It was only about three knocks. And after that, there was only the deafening silence engulfing them.
"Did someone call a pizza guy?" Hwanwoong asked, his face somehow lighting up until everyone let out an answer.
"No."
"Any special delivery?"
"No."
Silence filled the room again after those answers. They were all looking at each other, confused and cautious. Soon enough, Gabrielle stood up from her seat. "I'm going to check it out."
"I'll go with you." Everyone said in unison. Either they're afraid of her going alone, or afraid of them being left.
"There's a doorbell at the gate though. Why would they..." Keonhee trailed off, slowly feeling anxious.
"Exactly." Leedo muttered.
"Something feels wrong about this." Seraphiel said. "Why don't you get some weapons just in case anything happens. The three of us will go instead."
The mortals all nodded at his suggestion before hurriedly leaving the study room.
Seraphiel, Gabrielle, and San are the only ones that went to the other way. They all walked cautiously to where the front door was.
They soon froze on their steps when they saw the front door wide open. The sun has almost completely set and everything was slowly getting dark outside.
"I closed the door a while ago. I was sure of that." Gabrielle said in a low tone, her eyebrows furrowing.
San swallowed a lump on his throat. "I'll try checking outside--"
"Wait." Seraphiel stopped him. They don't even know who's outside or what they'll be facing.
Gabrielle and San waited for Seraphiel's orders by looking at him. On the other hand, the male angel was trying to think of something, or someone, or somewhere.
"CHARGE!"
The deafening silence was soon ended when the three of them heard loud screams from above.
From the second floor.
When they all looked up, they saw ghouls, about fifty jumping down from the second floor. Seonghwa was still left on the railings. He just watched the scene unfolding before his eyes.
"Watch out!" Seraphiel yelled as they all backed away to avoid getting jumped on. As soon as the ghouls landed they instantly attacked the three of them.
Each one of them handled about two to three ones, one after another.
"How did they come here!?" Gabrielle asked as she gave one ghoul a strong kick, sending it to the wall and cracking it.
"T-they must have used me." San replied back as he fought with his own kind.
"What!?"
"Tracking a ghoul is easier for us. He must have tracked me."
Gabrielle grunted in response. Although the enemies are many, they aren't that strong unlike the first-rate ones.
Except for Seonghwa who is watching from above.
Their conversation has soon ended when the mortals entered the chaotic battle field, each one of them were holding swords.
They all looked at how the house was ruined. Broken vases were everywhere, the chandelier has fallen, and walls were cracked.
"H-how did they come here?" Keonhee looked at everything frantically.
"Won't matter. We have to move!" Ravn yelled and they spread away to help their allies. He saw Gabrielle about to be attacked from behind so he strode fast towards her and before the ghoul could even touch her, his sword pierced through the ghoul.
It coughed out blood as it dropped on the ground. Gabrielle turned around to find Ravn pulling out the sword, the ghoul's blood splashing on his face. He looked at her, worried. "Are you okay?"
Gabrielle looked at him, to the sword, and to the ghoul on the ground. Then back at Ravn. "I-I'm okay. Thank you."
"Don't forget to watch your back." Ravn told her. "You always tend to have blind spots."
She nodded and went on a wider space to get her sword. Seraphiel followed suit.
It has soon became a bloody battlefield. Black ashes and blood were shed by both sides, both from the celestial weapons and the ordinary weapons from the mortals. Despite that, the mortal boys were doing great. Their training has definitely paid off. They fought with all their might. Even Keonhee, who was so afraid of them, has turned into a different person.
"I'll never be afraid of you all!" Keonhee spat with his foot pressing on the ghouls chest. He slashed his sword through its throat, and had blood spilled everywhere.
Keonhee was soon thrown on the ground with a ghoul holding him down. He yelled out a curse out of anger. "Get off me, you disgusting thing!"
The ghoul attempted to ravage Keonhee, who still struggled underneath him. Now that his sword was dropped, they were fighting hand by hand. Keonhee was getting tired but it was then ended when the ghoul suddenly collapsed in front of him.
He looked up and saw Seoho standing in front of him, his sword dripping with new blood. "Glad I saw you."
Keonhee breathed, somehow managing to laugh after getting exhausted. "Glad you saw me." He pushed the ghoul off of him with disgust and took Seoho's outstretched hand to help him stand. He took his sword and stood up, his fighting face back.
In the middle of the the chaotic battlefield were two men standing strong. Their hands gripped their swords firmly.
"Are you still good?" Hwanwoong asked Leedo, whose back is leaned with his. Their backs touched, both protecting each other. Leedo let out a laugh. "Didn't know I'd miss fighting this much."
Leedo yelled as he slashed a ghoul advancing towards him while Hwanwoong kicked the ghoul sending it to the ground. "I won't allow myself to get killed by someone taller than me!"
