With my eyes fixed on the three hooded figures surrounding us, I refused to miss any of their movements. As they approached slowly, I tried to identify the perfect moment. When I realized that all three were relatively close, I acted quickly, running towards the person on my right, catching them off guard and bringing them down to the ground.
"Emi, run"
As I shouted those words, I heard hurried footsteps next to me, sincerely hoping it was Emi. But as I noticed the footsteps were quickly moving away, I decided to move away from the man I had taken down and tried to run as well. Unfortunately, I was brutally grabbed by the neck, forced to remain still.
Whoever was holding me didn't hold back, applying a suffocating force in their grip. My breathing became increasingly difficult, and the feeling of almost passing out started to take over.
"That wasn't cool, dude. Despite trying to be gentle with both you and your girlfriend, all you did was mess up our job ahead of schedule"
The person holding my neck tightly spoke. From their voice, I could tell it was a man, the same one who had talked to me earlier. At that moment, though, I didn't care much about what would happen to me. I had faced death once already, so I wasn't afraid to face it again.
As long as Emi was safe, that would be enough for me. While these thoughts crossed my mind, the lights suddenly started flickering. It seemed that whatever these people were doing was about to end.
"Tsk, looks like our time has come to an end"
The man said, looking up at the ceiling. When he turned back to me, the light flickered once more, revealing part of his face - black hair and eyes. Moreover, his pupils had a strange white coloration. I wondered if that helped him see in the dark, or at least, that was the impression it gave me.
But what exactly was that? Some kind of mutation? Or maybe advanced technology? Honestly, I had no answers and doubted I would live long enough to find them out.
These thoughts soon became a reality as I felt excruciating pain in my stomach. At that moment, I understood I had been wounded by something, perhaps a knife or dagger. My reasoning became cloudy, and my only thought was how unbearable that pain had become. It was as if a red-hot iron had been thrust into my stomach, and it fought to digest it at all costs.
"Well, kid, it was nice meeting you. I hope you find a better and luckier life somewhere else"
With these words, the man withdrew the object he used to injure me. Soon, I found myself staggering towards the wall, seeking support to remain standing. My eyes were heavy, struggling to shut at all costs as I agonized with the piercing pain in my stomach. As I struggled to endure the pain, the hooded figures began to retreat slowly.
(Emi, I hope you managed to get out safely)
While this thought crossed my mind, I looked at my hand that was previously pressing against the wound on my belly and saw the red liquid flowing - undeniably blood. It seemed like that would really be my end.
(I hope my parents will be fine even after I'm gone)
With this last thought in mind, my eyes began to close again. I felt a tremendous sleep taking over me. At that moment, all I wanted most was to rest.
(But... is it okay for me to just go like this?)
As soon as this thought passed through my head, a glimpse of Emi at an altar, wearing a beautiful white dress, took over my mind. The sun rays streaming through the windows made her even more dazzling. It was as if that dress had been made exclusively for her, and this vision reminded me of something important.
(Yes, I made a promise to her. I promised that I would see her wearing that white dress)
With that determination, I slowly gathered strength and started to get up, casting a final glance in the direction the men had left. Setting aside that thought, I moved towards the museum's exit; my sole objective at that moment was to survive. Containing the loss of blood as much as possible, I had hope that I could ask for help.
Unfortunately, these thoughts didn't last long. A few seconds after I started walking, my legs began to weaken. With effort, I leaned against the wall and tried to gather every ounce of dormant strength within me as I struggled to reach the museum's exit.
"REN"
As I walked towards what I believed to be the exit, a voice echoed through the place, catching my attention. Though my vision was completely blurred, I would never forget that warm tone of voice. Upon hearing that voice, the pain began to fade away, as if I had never been wounded. It was as if, since the moment Emi and I were in danger, everything was just a dream.
That voice was the last thing I heard before my vision faded completely, plunging into a dark and lightless world.
***
A warm feeling on my cheek made me slowly open my eyes. And as I did, I found myself looking into Emi's eyes, which were brimming with tears in a matter of seconds. Suddenly, I was embraced while still lying down, my mind still cloudy.
The last thing I remembered was telling Emi to run, and then feeling a stab in my stomach. After that, I wasn't sure what happened. It seemed like I had gone into some kind of automatic mode or something.
Looking around the room, I noticed my parents and Emi's family were also present. They all displayed mixed expressions of concern and relief on their faces. I was covered with a blanket, lying on a bed, and I guessed I was in some kind of medical clinic or something similar.
As I laid my head back on the pillow again, I began to reflect on what the hell had happened. Somehow, I had survived an assassination attempt.