The Next Prince, Chapter 9 pg3
The Next Prince, Chapter 9 pg3
“Don't do that.” The experienced man spoke as he quickly grabbed the slim arm that was about to pick up the communication device to make a call, holding it firmly. Charan warned that in case of an emergency, contacting Tattanai could make everything worse.
“Why?”
“Because we don't know who they are.” The short answer from Charan, accompanied by a clearly stressed face, was significant enough for a smart person like Khanin to piece together the whole story by himself.
Since feeling like someone was stalking them...
That motorcycle...
The invasion of their home today... everything seemed to be strangely connected.
“So what should we do?” Khanin's anxious heart trembled. It was an uncomfortable feeling, seeing the dark lights around the house, making him even more worried and barely able to stand still.
“Wait outside; I'll go in.”
“No, I'll go with you.” The younger man interrupted Charan before he could finish his sentence. His eyes narrowed, and the blinking rate increased with the pace of his heart.
Khanin's thoughts screamed, echoing the dangerous situation they were facing.
If it's like Charan said...
If it's like Charan said...
If it's really like that...
That means... his father is in danger right now.
“It's too risky; I want you to wait outside.”
“But my father is in there! Please, I beg you – let me go with you.” The younger man's eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions, his tone softening at the end of the sentence, causing Charan to weigh the situation in his head urgently once again.
“Fine, but if we go – you must listen to me. Don't do anything beyond what I tell you.” Charan made up his mind. He didn't want to waste any more time arguing, and most importantly, keeping Khanin in sight might be safer than leaving him outside alone.
“Okay, lead the way.”
The light from the walkway of the neighboring house seeped through just enough to make out the familiar bedroom in the dim light.
Khanin stepped through the unlocked first-floor door into the interior. The first thing that hit his senses was the sound of someone fighting desperately, coming from the second floor of the house, urging the young man to rush up the stairs.
The left side of the young man's chest pounded rapidly, his slim hands sweating and soaking gradually in the rhythm of his sprint. Khanin no longer cared about where Charan was in the house or whether he would follow; his sole focus now was Tattanai.
“Khanin, don't come, run away!”
His father's shout almost immediately followed the sight of his son's face appearing in the master bedroom.
Tattanai's sharp eyes widened, the middle-aged man momentarily losing control, causing his leading position in the fight to falter, resulting in his arm, which was about to throw a punch, being twisted into an awkward position.
“Father!” The young man still could not grasp what was happening. At this moment, the house's second floor was filled with mysterious intruders surrounding Tattanai. One of them forcefully kicked the middle-aged man's knee, causing him to fall to the floor in shock.
“Ugh.”
Tattanai gritted his teeth in pain as his opponent grabbed his arm and pinned it behind his back. The middle-aged man looked up at his only son, wishing that Khanin wouldn't come this way, but it seemed too late for that now...
“Father.” Khanin rushed in, heading towards the closest black-clad man, but his body was noticeably slow compared to the tall man.
Flung!
Charan was the one to pull him back while simultaneously delivering a powerful uppercut to the chin of one of the men in black. The tall figure then kicked the man holding Tattanai, helping to free the middle-aged man and regain his freedom.
The elegant figure moved gracefully, utilizing every part of its body effectively. Charan elbowed a man wearing a black suit who had just lunged at him from behind, while Tattanai simultaneously got up and kicked a big, burly man with his powerful leg, sending him flying into the goalpost.
Thud!
The collision happened so quickly that Khanin, who was facing it head-on, knew that Charan was not just skilled with a sword but also had close-range combat abilities.
“Take Khanin and run.”
A short command, but one that showed the young man's expertise.
Charan dealt with the two men who had locked arms with Tattanai and sent them both tumbling to the ground with a single blow. The young man pushed both Khanin and the older man down the stairs before turning to face an attack coming from his left.
Charan dodged the sudden onslaught with agility, while Khanin tried to use his brain to come up with a plan to escape during this hectic time.
“What are you doing, Dad?”
“Don't worry about me.” The older man pushed the younger one ahead, as if to protect him from danger.
Tattanai went straight down to the lower level, the first thing he grabbed being his own son's important briefcase, which he had held on to for almost twenty years. He handed it over to Khanin before turning to face the attackers by the front door.
“I have to go back up and help Charan.” Tattanai said in a hoarse voice. There were four of them... even if they were strong and skilled fighters, he could only resist for a short while.
The rank and dignity of Tattanai was several levels lower than that of Charan. If he escaped alone and left the other party behind, it would not be a wise move at all.
“No...” as if foreseeing the future, Khanin shook his head. He reached out with his small hand and grabbed the strong, sturdy arm of the older man to stop him from leaving.
“Listen to me, Nin. Don't follow me up there, no matter what happens.
Remember the third pine tree. Okay?”
“Dad, don't go.”
“Before the sun rises, I'll follow you there.” The thick-handed speaker raised his hands and clasped his small fists together. They exchanged one last glance before the older man withdrew.
Tattanai didn't hesitate, he ran back up to the second floor of the house, leaving the young boy to anxiously look after him with his eyes.
Khanin was restless almost to the point of madness. He looked left and right before grabbing the nearest lamp to use as a weapon. His thin frame intended to defy his father's orders, but it seemed the upper party still understood each other somewhat. Tattanai and Charan arrived from opposite sides before the situation became even more chaotic than before.
“Khun Charan, take the lead.” The oldest person present gestured towards the higher-ranking party member.
Khanin was caught in the middle and felt a wave of emotion rise up within him when he saw his father still in such an uncertain state... How sad it was that that feeling only lasted for a fleeting moment!
“Ah!”
Something hit the air loudly, jolting his nerves.
Khanin wasn't exactly sure what the root cause of the noise was, but he turned around to look. His eyes widened as they fell upon...
Tattanai's arm was now stained red with blood, and the cause of the injury...
was a bullet fired by one of the men in black suits aimed at them.
The youngest person present felt his body shake uncontrollably as if he couldn't manage to control it, like a lump of flesh inside his chest was working slowly. Khanin unconsciously held his breath when the impending danger seemed to be worse than he imagined.
“Go!” The thin frame was caught off guard by the current situation, which ended in a familiar thud. Tattanai turned his head and made a signal to Charan before pushing Khanin out of the gate area.
Bang!
“Dad!” The youngest person's voice trembled. Khanin stumbled, leaving behind his body and the things decided upon by the person who made the ultimate decision.
The door was closed and locked, leaving them all separated from each other.
The hot barrel exploded. Khanin tried to regain his composure and intended to rush back inside, but everything seemed to move slower than Charan. The young boy didn't have time to move before someone blocked him off with just one arm.
“Let go! Let go! Father!!”
Charan let Khanin scream only once before his thick hand moved and covered the small mouth in front of him. He pushed aggressively, forcing the younger person to retreat from the scene...
Clear drops of water obscured the familiar sight of the dark house, and the light gradually disappeared from Khanin's eyes.
He couldn't see anything anymore... not even the shadow of his father, the warm images he thought they shared, or their conversation to understand each other... words left unspoken and love that remained unresolved.
Everything became nothing but a fleeting dream that vanished in a blink of an eye... flying over the horizon.
LINE.
To be continued.
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