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“My lord, please stay with me!" Lan Fan begged, crouched next to Ling who lay curled up and unconscious on his side.
Before them stood King Bradley, his sword out and somewhere behind him, Homunculus was regenerating the little damage she managed to do.
Ling whimpered, she's rarely heard him in pain to this degree. Rage boiled within her, how could this happen under her protection? She hauled Ling onto her back, eyeing Bradley.
"You just made a big mistake.” She spat out, "You hurt my Lord.”
Bradley scoffed and flicked the blood off his sword. "Not leaving when you had the chance was your big mistake.”
She couldn't react fast enough, Bradley became a blur and vanished. Then the world disappeared into smoke and blinding lights, as she was flipped around, suddenly in the air. Now they were moving, and she then realized what had happened.
Ling set off a smoke bomb and switched their positions, now carrying her to safety. Lan Fan could still see the blood gushing from the slash in his chest.
"My Lord!” Lan Fan struggled, trying to get out. "We will die this way, let me fight and give you time to run away!"
Ling started running faster, “No, I cannot leave you."
“Please, you must get away! You're in no condition to fight!"
They eventually turned a corner and ended up in a dead end. If she was going to help, she needed to draw Bradley's attention away from Ling. If she was going to do anything at all, she needed to go now. So she said a silent apology in her head and kicked Ling's chest, wincing at his grunt in pain. His grasp on her loosened, and she took off.
Her plan now was simple, she dragged her weapon across her own arm, forming a blood trail, trying to make a trail that seemed real. She prayed that Ling would take this chance to run away.
---
Ling's wounds were in full view of the Lieutenant and the Eric brothers, he expected them to ask as soon as they got the chance. However they didn't have the time. With Gluttony in Riza’s car and the search for Lan Fan, they were in a rush.
That's when he spotted blood trails and leapt out of the car to follow it, ignoring Riza's calls. He followed the trails, unease and fear building up.
What would he do if Lan Fan was dead?
That's when he saw her, crumpled on the ground in her own blood, slashes all over. He ran towards her, immediately checking for her pulse. She was cold and still. Ling knew when someone was dead.
Still, he needed to try and revive her. He did all he could until he was dizzy from blood loss. Lan Fan was dead, and it was his fault. Bradley had mutilated her beyond what doctors could do, his best hope would be the Philosophers stone at this point.
Ling sat beside her, letting his own wound bleed slowly. His limbs were starting to go numb, and the sounds of the city faded away. He wished he could die with her, then all this pain he's never felt would vanish.
Ling was unaware how long he sat by her, only vaguely pulling out of his state when something touched his shoulder. Everything felt like he was deep underwater, slow and cold.
Standing behind him was Lieutenant, her car parked outside the alleyway.
She said something he didn't catch, but understood she was helping him up. He was being guided to her car, but he resisted, trying to reach for Lan Fan.
“Don't worry, I'll bring her too." She said softly.
Hearing her words, Ling's body relaxed and he allowed her to help him into the back seat. It wasn't long before Lan Fan was set down beside him, and Riza covered her with the lab coat. Her lifeless face is now hidden.
Ling closed his eyes. Despite being covered, he could still see her blank expression, mouth open and eyes half open. He wanted this to be a bad dream. He thought he was prepared to lose and make sacrifices for his clan, but turns out he was wrong. Nothing could've prepared him for this loss.
Ling would never talk to her again.
She'd never scold him again.
He hated himself for being so weak.