The Afterlife

22) You Breathe, You Have Me

The night came easily over the light after the hours they had spent over the seas. The time it took them to reach Maui took away a day of their before they knew it, and although the trip was what Sihyeon defined easily as the deities' choice of hell on earth, it was much quicker for the rest of them, and the weariness of it all showed no presence until the last hours of the day struck, and the tiredness flying for hours long clenched to their bones.

It was even quieter then, and the loud waves from the sea brought the more serenity with it. It was ironic how something so strong, demanding to be seen and heard at every given chance, brought with it so much peace. It embraced the line of hotel rooms that stood next to one another on a flat of green, in a height that made the sea the only thing to be seen until the horizon.

Sihyeon could tell that her and Yeonjun's was the only one occupied among the ones that stood beside them, and whether it was intentional from Hyungsik's side or not, she did not know. When they had finally settled, the first thing she did was take a step outside and welcome the daring breeze the ocean swept across the rooms that stood in one line.

Sihyeon looked around, and it was hard not to breathe in all sorts of luxury forbye the ocean. Besides the grass below her feet, there were rocks scattered in a pattern that drew all sorts of circles and hearts, among them was a definitely special one that joined a stream of water; Sihyeon easily caught sight of the vabor that escabed the small pond, and she felt its heat tickle her skin to fight the mild air of the night.

Sihyeon breathed in, ease coming to her ridiculously easy as she slowly remembered every last room beside theirs; she had checked them all, and although none of them was on the same side as hers, she felt relieved to know they were all close by, and she had not checked into hers until she made sure they were all comfortable.

The last she had to do was take the carton box Naeun told her she had brought back from her home. It was a passing thought, but it made Sihyeon realise that she never knew where Naeun was originally from, after all the years. It made no sense that she never asked, or at least could not remember, but she promised to keep it a fresh thought to bring up whenever suitable.

It took an hour or so, until she had joined Yeonjun in their room at last, and it was not surprising to find Siwoo already sleeping. It had been long for him as it had been for the lot of them, and Sihyeon spared not the insides of the room much of her sight, saving it all for the scenery she stood before as she stepped beyond the patio door that made it specially tempting for her to walk outside.

"Different, huh?" Yeonjun joined her shortly after, and she smiled when she understood exactly what he meant.

It was different, every bit of it. There was no longer fire but miles of water to cease it; there was no longer blood but months of sea to erase it. It felt delusional to think so, but Sihyeon did not even feel fear before the vast ocean, too wide it was that it seemed invincible, safe to look at.

"Have you ever seen it before?" She asked, and the warmth was even stronger then as he stood on her other side to accompany her and the hot stream of water.

"Only once," it seemed heavy to speak of, but Sihyeon never pressed him; even after that many years, Sihyeon waited, knowing far too well that whenever he would be ready, there was nothing to stop him, "with my mother."

Sihyeon knew little of what past he had lingering on his chest; he never spoke much of his parents, and he never once mentioned siblings of any likes. She knew him for what she had seen alone, and she was content, yet curious. She felt it unfair, at times, that he sat right where her family was, but she was no where near close to who he was before their eyes met, forbye his and Taehyung's cat and mouse game.