Aurora - You are my light (Ateez x reader)

FORTYTWO

San lay still on the table, his chest rising and falling slowly, as if every breath were a burden. I held my breath as I saw his fingers twitch slightly. The tension in the room was palpable, and all eyes were fixed on him. Then, after what felt like an eternity of silence, his eyes opened. It was just a narrow slit, but I could see the consciousness gradually returning to his gaze. A weak groan escaped his lips.

"Sannie?" Wooyoung whispered, never having moved an inch from his side. His voice was soft, as if he feared startling San. "Can you hear me?"

San blinked sluggishly, as though the world around him was only slowly coming into focus. His gaze was still foggy, but eventually, it found Wooyoung's eyes. "Woo..." His voice was broken and barely a whisper, but he spoke. And at that moment, I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding for what felt like hours.

Wooyoung's face lit up, tears shimmering in his eyes as he grasped San's hand. "You're back with us." He laughed with relief, though his shoulders shook slightly.

I watched as San slowly turned his head, scanning the room. One by one, he recognized the others and managed a pained smile. "Hi, guys." His voice was rough and hoarse. Now, smiles spread across the faces of the rest of the crew, quickly turning into exuberant laughter as they each rushed to embrace him. I could've sworn I saw Seonghwa's and Yeosang's eyes glistening suspiciously. Wooyoung, on the other hand, didn't even try to hide his tears, crying and laughing at the same time as he covered San's face with kisses.

I stood a little distance behind them, absorbing the entire scene. The moment was so full of pure relief and joy that I let out a short sob, and hot tears rolled down my cheeks. All the pent-up tension and fear drained from each of them, and only then did I realize how much weight they'd been carrying over the past days. Unlike me, they had hidden their emotions with a strength I admired, but now, their raw, unrestrained happiness and relief poured out.

After some time, the euphoria began to settle. "What... what happened?" San tried to sit up, but his body was still far too weak. Before he could push further, Wooyoung gently pressed him back down onto the table.

"Rest," Wooyoung said softly, still holding San's hand. "The demon... we drove it away. You're safe now."

San closed his eyes for a moment, as though he needed time to absorb the words. "The demon... I remember." His face twisted at the memory of the darkness that had held him for so long.

Mingi stepped closer, crossing his arms. "He tried to fight us, but we were quicker."

San let his head fall back, taking a deep breath. "He wanted Aurora," he muttered quietly, his gaze nervously sweeping the room until Jongho stepped aside and guided me to stand by the table, so San's eyes could find me. Our gazes met for the first time, and I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. "You're alive," he whispered weakly, a touch of disbelief in his voice.

My throat tightened. The moment when the demon had charged directly at me was still so vivid in my mind that I could almost feel the cold breath of the shadow on my skin, and San's presence brought that memory crashing back.

"Yes," I finally said softly, struggling to keep my voice steady. I tried to appear strong, but the truth was, the fear still echoed within me. It was hard to conceal the tremor that worked its way through my body.

"Good. That's good. I thought..." San started to say more, but his strength gave out, and his eyes fluttered shut in exhaustion. Wooyoung gently stroked his shoulder and smiled, as if reassuring San that everything was fine. But when Bangchan and his men reentered the room, the weight of seriousness returned.

"San may have survived," Bangchan said, his expression grave, "but that doesn't mean the danger is over. The demon was powerful, and we need to make sure no trace of it remains." His words hit me like a blow. The thought that the demon might still have a way to reach us made my heart race.