The Last Guardian || KTH

15

Hyejin walked towards them with a sardonic expression on her face, a smile breaking out when she looked at the scandalized countenance growing on Zeila. "It's good to see you here, Zeila."

She tilted her head slightly, redirecting her gaze towards Taehyung with a sly smirk. "And you too, Taehyung."

When Hyejin observed that neither of them let loose the grip on their swords, she decided to throw a comment. "You know, you can put down your weapons."

"It's not like I'd kill you," she joshed, letting out a laugh so loud and sinister, Zeila gripped the hilt of her sword tighter.

A beat of silence. Zeila glanced at Hyejin, the apprehension that this might just be yet another trick began growing steadily in her mind. Taehyung looked at Hyejin with the same skepticism Zeila had.

She wasn't capable of tapping into magic, so how was it that Hyejin was here?

"Oh come on," Hyejin chided at their balked demeanor, "you think I'm not really Hyejin?"

"Did you really believe you'd get the book of Elena from someone who had no contact with your world," she elucidated, emphasizing on the 'your' while gazing at Taehyung.

Zeila remembered the warning Elena gave them, eyes can deceive just as much as the truth does.

Hyejin shifted to look at Zeila, quirking her brow. "Seriously, Zeila?"

Zeila stood confused. She didn't speak to Hyejin.

"Eyes can deceive just as much as truth does?" Hyejin repeated, feigning a smile when she was done.

"How do you—"

"How did I know?" Hyejin laughed with a gasp, dramatically putting her hand on her chest.

"I think it's pretty obvious," Hyejin derised, pausing to look at Taehyung. "Don't you think so?"

Hyejin tightened her face when she focused on Taehyung, scrutinizing him as she wound her expressions. And after a minute or so she let go. "Too bad, you're strong enough for this."

"But Zeila? I'm disappointed, Taehyung." Hyejin shook her head. "You didn't do a good job teaching her."

Taehyung's expression twisted at once. He knew exactly what Hyejin meant. And that knowledge came with a thunder of guilt that left him transfixed.

"What do you want Hyejin?" Zeila jumped in.

"Me? I want to have a conversation with you. That's all." With the snap of her fingers, Hyejin disappeared from in front and stood between them the next second—her arms thrown on both their shoulders. "We have a lot to talk about. Don't you think?"

Taehyung knew Hyejin was inside Zeila's head. Although he never expected this to have happened, he had only himself to blame for not having taught her how to shield herself. And that made him come to a conclusion: they were in a subcus dimension.

He had to reach into her thoughts and warn her, even though he could only do so for a few seconds before Hyejin would catch them. So Taehyung took one last glance at Hyejin—who still had them locked in her arms—before he lifted the shield in his mind for a second and quickly planted one in Zeila.

He merely bought about ten seconds for him to hold a shield inside Zeila too.

"Why are you here, Hyejin? How much do you know? Were you pretending all along?" Zeila dived in with her questions.

Taehyung seized this opportunity.

Zeila, It's me Taehyung. Zeila held in her breath, almost about to look at him.