WMMAP - [S2] Shelter You

27: A Small Sacrifice

Athanasia had already started to crumble from earlier exhaustion at the Meeting. And when she heard Cabel's call for help, she had never before felt this sick to her stomach.

The night Lucas went into a subterranean slumber, the image that would haunt Athanasia for days was the blood oozing from Lucas' pale lips, through his fingers, splattering all over himself and the floor.

Ezekiel, Cabel, and Athanasia were the only eyewitnesses of the horrifying incident firsthand.

They all heard Lucas' involuntarily howl of pain as he would dig his fingers into his chest, clawing, as if he wanted to tear off his own heart.

It was soul-wrenching, and it made the two men wonder if it was less cruel that Athanasia didn't have to hear it or see it. At least it would have lessened her suffering.

For that, Athanasia cried out helplessly as Ezekiel tried his hardest to keep her from interfering with the guards coming up, restricting Lucas' moments so he wouldn't hurt himself.

When Lucas' resistance abruptly came to a stop, the room became still and no one was breathing.

No one made any subtle move except Cabel who would bend down on one knee and feel Lucas' pulse by the neck.

"Hurry up, you fools!! Go get the damn car!!!" Cabel barked his order and the guards hurried down the stairs.

Despite struggling to walk properly, with the help of his cane, he walked over to grab the nearby cloth and came back to Lucas' side. Not without glancing at Athanasia who was still screaming and struggling to break free from Ezekiel's hold.

When Cabel met Ezekiel's gaze, the white-haired man signaled through his eyes that said, 'We have to get Lucas out of Athanasia's sight.'

But just the right moment, Cabel's men came running upstairs and to the room, reporting the arrival of the transportation.

Cabel tipped his head at Athanasia. Whether she saw it or not, he still needed to show respect before leaving the room with his men and Lucas.

Cabel forced himself to ignore Athanasia's shouting and Ezekiel who kept telling her to calm down.

Worried for his non-biological big brother, Cabel wasted no time and asked his men to take Lucas to the clinic first.

In the back of the car, Cabel began to wipe off the thick red liquid from Lucas' face and body with the cloth he held on from earlier.

He definitely would not want to be mistaken for a murderer with all the blood tainted on his shirt, so Cabel quickly took off the outerwear, leaving only a tank top as they headed to the hospital. Then he texted Ezekiel the location afterward.

As Ezekiel had read the message, and read aloud, Athanasia was ready to follow Lucas to the hospital. After being restrained by the white-haired man for far too long, she was out of strength to struggle and it was bearable for Ezekiel to manage.

More or less of an escort, Ezekiel hurriedly down the stairs with Athanasia, followed close by just in case she would faint or trip. He couldn't be too careful, could he?

That was when they were stopped by Felix Robane who stood by the enormous doorway. The gleaming light from the cars that went after Cabel made Felix look like a golden sacred statue of the holy ancient temple.

Though with his head slightly tipped, the veteran insisted and wished to be responsible for the life of the bodyguard-in-training, Lucas.

The intention of keeping Athanasia away from further exposure or misfortune of Lucas' condition shotfired.