Beast, Blue Blood - Chapter 59

Chapter 59

—PART 2—

Selena opened his eyes. A helicopter, shining with an intense headlight so bright it was almost blinding, landed on the helipad. The spot where the flash had illuminated turned white before darkening again.

The traffic lights surrounding the edge of the helipad flickered, signaling the urgency of the situation.

Clang.

As soon as the helicopter doors opened, a stretcher was lowered down.

“Hisha!”

Among those waiting, Yeon-ha was the first to rush forward.

Hisha, lying on the stretcher surrounded by medical personnel, was in a terrible state. The face of the ten-year-old boy was so bruised and mottled it was hard to discern his original color, and his legs, which were usually hard to break, were swollen to an alarming degree.

Seeing Hisha in such a condition made Yeon-ha, a soldier who had seen countless hardships, cover her mouth in shock.

“Hisha…”

Yeon-ha barely managed to make a sound that resembled a sob, while Hisha attempted to smile at his mother.

“I’m okay… I’m okay.”

Though his pronunciation was slurred, Hisha seemed conscious and not mentally disoriented.

“Master.”

Hisha looked at Selena, who had approached from behind Yeon-ha, appearing in his original male form, something rarely seen. His pale face looked somewhat pale, and his red eyes glowed with an unusually cold light, making him seem like a completely different person than usual.

“What happened to Ha-yeon?”

“Don’t worry. She’s on her way.”

It was a lie. The kidnappers who took Ha-yeon had gone deep into mountainous terrain, and her whereabouts couldn’t even be determined. However, there was no need to tell such a story to a child just returned from the kidnappers’ clutches, still in poor condition.

“For now, rest.”

Selena lightly clenched his hand and spoke, then released it, causing the stretcher to move. At that moment, Hisha grabbed Selena’s wrist. The stretcher stopped, and Hisha, with a determined look, said:

“Please bring her back.”

Selena covered Hisha’s hand with his own and spoke more sincerely than ever.

“I will bring her.”

* * *

Clang.

The iron cage shook violently once before coming to a stop. Ha-yeon, huddled in a corner of the cage, could not see where they had arrived due to the thick cover over the cage.

Swish.

The cover was removed, and light pierced her eyes. Beyond the flashlight’s glare, an unfamiliar man appeared.

“Is this it?”

The man looked at Ha-yeon inside the cage as if examining an animal, tilting her head and scrutinizing her.

“She looks like just an ordinary girl.”

At that comment, a man beside him smoking a cigarette spoke.

“Do you know how much blood she has?”

The man had red eyes. It meant ‘Luax.’

The man, not understanding, asked.

“Then wouldn’t it be better to keep drawing and selling her blood? It keeps replenishing, right?”

“Are you stupid? You’re foaming at the mouth searching for her. If we don’t dispose of her immediately, we don’t know when we might get caught.”

He casually used the word ‘dispose’ as if Ha-yeon were merely an object.

The man made a sound of understanding and stood up.

“What a shame.”

He then turned around and gestured with his hand.

“Take her away.”

The cover was shut again, and the cage jolted and moved. Ha-yeon curled up tighter. Just a short while ago, she had been with Hisha, but the kidnappers had split into two groups, leaving Hisha behind and taking her somewhere.

The cage remained covered with fabric, so she couldn’t see outside. However, judging by the sounds, the shaking of the vehicle, and the smells, it seemed they were heading into the mountains. When she was with Hisha, the air had smelled of the sea, so they were likely moving from the coast into the mountains. This meant it would be even harder for rescue teams to reach them.

Ha-yeon tried to think rationally up to this point, but her breathing grew more labored, and her shoulders began to tremble. She buried her face in her arms wrapped around her knees.

‘I’m scared, Hisha.’

But Hisha must have been even more frightened.

Perhaps because she had fought back more fiercely to protect herself, the kidnappers had beaten Hisha mercilessly whenever they had the chance, almost as if they were enjoying it like a sport.

Clang.

Suddenly, the movement stopped, and a chilling voice was heard.

“Pull her out.”

The cover was removed, and Ha-yeon opened her eyes wide.

‘I’m scared…!’

* * *

The runway was enveloped in darkness, with only the faint light of the hangar illuminating the area.

As Selena stepped out of the helicopter, an armed soldier waiting on the runway greeted him.

“This way.”

Following the soldier, Selena entered the hangar. Among the busy people preparing for the operation, a man in a field combat uniform stood out.

“Major Defere.”

When Selena called out, the man turned around. His eyes, a mix of gray and blue, were still sharp, revealing his identity as a ‘Luax.’

“CEO.”

Defere then looked Selena up and down, noting his attire—underneath his coat, Selena was dressed in a shirt and pants.