"Silly!" Leedo laughed as he slayed another one. "Whether it's taller than you or not, never get yourself killed!"
Seonghwa watched everything from above, slowly getting mad at how their numbers are decreasing. They're supposed to be the one having the advantage. "Since when did these mortals learn how to fight with swords?"
His eyes landed on Gabrielle who was busy fighting on her own as well. "That wench must have trained them. They have been preparing for this, I see."
He decided to jump down to join the fight. He walked towards Gabrielle with a smirk on his face. "Little angel~!"
Gabrielle turned to the voice calling her and pulled the sword away from the ghoul harshly, annoyed at the owner of the voice. "The audacity of you to come straight here with a lot of ghouls."
"Do you like my surprise?"
She scoffed at him. "It's more like, do you like our surprise? You must have thought you'd bring us down so easily. Sorry, my boys aren't raised as livestock for your future use."
"I must admit, you did a great job at training them. But don't get so relaxed. I'm still here."
"I will only relax once I see you fade into black dusts with my own sword." Gabrielle told him, her voice laced with poison.
Seonghwa laughed. "I would love to kill you right here, right now; but sadly, you are needed alive."
"What?"
He looked at the boys. "Your friends seemed to start getting exhausted, little angel. How about I send more of our kind here and finally end this all? Or in exchange," He paused looking at Gabrielle with dark tempting eyes.
"You come with me safely and I won't send more troops. No more deaths and blood needed to be shed. The king wants to see you alive instead. Isn't that a happy thing?"
After hearing his deal, Gabrielle looked at the boys this time. Her eyes could see the exhaustion on their faces. However, she saw how, even at those exhaustion, they fought with all their might. Even at those exhaustion present on their faces, a look of determination was also there, bright and clear.
But they're mortals.
If Seonghwa sends more, they'd surely lose. And then they'll be taken at that rate.
Taken.
The thought made Gabrielle snap back to reality. She looked at Seonghwa with a smirk. "You must have thought that I'm so easy to fool, right? I'm not stupid, ghoul. Even if I'd go with you without any more blood to be shed, you'd still take those mortals either way. Nice try, but thanks for trying."
She looked so amused at Seonghwa's reaction.
"I'd rather stay and never let you touch a single strand of their hair than go with you and wait for them on the other side."
A look with a mix of amazement and disappointment was present on Seonghwa's face. It was amazing she could go through his temptations, but he was still pissed for not being able to go through her.
"You're really something, little angel."
Even so, Seonghwa couldn't send more ghouls when he's still here. He has to go back to the underworld before that. It was also a lie that he only knew, but he didn't expect Gabrielle would not take it.
"Have you realized that only now?" Gabrielle pretended to examine her nails, acting so cocky. She looked at him and swayed her sword. "Either ways, one of us is going to die, and that's going to be you."
Seonghwa chuckled and reached out his hand for his own sword. He was really disappointed at how he couldn't kill her anymore.
At least he'd get a taste of a fight with her.
Seonghwa knew her strengths since they're first meeting but it wasn't proven enough to him until now. And this time, Gabrielle was even more prepared for it. The sounds of their swords clashing joined the noise of fight inside the house.
Both of them were racing for taking the other over, both neck to neck.
"I already understand why you're so famous and how much the king despises you."
"How could you be too late on everything about me?" Gabrielle answered back, the tip of her sword swaying just a centimeter away from Seonghwa's eyes. "You should be updated."
"I don't think I have to be updated anymore because it's going to be the end of you." Seonghwa said as he backed away, only to advance back to attack her.
He was having problems getting through her since her defense was a lot more stronger compared to their previous encounters. She's indeed prepared for him.
He needs something.
He needs something to catch her off guard again.
Then his eyes found San finishing off a ghoul. The look of disgust never left Seonghwa's face whenever he sees San.
"Your new friend." Seonghwa began, an idea forming in his mind.
Gabrielle was so close to looking at San but she managed to control herself and kept her eyes on Seonghwa as they continued their fight.
"Don't forget to watch your back."
"You always tend to have blind spots."
Ravn's words kept on reminding her and that's what she's keeping inside her mind.
"What? Our new friend that sadly betrayed your own kind?" Gabrielle snapped, emphasizing the word of betrayal. "I guess humanity still wins after all."
"What humanity are you talking about?"
"Your old friend that used to be human. Your old friend that got sick of being your king's puppet."
Seonghwa looked so confused at what she was saying. It gave Gabrielle the opportunity to send an attack, only for him to be quick enough to block it. Now their swords are pushing against each other, their faces near and their eyes glaring intensely at each other.
"Human? Him? What are you talking about?"
Gabrielle paused at how he didn't know about this but Seonghwa laughed at her. "Do you even think you could trust him? A ghoul?"
It made Gabrielle lost.
Did he lie about it?
She turned her head to look at San wiping of the blood off his mouth.
