I Love You So ✓ Squid Game

026. depths of deathly hell

The inner drums of Aera's ears rang heavily, all harsh sounds became a mumble, too faint for her to hear. Her tender ears felt like they were being punctured by a needle as she lolled her head to the side, a cold surface met her cheek as she did so. The sturdy metal bed she was on, felt stiff under her frame as it supported her tender body.

A dry grumble parted from Aera's lips as her bloodied face contorted, her quiet groans arose from her arid throat and scratched against it. Agony dispersed from her chest, as if three thousand swords were tearing the tissues of her skin apart. She tried lifting her head up, but was too exhausted to even move a limb.

Affliction swirled within Aera's head. Like multiple shards of glass jabbing at the core of her brain. She desperately wanted to grab ahold of her head and bash it against a wall to make the aching go away, or her entire body actually, every inch of her bones were consumed by a throbbing pain.

Voices began to flitter through her mind too, whirling to and fro from one side of her brain and to the other. Though, they seemed to be confined within her head, they seemed as if they were begging to be said aloud. The voice nearly crushed at her sore brain, tearing apart at her sanity-

'HWANG AERA.'

Recollecting the familiar voice, it rang through Aera's tainted mind. As if it were possible, her chest benumbed itself. A fragile version of the cold-hearted raven haired girl, swarmed within Aera's mind. A rumble of pain prickled at Aera's skin, like tiny pin needles sticking into the surface of it, she remembered the grief-stricken screams that tore at Sae-byeok's throat, it scarred her mind forever.

Sprawling her legs out slightly, Aera's toes curled from the unbearable amount of pain throughout her body, the muffled voice poked at her nerves, "Sae," Aera mindlessly muttered, her quiet voice ripped at her throat due to dehydration. Even with strenuous efforts, Aera couldn't get herself to sit up.

"She's waking up Sir," a voice called out, making Aera's tender ears rattle.

"I can see that."

"The sleeping gas wasn't enough."

"Well you should've given her more."

"We could give her some more now?-" They asked timidly.

"Is that even a question?" Snapping abruptly, "get on with it," The Front Man ordered with an icy sneer.

Seething through gritted teeth, bright, obnoxious colours met her fatigued eyes as Aera tried to force them open. Her eyelids were like iron doors that were sealed by the toughest of glues. Once the light hit her cocoa eyes, another tired murmur escaped from her cracked lips, she couldn't even bring a hand up to cover her eyes from the harsh lights, it was as though her arms were cemented down on to the metal bed she was on.

Fumes of pale grey smoke began to swarm into the room, the sound of the dispensers hummed as it puffed some knock out gas into the room. All of the masked men were able to stand awake, their uniform made it impossible to be phased by the sleeping gas.

Managing to push her eyelids up half-way, all Aera could see were blurry furniture and gas rolling just above her body. Her mind casted back, hastily, to the day she came across Sae-byeok within the van. Aera tucked her fingers into tight fists, digging her sharp, unclipped nails into the surface of her palm as she held her breath sharply, causing her pain to be benumbed for a brief second.

There was a reason why Sae-byeok told Aera not to breathe in the gas in that van, it probably wasn't healthy.

"Why have you stopped the procedure?" The intimidating voice called out once again. The supervisors jostled around, knocking down some surgery equipment in the process, their movements frantic. "That wasn't an invitation for you to take a break."