🧡

"This Saturday night at the year-end party? And you just said yes?" Your voice a mixture of disbelief and disappointment.

"What choice do I have, hm? Would you have wanted me to say, 'Sorry, Jake. I can't let you set me up with your girl friend's best friend because guess what, I'm dating your sister.'?"

You groan in annoyance, crossing your arms over your chest.

After the incident last week when you suddenly had to act like you sprained your ankle after Jake caught you leaning over Sunghoon with his arm wrapped comfortably around your waist, you know Sunghoon's right. He has to be careful and play the part. And playing the part means saying yes when his best friend plays matchmaker.

Still, you can't help but be irritated at the situation. Jake may be Sunghoon's best friend but who does he think he is? Sunghoon's love life is none of his business.

_____

Saturday night came, and despite your initial plan of skipping the party, your imagination got the best of you. You don't want to see Sunghoon playing this role, acting all interested with another girl, but you also can't not know what's going on. So you send a last minute text to Bella, your best friend. You told her you can't do this without her, and being the most supporting best friend that she is, of couse she didn't say no.

The party's already in full swing when you arrived. Everybody knows Jay for being born with a silver spoon, having both parents in finance, but you didn't expect him to be this rich. No wonder people chose him to host the party. His place is like a modern mansion, accommodating over fifty guests without a hitch.

"Two shots, please." You tell the bartender.

Jay Park has a bartender. Unbelievable.

Bella reaches for the other shot glass, but you're quick to swipe that too.

"Liquid courage," you say apologetically, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand as the alcohol burns down your throat.

Bella rolls her eyes at you and chuckles, "Wow, didn't realize you were this down bad for your brother's best friend."

"Shut up," you reply teasingly, eyes finally searching the crowd for familiar faces.

After another shot, you excuse yourself to look for the bathroom. You turn to the first corner and immediately spot your brother, Jake, by the pool side, a bottle of beer in his hand. Next to him are two girls—his girlfriend, Eunice, and another one who you suspect is Eunice's best friend; the girl whom Jake is setting Sunghoon up with.

Your Sunghoon.

Where is he anyway?

You walk towards them, avoiding tipsy bodies that start swaying to Dua Lipa's Levitating. But before you can reach them, what happens next stops you in your tracks.

Sunghoon appears beside the other girl, leaning into her as she whispers something in his ear. A chuckle escapes his lips before smiling widely that his dimples make an appearance on his cheeks.

It's not real.

It's just pretend.

You remind yourself.

You continue to watch them talk, sharing laughter every once in a while. And then you see Sunghoon step back. But before he can fully move, the girl stops him, arms snaking around his right bicep. Sunghoon freezes but doesn't do anything. Jake sees the scene and discreetly steps closer to Sunghoon, leaving him no space to back away. This only leads the girl to press her body even closer.

The sight makes your heart drop. Despite the alcohol in your system, it feels like you've never been sober. Coming here was a mistake. You thought you could handle it, but you're starting to think you might absolutely be wrong.

Gaze still locked on Sunghoon, you hazily step back. And just when you thought this night couldn't get any worse, you bump hard into someone, his drink spilling over his polo shirt.

"Oh my god, I–I'm so sorry. I didn't—"

"It's fine," Jay shakes his head, a smalll smile on his face. "Y-You're Jake's sister."

You nod.

Although Jay is one of your brother's friends, there hasn't been any moment in the past when you two talked without Jake's presence. You've shared polite smiles and greetings when you bump into each other in campus, but that was it. You weren't as close with him as you were with Sunghoon.

Jay doesn't say anything else until Sam Smith's Dancing With a Stranger starts playing in the background. You open your mouth to apologize again but he interrupts.

"Dance with me?"

"Oh, I– I don't really–"

"Well, you ruined my favorite shirt. You have to dance with me." Jay's lips curve into a teasing smile, eyes boring into you. You avert your gaze as you feel your cheeks flush.

One dance wouldn't hurt, would it? And besides, if Sunghoon gets to have fun, why can't you?

You look back to where Sunghoon was standing and for the first time tonight, your eyes meet.

