Forever Rose ✓ k.th

Chapter 32 : O.N.F.Z

29th of December 1950 in Zagreb, Croatia

"My love, we have to go." The woman was excessively pulling him out of his chamber. "We're going to see the stars, remember?"

He groaned before he stared at the face of the woman that he loves so dearly. After so many years of thinking that he will never be able to feel human again, this woman right in front of him, dragging him outside, drove him crazy. As if he was human again. Feeling all sorts of emotions all at once. That is her effect on him. His love for her is precious, but their romance is a whole bible of sins to everyone's eyes.

"Alright, alright." He gave up and kissed the back of her hand that was once pulling him out. "I'll get dressed, and love, can you hand me my anti solis serum?" The woman nodded her head lovingly to her other half.

After parting ways for a couple of seconds, the woman knocked on the door and informed her, "Love, you ran out of it." She frowned at the man.

"Oh, I guess we'll just have to go home early then. Does that sound alright?" He scratched the back of his neck, and to his relief, he didn't see any sign of disappointment on the woman's face.

"Just at least until midnight, hm?" She smiled sweetly at him, and it melted his heart in an instant.

"Sure, love." His baritone voice never failed to capture her heart over and over again.

"I'll see you downstairs." A quick peck landed on his cheeks before the woman vanished in front of his sight. Unknowingly, he smiled like a fool who is so eager for love.

The man decided to wear a simple suit, just like what he always had on himself. While the woman went for a simple red flowy dress, high pumps, white gloves, and with her hair tied up in a bun. She also added a light contour on her face to emphasize her charming features.

The couple figured that they would spend the rest of their day at the Maksimir Public Park. A nice stroll would make up for the days that were wasted while they were both away from each other.

As they observe the people around, curious because they're not humans, they tried their best not to be affected by it. It has been five years and the effect of the second world war is still present in the surroundings and the people's faces. They've lost too much, friends, families, and even they lost themselves.

"Have you heard from your sisters' family?" The woman started the conversation. Although it was a sensitive topic, she knows that he is comfortable enough to tell her his problems.

Romania drastically changed after the war, and his family was deeply affected by it. He sent anonymous services to his sisters' families to save them from what's going on. Fortunately, most of them agreed to take a flight and move to an Asian country while the horrible conflict between Germany and the Soviet Union occurred, except for one.

"Tamara's family didn't survive. They were too suspicious of the men that I sent." He lowered his head as he told his family's worrisome tale. "I had no other options but to respect their decisions."

She linked her arm to his and rested her head onto his shoulder as a way to give him comfort while they walk down the path. "I'm sorry to hear that, my love."

"I'm alright. Fate really has a strange way of making people miserable. But everything's fine, the woman that I love is right next to me, and I'm more than grateful for it." He gave her his most reassuring smile.

During the afternoon, he watched her eat delicious foods. She knows how he hates the taste of it, and she never forced him to try eating normal food. On the other side, he is thankful for her for understanding and loving that sometimes he thinks he's not worthy of her.

"How did your hunt go yesterday?" She asked curiously.

"Deer's blood tastes like kerosene, but it's bearable," He scowled. The woman found it funny and made a light-hearted laugh. She always wanted what's best for him and the people surrounding her. There came a time where they fought over how she wanted him to change his diet. She knows that he doesn't kill people if unnecessary, but his victims were hurt, and she doesn't want that. What she did was persuade him and shift to animals instead of humans.

He was opposed to her idea, but because she was the one who proposed it, she got him all over one frown on her face.

"How come you know how kerosene taste like?" She giggled at her companion's absurdity. The man shrugged his shoulders and joined her in her laughter.

As the dark finally conquered the sky, they sat on a bench and stared at the heaven filled with sparkling jewels. Oh, how she loves the stars, and he thinks of her adoration of it as her charm. "We've been together for three years, and I still don't know what your favorites are." She broke the silence.

"Hm, let's see." He holds her hand tightly. "What I love the most about this world is... you."

"Silly." She playfully tapped his arm to hide her blush. "I meant objects; for example, you know how much I adore the stars. What do you adore the most?"

"Oh, that, I think roses." He was unsure of his answer.

"Roses? What made you say so?" Curiosity filled her head in an instant.

"I don't really know; I'm just fond of them."

"Very well then, you really adore those flowers." She sounds convinced, and even he wasn't that satisfied with his own answer.

"You think so?" The woman hummed as an answer to his question. "Why?"

"Sometimes having no explanations on why you love something is already a reason."

The beautiful night sky fed their visions, and they listened to the silence around them. It's almost twelve in the morning, and as planned, she asked him to wait at his bench while she prepares her hidden plan in a bathroom.

He was hesitant at first to let her go by herself, but she was persuasive that he eventually gave up. As expected, he waited patiently for her to come back. But when she was already gone for almost an hour, worry consumed him. He began searching every public comfort room, but there was no such luck.

Then he heard a familiar scream with his unnatural senses. He quickly went to the direction where the sound was coming from, and there he saw the woman, who he dearly loves, helplessly fighting another supernatural being. She sensed him coming to her rescue, but she stopped him. "No, Taehyung! Run!" Her warnings caught the unwanted being's attention, and when it saw him, it then showed its wings.

A realization came to his mind as he perceived what creature was holding his woman captive.

An angel. It's a female angel.

His woman is in great danger. The angel carried her on her back before zooming up into the sky. Taehyung transformed into his animal form to follow them, but the angel's wings are definitely faster and stronger than a bat's.

His dawn was filled with worry and anger. It's already four in the morning, and he still hasn't found her and the angel. From afar, he heard and saw a woman's body dropping to an abandoned area from above the clouds and immediately went in its direction.

It felt like his world stopped turning at the sight he witnessed. His girl, lying down on the ground, lifeless. "N-No..." There's a mark of a blade or sword used on her upper body. "Wake up..." As he was about to touch her dead body, a sting of pain and itch crawled upon his skin.

The sun.

He's burning too fast. Before he can even turn into ashes, he carried the woman with all his might and moved her to a shaded place. There he caressed and cried for her so bad. It was the moment he decided that angels are no allies. And that angel who killed his love would suffer once they meet again.

Looking at the hands of his beloved, he noticed a paper crumpled inside one of them. With doubts, he slowly took it and opened it. As he read the letter, he wept even more, but after that, all he felt was wrath towards the world who always betrays him into thinking that life has a chance at being better.

Happy Birthday, Taehyung.

Love, Annais.

"I'm going to kill that angel." He promised himself.