Blood and Roses || Lee Taeyong

Chapter 34 | "come back to me"

When he arrived at the location, he gulped nervously. She was somewhere in one of the tallest buildings along the river, and the pit in his stomach only grew as he ran in. He was hoping for the best but expecting the worst and decided to follow his gut, taking the elevator up the 30 stories and straight to the roof.

When the doors open and he bolted out onto the roof, he was stunned. There was blood everywhere, splattered along the surfaces, pooling on the ground. His eyes widened as he noticed maybe 8 bodies lying lifeless on the ground, the moonlight glinting off the blood staining their skin.

His eyes scanned wildly before landing on a shaking heap by the far side, next to the ledge.

"Chaerin?" He called out, seeing the silhouette suddenly freeze.

Cautiously he stepped closer. As she came into focus, he could see Chaerin kneeling on the ground, a knife lying next to her as she stared at her blood covered hands.

"Chaerin, thank god. What are you-"

"Don't come any closer." She said, quickly rising to her feet and taking a step closer to the ledge. "Leave me alone."

Taeyong felt a page in his heart as he saw the darkness in her usually bright eyes. A darkness that was all too familiar to him.

"Chaerin please, don't do this." He said slowly, holding his hands cautiously in front of him.

"What are you saying, Taeyong? Isn't this perfect?" She laughed out, her voice a psychotic, hitching, taunt as she gestured to the blood and bodies around her. "The infamous killer Lee Taeyong fell for another killer. It makes sense now, you saw the darkness in me before I even knew it existed."

"No I didn't, this isn't you." He replied with a shake of his head. "I don't want this for you."

"It doesn't matter what you want, there's no going back now." She yelled out, her voice squeaking with crazed laughter. "I-I-I lost it! I got so pissed off at everything and look what I've done. I'm a monster."

"Chaerin, you're hurting. You're grieving, that's all this is. You're not stable right now, but you're going to regret this later." He said slowly, careful not to tip her off.

"No I won't."

"Yes you will."

"And how do you know that?" She screamed, her eyes flaring with anger.

"Because I do! I regret it!" He yelled back, breathing heavily from the tension. "I said a long time ago that I didn't want you to become like me, that I'd do anything to protect you from this, and I still will. You need to stop."

"I can't stop, Taeyong. Everyone I've ever loved is dead, I have nothing anymore!" She yelled, her voice breaking painfully as she stepped up onto the ledge of the roof, her toes dangerous hanging over the edge. "I killed people tonight, Taeyong. Innocent people! I can already feel myself, the darkness, the blood on my hands. This world is better off without me. I don't have anything left to live for anyway."

"You have us! You have me! Please, come down Chaerin." He said in a panic as she teetered over the edge. "You told me once that this was a choice. That at some point in my life, I made a choice to succumb to my darkness and that I was the only one who could change it. That applies to you too."

He desperately took a step closer, doing anything he could think of to stop her from jumping over. He fought back his emotions, his deepest desire to just run to her because he knew what she would do if he tried. The only way to solve this was for her to make the choice.

"You're the only one that can fight this, Chaerin. I know you're hurting right now, but this isn't you. Don't make the same mistake that I did."

She turned to look at him, the two sharing a long gaze as he hoped to see just some sort of spark, some essence of the life her eyes used to be filled with. She slowly shook her head, closing her eyes and leaning forward.

"No stop! Please!" He yelled out, his voice breaking from fear.

She stopped, teetering dangerously with her feet only inches on solid ground as she turned to him, her eyes unfocused as the wind swirled around them. Taeyong wracked his brain for something, anything, that he could say to stop this.

He was about to watch the love of his life jump off the edge of a building and it took everything in him not to break down. He knew he had to stay strong for her. Just then, something caught his eye. The moonlight glinting off of something on her neck.

"You're still wearing the necklace that I gave you." He said softly, seeing her instinctively reach up to grasp it. "Remember that night? How happy you were? With all your friends, the members, having fun and laughing?" He asked her, seeing the slightest hint of recognition on her face. "Being there with me."

She turned her gaze onto him, her empty eyes boring into his as she literally hung on the edge of her life. Taeyong couldn't stop the fear from taking over, his whole body trembling as silent tears slowly flowed down his cheeks.

"Come back to me, loves."

It was like a switch. That word. Their word. Suddenly her eyes shifted, the darkness fading to fear and anguish as she frantically looked around. Her eyes widened once she looked over the edge, quickly scrambling backwards and onto the ground again. Her chest heaved as she let out heavy breaths as she desperately wiped her hands on her clothes in a panic.

"Taeyong?" She whispered, seeing him standing there.

"Yeah?"

"What have I done." She asked, her voice breaking as she looked around at the blood and bodies. "I-I can't handle this, it's all to much for me."

"Shhh it'll be okay, I promise." He ran over to her, pulling her right into his chest as he let out a breath of relief. "We're gonna help you through this."

"It hurts." She cried, clutching onto her head as all the emotions caught up to her and sent daggers through her skull.

"I know it does, but it's okay to be hurting."

"Please make it stop."

His heart broke for her, the pure anguish in her tone nearly bringing him to tears all over again.

"I can't right now, loves, but I promise that it will be all gone some day. And I'll be here for you until that day comes." He whispered comfortingly, his hand constantly rubbing her back.

"I want to go home." She said quietly.

She wasn't aware of just how much those words affected him. In that moment, he felt his whole world shift back into place, all of his muscles finally relaxing as he held her.

"Let's go home."