Red String (Series #1) \\ Ateez ✔

xvii. soul contract

JANGMI

Seonghwa's godlike visage was a study in divine elegance, now tenfold sharper and colder, yet his composure remained unbroken despite the assassination attempt. The very depth of his eyes resonated with an ominous power and an insatiable lust for blood.

The true form of the Malicious Star.

In an instant, he disentangled himself from my grasp with a fluid motion. His powerful sword, a magnificent weapon infused with his enchanting energy, gleamed menacingly as he drew it with precision.

The blade's edge shimmered with a radiant blue hue, the color denoting the pinnacle of martial prowess. The assassin barely had a moment to react before Seonghwa's sword punctured him, the strike delivered with a lethal grace that only he could muster.

And my previous surprise fell into horror.

Crimson blossomed across his white torso, a rose blooming from the depths of a grievous wound. This wound, intended for me, had instead found its place in him. 

Seonghwa then skillfully turned every masked man into a limp body, moving with the frenzied precision of a madman. The stories of him being the most feared, strongest, and merciless warrior were no mere tales.

He certainly lived up to his infamous reputation, a fact I could now confirm with my own eyes.

"Palace doctor!" In the midst of the turmoil, i called out desperately, still cradling Yunho's brother in my arms.

When the coast was about to be cleared, the palace servants ran their way towards me. "My Lady! There are no palace doctors in sight!" Doyeon explained frantically.

"What do you mean none in sight?!" I demanded, my heart pounding.

"All of them are sedated and drugged, My Lady. What are we going to do now?" Nurse Seo kneeled beside me, assisting in stifling the blood with a new cloth.

"Nurse Seo, go! Remember what I have taught you? Get the medical pouches inside my courtyard and treat the injured. Now!" I am left with no choice but to utilize the knowledge I taught my maids.

The middle-aged woman immediately complied and I faced the other girls who were helping me stifle the blood. "Do you remember that medical pouch I always bring with me, right? Please give it to me this instant and also get your pouches. We will all attend to the injured soldiers."

The palace shadow guards, including Yunho, immediately came back. His brother has been losing more blood, his pulse decreasing with every second. He was unconscious when Yunho calmly placed his body behind the barracks, a safe space where I could treat him.

I knelt beside Yunho's brother, assessing his condition quickly. My hands moved with practiced precision, pulling out the necessary tools and herbs from my medical pouch. "Hold him steady," I instructed Yunho, who complied immediately, his face a mask of controlled fear.

The soldiers that were present at the ambush earlier flocked around me. The worried expression on their faces was disheartening.

"His internal damage is crucial..." Yunho hissed as he scrutinized the injury. "And all the palace doctors are sedated." The dagger was planted deep in his lower abdomen and it potentially went through his small intestines, it's a damage that no one in this timeframe is taught to fix.

"Please step out," I ushered them before I placed the materials inside my medical bag in a clean cloth, materials I singlehandedly requested a blacksmith to make— things such as a scalpel, needles, scissors and other unfamiliar materials that made a frown twist the solder's lips.