Reverse Fate

Chapter 4

Oh Gong's whole body felt heavy and weak while his mind flitted in and out consciousness, each time gaining a little more awareness. The sensations were weird, and unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

Contemplating the feel, he could only compare it vaguely with the day he had gained awareness, his birth as a great spirit. The way his body had felt unfamiliar even to himself was as close as he could imagine to the feeling he had right now.

But not only did his body feel weak and unfamiliar, it hurt. Everywhere. Every breath he took, no matter how small, made it seem as if his lungs were too big for his body. A big breath made pain shoot throughout his thorax, as if his lungs tried to strain against his ribs just to enough place for the air he breathed.

His legs kept on shooting op tinges of pain, and his arms as well, but there was something dulling the sensation, something that made his mind go fuzzy a little and kept most of the pain at bay.

Oh Gong tried to move, but still his body didn't cooperate. He had been hovering on the edge of waking up for a while now but couldn't manage to break through the cloud that was over his mind. It seemed that his body wasn't willing.

But it was only when he heard her voice that he really started to try.

Seon Mi.

Just the thought of her name made a smile want to appear on his face, and even though the muscles didn't want to cooperate, his heart soared.

His Seon Mi was alive. She had lived and she was now here, near him. He breathed in deeply, and the scent of lotus flowers was near, even though he smelled it less strong than usual.

But that didn't matter. The important thing was that she was alive. It had worked, his last desperate whish had worked.

The realisation brought a wave of emotion with it, and all Oh Gong wanted to do was to shout in happiness and gratefulness, to jump out of the bed and take her in his arms and kiss her once again, but once again, he wasn't able to make himself move.

A thought occurred to him that perhaps his whish had come through, and he was now stuck in the afterlife, a dark limbo where he would forever be unable to move and just hear her voice in the distance.

But that was okay. This way he knew she was alive, and that was fine. Hearing her voice was a gift on itself, and he tried to relax and just catch the shards of conversation. The sound of Ma Wang's voice was less welcome than that of Seon Mi, and he mentally frowned at it.

Then Oh Gong heard him criticize Seon Mi, and being in the afterlife or not, Oh Gong couldn't let that pass. Gathering all his strength, he willed his mouth to move, surprised that even despite his weakness it worked. His eyes opened, and the bright light hurt, but he still managed to glare at Ma Wang, and in the process he saw Seon mi. His heart soared when he saw her, alive and looking well, healthy.

"You should lay of my lovely Seon Mi, whatever she did, it's probably your fault anyway," Oh Gong managed to force out, a moment later crying out in pain when Seon Mi suddenly hugged him, and every dull pain seemed to suddenly grow acute.

His whole body hurt and it left him nearly breathless.

"Oh Gong!" Seon Mi said at his pained gasp, and he felt her arms leave.

"Don't," Oh Gong managed to say, barely audible. He lifted his arms up, and weakly grasped at her, glad when she stopped moving away from him. Oh Gong concentrated on the feel of her skin underneath his fingertips.

Breathing in deeply, he looked at her, seeing her beautiful eyes stare at him, a little worry in there for him, and it made him feel smug to see it on her face. A proof that she cared about him.