#utopia au

Many did not want to reach the end. They did not wish to meet their maker - if there was one, they did not want to see what was on the other side waiting for them. They feared knowing the truth behind the universe and the secrets of the afterlife. But all good stories come to an end, and Death understood that better than anyone. Death ensured that all those who passed, passed in peace. Death was no monster - despite the stories many had heard - and was understanding of the complexity of human emotions of loss. 

For those who passed in unfortunate accidents, Death would lay with them and comfort them in their final minutes before passing. They would ensure the departing would not be alone in their final moments of pain and suffering, and even remove the pain as it became too unbearable. Or for those who passed in their sleep, Death would wake them gently at the shoulder and offer a kind hand to help them up and lead them through the light to pass on. Young children and babies were no stranger to Death, and were arguably the hardest deaths for Death to take away. The shock of one so new to Life already returning to begin again made Death ache just enough to feel uncomfortable as they collected the young soul. Death would sing to them, place a kiss against their forehead to lull them to sleep, and pull them into their arms and carry them through the light themselves. Death was no monster, and not to be feared.

But Death would not always be merciful. You cannot run away from your end, and when the time comes you will go. The angel of the end would rear its head and turn to a demon of terror, shedding the human exterior and unsheathing it’s claws to drag its victim to their final resting place. Death saw every creature as nothing other than what it truly was; a creature, a prize, an object to obtain and move on to the next. Humans and all creatures alike meant absolutely nothing to Death before their time came - especially when they ran from what was destined. 

But the world hasn’t worked that way for over 1,000 years.

In the 21st century, a victim that suffered from severe hypothermia was the first of many to survive Death. They were followed by 4 bullet wound victims, 24 car accidents survivors, 7 deadly allergic reactions, and 1 plane crash. Each incident came from all over the world and they all should have ended in death with no chance of survival. The world was shocked at the discovery, and it became more relevant as scientists discovered the galaxy's cease of orbit around the sun. Planets in the solar system stopped moving, plants and animals - children especially - ceased their growth, gardens ceased their production. Anything meant to grow and age, suddenly stopped altogether. No one understood how or why it happened, but as years continued to pass and Death and growth ceased to exist, the world and its inhabitants began to adjust to the new world they were offered. 

For the first ten years, church goers and ‘the-end-is-near’ advocates alike would chant and preach about their makers testing them, about the world soon ending all life as they knew it. Billboards, shops, the news, magazines, any surface visible to the human eye was covered in warnings to pray for forgiveness or to prepare for the worst, but the worst never came.

And neither did the end.

As humanity and all life as we know it remained stagnant, the Earth submerged itself into regression in ways that no one could have ever imagined. What started as a small increase in minor earthquakes turned into the moving of what was originally thought to be the end. Mass panic spread across the globes as the Earth’s land masses slowly began to shift closer and closer together. The once large continent of Pangea that had dispersed long ago had slowly reappeared as years passed with no hope of ever stopping, and with it came changes humanity never could have imagined. Rainforests with tropical climates that once prospered as dense forests with heavy rains and large brush merged into the vast plains of sand and wind, tropical storms now a complicated mix of rain and heavy winds filled with rough sand. Cold and snow inhabited areas were met with warm, sunny beaches and trees meant for climates of much higher degrees, creating pools of water that could cool you down and leave you frostbitten all the same. 

Many large cities crumbled. Some left citizens drowned in debris, while others fell into the ocean before the super continent formed. Seaside towns were completely destroyed, along with the families that couldn’t get away fast enough. Neighborhoods were ruined, people were injured, healthcare facilities filled faster than workers could run them, and animals and families were left with nowhere to go. The world that once thought it knew everything and how to live was thrown into a new age of life.

The Age After Death.

137 years after Death had ceased to exist, humans had discovered a way to encourage their bodies and the ecosystems around them to continue to grow. Farmers were able to grow their fields, infants were able to continue to grow into adolescents and then into adults, and the peace that once blessed Earth was returned. From there, the world’s growth resumed and life continued on where it left off over 100 years prior.

