𝕿𝖍𝖊 '𝕾𝖔-𝕮𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖉' 𝕻𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖞 - 𝕻𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝕴𝕴

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In a shocking turn of events however, an arrow laced with a deadly poison came out of nowhere and pierced Hoseok's heart, killing the unfortunate fellow right on the spot.

Behind a faraway bush stood a handsome warlock with a sinister smile plastered on his flawless face. It was one of those smiles that can have you in shivers. It didn't identify as a genuine grin coming from a pure heart, instead, it was a psychotic smirk emerging from the darkest intentions.

While his right hand pushed the leaves out of his sight so that his eyes could witness the dramatic scene unfold, his left hand held onto his bow and arrows. A vile of a minacious viper venom hung from his belt. He was none other than the warlock prince Kim SeokJin, the son of the warlock king Kim SooJin and the fiance of the pastor's daughter, Song Amanda.

~

Unable to handle the force, Hoseok leaned forward, putting his entire weight on Amanda. The latter was in the seventh heaven, being able to lock lips with the love of her life. However, that didn't stop her from sensing the sudden tensed aura reflecting off of Hoseok. She could feel the boy becoming stiff under her fingertips, so she voluntarily pulled away, only to let out a horrified shriek right after.

Amanda's eyes widened with fear and pain when the limp body of her beloved fell right on her lap. The arrow didn't go through but because Hoseok was now practically laying on her, she had a clear view of the tail of the arrow sticking out from his back.

'Wh-what the- ......Who on Earth could do this!?'

Very carefully did Amanda lay Hoseok down on the ground. His back was up and she gently pulled the arrow out. Certainly, it made the boy lose blood faster but she couldn't just let the poisoned arrow feel at home inside Hoseok's body. She could sense the lethal aura emanating from the weapon using her witch powers.

So, she tried her best to put pressure on the wound but what help would that even do? The heart, which the arrow crashed into, had already stopped. Nevertheless, poor Amanda chose not to believe.

"No no no, Hoseok, look at me. Don't let go just yet, please" Tears plummeted down her flushed cheeks as she stared intently at his unwavering lids. His eyes were open, but there was no life within them, nothing at all, just a blank infinity.

She put even more pressure now, in order to further reduce the incessant blood flow. But alas, even if she could stop the blood from escaping, she couldn't restrain the life from pouring out drop by drop and then blending into nothingness.

Oh, how twisted this tale was! Why did this even happen? Why did the divine take Hoseok away from her, just when she got him? They didn't even get to swoon on the cusp of their relationship! Who did this anyway? So many questions, but she found the answer to none.

~

SeokJin watched intently from his hiding place, following the girl's pathetic breakdown with amused eyes. Amanda may not have the answers yet, but we do. No, SeokJin was not in love with her. Though he agreed to marry her on his father's demand, but he couldn't care less. For him, Amanda was like a trophy wife. Since she was the pastor's daughter, she was considered pure, and hence, the perfect match for the next king.

SeokJin didn't intend to force Amanda into anything or claim any rights from her that a husband is supposed to do. He was only marrying her for the sake of his parents and kingdom but he planned to be her friend, that's it. He knew his parents had fallen in love with each other after marriage, and maybe the same could happen to him. But he didn't count on it. In fact, he was ready to give Amanda all the space and time she needed. He was never a bad guy.

However, the only things the prince demanded were respect and loyalty. And that is exactly where he felt the hurt when he saw his would-be wife kissing another man, and that too a mere human. It broke his trust into pieces, thrashed his pride into dust, and made a switch flip inside of him. The switch that turned him from an angel to a monster.

The least Amanda could do was inform him about her affair. Maybe, he would have understood her predicament and allowed her to pursue Hoseok. He could have even helped her in this venture, as a friend. But she chose to totally disrespect his authority and keep him in the dark, even though she was going to marry him the next month.

Or at least, that's what he thought. Little did he know that the arrogant pastor didn't even bother to tell his eighteen-year-old daughter about her upcoming marriage. The girl knew nothing of this. She was completely clueless, and that ended up becoming her doom.

~

By now, blood had stalked up Hoseok's throat and was dripping from the side of his lips. The flow was fast and so were Amanda's tears. In fact, they mirrored each other's velocities.

"Please Hoseok, don't leave me, talk to me, please..."

Was Amanda even anticipating a response? No matter what she showed superficially, deep down she was already aware of her grave loss. She didn't know what to believe anymore. Her throat was becoming dry, her heart was beating louder and faster, her fingers trembled under all the stress. What was she supposed to do now?

She could either sit back and cry her eyes out in grief. Or, she could figure a way out. This is a fantasy novel, after all, anything is possible here. Furthermore, she is a powerful witch with significant magical powers. There's got to be some way, some spell that she could use to bring Hoseok back. She'd do anything to get her sunshine back.

Scavenging out the perpetrator and punishing him severely was certainly on Amanda's priority list. She'd use all sorts of magic to make him go through the pain she was feeling right now. She could either hand him over to the council and let them decide his fate, or rip his heart out herself. But before she does any of that, she must bring Hoseok back to life.

Thinking and thrashing for a while made an idea pop up in her head. She scrambled to her feet and ran through all the trees and shrubs until she reached a particular nook. The Spirit's Garden. Slowly and steadily did she walk up to the huge banyan tree in the middle of the garden. It was not just any tree, it was her tree. Mother Han's tree. The creator of the supernatural world...

└──» To Be Continued  ✎ 。