You stare at him as you step closer to Jay, a smug forming on your face. It doesn't take long for Sunghoon to clock what's happening. You've been friends way before the late-night dates and stolen kisses. So it's not a surprise that one of his expertise is reading you like an open book every. single. time.

"Wanna dance?" Sunghoon turns to his date.

Two can play your game, Sunghoon thinks. Maybe he'll play it even better.

"Yes!" The girl nods eagerly and drags Sunghoon to the dance floor, stopping just a few bodies from you.

You lock eyes with Sunghoon as you let Jay pull you closer by the waist, your bodies swaying in perfect rhythm to the music. Sunghoon does the same to his date, laying his hands on her hips as he maneuvers her so that her back is pressing on his chest.

You know deep down Sunghoon only wants to get even, and there is a silent understanding between you two that this is nothing but a game. But as you watch the girl tilt her head back on Sunghoon's chest, her face buzzing with pleasure, a nagging feeling claws in your chest.

Jay pulls you out of your thoughts when he suddenly twirls you around. Before you could think twice, you slide your arms over his shoulders when you turn to face him again, causing your bodies to press even closer. Jay interprets this as a green light, holding your chin in between his fingers to bring your face nearer. You feel the warmth of his breath as his lips ghost over yours, inching closer, and closer, and clo—

You jolt at the hand wrapping possessively around your waist.

Sunghoon brings you to him, your back bumping to the solid plane of his chest.

"S-Sunghoon," you stutter, turning your head to face him. You've never seen him like this before—mouth pressed into a thin line, his features stiff and cold—as he glares at Jay.

Sunghoon has always been a cool and level-headed guy, so seeing this side of him makes your heart flutter wildly. From fear or excitement? You can't exactly tell. Perhaps both.

Jay stares back at Sunghoon, but after a heartbeat he speaks. "Didn't know she's taken." He lifts both hands as if feigning defeat, but the way his brows lift tells you he's pissed.

"Now you do," Sunghoon bites back, jaw clenching hard. His hold on your waist is tighter now as you feel the warmth of his lips ghost over your head. Jay steps away with a scoff, glancing back at you before walking farther into the house.

"What the hell, Sunghoon? What if Jake—"

Sunghoon shifts you to him, his face just mere inches over yours.

"I don't care." He cuts you off.

You look back at him, a nervous laugh escapes you. You think he was only teasing like the numerous times you were used to, but as his glassy eyes scan yours, you realize tonight is different. There's not a glint of playfulness in Sunghoon's face. Only raw desire and frustration.

"Sunghoon, what–"

Sunghoon grabs your wrist and leads you towards the front door, dodging drunk bodies in the process. He doesn't look back no matter how loud you call his name. You start to think he's pissed at you too, but the truth is Sunghoon's afraid he won't be able to contain himself if he doesn't get out of here in the next ten seconds.

As soon as you're both out the front door, you stop in your tracks. "What is wrong with you?" You pull yourself away, jerking Sunghoon's arm.

"We're going home." Sunghoon exhales sharply, his features tensed once again.

"Now?" You scoff. "What makes you think I want to go home?"

"We are leaving." Sunghoon turns to go but you grab his shoulder.

"Sung–"

"If we don't leave in the next two minutes, I swear." Sunghoon steps closer, his voice barely a whisper. "I swear to god I'm gonna do something you will hate me for in the morning, and your brother will figure us out and not in the way we planned but in a very, very messy way. And then everything—those weeks of hiding and waiting for the right time—will go to waste."

Then, at your silence, he cups your face, thumbs caressing the sides of your jaw. His voice low as he says, "You have no idea how crazy you make me, do you?"

You blink at his words, throat drying up with the sudden confession.

"You know what I want to do? I want every person in that house to watch me lay my fucking mouth on yours. I want them to know that you're off-limits not because of Jake," Sunghoon moves his face closer, "but because you're mine."

The thumping in your chest quickens as you are yet again rendered speechless. Sunghoon's eyes shut instinctively when he lays a kiss on your forehead, breathing in your scent. He steps back after a moment, his forehead resting on yours.

"Come home with me?"

