Memories more than love ━ Ryu Sunjae & Im Sol

17

ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

"Sunjae-ah.."

"Wake up..is it still night time in your world?"

Sol's brows furrowed in a pensive expression. The words had come to her not as a bold proclamation, but rather as a whispered echo - a soft yet insistent murmur that seemed to reverberate within the depths of her consciousness.

The world around her seemed to grow hazy, the edges of her vision softening as she was pulled into a dreamlike state. It was as if she were walking through a veil, the weight of the waking world receding as she stepped into the familiar place - again.

Within this dream realm, Sol found herself once again straining to make out the inscription on a grave marker. She reached out, her fingers tracing the weathered surface, desperate to uncover the identity of the person who lay beneath.

Then, suddenly, the name came into focus - 

Ryu Sunjae

The moment the name came into clear view, Sol felt a palpable constriction in her chest, as if an invisible force had seized her heart. Sol's breath caught in her throat as the realization struck her. This was no ordinary dream, but a continuation of the vision that had haunted her before.

Around her, the yellow petals of a nearby flower swirled in the gentle breeze. Reaching down, she brushed them aside, revealing the date etched into the marker -

Ryu Sunjae
January 1st, 2073, 12 a.m

She hold her breath as her eyes fell upon the engraved date – a date that was still several years in the future.

With a sudden gasp, Sol's eyes snapped open, and she found herself back in the familiar hotel room. The haunting images of the cemetery and the chilling gravestone had vanished, replaced by the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the window.

However, the sense of unease and fear that had gripped her in the dream still lingered. Quickly, Sol turned her head, her gaze searching for the comforting presence of Sunjae beside her.

But as her eyes scanned the room, the warmth and reassurance she sought was nowhere to be found. The space next to her on the bed was empty, the sheets cold and untouched. A surge of panic gripped her, and she felt a tightness in her chest as the realization dawned –

Without hesitation, Sol leaped out of bed, her heart racing as she frantically scanned the room for any sign of her husband. The normally comforting surroundings now felt foreign and ominous.

Swallowing back the lump in her throat, Sol hurried out of the bedroom, her eyes darting from one end of the dimly lit hallway to the other. "Sunjae-ah?" she called out, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and desperation.

Reaching the living room, Sol's gaze swept over the area, her mind racing with a thousand possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last. But Sunjae was nowhere to be seen, and the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach only grew stronger.

Her steps quickening as she made her way towards the balcony, the only place left to check. As she stepped out, the cool night air caressed her skin, and her eyes immediately fell upon the shimmering surface of the swimming pool below.

And then, to her horror, she saw it – a figure floating motionless in the water, the pale moonlight casting an eerie glow over the still surface. Sol's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a cold dread wash over her.