Apocalypse ✦ Nomin

00

"Jaemin?" a familiar voice calls out to me in a sweet tone.

"Jeno?" I whimper as my chest pains me, "You...you came for me?"

"Of course I came for you. I love you," he replies, sounding like a soft, calming lullaby.

Despite everything, hearing his voice amidst the darkness lifts a heavy weight off of me. I have my many reservations and fears towards Jeno, but him being here to take me back after being dragged to Hell was a blessing, no matter how you flip the coin. I was certain that nothing Xiao had planned for me would be sufferable in the least, and awaiting whatever torment he had in mind was terrifying in itself. At least if Jeno swept me away, I would know the evil I'm truly dealing with and possibly make it out alive. I can't say the same for Xiao.

"Please tell me you still love me, too," Jeno utters quietly as his voice now comes from just outside my cage.

I purse my lips together, spending far too long allowing memories of Jeno to flash in my mind. Seeing him for the first time, hearing him praise me at the arcade despite being irritated with him, having him save me from being hung by a death trap Xiao placed me into, and feeling his soft lips against my skin.

Still, the memories of his lies and anger plague me. And his eyes...oh god, his eyes...they were so cold and empty and inhuman when I last saw him. The last I saw those eyes before then were when he ruthlessly murdered me. Could I truly trust him?

"Why are you hesitating?" Jeno asks with an air of disappointment.

He had a point.

Why am I hesitating so much? Is he not my soul mate? Is his motivation not to protect me and love me for eternity? Did I not love him, or was I allowing my fear to overshadow my judgement?

"You know why..." I whisper, refusing to elaborate.

"I made a mistake, Jaemin. Let me make it right. Let me show you I can be better," Jeno insists.

I take a brief moment to consider this proposal. I nod slowly in agreement. Why not? I could tell him later that it's best to keep our distance.

Then, it dawns on me. Was he reading my thoughts? He would only do it on occasion, but a time like now where I am being so hesitant to answer such an important plea for forgiveness, he was surely listening, even if he wasn't making it known.

"Jaemin?"

"Yes. Of course. Just...please...get me out of here," I whimper, trying to find the energy to get myself onto my feet.

I can only get onto my forearms before a single candle ignites just in front of my face. I inhale sharply, slowly calming down, only to feel my anxieties skyrocket mere nanoseconds after doing so. Jeno is crouched down beside me, staring into my soul with those glowing red eyes. I can feel my breaths quicken as my chest constricts. I should be relieved. I should be happy to see the white-haired boy, but instead I can feel my head spinning as intense panic sets in. I want to run, but there's nowhere to go.

"You say you'll give me a chance, but you're clearly scared by my presence," he remarks.

Jeno blinks and his red eyes vanish. They are replaced by black orbs that are mere imitations of eyes. They are voids that pull your soul in, trying to take it and burn it to ashes.

"Kiss me," he whispers with a snake-like hiss.

"N-no," I stammer weakly.

Jeno's stagnant expression suddenly morphs. His nose scrunches upward whilst his upper lip raises, forming a vicious grimace. I feel my stomach plummet through the floor while watching his jaw clench. He raises his hand high and strikes my cheek harshly. The action in itself makes tears prick my eyes, but the stinging from my sensitive cheek makes me truly struggle holding them back.

"You're an ungrateful fuck," Jeno growls, "After all I've done for you, you choose to treat me as some get-out-of-jail-free card? Pathetic."

"Please...don't hurt me," I utter as the tears finally escape me.

Jeno grabs my throat, pushing me onto my back as he tightens his grip so that I can't breathe and pressure begins to build in my head. I try to gasp for air, but it doesn't work. I can feel myself quickly fading into unconsciousness, and although I try to pull his hands away, I'm far too weak and frail to fight off someone like Jeno. So instead, I let go.

Similar occurrences happen each and every time I awaken from unconsciousness. Jeno will come to me one way or another, speaking kindly as if he were in love with me and ready to save me from Hell, then-for one reason or another, or for none at all-he will snap. The things he does get increasingly violent and vicious, eventually reaching to the point where I no longer wished to remember my conscious moments.

I am now well aware that whomever is visiting me is not Jeno, but each and every time, I still hold out hope that it is actually him.

That is, until it finally settles in that Jeno has yet to actually save me. It feels like years of torture, though I have no idea how long I've actually been here. I just know that it's been too long.

The torture continues as the imitation Jeno berates and assaults me in various ways I try to block out. My fear that the man I loved would hurt me is now the only reality I know.

I wake up once more from unconsciousness, but this time, instead of one singular voice, I am hearing many. Jeno whispers my name, but his whispers come from all around me. I curl up on my side, mentally begging for it to cease. End this suffering, end my existence. Just leave me alone.

Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin.

Fire ignites around my cage, showing more than I've seen since I've arrived, but I can only briefly open my eyes to the light after being in the dark for so long.

Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin. Jaemin-

"Jaemin!"