Limbo

Epilogue

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Normally, such a dead quiet would only be fitting for a horror movie, but it gave off an air of tranquility and peace for the white house at the end of the street. The wind combed through the leaves of various plants in the backyard and slipped away without so much as a rustle or a whisper. Inside the house, the clocks counted the time soundlessly, gears clicking so softly that Yixing would have to put his ear right next to the clock to hear it.

Even in the kitchen, nothing moved. The faucet didn’t drip, and the dishes had been washed, dried, and neatly placed in the cabinets. The only discontinuity to the organization was an electric kettle that sat on the counter with an empty mug beside it.

With the sharp whistling of the kettle, the fragile silence shattered. The noise lasted a few long seconds before the kettle shut itself off and all that remained was the sound of the boiling water bubbling in the pot.

As the bubbling died down, Yixing rummaged through his cabinets and pulled out two tea canisters: one of passionflower tea and one of green tea. He put leaves from both into one mug and poured hot water into it. Then, he set the mug on the table, letting it steep as he watched the steam rise from the liquid’s surface.

After a few minutes, Yixing picked up his mug, leaning in to breathe the muted scent before taking a long sip. The passionflower green tea always quieted the voices that occupied his mind and whispered indiscernible things. They were the result of how fractured his soul had become from his time in Limbo, and he had gotten used to them long ago. There was a time when he had minded their presence and had torn his hair out in his endeavors to get rid of them for good, but now, he had learned to live with and ignore them. It was easier than he expected until Yifan’s voice joined them.

Unlike the other voices, Yifan’s was always crystal clear, as though the man was standing right next to Yixing. The first time Yixing heard it, he had dropped the potted plant he had been carrying and stood amidst broken shards of clay as he swiveled his head back and forth. In the end, he didn’t see Yifan and was convinced that he had gone mad.

Yixing huffed in amusement as he remembered that moment. He knew now that he could technically be labeled as crazy. After all, the majority of the human population didn’t spend every waking second tuning out voices that weren’t theirs.

Yixing glanced at the clock hanging on his office wall. He still had ten minutes until his appointment showed up. Hopefully, Yifan’s voice wouldn’t appear anytime soon. He didn’t want to be distracted while attempting to explain Limbo to his new patient.

He took another sip of his passionflower green tea before setting the mug down on his desk and leaning back in his chair. His eyes closed, and his breathing evened out as he entered a meditative trance, where his only focus was his steady rise and fall of his chest.

Yixing wasn’t sure how long he meditated before the shrill sound of his doorbell echoed through his house. In fact, he had been so deeply focused that the ringing startled him, making him jerk his head off the back of his chair. Once he regained his bearings, Yixing stood and made his way to the front door, unlocking the deadbolt and pulling the door open.

“Good afternoon,” he greeted the young man. Then, he stepped back to allow his appointment to enter the house.

Kim Jongin bowed with a shy ‘hello’ of his own. With Yixing’s encouragement, he took off his coat and hung it on the coat stand in the hall before following Yixing to the office.

“So how are you these days, Jongin-ssi?” Yixing asked as they made themselves comfortable.

“I’m okay,” Jongin answered, stumbling slightly over his words. “Well, there’s Jongdae-hyung’s departure, and Baek-hyung and Chanyeol-hyung are getting by, and well…” He gestured vaguely around Yixing’s office.

Yixing nodded and made his way to the kettle and brewed another cup of passionflower green tea, offering it to Jongin. The patient accepted it and took a cautious sip.

“Jongdae-hyung told me you would be able to help me,” Jongin continued, “He said that you’ve been there before.”

Yixing hummed in acknowledgment as he opened a drawer in his file cabinet and flipped through the folders. There weren’t many to begin with, so it wasn’t difficult to locate the file he had prepared for Jongin, lodged between the folders of Kim Jongdae and Huang Zitao. He pulled it out, grabbed a pencil, and sat back down.

Jongin watched him with a wary gaze. “Is it that bad?” he asked, “Jongdae-hyung…he seemed so…I don’t know. Scared? Like, when I asked him for your contact information, he just gave me this look, you know?”

“The experience is different for every person,” Yixing explained, “What Jongdae-ssi went through changed him, but the same thing might not happen to you.”

Jongin nodded absently, playing with the hem of his shirt.

“Okay, Jongin-ssi,” Yixing began, “could you describe what it’s like for you?”

Jongin stared at him blankly. “Um, okay, but where do you want me to start?” He looked down at the cup of tea and took another gulp.

Mirroring Jongin’s actions, Yixing took a sip of tea from his own mug. “Start at the beginning. What happened that made you choose to contact me for an appointment?”

Silence reigned between them, but Yixing didn’t mind, knowing that Jongin needed some time to gather his thoughts. He waited patiently, spinning his pencil between deft fingers as he observed Jongin’s expressions.

The voices in his head hummed, and Yixing swallowed another mouthful of tea to quiet them.

Finally, Jongin sat back and spoke, every word dripping with hesitation and uncertainty. Yixing remained silent but placed the tip of his pencil to the paper, ready to take notes.

Jongin’s throat bobbed. “I dream of a gray world.”

OH MY GOD LIMBO IS FINALLY COMPLETE!!!! :O Thank you so much to those of you who subscribed, commented, and upvoted this story! You have no idea how much it means to me <3
It's been quite a journey, hasn't it? The story didn't turn out as I had planned for back in March of 2018, but I think this is much better than what I originally had. Of course, you guys played a huge part in motivating me to finish this fic ;) I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
If you like my writing and want to read more EXO stories, then come find me on AO3. I will be posting here from now on!