Chapter 308: Who wants me dead? [1]
Sitting on the couch, Brandon let out a soft sigh and Jiyeon was sitting beside him, leaning on his shoulder.
After a few seconds, Jiyeon exhaled softly, "So..." she murmured, glancing up at him, "it was your sister’s other personality...?"
Brandon nodded, brushing a loose strand of her hair away from her face with his fingers.
He leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head "Yeah... so like I said... from now on, she won’t do anything harmful to you. I’ll make sure of it."
A small smile touched her lips at his words.
Without breaking eye contact, he scooped her up effortlessly, lifting her into his arms.
Jiyeon gasped lightly, then let out a soft laugh that melted into the warmth of his embrace.
He settled her carefully onto his lap as he hugged her from behind with his chest pressed against her back.
"Kael..." She chuckled softly and leaned further into him.
His lips trailed down the curve of her neck, brushing her skin with soft kisses that made her eyes flutter closed.
He turned her chin gently, his fingers cradling her jaw as he lifted her face toward his.
Their eyes locked for a moment, and then he pressed his lips to hers, as if relearning the shape and warmth of her mouth.
Jiyeon’s lips parted instinctively, and she smiled into the kiss.
Kissing her lips, he muttered "I have a lot of things to tell you. But for now, let me get back what I’ve been missing all these months."
As he spoke, his hand slid under the strap of her tank top, teasing the curve of her side.
Jiyeon let out a soft giggle, "You’re perverted as ever..." she whispered as her cheeks flushed with warmth.
Brandon grinned "Look who’s talking... weren’t you the one asking for sex every day back then?"
*THRASH*
Before Jiyeon could even react, a sudden sound shattered the air.
Brandon’s gaze hardened and he turned his head toward the source.
The window beside them had exploded outward as shards of glass scattered across the floor.
Beyond it, morning light streamed in through jagged edges, dust and debris swirling in the sudden draft.
His eyes darted to the wall beside him and saw the black arrow buried deep into the plaster and he heard a beeping noise from the head of the arrow.
"Shit-"
Without wasting another second, Brandon lifted Jiyeon into his arms.
Her eyes widened in shock and her breath caught in her throat as she clung to him, barely understanding what was happening.
He didn’t hesitate and burst out of the apartment.
THOOOMMM!
The next instant, the arrow embedded in the wall detonated.
The force of the explosion rippled through the building, shaking the walls and ceiling and dust rained down from the corners.
"AHHH!" Jiyeon screamed and her fingers clutched his shirt as she buried her face into his shoulder, trembling.
Brandon tightened his hold around her, cradling her protectively against his chest, and rushed down the hallway.
The apartment corridor was chaos as people rushed out of their rooms in panic, with some people in mid-shower or still in pajamas.
People stumbled out into the hallways, blinking against the dust and noise.
"W-What is happening?!"
"An earthquake?!"
"Huh?! What’s going on?!" someone else yelled from behind a half-open door.
Brandon glanced around and rushed toward the stairwell.
Then, from the corner of his eye, something caught his attention.
Another arrow hurtled toward him with terrifying speed.
*sleesh*
His muscles coiled instinctively and he twisted his body, moving to the side.
The arrow slammed into the wall where he had been standing a second before and the tip sank deep into the plastered wall.
He heard another beeping sound indicating the arrow’s timer had started.
He dashed away from the wall, grabbing Jiyeon tighter as the beeping quickened and the arrow detonated.
BOOM!
A second explosion shook the hallway with a concussive wave that knocked pictures from the walls and sent dust cascading down.
The force of the blast nearly pushed them both off their feet, but Brandon’s grip tightened, holding Jiyeon steady against him.
He barely caught his breath before his eyes caught two more arrows streaking through the corridor out of nowhere, aimed straight at them.
For a split second, time seemed to slow.
Brandon’s pupils narrowed and just as he was about to dodge.
A hand shot out from the side and with terrifying speed, the woman’s hand reached out and snatched both arrows mid-flight.
The arrows jerked and twisted in her palm before she crushed the shafts, splintering the arrows into useless shards.
*crack*
Brandon glanced at the woman "Ayane..."
She turned her head toward him, "Mr. Brandon, be careful. We’re surrounded."
He glanced down at Jiyeon, who was trembling against him in fear "Yeon, don’t worry..."
Ayane walked closer to him and her eyes glanced around "We should leave the building first. Follow me closely, Mr.Brandon."
Ayane rushed to the edge of the first floor’s stairwell and leapt cleanly down toward the open space below.
Brandon quickly followed her and jumped down from there.
The moment his feet left the landing, ether discs appeared beneath his feet.
They hovered just long enough to break his fall, cushioning his landing like soft clouds before vanishing into nothingness.
His soles touched the ground smoothly as he absorbed the impact.
Ayane’s sharp eyes flicked from one corner of the open space to the other "I can sense some presences closing in..." she muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing into focused slits.
SWOOOOSHH-
A sudden, violent ripple tore through the air like a gust of wind amplified by ether.
In the blink of an eye, an enormous dome of deep green energy materialized.
It expanded outward in seconds, encasing Ayane, Brandon, and Jiyeon.
The dome rose from the ground and arched above them, sealing the space in a sphere and the outside world blurred, distorted by the energy barrier.
Ayane let out a low sigh, "Hm..." she murmured softly, more to herself than anyone else, "We’re trapped now. They came well prepared."
Brandon glanced down at Jiyeon, who was still pressed against him, "Yeon... can you stand?"
For a moment, she hesitated and then she nodded.
He carefully let her down to the floor.
Jiyeon’s legs wobbled as she stood, but she managed to steady herself, silent questions trembling behind her lashes.
He reached out and gently patted her head, smoothing her hair back from her face.
A soft smile touched his lips "It’s alright,"
Brandon reached into his storage ring and took a pair of daggers, gripping them firmly.
’Now... who wants me dead?’