this world is doomed

“An ‘I love you’ is all you ever need to give me.” Haneul feared that she would bow to the pressure of laying in bed together, he didn’t want her to give herself to him in obligation. “But I will never say no to making love to you, I’ll show you how much I love you every hour of the day if that’s what you want from me.” He spared only a glance between them at the removal of her shirt, Haneul’s focus had been solely on her lips and the addiction that waited for him, although his hands found home on her bare waist in an instant. He would indulge her body later; a thought that he committed to himself, once he could pull away from her lips and they had rid themselves of their clothing. “One moment.” He pushed back onto his knees, raising his shirt and discarding it in a single fluid movement, regretting the loss of her warmth but his fingers were swift in undoing the button of his trousers. The sooner that he rid himself of his clothing, the faster he could return to her. Both his trousers and his boxers kicked to the foot of the bed, not the slightest bit shy at exposing himself, content in lowering himself back to her and returning to the taste of her lips. His elbow sank into the mattress next to her head, one hand losing itself in her hair while the other had fallen to her waist. His touch was soft over the surface of her skin, drawing the softest of circles until his fingers were tracing the edge of her waistband. A soft hum in the base of his throat, mouth breaking from hers to the edge of her lips, an array of kisses from her jaw to her chin, continuing down her neck to the crook of her shoulder. His laughter rose once he slipped further, lips locked on the base of her neck when he realised how frantic his heart had been at the simplicity of littering her in kisses. “If we didn’t have so much to worry about, I’d kiss every inch of you.” His eyes flickered upward for a brief moment, using the moment to slide himself further down her frame, mouth pressed between her breasts and trailing down to her belly button. “I’ll make sure I’ve kissed every part of you by the time we’re married.” His fingers hooked on her trousers, dragging them downwards without a second thought, lips laying where her waistband had been - trying his best not to rush, savouring every second of the first time with his true love.

“Hm, how about four?” Haneul’s eyebrows rose, tilting his back in order to gauge her reaction and whether or not she would squeal at the idea of four rounds of pregnancy or if she had been expecting a higher number. “We’ll have the first two close together, a year apart even, then we’ll wait a bit longer for the next two.” A future that he hadn’t thought much of until now, he always expected that he would have one child, brought into the world by a suitor his mother chose - enough to give Devotion another heir. His fingers had been tracing her arms while she spoke, absentminded movements that came to a halt at her choice of desire. Of all the things in the world that Haneul had expected her to say, it hadn’t been expressing the desire to have sex with him. Surprise etched onto his features, glancing behind him and over his room as if expected his furniture to confirm what she asked of him. He was notorious only a year ago for returning to his chambers with a chain of different women, sex had never been something that he had restrained himself from. In fact, it was the only intimate action he could have with a woman without sucking the life from her. Yet the idea of that intimacy with Snow elicited a sudden quake of butterflies in the pit of his stomach, furiously battling to save themselves from the fire that lit at the notion of being as close to her as physically possible. “I didn’t think you were so forward.” His laughter was low, trying to regain his composure as he brought his gaze to fix on her again. Her lips on his had him following after them once she had broken away, keeping his mouth only inches away from hers for his own sanity, afraid he wouldn’t survive at a distance. The distance made him believe that her ask to make love was not a foolish one if they were to be a part for an unspoken amount of time. “If I make love to you, we might be at risk of me never leaving.” He would have to leave for her health, yet he knew it would be harder to peel himself away from her. His hands changed their course over her arms and instead, changed to take hold of her waist, thumbing along the hem of her shirt and brushing the warm skin underneath. “Are you well enough?” A question that was his confirmation, more than willing to consummate their love yet he did not want to push her too far, not when she had been so deathly ill. “I want to make love to you, but I don’t want you to be in pain.” He shifted his weight in order to face her entirely, kissing her sweetly as he manoeuvred to bring his knees to either side of her frame, stopping his weight from resting on her. 

