CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Bloodloss

 Blood. There was a deep paradox embedded within the thick tranquility of its substance. Pumping through the sturdy vessels of the heart, it was symbol of life but as it stilled and coagulated into a deep burgundy black, it wreaked death. Blood was as much love as it was vengeance served on a plate. Blood was family and it was enemy – it was red and sometimes, blue.

Silently, Jaehwa monitored the transfusion. With fixed eyes, she examined the smooth silken stream of Sehun’s stark red blood fill the plastic tube and occasionally, she’d find her eyes fall on him. He sat in his chair with a stoic demeanor and though his body seemed rather lax, she could sense that he held tense thoughts.

A part of her knew that it was because she hadn’t said a word to him since they’d begun the process and she felt bad for not doing anything about it but she couldn’t deny the power of keeping Sehun on edge.

“How is she?”

Jaehwa flinched at the sound of his voice breaking through her thoughts, “The last I checked, she was sleeping.” She hadn’t been monitoring HyeRyung’s condition closely.

He nodded gently, “Are you tired?”

“I’m fine.” She replied politely. “Just relax.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Does it hurt?”

He chuckled lightly.

“Right. Stupid question.” Jaehwa acknowledged as she cracked a gentle smile.

“How are you feeling… really?” Sehun asked cautiously and she felt a shiver run down her spine from the way he looked at her. All of his attention was fixed on her alone and she seemed caught off guard by it.

“I’m alright. A little sleep deprived but I’m still holding up.” She answered with the same cautiousness, “How are you feeling?”

“Eh.” He shrugged.

“Remember to get up slowly when we’re finished here. You’re going to feel a little weak from blood loss.” She took a step closer to him and leaned in to check the state of his veins. Her fingers applied gentle pressure against the area she’d punctured the needle through.

“Does it bother you?” He asked quietly – so quietly he almost hoped that she didn’t hear.

Jaehwa froze with her fingers still on his cool skin, “I would’ve given mine.” Her voice was just as quiet so that only he heard and he reached over to hold her hand with his free hand.

“No way in hell am I going to let that happen.” His words, though demanding and stubborn held a gentle tremor that twisted into her chest. She felt the burn of tears at the very back of her eyes and though she tried to pull her hand from under his, he held on.

“Why?” She challenged, lifting her gaze bravely but immediately regretted it. His eyes were a dreamy grey – calm, collected and a reflection of his poise. He wasn’t the least bit shaken by her because he welcomed her; because unlike Jaehwa, Sehun wasn’t fighting his deepest desires.

“It bothers you.” He drew her hand closer to him so that she stumbled forward, looming over his seated body, “But it shouldn’t.”

“How can it not?” And suddenly, Jaehwa’s eyes took on a different stance. Her dim gaze brightened with flecks of sadness, of lost time, of memories she continued to relive.

Even at a time like that, Sehun smiled, “Now you know what it felt like for me.”

“Excuse me?”

“When Lay had you-“

“He didn’t have me.” Jaehwa was quick to retort and somehow, that made Sehun’s heart flutter. He sensed that she cared about the way he perceived her.

“Well, she doesn’t have me either.” Sehun’s words put a block in Jaehwa’s throat and suddenly there was nothing she could say. She didn’t have to because she didn’t want to have it any other way; because he’d given her an answer she didn’t want to exchange.

Jaehwa adverted her gaze elsewhere and felt her breaths come shorter, “Remind me to get a coffee when I get back up there.” Her voice held the gentle ring of a hidden smile – the type that lit up your insides.

“At the rate your heart is going I’m not sure you need one.” Sehun smirked and just as Jaehwa was about to pull away shyly, Sehun leaned forward so that the tip of their noses were a fraction of an inch from touching.

Jaehwa held her breath as she searched Sehun’s eyes, deep down into its warmth and the openness it conveyed. He was sincere with her – she could see it but it would take time for her to believe it. So many times before, she had seen the same thing and it had given her so much hope.

In the past, she’d always hoped to change Sehun but she knew now that she had made a mistake far too great. Deep down inside, what she wanted to change was his perception of her – not him, because the man that was before her now was perfect, even in his cruelty and his coldness and his indifference. Sehun was perfect because in all his flaws, there was inner strength she’d never seen anyone else possess.

He’d battled long and treacherous battles with loneliness and though it left him scarred, he was still beautiful to her. If she could change anything at all this time around, it would be her approach – to not love him because she believed it would change him but to love him for everything that he was.

Yet, could the ghost of her pains allow her to open up to him again?

A gasp ripped through the air and instantly, every peace collapsed under its pained desperation. Tension filled the air between the couple and Sehun released his grip on Jaehwa’s hand as fast as she turned to check on HyeRyung. She leapt from his side to the coffin where she found HyeRyung’s body convulsing violently. The shackles against her limbs rattled deafeningly and filled the basement with a symphony of bloodcurdling panic.

“HyeRyung-“

“H-Help.”

“What’s happening?” His voice was calm against the background of HyeRyung’s deteriorating state.

“She’s having a seizure of some sort.” Jaehwa reached in with a steady hand and fixed a hand against her arm and under the gentlest touch, she swore she heard a bone crack.

A harsh cry ripped through the air and wide, hysteric eyes fixed themselves on Jaehwa.

“I’m sorry.”

“B-.” She cursed through a strained voice and Jaehwa almost gave up on trying to save her when the woman reached to grip her wrist. Yet the lightest of pressure made HyeRyung’s fingers give way, crackling like weatherworn pain flaking into dust.

She screamed louder.

“I don’t know what to do.” Jaehwa tossed a look at Sehun from over her shoulder – brows furrowed and eyes in panic, “She’s… breaking.”

Sehun winced as he put an end to the transfusion by ripping the needle from his arm. Jaehwa watched as blood gushed out from the tiny wound and spit out of his arm in a thin line. He bound to his feet and reached Jaehwa’s side just in time to see HyeRyung’s chest heave up into the air. She cried out in utter horror as her ribs gave way and exploded into a million pieces in her chest.

“S-stop it…” As she spoke, black blood gushed out from between her dry lips, “Please.” From her nostrils, two streams of dark ink trails seeped into the wrinkle lines of her face.

“Is this supposed to happen?” Jaehwa had seen a lot of things in her time but a death like this seemed too gruesome.

“I have no idea.” Sehun whispered thinly.

Then with one final tremor, HyeRyung’s neck snapped and it was suddenly too quiet.

Her eyes were deep onyxes embedded in the hard contours of her sunken face, staring off into a distant spot on the ceiling. Her lips were a muted red and under the thin veil of her grey skin, there was a faint blue glow mapping out the lines of her dehydrated veins. An eerie spell of death seemed to have befallen the rigid body trapped in the confines of cracked marble.

“What the hell just happened?” Sehun muttered but before Jaehwa could answer, she cautiously moved to close the girl’s eyes. Something about them seemed haunting to her but just as she pulled away, her fingers took with it a piece of frayed and papery thin skin to reveal a clean, fresh layer underneath. Smooth, white and glowing. Like a snake shedding its old skin, HyeRyung was being reborn before her very eyes. Like a worm squirming out of its rotten cocoon, HyeRyung was poison filling the air.

“I think… it worked…” Jaehwa whispered as she continued to examine the skin between her fingers but before she could say anymore, she felt Sehun stiffen beside her. “What’d you hear?”

“Guards. We’ve got to go.”