He would never, Gabrielle thought. The amount of blood he has,how he slaughtered his own kind, and saved Seraphiel just now from an attacker just proves everything wrong.
He's not lying. I can feel it.
Seeing Gabrielle look lost made Seonghwa smirk and take the opportunity.
Finally, a blind spot.
Before Gabrielle could even tell him that he couldn't fool her more, Seonghwa pushed Gabrielle away and kicked on her legs, sending her on the ground. She dropped her sword, which soon began to fade into orbs of light. Before she could even have the chance to grab her sword back, Seonghwa has straddled her by the waist. He held her wrists above the head and gave her a smirk.
"Isn't this a familiar scene, little angel?" He told her. "But too bad, I won't be killing you today. I'll be bringing you with me down in the underworld instead."
"G-Get off me!" Gabrielle fought him off but Seonghwa covered her eyes and started to lean down to her ears to blow onto it in order for her to lose consciousness just like what he did with Xion.
If anger was consuming her a moment ago, then fear has replaced it now. Her heart was beating fast as she felt helpless underneath him. She couldn't even move anymore. She just felt frozen.
There's no way I'm going down there!
Gabrielle has braced for what's worse but instead of feeling a blow of air to her ear, she only felt him collapse on top of her. The grip on her wrists loosened and she felt Seonghwa limp and motionless.
Gabrielle saw Ravn standing in front of her with worry and panic in his eyes. He dropped his sword and instantly pushed Seonghwa off from Gabrielle and pulled her into a hug. "Elle. Are you alright?"
She wrapped her arms around him, and felt her own hands shaking. It was so close. She exhaled and bit her lip. "I'm alright."
Ravn pulled away from her, and instead of worry only present on his face, it was now added with frustration. "Didn't I tell you to never get distracted!? He almost could have taken you with him!"
Gabrielle was taken aback at Ravn's outburst. His voice echoed through the room, gaining the rest of the boys' attention. She looked at them and realized the intruders are dead.
They have won.
For now.
She couldn't believe they won. Even Seonghwa has died. Thanks to Ravn.
The boys then walked towards them, all looking tired and breathless. Ravn didn't even mind them as his eyes were on Gabrielle. "Are you even listening to me?"
Gabrielle looked at Ravn. "I'm already fine, okay? Calm down. I'm here. There's nothing we can worry for now."
"What happened?" Leedo asked as they watched Ravn and Gabrielle stand up. They began to walk out from the place full of dead ghouls.
They rested on the couch, trying to catch their breaths and rest after the battle.
"Someone tried to take her into the underworld." Ravn replied, his hand holding onto Gabrielle. "That ghoul who took Xion. Thank goodness he's gone."
"Seonghwa?" San asked, he didn't notice him a while ago but it didn't matter to him. What mattered is what Ravn just told them. "He's dead?"
"Yeah, I killed him before he could take Gabrielle with him." Ravn responded, looking at Gabrielle who's opening the windows and fixing the curtains to let some fresh air inside. She can still feel her hands shaking and her heart beating fast. Her mind was blurry and she needed some fresh air.
Seraphiel's lips parted upon hearing Ravn's response. Before he could have the chance to speak, San went ahead.
"You were the one who killed him?" San asked again, his eyebrows meeting in confusion. "H-How?"
"What do you mean how?" Despite the exhaustion, Ravn managed to give San an annoyed look. "Of course I used my sword, what else? Suck the life out of him like magic?"
"He's not dead!" San exclaimed. Seraphiel and Gabrielle looked shocked as well. She didn't even think about it from all the panic.
"We first-rate ghouls cannot just simply get killed by a simple sword! You'd need a celestial weapon to kill us!"
"W-what?" Ravn stuttered. He couldn't believe what he just knew.
What they just knew.
The boys, who were beginning to relax on the couch, shot up with their eyes widened. Hwanwoong stood up. "If he's alive, then we have to go back and finish him--"
"Fools."
They all heard Seonghwa laugh. They tensed up and soon found him outside the window his right hand covering Gabrielle's eyes and his left one holding her still.
"Elle!" Ravn's eyes widened, fear and panic in his eyes.
No. Their eyes. All of them.
Everything just happened too fast when they heard his laugh even Gabrielle couldn't react to it fast.
The moment they stood up was when Seonghwa blew onto her ear. Gabrielle's body fell limp and Seonghwa instantly pulled her out of the window.
"NO!" Everyone tried to reach for them. Ravn ran so quick to grab onto Gabrielle but before he could even grab a hold of her, even just a touch on her arm, they have disappeared into thin air.
Ravn's hand was left on the air, his eyes wide. Seraphiel brushed his hair back in frustration. San just stood motionless. Seoho and Hwanwoong looked at the window with wide eyes. Keonhee was on the ground with his hand on his mouth, while Leedo punched the wall, his fist starting to bleed.
In just a flash, the angel they cherished so much has disappeared from their sight.