𝐁𝐓𝐒 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝟒 | fin.

jin - request (pt 2)

SHATTER

- in which the boy from the mirror offers you an escape from the shattered world you live in: sequel to GLASS HEARTS; requested by @TheAlmighty_AJ

The stars claim the night as their own as you stare out at them in awe, Jin's heartbeat against your chest steady and reassuring as he takes a few seconds to think your sudden decision over, the feel of his hand softly brushing through your locks soothing.

"Are you sure?" he finally asks worriedly as if his tale will be too much for you to bear. "It might be a lot to process and I don't want to—"

"Jin," you interrupt, jolting ever so slightly when his fingers brush over the sore spot on your head, his eyes widening as he drops his hand immediately, heart skipping a beat, "I can handle it."

He nods more to convince himself and offers you a sweet smile. "Well then, my dear, I shall begin."

You bite onto your bottom lip and close your eyes, focusing only on the sound of Jin's voice.

"I was about your age when I moved into this very house because my father had landed himself a prestigious job in one of the company towers close by. He was a cunning man, rather skillful with his money too but, despite all of that, he was kind and made sure I was always cared for. That's why I was resentful of my mother for leaving the very man I looked up to. How could she? He would never hurt a fly." Jin explains, keeping his voice level and calm despite the fluctuation of emotion dancing across his face.

"I claimed this room as my own and found this mirror propped up against the wall. My father volunteered to get rid of it for me but I refused. There was just something about it that made me feel as if I had a connection with the mirror. That connection would only grow as time went on and, soon enough, it felt as if someone was keeping an eye on me.

About a year and a half went by and things couldn't have been going more swimmingly. Father's business was booming and he was receiving promotion after promotion while I was excelling at school and following in my father's footsteps. I'm guessing you can probably tell that when everything is almost too good to be true, things usually go horribly wrong."

He stiffens beneath you, your hands flattening against his back to rub slow circles onto it in hopes of calming him down a little.

"My mother was knocking at our door in the middle of the night. I was scared and confused because of how aggressive she looked standing out there but my father didn't care. He told her she wasn't welcome as I hugged onto him from behind. She broke down into tears and apologised for everything she did and that she missed the both of us so much, it killed her everyday. Sometimes, I think my father was too nice for his own good.

She moved in the next week.

I ignored her as best as I could despite my father putting in his everything to make sure things would go back to some odd state of normality. I guess she got mad that I didn't interact with her as much as she wanted me to or maybe she was just looking for a way to destroy everything my father loved, starting with me.

The first time she hit me, I cried.

She apologised profusely and promised never to do it again but she lied. She always beat me when there was no-one else at home to see. She threatened me into staying quiet about it so I was always making up stories about bullies at school or clumsily tripping over things to cover it up.

I don't know why I didn't just tell him. He would've kicked her out to the curb with nothing but the clothes on her back. Perhaps I was scared of what might happen to the two of us if I did tell him. Would she torture us? Get dad fired? Find my school and attack me from there?