war-ridden | 최연준

14 | fallen angel.

[ 🪽 ]

The battle had resumed. Haeyong's troop had decreased tremendously, leaving only 10 more soldiers as the rest of them had remained injured. This resulted in the battle resting on Yeonjun's shoulders, as the now designated leader.

Chihu's troop had dramatically decreased. They had five soldiers, giving Haeyong hope.

But Yeonjun didn't want anybody to win—he didn't even want anybody to be injured. In fact, he hadn't been the one firing any weapons, as he was the defender the whole time. His heart was too weak to allow for the pain of anybody. He had one goal and one goal only—to protect Akari.

He had been eyeing one soldier in particular from Chihu who had been targeting him. Yeonjun seemed to be the only one on the boy's target, constantly avoiding his attacks.

The heat was overpowering, the thickness of his uniform, the sweat beads forming on the forehead of the boy—it all made him dizzy. He felt delirious, trying to regain his focus by shaking his head. A soldier from Haeyong caught onto this, dashing in front of Yeonjun to protect him.

The sound of clashing, fighting and groans all made the prince feel uneasy and horrified. It was all sickening to him, as if he would faint at any given moment. But he had to stay strong, as he continued to defend and fight.

[ 🪽]

Akari watched from her bedroom window, pacing back and forth in place, the creaking of the wooden floors was evident. She had bitten her nails down to the quick. The bottom of her blush pink dress had turned brown from her constant standing and walking, tripping over herself as if she were too afraid to look away from the window.

She could see Yeonjun from the field. There were such few soldiers that she couldn't imagine if he would make it out. She had been forced to stay in her room but it was taking everything in her not to run downstairs to the field and pry him away from the battle.

Her footsteps followed her to the bottom first floor of her kingdom where everybody had gathered. They had all been watching from outside the window as she parted the crowd to reach the front. Her hands went up to her mouth in fear, watching her lover stumble from the high heat.

"Yeonjun." She muttered to herself, softly enough for nobody to hear.

Her fear only intensified as she continued to watch the soldiers lessen until it was only five against three. Everything in her wanted to sob, feeling sick to her stomach. How could anybody allow for this to happen?

She felt a tear fall from her eye, quickly wiping it away from her face before anybody could see.

He would win this war. He had to.

[ 🪽]

Time continued to pass as the heat persisted. Yeonjun kept his eye on three things: the soldier who's targeting him, the Chihu troop, and Akari's kingdom doors. He had been overwhelmed by it all—but he would do anything to protect her.

The battle was almost over. He can make it through the time, he just had three more soldiers to defend himself against. He just had to make it through them all.

A tear fell down the boy's eye. He was petrified—he was not making it out of this battle. He would either be terribly sick, injured or ....

He had to keep his focus on the soldiers in front of him—he can't lose it now.

At that moment, a soldier from Haeyong keenly watched Yeonjun's body continuously swaying back and forth lightly—stumbling. The boy's vision had become double, his eyes blurry. At an instant, the soldier from Chihu took his moment and targeted Yeonjun, attacking him immediately.

The boy fell to the ground, from both the heat and the arrow in his arm. His head hit the cold ground immediately at a harsh impact, the helmet falling from his head and his hair plastered onto his forehead from sweat. He was completely pale, blood pouring from his arm and his mouth.

The palace doors opened.

"YEONJUN!" Akari screamed, removing herself from the kingdom guards' grip they had on her. The girl ran onto the battlefield, collapsing on her knees next to her fallen soldier.

"NO, YEONJUN!" Tears fell down the girl's face as the boy's hands went up to gently hold her face. His hands were shaking from pain, but he still smiled at the sight of his lover. His hand grazed the girl's hairpin, smiling softly. "Yeonjun." She sobbed, calling off Chihu's troops as they stepped down.

"M-My darling." A tear fell from his eye, blood pouring from the side of his mouth as shaky hands grazed the girl's face. Nobody took her away from Yeonjun, allowing her to say her goodbyes. Her hands were now covered in the blood from the boy's arm. "I missed you."

"Why would you do this?!" She screamed, tears falling down her eyes like a waterfall, more angry at herself, collapsing onto his chest. She felt her tears dampening his white blouse under his ripped uniform.

"I-I t-told you I'd fight for you," He struggled to speak, spewing blood from the corners of his mouth. "didn't I?"

The red became more vibrant as his skin was increasingly more pale. He wiped the girl's continuously falling tears. Her hand went up to hold his, shaking her head repeatedly. "No, this can't be happening." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she used her head to shake them off. "Yeonjun, you can't leave me. P-please!!" She screamed, holding his hands tightly to her heart.

She didn't want to believe her lover was in this situation. She just wanted to wake up from this nightmare immediately.

"I-I'd die for you, love."

"No—" She sobbed, wrapping her arms around him. She shook her head. "You won't die, y-you can't, Yeonjun you have to live for me." She pleaded. She watched his eyes closed, a hand flying to her mouth as she sobbed. "YEONJUN!"

The soldiers began to pry her away from him to pick him up and bring him to the infirmary.

"NO!" She stood up, trying to hold his hand at every step. "YEONJUN!" She sobbed as the tent closed on her. She slammed her hand on the door, demanding an entrance. A scream escaped her throat from agony.

Her knees slammed to the ground as she sobbed endlessly.

Her fallen angel.