# Chapter 93
“No…”
Devan muttered weakly.
“This, this is….”
He remained frozen like ice for a while. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Until the blue liquid flowed shallowly and soaked his shoes, that brief moment felt like an eternity. He couldn’t let out a scream or anger. He opened his mouth several times, but only deflated sounds leaked out.
What just happened?
“Puhuh.”
What woke Devan from his daze was Luan’s short laugh. With no time to get angry, Devan urgently moved his feet. Not minding his clothes getting wet, he knelt on the scattered liquid. And desperately gathered the fluid. Spreading his arms as wide as possible as if embracing the floor, he tried to reach farther places. He was so anxious about the liquid helplessly escaping between his fingers.
Devan’s two hands, sweeping up the drug like a madman, became increasingly wounded as they were pierced by sharp glass fragments. Nothing gathered, and nothing could be undone. Nevertheless, Devan continued to sweep the floor with his hands as if gathering soil.
To his eyes, all of this looked like Ludin.
A completely shattered form.
It felt like someone’s life that could never be restored.
When the liquid, once surrounded by a transparent blue glow, became a murky color as it sank into the dirty floor, Devan finally stopped acting. It was after quite some time had passed. His head, which had been deeply sunken to the floor, slowly rose. A face devoid of any emotion. Luan was silently watching that chilling appearance. With an expression mixed with satisfaction and ecstasy, unlike Devan’s deathlike face. Devan read the meaning contained in that expression. With cruel clarity.
A red sunset blazed at the edge of the horizon, illuminating them.
“Keuhak.”
Luan rolled on the floor like someone who was strangled in an instant. It was a much stronger pressure than before. A thicker snake, flicking its tongue, blocked his airway. Luan’s entire body convulsed violently. Blood rushed to his face as if it might burst at any moment. Devan, watching that dark face, made a dry gesture once more. Along with the fluid movement, tearing pain enveloped Luan.
“Kuaaaaak!!!”
Despite being prepared for death, the body responded blatantly. A thousand arrows thoroughly tore through his flesh. Though he groped to examine the wounds, not a drop of blood flowed from his body. The red sun that dyed the world shed blood instead as it sank deep into the ground. Luan crawled endlessly, not knowing which way was up and which was down. He writhed to escape the pain, pressing what he thought was the floor. He fully felt the arrowheads digging into his flesh stirring inside his body. The arrows, delivering excruciating pain by touching each blood vessel and nerve, continued their merciless movement. At their end was his heart.
“Keuik… kuk… heu….”
The sharp edge cut through his chest without hesitation. When one ended, another immediately came. Unlike the unfamiliar pain, there was no trace on his body. Luan groaned, hugging his chest, unable to even locate the pain. It seemed like a hallucination, pieces of his heart cut off in all directions falling to the floor. Blood that had circulated throughout his body leaked through the holes. The pieces of his heart were scattered about like fragments of the glass bottle he had shattered.
Luan raised his head with difficulty. He saw the face of the one looking down at him insensibly. His gaze was already out of his mind. Without letting out a single cry filled with anger, Devan coldly looked at the creature beneath his feet. He stared at Luan as if conveying all the pain he felt. His eyes, devoid of light, met the eyes of a grinning monster.
At that moment, Luan sensed it. That this would be his end.
“Heuik….”
The final excruciating pain shattered his body. His panting breath grew faint, and sensation disappeared. The wind, which he couldn’t feel due to the pain, passed by his ears with a hushing sound. And that was the end.
He could never hear any sound again.
Devan looked at his corpse for a while. On Luan’s mouth, who had achieved a miserable victory, hung a small smile. It was a peaceful smile, as if rejoicing in what he had ruined. Devan stared at that mouth like someone enchanted. When he came to his senses, he was frantically trampling Luan’s face.
His nose broke and his teeth shattered. But no more tearing screams were heard. Only the dull kicks and the sound of bones colliding created a terrible noise. Only after the lips attached to the corpse were damaged beyond recognition did Devan collapse in that place.
His head was not just dizzy but loud. The world spun. Just as he thought he wanted to lose consciousness, his hand, which had been clutching his throbbing head, slid to the floor. Devan’s body, having exhausted all its strength, fell helplessly without any resistance.
