GUNS & ROSES | ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴ

xxii. ✓

𝒙𝒙𝒊𝒊.

Jihoon hurriedly made his way through the Sakura tree forest, clutching the clan book close to his heart. The weight of the ancient tome provided a semblance of comfort amidst the chaos that surrounded him. Determined, he pushed forward, his legs propelling him with urgency.

As he neared the Golden Pavilion, the air grew heavy with anticipation. A soft voice, barely audible, called out his name, causing Jihoon to abruptly halt in his tracks. Instinctively, he turned his head towards the sound, his body freezing in place.

There, standing before him, was a figure that sent a jolt of mixed emotions coursing through his veins. Jihoon longed to speak, to call out her name, but his voice seemed trapped, his lips refusing to form the words.

Silently, he watched as she moved slowly towards him, her presence both haunting and ethereal.

"Jihoon..." her voice whispered, barely more than a breath carried on the wind. It sounded ghostly, sending a shiver down his spine.

"My dear Jihoon... I'm coming back for you all."

Her hand, unnaturally cold, gently cupped the side of his cheek, sending a chill through his entire being.

He couldn't comprehend what was happening. How could she be here? Unchanged, just as he remembered her. Her smile was still radiant.

Confusion clouded Jihoon's mind as he tried to make sense of the impossible. But before he could find his voice, he felt a frigid grip tighten around his neck.

Panic surged through him as he realized that Rose, in her spectral form, was choking him. The clan book slipped from his grasp, falling to the grass.

Desperate, Jihoon's hands clawed at her icy hold, but she possessed a strength far beyond his own. His breaths came in short gasps as he struggled to stay conscious, his focus slipping away.

"Get off me..." Jihoon growled, his voice a low, strained plea. But Rose's grip only tightened, her face drawing nearer to his ear.

"Die, Jihoon," she whispered, her words chilling his soul.

The world around him began to fade as darkness consumed his vision. The last thing Jihoon heard was her haunting command before succumbing to the void.

🌸

Seungcheol stood by the window in the Pleiades club room, his gaze fixed upon the falling petals and leaves of the Sakura trees.

The sense of urgency weighed heavily upon him, a feeling that time was slipping away, and he couldn't shake the worry that the island itself might not survive to see another blossom season.

"Seungcheol... you need to come to the sickbay,"

Seungcheol turned to face Somi, who appeared disheveled, tears staining her cheeks. "Somi, what is it? Did something happen?"

"It's Jihoon." she managed to say between sniffs.

Concern gripped Seungcheol's entire being. "What's wrong with Jihoon?" he asked, his voice darkening with worry.

Despite their constant arguments, Seungcheol and Jihoon cared deeply for each other. Jihoon's grumpy and uptight nature made it difficult for him to show his affection, but Seungcheol knew that beneath it all, Jihoon was a cherished member of their clan.

"He..." Somi struggled to catch her breath. "Just come."

Without hesitation, Seungcheol and Somi made their way to the sickbay in another building. The path seemed longer than usual, each step fraught with apprehension.