Tonight, the sky was pitch black with many clouds hiding the beautiful stars behind the gloom.

Tonight, the air was as cold as the metal rod planted inside his leg, numbing his limbs.

Tonight, his world was fleeting like a lucid dream he never wanted to have.

Heechul dragged his feet to stride over the long corridor which seemed to be unending with dimmed lamps as his only light. The chills covering his body were long damned. He couldn't feel anything other than the painful nails piercing his heart stubbornly. His eyes wanted to be closed, shutting himself from the world, but he couldn't. The hold on his body was the only thing preventing him from falling, crushing his body against the ground.

His trembling eyes landed on the people in uniforms in front of the emergency units. He didn't know these people but his brain played a sickening trick as if they were the same officers who aided his father. He stopped abruptly; he wanted to run away and hide from these people because whatever they were about to tell him, it would shred his heart into pieces. It was always like that; they were mean. However, the firm grip on his body hindered him from doing so. Tears streamed down like a broken tap the closer they got to the said room. Heechul was afraid—that he would be blamed like that night. 

He needed his Jungsoo.

"Goodnight, Sirs. I'm officer Jang reporting the car accident involving Mr. Park Jungsoo this evening on Evanescence Street. The car he drove lost balance on the lane three after speeding up the road. Witnesses said that his car was unstable before it finally crashed the nearby sidewalk and got hit by another speeding vehicle. Apparently, Mr. Park was too tired to drive but he forced himself."

Heechul's ears almost bled hearing what these mean people were explaining. His eyes were unfocused, trying to look for his anchor desperately. His breath hitched; his heart sank when he could see the door behind the officers ajar, allowing him to peek a little. He saw Jungsoo's luggage lying on the floor full of dust and... Blood. Hot tears brimmed his eyes, staining his pale cheeks down to his chin. A surge of guilt shot in his veins flowing throughout his body when Jungsoo's blinding smile the day he departed flashed through his mind. If only he did his best to stop Jungsoo from going, it would never be like this.

Feeling overly overwhelmed by the pain inside his heart, Heechul finally snapped and pushed Donghae, who was holding him loyally since they arrived in the hospital before he threw his body on the barricade of the policemen to reach the door. Silly; it surely wasn't that easy. The officers immediately held Heechul's body and pulled him from barging in the emergency room.

"Let go!!! I need to see him!!! He needs me!!!"

Heechul yelled as best as he could although what came out was only a hoarse scream, sounding so pitiful; even the night would feel sorry for him. He dropped to his knees and hugged one of the policeman's leg.

"Please! I need him. I need to see Jungsoo. Please."

Heechul didn't care how long he had to kneel and how many people he had to beg to if his wish to see Jungsoo could be granted. He had to see him.

"Sir, please. Let the medics do their job. I'm sure—"

Before the words from the man seeped in his brain, his chaotic mind had been occupied by the people in white coming out from the emergency room. Again, fear tormented him. He didn't want to hear anything unless the news that Jungsoo was fine.

"Park Jungsoo's family?"

Heechul had no energy left and could only comply when Donghae tried to help him stand up, supporting his weak body afterward. Only his eyes were fixed on the doctor while Hyukjae had been standing next to him, talking to the medics.

"So, his condition is very critical. He lost so much blood..."

The words rolling out from the doctor's mouth went fader and fader in Heechul's ears. All he could hear was his silent crying and the demon inside him blaming himself for what happened.

"We need to undergo surgery on his brain trauma before it gets worse and causes more serious damage. Is there anyone here who is willing to be his guardian?"

Hyukjae immediately volunteered himself because he knew that was the least he could do at the moment. Seeing Heechul being that devastated was not what he pictured earlier. Things went out of hands real quick. He should've asked a chauffeur for his brother instead of agreeing to his idea of driving alone.

"M-may I s-see him? P-please?"

Heechul broke the tension with his heartbreaking request. Donghae squeezed his shoulders, hoping it could give strength to the broken soul. Hyukjae looked at Heechul for a moment and felt that tears were falling down his cheeks. He eyed the doctor and silently asked him to let Heechul go inside. Mayhaps seeing that the person in front of him would faint any moment if he didn't let him go made the doctor hesitantly nod.

"Ten minutes, Sir. After that, you should leave the room because the nurses will get Mr. Park to the operation room."

---

Heechul stepped in cautiously, gripping the door frame to keep his balance. The room was so bleak with a strong medicine scent that almost made him puke. His tired eyes tried to tear apart the darkness to find the person he was supposed to be with right now. His gaze stopped when he saw a lifeless body on the bed. His tears fell down anew, wetting his cheeks making the cold easily permeated. With staggering steps, Heechul finally reached the bed. The moment he took a good look at the person, his heart was thrown mercilessly, broken into a million tiny pieces.

"J-jungsoo."

Heechul was surprised when he heard how sorrowful he sounded. Jungsoo remained unmoving, his brows knitted tightly as if the latter was battling massive pain in his sleep. Many cuts and bruises tainted his tanned skin but it was nothing compared to the blood that emerged on the coil of bandage on his head. Heechul's lips quivered; he wanted to call his Jungsoo once again but he knew it was useless.

Slowly, he leaned closer, holding Jungsoo's arms to halt his limp body from falling on top of his boyfriend's. Feeling how cold Jungsoo's skin against his palms almost froze Heechul to death. The warm Jungsoo always gave him, melting the chill inside his little castle, was