𝐂 𝐀 𝐌 𝐁 𝐈 𝐎 𝐍 | ᴀᴛᴇᴇᴢ [𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘣𝘶𝘴]

𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈

Their blood froze in their veins after hearing that sharp, coarse and cold shout. Goosebumps rapidly filled their skin as a possible hypothesis started surfacing in their minds. In situations like that, it was difficult, if not inconceivable to stay positive and hope for the best, since everyone was fully aware of the fact that they were dealing with demons and that their only aim was to kill.

Yeosang, Jieun and Jongho dashed outside the room and followed the invisible contrail of echoes created by the shouts, a tiny glimmer of hope flickered in their hearts. Though as much as she wished to know what occurred, hee-Young decided to stay by Yunho's side, despite knowing that the possibilities to ever see his beautiful eyes open again were below zero. They reached the room before the other doctors, so they had the whole scenario, yet not unfamiliar for Jieun and Yeosang, burning in front of their eyes.

The nauseous, ferrous odour of blood stung in their nostrils and the bile reached their throats, causing Jieun to gag before such brutality. Her hands went to cover her mouth as tears filled her eyes once she realised that the man on the floor, immersed in a blood puddle, was Kihyun, one of Yeosang's old college friends, and only at that moment she comprehended how fragile humans were against an ancient entity. She didn't know who or where she found the wherewithal that restrained her from screaming at the top of her lungs, just like that woman did a few minutes earlier.

Yeosang was paralysed, every single one of his muscle was in tension, and for that, he was trembling. Yoo Kihyun, one of his dearest friends from his academic years, was lying in front of him, dead, with eyes opened and shallow and his lips half-closed. After graduating, the group of friends, which included Joo-Hyuk, Jongho's adoptive father, chose different paths and hadn't heard any news from the others until three years ago, when Areum summoned the Incubus. Yeosang never opposed Kihyun and Joo-Hyuk's preference of never meeting him again, however, until that moment, to the teacher's eyes appeared that the ones wishing to meet him again were actually the ones who hoped not to.

"Kihyun..."

Whispered the male with a mix of surprise and shock on his face. What stroke a chord the most, was his aspect: a lot changed since Yeosang last saw him, like his grizzled hair with darker stripes, too natural to be just dyed, but at the same time, too unnatural on a man of Kihyun's age; secondly, his complexion seemed the one of a corpse, not because he had just become one, but his ill appearance could be seen from miles away, and the wrinkles in both sides of his mouth and in between his eyebrows were worsening his look.

Mr. Kang wrapped his arm around his wife's waist and pulled her closer to his body when he sensed a sob coming from her. Never in his life, he would've let Jieun assist such a disgusting and tremendous scenario, it had been traumatizing enough what she had gone through during her college days, a negligence Yeosang still hadn't forgiven himself for.

The flat sound of slippers running by the corridors caught the professor's attention and it made him turn his head in the direction of the possible source of said noise and found Hee-Young, who had already reached the couple and was staring at them with an inquiring look, silently asking the reason for such hustle. Yeosang unleashed the hug and left Jieun drying her tears with the back of her hand to focus his attention on the girl, staring at her dead in the eyes and hoping she would pick up the message. And, as the man expected and wished, her pupils trembled, however, as if she didn't believe him, she lowered her gaze and her eyes gaped unnaturally to the point where Mr. Kang feared her eye bulb might pop out in any second.