“Sooyoung, no, stop!”

Joohyun’s scream assaulted Sooyoung’s ears, and the younger girl immediately whipped around, the glow between her palms cooling to a smooth yellow and dissipating into thin air as she did so.

“What’s wrong, unnie?” she asked, shifting her position on the bed as she was greeted by a livid, intimidating-looking Joohyun.

She’d never seen the woman like this. was set into a deep, furious scowl and her fists were trembling with either rage or anxiety. Her movements were like that of a frantic animal, darting and twitchy and fearful.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Joohyun stepped forward, and Sooyoung instinctively flinched back. The older girl took note of this and relaxed both her stance and tone of voice, though it was clear that she was still very frustrated.

    “W-well, I was just thinking about how much I loved playing with puppies before I lived here. And I know there’s no puppies here, so I tried to make one myself,” Sooyoung said shamefully, her legs drawn up to her chest as if trying to make herself as small as possible.

    Joohyun’s eyes softened and she lowered herself to the bed with a sigh, reaching out and placing her hand on Sooyoung’s.

    “You can’t do that, Sooyoungie,” Joohyun said, “That’s too much for even our bodies to handle.”

    “Ah, okay. So I can’t make puppies...” Sooyoung nodded, pretending to understand.

    “No, you can’t. Or any other kind of living beings for that matter. Not even a fly.”

    “But why would I want to make a fly? Flies are gross,” Sooyoung scrunched up her face, and Joohyun couldn’t help but laugh lightly at the younger witch’s innocence.

    “It was just an example, sweetie,” Joohyun said fondly, “What I mean is, no matter how big or how small what you’re trying to make is, living beings are off limits. It’s dangerous.”

    “What would have happened if I tried?”

Sooyoung was scared now, terrified of what could have happened, had she gone any further with her spell. She was so scared, in fact, that she instinctively cuddled up to Joohyun at the end of her sentence, wrapping herself around the woman’s arm for reassurance.

“Well, it would have taken a lot of your life energy,” Joohyun Sooyoung’s hair as she spoke, “It might have killed you.”

“B-but, I don’t wanna die again,” Sooyoung whined, hiding away in Joohyun’s shoulder, “If you hadn’t stopped me…”

“Don’t cry,” Joohyun held the younger witch close, “It’s okay, just don’t do it again.”

“What if I had tried to create a person?”

“People are too complex,” Joohyun was an endless repository of knowledge when it came to the intricacies of magic, and it showed in the automatic way she was able to answer Sooyoung’s questions, “To create an entirely new person would be impossible. The effort alone would be too much. For a person… it would be more like transferring your life force into them. So, it would work if you had the body of someone who was recently deceased.”

“Wow…” Sooyoung pondered this information, distracted from her brush with a second death by the prospect of giving another person her life force, “How do you know all this, Joohyunnie?”

Joohyun stood up, presenting Sooyoung with a gentle kiss on the cheek as a parting gift.

“I’ve been a witch for a long time, Sooyoung. I’ve seen, and learned, a lot. I’ve watched many others make mistakes, and made some of my own. Luckily, mine were never fatal. Regardless, I’ve learned from them.”

“Before you go…” Sooyoung sat up in bed, wrapping both of her arms around the woman’s waist and pulling her tight, looking up at her with the cutest puppy dog impression she could muster, “Can you play with me for a little bit? I’m lonely.”

Joohyun looked down at Sooyoung.

“Sure. But only for a little bit. Seulgi and I are very busy.”

Sooyoung’s lips broke into a wide smile, one that Joohyun couldn’t help but return.

“Okay! Do you wanna play checkers?”

***

    Sooyoung lifted her head up just as the world around her began to tremble. A pair of bloodshot eyes peered around the room with a contrasting mixture of curiosity and boredom. It was only when the cracks started to appear - thin, almost ethereal cracks that grew larger as the quake intensified - that those eyes lit up with surprise.

    They appeared to be tiny, branching rivulets of glowing silver, beginning from the far wall and spreading across every surface. Sooyoung darted up in bed, her head swiveling around as the web-like structures spread across her room, dancing over everything, include the closets, the floors, the vanity mirror. They approached rapidly, their tendrils extending onto the edges of the bed. Sooyoung cried out in fear as they made their way onto her covers, shutting her eyes and cowering backwards just as they were about to touch her.

