"Why are you making me suffer? I returned to you what had been stolen from you, isn't that what you wanted?"
"You're what I want," he whispered.
"What?"
"You," he cupped her cheeks before connecting their lips, "are who I want."
In which two polar o...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"SUNGHOON," Hwamin breathlessly whispered to herself. She knew where he would be—the place that once held the central palace. The urgency of her mission was clear, and she could feel a strange sense of direction guiding her, almost as if her fire powers were attuned to the remnants of their past.
She found a bus stop and quickly boarded, her thoughts a whirlwind of worry and determination. As the bus moved through the city, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was getting closer. The familiar pull of the central palace's energy was growing stronger, guiding her toward her destination.
After what felt like an eternity, the bus stopped near an industrial area. Hwamin got off, her eyes scanning the surroundings. She noticed an abandoned warehouse in the distance, its imposing structure standing silent and forlorn.
For a split second, the warehouse turned into the central palace, signifying that this was the right place.
This land had once been the heart of Equinoxia, the site of the majestic central palace before it had collapsed into ruin and obscurity.
She approached the warehouse with a sense of familiarity. The building's exterior was weathered and covered in graffiti, the windows broken and the doors hanging askew.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the creaking door and stepped inside. The air was heavy with dust and the scent of decay, but there was also an undeniable aura of magic lingering in the space. She moved cautiously through the dimly lit interior, her eyes adjusting to the darkness.
As she ventured deeper into the warehouse, she saw the remnants of what had once been grand architecture—the fallen columns, the crumbling walls, and the shattered fragments of intricate designs. The central palace's essence was still palpable, a testament to the love and tragedy that had unfolded here.
And then she saw him. Sunghoon stood alone in the center of the vast, empty space, his back to her, staring at the remnants of their ancient history. His shoulders were slumped, and he seemed lost in thought, weighed down by the pain and confusion of their shared past.
"Sunghoon," Hwamin called softly, her voice echoing in the cavernous room. Snowflakes were falling from the roof and the floor was filled with frost.
He turned slowly, his eyes meeting hers. For a moment, they stood in silence, the distance between them filled with unspoken words and emotions from countless lifetimes.
She is horrified to see some parts of his body frozen, cloaked with ice. His chest, where his heart was, was also covered with ice to indicate where the curse had been put.
Hwamin decided to be strong for him.
"I remember everything. And I see you now do too," Hwamin said, stepping closer. "I know what happened to us, and I know about the curse."
Sunghoon's eyes filled with a mixture of relief and sorrow. "Hwamin... it's too much. The pain... it's unbearable."
"You don't have to suffer alone." She took another step forward, and when Sunghoon realized she was getting too close, he took a step back.
"Don't come near me!" Sunghoon yelled. As he yelled, more ice covered the room, and the temperature went lower. "I could kill us both!"
Hwamin's heart ached at the sight of him in such pain. His fear and anguish were noticeable, and she could see the ice spreading, creeping up his body, turning him into a statue of suffering.
As they both breathed out, cold smoke came out. In this environment, Fire Princess Hwamin died. But not this Hwamin. She wasn't a Fire Princess anymore.
She knew she had to act quickly, but his words echoed in her mind. He was terrified of repeating the past, of hurting her as he had before.
Ignoring his plea, Hwamin stepped forward with determination. "Sunghoon, I'm not leaving you. Not again."
Sunghoon's eyes widened in horror as she approached. "No, Hwamin, please. You'll freeze." He remembered clearly how she had previously attempted to cross into his frozen territory and how she lost her life due to it.
But she didn't stop. Without thinking it straight, she moved closer, her own body radiating a warmth that seemed to push back against the icy chill surrounding him. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace, not knowing what would happen.
Sunghoon's initial reaction was one of panic. He tried to pull away, terrified that his touch would freeze her alive, that he would lose her again in the most tragic way possible. But as her warmth enveloped him, something unexpected happened.
The cold that had been consuming him began to retreat. The ice that had been spreading over his body started to melt, the warmth of her embrace driving it back. He felt her heat seeping into him, thawing the frostbitten fear that had taken hold of his heart.
He stood there, stunned and silent, as the realization sank in. Her body was warming him up, protecting him from the curse that had tormented him for so long. The icy pain that had been his constant companion began to fade, replaced by the soothing warmth of her love.
But... the curse?
Silently, Sunghoon hugged her back, clinging to her as if she were his lifeline. The cold within him receded further, the curse weakening in the face of her fire. He held her tightly, the tears that had been frozen within him finally beginning to thaw.
