• • •⠀ཀཫ⠀• • •
⠀⠀⠀Then, things seemed to move as if time had frozen, the hands on the clock unmoving and allowing the world to be seen from a slower, more different kind of perspective. Before Yuichiro could even think to act, the golden-crisped doors flung ajar once more, emerging a surprise. Many would think the people breaking through the door were guards racing to hold Akane back from killing a valuable winged-creature, but oh, how wrong they would be.
⠀⠀⠀Flashes of different hues blurred before the raven, the movements far too rapid to follow, but even then, he already knew what it was. His inner instincts calmed, a sense of tranquility swallowing him wholly, yet a rising anxiety caused his toes to curl. Yuichiro could feel the warmth embrace him as if he were being engulfed in a hug, strong and familiar arms curling around him and encasing him, a whisper low in his ear that he was safe, he would never leave him, would never abandon him.
⠀⠀⠀His eyes watered, and nothing— not even his sore and painfully dry throat— could stop him from raising his voice to awareness, "M-Mika!"
⠀⠀⠀Mikaela didn't appear to hear him in that one moment in time— too caught up in grasping the weapon tight in Akane's hold and throwing it far from her reach. Stunned for a second, the brunette could not immediately react before she was being shoved roughly to the ground, a screech leaving her lips. With a loud cry, Guren and Shinya came rushing in to the blond's aid.
⠀⠀⠀Breathing heavily, Mikaela allowed Guren to take ahold of Akane, her body pressed low to the ground beneath her, cheeks kissing the tiles as her breaths came out in ragged shutters. Her eyes narrowed heavily, and at once, her senses came back to her through rage. She fought under Guren's weight, unsuccessful, but still managing to give the older male a tough time. Viciously, she hissed in Mikaela's direction, "What do you think you're doing?"
⠀⠀⠀Mikaela raised his eyebrows, anger suddenly washing over him, "You know damn well why I'm here, Akane! After all, you were the one captured and so-called-claimed what is mine."
⠀⠀⠀"Finally admitting you own the object?"
⠀⠀⠀"By contract, Yuichiro is mine."
⠀⠀⠀"How funny. Now, what contract are you talking about, Mister Hyakuya? Do you mean the one that has been torn and burned— a nonexistent and useless contract?" Akane snickered where she laid trapped, but despite her disadvantage, her tone still held that bitter and poisonous edge. "Besides, even if that piece of paper still existed, you would be responsible for why we chose to take the poor beast back in the first place. It came running back here as if it wanted to remember and be welcomed back into its home. It didn't seem like it wanted to be with you anymore."
⠀⠀⠀Mikaela appeared to be effected by the other female's comment, his oceanic orbs flashing a sense of hurt and remembrance to the scene. The fists at his sides tightened, and he continued with his questions, "Where is he?"
⠀⠀⠀"Who?" Akane played, a smirk on her lips.
⠀⠀⠀"Yuichiro."
⠀⠀⠀"The ugly, dark-feathered object?" Akane described bitterly. "Well, he's right behind you in chains. I wouldn't go to him just yet— he is in terrible agony from having his wings be useless."
⠀⠀⠀Time seemed to come to a stop as Mikaela whipped his head around to face him, neck jerking so rapidly that Yuichiro feared it would break. But in that moment, everything felt better. His eyes were finally on him, the man he was so eager and desperate to see now right in front of his very gaze. His vision was rather blurry, but not enough to miss the beautiful, wide orbs of his beloved owner. Yuichiro's heart warms, "Mika..."
⠀⠀⠀Growling, the blond slams his palms against the cage bars, nails digging into the metal with a sense of urgency. His voice grows weak, deep and heavy with erratic stutters. Mikaela can barely breathe, not when Yuichiro was right beyond him— so close, yet so far. Reaching beyond the bars, the male tries to reach for the raven before him, fingers tingling at the tips. Yuichiro knows they won't touch, that he won't be able to feel the hands of his lover, but it's worth it. He craves to feel the connection that they have through their touch. For that, he'd do anything.