    However, the cracks seemed to ignore her presence and instead continued over the area, moving over the bedframe and onto the opposite wall until they met their origin point at the center of the ceiling above. Sooyoung relaxed for a moment as she realized she had been unharmed, only to be thrown off the bed as the tremors crescendoed to a catastrophic level. Luckily, she was able to use magic to slow her descent, landing on the cracked floor in a similar manner to a feather landing on water.

    Downstairs, startled cries came from the three girls below.

    Sooyoung scrambled to her feet, steadying herself with the help of her powers, creating a sort of half-glide, half-walk that allowed her to move gradually through her room, even as it fell apart around her.

As she approached the doorway, pieces of the room began to break off from the others, falling into odd, fractured two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects. They dissipated as they did so, dissolving into cascades of miniscule, mirror-like shards that moved like dust in the sunlight.

Sooyoung froze as she watched this phenomenon occur several times, despite the chaos that was unfolding around her. Despite the desperate calling of her name from downstairs, despite the fact that she’d ceased focusing on keeping herself standing, and instead now knelt in the crumbling ruins of her home. She was entranced, thoroughly focused on the phenomenon that was occurring before her, mouth agape and lenses clouding as she realized what was happening.

It’s just like my dream.

As that thought crossed her mind, the ground below her gave way. Instead of falling into the floor below, however, she found herself falling into a bright beam of light, and although she was able to slow her descent into it, she was unable to stop. As she entered its core, she was met with a concussive force, one that forced her to tighten her muscles and brace against it, sending her tumbling away in an unknown direction. For a moment, it felt as though she were falling through eternity, as if time itself was warping around her, but it was fleeting. She landed with a muted thud onto a patch of dirt and grass, the light dying away and her vision returning as she steadied herself, miraculously able to stand after such a jarring experience.

Around her, those telltale, damning slivers of reflection fell, twinkling in the moonlight as they tittered down to the earth, covering the grass and branches and bushes in their quickly-fading glow. Sooyoung looked around the woods frantically, her enhanced vision along with the full moon allowing her to see despite the darkness. She ran through the maze of leafless trees, bare feet crunching on dry leaves as she went. There was no direction, only a panicked state of unease and urgency as she sprinted forward. Ahead of her was a clearing, a circle-shaped opening of grass that became her destination, a decision made by her irrational, racing mind.

As she approached the edge of the treeline, she began to see a figure lying in the center of the circle. A small figure that appeared as a mere shadow in the distance, its sole distinguishing feature being its long, shimmering blonde hair.

Sooyoung’s heart threw itself into a frenzy as she barreled across the clearing, paying no mind to the area’s familiarity, or to the fact that the grass there was lush and green, despite the freezing air around her. She dropped to her knees as she reached the figure, a pale, limp-looking girl with a blood-encrusted mouth. Its only sign of life was its painfully slow breathing, an irregular rise and fall that shuddered with every exhale.

“Yerim…”

Sooyoung scooped the limp girl into her arms. To her horror, her lover’s body was like dead weight to her, a cold-skinned doll that barely was able to help hold herself up.

Yerim opened her eyes slowly, upturning as she saw the familiar girl before her.

“Sooyoungie…” Yerim’s hand reached up to cup the side of the witch’s face, running over the smooth contour of her cheek in an attempt to wipe away the moisture that had made its way down the surface of that pale face, “I did it, Sooyoungie. I broke the mirror.”

Yerim weakly gestured to the glistening rain around them.

“You’re free. You guys are free.”

Sooyoung looked around as if this realization hadn’t dawned on her until that moment, but her attention returned to the dying girl before her within a split second.

“What happened to you?” Sooyoung whispered.

To her shock, she felt a hitch in the blonde’s chest, one that alarmed her until she grasped that it was merely a chuckle.

“I don’t think I have enough time to tell that story.”

“N-no… I, I can…”

Sooyoung scanned Yerim’s body, her gaze ceasing at the younger girl’s stomach. Her clothes were soaked through with blood, front to back, and even as Sooyoung lifted the blonde’s shirt to get a closer look, she knew that it was useless. Yerim had lost too much blood, and taken too grave of an injury.

There was nothing Sooyoung could do to heal her wound now.

“It’s okay, Sooyoung. It’s okay. Just breathe, baby.” Yerim’s voice was getting weaker, and her eyelids faltered dangerously.

