Celestial, OMNISCIENT READER'S VIEWPOINT

the ruined

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INTERLUDE TWO :
The Ruined

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           Black. The first color you'd see in a ruined world is black.

The frightening kind, one that wraps around your vision and makes you realize that you're not scared of the dark, no, you're scared of what's underneath the cloak.

You're scared of the unknown.

Some of you will argue that no, you are not scared of the unknown, because you are spontaneous and unpredictable and different.

You are not.

In a few moments you can win the lotto, you can trip, you can die. And after a few moments, you will be fearful of the realization that life hangs on a thread. And a few moments after that, you will realize that you are still alive, and your fears were for nothing.

In a few moments you will continue reading through this and think that that was all for nothing.

Do not be relieved, child.

Relief equates to letting your guard down, and letting your guard down means death.

You will move on with your life, but you will always think about the possibility. Or perhaps you'll forget all about it. But it will still linger in the back of your head.

Humans, all live and move as if they're ending isn't all the same.

━ HERE IS AN ━
ANNOUNCEMENT

We will all die.
I will come for all of you.

It was all black.

It felt miserable. As if the globe was a weeping, mourning on who it once was. Like it woke up in the morning, eyes red and puffy, yet forcing itself to put on a proper clothes and attend the funeral. The way you force yourself to stand up after being beaten down.

Next to the ruined infrastructures were destroyed roads, and next to them were corpses, all placed together as if respecting them, but instead became food for the animals.

This was the ruined world, and Cha Seong-eun had been surviving it for three days.

━ HERE IS ANOTHER ━
ANNOUNCEMENT

I will come for her, first
and foremost.

She had not known death before this.

But she faintly recognizes it, like an old friend you have forgotten, but sometimes pops into your head.

Yet, as she trudged through the lifeless path, Cha Seong-eun now views death as an unwelcome, hostile visitor.

She knew it now.

Knows the brush of its cold hands, its murky demeanor and its inviting demeanor.

I am glad Cha Seong-eun had began familiarizing herself with me, because she and I will be frequently seeing each other soon. She might not be able to talk to me, but she will see me.

I will be her constant, her companion.

━━ A CONFESSION ━━

I am fond of her, just as you
would be fond of a character

you have read from a book.

But fondness does not equate to love. I will treat each soul equally, I will love and mourn for each one the same way I do for her.

I will harvest her, some day, one day.

Maybe she will be standing then, maybe she will be sitting, or perhaps she will be laying down, eyes in the sky. The last thing she'll see is the bleak darkness of a ruined world, and then colors. I will carry her in my arms. I will take her.

And the world can be be stable once again.

And it will be the reader, the writer, the main character. There is no room for a story teller. There is no room for someone who will ruin the balance.

Ruin. Ruined. Ruiner.

Perfect. That's what I will call her: the Ruined.

━ MEANING OF THE WORD RUIN ━
the act or the state of being demolished, destroyed.

A perfect name for her, a ruin who will ruin and will be reduced to ruins.

I can repeat the word so many times to the point I won't be able to think of it as a word anymore, yet I will be fond of it all the same.

As I made my way through the darkness, I will see flowing colors. For a moment, the souls will not recognize me, for I am not how they imagine Death to be. But once they've felt me, they will realize who I am, and, for another moment, I will see them alive. They will be smiling sometimes.

A cruel joke.

But then the colors will guide them to me and it will swallow them whole. Do not be afraid when it does. I will carry you in my arms. Or perhaps you will cling onto me. Or perhaps you'd run, but it'd be futile.

You cannot escape me.

If you think I did, I would come back for you sooner or later. I am patient, you see. You will want me. You will long for me, like a lost lover, or a familiar friend. Once you do this, then I will appear. I will forgive you for running, and I will usher you off.

But for now, as Cha Seong-eun refuses me, I will stay in merciful stasis. I will watch her crumble and despair, and I will witness her life and death. I will be patient, for what do I have if not time?

For now, however, she will always be in front of me, meters away, so near yet so incredibly far. The girl will continue to walk. And I will continue to wait.

Her hands trembled.

She is shivering.

Her mouth is quivering.

The Ruin's tears were frozen at her face.