Now, 1,000 years after The Cure that returned humanity to its origins, the world has settled into a new set of societal rules to accommodate the new era. STEM majors went into high demand when Death vanished from the Earth - as a cure was needed to live normally without Death - and once the world returned to a ‘normal’ state, STEM major demands only continued to grow as more disadvantages in the society arose. But with the amount of time they had to develop products and test them for accuracy, it wasn’t long until humans became exceptionally skilled in major math and sciences. But not every human was happy to sit in a lab all day, and with the world slowly becoming more and more populated, it was only a matter of time until unemployment skyrocketed to a peak. Classes that were normally 100-200 turned into classes of thousands that have been alive 17 years to over 100 years. Excavation sites that salvaged the damaged areas and the wounded from Pangea’s creation became construction areas to build more homes and jobs for the generation coming in, walls were built around the remaining cities and neighborhoods for protection from new threats, and personal vehicles were taken away to aide in the rehabilitation of Earth, overpopulation, and reducing inadequate part production. It was a long process, but the results were worth it.

There was large propaganda that surrounded jobs the government suddenly needed, like scientists, nurses, doctors, mathematicians, construction workers, and electricians. Anyone who could provide an essential service that would benefit the population was highly sought after. So, as a young and impressionable 8 year old, you became interested in the kind of help that was needed. 

Every job flyer that arrived in your mailbox was taped to the wall next to your bed. With each new occupation that came in, you’d spend weeks with your parents learning about the different options you had to choose from. From construction to science, you learned everything you could about every job before crossing off the ones you just couldn’t understand. Of course, having over a hundred years to perfect these skills, you learned which jobs you really liked and which jobs would just be a backup plan for the future. And when the cure came and you were finally given the opportunity to grow up, you decided that nursing was the best option for you.

In a time where you’re unable to die, where you have no control over the growth of your body without the use of stimulation drugs, the internal and external health of others was no longer as simple as it used to be. No longer were doctors able to add stitches and send someone on their way, to just prescribe medicine and hope for the best, or to perform something as simple as open heart surgery and leave the patient to recover. In this world you live in, every operation and common cold alike is much more complex than they used to be.

Scientists determined in early cases of the cure that the body could only grow with additive hormones - most commonly known as Growth Stimulants - that were administered into the arm, leg, or buttocks. One shot every month of the year would trick the body into growing and continuing the growth process. So long as the shot is administered regularly, then a patient would be able to continue aging until they decided to end growth treatment. Of course, given the option to stay young, many inhabitants of the new world made the decision to stay young and in their prime versus growing old with chances of low mobility. However, this phenomenon of staying young forever and continuing to mess with the hands of Fate is what made your job so important.

Genetics were tricky to begin with. Add in the inability to die and a strong want for youth, and you create a cesspool of uncertainty in a world where you have nothing but time to play around. Of course, more hormones and new medicines known as ‘Regression Stimulants’ were made to assist in the reverse aging process. It was a long process trying to discover what old-age medicines would react drastically, but with trial and error progress was made. Still, the pain and suffering that came with these experiments and new age developments were drastic. 

The loss of Death did not take away the ability to feel pain. Patients who come in with burns still feel them until relief can be given, someone who’s been shot with the purpose of death will still feel as if they’re on Death’s door until they’re helped, and patients who need a Body Regulation shot will still cough and become weaker and weaker until they can get it. So, being a nurse in this world was almost as important as being a scientist or mathematician.

Not to say the plus sides of your new home weren’t reward enough. They definitely were! The ability to stay young, to only have children when you decided you were ready for them even with an active sex life, to explore all of your options before settling down. You could drink nothing but alcohol for a week and not worry about liver failure due to the added precautions in the Body Regulation shots! A life full of freedom is the one you lived in, and with what you could remember about the old world, you’d never want to go back to that.

* * *

Walking down the hall of the 4th floor - the one reserved for patients with damaged organs - you push a cart with alcohol wipes, cotton pads, two vials of clear liquid, and a syringe in front of you. It was medicine time for many patients, and this particular patient was your most important stop of the day. 

The door to his room is already open, so you push the cart in first and smile, “Hansol, I’ve brought your medicines.”

The hospital room isn’t as bright as most of the rooms on his floor, currently having a machine to project images to the ceiling to the left of the bed. The curtains on the far side of the room have been left open, letting in the city lights that light up the night sky and hide the real stars, and the TV placed across from where the bed is on the wall is turned off and left untouched. The only sound in the room comes from the machines by the bed and the man waiting to be attended to with a remote in his hand.

His eyes shift from the ceiling above him to you, a large, proud smile adorning his face. “Did you know that a cornflake once sold for $1,300? Fascinating.” His eyes shine with a childish wonder and you can’t help but to shake your own head in disbelief. Oh the company you decided to keep.

