{M}ℝ𝕦𝕟 𝔸𝕨𝕒𝕪 | ✨𝕐𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕪𝕦 & 𝕊𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕒𝕚✨

Chapter 59

Yeonjun ran through the undergrowth, his hair blew against the raging wind; and his eyes caught the shape of the rising smoke between the trees as the burning stench invaded his nose. The crackling of flames intensified the faster he ran, but the most horrifying aspect of the scene tht was engulfing Yeonjun was the cluster of deadly blue and green flames tearing the jungle away.

The dragon roared furiously, throwing its head back as a shining blue splotch clung onto its neck, hissing and screeching a jumble of madness. Yeonjun's eyes widened, his body froze into place as he realized that the raging splotch of blue was actually one of his dear friends.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Soobin hissed with a mouth tainted with the dragon's blood as he tore a mouthful of scales from the creature. His tail lashed and his eyes had gone ablaze, letting his fury fire through his dark orbs.

Never in his life he thought he'd see the syren like that. And though Yeonjun was amazed by Soobin's foolish bravery, he knew it wouldn't be long for the dragon to get fed up and fight back.

"No. Soobin, stop!" Yeonjun tried to yell, but the sound of the flames, and the roar that the dragon suddenly let out were enough to drown Yeonjun's exasperated voice. So, in a desperate attempt to stop the dragon from attacking Soobin, the 20-year old quickly got his bow and his arrow, ready to shoot.

But just as his fingers were about to let go of the arrow, a racking pain erupted on his back, making Yeonjun let out a scream as his body took the position of a crouch.

The delicate fabric of Yeonjun's hanbok was torn open, leaving three long and deep slashes to drench his back with blood. Yeonjun winced with pain, trying to figure what had attacked him when the cry of a hawk erupted from the sky. Upon looking up, the murderous bird launched itself at Yeonjun once again; its talons extended to yank Yeonjun's eye's out of his skull, but ended up tearing the flesh from Yeonjun's right arm when the 20-year old turned away to protect himself.

The hawk cried with anger but didn't attempt another attack as it disappeared between the smoke of the growing fire.

When Yeonjun finally got up after taking a big gulp to swallow his pain, he lifted his head expecting to see Soobin. . . But his heart would soon sink to the deepest depths of his body as he realized that the blue splotch was nowhere to be seen amongst the dragon's ebony black scales.

Despair sent droplets to cling at the edges of Yeonjun's eyes, but the heat and the burning of the fire's smoke didn't let them trail down his cheeks. Even if the situation was overwhelming him, Yeonjun knew it wasn't the time to just sit there and pity himself for his friends' potential deaths. So, with another gulp to swallow his newfound pain, as soon as he saw the head of the dragon tilt back to force an attack from the pits if it's throat, Yeonjun did not hesitate.

Multiple sets of arrows were launched into the air, flying graciously in a deadly dance until they sank deep into the dragon's neck, cutting off the fire that had been previously building up for the four crying souls that Yeonjun had yet to find.

The dragon screeched with agony, now taking refuge between the flames as it tried to get the arrows out of its neck with desperation.

There was no time to waste now, Yeonjun needed to get his friends out of here. . .

. . . That is if the friends he was trying to save were still alive.

Without thinking much about his own safety, and the dizzy feeling from the loss of blood, Yeonjun braised himself and leaped over the flames, submerging himself into the unfamiliar infernal world that Eclipse's possession had created.