Snow fought the smile trying to appear on her lips, thinking about four children with him filled her with delight that couldn’t be possible with anyone else. “Four? A year apart, you know what that means right? We’ll spend a lot of time in the bedroom or the bathroom--the options are endless.” Voice playful, hand running across his jawline as she took in his handsome elements. If it were possible to fall in love more than she was already then it would’ve happened at this particular instant, Snow craved being closer to him even though it was unattainable to pull him any closer. “I love you, I love you so very much. Promise me that you will not allow me father to walk all over you? He is not a man that is loyal, you must remember that Haneul.” She felt those words weren’t enough to explain the feeling, and emotions that she had for him whenever his name popped into her head. Whenever he kissed her and the world around her fell silent, nothing could harm her as long as he was by her side. How could she word it differently? Snow worried about his well-being in Damned and ridden with anxiety knowing her father would promise something that would keep her from seeing him. It drained her thinking about every possible scenario regarding her father, Snow knew him well and he would despise seeing Haneul. A person without a single flaw, a person who would remind him of his siblings. Zeus, mostly, which would drive him to concur up a deal that Haneul could never refuse. Maybe the silence had become overbearing which caused her to speak softly, admitting to her thoughts. “I’m well enough when I’m with you. I want to show you all the love I have for you, Haneul..because I don’t think saying I love you will be enough.” Her hands detached from his figure, reaching for the hem of her shirt as she slowly raised the fabric over her head, seeing as her bra was soaking in the bathroom meant that Snow had exposed herself in front of him, bare chest inches away from his torso, She wasted not another minute, lips crashing like waves against his own with a slight hum to reassure him about her well-being. Even the thought of sealing their love, but actually doing it made her heart race; Skin crawling with goosebumps, her stomach bubbling with anticipation knowing how magical this moment will be between them. “Make love to me, King of Devotion.”

Mental preparation had already gone by the time that Haneul had attempted to rise from the bed, meeting Hades wouldn’t be an easy task and the idea of bargaining with him instilled a fear that he had never met before. He wasn’t as skilled as his own father yet, he had sat in on meetings with his top soldiers and guards all his life, watched them strategise, yet her never had to put it into practice. She had his full attention the moment her fingers skimmed his skin, already bringing his other hand to rest on hers by the time it had settled around his wrist. “I’d bring you the moon if you asked for it.” His retort layered in a sweetness that he had reserved solely for her, confirmation of his love for her and that it didn’t matter the impossible task requested, he would give her everything she desired. Her words drew him lower, settling on the edge of the bed once again and turning his hand in order to clasp hers fully in his own. “Don’t think of me as such a fool to be trapped by Hades.” Haneul tried to laugh despite the rush of his heart, he wished that there was a way to reach out and ease her pain with a simple touch. However, his laughter was lost once her tears began to fall, his hands rising to her face and desperately attempting to swipe away each tear that fell. “I won’t bargain my own head in exchange for yours, snowdrop. I will return only when the deal is fair, he cannot keep me there and he won’t keep you away from you.” Words of bravery that could fall flat within hours yet Haneul knew that Snow needed them; she needed him to be the strength that was required to break through the hell they were trapped within. “Listen to me,” his hands found home on her face, pushing aside the stray hairs that clung to her tear-stained cheeks. “We will have a future, I’m going to come back and once you are better,  I’ll take you to every house, you will see every sea and mountain, do you understand?” He twisted his frame in order to bring his forehead to hers, grappling with the desire to kiss her repeatedly, but the promises on the tip of his tongue had been too important. “We will get married, I promise you that, and we will have children, we’ll spend our lives together. Long lives, long enough that my handsome face has more crinkles than these sheets but you’ll still believe I’m the most handsome man you’ve ever seen, and I’ll die next to you after we’ve had a lifetime.” His mouth met hers, promises sealed within a kiss, uncertain if he would ever be capable of fulfilling them - but he would die trying to keep each one of them.