⠀⠀⠀Frail with exhaustion and lack of nutrition, Yuichiro shakily raises his arm, his fingertips numb but still able to lift and reach. His wings, on instinct, attempt to free themselves, nerves racing and overflowing with stress and tension. They are trembling behind him, the muscles straining to rip free of the hook that has impaled his very flesh, but he is unsuccessful. Yuichiro smiles, his arm dropping to his sides, "M-Mika, you came... for me."
⠀⠀⠀"Yuu-chan..." Mikaela murmurs.
⠀⠀⠀"You both are so pathetic," Akane hisses. "Especially for a human to feel such sympathy and connection for an object. There are living beings out there, and you choose it."
⠀⠀⠀Her voice comes out as raspy, a rough and hardened sound that gives Guren a peculiar feeling to erupt in his body and mind. Akane shuffles her small frame beneath him as if trying to free her captivated hands. She curses beneath her breath, "You know what price you're paying by doing this, don't you? What kind of risks you're taking just to save this ragged, indifferent object? You're risking so much— your career, your freedom— your life."
⠀⠀⠀And before it could occur to Guren what she was saying, contemplating, signaling, it was already too late to act. His violet gaze widens for a brief moment, and before he could think of calling for backup on the young female, his side was met with a dangerously rough kick.
⠀⠀⠀Crowley's overwhelming strength brought Guren to his very knees, and he tries his absolute best to not stagger to which he is unsuccessful. In an instant, the younger brunette dashes out from where she captivated underneath to stealthily snatch the fallen and abandoned scalpel just a few meters from her. With her lean and petite body, she sprints toward Mikaela at full speed, feet rapid and blurred as she ran.
⠀⠀⠀Yuichiro could already see her intentions before she could even think of committing them. His lips parted to scream for his lover, urging him to move, to evade, to escape this one move that may or may not change their lives forever— but nothing came out. His voice was gone, vibrations no longer in his throat. But before then, he knew it was too late. He was too late. Mikaela was too late.
⠀⠀⠀Then, everything seemed to pass by slowly to the point the raven could see every shining detail.
⠀⠀⠀Mikaela turned to the increasing sound of rapid footsteps behind him, and his spine craned to find the owner of said steps. His eyes landed upon the brunette, her petite frame mere inches from crashing into him, a deadly and murderous glare grazing over him. Her teeth bared, eyebrows furrowed and highlighting more of her vicious smirk, the blond was far too slow to notice the obvious weapon in her grasp— silver tip blazing in the light and sharply taunting him. His breath caught in his chest.
⠀⠀⠀Akane scoffed, a superior sound that exposed of her cockiness, before the small weapon plunged deep into Mikaela's side once. Her hands left the scalpel as soon as blade met flesh, and she pushed the male further to the cage. With a smile, she held Mikaela close, her finger constricting against his neck and pressing into his pulse.
⠀⠀⠀She laughed, "You may think that one righteous stab to the side may do no damage whatsoever if you reach the hospital in time, but let me warn you, you are mistaken. In perhaps thirty minutes time, your pulse will come to a slowed cease. I am not just a young girl in a normal high school, may I remind you, but a doctor in training. I know many parts of the body where a single push of pressure can end a worthless human's life. And just like I did, where I've impaled you is one of them.
⠀⠀⠀"You're lucky this'll only allow you to lose conscious before your life is thieved from your very hands. The lower base of your back is a very sensitive area to be impaled, for it heavily supports your spine and can be deadly when ruptured. A single strong blow with your bare hands can do even worse damage, but lucky for you, I don't have such strength to do that," Akane smirked lightly. "But a sharp tool will do the trick, wouldn't you say so yourself?"
⠀⠀⠀Mikaela didn't even have control of his lips nor of his words, for his body seemed to be shutting down on him. Blood slipped out of his body through the wound at a rapid pace, and his hands staggered to try and keep the liquid from killing him. Eventually, he found it a lost cause and allowed the female to release his neck and drop him. The blond fell to the floor with a deafening slam.
