dead letter mail

[ ROUND 1 : LILY - HAEWON ]

The crowd is deafeningly silent. The skies, littered with thousands of tiny stars, seem to expand infinitely. It feels claustrophobic, suffocating - but then again, it always feels like that.

"Oh, my clematis

Hope bloomed through the abyss

Oh, my clematis

Always be by my side"

Always be by my side. Haewon wants to scream the words as loud as she can, until her throat is raw, until her voice runs out. The urge burns deep inside her heart, a parasite tearing and scratching at her in a plea to be acknowledged. She ignores it, or at least tries to.

Love is fleeting, naive, foolish - and so is she for ever falling under its influence.

"You bloomed from

The huge black wall

The galactic stardust

In your eyes spread out"

Lily's voice is just how she remembers. Bright and smooth - she can practically hear the other girl smiling as she sings.

Haewon is used to living in the dark. The lights were all purely artificial, and she has always preferred staying in the shadows. Kindness and gentleness are not things she's familiar with.

But Lily is truly bright, even if glaringly so, and she smiles and holds her hand and tells her it's okay, she's worthy —

So maybe Haewon can believe it, then.

"In the endless darkness

I find you with your scent

Even if I fall asleep in infinity

Don't leave my side"

Haewon knew they were doomed from the beginning.

Ruined by the divinity in her eyes - she was merely a star, and Lily was the sun she worshipped. Her words were gospel to the girl, blessings pouring from her lips with every sentence.

Love glowed with a tantalizing ephemerality, sweet as sugar - how could she ever resist?

"Oh, my clematis

Hope bloomed through the abyss

Oh, my clematis

Always be by my side"

Haewon's grip on her microphone tightens. She keeps her gaze firmly on the crowd, silently begging Lily to stop looking at her.

Please look away. I don't think I could bear it to see the sparkle in your eyes fade.

"Oh, my clematis

Hope withered in the abyss

Oh, my clematis

Please stay by my side

My clematis"

The nagging thought at the back of Haewon's mind finally fills her brain: this is a grave mistake that she's making. But she can't undo it anymore - she had sworn to herself long ago that if the gods bestowed her with the abilities to believe and to love, then she would. She would search for Lily across timelines, across the multiverses, until not even death could separate Icarus from her sun.

As the music fades, she manages to look at Lily, really look at her, memorizing the features she's adored for so long.

Haewon glances at the scores.

85/85

86/86

87/86

The noise surrounding them died down as they stood, staring at each other.

Haewon and Lily.

Lily and Haewon.

And then it happens, so quickly both of them barely register it - a loud bang, a sharp pain in Haewon's neck. The other girl's eyes widen, the smile slipping from her face.

"...Lily."

Her name slides off her lips easily. Haewon's body grows weak, and she lets herself drop to the floor. Red starts to stain the fabric of her dress - a grotesque painting of cruelty.

"Haewon!"

A scream rips through Lily's throat as she rushes to Haewon's side.

She presses her hand to Haewon's wound - it's a futile effort. The blood is already pooling all around them like a puddle of ink, staining their clothes.

The noise surrounding them is nothing more than a cacophony, a meaningless drone as she focuses all her attention on Haewon.

Haewon's vision is blurry - but the other girl is so clear in her sight. She stares up at Lily, a million words on the tip of her tongue but none of them making it out. All she can do is look at her, and hope it will suffice.

A dozen unsaid things pass through that one look - I'm sorry, please don't do anything stupid, I hope you forget about me soon, I don't want to see you miserable, I love you, I love you, I . . .

As her world slowly fades to black, the stars in the sky seem to shine brighter than usual.