I jumped off my bike, letting it crash right through the hedge.

Ignoring the paddle scraping against my calf and the cut it gave me as I raced to the house. The house was dark, not a light switched on, yet the backdoor remained unlocked.

He wasn't in the kitchen.

I hadn't expected him to be.

I raced right upstairs, all the way to the third floor. Stopping only when I came face-to-face with Tio's bedroom door. Pausing just long enough to catch my breath, I rapped on the door.

No sound. No answer.

I tried again, knocking a little louder.

Nothing.

Worry crawling at my throat, hands trembling, I pulled down on the handle. The door clicked open. Releasing a slow breath I hadn't been aware I was holding, I stepped into the room.

"Tio?"

I only took a step inside before stopping short. Eyes widening as I took in the state of the room.

It looked like a tornado had blow right through. Everything in disarray. What was the most startling was his bed covered in black features. A whole blanket of features.

A breath of cold air made me look towards the balcony. The sheer black curtains fluttered in the wind, door thrown wide open. The smell of recent rain fermenting the air.

Blowing out a breath, I stepped towards the balcony.

No sign of my blue-haired angel anywhere.

Not about to give up before my search even began, I spun around. I  stopped short when my sneakers hit a puddle. I looked down to find a puddle of golden liquid beneath me.

No, it wasn't the dying sun that lit the puddle to look like liquefied gold. If anything the sun only made it glitter against the light, throwing patterns around the room I hadn't taken notice of at first.

Curious as I was, My worry for Antieno exceeded it. Leaving the puddle as it was, I raced off in search of the man.

Tried the entire second floor and ground floor, I even checked the basement, but there was no sign of my angel anywhere.

I slid down to the floor where I stood. Fighting back tears that clouded my vision, I closed my eyes tight, pressing my hands over my ears and curled up. I didn't know where else I could look for him.

My only remaining option was searching in the woods. I did not fancy running around the woods. It was vast and I could easily miss him trying to find anything there. It would be a waste of time and energy. It would be better to wait for him right here.

I had checked every corner of the Villa, where else could I...

A golden door with wing shaped handles popped to my mind. The one with hieroglyphs and runes carved to it.

It was the one place I had not checked. His great-great-great grandfathers study. The only room in the whole house I had no permission to enter.

I shot straight up to my feet, too worried to care if I'd get into trouble with him for entering where he had forbidden me to.

My feet carried me back upstairs before I made a conscious decision to search there.

In my rush I tripped on the carpet and slammed straight through the door. I had not expected it to be open so landed flat on my face inside the room.

"Ouch," I mumbled, rubbing at my cheek as I sat up.

If I'm being honest, I don't even remember what the room looked like. Every time I try to recall the moment the only thing I could remember is Antieno, whom had caught my focus and never strayed from.

His large physic, edged between the corner bookshelves, making himself small. Hands draped over his head, which was buried on his knee. His body shaking with sob's, not a single sound coming out of him.

My breath caught, a hand fisting around my heart seeing him like this. I crawled over to him. Vision tunneled, focusing on him and him alone.

"Tio?"

My voice cracked, barely audible even to myself. He didn't react at all.

Hesitant I reach out, touching his foot.

He retracted his foot, but lifted his head. Just enough for his eyes to lock with mine through his bangs. Puffy and red-rimmed, tears spilled in a never ending waterfall.

The moment our eyes met everything ceased to exist. I felt my mind spin out of control, for the iris that met mine weren't the kaleidoscope of colors I'd learned to love.

His eyes were pitch black!

However, the gaze that mine, the tear filled, horrified gaze that looked back at me were one and the same.

It didn't matter what color his iris were, or why they had turned black. All that truly mattered right then a d there is my angel.

The person. Not his eyes.

Untensing my shoulders, I pulled myself to my knees, kneeling in front of him. Hands gentle as I pulled his legs apart, crawling between. Cupping his cheek with one hand and his nape with the other, I pressed our foreheads together.

We stayed still for a long moment. Simply soaking in the others presence.

The relief I felt at finding him rendering me immobile. Unable to pull away, because the last week without him had been hell. Because I had been yearning for his touch and holding him close was soothing.

I don't know how long it was before his hands fell away from his head. Hesitant as he wrapped his arms around me. Starting small, placing his hand on my hip as if testing the waters. When I didn't react, one arm snaked around my waist, the other crawling up my spine to the small of my back.