All her life, Snow imagined wandering Damned in hopes to find someone that would show her undying love and every day she was disappointed by the suitors her father had chosen. These men didn’t want love, only wanted the power behind marrying the daughter of Hades, and she quickly realized that fact. Her arrival in Devotion meant new faces and possibly love interests, but she never planned to fall in love with the next King. The moment her eyes caught his own, Snow undoubtedly knew that this man would be her soulmate and it only occurred to her once that they were from separate houses. In this moment right now, she was aware of where she came from but oblivious until Haneul had to pay a visit to her father. Why couldn’t she be born in Devotion? Why did her fate have to be Hade’s daughter? Snow found displeasure thinking about sending him away to lands that he had never stepped foot in. “How many?” She whispered lovingly, forehead pressing against his own. “How many children?” Snow didn’t mean to change the topic, avoiding situations was not her forte, but she had to know how many children; She mustered up enough energy to pull away, eyes refusing any distractions as she admired his beauty. “This might sound crazy especially with everything going on, but I would like for us to make love before you go.” Her voice was delicate in case the walls were listening, aware of what she was asking for with her current state, but she wouldn’t be able to handle being away from him. Snow wanted the first time between them to be perfect and what a better time than before he left for war, dramatic, except not really when it came to her father. “Haneul, I don’t know how long you’ll be gone for and if I’m going to be completely honest with you–I think this is a perfect time.” A healing, reassuring smile as she placed a kiss against his lips letting a chuckle escape into the kiss. “It sounds ridiculous. I know how it sounds, there are plenty of important things to worry about and I choose to worry about having sex with my husband-to-be. I can’t help it, look at you, I’m in love with all of you–I really can’t let you go without doing this and it’ll be a reminder that you need to come home quickly.”

In the end, he would be the reason for her death, except it hadn’t been at his kiss but the search for his father’s soul. Devotion would be the death of her and he could only suspect the cruel pull of the fates that took unkindly to being bested by his finding of true love. Haneul’s gaze was too focused on her features to glance at the blood in her hand, although he had reached for her wrist in the following moment. “I’m listen–” His voice drifted off while fingers trailed across her palm, the sticky residue left him frozen, staring at the red under his own fingertips. Pressure closing in on his lungs the longer that he remained focused on the blood and after thirty seconds, he realised that he had no longer been listening to her. The realisation startled him into action, releasing her hand to tug at his sleeve, and swiftly he took hold of her again, but this time he began to clean her palm with the white fabric of his cuff. “I will bring him to you.” Haneul wasn’t accustomed to calling upon the gods and of them all, Hades was the one that would certainly be the trickiest to catch the attention of. He would be forced to rely on Minji and hope that she cared enough about Snow as she appeared to, or had even a shred of power where the master of her house was concerned. “And if he doesn’t come, I will take you to him myself. I won’t let you die, I refuse to let you die, I’ll make a deal with your father if I have to.” He spoke with certainty despite the audacity of his words, no royal marched themselves into the world of a god without invitation. Let alone threaten to make dealings with those that weren’t their patrons. He raised a hand to cup the side of her neck, thumb resting along her pulse and for a minute, he fell into silence; listening only to the thrum of her heart. She was alive right now and he had to keep her that way. “You’re never allowed to scare me like this again after this, do you understand?” An attempt to be lighthearted and hopeful for the future, raising from the edge of the bed and remaining bent over to press a kiss to her forehead. “Rest and don’t worry about a thing.” 

The exhaustion had been unbearable, searching for ways to regain her energy in order to provide Haneul with proper reactions to his words yet her brain refused to send the neurons needed to speak to him. She held herself up long enough to catch his wrist, thumb creasing over the skin while her lips turned upwards, and her eyes immersed themselves into those princely markers that she cherished so much. “You’re the strongest man, my darling.” Her voice glazed with sweetness, using his body as a placeholder for a moment. “I love you to the moon, Haneul.” Those three words, simple yet powerful enough, Snow needed to tell him every day how much she loved him. Never counting the number of times that she had spoken those words to him, it couldn’t be helped when saying them felt so natural. “My father is nothing like your father. You must understand that he is difficult to bargain with, particularly regarding my life; It may sound cruel, but I am the daughter of Hades.” Maybe she mentioned her father too soon, Snow suddenly became overwhelmed with the feeling of vulnerability when speaking of her father. “He cannot show weakness around us for reasons that we all know. My father is the ruler of the damned and emotions are never allowed in a place filled with dying spirits.” Snow cupped her own face, catching the tears as they fell with her sleeves, and shuddering under her breath as she proceeded to speak. “I dislike the idea of you going down there by yourself because I’m afraid he’ll lock you away in order to keep me alive. I don’t want to make a deal with him that requires an exchange, you must promise me that you’ll come back to me.” Her tears continued to paint her cheeks, her nose turning a pink shade as she avoided eye contact with her future husband. “You have no idea how you make me feel, I nearly sacrificed myself for you because I hated the thought of leaving you without answers. I’m wildly in love with you and thinking about losing you–living without you will shatter me in ways that I can barely understand myself. Please, please, don’t you dare leave me alone in this world and I promise to be yours, living and healthy, fully yours for as long as humanly possible.” Snow settled her palms against his cheeks, pads from her fingertips drawing circles along his cheekbones as her body mustered up the energy to press a kiss to his lips. Her face burrowed into the side of his cheek as a skittish sigh escaped if only she had the energy to attend the meeting with her father, Snow couldn’t bear watching him leave her side. “Haneul Seong, I want to have a future with you and that requires you to return in one piece.”

