Nuri jolted awake, disoriented, and confused. He quickly checked his phone to find about a dozen messages from his Hia Kin. As he walked to Daeshim's room to wake him up for school, he called Kin
After several rings, Kin picks up the phone
"Sah wah dee, Hia." He walked into Daeshim's room and sat on his bed
"Good morning, Nuri-Yah. Jal jassoyo?"
"Chai Hia." Nuri giggled as he stroked the five-year-old's hair gently to wake him up. "When are you planning to have a full conversation with me in Thai, Hia?"
"You'll have to come with me to Thailand for that to happen," Kin replied. "You know I'll never improve my Korean skills if you insist I talk to you in Thai."
Nuri suddenly found his arms full of a clingy child. He quickly turned on the phone's speaker mode and placed it on the bed.
"Daeshim-ah what's wrong?" He pulled his son into a tight hug and stroked his hair, worried about Daeshim's sudden clinginess. They discovered early on that Daeshim was a very independent five-year-old.
When they first found out about Daeshim, the orphanage said he had been abandoned because his gifts as a seer manifested too early. His mother wanted nothing to do with the child and hadn't found a clan to train him in his gifts.
Having a clan to bond with and a family that wanted him caused the number of visions the child saw to drop significantly. But they were unable to predict when he saw them or what triggered the visions.
"Appa Minni is going to leave us." Daeshim cried pulling away from the hug. "He doesn't want us anymore."
Nuri tried to remember if Daeshim had been home when Nuri discovered the truth about the Wards.
"Where did you hear that, Daeshim-ah?"
"My dreams."
Nuri wasn't sure if Daeshim saw the dream because he missed his father or if it was a seer's vision.
"Could you tell me what you saw?" Nuri gently stroked his son's hair.
"It was dark and Mini Appa was fading away." Daeshim started to hyperventilate as he continued to talk. "I tried to grab him but he disappeared. He told me not to look for him in my dreams anymore."
"Riri Appa I want Mini Appa to come home." Nuri pulled his son back into his arm and stroked his hair as he rocked them back and forth.
"Nuri-yah."
"Hia?"
"Don't send Daeshim to school today. I'm coming to see you. I think Daeshim's vision has already come true."
"What happened, Hia?" Nuri picked up Daeshim and walked to the patio where he settled into a deck chair with Daeshim in his arms. "Is Jimin Heyong OK?"
Kin ignored Nuri's question "Where are you?"
"In the garden." Nuri knew Kin was hiding something.
He hated pulling rank on his elders but had no qualms about doing it if the need arose. "Anakin Anurak, As your clan omega and primary charge I will ask you again. Where is Jimin Heyong?"
If Kin was upset at being addressed so formally he held his tongue.
"I'll tell you when I get there. Get inside the house and do not open the door to anyone except me. Do you understand, Lee Nuri?" Kin's voice had a sharpness Nuri never heard from the mild-mannered man. "Get the gun from the safe and go to Daeshim's room. Lock the door and do not leave no matter what you hear."
Nuri rushed to do as Kin told him, worry gnawing at him. Gently placing his son on the bed, he grabbed Jimin's gun from the safe. He returned to Daeshim's room and hit the emergency lockdown switch.
Now all he could do was hope and pray that Kin made it to the house before whatever trouble found Jimin at Ever Night Manor found them as well.
Kin had worked as a bodyguard for Jimin for over ten years. When he had met Nuri, they discovered that the the two of them had been part of Jimin's soul group. Thus there was a shift in Kin's responsibilities as he became Nuri's bodyguard.
He was professional, trustworthy, and dedicated to his job, always ensuring his charges were safe and protected at all times. Nuri knew he could trust Kin to keep him and Daeshim safe.
20 minutes later, Nuri heard a soft knock on the door. Disengaging the gun's safety, he gripped it tight, praying not to be forced to use it today. Despite his looks and build, Nuri was a gentle soul who hated violence
"Nuri-yah. It's me."
Nuri quickly opened the door and pulled Kin inside before hitting the emergency lockdown switch again.
"Hia, what's happening?" Nuri said, fear and worry evident in his voice.
Kin knew that Nuri and Jimin had an unconventional relationship. He also knew that time was of the essence and that he had to break the news to him gently but quickly.
He quickly took the gun from Nuri's hand and engaged its safety before tucking it into the waistband of his pants.
Knowing that Nuri was getting impatient Kin took a deep breath and spoke.
"Nuri-yah, I have some bad news. Hia Min did the warding ritual as he was supposed to but there was an accident, and he's currently in a coma."
Nuri's face turned pale, and he looked like he was about to collapse. Kin quickly caught him and helped him sit down.
"Are you sure? What happened?" Nuri asked, his voice trembling.
Kin hesitated for a moment, knowing that he had to tell his soulmate the truth but wanting to spare him the pain.
"Nuri-Yah, there was an explosion in the room of stars."
"How is that even possible? According to the rules, no weapons are supposed to be in there during a ritual."
"I have been thinking about it during the drive over. I don't think the explosion was an accident. It was caused by someone who betrayed our trust and put him in danger."
Nuri looked stunned. "What do you mean? Who would do that?"
Kin took a deep breath. "Bot caused the accident. He was seen leaving the hall of stars just minutes before the explosion."
Bot was a newly hired Thai bodyguard who came highly recommended. He was very loyal to the clan and took courses at Ever Night Manor to become a VoidWalker.
Nuri's face contorted in anger and disbelief. "How could he? We trusted him with everything. He took Daeshim to school when I had to work."
Kin nodded and pulled Nuri into a hug. "I know. But we have to act fast. We need to find out who paid Jom to do this and ensure they are brought to justice. We also need to focus on getting Jimin out of that manor before they put it into lockdown."