Please comment and like this chapter - Let me know what you think!

Harper barely had any time to react before she was hauled off the ground. Her feet dangled as she tried to steady herself.

"Hyde!" She choked. "Hyde! Please!"

"Act now, or she'll die," Hyde commanded Yanpu bitterly.

"Hyde!" Harper tried her best to cry out. Only coughs stumbled from her lips messily. She kicked her feet around and grabbed his wrists in an attempt to free herself.

Why was he doing this? They made a deal! Why was he breaking his part to keep it?

"Now," Hyde spat firmly, tightening his grasp around her neck.

"Stop!" Yanpu screamed and grabbed onto Hyde's leg. "Stop! Please!"

"I don't care for the sounds of begging," Hyde brought Harper's body down slightly. "Anything you say right now will not change my mind."

"Hyde!" Harper coughed again as her toes brushed against the grass. She reached for his shirt and began tugging on it harshly. His gaze stayed on Yanpu, so she reached for his hair.

But his other hand stopped it. "Ah, ah." He finally turned to face her. "If you want to breathe, you'd better pray that the kid makes the right decision."

"Agh!" Harper spluttered as she could feel her vision fading. Tears began to well up and fall down her face as she fought to be free.

Was this it for her? Was this truly the end?

"Aghhh!" She voiced through clenched teeth.

"So you're going to let her die this easily?" Hyde kicked Yanpu away, mocking him. "I guess she was never that important to you. I'd say it's a shame, but honestly, this will be a good riddance. One I've been waiting for, for a long time. After 5 weeks, the reason for my annoyance will finally be gone."

Yanpu cried and crawled back over to Hyde, who was still holding Harper in a deadly position. "Please!"

Harper stopped fighting. Her hands fell at her sides lifelessly and her head tilted to the side.

She stopped breathing. Yanpu felt it.

Suddenly, a surge of anger, rage, and frustration scoured through his veins.

The emotions were so strong that his mind went blank. There were no thoughts, only a strong desire.

It was an immeasurable fury that surged within his heart to do everything it took, to halt the man holding Harper so carelessly. He wanted to force him on his knees, to beg for mercy, to regret ever laying a finger on his caretaker.

The soil moved under his fingers and feet. They shifted under his shadows, red flakes of stone merging and fusing to create a crystal. All it took was one step forward to send Hyde flying across the field.

Hyde skyrocketed and skidded against the grass, gaining a bad turf burn on his arm.

"Shite!" Hyde laughed dastardly. "That's what I'm talking about!" He brushed his hair back with a smirk.

Harper was dropped at Yanpu's feet. He quickly checked on her and rolled her on her back. Slowly, the black began to fade and Harper could see clearly again.

She inhaled and exhaled heavily, sputtering as oxygen refilled her lungs.

"Harper!" Yanpu placed a hand on her forehead to get her attention.

"Yanpu?" Harper furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

The boy's eyes were glowing red, just like Hyde's. And there were red veins coating his fair skin.

What happened?

Yanpu darted forward in a flash, jumping and kicking Hyde before he could stand up again.

Hyde flew back, landing on his back, and tumbled over onto his front. Hyde grunted and wiped his mouth as blood ran down his lips.

He was satisfied that Yanpu summoned his abilities, but refused to participate in this fight because the kid was still untrained.

"That wasn't so bad—" The ground under Hyde exploded, sending him further back.

He landed on his back with a hard splat sound, and he felt something crack. A lot of pain surged up his arm.

Hyde realized he had broken his arm from the fall.

He quickly sat up and held his arm up, as it would heal soon. But he was still taken aback by Yanpu's persistence. "Enough!"

Hyde stepped aside quickly as Yanpu charged at him. "That's enough, I said!"

Hyde dodged another blow that Yanpu threw at him. A fist full of dirt, and the color red blazing in the darkness was thrown at him.

When it smacked Hyde in the face, his blank expression sank.

