Chapter 1 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1. 

“Ha…ha…”

I was out of breath and my heart was about to explode. My body was heavy and my vision was shaky, but I clenched my teeth as I looked at the back of the boy who was running ahead while holding my arm.

The young boy, who looked much smaller than me, never let go of my hand that was held by that small hand. No matter how many times I stumbled and my leg shook, the boy never went ahead alone. It was a struggle to take a step further even though I was being raised and supported by him.

I told him to leave me in the midst of a drug-induced stupor, but the boy shook his head firmly. He moved his mouth and shouted something, but I couldn’t understand. I could hear the rustling of the thickets of the dark forest and even the buzzing of insects, but for some reason I couldn’t hear the boy’s words.

My vision is blurry and I cannot recognize the boy’s face. My ears try to only listen to his voice but they seem to have lost their function. The only thing that I can recognize is the fragrant smell that was passing through my lungs.

“Where are these punks!”

“Find them quickly!”

The harsh voices of men could be heard from afar. I can’t even hear the boy’s voice I want to hear, but why is their voice so clear that it makes my spine shiver?

The boy blinked and looked towards something in the distance in the path we had passed. The sound of footsteps and the rustling of the bushes could be heard as if it was already close by.

My body shakes again and the boy says something. I was exhausted and I felt like I was going to collapse at any moment, but I tried to read even the shape of the boy’s mouth, but to no avail.

The boy almost dragged himself halfway bringing himself closer to a tree. Laying down among the thick bushes nearby, the boy says something again. Through the blurry vision, I could see the boy’s lips moving slightly.

Soon the boy, who turned his back without any regrets, quickly ran out of the bushes.

“There he is!”

“Catch that bastard!”

The voices of men heard from afar quickly approached, then moved away again. I managed to get my weak body up and sat down on the floor. My head was spinning and I felt like I was going to lose my mind at any moment.

It was time to shake my head, come to my senses, and try to get up somehow.

“Argh-!”

It felt like a lightning bolt had hit my head. It was only then that I heard the boy’s voice, which I could not hear before, and it shook my mind.

Obviously, because of the influence of the anesthetic that spread through my body, I couldn’t control my body properly, but somehow I  got up from my seat. As soon as I turned my head towards the screaming boy, I saw the men surrounding him. The distance and the blurry vision made it hard to tell them apart, but it was clear that several men were surrounding the boy.

I rubbed my eyes violently with the back of my hand to somehow secure my view. My eyes were sore, but I didn’t care. Thanks to this, the appearance of the boy and the men in the distance began to be visible for a little bit.

A man grabbed the boy by the back of his head and pulled him up, and he flashed a light at him. After checking his face, he shouted loudly.

“F**k!”

The man, who was holding the boy’s hair with his left hand, uttered a swear word. The boy was holding his hair from behind and pulling his hand away, trying his best to pull it off, but he didn’t even flinch as if he wasn’t strong enough.

A very annoyed man raised his right hand. The object in his hand shone under the light of a flashlight.

‘Dangerous!’

I mouthed, but no sound came out. It felt like someone was holding my vocal cords.

The sharp blade held in the man’s right hand headed towards the boy’s neck and immediately cut off his neck from left to right at once.

‘No!’

I opened my eyes and pursed my lips. Suddenly, a faint sweet smell wafted out and blended into the surrounding air. The ecstatic sweet smell made my nose tingle for a while.

Blood gushed out like a fountain from the nape of the boy’s neck, his head still in the grasp of the man’s hand. His arm, which was rebelling, fell down immediately.

The feel of the drug that was controlling my body vanished, and it felt like I had a clairvoyant. I did not know the appearance of the others, but the boy’s appearance was clearly visible as if he was right in front of me. The blood dripping from the nape of his neck completely soaked his shirt.

The man withdrew his strength from his hand holding the boy’s hair. The boy’s slender body, which had left his hand, fell to the floor, and soon they ran in the other direction.

As the men disappeared, I  staggered towards the boy. The only light was the moonlight sticking out of the clouds, but that was enough. As I got closer to the boy, the scent that flowed from him gradually deepened.

There was a blood-stained boy in the enchanting air that seemed to shake my brain. I collapsed on the floor and didn’t know how to get up, and I didn’t move at all.

I slumped down next to the boy, dropping my knees as if my leg had been broken. Apart from the effect of the anesthetic, my eyes became hot and tears welled up, making my vision blurry.

Unable to control my chest that was about to explode, I reached out to touch the boy. I placed a trembling hand on the back of his neck, not moving at all. A hot, moist liquid was smeared on it. I couldn’t tell the color because there was only moonlight, but I quickly knew that it was the blood flowing through the boy’s body. The sweet scent flowed from the liquid on my hands, tickling my nostrils.

But it was weird.

The sweet smell of the boy’s blood was gradually disappearing. The scent of pheromone, which had only been fragrant, was swallowed up by the fresh night air, and then completely disappeared. 

My hand trembled and I covered my mouth. I knew my voice wouldn’t come out, but it felt like a scream would still come out. 

The boy’s bloody fingers touched my face as I covered my mouth. Even though the moist blood touched my cheeks, I still didn’t feel any scent. It was so painful. 

I closed my eyes and wept. Sobbing and sobbing, I repeated it in my mind several times. 

Sorry. 

Sorry…

* * *

I felt the warmth on my head and opened my eyes. The dark and terrifying night in the forest was gone and all I could see was a bright artificial light. I blink my eyes quietly, and at first glance, I see black hair.

“Are you okay?”

I rolled my eyes at the familiar calm voice and looked at the other person. As soon as I saw him, I frowned and slapped away the warm hand on my forehead at once.

“…What are you doing?”

I asked angrily. It may have hurt to get his hand slapped and hear my sharp words, but the other party was expressionless as usual.

“I have told you not to touch me without permission.”

I looked at the man, who was approaching me, with a cold gaze. Normally, other people would flinch and try to avoid my gaze, but he faces me calmly.

I don’t like that.

This man has never avoided my eyes until now, almost half a year after we first met. No matter how threatening and cold my eyes were, his face was always calm.