♕Guardian Demon ∥ Yeonbin [✎]

Chapter 23

Taehyun's words slowly turned to humming as he pressed the palms of his hands to the sides of his head, trying to use a rhythmic note to find the words to the riddle. He frowned. "I always forget this part." 

Yeonjun and Soobin waited in silence, not being able to give much help since both of their minds were so blown away, they could barely remembered the half memories poem from hours before. Yeonjun looked around anxiously at the destruction all around. It's been a while since he'd seen such absolute mess and debris since he stepped down form his training in the Angel Army department. He must have been clasping on too tightly to Soobin for he felt a hand on his cold knuckles, a quiet and silent comfort from his best friend. 

He feels the guilt on the back of his shoulder for even having Soobin face this kind of mess in his world. He should be living comfortably in his own life, on his own bed, probably thinking about what the bakery will be selling tomorrow. 

But then again, with this shit going on, will Soobin really be save in his own world on Earth? Perhaps the guilt stemmed from the fact that even though Yeonjun knows Soobin is facing a higher chance of death and problems here, a pretty big part of him is relieved and to a certain point, even happy the boy is here with him. At least, if the worst case scenario does become a reality, they will be together in their last moments. Selfish bastard, Yeonjun thought to himself. 

Taehyun had started the riddle over again. "4,5,6 cinnamon sticks..." He bopped his head, mumbling to himself, then suddenly clapped his hands and shouted. "5,6,7, money come from heaven!"

He turned to the two boys suddenly, grabbed Yeonjun's arm since the two boys were already linked. "Money! The bank vault!" 

They ran out into the street. There was a man, from where he had vaporised from, who knows. Taehyun shouted at him for the directions to the bank. He pointed to the street behind them and said it was around the corners. He looked at the boys as if they had lost their sanity, asking for directions to the bank in the middle of a calamity and was about to probably question their intentions when suddenly an object struck him. Yeonjun gasped and wrenched his hand away from the hands that held them to grab Soobin's head and turn it towards him. 

"Don't look." 

Soobin breathed shakily, the split second image of the stalk of corn just impaling the man stuck in the screen of his eyes. 

"Come on!" Taehyun ran back and hastily urged the boys, eyes completely avoiding the death behind them. 

Turning the  corner, they saw the bank had already been destroyed, fire spouting from its windows which were shattered, so were the walls. So much for the riddle. But with no where else to run, the boys had no choice but to keep going so they kept on down the street, feet pounding the pavement in the vain hope that some refuge will appear. 

They had just entered the vicinity when they saw a bizarre vision ahead - a flurry of what looked like at first glance to be snow. But no, it was paper. It was money. Money from the breached bank vault, whirling down from the sky. 

"5,6,7," Taehyun chanted between frantic breaths, "money comes from heaven...6,7,8... stand still and wait." 

Not having to ask the other two friends to follow him, he took off again and veered into the shower of bills where they came to the eye of it and stood there... and waited.

A tornado was coming right toward them but they waited, fighting the insane urge to break and run off somewhere else safer. Every structure near them had either been destroyed... or was in the process of being destroyed but they had learnt to trust the riddle so they stood in the eye of the money storm and watched the spectacle unfold. And then, just before it reached the road where they stood, it stopped, seemed to almost stare down at the 3 tiny boys for a moment, then turned and tore through a different direction.