Angel of Sanctuary [Block B]

Chapter 26

"I was hoping more so," I admitted with an empty sigh. "We should get back to Seoul." He gave me a nod, clearly ignoring the fact that I had completely avoided the topic out of personal need. "So, how's life as a pop star anyway?"

"Boring and uneventful. How's life as a designer?" he chuckled with a goofy grin.

"It was going well, now it's slow and decent, I suppose."

He raised an eyebrow. "You suppose?"

"I mean I haven't been taking my job very seriously since they went for military service, so I don't really have any grounds to know fully," I replied, shrugging as the winter winds nipped at my cheeks. "I mean I've got my work with Jellyfish right now for VIXX- N is being really helpful for that. They're all so cooperative, which is cool, but because I already submitted designs, there's really not too much for me to do until their first performance because I'm doing makeup."

Kyung gave a nod of understanding and stretched his arms over his head with a yawn as he walked beside me. "I guess that means we're all in a rut for the moment, doesn't it?" I shrugged and then gave a small nod, shutting my eyes and taking a deep breath of the clean air. We stopped at a crosswalk and then waited for the light to turn green. I noticed a little girl on the other side of the crosswalk, her attention captured by the bright red balloon in her hand. Someone bumped into her and she rushed into the street as it escaped her hand.

The world moved in slow motion as I screamed and ran into the street, pushing her out of the way of a car careening too quickly down the street. The sounds of bloodcurdling screams echoed in the air as the car smashed into my body. I felt myself soaring up the windshield of the car and banging into the roof. As I came crashing down to the ground, I felt a wave of relief when I saw the little girl's mother hugging her and crying before rushing over to me. Kyung was screaming my name and in tears beside me.

I turned my bleeding head and saw the bright red balloon flying further and further away into the crystal sky above me. The crowd around me was panicking and several people were hurriedly speaking into their phones. I assumed they were relaying the accident, but the only sound I could hear clearly was the desolate wind that blew across the lakes. People blended into a dark wall around me as I watched the balloon flying away. A realization finally hit me as I blacked out to the dull sound of sirens in the wind.

The balloon wasn't a cheerful red- it was the color of blood.

••••

The first thing that I heard was voices.

My eyes cracked open and I was immediately blinded by a bright white light, causing me to groan in discomfort. "Am I dead yet?" I rasped as I registered that I was on a couch, not a hospital bed. "Where am I?" I thought, cracking my eyes open again. I was in a room decorated in ornate white and gold furniture and various portraits of men with elegant white wings.

"She didn't die though!" I heard a familiar voice shout.

"It was a horrible mismanagement of your responsibilities as her Angel!"

"I kept her from losing her life! She ran too fast for me to get to her in time!"

"This is the second time since you have been dispatched as her Guardian that something like this has happened! This is just pure negligence and disregard for her safety!" This voice was cold and enraged as it roared at U-Kwon. I groaned and forced myself shakily to my feet. My head was spinning and I felt nauseated as I staggered towards the door that the voices were coming from. My hand grasped the knob and I yanked the door open and froze as I felt nine sets of eyes boring into me.

"Hyorin!" U-Kwon exclaimed, rushing forward to catch me as I gripped my head and felt my legs give out beneath me. "Why did you get up? You're in no condition to be walking around like this!"