NP: Safe and Sound - Taylor Swift

Thanks To: Onceinalifetime, alia19, popgirl345543, seohyunyunho, YB_aspi, hensyy, seomyrawon, cutiepiemeg, imsoinlove_seokyu 

Word Count: 1, 562 words

Genre: Fantasy, Alternate Universe, Angst, Romance 

Prompt: Fallen Angel, a curse unbroken...

*

Climbing the towering trees with rough and cold skin, Seohyun didn't break a sweat and cling on a thick limb. She then effortlessly hurdled towards the nearest tree, clearing her pace. The sun was almost setting down, making it harder for her since the area would darken as seconds passed by.

Seohyun paused halfway, as her target also paused from walking through the cloudy pathway. She then rested her feet on the unstable and quite thin branch; how unfortunate of her to stop on which was about to crack anytime around. She then pursed her lips, slightly cursing herself for being too reckless. She had just decided to prepare her arrow and bow, if ever she would need to attack. Being a skilled archer, she managed to place her arrow and stretch it without creating any form of sound that would be heard.

Her hawk-like eyes then watched for the blurred figures on the ground, trying to aim on him. He, with the golden crown in his head which he didn't even deserve to hold, was leading a pack to hunt her down; not just her but more particularly her young lover.

She controlled the great urge to just kill him right on the spot, a chance wherein she could've taken already, as she thought that she just needed to get them out of the forest and leave even before the sun sets.

But she waited for the appropriate timing. She could sense that even though he was left alone, there were scattered forces anywhere else she didn't know and didn't care to know. Slowly and cautiously, she jumped to another tree, as her prey walked forward. The stretched out arrow in her firm hands were stable, even if she kept moving forward and jumping into another tree.

Only the rustling of the crunchy leaves could be heard as she and her target moved deeper to the isolated area. And since the wind was with her, the sounds came from different directions, confusing the man more than ever. He would occasionally glance on different ways, making sure that his path was clear and sound.

Unfortunately, he failed to do so since Seohyun managed to jump below, some few meters behind him. He was about to turn but Seohyun already set free to the arrow in her bow. "For my parents..." She solidly stood in her spot, gritting her words through her teeth.

The man, who was shot at his back, slowly faced her. The greedy smile was still plastered on his devilishly gorgeous face, thinking that Seohyun wouldn't be able to shoot him with him siding in front of her.

But Seohyun let go of the second arrow, exactly above the first arrow she had just shoot. "For the EXO tribe..." She painfully muttered the destroyed clan, tears threatening to fall from her empty eyes.

But a merciless laugh escaped from the fired man, wiping the blood flowing out of his mouth. "There's no need...for fighting my dear Seo-hyun..." He hardly muttered. "They're deleted in the Kingdom of Heavens anyways..." He mocked, still enjoying seeing how fumed up Seohyun was.

Actually, the lady used to chicken out from him. She couldn't even stare directly at him. His insulting smirk never failed to send thousands of shivers down to her spine. But not now, not now that she had lost her own soul. She couldn't even flaunt her elegant and royal-looking wings in front of him. But now, she stood marvelously; proud and not afraid. 

She'd already burnt herself; her skin obtained large blemishes and terrible bruises. She didn't survive the fire for nothing.  

Soon, his laugh called the knights and men of the man, planning to surround her in any minute as if to show that she wouldn't be able to survive now. But she still didn't care. Killing what's in front of her was the only thing that mattered. Even her life didn't matter that time that much. 

Getting her one last arrow, with the point marked with a purple tint - a mark which would spread deadly venom in his heart, she conveniently placed the arrow in her bow. And by the time that the man in front of her was seized, a great pang of pain struck in her abdominal part; caused by the general knight from her prey.

Eventually, she fell with her knees, but composed herself not to look that much in pain. And as she saw a dim image of some few men trying to save their so-called highness, she smiled to herself for the last time. It was a bittersweet smile. At least, she'd accomplished what she needed to. Even if she already felt that her last few seconds ticked by real fast, she knew that she succeeded.

"And that's for Chen..."

//

She ran for her life, not practically hers, but for the one who completed her life. She didn't mind when her bare feet were already soaked with her own blood as she dashed through the path surrounded with sharp nails. Her heart's bruises were actually much more painful, being squeezed like a mere lemon fruit. The acidic juice it produced quickly spread into her body system, as if an unstoppable poison slowly killing her inwardly. 

But she abruptly stopped upon seeing a great fire in front of her, eating up all of the huts poorly stalled in the fluffy clouds. "No...no, no, no!" She screamed weakly, lashing out more tears which could dehydrate her in no time. 

And even the huge flames were unbearable and destroying everything - and everyone, she bravely entered the tribe. "Zitao! Xiumin! Luhan! Yixing! Yifan!" She shouted with all of her might, the names she merely remembered as she kept hoping that there's someone whom she would save, out of the horrifying place. To save the tribe, to save his clan...

"Teacher! Master! Grandma!" She tried to call for the elderly people whom she respected the most, influencing her into maturity and wisdom. Though the mortal people looked physically older, she lived way longer before them. Still, she learned and discovered a lot of important things from them. 

She was about to turn into a corner, when a familiar figure caught her eyes immediately, being the first one she saw as she passed through the heated area. And as she came nearer, she knew he was the first person her heart tried to search for. 

"Ch-chen..." She whispered solemnly. "Chen!" She gasped as hope sparked inside her after seeing that he stirred in his spot. 

"Noona...just leave me. Please, just save your life." He replied, shooing her out of the fired place - and out of his life forever.     

"What? No! Tell me what happened. You're getting out of here with me!" She insisted, carrying him upwards as she supported him by the shoulders. But the man stubbornly held her hands, preventing her to proceed. The lady just glared at him, desperate and firm with her decision.

But as he glanced back on her pair of deep black eyes, a sudden realization hit him. Her stubborn eyes seemed resentful but as he let himself be lost in the depth of it, he felt the tragedy in both of her eyes. He remembered her bright and positive smiles in the past but he had always seen those obviously dreadful eyes of hers. Behind them were her struggles just to fight against the bad side; even if it meant that she would sacrifice a wealthy and stable enough life. 

"Let's get out of here. You said you'd always obey me. This is an order, let's get out." 

But he managed to shake his head, disregarding her invitation. "I'm sorry Noona if I failed you. You used to remind me to practice with my fighting skills but I did not listen. Even duizhang died in their little fingers, what more for a little kid like me?" 

It was true though. The best of the warriors from EXO even died. He just forced himself to breath more in order to see his beloved Noona for the last time. She was the only reason he remained alive and now that he had seen her, he would be dying in peace.    

Seohyun was in the brink of hope. Every ounce of her energy and soul had drained out, making her weak and fragile. Just hearing how his voice cracked at every word he gave, pained her. 

"I don't want you to leave, I'm truly afraid Noona. But that would be too selfish. There were still a lot of tribes suffering under Jiho's ruling. You should not stop fighting. EXO is just one of them; and we're more than happy to lessen your suffering. Keep safe and sound for me..." 

The wild and destructive fire was nearing, almost touching the two figures' bodies. Seohyun had both of her hands tightly gripped on him. But it started to soften as his stare and message pierced through her soul. 

"Leave..." Chen mouthed for the last time, before staring out into the space above him. Seohyun knew exactly what happened and initiated to slowly close his eyelids. Not minding how the fire started to burn her, she kissed his forehead and stood up. 

Tearing the thick sleeves of her dress, she tapped the fire out of it and did not look back.

"I will Chen, I will..."