Don't Fear The Reaper [A Ravi Fanfiction]

Bargaining, Depression, Closure

Time seemed to stop for a moment while everyone processed what had just come out of his mouth; Taekwoon was about to say something, but his mouth closed as soon as it opened. Glancing at Kim for a moment again, he walked towards Wonshik, kneeling down beside him. "Look, I know you really care about her, but-"

"I. Go. Instead," Wonshik said, already determined.

The creator just looked down as a smile formed on his face. "Okay, if that's how you want things to be, I am in no position to argue with you. You'll be granted a moment with her; it'll be short, so do what you have to do." The others looked at him as if he had just said something completely crazy, but Taekwoon just ignored the stares. "We're sorry to see you go."

Wonshik only nodded, ready to confront what was going to happen. He didn't feel a single pinch of regret or pain; leaving them behind was as if he was lifting a big weight off his back. Knowing there would be no direct consequences, he looked at the others as if saying goodbye one last time and then closed his eyes, searching in the dark until he found the right spot. Through the trees, he could see her limbo's sky was completely cloudy, gray clouds filling every inch and covering the cyan that he often loved to look up to in the living world.

He appeared in what seemed to be the middle of the forest, and closing his eyes again he tried to feel from where the wind came from; noticing it was blowing from behind him, he started walking towards it, feeling that he was heading the right way. It was as if his blood began running through his veins again along with a little bit of adrenaline, and he couldn't believe how much he had longed for that feeling. That little rush was what he needed to start running, and it wasn't long until he found the old cliff.

Looking around for a while, he tried to see her but she was nowhere to be found. Scared she had already jumped back to life, he kneeled in front of the edge, staring at the horizon and feeling slightly hopeless already, until a weak voice spoke from behind him. "Wonshik?"

He turned around as fast as he could and there was Kim, standing a few feet away from him. She looked paler than he had ever seen, and her hair and clothes were messy, just as if she had been days wandering around instead of just hours. Getting up, he ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her softly as if she was made of glass. "Oh my God, what happened to you?"

"I've missed you," she muttered against his neck. "I don't know how long I've been here, but they told me it'd be you who'd pay if I came back. I want you to stay safe, but what are you doing here?"

"You don't need to worry about me, okay?" he whispered, caressing her hair and kissing the top of her head. A few tears appeared in his eyes and threatened to fall, but he managed to swallow them, not wanting to let her know what was going to happen. "Come, let's sit here and rest for a moment." Pulling away and grabbing her hand, he led her to one of the biggest trees and sat down with her between his legs, hugging her from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder.

Although everything seemed peaceful, he could tell there were a lot of things going on inside her mind; after a long moment of silence, she said, "You know, you look different too. Your skin seems to have a redder colour, and you feel warmer as well. I can feel your heartbeat more than ever. What's going on, Wonshik? Is this all just an illusion? Have I finally lost it?"

It seemed as if panic owned her voice as she spoke, and he tightened the hug as if trying to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. "We're both alright," he explained. "Please, don't worry. But can I tell you something? No matter what happens after today, I'll never regret meeting you."

"Don't tell me not to worry and then tell me that. Tell me what's going on, Wonshik."

With a sigh, he noticed a small tear rolling down his cheek, the warmth of the drop unrecognizable against his own. "I... I made a pact with the guys," he started to say. "I asked them to leave you alone in exchange for..." He tried to keep on talking but the words got stuck midway in his throat; already unable to stop the tears, a few others made their way down his cheeks as Kim turned around and wiped them away, only half surprised.