The young man's heart raced against his chest as he slowly descended down the stairs that seemed to have no end. 

He turned as his companion seemed to be about to give him the explanation he had been yearning for. 

"With all that has been going on, Anabella and I have decided that it is a wise decision to start your official self-defense training. We had originally planned to start it once you became king, but-", Hong Joong sighed, "-that didn't turn out as I-we had hoped."

"Am I doing it against you?", a large gulp of spit ran down Seonghwa's dray and itchy throat. 

"No, we want you to live.", Hong Joong smiled as he opened the door. 

Once they were at the bottom of the stairs, Hong Joong gestured forward, "You are training against her."

Anabella appeared into his line of vision, the sun, peeking out from its cloud curtains, hitting the top of her hair, which had tied back, exposing her features. 

The slight wind caused the fabric of her white blouse to flow around her as she walked towards the pair staring at her like idiots. 

And, as with everything she wore, there was a small pair of lace gloves over her hands. 

"I can't train against her.", Seonghwa argued, "What if I hurt her?"

A small chuckle escaped her lips, "I think you should be concerned about getting harmed."

"Anabella has been one of my best students. And, I have taught some of the best fighters in all of Sonar.", Hong Joong explained as he handed Anabella a sword, one that turned out to have been made for her, her initials carved into the purple hilt. 

"Are you sure you're not only saying that because you don't want your head cut off?", Seonghwa smiled. 

"Pardon? Do you believe I don't live up to that?", Anabella raised an eyebrow. 

He shrugged, "I just would like to see you put your hands where your mouth is."

A smirk tainted Anabella's lips, an expression so different from her signature innocent demeanor, "Alright, then."

"Here.", she picked up and threw a sword towards Seonghwa. 

He ran forward to catch it before holding and examining it. The sun glistened off the blade and caused a spot of light to envelop Seonghwa's face. 

"Ready?", Hong Joong asked. 

Anabella and Seonghwa both nodded, their eyes only leaving each other's Hong Joong, who seemed to be picking on some kind of tension that not even the married couple had achieved to notice. 

"Come a little closer.", Hong Joong gestured for Anabella to do as told. 

She did, holding her sword by her side and a smile on her lips as her eyes scanned Seonghwa's. 

"Bow.", Hong Joong instructed. 

They did, and as they rose back, they painfully smacked each other with their foreheads. Loud chuckled escaped their throats as they rubbed at the sore spots. 

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?", Seonghwa asked, reaching forward.

She nodded and stepped back from his touch. 

Leaning back, she watched as Hong Joong tried his best to move the very confused Seonghwa into a proper stance. 

With a defeated sigh, he stepped back, "That's all we're going to achieve."

Hong Joong stepped back, "Ready?"

They nodded. 

"Swords together."

As they reached their hands up, their swords clashed together, their eyes locked together. 

Anabella moved to swing her sword against him and then collapsed. 

"Ember!", San got to Anabella before Seonghwa did. 

He kneeled next to her as San straddled Anabella's head in his lap, his brow furrowed as he stared at her. 

Seonghwa stepped forward and that's when he noticed a red light emitting from underneath her shirt, making her skin almost disappear behind the brightness. 

And, when he turned back to her face, she was already unconscious.

A/N

Hello, so if you haven't heard, I'm leaving Wattpad once this book is done. I want to thank all of the people who have read my book(even the silent readers, just hoped you enjoyed). You make my day with your comments. So, for my readers, I won't abandon this book, I'm still going to finish it, so y'all still have to deal with me for a few months. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Bonus chapter may come out tomorrow if I have time!