Sunghoon doesn't have to ask you twice. You let him take your hand into his while you make your way to his car, oblivious to the figure who's been watching from a distance.

Jake has always had suspicions, and tonight, the sight of you and Sunghoon high on each other just proved him right.

"This Saturday night at the year-end party? And you just said yes?" Your voice a mixture of disbelief and disappointment.

"What choice do I have, hm? Would you have wanted me to say, 'Sorry, Jake. I can't let you set me up with your girl friend's best friend because guess what, I'm dating your sister.'?"

You groan in annoyance, crossing your arms over your chest.

After the incident last week when you suddenly had to act like you sprained your ankle after Jake caught you leaning over Sunghoon with his arm wrapped comfortably around your waist, you know Sunghoon's right. He has to be careful and play the part. And playing the part means saying yes when his best friend plays matchmaker.

Still, you can't help but be irritated at the situation. Jake may be Sunghoon's best friend but who does he think he is? Sunghoon's love life is none of his business.

_____

Saturday night came, and despite your initial plan of skipping the party, your imagination got the best of you. You don't want to see Sunghoon playing this role, acting all interested with another girl, but you also can't not know what's going on. So you send a last minute text to Bella, your best friend. You told her you can't do this without her, and being the most supporting best friend that she is, of couse she didn't say no.

The party's already in full swing when you arrived. Everybody knows Jay for being born with a silver spoon, having both parents in finance, but you didn't expect him to be this rich. No wonder people chose him to host the party. His place is like a modern mansion, accommodating over fifty guests without a hitch.

"Two shots, please." You tell the bartender.

Jay Park has a bartender. Unbelievable.

Bella reaches for the other shot glass, but you're quick to swipe that too.

"Liquid courage," you say apologetically, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand as the alcohol burns down your throat.

Bella rolls her eyes at you and chuckles, "Wow, didn't realize you were this down bad for your brother's best friend."

"Shut up," you reply teasingly, eyes finally searching the crowd for familiar faces.

After another shot, you excuse yourself to look for the bathroom. You turn to the first corner and immediately spot your brother, Jake, by the pool side, a bottle of beer in his hand. Next to him are two girls—his girlfriend, Eunice, and another one who you suspect is Eunice's best friend; the girl whom Jake is setting Sunghoon up with.

Your Sunghoon.

Where is he anyway?

You walk towards them, avoiding tipsy bodies that start swaying to Dua Lipa's Levitating. But before you can reach them, what happens next stops you in your tracks.

Sunghoon appears beside the other girl, leaning into her as she whispers something in his ear. A chuckle escapes his lips before smiling widely that his dimples make an appearance on his cheeks.

It's not real.

It's just pretend.

You remind yourself.

You continue to watch them talk, sharing laughter every once in a while. And then you see Sunghoon step back. But before he can fully move, the girl stops him, arms snaking around his right bicep. Sunghoon freezes but doesn't do anything. Jake sees the scene and discreetly steps closer to Sunghoon, leaving him no space to back away. This only leads the girl to press her body even closer.

The sight makes your heart drop. Despite the alcohol in your system, it feels like you've never been sober. Coming here was a mistake. You thought you could handle it, but you're starting to think you might absolutely be wrong.

Gaze still locked on Sunghoon, you hazily step back. And just when you thought this night couldn't get any worse, you bump hard into someone, his drink spilling over his polo shirt.

"Oh my god, I–I'm so sorry. I didn't—"

"It's fine," Jay shakes his head, a smalll smile on his face. "Y-You're Jake's sister."

You nod.

Although Jay is one of your brother's friends, there hasn't been any moment in the past when you two talked without Jake's presence. You've shared polite smiles and greetings when you bump into each other in campus, but that was it. You weren't as close with him as you were with Sunghoon.

Jay doesn't say anything else until Sam Smith's Dancing With a Stranger starts playing in the background. You open your mouth to apologize again but he interrupts.

"Dance with me?"

"Oh, I– I don't really–"

"Well, you ruined my favorite shirt. You have to dance with me." Jay's lips curve into a teasing smile, eyes boring into you. You avert your gaze as you feel your cheeks flush.

