Sacrifice || ENHYPEN FF

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 86

~hullo~

-Start of Chapter 86-

Sunghoon's POV

Pain

It rips through me, raw and merciless, waking me. My chest heaves, and I cough violently.

I gran softly, my senses slowly retuning one by one

Touch 

The first thing I feel is warmth - not my own but hers. Y/N. Her back is firmly pressed against my chest, steady and comforting despite the uneven rhythm of her breathes. Mt fingers twitch, brushing against the fabric of her drenched cloak.

Sight

I force my eyes open, the world spinning into focus. Darkness surrounds us, broken by the faint glow of pre-dawn light filtering though the heavy rain. I'm slumped against her, the reins of a horse barely in her trembling hands.

Smell

The damp, earthy scent of rain fills my lungs mingling with the faint metallic tang of blood. The storm is relentless, soaking through my clothes and chilling me to the one, yet her warmth keep me tethered. Amid the chaos, a delicate sweetness lingers - her hair, damp but still carrying the faint, comforting scent of roses, cutting though the cold like a lifeline.

Taste

 My chest heaves, and I cough violently, each spasm sending a fresh wave of agony coursing through my body. My mouth tastes of blood—bitter, metallic, familiar. The blood lingers on my tongue, bitter and unrelenting. I swallow instinctively, the motion painful, but I endure it.

Hearing

At first, all I catch is the rhythmic pounding of hooves behind us. Everyone else is behind us. We're heading back likely. 

And then, something quieter.

A sniffle.

My heart tightens as the sound reaches me—soft, broken. It's her.

"Y/N" I croak, my voice barely audible, each word dragging painfully from my throat.

She stiffens immediately, her head snapping back toward me. "Sunghoon?"

Her voice wavers, a mix of disbelief and relief, but it's strained, choked with  I can feel the tremor in her shoulders, even through the layers of fabric.

"You're... crying." I whisper, my words rasping.

She lets out a sharp exhale, almost a sob, and her hands clutch the reins tighter. "Don't." she says, her voice shaking. "Don't talk. Just stay awake, okay? Don't you dare close your eyes again, Park Sunghoon."

I try to respond, but another violent cough tears through me, forcing me forward. The metallic tang of blood floods my mouth again, spilling out and staining the back of her cloak. My chest heaves painfully, and I hear her sharp intake of breath.

"S-Sorry" I rasp, the word barely audible. I shift, attempting to push myself away from her, desperate not to weigh her down. My trembling hands grip at the saddle, the pain tearing through me like fire as the horse sways beneath us.

"Sunghoon, stop!" Her voice cracks, her hand fumbling back to steady me even as she struggles to keep control of the reins. "Stay still! You're going to fall!"

I slump back against her, breathing ragged, but something catches my eye. The rain-soaked fabric of her cloak is stained—dark and inky, unlike any blood I've ever seen. My breath hitches.