Good Night | Dreamcatcher [COMPLETED]

21

'How are you holding up?'

Dami looked up, her neck aching. Actually, everything ached. Dried blood and scars coated her arms, neck, and chest, and her muscles felt tight and sore. Her eyes were puffy with dark circles underneath, but they lit up slightly as N entered the room.

Dami shrugged. 'I'm alive.'

N walked over to the corner she was huddled in and set some bread and water on the floor. Dami always wondered where he got the food from; it wasn't exactly like he needed it, but she didn't ask. He sighed.

'I don't understand why you break the chains on the table every single night. What's the point in wasting your magic on that when the demon will chain you up again when she gets back?'

'It's uncomfortable,' she said tonelessly, taking a sip of water. 'I'm not saving my magic for anything else.' She gave N a pointed look, and he looked right back at her through his mask.

'I know,' he said quietly.

Dami wasn't a fool. She knew N wasn't the one pulling the strings anymore, and she didn't blame him for the hell she was going through. The hell Handong was going through. She suspected the demon had taken control the minute they'd been locked in those rooms, which meant everything that happened to her was the fault of the demon. All N could do was watch as the family he'd built crumbled.

She'd learnt a lot about N during her time here. He hadn't told her anything, specifically, but there were some things even a mask couldn't hide. N was a leader, he was caring, and he was afraid. And there was something he wasn't telling her. She doubted she'd ever find out what.

'You don't look good,' he said, his eyes creased with worry. 'You need to keep your strength up—'

'No, I don't,' she replied exasperatedly. 'When will you realise that I can't save you? You let the demon in, and it's sucking every bit of life away from this place. I'm tired, I'm never anything but tired, I can't control my magic without Handong, and she's lost hers. I'm sorry, N. There's no hope.'

Something crumpled in his eyes, and for a second Dami felt like she was looking in a mirror. She was staring at a hopeless fool, someone who'd finally given up. He pulled something from his pocket and pushed it into her hand. Dami opened her hand, and it was a folded piece of parchment.

'I talked to Handong,' N told her, his expression troubled. 'She didn't say much... but she told me to give you this.' Dami unfolded the paper with pale, skeletal fingers and looked at the handwritten message inside:

I struck the match. It ignited.

'I don't know what it means, but maybe you do,' said N. His voice carried a hint of hopefulness.

'No,' Dami said slowly, 'I don't. Sorry.'

N's form wilted and Dami felt a twinge of guilt, but she didn't say anything as he stood up and made to leave the room.

'I unchained her for tonight,' he said softly. 'She'll sleep comfortably for one night, at least.'

Dami murmured, 'Thank you.' The door closed and silence filled the room once more. Dami's heart was pounding.

It ignited.

Handong had used magic. A small smile crept up on Dami's face and she closed her fist, scrunching the paper into a ball. Handong had been clever, she'd known N would read it, so she told Dami in words only she would know. Dami remembered when they were younger, when they used magic, Handong would always say their magic was like fire, and when they struck a match it ignited. That was one of the ways she had taught Dami to control her powers. And now, Handong's magic had ignited again.