Fragile Promises

Noel woke up to the sound of hushed whispers. Someone, somewhere was having a very heated conversation, and she was the topic. Noel groaned at the faint pain that spread through her body like warmth, only this was a bitter chill that made her bones ache, but with all her power she shoved that pain down, her ears perking up at the sound of the stranger's name.

"I tried to protect her from this...this very thing, Jaehyuk. You know what's funny, she turned eighteen two weeks ago and I have yet to tell her about you. She has no idea who you are, how you are connected to her, how you are her guardian. And I haven't told her because I thought, the less she knew about the truth, the less likely she will be drawn into our world." It was her sister's voice.

"Cecily, I understand what you were trying to do but, the Reaper is after her now. He's messing with her. That was one of his agents that attacked her, but it was the Reaper who was speaking to her in her mind. He said he knew where she was and that he'd find her. Cecily, Noel is in danger and we can't have anything happen to her, not now, not ever, our lives depend on it." This voice was unfamiliar to Noel's ears. She had never heard this man's voice in her life. He sounded really young, his accent thick, right away Noel knew that English was not his first language. What was Cecily doing with a Asian boy when her boyfriend was Latino? Who was this guy in her house?

"Have you had any contact with mom and dad?"

"No, I haven't...and frankly I am not surprised. Some how I figured that the Reaper would figure out a way to cut off communication with the Underland. I mean, think about it, why would he allow the king and queen to have access outside of the realm, knowing that there are warriors out there that could easily come and pick him off, knowing that I am out here..., knowing that the princesses are safe in the mundane world...knowing that if your parents had contact with you that he'd never be able to find you or Noel." An eerie silence fell over the room.

Cecily!? Where is Noel!? The male's voice was urgent and thick with alarm and concern.

She's back in my room. Jae, what's the matter? Now Cecily's voice was faltering. The next thing Noel heard were the sound of feet pounding hard against the floor, the door slamming shut shortly after.

Jaehyuk! Cecily shouted. Noel was still half asleep and suffering from the side effects of what happened to her outside, so she did not really understand what was happening, all she really knew was that she was being protected by a stranger by the name of Jaehyuk, from a guy named the Reaper, and that her parents, who were supposed to be dead, were actually alive in a place called Underland. Noel chuckled to herself, rubbing her eyes as she further woke up from her painful slumber.

There is no way they are serious right now! Noel moved her hands up to her hair, seconds from running her fingers through her hair when she felt a pang of pain shoot through her arm.

"Ouch! What the...what...?" Noel thougth as she glanced down at her wrapped hand. She pressed the injured hand against her chest and sighed.

What happened to me?

A sudden thud against her window caught Noel's attention, the pain in her hand no longer prevalent. Shadows moved and danced outside of her window and Noel got up off of her sister's bed and tiptoed toward the window so that she could check out all the commotion. Noel parted her sore lips, a gasp falling forward as she watched the two shadows prance around outside, one of the shadows was that of a man, and the other a man with pointed ears. Noel drew back the drapes, but only a tad, revealing a frightening image of an oddly tinted man glaring back at her from the other side of the window. His eyes were as red as fresh cut roses, his skin as blue as baby's breath. The creature's lips were curled back, revealing yellowish white razor sharp teeth. Noel shrieked, falling back on her bottom, her hand smacking against the chair that sat beside the window. Whatever that was at the window had yet to leave, in fact, it was trying to find a way inside.

"Ce-cecily...Cecily!" Noel screamed, but she was already too late, for the creature had shattered the window and leaped into the room. The creature could have passed as a man had it not been for his red eyes and blue skin, or had his fingers not been sharp and slender, had he not talons for nails, had his ears not been pointy.

" 'Ello...? Well aren't you a pretty one." The thing took two long strides toward Noel, his body now hovering over her. Noel scrambled back, her head cracking against the wall, she was moving so fast.