There was no way that Haneul could possibly rest once Snow had fallen asleep, concerned that if he took her eyes off of her for a second, there was a chance that he would lose her again. Over the hours, he had shifted from sitting on the bed to the sofas that had been opposite and back to the bed, actions that he had repeated in a cycle several times until he eventually chose to bring a chair to her bedside. Easy to ignore the fluttering of the maids that came every so often to complete their duties. They had managed to clear the bathroom of any remnants of what had happened, laundered Snow’s clothing and had it folded waiting for her on the nightstand. Meals had come and gone away cold, he refused to have even a drop until she woke. His eyes had lifted off her finally to sink into his notebook, glancing at her every few minutes instead, until her voice had brought his full attention back to her. The notebook was abandoned instantaneously, with no care for where it ended up as he leaned forward, although he froze when he realised that she hadn’t spoken to him. Words that weren’t for him and he wished he hadn’t heard them, even if it would be unfair to deny what she wanted. “You’re awake.” He spoke softly as he shifted to sit on the edge of the bed once more, reaching out to run his fingers over her forehead and draw the hair out of her face. The smile that painted his lips did not reach his eyes, happy that she was awake, but he couldn’t shake what she had asked for in her daze. “Is there anything you need?” He wished to skirt around the fact and his heart wouldn’t allow him; even if his mind pushed him to be selfish. The pause ate at him, focused on the fingers that stroked her hair before he made his decision to be clear on what he had heard. “Would you like me to send word to your father? I can extend an invitation.” Even as a royal, he did not have the right to summon a god, but he could only hope a letter would suffice - or perhaps, he would be a coward and call for Aphrodite, he would much rather be at her mercy than Hades. “Or… if you wish, I can arrange for you to go home.”

Unable to respond, even though she truly wanted to speak to him, there were internal issues unfolding wanting to cause problems. Her eyes gradually shut once more, rolling onto her side to avoid the light that peeked through the satin curtains with an overwhelming sense of dread. Snow ignored her father’s rules about drifting into the world of the dead, but she seemed to remember how extremely tricky it would be to return. This time her dreams were of a promised land of delight, sparkles of enchantment throughout the palace with golden butterflies in the air; Regardless, Snow was lucid in between flickers of dreams preparing herself for the nightmares to come and the moment the butterfly landed on her its wings collapsed. “Death.” Her body ached returning to the physical plane, eyes lowered to notice how nothing changed with Haneul still by her side. How could she continue to ignore him? Chattering was her strong suit and now she avoided it like the plague. “I would like to visit my father for a couple of days. I doubt he’d make a visit down to Devotion since you know he is not well-liked around these parts–” A hand swiftly covered her mouth, coughing into the palm of her hand as she glanced at the specs of blood. Something evil had attached to her soul and explaining that to Haneul would cause panic, seeing the blood would cause everyone to panic, and she was growing weaker as the days went by. “Hanuel, I need you to listen to me very carefully.” Bottled energy was used to rise from the bed, leaning along the edge as she clasped his hands. “I’m going to die.” Snow forced a smile knowing this is the last thing he wanted to hear from her. “I need you to bring my father and if he will not come then I must find a way home before I grow too weak to fight off the soul that’s eating my life energy.” Her hand hovered over his feathers, palm cupping her face to caress the soft skin. “Can you do this for me? Please, I know my father and he will be stubborn because you’re not from Damned–but you’re my King and he will listen to anything you have to say.”

