Treasures of The Damned

21. Living Like Liars

Double Update to hopefully help with the pain of Wooyoung's death :)

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Briar stood at the door for a few moments, stunned as she tried to understand what just happened.

"He just destroyed and deactivated Wooyoung..." She whispered to herself. She couldn't quite believe it. How he could do something that heartless? He was the leader- he was the dad of the entire group.

She shook her thoughts off as she stared at the door for a while before shaking her head. San was under Hongjoong's control, it wouldn't be long before Hongjoong sent him out to find her. She needed to get away before he was able to find her. Hopefully, Yunho would be able to fight his eodum long enough and she wouldn't get hurt.

She made her way through the park, careful to stay out of the way when she would hear movement. She knew she was the only safe if there was no one around her.

No matter what, she'd always be in danger if she was near one of her uncles or dads. Their eodums could take over at any moment. Just like it did with Seonghwa when he was helping her.

She pressed her lips together and she slowly looked around, before letting out a small yelp when she ran directly into Logan. Her father looked up with wide eyes before he beamed. "Briar! There you are! I was so worried!" He hugged her tight and moved her to sit on one of the many benches located around the park.

Briar paused when she sat down, but didn't question it much. "Papa...if you want to talk, then we should go into one of the buildings and find a place to stay hidden from Uncle Hongjoong."

Logan shook his head softly, looking over at her and smiling ever so softly, gently brushing her hair from her face, looking at her. "Nonsense, Birdy...you're safe with me. If anyone finds us, I'll protect you, okay?"

Briar blinked at the ground, not registering anything before she glanced over at her father. His hair was covering his eyes, and she realized now that she couldn't see his eyes at all.

Briar took a few moments, staring at her father with confusion in her eyes before she slowly reached up and brushed his hair from his face.

As soon as she did, she yanked her hand back and flinched away from her father. His eyes were a dark red, glowing and staring at her sinisterly.

She tried to back up, stand up, and just get away from her father, but she cried out in pain when Logan's hand on her hip tightened harshly, not allowing her to move.

"Papa-...what are you doing...?" She asked, looking up at him with scared eyes, her hair falling over her face as it fell loose from being tied up.

"You've been running for far too long, Briar. And at first, I thought it was just because it was lucky." A voice filled the air around them, and she looked around, but couldn't find anyone. It sent shivers down her spine.

She peeked over at her father through her hair, but he was just staring blankly at her with a sinister look on his face. His hand tightened again, and she let out a pained cry as his fingers dug into her skin harshly.

"But now I realize. You've been freeing my loyal members from their eodums. And turning them against me. That's not very fair, is it? You can't just change teams in the middle of the game."

Briar now realized it was Hongjoong speaking to her, but she couldn't find him.

"What are you talking about, turning them against you? You control them against their will, they're escaping your captivity." She snapped back. None of this was her fault. She was unlucky to have been locked in the park, but she was also just trying to survive. She didn't mean to set her family members free.

After a few moments of silence, Hongjoong stepped out from the shadows, standing behind Logan. He smirked as he set a hand on Logan's shoulder. "It was hard to get your dear father under control. He kept fighting me. But he soon realized there was no other way." He purred as he ran a hand through Logan's hair as if teasing Briar.

Logan just sat there, staring at Briar with a sinister smirk, but he never said anything. Briar hissed. There was no way to get her father out of Hongjoong's control. If he fought so hard and still lost-...she wouldn't be able to help.

There was nothing said for a couple of minutes, before Hongjoong pulled away from Logan, standing in front of Briar and gripping her chin harshly, forcing her to look up at him with a hiss of pain.

He was about to say something when a sound, similar to a ball whizzing in the air, filled the air around them. Hongjoong looked around for a few moments before suddenly San landed behind Briar, his eyes still a deep red as he stared blankly at Hongjoong.

"Ah. San. You're too late. Our darling Logan already found her. But you can stay and watch her demise, if you so please." Hongjoong spoke, looking pleased in himself. He'd finally caught the pesky little birdy that had been flying away all night.

There was silence as Hongjoong tauntingly looked back down at Briar, smirking. "Finally. And to think you lasted three hours. You did so well, Birdy. I almost want to keep you alive to turn you into one of us. But alas. You've seen too much, you need to die."

"Actually, I think the only one who is going to meet their demise tonight is you, Kim Hongjoong." San snarled from behind Briar.

She was just barely able to see him from Hongjoong's grasp on her chin, but she could see his eyes were back to the pretty green they were before.

Hongjoong looked up, startled as he stared at San for a few heartbeats. "How? That's not fucking possible."

"Ya know. You should have thought about how much you'd be able to have a hold on me before you killed my husband." San purred in a teasing tone before he leaned forward, his hands gently on Briar's shoulders as he glanced down at her. "Stay safe, Bri. It'll be okay."

Briar let out a confused noise but had very little time to question it when San vaulted over the bench and kicked Hongjoong square in the chest, pushing him back from Briar.

She was still stuck in the same spot because of Logan, but she was let go when San pushed Hongjoong back.

Hongjoong got to his feet quickly and snarled, reaching out for San, but San jumped out of his way, landing on the roof of a nearby building. Hongjoong glanced at Logan, snarling. "Hold her." He snapped before rushing after San.

Briar watched with worry as every time Hongjoong got too close, San would just jump away from him, and they soon escaped her view. She could hear them, but couldn't see them.

She glanced over at Logan, but he was still staring blankly at where Hongjoong had been standing, and she now realized why. All that fighting against Hongjoong must have drained his battery... She thought to herself, hissing as she tried to pull away from his hand but it only tightened on her hip before his head drooped, Logan having run out of power.

She realized she couldn't escape because the hydraulics in his hand was locked the way they were, and she hissed, knowing she wasn't strong enough to escape his grip.

After just sitting there, listening to San jump and a curse from Hongjoong, for about 10 minutes, she yelped and cried out when the sound of crushed metal regained her attention, and to her horror, San was laying on the concrete in front of her, the bottom part of his mouth ripped off, as well as one his legs. His arms were bent backward, and his eyes were dimming quickly.

"Uncle Sannie!" Briar called out to him, trying to reach him but she couldn't because of her father.

San looked at her with what little strength she had left and did the best he could to smile. When he spoke, his voice box crackled and delayed.

"Briar...find a way to destroy him...free the rest of us. I believe in you. Avenge me and Woo.." He wasn't even able to finish his sentence before he powered off completely and laid limp there. One more of her Uncles destroyed by Hongjoong.