It was Puron. Organic Puron. The kind that would kill you to the touch. Hyde recognized the crystals when he wiped the dirt away.

How could he form it? He knew that Yanpu was able to control the Puron, but to create it from the soil? That was a newfound discovery. It was unheard of.

And then, he felt pain in his chest. The scar on his neck began to glow, and Hyde cursed.

He felt weakened, and tumbled to the ground, struggling to keep himself up to stand because his arm hadn't completely healed. "Stop!"

He hollered as Yanpu kicked him in the chest.

As Hyde rolled, he understood that Yanpu's intent was to kill him.

"Stop!" Hyde huffed and held his injured arm high. "Yanpu!"

His outcry was ignored as hundreds of crystals were sent whisking through the atmosphere. Each one cut and made a slit on his skin.

Hyde held his ground as best he could, but it was difficult for him. His head dropped as he coughed. "Shite..." He groaned and shook his head, trying to force himself to focus.

He glanced up and looked around, but Yanpu was nowhere in sight. "Where'd he go?" He huffed.

Blood covered his eyes, and Hyde wiped his face multiple times, but to no avail, his skin was painted red.

Yanpu approached from behind with 3 red crystals formed into a sharp dagger. But before he could plunge it into Hyde's back, a lanky foot knocked him away.

"Good grief!" Andreis's voice chimed in as he blocked Yanpu to aid Hyde. "Hyde!"

"Look who decided to show up," Hyde seethed. "It won't hurt to work on your timing."

"Oy verdo!" Andreis swore. "Hyde! Are you alright?"

"Gee, I dunno," Hyde huffed. "Take a good look, maybe I'm having an absolute blast!"

"You're covered in blood! Non, non, non!" Andreis shielded him from the boy and sat him up.

"No shite."

"Who is this boy? Why is he attacking you?" Andreis reached into his belt and drew a sword. "Shall I—"

"Don't," Hyde grabbed Andreis by his wielding arm. "He's in my care,"

"The boy Giada spoke of? That's him?" Andreis switched to Itarian and began to reprimand Hyde. "Eyu crazy? Eyu took him in and now he has the nerve to attack you!"

He continued, and Hyde became impatient. "Alright, okay! I get it!" He spat. "Help me up and take me back to my house."

"Scusi?!" Andreis hawked. "You need to see a Doctore!"

"I'll be fine," Hyde grunted, the pain in his chest still aggravating him.

"Cullo! The boy attacks, and he says, 'I'll be fine'," Andreis spoke to himself in disbelief.

"Hyde Amora!" Andreis finally spotted Harper standing up not too far, holding her hand to her neck to check for bruising. "Overseers! Is she okay? Was she also hurt?"

Hyde didn't want to tell him that he was the one who nearly choked her to death. So he thought quickly.

"She will take me back,"

"What?"

"Take the boy with you, he'll calm down by the morning," Hyde commanded, refusing to give any explanation.

"Hyde—"

"Hand me over to her," Hyde growled, repeating himself angrily. Andreis decided not to ask any more questions and placed his sword back before helping Hyde stand.

"Is the boy going to hurt Anna?"

"He won't."

"How can you be so sure? If he attacked you, he will—"

"He attacked for a reason. A reason I won't disclose to you. Just take him back, feed him, or hand him to Giada. She'll know what to do."

