𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞!𝐚𝐮) 𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐙

CH. 65 ~ Battle of Minds

At first glance, death may seem ominous and terrifying to most. I think that's because we don't know what will happen to our consciousness after death, which is why we fear it. After all, humans tend to fear the things they don't know or understand.

But now that darkness has consumed everything and my entire being has come to a complete halt, I no longer fear death. I can't say if I truly am dead at this very moment but what I can say is that it is much more peaceful than the hectic world I was just in.

It's dark and empty but not as scary or haunting as people might think it is. The silent darkness that stretches on for what seems like an eternity actually brings an odd sense of solace to me, knowing that nothing can hurt me now— now that I'm... dead.

I wish to be able to stay in this comfortable silence forever, I wish to get lost in it and never have to face the terrifying realities of my world again.

I've failed my people, my crew, my friends. I've failed Yunho and Taehyung. But most importantly I failed Seonghwa. For reasons like this exact one, I didn't want to promise him that I would come back alive. I knew that it would be impossible yet still foolishly promised that I would return to him.

As I recount my death, I realize that my life didn't flash before my eyes as people said it would. In fact, it all happened so fast that it took me a minute to register that I was no longer alive.

In the distance, I can hear a humming sound coming from a soft and delicate voice, the type of voice that makes you want to fold into yourself and sleep peacefully forever.

The darkness that I was just encased in begins to fade away and murky light illuminates my consciousness, the sound of the woman singing becoming clearer as the light becomes brighter.

I soon realize that the reason for the light is that my eyelids are closed and when I open them, I find myself in a whole new world I had only seen in my dreamscape.

There's a pulsating feeling that starts at my chest and spreads through my torso with each pulse, painful but manageable.

My body feels light and there's no sign of any injury except for the pain where Queen Lee's cursed magic penetrated my chest. I feel reborn, whole, new.

I sit up, scanning where I am to see the green shrubs that surround me everywhere, stretching in for miles in all directions. Flowers and berries of all kinds blossom everywhere, untamed and beautiful. All kinds of splashes of colors, vibrant and dull, fill my eyes, too much for me to perceive it all at once.

I decide to get off of the ground to take a better look at my surroundings when I see that I've even changed garments, swapping my normal pants, shirt, and coat for a silky white dress that cascades around me in enticing folds. Even my hair is braided beautifully, longer than it was when I was alive and healthy.

The green grass under my feet feels warm and the scent of lavender fills the air around me, making me want to stay here forever.

Suddenly, the soft humming of the familiar feminine voice I've heard many times before sounds off in the distance, piquing my curiosity. In the distance, I see a river bank gleaming iridescently under the artificial sun, a sight I'm sure wasn't there a second ago.

Three figures rest by a log that's near the body of water; one of them holding what seems like a fishing rod, the second crouching down by the river, and the third sitting on the log, admiring the sight in front of them.

I slowly make my way toward them, taking in the comforting sound of the voice that hums the song I had heard so many times in my dreams. As I walk toward them, my hands skim all of the plants, my fingers feeling the different textures of each of the flourishing flowers.