A Marriage of Power

Part 20

Wonyoung's pov

I don't know how long I sat there, just watching Yujin. Time seemed to blur together, hours passing like minutes, and every beep of the machines felt like a countdown I couldn't stop. The room was so quiet, yet the tension was unbearable, a crushing weight on my chest that made it hard to breathe.

At some point, Haerin stirred awake, lifting her head groggily. She blinked, her eyes still red from earlier, and when she realized nothing had changed, she slumped back into her chair, a sigh escaping her lips. Ryujin opened her eyes, glancing over at me with a tired, sad smile, but she didn't say anything. What was there to say?

A soft knock on the door broke the silence, and we all looked up. Dr. Kim stepped inside, his expression somber. I felt my heart skip a beat, and I clutched Yujin's hand tighter, as if holding her would make everything okay.

"Good morning," he said softly, his eyes scanning the room. "I'm sorry to disturb you all, but I need to speak with you about Yujin's condition."

There was a heaviness to his voice that made my stomach twist, and for a moment, I didn't want to hear what he was going to say. I wanted to stay in this limbo, where there was still a chance, still hope.

"Please, go on," Ryujin said, her voice steady but laced with anxiety. She was always the strongest of us, but even she looked like she was barely holding it together.

Dr. Kim took a deep breath, his hands clasped in front of him. "As you know, Yujin was critically injured when she was brought in. We did everything we could—she was in surgery for hours, and we managed to stabilize her condition. But..."

He hesitated, and that single pause was enough to make my heart drop. "But what?" I asked, my voice trembling.

He looked directly at me, his eyes soft with empathy. "The damage was too severe, Wonyoung. She lost a significant amount of blood, and her injuries to the chest and abdomen caused extensive internal bleeding. Despite our best efforts, her body... it just couldn't recover."

The world seemed to stop. My ears were ringing, drowning out his words, but I still heard them. I heard every single one. "What... what are you saying?" I whispered, shaking my head. "She's... she's still here. She's..."

Dr. Kim's face was gentle but firm, and I hated him for it, hated how calm he was when everything inside me was shattering. "Yujin's heart stopped around twenty minutes ago," he said quietly. "We tried to resuscitate her, but there was no response."

My mind couldn't process it. The words didn't make sense. "No... no, she's not..." I stammered, my voice breaking. "She can't be..."

Haerin let out a choked sob, her hand flying to her mouth as she collapsed against the bed, burying her face in the sheets. Ryujin's eyes widened, her usually bright, confident demeanor crumbling as tears filled her eyes.

"No," I said again, louder this time, as if saying it could somehow change reality. "She can't... you're lying. She's still here." I turned to Yujin, gripping her hand tighter, my nails digging into her skin. "Yujin, wake up," I pleaded, my voice desperate. "Please, just... just wake up."

But she didn't move. She didn't stir. The rhythmic beeping had stopped, and there was nothing but silence, a suffocating, deafening silence that swallowed everything.

"Wonyoung..." Yeji's voice was soft, barely above a whisper, as she reached out to me. "She's gone."

"No!" I screamed, yanking my hand away from hers. "No, she's not! She promised—she said she'd be here, she wouldn't leave us!" My chest heaved, and I felt like I was drowning, gasping for air that wasn't there.