Broken • Choi Yeonjun

Chills

"Yes, you still have asshole-ish ways."

He pulled away a little and gave me an odd look. "What in the hell are you saying?"

"Prying my mouth open, asshole-ish." I say with a laugh.

"I had to, you wouldn't drink it and you were in pain." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"Still." He had a valid point, but I wanted to talk about something to keep from thinking about what was about to happen. "But, you have also helped me a lot since this all started. If you weren't so hard on me from the start, I'm not sure I would be standing here today."

"I think you would be. You're a fighter, Evelyn. You may hate this life, but I think you were made for it. Just something about how you keep going, just feels like you were meant to end up here."

"I hope that's a good thing." I say with a light laugh.

"I think it is." He replied as he took my hand. "I think at the end of the day, no matter what the world throws at you. You'll be standing tall when the sun rises the next day."

I look over at him and smile, my heart felt content as we stood there, taking each other in. I wanted to make sure I was here when the sun rose the next day, just to see what was next for me and him.

A part of me felt like there were great things ahead of us, and that maybe this really was where I was meant to be in life.

Yeonjun had definitely found his way into my heart, fully.

Funny how the world worked.

I look away as the thought of the others pops into my mind.

The first time I had ever come over, I tried to kill Huening Kai, but he never held that against me. He treated me so well.

Taehyun had encouraged me so many times while training. He had helped me in so many ways with his wise words and his amazing magic.

Soobin was like a watchful older brother, one that always checked on you. He tried helping me with my temper even when he was bored out of his mind.

Beomgyu was like a goofy brother that wanted to always lift the mood. He had a dark past, yet he was always laughing and goofing around. No one would ever think he was sad deep down, but I knew. I knew how he felt, not fully, but I knew a little bit.

All of them were so different, yet they made the perfect misfit family. A family I was now part of.

I bit my lips as the back of my throat burns.

I had a great family waiting for me. I needed to get through this, for them. I was not going to let them down.

"Sir, Yeonjun! Lord Andromalius is ready to see you now."

Our heads snap up at the same time as a lesser demon came wobbling over to us.

"Follow me, please."

Yeonjun gave my hand a squeeze as we started following the demon. This one wasn't as deformed as the first, his legs and arms were just different lengths, and it also had some lop-sided horns on its head sticking out of its mouse brown hair. It was about as tall as me.

We enter Andromalius' throne room, a chill crawling up my spine as I see Soren in the middle of the room, heavily chained.

Demons lined the walls, ones as small as a great dane, others almost as tall as Andromalius.

Something is off.

I take a deep breath to try and calm my crazy thoughts, I was just worried about how this would turn out. I knew I was going to be in pain, but it would only be short lived. I could do this for the people that had taken up home in my heart. I could do this for them and me.

I offer Andromalius a smile as we get closer to his throne where he sat.

"Evelyn, nice to see you again. Just wish it was under better circumstances."

"Me too." I reply not knowing what else to say.

"Get my son out of my sight." Andromalius called out, a few demons rushing to obey.

I turn and watch as Soren is dragged out of the room.

Our eyes meet just as they make it to the door. His lips curl into a wicked smile, one that made my skin crawl.

I snap my head back around as I get the same feeling that something was off.

~

Yeonjun couldn't shake the feeling that something was off as the other demons stayed put. There should be no reason for them to linger around now that Soren had been taken away.

He glances down and takes note that Evelyn was zoned out. She must be feeling the same thing as him.

He tried to brush it off, he was just worried about how well Evelyn would handle what was going to happen to her.

Andromalius stood from his throne, walking down to where they stood hand and hand.

"You ready?" He asked Evelyn, offering her a hand.

"I guess." She said quietly as he slipped her hand out of Yeonjun's.

She glanced up at him with a small smile before Andromalius pulled her off to the side where a demon stood with its head bowed.

Yeonjun's back went stiff as he watched them get to where the demon stood. This wasn't a normal lesser demon, this had to be one of Andromalius' other sons. He had full wings that matched those of a bat, leathery and dull brown color. Horns the same color sporting from his dirty blond hair. But, why would he need help from his son? He had turned many mortals.

Yeonjun tried to tell himself that Evelyn was also the first to have fragments of demon powers in her soul, his son maybe here to help keep things under control when the fragments tried to flee.

That had to be all it was, there was no reason for Yeonjun to worry so much.

Once they reached the demon, Evelyn turned to offer Yeonjun another soft smile. He could see how terrified she was, yet she was trying to make sure Yeonjun wasn't worrying about her too much. If only she knew how much he really did worry about her.