One dance wouldn't hurt, would it? And besides, if Sunghoon gets to have fun, why can't you?

You look back to where Sunghoon was standing and for the first time tonight, your eyes meet.

You stare at him as you step closer to Jay, a smug forming on your face. It doesn't take long for Sunghoon to clock what's happening. You've been friends way before the late-night dates and stolen kisses. So it's not a surprise that one of his expertise is reading you like an open book every. single. time.

"Wanna dance?" Sunghoon turns to his date.

Two can play your game, Sunghoon thinks. Maybe he'll play it even better.

"Yes!" The girl nods eagerly and drags Sunghoon to the dance floor, stopping just a few bodies from you.

You lock eyes with Sunghoon as you let Jay pull you closer by the waist, your bodies swaying in perfect rhythm to the music. Sunghoon does the same to his date, laying his hands on her hips as he maneuvers her so that her back is pressing on his chest.

You know deep down Sunghoon only wants to get even, and there is a silent understanding between you two that this is nothing but a game. But as you watch the girl tilt her head back on Sunghoon's chest, her face buzzing with pleasure, a nagging feeling claws in your chest.

Jay pulls you out of your thoughts when he suddenly twirls you around. Before you could think twice, you slide your arms over his shoulders when you turn to face him again, causing your bodies to press even closer. Jay interprets this as a green light, holding your chin in between his fingers to bring your face nearer. You feel the warmth of his breath as his lips ghost over yours, inching closer, and closer, and clo—

You jolt at the hand wrapping possessively around your waist.

Sunghoon brings you to him, your back bumping to the solid plane of his chest.

"S-Sunghoon," you stutter, turning your head to face him. You've never seen him like this before—mouth pressed into a thin line, his features stiff and cold—as he glares at Jay.

Sunghoon has always been a cool and level-headed guy, so seeing this side of him makes your heart flutter wildly. From fear or excitement? You can't exactly tell. Perhaps both.

Jay stares back at Sunghoon, but after a heartbeat he speaks. "Didn't know she's taken." He lifts both hands as if feigning defeat, but the way his brows lift tells you he's pissed.

"Now you do," Sunghoon bites back, jaw clenching hard. His hold on your waist is tighter now as you feel the warmth of his lips ghost over your head. Jay steps away with a scoff, glancing back at you before walking farther into the house.

"What the hell, Sunghoon? What if Jake—"

Sunghoon shifts you to him, his face just mere inches over yours.

"I don't care." He cuts you off.

You look back at him, a nervous laugh escapes you. You think he was only teasing like the numerous times you were used to, but as his glassy eyes scan yours, you realize tonight is different. There's not a glint of playfulness in Sunghoon's face. Only raw desire and frustration.

"Sunghoon, what–"

Sunghoon grabs your wrist and leads you towards the front door, dodging drunk bodies in the process. He doesn't look back no matter how loud you call his name. You start to think he's pissed at you too, but the truth is Sunghoon's afraid he won't be able to contain himself if he doesn't get out of here in the next ten seconds.

As soon as you're both out the front door, you stop in your tracks. "What is wrong with you?" You pull yourself away, jerking Sunghoon's arm.

"We're going home." Sunghoon exhales sharply, his features tensed once again.

"Now?" You scoff. "What makes you think I want to go home?"

"We are leaving." Sunghoon turns to go but you grab his shoulder.

"Sung–"

"If we don't leave in the next two minutes, I swear." Sunghoon steps closer, his voice barely a whisper. "I swear to god I'm gonna do something you will hate me for in the morning, and your brother will figure us out and not in the way we planned but in a very, very messy way. And then everything—those weeks of hiding and waiting for the right time—will go to waste."

Then, at your silence, he cups your face, thumbs caressing the sides of your jaw. His voice low as he says, "You have no idea how crazy you make me, do you?"

You blink at his words, throat drying up with the sudden confession.

"You know what I want to do? I want every person in that house to watch me lay my fucking mouth on yours. I want them to know that you're off-limits not because of Jake," Sunghoon moves his face closer, "but because you're mine."