Andreis sighed, still hesitant after witnessing the entire ordeal. "Okay, if you say so."

~~~

Back at the dojo, Arnest was still out doing whatever it was he needed to. So with him not being there, it forced Harper in a position where she had to give Hyde the antidote.

She wasn't experienced with needles, but she watched many times her coworkers handle them with Yanpu at the facility. So she was extremely cautious while embedding one beneath Hyde's skin.

Her lips were quivering as she watched the red liquid go into him. Hyde squinted as the glow on his scar finally dimmed. Seconds later, he was able to move his injured arm around.

He rolled his neck and shoulders and sat up. The more he moved, the more Harper tilted away from him.

He noticed. Her subtle flinches were so obvious.

Hyde glanced at a bin full of rags nearby. "Pass me one of those. I need to wipe my face."

Harper swallowed and crawled over to the bin. She took 2 rags and extended them to him. "Here,"

Hyde chortled at her. "I can't reach,"

"Here," Harper repeated, waving them around for him to take.

Hyde moved his hand forward and clutched onto Harper's wrist. Her heart raced when her eyes met his. Hyde yanked her toward him forcefully and she let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"Let me go!" Harper tugged away, but still couldn't free herself.

"You're scared, aren't you?" Hyde's tone was playful, but Harper was in no mood for his jests. She was terrified for her life. Earlier he almost killed her. Had not Yanpu intervened, she would've died.

The fact that she was so close to death that she could taste it frightened her in more ways than she thought it would. The leftovers of it were still fresh on her tongue.

"Please!" Harper cried when Hyde dragged her to where her kneecaps grazed his legs. "Unhand me!"

"You're so loud," Hyde rolled his eyes.

"Don't hurt me!" She screeched. "Let me go!"

Her pupils were moving rapidly. Harper placed her free arm in between them and pressed hard on his torso. "Help me! Giada! Help me—"

Hyde slapped a hand over her mouth and pushed her onto the concrete flooring. Harper kicked and screamed, but with Hyde's strength returned, she couldn't fight him.

Hyde grazed one finger across her neck, and a flashback of the earlier moment jolted Harper.

He was going to kill her. For real this time. "Hyde! Hyde please!" She begged.

"Stop moving!" He yelled at her. "You'll hurt yourself even more if you continue flailing around like a rag doll!"

What? What did he mean by that? Didn't he already harm her in the worst way?

"Your neck has a purple ring around it." Hyde sat her up and took a closer look. "It's swollen."

"Why? Why did you try to kill me? We made a deal!" Harper huffed. "I did everything you asked me to! And still..."

"I didn't try to kill you."

"I almost died!"

"You didn't." Hyde rolled his eyes.

"I passed out!"

"That was because you kept moving. I was holding you up in a way that you'd faint. I would've let you go right after, but I had to convince that brat somehow."

Harper gasped. "Convince? Convince Yanpu to do what?"

"To do exactly what you saw earlier."

"WHY would you—"

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"When my life is involved, yes you freaking do! You looked me in the eye as I begged you to spare me! I followed you willingly to the vineyard! I didn't escape, but you still hurt me!"

"Are you finished?"

Harper narrowed her eyes at him, dumbfounded by his retort. Did he even care? Of course, he didn't!

While she fumbled within her mind, Hyde grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and pressed it against her neck. She flinched away, but Hyde prevented her from moving further.

"Do you want it to heal?" He reprimanded her. "Sit still."

"I want to go home," Harper muttered, so tired of everything. She wanted to go back to Westona, back to her mother's home. The place was full of toxic fumes, but anywhere was better than staying with an evil man like Hyde. "I'm exhausted."

"You'll be fine." Hyde sneered.

Harper's shoulders sank. She began to wonder. Why did Hyde need Yanpu to lash out? What were his plans?

Not knowing anything made her want to curl up and bawl her eyes out. She couldn't predict Hyde's next move. She'd be out of her mind by the time she could.

The doors to the dojo opened, and Arnest walked in. He kicked off his shoes as if it was urgent, and rushed into the room with a bag in his hands.

He emptied the bag, and lots of bandages, bandaids, and ointments fell out. "Andreis told me chopped up bits of what went on,"

"I'm fine," Hyde dismissed him when Arnest tried to study him for injuries.

"What exactly happened?"