Breath slow and even - his tears soaking into my top - I nuzzled into his hair.

Like the action had been an assurance, he latched on to me. The force with which he pulled me against him knocking the air out of my lungs.

He clutched on to me as if I was his last line of sanity. Fingers fisting on my sweater so tight his knuckles dug into my back, keeping me pressed flush against him. Forehead digging into my shoulder.

With only silence as our companion, only broken by his occasional sniffles, we stayed like that way past me loosing feeling in my leg. Thighs cramping and knees digging painfully into the carpet.

By the time he made to pull away, I physically couldn't move. Not without pain shoot up and legs and all the way to my spine. A hiss of pain slipped past my lips the moment I triedtto shift over.

His head snapped up, eyes an angry red and puffy, glassy with unshed tears.

My own eyes were narrowed into slits. Fingers digging into his shoulder, trying to keep the pain at bay. My first priority was making sure Tio was okay.

"Dewdrop?"

Even scratchy, his voice sounded like music to my ears. The baritone the perfect blend of coffee in a lazy early morning, or the sweetest of lullaby late into the night. The concern filling his voice made me smile at him, Forcing myself to relax the hold I had on his shoulder.

"Sorry, I think my legs are cramped," I said, trying to sound assuring.

Brows furrowing, he dropped his gaze to my legs. Hands slipping down to rub at my thighs, touch light. Stretching out his legs flat on the floor so I wasn't caged between them anymore. He was careful as he helped me sit on his left thigh, didn't mean that it didn't hurt to move.

Muscles locking, teeth gritted and eyes closed tight, I tried my best not to scream. He remained, patient, rubbing up and down my thigh, soothing the pain. He held me to him until I finally relaxed back into him.

When my muscles were no longer locked, in one swift move he tossed both my legs over the his right leg I wasn't seated on.

I screamed twenty-five percent out of pain, fifty percent out of shock and fifteen percent due to the pinpricks and tingled that made my whole body vibrate.

His hand was quick to start rubbing my legs again, free hand giving my arm a gentle pat.

"Sorry love, let's get you somewhere more comfortable."

He was apologising for more than readjusting me. He was apologising for a lot more things than I was aware of.

"Don't be," I said, snuggling against him, arms circling around his waist. "And I'm more than comfortable right here."

Pressing my ear over his heart, I closed my eyes. Slumping my whole weight on him. My words were barely out of my mouth when my hand came in contact with something wet and sticky drenching the back of his shirt.

I pulled my hand back to find it covered in the same whatever golden liquid from his bedroom floor.

My eyes darted up to him, confusion overtaking worry for right now.

A corner of his mouth sucked between his teeth, his eyes were already on mine. When our eyes met, he sighed.

"You heard about your friend."

He sounded resigned. Like his fate was already sealed. The outcome of this conversation predetermined.

He didn't wait for my reply before going on talking. The self-loathing that coated his words despite his best efforts to hide it, wasn't lost on me. Not when I paying as close attention as I could.

"Of course you did. I don't know -"

I pressed my index finger and middle finger against his lips - smearing them gold, not letting him finish his sentence.

Word's cut off in half, his eyes snapped down to meet mine. Almond pair round, mouth still shaped around the word that never made it past.

I shook my head, craning my neck to push closer to him, ignoring the shockwave that rippled down my leg.

"I'm not here to accuse you of anything. If anything," I paused to take a deep breath before barreling right on. "I'm glad that it wasn't you. If that makes me a shitty friend, then so be it. Misuk was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even I'm not stupid enough to enter the woods after 8:00 p.m."

Antieno remained silent as he stared at me, eyes reflecting the wonder he felt. Eyebrows arched into his hairline. Lips parted around my fingers.

"I don't care what anyone tells, Tio. They don't know you. their words do not matter to me."

Loosing steam, I buried my face in my neck. Words a mumble into the hollow of his throat.

He let out a deep breath, pressing his lips against my forehead. Silent acceptance. I smiled, snuggling back against him. Content to remain as we were, silence and all.

A/N~

Hey lovely peeps, sorry for the late update, got caught up with stuff last night.
Anyways. Here's the chapter now. Do let me know your thoughts on the story, I'd love to hear them.

Do you really think Antieno had anything to do with Misuk's death? Or is he being wrongly accused?