Ethereal - TaeBin ✐

Chapter 1

To be malleable is to be shaped until you are just perfect.

To be reshaped is to lose the essence of your true identity.

And to lose your true identity is to not be a human anymore.

Kang Taehyun must have a clear idea of what it might feel and look like, he may perhaps even know the feeling of being everything but nothing.

At the age of five, Taehyun lost his mother, a piece of himself. And soon enough he lost his father to a man who had no soul, who could not comprehend the fact that his lover was no longer there, but their flower who had bloomed in the midst of their journey had stayed.

At the age of five, Taehyun was no longer himself, rather herself.

He became of what was left of his mother, and of his father's lover.

And at the age of five, Taehyun's soul was replaced with a mirror of how others viewed themselves.

***

"Papa, is Ma going to be alright?"

"She will, she will, my darling."

Taehyun hid behind his father's leg, throwing a glance at his mother who was sleeping on the bed and the physician who was sitting next to her, checking her vitals and breathing.

Jiwoo had been infected with the deadly disease that had spread around the kingdom these past few months, sucking the life out of everyone who dared to step in its way.

Her once tan skin had started to lose its color day by day, turning pale.

"Ma" Taehyun called as he sat next to his mom on the bed, playing with her hair, "what happened to your skin color? You are starting to look like a ghost these day"

Jiwoo let out a small chuckle.

"This happens to people who are ready to go off with their angel to the gates of heaven, darling. And Ma's angel is waiting for her too."

"But what if the angel is mean to you, Ma? And I don't want you to leave me and go with the angel instead"

Taehyun's smile slowly dropped with each word, as if fearing that her Ma was telling the truth, that she was really going to leave him alone.

"Darling, Ma doesn't want to leave you either-"

Jiwoo moved her hand to cover her mouth, and soon the room was filled with the sound of her coughs.

The physician stood up; his head hung low.

"The patient doesn't have much time. she wishes to speak to you and your son."

He then left the room.

Ji-Yeong walked to her bed with weak legs, his hands trembling as he intertwined them with his wife's.

"Jiwoo, my love. How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Should I make you your favorite tea? -"

"Ji-Yeong-ah, listen... I don't have much time-"

Ji-Yeong shook his head, his eyes forming tears, yet he couldn't bring himself to tear up. He is a man, a man never cries, a man is supposed to be strong and not let such things affect him.

He is a man.

Yet when Jiwoo is around, he finds his walls lowering and not caring about a thing. With Jiwoo, he can be anyone, he can be himself. He can't afford to lose her; he will lose a part of himself if that were to happen.

He looked to his son who was standing next to him, confused with tears running down his face.

"Taehyun-ah, can Ma and Papa be alone for a while?" His tone was soft, in complete contrast to his soul that was shattering bit by bit as each second passed by.

Taehyun shook his head, his now overgrown bangs dancing and slightly covering his shiny, crystal eyes.

Ji-Yeong lowered his head.

The room stayed silent until the sound of his sobs broke that silence. He gripped Jiwoo's hand tightly, afraid that if he lets go, he will never be able to feel her warmth again.

Jiwoo looked down on him, caressing his hand, calming his husband down. The corner of her lips wavered as she struggled to form a smile.

"I've always wanted this, to leave the world with my two precious gems by my side."

She stopped midway, moving her head to the side as a painful cough left her mouth.

Taehyun took a step forward, now standing right face to face with Jiwoo.

"Ma... is it time for your angel to pick you up? I don't- I don't want her to take you, Ma."

Warm tears ran down his face and Taehyun cried loudly, each sound that left his mouth was a painful cry for help from the gods above.

Please don't take my Ma away, take me instead. Ma said the angels are nice beings, but why do I feel so much pain? Why is she in so much pain and is hurting every second?

For a moment the room was filled with the sound of coughing and sobs, but the next moment it all stopped.

Taehyun watched as Jiwoo's skin pales more than it used to be, her hands lost their warmth slowly and her head slowly fell to the side.

He looked back at his father, expecting to see him crying and screaming, but he found no such emotions on his face. In fact, there was none.

There was no sign of emotion on Ji-Yeong's face, his tears have stopped and are already dry, but his eyes held something in them that Taehyun couldn't explain. Was it fear? Hurt? Betrayal? Pain? Shock? Or was it an emotion Taehyun has never learned about, something that didn't have a name, a nameless emotion yet one that had everything but couldn't be explained.

"P-Papa... what happened to Ma? I-is she going to be alright-"

He couldn't finish his sentence as his father let out a scream.

"Get out! And don't ever show that face of yours to me"

Taehyun looked at him stunned; no form of words could explain the confusion he felt. Why was his father acting like that?

But before he could form any sentence, he was grabbed by the hair and dragged to his room. He held his father's wrist, trying to stop him, but nothing could stop the fire that was already set in his father's heart.

"Papa! Papa! It hurts, please stop, please..."

He closed his eyes, hoping it was all a dream. That his father would wake him up soon and tell him that he shouldn't be afraid, that his Ma has prepared breakfast, and he should wash up fast. But as soon as he opened his eyes, he was thrown inside the room and his father walked towards the door.

Before leaving, he looked back and muttered, loud enough for Taehyun to hear,

"Don't leave the room until I say so. I won't let your Ma leave so soon, no, she will always be here, and I will make sure of it. She can't leave me all alone so suddenly."

And the door was shut with a loud thud.

A/N
Guess who is back? 😐

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