eclipse ➵ kim sunoo

chapter 4

Chapter 4: "Into the Shadows"

Hyeona's POV

Midnight at the old park. Of all places, Sunoo picked the one spot in town that looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie. Trees towered like twisted shadows against the sky, and the moon hung high, casting everything in silver and shadow. A breeze rustled through the branches, and for a split second, I regretted my decision.

But then I saw him, standing by the riverbank, as if he'd been waiting for hours. His face looked sharper in the moonlight, his features almost otherworldly. For a moment, I just watched him, letting the reality sink in.

"Nice spot," I called out, trying to sound braver than I felt. "You couldn't have picked, like, a café or a library?"

He turned to me, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Something tells me you don't scare easily."

"Try me." I walked over, doing my best to ignore the eerie atmosphere. "So, are we finally getting to the part where you stop being creepy?"

Sunoo looked past me, his expression unreadable. "I told you there are things in this world that don't fit neatly into what you know. But once you see them, you can't go back to pretending they don't exist."

I folded my arms, both annoyed and intrigued. "You're doing it again. Just... tell me, Sunoo. What are you hiding?"

He glanced at me, and his eyes were darker than I'd ever seen, like they were holding back something ancient, something powerful. "I could tell you," he murmured. "But there's a part of me that wants to show you instead."

A chill ran down my spine, and my curiosity spiked. "Show me what?"

He took a step closer, close enough that I could see the faint rise and fall of his chest, even though he was as still as stone. "Tell me, Hyeona, have you ever wondered what it would feel like to live forever? To have every secret, every story, every truth within reach, but never quite yours?"

My heart pounded. "What... are you?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked up, and I followed his gaze to the moon above, a perfect orb lighting up the darkened park. "People have their legends," he said softly. "They think they know what hides in the shadows. But reality is often stranger."

I took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of fear and thrill. "Are you trying to tell me you're some kind of... vampire?"

Sunoo didn't respond, just continued watching me, his eyes catching the moonlight in a way that made them almost seem to glow. It was such a strange, unnatural effect that for a second, I believed him.

I forced myself to laugh, though it came out shakier than I'd intended. "So what are you going to do? Bite me?"

He smirked, but there was a coldness behind it. "If you wanted me to, would you let me?"

My breath caught in my throat. The way he asked, as if he was dead serious, made my skin prickle. "Depends on what you're offering," I shot back, trying to keep the mood light.

He didn't laugh. Instead, he raised his hand slowly, as if testing me, and brushed his fingers along my wrist. His touch was surprisingly warm, but it sent a chill through me, making my heart race. I couldn't tell if it was from excitement or fear. Maybe both.

"You have a choice," he whispered, his gaze fixed on my wrist. "You can leave now, go back to your normal life, forget we ever met. Or..." He paused, eyes meeting mine again, and I saw the hunger in them, dark and endless. "You can stay, and I'll show you everything."

Everything. The weight of that word sent a shiver down my spine. I had no idea what he meant by it, and that was exactly why I wanted to know. But a part of me knew that staying would change things forever, in ways I couldn't predict.

I swallowed, feeling the thrill and the danger in equal measure. "I'm not going anywhere."

Sunoo's lips curved into a smile, a slow, almost predatory smile that made me both exhilarated and terrified. "Good. Then don't say I didn't warn you."

He took my hand and led me deeper into the park, where the shadows grew darker, and the trees seemed to close in around us. I could feel the night pressing in, the silence amplifying my heartbeat. Sunoo stopped by a clearing where the moonlight filtered down, casting an eerie glow over everything.

"Close your eyes," he said softly.

I hesitated, but something in his gaze told me to trust him. I took a breath, closed my eyes, and waited. For a second, nothing happened, just the cool air against my skin. But then, a strange, electric sensation washed over me, a feeling like... being watched, but from every direction at once.

And then, a voice. His voice, right by my ear. "You can open them."

I did, and what I saw took my breath away.

The park wasn't just a park anymore. Shadows seemed to be moving, swirling like living smoke, and strange figures flickered in the corners of my vision-creatures I couldn't quite see, but could feel. It was like stepping into another world, one that had been there all along but hidden just beneath the surface.

Sunoo stood beside me, watching my reaction with an amused glint in his eye. "Welcome to my world," he murmured.

I tried to speak, but my voice came out in a whisper. "What... what is all this?"

He shrugged, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. "The world behind the world. People don't see it because they don't want to. They look away, pretend it's not there."

I turned to him, heart pounding. "But why are you showing me this?"

"Because you were brave enough to ask." His gaze softened, almost... human. "And because, maybe, I'm tired of hiding."

I wanted to say something, but words failed me. The shadows shifted around us, and I caught a glimpse of something with glowing eyes, watching us from the trees. Part of me wanted to run, but another part, the stronger part, wanted to stay, to keep diving deeper into this strange, terrifying world.

Sunoo took a step back, his face serious again. "But this isn't a game, Hyeona. Now that you've seen this, things won't be the same. You're part of this now."

I looked at him, feeling a mixture of excitement and fear. "I think I already knew that."

He smiled, a sad, knowing smile. "Good." He took my hand, squeezing it gently, and for a moment, I felt something almost like warmth in his touch. "Then let's see how deep this goes."

As we stood there, shadows dancing around us, I knew one thing for sure: I was in this now, whether I was ready or not.