“You know, Bomi brought that in for you to watch movies. It’s purpose was not supposed to be for strange facts nobody cares about.” You flick the light on and pull your cart with you to his bedside, setting it out of your way so you can help your friend into a sitting position. He helps where he can, but his inconsistent blood flow hasn’t allowed for him to do much moving of his own. Waiting for open heart surgery to patch the hole in his heart seems to be taking a lot longer than it should

“This is ancient history from when we were younger, (Y/n)! Besides, what my wife doesn’t know won’t hurt me.” He insists with a smile.

“Oh, like streaking across a shooting range for a bet?” You ask. You take his right arm and pull it towards you, taking an alcohol wipe and cleaning the area to prep for his shot. 

“(Y/n), they bought me chicken nuggets. What was I supposed to do? Say no?!” He argues. His expression holds what should be a regrettable amount of happiness and pride in what he had done, and you were far from amused by this. You cast him a side glare before squeezing his arm a bit more than you previously were, “Hold still.” 

Just like every other day, you administer the two shots he’s required to have for organ and skin regeneration. You clean his arm up with some cotton and tape before patting it for good measure, earning a hiss from the playful man before you. “Well, someone’s in a mood. How long until your shift is over?”

“Another hour. I have a few more patients to visit before I’m done for today.” You explain, handing him a cup of water before cleaning up the mess you’d made on your cart. 

He downs the water in his cup and hands it back to you, wiping his mouth with the collar of his hospital gown, “Hey, if you see Mrs. Yu from 3 doors down, can you remind her that my room is not hers?”

“Mrs. Yu can’t remember which room is hers, Hannie.” You remind him. It wasn’t like he didn’t know the poor woman was in a car accident, but the only thing Mrs. Yu talked about was the good old days of the Old World and how terrible the New Age was 600 years ago. It’s like the hit to the head cleared everything out except the things she hated and the almost healed laceration across her abdomen.

“And why is that, Doctor?” He asks, his voice laced in mock curiosity.

You sigh. Not the first time he’s asked you information you can’t tell him, nor was it the first time he referred to you as his doctor. If only you were allowed to hit your patients, you would do it. You’d have to wait for Bomi to come visit him on her day off again, “You know fully well that I can’t tell you anything, and we both know you don’t want me as your doctor.”

“What are you going to do? Kill me?” He teases.

“You wish.” You grab your cart and start for the door, turning back before you leave the room entirely, “I’m off, but move your arm around a bit, okay? It’ll keep it from going stiff.”

He nods, raising his right arm with a slight wince to wave you off, “See you tomorrow!”

Having someone close to you in the hospital isn’t always easy - especially when you’re the one to care for them everyday - but having someone that makes your day a little brighter when they know you’re in a constant state of sterilized sorrow. It wasn’t like he was going to die, but waiting alongside hundreds of others that had to wait to be healed by hand, you didn’t doubt it had to feel like dying. That’s what made your job much more special. Helping others when they need you the most is what you do best. Even as a child before death had become extinct, you’d always been inclined to helping those who needed you. 

* * *

Arriving home after a long shift always felt more rewarding knowing that you’d helped someone get through another day. It made a quick shower feel like your own slice of heaven. Sure, you could do what others did to relax, like death simulators or high risk remedial therapy, but there was no thrill seeking adventure that could ease your long day like something as simple as a cold bed. It felt like the best massage the world could provide after 12 hours on the job. It was the only incentive you needed to let yourself fall back into the recess of your mind. 

There’s something about letting your brain fall into a light sleep that just puts you at ease. The rush of swimming in and out of consciousness lulling you into a high better than that of any drugs you could find in the entirety of your hospital. A euphoric state where you can feel your body shut down and relax into a sea of darkness and silence.

Silence.

A blissful buzz of nothing that rings in your ears as you drift alone in your subconscious. It’s quiet, serene, and peaceful. You wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

“Can you hear me, Little Doves?” A soft, feminine voice permeates through the emptiness of your room. It pulls you from the sheets of your bed, making you sit up and look for it in the darkness of the night.  

“What...?” It leaves your voice as a hoarse sigh, littered with confusion and sleep. The voice sounded so close to you, but there’s nothing there. Were you dreaming?

“You have their attention, Lamb.” Another voice calls, this one with a honeyed tone that pulls your attention to another area of your room. 

“Is someone there?” You call. You look for movement, but there’s no one there. No one responds. 

“We’ve been asleep for so long, I’ve forgotten how it feels, Wolf.” The modulated voice of the female says. How can she be so close yet so far? Where was she hiding? Who was she talking to? “Have they too forgotten how it feels?”

“We should remind them, Lamb.” The voice of the wolf insists.

‘Lamb...? Wolf?’ You wonder, ‘What kind of dream is this?’

