Sacrifice || ENHYPEN FF

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 76

~Sunriseeeee~

-Start of Chapter 76-

As we keep riding, I realize the ground beneath us is sloping upward. The horse's strides grow stronger, pushing us higher, and the air feels a little thinner. I glance around and notice the trees are starting to thin out, giving way to patches of open sky.

The sky itself is changing—what was once an impenetrable darkness now holds the faintest traces of light, a gentle grey bleeding into the edges of the horizon. The clouds seem closer, heavier, as if we're riding straight into them.

I laugh, the sound carried away by the rushing wind, unable to hold back the pure exhilaration of the moment.

Suddenly, I feel Sunghoon lean in behind me. His warmth contrasts the chill air biting my face, and I shiver slightly, more from the sensation of him being so close than the cold. His lips are near my ear when he speaks, his voice low and just loud enough to cut through the wind.

"This" he says, his tone teasing yet full of conviction, "is the highest mountain in the world. And we're going to the very tip of it."

I turn my head slightly, catching his profile out of the corner of my eye. His expression is calm but amused, his dark eyes fixed ahead.

I smile, letting the thought sink in. The highest mountain in the world. It feels impossible, but with Sunghoon, impossibilities always seem to become realities.

The horse keeps storming upward, its powerful strides never faltering, as the wind whips past us. Every moment brings us closer to the peak, and for some reason, it feels like we're about to touch the heavens.

Sunghoon urges the horse forward, its powerful strides picking up speed again. The wind rushes past, stinging my cheeks, and I hold tighter to the saddle as we ascend even faster.

"My Lady" Sunghoon's voice comes close to my ear again, warning but gentle. "It might be a bit hard to breathe up there. Don't exhaust yourself, alright?"

I nod, though the rush of excitement makes me feel like I could take on the whole world right now. "Alright!" I shout over the wind, my voice tinged with a laugh.

As we climb higher, the world around us begins to transform. The trees disappear entirely, replaced by jagged rocks and patches of mist. And then, suddenly, we break through the clouds.

It's breathtaking.

The thick white fog parts like a curtain, revealing an endless sea of billowing clouds below. They stretch out in every direction, glowing faintly in the pre-dawn light. It's as if we're floating above the world, untouchable and infinite.

I let out a soft gasp, unable to look away from the scene. The air is colder here, sharper, and each breath feels like it carries a piece of the sky with it.

The horse slows as we come to a stop on a flat expanse of land, perched high above everything else. The ground is bare, a mixture of rock and frost dusted with the faintest sheen of dew. It feels like the edge of the world.  Sunghoon doesn't dismount, and neither do I. Instead, we both sit still, staring out at the horizon.

I shiver slightly as the chill of the high altitude seeps in, wrapping around me like an invisible frost. Without a word, Sunghoon shifts behind me. I hear the faint rustle of fabric before something warm drapes over my shoulders—a thick cloak or blanket, its weight reassuring and its warmth immediate.

"Better?" he asks softly, his voice almost drowned out by the quiet rustling of the wind.

I nod, pulling the edges of the fabric tighter around me. "Thank you" I murmur, my gaze never leaving the horizon.