Inferno Hearts | Xu Minghao

52. Breaking her heart

*+:｡.｡　　｡.｡:+*

Nabi's world ground to a halt. Seungcheol's words were a riddle she couldn't decipher.

"Why the confusion?" Seungcheol spat, his fingers digging into her collar as he continued, "Do my words elude you?"

"Please, release me," she cried out, her voice trembling with confusion.

"No more acting, you fucking bitch," he roared, his words cutting through the air like a knife. "Your innocent facade won't save you. No one believes in your lies anymore." His furious outburst was met with her piercing cry, and she trembled uncontrollably in response.

"Hyung, that's enough," Dokyeom interjected, his voice filled with urgency. He couldn't bear to see Nabi in such distress, not after what had happened the previous night.

"Know your place, Dokyeom-ah," Seungcheol interrupted sharply, his unwavering gaze locked onto Nabi.

"This murderer deserves every bit of what's coming to her," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Are you still afraid of your father? Perhaps you should reconsider. The ones you truly need to fear are us, including Minghao," he spat, his words laced with a chilling menace.

"Please, I'm begging you. I don't understand what are you saying," she cried, desperate to extricate herself from the harrowing situation as swiftly as possible.

"You still don't understand?" he scoffed, his tone growing even more sinister. "Allow me to clarify," he declared, forcefully pulling her away from the wall and slamming her back against it once more. A painful whimper escaped her lips.

"No more games," he declared, his voice cold and unforgiving. "We have proof that you're the one who killed Min. We've got a witness who saw you push her," he stated, and Nabi's tears suddenly stopped. It was as if her very breath had been stolen away.

It felt as though the sky had crashed down upon her. Her thoughts, once her own, were now an uncontrollable tempest, reigning over her every move. She felt as if she were drowning, while everyone around her continued to breathe effortlessly.

Mental pain, though less dramatic than physical pain, is a more constant and elusive torment.

People often mistake depression for mere sadness. They assume depression means constant tears and a wardrobe draped in black. Yet, these are misconceptions. Depression is the unrelenting numbness that engulfs one's existence—numb to emotions, numb to life itself. It's waking up each morning, only to yearn for the solace of sleep once more.

Nabi found herself among those who longed for nothing more than to slip into slumber and escape the relentless turmoil of their lives.

What Seungcheol uttered poured into her already overflowing glass of despair. At this point, her life felt devoid of meaning, leaving her with no reason to hold onto anything or seek solace in any aspect of existence.

She yearned for the simple wish of never having come into existence, believing that perhaps that path would have been kinder, finding solace in the idea that nonexistence might be better.

"Are you out of words, huh?" Seungcheol spat, his anger blinding him. "Did you really think we wouldn't uncover the truth and that your petty tricks wouldn't hold any sway anymore?"

"Seungcheol, that's enough," Joshua demanded, his voice firm, while the other members watched in silence.

"I'll stop soon," Seungcheol continued, his voice carrying a sinister tone. "You see, Joshua might be able to save you from my grasp, but neither he nor anyone else can rescue you from Minghao's clutches," he taunted, his words directed at Nabi, who remained silent, her gaze fixed downward.