LitN: Running Through The Night

XXI

Yoojung's room was shrouded in darkness, the only illumination coming from the faint glow of the moon filtering in through the curtains. She sat huddled on her bed, her eyes hollow and bloodshot from countless sleepless nights. The weight of grief hung heavy in the air, pressing down on her chest like a suffocating blanket.

Despite the exhaustion that gnawed at her bones, sleep remained elusive, taunting her with its tantalizing promise of escape. Each time she closed her eyes, memories of her father flooded her mind, a relentless torrent of sorrow and regret that refused to be silenced.

The passage of time blurred into a hazy, endless cycle of wakefulness, the days and nights merging into an indistinguishable blur. Yoojung's body ached with fatigue, her limbs heavy with exhaustion, yet still, sleep remained an elusive dream, just beyond her grasp.

Yoojung's tears flowed freely down her cheeks, mingling with the shadows that enveloped her room. In a voice choked with anguish, she uttered two simple words that cut through the silence like a knife. "It hurts."

The raw pain in her voice tore at Ni-ki's heart, stirring within him a sense of helplessness he had never known. He watched her, his expression etched with concern, as she pleaded with him to take away the unbearable agony that consumed her.

"Please take my pain away. Like you did with my heart cancer." Ni-ki listened to Yoojung's plea, his heart heavy with the weight of her suffering. As she begged him to ease her pain, he struggled to find the right words to convey his inability to grant her request.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice laced with regret. "But I can't."

Yoojung's eyes widened with disbelief, her desperation palpable as she searched his gaze for reassurance. "Why not?" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion.

"This is different," Ni-ki explained haltingly, his words failing to fully capture the complexity of their situation. "The spell I cast on your heart, it was to protect you. But this is something else entirely. Taking away emotions is dangerous."

With tears streaming down her face, Yoojung's voice cracked as she cried out, "I don't care!"

Her anguish echoed through the room, each word weighed down by the heavy burden of grief that consumed her. Ni-ki couldn't help but internally admit that he was startled.

She continued, "My reason to live was to make my dad proud. He died before I could even do that. My life is worthless! Please, Ni-ki, take everything away. I can't bear the pain anymore."

Ni-ki hesitated. "I can't do that, Yoojung," he replied softly, his voice filled with regret. "Your emotions are what make you Human. They're a part of who you are."

He could also recall others who've taken away their emotions and them becoming deranged due to it. He couldn't risk that.

"I can't take away your emotions," Ni-ki began solemnly, his voice laced with regret, "but I can do this."

With a determined stride, Ni-ki approached Yoojung, his hand moving swiftly to rest upon her forehead. In a gentle yet decisive motion, he enacted a spell, casting a soothing enchantment that washed over her like a gentle wave.

Yoojung's eyelids fluttered, her breathing slowing as the weight of her exhaustion finally overtook her. With a soft sigh, she succumbed to the comforting embrace of sleep, her troubled mind finding solace in the tranquility of dreams.

As he watched her peaceful slumber, Ni-ki couldn't shake the twinge of guilt that gnawed at his conscience. Though he had granted her a reprieve from her suffering, he knew that it was only temporary – a fleeting respite in the face of an uncertain future.

But for now, in the quiet stillness of the room, he found a small measure of comfort in knowing that Yoojung could finally rest, if only for a little while.

As Ni-ki's gaze swept over the room, his eyes inadvertently alighted upon a framed photograph displayed prominently on Yoojung's bedside table. It was a family portrait, capturing a moment frozen in time, a glimpse into the life she had shared with her loved ones.

In the photograph, Yoojung stood alongside her father, Jungwon, Yona, and her older brother, Dawon. Their smiles radiated warmth and happiness, a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere that now pervaded the room.

For a brief moment, Ni-ki found himself transfixed by the image, his gaze lingering on each face captured within its frame. There was a palpable sense of camaraderie and affection emanating from the photograph, a testament to the bond shared between them.

But as Ni-ki's thoughts turned to the present, a pang of sadness washed over him, reminding him of the loss and grief that had enveloped Yoojung in recent days.

As Ni-ki stood in the quiet of Yoojung's room, his gaze lingering on the family photograph, a realization washed over him like a wave crashing against the shore. In that moment, surrounded by the tangible remnants of Yoojung's past, he understood with startling clarity that he, too, was experiencing the pain of loss in a way he had never imagined possible.

Jungwon's death had pierced through the armor of indifference that had long shielded Ni-ki's heart, exposing the raw vulnerability that lay dormant within him. For the first time, he felt the weight of grief pressing down upon him, a crushing burden that threatened to overwhelm his senses.

In profound introspection, Ni-ki recognized the depth of his own emotions, the ache of longing and the sting of sorrow that resonated within him. It was a stark reminder of his own Humanity, a realization that even creatures of darkness like himself were not immune to the anguish of loss.

As he grappled with the tumult of emotions swirling within him, Ni-ki found himself drawn once more to the photograph, his eyes tracing the contours of each face captured within its frame. In that simple image, he saw not just the reflection of Yoojung's past, but a mirror of his own heartache mirrored back at him.

For so long, he had believed that Vampires were immune to the tumult of Human emotions, that their existence was defined solely by the pursuit of power and dominance. But in that moment of quiet contemplation, surrounded by the tangible remnants of Yoojung's past, he understood with startling clarity that he had been wrong.

Emotions coursed through him like a raging river, sweeping away the barriers of indifference that had long shielded his heart. He felt the sting of sorrow and the ache of longing, emotions that he had once dismissed as weaknesses inherent only to Humans.

Through the lens of his own evolving emotions and the shared grief with Yoojung over Jungwon's passing, Ni-ki began to comprehend the depth of Jungwon's fascination with Humanity.