|THE CURSED FOREST|

31

A loud siren pierced through the night sky, an ambulance waiting outside Beomgyu's house. Two paramedics rushed out of the house, carrying two lifeless bodies on stretchers, Heesung and Jungwon. The sight of the two bodies made the bystanders gasp, dreading what had happened in the house.

"What happened to them!?"

"Did that beast attack the house?"

Everyone around hushed as the paramedics loaded the bodies onto the ambulance. Niki, one of the paramedics glanced over at Sohee, who stood still, her eyes wide and glassy. She stared at the bodies in disbelief, her body unmoving as if she had been frozen in shock.

"We'll be informing Dr. Yoongi about it..." Niki said and Sohee nodded, still zoned out to herself.

Sohee's throat tightened as she stood in agony, unable to even blink. The air was heavy with grief and sorrow, and all that could be heard was the sound of the ambulance sirens as it drove away.

"You," Taehyung began, his voice low and threatening. "If you come here, without any protection from lord Jin, I promise to leave Beomgyu unharmed. But if you don't come in an hour, then Beomgyu's dead body will be decorated near your house."

"I know what happened." Jin stood beside Sohee, looking at her eyes filled with guilt.

"You know everything and still you don't do anything..." Sohee's lips quivered as she didn't even react to Jin's arrival. "What's the use of being a lord, being on top of the world." She looked at him tiredly, on the verge of bursting into tears.

"Just name everything happening as so-called 'destiny'. You are hurt, oh I am sorry it was written in your destiny! You died oh I am sorry! It was your destiny..." Sohee clenched her jaw as scoffed looking away, finding it hard to speak with her throat filling up.

Jin nodded as looked down, taking a deep breath.

"Some things may be written in destiny, Sohee, but there are things which even it cannot control, things which even defy it. It depends on the strength of your spirit and your will power.." Jin said and Sohee scoffed even louder looking at him.

"I know if I give you protection Taehyung will kill Beomgyu but if I don't then he will kill you. Your life is more important right now because if he kills you..."

"Then Yeonjun will get weakened and won't be able to defeat Namjoon and Taehyung?" Sohee gritted her teeths as stared at Jin, "And he will also get your blood! I know! I know why my life is important to you..."

"But let me tell you one thing, Jin. Yeonjun doesn't need me - he's strong enough to take on those two vampires all by himself. I'm just a catalyst; I'm here to help him unlock his full potential. Stop trying to make his power fit into some preconceived notion of a "soulmate," because he's capable of much more than that." She tried to stay strong, but the tears were already starting to form in her eyes. She willed herself not to cry, clenching her jaw and turning her head away.

"What do you want me to do then?" Jin asked sighing out.

"Give your protection right now to Beomgyu and Soobin. Rest I have already figured out." Jin looked at Sohee in surprise as she said and walked past him towards the forest direction.

Yeonjun's breath halted as he watched Sohee walk away into the forest after hearing the conversation with Jin and he glanced at Jin who suddenly tensed upon seeing him.

"Yeonjun..."

Soon Sunghoon came there with Yoongi and Soobin.

Jin gazed at Yeonjun, releasing a heavy sigh, as Yeonjun tightly clenched his hand and swallowed hard, his stare hardening.