Away ⥃ Nishimura Riki

.Nineteen.

SHAKING, HER HAND held a miniature vial, swirling a thick clear liquid in it. Setting her eyes on the owl resting in front of her, its amber eyes agog for the potion. Seulhyun hovered her free hand on top of its head, a bitter smile grew on her smile unwillingly at the thought of separating with the owl she had grown attached to. "Reach there safely." She murmured. 

Ju howled and she carefully tilted the vial. The droplet of potion absorbed into his thick feathers as his body began to vanish. His eyes were the last to disappear as the vampire stood from her seat, opening her windows. The chilly wind blew through her, sending shivers down her spine. 

She heard the owl rustle as he flapped his wings causing the sheets of paper on her table flying as a distant coo travelled in the wind, bidding her farewell. 

With a heavy heart, Seulhyun closed the windows, the wooden frames clashed together as the midnight wind fought to seep in between the cracks. She dusted her hands after pulling the drapes shut. An empty feeling flooded her staring at her room. Suddenly, her chamber looked far too spacious. 

The silence throbbed against the walls. Her bed, where Ju spent most of his time pestering her, was now perfectly made. Too perfect. 

Everything was too flawlessly in order. 

She needed to get out. 

In a flash, she left her chamber, hoping she could find comfort in roaming the quiet halls. Without a certain destination, Seulhyun sauntered through the corridors—her dress briskly touched her ankles with every step she took. Entering the bailey, she could barely see the grass as the moon decided to hide beneath a thick bed of fog tonight. 

Shifting her eyes from the bleak canvas, she spotted a silhouette walking on the edge of the castle's roof. Automatically, her tried to identify the vampire as she shuddered in realization. What is he doing there?! Is he trying to kill himself?

Holding her breath, Seulhyun sped through the halls as her heart pulsed against her ribcage. Has he finally gone insane? She skipped a few steps on the stairs, moving as fast as she possibly can. "One day, he is really going to be the death of me." 

She stared at the last set of stairs as her breaths began to get caught in her lungs. She is totally overworking her body. "Please..be okay." She said in between breaths. 

Seulhyun stopped in her tracks when she saw no way to the roof. There weren't any more stairs to reach the rooftop. So, how the hell did he got there?!
Briefly touching her heart, she explored the place. What would Niki do? What route would he use to get on the roof? 

"Aha!" She exclaimed as she saw the window. 
Climbing on the sill, she swallowed her fears and coaxed herself to jump. Just jump. That's all. "Yeah, if he can do it, why can't I?" She replied. Well, he can defeat an ocean of vampires without a single scratch! And she can't! Anxiety took over her body as she felt her legs wobble in fear, her hands gripped the stone bricks for support before shutting her eyes. 

"Come on, Seulhyun. You can do this." She cheered for herself, repeating false reassurance in her head. And before she could comprehend her actions, she had already jumped with as much energy she could gather. 

A gasp left her lips as her nails dug into the cracks of the roof, pulling her body onto the cold metal. Oh, my goodness. She did it. 

Just as she eased her muscles, her body was forcefully pulled up. "Woah!-" She yelped. Her body was thrown on a lean shoulder as his hand wrapped around her waist, tightening his hold around her. Her hair floated as they soared in the sky before hitting a harsh landing. They were still on the roof, but the surface was flatter than the previous one making it easier and safer to stand on. 

"What are you doing here!" The prince immediately interrogated her after placing her down. 

Seulhyun gasped, putting her hands on her hips as she stared at him with glaring eyes. She saw his inky irises surged with a line of purple, whirling in his orbs as he stared at her through his thick lashes. Worry. He was worried. For her. 
Why?

She lifted her pointer finger, opening her mouth to defend herself yet she shuts it, squeezing her hand into a fist. She wanted to get angry at him for making her worry for him, but she was thrown off guard by the unexpected emotion in his eyes. 

It was her first time seeing him, Nishimura Niki, display an emotion so clearly.  

"You could have at least worn something thicker." Niki pierced the silence as he took his coat off and put it on top of her, gently pulling her hair out. The brunette continued to stand still, silently observing his features as their faces were inches apart. His hair fell loose on his cheeks and his dark chocolate eyes fixated behind her. His nose is pointed, and his lips were full, balanced, and tinted with a faint rosy color. She noted a spot on his chin—one of his many distinctive features.  

Meanwhile, Niki was too busy fixing the coat to cover every inch of the girl. He was completely oblivious to her gawking until he moved away from her to see her appearance. 

And my goodness. He had never seen someone look so adorable in his clothes before. Although she was considered tall in their Kingdom, his coat still looked enormous on her. A swarm of butterflies attacked his stomach causing him to whine at the feeling. 

It felt uncomfortable. Pleasantly uncomfortable. 

Seulhyun coughed, finally tearing her eyes away from the prince. She played with her feet as her cheeks warmed. At this point, both of their cheeks were pink- and it had nothing to do with the midnight wind. 

"I'm...going to sleep." Seulhyun said and Niki nodded, wearing his signature poker face again. He snaked his arm around her waist and jumped to a window. The two silently walked back to their individual rooms without exchanging any words. 

Is it finally starting?

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