I HAD spent most of my life forced to take just one side: the Hunters’. Tonight will be my first time having a chance to actually choose which side to take. And this is it.I would like to see what happens if I take the other side, I thought, as we ran inside the hospital.To make the rescuing quicker and more efficient, I assigned knights in different floors. Jonathan and I were on the fourth floor. Before the elevator opened, we had already sensed the Rogues.“I’ll go to the left,” I told him as I shot the first Rogue who greeted us in the hallway. “You take care of the rooms on the right.”“No problem. Call me when you need help,” Jonathan said as he drew his sword.“I will.”And then we sped in opposite direction. The screams had never stopped since the moment we stepped inside the hospital. There were Rogues in every floor. I brought out my revolvers and quickly targeted the Rogues who tried to block my path. Both of my hands were shooting nonstop in different directions. I canno
THE KNIGHT winced and for a split second, I regretted saying those harsh words. But I am not going to take them back. This is an emergency. He was a knight, for heaven’s sake. He should know better. Every second that he stops and falter, we could lose a life although that was not a part of Leonel’s teachings. I was taught that if worse comes to worst, I ought to leave by myself and to sacrifice even my own comrades if I must in order to report back and stay alive.Teaching me how to be cruel and selfish were not enough, Leonel taught me how to abandon and kill. I wasn’t taught how to save others. Maybe that was the reason why I wanted to take missions by myself back then because I didn’t want to experience abandoning and being abandoned.But surprisingly, what I’m doing tonight felt natural, my body was acting on its own. And a while ago, when the kids smiled at me, I felt an emotional catharsis and there was this hopefulness which seemed to have sprouted somewhere inside me although
IN THE MIDDLE of the patients who stopped and looked at me with hope in their eyes, of the knights who eyed me with sudden admiration, of Jonathan who raised his thumb, silently telling me I did a good job, I saw their King.Him being here meant that the storm was over now.I was expecting that Zachary would explode. We were obviously caught doing things without his permission. But then a tender smile curled his lips. And then he said something which seemed exclusive for my ears only.“You did great, swan. I am proud of you.”He was wearing a cloak as if he didn’t want to be noticed by others. He wanted this moment solely for me.“Take them. You earned them,” he added.I glanced back at the knights. I didn’t know that I would receive this much acknowledgment from them.“To be honest, this is too much. All I did was lend a hand, really. I was available and so I just did what I had to do. I wasn’t expecting anything,” I said as I consciously scratched my forehead. In my mind, I could he
I THOUGHT the palace would be filled with darkness, but as soon as the door closed, the lights from the crystal chandeliers all lit up. I was surprised to know that they were still working just fine even after all these years.So, all along, Zachary had the ability to light up the rose palace?But Zachary didn’t seem to notice the light. His eyes were on me the whole time. His eyes looked ferocious. He was clearly not himself tonight. It seemed like he was chained here. Knowing him, he must have asked for it. But he broke the thick chains, I only saw remnants of it scattered on the floor. Maybe the reason why Jonathan was confident to leave me with Zachary was because he was chained up.When he growled, I refused to move away. I stood still.He strangled me and lifted me until my feet could no longer reach the ground, his grip was too strong. I was sure it would bruise tomorrow.But the bruises would heal, the pain in his heart wouldn’t. When he regains his senses tomorrow, I was sure
THIS TIME, Zachary didn’t make me wait too long. A tear fell from his eye as he ran back to me. He pulled me up and took me in his arms. The coldness finally disappeared. His hot breath warmed my skin.“I’m so sorry I hurt you, Kate.”I put my arms around his neck. “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean to do it. You know what’s not okay? It’s you walking away from me, Zach. I was scared for a minute there. I thought you were really going to leave me here. If you really stepped out of that door, it would really hurt.”As soon as I decided to be honest, my heart was the one which took over. It kept speaking for me.Zachary wiped my tears away and looked into my eyes. He obviously didn’t remember the things I confessed. Should I be glad? Or should I be sad?“When I told you to be brave and to risk with me, I didn’t know you would follow it to this extent. You are so foolishly brave and you still wonder why I’m in love with you?” he whispered as he tenderly pressed his forehead against mine.
(Zachary)IT HAD been a few hours since Kate had fallen asleep, but here I was, still staring at her beautiful face. I could not sleep. I was torn.After some time, I planted a kiss on Kate’s forehead and lifted the sheets over her shoulders before getting up. I tightened my robe and went to the balcony. I surrounded a barrier inside the room to make sure that her sleep wouldn’t be disturbed.Everything was quiet… except for the sound of their heartbeats.“Until when are you all going to hide there?” I asked as I sat on the steel chair. “Did you really think I wouldn’t hear you breathing?”A few seconds later and Violet appeared before me. She lowered her head to greet me. “It’s good to see you again, your majesty.”“Why don’t we skip that part already? I know you are not particularly happy about seeing me, Violet.”Many of the Mages blamed the Vampires for Dayanara’s death including Violet.“This is what I like about you, your majesty. You are sharper compared to most of the Vampires
“WE are losing time, your majesty. The Mages have tried everything. We cannot even get too close to Kate whenever we’d perform the spell because that stupid ring creates a barrier between her and the Mages.” Violet’s voice became shaky when she added, “I didn’t get to protect her twin brother. I was hoping I could make it up with Kate. You have no idea how happy I was when I found out about her existence. I owe her mother a lot. When the twins were born, I swore I would protect them but I’ve been failing, damn it. I can’t just watch Kate shatter, your majesty.”“Isn’t this too harsh of a fate? Kate does not even know who she is or what’s happening in her body right now. How could we explain that she is Dayanara and Valentino’s daughter without hurting her?” Juno asked. “Worse, how could we tell her that even if she is away from the Hunters, she is still being controlled by them again? By the same people who had ruin her and her family?“But your majesty, contrary to what Violet said,
SLOWLY, Kate opened her eyes. My heart broke when I saw how devastated she was. If I could snatch all her pain away, I would. I would not mind carrying it for her.People praised me for being the strongest and most powerful creature in the world and for a long time, that was what I felt as well. But seeing Kate in pain humbled me. I was wrong. I was not as strong as I thought. If I was, I could have done something for her already. But my power does not work that way.Tonight, in front of her, I felt little. I felt weak. I felt… useless.Only her could make me feel this horrible and desperate emotion which knocks me off my feet.The rain was no longer as strong as it was earlier. The lightning had already disappeared although the thunder remained, surprising me and the spectators behind me from time to time.And then she asked, “You still love me?”Silly girl. She had no idea that I could sacrifice the world for her. That was how much I love her. “Of course.”She looked at the blood in