“I believe it is Athena that you have to thank for making me so lovable. However, I think it’s my mother and father that need the credit for my dashing good looks.” Haneul was content to bask in the touch of his cheeks even with her chilled hands, winking at her in the process, although he still felt on edge. His fingers still trembling as they rose to rest on those that were on his cheeks, uncertain he would ever be able to relinquish that fear or the sadness that followed the belief that she was lost. Snow’s confessions made it impossible to focus on anything but her words; he wanted everything that she did; he might have just believed that he wanted it more than her when his heart thrummed almost painfully in excitement. “You will have everything you desire, snowdrop. If you want to be married, we’ll be married. If you want children, we will have as many as you wish to carry. I’ll have the chefs create new deserts in your honour, you will every sweet you could ever imagine.” His touch was gentle, fingers shifting to push back the damp hair that covered a face that needed to be fully on display; he found it wrong for something so beautiful to be concealed. “But before we talk, you need to rest first.” Haneul removed his hands from her only to focus on turning down the sheets, an action he had never done for himself, but he was overpowered by the desire to care for her. “And I won’t let you refuse to rest, I know asking you not to talk is a big ask, but I very much need you to rest as you do.” He smiled as he returned focus to her, bent down to raise her legs and encouraged her to lay down. It was then that he finally recognised that others remained nearby, afraid to abandon their stations in case they were called upon again. “Can someone bring some tea and then let us be alone? I would like the physician to come in a few hours, but for now, please wait to be called.” There was a shift that brought relief, even from Minji who was under no command of his, although she stepped forward to squeeze Snow’s hand silently before making her exit.

Snow listened to his words carefully knowing the best thing to do was rest, having a death experience drained her energy to protest him. She couldn’t deny the softness of the bed, something about these fabrics had been different than the ones in her quarters. “Minji..” Her voice softer than the pillows that she would use to rest her head, teary eyes glancing over towards Minji without missing  second to smile. “It wasn’t your fault, you did the best that you could and I’m okay.” Snow attempt to reassure her companion, understanding that becoming an anchor to someone meant the responsibility of a life. “You can’t let me forget what I need to tell you, Haneul.” Her body sank into the bed, finding comfort between the silk fabrics which had to be made from gold threads. “You have to..” She buried her face into the pillows, ears refusing to catch his words because her mind had planned to have her rest. The minute her eyes closed, everything in the room changed as her mind wandered into the deepest parts of no return; Snow failed to disclose the dangerous of roaming the spirit realm for too long, staying under for too long would cause her to develop nightmares. Spirits of all sorts will attempt to reach her through dreams, wanting another shot to walk amongst the living. “Please, I’m sorry--I wanted to find him. Where is he?” Her voice shuddered, earning for the person that showed up in her nightmare. “Don’t leave me, Phoenix. Please don’t go..” Heavy lids opened, gaze wandering to assess her surroundings. How long did she even sleep? Snow woke up exhausted, rolling her drained body to the opposite side of the bed. “I want to go home.” She spoke as if there was no one else in the room, corruption clouded her ability to function properly, and all she wanted was to see her father knowing this was outside her scope. “I need my father.”

Coldness crept in on all sides, it was all Haneul could feel on his skin. The weight of Snow’s chilled body in his arms, the damp tiles that he sat on, the air that seeped over them from the door he swore he would never open until she called to him. He had broken his final promise to her, but it made no difference, tightening his hold on her and willing himself to go back. To be back in the courtyard and refusing to allow her to do anything more for him. Forehead pressed against hers as the tears threatened to choke him and if they dared to be so kind, he’d have happily obliged to follow Snow into the unknown. The smallest of whispers he almost missed over the sound of his own heartbeat, swearing that he had been hallucinating, for there was no possible way for a corpse to speak to him. It wasn’t until the second time that he opened his own eyes to find her staring up at him, and for a brief moment, he was prepared to swear that he had lost his mind. “I promise.” His tears poured out faster despite the grin that spread over his lips, overwhelmed with the joy that followed the end of his world. “I promise to love you to eternity.” He swept his knuckles across her chin before resting his palm on her cheek, basking in the warmth that return to her skin. His mouth was on hers in a matter of seconds, although he hadn’t lingered for long, unwilling to steal the breath that had just returned. It had been Minji’s sniffle next to him that brought the rest of the room into focus, and he was overcome with the desire to flee. “We need to get you warm.” Haneul didn’t wait for approval, coaxing her closer into his chest as he stood, and crossed the threshold to the warmth of his bedroom. “You’re freezing.” He was gentle as he attempted to sit her on the edge of the bed, not needing to ask for towels or clothing, Minji had already been on his heel to give them to him. Wasting no time in wrapping the towel around her shoulders, rubbing her arms in the hopes of heating her up that bit faster.

