Protector from Afar ✔️

Chapter 9 - Eight Witnesses

8 witnesses

Hyunjin's POV

Hyunjin pulled Felix closer to him, wanting to protect him even though he himself felt like fainting at any moment. Adrenaline rushed through his blood. His muscles tensed every time Seraphina came into view. Just a minute ago they were both strolling through a first-class gallery, and now he found himself in the middle of a cinematic fight scene. Except this scene was shot in a single take; no breaks, no cuts.
Hyunjin gasped as Felix's fingernails dug into Hyunjin's upper arm, leaving red, crescent-shaped marks in the skin. That didn't bother Hyunjin. But he wanted it all to finally stop. Please...

And then Seraphina cut the air like it was nothing. At least that's how it looked; she made a quick movement of her hand above her head and a crack opened, splinters formed from it and spread out like spider legs, forming a dome of dimly shimmering light; like a very thinly peeled pearl.

The dome rapidly increased in intensity, as if you turned the dimming on a light bulb way too high and then everything exploded. Like an explosion on the horizon and then a mushroom cloud formed. Strangely, Hyunjin didn't hear a bang or feel a pressure wave, there was just this hissing sound.

He and his friends huddled together at the very edge of the protective circle. Previously, when this monster tried to get to them, they tried to leave the circle, but as soon as they stepped over the edge with the tip of their shoe, a net formed and trapped them inside the circle.
This wasn't how Hyunjin had imagined dying. He thought he would live well into his seventies and do everything on his list. But it didn't say 'Exitus because of Supernatural Circumstances'.

It all happened so quickly. When the explosion of light subsided, Hyunjin thought for a moment that God or the universe itself had answered. Seraphina looked different. Enormous. Authoritarian. She glowed as if a spotlight was illuminating her from behind. The sword crackled in her hand. And then Seraphina effortlessly severed the demon's head. And then she spit out blood - Hyunjin turned away, he couldn't see any blood - and collapsed, unconscious.

The sudden silence roared loudly in Hyunjin's ears, everything felt slow until a scream sped up time.

"SERAPHINA!"

Two people ran over; an older woman with jet black hair, the pearl necklace around her neck jingling angrily back and forth, Hyunjin recognized her as the lady at the reception who had talked to Chan; and a young man in black chef's clothing, he had never seen him before.

The woman fell to her knees next to Seraphina, holding her head with both hands as she gave the man quick spoken instructions. Hyunjin didn't understand the language. A blanket of liquid light poured out of the woman's hands - similar to when spilled gasoline formed a rainbow, only much denser. The woman and man sat there for several minutes, no one seeming to notice that there were eight other people here. Nobody said anything either.

Then the woman said something to the man, and he stood up. His eyes scanned the eight South Koreans, and he was about to say something when his eyes fell on Seraphina's sword. He carefully stepped over it and took several photos with his phone.

"Please don't touch it," the man said in perfect English, pointing at the weapon. "Who in this group is my contact person?"

Nobody said anything. They looked at each other uncertainly as Chan hesitantly raised his hand.

The man held out his arm to Chan, and Chan took his hand.

"I'm Raphael."

"Chan."

"Well, there are better circumstances to get to know each other. I don't even know where to start... Are any of you hurt? Do you need first aid or a hospital?"