* * *
A man was running frantically through the forest.
He recalled what he had just witnessed. If his eyes weren’t creating an illusion, the person with that miserable appearance was indeed Ludin.
Beneath the strangely protruding tree was a mountain cave that led to a long corridor. It was a place that would be amazing if made by humans and mysterious if formed naturally. As he went deep inside with fear and curiosity, he saw a door blocked by strict security. The man instinctively realized he had reached some place he had been searching for all along.
In the underground where even small sounds echoed, he waited for a long time with bated breath. For a clue to understand the identity of this place. Hoping that he could bring useful information to Luan, to the one who would be desperately waiting only for him.
And when the opportunity came, the man stepped forward without hesitation. The fact that it could be dangerous didn’t matter. He saw several men opening a solid iron door and entering. They were the soldiers who had been guarding the door until just now. Seeing them glancing at each other nervously, it didn’t seem like they had entered the room under orders.
Their deviation was the man’s opportunity. Grateful for the luck that had come, the man carefully put his ear to the door.
“They say you’ve completely won over the king?”
“…”
There was no answer to the taunting question.
“But I wonder if Lord Arzel might have been mistaken… Kadilen doesn’t even show his face.”
Someone giggled at a soldier’s words. The man’s eyes, listening to the conversation through the door, sparkled. Jackpot! Since Arzel and Kadilen’s names came up, it was significant information regardless of who they were talking to. Perhaps with this, he could find a breathing hole to overcome the crisis.
“…Get out.”
A hoarse voice answered. Even the short sentence seemed to be a faint voice, as if strenuous.
The soldier clicked his tongue and moved his steps. A small vibration echoed as he stepped on the underground floor.
“How did such a feisty one wag his tail, for that wooden block to fall for him… We’re just a bit curious.”
“…”
“Looking at your pretty face, I can kind of guess.”
The soldier dragged out the end of his words. There was a moment of silence as his gaze swept across Ludin’s entire body. The man’s heart quietly pounded as he waited for the next words. He could feel the tension circling the room even without seeing it. The soldier continued speaking nonchalantly.
“Just to check if Kadilen really fell for you. How about it?”
“What?”
Along with the confused response, a sound of something collapsing was heard.
“Get away!”
“Well now. A male should have some docile taste.”
“Argh! I said get out!”
A scream shouted with all might loudly echoed through the underground. The sudden commotion showed no signs of stopping and grew increasingly intense. The man finally couldn’t resist and slightly opened the door. Fortunately, all the soldiers were staring fixedly at one place. For those half-dazed fellows, the fact that someone had opened the door seemed unimportant. What he saw as he swallowed his saliva was a soldier trying to tear off the other’s clothes ostentatiously in front of the others. A thin body swayed helplessly under rough hands.
The endless resistance stopped simultaneously as the soldier slapped his cheek hard. As the small body fell sideways, the man could finally confirm that person’s face.
Ludin.
It was definitely Ludin.
“Tsk. Must you be hit to do it.”
“…”
“But still, do you choose people because you’re a prince? What, don’t you like anyone who isn’t a king?”
The man covered his mouth and watched the situation. Ludin, who jerked his head up, glared fiercely at the soldier. Transparent tears flowed down his red, swollen cheek. It seemed like curses would spring from his trembling lips at any moment, but Ludin just bent his waist. Rough coughing sounds followed as if he would stop breathing.
“Wh-what’s this.”
“Kuluk….”
Sticky blood soaked his pale lips and flowed down. Ludin dropped his arm that had been pressing on the ground as if all strength had left him. With coughs that continued without stopping, the floor soon became a sea of blood. He poured out painful groans as if emptying all the agony inside. The soldier watching this frowned.
“Shit. Disgusting.”
With the final sight of Ludin collapsing lifelessly, the man turned and fled. His body was trembling with shock and fear. He needed to convey this fact to Luan immediately. He didn’t know exactly what was happening, but he hoped this would be useful information. He moved his feet busily with a hardened face.
Towards the place where his master would be looking only at him at this very moment.