Snow glanced around the bedroom, watching as every person scattered to find dry clothing for her, and thinking about how Haneul never missed a beat when it came to taking care of her. Her memories of his father returned to her, King Dae cared only for his family and the safety of his son--the sweetness of this family was uncharted waters for Snow. The security that they had within one another was far from what she had with her father, it almost scared her that she fell in love with someone so willing to die for her. “Haneul.” Her body temperature gradually rose to a normal temperature, sliding off her wet clothing only for it to be quickly replaced with warm ones. “I’m sorry.” Those were the only words she could think of in the moment, Snow couldn’t imagine the pain he went through when she laid in his arms completely lifeless; Mind wandering about how a man could treat her so well, every story she read when a man would treat his woman like a Queen, and here she was being smothered by his love. “Who made you so handsome?” Her lukewarm palms cupped his cheeks, thumbs caressing the skin against his cheekbones. “Who made you so lovable that you’d make a woman fall so deeply in love that she’d risk everything for you?” The more she spoke, the more adoration she felt for him in those moments just between them even though the room was still occupied. “I want to have a family. I want us to have a family--I want us to get married with all the sweets the nation could ever imagine.” She wanted to be apart of his world, no matter what she had to do because nothing would make sense without him in her world. “But, I need to talk to you before we get into details.”

Something felt wrong. Minji had felt it from the moment that she held Snow’s head under the water, but she had pushed it aside. It wasn’t until the failure of a pull for her to come to her aid, she didn’t feel the connection, that she began to panic. There was only her hands getting bluer as they gripped onto her friend’s shoulders and the only sound was the trickle of the water; nothing from their world or beyond. The rise of Snow’s body from the water hadn’t come as she expected, it was the drift of her hands and her feet, no longer a soul in the frame to keep it anchored. “Snow?” Her hands released the other’s shoulders, hoping it had been her grip that kept her from rising. All she did was drift with the flow of the water and Minji knew she was gone before she had even plunged her hands back into the icy water. Hooking her arms underneath Snow’s, able to bring her head above water but she didn’t have the strength to lift her any further. The entirety of her upper frame was drenched in the cold water, yet her skin felt hot as she tried to leverage her best friend from what could very well be her deathbed. “Snow, please. Please, wake up. Snow!” She had to give up on freeing her body from the bathtub, hands cupping her cheeks and desperately hoping that her eyes would open in a delayed return. She barely acknowledged the door being tossed open, that Haneul had thrown caution to the rules that Snow had given him at the sound of her screaming her name. “What happened?” His shout startled Minji out of the way, but he didn’t look to her for the answer, he had forgotten the barked question the second he set eyes on Snow. He didn’t hesitate when it came to sinking into the tub, arms encasing Snow entirely and he had done what Minji had struggled to do, he lifted her free from the water. It wasn’t until he sunk to the tiles with her tucked against his chest, that he realised that he didn’t know what to do. One hand raised to press over her chest in search of a heartbeat or even the rise and fall of a breath, but there was nothing. She was entirely still, her only movement bought on by the tremble of his own body. “Someone do something!” His throat ached with the power in the scream, eyes flashing to Minji who had sunk onto the ground next to him entirely debilitated, and then towards to Wednesday. “Please do something.” His voice cracked as the tears rolled hot over his cheeks, instinctively rocking her in his arms and drawing her closer to him. “You can’t leave me like this. I love you, I’ll love you to eternity if you wake up.” The chill of her skin had a devastating effect on him, mouth pressed to her hair and then her forehead, sinking further into an inconsolable state. He truly was cursed to the bitter end.

