Red String (Series #1) \\ Ateez ✔

unveiling shadows

THIRD POV

Amidst the subtle ambience, Jangmi and Seonghwa, now adults, found themselves standing at the crossroads of revelation.

The passage of time has finally unfurled the past. And destiny, relentless in its course, guided them to a unravel truth within the walls of his chamber.

The Prince internally grappled at the sight before him, a maiden with long threads of brown hair and eyes that mirrored the night sky, the familiarity that he always overlooked.

She was here all along while he was secretly painting in his room reminiscing about her. She was here all along when he would visit the willow tree and leave a singular rose on the same bench on the Riverside. She was here all along when his heart was pounding relentlessly. The same woman who first gave him the remedy to his poison, became the woman to fully cure his poison. How oblivious did he become?

The woman before him, his wife, Jangmi, held a resonance that echoed through the corridors of memories he could never forget.

The muse of his life, is there, beside him.

In a moment of clarity, Seonghwa broke the silence that lingered like a phantom between them. "Let's stop pretending this act anymore," he implored, his voice carrying the weight of revelation. "We both know who we are. You in front of me is the woman I moved mountains for, painted canvases for, went through every highest wall for, pierced my heart and bitterly cried for. The woman I have long been searching for. The woman whom I thought was long dead. The woman who saved me from the schemes of fate. The woman before me today is the woman I have always loved but disappeared. But now that fate brought you back to me, can we stop pretending, and can I hold you in my arms again?"

Jangmi, caught in the complexities of past and present, hesitated. She has finally detangled herself from the blankets and composed her composure.

The truth, though undeniable, carried the weight of unspoken fears and hesitations for her.

"How did you know?" Jangmi's voice carried a tremor of vulnerability, her eyes searching his for an answer.

Seonghwa looked at Jangmi with a softness in his gaze, acknowledging the brittleness that clung to her like delicate threads. In response to her question, he gently reached towards the jade necklace that adorned her neck, the very same pendant he had given her so many years ago.

Seonghwa, his fingers delicately tracing the contours of the jade, spoke with quiet certainty. "This necklace," He began, "It's the one I gave you beneath the willow tree, back when time painted our world with the hues of innocence."

A tender silence settled between them as Seonghwa continued, "I recognized it when you were unconscious. The necklace you always tuck inside your dress rested on your neck that night. And when I saw the engravement I made, I knew that it was you."

Jangmi felt the weight of truth settle upon her. And as Seonghwa's words hung in the air, hee brittle defences began to crack.

Jangmi lowered her head as soon as she felt tears streaming down her face, and out of the blue, he gently pulled her in his arms. The contours of his embrace became a haven for the emotions that had surfaced in their reunion.

"Why are you crying?" He whispered, his voice a soft melody.

Jangmi, nestled in the cocoon of his arms, took a moment to gather her words. And when she finally spoke, her voice was a beyond a mumble.