Threads of Fate (Catnipz)

One Step at a Time

"You don't have to have all the answers," Minji said gently. "But lying to her isn't fair, Haerin. You deserve to be free from your debts, to be free from the things that keep you bound to a life you didn't choose."

Haerin's heart ached as she looked at Danielle once more, the girl who had always been there for her, even when Haerin hadn't known how to ask for help. The thought of telling Danielle the truth, of breaking the fragile bond they had built, felt like a crushing weight. But the alternative; living in a lie, pretending to feel something she didn't, was far worse.

"You're right," Haerin said finally, her voice quiet but firm. She turned away from the bed, facing Minji now, her eyes filled with uncertainty and resolve. "But it's not going to be easy. It's never easy when you owe someone your life."

Minji's gaze softened, and for the first time, Haerin saw a flicker of something that resembled empathy in the reaper's eyes.

"I know," Minji replied, her voice low and understanding. "But sometimes, the hardest thing to do is also the thing that sets you free."

Haerin didn't know if she was ready to face the truth, her truth. But standing here, with Minji by her side, she finally felt like she wasn't alone in the dark. Maybe, just maybe, she could find the courage to let go of the debts she had been carrying for so long.

Haerin's gaze lingered on Minji, her expression softening, the weight of her words still hanging in the air between them. It was strange to think of Minji, the stoic reaper who walked through the world with no real ties, with no one to turn to in moments of doubt. Haerin had always believed that everyone had someone; someone to remember them, someone who cared,  but now, in this moment, she wasn't so sure.

"Do you... do you have anyone around in the world?" Haerin asked hesitantly, her voice soft as she looked at Minji, wondering if there was a trace of something... someone, left behind in the world for her.

Minji stood still for a moment, her gaze distant, as if contemplating Haerin's question. The wind stirred the edges of her cloak, but there was no change in her demeanor, no sign of the usual icy detachment she wore like a mask.

"No," Minji answered, her voice almost a whisper, carrying the weight of centuries. "I'm from so long ago, Haerin. Everyone I knew, everyone I loved... they're all gone. Dead. Long gone."

Her words were simple, matter-of-fact, but there was a sadness in them that couldn't be ignored. It wasn't just the sorrow of time lost; it was the deep, quiet ache of someone who had outlived everyone they had ever cared about, someone who had watched their world fade away.

Haerin could feel the space between them widen, not physically, but emotionally. She had always thought of death as something that just took people away, but now she was beginning to understand that it wasn't just about the end of life; it was also about the spaces that were left behind, the voids that could never truly be filled.

"I'm sorry," Haerin whispered, her heart aching for Minji, a woman who seemed so strong and untouchable, yet so undeniably alone.

Minji gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, her eyes shifting toward the horizon, where the first light of dawn was beginning to break through the night sky. The city was still quiet, the world still asleep, and for a moment, everything felt suspended in time.

"It's not something you need to apologize for," Minji said, her voice steady but quiet. "It's just... the way things are. I was a human once, Haerin. I lived, I loved, I had my own family, my own friends. But I stayed too long, and now all of that is just... memories." She paused, her expression unreadable. "You're lucky. You still have time. Time to make things right. To make the choices that matter."

Haerin didn't know what to say. She had never imagined that the grim reaper would have such a heavy burden. She had never imagined that someone like Minji, someone who seemed so detached from everything, could carry such loss.

"I don't think I can ever make things right," Haerin said quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "There's too much that's broken. Too much I've messed up."

Minji turned her head to look at Haerin, her expression softening just a little. "You don't have to fix everything all at once. Just take the next step, the one that matters. That's enough."

Haerin looked at Minji, the silence between them stretching out, and for the first time, she understood. No matter how long it had been since Minji had lived as a human, no matter how many lives had passed since then, she still understood what it meant to struggle, to feel lost.

"Thank you," Haerin said, her voice barely audible, but filled with something she hadn't felt in a long time; gratitude. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready to go... but maybe I can find a way to stop hurting the people I care about. Maybe that's enough."

Minji didn't say anything at first, just gave Haerin a long, thoughtful look. Then, she nodded, her voice soft but steady.

"It's enough," she said. "One step at a time."