“Remind them how darkness feels?” Lamb asks. You hear nothing in return from the wolf, no acknowledgment to her question. 

You feel a cold chill rush over you and you pull your blankets back over your body, coercing yourself to lay down once more without much of a thought. This was a dream. A strange dream with no explanation and you just needed to move on to another. 

In the back of your mind as you feel your dream sleep away, you can still hear the Lamb speak to you - or the wolf, “The world will remember us, dear Wolf. They will remember who is truly here to judge them.”

“They are so peaceful when they no longer suffer.”

* * *

An abrupt ringing pulls you from your slumber, the undeniable ring of your cell phone roaring for attention. It’s almost impossible not to groan when you open your eyes to find the light of day hasn’t even made it into the sky just yet, just a dark blue with a tinge of orange just making it through your blinds. You weren’t a grumpy morning person by any means, but the time on your homescreen just above the caller ID reading ‘6:27am’ was just too early for you. The beautiful face of your college roommate is what takes up your screen, a picture you had taken almost 400 years ago after she’d had her 5th baby with sweat covering her brow and a bittersweet smile from the euphoric pain she felt after birth. She’s worked in the same hospital as you ever since your first internship together, but as a radiology technician in favor of a nurse like yourself. She’s a first shift worker - unlike you who works the unfortunate second shift - and she never failed to forget that you did indeed get home and in bed by 2am every night. It didn’t help that her husband would sometimes specifically call for you to take care of him right before your shift ended. Taking care of her Hansol was no easy task when he tried to keep you hostage 2 minutes to your end of shift, and it was only a miracle that you didn’t have to go in for another 8 hours.

With a sigh, you answer the phone and turn on the speaker, “Hey, Bo-”

“(Y/n)!” You’re cut off by a panicked call of your name, “Oh my god...He’s dead! He’s dead! Hansol is dead!” 

‘Dead?’ You think, ‘Impossible.’ Death was dead. No one had died in over 1,000 years, and it wasn’t going to just start again like nothing had ever happened. The idea was...ridiculous! No one died anymore, but the hysteria you could hear in her voice was all too convincing for her to be lying.

“-I got to work this morning an-and they told me to go with them and-” She takes a bated breath, “-oh my god, (Y/n), it’s the entire floor! It looks like the pictures of war time we saw in history books when we were younger and Hansol-”

“Bomi, you need to calm down!” You’re quick to cut her off. How were you expected to just believe that she was telling the truth? Death back again from- well, the dead? It wasn’t reasonable. Implausible! It didn’t make sense, and anything that doesn’t make sense has to have some easier explanation. “How do we know this isn’t just some weird effect of his condition? He could be revived still!”

“(Y/n)-” The way she says your name, so soft and delicate yet so sad and serious with a rough edge to it from the crying, it sends a shiver down your spine in dread. Fear of what she’s saying being true, “You need to turn on the TV.”

You hesitate, debating if leaving the comfort of your bed would really be the best option for you. If you stay in bed, you don’t run the risk of what evidence could be waiting for you on the screen in your living room. You wouldn’t have to face the problems of the world until later. However, if it were true, if everything that Bomi has said about the patients on your floor had really happened and Death was making its resurgence...then you wouldn’t be able to afford the blissful ignorance forever. 

Ultimately, the need to know the truth took over, and your feet lead you to the couch you’d bought online only a week ago to replace your old one. You remember the excitement you felt directing the movers on where to put the new couch, the small pang of regret as you watched them take away the old one that held so many memories for you and your friends. Old lovers you’d brought home, godchildren you’d babysat, girl’s nights where you’d gotten deadass drunk and watched nothing but dramas were all embedded in your brain and a part of you that you were a little reluctant to let go of. 

You had a nagging feeling that this would be a memory you’d want to forget.

Using the remote to turn on the TV, you’re immediately met with an emergency news report that had taken over your movie channel while you were asleep. Body cam coverage from an officer plays on the screen, a reporter talking over the actual footage as the officer chases after a suspect. You stare, frozen in your seat as he shoots the man nearly 30 ft away from him, watching the man he shot fall to the ground without any sign of him getting back up. However, in your world, blackouts with that type of injury is perfectly normal.

“Bomi, that wound isn’t fa-” 

“Keep watching!” 

“-and here we see a white smoke cover the man and disappear just as fast.” True to his word, the video on the screen replays 3 times, each time slower and slower to give the audience a clear view of the white mist that flashes on the screen and disappears. But it’s not just the body that’s left when the mist disappears. “And looking closely a blue mist is left behind before it vanishes completely!”  

