Chapter 4: Guardian
SafekeepingChapter 4: Guardian
You froze suddenly at the mention of him. "How is he?" your heart pounded as you resisted on speaking his name, while Luhan's expression seemed to change along with yours into a solemn one. "Perhaps like how he's been," he answered dully, "strong, fast...clever, and somewhat prideful, and so stubborn to the point that he'd never give up on something he believes."
You nodded silently, suddenly feeling restless when thinking about him. "And your gift," you were quick to switch the subject, "have you learned anything of it after he marked you?" Your question was followed by his shaking of head, "He told me my power is telekinesis, but I never figured how to use it, or control it time to time..." both his and your eyes turned quickly as someone from the halls screamed "Watch out!" The basket ball came slamming towards Luhan, and before he could react, you had already thrown yourself before him with a hand raised before your faces. Without even the slightest contact, the ball bounced backwards as though it had hit an imaginary wall. You glanced around cautiously to be sure that no one had seen anything they shouldn't have, while Luhan was still left a little dazed. "Protection power," you smile proudly towards him, "it took me a year to learn how to manage it. And that is what I will do for you, helping you to learn and control your power. No matter what, never show the hesitation like you did to me just now, you won't survive that way."
His eyes wondering off slightly to the direction behind your shoulder, Luhan nodded half-heartedly, as though he had barely heard you. You breathed in and swallowed your anger, when spotting his gaze upon Minhye another time. She was having somewhat of a good laugh with Kai and Sehun, before Kai pulled her fingers and led her back inside the classroom. Your patience lowering suddenly, you patted Luhan's chest in a manner that was hard enough to shock him. "This must stop!" you ordered dourly, making him lower his gaze fearfully over you. Upon seeing his pitiful face, you all of the sudden softened. "Listen, it is not my wish to control your life. But Minhye and you, it can't happen. I should have never cared for her in this way, but I have to admit, she's like family to me. I've been taught to never develop an emotional bond with mortals. These emotions become our greatest weakness, and out duty is to our pack, our people. I've already crossed the line by caring for her, and I do not stop you from crossing it with me. But as a friend, I know Minhye, and as your kind, I know that if you get close, you will fall in love. It's a natural instinct, I can see it happen. But it can never, not for someone like you." You stopped, looking into his eyes, only wishing that someone you had just met and knew so little of would understand. You couldn't allow any mistakes, not after how long you've waited for him.
Minhye had always had a way to react calmly, despite what the question was. "Of course not. Where else would I have seen him? Today's the first. What put that idea into your head?" she smiled meekly when standing up from her desk, swinging her backpack over her shoulders. You shook your head and pretended to look persuaded. "Maybe it's because..." you turned to Luhan who stood in the middle of your small crowd of friends, knowing that you didn't need words to answer. Minhye's eyes followed after yours, only to see a slightly panicked him swing his head the other way immediately, faking a casual look while speaking back towards Tao who had just said something. His reaction only made her look back at you, pursing her lips a little. "Enough about him, it isn't important. We should go, or I would miss my bus."
"Celeste! Minhye!" Chanyeol waved between the people who were stuffed around him, "Come on we're going!" He cut through them to run between you two, jovially placing his arms around your shoulders as though you and Minhye were his to look after. You grinned brightly at him, noticing Luhan's nearly visible confusion upon his face. You knew what he wondered - how could one like you who acted with such authority towards him switch into another shell so smoothly? When with him, you were someone to be respected and feared; yet with them, you were someone to be adored and played with. Was it all just an act, or was it that you truly held love inside your heart for these folks around you, these ones whom you call mortals?
The night was dark already by the time Minhye was sent off by all of you onto her bus to her way home. You shared small talks with Xiumin and Chen on the way, as the more streets you passed, the lesser your numbers became. To different directions, your fellow friends scattered off to their ways of home. You waved them off with warming smiles. "Don't forget it Celeste, you promised you'd join us in the fields tomorrow!" Tao grabbed Baekhyun's shoulder roughly while calling after you. You nodded to put him at ease, "As long as you don't make fun of a girl playing soccer with you boys, then yes, I will keep my promise!" You shook your head over the immature boys they still were while they cheered and ran off, pushing each other continuously. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" Lay eyed you awkwardly, glancing towards Luhan, the only one left beside you. You nodded, laying your fingers and lingering them by his shoulder, "Sure will. And get that song ready on piano, Chen and I wish to get familiar with it before the spring show." He smiled quietly in reply, before heading off to the right of the streets, hearing you call out one last "good night" towards him. And timidly, he glanced back to your direction, hiding his smile before sauntering away.
"He likes you, you know..."
You turned at once towards Luhan who mumbled and looked away at once, not knowing if he should have said those words or not. "No, is isn't like that," you frowned, barely moving, "Lay's a friend." He glanced away from you, not seeming convinced at all. "And Kris? Is he a friend?"
Your eyes fluttered open immediately at the sound of his name. Blinking quickly, you avoided looking into Luhan's eyes for the first time. "Yes, a very close one." You breathed anxiously, feeling your mark glistened shortly under the dim street lights, whilst you inhaled deeply to calm your mind. Your body acted strangely tonight, you didn't know what it was. Perhaps it was the impact of another one of your kind standing so close before you... "Your apartment, did he arrange it for you?"
Luhan nodded softly. "He gave me the address, asked me to not worry about the rent and to move in, and fit in with my surroundings; follow my guardian's orders, and don't stand out."
You smiled bitterly upon his words, "Almost the exact same words he told me...and is that what I am now, your guardian? I'm a little young for that, am I not?"
For once, you saw him come close to smiling at you. His relaxed features brought out the beauty of him which you never saw, or never wanted to notice. The cleanness in his eyes made you want to consider, were you truly being too hard on him? He was just a boy...and at last, you too were just a girl, one who had forgotten her past completely, and thrown everything away for the sake of someone whom you didn't even know at the time. And now, the reason you've abandoned so much finally arrived...how could you not be sensitive about it?
"Luhan," for the first time you could remember, you pronounced his name slowly and clearly, "I know how hard it is, to be at a place you do not know filled with strangers, and to be expected so much of." Your eyes lowering with guilt, you attempted to smile, yet ended up with a regretful expression, when raising your fingers to the side of his arm. "I'm sorry for my attitude earlier. But you're the reason I've remained here for so long, I was only here to wait for you. And now that you're here, I'm here to help you, to guide you. Whatever troubles come across your path, I want you to tell me, because it is my duty to share your burdens." Your touching tone silenced Luhan utterly. He couldn't help but gaze upon you, realizing how much he had wronged the person that you truly were. His lips moving slightly, his body still rigid, he managed an awkward smile. "Thank you...I suppose that's all I can say for the time being." He stopped and fell into a depth of thoughts suddenly, "I never had the chance to tell you...the hunters, they spotted me on my way he-here..." he faltered suddenly when feeling your hold over him tighten into a grip. His eyes raised in terror when noticing the red color your dark eyes had turned into, whilst your fingernails that had transformed into claws digging into his skin.
You growled in agony, feeling every bit your head burning into pieces, not able to mumble any more than a few words. "The moon...it-it's a full moon..." you screamed in your still human voice, feeling your body being torn to shreds. The last thing you could recall with consciousness was collapsing to the ground whilst Luhan kept you inside his arms as you fell, and the strong odor of his blood all over you hand...
Comments