I'M SORRY
The cold fire rages on.

Once inside, Jaejoong raises his rifle, aiming at darkness. The sudden fear. The sudden pressure. It overwhelms him. This place is... This place is not where he wishes to be.

Where evil breds. Where hatred feeds. 

In this kind of place, he is suddenly troubled by questions of pain and loss. The motions on his face. Were they basic tears?

He needs a light to see. He needs a light that will not extinguish in the mist of a dark storm. At his wishful thought, a spotlight ignites... to bring a lonesome patch of blackness into the light.

In that lit corner... that small, lit corner, a woman appears before him. She is sitting in a broken chair, rocking back and forth as if it was a rocking chair. A black veil is covering her face. Is she in mourning? Only her frail, pale arms are visible... holding a newborn. Its loud cries contrasting harshly against the surrounding sickness.

It is healthy. To watch its little arms grasping the air. To hear the high-pitch product of its little lungs. He believes. He believes it is to watch, to hear life itself.

"Hey lady... what you doing here? You shouldn't be here. Not with that baby."

She pays him no mind and continues to comfort her wailing child.

"Lady... Hey lady... are you being held hostage?"

Jaejoong lowers his rifle and approaches the mother. She needs his help. She should not be here. This is no place to raise a child. As he draws near, he sees her kissing the little one... before turning to look through the thick black veil. Was she looking at him?

Without a word, she raises her baby... as if to offer her most precious gift to him. To him.

How can he accept the child? How can he?

Against his better judgment, he drops his rifle in exchange for the newborn. At his touch, the wiggling infant cries its last.

Dead.

"You killed him, Jae. You killed our most precious. Why did you have to do it? Why?!"

"Cyn... I—"  He looks at the still bundle in his arms. It has grown cold over time. "I'm sorry..."

"You destroyed our family! You destroyed us!"

And all he can tell her is: "I'm sorry."

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