Somewhere in the back of your mind you can hear it again, the voice that called out to you the night before. ‘You’re cold, but you won’t be cold for long, little duck.’ Only the voice isn’t talking to you, nor does it seem like it acknowledges you, but someone else. You can see the blue mist, but the visual memory is too distorted to see anything but the blue ball of cold fire on top of white snow.

The camera returns to the studio, focusing on the anchors once again. The female anchor turns to her partner next to her, an expression of both fear and disbelief written across her face even if she doesn’t mean to show it. “What do you think we’re seeing, Donghyuck?”

The dark haired male in question takes a shaky breath, his mouth opening and closing as if he’s trying to find the right words to say. The papers in his hand are clutched with a tight grip, strong enough to leave his knuckles pale. It’s hard not to notice how worried and at loss the man is as the pause continues to drag on, especially as his move from the camera back to the papers in his hand as if he’s contemplating dropping it all. But despite whatever battle he’s struggling with in his mind, he pushes on, “I don’t want to alarm anyone, but this could be a sign from death itself saying it’s back. In fact, last night several reports of ominous whispers were heard from all over our reformed Pangea. Officials from the various sanctions hav-” 

You drown the man on TV out, staring blankly at the screen in front of you as you try to recall the memory from before. ‘You’re cold now, but you won’t be cold for long, little duck?’ How could you not remember where it came from? 

Of course, being a part of the new generation of children living in the New Age, you’d spent the first hundred years of your life living in the body of a child with no development until the cure came about. Memories were lost as naturally as they were made and that didn’t bother you. At least, it didn’t bother you until this moment when you needed it the most.

“I heard the whispers last night, but I thought it was a dream...” You mumble to yourself, forgetting about the phone next to your ear.

“I heard them too! How could I not have known? Hansol! He-” She pauses, “He was everything to me!” It breaks your heart to hear the pain in your friend’s voice, the break in her speech resembling the shattering of her own heart. No doubt she was in shock, you would be too if the love of your life was ripped out of your hands without being able to say a final goodbye. 

But what could you do? What could anyone have done to stop this tragedy from happening? Bomi certainly wouldn’t have been able to do anything, and you doubt that anyone in Pangea could have done anything at all. “You couldn’t have known, Bo. How could anyone have possibly known?”

And no one could have. Who would have ever guessed that after 1,000 years of life with no Death or semblance of balance that Death would return and collect the souls of over 200,000 people in one night? All at once, so many lives were lost and it felt like the world had submerged into chaos once again like it had so many years ago. No one knew what to do that first day. Death was a rumor in today’s society, something you only studied in a history or psychology class. The older generation that parented and guided their children into the New Age when Death disappeared was the only age to truly remember Death and it’s toll on the world. They were witness to the negatives and the monstrosities that overrun the world before the New Age, and they were the only generation to be split in half over the disappearance.

There were many from the Old Age that revered Death, placing it on a pedestal and encouraging it to return to Earth and restore the balance that the world once had. However, there were just as many that celebrated their liberation from Fate. In fact, the Ambassador of your sanction led the charge for change when Death disappeared. 

Ambassador Hyungjin Carrol. He was a humble, clumsy archeologist of the Old Age when you met him as a child. Your best friend’s father. He’d spent his life studying Ancient Greece and fallen dynasties until he had your best friend, Lina Carrol. He led the New Age into what it is today with the help of other Sanction Leaders from all over the continent. His face is one that puts everyone at ease, and it was thanks to him and his team of experts that anyone was able to age as they wished. They created the cure for the people and the modern medicines of today’s society that made the bodies of the people stronger. In times of trouble, he was the man everyone turned to, and today was a day that the world needed him most.

So, as he stands behind his podium only 4 days after the initial wave of Death flooded the world’s news outlets, it brings a mix of sadness and relief to those that stand in the crowd around you. The decor that was placed around City Hall Square matches the sea of blacks and greys that were once worn to funerals before the practice was ended. His family and his cabinet sit on chairs placed behind the podium, camera crews and media personnel are sat in the fourth and fifth rows behind the families of those lost in the Sanction’s capital city. Everyone present, whether they sat before him or stood almost a block away waited for his speech in hopes that it would bring them relief.

The Ambassador himself takes a moment to collect his thoughts, looking from the paper below him to the camera’s and his city’s people in front of him. “When Death first disappeared, I had a fear that it would come back. We watched our world fall apart at that time, and we rebuilt our society from the ground up after the destruction that destroyed our once great nations. We handed leadership to those that could truly lead our New Age into a better life, and we came out stronger than ever! And now, we’ve come back to a time that threatens our safety.”