The thumping in your chest quickens as you are yet again rendered speechless. Sunghoon's eyes shut instinctively when he lays a kiss on your forehead, breathing in your scent. He steps back after a moment, his forehead resting on yours.

"Come home with me?"

Sunghoon doesn't have to ask you twice. You let him take your hand into his while you make your way to his car, oblivious to the figure who's been watching from a distance.

Jake has always had suspicions, and tonight, the sight of you and Sunghoon high on each other just proved him right.

It's forbidden. Sunghoon knows it.

"She's off-limits, Park. Stop staring at my sister," Jake says lowly, his tone casual but stern over the party music.

Sunghoon lets out a chuckle, playing it cool. "Wasn't staring," he replies. The lie slipping easily off his tongue as he brings the cup of stale beer to his lips. "She's not even my type." Another lie. He truly is the biggest liar when Jake's around.

Sunghoon's cellphone vibrates in the back pocket of his jeans. He slides it out and unlocks it. Upon seeing the notification on the screen, he sets the backlight to its lowest so that no one else but him could make sense of what he's about to read.

Get out of here?

Sunghoon reads, a sly smile forming in his lips.

Then, before he could even reply, another message pops in.

I miss you 🥺

Without lifting his head, Sunghoon moves his eyes from the screen to across the room.

And there you are, catching his gaze, a knowing smile already plastered on your face.

Sunghoon shakes his head, smiling bigger now.

You're gonna be the death of me, you know that?

He types, pressing send as he meets your gaze once more.

You turn your back, glancing at him one last time over your shoulder, before walking to the front door.

Sunghoon waits a few minutes, waits for an opening. As soon as his friends start taking shots and laughing like maniacs, he makes a graceful exit.

He drives to your place in the quiet of the night, just as he always did in the last two weeks.

It's forbidden. Sunghoon knows it.

But he wants you too much to give a damn.

It's forbidden. Sunghoon knows it.

"She's off-limits, Park. Stop staring at my sister," Jake says lowly, his tone casual but stern over the party music.

Sunghoon lets out a chuckle, playing it cool. "Wasn't staring," he replies. The lie slipping easily off his tongue as he brings the cup of stale beer to his lips. "She's not even my type." Another lie. He truly is the biggest liar when Jake's around.

Sunghoon's cellphone vibrates in the back pocket of his jeans. He slides it out and unlocks it. Upon seeing the notification on the screen, he sets the backlight to its lowest so that no one else but him could make sense of what he's about to read.

Get out of here?

Sunghoon reads, a sly smile forming in his lips.

Then, before he could even reply, another message pops in.

I miss you 🥺

Without lifting his head, Sunghoon moves his eyes from the screen to across the room.

And there you are, catching his gaze, a knowing smile already plastered on your face.

Sunghoon shakes his head, smiling bigger now.

You're gonna be the death of me, you know that?

He types, pressing send as he meets your gaze once more.

You turn your back, glancing at him one last time over your shoulder, before walking to the front door.

Sunghoon waits a few minutes, waits for an opening. As soon as his friends start taking shots and laughing like maniacs, he makes a graceful exit.

He drives to your place in the quiet of the night, just as he always did in the last two weeks.

It's forbidden. Sunghoon knows it.

But he wants you too much to give a damn.

She looks up.

Trees as tall as the sky cast shadows over her figure. Barely any sunlight gets through.

She wills herself to sit, shifting on the soil beneath her body.

Her fingers twitch.

There's a fabric in between them that catches her attention.

A scarf.

Soft. Satin. Red.

It doesn't take long before a memory realises before her eyes.

The scarf was a present for her 10th birthday. It was from Vita, her mother.

Her fingers trail on the fabric, smoothing the wrinkles as she searches for the intricate detail Vita had sewn.

Lilith

Her name.

She pulls herself up, clutching the scarf closer to her chest. The smell reminds her of her mother, her childhood, her home.

"I'm unharmed," she whispers, disbelief dripping in her voice. "Mother, I made it!" She exclaims, a soft laugh escaping her lips.

She's heard stories about this place.

