By The Crest

❃14❃

TW: MENTIONS OF DEATH AND DESCRIPTION OF VIOLENCE AND KILLING.
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Wooyoung's eyes were stuck on the chaos that was happening in front of him. As he was getting pulled on the arm by one of his friends to get to safety, he looks behind him to watch how the Capital was slowly getting wrecked by the Tenebroses.

Stalls were getting ripped apart as the products inside of them were destroyed, people running for their lives to not get killed by the horrendous monsters, and the knights who were trying to fight back and get rid of them. The male didn't know how many of the creatures were on their land as of the moment but Wooyoung wondered where the wizard that caused all of this could be.

His eyes were just glued onto his surroundings that he wasn't focus on his running. Wooyoung trips on the ground, feeling a sting on his right knee and palms. A hiss comes out if his mouth as he moves to get up but finds it useless as a throb shoots from his right ankle, making him plop back down.

"WOOYOUNG!"

The said male looks up to see Hongjoong trying to get to him as he keep getting pushed back by the other people like a baby turtle getting into the ocean.

"Behind you!" The older points as he warns his friend.

Wooyoung faces back to the front and sees one of the Tenebroses coming straight to him. His breathing becomes erratic as panic settles in his veins. Using his arms to push himself back and try to stand up again, he only lets out whimpers and grunts of pain as his ankle and palms burn at his movements. He looks back up to see the Tenebros getting closer. It charges towards the male on all fours, its cursed crest shining and spinning, and its terrifying growls came out from its mouth.

Wooyoung was frozen in fear, the thought of dying twice was torture for him. He wasn't even halfway through the book's plot, yet he was going to die without trying and not get the chance at a happy ending. He hated it, he hated how he was so weak just like how he was after the car accident that brought him in this world in the first place.

The creature got close to the male who sat frozen on the ground. Wooyoung braces himself until something white whizzes pass in front if him. Now stood between him and the Tenebros was a figure that Wooyoung recognizes as San. His stance and sword at the ready to deal with this creature.

Deeming that the Tenebros was close enough, the prince takes a few steps before thrusting his sword right into the monster's cursed crest, the other end of the blade stuck out from its back as it splattered black blood. The Tenebros arches its back from getting impaled and lets out a roar of pain, squirming around the weapon. San twists his weapon and pushes the sword deeper till the cross-guard was close to touching the creature black body to make the Tenebros screech again before vanishing into a cloud of black smoke.

The royal draws his sword back to his side, its once shiny blade now stained with black ink-like substance. San shakes the excess before sheathing his weapon on his side which is to be cleaned later and turn arounds to walks towards Wooyoung who was still sitting on the ground in pure shock. The male expects a hand for him to grab but instead the royal kneels and lifts him up, Wooyoung wraps his arms around the other to not fall.

Wooyoung gazes at the prince's side profile blankly only to meet San's eyes for a second before he averted them to look around the Capital. Wrecked stalls with broken stuff, knights inspecting everything to see the damages, and puddles of the Tenebroses black blood. Fortunately, the ambush has finally stopped, leaving the destruction of the town as a reminder of the sudden battle.

Movement causes Wooyoung to snap from his thoughts as San continues to carry him towards his horse that he whistled over. Heat wraps around the male's neck as he finds their situation a bit intimate considering that the two of them aren't that close. Yet, Wooyoung finds himself enjoying their closeness. The gentle and secure grip on his body sent the butterflies in his stomach to go into a frenzy.

Just as the two near San's horse, a Tenebros whose one of its hind legs were gone came out of nowhere and staggered towards the two at a quite fast pace. Wooyoung knew that the prince didn't have enough time to place him on the horse and kill the monster, so he acted on his own.

He swiftly reaches for San's sword that was on the male's left side and stands before the creature. The Imperial Pince was stunned by the other as he gets pushed to the ground, watching as the male was about to kill the Tenebros. Wooyoung ignores the shot of pain on his knee and ankle as he swallows hard before he recreates what San did early. He lets the beast get closer like a mouse towards the mousetrap before he plunges the sword on its crest.

The roar that came from the monster almost made him falter but he regains himself and twists the sword. The Tenebros that he was dealing with seems a bit more wild as its arms swung in every direction that it was able to give Wooyoung this large scratch on his left arm. His yell of pain was almost the same decibel of the Tenebros as he decides to finish the cursed creature by pushing the sword deeper into it with a grunt. Wooyoung breathes heavily in relief after seeing the Tenebros disappear into the air.

Times was up, his adrenaline slowly fading as he drops the sword to the ground. He gazes at his arm where the monster scratches him with its long pointy fingers. His own red blood dripped down along with black vines that began spreading around the wound like tentacles. He tries to turn around to face San but his ankle had enough.

Hissing in pain, he falls expecting to hit the ground, only to feel arms wrap around him once again. His hooded eyes did their best to stay open to glance at the prince's face before he ultimately let them rest.

San held onto the male as he closed his eyes. Their first meeting was at an odd situation, he threatened him with a sword, and they were just barely getting to know one another. San knew that they were still acquaintances, but something inside of him was telling him that this boy in his arms was something more than that. And that the male was worth saving even if he himself couldn't get saved.

Fixing his hold on Wooyoung once again, he carries him over to his horse. Making sure that the fainted male wouldn't fall off and his injury to not open more, he flicks the reigns and clicks his tongue. He directs their destination back to the castle as he ignores the calls of his and Wooyoung's name from the others.

"Jongho, I'm worried for them" Yeosang looks at his soulmate worriedly before he gets pulled into a hug by the other. The second prince sighs and stares at the direction of where his brother left as he comforts the male.

"Don't worry Yeo, Wooyoung is in good hands. San will save him"

-

The prince arrives at the front of the palace, surprising some knights and servants who were passing by. He enters the place with the male still in his arms. He sees his personal servant and Maddox get close to him with a shocked look on their faces. But, before they could question him he starts barking out orders.

"I want every available doctor and sorcerer and extra clothing in my chambers now, and those who are to speak of this shall be fired or worse, exiled from the kingdom"

He commanded eerily calm. Making the maids and servants scatter along to either continue their task or do what he had just told them. All of them getting more scared since the prince would usually use death as a punishment, but the new punishment seemed much worse in their eyes. San brought Wooyoung into his own bedroom, laying him down on his fairly large bed. Not minding that he was getting dirt and blood on the sheets. He sits besides the male and inspects his calm sleeping face, his hand coming up to brush a few strands of hair away from Wooyoung's face.

"Why am I doing such things just for you?"