˗ˏˋ SOMNAMBULIST [crossover] ᶠⁱᶜ 'ˎ˗

Unraveled Threads (3)

The box was glowing.

The light reflected in his eyes as he stared at the papers within it. What used to be black ink turned gold, and the words written on them began to... float in the air.

'What the hell?'

Cale instinctively stepped back as the words swirled like a tornado, covering his face with his arms as a strong gust of wind blew which caused the papers to scatter.

Amidst the odd situation he found himself in, he only registered Igneel's warning cry at the last second.

"KYU!"

By then, it was too late to realize what was about to happen.

The swirling letters formed a line that pierced his head— no, it was more like, his brain was absorbing them.

His eyes widened, and it felt like he was watching a movie, witnessing what the boy in the letters had experienced, feeling what the boy felt when he wrote them.

"Ugh-!"

Cale held onto the nearest table for support.

He was forced to relieve a past he didn't want to remember.

Amidst twisted metal and shattered glass, he found himself trapped, unable to move. The air was thick with a scent that made his stomach churn, and the sound of his own sobs echoed against the wreckage. His small frame trembled with fear and confusion as he gazed at the woman in front of him, protecting him from the sharp surroundings.

"Rok Soo ya... It's okay... Mom is here, don't cry..." His mother's voice, strained with pain, cut through the chaos like a soothing melody. Despite the agony etched on her face, she gathered all her remaining strength to comfort her son.

"But Dad..." Rok Soo whimpered, his voice quivering.

"Dad is just sleeping, honey..." his mother's words faltered slightly, a tear escaping the corner of her eye as she spoke of his father, who lay motionless beside them.

"Oh, My dear Rok Soo... I love you, okay? We'll always be here for you... Remember... that..." Her voice was gentle, her consciousness fading away along with her whispers.

With tears streaming down his chubby cheeks and small wrenching sobs, little Rok Soo clung to his mother's hand, his tiny fingers intertwined with hers as the sound of an ambulance began to approach from a distance.

As Rok Soo sobbed in the empty hospital room, he mumbled, "Mom, you're a liar..."

Ever since that accident, he was always lonely.

"That's Kim Rok Soo, isn't it? He lost his parents in an accident."

'Are you sympathizing with me?'

"Poor thing. He's still so young. Who's going to take care of him now?"

' I don't need your sympathy.'

Even as the whispers occurred behind and around him, Rok Soo ignored them like a passing breeze. When he saw a leaf fly before his eyes, he looked up at the sky.

'... Dad would take me to get ice cream on a sunny day like this.'

Then suddenly, he found himself in a familiar place, the kindergarten, and everyone was raising their hands, chiming in one by one as he watched from the middle. His surroundings were noisy.

"I want to be a firefighter! Firefighters are heroes!"

"I'm gonna be a doctor who saves lives like my mom!"