Sooyoung paused as she fought down a wave of despair that threatened to overcome her. Yerim’s statement was able to assist with this, as the taller girl let out a chuckle, one that was bitter and low.

“Even in the face of your own death, you’re still comforting me,” Sooyoung murmured, holding Yerim closer, “I love you, Yeri.”

Yerim’s smile widened, even as the effort she put into breathing decreased.

“I love you too, Sooyoung. Be strong, okay? Not just for me. But for Seungwan, and Joohyun, and Seulgi. Tell them I’ll miss them, and… and thank you for everything.”

Sooyoung sniffled, unable to respond verbally, but nodding in order to affirm her partner’s words.

Yerim’s eyes fluttered one final time, and she inhaled. Sooyoung held her own breath, fighting back the unyielding urge to scream out, to bawl and cry and curl up into a ball.

Because Sooyoung had made her decision a long time ago, even before the love of her life had decided to descend into the evil lair that was their basement. Because she knew that parting from someone who had saved her from the depths of loneliness, especially in such a manner, was terrifying and almost insurmountable. But she had to do it.

“One last kiss, Sooyoung,” Yerim whispered, “I know my mouth is bloody, but-”

Sooyoung stopped the younger girl’s words, pressing their lips together, one pair warm and lilac-scented, the other cold and iron-tinged.

As they parted, Yerim exhaled, and her head relaxed back as the final drops of life slipped away from her being.

Around them, the shards continued to fall.

Somewhere, a thousand miles away, someone was calling out their names, paired with the sound of three sets of feet crunching across the detritus-strewn ground.

Sooyoung remained still for a moment, holding the lifeless body of her angel, her ruined angel with the platinum blonde hair and the delicate cheeks. That little angel who possessed the power to split the heavens with her smile, to reach out with one caressing hand and fill Sooyoung’s world with love, to heal those gaping, time-ragged wounds that the older girl had never been able to close alone.

The grief began reshaping itself within her mind, becoming something else, a driving factor that gave her energy and motivation. It felt as though she’d made her choice millennia ago, as if it were some unstoppable inevitability, similar to the scene that was playing out before her.

For a moment, she looked up and around the circle, and she saw them coming; Seungwan was in the front, followed close behind by Joohyun and Seulgi.

Sooyoung lamented that there was no time to explain to them, or even to hug them one last time.

She was sure they’d understand. And if they didn’t, that was okay, too.

For what felt like the first time in her life, Park Sooyoung knew exactly what she needed to do.

***

    Yerim’s eyes sprung open, and she found herself looking into a blue, cloud-streaked sky. Nearby, waves crashed soothingly across open shore. Otherwise, it was soundless.

    She bolted up into a sitting position, disbelieving hands traveling over her , sand-coated body, traveling to the spot on the right side of her abdomen, relentlessly working over the unmarred, pristine area.

    Her head perked up as she registered that the wound was gone. No scar, just a stretch of blank, natural skin. Her stare lifted and traveled forward, the familiar environment startling her into a state of unthought, one in which she could merely scan her surroundings, taking in the vast emptiness that was the beach around her.

    Yerim stood. She had no trouble getting to her feet, the ocean breeze teasing the tips of her hair and rubbing them against the side of her face in innocent jest. She looked out onto the endless expanse of white-capped salt water, blankly running a finger over the general area where the knife had run her through.

    “I never thought I’d be back here again,” a voice came from behind the blonde, startling her and causing her to whip around.

    Her already uncomprehending mind barely registered the tall girl behind her, the one with the babyish face and the long, slender limbs. The one who smiled so radiantly as her arms opened, accepting a crying Yerim into them and holding her tight under the sunlight.

    “Where are we, Sooyoung?” Yerim asked, the side of her face pressed against the taller girl’s collarbone.

    “This is kind of a space between worlds. Kind of like a train stop before the afterlife, I think.”

    Yerim nodded, pretending to understand. The cogs in her brain had started churning again, shedding the dust and cobwebs and rust, presenting her with the reality of all that had happened to her within the last night. There was no better place to accept her mortality than in the arms of Sooyoung.

    “Why’d you come here?” the blonde asked, savoring the scent of the few black locks that were tickling at her forehead and cheeks.

    “I came to say goodbye.”

    At these words, Yerim found herself shaking, trembling mildly as the tears began to flow.

    “B-but, I don’t wanna say goodbye,” the blonde whined selfishly, holding Sooyoung tighter, “Can’t we stay here forever?”

