The Island's Own Space

Blood

When Bella opened her eyes the first thing she saw was Lucaon's face. She was still half asleep when she raised her hand and touched Lucaon's face. Lucaon moved and she pulled her hands quickly from his face.

Lucaon opened his eyes and looked at Bella who is also staring at him. He rubbed his eyes and hugged Bella before jumping down from the tree.

Bella was surprised by Lucaon's sudden action. She hugged him tight while shutting her eyes close. Lucaon chuckled slightly because of how Bella reacted. When they landed Lucaon didn't let Bella go and that made her tap his shoulder.

"You can let me go now."

"No."

Bella looked at Lucaon sideways, surprised at what he said.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't want to. You walk slow. If we were being chased right now you would definitely be caught even before we start running."

"Is that an insult---"

"It's the truth."

Bella jokingly glared at Lucaon, but he ignored her. He hugged her tightly and warned her that he was going to run.

"Hold on to me. It is better to be far away from the Dillon tribe's land."

Lucaon started running. The sky rumbled and Bella looked up. It was still afternoon, but because of the dark sky it feels like it's already night.

Lucaon run for an hour without slowing his pace down. Bella was the one who was tired and when she suggested that they take a brief break only did he stopped running.

Bella admired Lucaon's stamina, but she thought that maybe for Lucaon running for hours was normal. Just looking at his appearance, it is obvious that he has a lot of stamina.

"Aren't you tired?"

Bella was sitting in a big rock while Lucaon was checking the perimeter.

"In times like this, you can never let your guard down."

"Well, that's true, but shouldn't you sit while checking the surroundings---"

Bella couldn't finish her sentence because Lucaon strode to her and placed his index finger at her lips.

"Someone is coming. Let's go."

Lucaon carried Bella like a one year old child and ran in a much faster pace than earlier. Bella's heart was pounding in her chest thinking that the man called Wyatt might capture her again ang kill her.

She started trembling at the thought and her hug became tighter. Lucaon gently storked her back while still running.

"It's okay. Don't be nervous."

Bella heard Lucaon's husky voice and she calmed down. She thought that Lucaon is right. There is nothing to be worried nor nervous about, as long as Lucaon is with her, she will be okay.

When she calmed down a sudden thought crossed her mind and she started to wonder off to her own world.

'How did he know that someone is coming? Did he just imagine it? Or is he just trying to scare me off? No, may he just wants to continue moving? But if that is what he wants he could have just told me. And I will gladly agree.'

While Bella was lost in her own thoughts Lucaon stopped running and started glancing sideways. He turned and glared at the direction where they came from.

"Belle."

"..."

"Hey, Belle."

When Bella still didn't answer he glanced downwards to look at her. Bella was staring at the space. Lucaon called her name again and slightly squeezed her.

Belle snapped out of her reverie and looked at Lucaon. He had a serious expression on his face and Bella couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Listen to me closely. And don't panic."

Bella inhaled and nodded her head gently. Trying to calm herself.

"We are trapped. There are three people coming at us in three different directions. Our escape route was also blocked by one of them."

"W-what do we do?"

Bella couldn't stop her voice from shaking. Lucaon just stared at her before putting her down. Bella wanted Lucaon to put her down earlier, but when he did she started panicking.

"Wait, are you gonna leave me?"

"No."

Bella calmed down slightly, but what Lucaon said after made her shocked to the bone.

"I won't leave you. You will leave me. Run towards the east. Be careful because you will find a cliffthere and when you do you will find a cave near the cliff. Hide in there and wait for me---"

"Wait! What?! Leave you? I can't possibly do that."

"Hide in there and wait for me. Don't ever leave that cave when I'm still not there."

"There is no way I will leave you alone---"

"Belle."

Bella gasped ever so slightly when Lucaon called her name gently. Bella's eyes started shaking. She looked down on the ground and it started raining heavily making them both wet.

Bella knows that she have no other choice, but to do what Lucaon said. But she was so worried about him. She knew that the three men Lucaon was talking about were the three men watching her. They have bows amd arrows while Lucaon was unarmed. They completely overpowered him. But she also knew that if she stayed here she will only hold Lucaon back.

And after thinking about it she made a decision. Even though she didn't want to do it she had no choice, but do it.

"Alright."

She said while still looking at the ground. Lucaon placed both of his hands in Bella's shoulders.

"When I said run. You will run as fast as you can. And... don't look back."

Bella abruptly looked up at Lucaon, her forehead creased. She was about to change her decision when Lucaon turned his back to her.

"They're coming. Prepare yourself."

Bella prepared herself despite her heart pounding so fast in her chest. The three men appeared and Bella was right because they were the men watching her earlier. They all started sprinting in their direction and Lucaon shouted.

"Run, Belle!"

Bella couldn't move for a second but she still started running to the direction Lucaon said. When the distance between them grew farther she heard Lucaon grunted.

Even though Lucaon said not to look back she couldn't help herself to look behind. Her eyes widen from what she saw and she stopped running. Lucaon had an arrow pierced in his shoulder. Lucaon noticed that Bella stopped running and he shouted at her.

"Bella!!! Run!!... Run, Bella!"

Tears started streaming down at her face, but because of the rain her tears wasn't visible. Her heart started clenching at the sight, but she thought that Lucaon was sacrifing himself just for her to escape. She knew that she shouldn't waste the chance Lucaon gave to her.