Some call it magical, some dangerous.

They say this part of the woods could sense one's desires, granting the unspoken fantasies hiding in the depths of one's heart.

She had a dream two sunsets ago. A dream so vivid it almost felt like a sign. A message.

She dreamt of Sunghoon. Here. In the woods. Wandering as the sun sparkled on his fair skin.

There was a calmness in him she's never seen before.

She followed him as he continued to stroll, his feet walking past wildflowers and ferns that lead to a cave's mouth.

When he arrived at the entrance, Sunghoon turned back, his eyes locking on hers like he knew she was watching the whole time.

And then, before anything else could happen, Lilith woke up.

She felt it in her heart that it was more than just a dream. A clue, perhaps?

The only way to find out is to go out, here, in the very place where Sunghoon showed himself.

She steps further into the woods, only stopping when two intersecting trails lay in front of her.

"Where to?" Lilith whispers.

And as if the wind is listening, a strong breeze makes a howling sound in the left path.

Left it is.

She moves to that direction, ignoring how her feet were starting to ache.

Wait for me, Sunghoon. I'm coming.

The sun had already made its descent by the time Lilith reached the cave.

She stands at the entrance, eyes adjusting to the darkness inside.

It smelled of earth, and rain,

and him.

Sunghoon is here.

Now all she has to do is wait for him to notice her presence.

Lilith waited and waited, steadying her heels on the patch of dirt. She could feel the exhaustion in her bones, eating up every ounce of hope left inside her.

But just as her legs were about to give up,

the wind howls.

Softly at first, then gradually increasing in force and volume, making tree branches sway as if they're made of feathers.

Dirt and twigs start swirling in the air, circling Lilith like she's the eye of a hurricane. The roaring of the wind rings in her ears, ripping the seams of the dress that once clung beautifully to her body.

"Sunghoon!" She screams. "Sunghoon, I'm here!"

Tears start to fill her eyes. Her arms now thrown over her face for cover, leaves and twigs weaving through her once soft hair. Her knees getting weaker by the second.

Lilith holds her breath as the chaos goes on.

And then, without warning,

everything stops.

"Lilith."

A man's voice.

Deep as the ocean. Cold as winter.

Exactly how she remembered.

"Sunghoon...?" A sob escapes Lilith's throat as she takes in the image before her. "It really is you." Her voice cracks just above a whisper.

She closes the distance between them, her arms encircling his figure like they have always used to.

Lilith burries her face in Sunghoon's chest, allowing him to trap her in his arms.

Oh how she'd long for this.

For him, and the comfort of his touch and his presence.

Sunghoon leans back, glancing at her.

"You shouldn't have come here," Sunghoon utters, breaking the tenderness of the moment.

Lilith steps back from his hold, at a loss for words. "What ever do you mean?" Her voice breathless and pained, as if Sunghoon just twisted the knife that's been buried in the pit of her stomach since the day he disapperead.

"There is no salvation here."

"Salvation?" Lilith asks, her eyes searching his, hoping they could answer not only this but all of her unspoken questions. "I'm not here for salvation. I'm here for you, Sunghoon. So we can finally be free, together."

"That simply cannot be, Lilith."

Tears start to fill Lilith's eyes.

"How could you say that? How could you say that as if a promise has not been made? As if we never once believed nothing in heaven and earth could keep us apart?"

Sunghoon's features soften at her words, at the reminder of their promise. He takes a step closer, hands sliding to the sides of her waist, holding her tight like it's the last time he will ever get to.

"There is nothing I desire more than to spend every second of my life in your arms, Lilith... Until you turn grey. Until the fire in your eyes burn out... Until I am the only one left in this forsaken world."

"Then why? Why can't you be with me?" Lilith chokes on a sob, her hand cupping his cheek, desperate for clarity. Honesty.

If he truly cares for her like he said, then why can't they simply run away now that she's found him?

"You know why, Lilith. Deep in your heart you know." Sunghoon tucks a strand of hair behind her ear as a tear rolls down her face. "I always thought I would carry your body to our favorite place—the one where the grass was always green and the dandelions bloom. I thought I would hold you close while I wait for the sun to do its work and put an end to my curse... But my end came before yours. Before the sun even shone. So forgive me, my love. Forgive me for letting you go through it alone."

