Chapter 8: Blood and Protection (Rakht Aur Raksha) 🩸🛡️
The darkness was so thick you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face. The echoes of heavy boots thundered through the mansion's hallway. 👞👞
Yeonjun (Whispering): "Jisong, stay behind me and don't move. Don't even breathe loudly until I tell you to."
Suddenly, a bright flashlight beam cut through the dark, and a bullet streaked directly toward them! 🔫💥
Without a second thought, Yeonjun shoved Jisong to the floor and threw himself over him, acting as a human shield.
"AAAGH!" 😫
A low groan escaped Yeonjun's lips. Jisong felt a sudden jolt vibrate through Yeonjun's body.
Jisong (Panicked): "Yeonjun? Are you okay?"
Yeonjun didn't answer. Aiming into the darkness, he fired two shots back. 🔫🔥 Two screams echoed, followed by a haunting silence. The intruders had fled, but the danger was far from over.
The Wound and The Truth 🕯️🩹
The mansion's emergency lights flickered on. Jisong saw blood seeping rapidly from Yeonjun's left shoulder. His black silk robe was soaked crimson. 🩸🌑
Jisong (Sobbing): "No! You've been shot! I—I have to call an ambulance..."
Yeonjun (Weakly): "No... no hospitals. Call Secretary Kim; he'll bring a doctor. Until then... stop the bleeding."
With trembling hands, Jisong took a clean cloth and pressed it firmly against the wound. Yeonjun squeezed his eyes shut in pain and gripped Jisong's hand tightly.
Jisong: "Why did you do it? Why did you put your life on the line for me?"
Yeonjun opened his eyes slightly, revealing a gaze filled with both agony and an undying love. 🥀💖
Yeonjun: "Because fifteen years ago... I let go of your hand, Jisong. In that fire... I ran away, and you were left behind. I cannot make that mistake again."
Jisong's tears fell onto Yeonjun's hand. The fragments of that blurred memory finally snapped into place—the fire, the screams, and the boy who had fled in terror... it was Yeonjun. 👦🔥👦
A New Threat 📱⚠️
While Secretary Kim and the doctor were still on their way, Jisong's phone vibrated again. The same unknown number. 📩
With shaking hands, Jisong opened the message:
"That was just a trailer, Jisong. Yeonjun will never tell you that the person who started the fire that night was none other than... his own father, the Chairman. You are living with the son of a murderer." 😱🔥
Jisong's mind went numb. He looked at the wounded Yeonjun, who was gasping in pain, and then back at the message.