The crowd remains silent, listening to his words as they reign over them. They listen carefully with patience and hope that their great beacon of light will give them words of wisdom and strength to push past this new threat to their way of life.

“As a father and a grandfather,” He continues, “It terrifies me to think about returning to those troubled times that once tore us apart. But as an ambassador to the people, I have confidence that we can overcome this tragedy once more! We’ve steeled our beliefs and our defenses, and I refuse to allow our people to suffer anymore than it has.” You join the crowd in applause as the crowd cheers and hollers their support and faith for the man that has led them so fiercely since the beginning. 

“To my fellow citizens that have lost someone; a friend, a lover, a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, a role model...I apologize that we could not delay or stop this tragedy. If I knew how to bring them back, I assure you, I would in a heartbeat. Let us take a moment of silence for our fallen.” He motions for everyone to bow their heads in honor and memory of those they’ve lost, not even the sounds of babies crying or sobbing families still burdened with the loss of loved ones were heard. You could hear the breathing of the people around you, or even a pin drop if it were to happen.

“Thank you all for that beautiful display of affection.” He says, head raising for others to follow him. He returns to his speech, “I intend to send a task force of my choosing to send Death back to it’s slumber. Only this time, it’s slumber will last forever!” 

It seems impossible to you, thinking back on your entire work floor being shut down to take care of the dead bodies that littered the hallways. The doctor’s couldn’t stop Death, so who could? But if it were possible, then you’d undoubtedly put your faith into him just as everyone else around you does. 

“I encourage volunteers to join if they so choose to. I understand, however, if you do not wish to face Death, I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. But I would like to commend my daughter and my son-in-law for taking charge and joining in this fight against Death.” You’re taken aback when he mentions his daughter. In over 1,000 years he’s only ever had the one child - your best friend - and there was no way she had actually agreed to do something as crazy as to face death itself. 

Well, she was that crazy, but it did nothing to put your mind at ease now. Whatever peace and happiness you had just felt was squashed by the realization that your best friend was about to put her own life on the line. It shouldn’t be so surprising to you, but seeing her and her husband stand and step forward for Ambassador Carrol to recognize the made your heart hurt in ways you never thought it could. Something you’d been becoming accustomed to these past few days.

“Lina and Hoseok have always seen the best in the world! They’ve always felt the need to contribute to our society - especially the population -” His small innuendo makes the crowd cheer in joyous laughter for just a moment, bringing a small dose of happiness at the couple’s expense, “-and they’ve shown great courage in offering to join this task force I’ve put together in such a short time.” 

“I believe we have nothing to worry about with brave individuals such as themselves for taking charge. Let us rejoice! To the new Pangea!” The crowd cheers with him as he celebrates a sad day in the honor of hope. He looks at his daughter and his son in confidence and pride, and it almost makes you forget about the pain in your chest with the news of their potential self sacrifice for humanity’s sake. However, that ache is still there, resting within you and festering into an emotion that you can’t even begin to explain.

* * *

“Were either of you going to tell me about this?” You ask.

After the ceremony had ended and the Ambassador and his family had expressed their grievances and sorrow to the families that had attended, you stayed behind to catch up with Lina and Hoseok. They had much explaining to do, and you weren’t going to leave their side until they told you what was going through their minds. So, now, here you were sitting on a lavish couch within the walls of City Hall with a cup of mediocre coffee in your hands as they both sat across from you with their own cups clad in their own array of black and grey. 

“Eventually, but we were told to keep it under wraps until after the ceremony.” Hoseok explains. 

You should have expected nothing less. Lina and Hoseok admired their Father a lot and they both showed him a great amount of respect. If you were in their shoes then you probably would have done the same, but the hurt of not knowing still stung. “Do you know how stupid this is?”

“Someone has to do something.” Lina says, taking a sip from her cup of tea, leaving a faint, pink stain along the rim. She was so calm and collected about it, as if she didn’t know that Death was back and wreaking havoc to the world’s population while she sat shoulder to shoulder with her husband of far too many years to count. You were in disbelief, “And it had to be you?!”

The two of you stare at one another, one set of thoughts muddled and confused while the other looks for understanding and reason. She had no business being so calm and level headed in your opinion, especially at a time like this where you could potentially lose her as a result of her actions. But to her, it was like it didn’t even matter. She just continues to search your eyes for an answer with a smile on her face. 

