Dreambound Shadows

Chapter 11: The Consequence

The room was bathed in the soft, muted light of dawn, filtering through the curtains, casting gentle shadows across the walls. Beneath the heavy duvet, Jimin and Aera lay, their bodies were entwined, skin against skin, the warmth of their closeness palpable. The air was thick with the remnants of their passion, yet the silence between them was deafening. Neither spoke, as if the words between them had been stilled by the intimacy they had just shared. Jimin's fingers moved tenderly through Aera's hair, tracing delicate paths, over and over, as if by this small, repetitive act, he could untangle the storm brewing in his chest.

Aera lay in the crook of his arm, her body molded against his, her face buried in the warmth of his skin. She was still, her breath a soft whisper against him, but the weight of his silence pressed heavily on her heart. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she stirred, her voice trembling as she called his name. "Jimin?"

Her voice was soft, fragile as if afraid to break the quiet that had settled around them. Slowly, she lifted her head, her eyes searching his face, seeking an answer to the question that had lodged itself in her throat. "Are you still mad at me?" she asked, her voice barely more than a breath. "You haven't spoken to me since…since then. I don’t understand. Please…talk to me."

Jimin’s gaze met hers, deep and unreadable, like the depths of a midnight ocean. For a moment, he said nothing, letting the silence hang between them like a veil. He continued to look at her with an intensity that made her heart skip. Then, slowly, deliberately, he finally shifted, drawing himself up from the bed. The duvet slipped from his body, cascading down to his thighs, revealing the sculpted lines of his chest bathed in the soft morning light.

His eyes swept across the floor, searching, before settling on his jacket, discarded carelessly on the floor beside the bed. Reaching out, he grabbed it and when his hand emerged from one of the pocket, it held a small, familiar object—a blue scarf. Aera’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in shock as she recognized the scarf.

Jimin held up the scarf, the fabric catching the light, its blue hue vibrant against the pale morning. "Do you know what this is?" Jimin’s voice broke through the stillness, low and steady, though there was an edge to it—a quiet intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.

Aera's mouth opened, but no words came out. She swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on the scarf, before lifting them to Jimin’s face. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to form an explanation, but all she could do was whisper his name, a plea wrapped in the syllables. “Jimin…” Slowly, she sat up, pulling the duvet tighter around her, shielding herself from the cold air—and perhaps from the coldness she feared in his gaze.

"Why did you return it?" Jimin's question sliced through the air, sharp and demanding, his eyes piercing as they bore into hers. His tone edged with something she couldn’t quite place—hurt, anger, maybe both.

She couldn’t bring herself to speak, only sit silently beside him with gaze on him. Jimin's face was a mask of controlled anger, his lips set in a tight line.

"I'm asking you, Aera!" His voice rose, breaking the fragile calm between them. “Why didn’t you answer me? Why, Aera? Why did you return it? What are you trying to tell me? Is that your way of saying you’re leaving me forever?”

Aera’s eyes widened in shock, her heart pounding against her ribs. “No, Jimin… I—”

She was cut off by his voice, harsher now, full of an emotion she had never seen from him. “So, why did you return something so important like this?” His eyes bore into hers, the intensity of his gaze nearly overwhelming. “What is your real intention, Aera?”

Aera’s chest tightened, tears gathering in her eyes. "I didn’t return the scarf because I wanted to leave you, Jimin," she finally said, her voice breaking. "I left it on the gate because…I thought you wouldn’t wake up before I returned to my world. I wanted you to know I had been here, that I had come to see you."