"Get away from me! Cecily! Help!" Noel lunged at the door, despite the fact the world around her was spinning, and threw it open, only to fell a tug and a stab at her ankle. Noel let go of the door knob due the sharp icy shock of electricity that zipped through her veins. The pain in her ankle worsening as the creature's talons sunk into her skin. Noel screamed, and began to kick with all of her might, her left leg making contact with the creatures jaw. The thing hollered in pain and let go of Noel's ankle. Noel got on all fours and began crawling toward the hallway, the feeling of the creature moving quick behind her, feeling of what was coming next hanging thick in the air. Within the blink of an eye, Noel was tossed halfway across the room, crashing against the shelf that held all of Cecily's breakable items. She collapsed to the ground with a thud, the oxygen in her lungs gone, and the creature already on that side of the room ready to attack once more.

"No!" Noel shouted, blindly swinging her arms at the blue man. A loud ear splitting cackle filled the room.

"Ha! You think you can fend me off. Pssh! The notion is humorous...and rather insulting." The creature hissed at Noel, earning a coil from her. The creature bucked at Noel, but before he could lay another finger on her , the boy from earlier came crashing through the window, standing in the way of the creature and Noel.

"You thought you had me...you bastard!" The boy punched the blue man in the face, the creature flying into the wall opposite of Noel. Noel jumped at the sudden act and began to whimper with fright and confusion, her mind hazy, her sight foggy.

"Cece! She's okay, how are you holding up?" The boy spoke to the wind.

"They are everywhere, Jae...they've got the place surrounded. Get my sister out of here, Memo is one his way." The wind answered back, sounding much like Cecily's voice.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Jae asked, looking over at the stirring creature on the other side of the room.

"I'll be fine, just do as I say and get Noel out of here. Now! and Noel if you can hear this, I love you... I'll explain everything later. Just go with Jaehyuk. You can trust him. See you in the minute." That was the last time Noel heard her sister's voice before Jaehyuk swept her out of the debris and carried her through the window out into the lawn.

"What's going on? You're Jaehyuk?" Noel asked after a while of just staring at the fair skinned boy. Jaehyuk's eyes seemed to grow more intense as he stood under the silver moonlight.

"Ne, I am Jaehyuk." The guy didn't smile, he didn't even look at Noel. He just walked, and kept walking, not really paying attention to the girl in his arms.

"Where's my sister? How do you know her? What were you two talking about while I was asleep? What does Guillermo have to do with all of this? What was that thing that attacked me?" The boy frowned down at Noel, growing more and more impatient with each question she asked.

"You know you were much prettier when you didn't talk. Besides I don't have time to explain, his agents are probably tailing us right now. So be a good girl and keep your mouth shut." Jaehyuk forced a smile and then looked up into the silver and grey cloud ridden sky. Noel wanted to punch this guy in the balls, how dare he talk to her as if she were a mutt, as if she were some ignorant child. Noel sucked in a shaky breath as her head pounded, her body still in shock from being tossed around back in the house.

"...who the hell...do you think you are talking to me like that!? P-put me down, I can walk." Noel began to flail around in his arms, accidentally sticking Jaehyuk in the jaw. The boy groaned and then mumbled something in his native language before finally putting Noel down. Noel blew a stray curl out of her face and glanced at Jaehyuk with much disapproval, the light bulb in her head shining as the languge Jaehyuk spoke registered in her head,

[i[He's Korean... None the less, Noel did not like this guy and she barely knew him.

"Damn! Do you have to stare!? I thought this was going to be easy...but I guess I was wrong." The boy spat tearing the beanie off of his head and ringing it in his hands out of frustration. He ran his unoccupied hand through his thick dark hair. Noel had to admit, Jaehyuk was an intimidating guy, but so was Noel, regardless the fact she was five foot zero, and weighed a hundred and twenty three pounds.

"..s-sorry, its just...you'd think that if you just met someone...that...that you'd try your best to have a good first impression...but I guess I was wrong. It's not everyday some strange boy shows up to rescue me. Sorry if I wasn't prepared for your arrival." Noel narrowed her eyes at Jaehyuk, her voice laced with sarcasm and fire.

"Look, jagiya (babe), I have a job to do and I don't have time to listen to you bitch." Jaehyuk began walking away from Noel, towards the woods that surrounded the neighborhood complex.

