When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

(S02) Chapter 37

Not when my pursuit of it costs the lives of others.

The shrill ring of my phone sliced through the oppressive silence, jolting me from my spiral of self-reproach. I glanced at the screen.

Unknown Number.

I let it ring, unwilling to engage. But the device persisted, vibrating insistently against the cold floor.

On the third attempt, I relented, swiping to answer but saying nothing.

A distorted voice filled the void—a mechanical timbre, devoid of any identifiable emotion.

"You should have thought better," it said, each word deliberate, cutting. "Made wiser choices."

My breath hitched, heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribcage.

"Who is this?" I demanded, though my voice trembled, betraying the facade of strength I tried to muster.

"You know who I am," the voice countered. "More importantly, you know what you've done."

A cold sweat broke out along my spine. "I don't understand."

A mirthless chuckle crackled through the line. "Don't play dumb, Ye Na. Your selfishness has consequences. Two are already dead because of you."

I swallowed hard, tears are forming again in my eyes, bile rising in my throat. "I—"

"Didn't you?" the voice interrupted. "You chased after your own desires, blind to the fallout. And now, blood stains your hands."

Tears welled anew, spilling over as I clenched the phone tighter. "Please... stop."

"Stop?" the voice mocked. "If only you'd considered that before. But it's too late now. The damage is done."

A sob escaped my lips, raw and uncontained. "What do you want from me?"

"Want?" The voice paused, as if contemplating. "I want you to live with this, to understand the weight of your actions. And perhaps, to make better choices... before more lives are lost."

The line went dead.

I remained frozen, the phone slipping from my grasp to land with a soft thud on the floor.

The room seemed to close in, walls pressing tighter, the air thick with accusation.

I had sought happiness, dared to reach for light in my darkened world.

But at what cost?

And how many more would pay the price for my selfishness?

I didn’t know how long I sat there, staring blankly at the phone on the floor like it might ring again. The voice was gone, the line dead, but its echo was still lodged somewhere in my lungs—like it had taken residence there, heavy and sharp.

My ears rang in the silence.

I should’ve screamed. Should’ve told someone. Should’ve moved.

But all I could do was wrap my arms around myself tighter and press my forehead to my knees.

Two are already dead because of you.

The words weren’t unfamiliar. They sounded almost like my own thoughts—only louder. Crueler. A voice given to my guilt.

My chest heaved, but the sobs wouldn’t come anymore. I’d already cried them all out. What was left now was quieter. Worse.

A hollow, exhausted ache.

And still, that voice kept playing over and over like it was carved into my brain.

“You chased after your own desires, blind to the fallout…”