    “No, baby… we can’t,” Sooyoung replied solemnly as her palms massaged Yerim’s shoulder blades, “I’m sorry.”

    Yerim moaned softly as the fear crept into her bones, a deep fright that made her want to hide away in Sooyoung’s for the remainder of time.

    “So this is really goodbye, then?”

    “I think so. I’m sorry,” Sooyoung repeated, her tone spilling over with unbridled sadness, but remaining steady, a boulder in a hurricane.

    “Just do me a favor, okay?” the older girl asked, planting a kiss on the crown of Yerim’s head, “Keep Wannie company. She won’t admit it, but she gets lonely sometimes, too.”

    “Wh-what?”

    Yerim stepped back, struck with another wave of shock that left her staring at Sooyoung in bewildered silence.

    The older girl looked down at the sand and brought her hands together in front of her, as if in shame.

    “What are you talking about, Sooyoung?” Yerim demanded, angerless but strong, “What do you mean by that?”

    “I’m going to… switch places with you,” Sooyoung still refused to look at her partner.

    “No you aren’t,” Yerim shook her head vigorously before stepping forward and grabbing Sooyoung by the shoulders, “No you aren’t.”

    “Yes, I am.” the older girl finally met her gaze, and it was at that moment that Yerim understood.

Sooyoung’s utter devastation was palpable, but her steadfastness was far more prevalent. She had the look of a woman who had made a final decision, and wouldn’t back down on it, no matter what. Her resolve was unbreakable.

“I have to do this, Yerim. You deserve it. You deserve to live.”

“I don’t. Not anymore than you do.”

Sooyoung smiled and shook her head slowly, a parent who was trying to explain away the absurdity of their child’s worldview.

“Yerim, I was supposed to be dead a long time ago. I shouldn’t even exist.”

“I don’t care about that,” the blonde shook Sooyoung by her shoulders, leading the taller girl to wrap her arms around Yerim’s waist in order to stop her, “You’re sweet and kind and innocent and you didn’t deserve to die. You’re alive now, you’ve gotten a second chance.”

“Maybe that’s true. But was it really a second chance? Living in isolation with only my thoughts and toys to accompany me?”

“But you’re free now. You can explore the world, you and all the other girls. You won’t be alone.”

“As long as you’re not there, I’ll be alone.”

Yerim swallowed, silenced by the weight of Sooyoung’s words.

“You have a family who loves you. A mom and little sisters. A best friend who’ll miss you. You have a whole future ahead of you,” Sooyoung sighed, “All I have is a bunch of dead memories and magic tricks.”

“You have a family, too. Joohyun, Seulgi, Seungwan… they’re all your family.”

The taller girl nodded.

“They are. And I love them all. But they weren’t the ones who gave my life meaning, or purpose. They didn’t make me realize that living as a child, wasting away an eternity by playing dress-up and hiding from reality, was no way to live to begin with.”

Yerim stared up at Sooyoung as if seeing her for the first time.

“You came into our world by accident. We were a random hiccup in your life, something that shouldn’t have happened at all to begin with.”

“That’s not true,” Yerim defended, though she could feel the futility of her arguments, “I would’ve been and killed if I hadn’t come to you guys. You saved me. I was just returning the favor.”

“I’m not entirely sure that the killer who chased you wasn’t just part of that whole ‘random hiccup’ idea,” Sooyoung dismissed.

For what felt like the thousandth time, Yerim had no answer. This Sooyoung, one that the blonde was very sure existed all along, one that had been gradually evolving over time into this ultimate peak, was wise and knowing.

“So what’s going to happen next?” Yerim asked after awhile of holding herself against Sooyoung’s body.

“I’m going to use my life force to ‘restart’ yours. It’s pretty simple, I guess. One of us lives, the other dies. That’s it.”

“Does it always work?”

“I don’t know. Joohyun’s never told me about using it, besides the fact that I shouldn’t,” Sooyoung grinned in reminiscence.

The pair was quiet then.

Yerim took Sooyoung’s hand in hers, and they stood side by side, two lovers, two sisters under a chronologically-devoid time.

“Can we go play in the water?” Yerim asked, “Do we have time for that?”

Sooyoung smiled. It was a true smile, one that crinkled up the corners of her eyes. Yerim returned it, even as her heart was weighed down by loss.

“Yeah. We can do that.”

