ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴇɴ [ᴇɴ- ᴘᴏʟʏ]

Chapter 133

Music themes for better reading experience: Lovely by Billie Ellish (Slowed version) & Zinda by Rekha Bharadwaj

Both of them are available in Spotify.

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(Lovely: Slowed and reverb)

The pool of red spread around on the cold floor, eventually seeping under my shoes. The knife clattered to the floor, sending drops of blood to splatter around. Lying in the pool of blood, was Sunghoon.

I fell to my knees in front of him. The crimson stained his white shirt, directly over his heart. With trembling hands, I touched his shoulder.

"Hoonie?" My own voice felt raw to hear. I shook him again. "Hoonie, please wake up."

He didn't budge. His eyes remained closed. His chest remained still.

"No, no, no...Sunghoon!" I cried more desperately. "Please don't play with me like this."

I patted his cheek. His skin was so cold to touch. As if he'd been dead- No.

I scooted closer and pulled him into my lap. I hastily wiped the tear stains from his cheek and shook him harshly.

"Please don't leave me, Sunghoonie. If you don't listen I'll give the title of the first prince to Jake or Heeseung instead."

When he did not respond, I bent down and pressed my lips to his. They were cold, almost like ice, and unyielding. He was always eager for kisses, always looking forward to them, but now he stayed still. I drew back and hugged him tightly. And while I did, I saw something that stopped my slow-beating heart altogether.

Six more bodies.

All in the pool of their own blood. I froze in place as I stared. My lungs started to burn with my lack of breathing. I lowered Sunghoon down gently and crawled to the nearest body.

Niki.

I screamed. He had the same red stain over his shirt. I shook him frantically.

"Niki?! Niki...my baby please...open your eyes. I'm sorry. I swear I'll never complain when you tease me for my height. I'll let you do all the mischief you want. I'll never scold you for any of it but please...wake up...please."

He stayed unresponsive. I kissed his forehead. So cold, just like Sunghoon. Drops of my tears fell on his cheek. And still lay there unbreathing. I screamed for help. For anyone to come and wake him up. But no one did. The dingy store room, without a door or any way to get out, sat silent. 

My eyes fell on the person a few feet away from us. It was Sunoo. Another shocked yelp left me. When I reached him, he was unresponsive as well. His eyes were open, staring at the ceiling with the shock that was probably going to be frozen there forever.

I stumbled over to each of them. And each of them had the same stab wound. The wounds ran so deep that I could see nothing but an abyss of red in them. And no matter how much I called, none of them moved.

Jake, Jay, Jungwon, Heeseung...all of my boys...were dead.

I looked at the knife on the floor. It was in my hands. I killed them. I was responsible for their deaths. The realization knocked me out. I killed the people I loved with my own hands.

A movement caught my eye. Heeseung had moved a bit. I jumped over to him.

"Heeseung?" I called out with my shaky but hopeful voice.

And he opened his eyes, barely, but enough. His breath rattled painfully in his chest.

"P-prin-" He gasped for air.