A Recipe for Love ( Le sserafim X Fem reader )

Chapter 10: Between Dreams and Despair

The early morning was shrouded in a biting chill as Y/N drove away from the hospital. The streets, typically bustling with life, lay eerily still under the pallid glow of streetlights. The rhythmic hum of the car's engine was a stark contrast to the tumultuous storm within her. Each street she passed seemed to blur into the next, an endless expanse of darkened roads that mirrored her state of mind. The world outside appeared distant, unreal, as if she were drifting through a dream where nothing made sense anymore.

Her grip on the steering wheel was tight, knuckles white, her fingers numb from the cold. The weight of her sorrow pressed down heavily on her, making each breath feel like an effort. Her eyes were glassy, the pain so overwhelming that it felt as though it might consume her entirely. Her heart ached with a profound emptiness, a chasm left by the loss she could scarcely comprehend. The silence in the car was oppressive, the only sound her uneven breathing and the occasional creak of the car's interior.

When she finally arrived at her home, it was as if she were walking through a fog. Her movements were slow, deliberate, as though she were wading through an invisible barrier that resisted her progress. The house loomed before her, a silent witness to the grief that had entered its walls. Every step she took echoed hollowly, each room she passed a reminder of what she had lost.

She made her way to Nari's room, a place that now felt both familiar and foreign. The door was slightly ajar, and she pushed it open with a trembling hand. The room, once vibrant with the energy of her sister, now seemed cold and desolate. The walls, adorned with photographs and mementos, felt like mocking reminders of a life that had been cruelly taken away.

Y/N sank to the floor, her knees hitting the carpet with a muted thud. She buried her face in her hands, her sobs breaking free with an uncontrollable force. The tears flowed freely, her body shaking with the intensity of her grief. She clung to the memory of Nari, her heart breaking with every sob that escaped her lips.

"Why did this have to happen?" she choked out, her voice muffled by her hands. "What am I supposed to do without you? I can't do this alone." Her words were a desperate plea to the empty room, a cry for answers that would never come.

Time seemed to lose all meaning as she sat there, her grief washing over her in waves. Her sobs eventually subsided into quiet, exhausted weeping. The room felt colder, the void left by Nari's absence more pronounced. Y/N's body was heavy, her emotions draining her of strength. As the silence of the room enveloped her, she felt an overwhelming weariness settle over her.

Eventually, the weight of her sorrow became too much to bear. She lay down on the floor, her body curling into itself as she sought solace in the emptiness. Her eyes fluttered closed, the exhaustion of her grief pulling her into a restless sleep. The tears on her face dried as she drifted into unconsciousness, her breathing uneven but slowly calming as the night continued to pass.

In the depth of her restless sleep, Y/N was thrust back to that fateful day at the lake. The nightmare began with a bright, sunny morning, the kind that made the world seem almost too perfect. Y/N saw herself and Nari arriving at the lake, their faces lit up with excitement and joy. The water sparkled under the sunlight, reflecting their happiness.

"Look at this place, unnie!" Nari exclaimed, her voice full of delight as she spread her arms wide, taking in the scenic beauty. "Isn't it perfect?"

Y/N, feeling a swell of pride and concern, followed her sister with a warm smile. "Unnie let's go swimming!" She glanced back at the book resting on the towel, the pages half-read. "I'll join you in a bit, unnie just wants to finish this chapter."

Nari, with her usual exuberance, laughed and twirled around. "Okay!" She ran towards the water, her laughter ringing out as she splashed in.

Y/N settled into the sun-drenched sand, her book open in her lap. The warmth of the sun was comforting, but her eyes kept darting towards the water. Nari's playful squeals gradually faded as she ventured further into the lake. Y/N's unease grew with each passing moment. The lake, once serene, seemed to grow restless.