Cinderella's Fate | 🤍 seongjoong 🤍

Chapter 59

Mingi's POV 

   The very next day, I woke up to find Yunho hunched over the table, dark circles heavy under his eyes.

   The table was neatly packed with gear. Lightweight armour, layered clothes meant for movement. A few glasses of potion which were small enough to carry but strong enough to harm.

   At the centre lay his wand. Sleek, metal-core, its spiral structure defining the direction at which magic would flow. It could channel healing spells as well as it could strike down a threat.

   There were smoke bombs too; he knew San and I need some extra tools and the technique of distraction was always helpful. And three short combat knives, to make sure that once the enemy couldn't see, we could strike them down in one go.

Yunho had prepared us for everything.

   I went up to him to give him a kiss on the cheek, to which he responded with a hug, nuzzling his face into the kiss , hoping that it will spread to the rest of his.

I let out a quiet laugh.

"San will be here soon," Yunho muttered, rubbing his eyes like he could wipe the exhaustion away. "I'm going to clean up before we head out."

When San arrived, he took one look at the table and let out a low whistle. "Damn. You don't waste time."

    Yunho came back minutes later, damp hair combed back, expression a little calmer. We finally sat down for a rushed breakfast to have the energy needed for the rescue.

   Yunho walked us through everything: how to enter the portal, how to regroup if separated. If it got worse, we had the communicator for the plan B to go through. He'd infused it with his own magic, and it would track us, pulse if one of us went down.

"The portal magic is old," Yunho warned. "Not built to last. So we have to make sure to go on time before it closes"

He looked at me. "You remember the spells I taught you? In case I lose the wand?"

I nodded.

"I remember. And I've got this."

Being married had its magical benefits. I could channel Yunho's aura through his enchanted items. I wasn't powerful on my own, but with his things, I could cast some spells.

It surprised San.

"Guess I'm the only one here without magic," he said, picking up the knives. "Good thing I'm good at stabbing."

   San gave us a crash course in knife work. Keeping it short but useful and after one hour, he had use sweating but a lot more reassured.

    Once everything was checked, double-checked, and strapped into place. We walked in silence toward the car before hedging to the palace. It didn't take use long to reach that corridor, and soon we were facing the portal.

The portal shimmered ahead, raw and unstable.

We stepped through, together.

We landed hard on the other side.

"Everyone here?" Yunho asked softly, his voice tense.

"Yeah," I answered, my words echoing faintly in the hollow space.

"Here," San added, already clutching on the knife.

It was almost pitch black. We flicked on our torches, the beams cut through the shadows like blades.

We started walking. Step by step, quiet.

Nothing happened.

Just silence.

Then, the sound exploded through the hall like a gunshot. I jumped, heart pounding, the torch shaking in my grip.

A figure burst out from a side corridor.

We froze, weapons half-drawn, adrenaline kicking in. And as the creature got closer, I seemed to recognised it.

"A palace guard?" San said, squinting. His voice didn't sound convinced.

That was strange. Something was off.

     The guard didn't say a word. Didn't raise a weapon. Didn't even breathe like a person should. Every movement was just slightly too slow, too mechanical. In fact , I pointed the torch at them, and San gasped beside him.

   Before I could ask , the guard started running towards us, now holding what seemed to be a sword made out of darkness.

  Yunho stepped forward, wand already raised, ready to cast. We stood behind him , and then noticed that the enemies were multiplying. San had a grin on his face opposed to the grim expression on mine , but we were cornered and had no time to think for emotions.