“Dying used to be another part of life, remember? It’s a cycle, and if I’m a part of it to help the New Age, then I don’t see the problem.” She takes another content sip of her tea, still unbothered and unfazed by the situation at hand. Her blatant ignorance annoys you, and you can’t help but turn to her husband and your lifelong friend for help, “And you’re really okay with this?”

The man in question takes a moment, choosing his words carefully before he answers, “I know it’s not ideal, but it seems like a pretty worthy cause. There’s no guarantee that we’ll live or die on this mission but-” He moves his left hand to take Lina’s ring clad hand in his own, a blush dusting his cheeks as a smile of pure love and adoration stares at the ring he’d bought her almost 9 centuries ago. He brushes his thumb over the jewel, “I’d like to spend the rest of eternity with the ones I love if I have the chance.” 

“Hobi…” Lina meets the eyes of her husband, a look of love and admiration of her own staring back at his. She places her forehead on his shoulder in an attempt to hide the blush rising to her cheeks. It still amazed you that even after all these years, they were still able to do that to each other. Two hopeless romantics finding love in the other and using it as their strength in the world. You admired them for it, especially in a world where love and marriage were rare to find. They’d always made it work, and they’re balance with one another was something you’d always wished to have. But right now is a time that you wished they could just throw it out the window for your sake.

Hoseok presses a light kiss to the top of his wife’s head and turns back to you, his smile now full of pride and confidence, “If she’s going to go with or without me, then I might as well go with her. Besides, if facing Death head on is what it takes, then why not go for it with everything we have?”

“(Y/n), I know you’re upset, but what do you want us to do?” Lina lifts her head, the blush having settled. “We can’t sit around and do nothing when there are millions of lives depending on this operation. We can’t run from Death forever.”

Hoseok nods in agreement, “And the death toll has only been getting higher and higher since the losses last week. If we wait too long then we’ll only lose more innocent lives.”

“I just don’t want to lose you guys.” You sigh. They were both way too optimistic to fight, especially when they’re together. You felt bad for their children, all 127 of them.

“Why don’t you come with us?” Hobi asks.

‘Why don’t I- what?!’ You think to yourself. Of all the crazy, stupid ideas that Hoseok has ever had in the 873 years that you’ve known him, this one had to take the cake.

“Hobi, that’s a great idea!” Lina cheers. She sets her cup down and stands from her couch, only to move around the coffee table that separates you two to take the seat next to you. She takes your hands in hers and she smiles at you with a look that just screams ‘please!’ 

“Come with us! Let’s take on Death together.”

Looking into her hazel eyes, seeing the determination that made her glow bright stirred something in you. Seeing the passion in her eyes as well as her husband's heart shaped smile was enough to convince you to join. They had a point after all. You could face Death and fight it to the end, or you could run away and pray that it never finds you.

At least, that’s what you repeated to yourself as you filed for an extended time off at a nurses station. You never signed up for Death with your work, and just standing in the open elevator on your work floor was enough to have you filling out your temporary leave forms as fast as you could. The atmosphere that was once only sterile and cold seemed to intensify tenfold with a strong, lingering cold that seemed to grab you. It felt like the hands of those begging to be saved that you couldn’t help were all tugging at your uniform, pleading for you to follow them back to what was once their room. 

If Lina and Hoseok hadn’t already convinced you to join them, then this atmosphere alone would’ve made you sign up faster than the blink of an eye.

Of course, you weren’t the only one that felt it. 

Halls were much emptier than usual, many of the nurses that usually worked the floor had either called off or put in a request to move to another floor. It wasn’t like there were many patients left on the floor that needed to be taken care of to begin with, but there were families and friends coming to collect the personal items of loved ones that were recently lost. Someone had to be there to supervise, and you were with the handful assigned to do the job.

Unfortunately, the coming and going of living people didn’t do anything for the dense atmosphere.

“Hey, (Y/n)...” The familiar voice draws your attention up, the Radiology Technician standing before you, “Bomi!” She looks tired, the harsh lighting of the hospital only enhancing the bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep she was probably getting. She’s wearing a hoodie you recognize as Hansol’s, an old university one he couldn’t part with. Her usually tame, black ponytail was exchanged for a curtain of greasy strands she was probably using to hide her puffy eyes. “I’m here to pick up Hansol’s things.”

“Right.” You grab the clipboard off the desk next to you and place it on the counter for her, handing her a pen as well, “Go ahead and sign in for me, okay?”

