Book 2: Seven Demon's Hearts

Episode 76: Retreat

Episode 76: R e t r e a t

Sera's eyes flew open as she turned to look back at what had happened. Her grip around Aiko loosened before she fell back to the floor in shock, covering her mouth with trembling hands.

V coughed, about a gallon of black blood, wheezing out as he reached towards Aiko's face.

The boy stood still--completely still. It was as if he almost didn't even exist at the moment. Yet when his father's cold hand cupped the side of his face, he gasped, jumping up and breaking out of his dissociation.

"Ai-Aiko..." Hanul mumbled from behind V, tears brimming in her eyes as she buried her face in the back of her husband's shirt. V continued to grab the blade with his free hand to stop it, trembling under the force that it still had.

Aiko opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He wanted to desperately call out to them both, but the shock was so overwhelming he couldn't manage to speak a word.

"Huh...?" Damien's eyes widened. Everyone froze in place, trying to digest the quick sequence of events that just occurred.

"Aiko's powers ran out..." Natella mumbled incoherently, trying to piece together what happened, "...and V, he was released from the spell...but just in time to save Aiko from the attack with Hanul," Natella mumbled, tears brimming in her eyes. "Oh no...no..." she fell to the floor, burying her traumatized face in her hands.

Dalia's eyes widened for a brief moment then she looked up at Namjoon with a suspecting gaze. She dug into her pocket and held out a red orb. Before she could whisper something to it, a red thunderous bolt of energy crashed into the area startling her.

Clumsily dashing out of the red smoke was Jimin, staring around in disbelief at the destruction that happened in the mansion.

"No..." Jimin mumbled, a bad feeling sinking into his stomach. When his eyes locked on V and Hanul, he immediately wasted no time running over. A weakness enveloped him that he briefly paused in pain as he clutched the left region of his chest tightly. "NOOO!!" He screamed, continuing to stumble over to V. "B-BROTHER!!"

V weakly glanced over the distance towards Jimin before placing a small smirk and looking back at Aiko.

"You're pretty strong, son. That was quite the crafty spell you used on me." V coughed out, chuckling to himself. Aiko's hand immediately gripped his father's shoulders, trying to pull him away from the tightly wedged sword. Coming to help was Jimin, easily tugging J-hope's soul blade out of them.

"Hanul!" Jimin grabbed her from falling back while V stumbled forward onto Aiko, burdening some of his weight onto him. He grabbed his father into a tight embrace, slowly descending to the floor with him all while still entranced by the sudden shock.

"D-Dad..." Aiko finally managed to whisper out, looking back at V's smiling face in disbelief.

"I can't believe I missed out on so much with you." V chuckled before going into a fit of coughs. "If I had known..." his eyes filled up with sorrow, "I'd have been around for you more when you needed me. I was so silly...too busy running around and dealing with shit...when I barely got to spend time with--" V's eyes widened as another bloody coughing fit took over.

"V! Stop speaking!" Jimin screamed at him, preoccupied as he poured all of his healing energy into Hanul's open wound.

"Ji-Jimin..." Hanul slowly opened her eyes, grabbing his hand. "Aiko..." she began to cry between her bloody coughing fits and gasps. "Aiko..."

"He's fine! Aiko's fine!" He scolded her. " But I really need to heal you, so stop talking right now!"

"Jimin." Her brows rose up with acceptance and yet a sadness glimmered in her gaze. "Stop it." His eyes widened back at her but he stubbornly continued to pour his energy out.