CHAPTER 41
He turned back to them.
"We're leaving. He's still too weak to defend himself properly—and I won't let them lay a finger on him."
One of his allies stepped forward, confused.
"Then what do we do, my lord?"
Vanyul looked at them both, cold and composed.
"You'll hold them off."
The wind stilled. Even the birds quieted.
"Delay them, whatever it takes. Fight. Distract. Kill—if you must."
His voice dropped to a whisper that cut like a blade.
"Just buy me time."
The male ally exchanged a quick look with the female one before giving a sharp nod.
"Yes, Vanyul-nim."
Vanyul turned back toward the dark of the cave where Sihyun lay, unconscious but burning like a flame that refused to die.
"No one's taking him from me."
[FOREST EDGE – EARLY MORNING]
Yuhyun led the way, his breath shallow, eyes scanning the thick brush ahead as he pushed forward with urgency. His fists clenched at his sides as he muttered under his breath,
"Please don't do anything stupid, Vanyul…"
Behind him, Muwon and the royal guards followed silently, but every one of them was on edge. The sorcerer's chains clinked softly in one guard's hand, and swords gleamed faintly under the early morning light. They were ready—for whatever came next.
Muwon's gaze never left Yuhyun's back. He could feel the tension in the air, the panic in the younger twin's every movement. This wasn't just a rescue. It was a race.
[INSIDE THE CAVE – MOMENTS EARLIER]
Sihyun's breaths were slow, uneven, his body still heavy with exhaustion. His skin felt cold against Vanyul's arms as the older sorcerer carefully wrapped a cloak around him, then hoisted him up again.
Vanyul's jaw was tight. His brows furrowed. He wasn't calm anymore.
"They're coming,"
he said to himself, voice low, eyes glowing faintly red.
"I can feel that prince's presence… and Yuhyun's fear."
He turned to his two allies.
"You know what to do."
The female shapeshifter pulled out her blade, face unreadable. The male cracked his neck, flashing a sharp grin.
"Hold them off?"
the female asked.
Vanyul nodded.
"Just long enough. Don't get caught. Don't die."
He glanced toward the sleeping Sihyun.
"He's still too weak. I won't risk staying here."
They both bowed slightly before turning to face the mouth of the cave, ready to intercept anyone who dared approach.
Vanyul looked down at Sihyun again, brushing hair from his face.
"You always draw trouble to you,"
he muttered, more fond than angry. Then, with one last look at the cave walls that had kept them hidden for so long, he turned and began slipping out through a narrow tunnel in the back, taking Sihyun with him.
[DEEPER INTO THE FOREST – MUWON'S TEAM]
"We're close,"
Yuhyun said, voice shaking.
"We need to hurry. If he touches Sihyun again—if he does anything—I won't forgive myself."
Muwon placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll get him back."
Yuhyun didn't stop moving.
"You don't know Vanyul like I do. He's twisted. He smiles when he hurts people."
The guards tightened their grip on their weapons. The chains were ready. And so were they.
They broke into a run.
[BACK AT THE CAVE – THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE]
The two allies stood just at the cave's entrance now, eyes sharp as they sensed movement in the forest.
"They're here,"
the male whispered.
The female smiled.
"Let's keep them busy."
[FOREST – NEAR THE CAVE]
Swords clashed through the trees as the two shapeshifters met the royal guards head-on. The male ally charged like a beast, shifting mid-stride into a hulking wolf-like form, crashing into three men at once. The female darted through the trees like a shadow, blades flashing, deflecting arrows midair.
"Don't let them past!"
a guard shouted, but it was clear—they were being stalled.
Meanwhile, Muwon, Yuhyun, and a handful of guards sprinted through the thicker part of the woods, away from the main battle. Muwon's sharp eyes scanned every crevice of the cave wall.
"He won't take the main path if he's trying to hide,"
he muttered.
"There has to be another way out."
Yuhyun's legs moved, but his mind was spiraling. He should've known Vanyul would run. He should've known.
Suddenly—a faint rustling.
"There!"
one guard pointed. A trail of disturbed leaves. Faint footprints. The pattern of someone carrying another.
They followed it—and Yuhyun froze.
The back opening of the cave. Fresh footprints led away. No sign of Sihyun or Vanyul.
They were already gone.
Yuhyun's knees buckled.
"No… no, no…"
He dropped to the ground, fists clenching the dirt as his chest heaved.
"He took him. He really took him…"
"Yuhyun,"
Muwon called gently, kneeling beside him.
But Yuhyun didn't look up. Tears streamed down his face, the guilt suffocating.
"I promised I'd protect him. I gave him that damn fruit. I thought I was helping but now—now he doesn't even remember me. And I wasn't fast enough..."
Muwon placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"We're not giving up. He's not lost."
"How can you say that?!"
"Because he's Sihyun."
Muwon's voice was steady, unwavering.
"And he's not someone who disappears quietly. He's going to fight, and so will we. No matter how far Vanyul runs, I'll find them. We'll bring him back."
Yuhyun's breathing slowed, his sobs softening, but his grip on the ground remained tight.
"You really mean that?"
"I do."
Muwon's eyes burned with resolve.
"Sihyun will come back to us. I'll make sure of it—with or without the crown's blessing."
[FOREST – DEEPER WITHIN – VANYUL'S ESCAPE ROUTE]
Vanyul's boots crunched softly over the fallen leaves, each step slow and deliberate. In his arms, Sihyun rested, unconscious, his breathing shallow, skin pale against the soft glow of the moonlight that filtered through the branches.
"We're almost out of here,"
Vanyul whispered, brushing a loose strand of hair from Sihyun's face.
"Just a little further…"
But before he could take another step—
"VANYUL!"
The voice sliced through the still air like lightning. Vanyul halted, his head lifting slowly. Yuhyun.