They walked to the shoreline together, refusing to break physical contact any longer, savoring every last second of togetherness they had.

***

    A beam of light sprung up from between the two figures, a sun-like radiance that cut through the night like a blade. It climbed like a tower in the sky, parting the clouds around it, creating a spiral of dark grey at its fringes. It burst across the clearing, sending the three witches flying backwards with its force.

    Joohyun and Seulgi were thrown back into the trees, pinned against the ground and unable to advance, but Seungwan crouched down, and was able to remain within the beam’s confines. There was no heat to it, just a temperature-less energy that tingled across the auburn-haired girl’s body, freezing her in place.

    The pillar widened to fill the whole clearing, spiralling now as it went, noiselessly rushing its way into the heavens. The two figures were completely obscured.

    The local news stations would have many names for the event. Scientists and religious zealots alike would come up with their own explanations for the phenomenon. Those who saw it would describe it as “the most beautiful thing they’d seen in their lives”, an endless repository of positive emotions and kindness. It would even be rumored that being near it made you a better person, opening your soul and giving you a sense of purpose and direction.

    Very few would know the beam’s true origins, and even fewer would understand its significance. The emotion contained in that beam could not be put into words; described only as something to be felt, a message that would bring the receiver to tears, a tone of purity that rang true through the hearts of those blessed enough to hear it.

    Seungwan understood what was happening. The beam told her. None of it was articulable, but she found that it reminded her of something she’d once heard. Maybe it was a poem, maybe it was a song. Maybe it was both. It didn’t matter.

    Love never fails;

Where there are prophecies, they will cease,

Where there is knowledge, it will be passed away.

…

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. At the end of my childhood, I put these ways behind me. For now,​ we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
    And now this one remains.

The light left just as quick as it had come, receding back into its source, its circumference shrinking to one tiny pinpoint as the night returned to its solely moonlit-state.

    The last of the pillar disappeared from the top down, reversing its original path and ending its existence on the sole figure that now lay in the center of circle.

    Seungwan, now able to move again, sprinted over as fast as her legs would allow.

    The blonde lay in the grass, just where she’d been before, her previously drained skin now filled with the precious pink and white of blossoming life, her body clean and her clothes unsullied.

    Seungwan reached her and knelt by her side.

    Yerim inhaled.

***

    “Yerim, wake up,” Seungwan’s voice came calm yet jagged, her steadiness little more than a front, “What happened to you?”

    The auburn-haired girl’s face came into view, wide orbs b with dread and worry, pink crescent downturned and slightly open. The remainder of the world - the waning, pre-dawn moonlight, the chilly night air, the smell of snow - trickled back into Yerim’s awareness, and she found that she was lying in the grass. Her memories were strong and vivid, the heavy emotion attached to them seizing her attention.

    She curled into a ball, one that Seungwan was quick to shelter with her arms.

    “Where’s Sooyoung?” the haunting words whispered through Yerim’s ears. Between those curious, pleading notes was a hint of knowing, as if the question were nothing more than formality.

    The blonde whined wordlessly.

    Seungwan stiffened.

    Joohyun and Seulgi arrived then, dropping to the ground and joining the other two girls. The former practically pried Seungwan away from Yerim, maternally cradling the teenager in her arms.

    “Yerim,” Joohyun gasped, “What happened? How did you do it? Are you okay?”

    Yerim nodded and looked away from the concerned older girl.

    “Once the house starting falling apart, I knew you’d succeeded,” a grinning Seulgi spoke, “Thank you. Truly.”

    It was then that Joohyun understood that something was amiss.

    Yerim continued to stare off in the distance.

    “Where’s Sooyoung?”

    Unlike Seungwan’s version of the question, this one was pure, with no apprehension, just a mild curiosity.

    It was this that brought Yerim to tears. She didn’t break down, however. Instead, she let the tears roll from her eyelids, large, salty tears that splashed onto her lap, right below the spot where her own knife had pierced her.

    Joohyun blinked, her expression transforming.

    “Where’s Sooyoung?” she asked again, this time more urgently, glancing around at Seulgi and Seungwan now for answers.

    “I…” Seungwan began, slightly shuttering.

    “I was mortally wounded at the end,” Yerim spoke up, shutting her lids as the fresh memories ghosted before her, “Sooyoung tried to heal me, but she couldn’t. I died.”

