Fractured • Choi Yeonjun

Chapter 90

A feather-light kiss.

The faint sound of a pen scratching on paper.

A slow, silent hand grasping a knife.

Mumbled words of love and regret.

Silent prayers that reached no one above because his soul was already damned.

Those were all the things Yeonjun did as he prepared to do the stupidest thing he had ever done. If he won then it would be the best thing he could have ever done.

Either way, he knew the risk and was willing to take any chance he had at keeping the love of his immortal life safe.

Evelyn had already suffered enough in her life.

Yeonjun was used to the pain, the suffering that life threw at him. He was cast from heaven, and that was the first time he had felt the worst pain anyone could imagine. The second time was when Evelyn's soul shattered.

He was not going to sit back and risk feeling that pain ever again; he would rather lie down and let Andromalius kill him than lose the only one that held part of his tattered soul.

~~

Yeonjun took a deep breath, the scent of hell could never grow on anyone, no matter how long you stayed or how often you visited the place.

He twirled the dagger in his hand as his eye scanned the barren land of Judecca.

At the mouth of the cave, Yeonjun sent one last desperate prayer up. He didn't ask not to die, he didn't ask for more strength. He sent out one request, and that no matter what happened to him, Evelyn would be safe and live many years full of joy.

"I see you couldn't send your love after all," Andromalius called out through the cave as Yeonjun took steady steps down the narrow path.

"You've caused her enough pain and suffering." Yeonjun bit out as he shifted into his natural form.

"I see your wings have gained more red since the last time I saw you. I wonder how much longer you can fight off your natural state." Andromlius said as he rose to his feet just as his skin healed and then started to melt away again. "I wonder if you'll be the one to take her life when you finally snap." He drawled out. His lips pulled into a smirk as they healed again.

"I only kill demons."

~

"Evelyn!"

I jump at the sound of my name being yelled through the house. I groan as I roll onto my back and stretch my stiff limbs. "What?" I call back.

Yeonjun must have already gotten up and ready for the day. I think as I rub my eyes nothing how my bed was empty.

A loud frantic knock on my door made my eyes open. "What?" I call again as I throw my blanket off. As my feet touch the floor a felt a flitting moment of panic, I was going to face Andromalius.

"Is Yeonjun in there?" Called Soobin through the wooden door.

"No, he's pro-" My words die off as I see the note on my nightstand, this time the panic that comes up settles in as I dive for my nightstand and yank the drawer open.

Nothing. I pick up the note, my eyes skimming the words so fast I felt as if I was getting whiplash even though my body had gone completely rigid.

"I'm coming in!" Soobin snapped as he pushed the door open.

I finally shake my head and hold the note out to Soobin, who takes it and reads it just as fast as I had done.

"I have to get to Judecca, now." I say as I turn and gather clothes as quickly as I can. "I need someone to come with me. I may not have the dagger, but I can at least hold him off while one of you gets that idiot back here."

"I'll tell Taehyun to get a portal ready." I nod as he leaves and shuts the door behind him.

As soon as I was dressed I teleported to the weapons room. Just as I was sheathing my last throwing dagger Hueing Kai shows up and starts grabbing weapons as well.

"I take it you'll be joining me?" I question as I double check that my belt holding my sword and daggers was secure.

"I volunteered since I've been there before with Yeonjun."

I nod and take a deep breath. "Thank you. Once you get him out, get him home and lock him up somehow, knock him out, anything to make sure he doesn't go back."

"We got everything ready." Huening Kai replied with a small smile.

"And kick his ass for me as well, just in case."

"I'll hold him down while you beat him when you make it back."

~

"As soon as you get him back through the portal, I can hold for an hour max." Taehyun explained to Huening Kai as we all stood in the empty studio.

"How will you get back?" Beomgyu turned and asked me, snapping me out of my state of silent panic.

"I can get myself back from hell, I just can't really pinpoint a way in without feeling Yeonjun's presance. Him being in that pit is blocking me from feeling him." I hoped that was the only reason I couldn't feel him through our link.

"Evelyn," Soobin sighed as he stepped over to me. "If it gets too bad after you get Yeonjun out, abort the mission. We can try and different way. We can't lose either one of you."

My eyes grew wide as he pulled me into a tight hug. "Don't go getting soft on me now, team leader." I say with a light laugh as I wrap my arms around his torso.

As soon as he lets me go, I get yanked into another embrace. "You better not die," Beomgyu demanded as he squeezed the air from my lungs.

"I can't promise anything." Beomgyu pulled back just enough to bop me on the top of my head. "Ow!"

"You better come back so we can keep annoying everyone together."

I roll my eyes as I take his pinky and shake on it.

I turn to Taehyun and feel my chest warm as he smiles at me knowingly. He knew I may not make it back, he knew I was going to fight until either I or Andromalius died today.

"No matter what happens, this isn't goodbye." He said as he walked over to me and pulled me into his arms. "You're too hard-headed to be kept away for too long."

"You're the best friend I never knew I needed."

Taehyun let out a chuckle as he shook his head. "Better not let Beomgyu hear you say that, he'd kill us both."

I pulled back and took a deep breath, I would not let the emotions that were crawling up my throat out. Like Taehyun said, this wasn't goodbye.