ephemeral. | 선우

07: waning crescent

THE WANING CRESCENT moon was barely a sliver of light in the dark sky, its once-brilliant glow now reduced to a faint, ghostly presence. The night was colder, the shadows longer, and Sunoo felt an overwhelming sense of loss as he walked the familiar path to the pond.

Yuzuki was there, as he knew she would be, but her presence was different now. She seemed more like a shadow than a person, her once-vibrant energy now dimmed to a mere echo of what it had been.

"Yuzuki," Sunoo called out, his voice filled with a quiet desperation.

She turned to him, her eyes hollow and distant, as if the light that had once filled them was all but gone. "Sunoo," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's almost over."

Sunoo's voice wavered, the determination in his words laced with desperation. "We can still fight this, Yuzuki. We can bring back the light."

Yuzuki shook her head slowly, her expression resigned. "Some things are beyond saving, Sunoo. Sometimes, the darkness is just too powerful."

Sunoo reached out, his fingers brushing against Yuzuki's cold hand. He could feel her slipping away, like sand through his fingers, and the thought of losing her was unbearable. "No," he whispered fiercely. "We've come this far together. I won't let you go."

Yuzuki's eyes softened, and for a brief moment, Sunoo saw a glimmer of the girl he had once known—the girl who had laughed under the new moon, who had shone so brightly in the light of the full moon. But the glimmer faded as quickly as it appeared, leaving only the shadow of who she once was.

"I wish it were that simple," Yuzuki said quietly. "But the darkness... it's not just around me, Sunoo. It's inside me. It's been growing, feeding on my fears, my doubts. I don't know if I can escape it."

Sunoo tightened his grip on her hand, his heart pounding in his chest. "You're stronger than you think, Yuzuki. You've always been stronger than you realize. Don't let the darkness win."

Yuzuki looked down at their joined hands, her expression troubled. "But what if the darkness is all that's left of me? What if I'm too far gone?"

Sunoo's heart ached at her words, the fear that he was losing her becoming all too real. "You're not gone, Yuzuki. You're still here, with me. And as long as you're here, there's still hope."

Yuzuki closed her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "I want to believe that, Sunoo. I really do. But I'm so tired. Tired of fighting, tired of hoping. Maybe it's time to let go."

Sunoo felt a lump rise in his throat, the reality of her words hitting him like a wave. He had always believed that they could overcome anything together, that their connection was strong enough to withstand even the darkest of nights. But now, standing on the edge of losing her, he wasn't so sure.

"Don't let go," Sunoo pleaded, his voice breaking. "Please, Yuzuki. Don't leave me."

Yuzuki opened her eyes, her gaze meeting his. There was a deep sadness in her eyes, but also a quiet acceptance. "I'm not leaving you, Sunoo," she said softly. "I'll always be with you. But sometimes, we have to let go of the light to find peace in the dark."

Sunoo shook his head, his tears spilling over. "No, Yuzuki. I can't... I can't do this without you."

Yuzuki smiled faintly, her hand gently squeezing his. "You're stronger than you think, Sunoo. You've always been my light, guiding me through the dark. But now... now it's time for me to rest."

Sunoo's heart shattered at her words, the pain of losing her too much to bear. "Yuzuki, please..."

But Yuzuki only shook her head, her expression calm, almost serene. "It's okay, Sunoo. It's okay to let go. The light will return, even if it's not with me. You have to trust that."

Sunoo clung to her hand, his tears falling freely now. "I don't want to let you go."

Yuzuki leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "You're not letting me go, Sunoo. You're setting me free."

As she pulled away, the last sliver of the waning crescent moon disappeared behind the clouds, plunging the world into darkness. Sunoo felt the emptiness of the night, the coldness of the air, as if the light had truly been extinguished.

Yuzuki's figure began to fade, her presence growing weaker with each passing moment. Sunoo watched helplessly as she became one with the night, her form blending into the shadows until she was no more than a memory, a whisper in the wind.

But even as the darkness consumed her, Sunoo could still feel the warmth of her touch, the echo of her words lingering in his heart.

"I'll always be with you."

The darkness was overwhelming, the weight of Yuzuki's absence pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket. But even in the deepest night, Sunoo knew he had to hold on to the promise she had made—to remember her, to carry her light within him, even when the world was dark.

As he stood alone by the pond, the night silent and still, Sunoo looked up at the sky. The moon was gone, but the stars still shone faintly, their light a reminder that even in the darkest times, there was still hope.

Sunoo took a deep breath, his heart heavy but resolute. "I'll never forget you, Yuzuki," he whispered to the night. "I'll keep your light alive, even in the darkest night."

And as the first light of dawn began to break on the horizon, Sunoo knew that Yuzuki's light would live on in him, a guiding star in the night, a reminder that even in the darkest times, the light would always return.