Snow thought about this happening many times when she wandered the realm for souls, fetched last wishes for those that needed to move, or information for her father--but never really thought that she’d be the person needing to be saved from the souls. “I need to go back.” Her voice faint, energy levels dropping the longer her body went without a soul attached, and even thinking about a plan cost her minutes away from her body. “Can anyone hear me? I know someone has to be the pull for me to leave here. I can’t stay here any longer..” Her body shivered, voice cracking as she watched souls pass by her thinking nothing of her. Souls move through passageways every day, one in denial wouldn’t cause any entire world to stop functioning which she understood yet giving up was not the answer. ‘You can’t leave me like this. I love you, I’ll love you to eternity if you wake up.’ Somehow, she knew who spoke these words and it warmed her body knowing that he loved her so much and it proved powerful enough to gradually return her soul to her lifeless. “I’m sorry.” She prayed these weren’t the last words that she could say to him, finding a place to rest between wandering souls as her arms hugged her knees. Haneul. It was nearly impossible to free someone from the other side, once they were gone--they were gone and the living would have to move on. Unfortunately, Snow refused to leave him and it sparked a flame within her that she didn’t know existed. Using that flame to ignite her soul, crawling towards the speck of light at the edge of the dark room, and soon her body was no longer empty. “Promise?” Her voice low, coated in adoration for the man while her eyes slowly opened to catch small glimpses of those handsome features. “Do you promise?” Weak smile appearing over her features, throat clearing as lungs filled with air once more.

Relief flooded him to know that his family were safe, they were well, and Haneul had stepped into the role he had been destined to hold with ease. “Thank Aphrodite.” Quiet praise to the goddess above for protecting them in their time of need. He was silent for several minutes even as the girl questioned him, returning his eyes to the mirror that had grabbed his attention for so long. A deep sigh following the revelations that he had too late - he was gone before he had understood the scale of all that he had seen. “It was Warden of Strife, I am certain. There were freshly trained soldiers that came to the palace two years ago, I believe one of them lives is living under the name of another; he was never a man of Devotion, but has taken the life of one to have his place.” His eyebrows furrowed, trying to remember the name and his face yet that information had drifted from him after several months. “He has climbed the ranks and I happened to spot the broach tucked in the under layers of his uniform a week before I drank from the poisoned cup. I didn’t react and I feel he panicked to complete the command another gave him. You need to find him, imprison him, but I do not trust that more than him will not show and steal our trust. I can fell the true threat approaching, he will be here soon.” He knew he should have done something sooner, he was foolish to believe that war wasn’t right under their noses. Her introduction lifted the heavy haze and his gaze followed, rising to the face of the woman that claimed love for her son. “Bae Yena, daughter of Hades, I hope my son has given you his heart in return. The curse has finally lifted in your presence, hasn’t it? ” He had caught snippets in the void, his soul catching moments of growing love as it shifted through the emptiness of the palace on the spirit side. “Tell him that he is the finest King that Devotion will ever witness, and he has grown into a man that I could only imagine in my wildest dreams. He has made my duties as a father, worth more than my duties as king.” The light was edging through him, the air that had remained in false lungs had finally emptied. He had given what needed to be given. “And remind them to always check his cup, I do not wish to see him anytime soon.”

The surrounding area began to fade, clearing a pathway for the soul that was ready to move on. Snow managed to jot down any important information in regarding the death of his father, watching as her vision began to blur knowing she had little time to give a response. “You may rest in peace knowing your family will be safe, I will find out who killed you, and promise to deliver your message to your son. I’m so sorry for the way you died and I hope you no longer feel any pain--” Shadows began to roam closer, realizing her failure to untie the knot to her reality with Haneul when her shoulder was touched briefly. “Please rest easy. I promised to love your son with everything fiber of my being and you will only catch him with a smile when you seek him.” As words began to fade, trees started to wither around her gradually casting her out to restrict access to him. It was her time to leave, Snow fought her way towards her first location in the realm. “Minji!” She shouted with confidence, completely ignoring the howls around her, and focusing on retuning back to the world of the living. “Bring me back! Wake me up! I need you to pull me out of the water!” Panic began to wrap around her body likes old vines covering an abandon home, Snow attempted to grab ahold of the golden doors and nothing seemed to attach her back to reality. “I’m dying. Please, bring me back--I know you can hear me. I need to get back to him.” Snow watched as her heartbeat slowed, suffering to catch her breath, and it took only seconds to understand that her body was dying. She needed more than an anchor, a miracle--someone had to bring her back or she was never returning from this realm. Loving someone so much that she would risk her entire life for seemed ridiculous, but she didn’t regret following his father into this world nor did dying to save everyone in the process. “I love you.” Those would be the last worlds that she could muttered before her heart stopped, veins turning to ice as her soul ascended leaving her body an empty shell.