"I– I don't understand." Lilith's face is wetter now. The tears unstoppable as her surroundings dim, like a dream slowly easing into a nightmare.

"Sunghoon, please, I do not understand. I came here for you—"

"My sweet girl." Sunghoon wipes her tear-stained cheeks with his thumb, hands sliding gently to hold onto her jaw. His eyes piercing through hers as he takes a deep breath, "You are not here for me. You are here for you...

You hoped this place would wash away the gulit and sorrow; free you from the endless nights of whispering my name and dreaming of our broken promise of forever. You prayed to see me one last time as the trees take it away—your pain, your memories, your breath. Somewhere in the dirt your body lies, dreaming this very moment."

Lilith's eyebrows furrow as a deep ache blooms in ber chest.

"I do not fault you for what they did to me, my love. You were only protecting your mother."

Lilith's lips tremble as the memories return. "Forgive me, Sunghoon. We promised to protect each other, but I gave you away. I betrayed you, spilled the truth as they pointed a blade on my mother's throat. I should've known not to trust them! I was a fool. They killed her, Sunghoon! Right after they learned of your weakness, they killed her!"

Lilith drops to her knees, the truth breaking her spirit along with what's left of her soul.

"If only I wasn't too weak or too foolish, I could have saved mother. And I could have saved you... Forgive me, Sunghoon."

Her eyes shut as more tears flow.

Sunghoon bends down to her level, wiping her cheeks once more. He then moves closer, tilting her chin up, mouth gently laying over hers.

They close their eyes in unison,

lips moving together,

savoring,

chasing,

pouring their hearts and souls knowing this is their last.

Their last and in a dream. In a hallucination. But neither of them cared for there is no more tomorrow. And right now—real or not—is all they will ever have.

"My curse, my end, the thousand years and sufferings I have lived... If there is mercy and I am given another breath, I will beg the gods and monsters for this lifetime. Because this is where you are, Lilith. I have found you here, and you loved me. In the end that was all that mattered."

Lilith pulls him in for one last kiss, their foreheads touching as she whispers, "My heart belongs to you, Sunghoon. It is yours, for ever after."

"So is mine, Lilith. I am yours. For ever after."

_____________________

The ground is moist.

Wetness seeping through the fabric of her dress.

Lilith's eyebrows wince at the warm breeze that blows the hair off her face. Her eyes half-open, eyelids throbbing with exhaustion.

She blinks once.

Twice.

Am I dead?

Her vision blurs as her brain drifts off,

heart beating weaker as she takes in her last breath.

Jay was told he has that effect on people; women mostly. He doesn't think they mean it as a compliment though, but he couldn't care less.

You do your best to bundle the papers together as you stand. You hand them over, head still tilting down as if intentionally avoiding his eyes. Jay notices this and scoffs.

"Seriously?"

Now he's really annoyed. He's offended that you don't even look at him. Don't you have any manners, at least?

He snatches the papers without another word. He must've put too much force that you stumble forward, and if not for his stupid reflexes making his arm shoot up, your face has surely proceeded to kiss the floor.

In a moment of panic, your hands fly to his arms, your eyes managing to finally meet his as you steady yourself.

The first thing Jay notices is how red and glossy your eyes are as if you just had an allergic reaction. Or maybe you spent half the day crying, who knows? Jay couldn't help but wonder what made you look this defeated, and as he does, he finds himself unable to look away. Like he's been placed under a spell that has switched off his ability to form thoughts, and words, and... What was he thinking again?

Jay knows beyond reasonable doubt you are not his type. You're not the kind he would typically find attractive yet there's something about you and the softness of your features that demands his attention.

Not just a portion of it.

All of it.

He doesn't understand it himself but—

"Uh, sorry again," you say as you let go of him, your voice breaking the trance and bringing Jay back to his senses.

You step back from him before he could even utter a single word. And as you walk away, he watches your figure get smaller in the distance,

his body still in the quiet hallway,