    Joohyun stood, leaving Yerim to sink into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm. Seungwan claimed the older girl’s position, hugging Yerim tight.

    On the horizon, the night had shifted from blackness to a hopeful purple. If one squinted enough, that thin band of reddish-orange was visible.

    “What happened next?” the horrified witch’s tone was soft with knowledge and horror.

    “She sacrificed herself for me,” Yerim’s gaze tore away from the sunrise as she placed a chilly hand upon her chest, palpating the ever-present lub-dub of that all-important, fist-sized hunk of muscle, “She gave me her lifeforce.”

    Joohyun gasped, a shuddering gasp that sounded both otherworldly and deflated. She dropped to her knees, her face in her hands as she began to cry in earnest, her wails haunting the clearing as the first rays of sunshine kissed the leafless branches.

    Seulgi came forward and placed a hand upon her lover’s shoulder.

    As if possessed by some aggressive, evil force, Joohyun spun around, standing up at the same time and drawing her hand back. She smacked Seulgi across her face with a thundering clap. Seungwan and Yerim jumped in shock as the monolidded girl reeled backwards.

    “This is your fault,” Joohyun screamed in demented rage, “You did this!”

    “N-no, Hyun, I-” Seulgi was unable to respond, as she was thrown backwards and onto her side by an invisible force, one so powerful that it pushed Yerim and Seungwan backwards slightly. The auburn-haired girl ran to intervene.

    “If you hadn’t forced Yerim to go down there, this would have never happened,” Joohyun continued, even as Seungwan ran in front of her, arms outstretched to prevent her menacing advance, “You killed my baby!”

    “Joohyun! Please, stop! It’s not Seulgi’s fault!” Yerim stood now, rushing from behind to grab Joohyun by her arm, “I chose to go down there-”

    Joohyun spun around, and what Yerim saw made her freeze in place. Gone was the motherly warmth of her caring, doting Joohyun, replaced by a sneer of hatred.

    “Shut up!”

    The concussive blast was much weaker than the one she’d thrown Seulgi, only strong enough to cause Yerim to flinch back a few steps, but it was enough for Seungwan.

    One moment, the older girl stood there in black dress, prepared to pounce on the love of her life. The next, she was ten feet in the air, her hands clawing at her neck as she gasped for breath.

    Below, Seungwan stared up, beads of sweat dripping from her brow, fists clenched, jaw set. Seulgi watched on in dumb awe.

    “Don’t you dare hurt her,” Seungwan commanded through gritted teeth as Joohyun’s movements grew more frenzied, “I don’t care who you’ve lost. You have no right to harm anyone.”

    “Let her go Seungwan!” Yerim begged, crashing into the shorter girl with reckless abandon, breaking her concentration and causing Joohyun to drop to the grass like a stone.

    The auburn-haired girl immediately pulled Yerim behind her, a protective stance that seemed not only to encompass the blonde but the newly-recovering Seulgi as well. But it wasn’t necessary.

    Joohyun’s lividity melted away as she saw the scene before her, replaced by soul-crushing guilt and hurt.

    The sun crested the horizon then, fingers of yellow-white blooming over the land, grazing Joohyun’s raven hair with sparkles that, to Yerim, resembled a field stars.

    “I… Yerim,” Joohyun turned to the teenager, opening her arms in welcome as she came forward, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

    Yerim flinched back unconsciously and Seungwan crouched further in front of her.

    Joohyun’s arms dropped to her sides, and she stood still. She breathed deeply through her nostrils, composing herself, hiding away the demonic woman that was seemingly buried deep within her.

    When she spoke, she addressed Seulgi, and Seulgi alone.

    “I will never forgive you for this.”

    And with that, she her heel.

    “Joohyun, wait!”

    Seulgi called after her. The eldest of the witches, the one who Yerim had held in such high regard, the one with the goddess-like face and impossibly svelte form, e last time, somberly regarding Seungwan and Yerim.

    “Goodbye. Thank you for freeing us, Yerim.”

    Seulgi stumbled forward, just a Joohyun extended her right hand, her palm letting loose a ripple that expanded into what appeared to be a tear in reality, a wavering portal that opened into a swirling rainbow of color, almost identical in hue to the road that Yerim had traveled in what felt like a century ago.

    “Hyun! Please! Don’t go!” Seulgi screamed.

