Chapter 205 - Live

I closed my eyes shut and bit hard on my tongue as the tears fell from my eyes.

Cain, I love you.

I've taken a mouthful of air and clenched my fists.

Aaargh!

My eyes flung open when agonizing screams pierced the forest.

Those men who were pinning me on the ground were now gone, and there stood a woman with long silver hair.

"P-professor . . . ?"

Relief washed over me and didn't care to know how the professor found me or what she was doing here.

Professor Vera briefly shot me a glance before she assisted me to my feet. My attention was then caught at the sight of men who were lying on the ground, coughing blood.

"Let's go." Professor Vera pulled out a knife and freed my hands. She then grabbed my wrist as we made our way out of the forest.

I was still relieved that help came while my legs were trying to catch up with the sprinting woman. My lungs were burning, but if I stopped now, I might fall on the ground and stop moving. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of being together with Cain.

"Hold it!"

Exhaustion took its hold when we abruptly stop, and it took all my strength to keep me grounded now that a man was pointing a gun at us at point-blank.

"Saber . . ."

Professor hissed, glaring at the man who was blocking our way.

*huff

*huff . . . *sob . . .

I didn't know that I was panting and sobbing at the same time. I was helpless at the situation we were in. I heard footsteps behind us, and I knew it came from those men.

Oh God, no!

"Leanna . . . when I say run, you run," Professor Vera whispered, eyes not leaving Saber even for a second.

"Stop whispering and get away from her!" Saber shouted, and without a doubt, he was going to pull the trigger if the professor didn't heed his command.

"Run!"

BANG!

I didn't know what happened next as the professor pushed me to the side. I stumbled to my feet, and the ground zoomed on my face. It was a good thing that my body was desperate to save me, and my hands shot to the dirt, pushing me back to my feet, and I sprinted away without thinking.

"Hold it!"

"Fuck! After her!"

"None shall pass."

The professor's chilly voice was the last thing I heard before the thick foliage swallowed me whole. I took a glance back when guns startled the entire forest, and the next thing I knew, I lost my footing when a raven suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I glided all the way down straight to a small hole while I covered my head, protecting it from sharp twigs, thorny stems, and wild shrubs which tried to stop my fall to no avail.

----

Four breathed a sigh of relief when she made it in time.

Thank the heavens Leanna always wore the locket her Young Master gave her.

Their R & D department recently found a new type of ore, possessing a characteristic that was undetectable from any x rays and scanning devices. However, this new kind of rock corroded other metals and stones except for diamond. Thus, they planted the tracking device inside the diamond and coated it with the ore and layered it with diamonds.

When the prototype was finished, her young master ordered a musical locket for the young mistress.

The development alone was enough to buy an entire island. That was how much young master Cain Fay treasured young mistress Leanna Lee.

Too much that it was overwhelming.

Even now, her young master ordered her not to kill the group of men that kidnapped young mistress –– wanting them alive for torture.

Her lips twitched in a mocking smirked as she bolted towards the men with knives in hands.

----

"Shit!"

Russell cursed when the signal disappeared. Something must have happened to the locket.

"Young master, this is where we lost track of young miss."

Cain didn't leave his eyes on the ground. His pupils were constricting, searching for Leanna.

"Lower the chopper," was all he said.

When the chopper was meters above the dense forest, he stood to his feet and jumped out without a second thought.

"Young master!"

Cain was not afraid of jumping off ten meters into the ground. He was more scared that he wouldn't make it in time. Physical injuries could heal, but emotional trauma could last a lifetime.

He shook away the uneasy feeling that he might be too late.

The trees broke off his fall, and he grabbed one of the branches that landed on his hand. He swung his body from branches to branches until his feet landed safely on the ground.

He paused and closed his eyes.

. . .

. . .

His eyes flung open, and he bolted towards that faint but familiar soothing sound. Within minutes he found the locket together with the pink ring dangling at a twig on a cliff, leading to a small hole.

Leanna!

----

"Mmnn . . ."

My eyelids were heavy as I opened my eyes when dropped after dropped of cold water woke me.

"Argh!"

I took a sharp intake of air and groaned through my mouth when I moved my body, and a gut-splitting pain numbed my right leg.

"S-shiiit . . ."

I hissed, voice quivering as tears pooled in my eyes. I couldn't move my right leg as it shot jolt after jolt of pain, which force a cry out from my throat. I knew my ankle must have dislocated from the fall.

I forced my eyes to adjust in the darkness and found myself in an underground cave where the only light came from a small hole above where I fell earlier.

"Professor!"

I shouted. But only the echoing of my voice and a low, angry growl answered me back.

I gasped and held my mouth to stop my cries when I saw a gigantic angry bear, baring its sharp teeth behind the thick drool from its mouth as it made its way towards me.

When it rains, it pours. I was out in the frying pan and went straight to the fire.

I forced my limp limbs and crawled away from it, hoping to hide my presence at the corner of the cave. But my effort was useless as the bear inched closer and closer.

I tried hard and sat, back resting against the cold hard rock as I ready myself to face my approaching doom.

My consciousness almost failed me when the bear, who was now a meter away from me, stood to his dominating height, exerting his supremacy. The scary creature raised his big paws, drawing my eyes towards it sharp claws as my mind flashed bits of memories.

I closed my eyes.

This time, I was done for. There was no escaping my fate.