⠀⠀⠀Within Yuichiro, he couldn't believe what he had just seen. But in a way, he has been in this type of situation before. He imagines his family— his godforsaken family of all things. Their spilt crimson blood, their pained and forlorn expressions as they realized that this was their end, their screams— everything echoed in his mind. He was in the same situation, the same situation in which he was helpless as the ones he loved and cherished were being taken from him. His teeth grazed his lips, the pressure of his hardened and sharp fangs piercing through his skin and drawing blood.
⠀⠀⠀Yuichiro felt his tears drying up, his past sorrow and fear now morphing into one of anger and rage. Adrenaline began to kick into him at the sight of Mikaela collapsed to the ground before him. Desperation curled in his stomach sickeningly tight, his wings reacting to the sensation as they began to squirm on their own, his muscles pounding and tensing as his wings tried to unhook themselves.
⠀⠀⠀With a cry, he was released, and the struggle was over. His numb and weak legs stumbled beneath him as he ran towards the cage entrance, his wings prepared to knock the doorway off its hinges. Yuichiro's breath hardened as he mustered up all of his strength to slingshot his wings beyond him, the bones and muscles bracing themselves for impact on the steel bars. Successfully, the cage to the door detached from the rest of the metal and crashed to the dusty floors. His bare feet pattered against the tiles as he crawled his way towards the fallen blond before him.
⠀⠀⠀"Mika—!"
⠀⠀⠀"Be careful, beautiful monster," Akane screeched, her fingers grazing against yet again another tool. "I wouldn't want you to follow the same fate as your disgusting owner!"
⠀⠀⠀Swiftly, her palm strangled the base of another scalpel, her body moving forward as she raced to inflict another blow upon the winged-creature. But Yuichiro didn't care whether the blade stabbed through him or not. Immediately, he dropped to his knees, cradling Mikaela tightly in his arms before his wings drowned them in a shield of feathers and flesh. From behind, a series of pain spiked from amongst his wings, and he held back a strangled cry.
⠀⠀⠀Mikaela's vibrant oceanic eyes slowly opened, his facial expression pained and exhausted, "No... Yuu-chan, run away..."
⠀⠀⠀"No. I refuse to run away. Not this time, and not ever again. I won't let another person I love be take from me when I can stop it— I am not going to let you go! I love you!"
⠀⠀⠀Mikaela heaved for words, his palm reaching up to caress Yuichiro's tan and tear-stained cheek. It was in that moment that the raven could not hold back his own erratic and dry screeches as he cradled the male closer to his chest, his fallen tears hitting Mikaela's pale face.
⠀⠀⠀Akane was relentless as she pierced him in all the areas possible, her techniques merely damaging the least but enough to get him to feel wrathful agony. His wings curled in tighter around them, and he mouthed several prayers to whichever horrid god or goddess was amongst them. Then, it was when Mikaela's hand seemed to slip off of his cheek that he began to panic once more.
⠀⠀⠀Yuichiro gasped for breath as he held the weak hand in his own, feeling the coldness of the blood flowing within them, feeling the pulse near his wrist begin to slow. He was losing time.
⠀⠀⠀Time is slipping away.
⠀⠀⠀Time was pouring out of his control like water trying to be kept in two hands.
⠀⠀⠀Mikaela's life was slowly ending.
⠀
⠀
• • •⠀ཀཫ⠀• • •
Hi there, lovelies!
I've returned after almost two months without a single chapter to satisfy anyone. I'm sorry for the long wait. I haven't been feeling in the writing mood for a while, which is sad.
But since my finals are almost done with, and summer is almost here, I know that I'll be able to make time to write chapters...
... and possibly finish this book, omg.
Anyhow, I hope this is enough to last a while!
Comment thoughts and constructive criticism; all are highly appreciated! <3
Vote / Comment / Enjoy
⠀
See you in chapter twenty-one,
— Scarlet
• • •⠀ཀཫ⠀• • •