    Seulgi reached her love just in time for her to step through the portal. As its peripheries began to seal themselves, the monolidded woman leapt inside, just barely clearing its edges, disappearing into the space between worlds.

    Stillness fell around the two remaining girls. In the distance, a bird cawed.

    “Where did they go?” Yerim asked, realizing that she had been holding her breath.

    Seungwan shrugged, her back still turned away from the blonde.

    “They could’ve gone anywhere. Literally, anywhere.”

    “Should we follow them?”

    “Not now. Maybe another time, but not now.”

    Yerim nodded.

    “It’s getting cold,” Seungwan finally turned around, her posture and expression speaking of an amalgam of defeat, excitement, and nervousness that could be summed up as contained restlessness, “You should go home.”

    “What about you?”

    Another shrug.

    “I probably don’t have a home anymore. But that’s alright,” a small smile appeared on the older girl’s lips, one that brought hope to Yerim’s empty heart, “I have to go find my brother, anyway.”

    “Why don’t you come stay with me and my family awhile?” Yerim offered.

    I won’t forget my promise to you, Sooyoung.

    “I… I don’t know…” Seungwan muttered uncertainly.

    Yerim stepped forward and took Seungwan’s hands in hers. They were warm and soft and small.

    “I insist. How else am I gonna explain to them where I’ve been all night?”

    The two girls chuckled wryly.

    “That is a good question. Do you plan on telling them the truth?”

    “Yeah. At this point, I think it’s appropriate.”

    “Still, I don’t know if I should,” Seungwan said, biting her lip, “I don’t know if it’s… acceptable. I have to find my brother, and what the hell is your mother going to say if you just show up with me at your door, and-”

    Yerim sighed, tuning out Seungwan’s nonsensical stream of excuses. She wasn’t in the mood to mince words.

    “After everything that happened tonight, after losing not only Sooyoung, and Joohyun, and Seulgi… I can’t lose you, too.”

    The auburn-haired girl winced, fresh wounds still stinging even at the simple mention of the other girls’ names.

    “You’re right,” Seungwan said, shaking her head and staring at the grass, “This doesn’t even feel real anymore. Nothing does.”

    “Welcome to my world,” Yerim said, grinning, “At least we’re not alone. Let’s take comfort in that.”

    Seungwan returned her friend’s smile.

    By then, the sun had fully risen. The sky was a cool, early morning azure, painted with the streaky, dribbling lines of the receding night.

    The auburn-haired girl peered around one final time, taking in the absence of the prison she had been confined to for all those years.

    Many tears had been shed that night. But Seungwan did not cry.

    Instead, she strode over to the shivering blonde and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, utilizing a bit of supernatural help to warm her up.

    “Let’s go home.”

    And with that, they departed.

---------------------------------------

Well, that's it. You guys DID voted for Wenri, right? Just kidding... ):

Pressing that "Mark Story as Complete" button has never felt so simultaneously cathartic and saddening. I'm happy I finished it but I'm sad that it's over. Does that make sense? It's like I'm saying goodbye to these characters that I created. More so than any other story I've ever written. I've grown super attached to them, especially Yerim. Sooyoung's sacrifice was tough to write, even though I'd planned it out months ago (pretty much as soon as you guys voted for Wenri). This story has been a HUGE journey, and I'm glad you guys were willing to experience it with me. It was actually really hard writing such a bittersweet ending for the girls... but a "happily ever after" wouldn't really fit this kind of story, would it?

I know there are a lot of unanswered questions. Maybe I'll look into writing a sequel? Not now, but maybe another time. OR, maybe I'll change my mind and start one immediately. Who knows?

I do plan on completing "Plastic Beach" (FINALLY) as my main project after this. And obviously, there's overlap between these two stories. So it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility to see some familiar faces pop-up there (:

Let me know your guys' thoughts on everything. I'll try to address all of your comments (which I'm bad at doing, I know, which is why I just upvote most of them). I can't thank you enough for taking the time to read my work. 

Also, the little poem/song bits are from "Famous Prophets (Stars)" by Car Seat Headrest. Same goes for Chapter 16's scene of Seungwan singing to Yerim.

As always, thanks for reading<3

Update: If you enjoyed this story, and the characters in it, definitely check out my follow-up story, "Starlit"! It's already completed, features a whole new cast of characters, and showcases some familiar ones (: If you like romance-driven urban fantasy, it's definitely for you.

Check it out here: https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1433134/starlit