"My name's not jagiya, it's Noel, got it!?" Jaehyuk continued walking, his shoulders rocking as he chuckled to himself. Noel took a hesitant step forward, remembering that her ankle was injuries from that creature's claws.

"Whatever, jagi... just try to keep up, it takes no effort to get lost in these woods. So stay close, but I didn't have to tell you that because you were gonna stay close anyway." Jaehyuk disappeared into the heavy brush of the low hanging branches that hung lazily from the great trees that created a sort of protective barrier around the neighborhood. Noel stood in the same spot for a while, secretly bubbling over with fury at how cocky and bossy this guy was being. She'd show him that she didn't need his help, she'd show him just how needed he really was.

"Where are you, Noel!? I thought I said to stay close." Noel exhaled heavily and took a few steps into the woods. She followed the sound of Jaehyuk's feet as they crunched the moist fallen branches and leaves.

"You all right back there, jagiya?" Jaehyuk asked Noel. She mumbled something back in response. Her ankle was throbbing, and each step she took just made things worse. The two walked through the woods for what seemed like forty five minutes before Noel plowed into Jaehyuk's chest. She didn't want to admit it, but she was happy he finally stopped, because any further and she would have passed out.

"What the heck! Why did you stop?" Noel growled, her pride getting the best of her, winning out over her exhaustion.

"Be quiet!" Jaehyuk hissed, wrapping an arm around Noel's waist, pulling her into his body.

"Get off me!" Noel whispered furiously, smacking him on his arm, her voice quiet and weak, fearing leaking into each word.

"Shut. Up." Jaehyuk hissed against Noel's ear.

"First let me g-" Jaehyuk slid a hand over Noel's mouth, silencing her.

"Something is out there." Jaehyuk whispered against Noel's cheek. Noel was over powered by the strongest scent of mint she had ever smelled and it was coming from Jaehyuk, then his words hit her, something was out there and whatever it was, was probably out to get her. Noel searched around the pitch black blanketed forest and saw nothing. That was until she heard the faint crunch and snap of twigs and leaves beside her. She glanced to her left and saw those same red orbs from the creature that attacked her back at home. Instantly, Noel began to tremble and silent whimpers escaped her throat. The red orbs snapped toward them, Jaehyuk's grip on her waist tightening protectively. The creature was snickering, not being the least bit quiet about it. The red orbs that were further away just seconds ago, were now with in inches of Noel's face. She felt the chill emitting from the creature, she felt his hand near her face. A sharp talon tapped her cheek and then traveling ever so diligently down her face, stopping right before the jaw. Noel could feel her blood trickle down her face, warm and plenty. The creature drew his claw back and glanced up, he must have felt Jaehyuk's presence, because the orbs began to shrink.

Jaehyuk's grip on Noel loosened and he began to move away from her, toward the orbs. There was no sign of a struggle from either one of the figures, there were just two separate cries, one coming from Jaehyuk and the other from the creature, before a faint cloud of red glowing dust fell to the ground in a heap.

"We have to get out of here and fast." Jaehyuk ran over to Noel and hooked his arm around her waist once more. Noel didn't protest, she was so frightened at the moment that the thought of Jaehyuk leaving her side again made her knees grow weak. Noel sank to the ground, her head resting on Jaehyuk's legs.

"Noel, what's the matter? Are you alright, are you hurt?" Jaehyuk's voice was loud, the concern in his tone so prevalent that it only made Noel even more frightened.

"...I'm so scared." Noel whispered, Jaehyuk peered down at Noel, his lips curling up into weak and painful smile,

"...I know, but we have to go. There are more of his Agents coming." Jaehyuk didn't wait for a response, instead he just picked Noel up off the ground and cradled her against his chest.

"Hold on." Jaehyuk warned Noel before he took off through the woods at lightening fast speed. Noel clutched onto Jaehyuk's shirt and pressed herself further into his chest. She had no idea what was happening, but then it all stopped when Jaehyuk ceased in front of an apartment door.