POISONED YOUTH: TWISTED

CHAPTER 52

Pain.

It was the first thing Yeoreum felt.

The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth as she suddenly coughed, one hand flying to her chest as an unbearable pain spread through her body. It felt as though invisible knives were piercing straight through her heart, each movement sending another sharp wave through her veins. The pain in her chest became stronger with every breath, while the electrifying sensation burning across her wrist made her knees give out.

She collapsed onto the cold, hard floor.

Yeoreum covered her mouth and coughed again, only to pull her hand away and find droplets of blood staining her palm. Her entire body trembled as she struggled to breathe, her eyes watering from the pain.

"Yeoreum!" Yoonoh rushed toward her, panic flashing across his face as he pulled her into his arms. The moment he saw the blood on her palm, his expression darkened.

"I knew this would happen."

He cursed under his breath before lifting her securely into his arms. There was no time to think. He grabbed his car keys from the table and rushed out of the house with Yeoreum pressed tightly against his chest.

"Yoon..."

"Shhh. I know."

Yeoreum winced and instinctively rubbed her chest, but the movement only made the pain worse. Her breathing became shallow, her fingers trembling against Yoonoh's shirt.

"I-I can't... breathe..."

"No. You have to fight it," Yoonoh said, his voice strained as he carried her toward the car. "You have to fight it, or else—"

He stopped.

The glow on Yeoreum's wrist suddenly shifted into a deep, frightening red.

"No. No, no, no."

His heart dropped.

Yoonoh quickly placed her in the passenger seat, slammed the door shut, and rushed around to the driver's side. The moment he started the engine, his foot slammed down on the accelerator. He didn't care about speed limits or traffic cameras anymore. All that mattered was getting her to the others before the bond dragged her any further down with Haechan.

He plugged in his earpiece and connected it to Dream's communication line, waiting for the signal.

"Hyung—"

He caught Renjun off with a simple, "We're on the way."

"Hurry, please... Hyuck is—"

"No! Not today! Fucking shit!"

Yoonoh ripped the device from his ear and threw it onto the dashboard, his grip tightening around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

He glanced at Yeoreum every few seconds. Her eyes were slowly beginning to close.

"Hang in there," he whispered, his voice breaking despite his attempt to remain calm. "Please, Yeoreum. Just hang in there."