She started running again. She ran and ran with all her might, without looking back. With her tears streaming down on her cheeks, her vision became blurry. After minutes and minutes of running she can now see the cliff Lucaon talked about. She stopped running and wiped her tears, although no matter how many times she wipes it off, another tear will replace the other one and soon she gave up wipping her cheeks. She walked around trying to find the cave Lucaon talked about.

She found it at the edge of the cliff. She ran to it and checked the inside of the cave. When she was satisfied that it was safe she took shelter from the rain.

She waited for five minutes for Lucaon. She was now trembling from the cold. She rubbed her hands together to warm it up. She waited again for another five minutes, it became colder than earlier. The echos of the rain from the cave calmed her racing heart.

She heard rustling sounds nearing the cave entrance and she stood from the nervousness. She thought that it might be the enemies, but at a second thought it could also be Lucaon.

A mixture of happiness and anxiousness filled her heart. And when the sound coming from the person showed itself.

She immediately clasped her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. What appeared wasn't a person but a vicious tiger. Her trembling body from the cold immediately doubled at the sight of the tiger.

The tiger walked to her slowly like it was trying to not scare away its prey. And the tiger was successful at that because Bella felt like her feet are glued to the ground.

When the tiger was a few meters away from her, it roared so loud that it made Bella's ears ring and the echo coming from the cave made it worse. The tiger pounced at her and Bella just shut her eyes tight.

She waited, but nothing came. She slowly opened her eyes only to see the tiger lying in the ground with a wound on its belly. But the one who inflicted the wound was another tiger.

Unlike the former the latter was not interested in her. In fact it even placed itself in between Bella and the first tiger who was trying to stand back up.

The tiger that helped Bella glanced at her and she felt a deep connection with the tiger. She felt reassured that the tiger will protect her. The tiger slightly turned his head sideways where the entrance and exit of the cave is and Bella thought that he wants her to get out of the cave while trying to distract the other tiger.

The tiger who tried to help her started stepping sideways guarding the place where Bella would escape. Bella slowly followed the tigers movements but before she could completely exit the cave. The wounded tiger jumped from the other tiger and started to chase her.

The wounded tiger bared its fangs at Bella ready to devour her. But before the wounded tiger could devour her the tiger who helped her pounced at the wounded tiger and bit its neck and pushed it to the ground.

The wounded tiger struggled and accidentally kicked Bella. She landed on the edge of the cliff without her noticing. She immediately stood up, watching the two tigers fight. The blood from the wounded tigers injuries are flowing out, staining the ground.

The wounded tiger couldn't get himself out of the other tigers mouth and just struggled with all its might. Bella took two steps back when the two tiger came too near at her.

The tiger who helped her stepped nearer at Bella and she couldn't help herself to step back. The second tiger dragged the first tiger to the edge of the cliff and when the good tiger threw the wounded tiger in the cliff, it yet again accidentaly kicked Bella and her other foot slipped at the edge of the cliff.

The tiger who was helping her tried to bite her clothes to prevent her from falling, but it was too late. Bella watched the tiger who helped her at the edge of the cliff as it stared back at her falling to the sea.

Bella closed her eyes and she felt the water slapping her back and it made her groan in pain. The rain was still pouring and the wind at the sea is strong that made huge waves. Bella tried to go up as soon as she felt outbof breath, but because of the waves and water crashing together she kept getting trashed.

Bella can feel her chest tightening from the lack of air. She can feel herself losing consciousness, but before she could, she remembered her mother and father's faces smiling at her. The memories of her childhood. The good and bad memories she made and lastly Lucaon. She remembered how the corner of Lucaon's lips raised ever so slightly.

She stopped trying to go up and let herself sink underwater. She smiled and closed her eyes before letting the cold and dark sea swallow her.

***

When Lucaon saw one of the men pointed his bow at Bella he immediately shielded his body and he ended up getting shot at his shoulder. He groaned in pain and looked at the other two men if they were also pointing their bows at Bella, but they weren't. Lucaon made a quick glance at where Bella is. And when he saw that she stopped running he shouted at her.

"Bella!!! Run!!... Run, Bella!"

When Bella started running again, Lucaon shifted his gaze at the three men and split the arrow in two. Now that Bella was gone he can now focus on defeating this men.

They all pointed their bows at him and released the arrows at the same time. He easily evaded the arrows and ran to the closest one of them and fought with him. While he was fighting with one of them the other two aimed at him and fired. He grabbed the man he is fighting by the neck and made him a human shield from the arrows the man's comrades fired at Lucaon.

The man bled, but his comrades kept firing at him. Lucaon walked to the other two while shielding his body with the now dead man.

When he is close enough he threw the dead comrade of the two men and they both fell to the ground he didn't waste this chance and pounced at the two men and knocked one of them, but Lucaon didn't expect the other man to stab one of his arrows at his leg.

Lucaon also knocked the man down and stood up but winced when he felt the pain from his right leg. Like what he did to the arrow at his shoulder he split it into two and ran to the east where Bella is.

His pace was slow because of the pain in his leg and when he can finally see the cave he was filled with an emotion he couldn't name. He ran to the entrance only to see the blood from the entrance of the cave to the inside. He followed the blood but when he reached the spot where the blood trace stop there was no body.

He exited the cave and followed the blood from the cave to the cliff. He wasn't feeling any emotion earlier, but when he saw the blood at the edge of the cliff he felt like he lost a part of himself.

"I told you not to go out when I'm not around. Why did you get out? Why are you bleeding?"

Lucaon whispered at the wind while clenching his hands into fist as he felt an immense anger toward the person who did this to Bella and also an immense worriedness towards the victim. He was deeply worried at Bella.