ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ, Sookai

004

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SOOBIN

Pain crackles through my bones and I groan, clutching my armoured stomach with my bleeding hand. It's a good thing this armour more-or-less fits, otherwise the glass beneath me would've carved another million tiny cuts into my skin.

"Hello?" I hear a frightened voice call out and the sound of cautious footsteps against the floor.

Before I'm found, I try to bring myself up to my feet. My bones shake with the effort as I hold myself up and the exhaustion weighs me down, betraying my need for survival. I fall on my back, one arm thrown out at my side and the other around my stomach. My chest heaves as I will myself for my next attempt at getting up.

I debate whether it'd be worth it, getting caught. I'm tired, everything hurts, and the worst seems inevitable at this point. But it's my fear that motivates me to carry on and push the boundaries my body is trying to establish.

I whimper to myself and clutch my stomach, squinting as the sun catches my eyes. I drag myself up onto my palms and knees, glass cuts into my hands but my stolen armour protects my knees. I don't have it in me to cry; instead, I bite my lip and force my body, shaking in agony, to rise. One foot plants on the floor, then the other as I rise.

"You'd think he'd have stronger windows with all the money he steals from us..." I mutter through a whimper, close to tears that I force down so my vision isn't skewed.

Despite all that's happened so far, I fear what's to come while inside this castle will be the most dangerous.

I didn't notice the footsteps had stopped-too distracted by my own pain-until I turn around and meet the face of a wide-eyed boy.

He's certainly not a guard, adorned with clothes far richer than a guard could ever dream of affording. No, he must be at least Upper-class to wear such a fine blue.

He shifts his eyes between me, the shattered window, and the glass on the floor. Eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of fear and confusion, likely the cause of his down-turned lips too.

I scratch the back of my poorly-fitted helmet that I'd forgotten I was wearing.

"Sorry," I say through a nervous laugh, meeting his eyes before diverting them. I bring my knee up to adjust the fit of the armour, but instead I come off as a total klutz. I lose my balance and almost knock over a bookshelf, luckily only a few books fall, and I shove them back onto the shelf, aimlessly.

The male straightens up as he regards me and raises an inquisitive brow, arms crossed over his chest. "May I ask what you are doing in here?" he asks. Voice soft, strong, and rich.

"I-" I glance over my shoulder, following the shift of the latter's eyes as I try not to look like I'm formulating an excuse.

It's then that my brain processes who he is. I whip my head back around to face him and furrow my eyebrows as my voice raises an octave in question. "Prince Beomgyu?"

This only results in his suspicions rising and he takes a step back, cautiously, concern fills his eyes.

I hold out my hands in front of me. "No, no, no!" I shake my head and wave my hands, indicating some type of misunderstanding.

He stops, checking over me as he waits for me to explain myself. "There was a threat on the castle and while trying to help out I- -Uh, slipped."

"You slipped?" He sounds doubtful; I wouldn't blame him, it's a poor excuse but if he knew how clumsy I am then I'd be more believable. Besides, the state I'm in suggests the possibility of an attack. The only difference is that I was the perceived threat.