Refresh (Stray Kids Hwang Hyunjin)

Twenty-six

"What happened?" Jinyoung sprinted to Mark. He had tears in his eyes and held Alex's body as if it was the only thing that mattered to him. It probably was.

He didn't respond though, Jinyoung had already come to a conclusion.

"Did she drown herself?"

Mark nodded.

The witch immediately got down to his feet and pressed a couple of fingers at the skin of her neck to find a pulse.

Nothing.

"Take her to the hospital," he commanded.

"I already called the ambulance," Mark cried.

"Well where are they?"

"I don't know! Alex, please don't leave me. Please, you're all I have!"

Jinyoung just watched. He saw this all before.

"So did you just come here and see her floating?" The witch asked.

Mark shook his head.

"I was with her when it happened."

"So you watched her drown?"

"She was supposed to come back up. She... She was just trying..."

He erupted in tears yet again.

"Just trying to do what, Mark? What was she trying to do?"

"She wouldn't want me to tell you..."

"For Pete's sake Mark, just say it! I need to know!" Jinyoung shouted.

"She was trying to get more clues... Answers."

Jinyoung screamed.

He yelled and he kicked rocks nearby, also throwing some in the water.

After two minutes of shouting and taking his anger out on whatever he could find, he ran a hand through his hair and crouched down.

"Three hundred years," he whispered. "I spent three hundred years planning this and she just... She just kills herself! Because she wanted more clues... Patience! That's all she frickin' needed! Was that too much to ask for?" He was yelling now. "This," he pointed at her. Is why I don't bother myself with humans!"

"Jinyoung, calm down," Jackson suddenly teleported to him. "Take deep breaths-"

"No!" He screamed, his voice cracking. "Everything I've done, all my work down the drain. I'm the most hunted witch in all the universes and I have King Naymoor's Spirit after me now and this is my reward. The reason you're here, the reason I'm here was to help her. To make her life worth living for! To make her happy. Was that too much to ask for? Why? WHY?"

He was crying now and it was obvious he wasn't angry anymore. He was angry at someone else, something else.

Fate.

You should have killed me! Not her!" He covered his face with his hands, sobbing before whispering one last question. "Why her?"

The ambulance came and left with her body. Jinyoung stayed where he was, crying while Jackson had to erase the memories of anyone witnessed the witch's breakdown, except Mark. He deserved to know.

Jackson sat on the ground beside him and rubbed his back.

"You aren't honestly giving up, are you?" Jinyoung didn't respond but the answer was crystal clear. "There's still a boy waiting for his soulmate. The soulmate you promised him."

"Let him marry Suzy. He loves her anyway."

"He can't marry Suzy. She doesn't love him back. You know how things will end up for him if he does."

"So what? It's fate, is it not?"

"You're letting fate win so easily? Not going to put up a fight? Not even going to give it a run for its money?"

To this point, it was obvious Jackson was getting furious.

"I've fought enough," Jinyoung mumbled. "It wasn't meant to be."

"I can't believe you're giving up!"

"What other choice do I have?"

Jinyoung pulled a couple of small potion bottles out of his pocket and spilt it's contents of the ground, fifty centimetres away from each other. Two portals suddenly opened up: one leading to Wonderland, the other leading to Skilt.

"I cannot believe this! Think about Hyunjin. Don't you care?"

"Fate wanted Alex to commit suicide and Suzy to poison Hyunjin in his sleep. It did one and it's definitely going to do the other."

"The plan isn't over yet, Jinyoung. We could still do something. Yeah, we're off track but there are ways to get back."

"She's dead! Except it! She's gone."

"Listen up. I did not leave Skilt, witness grim wars and become one of the King Naymoor's enemies for you to just give up! We have work to do."

Jinyoung shook his head.

"You just don't get it, do you? You're trying to fight a battle you already lost. You can continue fighting if you want but I'm tired. And I surrender. Fate won."

And with that, Jinyoung stepped into the Wonderland portal. Jackson watched in shock, hesitating a bit until entering the Skilt portal.

The fight ended.

Fate won.

No more fighting the inevitable.