"It worked," Hyde cut him short, and gestured to one of the ointment bottles. "Hand me one of those."

Arnest passed him a bottle and Hyde poured the oily liquid on his hands. Then Hyde motioned his hands at Harper. "Tilt your head to the side."

"I'll put it on myself," Harper denied, but Hyde glared at her, forcing her to give into his command.

"Perhaps I should do that for her," Arnest offered. "You should get some rest. I assume you've taken the antidote since you don't look to be in pain. So let that kick in."

"Would you stop worrying about me?" Hyde grumbled.

"We're all worried!" Arnest shot back. "I had to stop Mama from rushing over! Anna Bella even jumped up to come! And don't let Arturo find out! They all are suspicious of what's going on! And of Yanpu!"

"Why would they be suspicious of him? Hyde is the one who—"

"Stay out of it," Hyde poked Harper in the head. She scowled at him.

"I'll explain it to them tomorrow,"

"What will you say?"

"He had a tantrum," Hyde shrugged.

"A tantrum so bad that he tried to kill you?"

"We'll tell them that he has abilities similar to mine. He's just untrained."

"Don't you think we should tell them the truth?" Harper spoke again, and both men looked at her.

"Didn't I tell you to stay out of it?"

"I don't want to play the role of your wife anymore!" Harper shouted. "I feel horrible having accepted to do whatever you tell me, but adding that title on top of it is like a stab to the chest!"

"Vixen, you're not so fun to be associated with either. I can go out and get women with more beauty than your entire bloodline, yet I'm stuck with— why am I even arguing?" Hyde snapped out of it. "I should just shove a sock in your mouth and toss you off the top of this building."

"Do it! It's not the first time you've tried to kill me!"

"I would love to." Hyde grinned. "But I can't."

"Oh? Are you scared that Giada will find out how two-faced you both are?"

"That brat can trigger his abilities because of you, unfortunately." Hyde clicked his tongue. "Now that I've confirmed it, it won't be easy to get rid of you."

"Ha!" Harper shouted in his face. "Are you admitting that I'm of use?"

"I'm saying that as long as I keep you alive, I have the upper hand. Yanpu will do whatever I say." Hyde tilted her chin upward. "That means that if I tell him to sacrifice himself to save you, he will."

Harper felt like she had been hit in the heart by something heavy.

"You're worried about him." Hyde hummed. "Keep those lips shut if you want me to go easy on him."

He released her. "Fine, put it on her." He gestured to Arnest. "I'm tired anyway." He voiced before walking into the bedroom.

Arnest crouched beside Harper and examined her neck injury.

"I don't understand him..." Harper murmured. "I've tried everything to appease him. I don't know what he wants from me."

"Don't move around so much." Arnest rubbed some of the medicine onto her skin.

"Did you know that he was going to do this to me?"

Arnest frowned, confirming Harper's suspicions.

"Do you both hate me that much?"

"I won't explain it to you." Arnest sighed. "It's more like, we can't trust you."

"I haven't escaped."

"That doesn't help. Especially not for someone like Hyde."

"What do I have to do for you to let me and Yanpu go?"

"Well, for starters, you're gonna have to stop begging and wishing to go back to Westona. Because it's not going to happen, so long as Hyde is around." Arnest grumbled. "In a way, I'd say this is a great place to restart."

"To restart against my will! I have a family at home, Arnest, just like you have them here!"

"I don't know what to tell you."

"Of course you don't," Harper cried. "Anything I say won't matter to you or him!"

"It's done," Arnest set the bottle aside and stood. "I already gave you an answer. If you want us to trust you, you have to prove that you're on our side."

"On your side? To overthrow Westona? To ruin an innocent little boy's life? To kidnap me and force me to blend in with your lies!?"

"Westona has committed a lot more crimes, far worse than any of the things you mentioned. But you're fighting for them." Arnest placed a hand on his waist.

"In time, things will be revealed. But until then, we will keep you under strict surveillance. After what happened tonight, my family will be asking some questions. But if you don't want to push Hyde over, you have to keep quiet about everything."

Harper balled her fists angrily.

"I'm not going to argue with you. So, I'm gonna go and get some sleep." Arnest strolled up the stairs. "You should rest too."

When Harper was left in the silence, her heart ached. She wanted this nightmare to end. She prayed to the overseers for Bomb to find and save her.

~~