever circumstances awaiting them. She might've gone too insane because somehow his gesture made her feel less scared upon the presence of the lurking spirits.