✔︎𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 || 𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐨

7. 'do you wish to save her?'

Minho woke up once again, and once again the only thing he saw above his head was the dark sky and the countless shiny stars. He kept staring at them, blinking and questioning why he was in that place again, what was the point in coming here when she was not with him? That safe place could have never been the same now, after all.

In fact, he felt heavier and sadder than he had ever been, even tho those kinds of feelings weren't allowed in that place. But it was just like as Y/n decided to end her life, that place's life ended with her, and now there was no point in coming back there anymore. And yet, there he was, lying in the soft grass, a loud silence surrounding him.

Soon, Minho felt his eyes filling with tears, and before he even realized, he let out a loud cry. His sobs were filling the silence of the land, louder than the soft wind and heavier than any joyful word he and Y/n had shared there. Why did it have to end like that? How bad her situation was to do something this crazy?

Minho felt angry, angry at the way the girl wasn't able to handle that situation and simply chose the easy path, leaving him alone. Actually, not just him, but her sister too, and who knows how many people that cared about her. But who was he to judge her like that? He didn't really know her, her sister said the same thing, he only knew the happy version of her that lived in that dreamy place, but that was just a lie. That wasn't the real Y/n, the real one was struggling alone in the real world, and now she was gone, living Minho by himself in a place that was now just depressing,

Minho tried to dry his red cheeks full of tears before taking a few deep breaths. He didn't know why he was crying so much, after all he didn't actually know her, but she gave him so many happy memories that he couldn't think of them never coming back. He straightened up his posture, looking around at the gray, depressing land with his puffy eyes. Soon, his sight landed on the black creature, that was watching him from only a few meters apart. He stared at the creature, feeling even more depressed.

"Oh buddy, what am I supposed to do now..?" He asked, hopeless. "This shouldn't have happened, if only I knew what she was going through, I would have tried to help her".

His eyes left the creature, now fixing on his own hands. But suddenly, a strange voice echoed in the land, making him freeze.

"Do you wish to save her?" The voice said.

Minho quickly turned around, looking around to try to understand what the source of that voice was, but not seeing anyone.

"So? Do you?"

Soon, he realized that voice was coming from the creature. He fixed his eyes on it, shocked by the fact that it could actually talk, it never did.

"...Do I... wish to save her?" He asked again, confused.

The creature tilted its head "She's not dead yet, you know?"

Minho blinked before realizing what it just said, and suddenly all his energy came back.

"You mean it's not too late?" He asked, almost screaming.

The creature kept looking at him with no expression on its face. "She made her choice in the real world, but something is still holding her back from leaving. She can still be found".

Minho couldn't believe his ears "Then, she's still here, I can still save her!?"

"She's not actually here, she's somewhere else, and she's trapped. But yes, you can save her".

Minho felt a light smile appear on his lips and his heart became less heavy. So something could still be done, he could still see her.

"Then, where is she? How can I save her?".

"It won't be easy" The creature said before getting up and coming closer to him "She's trapped in her memories, and she's fighting for her life. She probably realized she didn't actually want to end it all, after all".

Minho blinked "Trapped... in her memories?"

The creature nodded "That's what happens when you die, you go through your memories, you see everything that has happened to you. But since she is fighting for her life, she can't go to the afterlife, she's stuck between life and death".

Those words were echoing in Minho's empty head, loud and clear. "Then, how can I go there, how can I meet her?".

"It's not that easy. You have to travel through her memories, but that place is dangerous. You will walk on the thin line between life and death, and if you don't find her, if she decides to just give up and die, you will be stuck there forever".

"You won't be able to wake up again".

Minho's heart dropped as he heard those words, as a wave of fear ran down his spine. He won't be able to wake up... does that mean he will die as well?

The creature understood what he was thinking, as its voice softened "You don't have to do this, you know? She made a terrible mistake, and you don't have to be the one to pay for that".

Minho's eyes locked on the ground, thinking about what that creature just told him. It would have been a hard quest, almost deadly, just to find a girl who chose all by herself to end her own life. And once again, he didn't actually know her, maybe the real Y/n just wanted to die, maybe she only wanted to end all her pain and never be bothered again. But if there was the slightest chance for her to be saved, if only she had the slightest regret about what she had done, shouldn't he be the one to help her understand that life is still worth leaving? After all, she helped him when he most needed it.

"I'll do it" Minho firmly said.

The creature looked at him surprised "Even after what I told you, you still want to help her?"

"Yes".

"Why? Why do you want to save her? She is a coward, and she's selfish, she left everyone behind, even you".

Minho looked at the creature straight into its eyes, his hands closed in a first.

"I guess, me and her are just too much alike for me not to care" he said firmly. "Besides, if there's even one small chance of her regretting what she did, if there's one small chance of her wanting to keep living, then the only thing I can do is help her to choose the right path".

His eyes were determined, and his voice held nothing but the will to help her. And the creature knew.

"I will never understand you humans" The creature said looking at the land. "But if that's what you wish for, then my duty is to help you" it said.

Then he pointed at something behind Minho. As soon as the boy realized, he turned around just to see a white door covered with colorful flowers. It didn't seem to lead anywhere, there weren't buildings or rooms behind it, it was only a closed door.

"That's the path to her memories. But remember it won't be easy, and as you step in, it's probable that her despair will affect you too. You will experience the same things she had experienced. Do you really want to go?

Minho gulped, looking at the door and scanning in his head the creature's words. But he already knew what he had to do. There was only one way.

The boy got up, his legs were trembling like crazy, and the adrenaline was filling every inch of his body. But that was his only chance to know the real Y/n, and to save her. After all, if he was in that same situation, he would have wanted the same thing. He would have wanted someone to fight for him, to show him that someone out there cared for him, and that he had still a reason to live.

He walked to the door, gripping the handle and opening it. As he did, a wave of ice-cold wind suddenly hit him, while facing with a pitch-black room just on the other side of the door. He could already feel a sense of fear and despair hit him, now feeling unsure.

He turned around, facing the creature that was still looking at him, then, he looked back at the door. He was the only one able to help her, he knew it, so he shouldn't have hesitated. So, after a deep breath, he stepped inside the door, leaving the silent land behind him as the door closed itself as soon as he entered.

"Good luck..." The creature said, right before fading away and disappearing.