why? // ateez au

the dReAm.

'Beep... beep... beep....'

"Wooyoung? Are you there?" I cried out, my voice echoing into the darkness.

"Please, is someone here?"

My body trembled as a chill ran through me, a sense of isolation enveloping my being. Surrounded by pitch-blackness, my pupils strained, desperate for any glimpse of light. Shaky hands reached out, grasping at the void as I called out once more,

"Mingi? Seonghwa? Please, someone?"

A lump formed in my throat, the weight of tears threatening to overwhelm me.

Out of the corner of my eye, a flicker of light caught my attention. I turned my gaze in its direction, catching sight of a car speeding down an empty road. Without a moment's hesitation, my feet propelled me forward, tears streaming down my face.

I chased after the car, each step carrying me farther, seemingly into eternity, until it finally came to a halt. Before me stood a solitary figure, bathed in the glow of the headlights. Time seemed to slow, the world around me fading into a blur, as if I struggled to comprehend a language foreign to my own thoughts.

"Why didn't you do anything, Yeosang?" a voice whispered in my ear.

"You were there, why didn't you help me?" The figure stepped closer, stepping into the light, and my eyes widened in shock.

He leaned in toward me, his body drenched in blood, a knife plunged deep into his abdomen.

"You were mere steps away, Yeosang. You could've saved me. You're a medical student, for God's sake. You could've helped me," his voice reverberated in my ears, my breathing growing rapid.

I opened my mouth to speak, to explain, but silence fell upon me, my voice lost in the void.

He placed his hands on my shoulders, his eyes wide with panic and desperation.

"You didn't do anything, Yeosang... You didn't do anything!" he screamed, his voice filled with anguish. He crouched down, meeting my gaze at eye level, his labored breaths filling the air.

"He's coming for everyone, Yeosang. He's coming for you."

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"FUCK!"

I jolted upright, gripping my bedsheets tightly. Sweat trickled down my forehead as my racing heart gradually steadied its pace.

Was that... a dream about Yunho?

Why was he blaming me for not helping? Was I really there?

I shook my head, trying to dispel the lingering fragments of the dream. How did I end up falling asleep, and why did it feel like a vivid memory?

Taking a deep breath, I leaned back against my headboard and removed the blanket. As my legs swung off the bed, my gaze landed on a large crimson stain on the sheets. Furrowing my brow, I followed the trail of red and gasped when my eyes settled on a deep, gaping cut across my forearm, still seeping blood. Wincing at the pain, I instinctively wrapped the blanket around the wound.

"What... the actual... FUCK!" I exclaimed, my voice laced with shock and disbelief.

"Wooyoung! Are you here?" I choked out, rising abruptly from my bed. The emotions from my dream flooded back, the lump in my throat returning, stifling my words.

Frantically, I reached for my phone, fingers fumbling as I unlocked the screen. But my vision began to blur, spots dancing before my eyes, as the world seemed to spin out of control. With trembling hands, I dialed the first contact and pressed the call button.

The phone rang, each ring echoing in the darkness until a voice finally answered.

"Hello?" a voice spoke from the other end.

"Please... help me," I managed to utter, my breaths labored and choked.

"Yeosang? What happened?" I gasped for air, struggling to form coherent words.

"The murderer... He came for me."

And in an instant, my world descended into darkness once more.