CHAPTER SIX

Guardian

 The rest of the day was spent walking around the Elvish kingdom and its land, listening as Jaehwa carefully explained their customs. It had been a long time since they were out in the sun so they enjoyed the stroll through the well-kept forestlands and did not stop to take a break until they arrived at the stream.

Listening to the quiet whispers of running water, Sehun dipped his fingers in. The water was warm, dancing against his skin and somehow he felt a tiny part of his old self come back – the person who was eager about everything that life could offer.

Behind him, Jaehwa sat down in the shade of a tree, watching Sehun’s eyes light up at the touch of water. She wanted to talk to him – she did, but she didn’t know what to say and even more than that feared what he would say. She wished she had the courage to reach out to him but she had tried and failed too many times before and this time around, she told herself that she could not make the same mistakes.

From the corner of her eyes, she caught the quick swish of fabric before Soojung was beside Sehun. Quietly, she watched as Soojung said something in her usual bright way before Sehun attempted to suppress a smile or a laugh.

There was something so natural and so free about their relationship that she envied – Sehun had never really been like that with her. When they were married, they were never comfortable with each other – partly because they were different and partly because Sehun never had time for Jaehwa. Deep down though, she knew that it was also because she loved him too much and he, well, she wasn’t even sure if he’d loved her at all. She never asked because a part of her knew that the answer would disappoint her.

“Jaehwa.”

She turned to the source of the voice after she tucked her legs up into her chest protectively, “Luhan.” She cleared her voice and bid him sit down beside her. “So? What do you think?” She asked after he had settled himself comfortably.

“About what?”

“The elves.” She stated, “What-“

“I thought you might be referring to Sehun and Soojung.”

She swallowed and looked at Luhan, who was studying her quietly. Jaehwa had grown up and perhaps it was time but he couldn’t help but wonder what she had been through when they had not been by her side. He remembered the fright he saw in her eyes when she had been taken away and even more so than that, the uncertainty.

Yet now, sitting beside him was a young woman who seemed wiser and more confident; all fear erased. She was more sure of who she was – a resoluteness resided at her core.

“A lot has changed… I don’t wish for what I had before.” Her tone was firm despite the gentleness of her voice.

“Is there a reason for that?” His voice was soft and she liked that – he wasn’t really interrogating her. They were talking as two people – as friends.

She nodded, “I have my reasons.”

“Fair enough.” He looked away from her and said, “I like them… the elves, I mean. I think I speak on behalf of the majority when I say that we do wish to have them as part of our army.”

“So you will fight?”

Luhan nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line but she could tell that he was determined. Luhan was always this way - stubborn and headstrong at his core despite the fact that he always preferred to be more modest and more agreeable. His strength and perserverance was something he liked to hide. 

She tossed a smile back at him, as if to say that everything would be fine - giving him the reassurance that he sought, “They’re a good bunch.”

“How long have you stayed with them?”

“Thirty or so years.”

From there on, neither of them said another word, sinking into a comfortable silence. She thought of how she should apologise to Luhan – the one person who had been kind to her. He had always been fascinated by her human ways and had befriended her as any normal human would – he had been a true friend yet she had left him behind and in the dark.

The days she spent amongst the Vampire Clan were hard and lonely but there were rare days when she had been happy; when she could tell herself that this place was starting to feel like home. In those days, Luhan was always by her side with his warm smile and cheerful thoughts. She remembered the first time Luhan told her that being a human wasn’t something to be ashamed of because in his younger years, he had wanted to be a human and feel things the way she did.

He wanted to know the power that mortality had over one’s experiences and wished to see things in a simpler and more beautiful light. Sometimes, he wished to know what it felt like to be bound by time – to know that an expiry date lay ahead so that he could live today like there would be no tomorrow. It was then that she realised how alike he and Sehun were. Both were lonely, sad and broken at heart.

She remembered how she’d set her innocent mind on fixing Sehun’s broken heart only to realise that she had been wrong all along. She had been so, so wrong.

She sighed and tightened her arms around her legs. If she could turn back time, she would redo everything but knowing that she couldn’t, she knew she had to let things go. She had to let Sehun go and she had to let Jaehwa, the human girl, go. She had to set herself free from the past.

While Jaehwa had fallen into her reverie, Sehun had been casting quick looks back at her from beside Soojung. He watched as she sat comfortably beside Luhan and looked upon them as they spoke in hushed voices. He wondered how Luhan did it – how his brother managed to draw her in and how he managed to capture people’s hearts. There was always an ease with which Luhan conversed with others - he was always so trusting and so willing to open his heart to whoever he met. 

“Hey. Hey. Sehun-ah.” Soojung waved her hands in front of his eyes but he didn’t even blink. Then, she resorted to her own methods of getting his attention by scooping a handful of water and splashing it onto him.

“Aish.” He was on his feet immediately, wiping water from his face, “Yah! What was that for?” He was slightly irritated but Soojung was too busy sprawled on the grass, clutching her belly, laughing, to notice.

Soojung had always been a little childlike but it had been a long time since he had seen her this happy and a part of him softened. He smiled secretly to himself before walking away, letting her actions slip by him this once. He walked out of the sun and into the shade, catching Jaehwa’s eyes for a split second before he pulled away.

He hadn’t known why he had done so but he knew later that it was because of his pride – to get her back for doing the same thing to him that morning. As much as Sehun had been humbled by his current situation, he had still managed to retain his stubborn nature and with regards to relationships, Sehun wasn’t exactly the brightest. Being guarded had always been in his nature – he was always left alone to fend for himself and naturally, his defences were always up but in so many cases, it kept him from happiness.

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