“I didn’t know you had such clothes.”

However, Selena, usually prone to light-hearted banter, now asked seriously.

“What’s the situation?”

“We’ve confirmed the location. How is Lieutenant General Alex?”

A serious look crossed Selena’s face.

“The General has lost his composure, unlike himself, and the higher-ups have intervened.”

Defere understood. Given the many Luax among the kidnappers, it was uncertain how strong the enemy forces were. If the father, who had lost his sanity due to his daughter’s abduction, were to storm in, it would complicate things, especially if he had the prowess comparable to a tank battalion.

Selena, usually dressed in drag and speaking in a somewhat light manner, appeared like a completely different person now, with a serious demeanor and a deep, intense gaze.

Anyway, due to the urgent situation, Defere said.

“We are about to proceed.”

“I’ll go as well.”

Defere looked at Selena in surprise.

“You, CEO?”

“I won’t be a hindrance.”

Selena, holding a curved sword, made his way with determination. Vampires generally preferred swords over firearms. Particularly, those who had been born a long time ago were more accustomed to using swords rather than guns, as their superior physical abilities made wielding a sword more effective.

Under normal circumstances, Selena’s involvement, being an unplanned participant, would have been a hindrance to the mission and thus rejected. However, considering who they were trying to rescue, Defere could not refuse this time.

“Let’s go.”

With that, Selena turned and walked away.

* * *

There was a container warehouse, but the surrounding forest was dense and quiet, with no sign of activity around the warehouse. One of the team members muttered.

“Are there no guards?”

“…There’s a smell of blood.”

Selena, who was keeping an eye on the warehouse, spoke softly. Among the team members, including Defere, there were Luax, but none of them showed any sign of detecting the smell. Yet Selena was certain.

“It’s the smell of fresh blood. It hasn’t been long.”

“Can you really smell blood?”

Defere asked, and Selena nodded.

“My sense of smell is quite good.”

It was difficult for Defere to detect the smell from this distance, but since Selena would not lie in such a situation, the presence of blood indicated that things were dire.

Defere signaled the team to move, and they approached the warehouse stealthily. They stood against the warehouse wall and observed the interior, but no sounds were coming from within.

However…

‘It really does smell of blood.’

And it was quite strong. It seemed as though not just one or two people had bled.

Defere signaled for entry and began counting with his hand. Three, two, one…

When one of the team members kicked down the door and entered, everyone quickly followed.

As soon as the door opened, the smell of blood hit them forcefully. It was a smell so overpowering that it was almost impossible to recognize it as just blood; it was paralyzing.

If merely smelling something could give you goosebumps, this was how it would feel.

In the darkness, strange shapes were outlining themselves. If it could be expressed this way, it felt like a vegetable soup had been spilled everywhere. In a thick, bloody puddle, lumps of various shapes and sizes were submerged.

A soldier in the back murmured.

“God Almighty…”

Selena’s heart sank. He feared that in such a chaotic mess, they might find recognizable parts.

In a corner where the debris was piled up, something was curled up. Selena exhaled in despair.

“Miss.”

* * *

Blood that had spilled stained the coat and shirt red. The blood even flowed like tears, running down the curved sword the man was holding.

Seeing this scene, Ha-yeon trembled uncontrollably. The overwhelming smell of blood made her head spin.

At that moment, the man extended the hand that wasn’t holding the sword, causing Ha-yeon to flinch and curl up in fear. The approaching hand paused.

“Miss.”

In the man’s red eyes, tinged with the color of violets, a sad, tear-like glimmer shone.

“It’s alright now.”

Only then did Ha-yeon realize who the man in front of her was. Seeing Selena’s blood-stained hand extended toward her, Ha-yeon slowly reached out and took it. Selena held her hand firmly but gently, without causing any pain. He whispered in a reassuring voice.

“It’s alright now.”

It felt as though Selena was speaking not only to her but also to himself.

* * *

Hisha awoke from sleep and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a deep cleavage. As he lifted his gaze, he saw Eugene sleeping. The cleavage, extending into a deeply cut slip, was mesmerizing. When faced with such a sight, one couldn’t just ignore it.

Hisha kissed his wife’s cleavage and gently pulled down the strap of her slip. He felt saliva pooling in his mouth as he nibbled slightly at the end of her chest, which was like a lavish feast.

“Hmm…?”

Eugene murmured and woke up, groggy as she muttered.

“Hisha? What time is it…?”

“There’s still time.”

Hisha replied and continued what he was doing. Since their marriage, he had started speaking informally to Eugene.

“Hmm…”

Eugene emitted a low sound, enjoying the sensations Hisha was giving her.

Soon, Hisha placed his hands on the bed and climbed over her.