She nods, shifting her left hand out of the sleeve of her late husband’s hoodie to sign her name on the paper with all the other names of loved ones. You watch her, trying to imagine the pain she’s feeling. To lose someone you love in this world was already hard enough knowing they would find someone else to spend eternity with, that they could spend it in the arms of many others just like you without a care because you were replaceable. But there was no one to replace a love like that so easily. You could tell it pained her to even think about walking to his room alone as she continued to stand at the nurse’s station even after returning the clipboard to you.

“Do you want me to go with you?” You ask.

“Would you?” You can see it in her glossy eyes how broken she is and how thankful she is that you had offered to join her. 

‘Is this the face of grief?’ You wonder. ‘Is this what the world was like when you were young and living in the Old World? How did the Old Generation deal with this pain? How did they do it so easily?’

Watching your friend step into the room of her deceased husband for the first time, you can’t help but feel the tension. The cold air that only seems to get colder the further you step into the room, carefully watching Bomi as she walks around and debates what to clean up first. She tried so hard to make him feel at home, and it’s something that Hansol was always grateful for, but now it only seemed to be in vain for her as all the objects she passes become painful, distant memories.

“You made living here feel a lot more like home, did you know that?” You ask. You don’t know why you do, but it seems right. Hansol was always happiest when he held something that she brought in just for him, and seeing her so sad with them...just looked wrong. You pick up a teddy bear at the end of the bed and smile at a memory of Hansol playing catch with a child patient that liked to visit him, “Hannie always liked to tease you when you were around to distract you from his injuries, but he’d always gloat to the doctor’s and anyone who would listen about how lucky he was to have you as a wife.”

Bomi takes the bear from your hands and sighs, “He never did like to be upfront with me, but-...I knew.” She pulls the bear tightly to her chest, “He didn’t have to say anything.”

“Did you know that a cornflake once sold for $1,300 old USD?” You ask, an attempt to lighten the mood just like Hansol would have done. Bomi lets out a small laugh mixed with a choked sob, one of the happiest sounds she’s made since you talked to her the morning that he passed. Her small dose of happiness only encourages you to join her, “I swear, I know the craziest things because of Hansol.”

“He loved to fill his head with useless facts. That’s the one trait I could never understand about him.” She admits. The tears that once only threatened to fall slowly slide down her cheeks, her smile turning to the frown she wore when she first arrived, “I never thought I would miss it.”

It’s strange to see a smile so strained, confused if it should be happy or sad. Even worse, it upsets you that this type of pain was an emotion that could be felt. Death was truly cruel if it could take an innocent life so freely. How could it take a soul that made others around him so happy away with thousands of others right alongside him? Who could do that? Why would they do that? It was disgusting.

It made you what you were going to do seem that much more worth it. Now, standing in this room, you can understand why Lina and Hoseok would willingly stand on the front lines for a better world. You truly understand it.

“Did you hear that Lina is on the task force to get rid of Death?” You ask. Bomi nods, wiping her tears. You reach out and grab one of her hands to pull her attention to you, “I’m going with her.”

“Why?” She asks.

You sigh, “This place doesn’t feel the same. It used to feel sad because patients were recovering slowly, but now there’s not even life to it. I can’t stand it!” In such a short amount of time, your life has changed completely. Your friends were in danger, your family was in danger, your job was in danger, the entire world was in danger and you had the ability to stop it. Why shouldn’t you try? “I’m going to face Death head on and take back what’s ours.”

“I wonder if Hannie would have done the same…” Bomi mutters. She lets out a soft chuckle, “He probably would have, knowing him.”

“You know, they’re accepting volunteers. Why don’t you come with us?” You ask.

She looks to you with an expression that must have matched the one you gave Hoseok when he asked you the same question the other day. You could see why both he and Lina seemed so amused now, “You want me to chase after Death?”

Kurt watches the mutant kids playing around safely and is happy, well, he would be even happier if everyone was aboard. As the man was walking down the streets of Krakoa(ignoring Mystique and the bad feeling she always brings) when he listens to Doug talking with someone on the phone.

"Are you ok? Kitty...you need to be careful...I know...I know..." and stops talking as he notices Kurt staring at him. "huh..."

Kurt asks for the phone and Doug would like to say no, but, Kitty let answer. "Katzchen? are you alright?"

"Yes, I get into a pirate fight and uhm I was stupid by not using my powers"

"Why not?"

"Because...I´d not want, Kurt" her tone does not hide her emotions and Kurt is not hiding either.

"Do you want..."

"Help? no, thank you, I´m fine. You should have seen the other dude, I´m a fine elf, I´m fine..."