CHAMPION | NCT

oo8

C H A P T E R
E I G H T

Everytime a cyborg approached me and asked me what was wrong, I just waved them away.

Focus. Focus. Focus.

Tomorrow's the competition and I just had an argument with one of the persons that I trust so much.

What an awful birthday.

I found myself going inside the elevator alone, pressing the topmost floor of Ten's quarters. The rooftop.

I rested my back on the wall, feeling the hum of electricity slowly vibrate through my veins.

When the elevator reached its destination, I hastily shoved myself away from the elevator to escape the wrath of artificial energy. Then I arrived at the rooftop, feeling as the sensation of cold air hit my skin.

I knew I had no escape from Ten. Perhaps, every part of this place was secured with CCTVs. I can't face him for now. I couldn't. He just humiliated me. I can't bear it.

I regretted the decision to go to the rooftop, since the floor itself was caked with a drastic amount of snow. It was almost knee-deep. But this was better. Way better than the stupid electrifying current of technology everywhere around me.

I hate it.

But what am I doing here? Why do I keep myself in this dollhouse?

A gas of white smoke puffed out from my mouth due to the coldness of the weather.

My mouth shivered, and so did the rest of my body.

If I die here, I thought to myself, if I die right now... I'll rest in peace.
If I let this coldness envelop me until I turn into ice, I don't need to face the Capital tomorrow. I don't need to suffer. I don't need to be someone else's tool.

I can be free.

Yes, that's right.

When I die, my soul will be free.

I inhaled the wind, it smells like ice and snow and dead leaves and rain and precipitation.

It smelt like home.

I wondered if it was tears that made my cheeks wet or was it because of liquifying snow. My legs wobbled as they approached the edge of the rooftop. Then my hands gripped the railing.

I couldn't feel it. I wanted to feel what freezing was like.

I think I was drunk. That's the only thing that can explain why I was taking off my gloves: the only garment keeping my fingers from freezing. It's the only thing that can explain why I encircled my naked hands around the railing and hissed by how cold it was. It's like I was touching the coldest part of the world and let it consume me: my inside and outside.